Patti Ann Colt's Blog, page 3
February 13, 2013
Three Mistake that Could Cost You Big
If you are an independently published author, you may be feeling like a juggler keeping too many balls in the air. That first decision to strike out on your own may be leave you feeling wobbly. Persevere. This month marks the beginning of my year three on this amazing carpet ride. I don't think I could have survived without the likes of J.A. Konrath, Dean Wesley Smith and David Gaughran - who, unknown to them, were my compass through those early mistakes and challenges.
Today, I'm going to talk about mistakes that could cost you big. My business partner, Tiffany Aller, (you might know her as Anne M. Carpenter), is on this adventure with me and she weighed in with a few choice experiences and complaints, too.
1. Write only one book. You've probably been beat to death with this, but I'm going to pile on. If you think you have a super duper, nobody's written better book, one you can publish and sit back to make a fortune, quit now. DANGER. DANGER. Heartache and frustration ahead. Maybe out there is that 1 in 30,000,000 writers that hits the bestseller jackpot, but you'd be better off buying a lottery ticket. This business requires a professional writer's focus and an unrelenting pursuit of good storytelling. I published full novels number five (Cowboy's Sweetheart) and six (The Daddy Spell reissue) before Christmas. It was the first time I saw a serious uptick in my sales with the books feeding to each other. Checking sales data, it was obvious readers were buying my entire backlist, time after time. The knowledge only made me want to write faster. Do yourself a favor before you publish. Sit down with a piece of paper and figure out how deep you can take this publishing thing. This isn't a get rich quick scheme. Writing and publishing is hard work, but a job well done guarantees a rich cadre of devoted readers buying your books.
2. Ticking off your readers. Don't fall for your own ego. "My words are the best words ever" and "I don't need anyone else to read this before I publish" are epic mistakes that can brand with you with low reviews and readers that avoid your product. Make no mistake here. Social media, at its most basic, is about people talking to people and that is where most books are sold. Readers gobble up good books that are smooth to read and entertaining. They will recommend that book to friends. What does that mean to you? (I'm not going to talk about the writing end here. If you need help there, visit my writing blog, Worth A Damn Writing.) But once you've decided to indie publish, take the time to edit, revise, and edit again. Take the time to have someone proofread. (If you didn't know that editing and proofreading are two different things, go here.) Review your format page by page and don't quit until it's close as close to perfect as you can get. That means YOU. This is a rule that applies to everybody with no exceptions. Nothing will tick off a reader faster and garner more complaints than a lack of editing, typos, and funky formatting. Those of us who read for relaxation and enjoyment, who don't want to be stopped throughout the story by these kinds of "rookie" mistakes will thank you for your effort.
3. Trying to please everyone. I believe that one of the hardest things for anyone who writes is learning to take criticism. It takes some maturity about your writing to let others read your work and accept that not everyone will like what you wrote. The thing about criticism is this: learning how to sort out what is valid and what is trash talk is like learning to ride a bike. It takes time to understand your voice, time to understand the power of the manipulated, edited word, and time for reflection to know what to act on and what to let go. If you can't bring to the table a lot of patience, the ability to bite your tongue and think, and the need to honor the higher challenge in storytelling, stay home. Being a writer requires thick-skin and a thorough understanding of your sense of writing self. Cultivate this above all else.
Shameless plug:
KLG Press has a crowdfunding campaign going through Indiegogo. We'd love a visit and a few tweets and likes. There is lots of goodies and an entertaining video. Thanks!
Today, I'm going to talk about mistakes that could cost you big. My business partner, Tiffany Aller, (you might know her as Anne M. Carpenter), is on this adventure with me and she weighed in with a few choice experiences and complaints, too.
1. Write only one book. You've probably been beat to death with this, but I'm going to pile on. If you think you have a super duper, nobody's written better book, one you can publish and sit back to make a fortune, quit now. DANGER. DANGER. Heartache and frustration ahead. Maybe out there is that 1 in 30,000,000 writers that hits the bestseller jackpot, but you'd be better off buying a lottery ticket. This business requires a professional writer's focus and an unrelenting pursuit of good storytelling. I published full novels number five (Cowboy's Sweetheart) and six (The Daddy Spell reissue) before Christmas. It was the first time I saw a serious uptick in my sales with the books feeding to each other. Checking sales data, it was obvious readers were buying my entire backlist, time after time. The knowledge only made me want to write faster. Do yourself a favor before you publish. Sit down with a piece of paper and figure out how deep you can take this publishing thing. This isn't a get rich quick scheme. Writing and publishing is hard work, but a job well done guarantees a rich cadre of devoted readers buying your books.
