Marian Tee's Blog, page 15

Updated Release Schedule

Good news or bad news first?

If it were up to me, I always start with the BAD news so here it is ---

We're moving Jason and Keanne to December. This is final. I am under obligation to my publisher to submit the story to her on or before Christmas Day and I even volunteered to pay my publisher a certain fee if I do not make it to my deadline. You know the drill. :) I would rather lose $$$ than disappoint you guys even more.

I'm really, really sorry about the delay. You see, I recently had an opportunity to be a part of TWO box sets - which I think would make a nice Christmas gift for everyone as well as a chance for me to experience working with other authors. So bottom line, I decided to focus on the box sets first before resuming my work on JNK. Please say you'll forgive me. Please???

Now, the first box set will be out this month - OCTOBER 2013. You've seen the first volume - The Billionaire Romance Bundle, which contains 9 fantastic billionaire romance books. The second one also has 9 stories in all AAAAND includes an all-new billionaire novella from yours truly to kickstart another series. 

The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire. With the Pussketeers ending with Rathe and Mary's story (OUT JANUARY 2013), I thought it would be fun to start another billionaires' series. Here's a quick blurb if you haven't seen it yet --
Once upon a time, there was an ordinary girl who grew up listening to bedtime stories that sounded very much like Harlequin paperbacks.
And so instead of dreaming about Prince Charming or a knight in shining armor, she dreamt of one day finding Her Own Greek Billionaire and living happily ever after with him.
When this little girl grew up, she did what she could to make her dream come true.
This is my story. 
I mean your story. 
I mean, Mairi Tanner's story.
The second bundle / box set will be out December 2013. It will include a full-length standalone novel. It has a ROCKSTAR theme. I missed writing about the world of Saffi and Staffan so I thought it was nice to get back to this one. =D

Now, for the good news ----
Rathe and Mary's story is due for submission to my publisher on 1/31.2014.
Evren 2 is due for submission to my publisher on 3/15/2014. I know it's a long way off, but at least you've got dates to mark on your calendars. It's still better than nothing, right? And to make sure I'm going to finish everything on time, I once again signed a contract that requires me to pay $$$ if I don't submit on time! See how much I love you guys? =D 

Finally, in between December and March, I am likely to work or finish the following stories:
Warning: Love Moderately IIThe Heart of a Duchess
So there it is - our updated release schedule. Any violent reactions? =D

Billionaire Romance Boxed Set Now On Sale for $.99 ONLY!

You read that right! For the amazing price of just $.99 you get NINE OF THE MOST AMAZING BILLIONAIRE ROMANCES IN THE PLANET! =D Okay, okay, I know - I'm biased. I'll be a part of the second volume so of course I'll sing like a canary to promote the first one.

But seriously - if you enjoy my billionaire stories then I don't see why you wouldn't enjoy this box set and the next one. For the first volume, you get to read books written by NYT / USA Today bestselling authors like Julia Kent, Aubrey Rose, Artemis Hunt, and Adriana Hunter and various authors who have made it to Amazon's Top 100. So really - what are you waiting for? Grab your copy while it's still on sale!!! Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes & Noble
(Also available on Apple!)

Street Team Launch!

First and foremost --- thank you! We have 2100 likes for our FB page and 1k subscribers for our mailing list.

Now, if you are interested in becoming a part of my street team then I hope you are one of those who subscribed.

Sometime this week I will be releasing my next newsletter and it will contain the details for making it to my street team. I am going to accept only a limited number as I want to make it worthwhile for everyone.

Do Kobo and WH Smith Understand the Word "Delicadeza"?

This post is about the mass removal of titles - based on certain keywords (as far as I can tell) - by websites / retailers like Kobo and WH Smith. Before you read this post, I wouldn't want to end up misrepresenting anything so here are a couple of links / statements you might want to check out ---
From WHSmith.co.uk, which went offline...

Last week we were made aware that a number of unacceptable titles were
appearing on our website through the Kobo website that has an automated
feed to ours. This is an industry wide issue impacting retailers that
sell self published eBooks due to the explosion of self publishing,
which in the main is good as it gives new authors the opportunity to get
their content published. However we are disgusted by these particular
titles, find this  unacceptable and we in no way whatsoever condone
them.    

It is our policy not to feature titles like those highlighted and we
have processes in place to screen them out. We offer over one million
titles through our eBooks partner Kobo, many of which are self-published
titles. Due to the massive amount of self publishing a number of these
titles have got through the screening process.    

