Cheri's 6 Reasons to Try Audiobooks for the First Time

Recently, I asked readers to tell me what they thought of the samples for the audiobooks I have published. I've been surprised by many of the rather unenthusiastic comments. Some have even said they don't listen to audiobooks, so they can’t comment on the samples. Really? They won’t even take two minutes to even listen to the sample? I’m having a hard time understanding this. Honestly, to me this is similar to people who won't read, just in reverse. And it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Mark Twain.

“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” ~Mark Twain

 

It's true that it's hard to find time to read, especially when you have children to care for, a fulltime job to do, and laundry to sort. This leads me to my first reason to try audiobooks.

1 Listening to an audiobook is far more convenient than sitting down to read. You can multitask with an audiobook in ways you can't with a printed book or an ebook. You can enjoy a story or learn to speak French while doing laundry, preparing dinner, or driving to work. Basically, you can listen to a story being read to you at times when you cannot read at all. So let me put it this way, “The man who does not listen to audiobooks has no advantage over the man who cannot hear.” And with Whispersync via Amazon, you can keep the story going from your Kindle to your car without interruptions, making audiobooks even more convenient. Keep listening while you drive the children to soccer... Life doesn't have to interrupt your enjoyment of a good book.

2 Listening to a book rather than reading it IS NOT cheating like watching a movie is. Movies have been changed from the original book because much of what is in a book can’t be translated into film. The internal monologue, the descriptions of feelings, taste, and smell are not things that can be shown on the big screen. Sure an actor can show emotion on their face, but it's still just not the same. Books that are made into movies need to be stripped down to dialogue, scenery, sounds, and action. Movies just can’t be as rich and allow you to use your imagination like a book does. But most audiobooks are unabridged, which means it's exactly the same as the physical book, just more entertaining and more convenient. And listening still allows you to imagine every nuance written upon the page. The story is not imagined for you, it's simply lifted from the page.

3 Listening to an audiobook can help you momentarily escape reality when life sucks. When a book is acted out by a professional reader, the little inflexions in the voice, the laughter, and the tension all make the story fill your senses and bring it to life in a way that the story surrounds you. Maybe you need to run as you try to escape the demons in your life. Maybe you’ve been crying and you wouldn’t be able to focus on the words to read them. Maybe your vision is failing you because of an illness. Maybe you’re in so much physical pain you can’t even lift a book to read it. Maybe you’re blind but you love to enjoy a good story. Listening to someone read to you is actually easier than reading Braille. When you can EASILY sink into another world, time, or place, you can take a momentary break from reality so that when you do return to facing your demons, you’re refreshed and ready to battle again.

4 Audiobooks can make you smile when you realize you’re caught in a traffic jam. Nowadays, most audiobooks are digital, meaning you can have several with you at all times on your smartphone. Stuck in traffic or driving a long distance? Escape the monotony with a great story.

5 There’s nothing quite so delicious as having a romance whispered into your ear. Need I say more?

6 Have you listened to Harry Potter as read by Jim Dale? Um, you’re totally missing out if you haven’t. Your children are missing out too. And if none of the above reasons are enough to get you to try an audiobook, then start with Harry Potter and you’ll be hooked.



Of course, you’re welcome to try one of my audiobooks as well...

Not sold yet? Listen to chapter one of Fateful right now.

 

 

Tristan Hunt is like listening to Jim Dale, just sexier... ;)

 

And if you're smart, which I'm sure you are, go download the Kindle copy of Fateful for FREE,

and then snatch up the 10 hour long audiobook for $1.99!

 

(Just click on the image below.)

 

 

Thanks for visiting my website!

 

Why do you love listening to audiobooks? Let me know in the comments.

 

Audio of Cheri's books are available in the USA from Amazon, Audible, or iTunes.

Also from AU Audible.

And from UK Audible.

Audiobook Production & Marketing Via ACX

A series on audiobook production via ACX and marketing when the book is finished.
I recently presented at a writer’s conference about this, and I was the only author there presenting on ACX. I was limited on time for my class, and there just wasn’t enough time for me to cover everything. So I’m bringing that info to you via my blog and YouTube. I’ll cover everything thing I didn’t have time for and share the Skype interview with producer/narrator Jason Downs where he answers author’s questions.

