Should Authors Give Their Books Away?

I sent out four paper copies of PATRIOT'S PRIDE on Saturday to readers who were picked for a Goodreads Giveaway. I'm hoping I'll get four reviews, but I know I'll be extremely fortunate if I do. I still believe the Goodreads Giveaway program is a great way to get people to notice my books. 556 people signed up for the giveaway and 286 people added the book to their lists. However, last year I ran a giveaway for PATRIOT'S HEART. While 365 people signed up for the contest, and I sent away four free copies of the book, I didn't get a single review from any of the winners--yet. I suppose there's still hope.

Honest, fair reviews are difficult to obtain--unless there's money involved. Though I don't see how someone can be objective when cash is a requirement.

There are many authors who refuse to give their books away for free, while there are an equal number who feel it is part of a sensible plan to entice readers to become fans.

Below is one author who lists the pros and cons of free books.
http://jefflaferney.blogspot.com/2015/05/should-indie-authors-give-their-e-books.html

What do you think? Should an author give away books or not?

Review: Jenn Nixon's LUCKY'S PROMISE

On July 9th, I mentioned that I was reading Jenn Nixon's book, LUCKY'S PROMISE. Despite Jenn's description of the heroine, I continued to see Jenn in my mind, because I know her.  

Well, here's what Jenn's heroine, Lucky, really looks like. And there's the hero, too. They make a nice couple. :-)

Lucky's Promise officially goes on sale today. Below are the buy links along with Jenn's contact information:

All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/LuckysPromiseARe

Amazon: http://bit.ly/LuckysPromise

iTunes: http://bit.ly/LuckysPromiseiTunes

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/LuckysPromiseBN 

Kobo: http://bit.ly/LuckysPromiseKobo

OmniLit: http://bit.ly/LuckysPromiseOmni

Wild Child: http://bit.ly/LuckysPromiseWCP

Author website: www.jennnixon.com

Author contact email: jennafern@gmail.com

My Review of LUCKY'S PROMISE

Packed with tense moments and action, this book contains a heaping dose of angst and torment as well. I kept turning the pages, worrying about Lucky nearly as much as she worried about those close to her. As a member of a network of hired assassins, she rids the world of evil men. She feels justified in that task for the men she is assigned to eliminate have committed heinous crimes. However, she’s also spent years searching for the man who killed her mother, but that man is searching for Kenji, who is deeply in love with Lucky. Plagued with anxiety, Lucky tests Kenji’s patience, refusing to let him into her heart for fear of losing him even though he’s the only one who seems to be able to help her deal with the afflictions she suffers due to her unhappy past.

As Kenji breaks down Lucky's barriers to love, the danger grows ever nearer for both of them. Ms. Nixon delivers a solid emotional punch in this third book of her series. It’s well worth the read. I give it FIVE STARS!

A Trucker's Life

On our recent trip out to Ohio for a family reunion, we drove along Interstate 80. The big eighteen wheelers are intimidating, but hubby reminded me that--for the most part--they drive in a conservative manner. He followed one truck for a long while because the rig was traveling at a steady speed. Later, when it was my turn at the wheel, I wound up doing the same thing. I got behind a truck with a pace that seldom varied.

When it was time for a brief break, we pulled in at a truck stop. I love truck stops. Aside from good coffee and food, the stores are filled with a variety of items--everything from electronic gadgets to clothing. I bought a T-shirt for my father with an interesting camouflage design. When I returned home and gave it to him, I told him he could go hunting now. :-)

He asked me if I was going to write a book with a truck driver as the hero. I laughed. There's always that possibility.

The Artist's Role

As a writer, I thought the above quote apropos to my work. For those of who find the quote difficult to read, it says:

My role in society, or any artist's or poet's role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.                                                              ---John Lennon, c.1972

The quote is on the wall at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a section that depicts the outcry against rock music. Many thought it was music of the devil. Some thought it would turn young people into Communists.  

Of course, there was an outcry against the waltz, too. 

