Skye Turner's Blog, page 9

Chaos and Censorship in the Indie World

The shit has basically hit the proverbial fan in the Indie Author World over the past few days!

Online retailers have started pulling Indie Author Books, people are losing books on their devices, authors are panicking, readers are furious…

It’s a big old mess and it’s utter chaos.

Yesterday it became very public on social media that the online ebook site KOBO was pulling all independent authors. My book was on KOBO, so it distressed me a bit. Then Barnes and Noble and Amazon release that they too are pulling “some” work from their site and off of people’s devices.

Wait, what? I’m an indie author, so that means that my channels for distribution are pulling books? Could this happen to me?

I did a little research.

What I’ve gathered so far and I am by no means a professional and I don’t have an “in” with either B&N OR Amazon, so don’t take this as 100% fact… what I’ve gathered is that some questionable titles and content (ok, not questionable, disgusting and downright criminal in my opinion) were found to be on the sites. These are not “erotica” books. They are vile disgusting books that depict rape, incest, bestiality, and criminal acts towards people and most importantly children for pleasure! (READ ABOUT IT HERE)

These books have no business being on any site and especially not a site like B&N or Amazon!

The people writing these books, though they put a tiny clause in there that it’s a work of fiction, these are the people that need to be censored and in my opinion investigated. What kind of mind does a story like that live in?! And some of these writers have children… it horrifies me.

BUT… some authors are being censored now who do not write “criminal” sex books. They simply write Erotica. Erotica is a whole other platform. It’s raw, dirty, explicit sex but between legal aged, CONSENTING adults. And it’s widely popular.

Hell most people I know read erotica in some form or another. My books are not Erotica, but DO have explicit sex scenes. I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors with most people as that’s not my business, but I can guarantee you 95% of adults who have sex engage in something other than the missionary position. Therefore… most people do the things that are depicted in erotica books. Erotica doesn’t have to be a threesome, or orgy, or public sex, etc… It can be just wild, unrestrained, no holds barred, passionate sex and people love it! It’s called Smut. I love Smut!

Some titles are being pulled that should not be in my opinion. Some authors are being penalized that should not be in my opinion. I think the retailers are wanting so badly to “do the right thing” that they are doing it too fast and going about it in the wrong way.

Yes, the books in the original report need to be taken down as so other books of the same nature, BUT regular erotica books and books with disclaimers should not be removed. I have no doubt that this will all be sorted out, but it’s a clusterfuck in the meantime.

After doing some research yesterday and talking to multiple people, I made the decision (for this and other personal reasons) to pull my books from all online retailers except Amazon. I am now an Amazon Exclusive Author. It’s less sites to keep track of. It’s more time dedicated to writing and promoting my books. And the benefits for me financially are better too.

This morning, I have seen ALL over Social Media that people are asking you to “Boycott Amazon and other retailers”. I am going to ask you not to do this. And here’s why:

Authors publish their work. We need people to buy our work so we can produce more work. By boycotting these sites, you are harming not just those authors who have been censored and are fighting to get their books back up, you are also harming authors who are still fighting and standing beside these people, our associates and friends, by stopping their cashflow, their lifeline. You’re taking away our platform and in doing so, taking away our voice. Indie authors are at the mercy of these retailers. We have no other platform to sell on. We are tiny fish in a very big pond and by boycotting these sites, what will happen is, we’ll be swallowed up whole.

What you CAN do is… contact these sites. Call them. Send e-mails. Express your concerns. Contact the authors and let them know you support them and love them. BUY their books if they are still up. SIGN THE PETITION. Use your Social Media to get your voice heard, but don’t stop buying… this harms no one but the people you are fighting for and the people I am fighting with.

Thank you all and remember… support your authors, the one’s you love. The one’s fighting for their right to sell their books. The one’s who simply write what we want to read and are not depicting crimes against people and animals.

Don’t let a few bad apples ruin the whole crop, because the orchard is FULL of really talented people, people who deserve to be able to sell their books.

