E.M. Tippetts's Blog, page 6

Amazon Bestseller in Two Markets

The sequel to Someone Else's Fairtyale launched in German yesterday. Nobody's Damsel has the German title, Prinzessin in Not, which roughly translates to Princess in Distress. My translator and I wanted to keep with the fairytale theme, but Germans have different sayings and concepts derived from fairytales than us Anglophones.

Today, Nicht mein Märchen (Someone Else's Fairytale's German title) cracked the top 100 on Amazon.de, which makes it an Amazon bestseller in two markets. Other authors have done this, including other indie authors. As far as I'm aware, though, this is the first time it's been done by an all indie team, because my translator is also indie. We've got a profit sharing agreement that I created specifically for us.

As of right now, Nicht mein Märchen is 100th on the site and we managed it with a 99 Euro cent price promo and a lot of launch publicity for Prinzessin. Those who know the kinds of bestsellerdom know that Amazon is the lowest category. Many only consider the New York Times and USA Today lists "true" bestsellers, and that's fine. But for those of us still breaking in, the Amazon Top 100 is a great goal to set. Now that I've done it three times in the US and once in Germany with price promos, the hope is to do it again without needing the discount, but one step at a time. Meanwhile, this is a first for my translator, Michael Drecker, so everyone please give him a well deserved round of applause.

He first contacted me because he was interested in my science fiction short stories. He translated several, but as we feared, there wasn't enough demand to cover his fees. So he took the plunge and translated Fairytale, and it earned out its fee for translation, and that of all the short stories. As of today, he can put on his resume that the first novel he ever translated hit the German top 100.

It's been a fantastic journey to take together. I couldn't have asked for a better partner. He not only did a translation that could appeal to romance readers, he learned indie marketing, submitted the book to book blogs, and just recently ran a giveaway - the winners will have their signed books in the mail asap. Meanwhile, my books have provided him with some extra income, and apparently one of the book bloggers who lived near him and met him in person to receive her book is rather beautiful and personable. They've been dating for several months now. (Sounds like a plot of a romance novel, no?)

Oh, and you'll notice these covers of the German editions. Yes, these are the new covers that will go on the English language ones as well. They were designed by Sarah Hansen and I love them! They'll appeal to yet another demographic that I feel will enjoy these novels. But Germany has them first!

Thank you German readers, and Michael Drecker, for making Someone Else's Fairytale an international bestseller!

Launched! I Am Yours by Faith Sullivan

[image error] Title: I Am Yours (Heartbeat, #3)
Author: Faith Sullivan
Expected release date: October 8, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Ebook available at: Kindle | Nook | Smashwords ($2.99) 

Please note, this book contains explicit content.
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Book Description:

Book 3 in the HEARTBEAT series

Adam is at a crossroads.

He has Katie on his mind and Jada in his bed.

Now with the ultimate choice before him, he must decide between fantasy and reality.

Katie's his dream girl, but Jada's his best friend, his partner. As a paramedic, he's supposed to save lives, not wreck them. Yet his failure to commit leaves a trail of heartache in his wake.

Things come to a head at his brother's wedding when a surprise announcement leaves Adam scrambling to pick up the pieces. Sure, women find his shaggy blond hair and aquamarine eyes irresistible. But to him, sex is nothing more than a means of escape ... until it turns into a psychological trap.

His mind is telling him one thing, while his heart is beating another. He's not sure what he wants when it comes to a serious relationship. Sorting out his feelings, he finally comes to a startling realization. He is capable of love.

But what if it's too late?


Excerpt:

His shaggy hair is falling in his eyes as water drips from the ends. The buttons of his shirt are undone and droplets cling to his bare chest. His lips are parted and his blue eyes radiate a mixture of elation and desire. He knows that he’s trespassing where he doesn’t belong, but he doesn’t feel the need to ask anyone’s permission to enter my bedroom either.

