Stylo Fantome's Blog, page 2
February 9, 2015
Would I Do Things Differently?
It's a very weird little community we have going on here.
People complain about "cheap books" ruining this industry, but there are whole groups here and on FB dedicated to lending and sharing books - a FREE practice that rarely gains reviews and usually not sales.
People complain about the dreaded cliffhanger, but series do massively better than stand alones, with big cliffies getting the most attention.
People hate to wait a lifetime for the next book in the series, yet countdowns and timelines and calendars are built around waiting for those next-books.
So what's the right move to make!? AHHHHHH!!!
Sometimes I wonder if I should've chucked my Mission Statement out the window. I could've published Degradation in July, and then just sat on Separation - it was already written, so no pressure. Used Degradation's cliffhanger to hook more and more people, build up a reader-base, so that when I released Separation, probably this coming July, or something, it would potentially be HUGE, massively bigger than it's actual release, potentially a top bestseller, which then could've catapulted Reparation's release into top selling status, when I released it in 2016.
Solid plan, right? Solidify me as a top selling author, gain me bestseller status - possibly USA and/or NY Times - and maybe even catch the eye of an agent or publisher. Boost my reader-base, give me thousands of FB LIkes and followers.
OOOORRRRRRRR I release Degradation with no set release date for Separation. People love it, but damn, that cliffhanger, though! People get angry. Or lose patience. Or the worst - FORGET. And then Separation releases. People have somewhat forgotten about it, so the release is good, but not as good as it could have been, maybe. And then worst thing ever - PEOPLE ARE DISAPPOINTED. Disappointment is worse than ANYTHING. So now they've waited a year for a disappointment. Are they gonna buy book three? Fuck no. Are they gonna buy any other book I release? Most likely not.
And suddenly Degradation is another indie-one-hit-wonder statistic and I fade away.
Two reasons why I went the route I did:
1. I read A LOT, and if I read Degradation and got to that cliffhanger and there was no news on when the next book would be released, I'd be PISSED. Almost borderline offended. I didn't want to do that to people.
2. Going the second route, using anticipation to build readership, is risky. It's betting a lot on my talent and abilities, something I wasn't willing to do right out the gate. I think I'm awesome - but I'm not stupid enough to think EVERYONE is going to feel that way (at first, bahahaha). ALSO - that whole offending people thing. I don't want to LOSE readership.
There was a book that came out in the fall of 2013. It was a VERY big book, it made a HUGE splash. I actually used it as a template of sorts - people made a big deal out of the fact that sex happened VERY quickly in the book, within the first chapter. So knowing that, I went ahead with my prologue in Degradation, figuring if that author could pull it off, so could I.
This Big-Book was also a cliffhanger, and a biggie, at that. A jaw dropper, kindle thrower. With NO release date for book two.
When did book two come out, you ask?
I actually wasn't aware that it had come out already - I had to look it up. It was released more than one year after the first book, to almost no fan fare, no attention, nothing. It was released one month BEFORE Reparation, yet Reparation already has more ratings. That shouldn't be possible - not with how big book one was, not with the kind of fame that author gained. Yet I was completely unaware of its release (and I spend A LOT of time trolling around this community, attempting to keep a finger somewhere near a pulse).
That's the problem with doing the long haul, with putting that kind of time between releases. That's the risk that it runs. Does it always pan out like that? No. Some times book two comes along forever and a day later, and blows book one out of the water. Was a very smart move to make by whichever author.
But I just wasn't willing to take that risk.
Was it a mistake? I guess we'll never know for sure. Can't turn back time. I think about it a lot - a lot more than I should. But ultimately, I think I'm happy with the way I did things. Maybe I didn't gain as many readers as I could have, but I am beyond thrilled with the success I've had, and with the relationship I've built with a lot of my readers.
And I'll take that, any day. Thanks for reading, everyone. Four more days till Completion!
People complain about "cheap books" ruining this industry, but there are whole groups here and on FB dedicated to lending and sharing books - a FREE practice that rarely gains reviews and usually not sales.
People complain about the dreaded cliffhanger, but series do massively better than stand alones, with big cliffies getting the most attention.
People hate to wait a lifetime for the next book in the series, yet countdowns and timelines and calendars are built around waiting for those next-books.
So what's the right move to make!? AHHHHHH!!!
Sometimes I wonder if I should've chucked my Mission Statement out the window. I could've published Degradation in July, and then just sat on Separation - it was already written, so no pressure. Used Degradation's cliffhanger to hook more and more people, build up a reader-base, so that when I released Separation, probably this coming July, or something, it would potentially be HUGE, massively bigger than it's actual release, potentially a top bestseller, which then could've catapulted Reparation's release into top selling status, when I released it in 2016.
Solid plan, right? Solidify me as a top selling author, gain me bestseller status - possibly USA and/or NY Times - and maybe even catch the eye of an agent or publisher. Boost my reader-base, give me thousands of FB LIkes and followers.
OOOORRRRRRRR I release Degradation with no set release date for Separation. People love it, but damn, that cliffhanger, though! People get angry. Or lose patience. Or the worst - FORGET. And then Separation releases. People have somewhat forgotten about it, so the release is good, but not as good as it could have been, maybe. And then worst thing ever - PEOPLE ARE DISAPPOINTED. Disappointment is worse than ANYTHING. So now they've waited a year for a disappointment. Are they gonna buy book three? Fuck no. Are they gonna buy any other book I release? Most likely not.
