Superstition is a Semi-Finalist in Best Indie Romance of 2012

              

Just learned that Superstition is a semi-finalist in the
Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Romance for 2012 contest.

Finalists will be announced September 1st, so keep your
fingers crossed!

Today my heart is broken. I had to make the very difficult decision to put Blue to sleep. I've never had to 

do that before. But Blue was a fighter and I guess he knew I just couldn't let go. So he stayed on, even though he was in pain, couldn't move, and could barely breathe. I couldn't let him suffer the indignities any longer, so I had to let him go. His memory will live on in Blame it on Texas, where he was a major character, and in Blue Moon over Texas, where he had a couple of cameo appearances. He may show up in the next book, as well, because in my fiction he can still be vital, and alive, and happy. I only wish I could have made that so in real life. He was a true hero, loyal to a fault, willing to give his life for me and my family if need be. I will always miss him. Until we meet again, Blue, I love you.

Author Monday--With Sandy Blair

Today we welcome guest author Sandy Blair to Author Monday. Be sure to check out her contest link at the end of the post and her new book which will be released in print tomorrow.

TALES FROM THE CAVES #2: The Scot’s and mine

THE SCOT

For those who missed Tale #1, there’s a charming, loyal, witty but frugal 6 foot, 4 ½ inch Scot living in the basement. He calls it his man cave.

Awhile back I was up in my light and airy cave banging away on the computer tracking down pirated copies of my books when The Scot came in and placed a lovely green apple martini on my desk. Grinning, he said, “I heard you cursing up here and thought you could use this right about now.” How lovely was that?!

At dinner he says, “I have to tell you something but first you have to promise not to get mad.”  

Hmm. First he brings me a martini and now he has something to tell me? Knowing he’ll remain mute until I promise, I lie. “I promise.”

“You know your broken vacuum cleaner?”

He’s referring to the supposedly indestructible, half-ton Rikar I paid a small fortune for 5 years ago, which could once suck paint off walls, but was now held together with duct tape and refused to even turn on.

“Yes, what about it?”  I’m worried he’s done me a favor and brought the monster to the repair shop again. Not good, since I quietly gave myself a new Dyson for Christmas, (Woot!) my 20^th such device in our marriage, but my perchance for destroying vacuum cleaners is another story…

“Well,” he says, “I saw that old guy sitting outside his apartment tinkering again and thought he might be able to fix it.”

Oh crap. Now you have to understand…the Scot is an accountant. He’s hell on wheel when it comes to numbers but will break a light bulb off in the socket if he tries to change it. Subsequently, he’s fascinated by men who work with their hands, be they woodworkers, plumbers, mechanics…or in this case, a tinker. And the Scot is nothing if not frugal.

Fearing the worst, I wait. He says, “So I walked the vacuum over to him and told him he can have it.” He gives me a narrow-eyed look across the table. “I saw the bill for the Dyson.”

Oops! Did I mention I have a perchance for breaking vacuum cleaners?

“Anyway,” he continues as I turn scarlet, “I told him the Rikar’s a solid, expensive machine but has a broken switch, thinking he could fix it and make some money off it.”

Ah, reprieve!  “Aww, how sweet of you. It’s worth a good few dollars…if he can get it working again.”  The old man was forever under the hood of a battered pickup held together with wire and duct tape.

The Scot nodded. “Precisely what I was thinking after I learned how much the salesman said he’d give you as a trade-in toward a new Rikar.” (Which we both now knew was never going to happen in this lifetime.) “Anyway,” he continues, “an hour later I happen to drive by the old guy’s place and he had the vacuum in parts all over the yard.”

“So? He was fixing it.”

“No, he was reducing it to its smallest parts…to sell as scrap. That’s apparently what he does. He didn’t understand its intrinsic value. That if he’d fixed the switch---or whatever--he could have sold it for hundreds. All he saw when I gave it to him was the value of its steel and copper wire.” Scott shook his head and sighed. “Now he’ll only make a couple of dollars from it…and I’ve learned some people only know what they know. That some don’t see potential…can’t see beyond their experience.”

“I’m sorry, honey.”

Looking sad, he muttered, “Me, too.”

The Scot…one in a million.

HER CAVE:  

To celebrate the June 5^th print release of my 1285 Scotland-set historical, The King’s Mistress, I’m running a special contest and giving away EIGHT really great prizes. For details and prize list click on http://www.sandyblair.net/contest.shtm     

I hope you enjoy my new Highlander tale based on actual events.

So do any of you tend to break stuff?

