Kianna Alexander's Blog, page 15

Riddle Me This: Reaching the Readers

Hi, Y'all,
I have recently been wondering a lot about how I interact with my readers. Each reader I gain is precious to me, because you all allow me to pursue my dream of writing for money. So, I want to be the absolute best I can when it comes to my interactions with you.
So far, I haven't had any complaints. I think folks find me pretty approachable, and I plan to keep it that way. Still, I'm not moving the number of books I'd like to, and I think this is mainly a problem of exposure- that is, I'm not effectively getting my books in front of the all the people who would be interested.
Here's what I do now:
FacebookTwitterBlogs (2)Personal Appearances/EventsPassing out bookmarks to anyone who'll take them.Apparently, these valiant efforts are not enough. I've been thinking of using direct mail- it's about the only think I haven't tried.

And so, I embark upon yet another creative Hot MAMA venture: The Hot MAMA Street Team. I want to assemble the avid readers, the die-hard book fans, to start a kind of whisper campaign to bring new readers to this group. Why? There really isn't a more effective way of spreading the word about a good book than word of mouth. I know- I have heard people going on and on about Twilight and Fifty Shades. :)

Think you might be street team material? Your mission, should you choose to accept it:
Pass out bookmarks/promo items when you are out and about.Talk up the group, and our blog.Recommend our books to other readers you think might enjoy them. Promote our upcoming events, like the 2014 Fly Hat Society Luncheon, in person and via social media.What will you get for you efforts? A super awesome Hot MAMA Street Team t-shirt, a first look at new books before anyone else, special discounts to our events, and our undying gratitude. Pretty sweet, huh?

We are only accepting (10) members per state, so get on the good foot! Send an email to me at kiannaalexanderATgmailDOTcom and let me know where you live, why you want to be on the street team, and your t-shirt size. We will launch the street team with an online party this summer, so get in while the getting's good!

Until Next Time,
Kianna

Degree or Not Degree

Okay so this morning (or rather, Wednesday morning) I was talking with a co-worker about college and students and work ethics- we're college librarians so these conversations are commonplace. Our chat shifted gears and traveled around to the concept of degrees.     Just how necessary are they?     My coworker had an interesting take on the degree debate. She spoke about her brother and how successful he is although he never attended college. According to her, her brother was about as far from college material as a person could get. She believes; and said he would still agree, that were he to have attended college he would have probably failed his first year.     I pretty much agree that college is not for everyone. I saw a lot of kids wasting their folk’s money when I was an undergrad. I see even more of it now as a college librarian where I actually teach classes and work the front desk and witness the laziness and disinterest first hand. This attitude is not indicative of all students, but of enough of them to warrant concern.     In spite of this however, I also hold to the belief that a college degree is important for a kid to have-a black kid especially. A college degree today is what a high school diploma was when my parents were students. Most employers won't even view an application if a degree isn't listed among an applicant’s level of education.     Do I believe that a college degree makes one person better than another? NO! Some of the most intuitive dedicated and hardworking employees never saw the inside of a college classroom. There are even those who never completed elementary school who are among the most respected employees.      Things are so much different today than they were when my parents or even when I was a traditional student. With that in mind, a degree is definitely a tool I want to see my child equipped with. Not only to say that he has it; college teaches us many life lessons that have nothing to do with deciding on a major and meetings with professors. As it relates to my son, I hope college will provide him with that time away from the security of mom and dad, time away from the familiarity and comfort of home, time to build his- now almost nonexistent- level of responsibility. Time to understand that there is much more to college than class and papers just as there is much more to a member of society than the degree he holds...or does not.

Writing series romances and why we do it.

