Skye Callahan's Blog, page 13

Jigsaw Plotting

Plotting–the eternal debate and struggle of authors everywhere.

Do you plot? Do you write by the seat of your pants? Do you do a little of both? What’s the best way to plot?

So many questions before you even begin to sit down and get to the story. And even once you think you know your path, you’ll have a hundred other voices telling you there’s a better way.

I’m a firm believer in going with your gut, but even that can be confusing.

I come from an academic writing background, and even when writing a research paper, I found it impossible to outline. I would do my research, write a snippet, more research, another snippet, and so on, and so on, cutting and pasting until they fell in a logical order. When I had a document full of information, I went back and added in the necessary details to deepen and explain the research, and create a smooth, flowing argument.

My fiction writing followed a similar development. When I started writing–before I had any preconceived notions of plotting–I quickly wrote whatever I thought in whatever order the thoughts came to me. It sounds like a mess, but it always worked for me. My first draft is always skeletal. I get out the details at the top of my head, and usually a lot of dialogue to pave the way, and then go back and fill in the rest.

This is something like the snowflake method, where you start with a simple summary, and build out. Just as the snowflake grows, one frozen particle after another, your story grows and becomes more complex. There are tons of articles about the snowflake method out there if you want to know more.

A second method that I’ve used a bit is “Story Breaking”; using note cards to jot down all of your ideas. You can then take these cards, lay them out and rearrange them until you have your story. Cards might be added, cards might be tossed, but when you finally have all of the essential plot points and a tight story-line, you start with the first card and begin writing each scene. (Scrivener has a fantastic note card feature if you prefer something digital).

I wish I could find the exact article I found on this a few years back, but for a while, it really helped me to move from one scene to the next because I already had a general idea of where the plot was going, and if I got stuck, I could just move on to the next card. If you’d like to know more about how this process works, I did find a piece on how Michael Crichton used notecards to plot.

But my problem came when characters rebelled (particularly Colt). As my stories progress and the characters take on a life of their own, I ended up throwing out entire stacks of cards and hitting a wall once again.

So, back to the drawing board for me.

Recently, I realized my biggest problem is writing a book beginning to end–chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3…. That simply isn’t how stories develop in my head. They develop with flashes: tight scenes, bits of dialogue, some detailed, some not. So, as I’m sitting here trying to figure out chapter 10, I already know what some odd chapter in the future looks like. I’m not sure how the characters will get there, but I have a concrete idea of where they are going.

If we look at plotting and outlining like a map, you might be the kind who sets out with a TripTik so you already know every turn, every road, and every obstacle.

But what if no map has been created yet?

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qimono / Pixabay

Over the last few days, I have dubbed my method Jigsaw Plotting, because of its similarity to putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

Just like when you dump out those hundreds or thousands of puzzle pieces, I have an idea of what the general picture is going to look like, but some of the details are obscured.

It would be possible to find the piece for the top left corner, then search through all of the pieces to find the one that goes right next to it, and then the next, and put the puzzle together line by line, but I’m sure that’s now how most of us approach a puzzle.

Instead, we pick up piece by piece, laying it down where we expect it to fall. Sometimes we start with the edge pieces, because they’re the easiest to find, but then, we work out smaller scenes within the larger picture–piecing together a house, a person, a lake and filling in the surrounding details as we work.

This is how I write. 

[image error]Maybe, I don’t even know what Chapter 4 is going to be about, but I know what the final chapter looks like.

Why did I begin trying write a story out chronologically when it seems so hard? Well, while working in Word, I find it difficult to track all of my individual scenes and rearrange them. It’s simply frustrating when you have dozens of scenes over hundreds of pages!

But Scrivener makes it simple to “CTRL+K” and start a new scene. It doesn’t matter if it’s the next scene, or if it’s just some random scene, because I can give it a title, write what I know, then move on to the next. After I’ve cleared my head, I can then drag and drop each scene into the correct order. All that’s left from there is to fill in the gaps and connect each scene–which is easier by this point, because I’ve allowed myself to learn my characters and let the story develop naturally in my head.

As the picture becomes clearer, I know where the holes are, but I can allow myself to work on different sections if I’m not yet sure where the details are to fill that hole. Eventually, they all turn up! When I write a fight scene from chapter 20, I may learn something about the character that fills a hole in Chapter 3.

Another reason, I’ve been attempting to write chronologically, is that jigsaw puzzles are messy! Wouldn’t life be so much easier if I could just go from scene 1 to scene 2 to scene 3? Skip all the holes. Avoid rearranging huge chunks of story.

But with any kind of plotting or pantsing, filling holes and rearranging scenes is an unavoidable part of the process. I’m sure there are some who can write from start to finish and swear by it, but I’m going back to the quote I started this post with: “Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.”

My intuition tells me to start with the scenes I know, whether they’re happening at the beginning or end. Whether they make up the edge of the puzzle, or some detail in the middle.

 

 

Character Spotlight: Trent Davis #SheDevil #DOAMC

The creation of Trent Davis was a spur of the moment thing. I just needed someone at the end of Irrevocable to help wrap things up, and for the first few drafts, he was just known as the blond detective. Before publishing, I decided that he needed a name, and over a few messages with Rachel Brookes, Trent Davis was born (and spoiler alert: Rachel also inspired the name of Brooke).

Trent's first appearance in Irrevocable

“Davis,” a man from across the room yelled and the blond next to me nodded in acknowledgement.

Outsiders. I felt them watching me. They saw the girl dressed up like a slut and used as a toy. I wanted to curl up and hide under the table.

“Rose,” the blond next to me patted my cheek. “Do you know where they went?”

“Helicopter,” I pointed in the direction they’d gone when they left. “That way.”

“Do you know how to get to the roof?”

I shook my head, why would anyone let a slave on the roof?

“James is going to be okay,” he whispered. “He’s tough shit; you don’t get rid of that so easily.”

I pulled my eyes away from the mess on the floor, they’d packed his wound, but he still hadn’t moved again. Hadn’t made a sound.

“You were his contact?” I whispered. “Trent?”

“Yeah, he wanted to get you out long before now.”

“I know.” I felt void of all emotion, of all feeling. People shuffled around me. Footsteps. Radios crackling.

The world moved impossibly slow and yet so fast that my mind couldn’t keep up.

I was about to lose everything I’d known for the past few weeks. Good or bad. I was about to be thrust into yet another new life. I couldn’t go back to who I was before. I’d never see that girl again, no matter how long I looked.

From there, he developed over the course of Unbreakable (Bend, Don't Break) as James's best friend, confidant, and sometimes voice of reason. Covered in tattoos, Trent doesn't always come of as your typical clean-cut detective, but he's determined to a fault and rises above his peers.

"Trent put up his hands, and everyone in the room stopped talking. For a young guy, he had the makings of a leader for the department—if only he was inclined to get involved with internal politics."

James and Trent reunite in Unbreakable

As promised, Trent came in the next morning, and my visitor restrictions were lifted—to an extent. The doctor’s new rules still only allowed for Trent and close family members.

I rubbed the exhaustion from my eyes—running a marathon was less tiresome than laying in a bed for days on end, and the meds didn’t help. “Fucking hospitable of them to finally let me have visitors the day before I’m supposed to be released.”

“I hear you’ve been quite the agreeable patient, too. It’s no wonder they won’t let you talk to anyone, they probably want to keep you around.” He wheeled over the tall stool from the corner and took a seat next to me. It was nearly eight in the morning, and no surprise, he was already dressed in his suit and tie—all ready for work. I think the thing he liked most about suits was the shocked expression he usually got when people saw below the layers of fabric. He had more tattoos than me, and I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear about a few new ones since the last time we’d actually been able to sit down and have a chat in person.

Tattoos weren’t what I cared about though, and happy as I was to see my best friend, first I had to address the issue niggling at my mind.

“Have you talked to Rose?”

Trent grunted and sat back in a chair, propping his feet up on the bed frame. “Just jumping right to the point, eh? I’m not playing double operative for either of you.”

“I’ll interpret that as a yes.”

He glared back at me, but he’d given me enough to keep me sated for a while. I assumed that Dr. Combs had already informed him of the agreement.

In the romance department, he's been a bit of a drifter. He's loyal, honest, and well, undeniably sexy, but there's something stopping him from pursuing a relationship beyond casual sex or short-term relationships. A hole he hasn't been able to fill since he lost his first love at a young age (see Unbreakable).

James reveals Trent's first love

“He needs a girlfriend. He’s a nice guy.”

“Don’t tell him that.” And don’t get any ideas. I didn’t need any fodder to add to my unwarranted suspicions.

“Why?” Her eyes drifted closed again, even though she was clearly fighting it.

“I—” My throat closed. I didn’t want to have that conversation. “He doesn’t take it well. Had a girl he loved once and it didn’t….”

“She break his heart?”

“She broke a lot of people’s hearts.” Mine. Trent’s. My entire family’s.

Rose’s eyes popped open and she shot upright, all traces of sleep suddenly gone. “He dated your sister? But—”

I pulled her back, lifting her so she sat in my lap, her head tucked against my shoulder. I wasn’t sure how she figured it out so easily or if it was just a fluke of a guess. “They started dating in junior high school—even though I wasn’t allowed to date in junior high, she managed to get her way fairly often. Even I tended to give her what she wanted—when we weren’t too involved in sibling rivalries. She grew up fast anyway. When she was in seventh grade, he took her to the junior high school dance, and they continued dating for the next two years. He was with us every time she was admitted to the hospital.”

He was with her until she died….

“You were friends back then?”

“Been friends since Kindergarten. He had a single mom, so my parents told her to drop him off any time she had to work. We were all close, but it was a surprise when he asked her out,” I shrugged. I’d wrestled with their relationship a few dozen times. Trent had nearly a year and a half on my sister, and their relationship also meant that she usually ended up crashing our weekend plans, but I generally acted more upset than I really was, just to give her a hard time.

Usually being the operative word. There were also the times I wanted to blacken his eye over it.

Maybe he'll finally find what he's been looking for in Brooke--if they don't hurt, kill, or maim each other first.

You'll find appearances by Trent throughout the Sins of Ashville books.

Useful tools for authors: Distribution

Draft2Digital

If you’re publishing wide, I can’t recommend D2D enough! They have amazing customer service and their formatting and automatic back and front matter saves so much time (and when you’re running your own business, time is valuable).

Currently, D2D publishes to:

Amazon
iBooks
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Tolino
OverDrive (libraries)
Scribd
24Symbols
Playster
Inktera (formally Page Foundry)

That’s a lot of bases covered and time saved!

Books2Read

Books2Read is connected to D2D, so if you’re publishing through D2D you already have an account. Books2Read allows you to have a single universal link for your book for all distributors in all countries! This is a fantastic tool because it means your link will never change and you don’t have to post multiple links every time you want to promote your book. You can go in anytime and update the links and make sure it’s picking up all of the distributors your books are available on.

Even when I’m publishing exclusive to Amazon, I still use Books2Read because it also allows me to use a single link for all of the international Amazon sites. Which is better than the excel spreadsheets I used to keep with all of the links so I could copy and paste into posts.

InstaFreebie or BookFunnel

I haven’t used BookFunnel yet, but I’ve looked into it and I want to try it out this spring. Both of these services help you distribute free eBooks for giveaways, ARCs, review copies, etc.

For $20 a month on Instafreebie, you can also collect the email addresses of anyone who downloads your book. This can be a great way to build your email list. You can also use their giveaway services for free (if you don’t want to collect emails).

BookFunnel is a similar service, but you can collect email addresses there for $10 per month, so it’s a little cheaper on that front. They, however, don’t have a free option.

Do you have any tools that you can’t live without? 

Publishing Conundrum: Where? When? WHY??

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Conmongt / Pixabay

My goal as an author has always been to publish wide. I’ve loved working at iBooks, and at times, I made more there than Amazon, but overall, this isn’t the case.

Kindle Unlimited

It’s my frenemy. I love it. I hate it (I hate exclusivity).

But… it’s true, I can’t live without it. Last year, I saw a lot of success with Kindle Unlimited through the spring and summer, but during the fall slump, I was approached by a publisher who wanted to put Irrevocable back on iTunes.

Great! The backing of a publishing company on a distributor I have enjoyed working with.

But there has been a caveat. I’m still making far, far, less and getting far fewer readers than I was on Kindle Unlimited. So, I did a poll on some of my social media pages and most of my readers are on Amazon and many prefer reading through Kindle Unlimited.

And thus, the conundrum.

I hate excluding readers on other platforms, but my furbabies have to eat. So, I’m going back into Kindle Unlimited–for the most part. It’s a quick turn-around, and I’m disappointed in that as well, but I only had 60 days from re-publishing on iBooks with the publisher to make a decision. Some of my novellas will remain on all distributors, and I’ll leave them available FREE.

But my novels will be exclusive to Amazon by the end of the month. 

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freeGraphicToday / Pixabay

I love you all, no matter what distributor you read on, so I’m going to set up a plan to make my books available on all platforms for a limited time.

All pre-orders will be available on ALL platforms (in fact, She-Devil is available for pre-order everywhere except Amazon right now), and they’ll remain available for two weeks after publication. Figuring out a system for my backlist is going to take a little more planning, but I hope to find a balance that helps all of my readers, and I’ll keep that plan and information posted here on my website so you’ll know when and where you can pick up all of my books.

She-Devil Chapter 1

Here’s chapter 1 of She-Devil!

I really hope you enjoy it!

When you get to the bottom, mouse over and an arrow will appear to take you to the next page. Happy reading!

She-Devil Chapter 1 - Google Docs

Are you ready for the She-Devil Trailer?

Surprise!! I signed with Wild Hearts Romance to bring Irrevocable back to iBooks!

Wild Hearts Romance approached me a few months ago about relaunching Irrevocable on iBooks, and I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to bring my work to a wider audience.

What’s in it for you?

Well, if you’ve been waiting to read Irrevocable outside of Kindle Unlimited, now’s the time! They have also divided the book up into 3 parts, which means you can read the first part FREE.

If you have friends who love dark romance, now is the time to share or send them a copy for the holidays!

Get it now!

Triggered! Assault, Suicide, Hiatus, and the Future…

Well, that’s a loaded title, isn’t it?

Truth is, I don’t know where I’m going or even how to start. Every beginning has another beginning stretching back into infinity. And none of us know the end or how we might get there. Or what even might come next.

But for those of you who’ve been wondering, I’m just not sure how I identify with Skye Callahan and dark romance right now. What I know is this: I can’t deal with the constant stress of being online and the constant pressure to be social. And I can’t write when facing the constant pressure of letting my readers down.

I just can’t.

And yes, many people will say it’s better to face those fears and anxieties and push through it, but I’ve been trying that since the beginning. Skye Callahan is a personna, but it’s also exactly who I am, just with a different name and an online presence (or so it was until the beginning of this year). I am not social. I am not outgoing. And I got to the point that I would have a full blown panic attack every time I had a new message, new email, or new comment. I needed to step away.

And then…

Early this year, I lost someone I’ve been friends with since I was twelve. I remember when she first moved to America, when she had her first Oreo, and her first birthday party in America. I remember her excitement when she found out she was pregnant with her little girl. I remember how beautiful she looked at her baby shower. I remember the little Facebook messages we exchanged when we lived hours apart.

And I remember every single detail when my husband told me she was gone.

First, I thought of her little girls. I hoped they were okay. If they ever could be okay.

And then, I said the only thing I could get out, “How?”

Suicide.

I still can’t believe it.

I can’t make sense of it.

And before I knew it, I had descended into my own hell of anxiety and depression. But that’s not the end of it. The shock of it all also triggered my PTSD. My friend was also a survivor of sexual assault, something she never talked about, and something I didn’t know until after she was gone.

I can already feel the anxiety prickling at my skin as I type this. It has been months now, but I still can’t fully shake it. Writing dark romance was a catalyst for me in dealing with my anger, emotions, and depression, but I’m not ready to go back into that mindset. Eventually, I know I will. The stories are there, waiting to be explored, but for now I’m focused on gardening, working my new day job, and fixing up my old house. I need to rebuild myself, starting from the foundation and working up.

Readers, I’m still thinking about you! And I do miss you. I hope life is treating you well. I’ll be back in some capacity. I probably won’t be back on social media, although my page still exists and I’ll post there from time to time. All big updates will be posted there, here on my blog, and in my newsletter.

I don’t know how long the hiatus will last, but I look forward to being able to lose myself in a dark story again and sharing it with the world.

Meet the Alphas of Sin

COVER DESIGNER: COVER ME DARLING – MARISA-ROSE SHOR

PHOTOGRAPHER – COVER ME DARLING – MARISA-ROSE SHOR

MODEL –

ALL NET PROCEEDS OF SALES DONATED TO 4 PAWS FOR ABILITY

 

Once upon a time, knights in shining armor existed…

We were whisked off on their white horses, taken back to the castle, then crowned their princesses forever…

Then we grew up and wanted more.

Nights that never end. Passion that never dies. Dominance that never stops.

Now, we want our alphas: sexy, scintillating, muscled, and masculine. Forget the castle; we crave their cave. Their love doesn’t come easily, but their ruthless ways leave us breathless…and begging for more.

Happily-ever-after has never been so much fun, especially now. Multiple authors, along with Once Upon An Alpha, have joined for a collection featuring some of the hottest alpha heroes you’ll ever read. Best of all, the proceeds will benefit 4 Paws for Ability.

Stories Contributed to Alphas of Sin:

HIS UNDENIABLE SECRET – SHAYLA BLACK

BLIND CHANCE – REBECCA BROOKE

TIGHT – SKYE CALLAHAN

NIGHT OWL – M.C. CERNY

THE UNATTAINABLE CHIEF – MICHELLE DARE

A PROMISE IGNITED – ANISSA GARCIA

SIN ON A STICK – JENNA JACOB

LOVE AND OBEY – SAPPHIRE KNIGHT

BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED – ISABELLA LAPEARL

TRIGGER – GLENNA MAYNARD

THE RECLUSE – MORGAN JANE MITCHELL

TEASE ME – NIQUEL

HEINOUS – ALEXIS NOELLE

THE BOSS – J.L. PERRY

INEVITABLE – KATHERINE RHODES

THE RIGHT CHOICE – BRANDY L RIVERS

THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA – M. STRATTON

BEAUTIFUL STRANGER – MADISON STREET

MASKED ENCOUNTER – FELICIA TATUM

THE GATE KEEPER – ALICE K. WAYNE

4 Paws for Ability is a worldwide agency that enriches the lives of children and veterans with disabilities by training and placing quality, task-trained service dogs. For more information about this nonprofit organization: http://4pawsforability.org/

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SHAYLA BLACK

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty novels. For over fifteen years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold well over a million copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past seven years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her teenage daughter, and a very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

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REBECCA BROOKE

Rebecca Brooke grew up in the shore towns of South Jersey. She loves to hit the beach, but always with her kindle on hand. She is married to the most wonderful man, who puts up with all of her craziness. Together they have two beautiful children who keep her on her toes. When she isn’t writing or reading (which is very rarely) she loves to bake and watch episodes of Shameless and True Blood.

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SKYE CALLAHAN

Bestselling author, Skye Callahan uses fiction to explore the darker aspects of human nature, and the lengths people might go to fight for love in any situation. Skye’s first romantic suspense Irrevocable was named a Top Read of 2014 by Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads, and continues to be a fan favorite.

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M.C. CERNY

M.C. Cerny fell in love with books after experiencing her first real ugly cry reading, Where The Red Fern Grows. Her debut romantic suspense novel, Flashpoint was written in a series of post-it-note ramblings that would likely make her idol Tom Clancy and her mother blush. She is a post graduate of NYU, and calls rural NJ home with her menagerie of human and feline fur-babies. When M.C. is not writing, you’ll find her lurking in Starbucks, running stupid marathons, singing Disney show tunes, and searching out the perfect shade of pink nail polish.

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MICHELLE DARE

MICHELLE DARE Michelle Dare is a romance author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from new adult to fantasy. There aren’t enough hours in the day for her to write all of the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, she’s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach where she will never have to see snow or be cold again.

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ANISSA GARCIA

Anissa Garcia earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communications and English. She held an array of jobs including Public Relations Manager for Barnes and Noble. Wanting a change of pace, she attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and trained full-time in theatre for two years. After working in Hollywood as an actress and casting assistant, she relocated to Austin, Texas and began writing freelance for Cosmopolitan and other publications. Her first book, A Promise Kept, is available now. A Promise Made will be available November 2016. When not writing stories, watching movies, or drinking a latte, she loves to daydream about romantic fictional men.

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JENNA JACOB

USA Today Bestselling author Jenna Jacob paints a canvas of passion, romance, and humor as her Alpha men and the feisty women who love them unravel their souls and heal their scars to find their happily-ever-after kind of love. Heart-tugging, captivating, and steamy, Jenna’s books will surely leave you breathless and craving more.

A mom of four grown children, Jenna and her Alpha-Hunk husband live in Kansas. Jenna loves books, Harleys, music, and camping. Jenna’s zany sense of humor and lack of filter exemplify her motto: Live. Laugh. Love.

Meet the wild and wicked family in her sultry series: The Doms of Genesis. Or become spellbound by the searing love connection between Raine, Hammer, and Liam in her continuing saga: The Doms of Her Life (co-written with the amazing Shayla Black and Isabella La Pearl). Journey with couples struggling to resolve their pasts to discover unbridled love and devotion in Jenna’s new contemporary series: Passionate Hearts.

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SAPPHIRE KNIGHT

Sapphire Knight is the International Bestselling Author of Secrets, Exposed, Relinquish, Corrupted, Forsaken Control, Unwanted Sacrifices, Friction, Unexpected Forfeit, Russian Roulette and Princess. The series are called Russkaya Mafiya, Oath Keepers MC, Ground and Pound, and Dirty Down South. Her books all reflect on what she loves to read herself. Sapphire’s a Texas girl who is crazy about football. She’s always had a knack for writing, whether it is poems or stories. She originally studied psychology and believes that it’s added to her passion for writing. Sapphire is the proud mom of two boys and has been married for twelve years. When she’s not busy in her writing cave, she’s playing with her three Doberman Pinschers. She loves to donate to help animals and watch a good action movie.

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ISABELLA LAPEARL

Hello Friends! My name is Isabella and I write sexy, erotic romance. I’m a wife, mother, writer, reader and I love to ride my motorcycle. To say it’s been an extraordinary journey thus far would be an understatement… what a rush! What a thrill to realize dreams and see them go from a seed to fruition. So for all you aspiring Authors, who like me, have a fire inside that burns brightly and demands to be sated by writing… Never give up.

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GLENNA MAYNARD

Glenna Maynard is a Kentucky native with a passion for romance, best known for her bestselling romantic suspense novel I’m with You and The Black Rebel Riders’ MC series. When she isn’t arguing with the voices in her head or drinking reader tears, she enjoys watching classic TV shows with her two children and longtime leading man.

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MORGAN JANE MITCHELL

Bestselling Erotic Romance and Paranormal author Morgan Jane Mitchell spent years blogging politics and health trends before she rediscovered her love of writing fiction. Trading politicians for bloodsuckers of another kind, she’s now the author of bestselling post-apocalyptic fantasy novel, Sanguis City. Her action packed series of vampires, witches, demons and zombies is paranormal romance, dystopia, urban fantasy and erotica in one bite. When Morgan Jane is not creating the city of blood or conjuring up other supernatural tales, she’s dreaming up erotic and dark romances.

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NIQUEL

Niquel is a self diagnosed coffee addict, lover of rice and beans, and chocolate—preferably not all together. She’s the creator of multiple stories full of love, passion, and power. She may toss in a ghost story every once in a while. When she’s not busy taking care of her two little girls, she’s writing or creating graphics. Or you can find her binge watching TV with her significant other. Boston born and raised, she’s always been a creative soul: attending multiple colleges to develop her love of the visual arts. Niquel loves to meet new fans and she’d love to hear feedback from you. Whether it’s positive or negative, your reviews help her grow as an author! You can contact her directly through any of the sites posted below.

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ALEXIS NOELLE

Alexis Noelle lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her husband, and two kids. On top a writing career, she is a full-time student and a full-time mom. She loves spending time with her kids, although she has to hide the computer from them when she is writing! She love being active and being outdoors, especially if it involves any kind of shopping. She has always been passionate about writing. She loves to read romance books and feels like being able to lose yourself in a book is one of the more exciting aspects. The books she loves to read and write will be ones that make you feel for the characters. Alexis believes that you should have an opinion on every character in a book whether you love them, hate them, or think they are up to something. She also believes that the most important critic is your reader, so she loves to hear from the readers. She wants her fans to be open & talk to her about what they want for the characters in the story, and what they would like to see happen.

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J. L. PERRY

J. L. Perry is a mother, a wife, and she resides in Sydney, Australia. She has been writing for just over two years, and has eight published titles to her name. Her first five books were self-published, and in December 2015, she signed a five book deal with publishing giant, Hachette. Her last two releases, Bastard and Hooker, both skyrocketed to #1 on iBook’s after release. Bastard has now been translated into French and Hungarian. She’s a romantic at heart and her love of reading, and HEA’s, is what inspired her to start writing. J. L. loves to connect with her readers.

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KATHERINE RHODES

Armed with a pen name, Katherine Rhodes has gird her loins and set her mind to writing erotic romances which are kinky, dirty, and fun. As a lackadaisical laundry goddess, and an expert in the profundities of bad music and awful literature-thanks to her husband-Katherine strives to find balance in the universe and time to cook dinner. An East Coast dweller, currently located in the Philadelphia Tristate area, she is the proud servants of three cats and would take a vacation in Prague over a day at the beach any time…

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BRANDY L RIVERS

Brandy L Rivers is a New York Times and USA Today, bestselling author. Her two main series are: Others of Edenton and Others of Seattle. She has also written a few contemporary stories. An avid reader, Brandy has always loved writing. She became serious about it as a stay-at-home-mother. Her secret lair, guarded by a pint-sized pound puppy who imagines himself a hellhound, contains a file full of manuscripts she plans to edit and publish with new creations she is constantly dreaming up. Living in rainy Western Washington with her husband and three kids, Brandy is already working on future stories in each of the series, along with several other projects.

