Bethany Maines's Blog, page 8

Fall! Bombs Away!

Does anyone else feel like Fall just hit with a sledgehammer?  The weather shifted, everything started getting colder and book release dates started cropping up faster than weeds in my lawn.  My friends in the Stiletto Gang have several new releases. Debra Sennefelder put out the fashion / Halloween themed mystery What Not to Wear to a Graveyard (see her post here) and we’re still celebrating the late summer releases of Debra Goldstein’s latest Three Treats Too Many and the newest Stiletto Gang member Gay Yellen with Body Business.

My next book releases in October, but that just means that all the marketing is happening now, now, now (use your used car salesman voice for the last part). Marketing for most authors, including me, is a somewhat painful process in which we attempt to interest the greatest number of people in our precious book baby. The Cinderella Secret is book 2 (of 4) in my Deveraux Legacy series. With a series, book 1 sets the tone and while marketing can be increased for subsequent books – if an author did a terrible job on book 1 then book 2 doesn’t have much of a chance. This kind of high-stakes “hope you got it right” marketing pressure is what drives many authors to hate marketing.  We’re already responsible for inventing these characters, putting them through hell, hopefully letting some of them make it out with a happy ending, and now we’re responsible for making them a success in the world?  It’s too much! My poor babies deserve more!  But, of course, we saddle up and go out there and do our best for our imaginary book friends because we really do love them. Fortunately, it is a bit easier with assistance from friends, marketing professionals, and having some pretty sweet giveaways and incentives in my back pocket.

The Cinderella Secret: Hot-shot lawyer Aiden Deveraux holds the key to unlocking the dark secrets of Ella Zhao’s past and Ella holds the key to Aiden’s heart. But a murderer wants to stop those secrets from ever seeing the light of day and Aiden and Ella may have to trust each other with their secrets if they want to make it out of this fight alive.

Release Date: 10.19.20

Pre-Order now from iBooks for ¢.99!  (Price goes up after release week!) Buy here → https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-cinderella-secret/id1528407978?mt=11&app=itunes

Have a netgalley account and want to get an advance copy? Blogger/Reader Sign-Up → https://bit.ly/ReleasePromotionTheCinderellaSecret 

Want to win an e-copy and a $40 Amazon giftcard? Enter to win → http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2a9f3a7480/

Want to get the Deveraux Legacy prequel novella, The Lost Heir, for FREE? Learn how → https://bethanymaines.com/the-deveraux-legacy/

The post Fall! Bombs Away! first appeared on Bethany Maines.

Play Ball!

I recently read on The Stiletto Gang Blog Dru Ann Love’s post about all her virtual conference activities.  It was nice to hear that someone else is platform bouncing as much as I am.  Zoom and GoToWebinar and Facebook Live and, and, and… whew.  The list goes on.  I’m going to get Zoom burn out before I get COVID.  Of course, it would probably help if I wasn’t supporting three different on-line events through my day job as a graphic designer.  Meanwhile, authoring hasn’t stopped just because we can’t go talk to people.  Online sales and launches have always been important, but now they’re even more so.  Between the two, it’s as though my computer centered life has become a mushroom cloud of eye fatigue and poor posture.  On the plus side, I have now introduced my dog to everyone I’ve ever had a meeting with as he head butts my office door open on a routine basis.  Currently, Kato would like to play ball and I would like to do that also, so I’m going to do a quick update on the my author news and then get on out to the backyard!

AUTHOR NEWS

This week my publishing company Blue Zephyr Press is running a sale across their entire catalog.

¢.99 – My book, The Second Shot – Book 1 of the Deveraux Legacy,an intriguing and at times hilarious Romantic Suspense novel with a captivating cast of characters and action that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you like page-turning action, and award-winning writing, then you’ll love The Second Shot.  BUY NOW: Books2Read.com/The-Second-Shot

¢.99 – And book 2 – The Cinderella Secret – is now available for pre-order exclusively on Apple Books. It will only be ¢.99 thru release week, so grab it now!  ORDER NOW: apple.co/2FILmMd

And there are many more fantastic ¢.99 sci-fi, mystery, romance, and adventure novels available. Learn more about the other items for sale: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHarrisTully/posts/2630716057180650

Thorny Problems

This week has been a bit of roller coaster ride for my writing.  I received some very excellent news which them prompted me to move up several items on my to-do list, which further caused me to do the thing that I had been dreading… Call Apple Support to fix a problem with my Apple ID.  I have had three different people on my “case” and have now been bumped up to a “Senior Advisor.”  In short, my problem has been deemed an actual problem (hmm… like I said at the beginning?) and I have been moved away from the people that tell me to do things like “spell out North, instead of putting N.” and “try clicking ‘add’ 4 times really fast.”  Which is probably good because I was starting to make notes for killing off a customer support specialist in my next novel.

