Shameless Plug for your Vote! by Katy Lee

Hello Scribes’ Fans! Great news! Two Scribes have been nominated for a RONE Award through InD’Tale Magazine! That means, both PJ Sharon and I have novels that need your vote to push us into the next round of judging.

Voting is simple. You get one vote for each category. Mine is Real Virtue in the Inspirational Category.

 

PJ Sharon’s novel, Savage Cinderella, is nominated in the Young Adult Category. (And deserves to be there, for sure!)

 

To cast your vote, click here: http://indtale.com/rone-awards/2012/week-6

The magazine does require you to register, so voting stays legit and people can’t vote repeatedly. Let’s keep things fair. The other option, if you don’t want to register, is to mail your vote in. But all votes must be in by June 1st.

Winners will be announced in August, so here’s hoping!

And whether you vote or not, know the Scribes appreciate your dedication to us and this blog and our work. Without you, we would just be talking to ourselves.

If you want a little more detail on our nominated stories, below are the back cover blurbs. We encourage you to read them if you haven’t had the chance yet.

REAL VIRTUE

In a virtual reality game where she can fly, someone is aiming to take her down. Mel Mesini is a New York City restaurateur and an avid virtual reality world traveler. She’s risen above her misfit life and now bears a striking resemblance to her glamorous gaming avatar. But her successful life-both online and in reality-takes a swerve the night her father is seriously injured in a hit-and-run. Mel is careened back to her judgmental hometown, where being the daughter of the town’s crazy lady had made her the outcast she was. To make matters worse, Officer Jeremy Stiles, the man whose harsh, rejecting words had cut her the deepest, is heading the investigation. Jeremy knows he hurt Mel and attempts to make amends by finding her father’s assailant. When he realizes she’s the actual target, his plan for reconciliation turns to one of protection-whether she wants his help or not. What he wants are answers, especially about this online game she plays. Is it a harmless pastime as she says? Or is she using it to cover something up? As a faceless predator destroys the things that matter to her, Jeremy knows he’s running out of time before she loses the one thing that matters most-her real life.

 

SAVAGE CINDERELLA

Eighteen year-old Brinn Hathaway has survived alone in an abandoned cabin in the High Country of North Georgia since she was a child. If her life is lonely and less than complete, at least she is safe from the man who kidnapped her, held her captive, and left her for dead in a shallow grave in the mountains. She believes that her parents are dead, the police are her enemy, and that if she returns to the world, her tormentor will find her. With the help of some unlikely friends, she has what she needs to survive, but is surviving enough? Life takes a turn when a young nature photographer, Justin Spencer—in pursuit of the fabled Wild Child—captures her on film. While chasing the story of a lifetime, Justin is injured and Brinn comes to his rescue. The two build a tentative friendship, but with his own violent past, an abusive alcoholic father, and a mother he couldn’t protect, he must decide if proving himself is worth betraying the trust of the girl he has vowed to help. Trust is a commodity that Brinn has been unable to afford. Can the kindness and gentle touch of a stranger break through the wall she has built around her heart? After half a lifetime of living in isolation and fear, Brinn must decide if leaving the safety of her remote cabin is worth the hope—and danger—that may await her.

(See? What did I tell ya? Well Deserved! Congratulations, PJ!)

For fans who are up for Tweeting or Sharing, we appreciate it, and to make it easy for you, here’s a Tweet:

 

2 RONE Award nominees need your vote. http://tinyurl.com/ppfshf3 @KatyLeeBooks & @PJSharon thank you for voting 4 REAL VIRTUE/SAVAGE CINDERELLA

The Un-Comfort Zone by Vivienne Lynge

Good Morning, Scriblers!  Happy non-official start of summer!  Vivienne Lynge, here.  Do you have plans this Memorial Day?   Before I write another word, let me say from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all those who have served in our armed forces and continue to do so.  From the American Revolution to this very minute, whether the people have agreed with the government’s decisions to use your services or not, thank you for your sacrifice.

Like most Americans, I made plans for my household to take advantage of this three-day  weekend: we’re going camping.  Before you say to yourself, “So what? Zillions of people go camping on Memorial Day weekend,” let me tell you about our plans.

