Zena Wynn's Blog, page 5
July 20, 2015
EPIC's Ebook Competition
The Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition has extended the deadline to enter their yearly ebook competition. It's open to all indie published authors and cover artists, and books are judged by a panel of your peers--publishers, editors, and authors. Self-published authors are encouraged to enter. You do not have to be a member of EPIC to enter but it's an organization worth joining.
For more info, here's the link: https://www.epicorg.com/competitions....
For more info, here's the link: https://www.epicorg.com/competitions....
April 7, 2015
Authors are Real People Too
I think sometimes readers forget authors are real people with real lives. We don't sit around in ivory towers, glued to our computers, pumping out stories for you to read. This author in particular works a full-time day job. I have a family consisting of a mother who is getting older every day, two adult children who still live at home, one adult daughter who lives nearby and two grandchildren. I'm active in my church. I'm overweight and need to exercise much more than I do. I'm lousy about taking my thyroid medicine with any consistency, and like many I suffer from allergies, hay fever, and sinus problems. There are days I'm so tired all I want to do is sleep and days I'm so lazy all I want to do is read a good book. I get angry. I get sad. Like you I occasionally have family drama that pulls my attention away from writing.
I'm blessed in that God has gifted me with a creative mind for storytelling, and the desire to want to write and publish the stories I create. This isn't a gripe. It's simply a reminder. The next time you're angrily wondering why your favorite author hasn't produced that next book in the series you've been waiting on forever, remember that authors are real people too and sometimes life gets in the way of writing.
I'm blessed in that God has gifted me with a creative mind for storytelling, and the desire to want to write and publish the stories I create. This isn't a gripe. It's simply a reminder. The next time you're angrily wondering why your favorite author hasn't produced that next book in the series you've been waiting on forever, remember that authors are real people too and sometimes life gets in the way of writing.
March 26, 2015
Be careful little eyes....
This may sound arrogant of me, but I have to be careful which romance books I allow myself to read. Not for religious purposes but because who and what I read effects how I write. When I was only a romance lover, I could and would buy and read any book whose cover and blurb appealed to me. Since I've become a writer, I've learned the hard way to be more selective.
Why? Because my brain is a spongy computer. It soaks up everything I read, scrambles it around, and spits it back out to me when I engage it to write. When I read authors whose writing techniques and level of expertise are greater than mine, my writing skills improves. When I read authors whose writing level hasn't quite reach the one I've achieved through time and experience, I devolve. It's a sad but true fact.
Therefore, if you look at my books on GR you'll see a lot of Jayne Ann Krentz (and her many pen names), Nora Roberts, Nalini Singh, Lora Leigh, Christine Feehan, Patricia Briggs and more, just to name a few. These women have been at their craft for years, write the types of stories I love to read, and do so with a skill that occasionally pulls me out of the story to admire their turn of phrase, scene descriptions, etc. When I return to writing after reading one of their stories, I find my vocabulary has improved and I put things together in ways that when I come back to it later, I can only stop in awed wonder that I wrote it. Not one of my fave authors, me.
So if you're an aspiring writer or simply a writer looking to improve you skill at the craft, I say to you in the words of this simple children's song: "Be careful little eyes what you see."
Why? Because my brain is a spongy computer. It soaks up everything I read, scrambles it around, and spits it back out to me when I engage it to write. When I read authors whose writing techniques and level of expertise are greater than mine, my writing skills improves. When I read authors whose writing level hasn't quite reach the one I've achieved through time and experience, I devolve. It's a sad but true fact.
Therefore, if you look at my books on GR you'll see a lot of Jayne Ann Krentz (and her many pen names), Nora Roberts, Nalini Singh, Lora Leigh, Christine Feehan, Patricia Briggs and more, just to name a few. These women have been at their craft for years, write the types of stories I love to read, and do so with a skill that occasionally pulls me out of the story to admire their turn of phrase, scene descriptions, etc. When I return to writing after reading one of their stories, I find my vocabulary has improved and I put things together in ways that when I come back to it later, I can only stop in awed wonder that I wrote it. Not one of my fave authors, me.
