Robin Jeffrey's Blog, page 14
August 9, 2023
Werewolf Wednesday
Happy Werewolf Wednesday, everyone! Hungry is the Night hits shelves in less than a month, and with that in mind, I’d like to introduce you this week to one of the book’s two protagonists: the swoon-worthy Marcus Bowen.
I had never seen him looking so delicious. His thick, dark hair glistened with sweat. His bangs were falling into his eyes, the pupils of which were blown wide and dark with pleasure, the focus of which were me, and me alone.
Hungry is the night by Robin jeffrey
Name: Marcus Bowen
Eye Color: Blue (icy)
Hair Color: Black
Height: 5’8”
Age: Appears to be in his mid to late 20s, but is actually around 100 years old.
Personal Style: Marcus grew to manhood in the 1930s and 40s and has never really shaken that sense of style when it comes to his clothes. He prefers to dress formally, dress shirts and slacks, though he will forgo a tie from time to time if he feels it’s appropriate.
Werewolf or Human: Werewolf.
If Werewolf – Bitten or Born?: Bitten.
If Werewolf – Den Affiliation?: Feóndulf – the UK den.
Notable Traits: Over the years he’s been a member of the Feóndulf den, Marcus has had a number of different ‘day jobs’, wanting to be of service to his family wherever he could. His most recent stint as a homicide detective suits him surprisingly well, putting his analytical mind to good use and his empathetic nature to the test. He has only ever loved one woman.
People Often Say they are: Clever. Determined. Passionate. Stalwart.
If you’re interested in learning more about Marcus, I’ve got great news: Hungry is the Night is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of wolfy goodness for you to enjoy!
Don’t wait! Preorder today!!Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
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August 6, 2023
Behind the Scenes Sunday
Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about pitching contests. You can find them everywhere online, offering you a chance to get your book pitch in front of real life literary agents and book publishers. But are they worth your time and energy?
A pitching contest usually involves creating a short ‘pitch’ for your finished manuscript, meant to entice a literary agent or publisher to read the full manuscript and (hopefully!) pick you up as a client. This pitch is generally posted to a social media platform or discussion board at a specified time (often times with specific hashtags) and agents/publishers can look over the submissions at their leisure.
Crafting a winning pitch is time consuming and mentally taxing. But it is an essential skill to hone if you wish to publish your book length work. And I’m of the opinion the opportunity to put your work (in any form) in front of potential agents/publishers is not an opportunity to be missed!
Full disclosure: my traditional publishing debut, Hungry is the Night was picked up by a publisher through just such a pitch contest!
All that being said, it’s important to level set your expectations when entering these contests. You will likely enter dozens before you find success, and defining what that success looks like is important. Sometimes a pitch falls flat for reasons beyond your control — don’t beat yourself up over it! And even if you’ve got an agent/publisher interested, the manuscript still may not land for them. But that’s okay — you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take and a huge part of being a writer is persistence; is showing up and putting in the work.
If you’re interested in checking out my traditional publishing debut, then I’ve got great news for you: my brand new paranormal romance, Hungry is the Night, is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of wolfy goodness for you to enjoy!
Don’t wait! Preorder today!Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
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Pop-Up Submissions TOMORROW!
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Litopia’s Pop-Up Submissions!
Don’t forget! Tomorrow, August 6th, starting at 9am PST, I will be joining literary agent Peter Cox on his fabulous program, Pop-Up Submissions! I am really looking forward to returning to the show and reading some more wonderful work from authors around the world and hope to see some of you on the stream. Stop on by, won’t you?
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Countdown to Pop-Up Submissions!
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Litopia’s Pop-Up Submissions!
This Sunday, August 6th, starting at 9am PST, I will be joining literary agent Peter Cox on his fabulous program, Pop-Up Submissions! I am really looking forward to returning to the show and reading some more wonderful work from authors around the world and hope to see some of you on the stream. Stop on by, won’t you?
Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
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Behind the Scenes Sunday
Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about one of the most important responsibilities I believe each of us have as writers: to support other writers, no matter what stage of their journey they may be in.
Writing is a lonely calling. It is a solitary act at its core, with nothing to come between you and the blank page but your own thoughts, feelings, and the words you choose to express them through. But no one can go it alone. We all need support and friendship, especially in a field that can be as disheartening and isolating as writing can be.
So how can you be sure you’re doing your part to support other writers?
Celebrate each other’s successes!Success is not finite. Let me repeat that: SUCCESS IS NOT FINITE. Just because one writer got a book deal, or a story published, or booked an appearance on a podcast, doesn’t mean there isn’t room for something good to happen to you. There are plenty of opportunities out there for all of us, and we all know how hard it is to win in this arena. So don’t be stingy with those pats on the back. Let your fellow writers know you’re proud of them for making it, for sticking with it when times got tough, for going the distance. Hopefully they will do the same for you when it’s your turn.
