Lynn Raye Harris's Blog, page 8

Friday Funny

I love pet photos. Here’s Nimitz on my chest in the early morning. What did we do before we could pick up our phones and snap unsuspecting photos of people and pets? My phone is filled with cat pictures. What’s on yours?

It’s a sale!

Through the end of the day today, October 8th, HOT PURSUIT is on sale for 99 cents on most retailer sites! It’s your last chance to pick up the first book in the Hostile Operations Team series for an awesome price.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1bDe7Tc

B&N: http://bit.ly/1eRUwjI

Kobo: http://bit.ly/13aiIXM

iTunes: http://bit.ly/15Td0NX

And of course HOT MESS is still on sale for 99 cents (not ending soon)!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dQVNom

B&N: http://bit.ly/177Rekz

Kobo: http://bit.ly/15P0pf2

iTunes: http://bit.ly/19v2sjA

And if you want to read about a hot billionaire, my latest Harlequin is also available! Pick up A FACADE TO SHATTER at these sites:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/178ikKq

B&N: http://bit.ly/15yMJVl

Kobo: http://bit.ly/18saESq

iTunes: http://bit.ly/17Xmqph

Harlequin: http://bit.ly/18sapHb

Enjoy!

Hot Mess Pre-Order!

Hot Mess releases on September 30th for the amazing price of .99 cents! You can pre-order your copy today on iTunes and Kobo. It will also be available on Kindle and Nook, so keep an eye out there as well!

iTunes: http://bit.ly/19v2sjA

Kobo: http://bit.ly/15P0pf2

Also, my latest Harlequin, A FACADE TO SHATTER, is out right now in paperback — and will be available on ebook on October 1st!

A FACADE TO SHATTER (paperback)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/13j99nz

B&N: http://bit.ly/XGyrLT

Also available at your local Target, Wal-Mart, B&N, BAM, grocery store, etc!

Ebook

Kindle: http://amzn.to/178ikKq

Nook: http://bit.ly/15yMJVl

Kobo: http://bit.ly/18saESq

iTunes: http://bit.ly/17Xmqph

Two new stories from me! In November, you can expect a HOT Christmas novella and then in December, another Harlequin Presents!

Hot Mess is on Net Galley!

If you are an established blogger or reviewer, or have lots of Goodreads followers, HOT MESS is now available on Net Galley!

You can go here to request the book.

Release date for HOT MESS: September 30th, 2013.

What is the book about?

English professor Dr. Georgeanne Hayes has a problem. Her star pupil, an Army sergeant who works in a Top Secret government program, is missing—and someone tried to push her in front of a train last night.

Sam “Knight Rider” McKnight is used to looking out for Georgie. When they were kids, she was just his best friend’s baby sister. But Georgie’s not a baby anymore and Sam is getting some very male—and very dirty—thoughts about the girl he knows he can never have.

When someone threatens Georgie’s life again, Sam will do anything necessary to keep her safe. Even if it means spending the next few days locked up in a remote house on Maryland’s Eastern Shore with her.

Sam might be used to denying himself what he wants, but he’s about to find out that being cooped up with Georgie will push him to the limit. And maybe beyond.

A Hostile Operations Team novella, complete at 33,000 words. Spicy!

The Indie Journey

This post is for the writers among you. Publishing is changing and there are more opportunities for authors than ever before. We finally have the ability to take charge of our careers in ways we couldn’t before Amazon brought out the Kindle. Seriously, the Kindle was a game changer. Add in all the other e-readers, and the invention of the iPad, and we’re rolling along into a revolution that finally gives authors the means to reach readers directly in far greater numbers than they ever could before (printing books and selling them out of your trunk will only get you so much exposure).

Many of the Indie authors who’ve paved the way have been so generous with sharing their numbers, so I decided I’m going to do the same. I am what is properly termed a “hybrid” author. I’m self-publishing and writing for a traditional publisher. I believe there is sense and value to both things, so I’m straddling that line and having some fun. I’m learning a lot too.