Industry Interview: Cover 2 Cover Designs

Reblogged from Book Bliss:

They tell you to never judge a book by it's cover. But let's be realistic, It's impossible not to. Covers are the first glimpse readers get at a book and a large reason I myself will look further into purchasing a book. Kari, from Cover 2 Cover Designs is stopping by to give an inside look at making book covers. But before you read on, why not check out these absolutely beautiful works of hers!

Read more… 830 more words

My Cover Designer gets interviewed! :)

Enlightenment

It’s been a whirlwind week.

To be honest, my life right now, doesn’t seem real. I kind of feel like I’m in a tunnel underwater, with my head all fuzzy, and my senses out of whack.

My debut novel released early (on Amazon) one week ago tonight. And it’s been nuts.

I went from barely thinking I’d break even to turning a small profit (I am by no means making a shit ton of money as some have claimed) and it’s nice. When I released Alluring Turmoil, I didn’t know if I’d make back the money I spent on producing it. I thought I would have to wait until Book 2 came out and see how things went.

But things are not all nice in the world of writing, and just like everything else, it has it’s not good and hurtful moments.

The things is… I wrote my book, so do I think it’s good? Of course.

What author doesn’t think their work is good?

If we thought our writing was shit, why would we release it? But I have never and will never say I am better than anyone else or look down at anyone.

It’s not the way I was raised and it’s not in me to do so.

I respect everyone until they give me a reason not to. I am happy for people’s success and it hurts me when an author is attacked or turned on, because every writer who puts their stuff out there is vulnerable.

When you release a book, you are releasing a piece of yourself and you are asking the world to “like” it, thus you are asking the world to like you. So, when people are in effect “mean” because they don’t know you and make assumptions, I don’t care who you are or how thick your skin is, it hurts.

Last night was a very rough night for me and I won’t lie, I was immensely hurt and pissed, but today, I’m over it.

I’m not going to spend another second of time that I can be spending time with my kids and husband (the most important people in my life), writing, or being “me” with and around the people who do know me and have taken the time to get to know me on worrying about what people I don’t know think.

I’ve never done it before and I won’t now.

Bottom line is I know who I am and what I’m about and those that do know me, know exactly the type of person I am too.

And that person is a kick ass wife. A mommy to 2 special babies. A daughter. A sister. A friend. A writer. An editor. A nurse. A chauffeur. A cook. A maid. A barista. A boo boo kisser. A dragon slayer. A blogger. A dancer. An event planner. An animal lover. Etc.

I assume nothing about anyone else, and if I see a problem or think something is meant one way, but I’m not certain about it, I ask the person… and I don’t think it’s too much to ask for the same respect in return.

Utopia

It’s now 3 days after my “official” release of Alluring Turmoil and I am completely blown away by all that transpired this weekend.

I imagined I would do well, but I never in a million years imagined I would do what  I did in sales, the charts, and Skye Turner Author." target="_blank">rankings.

I had a couple of “freak outs” this weekend (ok, more than a couple) and there “might” have been an instance when I needed to breathe into a paper bag to calm down. But the weekend was amazing and the experience was surreal.

I have had numerous people question what I did to get the sales and rankings I got and I even got a mention in USA TODAY. Yes, USA TODAY.

The honest answer is… I have absolutely no idea.

I wrote my book.I made friends with authors I admire.  I promoted the hell out of myself. I contacted every book blog I could think of and offered an ARC. I sent out 62 ARC’s and I received less than a handful of reviews from that though, so I don’t know that it affected my sales very much. But the main thing I did was I SOLD myself.

My editor and my formatter both contacted me this weekend about my rankings and sales and stated they had never before seen a new Indie author with their debut book break into the top 500 sales on Kindle.  I am a little bit shocked by this. I didn’t do anything really spectacular, I just SOLD the hell out of myself and my book.

Things I did:

 I made Chapter One free and available as a teaser on my Blog about a month before Alluring Turmoil’s release.


I posted photo teasers with quotes from the book.


