A.L. Wright's Blog

Blood Price goes free for 5 days - NEWS

I've been on pins and needles for the last month. Finally! After more than 3 years I'm closing out the Noble of Blood Trilogy. Blood War will be released next week, on Friday August 24th. 

Blood Price (Book 1) is now FREE from today through August 21st. https://amzn.to/2nsnSyB

Blood Ties (Book 2) will be only 99 cents from Monday, August 20th, through Friday, August 24th. https://amzn.to/2AZp9GL

And, of course, Blood War releases next Friday, the 24th. https://amzn.to/2KKxk9P

But is that all for the Noble of Blood world? Nope. There will be some short stories to fill in some areas that just didn't fit into the main books.

Like, where was Hudreia and Yosan before they came back to help with this war? What were they doing besides breeding horses? 

And, what are the origins of the Ancient Enemy? There's some small allusions to this in the last book, so you'll have to pick it up to see... but later there will be another short story based on that.

Then one more short, after the conclusion of the War. I can't say more about that without giving anything from Blood War away.

Happy Reading!

 

Blood Price

Click The Pic for a FREE copy!

Seasons Greetings!

Thankful for this holiday season, as I finally get some much needed down time. As a full-time job holder, trying to find time to sit and write is difficult. As a salaried manager, it seems like it's a constant uphill battle.
The last few months I've been stationed away from home, out of state, for work.. and even though it was a fantastic experience, I've had little to no time to concentrate on writing. So now that I'm back home, over the flu bug, and settling into normalcy, I intend to buckle down and let the words fly.
My main intention is to finish out the Noble of Blood Trilogy, which is just about 2/3 of the way finished. It doesn't seem like much to go, but then I think about all the story lines that need tied up and the build up to the finale... well now that's intimidating. But I need to finish this out, first of all to get the story completed and out to readers, secondly to move on to other stories that I have partially written and are demanding my attention. Sometimes WIP's are worse than kids.
I know which story I want to work on next, after Noble of Blood is tied up. But we'll see where The Creative takes me.
Hope you and yours have a wonderful and restive Holiday Season!
Cheers!

On hitting #1!

Last Friday my free self- help book on Self Publishing hit #1 in it's category. It's one of those milestones you reach for as an author, and sometimes it takes years to get there. I'm excited to have done it without spending a ton of money on promos and paid clicks. Just done with the good 'ol art of online self-marketing.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against paying for some promos! I love those promos that send deals straight to your email inbox. Those are the best. I love reading through those types of emails myself. Wondering if there are any interesting books to stock up on, and read over the weekends.

But back to my news. #1! I'm over the moon about this!

Not at all ironic that a fiction author with 5 books reaches #1 with a non-fiction book first...

HAHA!

Here's to the future of self-publishing. And hopefully another try at that top spot. :)

Cheers! ~A. L.

Interview with author Harvey Jones

Welcome to our monthly author interview; we have the delightful Alicia Wright with us.

Hj Hi Alicia tell us a bit about yourself.

Aw Hi there! Well, I’m an indie author. I’ve been writing for a few years, and been self-publishing for just over two. I’ve got 7 books out now, mostly romance.

Hj When did you start writing and who or what inspired you to write?

Aw I started writing a few years back, at least novel size stuff. I’ve been into writing, poetry and such, since I was 11. I’ve always liked to turn feelings into words. In more recent years the reason I started writing books was because of a recurring dream I’d had for months. It wouldn’t go away! But each time I dreamed I’d see another detail, and I’d think “this would be a lovely movie or show”, and then I figured I’d better write it down! So I did, and it turned into a book. Never had the dream since then.

Hj What's the first book that held your attention so much you had to finish it?

Aw Both my first and second books were like that. Blood Price was a flow, and had a pretty spectacular ending that I had to get down. But when I got there, the characters decided it needed to be different. HAHA! They won out. In Hartman House, the stories of the two main characters flowed as well, and I think I was releasing some pent-up feelings myself by writing it. Since then, I’ve been a little more relaxed in writing, until my short story Marigold, which I wrote over a weekend and had published by the next.

Hj What genre do you write?

Aw I started out in fantasy, medieval and urban. Magic and monsters, heroes and villains. I thought that was all I’d ever want to write until I picked up on writing Agent Colt, which was a modern-day spy fiction. My short story was military. Took me a while to come to the conclusion that what I REALLY write is romance. I resisted being another romance novelist for a long time, but came to realize that it wasn’t such a bad thing. My novels are all themed and tied to strong women characters, working to become better or stronger or to overcome something.

