Silent No More

It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me. I’m sorry I’ve been silent so long, but now it’s time to catch up.

In May, our fully vaccinated family got together in person for the first time in seventeen months to celebrate Mother’s Day and my mother-in-law’s 85^th birthday. It was wonderful to be together again! But that long hiatus had a big impact on my current project.

While progress has been slow, I have been writing the next Vinlanders’ Saga book, which is Fender’s tale. The working title is Shadowed Talents, but that could change. Family, its influence and importance, is a big part of the story.

In the meantime, I’ve made Veiled Mirror, Betrayed by Trust, and the Celestial Affairs series widely available. (I’ve also made Lightbringer perma-free.) You can now buy them as ebooks at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Apple in addition to Amazon. And from now on, the links I include will be universal, so readers in most countries will be referred directly to your preferred online stores once you declare your preferences.

Speaking of Veiled Mirror, you might be interested to know that it’s set within 75 miles of where I live in the southwestern U.S., but in the fictional Saguaro County. It takes place at this time of year, when not just murderers, but also the heavy monsoon rains can be deadly.

Happy Reading!

Veiled Mirror is on sale!

Just a quick note to let you know that for a limited time,  VEILED MIRROR is available at 75% off the regular price.

 

VEILED MIRROR is a stand-alone romantic suspense novel, but since it’s one of my stories, it has a touch of the paranormal in it. In this case an angry ghost wants to solve her murder.

When I first started planning this book, I set it in Victorian England, but I later changed it so it takes place in a fictional county in contemporary southeastern Arizona. If you’re not familiar with the weather in this part of the U.S., the arroyos really can fill up in just a few minutes during the monsoons (as described in one scene), and often sweep away unwary motorists. (It seems mad to people who live in wetter climes, but in the desert we have roads that go right through stream beds–some of them actually are the stream beds– because most of the time they’re dry.)

I hope you enjoy reading VEILED MIRROR as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you have a few minutes when you’ve finished, please consider  leaving a review to help other readers find a book they’ll like.

Happy Reading!

Frankie

A Cover for My Next Book!

For those of you who have been waiting patiently (or otherwise) for the sequel to LIGHTBRINGER, take heart: Gideon’s story is on its way! My cover designer, Jaycee DeLorenzo of Sweet N Spicy Designs has just created the cover for Book 2 in the Celestial Affairs series. It will be about six months before GUARDIAN is available, but I love this cover so much that I didn’t want to wait to share it with you.

Remember, you can be among the first to find out about sales and new releases by signing up for my newsletter, and get a Free short story in the bargain! Just click on GET A FREE STORY in the Nav bar above.

Speaking of sales, VEILED MIRROR is on sale right now at 50% off the everyday price.

 

Happy Halloween! And Happy Birthday!

I love Halloween. I love seeing the little kids dressed up in their costumes and handing out candy. When I was a kid and on the other side of the door, Halloween seemed like the opening act for my birthday. First the neighbors gave me yummy things, and the next day I got cake and presents. Such a deal!

To celebrate Halloween and my birthday this year, I’m putting two of my paranormal romances on sale at 75% off the regular price. LIGHTBRINGER and VEILED MIRROR will be only $0.99 from today through November 1st.

In LIGHTBRINGER, an exiled angel falls in love with the woman he’s supposed to be protecting from a demonic assassin. (4.2 Stars)

A ghost haunts her twin sister in VEILED MIRROR, demanding she solve her murder, regardless of the cost to her heart–or her life…(4.1 Stars)

So celebrate All Hallows Eve and my birthday with me, and enjoy a sweet deal at the same time!

VEILED MIRROR Is Free!

To celebrate the re-release of VEILED MIRROR (and encourage reviews) I’m offering VEILED MIRROR for free for a limited time. VM has never been free before, and this may well be the only time.

While you’re here, sign up for my newsletter and be among the first to learn about new books and other exclusive info.

VEILED MIRROR Is Back!

After being unavailable for a couple of months, VEILED MIRROR is for sale again on Amazon in digital format from Castle Rock Publishing. (Paper soon to follow.) I recently got the rights back and took the opportunity to update the cover (thanks to Jaycee DeLorenzo at Sweet and Spicy Designs) and do some minor revisions to make it even better.  I hope you enjoy it!

I love to hear from my readers. Let me know what you think of the new cover, and please leave a review on Amazon. It helps other readers find books they might enjoy. Thanks!

And remember to sign up for my newsletter so you can be the first to find out about  new releases.

I’m Back!

I’ve been busy these last few months, and this fall will see a flurry of activity.

• This month VEILED MIRROR will be re-released as a Castle Rock book with a new cover and some minor revisions.
• Next month BETRAYED BY TRUST will debut. It takes place in the same universe as LIGHTBRINGER  in 1979. It’s not exactly a prequel, but you will get to see Gideon again.
• I have the sequel, SEDUCED BY TRUST, outlined, and I already have a cover for it, but first–
• I’ll be writing a novella set in the Vinlanders’ Saga universe. It’s working title is DEBTS and I already have a cover for it too.
• After that, I promise to get to work on Gideon’s story, GUARDIAN.

Today I’m revealing a new cover for DANGEROUS TALENTS. I think Jaycee DeLorenzo of Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Designs has done a fabulous job. I’d love to hear what you think of it.

How Much of You is in the Heroine/Hero?

Every writer gets this question in some form or other unless they keep their identity a secret. People want to know if you model the main characters in your books after yourself, or if you write romance, if the love interest is like your significant other. I think readers mostly assume there must be a high correlation, especially if you’ve done a good job of making the characters feel real.

The first time I was asked a version of this question was by my hairdresser. She’d just read VEILED MIRROR. “How much of you is in Beth?”

I tried using a great answer I’d once heard another author use: “There are elements of me in every character I write.” Apparently that answer works better with an impersonal audience than it does with someone who knows you pretty well. She just gave me the eyeball that demanded a straight answer. My hair was at her mercy so I complied.

Actually, my original answer was pretty close to the truth, as it would be for most writers I know, and readers should be very glad of it. It’s much better to think that some of the great villains of literature were developed from tiny elements of an author’s psyche, rather than being an accurate depiction of a significant part of our personalities. Who wants Hannibal Lector living next door?

As for heroes and heroines, some authors have a fairly consistent type, that makes it seem they’re writing about themselves. However, most writers work hard to make each character distinct and believable. That variety gives us the chance to explore situations we’d never want to be in, and do things we’d never do in real life. Sometimes the exploration is wish fulfillment. More often it’s just the author trying to craft a compelling and entertaining story.

So what did I tell my hairdresser?  Pieces of Beth are me. As are pieces of Ellie. But mostly I created them for that story. OTOH, since DANGEROUS TALENTS started out as an experiment, Celia is probably more like me at the time the book was written than any of my other heroines are.

My heroes? Well, half of them are inspired by my husband. And the other half I just made up. 🙂

 

Covers: Know What You Want, and Ask For It

I enjoyed producing LIGHTBRINGER so much that I decided to go ahead and bring out one of my earlier works as a single. I’ll be releasing WITH HEART TO HEAR soon, just in time for the holidays. It’s an erotic beauty and the beast novlette, set in the late Victorian era.

Seeing a cover take shape is exciting for me. As I mentioned in a previous post, a cover is often the first experience a reader has of your story, so it should give them a clear idea of what your book is about. It doesn’t have to reflect every element, but it shouldn’t mislead them. It should appeal to your audience and make them want to click on it to find out more. (You do know who your audience is, don’t you?)

Rae Monet did this cover for me (as well as the one for VEILED MIRROR). Kim Killion did the cover for LIGHTBRINGER. What I learned from working with Rae and Kim is to be clear and specific in my requests. Artists are busy people and sometimes distracted by other demands. Creation of your cover is more likely to be quick and smooth when you take the time to be careful and specific in describing your vision to the artist.

Here’s what I think is important to designing a cover for online sales:

• The quality: does your cover say “professional”? Does it promise that the story is carefully written and edited?
• The feel: does the cover reflect the kind of story it is?
• A clear focal point: does your eye know where to rest?
• Readable fonts for title and author name when the cover is a small size.

Keep in mind that your artist is a business person. Her time is valuable. At the same time, you have a right to get what you want. Listen to the artist’s advice but make your own decisions. Keep asking for what you want, and express your ideas clearly and courteously. Don’t change your mind half-way through unless you’re willing to pay extra for the artist’s time.

VEILED MIRROR on SALE!

I just found out that the Wild Rose Press will be offering all digital titles at 30% off today, Black Friday. That means you can buy VEILED MIRROR at a huge discount. Just put in the code from the front page banner at check out.