Sandy

Thanks for being here and sharing a bit of your life with us, Sandy. If you haven't ready Sandy's books, you've missed a real treat. Be sure to pick up a copy of The King's Mistress, and also look for her previous books. You can find them all at Amazon. 

Happy Birthday to Me! The Best Gift.

Crime Author RJ Parker read and reviewed Lone Star Justice. Those of you who know me well know that Allison Brennan is one of my favorite authors, one of those authors whose books I buy as soon as they're released. Read what RJ said about Lone Star Justice, and you'll see why his review absolutely made my day.

5.0 out of 5 stars A HEART-WARMING SUSPENSE ROMANCE, June 1, 2012

By 

RJ Parker "Author" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lone Star Justice (Kindle Edition)

LONE STAR JUSTICE by prolific western/romance writer, Tori Scott is one of my favorite stories. I only recently stumbled across this author and I find her writing is along the same caliber as the amazing Allison Brennan. I recently read and reviewed Tori's Blame it on Texas and Blue Moon Over Texas (Lone Star Cowboys) and really enjoyed them. I like this author so much that I after just finishing this book, today I started Superstition (Team Indigo).


Madelyn Cooper and Rand McCade were friends and lovers in their teens. At 18, Madelyn got pregnant and before she had a chance to tell Rand, she was blackmailed by the local doctor to get out of town and to never return.


Her daughter Brandy, is now 14, and Madelyn has excelled in her career and is now a Judge. She also has a stalker who is threatening her and Brandy. Maddie and Brandy leaves the city and returns to her old hometown to get away from the threat. Rand is now Sheriff of Greendale and upon finding out that he is a dad, he vows to keep his family safe.


The author created three of the most lovable characters in Maddie, Rand and Brandy and an excellent story as well. This book has romance, suspense, mystery and a heart-warming ending...what more could you ask for in a novel.

New Release! Blue Moon Over Texas

New Release! Blue Moon Over Texas

Finally, the much anticipated sequel to Blame it on Texas is available on Amazon. Go check it out!

Book Two of the Lone Star Cowboys Series and the sequel to Blame it on Texas

Carol Tanner makes the decision to move home to Morris Springs, Texas, where everyone she loves now lives. And that everyone includes Jake Reilly, though she hasn't decided if she's going to forgive him. She and Jake were high school sweethearts, but he refused to understand why she'd had to leave Morris Springs--and him--in the first place. When Jake is injured and needs help, Carol makes the decision to move into his house to take care of him. In doing so, she puts both her reputation, and her life, in danger.

Jake Reilly is always ready to lend a helping hand to his neighbors, but he finds accepting help is a lot harder than giving it. Especially when that help comes from the Tanners. Carol had walked out on him twice--once right after high school and again two years ago. He wasn't too likely to give her a third chance to break his heart. He has to face his own shortcomings when Carol's life is threatened, because one thing every cowboy knows is that you have to protect what's yours.


Excerpt: 

    "Good Lord, ladies. I do believe I've died and gone to cowboy heaven." Carol Tanner glanced around the decorated dance hall at the local cowboys, decked out in their Saturday night best--tight-fitting, starched blue jeans, brightly decorated shirts, hand-tooled leather belts, and boots that probably cost them a week's pay. She deliberately skipped her gaze over Jake Reilly, whose intense gaze hadn't wavered from her face since she stepped into the building. Tonight she'd forget about Jake and enjoy herself, or die trying.

    But as hard as she tried to ignore him, she had to admit he did look hot tonight. Pissed, but hot.

    "Now that is one fine example of prime male physique." Jean Sutherland sighed as a tall, muscular cowboy passed by.

    "Just another reason to love this town," Nancy Phillips drawled, with a wink aimed at the cowboy under discussion. "So why are we just standing here? Let's go see what kind of trouble we can stir up."

    Logan and Megan Tanner shook their heads and laughed as the three single women headed into the crowd on the dance floor. Logan took baby Charlie from Megan's arms and kissed his wife's cheek. "I'm glad I married you before that bunch had a chance to corrupt you with their wild ways."

    Megan grinned. "Who said I wasn't corrupted? I married you, didn't I?"

    "So you did." He turned to his daughter, Katie. "Listen, you can go meet up with your friends, but do not go outside after dark, do you understand? Most of these cowboys are harmless enough, but some are drifters that we know nothing about. And check in with Megan or me every hour."

    Katie sighed. "I'm not a kid, Dad. See you in an hour." She hurried off, waving at a group of girls gathered around the groaning buffet tables.

    Logan watched her go, wishing she was still young enough that he could keep her by his side. She'd grown into a beautiful young girl. No longer a child, but not yet a woman. "Remind me again that she's still only fourteen?"

