The Buying Habits of Romance Readers

The Romance Writers of America has released the results of a 2011 survey to study the buying habits of romance readers.

A few things jump out at me:

Lots of Southern women read romance.

Women make up 91% of romance readers and readers in the South constitute 38% of the romance survey respondents.

It's all about the story, but building a brand doesn't hurt.

Readers choose books primarily for story, but after that the author comes in second.  Series books are key and a great back cover blurb helps.

Friends and those dreaded Amazon book reviews matter.

Friends and Amazon recommendations were the top two information sources reported by romance readers.

Ebook reading will only grow.

Although only a third of romance readers read ebooks, 41% of the non-ebook readers are "somewhat likely" to read ebooks in the future.

Paranormal and erotic romance writers should be in the ebook business.

Readers who prefer these genres read more ebooks than print.  Since ebooks tend to have a higher net income, and therefore perhaps a higher disposable income, writers of these books don't want to miss out.

Authors need a website.

The top reading-related activity of romance readers is visiting the author's website.  Social media, booksignings and other related activities count too, but the website wins hands down.

Don't count Barnes & Noble out yet.

Because the majority of books sold are still print books, Barnes & Noble managed to squeak by Amazon as the top bookseller for romance readers.  I'm curious as to how they did head-to-head when looking at ebooks only, but the survey didn't answer this question.

I love to read romance.  I'm a huge fan of Christian romance, African-American romance and contemporary romance.  Put all three together and you definitely get my attention.  I also like romantic suspense and the occasional historical romance.  I've read and enjoyed one or two paranormals, but that's about it for me as far as branching out.

Just so happens I live in the South, but my reading habits haven't changed much from when I lived in New York or the Midwest.

For me, it's all about the story.  Authors get my attention with a great blurb.  Online buzz helps in getting my attention but doesn't influence my selection.  I'm less likely to read an excerpt.  Spoils the reading experience for me later.  But I do have favorite authors that I follow, and I definitely love series books.

I read more print books than ebooks, although my ebook reading is growing even without the purchase of an ereader.  When I buy, I mostly purchase from Walmart or Amazon.  If I enjoy a book, or if I'm considering whether to purchase one, I almost always go to the author's website.  If I really enjoyed it, I will find the author's blog and social media pages.  Many of my book purchases are impulsive, but I'm just as likely to hunt down a particular title.

Are you a romance reader?  What are your reading habits?  Are you loyal to a particular subgenre or do you read across multiple subgenres?  How do you select your books and where do you buy them?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- January 28, 2012

What I write when I force myself is generally just as good as what I write when I’m feeling inspired. It’s mainly a matter of forcing yourself to write. -- Tom Wolfe

Freelance writer and consultant Linda Formichelli asks, "Are You Making This Writing Mistake That Costs You Valuable Time?" Although the article is intended for freelancers, I think it applies to fiction writers too.  Research enough to get familiar, then get the writing done.

Rhythm of the Words:  Voice in Dialogue.  Writer Janice Hardy says, "There are only so many stories in the world, but how you choose to tell that story is what makes you stand out. Don't just focus on what your words say -- listen to how they sound as well." 

A few short years ago, I used to see blog after blog post about what it took to become a full-time writer. Seemed like every part-time writer I knew or heard of shared that dream.  Not so much since the recession hit.  But now with indie ebook publishing, writers again may be considering the question.  Author Dean Wesley Smith offers one plan for building a full-time writing career through indie ebook publishing.

There are good uses of "as" in writing and not so good. Didn't know that, at least not consciously, but I do now, thanks to Margie Lawson's guest post, "Kiss Your 'As' Goodbye!

A couple of weeks back, I included a link to the 25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing.  Well, writer Chuck--he of the not so nice language--has posted a corollary:  25 Things Writers Should Start Doing.

I've dissected a few books, or tried to.  I usually start reading faster than I can take notes and give up.  Or, in the one case where I actually made it to the end, I haven't done anything meaningful with the notes, although I'd say I still made and absorbed some observations during the process that have been helpful in my writing.  Author Bob Mayer talks about Book Dissection:  The Smart Writer's Way, an overview of a tool for the analytic (and perhaps anal) writer.

Editor Theresa Stevens edits a writer's work, demonstrating how to move things around to ramp up the tension, identify the POV speaker right away, and put the reader deeper inside the POV character.

Thinking about whether a free offering of your ebook makes sense?  Shewriter Stephanie Haddad shares the benefits of offering her ebook for free, both financial and non-financial.

For any author (or anyone, in general) who wants to understand how to optimize their use of Facebook Fan pages, Brian Carter, author of The Like Economy: How Businesses Make Money With Facebook, tells us "How to Get More Likes and Comments on Facebook."

Last, Adams Media is launching a new ebook line and seeking submissions.

My son's team is 22-0 and three games short of an undefeated varsity season.  (Yep, that's a real pic and nope, not telling you which one.)


Deep breath.

Only three more games...

Looking forward to a good bit of writing this weekend.  Going to force myself to write, a la the Tom Wolfe quote at the top that I borrowed from one of Kaye Dacus's posts.

You?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Making a Bestseller List

I have a confession.  I rarely look at the book bestseller lists.

Almost never.

Typically, I'll hear of an author that I enjoy making one list or another.  I'll send my congratulations, as landing on one remains a mysterious and desired feat, and move on.

The all-important bestseller lists have no space in my reading life.

Why?

I think it's because, having eyed the the NY Times and then the USA Today for years, I found that these lists rarely had any intersection with my chosen literary fare.  Therefore, I assume, the folks who make up those lists use some criteria and some survey mechanism that doesn't include my buying/reading habits.

When I stop to think about it, from what I know now of publishing, I was both right and wrong.

