Jade C. Jamison's Blog, page 48

Worst Mother-new cover!

This is the new cover that will be appearing on Worst Mother sometime this week:

Image credit: 

© 2009 D. Sharon Pruitt, some rights reserved.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/3331437207/

Momentum, Baby!

Wow.  This past week has been crazy, amazing, and fun.  I am now (in my mind, at least) a bestselling author, at least by Amazon Kindle standards.  I’ve watched Everything But climb the charts, and it’s happened so quickly.  It all started last Sunday, the last day of September, when I woke up and discovered my book had made it into the top 2000 bestselling Kindle books; not only that, but it had also broken into the top 100 Contemporary Women’s Books.  That was exciting!

It didn’t stop there, though.  The book is getting all kinds of great 5-star reviews, starting with one on Tuesday saying it was “5+++ stars.”  How could that not make a writer’s day?  Other reviews “highly recommend[ed]” the book, and one reader commented that I had not taken a formulaic way of writing this type of book.

Now, in case you didn’t know, Amazon updates its bestseller lists hourly.  That’s okay with me, but it’s like a rollercoaster, and you never know when you’re going to climb or plunge.  It’s exciting, just like the amusement park.  Last Sunday, I really didn’t expect to get where I have, but as of this morning, here’s where the book was sitting:

#631-Paid in Kindle Store
#39-Books-Literature & Fiction-Women’s Fiction-Contemporary Women (Yes!  Freaking YES!  We’re talking ALL contemporary women’s books—hard cover, paperback, Kindle…!!!)
#92-Kindle-Contemporary Fiction
#96-Kindle-Romance-Contemporary

Is it any wonder I’ve been so jazzed the past week?  And, what’s worse, I’ve been so excited, I can barely concentrate.  I’ve been picking away at Blind (and really need to get on track so it releases on schedule), but not like I should!

However, the craziness of this second Tangled Web book has prompted lots of readers (some of them new readers) to ask if and when I will write another book or books in the series.  I’ve decided YES!  I had such a good time writing Everything But, and I hope it shows.  It was entertaining and fun to write, and I hope future books will be the same.  First off, sometime in 2013, I plan to write Kiefer’s story, and then afterward Trent.  Yes, I know you know practically nothing about Trent, so I’ll have to remedy that with Kiefer’s story.  I don’t have a title yet, but I wanted to give you an update.

So…just to reiterate my writing schedule (and probable release dates) over the next several months:

10/31/12:  Blind (Nicki Sosebee #8)
11/30/12:  Quickies (short story collection)
12/31/12:  Old House (horror story)
1/31/13:  Nicki Sosebee #9 (no title yet)
2/28/13:  Next Tangled Web book (no title yet)

Wish me luck!   Here’s to lovin’ that rollercoaster!

Everything But

Here’s the cover you’ll be looking for when you’re searching for Everything But this week:

The End of Summer

Summer is finally drawing to a close.  It’s always a bittersweet time for me.  In the summer, I have fewer responsibilities than during the rest of the school year.  Yes, I still teach, but it’s more laid back and there are fewer students (although the semester is condensed, so grading and class preparation are also condensed).  The semester is shorter, though, so I have a lot more free time before and after, and the dress code is more relaxed.  The feel is different too.  It’s light, fun, and free.

When May closed out, I had finished the seventh Nicki Sosebee book (Innocent Bystander) and had a couple of projects in mind, but I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do.  I started writing Blind (Nicki #8) but knew I wasn’t going to finish it right away.  I know where Nicki’s story is heading in the next two to three books, but it gets fuzzier after that.  That’s a good thing, though, because until it’s in black and white, it’s not exact.  I might have a scene in my head for months and then when it finally hits the page, it’s not quite what I’d envisioned.  Trust me, though, when I say that’s not always bad.  In fact, I’d say ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s beneficial.  It’s probably because my subconscious has thought it through a lot more than my waking mind and it’s usually smarter!

I’d heard about BuNoWriMo and, quite honestly, I’d avoided WriMos for a long time.  If you don’t know what a WriMo is, it’s basically just a month where a writer commits to writing an entire book of at least fifty thousand words.  I’d avoided them thinking, “Well, I write 50K in a month all the time.  Why do I need an event to motivate me?”  But was I wrong!  I participated this time (in June) because a bestselling writer friend of mine invited me.  I’m glad I joined.  I had no idea how the camaraderie could spur me on.  I met a lot of great people, and we encouraged each other like you wouldn’t believe.  We also asked questions, shared stories, played around, and had fun.  I decided to write Everything But at the time (although I hadn’t chosen that title when I started) and the sense of fun I was having  permeated the first third of the book (I think—you’ll have to tell me if I’m off base).  A few of us continued working together through July while we finished up our projects.  I said initially, “Well, this’ll probably be closer to 60K.”  But I had to keep adding new word goals as I kept surpassing my last ones.  The book wound up being over 80K, double the size of its predecessor Tangled Web.

