Pepper Winters's Blog, page 30

**COMPLETE INDEBTED SERIES PRE-ORDER**

I have something extremely exciting to bring those lovers of Jethro and Nila in the Indebted Series. Recently, at the Sydney Signing last weekend, I was lucky enough to have dinner and drinks with the fabulous man in charge of iBooks. I never really knew how iBooks worked because I’m (ducks for cover) not a Mac or iPhone user. However, once I was told the features I could offer my readers, I instantly worked with iBooks to deliver the following good news:

The ENTIRE Indebted Series is up for pre-order on iBooks. 

What does this mean?

Well, the six full length books that make up the Indebted Series are available for pre-order and will automatically appear on your device when released. Currently the dates on the iBooks description pages are INCORRECT. I don’t have exact dates that they will be released (as I have many other commitments in 2015 and can’t over stretch myself) HOWEVER, I can tell you the date listed is well in advance so they will be released SOONER than stated. This way you can pre-order and not have to worry about waiting for alerts.

I know I’m going to have the question why can’t I put the same option on Amazon for Kindle. My answer is, I would love to. However, Amazon only offer a pre-order for 90 days and I of course can’t write four more books and upload in less than 90 days.

This option is exclusive to iBook users only at this point. However if it comes available on other platforms, I won’t hesitate to look into it.

Without further ado, here are the links:

Pre-order by Clicking Below:

Pre-order by Clicking Below:

Pre-order by Clicking Below:

Pre-order by Clicking Below:

Thank you so much!

**EXCLUSIVE ANNOUNCEMENT for MONSTERS IN THE DARK**

I’ve kept this news on the down-low and quiet. I figured if you found it on your own, then it would be a little surprise. 

For a STRICTLY limited time, the MONSTERS IN THE DARK ebook Boxed Set is available exclusively on iBooks.

Tears of Tess, Quintessentially Q, and Twisted Together are all included in this edition for a steal at $2.99 (Combined price of $13.00 to buy separately.)

For the next week only.

Here is the link to buy: iBooks

INDEBTED SERIES RELEASE UPDATES & T-SHIRTS SAYING “KISS ME, JETHRO HAWK.”

I want to start this post off by saying THANK YOU again. First Debt has spent the last eight days in the Top 100 on Amazon, hit #1 Romantic Suspense, #1 Contemporary Romance, and #2 in Romantic Thriller. The reviews and messages have blown my mind, so thank you once again for embracing this series that I’m so passionate about.

Right, time for the news.

I’ve been asked over the last week how many books there are and when they’ll be released. I don’t have release dates (but they won’t be years apart. I’ll do my best to keep them releasing very quickly.) However, I can confirm the number in the series is SIX.

To make it easier to keep track, I’ve added them all on Goodreads which will advise you of release dates and things when they get closer to release.

Click below to add to your To Read Shelves.

DEBT INHERITANCE: GOODREADS

FIRST DEBT: GOODREADS

SECOND DEBT: GOODREADS

THIRD DEBT: GOODREADS

FOURTH DEBT GOODREADS

FINAL DEBT: GOODREADS

I’ve also started a Limited Edition Clothing Campaign for those who would like the saying: “Kiss me, Jethro Hawk.” They’re only available for a limited time. T-shirts, hoodies, and tanks.

Click HERE to buy

FIRST DEBT (Indebted #2) IS LIVE & THANK YOU

I just wanted to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for making the release day for Nila and Jethro such a mega success.

After almost giving up on this series and being so close to never telling the twisted love story between the firstborn Hawk and firstborn Weaver, I’m BLOWN AWAY by the reviews pouring in.

I write for you. My passion for creating worlds and my day-job at putting those worlds to paper never means more to me than when you take the time to give me your words in return. Your reviews, your messages. They all touch me and change me, just as much as I hope my books touch and change you in some small way.

I know in my heart I will never stop writing. I wouldn’t be able to give up this dream. So thank you for believing in me–even when I didn’t.

