J. Kenner's Blog, page 88

Writing the Paranormal: Laura Resnick talks Themes, Popular Myths, and her own Series

How do you get out of the typical tropes for paranormal writing? Laura Resnick shares her stories…with a kick!

One of the challenges a paranormal novelist like me faces is how to use familiar supernatural tropes without writing a book that’s just like someone else’s book.

I didn’t really struggle with this when I wrote the first couple of books in my Esther Diamond urban fantasy series, Disappearing Nightly and Doppelgangster, because the fantasy premises I used in those two books (supernatural vanishings and paranormal perfect doubles) weren’t common, let alone ubiquitous. My next two Esther Diamond books, though, brought my dread of the retread into my writing life front-and-center, since Unsympathetic Magic was a zombie novel and Vamparazzi was about vampires.

Oops.

In an endless sea of zombie and vampire books, how do you write a novel about each of these familiar (no, let’s be honest: clichéd) subjects that isn’t just like someone else’s novel?

Well, I’m a simple person, so I found a comfortingly simple solution: Research.

I ignored everything that I had seen in the movies, TV shows, and popular novels viz zombies and vampires, and I focused on nonfiction books and documentaries about my subject matter. This is the way I always do research for my novels, after all; and it turned out to be particularly useful when dealing with something as done-to-undeath as zombies and vampires.

Thus I soon discovered that what I “knew” about zombies and vampires was based entirely on my exposure to well-entrenched portrayals (no, let’s be honest: popular stereotypes) of them… And such portrayals were entirely different from religious beliefs, mythologies, and folkloric traditions recorded about such creatures.

For example, all I “knew” about zombies was that they’re terrifying walking-corpses who eat human brains. But actually, in Haitian folklore, from which the commercial concept of zombiism was originally derived (and then much altered), zombies don’t eat human brains. They don’t eat anything, in fact. Because they’re, you know… dead. So they don’t require nourishment.

Zombies also aren’t evil or vicious in Haitian voodoo (or Vodou) belief. They’re morally neutral, in much the way that your car is morally neutral, because they’re animated and directed entirely by an exterior intelligence. Zombies are not violent unless ordered by their creator to commit violence. They cannot act independently or react to circumstances; they’re strictly the obedient slaves of whoever raised them from the grave—typically, a bokor (a sorcerer who deals in black magic) who has petitioned Baron Samedi, the Lord of Death, to allow him to create a zombie.

And “slaves” is a key word there; in Haitian belief, a zombie is not a monster, it’s a victim. Haitians don’t fear zombies, they fear becoming zombies. In the context of Vodou, a religion founded by slaves, slavery is the worst thing that can happen to a person—hence the fear of being raised from the grave as the living dead, for the sole purpose of being a dark sorcerer’s slave.

This was all a lot more interesting to me than, “Brrrraaaaiins! WANT BRAINS!” when figuring out how to write about zombies.

Similarly, when I started working on Vamparazzi, I initially feared that when writing about vampires, there would be no way to avoid invading territory already staked out (sorry, I couldn’t resist) by other novelists. Once again, though, as soon as I started researching my subject, I discovered precisely the thing that became the promo tag line for Vamparazzi: “Everything you think you know about vampires is wrong.”

Here’s a good example: In European folklore, vampires don’t have fangs. That’s strictly an invention of novels and films. It’s a shrewd invention, of course—because trying to access someone’s jugular vein without razor-sharp fangs is extremely messy… as we learn in Vamparazzi, which eliminates fangs as a feature of vampirism, since I didn’t want to imitate (generations of) other novelists when I wrote about vampires.

To give another example: Vampires bursting into flames or withering into ashes when exposed to sunlight is also strictly an invention of fiction and film; yes, folkloric vampires are typically active by night rather than day, but there is no tradition of sunlight being fatal (or, rather, terminal) for them.

Moreover, I was surprised to learn there have been real-world vampire epidemics. In Eastern Europe in the 18th century, for example, outbreaks of vampirism were so alarming and widespread that the Austrian Empire, which then ruled the region, sent government officials to the afflicted provinces to investigate and report on these strange events. Those vampire epidemics play an important role in Vamparazzi—as, indeed, they played historically in spreading Slavic vampire lore through Western Europe.