Choosing a producer/narrator:
In this emerging market of audiobooks, marketing is key, and I would say there is a learning curve, because it’s different from marketing books in general. I suspect that’s because this is a slightly different audience. Your first and perhaps your biggest, marketing choice for the audiobook is choosing the right voice. This is also a creative choice. The style of the narrator needs to fit the style of the story. Your choice will make a big difference in the finished product, good or bad.

“The right narrator can bring a story to life in a way that nothing else can, can fully immerse the audience into the story, can make them feel the emotion in the words, and can make the author shine." Cheri Schmidt

Things to consider:

What point of view did you write the book in? If it’s female first person, then it would be best if you chose a female narrator. Recently, my husband has listened to a few books, and not indie books, where the story is told from a first person male perspective but the narrator is female. It really drives him crazy. This seems like it should be an obvious thing, but apparently it isn’t.

If it’s written in third person, how many male and female characters are there in the story? Looking at these numbers will help you decided if it’s best to go with a male or female narrator. For example, my Fateful Series, which is Paranormal Romance, has a majority of male characters. It is very difficult for a female to perform male voices. Many times they sound like silly caricatures. Plus it’s easier for a male or female reader to add greater variety in voices for characters of the same gender. While the majority of my characters are male, there is one scene where there are 6 females all together. I could tell it was almost a stretch for him to do all of those female voices at once and make sure they don’t all sound alike. He managed it extremely well, but to do that with an entire novel would be a problem.

If you’ve written the book in third person and you have an even number of male or female characters, should you choose a male or female narrator? When in doubt, go with a male narrator, even for romance... Or especially for romance. For Fantasy, Horror, Middle Grade, or Mystery male is usually a better choice every time... This is not the trend. I’ve noticed that many more books are narrated by female readers, and many of them are absolutely amazing! But most male readers have a greater range in their voices and can perform better female characters than females can perform males. I realized this is personal preference, but it’s a major turnoff for me to listen to a woman perform a male character that is supposedly hot. It just does not work. Most women that I know would rather have a male whisper a romance into their ear over a female. And most men that I know wouldn’t want to listen to a woman read an action spy novel to them, or maybe they would... I’m sure there are exceptions, but I personally wouldn’t market a book to the exception.

A few more tips to choosing the right producer:

Should you narrate your own book? If your book is on writing, or a story about your own life, and you know how to produce a quality recording, then yes. Otherwise, I think it’s best to leave the acting and production to the pros.

Choose a soothing voice. This is another reason you should go with a male reader if you can. Female voices tend to grate on the ear. Even so, the male or female voice must be one that readers can listen to for long periods of time. Nothing too harsh, tinny, or high-pitched.

Get outside opinions from friends, family, and fans. In my experience, authors get desperate thinking they won’t find what they want, so they go with whoever auditions. And authors tend to have bad taste when choosing their own narrator. It’s just a fact you’re going to have to swallow.

Listen to other work done by the narrator you’re considering. And I don’t just mean the samples they have in their profile. Buy one of the audiobooks they’ve done and listen to it. This is the best way to hear what the quality of their work is like.

Google their name. They’ll Google you before auditioning as they consider whether to work with you or not. This a great of way of discovering a little bit about the person you’re thinking about trusting your book with.

Don’t forget how much time and effort the producer puts into your book. It takes 5-6 hours worth of hard work to produce 1 recorded hour of finished audio. It also takes a great deal of creative talent. This is not like hiring an editor. Anyone with the skill can edit a book, but not every narrator can bring life to your story in the same way. On ACX you can choose to list your book as either Royalty Share or Paid per Finished Hour. Most authors want to do the Royalty Share so they don’t have to pay the narrator for their work, thinking royalties will cover it later. Sadly, many narrators are getting burned on Royalty Shares. If you want a quality narrator, it would be wise to list the book as Royalty Share OR a Negotiated Hourly Rate. We know the benefits of paying a professional editor to polish off our writing, so why would we then complain about paying a professional artist to produce our audiobook? And even if you manage to get an Audible Stipend like I did for Fateful, pay the producer even more than the $100 dollars per finished hour Audible pays. Happy narrators make for well-produced audiobooks...


Take care in your choice. You'll be working with this stranger to create a new product...a collaboration of talents.

Up next...my producer and I will answer a question turned in from other authors about how closely we work together during production and marketing via a Skype interview.

(I'll try to post a new article each week, or perhaps a bit more often so stay tuned!)

An Interview of a Vampire

 

An interview of a vampire from The Fateful Trilogy by Cheri Schmidt. Oh wait, I mean an interview of a werewolf. Oh wait, I mean an interview of a villain...

 

ENJOY!

 

(Told from Max's point of view.)

 

“Welcome, lovely ladies and dashing gents, whatever the case may be...” Max winks as he sketches a bow, his waves of brown hair tumbling down over his forehead. The knight shoves fingers through his hair to push it back into place as he settles into his chair. “Today, I have Lucas from The Fateful Trilogy here for an interview.” Max twists in his seat to face Lucas who is sitting in a comfortable chair in Beon’s drawing room at Order headquarters. “Welcome, villain.”

Lucas stares, or rather, scowls at Max before he says with a heavy note of annoyance in his tone, “Were you expecting me to cackle evilly, because it’s just not going to happen.”

Max shrugs his big shoulders and props one booted foot on his opposite knee, the picture of ease. Clearly not intimidated by the murdering rogue. “Shall we begin?” Max drops his gaze quickly to his notes.

“If you would get on with it, I’d appreciate it. I do have better things to do than sit here with you answering ridiculous questions.”

“Like what, exactly?” asks Max.

Muscles jump along Lucas’ jaw. His dark eyes narrow on the knight. His nostrils flare. “Are you talking about stupid questions you’d like to ask me, or what I’d rather be doing?”

“The latter, obviously,” responds Max.

“Proper mischief and mayhem...obviously,” answers Lucas smugly.

“What sort of mischief and mayhem? Be specific. Our audience is curious to know,” Max asks with an annoyed lift of one eyebrow.

Smirking evilly, Lucas locks his dark gaze onto Max’s in a threatening way. “I could be seeking time alone with Nadia so that I may get to know her better. She and I haven’t...chatted much.” The smirk turns to a leer as it seems Lucas imagines what harm he’d like to be inflicting upon Nadia.

Max comes back with a threat of his own. His lips thin, his fingers slip into his boot, and in the blink of any eye, he sends a knife at Lucas. The six-inch blade sinks into the back cushion of the chair Lucas is seated in, right next to his ear, barely missing the draw of blood by a thread.

The villain doesn’t even flinch. “Not bad for an old rusty knight,” Lucas says in a silky voice.

“I’ve spent most of my life dispatching miscreants like you.”

“We've digressed,” says Lucas dryly.

Max draws a measured breath and releases it slowly, apparently in agreement. “Do you have any hobbies the readers might not know about? Something uncommon, please, so don’t say rowing or shooting or steeplechase.”

Lucas pauses for a long time while scratching at his knee a bit nervously.

“Well?” Max presses. “You promised to be honest for the readers.”

“Fine. Crossword puzzles,” Lucas finally mutters angrily.

A mocking laugh escapes Max. “Do you also knit?”

Lucas frowns. “You insult me.”

“Every chance I can get.”

“You’re digressing again,” Lucas says. “Did you have any other questions for me? Perhaps something more relevant than what I do with my spare time, like what I do with my victims instead? I can promise you, the readers would be much more interested in what I could be, or rather, will be doing to Nadia.”

“Threaten my wife again, and next time I won’t intentionally miss.” Lucas doesn’t seem to have an answer to that, so Max goes on, “What made you like this, Lucas? What event in your life darkened your soul so much?”

“I think I was always like this, to be honest. ’Tis one of my best attributes.” Lucas says with a note of pride.

“Always evil, you say? Surely as a child—”

“I don’t remember much from my childhood. But what I do recall, it wasn't exactly pleasant.”

“Your father—?”

“Was not the nicest chap there ever was.”

“So you’re blaming your evilness on him, then?”

Lucas shrugs his shoulders. “I wouldn't be the first.”

“Now you’ve made me curious. Tell me more about your father, would you? What was it about him that turned you to a life of disruptive and violent behavior?”

“This is a massively insipid line of questioning. Next please,” Lucas says with an air of superiority.

Max rolls his jaw in an apparent effort to keep his anger tamped down. “Fine. Let’s just cut to the chase, hmm? First a vampire, and now a werewolf... What is it about being a monster that appeals to you so much?”

“It’s a bit cliché, but there is a great deal of power in fear.”

“So this is all about power?”

Lucas sighs. “Actually, no. It’s all about revenge.”

“Against Ethan,” says Max.

“Precisely.”

“Did I just hear my name?” Ethan asks as he enters with service for tea.

Max draws in a breath of air and his eyes land on the hot scones on a plate next to the teapot. Despite the fact that he was hungry, he eyes Ethan with unmasked curiosity. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Then I’m simply here to offer refreshment.” Ethan’s gaze touches on Lucas and it was easy for Max to mark the lie.

“Really?” Max asks doubtfully.

“Of course.” Ethan starts pouring out. “I’ll be mother,” he said with a bright smile and a twinkle of mischief in his blue eyes. Intrigued, Max leans back into the cushion and watches to see how this is going to play out. “Fancy a cuppa?” Ethan asks Lucas pleasantly.

Lucas eyes the cup wearily. “Is it poisoned?”

A chuckle rumbles out of Ethan. “Would I poison you?”

“Yes. I believe you would.”

“What reason exactly would I have to poison you?” When Lucas doesn’t answer right away, Ethan asks, “One lump or two?”

Lucas folds his arms. The corners of his mouth slide downward. “Where’s Danielle? Isn’t she going to join our quaint little tea party?”

“No,” Ethan practically growls, straightening, the food forgotten...apparently. Ethan removes his glasses and sets them carefully on the table next to the tea tray.

The action was clearly not lost on Lucas as he also rises to his feet and pushes up his sleeves while muttering something that sounds quite a bit like, “Bloody twit is dead from the neck up...” but not loud enough for Max to be completely sure about it.

“Ethan, what are you doing now?” Max asks.

“Nothing,” Ethan shoves up his sleeves as well.

“Why did you take off your glasses then?”

“No particular reason worth mentioning, Max.”

Max rolls his eyes when Ethan throws the first punch and the two men brawl, spilling the tea, smashing the teacups, and breaking the table.

Max hadn’t noticed at first, but Ethan had ropes and a gag hanging out of his back pocket. As a bruise develops around Ethan’s left eye, and a trickle of blood oozes from his bottom lip, Ethan tightens the knot on the ropes now securing Lucas to the floral-patterned wingback chair.

Clearing his throat, Max folds his arms over his chest and shoots a curious gaze at Ethan. “Exactly how am I supposed to interview the villain with him bound and gagged like that?”

Ethan shrugs his shoulders. “Scone?”

Casting his gaze to the ruined food on the floor, he lifts an eyebrow.

Ethan’s face splits into a smile. “I’ve got fresh ones in the kitchen; this was poisoned, of course.”

“And you need a new pair of spectacles,” Max points out, trying not to laugh.

“Hmm,” mutters Ethan a bit sheepishly while spying his crunched eyewear in the mess littering the decorative rug. “Unfortunate indeed, since that was my spare.”

Want to hear what these characters sound like? Get the audiobooks  for only $1.99 from Audible after you download the Kindle copies thanks to Whispersync! Fateful (book 1) is FREE! And Fractured (book 2) is only 3.99!

Holiday Giveaways

Even more Free stuff for my mailing list subscribers during the Holidays...

Even win an eBook copy of The Order of Curse-Bound Knights
...my newest novel, soon to be released!

I'm choosing two winners a week!

Sign up here.

New on audio. Fractured book 2 in the Fateful Series.

Actor Tristan Hunt (AKA Jason Downs) is currently producing all of Cheri's books into audio.

Fateful is the first title to be released in this format, and Fractured is available NOW!

Audio of Cheri's books are available from Amazon, Audible, or iTunes.

And if you're new to Audible, you can get it for FREE! Then if you become an AudibleListener® member on Audible, you can get all of the other books for a discount. Once you've listened to how Tristan portrays these characters, I think you'll be hooked, and then you'll want to listen to everything else he does... (At least that is what everyone is telling me so far. I've actually had readers come up to me in a panic checking to make he really is doing the other books after they've listened to Fateful.)

Praise for Tristan's performance:

First, I am usually wary about listening to the audible version of books especially because I love to leave the character’s personalities to my own imagination. Schmidt (author) and Tristan (narrator) definitely changed my opinion for this book as I both read and listened to the story. I can’t express enough my unexpected surprise at how well the audio version portrayed the story SO closely to what I envisioned. ~The BookStalker Reviewed

Tristan Hunt is, in my opinion, THE Jim Dale of Fantasy Romance. ~Cassandra

The writing was thrilling and engaging all the way through! The narrator did an outstanding job with presenting to emotions and mood of each character. Oh la la for sure! ~A. C.

