Please help me welcome USA Today Bestselling Author Julianne MacLean to Workspace Wednesday. Julianne is a fellow Canadian, a wonderful, supportive friend, a savvy colleague, and an extremely talented author. Lest you think that’s my bias talking, Julianne is a 3-time RITA finalist and has won numerous awards, including the Booksellers’ Best Award, the Book Buyers Best Award, and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times. Her newest release – Married By Midnight (A Pembroke Palace Novella) – is now available. Without further delay, I give you Julianne MacLean.

 

 

JULIANNE: That’s it.  I can’t hide it anymore!  I’ve been living a lie and it’s time to come clean.

 

Last year when I launched my new website, I invited readers on a virtual tour of my office.  My husband videotaped a short segment where I displayed my bookcases, my tidy desktop and computer, and some lovely inspirational framed photos of Johnny Depp and Gerard Butler.

 

You can view it HERE.

 

I now confess that that video has become pure fantasy, because under normal circumstances, my office never looks like that. While endeavoring to create a glamorous image of my romance writing life for my website, I was dishonest, for in reality, it looks like this:

 

 

Notice there are open books strewn about, papers to be filed, a few dirty coffee mugs hanging around creating cup stains on the desk.  And here’s the kicker: I don’t even write down there anymore.  I used to (in fact, I believe I was still writing there when the original video was shot), but now I prefer to be on the main floor instead of down in the basement.

 

So the disaster area has moved up to my formal dining room where the situation is no better.  I only clean off the table for a giant family dinner when all my relatives are expected to arrive.

 

 

And no, I am not listening to music in this picture.  Those are sound-reduction headphones so I can shut out the world while still keeping an eye on the teenagers in my family room (I can see them through the French door).

 

I love my sound-reduction headphones.  When I place them over my ears, it’s as if I just dunked my head under water, and it’s GAME ON for writing.  Every writer should own a pair.

 

Notice also that I am working on a crappy laptop.  I use it only to revise or transpose new material, which I write longhand in a coiled notebook.

 

Here is where I often write longhand in the afternoons. That’s where I wrote most of Married by Midnight.

 

 

I also like to write in the big comfy chair in my living room. I have one of those lap desks, which was money well spent.

 

 

So there you have it, the truth revealed.  My office is just for storage.

 

Thank you for sharing that with us, Julianne! Though your basement office is lovely, I can see why you prefer that upstairs dining room. It really puts the “home” in home office. And I think I could write very happily in that comfy chair, but I’d have my laptop on that lap desk.

 

Okay, folks, now that Julianne has … er … come clean, so to speak, about the true state of her workspace, have you anything to say to her?

 

I should add that we will do a draw from among the commenters, the winner of which will receive the first three books in the Pembroke Palace series. If the winner is in North American, she may choose to receive the books in either electronic or print form. If the winner is international, however, the only option will be electronic, due to prohibitive shipping costs.

Please help me welcome award-winning author Lina Gardiner. Lina’s Jess Vandemire Vampire Hunter Series have netted her both a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense and a PRISM award (best first book). She is published by Imajinn Books and The Wild Rose Press. As well, she recently published her first indie effort to very positive reviews. 

 

Lina has given me some fantastic photos of her workspace, and I am going to ask her to narrate them for us. Take it away, Lina!

 

Norah, thank you for coming up with the great idea for Workspace Wednesday. I’m really pleased to be your first guinea pig (er…) author.  In all seriousness, I can’t wait to peek into other author’s offices to see what motivates them and feeds their muse.

 

In this photo (below) you can see I’ve surrounded myself with things that mean something to me.  First and foremost, on the wall is a watercolor painting by my friend and artist, Rik Hall.  He actually painted two of these cemetery paintings based on a moody, spooky picture I used on my website.  The second painting sold very quickly at an open house.  I actually wanted the second one too, but was too slow making up my mind. The photo of the cemetery was taken by Troy MacLellan, a co-worker who kindly gave this picture to me for my website.  I liked it so much the picture ended up in the background of my first book, Grave Illusions.   Some of the other things I have on my desk besides my Oxford dictionary J my Prism (Crystal Pyramid) – best first book award, and my Washington, DC Globe from my friend Joyce, my fuzzy frog from my friend Amy, the skull pen from my son and his fiancée, they got it at the vampire club in Melbourne, Australia and I was totally jealous that I didn’t get to go.  The skull, the mug and little red bag of stones are from my friend Cathy Boone, who just came back from Salem, Mass. where she had an honest to goodness ghost experience in her hotel. 

