I'm so excited to be part of Books We Love and even more so that they were willing to "experiment" with the Kindle Direct Program. I've realizing better sales on two books there than I've seen on all my books combined before. It's nice to finally realize a profit, even though I've always told myself that I never got into this business for the money. Until now, it was a viable justification since I never saw money enough to cover my promotional expenses.
I don't know what magic goes on behind the scenes that prompts so many to buy a book that is given away free in days preceding the "spotlight time," but I'm not questioning what works. In case you didn't grab your own free copy of First Degree Innocence or Embezzled Love, I've happy to tell you that they'll be up for grabs again in the coming month. In the meantime, today I'm blogging at Ravencraft's Romance Realm where you can leave a comment and perhaps win your own PDF.
If reviews are your cup of tea, then Reagan Black is also featuring moi today as I bitc....er talk about the subjectivity of those oft-sought written opinions. I'm not offering a prize, but you never know...I just might surprise someone who comments here and leaves on there, too. :) I'm full of it. Surprises, that is!!!
Let me tell you....when you see an unsolicited email like this appear on the loop... "Hi--just started Embezzled Love and wanted to say anyone who isn't just grabbed in the first few pages must be a corpse.
I love the older heroine!"
That's better than any review I could ever hope for. Picture me smiling.
Seems everywhere she looks lonely divorcee, Cassie Fremont,
sees advertisements claiming to help find her true love…the man of her
dreams. With visions of a fairy tale romance, she followsthe
link in a SPAM message and joins an online dating service. Imagine her
surprise when 'he' responds to her profile with toe-tingling interest.
Will the Texas heartthrob be the answer to her prayers, or is she about
to book a ride on the roller coaster from hell?
Today, I'm sharing an excerpt from my latest release with Books We Love, Ltd, Embezzled Love. You may not know that I wrote this book based on a true life experience, and the "heroine" is or was my sister. For whatever reason, she disowned me three years ago and hasn't spoken to me since. I have no idea what I did to warrant my fall from the family tree, but I recently re-wrote this story which was previously released in 2004, in order to improve the flow and correct some of my amateur mistakes. I was tempted to change some of the story to reveal the entire truth, but then I reminded myself this is a fictional piece. Here's a sample and I hope you enjoy it enough to want to read the entire story:
EMBEZZLED LOVE:
Halfway down the stairs, Cassie heard Evan pull into the
garage. She bounded toward the door, anxious to see him. The day had been
almost perfect, aside from the niggling negative thoughts. She looked forward
to sharing a meal with her man.
Surely he could explain away her concerns. He always did.
“Umm, what smells so good?” Evan asked as soon as he
entered. He hung his cap on the hook by the door and ran his fingers through
his flattened hair.
“Could be me,” Cassie joked. “I just took a shower and put
on some of your favorite perfume.” There was no way she wanted to ruin the
moment asking unpleasant questions.
He walked to her, snaked an arm around her waist and
reeled her close - burying his face in her neck. “Well, that does smell good,
but I think I was referring to whatever is cooking. I’ll save you for
afterwards.”
Evan’s musky
scent invaded Cassie’s nostrils. Strangely, it aroused her, despite mingling
odors of the day’s sweat and the last traces of soap from his morning shower.
She fought the urge to pull him up the stairs and into the bedroom. Instead,
she pushed him away, acting insulted. “Fine, if you’d rather fill your stomach
than appease your physical needs, so be it!”
She went to the oven to check the roast and add the clean
and peeled veggies. “It will be about another thirty to forty five minutes,”
she announced. “Would you like a beer?”
“That sounds
great, baby girl. It’s been a long day.”
She withdrew a cold brew from the fridge and handed to it
him. “Why don’t you go up and take your shower and change into something comfy.
By the time you’re done, we’ll have dinner.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He grazed her lips with a kiss on
the way out of the room.
Cassie started to set the table but the ringing phone
interrupted her. “Hello.”
“Cassie Fremont, please.”
“This is she.”
