Lisa Worrall's Blog, page 16

MY AWESOME FANS.COM - FANS JOIN FREE - AUTHORS ETC, FIRST MONTH IS FREE!

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It's a fabulous place to be and the links are on my blog. Make sure you join today!

What makes a book sell?

Where have you been, I hear some of you cry (to the one's who are throwing your coats over your heads and running for cover, I can only say *big fat raspberries* ;)

I've been typing my socks off of late, been editing for existing and new clients, plotting like a mad woman, shouting at kids and managed to find the time to meet a new bloke. In fact, March has been a pretty eye-opening month for me in more ways than one.

This is not a blowing my own trumpet post, in fact it's more of a "What the chuff just happened?" post, with the question being the title of this blog - What makes a book sell?

 I was discussing this very subject with the lovely Sue Brown when I rang her to tell her my sales for the month of March. I know some writers think it's crass to talk about sales, that they're in it for the love of writing, blah, blah. We're all in it for the love of it otherwise we wouldn't be doing it - but when push comes to shove, you're hoping to be paid handsomely for your efforts. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen overnight. It takes time for readers to discover you, to decide whether they like you, to connect with your story and your style in a way that makes them want to see what else you have to offer.

I usually sell anywhere between 400 and 700 books a month and believe me it varies, but March... well March was different. And what made it different? Ironically...  it was Un-Expected - which sold just over 2000 copies on it's own (and that was just at Amazon). I know I re-released Laurel Heights but I wasn't expecting it to be a great seller because most of the people I know and fans of the story had already read it. I was thinking I might sell maybe 400 copies of Un-Expected, so when I totted up the sales daily on my handy spreadsheet, I was shaking my head when the numbers exceeded that.

So I asked Sue why and we thought about it.for a while. Was it a more intense story than my other's? No, not really. Was it better written? No, not really. Was it cheaper than everything else I'd put out? No, definitely not. Had I promoted it more than anything else, or in a different way than usual? Nope. So why on earth did it sell over 2000 copies in ONE month? And how do you make every other book do the same? We were both silent on the phone for quite a while. I could smell burning and hear cogs turning at her end and she got the same from mine.

We did eventually come up with the answer that satisfied both of us.... we haven't got a bloody clue.

What do you think? And I don't mean about Un-Expected, that's just the example I'm using because it's the only one I've sold that many of in that little a time; I mean what do you think makes a book sell, as a writer or a reader? Do you have any idea, because we are completely flummoxed, and would love to get your take on it.

RE-RELEASE DAY FOR LAUREL HEIGHTS - WHO WANTS A COPY?

Blurb:

2nd Edition
Detectives Scott Turner and Will Harrison are sent undercover after an apparent murder/suicide in Laurel Heights, an exclusive gay housing community. Will the two closeted officers be able to hide their attraction while each believing the other is straight? And is there a killer amongst them waiting to claim his next victim?

CONTENT ADVISORY: This title includes scenes of dubious consent.







It's Re-Release Day for Laurel Heights with it's beautiful new cover from the uber-talented Meredith Russell. Who is also responsible for the Laurel Heights 2 cover - which is coming soon!
The first five comments on this blog get a brand new ebook in the format of their choice... but make sure you leave your email or we'll be struggling. Happy commenting!

I wonder if Eric Kripke really knows what he did....

It might be a bit of a shocker for some of you, but I think it's safe to say that most of you know I'm a die hard fan of the show, Supernatural. I've been there since the beginning and I'll be there 'til the end, that much I know.

But as I watched this week's episode, I suddenly thought to myself, does Eric Kripke, the show's creator, really know what he did when he had the first germ of an idea for the show? I don't think he does, and I'm sure it's different for everyone, but I'd like to tell you what he and the generosity of his actors have done for me.

They've brought me three women who I will cherish as my sisters for the rest of my life. They've brought me friends I would never have had the opportunity to meet if it weren't for this show and the conventions that have spun off from it. Friends from around the world who have come together with one thing in common, but then developed into friendships that will stand the test of time.

We lost one of our brightest stars in the Supernatural fandom recently. Our friend Dee. She was one of the most genuinely beautiful souls I've ever met. Kind, generous, friendly to all and one of the best huggers out there. She always had a kind word for anyone who approached her, and if you knew her, even just to wave to her at the conventions, or the gigs, you were that much richer.

So when I watched the latest episode last night, I thought of Dee and the myriad of other wonderful people I would never have met if it weren't for this little show about two brothers and their road trip. So thank you, Mr Kripke and Messrs J2. Without you I would not have been blessed to have known Dee because I know my life is that much richer for having had her in it.

What is... LEFT AT THE CROSSROADS?

What is Left at the Crossroads, I hear you cry!

Well... Left at the Crossroads is a series of six books set in the fictional village of Little Mowbury, written by the lovely and uber-talented Sue Brown and myself. Unlike the usual collaboration of two authors, we are not going to be writing each individual book together. What!!! You say? We have decided it would be cool if we wrote three books each, on an alternating basis, introducing two characters in the previous book to be the main focus in the following one - make sense yet?

First up is me with Un-Expected, which is scheduled for release this month, so I hope we've sparked your interest. Here is the cover and blurb for book 1...

Blurb:


Little Mowbury is a sleepy English village deep in the Cotswolds. The kind of village where you’re only a local if your lineage can be traced back to the dinosaurs. Where you can find everything in the single shop from morning newspapers, to dry-cleaning and getting your shoes mended. And, of course, where everybody knows everybody else’s business. It’s easy to find… you can’t miss it… just ask anyone and they’ll tell you… “It’s left at the crossroads.”
After being dumped on graduation day by the love of his life, Harry Boyd, Micah Lewis returned to the sleepy village he grew up in. Living next door to his mother wasn’t his best idea, granted, but when your heart was broken, there really was no place like home.

Six years later, secure and content in his job as midwife for a local birthing centre, the last person he expected to move into Lilac Cottage across the street from him, was Harry Boyd. Seeing Harry again sends Micah into a tailspin and opens wounds he thought had long since healed. Although Harry himself isn’t the only issue Micah has to face. That would be Harry’s very beautiful and very pregnant partner, Selena.

2014 PLAN OF ACTION... sort of... probably... subject to change depending on the way the wind blows or real life takes me *grin*

HAPPY NEW YEAR one and all! 2014 is upon us--not entirely sure how or when that happened but it is!

So... what are we going to do with it?
Are we going to sit back and let it dictate events?
Or are we going to grab it by the short and curlies and shake it until it begs for mercy?

I don't know about you... but I'm going for what's behind door number 2! I'm assuming the position, reaching down 2014's metaphorical pants and taking a handful. This is going to be a good year - or I'm writing a very stiff letter!

So, you say, after all this grandstanding, do I have a plan? Well... yeah... mostly. But you know what these character types are like... you tell them they're going one way, and they stamp their little tootsies and tell you to chuff off while they trot off in the opposite direction and do what they like. I can only do so much with what I have. But this is the general idea.... in no particular order, of course.

Except for MONTY GETS MARRIED - which will be out imminently and for free, I promise!

LAUREL HEIGHTS 2 (I'm sure it'll have a proper title... just don't ask me what it is yet)
I've been asked for a really long time to do a sequel and I really never intended to... until.... I got a kick-ass idea for a story involving our boys. Don't worry... there probably won't be an epilogue... probably.

UN-EXPECTED
This is a story set in a sleepy English village where everybody knows everybody else's business. Especially Doris Abernathay at the post office *shudder* there is nothing that gets past her. Micah (due to the fact that his father was still wetting the baby's head when he registered him and couldn't even say Michael, never mind spell it!) is a midwife and works at the local birthing centre in the nearby town. His life is swimming along at its normal, not necessarily exciting, pace when the new owners move into Lilac Cottage across the tiny village street. New owners are not a problem per se, but the fact that one half of the couple is Harry Boyd IV, his college sweetheart who broke his heart on graduation day. And the other half is a very pretty, and very pregnant.

KIDNAP (again working title)
This revolves around Jed, a widower, whose seven year old son has been kidnapped.
When the dust settles and there is no ransom note, no clues, no hope, the police hit a dead end.
Jed decides, however, that while there is breath in his body, he's never giving up and enlists the help of an ex-FBI agent, turned mercenary to do anything to find his son.

CREATING MONSTERS
This involves a British special effects make up artist, Kit, and the stuck-up actor he works with on his latest movie.

There are also a couple more floating around in me head and if I manage to tie them down I'll let you know.

I want to thank you for all your support throughout the last year and sticking with me through the lumps and the bumps. I really do have the best readers out there!

So here's to 2014 - may it bring you everything you wish and a few surprises you weren't expecting!

Lisa x

COMING SOON FOR FREE DOWNLOAD - MONTY GETS MARRIED... DOESN'T HE?

COMING SOON.... DOWNLOAD FREE AT ARe and SMASHWORDS!(cause it's late again and it's the last one - and I had my face stuffed in a tin of chocolates over Christmas when I should have been writing!)

Waking up in the ass end of nowhere on his wedding day was not what Finn had planned. Thanks to Chris and AJ he is miles from home with no wallet and no phone. Will he make it to the wedding on time and if he doesn't, will Aiden ever forgive him?

CHECK OUT MY GUEST, SHARITA LIRA & HER NEW RELEASES!

Writing Gay Men of ColorSharita Lira
Unfortunately the media is filled with stereotypes. How people perceive men of any color is a guy lacking emotion, rough, most of the time an alpha with a bad attitude. Then there’s the gay man who is sometimes portrayed as overly girly, weak, and more often than not, a sex addict. In the early 2000’s we were blessed with Queer as Folk , showing beautiful gay men of all types, embracing their sexuality, dealing with the same issues as straight couples trying to survive in the modern era. As brilliant as QAF was, it was missing a key element. In my opinion, a gay man of color who was also a main character would’ve added something to the show.
Some time later, Noah’s Arc came along and I believed it only lasted two seasons. From the couple of episodes I did see, it portrayed gay men of color in a positive light. Seemingly, this series might not have been interesting enough to keep running so it disappeared without a trace.
What about in fiction? These days we have a wealth of colorful gay characters in many books. The question is how do we write them? Do we draw on the stereotypes? Black and or Hispanic men who are angry and always intense; Asian men who seem timid. Those are just a couple of examples. Do we need to add this to our books for them to seem real? In my estimation they don’t. I often wondered why authors, whether it be books, TV, and or movies can’t make a character, especially a gay male character of color, who doesn’t fit that mold. Sure, you can add to the setting to make it more “real”; a young black man from a poorer neighborhood. Perhaps his family hates that he’s gay and his friends don’t accept him. Yes that’s all the reality I need and let me say, not every black man comes from a background like that. But with his attitude? Must he be overly angry at the world and seething all the time? Well hell, he could be a goth boy. That would make BL happy. *grins* Or could he be an intelligent scholar, from a not so poor neighborhood. Perhaps he was the rich one and his white counterpart the middle class working man. My favorite with that kind of plot was Bonnie Dee’s Undeniable Magnetism which I enjoyed thoroughly.
What’s my point here? When I write a gay man of color, I try to avoid the stereotypes unless it is a central part of the plot. I feel people should be written as people, without pulling from the so called mold.
Regardless of race or nationality or orientation, we’re all human with unique traits and attitudes that make us stand out from others. Characters should be treated in the same fashion.
My two latest releases. One under BLMorticia, the other under Rawiya
Blurb: Bryant is still trying to convince his lover how great the holidays could be but Nathan isn’t buying into the holiday cheer. However, the Lieutenant has some tricks up his sleeve to show his husband to be the true meaning of Christmas.AReSmashwordsAmazon
Blurb: Denny Brothers is upset about being alone. After spending it with the man he’d been gushing over for years, he’s wishing for his sad existence to be change and little does he know witch Shelba Marrisco already has plans in the works. Enter Paul Alexander, a charming and sexy package handler with a special after Christmas gift they both can enjoy for the rest of their lives but in order to have a chance, Denny has to let go of his beloved chocolate lab, Preston, in exchange for everlasting love.
Link
Author Sharita Lira: In one word, crazy. Just crazy enough to have 3 different muses running around in her head, driving her to sheer exhaustion with new plot bunnies and complex characters. This happily married mother of two beautiful children loves music, computers, reading, and still enjoys reading and writing fanfiction. She’s a proud member of the Erotica Readers & Writers Association, as well as an advocate for rights of LGBT citizens.  She’s also a contributor to the heavy metal ezine Fourteeng.net. For more information, please visit http://www.thelitriad.com as well as her Facebook fanpage, The Literary Triad. The Literary Triad -  http://www.thelitriad.com/#!  Michael Mandrake –  http://tabooindeed.blogspot.com  BLMorticia – http://blmorticia.wordpress.com  Rawiya -  http://rawiyaerotica.wordpress.com TriadPromo –  http://triadliteraryworks.blogspot.com/ Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/rawiyamikembl Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/TheLiteraryTriad AuthorGraph – http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/rawiyamikembl Signup for Newsletter

MONTY PUNCHES POCAHONTAS (MARSHALL'S PARK #9) - FREE AT ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS

BLURB:

Aiden and Finn's first Thanksgiving together is a big deal, especially as they are hosting it as a family. He has, of course, planned it down to the last minute, but there are a few unexpected incidents even Aiden couldn't have possibly foreseen.

AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD AT ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS HERE
The final story in the series coming 30 December 2013!

