Reading Update and Selling the Next Book

However did a reader find books to read in the old days? The days before books went digital, I suppose is what I mean. I read about how I can optimize my sell-through by putting direct links to the next book in the back of the one the reader is currently reading. And how to do it for this retailer or this retailer or this… That it should be listed right after the end of the book, on the SAME PAGE as the ending—that that space is prime real estate. Have people really gotten that lazy? Am I wrong in thinking that if a person loved the book, they’ll look for the next one ON… THEIR… OWN…? It’s what I’ve always done.

I realize the competition out there is crowded, but the reader is already reading my book. If they didn’t like it, no amount of links will get them to click for the next one.

I just don’t get it.

That’s not to say I don’t put a link in for the next book, but it’s a link to my website (so I don’t have to have a zillion—yeah, sarcasm—different versions for each retailer) and it’s on the next page with other author notes and stuff (and before and after the first chapter to the next book teaser I share). So I do give them a short cut, but I just figured they’d keep scrolling to find them. Maybe I’m figuring wrong and people really are that lazy.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 47

Dates read: September 18 – October 1, 2021
Title: Heartless
Year of publication: 2021
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Series: Immortal Enemies #1
# of Pages: 398
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Vengeance is irresistible… Kaysar the Unhinged One, fae King of Midnight, can drive anyone to madness with his song. A ruthless warrior forged in hate, he lives to force his enemies to their knees. He will stop at nothing to succeed—even abducting and seducing his foe’s beloved bride to ensure his own child one day sits on the male’s throne. Except, his prize escapes to the mortal realm before the first kiss, her heart transplanted into a human beauty with dangerous secrets…
    Chantel “Cookie” Bardot is a professional gamer girl great at trash-talking, bad at peopling. After a long-awaited surgery, she begins to morph into a powerful fae princess. Catapulted into a strange land ruled by a cruel but seductive villain, she must battle flesh-and-blood monsters and navigate royal intrigues. But the true danger is Kaysar, whose every wicked touch tempts her beyond reason. Should she run…or descend into the darkness with him?
My thoughts: I don’t know that I would have read this book if a friend didn’t rave about how bizarre it is. And it is bizarre. Kaysar and Cookie are the STRANGEST romantic couple I’ve read about. Not exactly hero material, more like two villains put together. I did struggle to get through this (not so much about the bizarre behavior, but the fantasy aspect of it—it’s really not a paranormal romance as marketed), but ultimately, I wanted to know how it ended. Will I read book 2, which won’t be released until July 2022? Will I have remembered this book by then? I really don’t know the answer to either question except, maybe, we’ll see.

So… Do you read digital books? Do you click on the links at the end? I tend to read more paper books than digital ones. And clicking on my Nook doesn’t do much good as I keep the WiFi off most of the time (it drains the battery, and to be truthful, I usually only read from it when I’m on a trip and can’t get WiFi).

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Reading Update and Headed to Dragon Con

As you’re reading this, I’m headed to Atlanta and… Dragon Con! They said they were capping attendance at around 40K (less than half that attended in 2019 and about the number that attended at my first DC in 2010), requiring masks, and you must show proof of vaccination or a COVID-free test (taken within the past 72 hours), so that’s great. Of course, they’re also limiting how many people can go into the rooms for panels. I don’t see where that matters so much, unless they’re purposely spreading the chairs apart. Which could be what they’re doing. We’ll see.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 44

Dates read: August 21-28, 2021
Title: Ghost Shadow
Year of publication: 2010
Author: Heather Graham
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Series: The Bone Island Trilogy #1
# of Pages: 351
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: There are those who walk among us who are no longer alive, but not yet crossed over. They seek retribution…vengeance…to warn. Among the living, few intuit their presence.
    Katie O’Hara is one who can.
    As she’s drawn deeper and deeper into a gruesome years-old murder, whispered warnings from a spectral friend become more and more insistent. But Katie must uncover the truth: could David Beckett really be guilty of his fiancée’s murder?
    Worse—the body count’s rising on the Island of Bones, and the dead seem to be reenacting some macabre tableaux from history. The danger is increasing by the moment—especially as Katie finds herself irresistibly drawn to David, who may be responsible for more than just one killing…
My thoughts: I really liked this. It’s set in Key West, a city I really came to like when we visited for a few days way back in 2019. Oh, and I liked the ghosts, too (which is the main reason I bought the book to read).

FYI: The e-book box set for Books 4-6 of the Bitten by Love series is now available! So now you can get the whole series in two box sets for less than purchasing them separately. That’s a great deal, don’t you think? You can purchase it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google, or Smashwords.

I bought a white board to help me get my timeline straight on Ghostly Protector. I realized I created a huge mess when I moved scenes around (and of course, I don’t remember why…). That could be why my brain is having issues with moving forward on this project! I started to document the timeline, but stopped since I’ll be gone a week. I’ll only forget what I did (or why I did it—I know me too well), so better to wait and start when I return home. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself!

So… Got any plans this Labor Day?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Seven Books

There’s this thing I’ve seen on Facebook where people list seven books they love for seven days. No explanations, just covers. Well, I don’t want to drag this out for seven days on the blog, so I thought I would just list the seven book covers. Seven books I loved. Seven books that have stayed with me (even with my bad memory!). And all but one I’ve read more than once. So here are my seven (in no particular order):

Had a fun day in Philadelphia on Sunday. Saw the Liberty Bell (and walked around Independence Hall), the LOVE Park (which was rather underwhelming), and the Rocky statue (as well as the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art). I even got to finally visit Delaware (a state I’ve never been), just because I could. We had dinner at the Dead Presidents Pub in Wilmington. Good food.

Today we’ll be going through Valley Forge (because Hubby wants to see it) on our way home. Don’t know what there is to see there, but I sure hope it’s not a lengthy stop. We’ve got quite a drive today. Okay, so Daughter is driving. Still…

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Daughter's team didn't win any games on Saturday, but she had a good time and came away with more bruises.

So, have I hit any books you love? If you are so inclined, you can list your seven in the comments (w/o the covers, of course, unless you’ve figured out how to do that in the comments!).

Happy Monday!

Stacy

Walking, Movies, and Books

It’s been awhile since I last did any kind of exercise. I’m hoping to get some walking in this week. Hubby’s appointments are all at 11:15 this week, meaning we don’t need to leave the house until 10:15. If I get up at 7:00 and walk for an hour, I’ll still have plenty of time to eat and clean up.

Of course, that’s provided I get up at 7:00. And then feel like walking.

See… it’s really hard to get back into a routine once you’ve fallen out of it. But if the weather is nice in the morning, I will go out walking.

I will, I tell you! J

I saw a movie preview for My Cousin Rachel, which is due out June 9th. Wow, that looks interesting. And it’s based on a book? But I want to read the book first (it’s by Daphne du Maurier). When it becomes available at the library, I might just do that. Or break down and buy a copy. It’s not like I don’t have a stack of books to read as it is!

Then I noticed she wrote The Birds, too. That’s one of my favorite movies, but I’ve never read the book (or rather, short story/novella). Someday I’ll rectify that.

So… Have you read any books by Daphne du Maurier? Think you'll go see this movie? I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to actually take notice of her books! They all look so interesting.

Happy Monday!

 

Stacy

The Dark Tower? No, Thank You

Over on Facebook I saw the poster for the upcoming movie, The Dark Tower. The poster was cool, and I loved (loved, LOVED) the books, but I don’t think I can watch the movie. Why? Here are some reasons:

• Most King movie adaptations suck. Heck, I can say that about most movie adaptations.
• I have nothing against the actor, but he’s not Roland. I find it strange (well, maybe not, he was probably paid well) that King didn’t think Roland was any race. So why did he write him white? I mean, there’s a big conflict between Roland and Susannah because he’s white and she’s black. Don’t see how that can happen if Roland is also black.
• Matthew McWhatchamacallit. Need I say more? Ugh.
• This movie is some sort of sequel, and not really about the books. So why call it The Dark Tower? Talk about confusing.

Heck, it’s not like I get to the theatre all that often anyway. But I’d much rather see The Dark Tower turn into a television series (but not like Under the Dome—TV ruined that book, too!).

The movie I hope to see next is Beauty and the Beast. Tuesday is bargain day at the theatre. I’ll have to see if Hubby is up to going.

So… Are you a fan of movie adaptations? Which King film is your favorite?

Happy Monday!

 

Stacy

Don’t Call it a ROMANCE if it Ends TRAGICALLY

I love to read romance. If the author (or publisher) puts ROMANCE on the book, I expect a happy ending. That’s just the way it is for romance. The same is said for romance movies, too.

So when a writer friend mentioned she watched “Titanic” for the first time and how she didn’t like it and it’s the reason she doesn’t watch romance movies, I had to tell her that “Titanic” is NOT a romance. It’s a tragic love story.

She disagreed with me. Said it was a tragic romance like “Romeo and Juliet.”

Yeah, well, “Romeo and Juliet” is not a romance, either. It’s a tragedy. But I knew I wasn’t going to change her mind, so I stopped arguing.

Let me tell you, though. If I read a book labeled ROMANCE and one or both of the couple dies at the end, I would do the same thing Bradley Cooper’s character did in “Silver Linings Playbook.” [Note: scene contains swearing]

 

 

FYI: I love that scene. Granted, the book he was reading was not labeled a romance.

But I truly believe if you slap a ROMANCE genre on your book and it ends tragically… you’ll be lucky if you ever get those readers back. I’m not saying you can’t write those kinds of stories. Just don’t label them a romance. Romance readers expect happy-ever-afters (HEAs) or happy-for-nows (HFNs). It’s just the way that genre is. And I’m glad. I want to know going in that I won’t end up depressed at the end. I can get that with other genres.

Like love stories.

Weekend Sports Update:

• College Football: OH. MY. GOD. Did you watch the OSU Buckeyes play that team up north? Double Overtime! I don’t remember watching a more stressful game. When Urban Meyer collapsed to the ground after the last play, I sympathized. I could have collapsed too. Except I was too happy dancing! USC Trojans and West Virginia also won in less stressful games. Lucky them.
• Hockey: Penguins also won in a shoot out on Saturday (after getting clobbered the day before). Hot and cold. Hot and cold. I have a feeling this season will be suspenseful. Maybe I should wear gloves. I might not have any fingernails left!
• NFL: Steelers beat the Colts on Thanksgiving in a much-needed win. Bengals couldn’t manage to beat the only team we really wanted them to beat. And the poor Rams… What can I say? I’m still a fan.

