Vicki Hopkins, Author

Alas, my book is finally making its way through the distribution channel.

Below are the links to Amazon and Barnes & Noble. B&N is the better price of the two. Just have to arrange for descriptive content to be added and sign up for the Look Inside feature, but they are available for purchase. What are others saying about the book? Here are comments from those who have read it:

"I'm fighting back tears. You are an amazing writer and words cannot adequately express how talented I think you are. You have a gift and I am so thankful that you shared the manuscript with me. I am forever touched" J. Loth

"WHAT A GREAT READ! I think this book was a great romance, and a tasteful one with a truly historical flavor. Thanks for letting me edit it!" A. Conley

"Just finished reading my friend's first novel: The Price of Innocence. I didn't get anything done today because I could not put it down. She is so talented." L. Hoehna

"I really love your book. I look forward to the sequel. I'm excited to know as to what will happen between Robert and his son. I'm thrilled to know (deleted spoiler!).... I also love the cover image. It really fits the story. Congratulations in advance." A. Aborque, Xlibris Rep.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

I'm trying not to be too excited but it is very hard. Wheeeeeee!!

Cheerfully yours,
Vicki

Mark Your Calendars! All Things Phantom Show December 12 @ 5 p.m.

Brianne Kelly Morgan, who plays Meg Giry in the Vegas Production of The Phantom of the Opera will be our guest. Brianne has studied ballet since she was five and has trained at the Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and is more than qualified to play the endearing Meg Giry on stage. I’ve seen her perform seven times and she often visits our chatroom during the show.

If you are curious what it is like to be a star on stage – especially Phantom – and live your dream in ballet shoes, please join us at http://blogtalkradio.com/All_Things_Phantom

This week on December 5, we have a clip from Ladyghost and a guest who has attended the Phantom Production at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.

Interesting. I'm feeling a bit lost! It's amazing how pushing yourself to get your book out in a flurry of drafts, edits, readings, and submission can wear you down. Now it's all over and the book as been released through my publisher in the U.S. (Xlibris) - except for my debut on the the 2,500 sites worldwide like on Amazon, etc. - I'm feeling a bit lost! I didn't expect this rash emotion either. I've been so hyped my entire life to released my first fiction novel, I thought I would sigh in satisfaction and relax - doesn't look that way.

It's times like these you discover things about yourself you never noticed before. It's obvious I love to write, but I'm learning I'm driven to write as well. It seems to be so ingrained in me as an individual that when I'm not blogging, plotting, roleplaying, or writing something I don't know who I am any longer. Hum, I don't know if that's good or bad.

Well, I've started the sequel, The Price of Deception. It will roll into a third, The Price of Love. While pounding the keys, I'll continue to market my self-published version and see if I can get a publisher to pick up the three-book series. Why? I guess I'm out to prove a point all my work is not mere VANITY!

Cheerfully yours,
Vicki

PS...Food for thought on all that vanity business.

Wow! Every once in a while something happens to you in life that knocks your socks off! This is one of them.

Last week I was approached by Phantom Las Vegas and asked if I wanted to be the first Phantom Phan of the month. Of course, I couldn't say no!

Here is a link to the page of Phantom Phan of the Month.



Cheerfully yours,
Vicki

I have signed the release authorization and within the next 24 hours (probably on Monday, November 9) the book will be available for purchase at Xlibris.com's bookstore.  Distribution begins and within 30-60 days you'll find it at online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and 2,500 others worldwide.

What are those saying who have read it?  Well, here's a few comments (and I didn't pay them a dime to write it!)

"I'm fighting back tears. You are an amazing writer and words cannot adequately express how talented I think you are. You have a gift and I am so thankful that you shared the manuscript with me. I am forever touched."

"WHAT A GREAT READ! I think this book was a great romance, and a tasteful one with a truly historical flavor. Thanks for letting me edit it!"

"Just finished reading a draft of my friend's first novel: The Price of Innocence. I didn't get anything done today because I could not put it down. She is so talented. I can't wait to buy my own copy once she gets it published."