We are taking immediate steps to have them all removed. While we are
doing this we have decided to take our website off-line to best protect
our customers and the public. Our website will become live again once
all self published eBooks have been removed and we are totally sure that
there are no offending titles available. When our website goes back
online it will not display any self published material until we are
completely confident that inappropriate books can never be shown again.

We sincerely apologise for any offence caused.

The mass removal of self-pubbed and indie titles most likely had to do with the negative publicity generated by an article of Mr. Jeremy Duns. For such articles, you can visit these links---
The Daily Mail
BBC
The Guardian
A lot of authors were affected by this of course. Again, I wouldn't want to misrepresent anything so here are a couple of links that may interest you.
Selena Kitt: Porn Hunt 2013 - Gossip Boys Researching Porn Real Hard
Banning Indie Books 

I'd also like to share a letter by a bestselling erotica AND romance author (and I do mean that this author ranks in BOTH categories).

Mr. Lefebvre,

I have been, in the past, close to delisting all of my books from Kobo, because it has just been issue after issue with your website. Today I have finally taken that step.

First it was the terrible search engine which only seems to list the same five authors in my genres. Sometimes, even when typing in the exact title of a book of mine, it would list another book before it.

Second, it was payment issues. From your ridiculously high $100 monthly threshold for payment, to your constantly late payments. Recently, there was an instance where every indie author in our community was paid late by you, and the excuse was the same. "Oh, there was one batch which got delayed but most went out on time." An obvious lie unless that particular batch contained the payments of every author in our community. In addition, bank details which have been fine for months have been needed to be repeatedly confirmed, sometimes input by your line employees because your own automated input system is so broken that it won't accept valid routing and SWIFT numbers.

I could go on about other issues having to do with the retailers you push to not changing prices when the price is changed on WritingLife, not pulling books when asked, and incorrectly formatting the descriptions that directly impact our sales negatively, but I'd prefer to focus on what Kobo is doing wrong. Don't mistake this for a pass, this is also a factor in this decision and your retailers are actively making your company look extremely unprofessional.

And now, due to a muckraking "journalist" who hasn't looked at books beyond their cover and title, you've banned the entire library of books of anyone who was publishing erotica. Many in my community have not published erotica, but had resorted to publishing through Draft2Digital to ensure that they would actually get paid for the books they sold, and their books are gone as well. All because of a vocal minority of Internet personalities who, honestly, don't have a clue.

I have delisted every book from WritingLife that I am not contractually obligated to continue to try to list on there. In the future, I will be specifically writing into contracts that I do not publish to Kobo. Kobo does not support independent publishers and I will not continue to support them. It will take a lot to undo the past sixteen months of ill will that your company has generated throughout the community of writers, and I will encourage my fellow writers to follow my lead. I wouldn't blame any of them for distributing everywhere that they can, every dollar counts to many of them. However, I will not be returning until a major effort is made to fix the major issues at your company.

I mentioned earlier that your other retailers have problems delisting titles that I have asked to be delisted before. Today is Monday, October 14, and if my books are not removed by Monday, October 21, I'll be sending DMCA notices to each of them stating that you are not authorized to distribute the books that I have delisted.

Thank you for your time and I hope that the next time I email you, it will be to congratulate you and your company for cleaning up your act.

Signed,...

Now here is what I have to say - and I feel that as a writer I have to speak up even though I am not significantly affected by what's happening as I only have one book on Kobo and none on WHSmith. 
I keep thinking about Dexter. I mentioned this in a Yahoo loop for authors and I'd like to repeat it here. The first time I heard about this show, I just knew I wouldn't watch it - and I haven't. I don't think I ever will. I just know I won't be able to enjoy watching a show with a serial killer as the lead. BUT my friends watch it and I don't think they're going to be serial killers because of it. I don't judge them because of it. I think this is the same with erotica titles.There are individuals who deliberately miscategorize their content for various reasons (you can read Selena Kitt's blog entry about this). Their content should be removed. I wholeheartedly support that. Filters are the BIGGER issue here. These stores should invest serious resources in creating and implementing a no-fail system for filtering content to ensure that minors are NEVER EXPOSED TO INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT. Another author suggested the use of rating systems and I definitely agree.Lastly, I keep thinking about the word 'delicadeza'. I don't think there's a direct English translation for it, but it's a core value that we Filipinos really place a lot of importance in. You can use the Wikipedia link for definition, but basically it's doing the honorable, rightful, proper, and graceful thing - especially in situations where others are likely to be affected by your words or actions. I WISH KOBO AND WHSMITH HAD DELICADEZA. Because I am just really sad at how they handled the issue. These stores KNEW those titles were in their sites. They were EARNING MONEY from those titles, and I doubt they were crying their way to the bank every time they collect their royalties from copies sold of Babysitter Does This or Daddy Does That. 
Yes, they have the right to remove content from their site whenever they want BUT it's not right that these sites are suddenly washing their hands off the very authors they earned money from (and not just a measly amount either!). You earned from these authors and now, just because of bad rap, you're giving them up just like that?! 
Also, people's livelihoods are at stake here. Many of the people behind erotica titles are decent folks, good folks who just want to write and earn a living. Knowing this - knowing how many writers today are left reeling and frightened about their future - would it be so darn hard for Kobo and WHSmith to take the time to come up with an emergency response team to personally email the authors, let them know what's happening, and just be decent enough to APOLOGIZE about the INEFFECTIVENESS AND INACCURACY of their method for eliminating dubious content from their sites? 
I know saying 'sorry' or saying 'I promise I'll fix this. We value your work.' won't fix things, but hearing this would mean a lot to authors. Also, it can be the stepping stone needed to have stores and authors working together to those maliciously gaming the system to increase their profits (never mind if it means exposing underaged readers to inappropriate content).


