Patti Ann Colt's Blog, page 6
November 14, 2011
Autism Speaks
Saturday, November 12, 2011 - The Colt Family and Friends participated in the DFW Walk for Autism Speaks. My grandson is autistic and this cause has become very important to us. Standing in the chilly morning beside this bright,energetic child with all our family and friends around us meant the world. Seeing how many other people were there in similar groups was both heartening and sad. This ailment strikes 1 in 110 kids. I won't go into more detail than that. If you want to know more, the Center for Disease Control has a wonderful information resource on autism.
KLG Press - my independent press run with Tiffany Aller - ran a sale and donated to Autism Speaks for every sale. Family members generously gave of their dollars. I'm happy to announce that the Colt Family donated almost $500 to Autism Speaks because of your generosity.
Present with the Z-Team at the walk: Zachary Colt, Anne Colt, Rebecca Colt, John Colt, Tiffany Aller, Cate Aller, Jeffrey Aller, Lucy O'Lenick, Tom Bob McLean, Helen Chan, Robin Keller, Rob Keller. Thank you all so much!
Special thanks to Rebecca for pushing the brilliant idea of participation.
Thanks to Robin, Zach's speech therapist, for taking time out of her weekend to come and support our little guy - that was just the awesomeness she is and we feel blessed she's helping him.
Bring it on for next year! And thank you!
November 11, 2011
KISS ME GOODNIGHT
Echo Falls fans REJOICE!
Tom Applegate's book is here. KISS ME GOODNIGHT released today!
Kiss Me Goodnight was begun in the middle of my divorce and submitted shortly before it was final. It was a hard write, but it is a fabulous story of love and trust. Maybe you don't know, but a book doesn't happen alone. I may write the story, but many people invest time and energy to make it happen in this format.
So here's my thanks: Kelly McCrady, writing partner and editor extraordinaire, Tiffany Aller, business partner and cheerleader, Jamie Colt, daughter and fabulous beta reader, Rhonda Penders, editor-in-chief of The Wild Rose Press, Tori Spence, my editor, and Angela Anderson, cover artist for another sensational cover, and ALL my family - count them, brothers, aunt, cousins, sons and daughters, grandson, nieces, nephews and greats of each - you are the best family!
Okay. I'm done now. Want an excerpt? Of course, you do.
Before I do that, though....the book is for sale the following places:
TheWildRosePress.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com in Kindle and Print
Next Monday, I'll have details on a contest that I have starting with a gazillion giveaways and one special GRAND PRIZE. Also, don't forget that A WINTER'S ROMANCE and CHRISTMAS MAGIC are for sale now on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords. BOO & LINDY'S MATCHMATCHING ADVENTURE is coming November 23rd for Christmas to Kindle and Smashwords, as well.
Echo Falls fans - prepare to READ!
EXCERPT:
Summer stood on the front porch of her grandfather's home, looking out over the
neighborhood. A one-storey house here and a two storey there, green yards with just so flower pots on porches and bicycles in the driveways. She'd been gone ten years, yet Mrs. Patch still lived across the street looking a hundred years old as she always did. The number of houses with children had increased, yet the flavor of the neighborhood remained the same, an aged constant that both comforted and pricked.
The August afternoon burned hot, and it wasn't even the peak of the afternoon yet.
Her rental car sat in the driveway, a sedate silver sedan. It fit the town, but was so far removed from the electric blue Jaguar she drove in San Francisco as to be like silk to denim. Dressed in navy Capri pants and a yellow silk camisole, she
shivered—not from cold, but from memories surfacing like bubbles. Her grandfather's judgments taunted her—especially given she hadn't painted anything new in months.
It didn't matter that her work was well known now. It didn't matter that her paintings commanded tens of thousands of dollars in the free market. She'd
reached a turning point. And this place was stopping her, stifling her—creeping into her creativity until she'd all but dried up. No brush strokes would come.
She couldn't run away this time. She had to shift those belittling memories to her advantage—become Summer LeFey, world-renowned artist, not an Echo Falls child misfit.
She sank into the porch rocking chair,positioned to overlook her grandmother's garden, and kicked off her sandals. The colorful butterflies flitted among the riotous flowers. Her grandmother used to spend hours on her knees in the garden,
pulling that weed, adding this plant, trimming that flower. She'd always been guided by some inner harmony, much as Summer was with her painting.
She listened to the chair rails creak against the porch as she rocked. The sprinkler swished through its circuit on the lawn next door. Kids shouted down the street. All was as it should be, yet not. Her grandfather's death shifted things, making
her feel less and more all at once. Yesterday, when she'd calmed from the news,
she'd made a promise to herself. She would take four weeks.
Four weeks to bury him and try to forgive.
Four weeks to clean out and remember the good times with both him and her grandmother.
Four weeks to clear the chaff.
Then she'd get the hell out of here and never come back.
The thought gave her a pang, but when she got back home to California, she could embrace normal. She would paint and then paint some more. There would be no more blocks, and she could finally produce the paintings she needed for her showing.
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the drive made her plant both feet to stop the chair. She twisted to see an Echo Falls Police Department car roll to a stop. What now? One of the neighbors must have called, not used to seeing anyone but Tom
Applegate at the house.
Just thinking his name rattled her nerves. She'd had a crush on him in junior high before he'd graduated high school and gone to college. She talked to him on the phone many times since her grandfather had gone to the nursing home, even
argued with him about coming home. Through it all, she doubted he remembered the girl who'd handed him her art.
She'd intended to seek him out later to get the key for the house, but the minute she got to town, she'd wanted to see the place she used to call home. It never occurred to her that it would be a problem.
She rose from the chair and leaned against the porch post, waiting to make explanations to the police officer. The engine turned off and a long moment of
silence settled in the yard.
A uniformed man with a long lean frame stepped from the car.
Tom Applegate.
He'd aged spectacularly. Sturdy, muscular—his form made her mouth water, made her fingers itch for a pencil to sketch with once again. The feeling was enough of an
anomaly of her talent of late, and she closed her eyes for a moment to savor. Then she opened her eyes and saw his face, close up and personal.
