Fight for your RIGHT to read!

Friends, whether you know it or not, a revolution has been brewing in the print/publish industry.  I often liken it to the invention of the Gutenberg printing press back in the 1400's, because not since that invention, which brought books out of the libraries of the wealthy and into the hands of the masses has there been an printing issue as important as this.

You all know I'm an independent author, that I e-publish through Amazon and other such sites.  There are those forces, those people in the industry who do not believe that anyone has the right to share their stories or their knowledge with the world. There are those who believe only traditional publishers should be allowed to pick and chose not only what is read, but who gets to read it.

Right now electronic books are being sold for low prices, making books cheap and easy for anyone with an electronic device to read.  I believe books should be cheap, that reading is a RIGHT for everyone and that a society that thinks of reading and books as being something "special" or something only SOME people can do and have is a society falling backwards into the Dark Ages.

Below is a letter I received from Amazon regarding a massive lawsuit between Amazon, who has been a great friend of independent authors, and those forces who would prices e-books out of reach for many readers.

Don't be fooled by the argument that low book prices mean low wages for authors. That is not the case.  I have been traditionally published and I have e-pubbed and I can tell you I'd rather have 70% of $2.99 or lower and sell more copies of my books than get 30% of a higher price and have no one buy my book. We authors make more money if we sell more books.  It's that simple Basically, higher prices hurt independents like people, the authors traditional publishes won't publish because they won't take a chance on independent thought and fresh voices.

Please read and email the Hachette group.  Stand with me and the thousands of other independent voices that will be silenced and the millions of readers that will be denied.

Thank you!




Dear KDP Author,

Just ahead of World War II, there was a radical invention that shook the
foundations of book publishing. It was the paperback book. This was a time when
movie tickets cost 10 or 20 cents, and books cost $2.50. The new paperback cost
25 cents – it was ten times cheaper. Readers loved the paperback and millions of
copies were sold in just the first year.

With it being so inexpensive and with so many more people able to afford to buy
and read books, you would think the literary establishment of the day would have
celebrated the invention of the paperback, yes? Nope. Instead, they dug in and
circled the wagons. They believed low cost paperbacks would destroy literary
culture and harm the industry (not to mention their own bank accounts). Many
bookstores refused to stock them, and the early paperback publishers had to use
unconventional methods of distribution – places like newsstands and drugstores.
The famous author George Orwell came out publicly and said about the new
paperback format, if “publishers had any sense, they would combine against them
and suppress them.” Yes, George Orwell was suggesting collusion.

Well… history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.

Fast forward to today, and it’s the e-book’s turn to be opposed by the literary
establishment. Amazon and Hachette – a big US publisher and part of a $10
billion media conglomerate – are in the middle of a business dispute about
e-books. We want lower e-book prices. Hachette does not. Many e-books are being
released at $14.99 and even $19.99. That is unjustifiably high for an e-book.
With an e-book, there’s no printing, no over-printing, no need to forecast, no
returns, no lost sales due to out of stock, no warehousing costs, no
transportation costs, and there is no secondary market – e-books cannot be
resold as used books. E-books can and should be less expensive.

Perhaps channeling Orwell’s decades old suggestion, Hachette has already been
caught illegally colluding with its competitors to raise e-book prices. So far
those parties have paid $166 million in penalties and restitution. Colluding
with its competitors to raise prices wasn’t only illegal, it was also highly
disrespectful to Hachette’s readers.

The fact is many established incumbents in the industry have taken the position
that lower e-book prices will “devalue books” and hurt “Arts and Letters.”
They’re wrong. Just as paperbacks did not destroy book culture despite being ten
times cheaper, neither will e-books. On the contrary, paperbacks ended up
rejuvenating the book industry and making it stronger. The same will happen with
e-books.

Many inside the echo-chamber of the industry often draw the box too small. They
think books only compete against books. But in reality, books compete against
mobile games, television, movies, Facebook, blogs, free news sites and more. If
we want a healthy reading culture, we have to work hard to be sure books
actually are competitive against these other media types, and a big part of that
is working hard to make books less expensive.

