FREE eBook Promotion October 2-October 4 Plus Win An Autographed Copy Of Accountable To None By Ashley Fontainne

I'm SO excited to be able to kick this off for Ashley! Make sure you enter the contest and check out her FREE re-released book! :)

In celebration of re-releasing Accountable To None with a brand new cover and interior design, Ashley Fontainne is running a FREE eBook promo October 2 through October 4. Plus enter her contest to win an autographed copy of Accountable To None. Enter the contest by clicking HERE.

Click the cover image below to download the FREE eBook from Amazon or click HERE!

Introducing the new cover for Accountable To None...

And here is the new interior layout for Accountable To None...

Synopsis:

What if the unspeakable happened to you? Would you fantasize about seeking personal vengeance? How far would you go...and how much would you sacrifice to hold those responsible that believe they are accountable to none?

Welcome to the prestigious accounting firm of Winscott & Associates. Welcome to Audra Tanner's personal hell. She had heard the rumors about her employer. The whispered secrets. But she had thrown herself into work to escape the pain of her miscarriage and demise of her marriage. Idealistic, she thought if she worked hard she would be rewarded. She thought wrong.

Savagely initiated into the brutal underbelly of the firm, Audra learns too late that the rumors are true. Now after five years of careful plotting, Audra is ready to push the wheels of justice in motion. Her goal of retribution has turned into an obsession and she will stop at nothing until everyone responsible pays. Will revenge set her free or is Audra's quest for personal justice only beginning?

What People Are Saying About Accountable To None...

…I truly enjoyed it and recommend it to all who enjoy a fast, intriguing and entertaining story with a little mystery thrown in for good measure.” – Midwest Book Reviews Senior Reviewer and author Joan A. Adamak

...you are grabbed hook, line and sinker into the story as the book becomes an almost compulsive read." – Charlotte Foreman, reviewer for BestChickLit.com

“… this is now one of my favorite books of all time… even after you finish, it doesn't let go. It stays with you.” – author Lindsay Anne Kendal

…I'm exhausted. I could not put this book down. It gripped me from the very beginning and the intensity level just kept building and building…an AMAZING READ!” – author Sandy L. Wolters

Thank you for joining us today, Ashley! We're excited to have you here! Let's talk about you and the re-release of your novel Accountable to None. 

Accountable To None has a brand new look. What made you decide to update this already bestselling novel and who designed it for you?

The publishing world was, and still is at times, completely foreign to me. I sort of stumbled in, blind to all the subtle nuances and intricacies that it entails. Branding, tagging, click this, click that and all the sites to promote your work and how to promote it overwhelmed me (and still does at times). This is the bane of being an Indie writer because everything falls upon your shoulders.

I liken the change to trading in an older Corvette for a newer model.  The design is sleeker, the paint shinier and the new car smell stronger but underneath it all, the same vibrant engine still roars. Although I loved the previous cover design, once I was introduced to the fabulous team at Blue Harvest Creative, I knew it was time for some new exterior ‘paint’ and a luxurious interior.

Where did you get the inspiration to write Accountable To None?

My muse for penning this series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. The revenge on all those who hurt and betrayed Edmond Dantes and the incredible rollercoaster ride his journey takes you on intrigued me. My love for this book is what sparked my desire to write Accountable to None. With a modern setting to the tale, I wanted to delve into just what lengths a person is willing to go to as they attempt to seek justice on their own for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answers that question: far and wide.

When you write does the idea or do the characters come first?

It depends upon what I am working on. For this series, the character of Audra came first, and the rest of the story and the characters fell into place around her.  One novel I am working on right now focusing on the idea of learning to lean on God during times of great turmoil, and is told through the eyes of a woman that decides to end her life.

Do you have a writing routine?

My long commute to and from work each day allows me to work out the scenes in my head, editing and re-writing mentally until the scene is set. Then, when I have time such as at lunch or late in the evening, I sit in front of the computer and let my fingers fly, literally closing my eyes as I recall my thoughts from earlier.

Are there certain elements or themes you like to address in your writing?

If you only read the first novel in the series, then you might walk away with the impression that the book was solely about one woman’s quest for personal justice. However, if you read the entire trilogy, my hope is that readers discover that I am not advocating vigilantism. Quite the contrary.  I hope that after reading this series, people will contemplate the devastating consequences that exacting revenge on someone that has hurt them might have, especially on innocent bystanders. Let’s face it—we all have had those moments of intense physical or mental pain that urged us to strike back, to inflict pain upon another as payback. When the blinders of anger cause you to focus on nothing but revenge, you fail to see the other options available, nor the potential pain that your own actions might end up causing others.

