Deborah Jay's Blog, page 64

When are traditional publishers more trouble to deal with than they are worth?

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / katalinks

Sounding bitter?

Hell, yes.

Over the years I have read many warnings from professional authors (I’m a part timer, and always will be, even though I consider my work – non-fiction, fiction and journalism – to all be of professional quality) about working with traditional publishers now that we have an alternative, in indie publishing.

Many of us have still sought (and are still seeking) that ‘validation’ of being published by a traditional publishing house. Some of my friends have achieved it with their fiction. Good for them. It’s been lovely to see their books on the shelves in bookstores and even in airports – way to go. But in most cases, it hasn’t lasted past four, five or six books because, guess what, they are what’s termed ‘mid-listers’. In other words, they don’t sell huge quantities – somewhere around 40 – 60 thousand copies per book.

That doesn’t do it for the bean counters at those publishing houses, and despite the support of their editors, who know it takes time to build a following, they are summarily dropped as not financially worth the company’s investment.

Ha! What investment? Unless you’re a huge seller, they don’t even bother with marketing – that’s all down to you, at your own expense! I know this: been there, done it.

Okay, so my traditionally published books are non-fiction, in a small market, with a small, but respected publisher: J.A. Allen was established in 1926, and has been the premier publisher of equestrian books in the UK for all that time.

I have two books with them, lovely hardbacks full of pictures and illustrations, the first of which, THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF TRAINING, has earned out its advance and is continuing to sell, while the second, THE SUCCESSFUL DRESSAGE COMPETITOR is approaching that rewarding state. As I understand it, the majority of books published never earn out, so I’m proud of this achievement.

So what prompted my rant today?

Putting aside the efforts I’ve gone to over the years to market my own books (successfully, in terms of numbers, though definitely not in financial terms if I were to add up all the unpaid hours of work), I’ve just discovered that my publisher has not thought fit to tell me (or any of its other authors) that they’ve sold out to another company and left me floundering in the dark, trying to track down where to obtain copies of my own books!

Yes, Allen’s sold out and became an imprint of Hale Books in 1999, but that didn’t produce any changes. Same editors, same offices, just a different name above Allen’s. More to the point, same distributors, same contact points, same account details for authors to use when ordering their own books – which, if you are going to arrange talks, signings, etc., you need copies to hand. I’m never without a couple of each title, wherever I go, as you never know when you’ll find someone who wants to buy one.

But last week, I called the usual distributor’s number, to pay my most recent invoice, and was told: “Oh, this will be the last time you talk to us; you’re no longer with us.”

WHAT?

Apparently we were sold back in November.

DO YOU NOT THINK THE PUBLISHER MIGHT HAVE LET THEIR AUTHORS KNOW???

I’ve called the listed number on the most recent catalogue, but that company was dropped as well and were not given details of who would be dealing with any aspect of this huge catalogue of books, or its authors.

I followed my nose on the internet and finally tracked down the distributor who has the last 107 copies of Building Blocks, but right now they can’t tell me if I can order with my author discount, nor what that discount will be if, indeed, I am entitled to one!

I am awaiting a return phone call, but in the mean time, I am now one very unhappy traditionally published author, with no one I can call to discover if my book will go to reprint or not, or if that’s it. I don’t know if my contract is valid, given that it is with a publisher that, apparently, no longer exists.

I am so happy I decided to go indie with my fiction, and in this crazy unstable world of publishing houses merging and vanishing, I’d urge anyone who thinks that traditional publishing is the only valid way, to reconsider.

Thoughts, anyone?

Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT THE PRINCE’S MAN by @DeborahJay2 #Fantasy #SundayBlogShare

Thanks to Rosie’s Review Team, and to Jessie for her lovely review of THE PRINCE’S MAN

Rosie Amber

Today’s team review comes from Jessie, she blogs at http://behindthewillows.com

Jessie has been reading and reviewing The Prince’s Man by Deborah Jay

Solid.

This book was solid.

Solid in the sense that it was, and I quote from dictionary.com, having relative firmness, coherence of particles, or persistence of form, as matter that is not liquid or gaseous.