Hj What are you working on now?

Aw Yet another romance novel! HA! Well, this one is actually the second book I ever started to write on, but had abandoned it thinking it would never amount to anything. But I was drawn back into it recently. It’s a MC/Biker romance about a young woman whose family was riddled with suicides, and her whole town viewed her as a crazy person who may be the next to jump from a building. Then she meets a group of bikers on the outskirts of her small town and finds out the suicides may not be what actually happened at all.

Hj Do you have any unusual habits when writing?

Aw I’d say procrastination, but I hear that’s not so unusual amongst writers. Well I love music, and sometimes certain music gives me inspiration. When I was writing Blood Price I listened to more melodic music. With Agent Colt I listened to poppy, upbeat music. Sometimes I have to write in silence.

Hj Could we have links to your twitter fb etc.

Aw Sure!

www.facebook.com/noblebloodbooks

www.twitter.com/nobleofblood

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00YCBM5XI

Hj Do you do a lot of research for your books, and how do you dream up your characters?

Aw I do research localities, landmarks, etc. when I am using a familiar place. Unfortunately, I’m not able to travel for research yet, but hope to someday. My characters usually only need a starting point, and they tend to invent themselves. I have a lot of fun arguing with characters in my head, about how they should approach certain scenes or situations.

Hj What advice would you give to someone thinking of self-publishing?

Aw Well my advice is to seek likeminded folks who have already done it. I flailed about in the dark my first two times getting a book published because I didn’t know important things, like having beta readers and utilizing pre-orders. I actually just published a small booklet called Help! I Want to Self-Publish, But I Don’t Know How! It’s free on Amazon, B&N, Nook etc.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072Q7XK9Q

Hj Do you design your own covers, is it hard to do?

Aw I love everything about the creative process, including making the covers. I’ve made all of mine except for one, and I love them more and more each time I create them. I wrote an erotic romance under a pen name, Silke Black, and I think that’s the best cover I’ve created so far:

Hj Do you have any hobbies or pastimes besides writing?

Aw I love motorcycles. I’m a certified Harley Davidson mechanic, and I used to own a custom bike shop with my Dad. I sold it after he passed away, but I have two bikes that I love to ride whenever I have time.

Hj Finally, Alicia we thank you for the peek into your world we wish you much success!

Aw Thank you so much for your time.

LGBT Workplace Discrimination; Still very much an issue.

Recently I had a beta reader ask me “Why does it matter that your character is lesbian? Why should she be scared of coming out to her employer?” And I wish the answer to these questions was simply; it doesn’t matter - or - she shouldn’t be scared. But facts are that there are still a lot of LGBT people who are terrified of coming out in their workplaces. Those of us who have been lucky enough to have gay friends or family members would never think of treating someone poorly because of their sexual orientation. But there are many people who, for whatever reasons, are still uncomfortable around those who are attracted to the same sex, or identify as the opposite sex. But this isn’t about changing those peoples’ minds; this is about simple awareness that workplace discrimination against LGBT folk is still a vast issue.

“Between 15% to 43% of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender workers have experienced being fired, denied promotions or harassed, according to the Williams Institute, a think tank at UCLA School of Law that studies LGBT issues.” – Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2013 - See more at http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/headlines/research-on-lgbt-workplace-protections/#sthash.7ufyjZ2B.dpuf

This was a quote I pulled from the Williams Institute Website, and it's interesting because it shows a high disparity not only in people being treated equally, but in the percentages itself. It states between 15 - 43 % have experienced...what this tells me, and mind you I am forming my own opinions here, is that the range is so wide because it's difficult to pinpoint an issue that people are afraid or flat-out unwilling to talk about. And because it doesn’t get talked about, it never rises close enough to the surface for the majority to know that it still is an ongoing issue.

But this also means that LGBT all get “lumped” together when talking about things like employer discrimination. Each letter of LGBT stands for something different and depending on which of those you are, you may be treated better or worse.

• A 2013 PEW Survey found that 21% LGBT respondents had been treated unfairly by an employer in hiring, pay, or promotions.

• When surveyed separately, transgender respondents report even higher rates of employment discrimination and harassment than LGB people. In a 2011 survey, 78% of respondents to the largest survey of transgender people to date reported experiencing at least one form of harassment or mistreatment at work because of their gender identity.