2. Ticking off your readers. Don't fall for your own ego. "My words are the best words ever" and "I don't need anyone else to read this before I publish" are epic mistakes that can brand with you with low reviews and readers that avoid your product. Make no mistake here. Social media, at its most basic, is about people talking to people and that is where most books are sold. Readers gobble up good books that are smooth to read and entertaining. They will recommend that book to friends. What does that mean to you? (I'm not going to talk about the writing end here. If you need help there, visit my writing blog, Worth A Damn Writing.) But once you've decided to indie publish, take the time to edit, revise, and edit again. Take the time to have someone proofread. (If you didn't know that editing and proofreading are two different things, go here.) Review your format page by page and don't quit until it's close as close to perfect as you can get. That means YOU. This is a rule that applies to everybody with no exceptions. Nothing will tick off a reader faster and garner more complaints than a lack of editing, typos, and funky formatting. Those of us who read for relaxation and enjoyment, who don't want to be stopped throughout the story by these kinds of "rookie" mistakes will thank you for your effort.
3. Trying to please everyone. I believe that one of the hardest things for anyone who writes is learning to take criticism. It takes some maturity about your writing to let others read your work and accept that not everyone will like what you wrote. The thing about criticism is this: learning how to sort out what is valid and what is trash talk is like learning to ride a bike. It takes time to understand your voice, time to understand the power of the manipulated, edited word, and time for reflection to know what to act on and what to let go. If you can't bring to the table a lot of patience, the ability to bite your tongue and think, and the need to honor the higher challenge in storytelling, stay home. Being a writer requires thick-skin and a thorough understanding of your sense of writing self. Cultivate this above all else.
Shameless plug:
KLG Press has a crowdfunding campaign going through Indiegogo. We'd love a visit and a few tweets and likes. There is lots of goodies and an entertaining video. Thanks!
December 12, 2012
The Power of Hometown
I was born and raised in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Hence, you can figure out why I love writing hometown romances. Recently, I was reminded just how beautiful Bonners Ferry is. A friend of mine shared a gorgeous Christmas Card-esque picture of downtown Bonners Ferry with me recently, which I can't post here because it's copyrighted, but take a look at the picture above and try to imagine how the town looks if that's the view. But I looked at this town picture and realized the truth of my Dad's favorite saying - "This place is truly God's country." I know. Lots of you out there would claim your hometowns are the same and isn't that really the best thing to have in this chaotic world we live in?
I have tried to bring this quality to all the fictitious hometowns I've developed. Echo Falls and Parson Corners are purely figments. Copper Canyon is a real place, but I used my author license to add details. But the details are not only in the setting, but the people. I have a lot of people ideas gathered in my head from traveling and living places like Bonners Ferry, and Cheney, Washington and Tusculoosa, Alabama and Arlington, Texas. Still that isn't the only source for my book ideas.
So here's a little known fact - and I say little known, because I think only my daughters and a couple writing partners know this. When I was starting the Copper Canyon series, I wanted to add a quirky challenge to the formation of the story. I asked my daughters to give me a list of country songs and I'd pick three for each story. The plot had to revolve around one of them and the other two had to be mentioned in some way in the story. These were my rules, but my daughters delivered a complex, diverse range of songs to get me started. I'm not going to share all of them, because well...I've only published two books in the series so far and I want to keep you guessing. Here's the big reveal for the first two books and a look at the short story on my desk.
