Revamping Covers...and Adding a Personal Touch ~ by Jannine Gallant

By now you probably all know Kensington is repackaging (their word) my BORN TO BE WILDE series. I'm still waiting for them to finish the final cover before all four will go live on retail sites. I posted here before about branding, and how they're ditching the couples on my covers to play up a more suspenseful background with a shadowy face. These books haven't sold nearly as well as my WHO'S WATCHING NOW series with their headless, hot men and rustic backgrounds. I have to wonder if the covers have anything to do with it. The books simply don't look like romantic suspense.

So, last week I conducted a poll on Facebook to ask whether readers/authors preferred scenery only to couples on romantic suspense books. One hundred percent of those who responded said they preferred scenery. Alrighty then... If Kensington could repackage one of my series, why couldn't I revamp my self-published suspense series, SECRETS OF RAVENSWOOD, to get rid of the couples? As the idea took hold, I found myself spending way too much time searching iStock Photos for likely cover contenders when I should have been writing.

Determined to jump into this new project and end the hours of fruitless searching, I contacted our very own Alison Henderson, who had created the original covers. She was game. Yippee! We threw ideas back and forth, trying to find three images that conveyed the essence of the stories, had a suspenseful vibe, and also looked right together. The cover image I'd chosen for SHE'LL NEVER REST was very cool on it's own, but didn't mesh with the other two. None of the other graveyard images (this book has a bit of a ghost story in it) thrilled me. However, I'd taken a picture of a tiny, deserted graveyard in my old hometown of Gasquet a couple years ago. Why not use it for my book? Holding my breath, I sent it to Alison. She thought it would work. Double yippee! She had to do some editing on the lighting to get the right effect, but we were both pleased with the finished product.

I can't tell you how fun it is to have a place I've hiked to a gazillion times, one that brings back great childhood memories of riding my bike through the woods, as a cover for one of my books. For those of you who have creative license when it comes to book covers, you might consider using something with a personal connection.

And now...drum roll...check out the results of my hours of photo browsing and Alison's editing genius. I can't thank her enough for turning my wishy-washy vision into stunning, professional covers! I love them all!

Three girls witness a murder and vow never to tell what they saw. But when the body turns up years later, the killer may silence them…for good. Buy it now on Amazon.

When a genealogist is hired to research the Nash family tree, will she find love with her employer's grandson...or will the past come back to haunt them? Buy it now on Amazon.

Will two people with tragedy and secrets in their pasts find happiness...or will a threat neither anticipated jeopardize everything they hold dear? Buy it now on Amazon.

FYI, I've lowered the price on the first book in the series, WE'LL NEVER TELL, to .99 cents. These are novella length, standalone stories featuring three childhood friends, the men they love, and a mountain town filled with secrets. Both the romance and the suspense should keep you turning those pages!

So, what do you think? Did Alison and I do a great job? Do these covers shout romantic suspense?

Things That Go Bump In The Night by Jannine Gallant

October is upon us. The month dedicated to witches and goblins and all things creepy. While slasher movies with lots of blood and gore do nothing for me, I enjoy subtle scary. The type of movie (or book) that keeps you glued to the screen or page as the heroine does something guaranteed to make you scream, "No, don't do it! Don't be an idiot!"

Now, I don't write paranormal, but ghost stories have always intrigued me. A couple of years ago, I just had to give writing one a try. The result was She'll Never Rest, Book Two of my Secrets of Ravenswood trilogy. All three books stand alone, so if October puts you in the mood for a ghostly thriller, give this one a try. Now, you tell me. Does the following excerpt creep you out just a little. Or am I too subtle?

Feather soft…Darby brushed at whatever whispered across her cheek and rolled to her side. Her nose pressed against warm fur. Blinking until her vision cleared, she raised up on an elbow. Green eyes inches from her face glowed back at her. Freaking cat. She dropped onto the pillow and gave Wilbur a shove. He growled low in his throat but didn’t move away. If anything, he pushed closer, edging onto her legs. As her eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight shining through the window, she identified the bulk of the wardrobe and the damp clothes hanging over the back of a chair where she’d spread them to dry. A glimmer of white in the corner drew her attention. The lace curtain? She frowned. No, the window was to the right…

Cold chilled her skin in a ripple of gooseflesh. The white, shapeless figure swayed closer. Heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe, she scrambled backward against the headboard, gaze riveted on the silvery white blur... Wilbur hissed and sank his nails into her thigh.