So long as this obscene display was confined to prostitutes and adulteresses, we did not think it deserving of notice; but now that it is attempted to be forced on the respectable classes of society by the civil examples of their superiors, we feel it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so fatal a contagion." (Source: The Times of London, 16th July 1816) http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/waltz.htm

Obviously, anything new is subject to condemnation. 

At any rate, I like John Lennon's quote. It speaks to me. :-)

Who Do You See?

NJ Romance Writers at the Red Bank Street Fair 2007

I know a lot of authors. We hang out together. I buy their books. Then I read them. When I do, it doesn't matter what the heroine looks like on the cover because as I read the book I see the author in my mind.

Lately, I'm reading Jenn Nixon's book, Lucky's Promise and in my mind, I see Jenn as the main character. I've known Jenn for many years. She's in the Liberty States Writers Fiction group. Her heroine does not look like her at all, but my mind ignores that fact.

This is not the first time this phenomena has happened to me. If I know and have talked with the author--that's who becomes the main character in their book in my mind.

Does this happen to you?

IRONS IN THE FIRE, Third Edition

I wrote my first book when I was nine, but I wrote it on yellow legal paper using green ink. I illustrated it, too. Few people have seen that first effort, but it was a paranormal romance. (Yes, even at the age of nine.) While I was in high school, I made several attempts to write a novel. In one of those stories, Paul McCartney fell in love with the heroine--who was me, of course. Technically, I would now consider that a paranormal romance. LOL!

Then along came college, a job, and marriage. I had little time to write except for some very bad poetry. Hubby had a motorboat and we spent our "free" time zipping around on the local waterways, tying up at restaurants which had docks on the river, and getting caught in thunderstorms. 

I became a mother. I stayed home and breast fed my little darlings. As I sat and nursed them, a story took hold of me--and it wouldn't let go. That story was IRONS IN THE FIRE. I finished it and sent it off to be rejected at least twenty-five times until at last I succeeded in finding a publisher. 

Now, IRONS IN THE FIRE is back online with a spectacular new cover designed by Taria Reed! The book received a nomination for the Best Small Press Paranormal Romance in Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award. A reviewer in Romantic Times Book Reviews called it, "A cleverly written tale of magic, evil villains, murder and the power of love, IRONS IN THE FIRE is a fabulous read."

It's available at the low, low price of $2.99 for the digital edition and only $11.00 for the paper edition. 

You can find it at Amazon: http://amzn.com/B0112J0KIE

At Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/557325

At All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ironsinthefire-1845399-143.html

Make IRONS IN THE FIRE your summer read!

Tweet With Photos

Hubby bought a pink LED flashlight for me--just because it's pink. I thought that was so sweet of him :-) While this photograph may not be very inspiring or artistic, I posted it on Twitter. This morning, the results so far were: 

Impressions

135

Total engagements		9
Photo or video clicks		5
Link clicks		2
Replies		1
Retweets

I know if I had simply posted a sentence, it wouldn't have received as much attention. I also know that posting from Instagram would not have gotten such results either because Instagram only posts the link. The same is true of Hootsuite, where a link is given to the photo.

My last post on this blog was simply a graphic I made up on Canva.com with a quote from my latest release pasted over a photo I took of Marlu Lake. The results on Twitter were:

Impressions

132

Total engagements		9
Retweets		4
Hashtag clicks		2
Replies		1
Photo or video clicks		1
Profile clicks		1

Obviously, if I had more Twitter followers, I might have had even better results, but in comparison to my results for a sentence, a link, and some hashtags, this is a much larger percentage of hits. (Of course, I should have added a hashtag to the flashlight as well.)

In one of the best photos I posted last week, I did everything right. I posted a short quote from my latest release, added hashtags and a link to the book on Amazon. Below are the results for that:

Impressions

176

Total engagements		7
Hashtag clicks		5
Retweets		2

A picture is worth a thousand words. On Twitter, a photo can actually stop people from scrolling for a moment.

I suggest you Tweet with pictures. It helps.

Trust

History Happened Right Here

This is a map of Leedsville. It isn't called Leedsville anymore. The little town has changed a lot over the years. However, I used it as the setting for Patriot's Heart and the heroine of Patriot's Pride, Margaret, grew up there and hates being far from her family who still live there. Though she journeys to England, she longs to return to little Leedsville.

