Lori Brighton's Blog, page 5

Contact Emails

I've have a few emails that I've tried to respond to, but for some reason they bounced. So if you have emailed me and didn't hear back, I tried! Unless you were writing to complain about something, in which case I might have just ignored you.

But if you've written to ask me something and I didn't respond, its most likely because your email addy bounced for some reason. So please feel free to try again and make sure you type your email correctly!

The Mind Readers! Free!

If you've never tried it and you have a kindle, it's the perfect time to download my (so far only) young adult book, The Mind Readers! All you have to do is head over to Amazon.

But the book will only be free for 2 days!!! Friday and Saturday. So get it while you can. Tell your friends, family, coworkers. Read the blurb below!

Cameron Winters is a freak. Fortunately, no one but her family knows the truth …that Cameron can read minds. For years Cameron has hidden behind a facade of normalcy, warned that there are those who would do her harm. When gorgeous and mysterious Lewis Douglas arrives he destroys everything Cameron has ever believed and tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a secret haven with Lewis; a place where she meets others like her, Mind Readers.

But as Cameron soon finds out some things are too good to be true. When the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron's abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs. Cameron suddenly finds herself involved in a war in which her idea of what is right and wrong is greatly tested. In the end she'll be forced to make a choice that will not only threaten her relationship with Lewis, but her very life.

Freebie!

My friend and a fellow author, Harris Channing has a free Ebook on Amazon today and tomorrow, The Demon is in the Details! But it's only free today and tomorrow, so get it while you can!

Want to know more? Read the blurb below!

Stella Campbell has come back to Silverton, Georgia to bury her wicked witch of an aunt. But is she strong enough to endure what's to come?

Zane Weathers has been around a long time, like, two thousand years. But he's never met anyone who touches his warrior soul, like Stella.

Together they must face not only personal obstacles, but obstacles straight from hell!

Amazon Prime

As you may or may not know, To Seduce an Earl was free for a few days last week on Amazon. How was this possible? Because I signed the book up to be in Amazon's KDP Select. What is KDP select? If you sign up for this special program, the author has the opportunity to make their book free for up to 5 days in 3 months. They also get to share a "pot" of money with other authors, depending on how many times a reader "borrows" your book.

The people who can borrow from this library of books are those amazon members who are in the Prime Program. They pay around 70 something a year and once a month they can check out 1 book. I know, 1 book a month doesn't sound that special. There are other benefits as well, although I'm not quite sure of them.

The problem? The author's book can only be on Amazon for those 3 months, nowhere else. In those few days that I had To Seduce an Earl for free on Amazon, there were over 23,000 downloads of the book. No, I don't get any money for those downloads. I wish! But now that it has switched over to paid, it's selling much, much better and has been number 3 in historical romance for 2 days now.

So why would an author sign up for the KDP?

1). If their book isn't selling well, or isn't selling well on other book selling sites.
2). They want to get their book to as many possible "fans" as they can. 23,000 is a lot of readers who might come back for book 2 or who might go after my other books.

Of course the reason a person writes a book is because they love to write. But as an author our goal it to grow our readership. And of course, we want to make money so that we can actually write for a living.

Yeah, it stinks that the book isn't on sites like Barnes and Noble, but unfortunately there are a lot of author's who aren't making much money on sites besides Amazon. For many authors, there isn't much to lose. Of course the downfall is that you can't have your book elsewhere for 3 months and you're basically making Amazon a monopoly.

To Seduce an Earl has been in the KDP select for a couple weeks now and it has helped my sales. Will this surge in sales last the entire 3 months? Probably not. But we'll see.

If you're one of my readers, you know my books don't typically fit into the norm, which is probably why some don't sell well. To Seduce an Earl is about male prostitutes in Victorian England. There are a lot of people who would read that blurb and instantly be turned off. But with the KDP free days, I was able to catch hold of people who wouldn't have normally read it, and gasp, they loved it and are eagerly awaiting book 2!

Because of To Seduce an Earl's success, I have decided to put another one of my books (which has gotten great reviews, yet hasn't sold well) into the program.

If the book goes through as planned... Starting Friday and into Saturday, my Young Adult novel The Mind Readers will be free for Amazon Kindle. Sunday it will go back to 2.99 (or Free for Prime Members). If you've already read and liked the book, you might want to download this version as it has a few added scenes. This means that Thursday will be the last time to get the book on Barnes and Noble and other sites other than Amazon for at least for 3 months. Don't worry, I will not do this with book 2, The Mind Thieves. It will be available at Itunes, B&N, Smashwords and Amazon.

3 Days Only!

For three days only, my historical romance, To Seduce an Earl (Rated R) is free on Amazon! Yes, even Amazon UK, Amazon Germany and any other Amazon out there. But its for 3 days only!!! Get your Ecopy, tell your friends, have a parade! Do whatever you want, but you only have 3 days! Read the blurb and review below!

"Brighton provides an original story line, well-developed characters, and a plot-full of perfect amounts of sexual intrigue, twists, and lulls that allow the atmosphere of 1860s England to develop. The superb editing also shines. Fans of Johanna Lindsey will enjoy this work, which furthers the idea that self-publishing is not something to scoff at."—Library Journal

On the outskirts of London in a meadow of lavender, sits a house of esteemed ill repute. But this is no house geared toward pleasing men. No, this house is for women who have come to seek their own delight. And for three young ladies it's where they'll find something completely unexpected…true love.

Grace Brisbane will do whatever it takes to save her dying mother, but with a stepbrother intent on gambling and drinking, their funds have run dry. What's a girl to do when she's left poor and destitute? Seduce an Earl, of course. Handsome and rich, the Earl of Rodrick is the perfect target. Unfortunately, Rodrick despises innocent virgins. There's only one place where Grace can learn the secrets of seduction… Lavender Hills. The moment Grace spots Alex, the man who will teach her the ways of intimacy, she knows she must guard her heart. Alex is charming and gorgeous and completely inappropriate.

As a young man, Alex Weston is blackmailed into working at Lavender Hills in order to save his family from London 's prisons. There could be worse ways to spend his days and nights. Still, seduction has become a chore and thoughts of freedom keep him up at night. Until he receives a new client, the sweet Grace Brisbane. He should be thinking only of his growing need to escape, instead he's captivated by the lovely Grace. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes that their brief meetings aren't enough. For while marriage between a lady and a whore could never happen, Alex knows in his heart that he is willing to accept nothing less.

Magical Musings

I'm at Magical Musings today and giving away 2 Ecopies of my newest release, The Demon Hunter (rated R)! Stop by and say hello for your chance to win!

Excerpt 2: The Mind Thieves

I'm still hard at work on The Mind Thieves, book 2 in The Mind Readers series. But while we're waiting for its release, I have another excerpt to share!

A low rumble of thunder shook the sky. Maddox glanced up and smiled. "Excellent."

"You're excited that it's going to rain?"

"Yep. Rain means people go inside. Those left outside avert their gazes, trying to keep the rain from their eyes. In other words, Sweetheart, we have less of a chance of being recognized."

"Rain means we get soaked, Harriet the Spy, and we don't have any other clothes," I said, being a little more practical about the situation.

"Something I'm going to remedy right now."

He steered me toward a booth selling carved objects in a dark wood. Typical island junk sold to tourists.

"What can I help you with?" the man behind the stall rubbed his hands eagerly while smiling at us under his bushy black mustache. His beady eyes darted back and forth between the two of us, obviously trying to decide who controlled the wallet in our happy little family.

"This will be an easy sale," he thought.

Maddox picked up the statue of a pig. "We're on our honeymoon."

"Ahhh!" The seller clapped his pudgy hands together. "Wonderful! True love!"

I gagged.

Maddox threw me a threatening glare as he replaced the statue. "We want to find something special to remember our honeymoon, don't we, my dear?"

I was saved from answering by the overly helpful salesman. "Of course, of course!"

He scurried toward a table holding wooden bowls. "How is this?"

"No, something else. Something…with a lid."

What the heck was he doing? We were supposed to be running for our lives and he was buying a gift for someone? I glanced around, growing anxious. We couldn't seriously be shopping, so what was Maddox up to?

Thunder rumbled menacingly again, making the earth tremble. Shoppers were fleeing to the few cafés on the corners.

I started to turn toward Maddox and urge him to hurry when someone at the red tent next to us shifted. I couldn't say why the woman caught my attention, but she had. She was about my age, maybe a couple years older. Her blonde hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail that whispered across her tanned back as she sashayed away. The sundress she wore tied around her neck and hung low around her backside, showing lots of skin. I knew before she turned, she was gorgeous. As if sensing my attention, she paused.

I took a hesitant step closer, curious about her in some way I didn't understand. Slowly, she turned. She wore sunglasses that covered her eyes, but it didn't matter. There was something about her… about her face, her body, her very being that seemed oddly familiar. Her lips lifted into a smile that was more of a smirk, almost as if she understood my confusion.