Every once in a while a writer gets an idea that sends them to a place they never thought they would go. Mine was writing a series. I had only written single titles and I can't even say I was fond of even reading series so I knew I wasn't going to write one. Finding an author I liked and knowing I had to start from the beginning turned me off, especially if I'd just found this author at book ten. However once I realized in some series the books also stand alone as single titles but has a common denominator, I was elated. Still, I wasn't going to write one. When readers and other authors pushed me beyond my comfort zone and asked for more after they'd read Whispers in the Dark it started the birth of my St. Agnes series. Whispers in the Dark started out as a single title, however, once the book was birthed the characters and readers screamed for more. Everyone fell in love with the town of St. Agnes. I even had a reader contact me to tell me she and her sister spent an entire day on the Eastern Shore of Virginia looking for it. She was really disappointed when I told her St. Agnes is a fictious town. However, you can find a piece of it in many of the small towns from north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to the Maryland state line. Not only did they fall you love with Dominique and Jericho they fell in love with St. Agnes' Chief of Police, Hunter Roberts. He was supposed to be a strong secondary character, a walk on character you might say that was going to give Dominique a run for her money. The crazy thing is, he didn't have a story. Readers emailed me from as far away as California and Canada asking about his story. Wow! He didn't have one! What was I to do? Well, as my story goes, one week I was sick with a chest and head cold and one night on my pseudophed, Nyquil, Mucinex high I dreamt of Chief Hunter Roberts story, Vision in the Dark in it's entirety and the concept and titles of four other stories from St. Agnes. St. Agnes was born! Book two, Visions in the Dark is Chief Roberts' story and book three involves Jericho's best friend, Marcus, St. Agnes' newpaper editor. St. Agnes is, or should I say was a quaint little town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Rumor has it after Dominique Rue showed up things just started to pop. She might debate that because Chief Roberts has a dark past of his own. I'm not sure if Dominique is the cause, however there is some truth behind the reasoning. Attempted murders, kidnappings and bullets ripping through flesh. Who's to say. Well I hope you travel to St. Agnes as you read my series and stay awhile. There's so much more in store for you. Also, take a minute to visit my other blog, www.denisejeffriestheauthor.blogspot.com We are taking a month long virtual road trip to St. Agnes starting today! You will get up close and personal with the town and the people who live there. Also, there will be prizes and books galore! I can't wait to see you there.

Cheating men in real life and why it doesn't really work in romance. . .

The other morning I woke up to a story about General David Petraeus.
Remember the former head of the CIA, who got busted cheating on his wife?
Well, now he's on his "I'm sorry" tour.

General David Petraeus is the latest high profile man doing the “I’m sorry” tour.  Tiger Woods did it. John Edwards did it. President Bill Clinton did it. Jesse Jackson did it. And the list could go on and on.  Hi, Mark Sanford. All of these high profile cheaters and June Bug around the corner have one thing in common – They’re sorry that they got caught. Cheating is a choice. Cheating is not an accident. It is planned and deliberate. No one accidentally shows up at a hotel room to have sex, to get oral pleasures or to make stains on blue dresses. You don’t accidentally play stick the cigar in the intern, you choose to do that. Saying I’m sorry after getting caught is like getting a garden hose after starting the house fire. It’s a little too late.

In real life, we forgive these high profile cheaters. I was kind of surprised to see a lot of women cheering when Tiger Woods regained his number one ranking. While we forgive these men in the real world, you have to be one hell of an author to get readers to support a cheating character.
Ann Christopher did an outstanding job of this in Redemption's Kiss. 
 

  After Jillian Warner's much-publicized divorce from her ex-governor husband, Beau Taylor, all she wants is a quiet life--out of the political spotlight. And quiet it is: the heiress and single mom runs a quaint B and B in Atlanta.

But Beau is back, vowing to win her heart. With desire reigniting, Jillian's more confused than ever. Her seductive ex betrayed her once. How can she ever trust him again?

A near-fatal accident has changed Beau in ways he never imagined. Now his number-one priority is becoming the devoted husband and father he knows he always should have been. He's determined to atone for the sins of the past and build a new future with the woman he's never stopped loving. Beau wants Jillian--and this time he's doing it right.

But reading about a cheater in contemporary romances leads to some harsh comments from readers. In my novel, Let's Get It On, I received many emails about why Kenya would take Maurice back. One of my good friends tells me often that she hates Maurice.
  Some times, I wish life imitated art more often. The men in fiction have to beg, plead and prove that they've changed. In real life, cheaters hold a press conference, claim a sex addiction or go on an "I'm Sorry Tour" and all is forgiven.








