Nicki Elson's Blog, page 16

A Day Late & a Million $$ Short: Episode 2 #Survivor

I call this one:
We're Gonna Need a Bigger BuffI'm back again for my new Friday feature, in which I share my thoughts and feelings about the latest episode of Survivor. (As I said last week, no need for my regular visitors to feel bad about taking a pass on these posts if  you don't watch the show.)

The thing I'll stop harping on...after this: Probst continues to push my buttons by trying to manipulate the castaways' emotions. He acts like he cares, but really, he's just being cruel by intentionally drawing out their tears. He's clearly been given a Barbara Walters directive for the season, but happily, the players aren't dwelling on their feelings as much as the producers would like. So I guess I won't either.

The thing I shouted at my TV: "She's half his height!" I can't stand it when they don't adjust the individual challenges for varying height or foot size, and this reward challenge had a clear advantage for the vertically challenged. All Rocker's girlfriend had to do to get under the limbo sticks was swish her ponytail to one side while he had to practically bend in half while balancing that ball. It would've been easy enough and totally fair to put the sticks at, say, 3/4 of each of their heights, no?

My emerging lovable favorite: Wes. He stole my heart when he started rooting for Reed in the head-to-head challenge & had to be told Josh was the one in his tribe. Names, schmames, eh? He just may bumble his way to the end because he's so non-threatening...assuming his tribe doesn't conitnue to lose every single challenge.

My emerging strategic favorite: Eh, jury's still out. Probably need to see a vote go down in Hunapuh before I can decide. Hold the phone---assuming Coyopa can start winning any time soon, I do like Dale. He's already shown that he has influence in the tribe, nobody will think of him as a physical threat because of his age, he's got a level head, and he's a big reality TV fan so he's likely got strategic game. I reserve my right to completely reverse this opinion at any point in the future.

The vote: I was cracking up that Val's fooish lie about having not one but TWO idols ended up doing her in. Chances are she wasn't long for this game, anyhow, but claiming to have two idols so early on was a stretch. What actually made me laugh harder was that anyone believed her. Even after she didn't produce an idol after the first vote, Rocker was all "I told you to use it" intead of seeming to have a clue that she'd been lying.

But the more interesting thing is...who threw that extra vote at Val? The alliance was supposed to go 3 Val, 3 Baylor, and then Val &  Jaclyn would throw their votes at Baylor, making it 3 Val, 5 Baylor. Instead we got a tie. And we didn't get to see how the first round of votes went during the credits because they only showed the votes from the second vote. My guess is it was Josh. He was suspicious after Val & Rocker went walking off alone---and didnt even try to hide it, duh---and he showed the first week that he's not afraid to stray from the pack. I really can't imagine it being anyone but him.

Nicki has spoken. Now it's your turn. Who do you think cast the renegade vote during the first round? Do you have an emerging favorite yet? Where, oh where is that flint?

Busting the Myths about Book Marketing #IWSG

Last month was the three year anniversary of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and only (as far as we can prove) Alex J. Cavannaugh, and today is the one year anniversary of the IWSG website for writers. Happy anniversary, Team IWSG!

To celebrate, the team has asked IWSG members to contribute a post with our favorite piece of advice in either writing, publishing, or marketing. These bits of wisdom will be pulled together in the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond. My contribution falls into the Marketing category. I hereby give my permission for the following post to be included in the guide.



Myths I Believed When I was First Publishedby Nicki Elson, author of contemporary love stories

I'm a little uncomfortable acting like I know what works when it comes to marketing a book, because clearly I don't, but I have managed to learn at least a few things in the almost five years since my first book was published. Today, I'd like to share with you three things I've found out aren't true about marketing a book. In bold are things I believed when I was first published; following each of these myths is what I've learned to be the reality.

1. There's no point in writing another book until you prove that you can sell the first one you publish. For nearly a year and a half this kind of thinking kept me trapped like a panicky squirrel on a busy road jumping from marketing opportunity to marketing opportunity instead of calming the freak down and working on the next book. Yes, we have to put solid time and effort into marketing, but the truth is that there's only so much we can do to get our books into the hands of readers. To be successful, a book has to start selling itself via word of mouth at some point, and that will either happen or it won't. It's out of our control.

We never know which of our books is going to strike a chord with the reading public, but our best shot of having a hit is by writing more books not by forever beating our heads against one book that for whatever reason just hasn't gained traction.