It's not too late for Kobo and WHSmith to show some delicadeza. And I really hope, for the sakes of readers and writers, that they do.

Giveaways and Recommendations!!!

How do you win a SIGNED PAPERBACK COPY of NICK AND LILAC? Easy! Just check out the post below! Post by Marian Tee. As for recommendations, here's the Rockstar Romance Boxed Set or Book Bundle that features some of my favorite romance authors and friends. You should grab a copy of this NOW - or at least while it's still on sale for just $.99! 

If you do buy it, please consider leaving a review - it would mean a lot to the authors. Also, let me know what you think of it - I do hope you've enjoyed reading all the books! And I do hope you'll support my own rockstar romance bundle once it's out as well. =D
=======
I've also just announced on my homepage that Jason and Keanne will be finally out this or mid next week. MAke sure you've subscribed to my mailing list so I can give you a heads up once it's out! :)

Do You Want My Next Heroine to Share YOUR Name?

Post by Marian Tee. Drop by on my Facebook page to join the contest! Remember - the quiz will be about one of my books and the question will be posted on Saturday October 5, 7PM PST!!! If you are the FIRST one to post the correct answer, your first name get to be the heroine's name in my next standalone book, which will have something to do with The Pussketeers (it is NOT Rathe and Mary's story, though). 

I am sooo excited about this so I hope you are, too! =D

Jason and Keanne - Last Sneak Peek!

How to Download Ebooks from Amazon

I've been asked a lot of times about this - and I know it may come as a surprise to many but there are still so many people who haven't yet tried downloading ebooks from Amazon. With The Werewolf Prince and I going free, I guess it's the best time for me to take a break from writing and work on this long-postponed post. So without further ado, here's a step-by-step guide to downloading ebooks on Amazon.

1. Register an account with Amazon (we're assuming you do not have one yet).
So if you click the link above, you will be redirected (in another window) to a page that will display the image below. Take note of which email address you will be using here (and your password of course) since we will need it later. 2. Download a Kindle app (we're assuming you don't have a Kindle).
You can read Amazon books on a Kindle app for your PC, MAC, Android device, iPad, iPod touch or iPhone. Do you have a PC or laptop running on Windows? Then you will need to download a Kindle for PC. Just click that link, download, install and register using your Amazon account using your email and password from Step 1.
Click that button I've encircled to start downloading.
You will need a Kindle for Mac for Mac users. Download, install, and register. Go to App Store if you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Search for KINDLE then download and install the app. Don't worry - it's free! Register.  Go to Google Play if you're using an Android device. Again, the application is free to download. Install then register! 3. Download an ebook for free on Amazon.
Open your favorite browser (Safari, Mozilla, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer - doesn't matter which!). Y ou will have to buy your ebooks straight from Amazon's web page and NOT from your Kindle app . Let's be very clear on that.

With the link above, you can start typing the book titles that you know are free to purchase. An example of this would be - of course - my book The Werewolf Prince and I. Make sure you're signed in with your Amazon account by the by ! See the green-circled text? It shows that I - Marian - am signed in with my Amazon account.See the blue-circled text? TWPAI is $.00 for its Kindle edition, which means it's free to download!See the red-circled text? There's the BUY now button. If you click it, Amazon will send the book to your Kindle device / application. Now, in my case I have several devices registered under one account (yes, that's possible). You can choose which device / app the book will be delivered to. So to put it simply, just click that orange button BUY NOW WITH 1-CLICK and you've bought your free ebook on Amazon!4. Start reading!
Go to your Kindle app or device and you'll see your book downloading automatically. Your downloaded books will appear under the Cloud tab if you are using a Kindle app and on the Device tab if you have your own Kindle. So that's it. Enjoy reading! 
P.S. If you want to buy a paid ebook on Amazon, you will need to use a credit card or have someone buy / gift you with an Amazon gift card. 