I have 3 young children.  Princess Second Grader can’t be induced to use a port-a-potty if her bladder is about to burst, and the twins, Jester and Minx, are pre-school Tasmanian Devils who know no fear.  Hubby and I took the fam camping last fall and they had a blast, so we decided to do it more often this year.  We bought a bigger tent (our old one was purchased pre-children and while it is considered a 6-man tent, it’s a two-adult tent at best) and put one camping weekend on the calendar each month from May through September.  Then last week, I told the kids we were going camping this weekend – without making any of the plans yet.

When we went camping last fall (and pretty much ever other time in my life) we were at a campground where we drove the car into the camp site and parked it next to the picnic table and campfire.  Car-camping, in other words.  You may not know this, I certainly didn’t before Monday, but car-camping style campgrounds are very popular on summer holiday weekends.  Very popular.  So popular, in fact, that they can afford to jack their prices up from a reasonable $30 a night to $250 for the weekend or require a 3 night minimum.  Now, I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to spend $250 on one night’s accommodations (that’s all the time our schedule allows) there’s going to be a bed involved. 

Since I’m too cheap to pay those prices, I looked at state parks – all very reasonably priced and most of them seemed to have their campsites conveniently located along a river.  I mentioned Jester and Minx, right?  No way am I taking them someplace to sleep next to a river.  They can’t swim yet – not that it would in any way stop them from plunging into the water.  So that was out.  But we did find one campground with no river where the campsites were far from the pond for a reasonable price for one night.  Great!  We booked it.

Our confirmation email came with a few little facts that might have been interesting to know before we booked.  It’s black bear country.  Oh and a 1.5 mile hike from the parking lot to the camp site.  The final hit came from Mr. Weather-man.  It’s supposed to be 37 degrees out tomorrow night with a possibility of wet snow in the higher elevations.  Oh goody! 

So, why am I telling you all this?  Well, I’m quite nervous about the bears, although hubby tells me that they are more afraid of us than we are of them.  And that they can run at 35 miles an hour, climb trees and they eat carrion, so playing dead isn’t a good idea.  Just stand still and let them charge at you because if you run they think you are prey.  Right.  I’m only going to be able to stand my ground if I’m frozen in terror.  But don’t worry, we’ve got bear spray (who knew this even existed?) and once they are 15 feet away!!!! you spray this uber-pepper spray at them and they should stop.  Let’s not forget the rattlesnakes, bobcats and potential cougar.

I’m also rather intrigued to see how the whole hiking-whilst-carrying-all-our-stuff thing is going to go over.  I hiked through mountain terrain once.  A friend took us for “a little walk down the road” to see moose while camping one time that was an epic 3 hour tour full of sweat, blisters and dehydration.  I’m a pretty sedentary lady these days.  And Hubby used to be outdoorsy as a kid, but now he works for an insurance company and plays hours of online games with his friends.  Not an athlete either. But we’ll be hiking with nice heavy packs of gear.

Lordy the gear!  I bought yoga mats for the kids to sleep on (oooh the luxury!) with plans to bungee them to their backpacks, but Minx isn’t tall enough.  The yoga mat is nearly as long as he is tall.  Jester is allergic to wheat and Cabela’s doesn’t have a line of gluten-free freeze dried food.  I checked.  Nobody wants to carry a cooler the 1.5 miles and our new big-enough-for-the-whole-family tent weighs at least 25 pounds.  Probably more.

So why haven’t I put the ky-bosch on this whole thing?  Well, it’s only 24 hours and I figure I can live through most anything for 24 hours.  We are about as likely to see a bear as we are to win powerball.  They take boy scout troops to this place regularly so it can’t be too dangerous.  And one way or another, it’ll be an adventure, that’s for sure.  Who knows, maybe we’ll like it.  Worst case, we hike back to the car and come home.  And most importantly this is pretty far outside my comfort zone.  I think it’s a good thing to get outside the comfort zone from time to time.  We haven’t even gotten there yet and I’ve already started to imagine all kinds of plot ideas that could come from this.  Of course, I’m taking notes, but not allowing myself to seriously entertain any new stories until I finish the ones I have on deck.

That’s what I’m up to this weekend, what about you?  Got plans?  Any of ‘em gonna through you out of your comfort zone?  Do you ever visit the un-comfort zone?  What has that been like for you?

Once More, with Feeling by Casey Wyatt

Happy Friday Scribesters! Casey here.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading again lately. Frankly, my brain needs it. I have to gorge on other people’s stories so I can approach my own with a clear and joyful mind. Or maybe I’m just avoiding writing!

