S.M. Butler's Blog, page 21

Sizzling 7 is now out in the wild!

Hey, so this happy little bundle is now out in the wild. And you can pick it up for less than a dollar right now.

You can buy this bundle online:

Amazon Apple Kobo

Here’s a little bit about it:

Seven sizzling reads from hot romance authors for a limited time in this value-packed bundle.

Steamy stories of love from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors, featuring a sexy CEO Millionaire, a passionate Navy SEAL, a ruthless fighter, a hunky ski instructor, an injured Army sergeant, a sensual artist and a self-sacrificing Marine.

AT ANY PRICE by BRENNA AUBREY.

An online virginity auction. A geek girl virgin. A sexy CEO. When he’s the winning bidder, she gets more than she bargained for. Is he playing her or is he playing for keeps? First book in the Gaming the System series.

KILLING HONOR by S.M. BUTLER.

Returning home after a disastrous extended first deployment, Navy SEAL Brody Battles struggles with nightmares and government secrets building a wall between him and his wife, Devyn. But while they’re adjusting to being a couple again and raising a young family he barely knows, an old enemy waits in the shadows, salivating for the sweet taste of revenge.

THE WRIGHT BROTHER by MARIE HALL.

From NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Marie Hall, comes a new Contemporary Romance, set on two continents and an almost three decade love affair full of pain, joy, and the knowledge that sometimes even destiny needs a helping hand…

From the moment Julian Wright opened his eyes he could only see the world in shades of gray. Deaf and colorblind, he was a loner. Until he met his neighbor, Elisa Jane Adrian. The fractured part of his soul felt whole when she was around. But for Elisa the feelings she has for her much younger neighbor feels reckless and dangerous. Determined to put her dangerous desires behind her, she moves away to Ireland. There’s only one problem, once a Wright sets their eyes on you, there’s no going back…ever.

HE’S THE MAN by M. MALONE.

Matt Simmons is over Army doctors poking him until he finds out his new physical therapist is H-O-T. But Penny wants a settled suburban life, which means NO military men. Which means Sgt. Simmons just found his new mission in life.

CAN’T SHAKE YOU by MOLLY MCLAIN.

Carissa’s gotten herself into a mess with an impromptu renovation project, and the only contractor available to help her out happens to be the one man she’s never been able to forget. Josh is also her ex-boyfriend’s best friend, therefore completely off-limits…unless they don’t get caught.

SHADOWBOXER by CARI QUINN.

She’s in for the fight of her life…

To fund her new life with her baby sister, Mia Anderson wants one thing – to fight the reigning king of the underground MMA fighters, Tray Knox. Tray refuses to fight a woman until he learns that Mia’s tougher than anyone he has ever known. He soon realizes he wants more from her than blows and blood, and he’s willing to hit below the belt to get it. This battle’s about to get dirty.

CRAVE by VIOLET VAUGHN.

Casey Cassidy knows what she wants.

Determined to get over Jason and find a man that wants afamily, she moves to Breckenridge, Colorado.

Landing a job skiing every day, Casey finds Blaine Johnson -a wish come true.  A hunky surfer turnedski instructor, he checks off every requirement on her list.

Except for the one she forgot to add.

Blaine has a secret.  A secret so big it keeps intimacy smoldering,when Casey needs fire.  No matter how hard she tries, the embers won’t ignite. Can she live without passion to get the family she craves?

When Jason comes to town, Casey questions everything she wished for.  Their consuming love threatens to explode and ruin her dream. Will she have to choose between a family and the love of her life?

All you need is a beginning

A month of NaNoWriMo and crazy writing dreams began yesterday. The lessons I’ve learned from this event has shaped every bit of my writing career. I finished my first novel in the 2008 NaNoWriMo challenge.

All you need is a beginning. And you know what? It doesn’t even have to be the first chapter or scene. your first words could end up on page 159, if you want. Write the fun climactic fight scene or that moment when the hero and heroine meet for the first time. Write the very last scene. Some people are super linear and maybe can’t do that, but you know, maybe you’re not as linear as you think. Don’t let it hold you back.

Be productive. Keep moving forward every day. Write the scenes that call to you now. And the bits that keep you from writing will continue to percolate as you write the fun stuff.

My zero drafts are ripe with the [insert this particular thing here tags]. I don’t write sex on the first time through because it slows me down. I skip through it and come back when i come back for layering in the emotion. And you know what? It’s okay to do that. You have to do what works for you.