Song #1 - Crazy Girl - Eli Young Band
Plot Song #2 - Come Back Song - Darius Rucker
Song #3 - I've Got Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks*
*This song actually solidified the six men in my imagination and was the inspiration for The Low Down Saloon and Restaurant
Song #1 - Shameless - Garth Brooks
Song #2 She's Everything - Brad Pailsey
Plot Song #3 Find Out Who Your Friends Are - Tracy Lawrence
The next story is a short one titled Cowboy's Kiss. It's going to use a mix of Kenny Roger's The Gambler and Andy Grigg's If Heaven. These short stories weren't part of the original eighteen songs my daughters picked, so I've sorted through my country favorites playlist and pulled a few to help for inspiration to produce these.
Do you have any songs that remind you of how your grew up? Please share in the comments.
December 10, 2012
Cover Fun
I've been known to tinker.
I was always the one that colored with EVERY color in the Crayola box. The right shade for Barbie's dress was always so important.
I'm one of those that collects pictures and sayings and scrapbooks, ever searching for the right combo of word and sight to inspire.
I took a crash course when I decided to self-publish and learned how to do my own covers. It was right up my alley, because well, I love to tinker with pictures and colors and words and fonts.
I'm the first one to tell you that my initial trials weren't all that inspiring. But they worked for awhile. Until I did exactly what Maya Angelou says: "We do the best we can with what we know, and when we know better, we do better."
So recently I was updating all my covers. Tinkering.
Left column, old. Right column, new. Improvement? You decide. Leave me a comment. Yes, I may draw for a prize. ;-)
I was always the one that colored with EVERY color in the Crayola box. The right shade for Barbie's dress was always so important.
I'm one of those that collects pictures and sayings and scrapbooks, ever searching for the right combo of word and sight to inspire.
I took a crash course when I decided to self-publish and learned how to do my own covers. It was right up my alley, because well, I love to tinker with pictures and colors and words and fonts.
I'm the first one to tell you that my initial trials weren't all that inspiring. But they worked for awhile. Until I did exactly what Maya Angelou says: "We do the best we can with what we know, and when we know better, we do better."
So recently I was updating all my covers. Tinkering.
Left column, old. Right column, new. Improvement? You decide. Leave me a comment. Yes, I may draw for a prize. ;-)
December 8, 2012
BIG WISHES
VOTE HERE
As those of you know of follow me on Facebook, a couple of months ago my computer decided to eat 3000 words of my current work in progress. Fortunately, I was able to tap into my brain and recover most of the words in another writing session. This wasn't the first critical blue screen failure my computer has had.
Step back another year. Early 2011. I decided to form an ebook publishing company with my business partner, Tiffany Aller. (She writes as Anne M. Carpenter - you should read her stuff!) We've published 30 books to date under KLG Press. It's been a lot of fun, hard work and we're determined to bring your more in the next few years - of her work, of my work, and our other authors.
That brings me to this request.
We've entered Intuit's Small Business BIG Wishes contest. They are giving away $5000 every day to small businesses for the holidays and we've entered to buy new computer equipment.
What's the catch? We need votes to win. YOUR VOTE!
It takes two clicks. Honestly. Follow this link. Or the one above. Click on the vote button in the lower left corner. Done. And if you would be so kind, you can do that every day until the 20th!
We have some catching up to do! Top numbers right now show the leader has 1200 votes. We need y'all to play Santa and help us fill our business stocking with new computers! Thank you so much!
As those of you know of follow me on Facebook, a couple of months ago my computer decided to eat 3000 words of my current work in progress. Fortunately, I was able to tap into my brain and recover most of the words in another writing session. This wasn't the first critical blue screen failure my computer has had.
Step back another year. Early 2011. I decided to form an ebook publishing company with my business partner, Tiffany Aller. (She writes as Anne M. Carpenter - you should read her stuff!) We've published 30 books to date under KLG Press. It's been a lot of fun, hard work and we're determined to bring your more in the next few years - of her work, of my work, and our other authors.
That brings me to this request.
We've entered Intuit's Small Business BIG Wishes contest. They are giving away $5000 every day to small businesses for the holidays and we've entered to buy new computer equipment.
What's the catch? We need votes to win. YOUR VOTE!
It takes two clicks. Honestly. Follow this link. Or the one above. Click on the vote button in the lower left corner. Done. And if you would be so kind, you can do that every day until the 20th!
We have some catching up to do! Top numbers right now show the leader has 1200 votes. We need y'all to play Santa and help us fill our business stocking with new computers! Thank you so much!
December 5, 2012
Copper Canyon and News
Cowboy's Sweetheart has just been released!
Yes, celebrating here.
Professional pastry chef Kendra Dawson struggles to rebuild
in Copper Canyon, Texas after her father is arrested for embezzling millions of
dollars. But moving to horse country proves difficult. Memories surface of a bad car accident from
high school when she killed a horse—and her best friend. While out jogging, she is nearly trampled by a
horse. In her panic, she runs from her
rescuer, a dark-haired fireman. He pursues her, but with her trust level at an
all-time low, she keeps Shane O'Hare at arm’s length, desperate to ignore the fierce
attraction. One touch from him and she’ll melt like the top of crème brûlée.
Bareback bronc rider Shane O’Hare quits rodeo after a
devastating accident injures a friend. Two
years later and now a fireman, Shane is smitten with Kendra on first
sight. Struggling with his role in crippling his friend, Shane hides his cowboy roots from the skittish beauty.
He allows one lie to lead to another to avoid scaring off his sweetheart. Content to be her jogging partner and
taste-tester, Shane is elated yet
conflicted when their relationship intensifies in the kitchen and in the
bedroom.
But when Kendra finds out he lied, Shane must make peace
with his past and find a way to reveal his truth without being judged another
dishonest man like her father.
Amazon Link
What's next?
A reissue of The Daddy Spell, Echo Falls Book #1
A Copper Canyon Short Story - Cowboy's Kiss released separately and also combined into a volume with Cowboy's Heart and Cowboy's Sweetheart
Secret Daddy - Parson Corners, Colorado
Thanks for all your love and support! Happy Holidays!
Yes, celebrating here.
Professional pastry chef Kendra Dawson struggles to rebuild
in Copper Canyon, Texas after her father is arrested for embezzling millions of
dollars. But moving to horse country proves difficult. Memories surface of a bad car accident from
high school when she killed a horse—and her best friend. While out jogging, she is nearly trampled by a
horse. In her panic, she runs from her
rescuer, a dark-haired fireman. He pursues her, but with her trust level at an
all-time low, she keeps Shane O'Hare at arm’s length, desperate to ignore the fierce
attraction. One touch from him and she’ll melt like the top of crème brûlée.
Bareback bronc rider Shane O’Hare quits rodeo after a
devastating accident injures a friend. Two
years later and now a fireman, Shane is smitten with Kendra on first
sight. Struggling with his role in crippling his friend, Shane hides his cowboy roots from the skittish beauty.
He allows one lie to lead to another to avoid scaring off his sweetheart. Content to be her jogging partner and
taste-tester, Shane is elated yet
conflicted when their relationship intensifies in the kitchen and in the
bedroom.
But when Kendra finds out he lied, Shane must make peace
with his past and find a way to reveal his truth without being judged another
dishonest man like her father.
Amazon Link
What's next?
A reissue of The Daddy Spell, Echo Falls Book #1
A Copper Canyon Short Story - Cowboy's Kiss released separately and also combined into a volume with Cowboy's Heart and Cowboy's Sweetheart
Secret Daddy - Parson Corners, Colorado
Thanks for all your love and support! Happy Holidays!
November 4, 2012
Adventures in Non-Fiction: Similarities to Fiction Writing
Hi! I’m Tiffany Aller and Patti has graciously invited me to guest post on The Clever Writer every other Sunday. I’m going to be talking to you about writing non-fiction, whether as a freelancer or as an author working on a non-fic manuscript.
I’ve been a freelance writer for well over a decade now (closing in on two – can’t believe I’m old enough to say that!) and have learned a lot along the way. A year ago, I began using that knowledge to work on non-fiction manuscripts that will be published by KLG Press. Amongst the topics I’m writing on are miscarriage and pregnancy, career, police family life insight an several how-to based publications. In addition, I’ve co-written 4 cookbooks with our own Patti and just released a snarky travel book, warnings of the perils of uninformed air travelers. The impetus for many of these titles are the blogs I’ve grown, nurtured, abandoned and revived over the past half-decade.
Credentials aside, let’s start talking about how non-fiction differs from fiction…and how it is the same. We’ll start with the similarities this week and tackle the differences when I’m back here to post again in two weeks.
Similarities:
First, creativity counts as much in non-fiction as it does in fiction. While you may use your imagination to create scenarios in fiction, you’ll use your flexibility to explain sometimes difficult information in creative ways for non-fiction.
Second, hook, hook, hook . Although readers are commonly drawn to non-fiction topics because they have a need to know that information, it’s just as important as in fiction to hook your reader. Just because you’ve written the next great book on underwater basket weaving doesn’t five other authors, potentially with stronger hooks, haven’t also tackled the same topic. Hook your read early and keep that hook going.
Next, write an outline and stick to it . Fiction and non-fiction writers alike struggle with this – both have the tendency to run down rabbit trails instead of staying focused. In both cases, your manuscript will thank you by sticking to the script. Now…what if something important comes along and needs to be added? By all means, adjust the outline. But avoid rabbit trails at all costs!
Finally, fiction and non-fiction share a need for a continuous thread . Different chapters in non-fiction manuscripts may cover different sub-topics under the same overall idea, but that does not diminish the importance of a thread to connect the entire body of work.
How many of you out there write non-fiction, in addition to or instead of fiction? What other similarities have you noticed?
I’ve been a freelance writer for well over a decade now (closing in on two – can’t believe I’m old enough to say that!) and have learned a lot along the way. A year ago, I began using that knowledge to work on non-fiction manuscripts that will be published by KLG Press. Amongst the topics I’m writing on are miscarriage and pregnancy, career, police family life insight an several how-to based publications. In addition, I’ve co-written 4 cookbooks with our own Patti and just released a snarky travel book, warnings of the perils of uninformed air travelers. The impetus for many of these titles are the blogs I’ve grown, nurtured, abandoned and revived over the past half-decade.
Credentials aside, let’s start talking about how non-fiction differs from fiction…and how it is the same. We’ll start with the similarities this week and tackle the differences when I’m back here to post again in two weeks.
Similarities:
First, creativity counts as much in non-fiction as it does in fiction. While you may use your imagination to create scenarios in fiction, you’ll use your flexibility to explain sometimes difficult information in creative ways for non-fiction.
Second, hook, hook, hook . Although readers are commonly drawn to non-fiction topics because they have a need to know that information, it’s just as important as in fiction to hook your reader. Just because you’ve written the next great book on underwater basket weaving doesn’t five other authors, potentially with stronger hooks, haven’t also tackled the same topic. Hook your read early and keep that hook going.
Next, write an outline and stick to it . Fiction and non-fiction writers alike struggle with this – both have the tendency to run down rabbit trails instead of staying focused. In both cases, your manuscript will thank you by sticking to the script. Now…what if something important comes along and needs to be added? By all means, adjust the outline. But avoid rabbit trails at all costs!
Finally, fiction and non-fiction share a need for a continuous thread . Different chapters in non-fiction manuscripts may cover different sub-topics under the same overall idea, but that does not diminish the importance of a thread to connect the entire body of work.
How many of you out there write non-fiction, in addition to or instead of fiction? What other similarities have you noticed?
October 20, 2012
The Daddy Spell
Many of you have noticed that The Daddy Spell has disappeared from the shelves of most booksellers. Several of you contacted me to find out why. So here's the official announcement:
The Daddy Spell was originally published by The Wild Rose Press on November 23, 2007. Five years ago, indie publishing was unheard of and The Wild Rose Press is a wonderful author-friendly publisher. I was pleased to sign a contract with them to publish this work and want to thank them for their faith in me.
Today I co-own my own indie publishing company - KLG Press. It no longer made sense to contract out my work, so I requested back the rights to The Daddy Spell at the end of the contract. This is why the book is disappearing from the usual book selling sources.
The good news is that KLG Press will be republishing The Daddy Spell on November 24, 2012. It will be available immediately on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords. Sometime before Christmas it should appear on iBooks, Sony and in print on Amazon. If you want a copy, I promise you the only thing changed about the book is a proofread for typos and a new cover. Here's what you're looking for:
Thanks to all the wonderful Echo Falls fans out there who noticed! I appreciate you so much!