Hope everyone has an amazing weekend and if you didn’t know… First Debt (Indebted #2) Is LIVE!!

Here are all the links again:

If you haven’t read the first book in this New York Times Bestselling Dark Romance Series it’s only 99c for a full book:

Debt Inheritance (#1)

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Debt-Inheritanc...

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id904155090

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/debt-inheritance

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/debt-inheritanc…/1120021635…

First Debt (#2)

BUYLINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1EGVqtM

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/1BhVj9N

Amazon.com.au: http://bit.ly/1pVVrac

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1ukX4iG

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qmB3d7

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/10PcYWi

Advance Reviews:

* Dark. Sexxxxxy. Incredibly hypnotic. Jethro is complex, dangerous and absolutely irresistible! –Book Bella

* I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Pepper Winters has an absolute gift for taking the most messed up, wicked characters and humanising them. –Rookie Romance

* Pepper Winters has yet again excelled in her writing abilities and has quite literally delivered to her readers a literary masterpiece. –Hopeless Romantics Book Blog

To receive automatic release date alerts please fill in: http://eepurl.com/120b5

PAPERBACKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ugRi0B

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/1pVVDXc

Createspace: http://bit.ly/1pVW6Zn

GIVEAWAYS:

Giveaway: http://bit.ly/1rU71Nt

Giveaway: http://tinyurl.com/luleqos

TRAILER:

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2oMVFI1DPg

“You say I’ll never own you. If I win—you willingly give me that right. You sign not only the debt agreement, but another—one that makes me your master until your last breath is taken. You do that, and I’ll give you this.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Stolen, taken, and bound not by monsters but by an agreement written over six hundred years ago, she has no way out.

She belongs to Jethro as much as she denies it.

Jethro Hawk’s patience is running out. His inheritance gift tests, challenges, and surprises him—and not in good ways. He hasn’t leashed her but he thinks he might’ve found a way to bind her forever.

Debts are mounting. Payment waiting.

FIRST DEBT (Indebted #2) IS LIVE!!!!!

FIRST DEBT (Indebted #2) IS LIVE!!

See below for buylinks and updates for iTunes and Kobo

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1EGVqtM

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/1BhVj9N

Amazon.com.au: http://bit.ly/1pVVrac

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1ukX4iG

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qmB3d7

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/10PcYWi

 

Paperback:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ugRi0B

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/1pVVDXc

Createspace: http://bit.ly/1pVW6Zn

Giveaway: http://bit.ly/1rU71Nt

Giveaway: http://tinyurl.com/luleqos

 

** For those readers who use Kobo, iTunes, Nook, I have amended the release date, seeing as Amazon went ahead and released too early (AGAIN) and it will be showing up on your devices in a couple of hours. Keep checking. It will arrive very soon.

Thank you so much for your amazing support everyone, and if you enjoy, hate, sitting on the fence, I would still hugely appreciate a review, or even a message to let me know what you thought

HAPPY READING

OWNED: Including FORBIDDEN FLAWS has just gone LIVE

I interrupt the countdown for First Debt for another release of mine.

FORBIDDEN FLAWS is my first Erotic Contemporary. It’s sexy, steamy, and uses ice cream in a way that shouldn’t be used. The first 80 pages are available in this awesome anthology on sale for a very limited time. The rest of this full length story will be released in 2015. If you’d like to meet Cas and Saf, one click below :)

Only $2.99 for over 1000 pages of awesomeness

OWNED: An Alpha Anthology

US: http://amzn.to/1uDtXVd

UK: http://amzn.to/1sX61fZ

AU: http://amzn.to/1uDtXVd

CA: http://amzn.to/1m5yD66

iBooks: http://bit.ly/V5Y6z9

B&N: http://bit.ly/1sCdaRl

KOBO: http://bit.ly/V5Yvl6

CONFIRMED SIGNING EVENTS 2015

SIGNING EVENTS 2015

Okay, so I’ve had a few confirmations over the past few days, so thought it’s time to announce where I’ll be in 2015. Currently, I am doing a tour in USA and AUSTRALIA. However, 2016 I hope to return to the UK and even visit the Philippines to see the incredible readers over there.

