Meka James's Blog, page 12

Cover Reveal: The Lists

What's this? Blog posts two days in a row? I know, it's shocking, but for a good reason. Today is cover reveal day!!!





Ta-da!!!!
Now, you might be thinking, "Meka, I thought this was a sexy time book" and it is. And yes the cover may not scream that, but I'm not a shirtless man, half dressed woman on the cover kinda gal. Not to mention, stock for interracial couples is like some sort of rare find. It's sad really.

This cover, however is what I had in mind when I started writing the story. Because it fits!

The blurb:

There’s an art to gift giving. It’s not how much you spend, but more about thought. 
For Calida Frankel, she doesn’t have to think too hard about what would put a giant smile on her husband’s face. She knows exactly what he’d love…besides unwrapping her, that is.
A mason jar. A notepad. And her ‘kinky’ to-do list.
But all’s fair in love and sex.
So, even knowing the level of naughty running through Malcolm’s head, as an added bonus she tells him to make one of his own. Carte blanche to let his fantasies run wild. Making it the birthday gift that keeps on giving.
The cover photos were taken by my daughter and the design was done by Avery Kingston.

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Another big announcement. Release day

NOVEMBER 23, 2018
A special date as it's the one year anniversary of Not Broken.

You can get THE LISTS on sale during the pre-order time for the low, low price of $0.99.

Amazon
All Other Online Retailers
Thank you for all the continued support.

Have a great Tuesday

Until next time,
~Meka

Music Monday - Feeling Good

Happens every week doesn't it. No matter how hard we wish for it, Monday just keeps coming around. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and getting back to the 'work' week won't be too hard today.
Last week, I mentioned being in what I call #editinghell. I managed to finish up my last round of edits for my upcoming novella THE LISTS and will send it back to my editor for her final look over and copy edits. The release date is closing in faster than I like and I'm feeling the pressure.

This week's selection is in honor of that novella.


Tomorrow is the cover reveal for it and I'm excited. Covers are the best part to me. LOL I'm really eager for this one because the photo for it was taken by my daughter. I couldn't find stock that I liked/wanted so I arranged a 'custom' photo shoot.

As anyone that tunes in to this blog regularly knows, I have playlist for each book I write. This week's song was featured in FIENDISH and repeated in THE LISTS, but a different version. The significance of the song, for my lead Calida, changed. She's a work in progress to reclaim her life from the dark times with Seth, and this song she wanted to use to take ownership and give new meaning in her life.

Special treat, a little excerpt to show the use in book.

I turned my back, closed my eyes and took a breath. I hit play on my phone, the song already cued up and ready to go. A remix of “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone began pouring from the Bluetooth speakers.As I’d cycled through Pandora looking for the perfect song, when this one came up in the rotation, my gut reaction had been to skip it, but I forced myself to listen; Seth was no longer in control. Like with my nickname—our special name—being with Malcolm aided in me taking back ownership over all aspects of my life. Seth was no more. Nothing. He’d been reduced to a dark spot in my life which served to strip him of all titles he’d once held.Malcolm was now my lover, husband, friend, and the most amazing father to our little boy. This was the song, the lyrics, it embodied everything I felt now thanks to the man waiting for his show.

I hope you enjoy the song and have a great week.

Until next time,
~Meka

"Feeling Good" by Nina Simone (Avicii Remix)

Music Monday - Connection

Happy Monday. Can you believe we are halfway done with October? The year is barreling toward the end and honestly it's kinda freaking me out.
I'm feeling like I haven't hit the goals I set at the beginning of the year. I didn't make many, but still I am not having any sense of accomplishment. What I won't do is go back to compare now. I wait until the end of the year to see what I hit, what I missed, and figure out my new options going forward.

Another thing semi-stressing me out is time in #editinghell. I have my novella I'm trying to get edited and finished so I'll have at least one title put out this year. I'm also expecting the edits back from Carina Press for the novella they acquired. So back-to-back editing and the idea alone adds more gray hair.

So what do I do in the interim? Dance! Really all the time at the computer is terrible on my already bad back, plus getting up, taking breaks, it's all something that is important in the self-care routine. This week's selection serves two purposes.

1) The song itself speaks to how well my RChat ladies are there to rally around when I'm struggling with edits. They are all aware of how much they suck the joy of writing out of me. Part of the reason I ended up with the Writer Blahs over the summer was due to extensive time in #editinghell having to make what I felt were 'major-ish' changes to a story. Without them reminding me it wasn't the end of the world and everything would work out, I probably would have done a massive delete and been done with it.