Today I’m at my fitness center again (Ladies Premier Fitness), hoping to gain some readers. Doubt I sell any books, but figured it can’t hurt to sit there and hope to get noticed. It’s not costing me anything except time. Who knows? Maybe someone will buy a book. Or become a fan.

So… Do you like to argue for argue’s sake? Or will you stop when you find it pointless to continue? I used to be the former, but now I’m more the latter. My family, however, are the former. Argue, argue, argue!

Happy Monday!

 

Stacy

Adding Another Vendor (I Hope)

Happy July!

I love July. It’s my birthday month.

I’m getting ready to upload Blind Temptation and A Vampire Wedding to All Romance Ebooks (ARe). My other three books are listed there (through Kensington) and I thought it was time to put my self-pubbed books there. For all I know, most of my readers buy from them, so it would be foolish not to have them listed. My books also show up in Google Books, but they don’t take indies anymore (that I know of), not that I would put my books there. They mess with prices and screw things up with other vendors that it’s just not worth the hassle.

Of course, as I went to upload the books to ARe yesterday, I ran into some technical difficulty. Not surprising, since I’m technically challenged. Hopefully I’ll get it figured out today.

The Goodreads Giveaway for Bite Me, I’m Yours is still on, so if you know someone who would be interested, let them know. The link is in the sidebar.

So… Got any plans for the long weekend? Seeing any fireworks? I’d love to see a fireworks show, but the one in our city is the same night that we’ll be going to a Dragons Game (which is Saturday). I was hoping Dayton would have theirs after the game, but no. They’re having them the NEXT day. I’m not driving down there just for fireworks. So I guess I won’t see any this year. Bummer!

Stacy

No Wednesday Reads, A Concert, and Following Authors

Bad me. I haven’t finished reading a book this week. At the rate I’m going, I’ll be lucky to get 50% of my reading goal finished. At least I’m reading a good book. Of course, that kind of makes it worse. I WANT to read the book, but I HAVE to finish my revisions.

Sure, I could read on the treadmill, but it’s soooo nice to walk outside. I’ll save the treadmill for inclement weather. And winter. Brrr…

Don’t bother recommending audio books. I can’t stand being read to. My mind wanders too much that way. Hubby loves ’em, though. He may end up reading more than me this year.

Okay, maybe not. We do have two cruises scheduled this year (Hubby found one in December to make up for the one we had to cancel). I could easily catch up and pass him. Bwahahahaha!

And if I ever finish these revisions, I may take a week off and just read!

Anyway, I should have at least one book to report next Wednesday. I may cheat and read a novella next. Of course, is it really cheating when I have a couple of books in my TBR pile that are over 700 pages each? It all evens out, right?

****

Last night Hubby and I went to see The Monkees in concert. Yeah, it was only Mickey and Peter, but it was enough for me. Took me down memory lane. It helped they showed clips of the old show, too.

We did see The Monkees in concert twice before. Once in New Jersey (I believe it was their 20th reunion—Mike didn’t join them) and once in Columbus (all 4 were there then—what a treat!).

I think they were the first group I truly loved and it was all because of the television series. Yeah, the Beatles were big, and I liked them, but I didn’t SEE them every week. I didn’t connect with them like I did with Mickey, Davy, Mike, and Peter. Who cared if it was fiction? Certainly not this child!

I own most (if not all) their albums (original, in vinyl—they’re in the basement somewhere). Last year I was given the DVD series and I can’t wait to watch it (we will subject our son to it as soon as we’re finished with Batman).

Anyway, I had a nice time last night. But man, are they getting old. Oh wait. So am I.

Not as old as they are, though. Hee hee.

****

While at RAGT, I had a reader ask me about my books. When I told her my newest was out now, she looked flabbergasted. “How did I not know that?” she asked.

True—I haven’t really advertised. But I did send out a newsletter. And I blogged about it as well as mentioned it on Facebook. And anyone who follows me on Amazon or Goodreads was notified (or so I’m lead to believe).

Makes me wonder how much of a reader of mine could she have been. Maybe she mistook me for someone else. That’s highly possible.

But if she didn’t, wouldn’t it make sense that she would follow me some place? How about you? When do you know your favorite author has a new book out? I usually find out from SOMEONE!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Books and Baskets and Movies

Well, I drove up to the Cleveland Rocks Conference with 36 books and drove home with…36 books (Okay, actually I drove home with more, because I won two of the raffle baskets and they were loaded). Yeah, I didn’t sell any books. That’s okay (I guess). I got a few more people to sign up for my newsletter. That’s a plus.

Which I should probably mention: if you don’t belong to my newsletter, send me an e-mail to stacy @ stacymckitrick . com (just leave out the spaces), with GIVEAWAY in the subject line. I’ll add you to my list of subscribers and enter you for a chance to win one of my books (your choice). I’ll even autograph it for you. There’s no obligation to remain subscribed to my newsletter. Once you get the first one (which will be on June 8th to announce the winner) you could unsubscribe. I certainly hope you WOULDN’T, but understand if you do.

If you by some chance subscribe to my newsletter via the form between now and June 8th, I’ll still enter you in the drawing, but it’ll be a whole lot easier if you e-mail me and I have that reminder, you know?

