Self-publishers, Pay Attention to Your Covers!
By Irene Vartanoff
From the MyRomanceStory.com Blog
There is a reason we say self-published books look amateurish. I can recognize one of them at forty paces, and I always cringe when I see that the authors are terribly proud of their covers. They do not understand book cover design at all. Recently, I met someone who has a firm grasp of what a romance author can do to create publicity for her self-published book, but whose own book cover screams "amateur self-publisher." She's such a nice person that I just couldn’t tell her that she had wasted her money on her cover and that she should trash her print run and get a cover that does her story justice. Naturally, I don't intend to pillory her here. That would not be fair.
Instead, I submit a professionally published book from which we can learn what a real art director can do for your book cover. Petals from the Sky caught my eye at last year’s New Jersey Romance Writers Conference. You can see why. The stark contrast between the woman and the yellow background “pops” her figure. The graceful, budding branches convey without words that this story is about someone from Asia. So do the shape of her head and her hairdo, and her long, flowing garment. The three lines of italic cover blurb reinforce the same notion the branches convey: that this story is not one of rock-'em sock-'em action, but one of delicate, complex feelings, involving a culture that is perhaps alien to Americans. Great initial impact.
Now let's look at the design elements that sell this cover. The lightest part of the yellow background is near the heroine's face. This draws your eye to her, and also to the right-hand side of the cover. So does her posture, which leans to the right. And so does the book title, which is not centered on the cover, but pushed to the right. Why? To get you to open the book. If you open the book, chances are, you will buy it. The branches are heavier and blacker at the top of the cover than nearer the bottom, which draws your eye to the bottom. The main branch actually points to the bottom right of the cover. The darkest mass of the yellow background, which is chrome yellow (or schoolbus yellow as most of us recognize it), is toward the right and bottom of the cover. Again, it draws the eye to the bottom right and pushes you to open the cover.
Art directors and editors at publishing houses know about design that pushes sales. Self-published authors don't. They tend to have centered titles, all in the same size font, and centered artwork, often framed in a perfect rectangle. They also tend to use one flat color throughout the cover. Nothing about these elements pushes a reader to open the cover of the book. Lack of proper contrast between the title and the basic cover color often makes the title illegible, obviously not good, either. Using the same font and presentation for the title, the author's name and for any little blurb is also an error. It's not visually stimulating. In Petals from the Sky, the book title is in the same font, but dropped out in yellow in one spot and framed, and in solid black in another. Thus the font use becomes design complementary rather than matching. Matching is a mistake on a book cover. Oh, and by the way, many of the fonts on covers from established publishers are not real fonts at all; they're hand-drawn lettering, done by calligraphers specifically to make the title look dramatic and appealing. Again, they push the eye to the right, to get the reader to open the cover and buy the book.
Does this help? Do you get it now? If you want to self-publish and you want to have cover control, do yourself a big favor and pay attention to the effective design of professionally done book covers.
| Irene Vartanoff is a longtime romance editor and writer who got her start in comic books. Her published graphic romance novellas include Breaking All the Rules and The Egyptian’s Texas Spitfire. Under her comic book nom de plume, Poison Ivy, she contributes to the MyRomanceStory blog. This article is a reprint from the MyRomanceStory blog. |
New Formats in MyRomanceStory eBookstore Provide More Summer Reading Options
Summertime! What could be better than a tall frosty drink, a poolside lounge chair and a steamy romance novel? With your summertime reading options in mind, Arrow Publications is pleased to announce that starting June 1, we are offering additional formats of our popular romance graphic novels in our eBookstore. In addition to the Flash versions of our English eBooks and HTML versions of our Spanish eBooks, we will begin offering our titles without music in PDF and ePub formats.
The PDF version with the same full-page format as the Flash version is best viewed on a PC or Mac. The ePub version is broken into individual panels and is ideal for such readers as the nook, Sony Reader, iPad, iTouch and iPhone. Select from a wide variety of eBook reader applications to read the ePub format on your device. (www.epubbooks.com/ebook-readers reader). Another advantage of these formats is that they can be downloaded to your computer so that you do not have to be connected to the Internet to read them.