May is right around the corner! Are you ready for Forces of Nature.Publisher's Weekly says: Hot sex, some delightful humor, a dollop of mystery, and engaging characters make this a book readers will love.

When love takes over...

Whew! What a month, and it's not even over yet. Before I go any further, I just want to thank Kianna Alexander for putting together the best and flyest Fly Hat Society Luncheon ever! I know it was a huge undertaking and it showed. The event flowed. Looked like everyone had a great time. And the hats were fabulous!

Can't wait to do this again. Until then, I have gotten back into a solid writing jag. This past year, my muse was pretty tight-lipped. I couldn't get going on the writing. Maybe it was my body telling me to take a break. But now I'm back with a vengeance. I'm writing up a storm and can't wait to share it with you readers. You know me. Of course I'm working on something with BDSM. It wouldn't be Bridget Midway with a little spank and tickle.

In the meantime, I've also been reading. I'm a huge believer in that a great writer is an avid reader. The more you read, the better your writing will be. Right now I'm reading Gary Kadet's D/s. It's a literary version of a BDSM novel. Not really romantic, but I haven't finished it yet. But it gave me a new perspective on how others play in a scene. The author is very graphic, which I love.

Now that inspiration has hit me, I have to go and finish some stories. Be sure you share with me the books you're reading now. If you're an author, tell me what keeps you inspired to write.

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

Girl, Get it Together!

Hey, Y'all,

Well, things are crazy as ever in Middle of Nowhere, North Carolina where I reside. (That's why I'm posting today, LOL.) Over the past week, I've been doing some of everything. I have a special needs child, so I'm always engaging in these "interesting conversations" with the school. I have a two year old, so I'm often scrubbing crayon marks off the floor or figuring out how to get the child to sit down a minute. Bills, phone calls at inoportune moments, appointments, and the general madness of household life has gotten to me. Finally, I looked around and said to myself, "Girl, get it together!"

This post will include some important dates- be sure to make note of them.


I finished the first draft of Midnight's Serenade, my series ender for the Alexandra Kane PHOENIX Files. I made my first editing pass while waiting on critiques, and got one back last night. Ouch. Let's just say, it needs work. But, my goal is to deliver the best possible work to you, the readers. Because these titles are self-published, I have complete control over release dates, along with everything else. That being said, I am moving the release date for Midnight's Serenade, in order to end this series the right way. Drumroll, please....


Midnight's SerenadeeBook Release Date: April 30, 2013Print Release Date: June 10, 2013
There you have it. Y'all can wait that long, right? Hang in there.
On another note, I spent some time building out my next historical release, Loving the Lawman, which will end the Roses of Ridgeway novella series. This will probably not be your last visit to Ridgeway, but it will be the end of this particular series. There is not cover yet- I'll be doing a big cover reveal party on my blog. Here are the important dates on that front:

Loving the LawmanRoses of Ridgeway, #3Cover Reveal Party: June 7, 20137pm EST@ A Writing Belle
eBook Release Date:July 30, 2013Print Release:September 10, 2013
Remember, you're welcome to swing by my website and check out all my craziness and goings on. My vlog is there, too, so you can hear my voice and see my face about every 7-10 days! ;)  Up next on my appearance schedule: an event at the Harnett County Library in Lillington, NC. This event will be held on April 20, 2013 from 10 AM to 1PM. If you live nearby, I hope to see you there. More info on that will be on my website, Facebook, and Twitter- you are following me in all those places, right? LOL- appreciate ya.

Until Next Time,Kianna

Reflections on the Fly Hat Society Luncheon

So what can I say about the Fly Hat Society Luncheon? It seems that so many have already chimed in, so most of you know that it was a phenomenal event even though we were all missing our dear sister author Denise Jeffries. The luncheon was alive with fellowship, networking, great food and of course stunning hats!

There were many wonderful parts of the day, but I have to spotlight the author readings portion of the event. It was such a treat listening to the excerpts shared by my writer colleagues. So often we get caught up in our own projects that we don't have the time to indulge in the work of our peers. This weekend gave everyone the chance to delight in the..."education" we received from: Bridget's racy reads- don't think we'll ever think of the word "munch" in the same way again. There was Eboni's heavenly historical, my scandalous saga, Cheris's torrid tale, Monique's sensual shifter, Angie's delicious drama, Loretta's compelling coming of age and Iris's sexy sequel.

Unique stories by talented novelists, enjoyed by loyal and lovely readers. A splendid and fashionable time was had by all! Can't wait until next year!

People Watching On Saturday, March 9th we, the Hot M...

People Watching 
On Saturday, March 9th we, the Hot M.A.M.A.s will emerge on the good people of Morrisville, NC. If you are the person that sit in the food court of the mall to just watch people this is the place for you. 
The Fly Hat Society Luncheon will be a room filled with women wearing what they consider be the latest, in hats and only the Lord knows what else. That in itself would be enough to give you girlfriend conversation for a while, but we’re not stopping there.
At this luncheon, while you eat, you will be entertained with stories from each of the participating members of Hot MAMA Land. To fully understand what a treat you would be in for, let’s take closer look at few authors that will be there. 
Cheris Hodges, anyone that has ever been in Cheris presence knows she does not have good sense. The woman is hilarious and I don’t think she even knows it. You would never think the sexy, sassy books come from her, but they do.





Altonya Washington, looks sweet and innocent, and she really is. However, hidden beneath is a sense of humor that will keep you in snitches. From her saucy southern accent, to the intelligence, she can keep you in conversations for hours and you will never get tired of hearing her stories. People are still clamoring for The Ramsey, and I think she is about twenty relatives in. 








Loretta R. Walls, the one with the PR person hiding inside. The woman could sell, water to a drowning man. Her mind is always filled with ideas to promote others. Oh, and if you EVER want a history on music, this is the HOT MAMA for you. Her index on the revolution of music is outstanding. She also have an erotic love story or two for you.












Yes, if you are a people watcher, Morrisville, NC is where you want to be on March 9th. I’ve only share a few of the authors that will be in attendance. You will have to come to see the rest. 
REMEMBERWhat happens at the Luncheon can only be shared with those girlfriends you know can keep a secret. Who knows, next year they may be tempted to join us. 
Until the next time,Iris Bolling

Chatting with some Hot M.A.M.As

Want to meet the rest of the Hot M.A.M.A.s? Then get your tickets!

Hot MAMA Land
Fly Hat Society Luncheon
Saturday, March 9, 2013
11AM-4PM
Holiday Inn RDU
930 Airport Blvd
Morrisville, NC
Tickets: $35.00

Strutting Like a Peacock

   Last weekend, I went to the mall, strutting like a runway model in my hat. I’m serious. I decided I might as well get my strut on before the Fly Hat Society Luncheon. Besides, Mama needed a new pair of shoes.
   I slipped on skinny jeans, a black tunic sweater, and my beautiful hat. Oh yeah. I don’t want to spoil the surprise with the color and style, but let’s just say heads were turning as I sashayed down the mall’s corridors. Hee-Hee!
   I tell you… the things this sistah will do for attention.
   I stepped into my favorite store, walked up to a sales associate, struck a pose, and said, “I need a pair of shoes to match this hat.” She was so young the first thing that came to mind was, she don’t know nothing about this. Our grandmothers have been showcasing fine hats for generations! Church services, social gatherings, picnics, and teas.
  The twenty-something chick grinned knowingly then replied, “Follow me.”
I tried on five pairs of shoes yet none of them had the look I wanted and with these size 11 feet, stock was limited.   Disappointed, I left and went into several other stores, only to leave increasingly frustrated and wondering would I ever find the right pair. I was on my way out to the parking lot when I spotted a pair of stilettoes in the window that were so perfect, I accidently bit my tongue. I walked in, holding my mouth while pointing at the display in the window. I had to have them. You should have seen me dancing when I discovered they had my size. I was so excited, I wore those shoes home.
   If you haven’t already bought your ticket for the Fly Hat Society Luncheon then you better hurry because we’re almost sold out. I guarantee it’s an event you won’t want to miss.
   See you there, and don’t forget your hat.