Christine M. Butler's Blog, page 4
March 24, 2022
Devastate Me Update
Devastate Me (Savage Vipers #2 by Anne Storm) is still on the way. It should be published sometime next week.
Christine (aka: Anne Storm) had a longer than expected bout with Covid that put her behind with work and required rest to get better.
New links will be up as soon as they are available!
February 9, 2022
14 Days of Love - Giveaway
Win books, gift cards, and get to know some new authors!
14 authors have come together to bring you a lovely celebration!
From February 1 – February 14, we will be hosting a multi-author hop where you can win everything from Ebook sets to Valentine’s themed Boxes, Gift Cards to Signed Paperbacks.
To Get through the hop fast, check out this quick Cheat Sheet: Author Hop Cheat Sheet ListQuinn Ryder - (2 Winners Signed PB & Swag)- https://www.facebook.com/authorquinnryder
Vi Summers – (E-book Set) https://www.facebook.com/authorvisummers/
Autumn Marie – (Signed PB) https://www.facebook.com/readautumnmarie
T.L. Drake – (Signed PB) https://www.facebook.com/TLDrakeRomance
Christine Michelle-(Signed PB US Only) or E-book (INT)- https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristineMichelle
Jessa Aarons – (Signed PB) https://www.facebook.com/jessaaaronsauthor/
Debbie Mitchell - (Gift Card)- https://www.facebook.com/Debbie-Mitchell-103999708293549
Erin Osborne - (2 Winners Signed PBs) https://www.facebook.com/ErinOsborneAuthor
Skye Turner – (Signed PB) https://www.facebook.com/SkyeTurnerOfficialPage
Jewelz Baxter –(Valentine’s Gift or box) https://www.facebook.com/authorjewelzbaxter
Kathleen Kelly – (E-book Set) https://www.facebook.com/kathleenkellyauthor/
Kennedi Darling – (Signed PB) http://facebook.com/KennediDarlingAuthor
Annelise Reynolds – (Signed PB) www.Facebook.com/authorannelisereynolds
Havana Wilder – (E-book Set) https://www.facebook.com/Havana-Wilder-106285048055513
That’s it! Don’t miss your chance to win some amazing prizes from some awesome authors right before Valentine’s Day!
Happy Day of Love from me and all the authors of the 14 Days of Love Author Hop!
#giveaway #giveawaypost #giveawaytime #giveawayalert #giveawaycontest #giveawaybook #giveawaybooks #giveawaybookstagram #valentine #valentines
All giveaways will close on February 15, 2022. (Facebook is not affiliated with this giveaway.)
We are also holding a King Sumo GRAND PRIZE giveaway for a chance to win a $140.00 Amazon Gift Card.
Giveaway will run from February 1 – February 14, 2022
To enter for your chance to win this amazing prize all you have to do is visit the King Sumo Giveaway!
LINK:
14 Days of Love $140 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway (kingsumo.com)
December 28, 2021
Two New Preorders
There is a lot going on right now, and for those of you haven't stumbled on the newsletter yet, or who never check your e-mails, this blog post is for you!
There are currently two preorders available from Moonlit Dreams Publications.
The Groupie Journal (A Rock Star Romance) by Christine Michelle
Release Date: January 27, 2022
E-Book Price: $2.99
I grew up thinking that my mother was a groupie who didn’t want me. It wasn’t much different that the home I grew up in where my rock star father and his wife didn’t want me either. At least they let me stick around, even if that’s all they managed.
Everything I thought I knew about my mother was a lie. The rest was still true. After nearly dying, blowing up my family’s unsavory secrets in public, and running away to hang out with an up-and-coming band, you would think life couldn’t get more eventful for me.
You’d be wrong.
Life on the road was supposed to be about disappearing. Instead, I found myself and something else too. I found love and acceptance and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world.
*NOTE: The Groupie Journal was originally a Kindle Vella story and is now being published as a full-length rock star romance novel with some bonus material added! Paperback and Hardback Editions will also be available!
Cupid Broke My Heart by Anne Storm
Release Date: Feb. 1, 2022
E-Book Price: $3.99
Six years ago, Cupid bumped into me at a party and knocked me on my butt. Well, almost knocked me on my butt, until a man stepped out of the crowd, as if by magic, and saved me from imminent disaster. From that moment on, Jeff - my rescuer - and I were inseparable and the man I was supposed to meet that night...
Well, I never did find out what happened to him. Not until fate stepped in, to right Cupid’s wrong. See, Jeff and I weren’t supposed to be together. He was meant for someone else, probably the woman who I found sleeping with him in my office!
Thank you, Jeff, for screwing up - or screwing her - so I could get a second chance with Mr. Right!