Today is officially one month since HOT PURSUIT has been for sale on Kindle. It went live on Kobo and Apple on July 17th, though it was in pre-order at this stage. And it was live on Smashwords and B&N around the same time as Amazon. HOT PURSUIT is a departure for me in terms of the kind of books I am known for with Harlequin. I write for Presents, the line that’s all about angst, passion, glamor, billionaires, etc. I love those kinds of stories! I also love romantic suspense, and I love anything to do with a military special operations team. Which is where my HOT series goes.

I am a known author and I have hit the USA Today list back when they only counted print sales. So how would that translate to my self-published books? Pretty well, it turns out, though not well enough to propel me onto any lists. Everyone says you need more than one book in a series to really see an effect, and I only have one book out there (plus a free short story that’s military but not in the same series) but I cannot complain about the numbers thus far. In one month, I’ve sold 1800 books and made nearly $4k. No, that’s nothing like my Harlequin numbers (which are still primarily in print), but self-publishing is long tail and this is only one month worth of numbers. In the same amount of time with a Harlequin, I can expect to sell far more books. And, in some respects, the Harlequin sales are long tail too because of the foreign translations. And now, with ebooks, if someone discovers you, they can go back and read all your books. That’s a nice departure from the days where you could only get the books for a month and then never again.

HOT PURSUIT was a Golden Heart finalist in 2008. I had hoped my agent could sell it for me, but she didn’t think it was ready. And it wasn’t. I had some hard work to do first, and once I did that work, I decided I’d rather put it out there myself and see how it went than sell it to a publisher and take my chances. At least this way, if the book (and series) failed, it was all on me. But I don’t think it’s failing. Your emails, blog posts, and reviews tell me it’s not. You seem to like this story and you seem to want more. And that makes me *very* happy!

So, one month, 1800 books sold of a book I was told that New York wouldn’t want, and sales show no sign of slowing down. This is only the beginning. HOT MESS (Book 1.5) will be out sometime in September, and I’ve been asked to contribute to an anthology of holiday novellas by some of your favorite Indie authors. That story will be a HOT story, and then I’ll follow it with DANGEROUSLY HOT, which is officially Book 2 in the series (though maybe I need a new numbering system since there will be another novella before that, LOL!).

If you are a writer who is looking at self-publishing, there are a couple of things you need to do. First, you have to spend money to get a good cover and good editing. You’re going to need developmental edits, not just copy edits. I’ve written nearly 20 books with Harlequin and I still paid a developmental editor for my HOT books. I need editing and so do you. Readers will notice if you give them crap and they won’t buy you anymore. There is a difference between not liking a story because it’s not your thing and the story being poorly written and edited. If you don’t have a lot of money to invest, save money until you can afford the editing at least. Trade services with other writers who are good at things you aren’t (like cover design, maybe). Do everything you can to put out the best product you can. Self-publishing is NOT a get rich quick scheme. It takes money, time, and a commitment to the process to do it right.

Here are the things I did for HP: hired a developmental editor, hired a copy editor & proofreader, hired a cover designer, hired a formatter. I’ve not really advertised HP, other than on my Facebook and Twitter feeds. I decided not to advertise yet because I only have one book in the series. I might do something when the next story comes out next month. Or I might not. This is a marathon, y’all, not a sprint. If HP continues to sell at the level it’s selling for an entire year, well, that’s a living. I can’t predict that, of course, because things happen and books fall off the radar. But I hope readers are excited enough about this series to try the next one and to recommend the books to their friends.

So there it is. My Indie Journey, one month in. Any questions?

Big Step

This morning, I go to the orthodontist and get braces. I’m excited and terrified too! Because after I get the braces, I have to get 5 teeth pulled. I don’t look forward to that at all! But, it must be done, and I’m finally at a point in my life where I can afford it — and I’m going to do it.

My family couldn’t afford braces when I was growing up. And then I couldn’t afford them when I was a young adult. There are so many other things you need, right? My husband and I didn’t have the money and no way could I justify taking out a loan or anything to get it done. So I put it off until finally, this year, I said to myself, “Hey, you can do this now. Go find out what you have to do.”

