Marie Force's Blog, page 22

By: Kara ConradHe lurks in the shadows, waiting and watch...

By: Kara Conrad

He lurks in the shadows, waiting and watching . . . And once he has you, all you can do is. . .

BEG FOR MERCY

Megan Flynn thought she was falling in love. Cole Williams wasn't just handsome and passionate, he was one of the good guys. Or so she thought, until he arrested her brother-the only family she has left-for a murder she knows he couldn't have possibly committed. Now, with her heart broken and her brother's life hanging in the balance, Megan will risk everything to prove his innocence. Even if that means throwing herself into the path of a sadistic killer with a hauntingly familiar MO.

Seattle Detective Cole Williams had given up on making Megan see reason where her brother is concerned. But when she insinuates herself into the most shockingly brutal case Cole has ever worked, he can't stand idly by. Plunged into a secret world where the city's elite indulge their darkest desires, Cole will do whatever it takes to bring down a madman who has made Megan his most coveted prey.

I feel an overwhelming need to write an amazing write up of this book because the book itself is so incredible. Unfortunately, I am not an amazing writer, so just let me say: Read. This. Book. So many times, I read the back blurb of a book, and am so excited to read it because it sounds so great, only to find by the end of the book (and sometimes before then) that the book is merely 'ok'. THIS IS NOT THAT BOOK.

This is a book that contains all the elements so many of us find essential to an amazing book. First, there is the 'hot-ness' factor. Believe me when I say, this book has that.

"Megan was treated to a glimpse of a wide, defined chest and rippling six-pack dusted with fine dark hair before he settled himself on top of her. She let out an 'ooh' at the first brush of skin on skin, a little surprised not to see sparks flying from where their bodies touched." See? HOT. (I laughed when I reread my notes, as later in this scene, I noted, "Oops. Hotness interrupted.") LOL! Fortunately for all of us it's interrupted only temporarily.

Secondly, this book has strong, emotional scenes. In fact, I barely made it through the first several pages without tearing up. I'm not giving a quote here because one short scene cannot do justice to the emotional impact of the first chapter or so of this book. Those of you who have already read the book know I am talking about the initial scenes with Megan and her brother, Sean.

Next, this book has a villain that will keep you gasping. In fact, one of my notes simply says 'evil, evil, evil!'
"Open your eyes," he ordered. They snapped open at the first bite of the blade. She tried in vain to shrink away. "You watch," he said..."

This book has many suspenseful moments. For me, being a visual person, many, many scenes ran like a movie through my mind. In fact, at one point I found myself talking loudly to the characters (yes, I'm that person in the theater who sometimes forgets it's 'just a movie' and feels the need to help the characters out.)

Though I'd label this book as dark and emotional, there are also a few lighter moments as well. When Sean asks to speak to Cole alone, the guard is slow to allow it. Megan's response?

"He won't kill him." Then she turns to her brother and snaps, "You better not kill him." Again, I see that like a movie scene. Well, and then there's 'bigblackasses-dot-com' LOL!

Of course, there is plenty of romance. For instance, Cole describes himself as "The luckiest man on the planet, and don't you think for a second that I don't know it." I know, right? Makes you want to say 'Aaaaawwwww.'

Lastly this book is full of characters that are much more than the stereotypical cardboard cutouts we sometimes find in those merely 'eh' books. From the main characters to secondary but crucial players, Jami creates characters readers feel they know, but want to get to know better. And lucky, for us, Jami is giving us that very thing! The next book in this series is due out in October. I, for one, CANNOT. WAIT.

Jami has been great enough to offer up an ARC of the next book Hide from Evil. One commenter will get that! You'll still have to wait, but not as long as the rest of us. I'm jealous already!

You can find out more about all of Jami's books at her website www.jamialden.com.

A HUGE thank you to Jami, for the giveaway, and for agreeing to drop by today. We are, to say the least, thrilled.