Thus I relearned a lesson which helps me gird my loins as I approach additional tropes that I fear may have already been done way too much: Just research it.

*****

Laura Resnick is the author of the popular Esther Diamond urban fantasy series, whose most recent release was Polterheist. She is on the Web at LauraResnick.com, and you can visit her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

 

Thanks to Laura for an exciting post! Are there any tropes in paranormal novels you would prefer to see (or prefer to not see)?

P.S. - Book two of my Stark Trilogy -  Claim Me - is now available! And Complete Me comes out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)

P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Designing Your Own Book Cover? Expert Brian Jackson gives us his Tips and Tricks!

The world of book publishing requires authors to have a hodgepodge of skills, including choosing your cover art! Need a little help getting that eye-catching cover for your book? Brian Jackson is the man for the job!

0xF Tips for Creating a Selling Book Cover

by Brian Jackson

I doubt that there are many self-published authors out there who would argue against the fact that a good book cover is essential to grabbing a buyer’s attention and therefore selling more books. We all know this. Let’s assume it’s a given.

Given that we all care about our book covers, have you ever wondered how to create a book cover that sells? I bet you have. In my self-publishing book, Do It Yourself: Book Covers, I address the mechanics of creating quality book covers inexpensively but provide little guidance on the best practices for book cover design. In this blog post I intend to rectify this omission.

The following are 16 tips for creating a quality book cover that will sell more books. Why 16 tips instead of 10 you ask? Because I used to be a programmer and we count in base 16 (hexadecimal). As a result, I’m providing 16 tips, not 10. They’ll be number in hexadecimal format from 0×0 to 0xF.

0×0 Reinterpret Existing Book Covers

Before creating a book cover, spend plenty of time checking out the covers on books that sell well and covers that you like. I’m not saying you should steal the covers, but there’s nothing to say you can’t borrow appealing elements from these cover, try to match images, replicate a color scheme or layout, and thereby reinterpret a winning book cover.

You can begin your journey by reviewing The Wall of Book Covers located at the following URL: http://www.authorBrianJackson.com/bookCovers.html

These book covers were created by me using the techniques outlined in my book.

Before creating a book cover or contracting with someone to create a book cover you, do your homework by examining plenty of covers for books in your genre. Look for pleasing color schemes, cool fonts, and eye popping images to reinterpret in your own cover.

0×1 Use Fonts to Tell Your Story

A book cover is composed of three basic elements: text, images, and colored boxes. It’s that simple. All three of these elements need to be used to tell your customers what you’re book is about. One of the most frequently overlooked elements that can be used to tell your book’s story is your cover font.

Go back and check out The Wall of Book Covers. Notice how the fonts used on the covers move from whimsical to downright creepy? That’s because the story told by each book ranges from whimsical to downright creepy.

If you’re creating your own book cover, check out the following URL to download free fonts onto your computer: http://www.dafont.com. Look for fonts that tell your story.

0×2 Purchase Quality Low Cost Images

One of the most powerful aspects of any book cover are the images presented to tell the book’s story. You can spend your time trying to get the licensing rights to images you find on the web or searching the public image bins, but I recommend that you instead purchase the rights to low cost images.

The following websites sell the rights to professional images for one or two dollars an image. The quality of the images is exceptional and you don’t have to screw around trying to get the rights, they’re selling the rights:

http://www.canStockPhoto.com and http://www.iStockPhoto.com

Both sites are great, the first is a little cheaper and the second has somewhat better images. In either case they’re both cheap and provide wonderful professional images. All the images on The Wall of Book Covers are from either canStock or iStock.

Note that when buying images from either site, you should purchase credits and use them instead of paying in dollars. Paying in credits is significantly cheaper.

0×3 Avoid Spindly Fonts and Tiny Images

Man those delicate, spindly fonts sure are pretty. The problem is that when these fonts are viewed in thumbnail size (e.g. on Amazon) those pretty delicate fonts tend to become dashed and come apart. The same is true for small delicate images.