“Oww, damn it!”

A flash of orange leaped off the mattress and scurried under the bed. Darby blinked—and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“I did not imagine that.” Flipping back the blanket, she slipped out of bed and padded across the floor toward where she’d seen the…ghost. She felt like an idiot just thinking the word. When the bedroom door flew open, she screamed.

So, are you a fan of shivery books and movies? What's your favorite?

Pick up an e-copy of She'll Never Rest on Amazon. Or check out all my books on my website. Happy October!

Fall Into Fun! by Jannine Gallant

Me hiking. Don't know where the dog is--probably chasing a squirrel!

I was having a hard time coming up with a new fall topic...and put off writing my post until the last minute because I've been crazy busy. When it struck me that October is always a busy, but really fun, month for me. So, I thought I'd share.

Ginger down at the lake.

Hiking in the woods with my dog is a passion of mine. And October is pretty much the end for prime hiking. Come November, the snow starts, the temperatures drop, and I have to wear a coat and boots instead of a T-shirt and tennies. Horrors. Also, the woods are gorgeous with fall colors brightening up a backdrop of evergreens. I cherish each and every tromp through the forest this time of year.

Tara

Also, it's cross country season. Both my girls run, though my youngest, Kristen, has been plagued by injuries this season. My oldest, Tara, is a senior. She's been on a mission to win back her State Championship and has been tearing up the courses this season, winning 5 of her 6 races so far. The team has a lot of fun...and so do the parent drivers. I got to spend a lovely weekend down in Monterey with the girls...at the beach. Life's rough. LOL

My carload of girls for the race--Kristen is the tall redhead

Halloween rolls around to round out the month. My days of taking kids trick-or-treating are over, but it's still fun to watch the girls dress up.

Kristen (Thing 1) with her friend Kyla (Thing 2) a couple of years ago

In celebration of the season, I'll be putting my one and only ghost story, She'll Never Rest, on sale for 4 days Oct. 24-27. Grab a copy for 99 cents for a Halloween treat. In fact, if you're in the mood for fall books, check out my whole Secrets of Ravenswood series on my website. They're full of fall flavor and each have a shivery mystery.

So, are you a fall aficionado? What's keeping you busy this October? 

Do Your Characters Have Horrible Bosses? by Jannine Gallant

I don't think I've ever had a horrible boss. Guess that makes me lucky. I've been a boss--hopefully not a horrible one! LOL Which led me to think about my characters and what sort of bosses I'd given them. Mentally going through my books, it suddenly occurred to me that NONE of them have had bosses! Self-employment seems to be a common denominator for my heroes and heroines. Creative self-employment.

For my Redemption cowboy books, I had a rancher (okay maybe not so creative in a cowboy story) and a woman starting her own catering business. Also, the owner of a daycare center and a man who carved animal sculptures with a chainsaw. (Now that's pretty creative!)

In my Secrets of Ravenswood series, my three heroes were a rescue dog trainer, a sports store mogul, and a contractor. The heroines were a disaster site relief worker (she was the majority shareholder for the charity), a genealogist, and the owner of a ballet school. No bosses in the bunch!

I could go on and on--okay, I will. Rock star, children's book illustrator, country inn owner, cosmetic queen turned dog treat entrepreneur, computer geek extraordinaire, and a commercial jingle writer. Those were the stars of my Class of '85 books.

Apparently I don't like having my characters work for people. Could be because I'm not very good at taking orders. I tend to be a tad bossy...just ask my kids. Obviously this has rubbed off on my heroes and heroines.

So, if you're a writer, what sort of careers have you given your characters? Do they have horrible bosses--or no bosses at all? If you're a reader, does it matter to you what the characters in a book do for a living? Do I wrack my brain to come up with creative and unusual jobs for no reason at all, or do I get kudos for going the extra mile to make my characters interesting?