This is what my schedule looks like currently:

AUSTRALIA

27-28th March: Gold Coast

Readers & Writers Down Under.

A two day event where I will be on a panel discussing all things writing and dark, and be mingling with some incredible authors and readers.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/768210386572691/

AMERICA

28th June:  Orlando, Florida

BookBash.

I really want to go to this event. I’ve heard incredible things, so the minute Maryse starts taking numbers someone please tell me, so I can put my hand up.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/BookBash

11th July: Little Rock, Arkansas

Little Rock Book Jam

This is going to be a kickass event with some amazing authors.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/LRBookJam

18th July: Las Vegas, Nevada

LoveNVegas

I’ve never been to the gambling mecca and can’t wait for some bad decisions and hella lot of fun.

More information: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/lovenvegas-2015-tickets-14088634485?aff=efbnen

24 & 25th July: St Louis, Missouri

Penned.com

Two days of awesomeness and a masquerade ball at the end. Can’t wait!

More information: https://www.facebook.com/pennedcon

8th August: San Francisco

San Fran Golden Gate Author Event

My amazing Street Team Manager has created this kickass event. I’m dying to go and hang out with some great talent.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1411222615793507/

AUSTRALIA

17th October: Melbourne

Melbourne Author Invasion

I’ve never been to Melbourne, so dying to visit. Another two day event that will rock!

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/697492340301325/

Now, I need your help to fill the rest. I will be in the USA for 8 weeks from late June to end of August. I have the following weekends free, and would like to know of any other signings, or private bookshops that I can stop by and sign for a little while. For three weeks in August, I will be visiting my in-laws in Montreal and Quebec. If you know of any signings around there or places I could visit with readers, please email me.

4-5th July 2014: Available for a New York Signing Event (I’ll be in NY to visit my publisher and agent)

31st July 2014: Available for a USA Signing Event

15th August 2014: Available for a Montreal Signing Event

21st August 2014: Available for a Montreal / Quebec Signing Event

FIRST DEBT (INDEBTED #2) PRE-ORDER BUYLINKS & TRAILER

To celebrate the upcoming release of Nila and Jethro’s journey, I made a trailer to hint at what is to come. If you’d like to watch, please click below.

First Debt (Indebted #2) Pre-order Links

iTunes: BUY HERE

Kobo: BUY HERE

Barnes & Noble: BUY HERE

(Amazon will be available on the 13th November)

Giveaways

There are also two giveaways currently running to celebrate the release:

A Rafflecopter Giveaway including: A Signed Copy of First Debt, Signed Indebted Swag Pack, 4 x ecopies of Debt Inheritance, 3 x ecopies of Monsters in the Dark Boxed Set.

ENTER HERE

and

A Goodreads Giveaway including: Signed copy of First Debt Paperback

(This giveaway is currently pending, but keep checking the link for when it goes live to enter. Shouldn’t be too long)

ENTER HERE

 

Promotion & Tour

The amazing ladies over at Rock Stars of Romance are also putting together a release day blitz and review tour if you are interested in helping promote First Debt. If you’d like to participate the link to sign up is here:

SIGN UP TO PROMOTE HERE

Thank you so much!

FIRST DEBT RELEASE DAY ANNOUNCEMENT

It’s official. 

I can finally set a date…

First Debt (Indebted #2) will be released on….

14th November 2014 and just in time for the weekend. 

Here is the blurb, just in case you need refreshing…

“You say I’ll never own you. If I win—you willingly give me that right. You sign not only the debt agreement, but another—one that makes me your master until your last breath is taken. You do that, and I’ll give you this.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Stolen, taken, and bound not by monsters but by an agreement written over six hundred years ago, she has no way out.

She belongs to Jethro as much as she denies it.