“This is
Stephen Summers from Nova. I’m terribly sorry to disturb you on the weekend,
but our security department has flagged your account with some suspicious
activity.”
Her heart sank. Oh no, not again. “What kind of activity?”
“There are charges made today at Soboba Indian Casino
totaling three thousand dollars. I just wanted to confirm that you were aware
of them.”
Cassie grasped her throat. “Oh … well ….” She tilted her
head back and looked at the ceiling. Words escaped her. She felt fairly certain
there was a pattern developing she didn’t like.
“Are you
there?”
“Sorry. Yes, I’m here. I’m fairly sure the charges are
legitimate. I’ve recently noticed similar ones on another account and
believe my business partner may be able to explain them. May I call you back?”
“Certainly, although, I do need to tell you that you have
now reached the maximum limit on this account.”
***
Embezzled Love is available on Amazon, offered in the select program for only $2.99. Watch for it's upcoming spotlight day in mid February.
Happy New Year. I'm ringing in 2012 by opening up my blog today and tomorrow to anyone who would like to post a tag line/blurb/buy link in the comments section. To play, you must have your own blog set up with the same title so I can hop over and post my info on your site. It's a 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' type of arrangement. I can't wait to see how many great reads we can post.
Since I'm the site owner, I'll post my info as an example. Just remember, don't post an entire book, we want to leave room for other guests...oh, and please keep your blurbs PG rated. Thanks.
Carrie Lang’s sheltered life ends with a prison sentence and
lands her smack dab in the middle of an evil retribution plan concocted by the
prison bully against another inmate.
Arrested on the one day she calls in sick, Carrie has no one to verify
her alibi when a supposed eye-witness
describes her down to the make and model of her car. Her ten-year sentence seems mild compared to being
threatened with death for being an unwilling participant in an outlandish
scheme. Can she find a way out of
her horrible nightmare, or are the cold gray prison walls her destiny?
First Degree Innocence available at Amazon for an amazing $2.99.
Please leave your information in comments AND DON'T FORGET YOUR BLOG LINK... Let us know which book you consider Amazing. :)
It's Six Sentence Sunday again...where you can find links to some great reads. I'm happy to be part of such impressive company. This week I'm jumping back to my latest release, Embezzled Love. Part of any relationship includes fighting and making up. Evan's good at getting himself back into Cassie's good graces. :)
She stood, peering out the window, when Evan walked up behind her, put his arms around her and pulled her close. They didn't speak.
The aromatic smell of apple dishwashing detergent still hung in the air even though the soapy water had disappeared down the drain. His warmth permeated her robe and brought a secure feeling that dispelled his presumed past.
"Cat got your tongue, baby girl?" His toasty breath drifted across her neck. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"
*****
I look forward to sharing more with you and I wish each of you...
Welcome. This is another six from my upcoming release, Embezzled Love. Just to catch you up...Cassie and Evan have moved in together after meeting on an Internet dating site. The road has been rocky, and things are coming to a head. She's worked hard to get where she is in the insurance industry, and now she fears her job is in jeopardy. Here's today's six.
Palpitations skipped thought her chest, and the black pit of depression beckoned after so long. All her adult life, she'd worked hard to get where she was in business, and everything couldn't end with an announcement at a stupid meeting. The least Takeda could have done was let people know if they were among those making an early departure. Not knowing was akin to having an axe hanging over your head. She didn't know whether to volunteer for the farewell party committee planning group or wait to be invited to one. Her sense of dread grew like a wart from a virus.
Now head back to Six Sentence Sunday and follow some more links. :) Thanks for coming, oh, and Embezzled Love will be available soon from Books We Love.
Does anyone but me feel like our Sundays are getting closer together? Anyhow, welcome, or welcome back, as the case may be. Last week, I added a second blog to the roster and I guess I did something wrong as neither were linked. Trying again, today, I'm sharing another six sentences from Embezzled Love, my December release coming from Books We Love. The last two weeks, I shared an argument between Cassie and Evan, so I'm switching gears.
