My New and Improved Book from the Ashes of a Closed Publisher

By Dusty Crabtree

Shadow Eyes Re-Release Blog Tour and $50 Amazon Card Giveaway

I’m so thrilled to finally be re-releasing my young adult, urban fantasy, Shadow Eyes! It was first released in 2012 by Musa Publishing. Musa closed in 2015, and since Shadow Eyes was my first novel, I took the opportunity to revise and change a few minor things before self-publishing it this time. I am very happy with this second version and I hope you will love it too!

(Everyone, don’t forget to enter click the rafflecopter for a chance to win a print copy of Shadow Eyes and a $50 gift card to Amazon!)

Let’s check out the improved synopsis for Shadow Eyes first…

Iris thought she could ignore the shadows…until they came after everyone she loved.

Seventeen-year- old Iris Kohl has been able to see both dark and light figures ever since a tragic incident three years ago. The problem is, no one else seems to see them, and even worse…the dark figures terrorize humans, but Iris is powerless to stop them. 

Although she’s learned to deal with watching shadows harass everyone around her, Iris is soon forced to question everything she thinks she knows about her world and herself. Her sanity, strength, and will power are tested to the limits by not only the shadows, but also a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows, a new friend with an awe-inspiriting aura, and a mysterious, alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend. As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, Iris must ultimately accept the guidance of an angel to revisit the most horrific event of her life and become the hero she was meant to be.

What does New and Improved Really Mean?

You may be wondering why I bothered to make changes to my novel instead of just re-releasing it right away. The answer is pretty simple, really…it was my first novel. Am I a pro at writing now? Hardly. But after finishing the sequel and working with a stellar editor, I learned so much that I wish I would have known as I’d written the first book. I always told myself that if I had the chance somehow, I would revise it and put out a second edition. Little did I know at the time that I’d get that wish, just not in the way I would have liked.

As often happens in the cutthroat world of online publishing, my young publishing company had to close its doors. As a result, I was left with the rights to my novel to do with whatever I wanted to do. Instead of seeking a publisher right away, I got to work first! I took all the tips my editor had given me and some of the constructive criticism I’d gotten in a few reviews and polished away until the novel shined!

Other than wording and flow, one thing I changed (probably the biggest change) is that one of the main characters, Patrick, shows up way earlier than in the first edition. That had always been an issue for me, even after it was published through Musa. He’s such an important character, but for reasons only the younger version of me could understand, he didn’t show up for several chapters in the first edition.

I’m still learning as a young author, but I am truly happy with this finished product and am excited to continue the series and get it out there. The sequel has been done for a while and needs its moment to shine too! 

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Dusty Crabtree loves a good story, but she also loves young people. These two loves are evident in all parts of her life. She has been a high school English teacher since 2006 and a creative writing teacher since 2014. She's also been a youth sponsor at her local church for as long as she’s been teaching. She feels very blessed with the amazing opportunities she has to develop meaningful relationships with teens on a daily basis. With her love of reading in the mix, becoming an author of young adult books was just a natural development of those two passions in her life. She lives with her husband, Clayton, in Yukon, Oklahoma, where they often serve their community as foster parents. Check out Dusty’s blog at http://dustycrabtree.wordpress.com/

Find her on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Dusty-Crabtree-266681443395939/

Follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/dustycrabtree

Follow her on Instagram – dustycrabtree12

Check out Shadow Eyes on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15733491-shadow-eyes?ac=1&from_search=true

View the book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UP9A0Fm78

Buy Shadow Eyes on Amazon or any major online bookstores