“It is all about portability,” Pat White, CEO and Publisher of Arrow Publications, explains. “Whether you are riding the subway or bus to work or hopping a plane to some exotic vacation spot, you don’t want to be weighed down by your reading options. It is so much easier to download books to a single reader and take it with you, instead.”
Initially, not all the current romance graphic novels will be available in PDF and ePub, but these formats will continue to be released throughout 2011.
Coming soon: Arrow will release new romance novels and novellas in text only (without illustrations). See this issue for our new submission guidelines.
Mary Suzanne: 30 eBooks and Counting…
Mary Suzanne has written more than 30 eBooks in a wide range of genres, including mainstream romance, paranormal erotica and gay, lesbian and multiple-partner romances and erotica. She believes that a story succeeds if it can transport a reader from her everyday existence to another realm. Her books, distributed by Arrow Publications to the Apple App Store, are Double Your Pleasure, Marooned, More than Friends, My Cowboys and Secrets. Her publisher is Romance Divine.
ARROW: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
MS: I’m married and my husband and I have two sons. I’m an outgoing person and love to meet new people. I also love to garden, travel and have lunch and dinners with family and friends. When I’m not tinkering around the house, you’ll find me parked in front of my trusty computer spinning out a new tale for my readers.
ARROW: How did you meet your husband?
MS: We met while attending the same high school, but it wasn’t love at first sight. It took a little time before we finally decided that we were meant for each other.
ARROW: Any pets?
MS: We have a black-and-tan Chihuahua named Missy.
ARROW: Where are some of the places you've lived? And do you like to travel?
MS: I’ve lived in my small community all my life. I do love to travel. We’ve traveled all around the United States. My favorite spot to visit is New Orleans.
ARROW: Let's talk a little bit about erotica and romance—how do you begin to create your stories and characters?
MS: A germ of an idea pops into my head, and most of the time it’s sensual laced with a romantic idea. I then think of character names that would fit the storyline. The one thing I never do is plot my stories. The story unfolds in my head and the next thing I know I’ve completed another eBook on my computer.
Continued below.
My Romance Story's Online Survey Winner
Congratulations to Susan Spivey, winner of the $200 cash prize for participating in MyRomanceStory's online survey! We chatted with Susan and here are a few things we found out about her:
ARROW: What is your favorite dessert?
SS: My favorite dessert is homemade cheesecake with blueberries.
ARROW: What book are you currently reading?
SS: Dating a Cougar.
ARROW: Where would you go on your dream vacation?
SS: Australia.
ARROW: What do you do in your leisure time?
SS: Read, look after the grandkids, and [take them] to the ball games and practices. I love to cook when I have someone to enjoy it [with]. I read just about anything. I really enjoy books about shape-shifters, vampires and werewolves. When I read [I'm so engrossed] the house could blow up and I wouldn't know.
ARROW: What is your favorite MyRomanceStory title?
SS: Breaking All the Rules by Irene Vartanoff
When Susan found out she won, her first comment was "I have never won anything in my whole life." We are happy that she is now the proud recipient of the $200 prize! Thank you, Susan, for your participation and taking a few minutes to talk with us.
And a big thanks to everyone who participated in our survey. We appreciate your input, and your answers have given us much insight into how we can better serve our dedicated readers!
Romance Poll Results
March
Following his Oscar win as Best Actor, Colin Firth was the subject of our March Romance Poll. We asked readers, “What do you like most about Colin Firth?”
There are obviously a lot of fans of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini-series among our readers, since nearly 42% cite his performance as Mr. Darcy as the thing they like best about him. Another 33% of respondents say they like his good looks. This was followed by nearly 17% who like his acting and just over 8% who like his British accent. No surprise that he is liked by one and all!
April
How much honesty do you want in a relationship? In April we asked, “Do you want to know how many lovers he’s had?” Tied at 38% each are readers who want full disclosure and those who say they won’t ask if he doesn’t ask. Following closely at 24% are those who prefer to keep the past in the past.
May
As we packed our Philip Treacy hats away until the next royal wedding, we wondered, “Will Prince William and Kate live happily ever after?” Nearly 78% of our readers predict a fairy-tale ending for this royal couple, while just over 22% were skeptical of them living happily ever after.