"I really love your book. I look forward to the sequel. I'm excited to know as to what will happen between Robert and his son. I'm thrilled to know (deleted spoiler!).... I also love the cover image. It really fits the story. Congratulations in advance." A. Aborque, Xlibris Rep.

I must admit, I've had my obstacles.  Xlibris, once again, has been wonderful, and I'm extremely satisfied with the final book and anxious to begin the sequel - The Price of Deception.

There's no stopping me now.  My quill has been dipped in ink, my doubts conquered (both self-inflicted and inflicted by my critics); and as a result, I know many more books are in my future.

Cheerfully yours,
Vicki

My cover from Xlibris came out wonderful.  I am very pleased with their services, the outcome of the interior, and their helpful attitude.  Frankly, for those of you dying to know how much it cost me to publish this book, I'll let you know.  Initially, the cost was ZERO!  I purchased a two-for-one package in February of 2008 - the price of two books for one at $499.  This past month they had another wonderful upgrade, so I bumped it up a notch and paid and extra $400 for a $1,000 package. 

I am very pleased with Xlibris quality, turnaround time, and help.  Of course, as a self-published author, marketing is on my shoulders.  They have plenty of services to help for additional dollars, but if you're savvy you can do it yourself.  I had my own business for over seven years and four employees, so I know the ins and outs of marketing and will use my knowledge on my own.  Besides, most publishing houses expect you to build an author platform and market too - so what's the difference?

Below is the final cover.  To top it off, I've begun the sequel, "The Price of Deception" that I hope to release late next year.  It's only taken me 40 years to get here to this wonderful spot of holding my first fiction novel.  If I can give anyone advice, I would say don't give up on your dreams - don't let anyone discourage you - don't let anyone rain on your parade either.  I'm confident that beyond my self-published efforts awaits a publisher to pick up the two-book series. 

Also, if you haven't visited my website for the book, feel free to do so at THE PRICE OF INNOCENCE.

Wow, what a weekend! I finalized the manuscript and it's in the hands of Xlibris for the cover, galley proof, and final steps to print. Gosh, I'm exhausted! Self-publishing is work, let me tell you. I think it deserves more kudos than the industry gives, frankly.

If you're a perfectionist, like myself, and care about quality, you want to make a good impression. As a self-published author, the task weighs entirely on my shoulders. I don't have a million dollar publishing house behind me to make my writing look good. Frankly, I'm on a mission to prove decent work and a good story can be offered through "vanity" and still sell.

This morning I got up early, cleaned the last bit of the manuscript, checked my author bio, short book bio, long book description, dedication, and reviewed my artwork. Then I packed them all up in multiple emails and shipped them to my representative. A few hours later, I received a call from her, and she was excited as this crazy author. I was driving down the road when the phone call came in, so like a good citizen I pulled over. Frankly, I didn't want to risk an accident. It was too pumped to talk and drive!

She loved the cover, gave me some tips on interior design, and off it went to production. Within the next week, I will have my first galley proof.

It's only taken me 40 years to get here. That's right 40 years of dreaming, screaming, and scheming. I finally made it. My first fiction novel. My friends at work who have read it already are crying SEQUEL now! Gosh, I have no idea where to go from here, but if this keeps up, I guess I'll need to write one.

Thanks to everyone who has read my blog and walked my journey with me. I also sent off the manuscript via "snail mail" to the chief editor who requested to read the book. It will be four to six months before that answer comes back, but in the meantime, my book will be ready to buy within the next month.

What will I do if they offer to buy it? Frankly, I don't know. If they plan on butchering my book, I just may say no. Should they ask for erotic sex scenes, I will say no. I've written a tasteful, historical fiction novel, and I intend to keep it that way.

In the meantime - How sweet it is!!!!!

CHEERS!!!
Vicki

I have four Guinea Pigs – Jenny, Natasha, Loretta, and Annie. They are a wide variety of readers I am using as test subjects before I send off my book. What a hoot!