For more information about my self-employed characters, check out my Website. Or, follow me on Facebook or Twitter.

Resurrecting the Past May be a Giant Leap Forward by Jannine Gallant

Some may find it strange that my immediate future in publishing hinges on a book I wrote years ago. Heck, I find it more than a little odd! I've gone backward, hoping to take a huge step forward.

For me, 2013 was a jump into the new. I self-published a series of novellas. I learned how to format. I enjoyed this learning experience enormously, and my sales for my Secrets of Ravenswood series were much stronger than I'd had in the past with a small press. All good. Still, I want more.

Last fall, I pulled my rights back to Victim of Desire, my very first published book with a small press. I love this story. I believe in this book, and it was just sitting there on its virtual shelf, collecting virtual dust. It has a strong plot and interesting characters. More importantly, the secondary characters were perfect to play staring rolls in their own books. So, I edited the heck out of my first baby and then wrote a second book in my soon to be series. Currently, I'm working on a third. And I re-titled them all. My agent is currently shopping Every Move She Makes as part of a three book deal to bigger publishers. I've had some interest and am currently biting my nails, waiting on a response. I'll keep you posted!

What's the downside to going backward, you may ask? For anyone out there considering revamping an old book, be prepared for major edits! The more we write, the more we all learn and grow as authors. Bringing an old work up to your current standard of excellence is just plain HARD WORK. Still, it can be very rewarding to make an old story shine like new. I'm hoping my step backward will pay off in a big leap forward in my writing career. Only time will tell.

You can find links to all my books on my WEBSITE. To keep track of my progress in this new endeavor, follow me on TWITTER or like me on FACEBOOK.

All the best to each of you in 2014 and may your progress take you steadily forward!

What's More Scary than Camping in a Graveyard? by Jannine Gallant

October is all about being scared. I'll admit, I like to write my characters into scary situations. There's something about a little heart-pumping fear that keeps you turning the pages. Not too much mind you, but enough to send a shiver through you. My Secrets of Ravenswood trilogy gives each of my heroine's more than a little to be afraid of. And it begins for them when they're just young girls, witnessing something they never should have seen... Don't worry, I swear there's a happy ending. The first book in the series, We'll Never Tell, is currently free. So, enjoy my shivery opening scene and then download the book. Today is the last free day, so get it while it's hot!

Chapter One

“My mom will kill me if she finds out about this, Sam. Camping in a graveyard is just asking for trouble.”

Samantha Beaumont ducked beneath the low limb of a fir tree before glancing over her shoulder at her friend. Moonlight filtered through the forest, casting shadows across the tense set of Darby Kincade’s shoulders.

“Your mom won’t know if you don’t tell her. And, hey, if she does kill you, at least you’ll be in the right place.”

“Ha, ha, you’re a riot.”

“How come you’re so grumpy? Are you afraid of ghosts?”

“Who cares about ghosts? I’m more afraid we’ll get eaten by a bear.” Juliette Shaw’s voice quavered, and she edged closer to Sam. “They won’t even know where to look for our bodies.”

“Don’t be a chicken. Bears are more scared of us than we are of them.”

“Doubtful, seriously doubtful.” Darby slapped at a mosquito.

Sam rolled her eyes and plunged through the thimbleberry bushes. They’d lost the trail a half mile back, but she knew where she was going. The abandoned graveyard—if you could call a handful of toppled headstones a graveyard—was directly below Prophet Point. Even at night, the peak was visible, a dark shadow looming over the town of Ravenswood, nestled high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

“We could have simply camped in your backyard if you’re so in love with the idea of sleeping with bugs,” Juliette said. “You didn’t have to drag us all the way up here.”

“Where’s the fun in that? Summer’s been a major bore since school let out. Anyway, Wyatt dared me.”

Darby stopped walking and fisted her hands on her hips. “I should have known there was a reason for this. Your brother’s an idiot.”

