S.E.’s Comments (group member since Jan 16, 2013)

S.E.’s comments from the S. E. Lund - Author group.

Hey - what do you think of these images for background?

Since my novel is only available through Amazon and I don't yet have a print version (my bad), the cover can be as smutty as I want. I'm thinking of asking my graphic artist to redesign the cover for The Agreement with something more along the lines of the first cover, lovers embracing, but in color. Then I will have a matching but slightly different cover for The Commitment. I am going to re-release The Agreement with a new cover once I have The Commitment ready for release and may even do a promo of The Agreement as part of release week. What do y'all think?

Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "on the covers - personally I don't like either - I know these are rough drafts - The dish.keys - is too much in the FSOG/Crossfire arena and I feel your book are better then that and deserve a spec..."

Yeah, spoiler, but they only make it to Africa after a lot of shit happening so maybe I can ask for feedback once people have read the draft novel.

So what cover would you prefer? I'm thinking of two possible ideas: one is to revise The Agreement to have a new cover that is more sensual with actual people in an embrace or stick with the first cover. Note: these are rough and are only my own thoughts. I have a pro do the actual covers!

HI, all beta and first readers! If you are in for a beta read for the sequel to The Agreement -- aka The Commitment -- please DM me here or on facebook or my email selund2012 @ gmail.com and let me know. I hope to have the first draft ready by Tuesday at the latest but it may be earlier, given good progress on THE LAST SCENE IN THE BOOK! YAY! As usual, I don't just want a I LOVE/Hate it. I want to know:

1. what works,
2. what threw you off,
3. when you were bored or thought it dragged,
4. when you hated me or loved me.

Especially the following:

1. Would you continue reading after the first page?
2. The first chapter?
3. The first two chapters (the usual Amazon preview)?
4. Would you recommend to a friend?
5. What rating?

Don't feel you have to answer all the questions -- although I would love you forever if you do -- but as many as you can so I can get important feedback. I will be revising for a few weeks and then hope to publish by August 15.

Once I give the draft novel to you, I'd be really happy to get comments and feedback in a week.

Thanks!

*smoochies*

Sorry for the late reply -- have been very busy with vacation things! I am busy writing the sequel to The Agreement and hope to have it ready for Beta readers by the middle of the month. I had hoped to have it ready at the start of the month but life intervenes - a very busy schedule at work for the past month, busy with house renovations, etc. I am on vacation now and hope to get extra writing in so I can finish it by the 15th or thereabouts. Will let you know when it's ready but one beta reader (my sis, who was my first reader ever) really liked the first half!

E.

Temple wrote: "S.E. wrote: "Hi, everyone!

Sorry about the confusion about the release dates and writing plans... I have been a bit surprised about the response to The Agreement and was planning on writing either..."

selund2012 at gmail dot com

Glad to have another set of eyes!

Hi, everyone!

Sorry about the confusion about the release dates and writing plans... I have been a bit surprised about the response to The Agreement and was planning on writing either Book 4 of the Dominion Series or Book 1 of my contemporary romance series. However, a second book following Drake and Kate seems like a great idea as there is still a lot of potential in what happens between them in Africa and beyond. I am about half-way finished and hope to finish by July 15 or thereabouts depending on RL. After I release The Commitment, I will finish Book 4 of The Dominion Series, and then it's onto Book 1 of the Romantic Suspense series. That's my tentative plan for 2013/2014 up to April.

Temple, you can email me and I can give you the password to read the first two chapters of the Romantic Suspense novel. I'd love to have more beta readers but it will be a while before I can get to finish it. :)

Welcome Charli and Riley! Glad to have you aboard.

Sorry I've been absent from the discussion group for a while -- have been under the weather.

Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "@ SE - I had no idea it had expaned to 5 books - I don't do the facebook thing nad haven't been out to SD website for a while...good to know since I have just started Entwined With You [bookcover:E..."

I read the excerpt and it is definitely Gideon-Eva juicy! I must admit I get a little giddy reading Gideon. ;) I see long-haired Ian in the role.

Rereading Syl Day's Bared To You and enjoying it even more this re-read. Lots of controversy about the release date of and the fact it is now 5 books instead of 3. Authors will have to consider the reader comments...

I'm also sensitive to the whole pushing back the release date. A lot of readers seemed upset about that but wasn't the Crossfire series picked up by a mainstream publisher? They usually have their own ideas about release dates for books.