Jenny was the first to devour my book. She’s a typical romance reader, who is a starry-eyed weeper overly in love with Collin Firth-type characters. Though she was a bit disappointed that my Englishman frequented a brothel, she did fall in love and is begging for a sequel NOW!  She keeps cornering me at my cube and in the copy room at work - relentlessly telling me to keep writing!  Test subject one – approved manuscript.

Natasha is currently in the middle of the book. She has no qualms reading about a struggling woman faced with difficult decision.  Her feedback has been positive, and she really loves the story. Test subject two – approval in progress.

Loretta and Annie heard all the buzz over my manuscript out to Jenny and Natasha, and felt slighted they weren't in the loop. I’ve since printed it off for their eager eyes and they are devouring it as well giving me great kudos.

Yesterday, my book came back from a professional editor for line and copy editing. Here is what she said, “WHAT A GREAT READ!” (And she did capitalize that statement.) Whoa! Didn’t expect that, but then she added, “I think this book was a great romance, and a tasteful one with a truly historical flavor. Thanks for letting me edit it!” Those few words brought a huge smile to my face. I guess I’m not as bad as I thought.

Now, I’m frantically sitting in front of the computer accepting suggested changes, reading it through once more, and finalizing the manuscript to send off to Xlibris. I’ll do one more read after that, and if there’ s a typo left, too bad! Ugh, I’m going cross-eyed.

Afterward, I’ll print it out and ship it off to Kensington Publishers for fun and wait four to six months for their "yes" or "no."

This book has physically drained me, caused me to shed copious amounts of tears, given me joy, and excited my already irregular heartbeat. However, this is my dream! My first fiction novel, and I’m not going to let anyone or anything rain on my parade.

Cheerfully yours!

Vicki

All Things Phantom continues to grow.  We just passed 3,965 downloaded podcasts in 15 weeks.  Our show is not just local, it's gone around the world, and we are very thankful for our supportive listeners.  When we first started this show, it was meant to give a platform for everyone.  However, it takes time to do so. 

Exciting guests are on the horizon.  This coming Saturday, Byron Nease, will be on the show.  He played Raoul in the Toronto production and the Phantom in Yeston & Kopit's version on stage.  Below is a link to his Facebook group page, which I highly encourage you to read his feelings about taking our masks off and revealing our true selves to one another.

His states, "After five years and 1,700 performances of playing Raoul, the love interest and valiant protector of Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, I had the remarkable adventure of crossing into the dark side: playing the Phantom in the beautiful Kopit/Yeston Phantom production. I’ve long believed that one reason many people are fascinated – even obsessed – with Gaston Leroux’s timeless story is that we all have demons."

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=31461916972

In addition, visit his website and enjoy the pictures of Byron in his role as Phantom in Yeston & Kopit and Raoul in Webber's production in Toronto.

I hope you'll pass the word and invite your friends to attend this Saturday's broadcast.

http://www.byronnease.com/galleries/phantom/index.html

 

If you haven't checked out All Things Phantom on BlogTalkRadio recently, we were ranked #2 out of 500 shows on yesterday's boards.  Last week we had 171 live listeners and 68 in the chat room, so don't miss the fun!  The show will broadcast at 5 p.m. PST.

This Saturday we are pleased to welcome Sadie Montgomery, the author of The Phoenix of the Opera. It started with one book, and she swore #4 was the end of the series. Apparently, Erik gives her no one rest. When the muse speaks, the author pens, and Sadie has just released book #5, the Phantom Madness.

Sadie lives with her family in Minnesota, where she teaches literature. When she's not correcting her college students' essays, she writes stories and novels.

Please welcome her to the show this coming Saturday with open arms, as she tells us about her love of Phantom, and why she likes the thought of Meg and Erik living happily ever after!

Afterward, we'll open the lines for listeners to call in and chat about the loves of Erik, as penned by other authors. What combination is your favorite? Erik/Meg, Erik/Christine, Erik/Anybody else? 

