Sometimes New Opportunities Open the Door for More by Donna Michaels

It’s funny how surprises happen when you least expect them, and how one opportunity can roll into more. And not just in personal life. My writing life has been crazy busy since hitting the ‘lists’ this past February, which all started when I was given the opportunity to join 11 wonderful western authors in the Cowboy 12-Pack. I’ve been going from one deadline to another, with several conferences in between.

The reason I was at RT in Dallas this past May, was because the boxed set had made the lists and caught the attention of Kathryn Falk. She asked us all to attend and consider writing another one. At the welcome breakfast, she called us up on stage to announce our next boxed set, the 12-Alarm Cowboy Firefighter set.

 

Bless the readers, they were thrilled, and it showed in preorders and sales when we released August 4^th, because we just hit the NYT Bestseller's list at #13, and the USA Today Bestseller’s list at #31 this past week!

 

One opportunity, led to another, which led to another. I’m still happy dancing! J And now, it’s leading to our 3^rd boxed set of cowboy novellas, this time they will be ‘law’ themed and due out in the spring of 2016!

Then, this past June in Las Vegas at the Romance Novel Convention, I was finishing up writing that cowboy/firefighter novella—Her Volunteer Cowboy—when the wonderful Cat Johnson messaged me to ask if I’d be interested in writing a SEAL novella for her Hot SEALs Kindle Worlds!!

Holy smokes! Not only was I honored, I was also thrilled because this was a fantastic way for me to release my military romantic suspense series—Dangerous Curves.

I had the first book nearly finished and sitting on my hard drive for two years. All I had to do was write a novella that connected that book to Hot SEALs KW. Of course I said yes! The incredible opportunity to write in Cat’s world, also gave me the opportunity to launch my new series, and expose my novella, along with the pre-order of the story sitting on my hard drive, to readers of that genre.

Again, one opportunity lead to another.

Knight’s SEAL/Dangerous Curves Book 1/Hot SEALs KW
Crossover Novella

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013CGXEKG

Navy SEAL Sam ‘Excel’ Gentry barely has time to consider his buddy’s job offer to join Guardian Angel Protection Service when a commander from their past, with his own D.C. based agency, asks for help. Owing his life to former Commander Jameson Knight, Sam is eager to help retrieve a mutual friend from a dangerous cartel, until he learns the operative assisting him is Knight’s oldest daughter, Lisa—Sam’s former lover.

Elisabeth Knight has waited over eight months to get into the field, and just her luck, her first mission hits close to home in more ways than one.  Not only does it involve rescuing her friend, a former NIO like herself, but her father assigns one of his former SEALs to assist—the one she’d given her body and heart to five years ago. Sam had walked away when he’d realized who her father was, and she let him, not wanting to see the sexy man shot, or worse, assigned to Antarctica…permanently. Completing their current mission isn’t the issue, the danger lies in their inability to fight their resurrected attraction and keeping that failure from her father

 

LOCKE and Load/Dangerous Curves Book 2

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01343DV3C

Former Naval Intelligence Officer Lt. Nicole Locke’s assignment to assist in a murder investigation, puts her face-to-face with the only man she ever loved—the man she was forced to jilt in order to save his life. 

Det. Cage Burnett vows to do whatever it takes to bring down his partner’s killer, even work with the woman who crushed his heart four years earlier when she left him for another man. The dangerous investigation rekindles their desire, but when someone from Nikki’s past reappears and threatens Cage’s future, once again, Locke is loaded with determination to keep the man she loves alive.

 

 There's more.

At the end of July, I attended the Author/Reader Con in New Orleans, sat on a suspense panel, due to my upcoming SEAL story, hosted a Cowboy party because of the 12-Alarm boxed set, and was a finalist in the BTS eMagazine Red Carpet Book Awards because of my contribution to the original Cowboy 12-Pack.

See? Life is full of opportunities and surprises. J The biggest surprise being the three Awards I took home that weekend:

Her Uniform Cowboy won 1^st Place for Best Romance & 2^nd Place for Best Book of the Year!

 

And Her Forever Cowboy surprised me with Honorable Mention for Best Romance! I had no idea it was even close!

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Please let me take this opportunity to thank my readers for helping to make this year a great one for me and my books. Without you, none of those would’ve happened, and I am truly grateful. <3

Thanks for reading,

~Donna

Success, Ford Style by Donna Michaels

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. ~ Henry Ford 

Henry’s saying is true for many things, certainly for business. I’m living proof. Take the Cowboy 12-Pack boxed set.  Just last fall, I was approached to join, and in the beginning, it started out as eight authors, but ultimately ended up with twelve. Staying together we made progress, and by working together, before and after release day, we enjoyed success. So, Henry was right. We came together, stayed together, and worked together, and the end result landed us on both the NY Times and USA Today Bestseller’s lists!

 

 

The Cowboy 12-Pack Boxed Set for .99¢! Amazon: http://amzn.to/11sGMZb

Mr. Ford’s quote also holds true for writing romance. Take my upcoming Feb. 19^th release, WYNE AND CHOCOLATE.  Both the hero and heroine have trust issues, his from abandonment, hers from abuse. Coming together, staying together, and working through their demons together, made their relationship a success. I do love an HEA! Especially, when chocolate is involved. How about you? J 
 

 

 Pre-Order/Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PULHSAO

I’m involved in a great Multi-author Valentine’s Day Giveaway, going on until the 20^th, with winners drawn on the 21^st. There are a ton of prizes, along with the Grand Prize of a Kindle Fire! Check it out for a chance to win!

Good luck,

~Donna

Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Embracing the New and Magical by Donna Michaels

And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings. ~ Meister Eckhart

Seems to be a popular quote this month, and one that’s fitting for me. Like Vonnie, I had a few crazy deadlines last year. The ‘write a book in 3 weeks’ became a reality for me. Three times. Actually, I had 4 weeks for one of those books, then I went right into 2 weeks to revise a novella and lengthen it into a novel, which I turned in the day before I left for a conference. None of the crunching was by choice, but by necessity because of conferences, promo, social media, boxed sets, more promo, blogs, website updates, oh, yeah, and family obligations.

 

Jestina as 'Gloria' in Bye Bye, Birdie

 

There were quite a few this past year. My youngest in her high school productions, graduating from high school, one of my twins graduating college, and my daughter-in-law graduating from law school. Two of my children went off to 2 different colleges. Then there was my father-in-law diagnosed with cancer. Bless him, he was in the hospital for weeks, then a nursing home for months, then finally released to go home on my birthday. ☺ I've been helping to take him to chemo and doctor visits every week, but at least he’s home! Yes, 2014 was a crazy, busy year.

Holy smokes, just reading that makes me nuts. How the heck did I manage it all? Barely. Trust me. It certainly made me realize I need an assistant.

That's me, embracing my something new.

Yes, I am currently looking for an assistant. I know they can’t help me with the family stuff, but an assistant can help with my website, and promo, social media, and even the conferences. Hiring an assistant is scary, but I’m going to be asking my piers for recommendations and hopefully, I’ll find the right fit before I end up in deadline he## again.

So, I will trust the magic of beginnings.

How about you, was 2014 a crazy busy year for you, too? With one activity after another?

Here’s hoping 2015 is a crazy, wonderful year!

One of those boxed sets I mentioned will be releasing next week, Jan 20th, and is available for preorder for only .99¢! I’m honored to be involved in the Cowboy 12 Pack with such wonderful NY Times and USA Best Selling authors!

  

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1H4M25u
Amazon: http://amzn.to/11sGMZb
IBooks: http://bit.ly/1xyPCSu
Nook:  http://bit.ly/1BL0uiS