Wednesday Reads and Getting Back to Normal

I feel like my life is back to normal!!! I’m getting my 500+ words written in the morning and I’m walking on the treadmill after. Which means…more reading. Yay! Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #16

Dates read: March 3-20
Title: The Double D Ranch
Year of publication: 2017
Author: Rochelle Bradley
Genre: Romantic comedy
Series:  Fortuna, Texas #1
# of Pages: 299
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Much to the chagrin of foreman Josiah, Jessie Davidson wants a romance reduction. But the Double D Ranch hides a secret. Since inheriting the property, Jessie kept her grandmother’s hoard concealed, but now she’s found the courage to purge the unwanted items: steamy novels, thousands of them. Romance has to go! Donating the books is a good thing, right? Not when coupled with a dare.
    The dare spirals out of control. The ante is upped when caches of the spicy books, left in barber shops, pool halls, and pubs, challenge others to join the fad. A perverted prankster runs amok playing on the town’s fantasies. Book clubs are formed. Plots acted out. In a town saturated with romance, Jessie finds her love life underdeveloped.
    Keep Jessie safe. It’s the promise Josiah Barnes made to Jessie’s dying grandmother. He aims to honor it, even if it means protecting Jessie from himself. Failing her in the past has him to high alert when the Double D becomes ground zero for the arousal avalanche sweeping the town. As a full-support, silent partner, Josiah will do anything to augment the Double D. But when Jessie starts selling handmade lingerie, keeping his hands to himself is easier said than done…
My thoughts: If you like funny named businesses and people along with your romance, you might enjoy this.

Book #17

Dates read: March 20-26
Title: The Demon’s in the Details
Year of publication: 2019
Author: Jeanne Oates Estridge
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series:  Touched by a Demon Book 2
# of Pages: 348
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: It’ll be a cold day in Hell before artist Keeffe Blackmon gives up the statue created by her late mother, a world-famous inspirational sculptor. Keeffe’s not selling—not even to a man as rich as devil’s food cake and handsome as sin—the gorgeous but morally repulsive billionaire Seth McCall. That is, until Keeffe decodes a fiendish contract and discovers she has just one month to prove she’s earning a living with her art or lose her sculpture forever.
    Demons will ice skate on the Lake of Fire before Satan puts Abaddon, aka Bad, the demon of sloth and Hell’s brainiest minion, back in charge of Hell’s technology hub. But when Satan’s stooge McCall fails to acquire the powerful statue, Bad seizes his chance. To win back his job, Bad offers to possess McCall and, with the unbeatable combination of McCall’s good looks and his own smarts, melt Keeffe into selling him the sculpture.
    As Keeffe races to complete a mural in McCall’s McMansion and earn the cash she needs to keep her statue, the billionaire blows hot one minute and cold the next. It’s almost as if he’s two different men: one a jerk, the other sweet and nerdy—and hot as Hell.
    Aboveworld for the first time, Bad finds out his heart is even bigger than his brain. He is entranced by Sedona’s stunning landscape and seduced by Keeffe’s passion for art, life, and the man she thinks she sees in McCall.
    Bad may be the smartest demon in Hell—but is he smart enough to win Keeffe’s trust and ice Satan’s devilish plan to destroy Sedona?
My thoughts: What an awesome book! Lots of twists and turns (I kept wondering how Bad and Keeffe were going to work out!). Thoroughly entertaining.

Today Hubby and I are refinancing the new house (lower interest rate and a BIG deposit!). We hope to get the house paid off in about 3 years (if all goes well). Then Hubby can retire. Although he wishes sometimes that he could do it now. And he probably could, but then we’d have to change our lifestyle and I don’t see that happening. I could probably do it. I’m not so sure he could!

So… Are you preparing for your retirement? If not, you should!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Getting Noticed Well is Hard

I think one of the hardest things an author can do is get their name out there in a way that isn’t obnoxious so people can find their books and WANT to buy them.

Not WRITE the book. Oh no. That part is EASY compared to marketing. At least it’s easier for me.

Thing is, I’m not sure my readers read blogs. I think writers read blogs, but not so much readers. So why do I stick around?

Good question. Maybe one of these days I’ll have a good answer. Because right now? I don’t know. I do know it’s hard to think of things to blog about at times (like now).

Thank goodness there is more than just blogging. I do try other avenues, too (besides Facebook). There’s this site, bookandmainbites.com, where I can post snippets of my books so readers get examples of my writing (instead of just reading the cover copy). I’ve been really bad posting over there, mainly because it’s so time consuming finding snippets, or pictures to go with the snippets (because you have to post a picture with it and I needed to buy some pictures!). I’m aiming to get more organized now and get one snippet posted a week and see if that helps sales. I’ve been told if you’re a regular poster over there that it really does help. We’ll see. As long as I do all that work AFTER my daily writing goal, what do I have to lose? Nothing, really until they start charging me, and that will happen eventually. Hopefully by then my following will be up; otherwise, I might have to leave. I have to look at the ROI sometimes!