I posted reviews as they came in from ARC’s and Beta’s.


I made a “Cast” folder with photos of who I would cast as my characters.


I posted my Book Cover and had a Cover Reveal with a lot of blogs and author friends as soon as it was available.


I made and shared Alluring Turmoil’s Playlist.

But the main thing I did was just keep at it and promote, promote, promote myself and my book.

I’ve had multiple people ask me about my sales, but I don’t want to tell exact numbers. I don’t want people getting resentful and I think that’s kind of private, but they have been amazing. Far greater than I ever imagined and I am so blown away.

I have had so much support and people have truly been amazing. I’m so humbled and grateful.

I’m a small town girl from Louisiana. I’m not “Hollywood” and I never want to be. Even if I do “make it” as far as it goes, I pray that I will always be true to myself and where I came from. I never want to take for granted the people who helped get me to where I am and to where I pray I’m going.

I have very passionate “fans” (and you have no idea how strange that is for me to say that) and that amazes me.

I don’t have amazing reviews from everyone, but I’m ok with that. Some people hate my book, and that’s ok. I don’t write for those people. I write for myself and for the people who do love my work and my characters.

I don’t love every book I read either, but one thing I do make sure to do is be kind in my criticism. And if I can’t leave a decent review, I try not to leave one at all, but that’s just me and maybe it’s just the way I am.

Main point of this post is to thank everyone who’s made my release so amazeballs. Y’all have truly blown me away and I am eternally grateful. I appreciate you all!

I can’t wait to being you Book 2 and more!

Here’s to many years of books!

Author Spot Light: Alluring Turmoil (Bayou Stix #1) by Skye Turner

Reblogged from Blushing Diva Book Reviews:

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.

Read more… 550 more words

I'm spotlighted!

RELEASE DAY!!!

Today is Alluring Turmoil’s official release day!

Sales are GREAT and I couldn’t be any happier.

Currently I’m #1092 in the Paid Kindle Store! This is out of over 80,000 books! So, yes I am stoked!!!!!!

4 Facebook pages/blogs interviewed me this week. I enjoyed the interviews and really thank them for taking the time to get to know me and share a little of me with their fans and readers.

I’ll share the links with you now for the blogs. Each one is a little different and each one gives book info and you’ll get to know me a little as well.

They’re a glimpse into my head. (You might be sorry once you see what’s in there.)

The first Page to post their interview was Book Geeks Unite, you can find them HERE on Facebook.

Here is the Interview with them.

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing fellow Louisianan, Skye Turner Author. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know her a little over the past few weeks, and I must say she’s a sweetheart. I hope you enjoy getting to know her a little through this interview as we discuss her novel, her family and her take on the 50 Shades casting choices!

~ Shawn

What inspired you to write your first book?

For 3 years now, I’ve edited for other Indie authors. I came across a book called “All For Anna” by Nicole Deese and it just really touched me. It’s a Christian, inspirational romance, so nothing like my books, but I completely loved it. I loved that Nicole Deese was so open and able to write about what was important to her, plus the book was amazing. I started talking to her and when her second book in the series came out and I read it, something in me just woke up. I’ve always had ideas in my head, but after these books, the idea and the story for Alluring Turmoil just demanded to be let out. Jude and Lexi wanted out. So, I wrote it.

How did you come up with the title Alluring Turmoil?

This seems to be a popular question. Jude and Lexi are electric. Their relationship is so intense, yet has some serious issues that they refuse to deal with. I played around with various titles, but the title Beautiful Chaos stayed on my mind. There are so many “Beautiful” books out though, and I didn’t want mine to get lost in the mix. So, I compromised and came up with Alluring Turmoil since it basically means the same thing and I absolutely love it now.

What genre(s) do you most enjoy reading?

I am a huge fan of romance. All romance. But paranormal romance and contemporary romance are my favorites. My absolute favorite genre is actually YA Paranormal Romance though. And I also love Dystopian.

How many books do you read per month, on average?

