Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘fiction’ Category

I’m not sure how the garden is going to do this year. The weather has been so crazy, I’m sure the garden can’t keep up with the changes. When I planted the tomatoes, it was up near 90 degrees and had been pretty dry. A week later, it was back down in the 60’s and raining. And it has been doing this whole seesaw thing for a month. And today, once again, the temperatures peaked in the high 60’s after last week’s 90 degree weather.

Someone find Mother Nature and send her back to Gambler’s Folly with Fate. Maybe they can find another couple of shifters to torture.

So, I’m still editing Scotch and Soulmates. They are a fun couple, our Paul and Sophia. He’s an English lord, doctorate in psychology, and works as a profiler in the London office of Interpol. He’s also an expert on expensive Scotch, which is the reason he’s on Gambler’s Folly.

Sophia is from the Bronx and had a tough time growing up. She’s an agent with Interpol’s Spaggia Sole’s office on Gambler’s Folly and is known as the she-wolf. Having to fight her way up in a world of alpha males, she is radically feminist. And she takes exception to Paul’s high-brow upbringing.

How about a little excerpt?

Morning came early after a few too many drinks the night before. Paul wouldn’t have been as tempted by the Scotch if it hadn’t been for thoughts of Sophia. She was a beautiful woman, especially with her auburn hair down and caressing her shoulders. The green gown–chiffon over some satiny material–smoothed enticingly over her curves. Some men might have found her a little overly curvaceous, but not Paul. He preferred substantial women, especially in bed.

“Dream on,” he told the reflection in the mirror. “Get the job done and get back to London. Plenty of appreciative women there.”

Nagi was at the office when he arrived, so after grabbing some coffee, they sat down to discuss the case.

“I had assumed we’d wait and discuss things together,” he heard behind him.

“Just tossing around some ideas until you arrived. Get some coffee while it’s fresh.”

With a toss of her head, she put her things on the table and went over to the coffee maker. When she returned, Paul stood to hold her chair, out of habit.

“As I’ve told you before, I’m quite capable of seating myself.”

“Of course you are,” Paul answered. “Such a pity you’re incapable of being a lady.”

Had he said that out loud? Must be the headache speaking.

“If you’re talking about those simpering little, hand-wringing, wilting flowers, who need a man to lean on, count me out, “ she snarled.

“No. I’m talking about an intelligent woman, with a strong personality, who has a good sense of self and focus, who has enough confidence to accept social courtesies with ease and grace, without jumping to erroneous conclusions about the intentions of her colleagues.”

So, which one will tame the other? You’ll have to wait and find out! I know… I’m working on it!

Have fun, stay dry, and I’ll write more later.

As always,

Don’t Forget…\

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

Can you help me? I need a little advice from someone on the other side of the reader/writer line.

As an indie author, I do everything myself, not just the writing. The writing is the easy part. Afterwards comes the editing, and it takes time and effort. I am sometimes able to have someone help me with the editing after I’ve been through a book several times myself. And there is a program I sometimes use which helps point out words I over use, or which tone down the emotion of the book.

Now let’s talk about book cover art. I can’t afford to pay someone to put together the cover art. And the few times I’ve tried, I didn’t like the results. So I use an online program, sometimes with AI assist, to create a book cover I feel portrays the story I’m telling inside.

After all the editing is as finished as it can be, and I have the cover art, there is the formatting so I can publish it through Amazon or Draft2Digital–which links all my books to retailers through Books2Read. All the keywords to come up with to help place it correctly for people to locate it. I’m not necessarily the best person to decide this. People who read the books and offer suggestions come up with categories and tropes I would never have dreamed existed in those pages.

And once I get to Amazon or Draft2Digital, I have to decide what price I want to ask for. What is my book worth? There are suggestions in the documentation for each site, which I use to gauge my list price. I don’t want to charge so much people are afraid to take a chance on the book. But at the same time, I don’t want to give it all away for free. I do have sales several times a year. During some of those, I do list a book or two for free, and generally I give away quite a few. While I’m happy when people want to read my books, it is disappointing when they only want them for nothing.