“Yep, a complete moron, but you have to admit this is more exciting than a sleepover at one of our houses.” Sam hesitated at a thick stand of pine trees. Maybe they needed to head a little more to the north.

“If you call getting eaten by mosquitoes fun.” Juliette waved her hands in front of her face.

“I have repellent in my backpack.”

“Can we put some on? I don’t want to get covered in bites.”

Sam slid the pack off her shoulders. It hit the ground with a thump. “Good idea. We should have sprayed down before we left the house.”

“What was that?” Darby asked in loud whisper.

Sam’s head snapped up, and her hand clenched around the can of bug repellent. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Shhh, it sounded like voices.”

“I bet it’s Wyatt, trying to scare us,” Juliette whispered.

“Well, it’s working,” Darby whispered back.

A female voice echoed through the night, speaking rapidly like the tinny squawk of a blue jay, rising in pitch. A lower voice answered, more controlled, but something about it sent a shiver down Sam’s spine.

“That isn’t Wyatt,” she said.

“Let’s get out of here.” In the moonlight, Juliette’s eyes were dark pools in her pale face. “I’m scared.”

Sam squared her shoulders. Even if she was a little nervous, she certainly wouldn’t admit it to her best friends. “The lady sounds upset. Maybe they’re lost or something. They’re probably just dumb tourists. There’s a million of them around since summer started.”

“Not our problem,” Darby hissed.

“Let’s take a quick peek to make sure they aren’t in trouble. What if one of them is hurt?”

“I don’t know…”

Ignoring Juliette’s protest, Sam turned and pushed through the underbrush, her heart beating fast. The other girls fell in behind, so close they brushed against her with each step. Through the thinning trees ahead, the flickering flames of a campfire illuminated a tiny clearing. A woman faced in their direction, arms crossed over the chest of a bright pink jacket, hair glowing like a bronze halo in the firelight. A tall man stood with his back to them, wearing a navy blue parka and a knit ski hat. His hands were fisted at his sides. Sam edged behind a big cedar tree and held her breath.

“You waited until we were here, in one of my favorite places, to tell me? You couldn’t have said something before we left home?” The man’s words cracked like a gunshot in the still air.

“I tried, but you wouldn’t listen. You were so excited about this camping trip…” She hunched one shoulder. “Maybe waiting was a mistake.”

“You think?” He kicked a rock, sending it ricocheting off the big stones circling the fire. “Are you going to tell me why you’re dumping me?”

Darby tugged on the back of Sam’s sweatshirt. “Let’s go,” she whispered.

Sam shook her head and pressed her finger to her lips. The drama unfolding at the campfire was better than the soap operas Mrs. Dennison watched while she was folding laundry.

The woman dashed a hand across her eyes, leaving a smear of mascara on her pale cheek. “Our relationship just isn’t working.”

He took a step toward her. “Is there someone else? Is that it?” His voice took on a menacing edge as it rose.

Sam shrunk back against her friends, and Juliette let out a tiny whimper.

“No! I swear I wouldn’t cheat on you.”

“Is it that long haired pussy boy from your study group? He’s always around. I thought he was gay, or I would have—”

The woman choked on a sob. “There isn’t anyone. You have to believe me.”

The man moved forward, his steps slow and purposeful. When he grabbed her arm, she let out a cry.

Blood roared in Sam’s ears. She stepped out from behind the tree.

“Let go of me,” the woman screamed.

“Bitch,” he shouted, giving her a shove.

She fell backward and tripped, arms flailing. Her head hit one of the rocks circling the fire with a sickening thud.

Sam’s stomach rolled.

“Oh God, oh no.” The man knelt at the woman’s side and touched her face. Slowly he stood and backed away. “Shit, shit, shit!”

Juliette was crying, gasping sobs muffled by her hands. Sam stared into her friend’s petrified eyes and opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She tried again, her voice a horse rasp. “Run.”

Did I hook you? If so, click HERE to get your copy of the story FREE today only. Information on all my books can be found on my website. Follow be on Facebook and Twitter!

Have a spooktacular day!