That was also taken from Williams Institute, and their research shows that when “lumped” together, 21% of LGBT have experienced discrimination in the workplace. But Transgender folk seem to suffer the most, at a survey response rate of 78%.

Interestingly, in a 2015 article on the GLAAD website ( http://www.glaad.org/blog/value-lgbt-equality-workplace ), it states much higher percentages, with up to 40% of all LGBT people and 90% of transgender folks facing discrimination every day. Higher percentages, and this is a newer study!

Scroll down on that page on the GLAAD website, and you will see a color chart showing a survey where 100 different people in different countries were asked if they were fully “out” or if they held back telling others. The results really highlight one major thing; in every country, there are people who do not feel that they can come out as gay/lesbian/bi/transgender.

Could you imagine holding back a piece (HUGE PIECE) of yourself because you are scared not only as to how people will react, but how you will be treated from there on out? Depending on the circumstances (where you live, where you work, who you tell) the results of coming out could be quite devastating, and long lasting.

And even further down on GLAAD’s web page, is a chart that shows a survey of straight persons’ responses when asked if they would be uncomfortable knowing someone close to them was gay. The results of that survey, and even to me (and I am quite open-minded) are absolutely shocking.

What is my opinion on all of this? I think as a society we just need to let people be who they are. NORMALIZE being LGBT. Don’t criticize others for merely being who they are. They can’t help it! And there is no need to comment on it, or bring it up, or ID them in specific ways. “Yeah you know, the gay guy in accounting…” NO HIS NAME IS ROGER. Or Bill, or Frank, or William. Or Susie. Treating them like a person will normalize being gay until we all just finally settle for being human.

Sedona Book and Arts Festival

On September 9th, 10th and 11th, I will be at the Sedona Book and Arts Festival. Friday doors open at 1:00 PM for reception and browsing. On Saturday and Sunday the doors open again at 9:00 AM so the public can interact with the authors and artists on site. The art and books for sale and on display will be interspersed throughout the center, the tables laid out to usher people through the different rooms so nothing will be missed. Folk are encouraged to stop and visit with the exhibitors onsite, and purchase art, books or other swag that will be available.

Please stop by and say hi! I believe I will be in the "romance" room, along with other romance genre authors and artists. I will have copies of my new book, Agent Colt, for sale, as well as a some of my other publications.

I can't wait to meet you all!

http://sedonabookandartsfestival.com/

Agent Colt now on Pre Order!

So in my last post I stated I wanted to release my next baby, I mean book, by the end of September. But by the grace of inspiration, and the help of a very incredible critique group, I will be releasing Agent Colt at the end of this month. August 26th, Agent Colt will be available for sale on a whole lot of sites; Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, Smashwords and random other corners of the internet.

Print versions will be available on Amazon, and hopefully other site as well, since for this book I am finally expanding out and placing it with Ingram Spark.

Please consider pre-ordering my new book, I know you will all enjoy it!

Click here to visit Agent Colt's Amazon Page!

Having a great time editing and writing on my next book - Agent Colt. I'm hoping to have it...

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Chapter 1

My name is Latesse Colt. For now. I've been known by several different aliases over the last eleven years. But this one has been with me the longest. When a name starts to feel familiar, that's usually when my alias and location changes. I've been waiting anxiously for that call to come down from the top. But it hasn't happened yet.

I am a special agent with the CIA. My current mission was just finished up in Jamaica, and I was awaiting my departure instructions. It seemed odd to send a white girl to Jamaica on a secret mission, as I really didn't fit in with the locals. But the arms supplier we just took down had a thing for white chicks. My partner in this mission was Gannon Brooks, and since he had lived here his whole life he knew his way around. I was kind of sad to leave him behind, but only because he was genuinely disinterested in me. And I was comfortable with that.

Uncomfortable was me playing ditzy dumb girl, aroused by a rich man with lots of jewelry and pools and cars. All I wanted was his guns. The cold steel ones. His other “gun” would stay locked up with him in prison now. Thank goodness. I'm sure some girl somewhere would be unhappy about that. But they would probably just miss his money since he had tended to be quite loose with it. And that had made him easy to track down.

Having Gannon as a temporary partner had been a nice change for me. I hoped when I did get moved somewhere new, I would finally get a new permanent partner that wouldn't be a total pig. Okay my current partner Isaiah isn’t totally a bad guy, he just doesn't get it. I'm not into him! But he keeps trying anyway, and I keep ignoring most of his attempts. On the times he tries harder, I threaten his manhood and that seems to push the message across. That kind of behavior just makes me look like a cold blooded spy and assassin, which is a great cover on the outside. But it really wears a girl down.

