Life Is Expensive...Books Aren't by Jannine Gallant

Life is expensive. Just getting through the month in the black can sometimes be a challenge. For that reason, we all gravitate toward sales and feel like we've scored a victory when we get a great deal. I, for one, am a deal shopper in everything from clothes to groceries. Or maybe I'm just cheap...

Let's take a look at the price of life. It certainly varies from location to location. Homes are a prime example. In the United States, the median cost of a home is $217,000 (I looked it up in case you were wondering). In Tahoe City, the median price is $720,00. No wonder my husband says we have to move if we ever want to retire! Our gas prices here are also ridiculous. Currently, $4.29 per gallon for the cheap stuff. If you live in the South, you pay $2.55 per gallon. I can't even imagine such a windfall at the pump! But, average wages are higher in CA than in a lot of other places. In Tahoe, there is very little unemployment, although work tends to be seasonal. We all have our own set of challenges.

BUT, people everywhere seem to be willing to shell out $3 to $4 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks without batting an eye. And how about greeting cards. I spend 20 minutes scrounging through the shelves for a card that costs $3.50 because I REFUSE to spend $6 on a freaking birthday card!

Then there are books. No matter where you live, books cost the same. And, in general, they're a damn sight cheaper than a birthday card! I honestly get why no one is going to pay $15 for a Print On Demand book by an unknown author. But they'll pay $15 for a digital book by Nora Roberts! FIFTEEN DOLLARS!! I just checked and nearly fainted when I saw the price. And that book, her latest, is currently ranked #18 in romance! But when we price our digital books at $3.99, readers think they're too expensive. FOUR DOLLARS for hours of enjoyment!! A price they routinely shell out for a cup of coffee that will last fifteen minutes, or a birthday card someone will look at for fifteen seconds and then throw away. Yet the book, which will probably take a reader 6ish hours to finish, is too expensive? I just don't get it.

However, I'm game when my publisher puts one of my books on sale. Because if you can't spend 99 cents on a book, you're even cheaper than I am! All my BORN TO BE WILDE books are on sale for the entire month of October for only 99 CENTS!! If you haven't read this series, now is the time to start. Here is the link on AMAZON. Or pull up the links on my WEBSITE to purchase from other retailers. Happy reading!

Fresh Covers for a New Year! by Jannine Gallant

I've mentioned before that my BORN TO BE WILDE series is getting new covers. The old ones had more of a contemporary feel, so they wanted to update them with a suspenseful vibe. My publisher has been teasing me by sharing them one at a time, and I finally got the fourth cover. They are officially changing them out on all the major retail sites this week. Today is day one of the four-day cover reveal. Yippee!

So, here they are! I like the new look. What do you think? Do you have a favorite?

Whether or not the new covers will improve sales remains to be seen. I'm crossing my fingers. If you haven't read them yet, find the buy links on my WEBSITE. Happy New Year, everyone!

In Case Anyone Wanted An Update...by Jannine Gallant

When I was thinking about blog topics, it occurred to me my last three posts could use a follow up...just in case anyone cares. LOL

Back in July... We asked for feedback for the first line of our Christmas stories. The top two contenders were:

3)  Pulling this off would take a Christmas miracle.

4) The eggnog was definitely spiked.

The Roses voted, and the winner by a slim margin was...drum roll, please...

Pulling this off would take a Christmas miracle.

We hope you'll all stop by in December to read our stories. I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with, since, (for the first time ever) the group actually voted for my line! And in case you're wondering, the entries are all anonymous.

Early in August, I blogged about my old laptop that was dying a slow and painful (to me) death. I asked for replacement suggestions. Well, I finally sucked it up and got a new one. And the winner is: A Lenovo Flex 5. It's still the larger screen size, but with a narrow border and no CD drive, the laptop is much less bulky and far lighter than my old one, which is what I wanted. I got the power and memory I needed and am actually liking the touchscreen capacity that reminds me of my phone. Chrome saved all my passwords, so that nightmare didn't happen. I'm getting used to Windows 10 with no major issues, so maybe this old dog can learn new tricks. AND, it was on sale...$200.00 off! Let's just hope it lasts as long as my old one did...

