Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Adventures in The Wild World of Indie Publishing

Wild Women Authors is pleased to have Claire Marti talk about her recent adventures. . .

          When I decided to self-publish my second contemporary romance series, I was both nervous and excited. On the eve of the first book in my Pacific Vista Ranch series, Nobody Else But You, launching into the world, the excitement outweighs the nerves. Here’s how I arrived here.
          I was thrilled to sign with a small press to publish my first romance novel, Second Chance in Laguna, in 2017. The next two books in my Finding Forever in Laguna series were released in 2017 and 2018. I learned a great deal from my editor and the wonderful people at my publisher and am forever grateful. Now that I’ve been in the industry a few years, I felt ready to try something different.
          I wanted more from my next books: more control over the publishing process and edits, more control over the covers, more control over pricing and sales, and more money. I write because I love it and I write because I want to eventually make a full-time income from it. Yes, fame, fortune, and a movie deal would be great, but hey, maybe next year.
          I began researching by asking questions and studying successful hybrid and indie authors. Tons of resources exist to discover what works and what doesn’t. I learned I needed a great developmental/content editor and knew I’d spend the bulk of my budget on edits. Working with my editor has been life changing. I received dedicated personal attention and had an hour-long phone call to discuss the first round of edits. I received feedback on what needed to change in the story to fix pacing as well as suggestions of ways to deepen emotional intensity. Also, I hired a proofreader for one final read through. Another bonus: edits have a one to two-week turnaround time as opposed to months.
          Based on recommendations and studying covers I loved online, I contacted a few different cover designers and ended up working with The Killion Group. I’m thrilled with the covers for the first three books in the series and was able to collaborate until I was satisfied they represented my stories.
          Next, I learned about formatting and uploading the books. Several companies perform both services for reasonable prices or you can do it yourself. Services like Draft2Digital are excellent and easy to use. I used Killion Group. My books are on every major site and I’m using Ingram Spark for print because bookstores, libraries, and I can easily order them!
         After the initial research and decisions, I was set. Now, I have my team in place for future books. In terms of the money? I’ll be making more than double in royalties at seventy percent, so anticipate earning back what I spent up front quickly. Most importantly, these books reflect my writing and style completely and that’s priceless.

We thank Claire for her candid response to our questions and wish her a lot of luck.
         Here's an excerpt from Nobody Else But You

     Swallowing a flutter of nerves in her throat, she rapped on the door. She was simply going for business. Ranch business. Bringing him dinner was simply being polite, like her father had raised her to be. So why was her heart hammering against her ribcage?
     “It’s unlocked.” A muffled voice called. So much for manners. Holt apparently didn’t seem to bother with them.
     She hesitated a moment. She smoothed back an errant strand into the ballet bun she hadn’t bothered to unravel. Although she’d changed out of her dance gear into her favorite old pair of jeans and a super-soft t-shirt, she hadn’t been in the mood to mess with her hair. Briefly, she regretted not being more like her twin sister, talented with makeup and hair. But, nope, Dylan had received the lion’s share of feminine genes.
     Whatever.
     She opened the door, and then froze. He was rubbing his hair dry with a white towel slung over one shoulder. The pristine white material emphasized his bronzed skin. Tiny beads of moisture clung to chiseled pecs and the light sprinkling of golden hair on his chest was the only thing preventing him from looking like a marble statue. Barely. Shredded eight-pack abs and sharp V-cuts of muscle converged at the waistband of a pair of jeans as faded as her own. Her mouth suddenly parched, she swallowed. Hard.
     “Sorry, I got stuck on the phone.” He grinned and tossed the towel onto a nearby chair.
      She jerked her gaze up to his face, which had to be safer, right? Her pulse thrummed in her temple and heat descended to her belly. Damn. His face was definitely not safer than his gorgeous body.
     “How’d you get that scar?” She blurted out the words, desperate to distract herself from his pure physical presence. He really needed to put on a shirt. Pronto.
     “Scar? Which one?” He laughed, seemingly oblivious to her reaction, thank goodness.
     “Forehead. The one across your forehead.” A flaw. Weren’t scars flaws? Why did it make him look just a little dangerous? And it did save him from utter perfection. Didn’t it?

