Skye Turner's Blog, page 8

Open Letter to Indie Authors

Reblogged from J.M. Gregoire:

Dear Indie Author Community,

Something bad is happening in the Indie Author Community.  Several bad things, in fact, and if something isn’t said to you, you’re going to ruin your writing career before it ever gets started.  What is about to follow in this letter is not an ‘I know everything’ bomb.  This letter is to serve as what should be common sense for all of us. 

Read more… 4,081 more words

LOVE!
And SO true!

When you can’t find the words.

I’m a writer, so expressing my thoughts and feelings should be easy, right?! I mean I write books and through my writing I’m able to convey a characters thoughts and emotions and invoke an answering response in my readers.

I should be able to do this all of the time in my everyday life too, right?

Wrong.

Sometimes I simply don’t know what to say or how to say it. Sometimes what I want to say is not the right thing to say or there are simply no adequate words.

Today I found myself somewhere I really did not want to be. A place I prayed I would not be again. And certainly not a place I wanted to visit a short few weeks after I’d already been there. But we don’t always get what we want. We don’t always have control of what happens in our lives and the lives of the people we care about.

As I stood in the graveyard today, for the second time in 3 weeks, while the tiniest casket I’ve even seen in my life sat on a pedestal a few feet in front of us and the freezing, bone chilling wind whipped around us, and we all grieved together, I looked around and thought… “so this is what that sounds like.”

Have you ever wondered if you can hear a heart breaking?

You can.

You can hear it in a parents pain filled sob as they bury their child. You can hear it in a man of God’s voice as he struggles to continue with his sermon because the complexity of the situation is just so numbing. You can hear it in the utter quiet of the people who are trying so hard to be strong for others that they forget they also need to grieve. You can hear it in the emotion from the person who is saying goodbye to the other piece of their soul as they exit their time on earth. You can hear it in the Dr who says, “I’m sorry, there’s nothing else we can do.” You can hear it in the soldier as he realizes he will live while so many of his friends and comrades will die.

Life is filled with heartache.

It sucks and it hurts and we don’t understand it, but it exists. But where there is heartbreak, there is also hope. The hope comes from the family and friends surrounding you, loving you, offering you comfort. It comes from the memories you made with the people you love no matter if they were with you for minutes, hours, day, years, or a lifetime. Hope comes from the unexpected. Hope is the smile when all you want to do is frown. It’s the ray of sunshine, breaking through the clouds. It’s the green sprig bursting through the ash. Wherever there is darkness, there will always be light.

I can tell you that today is not the way I would have chosen to close out 2013. No one wants to end with sadness, so I choose to remember the joy. Because even with the pain, heartache, and neverending questions as to why, today was also about hope and love. There were smiles and laughter through the tears. There was love in the gathering together of friends and family.

I posted this on my FB page earlier and I’ll repost it here now.

Today is not an easy day. Seems like we were just here a short time ago…

Remember everyone, life is precious.

Life is short.

Love with your whole heart.

Forgive even when it’s hard.

That doesn’t mean you have to forget.

Hug your babies.

Be thankful for that mess they left on your floor.

That mess is all some people long for.

Be positive.

And most importantly, be kind.

Everyone is fighting battles.

Some people just face their demons in private.

What I’ll ask that you take from this is… embrace life. Love the people around you, you have them there for a reason. Do something out of your comfort zone. Take a stand. Believe in something. Take chances.

Live your life.

Always be grateful for what you have. What you have is all someone else wants. Don’t take anything for granted.

2013 has been good to me. I made the choice to reach for my dreams and I achieved them for the most part. Thank you for helping me to do that.

Happy New Year and I wish you all nothing but goodwill and love for 2014.  If you are still dreaming big I pray  your wish comes true and that you always reach for the stars.

It’s Christmas… How about a present? Alluring Seduction, Chapter 1

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

My day was amazing and I am overflowing with goodwill, too much food, and love. 2013 was a pretty amazing year for me. In September, I released Alluring Turmoil, Book 1 Bayou Stix (If you have NOT READ it, Click HERE to buy it on Amazon.) and within a very short time, it was a best seller. I have amazing readers, bloggers, and authors in my life, who have embraced me with open arms and have become friends.

Since it’s Christmas and it’s all about giving, here’s a gift for y’all!

Complete Chapter 1 of Alluring Seduction, Book 2 Bayou Stix

Enjoy!

Release date, Friday, January 3, 2014 for e-books (Amazon exclusive) and paperbacks! Signed paperbacks are available for preorder NOW, by clicking HERE.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, Alluring Seduction, Book 2 Bayou Stix is an ADULT Contemporary Rocker Romance and contains explicit language and explosive sex. It is not intended for those readers under the age of 18. It’s also not intended for anyone offended by Alluring Turmoil, Book 1 Bayou Stix. This one is even hotter.