Avoid using narrow fonts and small images on your book covers to insure they can be seen. One good way to insure your book covers elements can be seen is to…

0×4 View Your Cover in Thumbnail Size

All image manipulations programs (e.g. GIMP or Photoshop) support the ability to view your images in various sizes. Use this feature to insure that your cover is readable and looks good when displayed in smaller sizes (e.g. in GIMP I view in either 1:8 or 1:16 size to verify an image’s readability).

0×5 Use Large Fonts for Title and Author

You want to make your title readable. Next in order of importance is your author name and any accolades you want to brag about. Reviews from famous authors are also important. Your subtitle or slogan doesn’t matter quite as much. Make your title and author name large enough to be readable in thumbnail size.

0×6 Contrast Font and Background Colors

Dark text tends to pop off the cover better when it overlays a light background. Conversely, light colored fonts show up best when laid over dark backgrounds. White on black or black on white produce the greatest contrast and tend to pop the best. Pay attention to your font and background image colors when designing your book cover. Consider using colored boxes or drop shadows to make your font stand out.

0×7 Include Appropriate Accolades

If you’re an Amazon, New York Times, or USA Today bestseller, you’d better say so right about you author name on your cover. Likewise if you’re a Bram Stoker, Hugo, or Nebula award winner. Include appropriate accolades on your cover right about your author name.

Skip the accolade if it’s a featured author in your junior college review. Yeah, I won that honor once as well, but we’re trying to REALLY wow the reader.

0×8 Include Series Designation

If you’re book is part of a series, let the reader know. At least list the name of the series to let the reader know that they can purchase additional books if they like the characters and world. Consider including the sequence number of the book in the series (and definitely include this information in the title of the book in your Amazon listing).

0×9 Include a Catchy Subtitle

Got a nice hook to draw readers in? A catchy slogan or subtitle? Use it, just keep it smaller than your title, accolades, and author name. If it’s really good then why isn’t it your title?

0xA Use Colored Boxes or Background Images to Contrast Text

This is that old light text on dark background and vica versa thing. I really like placing light or dark colored boxes behind my text to really make it pop. In your image manipulation program simply select a rectangular area and dump a light or dark color into it, then place the rectangle behind your text and over your background image. Works great.

0xB Use Drop Shadows and Ghost Shadow to Make Text Pop

Quite often, text can be highlighted by placed a drop shadow or ghost shadow behind your text. If your graphic program doesn’t directly support drop shadows, simply put the same text behind the text you want to make pop but make it a contrasting color (e.g. black for white text, white for black text). Position the text behind the text you want to make pop and slightly down and right of the text on top. Now blur it. I like to blur white ghost shadows a lot defusing them into the cover image.

0xC Use Complementary Colors

Show some taste with your covers. Use cool blues or greens, pastels, or wild yellow and red. Just keep the colors complimentary (e.g. no hot pink fonts over an image of a forest). I’d like to explain further, but this blog post is too short. I’m afraid that if you have no taste you’re doomed when it comes to cover design.

0xD Select Compelling Cover Images

Yeah, I know. This is pretty obvious but it’s also so important that I feel the need to state the obvious. Besides, to some degree this is the fun part of cover design. Spend lots of time on canStock searching for images that will catch the eye by being exceptionally beautiful or in some other way are eye catching. Find an image the both tells your books story and catches the book buyer’s eye.

0xE Review Your Book Cover With Others

I always send my book covers out on FaceBook for review. Readers can provide a lot of good insight into how to improve a cover. Plus it’s nice to get some positive strokes for your work.

0xF Tell a Concise Story

Keep it simple. Sometimes the simplest, minimalist covers are the best. Tell a concise story with your book covers and don’t overload the reader with needless BS. Title, accolades, author, subtitle, image. That should do it.

About the Author

Brian Jackson is a retired computer programmer who now spends his time writing. He is the writer of fiction in a number of genres and nonfiction books about self-publishing. Additionally, he publishes books written by his wife Melanie Jackson and maintains her web page.

Thanks to Brain for a helpful guide to cover designing! What do you look for in a good book cover?