A COCK IN THE WINDOW - SUE BROWN

A Cock in the Window is the latest release from Sue Brown, the first of the Kit Stone murder mysteries. It's a fantastically unique read with believable characters, smouldering romance, plus some mystery and suspense thrown in! Highly recommended and available now!

BLURB:
Kit Stone hides away in his shabby gift shop, supplementing his income by editing romance books. In his spare moments Kit carves wooden cooks but he never expects the model of one of his carvings to step into his shop. Steve Mullins is gorgeous and pushes all of Kit's buttons. For a few days they get to know each other and Kit is the happiest he's been for years. Then one of the local businessmen is murdered and Steve discovers the body. When Steve becomes the number one suspect, Kit discovers his friends and family have been hiding a dark secret.

EXCERPT:
Prologue
Monday They tell me I have to introduce myself so here goes. My name is Kit Stone. I’m thirty-six years old, grey eyes, have most of my hair and am just under six feet tall. Is that enough description? I live on my own and I own a small shop in Bregham on the corner of the High Street and Pool Road. I say own. Sadly, the shop is mine but the building belongs to Charlie Wright, as close to a gangster as a place like Bregham gets. Bregham is one of those south coast seaside towns, still living in a 1950s time warp which is just how the residents like it. In summer it’s full of tourists, in winter it’s full of old people, and most of the time I’m content to be in my shabby shop.Tourists love the place. They spend hours in here sheltering from the rain and never  buy a thing. They play with the gifts and toys, pretending to inspect each item as if they’re going to purchase it. Of course, they never do. Eventually, they edge their way to the cocks.Cocks; not the chicken variety but carved wooden penises.I see them all; young gay boys whose eyes pop as they furtively stroke the cocks, the women who are blatant as they handle Tom and Steve, and the dads who laugh at the collection but fiddle with all the carvings, preferring Max’s curved shape and Alex’s big dick. Straight, family man? Heh, size queen!I have to admit it’s not much of a shop and I have other jobs to keep the wolf from the door. I’m an editor for a small press; it’s not the most interesting job but I can work whilst I man the shop. My publisher is a shoestring operation but they insist on a good edit and I’m slowly building a reputation as the ‘go-to’ guy. I’ve taken on freelance work as well, so I’ve got more than enough to handle.Oh, and I’m gay, if the wooden cocks didn’t give it away. Gay as the day is long, yada yada. I’ve not been in a relationship for a few years, not since Tony left with the boy next door. At first I hated being on my own but now I’ve got used to it and I think I’d find it hard to live with anyone.I also drink coffee; lots of it and heaven help anyone who tries to convert me to herbal tea.It’s Monday morning, and the heat wave shows no signs of breaking. That means the shop will be quiet today. I’m pleased because I’ve got a bitch of an edit to do, and I could really do with minimal interruption. The publisher sent me this manuscript because he knows no one else will touch it with the proverbial bargepole.I make myself a coffee and wander through the shop, pausing to stroke the cherrywood cock. It’s warm and sensual under my palm, and the nearest I’ve come to alive since Tony left. I carve the wooden dicks. A friend of mine produces high end furniture and gives me the offcuts. Each carving is unique, an individual penis. I wish I could say they are based on past lovers, but no, they’re just cocks on the porn channels.I name each cock after its star. The cherrywood one, Tom, is a favourite of mine, as is the sandalwood version of Steve. It amuses me to see if people get the connection between the name and the dick. I can always tell if they do and sometimes it’s the most surprising people—*cough* vicar *cough*. As is usual for my morning routine, I sit down and read the local paper whilst I drink my coffee. The front page is full of the death of Todger Tim, the moniker affixed to our local MP, Tim Wellbright, found dead from auto-erotic asphyxiation. As the days have gone on, the polite expressions of grief have changed into salacious lust for the smallest details as the mild-mannered Church-going Parliamentarian has been discovered to have another life including call girls, rent boys and the occasional underage hooker.  I snort at the latest hyperbole and open the edit from hell, praying that overnight it will have morphed into a well-written, interesting manuscript. I am doomed to disappointment. I don’t pay too much attention when the doorbell rings and then I hear a choking sound. I look up hoping someone isn’t going to need a 999 call.A man with broad shoulders and a tight arse is standing with his back to me. I admire the view for a moment before I ask, “Can I help you?”“This is my cock.”“Pardon?”
The man turns around with the sandalwood member in his hand. “This is my cock.”
N.B: Please note, if you would like your copy of A Cock in the Window with the alternate cover... please email Sue at suebrown.stories@gmail.com and she will be only too happy to oblige.