Before I started writing, I’d read at least a book a day. Since writing, I read a couple per week. And about 8 per month on average. I’d like to get back to reading more once things settle down though.

Who are you top three favorite authors?

Nora Roberts, Gena Showalter, and JoAnn Ross

What book are you reading now?

I’m currently reading Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Wicked Wind by Sharon Kay and an ARC of Sanguis City by Morgan Jane Mitchell.

Are there any new authors that have caught your eye?

Her book isn’t out yet, but I was lucky enough to read an ARC of LL Collins’s Living Again and I loved it. Alina Man is another author whose books are not like mine, but I find myself very drawn to them. I also cannot put down either of the 2 books by new authors I’m currently reading. There’s so much talent in the Indie field!

What’s a typical day like in the Turner household? I know you have children, so where do you find the time to write? Are you a day writer or a night writer?

A typical day here is CHAOS. Lol. But I love it. I thrive in chaos. My children are very young, 5.5 and 4, so they are constantly needing/wanting/demanding something, but I’m an excellent multi-tasker. A normal day starts around 6-6:30AM for me and I don’t stop until after well after midnight most nights. I’m OCD about my house being clean, baking and cooking are things I absolutely love and I’m very crafty, so we’re always doing projects (my friends jokingly call me SuperMommy). I sit when I can and write, but spending time with my family is number one for me. Things have been a lot smoother since they started school and are gone most of the day, but my household details and editing take up a lot of my day, so writing is generally done at night after they are down.

Where do you stand on the 50 Shades casting hoopla? Do you care at all? Will you see the movie?

Honestly, I don’t care. I wasn’t an uber fan of the books. I read them, I enjoyed them, but they didn’t change my life. I took then for what they were, a quick way to escape into an enjoyable book. Matt Bomer was my choice for Christian Grey… or Ian Somerhalder. I didn’t even know who the guy they cast was to be honest. I don’t watch the show he’s on and I’ve never heard of the girl. But I’m sure they will nail the roles. After all, I don’t think many people knew who other people were when they were cast in pivotal roles either. As far as seeing the movie, I would wait until it came out on cable, but my girlfriends are telling me I’m going with them to see it. And I’m always up for a Girl’s night with my best friends, so I guess I will see it in the theater after all.

Be sure to check out Skye’s debut novel, Alluring Turmoil (Bayou Stix #1).

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The 2nd Interview was with Book Fanatic-Roni. You can find her HERE on Facebook or her blog can be found HERE.

This is her interview with me. (She is a dear friend and has supported me immensely through this process.)

Interview with Skye Turner author of Alluring Turmoil Coming Out September 13th

Hi Skye, I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to answer a few questions for me. My goal is to have other readers get to see how awesome you are Here we go: 

1. When did you decide you wanted to start writing?

The day I sat at the computer and started Alluring Turmoil. LOL. I never thought I wanted to write. I was the reader and the editor, not the writer. 

2. Which do you prefer more, writing or editing?

I love to edit. I love helping authors perfect their work, but I have to be honest and say that I absolutely LOVE writing. It’s so exhilarating getting your own ideas, characters, and stories onto paper and ready for the world to see. 

3. How did this story Alluring Turmoil come to you?

Jude and Lexi have been in my head for a long time, but I never really gave them much free reign. It was a snippet here and there, but I actually read a book, an inspirational romance, called “All For Anna” by Nicole Deese and I loved the way she wrote so freely about what was important to her. When her 2nd book came out, I read it and it just gave me the push to get Lexi and Jude out of my head and onto the laptop. By that point, they were pretty persistent anyway.

4. Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

I had to laugh. Yes actually. Jude is based partly on features and characteristics of my husband, Adam Levine, and Eric Johnson (the sexy actor), but he’s a lot of my imagination too. Lexi and Bradi are actually a lot like me and my friends in a lot of ways. But of the 2 girls, Bradi would be more “like me”. 

5. Was this an easy story for you to write?

In all honesty, yes it was. It just flowed. There was one scene that I completely threw out after writing one night for 4 hours, because something just felt off, but I am very happy with the scene that took its place. The first few sex scenes were a little strange to me though. I made myself blush a few times. 