    "Fourteen going on twenty," Megan said. "It's all uphill from here."

    "Logan, Megan. Good to see you stepping out for a change." Jake Reilly handed Logan a beer. "You want me to get you something to drink, Megan?"

    "I'd love a root beer, Jake. Thank you."

    When he came back with the icy drink, his face was stormy. "That sister of yours is asking for trouble," he told Logan.

    "Why? What's Carol up to?"

    "Out there on the dance floor, making eyes at those range rabbits. Don't even recognize some of those men. Asking for trouble, I'm telling you."

    "She'll be okay. We'll keep an eye on her. Why don't you go ask her to dance? You're the one she wants to be with, anyway, and you know it."

    Jake shook his head. "I'm going to sit this one out."

    For the next hour, Jake watched from the edge of the dance floor as Carol two-stepped her way across the room with first one cowboy, and then another. Every once in a while, he caught her glancing his way--whether to see if he noticed her or hoping he'd ask her to dance, he didn't know. But he noticed, all right. How could he help it? With her skin tight jeans outlining her curves, the close-fitting sweater accentuating her breasts…

    His hands clenched into fists as yet another man cut in and swung her away, out of his sight.

    "You'd better go get her, Jake, before you decide to take out half the town with your fists." Logan leaned against the wall with Charlie tucked against his chest. The baby was sound asleep despite the loud music.

    "What makes you think she'd dance with me? She hasn't spoken to me in two years."

    "You ready to tell me why?"

    "No." Jake scowled at Logan. "It's none of your business."

    "Maybe, maybe not. She is my sister, so I expect anything that has to do with her happiness is my business."

    Megan moved between the two men. "Will you two just stop it? Y'all are neighbors, friends. You work side by side nearly every day. You can't afford to get into a pissing contest and risk that friendship."

    Jake ducked his head and nodded. "I don't want to fight with either of you over this. It's between me and Carol. If you want to know so badly, ask her."

    "Believe me, I have. She's not talking either," Megan said with a sigh.

    Katie passed by, dancing with a young man. Logan scowled. "What's she doing dancing with a boy? She's too young."

    Megan laughed. "Would you rather she was dancing with a girl? Relax. That's Dean Neiman. He's a good kid. He brings his horse Dancer into the clinic every once in a while. If he treats Katie as well as he does that horse, you have nothing to worry about."

    "Why don't I know him? I know most of the Neiman clan."

    "Because he's only been here a few months, living with his grandparents, Hugo and Leona. His parents are working in Abu Dubai for a year."

    "Hmmph. She's still too young for a boyfriend."

    "Who said anything about a boyfriend?" Megan shook her head. "It's just a dance, Logan. Don't make a big deal out of it."

    Jake smirked as he listened to them. "I can't wait until she goes on her first car date. You planning to deck her first date like you did me when I took Carol out?"

    Logan shot him a warning look. "Watch it, Jake. I can still take you down."

    "I'd like to see you try." Though the banter was joking, it still rankled that Logan had taken him down with one punch all those years ago.

    "No one is taking anyone down tonight." Megan said. "Now, let's just enjoy the party, okay?"

    Katie came back to join them. "Want me to hold Charlie for a while? Y'all haven't danced even once since we got here."

    Megan smiled her thanks at Katie, then ran a hand up Logan's arm. "Ready to dance with me, cowboy?"

    "Always." Logan passed the baby to Katie, then swung Megan into his arms and they moved onto the crowded floor.

    Jake watched them for a minute before his gaze strayed back to Carol. She had a new partner now, one that seemed to be holding her awfully close. He wanted to cut in, to stake his claim. But he had no claim. He didn't even have the guts to tell her how he felt.

    He'd tried, God knows, he'd tried. But he'd never been good at discussing feelings. He'd been raised to keep them to himself, and he couldn't recall a single time his father had expressed any feelings toward his mother. But Carol was all about feelings. She used to ask him how he felt about everything from a new calf to a summer breeze.

    A calf was a calf, money on the hoof. Cute, maybe, but you couldn't let yourself get attached because sooner or later you would have to sell it or butcher it. As for a summer breeze, it kept your blood from boiling under the unforgiving West Texas sun. But those weren't the answers she'd wanted to hear.

So how did he explain the way his chest got all tight when he saw her with someone else?

    Katie moved away to sit in a chair, the baby's weight obviously getting to be too much for her. He should offer to help, but he'd never held a baby before. He'd probably wake the child and it would cry, and then what would he do? Even a fourteen year old knew more about babies than he did. He could handle delivering a calf, but he couldn't handle a small boy.

