Who is a “good” literary agent?

I recently received the following email in our query inbox, “Dear Sara Megibow, thank you so much for sending a response to my query. Even though it was a form rejection letter, it’s still better than nothing. You are a really great literary agent.”

This is a polite and thoughtful email response. Typically, it’s not necessary to respond to our rejection letter however the nice ones are always better than the mean ones. Still, and this pains me to say it, there is an error in this person’s response. OH how I hate to admit this because I’m sure my rating at querytracker will go right through the toilet. Yikes. Here goes…

An agent’s process for responding to slush pile submissions (and the speed at which they do so) is not an accurate way to evaluate whether or not that agent is good at their job. Some agents personalize each and every response. Some agencies (like ours) send out a response to everything with a form rejection. And some agents don’t respond at all unless they are interested in the book. I know some writers compare notes: “X agent responded in 12 days” and “Y agent didn’t respond at all” and “Z agent’s form rejection is polite” but I’m here to tell you that this is not a good way to evaluate your potential business partner.

Of course I like being known as a “good” agent but let’s go over what that really means.

My job as a literary agent is to turn my clients books into money. Period. Publishing is a business and I represent one potential business plan for a writer. I offer representation when I believe there is financial potential in a book. Reading submissions and presenting books to publishing houses represents the vast minority of my time each week. Negotiating and auditing contracts, selling subsidiary rights (audio, foreign, film, etc), auditing royalty statements and organizing production, publicity and promotions are how I spend my time. These are the tasks I perform to make my clients money. Looking at it from this point of view, I can’t very well call up Tiffany Reisz to say, “I couldn’t shop THE SIREN for film this week as I was responding to slush pile submissions.” The biggest misconception about the job of a literary agent is that we serve the pre-published author. Unfortunately, that’s not true – we exist to make money for our current clients. That’s a harsh and ugly thing to admit online, but it’s the truth. Another way to look at it is like this – if I offer you representation you’d want me spending my time on your books, right?

The Catch 22 of this scenario is that in order to make money for our current clients, we have to HAVE clients and the vast majority of those clients come from the slush pile. So, how to respond to query letters remains a relevant discussion. I stand by our decision to respond to every email even though it costs us tens of thousands of dollars each year to do so (and it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales in order to make the 15% agency fee to cover that cost). I WANT to be known as nice and friendly and I believe that pre-published authors deserve a response. So there you have it – even though it’s not a perfect process, our agency continues to respond to every submission. But remember – that’s not what makes me good at my job.

A GOOD agent is one who can make you money, not one who responds quickly to the slush pile.

In researching agents, here are good ways to evaluate: Does an agent:
- Negotiate competitive contracts, including royalty rates (profit for an author shouldn’t just come from the advance money)
- Audit royalty statements
- Sell subsidiary rights
- Monitor the production process for quality and innovation
- Help organize publicity and promotions
- Communicate the publishing process effectively so all members of the team can be focused on writing and sales as opposed to being focused on errors and misunderstandings
- Work with an author to craft the career the author wants for him/herself

How would you find this out about an agent?
- When an agent offers representation, ASK! (it’s ok – you’re not being nosy. These are important questions)
- Ask to speak with an agent’s other clients to get a feel for some of these behind-the-scenes tasks
- Follow an agent at www.publishersmarketplace.com or on their agency website and watch for subsidiary rights sales or blog posts about these issues
- Meet agents at conferences and ask good business questions
- Follow agents on their blogs and on twitter (I’m on twitter at @SaraMegibow where I try to answer questions) (My boss, Kristin Nelson, blogs at http://pubrants.blogspot.com/ and she’s tackled each of these topics thoroughly over the years)

I hope this information helps! As you are researching agents for your career, remember to focus on the things that agent will do to make you money. Painful as it sounds, responding to the slush pile is not one of those tasks.

Happy writing and thanks again for having me here at Romance University!
-Sara

***

Yes – she went there.  So, what questions or comments do you have about Sara’s post?  What is your experience with agents and the slush pile?  Did it impact whether you would accept an offer of representation? Did it stop you from submitting?

On Friday, the fabulous Theresa Stevens is back!

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UNRAVELED by New York Times bestselling author Courtney Milan

He has no use for love…

Smite Turner is renowned for his single-minded devotion to his duty as a magistrate. But behind his relentless focus lies not only a determination to do what is right, but the haunting secrets of his past – secrets that he is determined to hide, even if it means keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Until the day an irresistible woman shows up as a witness in his courtroom…

 

But love has other plans for him.

Miranda Darling isn’t in trouble…yet. But she’s close enough that when Turner threatens her with imprisonment if she puts one foot wrong, she knows she should run in the other direction. And yet no matter how forbidding the man seems on the outside, she can’t bring herself to leave. Instead, when he tries to push her away, she pushes right back – straight through his famous self-control, and into the heart of the passion that he has long hidden away…

Bio:

Bio: Sara Megibow, Associate Literary Agent
Nelson Literary Agency, LLC

Sara has worked at the Nelson Literary Agency since 2006. As the Associate Literary Agent, Sara is actively acquiring new clients! The Nelson Literary Agency specializes in representing all genres of romance (except inspirational or category), young adult fiction of all subgenres, science fiction/ fantasy and commercial fiction (including women’s fiction and chick lit). Sara is an avid romance reader and a rabid fan girl of super sexy and intelligent stories.

Nelson Literary Agency is a member of AAR, RWA, SFWA and SCBWI. Please visit our website http://http://www.nelsonagency.com/for submission guidelines, FAQs, resources and sample query letters. Sara’s Publisher’s Marketplace site (www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SaraMegibow) is a great place to find more about her personal tastes, clients and recent sales. You can also cyber stalk Sara on twitter @SaraMegibowHow an agent chooses what books to read.

Welcome back to RU, Cris!

Hello, RU!

Cris Dukehart here… audiobook gal.

Before we begin, I really must apologize;  I fear that I may be a bit rough around the edges…

For some time, you see, I have been recording Shiloh Walker’s Ash Trilogy,  three gripping romantic suspense audiobooks released by the marvelous folks over at Tantor Media and, now, four weeks later, I smell suspiciously of the green apple slices I use to de-goop my mouth, Throat Coat tea and Chapstick.   My head is wrapped unceremoniously in a bandana and I am rather concerned that my favorite mismatched socks, (one gray and white stripedy and one lime green and white polka dot, both, you will be pleased to hear, with happy hot pink toes and heels) have been on my feet so long that, once removed, they might run away from me of their own accord never to be seen again.

I am a vision… and absolute vision!

More disturbing than this, however, is that for at least part of the last four weeks, I have lived inside the head of a serial killer.   I have hunted young girls, their futures bright with promise, and I have brought them down in their prime.  I have played horrible, frightening games of cat and mouse, committed shocking acts of brutality, and I have done it all with an almost pleasant ambivalence.

I have lent my voice to a monster.

The concept of “voice” is a tricky thing.  It’s a chameleon among words, isn’t it?

It can mean the power of speech, an expression, an utterance or vocalization.

Merriam Webster suggests that a voice is also an opinion or a view, a vote or role, or even a mouthpiece or a champion.

Wikipedia defines an author’s voice… your voice… as “the literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an author”.   It goes on to say that an author’s voice is “generally considered to be a combination of a writer’s use of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works).”  There are whole books devoted to this sort of voice; websites dedicated to it.  It’s a good thing to have apparently, a distinct author’s voice.  You may even have attended seminars and conferences on finding and developing yours.

But what if… for argument’s sake, they are all one and the same?

Every author has their own voice, by definition, a way of utilizing syntax and diction and punctuation.  But what happens when those words, that syntax and diction and punctuation are vocalized?  E.E. Cummings, for instance, was known for scattering words all over a page with little notice it seemed, to punctuation or capitalization.  In fact, some of his work appeared, at first glance, to make little sense… little sense, that is, until it was read out loud.   Mark Twain and Charles Dickens used dialect to such an extent that unless it is read aloud, it is often difficult to recognize the near phonetic spellings found within their dialog passages as English at all.

Now, I don’t know much about anything of importance, but it seems to me that when a book changes points of view within the story, the voice alters as well.  Though it may do so subtly, I’ve found that particularly in dialog, but also in description of scene and people, characters seem to use the author’s language in their own unique ways.

Because the point of view in Shiloh Walker’s Ash Trilogy changes, even within chapters, it seemed of particular importance to discern the different character’s voices.  Ms. Walker, (a spunky lass with a Kentucky twang of her own), was invaluable in this task.  She told me things about each character that had little, it would seem, to do with how they actually SOUND, but that mattered a great deal to how they were HEARD.

This was never more important than in zeroing in on the voice of the killer.

Within the text of the first book, “If You Hear Her”, we learn that the killer has a slow, deep, almost patient drawl.  We read that he is amused with his games, that he feels a sort of affection for his victims.  And that, for the most part, is the extent of his vocal description.

Enter Shiloh Walker.

From the first, Ms. Walker was clear… the killer’s parts should be read “without emotion”… he “is a monster”.  (It is only fair to report here, that only the first book was made available to me when I began recording.  I finished it a few days before speaking with Shiloh.  I was able, using AMAZING feats of restraint and prudence, to refrain for nearly 5 whole minutes into the conversation, from positively BEGGING her to tell me who the killer was.  In my defense *indignant sniff*, it was for entirely professional reasons that I needed to know.)

We then had the fun task of deciding who would be the vocal red herrings.  Who amongst the other characters, exhibited enough similarities in habit and personality to the killer to share vocal characteristics with him… we needed to be able to auditorily mislead the listener, just as they were mislead in the text.

Which takes me back to lending my voice to a monster.

Recording his parts with “no emotion” took on its own life… a flippant, bored, slightly pleased and entertained sound… a sound that over the course of the three books, began to reveal a cruelty and disdain for human life and a disturbing apathy that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

I developed a disturbing tendency, while recording his parts, to raise one hand in caress of a cold cheek or a flippant gesture… to mimic an indifferent half lidded stare.

Leaving my studio late one night, I walked casually through the inky black.  (This wouldn’t be of note at all except for the fact that I have, since childhood, had a wild fear of the dark.  I was (and still am) the gal who flees one lit space for another, dashing willy-nilly through the dark.  I have even been known to outrun my children in my flight, leaving their small selves to the mercy of the boogyman!) This particular evening, however, despite the unlit night, there was no sign of my usual dash from lighted interior, through scary monster-laden dark, to the car.

“How curious.” I puzzled. “What is THIS?”

For some time, as I drove, I pondered this new and unusual ennui for the dark until it occurred to me quite suddenly that there was a very simple reason why I wasn’t afraid of the monsters.  I wasn’t afraid because somewhere in my mind, I was the monster… I had indentified with the boogyman.

And while that scared me enough that I stopped on my way home and bought a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, it did occur to me that just maybe I had found the killer’s voice.   That perhaps in finding his voice, his story, Shiloh Walker’s story would do what we all want a good story to do… to transport us into the world of the book… into the world of the author.

In Shiloh Walker’s syntax, her diction, her development of character and use of punctuation…

In the casually apathetic vocalizations of horrors…

In analyzing the killer’s role… not just how he sounds, but how he is heard by others… In this, I hope, we find a monster… and in voice we most certainly find a champion.

***

RU Crew, have you ever listened to a book where the villain was given away (or well-concealed) by the narrator? Also, feel free to ask Cris questions about voiceover or how she purged Shiloh’s monster from her body. Don’t forget Cris and Tantor Media have generously offered to give away a CD set of Shiloh Walker’s If You Hear Her, the first in Walker’s romantic suspense Ash Trilogy. 

Don’t miss Friday’s lecture when editor Gina Bernal will return to teach us more about line editing!

***

Bio:

I’d like to thank Romance University and Becke Davis for inviting me to blog today. What author doesn’t love getting a chance to chat with readers!

For those who don’t know me, I’ve been published for going on eight years now. I started out in ePublishing then progressed to traditional New York publishing. I still have my feet in those two venues, but I’ve just recently started releasing my old eBooks via the self-publishing route.

Self-publishing. It’s changing the entire publishing landscape. Authors have more freedom and readers have more choices. However, a quality read is one thing every reader wants in a book. Quality means different things to different people, but one thing’s certain, a competently formatted and edited story makes for a better book. It’s a criterion the reading community reiterates on a consistent basis.

When a reader buys a book, they want to be entertained. When they’re deep into the story, readers get really irritated when they’re continuously stumbling over typos, misused words, or other issues that an eye for detail would have caught. In other words, readers want to enjoy a great story uninterrupted, but finding a good read is like mining for gold. Word-of-mouth continues to be a primary source of readers finding a great story, but another way is an author brand.

One such author brand is Rock*It Reads whose members include Monica Burns, Pamela Clare, Lila DiPasqua, Cheryl Holt, Vanessa Kelly, Kris Kennedy, Margo Maguire, Mia Marlowe, Elisabeth Naughton, Sharon Page and Joan Swan. We are traditionally published authors committed to producing the best quality self-published reads possible. We do that by ensuring our self-published books receive a strong editorial review, go through a solid copyediting process, and are properly formatted for a multitude of popular eReaders.

Branding isn’t a new concept in marketing. It’s about creating a recognizable product. For instance, Ellora’s Cave is known for eErotic romance. Harlequin is another brand readers recognize. When you pick up a HQ Intrigue, Presents, SuperRomance, etc. you know the exact type of read you’re buying. It might be written by an author you don’t know, but as a consumer, you’re thinking, hey I enjoyed the last Intrigue I read, let me try this new one.

While branding isn’t a new idea, an author brand is groundbreaking in the self-publishing industry. Rock*It Reads is the first group of its kind to develop a specific logo for our self-published books. We each publish our individual works, contract with cover artists; copyeditors, content editors and formatters; and we set our own prices. But once we’re ready to release our self-published works, we add the Rock*It Reads logo to the cover and put it up on our website. We are not a publisher. We’re just creating a recognizable brand readers can trust when it comes to a quality read.

The Rock*It Reads logo is a visual representation of quality. It says the Rock*It Reads authors care deeply about giving readers the best possible reading experience by taking into account the little things that drive readers crazy. While you might not like the story, you’re getting a read that is strong on the basics of self-publishing. These are reads that can go toe to toe with any book a traditional publisher puts out.

One of the really positive outcomes the Rock*It Reads group has seen in its growth is our partnership with Barnes and Noble. We approached Barnes and Noble about the possibility of doing a column promoting the gems of self-publishing romances that might appeal to readers. Barnes and Noble were enthusiastic about our proposal, and as a result the Love Rocks column at BNReview.com was born.

We’re not a review column, and we don’t want to be. We’re not about analyzing books. We’re just a group of readers, who happen to be authors, chatting about self-published romances we’ve found and fell in love with. We want to build a community where we chat with readers about the self-published romances they’ve enjoyed reading. And like those readers, we’ll talk about books we’ve pulled out of cyberspace and fell in love with.

There were a great many puzzle pieces to work through before Rock*It Reads became what readers see now. It took a lot of hard work, but we believe it’s worth it. We also fully expect other groups to form and develop their own brands. We see that as a good thing for readers. Readers’ expectations for a quality read is what drove us to start Rock*It Reads.

As other groups catch onto the idea of author brands, readers can expect to find even more self-published gems they might not have found otherwise. Author brands that are committed to quality make it easier for readers to find books they’ll enjoy without the major pitfalls of books that don’t have a recognizable seal of quality. So check us out at RockItReads.com, I think we have a few of those gems you’ve been looking for in self-published romance.

***

How many of you read e-books? Have you wished for higher quality standards in self-published books?

On Wednesday, weapons expert and literary consultant Adam Firestone answers questions about choreographing direct action scenes.

***

Bio:

Monica Burns with Charles Paz (Mr. Romance 2009) at RT earlier this month.

From the days when she hid her stories from her sisters to her first completed full-length manuscript, she always believed in her dream despite rejections and setbacks. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica believes it’s possible for the good guy to win if they work hard enough.

Monica is a survivor, and it’s a topic she has become well versed in. A survivor of date rape at the age of 19, writing erotic romance has aided her in the life-long process of healing. Her writing has helped her reclaim some of her self-worth, and you can read her story here.

Find Monica at her website, on Facebook and on Twitter. Monica also blogs at Barnes & Noble Review, Love Rocks.

It’s May, when nature runs amok and previously normal folk burst into song. “While strolling through the park one day, in the merry, merry month of May…” No, wait. That’s a bit tame for Romance University.

Let’s go with Lerner and Loewe: “Tra la! It’s May, the lusty month of May! That lovely month when ev’ryone goes blissfully astray Tra la! It’s here, that shocking time of year! When tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear…”

Sorry, sorry—distracted by spring fever and a tiny bit dizzy from dancing around the Maypole.

We at RU are excited to bring you a week of sterling posts by our Visiting Professors, Monica Burns, Adam Firestone and Amy Atwell. Grab a Maypole ribbon and strew some of those flowers April sent our way. It’s going to be a lively week—see below for all the deets!

Mon, 4/30 – Award-winning historical romance author MONICA BURNS reveals details about  Rock*It Reads and gives us her take on self-publishing. http://monicaburns.com/

Weds, 5/2 – Weapons expert ADAM FIRESTONE returns to RU with a plan for choreographing direct action scenes in any genre. http://adamfirestoneconsultant.blogspot.com/

Fri, 5/4 – On Friday, author AMY ATWELL returns to talk about taming the chaos so you can write. Amy is one of a very few authors honored with the RWA Service Award. http://amyatwell.com/site/Home.html

All Romance University lectures are generously provided by our Visiting Professors. RU is a tuition-free zone!

All our best,
Adrienne Giordano, Robin Covington, Carrie Spencer, Tracey Devlyn, Jennifer Tanner, Becke Martin Davis and Kelsey Browning.

Jessica, welcome to RU!

How a Soldier Became a Romance Author…

Purely by freak accident.

So today’s blog for Romance University will be a few of Jess’s hard lessons learned in the journey to publication or how an army officer by day turned into a romance author at night.

So my bio pretty much says how I started writing in Officer Candidate School in 2007 when I was away from my kids the first time. The urban legend I like to tell is it went something like this “holy crap, I wrote the end. It will be an instant bestseller because I’m a soldier and it’s about soldiers.” to “what do you mean you don’t want to represent me”.  Yes, it was a hard, sad wake up call for the newbie author in me. Nearly five years would go by before I finally had the call from an editor.

And now for the slightly longer version. First, I didn’t just start writing in 2007. Writing became important to me in 2007. I’ve always written. A few pages here or there. A paragraph here. A dream journal mostly empty there. But in 2007, I started writing for publication. What does that mean? I put butt in seat and started writing, seriously, every single day.  I won’t lie to you and tell you I don’t have stubbornness issues, I do.

I made the exact same newbie mistakes that I cringe over now (querying too soon, querying and getting a partial request, then writing the agents and saying yeah, um, I’ve revised it, pulling back queries). Let’s just say that I am darn lucky not to be blacklisted by every single agent who represents romance and I may actually be blacklisted by a couple (for the record, I’m sorry for having been a pest).

Kit Frazier said at one of our Austin RWA meetings that the only difference between published and unpublished is that published didn’t quit. Now there are varying thoughts on this but the short version is that if you have the talent to put words on page AND the drive to keep at it until you get to where you want to be, you’ll be fine. I’m not talking all roses and doves fine because there will be wailing and crying and gnashing of the teeth aplenty even after you sell. But, determination goes a long way in this business.

Now what’s the difference between being a PITA and being determined? Well, let’s take another notecard from Jessie’s book of mistakes. Determined = writing the next book after pretty much all of the agents you queried passed on the first book.  Determined also means keep it professional. No matter how much you might think that an agent just snarked on your particular query, DON’T and I mean DON’T get nasty about it. Agents know each other and they talk. So do other authors. So no matter how much you may want to rip throats out, don’t do it, at least not to anyone that is not one hundred percent trusted.

Being a PITA? Well for starters, not listening, then telling everyone you’re not listening and then getting angry when someone calls you on it. Listen, I get it. We all harbor that secret desire to be the next Big Deal. But being a jerk about your private fantasy? Not cool.

So how did I end up actually making a sale? Well, when I say it was a freak accident, I’m really not kidding. I was getting ready to take a break from writing. I’d left an agent, signed with another one, had no books out with editors and was basically stymied. I was tired of being upset with my lack of forward momentum all the time. I was frustrated. I figured I’d walk away for a little while and get some perspective back. Well, then Sue Grimshaw wrote a blog post about wanting a military romance that was not romantic suspense and well, I tweeted her.

Folks, DO NOT DO THIS. I cannot tell you how many agents and editors hate this story because it damn near guarantees that they’re going to get tweet queried (also bad, the query under the bathroom stall at RWA. Not an urban legend, this actually happened to a friend of mine). Unless they specifically say they want tweet queries, don’t do this. The ONLY reason I sent Sue a tweet was because we’d worked on a joint blog project while I was deployed so we’d had a small working relationship prior to. I asked her if she was interested and did she have an email address. That was it. If she’d said no, well the rest would have been history, as they say.

So I took the book I’d written and rewritten over the years and sent it to her. What’s the worst that could have happened? This simple sentence plays a big part in your make it or break it. Seriously. What’s the very worst that could happen?

That’s the short version of how I sold. Honestly, I still pinch myself because this book was so long in the writing. I still have no idea what I’m doing. Anyone who tells you they’ve got it all figured out once they sell is lying to you. We all have things we’re good at (I’m good at twitter) but no one knows all of it. We just share what we think we know and try to help someone else the way we were helped.

So on that note, I’d like to give away 6 digital copies of Because of You, to celebrate Because of You being on sale for 6 months. Will pick random winners from those who leave a comment!

Thanks for having me today at Romance University!

* * *

Thank you, Jessica, for sharing your story!

So, RU Readers, do you have any questions for Jessica? Maybe you’re curious how she juggles military life and the demands of being a published author? Have your ever been the fortunate recipient of a freak accident?

Please join us on Wednesday when the mysterious Jack Russell returns to turn the table on co-founder Tracey Devlyn in a candid interview.

* * *

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.  No zhu zhu pets were harmed in the writing of this book. For more information on Jessica, please visit her website http://www.jessicascott.net.

Take it away, Emmie!

My first book, Cassie’s Grand Plan, hit the shelves in North America in March. It’s been an incredibly exciting journey right from that moment my phone rang with the call I’d been waiting on for years.

But I think many unpublished romance authors (or perhaps I’m just speaking for myself here) see the journey to being published as a bit like a fairy tale. You go through all your trials. You fight off the big bad wolf. And then, if you’re very, very lucky, you have your very own happy ending. You get the call (way better than a kiss from a prince!) and wander off into the sunset, smiling and waving as you go. Nothing bad can ever happen again! The End!

Okay, so maybe I wasn’t quite that naive.

But I really don’t think I’d given much thought to what would happen “after”. When you’re striving to get published, all your energy and focus goes into that goal. It’s only reasonable that what happens after that call is a bit of a grey area.

With the hindsight of the past six months or so—two books revised and edited, one on the shelves (my second book, In His Eyes, comes out in August)—I thought I’d share with you some of the highs, lows, and learnings I’ve had along the way.

1. Accept that you are a beginner

In my non-writing job in organizational communication, I’ve been working in the same field for almost twenty years. I’m an expert at it; I have loads of experience and wisdom. Despite my experience in the business world, and with editing and production of all sorts of publications (albeit not novels!) I found myself getting frustrated when things with my two books didn’t go perfectly. Mostly, I was frustrated with myself.

Why aren’t I getting this right? I should know how to do this, shouldn’t I? After all, I got “the call”!

I wailed this to a crit partner. She gently, and wisely, pointed out that while I might be used to being an expert in organizational comms, I’m not an expert as an author. In fact, I’m a beginner. I’m barely a few steps in front of the work experience kid in the corner.

Strangely, this was exactly what I needed to hear. It helped change my outlook. I began to see myself as starting a brand new job in a brand new field. Because that’s what I was doing! I had to recognize that I still had a lot to learn. And of course I wasn’t going to get everything right first time.

That helped me go a bit easier on myself. And to recognize that I had the perfect person to call on for help—my editor. She’s been there, done that. She’s the expert I need to learn from. I also was lucky enough to have the support of other published authors who’ve been generous and understanding and incredibly helpful with sharing their wisdom and experience.

But the key for me was to recognize that I didn’t have all the answers and that I was allowed to stumble along the way.

2. No matter who your publisher is, you’re going to have to do your own publicity

And it’s going to take way more time than you ever thought. Seriously.

With my previous experience in PR, I figured I was a step ahead of most newbie authors when it came to the publicity game. And, sure enough, I certainly had an advantage because I wasn’t starting out from scratch when it came to understanding areas like social media, writing promotional stuff, and even approaching the media.

But what I didn’t count on was how much time and focus it would take. Time that I should have been spending writing book number three (or, to be honest, on my day job!).

This was something I simply hadn’t factored in to my “happily ever after” as a published author.

In fact, back when I was unpublished, I had arrogantly wondered what published authors did with their time. I simply couldn’t see how writing could be a full-time proposition. (I’m glad I didn’t say this aloud to many people. I would have deserved a slap, or, at the very least, a condescending “Bless”.

Take the past few weeks as an example. I have been trying to write book number three. I have been finalizing revisions for book number two. And I have been publicizing the hell out of book number one. (Oh, and I’ve had a day job too.)

I need about twenty working hours in every day!

I’m certainly not advising that as soon as you get publishing you need to quit your day job. But when peering into that fuzzy grayness after the “happily ever after”, I wish I’d thought to realize just how much work was still to come.

3. The pressure never goes away

I don’t think I’d given any thought to what would happen after book number one in terms of future sales. Selling your first book is such a hurdle, perhaps you just can’t see over it until you’re on the other side.

And then guess what?

There’s just more hurdles ahead.

I think I submitted In His Eyes while still in the rosy and secure glow of my sale of Cassie’s Grand Plan—before the revisions to it began. And, joy, it was accepted. Now I’m about to submit book number three and you know what? I’m terrified. I think it’s because now, I have so much more to lose if it’s rejected.

And I’m beginning to realize that that feeling is never going to disappear.

Unless you become JK Rowling and someone will pay money for your grocery list, there’s always going to be pressure to write another book, just as good (if not better) than your last one.

Perhaps that’s a good thing. Sure, it will likely send me gray before my time, but it will definitely keep my on my toes.

4. It’s all worth it

I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining or whining here. I don’t want you to think, oh look at her, published author and all she can do is grumble about how hard it all is.

Because no matter how long the hours have been, how tough the hits to my ego have been to bear, or how frustrating it’s been to stumble, nothing beats the feeling of seeing your book in print. The moment when I opened my box of author copies is etched on my brain. I’ll remember it when I’m in the nursing home telling the grandkids about the good old days.

Yes, it’s hard work. Yes, you have to do stuff that you didn’t expect and—given a choice—might prefer not to do. But overall? My advice is: don’t give up. Keep working towards that “happily ever after”.

Wandering off into the sunset afterwards isn’t The End. It’s actually the beginning of a whole new story—that you get to star in yourself.

* * *

Leave a comment to be in the running for a signed copy of Cassie’s Grand Plan.

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RU Crew, what would you like to know about being a debut author? Emmie will be here to answer questions.

Join us on Wednesday when Louisa George will be share tips on stretching emotion when writing category length fiction.

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Emmie Dark’s Bio:

After years of writing press releases, employee newsletters and speeches for CEOs and politicians – none of which included any kind of kissing – Emmie Dark finally took to her laptop to write what she wanted to write. She was both amazed and delighted to discover that what came out was sexy, noble heroes who found themselves crossing paths with strong, determined heroines. And plenty of kissing.

Emmie’s overnight success has taken about five years to achieve. She began fiddling around with story ideas when the urge to write fiction became overwhelming. In July 2011 she sold her first book to Harlequin SuperRomance and she’s not looking back, with her second sale in September. Both books will be out in 2012.

Emmie lives in Melbourne, Australia, and she likes red lipstick, chardonnay, sunshine, driving fast, rose-scented soap and a really good cup of tea. Like, a really good cup of tea. She’s particularly fussy about it, and has been known to pack her own teabags when she travels. Most members of her family are too scared to make her a cuppa, in case they get it wrong.

Emmie on the web:

Website:  http://www.emmiedark.com

Blog:  http://emmiedark.blogspot.com.au/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EmmieDarkFanPage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/EmmieDark

CASSIE’S GRAND PLAN

BACK BLURB

Four steps to a brand-new life

Cassie Hartman knows what she needs to do to get her life under control. First, she’ll get herself promoted. Then she’ll update her appearance. Steps three and four—marriage and family—well, those will have to wait.

Then Ronan McGuire shows up. The too-sexy, too-polished business consultant has the power to derail Cassie’s plans before she’s even really started. If he doesn’t approve her promotion, she’ll be back to square one—and that’s not an option. Cassie needs to keep her focus on that first step, no matter how much Ronan tempts her to skip ahead to the third and fourth ones…

Buy Links:

Harlequin     Amazon        Amazon UK       B&N     Book Depository

Listen Up: Romance Audio Books increase Author Profits!

If your romance novel isn’t sold in audio book format, you’re missing out on a great way to increase your earnings! With the advent of digital audio books and the proliferation of mp3-playing devices, more and more customers are discovering the joys of listening to their favorite novels while they drive, cook, clean, exercise and more.

My name is Jennifer Feddersen, and I opened AudioLark Audio Books in the fall of 2010. Since then, we’ve produced and published over 175 romance audio books in a variety of genres including contemporary, historical, paranormal and many others. Today Cindy Procter-King, the author of Where She Belongs, and RE Chambliss, the narrator who brought Cindy’s novel to life, will help me tell you what to expect when your novel is transformed into an audio book. I’ll also talk about what you can expect with regards to contracts, royalties and audio book earnings.

One of my favorite parts about publishing audio books is combing through submissions to pick out our next lineup. Currently AudioLark accepts submissions year round, but we have two “reading periods” during the spring and fall. Our next reading period starts May 1st. Submissions received before May 1 will be replied to by June 1, 2012. The books we take on at this time will release in January – June, 2013.

Here’s Cindy Procter-King’s take on what it’s like for an author to work with AudioLark:

As an author, I’ve always been interested in getting my books into audio. The problem is, most traditional publishing contracts ask for the audio rights, and then your hands are tied. Whether the publisher pursues audio versions of their print titles is up to them, not the author.

Fortunately, the publisher of my first two books, Amber Quill Press, did not take audio rights. Neither does Five Star/Cengage, the library-edition hardcover publisher that published my 2007 Golden Heart finalist, Where She Belongs, in December 2011.

When AudioLark opened, I jumped at the chance to submit my first two books, which had already been in ebook and print for a few years. Publishing the audio versions gave them new life—and new sales! Head Over Heels, the first audio book I published with AudioLark, became an Audible ChickLit bestseller last summer, and I can still find it in the ChickLit bestsellers for Audible from time to time.

Once AudioLark contracts your book, you submit a pronunciation guide (Word doc or email) for the narrator. AudioLark chooses the narrator or provides a couple of examples of narrators for the author to choose from, depending on the needs of the book. I step out of the process until the narrator is finished reading the book, at which point AudioLark provides me with MP3 proofing files. Because I’m now proofing the book (listening for errors), I listen to the audio files on my computer using headphones and with the PDF of the book on my computer screen so my eyes can read along. When I notice an error that I want corrected or that the narrator has left a production note in the narration, I mark it down much in the way you would with a print publisher and send the list to AudioLark. The corrections are done, and then comes the great fun—waiting for and then experiencing release day!

I’ve had a very positive experience with AudioLark and look forward to working with them on more books. I would thoroughly recommend working to get your titles into audio. It’s another sales venue. People who might never buy your print or ebook might choose to buy the audio version, and what writer doesn’t want more sales?

Cindy Procter-King

My other favorite part of publishing audio books is working with narrators to create the final product. There is nothing as wonderful as listening to a voice actress whose voice and acting style truly complements a novel.

Here’s RE Chambliss talking about her experience in narrating audio books for AudioLark:

When I narrate a book for Audiolark I read the book three times. The first read-through helps me assess what kind of story it is and what kind of people the main characters are. I also look up any words I’m don’t know how to pronounce. I mark up my print-out of the book with all of the pronunciations as well as notes to myself about accents and character traits.

The second time I read the book is during the recording process. I record at home in a little recording studio in my closet. As I read, I try to immerse myself in the story. This is my absolute favorite part of the process. I love trying to bring a story to life with my voice. Whenever I flub a line, I tell the audio editor, “I’m going to do that again,” and then rerecord. The editor will clip the bad take out, leaving the good one.

Then I read the book a third time as I proof my audio. I sit with the print-out in front of me and listen to the whole book while I check it against the text. Any mistakes that I didn’t notice during the recording process, I mark down on my print-out so that I can re-record them correctly. After I’ve re-recorded all the mistakes, I splice the correct versions into the audio files of each chapter and send them to the editor.

The audio editor and the author both check the recording and let me know about anything that needs to be redone. I rerecord those lines and send them to the editor who splices them into the final audio files.

I feel so privileged to narrate audio books for Audiolark and hope that both the authors and the listeners enjoy the final product!

RE Chambliss

Now let’s talk about financial details. What can you expect from audio book earnings? Like traditional book earnings, actual numbers run the gamut. Some audio books sell a fraction of their ebook or print numbers. Other audio books out-sell their print sales. We’ve found that our best-selling genres are contemporary romance, chick lit, and romantic suspense. Audible, the number 1 retail outlet for audio books (owned by Amazon and partnered with iTunes), is advertising hard to increase the general public’s awareness of audio books. This is a great time to get your books into listeners’ hands.

AudioLark now works with Audible under a sliding-scale contract. The more sales a title generates, the bigger royalty percentage we earn, topping out at 90% of net revenues. We charge authors NO fees or upfront costs to publish their audio books, and we now pay authors 50% of the royalties we receive.

Are you interested in getting your romance novel into audio? AudioLark wants to hear from you! Contact Jennifer@audiolark.com or visit our submission guidelines at www.audiolark.com for more information!

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Do you have books that are in audio format? Do you listen to books in audio format as a rule or is it the exception? 

M/M romamce author, Harper Fox, answers a couple of my most pressing questions about her technique for emotion, characters and settings.

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Jennifer is giving away a copy of WHERE SHE BELONGS to one lucky commenter!

Bio:

Owner and Acquisitions Editor of AudioLark Audio Books, Jennifer Feddersen has produced and published more than 175 audio books since 2010. Specializing in romance audio books, she is also interested in many other genres, including contemporary fiction, mystery, suspense and young adult. When not coaxing authors and voice actresses to meet their deadlines, she’s happiest when bringing order to the chaos that is an unedited voice recording. She splits her time between northern British Coulumbia and the Adirondacks. www.audiolark.com

Shifting Your Socia Media Perspective.

Most authors struggle with how to balance their writing time against their social media efforts. They feel that the more time they spend promoting their books on Facebook, Twitter, their blog, or other blogs, the less time they have to devote to writing. Some even go as far as wishing they could wash their hands of the whole business end of their writing career and concentrate on what they love best—writing books to put in readers’ hands.

I’ll admit, I’ve had these feelings sometimes, too. After all, there are a finite number of hours in the day. But I’ve come to look at it all a bit differently. I’m often asked how I juggle multiple book contracts and an active blog and an active social media presence and multiple promotional efforts all at once, and I’ve thought and thought about an answer that would be more useful than “I don’t sleep very much” LOL! I think I just might have found an answer that is more useful: I don’t see social media as a burden, and I don’t approach the business end of my writing career as being different or separate from the writing end of it.

Why do you write books? I write because, well, because I have to write. I can’t not write. But I also write because I hope my words and stories will bring a few hours of joy, happiness and pleasure to my readers’ lives. I do it for my readers. After all, if they weren’t out there reading and enjoying, I couldn’t do what I do. Therefore, when I think of social media, I see an opportunity to talk to and hang out with my readers and friends, not something burdensome or obligatory I have to do. I adore seeing how readers will react to my excerpts or status updates or posts or weird observations I tweet. Online reader feedback is the best kind of instant gratification, and I find it fuels me. It’s fun and serves as a great break from writing or a way to productively fill ten minutes I couldn’t use for other activities.

Similarly, I’ve learned that the business end of my writing career is just as important as the writing end. In fact, I’ve learned they’re equally part of the whole experience. One can’t be fully successful without the other—well, not for the vast majority of us (perhaps if you have a big enough name or a prominent enough publisher you can avoid more of the business end of things, but even the big publishers are expecting more author effort on promotion and social media these days…). Social media only distracts from your writing career if you see it as not being central to your writing career. I’m not talking about basic procrastination here (I excel at that, doncha know?)—yes, of course, procrastinating on the interwebz might thwart your writing goals for the day. Instead, I’m talking about a way of thinking about how the time spent on social media, blogging and other promotional efforts relates to your career itself.

I think attempting a shift in attitudes about the time spent on social media has the potential to make it more enjoyable, more productive, more consequential, and less overwhelming. Of course, sometimes you just have to say nope, no time for Facebook today! But that’s a different thing from saying Oh, gawwwwd, guess I have to go post on Facebook and twitter now (cue long-suffering sigh). LOL

So, what do you think? Could a shift in perspective make the business end of your career easier to handle, manage, accept, and enjoy?

Thanks for reading!
Laura Kaye

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How do you approach your social media?  Do you think it cuts down on your writing time?  What do you think about Laura’s paradigm shift?

Tomorrow literary agent, Sara Megibow, will be back with her monthly column, “Sara Megibow Sells Romance”.

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GIVEAWAYS!

One commenter who leaves their email address here will win an ebook of North of Need, Book 1 in my Hearts of the Anemoi series. Ends at midnight EST 4/16 and open to international. Want more ways to win? Check out my WEST OF WANT PREVIEW & PRIZES EVENT, which begins today to celebrate the coming release of Book 2 in my series, West of Want!

Bio:
About Laura Kaye:
Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is a bestselling and award-winning author paranormal and contemporary romance. Hearts in Darkness is the EPIC eBook Award Winner for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Buy Laura’s Books
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

You’ve all seen my beautiful cover scrolling on the sidebar, but I’m going to take this moment to show you the evolution to the final cover. I once heard my publisher say that it takes an average of 14 designs before they find THE ONE. Can you imagine fourteen variations of the same cover design? Fortunately, I only saw three. Here they are:

          Oct 2011                          Dec 2011 (ARC)                  Feb 2012 (Final)

Each are striking in their own way, don’t you think? Sourcebooks used the middle cover design on the advanced reading copies (aka ARC) they sent to book reviewers, booksellers, and librarians. Don’t be surprised if you still see the cover with the orange background on bookseller internet sites. My understanding is that it takes a while for some stores to switch out the covers.

Would you like to see what the hero, Guy Trevelyan, Earl of Helsford, looks like? He showed up on the cover spine for the ARC. Alas, he did not make it on the final cover.

What do you think about my master cryptographer? Don’t the two of them–Guy and Cora–make a lovely pair. I just love her hair!

Mega Giveaways!

Three lucky commenters will win a gift basket with the following goodies:

1. An autographed copy of A Lady’s Revenge and bookmark
2. A handcrafted necklace from RU’s crazy-talented Carrie Spencer
3. Paris Amour lotion set by Bath & Body Works
4. DiVoga Eiffel Tower Label Book
5. Three antique-style keys linked together with a sheer burgundy organza ribbon (great accent for any home)

       

What do you have to do to win one of these lovelies? In the comment section below, tell me one thing you’ve learned from RU’s lectures and how you’ve applied it to your writing or career. OR, if you’re a reader of romance, share why you love romance and let me know what you’re reading now. That’s it! I’ll use Random.org to pick a winner.

Below, you’ll find a link to read the first chapter and an excerpt of Cora and Guy’s first kiss. I hope you enjoy both.

About A Lady’s Revenge

A British agent flees her French captor’s torturous dungeon and falls in love with the decoder responsible for her imprisonment.

NOTHING GETS BETWEEN A LADY AND HER VENGEANCE

In a daring rescue, beautiful and wily secret operative Cora deBeau is reunited with her childhood friend Guy Trevelyan, who wants so much more from her now than friendship…

HE’LL STOKE THE FIRE UNTIL THEY BOTH GO UP IN FLAMES

But Cora’s mission against the French has become personal, and even the fire between her and Guy won’t deter her. When it comes to getting sweet, cruel revenge, nothing will stand in a lady’s way…

The Kiss

(Setup: Guy is getting ready to have breakfast with Cora in her bedchamber. He’s there to chink away at the barriers she had erected while in captivity and to deliver some unwelcome news.)

“Good morning, Dinks,” Guy said.

The maid curtsied. “That it is, my lord.”

Guy stepped into the bedchamber—and stopped dead in his tracks.

“Oh!” Dinks exclaimed, crashing into his back. “I’m right sorry, my lord. Didn’t expect you to be standing in my path like that.”

Guy ignored the maid’s rebuke. His nostrils flared as the fragrant, moist air of a recent bath reached his nose. But it was the sight of Cora standing near the breakfast table that held him captivated.

A silky blue dressing gown hugged the contours of her body, concealing the effects of her captivity, and a matching ribbon wound through her shorn hair. The effect was stunning in its simplicity. With her regal stance and fading bruises, she reminded him of a wounded angel.

“Your hair.”

Turning her damaged cheek away, she lifted her hand to tug on the ends of her hair. “It will grow out… eventually.”

“It’s beautiful.”

She stared into his eyes. “W-what?”

He moved to stand before her and, without thinking, reached out to touch her rich brown waves. The soft locks slid through his fingers like the downy end of a feather.

Bending forward, he kissed her cheek. “Beautiful.”

He heard her sharp intake of breath, saw her stiffen and lean away. “Guy, I—”

His hand fell to his side. “Do not trouble yourself, Cora.

Little by little, touch by touch, he would help her overcome her trepidation. Valère had taken more than her innocence. He had stolen her confidence. “One step at a time, remember?” Read More

About the Author

Tracey Devlyn writes historical romantic thrillers (translation: a slightly more grievous journey toward the heroine’s happy ending).

She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Australia Romance Readers Association and the Windy City, Beau Monde, Women’s Fiction, and PASIC Romance Writers of America chapters. Tracey’s also co-founder of Romance University, a group blog dedicated to readers and writers of romance, and Lady Jane’s Salon-Naperville, Chicagoland’s exciting new reading salon devoted to romantic fiction.

An Illinois native, Tracey spends her evenings harassing her once-in-a-lifetime husband and her weekends torturing her characters. For more information on Tracey, including her Internet haunts, contest updates, and details on her upcoming novels, please visit her website at:

TraceyDevlyn.com  |  Twitter.com/TraceyDevlyn  |  Facebook.com/AuthorTraceyDevlyn | LadyJanesSalonNaperville.com

How Very Un-A-Musing

Corny, I know, but so appropriate to my topic. Other names I considered for this blog post were: Hi, I’m Christy Reece and I’m a writer in denial. Or: How to say goodbye to a successful series and start a new one in 1,557 tries.

When I first learned that SWEET REWARD, my December 2011 release, would be the last book in my Last Chance Rescue series, I was almost (not quite, because I’m the cautious sort) excited. New characters, new plots, new everything! A whole vista of opportunities awaited me in my fictional world. I thought my muse would be onboard, overjoyed and raring to light up with a multitude of fabulous ideas.

But then reality set in. The characters I’ve lived with and adored since I starting writing RESCUE ME, the first book in my LCR series, would no longer be around to talk to me. They would now only exist in the happy-ever-after state of bliss I had created for them, never to be heard from again. No! These weren’t just fictional characters to me! They were real, living, breathing, three-dimensional people. In the years I’ve known them, they’ve made me laugh, cry, angry, sad, exuberant and joyful. I love them with every fiber of my being. I couldn’t let them go! No, no, no! Okay, I admit it, I went overboard. I grieved.

Then, the inevitable bargaining took place. Maybe I didn’t have to say goodbye to all of them. There were still a few characters that were due their own story. Why couldn’t I just carry them over into stories for this new series? It’s been done before. Why couldn’t I do it, too?

Much to my dismay, I learned this wasn’t going to happen. Why not, the over-emotional writer in me cried out? These are great characters. Readers have asked for their stories. Why couldn’t this be done?

If I had bothered to discuss this concept with my muse beforehand, it would have saved me much angst and heartache. When I finally chased her down, I confronted her with my brilliant idea. Here’s how the conversation went:

Lowly Writer (Me): “Guess what, Agatha! I’m writing a new series.”

(Yes, my muse’s name is Agatha because, well, my name is Christy and that’s how my brain works.)

Agatha: (Who actually prefers to be called Superior Being): “You’re writing a new series?”

Me: “Excuse me. We’re writing a new series.”

Agatha, nodding haughtily. “That’s better. Now, what’s this new series about?”

Me: “It’s a blend of murder/mystery and romantic suspense about three sisters who return home to their small Alabama town to solve their parents’ murders.”

Agatha: “Hmm. Sounds interesting. But what about our LCR series?”

Me, sure of my brilliance: “Well, I was thinking we could use some of the characters from the LCR series and carry them over to the new one.”

Agatha, looking more superior by the minute: “Seriously?”

Me, swallowing nervously: “Yes…You don’t think that’s a good idea?”

Agatha, not even bothering to hide her sarcastic glee: “You want to take your globe-trotting, kick-butt characters who thrive on danger, excitement and intrigue and put them in a small southern town?”

Me, feeling more inferior by the minute: “Well, yes. But there’s danger and intrigue in the town.”

Agatha, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, didn’t even bother to respond.

Me: You don’t think that’ll work?”

Agatha: “Nope.”

Me: “But I…Are you sure? Why not?”

Agatha: “Because I’m the one who inspires and breathes life into these characters and I won’t work that way.”

Me, bewildered and close to tears: “But we could work together. I’m sure we could pull it off.”

Agatha, with an oh so superior sniff: “Either create new characters or I’m out of here.”

Me, walking sadly away, scratching my head and mumbling incoherent curses.

So, the idea of spring-boarding characters from one series to another wasn’t one my muse wanted and my publisher went along with her. So that left me in a dilemma. How to create a different type series but keep the kind of characters I love to write about.

Since the above conversation took place, there have been numerous discussions with my un-amused Muse and myself. We’ve argued the plot, debated the characterizations and thrown verbal insults with alarming regularity. A few weeks ago, in the midst of yet another battle, we came to a mutually satisfying agreement. I will create the small town atmosphere, the plot, and the behind the scenes machinations of the villain. Agatha, er…excuse me, Superior Being, will inspire the kind of characters we both love: strong, resilient heroines readers can identify with and dangerous, sexy, to-die-for heroes that readers, and myself, can fall in love with.

And, because neither of us can let go of Last Chance Rescue and the characters we adore, we’re excited about self-publishing future LCR eBook originals some time in the future. A happy ever after ending that even my stubborn muse can get behind.

Author’s Note: The first book in the, as yet, untitled, small town murder-mystery, sexy romantic suspense series will be released in May 2013. Agatha and I sincerely hope you look forward to the new series.

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RU Crew, how have you handled the moving-from-one-series-to-the-next challenge? Have you ever worked on two series simultaneously? Don’t forget: Christy is generously giving away a Last Chance Rescue book (winner’s choice) to two lucky commenters!

Be sure to join us Monday when Katie Lane is here to talk about crafting the small town romance (my favorites!). 

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SWEET REWARD

A Last Chance Rescue Novel

WHEN RISK IS THE REWARD—LET THE DANGER BEGIN

Adrenaline junkie Jared Livingston has found the perfect blend of exhilaration and danger in his new job at Last Chance Rescue. Raised to depend only on himself, Jared tried marriage, but the end of the relationship renewed his belief that he was meant to be a loner. Now a desperate plea from his ex-wife puts Jared in the unique position of using the skills she despised to rescue her missing daughter. The case brings Jared face-to-face with Mia Ryker, the only agent ever fired from LCR—for playing too far outside the box. Now Mia’s back, and as a team, they’re as compatible as fuel and fire—blowing off tension in each other’s arms, blowing open the secret life of a wealthy philanthropist and his shameful dealings. Their search for the innocent child takes them to places neither have been before—to the edge of danger and to the edge of their hearts.

Bio: Christy Reece is the NYT bestselling author of dark romantic suspense. She lives in Alabama with her husband, five adorable canines, and one very shy turtle. When she’s not writing, reading or laughing at her husband’s weird sense of humor, she can be found feeding, walking and playing with her fur-kids. Find Christy at:

http://christyreece.com

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristyReece

https://www.facebook.com/LastChanceRescuebooksbychristyreece