We have some exciting guests in the que:

Byron Nease - 10-24 who played Raoul for 5 years in the Toronto production
Brianne Kelly Morgan - 12/16 who plays Meg Giry in the Vegas production
Andrew Ragone - 1/16 who plays Raoul in the Vegas production

Also, if you're a Leroux fan, don't miss our Halloween show dedicated to the man to started it all. 

You can keep updated on show news by reading our blog at:  All Things Phantom Show Blog

 

I'm happy to report that my debut fiction novel, The Price of Innocence, has been completed and is in the final stages of editing.  Below is a synopsis of the story, and I will keep you advised when I have a release date.  Hopefully, it will be ready for sale January 2010.  This is a personal dream come true, and I hope the first of many novels to be birthed at the tip of my own pen.  You may follow my journey and release, plus exciting information about the book at my website - The Price of Innocence.

As a parting note, I can only say, don't let anyone rain on your parade.  If you have a dream, pursue it at all costs, and prove the critics wrong.

The Price of Innocence is Vicki Hopkins' debut fiction novel, penned to tug at the hearts of many.  Insightful, but delicately written, the author draws a picture of life, but allows the reader to paint the canvas of intimacies in their own imagination.

In essence, it is the tender story of Suzette Camille Rousseau, a young woman in late 19th century Paris, who makes a difficult journey from innocence to maturity.  

Losing a sheltered life with her father, Suzette is thrown into the harsh reality of poverty, struggling as a homeless woman on the streets of Paris.  In order to survive, she faces difficult choices that offer little redemption or hope for the future.

Her journey takes her from the charities of St. Vincent de Paul, to a local laundry house where she toils endlessly in filth and squalor.  To her surprise, one of her customers is Le Chabanais, the most famous brothel in Europe.

Like a fly drawn to a spider's web, the mistress of the brothel entices Suzette into a world of opulence, comfort, and beauty, but there is a price to pay - her innocence.

Succumbing to a life of prostitution, she meets a man who saves her from the unthinkable, only to make her his own.  When he spirits her off to another country, her past follows.  The man she once loved relentlessly pursues Suzette, intent on regaining her heart.

In the end, The Price of Innocence is a stunning tale of two cities, two men, one woman, and the symbol of a flower that promises happiness in the end.

Today we have a 90-minute show for everyone!

Part 1: Anne Burnside, Author of "The Sultan's Favorite" will be our guest today. Here's your chance to talk with another author penning a tale of the Phantom of the Opera. Set in the compelling world of the Ottoman Empire, The Sultan’s Favorite continues the saga of Erik from the Phantom of the Opera and his journey to a new life—and a new love.

Part 2: Jason Michael Hammond, who was chosen to receive the Phantom makeover at the Phantom Fans Week in Vegas will be telling us his experience sitting in the makeup chair and his transformation. In addition, Ashely Yarbrough, who was chosen to become Christine will join us too!

Then we will open the lines and talk in depth about the sessions at Phantom Fans Week and invite attendees to phone in.

If you miss the show, don't forget they are archived for listening at your convenience!

Also, last week we broadcasted live from the Phantom Fans Week in Las Vegas.  Brianne Kelly Morgan, who plays Meg Giry, and Andrew Ragone, who plays Raoul were both on our show, as well as others who attended the convention.

Both Brianne and Andrew will be returning for one-on-one interviews.  We are blessed too that Anthony Crivello, who plays the Phantom on the Vegas production, has agreed to come on the show as well. 

Hope you'll catch up with us!  Below a great picture of Jason & Ashley in full makeup.



Vicki & Teresa

Hi everyone!  We will be broadcasting live from Vegas Saturday at 5 p.m.  We hope that you will be able to join us for the fun.  Some of our listeners who attended the convention may join us for the show to share their experiences.

In addition, we have a special guest coming - Brianne Morgan who plays Meg in the Vegas Production should be online with us, if we get all the communication details worked out.