With my last book–Old Flame–I paid several people to help with the promotion and marketing aspects and got absolutely nothing in return. I did just as well by myself. Now with Sultonna Nadine’s new release, Lady Calloway, I am besieged by promoters and marketers wanting to help me get my book out to readers. For anywhere from $200 on up.

I’m not made of money. Never have been. And if throwing money at it worked, you would think Old Flame would have sold like hotcakes.

You might ask why I don’t hire some of this work out. And the answer would be the expense of it. For an editor to do a final editing for me would be over $1000 per book, minimum. Cover art? Anywhere from $150 on up to as much as I want to spend. Formatting? Several hundred dollars. And then there are the book trailers and all the social media posts to put together. Trailers start at around $200 and go up from there. By the time I paid for all that, I would have several thousand dollars invested with no guaranteed return.

So tell me, what am I doing wrong? I get great reviews, when I get them. Most are 5 star reviews. Everyone says the writing is excellent, the tropes are popular, the categories are popular as well. And I’ve reworked the keywords and categories on all the outlets to take advantage of them.

What am I missing? I’m not complaining about the work, except the editing… It’s doing all the work with nothing to show for it, while getting all kinds of emails and reviews with people who love it, but apparently love it only if it’s free.

Go take a look at my author pages and books. And then come back and give me your opinion. Why would you buy or not buy my books? What turns you away?

Amazon Author page for Mellie Miller

Books2Read for Mellie Miller

Amazon for Sultonna

Books2Read for Sultonna

Anyway, enough rant. It has just been a disappointing year. If you’ve read any of my work, please at least rate it for me. A review would be great.

Have a wonderful weekend.

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

Normally I would say yes it is. But after the spring/summer we’ve had so far, I’m not ready to commit just yet. The last time I was sure summer was here we got a cold snap. The beans are up, though, the tomatoes and peppers are blossoming, and there are even a few tiny peppers checking the weather before bursting forth.

So what is happening in my writing world?

Sultonna Nadine’s new book is beginning to get some attention. LADY CALLOWAY--A Question of Heresy is a romantic fantasy with elements of a Victorian alternate reality, duty vs. love, moral dilemma, and strict church dominance. It is a multi-layered fantasy romance with our couple at the center of all the drama. Psychic abilities play into the story as well. I mean, this is Sultonna Nadine after all.

So if you haven’t checked it out yet, go on over and take a peek.

In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy, and happy reading!

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

Yes, Lady Calloway–written under the pen name Sultonna Nadine— is about to enter Round 4 in the All Author Book Cover Contest! And you have made that possible. But now, can you help us out again? Round 4 starts tomorrow.

They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you liked the cover of my book, Lady Calloway, please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!

I’m getting closer to clinch the “Cover of the Month” contest on AllAuthor! I’d need as much support from you guys. Please take a short moment to vote for my book cover!

Thank you ever so much for your support! It may seem like a small thing, but indie authors sometimes seem invisible.

Have a wonderful week ahead.

And as Always.

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

This month over at All Author, the book cover for Lady Calloway is entered into the book cover contest. Several people have told me they love the cover, so could you give it a little love?

Just click on the AllAuthor Contest here and it will take you right to the page! It would really help out in the conest.

And if you haven’t gone over to get your copy of the book yet, head on over to Amazon!

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance

Read Full Post »

Liora had always trusted their priest to teach the truth.

But now her husband accuses her of heresy.

Her village is under religious purge.

And her husband has to choose between the church he serves and the woman he loves.

In seclusion at the seaside, Kerrick and Liora discuss the church doctrines and what will happen if the wardens or confessors hear of her heresy. After much deliberation, she accepts that he must be right, even though it still kind of feels wrong to her.

But during a walk along the beach one evening, a bigger problem presents itself. They begin to communicate by telepathy. While Liora finds it fascinating, it scares Kerrick to death. As an employee of the church, from a family of confessors, he knows this ability and others like it are forbidden to the average person. They can be allowed only to those the church deems fit to use them for the church.