I live there now, which is why I choose the location. I am fascinated by history and there's plenty of it in the area. I did one blog post on the topic http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com/2014/02/where-did-idea-for-patriots-heart.html when Patriot's Heart was released. 

Hubby and I regularly visit historical homes and museums in the area. I've lived in Monmouth County since I was five years old. I was fascinated with the tale of Captain Kidd from an early age. My parents took me and my siblings to see Molly Pitcher's well--or what people thought was her well, now the opinion about the location has changed. Still, 296 engagements with British troops occurred within New Jersey, more than in any other colony in the Revolutionary War.

History happened right here. 

PATRIOT'S PRIDE Release Day!

Today's the day!

PATRIOT'S PRIDE is now available. The cover shown above is that of the print edition, which you can find on Amazon at Patriot's Pride, print edition. Set after the American Revolutionary War, it is the sequel to PATRIOT'S HEART and follows Margaret, the younger sister of Agnes.

Below is an excerpt from the beginning of the book.

CHAPTER ONE
May 24, 1784 New York

Margaret McGowan watched the distance between the ship and the pier widen into a watery chasm. Swamped by an overwhelming sense of loneliness, she clenched her teeth and scolded herself for being such a ninny. She had the opportunity to go to England. She would visit Broadcraft Hall, the ancestral home where her mother was born and her grandfather had died. In all her eighteen years, she had seldom traveled far from Leedsville, New Jersey, until now.

A grand adventure awaited her.

Despite reasoning with herself on the importance of this enterprise, a renegade tear rolled down her cheek as she leaned on the rail. She loved her family, but they barely scraped by after losing the house and the livestock during the war. The doling out of a hundred acres for every soldier in the Continental army had been an empty promise. Worst of all, though Uncle Fitz had returned from his service, her father never did. He died on a prison ship.

She offered a heartfelt prayer for her dear ones. In truth, this journey was for them too.

Calmer, she opened her eyes and took in a ragged breath. The harbor blended into the line of hills in the distance, and she turned away from the rail. She pulled the shawl tighter about her body and set her jaw. This trip was essential. In his last will and testament, her grandfather, the Earl of Broadcraft, stipulated that either Margaret or her sister must be present for the reading of the will. The solicitor explained much concerning the entail in a long letter. Since her mother had married a commoner, neither Margaret nor her sister would inherit the estate or, as women, the title.

Therefore, the entail and title belonged to Lord Isaac Whittington, the earl’s first cousin, once removed. Yet, everyone assumed Margaret and her sister would receive something of value. Otherwise, why should one of them be present when the will was read?

Margaret hoped for a portrait of her mother, whom she had never known, and perhaps even a portrait of the earl himself. In the past six years, they had corresponded by letters. She would value a likeness of her grandfather as a true treasure. 

Her gaze swept the deck, and a shiver of apprehension moved through her. Though the ship was far larger than the McGowan’s barn, the vast ocean surrounding it made it appear quite small. What if it sank? 

She shoved the frightening idea to the back of her mind and watched the other passengers strolling on the deck. In the front of the ship, she spied the two women who were to share a tiny cabin with her and her companion. Cecelia Cavendish, who was blind, and her cousin, Louisa Boulton, were young, probably near to Margaret’s own age of eighteen. Cecelia intended to go to Paris to meet Franz Mesmer, who claimed his treatment cured blindness. Margaret never heard of Franz Mesmer. Furthermore, she doubted his method. Only the Lord performed the miracle of giving sight to the blind. 

Louisa’s behavior disturbed her. Shying away from everyone, Louisa muttered to herself. She sat tucked between a mast and a barrel, staring at her fancy shoes. It seemed apparent the two women with their silk gowns came from wealthy families. Cecelia wore dark glasses, but possessed fine features. She sang in a sweet voice, entertaining the sailors as they went about their chores.  

Margaret glanced down at her plain brown frock, which she wore to church on Sundays. The midwife had given it to her three years ago in exchange for her baked goods. Cecilia and Louisa came aboard with two large trunks each, while Margaret’s necessities fit into a single small one. Still, the cousins must travel farther, for the ship would be going on to France after it stopped in London. Cecelia claimed she and her cousin spoke fluent French. 