We are happy to report too, that Anthony Crivello, the Phantom, and Andrew Ragone, who plays Raoul, have agreed to be our guests in the future.

Should they do Phantom Fans Week again, save your pennies for next year, because the experience has been fantastic.  The first day we met the entire cast for Q&A session, and then last night we had a Masquerade Ball in St. Mark's Square at the Venetian.  Phans dressed in costume and some of them were amazing.  In addition, the entire cast and crew wandered among all the attendees posing for pictures and signing autographs.   It was an upfront and personal time that was wonderful.

This morning, we had a great session with Sam Fisher, who is head of costumes for the Phantom production.  Two lucky attendees got transformed into the Phantom and Christine.  This afternoon, we had the chandelier experience - no words to describe this one ton 4 piece chandelier that drops 18 feet per second and stops 10 feet over the heads the audience.  It was a wonderful presentation along with the screams from the attendees that volunteered to sit underneath during the demo!

Tomorrow we learn about the Phantom theater and get to hear Hal Prince speak in the afternoon.

If you are on Facebook,befriend the Phantom Vegas Spectacular page for pictures and info.  Here is a link:  Phantom Fans Week

We are happy to report to Phantom fans that Byron Nease, who played Raoul in over 1,700 performances on the Toronto stage production of Phantom of the Opera, has agreed to come on our show October 24 at 5 p.m. PST. 

In addition, Rebecca Caine, who played Christine in the Toronto production will be our guest sometime later this year. 

Our show continues to be a place for everyone from Leroux to Webber and beyond to come and talk about the story you love so dearly.

My co-host and I are committed to giving the Phantom community a platform to share, and we hope you will join us weekly on Saturday, at 5:00 p.m. PST.

This Saturday is our upcoming show broadcasting live from Las Vegas at the International Phantom Fans Week.  The organizers/producers of the Phantom Law Vegas are supporting us as we interview attendees so they can talk about their experiences at the convention.  Also, you should check out the chat room during our shows, as we have a few in the Vegas production who drop in from time to time.

If you haven't listened yet, check us out.  Miss a live show?  No problem, they are all archived for listening at a later date.  Over 2,200 have listen to our shows in the past 9 weeks.


All Things Phantom on BlogTalkRadio

All Things Phantom Show Blog for Updates

Here's our lineup for the next three weeks:

9/5 - Anstance Tamplin, Author of Phantom Memoirs
9/12 - The Phantom Reviewer from YouTube
9/19 - Live from Las Vegas at the International Phantom Fans Week

We are happy to announce that we will broadcast live from Las Vegas, Nevada during the International Phantom Fans Week to be held at the Venetian Hotel from September 16-20, 2009.

My co-host and I will broadcast on Saturday, September 19, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

The show will focus on the Phantom Fans Week event, and we will be taking calls from attendees to share their experiences at the convention. We've actually received communication from the organizers of the event encouraging and supporting our broadcast.

Tune in at BlogTalkRadio to listen live on 9/19 or catch the archived show on our show blog.

If you are attending and wish to be one of the callers to share your experience, contact me at vicki@vickihopkins.com, so we can make arrangements and give you instructions.

http://blogtalkradio.com/All_Things_Phantom

Show reminder 8/29 @ 5 pm PST - Romil Ilagan, Guest

Romil Ilagan (known in the Phandom as "Raphael") is a fun-loving Taurus who loves Argentine tango, edged weapons, piña coladas and dancing in the rain. But his true muse and all-consuming passion is the Phantom of the Opera. A fan since 1990, Romil's interest in the story led him from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and Gaston Leroux novel to the films, other musicals, and books. In addition to realistic portraiture of characters from the ALW musical, Romil is the creator of the "Phantom Lite" series of illustrations (also known as "Phantoons"), and his art has been spotted backstage in Phantom productions from Las Vegas to Hamburg. His artwork can also be seen on Llumina Press's hardcover edition of Susan Kay's "Phantom."

www.phantoonsoftheopera.com
www.romil-ilagan.com

Listen live and chat at: http://blogtalkradio.com/All_Things_Phantom

Anne Myers was our guest last week, and we thank her for sharing with us about her Phantom Project. Kudos, Anne, for devoting your time to researching everything from literature, stage, and film, and sharing with us your project. We wish you continued success, and we encourage our listeners to check out your past and future reviews on your website.