But all of this has left me feeling more than a little bit blocked.  I want to do one simple thing, but suddenly the simple thing spawned multiple problems and multiple frustrations.  Usually when I’m feeling frustrated I can dive into one of my writing projects to escape, but unfortunately I’m feeling blocked on many of those as well!  Book #4 of the San Juan Island series is holding until I can figure out who finds the body.  I’ve got it narrowed down, but I’m not sure who would be the best person.  My sci-fi version of Beauty & the Beast for the Galactic Dreams Anthology series is with my co-writers and I don’t want to write the next section without their input. And The Lost Heir, my Deveraux Legacy novella is with my beta readers.  So what’s the solution to this thorny issue?  Here’s what I came up with…

Step 1: Go blackberry picking

Step 2: Make pie.

Step 3: Eat pie.

It may be the long way around for pie, but it is a solution to a very thorny problem.

Money, Treasure, and… Love

One of my 2020 goals was to read more books. You would think that with pandemic shut downs that I might have made headway with that goal, but instead I had to pivot to homeschooling, fire-drill mode for several of my firm’s clients, and just generally trying not to freak out.  Fortunately, along came Cathy Perkins my fellow Stiletto Gang member with a brand new book – Calling for the Money.

Calling for the Money is the third book in the Holly Price mystery series, but doesn’t require reading the first two (there’s plenty of quickie recaps to bring a reader up to speed) and the mystery is self-contained. Holly is a top flight accountant who is quick-thinking, analytical and on the run from a devastating break-up.  But as Holly digs into her new job, her personal life and caring heart cause her to get involved in a missing persons case.  As Holly struggles to figure out if the perfect job she’s always wanted is what she wants now that she has it, kidnappers, extortion schemes and a father who needs a quick punch in the face keep her from being able to have a moment to herself.

This mystery was exactly what I needed to keep me turning pages and avoiding the dishes. Holly Price with her financial wizard mind was a smart heroine with tons of moxie that makes you root for her all the way through the book.  Calling for the Money was a fun, smart read, and I recommend the entire series.

UPDATE:  Love & Treasure is now available!
Buy Links:

Wayward Characters

    “Sam, did you just have Will drive you home so he would pay for our take-out?” Jenna whispered, draping her friend in a throw blanket.

    “Yes,” Sam whispered back without a hint of guilt. “And if you were a real friend, you would go over there and spill something on him, so he would have to take off his shirt.”

    “I’m starting to think Chase was right. You are not that injured,” said Jenna.

Love & Treasure, Bethany Maines

In my upcoming novella, Love and Treasure, I have two couples stumbling their way toward love. The main couple, Chase and Jenna, know they’re attracted to each other but the events of the story conspire to keep them apart.  But Samantha and Will are the bumbling side-kicks who haven’t quite realized that they’re destined for each other. Originally, Will, the straight-laced descendant of the town founder was intended to be the villain of the piece.  But as I wrote he won me over with his goofiness and well-intentioned, but occasionally misguided, desire for historical accuracy.  (In case, you’re wondering, I, like my hero pirate/stunt man/ restaurant owner Chase Regard, draw the line at historically accurate bathrooms.)

For the most part, my characters do as they’re told.  The bad guys set about their purpose with a Shakespearean-like intention to block the heroes.  And the heroines and heroes go about the business of saving the day without too much complaint.  However, every once in a while one of my characters simply turns up with extra personality and tries to turn the ship.  Sometimes I fight for control and other times… Well, who am I to deny true love?  Will and Sam are clearly destined for each other and only the meanest author would try to block that.

Love and Treasure is a modern day, stand-alone romantic comedy novella, reminiscent of the Gilmore Girls. If you like sword fights, treasure-filled caves, and laughs while a feisty heroine and rakish hero struggle to find their happily ever after, then you need Love and Treasure.  Love and Treasure will be available 7/21/20.  Learn more and pre-order:

The Good Old Days Weren’t Always That Good

“It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”

–Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

The pandemic has brought many things surface, but as I work with my roster of usual clients (I’m a graphic designer) I’m caught by surprise at the growing gulf between those who wish to return to “normal” (don’t we all) and those who have pushed forward to embrace technology in an effort to create “normal-ish”.  Some of the solutions that have come up during the pandemic are poor substitutes (distance learning, I’m looking at you), but at least function.  Some of the solutions work better than the original (Zoom with out of state friends!).  But what I see is that the clients who are embracing technology to remain connected are going to have an on-going and continued advantage over organizations that take the “we’ll just wait for normal to come back” approach even after the pandemic subsides.