The Comfort Zone by Jannine Gallant

This month we're talking about things that scare us. It occurred to me that most of us are creatures of habit. We like to stay in our nice, safe comfort zones. Maybe it's a job that is boring or a relationship going nowhere or living in a place you'd rather not be. Often it's easier (and a whole lot less frightening) to stick with the status quo than toss it for something new that may or may not work out.

This Comfort Zone also applies to our writing. Do you stay with a genre you're familiar with despite the fact that you're tempted to try something different? Do you have a secret desire to explore a past era or write about werewolves or dive into erotica when everyone knows you write sweet contemporaries? Years ago (actually it was over the summer after I graduated from high school) I sat down and started writing my very first historical romance. I loved the past and was headed off to college to be a history major, after all. What else would I write about? This mind set continued through college and out into the real world. I never did finish that original story, but I completed three other historical romances, found an agent and spent years waiting for that acceptance letter. Didn't happen. Not until I changed gears and wrote a romantic suspense book, submitted to a small press instead of trying for the big ones, and the rest is history. My point being--sucking it up and trying something new and different might be what you need if you feel your writing is in a rut.

Which brings me to point number two. For many of us represented by small presses, submitting to them feels safe. Chances are, you won't be rejected. You may have an editor you already love. Your sales probably aren't much, but your book is out there. This is a great way to start. It's what I did. But after over a half-dozen published books, I had that stuck feeling. My writing was improving (oh boy did it ever!) Looking back at those original manuscripts, I cringe. We all learn and grow. So, maybe it was time to jump out of my comfort zone. Again.

My first leap was into the indie pool with my Secrets of Ravenswood series. I wrote it with the intent to self-publish. That meant a huge jump into the scary unknown of formatting. I'm not a natural at technology. My sixteen-year-old rolled her eyes when I suggested Windows 8 might be a challenge to learn. But I'm not stupid, and after asking questions and going through an endless process of trial and error, I actually came out with three completed digital books! I can't tell you how thrilling and satisfying that was. No, I didn't attempt the covers. My fellow rose, Alison Henderson, made those for me! Next was the daunting task of putting all three books into a paperback anthology (the real book my grandma kept requesting!) which meant learning how to format for CreateSpace. Again lots of questions and trial and error. I was shaking as I pulled the proof copy out of my post office box, afraid I'd screwed up the margins...but it looked perfect! Alison's cover is absolutely beautiful. I'm so glad I jumped out of my comfort zone and into this project!

Almost done--hang in there people! Point number three. One more world to conquer. Yep, back where this journey began--with a rewritten version of my very first completed historical romance and a new agent. Sending that baby out to agents and getting rejected time after time was hard. Until Dawn Dowdle of the Blue Ridge Literary Agency took a chance on me. Now I'm garnering more rejections, but I have faith that this time around one of the big publishers will contract my historical. If they don't--I have a romantic suspense series just waiting...

So, are you in a writing rut? Have I inspired you to leap out of your comfort zone into the scary unknown? I hope so!

Find links to all my books on my website or follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

How To Write A Series 101 and a Free Book by Jannine Gallant

What's hot in books? I'd have to say the answer to that question is a series. Even if you haven't planned on writing a series, readers frequently ask about secondary characters in a book. And if there's one thing I know about resurrecting a setting and characters after a couple of years, it's that you forget all the little details. That's what I'm doing with my current WIP, and I'm constantly having to go back to the original book (published 3 years ago) to verify facts. It's a complete pain in the butt!

So, here's Jannine's #1 tip for writing a series and not making yourself crazy in the process. PLAN AHEAD! Last spring it occurred to me that some authors were doing very well with series, so I decided to write one. Being a fairly organized person, I created a strategy.

#1 THE CONNECTION: I planned all three books in the series using a trio of friends introduced in the first book. Each of the three girls would be the heroine in her own story.

#2 THE SETTING: I mapped out my fictional town of Ravenswood, adding businesses, neighborhoods, street names, and landmarks as they were used in each story.

#3 CHARACTER LIST: Every time I used a character, no matter how minor, I put them on the list. Who knew that the first grade teacher Sam waved at on the street in book #1 would pop up at a party in book #2. Certainly not me, but when she did, I had her name and a brief description on hand.