    While Jake watched her pat the baby gently on the back, a rough-looking young ranch hand sat beside her. He said something that made Katie visibly uncomfortable, so Jake edged closer. When the man reached out to touch Katie's hair, she jerked her head away and Jake moved in.

    As soon as the man saw him, he started to leave. Jake grabbed his arm. "Leave the girl alone."

    "Hey, don't mean no trouble. Just wanted to see if she wanted to dance."

     Jake's brows drew together. "She's just a kid. Unless you want to deal with me, I'd suggest you go find someone closer to your own age."

    The cowboy shrugged his hand off and wandered away after one last look at Katie.

    Jake sat beside her. "You okay?"

    "Yeah, but he gave me the creeps. Thanks for making him leave, Uncle Jake."

    "Anytime, kid. Let me know if he causes any more problems, okay? I'm going to go find your dad and let him know so he can keep an eye out, too."

    Katie gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

    He found Logan and Megan and as soon as he told them what happened, they left the dance floor and returned to the children. Jake continued across the floor, sidestepping when he nearly collided with Carol dancing with the same piece of scum who'd bothered Katie. He had to exert all his self-control to keep from yanking her out of the man's too-tight embrace. He settled for another beer.

    After twisting the top off the bottle, he leaned against the wall and crossed one booted foot over the other. From this vantage point, he could see most of the dance floor. If the cowboy got out of hand, he'd take care of it.

    Nancy two-stepped past him, hand in hand with a local doctor. Jean was right behind her, laughing at something her dance partner had just said. Jake thought he recognized the man, but he wasn't sure who he was.

    Seemed like everyone was having a good time. Everyone but him. Why had he even bothered to come?

    He pushed away from the wall and headed outside. He needed to clear his head, get some perspective. What right did he have to be jealous because Carol was dancing with other men? He couldn't give her what she wanted, what she needed, so he couldn't blame her for looking elsewhere. He had no idea what she did and with whom back in Austin. He was just pissed because he knew most of these men, and they knew Carol was his.

    Or should be.

For this Version of Author Monday, we welcome author Wendy Ely. Thanks for joining us, Wendy!

Writing Dreaming of Him!

I usually don't like paranormal anything. I don't watch paranormal anything and the genre itself scares the crap out of me. The whole ghost subject freaks me out. I believe in spirits but if something odd happens in my home I go into total denial or we will be packing our stuff. I do have a fourteen year old daughter who has a darker personality than I do. She is a paranormal and horror buff. She also writes novels already. After she finished writing her first book at age twelve she decided that maybe we should write a book together.

We set out plotting Dreaming of Him. We agreed that we'd both write it but I'd do a lot of the romance in the book because the thought of romance made her want to gag.  After we plotted most of the book, I wrote the opening scene and had her read it. "Mom," she had said, "I love it, but you need to write the whole thing." She decided that her talents weren't as good as mine (she is wrong!) and couldn't write with me.

Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) was coming up and I figured that writing Dreaming of Him would be the perfect project to do in that month and an awesome gift for my daughter. I accomplished the task of writing the novella in one month (surprising since I know nothing of the genre!), edited it, and had a contract from my publisher shortly after.

Here is the opening scene of the book:


I stood by the lake’s edge and tossed a rock, trying to make it skip across the water as my father had once taught me when I was a little girl. My lips twisted in a frown as the rock plopped against the water and quickly sank. Obviously, rock skipping could be added to my list of failures.

“Hey.” The sudden sound of a deep voice cutting through the silence should’ve startled
me, but it didn’t at all.

Curious, I turned toward the sound.

He stood there with a strand of dark hair falling down against his tanned forehead. He
brushed it back and smiled, revealing a brilliant set of teeth.

“Have we met before?” I asked, trying to place him from somewhere.

Instead of answering, he stepped next to me. “Let me show you how to do that.” He
picked up a rock and twisted his wrist just right, sending the rock skipping across the water. Once the rock sank, he turned to me again. His dark eyes stared into mine as he slid his finger down my cheek.

“Amber--”

The blaring alarm pulled me from my dream, jerking me straight up in bed. The
obnoxious sound came from a little blue box sitting on my dresser, set far away from my bed to force me up from the comfort. I groaned as the day’s reality set in. The manager of Rich Chick expected me to be there for work in an hour. I hated not only the annoying beep-beep that ripped me from my dream, but also knowing that I’d be behind a counter pretending to be someone different. Then again, I hated most everything about my life. I glanced over to the bottle of prescription pills on my dresser. Should I go another day pretending everything was fine without taking the mood-altering drug people swore by? I shook my head at the notion. No more pills. Not today. Not ever again.