I tilt my head and gaze up at him, my hair tumbling over my shoulder. He advances toward me, looking somewhat guilty, bordering on apologetic. He realizes he shouldn’t be here, but he is. And I don’t want him to leave. I like the danger of having him so close.

He blinks and raindrops fall from his eyelashes before running down his face. And that’s all it takes for the sheer happiness of the moment to light up my face. I rush toward him as he greets my smile with one of his own. Its sincerity warms my heart as he looks at me like he’s just completed the longest journey of his life, filled with relief at finally reaching his destination. He’s come home. He’s where he’s supposed to be. And if I’m being honest with myself, I feel like I’ve been waiting for him all along.

The force pulling me to him is too strong to ignore. I don’t fight it. I give into it. I let it take me over. I stride up to him, reaching up on my toes, my fingers dancing across his neck as I take his lips with mine. Pressing myself into him, the front of my white t-shirt is soaked instantly. But instead of experiencing any kind of chill, I feel like I’m burning up.

The kiss is gentle this time, lasting only a few seconds before he draws me into a hug, laying his sopping head against my shoulder while wrapping his arms around my waist, drawing me as close as he possibly can to his body. He winces when I squeeze him back tightly, causing him to loosen his grip on me and step away. I reach up one hand at a time to examine his face as he tries to look down, refusing to meet my gaze. Finally, he gives me a mournful smile as I persist. Silencing my worries, he runs a hand lightly across my face before bringing me in for another kiss. He’s so careful with me, so tender. He breaks away to smile at me again, a look of wonderment in his eyes, before resuming our kiss.

Slowly releasing my lips, I allow my hands to roam down his chest as I start to tug on his shirt. He complies with my request, but he seems to be in pain as I help remove the sleeves from his arms. I glance up at him in concern, and he whispers, “My ribs. They were broken not too long ago. I don’t think they ever fully healed.”

He hangs his wet shirt on the bedpost as I run my hand gently over his chiseled abs. He bends his head to the side, closing his eyes. He doesn’t open them as I glide my fingers over the scar on his forehead, where undoubtedly he had stitches at one time. My heart contracts as I ponder what happened to him. He submits to my touch, moving his head along the path of my fingertips, yielding to my efforts to examine him. He doesn’t resist, but I can sense he doesn’t want me to linger on his injuries either.

His hair appears darker now that it’s wet, and I can’t help twisting my fingers through the strands at the back of his neck as he rests his forehead against mine. He’s so close to me. All I can see are his eyes. He leans back, pushing my hair away from my face. The way he is looking at me is like he’s taking in every part of me. It’s hard for him to keep his lips off mine as he brushes a featherweight kiss across them. It feels so intense. I have to look down for a minute.

When I’m ready to meet his eyes again, his hands travel up my sides, encouraging me to lift my arms. I do so, and within seconds, his fingers are at the hem of my shirt, pulling it up and over my head in one swift movement. I help him free my long hair from inside the collar, reaching behind me to hold it up, trying not to think about my bare breasts being visible. He drinks in every inch of me, and that smile is back on his face as his hands caress my back. This time, it’s Adam who lifts my hair away, entwining it through his fingers while resting his chin on my shoulder, allowing his free hand to roam the full expanse of my back from shoulder to hip. I slide my arms around his lean, muscular body as he buries his face against my neck. When he stands upright again, he nuzzles my ear as I extend a trail of kisses along his jaw. He sighs in contentment as his stubble bristles against my lips.

