SPECIAL GUEST: Caridad Pineiro, Author of BLOOD CALLS

Hi everyone! I have a good friend, Caridad Pineiro, who is also one of my authors I represent at Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, here with us today on her last leg of her Blood Calls Virtual Book Tour '07!

Caridad is a multi-published author whose love of the written word developed when her fifth grade teacher assigned a project - to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library. She has been hooked on writing ever since.

Her fourteenth novel, DEVOTION CALLS, was released by Silhouette Nocturne in January 2007. THE CALLING vampire series, based on characters from Caridad's first vampire book in March 2004, DARKNESS CALLS, debuted with DANGER CALLS in June 2005 and TEMPTATION CALLS in October 2005. Due to overwhelming fan support and reviews, the fourth book in the series, DEATH CALLS, helped Silhouette launch its new Nocturne paranormal line and Caridad was one of the authors featured by Harlequin at this year’s BookExpo America in Washington, D.C.

THE CALLING vampire series will continue with BLOOD CALLS in May 2007. Additional books are planned for the series.

In September 2006, SEX AND THE SOUTH BEACH CHICAS debuted from Simon & Schuster’s Downtown Press. Three other releases are scheduled for 2007, including SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN and MOON FEVER, a paranormal anthology with Maggie Shayne, Susan Sizemore and Lori Handeland!

For a different spin on the holiday season, join Caridad and Maureen Child for a holiday vampire anthology, as yet untitled. Coming from Silhouette Nocturne in December 2007.

In April 2005, Caridad participated in the first ever Chica Lit anthology titled FRIDAY NIGHT CHICAS from St. Martin’s Press.

In April 2006, Caridad and five other writers joined to create the CAPTURING THE CROWN series from Silhouette Intimate Moments. Caridad’s title, MORE THAN A MISSION, was released in August 2006. The sequel to MORE THAN A MISSION, titled SECRET AGENT REUNION, will be available in August 2007.

When not writing, Caridad teaches workshops on various topics related to writing and heads a writing group. Caridad has appeared on Fox Television’s Good Day New York, , New Jersey News’ Jersey’s Talking with Lee Leonard and WGN-TV’s Adelante Chicago as well as being one of the Latino authors featured at the first ever Spanish Pavilion at the 2000 Chicago BookExpo America. Articles featuring Caridad’s works have appeared in the New York Daily News, Star Ledger, Sun Sentinel, latinolink.com, Variety Yahoo! Online News, and Waterbury Republican-American.

For more information on Caridad, please visit www.caridad.com or watch her interview at www.romancenovel.tv.

To meet Caridad, please check www.caridad.com or her appearance schedule and also, drop by the Harlequin booth at BookExpo on June 1.

PUYOBP: Thank you for coming to Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion, Caridad! Can you tell us what your book is about?

Caridad: BLOOD CALLS, my May release from Silhouette Nocturne, is about Diego Rivera, a vampire who was turned during the Spanish Inquisition due to his wife’s betrayal. His wife had turned him over to the Inquisitor because he had been a selfish and unfaithful man. The experience made Diego vow to become a better man, but that vow will be tested when he becomes involved with a young painter who has unwittingly become involved in an art fraud. Diego’s feelings for the painter, Ramona Escobar, will ignite his passion and test his honor.

PUYOBP: Who are you published with and how have your experiences with them been so far?
Caridad: I am currently published by Harlequin and Pocket Books. They are both wonderful companies, but in very different parts of the publishing world. For Harlequin I write series books, which means they are on the shelf for one month. If there is demand for the book beyond that month, readers must find the book through online venues and generally, the books are unavailable after about six months (sometimes less if they sell out as some titles have). The novels I do for Pocket Books are single titles and stocked for as long as there is demand. If demand exceeds supply, the novel will go into additional printings.

PUYOBP: Can you tell us ways you have been promoting online?

Caridad: I have two different websites, www.caridad.com and www.thecallingvampirenovels.com. I also have a blog, AmazonConnect site, Myspace page and just joined Gather. In addition to blogging on my own site, I guest blog at other sites and also have guest bloggers at my site. I have run banner ads at sites which are geared to romance readers, am part of a webring for one of the sites, and do press releases as appropriate to generate buzz about the books. In addition, I send ARCs of my novels to various online review sites. Finally, I chat and run contests at various online venues on a regular basis.

PUYOBP: Can you tell us ways you have been promoting offline?

Caridad: I do press releases as appropriate to area newspapers and magazines. I contact magazines for inclusion in possible articles and also send ARCs for reviews. In addition, I mail bookmarks and other promotional materials to booksellers. If there are conferences or trade shows that are beneficial, such as BEA, I arrange to attend them when possible. I also enter contests for published authors in an effort to reach booksellers.

PUYOBP: What is the most important piece of advice anyone has ever given you about the publishing industry?

Caridad: Never give up. Publishing is a rough business and rejection is a regular part of the business. I take rejections in stride and always ask myself, what could I have done differently to make that project work or to create a different project that is commercially viable. Then I go write back to work.

PUYOBP: What’s next for you? Do you have more books in the works?

Caridad: I have lots of books in the works! After BLOOD CALLS, I have a number of releases this year. Also look for SECRET AGENT REUNION, August 2007, Silhouette Romantic Suspense, SOUTH EBACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN, September 2007, Downtown Press and MOON FEVER, an anthology with Maggie Shayne, Susan Sizemore, Lori Handeland and me in October 2007 from Pocket Books. I am currently working on additional books in THE CALLING series which will be available starting with FATE CALLS, my contribution to the vampire anthology HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE in December 2007. I am also working on another novella for Pocket and some new novels for submission later this year.

PUYOBP: Thank you for stopping by, Caridad, and much success to you!

Caridad: Thank you for having me! It was a pleasure discussing my writing and promoting with you!

Pamela's tour is brought to you by the Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, a full service virtual tour booking agency.

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, book promotion tips, virtual book tour, Caridad Pineiro, Blood Calls