Now for the recipes, a mainstay of this book club. Since you all know my favorite and most reliable recipe is a drive to Sonic, I've borrowed a recipe from Ronlyn. Ok. Not borrowed. Stole. I stole it. Didn't even ask her first. I chose this one because it is a salmon dish, something Megan and Cole eat before all the action kicks in!

Maple Glazed Salmon
Ingredients
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about one inch thick)
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat broiler
Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk
Place salmon, skin side down, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush with maple mixture. Broil 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, brushing with maple mixture after 5 minutes and again after 10 minutes.
*(A wise, cooking birdie advised to double the glaze.)*

Help Wanted

Hey all you book clubbers! We are looking for some additional hostesses for the upcoming weeks of book club. Hostessing duties include reading the book (of course) and providing a brief write up and recipe of your choice for posting by the Tuesday of the week that the book will be featured. As you've seen the hostessing duties can be shared so feel free to sign up and say that you'd like to do a co-hostessing session as well.

Contact Ronlyn Howe at ronlynhowe@yahoo.com if you're interested.

Thanks!

Next Up on Book Club: Beg for Mercy by Jami Alden

Megan Flynn thought she was falling in love. Cole Williams wasn't just handsome and passionate, he was one of the good guys. Or so she thought, until he arrested her brother—the only family she has left—for a murder she knows he couldn't have possibly committed. Now, with her heart broken and her brother's life hanging in the balance, Megan will risk everything to prove his innocence. Even if that means throwing herself into the path of a sadistic killer with a hauntingly familiar MO.

Seattle Detective Cole Williams had given up on making Megan see reason where her brother is concerned. But when she insinuates herself into the most shockingly brutal case Cole has ever worked, he can't stand idly by. Plunged into a secret world where the city's elite indulge their darkest desires, Cole will do whatever it takes to bring down a madman who has made Megan his most coveted prey.

Come to book club on July 7 to discuss this amazing book!

Book Club: Crush on You by Christie Ridgway

By: Mary Grzesik with inspiration from Aly Hackett & Ronlyn Howe (I'm making them honorary Italians LOL.)


I LOVED this book. I loved the sisters and their relationships with each other. Alessandra, Stephania and Guiliana (their nicknames are Allie, Stevie & Jules) are trying to save their family winery. Tanti Baci, which means 'many kisses' in Italian, has been in their family for generations. They decide to make it an 'all in one' place for weddings rather than sell out to the Bennett boys/men who own the winery next door. I have to confess to an affinity for these girls and their family. I am Italian descent and Christie really captures the funny, crazy love that the family can smother you with and she shows it to the max without getting stereotypical. I smiled through so much of this book.

Allie is called the Nun of Napa, her hubby- to- be died on their wedding day (5 years before) and it seems the town thinks she will always be single. Enter Penn Bennett who is a hot shot TV personality with a home renovation show and has come home to relax for a bit and visit his half brothers…those neighboring Bennett men. Of course the sparks fly when they meet.

"And congratulations to you," he said, not disguising the edge to his voice. Her gaze narrowed, a quick contraction of her eyelids before her expression turned guileless again. "I don't know what you're talking about." He leaned closer, and spoke in a near whisper. "They don't know what hit 'em."

"What?" She had the innocent thing down pat, and he hardened himself against it.

"That little break in your voice," he said. "The single tear—brilliant. We'll have to see about a booking on Inside the Actors Studio."

The Kate Winslet wanna-be didn't answer. With a little flounce, and another spit of gravel, she turned and headed back up the lane, her sisters once again following. As Newton and company started pulling equipment from the bed of the Ford, he and Liam were left looking after the three Baci women.

AND

"I mean, surely . . ." It was just two guys, so he plowed forward. "C'mon. The body. That mouth. I'd like to—"

"Stop," Liam said. "Stop right there."

Something shot through Penn—disappointment? Nah, he wasn't really interested in the youngest Baci sister, so it made no difference to him that his half brother had a prior claim. "Sorry, I didn't know you and she have a thing."