As
tired as she felt, the thought of being in his arms and letting go of the day’s
stress did sound inviting. His angular chin, the twinkle in his eyes, the bulge
already evident in his jeans…everything about him heightened her craving.
Despite
their rollercoaster relationship, the man had changed her life for the better.
She’d even stopped taking her anti-depressants and no longer suffered from the
horrible black thoughts that once haunted her. She went willingly to him, her
heart overflowing with joy that someone loved, desired, and wanted to share a
life with her.
After holding her right for
a few minutes, Evan pulled back and gazed into her eyes.
*** Now, head back on over to Six Sentence Sunday's site and follow some of the other links there to find additional engaging sixes. Yes...I think mine's engaging. :)
Welcome. Today I'm continuing with six from the argument scene I started last week. Embezzled Love, a very "different" romance, is releasing in December from Books We Love.
...If
you weren’t so stupid, you could handle things here and I wouldn’t have to be
the one to bail you out.”
"Bail me out?" Her voice raised two octaves. "You've got to be kidding. Look around. I was doing just fine before we met. Starting two businesses at once was your idiotic idea. My stupidity was letting you call all the shots...
Now return to Six Sentence Sunday and enjoy more from my very talented peers. Beware...you'll get addicted. Don't forget to come back next week.
Welcome, or if you've been here before, welcome back! Today, I'm sharing an argument scene between Evan and Cassie. His continued spending is raising her hackles, and he's growing tired of her lectures. The sparks are flying...check it out, but don't get burned. :) Once you've read my six, click back to Six Sentence Sunday for more.
Evan grabbed her by
the arm, yanked her closer and stared at her. His warm whiskey breath assailed
her senses. “You walked into this relationship willingly, and I already told
you I’m not gonna answer to anyone for my business decisions. I’m not a kid
who does chores for an allowance. I’ve been looking under every stone I can
turn to find homeowners in need of landscaping. You have no idea how to
convince a total stranger he needs everything you want to sell him, but I do...
Books We Love is releasing Embezzled Love in December. Hope you've been tempted enough to get your own copy. Remember, books make excellent gifts, and "tis the season." Good grief, I'm another year older than I was last time you were here. Where has time gone? Don't forget to come back next week for another six.
Thank you for stopping by to share six sentences from my soon-to-be-released, Embezzled Love. Cassie Fremont has joined a computer dating site and met the man of her dreams...or has she signed on for a nightmare? This story is based on my sister's true-life experience and just might make you think twice before putting yourself out there, or not. :)
In this scene, the luster is starting to wear off the relationship already. Doubts have crept in...
Work all day, her ass!
Earlier, she’d considered a nice
Chablis with dinner, but in her mind, wine was a celebratory drink and she
didn’t feel much like proposing a toast.
She filled water glasses, placed them on the table and took her seat.
Evan’s cheery whistling signaled his approach.
What if she was wrong and he had been working all day? She might believe that except she’d just seen
her credit card yesterday and now it was missing. Her jaw tensed when he appeared in the
doorway and flashed his confident grin.
Embezzled Love, coming in December from Books We Love.
Now, click back to Six Sentence Sunday and follow some of the other links. Hope you come back next week for more from Embezzled Love.
Welcome back. Today, I'm sharing six sentences from an upcoming release, Embezzled Love. This story was actually published and offered in print, but since I've regained the rights from the publisher, I'm contracting with Books We Love and offering EL as an e-book. The story is based on a non-fictional accounting of my sister's misfortune. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. *I always wanted to say that.* At the end of the book, I've offered some valuable insight as to how the story is written, so if you want to know, you'll have to download it when it becomes available in December. Gotta run...I have lots to do before then. OH...and don't forget to click back to Six Sentence Sunday and read other titillating sixes.
In my scene, Cassie is meeting with her brother and sister, who don't approve of her new-found Internet romance. They've done a little research and called her over to share their findings. Clearly, she's not impressed. Without further ado...here's my six sentences about my sister's roller coaster ride to hell:
Frank slid a piece of paper in front of her.
“This is from Maricopa County, Arizona.
You’ll notice the name on the complaint is Evan Dennis. This person
embezzled over three hundred thousand dollars from customers under the
guise of landscaping contracts.”
She pushed the paper away, annoyed by Frank’s smugness and not
impressed with his investigatory work. “There must be a million people
who share Evan’s name.”
Due to a death in the family, I haven't felt much like participating, but I'm back today, admitting, I've missed reading everyone's scintillating six sentences. Today, I'm sharing from Embezzled Love, my women's fiction based on a true story. This book was an EPIC finalist in 2009 and it really hasn't gotten the promotion it deserves.
Here's the blurb:
They advertise on television—“find your true love; we’ll match you with the person of your dreams.” Their irritating spam clogs your computer inbox—"free tonight? Let’s chat.” You can turn the channel or hit the ‘trash’ button, but the promises still linger in your mind. Is it any wonder divorced and lonely, Cassie Fremont, signed up for an on-line dating service? What later shocked her was cost of the ticket for a ride on the roller coaster from hell.
Here's my six sentences:
Cassie balled her fists. "We have another new credit card? Evan, you have to stop opening so many accounts. I can't keep track of all of them."
Evan gently dropped the box back into place and gathered her into what she'd come to know as his 'don't be mad at me' hug. She stiffened and stared at the ceiling while mentally mouthing the exact words she heard. "Don't be mad at me, baby girl."
Embezzled Love is available on Amazon, and from http://www.lbfbooks.com. I wish everyone a happy holiday, whichever you celebrate.
The old west was a tough place where men were men and women were scarce. During the mid-1800s, "Mail Order Brides" became a common way for finding a life partner. With few occupations available to pioneer women outside of being a seamstress, teaching or whoring, any female wanting to travel west considered being a bride her only option. Tons of men from the east had already migrated west to claim land, start businesses or pan for gold and find their fortune. Unlike today, the emphasis was not on the woman's looks, rather the need for a companion.
Some enterprising men earned a living by delivering the women west. Wagon trains carrying countless 'ladies' were a common sight. But how did they book passage? Prospective grooms wrote letters home and asked that clergymen pass on information, or they took out ads in newspapers. Females interested responded in kind, and it was through letters, which sometimes included the exchange of photographs, that women got to know their intended spouses. Usually some sort of finder's fee was the impetus to those who started the business of transporting the ladies to their mates. Those hoping to find a better life were often disappointed. Being a pioneer wife wasn't a bed of roses and not for the faint of heart.
Imagine the surprise! I can't even fathom marrying someone I'd never met. I wonder if women cheated back then like they do now on the computer dating sites. Of course men do it, too. I'm talking about posting a photo taken years and pounds ago.
See, times haven't changed quite as much as we believe. Instead of wagon trains west, now technology has provided us with different methods of mating. Prior to the computer, mail order magazines, showing mainly women from undeveloped countries looking for a better life were a much-used option. Now, a large number of "dating" sites have cropped up on the Internet. Some claim to match you with your soul mate and screen the membership, while others are clearly more interested in garnering membership fees and could care less about anything else. I know of what I speak.
I wrote a book based on my sister's experience with a computer dating site. Like some women in the old west who were single, divorced or widowed, she turned to a new and promising way to help find that certain someone. What happened wasn't pleasant, and I offered Embezzled Love as a warning. Here's the blurb and an excerpt:
They advertise on television—“find your true love; we’ll match you with the person of your dreams.” Their irritating spam clogs your computer inbox—"free tonight? Let’s chat.” You can turn the channel or hit the ‘trash’ button, but the promises still linger in your mind. Is it any wonder divorced and lonely, Cassie Fremont, signed up for an on-line dating service? What later shocked her was cost of the ticket for a ride on the roller coaster from hell.
