Saturday, March 30, 2013

Social Media Saturation Point -- I'm There

Some of you may have noticed how (uncharacteristically) quiet I've been lately, and there's a few reasons for it, starting with a cyst in my jaw that ran past the point of "Let's wait and see." I've had one procedure, with another surgery on the horizon, meaning days of not feeling very social. Then take off two weeks for a respiratory infection that totally kicked my butt and kept me out of work, for the first time in five years. Sigh.

And let's not even talk about adventures in househunting, which now stands with me being too frustrated to look at another house. Long story, I may go into later, but basically, all foreclosures are snapped up by investors for use as rentals, and any decent (doesn't need $10,000 or more in repairs to make it liveable) house gets multiple offers. Sigh. Who said it was a buyer's market? Anyway, those issues notwithstanding, after doing two blog hops, tweeting, Facebooking, participating at Goodreads and other media sites, I discovered....(drum roll please) that I.....

     ...don't have time to write. That's right, folks, after putting in 50 hour weeks on the day job, plus beta duties for authors I adore, my week is gone. Kaput. Nothing left. Or as they say here in the south, "Stick a fork in me, I'm done."

So I had to sit down and reevaluate my time, see what I could scale back on. I simply can't give up writing or beta work, so something's got to give. As much as it pains me, the answer is social media. I'll continue posting here, which feeds my Goodreads and Amazon blogs, and I keep in touch on Facebook, but sadly, I don't have time for much more.

Which leads me to my next point. I always took time to reply to reader's reviews on Goodreads, and have stopped. If asked a question, I will reply, and I definitely welcome comments here, but I've signed on to do another free story for Goodreads this year (I adore taking part!) and have ten works in progress that I hope to finish one day. No, I didn't give in to criticism that I shouldn't reply to readers, and I still glean wisdom from those who take the time to state their thoughts when I can. Readers are still as precious to me as ever, but until I learn to juggle work, home, writing, betaing, mentoring, etc., a bit better, don't look for me so much on Twitter or Facebook. If you need me, I'm here, never fear, just a little quieter. And hopefully, from the quiet, Corruption and Manipulation (of the Diversion series) will be born.


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

What's in a Name?

Have you ever seen a book title and thought, "I've read that!" only to read the blurb and wind up scratching your head, now unsure? If you've not read reviews beforehand all you have to go on in picking a book is title, author, cover, blurb, and word of mouth. If any of those doesn't appeal, the book gets passed by. So here's my dilemma:

For my Diversion series, each book seemed to pick its own title based on the prevailing theme (the last three titles are still tentative):

Diversion
Collusion
Corruption
Manipulation
Redemption

Because Collusion and Corruption are so similar, would you, as a reader, confuse them?

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Summer Boys now available from ARe

Summer Boys is back, longer by 5,000 words, and available at All Romance Ebooks. The original version was for a submissions call, and restricted to 8,000 words. Some serious trimming snuck it in under the wire for a charity fund raiser, but now that the story has reverted to me I got the chance to flesh it out some. The result is over 13,000 words, and I think does a better job of capturing the protagonist's journey from mourning to opening his heart to the possibility of new love.


Ferris Stuart has two missions to accomplish while on vacation on Oahu: research for a new Hawaiian Islands themed hotel and have a little fun, something he hasn't had much of since his partner died two years ago. So far he's managed to halfheartedly accomplish the first task; however, he's failing miserably at the second. That is, until a charming islander shows him both the locale and how to start living again.

Summer Boys, from Rocky Ridge Press, now available at ARe.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Missing Winner

Attention Kaytee! You won a copy of my novel Collusion, at the Collusion Release Party, but failed to leave contact information! Please get in touch with me by March, 10, or I'll have to draw another winner.

Thanks.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Collusion Contest

The Collusion blog hop is soon coming to a close, and on March 10 I'll pick a final winner for an ebook copy of the story. Leave your name and contact information, and thank you for joining in the fun. Now to get  to work on Corruption, the next installment in the series.


Joyfully Jay Weighs in on Collusion

Reviewer Joyfully Jay had this to say about my lastest release, Collusion:
So I really enjoyed Collusion and thought it was a great addition to the series.  The two books do follow one another pretty closely, and although I think you can understand this plot without reading the first, you will miss a lot of Bo and Lucky’s back story that really lends gravity to their relationship. So I would definitely recommend starting with Diversion (especially because it is excellent) and then picking this one up. It is a really great book in a really enjoyable series and I definitely recommend it.

Read entire review here. 

New Release - Summer Boys

Two years ago I was priviledged to participate in a fundraiser for It Gets Better via Torquere Press. The call asked for stories on the subject of getting better. My offering dealt with a man lost in his grief, unable to move on after the death of his partner.

Unfortunately, each story was limited to 8,000 words or less, and it took a great deal of trimming to meet that goal. Now that the fundraiser has ended, Summer Boys has returned to me. With a lovely new cover and 5,000 extra words, this little novelette now tells a more complete story.


Ferris Stuart has two missions to accomplish while on vacation on Oahu: research for a new Hawaiian Islands themed hotel and have a little fun, something he hasn't had much of since his partner died two years ago. So far he's managed to halfheartedly accomplish the first task; however, he's failing miserably at the second. That is, until a charming islander shows him both the locale and how to start living again.


Find Summer Boys at Amazon.com

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Collusion - Now Available at Amazon

For those of you who've been asking, Collusion is now available at Amazon, and on sale!


Saturday, March 2, 2013

Love Shown to Naked Tails

Teresa at Fallen Angels Reviews awarded Naked Tails five angels, and had this to say about the tale of southern possum shifters:
The love between Seth and Dustin was wonderful and their reawakening friendship developed in a way neither expected. This is one story that I will never forget.
Read entire review here:

Five Star Review for Collusion on Reviews by Jessewave

Reviewer Cryselle at Reviews by Jessewave has this to say about Collusion:
The ending was perfectly in character for both men, and the last line made me laugh out loud. Just perfect for a couple of men who don’t do mush—Lucky’s lines at the end make you want to both squish him in a big hug and smack him upside the head, but Bo knows exactly how to respond. 
This is a finely balanced work, with a gripping plot and an evolving relationship. Bo and Lucky are a great team, and this is a great read. 5 stars.
Read entire review here: 

Rainbow Book Reviews on Duet

Lena Grey at Rainbow Book Reviews had this to say about my recently re-released historical/contemporary/paranormal romance, Duet:

This very romantic story is actually two woven together–one in the past and another in the present, intricately entwined with music and love. Aillil and Malcolm's love is so strong that even time can't keep them apart. It reaches into the present with an incredibly forceful projection which proves to be undeniable. It gives us the feeling that these two men, having endured so much, and loved so deeply, most assuredly belong together. If you enjoy beautiful music, castles, kilts, handsome men, abiding love, ghosts, and other supernatural occurrences, you will surely love 'Duet'. Thank you, Eden, for an extraordinary and endearing love story of bravery and perseverance.
 
 Read full review here:

Congratulations, PD Singer!

Join me in congratulating my dear friend and crit partner, PD Singer. Her book, Fire on the Mountain has been nominated for a Gaybie!

Way to go, Pam! 

Head on over and check out all the nominated books and movies, and be sure to cast your vote for your favorites. So many great offerings there. I'm adding more to my TBR (and TBW) lists. 


Find Fire on the Mountain, plus the other stories in the Mountain series, at Dreamspinner Press

Friday, March 1, 2013

Come Join Me!

Want to know how I started writing? What inspires my work? What my guilty pleasure is? I've answered these questions and more at Cate Ashwood's blog. Come on down!