This newly created world is firm, there are no gaps or jumps of reasoning. One creature, idea, magic or bit of history flows right into the next. Characters that appear substantial at the beginning of the book do nothing but grow and evolve as their backstory unfolds behind them.

This is solidly written fantasy tale.

It was also solid in the, and now I quote form urban dictionary, cool or awesome aspect.  .

In this land people play a deadly game that involves lots of spying. Of course along with spying goes the lying. And that’s where the awesome part came in because more than once, just as the main…

View original post 182 more words

Blog Tour, #Giveaway & Guest Post – THE SOUND OF THE STONES by Beth Hammond #YAfantasy #StonesTour @MasqTours

Title: The Sound of the Stones
Author: Beth Hammond
Publication Date: September 15, 2015
Genre: YA Fantasy


Synopsis


The ancient book about the past holds the future. Frankie is the key.

She doesn’t remember stopping at the used bookstore, but there she stands as if drawn by an unseen force. Anticipation wraps around her like a cocoon. When she opens the door, the wind nudges her through, and expectancy turns to purpose. The man inside, and the book he offers, changes everything. Unusual things happen when she begins to read:

In a time long forgotten, people are held captive by half human creatures. Ashra holds a secret close to her heart, and must discover the purpose of her gift before the oppressed human race is destroyed. An unlikely ally comes to her aid. Strangers bring her a message from a far off land. Ashra and her band of misfits set off in search of answers. Together, they find love, uncover mysteries from the past, face ever present danger, and hone powers they never knew they had.

Frankie and Ashra are separated by millennia, by fiction and reality, but in the end the barrier shatters.

***Honorable Mention at The Great Midwest Book Festival***

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | Electio Publishing |  GoodReads

The author has been kind enough to share her tale of how this amazing book came into being. Take it away, Beth…
The Inspiration behind The Sound of the Stones – Beth Hammond

 It all started 10 years ago on a night much like this one. I was eating cheezits and wondering why my pants felt too tight. My appetite for science, particularly theoretical physics, and cheese crackers would expand both my mind and my waistline. Little did I know my diet of nonfiction science books, discovery channel programing, and GMO foods would lead to a book idea.

As the weeks, months and years went by I moved on to fiction. I read some amazing things but I was looking for something…more. I didn’t recognize it as a calling to write at the time, but looking back I can see it clearly. Write a book, my subconscious whispered.  I didn’t hear it over the incessant crunching noise those blasted crackers made as I chewed. Instead I went in search of a specific book. It had to have just the right story line, just the right characters all told in just the right voice. Guess what? I couldn’t find it. Did I read some great books while searching? Yes, but they were not the one I was looking for.

Three years ago, after finishing two series that were particularly fantastical, I was left empty. You know that, “I just finished the most awesome book and now I have to face the real world again,” feeling? I moped around for a week or so. The search for that one perfect book was still a futile mission. Then my subconscious spoke louder and practically smacked me upside the head with my box of crackers. Write the book Beth. What? Write the book? Yes, write the book. I looked at my husband and said, “I’m going to write a book.” There was not a thunderous, “ the clouds split and lighting came from the sky,” moment. There was just me, an idea, and the determination to write the book I always wanted to read.

With a concoction of M-theory, strong female protagonists, elemental magic, coming of age romance, and a tale that shatters space and time, “The Sound of the Stones” was born. So, what do cheesy crackers have to do with this? Nothing, pass me the extra toasty ones.

About the author

Beth Hammond, is an author/illustrator who writes anything from YA fantasy to children’s picture books. She is a wife, mother, and lover of life. Her early years were spent serving in the military. Her middle years spent raising babies and figuring out her place in the world. She created stories for her book loving children and recently released “Do Your Toes Stink Good?”, “The Blond Korean and the Blue-Eyed frog”, and “Puppy Waits”. Her YA fantasy novel “The Sound Of The Stones” is newly released and available now. Her later years are yet to come, and filled with hopes and endless dreams. She spends her days creating worlds through words and illustration.