And suddenly Degradation is another indie-one-hit-wonder statistic and I fade away.
Two reasons why I went the route I did:
1. I read A LOT, and if I read Degradation and got to that cliffhanger and there was no news on when the next book would be released, I'd be PISSED. Almost borderline offended. I didn't want to do that to people.
2. Going the second route, using anticipation to build readership, is risky. It's betting a lot on my talent and abilities, something I wasn't willing to do right out the gate. I think I'm awesome - but I'm not stupid enough to think EVERYONE is going to feel that way (at first, bahahaha). ALSO - that whole offending people thing. I don't want to LOSE readership.
There was a book that came out in the fall of 2013. It was a VERY big book, it made a HUGE splash. I actually used it as a template of sorts - people made a big deal out of the fact that sex happened VERY quickly in the book, within the first chapter. So knowing that, I went ahead with my prologue in Degradation, figuring if that author could pull it off, so could I.
This Big-Book was also a cliffhanger, and a biggie, at that. A jaw dropper, kindle thrower. With NO release date for book two.
When did book two come out, you ask?
I actually wasn't aware that it had come out already - I had to look it up. It was released more than one year after the first book, to almost no fan fare, no attention, nothing. It was released one month BEFORE Reparation, yet Reparation already has more ratings. That shouldn't be possible - not with how big book one was, not with the kind of fame that author gained. Yet I was completely unaware of its release (and I spend A LOT of time trolling around this community, attempting to keep a finger somewhere near a pulse).
That's the problem with doing the long haul, with putting that kind of time between releases. That's the risk that it runs. Does it always pan out like that? No. Some times book two comes along forever and a day later, and blows book one out of the water. Was a very smart move to make by whichever author.
But I just wasn't willing to take that risk.
Was it a mistake? I guess we'll never know for sure. Can't turn back time. I think about it a lot - a lot more than I should. But ultimately, I think I'm happy with the way I did things. Maybe I didn't gain as many readers as I could have, but I am beyond thrilled with the success I've had, and with the relationship I've built with a lot of my readers.
And I'll take that, any day. Thanks for reading, everyone. Four more days till Completion!
February 2, 2015
So I Did This Thing This One Time Where I Wrote a Book
I honestly don't know how some authors do it - pump out book after book after book. And I don't say that rudely, I swear, some authors are able to do it, and produce GOOD work, and it's impressive.
My creativity just don't flow that well. It's spotty, at best. I finished writing the Kane Trilogy last May(ish), and that was the last time I wrote "the end" for a LONG. TIME.
Started LOTS of stuff. Stuff I've already forgotten about, and stuff I hope I go back to. But nothing that stuck. Nothing that flowed.
Then I joined a word count group in January, and I worked on one of those aforementioned "stuffs". But I could tell. As I hacked away and plodded along, I could just tell - I wasn't feeling it.
So I got to thinking about my meme that helped me through Degradation, the "write in a way that scares you a little" - then I tacked on a blog I read. Crazily enough, months ago I read a blog written by an author talking about her experience as an indie author, from start to present day. She talked about her first book, it's surprise success, the continued success of the series, then releasing a book that didn't do as great. She wrote about how she figured it was the end of her indie career, and how she made a decision that if her career was gonna end, then she was gonna end it with a bang, and she was gonna write a story she'd been thinking about for a while, but she knew people would hate it.
WRONG. It turned into a HUGE blockbuster success. People loved it. And she kept on writing.
Double strange - I read that article months ago. The author who wrote it? Ella Fox. Author who created the Word Count Group I joined? Ella Fox. I didn't connect the dots till later.
While I don't think my indie career is ending, I took my beloved meme and her words and decided "fuck it, I can do that, too" and just went for it.
A long time ago, I thought of a story line, but I didn't work on it at all, because it was a subject matter that is not well received in this community. It could get shot down before it's even released, why write about it!? Just push it aside!
Only it wouldn't be pushed aside. It's been there in the background for a long time, so I thought of that meme and I thought of her blog post, and I went for it. I opened a blank document and decided to see if this idea would go anywhere.
Less than two weeks later, I had 80,000 words and a stand alone, completed novel, something I hadn't accomplished in eight months. People may hate it. People may love it. But I wrote what my brain NEEDED to write, what it WANTED to write.
Hopefully I learned a lesson from this, to just go with the flow, and to stop psyching myself out, and to just write what is in me to write. Maybe it'll be well received. Maybe it won't. But it'll be mine and it'll what I wanted and it'll be what I like.
I can only hope you like, too.
New Stand Alone Releasing May 2nd
Cover Reveal March 15th
Contemporary Romance
Full Length Novel, 80,000+ words
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
My creativity just don't flow that well. It's spotty, at best. I finished writing the Kane Trilogy last May(ish), and that was the last time I wrote "the end" for a LONG. TIME.
Started LOTS of stuff. Stuff I've already forgotten about, and stuff I hope I go back to. But nothing that stuck. Nothing that flowed.
Then I joined a word count group in January, and I worked on one of those aforementioned "stuffs". But I could tell. As I hacked away and plodded along, I could just tell - I wasn't feeling it.
