Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Be Mine: Ten Erotic Romances for Valentine's Day Blog Tour




BE MINE: Ten Erotic Romances for Valentine’s Day featuring contemporary romance, paranormal romance, military romance and BDSM romance from today’s New York Times and USA Today’s Bestselling Authors. This boxed set is ONLY available for a LIMITED TIME so get your copy before it’s gone.

Contest at the end: WIN $100 and more!!!

Won’t you be mine?

~Ten complete stories, professionally formatted, limited release~

Snowed in With the Tycoon by Shoshanna Evers: When they get snowed in together on the same piece of land they’re each fighting for, unexpected desire sparks.

Wrong Bride by Geri Foster: Short, sexy fun…

Crashing Down by Cathryn Fox: Will the fire they created turn to ash when truths come spilling out?

Eternal Ever After by A.C. James: BDSM and HOT alpha Vampires…Oh my!

The Erotic Dark (A BDSM Erotica Novel) by Nina Lane: A downright dirty book!

Stay the Night: A Navy Seal Erotic Romance by Caridad Pineiro: Single, soon-to-be mom, Marley Madison’s latest cravings are downright…naughty. She wants a ménage and she wants it bad.

Heat Wave by Denise Agnew: He’s one hot man she can’t resist.

 Romance Quickies (Encounter 2) by Monique DuBois: Brooke is determined to have a one-night stand, but will the sexy stranger let her ride him on the subway?

Morgan’s Match by Krystal Shannan: The biggest catch to being a matchmaker…you can’t work a spell on yourself.

 

WIN $100 and more!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway includes a $100 Gift Card, a $25 Gift Card, a $10 Gift Card, eBooks, and audiobooks! 

Buy Links:

Amazon       Kobo      Amazon CA        B&N      Apple     Amazon UK     Amazon AU


    

Sunday, January 18, 2015

What Does Writing Success Mean to You? AND How do You Get There? #amwriting


Before you can decide what steps to take, and what path to follow toward success in a writing career, you must FIRST figure out what success means to you, and SECOND, write it down. If you’re not clear on where you want to go, then how can you plan how to get there?

Sometimes you may not be quite sure yet what it is you want, so set small goals in the beginning and work toward those first. To some writers, success may be completing a screenwriting class at a local college, or finishing their first book or short story, getting an agent or a publishing contract, self-publishing a book, making $100 extra a month, making $10,000 or more a month, quitting their day job, hitting the New York Time and USA Today Bestsellers Lists, etc. What is YOUR goal?

 
How do you reach your goal?

Whatever that dream writing goal is, no matter how big, take these steps:

·        * Write it down-seriously. When you write it down, it becomes clear on what exactly you want.

·       * Create a deadline. Not: ‘Someday I’ll write a book.’ Instead: ‘I have completed my first book by such and such date.’ Write it as if it already has happened.

·       * Read it daily, or a couple times a day.

·        *Visualize yourself achieving it. How do your feel? But not just that…

·        * TAKE ACTION! Massive action, every day. Plan steps toward that goal.

·        -*Emulate, not copy, the successful ones. Look at those who have achieved that particular goal already and see what they did to get there. How long have they been writing? Did they take classes? What do you like about their work that is missing in yours? What groups, organizations do they belong to? How do they present themselves online, at conferences, etc.? How do they promote and market their work? You probably can’t do exactly what they’re doing right now, but you can begin to make changes in what you are doing now.

·        *Continue to learn by taking classes, and reading books both about writing, publishing and craft, and also read a ton of books within and outside the genre you’re writing.

·         *Don’t give up! Mistakes are an opportunity to set you on a new and exciting path. If something isn’t working, try something else.

 

Feel free to post your goal here!!!

***Want to get the networking experience from 8 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors???

Cathryn Fox, Caridad Pineiro, Riley J. Ford, Geri Foster, Lisa Hughey, A.C. James, Sarah Makela, and Kathy Kulig have shared tons of information and direct links about publishing, and all the steps involved with self-publishing including writing, editing, formatting, cover design, contract and legal issues, boxed sets and other co-authored projects, and many helpful tips. They all have a variety of backgrounds and share their personal experiences, including triumphs and struggles in their book WRITE TO SUCCESS. It’s of ton of information and only $2.99. The links alone will save you tons of time, and recommendations on editors, cover designers, and legal contract tips are worth that alone. Not to sound like a sales pitch, but... The authors sincerely wanted to offer this book with the intention of helping new and established authors by answering many questions we frequently hear asked all the time. We all have learned from each other too!!



Buy Links for WRITE TO SUCCESS:


BN

Sunday, January 11, 2015

#Steampunk Revelry! Coffeetime Romance


The strange and beautiful disasters of steampunk are happening at Coffeetime Romance Steampunk blog on January 14th —automatons gone wild, mad scientists who want to take over the world, denizens of the deep seas sinking ships, even solar storms that threaten to destroy the earth as in BURNED DEEP, and more, but don’t worry dear reader there will be plenty of time to give out some great PRIZES!!


I’ll be talking about some of these disasters seen in the steampunk genre, including the one in my book: BURNED DEEP, an erotic futuristic with elements of steampunk where a solar superstorm is threatening an underground city of scholars and scientists and those living in the overcities on the surface.

Here’s the blurb:
When a devastating solar storm is predicted, Celia escapes her privileged life as a baron’s daughter in the underground city of Threshold to find her brother. Outside on a harsh, savage surface, she meets Ethan, a daring inventor, who offers to help her. Seized by their fierce attraction, Ethan and Celia are swept into a passionate liaison, but soon plunge into unexpected trouble. As the solar storm approaches, Celia discovers Threshold is targeted for takeover. And Ethan, the man who is stealing her heart, is at the center of the planned invasion. How can Ethan promise the woman he loves a future if he doesn’t know if there will be one at all?

Here’s what we’ll be giving away, so make sure you stop by and sign up on the Rafflecopter!!:







Burned Deep is available now. If you like a sexy adventure, futuristic, dystopian with steampunk elements, check this book out now!


Check out my new store front at Coffeetime Romance: More books will be coming soon… Burnt Stilettos Press


If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter I give a $10 Gift Card away to one of my members each month. Members also hear the latest news, exclusive offers, contests and no spam. Coming soon will be a couple free reads. Signup

See you at Coffeetime Steampunk Blog on the 14th. Good luck on winning!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Lessons I Learned in Publishing in 2014 – “Don’t Panic”


As I look back on 2014, “Don’t Panic” could be the biggest lesson I learned considering all the changes, good and bad, that happened to me as an author. And for 2015, despite a number of major setbacks, I have a plan to totally crush it!

If you’re familiar with the book, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams, you may get the humor in this post. If not, it may not make any sense at all. But then again…readers are smart, and I think we all have somewhat of a warped sense of humor. If you don’t know the book, read it and get a good laugh. The story of Hitchhiker’s Guide follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, who manages to hitchhike off earth, seconds before it’s destroyed—to make way for an intergalactic freeway. Many of the quotes in that book seemed directly applicable to my career glitches in 2014. Anything in quotations in this post will be from Adam's book.

A warped sense of humor is a good thing to have if you’re an author—indie or traditional. And boy did I need a sense of humor. Just as everything in my publishing career seemed to be improving and going along well—sales were increasing, I had planned to have about seven releases out this year—a record for me, I was finally able to go indie and my first multi-authored box set hit the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists!

Then the world blew up—aka Kindle Unlimited struck and my publisher, who I loved dearly, announced restructuring and layoffs. It was like two asteroids striking earth at once, because my sales plummeted, AND during this time, I had three new books released back-to back—all three sold like crap.

What did I learn?

“Don’t Panic!” While the loops, blogs, Twitter and Facebook were inundated with panic, rude, sad, and angry publishing ‘professionals’. I tried my best to stay out of the fall out, and kept writing and made new goals for the future. I don’t have control over other peoples’ business or personal decisions, only my own.

“There’s no point in acting surprised about it.” I made the mistake of not being as observant as I should have. I was too wrapped up in my plans and goals, and should have had a backup plan. I ignored a few signs that hinted to the changes to come. Things change and will continue to change. Prepare for the worse, and don’t waste time whining or bitching about it. Set new goals and move on. I had planned to write a couple new series, now I’ve completely switched things around and have different goals with a backup plan. Three new series, plus continuation of my Red Tape series and a number of other projects are already in the works for 2015-2016. Plus a completely new business plan. I’m very optimistic for 2015!

“The answer to the Great Question of Life, The Universe and Everything is…42!” There are tons of advice and books out there on how to make a million dollars and be a bestselling author. Many authors have good intentions and believe their advice is sound. I co-authored one of those books this year: Write to Success And I believe there are a lot of helpful tips in that book. I’ve learned, and continue to learn, from many talented authors and appreciate that these authors are so generous with their time to share their knowledge, but no one knows everything. There is no right way or the only path to success. And there is no magic pill, no get rich quick plan. WRITE, PUBLISH, LEARN, and REPEAT. A number of newbie authors think they’re going to crush it and get rich with one or two or three books. Not happening. Expect many years of CONTINUED HARD WORK, and yes, you will see some success.

A few people who have helped me a lot this year- Thank You!!! You all rock!!!:  

The guys at Self-Publishing Podcast – Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt, and David Wright.
Jim Kukral and Bryan Cohen at http://sellmorebooksshow.com/

***Check out their podcasts and books too, both fiction and non-fiction. They have a wealth of information.***

 

“Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?” Oh, there are times I think when every author thinks they’re losing it, and perhaps have even thought about giving up. Don’t! Authors must be part mad. How can they possible look at their manuscript one day and it appears to be brilliant, award-winning material, and the very next day, they read the same book, and it’s doggie doodoo? Don’t give up, have faith in your work. Keep writing.

When I start getting down on myself because of a bad review (or no reviews), or because I’m writing too slow, or I can’t figure out a scene, or my characters seem flat today, or the book is not perfect enough, or whatever reason I come up with. I’m sure you can come up with a few reasons on those days when writing gets you down. I’ve decided now I’ll give myself five minutes to mope, then get back to work. I think of this silly quote as a reminder: “Ford…you’re turning into a penguin. Stop it!”

Final words of advice on what I learned and what I plan for myself in 2015:

PRIORITIZE – I had to come up with a ‘Stop Doing List’. One of those things was to stop hosting friends' new book releases on my blog. I hated doing it, because I like to help promote my author friends. But I realized I was getting requests to host new releases on my blog two to three times a week and many from people I didn’t know. I only get to write at night and on weekends and I had to stop the hosting. It was taking up a huge amount of my writing time. I decided instead I’d host an author party a couple times a year where author friends could promote their books on my site during a week-long event and we could give prizes away. I also find doing topic posts draw much more traffic to my blog. I want to build my brand and an audience this way.

ORGANIZE- I’m a visual person. I bought a full year erasable calendar I have up on my wall in my office with projects and deadlines listed. Also recorded the dates of events, contests, conferences, etc. I’m also going to start using Scrivener.

MEDITATE- I’ve done it before and have started again. It does help my Type A brain to focus on one thing at a time, keep less scattered, and I sleep better.

WRITE- That’s what writers do. Can’t edit a blank page and can’t sell an unfinished book.  

And a couple last quotes. Sometimes we need to start a new year with a chuckle: It might be time to re-read Douglas Adam’s book.

Happy New Year and Happy Writing!

“I don’t want to die now!” he yelled. “I’ve still got a headache! I don’t want to go to heaven with a headache, I’d be all cross and wouldn’t enjoy it!”

“We are now cruising at a level of two to the power of twenty-five thousand to one against and falling, and we will be restoring normality just as soon as we are sure what is normal anyway.”

You know you’re a true writer if this one rings true:
“I’d far rather be happy than right any day.” My translation: I’d far rather be a writer than rich any day.