The Daddy Spell was originally published by The Wild Rose Press on November 23, 2007. Five years ago, indie publishing was unheard of and The Wild Rose Press is a wonderful author-friendly publisher. I was pleased to sign a contract with them to publish this work and want to thank them for their faith in me.
Today I co-own my own indie publishing company - KLG Press. It no longer made sense to contract out my work, so I requested back the rights to The Daddy Spell at the end of the contract. This is why the book is disappearing from the usual book selling sources.
The good news is that KLG Press will be republishing The Daddy Spell on November 24, 2012. It will be available immediately on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords. Sometime before Christmas it should appear on iBooks, Sony and in print on Amazon. If you want a copy, I promise you the only thing changed about the book is a proofread for typos and a new cover. Here's what you're looking for:
Thanks to all the wonderful Echo Falls fans out there who noticed! I appreciate you so much!
September 12, 2012
Cowboy's Sweetheart
Now that the long, busy summer is behind me, I'm working fast and furious on Cowboy's Sweetheart. This is book #2 in the Copper Canyon, Texas series coming to you at the beginning of next month.
Want a sneak peak? Of course you do! Meet Shane O'Hare - former bronc-rider, now a fireman. (Jess's brother from Cowboy's Heart) and Kendra Dawson, pastry chef and owner of Getaway Cakes. Enjoy this brief excerpt!
Kendra
flipped off the lid and pulled open a drawer for a spoon. “In that case, try away. Chocolate.
Raspberries. Has the texture of
tiramisu.” She moved to him and lifted
the utensil to dish up a spoonful. The
smolder in her eyes dried the spit in his mouth. She could feed him any day of the week and
eighty times on Sunday!
But
then she thought better of the action and handed the spoon over to him. She pushed the small bowl in front of him,
too. Disappointment crushed his breath.
She
stepped back and leaned against the counter. Her hands gripped the edge of the
butcher block, eyes watching him like a nervous lover, the heat banked.
Shane
dished up a bite and lifted the spoon to his mouth. He let the concoction hover near his
lips. “Is one taste going to be enough?”
She
squirmed against the counter. A light
blush spread across her cheekbones.
“Never. Hopefully.”
He
kept his eyes on hers and slipped a small portion in his mouth. The chocolate exploded, deep and rich,
against his tongue. The tartness of the
raspberries was a few moments behind.
The flavor lingered as the cake melted in his mouth, begging him to
swallow. He groaned.
“You
like?”
He
held up a finger, cleaned off the spoon and closed his eyes. If he looked at her now, he’d dive across the
counter and see how she liked kissing a chocolate flavored mouth. He was hard and wanting and trying
desperately to remember that there were steps in a courtship ritual. Women deserved respect and expecting a visit
to the bedroom on the first house visit was not a definition of respect. He
swallowed and cranked down hard on the need before opening his eyes. “Is there more?”
She
gave a small laugh. “Uh, no. I could make more. You don’t think it’s too tart?”
“No. All it needs is a cup of coffee to settle
down the riot it causes on your tongue.”
He took another bite and simply enjoyed the sensations.
She
grinned at him, pleasure making her eyes shine.
“You’re hired.”
He
turned his head, puzzling over that statement.
“As what?”
“My
official taster.”
Shane
sagged a bit, feeling as if he’d just scaled the walls of some invisible
obstacle course. He couldn’t disguise
the pleasure her words gave him. “Accepted.
Thank you.”
Kendra
cleared her throat. “Thank you.” She moved to the counter and snapped the lid
on the small amount remaining in the container.
He
reached for her hand before she could shift away and stroked his thumb over her
knuckles. “Talented hands.”
She
tried to pull her hand from his. “You
just want more cake.”
He
leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“Well…that’s one thing I want.”
And yes, now I'm laughing evilly. Heh. Best for your day!
Want a sneak peak? Of course you do! Meet Shane O'Hare - former bronc-rider, now a fireman. (Jess's brother from Cowboy's Heart) and Kendra Dawson, pastry chef and owner of Getaway Cakes. Enjoy this brief excerpt!
Kendra
flipped off the lid and pulled open a drawer for a spoon. “In that case, try away. Chocolate.
Raspberries. Has the texture of
tiramisu.” She moved to him and lifted
the utensil to dish up a spoonful. The
smolder in her eyes dried the spit in his mouth. She could feed him any day of the week and
eighty times on Sunday!
But
then she thought better of the action and handed the spoon over to him. She pushed the small bowl in front of him,
too. Disappointment crushed his breath.
She
stepped back and leaned against the counter. Her hands gripped the edge of the
butcher block, eyes watching him like a nervous lover, the heat banked.
Shane
dished up a bite and lifted the spoon to his mouth. He let the concoction hover near his
lips. “Is one taste going to be enough?”
She
squirmed against the counter. A light
blush spread across her cheekbones.
“Never. Hopefully.”
He
kept his eyes on hers and slipped a small portion in his mouth. The chocolate exploded, deep and rich,
against his tongue. The tartness of the
raspberries was a few moments behind.
The flavor lingered as the cake melted in his mouth, begging him to
swallow. He groaned.
“You
like?”
He
held up a finger, cleaned off the spoon and closed his eyes. If he looked at her now, he’d dive across the
counter and see how she liked kissing a chocolate flavored mouth. He was hard and wanting and trying
desperately to remember that there were steps in a courtship ritual. Women deserved respect and expecting a visit
to the bedroom on the first house visit was not a definition of respect. He
swallowed and cranked down hard on the need before opening his eyes. “Is there more?”
She
gave a small laugh. “Uh, no. I could make more. You don’t think it’s too tart?”
“No. All it needs is a cup of coffee to settle
down the riot it causes on your tongue.”
He took another bite and simply enjoyed the sensations.
She
grinned at him, pleasure making her eyes shine.
“You’re hired.”
He
turned his head, puzzling over that statement.
“As what?”
“My
official taster.”
Shane
sagged a bit, feeling as if he’d just scaled the walls of some invisible
obstacle course. He couldn’t disguise
the pleasure her words gave him. “Accepted.
Thank you.”
Kendra
cleared her throat. “Thank you.” She moved to the counter and snapped the lid
on the small amount remaining in the container.
He
reached for her hand before she could shift away and stroked his thumb over her
knuckles. “Talented hands.”
She
tried to pull her hand from his. “You
just want more cake.”
He
leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“Well…that’s one thing I want.”
And yes, now I'm laughing evilly. Heh. Best for your day!
August 30, 2012
Cowboy's Heart Free
COWBOY'S
HEART - Novella #1 in the Copper Canyon, Texas series - is available
FREE on Amazon on 8/30 and 8/31. This is a new edition. I had a
tremendous amount of fun revisiting this story and adding a few scenes
so you may spend some more time with Jess and Amy Rose.
If you have this cover, this is the first edition and is no longer available.
Here
is the newest cover - this is the expanded edition, coming in at 5,000
words longer, so the book itself is 20,000 words. This is the one that
is available free on 8/30 and 8/31. I left things up in the air at the
end of this. Oh don't worry, Jess and Amy Rose get their HEA, and I'm
not going to give any spoilers here. But a bunch happened to them in
the last chapter which you won't see resolved until further into the
Copper Canyon series. Also, as soon as Cowboy's Sweetheart is released
(see below), the two will be combined into one book for your buying
pleasure.
I
did discover in this process that I don't like the shortness of the
first version I put up, so I was glad I'm an indie author and could
revisit this to expand. Still, I wasn't happy with the short length of
this new one either. I know, the curse of a writer. But there was no
sense in continuing to rework this when I planned all along for Amy Rose
and Jess to be prominent in Shane's book as secondary characters. I
also now know that the others will be longer - in the 25,000-30,000
length. It's a win for you and a win for me!
What's Next? Shane O'Hare - sexy fireman and former bronc-rider meets Kendra Dawson - owner of Smashing Cakes - wedding cakes are her forte. Shane is smitten with Kendra and tells a protective lie to keep her in his life. Betrayed by a father who embezzled millions of dollars, Kendra's trust is at an all time low. When she finds out the depth of Shane's lie, will this cowboy keep his sweetheart? With any luck (and some smacking around of my muse), this one should be available at the end of September. And yes, there are some big things going on for Jess and Amy Rose, too! More meddling', more lovin', more Copper Canyon!