It's so romantic, and the narrator does a great job! Tristan brings emotion to the story. I love reading the book, but having a real person narrate the story really brings it to life. It makes it a lot more exciting. ~Heather

The narrator was great! I love when he switched to his “American Girly” voice! Great plot, Great characters, Great Narrator. What else can I say but GREAT! ~KSWilde

*fans self* If Tristan Hunt decides to read the phone book, I'm in! Fabulous reader. Loved his accents--he did American really well. Loved the way he handled the various scenes and gave a slight though fun twist to the voices of some of the more common characters. I hate when male readers take the female voices too high and make them almost a mockery. Tristan does the females voices very well. ~D. R. Weaver

Which character – as performed by Tristan Hunt – was your favourite? Danielle's uncle Nick, there was a part were he was telling a story and Tristan spoke in such a perfect tone that even I felt shivers. If you could sum up Fateful in three words, what would they be? Emotional, beautiful and soulful. If you prefer audio books then get the first book right now, narrated perfectly by Tristan Hunt. Definitely a 5 star rating from me. ~Beks in the UK

And if you'd like to read my interview over on The Book Stalker, go here.

Thanks for dropping by!

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Audio books of the Fateful Trilogy are now in production!

Soon to be released!!! The audio book of Fateful, narrated by Tristan Hunt!

And Fractured is now in the works, and then Forever will follow.

I'm extremely happy with how it turned out. The voice of Tristan Hunt is the perfect fit for this series. He did a fabulous job bringing my characters to life.

Of course I will post a link as soon as it is available!
ACX has been wonderful to work with, and I'm grateful to Audible for awarding Fateful a stipend.

https://www.acx.com/titleview/A2Z1MVBRQ2H0JM

Why not pick up the eBook of Fateful for FREE, and then listen to the audio!

 https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fateful/id449647872?mt=11

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fateful-cheri-schmidt/1103264846?ean=2940045844642

http://www.amazon.com/Fateful-Book-1-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398688306&sr=8-2&keywords=cheri+Schmidt

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/64361

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/fateful-4
 

Happy reading! And then when the audio is done, happy listening!

And thanks for visiting my blog!

NEW book release of ReAwakened by Ada Adams!

Check it out! Just in time for Christmas, my friend Ada Adams released the sequel to ReVamped. (I love the cover, don't you?) I can't wait to read this!!!

Synopsis:
Becoming a vampire guardian was Dawn Fairchild’s ticket out of the Scarlet House. Fresh off a successful mission, life in Angel Creek should have been great. But when her sort-of-maybe-boyfriend, Sebastian, disappears on a quest to help a beautiful vampire from his past, Dawn finds herself amidst a web of danger, lies, and deceit.

Joining forces with Razor, an enigmatic rebel lacking both a verbal and a physical filter, and her band of Misfits—Brooke, Sophie, Hunter, and Seth—Dawn is thrust into a race against the clock to solve the mystery surrounding brutal Born kidnappings and come to terms with the sudden discovery of her own unique powers. With time ticking away and Born vampires’ lives in jeopardy, it quickly becomes evident that someone—or something—desperately wants Dawn and is willing to shed any amount of blood to get her.

Dawn has only one chance to face her demons and overcome all obstacles standing in her way as she embarks on the biggest mission of her life—one that threatens a deadly outcome for all involved.


About, my writer friend Ada:

“Many people sing in the shower. I write scenes in my head and act them out.”

At the age of five, Ada read her first chapter book—Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. Ever since that moment, she developed an intense passion for stories and characters found within the pages of literature.

In her career as an actress and a writer, Ada currently spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning, and has attained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Master’s of Science in Education.

Ada strives to bring a fresh voice and perspective to fiction. She has been writing creatively for many years, and is an editor of a global fashion/literary magazine called VEUX. ReVamped is her debut novel.

She lives in Toronto, Canada, and enjoys adventurous nature hikes with her adorable puppies Cara and Oreo. 

(I love the part about her writing scenes in the shower, maybe because I do the same thing! But then I have to rush to my notepad to write it down, usually dripping, before I forget. LOL That part is annoying...)

Click on the link blow to get your copy!

Electronic revolution, really? What do you think explains the drop in sales of print books? Have you made the switch yet?

