Bitten By Regret Goes Free!

Free For The First Time!

Bitten By Regret, the second novel in my Just One Bite series, goes free for the first time tomorrow, 5/1. It will only be free for one day at this time, but I’m very excited and wanted to share the news.

Love Bite was free last week and I’m overwhelmed by the success of the promotion. It reached #777 in the free Kindle book downloads, and #8 on the Horror/Occult section. I’m so grateful by how many people supported me in my endeavors. For those who download Bitten By Regret tomorrow: thank you so very much, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Back To The Drawing Board

Yesterday was mostly a day off for me, spending the majority of it marketing Love Bite for its final free promotion. I was stunned by the overwhelming response. 1094 downloaded in the US, 184 in the UK, and 10 in Germany. Very exciting!

I managed to get another 700+ words written for my short story in the works, and I did a little editing to the beginning of my third book in the Just One Bite series. I have another project in the works at the moment that I’ll be very excited to share once it gets underway.

I’m falling into a new routine here at home. The morning is my goof-off time. I play around on Facebook, check on all my author pages, provide updates as needed, and enjoy my much-needed coffee. Afternoon finds me writing something. I switch back and forth from project to project depending on what I feel the urge to work on that day. Evening is reserved for housework, making dinner for the family, and some reading, TV watching, or XBox gaming. Late night/ early morning finds me writing some more. it’s a hectic schedule, and it’s highly flexible as I often need to fit in my children’s needs and errand running. When I finally collapse into bed, around 3 a.m. or so, I can fall asleep knowing I got a lot accomplished during the day. For me, it’s a win-win.

Love Bite Goes Free Again!

Why yes, Love Bites does go free tomorrow!

Good morning one and all! Just wanted to take some time away from writing to let you know that Love Bite is going free for its final time. Starting tomorrow and running for 3 days- 4/24, 4/25, and 4/26- and that’s all she wrote!

Actually, wait! That’s not all she wrote. I started work on book 3 of the Just One Bite series last night. Lots of excitement coming to that one… a wonderful new character, and a twist that will change Diandra and Lizbeth’s lives forever.

I’m Sorry, Was I Doing Something?

Well, I’m back. I think… sort of…. Life is going to take some getting used to now. My cousin and his wife arrived last night and are getting settled in. Now to adjust myself and get back into the swing of things.

I plan on getting some MAJOR writing done this week. I have a short story to complete and submit, as well as starting on Book 3 of the Just One Bite series. I also have another project in the works which I’ll provide more information on after I get it underway.

Book 3 is what I’m most excited about, however. The return of my dear friends, Diandra and Lizbeth, as well as Eamon and baby RaeLynn. Book 3, soon to be named, will also have a new character that I cannot wait to write in. Lots of good things will be flowing forth from my laptop shortly so stay tuned!

Chapter One

Bitten By Regret

I also wished to share with you the first chapter of Bitten By Regret. This is the second novel in the Just One Bite series, also available for only $3.99 on Amazon.

Diandra Malone sat on the rear deck of her Bethany Beach home with a cup of coffee in hand, much as she did every morning when the weather was nice. It was a typical August day on the beach, and that meant that it was a comfortable 80 degrees at 9 a.m. much to her delight. Enjoying the comforting sunshine, she reclined on the pale blue lounge chair wearing her favorite black sheer robe and a pair of oversized purple rimmed sunglasses.

RaeLynn was in her playpen on the deck with a sippy cup of milk in one hand and a teething biscuit in the other. She was four months old now, and her curly strawberry blonde hair was shoulder length already. A gentle breeze whipped it up and around her face, and she dropped her cup to try and catch the hair as it blew into her eyes, giggling at this newfound game. She caught a fistful and tugged, then let out a little yip of surprise when she learned the hard way that the fistful of fun was actually attached. Diandra looked down at her precious child and once again marveled at how special she was. In some ways just a baby, in others she was so much more.

