Cover Reveal: Seeking Peace and A Haven in Peace

So I have sucked and haven’t really talked about the anthology I am a part of. It’s called the Peace Novella Series and if you are in serious need of a different, sweeter, romance these are the books for you.

Coming November 10, 2017

By S.H. Pratt
Contemporary Romance

Scottish-American Kyle McCoy always knew what he wanted. A life without cubicles. He dreamed of a musician’s life where he could write and record his music. He always knew that was the life for him… until he got what he wanted.

As his concert tour ends, Kyle finds himself at a crossroads in his life. One road leads to stardom and fame, as his alter-ego Keegan, at a cost he isn’t sure he can accept. The other road seems to lead to a claustrophobic cubicle-bound life that he’s certain will be his worst nightmare.

While Kyle contemplates both paths, a chance meeting with an old friend offers him a new path… a path to Peace and Stella Albright, the lovely owner of Peace’s Bed & Breakfast. With his future hanging in the balance, Kyle must reconcile reality with his life as Keegan, while convincing Stella that allowing passion back in her life could save them both.

Pre-Order Now

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Coming November 24, 2017

By Cassie May
Contemporary Romance

Ten years after being forced to leave Peace on her graduation day, Laynee Bradshaw is now forced to come back.

The events that led to her comeback have shattered her heart and left her with responsibilities she is not sure she can shoulder alone.

Thankfully moving back to Peace is not as hard as she thought it would be and her emergency network is still intact. What she hadn’t counted on was the whirlwind her life would become with moving back. Will she be able to find a haven in Peace?

Pre-Order Now

P.S.
I’m up next! Eek!

 

 

Reviews on Hold

So this isn’t totally true, but it’s close. My Kindle is officially kaput, I’m wearing my back up contacts until I can afford a new pair of glasses and the requests are flooding in and I am having an incredibly difficult time saying no. So many great sounding Indie stories are coming in and I want to help everyone, even though my following is small, it makes me feel good that I’m doing what I can.

So until I can get a new Kindle (or better eye wear, which ever comes first), the reviews will be slow coming and I am going to have to be more selective in what I accept. Please remember that I do not read memoirs, I stay away from strictly religious books (will accept books with religious aspects but are considered paranormal, mystery, etc.) and stay away from self-help books. I’ll send in the correction to The IndieView, but it may take a minute for them to update so I will try you now.

For all peeps I have promised an interview to, I am trying. Please continue to be patient, I cannot thank you enough for sticking with me!

Author 101: Reviews

So as I am sitting here feeling like I am being torn into two and waiting for my oldest spawn to get the hell out of the bathroom (sorry, if TMI) I for some reason remembered that I have been meaning to write about review requests and how to help the reader out, if you will.

I, myself, have been writing this type of email a lot lately:

Dear Author,

Thank you for asking me to review your book {insert title here}, however I find myself asking if this is an unedited ARC or something already available to the public instead of being able to focus on the words.

Okay, I’m not that formal, but you get the idea. Currently I AM in the situation above and no matter how much I really want to enjoy this book, I am unable to due to the amount of typos and other grammatical errors that I am encountering. So I will be emailing the author today asking if it is an ARC and if another version is available. If it is the published product (and due to my own review policy) I will not be able to review it. I will give the author my honest opinion and hopefully they will take the time to fix what needs to be fixed and put out a revision. If not… will I tried, right?

And I’m sure there are some readers of this blog that want to cry foul and point out my own grammatical errors. If that is the case, I refer you to an earlier blog post about my condition and how I never promised perfection.

Well, at least, not here. =)

 

Dear Amazon,

A fellow author friend posted the other day that due to a one customer “complaint” (didn’t like the white space nor the chapter breaks) and now she has to reformat the entire book. That has been on your site without any other issue for three years. Three years. 

I get it. I worked in customer service and I know the customer is always right. I know we have to do what we need to keep our customers happy. Authors totally get this, we are in the same business. However, were does the line get drawn? When do you protect the author?

One complaint/opposing suggestion and you’re making the author change their creative layout. What if it was done on purpose for the flow of the story? What happens if someone complains about the new format and wants the old one back? Are you going to make her change it again? 

Again, where does it end? Amazon, where do you draw the line for the authors and allow for artistic expression? It’s time to be on the authors side.

Check it!

My interview with IndieReview!

http://www.theindieview.com/2017/02/27/reviewer-indieview-with-lisa-a-of-lisa-a-writes-and-reads/

I can’t believe I did that

Now that I have finished Dangerous Turns and have a couple weeks to work on the formatting while the beta’s have at it, I realized that I DID NOT put a copyright page in Riders of Sins Eternal’s book form. I did it in the e-reader format but not the book.

W.
T.
F.

I know things have been rough, but wow. I have never done that before and can’t believe I did it now. And yes, it is a big deal, without that page I have basically said ‘Hey you, go ahead and copy this word for word and call it your own book!’

Please do not do what I did. If you are self-publishing here is a great link I found that shows both long and short examples of a copyright page. And coming soon to Lisa A Writes and Reads will be a template for both book format and e-reader format for you to download and use for free. And yes, I will most definitely be including a copyright example, lol.

Oh, and if anyone out there gets the bright idea of ordering my book real quick and trying to copy it, too late, already fixed!

Til next time angels,

Lisa

P.S
I’ll be trying different ways of signing off during the next few posts. It will more than likely include the word ‘angel’ since my reading/discussion group is called Arrington’s Angels. Interested in joining? Must have Facebook, be over 18 and fill out the form below (will not sign you up for anything other than the reading/discussion group).

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Side Project

I’m working on a little side project while I am editing Dangerous Turns. A short story that’s near and dear to me because it’s about, well, me.

I was waiting for my ride and I had my kindle with me to finish reading a book for review when words just started going around my head. I sat on the warm red brick planter (Dear Arizona, it’s fall, get with the program) and just started typing.

It’s mainly about my disability and my journey with this round, but I may publish it. Or keep it for myself. I don’t know. What say you? Would anyone be interested in learning about fibromyalgia and the hoops one has to jump through to be ‘officially’ christened disabled in the State of Arizona?

Decision

I’ve always had a problem with what I wanted this blog to be. I mean, I knew I wanted it to be about my writing and my books and a few personal posts here and there, but since applying for disability and all the hell that comes from that, this blog has become a catch all and I don’t want that.

So I have started a new blog strictly for my disability updates, frustrations and maybe (hopefully) it will turn into somewhat of a guide for folks in Arizona who are struggling with getting through the disability process and this will once again become a blog strictly for my writing processes, frustrations and maybe (hopefully) a guide for other Indie writers trying to make it out there.

Castle Syndrome

I am putting procrastination to the test today, hell I could teach a class. I would rather do anything but write, but I have to.

I read a blog post today regarding the Facebook post that is circling around gaining both support and outright rage.

It’s all about piracy and why people feel they are entitled to downloading shit for free. My favorite quote from the person is “I’m broke and can’t afford it.”

I’m broke and can’t afford it.

This is there reasoning for stealing. I wonder if that would work if I went to the grocery store and walked out with a cart of groceries.

Or drove away from a mechanic after they just spent hours/days working on my car.

Or walked into a movie and just sat down while reaching for someone else’s popcorn. They can afford it.

Which was statement number two.

Writers can afford it.

That’s when the original blog author (and I am so sorry, I don’t remember her name) used Castle Syndrome or Murder, She Wrote syndrome for those not familiar.

Basically both shows focus on famous mystery writers solving crimes. Now with MSW, she didn’t seem to have the endless pockets that Richard Castle did, but none the less, this is what some non-readers believe. That we write a book or two and boom! We’re rolling in dough.

I know a lot of authors use the analogy of how would you like it if you went to work and then on payday get nothing.

And people say it’s not the same. And maybe it isn’t. Maybe those people don’t poor their heart and soul into their work. Maybe they do it for free anyway. And maybe it is just the sense of entitlement, the “isn’t hurting me” mentality.

But please be honest about it. If you are too broke to spend $.99- $4.99 for a book, then I guess you’re also too broke for your daily Starbucks habit.

Go to the library, they have books available for Kindle download.

Talk to the author, I’m not guaranteeing anything, but they may send you a copy for a reduced rate or free.

Please don’t steal from us that put out the entertainment you so much enjoy. Most of us are doing this so we get a little extra money for the essentials. For me, it is the ONLY source of income I have at this time.

So that dream I had?

It came true!

A friend needed help figuring out who to leave a review for Riders on Amazon and I just happened to looked at the product description and low and behold I was #51 in African-American Romance. In the dream I was #51!

I have to admit, I have become refresh obsessed and now at posting this it’s sitting pretty at 45.

When I first found out I had to put the phone down and scream my head off. I am just coming down from my high and really? I don’t think it will ever truly stop. I think I now understand how others making it the first time feel. IT’S CRAZY!

In an impromptu celebration Riders is free for the remainder of today, so please go download a copy and enjoy!

http://amzn.to/1SaJCuh