This month we are asking, “Where is your favorite summer reading place?” Tell us what you think at www.myromancestory.com/moreMyRomanceStory.php.
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| June 3 , 2011 |
In This Issue
- Self-publishers, Pay Attention to Your Covers!
- Mary Suzanne: 30 eBooks and Counting…
- Judy Endicott Manzone: Becoming a Writer One Word at a Time
- New Formats in MyRomanceStory eBookstore Provide More Summer Reading Options
- New Submission Guidelines
- Featured Titles: Take Me to the Beach
- My Romance Story's Online Survey Winner
- A Good Read: Family Honey by Judy Endicott Manzone
- Romance Poll Results
- Calendar of Events
- Notice Board
- In the News
A Good Read!
Family Honey by Judy Endicott Manzone
Filled with inspiring stories and delicious honey recipes, Judy Endicott Manzone’s delightful book nimbly guides us through her family’s legacy of beekeeping and—for the first time in her apiarist life—talks about her battle to protect the queen bee and her hive from a disease so deadly it’s called Colony Collapse Disorder.
Available from Amazon’s Kindle Store, OmniLit and coming soon to the iBookstore.
Follow Judy Manzone on her Facebook page and at her website www.family-honey.com.
Judy Endicott Manzone: Becoming a Writer One Word at a Time
Judy Endicott Manzone is the third of five generations of beekeepers. Her love of bees, beekeeping, and cooking inspired her to write her first nonfiction book, Family Honey. The book is filled with recipes, family lore and her beekeeping story. Manzone has been writing since childhood. At the age of three she wrote stories and made up characters in her head. As an adult she wrote poetry and short stories, but never published any of them. She became more serious about her writing when she discovered the annual NaNoWrimo writing challenge. She is currently finishing a work of fiction, a romantic mystery novella entitled Family Gold.
ARROW: How long have you been married?
JEM: Let’s see…29 years last March. We’re not exact on the day. It’s not important to us. Joe and I are both funny that way. Once in a while we’ll have an anniversary moment and take the weekend off, drive to a hotel and celebrate.
ARROW: How did you meet your significant other?
JEM: Joe was “the new boy in town” when I ran my travel agency. We actually met when I was at an upscale bar with a date and Joe came in with his New York City attitude and asked me to dance. My date gave him a nasty look and Joe looked at him and said, “I only want to dance with her, I don’t want to marry her.” Later I asked him to a barbecue. When he arrived I was nearly burning the barbecue down with flames shooting up into the sky—he walked over to me and asked if I was making “carcinogenic chicken?” We’ve been laughing ever since.
ARROW: Do you have any children? What ages?
JEM: Barbara, 47, is the oldest. She keeps busy with a successful business. She loves to shop, read romance novels, wears big hair and, with her other big hair girlfriends, still attends Poison concerts. Timothy, 43, our fourth-generation apiarist, lives in Northern California with his wife and two daughters (our fifth-generation apiarists). He has a law practice specializing in wills and probate. Diane, 39, our youngest, married last June and moved to Anchorage. We miss her, but she moved for love and that’s important. She’s always been on top of the Seattle music scene and loves chic clothing and volunteering. She is a 911 dispatcher and once talked a potential suicide down by asking what his favorite cupcake was. She then talked nothing but cupcake recipes until the police arrived.
ARROW: Any pets?
JEM: We live with two cats. Biscuit is the boy, a huge cat we depend on to scare off the raccoons. Isabella is the girl who chases squirrels up the trees and can’t get back down. Joe rescues her by bringing out the tallest ladder known to Home Depot.
ARROW: Where are some of the places you’ve lived? Do you like to travel?
JEM: Dad was in the Air Force and moving was part of our lives—we lived in San Rafael, CA; Springfield, OR, and he retired in Sacramento, CA. I left home at 18 and moved to San Francisco where I met my first husband. After we divorced I moved to the Wine Country and set up a travel agency and then a branch office. The travel agency was the career I loved most. I worked it 24/7 and was able to travel to Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa, Hawaii and Bali. I burned out, sold the travel agencies and could not answer a telephone without having a nervous breakdown. At that time, the kids lived with their dad in the Philippines—he was stationed there through his job. Without children, what else does one do but travel the flea market circuit with a trailer and cross the United States? That way I did not have to answer the telephone!