Website | Facebook  | Twitter  | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Giveaway  for Ten (10) $5 Amazon Giftcards. Ends 1/22. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

New release & #giveaway – IN TIME FOR YOU by Chris Karlsen #TimeTravel #romance

Welcome to the release event for In Time for You by Chris Karlsen. This is a historical romance with time travel and is available for sale now! Check out the book trailer, the excerpt and the giveaway at the end!

About the Book:

While horseback riding in the English countryside, sisters, Electra and Emily Crippen find themselves trapped in a tear in time. Thrown back to 1357 England and caught by a local noble, they are in a place that is home but as frightening and unfamiliar as an alien world would be. With no idea how the tear in time came about, the one thing they do know is: they must stay together and stay near to where the event took place in hopes of discovering the way back to their modern life. That certain need to stay together is the first certainty taken from them when one sister is forced to remain in England and one is sent miles away to Wales by royal order.

There is one other hope for help the sisters don’t know exists. It’s Electra’s lover, Roger Marchand. A time traveler himself, he never told her of his past. When he realizes what has happened to the sisters, he enlists the help of a scientist friend to help him open the suspected passageway through time. Any effort to save Electra and Emily will likely cost him his life. This was the time Roger came from, a time when his country, France, was at war with England. If he is discovered on English soil while searching for the sisters, he will either be killed or taken prisoner of war. Any risk is worth saving the life of the woman he loves. 

Goodreads | Amazon
Trailer


Excerpt:

While she ate, the button on Electra’s sleeve fell out of the frog loop. She didn’t hook the button again, reaching for her wine instead. The sleeve pulled back from her wrist to expose her watch, which she hadn’t thought to remove.

“What is that?” Simon asked and pointed to her Seiko.

“A watch.” What a bizarre question. There wasn’t a corner of the planet that people didn’t recognize a wristwatch.

A frown slowly formed and he stretched across Emily and took hold of Electra’s hand to tug it toward him for a better look. He turned her hand over and in a matter of seconds had the clasp undone.

He brought the candle in front of his trencher closer and held the watch under it. “What do the numbers mean?”

“It’s a clock, a miniature timepiece you wear on your wrist.”

From his expression, the explanation puzzled him. “Do they not have candle clocks in this Greenland you claim you’re from?”

How to explain the abundance of various clocks to a man who apparently has no context for the anything beyond a candle clock or similar ancient means of telling time?

“Are you saying you’ve never seen a clock?” Emily asked.

“One like this? No, I have not.”

Emily bent her head nearer Electra and whispered, “Are you thinking what I am?”

“Sadly, yes.”

Simon ran his finger over the watch face. “These small digits, what is their meaning?”

“It’s the date and year: 5.14.15.”

He shook his head. “What year is 15?”

“2015, of course.”

“You are mad. It’s the year of our Lord, 1357.”


About the Author:

I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books. My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.
I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.
I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and four wild and crazy rescue dogs.

Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads





GIVEAWAY:

$15 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends Jan. 28th, 2016
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

New release & #excerpt – SAYING GOODBYE by Jennifer Reynolds #paranormal

Childhood sweethearts, Michael and Erica, thought they would have the prefect life together—the career, the house, the kids, the grandkids, the dying old holding each other’s hands. What they hadn’t planned for was for a car accident to take Michael’s life and leave Erica to face her future alone.

However, after discovering that Michael’s spirit has the ability to occasionally interact with the human world, they begin to wonder if they can’t make his presence on Earth permanent.

Although, with so many years gone by, can they reignite the flame that had fueled their teenage romance and more importantly can they live with the sacrifices they must make in order get back the future they lost?

Facebook Party

First Chapter

“Do we really have to go to this stupid party?” Erica asked loud enough for her boyfriend, Michael, to hear on the other side of the door. She was unable to keep the whine out of her voice.

Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom of Michael’s tiny apartment, Erica looked questioningly down at her Pirates of the Caribbean costume. She tugged on different sections of the outfit, trying to cover certain parts of her body without revealing others. Of course, Michael would have picked out the sexiest version of the costume he could find. Realizing that all of his frat brothers would be ogling her because of how much skin she was showing, she groaned.

Erica was supposed to be dressed as Elizabeth Swan, and surprisingly, she thought she pulled off the look. She didn’t think she would have worn anything like the outfit if Michael, her loving, doting, and sometimes piggish boyfriend, hadn’t picked it out for her. Michael was supposed to be in the other room putting on his Captain Jack costume.

“He had better be wearing the costume,” she muttered to herself. “If I leave this bathroom and he hasn’t changed, I’m going to strangle him.” The dressing up for the party had been Michael’s idea not hers. She had suggested they stay home and veg that Halloween, but her words had fallen on deaf ears. Despite her annoyance with the costume, she had to admit, she looked good even if she felt like a fool.

The costumes had cost a pretty penny to rent, and she had protested getting them; even more so when he told her he wanted the two of them to wear them to the frat party where they would definitely get stained or ripped or something worse. They would end up having to pay even more money for them, which was a whole other reason she didn’t want to wear the thing.

“My house is throwing the party, I have to go,” Michael said from the other room. His tone showed his annoyance at having to have the conversation again. He loved her, she knew he did, and she could tell she was hurting him by not wanting to go, but she didn’t think she could wear the outfit in public.

“But you don’t live with them,” she said, not at all helping her case. “I bet they won’t even notice we aren’t there.”

On that Halloween, Michael was a senior at the local university and majoring in business. His parents owned a small chain of pizza and sub shops spanning the northwest corner of the state. He had split his senior year, taking only half the classes he would have normally taken that semester, and taking the other classes the next semester, so that he could help with his parents’ newest restaurant. Because he spent so much time there, he had gotten his own apartment close to it, so that he could walk home from the restaurant after they closed to clean up and crash or study.

“All of them may not, but I promised Kevin and Travis I would be there, so I have to show. Come on, Erica, it won’t be that bad.” They both knew it would be…for her at least. She loathed such situations and gatherings, and he knew it and only asked her to attend a few a year. She loved him more than she hated them, so she went to make him happy.

Kevin and Travis were his childhood best friends. Erica had grown up with the boys as well, but they were his friends not hers. They were second in line under Erica on Michael’s “most important people in his life beside his parents and younger sister” list. Erica was first, of course. She had known him as long as Kevin and Travis, but when she and Michael had started dating in the tenth grade, she surpassed them in importance.

“Yes, it will, but fine, we’ll go, but can we please leave before midnight? I have to open the drive-thru window in the morning,” she begged while arranging and rearranging her outfit, and procrastinating about leaving the bathroom.

The bank she worked at was a decent place to work, and she wanted to stay in their good graces. She wasn’t one of those people who knew what they wanted to do when they grew up. She’d thought about a number of different occupations, even tried a few of them, but nothing seemed right for her. When her mom saw that she was excelling in all of her math classes at the university and had a healthy understanding of computers, she called her best friend, Stacy, the bank manager at First Union, and asked if she had a position open.

Stacy said she did, but it was only part time and the shifts were the ones that no one wanted. The bank was trying out some new things. One of which was staying open later on weekdays. This meant that Erica worked the four to eight shift four days a week and the eight to noon shift on Saturdays, giving her nineteen hours a week at minimum wage with a possible raise in six months and full time employment the next time a position became available. She’d been there for three months at that time, and Stacy seemed happy with her work, though no one appeared to be leaving anytime soon, to Erica’s dismay.

Erica was still taking classes, but only until Stacy hired her on full time and a bigger raise went into effect. College wasn’t for her, and her parents knew it. The only reason they were continuing to pay her tuition was because they wanted her to have as much of an education as possible, and they knew she would put forth as much effort as she could into the math, English, and art classes she was taking. If she actually graduated before a full-time position became available, then so be it.