So if you're an aspiring writer or simply a writer looking to improve you skill at the craft, I say to you in the words of this simple children's song: "Be careful little eyes what you see."
March 14, 2015
March 6, 2015
Book Sale on Amazon
For anyone who was interested in reading Beyond the Breaking Point and/or Broken but found the price prohibitive, for the rest of this month both books have been reduced 50%. The sale ends 3/31/15 and only applies to Amazon.
February 22, 2015
Feeling the Pain
One of the things I gave up for Lent was romance novels. Gah! Anyone who knows me or has looked at My Books here knows I'm an avid romance reader. For every book I've listed as Read on GR, there's a good three I haven't mentioned reading. So, you can imagine my pain.
It serves a spiritual purpose--a reminder of all Christ gave up for me. In addition, I always get more writing done when I'm not consumed with other authors' books. However, it's day five of Lent, with 35+ more days until Easter and I'm really beginning to feel the lack. My poor Audible and Scribd accounts are languishing from disuse. I keep thinking of scenes from books I've read and of course my first instinct is to go find the story and immerse myself in that world again. Then I remember I can't.
If the things a person gives up during Lent isn't a sacrifice, what's the point? I believe I hit the mark. Whenever the temptation to give up and give in gets to be too much, I remind myself "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
It serves a spiritual purpose--a reminder of all Christ gave up for me. In addition, I always get more writing done when I'm not consumed with other authors' books. However, it's day five of Lent, with 35+ more days until Easter and I'm really beginning to feel the lack. My poor Audible and Scribd accounts are languishing from disuse. I keep thinking of scenes from books I've read and of course my first instinct is to go find the story and immerse myself in that world again. Then I remember I can't.
If the things a person gives up during Lent isn't a sacrifice, what's the point? I believe I hit the mark. Whenever the temptation to give up and give in gets to be too much, I remind myself "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
February 20, 2015
New Book Release Coming
Hello everyone,
I'm excited to announce the newest book in my Fantasy Island series will be releasing next month. My goal is to have it out on 3/15. The book is called Fantasy Man . Here's the blurb:
Forced Seduction. Dubious Consent. Submission. Domination. These are the types of stories that make Janice Allen’s panties damp. For years she’s devoured every BSDM romance she could get her hands on. The older she’s grown, the darker her tastes have become. When she runs across Fantasy Island’s ad in a novel, she can’t pass up the opportunity to experience it herself. Too late she remembers the old adage: Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.
Caution: Story contains an angry hero bent on teaching the heroine a well-deserved lesson, and role-playing which gets way out of hand.
To read a previw, click on the link: Fantasy Island Preview
I'm excited to announce the newest book in my Fantasy Island series will be releasing next month. My goal is to have it out on 3/15. The book is called Fantasy Man . Here's the blurb:
Forced Seduction. Dubious Consent. Submission. Domination. These are the types of stories that make Janice Allen’s panties damp. For years she’s devoured every BSDM romance she could get her hands on. The older she’s grown, the darker her tastes have become. When she runs across Fantasy Island’s ad in a novel, she can’t pass up the opportunity to experience it herself. Too late she remembers the old adage: Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.
Caution: Story contains an angry hero bent on teaching the heroine a well-deserved lesson, and role-playing which gets way out of hand.