2. Having a gagillion followers on the social networks will automatically translate into huge book sales. Watching numbers go up is always fun, and it's not a bad thing to be adored in the social networks, but don't expect every single one of your followers---or even a decent percentage of them---to dash out to buy your book the moment it hits the presses...or ever. Social networking is a great way to keep a pulse on reader tastes and to network with writers, agents, and publishers. It's also an easy and free way to get the word out about your books, but again, for a book to find sustainable sales success, those Tweeters need to start talking about your book on their own. That's not something you can force, even with a massive league of followers.

Rather than wasting your time on "add followers" gimmicks that will only result in followers who really don't care what you have to say, let your following grow at a natural, slower pace, and use that gimmick time for writing instead.

3. It's important to cajole everyone you know into reading your book and then pressure them to write a review on Amazon. No matter how big your family is or how many friends you have, their purchases and reviews are not going to make or break your book's success. I'm not saying to keep your publication a secret from them---by all means send your "people" an e-mail to let them know about your book, post on Facebook about it, and invite them all to your release bash. But leave it there and don't pester those who don't show an interest. That will only lead to awkwardness and hurt feelings.

Cherish those who do read and enjoy, and let that positivity energize you as you push forth to find new ways to get your book into the hands of readers who truly want it.

[End IWSG Post]


Since I'm in a mood to pretend I know what I'm doing, I've got an article going up at Savvy Authors on October 2 called "Social Networking Anxiety," in which I give social networking tips to the socially shy. Please stop by if you have the time and interest.


In other news, the amazing M.Pax is gearing up for Realms Faire 2014! I had so much fun bloodying the other knights in the Realms Faire Joust last year, that I've decided to host my own event this year. Learn all about the Realms Faire and sign up to participate or as a sponsor right here.

A Day Late & a Million $$ Short: Episode 1 #Survivor #Shelfie

Let this post also serve as my Shelfie for Tara Tyler & Co.
It's hard to see, but writer freinds' books are next to my head.
Bobbing head dolls & classics on top shelf
Book I'm reading by Erik Reichenbach, former SurvivorI'm doing it! For the longest time I've been wanting to start a Survivor blog, and...well, I'm not doing that, but I'm starting up a Friday feature here in which I spew my take on the week's episode. As you see, I'm calling it "A Day Late & a Million $$ Short" because #1: I'll be posting a day later than most Survivor pontificators, and #2: I obviously can't win the cool mil until Probst finally breaks down and casts me.

If you're a regular visitor to my blog and you don't watch Survivor, please don't feel bad about bailing on the DLM$S posts (look at that---it's already an acronym!). I'm going to write these posts as if readers have watched the episode, so if you're not in that crowd, they won't have much meaning to you. I know that the right thing for me to do would be to start a separate blog for this sillynes; alas, I'm far too lazy to do that.

Alrighty then, who's still with me? Let's get into Suvivor 29, Blood versus Water: San Juan Del Sur .

My one-sentence assessment: Despite Jeff Probst constantly asking the Survivors about their feelings, this was pretty good for an opening episode.

The thing I shouted at my TV: There are no feelings on Survivor! 

My favorite thing: What really struck me about this cast was their genuine comaraderie. Even Jeremy, who walked around making alliances with everyone, seemed sincere in his interactions. I think he's going to have a tough time acutally cutting anyone loose. Usually there are at least a couple of people who paint themselves as vindictive schemers from the get-go. But this group seems to want to feel each other out before getting too strategical. I like that. Don't get me wrong---I enjoy a good villain, but I don't like it when people are schemy just for the sake of being schemy.

Not cool: I didn't like how the women of the Coyopa tribe stereotyped Josh and Dale as the gay guy and the old (and therefore weak) guy, respectively. Yes, Josh is gay but that doesn't make it right for Nadiya to refer to him as "one of the girls". And yes, Dale is two decades older than most of his tribemates, but he's only 55 and competed just as well as if not better than most others in the challenge.

Also uncool was the way the massive John Rocker remained empty-handed as he walked leisurely beside a struggling, sweating, three-times-smaller Wes while he lugged a huge and awkward bundle of palm fronds/branches. That's the other thing I shouted at my TV: "Help him!"