2) It's a catchy song. The beat, and overall uplifting tone makes you want to get up and get moving. I can stand, dance around and let the music wash away the blahs (somewhat) while I'm working through the edits.

I hope you all have a great week. Be sure to get up, move around and take care of yourselves!

Until next time
~Meka

"Connection" by OneRepublic

Music Monday - You Say

Another week has kicked off. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. My boys were out for a 'fall break' something they've never had before. There's been a lot going on writing wise. I now have two offers on two different stories.
But that doesn't change the first loves. My first characters. The ones that started it all and the ones that I really thought would be a one and done situation. Fiendish turned into Not Broken and Not Broken has turned into The Lists (a short novella due out soon). The idea of not writing on these guys ever again is a little sad, but I know the time is coming.

That being said, music, as you all know, plays a large role in my writing process. And even long after the story is complete, if I hear a song that will fit the story, I add it to the playlist for that book. This week's selection is one of those songs.

I wasn't a nice writer to Calida (my FMC in the 3 above books) I really made her work for her HEA. She's had a rough go of things and even in the fun, sexy time novella, those issues remain a part of her, because they probably always will.

As I was writing Not Broken, I found songs that at the time spoke to each character and their journey, and then I heard "You Say" on the radio and I was like OMG this is Calida! Well her feelings toward Malcolm and how he impacted her life. So as I prepare for yet another release starring these guys, I picked a song this week to be about them.

Hope you like it.

Until next time
~Meka

"You Say" by Lauren Daigle

IWSG - The Winds Of Change

Happy October. The month that for some is the ‘official’ start of fall. Welcome back to a new IWSG blog post. Last month I talked about the woes involved in self-publishing. I also have posted about my time in queryland. Welp, it’s not been a wasted trip. In April I participated in the #CarinaPitch event which got me a like from Kerri Buckley. I submitted up my story and began the waiting process. As of Sept. 17th, that wait paid off. I had my first offer! Yay! Exciting times. Floating on cloud 9, the whole list of cliché happy sayings. In that same phone call, I was also rejected for a second manuscript I sent them. It was a crazy day.
A week later, that rejected manuscript got an offer from a different publisher. It’s been a whirlwind. Then came the contracts. Boy, pages and pages of legal talk. Makes your head spin. Then the overthinking starts. The weighing of the pros and cons from going the traditional route or sticking with all indie. All those hats I talked about last month, I can actually take off one or two. But…the idea of giving up some of the control like over edits, covers, titles, it’s a little scary. Though the idea of not having to pay up front for the edits, and the covers is like a financial windfall.
After joining the Authors Guild and taking advantage of their legal support so they can review the contracts for me, I have decided to go hybrid. After some minor negotiations, which I’m still ironing out.
I’m still finding my footing as an indie author and now I’m embarking on a new journey. It’s scary and exciting all at the same time. I’ve never been a person that hardcore tracked their sales, but I am wondering if having a publisher behind me will give me an increase and if that will have any boost to my self-published titles. The winds of change are upon me and my career, but I’m looking forward to seeing how things go in 2019.
Anyone that has worked with publishers before, feel free to offer up some advice on getting the most out of this experience.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

Thank you to this month’s co-hosts: Dolorah @ Book Lover, Christopher D. Votey, Tanya Miranda, and Chemist Ken!

Thanks for stopping byUntil next time~Meka

Music Monday - Ain't No Stopping Us Now

Happy October! Can't believe we are this close to the end of the year. A lot of things have happened, some I've shared, some I haven't yet.
While I'm very excited about upcoming things for myself and my writing career, I am even more happy to celebrate the successes of my writing ladies. Writing can be a lonely endeavor and when you're luck enough to find people to connect with, people that will be there to cheer you on in times of achievement, and hold your hand in times of sadness, well that makes it all worth it.

I've talked about them before, my RChat ladies. I've even featured them on Music Monday. When I first joined the group, I was the lone indie author, the rest were on the #amquery path. In the year since then, two of them have since self published their books. Two others have landed agents. And another just got an offer from a small press for one of her amazing stories. There have also been various contest wins, one of which took it all and got an offer to submit the full to a publisher that typically doesn't take unagented submissions!!!!!

I'm happy for my own successes, but I'm ecstatic for theirs!!! So this week's selection is about moving forward and keeping the momentum that has come our way. With the continued support, and genuine happiness we have for each other, we have good things to look forward to in the coming years.

A few of the things coming down the pipeline from them.

The wonderful Felicia Grossman who landed an agent and a contract. Her debut novel is due out in February. American historical romance featuring a Jewish heroine.

He’s her ticket into high society…

Banking heiress Ursula Nunes has lived her life on the fringes of Philadelphia’s upper class. Her Jewish heritage means she’s never quite been welcomed by society’s elite…and her quick temper has never helped, either.

A faux engagement to the scion of the mid-Atlantic’s most storied family might work to repair her rumpled reputation and gain her entrée to the life she thinks she wants…if she can ignore the way her “betrothed” makes her feel warm all over and stay focused on her goal.

She’s his ticket out…

Former libertine John Thaddeus “Jay” Truitt is hardly the man to teach innocent women about propriety. Luckily, high society has little to do with being proper and everything to do with identifying your foe’s temptation—an art form Jay mastered long ago. A broken engagement will give him the perfect excuse to run off to Europe and a life of indulgence.

But when the game turns too personal, all bets are off…

#BuyFelicia

Next up we have Coralie Moss. Roomie extraordinaire. This will be Cora's FOURTH book this year. She decided to go indie and went full blast. It's freaking amazing all she's accomplished so far! She's trying something new from the contemporary romances and went Urban Fantasy this time. You can get this gem in 24 short days. Release date October 25th.






Calliope Jones is a witch whose magic is on the cusp of disappearing. Tanner Marechal, agent for the Provincial government, investigates crimes of the magical kind.

Together, they must solve a series of murders, foster Calliope’s teenaged sons into their own magical powers, and keep the Apples of Immortality from landing in the wrong hands.

#MagicRemembered





If either of these sound like something you'd be interested in, go ahead and 1-click. 
Hope you all have a great week.
Until next time,~Meka
"Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead

Music Monday - High Hopes

Whew, this month is almost over. Hard to believe right? Like where is the time going? I feel like I have so much to get done, yet actually accomplish very little.
There are not enough hours in the day for editing, writing, marketing, and making sure the family is taken care of on top of it all. But somehow, things manage to get done, maybe not always when they should, but I turtle along and keep chugging.

When I first started writing, I wasn't sure if I'd keep doing it for fun, or if I wanted to put forth the serious work required (see above) to make a go at having this as a career. At this point in the game, I'm all in with writing. I have stories I want to share with the world. I want to be successful in my endeavors. I have hopes, modest hopes, but hopes all the same for my future as an author.

If you've been following some of my other blog posts this year, you know I dipped my toe into the query waters. I've been peddling my stories to various small publishers and even bit the bullet and sent to an agent, because why not. As expected, I received rejections. Did they hurt? Well, not as much as one would think because I pretty much had it in my head no one would want my stories. Not in the 'traditional' publishing sense anyway.

I gave myself a year, 12 full months from the date of first submission to see where things would go. And to my great surprise I actually got interest in the two tester stories. I submitted one via a Twitter pitch contest and got a like (back in April) and since then I've talked with the editor and she's interested in taking on that story. In the same phone call, I was rejected for the second story. It was a weird day.

Two days later, I received an email from another publisher for that second story and they requested the full thing. A week later, they made an offer. So if all goes well, I could have sold two stories I really thought would never get traction, especially the second as it's a married couple romance and they are a hard sell, or so I'd been told in each rejection I got for it.

I haven't signed on the proverbial dotted line as of yet because I don't fully understand contracts and want them reviewed first. But, if all goes well, I'll be making the move from indie author to a hybrid author.

This week's selection fit my general mood. I don't have grand dreams where my writing career is concerned, but I do have some. And even I didn't know that having a publisher like something I've worked so hard on was one of those dreams until the possibility became a reality.

This business isn't easy. Keep your head up, and keep chugging forward to do what you love.

Have a great week.

Until next time,
~Meka

"High Hopes" by Panic! At The Disco

Music Monday-Make Me Feel

It's Monday again. And boy am I tired. For my 'day' job (though it really happens at night, so writing is my day job?) I work at concert venues. The company also hosts on of Georgia's largest music festivals, Music Midtown.


I'd already had the pleasure of seeing her twice this year. She held two shows at the main venue I work. I got paid to see her for one, and attended the other. In case it wasn't clear, I'm a fan. The show she put on was the same that I got to see, but it was amazing nonetheless.

Last week I spoke about my new project. I'm currently building the playlist for that particular story and already a few songs by Ms. Monae have made the cut. This week's selection being one of them. As stated, I'm doing the best friend's sibling trope, that 'forbidden' aspect of dating the sibling because it could cause complications in the friendship.