So I got to thinking about my meme that helped me through Degradation, the "write in a way that scares you a little" - then I tacked on a blog I read. Crazily enough, months ago I read a blog written by an author talking about her experience as an indie author, from start to present day. She talked about her first book, it's surprise success, the continued success of the series, then releasing a book that didn't do as great. She wrote about how she figured it was the end of her indie career, and how she made a decision that if her career was gonna end, then she was gonna end it with a bang, and she was gonna write a story she'd been thinking about for a while, but she knew people would hate it.
WRONG. It turned into a HUGE blockbuster success. People loved it. And she kept on writing.
Double strange - I read that article months ago. The author who wrote it? Ella Fox. Author who created the Word Count Group I joined? Ella Fox. I didn't connect the dots till later.
While I don't think my indie career is ending, I took my beloved meme and her words and decided "fuck it, I can do that, too" and just went for it.
A long time ago, I thought of a story line, but I didn't work on it at all, because it was a subject matter that is not well received in this community. It could get shot down before it's even released, why write about it!? Just push it aside!
Only it wouldn't be pushed aside. It's been there in the background for a long time, so I thought of that meme and I thought of her blog post, and I went for it. I opened a blank document and decided to see if this idea would go anywhere.
Less than two weeks later, I had 80,000 words and a stand alone, completed novel, something I hadn't accomplished in eight months. People may hate it. People may love it. But I wrote what my brain NEEDED to write, what it WANTED to write.
Hopefully I learned a lesson from this, to just go with the flow, and to stop psyching myself out, and to just write what is in me to write. Maybe it'll be well received. Maybe it won't. But it'll be mine and it'll what I wanted and it'll be what I like.
I can only hope you like, too.
New Stand Alone Releasing May 2nd
Cover Reveal March 15th
Contemporary Romance
Full Length Novel, 80,000+ words
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
January 26, 2015
Curiouser and Curiouser
So I am going to a signing, YAY! Last minute though it is.
I would like to break down some signing facts for y'all:
Plane ticket to Seattle for me: $575
Cost of hotel room for entire event: $450
Cost of one standing banner: $80
Swag (pens, keychains, bookmarks, etc.): $75
Books (I decided to bring a small-ish amount as this is first signing, I'm a last minute addition, and I figure I won't sell a lot): $115
So we're looking at $1,300, right there - and I was cutting some corners, I know most spent a lot more. For basically two days of events. I would have to sell SO MANY books to even begin to make up that cost, or gain SO MANY new readers.
Basically, what I'm saying is, signings are not cost effective for authors, for the most part. Before I even started this adventure, I kind of wondered why so many authors went to SO MANY signings. I mean, yes, it's nice, meeting your readers and meeting other authors, but it's literally burning your money. $1,300 is all some authors make in a month, and boom, gone in a weekend.
Obviously, if you're CoHo, or Jamie McGuire, or K. Bromberg, or JEM, people might travel miles and miles just to see you, hence why Book Bash and Love in Las Vegas work - and for little baby authors like me, those are the goodies, feed off of their fans.
But to go to every signing just isn't a realistic possibility. In fact, MOST are an unrealistic possibility - the only reason why I'm going to this one is it's affordable, AND my family lives in the area. I'm double dipping to make the cost worth it and visiting them as well.
I would rather save my money and put it towards better covers and better prizes, and eventually, I'd like to put it towards quitting my day job so I can work on bringing you better books.
But hey, seeing as how it may be a while before I make another appearance in the lower 48, if you're in the Seattle area, come see ME and lots of other fun authors! I'll be lurking about on Saturday, at the signing:
http://www.shadesofromancecon.com/sch...
I would like to break down some signing facts for y'all:
Plane ticket to Seattle for me: $575
Cost of hotel room for entire event: $450
Cost of one standing banner: $80
Swag (pens, keychains, bookmarks, etc.): $75
Books (I decided to bring a small-ish amount as this is first signing, I'm a last minute addition, and I figure I won't sell a lot): $115
So we're looking at $1,300, right there - and I was cutting some corners, I know most spent a lot more. For basically two days of events. I would have to sell SO MANY books to even begin to make up that cost, or gain SO MANY new readers.
Basically, what I'm saying is, signings are not cost effective for authors, for the most part. Before I even started this adventure, I kind of wondered why so many authors went to SO MANY signings. I mean, yes, it's nice, meeting your readers and meeting other authors, but it's literally burning your money. $1,300 is all some authors make in a month, and boom, gone in a weekend.
Obviously, if you're CoHo, or Jamie McGuire, or K. Bromberg, or JEM, people might travel miles and miles just to see you, hence why Book Bash and Love in Las Vegas work - and for little baby authors like me, those are the goodies, feed off of their fans.
But to go to every signing just isn't a realistic possibility. In fact, MOST are an unrealistic possibility - the only reason why I'm going to this one is it's affordable, AND my family lives in the area. I'm double dipping to make the cost worth it and visiting them as well.
I would rather save my money and put it towards better covers and better prizes, and eventually, I'd like to put it towards quitting my day job so I can work on bringing you better books.
But hey, seeing as how it may be a while before I make another appearance in the lower 48, if you're in the Seattle area, come see ME and lots of other fun authors! I'll be lurking about on Saturday, at the signing:
http://www.shadesofromancecon.com/sch...
January 12, 2015
Who's Your Alpha, Baby?
So I've been mulling some stuff over. What makes an Alpha? What is an Alpha?
It's different for everyone, it seems. Some women love that super jealous Alpha character - the guys who follow the girls when they go out with their friends, gets super pissed when other men talk to them.
Some like the super possessive Alpha - the guys who won't let them go out, tell them how to dress, eat, talk, whatever.
And those are all fine - different strokes for different folks, that's why we have "genres" and all that.
MY kind of Alpha - just personal preference - is a man so confident in himself, he isn't scared of anything. Nothing makes him insecure. Because to me (again, JUST ME, my opinion), that's what those other things show - jealousy is an insecurity. If a man can worry that another man will steal his girl, that means he thinks losing her is a possibility. Jameson doesn't have that fear.
A little jealousy is sexy, of course. But ultimately Jameson isn't jealous because he knows he OWNS Tate. He is confident enough in himself, secure enough in himself, self-centered enough, to not worry about it. Tate can flirt with Ang, and Tate can spoon with Sanders because Jameson knows who she belongs to, knows who she loves. And it ain't those guys. So why should he be upset? Being upset would be a sign of weakness, to me. A sign that he's not that confident in him or her love. And if he's not that confident, than he's insecure. And I can't get into an insecure Alpha. Cause it's like an oxymoron to me.
Jameson also doesn't tell Tate how to dress or eat because why should that matter to him? He doesn't need to exert his power over her - again, he already knows that he owns her. It's a given. Why waste time telling her what to wear or eat, when he can be telling her to get on her knees or something.
THAT'S an Alpha to me. Someone so supremely confident in himself that he's virtually unshakable.
That's my kind of Alpha.
That's Jameson Kane.
It's different for everyone, it seems. Some women love that super jealous Alpha character - the guys who follow the girls when they go out with their friends, gets super pissed when other men talk to them.
Some like the super possessive Alpha - the guys who won't let them go out, tell them how to dress, eat, talk, whatever.
And those are all fine - different strokes for different folks, that's why we have "genres" and all that.
MY kind of Alpha - just personal preference - is a man so confident in himself, he isn't scared of anything. Nothing makes him insecure. Because to me (again, JUST ME, my opinion), that's what those other things show - jealousy is an insecurity. If a man can worry that another man will steal his girl, that means he thinks losing her is a possibility. Jameson doesn't have that fear.
A little jealousy is sexy, of course. But ultimately Jameson isn't jealous because he knows he OWNS Tate. He is confident enough in himself, secure enough in himself, self-centered enough, to not worry about it. Tate can flirt with Ang, and Tate can spoon with Sanders because Jameson knows who she belongs to, knows who she loves. And it ain't those guys. So why should he be upset? Being upset would be a sign of weakness, to me. A sign that he's not that confident in him or her love. And if he's not that confident, than he's insecure. And I can't get into an insecure Alpha. Cause it's like an oxymoron to me.
Jameson also doesn't tell Tate how to dress or eat because why should that matter to him? He doesn't need to exert his power over her - again, he already knows that he owns her. It's a given. Why waste time telling her what to wear or eat, when he can be telling her to get on her knees or something.
THAT'S an Alpha to me. Someone so supremely confident in himself that he's virtually unshakable.
That's my kind of Alpha.
That's Jameson Kane.
January 6, 2015
GAH! Why!? How!?
So yeah, like Christmas threw me off, and then I got Ebola or something worse (seriously, don't get what I had, it was AWFUL), and I basically forgot about life for a little while, and apparently this blog as well.
Being sick also set me back in the writing department - my proofreader was also ill, so Completion is a week behind in edits *boo*. I could barely lift my head off the couch, let alone type stuff.
But something else fun did happen - I joined this awesome pawsome writing challenge set up by the fabulous Ella Fox, and it has done WONDERS for my motivation, and I've gotten lots of work done on my WIP! I would LIKE to have something brand new, preferably a stand alone, ready to publish in early May! So we'll see.
Other good things about the New Year:
* I passed my goal of 10,000 units downloaded - grand total downloaded was actually over 27,000!!! You guys are AMAZING!!
* My wedding anniversary is today!
* I get a new couch today - y'all don't understand, one of the ones we have, the one closest to an outlet thus the one I have to sit on, it is OF THE DEVIL. And not in the good way. My husband asked what we were gonna do with it, and I responded with "BURN IT."
* Jameson's birthday is January 9th!!
* MY birthday is January 18th!
* I got my tickets to Vegas and I go there in THREE MONTHS! I'M SO EXCITED!!! (huge Vegas fan)
How was everyone else's New Year's and Holidays!?
Being sick also set me back in the writing department - my proofreader was also ill, so Completion is a week behind in edits *boo*. I could barely lift my head off the couch, let alone type stuff.
But something else fun did happen - I joined this awesome pawsome writing challenge set up by the fabulous Ella Fox, and it has done WONDERS for my motivation, and I've gotten lots of work done on my WIP! I would LIKE to have something brand new, preferably a stand alone, ready to publish in early May! So we'll see.
Other good things about the New Year:
* I passed my goal of 10,000 units downloaded - grand total downloaded was actually over 27,000!!! You guys are AMAZING!!
* My wedding anniversary is today!
* I get a new couch today - y'all don't understand, one of the ones we have, the one closest to an outlet thus the one I have to sit on, it is OF THE DEVIL. And not in the good way. My husband asked what we were gonna do with it, and I responded with "BURN IT."
* Jameson's birthday is January 9th!!
* MY birthday is January 18th!
* I got my tickets to Vegas and I go there in THREE MONTHS! I'M SO EXCITED!!! (huge Vegas fan)
How was everyone else's New Year's and Holidays!?
December 22, 2014
Completion Completed Completely
Only it's not completely completed, really, it still needs editing - I just thought the title was cute, bahahahaha.
I finally finished writing Completion last night! Or this morning, depending on how you look at it - I shut down the computer at 3:30am.
My style of writing is "free writing", or some people calling "pantstering", I think - writing by the seat of their pants. Basically it means I don't outline, I don't write out plot lines, I don't make storyboards.
I get an idea. I ruminate on it for anywhere from a couple days to a month or so. Then I open a blank document, I set up the formatting, and I hope for the best and start typing. Sometimes after I get going, I may make a list of plot points I want to hit - but not always.
So for me, my stride in a story doesn't really hit till about a third of the way in - that's when "the flow" begins, when the story really starts to pick up speed. Around the 30,000 word mark. Then 80,000 - 100,000 words later, I go back through and do a lot of over-hauling on those first 30,000, making them match the rest of "the flow".
Unfortunately with a novella, 30,000 words is over halfway done - I was shooting for 50,000 words, so by the time I hit my stride, the book was practically over.
Ever watch the movie "Cutting Edge"?
"So twenty minutes after we're done skating, I'll be fine ...,"
Yeah, I feel ya, D.B. Sweeney.
And I gotta be honest, I know a lot of you love Jameson and want more of the dynamic-trio, but frankly, I'm ready to stab one - or ALL - of them in the eye. I'm ready for a break. I have been living life almost exclusively with them since February.
It's not them, it's me ... (it's totally them, don't tell Jameson).
I am excited to see if I can write something else, and see if it's good. Excited to try something new and different!
But mostly, I am REALLY excited that I slipped in that "Cutting Edge" reference!!
I finally finished writing Completion last night! Or this morning, depending on how you look at it - I shut down the computer at 3:30am.
My style of writing is "free writing", or some people calling "pantstering", I think - writing by the seat of their pants. Basically it means I don't outline, I don't write out plot lines, I don't make storyboards.
I get an idea. I ruminate on it for anywhere from a couple days to a month or so. Then I open a blank document, I set up the formatting, and I hope for the best and start typing. Sometimes after I get going, I may make a list of plot points I want to hit - but not always.
So for me, my stride in a story doesn't really hit till about a third of the way in - that's when "the flow" begins, when the story really starts to pick up speed. Around the 30,000 word mark. Then 80,000 - 100,000 words later, I go back through and do a lot of over-hauling on those first 30,000, making them match the rest of "the flow".
Unfortunately with a novella, 30,000 words is over halfway done - I was shooting for 50,000 words, so by the time I hit my stride, the book was practically over.
Ever watch the movie "Cutting Edge"?
"So twenty minutes after we're done skating, I'll be fine ...,"
Yeah, I feel ya, D.B. Sweeney.
And I gotta be honest, I know a lot of you love Jameson and want more of the dynamic-trio, but frankly, I'm ready to stab one - or ALL - of them in the eye. I'm ready for a break. I have been living life almost exclusively with them since February.
It's not them, it's me ... (it's totally them, don't tell Jameson).
I am excited to see if I can write something else, and see if it's good. Excited to try something new and different!
But mostly, I am REALLY excited that I slipped in that "Cutting Edge" reference!!
December 16, 2014
So .... I suck ....
... at this whole blogging thing. Just a messed up week - I slept like thirteen hours the other day!! "Real" work boss was out of town, so that made me the boss. Blog tour. Writing Completion (writing = trying to write). Christmas shopping. Babysitting.
I'm ready to go into a coma for a week, or four.
So I don't have anything ready. I will take this opportunity to plug shamelessly. Feel free to stop reading now.
~As of writing this, both Reparation and Separation have been on the Amazon Erotic Romance Bestseller list since Sunday, December 7th. Degradation has been on it since December 11th, the day after its free promo ended. There are over 200,000 titles in this genre. Both Degradation and Reparation ranked on Contemporary Romance Bestseller list - over 500,000 titles in that genre. All three books ranked in multiple countries on multiple lists:
Canada (#31 in all of Kindle Paid, out of 2.9 Million titles)
Australia
United Kingdom
Brazil
Italy
Netherlands
~At this moment, I am currently ranked as the #6 top selling author on Amazon for Erotic Romance. I have been in the top 10 since Monday, December 8th, and am the only other author besides Sylvia Day, E.L. James, and River Savage to be on the list consecutively for this whole week (to toot our horn - both River and I are debut authors this year, beep beep! #NewbieMovement).
~Degradation chosen as one of Sinfully Sexy Book Review's top 6 reads of the summer of 2014
~The Kane Trilogy chosen as Favorite Erotic Romance Series of the Year by Christine at Shh Mom's Reading
~The Kane Trilogy chosen as favorite series of the year by Beyond Boyfriend Reviews
~The Kane Trilogy chosen as Second Favorite Read of the Year by Kim at Author Groupies book blog
~recommended read by USA Today Bestselling author Ella Fox
~recommended read by Milasy from The Rock Stars of Romance
I'm sure there's more, but I am too worn out to even stalk myself - shocking! Usually I am a stalker extraordinaire! (seriously, hide your kids, hide your wives, cause I's stalkin' everybody up in here!)