Finally, my last post was about my new book covers and branding. If you'll recall, Kensington decided to give my BORN TO BE WILDE series a more suspenseful vibe by repackaging the series to better compliment my soon to be released mass market books. They just finished the third book cover for WILDE THING. This story takes place mostly in Tahoe in the winter, and this cover is my favorite of the bunch. The background scene is the Truckee River just outside Tahoe City on the way to Squaw Valley. Very, very cool! They still have to finish the final cover for WILDE HORSES before they'll all be traded out on retail sites, but I couldn't resist sharing.

For now, check out all my books on my WEBSITE. Currently, an oldie but a goody is on sale for .99 cents for a limited time. Pick up your copy of EVERY STEP SHE TAKES while it's a rockin' deal! Happy reading!

A Blooming Paradise! by Jannine Gallant

I love Tahoe. Well, I love Tahoe in the summer when we're not buried in snow. After subjecting you to snow pictures all winter, I thought I'd treat you to a walk in the woods and meadow. I took all these on my usual daily hike with Ginger a couple of days ago. Just flowers and no dog photos this time. Enjoy!

Lupine

Mule Ears

Not sure what these are.

Or these. I couldn't get closer because the meadow is still soggy.

Indian Paintbrush

I hope you enjoyed my Tour de Tahoe flowers. If you'd like to cool off with a bit of Tahoe snow and a chilling mystery, WILDE THING is still on sale for 99 cents. Get your copy at Amazon or check out my website for buy links.

Have a great summer! Stay cool!

The Mysteries of Book Sales... by Jannine Gallant

So, Sunday was Easter, a great day to spend time with family and relax. No one buys books on holidays, right? Or do they... Enter the Twilight Zone where WILDE THING started selling like crazy and was ranked in the 6,000 range by late afternoon when people should have been carving their dinner ham. I was stumped.

Let's back up a bit. WILDE THING released in late February. It's been on sale for .99 cents for a couple of weeks now. Sales have been slow but steady on Amazon at one or two per day. Almost no action on Barnes & Noble, but suddenly WT is ranked at #292 overall? So why in the world would it suddenly go on a terrific sales streak? No reason I could imagine. Of course I checked BookBub just in case my pub forgot to tell me it was up there. It wasn't. I did a google search and came up with nothing new that I could find. Mind you, my other books in the series also were doing pretty well, but WT seemed to be the leader of the pack. And the books in my older series were also selling better than normal. Go figure.

Monday morning rolled around, and the ranking had gone up some but was still under 10,000. I immediately emailed my editor's assistant to ask what fabulous promo they used over the weekend to get these terrific results. My plan was to share it with you. What a great, helpful post as a side note to all Alison's wonderful info on Amazon ads, right?

His answer...nothing. Are you kidding me? There went the post I'd planned... But I decided to write about my experience anyway. I have no idea what prompted this boost in sales. According to Kensington, it just happened. I'll take it. Maybe some old promo got it moving, and a domino effect occurred. I guess the moral here is to keep trying to get the word out. Sometimes when you least expect it, something works. Oh, and if I hear back that they actually did DO something, I'll let you know. In the meantime, nearly all my books are on sale right now for either .99 cents or $1.99. Who knows for how long. I'm obviously out of the info loop! LOL Here's the link to my page at Amazon if you're interested in a rocking deal.

Happy reading!

Book Sales...a Good Idea or Not? by Jannine Gallant

I just got my statement and check from Kensington for my 4th Quarter 2016 sales. As of the end of 2016, I had five titles available through Kensington's Lyrical Press. This was also the first quarter in a while I didn't have a BookBub ad, so all sales were pretty much organic without that giant boost. And, I had two new releases, one the very end of September (so it didn't get any representation in the 3rd Quarter) and one the end of October. After some intense scrutiny and number crunching, I thought I'd share my insights on sale books with all of you.

First of all, for those of you who are curious about the benefits of BookBub, here are some figures for a book that released over a year ago. Every Step She Takes released in July of 2015. in July of 2016, it was featured on BookBub for .99 cents. I actually made it into the top 100 overall on Amazon for one day during that period. Total sales of this book for the 3rd Quarter were 3,541 copies. By contrast, total sales for this book the 4th Quarter were 468. I think the value of BookBub speaks for itself. I don't know of any other site that can produce those types of numbers.

