Does anyone else feel like Fall just hit with a sledgehammer? The weather shifted, everything started getting colder and book release dates started cropping up faster than weeds in my lawn. My friends in the Stiletto Gang have several new releases. Debra Sennefelder put out the fashion / Halloween themed mystery What Not to Wear to a Graveyard (see her post here) and we’re still celebrating the late summer releases of Debra Goldstein’s latest Three Treats Too Many and the newest Stiletto Gang member Gay Yellen with Body Business.
My next book releases in October, but that just means that all the marketing is happening now, now, now (use your used car salesman voice for the last part). Marketing for most authors, including me, is a somewhat painful process in which we attempt to interest the greatest number of people in our precious book baby. The Cinderella Secret is book 2 (of 4) in my Deveraux Legacy series. With a series, book 1 sets the tone and while marketing can be increased for subsequent books – if an author did a terrible job on book 1 then book 2 doesn’t have much of a chance. This kind of high-stakes “hope you got it right” marketing pressure is what drives many authors to hate marketing. We’re already responsible for inventing these characters, putting them through hell, hopefully letting some of them make it out with a happy ending, and now we’re responsible for making them a success in the world? It’s too much! My poor babies deserve more! But, of course, we saddle up and go out there and do our best for our imaginary book friends because we really do love them. Fortunately, it is a bit easier with assistance from friends, marketing professionals, and having some pretty sweet giveaways and incentives in my back pocket.
The Cinderella Secret: Hot-shot lawyer Aiden Deveraux holds the key to unlocking the dark secrets of Ella Zhao’s past and Ella holds the key to Aiden’s heart. But a murderer wants to stop those secrets from ever seeing the light of day and Aiden and Ella may have to trust each other with their secrets if they want to make it out of this fight alive.
This week has been a bit of roller coaster ride for my writing.I received some very excellent news which them prompted me to move up several items on my to-do list, which further caused me to do the thing that I had been dreading… Call Apple Support to fix a problem with my Apple ID.I have had three different people on my “case” and have now been bumped up to a “Senior Advisor.”In short, my problem has been deemed an actual problem (hmm… like I said at the beginning?) and I have been moved away from the people that tell me to do things like “spell out North, instead of putting N.” and “try clicking ‘add’ 4 times really fast.”Which is probably good because I was starting to make notes for killing off a customer support specialist in my next novel.
But all of this has left me feeling more than a little bit blocked. I want to do one simple thing, but suddenly the simple thing spawned multiple problems and multiple frustrations. Usually when I’m feeling frustrated I can dive into one of my writing projects to escape, but unfortunately I’m feeling blocked on many of those as well! Book #4 of the San Juan Island series is holding until I can figure out who finds the body. I’ve got it narrowed down, but I’m not sure who would be the best person. My sci-fi version of Beauty & the Beast for the Galactic Dreams Anthology series is with my co-writers and I don’t want to write the next section without their input. And The Lost Heir, my Deveraux Legacy novella is with my beta readers. So what’s the solution to this thorny issue? Here’s what I came up with…
Step 1: Go blackberry picking
Step 2: Make pie.
Step 3: Eat pie.
It may be the long way around for pie, but it is a solution to a very thorny problem.
One of my 2020 goals was to read more books. You would think that with pandemic shut downs that I might have made headway with that goal, but instead I had to pivot to homeschooling, fire-drill mode for several of my firm’s clients, and just generally trying not to freak out. Fortunately, along came Cathy Perkins my fellow Stiletto Gang member with a brand new book – Calling for the Money.
Calling for the Money is the third book in the Holly Price mystery series, but doesn’t require reading the first two (there’s plenty of quickie recaps to bring a reader up to speed) and the mystery is self-contained. Holly is a top flight accountant who is quick-thinking, analytical and on the run from a devastating break-up. But as Holly digs into her new job, her personal life and caring heart cause her to get involved in a missing persons case. As Holly struggles to figure out if the perfect job she’s always wanted is what she wants now that she has it, kidnappers, extortion schemes and a father who needs a quick punch in the face keep her from being able to have a moment to herself.
This mystery was exactly what I needed to keep me turning pages and avoiding the dishes. Holly Price with her financial wizard mind was a smart heroine with tons of moxie that makes you root for her all the way through the book. Calling for the Money was a fun, smart read, and I recommend the entire series.
Chase Regard is captain of the nearly-historically-accurate pirate ship Cupid’s Revenge, a pirate-themed restaurant and dinner show, and the mountain of debt that came with both. But Chase has an ace up his sleeve: his ancestor left a heap of treasure somewhere on the coast near Ashville, Oregon. All Chase needs to find it is the help of the red-headed, fiery, and occasionally forgetful, academic Dr. Jenna Mackenzie, the director of the Ashville Museum. But when Chase and Jenna team up they must face the town’s history-buff bully, accusations of theft, and an oncoming storm before they find out that X marks the spot for love and treasure.
https://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LoveTreasure_Insta-1.jpg10801080Bethany Maineshttps://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Aug2016-Logo-op3-300x69.pngBethany Maines2020-07-22 07:57:132020-07-21 12:01:08Money, Treasure, and… Love
Fall! Bombs Away!