Michael growled at her request to leave early, but didn’t argue—he didn’t agree either. Erica knew exactly what would happen. He would bring her home at midnight, stay with her for about a half an hour until she grew sleepy, then he would use his charms to convince her to let him go back to the party, which she would do because she thought he was that cute. Also, if she didn’t relent, he would sulk all night, and she wouldn’t get much sleep anyway.

“Fine,” he eventually said when she didn’t say another word or come out of the bathroom. “Now, will you please come on?” She could hear him pacing anxiously back and forth across the short room.

“I look ridiculous,” she said, looking at herself in the mirror one last time, wishing she had gone with him to the costume shop to pick out something else and wishing she had more confidence in herself to wear the costume. She looked good, or at least she thought she did, but she feared that others would make fun of her. She was too old to be that self-conscious, but years spent as a chubby child with braces and glasses had made her unsure of herself, despite all the love and attention Michael showered over her.

“I’m sure you don’t. That’s the hottest costume I saw at the rental place, and you’re the hottest woman I know, both of those things mean you’ll be the hottest woman at the party.” His voice was so clear that she knew he was outside the door.

“Kiss ass,” she said, exiting the bathroom with a happy grin on her face. He knew just what to say to make her smile.

He whistled loudly and came off the edge of the bed where he had plopped when he heard the doorknob turn. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about.” He took a step toward her, then looked down at his watch and swore.

“We aren’t going to be that late,” she said, annoyed at his impatience. It was only six-thirty and the party didn’t officially start until seven, but most people wouldn’t be there until at least eight or nine. Only Michael and his friends would be there on time, and that was just to get to the food before everyone else got there.

Michael’s parents always sent over a bunch of food for the boys before these big parties. They knew the guys would drink, so they hoped filling them with food would keep them from getting too drunk. There were always snacks at the party, as well, but they tried to be there for the real stuff.

“It isn’t that,” he said, stepping up to her and wrapping her in his arms. “Seeing you that way has made me all tingly in my nether region. I really want to have my way with you before we go.”

“Oh no, you are so not getting me out of this getup until the end of the night. Besides, you’re the one who insisted that we go to this party, so we’re going to this thing. Get off me,” she said, half-heartedly pushing him off her with a laugh to stop him from going any further was his kisses, which were already trailing down her neck and making her head fuzzy.

“Okay, okay, let’s go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave,” he said, throwing his hands up and backing away a bit, though the leering expression on his face told her what he wanted to do.

“Are you really that eager to get back home?” she said teasingly, turning at the door to look at him. “You’ve been waiting for this party all week. It’s all you’ve been talking about.”

“Shut up. I know I have, but I want you more than I want to be with my friends,” he said, reaching out to grab her behind. She jerked out of his way and flung open the front door.

Erica made a mental note to herself to purchase the costume and wear it whenever he wanted to go somewhere she didn’t want to go. She wondered if it would be a good enough distraction to get her out of having to sit through hours and hours of watching football on television.

“You need help,” she said, laughing and walking out into the hall.

He flung the lock on the door and chased her down the hall, out of the building, and down the street. She laughed as they passed a young woman pushing a stroller. The woman turned to watch them as Michael caught up with Erica, grabbed her from behind, lifted her into the air, and started tickling her. The woman’s two-year-old daughter giggled and pointed at them. The momentum of Erica trying to get away from him while laughing spun them on the spot, and Erica saw the wistful look on the mother’s face.

Links

Scribd ~ Kobo ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ All Romance ~ Amazon Goodreads

Other Works

Coming 2016

Author Bio

Jennifer’s full name is Jennifer Lynn Powell Reynolds, and she is a thirty-four year old native of North Alabama. She is newly married. She and her husband, Russell Reynolds, tied the knot on Friday, September 13, 2013.

Jennifer has a Master of Fine Arts degree from National University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Alabama.

Writing has always been a large part of her life. In high school, her local newspaper published a large number of her poems, and she won numerous poetry and short stories awards. Since high school, she has worked on a number of different projects, but her focus has mainly been on acquiring her degrees.

She finished the first draft of her first novel, a post-apocalyptic piece titled Alone, around the time she graduated with her B.A. Since then, she has written numerous other novels, short stories, and poems.