*Cupid Broke my Heart is a flirty, fun, small town romantic comedy (and a full-length standalone novel).
July 18, 2021
The Awakening Trilogy Answers
For everyone who always asks about The Awakening Trilogy and Beyond the Awakening.
First: It is being changed from The Awakening Trilogy to The Awakening Series. Beyond the Awakening was supposed to be both a spinoff and a continuation of the storyline. Instead of doing that, I am just going to put them all under one solid umbrella.
Second: I'm frustrated too!
That's where we'll start. I've written Beyond the Awakening, re-written it because I hated the first one (okay there have been probably four different versions over the years), and then lost the files to a computer crash. Then I reread the original trilogy again to refresh myself for starting over, and decided that it should have never been seen by the public (despite how much everyone enjoyed it). The original electronic files for the trilogy were also lost, making this a much more difficult task on my end.
The trilogy was my very first foray into publishing and I've learned a lot since then, including the fact that I couldn't trust people I gave thousands of dollars to for editing that series. It was dreadful, considering. My intention, when I pulled the whole thing from publication, was to give it a facelift and turn my oldest baby into something I could be proud of.
In the interim, I still had to make money to pay the bills, so I've worked on other books, had day jobs on and off, dealt with almost losing a child and the health issues afterward, and moved a few times too. Lots of things took priority over getting the facelift done and the spinoff finished because they had to.
I've been hopeful a few times that I could get it fixed up and things were finally looking good again just before Covid hit. Then everyone's world got turned upside down and mine was no exception. So, it was delayed again.
I'm also a temperamentally creative person and if I'm not feeling it, I can't do it. Stress (for all the above listed reasons and more) is a huge reason that I get stifled and bogged down by projects. So, it has been slow going in trying to get back in a place where 1) I have the time and 2) am in a creative place where it's possible.
Currently I am working on:
Newer titles - because I have to pay those bills and some titles sell better than others. Business decisions suck, but they're necessary. Working on repairing/reformatting a lot of old book titles that were dumped (for a time) exclusively into Amazon for Kindle Unlimited, and now that I want them to be released wide, I've realized the original ebook formatted files are no longer available thanks to a wiped computer. So, those are being put back together and re-released to a wider audience. Working on older titles, like The Awakening Trilogy, as time permits. I just finished refurbishing The Ancients Series earlier this year. So, it's happening. Now that The Ancients Series is done, all my extra time will be devoted to getting through the fixes for The Awakening (Trilogy) Series and the future books that go with it. That includes new covers, interiors, and the addition of at least one new book to the series.I wish I had all the time in the world to get everything done that needs doing, but I'm just one person. I'm also a full-time (sole parent) single mom, so the responsibility for parenting is 100% on my shoulders and takes time too. I won't even tell you how many hours a week I already work, because frankly it's disturbing, but again, with just one of me - there's never enough time.
As it stands, I wouldn't expect to see The (new) Awakening Series until 2022 at the earliest. Again, it will depend on the time I have available to work on it. It is my backlist priority now that The Ancients Series has been re-released.
I know this still doesn't give a solid timeframe, but it's the best I can do, for now.
July 14, 2021
A Rockin' Start to Kindle Vella
Amazon's Kindle Vella launched today in the US! With the launch, came the first six episodes of Christine Michelle's rock star romance serial: The Groupie Journal.
ABOUT THE STORY:
My mom was supposedly a groupie who slept with my world-famous, rock star father on tour and tragically dumped me on his doorstep. Imagine my surprise, when I found out that my mom was actually the best friend of my dad's high school sweetheart. Well, sort of. It was a longer story than that. She was the reason my stepmother never liked me and my dad had a hard time looking me in the eye. How did I rebel? I became what they claimed my mother was. A rock star groupie. This is my journal. *18+
Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't give any more space for the story description! Obviously, the heroine of the story falls in love amidst all the drama! You'll have to read to find out how and with whom! ;)
The Groupie Journal is *estimated to be about 15 episodes/chapters/journals long in its entirety with an estimated total token cost of about 480. For those readers who do not have Kindle Vella available to them: The Groupie Journal will launch as a complete print book 30 days AFTER the last episode is published to Kindle Vella. The thirty day wait is a requirement for all Kindle Vella authors and their stories, so there is no getting around that.
The "author insights" that are available with each episode of the Vella story will not be included in the print book. They are exclusive to the Vella stories.
There will be at least one episode published per week until the story is complete, some weeks you may see more than one episode go live! They will generally go live on Tuesdays.