P.S. - Book two of my Stark Trilogy -  Claim Me - is now available! And Complete Me comes out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)

P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Hump Day Books from Terry Odell, Fran Baker, Angie Fox, Karen Whiddon, Laura Resnick, Caren Crane, Leslie A. Smith, and Barbara Meyers

Need that extra boost to get through the rest of the week? Check out some of this week’s Hump Day Books!

Rooted in Danger (Blackthorne, Inc.)

First time in digital!

Learn more at Terry’s website

The Talk of the Town (Daughters of the Great Depression)

“Delightfully steamy read” (Publishers Weekly)

Learn more at Fran’s website!

The Accidental Demon Slayer (A Biker Witches Novel)

Check out Angie’s blog post here!

Learn more at Angie’s website!

The Wolf Prince (The Pack)

Check out Karen’s blog post here!

Learn more at Karen’s website

Doppelgangster (Esther Diamond Novel)

Check out Laura’s blog post coming this Friday!

Learn more at Laura’s website!

Kick Start (Cross Springs)

Debut novel from an award-winning writer!

Learn more at Caren’s website!

Don’t Look Away (Veronica Sloan)

I’m excited to promote my good friend Leslie’s book today!

Learn more at Leslie’s website!

The First Time Again (The Braddock Brotherhood)

The Braddock Brotherhood, Book 3; E-Book version available May 7, 2013

Learn more at Barbara’s website!

If you are interested in submitting a book for the Hump Day feature, click here!

P.S. - Book two of my Stark Trilogy -  Claim Me - is now available! And Complete Me comes out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)

P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

What’s In A Word? Judy Gill on Historical Research and Writing!

Word usage can change a lot over the years! Judy Gill joins me today to share the research she must do for her historical novels!

What’s in a Word —

historically speaking, that is.

What a great opportunity I’ve just been handed, a chance to reach out to people through Julie’s blog and I know a lot of folks read it, so here I am, ready to run off at the mou—er—fingertips.

Most of the time, I focus on my own writing, but on occasion, I edit for some clients and would like to share a few tips about some irregularities I’ve recently found in historical manuscripts. As readers, you can watch for them then do a little “nya-nya” at the authors if you want. I know when I make boo-boos, there are a few eagle-eyed folks out there who delight in letting me know. I don’t mind. It always helps keep me on the ball. As authors, if you’re doing any historical writing even involving relatively recent eras, look out for the following words I’ll mention because they’re so ingrained in our daily speech, they’re not really obvious as mistakes. I use several references. including the Merriam-Webster online dictionary that dates words by their first usage.

This does not mean when they first became common in our everyday speech, so beware of that, too. Just because men can be accused of having “testosterone” fits when they get all manly and arrogant today, doesn’t mean you can safely use the comfortably familiar term for their actions in say, 1750, or 1890 or… well, even in 1934 because that particular hormone wasn’t even discovered until 1935!

But, enough with the hormones—there are a couple of other words I see used all too often in works that take place prior to their actually coming into usage. Most notably, “hello.” It seems few people remember (or may never knew) hello is a word invented by Alexander Graham Bell for use in answering his new invention, the telephone. The word was first used in 1877, possibly by Thomas Edison, who used it when answering the telephone (whereas his business rival Alexander Graham Bell used to shout “Ahoy!”).

Whoever invented it, Edison or Bell, it was created for answering the telephone and has no real meaning, as in it doesn’t equate with good morning, good day, how are you, or any of the other greetings used prior to the invention of the telephone. 

Earlier, I wrote about readers’ comments when I make errors in syntax or grammar or fact keeping me “on the ball”. That flows easily off the tongue or from the keyboard and many think it’s a modern term meaning “to be alert” and may be closely linked with baseball, but evidence shows otherwise: In 1864 Schoolboy Days, a British publication included this scene:

“Ellis seized the bat with a convulsive clutch… Remembering Ernest’s advice, he kept his eye on the ball, and hit it so fairly…” Seems Ellis was playing cricket or rounders, and here were are thousands of miles and a couple of centuries later, using his phrase. And he might not have been the first one to use it, either.