So thank you, everybody, from the very bottom of my heart.
Hopefully you'll like what comes next.
Though to be quite honest, next on the list is a big fucking nap ...
I'm ready to go into a coma for a week, or four.
So I don't have anything ready. I will take this opportunity to plug shamelessly. Feel free to stop reading now.
~As of writing this, both Reparation and Separation have been on the Amazon Erotic Romance Bestseller list since Sunday, December 7th. Degradation has been on it since December 11th, the day after its free promo ended. There are over 200,000 titles in this genre. Both Degradation and Reparation ranked on Contemporary Romance Bestseller list - over 500,000 titles in that genre. All three books ranked in multiple countries on multiple lists:
Canada (#31 in all of Kindle Paid, out of 2.9 Million titles)
Australia
United Kingdom
Brazil
Italy
Netherlands
~At this moment, I am currently ranked as the #6 top selling author on Amazon for Erotic Romance. I have been in the top 10 since Monday, December 8th, and am the only other author besides Sylvia Day, E.L. James, and River Savage to be on the list consecutively for this whole week (to toot our horn - both River and I are debut authors this year, beep beep! #NewbieMovement).
~Degradation chosen as one of Sinfully Sexy Book Review's top 6 reads of the summer of 2014
~The Kane Trilogy chosen as Favorite Erotic Romance Series of the Year by Christine at Shh Mom's Reading
~The Kane Trilogy chosen as favorite series of the year by Beyond Boyfriend Reviews
~The Kane Trilogy chosen as Second Favorite Read of the Year by Kim at Author Groupies book blog
~recommended read by USA Today Bestselling author Ella Fox
~recommended read by Milasy from The Rock Stars of Romance
I'm sure there's more, but I am too worn out to even stalk myself - shocking! Usually I am a stalker extraordinaire! (seriously, hide your kids, hide your wives, cause I's stalkin' everybody up in here!)
So thank you, everybody, from the very bottom of my heart.
Hopefully you'll like what comes next.
Though to be quite honest, next on the list is a big fucking nap ...
December 10, 2014
COMPLETION
I didn't do a blog post on Monday because it was my release day AND I got jury duty.
Fucking. Jury. Duty.
Are you kidding me!? Fuck that noise.
So I would like to make a statement in regards to the extended epilogue, the novella Completion, that will be released in February, the day before Valentine's Day (awwwww, see what I did there?).
Originally, I never planned on publishing it, hence why it's not fully written yet (or rather, it's not completed, nyuck nyuck!). I don't know if other authors do this, but my characters rattle around in my brain long after I type "the end" on the last story. Much like peoples' real lives, their lives just sort of wander on.
Do you really want to read about Jameson and Tate getting up and eating breakfast together? His day at the office, her day lounging about the house? Them arguing over whose turn it is to do the dishes? The laundry? Who hogs the covers at night? Wash, rinse, repeat the next day?
As sexy as Mr. Kane is, day-to-day life would get pretty frickin' boring to read about, real quick, about anyone, including kinky billionaires.
That's why Reparation ended where it did - I didn't want to drag the story out into the mundane. Anything else would just be gravy. Extras. Side servings.
Essentially, that's what Completion is - a vague plot line at best, that does tie up some things, but really, was just me having fun with my best buddies. Obviously, Jameson and sex are kind of synonymous in my head, so there is a lot of that (he just does it so well ...), and some other nuggets of goodness that I'm sure people will like - ever wonder what Jameson thought the first time he ever saw Tate? Or how about what he was doing the day before he bumped into her again? Or maybe what he got her for their first "anniversary"?
But if you are expecting a full on story with a heavy plot line, lots of turmoil, big climax, OH MY GOD HE HAS A TWIN BROTHER!?!?!? *pant*pant*pant* Well, that's not what this is.
Completion is 110% written for me, for fun. Someone asked me a question once, regarding Jameson. I laughed about it. Then thought about it. Then started plugging away.
Completion is my musings.
If you enjoyed the other books, you will enjoy this - sort of a peephole view in the Kane-O'Shea future.
If you didn't enjoy the other books ... well, I'm not sure why you'd read it. Or why you're reading this, really.
People are so strange.
Completion - releasing 02/13/15
Fucking. Jury. Duty.
Are you kidding me!? Fuck that noise.
So I would like to make a statement in regards to the extended epilogue, the novella Completion, that will be released in February, the day before Valentine's Day (awwwww, see what I did there?).
Originally, I never planned on publishing it, hence why it's not fully written yet (or rather, it's not completed, nyuck nyuck!). I don't know if other authors do this, but my characters rattle around in my brain long after I type "the end" on the last story. Much like peoples' real lives, their lives just sort of wander on.
Do you really want to read about Jameson and Tate getting up and eating breakfast together? His day at the office, her day lounging about the house? Them arguing over whose turn it is to do the dishes? The laundry? Who hogs the covers at night? Wash, rinse, repeat the next day?
As sexy as Mr. Kane is, day-to-day life would get pretty frickin' boring to read about, real quick, about anyone, including kinky billionaires.