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M. STRATTON

M. Stratton is an International Amazon bestselling author in the romantic suspense and mystery suspense categories for her Storm Series and Bender. She lives with her husband and son in Arizona, which is a big difference from where she grew up north of Chicago, Illinois. As an only child she learned to tell herself stories to make the long winters go by quicker while dreaming of summer vacations. Now as an adult she still makes up stories to pass the time, but now she writes them down to share with other people. Stratton is a self-proclaimed dork who loves to make people laugh. Her inner rock star is always on stage performing to a sold out crowd, but she quiet and shy on the outside. She spends her days plotting new ways to surprise her readers.

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MADISON STREET

Madison began writing at a young age. She would write episodes of her favorite television shows and her passion has grown since. She decided to pursue her dreams and debuted her dark romance suspense novel, Little Things, in June 2014. It was well received by thousands of readers and became a bestseller in Romance Suspense on Amazon.

Madison Street was born in New York City and was raised in the Bronx, where she resided until she was 17 years old. After 9/11, Madison joined the United States Navy to serve her country.

During the deployments, Madison constantly wrote short stories and she discovered her passion for writing. You will find Madison always on the computer, whether she’s on Facebook, designing websites, messing with Photoshop, or writing for her blog.

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FELICIA TATUM

Felicia Tatum was born and raised in Tennessee. She always loved reading, and at the age of twelve began writing. Her passion for creating stories grew and in May 2012, she finally wrote her first novel, The White Aura.

She still lives in Tennessee with her daughter and her kitty. She loves cooking, books, and animals are some of her best friends. She watches a lot of Disney channel and often dreams up new book ideas. She’s currently working on various projects, including the rest of the White Aura Series, the Scarred Hearts Series, and a novella series. Her dream is to write as many books as possible while entertaining as many people as possible.

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ALICE K. WAYNE

Alice K. Wayne is a paranormal romance/ erotica writer straight out of the Motor City. From a young age books became her favorite escape, and that love eventually turned to writing as well. Alice loves traveling, is a self-proclaimed foodie, sushi addict, selfie Queen, and like all good Detroiters, is completely obsessed with Red Wings hockey.

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She-Devil (Serpentine 4) Cover Reveal!

She-Devil

Skye Callahan

Romantic Suspense

Serpentine #4

Release: November 15, 2016
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Whatever you do, never, ever blow your cover in front of a devil….

I traded my dress shoes for leather boots, my badge for a hog, and my friends for the club. It’s supposed to be temporary, but if I don’t live, breathe, and bleed Devil’s Pointe MC for even a second, it’ll all be over.

But one little distraction may prove more powerful than the entire club.

One day, they’ll call me Lilith and bow at my feet….

Like a weed, I thrive where I’m not supposed to. I stand tall despite my infertile upbringing and the surrounding hostiles who threaten me every day.

No, “despite” isn’t entirely correct, I do it all to spite them.

I’m a She-Devil and I intend to show them all what it really means to be a Devil.

The Serpentine Series

1. Irrevocable Kirk & Silver

2. Bend, Don’t Break James & Rose

3. Insurmountable Miles & Alley (Novella)

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4. She-Devil Trent & Brooke

Skye Callahan

“Skye’s writing takes darkness and gives it spice and romance.” ~ Pepper Winters, NYT Bestselling Author

Named a Rising Star in Romance by iBooks in 2015, bestselling author Skye Callahan uses fiction to explore the darker aspects of human nature. Skye’s first romantic suspense Irrevocable was named a Top Read of 2014 by Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads, and continues to be a fan favorite.

Skye’s love of reading and writing started at a young age when she was inspired by fellow Ohio native, R.L. Stine, to release her imagination by putting her own pen to paper. Prior to pursuing writing full-time, Skye received a B.A. and M.A. in History and participated in numerous local history projects including a full-length Civil War documentary for Western Reserve PBS.

If you want to know what Skye is working on next, head over to her website, skyecallahan.com, where you can also pick up a free ebook just for signing up to her mailing list. You can also connect with Skye on Facebook /SkyeCallahan, Twitter /Skye_Callahan, or Instagram /authorskyecallahan.

Skye also writes paranormal urban fantasy and romance as S.J. Callahan.