To learn more about Claire Marti and the stories she creates, go to:


Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/clairepmarti

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairepmarti


Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/claire-marti


To purchase Nobody Else But You, go to:

AMAZON: https://amzn.to/2YT4b36

B&N: https://bit.ly/2Tot1GO

KOBO: https://bit.ly/2TpyGg8


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Monday, August 26, 2019

Nobody Else But You

. . . A smoking hot stuntman. A fiery horse breeder. And a 220-acre ranch too small for both of them. . .


Wild Women Authors is thrilled to welcome back Claire Marti as she celebrates the release of her first indie published novel, Nobody Else But You, Book 1 in her Pacific Vista Ranch series. With Claire is horse breeder Samantha McNeill who will go first.
Where are you from? I grew up in Los Angeles, California.
Tell us a bit about Nobody Else But You: She’s avoided Hollywood for years…
When an arrogant Hollywood stuntman struts into Samantha McNeill’s breeding barn, sparks fly. She doesn’t care how mouthwatering gorgeous he is, not when he assumes Pacific Vista Ranch’s resident horse breeding manager must be a man. Not to mention his job threatens to pull her family back into the paparazzi filled world they escaped from over a decade ago. Now it’s at her door––wearing faded jeans and a wicked grin.
What did you think the first time you met stuntman Holt Ericsson? He was the most irritating man I’d ever seen. 
Having read the book, we agree completely. What was your second thought? That he was the sexiest man I’d ever seen.
Did you feel it was love at first sight? Ha ha ha ha! No way. I couldn’t stand him.
What do you like most about Holt? Underneath his cocky bravado, he has a heart of gold.
How would you describe him? He is strong, talented, dedicated, funny, and I’m not being shallow here, but he has a body that should be on a billboard in boxer briefs. I’m talking smoking hot.
How would Holt describe you? He used to call me the red devil, but now he calls me the love of his life.
What made you choose horse breeding for a career? My father bought Pacific Vista Ranch, a quarter horse breeding ranch, when I was 15. I fell in love with horses and love the challenge of running the operation.
What is your biggest fear? Anything that could harm my family.
How do you relax? I ride Princess Buttercup, my Palomino, and spend time with Holt.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Princess Buttercup from The Princess Bride.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? My step-mom told me I can’t control everything that’s happening, but I could control my reactions to what’s happening. Patience isn’t one of my greatest virtues and I’m trying to take a few breaths before I react.
Thanks for this, Sam. Now it's Claire's turn at bat.
What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Everything by Nora Roberts inspired me to write romance. In terms of writing craft, I love Stephen King’s On Writing and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I’ve lost family members too young and I was able to channel that grief into Samantha’s losing her mother at a tender age. I believe my personal experiences with grief gave the novel more genuine, raw emotion.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? So many books! I picked up several of the RITA winners at RWA and need to get started. Up next is How to Love A Duke in Ten Days, by Kerrigan Byrne.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? The next two books in the Pacific Vista Ranch series are coming out in October and November. The Very Thought of You is Amanda McNeill’s, Sam’s older sister, story. For the Love of You is Dylan McNeill’s, Sam’s twin sister, story.


To learn more about Claire Marti, go to:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/clairepmarti
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairepmarti
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/claire-marti

To purchase Nobody Else But You, to go:
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/2YT4b36
B&N: https://bit.ly/2Tot1GO
KOBO: https://bit.ly/2TpyGg8

Coming soon: Claire's thoughts on moving from a traditional small press to publishing independently, as well as an excerpt from this terrific story.