Honestly, I don’t believe that normal is going to come back. That is not a negative prediction.  It’s an estimate based on what I know about history and technology. Humans are always looking for “faster” and once we’ve found a new faster way to do things, we don’t go back to slower.  So all the shortcuts we’ve developed are going to stick with us. The organizations who think that everything will go back to the way it was are going to be severely disappointed. And I think this rule can be brought down to an individual level as well.

Which has made me ponder what “normal” am I clinging to for the sake of familiarity?  Am I afraid of being a different person tomorrow because it would require change today?  What challenges have I been avoiding because they would require me to dig in, learn, and potentially fail? Learning something new is hard, but results are clear — trying new things keeps us connected, flexible and more likely to survive.  And as I stated slash possibly sang and danced to in my last Zoom dance party, I Will Survive.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Peregrine’s Flight – the next book in my Shark Santoyo series is almost here (print edition is already available!) and will be available 6/16.

Blurb: Peregrine Hays has always been able to see the angles and fix any situation—but even she can’t fix the death of Shark Santoyo. All Peri wants to do is finally move on, but when mysterious new player Hernan Arroyo comes to town looking for Shark and digging up the past, he unwittingly puts Peri in the path of the Reyes brothers, their hunt for a smuggler of stolen Mayan artifacts, and a shadowy figure known only as the Mannequin. Peri is struggling, but maybe with the help of her friends, she can learn to fly.

Learn more about the series:  https://amzn.to/3aUhDuA 

Pre-Order Peregrine’s Flight:  https://amzn.to/3eGyan6

Love & Treasure – Surprise it’s a novella! If you like sword fights, treasure-filled caves, and laughs, then you need Love & Treasure.

Blurb: Chase Regard is captain of the nearly-historically-accurate pirate ship Cupid’s Revenge, a pirate-themed restaurant and dinner show, and the mountain of debt that came with both. But Chase has an ace up his sleeve: his ancestor left a heap of treasure somewhere on the coast near Ashville, Oregon. All Chase needs to find it is the help of the red-headed, fiery, and occasionally forgetful, academic Dr. Jenna Mackenzie, the director of the Ashville Museum. But when Chase and Jenna team up they must face the town’s history-buff bully, accusations of theft, and an oncoming storm before they find out that X marks the spot for love and treasure.

Releasing: July 

Thriller Giveaway: Fellow Stiletto author A.B. Plum and I are part of a massive Thriller Giveaway!  60 series starting books AND an e-reader are up for grabs. Last day to enter is 6/10 so click that link quick! Enter for a chance to win here: : https://www.booksweeps.com/giveaway/june-2020/fast-paced-thrillers-series-starters/

Motherhood Training

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was annoyed/amused that everyone was complaining about being forced to live my life (I only got to go to the grocery store!! Wahhhhh!).  But with Mother’s Day on the horizon, I’m actually finding this to be more and more true. People are grumpy, unhappy, short-tempered and depressed.  It is exactly as though they’ve been forced into motherhood without the benefit of having a baby!  They have no idea what is going on, the changes seem daily, someone always seems to be yelling about something, wearing a face mask seems like kind of a good idea, and there is no end in sight, except for possibly 18 years in the future.  Who knew that motherhood would prepare me for a pandemic?

So, in honor of Mother’s Day, here is what I’ve learned from motherhood that will help you through this:

Your memory is now dead. Don’t feel bad. Just accept it and move on to writing everything down.
You feel strangely stuck in a loop and yet wildly out of control.  That’s OK.  Start building routines.  Set the alarm clock.  Get up.  Get dressed like an (comfy) adult. And then schedule a time to do something you enjoy – like reading a book or trying something new.  Routine helps maintain the feeling that you have some control.  Control the things that you can, and try to let everything else go.
Someone always wants something and they all seem to want it at the same damn time.  That is some sort cosmic law. However, you cannot do all the things all at once.  Which, sadly, is also a cosmic law.  So take a breath, pick one thing and do it.  You will have to accept that you may always feel like you picked the wrong thing.  That’s OK.  Just do the one thing and then you can pick the next thing and do it.  Later you can point and say, “Look, I did the thing.” and you will feel good about it.
Work out.  It sounds like some sort of lame advice from the TV doctor, but it’s still true.  Your brain is working over time, but you’re going to have a hard time sleeping if your body isn’t also tired.  So give it something to do – go for a walk, do an online class, whatever.  You’ll feel like you did a thing (see above) and you’ll feel better.
Other people annoy the shit out of you, which if you’re me was always true, but now you have less patience than ever.  That’s normal.  You’re like cable internet and someone added three extra devices.  Your bandwidth has now been exceeded, you have no more room to put new stress and new thoughts.  So, start turning off other devices.  Say no to that other Zoom meeting.  Say no to whatever sounds the most tiring (except working out, do that anyway) and give yourself some headspace.

Good luck in your personal pandemic zone.  Take care of yourself.  Remember to breath.  And of course, remember to read a book.  This week, I’m recommending  Shotgun Honey Volume 4: Recoil , an anthology of lean, mean crime fiction featuring my short story Johnny Stills Goes to Atlantic City (or Suzy Makes Cupcakes).
Order from all major retailers: 
• Amazon — Trade Paperback | eBook

• Barnes & Noble — Trade Paperback | eBook
• iTunes — eBook
• Kobo — eBook
• Play — eBook  

Techno Tics

As we, or at least some of us, continue to stay home in attempt to not spread disease several things have become apparent.  First and foremost, lighting matters.  I mean, I always knew that fluorescent lights sucked, but nothing makes the members of a Zoom meeting ask Dear God, when did Miss Havisham get here? like bad lighting.  Also, painting walls has become of huge concern to me.  We’re having so meetings in the homes of others and all I can think is… Color.  It’s called color.  The world is full of it.  Why is NONE of it on your walls?  And no off-white doesn’t count.  Off only counts as a thing when it’s next to Broadway.

Next up: aging and technology.  No one expects Nana to be up on Tik Tok, but in recent times it has quickly become apparent who has been keeping up, at even a minor level, on technology.  This has reconfirmed my resolve to learn at least some basics in a technology even if I don’t “like” it.  At some point I will be older than the dirt on which I’m standing and I don’t want some young whippersnapper having to explain to me that emails don’t live on my computer.  Or whatever the future version of that is.

To help me in that goal, and just as though I had spare time coming out my ears, I signed up for a course on Amazon ads. The first week has been a fascinating delve into testing ads and ad copy and basically to do all those things that I generally avoid because I don’t “like” it. So, goal… accomplished.

I hope all of you are keeping well and if you’re being forced to do something you don’t like, I hope that it will at least benefit you and yours in the future.

Here is a sampling of my new ad copy:

Shark’s Instinct

Get the money. Get the girl. Get out. But with traitors and a brewing gang war on his heels, will Shark’s instincts keep him alive or get him dead?

LEARN MORE>>

The Second Shot

A Romantic Suspense with feminist flair, The Second Shot delivers a one-two punch of passion and action that will keep you turning pages.

LEARN MORE>>

News from the Inside

COVID Update: Social distancing and sheltering-in-place continues, my time spent googling “how to look good on webcam” has increased and Facebook ads have become increasingly applicable.  Why, yes, I do want that ridiculous photography gadget.  However did you know? I have learned that even with headphones on my daughter yells at her online schoolwork games like they’re sporting events.  “Giraffes don’t belong there!”  As part of my attempts to maintain my introvert lifestyle and avoid my family who are now EVERYWHERE I have started reading romance novels on Radish, an app for episodic romance novels that lets you browse by your preferred trope.  Werewolf biker romance?  Sure, why not.  Anything to forestall another round “do we have any more paper towels?” Because no, we don’t.

Regular Update: I have a new book coming out!  In fact, I have two.  Shark’s Fin is a mystery thriller and book four of the Shark Santoyo Crime Series.  It arrives in May and because there’s a wee bit of a cliff hanger, I’ve decided to put out book five, Peregrine’s Flight a month later.  The Shark series is ridiculously fun to write, with wickedly good good guys and wonderfully bad bad guys, each book takes readers on a fresh adventure as Shark and Peri inch closer to taking down the big mob boss.  It’s gritty, funny, and full of twists and turns, you can blast through all three Shark Santoyo novels on Kindle Unlimited and then pick up Shark’s Fin in May and Peregrine’s Flight in June!