One of my favorite blogs is The Passive Voice blog (I highly recommend it for all writers or anyone interested in what’s happening in publishing). This post caught my eye – Good Writing vs. Talented Writing (the link is included at the end because I want you to finish my post first!)

The concept kind of struck me between the eyes: Writing can be technically good – excellent grammar, well-constructed sentences and still be lackluster. Or the writing can be good, but it’s missing that zing – the energy and zest that makes a story great.

Like many writers, I’ve read a lot of fiction. Some of it memorable. You know, the kind that gets under your skin and sticks with you a long time? More often than not, the stories are like chocolate: enjoyable at the time, but totally forgotten once the last page is read.

Sadly, I can tell (usually when the series goes beyond a couple of books or into the double digits) when the author and the storyline have lost their joie de vivre. Their enjoyment of each other has entered the toxic phase.

Why does this happen?  For a lot of reasons. But I think one culprit is that the author starts phoning it in either due to fatigue or even boredom. I recently read the conclusion of a very popular vampire series. I’ve been following it since the beginning, long before it made the leap into pop culture.

I’m sure some of you know what series I mean and the author. Now, I’m not going to mention names or anything because I’m not going to trash talk the writer or her work. And I would appreciate it, if no one else did in their comments either (and I will zap it, if I see it).

No, no, no. That is not the reason for this post. Instead, I’m going to make an observation. Writers are people. Like anything in life, we can get sick of too much of anything – even a good thing. I imagine the lure of a popular series is too good for publishers to pass up so they keep contracting more and more books. Even when it’s clear to the reader that it’s time to wrap it up.

This happens a lot. Especially with paranormal and mysteries series. In fact, you can often see the “fall” coming when you see comments (on Amazon, Goodreads, forums, take your pick) like – “I’ve read every single book, but… (insert reason here) and I won’t be reading these anymore because (litany of complaints).”

You get the gist right? My other observation is that this is not always because the quality of story or writing slips, sometimes fans just feel like they “own” your world and characters and don’t like the decisions you made.

Back in 2007, I remember a lot of anger and outcry in my reading circle about the death of numerous characters in a certain series about a boy wizard.

Why did she have to kill off (insert names here)? She didn’t need to do that.

Since I sit on both sides of the fence, as a reader and a writer, my view has always been, it’s the writer’s world. They can kill off who they like. Or in the case of the recently departed vampire series, pair off the love interest however they want.

But, conversely, as a reader -  if I really don’t like your stories anymore or I find that I don’t care about what happens to the characters or if I feel like I am reading the same story over and over, I won’t buy any more of your books.

Writers – all I can suggest is write every book like you mean it. With energy, with love and heart. If you don’t feel the love anymore, it’s time to say goodbye and let your characters go with dignity.

As Forest Gump famously said, “that’s all I have to say about that.”

The promised link: Good Writing Vs. Talented Writing from Brain Pickings

What say you all? Do you sometimes wish your favorite author would move on to something new? Or do you have a different take? Please share (remember, be nice!)

Billionaire Brides–An Interview With Ana E Ross

Hello, loves! Suze here. I’ve got an extra yummy treat for you–no, no more cookies like last week!  But something just as good, and not at all fattening. The fabulous Ana E Ross is with us today, and I can’t wait to introduce you if you’re not familiar with her work. The second book in her Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls series, THE MOGUL’S RELUCTANT BRIDE, just released and it is selling like crazy. I’ve read book 1 (THE DOCTOR’S SECRET BRIDE), and I’ve got THE MOGUL queued up on my Nook to read over the upcoming long weekend. 

I hear there might be a giveaway, so be sure to leave a comment! Here’s what Ana has to say:

Tell us a little about yourself.

Well, I was born and raised on the Caribbean island of Nevis—which also happens to be the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton.  I come from a large family of ten boys and two girls, so you can just imagine how crowded and loud it was on a daily basis.  Anyway, an aunt—with whom I lived for some time started me reading at a very early age—3 years to be exact—and I used reading as a way of escape from my rowdy brothers.  I grew up on Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey Twins, Hans Christian Andersen, and many of the other children’s story authors. When I was a teenager, I fell in love with romances.

