Suzanne G. Rogers's Blog, page 28

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to one and all! May 2015 bring you and your family many opportunities to pursue your dreams. ~ S.G. Rogers

Tagged: Happy New Year

Do You Like My Shorts?

Short literature, that is.

As a reader, I used to turn my nose up at novella-length or shorter works. I mean, once you’ve got your teeth into a good book, you want it to last for days. More recently, however, I’ve begun to select shorter works so I can read them entirely before bedtime. I settle in around nine o’clock at night and read until I’m done. In addition, shorter works allow me to sample a particular author’s style, so I can decide if I like his or her voice or not. I also believe shorter works should be priced accordingly, perhaps at $0.99. That price point seems fair to me, somehow.

As an author, why do I write shorts? I have numerous shorts for sale, and I’m glad. For one thing, I can never tell for sure what book will resonate with the public. I’ve invested months (sometimes the better part of a year) writing cracking good full-length reads which nobody ever purchases. (shrugs) You can lead buyers to your book but you can’t make them read it. Unfortunately, that time which was spent writing a failure is time you can’t get back.

The downside? I have had complaints that my shorts aren’t long enough, even though I’ve priced them accordingly. Fortunately, I’ve had enough success with my shorts that I can now afford to spend time on lengthier sequels. Because of strong sales, I now know with some certainty which stories are of interest and which are not. For example, I’ve learned that my historical romance outsells all my other genres, hands-down. So I’m going to be writing more historical romance going forward. Writing for personal satisfaction is great, but getting traction sales-wise is even better.

How about you? If you’re an author, have you avoided writing shorts? As a reader, what do you like or dislike about them? Let’s talk amongst ourselves. ~ S.G. Rogers

My $0.99 shorts, from shortest to longest:

A Gift for Lara (58 pages) (historical romance)

Lara Robinson wrote a love letter four years ago, but received no reply. Now the man to whom she gave her heart will visit Blythe Manor for Christmas. How can she enjoy the holidays knowing Miles Greystoke must despise her for revealing her feelings in such an unguarded fashion?

As an awkward youth, Miles fell in love with a kindred spirit…but his love was unrequited. Against his wishes, he’s now obliged to spend the holidays at Blythe Manor. Time has wrought changes in his physique, but his devotion to Lara Robinson has never wavered. He searches for the perfect present to show her how he feels, but nothing seems quite right…until he realizes the best sort of gift will embrace the true meaning of Christmas.

(I’m working on the sequel now, called A Gift for Fiona)

Magical Misperception (63 pages) (fantasy romance)

Young Prince Lee can’t talk to girls at all until he meets Jona Haever. His aunt, Queen Gaia, invites Jona to the castle for the summer to help Lee learn social graces. Although Her Majesty makes it clear Jona is no better than a servant, Jona and Lee become best friends. When the summer comes to a close, the two continue to correspond through a pair of magical boxes conjured by the Wizard Farland. Nine years later, Jona and Lee are closer than ever, but any romantic feelings between them are forbidden by law. Are the differences between a prince and a commoner too large to overcome, or are they just a matter of magical misperception?

Hopelessly romantic. Exquisitely magical.

Clash of Wills (117 pages) (fantasy romance)

Princess Samantha’s magical compass will help her locate her long-lost brother, but only if she manages to escape the watchful eyes of her royal parents. When an unwelcome suitor comes to call, Samantha seizes her chance. She beguiles the prince into taking her north, intending to abandon him at her earliest opportunity. Unfortunately, his captivating good looks and charming manner present an unforeseen complication—especially when she is forced to accept help from the very man she has deceived.

To maintain his bachelorhood, handsome Prince Wills is not above deception. Although reluctantly entangled in Samantha’s scheme, he vows to protect her…until a lie threatens to destroy their alliance. Can his powerful attraction to the princess overcome his mistrust? And can they survive a dangerous quest to the wild and magical Uncharted Region?

The Ice Captain’s Daughter (118 pages) (historical romance)

The daughter of a wealthy ice merchant, Miss Jillian Roring intends to marry for love. En route to her first season in London, however, a failed kidnapping sends her into the arms of the most jaded bachelor in England. When Logan and Jillian unwittingly violate the rigid rules of propriety in Victorian-era England, he is obliged to make her an offer of marriage. Because she aspires to be more than an obligation, Jillian refuses the match. Logan follows her to London to woo her properly, but his scheming ex-fiancée has other plans.