#4 HOOKS AND CONCLUSIONS: This is key. Based on other blogs I've read, it seems readers really don't like it when you end a story but don't really end it. They feel they have to buy the sequel to find out what happens, and it makes them mad. So, each of my stories has a plot with a conclusion guaranteed to satisfy. I've had several reviews where the reader thanks me for this. The hook is the next friend in the series getting one scene with a snippet of her upcoming situation. Just a hint to make the reader curious about what is going to happen to this character, but not enough to make them frustrated that it isn't wrapped up in the current book. No one has complained yet, so I'd have to say this is a good technique.

There you have it -- Jannine's hot tips to writing a series. If you're planning one, I hope they help. Even if you aren't, implementing steps #2 and #3 is an excellent idea. You never know when readers will take to a secondary character and ask for his or her story, and these simple steps will save you huge headaches down the road!

Since you've patiently read through my whole post, I have a reward for you! Book #1 of my Secrets Of Ravenswood trilogy is FREE on Amazon today and tomorrow only. Please download We'll Never Tell by clicking HERE. Enjoy, and tell all your friends. That's my Hot August Tip of the Day!

Visit my website for information on all my books.

Extreme Multitasking or How to Survive as an Author by Jannine Gallant

We all know that mothers are the world's best multitaskers. As a mom, I can arrange next week's ballet car pool via phone, fold laundry, jot items on a grocery list, and yell at my daughter to put down her iPod and do her homework, all at the same time and without even thinking twice. As a writer, I can do the above plus add work out the latest plot twist in my WIP and the subject for my next blog post to the list. No, I'm not Wonder Woman. I'm an author, and as such, I've learned lesson #1. Prepare to become an efficient multitasker or lose your mind.

For those of you who picture a writer, hard at work in his or her garret, cranking out the next Great American Novel with no distractions, I must chuckle politely at your naivete. In reality, that writer is performing a juggling act. More than likely she (I'll use she since most of my author friends are female and I'm not at all sure males are capable of multitasking. LOL) is working on her current manuscript, editing the one she recently finished, and promoting the novel that just released. Sometimes my head spins, just trying to keep the characters straight. So, here's my author tip for the day. MODERATION

We can't do everything well (or even competently) if we don't learn moderation. When working on the first draft, learn to let go of that search for the perfect word and move on. It'll come to you later, probably waking you from a deep sleep, so keep a note pad handy. When working on the second or third draft, accept that it probably isn't perfect yet and hand it over to your critique partner or agent or editor. These wise souls will point out exactly what is wrong with it, and then you can make those final changes and repairs. When in the midst of final, final edits - don't drive yourself crazy reading it over and over, changing one word here or there. You could do this until those proverbial cows come home and never be 100% satisfied. And finally, there's the promotion.

Promoting can be a complete time suck. It's necessary, but you need to learn to use your time wisely. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know what generally doesn't work.

1) Too much blogging. I've seen authors set up 20 blog stops in the first two weeks after their book releases. Who has time to write all those blogs and monitor them? Not me said the busy mother/author. Also, even your best writer buddies get sick of seeing you post on Facebook about yet another blog stop on your endless tour. I believe a few fun, informative posts that aren't strictly shouts of BUY MY NEW BOOK are more effective in the long run.

2) Too much Tweeting and too many Facebook blasts. Personally, I never bother to read tweets, so I could care less if the people on Twitter scream about their books day and night. But, I've been told it irritates those who actually do monitor their twitter stream. Same with Facebook, which  I do spend time perusing. Maybe post about the entertaining subject matter of those blogs you're writing along with the news that you have a new release. Yes, let everyone know, but don't make your Facebook and Twitter friends crazy.

So, to keep those balls in the air and become a multitasking diva, practice moderation in all aspects of your writing habits. And now, to my bit of promotion...