Her breath seized, pulling into a painful knot in her chest. Dark hair, cut short grazed his scalp. Sunglasses covered those knockout blue eyes, darn it! His nose, his cheekbones, his chin—sculpted, fascinating contours—as damn close to perfection as she'd ever seen. This was why she'd felt compelled to draw him the first time.
Now, however, his lips were turned down in a scowl. He looked like a thundercloud ready to drop rain.
She watched him walk to the front porch. He took his time—authority in measured steps, the blue of his uniform contrasting against tanned skin, his hands loose at his sides, but hovering near his weapon. His high school baseball uniform had been
thrilling to an innocent young girl; this uniform devastated a grown woman.
He stopped mere inches from the porch and removed his sunglasses. He gave her the once over with mocking blue eyes. Her nipples peaked, the sudden rush of lust knocking her off balance.
"Summer," her Michelangelo said.
"Tom." She didn't offer to shake his hand. Some feminine instinct warning her not to touch him. "How did you know I'd be here?"
"Educated guess when Mrs. Patch reported a woman intruder to the police department." His rich, baritone voice stirred a fluttering inside that defied analysis.
Summer straightened her shoulders, feeling out of her element and not liking it. "House looks good. Seems like you helped a lot with that."
He did another lazy sweep over her with his eyes, then returned to her face, disgust there. "Seems like," he finally answered.
His reaction freeze-dried her lust. "You don't like me much, do you?" She didn't
know why she blurted that or why she cared.
A muscle in his cheek twitched, his hand clenched and unclenched. Silence dragged. Then he said, "Walter had some problems in the last year. Could have used you around. Seems like you two should have made peace before he passed."
She shrugged, feeling the censure like a blade. "Look, I appreciate everything you did for him, but it wasn't that simple." Summer winced, cursing herself
for even starting a conversation that would put her on the defensive. She should have just asked for the damn key.
He raised a brow. His silence condemned, challenged, called her out. And she supposed he should. The man had been a good friend to her grandfather for ten years and had taken care of him while she'd been painting—absent from here. On
purpose.
She crossed her arms in front of her, rubbing her hands up her arms to soothe her nerves. "I made something of myself away from here, away from him."
"Yes, you did." He put a booted foot on the first step.
Summer curled her toes into the cool planks of the front porch. He wasn't moving, but she felt as if he'd invaded her space with his lean length, his muscled shoulders, and his dark handsome look.
"It was time to come back, to settle some things." Damn her mouth for not just shutting.
"After he's dead? When there's nothing left except to bury him and deal with the house?" His bitter tone was coated with disbelief and utter disgust. His mouth tightened into a hard line. "Hope it helps."
He laid the key to the house on the railing,turned, and walked to his police vehicle. He didn't look back. He didn't so much as acknowledge that she still stood on the porch staring after him.
Anger and defiance rose to choke her." He hated my guts," she yelled at his back.
He froze with his hand on the door handle and twisted to stare at her. "He adored you. Talked about your art all over town. Loved you like only a grandfather could." He paused to let his words sink in. "Too bad it's too late to make amends."
He got in the vehicle and pulled away from the driveway, leaving her tumbling into the staleness of what she just recognized as her life—with a deep oozing wound and conflicted memories.
****
Tom Applegate's book is here. KISS ME GOODNIGHT released today!
Kiss Me Goodnight was begun in the middle of my divorce and submitted shortly before it was final. It was a hard write, but it is a fabulous story of love and trust. Maybe you don't know, but a book doesn't happen alone. I may write the story, but many people invest time and energy to make it happen in this format.
So here's my thanks: Kelly McCrady, writing partner and editor extraordinaire, Tiffany Aller, business partner and cheerleader, Jamie Colt, daughter and fabulous beta reader, Rhonda Penders, editor-in-chief of The Wild Rose Press, Tori Spence, my editor, and Angela Anderson, cover artist for another sensational cover, and ALL my family - count them, brothers, aunt, cousins, sons and daughters, grandson, nieces, nephews and greats of each - you are the best family!
Okay. I'm done now. Want an excerpt? Of course, you do.
Before I do that, though....the book is for sale the following places:
TheWildRosePress.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com in Kindle and Print
Next Monday, I'll have details on a contest that I have starting with a gazillion giveaways and one special GRAND PRIZE. Also, don't forget that A WINTER'S ROMANCE and CHRISTMAS MAGIC are for sale now on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords. BOO & LINDY'S MATCHMATCHING ADVENTURE is coming November 23rd for Christmas to Kindle and Smashwords, as well.
Echo Falls fans - prepare to READ!
EXCERPT:
Summer stood on the front porch of her grandfather's home, looking out over the
neighborhood. A one-storey house here and a two storey there, green yards with just so flower pots on porches and bicycles in the driveways. She'd been gone ten years, yet Mrs. Patch still lived across the street looking a hundred years old as she always did. The number of houses with children had increased, yet the flavor of the neighborhood remained the same, an aged constant that both comforted and pricked.
The August afternoon burned hot, and it wasn't even the peak of the afternoon yet.
Her rental car sat in the driveway, a sedate silver sedan. It fit the town, but was so far removed from the electric blue Jaguar she drove in San Francisco as to be like silk to denim. Dressed in navy Capri pants and a yellow silk camisole, she
shivered—not from cold, but from memories surfacing like bubbles. Her grandfather's judgments taunted her—especially given she hadn't painted anything new in months.
It didn't matter that her work was well known now. It didn't matter that her paintings commanded tens of thousands of dollars in the free market. She'd
reached a turning point. And this place was stopping her, stifling her—creeping into her creativity until she'd all but dried up. No brush strokes would come.
She couldn't run away this time. She had to shift those belittling memories to her advantage—become Summer LeFey, world-renowned artist, not an Echo Falls child misfit.
She sank into the porch rocking chair,positioned to overlook her grandmother's garden, and kicked off her sandals. The colorful butterflies flitted among the riotous flowers. Her grandmother used to spend hours on her knees in the garden,
pulling that weed, adding this plant, trimming that flower. She'd always been guided by some inner harmony, much as Summer was with her painting.