"We don't. No one does, not with Alessandra. And you won't be messing with her, either. Not with the Nun of Napa."

Penn offers to help out with the renovations and even though Allie has reservations, she's desperate to get the work done. I mean, did Penn have to be so able? And hot. And capable. And hot. And…well, you get the picture. Neither of them are willing to start a relationship. She is the Nun of Napa after all. And he is a happy bachelor with a full life in LA. I mentioned the sparks before, right? There's no way they can escape.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the secondary romance between their friend Clare and Allie's cousin Gil. Clare is set to be the first bride of the Baci Wedding Cottage...any wonder how that's going to turn out? ;-)

There is also some pretty hot chemistry between Jules & Liam Bennett that we'll finally get to read about when the third book, Can't Hurry Love, releases next week.

After our typical Italian meal, which is more about socializing then eating, we always end our meal with espresso coffee, fruits and Baci chocolates. I tried to find a recipe on-line but it's copyrighted. Maybe it's a cop-out but that's my recipe for dessert. My mom always gives us a box of Baci's for special occasions. She always has some on the table after dinner along with the fruit & espresso coffee. Each Baci chocolate comes wrapped in a love note written in different languages. There are quotes and proverbs. Sometimes we check the love note before we've eaten the chocolate. I guess it's the equivalent of the Chinese fortune cookie LOL.

Some examples:

"To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with."

"Laughter makes you young. Love makes you beautiful."

Sometimes they're corny & don't translate well but we always get a kick out of them.

Next Up on Book Club: Crush on You by Christie Ridgeway

She made knitting sexy.

Now she's taking on a dilapidated winery, three sisters, and the bad boys next door.

The Baci sisters are on a mission to save the winery that's been in their family for generations-by transforming it into the perfect wedding destination. If only Alessandra Baci-affectionately known as the "Nun of Napa"-didn't need the help of tempting neighbor and business rival Penn Bennett.

Thursday, June 30! See you there!

Book Club: Lie With Me, Stephanie Tyler

By: Ronlyn Howe and Kara Conrad

LIE WITH ME: A SHADOW FORCE NOVEL by Stephanie Tyler
When plotting revenge against a man who has blackmailed you into service for years, what would be your plan? I can pretty much guarantee it would not be to find the man's daughter and fall head over heels in love with her. In the case of Cameron Moore that certainly wasn't part of his plan:

"Are you trying to set me up with her? Because I don't think I'm really dating material right now." (This is said right after he ditches his motorcycle over a cliff, kills a man, and then runs up a mountain, only to have his friend show him a photograph of Skylar).

I admit to being a Cam girl right from the moment he landed in my nook, bright and early on release day…twice. I mentioned that to Stephanie via twitter and she says that Cam must have really wanted to spend time with me. I'll certainly take that explanation.

My co-host, Kara, is a die-hard Jake girl. In fact, it's because of her forcing Jake on me a couple years ago that I finally started reading Stephanie religiously. But even Kara really liked Cam…and yeah, Skylar, Dylan, Riley and the gang too. The secondary characters and story lines in LIE WITH ME weave a complete and tightly knit world that is both amazing and terrifying.

Cameron and Dylan hatch a plan to break Gabriel Creighton's hold over Cam by kidnapping his daughter Skylar and using her in something of a reverse blackmail threat. And, in the words of Dylan, be willing to kill her if it gets to that. Cameron sets out to set himself free and finds Skylar in a secluded cabin in a snowstorm. She's nothing like he thought she'd be and everything he ever imagined he could want. Including the fact that she's not impressed with him and doesn't have any trouble telling him so.

"Your personality blows." How could he NOT fall in love with her?

Meanwhile Dylan goes hunting down Riley, the one person he knows has a file on Gabriel. The one person he had given his heart to…before she shot him. Yeah, that's got to suck. And to throw yet another monkey wrench into an already messy pile of wrenches; Gabriel Creighton has been kidnapped by Dead Man's Hand (DMH), a homegrown terrorist organization run by one truly crazy guy who decides that the perfect way to break Gabriel is to kidnap Skylar and torture her in front of dear old dad.
This book has it all: Romance, Suspense, witty dialogue, in depth characters…I could go on and on. I want to thank Stephanie for stopping by today to chat with us about the amazing Shadow Force guys (I'm sure we can convince her to talk about her other guys as well) as well as offer a giveaway for us.