 

 

This photo is me pretending to be busy at the computer.  LOL  In reality, I don’t have to watch the keys when I’m typing.  I’ve been typing for over thirty years.  I always liked the image of Stephen J. Cannell typing on his old typewriter and pulling the sheet of paper out of the platen at the end of each of his TV shows.  Maybe that’s why I like the picture this way. 

 

 

The bookshelves on the wall were built for me by my husband, Iggy.  Everyone who comes into my office raves about them.  They’re gorgeous and they showcase my library of books to perfection.  And they often remind me how many books I still haven’t read.  I need to carve out a little more reading time. 

 

 

I see this wall the minute I enter my room.  You can’t miss the three giant posters of my first three books in my Jess Vandermire Vampire Hunter series.  My husband had the posters made for me and I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see them as a reminder that I’ve actually not only published ‘a’ book but several books.  The beautiful carved owl in the center of the desk was done by my ex-boss and friend, Brian Dykeman.  He does the most amazing carvings and he has a website if you’d like to see more of his work – just Google his name.  The little vase came from a co-worker, Chris Maund, who went to the Galapagos Islands years ago and brought it back for me (I’ve always treasured it), and the Baying Wolf was a gift from my husband when my newest book, Black Moon Awakening – a werewolf/shifter story was published.  Then there is the award on the desk, on the left side — My Domino Divas award.  We decided years ago, actually it was Norah who came up with the idea, that the writers in our little group were like dominoes; after one sold the rest would follow.  How right she was and is.  The two gorgeous wing back chairs were a gift from my niece Tracy and her husband Roger.  They are very comfortable and I often sit in them to read or review and revise my WIPs in comfort.  Wow, until I started naming the things in my office that mean something to me, I’d almost forgotten how lucky I am to be surrounded by reminders of my wonderful friends and family.

 

 

This wall to my left is my award wall (sort of).  I have the Prism Award and Daphne DuMaurier Award, as well as my RWA Conference badge.  These things remind me at all times that I want to be professional and I want to excel in my field.  They remind me that I must always work hard to improve my writing skills, and to keep moving toward my next goal.  On the filing cabinet below I’ve put pictures of my friends (my go-to place when doubt-devils are nipping at my heels).  Looking at the friendly, smiling faces always lifts my spirits.   I have a white board next to the filing cabinet, the place where I plot, usually after I’m well and truly into my book.  I start out as a pantser and then have to plot out the bones to keep everything cohesive.

 

 

Thank you, Lina! I am officially in love with your office! It’s gorgeous! And I love how you’ve surrounded yourself with various talismans and symbols of your journey, as well as very concrete evidence of your accomplishments! Totally inspiring! Thank you for sharing your space with us today.

 

You can check out Lina’s newest release from The Wild Rose Press, BLACK MOON AWAKENING (my current Kindle read!) or her self-published romantic suspense WHAT SHE DOESN’T KNOW.

 

Okay, what’s your favorite element or object in Lina’s workspace? (You’re not allowed to say Lina because that’s a given.)

I am both a writer and a lifelong reader. In both capacities, I’ve always been fascinated to see writers’ workspaces. (And don’t get me started on notebooks and colored gel pens and…well, any kind of stationery. It’s like writers’ porn!)

The more I love an author’s work, the more intensely interested I am in seeing the place or places where they create their art. (I also want to know if they have a pet and what kind, but that’s for another post.) Some authors have self-contained, dedicated offices while others work their magic from workspaces shoehorned into other areas of their homes, while still others are nomadic types who can – and do – write anywhere.

Over the next months, I plan to feature fellow authors – some of whom are close friends and some of whom I just admire – about their workspaces. There will be pictures. Lots and lots of lovely pictures! (Tents hands like Montgomery Burns.) In fact, this feature will start tomorrow when I bring you the workspace of award-winning author Lina Gardiner. I am both a fan and a friend of Lina’s, and I’ve actually seen her office.  

In the meantime, here’s a look at my new office. To mark my transition to full time writing, I’ve turned my seldom-used living room into an office.

My desk is a joy. My son set up the dual monitor thing so I can keep an eye on my tweeps while I work. I’m loving it!