It was fun, though, and it was worth it.  I tried a lot of different things as a writer that I hadn’t done before.  I wrote not only from Erin’s point of view but Riley’s as well.  I enjoyed the hell out of that.  I didn’t think I would, but I did.  It was a hoot and a refreshing change of pace.  Riley’s complex (aren’t we all?), and that’s what I liked about him.  What you know right off the bat is that he’s a typical bad boy rock star, but you discover pretty quickly that he’s like a roasted marshmallow—black and crusty on the outside, but warm and melty on the inside.  I suspect most of you will fall in love with Riley like I have.

I had to do a lot of research for the book too…considering I’ve never had a penis (and probably never will), I had to ask my partner what sex felt like for him and he tried to explain it, but I wasn’t able to use much of his input when writing the book.  Try googling “what sex feels like for a man” and you’ll see my frustration!  Let’s just say I had to spend lots of long, hard hours (pardon the pun!) to find out how to get those scenes just right.  My first pass through the book, I’d just write something like “describe from Riley’s POV” along with main points I wanted to hit with the scene.  It wasn’t until heavy rewrite time that I pounded out those scenes.  Good news:  I’m happy with them and they pass the Jamison realism test.

A couple of other things to anticipate with Everything But…a LOT more sex, some funny sex, and some handcuffs.  That’s all I’ll say, but that’s because I’m a tease.    It’s a lot closer to erotica than I usually write, but I still don’t think you could call it that.

So, thanks to BuNoWriMo and all the fantastic friends I made there, I will also be—for the first time ever—participating in NaNoWriMo, the biggest, baddest WriMo out there (chances are you’ve heard of it).  While Quickies is slated to be released 11/30/12, it’s already half written, so I don’t know that I’ll be working on that one.  I’m sure I’ll be doing some polishing, but I don’t believe I’ll be investing all my writing time on that project then.  Maybe I’ll focus on Old House.

For now, though, it’s back to Nicki.  I’ve missed Nicki, as I know a lot of you have.  I can’t believe I took a two-book hiatus from her, and I’m sure she’s feeling neglected.  My hope, though, is that my break will reinvigorate the series (not that it was flailing).  I never, ever, ever want my writing to feel forced, flat, or boring.  That’s part of why I’m constantly reading.  Everything I read influences my writing, whether I realize it or not, and if I’m only reading my own stuff (or works in my genre), I imagine it would become like the Tudors of England…weak, pale, and unable to do much.  It’s best to breed outside one’s own family.  That’s part of the reason why I also try to read mostly outside my own genre.  I do read some romance and erotica from time to time (can’t help myself!), but I try to read a lot more stuff that’s not: I dig nonfiction if the topic is right, and I like a lot of thrillers, but my favorite authors are Toni Morrison (bet you figured that one out already) and John Grisham (but I love Dan Brown, Stephen King, and lots more like them), so I read a lot of books that are quite different from what I write.  That said, though, over the last year I did finally read the first Fifty Shades book (I had to join the conversation, for heaven’s sake), Jolyn Palliata’s A Modern Love Story, and a suh-weet novella called Beautiful Mess by Lucy V. Morgan, and I’m still reading a couple other books like them, but I have to take them in small doses.  I’ve gotten other recommendations that I’ll read somewhere along the way, but for now, it’s back to nonfiction for me for a while as well as writing Nicki.

And that’s what I’m getting ready to do right now…start writing Blind so I can get it done by the date I promised!

Future Projects

One cool thing about my website is I can see the terms people used when searching to find my blog.  And three particular searches keep coming up (aside from the usual ones), and those are about future books, ones that I’ve already titled (and teased and promised) but have yet to release.  So…without further ado, I’m going to talk about each one, tell you where it is development-wise, and give you a rough idea of a release date.