Teach, Don’t PreachYou’ve worked hard to gain the skills you’ve had. That instinct to share your knowledge with others is a good one – don’t smother it! Sharing your expertise with the community is a great way to support your fellow writers. But make sure you’re picking the time and place carefully, or else you’ll be preaching, not teaching. No one likes to get lectured too, even if they do like to learn.
Read other writers’ work.This may seem like an obvious one, but when you see someone out there hawking their books, why not consider picking it up and giving it a go if it’s in a genre you like? There is no better way to support a fellow writer than by giving their work a chance to touch your heart!
If you’re interested in supporting other writers by reading their work, then I’ve got great news for you: my brand new paranormal romance, Hungry is the Night, is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of wolfy goodness for you to enjoy!
Don’t wait! Preorder today!Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
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Saturday in the Stacks
Saturday is the perfect time to wander through the stacks (that’s librarian-speak for “bookshelves”) and talk about books and the people who write them. Pull up a comfy chair and settle in, because today I want to chat about book reviews – how much stock I put in them when choosing my next book, if I give them out after reading a book, and how the rules are different for writers when it comes to reading reviews of their own work.
Personally, I never read the reviews of a book I am planning on reading, nor do I make up my mind on whether or not to read a book based on a written review. Now, that’s not to say that I haven’t picked up a book because someone I know personally has recommended it to me – sure, that’s happened multiple times. But I generally don’t put that much faith in the recommendations of strangers. There’s just too many variables unknown for me to place much faith in their reviews: what type of books do they usually enjoy? What was going on in their life when they were reading this book? Are they the type of person to hate read a book and then leave a review?
It can get messy and unreliable fast.
I also rarely give reviews after reading books. I will often rate books (1-5 stars on Goodreads, for example), but I almost never leave a written review explaining that rating. This I’d attribute mainly to me being a writer myself. You see, I don’t want my review to come off as professional critique when it’s merely a matter of personal preference, nor do I want other potential readers of mine to look at a review I’ve written and try and use that to judge my own books!
This dovetails nicely into the idea of writers reading their own reviews. I, personally, do. I read every review on my books (so far). Even then one star reviews. Especially the one star reviews. Why? I’m interested. I didn’t write the book to not know how it made people feel after all. But the cardinal rule for authors to remember is they cannot respond to reviews. Step on that urge to defend or define your work and just DON’T. Silently observe. Don’t offer a response. The review space is not for you.
If you’re interested in seeing what kind of reviews folks are leaving on my work, I’ve got great news for you: Hungry is the Night is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms and the reviews are coming in hot! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of fiction for you to enjoy!
Don’t wait! Preorder today!Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
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Werewolf Wednesday
Happy Werewolf Wednesday, everyone! Hungry is the Night hits shelves in less than a month, and with that in mind, I’d like to introduce you this week to one of the books main antagonists: the formidable Lawrence Hughes.
The back of Marcus’ head blocked most of the screen, but past his shoulder I found myself staring into a sharp, small face. Olive eyes pricked at my skin through the screen as the older man glared at Marcus, a scowl drawn tight across his lips, like an arrow drawn back on a bow string.
Hungry is the night by Robin jeffrey
Name: Lawrence Hughes
Eye Color: Green (olive)
Hair Color: Silver
Height: 5’9”
Age: Appears to be in his mid 50s, but is actually around 300 years old.
Personal Style: Whether Lawrence Hughes is truly from old money or not, he certainly likes to act like it, dressing in only the finest tailored suits and clothes – nothing off the rack for this gentleman. His short, silver hair is always worn combed back from his face and, depending on the era he may or may not sport carefully curated facial hair.
Werewolf or Human: Werewolf.
If Werewolf – Bitten or Born?: Born.
If Werewolf – Den Affiliation?: Feóndulf – the UK den.
Notable Traits: Hughes is head of the Feóndulf Council second only to the leader of the den himself. He has held that prestiges position for centuries, enjoying the power and privileges it provides, and will do anything he can to stave off change, seeing it as a threat to his well-ordered empire.
People Often Say they are: Cold. Haughty. Efficient. Self-serving.
If you’re interested in learning more about Lawrence, I’ve got great news: Hungry is the Night is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of wolfy goodness for you to enjoy!
Don’t wait! Preorder today!!Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
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Behind the Scenes Sunday
Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about three different “types” of writers: plotters, pantsers, and plansters.
