Getting a New Look & A Book Launch!


By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

Today I'm celebrating two big milestones!

The first (as you can probably tell!) is that I've had my website overhauled for a brand new look. I had my first website designed almost five years ago by Pulse Point. Needless to say, Pulse Point did a fabulous job, and I've been VERY happy with my site ever since.

So why have my website overhauled, you might ask?

Well, several reasons, actually:

1. I'm branching into two new genres next year. In addition to continuing to write historical romance, I'll be adding Young Adult (An Uncertain Choice, a medieval romance releasing in March 2015 through Harper Collins) AND I'll also be releasing Historicals (the first is releasing in September 2015 through Random House).

Thus I wanted my website to not only have special pages for my new genres, but I also wanted it to have a broader appeal (so that I'm not branded as only a historical romance writer).

2. I wanted to bring a clean-cut, more 2015 feel to my website. Just like styles in clothes and shoes come and go, so do styles in websites. What was popular five years ago, may start to feel dated today. So, in an effort to keep up with the changing styles and times, I wanted to clean up my website.

3. I have new author and family photos. Every so often, we writers need to have our author photos updated. Since it's been about five years since I had mine taken, I realized I was due for a makeover. (And my family photos needed to be updated too.) The new photos have a slightly different feel to them, so I decided this was a good time to place those new photos in a new home.

All that to say, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy browsing through my new site! I hope you'll feel at home!


The second big milestone today is the launch of my seventh book, Love Unexpected! This is the first book of my first series. So I'm really excited about it! The series centers around real women light keepers who served at real Michigan lighthouses.

Of course I've fictionalized the stories and piled them full of my usual page-turning danger and adventure. Nevertheless, I hope you'll enjoy learning a little bit more about lighthouses and some of the women who helped run them.

If you enjoy marriage of convenience stories, lighthouses, and pirates, then I have no doubt that you'll like Love Unexpected. Whether that sounds like your cup of tea or not, I'm encouraging readers to give it as a gift this Christmas. We all know books make an excellent gift!

In fact, in celebration of my book's release, my publisher is sponsoring a "Give the Gift of Books" giveaway with a package of FIVE new releases (including Love Unexpected). Enter to win the package of books either on my Facebook Page or on the Events Page here on my website. If you win, you can gift yourself or give the books to someone else.

 
(And if you missed out on my FREE e-novella, Out of the Storm, make sure you go get it now! It kicks off my lighthouse series.)

Thanks for stopping by and celebrating these new milestones with me! I'm so grateful for the many friends and readers who've encouraged me along the way!

A HUGE thank you to Jones House Creative for the fantastic job they've done on my new website!

So what about you? What do you like to see in an author's website? What makes a site stand out to you?

43 comments:

  1. Your site looks great! I love the family pictures. You have beautiful children. And Happy Release Day!

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  2. Looks fabulous!!!! Love the new photos as well!!!

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  3. I love this new look, Jody! Love all the tabs with lots of background info, and love seeing updated photos of the family ('though I almost didn't recognize Jeff all clean-shaven!:-) Glad you have a new release in time for Christmas--that makes shopping for my Mom a little easier!:-)

    ~ Betsy

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    1. Thank you, Betsy! The pictures have all been in the works throughout the summer and fall. I know it's past time! :-)

      And I hope your mom enjoys my newest book! Thanks for always giving her my books!

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  4. Congratulations on the new site! It looks great.

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  5. The website is great and all your reasons make sense. I did love the color and beauty of the last, though. But the simplicity and streamlined look of this is perfect for branching into other genres and mentoring writers.

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    1. Oh, I hear you! My last site was gorgeous too! I can't speak highly enough of it! But with branching out, I realized it was time to move on!

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  6. Love the new look and congratulations on your newest release!

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  7. The new look is great... clean, crisp and yet still warm and welcoming. Congrats on the new release and the upcoming ones. You're keeping very busy and I welcome the results. :)

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  8. I'm experiencing author website envy. I've done all my own designing, and although I've down okay, I quickly get bored. When I see something like this, incredibly well thought out and organised, I look at mine with fresh eyes and want to make changes again.

    You've done so much, done so well in such a short time, I'm leaving here green. Well done Jody! X

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    1. Ah, don't leave green! I can't take any credit for the site! But I know what you're saying--we can definitely find inspiration from one another even in our web homes! :-)

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  9. Your new site looks awesome. Congrats on your new book coming out too. March is my birthday month so I am sure it will be a huge success. ;)

    Teresa

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  10. THANK YOU ALL for stopping by! I truly appreciate each of your kind words and your support! :-)

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  11. Love the new look and the new photos! So excited about the new book and looking forward to starting to dig into your books.

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  12. Jody, any advice on how to make it easier for people to comment on a blogspot blog without going through the steps of having to sign in? My blog is www.romancingthesmoke.blogspot.com and it's the blog for my memoir, Romancing The Smoke: Reflections of a Nicotine Addict. I understand how busy you are. Folks are have trouble commenting on my posts. Keep up the exemplary work. Thanks, John Aaron

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    1. John, have you checked the settings on your Settings Page? Sometimes I turn off and on my requirement to type in a code to leave a comment depending on how bad the spammers get! So blogger does give you some control on how easy you make it for your readers.

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  13. Congrats on your new website, Jody! It’s a great way to start the New Year. And I think your followers would greatly appreciate it if your website has a forum section, where they could discuss their reviews about your novels that they have read. What do you think?

    Greg Reynolds @ Opticon Marketing

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  15. Wow! Creating a new and better website is really a great thing to look forward to. Well, I'm sure that the number of your followers and customers have increased, because of your upgraded website. Thanks for sharing that, Jody! More power to you and you creative craft!

    Brigida Yeager @ Gold Finch Digital Marketing

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  16. Creating a website is a good move for those who want to showcase their products, or in your case, your books, in a more established and organized manner. Your stories look interesting, and I hope the launch of your website resulted to you gaining more readers. Thanks for the update, Jody!

    Travis White @ Marketing Digest

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  19. I am enjoying the new look of your website and I am excited to get to read your new book. I have read a few of you stories in the past and they have always been an adventure. I have never read any books that were about lighthouses, but with you writing I am sure that I will be hooked from the first page.

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