***

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-of-Him-ebook/dp/B006ZKBZD0/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Like me on facebook:  http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-of-Him-ebook/dp/B006ZKBZD0/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2 

or twitter: 

@WendyElyAuthor

I have the best husband ever! I asked for a flower garden and this is what I got. This is my Mother's Day present from him. And he did it all himself (with a little help from yours truly). I absolutely love it. I can sit on the patio and watch the birds (who also love it). Best of all, we didn't have to buy a single piece of lumber. He built it all from materials we had here.

The before and the after.

Today we welcome MJ Fredrick to Author Monday. MJ has one of my all-time favorite book covers--the one you see here for Midnight Sun. And she has great stories inside all her covers. Take the time to say hello and then be sure to check out her books.

Thanks for joining us today, MJ!  

Thanks so much for having me, Tori!

The other day I was sitting at my desk at school and suddenly got a whiff of the used book store I visited so often a few years back (before Amazon and ebooks). I don’t know what brought the scent to mind, but suddenly I was so happy (and not just because I had a blog topic, lol!)

So many happy memories have to do with books, from getting the Scholastic order forms to book orders in the mail.

When I was in elementary school, our librarian would open the school library one morning a week (or maybe every two weeks) so the kids from the neighborhood could keep reading over the summer. I was there every time. I can still remember the smell of the cool, dark building that had been closed up. The library was in the center of all the classrooms, and carpeted, with a sunken area that I think was for little kid books. I had my favorite books in the library, so I’d check those out first, before venturing to find others to try. Then I’d go home and stretch out on my bed in my bright room and read the rest of the day.

When I was in middle school, I guess, we’d stay with my grandmother during the summer while Mom went to summer school. Once a week or so we’d go check on our house and check the mail and go to the local five-and-dime, Winn’s (where I eventually had my first job). The book racks were up front and loaded with all kinds of books, from thrillers to movie novelizations to Harlequins. My grandmother would buy me a Harlequin every time. I told her I liked the horses on the covers. I think I read most of the Janet Dailey books this way.

The summer after fifth grade, I think it was, my dad and stepmom took my brother and stepbrother and I to California in the back of a Cutlass Supreme. I remember my dad getting mad because I brought my entire Trixie Belden collection with me. But I also remember going into the five-and-dime in Paso Robles, where my other grandmother lived, and finding a Trixie Belden book I didn’t have and buying it. (When I went to go visit my dad a couple of summers ago, I reminded him of the Trixie library--I think it was even in a paper bag--and showed him my Nook with hundreds of books on it.)

Fast-forward a dozen or so years, and I was hooked on romance. It started out with an obsession about Ireland, so I read a Karen Robards book. Then every book that she wrote. Then every romance I could find set in Ireland (not many back in those days). Then England, because, heck, close enough. I read every one of Catherine Coulter’s books. Hard to believe I didn’t used to have a TBR.

And then I discovered the used book store, the one I got a whiff of earlier this week. HEAVEN! I spent many summer and Saturday mornings in the store, adding to my stack, then going home and reading. The cool air, the freedom, the rows and rows of stories--I discovered so many treasures there--Anita Mills, Betina Krahn, Amanda Quick (still my go-to comfort read).

Books have played a huge role in my life, and continue to be important as I add to my TBR and keeper shelves, and as I write more, pouring out the stories I want to tell.

Thanks MJ! What about you? What got you hooked on reading? Are there books from your childhood that influenced your adult reading? Is your Kindle or Nook loaded with treasures like Midnight Sun?

MJ's books on Amazon

Get Midnight Sun Free for Kindle: http://amzn.com/B0054QZPD2

MJ's books on B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/MJ-Fredrick?store=ebook&keyword=MJ+Fredrick

MJ's books on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJFredrick

Follow MJ:


Twitter  @MJFredrick

Facebook.

MJ's Blog

Heartthrob Haven: Just Who Exactly is Jacob Littlejohn?

Heartthrob Haven: Just Who Exactly is Jacob Littlejohn?: Tori Scott here, to introduce you to Jacob Littlejohn--soldier, warrior, mercenary? Which one is it, Jacob?

Come over to Heartthrob Haven to see what Jacob has to say about himself. Comment for a chance to win a copy of Superstition and a $10 Amazon gift card.

EReader Daily News is running a weekly Twitter competition to win a prize package of eBooks (value $25+ or more) to an entrant who will be drawn at random. This will run for 4 weeks only. You could be a lucky winner with some great  beach reading for your Kindle this summer.