Jethro Hawk’s patience is running out. His inheritance gift tests, challenges, and surprises him—and not in good ways. He hasn’t leashed her but he thinks he might’ve found a way to bind her forever.

 

 

And the cover because it’s so pretty…

And lastly, here are some advance reviews to give a hint of what you’re in for…

 

Ella Fox, USA Today Bestseller:  I just finished!! Absolutely positively fucking LOVED it!!!!!!! I don’t know how she did it, but she got me!! And that end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mandi Beck, reviewer:  Holy hell Pepper! I think this might be your best work and that’s tough for me bc I thought that Monsters in the Dark was absolutely the most brilliant story! So good woman. So good! 

Yaya, After Dark Book Lovers: Pardon my French: Are you fucking kidding me?  Love this book. Like completely and I can’t believe the shit going on.

Kiki Amit, reviewer: JET and NILA…. There are no words to express how Pepper does it! Her brain must hurt from being so smart. She in my eyes is a literary revolutionary!! MAD SKILLS….. Freakin’ MAD SKILLS…

Aleatha Romig, NYT Bestseller:  God girl! You’ve ruined me!!! I LOVE it!!! Like L-O-V-E it!!! Like Jethro is threatening Q for my affection. The intensity in this series is OFF the CHARTS! I love all of your work, you know that. But Debt Inheritance may just be my FAV!

If you’d like to join the Facebook Group where all things Indebted are discussed please join here:  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1511645192400372/requests/

And to wrap things up, here are a few teasers that I’ve shared on my Facebook Page over the last week

Have a great weekend, everybody!

HOW I SHOULD FOLLOW MY OWN ADVICE

(Excuse typos. It’s been a long day but wanted to get this done before I disappear back into my cave to get Indebted #2 ready for release.)

So…I’ve been thinking of the best way to do this blog post. Started writing it, decided against it, started again…couldn’t be bothered. The usual procrastination.

But the past few days has solidified something that has been creeping over me for the last month or so, and either because I’ve made the decision in my heart, or because I’m seeing it happening for a lot of authors, I’ve decided to put it out there so it’s in black and white.

You all know I’m a huge advocator of positive thinking, chasing dreams, that whole spiel. I won’t repeat myself. Well, I’m not a hypocrite in that area; I do this the majority of the day and monitor my thoughts for positivity. HOWEVER, another key thing to keeping positive and successful things in your life is by believing they are there to STAY.

And I haven’t been doing that.

I’ve been killing myself chasing this dream I want SOOOO damn badly. I wake up every morning bouncing with joy for the chance to sit on my butt and fall into the imaginary world where I get to spend the day torturing, making love to, and playing puppet master to my creations. There is no better job than doing the one you were put on this earth to do. And it would never have been possible without the immergence of eBooks, amazon, the internet, and social media.

Technology not only enriched our lives with pen-friends half-way around the world who are now our best-friends and in constant communication with, but also created avenues for people who might never had had the opportunity to write for a living to flourish.

I’m one of the those lucky people.

And despite the success I’ve found, I still don’t think I’m anywhere close to the trail blazers who went before me. I’m talking the complete originals who flipped the bird to the stigma that self-publishing was the cheap and nasty way out for ‘losers’ who couldn’t get a publisher, and made it the more preferred avenue. They are the Rockstars of my profession and I never get over the awe I feel when I get to speak to one of them.

Again, life made my dreams come true but not only gave me success in self-publishing, but also the opportunity to be published by a traditional house, Hachette. This large publisher has been nothing but supportive and kind to me, and I was also lucky enough to sign with an agent who goes to bat for me on foreign rights and all the other stuff that comes with a successful writing career.

All of that should make me jump for joy. I’ve hit the USA Today list three times, New York Times twice, and had the most amazing year of my life. I pinch myself and it still doesn’t seem real.

But it is.

I’m in a prime position to take my chosen path as far as I want to.

So why do I feel as if it will end tomorrow?

Is it because I want it too much and it petrifies me to think of it all being over?

Is it because I’m afraid of making a wrong step and releasing a book that ruins my chance at making it?

Or is it because I’m terrified I’m going to lose everything I’ve worked so hard for in a rapidly growing market?

Probably all of the above, which is why I drove myself to the point of exhaustion, wrote so much I screwed up my eyes, didn’t exercise, didn’t talk to my hubby, and ate, slept, dreamt writing. I NEVER switched off. I was either on my laptop or tablet or phone. I was completely addicted to keeping my presence online, so no one forgot about me while the indie world exploded.

Needless to say that isn’t healthy.

Like at all.

And even though I KNEW that I was running myself into the ground, I couldn’t stop the deep-seated need to keep going. Just keep going. Keep sprinting. Never stop. I kept chasing an end goal thinking the moment I made it this crazy dream would be all over and I’d have to move onto the next thing.

But that’s WRONG.

Flat out wrong.

I know I’m not the only author out there who sees how manic the indie world has become. How many awesome new releases are published every day, how many new authors are streaking past others, and how the mentality of scarcity is creeping back in.

I got sucked into it to.

I kept thinking if I don’t release another book in a week, I’ll be forgotten. If I don’t deliver a book that EVERYONE loves, I’ll be forgotten. If I don’t keep up my twitter and Facebook page four times a day, I’ll be forgotten.

If I don’t…

If I don’t…

The never ending carrousel of stupid pointless undermining worry that is ruining all my talk of positivity.

Know what I realized?

Yes, the market is a lot busier than last year, hell even last month. Yes, there are some amazing kickass books being released every second, and yes that means readers have a lot more delicious material to get lost in and less hours in the day to do it.

But is it a death sentence? HELL NO.

Only a fraction of the world actually owns a kindle or an eBook device. There are still more paperback sales than eBook sales and will continue to be this way for years to come, but there will also be more people joining the eBook revolution. Every birthday and Christmas, someone will be gifted a kobo or kindle and the joy of reading in Eink will be spread far and wide.

Not only does it mean MORE success for everyone, but more material for the reader.

It doesn’t mean the market is going to implode in a few years. If anything, this is just the beginning.Sure there will be a huge influx of other talented writers and crazy good books that will stand out above the rest, but that doesn’t matter. Be grateful for them, happy for them, because ultimately it has nothing to do with me or you.

The only thing in my control is:

Write a damn good book.

Write quality not quantity.

Keep a good balance.

Create proper work hours and find down time to be more productive.

A good friend of mine, who I deeply respect has been going through the same soul-searching realisation I have. Unfortunately, her stress levels were worse than mine and she’s paying the price poor thing. But, all it took was looking at her daughter and realizing the most important thing. LIVING. Lili St. Germain wrote her own post about her decisions with her writing career which you can read here.

So…conclusions?

In the words of Jasinda Wilder, HM Ward, Bella Andre and all the greats…THIS IS NOT A RACE. IT’S A MARATHON.

Those words really resonated with me, and I really stopped to think. Yes, I’m freaking out to think that I’ll be yesterday’s news, but I’ve grown up a little and found that blissful thing I was missing –relaxation.

I’m relaxed now about my future, my goals and what I can achieve. I’ve relaxed knowing that as long as I‘m doing what I love, writing books that I enjoy, and interacting with readers who make my life a joy, I will ALWAYS have this. It won’t be going anywhere, because I was born to be a writer and I will never stop.

I can’t tell you how ‘centred’ and complete I felt when I finally let that conclusion sink into my soul. The stress of sprinting toward a non-existent finish line, the fear of not being online 24 hours a day, and concern of fading into the background just evaporated. I found my productivity went from 5,000 words every other day to 15,000 words a day, purely because I went back to my roots. WRITING. I’m an author. Sure, I run my own business and social media is just as important as getting a book out on time, but my imagination is where I find my Zen and I was able to get back to that happy place.