So, in the 4th Quarter, my pub put several of my books on sale, trying to stir up interest. The thing with sale books is you don't make a whole lot off of them because Amazon gives the publisher 35% of the total for a .99 cent book vs. 70% for a book priced at $2.99 or higher. The author share of a .99 cent book with a publisher taking their standard 60% is about .14 cents. My ex-agent gets her 15%, so I make .12 cents. Those who are self published would make .34 cents. On a $2.99 book, I make .71 cents, so 6 times as much on a non-sale book. You might ask yourself why anyone would ever sell their book for .99 cents at those prices. Good question. Answer to follow so keep reading!

Remember those two brand new releases in my Born to Be Wilde series? In 2016, neither of them were on sale, and both sold for 3.99. The results were pretty pathetic... 270 sales for Wilde One, and 222 sales for Wilde Side. During this same time, my oldest book with Kensington, Every Move She Makes was on sale for over a month. The result...it sold 662 copies. This book released in March of 2015 and has been on a ton of sales including BookBub, yet it still outsold the brand new releases by 300%! As for actual profits, royalties for every one of my five books were within a $30 differential despite a huge swing in total sales. But, those sale books have an intrinsic value as a promotional device. I estimate that at least 1 in every 3 people who buy the sale book will pay full price for the other books in the series. Those would have been lost sales without the .99 cent book.

You're probably sick of the math lesson by now, but my conclusion is sale price books do help boost your overall sales, both in numbers and $$. So, even if you think you're making pennies off each one (which you are), in the long run, it pays off.

I hope you found all this helpful if you're considering putting your own books on sale. As for my books, right now all three Wilde books are on sale. WILDE ONE and WILDE THING are 99 cents, and WILDE SIDE is $1.99. The sale on Wilde One is supposed to end today, so grab it while you can. I'll be very interested to see what these sales do for my 1st Quarter 2017 figures. I'll report back in a few months! Just click on the titles to go to the Amazon buy links. Happy reading!

The Dreaded Sagging Middle by Jannine Gallant

No, I'm not talking about my middle, which certainly isn't as firm as it once was...but let's not go there. I'm talking about the middle of my manuscript. My books are about 90,000 words. I hit the 50,000 word mark and came to a bumpy halt in my current work in progress. I know how it ends and have enough exciting action planned for the last 20,000 words (hopefully), but that gives me 20,000 words to get to that point. (This is a series with each book required to be roughly the same length, so shortening it isn't an option.) I have a couple of events scheduled for this middle section, but I've been diddling around for days writing the first one and getting nowhere. It finally occurred to me that I'm not moving the action plot forward. It's stagnating, waiting for the exciting end. The build-up of my villain has happened. It's too early to spring the really creepy part, and the feeling of danger has tapered off with a whine and a whimper.

What to do? What to do? I think all authors go through this sagging middle phase in their writing. Or maybe they don't, and I'm just lame! It's not because I haven't made a rough outline because I finally broke down and did that. But these two big events on the schedule (a wedding and an overnight getaway for the hero and heroine) serve to progress the romantic conflict. They do zip, nada, zilch for the suspense. The problem is my book is romantic suspense. Readers expect to be kept on edge! So, what's the solution to prop up my suspense?

I turned to my trusty CP, Margo, who suggested making something happen to give the villain a sense of urgency that causes her (yes my villain is a woman) to lash out. A very good idea. Now I just have to figure out what and how. But since none of my potential bad girls have a reason to be at the wedding in progress (and I certainly can't drag all of them there), I'm still stuck. Deep sigh. So, what do all you authors do to claw your way out of the sagging middle of a manuscript. I could use a few brilliant suggestions!

My latest release, WILDE THING, doesn't have a sagging middle. I promise. Nor does the first book in the series, WILDE ONE, currently on sale for 99 cents. Get your copy now! Visit my WEBSITE for more info on my other straight-up books that don't sag. Happy reading!