Bestseller lists come from sales, initially from pre-sale orders by the bookstores, not by consumer sales.  Since I'm not a bookstore, my purchases aren't counted in the initial ranking.

But then, as consumer begin to buy and bookstores reorder, consumer purchases begin to influence the lists, especially if there is a surge of purchases in a short period of time.

That is, if one buys from a large bookseller.  If I buy my books from smaller, independent bookstores, my purchases won't have much, if any, influence.

Then, bestselling doesn't mean best written.  They're a measure of commercial appeal, not literary quality.

Bestselling simply means popular enough that a lot of people decided to buy it.  Note, that "lot" could be as little as 20,000 in a country with a population of over 300 million.  With print book sales in decline, what exactly do the bestseller lists represent?  (Amazon has its own bestseller lists for Kindle titles and the NY Times added an e-book list a short while ago.)

Author Kathryn Rusch has a lengthy post, "Bestseller Lists and Other Thoughts", on the subject of bestsellers, how they are made, how that has changed in recent years and whether the lists are still relevant.  If you're interested in the underpinnings of the publishing industry, it's worth the read.

A few notable quotes:

A book that would have shipped at 30,000 copies twelve years ago now ships for 5,000 copies today. Not because there’s less interest in that type of book, but because there are fewer places to buy the book.


Traditional publishers and the auxiliary businesses that have formed around them, from agents to bestseller lists, have focused on the book trade—focused on selling to bookstores and to wholesalers. Now the consumer can go directly to the author if either wants and cut out “the book trade” altogether.  

Some old systems don’t really work any more. Is it legitimate to call someone who was #1 on Amazon’s Kindle Free list for one hour a bestseller?

So, no, I don't really pay attention to bestseller lists.  I'm aware of them.  I hear the buzz.  But I pick books that appeal to me, whether they appeal to enough other readers to make a list or not.

Do bestseller lists influence your book purchases?  What's the last bestseller you've read?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

The Alec London Series by Stephanie Perry Moore and Derrick Moore

INTRODUCING THE ALEC LONDON SERIES
The Alec London Series is a series written for boys, 8 – 12 years old. Alec London is introduced in Stephanie Perry Moore’s previously released series, The Morgan Love Series. In this new series, readers get a glimpse of Alec’s life up close and personal. The series provides moral lessons that will aid in character development, teaching boys how to effectively deal with the various issues they face at this stage of life. The series will also help boys develop their English and math skills as they read through the stories and complete the entertaining and educational exercises provided at the end of each chapter and in the back of the book.


Making the Team
Alec London is a fourth grader whose have a tough time.  His dad is the new assistant principal at school; his classmate Tyrod is bullying him; his brother, Antoine is mad with him and his mom is going away for a long period of time because of her job.  Through the game of football, lessons from his dad and a story about a man named Joseph, Alec learns that God cares about him and will help him out when he is struggling.


Learning the Rules
Alec feels abandoned by his mom. Now his brother Antoine and their cousin Little P are mad with him. At school when his tries to take up for a new kid in school he gets into trouble. Alec is trying to do his best but he just can’t seem to get things right. When he goes to church on Easter Sunday, the pastor shares a message that helps him to look at everything a different way.

Going the Distance
The school year is ending. Alec is looking forward to sleeping late and no bullying. But dad and mom have other plans for him this summer. Dad wants him to play baseball and mom puts him in an acting camp. He doesn’t want to do either but decides to try anyway. Alec hates baseball but dad won’t let him quit. He loves acting but mom won’t let him continue when he gets a part in a Disney show. Alec is upset with his parents but he learns that even when things don’t go his way he must still obey God by honoring his parents.


Winning the Battle
The summer is over and Alec is back in school. Tyrod has a new friend Zarrick who also bullies Alec and mom is still away. In response to all that's going on in his life Alec begins to act out in school, sleep in class and hang around with the wrong crowd.  And, to protect himself, he starts taking karate lessons. With the help of his karate instructor, parents, old friends, Alec learns that being disciplined and learning to respond to things in a way that pleases God are important when it comes to winning the battle.


Taking the Lead
Alec is voted class president and joins the track team. Though Tyrod continues to bully him, Alec tries to become friends. Everything is going well for him until he loses his grandmother. Alec becomes sad and gets off track but running track and working with the Special Olympics kids helps him work through the things happening at home and school. When his team wins the county title Alec thinks about how proud his grandmother was of him for learning how to take the lead.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

STEPHANIE PERRY MOORE is the author of many Young Adult Christian fiction titles, including the Payton Skky series, the Laurel Shadrach series, the Perry Skky Jr. series, the Faith Thomas Novelzine series, the Carmen Browne series, and the Beta Gamma Pi series. She is also the co-editor for the impactful BibleZine, REAL. Mrs. Moore speaks with young people across the country, showing them how they can live life fully and do it God’s way. Stephanie currently lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, a former NFL player and author, and their three children. Visit her website at www.stephanieperrymoore.com.

DERRICK MOORE is a former NFL athlete who played for the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals following his successful college football career. Since his retirement from the NFL in 1998 he has been in demand as a motivational speaker for professional teams, civic groups, churches, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is on staff with FCA, serving as the chaplain of the football program at Georgia Tech. Derrick is the author of The Great Adventure and the general editor for the Strength and Honor Bible.


BOOK REVIEW
I'm always on the hunt for books for my sons.  You've heard it all before.  Boys don't read.  There aren't books for boys.  African-American boys are nonexistent in today's literature.

Not any more.

Stephanie Perry Moore, another author whose work was an early influence on my desire to write Christian fiction, has turned her attention from young adult and adult offerings to the younger reading audience.  In the Alec London series, Moore offers short reads featuring an African American male, Alec London, a fourth grader who finds himself in typical fourth grade situations.