Not Broken has this as well with Calida being the best friend to Malcolm's sister, Macy. Because I've done this trope once before, trying to change it up, to give the story a different take hasn't been easiest. It's morphing into one of those things that is happening 'out of the blue' so to speak with my new couple. Because of that, the song I picked fits the basic idea of how the two hook up. Somethings can't really be explained, it comes down to having that feeling that this is supposed to be.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the song and have a great week.

Until next time,
~Meka

"Make Me Feel" by Janelle Monae **NSFW lyrics**

Music Monday: I Kissed A Girl

It's the start of another week. Try as we might, Mondays just keep coming around. Hopefully you had a great weekend.
The last couple of weeks have been songs that just get me moving. I finished one WIP (work in progress) and after a few rounds of edits based on beta feedback, it's now in the hands of my editor. What's the best way to not worry about getting back the editorial letter? Work on a new project.

One of the manuscripts that I have out on query is a short novella written for a particular publisher's line of shorts. To keep my mind off the waiting I came up with two other stories that could connect to the first one, but still act as a standalone. New story means new playlist.

This story will be a first for me as it'll be my first same sex pairing. Because I like to try new things with my writing, and truly believe love is love between consenting humans, I took a look at the tropes this line wanted to see in this series and figured out how I wanted this to work.

M/M is what most people (in what I see on Twitter) seem to flock to. There have been discussion in some circles about how F/F is overlooked or not as desirable for a myriad of reasons. I'm of the camp, the ladies need love and their HEA just as much. When I picked out the trope of best friend's sibling, and made the determination to do same sex, F/F was my instant choice.

The first 'mood' song that came to mind when I started trying to build a playlist was "I Kissed A Girl" because, well I'm gonna have kissing girls. It's an older song, and I think one of Katy Perry's first (I'm no music history buff), but it's fun and probably a little tongue and cheek. But I want the story to be fun, and sexy, and light so it fits.

Hope you like it.

Until next time,
~Meka

"I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry

IWSG 28 - Hard Knock Indie Life

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash
It’s September, and the first Wednesday of said month so you know what that means. Yup, another post for IWSG.Even though I’ve spent this year in Queryland, I am still very much Indie Proud. But the indie life ain’t an easy one. To be indie, you have to wear all the hats and it can get majorly overwhelming. It would be nice to focus on just the words, but realistically, that’s not the case. Instead we have to write, but then also edit (and I know for some that’s not a hardship, but for me it is). There’s formatting, and even if you hire someone to do it for you, there’s the research to find the right person. Same goes for marketing and finding the right professional editor. And don’t even get me started on the techy side, trying to build a professional looking website.
My cup runeth over with things to do.
Adding to my already overly stressed state is the announcement that Createspace is closing and the books have to be moved over to Amazon’s new print house, KDP. One more freaking thing to worry about. The various Facebook groups I’m part of have had mixed reviews on the process. Some say it was easy, others have had complications. Knowing me, I’ll have complications.
I already have mixed feeling about ‘The Zon’ and all the things that have happened as of late. I’ve never been select and have no plans to, that whole all eggs in one basket thing, so to be reliant on Amazon for printing as well, it’s not 100% comforting. And yes, I realize that CS was an Amazon company, but something about it being separate made it doable.
I only have two books out, but still the idea of trying to figure out the move is daunting. And not something I want to have to deal with. Same with finding other POD companies to try instead of relying on KDP. It’s a real case of ‘there’s always something’ and it makes my head hurt.
So what are your thoughts on the move to shut down Createspace in favor of KDP?
September 5 optional question - What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why?
~Well, from the above post, you know the answer to the first part of the question. I am an indie author. If any of my submissions find a home, then I’ll be hybrid, but indie is sorta my home. Why? Well I’ve mentioned before that Fiendish got its start as a blog story. Because of that I’d already ‘published’ it myself so when I made the move to make it into a book, self-publishing made sense. I never really considered any other option. Not to mention it’s sort of a homeless story, genre wise. So, not something that is easily sellable for the traditional marketplace.
Because I did Fiendish, Not Broken followed the same path and I never once considered another option even though that one is more straight laced (for the most part) genre wise. I’m querying now to learn the other side of the business. Crafting a query letter and synopsis is a whole different skill set, and even if nothing comes of it, the time spent has been a learning experience. So win!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

Thank you to this month’s co-hosts: Toi Thomas, T. PowellColtrin, M.J. Fifield, and Tara Tyler!

Until next time,
~Meka