Books in this trilogy:(linked to Goodreads)
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About the Author:
Faith Sullivan is an author of New Adult contemporary romances including the HEARTBEAT trilogy, the TAKE ME NOW series and the 9/11 novel, UNEXPECTED.
Where to find Faith Sullivan:

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Goodreads Book Giveaway Heartbeat by Faith Sullivan Giveaway ends November 15, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

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Goodreads Book Giveaway Come What May by Faith Sullivan Giveaway ends November 15, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

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Goodreads Book Giveaway </ a> I Am Yours by Faith Sullivan Giveaway ends November 15, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

Blog This, by Cami Checketts

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Will protecting children throughout the world cost Natasha her own family?
Devastated by the loss of her brother, Natasha Senecot works to expose the dangers of Matthew Chrysler’s violent video games, succeeding in bankrupting and humiliating him.
Chrysler retaliates and sends a hit man after her. Natasha is forced to fake her own death to protect her children, but after witnessing another tragedy, Natasha won’t hide any longer.
In a race against time, can Natasha expose Matthew Chrysler before his assassin murders her family and shatters her world?

Praise for Blog This
From the very first chapter, Blog This grabs your gut and your heart with surprising action and touching moments. Cami Checketts blends suspense, humor, and good clean romance into a story that will stick with you.
Daniel Coleman, Author of Gifts and Consequences

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Have read all of Cami’s books but Blog This is on the top of my list. Read it twice and enjoyed it just as much the second time. Just when you think you know what is going to happen you’re led into a different direction. Had a hard time putting the book down and was anxious to see how it was going to end.
Elsa Akinason

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Blog This will be $2.99 during the blog tour - September 30th - October 16th. Click here to purchase or read the first few chapters.

Blog Tour Schedule


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About the authorCami is a part-time author, part-time exercise consultant, part-time housekeeper, full-time wife, and overtime mother of four adorable boys. Sleep and relaxation are fond memories. She’s never been happier.Please refer to her website – http:// www.camichecketts.com for more information about her books. 

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Marketing: what I've learned and what has helped

Many of you know that I started out as Emily Mah, the science fiction and fantasy author and blogger, following the traditional career path in writing, selling short stories and networking with professionals at conventions. Then I went indie to see what I could learn, specifically about promoting my books. I took on my married name, E.M. Tippetts, and started writing romance.

Well, here's the sum total of what I've learned about marketing. It isn't much, but it's something, at least.

My post on Domains Flow about marketing
But actually, I have to squee a little here, because Russell Blake commented on it!!!! Okay, enough fangirling. Feel free to click that link and just scroll to the bottom to see what Russell had to say. He's sold way more books than I have ;-)

COVER REVEAL: No Turning Back by Casey Peeler

After getting involved with Dylan, the bad boy of the Dixon High Swim team, Charley decides to stay close to home for college. It’s just safer that way. Until she realizes it’s a mistake… just like dating Dylan. She decides to put the past behind her and leave the small hick town of Grassy Pond. There is only one problem; she makes this decision 3 weeks before Fall Semester starts.

Charley packs up her Honda and heads to Southern College.  On the morning she’s about to leave, Cash walks back into her life. He has been her best friend since they were 4 and is the only one that knows the REAL Charley. She leaves her farm in Grassy Pond with all kinds of “what ifs?”

Charley decides to live her college career to the fullest. She finds a great group of friends, joins the swim team, and meets a guy named Joe. He’s got eyes that make ya wanna melt!

There is only one problem…Charley has been away from home for only 48 hours before she breaks the 2 promises she made to herself. Will she be able to overcome her past? Find new love? What will happen with Cash now that he is back in her life? Will she find what she is wanting in Jack-a-lope Joe? How will her First semester end?… Joe, Cash, or alone?


Excerpt
As we make our way to the door, Georgia slips on the gravel.  She starts laughing and the rest of us do as well once we help her up.

“Y’all, I think the ground and curbs are out to get me.  I mean they come out of nowhere.  The next thing I know, I’m on my ass again!”  Georgia is a hoot.  She always makes light of situations.