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Sunday, August 18, 2019

Meet Debut Author Jayne York

          Emily Converse never expected to return to Tamarack, Colorado. But she's determined to rescue her drug-addicted brother and start a new life. Standing in her way, she finds her stepfather, a powerful US senator, looming over her future like the ever-present monster he'd been during their childhood. Meeting wounded retired Navy SEAL, Michael McCandlis, is a steamy surprise in her homecoming, though he's adrift in civilian life. Together can they find a way to transform from victims to survivors?

Wild Women Authors is delighted to welcome debut author Jayne York as she celebrates the release of If Wishes Were Horses, her first novel with the Wild Rose Press. With Jayne is Emily Converse, female protagonist, and all around gutsy woman.
Welcome, Emily. Where are you from? I was born in the tiny Rocky Mountain town of Tamarack, Colorado
What did you think the first time you saw Michael McCandlis? Our first meeting was hardly ordinary considering that I thought he was attacking me. I got to practice my Mugger 101 class though. When I finally met him in the light of day, I thought he was exactly the kind of man that always gets my attention and consistently disappoints me. You know the type—smooth line, pretty face, confident swagger. 
Right up our alley. And your second thought? That I was risking my “New Leaf” program if I fell for the aforementioned characteristics.
So was it love at first sight? Hardly. More along the lines of lust at first sight.
What do you like most about him? His strength of character. Turns out he’s a good guy. There aren’t many of them out there.
How would you describe him? Physically? Six feet, four inches, two-hundred-fifty pounds of hard body. Emotionally? Adrift. He’s still trying to find his ground in civilian life. Up to the point we met, his only focus was the SEAL Team he’d been part of for fifteen years. An IED forced him to retire and he didn’t have a plan past his time in service. Until I came along, that is.
How would he describe you? He actually used the word “lush” about me. I thought he meant the alcoholic kind, but he was really complimenting my figure. First time that ever happened to me. Aside from that, he’d call me impetuous with a tendency to go off half-cocked.
What made you choose advertising as a career? It chose me. It’s hard to make a living as an artist and a writer these days. Writing add copy and doing graphics turned into a career.
What is your biggest fear? That I’m as much a fool as I think I am.
How do you relax? A tub full of bubbles and a glass of wine is Heaven on Earth.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Hard question. I love complex, capable women, V.I. Warshawski and Stephanie Plum come to mind. They screw up all the time but find a way to win. I like that.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? From my mother when I was whining about not having something. “Honey, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” Sound familiar?
Absolutely. Thanks, Emily. Now it's time to chat with Jayne.
What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer?
Again, hard question. I love such a wide range of things. Classics mostly: Out of Africa, Shakespeare In Love, The Magnificent Obsession, High Noon.
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I have a wealth of hard-earned experience with the ramifications of living through alcoholic relationships. Emily uses those lessons in her personal journey, such as dealing with her cross-addicted brother and finding the strength to face down the demons of her past.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? The Wild Rose Press may be small, but they are mighty. They were recommended to me by a fellow author. They’ve been incredibly encouraging and wonderfully helpful to this new author.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Don’t put me on the spot. I’ve got a list as long as my arm. The fist on the list is J.R.R Martin, I tried to wade through Game of Thrones a year ago and I’m determined to finish it now.
Tell us a bit about yourself. I've been an avid reader and sometime writer all of my life. I've never been able to resist the draw of a good story, and that has been true in my professional life as well. I was raised as the third of three children in the Colorado high country. Early on I discovered the joy of creating handcrafted jewelry, which led to a forty-five-year career as a professional jeweler. Every customer, every piece has its own story. I've collected them like pearls in a strand, and I often use them as a jumping-off point for the tales I tell. If you're looking for me, you'll find me on the shores of a northern lake, hammering away on my latest story of love and life in the modern world.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? My WIP is in the final stages of first draft. Tentatively entitled: Midnight Acquisition. It’s a heist story enmeshed in a romance. Hopefully will be out this time next year. After that, a sequel to If Wishes Were Horses. I think.
To learn more about Jayne York and the stories she creates, go to:
Website: www.JayneYork.com
Email: jayne@jayneyork.com