The voting: Can anyone explain to me Josh's thinking when he voted for Baylor? What was the point of voting for the person who appeared to be your closest ally in the game? Why not just vote for Nadiya? By not voting for either Dale or Nadiya, he betrayed both the guys and the girls so it seems to me it only hurts his position in the game. Also, I think it was foolish of Val to feign as if she had the hidden immunity idol. The only thing that accomplished was letting her tribemates see that she's sneaky. But I like how the vote ended up. Nadiya has a great personality and was fun to watch (despite her clueless offensiveness), but I was glad to see the tribe act on getting rid of the known threat right away. Most of the time they just talk about making a move like that but wait until too late to actually do it.

Nicki has spoken. Now it's you turn---what did you think of the episode and what was Josh thinking?

Underrated Treasures: The Big Picture

Today is the newest of Alex J. Cavannaugh's famous & fun blogfests: Underrated Treasures, in which we tell you about movies, books, TV shows and/or songs that don't get the attention we think they deserve. I'm sure no one will be surprised that my underrated treasure dates back to the 1980s.

The Big Picture  (1989) fell victim to the Hollywood politics it pokes fun at and was only in theaters in limited release before going to video. According to IMDb, it had a box office take of a measly $117,000. The movie is about a promising film school graduate (Kevin Bacon) who is seduced by Hollywood's ways and doesn't see the big picture until everything falls apart. It's got a good message for creative types who hope to make it big one day, but mostly I like it for it's sarcastic, quirky humor. Martin Short, anyone? It's been a long time since I've actually watched the movie, yet I think about it often and still make The Big Picture references---which nobody gets because it seems hardly anyone else has seen the movie. Have you?

A fun scene from The Big Picture:

The Big C Blogfest #Cancer #Laughter

Today is the Big C Blogfest created by Michael Di Gesu and Melissa Bradley, who is currently laughing in the face of cancer as she gets treatments and kicks the nasty disease's bum. The funny and uplifting stories told today will be put together in an eBook to help Melissa offset her medical costs and also to benefit Gilda's Club Chicago, an organization that helps women fight endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancer.

"Snow Treatment"
My family was struck by the big C earlier this year when my father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. The man never smoked a day in his life and felt great and healthy, so when the doctor saw something strange in Dad's routine bloodwork and scheduled him for an X-ray of his lungs, we thought nothing of it. When they saw that his lung was surrounded by fluid and wanted to do a CT scan, it was like a small slap in the face. When the results came back and the bottom of the X-ray showed several "nodes" on his omentum, it was like getting smashed square in the gut with an anvil. The day we received this news is when my story takes place...
We didn't know-know yet that this was advanced cancer, but we knew, you know? As had been planned weeks earlier, my kids had stayed overnight at Grammie's and Poppie's (my parents are the kind of amazing people whose teenaged grandchildren still ask to have sleepovers at their house) and I drove through the suburban Chicago tundra to pick them up. We'd also planned on Mum coloring my hair that day. When she answered the door with tears and the horrible news, we cried and I told her to, of course, not even think about doing my hair. But she said it would be good to do something instead of standing around crying all day, so we ventured forth. 
There I was in the zebra-striped beautician's cape, my hair slathered in deep, rich dye, looking like the Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez had its way with it. My strands were getting darker by the moment. Mum announced that it was time to rinse and lifted the lever thing in the sink, and...no water. No water! Guys were up the street working on a busted pipe, and there was no water. And did I mention my hair was getting darker with each millisecond that passed?
"Snow!" I shouted, pointing toward the door. The glorious snow that I'd been cursing on my drive there turned out to be a savior. My kids and dad grabbed pots and buckets and filled them with the fluffy stuff. Then my mom and I melted it on the stove---and then we melted more and more and more because have you ever seen how snow shrinks when it turns to water? FYI, it's also riddled with tiny sticks and stuff. And when it's on the burner for too long, it gets really, really hot---scalding, some might say. 
All of this was poured over my head in small batches that felt like they would never end. As I was bent over the sink, trying to ignore the cramp in my neck and the slight sizzling sensation on my scalp, I asked my dad, "Hey, could ya spare some of that liquid around your lung?"
And...he laughed. We all did. We didn't let this thing become "that which we do not irreverently joke about" and therefore, we haven't given it power over us. I wholeheartedly believe that God turned off the water that day as a practical joke to push us over the edge into ridiculous, and that crazy weird day has helped set the tone for how this family has faced our new reality---we're doing it together and with plenty of humor. Which isn't to say that each one of us hasn't been brought to our knees at times, but we always get up, smile, and take what's next.