Coming later this year - Yes! More Copper Canyon!
A special story for Veteran's Day - Coming November 11, 2012.
Nick Campbell married the woman of his dreams right out of high school and lost her through his own stupidity. Jennifer Mitchell joined the Army to escape the pain of Nick's betrayal. Six years later she returns from Afghanistan wounded and depressed. Notified of her injury, Nick rushes to her side, but Jenn refuses his help. Can he convince her she will always be this cowboy's bride?
And finally, my gift to you for the holiday season - A full-length Copper Canyon Novel - Cowboy's Angel!
HEART - Novella #1 in the Copper Canyon, Texas series - is available
FREE on Amazon on 8/30 and 8/31. This is a new edition. I had a
tremendous amount of fun revisiting this story and adding a few scenes
so you may spend some more time with Jess and Amy Rose.
If you have this cover, this is the first edition and is no longer available.
Here
is the newest cover - this is the expanded edition, coming in at 5,000
words longer, so the book itself is 20,000 words. This is the one that
is available free on 8/30 and 8/31. I left things up in the air at the
end of this. Oh don't worry, Jess and Amy Rose get their HEA, and I'm
not going to give any spoilers here. But a bunch happened to them in
the last chapter which you won't see resolved until further into the
Copper Canyon series. Also, as soon as Cowboy's Sweetheart is released
(see below), the two will be combined into one book for your buying
pleasure.
I
did discover in this process that I don't like the shortness of the
first version I put up, so I was glad I'm an indie author and could
revisit this to expand. Still, I wasn't happy with the short length of
this new one either. I know, the curse of a writer. But there was no
sense in continuing to rework this when I planned all along for Amy Rose
and Jess to be prominent in Shane's book as secondary characters. I
also now know that the others will be longer - in the 25,000-30,000
length. It's a win for you and a win for me!
What's Next? Shane O'Hare - sexy fireman and former bronc-rider meets Kendra Dawson - owner of Smashing Cakes - wedding cakes are her forte. Shane is smitten with Kendra and tells a protective lie to keep her in his life. Betrayed by a father who embezzled millions of dollars, Kendra's trust is at an all time low. When she finds out the depth of Shane's lie, will this cowboy keep his sweetheart? With any luck (and some smacking around of my muse), this one should be available at the end of September. And yes, there are some big things going on for Jess and Amy Rose, too! More meddling', more lovin', more Copper Canyon!
Coming later this year - Yes! More Copper Canyon!
A special story for Veteran's Day - Coming November 11, 2012.
Nick Campbell married the woman of his dreams right out of high school and lost her through his own stupidity. Jennifer Mitchell joined the Army to escape the pain of Nick's betrayal. Six years later she returns from Afghanistan wounded and depressed. Notified of her injury, Nick rushes to her side, but Jenn refuses his help. Can he convince her she will always be this cowboy's bride?
And finally, my gift to you for the holiday season - A full-length Copper Canyon Novel - Cowboy's Angel!
July 17, 2012
The Rock Star's Sheriff Summer Concert Tour and Free Book Blowout!
I'm pleased to announce a Parson Corners Summer Event! THE ROCK STAR'S SHERIFF will be available to download FREE on Amazon from Wednesday, July 18th through Friday, July 20th. That means the fun begins tomorrow and runs through Friday, just in time to set up your to-be-read for the weekend. This will be the LAST time ROCK STAR'S SHERIFF will be free.
Parson Corners is a fictious small community, nestled in the mountains of Colorado. Come visit Eagle Mountain Ski Resort to hike and fish, snowboard and ski. Get your morning coffee from the Curly Q and let Tiny, the owner, tell you all about the town's most famous resident and how she fell in love with the Sheriff Zach Murphy! Tiny is Leia Shae's biggest fan, so be prepared to have a donut or two while he talks. While you're there, you might run into Zach's other brothers or his famous aunt, television chef Fiona Devlin, or one of the other quirky residents.
So book your vacation by uploading THE ROCK STAR'S SHERIFF. The town will be waiting for you to visit!