Saturday, 8/15 the Opera Ghost (Jeffrey Love) will be hosting the show! Should be great fun as he drills your co-hosts, so you can learn about the women behind the masks. I may let you just take a peek behind mine, and I have no idea what Teresa will reveal behind hers. We are a couple of fans, just like you, having a great time.

Check out our list of upcoming guests!

August 22 - Lindsey creator of "Phantom On a Budget"
August 29 - Romil Ilagan, Artist
September 5 - A. Tamplin, Author of "Phantom Memoirs"
September 12 - Phantom Reviewer on YouTube
September 19 - Broadcast Live From Phantom Week in Vegas
September 26 - Anne Burnside, Author of "The Sultan's Favorite"
October 3 - Organizers of 5th Anniversary of Phantom Redux #6
October 10 - "Iron-Gibbet G" - The Requiem Mask Comic
October 17 - Sadie Montgomery, Author of The Phoenix of the Opera Series

I'm posting that I posted!  The topic?  DOUBT

Lessons From the Phantom of the Opera

I hope you don't doubt my sincerity.

Cheerfully yours,
Vicki

Teresa and I can’t believe it’s almost Saturday!  Our next show is at 5:00 p.m. PST, August 1, and Michelle Naylor will be our special guest.  She’s a Phantom of the Opera fan, who has collected Phantom memorabilia for over 20 years.   Michelle will talk about her collection, and then the second half of the show we’re going to talk about your obsession!  

Come and join the fun.  Don’t be shy!  Phone in and tell is why you love the Phantom of the Opera or join the chatroom with other listeners, and Teresa will read your comments.  We’re having a blast, and all are welcome.

http://blogtalkradio.com/All_Things_Phantom

Visit our blog for updates and upcoming guests:  http://allthingsphantomshow.blogspot.com

 

We have an exciting show lined up this Saturday at 5:00 p.m. PST on July 25.  

Sharon Cathcart, Author of  "In the Eye of the Beholder," a Phantom of the Opera fiction novel, will be our guest the first half hour.

Afterward, we're back to dissecting Christine Daae and her betrayal.  Also, we'll discuss some of the actresses on stage and in film that have portrayed our fascinating Diva. 

Our show has taken off like wildfire!  We have over 24 guests lined up in the upcoming weeks, we've gained listeners worldwide, and our stats and numbers have doubled in two weeks.  173 have listened to our first show, and 109 have downloaded our second show in the past 6 days.  Emails are pouring in, and we can barely keep up.  It's overwhelming, but we're not complaining.

My co-host, Teresa, and I are very excited at the outpouring of love and support from Phantom fans everywhere over this new medium.    Come and join the fun!  You can call in live!  Chat with others during the show in the chatroom!  Or just listen to a group of obsessed POTO fans talk about All Things Phantom.

Why did I start the show?   To give everyone a voice in the Phantom community, including myself, where others are welcome to express their thoughts, show off their talents, or just share their love of the story that touches us all!  

Visit our pages below, and if you miss a show, no problem!   They are all archived and visible on our show page and blog to listen to at anytime.

All Things Phantom on BlogTalkRadio Show Page

All Things Phantom Blog

Cheerfully yours,
Vicki

PS...We also have our very own resident Opera Ghost, who introduces our show weekly, and occasionally drops in too!

FACEBOOK USERS:  Join our Group "All Things Phantom Show on BlogTalkRadio" for updates as well.  We have 68 members last we checked, two of them former Phantoms who have played in the stage production, and quite a few cast members from the Vegas production are following us as well.  You're welcome to join the group.  You'll find Teresa and I on there as well, so make sure to send us a friend request.