As he puzzles over what to do, he is contacted via telepathy from an unexpected source and urged to take his wife to Wales as quickly as possible. The wardens have her village surrounded pending a purge for heresy. Since they know she was from this village, they are looking for the two of them, to see if she believes the heresy her priest taught. And if they find the two of them with these added mental abilities, it won’t just be Liora going to the confessors.

A tale of harsh religious rule, persecution by the church, forbidden talents, and a newlywed couple caught in the middle.

Come to London and Wales and meet Kerrick and Liora, Lord and Lady Calloway. Follow their journey, not only across England and Wales, but through the religious upheavals they face as they flee the church they once served.

LADY CALLOWAYA Question of Heresy is available at Amazon. Links to other retailers are found at Books2Read.

Fantasy, alternate realities, romantic suspense, religious conflict, and a bit of folklore. Don’t miss it!

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

Welcome to Georgia, where Mother Nature can’t decide which season we should be in. Two weeks ago, it was summertime. I was out walking the dog in shorts and a tank top.

No seriously. I was.

Now the weather has turned colder, with a high today in the mid 40’s F and Monday night’s temperature is predicted to be around 12 F.

You read that correctly. 12 degrees Fahrenheit! With snow and freezing rain. My body can’t shift that fast. I can get accustomed to the cold. We lived in the North and in Wyoming for years. And I can get accustomed to the heat. We lived in the desert Southwest for a while. And freezing rain is total crap. I don’t mind a little snow once in a while. But freezing rain is a whole other story.

The good news is that it seems like a good time to catch up on a few things. Crocheting, knitting, and that TBR stack I’ve been chiseling away at. And let’s not forget the editing.

My alter ego, Sultonna Nadine, is still busy editing Lady Calloway. With any luck, she’ll be able to have it out to you by mid-summer. That is if she ever gets the cover art sorted…

At an rate, if you’re going to be affected by this winter storm, go stock up on some reading material. My Gambler’s Folly series can be good for heating up your evening, with some hunky shifters and feisty women. Or there’s Esperance, where a little Talent might just give your love life a little boost.

Take care out there with this crazy stuff headed in for the winter. Stay safe and warm.

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

We’re in the middle of the winter holiday season, and if you’re like a lot of us, you need a break from reality. So come on over to Books2Read for a sale on all my books listed there. The first three books from Gambler’s Folly and all four books from Esperance are included in this sale.

Whether you love shifters or paranormal abilities–or both–go on over to Books2Read and choose your next read today! You can also check out the books from my alter ego, Sultonna Nadine while you’re there. Magical alternate reality, genies, and mysterious desert secrets all waiting for you.

And the best part? Each of my books is priced at only $0.99 each!

So go over and choose your adventure for the evening. Take a break from the chaos. I suggest a cup or glass of your favorite beverage, a nice fire, and a cat or dog or two. Sink into that comfy chair and slip into a fantasy world with me.

Happy reading to you all and happy holidays.

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

For the next week, OLD FLAME will be on sale at Amazon for only $0.99! So if you haven’t read this yet, go grab a copy while it’s on sale!

Old Flame. A second chance, slow burn, shifter romance set on the fantasy world of Gambler’s Folly. Two people who were friends years ago unexpectedly meet again and though they weren’t romantically inclined before, the sparks begin to fly.

Will they reach out and take this second chance gamble on love?

OLD FLAME, Book 4 from Gambler’s Folly.

Come with me and feel the heat!

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

I know my blog yesterday says four days…

…but that was yesterday!

Yes, Old F.lame will be sent into the world on June 1, only three days to go before release day, on Monday!

Billionaire male protagonist, energy healer and widow female protagonist, bear shifters, second chance romance, fantasy world, and soulmates. And all the cast and crew from the other books will pop in from time to time.

The ebook will be available June 1, but you can preorder now at a discount price! Between now and through June 1, Old Flame, and all the other books in the Gambler’s Folly series, are on sale for only $0.99 each!

On June 2, all books go back to regular price, so go on over now for the discount!

So, happy reading to one and all.

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »