Friday, June 27, 2014

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

I was recently contacted by James Moushon to do an author spotlight on his hbs author blog. For those of you who missed it, I thought I'd post it here.  James is the author of the Jonathan Stone mystery series and currently has two books to his credit.


Check out his blog for more authors he's interviewed. http://hbsauthorspotlight.blogspot.com/



Congratulations on your book: Deadly Obsessions. What do you have on the drawing board next?  Can you tell us the time line for its release and give us a little tease?   
Thank you, James. I'm very excited about my latest release and delighted with the feedback it's receiving. As a bonus for my fans, and new fans out there, I've just lowered the price of the novel to $0.99 as a short introductory offer.

You have quite a number followers on Twitter.
Thank you. I was pretty impressed with the amount myself.  



How important have your social media relationships been? 
I've met so many wonderful people on these venues, connected with long lost friends, and developed new ones. I've found it effective for building a readership. That's not to say it has pushed my sales to best seller status--at least, not yet, but I do find if I advertise, they will come.  
 How did you build your following in your niche? 
Just being myself on them and commenting on other posts.  I've managed to build a nice group of friends, writers and fans. 
 Did you use forums, newsletters and methods like that?  
I do send out a newsletter, but I'm not sure how effective it is. It continues to give my list of contacts information about what I'm up to next.
 
You do a lot of book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? 
I do. Since I started writing, I've moved two times. Book signings offer name recognition.I've done library panels as well. Anything I can do to get my name out there, I'm raising my hand.  
When and where is the next place where your readers can see you?  
I'm currently organizing a few signings here in Arizona, mostly in a coffee house environment, and I will be signing at the 'Readers for Life' literacy signing at the next RWA conference in San Antonio. The signing will be held on July 23rd from 5:30-7:30 and it's open to the public. The autographing takes place at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel on the 3rd floor. The proceeds from the book sales go to literacy organizations.  
Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online? 
 
You have great covers for both Carolyn and K.T’s novels.  
Avalon Books and Montlake Romance did the covers for my sweet romances. Avalon Books asked for suggestions but never used any of them. But when Montlake took over, they did ask for input and were so accommodating, I still can't believe it. K. T. Roberts' covers were done by Carol Webb, owner of Bella Media Management and, as you can see, they follow the same theme. All the stories take place in New York, so it only seemed fitting to use the New York City skyline as my backdrop.  

They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?   
I actually had other covers for my mystery series that I created myself with a limited program. I found the photo I was looking for on iStockphotos and made them. Once that was done, I posted on Facebook asking for feedback and received suggestion for changes--none of which I could do with the program. But, when I saw Carol's work, my own creations paled by comparison--not that my sales suffered, but the nicer looking covers are a draw. When I started Indie publishing, I was looking for an inexpensive way out. My current covers look more professional and sends a strong message to perspective buyers, that I'm serious about my writing.
 
You have written a Kindle Serial called: Murder and Mayhem. 
Actually, I wrote two Kindle Serials. Gossip Girl: Lovers, Liars and Thou, which is a novella, and Murder and Mayhem.  

Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Yes, I think they did.  Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work? 
Shorty's are not usually my style. I tend to write much longer stories, but my Kindle Worlds had a deadline with a specific wordcount and that's what I did.When Avalon Books was publishing my work, the editor would frequently delete anything over 60,000 words. However, Montlake Romance gives its authors carte blanche.  
How did rolling out the Chronicles in sections work out vs. the response to the complete set?  
Some complained, but overall the two week wait time for delivery was well received.

  1. What writer support groups do you belong to? Do they help with the writing, marketing and the publishing process? Can you tell our readers about The Write Authors Book Signing and Valley of the Sun Romance Authors events and how to get involved with those groups?

    I organized The Write Authors last year. We're a group of seven Indie published authors who attend the book signings all over the valley. The signing at the Women's Expo was the most elaborate signing we've done so far, and I believe I've made some new fans. I'm also a member of Sisters in Crime and attend monthly meetings at Desert Sleuths. The group's core membership is made up of several law enforcement professionals where I learn so much. I also attend The Writers' Police Academy held every year in September in Greensboro, NC where the instructors are in some form of law enforcement and teaches everything from forensics to Secret Service--you name it, they've got it. Here's the link in case anyone is interested. http://writerspoliceacademy.com


  2. What has been your experience in giving your books away free? 
    When I published my first Indie, I gave the book away for free for three days. Unfortunately, it never garnered any reviews until I started charging. 
    Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out?
     I've done basket giveaways, gift cards and book giveaways for leaving comments.  
    What was your main goal in doing this? 
    My goal was name recognition and a review of the book. I did receive comments on Facebook, but not always a review.  
  3. How do you start your book launch process for a new book? Give a brief outline of the steps you go through to get your book to market. What methods were the most successful? 
    I typically start with the cover reveal on Facebook to get attention, then I post scenes. I've joined about twenty online groups on Facebook where I advertise twice a week, and also on Twitter. Anymore than that is overkill and people stop paying attention to your posts. I also do a blog with excerpts, and post excerpts of all my books on my website. Then, I'll arrange for a book signing and take it from there. Once I have ten reviews, I register for E-reader News Today to advertise my book(s). I've had fantastic results with that.
     
  4. I don’t know which of you to address this question too but I will give it a shot. You are published under two names and genres. Does changing hats create any problems? 
    I was worried about that in the beginning, and although it took a while for people to realize I was the same person creating those sweet romances, and writing gritter for my mysteries, things fell into place.  
    Any tricks you can share with us? Which genre did you enjoy writing the most, Romance or Mystery?  
    I think my forte is mystery. I love reading and writing it and enjoy it more because you never know what's going to happen. Contemporaries are pretty set in the standard. You know, it's like a Disney movie--no one dies at the end.  
    Does moving from one to the other give you some breathing room?
     I guess you could say that, but I do find when I writing a contemporary then I'm anxious to finish so I can go back to my writing world of crime.

  5. What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?  

    As of late, I've been successful in getting reviews from the reading audience. One of the Indie groups I belong to provided a list of reviewers, but they're so inundated with submissions, they don't guarantee reviews.

You have a good following on twitter.  
Thank you. I was pretty impressed with the amount myself.  
How important have your social media relationships been? 
I've met so many wonderful people on these venues, connected with long lost friends, and developed new ones. I've found it effective for building a readership. That's not to say it has pushed my sales to best seller status--at least, not yet, but I do find if I advertise, they will come.  
 How did you build your following in your niche? 
Just being myself on them and commenting on other posts.  I've managed to build a nice group of friends, writers and fans. 
 Did you use forums, newsletters and methods like that?  
I do send out a newsletter, but I'm not sure how effective it is. It continues to give my list of contacts information about what I'm up to next.
 
You do a lot of book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? 
I do. Since I started writing, I've moved two times. Book signings offer name recognition.I've done library panels as well. Anything I can do to get my name out there, I'm raising my hand.  
When and where is the next place where your readers can see you?  
I'm currently organizing a few signings here in Arizona, mostly in a coffee house environment, and I will be signing at the 'Readers for Life' literacy signing at the next RWA conference in San Antonio. The signing will be held on July 23rd from 5:30-7:30 and it's open to the public. The autographing takes place at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel on the 3rd floor. The proceeds from the book sales go to literacy organizations.  
Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online? 
 
  1. You have great covers for both Carolyn and K.T’s novels.  
    Avalon Books and Montlake Romance did the covers for my sweet romances. Avalon Books asked for suggestions but never used any of them. But when Montlake took over, they did ask for input and were so accommodating, I still can't believe it. K. T. Roberts' covers were done by Carol Webb, owner of Bella Media Management and, as you can see, they follow the same theme. All the stories take place in New York, so it only seemed fitting to use the New York City skyline as my backdrop.  
    They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?   
    I actually had other covers for my mystery series that I created myself with a limited program. I found the photo I was looking for on iStockphotos and made them. Once that was done, I posted on Facebook asking for feedback and received suggestion for changes--none of which I could do with the program. But, when I saw Carol's work, my own creations paled by comparison--not that my sales suffered, but the nicer looking covers are a draw. When I started Indie publishing, I was looking for an inexpensive way out. My current covers look more professional and sends a strong message that to perspective buyers, I'm serious about my writing.
     
  2. You have written a Kindle Serial called: Murder and Mayhem. 
    Actually, I wrote two Kindle Serials. Gossip Girl: Lovers, Liars and Thou, which is a novella, and Murder and Mayhem.  
    Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Yes, I think they did.  Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work? 
    Shorty's are not usually my style. I tend to write much longer stories, but my Kindle Worlds had a deadline with a specific wordcount and that's what I did.When Avalon Books was publishing my work, the editor would frequently delete anything over 60,000 words. However, Montlake Romance gives its authors carte blanche.  
    How did rolling out the Chronicles in sections work out vs. the response to the complete set?  
    Some complained, but overall the two week wait time for delivery was well received.
  3. What writer support groups do you belong to? Do they help with the writing, marketing and the publishing process? Can you tell our readers about The Write Authors Book Signing and Valley of the Sun Romance Authors events and how to get involved with those groups?
    I organized The Write Authors last year. We're a group of seven Indie published authors who attend the book signings all over the valley. The signing at the Women's Expo was the most elaborate signing we've done so far, and I believe I've made some new fans. I'm also a member of Sisters in Crime and attend monthly meetings at Desert Sleuths. The group's core membership is made up of several law enforcement professionals where I learn so much. I also attend The Writers' Police Academy held every year in September in Greensboro, NC where the instructors are in some form of law enforcement and teaches everything from forensics to Secret Service--you name it, they've got it. Here's the link in case anyone is interested. http://writerspoliceacademy.com
  4. What has been your experience in giving your books away free? 
    When I published my first Indie, I gave the book away for free for three days. Unfortunately, it never garnered any reviews until I started charging. 
    Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out?
     I've done basket giveaways, gift cards and book giveaways for leaving comments.  
    What was your main goal in doing this? 
    My goal was name recognition and a review of the book. I did receive comments on Facebook, but not always a review.  
  5. How do you start your book launch process for a new book? Give a brief outline of the steps you go through to get your book to market. What methods were the most successful? 
    I typically start with the cover reveal on Facebook to get attention, then I post scenes. I've joined about twenty online groups on Facebook where I advertise twice a week, and also on Twitter. Anymore than that is overkill and people stop paying attention to your posts. I also do a blog with excerpts, and post excerpts of all my books on my website. Then, I'll arrange for a book signing and take it from there. Once I have ten reviews, I register for E-reader News Today to advertise my book(s). I've had fantastic results with that.
     
  6. I don’t know which of you to address this question too but I will give it a shot. You are published under two names and genres. Does changing hats create any problems? 
    I was worried about that in the beginning, and although it took a while for people to realize I was the same person creating those sweet romances, and writing gritter for my mysteries, things fell into place.  
    Any tricks you can share with us? Which genre did you enjoy writing the most, Romance or Mystery?  
    I think my forte is mystery. I love reading and writing it and enjoy it more because you never know what's going to happen. Contemporaries are pretty set in the standard. You know, it's like a Disney movie--no one dies at the end.  
    Does moving from one to the other give you some breathing room?
     I guess you could say that, but I do find when I writing a contemporary then I'm anxious to finish so I can go back to my writing world of crime.
  7. What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?  
    As of late, I've been successful in getting reviews from the reading audience. One of the Indie groups I belong to provided a list of reviewers, but they're so inundated with submissions, they don't guarantee reviews.


Sunday, June 22, 2014

Jersey Boys, Yeah Baby!

We went to see Jersey Boys last night, despite the critics' reviews, and as I walked out of the theater, all I wanted to say was, Yeah, baby! Great movie. I loved it and yes, I wanted to dance in the aisles, but I refrained for fear of embarrassing my husband.  LOL

I didn't see the play on Broadway, but from the interviews I've seen of the lead John Lloyd Young, he felt the movie was better than the show on B'dway because you could actually see the full backdrop. In my youth, I was always singing and dancing every time those songs came on the radio. It was a pleasant step back in time for me. So forget those reviews from the stuffy old codgers and go see it for yourself to decide. If you're youth was anything like mine, you'll love it. 

I was surprised to learn about his life. We always--or at least I do, think celebrities have a glamorous life, but more often than not, that's not always the case. As a matter of fact, his life was pretty depressing. 

The customary thing to do with my friends after a movie on the east coast was to stop at a diner for breakfast, but since diners are few and far between here in the Wild West, we went to Coldstone's instead and had a sundae in honor of the tradition and to celebrate Jersey! How's that for an excuse?

Sunday, June 15, 2014

TALK ABOUT STICKY BUSINESS!

I'm in the mood for baking. I know, it's hot, but I haven't had sugar in a a few months and I just have this urge to have something sweet. Besides, it was Father's Day and the hubster has a heck of a sweet tooth. This recipe and several others can be found in my Romancing the Chefs Toque series where I've written the recipes in character, so to speak, and made them part of the story. And speaking of which, Amazon surprised me today and listed Dishing Up Romance, the first in a three-part series for only $0.99. I have no idea how long they'll leave it at this price, so if you like a good romance, if you like to cook, if you like to eat, then this book is for you. Hurry before they change their minds. And now I make you two promises: One:this cake is addictive, and two: and you will be a big hit




STICKY BUSINESS – STEAMED STICKY TOFFEE COFFEE PUDDING CAKE
WITH CARMELATTA SAUCE
           
6 ounces  Madjool dates, pitted
6 ounces brewed coffee
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Carmelatta Sauce
3 cups heavy whipping cream
5 ounces butter
5 ounces brown sugar
3 tablespoons Kahlua
           
PREHEAT the oven to 350 degrees

Soften the dates in the brewed coffee on medium-high heat for approximately 10 minutes.  Drain the liquid and reserve for later.  Puree the dates to a smooth consistency and reserve it for later too.  Is that what you’re doing—reserving yourself for later? But girl, you wait too long and it’s never gonna happen.  Listen to Lucy.  She’s a very knowledgeable woman when it comes to other people’s love life—she’s had lots of practice.

Mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and powder into a separate bowl while you’re beating the tar out of the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer.  When the volume increases and is a nice tan color, you’ve done it correctly but don’t rush just because everyone else thinks you should be married.  And if you’re really serious about this, then stop lining up to catch the bridal bouquets at all your friends’ weddings.  Besides, how many preserved wedding bouquets can one girl have?

Add the flour mixture.  When it’s blended to your satisfaction, add the eggs one at a time and whip to blend, then the vanilla and lastly, the date puree. 

Prepare a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray and scrape the batter into the dish, spreading with a spatula to evenly distribute.  Fill another roasting pan with water and place on the lowest rack in the oven—right under your cake pan. This is to keep the cake moist. Bake on the middle rack in the oven for about 45 minutes – cake should pull away from the sides.  

SERVES 10-12 depending on size.

Monday, June 9, 2014

How Green is Your Envy?


If there’s one thing I believe needs some positive, constructive attention, it’s how we handle the Green-Eyed Monster. Yeah, I know, it's a sticky subject, but it's something that needs to be addressed from time to time as a reminder. Unfortunately, I've seen jealousy come out in spades regardless of the profession. And it's especially prevalent within the writing community.

I’ve always been happy for people when they’ve landed a big contract, hit the bestseller list, gotten the promotion, or made tons of money. And when I congratulate that person, I’m truly happy for them. And they can be sure I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

Am I jealous? I swear to you, I’m not in the least. But I won’t deny being envious and wishing I’d had the same success. See, there’s the difference! I’m not saying I don’t want them to have that success. I’m saying I want it with them.

So is it okay to be envious? Absolutely!  It’s healthy. It’s human, and it can even be motivating. When someone lets jealously get the best of them, it can become unhealthy and lead them down a path of destruction. Jealousy is like a disease. It spreads like a fire and comes out in unflattering ways. If you're one of those people, please, whatever you do, don’t air your discontent out in a public forum. Playing the victim card only lasts for so long and people will eventually turn a deaf ear. Maybe not all, but the majority will. No one wants to be around someone who's filled with negativity.

I wish I could tell you none of this happens in real life, but the truth is, it does. I’ve seen it destroy friendships to the point that it's no longer salvageable. So the consequences are not trivial, nor easy to repair.

When emotional energy is spent resenting the success someone else has achieved, you lose. It’s a waste of valuable time because you’re using up your energy to find ways to degrade the person’s success, not to mention, you’re spending less time on your own career.  Your career is your responsibility no matter what your profession, so use that time wisely and pay attention to the person who has succeeded. You might just learn something. Understand though, this is not a part-time gig folks. It’s a constant.

As I mentioned above, jealousy and envy are real emotions. It's up to you as to how you respond to these feelings. But just in case you're at a loss, here are a few suggestions.
  • ·      When you’re alone, stop and acknowledge the bitter feelings
  • ·      Wallow in it for a day or two in the privacy of your own home.
  • ·      Tell it to your pet. He’ll understand and he’ll kiss you afterward.
  • ·      Type a letter to that person, then tear it up and toss it in the round file. You’ll be amazed at how much this relieves the bottled up anxiety.
  • ·      And above all, eat something gooey or chocolaty. Chocolate releases endorphins. Endorphins give you a pleasurable rush, and for sure, will help you when you're feeling down!
 
And lastly, remember, we’re all in this together. Let’s work as a team to help one another. I promise you, you’ll be glad you did.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, HOW ARE GOING TO GET THERE?


In the midst of so many bad things happening around us today, it’s nice to have a place to go to escape into an author’s world, if only for a brief spell.

So my question is this?  Can a humorous contemporary romance author write some serious drama in a mystery? Yes, I can!

I know you’re going to laugh at this, but I actually began writing for therapy! Yep, that’s exactly what I did. When one of my friends read what I’d written, she wanted to know more and encouraged me to finish the story. And so it began. Two years later, I submitted my first manuscript to Avalon Books only because I was looking for a rejection so I could flaunt the title of PRO as a member of Romance Writers of America. Well, I got the title all right and a contract for Cupid’s Web! It doesn’t get much better than that.

Now eight years later and I have thirteen books published with the release of Deadly Obsessions.

 So how did I do it? There are no shortcuts. I studied every book I could get my hands on, took every workshop and even some college courses. When you want something badly enough, the only answer is doing the hard work to get there. In other words, there are no magic pills for achieving your goals. As much as I’d like to tell you to twitch your nose like a witch and pretend you have magic powers, it ain’t happening until you do the work.  But you know that. Your parents drummed that into your head from early childhood. It’s an inescapable fact.

 I wrote my first story as a panster.  That means: by the seat of my pants in author talk. Actually, the story came easy to me because it had been in my head for a long time. I knew the opening and the ending, and had absolutely no idea about the middle. Cupid’s Web is about a young woman who wants to establish her identity and begin to build a life for herself in New York, away from her well-meaning mother who believes all women should be married and having children. If you like chicklit, this is your kind of story.

 And then, I attempted my second book and thought I’d do it the same way. Unfortunately, or maybe I should say fortunately, I learned a valuable lesson.  I struggled.  When I complained to my engineer husband that the story wasn’t coming so easily, he asked to see my outline. Ha! What outline. Well, that mushroomed into a lecture on outlining. I made a feeble attempt at it, and showed him what I came up with. He just shook his head and insisted I needed to do more. I yes’d him to death and continued on my merry way until I found myself finishing one chapter and staring at the screen trying to figure out what I should put in the next. Ha! That’s when I decided hubby was right and I made a concerted effort to develop a map of my story. Now, I wouldn’t write a story without an outline. Think of it this way: if you're driving to a place you've never been to before, you need a map, right? Okay, so there's that GPS thing too, but work with me here, will you?

 The other thing outlining affords me on those days when I'd rather be outside doing something fun, is to know exactly where my story is headed. There's no struggling to come up with something. It's right there in front of me. It may be a very rough draft, but that's okay, it's still there in black and white.

 Okay, so now you've written your story. What's next?

 The first thing you need to understand is, as writers we face many challenges and the big ‘R’ for rejection is just a fact of our lives. Don’t let the fear of rejection steal your dream. Sometimes, if the publisher is nice, they’ll tell you what you did wrong instead of sending you the standard form rejection. So think of it as a learning curve. And let’s face it if you were starting a new job, it would take you a while before you knew what you were doing. 
 So, if this is your dream, you must do it. It’s all a learning process of finding what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes rejections have nothing to do with whether you’re a good writer or not. But I must admit, the first rejection is the hardest. At first, you’re insulted, then you’re sad, then anger sets in like rigor mortis. How dare they?? My best advice is to develop a thick skin, file the rejections in the round file, and move on.

 In the alternative, if you’re tired of the publisher rejections, why not try the self-publishing route? I have several author friends, and I myself have both traditionally and self-pubbed stories, many of whom are NY Times best selling authors. A friend of mine, Marie Force, is doing an amazing job with her self-pubs, and even bought a house with her profits. And, as a matter of fact, actually turned down a contract from a publisher because she was making more money from her self-pubbing. There is nothing wrong with self-publishing, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Let me say that again, There is nothing wrong with self-publishing. 
 Just make sure you have someone edit your work before you post it. If you have a good story, regardless of who published it, readers will buy it. I honestly do not believe readers’ check to see who the publisher is before they’ll buy it? I’d be shocked to find out otherwise. What they want is a good, well-written story that entertains and offers them an escape. That’s all it takes.


So, now we come full circle and I ask you again. Can a humorous contemporary romance author write some serious drama in a mystery? You bet I can! To check out excerpts of all of my books, visit my website.