Can Logan convince Jillian that his love for her is real or will the cruel gossip and sharp tongues of London society tear their budding relationship apart?

A romantic Victorian-era novella set in 1899, England.

(Sequel under development)

Kira (135 pages) (fantasy)

Poisoned by an enemy, Kira struggles to find an antidote before she succumbs to enslavement. At the same time, she’s desperate to save Dorsit, a Leopard Clan wizard whose youth and magic has been stolen by a murderous wizard on a rampage. As Kira’s homeland is invaded by bloodthirsty legions, Kira flees across the country in a bid to reach the Mirrum Mountain nymphs and a legendary cure. Hunted by shadow hounds, an army of Cyclopes, and an evil jinn, will her wits and skill as a warrior be enough to survive?

(Prequel to the Yden Trilogy)

Jessamine’s Folly (137 pages) (historical romance)

After her estate is entailed away, Jessamine Foster has no choice but to live with relatives who detest her. When her aunt gives her an ultimatum to leave, Jessamine accepts a position as companion to Lord Kirkendale’s sister—even though she’s been warned her predecessors can’t seem to resist the earl’s exceptional good looks. Can Jessamine manage to hold onto her job without losing her heart?

To honor a promise made to his dying father, Lord Kirkendale agrees to an arranged marriage to a woman he cannot love. Although he is resigned to a life without sentiment, the arrival of his sister’s new companion awakens a slumbering passion. Can he find a way to secure his own happiness without sacrificing his family’s honor, or will his broken promise result in the ruination of the person he loves most?

An Edwardian-era novella.

Ruse & Romance (The Beaucroft Girls Series) (147 pages) (historical romance)

Unjustly labeled a flirt, Kitty Beaucroft is in need of a fiancé. Lord Philip Butler’s father wants him to settle down before he can become a landowner. With no intention of following through, Kitty and Philip enter into a temporary engagement as a means to an end. Unfortunately, someone knows the truth and is determined to expose them. Will the ruse turn into a romance before it’s too late?

(Book One of the Beaucroft Girls series)

Larken (162 pages) (historical romance)

The sole survivor of a train accident, young Larken Burke is dubbed the Miracle Orphan. Four years later, however, her life is far from fortunate. Because of her emotional and physical scars, she believes she’s un-marriageable. With little hope for the future, she agrees to wed a gentleman she’s never met. Unfortunately, his aloof manner proves difficult to take.

Marked by romantic tragedy and the loss of his brother, Brandon King has forsworn marriage. Obliged to take in a ward, he advertises for a mail-order bride to raise the boy. Since the union is to be a marriage in name only, his criteria are youthful age, a certain level of intellect, good breeding, and that the girl shouldn’t be so ill-favored she would embarrass him in society. To his dismay, he gets more than he’d bargained for.

Will it take a miracle for Mr. and Mrs. King to fall in love, or is their marriage another accident waiting to happen?

(Book One of a series)

Tagged: 99 cent reads, A Gift for Lara, Clash of Wills novella, Jessamine's Folly, Kira: Prequel to the Yden Trilogy, Larken, Magical Misperception, novelettes, novellas, Ruse & Romance, short stories, The Ice Captain's Daughter

Day 13 of the 13 Days of Christmas! ��� #Freebies

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays to one and all. Today is the last day for freebies from Musa Publishing! If you’re like me, you’ve downloaded quite a few titles by now. I’ve been busy, but I’ve already read one marvelous Regency and I’m going to leave a review on Amazon (probably also on the Musa website, Goodreads, and BN.com). I encourage you to leave at least one review for a favorite book somewhere, even if you just mention enjoying it on your Facebook timeline with a link! Here are the freebies today, and I know I’m going to be downloading today again! ~ S.G. Rogers

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis (Young Adult)

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they’re given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn’t a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers–legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial–Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don’t, then history itself may be turned upside down.

To add The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis to your cart, go HERE

She Dreamed of Dragons (Young Adult)

Trina is more likely to set the palace on fire with her powers than be a princess ��� could a dragon mage be the next ruler of the magical kingdom of Dorlith?

Trina is a fifteen-year-old dragon mage in a kingdom ruled by witches and wizards ��� the same people who have brought dragons and other magical creatures near extinction. Trina can barely control her fire powers and is desperate for an apprenticeship, but finding a fellow dragon mage to be her teacher is proving more difficult than coming across an actual dragon.

Then there���s the Royal Tourney ��� a competition presented by the Queen to find a successor to the throne. Trina heads to the competition in the hopes of sparking some interest in the mage society and earning herself an apprenticeship.