She listened to the chair rails creak against the porch as she rocked. The sprinkler swished through its circuit on the lawn next door. Kids shouted down the street. All was as it should be, yet not. Her grandfather's death shifted things, making
her feel less and more all at once. Yesterday, when she'd calmed from the news,
she'd made a promise to herself. She would take four weeks.
Four weeks to bury him and try to forgive.
Four weeks to clean out and remember the good times with both him and her grandmother.
Four weeks to clear the chaff.
Then she'd get the hell out of here and never come back.
The thought gave her a pang, but when she got back home to California, she could embrace normal. She would paint and then paint some more. There would be no more blocks, and she could finally produce the paintings she needed for her showing.
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the drive made her plant both feet to stop the chair. She twisted to see an Echo Falls Police Department car roll to a stop. What now? One of the neighbors must have called, not used to seeing anyone but Tom
Applegate at the house.
Just thinking his name rattled her nerves. She'd had a crush on him in junior high before he'd graduated high school and gone to college. She talked to him on the phone many times since her grandfather had gone to the nursing home, even
argued with him about coming home. Through it all, she doubted he remembered the girl who'd handed him her art.
She'd intended to seek him out later to get the key for the house, but the minute she got to town, she'd wanted to see the place she used to call home. It never occurred to her that it would be a problem.
She rose from the chair and leaned against the porch post, waiting to make explanations to the police officer. The engine turned off and a long moment of
silence settled in the yard.
A uniformed man with a long lean frame stepped from the car.
Tom Applegate.
He'd aged spectacularly. Sturdy, muscular—his form made her mouth water, made her fingers itch for a pencil to sketch with once again. The feeling was enough of an
anomaly of her talent of late, and she closed her eyes for a moment to savor. Then she opened her eyes and saw his face, close up and personal.
Her breath seized, pulling into a painful knot in her chest. Dark hair, cut short grazed his scalp. Sunglasses covered those knockout blue eyes, darn it! His nose, his cheekbones, his chin—sculpted, fascinating contours—as damn close to perfection as she'd ever seen. This was why she'd felt compelled to draw him the first time.
Now, however, his lips were turned down in a scowl. He looked like a thundercloud ready to drop rain.
She watched him walk to the front porch. He took his time—authority in measured steps, the blue of his uniform contrasting against tanned skin, his hands loose at his sides, but hovering near his weapon. His high school baseball uniform had been
thrilling to an innocent young girl; this uniform devastated a grown woman.
He stopped mere inches from the porch and removed his sunglasses. He gave her the once over with mocking blue eyes. Her nipples peaked, the sudden rush of lust knocking her off balance.
"Summer," her Michelangelo said.
"Tom." She didn't offer to shake his hand. Some feminine instinct warning her not to touch him. "How did you know I'd be here?"
"Educated guess when Mrs. Patch reported a woman intruder to the police department." His rich, baritone voice stirred a fluttering inside that defied analysis.
Summer straightened her shoulders, feeling out of her element and not liking it. "House looks good. Seems like you helped a lot with that."
He did another lazy sweep over her with his eyes, then returned to her face, disgust there. "Seems like," he finally answered.
His reaction freeze-dried her lust. "You don't like me much, do you?" She didn't
know why she blurted that or why she cared.
A muscle in his cheek twitched, his hand clenched and unclenched. Silence dragged. Then he said, "Walter had some problems in the last year. Could have used you around. Seems like you two should have made peace before he passed."
She shrugged, feeling the censure like a blade. "Look, I appreciate everything you did for him, but it wasn't that simple." Summer winced, cursing herself
for even starting a conversation that would put her on the defensive. She should have just asked for the damn key.
He raised a brow. His silence condemned, challenged, called her out. And she supposed he should. The man had been a good friend to her grandfather for ten years and had taken care of him while she'd been painting—absent from here. On
purpose.
She crossed her arms in front of her, rubbing her hands up her arms to soothe her nerves. "I made something of myself away from here, away from him."
"Yes, you did." He put a booted foot on the first step.
Summer curled her toes into the cool planks of the front porch. He wasn't moving, but she felt as if he'd invaded her space with his lean length, his muscled shoulders, and his dark handsome look.
"It was time to come back, to settle some things." Damn her mouth for not just shutting.
"After he's dead? When there's nothing left except to bury him and deal with the house?" His bitter tone was coated with disbelief and utter disgust. His mouth tightened into a hard line. "Hope it helps."
He laid the key to the house on the railing,turned, and walked to his police vehicle. He didn't look back. He didn't so much as acknowledge that she still stood on the porch staring after him.
Anger and defiance rose to choke her." He hated my guts," she yelled at his back.
He froze with his hand on the door handle and twisted to stare at her. "He adored you. Talked about your art all over town. Loved you like only a grandfather could." He paused to let his words sink in. "Too bad it's too late to make amends."
He got in the vehicle and pulled away from the driveway, leaving her tumbling into the staleness of what she just recognized as her life—with a deep oozing wound and conflicted memories.
****
October 24, 2011
The Rock Star's Sheriff FREE
FREE COPIES - FREE COPIES - FREE COPIES
I have several free copies of The Rock Star's Sheriff to give away. What do you have to do to get yours?
1. Send me an email request for a free copy to pattiann@pattianncolt.com. Put FREE COPY in the subject line. I will send out a .pdf copy unless otherwise specified.
2. Read this great first book in the Parson Corners series. I hope you enjoy it!
3. Then please write a review and post to Amazon by 11/11/11 or email it back to me to post for you.
Pretty simple, huh?
Email me today! Thanks.
I have several free copies of The Rock Star's Sheriff to give away. What do you have to do to get yours?
1. Send me an email request for a free copy to pattiann@pattianncolt.com. Put FREE COPY in the subject line. I will send out a .pdf copy unless otherwise specified.
2. Read this great first book in the Parson Corners series. I hope you enjoy it!
3. Then please write a review and post to Amazon by 11/11/11 or email it back to me to post for you.
Pretty simple, huh?