ABOUT KINDLE VELLA:
Kindle Vella brings stories to readers in serialized or episodic form, allowing them to read a little bit of a story at a time, which is perfect for readers who can't sit down and inhale a whole book in a day. Each episode is 600-5,000 words long and will eventually form a full story over time. You will also be given the ability to check out some author insights with every episode, making the story a truly unique experience for readers.
Kindle Vella operates on a token system. The first three episodes per story are FREE to readers. After that, you will be required to purchase tokens to unlock each episode.
Here is a breakdown of what the tokens will cost:
ARE THERE MORE KINDLE VELLA TITLES IN THE WORKS?
Maybe.
The Chosen Wolf (an Ancients Series Spinoff Story) by Christine M. Butler is scheduled to release to Kindle Vella in August, 2021. Depending on how well received these Vella stories are, there may be more in the future.
*Note on estimated episodes/token cost - these estimates are subject to change as the story is written/published. There may be changes that add or subtract from the number of chapters (and will also throw off the token estimates).
May 4, 2021
Grab your ARC!
If you aren't a subscriber to the Moonlit Dreams Publication's newsletter, you should be!
You can subscribe at the bottom of every page on the website!
Every two-three weeks, there is a chance to get your hands on a new Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of an impending release. That means you get to read it for FREE and you get to read it FIRST!
The latest ARCs to go out were The Forgotten Wife (A Robeson Family Novel) and The Fortunate Ones (FTO #1).
There were only 15 of each ARC given away, and the newsletters are sent out at random times of day, in order to give more people an opportunity to grab a copy.
The next ARCs will be Keys (S.H.E. Book 3) and Devoted (Valhalla Rising Book 2). They will each have 25 ARC copies available.
February 1, 2021
The Bookwork Pills: You can take any 2!
We've all seen this picture floating around Facebook and other social media platforms. Most of us know by now which two that we would take.
Personally, I'd take the Amnesia pill and the Travel Pill!
However, I also wanted to explore which books I would apply to each pill, which I'll reveal below. If you're reading this, I'd love to hear which books and/or characters you'd apply to each pill as well!
Starting with the jagged little (blue) pill, I have the chance to read a book as if I had never read it before. For this one, I'd have to pick my favorite book of course.
by Ned Vizzini.
This book may not be for everyone as it's YA and deals with emotional trauma and suicide. However, the writing is phenomenal. In 464 pages, this book made me both laugh and cry hysterically, and I recommend it to anyone who will listen! I would love to read this again without any knowledge of the ending, or the journey that takes you there. I may not be able to read this again for the first time, but you definitely can. And should ;)
The pink pill, the pill of sacrifice...a pill that can revive any dead fictional character...
***SPOILERS AHEAD for Sons of Anarchy, All the Bright Places, and the Aces High: Charleston series***
If we were talking about a television show, I would probably respond with Opie from Sons of Anarchy. That was absolutely gut-wrenching, and one of the more poignant scenes in the series.
If we were talking books and you asked me a few years ago, I would've said Finch from All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, or maybe even Dobby from Harry Potter. But again, at the risk of sounding biased, I'll now have to go with Toby from Christine Michelle's Aces High: Charleston series!
I think the reason that this death was particularly painful for readers is because every single book in that series is written from a different perspective, and each person was deeply affected by their relationship with Toby, both before and after his sudden and untimely death. It's not often that we're able to read about a death like this from almost every perspective, and this added an extra layer of emotional attachment. We have to read through his parents learning to navigate life after the loss of their child, and the wedge that the circumstances surrounding his death drove between them. We see his best friend fall apart, his girlfriend lose all sense of herself, his sister face her regrets after not being able to fully repair their relationship together before he died, etc.
Now onto the yellow pill....
This one is probably the hardest for me to think of an answer for. I don't mean to brag (or maybe I do ;) ) but I have a pretty cool life partner already, so I'm not really in the business of trading him out quite yet.
BUT IF I WAS GOING TO...I'd probably choose Rage from Consumed by Rage written by Zara Teleg. If you haven't guessed already from previous blog posts, I'm a big Zara fan. Even though I work in and around the dark romance community, MC and other dark romances are not my go to genres. That being said, I've read a lot of them, at first just as part of my job, but I've actually come to enjoy them, and one of my favorite authors in the genre is Zara! I love a good slow burn romance, and I absolutely adore her ability to write real, complex characters. Her females are strong, independent, and unique, and her males are simultaneously compassionate and strong, able to take care of their woman without the insecurity that sometimes comes when a man is dating a woman that can take care of themselves. Rage may see himself as damaged goods, but he is a hell of a man in the end. If you haven't yet, you should definitely give this one a read!
This blog post has already gotten kind of lengthy, and I've given you a few recommendations. Stay tuned for part 2 coming very soon! <3
January 28, 2021
The state of book releases
As a publishing author, I have many hats that I wear in this business. Each of those requires different things of me, and all of them play into which books I work on next.