Jason and Keanne - An Excerpt

Jason Chalkias is a Greek god, a billionaire, but more than that he’s beautiful inside - the kind of guy someone damaged like me doesn’t deserve. I know people think I’m a slut for once dating a married man. I think so, too, but Jason says I’m better than everyone thinks, that in me he sees a girl any guy would be lucky to have.

The wild child who lives next door...the young girl who’s always desperate to make him smile – that’s how Jason thinks of me but no more. I’m eighteen now and Jason needs to understand that I’ve never thought of him as a substitute father – or even a brother. He’s my life, my best friend – there’s no guy whom I could ever more.

In an all-out bid to win his love, I risk everything on a bet: for every secret date we have, I must date another boy after. Jason says it will help me realize someone out there is better for me. What I don’t realize until it’s too late is that Jason also thinks someone out there is better for him...but it is not me – and it might never be me.
AN EXCERPT
(unedited) Overkill, ma petite – simply overkill. Jason Christakos sighed, but the sound was more amused than resigned as he gazed at his protégé drive into the club’s parking lot with her usual flair for drama.

Keanne Summers had come a long way in the four years they had been friends, and it was not just because she had finally shed off the baby fat, ditched the glasses for contacts, and found the right treatment for her hair to be glossy and her skin acne free.

Even though she still had not come down, all eyes were on Keanne’s SUV, which – like its owner – was unapologetically attention-grabbing. Her ride was a Volvo S60R with a hot pink custom paint job because - as she had once seriously told a perplexed Jason – Keanne wanted to be the girl version of Edward Cullen, whatever that meant and whoever that Edward may be.

The door opened and out she came, fashionable and sexy in a sixties-inspired dress with its high collar and long loose sleeves. Of course, it was also short enough for it to effectively display her shapely legs and killer red heels. She was the picture of youthful fun and glamour, with not the smallest hint of the bitter and disillusioned teenager she had once been.

                Their gazes met.

                A playful smile immediately curved on Keanne’s lips even as her fingers brushed her chest, using the private sign of communication they had once designed out of desperation. That simple touch over her heart meant one thing. I am here for you, mon bébé.

                The silent words numbed the agonizing wound inside him, enough for Jason to regain a little of his sense of humor. A few minutes ago, he had thought it would take him forever to smile. But with his little spitfire in front him, he didn’t just want to smile. He found himself able to forget.

Jason made Keanne wait, just to provoke her. His cue came when her forehead started to furrow, and Jason swiftly crossed the street to get to her side. When he reached Keanne, his hot-tempered little doe was scowling.

He grinned, unable to help it.

She threw her hands up at the sight, a very French gesture that made Jason’s lips twitch unexpectedly. “You made me wait!” Angry sparks shot out from her gray eyes. “Why do you always insist on making me wait?”

                Jason’s grin turned into a full-fledged laugh, a dark seductive sound that had women all around them wishing they were the one who had elicited it. If they had, then perhaps one of them might have had the luck to spend a night in the divinely gorgeous Jason Christakos’ bed.

                “But of course I must make you wait, ma petite. How else are we to ensure that you do not become like one of your peers?” Jason’s faint shudder was not altogether feigned. “I do not want you to think you are all that.”

                Keanne snorted. “Oh, you mean between the two of us, you’re the only one allowed to have an ego?” Even as she spoke, Jason’s hand had already comfortably gone to the small of her back, guiding her to the entrance of the club, where the line of waiting guests had already wrapped around the entire block.

                As the club’s guards immediately waved them in, their faces alone guaranteeing their entrance, Jason said arrogantly, “I am Greek. Of course I am the only one that should have an ego. And as a woman, you must pander to me.”

                She spouted French curses at him, and she was still doing so despite Jason’s laughter by the time they were escorted to one of the private second-floor lounges reserved for VIP guests.

                He waited for her to slide first into the tiny velvet-seated booth before following, folding his long jeans-encased legs under the black mirror-surfaced table.

Keanne fell silent when Janet, the sexy brunette who identified herself as their personal server, finally left, the subtle message which she imparted about what “personal” meant still lingering in the air.