What has been the most satisfying accomplishment of being an author?

That was the day I received a private message on Goodreads from a reader that just finished Accountable to None. She wanted to let me know that after reading the book, she was going to finally seek therapy for the buried trauma she suffered over ten years prior when she became a victim of rape. She told me that she knew she needed to let go of the pain and anger and face her demons, and thanked me for opening her eyes to that. I remember staring at the computer screen, mouth agape and heart pounding as tears streamed down my face.

That moment in my life made every difficult turn and bump in the road worth it. To know that my words helped another person is something I will cherish forever.

How did you decide on this genre and do you write in any others?

I love reading a book that makes your heart beat faster as your palms sweat and your throat goes dry. I also enjoy reading a book that allows you to place yourself in the situation and really ponder: what would I do if faced with the same situation?

Suspense/thrillers are my favorite, but I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into just one genre. So, earlier this year, I released my poetry and short story book, Ramblings of A Mad Southern Woman, that touches upon many things, including my faith.

I am currently working on two novels at the moment (yes, I’m a glutton for punishment) one which is a historical type saga about a World War II veteran that will be heavily based upon my grandfather, and the other will be a tear jerker. After those two are complete, I’m switching to humor…I need a laugh break!

What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

My husband and I love to be out on our boat, so most weekends during the humid summer you will find us lounging at the ‘Redneck Riviera’ sandbar, also known as Lake Catherine. I love plants and have a lovely flower garden that I enjoy puttering around in. Our children are grown and on their own now, so my husband and I treat our dogs and cats like kids. My husband has been trying to teach me how to water ski, but it is a losing battle.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog. I had a lot of fun and I hope everyone enjoys the free eBook and enters the contest. 

Be sure to check out Accountable to None and make sure to stop by and say hello to the lovely and talented Ashley Fontainne.

About Ashley Fontainne

International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning this series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. The revenge on all those who hurt and betrayed Edmond Dantes and the incredible rollercoaster ride his journey takes you on intrigued her. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy Eviscerating the Snake. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into the lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance, focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries, the third in the series, answers that question: far and wide.

Born and raised in California, Ashley now calls Arkansas home with her husband and four children. She also enjoys writing poetry and short stories and recently published Ramblings of a Mad Southern Woman: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry on Life, Love, Loss and Longing, which is available on Amazon. Ashley is also a supporter of the Joyful Heart Foundation that assists victims of violent crime seeking help and healing, and donates 10% of all yearly book sales to the cause.

Connect With Ashley:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Freaking out

Today I went with a friend for moral support in her obtaining a new tattoo. I love tattoos. She was sitting at the desk, getting her finger inked and introducing me to the people at the shop. She introduces me to the apprentice tattoo-er as, "Hey, this is my friend, Jean. She writes erotica."
We all laugh and I blush furiously. I hate being the center of attention and I'm intensely shy. I love sharing my books, so this shyness does pose a slight problem for me. (insert sarcasm. It poses a HUGE problem for me!)
She and I talk about books and she proceeds to go to Amazon.com and download the complete set to read later. She's super excited to be able to not only read porn but to also read up on her zombies and vampires/supernaturals.
At this point, the owner, who's doing the tattoo on my friend, mentions that he'd love to have a set as well as some copies to sell on consignment. I'm giddy with excitement! I'll actually be IN a store!!! Sure, it's a tattoo place, but how friggin AWESOME!!!! I tell him that I have to order a few more copies of the books as I'm running low on paperbacks and we start talking about how cool it'd be to have an author book signing or a meet the author day in his shop.
My stomach churns with excitement and nerves.
He tells me I should create some flyers and post them up around the university (It's literally a block away) and set up a date with him to do the meet and greet. He also mentions that he would like to put up a shelf in his shop where my books can be displayed and he can help me sell them.
Thankfully, my friend's tattoo is finished and someone else comes into the shop asking about tattoos. I can sit in her car and have my panic attack. I knew this day would come. I just thought I'd be ready for it when it came. Book signings. Meet and greets. My books in stores. Hyperventilating now. How does an extremely shy, introverted, albeit, a bit wacky, girl come out of her shell to meet and chat with people she doesn't know? Will you come hold my hand for moral support? :)
I'm ordering more books now in preparation for a signing/meet and greet. I have to figure out flyer ideas as well as something to sign for those who downloaded the books onto an eReader. I'm super excited and terrified at the same time. There's no hiding behind a computer screen or pages in a book. This is me, open, exposed and trying not to look like a complete dork.

