Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Wrangler Butt is a Thing, Y'all!



Okay, I'm not from the south, but I've always wanted to give a hearty Y'all! So there it is.

I am, however, a country girl from the Northwoods of Wisconsin and I grew up around my share of good looking country boys. Besides muscles, smooth, tanned skin and killer, crooked smiles, those boys all had one other thing in common: Wrangler Butt.

What is Wrangler Butt? Ladies, it's only the best thing to happen. Ever. See, Wranger jeans somehow crafted their jeans to perfectly conform, smooth, lift and outline the male rear-end. To. Perfection.

Since the men of my Paint River Ranch series all wear Wranglers, all I can do is show you the glory that is Wrangler Butt.

Let me know in the comments: Yes or no to Wrangler Butt?? There's a give-away involved. ;)


wrangler butts drive me nuts!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Tucker Haywood Stops by for a Visit--you've been warned




So, Tucker from ONE NIGHT WITH A COWBOY just stopped by and he's pacing in the kitchen at the moment. Kinda like a caged animal...all long-legged strides and growly expression. Probably because I forced him to come in here when it's such a beautiful day outside. Too bad for him. Big baby. Let's see if I can make him behave long enough to answer a few questions.

Hey, Tucker. Come on in and have a seat.

Yeah, okay. How long is this going to take?

 Depends on how long it takes you to cooperate.

*blinks* Fine. I don't want you making me fat in the next book or something, so...

Good boy. Thanks for taking a few minutes to talk to our readers. We all, er, really appreciate the pose you did for the cover of ONE NIGHT WITH A COWBOY. 

*shrugs* Yep. 

Cowboys are always in demand, it seems. What’s your favorite thing about being a cowboy?

Have you seen my ass in these Wranglers? Draws women like moths to a hot, hot, denim-covered flame. As long as they understand that it’s one night with me, and one night only. If not, they can find a different flame. Know what I mean?

So, your answer is women?

Does there need to be another answer? 

I…suppose not. Okay, so ranch work can be taxing, obviously. What kinds of things do you like to do when you leave the ranch?

I have to leave the ranch? *snorts* No thanks. I’m happy right where I am. 

Well, I’ve heard that the Tit for Tap bar is an old favorite of yours. Has that changed?

I used to go there a lot. But, I only go there on…certain nights now. No big deal.

Oh, yes. When Sophie Miller is waitressing, right? 

Sophie’s a distraction. That’s all. Moving on…

A distraction from what?

Am I running for President, here? Does it matter why I go there when she’s working? It’s a safety thing. I want to make sure she’s safe working there…with all those other men around. 

 Huh, well, it sounds like Sophie might be a little more than a distraction.

*shifts in his chair* Yeah, well, she’s a city girl. City girls don’t know how to handle rowdy cowboys and country bars, or anything else around here. Hell, you saw her freak out over that squirrel, right? Point made. So, moving on…

Fine. Which is your favorite brother, Levi or Cole, and by proxy, Jaxon?

They all drive me bat-shit crazy. Next.

Speaking of Jax...what's his story anyway?

Seriously? You wrote him. You already know what his story is. 

*rolls eyes* Yeah, yeah. What’s your biggest weakness?


*smirks* Look at me, sweetheart. My biceps are illegal in ten states. Do I look like I have any weaknesses?

I heard something about chocolate chip cookies bringing you to your knees…

You have cookies?

Okay, well, thanks for the chat, Tucker. I hope our readers get a chance to stop by Paint River Ranch and see you in action. Riding horse, roping cattle and showing off those Wranglers, and all.

Fine. Just tell them to bring double chocolate chip. No nuts. *gets up*

Great. Well, Tuck, thanks for....okay, bye...nice to see you...and he's gone. That boy!