6. Do you listen to music when you are writing? If so which songs inspired you the most?

I actually do not listen to music when I write. I listen when I brainstorm and outline, but not when I’m actually writing. It would distract me and when I write, I’m in “the zone”. Alluring Turmoil does have a Playlist and it’s songs that remind me of parts of the book or mirror the emotions of the characters. Of the Playlist songs, I think Clarity by Zedd and It’s Not Over by Daughtry most reflect Jude and Lexi as a whole. 

7. I have to know…the tattoo itself is very creative. Did you picture the tattoo as you were writing about Jude or was there somebody that had a tattoo that helped you create Jude’s tattoo?

No, Jude’s tattoo is entirely my creation. It was in my head and it’s such an important part of the book, I needed it featured on the cover. My cover designer completely nailed my vision. It’s so perfect to the picture in my head it’s eerie.

8. I’m curious. Was it hard writing the Hot sex scenes? (I would be all hot and bothered….lol)

Um, yes. Writing the first sex scene, I was so embarrassed. I sent it to 2 people and was like, “Is this ok? Does it suck? Is it too graphic? What do you think?” And I was reassured it was hot and perfect. Writing sex scenes is not an easy task. Especially when I think that people I know will read them. Lol 

9. How did you come up with Alluring Turmoil as the title of the book?

Originally, I wanted to call it Beautiful Chaos, but there’s already a pretty popular book with that name, and there are so many “Beautiful” books out… I played around with it and decided I like Alluring Turmoil and it basically means the same thing. 

10. I know you are a full-time mom, and I bet it is difficult to focus while taking care of everything. How do you keep yourself from going crazy so that you can get into the zone of writing?

I don’t. LOL. I’m actually pretty much insane. I just hide it well. I’m sort of kidding. Honestly, I don’t know how to relax. If I’m not doing 10 things and my life is not chaotic, I don’t know how to function. I’ve also gotten pretty good at listening to my kids and keeping an eye on them while doing 10 other things, so if they aren’t giving me the I “hurt myself and need the hospital” scream, then we’re good. 

11. Is your family supportive of your decision to start writing?

My husband was actually working away from home when I started the book. He called home and I said, “Hey baby, I’m writing a book.” He said, “Yes, I saw that on Facebook.” My husband is amazing. He supports me 100% in everything I do, he’s also the person who can keep my from the brink when I get too overwhelmed. I’m a lucky lady. My parents are pretty great and supportive too. 

12. Will this book turn into a series based on different characters? If so how many do you think you may write in the series?

Yes, Bayou Stix is the series and there are 5 band members, so there will be 5 books. 

13. What book are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading 3 books: Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer Armentrout, Wicked Wind by Sharon Kay, and Bully by Penelope Douglas. 

14. Do you have any advice to give to new writers that are barely getting into the business?

Don’t allow anyone to tell you you can’t do it, but don’t think it’s easy. Writing the book is just the beginning. You are your biggest fan and your biggest selling point, so be prepared to WORK for what you want. Contact blogs and authors you admire and make friends. It’s important. 

15. Are there any authors that have inspired you with their writing? (famous or not)

Yes, Nicole Deese, Nora Roberts, Gena Showalter, JoAnne Ross, Molly McAdams, Shelly Pratt, Alina Man, Glenna Maynard, and LL Collins. 

16. Any shout outs you might want to give when I post this interview?

Roni asked me if I wanted to give any shout outs, so I’m going to! I’m going to thank one person who is NOT famous, but is 100% supportive and a great childhood friend, Thomas Noble. He read my book and he gave me honest, unbiased feedback from a male’s perspective, not many men will do that. He’s also always giving me encouragement and support and when people you’ve known your entire life do this, it means so much, so thank you Thomas! I appreciate you! And I’m going to give a HUGE shout out to Roni over at Book Fanatics! She took on a book from an unknown author and has supported me from day one, so thank you Roni for everything you’ve done for me and also for this awesome interview!