To enter, just “Like” Ereader Daily News on Facebook, then follow them on Twitter & RT with hashtag #eReadersROCK. The week’s winner will get emails from the authors for the FREE eBooks. Also, on week 5, all entrants will get the opportunity to get a signed book package from the authors who donated their books for the contest.

This week’s selection of books:

 Blame It On Texas by Tori Scott

Jockeys & Jewels by Bev Pettersen

The Pearl Witch by Theda Hudson

Mending Fences by Lucy Francis

Shattered by Jesebel Jorge

Let Us Prey by Jamie Lee Scott

Deadly Offerings by Alexa Grace Shattered by Kate Kelly

The Throwbacks by Stephanie Queen

Redeemed by Jill Hughey

Author Monday: Delle Jacobs

Today we welcome best-selling author Delle Jacobs to Author Monday. Delle is a fellow 2003 Golden Heart finalist, but that's just one of her many finals and wins. She's also the one who finally convinced me Indie publishing was the way I should go, and I will forever be grateful.

Delle Jacobs http://dellejacobs.blogspot.com

FAERIE~Coming from Montlake Romances September 2012

Not your ordinary Faerie Tale

Delle's Amazon Author Page

 PIONEERS ARE PEOPLE WHO CHOP WOOD, AREN'T THEY?

I have just spent the last three hours painstakingly writing out my story in publishing, with the thought in my head, "This is boring. It's just like every other e-published author's story. " 

And it was (with the exception that I finalled seven times in the Golden Heart and won three times). That is, of course, why computers have delete keys. And why you're not going to be reading it.

So let's just say the first eight years of my "seriously writing" career were pretty much the same as every other frustrated author. Not much success. Just enough to keep me from giving up my addiction. But unlike most, thanks to Laurie Alice Eakes, I gave in to the strange allure of e-publishing. If you know anything about the first ten years of e-publishing, you know at times it was hellatious. Even best friends felt privileged to impart to me the folly of my ways. And they were being kind, compared to what a lot of other people said. Well, you know all that. You know it's been a struggle. I did have some very successful (for ebooks) books. I even finally made the Published Authors Network (PAN) with a sale to Samhain. Exactly one month later, RWA changed the rules, though. 

But eventually I reclaimed the rights to my five original ebooks, but didn't know what to do with them. One editor told me she'd buy one of them if I'd completely re-write with lots more sex scenes. I thought about it. Didn't do it. By this time, the one thing I did know was that going with a traditional publisher was not the right thing for me.

The rest is Alexis Harrington's fault. In 2010, she persuaded me to re-work my books and put them on Kindle. The first month, with two books up, I sold 57, and I was ecstatic. I put up two more, then discovered Smashwords. Smashwords then acquired contracts with other retailers. And then, my BIG BREAK.

There I was, October 1, 2010, at the Emerald City Writers Conference, and turning in a little early. I checked my Kindle stats before crashing, expecting the usual 3-6 sales per book for the day. Something was wrong with the numbers. In order: 1847, 15, 17, 1932. Well, that was impossible. Went back and looked again, and the two high numbers had shot up another 30 or so. They were rising at 200-300 an hour! When I looked, KINDLE WAS GIVING MY BOOKS AWAY! Panic! 

I didn't know then, but soon learned, Kindle had a temporary program that gave away books of certain authors they thought were promising, but were paying the authors as if the books had sold. In those five days, FIRE DANCE and THE MUDLARK downloaded nearly 20,000 books. FIRE DANCE hit the top of the Romances list and onto the Top 100, barely topping THE MUDLARK. The rest of the month and year, sales stayed high. 

Seeing how ebook sales were advancing rapidly, and expecting the new Kindles to be a hot Christmas item, I decided my goal was to have at least one book on the Romance Best Seller list on Christmas Day. I re-priced all my books at 99 cents, and made my goal with three of my books.  Three days after Christmas, HIS MAJESTY, THE PRINCE OF TOADS started climbing the charts and remained a best seller for 4 ½ months, in the meantime pulling up the other books too. I'd forgotten what paying real income tax was like, but I sure learned that fast!

But it seems Amazon is always up to something. I thought so way back in October 2010. In the fall of 2011, an Amazon Montlake editor called me and persuaded me to submit a book that was not even finished. But what I'd seen and heard about Montlake was already impressing me. They do things very differently. So... it took a few months longer, but in February I signed a contract for three books. Two of them are FIRE DANCE and LOKI'S DAUGHTERS, which have had somewhere over 120,000 downloads each. The third is FAERIE, that first draft.  All three books will come out in September. And that's scary! And in the meantime, they're just fine with my self-publishing. 