KARA'S RECIPE:
Go to Sonic. Order a Rt. 44 Coke with extra ice.

(Marie says: I love Kara Conrad. I'd like to marry her, except who would cook for us? Oh, and then there's that pesky issue that we're both already married. Sigh.)

RONLYN'S RECIPES:
African Peanut Stew (yeah, I know it's not very summery, but I was looking for something with an African inspiration to offer up)
Use chicken legs, thighs or wings for this recipe. They have more flavor and will hold up better with the flavors of the stew than breast meat.
INGREDIENTS
• 2-3 pounds chicken legs, thighs and/or wings
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced
• A 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 6-8 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
• 2-3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup roasted peanuts
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot set over medium-high heat. Salt the chicken pieces well, pat them dry and brown them in the oil. Don't crowd the pot, so do this in batches. Set the chicken pieces aside as they brown.
- Sauté the onions in the oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring often and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes and stir well to combine.
- Add the chicken, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, peanut butter, peanuts, coriander and cayenne and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and taste for salt, adding more if needed. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 90 minutes (check after an hour), or until the chicken meat easily falls off the bone and the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Remove the chicken pieces and set them in a bowl to cool, until cool enough to touch. Remove and discard the skin if you want, or chop it and put it back into the pot. Shred the meat off the bones and put the meat back in the pot.
- Adjust the seasonings for salt and cayenne, then add as much black pepper as you think you can stand—the stew should be peppery. Stir in the cilantro and serve by itself, or with simple steamed rice.

Serve over rice or quinoa.

CARMEL PEANUT BUTTER BARS by Betty Crocker:

Cookie Base
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
15 miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, coarsely chopped
Filling
36 caramels (from 14-oz bag), unwrapped
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup peanuts
Topping
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy milk chocolate frosting
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

1. 1Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in candies. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
2. 2Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat caramels and milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted. Stir in peanut butter. Heat to boiling. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup peanuts. Spread over warm cookie base. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
3. 3Spread frosting evenly over filling. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Next Up on Book Club: Lie With Me by Stephanie Tyler

Forced together by fate, bound together by desire

Framed for a double murder, Delta Force operative Cameron Moore is given a new lease on life by the CIA—provided he pays them back by doing their black ops dirty work. But now Cam is ready to renegotiate the deal, and he thinks he's found the perfect bargaining chip: Skylar Slavin, bestselling author of espionage thrillers and the daughter of the CIA man who saved Cam from a prison sentence.

Skylar has been living in anonymity, never suspecting that someone so dangerous—and so desirable—would plunge her into a world as treacherous as one of her spy novels. But how can Cam go through with his plan to kidnap Skylar when just the sight of her sets off an explosive attraction he's never experienced before? And when Skylar falls prey to an even more perilous threat, this special ops soldier must call upon all his combat skills to protect the one person who can help him win his freedom—and the only woman he's ever loved.

See you on Thursday, June 23, for a discussion of this book!

Book Club: Angel's Rest by Emily March

By: Alyson Hackett
Gabriel Callahan has lost everything that mattered. All he wants is solitude on an isolated mountain estate. Instead, he gets a neighbor. Vibrant, no-nonsense Nic Sullivan is Eternity Springs' veterinarian, and she has an uncanny plan to lure this talented architect back to the world of the living. First with a dog, next with a renovation project, and, finally, with a night of passion that ends with a surprise.

Now a man still raw from tragedy must face the biggest struggle of his heart. Can he forgive himself and believe in the power of second chances? Dare he trust in the promise of a future and a brand-new family here in Eternity Springs?

Love me some tortured hero! And Emily March's Angel's Rest certainly delivers on that!