My advice for those of you with the big C in your lives is to not be shy about asking for prayers. They work, and en mass, hoo boy, they can be downright miraculous. The answers we get aren't always the ones we hoped for...but sometimes they are. Months ago I came on my knees to my blog and elsewhere asking for prayers that my dad would be among the less than 15% of people with one of two mutations that would allow him to be treated with a highly successful pill. More time passed than expected to get the answers, but guess what---he has one of the mutations. I can't even type that without welling up with grateful tears. Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone who spared a prayer for him. Someone is clearly listening.

Visit Michael's blog to find the list of other hoppers. To help Melissa focus on getting better rather than her mounting medical expenses, please donate to the Melissa Bradley Medical Fund.

The Settler (all is not as it seems)

I was invited to Settler, OR by M. Pax to celebrate the launch of her Rifters Series. I've learned much about the beautiful and unusual town of Settler since my initial visit and will learn even more now that I've downloaded The Rifters for FREE onto my Kindle, but on my first visit, I was a little,,,eh...let's say, naive. Here's what happened...

The helicopter spins a whirl of dust all around me as it takes off. Grinding the granules between my teeth and spitting out what I can, I take a look around at where the whirlybird has brought me. It's pretty here---gorgeous mountain peaks all around, lots of serene nature. Lot's and lots and lots of nature, as a matter of fact. But no bachelor in sight. Oh, excuse me, no "settler" in sight.

Several weeks ago, I was contacted by M. Pax---great name for a Hollywood producer, right? She asked if I'd be interested in coming to Settler. I'd naturally presumed it was a twist on The Bachelor. You know, because the guy's ready to "settle" down, but as I look around, I wonder...do you think it might be a cross between The Bachelor and Survivor?

I see a rocky road just ahead and follow it. Along the way, I pass a place called Settler RV Park with rows of dented and dusty trailer homes. Huh, that's probably where the crew stays. I must be getting closer. I don't spy any cameras around at the moment, so I go ahead and slip off my chunky wedge sandals. Someone could'a warned me there'd be a long hike to the mansion.

I morph my scowl into a shiny, though somewhat gritty, smile. You never know when the Chris-Harrison-wannabe host or The Settler himself will appear from behind one of these pine trees---and I want that first-impression rose. Though in this case, it might be a first-impression thistle. This guy better be worth it.

Aha! I see a building just ahead marked Settler Outfitters. That must be where I get to pick out fabulous outfits to wear on all the amazing dates I'll be going on. And yes! That sign points to Gold Lake Lodge. I like the sound of that. Throw in a diamond, and me & Mr. Settler will be all set.

The sun slips beneath the mountain peaks just as I arrive at a row of small buildings. Strange lights ripple across the darkened sky before fading so completely that I wonder if I actually saw them. Pretty creepy. No! Not creepy. Romantic is what it is. The rushed tinkling of bells makes me jump, and a guy sticks his head out the doorway of a studio for some show called The Chemist . "What are ya doin' out there all alone? Do you want to be phantom bait?" he asks.

Phantom bait? Oh, I get it---he's not a fan of reality dating shows and thinks I'm making a huge mistake. Well, he can just go back to his Bill Nyesque programming and not worry his pretty little head about me. Phantom. Pssht.


      

How gorgeous are those covers? 
Book 1, The Rifters, is FREE on Amazon, B&N, iTunes & More.  
Book 2,The Initiate, is available for pre-order for only 99 cents atAmazon, B&N, iTunes & More.
A junction erupts between the worlds. 

The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves forty years off his age, forty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done. 

Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon. Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. On top of it all, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust. 

Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.

Coming Out #IWSG

Welcome to the September 2014 edition---which also marks the THREE YEAR anniversary---of Insecure Writers Support Group, brainchild of the one and clonely Alex J. Cavannaugh (thank you, Ninja Master!).

We've lamented more than once during our monthly meetings about the scariness of releasing our literary babies into the world and the fear of what reactions we might get. I won't have to face those fears full-on for a few more months with my upcoming novel, but as it makes its way through the publication process, the time has come to give my family a few more details beyond my "oh, it's just a silly office romance" copout. Today I thought it would be fun to share their reactions with you.

The first two sentences of the book's summary should clue you in to why sharing the deets with my family was a somewhat stomach-churning prospect for this mild-mannered suburban mama: Lyssa Bates doesn’t need a man. Not when the world is fully-stocked with double A batteries and a wide array of options in Amazon’s health and sexual wellness category.

And here I give you, the family reaction upon learning Vibrizzio 's premise:
18 year old daughter: "What's wrong with you?"
(My response: "Oh, grow up." )

16 year old son: "Hehe. That's pretty funny."

Husband: Offered to help me review my research.

Mother: "When are you going to write a nice mystery novel?"

Father: He was in the room with me and mom when the subject came up but pretended to neither hear nor understand. He's the wisest of the bunch, methinks.

Now THAT'S what I call revealing: Blocked by @JenLaneBooks

It's cover reveal time! This time it's for Jennifer Lane's upcoming New Adult novel, Blocked. Because Jennifer and I are close writing buds, I got to be a pre-reader of this story, and let me tell you, it's so much more than regular college romance. These two co-eds not only have the pressure of being varsity volleyball players, they're the offspring of presidential hopefuls---in opposing parties. The story isn't afraid to address hot button issues, and it does so in a way that truly respects both sides, not something we see that often in politics anymore (or ever, really).

But the main focus is the unlikely romance. The politics are woven into the narrative in a way that never detracts from, only adds to, the relationship's development. I fell in love with both of the leading lady and man. Lucia is so sweet and endearing, completely relatable and huggable, and Dane at first seems like a typical college jock...but then we find out he has a heart as soft as his body is hard. Well, enough babbling out of me, eh? On to the...


COVER REVEAL
BLOCKED
By Jennifer Lane


New Adult Contemporary/Sports Romance
Releasing October 21, 2014
College freshman Lucia Ramirez has a secret crush on Dane Monroe. He’s a tall drink of water — blond, brash, and one hell of a volleyball player. Hijole. Lucia hopes her volleyball scholarship to his school will make him notice her.
Too bad what’s noticeable is Dane’s obvious hatred for Lucia. Her family’s politics contradict everything he stands for. And politics are front and center in both their families. Dane’s mother is about to face Lucia’s father in the race for US President.
When Secret Service throws them together, Dane can’t deny his frustrating attraction to Lucia’s athletic curves and sweet faith in the world. Amid the intense pressure of college athletics and presidential politics, can opposites not just attract, but overcome overwhelming odds to be together? Or do their differences block their match from the start?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22573624-blocked




If you would like to participate in the Release Event and/or Request to Review BLOCKED, you can find out more information HERE.



GIVEAWAY
Jennifer Lane is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card and an Advanced Reader Copy of BLOCKED on her Facebook page! You can enter HERE.

About the Author
Get psyched for romance with psychologist/author (psycho author) Jennifer Lane! By day she witnesses growth in her psychotherapy clients, and by night she wrangles misbehaving fictional characters as she writes sports romance and romantic suspense with a psychological twist. She can’t decide which is more fun.
A swimmer and volleyball player in college, Jen wove some of her own experiences into Streamline—a military mystery about swimmers. And readers can dip their toes into Jen’s world of swimming romance by sampling her free New Adult novella Swim Recruit. (optional link to include: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/swim-...)
College volleyball romance Blocked is Jen’s newest release, launching 10-21-14. Peek inside big-time college sports and even bigger national politics when the offspring of two presidential candidates find out whether opposites really do attract, or their match is blocked from the start.
Stories of redemption interest Jen the most, especially the healing power of love. She is also the author of The Conduct Series, a romantic suspense trilogy that includes With Good Behavior, Bad Behavior, and On Best Behavior. Ultimately, whether writing or reading, Jen loves stories that make her laugh and cry.
In her spare time she enjoys exercising, attending book club, hanging out with her plus-size, “I’m not fat, I’m big-boned” Izzie cat, and visiting her sisters and their families in Chicago and Hilton Head.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter 




Jennifer also has some other exciting news---her CONduct series is now available as a boxed set! All three books of this sexy, fun, romantic suspense series set in Chicago for only $4.99.

Sassy Trollops & Revealing Music + #Giveaways with @RumerHaven

Pop the bubbly for sassy trollop Rumer Haven as she celebrates the release of her debut novel, Seven for a Secret! The story goes back and forth between the Roaring Twenties when the “New Woman” was born and the modern Noughties when she really came of age. Lucky me got ahold of an advance copy and spent an entire weekend thoroughly engrossed in this suspensful and romantic tale.
Read my full 5 star review at Goodreads
Now for my revealing one-question interview with Rumer:If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of Seven for a Secret, what would it be and why? 

What a fun question. :)

If I had to choose one song, I instinctively think of "Tonight You Belong to Me" by The Bird and the Bee. As a modern-day cover of a 1920s song, it's the perfect bridge between the past and present story threads and what I could hear playing as the final scene fades to credits if Seven for a Secret were a movie. The 1926 original features in the story because it's such a sweet love song yet also presents a romantic conflict between old and new flames, which relates to my characters' own struggles. And to me, the 2008 synthpop version has a sort of celestial, standing-in-line-for-Space-Mountain-at-Disney-World effect, which suits Kate's planetarium job and all the stargazing throughout Seven for a Secret.


Working in the reverse, though—a 1920s-style cover of a modern song—my publicist tweeted a while back that Postmodern Jukebox's rendition of Jason Derulo's "Wiggle" featuring Snoop Dogg would be a great companion song for the story. I'd never heard that one before and absolutely love it as another great blend of past and present!


LinkageSeven for a Secret at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * GoodreadsRumer on Twitter * Facebook * Blog * Website * Goodreads


 Seven for a Secret Release Day Facebook Party 
Join Rumer and many other authors (including moi) at this fun event that will be roaring all day long with giveaways & triva.


Seven for a Sweepstakes!

Omnific Publishing is giving away seven ebook copies of Seven for a Secret and 4 adorable key charms (keys are the key to Olive's mystery!) There's a *secret* entry for a very special prize: Send proof of purchase or review on Amazon to Traci.Olsen@OmnificPublishing.com to enter to win a custom made 1920's style cloche hat from www.annachocola.com. You, too can dress like Eva Hughes!


Congrats, Rumer & thanks for answering my question!
Who else has those adorable songs playing in their heads now?

Historical Fiction Meets Contemporary RomCom #iwsg

I'm tacking onto to yesterday's post for this month's contribution to Insecure Writer's Support Group (brainchild of Alex J. Cavannaugh. Visit Alex and the IWSG website to learn more about the group, join it & find the full list of participants). This month I'm wondering about sub-genre mixing. What I'm wondering is---can readers handle it?

It seems like guidelines for genres and sub-genres have become more like rules, and when they're broken, readers act like something is wrong rather than simply different. Since my first novel was published over four years ago, I've become aware that many readers believe certan things shouldn't coexist in a book. Sex and religion, for example. This sincerely confuses me because sex and religion coexist in many, many, many people's lives, so why shouldn't those real-life aspects be merged in a book? But if readers don't like them together, should I refrain from mashing them in future stories I intend to publish?

Have you ever found that there are elements in your own writing that readers balk at combining? How do you respond to that?

By now you might be wondering why I'm tacking onto yesterday's post. It's because yesterday I revealed the cover of a book that does an excellent job of combining two sub-genres that you don't often see together: Historical Fiction and Contemporary RomCom. Seven for a Secret by Rumer Haven breaks molds in a way that I think readers are going to love, and I hope it gets lots of people rethinking the "rules".


COVER REVEAL
 Today I'm taking part in a cover reveal for a story that I'm particularly excited about. Before I tell you anything more than what's in this post title, zee cover...


Coming August 12, 2014from Omnific Publishing
Simple and elegant, yes? What does this cover say to you without knowing anything else about the story?

To see how close you are to the actual plot, read the blurb at Goodreads. You can also add it to your to-read list while you're there AND enter to win one of 5 paperback copies.
Now get to know a little something about the author:Rumer Haven is probably the most social recluse you could ever meet. When she’s not babbling her fool head off among friends and family, she’s pacified with a good story that she’s reading, writing, or revising—or binge-watching something on Netflix. A former teacher hailing from Chicago, she presently lives in London with her husband and probably a ghost or two. Rumer has always had a penchant for the past and paranormal, which inspires her writing to explore dimensions of time, love, and the soul. Seven for a Secret is her debut novel.
Say hi to Rumer at her blog, on Twitter, or at her Facebook Page