Now, ladies and gentlemen… Jessie Adams and Blue Delaney.

Alluring Seduction

Book 2 Bayou Stix

Chapter One

Jessie

Another city.  Lake Tahoe this time. Another sold out show. We rocked Harrah’s. Another nameless woman in my bed. This one’s a blonde. Same song, different day, but it’s getting old.

            Two weeks left on this tour and then we’re heading home for some much needed downtime. Living on the road is hard. I’ve always thought this was what I wanted and I still do. I love performing. I love being on stage. I love being famous, but I also want a warm body, the same warm body, and a place with roots to rest my head, every night.

            Damn Jude and Lexi. Now they’re engaged and their happiness has me jealous. Jude’s been engaged for two damn days and his entire world has changed. I want that…

            The woman in my bed stirs and reaches over towards my pillow. “Jessie? Come back to bed.”

            “Nah, I don’t think so, doll. It’s time for you to head on out. This was fun, but I have things to do.” I mutter as I watch her through the window’s reflection.

            She sits up and the sheet falls to her waist. Her overtly large, fake tits are standing at attention. Yeah, natural breasts don’t sit like that.

            “Excuse me? Are you fucking serious? You’re kicking me out?” she screeches with shock.

            “No, I’m not kicking you out. I’m telling you that you got what you wanted and now it’s time to leave. If I was kicking you out, I’d pull you out of bed, and throw you naked into the hallway.” I still refuse to turn around.

Why do these women always do this? They’re groupies. They set out with the sole intention of screwing us and then once they get it, we’re supposed to fall magically in love with them? Seriously? They’re easy, no strings lays. That’s it. They get to say they fucked us and we get to blow our load in a warm, willing body. It’s really that simple.

I watch through the reflection as she grabs the sheet and jumps angrily out of bed trying to wrap it around herself. She scrambles to gather her clothes, muttering angrily the entire time. Once she finds her crotchless panties, yanks them on and pulls her miniscule dress up, she snatches up her shoes and flings the sheet towards me. “You are a piece of shit! The great ‘Jessie Adams’! Ha! I don’t have to take this! No one treats me like this! You’re going to regret this, you fucking loser!”

“Ok, you got what you wanted, Blondie. Now can we skip the dramatics? Get the hell out of my room.” I sigh.

She marches over to the door and rips it open. “Fucking asswipe!” It bounces off the wall and she flips me off before slamming it on her way out.

Well, that was fun. This shit is so not worth it.

Turning away from the lights reflecting through the window, I run my hands through my hair and take in the scene in my suite. The bed is completely destroyed and now the sheet is thrown over the couch. The lamp is turned over, next to a practically empty tequila bottle. My clothes are scattered throughout the room, and wait… is that the blonde’s bra hanging from the light fixture?

I grab the tequila bottle and swallow the last little bit, before stripping the bed down completely, and calling Housekeeping for new sheets.

<><><> 

Blue

            I am so ready for this tour to be over. I can’t believe I’ve been tagging along with Bayou Stix for eight weeks now. I’m not a road reporter, dammit. I’ve been in this business for too long and busted my ass too much to get where I am for some selfish prick to mess with it! This is my career!

I love Jude. He’s such a good friend, and the rest of the guys are great. They’ve made the trip bearable, but Jessie… God, he pisses me off! Two weeks and then I can fly back to Los Angeles and veg out in my condo for a few weeks.

I’m walking down the hall to my suite and I see Jessie’s suite door fly open and some disheveled blonde skank stomps out. She’s screaming into the room that he’s a “fucking asswipe” with her shoes in her hand, flipping him the bird with the other hand, and her hair is a mess. Classy.

She marches past me, jostling me with her shoulder, and never even spares me a glance. Stupid bitch. “Excuse you! Watch where you’re going!” Then, shaking my head, I mutter, “Bitch!”

My room is two doors down from his, so I have to walk past it. The door apparently didn’t latch from her “graceful exit” and is still open. My eyes stray to the inside of the room as I reach it. They widen as I take in the mess. Sheets and clothes are everywhere. Things are knocked over and, holy shit… is that a bra hanging from the light?

I can’t help but notice Jessie with his back to the door. He’s on the phone as he strips the bed and throws everything to the floor. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of low riding boxer briefs and I can clearly see his muscled, tattooed back. The colorful artwork on his arms ripples as he removes the sheets. His shoulder length blond hair is messy. Like someone, the skank I’m sure, has been running their hands through it.