ARROW: Let’s talk a little bit about beekeeping as a profession. How does one get started and how do you actually make a living from this?
JEM: I highly recommend beekeeping. The honeybee requires little attention and the inventory is inexpensive. The hive is full of female bees and they are a perfect civilization: organized and self-sustaining. Understanding them and working with them is a grand hobby. I found the book How to become a Beekeeper to be a great beekeeper’s assistant. As for being a money-making business? I’m not sure about the profits. We don’t see television commercials that claim, “Make millions—become a beekeeper.”
Continued below.
New Submission GuidelinesWhile Arrow is not accepting new graphic novel scripts until further notice, we are accepting romance novels and novellas (text only), as well as nonfiction genres. Short novellas should be 19,000 to 24,000 words, novellas should be 25,000 to 55,000 words in length and novels should be 56,000 to 110,000 words. Please do not send simultaneous submissions. Send your submission to us only if you have not submitted it elsewhere at the same time. Do not send a copy of your full novel/novella or nonfiction book with your initial inquiry. For details on exactly what and how to submit, see our complete submission guidelines at www.arrowpub.com/writers.htm. |
Featured Stories: Take Me to the Beach
Five Vacation-worthy Titles from Cynthia White
Grab your iPhone, Kindle or nook and head to the beach with these sultry, tropical romances from Cynthia White.
Awakened Desire
Written by Cynthia White and illustrated by Ron Randall
Charise and Harrison hated each other on sight. She thought he was an arrogant pig and he thought she was a phony. Too bad their bodies got along like a house on fire!
Heat Index: 5 Flames
Available from the App Store, Amazon Kindle Store, All Romance eBooks and MyRomanceStory.com.
Beloved Rivals
Written by Cynthia White and illustrated by Kike Olmedo
Blossom and Rory had been rivals from childhood. They delighted in being mean to each other. But when they met again as adults, the sparks they had long suppressed flamed into passion.
Heat Index: 4 flames
**APP Rating 4 1/2 stars (7 ratings)
Available from the App Store, Amazon Kindle Store, All Romance eBooks and MyRomanceStory.com.
Her Captive Heart
Written by Cynthia White and illustrated by Studio Hades
Billionaire Harland Marks was regarded as the most unscrupulous, ruthless man there was by his nephew, Richard. And Michelle was determined to help Richard unmask Harland’s underhanded dealings—despite his kisses that made her burn…
Heat Index: 3 flames
**APP Rating: 4 stars (8 ratings)
Available from the App Store, Amazon Kindle Store, All Romance eBooks and MyRomanceStory.com.
Namesakes
Written by Cynthia White and illustrated by Gonzalo Martinez
Ellie knew a gigolo when she saw one. And there was no way this rugged hunk with the icy green eyes was going to get his hands on her aunt’s fortune!
Heat Index: 3 Flames
Available from the App Store, Amazon Kindle Store, All Romance eBooks and MyRomanceStory.com.
The Laird’s Woman
He was a ruthless, billionaire Scot who was used to getting his own way. She was a beautiful, stubborn island woman who had no intention of giving in to him.
Heat Index: 5 flames
Available from the Amazon Kindle Store. Available in two parts, The Laird’s Woman, Part 1, and The Laird’s Woman, Part 2, from All Romance eBooks and MyRomanceStory.com.
Do you love contests? |
In the News
New Data Provides Deeper Profile of Typical E-Book ‘Power Buyer’
by Laura Hazard Owen, paidContent.org
Today’s e-book power buyer—someone who buys an e-book at least once a week—is a 44-year-old woman who loves romance and is spending more on buying books now than in the past. She uses a dedicated e-reader like a Kindle instead of reading on her computer.
Read more: http://paidcontent.org/article/419-new-data-provides-deeper-profile-of-typical-e-book-power-buyer/
How the ‘Oprah Effect’ changed publishing
By Bob Minzesheimer, USA Today
As The Oprah Winfrey Show ends its 25-year run on Wednesday (May 25, 2011), its host says Oprah's Book Club will follow her to her fledgling cable network, OWN. Without offering details, she vows, "I'm going to try to develop a show for books and authors."