Email me today! Thanks.
Walk for Autism Speaks
As I've blogged before and many of you know, my grandson is autistic. Every day we fight the fight to ensure this smart, happy, precious child will have a productive life.
Please join me today in my fight to make a difference in the lives of the more than 1million Americans living with autism.
As a family, we are participating in Walk Now for Autism Speaks to help change the future for all those affected by autism. Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 110 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 15 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.
Walk Now for Autism Speaks is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join us in our fight as we raise money to help fund essential research. You can donate to Walk Now for Autism Speaks and/or join my family's team online using the links at the bottom of this page. Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on the page or send a check made out to Autism Speaks to Patti Colt, 2203 Bolivar Drive, Arlington, TX 76002.
Thank you for helping us take this important step in the fight against autism.
Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Autism Speaks 501 (C)(3) Tax Id #: 20-2329938
Matching gift program: Many companies provide their employees with matching gifts. Please consult your employer on its matching gift guidelines and attach matching gift forms accordingly.
Follow This Link to visit our personal web page and help us in our efforts to support Autism Speaks
Please join me today in my fight to make a difference in the lives of the more than 1million Americans living with autism.
As a family, we are participating in Walk Now for Autism Speaks to help change the future for all those affected by autism. Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 110 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 15 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.
Walk Now for Autism Speaks is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join us in our fight as we raise money to help fund essential research. You can donate to Walk Now for Autism Speaks and/or join my family's team online using the links at the bottom of this page. Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on the page or send a check made out to Autism Speaks to Patti Colt, 2203 Bolivar Drive, Arlington, TX 76002.
Thank you for helping us take this important step in the fight against autism.
Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Autism Speaks 501 (C)(3) Tax Id #: 20-2329938
Matching gift program: Many companies provide their employees with matching gifts. Please consult your employer on its matching gift guidelines and attach matching gift forms accordingly.
Follow This Link to visit our personal web page and help us in our efforts to support Autism Speaks
October 20, 2011
Where Does a Town Come From?
When my kids were growing up my husband's family bought a house in Kellogg, Idaho. Kellog is the home to Silver Mountain Ski Resort. The house was used as a rental most of the year. But Thanksgivings were reserved for the family and we met many times there for good food, skiing, games and laughter. Of course, the house was sold shortly before we moved from Washington to Alabama, but the memories linger. (I also grew up with Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort just miles from my home in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. So small town details are in my blood. No, I don't ski. Just FYI.) As a writer, that's a really good thing. It means there are lots of good details to pull from my brain to use in my storytelling and this memory was no exception.
How any idea is born, I have no clue. Sometimes I just wake up and it's there. Sometimes it's from a picture or a bit of music. In the case of Parson Corners, the rock star idea came first. I have always loved Mandy Moore, ever since "Candy". Come on. Admit it. You know I'm not alone.
That idea percolated, mixing with Silver Mountain until I needed a new idea for a new town. It wasn't as simple as pulling all that out and viola, there it was. No, took a little more mixing than that. We'd moved to Texas by then and were making visits home by jetting across I-40 into Colorado and thru Denver. I love Colorado's scenery. I'd just published the first two Echo Falls, so I didn't want another Texas small town, so I went looking in Colorado. A cruise of the internet turned up the San Juan Mountain Range and South Fork, Colorado.
It was after I saw all these pictures that the ideas began to roll together. A look see on the Colorado map devised the name of Parson and the rest is made-up history. Of course, who hasn't seen headlines about this rock star arrested or that rock star's life is a mess - well, the natural conclusion for any romance author is to brainstorm, well, a romance. So seemingly random bits of information unite to form a strong idea.
Here is the result. The Rock Star's Sheriff is now on sale on Amazon, Nook, Smashwords, and visit iTunes for access to the book on iBooks. It was a fun write and with four Murphy brothers, you know there has to be a sequel. Yes, Five-Star Wife is next. Who would have the audacity to challenge brother Wyatt's cooking genius? Find out in March 2012.
September 4, 2011
The Rock Star's Sheriff
Back Cover:
Pop diva Leia Shae ventured forth from small town America and made herself a superstar. After fifteen years of stardom, she's hollow and lost – so lost that her clash with the law outside Parson Corners, Colorado launches her into a quest for a place to belong.
Sheriff Zach Murphy has a pre-teen rebellious daughter, a meddling family and a wary wounded soul. When Leia crashes into his life, she batters the walls Zach's built to protect himself. When his former flame and the media descend on his town digging for scandal on the rock star, how will Zach choose? Should he protect his hard-won stability or dare he stand by sexy, loving Leia and risk his heart?
Excerpt:
Leia took a deep breath, studying every nuance of Zach's face. Then, she deliberately stepped into his space, just a hand's breadth away from his chest, and glared up at him. "Who are you worried about, Zach? Carlee or yourself?"
His breath caught on a snarl. She had one moment to wonder why she stepped into his web, one moment to see the shift in his eyes from reproachful fury to naked longing, one moment to move away.
His lips slammed into hers, punishing in intensity. Her heart jolted, her pulse pounded in her ears. Being no one's wallflower, she immediately gave back as good as she got.
She slid closer and arched her arms around his neck, pulling him against her, toying with the hair at the nap of his neck. He groaned. His lips gentled, sliding across hers, the warmth caused tingles from head to toe. At that moment, it ceased to be about anger or defending herself to the furious sheriff. She met his tongue, tasting of sweetened coffee, and let the moment take over, committing the rightness of it to heart. She could have stood there for eons with his mouth learning hers, cherishing hers, but Zach abruptly pulled away and deliberately set her a couple of feet away from him.
Anger returned to his eyes.
He spun and walked down the hall to the entryway, his boots pounding loudly on the floor. The front door slammed, the closing punctuation.
She touched her lips, felt a slight swelling and her entire body revolted at the abrupt cessation of the kiss. Another rush of heat flooded her face.
"Well, damn it all to hell," she muttered to the empty house.