Bundle of nerves

I don't think I've ever been this apprehensive or nervous for a book release before. I send Created to some author friends to be beta read and have been trying to wait patiently for them to respond. It's KILLING me!!! I'm so nervous I don't think I ever want to do this again. Hopefully they love it and it'll all be worth it. :) Crap! I have to go to work now. Have a great day!

Thanks

Thanks to all of you who helped make Katie Jennings' birthday a blast yesterday by downloading her Free book! Y'all are awesome!
My folks are all nestled in the guest room, Bry's snuggling away with some kitties and Princess just decided that my forearm is her most favorite pillow. As stressed out as I've been this week, it all just doesn't seem to matter right now. Kitty purrs and hugs from my mom and dad are just what the doctor ordered. :)
I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend filled with the little things in life that we all take for granted.

WHEN EMPIRES FALL

WHEN EMPIRES FALL

FREE eBook Promotion and Birthday Bash Blog Tour!

In celebration of her quarter-life crisis, Katie Jennings is running a one-day only FREE eBook Promo for her latest release, When Empires Fall! Click the cover image below to download the FREE eBook from Amazon, or click HERE!

What people are saying about When Empires Fall…

“A modern day epic in the tradition of Gone With The Wind… Infused with deception, lust, murder and romance, Jennings creates a magnificent family saga not to be missed.” -J.L. Firestone, author

“Exhilarating and fresh… Jennings masterfully weaves an intricate web of deception and lies…When Empires Fall is not as much a story about the rich as it is a story about human character.” -Cristian Mihai, author/blogger

“Wow! This word doesn’t even capture the writing ability of Jennings…gifted with character development to rival the New York Times best-sellers…Jennings tantalizes her readers at every chapter and scene break. Her characters are addictive.” -Bestselling Author Carolyn Arnold

Synopsis…

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall…

In America, kings are not born, they are made.  Men with ambition build their own empires and it is their heirs who carry the torch of tradition, generation by generation. 

The Vasser Hotel Empire rose out of the ashes of an Industrial era, cementing itself in the very heart of America’s greatest city, New York.  Through the drive and courage of one man, a legacy was born that would last more than a hundred years.

That is, until word got out that one of their own was murdered. 

Sixty years of lies will come crashing down in flames of treachery and blood, and the truth will send shockwaves through an entire nation.  Now the newest generation of Vasser heirs will have to deal with the consequences, or else allow their legacy to burn to the ground.

But dark secrets are buried deep within the family itself, and everyone has an agenda.  Love of family and forbidden passion will set off sparks in a powder keg ready to annihilate the empire, but it may also be the only thing keeping them whole.

When reputation is everything, it will take all they’ve got to save themselves from their own undoing.

Book Trailer…

But Wait…There’s More!

Also in celebration of both her birthday and the FREE promotion, Katie is unveiling the book cover and teaser trailer for the highly anticipated sequel to When Empires Fall…

Here is

Rise of the Notorious

Coming Spring 2013

Synopsis:

Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, and we are for the dark.

When their empire fell, darkness descended upon the Vasser Hotel family and shrouded them in chaos.  It was a darkness layered in violent sins and staggering deception, made only more potent by a haunting truth.  Murder, it seemed, was a burden they couldn’t escape.

With a scandal plaguing the family’s reputation, the Vasser heirs must rise to the occasion and utilize a killer’s advice to turn bad publicity into good, and tradition into innovation.

If only it was that easy.

In an elaborate game of hidden motives and sinister agendas, more dirty truths from the past will resurface, truths that could bring about victory or bloodshed.  But how will the Vasser siblings react when the real threat to their family not only has power and control on the mind, but assassination as well?  What will they do when it becomes clear that someone out there wants them destroyed, no matter the price?

The Vassers may have fallen from grace, but now they will rise as notorious.

About Katie Jennings…

Nothing can compare to the exhilaration of discovering, at last, a mode of release for the imagination. Mine came, after years of struggling to visualize my creativity, in the form of written word. I found myself with my nose constantly in a book, absorbing the life of the characters and the beauty of the setting. It was intoxicating, to say the least, and the only thing I knew was that I wanted to give writing a shot, and take the thousands of characters and storylines in my head and put them down on paper, and form them into something real and compelling.

In truth, I'm just a girl from a small town north of Los Angeles, with an imagination for days and thank goodness a keyboard at my fingertips. And even though my husband thinks I'm a nerd and my mom is undoubtedly my biggest fan, at the end of the day I'm loving life and enjoying giving breath to the characters living in my heart, and sharing with others all the creativity I can harness.

I believe in true love, and I've always believed in happy endings. And that is just the beginning of the story.

Connect with Katie…

Official Author Website

Facebook

 Twitter

Blog

 Amazon Author Page

exhausted

I've been working and writing my butt off lately and I'm exhausted. I'm still trying to get Consumed finished for publication by October 31, but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to hit that self-imposed deadline. I will definitely have Created out for you before then. I'm just finishing up a few things and hope to have it up soon. I'll keep you posted as soon as I know what's going on. lol
My dad's coming to visit this weekend to add to the fun that is my life, so I've spent the last two weeks trying to figure out where my desk actually is. ;) It's been buried under notes, papers, scribbles and cat hair for longer than I care to admit.
The house looks nice, allergy shots are itching, Created is in the edit/publication stage and Consumed is about half-way to completion. All is going well in my busy busy life. I wish y'all a wonderful weekend and happy reading!
Don't miss my post tomorrow! My friend Katie Jennings is having a birthday eBook giveaway for her awesome new novel When Empires Fall. It's an amazing book and she's an excellent storyteller. :)

Finally.... Finished!

I don't know what it is about the last chapter of my books that makes me panic. I almost always write the last chapter sometime in the middle of the books, so it's not the actual last chapter of the book, but the last chapter I need to write for the book to be done that freaks me out. I sit and think about every negative aspect I can think about, wonder if I should scrap the whole thing as garbage, or just give up on writing all together.
To those of you who get to deal with my insanity on a daily basis, man, I feel for you! lol. For those of you who get the updates when my mind hasn't been fried from working and writing so much, count yourselves lucky. For the past two weeks, I've been trying to get through the last two and a half chapters of Created. I've been panicking and writing and hanging my head as I read through everything I've already written. I've gone from loving my work to feeling like it's all bullshit and should be burned. I've wept and screamed and laughed and cried some more. I've argued with people over the dumbest things and felt bad while I was doing so. I don't know what it is about the end of the books that make me feel like this.
The good news is, it's finished. Finally! My parent's are visiting next week for the weekend and my house is trashed. I've done absolutely nothing this past week besides work, sleep and write. I needed to get this done, to get past the stress of the end. I know once I start the edits, I'll be back to my normal psychotic self, but until then, ick.
I'm doing something a little different with this one, something I haven't really done with the others. I'm having beta readers. "What's that?" You ask. Good question. It took me forever to figure that out.
Apparently beta readers are people who read your work before it's published and give you feedback on it. They're kinda like editors, but not really. That is at least what I've figured out. I did my first beta reading last month, and am hoping to gain some good feedback this month for my book. This will be the first time I ever really have a delay between finishing a book and publishing it. It's very strange to me to be doing this, but I'd like to see if it helps the books sound any better.
I know what I want them to be, what they sound like in my head. I'm so close to the characters though, that it's hard to know if I put everything that's in my head down on paper. I don't always type as fast as I think and I don't always have access to a computer, paper or recorder when I come up with things that  help develop the characters. Here's to hoping beta readers help me find any gaps. :)
Sorry I've been off here for so long, I've been working my butt off trying to get this book done so I can work on Consumed to get them both out in October. Not sure if that's going to happen, but I'll at least have Created out then!
<3 y'all!

