Attention Barnes & Noble Readers!

Season's Greetings!

I am in the middle of a new release for a novella that was meant to be free for everyone.  Unfortunately,  I have encountered ongoing delays with the distributor for Barnes & Noble.  I was able to load directly to Barnes & Noble, HOWEVER I am not able to list the book for free as I had intended.  I believe the free book will eventually be pushed through, but I have no idea when this will happen.

In the meantime, if you are anxious to read the short story on all of your favorite characters from the Bluegrass Series, you are welcome to pick it up on Nook for $0.99.  I really hate that you have to pay for your own gift, but I want to be sure that everyone has a chance to read it before Christmas.  I will keep facebook, twitter, and this blog updated when the book lists for free on Nook.

You can click below for the link directly to Barnes & Noble's webpage for Secret Santa, A Bluegrass Series Novella.

Click Here To Download Secret Santa on Nook!

I hope you enjoy!

Author Interview: Sandra Marton

This week I would like to welcome USA Today best-selling author Sandra Marton.  She has won multiple writing awards for her books featuring sexy, complex alpha heroes.  She prides herself on character development to create wonderful stories that readers can't get enough of.

A complete list of Sandra Marton's books can be found at her website, http://www.sandramarton.com

News from Sandra:

My newest releases for Harlequin Presents are books in a trilogy, The Wilde Brothers of Texas.  Book one, The Dangerous Jacob Wilde, will be on the stands in mid-November. Book two, The Ruthless Caleb Wilde, will follow in mid-December. The third book, The Merciless Travis Wilde, will be published in April, meaning it'll be available in mid-March.  All three books, of course, will be available in print as well as e-format.

I'm especially excited about my new venture into independent publishing! Right now, readers can download my prize-winning novel of romantic suspense, FREE for their Kindles, at amazon. The  book is Until You, and it's had rave reviews.  Readers can also buy my best-selling novel, Charon's Crossing, the exciting story of a woman who inherits a sagging mansion in the Caribbean… and the dangerously sexy ghost who haunts it.



 

1. When is your next new release due out and give its description.

The Dangerous Jacob Wilde will be on the stands in mid-November.

The Dangerous Jacob Wilde is about a returning war hero, but Jake doesn't think of himself as any kind of hero. He's been wounded, physically and emotionally, and though he's come home to Texas, he has no intention of staying. Jake wants  to get away from everything he's always known—until he meets Addison McDowell. Addison is a no-nonsense New York lawyer.  She finds Jake arrogant and impossible, and she certainly doesn't want to get involved with him… but what does logic have to do with the searing flames of passion?

2.      You are very well known Harlequin Presents  novelist.  How many books have you published with Harlequin?

Yes, I'm happy to say I'm one of Presents top authors, and a USA Today Bestselling author, too. 

I've published 85 books with Presents.  Each has been a joy to write, and my characters stay with me long after the books are written.  My books have been best-sellers in the States and around the world.  Several have been RITA finalists; many have won Romantic Time's Best Presents of the Year awards.  I'm particularly known for my family sagas. I love writing those—I get to deal with lots of characters and stories, and I have a great time, weaving the books together.

3. Your new release, Prince of Pleasure, will soon be available.  What excites you most about this new book?

I'm very excited about The Prince of Pleasure! I love the characters and the story, and I'm thrilled to be writing it as part of my new self-publishing venture!

The initial idea (self-publishing) actually started with my readers, who started asking me to write some books directly for digital publishing more than a year ago. It seemed like a huge step—and one I realized I was eager to take. A few months ago, a  pair of characters popped into my head with a story I couldn't resist, I decided it was time to do what readers wanted.  And I wrote  The Prince of Pleasure.

It's the story of Prince Khan of Altara and American attorney Laurel Cruz.  Khan is a rich, powerful, gorgeous  sheikh. (I have to admit, as a romance reader and writer, I have a definite soft spot in my heart for sheikh novels.) He's in Texas on business. Laurel's had a hard life. She knows, from experience, that it can be a man's world out there, especially when the man is someone like Khan.  She's certain she knows all she needs to know about him: he must be they type who wants women kept in their place. The problem is, the place Khan wants her is in his bed… and to Laurel's shock, that  turns out to be the place she wants to be!

4.   The last book in your Presents Trilogy will be out in April. Which feeling is greater: happiness with completing the story or sadness at moving on to the next project?

It's always tough to leave characters who have come to feel like friends but in this case, I'm not going to leave them!  I'm delighted to say that I'm going to write the stories of the three Wilde sisters!  Readers will meet Em, Lissa and Jaimie in the Wilde Brothers books, and I'll have the absolute pleasure of  seeing to it that the three Wilde women meet three men who can win their hearts. Best of all, I'm going to write that new trilogy directly for e-publication.  Readers who want more information can get it by going to my website, and especially by signing up for my newsletter. I send one out before each new book.

5.  What one thing can you not live without while you are writing?

The internet.  I do huge amounts of research for my books.  I travel a lot and I never use a setting unless I've actually visited the city or country, except when I invent a place, like Altara, but the internet is where I turn for information about houses my people might live in, property they might buy, businesses they might run, etc.  It's also where I find informed people who are interested in letting me interview them, generally via email. I've 'talked' to lawyers, doctors, architects, realtors, translators… all sorts of people have been wonderfully helpful to me in my work.  Talking to experts is often vital. I like to get my facts rights.  being interviewed by me

6.  What was the last book by another author that you read?

The Racketeer, by John Grisham.  I'm a big fan of Grisham, John Sandford  and Robert Crais.  All three write novels of suspense but, basically, their books are character-driven.  For me, as a reader and as a writer, characterization is everything.

7.  What is the one piece of advice that you would give to new romance authors?

See my answer to the above question? What it really means is that I don't limit myself to reading only romance. I think too many romance writers see themselves strictly as romance readers.  I believe that the more you read good writers in other genres, the more you learn and the more your characters and settings come alive.

Week Three of the Fantasy Movie Vote

McKenna Mason results are in!  The winner of the poll was...  Emma Stone!  She held off a late charge by Rachel McAdams.

And now, we pick our favorite play Mohtadi Ali Rahman.  There are four choices listed below based on nominations from readers of the Bluegrass Series.  Feel free to leave your vote in the comments section or go to the facebook poll HERE to cast your vote.

Sendhil Ramamurthy
Arjan Bajwa
Oded Fehr
Sam Kalidi

Voting for Mo will continue until Thursday November 8th, 2012.  Check back next week for Dani's poll.  I am still taking nominations for the following:  Dani, Cole, and Paige.

Author Interview: Melody Anne

I'm beginning a new series of posts that feature a quick interview with other romance authors.  The first in the series is Melody Anne.  She is a wonderful friend and is a terrific author.  Her list of books is impressive and they are broken down in three series below in the order in which they should be read:

The Billionaire Bachelors Series
1. The Billionaire Wins the Game
2. The Billionaire’s Dance
3. The Billionaire Falls
4. The Billionaire’s Marriage Proposal
5. Blackmailing the Billionaire
6. Runaway Heiress
7. The Billionaire’s Final Stand

Baby for the Billionaire Series (aka The Tycoon Series)
1. The Tycoon’s Revenge
2. The Tycoon’s Vacation
3. The Tycoon’s Proposal

Midnight Fire Series
1. Midnight Fire
2. Midnight Storm

And now for the interview!

1. When is your next new release due out? 

My next release is out December 15^th, 2012. It’s the 4^th book in the Tycoon Series, titled “The Tycoon’s Secret”

2. You have just completed your Billionaire Bachelors series with The Billionaire's Final Stand.  How does it feel to have the series complete?

It’s a bittersweet feeling. I love the Anderson’s as if they’re a part of my actual family. I’ve gotten attached to these characters and don’t want to give them up. I actually miss Joseph when I work on other stuff. I know it sounds silly, but I love this family. They’ve been good to me J

3. Is there a new series on the horizon?  If so, tell us a little about it.

Yes, after I finish Damien’s story in The Tycoon’s Secret, I’ll be working on my heroes series, called “Because of Honor” The entire series is about heroes, the first being a fireman. These are men that grew up in wealth or achieved great wealth, but felt empty, felt a need to serve, so they walked away from the corporate world and now risk their lives. Of course they will find their happily ever after’s.

4. If you were to venture outside of contemporary romance genre and begin a completely new series, what genre what it be?

I’m so glad you asked this question!! I have a YA series called Rise of the Dark Angel, which I wrote for my teenage children. But, I’ve also been working on a horror book. It’s so completely opposite from my romances, it would probably shock my fans. I sent the first part of it to my editor, and she loved it, instantly demanding more, so I think I’ve got a good start on it. I don’t want to say a lot about it at this time, and I’m not sure if it will be a series. It wasn’t supposed to, but it’s grown. I may release it this next spring. It just depends on the timing. Some of its very difficult for me to write, emotionally. I do like it, though. I just hope my fans will, too. I know that I love all genres of books. I read everything from romance to fantasy, to horror. Stephen King and Nora Roberts are my idols in writing, and they are about as opposite as it gets.

5. What one thing can you not live without while you are writing?

While writing, I need silence. I know some people listen to music, but I need just silence. I usually put the fan on, and then sink into my own head. I do have a routine before I write, though, that I’ve noticed. I didn’t realize it until my husband was gone for the weekend. Each night, he comes and lies in bed, because until my office is complete my desk is still in my room. He turns on the dvd player, right now it’s House. I love that show. He’ll watch 1 or 2 episodes, and then go to sleep. While he’s doing that, I’ll check my email, play a game or two of SLINGO on Facebook. I love that game, then as soon as the TV goes off, I begin writing, and I stay up until about 7am. Sometimes a bit earlier, sometimes later. But when he was gone, I had a hard time getting started on my writing, and I realized it was because my routine was off.

6. What was the last book by another author that you read?

Hard question, it’s been a while. I read Ruth Cardello’s new release and loved it. I also read the latest Bluegrass Brothers new release when it was released. It’s been over a month since I’ve read an entire book, though, which makes me sad. I usually use my break times to catch up on email and Facebook. It’s just grown so much that it makes it really difficult for me to catch up on my reading. My kindle is overflowing with books that are crying to be read.

7. What is the craziest thing a guy has done to get your attention?

Bought me gold J I remember in high school, a boy I liked only as a friend, really liked me, and I was clueless about it. I was majorly into sports and didn’t even realize boys were cute until high school. I just wanted to play ball with them, not make-out. Well, my sophomore year, this boy, who shall remain nameless was doing all he could to catch my attention, and I just thought he was being a friend. I was taking an art class, and I needed gold to finish my ring. I didn’t have any, so he gave me a ride to a pawn shop, where I was going to try and buy some. It was too expensive, so I was bummed. The next day, he brings me a baggy full of gold chains. I STILL didn’t get it for a few more weeks that he liked me. I ended up falling head over heels in love with him. He was my first love, who I was with for several years. I still think about him. But we were young, and eventually went our separate ways. I was lucky enough to meet my husband a couple years later. He did some pretty impressive things to get my attention, too. He’s an incredible tailor, and made me two teddy bears. One pink and one blue. I still have them. I love big, romantic gestures.

Final Note from Melody Anne

I just want to add how much I love my fans, and how much I appreciate them. I enjoy my time each day of checking Facebook and seeing the wonderful posts from all of them. So many great people, who are so supportive. I love my job so much because of them. I get tears in my eyes when I see a great posts from someone or they tell me a book meant something to them. I love my job. I have the best one in the world, and I pray it never ends. I do answer all my posts and emails, though at times, it takes a little bit. It’s all me. I also love giving back to the people who support me, so please come join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authormelodyanne.

Thanks so much for taking time to visit with me today. It’s been a lot of fun!!

Operation Keeneston Winners Announced!

The two grand prize winners of the Operation Keeneston: Kindle/Nook Giveaway are:

Stephanie Johnson, currently stationed overseas.

Stephanie Johnson

Marcus Burke, currently on his second deployment and is stationed in Afghanistan.