So, back to the baskets. Yeah, I won two. I wasn’t even going to buy any tickets, but felt it was for their fund raiser and they had TONS of baskets (I think close to 100 and there were only 50 of us there). One of the baskets I won I hadn’t realized I entered (it didn’t contain anything I really wanted—I probably put my ticket in the wrong bag), so I’ll be donating it for a RAGT raffle, after I add some books I got from RT that I don’t want but will fit in nicely with that basket.

The other basket had gobs of stuff I wanted. A bottle of Irish Cream (yum), a nice star-shaped glass bowl loaded with candy, and several books I actually WANT to read. The basket will come in handy for the stuff I was donating for another RAGT raffle (nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?), because I don’t collect baskets, I just reuse them.

Driving up to Cleveland was nice, but coming home on Saturday we hit storm after storm after storm (or maybe the same storm but at different parts?). Nasty weather. But now it’s a lot cooler out and not near as muggy. I'm sure that won't last, though.

Yesterday I got to use the Mother’s Day gift my hubby gave me (gift cards for dinner & a movie). I chose to see “San Andreas.” I’m such a sucker for disaster flicks. Have to say, it was hokey (I think “Earthquake” was probably more realistic than this one), but the graphics were awesome. It looked so real. Oh, and for dinner? We ate at Chili’s. Good time!

So… You plan on seeing any movies this summer? “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” interests me. Not only because I enjoyed the series when I was young, but I like Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. Yum! (Yeah, I can be shallow at times).

Have a good Monday!

 

Stacy

Snow, Books, Sick, and the Oscars

Snow can really ruin plans, ya know? We received 5” of the stuff Saturday—3-1/2” of it had fallen overnight, the rest continued through most of the day. We were supposed to go to our friend’s place to celebrate my sweetie’s birthday, but she lives in Columbus—70 miles away—and the snow was headed her way.

Now, I don’t mind driving in the snow. I just don’t like driving in the snow when there are other drivers on the road. And I remembered one Christmas when it had snowed and we drove out to her place, there were accidents all over the place. I didn’t want to risk it, so I cancelled (broke my heart to do it, though—it’s been hard hooking up with her lately).

So, with our plans out into the snow (so to speak), we had to figure out what we were going to do for dinner. I suggested ordering out for pizza (we hadn’t done that in ages). The kids still came over and we played games for a few hours. Ended up having a great time.

Take that, snow!

When my daughter arrived, though, she came bearing gifts—for me! She handed me a stack of six books: Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series. I had refused to read the books as they came out, because she ended each book in the Vampire Academy series in a cliffhanger (according to my daughter, she did with this series, too), and I think you all know how much I hate those, so when I heard there would only be six books in the series, I told my daughter not to give them to me until she’d read them all (she apparently loves to be tortured). She finished the last one this past weekend. Now I have six books added to my pile to read and wonder when I’ll ever get to them.

Sounds like I need another vacation or cruise or something. J

Seems I’m not immune to getting a cold this year after all (I had really hoped, though). Getting sick is the pitts. The pitts, I tell you!

So… Did you watch the Oscars last night? I’m such a sucker for those award shows, but sometimes I discover movies I’d never heard of before. Like “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” I’m thinking I want to go see that one now.

Have a good day!

Stacy

My Favorite Books of 2013

I couldn’t let the year end with the same number of posts I made in 2012, so here’s one more for 2013 (and posted later than usual at that).

I’ve seen people post about their top ten lists of favorite books, but I couldn’t reduce my list of 92 read books (yes, 92!!) to only the best ten, especially when I ranked 39 of those books with 5 stars. So, here is the list of books I gave the highest rank to. The number associated with it is the number of book I read this year (so #3 would be the third book I read in 2013).

3. "Rapture" by J.R. Ward
9. "Wolf Tales V" by Kate Douglas
10. "Love Me To Death" by Allison Brennan
12. "Love is Murder" by Allison Brennan
13. "Kiss Me, Kill Me" by Allison Brennan
14. "If I Should Die" by Allison Brennan
18. "Silenced" by Allison Brennan
19. "Stalked" by Allison Brennan
21. "Hangar 18: Legacy" by Jennette Marie Powell
23. "The Temperate Warrior" by Renee Vincent
24. "Absolution" by Susannah Sandlin
25. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
26. "Three Wishes" by Paula Millhouse
27. "Reckless" by Allison Brennan
28. "Lover at Last" by J.R. Ward
36. "Immortal Ever After" by Lynsay Sands
37. "Omega" by Susannah Sandlin
42. "Deliver Me From Temptation" by Tes Hilaire
45. "The Destroyed" by Brett Battles
46. "How Hard Can it Be?" by Robyn Peterman
47. "Pirate Dave & His Randy Adventures" by Robyn Peterman
48. "Dragonstone-A Kingdom of Chalvaren Romance" by Paula Millhouse
49. "The Shadow Tracer" by Meg Gardiner
50. "Consumed" by Rebecca Zanetti
54. "Becoming Quinn" by Brett Battles
56. "Stolen" by Allison Brennan
58. "The Collected" by Brett Battles
62. "Mistress of the Stone" by Maria Zannini
63. "Fifth Grave Past the Light" by Darynda Jones.
64. "Blood Entangled" by Amber Belldene
65. "The Enraged" by Brett Battles
70. "The Vampire with the Dragon Tattoo" by Kerrelyn Sparks
74. "One Lucky Vampire" by Lynsay Sands
75. "Wishing for a Highlander" by Jessi Gage
79. "Animal Attraction" by Lori Foster, Maisey Yates, Heidi Betts, and Jules Bennett
80. "Possession" by J.R. Ward
84. "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
87. "Cold Snap" by Allison Brennan
88. "Provoked" by Rebecca Zanetti

Overall, it was a good reading year. Were any of your favorites on this list?