I think I gasp. I hate that he gets my blood pumping and not just because he pisses me off! He hears me, and whips his head around. Shit!

His sky blue eyes meet mine and I can see he’s pulling on his lip ring with his teeth. His eyebrow raises and he smirks at my expression. I hurriedly school it as he strolls to the door. He stops right in front of me and leans against the doorjamb. “Really, Blue? Spying on me?” he says with disdain.

My temper ignites and my eyes flash a warning. “As if Jessie. I’m not spying on you. I have to walk past your room to get to my room. And your pissed off playmate just practically mowed me down leaving your room. Really, have some self-respect! Maybe you should stop picking up fake Barbie bitches who fuck everything they can, before you catch something and your dick falls off!”

“You’re such a bitch, Blue. Mind your own damn business! And my dick is none of your business.” He grabs the door with his hands and I can see his knuckles turning white from the pressure he’s exerting. He’s also clenching his teeth.

“No shit! Thank God for that! Like I give a shit who or what you dip your stick into.  ‘Groupie Barbie’ was right! You are an ‘asswipe’!” I’m so pissed, I can’t see straight and the urge to smack him is so strong, I’m mentally restraining myself from stepping up to him and letting him have it.

“Good. At least you know your place!” He steps back and slams the door in my face.

No he did not! What a fucking asshole!

I’m seething as I make my way down to my room. Just as I reach it and go to insert my keycard, the elevator dings, and I see Housekeeping making their way to Jessie’s door with an armful of fresh white sheets.

Unconsciously, I stop to watch as she knocks on his door. He opens it, still shirtless, but he steps out into the hallway and I notice he’s put on some dark grey lounge pants. I see the pretty young woman’s cheeks flush as she takes in his appearance. His chest and torso are also covered with colorful ink until it disappears into the waist of his low hanging pants. He smiles at her and his lip ring sparkles in the light.

They speak softly, so I can’t hear them and then he takes her hand and presses something softly into her palm. She looks down and her face lights up as she smiles. As she turns to head back to the elevator, he catches me watching him and raises his brow at me, before he turns on his heel and the door roughly shuts behind him.

I’m left staring at his closed door in the hallway and thinking about how ready I am to leave this shit behind me! I open my own door with shaking hands and get ready for bed.

Two weeks cannot be over fast enough!

******I hope you are as excited for Book 2 as I am to release it to you. Response thus far has been amazing and I am so proud and excited to have y’all fall in love with Jessie and Blue.

******If you have not read Alluring Turmoil, Book 1 Bayou Stix, you do not HAVE to for you to enjoy Alluring Seduction, Book 2 Bayou Stix. They can both be read as standalone novels, however, it is my recommendation that you read them in order as all characters are in all books and some things are mentioned in Book 2 that do happen in Book 1.

Alluring Seduction COVER REVEAL and my 34th birthday.

Yesterday was my 34th birthday. It started off not all that great with a morning message that followed me throughout the day. However, my 2nd book will be out January 3, 2014 and the cover reveal was  yesterday!

Over 70 blogs and FB pages posted my Reveal and it was shared, tweeted, and reposted over and over and over. Most people are loving the cover and I am completely in love with it. It’s perfect for the book.

I also received an abundance of birthday wishes and just feel so loved. For that I thank you.

The models I chose with my Cover Designer (Cover to Cover Designs) are freaking perfect and for the most part, the readers love them.

I will say this though… with self publishing books, as with everything else, do your research. For all aspects. Don’t go off of people you knows recommendations. Make sure you see the work they’ve done for other people, but more importantly, get references! Talk to other people who’ve worked with them who don’t know you and who have no agenda. This goes for photography, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… VERY important!

Now… without further adieu…

Alluring Seduction
Book 2 Bayou Stix

 

 

COVER REVEAL

Alluring Seduction, Book 2 Bayou Stix

Publishing Friday, January 3rd, 2014

Blurb:

Warning: This book contains explicit language and explosive sex. It is an adult romance and not intended for anyone under the age of 18.

Jessie Adams is the womanizing, lead guitarist for the hottest rock band in the country, Bayou Stix. Seduction is his game. He does what he wants, when he wants, and with whom he wants. Women are playthings, but eventually meaningless sex with groupie after groupie gets old.

Blue Delaney has spent years working nonstop and cultivating her way to being the hottest rock reporter in the business and the lead reporter for Rock Hard Magazine. She’s confident, sexy, and has no time for games.

Jessie loves women and women love him, but something about Blue gets under his skin. She’s not what he’s used to.

Blue loves Bayou Stix and is friends with the guys, but something about Jessie pushes her buttons. It doesn’t stop her from wanting him.