To read a previw, click on the link: Fantasy Island Preview
February 18, 2012
Thank You, Everyone
PHAZE Bestsellers:
January, 2012
Top 20 Bestsellers
Hunks: Too Hot to Touch - Marie Rochelle
Seduced By a Wolf - Zena Wynn
To Have and To Hold - Yvette Hines
Hunks: Opposites Attract - Marie Rochelle
Man to Man - G.A. Hauser
Two In Two Out - G.A. Hauser
The Warlord's Revenge - Alyssa Morgan
Me and Mrs. Jones - Marie Rochelle
Dominated by Desire - Barbara Donlon Bradley
Illicit Attraction - Zena Wynn
Friends Upgrade - Stephanie Williams
Top Men - G.A. Hauser
Tameka's Smile - Zena Wynn
Servicing Lady Tremayne - Emma Wildes
All Man - GA Hauser
Dragon's Lust - Savannah Reardon
When Love Commands - Dahlia Rose
Mary and the Bear - Zena Wynn
Santa's Helper- Yvette Hines
The Detective's Lover - Aliyah Burke
December, 2011
Top 20 Bestsellers
Seduced By a Wolf - Zena Wynn
To Have and To Hold - Yvette Hines
Me and Mrs. Jones - Marie Rochelle
Illicit Attraction - Zena Wynn
Man to Man - G.A. Hauser
Two In Two Out - G.A. Hauser
Friends Upgrade - Stephanie Williams
Taming the Alter Ego - Shermaine Williams
The Question - Zena Wynn
Out of the Shadows - Julia Davies
Dragon's Lust - Savannah Reardon
Top Men - G.A. Hauser
Her Snowbound Knight - Kasey Moone
The Arrangement - Emma Wildes
A Matter of Trust - Zena Wynn
Tameka's Smile - Zena Wynn
Her Majesty's Maiden - Michelle Houston
So Much Better - Marie Rochelle
The Warlord's Promise - Alyssa Morgan
Pick of the Litter - Wendy Stone
November, 2011
Top 20 Bestsellers
Seduced By a Wolf - Zena Wynn
Friends Upgrade - Stephanie Williams
Man to Man - G.A. Hauser
Two In Two Out - G.A. Hauser
Lust and Found - Paige Bennett
The Detective's Lover - Aliyah Burke
The Question - Zena Wynn
Illicit Attraction - Zena Wynn
Daringly Delicious - Leigh Ellwood
Top Men - G.A. Hauser
Midnight Passions - Leigh Ellwood
Mary and the Bear - Zena Wynn
Out of the Shadows - Julia Davies
The Warlord's Promise - Alyssa Morgan
Servicing Lady Tremayne - Emma Wildes
Add a Little Mistletoe - Aliyah Burke
Tameka's Smile - Zena Wynn
Model Misbehavior - Stephanie Williams & Laverne Thompson
Bark at the Moon - Julia Davies
Sometimes It's Fate - Angela S. Stone
January, 2012
Top 20 Bestsellers
Hunks: Too Hot to Touch - Marie Rochelle
Seduced By a Wolf - Zena Wynn
To Have and To Hold - Yvette Hines
Hunks: Opposites Attract - Marie Rochelle
Man to Man - G.A. Hauser
Two In Two Out - G.A. Hauser
The Warlord's Revenge - Alyssa Morgan
Me and Mrs. Jones - Marie Rochelle
Dominated by Desire - Barbara Donlon Bradley
Illicit Attraction - Zena Wynn
Friends Upgrade - Stephanie Williams
Top Men - G.A. Hauser
Tameka's Smile - Zena Wynn
Servicing Lady Tremayne - Emma Wildes
All Man - GA Hauser
Dragon's Lust - Savannah Reardon
When Love Commands - Dahlia Rose
Mary and the Bear - Zena Wynn
Santa's Helper- Yvette Hines
The Detective's Lover - Aliyah Burke
December, 2011
Top 20 Bestsellers
Seduced By a Wolf - Zena Wynn
To Have and To Hold - Yvette Hines
Me and Mrs. Jones - Marie Rochelle
Illicit Attraction - Zena Wynn
Man to Man - G.A. Hauser
Two In Two Out - G.A. Hauser
Friends Upgrade - Stephanie Williams
Taming the Alter Ego - Shermaine Williams
The Question - Zena Wynn
Out of the Shadows - Julia Davies
Dragon's Lust - Savannah Reardon
Top Men - G.A. Hauser
Her Snowbound Knight - Kasey Moone
The Arrangement - Emma Wildes
A Matter of Trust - Zena Wynn
Tameka's Smile - Zena Wynn
Her Majesty's Maiden - Michelle Houston
So Much Better - Marie Rochelle
The Warlord's Promise - Alyssa Morgan
Pick of the Litter - Wendy Stone
November, 2011
Top 20 Bestsellers
Seduced By a Wolf - Zena Wynn
Friends Upgrade - Stephanie Williams
Man to Man - G.A. Hauser
Two In Two Out - G.A. Hauser
Lust and Found - Paige Bennett
The Detective's Lover - Aliyah Burke
The Question - Zena Wynn
Illicit Attraction - Zena Wynn
Daringly Delicious - Leigh Ellwood
Top Men - G.A. Hauser
Midnight Passions - Leigh Ellwood
Mary and the Bear - Zena Wynn
Out of the Shadows - Julia Davies
The Warlord's Promise - Alyssa Morgan
Servicing Lady Tremayne - Emma Wildes
Add a Little Mistletoe - Aliyah Burke
Tameka's Smile - Zena Wynn
Model Misbehavior - Stephanie Williams & Laverne Thompson
Bark at the Moon - Julia Davies
Sometimes It's Fate - Angela S. Stone
February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day!!!
I want to wish everyone a very happy Love Day. Remember Valentine's Day isn't just about romantic love. It's a day to celebrate all types of love. And if, for some unfortunate reason you believe no one loves you, remember God does.
February 11, 2012
My Goals for 2012
Well, we've just hit the second month mark for 2012 and so far I'm on track with my goals for this year.
Goal # 1 - A Healthier Me
No more excuses. Yes, I try to eat right and I have a gym membership that I pay for but rarely use. This year all of that is going to change. I kicked it off in a big way by doing a 5k this morning to benefit Breast Cancer. It was 3.1 miles and I and a group of co-workers walked it (I'm not a runner). I was proud of myself. My finish time was 1 hour and 4 minutes. When we did the practice walk after work last Thursday, it took me 1.5 hours, so this is a vast improvement. Not only that, I felt so good when I finished that I went to the gym (see unused gym membership up above) and did some leg presses, worked my hamstrings and calves, and got on the treadmill for another 15 minutes.
At work I spearheaded our fourth Biggest Loser Weight Loss Challenge. This is week two. I didn't really lose much weight but the tape measure showed a decrease, so that means I lost inches. Smaller is good. The challenge lasts 15 weeks. The top two biggest losers in pounds and body fat split the cash. The pot is at $75 right now. If you gain anything, even an ounce, you pay a penalty fee of a $1. My goal is not to pay. I'd love to win but even if I don't, I want the satisfaction of knowing I did my best.
Goal # 2 - Finish some of these lingering writing projects
My biggest accomplishment of this year was finishing Claiming Shayla. Technically, I finished the first draft in November of 2011. This year I negotiated the contract with Loose Id and cleaned up the manuscript for first rounds of edits. If all goes well, CS will release on 5/22/12. It's my prayer that it releases on this date, if not earlier.
I still have a lot more projects to work on. Right now I'm working on an extremely short shifter story titled, Reclaiming His Mate. Hope to have it done before summer. With CS I learned the value of finishing the first draft and then letting the story sit for a few months before coming back to it with fresh eyes. I plan to do that to this story as well.
I also need to write the next books in my RRP Fantasy Island series and my Phaze "by a Wolf" series. Plus there's a book I started two years ago that I'm determined to complete this year. So much work, so little time.
Goal # 3 - A wealthier year
I prayed about ways to cut corners and save money and God answered my prayer. I've recently discovered "Buy 1, Get 1 Free" shopping. Now some of you shopping veterans have known about this for years. I used to as well, before I fell into the Walmart trap. Why run all over town when I can go to one place and purchase everything?
Well, now I know differently. I check Publix and Winn-Dixie adds and see what they have B1G1 for the week. It's really nice getting $60 worth of food for $30. Winn-Dixie has awesome meat specials. My first trip on their B1G1, I purchased $104 worth of meat and other items and paid $54. You can't beat that. After I hit those two grocery stores, then I go to Walmart to purchase whatever's left over. When I get really good at it, I'll combine coupons with B1G1 and save even more.
This should probably come under the Goal # 1 but I'm also becoming a stir-fry queen. It's healthier for me and my son loves it. Also, I haven't been in Sam's in over a month because instead of buying cases of bottled water, I purchased a large filtered water pitcher for the fridge. I lost the convenience of grabbing a bottle and going, but I'm saving money and trash. That's a plus.
Well, this is how my year is going. Hope everyone else's year is going as well.
Goal # 1 - A Healthier Me
No more excuses. Yes, I try to eat right and I have a gym membership that I pay for but rarely use. This year all of that is going to change. I kicked it off in a big way by doing a 5k this morning to benefit Breast Cancer. It was 3.1 miles and I and a group of co-workers walked it (I'm not a runner). I was proud of myself. My finish time was 1 hour and 4 minutes. When we did the practice walk after work last Thursday, it took me 1.5 hours, so this is a vast improvement. Not only that, I felt so good when I finished that I went to the gym (see unused gym membership up above) and did some leg presses, worked my hamstrings and calves, and got on the treadmill for another 15 minutes.
At work I spearheaded our fourth Biggest Loser Weight Loss Challenge. This is week two. I didn't really lose much weight but the tape measure showed a decrease, so that means I lost inches. Smaller is good. The challenge lasts 15 weeks. The top two biggest losers in pounds and body fat split the cash. The pot is at $75 right now. If you gain anything, even an ounce, you pay a penalty fee of a $1. My goal is not to pay. I'd love to win but even if I don't, I want the satisfaction of knowing I did my best.
Goal # 2 - Finish some of these lingering writing projects
My biggest accomplishment of this year was finishing Claiming Shayla. Technically, I finished the first draft in November of 2011. This year I negotiated the contract with Loose Id and cleaned up the manuscript for first rounds of edits. If all goes well, CS will release on 5/22/12. It's my prayer that it releases on this date, if not earlier.
I still have a lot more projects to work on. Right now I'm working on an extremely short shifter story titled, Reclaiming His Mate. Hope to have it done before summer. With CS I learned the value of finishing the first draft and then letting the story sit for a few months before coming back to it with fresh eyes. I plan to do that to this story as well.
I also need to write the next books in my RRP Fantasy Island series and my Phaze "by a Wolf" series. Plus there's a book I started two years ago that I'm determined to complete this year. So much work, so little time.
Goal # 3 - A wealthier year
I prayed about ways to cut corners and save money and God answered my prayer. I've recently discovered "Buy 1, Get 1 Free" shopping. Now some of you shopping veterans have known about this for years. I used to as well, before I fell into the Walmart trap. Why run all over town when I can go to one place and purchase everything?
Well, now I know differently. I check Publix and Winn-Dixie adds and see what they have B1G1 for the week. It's really nice getting $60 worth of food for $30. Winn-Dixie has awesome meat specials. My first trip on their B1G1, I purchased $104 worth of meat and other items and paid $54. You can't beat that. After I hit those two grocery stores, then I go to Walmart to purchase whatever's left over. When I get really good at it, I'll combine coupons with B1G1 and save even more.
This should probably come under the Goal # 1 but I'm also becoming a stir-fry queen. It's healthier for me and my son loves it. Also, I haven't been in Sam's in over a month because instead of buying cases of bottled water, I purchased a large filtered water pitcher for the fridge. I lost the convenience of grabbing a bottle and going, but I'm saving money and trash. That's a plus.
Well, this is how my year is going. Hope everyone else's year is going as well.