Jayne brought along an excerpt of If Wishes Were Horses:
          Once upon a time, she'd run away from Tamarack like her heels were on fire, and now here she was volunteering to step back into the furnace. What was the definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over, expecting a different outcome. Like if she managed to change, be stronger, be smarter, things would turn out better—different. It wouldn't be that simple. She downshifted the Jeep to slow for the last of the S-shaped turns on the narrow ribbon of asphalt. 
          The road led her past the pretentious granite columns that marked her stepfather's compound. She wasn't consciously holding her breath, but a trickle of fear dribbled down her spine just the same. Her molars ground together in determination. The past wouldn't decide her present, not ever again. In spite of herself, images of her last day on his estate flashed through her mind like the herky-jerky frames of a child's flip deck animation.
          Fear sharpened every visual, clarified every word, enhanced every touch. She'd run down the steps, racing for her car. He'd charged after her, smelling of alcohol and fury when he tried to stop her headlong rush toward an unknown future. They'd screamed out their mutual hatred, all the bitter dregs of their time together. She smirked when she remembered getting in the lucky shove that had landed him in a heap on the ground. It had been her first glimpse that Senator Ray Domenico was not the invincible, all-powerful monster she'd known him to be.

To purchase If Wishes Were Horses, go to: https://www.amazon.com/Wishes-Were-

Horses-Jayne-York-ebook/dp/B07TVW54GQ

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Tuesday, August 6, 2019

CJ Zahner Part II

As an added attraction, we have an excerpt from Project Dream . . . 
     Izzy slid back onto the pew, wondering how she would approach the sad woman.
     Revealing the messages the white people relayed always perplexed her. How did she tell someone a ghost followed them around? And more importantly, how did she do that without alarming Mama? She wished her Belo Jimenez had given his gift—curse—of seeing angels to Enrique, not her.
     “The gift skipped a generation and fell to you, Izzy,” he once said.
     “But Belo, I don’t want your darn-blasted gift.”
     Her grandfather had set one long finger against her lips to quiet her. “Listen to the angels, but be careful who you tell. They’ll come for you.”
     “Who will come for me?”
     Belo had scared the daylights out of her.
     “Who?” she asked over and over, but Belo would never respond, which made her worry until hives forced their way out of her skin. Every time she asked, he set a finger against his lips, closed his eyes, and shook his head. So Izzy was darn careful who she told.
     She gazed toward the sad woman wearing the simple clothes. The lady had no jewelry and wore no makeup. She looked harmless. Was it safe to tell her?
     The woman made the sign of the cross, kissed her rosary beads, and slid back onto the pew to gather her things. The spirit above her clasped her hands and begged.
     Izzy sprung onto the kneeler again. “Mama, may I get a drink of water?”
     Her mother leaned toward her, whispering, “Yes, but quickly.”
    Izzy darted toward the door; the woman was coming. She stepped into the hall and rushed to the drinking fountain. She sipped water, listening for footsteps.
     When the woman neared, Izzy turned. “Hello.”
     “Hello.” The woman nodded and walked by.
     Izzy closed her eyes and scratched her forehead. If only she had been born with a flowing tongue like Belo said of Enrique.
     “Ma’am.” She couldn’t open her eyes when she heard the lady turn. “Did your mother die?”
     Oh, that sounded horrible. Why had she asked such a thing? She wasn’t even sure the white spirit was her mother.
     “Of lung cancer?” Izzy opened her eyes. “She smoked, right?”
     The lady stared but didn’t say a word.
     “She says you shouldn’t go to New York City.”
     The lady’s face wrinkled. “What?” She sounded cross.
