Kindle Books Outsell Paperbacks

Amazon reports it's now selling more Kindle e-books than paperbacks. The online retailer says that milestone came sooner than its executives had expected.

According to Amazon, it sold 115 Kindle books for every 100 paperback books since the start of the year.

Does this signal the death of "real" books?

Nope. Because even though Kindle books are going gangbusters, it turns out that paperback and hardcover sales are still rising over at Amazon as well.

BY THE WAY...this is the LAST weekend to vote in Kensington Brava's Writing with the Stars contest. I'm one of four remaining finalists in the online voting competition. I'd really appreciate it if you'd pop over and give it a look. I sure would appreciate your vote!

Writing With the Stars: Round 4 Begins!

I have some incredibly exciting news to share!

RT Book Reviews announced today that my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, has made it to the fourth round of Kensington/RT's Writing with the Stars contest. I am now one of four finalists left in the competition. That's just one round away from the final and a possible book deal. The person who receives the most online votes wins a book contract from Kensington.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT! 

Voting is now under way for Round 4: Best Secondary Character. Here is my entry:

SECONDARY CHARACTER: His was a masculine face etched in hard lines. Not particularly handsome, the duke possessed sharp-cut features which hinted of menace. He wore his black hair long, tying it fastidiously back at the nape of his neck. Though terribly out of fashion, the style somehow seemed to suit him, even as it emphasized the unforgiving angles of his profile. Everything about Hartwell, from the magnificent way he carried himself to his impeccable grooming, suggested a man of consequence. He managed to exude an air of command and abundance of charisma by simply walking across the room. Willa obviously adored him, but Charlotte felt distinctly uneasy in his presence.

MENTOR MARY WINE COMMENTS: This really grabbed my attention. There were only a few adjustments here because after reading this description I found a picture of this man in my imagination and I so want to know if Willa can knock him out of his polished shoes.

JUDGE’S TAKE:  I can totally picture Hartwell here. I am guessing that he is generally a “good” character despite that hint of menace in his features. Actually, that hint of menace is one of the things that makes him interesting, instead of coming across like stock-titled man No. 4. Hartwell has a hero’s air about him in this description — he isn’t without flaw but the flaws you describe are ones that readers generally accept with their protagonists. It makes me wonder if he is being groomed to be the hero of another book. Even if he is, don’t be afraid to throw an elbow with a more wildly swinging character trait or two. You might be able to make this character 10 times juicier if you toss in a new angle … like this is his first appearance in society after being released from prison two days earlier. You don’t want your secondary characters to steal the story from your protagonists of course, but it is food for thought.

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE.

CLICK HERE NOW.

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2011 is a positive and fruitful year for you.

When it comes to writing, 2010 was an amazing year for me. One of the top highlights was finalling in BRAVA/RT's Writing with the Stars contest. Kensington editors Alicia Condon and Megan Records selected the 10 finalists for the online voting contest. To have an editor at a publishing house select my work out of all the entries was great validation.

The contest is ongoing. Today, Sunday, Jan. 2, is the last day to vote in Round 3. I hope you'll take a moment to check it out and will consider voting for my entry, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. 



Me with Madeline Hunter at the NJ PYHIAB conference 

 I also attended my first writers' conference in 2010. Seducing Charlotte placed first in the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book contest.

I was thrilled that one of my favorite authors, Madeline Hunter, was among the judges. I met Ms. Hunter at the conference and she was lovely - amazingly generous. I ran into her in the lobby and she spent a good 45 minutes discussing my writing with me. I learned so much about plot, conflict and layering from both our discussion and the workshop she presented at the conference. As a result of that discussion, I've gone back and started revamping the first manuscript I ever wrote, Compromising Willa, which placed 2nd in the PYHIAB contest. It's already a much better manuscript.

If you're an aspiring writer, I strongly suggest you try to make it to one of the chapter conferences. They are well worth it.     


I got this saucy apple green cover with my Kindle.


I also became a Kindle-ista in 2010. I received a Kindle for my birthday and never looked back. I wavered on whether I wanted the e-reader - it made me feel a little unfaithful to traditional books. But now I enjoy both e-books and tree books. I still haven't discovered how to lend an e-book to a friend but I hope to figure it out in 2011.   

I actually launched this blog in 2010 - as a result of the Writing with the Stars contest. It's been a lot of fun. I've tried to provide interesting information about publishing, the romance industry and just reading in general.

I plan to continue blogging away into 2011. Happy New Year and I hope you'll be back to visit often! 

Round 3 - Writing With the Stars

Exciting news! RT Book Reviews magazine officially announced today that I am one of six remaining finalists in Kensington Brava/RT's Writing with the Stars contest.

That means I managed to garner enough online votes to make it through the first two rounds of competition. Thanks to all of you who voted. I could not have made it this far without your support.

Voting is now open for Round Three. For this challenge, I had to write a back-of-the-book blurb. Anyone who has tried it, knows blurbs can be a real challenge. Agent Kristen Nelson is the "celebrity" judge for this round. She gives a detailed, indepth critique of each entry that you might find interesting and instructive. Check it out!

I hope you will consider voting for me. It's super fast and easy. Just CLICK HERE, scroll down to the bottom and vote. It takes less than a minute. Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for your support!  

Delightful 'Year of Living Scandalously'

There are many things to like about Julia London's latest offering, The Year of Living Scandalously, starting with its cover.

There seem to be lots of purple covers lately and I, for one, am liking them. Of course, taking a look at the cover, there's lots more to feast one's eyes on besides the color!

Declan O’Connor, Earl of Donnelly, arrives at Hadley Green to find that the new countess of Ashwood is actually an impostor - a woman he knows quite well from back in the day in Ireland.