Plotters are those writers who are meticulous outline makers. They have a page long backstory (at least) for each of their characters, no matter how minor, and they know each beat of the story before word has touched paper. They wouldn’t know how to write any other way.I don’t think these writers exist.
Pantsers are those writers who “fly by the seat of their pants” and leave everything in their story to chance. The story progresses as the characters and situations demand and a pantser never knows the beginning, middle, or end of any book they’ve written before it’s written. They wouldn’t know how to write any other way.I don’t think these writers exist.
Plansters are the writers in between the two extremes above. Plansters plan what they can but are not afraid to improvise. They listen to their characters and understand that a story is a living, breathing thing that shifts and changes as it is created and often goes in directions we as writers could never predict. Conversely, they also understand that a story has to have certain elements and take steps to ensure that things like conflict, rising action, climax, etc. are always baked in from the get go.I think all writers are Plansters. Some may plan more thoroughly than others, others may choose to let the story run wild a little longer than others, but I think, in our heart of hearts, all writers come to appreciate the value of planning and the value of improvisation in equal measure.
If you’re interested in consuming the work of a self-proclaimed planster, then I’ve got great news for you: my brand new paranormal romance, Hungry is the Night, is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of wolfy goodness for you to enjoy!
Don’t wait! Preorder today!Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
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“Hungry is the Night” Release Countdown!
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“Hungry is the Night” Release
It’s official! Just one month left before “Hungry is the Night” is yours for the reading! In Seattle, the past doesn’t stay buried—it comes back to bite you.
The werewolves of the world live in tight-knit gangs, or “dens,” for protection from outsiders—and each other. Every major metropolis has one—to belong to a den is to have a family for eternity. However, Grace Holtz, next in line to lead the Seattle den called the Nameless, has had enough of living under the crushing weight of her den’s expectations. Having fled to a small, rural town in Southeast Oregon, her goal is to blend in and be as “normal” as possible for the rest of her unnaturally long life.
But Marcus Bowen, a wolf from the UK-based Feóndulf den—and the closest thing Grace has ever had to a lover—has other plans. Reappearing thirty years after their affair came to an abrupt and bloody end, Marcus needs Grace. He needs her to return to Seattle and arrange an audience with Mama, the current leader of the Nameless and Grace’s estranged grandmother. The leader of the Feóndulf and his heir have both been brutally murdered, and Marcus suspects that Grace and Mama are next.
Teaming up to hunt for the killer in the Emerald City, the pair slowly begin to realize their romance might not be as dead as they thought. However, as it becomes clear that the person they’re looking for holds secrets about both their dens, Marcus and Grace must grapple with competing loyalties, conflicting desires, and ultimately decide what matters more—their dens or each other.
Don’t wait! Preorder today! Email me a copy of your receipt at rsjromance@gmail.com and I’ll send you the first three chapters of the book in advance!Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
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Werewolf Wednesday
Happy Werewolf Wednesday, everyone! The release day for my paranormal romance Hungry is the Night creeps ever closer, and continuing this week, I’d like to introduce you to another member of my book’s colorful cast of characters. This week we’re spotlighting Naomi Joseph.
Grace reached toward the door lock with her keycard, only to have Naomi pluck the plastic from her fingertips and step in front of her.
“Ma’am,” said Naomi, her free hand firm against Grace’s shoulder. “We need to sweep your rooms.”
Hungry is the night by Robin jeffrey
Name: Naomi Joseph
Eye Color: Brown (umber)
Hair Color: Black
Height: 5’9”
Age: Appears about 28 years old, is actually closer to 150 years old.
Personal Style: Naomi takes her style cues from her captain, Kassandra Arnaud. Just like Kassandra wears her long blonde hair in a thick dutch braid down her back, Naomi wears her long black hair in thin braids that are pulled back in a high ponytail. She is lean and fit, and prefers to wear tactical gear that is easy to get on and off quickly, forgoing heavy body armor for sleek active wear that moves with her.
Werewolf or Human: Werewolf.
If Werewolf – Bitten or Born?: Bitten.
If Werewolf – Den Affiliation?: The Nameless – the Seattle den.
Notable Traits: Often chosen by Kassandra to accompany her on missions of the highest import, Naomi is deceptively chipper and laidback for such a lethal soldier. She is as quick with a blade as she is with a smile, though she prefers hand to hand combat above all else. She has risen to a relatively high position for someone who was bitten and turned into a werewolf rather than born as one, but she doesn’t put too much stock in rank or social standing.
People Often Say They Are: Witty. Dedicated. Fun-loving. Talented.
If you’re interested in learning more about Naomi, I’ve got great news: Hungry is the Night is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of wolfy goodness for you to enjoy!
Don’t wait! Preorder today!!Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!
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