Aside from spending her days immersed in the fictional worlds she creates, she works part time at Stained Glass Artistry and as a freelance developmental editor, copy editor, production coordinator, and eBook coordinator for a number of publishing companies.

Blog Tour, excerpt & #giveaway – ON THIN ICING by Ellie Alexander #murdermystery

 

Welcome to my tour stop for On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander! This is the third book in the Bakeshop Mystery series and is now available for sale. The blog tour runs January 4-15 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good.

It’s the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she’s asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up…until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer.

“An intriguing new series.”-Reader to Reader

Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules’s own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit…and make sure he gets his just desserts.

“A delectable tale of murder and intrigue.”-Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |  Powells 

***

Excerpt

The sky was a lighter shade of purple as I stepped into the biting wind. Snow swirled all around me. It was as if a wall of white had swept across the lake and was heading straight toward the lodge. The sound of the wind hissing through the sturdy evergreen trees felt ominous. It looked like the weather was getting worse by the minute.

It was hard to find the path to the marina. The lake was to my right. As long as I kept the lake to that side of me, I knew I would eventually run into the marina.

For a moment I thought I saw a flash of movement on the lake. I stopped and tried to get my bearings. Was someone out there? Or was it the whipping snow?

I crunched onward, trying to remember the last time I had been in a storm like this. Probably when I was a kid. It was incredible to watch the snow spit from the sky, but this wasn’t a trek I would want to make again today. I’d have to be sure to grab as many supplies as I could carry.

After another hundred feet, the marina came into sight. Thank goodness, I let out a sigh of relief. I shielded my face with my hands as I turned into the wind toward the building.

It was hard to tell where the sky ended. Everything was a sea of white. I knew that there was a long dock attached to the marina, but it wasn’t visible in the blinding white snow.

I felt my way along a short fence and up the marina’s wooden ramp. It was slick with ice. I had to grab the wall to steady myself. I fumbled in my coat pocket for the key. Even through my insulated gloves the tips of my fingers felt numb. The gloves were too bulky. I’d have to take them off in order to use the key.

Pulling off one glove, I stuck the key in the lock and jiggled it. The lock didn’t turn. I tried it again. Nothing.

What was going on?

I removed the key and examined the lock. It looked as if something had been forced into it.

Great. Now what?

I tried again. This time I gently twisted the key from side to side.

It wouldn’t budge.

Time for a new plan, Jules. I blew into my hand to try and warm it. That’s when I noticed a shaft of light from underneath the door. I kicked the door with my foot and to my surprise it swung open.

Maybe I should have tried that first.

Snow had blown under the door in drifts. The lights in the front of the marina were on and I could hear the sound of the heater humming. Puddles of melted snow pooled in front of wire shelves stocked with fishing bait and tackles.

Uh oh. Someone must have left the door open last night, I thought as I stomped my boots and stepped inside. The effort was futile. Melting snow dripped from the bottom of the marina’s racks filled with chips, candy and energy drinks. The entire store looked as if it had been blasted with snow.

What a mess.

I wasn’t sure where to find the freezer. A long wooden counter ran the length of the back wall. A chalkboard displayed snow reports and fishing conditions as well as prices for rentals. I paused and studied the sign for a moment. The words “For Rent” and an arrow pointed toward a rack of hunting rifles hanging on the wall. You can rent a gun? No. I glanced at the rack, it was nearly full, with one empty slot. Then I looked more closely at the sign and realized the arrow was pointed at a row of fishing poles, not the guns. That made more sense.

There was no freezer in the front of the marina, so I headed toward the attached pizza shop. It must be in there, I thought.

The pizza shop was designed in the same knotty pine style as the rest of the resort. It had a retro feel with old video game consoles and a bookcase filled with a variety of board games, puzzles and books. A genius distraction to keep hungry kids occupied while they waited for their pizzas. A large whiteboard with the pizza menu read: Closed for the season. See you again in the spring.

I walked behind the counter into the pizza kitchen. The kitchen definitely hadn’t been used in a few months. A layer of dust had formed on the countertops and the space smelled musty. The freezer was in the back. I opened to find it stocked with pre-made pizza crusts, cheese, and other supplies. But not our sausages.

Where else could they be?

I surveyed the shop again. A sign directed customers outside for ice. Could that be where Sterling had put them?

Pulling my gloves back on, I took a deep breath and prepared to head into the bitter wind again. Sure enough there was a large chest freezer on the covered deck outside. Jackpot!

I brushed snow from the top of the freezer and pushed the lid open.

A shock assaulted my body as I lifted the lid. I threw my hand over my mouth and stepped away from the freezer.

Our supplies weren’t inside the frozen cavern, but something else was. A body. A dead body.

Don’t miss out on the first two books!




***

About the Author:

Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter to learn more.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
 
***
 
GIVEAWAY:

Triple chocolate cookie mix, Alpine spiced cider, Collection of Stash teas, Collection of gourmet hot chocolates, Oxford tea towel, Signed copy of On Thin Icing


US only






Ends Jan. 20, 2016

Prizing provided by the author. Must be 13 or older and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

 

2015 in review & New Year’s writing goals – what are yours?

WordPress offers all its users a handy dandy annual report with the year’s blog stats – I was amazed to find my blog has had around 9000 views this year – wow!

This prompted me to think of not only a round up of last year (132 blog posts), but a quick review of where I’m at right now and what my writing plans are for this coming year.

Get the next book finished! I published The World and the Stars anthology last year, which included one short story from me along with 23 other stories by awesome authors, and was, interestingly enough (data from the handy dandy… you get the idea) the most viewed posting of my year. I also published a Caledonian Sprite short story, but no novel. That’s largely because, well, the next novel is LARGE. It was destined to be even larger than it will be, but I extracted 2 of the story threads and they will now form the basis of a separate novella. Over the holiday period I’ve succeeded in writing around 4 chapters, including the climax scenes (one action, one emotional) and now I only have to finish a few small linking pieces and the wrap up – yay!  Currently I have 150K words; I’m reckoning that will probably be about the end result after adding the other bits and then editing.
Edit the book – that’s going to include some beta reading, so if any of you would like to read it in its not-yet-polished condition, please let me know. I’m particularly interested in how it stands up to being read alone, if you haven’t read the first book.
Get the cover designed, put it all together, and publish :D
Keep more control of my writing time, and not be so distracted by other stuff. Not so easy when that ‘other stuff’ includes keeping up this blog (and the reviews I like to do for other authors), keeping up with other people’s blogs, and marketing. Oh for 48 hour days…

Back to reality on Thursday – I’m still in the Highlands just now, and here’s a pretty picture from New Year’s Day

View from behind out house – the white patch between the trees isn’t cloud, its mountain!

And for the nosey amongst us, you can see my blog stats below ;)

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

[image error]

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,900 times in 2015. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

What are your writing goals for the new year? I’d love to hear…

New Book Promotion 2016 – A celebration of Short Stories, Novellas and Anthologies

Do you write short stories, or have you published an anthology? Take a look at this great idea on Smorgasbord.

Smorgasbord - Variety is the spice of life

In 2016 I would like to celebrate the short stories, novellas and anthologies that are published.

Like many of us, I began by writing short stories.  I recently found a scribbled tale from 30 years ago at a time when I was busy working 12 hour days and falling into bed exhausted. Just goes to show the power of that craving to write will be satisfied, whatever the circumstances.

It was clear in the last year that short stories are still a strong sector of publishin; as is the novella. However, I don’t believe that they and the anthologies that are published are getting as much promotion as they should.  That seems to be particularly true of community anthologies which contain amazing stories by fabulous writers.

The short story is a very important part of our writing culture and if we look back to our childhood it was fairy tales…

View original post 609 more words

I’ve read HOW MANY #books this year? Holy cow! And this is how I #review them

Goodreads offered up a review of my reading year, and I was astounded to discover I’ve read 31 books (6910 pages) this past year, and I will finish at least one more before the year is out.