Everything But—you’ve already heard lots about this one already, the “sequel” to Tangled Web.  I’m in the revision phase, which always includes prep work for publishing.  It’s already written.  At this point, though, I revise and proof the manuscript.  I look at continuity, character development, and the work as a whole, as well as scrutinize scenes and look at the details.  I also put together the cover in this phase and begin promoting the book.  I’m halfway through this phase with this book.  I plan to work on the cover tomorrow (wish me luck) and—most of you probably already know—I’ve already begun promoting the heck out of it!  ANTICIPATED RELEASE DATE:  9/30/12 or sooner.

Blind (Nicki Sosebee #8)—the good news is I’ve already started writing it, and it’s loosely plotted.  I’m three chapters in.  Obviously, it’s a continuation of Nicki’s story from where we left off in Innocent Bystander.  I had hoped to finish it a lot sooner, but my summer projects took longer than planned (that’s because the books were also bigger than planned, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!).  ANTICIPATED RELEASE DATE:  10/31/12 or sooner.

Quickies—this is a (mostly) short story collection.  The original working title was Potluck Fail and Other Miscellany, but I prefer this title.  Two of the stories already written are called “Potluck Fail” and “Drawn to Him,” but I’m going to have some other oddities in the book, and I have yet to write a couple other stories I have in mind.  At least one of the stories is humorous and one of them is irredeemably erotic…some strange stuff, even for me.  ANTICIPATED RELEASE DATE:  11/30/12 or sooner.

Old House—this is a horror story that is loosely plotted, and the first two chapters are written.  It’s about a college student named Kenzie who’s had some problems at school.  She comes home for Christmas break to find that things at her parents’ new home are a little spooky.  But don’t worry…there will still be plenty of my usual style in there.  I just can’t help my potty mouth and a little hanky-panky.  Since it’s set at Christmas, I should try to get it out then, but we shall see!  ANTICIPATED RELEASE DATE:  12/31/12 or sooner.

Looking ahead:  I also have other projects in store.  The Nicki series isn’t even close to being done, and I already know what will happen in the next three or four books.  As long as you and I aren’t bored with Nicki, I suspect I’ll keep writing her story!  I don’t have titles for those books yet, but I know what’s going to happen.  I also have a mystery book waiting in the wings, but it needs a lot of work before it sees the light of day.  Sit tight and I’ll keep writing as long as you want to read it!

I’m an Independent Woman

I’d tried for years, going the traditional route, to become published.  Part of the problem was I’d received contradictory advice from different writer friends:  “You need to get an agent.”  “You need to market directly to the publisher.”  “Writer’s Market will never steer you wrong.”

That was just the tip of the iceberg.

I got warm on many occasions, receiving personal notes from multiple publishers.  Those notes often told me things like “you have a solid writing voice” or “this is wonderful but not quite right for us.”  Like many writers, I became discouraged, particularly because I had publishing success under another name with other writing (specifically, journalism, academic writing, poetry, and flash fiction).  Every once in a while, I’d take another crack at big fiction, only to be disappointed.  I can’t tell you how many times a manuscript would sit (exclusively) with a publisher or agent for months, and I’d finally get a form rejection letter, basically meaning I’d have to start all over and wait and wait and wait again.

I’d started writing big fiction again two years ago, steeling myself once more for the trail of rejections.  Like most writers, it’s in my blood.  Rejection or not, I must write.  But shortly after I started writing like mad again, one of my writer friends told me about the self-publishing revolution.  However, unlike “vanity presses” back in the day, indie publishing today affords a writer ultimate control of her work.  I liked that idea.

In April 2011, I took control of my writing destiny, self-publishing Tangled Web as an ebook on Amazon.  I read all I could about other self-pubbed writers and how they’d managed to propel themselves to success.  I learned to do a little marketing, but I believed one thing:  If you write it, they will find it and they will read it.  Some days it seems like it’s taken so long, but really it hasn’t taken long at all.  And the coolest part of indie publishing?  The readers will decide if they like my books, no middleman necessary.  Sure, I have negative reviews and there are people out there who can’t stand my writing.  And I’m okay with that.  Because there are plenty of you out there who have found my work and like it.  And that makes me happier than you can imagine.  On this journey, I’ve made friends too, and I don’t regret for a second going the indie publishing route.

So…several people earlier this year tried to talk me into going the traditional route again.  I wrote a manuscript that I knew was one of the best things I’d ever written.  As I wrote it, I knew it was special.  This was the one.  My friends told me I needed to “strike while the iron was hot”—my book sales were up, readers were familiar with my work, etc., etc.