When Blue is forced to go on tour with Bayou Stix and cover the band, tensions run high, chemistry is explosive, and Blue and Jessie begin to see each other in a new light.

Their attraction is obvious to everyone but them. But in the end… the question is who’s seducing whom and is chemistry enough to sustain a relationship?

Can this fierce woman tame this bad boy rocker? Does she want to?

Thank you Cover to Cover Designs for the amazing cover.

K Keeton Designs for the Cover Photography and Kendra Malcom – Model and Matthew Samson for portraying Jessie and Blue so fabulously!

Book Disclaimer from Jessie Adams.

Blue and I are electric.

This is your warning.

You will need to change your panties after reading our book. Ice and a fan are also a good idea.

If you are single, you might want to have the vibrator handy. If you are not single, you’re welcome.

May your own sex be rock star awesome.





How about a tiny little excerpt?
“I’m walking down the hall to my suite and I see Jessie’s suite door fly open and some disheveled blonde skank stomps out. She’s screaming into the room that he’s a “fucking asswipe” with her shoes in her hand, flipping him the bird with the other hand, and her hair is a mess. Classy.

She marches past me, jostling me with her shoulder, and never even spares me a glance. Stupid bitch. “Excuse you! Watch where you’re going!” Then, shaking my head, I mutter, “Bitch!”

My room is two doors down from his, so I have to walk past it. The door apparently didn’t latch from her “graceful exit” and is still open. My eyes stray to the inside of the room as I reach it. They widen as I take in the mess. Sheets and clothes are everywhere. Things are knocked over and, holy shit… is that a bra hanging from the light?

I can’t help but notice Jessie with his back to the door. He’s on the phone as he strips the bed and throws everything to the floor. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of low riding boxer briefs and I can clearly see his muscled, tattooed back. The colorful artwork on his arms ripples as he removes the sheets. His shoulder length blond hair is messy. Like someone, the skank I’m sure, has been running their hands through it.

I think I gasp. I hate that he gets my blood pumping and not just because he pisses me off! He hears me, and whips his head around. Shit!

His sky blue eyes meet mine and I can see he’s pulling on his lip ring with his teeth. His eyebrow raises and he smirks at my expression. I hurriedly school it as he strolls to the door. He stops right in front of me and leans against the doorjamb. “Really, Blue? Spying on me?” he says with disdain.”


Get your copy, only on AMAZON for e-books, Friday, January 3, 2014!

 

 

Wishing for a Broadsword…

There are very few things that enrage me and make me want to inflict bodily harm on other people.

However, this morning in my enraged mental state, I could very easily do this. No problem.

Every book is the author’s intellectual property. If it comes out of OUR brains, it is OUR work and as soon as it leaves our brains and hits paper or a computer it’s copyrighted. However, because there are effing thieving, cheating, dishonest people out there who get a thrill out of stealing from authors by pirating our work, there’s another step we can take. We can spend money and file a copyright with the copyright office and when our books are pirated and illegally downloaded, we can then sue the uploader of our copyrighted work, the hosting site, and in some cases the downloader for illegally distributing or obtaining our work.

Because you are STEALING and that is in fact a crime.

Receiving something for free because you are too cheap to pay $2.99 for a book is pathetic.

And your excuse of, “I can’t afford to buy all of the books I want to read. I’m not rich.” is complete bullshit.

Because you know what, I’m not rich either. I write books. I write books that cost $2.99. I make about $2 a book for every book SOLD. And I’m not selling a million books. So take your pathetic excuses for justifying stealing and shove them.

You can’t afford to supply your reading habit?

Get a library card!

As you can clearly see, I am pissed beyond belief.

Pirating books and downloading pirated books is immoral and wrong and pathetic!

You want to read a book, do it the honest way. Because we don’t write for free. We can’t. Producing books costs us money and it’s disgusting that you can buy a $4 coffee and not blink, but you’ll steal a $3 book and undermine the author.

Do you take money out of your grandmother or mother’s purse too?!

Heartbreaking reminder of why I write.

I’m an author. That means I write books and I hope that people not only read them, but that they enjoy them and can relate to the stories and characters.

Every author’s goal is to touch the reader. We want our readers to relate to, enjoy, and become involved in our stories. We want to invoke emotions.

I’ve received many messages and e-mails since I started this journey. Some are bad. Some are good.  I welcome all of them.

I’ve gotten thank you’s from women who fell in love with Jude. I’ve gotten thank you’s from husband’s who have benefited from the sexy scenes. I’ve gotten pervy one’s from people who can’t distinguish that I am an author of fiction and a married women and am not looking for anything other than people reading and enjoying my stories.

I’ve also gotten a couple of heartfelt messages that really touched me. These are my favorites.

But I have never gotten a letter like the one I received today.

I’m going to change the names in the letter because it’s a very heartbreaking letter, but it touched me so much. I am sitting here with tears and mascara running down my face, but with the greatest sense of accomplishment you can imagine.

Numbers and rankings are great and we all want them, but hearing that you’ve touched someone’s life is the best gift I can receive as an author and I am so humbled.

Here’s the letter… I warn you, you may need Kleenex.

“Dear Mrs. Turner,

I have never done this before, but after reading your book and the impact it had on my life, I felt like I needed to. I’d like to share my story with you. My name is Mandy. I’m 27 years old and I recently lost the love of my life and the other piece of my soul.

 

Rick and I grew up together, much like Jude and Lexi. I’m from a small town in Kentucky and not much ever happens or changes here. When I was 6 years old a new family moved into the house next door. The family had 3 children and the youngest was a boy a year older than me. His name was Rick. We became fast friends and spent all of our time together. By the time I was 13, I knew I was in love with him, but I didn’t think he’d ever see me the way I saw him.

I loved him in secret for 2 years and on my 15th birthday, at my party, he took me by the hand and asked me to be his girlfriend. That night was the first of many kisses. Eventually we moved onto other things. When he was 18, he decided after graduation he was going to join the military. I begged him not to. I was only 17 and I didn’t want him to leave me. I told him if he loved me, he would stay with me. I didn’t understand the selfless thing he was doing and in my youth, I thought that he didn’t love me enough to stay.

I ended things with him when he signed up. I was heartbroken and angry. I hated the world, and blamed everyone, not realizing it was my own selfish actions that had taken him from me. Eventually, another friend of ours snapped me out of it and said that Rick asked about me in every letter. The friend said I should contact him because he still loved me. I did. I wrote him a letter and apologized and begged for forgiveness.

After he was done with Basic training, he came home for a short while and we got back together. He was given his orders and he went off to Afghanistan. This time, I stayed with him. We wrote letters would talk whenever we could.

2 years later, he proposed to me while home on leave and we got married immediately before he left again. He reenlisted when it was time because he loved his country that much, only this time I was proud of him. I would tell everyone about my soldier and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was that we were together.

In July of this year, he was killed in action. I think a part of me died with him. I know my soul died. I didn’t want to live and I didn’t take care of myself. I was wasting away. Family and friends tried everything to bring me out of it, but all I wanted to do was cry and curl up and die. If I died, I could be with my Rick again.

A couple of weeks ago, my best friend stormed my house and I won’t go into details, but she made me get up, get dressed, and she literally shoved food in my mouth.

Everyone has been telling me that I should live that Rick would want that for me. But how can you live when your heart is gone?

The same friend bought me your book and told me to read it because she thought I would get something out of it. I ignored her and it sat on my device for a month. But this past weekend, I picked it up. I didn’t intend to read your particular book, but it was the book on the carousel and I decided to just read it to get my mind off of things. I devoured it. I felt what Lexi was feeling because I’d felt the same things with Rick. For the first time in months, I felt something other than pain and heartbreak. Your book made me laugh. It made me cry. But it also made me remember the love that Rick had for me and that I had for him. Our love was like Jude and Lexi’s love. It was forever. He was and always will be my soulmate.

I want to thank you for making me feel again. I want to thank you for reminding me that I don’t have to forget him or push my love aside for  fear of the pain. Our love was beautiful and I need to remember it. I need to live and share our story with others.

Thank you Mrs. Turner. Thank you for writing this book and thank you to whatever power made me read it. Thank you for returning me to the land of the living. Best wishes to you and all of your success.

Sincerely yours,

   Mandy XXXXXXXXXXX“

That right there is why I write and I thank you for sharing your story with me. May God Bless you and Best Wishes my dear.

Guest Blog Post I did for 1 Book Lover’s Opinion.

Guest Post by Skye Turner author of Alluring Turmoil

 

 

1 Book Lovers would like to thank Skye for guest posting today.  Reas what her thoughts are on being an Indie Author~M

 

 

 

My Experience with Being an Indie Author

 

 

I’m an author. I have a book out and I’m “officially” an Amazon Bestselling Author, so I must feel like an author, right?

 

The answer is, I’m not really sure yet.

 

About five weeks ago, I released my debut novel. It’s being well received. Blogs are posting about it. People want to interview me. I have “fans”. It’s completely surreal and I find myself stopping a few times a day and asking “Is this real? This must be a dream, a very cool dream that I don’t want to wake up from, but still just a dream.”

 

I wrote Alluring Turmoil in a very short time. The story had been in my head for years, it was just a matter of getting it down onto paper, or in my case onto the laptop.