And I did. It’s not as expensive as I thought it might be, though it’s not cheap either, but I’m committing to this path. I’ve perfected the art of the closed-mouth smile for my photos. But I cannot *wait* to have a smile I can show the world. I’m so excited about it! It will take 22 months, but that’s okay. By the end of that time, you won’t be able to make me do a closed-mouth smile.

I guess I’m sharing this with y’all for two reasons. First, as my readers, you’ve made this possible for me. You’ve bought my books and the money I’ve earned is helping me do this. And second, I want you to know that it’s never too late to do things you want to do. Yeah, it’s going to be a bummer to be an adult with braces. But it’ll be over in two years and I’ll have a smile I’m proud of instead of hiding my crowded and crooked teeth behind a closed-mouth smile.

It’s a big step, and I know there will be some pain (and maybe some temporary regret) but I am seriously SO excited about this. The result will be worth it in the end. I can’t wait! No more hiding my smile or being the only person in the photo with my mouth closed. Well, okay, I’ll still do that for a while since I’ll be wearing braces, heh. I don’t suppose wearing braces will be easy to begin with. Maybe I should apologize in advance to the groups I’m giving speeches to in September….

Cover Flat for HOT PURSUIT

Here it is, the entire cover for HOT PURSUIT! It should be available in paperback next week! This book is trade paper sized at 5 X 8. Isn’t this cover amazing?! The Fabulous Frauke outdid herself. Well, she always does! And she’s mine! You can’t have her! (Okay, maybe you can since she’s in the business of making money, but you can’t keep her.)

I love this cover so much. I want to put it on my pillow and sleep with it.

It’s Here! Hot Pursuit releases today!

Hey, y’all! I’m writing this from the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, where I’m attending the Romance Writers of America conference this week. Today, I’m doubly excited — I have lots of fun things to do today and *drum roll* HOT PURSUIT is OUT! After a lot of hard work, this book is finally out there for you to enjoy.

It’s available on all the retailers you would expect: Kindle | Nook | iBookstore | Kobo | Smashwords

I really hope you enjoy Matt and Evie’s story! The next story coming in the HOT series is HOT MESS. It’a a novella about Sam “Knight Rider” McKnight, a new recruit to HOT, and his best friend’s little sister (who isn’t so little now)…

Here’s a little reminder…

Steamy, right? I look forward to hearing what you think about Matt and Evie!

You Can Pre-Order Hot Pursuit!

I am so excited to share this with you! HOT PURSUIT is slated to release next week, provided everything goes according to plan (which, I am learning as I navigate these self-publishing waters, isn’t always the case — fingers crossed!). But the marvelous, wondrous Apple iBookstore has approved the book for pre-order right now! Yes, you CAN order HOT PURSUIT right this very minute if you like reading your books on an iThing! Just click here.

I’m so excited about sharing this book with you! It’s been getting some great reviews over at Goodreads (and one ‘meh’, but hey, you can’t please everyone). Here’s a shot of the hunky cover, just to remind you WHY you should check this book out…

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th to all my American readers! Our celebrations here in Alabama are quite soggy. It’s been raining all day, we’ve had flash flood warnings, and there’ve been many road closures. Needless to say, any outdoor barbecue plans have been scuttled. Mr. Harris and I went to a BBQ joint for some chicken, so we did get our cookout — sorta.

I’ve had some inquiries about HOT PURSUIT — will it be available for UK buyers? Of course it will! I’m enabling worldwide distribution when I upload it to the retailers. There will also be paperbacks, which will follow the ebooks by a couple of weeks or so. The plan is to have this story available for you to purchase on July 17th — but we’re dealing with various online retailers here, and some may be slower than others to make the book go live. I will keep you informed! It’s my wish that HOT PURSUIT will be on all formats and ready to purchase on the day I’ve said it will be. *fingers crossed*

The absolute BEST way to stay up to date on all my books, including when HOT PURSUIT is live, is to join my newsletter. You can do that by clicking here. I never share your email with anyone and I only send out newsletters when I have a new release. No other reason! I won’t email you chatty missives or send you recipes. It’s all about the books! The bonus, however, is that I also give away a $50 gift card to one newsletter subscriber on the first of every month. All you have to do is be a subscriber. Nothing else!

Have a great day, and a lovely weekend!