Lucy Monroe | Trying Something New

Why an eBook? I get that question a lot since I decided to publish Annabelle's Courtship with Samhain Publishing. My first reaction is: Why not? :-)

But seriously...Samhain Publishing is such an impressive entity to me that I really wanted to work on a project with them. It started with two Inspirationals I'd written before I discovered that my fit as a writer leaned much more heavily toward sexy romance. Samhain doesn't have any of the limitations on publication for an Inspirational that the larger presses do and luckily for me, they were interested in publishing my books.

Meagan's Chance came out under the LC Monroe name in July and Miss Fixit will be out later this year with a co-author.

I also had a historical I'd written early on that Berkley had not yet purchased and I saw this as a golden opportunity to do something with Samhain as Lucy Monroe. Berkley very generously allowed me an addendum to my contract to make this possible and voila...Annabelle's Courtship was published! Not only has Annabelle's Courtship come out as an original eBook, but it and Meagan's Chance will be released in print (available in all major bookstores - and some not so major ::g::) later in 2008. They will both also be highlighted in the Ingram's catalog by my publisher and what that means for my readers is that they can buy the book as easily as any of my others.

What it means for *me* is that maybe a whole new group of readers will meet my characters and maybe...just maybe fall in love with them like I have. Which is a big part of the answer to: Why an eBook?

But the other part of the answer is more about the personal me than the author me. I'm an eBook fanatic. Not only is my office filled with numerous six feet high bookcases with double stacked and overflowing shelves of print books, but I've got several hundred electronic releases on my harddrive. I've read them all, but in addition I've got a TBR folder only slightly less brimming than the bookcase full of print books in my bedroom that I haven't yet read. There are tons of authors on my autobuy list for both print and eBooks, some of whom I insist on having in both.

What about you, are you an eBook reader?

http://www.lucymonroe.com/

Jill Marie Landis | Welcoming Westerns Back

Aloha One and All:

A big Mahalo (thank you!) to Fresh Fiction for inviting me to blog today. This is such a fabulous site, one that makes promotion painless for those authors like me who somehow look up from the monitor only to discover a year has gone by and I've yet to let readers know what's been going on and when to expect my next novel.

I'm pleased as punch to announce that next year my first single title novel for Steeple Hill will be published in July '08. The title is now officially, HOMECOMING, and for those of you who have read my early Western Historical Romances and have been asking for more, this one is for you.

Written as a Western Inspirational Romance, HOMECOMING is the kind of story I love to tell about characters who find the strength to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It's a book that romance readers can pass along to their daughters and grandmothers as well. Whenever anyone asks how I was able to switch from secular romance novels that were on the sensual side to Inspirational Romance, I remind them that I've always tried to instill a sense of hope and triumph into every "heartwarming" tale I've written. HOMECOMING is that and more. It was a pleasure to add an element of faith to the novel.

In June of next year, Harlequin will publish the wedding anthology, DESTINATION: MARRIAGE, which will include my novella entitled "Trouble in Paradise." It's a lighthearted story set on Kauai about a heroine who has decided the island is sending her signs and omens not to go ahead with the wedding and a hero who is left with but a few hours to convince her not to cancel.

I'm actually proofing the final draft today and then I'll be emailing it off to NYC, clearing the desk so that I can finish up my second Steeple Hill single title--which is due in February! (There's no rest for the weary, but I wouldn't have it any other way.)

Lately I've been thrilled by the fact that Westerns seem to be making a comeback, not only in the romance genre, but on film as well. Day before yesterday there was an article on USA Today online about the return of the Western (Westerns Shoot Their Way Back) with none other than Brad Pitt starring in "The Assassination of Jesse James." The article claims Westerns never really died, they were just gut shot. Here's to more romance novels set in the West.

Unfortunately, I suppose my novella isn't going to proof itself no matter how long I let it sit on the desk, so I'll close for now. Please do check my website at http://www.jillmarielandis.com/ where I try to keep readers up with last minute news (perhaps it's months old by now!) and there is a blog there as well at http://www.jillmarielandis.com/blog

So for now, aloha hui hou (aloha until we meet again)...Jill Marie Landis

Debby Giusti | Pinch me, I must be dreaming!

My second Love Inspired Suspense from Steeple Hill came out this week! Seeing SCARED TO DEATH on the shelf in my favorite bookstore is the continuation of a dream come true that started in April when my debut novel, NOWHERE TO HIDE, was first released.

If you’ve ever worked to accomplish a goal that at times seemed almost unobtainable, I bet you can relate to the elation I feel having two books in print. The path to publication can be long and winding, filled with dead ends and detours. Constructive feedback is hard to come by, yet rejection abounds. Taking an idea and developing it into a full-length manuscript demands intense effort and self-discipline.

Unfortunately, many would-be authors don’t persevere long enough to see their books in print. Because perseverance and determination are the key. Everything else can be learned.

I made it because I kept trying.

So can you. No matter what you’re hoping to achieve.

Most dreams start with a tiny spark of an idea. For a writer, the process usually begins with a “what if!”

What if a woman’s husband was murdered and the people who killed him are now after her son? If you read NOWHERE TO HIDE, you’ll recognize that storyline.

And the “what if” for SCARED TO DEATH? What if a woman answers an estranged friend’s call for help and ends up in the middle of a sinister medical scheme that’s killing people in small town Georgia?

My third book, MIA: MISSING IN ATLANTA, comes out in March. What if a returning war hero’s search for a missing girlfriend leads him into a web of corruption and exploitation that almost costs him his life?

I’m working on book four now, with book five and six in the lineup. Guess that means I’m hooked on writing stories and seeing them in print.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Right now, I need to know what you think of SCARED TO DEATH. Visit my Web site, http://www.debbygiusti.com/, or post a comment on my blog, http://www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/

I’m waiting to hear from you.

Wishing you abundant blessings and may all your dreams come true!

Debby Giusti