9-11-12

Eleven years ago we were struck with a tragedy no one really believed was happening. It was like something out of a bad B-movie. This stuff didn't happen in real life, not to us. When the second plane hit on live television, I still remember the gasps, the look of horror on people's faces. I still remember coming home after my appointment and wanting to stay home all day, hugging my then boyfriend (now husband) and calling all my family back east.
It's strange what you remember about certain days, how horrific acts can freeze an entire day in your memory, never to be forgotten. I remember every little detail of that day like it was yesterday, yet my actual yesterday is a blur.
I'm thankful to have not lost anyone that day. I'm thankful to have friends and family in the military who defend our great country in times of crisis. I'm thankful to live in a country where I'm free to express myself in any way I feel necessary as long as I'm not harming someone. I'm thankful today for so many things, things that I take for granted on other days.
It's my wish, my prayer, that we thank those that protect us, that defend our rights, and remain thankful not only for today, but every day of our lives.
To those who lost someone dear to them eleven years ago, my heart goes out to you. To the men and women in service (military, police, fire, emt) I thank you for everything you do every day. We truly would not be the country we are today if it weren't for people like you fighting for our rights and freedoms.
I will never forget.

One into two

No, it's not magic. At least, it certainly doesn't feel that way. I've officially decided to convert the ever lengthening Created into two shorter, yet still long in their own right, novels. I'm not finished with either one, so don't start jumping in your chair just yet. I'm still shooting for October as a release date, but still not sure if that's going to happen. I want to release them both at the same time.
I was brainstorming with a fan/friend last week and we came up with excellent title ideas and a percolating synopsis and cover art for the second book. I'm not too terribly worried about those two things as I usually don't do them until the books are finished anyway. I may still wind up putting the two back into one, but I doubt it. I'm keeping my options open. :)
The first is going to remain Created as it's quite literally the story of how Victoria became a created vampire. It is very, VERY dark. This book takes me to places even I don't want to go. After some scenes, I need a major chick flick movie break. The second is Consumed. Natasha and Stephan return in this one. It's full of romance, power and my emotional roller coaster that I love to take you on. ;) I still haven't seen all the twists that occur here. It's very exciting and I must say... I love Logan!
Anyway, I'll keep you posted as things develop. Cross your fingers and toes that things continue jamming and I can actually get these both out before October comes to a screeching halt. TTFN - I'm off to bed.

To the Ignorant.

One of my fellow Indie authors sent me a link to an interview with Ms. Grafton of the alphabet series. I have never read or purchased any of her books, and quite frankly, after reading this interview, I never will.
As you, my faithful followers, know, I've thought long and hard about publishing traditionally. You all know this is still something that I still think about from time-to-time. However, I'm Indie. In my heart and my soul, I'm an Indie author through-and-through. I've posted YouTube videos showing how I do the cover art for the books, you've read the frustrations and challenges I've faced as I try to figure out formatting, scenes, marketing and so-forth. Being an Independent Author is extremely difficult, frustrating and rewarding.
Ms. Grafton was stated as saying something to the effect that Indie authors were lazy, taking the easy road out and not perfecting their craft. She states that Indie authors don't take the time to develop their characters, do research or bother to edit their books before publication. We (The Indie authors) simply spew out some drivel, publish it for all to read, and wait for our multi-million dollar paychecks because we wrote a book and that's what we deserve.
After reading her interview I became rather angry and saddened by the ignorance of Ms. Grafton. Now, I will fully admit, there are authors out there who probably do fit her description. They're not solely in the Indie author field though. There are Traditionally published authors I refuse to read simply because they had someone else writing their books and they just went through and fine-tuned it, putting their name on it and spewing out dozens of books a year. There are other authors that even when traditionally published, their books are crap, in my humble opinion. They either start spewing out the same repetitive drivel over and over, or don't even bother sending them to the editor before publication.
I can't speak for every Indie author, just as I know in my heart, Ms. Grafton doesn't speak for every Traditional author, but I can tell you what I do when writing.
I don't expect millions when I write a book. I don't even think about the paycheck as I write my books. I rarely think about it after the book is out. I simply write a book that I want to read and hope that others enjoy it as much as I do and then move on to the next as the muse directs me.
I develop my characters. Perhaps I don't do it like everyone else, but that's the beauty of being an individual. I let my characters talk to me, think about their story, and tell me how they want it to go. Sometimes, when I try to explain my writing to others, I feel a bit schizophrenic. It's not quite like that.
I do research for all my books. I'm constantly researching things. Wether it's in the other books in the series, or sitting in the library reading up on ancient Incan civilizations, or mythology of Atlantis, I'm constantly trying to make my books believable, even though they are complete fiction.
I work full time nights. Anyone who's ever worked the night shift can understand what that does to a person. Those of you who haven't, well, we're a tad sleep-deprived and a little wacky. Things have to be done during the day time hours that cannot be done at night, errands have to be meticulously planned out and our lifestyles completely change because we work when our bodies want to rest. My husband works day shift. On the weekends, I stay up for 24+ hours so I can revert my schedule to a day shift and actually see him for a few hours. During the time when I'm not cooking, cleaning, working, or dealing with family dynamics that I will not discuss here, I write. I have to figure out time to talk to my wonderful fans on FB, Twitter, Blog, and other social media sites during the time I have set aside to write. I have to still try to get my novels out in a timely manor so that you, my beloved fans, don't cause a riot. lol.
This economy sucks. I'd love for nothing more than to write every day, all day long. I'd love to not have to go to my "real" job and have my writing pay my bills. Someday, I hope this happens. Those that know me personally, will tell you that I've always stated that I just want to live comfortably doing the thing I love doing, with the people I love around me. That to me is the perfect life. I've never wanted or expected millions. I don't want the uber-fame of JK Rowling, but I'd like my stories read. When people come up to me and discuss the books, what they liked and hated about them, that's where I get my rewards. Watching them light up as they discuss how the characters have endeared themselves to the reader, that's why I write. I love it.
Are my books absolutely 100% perfect. No. Are there any books out there without an error or two in them? Absolutely not. Do I strive for perfection in my books? You bet your ass I do. I go over my books repetitively. I can't afford to have someone else edit them, so I do all my own edits. I sit and meticulously read and re-read my novels until they look and sound like something I could be proud of. While I know there are probably a few grammatical errors throughout the books, I'm not perfect, neither is anyone else. I try. I do the absolute best I'm capable of doing with the resources I have available to me.
Most of the time, you, my wonderful readers, simply talk to me about the story line and how much it impacted your life. Very rarely do I have someone talk to me about grammar or sentence structure. My sister, who's a fanatic about spelling and sentence structure reads every book and helps me to make sure I'm not flubbing up and distracting the reader with commas, or lack there of. I think my books have increasingly gotten better since I first started writing. I'm very proud of how they've turned out.
As a rebuttal to Ms. Grafton, I work my ass off every day to try and put out a well-written and well-told story that people are going to want to finish. I love writing.
I think that any traditionally published author who believes what she's said, should try publishing a book Indie-style. I challenge anyone who believes Indie authors take the easy way out, to publish independently, without any type of income or name to stand behind. Create your own website, gain your own followers, market, promote, edit, format, copy rite, and publish your own book. Then, and only then will I listen to you. If you can still say to me that I've taken the easy way out, then and only then, will I quit writing.
In closing, she said something to the effect of "I think we’d all be well-advised to ignore the opinions of others." I both agree and disagree with this statement. I will ignore Ms. Grafton's ignorant opinion of Indie authors, but never will I ignore the opinions or reviews of my readers, wether ill or good. You are why I write. Your smiles, your tears, your frustrations, your giggles, your blushes, your "special" times after reading one of my books, this is truly why I write. I love writing. Listening to my characters, talking or reading reviews from y'all, and reading the story when it's finished, is amazing to me. Every time I finish a book I read it and think, "holy crap! I wrote this! I don't believe it!" I'm in awe. Reading or talking to you guys about my books makes it worth while. Even negative reviews are good to have. They help me learn and grow. Also, if someone were to take the time to post a heated negative review about my book, I know I must have touched a nerve, and therefore have still succeeded as an author. I write to impact, to bring emotions to the front, to help you escape from your everyday life. I write because I love it. I wouldn't know if I was succeeding as an author if I ignored the opinions of others. 

Muse

One never knows just when or where the muse will strike. For me, today, it was while I was driving home from work. Last night I spent my limited down time doing some much needed edits as I still didn't feel great and didn't want to write. I've divided Changed into a two-parter and am very happy with that decision. That all said, I've been working on the first half, the much darker half, of the story for the past week. I was editing the second part last night. I have no intensions of adding to that story just yet. I want to wait until I'm closer to the end of the first half.
Whew! Now that the background is taken care of, let me tell you about this morning. :)
While driving home, listening to my headphones, the muse decides to hit me up with an incredible scene. I'm 20 minutes away from my house and work. In the middle of freaking NOWHERE with no pen, no paper and no recorder. Not that I'm all excited to use a recorder, but... (I hate the sound of my voice played back. I always think I sound like I'm 12) So I hit the pedal just a tad and replay the scene in my head, over and over and over, along with the cd I was listening to.
I got home and promptly sat at my desk to write 1760 words in less than an hour.
This scene is great. I'm super excited. I also want to strangle my muse!
A. I don't want to write in this book yet
B. I'M DRIVING!!!!
C. I'm nowhere near where this scene is yet
and D. What happens next?!?! Argh!
She does this to me all the time, gives me a snippet of awesomeness and then hides to see if I can come up with anything nearly so amazing without her. We usually work very well together, but sometimes she has a stroke of genius and pops into my head with amazing scenes. I can't wait to get to this scene. I can't wait to finish these books. Victoria's story is so complex, so amazing and so much frigging fun to write! I totally and completely LOVE writing!!!