And because of that soul searching, I wrote the best book since I started this crazy journey. Ruin & Rule came together in four weeks. It was the easiest book to date to write, and I’m beyond happy to hand it into Grand Central today to start getting it ready for the market in 2015.

The joy I found from writing Ruin & Rule also reminded me of another important fact which I lost touch with.

Ultimately I write for ME. Not for the market, not for reviews, not for sales.

Tears of Tess was PURELY for me—and it’s my bestselling book to date.

Ruin & Rule was purely for me, too—I got rid of all thoughts of handing it into the publisher, because I knew I would self-censor like crazy and wouldn’t deliver the book I wanted. It worked. I LOVED writing that story.

And…as much as it will surprise some people, Indebted is just for me, too. Now, Debt Inheritance is my worst reviewed book so far. At the time it literally killed me. Split open my heart and I seriously wanted to pull the book and forget all about Jethro and Nila. But…time heals all wounds and makes big problems seem small.

Know what I realized? People can’t see the full story yet, so they have to review their feelings on the part of the story they can see RIGHT NOW. I get that. The topics are controversial subjects, and it’s a dark romance with taboo elements with some actions that won’t sit well with some people. But…it’s set in a setting that I’m in love with (old English estates) it has the rebel world of bikers, the seedy underbelly of diamond smugglers, the beauty and grace of couture and fashion, and a love story that is full of angst, betrayal and a slow burn that will all make sense in the end.

I very nearly pulled back from finishing this series, in fact I went so far as to scrap what I already had for the following book, but then I thought…I’ll write a bit more just for me. No one has to see it. I dropped all memories of bad reviews, and dived into the world that has only just begun. And I loved it.

I loved it so much in fact, I know I can’t stick to the original plan of each book only being a novella. I made an announcement on my Facebook page last week, saying each book in the Indebted series (up to 6 books) will be all full length of approx 250-300 pages. I didn’t expect many people to reply because hell, it seemed that not many people were enjoying the series. Turns out, I was unbelievably wrong. For every one person who didn’t like it ten did. That post went viral and had more comments, more likes, and more views than most of my posts for months.

And that was the final paper umbrella in my happy cocktail of positivity.

Indebted is PURELY for me. It will always be written the way I want it with no input or fear of reviews. I’ll publish it for people who want to come along on the journey. The rights have already been sold for Italian translations and audio will be done on the first two books very soon—so I know there is a market for this twisted tale of debts and a storyline that makes no sense yet. However, I’m being selfish and keeping it all to myself. I will market it as controversial, I will publish every edition, and I will not censor myself, so be warned that Indebted will continue to be slightly crazy and full of questions.

BUT, in saying that I also realize it’s time for me to start to branch out. Dark Romance got me onto the map of self-publishing, and I will never stop writing gritty taboo subjects—it’s in my blood. But at the same time, evolution has to happen to all of us and I’ll be branching into other genres in the future.

You already know of Ruin & Rule which is an Motorcycle romance and Forbidden Flaws which is purely an erotic contemporary (it will still have a grey twist but the storyline will be more mainstream) and I have a lot of other projects in the works that will be coming soon.

If you’ve read this far, then thank you. I know it was a bit of a jumble of thoughts and probably doesn’t make complete sense, but it’s my way of putting it out there, so if I ever start feeling insecure of my place in this crazy world, I can come back and remind myself that as long as I deliver a good product, stay true to myself, and never stop learning how to be a better writer, failure doesn’t have any power in my future.

To all the writers out there, if you’re stressed, running around like headless chickens, ignoring your families to pump out another 1000 words before bedtime, or turning into an insomniac monster because you can’t unglue yourself from your tablet…

STOP.

Take stock of your achievements.

Pat yourself on the back.

Turn off your Wi-Fi.

And RELAX.

The muse and readers will thank you for it, because you’ll be around for a lot longer and will never suffer that dreaded burn out that seems to follow success. I was lucky to smell the smoke before I went up in flames, and promise to you and myself that I’m not going anywhere—whatever the future holds.