More recently:  After teaching English Literature and Writing for several years, I quit teaching in January to write full-time. I felt as if it was something I needed to do.  I cashed in my retirement and that’s what I’ve been living off of for the past few months.  I had to take a chance on me.  If it turns out that writing is not as financially rewarding as I hope, I’ll return to the classroom.  Time will tell.  But at least when I lie on my deathbed, I will be able to say that I took a chance on me, followed my dream, and die without regrets.

What was the first romance novel you ever read?

Wow, I wish my memory extended that far back, but unfortunately it doesn’t.  However, the first romances I read were Regencies and Mills & Boons, Harlequins, Silhouettes, and a vast number of historicals.

Did you sneak it out of your mother’s underwear drawer, like I did (SHANNA, by Kathleen Woodiwiss, for me)? 

This question made me chuckle, because I know my mother never read a romance in her entire life.  My parents were very religious and the only material they read were the Holy Bible and Christian related material.  Actually, I had to hide my romances from my mother; my aunt didn’t care though, which was a blessing since I spent a lot of time at her house.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing in high school—short stories mostly, and then I transitioned into poems—many of them obviously on the theme of love.  I didn’t start writing romances until about twenty years ago. I’d just finished a romance and didn’t like the ending and thought I could write a story with a much happier ending.  And thus my writing career began with The Doctor’s Secret Bride.  The title has been changed several times over the years, but the premise of the story is the same.

Your newest release, THE MOGUL’S RELUCTANT BRIDE, is selling like hotcakes and has gone as high as number 245 on the Kindle paid list and is holding at number 1 on several sublists. As of today, it’s at number 341, and the first book in the series, THE DOCTOR’S SECRET BRIDE, is at number  924. Other than the fact that these are beautifully written, wonderfully hot reads, why do you think they are so popular?

I would like to think that those two titles are doing well because of the high level of sensuality and hot sex.  Seriously though, probably because of the themes of the stories—forgiveness, redemption, closure, healing, and definitely the strong bond of love and passion between the main characters.  Also, I love to torture my heroes, put them through the ringer—make them earn the heroines’ love.  The fact that they have to fight hard for their HEA make them more appealing it seems.  Readers have commented that they like the roller-coaster rides and that they feel the myriad of emotions the characters go through. They laugh, cry, scream, and cheer along with them.  So strong emotions must play an integral part in the success of the series.

How many books do you have planned for the Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls series?

There are four books in the series.  But since many readers have enquired about a story featuring Robert and Yasmine—Michelle’s brother and her best friend—I’m thinking of writing a spinoff of The Doctor’s Secret Bride where Robert goes off to investigate their father’s story.

Do you keep a series bible to keep the characters and the details straight?

Oh, yes, I definitely have to do that, especially since the characters make appearances in each other’s stories.  Granite Falls is a small town and they are bound to run into each other.  Also because of the bond of brotherhood between the heroes, I have to keep their physical and emotional characteristics straight.

What form is that in? (electronic, 3-ring notebook, index card box?) 

I keep electronic bibles with timelines, first meetings, birthdays, marriages, dates of conception, births, etc.  The four books take place over a four-year period, so I have to pay attention to the details, or my readers will call me out on inconsistencies.  I also created a map—both electronically and poster-size—of the town of Granite Falls with specific landmarks, streets, etc., and since the heroes are billionaires, I make plans of their homes as well.  I keep the poster-size plans and maps on the wall over my desk and I consult them while writing.  They keep me focused and help me to bring my characters to life.  I can really see them interacting with each other.

What type of marketing and publicity have you done/are you doing for your books?

Other than enrolling Book One into Amazon’s Select program, I didn’t do any marketing or publicity when it was first released.  I was just blessed I guess, and I didn’t worry about it so much since I had a full-time job.  However because I had a lot to lose with Book Two, (my retirement was running out), I had to get a marketing plan in place.  I advertised on numerous promotion sites, some free, some paid.  In addition, I re-enrolled Book One into Amazon’s Select program and used my free days before, during, and after the release day of Book Two.  During 3 free days, I had 27k downloads of Book One, and it’s still selling well.  The freebies definitely helped with the blowout sale of Book Two.  I hope that most of the 27K downloads for the first book will generate into sales for the second.  Again, only time will tell.

Why did you decide to indie publish?  