The final book in my Secrets of Ravenswood trilogy has just released. Go, me! You can pick up a copy of He'll Never Know at Amazon. Just click here.  Also, the first book in the series, We'll Never Tell is free today only. So, if you haven't read it yet, click here to download. These are fast paced, romantic suspense stories set in small towns with plenty of action and a few surprising twists. If you enjoy that sort of book, I hope you'll give them a try.

For more information, please visit my website. Last but not least, if you have any tips that will help us all become better multitaskers, leave them in comments and have a great day!

Publishing Possibilities - They Seem To Be Endless! by Jannine Gallant

When I graduated from college back in 1984 (Yep I'm aging myself people!) I decided to write a Harlequin Romance. Seemed easy enough, right? I was an English major, after all, and destined to be the next big star in the publishing world. But I was willing to start small (with a familiar market) and build from there before releasing my first bestseller. So, I wrote a typical Harlequin story long hand in a notebook. Then, I upgraded from my trusty typewriter to a word processor (with floppy discs to save your work), made a few edits, and voila! finished product. I mailed that baby off to Harlequin and waited a year... At this point, I'm sure you'll all be completely shocked to hear I actually got a fix and resubmit letter back. But, alas, they passed in the end. I found an agent, however, based on the fact that Harlequin gave me a second look. Still, no contracts were forthcoming...

This was the path most of us followed, way back when. You sent out your work, where it landed in a slush pile to sit for a year or more. Even with the agent (who I now realize had no real contacts with romance editors even though she was a very nice person), the publishing houses sat on my books for months and months before saying my stories weren't quite right for their line. After years of rejection, marriage, and then babies, my writing career (if you can call it that) fizzled and died.

Enter the new age in publishing. The age of possibilities... Those babies I had were in school, and I started writing again. We'll skip the year and a half I spent with a shyster agency that only wanted to be reimbursed for copying and mailing expenses... (I later found out the owner had been charged with fraud in a couple of states) and pick up my story after I drug myself out of that nightmare. When I finally woke up and smelled the coffee, I realized much to my surprise, I now had options. There was a whole world of small presses out there where you could submit without an agent. And, drum roll, the first one I sent my latest masterpiece to, contracted me. It wasn't a done deal straight off, mind you. I was told to fix all my POV errors. What the heck did that mean? I learned what it meant, and my writing improved by leaps and bounds.

I think this is where a lot of us are in our careers. We're competent (or better than competent) writers publishing great stories with small presses. Only to discover we aren't actually making any money. As we're looking around, scratching our heads, and wondering what to do next, the indie market has exploded around us. So, I jumped on board. This time I did my research and produced what I hoped the market was looking for - a series. The first two book in the Secrets of Ravenswood are now available, with the third to follow at the end of the month. I'm not exactly slaying those Amazon rankings, but I'm trying my best with free day promos and building connections through social media and blogging. Maybe in time, this avenue will pay off.

But, I haven't given up completely on that initial dream - the one where my books are actually on shelves in stores. So, I went out and found an agent. I'm sure you see the irony in this after my previous experiences, but I'm a lot smarter than I used to be. Dawn Dowdle is with the Blue Ridge Literary Agency. She represents several of my author buddies, including our very own Vonnie Davis. All have nothing but praise for her work ethic - and I see her getting results. So, has my writing come full circle? I've explored all the many possibilities out there. I've had years to practice patience, and I'm hoping now's the time it will finally pay off!

Since you, too, have been incredibly patient - listening to me ramble on and on... LOL I'm rewarding you all with a free book. Lonely Road to You, one of my Class of '85 books with the Wild Rose Press, is FREE today only on Amazon. Download it here and enjoy!

For information on all my books and buy links, please visit my website.

The Madness of Self-Publishing by Jannine Gallant

It's done - my first indie book, We'll Never Tell, is alive and well and newly available on Amazon. A touch of March Madness - or am I just crazy? Who knew how much was involved in this endeavor? Certainly not me when I oh so cavalierly decided to self publish a series of three novellas. So, for those of you contemplating this journey, here's my step by step guide from start to completion.