I’m debating on whether to make my goal in 2014 the same as I made for 2013, bump it up to what I actually read in 2013, or lower it (in the hopes my life becomes busier with my writing). I hate to put undue pressure on me for something I clearly LOVE to do, but writing will come first. It must if I hope to be successful at it!

Are you making any reading goals for 2014?

Stacy

 

 

A Realization and Pictures!

It finally (FINALLY) dawned on me the type of romance books I’m not all that fond of. It has nothing to do with genre (e.g. historical or sci-fi), either. It has to do with the COUPLE.

I know it’s one of the “staples” of many a romance book, but when the hero and heroine have animosity toward one another I just can’t get into it. At least, not that quickly.

So, what made me realize this? You’d think I’d have known since I don’t write those kinds of couples. But no, it came to me as I tried to think why I was having problems getting into the current book I’m reading. It’s a paranormal. With vampires! I figured that’s all I needed. Apparently not. What I need to really enjoy a book is to have the couple at least LIKE each other before they have sex.

Now, I’m reading this book because it was recommended and I will finish it. I just hope the hero and heroine start liking each other soon, or I might not reach my reading goal (gasp!!).

My book signing went well Friday. The surprising part? Well, besides selling 7 (yes, 7!) books? I wasn’t all that nervous. I think Mary was more nervous than I was!

Anyway, here are some pictures of the event:

My friend Mary in her element!

Goodies galore! I sampled waaay too much!

Me and my books.

The clubhouse was nice and homey, don't you think?

"Now, who do I make it out to?"

 

I also had a good time at the Madrigal Dinner and managed to get a few shots that didn’t turn out all blurry!

 

Me, my daughter, my son, and my hubby!

My daughter got lucky to dance with the fool!

The Chamber Singers. Way back in 2001-2004, my son
was one of them!

My son is bringing in the "plum pudding" and the fool
is looking to roast his marshmallows!

The fool did a pretty good job of roasting the marshmallows
(or my son did a pretty good job at lighting the
fake dessert!)

I think I’ll have to spend today wrapping my husband’s gifts. He’ll be taking vacation later this week so it would be best if I got it all finished before that. No way could he peek at what I’m wrapping then. Of course, I still have one more thing I want to get him. Guess I better go shopping first. Yeah, I said I was finished. I think I also said “I think.” I always manage to find something else as the big day gets closer. Don’t you?

So, what should sex in a book mean to you? Or are you of the type that don’t want to see ANY sex in a book? Gosh, I hope not. Means you wouldn’t like MINE! J

Stacy

 

Cover Reveal - And No, It's Not Mine (YET)

This is the first time I’ve ever helped another author with a cover reveal. But I’ve been following Jimmy’s BLOG for years now, and was excited to help. Then I found out Maria Zannini designed the cover, which made me doubly excited. So without further ado (**drum roll**):

 

“Seeing Ghosts” by James Garcia Jr. Blurb: Paul Herrera finds himself bequeathed a mysterious old house near the California central coast by a deceased aunt he never knew. The woman who shows it to him is the spitting image of his wife, taken from him three years before in a senseless car accident which also took his unborn son. While he deals with the ghosts of a past he cannot let go, there are new ghosts Paul must deal with - alone for the week in the expansive two-storey house that he will soon discover holds many secrets. Eventually, he will see that he is surrounded by ghosts as he struggles to hold onto the only thing that he has left in this world - his sanity.

Jimmy’s previous books are in the horror genre, but I guess the romance bug bit him (or something) and he decided to write a paranormal romance. I have not read the book, but I will because I am, you know, CURIOUS. Isn’t that what every writer hopes to instill in his readers? Here’s what Jimmy has to say about coming to write in this genre:

So, you ask, how in the world could a guy who started reading and writing horror fiction end up writing a romance? Well, it is a paranormal romance, so it really isn’t that big of a leap…

Truth be told, although I grew up reading The Amityville Horror and early works by Clive Barker and Mr. King, and watching films like The Thing, Poltergeist and the original Friday the 13^th films, my tastes have evolved with age. Now in my 40’s I find myself more comfortable with horror suspense than horror gore. If it’s splatter or torture porn, I’m really not interested. As one may excuse language and nudity when it’s necessary for the plot, I feel the same about violence. There’s certain rough aspects to The Exorcist, The Silence of the Lambs or more recently Let Me In, but the stories are so good that they work on every level.

Though I grew up with horror fiction and heavy metal music, my teenage years and a real lack of dating brought me to face issues of the heart. Even though my wife and I have been together now for twenty five years, I still remember those teenage years where every sad song seemed to be about me. Perhaps one might suggest that there is still a small part of me that wonders if love can be forever, and whether I might yet find myself alone once more? Only God knows. We have a wonderful life together, yet there’s still a part of me in touch with those feelings of love and loss.