Hank’s Tavern is not exactly what I pictured.  It’s an old, worn down, wooden shed.  There are five parking spaces in front of the restaurant section of the place.  The rest of the parking lot is located across the road in a gravel lot.  It’s gravel, no pavement anywhere.  The bouncers are dressed in jeans and Hank’s Tavern t-shirts that fit just a little snug around their arms showing off their muscles.  They ask for our IDs, take a brief glance, and in we go.  I will have to say, the guys don’t get in quite as easy.  They get patted down and driver’s license checked.  Sometimes it pays to be a female.

We enter through another set of glass doors and immediately cigarette smoke and stale beer hit my nostrils.  The room is open except for a few pool tables and the bar.  It is dark, lights are flashing, and the music is bumping.  We do exactly what any group of girls would do, walk straight to the bathroom.  You have got to kidding me!  No door really!  There is no freakin’ door on the last stall.  After taking a few minutes to get over the negative stall and freshen up, we walk out and head straight to the dance floor.

I have to say that this is exactly redneck meets ghetto fabulous.  Whoever thought a place like this would play Mystikal, Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, throw in a little "Downtown" by Lady A and Old Crow Medicine Show?  We have the best time just dancing in a big group.  I notice Crystal and Lucas on the floor; she smiles and waves before continuing to do things she should be embarrassed to be doing in public.  I am so thankful that I don’t have to deal with that in my room.  That is one benefit to her dating an Resident Assistant... he has his own room.

By midnight, Hank’s is packed.  I decide to grab a bottle of water, and as I’m about to pay, I hear that oh so sexy voice.

“I got that.”

“It’s okay, Joe.  I got it.”

“No, I insist.  I was an ass earlier.  I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.  It’s the least I could do.”

“Damn straight!  I’m proud of who I am and where I’m from.  I just hate when damn Yankees come down here and then try to make us look like hicks.  You don’t like the way we live, then don’t cross the Mason-Dixon,” I say as playful as possible.  It did tick me off earlier, but I don’t want him to think I’m a bitch.

“I swear I won’t do it again, and nobody is gonna pick on you eating squirrel but me,” he says with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll give ya that.”

“So Squirrel, you wanna dance?”


“Mr. Scaredy Cat, I’d love to.”  He takes the water bottle from me and leads me to the dance floor.

About the Author
Casey Peeler grew up and still lives in North Carolina with her husband and daughter. Her first passion is teaching students with special needs. Over the years, she found her way to relax was in a good book.

After reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston her senior year of high school and multiple Nicholas Sparks novels, she found a hidden love and appreciation for reading.

Casey has been an avid reader, blogger (Hardcover Therapy,) and now writer. No Turning Back(Full Circle #1) is her debut novel releasing this September 30th with Finding Charley (Full Circle #2) releasing Spring 2014.

Her goal is to one day be an author that is recognized nationwide like Jamie McGuire, Colleen Hoover, Tiffany King, and Amanda Bennett.

When Casey isn’t reading, you can find her listening to country music, spending the day at the lake, being a wife, dance mom, and spending time with friends and family.


Her perfect day consists of water, sand between her toes, a cold beverage, and a great book!

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Cover Reveal: Break It Up

Heya, I know I'm the last one to post my own cover reveal. Been hard at work on the book all day (and yes, it's almost complete!)



Title: Break It Up   Author: Me! E.M. Tippetts   Expected release: Nov. 12, 2013   Genre: New Adult Romance   Age Group: New Adult   Cover designed by: Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations   


Kyra Armijo is making a few changes in her life. One of them being, she's no longer going to give it up to every guy who looks at her twice. And she's putting her hopes and dreams for her future first. When the aspiring photojournalist gets the opportunity of a lifetime to tag along with international boy band sensation, Triple Cross, she can't pass up the chance. 
The only problem is that she's in love with one band member, dodging the unwanted attention of another, and desperate to keep her turbulent past under wraps. Triple Cross have "nice guy" appeal, approved of by parents the world over, but have just let go their longtime manager, who controlled their clean image and media exposure with an iron fist. When Zach Wechsler, the object of Kyra's affection, begins to show interest, she has to be careful. 
Surely one girl can't destroy a band that's been together for ten years... only what if she can? Kyra knows she's one bad decision away from ruining everything she's worked for, and taking the hottest act of her generation down with her. 

Love in Darkness is on tour!

And as part of this tour, I'm giving away five signed paperbacks of the book. The Rafflecopter is below!

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{Blogger Book Fair}Olivia Linden, Author of Jaded Hearts

Holding the pieces of her drama riddled life, Jade decides to leave her disappointments in the past and move on. When her aunt opens up about a family secret, she realizes that everyone else seems to do what they please. Well, now so will she. Building life from the ground up isn’t easy, but with the right friends, she creates the life of her once forgotten dreams.

At the crux of an intense love tug-o-war, one question she must answer is which man will play the lead role? Will Julian, the ‘bad boy’ who mysteriously walks back into her life manage to win her heart? Will she find forgiveness and a happy ending with John, Mr. “almost perfect’? Maybe there is someone new on the horizon that she can start fresh with. Life is never simple for Jade, but when she listens to her heart, she begins to open doors to a whole new world. With new friends, and new exciting adventures, Jade is growing into a woman that she is proud of. The real question she needs to figure out is? What does she want her life to become?

Character Q&A with Julian Garza from Jaded Hearts
1. Describe yourself in one sentence.

Passionate

2. What is the one thing you want and what are you willing to do to get it?

Happiness with Jade

3. Who stands in your way?

That “Mr. Perfect” lawyer boyfriend of hers.

4. Who would you most like to recruit to your cause?

I don’t really need any help, but I know she listens to her brother so he would be my guy.

5. Describe the world you live in.

Normally, my world is filled with excitement and luxury. I’m a young, successful club owner so I pretty much do what I want. Due to certain events, I’ve been forced into a pseudo exile, but things will be back to normal soon enough.

6. What event from your past has shaped you the most?

My parents splitting up, and then finding out that my dad didn’t have the most “legal” profession. It made me really focus on doing things the right way.

7. What is your greatest fear?

Not being truly loved.

8. What are your plans for your current endeavor?

I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag, but I’m working on something with more focus on family.

  

Olivia Linden Bio
Olivia Linden, a native New Yorker, was raised between Queens and San Antonio, TX. Currently living in Florida with her 10 year-old son, she decided it was time to follow her dreams of becoming a full time author. Her creative itch began when her elementary school principal posted one of her stories in the halls of her school. She was only seven at the time, but old enough to understand how integral writing would be to her future. From that moment on, reading and writing became her two greatest passions.

Olivia is a newbie to the industry, but she hasn’t stopped writing since she found her literary voice all those years ago. Jaded Hearts, her first published novel, mixes her big personality, with a sexy yet humorous tone. It is her philosophy that laughter is essential to making it through even the toughest situations.

Find your passion with Jaded Hearts by Olivia Linden.

Contact
email: olivialinden234@gmail.com
Website | Amazon | Book Website | Goodreads

Book Trailers:
Jaded Hearts | Only Her Heart

{Blogger Book Fair}Stars Shine After Dark by Paula Hrbacek

Stars Shine After Dark takes romance past the wedding and into the conflicts that lie ahead.

Stars Shine After Dark, by Paula Hrbacek is a sweet love story that has faith woven through the plot and used as a means of making decisions. Faith is the compass that guides them through their problems.

Mona is an actress who grew up in Hollywood. She is trying to revamp her image from a child actor to a mature woman. She decides to go to college, and makes friends with her agent’s niece. The niece introduces her to Tim, a football star for UCLA.

They are both stars, both successful. It should be a fairy tale romance, but someone is leaking stories to the press that aren’t true. Mona intends to find out who is leaking the stories, and stop it.