That's why Reparation ended where it did - I didn't want to drag the story out into the mundane. Anything else would just be gravy. Extras. Side servings.
Essentially, that's what Completion is - a vague plot line at best, that does tie up some things, but really, was just me having fun with my best buddies. Obviously, Jameson and sex are kind of synonymous in my head, so there is a lot of that (he just does it so well ...), and some other nuggets of goodness that I'm sure people will like - ever wonder what Jameson thought the first time he ever saw Tate? Or how about what he was doing the day before he bumped into her again? Or maybe what he got her for their first "anniversary"?
But if you are expecting a full on story with a heavy plot line, lots of turmoil, big climax, OH MY GOD HE HAS A TWIN BROTHER!?!?!? *pant*pant*pant* Well, that's not what this is.
Completion is 110% written for me, for fun. Someone asked me a question once, regarding Jameson. I laughed about it. Then thought about it. Then started plugging away.
Completion is my musings.
If you enjoyed the other books, you will enjoy this - sort of a peephole view in the Kane-O'Shea future.
If you didn't enjoy the other books ... well, I'm not sure why you'd read it. Or why you're reading this, really.
People are so strange.
Completion - releasing 02/13/15
December 1, 2014
Future Plans
This time, next week, Reparation will be published and live on amazon.com.
Hopefully you guys will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
This last month was kind of interesting. At the beginning of November - also known as National Novel Writing Month - I set out to type 50,000 words on one new piece of work.
Well, I actually did 72,000 words ... on FOUR different pieces of work. This actually doesn't make me happy. Two of these have 20,000 and 30,000 words, which means instead of having one story half way done, I have several stories just started. UG.
BUT I think I really, really like one of them, something I started after I woke up from dream, and then bam, got down those 30,000 words in about a week. That gives me hope that it'll stick.
I used to wonder why certain authors prolonged certain series. I found it annoying or almost kind of sad. Do they only have one set of characters? One story to tell?
But now I kind of get it. These characters anchor themselves in our brain, and writing their thoughts and dialogue are second-nature, like writing our own. Writing Jameson comes to me very easily. It's comfortable, it's natural, it's the easiest route to take. And while that's awesome for those books - it's not so good for other books. I don't want to basically write Jameson into every book and then just camouflage him with a new name and profession. No.
Which is it's own fear - a lot of people love that dirty-talking little rascal. Will they love the next guy, even if he isn't heavy handed and doesn't say a curse after every other word?
All snowballs into something that makes it difficult to just write, sometimes.
But there is hope! 30,000 words in a week is highly unusual, but the story came to me very easily. It's like watching puzzle pieces fall together in my brain. Whenever I'm about to say "well how are they going to ...", the answer presents itself. A good sign that I'll actually finish it!
So hopefully I'll be back here next week, all glowing and happy with news of Reparations release, and maybe with some more work done on the new story.
Ciao for now.
Hopefully you guys will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
This last month was kind of interesting. At the beginning of November - also known as National Novel Writing Month - I set out to type 50,000 words on one new piece of work.
Well, I actually did 72,000 words ... on FOUR different pieces of work. This actually doesn't make me happy. Two of these have 20,000 and 30,000 words, which means instead of having one story half way done, I have several stories just started. UG.
BUT I think I really, really like one of them, something I started after I woke up from dream, and then bam, got down those 30,000 words in about a week. That gives me hope that it'll stick.
I used to wonder why certain authors prolonged certain series. I found it annoying or almost kind of sad. Do they only have one set of characters? One story to tell?
But now I kind of get it. These characters anchor themselves in our brain, and writing their thoughts and dialogue are second-nature, like writing our own. Writing Jameson comes to me very easily. It's comfortable, it's natural, it's the easiest route to take. And while that's awesome for those books - it's not so good for other books. I don't want to basically write Jameson into every book and then just camouflage him with a new name and profession. No.
Which is it's own fear - a lot of people love that dirty-talking little rascal. Will they love the next guy, even if he isn't heavy handed and doesn't say a curse after every other word?
All snowballs into something that makes it difficult to just write, sometimes.
But there is hope! 30,000 words in a week is highly unusual, but the story came to me very easily. It's like watching puzzle pieces fall together in my brain. Whenever I'm about to say "well how are they going to ...", the answer presents itself. A good sign that I'll actually finish it!
So hopefully I'll be back here next week, all glowing and happy with news of Reparations release, and maybe with some more work done on the new story.
Ciao for now.
November 24, 2014
Please Hold, While I Be A Complete Bitch
Things I intensely dislike:
1. People who are nasty for no reason
2. People who don't pay attention
Reparation hasn't even been released yet, and it already has THREE fake ratings. A 5-star, given by someone back in October when NO ONE had been given the book. A 3-star followed soon after that. And today, a 1-star from someone who either couldn't have possibly read it, or they received a pirated copy - which I find hard to believe, but still isn't cool.
Now, maybe these people like to just randomly rate books - based on covers, based on my previous books, based on my social media presence, whatever. Still not okay. Still not fair. Even the 5-star makes me mad - I like to EARN my 5-stars, I like to EARN my high ratings. And low ratings - that's just nasty. Who has time to be mean just for mean's sake? Over a BOOK? I wrote it, and even I know it's just a BOOK. I don't take time out of my day to troll Goodreads to down rate books I've never read - I'm too busy WRITING BOOKS. If I EVER have that much free time, please, someone get me professional help.