But the real feature piece of this room are the built-in bookshelves/cabinets. I bought four separate birch shelf units and door kits at Kent Building Supplies, and my sisters primed and painted them this lovely, creamy antique white. Of course, I couldn’t have done this so cost effectively without my brother-in-law, the carpenter, who assembled the cabinets, then screwed them together, anchored them to the wall and hung the doors. This is not an easy DIY project!

The biggest bargain during this reno is my west wall with its window treatment and the conversation area. The drapes, complete with header and sheers, as well as the two arm chairs and the two brass lamps came from a liquidation sale of furniture removed from the Delta Fredericton Hotel as it updates all its bedrooms. Discounting the labor (it’s good to have sisters!), this cost me a whopping $160, of which $40 was for the extra traverse rod for the sheers. Draperies laundered and upholstery shampooed, they look great in my office, don’t you think? And this gives me a great space to meet with my partner on a number of writing projects, Heather Doherty.

 

And what office would be complete without a place for the pet? Here’s Chloe’s Corner:

The walls are still noticeably naked, but only momentarily. As soon as my sisters are available, we’ll hang the artwork. (By which I mean they will do it. We all have our talents, and mine is not decorating!)

So, what do you think? What’s your favorite element?

Woot! I have a box set! Well, a digital one. The three novels from my Serve and Protect Series have finally been gathered together into an omnibus Kindle volume. It’s currently available on Amazon for $8.99.

The free related novella Needing Nita is not included, mainly to avoid a situation where a  reader might think they were getting 4 novels instead of 3 novels and a novella. The last thing I ever want to do is mislead a reader! However, Needing Nita is and will remain free, so no worries.

So…what do you think? Isn’t it pretty?

 

 

 

Haven’t you heard? Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Or so it seems, judging by that sea of green clothing as everyone gets into the act.

Here in my city (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada), the preferred place to be on March 17 is the Lunar Rogue Pub. It has everything you could possibly want in a pub. Over 200 whiskies, an excellent selection of wines, and just about anything you could want on tap. And on St. Patrick’s Day, it has Celtic music and green beer! Yes, it’s the place to be. For everyone but me. LOL! It tends to be a little too busy (okay, jammed!) for my tastes on the big day.

But any day of the year, the Lunar Rogue is my absolute favorite pub in the world. They have the best nachos anywhere, and the peeps are great. Special shout out to Michelle and Marianne! You guys are the shiz!

Speaking of Fredericton, I’ve actually written a series of romantic suspense books – my Serve and Protect series – set right here. Here’s a blurb for the first book in that series, Guarding Suzannah:

Criminal defense attorney Suzannah Phelps is the bane of the Fredericton police department (they call her She-Rex for her habit of shredding cops in the witness box). She is currently being stalked, but is reluctant to report it to the police, whom she half suspects of being the perpetrators. But when Detective John (Quigg) Quigley learns of it, he’s determined to protect her, at considerable risk to his career. They’ve struck sparks off each other in the courtroom, and he’s burning to do the same in the bedroom. When the danger escalates, he has the perfect excuse to pose as her boyfriend, but the closer they get, the more the lines between pretense and reality blur.

In honor of this St. Patrick’s Day blog hop, I am giving away an electronic copy of Guarding Suzannah to a winner to be drawn from those who comment on this blog. In addition to the book (in the ebook format of the winner’s choice), the winner will also receive a $10-gift certificate to the online bookstore of their choice.

And here’s the best part — your comment on this blog (and every other stop on this blog hop) — gives you a crack at two grand prizes. One winner will receive his or her choice of a Kindle Fire or a Nook Color! A second winner will score a $90-gift certificate  from his or her choice of Amazon or B&N. The more stops on the blog hop you make (leaving a comment at each, of course!), the more chances you have to win. Up to 120 of them!

So … have at it! Leave a comment. Tell me what you do on St. Patrick’s Day, or tell me about your favorite pub (Irish or otherwise), or just say, “Hey, I’d really love to win your book and snag that gift certificate!” On St. Patrick’s Day, it’s all good.

Last but not least, here is the list of other sites on the Blog Hop. Have fun and good luck!