She never intended to be a frontrunner in the competition.

She never meant to catch the attention of the evil witch trying to take over the throne.

She never expected to fall for a wizard.

Now Trina must face tough decisions about who she is and who she could become. Trina must ask herself: Can she really win the Royal Tourney?

To add She Dreamed of Dragons to your cart, go HERE

Identity Crisis (Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)

They stole her memories, but she won’t let anyone control her future.

Karli McKenna wakes up into someone else’s life. And yet some of her memories match that life. Other memories are from a life she is sure she used to have. To find out the truth, she must elude her friends, the authorities and some mysterious criminals, all bent on capturing her — or killing her. She must find out who the criminals are to find out which of her memories are true. And to reclaim her life and family.

To add Identity Crisis to your cart, go HERE

To Catch a Fish (Contemporary Literature)

When a fisherman is accused of murder, Alabama’s first black lieutenant governor may give up his career to defend his friend.1

Davey Simpson, a fisherman, is charged with the murder of a powerful Alabama politician’s son. His childhood friend, Ben Johnson, an attorney, has to decide whether to resign as the first black lieutenant governor of Alabama in order to take Davey’s case.

While in the Mobile County Jail awaiting trial, Davey has a unique way of surviving confinement. Since he can’t endure living in the present, he lives in the past, recalling memories of his two childhood friends–his lost love, Pokey, and his best friend, Ben. Those memories allow Davey to escape the unbearable loneliness of incarceration.

Davey’s plight causes childhood friends, separated by time and space, to reunite and renew their relationships. Unexpected twists reveal the many complications involved in the case and in Davey’s life.

To add To Catch a Fish to your cart, go HERE

Tagged: 13 Days of Christmas, David Wilton, Elizabeth Ashtree, Elizabeth J.M. Walker, Identity Crisis, Mary S. Palmer, Musa Publishing, Sharon Ledwith, She Dreamed of Dragons, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, To Catch a Fish

Day 13 of the 13 Days of Christmas! • #Freebies

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays to one and all. Today is the last day for freebies from Musa Publishing! If you’re like me, you’ve downloaded quite a few titles by now. I’ve been busy, but I’ve already read one marvelous Regency and I’m going to leave a review on Amazon (probably also on the Musa website, Goodreads, and BN.com). I encourage you to leave at least one review for a favorite book somewhere, even if you just mention enjoying it on your Facebook timeline with a link! Here are the freebies today, and I know I’m going to be downloading today again! ~ S.G. Rogers

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis (Young Adult)

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they’re given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn’t a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers–legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial–Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don’t, then history itself may be turned upside down.

To add The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis to your cart, go HERE

She Dreamed of Dragons (Young Adult)

Trina is more likely to set the palace on fire with her powers than be a princess – could a dragon mage be the next ruler of the magical kingdom of Dorlith?

Trina is a fifteen-year-old dragon mage in a kingdom ruled by witches and wizards – the same people who have brought dragons and other magical creatures near extinction. Trina can barely control her fire powers and is desperate for an apprenticeship, but finding a fellow dragon mage to be her teacher is proving more difficult than coming across an actual dragon.

Then there’s the Royal Tourney – a competition presented by the Queen to find a successor to the throne. Trina heads to the competition in the hopes of sparking some interest in the mage society and earning herself an apprenticeship.

She never intended to be a frontrunner in the competition.

She never meant to catch the attention of the evil witch trying to take over the throne.

She never expected to fall for a wizard.

Now Trina must face tough decisions about who she is and who she could become. Trina must ask herself: Can she really win the Royal Tourney?

To add She Dreamed of Dragons to your cart, go HERE

Identity Crisis (Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)

They stole her memories, but she won’t let anyone control her future.

Karli McKenna wakes up into someone else’s life. And yet some of her memories match that life. Other memories are from a life she is sure she used to have. To find out the truth, she must elude her friends, the authorities and some mysterious criminals, all bent on capturing her — or killing her. She must find out who the criminals are to find out which of her memories are true. And to reclaim her life and family.

To add Identity Crisis to your cart, go HERE

To Catch a Fish (Contemporary Literature)

When a fisherman is accused of murder, Alabama’s first black lieutenant governor may give up his career to defend his friend.1

Davey Simpson, a fisherman, is charged with the murder of a powerful Alabama politician’s son. His childhood friend, Ben Johnson, an attorney, has to decide whether to resign as the first black lieutenant governor of Alabama in order to take Davey’s case.