Read more: www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-05-22-Oprah-Winfrey-Book-Club_n.htm
Amazon Hires Publishing Veteran Kirshbaum for New Imprint
By Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, Wall Street Journal
In a move that fortifies its ambitious publishing program, Amazon.com Inc. has hired Laurence Kirshbaum to head a new general-interest imprint. Mr. Kirshbaum, 67 years old, will start in early July.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576340272205483298.html
Longtime Knopf Doubleday Publishing Exec. Retires
Associated Press
The Knopf Doubleday Group announced that senior editor Phyllis Grann would be stepping down effective June 9. In a statement released through Knopf, the 73-year-old Grann says it's "time to step back."
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=13667058
At BookExpo America, independent booksellers will have good news to share
Associated Press
For the second straight year, independent booksellers will have good news to share as they gather with the rest of the publishing industry for BookExpo America.
Read more: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/21/ap/tech/main20064961.shtml
Three New Literary Awards for Romantic Fiction
Book Trade Announcements
Three new literary awards are announced by the Festival of Romance: the Festival of Romance Reader Award for Best Romantic Novel, the Festival of Romance Reader Award for Best Historical Novel and the Festival of Romance New Talent Award.
Read more: www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/33876
ARe™ Honors Bestsellers in Digital Publishing at Awards Ceremony
PR Web
Industry awards were given to the top 10 Best Selling Authors, top 10 Best Selling eBooks, Best Selling Publisher and Best Selling New Publisher.
Read more: www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8447590.htm
Would you buy a science fiction novel published by Amazon.com?
By Charlie Jane Anders, io9.com
Amazon.com has been redefining the way you buy books for ages now—and next up, they may be publishing the books you read, as well. Amazon Publishing just launched its fourth and biggest imprint, Montlake Romance. And the company has already said it plans to move beyond romance into other genres, including science fiction.
Read more: http://io9.com/5799244/would-you-buy-a-science-fiction-novel-published-by-amazoncom
Dark Horse Debuts CLAMP's 'Gate 7'
By Calvin Reid, Publishers Weekly
If you're not familiar with CLAMP, the Japanese all-female superstar manga collective, you'll hear a lot more about them very soon. Best-known for such bestselling manga series as Cardcaptor Sakura, xxxHolic, and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, CLAMP has joined with independent comics publisher Dark Horse to publish Gate 7, an original manga that will be released in the U.S. October 25.
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ARROW: Are any of your stories or characters based on real life?
MS: No, all my stories are pure fiction. I give a life to each of my characters by their actions and dialogue in the story.
ARROW: And what do you consider a captivating erotic story?
MS: To me, a captivating story might include two or three characters discovering sensual satisfaction with one another. If three characters are involved in the plot, I always eliminate one of the characters so that I can end my stories happily ever after. I don’t mean I kill them off, only find a way to fade them out of the picture.
ARROW: What motivated you to start writing and, in particular, in the erotica genre?
MS: I had this drive in me early on to put my words onto paper to give readers an enjoyable escape from everyday life. The erotica genre gives a writer a wider space to express love relationships more intimately with a reader.
ARROW: What's your writing background?
MS: My first publisher was Denlinger Publishing Company in Florida with print-on-demand books as their format. That was several years ago and they have since closed. I was also published by Dark Eden Press and Twilight Fantasies. Both publishing houses folded. Next, my books were accepted by Extasy Books, Devine Destinies and Romance Divine. I currently write for all three.
ARROW: Do you write every day?
MS: I try to write every day for a few hours. There are times when life interrupts my writing sessions, but I try to make it up the following day.
ARROW: Is there a particular writer who influenced or mentored you?
MS: I loved Margaret Mitchell’s style and it’s a shame we weren’t entertained with more of her talent. Also, my mother used to gather my brothers and sisters in a circle at night and tell us stories she made up, but she didn’t pursue a writing career. She had some very original plots and it was a shame she didn’t follow through by writing. In a way, I believe she planted something in me to want to put words in writing for others’ enjoyment.
ARROW: Any romance genres or subgenres you haven't tried that you'd like to? Have you considered expanding into other genres?