Name	Link
Carrie Ann Ryan	www.carrieannryan.blogspot.com
Lia Davis	www.authorliadavis.com/blog/
Jesse Kimmel – Freeman	http://bellanottethebook.weebly.com/blog.html
Heather Thurmeier	heatherthurmeier.com
Gem Savid	www.gemsivad.com/blog/
Emily Cale	www.emilycale.blogspot.com
Kharisma Rhayne	www.kharismarhayne.com
Megan Slayer	http://theauthormeganslayer.blogspot.com/
Wendi Zwaduk	wendizwaduk.blogspot.com/
Marie Dees	mariedees.com
Cassandra Carr	http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com/wordpress
Cynthia Woolf	www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog
Sandra Bunio	Sandrabunino.com
Vannessa Kelly/VK Sykes	vanessakellyauthor.com/vanessa-blog/
Tracy Sumner	tracysumner.com/blog
Lousia Bacio	louisabacio.blogspot.com
Kacey Hammell	http://kaceyhammellkreations.blogspot.com/p/st-patricks-day-blog-hop.html
Casia Major	caseamajor.wordpress.com/
Eliza Gayle	www.elizagayle.net/blog
Natasha Blackthorne	http://natashablackthorneblog.blogspot.com/
Allison Merritt	havenovelwilledit.blogspot.com
Sandra Sookoo	sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/st-pattys-day-blog-hop-its-not-easy-being-green/
Tara Lain	taralain.blogspot.com
Lila Shaw	http://lilashaw.com/2012/03/16/st-patricks-day-blog-hop/
Dianne Hartsock	diannehartsock.wordpress.com/my-blog/
Ella Jade	http://www.ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com/
Bella Street	http://www.bellastreetwrites.blogspot.com/
In a Dream Beyond	inadreambeyond.blogspot.com
Jessica E. Subject	markofthestars.com
H.D. Tomson	www.hdthomson.com
A Girl with a Computer	http://www.agirlwithacomputer.blogspot.com/
Dakota Trace	alittlebitofnaughty.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Draven	www.stephaniedraven.com
Welcome to the Island (DX lux)	welcome-to-the-island-of-dxluc.blogspot.com/
Chrisinte Quintessence	christineleovlealand-author.blogspot.com/
Tommy Bull Qutntessence	http://bullprotettoremurdermysteries.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Queen	www.StephanieQueen.com
Leigth Ellwod	leighwantsfood.blogspot.com
Linda Andrews	http://lindaandrews.wordpress.com/
Lizze Star – Starry words	starrwords.blogspot.com
K.E. Saxon	www.kesaxon.blogspot.com
Skye Warren	skyewarren.com/blog
Veronica Scott	veronicascott.wordpress.com/
Lissa Matthews	lissamatthews.com/blog
Life is a First Draft (Rebecca Clark)	rebeccajclark.blogspot.com
Keta Diablo	ketaskeep.blogspot.com
Victoria Adams	victoriaadams.blogspot.com/
Daryl Devore	myeroticnotions.blogspot.com/
Adriana Kraft	adrianakraft.com/blog
Kaye Manro	kayemanro.blogspot.com
Amber Kallyn	amberkallyn.wordpress.com
Romance Book Club (Joyce)	blog.romance-book-club.com/2012/01/st-patrick-day-bloghop-gift-card.html
A Writers (Kathryn Blake)	kathrynrblake.blogspot.com/
Pippa Jay	pippajay.blogspot.com/
Erica Pike	eripike.blogspot.com
Diane Alberts	dianealberts.com
Michael Mandrake	tabooindeed.blogspot.com
Nikki Brandyberry	nikkibrandyberry.wordpress.com/
Gabrielle Bissett	gbisset.blogspot.com/