I am going to start this out with the list of ongoing series that are currently underway and have books released, then show you a list of the series that are waiting for their chance to shine. Then, I'll explain how I pick amongst them to determine which books go out first. THIS IS IMPORTANT, as it involves you - the reader - to an extent!
CURRENT OPEN SERIES
(in order of original publication):
The Awakening Series - Paranormal Fantasy/Lite Romance (books 1-3 were previously published with a 4th/spinoff book expected. I have pulled them from publication to undergo a makeover, as this was my first series ever released). The Voodoo Follies - YA Paranormal Fantasy - 1 book of 3 The Falling Star Series - Upper YA/NA Fantasy-scifi - 1 book of 3 (This is being redone as 1 full book that will come in at about 600 pages.) The Ancients Series - Paranormal (shifter) Romance - 4 books of 4.5 released. The original novella that was set to accompany this one is being turned into a full-length novel (Ashley and Evan). There were also three spinoff series associated with this world that have not been released yet: The Daniels Clan, The Sister Witch Saga, and the Brothers of Blood Series. I still would like to get to all of those, because I LOVE this world. It is one of my favorites. It falls under moderate priority for publication, though, and I will explain that soon. The Death Viewers Series - Paranormal Fantasy/Suspense/Lite Romance - 1 book of 3 released. Letters to... Series - New Adult/Contemporary/College/Small town Romance - 1 book of an expected 3. Vukodlak Brew Series - Paranormal (shifter) Romance - 2 books of an expected 6. T.I.E. Series - Rock Star/Contemporary Romance - 2 books of 5 released. Aces High MC - Dakotas Series - MC (motorcycle club) Romance/Contemporary Romance - 3 books of an expected 6 S.H.E. MC - MC Romance/Contemporary - 2 books of an expected 6 Aces High MC - Cedar Falls - MC Romance/Contemporary - 3 books (+ one box set) released of an expected 8 books. Aces High MC - Tallahassee - MC Romance/Contemporary - 1 book of an expected 6. Valhalla Rising - Rock star / Contemporary Romance - 1 book of 5.SERIES THAT ARE WAITING TO LAUNCH:
Each of these series has at least two books that have complete outlines, and some books have been partially/mostly written.
Aces High MC - Sierra High - MC Romance/Contemporary - anticipated 6-8 books. This will be the last of the Aces High MC Series/Books. Earthbound Souls MC - Paranormal Suspense/romance/MC Romance - Planned 3 books, possibly more. This is a spinoff from the Aces High MC - Charleston Series (based on the 7th book in that series). Stoneridge Raiders MC - MC Romance/Contemporary - anticipated 6 books. Chasing Cars Series - Rock Star Romance/Contemporary/New Adult Fourth Down Series & Dusty Rose Series - Both are Rock Star Romance in the same world as T.I.E, Valhalla Rising, and Chasing Cars. These have gone on a very low priority list and may not see the light of day. It will depend on demand later on down the road. Minutes to Midnight (standalone) Paranormal Suspense Welcome to Hunter High (standalone) Upper YA - Paranormal Suspense/Romance Soulbound Series - Paranormal Romance/Suspense - 3 books expected Dead of Night Series - Paranormal Romance/Suspense - 3 books expected The Seven Series - Romantic Comedy/Contemporary/Adult - 7 books expected The Fortunate Ones Series - Contemporary Romance - 4 books expected (all standalone within the series). Wrecked and Ruined Series - Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy - 4 books expected (all standalone within the series). Necro Academy Series - Upper YA/NA Paranormal Suspense/Romance - 4 books expected.There are MANY more, but they are just a quick synopsis of stories I want to tell later, and I won't bother to post them here because sometimes I reshuffle them and combine those ideas with other books. ;)
As you can see, I have a lot of work to keep me busy. Now, how I determine which books and series are released first...
My brain - Creative based occupations don't always have the luxury of rolling out inventory assembly line style. We don't get to just sit down and crank out the perfect words for each book at a moment's notice. Sometimes, we have to set aside a book we would really like to work on because it's just not there in our minds. Added to that, I have attention issues (sometimes severe & debilitating) and work on multiple books and series, but sometimes I end up super focused on specific ones until they're done. When that happens, whatever book or series that I focused on takes priority over everything else because it would be detrimental for me to stop and try to force something else. That is how the entire 7-book Aces High MC - Charleston Series ended up released within a year and a half. Sometimes, it just happens that way. I wish I could crank every series out in that manner, but I do what I can while working around my issues.
Sales - Despite my work being a labor of love, it is foremost a business. I think many people forget that. I am a single mom and this is my only job. That means, I have to make business decisions that will keep the lights on, the bills paid, my kids fed, and the next books coming out rather than me having to hold down another job too (which seriously slows the publication process). Here is the formula I use to determine if a specific series will be back-shelved or not:
1 - did the book pay for itself in the first month? If not, then the next book in the series might be put off for a series that will do better financially. (Paying for itself = the initial investment I put into the book, cover cost, editing costs, formatting, advertising, physical book copies, etc.). Each book has a price tag to be published and we don't make any money off them until after sales have met that initial cost. Most books in my backlist started off with a $500-3,000 cost EACH. If a book doesn't pay for itself, that is a hefty loss to incur, and it makes further books in that series a much greater risk on investment for the author. They make the same decisions in traditional publishing. 2 - If it paid for itself in the first month, how well did it do in the next three months? Obviously, sometimes, I already have the next book in the series ready and can determine by sales of the first two if they get priority. Sometimes, they do, others, they don't. If I have other series out that are doing better, then those books will take publication priority.Reviews - Sometimes, sales are decent between two series and the way I judge which will come out next is by using reviews. I check number of reviews/ratings and weigh them against one another, and then I check through some actual reviews to see which books people seem more excited about. This is one of the few times I check through reviews (unless someone points them out to me for a specific reason).
Genre Over-Saturation - This is probably not what you're thinking. It involves a few points (for my decision making).
An over-saturated market - sometimes, I will swap genres I am writing in because the market in those areas is over-saturated, and it's hard for books to get noticed. Coming back to that same genre/sub-genre at a later date may help with that. An over-saturated brain - Other times, it is my brain that is just done with a genre and needs a break. As a reader, I genre hop regularly so that I don't end up reading the same stuff on repeat or getting reader's hangover that won't allow me to find another book to read. As an author, the same applies. I get tired of magic worlds and swap to something different. I get burned out on MC worlds and swap to something else. I come back to each thing, eventually, but sometimes my brain requires a break so that you get the best stories possible. If I'm bored or burned out, you won't get that. Weird sub-genre stigmas - Sometimes, I take a break because a specific genre/sub-genre has gone through a weird flux where all the books are suddenly the same story being re-told with alternative names and places. For instance, the insta-love/fated mates scenario in paranormal shifter romance. There were a few years there, where if you did not write SPECIFICALLY those styles of books within the genre, you got bashed heavily in reviews because that was the glut of what readers wanted. I ABHOR being a cookie-cutter writer. If I see trends like that, I just take a step back and roll in another direction, then circle back when I'm able. The Vukodlak Brew Series was one that got put on hold more for that reason than any other. People couldn't fathom "fated mates" having problems and not insta-loving their way to a happy ending. I could write those stories in 5-pages or fewer. I didn't want to. There is nothing wrong with those stories, they're just not what I want to write, and I don't like being pigeon-holed by what other authors are throwing out into the world. This is one reason that I always preach: NOT EVERY BOOK IS RIGHT FOR EVERY READER, NO MATTER THEIR LOVE FOR THE GENRE! So, those books waited until that trend calmed a bit and I moved onto something else in the meantime.My Health - Another determining factor is my health (or that of my kids). If I am not well, productivity slows, and I have to be pickier/choosier about the projects I work on. This is the case right now. My health is suffering at the moment, and it has certainly slowed my productivity. It has also bolstered my need to move back to some older projects that need to be completed. For the past two years, I've worked seven days a week, and most of those days were 12-16 hour stints. It is EXHAUSTING, and you can only keep up with that for so long before your body and brain require a break. That also means a break from other work related things - like social media. Social media was taking a huge chunk of time away from my writing, but was also becoming a bit unsettling with the odd demands I received.
I had a few people become very snarky with me about the fact that THIS book or THAT book hadn't released yet, and how they were angry with me and wouldn't read any of my future books. Those same people, and anyone else who needs to hear this, need to understand that I am a creative writer. I go with my creative flow, and I am NOT A ROBOT! I just hit my 40th published book in January 2021. I published most of those 40 books in the past TWO YEARS! I can't possibly publish at any faster pace than I am currently without ending up in a hospital. So, that leads me to my final thought. I took a break from social media beginning at the end of December 2020. I don't have time for everything, and certainly not messages that tell me I'm not doing my job fast enough for them. My health has hit a major decline, and I won't see it drop further. Am I still working? Yes, but at a greatly modified pace.
Next up in releases for me will be: The seven-year anniversary, re-release of The Ancients Series. The new, 2nd edition, versions of books one and two are already available, while books three and four will be ready soon - complete with paperback editions that were not available previously. You can see on www.moonlitdreams.org that the new covers are now being popped up on the home page and the book list page. On the heels of the re-release of the original four, readers will also finally get Evan and Ashley/Ashley and Evan... lol Their stories are coming too. The spinoffs that were mentioned earlier in this post are still in the works as well, because that is one of my all-time favorite worlds to hang out in! One more quick note about these books - while they had an overhaul done for edits, they all have a good deal of new material too. If you previously purchased (ebook) copies, you will simply be able to update them. If you haven't purchased or read them yet, I suggest doing so. I will have a post available about this series in specific as soon as all four books are completely revamped and ready to go.
Other releases coming in the next couple months will be Keys (S.H.E. Book 3), Devoted (Valhalla Rising Book 2), and Evermore (Aces High MC - Cedar Falls Book 4). I hope to have beta and ARC availability for all three books. If you are not signed up for the newsletter, do so, because that is where you will learn about those opportunities.
I hope this has been helpful for those of you who were wondering why certain books haven't seen the light of day yet. Remember, reviews matter, so if you loved a book and want to see more of that series - LEAVE A REVIEW!
If you have questions, I am always willing to answer. Leave them below!
Happy Reading,
Christine Michelle/Christine M. Butler
January 23, 2021
The Indie Author & Reader Community
My favorite thing about working in the indie publication business has to be the community that rallies behind each and every author, both published and aspiring, as well as any and all supporting staff members, including editors, personal assistants, etc.
As a personal assistant turned published writer, I have been on both sides of the coin, and the support from everyone has been unreal. Readers post links to our books in every group and book blog that they can find. They buy every book as it comes out, even when times are tough, and sometimes even after they've already received an ARC for free from the author. Then they go and leave honest reviews anywhere that they can to help their favorite authors be able to sell more books.
While we're at it, it's not just readers! Other indie authors are out here promoting other authors and trying to lift them up while they're down! I've never seen competition within the indie author community. When I was co-writing my first book, a lot of other authors offered me such kind advice and words of encouragement. I even had one of my favorite authors, Lola Wright, send me a glass pen set in the mail to celebrate my first publication. Just the fact that someone went out of their way to send such a thoughtful gift to encourage my writing bought tears to my eyes.
Then, a few months ago I hit a really rough patch in regards to my mental health, and every day since then, my inbox has had at least one message from someone in the book community, just checking in on me and seeing if there's anything that they can do to help. I've received carefully curated care packages in the mail, as well as fun cards and letters that have brightened some of the darker days.
My appreciation for this community knows no bounds. I can't thank you all enough for everything that you do, but I am so grateful to be a part of it!
In an effort to help pay it forward to other indie authors just a tad, I'm going to include some of my favorite books I've read lately:
A New Paige by Zara Teleg
Stained Souls MC Book 2
Would you risk losing the ones you love if it meant finally finding out the truth?
Paige
After being kidnapped and nearly killed by a sadistic drug lord, I discovered a startling secret, and I can't let it go. I was forced to move to small-town Sugar Maple. Kai, the hot-as-hell biker who rescued me, is now my new landlord and makes me feel safe. No matter how attracted I am to him, I won't let his womanizing ways distract me. No one, including my friends and family, can stop me from seeking the truth. The rabbit hole seems endless, and the dangers are real. I may not like what I find in Pandora's box, but I refuse to let anyone control my life again.
Kai
My life in the MC has been one big party, just the way I like it. I have been burned once ---never again. Saving Paige woke a part of me I thought was long dead. One look into those violet eyes and I knew I could never let anyone hurt her again. Now the tempting little spitfire is up to something and I am going to find out what before she gets herself into trouble. Being her resident babysitter was not what I had in mind, but the closer we become the harder the attraction is to ignore. She's off-limits and all I can think about. The Stained Souls will have my head if I go there, but she may be worth the risk. Will she be my downfall or my salvation?
A New Paige is a stand-alone. It is Book 2 of the Stained Souls MC series and is enhanced by reading Book 1, Consumed by Rage.
A New Paige is not your typical MC romance. It is a slow-burn written for those who want all the brotherhood, love, loyalty, angst, suspense, and sexy alpha males challenged by strong, sassy women that make a story you won't forget! It is not insta-love or erotica.
Trident's Queen by Darlene Tallman
Poseidon's Warriors MC Book 2
Brock “Trident” Storm is an emergency room trauma nurse, using the skills he honed during his time as a Navy SEAL, he takes care of those in the community that Poseidon’s Warriors MC claims as its own. He’s content to love ‘em and leave ‘em. That is, until he treats a woman one night, who touches a part of him, one he thought was long dead. Each time she comes in, he finds himself drawn even more toward her until that last visit that landed her in ICU. Then, he just wants to get her safe and shot of her husband.