WILDE THING and more Pioneer Adventures by Jannine Gallant

I know, I know! I've been talking on and on about this book releasing for a while now. Well, you can finally get your copy! This story is special to me because it's set mostly in Tahoe in the winter. Since I'm currently enduring the biggest winter we've had in...well, as long as I can remember, and I've lived here 31 years, you can get a taste of what life in snow country is like...vicariously.

That's Ginger on the pile of snow that is currently my front yard!

Remember my post about pioneer life with no power for five days? Well, to add insult to injury, the pump for our Timberland (that's my neighborhood where my heroine also lives) well went out. Three days with no running water! You'd think it would be easy to melt snow into water, right? Wrong! The stuff that was falling when the disaster occurred was super dry. I put a pan of snow on the stove, and it evaporated. Perrrrrrfect! I am, however, a quick learner. I seeded the pot with a little water then add scoops of snow to melt slowly. A full dishpan gave me about a half a pot of water. We had bottled water for drinking and cooking, but my snow melt was for washing dishes and flushing toilets...and when I couldn't stand it any longer, washing my hair in the sink. If you've ever had a hankering to experience life in the good old days before modern conveniences, I'm here to tell you it isn't as romantic as it sounds.

A beautiful day after the storm.

However, I survived. My hero and heroine almost didn't a few times during the course of their adventure. And when it comes to their relationship, Hannah is determined to keep Tripp at arm's length. Read on to see what I mean...

   Her hand stilled over the tomato she was slicing as he squeezed by her to set the glasses on the counter. Ignoring the sizzle of energy his body contact produced, she added lettuce to the sandwiches, plated them, then pulled a bag of grapes out of the refrigerator. “There you go. Lunch in under five minutes.”

   “Successful, smart, hot and efficient.”

   She slid onto the stool next to him. “I’m simply amazing. The eighth wonder of the world.”

   “Hannah?”

   She paused with her sandwich halfway to her mouth. “Hmm?”

   “I was a complete idiot back when you were in college. If I had half a brain, I would have been smart enough to ask you out all those years ago. Everything you say makes me smile.” He popped a grape into his mouth. “Your dry sense of humor is a huge turn-on.”

   “Good to know, but I’m still not going to date you.”

   “We’ll see about that. I’m afraid you’ve ruined me for lesser women. Every time a girl hits on me, I’m going to judge her by my new Hannah-meter.”

   She choked on her sandwich. Her eyes watered as he pounded her on the back until she stopped coughing.

   A concerned green gaze met hers. “You okay?”

   “Yes.” She let out a long breath. “I don’t know where to begin…with the Hannah-meter or the girls hitting on you part of that statement.”

   He shrugged. “What? Am I supposed to pretend like they don’t?”

   “No wonder Eden was in a tizzy when she found out we had dinner together. The women apparently line up to sleep with you.”

   He grinned. “Not an actual line. Too much pushing and shoving for that.”

   She smiled back. “Tripp?”

   “Yes?”

   “You make me laugh, too, even if you do have an incredibly inflated ego.” She pulled a grape off the bunch and twirled it between her fingers. “A Hannah-meter, huh? I don’t want to brag, but if an IQ test is part of the process, you might as well go join a monastery because you’re not going to be getting much action.”

   He let out a resigned sigh. “That high, huh?”

   She nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

   “In that case, I’ll have to keep working on you since one thing’s for certain.”

   Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart beat a little faster when he laid a hand over hers. “What’s that?”

   “I’m definitely not cut out to be a monk.”

If you want to read more about Tripp and Hannah, pick up WILDE THING at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, or KOBO or check out my website. Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

Fluff vs. Substance? by Jannine Gallant

So, I may have mentioned a time or two that I have a new release coming out at the end of the month. WILDE THING is book three in my BORN TO BE WILDE series. This series is fun, romantic, and adventure packed with a side of suspense. My readers seem to like all these qualities. However, I did something a little different with this book. Sure, it has all of the above, but I also introduced the controversial topic of child abuse. Not in a huge, take-over-the-story sort of way. But the more I asked myself why my heroine had certain problems, the more I knew I needed to give her a backstory with a darker underbelly. Reviews on Goodreads have been trickling in from ARCs received through NetGalley, and the results are mixed.