My favorite novel is not scary in the least: “Beach Music” by Pat Conroy. It is a work of genius. It is not paranormal, and I never wanted to read it; however, a sister in law of mine coerced me into picking it up. All these years later I have yet to put it down, reading it or at least parts of it periodically over that time. It is great drama and has a bit of everything in it. I will go to my grave a happy man if I’m considered half as good a writer as Mr. Conroy. Couple this with the fact that I’m most comfortable with a romantic comedy on my television, and you will now begin to understand how it came about that I ended up writing “Seeing Ghosts.”

I always hoped to write a haunted house story before my writing days were finished, but I did not want to rush it. I had seen too many films or books begin with so much promise, but fall flat in the end. This is not to say that I have written the greatest haunted house story in the history of mankind. But I do think I have come up with something that is very special – it certainly is to me.

And I hope it is for you as well. You’ll have to let me know.

As I say over at my blog, we’ll talk soon.  

If you are interested in reading his horror works, you can find them on Amazon HERE. Oh, and Maria designed those covers, too. If you’re in the market for a cover artist, check her out HERE.

 

So what do you think? Isn’t the cover gorgeous? Has this book hit your reading radar?

 

Stacy

 

Books in Series

Does it seem like almost every book is part of a series? Well, except for maybe horror, it sure seems like it.

I don’t mind series, as long as each book has an individual story and it ends with that book. Then I go and read one that leaves me hanging, leaving me screaming for the next book, which I hungrily buy once it’s out. Some authors are so evil, it’s gotten where I won’t even consider reading the first book in the series unless I know the series has ended. Case in point: Richelle Mead. I loved her Vampire Academy series, really LOVED it, but thank GOODNESS I started it after the last book had been released. She would have driven me NUTS and is the number one reason why I haven’t started on her next series. Once that one has ended, THEN I’ll read it (and I really want to read it, but know better than to put myself through that).

It’s bad enough that television shows have cliff hangers at the end of the season. Do I really need it in my books? No, I do not.

Yet, I read series all the time. Currently: JR Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood AND Fallen Angels), Lynsay Sands (Argeneau Vampires), Kerrelyn Sparks (Love at Stake), Laurell K.Hamilton (Anita Blake), Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse), Allison Brennan (Lucy Kincaid), Tess Gerritsen (Rizzoli & Isles), and Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson), to name several. For the most part, the story is contained in these series. Usually. Of course, by now, I’m so engrossed in the series, it’s too late. They hooked me.

Before 2008 (and Twilight), I rarely read a series (Dark Tower series by Stephen King is the only one I can recall - which, by the way, frustrated me, too). I don’t know if it’s the new way of writing or if I was too absorbed in horror to notice (because before 2008, that’s about all I read).

Reminds me of when we moved to Ft. Monmouth, NJ in 1982. Bruce Springsteen was very popular there. I had never heard of him before. Was he popular because he was a hometown boy (Asbury Park is just down the road from the army post), or was he suddenly popular everywhere? I couldn’t tell!

Just as I can’t tell about book series. I’m sure they’ve been out there all along and I just haven’t noticed them until I started reading more.

Do you enjoy reading series? Do you like them leaving you hanging, having an overall story where you wonder if it will ever end? Or do you like it where each book is unique, each story begins and ends with that book?

J J J

By the way, I did chicken out on Friday night’s game. It was not only cold out (in the 40s), but windy, too. That pretty much decided it for me. I like going to a baseball game when it’s warm and I can enjoy sitting outside. Sort of how it was on Sunday. We made it to the 2:00 game and it was very nice out (70 degrees). Too bad the Dragons lost, though. Oh well, guess I can’t have everything (although I do try!!).

Have a good day!!

 

Stacy

 

 

The Booker Award

Seems Jennette Marie Powell has gone and bestowed The Booker Award to me.

What is this award? Well, apparently I get to blog about my five favorite books and follow these two simple rules:

1. Link back to the person who gave me the award (click on Jennette's name and you will be sent to her site).

2. Give this award to three more bloggers, who will then link back to you (go to end of post to see if YOUR name is listed - bwahahahaha).

Anyway, here are my five favorite books – in the order they came to me.

"Lightning" by Dean Koontz. This is my most favorite Koontz novel and I tell everyone I know to read this book. It's not a true horror novel, my husband can attest to that, since I even got him to read it (he hates horror). It's just a great thriller. Even when I re-read the book, I have trouble putting it down. And I know what's going to happen!

"The Stand" by Stephen King. This is the first Stephen King book I ever read. It hooked me to find his other novels (which weren't as numerous back in the 70's) and I've been a fan ever since. I sometimes wish I had that original paperback version, but it's been long gone (now replaced with the uncut hardback).

"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. I've read this book four times. I fell in love with the characters. And because of this book, it encouraged me to start writing my own. You can't ignore a book that can do that, now can you?

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I read this book back in high school. Then I had to see the movie. Then I had to read the book again. I felt like I WAS Scout.

"Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. This book started me on my road to reading. Before I read this book, reading was a chore. I sometimes took six months to finish a novel. Then I took a reading class in high school, where your grade was based on how many credits of books you read. This book counted as four books – four credits. My mother owned the book. I thought, why not? I read that thing in TEN days. A record for me back then. I discovered I was just reading the wrong books. So the book that actually made reading fun has GOT to be in the top five. No doubt about it!