******************************************************************
Rock Star's Sheriff will be published this weekend. Watch Amazon and Smashwords for availability. Producing this book has been a tremendous experience - fun, challenging, and worth every minute. I have been working very hard to give you a wonderful read. I hope you love Parson Corners, the Murphy family, and Zach and Leia's love story.
The print version will be available on Amazon soon. I designed the cover for this project and it has been a learning experience as well. I want to physically see a print copy and make sure I got all the details right before they are offered for sale, so watch for an announcement soon. Just to whet your appetite, I'll give you a glimpse of the full cover.
July 18, 2011
Catch Me by Lorelie Brown
Newflash! Released today! For those of us who love us some western historical romance, run over and get your copy of CATCH ME by Lorelie Brown from Carina today.
Back Cover Blurb:
Arizona Territory, 1882
Maggie Bullock's father needed expensive medical care and if that meant stealing from their friendly swindling banker, so be it. Once her father was on the path to recovery she would face the consequences. The whole thing was surprisingly easy until she's kidnapped by bounty hunter Dean Collier.
Collier is tired of tracking down worthless scum. He's afraid he'll lose his last scrap of humanity and become a stone-cold killer, just like the men he brings to justice. He jumps at the chance to become sheriff of Fresh Springs, Arizona. The one condition—capture Maggie.
He figured it'd be easy. Until beautiful, loyal Maggie breaks through defenses he'd thought cemented. His feelings for her run the range from fury to confusion to love, but if he doesn't bring her in someone else will. Can there be a future between a sheriff and a fugitive?
Enjoy!
July 12, 2011
A Whole Lotta Fun Going On
I didn't publish my Summer Reading List this year and for that my apologies. Mainly, I'm going where the spirit moves me. A clean-up of my bookshelves revealed my to-be-read pile is totally out of control again - close to 300 books. Instead of an organized Summer Reading List then, I'm sifting through the eclectic mix of books there and trying to whittle down this pile.
The state of my Kindle is much the same. About forty books and short stories there to read. I'd like to highly recommend a couple of reads:
J.A. Konrath, thriller author, united with Ann Voss Peterson, Harlequin Intriquie author to write a thriller romance. While this book fell a bit more to the thriller than romance, it was still a rocking good read. For only $2.99 on Amazon Kindle (and probably on Smashwords, too) this is a fun, quick read with lots of things blowing up and a smart, saavy heroine.
CODENAME: CHANDLER
She's an elite spy, working for an agency so secret only three people know it exists. Trained by the best of the best, she has honed her body, her instincts, and her intellect to become the perfect weapon.
Then her cover is explosively blown, and she becomes a walking bulls-eye, stalked by assassins who want the secrets she holds, and those who'd prefer she die before talking.
Chandler now has twenty-four hours to thwart a kidnapping, stop a murderous psychopath, uncover the mystery of her past, retire five highly-trained contract killers, and save the world from nuclear annihilation, all while dodging 10,000 bullets and a tenacious cop named Jack Daniels.
Buckle up. It's going to be one helluva ride
The next one is short short, but still a fabulous execution of a romance short story. Dee Schofield is a pen name of Dean Wesley Smith. Visit his website to see about his 100 short story challenge and then spend a buck and read this great short.
Not really dead, not really alive. That's how Debbie finds herself one fine day in a hospital morgue when the man of her dreams walks in to do an autopsy on her perfectly wonderful body. He thinks she is totally dead. Then things get really weird when he starts talking about dating her. Was her prince charming nothing more than a pervert? Could he find out the truth about her in time?
Dee W. Schofield is the science fiction and paranormal romance pen name for a bestselling fiction writer. For more information about Dee W. Schofield, go to deewschofield.com.
If you'd wondered where I'd gone off to this summer, I've been working on the edits for The Rock Star's Sheriff which will be coming out on August 12th from KLG Press. Visit my website for details and I'll be announcing a contest within the month.
I'm writing my Copper Canyon short story series right now. I love this short story concept as I get to roll with a bunch of characters that I'm enjoying the heck out of. The first short story is Cowboy's Heart and it's scheduled to be published by KLG Press on August 19th. I'm so excited about this series. Seven strong and stubborn cowboys falling for seven strong and stubborn women. It's better than Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and the fireworks are Texas worthy!
A release date for Kiss Me Goodnight from The Wild Rose Press is pending. Watch for details on that and I've scheduled time to write a new short story just in time for Christmas - Boo and Lindy's Matchmaking Adventure. I know how much y'all love Boo and Lindy and their antics.
Finally, I've been working hard on my food blog with partner, Tiffany Aller - Worth A Damn Food! Please take a moment and check out our cookbook releases! We are so excited about these. Available on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords - which means virtually everywhere in ebook! Not much better than these tasty recipes! I'm a cookie fiend, so yes, some of these are my absolute favorites. Yes, we will have a print version - of our first seven published mini-cookbooks combined - out before Christmas!
Available Now!
> Available Now!
Coming Soon!
Thinking of you all and hoping your summer is read worthy and rest rich!
The state of my Kindle is much the same. About forty books and short stories there to read. I'd like to highly recommend a couple of reads:
J.A. Konrath, thriller author, united with Ann Voss Peterson, Harlequin Intriquie author to write a thriller romance. While this book fell a bit more to the thriller than romance, it was still a rocking good read. For only $2.99 on Amazon Kindle (and probably on Smashwords, too) this is a fun, quick read with lots of things blowing up and a smart, saavy heroine.
CODENAME: CHANDLER
She's an elite spy, working for an agency so secret only three people know it exists. Trained by the best of the best, she has honed her body, her instincts, and her intellect to become the perfect weapon.
Then her cover is explosively blown, and she becomes a walking bulls-eye, stalked by assassins who want the secrets she holds, and those who'd prefer she die before talking.
Chandler now has twenty-four hours to thwart a kidnapping, stop a murderous psychopath, uncover the mystery of her past, retire five highly-trained contract killers, and save the world from nuclear annihilation, all while dodging 10,000 bullets and a tenacious cop named Jack Daniels.