Don't get me wrong. In general, I've had a lot of "another great book in this series" reviews. But I've noticed a scattering of three and four stars mixed with the fives, and the complaints seem to have a common theme. I made readers uncomfortable. They said I could have wrapped up the book without introducing that particular topic. One went so far as to mention she understood why I did it, but she still wished it hadn't been included. I've got to tell you, I like reviewers who are so honest and detailed about their problems with a book. This particular reviewer had given WILDE ONE and WILDE SIDE both five star reviews. She gave WILDE THING four stars and said she couldn't wait for WILDE HORSES to release. So, I learned something.

Uncomfortable topics may turn off some readers. Is this just because they didn't expect it after reading the first two books in the series? Or, do some readers just want a world where ugliness doesn't exist and where the hero and heroine are perfect. I also got a few complaints that my hero was a player (even though he redeems himself in the end), and they didn't like that. That particular criticism also leads me to believe flawed characters aren't always appreciated. Based on the reviewer who is eagerly anticipating WILDE HORSES, my transgressions aren't going to alienate devoted followers. But, I am wondering about my next series which delves into some pretty dark suspense. I guess we'll wait and see.

So, my question to you: As a reader, do you prefer to enjoy light romance untarnished by uncomfortable reality? Honestly, there's not a thing wrong with that. I'll admit I won't read a book where I know someone I've invested hours of my time getting to know is going to die. So, yeah, I fall in the don't-disturb-me-with-reality camp on that topic. In addition, do you appreciate characters who have flaws, or do you love perfect heroes? Inquiring minds want to know!

If I've tweaked your curiosity and you can't wait to see what WILDE THING is all about, pre-order it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes, or KOBO. It releases on February 28th. Thanks for stopping by!

Limbo-Land or Call Me Chicken by Jannine Gallant

I've been trying to figure out what to blog about for days...and failed miserably. So I asked myself why and realized there are topics I want to talk about but can't...or won't.

Let's start with the elephant in the room...politics. I have strong opinions, and I've occasionally left fairly moderate and reasoned comments on real-life friends' and other authors' Facebook and blog posts. BUT, I don't post anything related to the topic on my own wall. It's not that I don't have confidence in my convictions, but I look at writing as a business. Sure, I have personal friends on FB, but I'm also there to connect with readers. Authors are flat out alienating people with their strong political presence, which tells me they care more about their beliefs than selling books. I applaud them and hope they can make their voices heard. But I've also unfollowed a few. And, I've noticed that most of the bigger names who actually make a living from their craft avoid the topic. Call me a coward, but I don't want to piss off readers. I also have to wonder how publishers feel about the situation. They're in it to make money, too, and can easily throw their support behind the authors on their team not stirring up controversy. I want that support.

So, while we're talking about taboo subjects, let's toss money into the arena. Authors almost never talk about how much they make (or don't make) from their writing. Maybe because it was ingrained into us at an early age that it's bad manners. Maybe because we feel it's no one's business. Honestly, when I was new to the game, I was under the naive impression I would actually make a living writing books. (You can all stop laughing now!) I still think small presses (and even the bigger ones) should warn newbies not to quit their day jobs. Not necessarily to discourage them from writing, but to at least give them a reality check so they don't have unrealistic expectations. Perhaps after a while, most of us quit focusing on the "making a living" aspect of the business. And in a way, that allows us more freedom to say what we want and not care how it's perceived. But with print releases looming on my horizon, I'm not ready to let go of the fantasy where I actually earn a living from my craft. It's quite possible I'm delusional, but there you have it. This is why those contracts should come with warning labels!

And speaking of my first mass market print release not due out until March of 2018, I just got my cover for BURIED TRUTH. I can't share it yet, but I'm super excited about it. One more thing I couldn't blog about! LOL See, I told you. Limbo-Land when it comes to appropriate topics.

I also have a new release due out the end of this month, WILDE THING. But since I don't want to bore you on that topic yet, I'll just post a cover photo (since I'm allowed to share it) and leave you with the promise of more to come soon.

So, now that you all know I'm a chicken (but maybe a smart one), we can debate why I crossed the road. Hopefully that won't upset any readers...

You can find info on all my books on my WEBSITE. Thanks for dropping by.