In addition to the story, these books offering activities for the readers--word search puzzles, math problems, and football questions.  There are also highlighted vocabulary words and quizzes about sentence parts.  

Most importantly, though, these stories offer faith-filled life lessons for today's youth.  As a parent, that makes these books a winning selection.

Intended for ages 8-12, the stories are entertaining and fun, although a bit juvenile for readers at the high end of that age range.  Still, those readers may be so excited to see books with kids who look like them, they may overlook that minor point.  The only issue I had, also minor, is that at times, the dialogue and narrative seemed to be that of a fourth grader and at times, more like an adult speaking as they think a fourth grader might.  But as I said, both are minor points. (The ultimate judge, my third-grader, is down with a cold right now so I didn't get a chance to have him read it, and he's at that age when it's hard to say for sure what will appeal to him, but I have a suspicion he just might go for Alec London.)

Lest you think the girls were forgotten, the Moores have a series for them too, the Morgan Love series.  Morgan is a classmate of Alec's so the two show up in each other's books.

Purchase the Books Online at: Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com

 

For More Information, Visit the author online at: http://www.stephanieperrymoore.com

View the blog tour schedule at: 

http://www.tywebbinvirtualevents.com

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Black Christian Fiction on Parade 2012

Three years ago, I put together a special feature, Black Christian Fiction on Parade, in Feburary for Black History Month.  No, these weren't historical authors nor stories, in most cases, but a chance to shine a spotlight on African American authors writing Christian fiction.

I'm reviving that feature in 2012.

So stay tuned!  I'll publish the schedule on the 31st and on February 1st, begin this year's Black Christian Fiction on Parade, with a whole new set of authors commencing with author Kendra Norman-Bellamy.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Firethorn by Ronie Kendig

The Queen of "Rapid Fire Fiction", Ronie Kendig brings a satisfying conclusion to her Discarded Heroes series, Firethorn.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Former Marine and current Nightshade team member Griffin “Legend” Riddell is comfortable. So comfortable he never sees the set up that lands him in a maximum security prison, charged with murder. How can he prove his innocence behind bars?

Covert operative Kazi Faron is tasked with reassembling Nightshade—the black ops team someone dissected. Breaking Griffin out of a federal penitentiary amid explosive confusion may turn out to be her last assignment. What will it take to convince the fugitive that whoever set him up has also dissected the Nightshade team? As Kazi and Griffin race to rescue the others and discover the traitor, love begins to awaken in their hearts.

Can a covert operative and the felon she’s freed overcome their mutual distrust long enough to save Nightshade? Will anything prepare them for who—or what is coming?


You can read an first chapter excerpt here.


REVIEW

From my introduction to the Discarded Heroes series, I immediately fell in love with the men of Nightshade and with the writing of Ronie Kendig.  Kendig writes heart-stopping suspense.  Most suspense writers ebb and flow, giving the reader a chance between scenes of thrilling action to catch their breath.  Kendig goes too, but her ebbs are really short and there's certain to be a few red herrings or unexpected plot twists thrown into those short breathers such that the reader is clamoring for the next big incident.

In Firethorn, Kendig features Legend, the bulking, brooding discarded hero who everyone respects and follows without question...well, almost everyone. Despite a little bad blood with a particular group member, Legend is clearly no one to be fooled with.  So he's the last person the reader expects to find sitting in the inside of a jail cell shortly after the story commences.

That's just the beginning.

The team finds themselves under fire and eventually casting a dubious eye upon one another.  Someone has betrayed them, but who?

Each installment in the Discarded Heroes series stands alone...except this one.  Firethorn is truly a conclusion to the series.  Although it's Legend's story, every member of the Special Ops team is front and center. It's a complex romantic suspense in which the families of the couples from the preceding stories play a significant role.  Keeping up with all the players and locations and storylines may be difficult without some prior exposure to the series.  But, for those who have been following along, Firethorn is like a reward for reader loyalty.  In it, answers to questions raised in preceding stories are given, but sadly, this is the end of the Discarded Heroes.

Maybe.

I, for one, am hopeful that Kendig will look sympathetically upon readers like me, who couldn't get enough of the vast array of unusual and interesting characters that she created and will find a way to give us more.  I'd love to see a series featuring Canyon's quirky family.   A continuation of the Discarded Heroes, as there are several members who have yet to find their soul mates.  Or maybe Kendig might pursue a series centered on military women in which this band of brothers makes frequent appearances.

Doesn't matter to me.  In Kendig's capable hands, the suspense will taut and palpable and the romance heartwrenching and endearing.  It will definitely be worth the read.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her only respite and “friends” during this time were the characters she created.

It was no surprise when she married a military veteran—her real-life hero—in June 1990.  

Since launching onto the publishing scene in 2010, Ronie and her books have been gained critical acclaim and national attention, including:

• Finalist in Christian Retailing’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards (Nightshade)
• RWA’s Faith, Hope, & Love’s 2011 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Awards in Romantic Suspense (Nightshade)
• Named one of the Top 25 Christian Fiction Suspense, Mystery, and Thriller Writers by FamilyFiction (Sept 2011)
• 2011 FamilyFiction Readers’ Choice Awards – 3^rd place as New Favorite Author, 8^th place with Nightshade for Novel of the Year.
• INSPY Award Shortlist final in Mystery/Thriller (Dead Reckoning)
• The Christian Manifesto’s 2010 Lime Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Nightshade

LEARN MORE

Go to Ronie's website, http://roniekendig.com/, or join her on  Facebook. 

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Should Have Known Better by Grace Octavia

In college, Dawn Jones's sorority sisters looked down upon her choice of beau.  Blue-collar, semi-militant Reginald fell far short of their elitist expectations.  But Dawn and Reggie's relationship has stood the test of time.  They have two children and own a home in the suburbs.  Everything might not be a bed of roses, as evidenced by Dawn's fatigue-filled days of trying to work and keep up with her family while helping Reggie build his business, but she's sure they're happy.  She knows her sorors might not agree, but she's got a pretty good life.

When one of those sorority sisters comes for a brief visit, Dawn discovers that time and opportunity --and a few relationship cracks of which she was unaware--are all it takes to send her family spiraling out of control.  Her life devastated, Dawn has to decide what she truly values and how she will regain the semblance of happiness she once took for granted.

Should Have Known Better offers a bit of a wake-up call to anyone married or in a committed, long-term relationship.  Relationships need care and attention lest all may not be as it seems.  It is entirely possible for one person in the relationship to be happy and think life couldn't get better while the other person is miserable and seeking the first possible exit strategy.  Dawn's pain was real and palpable on the page as was her disgust with the parties who sought to wreak havoc on her universe.  Octavia lets readers know that some things are meant to be held sacred and when broken, are not easily repaired.

I thought it was going to take me a weekend to read this book.  The story was so riveting and compelling that in fact, I breezed through it in a single day.  Octavia's prose is forthright yet provocative and propelled me to keep turning pages when I should have been asleep.  I was so moved by this story I took to tweeting about it right away.

Should Have Known Better is another title that arrived mysteriously in my mailbox from Kensington, although there really is no mystery given the publicist's stickers on the back of the books.  I'm glad I'm gettting these books, which I may not have picked up, and hope they keep coming.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Grace Octavia is a native of Westbury, New York. Her writing has appeared in Sisterfriends by Michele Agins and Julia Chance and Rolling Out magazine, where she was Editor-in-Chief. She is currently working on her Ph.D. at Georgia State University in Atlanta. 

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Choosing Free Ebooks

Like freebies and like to read?  Free ebooks abound.  If you have an ereader or even an ereader app, you can find plenty of free reading material to download and enjoy.

As a reader, I love Amazon's Kindle Direct program because more and more books are being offered as limited time freebies, including many I had on my growing TBR list but either wasn't sure I wanted to invest in or haven't had time to get to.

With so much available, amid concerns about ebook quality, how to choose?

Here are my considerations:

Is it an author/book that I've read before?  

Should be done deal, although not necessarily.  But familiarity gets the book past first base.  Then I consider whether I enjoy the author's work as a whole, whether their most recent reads have been worthwhile and whethe it's a book I've wanted to read.

Two or three of these will get me to download.

Is it an author/book that I've heard positive things about but have no familiarity with?

If yes, I'll actually download these faster than authors I've previously read.  Why?  Because half the fun of free is finding something new and wonderful.  Having a chance to read authors new to me is fun when the investment is low (okay, nothing), and yes, a really great read will motivate me to purchase in the future.

Is it an author/book I've never heard of?

Then, there are a few basic things that get me to take a second look:

• A subject that I find interesting or am curious about
• A great cover
• A great blurb
• An up-to-date, informative author website or Facebook page

Usually, I only look at the first three.  If I'm interested in the subject matter, but the blurb is not well written, sorry, I probably won't take a chance on reading the book.  And, it could be little technical things like misplaced commas, misspelled commonly used words, run on sentences...  Sorry, but in a blurb, those are a turn off.

If the subject matter doesn't do it for me, no chance I'm downloading, even if it's free.  You won't catch me on one of those ebook hoarder reality shows in a few years.

If the cover is amateurish, I'm less likely to think the writing will be of high quality.  Probably unfair (and something for me to keep in mind when I release my own ebooks), but that's how it is.  Probably a pass.

I'll take a look at the website or FB page, if for some reason, I just can't quite decide, but typically a great cover and great blurb are typically enough for a download.

Once I download, will I read it?  Maybe.  It's still not a done deal.  First, I have enough books downloaded already to provide me with reading material for the next 12-15 months.  Then, if I do begin a book, the first few pages need to catch me or I won't bother to keep reading.  I have waaaay less qualms about putting aside an ebook, for one, and a free ebook, for two, if the story doesn't grab me.

How do you choose which free ebooks to download and read?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- January 21, 2012

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." ~ William James

Make a difference this weekend.  In between reading and writing, go to the movies and support Red Tails, the latest film from George Lucas, about the Tuskegee Airmen, in its debut weekend.  Lucas spoke about the difficulties inherent in getting this film made and distributed recently on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  In case you missed it, the interview is below:

Go, and even better, take someone with you.  Seeing this film will make a difference.

Tarcher/Penguin is Seeking the Next Top Artist.  The writing competion opened Jan 1 and ends Mar 2nd.  The top prize is $5,000.

Author Chicki Brown talks about research for fiction writers, and offers a few of her favorite ways to learn more about her settings.

5 Productivity Tips for writers, from author Ann Aguirre.

Indie ebooks may be all the rage, but most books sold are still physical, many through bookstores.  How does an author get bookstore placement?  Author Jody Hedlund uncovers the answer via Bill Shady, National Accounts Manager for Baker Publishing Group.

When it comes to new book releases, are you frequently late to the party?  AnyNewBooks is a free email service that will send you weekly notifications of new releases based on the categories you select.

The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University has a free ebook called Writing the Book.  It contains 30 essays on epublishing to help you navigate the digital publishing waters.

The first results are in for Amazon's Kindle lending library and KDP program.  And they've increased the pot for January 2012.

Freelancers, Are You Getting the Most Out of Client Compliments...

...and do you know What Editors Want To See From Freelance Writer's Websites?

Author Jody Hedlund dispenses more sage promotional advice in "One Important Way for Authors to Get Discovered by Readers."

Our varsity team is 20-0 going into today's game.  This weekend is all about basketball, college admissions, art lessons, time outdoors, the typical errands and...writing.  What will you be doing?

