Yes, the rain finally got here! They’ve been threatening us with it all week, but the rain kept going around us. The cucumbers were beginning to be depressed about the whole situation. Hopefully they’ll be in a better mood after all this rin.
So, how have things been going in your world?
And what have you been reading?
The Summer Winter Sale is still ongoing over at Smashwords, and most of my titles–under both Mellie Miller and Sultonna Nadine–have been discounted even more! So if budget was a concern, now is the time to go over and browse. Several of my books are $0.99 and a few are FREE!
So whether you’re wanting to go to a fantasy world with a dark underside, with hunky shifters in law-enfocement, shifters finding fated mates in Gambler’s Folly, or a rustic world filled with psychic abilities, mischief, and romance in Esperance, Mellie Miller has you covered!
Looking for something a little darker? Alternate realities where psychic powers and magic are part of everyday life? Some intrigue, maybe deceit and revenge? Check out Master of the Fleet or Lady Calloway!
Something magical and humorous set in London, or a paranormal short story set in the American high country? Go with Whiskey Jug Genie or Moonlight and Shadows!
Whichever you choose, you’ll find a lovely getaway for the weekend. So go browse the offerings, find the one which calls to you,and settle in for a brief respite from reality.
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?
Ever have one of those weeks that just didn’t seem to go right? Where everything was kind of on the disappointing or depressing side? Yeah? That has been my week so far. And since a new week starts tomorrow, I guess it was all week.
I would say the most aggravating thing was an email I received from someone wanting to help me with promoting my work. Now I know I’m not the greatest at marketing and promotions. And in the past, I have hired people to help me with that–people who were recommended to me. They did help a bit, though not as much as I had hoped for.
A word of advice. If you want me to consider hiring you to help me with something, don’t write a completely disrespectful email to me, pointing out things I already know (because they’re in my bio), and getting things from my bio incorrect. (like the fact that I’ve never in my life run 3 miles 3-5 times a week) And don’t sneer at the fact that I’m doing the best I can with what I know to do.
Did I enter a book cover contest? I sure did, because I thought it would be fun and get my book a little visibility. Did I adjust my key words as suggested by a couple people I communicated with to bring it more in line for what readers may be searching for? You bet I did.
But am I going to quit using two pen names for my writing? No. Because those two names write different books. Mellie Miller writes the books in my series. Sultonna Nadine writes the stand alone books that take different paths. And each name has her own blog and page on Amazon and Goodreads.
I also cross reference them so people will know we are the same person writing two different types of books.
If you want to help–and you want me to consider using your expertise–don’t make fun of me. “I finally wrote a theocratic dystopia with telepathy. Then I discovered that my telepathy could not help me communicate my author name to Amazon.”
This does not in any way help me are encourage me to use your services. Neither does, “You run 3 to 5 miles three times a week. Run your author brand the same distance.” 😅 And yes, this person actually put the emoji in the email.
Which book are they talking about? My latest release as Sultonna Nadine–LADY CALLOWAY–A Question of Heresy. If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, romantic intrigue with a dystopian vibe, some religious conflict, moral conflict, and duty vs. love, check it out.
Anyway, done with my rant. If you’re looking for either of my pen names online, check out:
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.
Lady Calloway has made it to Round 2 in the Book Cover Contest at All Author. While we’re doing well, a few more votes would be fantastic!
Here’s the link for you to cast your support for Lady Calloway
In other news, I’ve been out of town for a week with a dodgy laptop, so I’m trying to catch up on all my correspondence. Not to worry-I haven’t forgotten you!
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!
Yes, my alter ego, Sultonna Nadine, has been at it again! LADY CALLOWAY will be out on March 1, so if you are a fantasy lover, this is for you.
Set in an alternate timeline in turn of the century London, this fantasy has a strong romantic side as well as religious conflict and political intrigue. Liora Calloway, recently married to Kerrick, was raised believing women must not find pleasure in sex, even in marriage. They must give themselves to their husbands to keep them from seeking outside pleasure. But for the wives to enjoy the act was the same as prostitution. They also said women had no real sexual drive, so it wouldn’t be a problem. They were wrong and she was afraid she would be damned for her evil thoughts.
Kerrick worked for the church and thought his marriage would be fulfilling in every way. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t bring passion into his bedroom. And then he found he was married to a heretic. He was duty-bound to report her to the church, but his heart demanded he protect her from the church he served. Taking a holiday from work, he rushed Liora to the seaside cottage to reason with her over her beliefs.
Her heresy soon became a minor issue when they both began to develop mental abilities the church had forbidden. Not knowing what to do at this point, they receive a message from an unexpected quarter and set out for Wales in the middle of the night to escape a church determined to bring them back to London for questioning.
Can they escape the reach of the church? Are there others, like them, who have forbidden talents? And can their marriage survive the turmoil the face?
They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but in this case I believe they are mistaken. Mother Nature was definitely having a temper tantrum last night. We had thunderstorms all night, which resulted in lightning running in on the phone lines.
With the phone system taken out, the DSL blasted, two desktop computers and a laptop out of commission, this morning has been quite busy. Fortunately the rest of the house wasn’t damaged, and using my mobile as a hotspot we are in communication with the rest of the world.
My husband, wizard that he is, has gotten the phones back online with a temporary fix. Let’s here if for wizards! Of course, with all the outages around, the carrier won’t be able to come out and do a proper job until early next week.
After all the fireworks last night, today is beautiful and sunny, which was not expected after looking at the forecast yesterday. I guess Nature got her ill temper worked out last night and decided to give us a break for a day or two.