“Hey, you,” Lizbeth said as she stepped out onto the deck. She was already dressed for the day in a pair of comfortable hip-hugger jeans and a hot pink tank top. Her chestnut colored hair was pulled back in a stubby ponytail, the best she could manage since she kept her hair rigidly at shoulder length. Her face was shiny and clean, free of makeup. Lizzie hated to wear any makeup, even just some lipstick. She wore a light coat of foundation, a touch of blush, and a tinted lip gloss to work, but on the weekends she skipped it altogether.

Lizbeth set her coffee down on the low ivory-colored table in between the two lounge chairs and stretched thoroughly, making sure each part of her body felt loose and easy. Then with a smile she bent down and gave Diandra a long, lingering kiss. “Good morning, love.” RaeLynn made cooing sounds, holding her chubby hands up in the air, opening and closing them in her demand to be picked up. Lizbeth laughed and scooped up the baby, raining kisses all over her chubby pink cheeks. “Good morning to you, too, Princess!” RaeLynn giggled and started making smacking noises with her lips- her own version of giving kisses back.

Lizzie sat down in her lounge chair, a pale rose color, to play her usual morning game of peekaboo with RaeLynn while Diandra looked on fondly. Lizbeth would say, “Peekaboo, baby!” and Rae would giggle and disappear from sight. Lizbeth would then make a pretense of trying to find where the baby had gone, and after a few seconds RaeLynn would drop the veil that protected her, making her visible to the human eye once more. While this little trick had terrified both women in the past, now it was a part of everyday life for them, especially since this gift had helped protect RaeLynn while Diandra had rescued Lizbeth. It was only a month ago but on days like this one it seemed like another lifetime.

After spending some quiet time on the deck, the two women went in to have breakfast. Margaret, the housekeeper who had been with Diandra for the last eight years, had their breakfast ready for them as she did each morning. The woman was truly a wonder in the kitchen, and the never failed to enjoy whatever meal had been placed before them. Since Diandra hadn’t excused herself to go to another room for a bit, Lizzie assumed her lover had already consumed her morning baggie of blood. She normally did so before indulging in coffee so it was a safe assumption. The women shared a breakfast of bacon, French toast, and fresh strawberries while Lizbeth reminisced.

It was hard to believe that it had been nearly a year since she had come into Diandra’s life. This time last year she had been homeless for nearly a month, still struggling to survive each day. She had survived and persevered, and somehow she had made it from that life to this one with barely a stumble. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. Everywhere she looked she saw gleaming wood, glistening glass, and dust-free antiques, all due to Margaret’s loving ministrations. The house didn’t necessarily scream money- it was more like it bore a discreet plaque. It was all very tastefully decorated but, if you had an eye for it, you could spot a large bank account at work.

This was certainly the last place you expected to find a women like her, Lizbeth mused. A year ago she certainly wouldn’t have believed it. At that point she expected she’d be dead before much longer, simply because being a cop and being street-smart were not entirely the same thing. While she’d been a cop for years before being kicked off the force so unceremoniously she had still been rather naïve, still a little girl on her quest to right the wrongs of the world. A little chuckle escaped her at that thought and she shook her head at Diandra’s look of puzzlement.

Lizbeth was so grateful for the twist her life had taken, although she didn’t necessarily like the route she’d taken to get here. Finding a dead body in an alley had led her to the life she never knew she could have. Funny, she would have figured it would’ve been her body dead in an alley if she’d had to survive on the streets much longer. And after last month’s story had hit the news about the drug smuggling case and those involved, a formal apology had been issued to her, making her life worth living again. She’d also been given a year’s salary at the pay rate she had been receiving at the time they threw her off the force, and she had been reinstated in full. Of course, she had already been working as a cop for Alexar Thompson, Bethany Beach’s chief of police, but it was still delightful to finally have her name cleared of all charges. If nothing else, being reinstated in full had given her back a measure of self-worth.