MS: I’ve tried about all genres out there. From male-male (MM), male-male-female (MMF), female-female (FF), female-male-male (FMM), Erotic Paranormal, Erotic Contemporary Romances, Mainstream Romances and female-female-male (FFM).
ARROW: How did you get into electronic publishing?
MS: Extasy Books was the first publisher to introduce me to electronic publishing. Before Extasy’s accepting my work, my only experience in the writing world was print on demand.
ARROW: Did you have any challenges in finding an agent or a publisher? Any advice for new writers looking to get published?
MS: I didn’t pursue the idea of finding an agent. I had success with my first submission to Denlinger Publishing. My book was accepted for publication as print on demand. Then came the electronic publishing through Extasy Books, Romance Divine and Devine Destinies. The advice I’d give to a new writer is to make sure you write your story from the heart. Afterward, double check it for any errors and be sure it looks professional before submitting it to a publisher.
ARROW: What are your latest releases, and do you have a favorite?
MS: My latest releases are A New Beginning, Love Train—both MM—and Chance Encounter, an erotic contemporary romance. Fantasy Games, an FFM and Torn Between Two Loves, a holiday romance. All of the above are published by Romance Divine. Spanish Rose, an erotic contemporary romance, has a special place in my heart. It was also published by Romance Divine. And several of my titles, including Double Your Pleasure, My Cowboys and Secrets, are formatted for the iPhone and iPad and available from the Apple App Store.
ARROW: What can your readers expect from you in 2011?
MS: I have another book coming soon from Romance Divine, an erotic contemporary romance called Mistaken Identity. Also, I’ve submitted a short MM called Lighthouse Fantasy to Romance Divine to be added to a collection of other stories from several other authors at Romance Divine Publishing House. This collection will be offered later this summer as a free read. At present, I’m working on several books for a younger audience through Devine Destinies. These shorts are tame compared to what I’ve written in the past. LOL
ARROW: What do you do to promote your books, your brand and yourself?
MS: I attend chats with other authors, promote through excerpts at the different Yahoo sites and generally pass out postcards with book titles on the front. Word of mouth is another way to promote books. I’m also on Facebook and use this as an avenue for advertising.
ARROW: How do you use social media and the web to your promotional and marketing advantage?
MS: I use the Internet as my main tool, along with chats and Facebook. I also use http://www.mary-suzanne.blogspot.com and http://www.webspawner.com/users/Romancewriter/Index.html to advertise my work. I feel by using the above links, you’ll reach a wider audience for promotions.
ARROW: Are you scheduled for a book tour, special appearances or events to promote your titles?
MS: Not at the present.
ARROW: What do you think about the current changes in the publishing industry? Do you plan to release more titles in eBook or other formats?
MS: I have over thirty titles already published in the eBook format and plan to write more as long as the ideas keep coming to me. I believe the eBook industry is the future in the publishing arena.
ARROW: What advice do you have for new writers? And for publishing eBooks?
MS: A new writer should always strive to attain their goals in whatever genre they choose to write. Like I mentioned before, write from the heart and try to cement an emotional bond with your readers. If you submit a story and it is rejected the first time, improve your skills and try again until someone discovers your talent. I believe eBook publishing is gradually taking the place of print books. Readers find it easier to go online and order a book and not have to run to a store to pick one up.
ARROW: Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself or your books?
MS: If I didn’t write, I’d feel an emptiness in my life. When I start a book, it’s just an idea, but as I continue writing, my emotions start to kick in and I feel as if my characters are real and not just a fantasy I’ve put down on paper. I plan to write many more books, as long as the ideas keep flowing, and hopefully my readers will enjoy each and every new one.
| Mary Suzanne is the author of | |
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Double Your Pleasure The night her car breaks down and she wanders lost in the woods is something Jenny Logan would like to forget. Instead, she forgets who she is—a fall in the forest, and she awakes in a cabin, but not alone. Two handsome strangers tend to her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. When Jenny’s memory returns, the men in her life are gone, but not forgotten. Will she see them again? And when she does, will she experience that night of lust again? |
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Marooned Hunter McBride is ready to take off, both into the sky and in his personal life. Little does he know his heart will soar when he meets flight instructor Sage Anderson. Some flight time, drinks in a bar and a night-time beach rendezvous all lead to more than he hoped for—until they are … marooned. |
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More than Friends Brittney and Cara are best friends, with husbands who have wandering eyes. But Brittney has a wandering eye, as well, for the voluptuous curves of her blonde BFF. When the men cancel on their foursome evening, Brittney lures Cara to her mountain hideaway, where it seems they are destined to be more than friends. |
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My Cowboys Callie Jackson leaves New York, buying a ranch in Colorado and searching for a new muse for her writing. Ranch hands Aiden and Jacob are more than enough to fire her fantasies and imagination, but will she act on those fantasies? It’s a sexual free-for-all for Callie and her cowboys. |
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Secrets Cade McKenna is a man who can’t make up his mind. He isn’t sure what he wants—or doesn’t want. His wife Maddie, does he want her, and does she want him? It takes a special stranger, one Bailey Kingston, to stir desire in Cade and let him summon the courage to rid himself of his secrets. |
| These titles by Mary Suzanne are available as iPhone apps. Search by title or author and keywords Arrow Publications to find these stories in Arrow Publications’ Love & Romance Collection in the Apple App Store. | |
Judy Endicott Manzone (continued)
ARROW: Who do you consider to be your most captivating ancestor?
JEM: I come from a long line of captivating characters going back hundreds of years, beginning with the first Governor of Massachusetts, John Endecott. My grandparents, J. B. and Grandma Grace, gave us their love of family and farming. My mother, the Queen of the Desert and the Czarina of Marin County, told stories until she died. Dad traveled around the world, had a gold mine for over 40 years and told stories around the campfire. The list does go on. Each fascinating—an ancestral gift handed to my writing.
ARROW: What motivated you to start writing?
JEM: I heard an author once say, She has always written books in her mind. My motivation began with my earliest memories—at three years old—of dysfunction and having to create a pretend family. Growing older, I wrote poetry, short stories, whatever caught my attention in my busy life. Notes everywhere, but not a book.
Then I heard about NaNoWrimo, an online writing site where you write for 30 days with the goal of completing a 50,000-word book. Dad was dying at the time and I was commuting between my home in Santa Cruz and Sacramento on the Amtrak train. The man sitting across from me told me about NaNo. I began the challenge on November 1st with this first sentence: “I watched Dad die today.” I started writing and now I have a nonfiction eBook, Family Honey, and stories and poems everywhere. The ideas continue through my head like an old stockbroker tickertape, flowing out only to drive my publisher nuts, but we’ll catch the winners.
ARROW: What’s your writing background?
JEM: I studied court reporting in college. The required classes provided the basic rules of writing and grammar. Later I joined a local writing class with Professor Joyce Hart and a writing group. I rely on reference books such as Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and the Writer’s Market.
ARROW: Do you write every day?
JEM: This is where the writers group is invaluable. I write every day, it may be one page, but I try to write at least ten pages for the group. We meet every week and read our work.
ARROW: Is there a particular writer who influenced or mentored you?
JEM: I think Stephen King’s book On Writing played a big part. I listened to the book on tape version while driving back and forth to help Dad. Locally, my writing professor, Joyce Hart, helped with her knowledge and her gentle critiques.
ARROW: Are there any genres or subgenres you would like to write?
JEM: I love writing fictional mysteries with romance. I’d like to write about a dysfunctional family, too. Real crime might be fun.
ARROW: What can your readers expect from you in the coming year?
JEM: I am very excited. I’m editing my 180-page novella, Family Gold, which is a mystery that takes place in a gold-mining ghost town. It has stories within stories, plus romance, murder and enough weirdness to make me happy. This is the NaNoWrimo story that began with, “I watched Dad die today.”
ARROW: What do you do to promote your book?
JEM: I’m promoting through social media such as Twitter, Facebook, my website and blog. Surrounded by very small towns, I hand out postcards and hang posters in windows. I talk to local bookstores. I contact local newspapers, clubs and radio stations to set up interviews.
ARROW: Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself or your books?
JEM: I truly enjoy feedback. If you’ve read my eBook, Family Honey, please let me know what you think.
See A Good Read in this newsletter for more information on Family Honey. Family Honey is available from Amazon’s Kindle Store, OmniLit and coming soon to the iBookstore.