Okay well that is all I have for you today, and I wish you the best of luck on your book.  I know you will kick ass!

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My 3rd interview was with Blissful Bookblog. You can find her Facebook page HERE and her Blog HERE.

ALLURING TURMOIL ~ REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW

ALLURING TURMOIL (BAYOU STIX 1) by SKYE TURNER

 

SYNOPSIS:
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.

REVIEW:

Watch Out Ladies, there is a new rocker in town and he goes by the name of Jude Delecroix. Make sure you have plenty of time and nobody to interrupt you when you start this book because believe me, you will not want to put it down! This is Skye Turners first book, but it doesnt show. The writing is confident, it flows, and the characters are so well put together. Its written in dual point of view, which I love. Its quite difficult sometimes to relate to a male POV when written by a woman, not everyone gets it right but Turner manages this with ease and makes his character so believeable ~ some of Judes internal monologues had me in stitches!

I fell in love with Lexi straight away, she is independant, funny and ballsy. I loved her relationship with her best friends Bradi and Erik, they were strong secondary characters and really added to the story. What can I say about Jude? That man should come with a warning – he is smoking hot! He is your typical arrogant rockstar, bedding a bunch of women, but there is only one woman that he has truly ever wanted. Alexia!

“….I can’t stand to see you upset. And I’m not asking you to be a rock stars girlfriend. I’m Jude. Just Jude. Be MY girlfriend. Ok? Just be with me. Not Jude the rock star. Just Jude, the man who’s loved you his entire life. The man who loves you now.”

  ……..*Faints* Isn’t he special ladies? He really does have a sweet, caring side to him and I fell hopelessly in love with him.

I have to say that this book does contain graphic sex and language, so its definitely not for younger readers ~ so technically I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. If you are over 18 however, I say you need to download this NOW!!

Obviously this is book 1 in a series. We do briefly get to meet the other members of Bayou Stix ~ Jessie, Liam, Cruz and Dade ~ and the good news is that they will each be getting their own book. YAY!!

Finally I just need to say Well Done and a huge Congratulations to Skye Turner on a fantastic debut! I really am so excited for the rest of the series.

INTERVIEW:

I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to interview Skye, here’s what she had to say:

Hello Skye and thankyou for letting me interview you! Can I start by asking how you came up with the idea for the story?

I didn’t really. Lol. Jude and Lexi have been in my head for a long time, but I usually just pushed them back. I was the editor, not the writer. This summer, they demanded to be let out and I sat down to write it.

I didn’t actually come up with it in the sense that I said, “I want to write a book. What will I write about?” Lol. It just kind of happened in my head and I just wrote it down. Alluring Turmoil is the result. 
 
Have you always wanted to write?
 I went to school for Journalism, so in a way I suppose I did, but I wanted to be a Broadcast Journalist.

I didn’t graduate, I’m not far off, but life intervened. I have been freelancing articles for years with various websites and publications, but only every now and again.

For the past 3 years, I’ve been editing for Indie authors. One authors work really made me realize I wanted to get my own ideas down, so I started writing Alluring Turmoil not intending for anyone else to ever read it. I just wanted it out of my head. 
 

Is the location of the story special to you?
Yes. Baton Rouge is home. I’m a very proud Louisianan, so I will always center my stories around Louisiana. Our culture is amazing and I want to share a bit of that with my readers.

The biggest compliment a person can give me is to want to visit my home state because they fell in love with it through my work.
 

Jude is an absolute Sex-God!! Did anybody in particular inspire his character?
Well Jude is a combination of several people while still being his own man. He’s based off of my own husband, Adam Levine, and Eric Johnson (the actor, not Jessica Simpson’s beau.)
 

Who are your favorite authors?
This is a popular question.  My favorite authors are Nora Roberts and Gena Showalter. I own every single book that these ladies have ever put out. What was the last book you read?
The last book I completed was Everything Bared (Six Alarm Sexy #2) by Kristine Cayne. 