 

I’ve been an Indie Editor for a few years and I’ve done pretty well with it. I love getting to help other authors tweak their work. Before entering into the Indie world myself, I was under the impression you wrote a book and people read it.

 

Boy was I mistaken. Writing the book is one step in a very long list of steps that for every step forward, you take two steps back. As an Independent Author, you are on your own. You are personally responsible for promotion, writing, interacting with fans, editing, your cover, networking, and everything else that comes with it.

 

If you fail, it’s all on you. There’s no one else to point at and blame.

 

It’s very important to have a good team around you, to make friends. You need to surround yourself with people who will be honest, but not cruel, support you without jealousy, people you genuinely like, who genuinely like you.

 

I’ve learned a lot through this journey and I’ve had some serious joy, but also some pain and heartbreak.

 

I’ve learned that people can be cruel. Some authors can be very competitive and just downright nasty. I’ve learned that some people set out at the beginning of the day with the sole intention of bringing others down. But on the flip side and which I’ve experienced much more of… people can be uplifting. Authors and bloggers can become amazing friends and confidants. I’ve learned that the people I write for are not the negative nellies, but the people who take the time to interact with me on my Facebook page, who send me a message or an e-mail letting me know my work touched something with them, who leave me reviews and tell the world why they loved my work.  (But not the one’s who send me creepy pictures and messages… I don’t really want those.) Those are the people I write for and those are the people I will continue to write for.

 

I have made amazing friends and I have some of the best readers around. I am very blessed, but do I feel like an “author” yet… not really. I’m still learning. I’m still growing. I’m still taking everything in.

 

When I no longer feel the need to vomit when I see I have a new review, I’ll let you know.

 

**Skye Turner is the author of Alluring Turmoil, Book 1 Bayou Stix.

 

One Book Lover’s Opinion Blog

 

Thankful November. Giving Back…

The past 2 months have been like something out of a movie.

I went from working in my home as an Indie editor and being a domestic goddess to being an Amazon Bestselling Author.

This is Thankful November and I am beyond thankful for the blessings bestowed upon me.

My first book, Alluring Turmoil, is doing amazing and my second book, Alluring Seduction, is in preparation mode. I’m editing and about to send to formatting. I’m having a custom shoot for my cover that is being shot this weekend. I’m getting feedback from my Beta Readers and it’s great. It releases on Friday, January 3, 2014.

I am blessed beyond belief and in awe of all the things that have transpired.

With is being November and the holidays, I want to give back  and I want to pass some of all the good that is happening to me onto others.

Monday is Veteran’s Day. Our troops and our veteran’s are something that is very important to me. These men and women serve selflessly. They leave their family and friends behind, and head off into unknown danger. They do it for the love of their country and to preserve and protect our freedoms. Often when they return home, they need help… they don’t always get it. A simple thank you can go a long way.

I have 2 young children, 4 and 6 years old, and even they understand that being a soldier is something to be proud of. They see men and women in uniform and excitedly exclaim, “Look,Momma! A soldier!” I’ve tried to teach them that you should honor and appreciate these men and women who sacrifice so much for us and at 4 and 6 years old, they sort of get it. They see an American flag and know that it is something truly special. They see the older men and women with all of their military tattoos or proudly saluting others and they know what that means.

I get very emotional about our soldiers and our veterans. In fact, I get choked up when I see them, hear their stories, and I always take a second to say thank you whenever I am able.

We send cards and care packages to the troops and Veterans every year, but this year, with my success and because I am able and it’s important, I want to do MORE.

I am honored to say I have teamed up with Jacques Doucet of WAFB, here in Baton Rouge, and Sunday, November 10  at midnight through Sunday, November 17 at midnight, I will be donating 100% of my proceeds from my Amazon sales of my debut novel, Alluring Turmoil, Book 1 Bayou Stix,  to Jacques organization, Red Rock & Blue.

Red Rock and Blue is an organization founded and run by Jacques Doucet of  WAFB, Channel 9 in Baton Rouge.  He has 3 major events in the Baton Rouge area every year that 100% of the proceeds benefit the LA Military – Support Our War Heroes & Blue Star Mothers.

These events are usually put on in the summer and include: a Celebrity Softball Tournament, an amazing Concert featuring a huge name,  a Softball/Kickball Tournament,  and this past year there was also a Golf Tournament.

I am by no means a huge name, but I am a proud Louisiana local who’s had some success, and I want to use that to benefit something that is very important to me and should be important to everyone else… supporting our Veterans.

Please join me in supporting our Veterans and saying “Thank you” by buying my book, Alluring Turmoil, Book 1 Bayou Stix, Sunday on Amazon, November 10 at midnight through Sunday, November 17 at midnight, and helping me raise  money for them.

100% of my proceeds will go directly to Red Rock and Blue and to our Louisiana Veteran’s.

Alluring Turmoil, Book 1 Bayou Stix:

Alexia Sloane is the twenty-six year old owner of the highly successful Louisiana coffee shop/bakery, Java and Sweeties. The past couple of years have been all she’s dreamed of and her business takes all of her focus, all of her heart.

Jude Delecroix is the lead singer of one of the most famous rock bands in the country, Bayou Stix, and the man who broke Lexi’s heart.

Lexi and Jude have a past.

When Jude comes back to town eight years after leaving to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a famous musician and comes face to face with Lexi, forces collide, old hurts are brought to the surface, and life as these two have been living it will never be the same.

There are two sides to every story, and what happens when the things you believed to be concrete suddenly crumble like ash and fade away?

What happens when two people afraid to face the past, become involved in the present? Can they hope for a future?

Welcome to Louisiana where humidity and passion are high and things are not always what they seem.

***Contains graphic sex and language. Not for young readers.***

***Alluring Turmoil is a second chance love story and is nothing like a love story when strangers meet.

E-books for Kindle or Kindle apps are $2.99. They can be purchased HERE.

Paperbacks are $16.99 and can be purchased HERE.

Signed paperbacks with bookmark and cover card from my store are $15 with $4 for shipping and handling. They can be purchased HERE.

More information about Red Rock and Blue can be found HERE.

My Facebook Author Page can be found HERE

My Facebook “Friend” page can be found HERE

I thank you all for the support and I hope that together we can raise a lot of money for Red Rock and Blue and our Louisiana Veterans!

What is an “Indie Author”?

I’ve been asked a few times in the past week some questions about Indie or Independent Authors. These questions brought to my attention that many readers are not certain of what  being an “Indie” author really means.

Here’s the definition of an Indie Author from Joann Penn. At its most basic, indie means there is no separate publisher involved.

I don’t think most readers fully understand exactly what being “Indie” or Independent Author actually entails.

I’m going to tell you what it means to me.

It means that I publish my book. I am the publisher and I have no publisher backing me. I am responsible for 100% of the FUNDING of my work. I am 100% responsible for the PROMOTING of my book. It means that I am 100% responsible for the EDITING of my book and then I hire and pay an editor to do a “final edit” for me. It means that I am 100% responsible for the COVER of my book and I hire and pay a cover designer I trust. It means that I am 100% responsible for the FORMATTING of my book and I hire and pay a formatter. It means that I am 100% responsible for the DISTRIBUTION of my book. It means it if I fail or succeed that’s on ME, not on a publisher or publishing company.

Promotion with a publisher means you have people on a payroll who’s job is to PROMOTE you and your work. Promotion as an Indie Author means that you have to bust your ass and pimp yourself. You have to contact and sell yourself to blogs and other authors to have them help promote and support you. You have to engage your intended audience long before your book even comes out. You have to make them want to read it and make them want to know more about you. Street Teams are excellent marketing tools as well. I’m going to steal this description from Stephanie of Steph’s Sweet Reads of what a Street Team is. “A Street Team is a group of people, normally hand picked by the authors, that help get the word out about their books. We volunteer to support them, read their books, write reviews, make trailers, post buy links, organize their blog tours, basically help “pimp” them in any way shape or form so their name is out in the community. Free PR, if you will. Why do we do this, you ask? Because we believe that they have “something”…that certain “something” that sets them apart from other authors you read. You want nothing more than their work to hit the top of the charts because you know how much time was taken away from their families and their friends while writing, how many hours of sleep they lost for MONTHS while pouring their hearts and souls out onto page after page. We do this because we know how scared they are that no one will 1-click their book. We do this because we believe in them, their work, their blood, sweat and tears. Because of the bravery that they show every time they hit publish. THAT’S why we do it…”

Without all of these people who believe in you, love your work, and support and back  you, an Indie author will never succeed.

Editing is so important to Indie Authors. I am an Editor, but even I have Beta Readers read my work and flag mistakes I may have missed. I read my manuscript about 50 times, continuously revising, and correcting, before I send it off to my Beta’s. Then, I send it to another editor read to tweek it one last time,  a “Final Edit”, before publishing. Again, without a publisher, I am responsible for this and for the funding of this.

Editing is important because as an Indie Author you are already at a disadvantage since you are responsible for you, but throw in a lot of typos and grammatical errors and you will lose your readers and get slammed in reviews. Suicide for an Indie.