Fortunately, all my book files and WIPs are backed up on a thumb drive, so in case of something like this, I’m covered. With any luck at all, I’ll have one of those WIPs finished and ready for its first edit next week. Keep your fingers crossed…
How about an excerpt? An early peek at this work in progress?
LADY CALLOWAY
In a country that’s not quite England, and a town which just misses being Victorian London, Kerrick Calloway trudged wearily up the walkway to his home.
“Paradise preserve me,” Kerrick muttered, shaking his head and running his fingers through his sandy brown hair. Hadn’t today been aggravating enough already?
His wife greeted him with a kiss which barely grazed his cheek, irritating him even more.
“What’s wrong?” Liora, his wife asked, her gray eyes stormy and troubled. “Why are you angry?”
Shrugging her shoulders under her thick auburn hair, she began to turn away, as she waited for his answer. His arm shot toward her, his hand grasping her jaw firmly as he turned her to face him.
“Why? I just want to know why I can’t have a proper kiss from my wife. After working all day, it would be nice to feel my wife cares for me, instead of feeling she simply tolerates me.”
Releasing her with disgust, he started toward his study.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Liora replied. “Of course, I care for you. Every day I meet you at the door with a kiss.”
“You call that a kiss?” he shouted, turning back towards his wife. “That’s the sort of kiss you’d give to a brother or father, not the kiss a husband expects from his wife.”
“What’s the difference? I greet you each and every day to show you I love you. Does the kiss matter so much?”
“Yes, it does matter that much!” he shouted in anger. “A man expects a few niceties when he gets home, and a proper kiss from his wife is one of them.”
“Why are you going on so much about a kiss? You know I love you.”
“Do I?” Kerrick asked, exasperated. “And how am I supposed to know that? Your kisses are sisterly at best, unless I press the issue. And in our bed, half the time I feel I’m committing rape. You agree to sleep with me, but show no passion for me. Can you even feel passion?”
Suddenly wanting to know if she could show anything at all, he pulled her to him roughly, one arm firmly around her waist, the other twined in her hair turning her face to his. He kissed her savagely at first, his mouth hard on hers, demanding, before his kiss became more sensual. At first she tried to struggle free, and then, for a brief moment, he felt the beginnings of awakening arousal, before she stiffened into her usual stance—endurance.
“Don’t, Kerrick,” she pleaded with him as he released her. “Please, never do that again. I can’t bear it.”
Wishing you all a fantastic Friday and wonderful weekend!
It has been beautiful here for the past few days. Milder temperatures, sunshine, and lovely warm breezes sweeping through the trees and the bamboo around the house.
The type of weather that is a taste of heaven on earth.
It looks like we might be heading back for rainy weather in a day or two, though, which is fine. The tomatoes will enjoy the drink and the bath.
In the meantime, I’ve been writing a few words on Lady Calloway, to be published under Sultonna Nadine, and editing on The Trouble with Talents, the next book from Esperance.
So while I’ve doing some fiddling with these two books, I’ve been trying to figure out book covers. Always a chore. It seems no matter what I’m looking for, I can find anything else. (sigh)
Anyhow, here’s hoping you’ve had a wonderful weekend so far, and will continue the trend.
How about a brief excerpt?
Lady Calloway–
“A man expects a few niceties when he gets home, and a proper kiss from his wife is one of them.”
“Why are you going on so much about a kiss? You know I love you.”
“Do I?” Kerrick asked, exasperated. “And how am I supposed to know that? Your kisses are sisterly at best, unless I press the issue. And in our bed, half the time I feel I’m committing rape. You agree to sleep with me, but show no passion for me. Can you even feel passion?”
Suddenly wanting to know if she could show anything at all, he pulled her to him roughly, one arm firmly around her waist, the other twined in her hair turning her face to his. He kissed her savagely at first, his mouth hard on hers, demanding, before his kiss became more sensual. At first she tried to struggle free, and then, for a brief moment, he felt the beginnings of awakening arousal, before she stiffened into her usual stance—endurance.
“Don’t, Kerrick,” she pleaded with him as he released her. “Please, never do that again. I can’t bear it.”
I believe the heat is backing off just a little. While it has been pretty warm, it hasn’t been 100 degrees out for a while.
How are things in your world?
I’m working on Lady Calloway, the next book to be published as Sultonna Nadine. Set in an alternate timeline of Victorian England, the church and state are one and the same.
Add in the fact that the church employees people with psychic abilities to seek out and destroy heresies, and “confess” sinners back to righteousness, and you’ll get the idea behind the plot.
Liora grew up in a small village. When Kerrick came through on church business, he is immediately attracted to her. Soon, they are married and living in Londre, where he works in a position between the two halves of the church–the secular and sacred sides of their world.
Three months into their marriage, they are both miserable, and Kerrick finally discovers his wife has been taught and firmly believes the heretical teachings of her priest concerning sex in marriage. As an employee of the church, it is his duty to turn her in for confession, but he can’t bring himself to do it.
Taking a short holiday to the coast, he hopes to convince her to change her beliefs, until his father contacts him and tells them to run. The church has sent confessors and wardens to bring her in. Her village is been decreed to be in heresy and will soon be crawling with confessors and wardens to root it out.
On top of the original heresy, both Liora and Kerrick have begun to develop abilities condemned by the church. If this is found out, they are both in danger.
How will this end?
I haven’t figured that bit out yet, but I’m working on it. In the meantime, Book 3 from Gambler’s Folly–The Russian— is with the editor and should be available later this summer.