     “I’m sorry. It’s—well.” Izzy scratched her nose. She might be breaking into hives. “I saw this lady by you and she kept slashing the letters NYC like you shouldn’t go there and she wouldn’t stop, so I thought I better tell you. She kept doing it over and over and, well, I know she doesn’t want you to go to New York City.”
    The woman took a step toward Izzy. The wrinkles melted from her face. “I do have a trip scheduled to New York. Next week. For a conference.”
     Goosebumps crawled over Izzy’s skin. Whenever people, real human beings, confirmed what the white people told her, chills spread through her.
     The lady stood still, waiting for Izzy to say more.
     Izzy scratched and the lady stared.
     “What was her name?”
     “What?”
     “My mother. What was my mother’s name?”
    The woman appeared hopeful. She held her breath, waiting. But Izzy didn’t know the woman’s name. She had difficulty hearing the white people. Usually, they simply gave signs.
     Yes, signs.
     “Oh.” Izzy held a finger up. She remembered the sign. “Rose? Is your mother’s name Rose?”
     The chapel door opened behind Izzy, and she heard her mother’s voice. “Izzy, what are you doing?”
     “Nothing, Mama.” Izzy sidled down the hall toward her mother.
     “I hope she wasn’t bothering you.”
     The woman said nothing. She stared at the two of them, a perplexed expression tainting her face. After a time, she left the building without saying more.
     “Izzy,” Mama barked. “What were you talking to that woman about?”
     “I only said hello to her, Mama.”
     Her mother gazed at her skeptically. “Remember what Belo said. Don’t talk to anyone.”
     “I didn’t, Mama. I promise.”
     “Go collect your things. Your brother called. It’s time to pick him up.”
     Izzy hurried back into the chapel and grabbed her coat, missal, and satchel. She smiled and waved goodbye to Jean as she exited.
     Eight days later, the World Trade Centers collapsed. Izzy prayed the woman from the chapel had not been inside. She watched for her in church on Sunday and at the chapel during the week when she and Mama went to pray for the people who had died, but Izzy didn’t see the woman.
     Three weeks after September 11th, Izzy and her mother visited the chapel on a Sunday evening once again. The lady was sitting in the pew next to the woman named Jean. When Izzy walked in, she heard the lady say, “That’s her. That’s the girl.”
     “That’s Isabelle Jimenez,” Jean said.
     The woman stood and rushed toward Izzy. Jean followed.
     “Mrs. Jimenez?” The lady glanced at Izzy’s mother.
     “Yes?”
     “Mrs. Jimenez, your daughter saved my life.”
     Izzy’s mother made her spend the next two Saturday afternoons praying in church. But it was too late. Saving that woman’s life would prove Belo right.
     They would come for her.

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Sunday, August 4, 2019

Project Dream by CJ Zahner

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature Project Dream, a YA paranormal written by author CJ Zahner.

Project Dream laces a trace of the paranormal into the lives of teenagers taken from their families in this prequel to CJ Zahner's Gripping thriller, Dream Wide Awake.

What happened to the kids in the desert?
In 2002, the CIA forced several teenagers out of detention centers and into a National Security Test Program called Project Dream. Teens selected had two characteristics: physical superiority and a sixth sense. 

When the awkward, unpopular, and destitute Izzy Jimenez is caught stealing clothes, authorities enroll her in the program for two reasons: Izzy swims like a fish—and she sees angels.

There she studies and works hard to perfect her clairvoyance hoping authorities will allow her to go home. But when she and the other students master remote viewing and produce results that stun White House officials, additional children—good kids from normal American families—are recruited. Izzy’s hope of going home dwindles.

Not until the striking, charismatic Rachel Callahan arrives and befriends Izzy does her life become bearable.

Project Dream is a coming-of-age story of teenagers thrown into the most unusual circumstances. Each struggle to survive their time in the desert with the goal of getting out and going home, but—

Can any of them really go home? 