Thoughts

I've been very overwhelmed lately about Created. I'm already at 200 pages and I haven't even reached the half-way point. I'm not sure if I should keep going or separate the book into two books. I've been talking to my beta readers and some adults I know that enjoy reading, and so far, everyone's thoughts are that I should separate the book.
I am apparently in the minority when I say I like long, epic books. Now, I have nothing against the average sized books, heck, I write them, but sometimes I really enjoy a 700+ page book. Not all the time, but I like being able to get into the story and have it last for a long time.
That all being said, I think I may divide up Created and publish both halves at about the same time. There's just so much information and so much involved in this story I feel like I wouldn't do it justice if I cut or abbreviated scenes to keep the book at a reasonable length. Even with separating it, I think they both may reach or exceed 300 pages.
I'm excited. Victoria's story is deep, dark and so much fun to write. She's such a complex character that has such heart and spirit, I love examining her depth. She's such a strong woman (vampire) and I absolutely adore Logan. I can't wait to share them both with you! I'm shooting for an October release date, but not sure if that's going to happen. Wish me luck! :)

Blech

That's how I'm feeling today. Blech. I want to write, and I've written 2K+ words already, but I wanted to finish this section and combine these two, but it looks like I'm going to have to do another chapter before I combine. ugh for me, yea for you. :)
My new helmet arrived for my motorcycle and I rode to and from town today. I want to go on an epic ride right now but don't really have any epic places to go at the moment. Everything is just ugh for me right now. I hate falling into slumps. I've gotten so much accomplished today, maybe I should just cave and either go play a game or paint the two pictures I've been wanting to paint for a while. I don't want to record them though. I also still need to get my butt moving on a new, updated pict of me and my reading's for youtube. I feel like such a slacker today. lol
I'm going to get off my behind, finish the laundry and paint. Maybe.

It's raining, it's pouring

The thunder rolls by as the lightning crackles down the street. I'm buried amongst the blankets in my bed with the black-out shades drawn. It's about 5 pm but looks like midnight. I twitch slightly at the sound of the lightning, wondering how close it was but quickly soothed back to unconsciousness by the patter of pouring rain on my roof and window.
My husband comes into the room, flicking on every light imaginable and carrying Frost, a 20lb cat who still firmly believes he's a 5 month old kitten.
"Babe, it's big thunderboomers outside and the cat's are scared." he announces, concern and excitement filling his voice.
"So bring them in and turn off the light." I reply, groggy and a bit irritated. I don't wake up well.
He plops Frost onto the king-sized bed. Saphyra, Frost's sister, jumps up and lays on top of him as he curls as close as he can to my bent knees.
My husband then opens Satan's room and brings her and the kitten into the room. Satan proceeds to growl at everyone while snuggling as close as she can get to my head. This is not a good spot for the cat who hates cats. She has a tendency to attack and I don't like claw marks on my face.
The kitten, Orion, decides that he's scared yet happy to be able to be cuddling with "mommy" and proceeds to kneed, purr and suckle the blankets tucked tightly under my chin. Satan alternates between growling at the kitten, whacking him, and giving him kisses. I swear that cat is clinically insane.
I can still hear the rain pouring down in sheets on the house. It's the most soothing sound behind the cat's purrs to me. I love the rain and don't hear nearly enough of it, living in the desert.
Husband brings in Gunther, Frost and Saphyra's brother, who immediately hisses and bounds off the bed to hide in some obscure corner. He's not big on cuddling. Onyx meanders into the room making his guttural mrow noises in the back of his throat. I call him over just as my husband starts to talk again.
"Babe, the entire bottom of your car is flooded." He says with excitement. We don't see a whole lot of water.
"Really?" I reply with a hint of interest. I've never seen the street that covered in water, even when I lived in Florida. I start stirring and gently moving cats off of me so I can go see this novelty and take some pictures. I know this won't be something I see very often, if ever again. I'm just barely peeling myself out from underneath the pile of four cats when he comes back into the room to tell me with an excited, awed and annoyed voice that the fence has also blown down.
I put on my glasses, grab my camera phone and look out the window of my office to my car. There's about 2-4 inches of wheel covered in water and that's it. Talk about your disappointments. I head to the backyard thinking, "gee, if he exaggerated about the car, certainly the fence is still okay."
I open the back door.
"Holy crap!" I exclaim. I'm looking directly into my neighbor's back yard from my patio. Our side fence is completely horizontal. All I can think of is, "damnit, now their rat-dogs are going to poop in my backyard and this is going to be crazy expensive to fix. Maybe we should replace this fence with that white, plasticy-looking fence. Maybe then it wouldn't crack in half." I'm not entirely fond of small dogs and my neighbor has two that yip all day and night. This is also the second time in three years that this particular part of the fence has broken. Wooden fences don't do well here. It's too dry and the winds are crazy.
I take a few pictures of the damaged fence, as well as the damaged gate in the front yard that I've been asking him to replace for three years now. It looks as if he has no choice but to fix it, thanks to the rain. I take a picture of my flower garden that's completely drowning in water and wonder if he wasn't right; maybe my car had flooded and I missed it.
The cats follow me around the house, waiting by the doors as I leave and return. I sit in the middle of the floor and they crowd around me, all attempting to sit in my lap without touching each other. I giggle at their antics, cooing and petting each one of them so they know they're safe and loved.
Now that I've been awakened, my darling husband announces that he's going to take a nap.
I try to lay back with him and Orion starts suckling and mewing. Saphyra hisses and growls and Satan thinks I'm her personal chew toy. I sigh in resignation, knowing that while my husband is already snoring, I'm up for the day.
As I write this, the sun attempts to peek from behind the clouds. The water drains, leaving behind a moist earth and street. In another hour it won't even look like it had rained all day long.
The cats are calming down, each curling into their favorite spots as Bry's gentle snores can be heard over the clicking of my keyboard. I sigh in resignation, hoping to be called off tonight, but knowing that this is just the start of another long night. Perhaps tomorrow I'll sleep more than 6 hours.

Zombie War: Little Apocalypse on the Prairie

YIPPIE! I finally have this published and ready for you! YEA! I've been working my little tail off trying to get this completed and out. I'm two months behind my desired release date, so I guess that's not too bad. ugh. I'm actually very excited at how this book turned out. It's not quite as gory as the first, but it's very suspenseful. I can't wait for you to read it and hear what you have to say about it!
Thanks for your demand and patience as I come up with this story. I hope it lives up to your expectations. Love ya and happy reading!

Zombie War #2

YEA!!! Zombie War: Little Apocalypse on the Prairie will be officially released Monday, July 16 as an eBook!!!! The cover art was finished last week and the synopsis was finished last night. I just have to finalize the edits, format and you are all set to read! Are you as excited as I am? :)

I'll keep you posted on the release date for the paper back. It shouldn't be too far behind. :)
~Jean

Frustrated

I'm so frustrated right now with so much in my life. Sometimes I feel like I should give up on my dreams and just do what everyone else wants me to do with my life. That little voice of doubt inside my head starts talking, saying things that I fear to be true and I don't know how to ignore it.
I've been writing very difficult scenes in Created this week as Zombie War #2 is finished. It's bringing me into a very dark place that I don't like to be in, yet she has to live it just as others do. It sucks. It's painful. It's life. Her story is making me need to tell mine more and more each day I write. Problem is, I don't want to relive my life. Sigh.
My old boss who's now just my nurse was reading Changed last night. She couldn't put it down and kept talking to me about it. She says that I write similarly to the person who wrote 50 Shades, that I'm very intriguing and captivating even though that's not the type of story she normally reads. I love watching people read the books. I love when people hate me for becoming so attached to the characters that they cry when bad things happen to them. I love watching the emotions cross their faces. But what I love most about it is talking to them about the book afterwords to see if they got the connections I set in place. When I can get across the pain, struggle, joy and experiences in a way that others can understand and appreciate, that makes my day.
I keep hoping and praying for the best, yet some days the little grey cloud blocks out all my sunshine.