While in the Mobile County Jail awaiting trial, Davey has a unique way of surviving confinement. Since he can’t endure living in the present, he lives in the past, recalling memories of his two childhood friends–his lost love, Pokey, and his best friend, Ben. Those memories allow Davey to escape the unbearable loneliness of incarceration.

Davey’s plight causes childhood friends, separated by time and space, to reunite and renew their relationships. Unexpected twists reveal the many complications involved in the case and in Davey’s life.

To add To Catch a Fish to your cart, go HERE

Tagged: 13 Days of Christmas, David Wilton, Elizabeth Ashtree, Elizabeth J.M. Walker, Identity Crisis, Mary S. Palmer, Musa Publishing, Sharon Ledwith, She Dreamed of Dragons, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, To Catch a Fish

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas (1891) by Viggo Johansen (1851 – 1935)

I hope your day is full of love, magic, friends, and family. Check back later for my post on Musa Publishing‘s 13 Days of Christmas promotion. Four books are free today! ~ S.G. Rogers

Day 12 of the 13 Days of Christmas ��� #Freebies

It’s Christmas Eve and Musa Publishing has more free e-books for you!

The Sun God’s Heir (Speculative Fiction)

When an ancient evil awakens, one young pacifist is all that stands between the world���s freedom and the red tide of slavery.

In 17th century France, a young pacifist kills to protect the woman he loves, unwittingly opening a door for the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian general determined to continue a reign of terror begun three thousand years ago.

Taking up the sword will not be enough. Rene must reclaim his own ancient past to stop the red tide of slavery from engulfing the world.

Joined by a powerful sheikh, his sword wielding daughter, and a family of Maranos escaping the Spanish Inquisition, they fight their way through pirates, typhoons, and dark assassins to reach Morocco, the home of an occult sect that has waited for Rene through the eons.

To add The Sun God’s Heir to your cart, go HERE

Also, go check out the two other freebies available today:

Viki Lyn’s Regarding Eliza (Adults Only), and

Sharon Maria Bidwell’s Hard Pressed (LGBTQ)

Happy Holidays!!!

 

 

Tagged: 13 Days of Christmas, Elliott Baker, Hard Pressed, Musa Publishing, Regarding Eliza, Sharon Maria Bidwell, The Sun God's Heir, Viki Lyn

Day 12 of the 13 Days of Christmas • #Freebies

It’s Christmas Eve and Musa Publishing has more free e-books for you!

The Sun God’s Heir (Speculative Fiction)

When an ancient evil awakens, one young pacifist is all that stands between the world’s freedom and the red tide of slavery.

In 17th century France, a young pacifist kills to protect the woman he loves, unwittingly opening a door for the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian general determined to continue a reign of terror begun three thousand years ago.

Taking up the sword will not be enough. Rene must reclaim his own ancient past to stop the red tide of slavery from engulfing the world.

Joined by a powerful sheikh, his sword wielding daughter, and a family of Maranos escaping the Spanish Inquisition, they fight their way through pirates, typhoons, and dark assassins to reach Morocco, the home of an occult sect that has waited for Rene through the eons.

To add The Sun God’s Heir to your cart, go HERE

Also, go check out the two other freebies available today:

Viki Lyn’s Regarding Eliza (Adults Only), and

Sharon Maria Bidwell’s Hard Pressed (LGBTQ)

Happy Holidays!!!

 

 

Tagged: 13 Days of Christmas, Elliott Baker, Hard Pressed, Musa Publishing, Regarding Eliza, Sharon Maria Bidwell, The Sun God's Heir, Viki Lyn

Day 11 of the 13 Days of Christmas ��� #Freebies

Are you enjoying all the free e-books from Musa Publishing? Yeah, me too. ~ S.G. Rogers

Looney Dunes (Contemporary Literature)

Where phobias haven’t a chance

Stormy Deane has a phobia for dirt and feels like she was born without the manual on life. Her orderly world is sent into a tailspin when she and her anything-goes sister inherit a dilapidated boarding house on an island left behind in the last century. Quirky carpenters, strange boarders, nosy neighbors, and an enigmatic but cute bachelor traipse through her new home, causing Stormy’s problems to rev into overdrive. But her logical mind is truly tested when she hears footsteps inside the walls, and Dune Island’s psychic warns her to be careful. There is something or someone out there far more sinister than grime.