So those are my five favorite. They all affected me in one way or another, so it makes it hard to forget them.

To follow the rules (which is a rarity for me, I know), I must now pass this award to three others:

Todd R. Moody – Fireflies and Laser Beams (www.firefliesandlaserbeams.blogspot.com)

LD Masterson (www.ldmasterson-author.blogspot.com)

B.E. Sanderson – The Writing Spectacle (www.writingspectacle.blogspot.com)

You know, now that I mentioned all these books, I want to read them again! But I really need to get my pile of TBR books down JUST a bit! It would make my husband happy, anyway.

Have a happy Friday and a great weekend!!

 

TGIF

Happy Friday!

Does everyone have plans for the long weekend? I do! Tonight we leave for Pittsburgh to do some touristy stuff. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some pictures of our trip on Monday, instead of another cemetery picture. I know, bummer, huh? You really love seeing pictures of graves, don't you? See? I knew it!

On the work front - work is still slow, so I tend to stare out the window. A lot. This past week I saw the street maintenance team dig a hole, then patch it. I have no idea why, though. I also watched some idiot try to parallel park. Don't they teach that in driver's training anymore? You back in!!! Sheesh! And yes, he was young.

Book news! My aunt (who is 5 years and 1 month older than me) is an actual published author – Meredith Blevins. She wrote three mysteries with quirky characters that I really enjoyed (and I'm not just saying that because she's my aunt). Anyway, she finally got them onto Kindle. So, I'm going to post the link to them (HERE), just in case anyone who reads this is interested. Hey – it's what family does, right? But really, check them out. They were fun to read.

I'm discovering it's not so easy to write one book and edit another. Not because I get the stories mixed up, I can manage to keep focused there. No, my problem is that I write differently in edit-mode than in first-draft-mode. In edit-mode, the words have to be right. The paragraph has to be perfect. Emotions and descriptions have to flow (or be on the page).

In first-draft-mode I should just write, even if that means telling, because I can fix it (and elaborate) when I edit. But for some reason, I can't seem to flip the switch that easy. But I am writing. It's just going a lot slower than I thought it would. I know, baby steps, right? This is the first time I've attempted to do both, so maybe it just takes practice like everything else.

That's what I keep telling myself anyway!!

Have a good one – and share if you've got any plans for the weekend.

Favorite Authors

Happy Wednesday and another Favorites blog. What writer doesn't have favorite authors? Well, here's my list (again, as with all my favorites, these are in alphabetical order).

Meg Gardiner – I read China Lake for two reasons: 1) Stephen King recommended it (and her), and 2) I went to high school with her. That first book hooked me and I've been a fan ever since.

Tess Gerritsen – I had just finished reading all of Meg Gardiner's books and was looking for another author to try out. That's when I noticed Tess had a blurb on Meg's books. Well, I thought, if Tess likes Meg's books, I should like Tess's books. And you know what? I do! My husband is even hooked on the Rizzoli & Isles series.

Laurell K. Hamilton – My daughter introduced me to the Anita Blake Series. By this time I was loving anything with vampires. But I do love Anita, and Jean Claude, and Edward, and Richard, and Micah, and, etc. Yeah, she has a LOT of love interests. It's gotten a little bizarre, but now I kind of expect that.

Charlaine Harris – This new television series was starting on HBO and it caught my attention. A series about vampires? Really? Well, I watched the first episode of True Blood and was hooked. The second episode, I realized it was based on books! I asked my daughter (because she knows almost everything regarding paranormal). She had the first book, but hated it. I read it, and LOVED it. See… we don't always have the same tastes! Although, she loves the series. Go figure!

Stephen King – I was in Safeway, back in 1976 (I think), looking for a book. This paperback caught my attention because it was "Soon to be a Motion Picture" (or some such thing), so I picked up the copy of The Stand. It was several years before it was made into a television series, but that book hooked me and I've been reading his stuff ever since.

Dean Koontz – Already a fan of Stephen King's, I experimented with other horror authors. I read The Vision and fell in love. But my favorite is Lightning (gotta love that time travel).

Stephenie Meyer – I'm sad there hasn't been any new books since The Host. She's what got me started writing. I loved he Twilight books so much (more like obsessed), but wished they were in third person. I wanted to know what Edward thought and felt!

Lynsay Sands – I discovered her books on a search through Barnes and Noble, looking for paranormal romance, but only got the first one – I had to be sure. Well, she hooked me. I loved her writing (and humor) so much, I even started reading her historical romances.

Kerrelyn Sparks – I went to RT in 2010 and had no idea who she was. I asked my daughter and found out she had all her books. I've now read all her books. I love her humor. Her vampires are hot, too!

J R Ward – Again, back at RT in 2010, there was this long line for some author named J.R. Ward. I asked my daughter if she knew who she was. She about fainted and told me I needed to read her books. But I didn't have time – and I had lots of other books to read (I was in the middle of two series). Well, eventually I read the first one and then the next, and then the next. I couldn't put them down. I thank my daughter for telling me to read these books! This is by far my most favorite series.

So, did I hit any of your favorites? I probably could have gone on and on, but I try not to make my blogs too lengthy. I want you to come back!