Am I reading right that BTY has been picked up for a television series? Maybe that has influenced the decision to increase the number of books and develop secondary characters more.

I have nothing against series, even long ones. I usually read every single book in a series and would read more FSOG if EL wrote more so that's not an issue for me as a reader.

Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "S.E. wrote: "OK folks who are interested - I have massively revised the first chapter of my Romantic Suspense novel. I have posted it at my website with a password. Email me if you don't know the p..."

Yay! A few more tweaks to answer questions and I will have chapter two ready. I am adding two pics to the collection which are muse for my novel. Of course a certain ex-model actor humanitarian and another ex-model entrepreneur for Seth/Misha and Hannah.



I initially had Hannah blonde but I saw this pic of Josie Maran and thought she was so lovely I wanted her as my muse.

OK folks who are interested - I have massively revised the first chapter of my Romantic Suspense novel. I have posted it at my website with a password. Email me if you don't know the password and want to read the revised version. I've taken a different tack completely with my heroine although the hero is pretty much the same. An entirely new opening -- you know how these things morph in the writing. New name for the heroine -- didn't want to use Mia as it was recently used by none other than my other editor, Julie Richman in her new novel, Searching for Moore.

Maelstrom Chapter One.

Have at it and thanks in advance for any help. I need to know how this works as a romantic suspense opening chapter.

Michelle (BleuTulips) wrote: "I also find it interesting that after all of that bashing and the ridiculous comments, three of the members involved in that thread gave TA a 3 star rating. That's actually not so bad. Based on the..."

Yeah I'd hate to see what they wrote about a 2 or 1 star read! UGH!

Michelle (BleuTulips) wrote: "Charlene wrote: "I just took a look too, and they're being nasty! I don't get it, why do people feel the need to bash? I think this is a group that was created after the Dirty Romance group was dis..."

If you read the title of the thread, you will see they were locked and loaded when going in, as if they expected it to be a battle. The attack on my book feels a bit like public school playground bully type behaviour - let's gang up on one kid and mock, point and laugh.

If that's the kind of tone they enjoy, rude, sarcastic, crude, then that's not a place I want to be and I highly doubt that your letter will change anything. But it might feel good to write!

Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "S.E. wrote: "Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "S.E. wrote: "Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "@ Charlene - I love it - the "FSOG clone space"...that is so perfect..i'll have to remember that that s..."

I wish I had read this -- so many great reviews and I do like M Leighton's books.

Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "S.E. wrote: "Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "@ Charlene - I love it - the "FSOG clone space"...that is so perfect..i'll have to remember that that statement"

I think it's just a particular defin..."

I didn't read it -- it was pulled before I had a chance to. I only went by what I heard. I was so surprised that M Leighton pulled that book. People seemed to really enjoy it and there seemed to be only a few bad reviews...

Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "@ Charlene - I love it - the "FSOG clone space"...that is so perfect..i'll have to remember that that statement"

I think it's just a particular definition of "alpha male" that is at heart of this. My alpha isn't alpha enough. Of course, that was the point -- he isn't with Kate. He tries but doesn't have the heart because she matters too much and he doesn't want to scare her off. But I understand that not everyone likes that kind of alpha. He's not dangerous as in the hero in M Leighton's pulled book or CG, who actually likes to hurt women. He's really quite vanilla. Kate is too much what he wants in a life partner instead of a play partner and it messes with his usual modus operandi. At least, that's how I envisioned Drake's response to Kate.

Oh, well. Can't deny it hurts. Have to just buck up and grit my teeth and re-read the really great reviews by people who got and liked TA...

Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "S.E. wrote: "Holy COW - TA is being savaged over at I Love Alpha Males on GR... I was invited to be a member and then get to watch ppl totally eviscerate it... C'est la guerre."

in a bad way? wah..."

You know, people always say that as an author, you have to develop a thick skin, but until you get really really big, it's damn hard! Maybe even the ones who are really really big like EL or SylDay may still be hurt by really mean reviews. But little guys like me -- we bleed, man! We're not big enough to be blase about it.

My son just told me "Haterz gonna hate" when I told him about it. He said it sounds like Gossip Girls...

My motto has always been promote what you love, don't bash what you hate but I guess everyone has their critics. I don't expect everyone to like The Agreement. I don't like every book I read. But I guess it's the way things are done that counts. Some people like to be sarcastic bitches. Some don't...

Holy COW - TA is being savaged over at I Love Alpha Males on GR... I was invited to be a member and then get to watch ppl totally eviscerate it... C'est la guerre.