Denise Grover Swank's Blog, page 8

How to Sell a Half Million Books

After watching my Createspace videos,a lot of authors have asked, “How did you do it? How did you sell so many books?”

Honestly, one book at a time.

In my video, I say that by the end of December, 2011, I’d sold 26,000 books. As of this weekend, I’ve sold 532,814 books–both eBooks and print, but about 95% are eBooks. I have twelve self-published books released (with one coming out April 10, another scheduled June 24, and  a third November 4) I have one book published with 47North, an Amazon imprint, along with a short story and the second book in the series releasing April 29. I also have two box sets, three short stories, a novella and a very short memoir. In addition to those, I have six audiobooks and I’m about to begin German translations on three of my series.

It all started with one book in July, 2011.

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it’s been easy. That’s what a lot of you want to hear. You want to find out the magical way to sell a lot of books. If I knew the answer to that, I’d have sold about a million more. I don’t have a magic answer. I have a lot of little answers and suggestions, but what works for one author or book doesn’t always work the same for another. I’ve found this to be true within my own books and series.

Here’s what I will tell you:

1) Write a damn good book. Not a mediocre book. Not a “it’s okay book.” Write the best damn book you can write. You will be judged on this book. They are called reviews. If your book sucks, the reviewers will let you know and they aren’t shy about it. Especially on Goodreads.

2) Before you hit publish, make sure your book has been critiqued. Have people you know read it–but don’t take their word that it’s good. You need an unbiased opinion.  Find a writers group. Find writers online–Absolute Write is a good place to start. If you’re embarrassed to show your work to other writers, then you aren’t ready to hit publish. See #1.

3) Don’t skimp on the editing. This goes hand in hand with #1. The quality of your book reflects on you. You want to grab a reader with that first book. And an editor isn’t your sister, your mother, your next door neighbor who taught English. You need someone familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style.

4) Don’t skimp on the cover either. If you want readers to take you seriously, don’t publish a book with a cover that looks like a fifth grader made it for a school project.

5) When you decide to publish a book, you become a business. If you open a shop at the local strip mall, you aren’t going paint your name on a piece of particle board and nail it over the entrance. You have to invest money in your business. Self-publishing is the same. My first book cost about  $750 to publish. I invested in my business. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to look serious. People don’t want to hear this either, but there are ways to publish on a budget. You can get a quality cover for close to $100. You can find a copy editor for around $300-$500.

6) Don’t expect to make much money off of one or two books. There was a time you could but with the glut of authors and books, you need a minimum of three books in a series to do well. There will be exceptions to the rule. Maybe you’re the next Darcie Chan, the author of the mega-bestseller The Mill River Recluse. But I’m going to be honest–you probably aren’t, so don’t count on it. I have twelve books available, remember? I didn’t start making real money until I had four or five books published.

7) Don’t waste your time marketing and promoting one book. The very best thing you can do to sell the first book is write and publish the next book.  No body wants to hear this either, but here’s the cold hard truth: My Rose Gardner Mystery series didn’t take off until after I released the third book in the series– two years after I published the first one.  My Chosen series didn’t take off until I had two books. Readers like a series they can commit to and you need a book you can use for promotion.

8) It’s called social media not sell my book media. It’s important to be involved in social media but you don’t have to do it all. I used to blog, but people don’t really read blog posts much anymore. I’m on Twitter but I’m much more active on Facebook.  I have an author fan page and a personal profile.

Facebook has begun reducing the visibility of fan pages in their attempt to get users to pay to promote their posts. I have bought them and still do from time to time. but I haven’t found them all that effective.  When I’m on Facebook and Twitter, most of the time I’m interacting with with my friends and followers. Today I posted about getting snow and what I wore to pick up my kids from school.When I talk about my books, it’s usually while I’m writing or have a new release. I’ll mention when I have a book on sale or if one is doing really well. But here’s the thing: Because I’ve formed relationships on Facebook, my friends and readers want to hear that a book is going well. In January, my Rose Gardner Mystery box set hit #1 on Barnes & Noble and my Facebook friends were almost as excited as I was.

If you connect with your friends and readers, they’ll want to read your books and they’ll want to celebrate your success. But if you’re constantly telling people to buy your book, you’re going to annoy the crap out of them.  Here’s something else a lot of authors don’t like to hear: It takes a while to build your social media platform. I’ve been working on mine for five years.

You can follow me on:

Facebook

Facebook author page

Twitter

9) Start building your mailing list yesterday. Who is the audience for the second, third, or fourth book of your series? The readers who read the previous books. You can’t count on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or iBooks to email your previous readers and tell them your new book is available. Sometimes they will, but you can’t count on it. Encourage your readers to sign up for your mailing list so you can let them know when your next book comes out.  Most won’t do it on their own so bribe them. Give them free content– a short story or a deleted scene. Last fall I serialized a novella and posted it over three months. Subscribers could read it on my website for free by using the passwords I sent them through the newsletter. I gained four thousand new subscribers. This leads to–

10) Don’t be afraid to experiment with promotion. I’m the queen of trying new things. Some turn out to be great ideas, others were huge mistakes. If something doesn’t work, don’t waste time being upset over it, just move on

11) Be prepared to work harder than you ever worked before. I work every day. I work on Christmas Day. I work on Thanksgiving. I work when I’m vacation. My typical work day starts at 9:00 a.m.  and I work until I pick up my kids at 4:00. Then I work for an hour or so before dinner. Then I put my kids to bed and I work from 9:00 until 1:00-3:00 a.m., depending on my deadlines. Sometimes I take a nap at 9 pm. so I can stay up and work. Half of my work is on the business side and the other is writing and editing. I will never be caught up. There will always be work to do. But I love what I’m doing, so I don’t mind. If you want to be successful, it’s a huge commitment.

12) Don’t compare yourself to others. There are a lot of authors who have sold many more books than I have. They release books that debut on the New York Times list.  I’m not them and you aren’t me. We each have our own path to travel so don’t stress about what other authors are doing. If you’re a self-published author, you’re on a journey. It’s full of highs and lows, but it’s entirely your own. Enjoy it.

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Here’s a few previous posts:

100K and a Winner

I Hit 150,000 in Sales

My three part series about creating a business plan on The Writer’s Guide to E-Publishing (October, 2012)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

If you have more questions, I contributed to the book  THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING. It’s written by ten New York Times bestselling authors and it’s FULL of great information.

Good luck!

 

Interview with Author Steve Mchugh

One of the best things about joining the 47North team is meeting all the amazing, crazy-talented, and just plain crazy authors. We have our own secret Facebook group and the shenanigans fly non-stop

Last week I just happened to share a release day with Steve Mchugh. He released WITH SILENT SCREAMS, the third book in his urban fantasy Hellequin series, and I released the first short story in my Curse Keeper series.

WITH SILENT SCREAMS links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

 

Denise: Steve, I’ve gotten to know you as a fellow 47North author and I love your Hellequin series. How did you end up at 47North?

Steve: Thanks very much. I self published Crimes Against Magic and Born of Hatred in 2012, sold pretty well and had great reviews and then I got a call from 47North in Feb 2013 to offer me a 3 book deal. They re-published the first 2 books and publish book 3, With Silent Screams on Feb 18th. It’s been a great experience so far. I’ve enjoyed meeting the other 47North writers, like yourself, and having people who’s job it is to do stuff for you is pretty cool.

How about you?

Denise: Wait,you have people who do stuff for you? Where do I get those? Oh, you mean 47North.

David Pomerico, my 47North editor, contacted me in September 2012 saying he’d read my book Chosen and wanted to talk to me about my career. I thought he might be interested in buying rights to the Chosen series, but he was really interested in the series I had listed on my website that I’d slated for a spring 2013. The Curse Keepers is a urban fantasy/paranormal romance series based on the Lost Colony of Roanoke and Croatan Indian spirits and gods. Amazingly enough, after the worst pitch in the world–seriously I wasn’t prepared and it was a rambling mess–David asked for a three book proposal. The Curse Keepers was released in November 2013 and This Place is Death, a short story about the origin of the curse releases February 18.

(By the way, I’ve read all three books of the Helliquin series and loved it! I highly recommend this series.)

Steve: Thanks very much, that’s very kind of you. I’ve got the first Chosen book, which is great. It’s a shame that since becoming an author I’ve had so little time to read anything on a regular basis. There are a lot of talented writers at 47North who’s books I’d love to read, but simply haven’t had time. Between having 3 young kids, writing and actually wanting to see my wife, my days become pretty full, pretty quickly.

Although that’s where the wonder that are audiobooks have come into my life. Although going to the gym and listening to Terry Pratchett tends to get me weird looks when I start chuckling to myself.

Is there anything you’ve read or listened to recently that you’ve really enjoyed?

Denise: I know what you mean about struggling to find time to read. I was a voracious reader until I started writing full time with my crazy production schedule. (I wrote five books last year and a novella.)  Plus, I’m the single parent of six kids, although only five live at home. (ha!) But my oldest son at home is 22 and is going to community college. He’s a huge help with his four younger siblings ages 16 to 6. My youngest three children are adopted from China and Vietnam.

But reading is so important for me, not just for my imagination but for my own writing. When I feel myself getting stuck in the same sentence structures, I’ll pick up a book and just start reading. My mind latches onto the flow of the sentences and helps get me out of my rut. (Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorites. She writes magical realism in beautiful prose–so different than my own writing.)

I’m trying to snatch more reading time in small chunks–lying in bed for ten minutes while I’m waking up, in the car waiting for my daughter to come out of her musical rehearsal, (Proud Mommy moment: she’s Sharpay in her high school’s production of  High School Musical.) on the elliptical machine when I make myself get it on it. But it’s made a difference and I’ve already read seven books this year.

When did you know that you wanted to be an author? Not a writer playing around, but an author who dedicates his life to writing? Because I think a lot of writers who want to publish don’t realize how much work it is. Being an author isn’t a job, it’s a life style change. At least for me. What about you?

Steve: I’ve read maybe 4 or 5 books this year, I read very quickly though.

I’ve always wanted to write, ever since I was at school. But I seriously started when Keira was born 9 years ago. That was when I decided I needed to actually write something and not just say I was going to.

You’re right, being an author is a total lifestyle commitment, like getting a dog. You can’t half-ass being a writer, or your readers will immediately tell. It’s definitely not something to to start if you’re into getting rich quick.

What about you? When did you know you wanted to do this for a living? Was there ever a day when you just knew you were a professional author? For me that was when I got my first months statement from Amazon. I’d sold 100 books. I couldn’t have smiled harder if I’d tried.

Denise: I’ve always written something. I started my first book in the fourth grade. My high school English teacher recognized a talent in me and pushed me to dig deeper in her creative writing class.(My first published book–Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes–is dedicated to her.) But I tried to write a couple of books in my twenties. Ghastly, rambling messes that had characters aimlessly wandering around. You see I hadn’t figured out this teeny, tiny thing called a PLOT.

Then years later, I started a family blog back in the mid-2000′s when blogging was all the rage. I wrote stories about my kids and my family. I honed the craft of storytelling, structure, and yes plot. I heard about NaNoWriMo in 2009 and told myself (literally) you either do this and finish or shut up about writing a book. So I started my romantic suspense So Much to Lose on November 1 and finished that sucker on December 10. Over 94,000 words.

When I wrote that last sentence, I was hooked. I’d spent forty years trying to figure out what to do with my life and I knew this was it. But So Much to Lose sucked. I mean really, really sucked. So while I was waiting to start editing, the germ of an idea popped into my head. What if there was a little boy who could see the future? So I exiled my first book to my external hard drive and started Chosen the week before Christmas 2009. Now, four years later, I’m working on my sixteenth book.

Your plots are very intricate, finely woven masterpieces. Are you a serious plotter or a pantser and just a genius? Or do you write a rambling first draft and put it all together in revision?

Steve: It was my English teacher who got me interested in writing too. I was about 12 or 13, I think. I have no idea what grade that is though.

As much as I’d love to say genius, I do write out the plot for the books before I write the book itself, but only in terms of knowing what the main parts of the story are, how it ends, begins and roughly what characters need to do what. I have an idea about how each chapter will start and finish, but usually I have no idea how it’ll get from beginning to end. I like to be surprised and have the characters feel more natural to me.

I’ve tried different levels for control in each book and the 3rd feels the most natural. It occasionally means adding chapters, and in a few occasions, whole characters, but knowing exactly what’s going to happen annoys me and I end up ignoring it.

As the Hellequin Chronicles is a series of books, I know what each book is going to be about. And I know how it ends too. Although, the flashback parts I don’t usually decide on until I’m just about to start writing so I can figure out what era suits the flashback story parts best.

How about you? Do you plot out in detail or just write as it comes? Do you know how your whole series will pan out before you write book 1?

Denise: It’s so weird, but my level of plotting depends on the book. In the sixteen books I’ve worked, I think I’ve pre-plotted two in detail. Most I have general or over-sweeping ideas. Sometimes I’ve found the best stories just evolve. I have a starting point and an end, and a few highlights I plan to hit along the way. But writing a scene inspires another and I come up with a story I never would have had if I’d plotted the sucker out. That doesn’t mean the story comes out pure gold when it’s done.

My last completed book– THIRTY-ONE AND A HALF REGRETS– I ended up with a major revision in the middle third of the book. That’s always so frustrating. How much more efficient could I have been if I’d had a plan? And I feel incredibly sorry for my developmental editor and the utter drivel she is forced to read in my first drafts. I’ve told her that I feel better because I know she knows I can pull a well written book out at the end. But the truth is, the story wouldn’t be what it turned out to be without those false starts.

Do I have a a series all planned out? This is where I’m supposed to say yes, right? The sad answer is no. I don’t. What about you? Do you have an end plan for the Hellequin series? Do you have a set number of books you plan to write?

Steve: I’ve got the plots figured out for most of the series. There are a few books that I’m not sure about or haven’t decided which way round they should go, but for the most part I know what will happen in book 7 and how it relates to the rest of the series.

As for how many books, well I’m currently writing book 4, PRISON OF HOPE and then book 5, which will end the 5 book arc. Then I’ll move on to the second 5 book arc. The main thing I wanted to do was ensure that if someone comes along and picks up book 3 or book 9 they both get a complete story without having to read everything before it.

In terms of other series, CHIMERA, my sci-fi apocalypse book, which I’ll be starting this year, is a trilogy and that tells a complete story.

I like not having everything set in stone for Hellequin just in case I think of something cool, I want to write, but for shorter series, I want to know where it’s going.

Are their any books that are outside of what you’ve currently written that you’ve got an idea for? A horror or sci-fi book for example?

Denise: I’m planning a humorous contemporary romance series for later this year about three friends who make a pact to get married by the time they are thirty. Of course, they will be disasters. ;)  I’d also LOVE to write a thriller series. My Chosen series has some thriller moments and I love writing those scenes. Unfortunately, I have no plot or ideas for it. Will it be contemporary? Will it have paranormal slant? I have no clue. I suppose it will come to me. My problem is I get an idea for a book and then I have to figure out what genre it is. Which is why I currently write in four genres–urban fantasy/paranormal romance, romance mystery, contemporary romance and YA science fiction. I’m a Gemini. Enough said.

With my Rose Gardner series, each book is a completely self-contained mystery, but there’s on over-arcing mystery as well as the main character’s personal life and relationships. Still the books can be read independently even though reviewers usually suggest readers start from the beginning to really enjoy the series.  My Curse Keepers series also tells a contained story in each book with main character dealing with a particular demon, but the over-arcing mystery elements are much more prevalent and interwoven throughout all three books. My plan for the series is a set of trilogies. I already have a plan for books four through six, but the ideas are still fairly loose.

Steve: I’m finding that I’ve got more ideas for future books then there are hours in the day. I’m sure I’ll be able to cram everything in at some point, although wanting to spend time with my wife and kids means I can’t write 24/7. Fortunately, my wife is very supportive and keeps the kids occupied so that I don’t get any of them running in to ask me something every few minutes.

How about you? How do you find the time to write with 6 kids of varying ages to keep an eye on? Are you a bit of a night owl for it?

Denise: I AM a night owl. I’m not an early riser, so before my kids were in school full time, my only alone time was after they went to bed. I have a laptop and a desk top computer, but I always draft on my laptop. And never at my desk. So I’m used to fitting in writing whenever and wherever I can. I”ll write in the carpool lane. I write at my son’s basketball practice. My daughter tried out for her high school choir while I sat in a room with about twenty trumpets blasting and you guessed it, I wrote. I’ve written just about every place imaginable thanks to my Bose headphones, but mostly because if I waited for the perfect environment to write, I’d never get anything done. Literally.

The beauty of my job is that I can always stop working to take care of what needs to be done. I can fit in all the practices and rehearsals and everything else because my job is flexible.  But that being said, my youngest is six so it’s much, much easier then when I started this full time and she was two. Back then I got a lot less sleep and the two days she was in preschool, I usually worked straight through any lunch trying to get as much done as I could before I picked her up.

So where do you see yourself with your writing career in five years? Writing full time? Branched out into another genre?

Steve: I’d love to be writing fulltime in a year or two, if I’m honest. Actually, I’d love to be doing it tomorrow, but those pesky bills need paying.

I’ve got ideas for other genres. My Chimera stuff is more sci-fi then fantasy and there’s a plain thriller I’d like to write, with no magic or monsters involved and a a sort of epic fantasy book too. Oh and I’ve got an idea for a historical fantasy trilogy that takes place within the Hellequin Chronicles books. Hopefully over the next few years, I’ll be able to get most of those started. So, yeah more ideas than hours to write it all at the moment.

So, if you had one piece of advice to give to new authors or people who want to be an author, what would it be?

Denise: The beauty of self-publishing is that anyone can do it and there are no gate keepers. But it’s also a curse.

New writers often don’t realize that it often takes YEARS to hone the craft of writing. You can’t pick up a flute for the first time then play in Carnegie Hall a month later. It takes PRACTICE. Writing is the same way. When you learn to play an instrument,  you need an instructor—someone to critique your playing. With writing you need lots of someones to critique your writing. Even now, after publishing my thirteenth book, I STILL have a minimum of ten people read a book before it’s published. And three of those people are paid editors.

New writers tell me that they are nervous about getting their work critiqued, but trust me, it’s much, much harder to see the often nasty critique in a review. When I get a new beta reader, I tell them: Friends don’t let friends look stupid in print. (I keep saying I’m going to make this into a T-shirt.) So my advice to you is to find a critique group—either in person or online, or even both. Learn the craft of writing and storytelling THEN publish.

You may have limited me to one piece of advice, but I made it wordy. Ha! What piece of advice would you give, Steve?

Steve: That’s some excellent advice. I agree wholeheartedly, find a critique group and learn the craft of writing and how to tell your story. I certainly wouldn’t be published now if I’d not joined one.

My advice would be that if you love writing, if you love the idea of telling a story, if you want to be a published writer, then don’t let anyone stop you from achieving that goal.

Getting published can be a long arduous journey, even for a self-published author. You’re going to get knocked back, you’re going to feel defeated and at times you’re going to wonder if it’s worth it. But it really is. Being an author is the best job in the world. People pay you to create worlds in your mind and tell other people about it. There’s very few jobs, bar maybe ninja-astronaut, that come to being as close as cool.

I know you said, 1 piece, but I’m cheating. Because above all, above all the advice you’ll ever receive about being a write. The most important part that you can’t do anything else without is enjoy it. Because if you don’t enjoy writing your story, no one will ever enjoy reading it.

Denise: And that is awesome advice! Thanks for chatting with me Steve! I already knew you, but I really enjoyed getting to know you better. And i wish you much success with the Hellequin series! I loved all three books and I’m excited for other people to read them too.

To find Steve go to:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steveJMchugh?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevejMchugh
Website: http://stevejmchugh.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crimes Against Magic

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Born of Hatred

Amazon US

Amazon UK

With Silent Screams

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Author Newsletter Giveaway!

Readers ask me all the time for recommendations for other authors. I can only write so fast and some of you are looking for your next read between my releases. So I’ve joined forces with four other urban fantasy/paranormal romance authors and we’re having a contest.

All you have to do is sign up for each of our newsletters!

Sign up for each of these author’s newsletters to get:
Inside scoops and news before anyone else
See and hear about reveals and upcoming events
Get announcements-like movie deals and book signings
Receive EXCLUSIVES available ONLY to subscribers
Goodies like signed books, swag and other perks for taking part in contests

What can you win?

Cash. You can win cash. Right here. That’s right, CASH!!

Want to know who these amazing authors are?

Boone Brux:  Bestselling author of The Grim Reality Series.

Website:  www.boonebrux.com

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP HERE


C.J. Ellisson: USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the V V Inn and Walk on the Wild Side series.

Website:  www.cjellisson.com

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP HERE


Shannon Mayer: Bestselling author of The Rylee Adamson Novels.

Website:  www.shannonmayer.com

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP HERE

   

Amber Lynn Natusch: Bestselling author of The Caged Series.

Website: www.Amberlynnnatusch.com

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP HERE

And finally me!

Denise Grover Swank: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Curse Keepers and The Chosen Series.

Website:  www.denisegroverswank.com

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP HERE

Sign up for each of their newsletters and dive into new worlds, new romances, and brilliant adventures with each of these talented authors. Ready, Set…..GO!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Fine print**

Entrants must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Contest open internationally.

Winners emails will be checked against the newsletter sign ups. Any shenanigans like signing up AFTER you’re told you’ve won, or not actually signing up, will cause an immediate loss of coolness and prizes. If you are already signed up for an author’s newsletter, you may NOT sign up a second time to earn entry.

Contest will run from February 24th -March 6th midnight at EST will be the cut off.

The authors promise not to swamp you with newsletters or email. Newsletters are typically sent out once a month.

February 2014 Newsletter Poll

What type of eReader do you prefer?

After you vote, post your email address below in the comments. After March 1, we’ll pick a random commenter to win a $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card. Winner will be announced in the March, 2014 newsletter. YOU MUST BE A NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBER TO WIN.

**If I don’t have your email address, I have no way to contact you if you win.**

The Rose Gardner Box Set and the Barnes & Noble Issue

Last week, I put an updated Rose Gardner Mystery box set on sale for $0.99. The original file contained the first two books. The updated file contains three books and a novella.

The new file was uploaded on January 2. When you upload new files to Amazon (KDP) or Barnes & Noble (NookPress), you can view the new files and how they will look on the designated reading device. I checked both sites and verified the all three books and the novella were uploaded.

The box set went on sale January 6.

I had great sales of the box set during the week and then ran a BookBub ad on Friday, January 10, which resulted in thousands of downloads across multiple retail sites. The box set hit #1 on Barnes & Noble.

On Monday, I went to the Barnes & Noble product page for the box set to see why the ratings were low. I was HORRIFIED to discover that readers were upset they had only received two books instead of the four listed on the cover and in the product description.

My immediate reaction was that I had screwed up the file upload somehow, but when I viewed the book on Nookpress it showed that the file being sold contained all four titles, even if that wasn’t what readers were getting.

I immediately tried to resolve this issue by conducting a live chat with a NookPress representative. It was a complete waste of time. He told me that he couldn’t help me and that I would hear back from the business department in two days.

TWO DAYS???

When I expressed my frustration and dismay over this lengthy delay in addressing the matter, I was told “I apologize for the inconvenience.” And that was it.

That was ridiculous. I wasn’t going to let readers to continue to download an incorrect file, so I reuploaded the same file, hoping it would shake things up and start sending the correct file.

This morning–two days later–I received an email from Barnes & Noble stating that there is no problem. The file contains four books. Case closed.

And Barnes & Noble wonders why they are going out of business.

If you are a reader who only received two books in your file, please accept my sincere apology. I’ve had a couple of sleepless nights over this issue. I am trying to do everything in my power to make sure you got what you paid for. I will post an update when I receive one.

Thirty-One and a Half Regrets Official Release Day!

Thirty-One and a Half Regrets
Now Available At:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon DE

Amazon FR

Amazon CA

Amazon AU

iTunes

Kobo (coming soon)

Barnes & Noble

Amazon print book

While Rose recovers from a broken heart, she finds herself at odds with her sister—and business partner—Violet. Rose buries herself in her landscaping work, but becomes worried when her employee and friend, Bruce Wayne Decker, goes missing.

In the meantime, Fenton County assistant D.A., Mason Deveraux has been patiently waiting to begin a relationship with Rose, but she realizes she needs to confront the demons of her past before she can embrace a new future. She needs to find out the truth about her birth mother.

But her past isn’t her only demon. An undercurrent of tension has been spreading through Henryetta, Arkansas since drug lord, Daniel Crocker’s arrest six months ago. Still, she’s not prepared for a nightmare come true: Crocker’s escape from prison. Crocker carries a grudge and he’s determined to make Rose pay, but he plays a game of cat and mouse, forcing Mason and the Fenton County Sheriff’s department to hide Rose on her birth mother’s farm. But will it be enough to save her?

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Thirty-Two and a Half Complications– June 26, 2014

Rose Gardner Question #4

Rose Gardner question #4: Why do the books all have “and a Half” in the title?

When I wrote Twenty-Eight, I wanted the title to have something to do with Rose’s list of things she wants to accomplish before she gets murdered or arrested. But “Twenty-Eight Wishes” was lame and didn’t convey the humor in the book. So I decided to add a bit of whimsy and add “and a Half.” The only problem was that I felt I needed a “half” wish in the book to make the title appropriate and I wasn’t sure how to do that. I had the empty #29 spot and considered using that somehow but kept writing and decided to see if an opportunity presented itself.  And the half came naturally– as almost all  good ideas do.

So are you gonna help me with my list?”

“You mean your Walmart List?” He looked downright ornery when he said it. “You’re working on your list?”

“My Wish List; I have thirteen and a half already.” I lifted my chin, daring him to mock me.

“How do you get a half?”

“I bought the bra and panties, I just haven’t worn them yet.”

Joe started choking and his face turned red. “Excuse me?”

“Number nineteen. Wear a lacy bra and panties.”

It took him a second to speak. “I suppose you need me to help you with number fifteen?”

“You know what number fifteen is?”

“Of course, how could I forget do more with a man? But technically, you did. We got to second base if I remember correctly, and I’m positive I remember correctly.” He winked.

I haven’t tried to put the “half” in the other books, I too busy trying to work in what’s numbered. In Twenty-Nine  Rose found lots of reasons to help Bruce Wayne and whether to move to Little Rock with Joe or not. In Thirty Rose worked with “excuses.”

Regrets seemed like a good choice for Thirty-One, and I was amazed at how many time I could get “regrets” to work into the book.  Pre-copy edit, I’ve used the word regret twenty-seven times.

Does Rose have regrets? I guess you can read for yourself on January 9.

Have you missed a question?

How I came up with the concept for the Rose Gardner series
Why does Rose have visions? Why does she blurt them out?
Why does Rose say “crappy doodles?“

Twenty Days Until Thirty-One and a Half Regrets

Thirty-One and a Half Regrets

January 9, 2014

Only twenty more days until the release of Thirty-One and a Half Regrets! I’m so excited for you to read it! In the meantime, I’m answering your questions about Rose and the Rose Gardner series.  No question is too crazy!!! Nothing is too invasive!!! Go ahead and ask me!!! I may not answer, but feel free to ask!

Go ahead and tell me that I’m mean. My kids–and my characters– do all the time.

Question #2 is all about Rose’s visions.

Why does Rose have visions? What inspired her visions?

Why does she blurt out what she sees?

When I spent several hours coming up with the series concept,  I thought giving Rose visions would be a interesting twist.  I knew I wanted the series to be funny and this was one more way to make Rose and her small town quirky. Rose had insight others didn’t, even if she didn’t always understand what she saw. Blurting them out loud only added to the awkward situations she could get into.

But the visions added something else–seeing the vision of herself dead in Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes is the catalyst she needs to change her life. It’s interesting, I read a review that questioned whether Rose’s visions were necessary to the plot of Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes.  I can’t imagine Rose without them.

It was also fun for me because in Chosen, five-year-old Jake had visions, but his were much more ominous and dangerous. I  took the same “gift” and purposely turned it in the opposite direction.  At the same time, this wasn’t an intentional decision. It was only after I started writing that I made the correlation to Chosen. However, I did realize that adding the slight paranormal aspect to the story could hurt my chances of selling the book to a publisher. No worries there since hardly any agents were interested in the story. And like Chosen, the query letter for Twenty-Eight is nearly identical to the blurb.

Now for one last piece of trivia: Strangely enough, I forget to give Rose many visions in the first draft. When I send the first draft to my developmental editor with the list of issues I see that need to be fixed or addressed, I ALWAYS say that Rose needs to have more visions. I’m often still adding them at the very end in the third round of editing.

 

How I came up with the concept for the Rose Gardner series

Twenty-One Days until Thirty-One and a Half Regrets!

Thirty-One and a Half Regrets

January 9, 2014

The countdown is on for the release of Thirty-One and a Half Regrets! Only twenty-one more days until you can read Rose’s most harrowing adventure yet. But after the end of Thirty and a Half Excuses, so many of you have questions! And I love talking about Rose and the Rose Gardner series so I decided to indulge us both.

On Facebook, I encouraged readers to throw questions at me to answer. And did they send questions! So for the next twenty days I’m going to post a question a day and answer it, either here or on my Facebook author page.  Stay tuned and I might give away a prize or two along with posting excerpts and the first few chapters of Thirty-One and a Half Regrets!

So let’s get right two QUESTION #1!

Where did you get the idea/inspiration for Rose/the Rose Gardner Series?

 

Short answer: I thought it would be fun to have a character who worked at a DMV.

Longer answer:  I took my son to the DMV to get license plates for his new car. While we sat in the waiting room, I noticed how grumpy everyone was. I thought about what a day working there would be like and all the strange characters that surely came in and out everyday. Seriously, no one wants to be a the DMV. So I looked at my then-eighteen-year-old son and said “You know, it would be fun to have a character who worked in a DMV.” To which he rolled his eyes and ignored me.

Longest answer: Back when I started writing, I had no plans to self-publish. My goal was to get an agent, get a book deal, then get published. (Little did I know that the book deal I hoped to get  probably wouldn’t be the panacea I expected.) I wrote Chosen, my urban fantasy/paranormal thriller, first and began to query agents.  I got a lot of  interest and a lot of requests for full manuscripts based on my query letter– which happens to be Chosen‘s blurb.  I’d been querying a little over a month– not very long really– but I’d already gotten a lot of responses which all said some variation of “I love this but don’t think I can sell it.” In the mean time, I’d already begun writing Hunted, the second book in the Chosen series.

My DMV epiphany came on a Thursday.

On Saturday, a friend emailed and asked if I’d just gotten a rejection letter from the one agent I really, really hoped to sign with.  (She had requested my full manuscript earlier in the week.) My friend said the agent had tweeted that she had to turn down a project she loved then hashtagged it #agentregret

You guessed it. The project was mine. Her rejection letter came right after I saw the tweet.

I was devastated. But I also couldn’t deny that the overwhelming consensus was that paranormal was on the decline.

So I let myself wallow for twenty-four hours then told myself it was time to either be a writer or a whiner. I had to pick. I just needed to change genre’s. But what was I going to write?

The three day old DMV idea popped into my head. But by Sunday afternoon, I had the barest of plots. On Monday, I began to write.  Thirty days later I had a 102,000 word monstrosity titled Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes.  And damned if I didn’t love it.

If you want to read more about my journey to write Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes,  click in the links below:

Something New

OMG Stick a Fork in my WIP–It’s Done!

***Tomorrow I’ll tell you how and why I came up with Rose’s visions and why she blurts out what she sees.

Cover Reveal for Thirty-One and a Half Regrets!

January 9, 2014

Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iTunes and print book

While Rose recovers from a broken heart, she finds herself at odds with her sister—and business partner—Violet. Rose buries herself in her landscaping work, but becomes worried when her employee and friend, Bruce Wayne Decker, goes missing.

In the meantime, Fenton County assistant D.A., Mason Deveraux has been patiently waiting to begin a relationship with Rose, but she realizes she needs to confront the demons of her past before she can embrace a new future. She needs to find out the truth about her birth mother.

But her past isn’t her only demon. An undercurrent of tension has been spreading through Henryetta, Arkansas since drug lord, Daniel Crocker’s arrest six months ago. Still, she’s not prepared for a nightmare come true: Crocker’s escape from prison. Crocker carries a grudge and he’s determined to make Rose pay, but he plays a game of cat and mouse, forcing Mason and the Fenton County Sheriff’s department to hide Rose on her birth mother’s farm. But will it be enough to save her?