                Her sudden withdrawn attitude bemused him. “Ma petite?”

                In seconds, she had closed the distance between them, her arms going around him. "Je suis désolée,” Keanne whispered against his neck.

                Ah.

                “You remember your promise, no?” Her words were strongly accented, just like his own English would hint of his Greek bloodline when his emotions ran high, threatening to overcome his rigid self-control.

                She did not wait for him to answer. “Quand cet homme méprisable…” Keanne inhaled sharply, willing herself to stay under control. When she spoke again, she returned to English, using it as another shield for her feelings. “When that despicable man came to my school, demanding to see the principal, wanting me to be expelled – do you remember that day?”

                He did.

                They both did.

                “Do you,” she asked fiercely, “remember what you told me when I called you in tears?”

                Jason’s eyes closed as the painfully bittersweet memory came into life with vivid clarity.

Her sobs had been heartbreaking to hear, but he had steeled himself against it, knowing that the time had come for her to save herself.

                “Please come here s'il vous plait,” Keanne had begged, her words a jumble of English and French. “Please, please, please---”

                She had begged him over and over, crying her heart out, and he let her. But when she fell silent, Jason said flatly, “No.”

                Her moan was full of betrayal, and everything in him wanted to go to her – his little dove, the one thing in his world who was right. He had fucked up so many times with all the people he had loved, but with Keanne he had made sure he would do everything right – and he would be damned if he would let pity sway him to doing otherwise.

                “Listen to me.” Those were the very first words he had used to command her when he was young, to train her to be as strong and as ruthless as he was in clawing her way back to the top.

                Her sobs quieted, and his chest constricted at the way Keanne was doing her best to follow him.

                “Later, when you come home, I will be waiting for you, ma petite. In my arms, you can cry – I want you to cry, I want to comfort you. I want to be there for you. With me, you can be weak – but not with anyone else.”

                “Oui,” she whispered, but her voice still shook.

                It made Jason bite out sharply, “No more tears!”

                He heard her swallowing hard, and when she spoke her voice was still hoarse but firmer. “Yes.”

                Good. She was speaking in English now. Her shield was up, and that was exactly how it should be.

                “Only with me, Keanne. Never forget that. You cannot be weak with anyone else. All these years that I have helped you become strong will be for nothing if you give up now.”

                She did not answer.

                He did not allow it. “Do you understand, Keanne?”

                An eternity passed. “Yes.”

                “Then go. Remember that you are stronger and better than what everyone may say. They do not deserve your tears – do not deserve to see you flinch even the smallest way.”

                This time, her answer was stronger, colder. “Yes.”

                “Make me proud, ma petite. And when you come home, only then you can cry.”

Keanne lifted her head even as she kept her arms around Jason’s neck. His face was drawn with pain, and the sight of it made her want to lash out. “This time,” she told him in a shaky but determined voice, “You can be weak with me.”

Updated Release Schedule

I posted this a while ago on Facebook but I'm also posting it here. From now on, I'll categorize posts like this as RELEASE SCHEDULE so that you can easily find the updates on my blog. :)

Now, I promised my publisher that I'll deliver to her the complete manuscripts of Jason and Keanne as well as The Demon Duke and I before I leave for Hong Kong. Those would have to be proofed before they can be released. I am not sure if they can be out on the last week of September, but knowing my publisher I have high hopes it will be so.

And for the rest ----
Warning: Love Moderately (October OR November)
Rathe's story (the last Pussketeer book) - October OR November
When I Moan - Most likely DECEMBER
Christmas Anthology - NOVEMBER
Alessandro Moretti's story (previously titled My Secret Professor Boyfriend) - Most likely DECEMBER
Reid's story - sometime between October and December
Now, those dates can still change. Most of these stories are complete on my notebooks - I wrote them years ago, like I said before and which is why I get to release them quickly. BUT of course I have to edit and flesh them out and that takes time. Plus, I can only write what I FEEL like writing at the moment. It's unfortunate, but I can't force myself to write the book everyone wants the most to read (case in point: the much-delayed A Royal Heartbreak). If I force myself to do so, trust me - you would NOT want to read that book. 

Another implication of the above schedule?
I am soooo very sorry but it means I have to push back the release dates for the sequels of Evren and Death Loves Me Not. I know, I know - I promised it would be this year. But right now I just can't see myself being able to write them in the way I want to. These two involve detailed world-building and I wouldn't want the sequels to fall short when compared to their predecessors. 

Again, the above schedule can still change BUT one thing I'm sure is that the sequels to Evren and DLMN won't be this year. 
:( Sorry again!