1)  A little research into current trends. No, I don't mean I suddenly turned to vampires and werewolves (not that there's anything wrong with that!) I spent some time checking out what successful indie authors were writing. My conclusion - they write series. I think a big reason this works, especially with Amazon's KDP Select program, is the judicious use of free days. You get 5 free days per quarter. But, you don't want to just give away your book; you want people to actually buy something. If you give away Book #1 in your series for 2 or 3 days at the same time Book #2 is released, people who download and read the free book may be inspired to see what comes next in the series. Voila, a sale is made, and the Secrets of Ravenswood was born!

2) Keeping it consistent. After I decided to write a series, I didn't rush into finishing and publishing Book #1. Nope, I wrote all three. Do you know how hard it is to keep all those little details straight? Something I thought would work for a secondary character in Book #1 (who became the heroine of Book #3) didn't work at all when I dug into her story. So, I had to go back and fix the inconsistencies with this character in the first book. You don't want to lock yourself into a story line that can't be changed by publishing before you've thought the whole series through.

3) Edit, edit, edit. If you don't have a critique partner with strong editing skills, I suggest you find one. The other alternative is paying for editing. You may think your baby is near perfect, but trust me, it isn't. I write clean. For my books more traditionally published, I've never had a lot of edits requested. But there is always something! If you don't have someone edit your book, you'll live to regret it. Some reader is going to see those mistakes you made and point them out in a bad review. Not something you want. So, since I have little money to pay for my publishing adventure, but I do have decent editing skills, I made a swap. My CP edits for me. I edit for her. But don't stop there. Once you've made those changes, have someone Beta read your book. Yep, they're going to catch a few more errors this time through, as well.

4) An attention grabbing cover. Again, I faced the issue of money. Covers can be expensive. After practicing with a free program, I realized anything I made myself was going to look like crap! So, I turned to an author friend who wanted to start her own cover design and editing business. What better place to practice than on me! Alison did a beautiful job. And the best part - we worked together, exchanging ideas, and getting the covers to look the way we both wanted them to through trial and error. Again, I used barter instead of hard, cold cash. Alison is working on an indie release, and when it's ready, I'll sharpen up my editing pencil and get to work!

5) Formatting is a PITA! Here we go with more whining about lack of funds. Plenty of folks out there will format your book for publication. But, I'm not completely without brainpower, and this is something I was determined to conquer. I downloaded the guides. I followed the steps. I had one problem after the other. I asked for advice from those who'd gone before me through the formatting frontier. In the end, I kept working at it until I got it right. Book #1 is formatted, complete with a functioning table of contents and front matter that appears professional to my critical eye. How long did this take me, you ask? About 3 days, but I'm technically challenged. I hope Book#2 and Book #3 will go a little smoother. LOL

6) Promo time! So, my little indie baby is out on the market. Check it out. Tell me what you think. I'd love some reviews. I don't expect big numbers out of the gate, but I'm hoping when I release Book #2 on April 1st and start my judicious use of free days (refer to item #1 LOL) I'll see a positive trend in sales. If you decide to take the plunge into indie publishing, I hope my journey will be a helpful inspiration.

And now, a little about my book.

Secrets of Ravenswood

For three lifelong friends, will past tragedies haunt their futures—or open the door to love…

We’ll Never Tell

Three young girls witness a murder—and make a pact never to tell what they saw. But when the woman’s body is uncovered seventeen years later, the killer’s faith in their promise is shaken. A few deadly reminders may be in order…

Samantha Beaumont knows it’s time to reveal the truth about what happened in the woods all those years ago—until the accidents begin. Fear that the killer will shut them up permanently leads Sam on a quest to protect her friends and expose the murderer’s identity. No one, certainly not the man she spent one memorable night with, will stop her.

Ethan Thorne has no reason to believe Sam is any more interested in a commitment now than when she ran from him five years before. Still, he can’t resist giving her one more chance… When he realizes her life is in danger, he’ll risk everything for a chance at love.

Buy We'll Never Tell at Amazon.

Special thanks to my critique partner, Margo Hoornstra, who did an awesome job editing my books for this series. And kudos to Alison Henderson, who designed the covers. Thank you for all your help!

For more about my other books, please visit my website.