SHARK’S FIN

Book 4 of the Shark Santoyo Series

Release Date: May 12, 2020

When Shark Santoyo made a deal with the FBI to flip on Geier—the boss of The Organization— he thought he’d be done in a few weeks. But six months later Shark is faced with an FBI handler who is working against him, an assassination investigation and an increasingly erratic Geier. But as the threats mount, Shark realizes that if he wants to make it out of this mess alive, he’s going to need the help of the only girl who has ever held his trust and his heart—Peregrine Hays.  Peri and Shark believe together they can make it through anything. But they’ve never taken on both the FBI and Geier before.

Praise for the Shark Santoyo Series: “Anti-heroes, bad guys, uncles and the dynamic crime-fighting duo of Shark and Peri equal reading bliss, especially if you like some heart, brains and wit with your down-and-dirty grit. All I can add is READ IT.” –Tome Tender Book Blog

READ OR BUY THE SERIES NOW:  https://amzn.to/3aUhDuA

PRE-ORDER SHARK’S FIN: https://amzn.to/34km8fd

2020 Plans

Well, the first quarter of 2020 has certainly been a bit of a rollercoaster ride.  Currently, it feels a bit like we’re stuck at the top of the loop-de-loop.  Hopefully, the ride operators get their heads out of… the gearbox and get us down soon.  Meanwhile, I thought I’d do a bit of recapping and let everyone know what’s coming from me this year.

QUARTER 1 – An Unfamiliar Sea – if you missed my non-stop announcements about book 3 of The San Juan Island Mysteries please let me know you secret avoidance techniques because I’d like to employ those ninja skills against the nightly news and COVID-19.  An Unfamiliar Sea see’s our heroine Tish Yearly grappling with being a business owner and solving the murder of one of her new employees.  As usual her grandfather Tobias is there to provide steady support and sarcastic commentary.

Snap up book 1 – An Unseen Current – for .99 and then sail through books 2 and 3.

LEARN MORE>> bethanymaines.com/sanjuanislandmysteries

BUY NOW>>Amazon

QUARTER 2 – Sooooo many criminally fun things are happening!

April 6 – Shotgun Honey Vol. 4: Recoil – My story Johnny Stills Goes to Atlantic City is featured in this fantastic anthology. LEARN MORE>> https://www.shotgunhoney.com/books/shotgun-honey-presents-volume-4-recoil/
May – Shark’s Fin – Book 4 of the Shark Santoyo Series blasts it’s way into stores.
June – Peregrine’s Flight – Book 5 of the Shark Santoyo Series follows right behind book 4 because… well, because, trust me, you’re going to want it that way.

PS – Want to catch up on all the Shark tales?  Check out books 1-3 (Shark’s Instinct, Shark’s Bite, and Shark’s Hunt) on Kindle Unlimited.

LEARN MORE>> bethanymaines.com/shark-santoyo

BUY NOW>> Amazon

QUARTER 3 – Whew.  I’m taking a break for the summer.  Well, not really.  I won’t be publishing, but I will be working on my novella for Galactic Dreams Vol. 3 set for release in 2021. (It’s Beauty & the Beast this time – eeeeeee!!!!)  A brand new romantic suspense novel (I can’t tell you about it yet!) and a new holiday novella in my Christmas Carol series – Winter Wonderland.

QUARTER 4 – Fall is the time for staying inside with delicious things.

October – The Cinderella Secret – Book 2 of The Deveraux Legacy series delivers Aiden’s story and is it a doozy. It’s got thrills, chills, and hidden family secrets. I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this one.

The Cinderella Secret – Aiden Deveraux holds the key to unlocking the secrets of Ella Zhao’s past and Ella holds the key to Aiden’s heart. Too bad someone’s trying to kill them both.

LEARN MORE>>bethanymaines.com/the-deveraux-legacy

December – Winter Wonderland – When a Marcus Winter, a photographer with a bah humbug take on the holidays, meets Larissa Frost, a set stylist who loves all things Christmas, sparks are destined to fly, but when a famous diamond goes missing from the shoot they’re working on Larissa finds that Marcus may be the only one who can keep her from being framed for a crime she didn’t commit.

Can’t wait for Christmas to read a Christmas adventure?  Download the award-winning Blue Christmas for FREE today: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/to271maetc

And that should round out 2020 in style.  Hopefully, we’ll be pandemic free by then.  And remember, if you have to stay in, at least stay in with a book.