Buckle up. It's going to be one helluva ride
The next one is short short, but still a fabulous execution of a romance short story. Dee Schofield is a pen name of Dean Wesley Smith. Visit his website to see about his 100 short story challenge and then spend a buck and read this great short.
Not really dead, not really alive. That's how Debbie finds herself one fine day in a hospital morgue when the man of her dreams walks in to do an autopsy on her perfectly wonderful body. He thinks she is totally dead. Then things get really weird when he starts talking about dating her. Was her prince charming nothing more than a pervert? Could he find out the truth about her in time?
Dee W. Schofield is the science fiction and paranormal romance pen name for a bestselling fiction writer. For more information about Dee W. Schofield, go to deewschofield.com.
If you'd wondered where I'd gone off to this summer, I've been working on the edits for The Rock Star's Sheriff which will be coming out on August 12th from KLG Press. Visit my website for details and I'll be announcing a contest within the month.
I'm writing my Copper Canyon short story series right now. I love this short story concept as I get to roll with a bunch of characters that I'm enjoying the heck out of. The first short story is Cowboy's Heart and it's scheduled to be published by KLG Press on August 19th. I'm so excited about this series. Seven strong and stubborn cowboys falling for seven strong and stubborn women. It's better than Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and the fireworks are Texas worthy!
A release date for Kiss Me Goodnight from The Wild Rose Press is pending. Watch for details on that and I've scheduled time to write a new short story just in time for Christmas - Boo and Lindy's Matchmaking Adventure. I know how much y'all love Boo and Lindy and their antics.
Finally, I've been working hard on my food blog with partner, Tiffany Aller - Worth A Damn Food! Please take a moment and check out our cookbook releases! We are so excited about these. Available on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords - which means virtually everywhere in ebook! Not much better than these tasty recipes! I'm a cookie fiend, so yes, some of these are my absolute favorites. Yes, we will have a print version - of our first seven published mini-cookbooks combined - out before Christmas!
Available Now!
> Available Now!
Coming Soon!Thinking of you all and hoping your summer is read worthy and rest rich!
May 30, 2011
A Release and a Coming Soon
Coming Soon from The Wild Rose Press - Patti Ann Colt
Available Now on your favorite Ereader from KLG Press - Patti Fredericksen Colt and Tiffany Aller
More coming!
May 21, 2011
A Gripe and A Brilliant Idea
I'm behind on my Linda Howard reading. I'm behind in reading in general, hence the 255 books in my to-be-read pile. But, Linda Howard latest from last year never even hit my pile. Not sure why, but I found it at the library this week - Veil of Night. Loved it, by the way - review going up on my other blog, Sophie Rose Says.
No gripes with Linda Howard at all. My gripe is with her publisher. I love my Kindle. The best thing about it is the ability to save hundreds of books and have them my fingertips. I want this book in my library, so its logical to want to put it on my Kindle. BUT, $13.99???? Are you serious??? I love how Amazon disavows any association with the price - Price for this product set by publisher. Heh. Now, I love Linda Howard, but won't be buying this for my Kindle. I'll be waiting until the end of June comes and the paperback comes out at 7.99. Further, I'll be waiting for a few people to buy, read, and trade, so I can pick up a used copy for half price. Hence, the only person to profit off that transaction is my used bookstore.
I cannot conceive why the Big publishers do not get that this kind of pricing drives readers away from their books. They do exactly the same thing I do. Is it as the self-publishing gurus like J.A. Konrath suggests that they are trying to save their traditional publishing model by discouraging ebook sales? Or they think they are all that and can get away with putting that price on things, that they are so indispensible we as the consumer will suck it up and pay that? (I won't - Libary please!)
These publishers use this same philosophy when they take a great best-selling romance author like Nalini Singh and move her from paperback to hardback. And usually right in the middle of a great series, they switch from first paperback release to hardback and try to suck $30 out of my pocket. I get she's big and has a readership that begs for this transition. But, this is the model they are using right now on Nalini Singh's Kiss of Snow, releasing May 31st. I have all the other books in this series in PAPERBACK, now have to switch to hardcover. I have been dying for this story! But this transition screws up my bookshelves and screws with my pocketbook. And now they want to screw with my Kindle.
I follow very few authors to hardback. I will wait until paperbacks are released and go to my used bookstore before I purchase. There's a few exceptions - Suzanne Brockmann to name one. And Nalini Singh will probably fall in that category. But Linda Howard did not, J.D. Robb's In Death series did for awhile, but now is not, Janet Evanovich did not and Sherrilyn Kenyon did not.
What I can't figure is why you want to be cost prohibitive for readers? I know I am not the only person to read 3-5 books a week. (Yeah, I heard that. Why is my book pile so big if I read that much? Well, I quit reading for awhile and I kept adding books to it!) My reading philosophy demands I balance that $30 against how many books I could get at the used bookstore for those same bucks. And I'm a BIG library patron.
I'll stop on this topic, because yesterday I read a model for future ebooks that made my head spin. I so want into this world - Enter the Active ebook. I'm going to post part of Joe Konrath's blog on this topic here, but take a quick click over and check out the full post. It's worth your time just for the idea.
JOE SAYS:
There have been a few efforts to blend video with text, but these require even more expensive vehicles ($500 iPads rather than $140 Kindles) so I don't see these being widely adopted anytime soon. Plus, I don't think a video/text hybrid is what draws people to books.
So I spent some time pulling a Steve Jobs. Instead of guessing what the future holds, I looked at what people are currently doing.
Jobs, as you know, paid attention when music fans began converting and trading mp3s. While the music industry tried to fight it, Jobs created a user-friendly portable device (the iPod) that played mp3s. As a result, a computer company is now the biggest music retailer in the world. All because he watched what fans are doing with music and gave them something to make it easier for them.
That made me look at at what readers are doing with books.
On sites like Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, Shelfari, Goodreads, and Librarything, readers are running book groups, reviewing, recommending, sharing what they've read (and how much they've read), and discussing books.
When a book is very popular, readers are writing their own fan fiction.
Readers often contact the author, to ask questions, or say how much they enjoyed a book, or demand a sequel.
It's important to note that readers are doing these things independently, without the author or publisher prompting them. This is what readers enjoy doing with book, above and beyond reading it.
Which makes me ask: why aren't we giving readers what they want?
Enter the Active Ebook.
I'll make an admission. It kills me that my print books are still owned by publishers, who are pricing them too high and sticking it to me with poor royalties.
Because my agent reserved the "interactive multimedia" clause in my contracts, I've been salivating to come up with a way to release these on my own.
So I thought about enhanced ebooks like the Big 6 did. Maybe I'd add some video and audio. Maybe an mp3 director's commentary at the end of each chapter, explaining things about why I wrote it. Linkable footnotes, pictures, and maybe even some games like word search.
But that wasn't evolution. That wasn't Ebook 2.0.
I was missing something. Something big.
User aggregated content.
I've talked about this before. Google is a billion dollar company because they allow users to navigate websites that other people created.
YouTube is all content created by uploaders, for free.
Most of the big internet successes of the last decade were because of users adding to the site.
And as I explained above, users are eager to add content concerning books. The want to do reviews and recommendations and talk to authors and even write fan fic.
All of this happens outside of a book.
What if it happened inside of a book?
What if you don't join a social network to discuss books, but instead you joined a book that was a social network?
Here's how this scenario plays out in my head:
I'm on my ereader, and I get an electronic invitation from a trusted friend to buy Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath. It's only $2.99, and the description looks good. Not only that, but it has a community of 12,393 people, so there will be plenty to do.
I buy the book with the click of a button. But rather than begin reading right away, I message my friend who is also in the book, and we decide to join the 4:00pm Whiskey Sour Book Club. There are eight other people signed up for that time slot, and we can all read and discuss the book together. There is also a 3pm slot open, but that's for fast readers, and my speed is moderate at best. The 4pm is a moderate speed club.
Since 4pm isn't until later, I browse the Whiskey Sour Forum, and read a few reviews. I also join a chat session and meet two of the other readers who are in my 4pm Book Club. One of them is a bit abrasive, but the bot monitoring the chat session warns him, then kicks him off. Typing on my keyboard becomes tedious, so I plug in my headphones and we voice chat for a bit, talking about thrillers we liked.
Four o'clock rolls around. I'm in the kitchen, making a sandwich, but my ereader calls my home phone to remind me of the start time.
I read a few pages, enjoy them, then let the ebook read to me until the chapter ends. There are already two people in the bookclub forum, discussing what they read. I join in. Others enter, and my friend links to the FAQ and Author Notes on Chapter 1, which we all discuss.
Whiskey Sour has a full length, author-read commentary, where Konrath explains where, why, and how he wrote certain scenes.
Some of the group wants to continue, but I'm curious to listen to the mp3 commentary, so I beg off and decide to join the 6pm Club for Chapter 2.
The commentary is interesting. Konrath is an entertaining guy, says a lot of funny things. But I realize I'd enjoy it more after I finish, so I pop into the next book club.
Me and another guy read straight through and discuss the book all night, and when we finish I write a review of it in the forum and recommend it to my friends via my ereader. I also notice that Konrath is having a live chat tomorrow, and sign up for it.
The next morning, I find I can't get some of the characters out of my head, so I pop into the forum again and read some of the user created stories. These are fans who have written about the characters in Whiskey Sour. Most of them suck. Some aren't bad. Some are even as good as Konrath. I rate a few, recommend a few, and vote for the top five.
I watch TV for a bit, until a screen comes up saying it is chat time. I sync my ereader with my TV and watch Konrath's talking head as he fields a Skype chat. Several people express that they wanted a longer ending. Konrath says he's working on one, as well as three new chapters which will be inserted into Whiskey Sour at the end of the week.
"Hemingway said that a book is never finished, it's simply due," Konrath says. "But now, books no longer have to be finished. They can continue to grow and improve for as long as the writer is alive. And beyond."
He says that the new additions will be marked as such. People can read the original, or the new version.
I get on my ereader, and ask it to call me when the new material is uploaded. I also ask for updates when people respond to my forum comments, or vote on my review.
Then I finish listening to the audio commentary, pop into the forum to discuss it, and wind up text chatting with Konrath, who is talking about his latest book.
Sounds pretty good. I click on the link to buy it.Sure beats surfing the internet and watching TV.
No gripes with Linda Howard at all. My gripe is with her publisher. I love my Kindle. The best thing about it is the ability to save hundreds of books and have them my fingertips. I want this book in my library, so its logical to want to put it on my Kindle. BUT, $13.99???? Are you serious??? I love how Amazon disavows any association with the price - Price for this product set by publisher. Heh. Now, I love Linda Howard, but won't be buying this for my Kindle. I'll be waiting until the end of June comes and the paperback comes out at 7.99. Further, I'll be waiting for a few people to buy, read, and trade, so I can pick up a used copy for half price. Hence, the only person to profit off that transaction is my used bookstore.
I cannot conceive why the Big publishers do not get that this kind of pricing drives readers away from their books. They do exactly the same thing I do. Is it as the self-publishing gurus like J.A. Konrath suggests that they are trying to save their traditional publishing model by discouraging ebook sales? Or they think they are all that and can get away with putting that price on things, that they are so indispensible we as the consumer will suck it up and pay that? (I won't - Libary please!)
These publishers use this same philosophy when they take a great best-selling romance author like Nalini Singh and move her from paperback to hardback. And usually right in the middle of a great series, they switch from first paperback release to hardback and try to suck $30 out of my pocket. I get she's big and has a readership that begs for this transition. But, this is the model they are using right now on Nalini Singh's Kiss of Snow, releasing May 31st. I have all the other books in this series in PAPERBACK, now have to switch to hardcover. I have been dying for this story! But this transition screws up my bookshelves and screws with my pocketbook. And now they want to screw with my Kindle.
I follow very few authors to hardback. I will wait until paperbacks are released and go to my used bookstore before I purchase. There's a few exceptions - Suzanne Brockmann to name one. And Nalini Singh will probably fall in that category. But Linda Howard did not, J.D. Robb's In Death series did for awhile, but now is not, Janet Evanovich did not and Sherrilyn Kenyon did not.
