You read that correctly! All my books, under both pen names are FREE today only over at Smashwords!It’s the last day of their Summer/Winter sale, so I’ve decided to gift my books to anyone who has been hesitating to give them a try.
You have nothing to lose. They’re FREE!
Choose from my book series if you like fantasy romance mixed with a little psychic ability or shifters– Esperance or Gambler’s Folly, including Old Flame!
Or get Lady Calloway and Master of the Fleet if you’re a fan of alternate reality, fantasy romance, moral conflict, magic, or psychic abilities–both cross-genre stories.
Maybe you’re in the mood for some lighter reading. Whiskey Jug Genie and Moonlight and Shadows are FREE a well! Choose Whiskey Jug Genie for a humorous novel featuring a redneck genie, who after being in an old jug for 200 years finds himself in modern London. Choose Moonlight and Shadows for a short paranormal story set in the high country of Wyoming, with a bit of mystery and suspense.
But remember, this is for the rest of the day only! If you don’t grab your copies now, you’ll miss your opportunity to get any of my books–or all of them–for FREE! So go on over, take a look at what is available, make your choice, and settle in for a weekend of reading. What better way to start a new month?
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.
Well, today is one of those days and I need to vent. Sorry…
As you may know, I also write as Sultonna Nadine. She writes the stand alone books. I write the series. So far, she has four books in print.
Now today I was supposed to have a Book Club Author Q&A for Sultonna’s latest, Lady Calloway. As most of my books are, it is a cross-genre, multi-layered tale of romance. Set in an alternate Victorian reality, this historical fantasy romance pits the church against personal freedom. Our MC must choose between the church he serves and the woman he loves.
As a church agent, being married to a heretic can have dire consequences if he fails in his duty. But his heart says he must protect his wife at all cost. And when they both begin to develop forbidden mental abilities, they have to flee toward what they hope is a place of safety to escape the church they were once devoted to.
In a world where even your thoughts can convict you, where can you find safety, when the church is the law of the land?
Seems like it ought to be popular. The comments I’ve received have all been positive. They loved the duty vs. love angle, the multi-layered story.
Here’s a quote from a reader.
“I am still thinking about Lady Calloway, and frankly, I feel like I’m owed emotional compensation.
I came expecting romance. Somehow I ended up wrestling with questions about faith, danger, relationships, and human nature. That’s not a complaint, by the way. It’s actually what made the story so memorable.
One thing that has stayed with me is how fearlessly you blended spiritual themes with deeply human struggles. It made the characters feel real in a way that’s becoming increasingly rare.”
Or here’s another one.
“What you have created here is not a typical historical romance where the only obstacle is social standing or a disapproving parent. It is a story about faith, heresy, and the terrifying discovery that the church you serve would condemn you for the very abilities awakening inside your own mind… I came away from Lady Calloway with a clear and unshakeable conviction:
“This book belongs in the hands of every reader who loves forbidden love stories with real stakes, every fantasy romance fan who wants their magic grounded in historical tension, and anyone who has ever had to choose between what they were taught and who they love.”
So I don’t know what to do here. In spite of all the promotions I’ve run, and others have run for me, in spite of being all over social media and most major retailers, I’m not really getting any sales. Everyone says to fix my keywords, change my genre descriptions on Amazon, get it listed om Listopia, I’ve done a lot of that already with nothing ot show for it.
Is it time to stop trying to publish? Is it worth all the work for no return?
I don’t know. You, my readers get to decide.
For now, I’m going to have something cold to drink and wait for next winter’s firewood to be delivered. Maybe I’ll go over and work on another post and hope for the best.
It’s all right. I’ll get over my mood after a while.
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?
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!
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!
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 CALLOWAY—A 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!