I'm hoping to release three more books on my own, which I'm releasing in the next two months: THE PERFECT HEROINE, a Regency Historical Romance, BELOVED STRANGER, a Regency Romance novella set in the Peninsular War, and the most difficult, a new version of one of my best selling books, THE MUDLARK, ILLUSTRATED, with about 20-30 illustrations I've made using old engravings with modern photography. 

So am I telling you anyone can make a living (or a killing) by self-publishing? No. Not everyone should even try, and trying is no guarantee either. But here are some things you should consider- no, do- if you want to self-publish.

1. HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF AND YOUR BOOKS. If you know they're good, and ready to be published, believe in them, and in you. 

2. HAVE PATIENCE. It's too easy to give up. For most authors, it takes awhile. And things cycle, just like in traditional publishing. Maybe a lot faster.

3. HAVE THE BEST BOOK POSSIBLE. Don't submit any book that is just "good enough", because it isn't. You're in a huge competition, and readers will happily drop you and go to an author they feel they can trust more.

4. DO NOT SKIMP ON THE EXPENSIVE PARTS.

Make sure it's very well edited

Perfectly formatted

Has the very best cover you can afford. Your cover is the first page of your book. If readers aren't intrigued enough to look, they aren't going to ever get to the blurb, much less the story. 

5. PUT lots of time into promotion. Online is most effective. But while you're at it, 

6. DON'T SPAM YOUR FRIENDS. DON'T SPAM ANYONE! They will not buy your book, or any future book if you do. Learn what works. Be courteous. Share equally on social media. Give as well as you get.

7. WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG, SUCK IT UP AND FIX IT. It's ultimately your responsibility if the formatting on your book gets messed up after you uploaded a perfect copy.  Check for it. Encourage your readers to report any errors or problems to you.

8. DON'T BE AFRAID to try something different. The internet and ebooks readers have been uncommonly kind to authors who have given them something unique to read.

9. HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF. Oh, I said that? Well, not often enough. Let me say it again. And again...

Silver Linings

For this Author Monday we welcome Priscilla Kissinger, three time Golden Heart finalist and an author to watch. Welcome Priscilla!

Many many moons ago I finaled for the first time in the RWA Golden Heart® contest and was blessed to become part of a fabulous group of ladies known as the Wet Noodle Posse. I was much younger, much wetter behind the ears and not sure of how to make the most of my flash of success in the writing industry.


Several years later I finaled again, and became a member of the Pixies, another supportive group of ladies. But life had other priorities for me, and writing was once again set aside for other obligations.


Flash forward to 2012…my life is again in transition, but for the past 2 years I’ve been able to focus more on my writing. Make it more of a priority. And truth be told, my writing, my writing friends, my newfound commitment to my craft….well, they’ve all helped to keep me focused on the positives life can offer rather than the negative aspects I’m wading through.


So when the call came from RWA board member and fellow Wet Noodle Posse member Terry McLaughlin (http://www.terrymclaughlin.com/) letting me know my latest manuscript was a 2012 Golden Heart ® finalist (http://www.rwa.org/cs/2012_rita_and_gh_finalists#GHCSR), I heard the gates of heaven clang open and a choir of angels began to sing “Hallelujah!”


Okay, not really. I was substitute teaching at a local junior high so it was actually the lunch bell ringing and a pack of adolescents jabbering away in the hall. But in my imagination, it was all heaven and angels. :)


So while I struggled to contain my giddiness, inside the butterflies zoomed in my chest, my heart sped up its pace, and my body literally shivered with excitement.


Many of us toil for years and years with little validation for our efforts. Writing is a solitary endeavor. Well, it can be unless you take the time to make connections with fellow authors. So you join groups like RWA, attend your local chapter meetings, travel to conferences… all so you can meet other people like you—those who speak to invisible characters like they’re real, create their own imaginary worlds, and speak the same romance lingo consisting of terms like GMC, point of view, and Big Black Moments.


Being a Golden Heart ® finalist for the third time is a blessing. And for me, it couldn’t have come at a better moment. A time when I needed to hear that my efforts haven’t been in vain. That if I keep on plugging away, my day in the sun will come.


Maybe I’m slogging through a difficult time right now in some areas, but there’s a silver lining around my world if I look close enough and pay attention, and that’s all I’ve got to focus on.


How about you? Any silver linings you care to share? Any light at the end of the tunnel moments that have pulled you through trying times?


The world of romance writing is all about happily ever afters. And some times, it’s all about the happily for right nows.