What I can't figure is why you want to be cost prohibitive for readers? I know I am not the only person to read 3-5 books a week. (Yeah, I heard that. Why is my book pile so big if I read that much? Well, I quit reading for awhile and I kept adding books to it!) My reading philosophy demands I balance that $30 against how many books I could get at the used bookstore for those same bucks. And I'm a BIG library patron.
I'll stop on this topic, because yesterday I read a model for future ebooks that made my head spin. I so want into this world - Enter the Active ebook. I'm going to post part of Joe Konrath's blog on this topic here, but take a quick click over and check out the full post. It's worth your time just for the idea.
JOE SAYS:
There have been a few efforts to blend video with text, but these require even more expensive vehicles ($500 iPads rather than $140 Kindles) so I don't see these being widely adopted anytime soon. Plus, I don't think a video/text hybrid is what draws people to books.
So I spent some time pulling a Steve Jobs. Instead of guessing what the future holds, I looked at what people are currently doing.
Jobs, as you know, paid attention when music fans began converting and trading mp3s. While the music industry tried to fight it, Jobs created a user-friendly portable device (the iPod) that played mp3s. As a result, a computer company is now the biggest music retailer in the world. All because he watched what fans are doing with music and gave them something to make it easier for them.
That made me look at at what readers are doing with books.
On sites like Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, Shelfari, Goodreads, and Librarything, readers are running book groups, reviewing, recommending, sharing what they've read (and how much they've read), and discussing books.
When a book is very popular, readers are writing their own fan fiction.
Readers often contact the author, to ask questions, or say how much they enjoyed a book, or demand a sequel.
It's important to note that readers are doing these things independently, without the author or publisher prompting them. This is what readers enjoy doing with book, above and beyond reading it.
Which makes me ask: why aren't we giving readers what they want?
Enter the Active Ebook.
I'll make an admission. It kills me that my print books are still owned by publishers, who are pricing them too high and sticking it to me with poor royalties.
Because my agent reserved the "interactive multimedia" clause in my contracts, I've been salivating to come up with a way to release these on my own.
So I thought about enhanced ebooks like the Big 6 did. Maybe I'd add some video and audio. Maybe an mp3 director's commentary at the end of each chapter, explaining things about why I wrote it. Linkable footnotes, pictures, and maybe even some games like word search.
But that wasn't evolution. That wasn't Ebook 2.0.
I was missing something. Something big.
User aggregated content.
I've talked about this before. Google is a billion dollar company because they allow users to navigate websites that other people created.
YouTube is all content created by uploaders, for free.
Most of the big internet successes of the last decade were because of users adding to the site.
And as I explained above, users are eager to add content concerning books. The want to do reviews and recommendations and talk to authors and even write fan fic.
All of this happens outside of a book.
What if it happened inside of a book?
What if you don't join a social network to discuss books, but instead you joined a book that was a social network?
Here's how this scenario plays out in my head:
I'm on my ereader, and I get an electronic invitation from a trusted friend to buy Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath. It's only $2.99, and the description looks good. Not only that, but it has a community of 12,393 people, so there will be plenty to do.
I buy the book with the click of a button. But rather than begin reading right away, I message my friend who is also in the book, and we decide to join the 4:00pm Whiskey Sour Book Club. There are eight other people signed up for that time slot, and we can all read and discuss the book together. There is also a 3pm slot open, but that's for fast readers, and my speed is moderate at best. The 4pm is a moderate speed club.
Since 4pm isn't until later, I browse the Whiskey Sour Forum, and read a few reviews. I also join a chat session and meet two of the other readers who are in my 4pm Book Club. One of them is a bit abrasive, but the bot monitoring the chat session warns him, then kicks him off. Typing on my keyboard becomes tedious, so I plug in my headphones and we voice chat for a bit, talking about thrillers we liked.
Four o'clock rolls around. I'm in the kitchen, making a sandwich, but my ereader calls my home phone to remind me of the start time.
I read a few pages, enjoy them, then let the ebook read to me until the chapter ends. There are already two people in the bookclub forum, discussing what they read. I join in. Others enter, and my friend links to the FAQ and Author Notes on Chapter 1, which we all discuss.
Whiskey Sour has a full length, author-read commentary, where Konrath explains where, why, and how he wrote certain scenes.
Some of the group wants to continue, but I'm curious to listen to the mp3 commentary, so I beg off and decide to join the 6pm Club for Chapter 2.
The commentary is interesting. Konrath is an entertaining guy, says a lot of funny things. But I realize I'd enjoy it more after I finish, so I pop into the next book club.
Me and another guy read straight through and discuss the book all night, and when we finish I write a review of it in the forum and recommend it to my friends via my ereader. I also notice that Konrath is having a live chat tomorrow, and sign up for it.
The next morning, I find I can't get some of the characters out of my head, so I pop into the forum again and read some of the user created stories. These are fans who have written about the characters in Whiskey Sour. Most of them suck. Some aren't bad. Some are even as good as Konrath. I rate a few, recommend a few, and vote for the top five.
I watch TV for a bit, until a screen comes up saying it is chat time. I sync my ereader with my TV and watch Konrath's talking head as he fields a Skype chat. Several people express that they wanted a longer ending. Konrath says he's working on one, as well as three new chapters which will be inserted into Whiskey Sour at the end of the week.
"Hemingway said that a book is never finished, it's simply due," Konrath says. "But now, books no longer have to be finished. They can continue to grow and improve for as long as the writer is alive. And beyond."
He says that the new additions will be marked as such. People can read the original, or the new version.
I get on my ereader, and ask it to call me when the new material is uploaded. I also ask for updates when people respond to my forum comments, or vote on my review.
Then I finish listening to the audio commentary, pop into the forum to discuss it, and wind up text chatting with Konrath, who is talking about his latest book.
Sounds pretty good. I click on the link to buy it.Sure beats surfing the internet and watching TV.