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Guilty By Association by Pat Simmons

Today's featured book is Guilty by Association by Pat Simmons, the fourth book in her Guilty series, first in the Jamieson Family Legacy series.

ABOUT THE BOOK
The Jamieson Family Legacy series follow the lives of two Jamieson brothers in Boston, Kidd and Ace, and their cousin, Cameron, from St. Louis. The older brother, Kidd, is struggling with anger and resentment issues toward his absentee father who never married his mother. Yet, he had the audacity to demand his illegitimate sons carry his Jamieson name. Ace, on the other hand, is on his collision course to be a chip off the old block when it comes to women. Their highly MIT educated cousin, Cameron Jamieson, is all about saving family from self-destruction. Through genealogy research, Cameron's mission is to show his cousins their worth as the eleventh generation descendants of a royal African tribe and to give them a choice: live with the stereotypical "angry black men" syndrome or to crush any obstacles that try and stop them to become strong successful black men.

There are three books in the Jamieson Legacy series: Guilty by Association (Kidd's story), The Guilt Trip (Ace's story), and Free from Guilt (Cameron's story). Each of the three Jamieson men have to accept that their past and present are in God's hand, and without Him they can't advance to their future blessings. The bonus storyline in Guilty by Association is one that progresses the story of the much-loved character in the previous three book Guilty Series, Grandma BB. This time, she picks up a sidekick Mrs. Valentine.

Guilty by Association is the story of Boston bad boy Kevin "Kidd" Jamieson. His gripe is with his father who dared to insist that his two illegitimate sons carry his last name. To add insult to injury, the man never bothered to stick around to provide love and guidance as his boys matured into men. Kidd's anger overflows into every area of his life. As his animosity festers, Kidd becomes as a roaring lion, seeking whatever and whomever he can devour. He's as gritty as his cousin in St. Louis, Parke Jamieson VI, is polished. The two strong-willed men clash when Kidd relocates to St. Louis where his cousin assures him it's a land of milk and money in job opportunities. Where is lands a job is far from it.

Through a series of events that involve Grandma BB, her dog named Silent Killer and her Stacy Adams shoes, Kidd meets two women who recognize his hostile tendencies and immediately begin to administer CPR to his soul. LPN Eva Savoy eventually becomes his "Eve," a woman God created from the underlying goodness hidden in Kidd's own heart.

Reluctantly, Kidd allows Parke to divulge information about their royal family heritage. While everyone's care and compassion begins to smother Kidd, he struggles to keep up the bad boy attitude as his walls start to crumble. Kidd learns it's not his association with the name that identifies him, but the man he becomes that defines him.


BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

Guilty By Association is my first Pat Simmons read.  Unfortunately, this is one of the few times when I feel as though my reading pleasure may have benefited from having read the prior books in the series.  Kidd is an angry Black man, abandoned by the father who insisted that the son bear his name.  Understandable.  Yet, I never quite understood what else was going on in Kidd's life prior to him picking up and readily moving to St. Louis at the request of his family.  What was his background?  What did he do?  Other than angry, who was he?  I wasn't quite sure, and this was frustrating to me as the story progressed.

For me, the story began once Kidd was ensconced in Missouri.  From that point forward, I began to enjoy the tentative dance of wills between Kidd and Eva, the nursing home nurse who was as determined to entangle herself only with a man who loved God as Kidd was to avenge his abandonment. 

Simmons created a colorful cast of characters, beginning with the Jamieson brothers, running through their extended family-cousins Cameron, Parke and Malcolm--and ending with the nursing home crew which was definitely led by Grandma BB.   She also imbued the story with her obvious knowledge of the St. Louis and Boston areas, and her love for genealogy.

At times, I wanted the pace of the story to ramp up, but overall the progression of Kidd and Eva's romance was satisfying.  It's always a delight to see a character grow in his faith even as he grows in his character, as Kidd did.  I would have loved to see Eva face a bit more of a personal challenge, whether at work, in her studies or in her faith.  Guilty By Association is a pleasant read.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pat Simmons is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth. She is passionate about digging up the dirt on her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She has been a genealogy enthusiast since her great-grandmother died at the young age of ninety-seven years old. Pat has won numerous awards for her novels which include: Talk to Me, Grace and Humility and Still Guilty, which was voted the Best Inspirational Romance for 2010. Pat is best known for her Guilty series: Guilty of Love, Not Guilty of Love, and Still Guilty. She is continuing the series through the Jamieson Family Legacy trilogy: Guilty by Association, The Guilt Trip, Free From Guilt. Pat has recently been nominated for the best Christian fiction award by the African American Literary Awards for her latest release, Crowning Glory. Pat and her husband live in Missouri and have two children. Visit Patricia at http://www.patsimmons.net/.


Purchase Guilty By Assocation online at:

Amazon.com

BarnesandNoble.com


FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit author Pat Simmons online at:her website, http://www.patsimmons.net/, or connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

View the Guilty By Assocation blog tour schedule at :

http://www.tywebbin.com/blog-tours/authors-on-tour/2012-tours/

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Teaser Tuesdays: A Seductive Kiss

"She was sitting on the side of the bed, stooped from the waist, her hands tightly clasped in her lap.  Defeated.  Trying to control his anger, he sat on the bed next to her." -- page 166, from A Seductive Kiss (ARC) by Francis Ray

Another book where I have yet to read a word before offering a teaser.  But I've not read a book by Ms. Francis Ray that I didn't thoroughly enjoy.  Not one.  She is on my short list of all-time favorite authors.  I did a three-part interview with her here, here and here.  So I eagerly anticipate starting this one.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page (in the comments or via link to your own blog)
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reading anything interesting? (Even if you don't post the meme, psot a comment to tell us what you're reading!)

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

The Questions To Ask Before 'What If'?

Writers are a curious bunch.

We wonder about the things we see, experience or imagine. What's behind the scenes?  How did these people come to be in this place at this time doing whatever it is that they're doing?  What motivated that person to act as they did?

That's called backstory.  It's the stuff that makes the characters in a story interesting...when offered in small, infrequent doses.

But we also like to look into our crystal balls and consider the future, what might happen given a selected group of people in a selected place under selected circumstances.

What if...?

What if an oversized zombie invaded Washington D.C., took over the White House and pushed the button to send missiles flying toward Iran?

What if an nerdy, insecure woman is given the opportunity of a lifetime which causes her to meet the bachelor of her dreams, only to have him fall in love with her while she must choose between him and the opportunity?

Someone somewhere might find these ideas slightly intriguing.  Maybe you do and maybe you don't.

That's how writers get their ideas.  By asking, "What if...?"

Writers ask that one question again and again and again, as they hunt for story ideas, then peel back the layers to find the core of the story with which they will spend weeks, months or even years as they tap it out on their computers or scribble it on paper.

What if...?

Storywriting guru and author Larry Brooks posits, however, that there is a different question writers should ask, one that comes before the big "what if".  In reading his blog post, it seems to me that Brooks really suggests there are several questions, upon getting a hot idea, a writer should stop and ask.  Those questions are:

What are you passionate about at this time?

How would you live your life differently if you could start over?  What would you do, who would you be, where would you go, what would you embrace?

These questions create the prism by which you should evaluate your story idea.  Are you passionate about it?  Does it speak to a place you'd like to go, a think you'd like to do, a person you're curious about being?

Then, the final test for your idea is...

Given the typical time from story to publication, is your current idea worth a year (or at minimum, 4-6 months) of your life?

Brooks says, "The desire to live vicariously in our stories needs to be matched by our passion for the landscape upon which the story will unfold."

 Are you writing the story you should be telling?  If not, what's the story you really want to write?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- January 14, 2012

"Writers balance on a knife blade.  On one side is total insecurity, on the other supreme confidence.  On both sides lies destruction."  -- author Susan Squires

In case you didn't click on the link to the Cindy Gerard blog post the other day, and thereby missed the link to the Harry and Susan Squires blog post, I'm giving you another opportunity.  This article, Talking Back to Your Brain, deals with understanding how your brain works to improve your ability to get unstuck and to finish the things you start.

Harper Collins and Open Road Media (headed by former Harper Collins exec, Jane Friedman) are embroiled in a legal battle with potentially far-reaching impact over the right to publish ebooks for books contracted and published long before anyone heard of ebooks.  This article, by Copylaw, is long but informative, and worth a read if you have any interest, prurient or financial, in the outcome of this case.

Wondering how Amazon's KDP Select program works in practice?  Indie author Tonya Kappes shares her success story.

In case you think all publishers are demonizing Amazon, think again.  Small publisher namellos hails Amazon has a "key partner".

There's a new app to help you find those Harlequin releases you've been wanting to read.  ReadBooks created the Harlequin Selection App for Apple products (iPhone, iPad, iPod) to help readers find Harlequin titles.  But you still have to go somewhere else to actually buy.

Writers ADVANCE!  Boot Camp 2012 will be held February 24-26 in Asheville, NC.

LANGUAGE ALERT!  This post is great from an inspirational, bootcamp, kick in the read standpoint, but if you have a major problem with salty language, it's not for you:  25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing.

One sci fi writer offers a glimpse at the way he uses a few popular tools--Scrivener, Dropbox, and Elements--to write effectively on his iPad.

You may have already seen this post--I tweeted it a week ago--but it's worth another look.  Writer Vince Mooney takes on the gals at Seekerville, offering a masterclass in the differences between men and women when it comes to love and romance.

What did publishers and readers buy in 2011?  RT Book Reviews gives us the roundup.

The Top 10 Biggest Obstacles to Freelance Writing Success (and how to solve them) from freelance writers and consultants Linda Formichelli and Carol Tice.

Author James Scott Bell shares The Two Things Every Novel Needs.

If you've been away from your wip for a while, as have I, and are not quite sure how to jump back in, you might find help in Plot On:  Literary Devices to Help Writers Who've Lost the Plot.  (Thankfully, I didn't lose mine, given my trusty synopsis.)

Novel Rocket announces the slightly modified rules and genre dates for the 2012 LAUNCH PAD:  Boosting You Out of the Slush Pile Contest.

Author Gemma Halliday is giving away her Hollywood series for free this month.  Details below:

    

To kick off 2012 I’m giving away FREE books for EVERYONE all month long!

This month I’ll be giving away the entire Hollywood Headlines series for FREE (yes, absolutely free, no strings attached, no contest to enter) on Amazon Kindle, starting with book #1 Hollywood Scandals. Here’s the freebie schedule:

Free NOW thru Jan 17th: Hollywood Scandals  - http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Scandals-Headlines-ebook/dp/B004K6MIBY/ref=tmm_kin_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1326472774&sr=8-2#_

Free Jan 17th-Jan 26th: Hollywood Secrets
Free Jan 27th-Feb 5th: Hollywood Confessions

Whew!  That was a lot of stuff, but I kept finding more and more to share.

This weekend, more varsity basketball.  As of Friday midday, our team is 18-0, and the boys continue their quest for a state championship.

What's the weekend hold for you?

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

The Writer's 12 Steps to Getting It Done

Writer/character therapist Jeannie Campbell blogged this somewhat tongue in cheek 12-step program, which was adapted from the well known Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program by Dr. Stan Williams.  I'm using Dr. Williams' original title for the steps.

The Writer's 12 Steps to Getting It Done

1. I admit that I am powerless to write like I should—that my creative life has become desolate and unmanageable through disuse.


2. I believe that a power greater than myself can restore me to sanity, and get my quota of words written each and every day. 


3. I have decided to turn my will and my life over to the care of God, as I understand Him.


4. I daily search my life and make a fearless moral inventory of my motivations and whatever else has prevented me from applying my butt to a chair and my fingers to the keyboard.


5. I admit to God, and to another human being the exact nature of my wrongs from the previous step.


6. I am entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character so that I will complete the story that God has set before me.


7. I humbly ask God to remove my shortcomings and expect a completed work in the not too distant future.


8. I have made a list of all persons I have harmed by not living up to and disciplining my creative potential, and I am willing to make amends to them all.


9. I have made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.


10. I continue to take personal inventory and when I am wrong I promptly admit it.


11. Through prayer and meditation (or medication, depends on how bad off you are) I seek to improve my conscious contact with God praying only for knowledge of His will for me and the power to carry that out in my creative life of writing.


12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, I will carry this message to other writers, and to practice these principles in all my affairs.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Teaser Tuesdays: Should Have Known Better

"And I knew I was wrong.  Knew I shouldn't be listening to my cell phone tell me how to get to Sasha's house in the middle of the night, drunk and taking my children along for the ride.  But right and wrong had just left me." -- page 151, from Should Have Known Better by Grace Octavia

This one's really a teaser, for you and for me, as I have to read even one word of this book.  I'll begin later this evening.  Until then, doesn't it sound intriguing?

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page (in the comments or via link to your own blog)
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reading anything interesting? (Even if you don't post the meme, psot a comment to tell us what you're reading!)

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

No Goals But Making Progress

How does one make progress if she doesn't have any goals?

Eat less, move more, write.

That's what I committed to do in 2012.  Along with all the other things that life brings, like work, church, youth sports, class field trips, parent/teacher conferences, homework, mushing one child along the path to college like he's the front half of an Idiatrod team, illness, death, birthdays, anniversaries, baking, reading, trying to get organized for the umpteenth time...

So simple.  So loosey-goosey.  Not the usual Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely (SMART) type of goals that are so common this time of year and, for me, are just way too stressful right now.  When those goals go unmet, they can feel like an anvil crashing down on one's head.

Sounds like I'm in avoidance mode, right?

I'm not.

I can't tell you how many times a day those five little words ring through my head.  Anything longer--more specific with dates and deliverables--would be half forgotten by now.

I thought about "eat less" when I reached for the extra Ritz cracker and decided against it.  When standing in the grocery aisle besieged by the candy bars.  When the family indulged in a 20" New York style pizza and my one slice was about the size of a youth baseball mitt.  When Hubby asked if I wanted more, I vehemently shook my head, already feeling guilty about the one slice of thin crust pleasure coated in dripping olive oil, rich tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella with added Italian sausage and pepperoni I'd consumed.  Eat more?  Not me.  Happy to say I'm down 3.4 lbs since beginning of the year.

I thought about "move more" when we parked pretty far from the door to the department store.  When Hubby offered to return for me on Saturday because I wasn't quite ready to leave but our destination was walking distance, and I chose to walk.  When Hubby invited me to join him for a morning walk and me, wanting to have one day to lounge in bed, not to mention my constantly aching hip, declined the offer.  By the time he'd returned--and reported on the many couples he'd encountered while he was out--I was determined that we were heading to the park so the boys and I could get some fresh air.  Got in 1.5 miles around the track.  Not bad.

Write.  I think about this one constantly, but in all honesty, that's about all I've done.  Remember that post about diving in last week?  Didn't happen.  I did review my synopsis and refresh my memory as to where I left off, but I never quite got around to opening up a new document and typing any words.  Could blame it on my oldest using my laptop but that wouldn't be fair, especially since I boasted about writing on my smartphone during NaNo.  Just didn't happen.  Some self-doubt has crept in, but I read a blog post today from best-selling author and two-time RITA winner Cindy Gerard that nailed me between the eyes on that one.  So I reached out to my trusted writing group and initiated a new writing challenge for the remainder of the month.  My goal:  20k in the next 20 days.

I won't go into quite as much detail every time, but I will keep you posted as to my progress, lest you think my commitment to achievement is any less than it's ever been.  

I am committed, just in a way that feels right and I hope will lead to new levels of success.

One week into the New Year.  How are you doing with your goals/resolutions?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- Jan 7, 2012

First Reader/Writer aggregation of the year.  I declare it's going to be a red carpet kind of year!

Saw some interesting articles as I caught up with the blogosphere from the past two weeks and wanted to share them.  Tweeted a few when I saw them, but mostly reminded myself that I was taking a much needed break from blogging and being online in general.

So I saved a few that I'll offer up here, along with the news from the beginning of 2012:

Amazon has moved in the children's book space with the acquisition of Marshall Cavendish Children's Books.

This is about a comedy DVD, but it's still publishing.  Comedian Louis C.K. earned over $1 million in 12 days by releasing his comedy DVD without DRM.  (You know, that thing that keeps people from pirating ebooks?)  Now comedy and writing, DVDs and books are different animals, but it makes one think...

And now Bookstep has made a way for students to rent only the portions of a digital textbook that they need, rather than buy or rent the whole book.

Perhaps a bit late for the 2011 holiday season, but Smashwords released an ebook gifting option on Christmas Day.  Gift recipients with Smashwords accounts will find their gifts in their Smashwords library; others will have to create a Smashwords account from the link they receive.

Starting 2012 off with a story writing bang seems to the be the way to go, and who better to offer up thoughts on how to do this than storytelling consultant Larry Brooks:  Clearing the Air On--and In--Your First 100 Pages.

Author Jami Gold offers revision tips on How to Force a Story to Evolve.  What she says about the evolution of a story, after the plot has unfolded, begs consideration.

Author Bettye Griffin hosted a virtual roundtable of indie published authors--Shelia Goss, Angela Benson and Chicki Brown--to get their take on the indie publishing movement.

This one caught my eye because of a recent discussion I had with my three sons about the promise and expectations of a romance novel (they wanted to know why I thought a recent read was disappointing).  Editor Theresa Stevens talks about The Form of Romance, or A Roll in the Hay.

If you're looking for what's hot (and free) for Kindle, try Ereader News Today.  A daily message to my inbox let's me know when there are new promotions for both traditional and indie published authors.

For freelancers, The Ultimate Guide to Succeeding as a Freelancer in 2012, from freelance writer and coach, Linda Formichelli, aka The Renegade Writer.

And because this time of year is when many people focus on goal-setting, a post from a new series on Goals and Dreams from author Dean Wesley Smith:  Failure is an Option.  Quitting is Not.

Finally, I'm not doing the whole resolution thing, but nothing wrong with a few good tips, like these from the Pikes Peaks Writers.  Nothing earth-shattering or new, but definitely great tips for getting off to a good writing year.

Happy Readin' N Writin!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Is An EBook A Completed Work of Art?

I read an interesting article on Forbes.com about the impact ebooks and the ability to edit them could have on the meaning of what a book is.

When we think of books, we think of a finished work by the book's author and publisher.  Once it's released, it's done.  Future changes might be made, but that would lead to a new release with the announcement of an update to the original version, as happens with textbooks, self-help books and mostly other non-fiction works.

Not so with ebooks.

Ebook publishing offers an author the ability to edit and re-release their book at will.  The pros of this are that authors no longer have to be embarrassed by typos that made it past editorial.  If a reader points out a problem, the author can simply correct it and move on.  If an author has new material to add to a book, or, due to negative reviews, decides to change whole sections of a book, it can be done easily.  New buyers get only the edited edition; prior buyers are notified that a new version is available for download.  (At least I believe it works this way.  I've been notified of updates to Kindle books, but perhaps not all ebook publishers operate in this manner.)

So, the point being, ebooks are never finished works of art.

The downside to this, as the article points out, is that the ability to constantly edit diminishes the long term credibility of the work.  An author never has to stand by his work because the work iteself doesn't have to stand.

With ebooks, readers don't have any sense of how many changes have been made to a digital work, and to what extent those changes alter the original content.

Is this a problem?  Will this keep ebook versions of important works from being cited in analytic research?  Does this cause ebooks to be viewed in the same vein as Wikipedia even though the author may well be published in print format too?

Should there be a limit to how much, and maybe how frequently, a published work can be altered?  Should authors be required to provide some type of disclosure to the reading/buying public?

Will there be a time when we can no longer quote authors' books, fiction or nonfiction, because the digital publishing process erases its sense of completion?

Not questions I thought about before reading the Forbes article but I can appreciate the issues raised.  Maybe there needs to be an "first edition" digital stamp, kind of like a digital signature, which is updated whenever the text is modified.

What do you think?  Does an author's ability to edit a published digital work affect the credibility and maybe value of the work?  Is it different for fiction vs. non-fiction?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Diving Back In

When I was in grade school, I learned to swim at the local public pool.  Now living in Florida, where it seems most everyone has fins, I realize learning to swim in the suburbs of NYC was no small thing.  (It paid off when I had to pass a swim test to graduate from college.  One of those strange university endowment thingees.)

I'm no fish, but I've a good chance of holding my own until help arrives.

The most fun thing, though, was jumping off the high diving board into 12 feet of water, feet first.  I absolutely LOVED doing that.  It was liberating.  I felt free, strong, powerful, and so much more.  Couldn't wait to swim to the edge, crawl out and climb up the board to do it again.  Never learned to dive properly, not after hormones and self-conscious kicked in and I started working during my summers, but taht doesn't matter.  Some of my fondest memories involve that pool.

I'm starting to feel that same way about writing.

I last wrote in earnest in November. 

That whole NaNo thing.

But my story remains incomplete and it's been rolling around in my head.  I plan to finish it.

Yet, because so much time has passed, I find that I'm a bit fuzzy.  On everything.  My characters and the little details that were at my fingertips just months ago.  My plot and where this whole thing is headed.  Even where I left off.

Thank goodness for that spreadsheet I kept of what I was writing in each writing session and that synopsis that I used to guide me through the story.

Some things have changed.  Some minor things, some major things.

But I won't worry about that too much right now.

What's been keeping me away from my writing so long, aside from a case of NaNo burnout followed by the holidays, is the growing distance I felt from my story.  No longer could I simply power up, open a new page and start tapping away.

Reconnecting with my story would require time.  Effort.  And I wasn't ready.

But now I am. 

Last week, just to get the writing juices flowing again, I tapped out a portion of a scene.  I wasn't sure if I'd already written this scene (didn't think so) or whether it was where I left off (it wasn't) but it was part of the story, the part that had my attention in that moment and was enough to get me going again.

Then, yesterday, I opened up that Excel spreadsheet.  Laughed when I realized I had no idea where I'd left off in my story, but I was further along than I'd imagined.  Very good news.  Because I really want to get through this first draft so that, with my story revealed, I can collect my thoughts and start the second draft.

Today, the writing begins again.  Remember, I'm eating less (mostly), moving more (not so much) and writing.

Right now, what's important is diving back into the story.  Head first, feet first...it's all the same.  Like jumping off that diving board, even though I'm not the most skilled, I know I probably won't drown.  The descent will be exhilarating and each time I do it, I will come up more sure of myself, more capable.

Diving in.  

Here I go.  

Wheee!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.