That might not sound like a huge number to avid readers, but for me, as a writer, that’s a lot of reading. And I reviewed every one of those.

I might just have to take myself in hand next year, and concentrate a tad more on the writing, as I only published short stories this year, not a novel, but hey, I also earned quite a lot writing non-fiction for websites, and the reading keeps my creative mind juiced up.

If you’re interested, you can catch my year’s reading at: https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2015/16900794?utm_medium=email&utm_source=yyib_2015_12

My shortest read was 65 pages

 Review here

The longest, at 574 pages, was Sleight of Hand (slight cheat as it was an audio book)

 Review here

The highest rated (on Goodreads) of the books I read was D.G. Kaye’s humorous memoir, Meno-what?

 Review here

And the most popular (on Goodreads) was Miss Mabel’s School for Girls

 Review here

I’d like to highlight in addition to those already mentioned, the following as favourites of this year:

 Just plain hilarious! Review here

 Fascinating and compelling. Review here

 A fabulous end to an awesome trilogy. Review here

You can catch all my reviews here

My overall review average for the year is 4.3 *, which might seem a little high. Even before Goodreads offered this overview of my reading year, I’d been thinking about writing a post on my review scores, so here, in brief, are my thoughts.

5 stars – I loved the book and found very little I wasn’t happy with, in all aspects of writing, plotting, characterisation etc.

4 stars – I liked the book, but had a few niggling issues with such things are language, punctuation, plot, editing or character depth and development.

3 stars – the book was okay, but probably not for me, or else it had fairly large editing issues that, if dealt with, would have turning it into a 4* book.

2 or 1 stars – you won’t find these in my reviews, because I either contacted the author directly with the large editing or plotting problems that plagued the book, or, I simply stopped reading, so DNF (about 10 of those this year).

Hence the reason my reviews all look positive and my score is skewed rather high.

I admit I believe I am becoming somewhat of a grammar and editing snob. By the time I have noticed a half dozen (or even less) mistakes or amateur sentence constructions in the first few pages, I no longer continue. There are too many good, well edited, well plotted and exciting books out there to waste my precious reading time on books that were not yet ready to be published, but were pushed out anyway.

Do you agree with me? Or am I being overly harsh?

How was your reading year?

 

 

#BookReview – THE NAUGHTY LIST by L.A. Kelley #paranormal #festive

The Naughty List by L.A. Kelley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fancied reading something festive over the season, and this drew my eye, with its fun description of a desperate hunt for the missing Naughty and Nice List, of an E.L.F. (Elemental Life Form), hellhounds, demons etc.

I will admit that my original impression was of a more humorous book than this one turned out to be – not that there isn’t humour; there is – but the beginning was decidedly more grim than I was expecting.

David Kloss, son of the Santa, is on the run. He’s responsible for the Book that holds the Naughty and Nice Lists, and his carelessness has allowed it to be stolen. In the wrong hands, the world starts to shift towards a more negative existence, and only restoring the Book can reverse the trend.

In Penrose’s wonderful department store, Rosalie is caught up in the downward spiral as the manager’s job goes to a mean-spirited woman intent on making savage cuts in the lead up to Christmas. When Natalie and David accidentally become involved with each other, life becomes very interesting, in the way of the Chinese proverb.

The dialogue in this book is excellent, and the characters bounce right off the page. What, for me, was a little downer was the pacing of the plot, which seemed to rush at first, sag in the middle, and then build slowly towards a slightly hurried ending. Don’t get me wrong, the story and the resolution are great, the magic and the secret society of Integrals (such colourful people as Gnomes, Cupids, Shivas, Medusas etc.) is extremely well worked out and well presented, it was just that I found myself checking the read percentage on my kindle, because I couldn’t figure out whereabouts in the story I was a lot of the time.

There were a small number of incorrect words (homophones), but not so many as to spoil the read.

Overall, this was one I thoroughly enjoyed, even with the pacing issues, and I will be checking out more by this author.

View all my reviews

Anyone else read any festive/seasonal books?