I Met a Goal!

I reached a goal early. My reading goal. Surprise, surprise!

When I set the goal to read 50 books in a year, I wasn't sure I could make it. I didn't read that many last year, so I figured it would be a challenge. Apparently it wasn't as I finished number 50 last night.

I've read a lot of great books this year. Now I'm curious how many I'll get read in 2011. I'll be going on a cruise in December and plan on taking lots of books with me. Of course, I'll have my laptop, too, so I can finish writing my WIP. My husband said I could. Ain't he great??

Other news events - if you don't follow DL Hammon's blog, get on over there and vote for Round 1 of  the WRiTE CLUB. It's not too late to join in the fun (there will be 12 rounds), but make sure you follow the rules. This is all I will say about it. You'll have to check it out for yourself. Now you're curious, aren't you?

Productivity

I feel productive today, yet the house still looks a mess.

I put all my loose piles of books into a box – these are the ones to be read, because those I HAVE read are in a bookcase. Four boxes of books isn't really all that much better, but at least the books are easier to move around now! And no, I don't plan on getting an e-reader anytime soon. I kind of like SEEING what I have yet to read, even if it does create a mess.

I cleared the stack of magazines and papers and organized them a little better. Also threw out a lot of notes I had for various books (notes I had already put onto a word document – I really need to do better at throwing those away once I've transcribed them). I'll have to determine later if I want to trash the magazines or store them elsewhere. Of course, if I store them elsewhere, the odds of me ever reading them again are slim. Hmmm, trashing is looking like a good option.

We bought a new printer. Which is mine! Mine, mine, mine!! This is what prompted my cleaning fit – I have to put it somewhere! Our main printer (which is still perfectly good and isn't going anywhere) had an older driver (probably for XP). When my husband upgraded the main computer to Windows 7, he had to get a new driver for the printer. Well, my laptop has Vista (and no, I'm not upgrading – not fond of Windows 7 and I definitely will put off using any new MS Word until it reverts back to the old ways or I'm screwed and forced to – I pray my laptop works forever). He couldn't find a driver for Vista; therefore, I can't print from my laptop. It's kind of frustrating, really. Any e-mails or documents I need to print, I have to transfer them to the main computer (yes, we're networked) and then I have to go over there and print them. Not a fun task (yes, I'm laaaazy).

I'm surprised I had the energy (or motivation) to do what I did today (besides the normal laundry). Last night I drank WAAAY too much and woke up with a headache (or would that be a hangover??). I can't remember the last time I did that – I think I was single! So, that would be over 30 years. Me thinks I should wait another 30 before I do that again.

Next, I need to become productive in my writing. I hope that happens tonight. Wish me luck!

I'm Back!

I'm glad this is a long weekend. I need time to recover before going back to work. Man, I wish I didn't have to do that!!

The drive to NYC went well. I was surprised we didn't hit a lot of rush hour traffic (it was on a Monday). However, arriving in Times Square at 9pm was a bit harrowing (thank GOD I wasn't driving).  After having problems locating the hotel (the Garmin stated it was on Broadway, but we couldn't find it – too many lights!), we headed to the parking garage and walked. Three blocks up and four blocks over, we managed to weave our way through the crowd (there were three of us) and found the blasted hotel. If the Garmin had said to go down 46^th Street, we MIGHT have been able to location the driveway. As it was, we never ventured down that street.

Needless to say, we got our exercise right off and had hardly been in the city for an hour!! But at least we knew where to go when it came time to leave (there was no WAY we were going to haul our luggage back to the parking garage).

As I suspected, internet was at a premium in NYC. The McDonald's across the street had free Wi-Fi, but it was soooo sloooow, I nearly ran out of battery time just checking my e-mails! It wasn't worth going over there every night. I know, I know, if I had one of those smart phones like my husband has (iPhone), I wouldn't have had a problem, but I just can't justify owning one of those – yet.

I had a good time at Nationals and my agent appointment went well (she asked for the full – yay!). I didn't take many pictures, mainly because I forgot to take my camera when I should have had it with me. Or I didn't pull it out and use it when I could have. I mean, I had lunch with Allison Brennan and didn't get our picture taken together. I'm such a dunce!

I did get Lynsay Sands' autograph on one of her Highlander books. Now, watch me get hooked on that series (yes, I will be reading it – I love her books).

While I attended many workshops (some good, some not so good), I also attended the many book signings and came back with over 30 books (only paid for 2). My husband doesn't think I'll read them all. I think I will – eventually. Sure, I still haven't read all the ones I got from RT last year, and I keep buying new (I do have some favorite authors), but I really believe I'll get through all my books (especially when I no longer HAVE to work). I've read 32 books so far this year, and that's WITH a job.

I'm in the final fixings of my book. My plan is to send it to the editor and agent this week. I've done some minor fixes already, but for some reason my brain can't function all that well and we have a friend visiting. Every time I think it's quiet and start working on the book, that's when someone decides to want to talk. It never fails. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I can get this blog written!

I also have homework from a class I'm taking. Overwhelmed is too light a word for how I'm feeling right now. I think I need a vacation from my vacation!

But I'm back now, and hopefully I'll be blogging more often. I can dream, anyway!

Happy Independence Day! Hope it's a fun-filled weekend for you.