After some feedback on my book covers, I decided to redo them and see what everyone thought. So here are a couple examples and I would love for you to give me your honest opinion on which version you like the best.
First up is Jareth, First Lord. The first one is the original. The second, the redo.
Left or right?
Next up is Dante’s Angel. Again, the one on the left will be the original.
And our last contestant is The Russian.
So what is your opinion? The original or the redo? And why?
In other matters, the editing is coming along on Old Flame. I’m down through Chapter 23 now, so wish me luck or send me coffee…
It’s the middle of August and here in Georgia school has started. And the start of school means new supplies, new clothes, new shoes, school fees… You know the drill. And around here, the schools publish a list of all the supplies your child will need to start school, which really adds up.
So here what I’m going to do!
For the next few weeks, I’m going to feature one book in each series over at Smashwords and offer if for–
FREE!
Yes, you read it correctly. This week, beginning this afternoon, Jareth, First Lord and Gambler’s Folly will each be FREE, as my gift to you.
Jareth, First Lord is the first book in the Esperance series, on a world where paranormal abilities abound, especially among the ruling class.
Gambler’s Folly features a high tech, futuristic world with shifters!
Now, what do I ask in return?
Please review the book on your favorite site. You can write a review at Smashwords or at Goodreads! And please, share the book with your friends.
Other than that, nothing at all. It costs you nothing, but it will mean a great deal to me.
This particular story began with a dream. But the dream didn’t begin with the opening scene of the book. I wouldn’t have paid any attention to it, except it kept recurring for several nights. In order to make it go away, I wrote it down.
The next few nights, I dreamed a different scene from the story. Again, it wasn’t the beginning of the book, nor did it follow the scene I’d already written.
So, I decided to sit down and try to figure out how those involved in the story would get to the point of my dreams. And how did they connect?
Sitting down in front of my computer, I let my mind drift off into a daydream and began to write. After I had the beginnings of the story, the rest flowed pretty easily. Of course, there was a lot of editing to do, but at least I stopped dreaming it.
The original story became two books, Jareth, First Lord, and Viviane, First Lady. My editor noticed that i seemed to have one ending, took a breath, and launched back into the story. She felt it would work better if we stopped at the first break and continued in the second book.
Morgan was a character in my first book who touched my heart. I decided she needed a story of her own and spent several days wondering where I should start. And since I write romance, who would be her love interest?
Enter James Ferguson, whose family has Talents related to wood and the forest. His nickname for Morgan is Pixie, since she is much smaller than her is. Because of his abilities, she calls him her Green Man, which is how we arrived at the title.
Book 4 will be coming out soon–Too Many Talents. This one continues the story from Viviane, First Lady and brings in the story line from Clan Belfort and the new heir–her nephew, Connell.
After the last bit of chill, Mother Nature has chosen to go straight into summer. We’re supposed to have temperatures up in the 90’s this weekends, with night time lows warmer than our daytime highs were just over a week ago.
But the tomatoes are looking good and enjoying the sunshine, even if I’m uncomfortable with all the temperature shifts. All in all, a good time to stay indoors and get with the writing!
What have you been working on lately?
I’ve finished the first draft and read through of Lady Calloway and gone back to Scotch and Soulmates and Old Flame to make the corrections I made on the Kindle.
I don’t know about you, but I cannot read a manuscript properly on my computer monitor. But what I’ve found works a lot better is to save it out as a mobi file –I use Calibre to help with that–and upload it to my Kindle Fire. That way it’s more like reading a book without going through reams of paper and cartons of toner.
I haven’t figured out a way to make the changes to it on the Kindle, so I highlight the sections where I’ve found problems or bits I want to rewrite. Once I’ve finished the read through, I take the Kindle to my desk, open the book and the manuscript on the computer, and work my way through.
Yes, it is a little cumbersome, but whatever works. Right?
With the three of those moved out of the way for a bit, I’ve revisited the unfinished WIP for the Esperance series. The next one to publish will be Too Many Talents, Book 4, followed by Ben of Blackstone’s Forge, Book 5. The one I’ve pulled back out of the “to be finished” folder is Gregor Thayne–Heir of Rowan.
Way back in Viviane, First Lady, we meet Gregor’s father, Lord Kinsey of Clan Rowan. His was the deciding vote in the trial in Clan Belfort. In this book we meet his son and heir, who is a bit of a rogue. Earlier in life, Gregor decided he’d had enough and refused to be the clan heir. Taking off for the far side of the clan, he took his mother’s surname and became a city guard.
Eventually, he and his father came to an agreement and he returned to his duties as heir. But he retained the last name Thayne as a final show of rebellion.
But he was not a happy man when his father announced the marriage arrangement he’d made with another first Lord, pledging him to a woman he’d never met.
How will this all turn out? Your guess is as good as mine at this point. My characters tend to have minds of their own and go off on tangents I’d never imagined.
Watch for Too Many Talents later this year. And who knows? There may be something else from Sultonna Nadine as well.
Haven’t read the Esperance Series? You can find in on Amazon or at Smashwords!
Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale is just around the corner. Beginning on July 1 and continuing through July 31, thousands of books will be discounted for your reading pleasure.
And all my books will be joining in!
Need ot finish your collection or maybe try one of my books for the first time?
Check out the sale!
I’ll be back with the link as soon as the sale begins, so watch here!
Wishing all our fathers out there a wonderful and peaceful afternoon!
Can you believe June is nearly finished?
How is everyone today? It has turned into a wonderfully sunny June weekend here. Maybe Mother Nature finally has her seasons straightened out.
Each weekend, I will have one of my books on sale at Smashwords! So if you’re looking for something to read, but don’t want to spend a lot, go check it out.
Yes, I know. I’ve been gone for a while. Between internet issues and doing a re-edit on several books I have the rights back for, it has been a little busy, with not much news.
But, later this month, you should see links for the re-release of Gambler’s Folly, Jareth, First Lord, and Viviane, First Lady. They all have new covers and have been re-edited for re-release. I’ll be publishing all of them as an indie author this time, so watch Smashwords and Amazon for them.
I also hope to release Gambler’s Folly Book 3–The Russian later this month. I think you’ll like the Russian. He’s a little rough around the edges, but he has been around for quite a while. And that’s enough to make anyone a little thick-skinned.
Several years ago, before I began working on Gambler’s Folly, I wrote a very long book. My first. Even then, I realized I would have to make at least two books out of it. The word count was astronomical.
It has been on the back burner since then. Recently, while I was going through some of my files, I saw it hiding in there among the rest of the To Do items and decided to drag it out and have a look.
I still love the story, but it will take a lot of work. So while I’m finishing the ending of Lady Calloway, I’ve pulled out Mistaken Identity to edit. I’m about halfway through the first round, and it will take several rounds before it’s even ready to send to an editor.
What is it about?
When Earth began to expand outward into space, they came across a star system with two habitable planets. Since them, both planets have been transformed into worlds for colonization and have been thriving.
Unfortunately, they don’t get along.
She is a music instructor at the university on her world, former military, and has a love of the martial arts.
He is the commander of a large regional military base on his world. When a tactical strike at their neighboring world brings her to his facility, he doesn’t realize she’s the answer to his current interplanetary problem.
All she wants is to go home, but that is forever forbidden. The last thing she wants is to fall in love.
While you’re waiting for new releases, why not check out some old ones? You can find my books at both Amazon and Smashwords. And watch for the release of The Russian, Book 3 from Gambler’s Folly.
If you’re on Facebook, you can follow my series and my author page.
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