I don’t hate him too much. He is the best backup I have ever had, and really I can see what his interest is in me. At five feet and nine inches I am usually intimidating to most men, but not to a top rated spy like Isaiah Turelli. I think it was the first thing about me he noticed, and he seems to look even harder when I'm sporting four inch heels. I'm not small by any means. I'm pushing one hundred seventy-five pounds and most of it is hard toned muscle. I keep my nails and my jet black hair short, and I don't really wear a lot of makeup. Unless the mission calls for it. Like todays did. And I couldn't wait to scrub it off.

My specialty is hand to hand combat, but I prefer to take out the bad guys from a distance.

Easy in, easy out. That's how I roll. But sometimes you have to play dirty, and get in real close and personal. I am damned good at that, too. Not that I always like it, but it’s all a part of my job.

At Gannon's throat clearing, I came out of my internal thoughts just in time to see beach blond

Isaiah roll up in front of the cafe where we were seated in a bright red Jeep, tropical flower shirt unbuttoned and smoking a cigar. I didn't even know he was on the island. Figures he would be my “exit plan”.

Sighing, I stood up and grabbed my sunglasses and wallet.

“'Twas a pleasure working wit’ ya, Tess girl. Any more bad guys come across our radar I let you know,” Gannon said in his heavy Jamaican accent. He patted me on the shoulder and walked out of the cafe, tossing a peace sign Isaiah's way. Why couldn't all men be more like Gannon and just be happy with a pat on the shoulder?

I exited the cafe after leaving a few bucks on the table. Putting on my oversized sunglasses I braced myself as I headed towards the Jeep. I was still in my ruby red cocktail dress from the mission, and I tuned out the whistles that came my way as I walked towards Isaiah. I couldn't wait to put on some pants.

Sunglasses perched on the tip of his nose, Isaiah blatantly looked me up and down. “Oooh Tess, that's a good color on you. And good job taking down Frankie the Flirt. Though in that dress you'd have any guy on his knees.”

“Just shut up and get me out of here. I really want to change.”

“Good thing I picked up your bags for you. We are heading straight for the strip. You can change on the plane. Just let me know if you need help.” Isaiah winked at me as I strapped on my seat belt, then chuckled like it was actually funny.

“Ugh.” Was all I could manage to say as he sped off down the street. It was going to be a long trip back to home base.

Blood Price Paperback Giveaway!

I will be giving away 5 paperback copies of Blood Price, starting today May 7th, running through May 14th. Only 100 people will be allowed to enter, so get your entry in ASAP! The lucky winners will be announced Saturday May 14th, and once claimed will be immediately shipped from Amazon. Good luck!

Click here to enter!

Is it a Romance, or a Love Story?

Let me tell you what annoys me. From what I have seen so far as an author, there is no separation, or division, between a Romance and a Love Story. When submitting your book or manuscript to a publisher or to list it on a sales site, they ask you to list the categories it falls under. Most of the time you can pick three, sometimes only one or two. So how do you make your book stand out from the rest of the fantasy world? You pick fantasy romance. Or Urban Fantasy. Or paranormal fantasy.... etc.

Now here's what I don't like, is that there is no way by using the categories you have to pick, to let the reader know that your books main story isn't about the romantic situations and goings on of the couple you wrote about. You have to use your descriptions to do that. But that tag, that category "Romance" is still there, hovering about your book to immediately disillusion your potential reader who just wants to read a good fantasy story. This reader would probably take a chance with the book, if they knew up front that it's a fantasy adventure, with a love story mixed in.

Every story has a love story, right? Okay maybe not every single one, but most do. Even Iron Man has a lady love, and Hawkeye has a wife and kids, and The Vision eventually hooks up with... oh that could be a spoiler if you haven't read the comics or watched the animated series... Point is, a good story makes us relate to the human side of the protagonist, right? That's why we love Deadpool.

But there are those readers who aren't in it for the romance, and may leave a bad review of how they were misled, led to believe it was just a fantasy adventure. Yuck, kissy stuff! And you have to keep in mind if there is any sexual imagery then you have to be up front about the romantic aspect so that young or sensitive readers are warned away.

Tricky stuff, this audience targeting is!

So I guess the challenge comes down to, how do we as authors let our audience know the difference between a Romance and a Love Story? Maybe I just need to get better at my book descriptions.