OR, as has happened in the past, maybe they accidentally rated the wrong book. They just got done reading a book with a similar - or even the same! - title, and just didn't pay attention to what they were clicking on. Understandable - but still fucking annoying. Places like BookBub, and major author signing events, look at your ratings on here and on amazon, so by someone NOT PAYING ATTENTION, they are potentially HURTING MY BUSINESS. And this goes for 5-stars, as well! A bunch of random fake 5-stars makes it look the author is paying/begging/bribing for high rankings, which I don't do.
Because that's what this is - yes, it's fiction, and it's beautiful, and it's sexy, and it's a craft or a gift or a talent, whatever. But a lot of people forget, especially lately, it's a business. A business that generates income. For some authors, their ONLY income.
People don't seem to like to acknowledge that side of it - I think that's part of why there's such an uproar in the Indie World, with authors blaming fans or other authors for bad sales. Because no one wants to admit that creating art is still a business. It sounds seedy and cynical and cold-hearted, but that's the truth. If you spend money, and want to make money, you have to have that mind set a little.
Plus, it's just fucking rude and hurtful. I work hard on my stories, so it sucks when someone just randomly clicks a button without thinking about it. Hours and months and sweat and tears, for you to just look sideways and click a button.
I have lots of 1-stars, and DNF ratings. Which are fine - people are entitled to their opinion, and I can honestly say I have learned from those reviews and I am thankful for them (holy crap, I DO say "laughed" a lot!).
But if I'm going to have battle scars, I'd like to EARN them; DESERVE them. Not just have someone blindly lash out.
None of you would appreciate it if we showed up to your jobs where you work really hard and love what you do, and knowing nothing about what it is you do, we then put on a blindfold and filled out an evaluation form about you.
Not too cute, is it?
Playing around with your paycheck and your self-esteem isn't okay - please remember that when you're here, that's what you're doing to us.
There is a person behind the book you're rating. And as shitty or as amazing as that book may have been, they worked hard on it. So if you're going to give it a 1-star or a 5-star, KEEP THAT IN MIND.
Someone worked hard on something and put it out into the world. So show them just a tiny bit of respect and at least pay attention to what button you're hitting.
1. People who are nasty for no reason
2. People who don't pay attention
Reparation hasn't even been released yet, and it already has THREE fake ratings. A 5-star, given by someone back in October when NO ONE had been given the book. A 3-star followed soon after that. And today, a 1-star from someone who either couldn't have possibly read it, or they received a pirated copy - which I find hard to believe, but still isn't cool.
Now, maybe these people like to just randomly rate books - based on covers, based on my previous books, based on my social media presence, whatever. Still not okay. Still not fair. Even the 5-star makes me mad - I like to EARN my 5-stars, I like to EARN my high ratings. And low ratings - that's just nasty. Who has time to be mean just for mean's sake? Over a BOOK? I wrote it, and even I know it's just a BOOK. I don't take time out of my day to troll Goodreads to down rate books I've never read - I'm too busy WRITING BOOKS. If I EVER have that much free time, please, someone get me professional help.
OR, as has happened in the past, maybe they accidentally rated the wrong book. They just got done reading a book with a similar - or even the same! - title, and just didn't pay attention to what they were clicking on. Understandable - but still fucking annoying. Places like BookBub, and major author signing events, look at your ratings on here and on amazon, so by someone NOT PAYING ATTENTION, they are potentially HURTING MY BUSINESS. And this goes for 5-stars, as well! A bunch of random fake 5-stars makes it look the author is paying/begging/bribing for high rankings, which I don't do.
Because that's what this is - yes, it's fiction, and it's beautiful, and it's sexy, and it's a craft or a gift or a talent, whatever. But a lot of people forget, especially lately, it's a business. A business that generates income. For some authors, their ONLY income.
People don't seem to like to acknowledge that side of it - I think that's part of why there's such an uproar in the Indie World, with authors blaming fans or other authors for bad sales. Because no one wants to admit that creating art is still a business. It sounds seedy and cynical and cold-hearted, but that's the truth. If you spend money, and want to make money, you have to have that mind set a little.
Plus, it's just fucking rude and hurtful. I work hard on my stories, so it sucks when someone just randomly clicks a button without thinking about it. Hours and months and sweat and tears, for you to just look sideways and click a button.
I have lots of 1-stars, and DNF ratings. Which are fine - people are entitled to their opinion, and I can honestly say I have learned from those reviews and I am thankful for them (holy crap, I DO say "laughed" a lot!).
But if I'm going to have battle scars, I'd like to EARN them; DESERVE them. Not just have someone blindly lash out.
None of you would appreciate it if we showed up to your jobs where you work really hard and love what you do, and knowing nothing about what it is you do, we then put on a blindfold and filled out an evaluation form about you.
Not too cute, is it?
Playing around with your paycheck and your self-esteem isn't okay - please remember that when you're here, that's what you're doing to us.
There is a person behind the book you're rating. And as shitty or as amazing as that book may have been, they worked hard on it. So if you're going to give it a 1-star or a 5-star, KEEP THAT IN MIND.
Someone worked hard on something and put it out into the world. So show them just a tiny bit of respect and at least pay attention to what button you're hitting.