Cassie awoke to an unusual sound outside. She rolled over to wake Evan only to find him gone - strange that he would get up so early on a Saturday morning. With a wide yawn, she forced herself to leave the warmth of her bed and get up and walk to the window to investigate. She pushed the curtain aside and peered out. The bright ascending sun blinded her momentarily, but once her eyes adjusted she saw a small tractor - a bobcat she believed they were called. Evan stood with three men and watched another dig gaping holes in her beautiful lawn. “Oh my God,” she spontaneously shouted, pushing the window open. “What are you doing?” Her words went unnoticed, covered by the roar of the lawn-eating monster.
She rushed to her closet, pulled her robe from its hook, and shoved her arms through the sleeves while stuffing her feet into her fuzzy slippers. Her soles barely touched the stairs as she flew down to stop the destruction before it got too far.
She burst out the back door. “Evan, what’s going on?”
“Hi, baby girl, sorry we woke you, but we wanted to get an early start.”
She barely heard him over the din of the tractor, and felt uneasy under the watchful stares of the strangers in her yard. She raised her voice to be heard. “Can I speak to you inside for a moment?”
Evan craned his neck toward her to hear. “What?”
“Inside, I need to speak to you inside,” she yelled.
Evan followed her into the house. When he tried to wrap his arms around her in a morning embrace, she pushed him away. “What the hell are you doing to my yard?”
He looked surprised. “I’m making some improvements.”
“How do you figure that digging a huge hole in my beautiful lawn is an improvement? Evan, I love my back yard.”
He reached for her hand. “Babe, if you love it now you’re gonna go crazy for it when I’m done. I’m putting in a big fish pond, complete with all the plants and a foot bridge.”
“Why?”
“Because, your home is going to be the showplace for our business - I need clients to be able to view my work. When I’m done, you won’t believe it’s the same yard.”
Cassie slowly shook her head in disbelief. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Don’t worry. I promise it will be a thing of beauty. You trust me don’t you?”
“I guess I have to at this point.” She pictured her once beautiful sod. “By the way, who are those guys?”
“Some of Stan’s extras. I hired them for the weekend.” Evan said with excitement. “You don’t mind putting up a little front money do you? I don’t have enough cash to pay all three of them.”
“Well … I guess I can handle it. How much do they get an hour?”
“Mexican labor is cheap, even in California. I promised them six dollars.”
“I’ll have to get dressed and get to the bank before noon. I don’t have enough cash on me. Do you have any other surprises I should know about? Swimming pools, tennis courts, riding stables?”
Evan laughed. “Nope, just a great big pond that we can load with lots of Japanese Koi.”
“Aren’t those expensive fish?”
“Nothing’s too good for my baby. Besides, I ordered a new credit card for the business to get us started. It should be here any day now.”
There are still Mail Order Brides, today. As in the catalogs, most are from underdeveloped countries or places where women have little value. There are documented cases of disappointed grooms or brides that have resulted in murder. So, think about the risks before you jump headlong into something that may not turn out as happily as you expect. Yes, I know there are happy-ever-after cases out there, but what are you willing to risk in hopes of becoming one?
If you'd like to read more, visit Wikipedia. It has some interesting facts and figures.
I got an early gift in the form of a congratulatory email telling me that Embezzled Love was selected as a finalist in the 2009 EPPIEs. I'm sure you thought you were feeling an earthquake, but it was only me doing a happy dance.
Some of you might ask, what is an EPPIE? To me, it's like being nominated for an EMMY or an OSCAR. My work was judged with that of my peers, and by entry number rather than name. Embezzled Love stood on its own merit and someone recognized my efforts by making me one of three finalists in the Single Story - Mainstream category. The notification came at a time when I was questioning my writing abilities, and now I feel renewed and ready to push on to see my final goal achieved--mainstream publishing. This might just be the information I need to include in my query letters that may make a difference. Win or lose, I'm feeling pretty blessed at the moment.
The winners will be announced in March at the Las Vegas EPICON. Between now and then you can bet that I'm going to be trying to amass the money to get there. I want to be there and feel the electricity in the air and share the excitement of all the other finalists. All I can say is, "WOW." Thank you EPPIE judges for making my day, week, month and year.