I’m actually reading 3 books right now: Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer Armentrout, Sangius City ARC by Morgan Jane Mitchell, and Wicked Wind by Sharon Kay. If Jessie, Liam, Cruz & Dade left Bayou Stix and you were asked to make a “supergroup” with 4 other Book Boys – who would you choose?
This is a hard one. Probably Sed Lionheart from Rock Hard (Sinner on Tour #1) and Jase Seymour from Hot Ticket (Sinners on Tour #3) by Olivia Cunning, Jet Keller from Jet (Marked Men #2) by Jay Crownover, and Gabe from Try Me (One Night With Sole Regret) by Olivia Cunning.

Will each member of the band be getting their own story?

Yes, Bayou Stix is a series with 5 band members, so there will be 5 books. Each character will have their own book, but you will be able to keep up with all of the other characters, though each book can be read as a stand alone.  Do you listen to music while you write? Who is your favorite band/artist?
I listen to music when I brainstorm and outline. I can’t listen to music when I write, because it distracts me.

The books Playlist is the songs the book and it’s contents remind me of… the songs I listened to when I was jotting down ideas.
I am a huge fan of Maroon 5, Luke Bryan, Paramore, & Katy Perry, but if I have to have a favorite band… it’s probably Heart.
 
Thank you so much!
 
 
So ladies, ALLURING TURMOIL goes Live Fri 13th – if you buy only one book on that day, please let it be this one!!!!
 
Happy Reading!
 
Nikki xx

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The 4th interview is with B00k W0rms (found HERE) and should post either today or this weekend.





Now… Alluring Turmoil is LIVE and can be BOUGHT at these links!
Amazon Kindle Version

Amazon Paperback Version

Nook Version

KOBO Version

Smashwords Version

SIGNED Paperback with Bookmark and Cover Card

Also available on iBook!

Thank you to EVERYONE who’s supporting me on this endeavor and I pray you love the book as much as I loved writing it.
If you DO love the book, please leave a review so others can buy the book!

Goodreads Reviews can be left HERE.
And all other reviews can be left at the links to purchase the book, ^right up there!

Thank you!!!

Filing it away.

Alluring Turmoil comes out in 3 days.  I absolutely cannot believe it. I have been a crazy person the past few days and as it gets closer and I scramble to do all of my last minute things and make sure my “i”‘s are dotted and my “t”‘s are crossed, I’m certain it will be worse.

I’ve done 2 interviews and have 3 more lined up this week. I have some large blogs that I’ve been lucky enough to make great friends with posting teasers and lead in’s to the book and the release.

But on the other hand… I’ve met some blogs, authors, and events that really make me want to let my temper fly, but I don’t. My mother raised me better than that.

I’m not going to name anyone by name, because that’s petty and juvenile, but I will say this…

Just because you have a blog, it doesn’t make you better than anyone else. It doesn’t give you the right to treat a person like shit and like you speaking to them is doing them some huge favor. It doesn’t give you the right to tear down a person just because you’re having a bad day.

Just because you are an established author, it doesn’t give you the right to look down upon a new author and treat them with disdain. Because guess what? You were a new author too once.

Just because you are putting together and event for authors, it doesn’t give you the right to dismiss someone inquiring about attending this event because they are new. And telling a person, “I’m sorry, but this event is for established authors. We want people to attend.” is extremely unprofessional and downright rude. (Not to mention puts you on the shit list and says, when you ask me for something, and you will, guess what the answer will be?!?!)

For the most part, everyone has been amazing! I have made some great friends with bloggers, authors, and fans.

Most are willing to help you in any way they can because they want you to succeed as much as you want to succeed.

There are people I talk to every single day now, who are very dear friends to me, that I didn’t know before this process.

But there are also people I really liked and admired, not to mention, spent a lot of money on their books, who I will never spend a penny on again because of their attitudes.

I think the point of this post is that in all things in life, not just writing, be kind to people. You were  once where everyone is in their life, so it’s not ok to look down on people, dismiss people as insignificant, or be cruel.