Snappy repartee keeps this fun story zipping right along from start to finish. The heroine is winningly charming and the hero is easy to fall in love with.

The back story centers on the mystery surrounding the execution of a man for the theft of the Countess of Ashwood's historic jewels.London uses it to set up an intriguing twist at the end of  The Year of Living Scandalously that made me want to run out and buy the next book in the series.

That's where the bad news comes in.

According to London (per her website), the sequel - The Secrets of Hadley Green - will not be out until February of 2012. That's more than a year from now.  London says the long wait was unforeseen when she wrote the ending to The Year of Living Scandalously.

Disappointing yes, but I still plan to be among the first to read The Secrets of Hadley Green.  (I just hope I can remember the story!)


And now for the shameless plug...

Writing with the Stars Voting is Now Open!

Voting is now open in the Kensington Brava/RT Writing With the Stars contest.

Online polling runs until November 28.

I am one of eight remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner will be published. But I can't get there without your support!

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, scroll down to the bottom, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!

A Christmas Promise Delivers

Is it too early to read holiday-themed books? Not for me apparently since I just read the last page of Mary Balogh's A Christmas Promise  (on my new Kindle, naturally).  

The novel first appeared as a Signet Regency in 1992. In it, the Earl of Falloden inherits heavy debts along with his title and agrees to marry the daughter of a wealthy coal merchant to have his debts cancelled. Eleanor Transome's father is gravely ill and wants to secure his daughter's future before he dies.

Both agree to the alliance. He thinks she is a grasping cold commoner who hungers to be a countess while she assumes Falloden is a greedy spendthrift.Of course neither is true!

When Eleanor invites her relatives to spend the holiday with them, Falloden is surprised to find himself drawn to the boisterous bunch. Since this is a romance as well as a Christmas story, it does have a happy ending. And the journey to get there is a fulfilling one. 

Balogh is one of my favorites because of her spare, almost poetic, writing style. She deftly manages to evoke deep emotion with fewer words. Her writing brings to mind Willa Cather's sparse yet evocative style.

My only pet peeve is a meaningless one really. The cover shows a couple ice skating. I don't recall that happening in the book. Am I wrong? If you've read A Christmas Promise  and do remember such a scene, let me know!


And now for the shameless plug...

Voting continues in the Kensington Brava/RT Writing With the Stars contest. I am one of eight remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner will be published.

But I can't get there without lots of support because I am up against some very talented writers. (Hopefully, one day we'll all be published!)

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!

Joining the Kindle Wave

It's official. I'm a Kindle-ista. I received the latest generation of the e-reader for my birthday.

I'm still navigating my way through it. Initially, I was surprised to find the Kindle does not have a touch screen. However, my early impressions are definitely on the positive side.

It's easy to use and does feel like you're reading a regular book...only in a much cooler way! While it is strange not to have page numbers, there is a little bar at the bottom that tells me how far along I am in the book.  

I also got the saucy apple green leather cover with built-in book light, which works beautifully. I used it on the bus this morning and the entire "page" was nicely illuminated. (Yes, my commute starts so early even the sun hasn't stirred yet.)  

I have to say the ebook prices are a surprise. I've just started shopping in the Kindle store but I can't help wondering why the latest ebooks are about the same price as the paperbacks I usually pick up in the grocery store. It has got to be cheaper to sell books in e form -  without all the paper, printing and shipping costs.

But what do I know?

Prices on the older books aren't bad, though. I just purchased Mary Jo Putney's Carousel of Hearts in ebook form for just $4!

And a reminder...

Voting continues in the Kensington Brava/RT Writing With the Stars contest. I am one of eight remaining finalists in the national competition. The winner will be published...who knows...maybe in ebook form!

But I can't get there without lots of support because I am up against some very talented writers. (Hopefully, one day we'll all be published!)

Click here to check out all of the entries. I hope you will consider voting for my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the dawning Industrial Revolution.

I promise voting is super quick and easy. You can click in, vote and be done in under a minute. No registration is required. Thank you!  

 

Mary Wine, Mentor Extraodinaire

My mentor for the Writing with the Stars contest is the extraordinary Mary Wine.

During Round One (Best First Paragraph and Last Line) - in her gentle but tenacious way - Mary urged me tighten up my writing and axed the passive verbs which took some of the oomph out of the entry. Her insight about certain descriptions and word choices editors don't want to see in a romance novel proved invaluable.  

Mary has also been wonderfully forthcoming in sharing her hands-on knowledge of how the publishing industry works. She generously answers all of the many questions I pepper her with. Not only is her unique insight  fascinating to hear, but it will no doubt help me on my road to publication.

As soon as I found out Mary was my mentor, I ran out and brought her book, To Conquer a Highlander, which takes place in 1437 Scotland. I loved it!

The story involves Laird Torin McLeren, who hopes to prevent war by kidnapping his enemy's daughter, Shannon. Of course, they fall in love and the historical tidbits sprinkled throughout make this a compelling read.

I'm anxious to read the next book in the series, Highland Hellcat, which focuses on Laird Connor Lindsey. Seeking a strong political alliance, Connor arranges to marry Diedre but when he discovers that she isn’t pure, he steals her sister, Brina, even though she is promised to the church.

Here's another teachable moment from Mary. I did not know third daughters in late 1430s Scotland were always promised to the church. These daughters knew their fate since childhood and were treated with extra care because of it. That makes the set up to Highland Hellcat all the more intriguing!

You can check out Mary's mentoring skills by reading the first paragraph and last line of  my historical Regency romance, Seducing Charlotte, by clicking HERE.

If you'd like to read more, I hope you'll consider VOTING for my entry in the Writing with the Stars contest. I promise it's very quick and easy. You can click in, vote and be done in under a minute.

If you enjoy the first paragraph, here's the FIRST CHAPTER.