A laugh broke through her concentration. Lizbeth looked up from her musings to find Diandra wiping tears from the corners of her eyes as RaeLynn cheerfully nibbled on the French toast she’d obviously swiped from Lizbeth’s plate while she was lost in thought. She chuckled as well, ruffling the baby’s hair, all deep thoughts gone in a massive uprising of love for the two females in her life. It didn’t get much better than this.

Love Bite

For those interested in my work, Here is the prologue for my first novel in the Just One Bite series. Love Bite is available for only $3.99 for Kindle readers on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Love-Bite-Just-One-ebook/dp/B007FL4WOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330799109&sr=8-1

Prologue

Diandra Malone was glad to be home. The Caribbean cruise was wonderful, and she’d enjoyed the two weeks of alone time with her husband, Jonah, but she’d missed Delaware. Their Cape Cod- influenced home in Bethany Beach never looked more inviting, she thought as she sipped her coffee and gazed out the sliding glass doors. Those doors led to a large rear deck with stairs descending directly to the beach. She stood in this spot every morning for the last nine years, drinking her coffee and watching the sun rise over the water.

She turned her back on the amazing view and watched her husband wandering the kitchen aimlessly, no doubt trying to find his keys- again. He puffed casually on a cigarette while he circled the island in the kitchen for the fourth time. She often told him those things would kill him someday, but he insisted he’d quit when he was ready. Apparently today was not the day. He finally picked up the keys from where they lay on the counter next to the toaster, a spot he’d walked past five times before and not seen them. Now, if she could just get him out of the house she could confirm what she already knew and talk to him about it when he returned.

“Are you sure you don’t mind if I head to the store?” Jonah asked her for the hundredth time. “I’m nearly out of cigarettes and we need gas in the car as well. “ He ran his fingers through his dark blond hair, his puppy- dog brown eyes finally focusing on his wife now that the mystery of the disappearing car keys was solved. She wondered, not for the first time, how this man was a well-decorated cop, constantly sought out during working hours and off time, and lose everything he touched while at home.

Diandra eyed her husband, looking relaxed in his casual autumn outfit of faded jeans and dark brown sweater. The jeans fit his trim waist and toned buttocks perfectly, worn clean through to white patches at the knees and the right rear pocket. The faded pocket bulged now as it always did when his custom- made leather wallet was in it. His slightly muscular upper body looked a little more defined in the form- fitting thick sweater, giving the appearance of more pectoral muscle mass than was actually present. Diandra pulled herself back into the conversation and blushed when she realized Jonah had watched her devour him with her eyes.

“My dear,” said Jonah, “you know what happens when you look at me like that!” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down in the way that always made her giggle.

Grinning quite foolishly, Diandra pushed him towards the front door. She leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss goodbye. “I know exactly what happens- we spent the majority of our vacation doing just that! Now you just go and get your cigarettes and I’ll give you a reason to light one up when you get back!”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Jonah leered as he gave her rump a pat on the way out the door. Her happy squeal was still in his ears as he got into their gold Lexus and drove off, whistling tunelessly to some song only he could hear.

Diandra went smiling into the bathroom, little white and pink box in her hands. She was nervous, as she always was when she took a pregnancy test. So many tests over the years, so many negative results. So much time she wasted crying when her time of the month came around and her period showed up on time. Finally, nine years to the day from when they were married, she knew that little plus sign would pop up in the results window. She’d known for a little while now, but had held off on purchasing yet another test until she was sure. At long last, she was finally sure.

Diandra was proud of herself, though. She’d made it through the vacation and the flight home without telling Jonah about the possible pregnancy. He always rose before her and made use of the time by going down to the hotel pool to swim before she woke. She got up each morning, gave in to the inevitable morning sickness, and was dressed and ready for the day before he came back upstairs. She brushed her teeth, rinsed multiple times with mouthwash, and added a little more blusher than usual to cover any lingering paleness. The hotshot detective was completely oblivious to what was going on under his nose, she thought smugly.

