Monday, October 28, 2013

Not Drowning But Waving

There have most definitely been moments when I've felt that I was drowning in the writing process for the third book in The MaCall Prophecy Trilogy.  I have repeatedly told myself that I refused to let Triple Threat kick my ass.  But damn if it isn't putting up a good fight.

I was nearly half done when I decided to do a complete re-write.  I am very passionate about sociology and politics, both of which could easily slip into this particular novel.  The genre, however, is not about making some grand statement.  So I started over and focused instead on developing the romantic relationship and the suspenseful action.  And while I'm thrilled with the changes I've made, the choice to re-write threw me off of my deadline.  I, however, refused to admit defeat and continued to forge ahead.

For the record, I still will not admit defeat.  But it is important to me that I take the time to make sure this one is done properly.  There's nothing worse than getting excited about a trilogy as a reader and finishing with a sour taste in your mouth.  So I refer to a spectacular Stevie Smith poem in my post title to indicate that this book has not licked me, it has merely forced me to take my time to do it the justice I feel it deserves.

Triple Threat follows the story of Teddie Archer.  She has just graduated from college and is returning home, but not to enter the family business as her mother and aunt had hoped.  And even before she can begin to build her political career as an employee in the Mayor's office, she learns that her childhood friend has been abducted.  When she ventures outside of the city walls to go after her, the secret society that has been hell bent on destroying her since birth begins their attack anew.  She must rely on her own powers of premonition as well as the support of Special Agent Luke Berger and her best friend, Dominic Battaglia, two men who are both determined to love and protect Teddie at all cost.

I want more than anything to have this book wrapped within the next two weeks so that I can release by November 15, before the holiday hustle begins.  But I am also perfectly aware of the obligations I have at this particular moment to my day job.  So I will do the best that I can.

And as I mentioned before, I welcome any extrinsic motivation.  So please feel free to email me a daily "you suck" email until I am able to complete this final book to my liking.  I will welcome the challenge.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Teaser for TRIPLE THREAT (Book 3 of The MaCall Prophecy Trilogy)


Excerpt from TRIPLE THREAT, the final book in The MaCall Prophecy Trilogy


PROLOGUE
     “Happy graduation day, Mr. President.”
     He looked up from the desk in his home office and grinned in welcome at the beautiful woman in the doorway.  She was approaching fifty now, but she was still as gorgeous and sexy as she had been when he met her twenty years before.  “Can you believe it?  She’s already graduating.”
     “They grow up so quickly,” she agreed, sauntering across the room and lowering herself into his lap deliciously.  Her mouth was painted red, accentuating her pink tongue as she licked her lips.  “Don’t worry,” she assured him.  “The wife left ten minutes ago.”
     “I don’t worry…as a general rule.”  He pulled her forward so that he could taste those lips for himself.  “Did you see the ceremony?”
     “I had a front row seat,” she bragged.  “She’s a beautiful young woman, Gabe.  You should be proud of her.”
     He grinned wryly.  “She still doesn’t seem to know about her future?” he asked in disbelief.
     “My sources say that she does not.  She is well liked by her friends and respected by her professors.  She graduated at the top of her class and is now returning home.”
     “To work at her family’s company?”
     “You would think, but no.  She’s actually taken a job with the Mayor.”
     “The Mayor?”
     She studied his thoughtful expression.  “Is he one of ours?”
     He met her intelligent eyes.  “One can never be sure,” he answered cryptically. 
     “We’ve waited for twenty years, Gabe.  You have retired from politics and no longer need to collect votes.  She is old enough that she will not be under the constant supervision of her family.  And she is no longer living within the protective walls of her university.  I have to wonder if it isn’t time to make a move.”
     He chewed his lip thoughtfully.  “She is twenty-two and will begin making a name for herself.  If she’s already got a job in the Mayor’s office, she will begin networking.  You said yourself that she is well liked.  I don’t think that we can afford to wait and let her build a following.”
     “And let’s be real, Gabe.  Between the gangs, the refugees and the revolutionaries, it’s a dangerous world we live in.  MaCall Securities Consulting cannot possibly protect themselves from all of the bad guys.”
     He smiled in response.  “Then it’s time.”
     “Get the boys together.”
     “We have lost a number of members, Aislin.  The Order only has a fraction of the membership we had twenty years ago.”
     She pushed herself back and seated herself on the desk in front of him, allowing her skirt to hike up high enough to reveal that she wore nothing underneath.  “Fortunately, darling, you still have all the power.”
     He stood up and reached for the button of his slacks.  “If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be here, would you?”
     Instead of answering, she grinned and pulled him to her.


TRIPLE THREAT will be available on Amazon 
October 31, 2013!


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Status Update on Kindle Free Promo Results

Last week (September 23-27), I ran a five-day free promo on Amazon for my contemporary romance, Inner Moonlight.  Of my four books that are currently available for purchase, this particular novel is my favorite.  You can imagine my frustration with my fairly abysmal sales.  So I decided to pull it off of Smashwords, put it in Kindle Select, and run a free promo.

In the beginning of the month, I sent email notifications to a number of websites, asking them to advertise my book.  These include:
http://bookgoodies.com
http://www.freebooksy.com
http://fkbooksandtips.com
http://awesomegang.com
http://ereadernewstoday.com
http://bargainebookhunter.com
http://www.ereaderperks.com
http://wantonreads.com
http://pretty-hot.com
http://authormarketingclub.com

On the day of the promo, I released notifications on multiple group message boards on Goodreads and also sent a couple of tweets and Facebook updates.  In general, I did the exact same promotional emails that I had done for all of my previous promos.  For these previous promos, I'm averaging around 1500 free downloads for a two- or three-day promo.

After five days, I had 19,960 free downloads!  Ten-thousand of those took place on Monday alone.  I cannot be sure why my numbers surged.  I'd like to think that I'm establishing a bit of a fan base, but more than likely, someone ran my promo and inflated my sales.  And to that organization, I offer my sincere gratitude.

I wish that I had had the good sense to check these websites to see who ran an ad, but to be honest, I was so busy checking my KDP reports with childlike glee that I forgot that marketing analysis component.  Oops.  Regardless of how or why it happened, it has been a particularly exciting event.  I actually made it all the way to #9 in all of the Kindle Free selections.  And I hung out at #3 for free contemporary romances for a little while.  It was a tad bit unbelievable.

In other fun news, I'm making progress on the third and final book of The MaCall Prophecy Trilogy.  In addition to writing, I'm also in the final stages of the cover design with my graphic designer, Laura Gordon.  I've said it before, but she is such a joy to work with.

Within another week, I plan to release an excerpt and the cover for Triple Threat.  It is the romance of Teddie Archer, a young woman with more power than the other women in her family, and more challenges given the savage world in which she lives.  And while the storyline initially seemed on the verge of declaring war on me, it has turned out to be a surprising pleasure.

More on Triple Threat very soon!