Moreover, e-books are highly price elastic. This means that when the price goes
down, customers buy much more. We've quantified the price elasticity of e-books
from repeated measurements across many titles. For every copy an e-book would
sell at $14.99, it would sell 1.74 copies if priced at $9.99. So, for example,
if customers would buy 100,000 copies of a particular e-book at $14.99, then
customers would buy 174,000 copies of that same e-book at $9.99. Total revenue
at $14.99 would be $1,499,000. Total revenue at $9.99 is $1,738,000. The
important thing to note here is that the lower price is good for all parties
involved: the customer is paying 33% less and the author is getting a royalty
check 16% larger and being read by an audience that’s 74% larger. The pie is
simply bigger.

But when a thing has been done a certain way for a long time, resisting change
can be a reflexive instinct, and the powerful interests of the status quo are
hard to move. It was never in George Orwell’s interest to suppress paperback
books – he was wrong about that.

And despite what some would have you believe, authors are not united on this
issue. When the Authors Guild recently wrote on this, they titled their post:
“Amazon-Hachette Debate Yields Diverse Opinions Among Authors” (the comments to
this post are worth a read).  A petition started by another group of authors and
aimed at Hachette, titled “Stop Fighting Low Prices and Fair Wages,” garnered
over 7,600 signatures.  And there are myriad articles and posts, by authors and
readers alike, supporting us in our effort to keep prices low and build a
healthy reading culture. Author David Gaughran’s recent interview is another
piece worth reading.

We recognize that writers reasonably want to be left out of a dispute between
large companies. Some have suggested that we “just talk.” We tried that.
Hachette spent three months stonewalling and only grudgingly began to even
acknowledge our concerns when we took action to reduce sales of their titles in
our store. Since then Amazon has made three separate offers to Hachette to take
authors out of the middle. We first suggested that we (Amazon and Hachette)
jointly make author royalties whole during the term of the dispute. Then we
suggested that authors receive 100% of all sales of their titles until this
dispute is resolved. Then we suggested that we would return to normal business
operations if Amazon and Hachette’s normal share of revenue went to a literacy
charity. But Hachette, and their parent company Lagardere, have quickly and
repeatedly dismissed these offers even though e-books represent 1% of their
revenues and they could easily agree to do so. They believe they get leverage
from keeping their authors in the middle.

We will never give up our fight for reasonable e-book prices. We know making
books more affordable is good for book culture. We’d like your help. Please
email Hachette and copy us.

Hachette CEO, Michael Pietsch: Michael.Pietsch@hbgusa.com

Copy us at: readers-united@amazon.com

Please consider including these points:

- We have noted your illegal collusion. Please stop working so hard to
overcharge for ebooks. They can and should be less expensive.
- Lowering e-book prices will help – not hurt – the reading culture, just like
paperbacks did.
- Stop using your authors as leverage and accept one of Amazon’s offers to take
them out of the middle.
- Especially if you’re an author yourself: Remind them that authors are not
united on this issue.

Thanks for your support.

The Amazon Books Team

P.S. You can also find this letter at www.readersunited.com

Promotion Alert! Kindle Countdown next week!

Good morning!

So I'm trying something new.  I've delved full on into the Kool-Aid Amazon is serving and I've gone exclusively Amazon with my books for the next few months.  I've heard from other authors that this works for them, so I'm trying it.  The upside to being exclusive to Amazon is I get to offer specials and discounts on Amazon for my Kindle readers.

This coming week I'm doing what they call a Kindle Countdown.  For those of you who don't know this is a sort of graduated discount over a short period of time for Kindle books.  In this case, starting Monday, July 21, I've put my first novel, Dream in Color (my homage to Rick Springfield fans, or to anyone who ever had a crush on a rock/pop star), and my most recent novel, A Hero's Spark (a romantic suspense involving bar fights, cutting, theft, betrayal, sex, politics, and Waffle House) on Kindle Countdown.

What does this mean for you?  Well, it means you get one or both of these books for even LESS than the usual $2.99!  Starting Monday, you could get them for as low as $0.99!  

I'm really, excited to be able to do this for my readers because while I love getting paid to do something I love to do, I'm a storyteller.  For me, it's all about you reading and being entertained by my stories.

Which brings me to a point I've been trying to make on Face Book for the last several weeks:  Reviews on Amazon.  It's kind of a big deal for us indie/e-pubbed/unknown authors.  If you've read a book by someone who ISN'T on the New York Times best selling list, and you liked it, please, please leave a review!  Word of mouth is the best form of marketing we indie authors have, so we have to depend on you, our readers, to make it possible for us to keep writing and telling the stories traditional publishing houses aren't interested in offering.  It doesn't have to be in depth.  (I know some people don't leave reviews because they aren't sure what to write.)  

Here's all you have to do, and you can do this for every book you read:  four or five stars, first of all.  Then, "I really enjoyed this book."

That short sentence can boost an indie author to great heights, you have no idea.  So please, on behalf of all indie/e-pubbed/unknown authors everywhere, I'm asking, please write a review!


And I'll thank you for all these authors, too!  

Sneak Peak Saturday: A Hero's Spark!

Good morning!

So, I've got this new book out...maybe you've heard?  Anyway, I thought I'd share a tiny bit more of Collier and Mira's story.   Remember, you can purchase any or all of my work on Amazon in print or digital by by clicking HERE! Enjoy!

What woke him, Collier didn’t know, but even in the haze of deep sleep, he knew he wasn’t alone in the loft. Someone latched the door quietly and stepped closer to the bed before turning on the overhead light.

            “Who’s there?” he called out as the light flashed on, momentarily blinding him. A woman’s scream pierced through the shock of light and he squinted in her general direction. He recognized the black hair immediately. Surprise mingled with confusion.“What are you doing here?”

            “I could ask you the same thing.” She held her bulky shoulder bag in front of her like a shield. “Who are you?”

            Collier shifted to sit up. She froze. “Don’t move. I’ve got mace in here.”

            “Calm down. I’m not going to move, since I’m pretty much naked here.” Collier grinned. “But you and I both know you don’t have mace.”

            The angry light in her eyes quavered, giving way to uncertainty. “How would you know what I have in my bag?”

            “Well,” he kept his voice calm, sensing she was more afraid than dangerous, “because if you had mace in there, you would have started spraying it the minute you realized there was a man in the room. That’s what I hear from most women, anyway.”

            She blinked away the uncertainty, her face settled into a mask of defensiveness. “Oh, and you know most women, do you?”

            “No, Miss, I don’t. But I’m pretty sure most women wouldn’t ask any questions before mentioning they have mace. So relax, put the bag down and tell me what you’re doing here.”

            “I’ve stayed here before.  I’ve worked with Shara.”

            “You’re trying to be mysterious. Why do I feel like you’re lying to me?”

            “Okay, well, I’ve lived here almost my whole life, and you’re a stranger. That’s enough mystery for me to call the cops. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t.”

            “My uncle said I could stay here and Molly Hunter brought me here.”

            She seemed less likely to want to kill him, but her countenance remained stony. “Who’s your uncle?”

            “Archibald James.”

            “The lawyer?”

            “You know him?”

            “Everyone knows about Archibald James.” She relaxed. “Okay, maybe you’re not a mass rapist.” She sat in the rocker. “But still, you can’t stay here.”

            “Why not?”

            “Because, I’m staying here.”

Collier chuckled. “I was here first. And, I’m not wearing pants.”

            “I’ll close my eyes. Get dressed, and get out.” Her tone was clipped, cold. Collier again sensed she was covering fear.

            “Why should I get out? I got here first. I was sound asleep, and you woke me up.” He gave her a small smile, hoping to soften the deep furrows in her brow.

            She shrugged. “Not my problem. You can’t stay here.”

            “It is your problem. I’m not leaving.” He grinned. “We could both stay here. It’s a big enough bed.” He patted the spot next to him.

            She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Of course that’s what you want.” Her eyes flashed hot and angry.

            “It’s not what I want, Ma’am. I want to go to sleep. But if you have other ideas, well, I am from the South. We believe in accommodating women whenever we can.”

            She stared at him, and Collier doubted his humor was warming her attitude. Clearly, some sort of battle waged behind her emerald eyes.

Her face slacked into exhaustion. “I need to stay here.”

            Collier’s curiosity made him push the point further. “Well, I’m from out of town and have no place else to go. From what I hear, Miranda Pierce, you live in Rock Harbor which means you do have someplace else to go.”

            “Don’t call me that.”

            “Isn’t it your name?”

“Call me Mira.” A shadow crossed her face. “I’m not going to that house tonight. You can’t make me.” her voice held the echoes of a willful child. “And how do you know my name…oh, wait…”

            “Molly Hunter.”

            Mira nodded. “She knows everyone and everything in this town. Steer clear of her if you want to keep anything private.”

            “She didn’t strike me as a person who spread gossip.”

            “She doesn’t. She just knows everything. The potential is always there.”

            An interesting read on the lovely Miss Molly. “So the two of you aren’t grand friends then?”

            She leaned back in the rocker. “I try not to make attachments. It’s easier to leave if there aren’t any attachments.”

            “Sounds like someone who wants to run away.”

            “I’ve always wanted to run away. I feel like I’m running away from something every day of my life.”

            Collier wanted to be annoyed by her cryptic statement, but watching her face, he sensed it was probably the one completely truthful thing she’d said. Collier tried to assess her age. “You’re what, thirty? You’re old enough to go out on your own. What’s stopping you?”

            “I’m twenty-eight, thank you.”

            “Oh, that’s a huge difference.” Collier nearly laughed aloud at the wounded expression on Mira’s face.

            “I can’t leave because it’s complicated. But I can’t go home tonight.”

            The glimmer of true fear returned in her eyes. Collier relented. “Fine. Just go…go in the bathroom for a minute, let me get my crap together and I’ll go sleep on the hay downstairs.”

            “You want a blanket or something?”

            Her friendly tone annoyed him. “What, now that you’ve won the bed, you’re worried about me?”

            The softness melted from her face and her jaw line hardened. “Not really. I couldn’t care less about you having a blanket, so long as you’re not in here.”

            “Suits me fine. I’d rather sleep with horses than up here with you. Less shit to deal with.”

            “Oh, very nice. They teach you that language in the South where men are supposed to be so mannerly?” She glared at him as she stomped into the small bathroom and slammed the door.

            “No!” Collier yelled as he pulled on his jeans. “I learned manners just fine, because where I come from the women aren’t complete bitches!” He stuffed a few things into his duffle bag and slammed the door behind him, startling the horses in the stalls below.

            There was a blanket hung from a hook near a stack of hay bales. Collier spread the blanket over the bales and stretched out on the hay, thankful his years on the road in the Renaissance Faire circuit had toughened him. Staring at the ceiling, he watched the light that glowed from between small cracks in the loft floor. When the light switched off, he closed his eyes. Still, she is pretty.

            Pretty bitchy.

LAST DAY! Get "Lies in Chance" FREE!

Good morning!

Just a friendly reminder, if you own a Kindle and if you like your books FREE, then today, Sunday, is the last day to get "LIES IN CHANCE" free!  

"LIES IN CHANCE"  is a multi character murder mystery with a romance at its heart:

Shara Brandt doesn’t know how she wound up on a creek bank behind a school, miles from home. She doesn’t know who murdered her wealthy, but cruel, grandmother. She does know she has one chance to learn the truth about the murder, clear her name, and leave behind a shadowy past she can’t remember and can’t forget. She adopts the alias “Bethany Elias,” works her way into the hearts of the residents of Rock Harbor, and tries to ignore the way her heart races every time the reclusive Bryan Jacobs comes near her.

Emotionally bruised after his ugly divorce, Bryan trusts no one. He certainly doesn’t trust the beautiful newcomer, Bethany. He knows she’s hiding something, and he is determined to expose her secret. To do so, however, he must lie to her, and himself, about his motives…and the feelings stirring deep within him each time he sees Bethany. 

It is their search for truth that will bind them together or shatter their lives forever, but only if they are willing to take a chance.

"LIES IN CHANCE"  is, for me, one of those books every author writes because they must.  It's the story of my heart.  I love those people in Rock Harbor.  I grew up with them, and it's my joy to share them with you.

I've made much of the fact that three of my novels, "LIES IN CHANCE," "FRESH ICE," and "A HERO'S SPARK" are part of a series.  Truth is, many of the same characters wind their way through the books, and yes, my villains are all WICKED WOMEN, but each book can and does stand on its own.  I did that on purpose so those who read them out of order won't feel like they missed something.  I never liked that feeling as a kid, and as a writer, I don't like passing that feeling on to others.

So, it's a great weekend.  Summer is finally happening.  It's time to read for fun!  And what's more fun than a free book?

Jennifer, Serena, and Madelyn...oh my! The Women Behind my Wicked Women Trilogy.

Good morning!

So this week I published the final book in my Wicked Women trilogy.  I'm pretty excited because I never thought of my self as a person who'd write book series, but now that I've managed to link three books together I like the idea and I start work on a new series very soon!

But let me tell you about  my Wicked Women.

It started with Jennifer Tiel in Lies In Chance.  

Lies in Chance is, first and foremost,  a romance about an heiress, Shara Brandt, and a school teacher, Bryan Jacobs.  But there's Jennifer, Bryan's ex-wife and the woman rivaling Shara for the affections of Shara's fiance, Richard.  (Are you still with me?)  On the surface, Jennifer is a sex-driven villain who blames Shara for all the troubles in her own life.  But that's just on the surface. 

In writing Jennifer, I tapped into the question most women ask themselves:  What would I do for love?  What would I do for money?  What would I do to survive?  

The answers surprised me.  

While a woman using her "wiles" isn't a new theme, I think Jennifer takes it to a new height. There are scenes where she has other weapons, but her weapon of choice, the one that serves her purposes and gives her pleasure at the same time, is sex.  She is beautiful, charming, and lethal.  On the surface she's simply a pretty face with a bad attitude, but deep down she's a woman fighting to claim what's hers.  

Don't feel sympathy for Jennifer Tiel.  She won't thank you for it, and she'll probably destroy you.


Then there was Serena Shipley Chapman, in Fresh Ice.

Fresh Ice brings together former Olympic caliber skater Isabella "Izzy" Marks and former NHL Bad Boy Quinn Murray.  But Serena Shipley Chapman is the cloud that hangs over an otherwise ideal romance.  One part Southern Belle, one part gritty Midwest athlete, Serena might be the most bitter of my villains.  Cheated out of love and glory by Izzy, Serena knows revenge is a dish best served cold.  She is ruthless, she is powerful, and she is patient.  She has never wanted for power, wealth, or privilege, but she wants something more and will stop at nothing to break whomever stands in her way.

Like Jennifer, Serena knows how to use her beauty to her advantage, but unlike Jennifer, Serena doesn't let pleasure get in her way of her single minded focus on her enemy. There is no plan B for Serena.  She must destroy Izzy at all costs, even when it costs her a chance at happiness.

There are many words to describe Serena Shipley Chapman...but don't use "crazy" as one of them.  Call her crazy and she'll hurt you just enough to make you wish you were dead.




Finally, meet the newest member of the Wicked Women Club, Madelyn Pierce Anderson in A Hero's Spark.

A Hero's Spark focuses on two people who are hardly heroes: Collier James and Mira Pierce. Collier has a lack of confidence after losing the love of his life and his band.  Mira has a wealth of issues that create a canyon of self-loathing for her. Madelyn, Mira's older sister, blames a troubled family history and her own social shortcomings on Mira, who suffers daily for the sins Madelyn won't forget.

Madelyn is not beautiful, and she has no interest in sexual pleasure...for herself.  She understands a man's drive for pleasure, though she views the need as a weakness to be exploited.  Her goal is power and money and she will stop at nothing to get exactly what she wants.  Her intellect is her biggest weapon and she is the coldest, most calculating villain of my Wicked Women. 

Blood might be thicker than water, but nothing is thick enough to keep her from her goals. Prim, proper, and traditional on the surface, she breaks all society's rules and mores to gain power and influence.

Stay out of her way...or pay the price.

If these three women sat down to lunch, I doubt they'd have much to talk about.  As similar as the world might view them, all three see themselves as originals and none would thank you for trying to make them be friends.

Honestly, I'm a little afraid of all of them.

Maybe you didn't hear me: A HERO'S SPARK IS NOW AVAILABLE!

nd Gentlemen:

The third and final book in my Wicked Women trilogy is complete and ready for public consumption.  That's right, "A Hero's Spark" is now available for sale in print or digital by CLICKING HERE!  If you prefer your books in print and you'd like to see your favorite indie author (who doesn't have to be me, but boy it'd be cool if it were) get a bigger cut from the result of the blood, sweat and tears that goes into writing a novel, then you can purchase any and all of my books by clicking HERE!

Yes, "A Hero's Spark," the story of musicians Collier James and Miranda "Mira" Pierce is ready for your reading approval.

I'm excited, as I always am, when I'm done with a book because it means I've accomplished something that no one can take away from me.  If I never hit the New York Times Best Selling List, (Okay, that would blow big time) I'd be okay, really as long as people read and enjoyed my stories.  Most authors feel that way.  Sure, we all have big dreams of book signings with lines that wind through the massive book store.  But the reality is we write because we have to. Most of us pour our hearts out and craft books carefully.  And we indie e-pubs also have to handle cover art, editing, rewrites, and marketing.  (I don't care for the marketing end of it.  I'd like you all to just run over to Amazon and Createspace and buy the books.)  We e-pubs have a heavy burden on our shoulders to get you the stories, and hopefully a couple dozen of you will purchase the books so we can be encouraged just enough to write another one.

But I'm here to talk about the book, the new book.  What, you may ask, is "A Hero's Spark" all about?

I'm glad you asked.  Here's a quick description: 

Rejected by the woman he loves and abandoned by his band, Collier James is broke and alone, a thousand mile from his home in Nashville. Collier turns to his uncle who sends him to Rock Harbor, Wisconsin where he hopes recording mogul Shara Brandt can help him find the spark to take his music career to the next level. 

Miranda Pierce cannot escape her sister Madelyn's control. To do so would mean losing all contact with her son, Dusty. She's also unable to escape constant contact with Madelyn's husband, the man who raped her at fifteen, but who is now powerful enough to destroy her if she reveals that he's the father of her son. Madelyn allows Mira to return to their childhood home in Rock Harbor, and Mira hopes to build a music career that will support both her and Dusty.

In the studio Mira and Collier must work together in spite of their mutual dislike. Mira's lack of discipline clashes with Collier's single minded drive and sparks fly. As a tour date in Nashville nears, Mira and Collier strike an uneasy truce. Working together, sparks of a different kind pass between them. 

No amount of musical success can keep the walls from closing in on Mira as Madelyn tries to cut her out of Dusty's life forever. Desperate, Mira risks everything, even her life, to prove herself and protect her son.

Collier's worried about Mira's erratic, desperate behavior. As she spirals out of control he realizes he will have to sacrifice everything to save her from whatever it is that threatens to consume her. In the process, Collier discovers that this sacrifice might just be the spark his life needs.

Many of you may recognize some of the character names.  Yep, "Spark"  draws on characters and locales from my previous two novels, "Fresh Ice" and "Lies in Chance."

Was it easier writing a book where I'd already built many of the characters and the sets?  No.  Just ask my critique partners, who had to slog through many, many, many different spellings of Shara Brandt's band...if I hadn't mentioned them in "Lies in Chance," I would simply have given the band a simpler name to type.  But, since I couldn't change a name just because I didn't want to have to type it the same way more than once, I had to hope my critique partners, Authors Linda Schmalz and Kelly Moran, and my editor, the sublime Susie Harkeness Kline caught the mistakes.



SPOILER ALERT!
(But NOT for "A Hero's Spark")






Writing a book that ties two previous books together was not something I'd planned on doing until a number of people demanded that Collier James, the poor gent Izzy Marks passes over in "Fresh Ice," get his own book. That's when I realized Collier had the same last name as Archibald James, the lawyer who pretty much saves the day in "Lies in Chance."  (Oh, spoiler alert...those books have been out for over a year.  If you haven't read them, maybe you need to catch up on your reading!)

As it turned out, Collier had a lot to do for himself.  And Miranda Pierce, well, she might be the character most like me that I've ever dared to write.

This book goes to a far darker place than any of my previous work ever has.  Blame it on the past year.  As I was writing this book my family spiraled deeper and deeper into a very dark place.  Thankfully, each day now is a little better and I think the book reflects a determined optimism.

Friends, no artist works for simple cash.  If I did this for the cash, I'd have stopped years ago when "Dream in Color" failed to make me independently wealthy. Cash is great, don't get me wrong.  Buy my books!  I need to make some money doing this!  But I'm an artist, and I have stories to tell and characters you need to meet.

Since 2009 when I sold "Dream in Color" to The Wild Rose Press I've been blessed to publish four novels, two humor books  (Under Sarah Jayne Brewster) and a novella.  I've written countless blog posts and I've met so many fantastic people along the way.

I'm not stopping.  What's next?  Next I'm going to introduce you to Nora Hill, a young woman who needs to find lost children.

But for now, all you need to know is to CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE to purchase A Hero's Spark...my newest story.

Sneak Peak Sunday: A Hero's Spark

Good afternoon!

My release of the third and final book in my Wicked Women series will soon be upon us so I wanted to make an announcement before "A Hero's Spark" actually hits the web.

I will be pulling all of my other work from other sites and offering it exclusively on Amazon.

This is a marketing strategy I'm trying based on a couple things I've noticed:  1) I haven't sold anything to a Nook reader in more than a year.  2)  Sony just closed it's e-reader store. 3)  Other authors I know have done this and been able to make Amazon Kindle Select work to their advantage.

The truth of the matter is, while I write to tell stories, I need people to actually read those stories, and right now having my books available everywhere doesn't seem to get reaching anyone.

If you are a Nook user, you can still purchase all my novels by clicking here.  If you want the Elsie books, you can purchase those by clicking here.  This change will happen very soon, possibly in the next couple days.

Meanwhile, "A Hero's Spark" is happening this week.  To get you excited for the release, I'm sharing a tiny bit with you today!  Enjoy!

“What is your deal?” Mira stopped playing and stared at him. “You are really off beat today and not in a good way.”

            “Yeah, well, I sound like you look.” Collier wanted to bite back the words immediately. It was clear Mira had lost more weight in spite of their nightly trips to Dave’s for burgers and cheese fries. While she’d always been thin, she’d always seemed vibrant, like some internal furnace burned hot. Today, Collier noticed, she shivered even though she was wrapped in a turtleneck, a sweatshirt, and a heavy cardigan sweater. There were dark rings under her eyes.

            “My one bad hair day is not going to ruin this chance for me. But, your weak excuse for talent will, so either use whatever drama you’ve got rolling in your head to finish this song, or push it out of the way.”

            Her argumentative tone irritated him. “You’d be the one who knows about drama. You create plenty for yourself.”

            She put her guitar in the case. “And now we’re done.”

            Collier shook his head, weeks of pent animosity bubbling to the surface. “Sure, go ahead. Run away like you always do. You pretend to be grown up, but then you run away any time anyone confronts you.”

            Mira closed the guitar case and hoisted it off the floor. The effort, Collier noted, was a mighty one, as if the guitar weighed more than she did. “I don’t have to listen to this from someone who’s never had to live in the real world.”

            “Like you know anything about me.”

            Mira’s laugh was short, and mocking. “Please. You weren’t in Rock Harbor ten days before everyone knew everything about you. And now here you are, playing the part of a struggling musician, cooking for Dave a couple nights a week, looking all artsy and sad.”

            “And what’s wrong with any of that?”

            “It’s crap. It’s not true.” She rested the case on the floor and leaned against the piano.

            “How would you figure that?”

            “Really? We’re going to do this now?” She gave him an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. You’ve got a sob story about how your world fell in on you,” her eyes flashed with fury, “and it’s all bull because reality is you have a rich uncle who is tight with Shara. Your life is a golden ticket and you’re too busy wallowing in some misery you made up to acknowledge what a freaking gift your life is compared to most people.”

            Collier slammed the piano cover closed and swung a leg over the bench to face her. “Oh, really? You’re one to talk. You grew up in the biggest house in town, and then you moved to a state senator’s house. Next I hear you’ll be riding your sister’s checkbook to the governor’s mansion. I’m pretending? You’re a twenty-eight-year old spoiled brat pretending you have so much to overcome when what you’ve managed to do every time someone challenges you to be better is beat them over the head with your silver spoon.”

            “You don’t get to judge me.” Mira’s eyes narrowed as she set her jaw. “You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

            “Oh, no, Princess, you started this, we’re going to finish it.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I have a rich uncle. He’s been nothing more than a Christmas card for the last ten years. The only reason I went to him this summer is because I was left flat broke a thousand miles from home and I needed a place to crash.” He took a breath and waited for her to respond. Mira’s face remained stony still but her eyes flared.

 Collier couldn’t stop himself. “Beyond that I’ve worked my whole life and lived on what I earn. Meanwhile, you could be really great, but prefer moping around, acting the part of the angry, misunderstood Goth chick. You’ve got talent, but you’d rather assault your audience because they aren’t cool enough to ‘get’ you. You pick up guys in some pathetic attempt to give yourself a bad girl image.”

“Shut up, Collier. I’m serious.”

Collier took her words and tone more as a challenge than a warning. “So, why not me, Mira, huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve seen you leave Dave’s with a guy now and again. You’re not all that selective. Why not me?” He stood and took a step toward her.

She tensed, a predator ready for the kill. “Maybe you’re not man enough for me.” Her faced glowed in conquest. “Maybe I’m not interested in standing in for that ghost you won’t let go.”

Collier took another step. He stood inches from her, close enough to feel her icy tension. “What would you know about my ghosts?” He forced his words out though his throat tightened.

“I know you’re freaking out because you have to go back to Nashville. You don’t want to because there’s some woman there who rejected you.” She returned his glare. “You want to talk about waste of talent? I might get a little wild, but at least I feel!” She made a fist and pounded a spot over her heart. “I feel. I react. That’s what humans do. You’re frozen. You’re frozen and you can’t function because of some bitch who doesn’t want you.”

“Shut your mouth!” Collier leaned in, his arms braced on either side of her. He leaned closer, desire crackled and sparked between them. “You don’t have any of the qualities she has.”

Mira tipped her head to whisper directly into his ear. “I must have something, though, Collier, because you’re here with me, not with her.”

For a heartbeat, Collier locked his gaze with hers, a toxic mix of rage and desire coursing through him. “You’ve got nothing but bad attitude and tattoos, and you wear them both like some kind of armor.” Collier grabbed her arm and shoved up the multiple sleeves. He stared at the exposed skin, stunned. Shooting a glance at her face, Collier saw the tears well up in her eyes, though her face remained frozen. “Mira, what the hell?”

            She yanked her arm away and jerked her sleeves down. “You have no idea what real problems are. You think you’re so wonderful because you survived a break up. And it wasn’t even a real break up it was a break up all in your head. How about if you just live your little romantic drama and leave real life to people who have real shit going on?”

            With that, she shoved past him and grabbed her guitar case. She stormed out of the studio, the door slamming behind her. Collier stared at the space she had just occupied, as if she were still standing there.

            Just how much weight had she lost? Collier couldn’t shut out the image of her arm, her skin almost translucent, her veins obvious, giving her tightly stretched skin a bluish quality. Her hands, always slender and delicate, had a glass-like quality to them. Her whole arm was thin enough to snap with little force.

            And then there were the scars.  Like blank measures on a sheet of music, thin red lines in varying degrees of healing circled her pale skin. It was clear to him she hadn’t eaten or slept well in a long time, and now, he was faced with the evidence she was also hurting herself.

            Anger faded to concern for a moment and he wondered if he should follow her. Then Mira’s words about his feelings for Izzy echoed and his anger returned. She can go wallow in her own problems all by herself.

            He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The anger left completely, leaving him weak and remorseful. He put on his coat and headed for the door.