That’s what we have to celebrate. Well, that’s what I’m celebrating anyway. Care to join me?


Thanks for sharing your story, Priscilla. I admire your determination and wish you the best of luck in the final round!


Tori

My Self-Publishing Story is Part of a New Book

I just got my pre-release copy of New Paradigm Ahead: Success at Any Age by Norm Bour. My story is on pages 81-85. Much more exposure than I expected. He not only took the interview and made it into a story, he did research on RWA and the romance industry and gives numbers in a very positive light. I’m excited to be a part of this project. http://www.boomersuccessguide.com

Superstition is RT Magazine Top Pick!

Got exciting news today. Superstition got a Top Pick from Romantic Times magazine for June, and 4 1/2 stars. Woo-Hoo!

Blame it on Texas Sequel

Finally hit the halfway mark on the sequel to Blame it on Texas. The rest should go a bit faster now that the plot is rolling, Carol and Jake have gotten over dancing around each other, and the bad guy in the story is ramping up his troublemaking. Look for it in May. I'm going with Once in a Blue Moon for the title. And though the story isn't finished yet, the awesome Ade Ratna has finished the cover.

Good News!

Beginning next week, I’ll have some very special authors visiting the blog to talk about their Golden Heart final, their publishing journeys, the RT convention, and anything else they think is important at the time. Stay tuned. Should be interesting and fun. And you never know, there might even be prizes.

Tori Scott on the Web

Here's where you can find me this week on the web:

Tory Johnson's Spark and Hustle: http://sparkandhustle.com/daring-doers/pam-payne-author-tori-scott/

Have you seen Tory on Good Morning America? If you're not familiar with Spark and Hustle and you're a woman who owns or wants to own your own business, you should check out sparkandhustle.com and subscribe to her newsletter.

Joyln Palliata's blog: http://jolynpalliata.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/tori-scott-naked-in-time-square/

I'm visiting Jolyn's blog to talk about writer insecurities. Think authors must be brimming with supreme confidence? Think again. Even big name authors are afraid each book will be their last, that this one will bomb and they'll be publicly humiliated. Comment for a chance to win a copy of Blame it on Texas.

Easter Sunday I'll be blogging at www.justromaticsuspense.com. When I set up the blog post, I didn't realize it was the Easter Sunday edition, so I'll probably be all alone over there unless you want to come visit.

Next week I'll be the featured author at http://www.kindleromanceauthors.com/. Stop by on April 11th and say hi.

And also on April 11, I'll be on the brand new Authors of Main Street blog. I'll be a regular on the second Wednesday of every month. http://authorsofmainstreet.wordpress.com. You should stop by and comment every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, because we'll be giving away some awesome prizes.

You can find my Amazon author page at amazon.com/author/toriscott, with links to each of my books and a bio. Or you can connect with me on Twitter @ToriScott or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tori-Scott/242425259118042. You can email me at toriscott@gmail.com.

I look forward to getting to know all of you a bit better.

I hope everyone has a great holiday with friends and family.

Tori

In addition to writing, I have a passion for photography. To me, the two arts are related. They help me to show how I view the world. In writing, it's through my characters. In photography, it's through the lens. I'm a lot better at writing than I am at photography, but fortunately I don't have to pay the bills with my pictures.

This weekend my husband and I took a trip to Ennis, Texas to take pictures of the bluebonnets. I learned it's incredibly hard to capture the true beauty and color of Texas' State Flower. The bluebonnet is to Texas what the four-leaf clover is to Ireland and we're incredibly proud and protective of it.

What better start to the new week than a couple of my favorite photos from the weekend? Do you have a hobby that helps you to relax or spurs creativity in other areas?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today, millions of Irish (and non-Irish) people celebrate St. Patrick's day. St. Patrick was kidnapped from from Britain and brought to Ireland as a 16 year old slave. He later escaped, but returned to bring Christianity to the Irish people. While St. Patrick's day was originally a religious celebration, here in the US it is a day for parades, parties, and drinking green beer.

Though I can claim an Irish heritage, thanks to my grandfather, I'm not a fan of beer, corned beef, or cabbage. I'm also not a fan of crowds, so I'll be celebrating St. Paddy's day with a bit of shopping and game night with the family. And we'll do it Texas-style, with bbq beef and an as yet undecided dessert. I'm sure, though, that before the night is through I'll be wearing green and singing an Irish tune or two.

How about you? How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

New Cover for Lone Star Justice

Lone Star Justice has a new look, one that I hope better conveys the suspense elements of the story. Thank you to Ade Ratna for the great cover!