We recently had time to chat with CJ about her latest book and her life in general. Here's what she had to say:
Tell us a bit about Project Dream.
I wrote the draft of Project Dream during the 2018 November NANO (National Novel) challenge. I published two books in September of 2018 and had begun editing a third (a historical romance I wrote long ago) and writing a fourth—the prequel to my published novel, Dream Wide Awake. However, a few readers emailed me and asked what happened to the kids in the desert before Dream Wide Awake. Because of those readers, I changed direction and wrote a prequel rather than a sequel.
What made you choose business/accounting for a profession/career?
I worked in retail the summer before my freshman year of college. There, I worked alongside four women who held English degrees. Determined not to go through four years of schooling to work in retail, I changed my major to accounting.
Knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being an accountant or do something different? Tough question. Complicated answer. Should I have stuck with English? Would I have become an author earlier in life? I see so many young writers struggling that I’m beginning to second guess my once-thought “wrong choice” for two reasons.
First, finances. Readers don’t realize how little authors earn. I made much more money writing grants and freelance articles. This is my third book, and I am still operating in the red. Most authors must have dozens of books published before they earn anything substantial. Of course, there are those who make a good living right off the bat, too. For most of us, we have a small platform and are a mere drop in a hard-working bucket of authors.
Second, my experiences have given me an entirely different perspective on life. My writing has changed dramatically since my twenty-something years. I am currently editing a historical romance, Within the Setting Sun, that I wrote years ago. Sometimes I find myself asking, “What was I thinking?’
What is your biggest fear? Hurting people’s feelings. I sometimes base fictional characters after real people. I pray they are pleased with how I see them. In general, people are good. No one is perfect, of course, but most people are just like me: trying to make their way through life, providing some good to others. And that’s one of the reasons I want to write novels. A good book takes my mind off my worries and carries me away from my own troubles. I hope I do that for my readers.
Who is your favorite fictional character and why? Scarlet O’Hara, because she is so different from me.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Don’t wait until you find a publisher for your first book before beginning your second.
Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? Writers Margaret Mitchell, Gillian Flynn, and Sydney Sheldon influenced me the most. I also love Garth Stein’s novel The Art of Racing in the Rain. For characters, I based Giff, the protagonist in The Suicide Gene, after my son Zak; Izzy Jimenez in Project Dream after actress Anna Kendrick; and I crafted the looks of the character Todd Kennedy in Project Dream after—ready for this?—reality TV-star Tom Sandoval of Vanderpump Rules. Lisa in Dream Wide Awake remarkably resembles Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval’s girlfriend, too!
With regard to research, where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept? I have had visions myself. One was of 9/11 (see my interview at http://bit.ly/DWABookClubs). In learning to deal with these visions, I took classes from a medium in my hometown. She helped me learn to deal with them. Those classes answered many of my paranormal questions.
Tell us a bit about your publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them? I am publishing Project Dream on my own. However, the publisher for my novel, The Suicide Gene, is The Wild Rose Press (TWRP). I pitched my story to them at a hometown conference they came to, and they accepted it. I couldn’t be an indie author if not for the experience I gained through TWRP. I hope to pitch my historical romance to them soon. I cannot give them enough praise. They have supported me relentlessly.
What are you reading right now? I am reading Big, Little Lies—and loving it—and The Hypnotist’s Love Story, both by Liane Moriarty; Ghost Coach by an author from my hometown, James DeHaven; and Memory Man by David Baldacci.
What's next for you? I will edit that historical romance, Within the Setting Sun, and finish writing Dream Wide Awake’s sequel, The Dream Snatchers.
In November I may also power through a new book I have an idea for in the NANO writing challenge, but then every once in a while, I fantasize about taking a few months off and relaxing. Who knew this novel-writing thing could be so addicting!!!
To learn more about CJ Zahner and the stories she creates go to: https://cyndiezahner.com/
Other Novels by CJ Zahner:
The Suicide Gene (Wild Rose Press) http://bit.ly/AMSGene
Dream Wide Awake (Kindle Direct) http://bit.ly/AMDWACZ
Buy Links:

Social Media links:
or

Interviews:
Book Circle Online http://bit.ly/CJZinterview



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