Meet the Paint River Ranch boys and form your own opinions, but I gotta say: HOTNESS! I'll see ya at the ranch. ;) 

So, there's been a lot of talk about Jaxon getting his own story. If you've read ONE NIGHT WITH A COWBOY, you'll know why he's in such demand. All I can say, is that I'm working on making it happen. In the meantime, Jax has found himself with a Blue Heeler puppy and said puppy needs a name. Boy or girl? I'm not sure yet. You tell me, and give me a name in the comments below. 






Tuesday, May 20, 2014

How Words Sell to Become a Book

This post is for my family, friends, and fans who might not completely understand the process words go through to actually become a book. I'm posting this because I know my family is often confused as hell. Like, "You wrote it, so why hasn't it sold?" confused. This is to be expected, and it's okay, because if you don't know the process, it's easy to assume because a manuscript is written, it automatically becomes a book.

Nope. All the nope's.

Here's a fun, gif-filled outline of how words become (or not) a book:

First, I write ALL THE WORDS!

 

Now, my friends and family know when this manic process is happening to me because I will not answer the phone or step foot outside my house for days. I used to write fast. As in, 60,000 words in 6-7 weeks fast. Since a particularily challenging life events in August, I'm much slower (damn it). 80,000 words takes me about five months now.

That's five months of NOT answering the phone or stepping out my front door. Mostly. I am a hermit, yo. And I make no apologies.

Once I type THE MOTHER EFFING END, I can send it to my agent right? RIGHT?

Nope.

I first do about ten rounds of self-edits on the manuscript, and then send it to my Critique Partners. And I wait for them to have time to read it.

And I am mostly not patient with the waiting. 




What's a Critique Partner? They are the lovely ladies who pat me on the head and say nice things like, "You're super talented, lady, which is why it pains me to tell you there is SO MUCH wrong with the plot in this book that I had to scrub my eyeballs with bleach." or, "Jesus Christ, are you going to use a serial comma or not? Be consistent before I die." (Looking at you Tamara).

Yeah, my CPs rip it apart while lathering me up with compliments. They speak the hurtful truth with a side of unicorn bacon and rainbows. Once I get all their feedback (usually from 3-5 critique partners...this can take weeks), I REVISE AGAIN!






While revising AGAIN, I listen to unhealthy amounts of Hiddleston reading poetry, because his voice seriously soothes the hell out of my manic brain. And I eat chips while listening to that sound gifted from the babies of Angels and Goddesses and unicorn blood.



Okay, so a few more weeks have gone by. And now I'M DONE with my CP revisions. Now, I send it to them again. Yep, again. They read it again. They tell me it still sucks or it doesn't; what to change, what to leave alone. Likely, I'm back to revising again. And then....

And then......!!!

Finally, I can send it to my lovely literary agent, Nalini, from Spencerhill Associates.












Yes, Finally!

My agent takes a peek. A good long peek. We chat on the phone a couple times and talk about whether or not this is a SELL-ABLE project. Wait...back up. I should mention that she and I always chat before I begin a project to see if the market is right, or will be soon, for what I have in mind.

That hurts the brain a little, doesn't it? Simply put, just because I want to write it doesn't mean there is a market. So my Millionaire Matchmaker meets Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure mash-up might not be the most lucrative project. Just sayin.'

And then, my agent give me (can you guess????) REVISIONS.
 

 So, Gods, I revise again. And then I send it back to my agent to see if she's happy. If she is, we go on SUBMISSION, also known as the nine realms of hell. (If she's not, I get. To. Revise. Again)

So, The Nine Realms of Hell is the big, dark beyond where all the book editors live. Book editors work for publishing houses, and they are the "big dogs" who read an author's manuscript and decide whether or not it is a good fit for not only the house, but the lines the house is currently publishing, or will be publishing in the future.

Gatekeepers, that's what they are. So, let's say my agent submits my book to editor T and publishing house Z and editor T loves it! She's SO EXCITED and wants it in the worst way. GREAT NEWS, right?

Not really, because now editor T has to take this work of yours that she loves so much, and present it to the Acquisitions Department, also known as the shark pit, of publishing house Z. Acquisitions makes the ultimate decision on whether or not they will be offering you a contract for your manuscript.