Gabe Callahan has suffered a tragedy in his life that would knock anyone to their knees—the loss of a spouse and child. He has secluded himself at an estate up in the mountains and has decided that life just isn't worth living anymore.

OK let me just tell you that the first few pages of this book knocked me to my knees! You felt Gabe's pain and wanted to just make things better for him. His suffering and agony just came alive and right off the page!

Gabe's savior comes in the very odd form of a goofy looking boxer. This boxer—Archibald, Tiger or Clarence depending on who you ask—eventually leads Gabe to the person and community that will bring him back to life.

The addition of the boxer is really great! He adds some heartwarming scenes but also makes you laugh because of his attachment to Gabe despite Gabe's obvious reluctance to even acknowledge that the dog exists.

Nic Sullivan has her own demons that haunt her due to a failed marriage. She doesn't have much faith in men and their ability to be monogamous. From the moment that Gabe brings the boxer in for care, Nic is intrigued with Gabe but also determined to make Gabe and the boxer a match no matter how reluctant Gabe is.

Nic cracked me up! She is so blunt and plain spoken that it is very refreshing. She doesn't hold much back and I think that honesty is certainly part of what intrigues Gabe.

Adding to this is Celeste Blessing and her idea of opening a spa/retreat in order to boost the economy and essentially save the town of Eternity Springs! There is something special about Celeste that is never really identified but her character definitely has some woo-woo going on! LOL!

Angel's Rest is a fantastic contemporary romance! It breaks your heart and makes you ache but it also makes you laugh and fall in love right along with the characters. Those that enjoy Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, will find themselves enjoying Angel's Rest as well. Eternity Springs is a welcoming little town with fantastic characters and a little bit of mystery that will keep you guessing.

Since the Bristlecone Café has famous brownies, I thought I would include a brownie recipe for everyone to try!

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate or ¾ cup cocoa and 3 Tbls oil

3/4 cup butter

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped walnuts



Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl at HIGH for 2 minutes or until butter is melted.

Stir until chocolate is melted.

Stir in sugar.

Mix in eggs and vanilla.

Stir in flour and nuts.

Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan.

Bake for 25-35 minutes (depending on your pan)

Next Up on Book Club: Angel's Rest by Emily March

Gabriel Callahan has lost everything that mattered. All he wants is solitude on an isolated mountain estate. Instead, he gets a neighbor. Vibrant, no-nonsense Nic Sullivan is Eternity Springs' veterinarian, and she has an uncanny plan to lure this talented architect back to the world of the living. First with a dog, next with a renovation project, and, finally, with a night of passion that ends with a surprise.

Now a man still raw from tragedy must face the biggest struggle of his heart. Can he forgive himself and believe in the power of second chances? Dare he trust in the promise of a future and a brand-new family here in Eternity Springs?

See you Thursday, June 16, for a discussion about this book!

Self-Publishing Tips for the Uninitiated

I've been reading a lot lately on the published author loops about people paying BIG bucks to have their books formatted for self-publishing on Amazon, B&N and Smashwords. I've now posted five books with a sixth on the way later this month, so I thought I'd share a few lessons learned to help out those who are just venturing into this new territory. I'm not certainly not claiming to be any kind of expert at this. I've been to the school of trial and error. But since I've had no complaints from readers on the formatting of my books, I take that as good sign! I hope this information will save my fellow authors some money. Please watch out for people who are looking to profit by charging outrageous fees for this service. If I can do it, you can too!

First of all, don't panic. It's easier than you think. Here are a few critical steps to start with:

1. Set your paragraph indents to 0.33". To do that in Word, select all your text, go to Format - Paragraph. Under "Special" choose "First line" and then put 0.33 in the dialogue box. This will also indent your chapter headings. You can undo the chapter heading formatting by backspacing (at least on a Mac you can).

2. Only after you have completed step one, remove all your tabs. Do this by using the Find and Replace function in word. Find: ^t and Replace: leave blank. Replace all. I'm going to say this in all caps so there's no chance you can miss it: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SET THE PARAGRAPH INDENTS BEFORE YOU REMOVE THE TABS. If you do these two steps in the wrong order, you may lose all your paragraph indents.

3. Insert page breaks at the end of every chapter and after your front matter (title page, copyright statement, etc.). To do this in Word, go to Insert - Break - Page Break. This is critical as it will ensure that your chapters flow smoothly in the ebook.

4. Another thing you can do to make your text flow smoothly is remove all those pesky second spaces after periods. To do that, again use the Find and Replace function. Find: hit the space bar twice. Replace: hit the space bar once. Replace all. Repeat until you have 0 replacements.

Front matter/copyright statement
You must include a copyright statement with each book. While most traditionally published ebooks have these statements in the back of the book, I've found the upload process goes more smoothly *especially with Smashwords* when the copyright statement is placed at the beginning of the book. Here's the statement I adapt for all my books:

Book Name
My Name
Published by My Name
Copyright YEAR. My Name.
Cover by INSERT DESIGNER

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to (INSERT COMPANY) and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at marie@marieforce.com.

All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author's imagination.

www.mariesullivanforce.com

I do a different version for each e-retailer so the name of the company is correct for each one. For Smashwords, use this boilerplate at the beginning:

Book Name
Published by Your Name
Copyright YEAR. Your Name.
Cover by XXXX
Smashwords Edition

You need "Smashwords Edition" there or the Smashwords meat grinder won't accept your MS. Another important thing to remember with Smashwords is that your manuscript must be in "Final" format. To determine whether yours is FINAL, in Word, go to View - Toolbars - Reviewing. On the far left side of the Reviewing Toolbar, you will see a box that contains the status of your manuscript. It may say Final Showing Markup, Original Showing Markup, Final, etc. Make sure you accept all your changes, turn OFF the track changes function and set your manuscript to FINAL. I have found that it's easier to keep the file OPEN as I upload the FINAL version to Smashwords. For some reason it reverts to SHOWING FINAL MARKUP after I close the document. Why? I have no idea! Another interesting thing I learned recently about Smashwords has to do with including excerpts for future books in the back of the current book. If "Chapter 1" appears twice in your book, it sends the meat grinder into fits and your book may be rejected. So, eliminate the Chapter 1 heading on the excerpt to avoid this issue.

Helpful hint for Smashwords: You'll need an ISBN to be included in Smashwords' premium catalog. You want your book to be in the catalog to gain distribution to iBooks and Sony. Smashwords offers free ISBNs, but I chose to buy my own so I can take them with me if I decide not to publish with Smashwords any longer. Bowker sells ISBN numbers. I bought a package of 10 ISBNs for $250 because I knew I would use them all eventually. If you don't think you'll need that many, you can pay as you go. It's a bit of a chore to fill out the online ISBN form, but well worth the time to make sure you have an ISBN that you can use anywhere you need it.

Helpful hint for Amazon: Save your final file as an "Web Page: HTM" file. Do this in Word by clicking on Save As, in the pull down screen for FORMAT you will find Web Page HTM as an option. Amazon has advised me that saving in this format eliminates a lot of uploading issues. It worked perfectly when I tried it whereas the .doc format was problematic.

Another helpful hint for Amazon: Once your book is showing up online, go to Author Central and log in. If you don't have an Author Central account, you'll want to get one. (For one thing, we now have access to Bookscan numbers through Author Central for print books.) Once you're logged in, click on "Books" and under there you can "add" the new book so it appears on your Author Page. This is critical to boosting sales. If readers are looking for more of your work, that's where they're going to look. Once you've identified the book as one of yours, it can take a day or two to show up on your page.

Final word of caution: be careful forking out money to people and/or companies who are looking to take you for a ride. There's a whole cottage industry cropping up around self-publishing and e-books. Make sure you aren't paying for something you could easily do yourself.

I'm happy to answer any questions, so feel free to fire away!