What if someone had done that to you?!?!

 

COVER REVEAL!!!

Today is the day and here it is…

My COVER is so gorgeous!

It’s EXACTLY what I wanted and Kari At Cover to Cover Designs nailed it!

I’m in LOVE with it y’all!

Alluring Turmoil has 15 reviews on Goodreads… 13 of them are 5 STAR  and 2 are 4 STAR! You can read them HERE.

Book Blurb:

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.***

Complete Chapter 1 is available HERE to read as a teaser!

And Alluring Turmoil (Bayou Stix Book 1) releases NEXT Friday, September 13!

You want to read it… 15 great reviews from authors, bloggers, and readers can’t lie right?!?!

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you to ALL of the fans and I cannot wait to release Alluring Turmoil to you next Friday.

Until then, just stare at the cover. I do. All the time.

 

Ugh… bad day turned around?!?!

My day today started off pretty shitty.

I uploaded my book to Createspace last night to get an idea of what it will cost in paperback and it completely messed my formatting up.

Apparently any book over 400 pages has to be formatted completely different for print than for ebooks. Who knew?

Not me for sure!

So… I have spent the past 5 hours working on fixing it. BUT… it’s fixed.

Of course there was some cussing (a LOT of it), some screaming (a good bit of that too), and I might have possibly thrown something across the room (no worries, it wasn’t my laptop).

But, the shit is fixed now and it looks pretty good.

Bad news is that my already swamped, awesome cover designer now had to completely redo my cover… I’m sorry Kari!

Because I had to reduce my font from 14 pt back to 12pt, so my book went from 532 pages down to 460.

Ugh.

Who cares about this? Probably no one, but I needed to vent and it’s my blog so I can do whatever the hell I want.

I would like to thank my friends Author LL Collins, Author Alina Man, and my awesomesauce Cover Designer Kari for listening to me act like a crazy person. Oh and Gladys from Nerd Girl and Angie from Rose’s Book Snobs (who might also be an author with an awesome new book called The Lost Trucker by Rose Dewallvin).  Yes, these chicks are bad ass and awesome.

My husband also deserves some kudos, because I’m a crazy chick every day, but with the stress, anxiety, and excitement from Alluring Turmoil coming out, I’m been a psycho and he still loves me! So thank you and love you, Baby, to Mr. Turner!

Cover Reveal tomorrow and now I’m off to do what I should have been doing, oh 5.5 hours ago… getting stuff for my book trailer ready.

So, have a great day all.

If your day is shitty, smile anyway, your smile just might cheer up someone else.

ARC’s and a Cover Reveal!

Whew. Yesterday was a crazy day.

Sunday, I received my book back from my editor with final edits, so I spent all of Monday and yesterday morning finishing those up.

There is nothing more exciting than having an editor send you notes and write in the margin of your book that she was so into the story, she was having to read ahead and then backtrack to edit, because she just had to know what happened before she could concentrate on edits. SCORE!

Yesterday I sent out 22 ARC’s. I’m so nervous.

And I actually hired someone to put together a Cover Reveal, 3 Day Release Bash, and then a 2 week Blog Tour, so more ARC’s should be going out.

I actually “JUST” got my first message back about Alluring Turmoil from a recipient of an ARC.

“Hi

Finished your book. “

I flipped out. I was like, “And????? You can’t write that and not tell me more. What did you think?”

Soooo, she sent me this.

“5 STARS

This book was hot, hot, hot. A mixture of a rock star & a gorgeous girl & you get a very sexy book.

This storyline was fantastic. I didn’t know what was gonna happen next & I certainly couldn’t guess the ending.

definitely a book I’m gonna read again & will be recommending it to my friends:)

Received from author in return for an honest review.”

Squee!

Also just saw a FEW HUGE blogs have marked it as “currently reading” on Goodreads.

I’m going to need a Xanax.

Stay tuned 2 days from now… Friday, September 6th… COVER REVEAL.