My Three Year Indy Adventure

Hello Dear Readers,

It’s been three years this month since I published my debut novel, HEAVEN is for HEROES. It’s hard to believe! In honor of that milestone, I’ll be giving away an audiobook to one commenter below. Contest ends at midnight on September 30th, so be sure to enter and share this post with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.HIFH_audiobookcover (2013_06_07 00_53_00 UTC)

With six novels and a short story to my credit over the three years, I have to say, the journey has been filled with many wonderful moments. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate each and every review, all of the positive comments and emails from readers, and the willingness of both my reading and writing community to help spread the word about my books. You have all been an incredible blessing to me!

To recap some of my successes, ON THIN ICE is a favorite in the UK, SAVAGE CINDERELLA has 2.5 MILLION reads on Wattpad, and I wrote and recorded a theme song for PIECES of LOVE that is available on i-Tunes…how cool is that? WANING MOON and WESTERN DESERT are the first two books in the Chronicles of Lily Carmichael trilogy with the third book, HEALING WATERS expected to release in December of this year (stay tuned for the cover reveal next month). All but one of my books have won awards (I haven’t had time to enter POL into any contests yet), and my average customer reviews are 4.5 stars across the board!

Whew! I’m tired just thinking about how far I’ve come. But as with any journey, it hasn’t been all sunshine and roses, LOL.

Writing is a tough job for which there is very little financial return (as yet), and the publishing industry is an extremely complex and ever-changing business. There’s so much to learn and so much to know to be successful at this career! I know…it’s not like I’m out digging ditches or building space suits, but forcing myself to sit down every day and get words on the page with hope that it will eventually turn into some cohesive, interesting, and entertaining work of fiction is no easy task, let me tell you. Professional writers have to write–even when they don’t want to. Even when the words aren’t flowing, and even when every word that comes out of our fingers is crap. And believe me…a lot of it is exactly that.

Writing is all about re-writing; so the saying goes. I can attest to this. I consider myself a reformed “first draft addict”. I used to love writing the first draft. But that was before I learned to revise and edit my work. And before there were pressures of deadlines and self-promotion. It was fun creating new worlds, getting to know my characters, and telling their story from beginning to happy ending. Until I realized all of the things I was doing wrong and all of the work involved in actually selling books once I published them. When I began learning the craft, it became clear to me that I could always improve on the story in some way and that revision could be a satisfying, albeit daunting, process. I also learned that it was where the story really came to life. Unfortunately, there comes a time when you have to decide enough is enough and actually get the book out there. The real challenge is in understanding that writing and publishing are two very different hats that use completely different parts of the brain. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that balancing the two is enough to make a grown woman scream like a baby!Roar!

You would think I would be getting the hang of it after six books (ten if you include the first four novels I wrote that sit languishing on my hard drive waiting for those lovely revisions), but it really doesn’t get any easier. I still struggle through my “sagging middle” of every story, freak out about all the details required to pull story threads together as the book progresses toward its conclusion, and there is just no easy way to make sure that there is proper balance between dialogue, narrative and description. You just have to develop an intuitive sense about all of it. Hopefully, my writing is improving over time and with practice, it will eventually get easier, but I accept that there will always be challenges to overcome. Not the least of which is learning to negotiate the turbulent waters of an industry in flux. But that’s a whole other story!

At three years into this journey, I still consider myself a newbie. People think that since I’m a multi-published author that I am hugely successful financially. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most authors don’t make much money. Yes, you have the Stephanie Meyers and JK Rowlings of the world who hit it just right and shoot to stardom, but the book market is extremely saturated and competition is fierce. As an Indie publisher, I don’t get advances on my work and I have to pay all the upfront costs of cover art, editing, formatting and such. Return on my investment is slow going at best. I try to be patient with myself and my process, and keep my head on straight about what’s important, but even that eludes me some days. The bottom line is that if I’m in this for the long haul, that little voice that pops up now and then telling me to quit now while I still have a shred of sanity, must be kicked to the curb and shoved into traffic as often as necessary.

In the meantime, I’ll keep doing what I do. I hope you’ll be patient with me when I stumble, don’t get a book out as quickly as you’d like, or veer off the path on occasion to actually live my life. I will make mistakes because I’m only human after all, and still learning every day, but I will promise you this. I will keep writing and will do my best to offer quality fiction for your enjoyment.

If you’d like to join me on this crazy journey and follow along, you can catch me on Facebook, Twitter, or any number of social media locales (links in sidebar), or you can sign up for my newsletter for word on new releases. I have a very busy fall schedule with completing HEALING WATERS in time for a December release and if all goes as planned, will also have a novella and boxed set coming out around Christmas! Stay tuned for more details on that.

Personal appearances include:

September 30, 2014:

Westfield Ma. Chamber of Commerce Annual Fall Tabletop Showcase

4:30-7:30 p.m. Castle of Nights, 1599 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA.

October 11-13, 2014

Granville Harvest Fair

Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-5, Mon. 10-5 Granville Center, Granville, MA

I hope to see you there!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below to be entered into the drawing for the HEAVEN is for HEROES audiobook.

Peace and blessings,

PJ

Endless Summer YA Blog Hop and a $50 Gift Card!

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful summer and are as excited as I am to get back in the groove. I know! I hear you. It went too quickly and you just want it to last a bit longer. Well, I’m here to help.

I’m taking part in a YA Blog Hop with some of my MFRW (Marketing for Romance Writers) pals. From September 5th-7th, we’ll be sharing our best summer vacation stories. Whether actual author adventures, or vacations our characters have taken, we’ll entertain you with pictures of far off places, fun in the sun, and maybe even give you ideas for your next vacation destination!

I hope you’ll join us by visiting each author’s site and leaving a comment. Don’t forget to enter to win the $50 Gift Card giveaway!

The ENDLESS SUMMER BLOG HOP hop right on over to one of our fabulous author’s sites from the banner below.

As for me and my vacation, I had a wonderful twelve day West Coast adventure in July, with a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle with my wonderful hubby. I blogged about it at the Secrets of Seven Scribes in case you want to see the highlights.

But since we’re talking YA (young adult fiction), I’ll share some of Lexi’s Mediterranean cruise pics with you from PIECES of LOVE. While visiting such exotic locales as Portofino and Palermo,

Portofino, Italy

Portofino, Italy

Mediterranean cruise 2011 065 (2013_06_07 00_53_00 UTC)

Palermo, Ci

Rome to Tunisia
mediterranean cruise east 2011 473 (2013_02_16 18_14_38 UTC)

Oui, Greek Islands

Oui, Greek Islandto Tunisia,

Tunis, Tunisia

Tunis, Tunisia

Barcelona

La Familia de Sagrada, Barcelona

La Familia de Sagrada, Barcelona

to Greece and Dubrovnik,

Old Town, Dubrovnik

Old Town, Dubrovnik

 

 

 

 

 

Lexi–along with her grandmother Maddie, and hunky eighteen year-old Ethan Kaswell–experiences the journey of a lifetime. When you read PIECES of LOVE, you’ll see the sights and walk with sixteen year-old Lexi as she learns about herself, her family, and what it means to love someone—even when you have to let them go.

Available at the following retailers

Amazon,   BN,   i-Tunes,   Smashwords

 You can also hear part of the PIECES of LOVE theme song, written and performed by yours truly right here in the book trailer!

Complete song vailable for purchase at i-tunes

So there you have it!

I hope you enjoy visiting all the cool places along our hop, and that your summer lasts just a little bit longer.

Blessings,

PJ

 

 

Reviews, guest spots, and another giveaway!

The dog days of August are almost upon us (no, I didn’t mean to rhyme, LOL), and I’m happy to back home working diligently on my writing. My trip to the West Coast was lovely, despite catching the “airplane grippe” and hacking my way from San Francisco to Seattle in twelve days. (Number one on my list if I ever become extraordinarily rich, will be a private jet!)

You can read about my exploits and see a few cool pics here.

Now that I’m home and caught up on the 1600 emails and rid of the rotten onions (I forgot to empty the vegetable drawer in the mudroom before we left) awaiting me upon my return, I’m back at it. Of course, my biggest priority is finishing that first draft of HEALING WATERS, book three in the Chronicles of Lily Carmichael trilogy, due out later this year. It’s slow going, but I promise, the wait will be worth it! As always, we busy writers have our hands in everything, so I’m also in the midst of another short blog tour. This time, however, the tour is focused on reviews.

If you’re a writer, you understand the importance and power of having your books reviewed. After all, if no one is talking about your book, readers have no way of finding it. Discoverability is one of the most difficult aspects of becoming a successful author. Aside from shouting about our books from the rooftops–a practice that is both futile and annoying under any circumstances but even more so in the overcrowded marketplace where EVERYONE seems to have something to sell, authors really have only two ways of finding a readership.

Paid advertising and word of mouth.

Now, I know the general public thinks that if we’re published that we are magically rolling in dough, but I assure you that nothing is further from the truth. The return on investment to write and publish (whether traditionally or independently), is often meager at best. In fact, most authors never “hit it big” and many barely break even. Nope…I’m not planning on quitting my day job anytime soon.  So paying for advertising may not be feasible. Some of the larger publishing houses will pay for some advertising, but even that is hit or miss these days and usually relegated to established authors.

As an indie author, I’m on my own to pay for editing, cover art, formatting, and such, so I have to be super careful about where I put my advertising dollars. To make things even tougher, the most effective advertising sites are expensive and so highly sought after that they can be very picky about what books they are willing to advertise and what criteria those books have to meet. As many as thirty reviews with a 4+ star rating are required for some of the bigger sites and let me tell you, getting thirty reviews is no easy task these days. With thousands of new books coming out each week, readers are busy reading and don’t often give a thought to leaving a review of the books they’ve enjoyed.  Most of the time, it’s not even on their radar to do so.

If they only knew how valuable their opinion is–both as feedback about what we’re doing right, and as a way of helping us get the word out–I have to believe more people would take a minute, write a few lines and post their reviews to Amazon, B&N, iTunes, Smashwords, or Goodreads. Writing reviews is as simple as letting other readers know why they should (or shouldn’t) read a particular book. You don’t have to write a huge synopsis, and frankly, the only thing worse than not getting reviews is having reviewers tell the entire storyline, making it pointless for anyone to read the book themselves. A fair rating and a few lines about what you liked or what you didn’t is enough to let the author know you cared enough to take the time to share your feelings about their work and recommend it to others. Trust me, authors appreciate the effort more than you can imagine!

swag POL candaces tourSo to show my appreciation to both readers and reviewers, I’m having another beach bag giveaway this week while PIECES of LOVE is on it’s review tour. Just stop by any of the sites along the tour and enter the rafflecopter for your chance to win! Along the way, it might be nice if you leave a comment to let the reviewers know how much you appreciate them sharing their opinion. These folks don’t get paid to do this. They do it because they love books and want to help authors spread the word. I’m so grateful to each and every reader, but especially for those who put the time and effort into writing these reviews. And a big THANKS to Candace Robinson of Candace’s Book Blog & CBB Book Promotions for setting it up.

7/28

7/29

7/30

7/31

8/1

Reviewers rock!

Peace and blessings,

PJ

 

Winners and More Fun

Wow! Thank you all so much for your participation in the Addictive Reads Summer Reads Event and blog hop. It was great fun interacting with readers this week and hearing how excited people are about heading off for vacations and picking up some great books for their summer reading list. Here are the winners of the Addictive Reads giveaways:

$50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash: Melanie L.

$15 Amazon Gift Card: Gena R.

$10 Amazon Gift Cards: Dana A., Tina B., Haley M., Shelly H., and Andrea M.

And the WINNER of the PIECES of LOVE beach bag and swag pack was…drum roll, please… Brandi D. Thanks, Brandi, for visiting my site and sharing your favorite vacation destination!

Don’t worry if you didn’t win. Summer has just begun and there’s lots more fun to be had.
Award winners, WANING MOON and WESTERN DESERT, books one and two in the Chronicles of Lily Carmichael trilogy will both be on sale for .99 cents all month long!

WM jpg 6x9 eBook UPLOAD 2013

 

 

Amazon    BN    Smashwords 

 

 

 

 

WD FINAL Website Use

 

 

 

Amazon   BN    Smashwords

 

 

 

 

Also, to celebrate Independence Day, I’ll be hanging out on July 4th with my pal Kristan Higgins over at the Jaunty Quills, chatting about vacations and travel…and of course, books and romance. I hope you’ll stop by and say hi. I’ll be gifting a signed copy of one of my books to one lucky reader. Readers choice!

Although I’m off to sunny California in mid July, my buddy and hometown sister, the fabulous Katy Lee has offered to book-sit for me at the Enfield Town Celebration in Enfield, CT. on July 12-13. Signed copies of all my books will be available for purchase, along with some freebie swag giveaways. If you’re in the area, visit the Local Author’s booth and pick up some paperbacks for the beach. I don’t have an e-reader that is outdoor reading friendly, so for me, the real thing is the only way to go when I head to the coast for a day of fun in the sun.

So that’s it for now. I’ll be back later this month with more news on places I’ll be hanging out this summer. I hope you’re enjoying some R&R.

Here’s the view from my kayak last night. Heaven!

Big pond Kayaking

Sunset over Big Pond, Otis, MA.

How can I choose just one?

When someone asks me, “What was your favorite port of call on your Mediterranean cruise?” This is my response. How do I pick just one? It’s like asking me to pick out just one book from the fabulous list of books available through the Addictive Summer reads book sale!

Mediterranean cruise 2011 182 (2013_02_16 18_14_38 UTC)

Gaudi’s Cathedral, Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.

Yes, it’s true. I went on a Mediterranean cruise back in 2011. I know…lucky me! Seventeen days of beautiful weather and fourteen amazing ports. The sights, the history, the art, the culture, and the people were all amazing! I don’t think I can actually name an absolute favorite locale, but Dubrovnik, Croatia; Barcelona, Spain; and the Greek Islands were all magnificent. Portofino, Italy, I have to say, is a little slice of heaven!
Mediterranean cruise 2011 013 (2013_06_07 00_53_00 UTC)I was glad I took notes and kept travel brochures from the different excursions. And I took a zillion pictures—more than I’ll ever keep track of.

In any event, the trip turned out to be a great backdrop for my latest release, PIECES of LOVE, a Contemporary YA Romance. Here’s the scoop on the story that came about after my trip:

PJSharon_PiecesOfLove_800pxSixteen year-old Alexis Hartman wants nothing more than to play her guitar and get high, hoping to escape the pain of losing her sister. But when her second arrest for pot possession leads to her mother’s breakdown, Lexi is sent to stay with her grandmother for the summer. While embarking on a Mediterranean cruise hardly sounds like punishment, being forced to face her demons and falling for a guy she may never see again gives Lexi a chance to discover what it means to love someone—even when you have to let them go.

 

AddictiveSummerReadsBannerYou can pick it up for $2.99 only during the AR Summer Reads sale from June 27-30th. Then the price returns to $4.99. Price goes up July 1st so don’t miss out on this opportunity.

The ebook version includes the theme song, PIECES of LOVE, written and performed by yours truly! (Not all devices play audio, but the link is there.) You can hear part of the song in the POL book traileror download a copy from i-Tunes.

med cruise-Dubrovnik-Old TownNow, back to my favorite place on the Mediterranean coast. If I were to return to one location with my honey, it would be Dubrovnik, Croatia, so we could walk the ancient twenty foot thick, mile long wall around Old Town, and look out at the blue green waters of the Aegean Sea. Heaven!

 

 

What has been your favorite vacation location?

Blog Tour and Appearances

Pieces of Love Blog Tour BannerI’m excited to begin my blog tour this week. I have a busy schedule but hope to see some friendly faces at my stops! There’s an awesome opportunity for you to get in on some giveaways. Just enter through the Rafflecopter that the fine folks over at Book Enthusiast Promotions has set up for me and you’re in the running for some swag, signed books and a super cool beach bag!

POL Beach bag

By purchasing the e-book version of PIECES of LOVE this week for your Nook, Kindle, or tablet, you also get in on the discounted price.

From now until June 30, you can purchase the e-book for $2.99 at Amazon B&NApple i-Tunes or Smashwords. But hurry, because the price goes up to $4.99 July 1st. Still a great deal, but who doesn’t like a sale, right?

I do hope you’ll take time to read and review the book and that you enjoy Lexi and Ethan’s journey.

You can find me this coming week on a blog tour which will feature some early reviews, excerpts, and the book trailer with the POL theme song. Here’s where I’ll be:

The Book Enthusiast

June 23

Anny books | Kats Read Crystal’s Sweet Reads and Reviews

June 24

Deal Sharing Aunt | My Life, Loves and Passion

June 25

Bookworm Betties | Bibliophile Mystery

June 26

Books Are Love | Little Red’s Book Reviews

June 27

Books A to Z | Owltastic Promotions | Sexyways of Reading

Other appearances include a guest post at Romance University on June 23,  Author Spotlight on StoryFinds on June 25th, and a spot on Contemporary Romance Cafe on June 28th. July 4th, I’ll be Kristan Higgins’ guest on the Jaunty Quills, and even while I’m away on vacation, signed copies of POL will be available at the Taste of Enfield July 12-13th.

Also, from June 27-30th, I’m participating in an Addictive Summer Reads  on line blog hop with my pals over at Addictive Reads. Gift card prizes and a great selection of summer reading material in many genres will be available. Check back here for details next week, where I’ll be sharing my favorite port from the Mediterranean cruise that inspired POL. For updates, subscribed to this blog in the right sidebar so you won’t miss anything I’ve got coming up.

However you choose to connect with me and help me celebrate my new release, your support is overwhelmingly appreciated!

Blessings,

PJ

Launch Day

In case you’ve been living under a rock or hiding out in the Appalachians and haven’t heard, today is the long awaited release of PIECES of LOVE, a Contemporary Young Adult Romance. PJSharon_PiecesOfLove_800px I hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity to pick up your copy of the book while the price is reduced to $2.99. I wanted to reward my faithful readers who understand that early purchases and reviews can really help a book get off the ground.

So from now until June 30, you can purchase the e-book for $2.99 at Amazon B&N, Apple i-Tunes or Smashwords. But hurry, because the price goes up to $4.99 July 1st. Still a great deal, but who doesn’t like a sale, right?

I do hope you’ll take time to read and review the book and that you enjoy Lexi and Ethan’s journey.

You can find me this coming week on a blog tour which will feature some early reviews, excerpts, and the book trailer with the POL theme song. here’s where I’ll be:

June 23

Anny books | Kats Read | Crystal’s Sweet Reads and Reviews

June 24

Deal Sharing Aunt | My Life, Loves and Passion

June 25

Bookworm Betties | Bibliophile Mystery

June 26

Books Are Love | Little Red’s Book Reviews

June 27

Books A to Z | Owltastic Promotions | Sexyways of Reading

Other appearances include a guest post at Romance University on June 23,  Author Spotlight on StoryFinds on June 25th, and a spot on Contemporary Romance Cafe on June 28th. July 4th, I’ll be Kristan Higgins’ guest on the Jaunty Quills, and even while I’m away on vacation, signed copies of POL will be available at the Taste of Enfield July 12-13th.

Also, from June 27-30th, I’m participating in an Addictive Summer Reads  on line blog hop with my pals over at Addictive Reads. Gift card prizes and a great selection of summer reading material in many genres will be available. Check back here for details next week, where I’ll be sharing my favorite port from the Mediterranean cruise that inspired POL. For updates, subscribed to this blog in the right sidebar so you won’t miss anything I’ve got coming up.

However you choose to connect with me and help me celebrate my new release, your support is overwhelmingly appreciated!

Blessings,

PJ

Partying all Week!

Hey Readers,

I’m revving up for release day on Saturday, June 21st when I’ll be hosting a party on Facebook to celebrate the launch of PIECES of LOVE, my latest contemporary YA romance.PJSharon_PiecesOfLove_800px

To warm up for the bash, I’m joining my friends over at Book Enthusiast for a week long FB party event! There will be hundreds of prizes and giveaways, a chance to chat with authors, and opportunities to find great new books. I’m scheduled to be there on Tuesday, June 17th from 5-6 p.m. EST. I hope you’ll pop by and say hi. I’ll be chatting about the book, sharing pics of Europe, and happy to answer questions. If you can’t make the party, feel free to enter here for giveaways!

POL Beach bag

If you miss my FB launch party on Saturday, June 21st from 4-7 p.m. EST, maybe you can visit one of the stops on my blog tour  next week. I’ll be giving away signed copies of my books, a cool beach bag and some POL swag!

 

 

 

Pieces of Love Blog Tour Banner

 

 

 

 

June 23

Anny books | Kats Read | Crystal’s Sweet Reads and Reviews

June 24

Deal Sharing Aunt | My Life, Loves and Passion

June 25

Bookworm Betties | Bibliophile Mystery

June 26

Books Are Love | Little Red’s Book Reviews

June 27

Books A to Z | Owltastic Promotions | Sexyways of Reading

Other appearances include an article on edgy YA heroines on Romance University on June 23rd, an Author Spotlight on StoryFinds on June 25th, and a feature on Contemporary Romance Cafe on June 28th. Links TBA. July 4th, I’ll be Kristan Higgins’ guest on the Jaunty Quills, and even while I’m away on vacation, signed copies of POL will be available at the Taste of Enfield July 12-13th.

AddictiveSummerReadsBannerAlso, from June 27-30th, I’m participating in an Addictive Summer Reads  on line blog hop with my pals over at Addictive Reads. Gift card prizes and a great selection of summer reading material in many genres will be available. Check back here for details later this month, where I’ll be sharing my favorite port from the Mediterranean cruise that inspired POL.

Whew! I’m going to need that vacation!

I hope to see you all at the party…must plan my virtual menu. Any great recipes you can recommend?

PJ