Cover Design is also SO important. I know for me personally, if I don’t like a cover, I won’t even read the blurb on a book. It could be an amazing book, but if the cover is ugly or doesn’t catch my eye, then I’m passing on it.

This is when either having experience in design or hiring a fantastic cover designer comes in. Again, this is something that you pay for, because you don’t have a publisher to pick up that tab. Throw in a custom cover with a professional photo shoot and you’re guaranteed to have an exclusive cover, but that’s also another cost that you are covering.

My cover designer is amazing. But there are so many talented one’s out there. Take the time to make your cover shine so people will stop and go, “I want to read that book.”

Formatting is something that is important and each device that you can read an e-book on is formatted a little differently. Another cost for you since you don’t have a team behind you doing all of this. If the formatting is “off” in a book, it’s distracting and can lead to people not finishing the book or bad reviews.

Publishing Distribution is scary as hell. You are responsible for uploading your book and distributing it to the masses. If you want your books on separate channels, you have to do that. If you want your book in paperback, you have to do that. If you want to see your books on store shelves, you have to make the store want to take a chance on you. No one else does it for you. It’s all on you.

If an  author gets picked up by a publisher, their job is usually to write and hand the manuscript over. Everything else is typically the publishers responsibility.

This is why it’s so awesome when an Indie Author does well, because they’ve done it on their own. It’s their responsibility to sell themselves since they don’t have a publisher to do it for them. They are responsible for building their team and in a really great case, they have an awesome support system and team behind them, they they’ve built… on their own and on their dime, through their blood, sweat, and tears.

And ps… I’m not knocking published authors, at all. That is most “Indie’s” dream. To have a publisher pick them up and want to distribute them.

But the next time you see an Indie Author doing well, understand exactly what an accomplishment that is and how much courage it took to put themselves out there for the world to love, hate, criticize, or fawn over.

Give  credit where credit is due and if you love them, tell them!

Bells and Whistles

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a quirky, speak my mind, no filter kind of woman.

Some people love it, some people hate it, but I am me and I don’t see the point in hiding or changing who you are to make others happy.

Loads of things have been going on with me. I’ll try to jot them all down and also give y’all the dates of some totally awesome stuff, you are not going to want to miss!

First off, I am now “officially” an Amazon Bestselling Author. I have the e-mail to prove it. Lol. Who would have thought? I am seriously in shock and I am so proud of myself for going for it and so grateful to everyone who’s supported me to get me here.

Second, I am the proud owner of my Band Name and it’s custom logo and it’s TRADEMARKED!

Important Dates:

Tonight, Tuesday, Oct, 22, Fabulous Online Party with Q & A’s, giveaways, and other fans… check it out. My fabulous Street Team threw this together for me. I’m so excited. From 7PM-11PM, Central Time. (Click HERE to RSVP and then go back for the party later!) VERY interactive and so much fun!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 23, I will be a Guest Admin on Fictional Boyfriends FB page (Click Here to LIKE) from 11AM-1PM, Central time. There will be fun Q & A sessions, the silliness that is me, giveaways, I am releasing the Blurb for ALLURING SEDUCTION, BOOK 2 BAYOU STIX, and a lot more. You are going to want to check it out!

November 7, I will do  a Guest Blog post on Nerd Girl (Click HERE to LIKE) and I will announce ALLURING SEDUCTION, Book 2 Bayou Stix’s release date.

November 14, I have a Guest Blog set up on 1 Book Lover’s Opinion (Click HERE to LIKE). I will talk about my experience with being an Indie Author.

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I’ve also set up a Street Team and I am pleased as punch with this group of gals. They are very friendly, personable, and seem to get the job done. So, look for good things from them.

Officially welcoming: Heather, Karen, Lindsey, Rebecca, Shannon, Denise, Lheanne, Michelle, Amanda, Noelle,Terrie, Khara, Philomena, Sheraka, Pam, Roni, Joely, and Nat to the Street Team!

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There is a FB Group set up now that is dedicated to discussing my books and conversing with other readers of my work. It eliminates the spoilers on the FB page, but allows everyone to talk about the book amongst other readers.

Click HERE to head to that Group.

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AUTHOR EVENTS I’LL BE ATTENDING NEXT YEAR.

February 21 & 22, 2014, Charleston, South Carolina  Indie Girl Con (Click HERE for more info)

April 26, 2014, Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland Author Event (Click HERE for more info)

September 27, 2014, Orange Beach, Alabama, Down and Dirty Author Bash. (Click HERE for more info)

November 8, 2014, Huntington, West Virginia, Rebels and Readers Author Event (Click HERE for more info)

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Stay Tuned for more info on what’s going on with me.

Thanks!!!