After umpteen years of trying to sell these two titles the traditional way with the big six—well big five now, I finally decided that enough was enough.  I had to make my own dream come true.  I was inspired by Ruthie Cordello’s success as an indie publisher.  Ruth and I met in 2010 at another romance author’s summer garden party and we were in the same boat with trying to sell to Harlequin.  She went indie the next year and made the NY Times Bestseller List in months.  We wrote similar books, so I thought I’d try my own hand at indie publishing, as well.  I’m so happy for all those wonderful rejections from New York.

Other than the actual writing, what parts of the process do you do yourself, and what parts do you hire out?

I hire out the cover design, editing, and formatting portions.  But I just enlisted the help of my twenty-three-year-old daughter who just graduated from college and moved back home to help with finding free promotion sites and handling my newsletters.  She did a great newsletter to announce the launch of Book Two, so we entered a kind of quid pro quo—as long as she continues to help, I make her car payments until she finds a job.

How long does it take you to finish a book? 

It depends.  I’ve written a book in three months, but I think if I want a book to be great, I need about five to six months to fully develop the characters and strong emotions that a lot of readers say they love in my stories.

Do you reward yourself when you type “The End” or put a book up for sale?  Yes.  I take myself, and my daughter out to a nice dinner.  I do indulge with a nice bottle of wine and some chocolate, too.

What are you working on now?  When can we expect it?

I’m working on The Playboy’s Fugitive Bride  – Book Three in the series. I hope to have it on the selves in September 2013.

What’s your junk food of choice?

I love strawberry cheesecake and buffalo chicken wings.

Any pets?

No pets at the moment.  I used to have a cat, but she died of old age a few years ago.  I plan to get another in the future.  I love cats and watch “The Big Cat Dairies” over and over again.  Actually, Massimo, the hero in Book Three owns a big cat named Jabari.

You can connect with Ana here:

www.anaeross.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ana-E-Ross/221431434575148?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/anaeross: @anaeross

Here’s Ana’s Amazon page where you can buy her books: http://www.amazon.com/Ana-E-Ross/e/B006UNSSD2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1369273073&sr=1-2-ent

Who’s got questions for Ana? She’s giving away copies of her book to 3 randomly chosen commenters, so don’t be shy!

Attracting the Press

Not very long ago, I spoke to the Long Island Romance Writers, a great group who are very interested in marketing. During my presentation, we discussed press kits, what goes in them, and who they should be sent to. I rattled off the list like I always do: author bio (long and short), author photo, cover flat, business card, endorsements from other authors and reviews, if you have them, and your press release. As soon as I finished, hands flew in the air. One of the members said, “I have press kit materials available for download on my website, but I don’t think anyone’s ever used them.”

That got me thinking.

The LIRW member was probably right. No one had used the press materials she spent time and money creating. Then, I asked a few of my own chaptermates and got the same answers. Yes, it was all up there: author bio (long and short), author photo, cover flat, endorsements from other authors and reviews and the press release, but never downloaded.

Why? My best guess? Most authors aren’t taught how to attract the press. Therefore, I’m using this article to put together a cheat sheet for how it’s done.  And, I’ll prove to you this method works by using RWA Member Kourtney Heintz and the press coverage she received for her book “The Six Train to Wisconsin” as my example.

Step One:  Create a Hook

Just as you would create a hook for a query letter or pitch, you need one for your press release, especially if you are soliciting a feature story. Ask yourself, “Why would anyone care?” Your answer, the hook.  In Kourtney’s case, she used her contest results to create her hook. “Author Jumps from small town Connecticut to Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Semifinalist.”

Step Two:  Start small

            Your local, hometown paper is your best friend. Start there first. Most local papers like stories about residents who are newsworthy. Generally, their contact information is easy to find. If it’s not printed in the paper, it is usually listed online. Ms. Heintz sent her press release into the Waterbury –Republican, hoping for a mention in their “Book Briefs” column.

