Leta Blake's Blog, page 28
April 11, 2015
5 Stars for A Willful Romantic by Darrah Glass #amreading #sogood
A Willful Romantic by Darrah Glass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My absolute favorite in the series so far. I grinned so much and so long while reading this that my face hurt for hours afterward. The pace of this book seems to pick up and it moves like a train on a track from one interesting event/circumstance to the next. I loved that as I read, I got more and more wrapped up, and that as we approached the climax of this book, I was so anxious and eager simultaneously that I felt a little light-headed. Henry and Martin just get to me. They get under my skin and make me so happy. Henry is a dork in the best way and Martin is his most perfect support. I love their adolescent EMOSHUNS and the sense that they are probably not entirely unique in their situation but are too dumb/scared to find out. The continued presence of Henry’s Uncle Reggie in this book gives us a breath of fresh air and hope, just like it does for Henry. I loved everything about this book and will read it again when I’m having a down day. It’s going to be the comfort-read of the series, I can tell that much! It just makes me so damn happy!
April 5, 2015
“I didn’t want this story to end….beautifully written.” Mark D’s review of Smoky Mountain Dreams #gay #romance
“I didn’t want this story to end….beautifully written. The dialogue between the main characters was so realistic and believable. Having grown up on the edge of Appalachia, I found Christopher’s struggle concerning his self worth to be very believable. 5 STARS to Ms. Blake!”
via Amazon.com: Mark D’s review of Smoky Mountain Dreams.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He���s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children���s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:
AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER
And now at��KOBO.
Maybe You Shouldn’t Put your Book on Amazon Pre-Order #sales #writingtips
FIRST A DISCLAIMER: I have never used Amazon Pre-order because, honestly, if I have a book ready enough to make a pre-order page, then I’ve got a book ready enough to go on sale for realsies. So any discussion here is based on what I’ve witnessed from the experience of author friends who have used the pre-order system on Amazon and the research/reading I’ve done into it via author blogs and writing forums. And basically? I’ve realized that everything said by Renee Rose on her blog and quoted below via the Press This button appears to be 100% accurate. Most of my friends who have used pre-orders have seen zero help in their sales rankings on Amazon, no engagement of Amazon also-bought algorithms, and poor showing altogether for their books. In some cases, the worst showing of their careers.
Please read below to understand why the use of Amazon pre-orders may be linked to this potentially negative outcome, and then head��on over to Renee Rose’s blog to see more. If you are having poor sales ever since you started using Amazon pre-orders, possibly consider not using the��pre-orders��for your next book. Amazon algorithm engagement is key to any sales success and if the pre-orders get effective algorithm engagement then the book is basically doomed.
**
From Renee Rose’s blog:
“Amazon Pre-order
Don���t do it. ��That���s my expert advice. ��Here���s the scoop: ��unless you are close to reaching New York Times or USA Today���s Best Seller lists, it will only hurt you. Why? Because if you���re like me, you rely largely on the Amazon algorithm to sell your books for you. That means, Amazon���s recommendations that come in the form of ���Customers who bought this book also bought��� ���. ��No one but the programmers at Amazon know exactly what data goes into Amazon���s algorithm, but most of us agree it has to do with the number of sales you hit initially on your own. ��It���s generally accepted that the first 72 hours your book hits Amazon are crucial for getting the Amazon wheel turning in your favor.
So what happens when you put your book on pre-order? ��I had understood that the orders made in advance of the release date would count toward my opening day ���ranking��� on Amazon. ��Not True. ��I repeat: Not True. ��What it does count toward is books sold if you���re trying to hit the New York Times or USA Today list. ��While I wish I was in that camp, unfortunately, I am not.
So what happened when I set my latest book to pre-order? ��Amazon rank started immediately. ��So in the ten days before my book released I had some trickle sales (I think around 25 total) which gave me a lousy ranking, but I wasn���t worried, because I thought they would count on my opening day. Nope. On my opening day I had the worst ranking of my entire career. ��Talk about supreme disappointment. I had split my usual opening sales in half with the pre-order thing, and Amazon���s algorithm made a decision on my book based on that ranking. It seemed like my ���also bought��� recommendations took a long time to come in and sucked. So far the mistake seems to be unrecoverable, not that I���m giving up on my book baby.
The only benefit, I found, was having my links ahead of time for promotional purposes, but considering all the promo I did didn���t help my book, I don���t think that little bonus is worth it. Also, if your book happened to be tagged ���adult��� (since we are all sex writers here) you would know it ahead of time. ��But again, the clock has already begun ticking, so knowing it in the pre-order stage is hardly a boon unless, of course, you pull the book entirely and resubmit with a new title.”
via Why You Shouldn’t Put your Book on Amazon Pre-Order.
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April 3, 2015
Sexy Middle Ages
Interesting read about sexuality in the Middle Ages.
Originally posted on Lady Smut:
People believe just about any kind of foolishness about the Middle Ages, probably because of cartoons or bad teacher or I don���t know what. The truth is we still use a lot of wisdom from that time. The most outrageous idea is that people were prudish in medieval times.
Pardon me while I guffaw!
The thing I hear from my students is ���the church controlled everything back then���; guffaws are now eclipsed by my stunned look of disbelief and rolling eyes. Yeah, at a time when most people went to church once a year, somehow that institution ���controlled��� them. Yes, there are manuals the church made for quizzing people at that annual confession. Bet that was really effective, eh? What the monks wrote up didn���t necessarily have any bearing on what really happened. And monks were no puritans either: why do you think they were���
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April 1, 2015
Want to help prevent online bullying? Comment on Facebook
“As I read hundreds of hideous comments, I suddenly realized I was being subjected to a tiny fraction of what Monica has experienced every day since she was 24 years old, essentially every day of her adult life. I can only begin to imagine how profoundly these hateful comments must have shaped her self-worth. We all find our self-esteem shaken when we feel insulted or disrespected. But to have the entire world insult you to your face ��� for 17 years straight? That���s abuse on another level.
When my boss asked me how the comments were going, I broke down in tears. That profound moment Monica had had with our live audience was shattered, and I was struggling to maintain her safe space.”
Powerful comments on a powerful talk.
Originally posted on ideas.ted.com:
As TED���s social media editor, I have seen a lot of nasty comments. I���ve seen grown men and women deride a 14-year-old girl for her choice of dress. I���ve seen them say they���re revolted by a beautiful transgender woman. On every talk about race, I���ve seen a slew of racist comments. But none have ever been as bad as the comments we got when we published Monica Lewinsky���s TED Talk, The Price of Shame. At least at first.
When Monica spoke at TED2015, held in March in Vancouver, the audience in the room received her with warmth and generosity of spirit. Many who���d had reservations were swayed by her talk. We saw this kind, vulnerable, strong woman who wanted to be heard ��� a woman who knew what was at stake for the victims of public shaming and who deeply hoped to get her message right. For someone scarred���
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March 29, 2015
“Hands down the best m/m romance I’ve read yet. Furthermore, one of the best romances I’ve ever read, period.” Review of Smoky Mountain Dreams #gay #romance
“Hands down the best m/m romance I’ve read yet. Furthermore, one of the best romances I’ve ever read, period. The characterization was fantastic, the story well fleshed out, the motivations and obstacles believable. I was really rooting for Christopher and Jesse, and I felt every hurt and loss each of them suffered with an intensity reserved for only my favorite literary protagonists.”
via Goodreads | Katrina Passick Lumsden (Charlotte, MI)’s review of Smoky Mountain Dreams.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He���s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children���s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:
AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER
And now at��KOBO.
March 28, 2015
“A beautifully crafted different kind of love story!” 5 Stars! | Review of The River Leith #gay #mmromance
“This was a beautifully crafted different kind of love story. The relationship between Leith and Zach was extraordinary.��This story was unique and captivating. I loved the structure of the whole story. It was true to the belief that true love can conquer anything. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!”
via Goodreads | Sue Madison, OH’s review of The River Leith.
The River Leith is available now at:
AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER
And now at��KOBO.
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it���s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach���s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can���t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
March 20, 2015
Rise: A Gay Fairy Tale by Keira Andrews and Leta Blake | MM Good Book Reviews
Review: A unique retelling of the story Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack is looking to escape his life as it was and Rion just wants to protect his family from the cruel world. Their first encounter is intense. But they find a way to help each other out.
I loved the way these characters stories were told. I really felt for both Rion and Jack and was glad they found each other when they needed to the most. Wonderfully written.
via Rise: A Gay Fairy Tale by Keira Andrews and Leta Blake | MM Good Book Reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Rise-A-Gay-Fairy-Tale-ebook/dp/B00UF9EBJ2
March 19, 2015
Originally posted on 
March 18, 2015
Casting For My Novels – Yes, I Do It!
Love Britt! :D
Originally posted on Britt DeLaney:
My good buddy, Leta Blake posted this today about the casting of her latest book, Smoky Mountain Dreams, and it reminded me that I���ve been asked about casting by several of my readers on occasion, both for my novels and for a couple of my fanfics.
Yes, ��you read that right ��� my fanfics. I only write fanfic for Once Upon A Time, and I put together a trilogy beginning with The Memory Keeper that started during the mid-season hiatus last year. It began��with Killian and Emma, then branched out to their children, Meriel and Finn. And for those of you who actively read my fanfic, I���ll tell you now who I cast mentally in those roles:
Meriel was Audrey Hepburn. Straight up, spunky Audrey Hepburn. Finn was a chip off the old block, so of course he was the spitting image of his father. Meriel���s man Kai���
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