Margaret did not know French. She’d acquired several German words from Hobart, her family’s hired man, and some Latin from her brother-in-law, but few Frenchmen stopped for any length of time in the small town of Leedsville. 

She rubbed the top of each shoe on her stockings to remove the dust. Despite her common clothing, she was the granddaughter of an earl. With her head held high, she decided upon a promenade around the deck. However, walking became difficult when the ship reached open water. Monstrous waves soon stymied her plans.  

She stumbled twice, holding onto railings as the ship went up and down. Out of nowhere, something hit her in the face. Unprepared for the force of the blow, she lost her balance and fell backwards. Two strong arms caught her, which prevented her from crashing on the wooden deck in an ungracious heap.

“Are you hurt?” The deep male voice came from behind her as he set her on her feet.

She stared at the rather elaborate hat on the deck in front of her and touched the welt swelling on her forehead. “No. Startled, though. I didn’t realize I needed to watch out for flying hats. Thank you for catching me.”

“My pleasure.” He steadied her as she straightened her skirts. “If I may introduce myself, I am Derrick Fortune, of Philadelphia.”

He carried an unmistakable note of pride in his tone. Did he think she had heard of him? Well, she had not.

“Miss Margaret McGowan, of Leedsville, a small town in New Jersey.” She fussed with one flounce before she stepped away, turned, and glanced upward. He stood rather tall, forcing her to tilt her head back. His clothing, though somber, was fashioned from fine cloth and showed the lines of impeccable tailoring. She would not call him handsome, for his sunken cheeks gave him a gaunt appearance. A disturbing thought heightened her anxiety. Did he suffer from consumption—the same disease which had taken the life of her dear Francis?

“Is Leedsville near a more notable city?” he asked.

She frowned. “We have no cities nearby, but there are larger towns like Monmouth Courthouse. That’s where the Battle of Monmouth was fought.”

A pained expression crossed his features. “Yes. I know of it.” The look in his soulful dark eyes caught her, and a curious sensation swept over her, leaving her somewhat bewildered. Perhaps the excitement of the journey affected her more than she thought at first, or the wretched movement of the ship unsettled her. 

 You can find PATRIOT'S PRIDE at the publisher's site, Prism Book Group, as well as at All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other book distributors. The ebook edition is only $3.99! A true bargain. :-)

Receipts to Recipes

I have been collecting recipes for a long time. Originally, I filed them in a box for 3 x 5 cards. However, I didn't copy them all to 3 x 5 cards. Some were letters, which I simply folded up and filed in the proper category. Some were clippings from the newspaper. (Hint: Newspaper clippings don't hold up well with time.) Some recipes came from the back of a box. A few were scribbled hastily on a small slip of paper.

Nowadays, I use a three-ring binder to keep my recipes in order. If I find a recipe online, I print it out, slip it into a plastic sleeve, and file it in the proper category in the binder. So much neater than the old 3 x 5 file box!

My heroine in PATRIOT'S PRIDE collects recipes, too. However, she calls them receipts. For a long time, recipes were called receipts. 

Dictionary.com has this reference:

receiptn.late 14c., "act of receiving;" also "statement of ingredients in a potion or medicine;" from Anglo-French or Old North French receite "receipt, recipe,prescription" (c.1300), altered (by influence of receit "he receives," fromVulgar Latin *recipit) from Old French recete, from Latin recepta"received," fem. past participle of recipere (see receive ). Meaning "writtenacknowledgment of money or goods received" is from c.1600.Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

There is a more detailed explanation in The Grammarphobia Blog, which you should read and can find in the link below:

http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/11/receipt-recipe.html

Language changes with time--just like newspaper clippings. Newspaper clippings get old, brown, and crumbly. Words fall into disuse. Most people decided they liked the use of recipe rather than receipt for cooking ingredients.

Margaret, my heroine from 1784, calls her collection of cooking ingredients receipts. She's still living in a time when the word was very much in use.

Do you think historicals should use words from the time period? Or should an author change the terms to those in use in our contemporary society?