So, do yourself a favor this November. When you’re writing, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something different. Don’t be afraid to be UN-linear.

It’s just 1667 words a day. You can do this. I can do this. We can all do this. And it will be awesome and fun! GO WRIMOS!!!

It has begun…

Or conversely… when Suzan lost her mind and committed to writing challenges…

It’s NaNoWriMo time!

Oh, NaNoWriMo. That beautiful month when we choose to subject ourselves to write thousands of words in a  month, all the while dealing with the upcoming holiday season, for the US peeps Thanksgiving, and hundreds of other little distractions.

Thousands of writers all around the world join the charge of NaNoWriMo, sitting down and neglecting laundry for the next thirty days to write a novel. Of course, you could be like me and neglect laundry every month to write a novel.

I finished my very first novel through NaNoWriMo. It was a fantasy, it was a romance, and it was tons of fun. I’ve revisited that novel hundreds of times since, wanting to improve it so I could publish it. I don’t know if I’ll ever finish it, but it’s fun to work on something that I have absolutely no pressure for.

So it’s Day One of NaNoWriMo. The day outside is sunny. Kid1 is at a band competition, which makes the house quiet. It’s a perfect opportunity to sit down and write. I’m starting to write a new series that I’m tentatively calling the Once upon a Hero series. It’s a contemporary NA series, but it probably won’t have as much suspense elements as the Lucky Thirteen series has. I have about 3000 words on it today so far. The goal is to do a whole lot more to front load for the rest of the month, because the last half of the month is going to be so busy.

And because I’m trying to build new habits this month, I also decided to do NaBloPoMo, which is short for National Blog Posting Month, a blogging challenge based upon NaNoWriMo’s concept. So, I’m committing to posting every day on the blog for the next 30 days. Yeah, the word “no” and I have never met.

What’s NaBloPoMo?

From BlogHer’s site on NaBloPoMo: “Think of it as one big blogging party meant to give you enough energy, ideas and inspiration to supercharge your blogging mojo and carry you through the next 12 months. We do our part to keep the energy going by celebrating the big crowd by featuring great posts, sharing prompts, cheering you on, and handing out prizes. 

NaBloPoMo is also a fantastic time to catapult your blog toward greater visibility and online opportunities. You’ll likely build readers, both through your frequent posts and through people exploring the NabBloPoMo blogroll.”

So, are you doing either of these challenges this year? It’s my first year doing NaBloPoMo, but I’ve done NaNo faithfully for years. I’m excited about this month, y’all. It’s going to be a fun ride.

What’s your dream book?

Someone asked me recently why I wrote Killing Honor. I’ll be honest. I didn’t have an answer immediately. But I sat back in my chair, crossed my arms, and stared at the screen. Minutes ticked by while I pondered this question until it finally came to me.

I wrote what I wanted to read at the time.

Killing Honor is a story about a married couple learning to be with each other again. The hero is military, and he’s been gone on a deployment for a long time. I wanted to explore that idea that love transcends borders and distance. I wanted people to know that it’s not just the service member that suffers while on deployment, but also the people sitting at home waiting for him/her. But I also wanted to tell an action story to go with that romance.  And I couldn’t find a book like that. I didn’t want a super heavy read that would have people reaching for tissues on page five.

In romance, we often just portray military romance heroes as perfect, alpha, and gorgeous men. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But not many people will acknowledge that living with a post-deployment veteran or being one is easy.

I also wanted to write a book that would feel good. It would make you think and give you this insight into these people that maybe you didn’t have before. I wanted to write a book where the heroine didn’t always get along well with her in-laws, or maybe wanted to be a little selfish with her husband’s time when he returned home because she missed him so much. I wanted to write a book where husband and wife weren’t quite sure how to act around each other anymore because it had been so long since they’d seen each other.

I have more dream books to write… Every time I write a book, it’s because it has some element that I wanted to read but couldn’t find.

I’m curious. What’s yours? What’s the one book that you’d love to read but no one has written it for you yet?

Finishing the damn book

Happy Thor’s Day, my lovelies!

I’ve been so scarce this year, thanks to incredibly tight deadlines. I meant to start talking about the TV shows I’m watching this season, and some other things, and all that got away from me. Plus, Kid1 got grounded for bad grades, so he had no phone, no computer, no video games, which meant he was firmly up my ass all the time because he was bored. Ever tried to write with a bored 14 year old? Yeah, it so wasn’t happening.

But… I just finished up my last real deadline for a few months, so I’ve been taking it easy for a few weeks until the crazy of November happens. You see, I’m doing NaNoWriMo, as usual this year, and then I also have two new bundle releases in November. And also, Thanksgiving here in the US is in November, so lots going on.

Anyway, I wanted to do some alternate POV scenes from the Lucky Thirteen books, so let me know if you have a particular scene you’d just love to see. I did one for Killing Honor, and posted it over on Tumblr a few weeks ago. I’m going to do some for other books as well. Some have requested Wounded Courage scenes as well. So, feel free to leave some suggestions in the comments or you can email me if you don’t feel like leaving a comment.

I took some time from writing this week after I turned in my book, and I started crocheting again. I’m making a small bag for my new Macbook. It’s been a bit of a false start. i’ve probably unraveled as much as I have crocheted, but it’s been fun. Major learning curve. So, it probably won’t be the best bag in the world, but I think it’s pretty awesome.

I’m still floundering on what I want to write for NaNoWriMo. I was thinking about writing this series of fantasy romances, but then I had this idea for a contemporary YA series. But then, I had this breakthrough for the new series that I need to write for next year, so now I’m back to wanting to write those, and also, there’s always Lucky Thirteen, because I have ideas for at least three more books there, possibly more. Who knows?

Considering NaNo starts in two days, I figure I should get what I’m writing nailed to the For Sure Wall…

So, who’s doing NaNo this year? I need company, so let me know.

It’s Officially Official!

SIZZLING 7 and SEALS OF WINTER are up for pre-order!

November’s a busy month for me. I’ve got lots of yummy goodness headed your way.

First up, November 3rd, we have this baby:

Which you can find at most of your favorite retailers! This set includes Killing Honor, #1 in my Lucky Thirteen series and six other NA romances that are amazeballs.

Add this set to your TBR:

Add on Goodreads

Purchase this set online:

Amazon   iBooks Kobo

And because I’m both a workaholic AND crazy, we’ve got a brand new holiday book coming out in the SEALs of Winter super bundle! It’s titled SEALED UNTIL CHRISTMAS, and features Jesse Richter from the Lucky Thirteen books.

If y’all remember SEALs of Summer, this new collection is most of the same authors, with a brand new story of winter/holiday goodness. It’s an absolutely fantastic bundle, you guys.

OMG, and look at this yummy cover:

OH! And here’s the box set image:

Purchase this set online:

Amazon Nook iBooks Kobo

I just sent out my newsletter earlier this week with all this information, but I’ll be sending another out soon with a chapter from SEALED UNTIL CHRISTMAS, the story in the SEALS OF WINTER bundle, just as soon as edits are done.

And speaking of edits… I should maybe go finish those…

TV Recap

For those that have been following my Facebook page, I’ve been talking about TV a lot. Mainly because I finally decided to give myself some well-deserved time off every day instead of worrying about word count all the time and feeling guilty because I was watching TV instead of writing. I’m an author, yes, and writing is what I do, yes, but everyone gets time off from their job.

And in the last few months since I started doing this, I’ve noticed a huge improvement in how I feel everyday and how much easier writing has become for me. Once I got rid of the MUST WRITE ALL THE THINGS mentality, I actually started writing better and honestly, my creative well started filling up when I started watching more TV.

I know, it sounds weird. It’s a thing, I swear. So, I thought I would mention what I’m watching this season and see if there was any interest in talking about the shows here on the blog. I want to have all these smart conversations and discussions about these shows, and really, there’s no others close to me that I can talk to in the way that I want to. I still have awesome conversations with my oldest. Kid 1 has a lot of smart ideas inside him, and I found out when I started asking him discussion type questions, he answered them so well and with a lot of thought. But I find I come away from conversations with him with new questions. It’s like a never ending cycle.

So here’s what I’m watching this season, in no particular order.

Arrow – God I love the format of this show. The way they tie the past storyline in with the present. It’s beautiful.
The Flash – It hasn’t aired yet, but if Arrow is any indication, I will love this one too.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Joss Whedon. Do I need to say more?
Forever – I haven’t watched this yet, but I’m dying to. It looks so good.
Outlander – Scots. Kilts. Time travel. Romance. NEED I SAY MORE?
Doctor Who – I’m watching the older ones with Kid1 and Kid2, so I think I might have some posts on older episodes, but definitely, I’m watching the new ones as well.
Sleepy Hollow – Not my usual fare, but it’s so good I can’t help myself.
Gotham – Not sure how long I’ll stick with this one, but I really loved the first episode, so I’ll probably have thoughts on that one soon.
New Girl – I’m still on last season, so I’m not watching new ones yet. But that will come soon.
Intruders – I’m not sure about this one. I watched the first one, and it was interesting, but it wasn’t really holding my attention.
Gilmore Girls – I’ve already seen them all, but I’m rewatching via Netflix next month.

So I’m thinking we could do a couple of shows a week and kind of just talk about them. I feel like I need that outlet and I think it’ll be fun.

What do you think? What are you looking forward to this fall? What shows are you watching?

The State of Me

I’ve been doing a lot of spinning my wheels lately. There’s been writing, but it’s not really progress. I had a particular story in mind to write for this Christmas book, but then I realized (18,000 words in) that the story I was telling wasn’t ready to be told. That’s why it was so hard.

So, I switched gears. I tossed out (well, I didn’t delete it, I just put it aside and opened a new document) that story, and started writing another. And quickly realized that this story was so much easier.

I don’t know why I never think of these things while I’m struggling. Because I do know that sometimes I need to power through it, and sometimes, I need to set it aside and do something else. The trouble is, that I don’t know which one I should do in the moment.

But the bottom line here is that I’m on track again. I’m writing, and it’s working.

So the rest of this week and next, I’m powering through this book, and fast drafting. No videos this time, because apparently, trying to write all the things AND record video is really hard to do and keep up with. And this book is already behind where I wanted to be at this point.

Okay, so if you don’t hear from me a lot this month, it’s mostly because I’m probably writing like crazy. I’m going to do something super weird and I’m going to turn off the internet. Seriously. I don’t know how this will work out. i’m used to writing with stuff going on in the background, but we’re going to try it and see how it goes.

Oh, and if you haven’t checked out the Anthologies and Box Set page, I added a box set of the first three Lucky Thirteen books recently. It’s already up for pre-order now, and will release September 22, a few weeks ahead of the Christmas box set the book I’m writing will be in.

I’m working on finalizing my release calendar for next year, so look for that coming up in the next few weeks or so. I honestly don’t think I’ll see next year clearly until I get this Christmas book out of the way and I can concentrate on planning next year out.

I think that’s pretty much all I had to say. I need to kick myself off the internet soon to write, so I’ll wrap this up. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, and I’ll answer them when I come back online in a few hours.

Awesome things I stole from other people

I’m not really thinking straight this morning just yet. But there was some awesome things posted today so I figured I’d steal them and pass them on to y’all.

First up, Kait Nolan did this Three Awesome Things post and that’s where I stole this:

And then we have the reunion of (some) Friends on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Yes, I did spend thirty minutes this morning cruising YouTube. Why do you ask?

Writing, Life, and Braces

It’s been a while since I’ve done a writing update. Or a life update. It’s been nothing but work, work, work for a long time, and during the summer, that’s kind of a killer. I have the kids home all the time, and things feel lazier during the summer. But here we are, eight days before the start of the school year, and I’m really excited about having my days back.

I’ve even been super bad about going to the gym, because I just can’t seem to find that routine I had during the school year. I’m hoping to fix that.

Now this week, Kid1 is getting braces, or he’s getting ready to get braces. He’s getting his mold of his teeth done in today, six teeth (four baby and 2 permanent teeth that don’t have room) pulled on Thursday, and then in two weeks, they’ll put the brackets on him. I know he’s a little intimidated by this process. I know that I was and I started the braces thing when I was younger than he was. In fact, he even made the joke that he likes his teeth the way they are. But he’s cautious, and he doesn’t like to try new things, so I think this is part of his defensive behaviorisms.

As for writing, I’ve not been very good about it this summer, and that’s not surprising. At least I planned for it this year, unlike last, where I was eaten alive by deadlines. I’m working on my Christmas book, which is turning out to be longer than I’d originally planned (surprise!).  Not that it’s a bad thing, but you’d think I’d realize that Addison and Murphy are always going to have the stories that go longer than planned. It happened with Wounded Courage, too. But that’s the beauty of digital books. I can go longer and that’s okay. Plus, everyone loves Addison and Murphy, so I don’t foresee any complaints about it being too long.

Oh, and while I was procrastinating the Christmas book, I wrote a short alternate POV scene from Killing Honor, which you can find on my Tumblr blog. I hope you guys enjoy that. These little scenes are fun to write, so I might keep doing them here and there. Maybe for newsletter subscribers.

Anyway, that’s about it for me. So, short and sweet update. I have to stop this procrastinating thing and get back to the Christmas book, now.