To add Looney Dunes to your cart, go HERE

Dead (Paranormal) (Adults Only)

6 Stories in one! Includes Dead Awake, Dead Faint, Dead Hunter, Dead Memory, Dead Hot, and Dead Santa.

To learn more and add Dead to your cart, go HERE

Her Name (LGBTQ)

Madison Andrews believes she has found the love of her life…but only in her dreams…

To learn more and add Her Name to your cart, go HERE

Tagged: 13 Days of Christmas, Alicia Joseph, Anne Skalitza, Dead Series,

Day 11 of the 13 Days of Christmas • #Freebies

Are you enjoying all the free e-books from Musa Publishing? Yeah, me too. ~ S.G. Rogers

Looney Dunes (Contemporary Literature)

Where phobias haven’t a chance

Stormy Deane has a phobia for dirt and feels like she was born without the manual on life. Her orderly world is sent into a tailspin when she and her anything-goes sister inherit a dilapidated boarding house on an island left behind in the last century. Quirky carpenters, strange boarders, nosy neighbors, and an enigmatic but cute bachelor traipse through her new home, causing Stormy’s problems to rev into overdrive. But her logical mind is truly tested when she hears footsteps inside the walls, and Dune Island’s psychic warns her to be careful. There is something or someone out there far more sinister than grime.

To add Looney Dunes to your cart, go HERE

Dead (Paranormal) (Adults Only)

6 Stories in one! Includes Dead Awake, Dead Faint, Dead Hunter, Dead Memory, Dead Hot, and Dead Santa.

To learn more and add Dead to your cart, go HERE

Her Name (LGBTQ)

Madison Andrews believes she has found the love of her life…but only in her dreams…

To learn more and add Her Name to your cart, go HERE

Tagged: 13 Days of Christmas, Alicia Joseph, Anne Skalitza, Dead Series,

Day 10 of the 13 Days of Christmas ��� #Freebies

More Freebies…all e-reader formats! Happy Holidays from Musa Publishing!

Long Haul (Speculative Fiction)

This trucker’s haul takes him to the end of time and space, and beyond…

In the near future, physicists have stumbled on a way to open rifts into other universes, making it possible to transport goods and people anywhere in the world in nothing flat.�� The unscrupulous corporation that owns the new technology uses it��to monopolize shipping worldwide

Thrill-seeking, death-defying truckers like veteran army driver Garth Jenkins and his gun-toting trucking partner Sally Drake earn hazardous duty pay by hauling rigs through perilous alien universes often infested with deadly alien monsters and many other dangers besides.

Garth and Sally accept a shady corporate contract to deliver some unknown cargo to an alien universe, no questions asked.�� It looks like an easy way to score big money.�� But, things go south fast when their truck is hijacked by the beautiful and mysterious Keira Takahashi, and they find themselves pursued by hideous alien parasites in undead human bodies.

On the run and in danger, Garth and Sally find themselves on a crooked cosmic road leading to bizarre other worlds and exotic time periods.�� They have one chance to unravel the company’s twisted plot and save themselves.�� Whether they succeed or fail may decide the fate of a universe…

To add Long Haul to your cart, go HERE

Silhouette of Darkness (Horror/Paranormal)

Fear dons many masks in these dark tales of brushes with the uncanny.

When the Blight overwhelms the earth, humanity’s only defense is to stay awake from dusk until dawn. Tonight, Sean will learn how lethal insomnia is in this new world.

To add Silhouette of Darkness to your cart, go HERE

The Legend of Ghost Dog Island (Young Adult)

Behind every legend lies the truth.

Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her fisherman father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crabbing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou where she feels something is watching her from a nearby island.

Nikki learns of a local legend about something sinister inhabiting those swamps, stealing the souls of dogs���which would explain the strange howling sounds. Papa reassures her there���s nothing on the island but gators and snakes. He would know. He���s spent his whole life trapping and fishing those bayous and swamps. But Nikki and her new friends uncover strange happenings from years ago that may have started the old legend, and town folks aren���t talking. Then her beloved beagle goes missing.

Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the real truth behind the legend of Ghost Dog Island���before it���s too late.

To add The Legend of Ghost Dog Island to your cart, go HERE

Did you know you can have your e-book downloads sent directly to your Kindle, just like with Amazon? Once you’ve put your Kindle email address into your Musa settings, you’re all good to go. Go HERE to read all about downloading files. It’s really easy!

Tagged: 13 Days of Christmas, George Wilhite, Long Haul, Musa Publishing, Rita Money, Silhouette of Darkness, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, Tom Olbert