Tim is offered a contract to play professional ball, but before he can sign the contract, his career is ended by a car crash. Mona reacts by being strong, and kicking her own career into high gear. Tim goes into real estate, and hates his job. He is jealous of her success. He thinks about divorce, and comes up with a plan that will let them separate without harming Mona’s image in the eyes of her conservative fans. He still loves her, he just isn’t happy with his life. He discusses his problems with a friend, a woman who also has broken dreams and unfulfilled ambitions. Because of her insights, Tim turns to meditation and examines his heart.

Mona finds her answer by reading the book of Hosea. She realizes that she has lost sight of what is really important to her, and decides to change her relationship with Tim. They may have been going through a dark period, but if they are stars, they will find a way to keep their love shining.

“Stars Shine After Dark is a unique story. I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before. There are some exciting moments from twists in the plot, and not torrid sex scenes. It is a book both men and women can enjoy.” Says Laura V. Hilton, The Road to Romance, Oct. 22, 2003.

“Very highly recommended,” writes Liana Metal. “It’s an exciting story that will satisfy those who like romance. It is certainly a very modern, yet, romantic story that includes elements of the every-day student lifestyle. This book caters for everyone who loves romance and it is an easy and enjoyable read.” http://liamet.tripod.com

“The author has a vocabulary and doesn’t need smutty gutter language and explicit sex to tell a good story,” says Rosemary Stanovsky. “It’s a feel good book.”

“Not your typical romance, Stars Shine After Dark is more about relationships and the issues that all too often ruin a marriage. This is a very well written book, addressing the conflicts faced by the characters and how they deal with them. It is, after all, not the problems that life hands us in marriage, but how we face and handle them that matter. You will enjoy this book,” writes Peggy Phifer, editor, Wordsmith News, wordsmithshoppe.com.

“It handles the love scenes so nicely,” says Betty Del Gallo. “I got to the scene where they go off together and said to myself ‘oh boy, her it comes.’ But it wasn’t like the other books out there. It was refreshing.”

“…compelling, well-written and contains a valuable message.” The Writer’s Edge.

Stars Shine After Dark

Sweet, contemporary Christian romance

Available in paperback, Nook and Kindle from Amazon and B&N and ebooksonline.com

Paula Hrbacek majored in journalism and art at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is the author of three trade books: St. Louis Is for Families, Bethany Press; Created in Faith, Concordia; and Bible Verses for Young Children, CBP Press. Her latest release is Day Camp in Hawaii, a program guide for any type of summer camp or recreational program, published by Create Space. Paula writes two newspaper columns for the Examiner; Children’s Arts and Crafts, and Book Reviews.

She is married, has four children (three Eagle Scouts and one Gold Girl Scout) and is the grandmother of five. She and her husband reside in Pensacola Florida. You can follow her on Twitter as @PHrbacek.

{Blogger Book Fair} Sunset Park by Dana Mansfield: Author Q&A and Excerpt

About Dana

I was born, raised, and still live in northwest Iowa where I've lived for all my life with the exception of one year spent in South Jersey as a nanny. I enjoy the intricacy and problem solving of creating stories and thankful to have achieved remission from leukemia to have the chance to see my literary dreams come to fruition. I teach reading to at-risk high school students and spend my time writing, watching cooking and clothing competitions on television and being an overprotective mom to my two cats, Boots and Joey.

My interests are varied. An Iowa Hawkeye football fan and longtime NASCAR fan, I hope to one day experience a perfect fall football day at Kinnick Stadium (with a magical win over Michigan, Iowa State, or Nebraska) and the Daytona 500 (go Jr!). I could get lost for days at Walt Disney World or a good book. I have been reading Diane Mott Davidson and Joanne Fluke for several years. I would love to re-envision my first favorite television show (The Pretender), meet the cast of my second favorite television show (The Big Bang Theory), see another story from my third favorite television show with the original cast (Firefly), and create a storyline for a music video for my favorite band (Daughtry). ROCK ON!Q & A with Dana