 

Judy Griffith Gill www.judyggil.com has recently finished Refuge! book one of a four-book Speculative Fiction series entitled The Stories of Storn, with book two, Dirtsiders,  well underway. When book two is farther along, she’ll put Refuge! up either as an Independent publication on Amazon Kindle Select. She’s still, well… speculating.

For a full list and links, visit http://www.openroadmedia.com/authors/judy-g-gill.aspx. Her own blog https://judyinthejungle.wordpress.com appears at irregular intervals where she speculates on the question “Why is it…”

Many thanks to Judy on her insightful blog post! What things do you say day-to-day that are relatively new?

P.S. - Book two of my Stark Trilogy -  Claim Me - is now available! And Complete Me comes out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)

P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Celebratory contest! Claim Me is #2 on the NYT bestseller list … and I’m giving away a Kindle or Nook!

 

Yesterday I learned that Claim Me is on both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists … and with awesome placement!

Yup, folks, Claim Me will debut at  #2 on the May 12 New York Times ebook bestseller list, #2 on the New York Times digital/print combined bestseller list, #16 on the New York Times trade paper bestseller list … and it’s already on today’s USA Today bestseller list at number 5!!
 (And Release Me is back on the USA Today list, too!!)

That scream you heard last night was me freaking out!

I’m so thankful to everyone who has read the book or spread the word, and as a celebratory/share-the-joy thank you, I’m going to give away a 16G Kindle Fire HD or the 8G Nook HD (winner’s choice, both valued at $199 per Amazon/B&N.com) to one lucky winner!

It’s super easy to enter.  Just use the Rafflecopter below (refresh this page if you don’t see the widget).  The contest is live for a week, and then I’ll announce the winner.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romance in Television: Karen Whiddon Dishes on the Best Ones to Follow (Plus a Contest!)

Are you drawn  to the romances in TV shows? Karen Whiddon talks about her favorites! Keep reading for a chance to win her books The Wolf Princess and The Wolf Prince!

Hi, I’m Karen Whiddon.  I’m a native New Englander and an honorary Texan.  I’ve published over 35 novels, 25 of them with Harlequin, and the other 10 are available on Amazon.com and other online venues.

That said, today I want to talk about something sort of unrelated to my books.  Romance in television shows.  I don’t know about you, but that’s what keeps me hooked on a particular show.  When The Mentalist axed the romance between Grace Van Pelt and Wayne Rigsby, I lost interest in the show.  The Following, with its gritty, dark, premise, still has a romance between Ryan Hardy and Claire, which gives me even more reason to watch.

I got to thinking about it.  Bones was most fascinating with the dance of will she/won’t she between Booth and Bones.  Despite the fact that they’re together now, the writers still keep my interest.  NCIS frequently throws in hints of romance – I wonder if Ziva and DiNozzo will ever get together.  And Gibbs had a love interest for awhile.

Grimm is another favorite show, though if they don’t give Juliette her memory back soon, they’re going to lose me.  I liked the romance between Nick and Juliette, and the way he finally told her what he is.

What about you?  Do your favorite shows have romance in them?

www.KarenWhiddon.com

http://www.karenwhiddon.blogspot.com/

The Wolf Prince – Harlequin Nocturne – April 2013

The Millionaire Cowboy’s Secret – Harlequin Romantic Suspense – May 2013

The Lost Wolf’s Destiny – Harlequin Nocturne – September 2013

Texas Secrets, Lovers’ Lies – Harlequin Romantic Suspense – October 2013

Thanks, Karen, for your post! What about y’all? Are the romances in TV shows what draw you in? Remember to comment for the chance to win The Wolf Princess and The Wolf Prince!

P.S. - Book two of my Stark Trilogy -  Claim Me - is now available! And Complete Me comes out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)

P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

A modest hump day suggestion

Things are crazy around here today, so there’s no official Hump Day Reads post this week.  Check back next week for some awesome suggestions to see you through the mid-week slump.

But in the meantime, I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest that one of my own reads might be just the thing.  In case you missed the squeals of joy, Book 2 of the Stark Trilogy is out, Claim Me.  If you haven’t grabbed your copy, maybe now’s the time!

And if you haven’t started the series yet, dive in first with Release Me!

See you next week!