Diandra opened the box and peed on the stick inside, then set the timer on her watch for three minutes. She looked at herself in the full- length mirror on the back of the bathroom door as she waited for the results of the pregnancy test. Although her favorite lavender nightgown perfectly complimented her coloring and complexion she was disappointed by what she saw, as she always was when she forced herself to confront her reflection. She knew her face was pretty enough but she was also overweight. Diandra wore a size 20, although she often bought a 22 to hide a bit behind the extra material. She hated her weight, and must have tried every diet and exercise plan on the market, all to no avail. The only thing she managed to do was add more weight to the scale when she gained muscle mass. Sadly, this did not lead to purchasing smaller clothing sizes.

Diandra did, however, love her unique lilac- colored eyes. Growing up she was often accused of wearing colored contacts, and the Department of Motor Vehicles insisted on listing her eye color as blue on her driver’s license, but her eyes were naturally a light purple that brought to mind Easter eggs. She was also supremely proud of her full, thick head of auburn hair. On a sunny day it shone like pennies wrapped in flames, and people complimented her frequently on both its color and thickness. To calm her nerves she ran a brush through the strands until they were soft and wavy. This always soothed her when she was nervous or upset, and it did the trick this time as well.

Taking a deep breath she set down her purple paddle-style hairbrush and walked towards the counter. As Diandra picked up the stick to read the test results, Jonah left the convenience store- and soon after, he lost his life.

Children: AKA Animals

I would like to take just a moment to veer off-course and rant about my children. I worked so hard yesterday. Harder than you could believe. I spent from 9 a.m. yesterday morning until 3 p.m. that afternoon getting my house organized for our houseguests coming next weekend.

First I painted my daughter’s bedroom, or as I like to call it, the new guest room. This room has been painted before- twice. Little miss likes to go in her room and peel the paint off the walls. She can spend hours at this task- and she has, believe me. So I bought a nice gallon of lilac-colored paint and redid the walls. I did two coats, and I think it looks great. To prevent the same issue from happening again Ihad my hubby remove her toy box from her room and set it up in the living room. I also placed a nice doorknob on her door- complete with a lock.

After that I cleaned my living room and kitchen. I also vacuumed and steam-cleaned. This took an additional hour. Then I mopped my kitchen thoroughly. The house smelled incredible- it was so nice and clean. Yes… I’m using past tense. I even got a few loads of laundry done in the process. I was exhausted but proud.

Then the children came home…. I feel like that needs capitalization. Then THE CHILDREN came home. It’s like the tagline to a horror movie- maybe I’ll title it A Mother’s Nightmare. They tracked dirt through the living room and kitchen. Previously clean clothes were tossed on the floor. *shudder* It was horrible.

So I had a thought. If my children wish to act like animals, perhaps they should be treated as such. Maybe I can donate them to science. I’d be the hero of mother’s everywhere: my children could be tested and used to find the cure for the common child. Or maybe it’s just a beautiful dream- when I wake up I’ll have to do it all over again. My life often feels like that Bill Murray movie- Groundhog’s Day. I wake up and do it over again, go to sleep, wake up, etc….

So this is what I live with. 2 children, both old enough to know better as one is nearly 5 and the other is 10. I am often proud of the fact that I’ve managed to publish 2 books and a short story- especially when I have to stop to take care of my children. I love my life- I just desperately need a vacation from it.

After-Publishing Blues

So I finished my second novel two days ago, and I published yesterday… Now what? Do I travel the same road as I did with Love Bite? After I published my first book I started the second within a few days. I was irritable, depressed, not nearly as excited by sales as I should have been- until I started my second book. Once I started Bitten By Regret I used each of my sales to encourage me to write more, write faster, write better. I truly think Bitten came out better for it.

Then again, I do have plenty to keep me busy right now. There’s always housework, and I have family coming to stay with me in a week or so. I have a bedroom to scrub down (walls included), the walls need to be painted, and the carpet needs to be vacuumed and steam cleaned. In addition there’s a small mountain of laundry that could probably stand a good washing. Oh, and a short story that needs completing. And the third book to start on…. Yes, the list goes on and on.