Tamaria Soana	tamariasoana.blogspot.com/
Katey Hawthorn	www.kateyhawthorne.com/
She Likes it Verbal (Sarah Bella)	http://shelikesitverbal.com/blog/
Ranea Rose	www.ranaerose.blogspot.com
Selah Janel	www.selahjanel.wordpress.com
Zilah Anderson	http://zillahanderson.wordpress.com/
Cari Quinn	cariquinn.blogspot.com
Briana Courtney	brinacourtney.blogspot.com
Jorja Lovett	jorja-lovett.blogspot.com/
Get Intimate with History (Anna Markland)	http://annamarklandromanceauthor.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Lynne	jenniferlynne.com.au/blog
Breathless Press	www.breathlessblog.com/
Stephanie Haefner	http://www.stephaniehaefnerthewriter.com/
Lisa Kumar	lisakumar.blogspot.com/
Close Encounters (Nikki)	http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/
Liana Brooks	www.lianabrooks.com
Tory Michaels	www.torymichaels.com
Best Erotica (Jemma)	best-erotica-books.blogspot.com
Wendy Smith	http://www.wendysmithbooks.blogspot.com/
SL Carpenter	slcarpenter.blogspot.com/
Day Dreaming	daydrmzzz.blogspot.com/
The Ebook Reviewers (Viari Rose)	http://theebookreviewers.blogspot.com/
Dark Haven Book Reviews	http://www.darkhavenbookreviews.com/
BooksAreCool	www.booksarecool.com
DC Juris	dcjuris.blogspot.com/
Roz Lee	www.authorrozlee.blogspot.com
Le Ann Sontheimer Murphy	http://leeannsontheimermurphywriterauthor.blogspot.com/
Realmantic Moments	http://realmanticmoments.blogspot.com/
Angela Stone	http://www.angelastone.ca/blog-3
Brea Essex	breaessex.wordpress.com
Writing Utopia, One Word at a Time
Beth-Ann Mason	http://www.bethannmason.com/st-patricks-day-its-all-about-the-tradition/
Jennifer Lowery	http://jenniferloweryauthor.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/st-patricks-day-blog-hop/
Harlies Books	harliebooks.blogspot.com
Modern Mythic Romance	http://www.sherifredricks.com/apps/blog/
JM Madden	jmmadden.blogspot.com/
Lucy Francis	www.lucyfrancis.net
Jennfier Probst	www.jenniferprobst.com
Aine Massie	apmassie.com
Vickie Taylor	www.VickieTaylor.com
The Regeny Inkwell	http://theregencyinkwell.wordpress.com/
A Diamond in the Dark	www.akmarshall.com
Michele Hart	http://michelehart.blogspot.com/
Vicki Batman	vickibatman.blogspot.com
Kristine Cayne	http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/
Norah Wilson	http://norahwilsonwrites.com/wordpress/
Angelique Armae	http://angeliquearmae.blogspot.com/
Lisa Mondello	www.lisamondello.blogspot.com
JL Oiler	www.joiler.weebly.com
Linda Frazier	lyndafrazier.blogspot.com
Stacy Juba	stacyjuba.com/blog/blog/
Liz Crowe	www.brewingpassion.com
Heaven Oshey	http://theworldofheavenoshey.blogspot.com/
Patricia Green	www.patriciagreenbooks.com
Cat Kalen	www.catkalen.com/blog/
Madeline Sloane	www.madelinesloane.com/
Jenna Jaxon	jennajaxon.wordpress.com
Dianne Ventta	www.diannevenetta.com
The Jeep Diva	www.thejeepdiva.com/
Margay Leah Justice	margayleahjustice.blogspot.com
Leia Shaw	www.leiashaw.blogspot.com
JoAnne Kenrick	www.joannekenrick.com
Rose Gordon	http://rosesromanceramblings.wordpress.com/

Back in December, I had the pleasure of being interviewed at Theresa Ragan’s blog. I thought it would be fun to turn Theresa’s own questions back on her, and she agreed.

By way of introduction, Theresa is an amazingly talented and incredibly hot-selling author in multiple genres (her tag line: 3 genres, 2 names, 1 author). She was a Legal Secretary for fifteen years before she penned her first novel and discovered her passion for writing. She is a member of The Golden Network and the Sacramento Chapter of RWA. Theresa has garnered six Golden Heart nominations in Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart Competition for her work. She lives with her husband, Joe, and the youngest of her four children in Sacramento, California.

Welcome, Theresa! Please tell us about yourself and your books in 100 words or less.

It took me five years to write my first book. What a learning experience! I wrote for 19 years with the goal of selling a book to a big 6 publisher. I wrote every day and I signed with two agents. No sale. Not until 2011 after I went indie. Everything has changed since then. Now when I write, I know my story will be read. More than ever, I want to write the best book I can. I want to bring smiles to readers’ faces. I want to make readers cringe, squirm, laugh, and cry. I am having the time of my life!

 

Did you ever want to quit writing? Why or why not?

Yes! I knew from the start that my writing journey might be a difficult one. I had read every how-to book on the planet and they all mentioned that rejection was part of the deal. Despite the warnings, never in a million years, did I think getting published would be THIS difficult. I was doing everything right: writing, learning, growing, putting my work out there. I tried to quit and I lasted six months. During that time, I felt agitated and moody. I was not happy when I wasn’t writing. I also went through a bitter stage. Inside, I felt as if I knew I would publish someday and when I did I was going to shout “It’s about time!” Following the bitter stage, I finally became enlightened. I believe that was in 2007. I knew that I needed to let the bitterness go and find joy in the writing and that’s exactly what I did. It’s all about attitude. You can train yourself to be a positive person. I let go of the negative thoughts and became grateful for everything good in my life. I’ve never looked back and I’ve never again entertained the idea of quitting.

 

What are your writing career goals? (i.e. to write 2 books a year? To hit the NY Bestsellers List? To sell 100 books a month?)

My goal is to write an amazing story…the kind of story that will make people laugh and cry and think. I have no idea what story that will be or what genre, but that’s my goal. I want to inspire others to never give up on their dreams. I want to hit the NY Times Bestseller List. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there.

Have you truly mastered grammar and sentence structure? Do you feel 100% confident about every comma in your book?

I feel 50% confident in my abilities. I’ve taken so many classes, but there are too many exceptions to the rules. If I ask 20 people whether or not I need a comma, 10 say no and the other 10 say yes.

 

How many pages do you think you could write in one day if you had zero interruptions from 8 AM to 8 PM?

30 pages. I love getting a day with no interruptions. It happens about once a month now that my kids are grown up!

 

How do you think (take a guess) writers like Nora Roberts write so many books in a year?

I am guessing she wakes up, grabs her coffee and goes STRAIGHT to her laptop. She pulls up her WIP and starts writing. She doesn’t look at email or Facebook. She doesn’t tweet or spend time searching the internet for fun tidbits. She writes. Maybe she does some of the other stuff later once she finishes her 50 pages for the day, but I doubt it. 🙂

 

What would be easier for you to write, a sex scene or a murder scene?

A murder scene by far. I think it’s because when I read I tend to skip sex scenes in books unless the scene is funny or really ads to the story somehow. Sex is great, but murder is just plain fun to write! Ha. Okay, now I sound sick and twisted. What a horrible question to ask!

 

LOL, Theresa! May I remind you that was YOUR question. Okay, if you were allowed to have only ONE book (of yours) for sale on Amazon and B&N, which book would you select? Why do you think readers might enjoy it?

I would pick Abducted because when I was writing that book, I had thrown caution to the wind. I started writing that book during the bitter stage I talked about earlier. I was angry and my characters were going to pay with their lives. And they did. That book allowed me to let go of my anger and bitterness with where my career was going at the time (or NOT going). Writing Abducted was definitely therapeutic and I am grateful for that book and for that time in my life. Readers might enjoy Abducted because it’s fast-paced and entertaining.

What made you decide to become a writer? 

I was pregnant and on a leave of absence from work. I was tired of watching Young and the Restless, so I read my very first romance. The escapism was exactly what I needed. I laughed and cried and I knew the minute I finished the book that I wanted to provide that same sort of escapism for women just like me.

 

Do you remember the first time you sat down and started writing your first novel? Did you start with notes or did you start with Chapter One and go from there?

I thought I was writing a book, but I ended up with a 50 page outline. That’s why the first book I wrote took me so long. Now I write Chapter One in the heading and go from there. No outline needed.

 

Any advice for new writers just getting started?

Write the book that YOU want to write. Don’t write the book your mother or sister wants you to write. Don’t write the book that you think will sell to a publisher. Don’t write a vampire book just because they’re all the rage. Write the book that speaks to YOU. The sort of book you would want to read. If that means your hero is a one-legged pirate with a stutter, then go for it! Believe in yourself. Write your FIRST draft with abandon. No critiquing. Just let the story out. Have fun. Let it flow. When you get to the end, start revising. The great writing is in the revising.

Thanks for inspiring me to self-publish, Norah, and for having me on your blog!

 

Thank you for joining me, Theresa. It’s always a pleasure. And thank you for inspiring us all with your amazing success story. You are a shining example of what can happen when talent and perseverance meet opportunity!

 

Theresa loves to hear from readers. Connect with her online at:

Theresa Ragan Website

Theresa on Twitter

Theresa on Facebook

 

 

 

Phew! I feel like I’ve just completed a marathon. Sadly, it didn’t involve any physical activity, which I really, really need to focus on. Rather, it involved still more hours in a chair as I browsed stock photo sites and conferred with my cover artist (the talented and very cool Kim Killion, of Hot Damn Designs).

Are the covers perfect representations of my characters from each of those three stories (and the novella)? No. In my experience, a cover is never perfect. Her hair is a little too wavy/straight/long/short, he’s a little more/less muscular than I intended him, etc. But what they do do, I think, is capture the tone/mood of the series collectively. Individually, I think they each reflect something true about the relationship between the hero and heroine. And I’m thrilled with them! Here they are for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

 

 

So what do you think? Do you have a favorite? Have you read any of these books? And if so, how does your experience of the book line up with the new covers? I’d love to know!

On this lazy New Years Day Sunday morning, I’ve done a little number crunching while the household sleeps. Below are my approximate sales numbers for the 11 titles I had available. I say approximate, because it will be a while yet before the full tale can be told vis-a-vis my sales through Smashwords distributors for the last reporting period. I should also mention that one title – Lauren’s Eyes – has been pulled and is no longer available in my self-published catalogue. Happily, it will soon be available again (Spring 2012) from Montlake, the romance imprint of Amazon.

Okay, on to the numbers, which take into account sales through Amazon, Smashwords and its distributors (including Apple, B&N, Kobo, Sony & Diesel), and AllRomanceEbooks.

 

Title	Price	Units Sold	# of Months available / year
THE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Guarding Suzannah	$3.99 (briefly $2.99)	4,325	12
Saving Grace	$3.99	3,058	12
Protecting Paige	$3.99	2,442	12
Needing Nita (15K Novella)	FREE	120,736	12 (3 on Amazon)
Lauren’s Eyes	$2.99	2,068	11
THE PARANORMAL ROMANCE
The Merzetti Effect	$3.99 ($0.99 briefly for holiday promo)	1,004	7
Nightfall	$3.99	208	3
THE DIX DODD COZY MYSTERIES
The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen	$0.99 (was $2.99 for 3 months, then free for 3 wks)	44,667	9
Family Jewels	$2.99	2,740	6
THE YA PARANORMALS
The Summoning (Book 1 Gatekeepers)	$3.99	36	9
Ashlyn’s Radio	$3.99	26	7
TOTAL UNITS SOLD		181,310

While 181K books sold sounds very impressive, bear in mind that more than 133K of them were free. Which means I sold approximately 47,500 paid units. Also, the biggest earner (the Dix Dodd Mysteries) are jointly written with a partner, so the income is split.

Any way you cut it, though, it was a very nice year. On the solo side, my romantic suspenses continue to find an audience, and the paranormal romance is starting to come along. With respect to the joint work, my writing partner and I plan to publish two more Dix Dodd mysteries in the coming year, as well as launching a website specific to the series, so I believe the cozies will continue to be the best-sellers. Our YA clearly needs some help. It has suffered from lack of promotion, as we focused our attention on the better performers. However, we do plan to put those books into print and budget a little more promo time for them to see what happens.

The indie publishing landscape seems to be changing beneath our feet yet again, so it’s difficult to predict what the year will look like in retrospect when I sit down to do this on New Years Day 2013. However, I think it’s safe to say it won’t be boring!

With the spirit of giving in the air, over 30 Romantic Suspense authors have pitched in to create a single awesome prize! ONE lucky individual will win all the marbles … I mean, e-books!

Contest begins December 16 and the winner’s name will be drawn the evening of December 19.

Although we’re talking ebooks here, every author contributing to this fantastic prize is multi-published and has been traditionally published in romantic suspense.

My contribution is GUARDING SUZANNAH, Book 1 in my Serve and Protect Series. But there are some huge names here! I am honored to be in their company. For instructions on how to enter – and to get a gander at the participating authors/prizes – visit the Just Romantic Suspense website.

Good luck!

During the months of September and October, I made Book 1 in the Dix Dodd Mystery series free across all platforms which I control, for promotional purposes. Amazon eventually price-matched. During those several weeks, sales of The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen skyrocketed and it soared to #1 on the Top 100 Free in Kindle Store list. When the price was reinstated ($0.99), the book continued to top the genre lists (Humor, Women Sleuths) and managed to hang around on the Top 100 Paid list for a bit. While the book enjoyed that visibility, sales were phenomenal. But was there any lasting impact?

Yes and no.

As you will see from the table below, by far the biggest impact was on sales of Book 2 in the Dix Dodd Mystery series. Family Jewels continues to sell very briskly at its full price of $2.99 (500 units per month, compared to pre-sale volumes of 50 units per month).