Amazon announced a while back that eBooks have already outsold printed books on their site. In June, Barnes & Noble announced that eBooks outsell print books three to one. I guess that explains why my printed books never sold on B&N,even though B&N had discounted them by 3-4 bucks! David Farland said this in one of his "Daily Kick in the Pants" posts: (I recommend signing up for his "Daily Kick" if you're a writer, by the way. It's free to subscribe.)
...book sales on a month-by-month basis for hardcovers in the US are showing about a 40% loss...and paperback sales are also tanking.


At the same time, Amazon.com, the world’s largest retailer, is showing about a 300% rise in sales of e-books on their site from last year.


Barnes and Noble, the second largest retail chain in the United States, is jumping onto the digital platform. In the past few months, they’ve reduced shelf space for books in their stores dramatically, increasing the space that is allotted to selling e-readers and accessories.


As a result of this, an author can anticipate that paperback sales now are about 50% of what they were last year.


In other words, paper books are rapidly dying. Many of the retailers who were selling them only a year ago are gone, and many of the survivors were selling paper books are now pushing electronic books instead.

If you go looking for printed copies of my books you'll see a new lower price. Basically, I had opted in to the programs that make my books available to places like B&N and Libraries, but those options drove up the price. Because the eBook version of my books are outselling the printed versions by something crazy like 2000 to 1, I decided to drop those options and lower the price of my printed books.

If you want Fateful in your local library, sorry, you'll have to donate it or specifically request they buy it for you. The only places you can buy printed copies of my books are: Amazon, Createspace and soon my website for signed copies.

Some might complain that my books aren't widely available...well, since B&N is carrying less printed books in their stores and Borders is closing, I can't change that even if I do opt in for the programs that make my books available in those markets as well as more expensive. Of course you can always follow my blog to be informed of giveaways, which I do often.

Sales Update

So at the beginning of the week I mentioned my sales numbers in this post - 1 Month 2 Books over 211 Sales. Well this week has been sort of crazy....

As of this evening, 8:45 PM on Saturday, Amazon is showing this:

Amazon Bestsellers Rank:

#990 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

#31 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Children's Fiction > Literature > Love & Romance

#35 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Love & Romance

#59 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

To get to this point I went from 211 book sales to 489. We'll probably end the day around 500 or more.

A big thank you to all who have bought the book. I'm truly humbled. I hope I have provided some fun entertainment for you. Book #2 in the Fateful Series, called Fractured, will be out soon.

And another Thank You to Joe Konrath for inspiring me to take this route!

1 Month 2 Books over 211 Sales

So it's been just over a month since Fateful was launched on the Kindle at Amazon. The Nook followed about a week later. Half way through last week I was able to launch Fair Maiden on both the Nook and Kindle. With those two books I ended last week having sold just over 211 books in about 30 days.

I might be old fashioned but I try not to do any work on Sunday. Yet I always get tempted to at least go look at my ranking and see what is going on. On Sunday morning, Mother's Day, I saw the following:

Fateful - Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#2,697 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#66 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Children's Fiction > Literature > Love & Romance

#85 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Love & Romance

Since dropping the price of Fateful to 99 cents, Fateful has gone from an overall ranking of 18,000 to the 3,000-5,000. Bouncing around in that range and going higher in the ranking every day. Earlier last week I would pop in and out of the Top 100 in Love & Romance. Then since Friday Fateful seems to have found a way to at least stay in the Top 100 somehow.

Seeing #85 in Books - Love & Romance helped start out my Mother's Day right. I'm so grateful to all those people who have spent money on my book. It may only be 99 cents to them, but to me it's just incredible!!

Fair Maiden and Fateful

My first book in the Fair Maiden Series is now available for sale.

Fair Maiden is a new series I'm working on and is a historical fantasy romance with a paranormal twist. I think you'll enjoy it.

Fair Maiden on Barnes & Noble for Nook for $2.99

Fair Maiden on Amazon for Kindle for $2.99

Description:
It's the Victorian era in England, but Tessa is from the medieval past. She awakens within a castle she has never seen before. Knowledge of her name also evades her. However, even worse than not knowing who or where she is, she cannot recall how she died or why she is dressed as a bride. Along with Christian, the earl of the castle she haunts, Tessa tries to discover who she is and break the spell holding her in a prison of death. They never imagined the curse keeping them apart is the only thing protecting her, until it's too late.

And Fateful, the first book in the Fateful Series, has been lowered to 99 cents for a limited time.

Fateful on Amazon for the Kindle

Fateful on Barnes & Noble for the Nook