In response, got a photo of her book cover and a nice mention. But it didn’t stop there. They followed up with a short article on her called “Hot Wolcott Author Makes Appearances at Waterbury Venues”. Then she received a call from an award-winning reporter to schedule an interview.  Ms. Heintz was given a full-page feature and her photo was placed on the cover of the Accent/Women section. Her article was then uploaded to the AP, where it was run in the Newsday Long Island. http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/author-turns-wall-street-layoff-into-second-career-1.5195361.  And, it didn’t stop there. It was also picked up and published in The Republic, in Columbus Indiana, http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/82e9d9a861834e6588cbcde4e40927a9/CT-FEA–Second-Career-Author

Step Three: Solicit everything free

            Most regional newspapers and arts & entertainment sites have a section on line for readers to submit stories, events and press releases. Take advantage of these opportunities and upload like mad!  Kourtney uploaded her press release to the Hartford Courant, http://articles.courant.com/2013-04-27/community/hcrs-74087hc-statewide-20130423_1_heintz-book-signing-oliver

Step Four: Branch out Past Newspapers

            Once your story runs locally, and regionally, it’s time to take it to other media sources. Radio, podcasts and daytime television are your next step. Email your press release with links to where your articles have run online and in the paper; include copies of all the press you have received. By attaching links to past coverage, you are showing the media that you have a story people are interested in. No piece of media coverage is too small. Using this approach, Kourtney was featured on WTNH’s CT Style, a local daytime news show. http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/ct_style/wall-street-to-wolcott-author-kourtney-heintz#.UZWY5rXqlZ4

She also snared a radio interview, EVERYTHING INTERNET 660AM Dallas/Decatur with Ed Frazier and Lisa Mckibben to talk about her book.  http://208.78.223.6/EIradioshow/EINSHOW051113Seg3.mp3

The above was Ms. Heintz’s approach to earned media. If you pay to have something distributed, then it’s paid media. But if someone else distributes it for you, like the Associated Press, then it’s earned media. Earned media takes a good story, perseverance and a great deal of luck.

The last step is always national media coverage with solicitation of national newspapers like USA Today, and morning shows like GMA. Now, a little birdie told me Kourtney is working on these, I’ll let you know how it goes.

As for the rest of us, while a press kit hosted on your website is nice to have, it’s passive. Don’t be afraid to actively solicit your local newspaper and see what happens. Press releases are easy to write. If you’ve never written a press release, please remember to write it in the third person.  Always include, “For Immediate Release” at the top of the page. This lets the newspaper know they can proceed with the story. List all of your contact information, including your address and phone as well as links to your social media profiles. Finally, make sure you call yourself by your last name. In Kourtney’s case, she is referred to as Heintz, not Ms. Heintz.

So, tell me. What tactics have you used to attract the attention of the press? What has worked? And, what hasn’t?

Websites, tag lines, and titles, oh my!

PJ Sharon here today, and I’m asking for your help with some of my more immediately pressing concerns. First off, prioritizing my duties as an indie-published author and entrepreneur is challenging to say the least. There are many moving parts to this job and I wear more hats than guests at a royal wedding. While I await my second round of edits for WESTERN DESERT, I have time to work on my marketing strategy for the release next month. Priorities include scheduling a short blog tour, setting up an advertising budget for paid ads, a possible launch party of some sort, sending out press releases, and finishing my back cover copy and art. The list goes on, but sometimes, I just need to let my instincts take over and tell me what is most important for the day.

Of course, writing this blog is always on my Sunday to-do list—though it often falls over to Monday night at midnight—but today I was talking to my DH about a new website. Those of you who know me, know that I have talked about switching over to a WordPress site for my website and blog for at least the past year. Currently, I have a blog on Blogger and I have a website that I love, but it has some significant limitations. My Circle Pad site, which I pay the requisite $8.95 a month for hosting, has some quirks that make it not compatible with Apple products for one. Search engine optimization is lacking, and the interface, as user friendly as it is to work with, is antiquated and doesn’t stand up to today’s market equivalents. Even with all of that, I have resisted switching to WordPress because,

a.) I’m tech-phobic and,

b.) I can’t seem to make decisions about details such as colors, design, theme, or whether to go with .org or .com?

In a come-to-Jesus moment, I have decided to just suck it up and do it! No matter how overwhelmed I feel, the website change is a must-do. In forcing the issue, I have come to realize that part of what holds me back is that I still haven’t clearly identified my brand. I’ve gotten as far as to say, “I write romance fiction for teens and beyond,” but other than that I don’t really know what defines me as a writer these days.