Marcus Burke, Front Row Center

Congratulations to our two big winners and thank you to all the men and women who serve our country!

Operation Keeneston: Nook/Kindle Giveaway for Active Miliatry

This week the United States of America celebrates our Independence Day on July 4th. As a thank you to the U.S. active duty military for their service I (and all of the characters in Keeneston) want to give them a chance to win a Kindle Touch and a Nook Simple Touch!

The more you spread the word, the more chances there are to win! With every 50 entries we'll also give away a $25 gift card from either Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

Here are the rules: 
*Please active duty military only.
*The name, military address and email of the military member are required. 
*I understand that many military members are overseas and can't enter themselves, therefore it is acceptable for family and friends to enter their name for them.
*Please only one entry per military member. Multiple entries will be condensed into one in the case of multiple family or friends entering the same person.
*For every 50 entries we will give away a $25 gift card with a maximum of 10 cards given away.
*No purchase of my books are necessary to enter, but I wouldn't complain :)
*The drawing will take place Sunday, July 8th, at 8:00 PM ET and the winners will be emailed that night and their names posted on my blog and on my facebook page.
*If you send any pictures, you expressly acknowledge and agree to their use by Kathleen Brooks on her blog, website, facebook, twitter or any other media outlet. 
*Winners will be notified and all giveaways will be sent directly to the military member unless they specifically request otherwise.


Here's how to enter:
 Send an email to KathleenBrooksContest@gmail.com. In that email give the name, military address and email address of the active duty military member you are entering. 
If you want, and they would be appreciated, send a picture of the entrant on duty for me to post on my facebook page and on other media outlets. I will also post a picture of the winner when I announce the results of the drawing.
I will be reading each of the emails, so I'd love to hear how you are doing, where you are , and what you do there.
Thank you for entering and thank you for all your service!

Happy Memorial Day!

It's Memorial Day in Keeneston. American Flags flap in the wind on every lamp post up and down Main Street.  Red, white and blue ribbons decorate the town in remembrance and celebration of all our troops, past and presence, have done for us as a country.

I would like to take this chance and say thank you to all the men and women who has served our country. To my readers, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

   

 

Wow, What a Month!

It’s been a little while since I posted, so let me first say “THANK YOU!” to all of my readers.  During February, I experimented with Bluegrass State of Mind as a free book. I was able to reach nearly 80,000 new readers during that month. And many of you went on to read Risky Shot and Dead Heat. I have been on the top ten of eBook charts for Romance on Apple, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. I have even seen multiple books hit the #1 spot on those lists during February.

Basically, I feel like the luckiest writer in the world and I owe it all to you, the readers.

With more readers, I have gotten all kinds of feedback. Numerous fans have asked about future books set in Keeneston. You’ll be happy to hear that I am in the process of editing the first book in a new series now. The new book, Bluegrass Undercover, will be released in the end of March and features Paige’s brother, Cade Davies. Other fans have reached out to tell me what characters they relate to the most. I freely admit, these comments make my day every time they come in. You all are great!

At the same time, I have had a few comments about typos and proofreading mistakes. In the spirit of always seeking to improve, I have asked for outside help in the proofreading and editing process for all of my books. I currently have Bluegrass State of Mind being re-edited by a very knowledgeable woman with many years of experience in this area.  She will edit Bluegrass Undercover next to prevent delay in its release. Risky Shot and Dead Heat will follow closely behind.

I am very excited about the new Bluegrass Brothers series featuring the Davies brothers.  In anticipation of the release of my new series, I thought we could have a little fun. I invite you to submit the name and a short description of your own “Keeneston” on the Kathleen Brooks Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtag #MyKeeneston. And you can always leave your comments below. Have fun building your own perfect small town!

As I sign off to edit the final chapters of Bluegrass Undercover, I once again want to say “Thank You”. I couldn’t ask for better readers, bless your hearts! I wish you all Happy Reading!

Bluegrass State of Mind is Currently Free!

I am currently able to offer Bluegrass State of Mind for free in all formats!  This promotion has been available on some outlets for a little over a week.  I have seen a tremendous response on Apple's iBooks and I am starting to see similar with Barnes & Noble.  Bluegrass State of Mind spent nearly all of last week as the #1 free download out of all Romance on iBooks.  AND Risky Shot and Dead Heat have both been in the Top 5 of all Romance on iBooks.  I am beside myself with joy that so many people are trying, and continuing to follow the Bluegrass Series.  Each one of you has absolutely made my day...  scratch that, you have made my year!  Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!  I hope that you will pass along this blog entry to those you know.  2012 is shaping up to be a great year and I can't wait to see what else this year has in store.

Here are links directly to each site's listing of Bluegrass State of Mind:
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
Apple iBooks
Kobo eReader
Sony eReader
Smashwords

Thank you again!

An Opinion on the Amazon KDP Select Program

First, I am thrilled to see Amazon include independent authors in this program.  It is a definite sign of the times to see the market opening up so much for all who love to write.  Amazon Prime is set to be a big hit in the near future.  The program is able to pull more potential readers into the eBook market by promoting their movies, music, TV shows, and now books.  One yearly fee for access to so much is surely going to secure many more Amazon customers.

One of the stipulations is that the author exclusively lists the eBook in Amazon’s Kindle Store.  While Amazon has been a strong source of sales for me, I cannot ignore the success I have experienced on Barnes & Noble.  I have seen some authors talk about only selling 10% as much on Barnes & Noble as they have sold on Amazon, and therefore it’s not a big enough market for them to consider.  In contrast to those authors, 46% of my sales are derived from Barnes & Noble and other outlets like Kobo, Sony, and iBooks. It would be crazy for me to let down 46% of my readers just to have a chance at a small share of that $500,000 per month.

More importantly, I would be doing my readers a disservice if I took my books down from Barnes & Noble and other outlets. It would be a disservice to readers from Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, etc. who have taken the time to email me about how much they like my books. Why should I take my books away from them?  There are some creative ways to use a Nook tablet to download Kindle software.  But, if I told 46% of my readers that they had to go buy another device or hack their Nook Color, I am pretty sure we’d never see each other again. Furthermore, I have just enrolled in Operation E-Book Drop that offers my books for free to deployed active duty military through Smashwords. If I joined Amazon’s KDP Select Program, I would have to withdraw my support of this important program that I proudly support. I will gladly keep my books in the Kindle Store.  But for all of the reasons listed in this post, my books won’t be enrolled in the KDP Select program.

Readers are customers and they deserve quality customer service from the author.  That begins with access to your books.  I will keep my books listed with the online retail sites that ensure any reader can find the right format for their eReader.  A listing of each is here.

I applaud Amazon’s policy of inclusion for independent authors, but I must decline the invitation at this time.  Each of the readers that select my books are worth hanging on to. 

A Book for the Holidays

When I was in school, the last thing I wanted was a book for Christmas. In law school if I saw a book I would run screaming from the room. Try reading approximately 200 pages of law text a night and then see a book and say, "I want to read more!" Did. Not. Happen.

But, then something great happened. I passed the bar exam! I grabbed every book that I had not picked up for three years and toted them to the beach. I polished off eight books in six days.It was glorious.

Now I am so excited for Christmas because I hope for books under my tree and in my e-reader stocking. I love having other people buy me books, send me a book download (Amazon lets you purchase actual ebooks as gifts!), or through a Nook gift card. That means that person took the time to look through books for something they know I would like. It means a lot to me and it has the added benefit of experiencing something new.

Some of my favorite authors have been from a book that was given to me as a gift. My aunt will give me a different type of book than my mother-in-law and she'll give me a different kind of book than my best friend. You know why I love it so much? You find new authors, new books, and a new adventure with each one.

So, this year if you don't know what to get your best friend with her new Kindle or Nook, give her a book or books to build up her library on her new eReader! A thought for a gift - give a Kindle or Nook gift card with a list of books you recommend. Find your favorite books and pass them along - you never know what great new book you'll discover in return this holiday season!

Wishing you all a cup of hot cocoa, a warm blanket, a soft sofa, and a good book to curl up with this holiday season.

~Kathleen