Would posting snippets here do any good? Hmmm… I don’t know. I mean, I got the picture, I got the snippet, guess I have nothing to lose, right? I’ll have to think about that. Maybe that can be my Friday blog thing.

And maybe THAT’S why I keep on posting. I come up with ideas as I write something for this thing. And there’s always a possibility one of you reading this is actually a future reader of my books.

This writer can dream.

So… What are you finding difficult these days?

Happy Monday.

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and I'm Pissed

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #15

Dates read: March 13-17
Title: Big Easy Evil
Year of publication: 2017
Author: Heather Graham
Genre: Paranormal mystery
Series:  Cafferty & Quinn #3.7
# of Pages: 127
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Halloween in the Big Easy… Does evil really exist? Michael Quinn and Danni Cafferty are far too familiar with the question. At the death of her father, Danni inherited his  house and shop on Royal Street in New Orleans—and much more than she ever anticipated, including a book kept by her family for generations on how to combat the most unusual forces.
    As Halloween approaches, Quinn is already nervous—he knows what the season can bring. Even as Danni tries to convince him that very good things can happen as well, a man arrives in their kitchen, seeking their very special assistance. Sam DeMille is a lover of decoration and costume—and all things Halloween—until the body of a murdered man shows up in the midst of his backyard ‘cemetery.’ With an axe in his head.
    Could the infamous Axe-man of New Orleans have found his way back after nearly a century? Or is just the insidious at work, a spirit of demon filtering into an object or a person and creating the mayhem all over again? With the help of their odd team, Danni and Quinn must find the truth behind the strange happenings haunting the city—lest they fall prey to that very strange evil themselves.

My thoughts: Should have been a quicker read, but I was busy with revisions. Short and sweet, it was entertaining and brought me back to a series I enjoy. I’d be getting the next book in the series if I could, because I like these characters.

I buy my books from Barnes & Noble (if I don’t buy them from the author directly or see something at Books & Co.). I get free shipping and I own a Nook. I won’t get a Kindle, so I won’t buy books from Amazon. Not even the paperbacks, unless I’m already placing an order big enough to get free shipping (I do not belong to Prime, and I don’t want to, either). I bought the above series at B&N. But the next book out is only sold at Amazon (Kindle AND paperback). This is a big-named author (at least in Romancelandia) and all her other books are wide. I don’t understand.

Not everyone buys their books from Amazon!

Gee, can you tell I’m a little pissed?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Today I Shall Breathe Easier

Today I will finish up the edits on Biting the Curse and will send it off to my editor. Once I hit that send button, I shall breathe easier. That’ll be one job done and out of the way!

And boy, was that book taking up my time or what? My reading has suffered. My TV watching has suffered. I’ve suffered! I’ll be happy to get back to Dr. Who (if I can remember where I left off).

Of course, none of that will happen until after I’ve written 500+ words on the new project. But I do that when I get up. I really do get my best writing done then. At least, I’m most productive then. Whether it’s my best, well, who knows. It’s words. On the page. That’s what matters.

I mentioned last week that we got our new couch delivered. Well, here’s a picture of our great room.

The couch on the right is the new one. The one on the left we got back in August. When the store had another sale, I just took my paperwork and said I wanted another one of those. Easy sale for the store, huh?

We really like this couch, though. The sides recline (electronically!). Very comfortable. And now we have room for everyone!

So… What was the last piece of furniture you bought? Anything good?

Happy Monday.

Stacy

Literary Love: Authors Rock Savannah

Today I’m using my blog to tell you about a reader/author convention happening this summer (July 25-28) in Savannah, Georgia, that I will be attending. It’s called Literary Love: Authors Rock Savannah. There are panels, parties, meals with authors, an awesome Faerie Ball, and two book signings. It’s a great opportunity to get to know so many authors. Over 80 authors are attending featuring multiple genres.

Get your Ticket HERE.

Once you register for the event, the portal for the deal on the hotel (which is on the riverfront!) will be sent to you.

Then head on over to Facebook and join the Attendee Group HERE.  Don’t miss out on all the fun!

The FULL EVENT ticket includes:

• 4 meals: First Date Breakfast on Friday, Paranormal Lunch on Friday, First in a Series Brunch on Saturday, Faerie Ball On Saturday evening.
• Access to 2 signings and the Welcome Open bar
• Welcome Bag with a tower of Freebie books
• Access to ALL parties and panels (starting Thursday, Most parties and events are over by 5pm on Friday, with the Dance party later that night, and the Erotic Trivia as well)
• Access to the Blind Date Book Room
• Ability to reserve tattoo time
• Ability to make a Corset fitting reservation
• Access to the Charity Gift baskets room

If you’ve ever wanted to spend some time with authors, this is the place to do it.

So… Have you ever been to a book convention? They can be overwhelming at times (to this introvert), but they are so much fun. I’m really looking forward to going to this one.

Happy Friday!

Stacy