Gianna Jeffries had it all at one time – the socialite wedding, the jewels, the money, the cars. That all changed when she developed an autoimmune disease that prevented her from giving her husband an heir. Broken and battered, she finds herself under the care of an intense, slightly intimidating nurse who calls to the pieces of her that remain.
With the gangs ramping up their vandalism, the PWMC is hard-pressed to keep their community safe. Will Trident be able to handle the pressures that come with being the enforcer of an MC, running one of the club’s businesses, as well as working at the hospital, while still pursuing Gianna? Will Gianna realize that there’s more to life than being a showpiece on a pedestal and rid herself of the abuse she’s endured?
**Suitable for ages 18+ due to adult content and language
Jacked and Jaded by Shay Michaelson
Sons of Redemption MC Book 1
Jackson met Calliope when she moved into the house across the street from his parents. He'd thought she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen, until he found out she was sixteen years old—cue the sound of screeching tires. He immediately put her in the friends only column and that's where he continued to keep her for four more years.
One night she catches him home alone. He'd been drinking or he'd never had let things go as far as they did. In a weak moment, he takes her to bed, only to wake up the next morning telling her it never should have happened and it was a mistake, despite the fact she was now twenty years old. Immediately, he sees he's broken her heart, but he couldn't help it. There was eight years between then and he just couldn't get over that fact.
Thanks to his unkind words and actions, Calliope gives up and moves to Boulder. At first, he thought it was for the best. It would be good for her to date guys closer to her own age. Then he gets a phone call saying she's been in an accident and is in the hospital. He rushes to her side and quickly sees how his hang-ups have affected her.
Realizing he could have lost her forever, he decides he doesn't want to live his life without her any longer. He's going to claim her as his, even if he has to fight Calliope herself. He only hopes that the one thing he's been keeping from her doesn't push her away forever.
Vex by Lola Wright
The Devil's Angels MC Book 4
Vex
I’ve lived my life free and easy. No attachments, no entanglements. I easily move on after an evening with a woman. For a night, they get all I have to give. After that, it’s time to go. They’re warned ahead of time, so tears and ploys have no effect on me. I love my MC family, the Devil’s Angels, and my bikes. Not much else. Certainly, none of the various women I’ve known.
Then I meet someone who changes all my rules, thoughts and beliefs. But as luck would have it, she’s the unattainable one. She seems immune to my charm and that tweaks my ego. After being warned away from her, I try to push her to the back of my mind. She doesn’t stay there for long though. Now I’m determined to have my night with her, consequences be damned.
Taja
Trying to raise my sister, working any job I can while fighting to keep a roof over our heads, I don’t live the life of a normal woman my age. I don’t have time for dating, sex or men. Especially a member of an MC. My father’s an MC President and I want nothing to do with that lifestyle. Not even for the gorgeous biker whose nearly golden eyes follow my every move. Common sense tells me he’s in it for a night, and that’s not my style. Best to keep my head on straight and ignore what my body’s craving.
Actions have consequences and fate has a way of messing up the best laid plans.
This is Book 4 in the Devil’s Angels MC Series. More books in this series are to follow.
Adult Content Warning: This book is intended for readers 18 years of age and older. It contains adult language, violence, explicit sex and may contain triggers for some people.
Revived by Christine Michelle
Valhalla Rising Book 1
Okay, so you might be thinking that I'm biased in recommending this book to you, but objectively speaking, great read!
Gabriel “Gabe North” Northman
I left the woman I thought was the love of my life behind for my career. I had every intention of going back for her only to return to see her with someone else, raising a family. I vowed I’d never let another person into my heart after that.
Not until I discovered part of that family, she had been raising was mine. Eighteen years later, a successful music career behind me, more music still ahead and I found out I had a son. Then I almost lost him, and the angel who swooped in to save the day made me rethink my vow never to let another person in again. Maybe finding my son had softened my heart. Maybe nearly losing him taught me life was short. Either way, I knew one thing. I was going to make my angel sing for only me.
Mel:
Bitter.
Divorced.
Swore off men, because they all suck.
Struck stupid by a celebrity who liked to flirt.
Guarding my heart against the impending doom I can see coming
Some of that was a lie. I forgot to guard my heart. I never was very good at self-preservation.
October 17, 2020
Creating The Aces High MC: Charleston Coloring Book!
As some of you know already, I recently collaborated with my mom, Christine Michelle, to create an adult coloring book based on the Aces High MC: Charleston series, featuring The Other Princess.
In this blog, I'm going to talk about some of my favorite coloring book pages, what the challenges were with each image, and how they all came together into a project that I'm very proud of. I will not show images of each page, but if you'd still like to hear about my thought processes, read on ;)
So first- the cover. When I first drew this image, I had no idea that it would be the cover of a coloring book, much less the coloring book I was already working on at the time. I was just drawing a girl getting a tattoo for fun. Then I thought it would be pretty cool if the tattoo she was getting was the Aces High insignia. It wasn't until the coloring book was completely done that I decided on making this the cover image, which meant adding in all of the flash art in the background and going back in with color. This image was a lot of fun to color digitally, by the way, so I hope you all have just as much fun coloring it in at home! ;)
Page one- Aces High logo: Not much to say about this one specifically. It obviously needed to be there, and I'm excited to see how you each color this one because I think there are a lot of fun color palettes you could use.
The next few pages in the coloring book are interpretations of the book covers!
Page two- The Other Princess: You can color in Ever from the color of your favorite book! Ever has always reminded me of flowers and tattoos, so that's the vibe I went with for her page. Her page also contains the quote
"Not all weeds are bad just because they're a little different. Sometimes, if given the change, they can outgrow the cracks they spring from to become the bloom that brightens that space." - Christine Michelle
Page three- A Love so Hard:
This one was a lot of fun, mostly because I really love Double D's love for Lucy. You don't have to love Double D, because he obviously makes quite a few mistakes throughout the series, but his love for Lucy is #goals, and that's what I wanted this page to represent.
"I knew then, even when ol' Jack was doing his level best to warn me away, I knew you'd be mine one day. I also knew you'd be worth the wait it would take to get you."Page three- The Princess and the Prospect: The cover model for Anna is beautiful. She actually reminds me of my (not so) little sister Lexy. I wanted to play to both the idea that she was dealt a tough hand in life, and the fact that she ended up falling in love with Joker, so the background for Anna's image is falling cards, but they're all Jokers.
"Always and only yours."
Page four- The Killing Ride: This was one of my favorites in the series. J-Bird was a stupid teenager that no one felt sorry for in The Other Princess, but in his own book, we see that he's been fighting a mental battle with himself ever since, and we are thankfully able to see him find love in the midst of loss with the lovely and artistic Christina.
The design for this page is simple. It's J from the cover, but he's also being painted on an easel, representing the imprint that he left on Christina the first time they ever saw each other in the cemetery.
"Forgiveness is divine as it's born of another's sorrow. Look beneath the surface to heal everyone's tomorrow."
Page Eight- Letters to Lucy: I've already given myself away and told you that I really love Lucy and Double D's relationship. It wasn't perfect by any means, but they were really put through the wringer, and their love never faltered for even a moment. Talk about a romance novel ;)
Page eight is dedicated to all of the letters that Double D had written Lucy over the years, pouring his heart out. I also love that Christine wrote it this way, with the masculine male pouring his heart out to the woman he loves.
Page fourteen- Double D's tattoo: I love how this image turned out, but I definitely procrastinated even starting on it until I was almost done with the whole book. Photorealism isn't really my style, but most of these tattoos as they were written in the book, are photorealistic. I tried to find a balance between photorealism and my style, while still making sure that it would be fun for people to color, and I'm excited to see what everyone thinks of the result!
Page fifteen- Toby's tattoo: This one is my favorite, out of all of the designs in the book. It is also the one that took me the longest, and that was most difficult for me to bring to life. Christine described a very specific tattoo in the book, and when I drew out the first draft, it wasn't even close to what she'd pictured in her head. We've all read the Other Princess, but I doubt any of us had the exact same images in our heads as we read about each of the tattoos Christine described. I think this project has helped to remind me that everyone's brain puts things together differently, and it's one of the most beautiful things about humanity.
Page sixteen- Ever's tattoo:
FUCK THIS TATTOO, FUCK CHRISTINE FOR WRITING ABOUT IT, fjdaklfjaskl;jfeiwopa;jF:LKDCk;lafd FUCK!!!!!!
Kidding, but barely ;) I love the description of this tattoo in the book, but I've tried about a million times to put it to paper, and it's always gone so horribly. I'm excited about the final result that landed itself in the coloring book, but it was not without blood, sweat, tears, and prayers. I would love to see if this image is anything close to what you pictured in your head while reading.
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Thank you for taking the time to read about my thoughts on a few of my favorite coloring book pages. And in case you haven't heard me say it in a while, I appreciate each and every one of you for supporting my art, whether with a purchase or a kind word, I've appreciated it more than I can ever express!
Don't forget to share images you've colored in Read a Book, Fall in Love! :) I can't wait to see!
And if you haven't gotten your copy already, you can do so here!