1. What’s your latest book about? 
Sunset Park is about Ben who is returning to his childhood neighborhood in Memphis five years after leaving Laurie, his longtime girlfriend. He’s returning to Sunset Park for his cousin’s wedding but he also hopes to make amends with Laurie for leaving. It’s a tricky situation for a couple reasons. First, when he left he was basically running away from Laurie because he felt he could no longer deal with some of her issues (OCD, agoraphobic tendencies). Second, after he left that night, Laurie was brutally attacked and left both physically and mentally fragile. Ben and Laurie make the complicated attempt to reconcile their relationship and move forward. However, an old mystery resurfaces from their five years apart that threatens not only Ben and Laurie's hopes but also their lives.

2. What genre do you prefer to write and why?

I honestly have not pinned one down yet; I just want to write the stories in my head. With Sunset Park and the Deceptions trilogy that I’m working on now, there is no one genre that would hit you over the head. I consider Sunset Park a reconciliation story with drama and a touch of mystery. With the Deceptions trilogy, it’s part drama, thriller, mystery, and a little romance but not a rip your shirt off romance.

3. How did you get started as a writer?

As a kid, I always wanted to be somewhere else other than where I was. The stories I thought up in my head could take me away from the life I was living so I was always doodling little stories in notebooks. (To this day I am a sucker for a brand new notebook.) Once I started college, that’s when I began to really focus on my writing and becoming a writer. I took all the creative writing classes that I could in the hopes of one day being a published author. It took twenty-two years from the time I started college until my first novel was published this past November. During that time I switched careers from Fortune 500 to teaching and was treated for leukemia while also taking care of my ailing mother but during that all, I never stopped believing I could become a published author. So in other words – NEVER GIVE UP!

4. How many books do you have out?

Sunset Park is my first published novel and hopefully, not the last.

5. What’s the next project you plan to release?

I’m currently working on a trilogy. I started this story before I began Sunset Park. It was originally just a practice piece that I kept coming back to. About a year ago, the story began to expand and I knew I had an actual story going on and not something to just doodle with and this past spring, I realized the story I wanted to tell was longer than just one book and is now a trilogy. The first book is called Deceptions with Aftermath and Closure rounding out the trilogy. The story is about Jack and Penny who have been best friends since meeting at a scholarship luncheon at Princeton. Penny becomes the nanny to his children and on a snowy Thanksgiving night in the Poconos, Jack and Penny are kidnapped. I tell the story of their friendship along with their back stories as they endure their captivity. Hopefully the trilogy will be published and you can find out what happens.

6. Name a favorite book hero and why you chose him/her.

I have to go back to my favorite children’s series by Beverly Cleary and choose Ramona Quimby. I could relate a lot to what her and her family went through from owning a cat (I am a crazy cat lady in training) to the struggles the family went through when her father lost her job.

7. Name a favorite book villain and why you chose him/her.

I actually think my favorite villain might be one that shows up in my Deceptions trilogy. One of the villains is not an actual entity but is the voice we have inside of all of us. It’s the voice that tells us if we look good in an outfit or maybe tells us to be careful in a sticky situation. For some people, it’s this voice that fuels negative thoughts and actions. For Penny, one of the main characters, her voice drives her eating disorder and low self-worth. Jack, one the other main characters, was born in Russia and he calls this voice thestrashnyi golos in his first language. This voice haunts Penny for most of her life and nearly kills her. Since we all have this voice inside of us, the possibility that the voice could become a villain is  frightening when we think that we truly can be our own worst enemy.

Excerpt from Sunset Park 

Chapter 3: Back Home

By midnight, Ben settled into the small apartment that overlooked the front street. It was a mirror image of the apartment he shared with Laurie for so long but it lacked the warmth of that previous dwelling. The furniture was sparse – a bed in the sleeping alcove, The Old Man’s lumpy couch, a card table with a couple chairs and a dresser. It wasn’t much but it already felt more like a home than the furnished rat trap he rented in the bad part of Panama City Beach. When you drank and shot up most of your earnings, you couldn’t afford the best surroundings.

He sat on the side of the bed and tried to rub the stress of the last few days from his face. A variety of emotions ripped through him in the four days since returning to Sunset Park and he did not expect them to dissolve easily. There was fear at seeing his cousin Jamie for the first time in five years, worry about what people might say at her wedding and a ton of Laurie anxiety in general. When he saw how beautiful his cousin looked before he walked her down the aisle, he felt nothing but joy and happiness. A different fear and worry hit him when Marcus took Jamie to the hospital and then relief when she came back home. Nervous excitement followed the phone call from Marcus where he was offered the job in the café and a place to live. Fear returned again as he wondered how Jamie would take the news of his extended drinking and drug abuse and that fear was relieved a bit after Marcus told her. And now he felt a slight surge of optimism. Just a small amount but it was enough for him to look forward to the coming days.

He slipped off his long sleeve t-shirt and caught site of the crooks of his arms. It was just over a year since the last time he shot up but the scars were still there. Maybe not as visible as Ben believed; he often covered them at his most pathetic moments. The yearning for a hit was bad enough but seeing the scars often weakened him to the point of wondering where he could score just enough to make the pain go away.

Shame exploded within Ben. To differentiate himself from his drunken father, Ben added heroin to his arsenal. The crash from the brief euphoria deepened the guilt he tried to eradicate and he would begin the vicious cycle all over again. Ben wished he never took the needle when presented to him; the cravings for heroin were ten times worse than the craving for Jack Daniels.

“Stop it,” he told himself aloud. The year sober taught him to stop the fall downwards before he lost it completely and he focused on what was important at that moment. Ben pulled off his boots, then stripped to his boxers. Five in the morning would come quickly but he was far from tired. Leaning back on the bed, his thoughts immediately went to Laurie. How could they not? She was entwined so deep into his soul that death would be the only way to separate them.

With his first stretch of sobriety, alcohol being his only drug at that time, he finally accepted what a huge mistake he made in walking out on her but what he could never forgive himself for was not coming back when he was begged by the two most important women in his life. Bits and pieces of those messages haunted him whether he was sober or drunk. No matter how much he drank, and later injected, he could never get away from those words. Missing, abducted, knife wounds, stroke, life support, coma, raped… Over and over they haunted him. He was numb; unable to do the right thing after leaving her. And then Ben did the one thing he promised himself he would never do – he went into a bar and took a drink. It was a split second decision that turned him right into his father, minus the physical abuse.

Ben languished in the bottle before realizing that drinking wasn’t solving his problems and he went to his first AA meeting but stayed sober for only three months. It was April; one year after the breakup and Laurie’s nightmare began. There was no thought other than trying to forget everything and back to the bottle he went and eventually, the needle when it was offered. For three years he used and abused but even at that he failed and after Jamie asked him to walk her down the aisle, he turned to his old sponsor for help. Ben did ninety days in treatment and it was during rehab that he realized his only hope for long term sobriety was to face his darkest fear – Laurie. Another April came and he was back in Memphis and Sunset Park. Hopefully, he would find the strength he needed and make amends. If he couldn’t, deep down he knew that his next round with heroin would be his last. Only once did he come close to overdosing and that offer of complete absolution of his pain had been very tempting.

The streetlights cast a pale beam on the wall behind Ben. He wondered if Laurie was lying in the old brass bed just a few inches away from his own head on the other side. Quietly, he sat up and put his ear to the wall and listened. Nothing. It was silly for him to even try to hear what was going on next door but that’s how bad he was hurting inside for his huge mistake.

Ben settled back into bed and with horrific whispers of past regrets bouncing around his head, he fell into a fitful sleep.Want to know more about Dana?

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Sunset Park can be purchased at - 
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Martin Sisters Publishing