And that's all we're really after--that coveted contract!























If they choose not to purchase your manuscript, but they really like your writing style and/or voice, they may offer you the opportunity to do (can you guess) revisions based on their opinions of what needs to be changed. You can do that, and send it back to them for another peek. Or, they may completely pass on your project, but invite you to resubmit to them with your *next* manuscript.


I've had pretty good luck. I sold my PAINT RIVER RANCH series right out of the gate. My next series was acquired by Harlequin, but only after they rejected the first project I sent to them. They remembered me, and stayed in touch with my agent to see what else I was working on. They offered a contract on my next series, starting with THE FIREFIGHTER'S APPEAL, which comes out August 1, 2014.

My latest book isn't going as easily along the submission process. Not. At. All. It is market-current and by all rights should be highly marketable/ sell-able. But guess what? So far, none of the houses we've submitted it to are interested.

 


 So you see, even after you follow ALL THE STEPS, sometimes words don't turn into a book. Are we giving up on this project of mine? Heck no. There are still a gazillion nine realms of hell to contact. But what will happen is this: My agent will keep suggesting tweaks to the manuscript until it sells, which means I will be doing more....

REVISIONS.


I hope this has been a helpful peek into why my life is always so crazy. Because I'm insane, I always work on more than one project at a time, so I may be revising two works at once, or creating a new manuscript while revising one I've already completed.

I still won't answer the phone. And weeks will go by before I leave the house for anything other than the day job and picking up my kids.

But guess what? I wouldn't change a minute of it.












Monday, May 12, 2014

Release Day!

There are so many great things about being an author and going through the writing-to-book process. And release day is one of them!!

So, happy book birthday, ONE NIGHT WITH A COWBOY! I'm so happy to share Tucker and Sophie's story with you, and thrilled that so many of you had asked when the Paint River Ranch series would continue after Tempting the Cowboy.



In celebration, I'm giving away TWO really fun gift bags, filled with goodies that relate (mostly) to the book. There is a Rafflecopter to enter for both give-aways, below.


Included in the Grand Gift Bag are a mini brownie candle, chocolate chip cookies!, a river stone bracelet, a signed book mark, a Tit for Tap blank notepad (like Sophie's, from the bar Tit for Tap in the book), a mini first aid kit (because Paramedic Sophie wants you to be safe) and blank farmhouse labels to use on anything!






The Mini Gift Bag has everything, except the bracelet and notebook, but also includes cupcake ChapStick, for those times you want to give your sweetie a confection-flavored kiss! Trust me, Tucker would be all over that!




I'd love if you left a comment on the blog, to say HI, and I'll be drawing for a set of pretty, blank, farmhouse-style organizing labels from all the comments, too.








About ONE NIGHT WITH A COWBOY



Tucker and Sophie's story picks up where Cole and Rylan left off in Tempting the Cowboy. Though this is a series, ONE NIGHT WITH A COWBOY reads as a stand-alone, so if you haven't read TTC, you'll still be able to fall in love with Paint River Ranch without being confused!

BLURB

Jobless, broke, and struggling to support herself and her invalid mother, paramedic Sophie Miller doesn’t have time or energy for a relationship. Especially with her mother’s clock ticking down. So when the sexy cowboy she meets at a carnival proposes a no-strings, one-night stand, she’s all over it. Until her one-night stand shows up again and turns out to be everything she’s ever wanted.

Tucker Haywood has his hands full running Paint River Ranch and trying to deal with all the changes pulling the rug out from under him. His past has taught him it’s better to keep women at arm’s length, for their sake. Stubborn and temperamental, Tucker doesn’t have a clue how to deal with a city girl who’s scared of squirrels and dirt.
So when Sophie gets under his skin, he has to do whatever it takes to push her away. Even if it means losing the part of himself he never thought he’d find.

LINKS:
                                          
ENTER TO WIN!!! USA residents only please. All prizes will be mailed after June 1st, 2014. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway