Back List Books...

Back List Books...

When we write e-books, our books normally only get the spotlight for about 45 days...while they are on the "new releases" pages of our publisher's website. After that, they are relegated to what we fondly refer to as our "back list"...that dark and creepy place where they languish, unheeded, until some hardy soul goes spelunking into the publisher's website with perhaps an "author search", or decides to click on one of our back list books while buying our newest release.

Unlike paper and ink books, that can sit enticingly on a bookstore shelf with covers agleam and waiting for some reader to pick them up and take them to the checkout, e-books don't get placed on a store's book shelf where folks can browse and read the back cover. So it is entirely up to the author to make sure back list books are still visible and available after the polish wears of the new release page.

Take my first book from Resplendence Publishing, Dictated by Fate. Dictated is a full length novel (230 pages), and it has had several five-star/hearts reviews. You can find all the reviews on my website http://www.franleeromance.com by going to the links below the main image and clicking on the name of the book, then clicking on the "reviews" link on that page.

I am thinking that readers don't like paying for full length novels, even though they complain that other books are "painfully short...I wanted MORE!" LOL! Can't seem to please everyone. Longer e-books cost more. You can usually tell how long the novel is by glancing at the price. At Resplendence, short books cost between $3.00 and $4.50. Longer Books start at $5.00 and go to $7.50. Dictated is priced at $7.50. Those who have read it didn't mind the price at all. But price often deters fans who want a great read for a low price. Too bad they complain about how short the books are when they get one for the lower price. :)

So I am now promoting my back list books. I believe they deserve another round of limelight.

You can find my back lists at these URLs:

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/145.html

http://www.jasminejade.com/m-554-fran-lee.aspx

I would love to introduce you to my back lists...before my next new release hits! :)

Fran Lee
http://www.franleeromance.com

Some Day My Prince Will Come

There is a perfect mate out there for everyone. At least that's the basic premise of romance--except for ménages. In those cases, there's more than one perfect person, but they're all perfect for each other.

In the current market, the perfect mate might be a werewolf, a vampire, an animal shifter, or even a gargoyle. And the other half of the equation could be almost anything--even a human. A friend recently wrote a story where one of the characters is part of a tree, not a new concept, but different than the normal run of characters.

So what is the attraction? Why are we so fascinated by the notion of non-humans and multiple partners? Could it be that we live with the less than ideal, deal with the mundane and long to fulfill that long ago little girl dream that our prince indeed will come to rescue us?

While we're waiting, that romance about two handsome men who focus all their talents on pleasing one woman gives us something to daydream about. Or that fabulous dragon shifter will scoop us up and take us away to magical lands.

anny

Waiting

When you’re letting that WIP age a little—just enough to give you fresh eyes and ideas when you get back to it—what do you do? Work on another manuscript? One so old it’s covered with dust bunnies? But it has all these really neat characters and all it needs are a few tweaks. Then you, or an astute critique partner, realize the first chapter is deadly dull. So you start over, incorporating scenes, partial scenes, a single line from previous versions and you end up—revising the whole thing based on a few fatal flaws.

Or do you bring up a brand new page on your computer, intending to work on those characters who wake you up in the middle of the night and demand you tell their stories? This new gang has the audacity to distract you from the WIP you’ve ripped apart to the point it’s unrecognizable.

Do you read in hope of distracting yourself? Or only for the pure pleasure of losing yourself in the magic of another author’s worlds? For example, in Paris Brandon’s hot shape-shifter jaguars of Assassin’s Kiss or Cindy Spencer Pape’s whimsical and sexy Djinni and the Geek? Or Shanna Abe’s The Time Weaver with its glorious drakons and lyrical narrative?

And how do you avoid feeling envy and wish you could write so beautifully? Truth is…you don’t.

You go back to the WIP, determined to make it better. You hold the memory of those perfect turns of phrase and words and find your own words—in your own unique voice—to apply to that new story begging to be told.

And you keep on writing.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Dee

Escape with Cerise DeLand!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Need a vacation this summer? Escape with me to exotic, erotic destinations.
Like Venice, Paris, Jerusalem and Naples in CARRIED AWAY over at EC now! (www.jasminejade.com/m-560-cerise-deland.aspx
Or Mexico? Try LAID BARE. (Also EC.)
Tuscany float your boat? MIA DOLCE, from EC, too.
Paris, again? PARIS EXPOSE from Scarlet Rose, at www.thewilderroses.com
Like the Mile High Club? Try POWER POSITION over at Scarlet Rose. Here you fly to Dubai with a man you won't forget.
Next up? From me and EC?
Ah.
Provence. Eze. Paris. Totally French. Totally luscious. SWEPT AWAY. soon, ma cherie.
But June 29, the beginning of my Regency series at Resplendence, starting with Lord Stanhope's Improper Proposal.
See you soon. In many places....
Ciao, bella!

You Struck a Chord with Me

This originally appeared on Raine Delights blog on June 6th.

Since a child I’ve connected to music on many different levels. I love all different types, but lean more towards Rock/Heavy Metal. I listen to music more than I watch television. My CD collection is large. :o)

Music plays a huge part in my writing too. I hear a song and picture a story. Not the full story, but a general theme. Sometimes it’s only the title that strikes an idea for a story, but normally it’s the lyrics.

Take for instance Dante’s Desire, coming from Ellora’s Cave on August 17th. I wrote this story after hearing the song I Get Off, by Halestorm. It’s about someone getting off watching another get off. I knew I had to write Dante’s Desire. The book starts with Addison, the heroine, performing sexual acts in her window for her sexy neighbor across the street.

Another book – Spend The Night With Me, coming from EC, release date TBD, is loosely attached to a song. The song Need You Now, by Lady Antebellum starts off talking about scattered pictures. The image struck a chord with me (no pun intended). This book starts with my heroine Brooke looking at pictures of her now deceased fiancé. After hearing this song, I changed part of the scene to her sitting on the floor with pictures scattered around her. She’s packing them away to move forward with her life.

Sometimes my heroes are musicians like Reed Walker in Body Shots. He’s a singer and guitar player. His band plays at the heroines bar. Reed signs a song he’d written for the heroine many years prior, weakening her defenses. (Available now)

Those are just a few examples of how I weave my love for music into my writing life. Is there anything that plays a big role in your life?

Here's a little taste of Body Shots:

Blurb:

Got Tequila?Sierra does and Reed isn’t afraid to use it. He’s determined to do shots on every inch of her skin, but Sierra has insecurities preventing him from exploring intimate areas. Her insecurities won't stop her from lavishing his body with the heady liquor.Ten years ago an accident tore Sierra Allen and Reed Walker apart. Now a chance encounter has them burning for each other. A bottle of liquor and a pool table has this duo ready to quench their thirsts with one night of Body Shots.Will one night be enough to fan the flames of desire?

Excerpt:

Reed Walker leaned his massive frame against the wall. His leg bent, his boot-clad foot tapped against the wall to the rhythm of the bass drum. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, as his eyes gazed upon the singer crooning the soft rock ballad. She was gorgeous by every standard of the word. Long flowing black hair, dark mysterious eyes, her arms sleeved in tattoos. Dressed only in black leather pants and a matching leather bra, her rock-hard stomach revealed she worshiped the gym but Reed wasn’t here for the singer. She wasn’t his type any longer. Another time, another place maybe. Not tonight. Tonight, he was here for the owner of the bar.
Looking to make some extra cash doing something they loved, Reed and his fellow band mates decided to reunite after a ten year hiatus. Reed having always been the businessman of the group took on the task of going around to different bars and clubs to see if they were interested in adding his band Foul Play to the line up.
When he walked into Crimson Nights he thought he was walking into a dream. Never in his wildest imagination had he thought he’d come face to face with the only true love of his life—Sierra Allen.
The look on her face when he walked up to the bar and asked to speak to the owner was one of shock. Like seeing a ghost. And that’s how he felt. Oh, she’d cut off most of her long red hair but she couldn’t deny the scar on her right cheek. It had faded some over the years and she tried covering it with her hand most of the time they spoke but he knew it was her. She told him her name was Laura but Reed knew better. Those haunting green eyes couldn’t be mistaken.
He went along with her charade, though it killed him deep inside. She had run away from him after the car accident without so much as an explanation. The weeks he spent by her side, holding her while she cried over what she felt was a deformed face. The painful recovery from the shards of glass that cut her, when the windshield shattered. He stood by her side, loving her, wishing he could take away her pain. Wishing it was him who suffered instead of her, only to have her up and vanish when she was released from the hospital.
Now she was pretending she didn’t know him. It didn’t make sense. He’d let her go a long time ago but this time he wasn’t going to leave without finding out why. It was the least she could do. She owed him an explanation.
She shocked him when she agreed to let his band play. He fully expected a flat-out “no”. Why would she want his band playing there if she was hiding her identity? Was it a ploy to make him believe she was this Laura she pretended to be? Or was she feeling the connection too? If it was to prove her charade, she was sadly mistaken. Reed wasn’t stupid enough to be fooled by a haircut or name change.
Reed would wait until the night was done and the bar empty before he confronted her but he would and when he did, Sierra had some explaining to do.

Chosen Destiny Releases!

My blog day couldn't have been better this month. I have a release day, today! So I thought I'd share a little steamy excerpt with one of the heroes, Jaeson, and the heroine, Meagan. Enjoy!



Chosen Destiny
Available June 4 from Ellora's Cave
http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8400-50-chosen-destiny.aspx


Blurb:

Meagan’s village is under attack and she’s been accused of being a spy. She has no choice but to try to take up the weapons of her ancestors, because she refuses to let her home fall to the Dark Sorcerer. Dealing with the two gorgeous men who come to aid her in the fight is another matter.

Samiel and Jaeson came to fight the Dark Sorcerer, but finding the woman whose magic matched theirs surprises them as does her reaction. She’s so focused on the battle that she barely seems to notice them. With kisses and sensual caresses, they turn her attention to the desire building between them.

Meagan’s tempted by their seductive touch, but defining her place in their life is difficult and time’s running out. The Dark Sorcerer has to be stopped before Meagan can discover if what the men offer is forever or a moment in time.


Chosen Destiny, a little unedited sexy preview

"Now that we've both relaxed a bit, we can talk. As for your comment about finding out that my scent's not a drug, I'll make sure you have ample opportunity. Were there any questions you have now that you didn't earlier today?" He sat on the bed.

Meagan watched him. He looked a lot more comfortable than she felt in the hard straight-backed wooden chair. The green blanket set off Jaeson's dark clothes. She just didn't believe he was as relaxed as he seemed to be. He hadn't suddenly come to the decision to give her all the time she needed. The man wanted her. She could see it in the way he watched her.

His entire attitude was that of a man on the hunt. She'd have to watch him and make sure she didn't let things get out of control. She was more than tempted to relax and let the attraction take the lead, but knew that he wouldn't consider it just sex. She wasn't willing to think about anything more. Two mates. Just thinking about it made her nervous. The thought was great as a fantasy, but the reality came with a lot of questions. And she knew only time and being close to them would give her the answers.

"Your questions or are you just going to stare at me for the night." He grinned and she could see the humor in his eyes.

Meagan felt the heat rush into her cheeks. She hadn't realized how much time had passed. Rising from her chair, she began to pace a bit. "I know that you two were telling me the truth earlier about a Tiria having two mates. I'm still not sure it's necessary and I can't see much to recommend it aside from having someone always near to help with the power levels."

"Was there a question in there that I missed?" Jaeson's tone was openly provoking.

She glared at him. He didn't seem at all worried about staying on her good side. She'd have loved to put him in his place but couldn't think of a way just yet. Walking around the bed, she tried to put her thoughts in order. The chaos in her mind was making her restless. She stopped when he was directly opposite her. He moved to the end of the bed so he could turn to see her without bringing his boots onto it

"You and Samiel how will it work? Won't someone get jealous? I'm not agreeing to anything. It's just something I wondered about." She titled her head and bit her lip. That was only one question of many.

"Samiel and I will each want time alone with you at times, that's natural just as we'll make time to be with each other. We might feel envy, want to be part of it because we know just how good it feels, but no real jealousy, because we all belong to each other." Jaeson smiled, his voice turning a little husky.

She gaped at him. They'd want to be with each other. She hadn't even thought about them having anything other than a friendly relationship with each other. She felt utterly stupid for a moment, but that feeling was pushed aside as her mind began supplying her with details. An image of the two men in each other's arms kissing flashed through her head. It was disconcerting and arousing at the same time. She hadn't even though that they might be lovers. She might just be the one who would be jealous. She'd never even thought about sharing a lover.

"You didn't realize that Samiel and I were lovers did you?" He smiled obviously enjoying her surprise.

"No, I didn't know. There wasn't anything about the relationship in the books. As far as I know, you two could have just met." She shrugged.

"We've been together for years." He brought his knee up and rested the ankle on his thigh. He was utterly relaxed and at ease.

"If we have sex, are you going to immediately assume that we're mated?" She sat on the bed across from him, one leg tucked under her.

"We are mates. Having sex or not having sex isn't going to make it any more or less true." He angled his body a bit more so that he was fully facing her.

She shook her head. That really wasn't what she'd meant. She had been thinking more about his attitude than his philosophy. Apparently, she was going to have to ask in another way if she wanted an answer.

"Are you going to be all possessive and expect to act like my mate if we have sex?" She sighed. "I'm not just going to jump into something permanent. To me, having sex will just be sex. Is it going to be more to you?"

"I'll undoubtedly be possessive. So much that you'll object to it? I don't know. You are my mate. I'm not going to pretend that you're a woman for only a night." His intent golden stare didn't waver from hers.

She didn't have any doubts that he was absolutely serious. She couldn't change his attitude, not even dent it. Running her fingers through her hair, she exhaled slowly. She suspected that even if they didn't have sex, he'd be possessive. So she'd have to deal with his attitude regardless.

"Have we dealt with all of your questions?" He raised an eyebrow and looked significantly at the bed.

"You may consider me your mate but I don't consider myself bound in anyway." She clenched a bit of the blanket in her hand. "I don't have any other questions at the moment, but there will probably be more later."

"Good. Then come over here. I wanted to kiss you when I walked into the library." He held out his hand.

She smiled. The man had a one track mind. She had to admit that she'd been thinking about having sex with him too. Her questions had managed to distract her a little. She still had doubts about having sex with him, but it wasn't going to stop her. She was going to take the chance. It would probably complicate things, but she knew the desire building between them wasn't going to disappear. It was too strong. She was enough of a realist to know that it was going to happen. Samiel and Jaeson wouldn't just ignore the attraction between them. She wanted to make the choice, not have it made for her. Also, she had to find out if the pull between them was entirely physical or some sort of binding spell wrought by the blades to keep them together.

She stood and walked around the bed and took his hand. He tugged her into his lap. The move caught her by surprise and she lost her balance. She braced her hands on his shoulders as she fell. He caught her and settled her across his thighs. She looked up and found his beautiful eyes locked with hers.

"As much as I would love to take this opportunity and make love with you, I don't want you to regret it." He drew his hand down her back. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I've made my choice. I want you. I suspect you knew before I was ready to admit it. I'm ready to have sex with you. I'm not ready to even talk about anything permanent. This is my home. I'm needed here." She lifted her chin. No matter what they thought, she would have a say in this.

He frowned. "You can't think that you can just walk away from us after this battle is finished. You belong with us."

"I'm not going to talk about that right now. We'll deal with it later. Now do you want me or should I go back to my research?" She pushed against his chest putting just a little distance between them.

"You're not going back to your research." His hands tightened on her hips. "Not tonight."

Her hands stroked over his chest to his shoulders relaxing against him. His scent swirled around her. It seemed to intensify with every breath she took. Her need rose to an even higher level. He leaned down and his lips brushed over her cheek. She turned her head and met his lips. Her mouth opened beneath his. She licked at his lips when he did nothing more than brush his mouth from side to side. He laughed softly. His tongue stoked into her mouth. She relaxed against him and let the hot sensation sweep through her, but she wasn't passive. Her tongue tangled with his. She wanted to draw him as deep into the kiss as she was. His groan and the tightening of his arms only spurred her to do more.

She hooked an arm around his neck running her fingers through his hair. The feel of it amazed her. It was so soft and she loved running her fingers through it. She couldn't help wondering what it would feel like running over her body as they made love. His hand slid down her back and under her shirt. She drew in a gasping breath. His hand was so warm and she wanted to feel more. She pushed back into his touch.

"I want to see you naked. Let's get you out of these clothes." He drew back and looked down at her shirt.

"Only if we get rid of your clothes too. I'm sure you'd be much more comfortable without them." Her eyes trailed down his chest and stopped at the close fitting pants. She traced her hand down his chest and to the hard ridge of flesh below his waist. She wanted to touch and explore just as much as he said he did.

He froze as her fingers slid up and down over his cock. His breath sounded raspy as he drew in a quick breath. She loved the quick intense reaction to her touch. Only the fabric of his pants separated her fingers from his cock. She wanted that barrier gone.

Her fingers moved up seeking buttons or laces. She found laces that fastened his pants, but the ends seemed to be knotted. She frowned as she looked down at the jumbled mess. It looked like it would be impossible to untie. How did he get out of them? His hands covered hers, pulling her fingers away from his pants.



For more excerpts, go to my website
www.rebeccaairies.net