Who was she?

"Here's your new wardrobe." Maddox stepped close to me, drawing my attention to him. He lifted the lid of the jar he held. A wad of bills were tucked neatly inside. It had to be thousands of dollars.

I gasped, shocked when really at this point nothing should have surprised me. "How?"

He winked. "I have my resources." He closed the lid and glanced around. "You ready?"

Rain fell from the skies, pattering against the tents, soaking my sweatshirt. "I guess." I glanced down the aisle, looking for the blonde girl. She was gone.

"What is it?" Maddox rested his hand on my lower back.

The base of my skull began to throb. "I thought…nothing." I rubbed my neck and turned toward him. "I'm fine. Let's go and get this over with."

Places to go...

I am determined to do more traveling this year. With that said...

This spring I'll be headed to two romance writer's conferences. The first will be in March, The Silken Sands conference in Florida. It's on the beach! How could I not go?! My friend and fellow author, Beverley Kendall will be the main speaker at the conference and Bev and I will be doing a workshop on Self Publishing. There will also be a book signing on Saturday where you'll be able to find me.

The second conference will be April in Chicago. I'll have to fly and I hate flying! Scary. This major conference is the Romantic Times Convention. I've never gone before, but have heard the R.T. Conference can be wild and crazy fun. I'll be doing another workshop on Self Publishing, this one with authors Jackie Barbosa and Kim Killion. Unfortunately, I won't be doing the book signing there, but heading out early Saturday before the signing.

So, if you're at either conference, please stop by and say hi! If we've met before, remind me! I've met so many people that it's hard to remember :)

Excerpt! The Mind Thieves

I'm hard at work on The Mind Thieves, book two in The Mind Readers Trilogy. Because I just can't help it, here's a snippet of chapter 2! Look for The Mind Thieves in April!!!!

"Let go!" I screamed, digging my heels into the sand and arching against him.

"Not until you listen." His sunglasses were gone, as well as his smirk. He looked annoyed, thoroughly.

At least I could take some comfort in the fact that I'd swiped that grin from his face. But as his grip on my wrists tightened, my gloating fled. I focused on his steel colored eyes, reached out with my mind, attempting to read his thoughts, but heard nothing. His brain was blank. Startled, I actually stopped fighting him for a moment. What was he? "Your father sent me," he stated.

I jerked against his grip, seething, but my arms were pinned too tightly to the sand. "You're lying. My father died years ago."

The ocean breeze felt oddly chill against my clammy skin. Was he another mind reader? Could it be possible? I knew we weren't the only ones, and, in fact, Grandma had finally admitted my father had been a Mind Reader as well. But I sure as heck had never expected to be tackled by one.

Another car zoomed by on the dirt road, oblivious to my struggle.

"We don't have time for this," he hissed. "You're going to shut up and you're going to come with me, got it?"

He was nervous a witness would come along, and he should be. There were many who walked the beach in the evening. But I wasn't about to drag some innocent bystander into this mess.

Time to take drastic measures. I lifted my knee and hit him directly in the groin. Maddox sucked in a sharp gasp, his eyes going wide with surprise. He released my right arm as he stumbled to the side. It was all I needed. I jerked my left arm free and shoved the palms of my hands into his hard chest, throwing him off balance. Jumping to my feet, I didn't dare look back, but raced up the beach, toward our cottage.

Hunter Series

Now that The Demon Hunter is out (book 2 in the Hunter Series) you might be wondering if there will be a book 3. The answer? Well, as Justin Bieber says, never say never.

But... if I had to answer at this point I'd have to say .... No. The end. Done with the series. Why, you might be wondering? Well, for one I have other books I'd like to write.

But mostly it's because I have looked at how book 1 was received. Although I've had quite a few sales for The Ghost Hunter (book 1) and quite a few positive reviews, I've read far too many reviews that said "This is the worst book ever!" Frankly, I don't want to spend my time continuing a series that a lot of people seem to dislike. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to base my writing on what reviews say, and I'm certainly not telling you to stop writing reviews. What I am saying is as an author when you get more than a few 1-2 star reviews for a book, it's time to take a step back and pack your bags, show's over.

As I've stated before, reviews do matter, not only to the reader but to the author. As much as authors pretend not to, we do read reviews and take them seriously. I've learned a lot from the reviews of The Ghost Hunter; about what readers like and dislike. It's certainly been a learning experience for me.

So at this point, The Demon Hunter will be the last book in the Hunter Series.... in case you were wondering :)