This brings me to my second dilemma of the day:

Should I change my tag-line, and what should I change it to? My first three books, being contemporary YA romance with hopefully ever after endings fit fine with my “Extraordinary Stories of an Average Teenage Life” tag line. But now that I have added dystopian to my repertoire, “average” doesn’t seem suitable—not for genetically altered teens in a futuristic setting. There is still a romance, but the story clearly fits in the YA category of dystopian fiction rather than upper YA/NA stories. Romance readers are not necessarily sci-fi readers and vice versa, so I feel like maybe I need to change my image a bit to reach out to a broader audience. It occurs to me that maybe I’m having trouble pinpointing my target readership because I haven’t truly discovered my “hook”—that message in our style and voice that makes us unique and offers readers the promise of something different.

Once I understand what makes my stories extraordinary, and have narrowed down my tagline to who I am and what I write, then the web design should be easier. I also just finished taking an online web-design course to get me over my tech-fear, and DH has vowed to help me get set up on a WordPress site by the end of June when I launch Book Two in The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, WESTERN DESERT.

This takes us to my third issue of the day, month, year…a title for the third book in the trilogy. Here are the parameters:

1) Title must be in adjective/noun format (Waning Moon, Western Desert)

2) It would be nice to keep with the “W” alliteration, but I’m not attached to that.

3) The title should reflect that Lily and Will are embarking on the final stage of their journey across a post-apocalyptic US. This time they are leaving Las Vegas and heading east along the southern route, which will take them through the Southern Swamps. (I already thought of that as a title but I think that would only work if there were a fourth book since this one will culminate in the final battle with the Industry and will take place in Chicago and then Vegas again. I do wish I had made it a series and not a trilogy…another lesson learned.)

4) Basically, I want a title that sounds catchy alongside the other two, is different enough to not be competing with a dozen other books by the same title, and one that metaphorically shows the shift to a hopeful ending rather than a title that focuses on gloom and doom.

These are a few of my ideas. I’d love to hear yours!

CHANGING/SHIFTING/RISING TIDES (you get the drift)
SHIFTING/RISING WINDS
STORM SURGE
HEALING WINDS

Thanks in advance for any help, advice, or suggestions!

M. Leighton Pulls Her Book From the Shelves

Hello, Scribes Fans. Sugar here. I’m sure some of you may know that indie author M. Leighton pulled her book UNTIL I BREAK from the shelves today.

Why? That’s a very good question.

If you want a synopsis of the book click HERE. I learned about this after seeing a conversation on Twitter about it. For me 97% of Twitter is white noise but this topic grabbed my interest and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. An author pulling her own book? Not because of low sales, not because it was poorly edited or badly written but because it was too dark, too ugly for some readers tastes.

Here’s what Leighton had to say about it.

When I wrote Until I Break, I could’ve watered down the story, made it more palatable, easier to accept.  But as an artist, I didn’t want to cheat Sam and Alec out of their story.  As I’ve said before, life isn’t always pretty, but I had hoped that the majority of people would be able to see beyond the ugly to the wonderful story of love and acceptance and healing that was embedded in Until I Break.  Sadly, that hasn’t turned out to be the case.

So, rather than risking people misunderstanding Sam and Alec and, therefore, me as a person and author, I’m pulling the book from publication. It will no longer be available in any format from any source after tomorrow.  Yes, I could leave it out there to earn money, but every cent would be bitter, knowing that there are some who not only don’t “get” the story, but who are misunderstanding it in a disheartening way.

Every book is not for every reader. We all know that. And no matter what we write we always know that there are going to be readers out there who don’t like or misunderstand our work. I think that’s all apart of being a writer.

And as another writer that makes me so dissapointed in Ms. Leighton. If you want to read her entire post click HERE. We’re writers here so we know what it’s like to pour ourselves into something and I can tell that from Leighton’s words that she loved these characters and their story. I’m sad that she pulled it down. I sad that she cared enough about what a few people thought that she had to hide it from the world. I’m sad that she didn’t say F YOU and stand by it. 

Part of me gets it. Our books are like our babies and we want to protect them, but sometimes being a good mother is letting your baby go out there into the world and letting it fly. I wished she would have let it fly. Especially since it seems that more people loved the book than hated it, more people thought it was insightful and thought provoking and compelling. 

Part of me thinks that Leighton is pulling some big trick on us, that by announcing that she was pulling her book she drove people into a frantic rush to buy it and see what was so dark about it. Last night her book was number 6 on the Amazon list. Even I was sucked in and Until I Break is so not my kind of book. And if it is a trick it’s damn near brilliant. I hope she is laughing all the way to the bank.

So what is your take on this? Would you pull a book that you loved even though some people didn’t understand it?