Dogs on Harleys and an Accidental Demon Slayer: Angie Fox on the Phenomenon and her Tough New Heroine.

Today I’m excited to welcome Angie Fox to the blog! Love dogs and motorcycles? Angie talks about her writing and some adorable hog-ridin’ pooches!

Riding with the Harley Dogs: One Author’s Adventure

 I’d always known writing would be an adventure, but I never predicted my writing would put me on the back of a coal black Harley Davidson, with an Irish Setter in tow. I’d set out to write a paranormal about a straight-laced preschool teacher turned demon slayer who has to run off with a gang of geriatric biker witches. But my heroine has a smart-mouthed dog that, thanks to her new powers, can talk…and talk…and talk. And I really loved that dog. What’s a writer to do? Well, I went online and learned that there is a nationwide club of Harley bikers who ride with their dogs. So my heroine could have her pink Harley, and her Jack Russell Terrier too.

And of course I had to meet these Harley riding dog lovers. I called up a few of the members of a Biker Dogs Motorcycle Club and the adventure began. They invited me into their homes, introduced me to their dogs and, like my heroine, the bikers hoisted me up on the back of a Harley, with a dog in tow.

Things I learned right off the bat:

After an hour on a Harley, you’ll walk like John Wayne for a week
Helmets hurt when they are worn backwards
Dogs love riding motorcycles

Stone, the biker who spent the most time making sure I didn’t fall off his hog, showed me how to ride, invited me to some biker rallies (note to self: don’t wear pink next time), and helped make The Accidental Demon Slayer as real as it can be (for a book about a somewhat sheltered preschool teacher turned demon slayer).

So just when I thought I was writing fiction, it seemed my made-up characters from The Accidental Demon Slayer weren’t so imaginary after all. One of the bikers I met even has a wife who is a biker witch. I’m wondering if she, like my heroine’s biker witch grandma, wears a “kiss my asphalt” t-shirt and carries a carpet bag full of Smuckers jars filled with magic. Maybe I’ll find out on my next adventure.

 

Angie Fox is the New York Times bestselling author of several books about vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night. Visit her at www.angiefox.com

 

Thanks to Angie for such a fun blog post! What kinds of activities do you like to do with your dog?

P.S. - Book two of my Stark Trilogy -  Claim Me - is now available! And Complete Me comes out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)

P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Book boyfriends, lust and prizes! Hop on the Claim Me Blog Tour!

I’m chugging along on the Claim Me blog tour!

And at each stop, one lucky commenter will win a copy of Claim Me, book two in the Stark Trilogy!

If you missed yesterday’s stop at Romance Junkies, be sure to come by and share your favorite book boyfriend!

And today, I’m at Riverina Romantics talking about the “why” behind the love … and why you need a “why” to get to happily ever after!

At both sites, Bantam is giving away a copy of Claim Me to a lucky commenter. So come on by and say hi!

Hump Day Books from Deb Marlowe, M.J. Scott, K.T. Bryan, Emilie Richards, Lilian Darcy, Tanya Anne Crosby, Shelley Munro, and Linda Barrett

Need a little pick-me-up from the mid-week slump? Take a look at this week’s Hump Day Books!

The Love List (Half Moon House) (Volume 1)

New Release!

Learn more at Deb’s Website!


Iron Kin: A Novel of the Half-Light City

Just Released!

Learn more at M.J.’s website!


THE EDGE OF TRUST (TEAM EDGE)

Now available for Kindle, Nook, and also in paperback and audio.

Learn more at K.T.’s website!


Somewhere Between Luck and Trust (Goddesses Anonymous)

I’m excited to promote Emilie’s book! See her blog post here.

Learn more at Emilie’s website!


Saving Gerda

Check out Lilian’s great book! Her recent blog post here.

Learn more at Lilian’s website!


Speak No Evil

Tanya’s first new book in nearly a decade!

Learn more at Tanya’s website!


One Night of Misbehavior

New release: A modern retelling of Cinderella

Learn more at Shelley’s website!


Family Interrupted

Just released!

Learn more at Linda’s website!

P.S. - Book two of my Stark Trilogy is now available! Claim Me hit shelves yesterday, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)

P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.