So tonight I’ll wallow in the after-publishing blues. Tomorrow I’ve got quite a lot of work to do! I guess I’d better get started…

Relaxation? Ha! NEVER!

It's true! It's finished!

Yes indeed, it’s done- wrapped, completed, and live on Amazon. I busted my tail and managed to complete this book in only 6 weeks or so. Yes, this is a very short time frame but I treat my writing like a full-time job and I put in my hours through the week. Between my efforts and those on the part of my wonderful editor, we managed to get Bitten By Regret edited, formatted and published in only 6 weeks!

***Available here: http://www.amazon.com/Bitten-Regret-Just-Bite-ebook/dp/B007TEXFYS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334234068&sr=8-1 ***

For those who pick up a copy, thank you very much. I truly hope the effort I put into it pleases you as much as it pleased me. I loved the way this one flowed from the beginning, and I’m excited to share it with you all. Upon completion, I’d greatly appreciate some feedback on it! I love reviews, and I love honesty.

I do have rules for how I personally write a review and I’d like to share them with you.

1- If I cannot finish the book I usually do not review it at all. Some of you may not know that too few reviews hurt just as much as nasty ones. My exception to that is poorly edited works: if there’s little or no punctuation, if there’s extra punctuation where it need not be, and the words are misspelled and just wrong, I will leave a gently worded review letting the author know that they may want to correct their efforts and repost at a later date. This warns readers of potential problems, but it also let’s the author know. Maybe they uploaded a rough draft and not a finished copy- I have seen that happen!

2- Whether I like the book or dislike it after reading it, when I write my review I make it clear how I felt. I don’t just write, “This is wonderful! I can’t wait to read more!” I let them know exactly what worked and what didn’t and (most importantly) WHY!!!

3- If I have nothing at all positive to say, I follow my mother’s rule: I choose to say nothing at all. My reviews are always honest and they let the author know exactly where they went wrong or right. This helps more than you know: who knows, your feedback could change the path of their next work.

In any case, these are tips that work for me. I hope they help you, and that they come in handy the next time you post a review. Remember, good or bad, someone worked hard on what you’re reviewing. They deserve respect for their efforts, just as you deserve respect for your opinion. If you don’t like something, remember someone else might. If you love it, someone else may hate it. Review accordingly!

Dangerous Distractions

This is a lesson I’ve had to deal with these last few days and I wanted to share.

I posted on my Facebook page on Friday that although I was taking the weekend off from writing, I had 2, maybe 3, more chapters before Bitten By Regret would be finished. I worked like a fiend last week and the writing flowed out of me like it never has before.

It pained me, oh boy did it ever, but I packed up the laptop and took the weekend off to spend the holiday with some of my family. We had a wonderful weekend, and I desperately looked forward to completing the book Monday. I could do it- I knew I would. After all, the only thing I wanted the whole weekend was to finish.

Fast forward to Monday: we’re back home and the animals TRASHED the house while we were gone. Oh, and I’d been stuck to my laptop the week before so I was behind in the laundry, too. So Monday morning here I was- instead of working to finish the book I got 3 loads of laundry done, vacuumed my home, and spent hours steam-cleaning. Oh, and there was dishes to be done, and the pets needed taking care of. I also hadn’t grocery shopped yet, and I had to put dinner together. Before I knew it I was exhausted, the day was over, and I hadn’t written a word. *sigh*

So now it’s Tuesday and I’m revved up. I will finish the book today! But then the phone rang and my family needs help. Then I had to get a room cleaned up so some of my family can stay with us a bit. Then we got some bad news about another member of the family. The phone rang nonstop, and I spent the day cleaning once again. The day ended with me angry and near tears because the house still looked a wreck after all the cleaning I did. And I barely got any writing done. *sighs harder*

So today I say this: the ringer on my phone will be off. Phone? What phone? I’ll return calls when I come up for air, but Bitten By Regret WILL get finished today. My sanity depends on it!