/in General Writing, The Stiletto GangDoes anyone else feel like Fall just hit with a sledgehammer? The weather shifted, everything started getting colder and book release dates started cropping up faster than weeds in my lawn. My friends in the Stiletto Gang have several new releases. Debra Sennefelder put out the fashion / Halloween themed mystery What Not to Wear to a Graveyard (see her post here) and we’re still celebrating the late summer releases of Debra Goldstein’s latest Three Treats Too Many and the newest Stiletto Gang member Gay Yellen with Body Business.
My next book releases in October, but that just means that all the marketing is happening now, now, now (use your used car salesman voice for the last part). Marketing for most authors, including me, is a somewhat painful process in which we attempt to interest the greatest number of people in our precious book baby. The Cinderella Secret is book 2 (of 4) in my Deveraux Legacy series. With a series, book 1 sets the tone and while marketing can be increased for subsequent books – if an author did a terrible job on book 1 then book 2 doesn’t have much of a chance. This kind of high-stakes “hope you got it right” marketing pressure is what drives many authors to hate marketing. We’re already responsible for inventing these characters, putting them through hell, hopefully letting some of them make it out with a happy ending, and now we’re responsible for making them a success in the world? It’s too much! My poor babies deserve more! But, of course, we saddle up and go out there and do our best for our imaginary book friends because we really do love them. Fortunately, it is a bit easier with assistance from friends, marketing professionals, and having some pretty sweet giveaways and incentives in my back pocket.
The Cinderella Secret: Hot-shot lawyer Aiden Deveraux holds the key to unlocking the dark secrets of Ella Zhao’s past and Ella holds the key to Aiden’s heart. But a murderer wants to stop those secrets from ever seeing the light of day and Aiden and Ella may have to trust each other with their secrets if they want to make it out of this fight alive.
Release Date: 10.19.20
Pre-Order now from iBooks for ¢.99! (Price goes up after release week!) Buy here → https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-cinderella-secret/id1528407978?mt=11&app=itunes
Have a netgalley account and want to get an advance copy? Blogger/Reader Sign-Up → https://bit.ly/ReleasePromotionTheCinderellaSecret
Want to win an e-copy and a $40 Amazon giftcard? Enter to win → http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2a9f3a7480/
Want to get the Deveraux Legacy prequel novella, The Lost Heir, for FREE? Learn how → https://bethanymaines.com/the-deveraux-legacy/
Play Ball!
/in General WritingThorny Problems
/in An Unseen Current, Life, The Deveraux, The Stiletto GangBut all of this has left me feeling more than a little bit blocked. I want to do one simple thing, but suddenly the simple thing spawned multiple problems and multiple frustrations. Usually when I’m feeling frustrated I can dive into one of my writing projects to escape, but unfortunately I’m feeling blocked on many of those as well! Book #4 of the San Juan Island series is holding until I can figure out who finds the body. I’ve got it narrowed down, but I’m not sure who would be the best person. My sci-fi version of Beauty & the Beast for the Galactic Dreams Anthology series is with my co-writers and I don’t want to write the next section without their input. And The Lost Heir, my Deveraux Legacy novella is with my beta readers. So what’s the solution to this thorny issue? Here’s what I came up with…
Step 1: Go blackberry picking
Step 2: Make pie.
Step 3: Eat pie.
It may be the long way around for pie, but it is a solution to a very thorny problem.
Money, Treasure, and… Love
/in General Writing, Life, The Stiletto GangCalling for the Money is the third book in the Holly Price mystery series, but doesn’t require reading the first two (there’s plenty of quickie recaps to bring a reader up to speed) and the mystery is self-contained. Holly is a top flight accountant who is quick-thinking, analytical and on the run from a devastating break-up. But as Holly digs into her new job, her personal life and caring heart cause her to get involved in a missing persons case. As Holly struggles to figure out if the perfect job she’s always wanted is what she wants now that she has it, kidnappers, extortion schemes and a father who needs a quick punch in the face keep her from being able to have a moment to herself.
This mystery was exactly what I needed to keep me turning pages and avoiding the dishes. Holly Price with her financial wizard mind was a smart heroine with tons of moxie that makes you root for her all the way through the book. Calling for the Money was a fun, smart read, and I recommend the entire series.
Buy Links:
🏴☠️💖 All retailers: https://books2read.com/LoveTreasure
🏴☠️💖 Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UGfWuG
Chase Regard is captain of the nearly-historically-accurate pirate ship Cupid’s Revenge, a pirate-themed restaurant and dinner show, and the mountain of debt that came with both. But Chase has an ace up his sleeve: his ancestor left a heap of treasure somewhere on the coast near Ashville, Oregon. All Chase needs to find it is the help of the red-headed, fiery, and occasionally forgetful, academic Dr. Jenna Mackenzie, the director of the Ashville Museum. But when Chase and Jenna team up they must face the town’s history-buff bully, accusations of theft, and an oncoming storm before they find out that X marks the spot for love and treasure.
Wayward Characters
/in General Writing, Life, The Stiletto Gang