It's a Brave New World for Readers and Writers

I just signed up at Kindlegraph, a brand new site that allows readers to have Kindle ebooks autographed. How is that possible? Technology, of course. Kindlegraph allows authors to send personalized inscriptions and signatures directly to the electronic devices of their fans.

I was amazed that when I signed up yesterday, I already had requests for autographs waiting for me! What a huge ego stroke;-)

Here's a little about the process. I'm amazed at the ingenuity it takes to think up and put such technology into action. All I can say is, it is truly a brave new world.

For readers, will you get your embooks autographed? For writers, have you signed up for Kindlegraph yet? Do you plan to?

Keeping it in Perspective

The publishing business is not for the fainthearted. It requires perseverance, dedication, patience and humility. There are all sorts of giant rocks littering the path to success. And that success is relative.

I remember when I got my first contract with an up and coming ebook publisher. I was so excited that I cried, my husband took me out to celebrate. Eventually I took my rights back for both books I had with that company because they were about to implode. Then there was the next publisher and the next. Each time I got a foothold in what I perceived to be a better, stronger, more discerning publishing house, I was uber excited.

But there are always pitfalls. In this business one of those is rejections and I have had my share. Some hit me harder than others. Thank goodness I have a husband who always reminds me of the milestones when I want to wallow in a pity party. He also has a way of pointing out what's really important.

Recently, one of my daughter's friends had an awful, life-changing experience. It made me stop and realize how little any of professional hopes and dreams matter in the big picture. I have my family, I have a home, clothes on my back and food on the table. If my next book is rejected, well, it would be a disappointment, but it won't destroy me.

I have to remind myself that it is what it is. I wish it didn't take tragedies to bring this point home. Are you able to keep things in perspective or do you need those jarring moments to remind you what's really important?

Guest Author - J.K. Coi

Please welcome today's guest author - J. K. Coi. 

A lot of people ask me if I believe the things I write about. Well, I write about a lot of different kinds of creatures, including vampires, werewolves, ancient Chinese zombie warriors… so I can honestly say that my own personal beliefs aren’t really what it’s all about.

However, now I’m writing about angels, and that seemed a little bit different.

Except that my angels aren’t quite like any angels I had ever read or heard about before. My angels aren't sweet and pure. They aren't peaceful and helpful. My angels are selfish and powerful and a lot of them are out-and-out crazy psychopaths that would kill anything that moves.

But not all of them.

Some of my angels are bound by duty and honor. They’re trying to do the right thing. They make choices and mistakes just like every average person does, and they have to deal with the fall-out of those choices and mistakes.

The bottom line is that whether or not I believe in the paranormal creatures I write about, I always believe in their struggle. In the emotions and experiences that drive them, because deep down that’s what we all relate to as readers. Whether they’re working to save the world or just trying to keep out of the sunlight, my characters’ journeys are much like our own in that they have strong emotional conflicts to overcome, and I like to think that’s what makes them memorable to my readers.

What is it that makes a character or story memorable for you?
I’ll be giving away a digital copy of FALLING HARD to one randomly chosen commenter.  

In FALLING HARD (buy link: http://tinyurl.com/6klp9r5 ), my July 18 release from Carina Press, Gabriel’s poor choices have shaped him into the man he is, but he’s worked hard to overcome that. Except, the choices still to come are not going to be easy and he might very well lose everything in the end.

Blurb:

After a life filled with tragedy, rocker Gabriel Gunn thinks he's finally getting the better of his personal demons. Then he's attacked after a concert—and rescued by a warrior goddess brandishing a sword and white wings. As hard as it is to believe in an angelic bodyguard, Gabriel must face an even more impossible truth: he carries the devil's soul within him.

Amelia has been watching over Gabriel for years, using her angelic powers to prevent Lucifer's return. Now she must also protect him from warring angel factions with their own agendas. Amelia would do anything to avert another angelic war, even sacrifice her own emotions to avoid temptation. Yet with Gabriel she feels things she no longer wants to deny, and pleasure she never imagined.

But the closer Gabriel and Amelia get, the stronger Lucifer becomes. Will Amelia be forced to kill the man she's come to love to stop the war she's always feared?

J.K. Coi is a multi-published, award winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She makes her home in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and son and a feisty black cat who is the uncontested head of the household. While she spends her days immersed in the litigious world of insurance law, she is very happy to spend her nights writing dark and sexy characters who leap off the page and into readers’ hearts.

Website: www.jkcoi.com

Blog: www.jkcoi.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jkcoi

***Update - The winner is KC Burn! Congrats.***

Guest Author - Adrienne Giordano

Welcome my very talented guest, Adrienne Giordano to the blog.

      Please tell us a little about yourself. Which publisher(s) do you write for? What genre do you write?

      I am a Carina Press author and I write Romantic Suspense.  My debut book, Man Law, just released on July 4.  It's the first book in the Private Protectors series.  Book two, A Just Deception, will be released on September 5^th and the third on November 7.  I'm currently working on book 4. Busy couple of months!

      What is your workday like? Are you a full or part time writer? It's crazy, that's what it's like! LOL.  I work part-time as a marketing consultant.  My background is in newspaper advertising and twelve years ago I decided I to work part-time.  Working at home has allowed me to chase my dream of becoming a published author. I'm typically at my computer by around 6:15.  I work for about 90 minutes and then get my son off to school. It's been a little rough with him out for summer vacation, but thankfully he's a trooper and gives Mom some space. During school though, I work until my guy comes home and we get busy with his activities, homework, etc. I do take an hour 3-4 days a week to go to the gym or out for a brisk walk.  I find the exercise helps the creative process. And really, I just need it! LOL. Plus, it's a nice break during a busy day. When things quiet down at night, I settle back in at the computer. 

Did you always know you wanted to pen books? 

     I was a junior in high school sitting in English class the day I decided I'd someday write a book.  That dream went to the backburner until I hit my thirties because I was a career girl and had rent to pay. I always knew I'd write that book.  Didn't know when, but I knew.

 How long did it take you to get published? Was the first book you write published?

      This is actually a great story. At least I think so. It took me almost four years to finish my first book.  Actually, that was my second book. The first book (my practice book) sits in my desk drawer and will never see the light of day. Never! The second book though, I thought maybe had a shot.  That book got me my first final in the Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest.  I had received a couple of requests for fulls on that manuscript, but never had an offer.  The rejections piled up and I moved on to my next book which is a spin-off of the previous book.  That book (Man Law) poured out of me.  I love, love, love the hero in Man Law. I tell everyone I want to be Vic when I grow up.  After a few years of submitting my books, during which time I received requests for fulls and some contest finals, I got the call from Carina Press.  By that time, I'd finished the third book in the series. I sent the other two books to my editor hoping they would buy the whole series. Well, they made an offer on the third book (so they wanted the second and third books), but wanted revisions on the first one.  They hadn't made an offer and wouldn't guarantee an offer, but I knew if I wanted to see that book published, I had to nail the revisions. The revisions were not horrible, but I had to take out subplots so it was a fairly major rewrite. Still, I jumped at the opportunity. I had always believed that book had a chance and I knew my writing had improved, so I wanted to take the opportunity to revise the book.  I tore that book apart, made the heroine a little tougher and tightened the screws on my hero. Then Carina made an offer. So, yes, after a major rewrite, my first book sold.  My advice to any aspiring novelist is to never give up on your first book.  The book may need extensive revisions, but don't give up on it.

How many books have you sold to date?  Do you have a favorite?

      Four.  I'm currently working on the fourth. Do I have a favorite? That's like asking a mother of three who her favorite child is.  The truth is, I love them all differently.  I love the first book because that's a book I started while sitting next to my father's hospital bed before he died. I love Man Law because I adore Vic and I love A Just Deception because the heroine has tremendous trust issues she has to overcome, but she is a fighter and always bounces back.

 How extensive is your research? What are the greatest lengths you’ve gone to in the name of research? 

      I'm a big external plotter so I like to have at least a middle and an end of the story figured out.  I tend to do a lot of my research up front and recently hit a brick wall with my WIP. I had to hire a professional researcher to help me.  That was fun because she came up with some great information that I would never have found.  Otherwise, I'm fairly lucky because I have a huge family and someone always knows someone who can help me. Plus, I'm on several fantastic writing loops where I can usually find the answers to questions.

  

What do you find the most difficult aspect of being an author? 

      For me, the difficulty usually hits about three-quarters of the way through the book when I'm bone tired and so sick to death of my characters that I want to scrap the whole thing.  That's when I really have to dig in and convince myself to push through. I always do though.  I don't have any manuscripts that I've abandoned. Finishing them brings a tremendous amount of satisfaction.

 Where do you see yourself five years from now?

      Hopefully still writing books and getting published!

 Chocolate, vanilla or strawberry?

      Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.  I actually eat an ounce of dark chocolate every day because I read an article that said dark chocolate (has to be 70% cacao) is great for the immune system.  As good a reason as any to eat chocolate every day!

 Tell us about your current or upcoming release.

      Man Law is my current release and it's about Vic Andrews, a maverick government assassin who has his cover blown and is forced to protect the family of his closest friend's widowed sister. In the process he breaks all of his man laws by falling in love. As I mentioned above, Vic poured out of me. He's a guy's guy, living by his sometimes crazy man laws and getting along just fine.  Then Gina forces him to face the fact that he's completely useless when it comes to understanding women. And his man laws aren't doing him a damned bit of good.  He has a vulnerability to him that I really tried to tap into.

Where can we find you on the web? 

      I have a Facebook page, I'm on Twitter, have a website and a Harlequin author page.  I'm also part of a group blog called Romance University where we have industry professional blog about various craft and career related topics.  Here are the links:

http://adriennegiordano.com/

http://community.eharlequin.com/users/adrienne-giordano

http://www.facebook.com/AdrienneGiordanoAuthor

http://twitter.com/AdriennGiordano

http://romanceuniversity.org/

Thanks, Wynter for having me!

Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and women's fiction.  She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Chicago area with her work-a-holic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaton Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog. Adrienne's debut romantic suspense, Man Law, will be released by Carina Press on July 4, 2011. Her second book, A Just Deception, will be available from Carina Press on September 5, 2011. For more information please visit www.AdrienneGiordano.com. 

Release Day is Here

As many book releases I have -- I think I am a little past 25 now -- release day never loses its luster. Burning Touch, which was one of the toughest books to name, is out today.

Devon, the heroine, started out in another book that I wrote a long time ago. The book didn't make it, but I recycled Devon because I thought she was particularly likable and real.

So, without further ado, here's the blurb for Burning Touch. Comment and I will enter you in a drawing to win a download of the book.

When Devon Wise’s massage clients start turning up dead, she reluctantly leans on the sexy guy next door to help her clear her name. Having lost her parents at an early age, she doesn’t trust that anyone she cares about will stick around. Devon never lets her feelings get involved, keeping everyone at arm’s length. But after their first sizzling night, she can’t get enough.

Real estate investor Ben Stafford can’t keep his mind—or his hands—off the earthy beauty who happens to be his new neighbor. When the bodies begin piling up, he wonders if she’s as innocent as she claims or if he’s been spending all those lust-filled nights with a killer.


Want another chance to win? I'll be hanging out with the wonderful ladies of Writers Gone Wild today. Comment there and I will enter you in another drawing to win the book!


**Update - I drew Elle for the winner! Congrats Elle. Email me at WynterDaniels @ gmail.com**

I Love Summer

My first summer as a full time writer was five years ago. Before that, summertime had only meant finding camps or other activities for the kids since both my husband and I worked during the week. But that first summer after I'd left the nine-to-five world taught me how wonderful summer could be.

The first thing that hit me was that I didn't have to wake up in the wee hours to take kids to school. I could sleep until I woke.

The next thing that thrilled me was that I could go swimming without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. You see, the nasty bugs love me and while I was working during the day, my only opportunity to get in the pool was after work -- when mosquitoes were swarming. But now I can swim in the middle of the day.

I've always loved berries and other summer fruit, not to mention vacations. All in all, even though the temperature and the humidity in Florida stay in the nineties, I love it. What about you? DO you love it, hate it or are you somewhere in between?

In other news, I have a new release, False Pretenses. Here's a little about it:

When hotel CEO Brady Travers hires Sarah Powell for his Bermuda resort, she's thrilled with the opportunity to work with the sexy millionaire, especially since they shared one night of passion a month earlier. But when Sarah learns she is pregnant, her life turns upside-down. 
Brady secretly hoped to keep Sarah safe since she carries a tiny piece of his dead wife inside her. But when his ruse is discovered, will the betrayal be too much for Sarah to bear?

Purchase on Kindle HERE

Purchase for Nook HERE

Purchase other formats HERE