I started listening to that siren song, and I lined up some beta readers to give me feedback.  I started putting together a query letter and a synopsis (both of which drain the life out of a writer, unlike writing the stories themselves, which are energizing and fun!).

So what would that do for me?  Well, nothing in life is certain, but it could potentially widen my distribution, find me more readers.  It could potentially increase sales.

But what it could also do…make my books a lot more expensive, more expensive than I’d like, yet the profits might still be the same for me.  And, considering how quickly I write and publish now, there would likely be a huge difference in the time it takes from final draft to actual publication.  (Considering I’m an English teacher by day, editing is no problem for me and not a worry, although I do sometimes fret with revision.)  Finally, up until a few weeks ago, I might have said “better covers,” but now that I’ve discovered (with the help of my partner) that there are photographers and models out there willing to work with folks like me for either credit or a little cash (not the exorbitantly priced pictures I’d first come across when I first began this crazy venture a little over a year ago), even that’s not so true.

And so I’ve reaffirmed my stance as an indie writer for more reasons than I can outline here in a small blog post.  (Small? Too late, you’re probably thinking!)

That book I mentioned above, the perfect one?  It’s Everything But, the “sequel” to Tangled Web.  Fan response to Tangled Web has overwhelmed me.  It’s been loved and hated, adored and trashed, but more than that—it’s been purchased by more readers than any other book I’ve written.  It’s been reviewed more than any other book I’ve written.  I’ve received fan letters from unlikely readers, and I don’t even want to know how many times it’s been pirated.  Let’s just say I’m glad it was the first book I published.

So when I announced I was writing Riley’s story, the response too was overwhelming.  I continued to toy with the traditional publishing route idea, but I’ve decided against it.  I have written it for you, my readers, not for a publishing house.  I don’t want it to cost a crazy amount of money; I don’t want to wait a year to see it on the shelves (literally or figuratively); and I want to give you my story soon and the way I intended, without someone telling me what to change.

Look for Everything But sometime in September.  I look forward to sharing it with you and seeing if you think it’s as special as I think it is.  And thanks again for your company as I enjoy this incredible journey of discovery and delight.

Book Giveaway!

I will be giving away five signed and personalized copies of Then Kiss Me in paperback to randomly selected reviewers in the month of September! Want one? Submit your review of Then Kiss Me on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads, then go to my Facebook page and post a link to your review on the giveaway thread before 11:59:59 pm (Mountain Daylight Time), Sunday, September 30.  Then cross your fingers and hope your name gets pulled out of Scott’s baseball cap! 

If you have problems finding the post, comment here!  Hope you enjoy the book!

Yum! New Got the Life Cover!

I’m in the process of updating my book covers.  Here’s the new cover for Got the Life.  What do you think?  I think you know my thoughts!

Then Kiss Me, Part 2

Just a couple of days before the release of Then Kiss Me.  You’ll be able to tell it’s still me at the helm, but there are a couple of things about this book that I want to warn you about (if you haven’t figured some of them out already):

Casey’s a strong heroine (a must for a Jade C. Jamison novel), but she’s young and still unsure of herself.  She’s not sure where she fits in the world and she’s not as confident and self-assured as I predict she will be in about ten years.  She’s definitely not tough and together like Nicki Sosebee or Samantha (Stating His Case), for example.  So she makes some stupid decisions.  She ultimately puts her head back on straight, though, so I hope you can forgive those moments where you feel like slapping her upside the head.
This book is written in first person.  I usually write in third person and I prefer it, but once in a while a story is served well when told from the first person point of view.  This is one of those stories.  I don’t know how I would have written it in third person.  The story just kind of demanded to be told from Casey’s exclusive point of view…in her head, at her eye level, if you catch my drift.
The middle section of the book digs even deeper into that POV.  I wanted to take advantage of that perspective.  It’s kind of like, “Well, I’m already in the mall…I might as well buy a new pair of shoes…”

I’d thought this was going to be one of those smaller stories (think Tangled Web and MADversary), but it wound up being a lot bigger.  It’s closer to Innocent Bystander in terms of size, and honestly the story could have been even longer (Worst Mother length, for instance).  But I didn’t want to have a long and drawn out story.  There was an area in the story where I wanted to linger but chose not to, because it would have just been gratuitous, so I picked up the pace and got on with the story!

So…the countdown is on.  Just a few more days.  I really hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Then Kiss Me!

Woo-hoo!  Here’s the cover for Then Kiss Me, which will be available this week: