I Can Finally Breathe

on September 24, 2014

How is everybody doing?  I feel like I’ve been buried under deadlines for the last couple of months and can now finally breathe a little.  It’s fall where I live, the leaves are turning, and it’s not unusual to have rain, sun, and hail in the same day.  I’m hoping for an early snow, but I don’t think it’s going to happen this year.  I need to organize my thoughts, so I thought I’d do a quick update here to figure out where I am and what I should do now.  🙂

zanetti_marked_ebookMARKED, Janie’s story, is in the pipeline and is ready to go.  (Release date: 12-22-14). I’ve finished page proofs, which means I won’t see the book again until it releases.  As you might know, Marked is the tenth and final book in the main Dark Protector series.  It was both the most difficult and the easiest book to write so far.  It was the most difficult because so many questions had to be answered and so many threads completed.  It was the easiest for the same reason–I had tons to write and didn’t stop for a second to wonder what to add.  I have to admit, I’m very happy with how Janie’s story turned out, and I hope you like it, too.  I was also really nervous to write it initially because readers have known Janie since she was a child, and now she’s all grown up, so it was a little like watching your niece fall in love with a badass Alpha male.  But I think it worked out nicely.  🙂

zanetti_totalsurrenderI hit send on TOTAL SURRENDER edits this morning, and it’s the longest book I’ve written at 102,000 words (approx. 400 pages).  (Releases 3/14).  This is Jory Dean’s story, and he was so much fun to write about.  My editor says it’s the best book yet, and of course, this makes me both nervous as hell and happy.  I hope you all like it.  This one choked me up a couple of times because those lost, dangerous, wounded soldiers can do that to you.

I’m finishing up Hawk and Dawn’s story (Maverick MT book 4) now, and I’m hoping it has a release date of early next year – but I probably won’t know the date until early next year.  The first scene is really fun with Dawn teaching Hawk a little lesson.  I hope you like it.  The last Maverick MT book hit the NY Times, so of course, I have high hopes for this one, too.

Dark_Protectors_LOGO-01Did you know we contracted for a spin-off series for the Dark Protectors?  We did, and it’s called the Realm Enforcers.  The first book, WICKED RIDE, is already turned in and should have a release date soon.  I’m thinking it’ll be June of next year.  Wicked Ride is about Kellach Dunne (cousin to Moira and Brenna), badass witch enforcer and motorcycle club member.  The book takes place in Seattle, and a few of the Dark Protectors show up, including Dage and Garrett.

Also, I have a brand new series coming out.  We don’t have a name for the series yet, but it’s going to be something different for me.  Yes, it’s still a romance with some pretty hot Alpha males, and I’d tell you more, but I don’t really know more.  A novella will kick off the series, and it’ll be in an anthology with Alexandra Ivy to be released around next September.  Then the three books will be released January, February, and March of 2016.  These will be in mass market print and available at bookstores, online, etc.

Shadowed_lyricalFinally, if any of frequent BAM stores, keep an eye out for CONSUMED and SHADOWED from the Dark Protectors, would you?  (They should be available for preorder end of October).  Those books are part of a brand new program between Lyrical Press and Books-A-Million to be in print, with gifts for people who buy them.  I’d love to see those do well so the other DP books could be in bookstores. 

Also, there’s going to be a big party for the program in York, PA at the BAM store on November 8th starting at 2:00pm.  If you are anywhere near York on that day, I will be there, and I’d love to see you! 

Other than that, there’s a boxed set of the first four stories (Fated, Claimed, Tempted, Hunted) in the Dark Protector series releasing on October 13th, Blind Faith (Sin Bros 3) releases in print in January, and then Total Surrender releases in print and digital in March.

Whew.  Okay.  Now I feel organized. 

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you received a new contest to caption a funny picture for the chance to win $50 at Amazon.  If you don’t subscribe, the button is over to the right.  🙂

What I Wished Readers Knew

on May 16, 2013

I’ve been getting a lot of fan letters and new FB likes lately with UNDER THE COVERS about to be released in May, TWISTED in June, and FORGOTTEN SINS in July…and I LOVE it!  There are a few things I didn’t know before becoming an author that I wish I’d known…and here they are:

1)       Authors with NY Publishers have no say in the price point of the books. None-zippo-zilch.  I have no clue how much my book is priced at until I either see it in a store or check online retailers.  🙂

Under the Covers2)      Those of us with traditional publishers don’t create our own covers.  I see the cover after it’s pretty much ready to go.  Having said that…I’ve LOVED my covers!  The graphic arts departments at Kensington, Entangled, and Grand Central seriously rock.

3)      We have no say in whether a book gets printed or not.  Or whether it’s available in e-book or not.  These type of things are never guaranteed in a contract.  Of course we want them in both e-book and print.  Always.  So far, I’ve been fortunate.

4)      We know not to read reviews…yet we do.  And yeah, sometimes we take them personally…and wish year-long yeast infections on the reviewer.  Yeah, I’m talking to you—mean reviewer.  And…we can tell if it’s a personal issue and not something to do with the book…even if somebody tries to mask it.

Twisted e-book5)      When someone gives us a poor rating on Amazon or GoodReads because the price of the book is too high…we think she’s a moron.  (See number one above.)

6)      Once we get several reviews…we realize that the EXACT same thing one reviewer just loved is the reason another reviewer didn’t like the book.  This is a great thing…because then we realize we can’t please all the people, and we should just go write the next book…and stop reading reviews.  🙂

7)      We’re taken aback and overwhelmed by the kindness of readers and how they’re willing to go out of their way to help promote our books.  (Yes, FB street team… I mean you.)  It’s very humbling, and I hope I express how much this means to me and how much I appreciate all of my readers.

Forgotten sins _6-728)      Reading fan mail is the best part of many days.  Thanks for sending fan mail!

9)      There’s no magical muse.  Honest.  We just have to sit down and write when we’d rather be doing laundry sometimes.  This actually is a job.

10)   We feel an incredibly strong loyalty to our readers and really, really, really don’t want to let you down.  Ever. 

Blog hops, cowboys, and golf courses…oh my!

on April 18, 2013

JustRomance.me Bloghops

UPDATE:  CONGRATS to Mel Joe Laney for winning the cup and notebook.  Thanks to all who entered!

Hello all!  Welcome to the blog hop!  You know, I had a fun one with this because in my newest release, the hero fights the heroine about a golf-course design in order to preserve land.  So, I thought a quick excerpt from AGAINST THE WALL would be a good way to celebrate this earth friendly blog hop!  (BTW, there’s a giveaway at the bottom.  WHOO HOO!)

AtW 300px for websitesThis wasn’t happening. Sophie shut her mouth on a scream as the powerful animal gracefully leaped over a fallen log and her captor pulled her into his solid body. He moved as one with the animal. Her hands fisted the silky mane like it was a lifeline to reality.

Maybe it was.

Screw this. She threw back an elbow and twisted to the side, fear and anger finally galvanizing her into action.

“Stop.” A deep voice issued the command as warm breath brushed her cheekbone.

With a mere tightening of his thighs on the great animal, they skidded to a stop. The arm trapping her shifted so she slid easily to the ground and stayed around her waist until she regained her footing. With a sound that was more growl than gasp, she backed away from man and mount until she collapsed against the bark of a towering tree. The horse tossed his head and snorted at her retreat.

The man sat straight and tall on the animal, dark and curious eyes considering her.

The smell of wet moss surrounded her. She gulped in air and studied him. He was huge—and packed hard. Scuffed cowboy boots pressed down on the stirrups while a dark T-shirt outlined impressive muscles. Long lashes framed incredible eyes, and she could swear a dark eyebrow lifted in amusement.

Two more horses charged suddenly through the meadow, sliding to a swift stop behind her captor. One animal was a pretty white, the other a spotted paint, and both held powerful cowboys complete with boots, jeans, and Stetsons. All wore black hats—like the villains in every Western movie ever filmed.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath.

At her voice, her captor jumped gracefully off his mount and stepped toward her.

“What should we do with her?” the man on the white horse asked. His gravelly voice contrasted oddly with the glint of humor in his tawny eyes. Filtered sunlight illuminated the gold, brown, and even black hair flowing unchecked around his shoulders. He was a symphony of twilight, where the other men wore the ominous tone of midnight.

“I caught her. I get to keep her,” her captor said, his eyes intent as he took another step toward her, firm muscles bunching in his upper arms.

“Another step, and you get to land on your ass.” Sophie readied herself to target his knees as fear uncoiled in her stomach. He stood at least a foot taller than her own five foot four.

His grin was quick and unexpected.

ATW Mug and NBSo, in addition to the overall bloghop prizes, I’d love to give away an AGAINST THE WALL coffee mug and spiral notebook to one commenter on my blog here.  I’ll draw a name when the blog ends.  So…do you think opposites attract?