Day: February 4, 2014

Book Brief: Just Sophie

just sophieJust Sophie
by Susan Marmo
Genre: Historical Romance
Word count:78,500

Of all the things Montana rancher Bryce Fontaine expected to find hiding in his hayloft, a disheveled, beauty with sensuous freckles and blazing red hair, was not one of them.

The terrified, yet feisty girl was obviously running away from something. Bryce ignores his past demons and listens to the undeniable and unsuspecting pull of his heart toward Sophie. He takes charge of protecting Sophie from the man she claims murdered her family and is threatening to force her into a marriage bordering on sexual slavery.

The love they find for each other proves to be stronger than the uncertainties of their future as they bind together to defeat the monster that pursues them.

Surprises abound in this fast paced love story that will keep you spellbound until the last page.

This book is available from Amazon US and Amazon UK. Continue reading “Book Brief: Just Sophie”

The 1,000 Words A Day Project

typing smileyLast year I wrote and published three new books. I also taught a self-publishing workshop, spoke at numerous writers groups and festivals, gave a couple of talks at libraries, and I did a couple of book signings too. I thought I’d had a fairly productive year until I read Russell Blake’s recent blog. Russell has published twenty-five books in the past thirty months. I read one of his books last year; it was a good book.

My output is pretty good. I’ve had days where I’ve produced five thousand words but I’ve also had days where I’ve dogged it and produced zero words. When it’s “Go Time” and I need to complete a project I work day and night, so I know I can get the job done. But, I’m inconsistent. I have two new books and a revision of an existing book that I’m hoping to release in 2014. Those are commitments that I’ve made to readers and I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to fulfill them. Granted, the muse isn’t always smiling, and that could potentially be a problem and hold me back, but I can usually find a way around that. My old writing teacher Ed Griffin used to tell me there is no such thing as writer’s block. Ed says that writing is a job and you just need to sit and get it done. I tend to agree with him. No matter how uninspired I’ve felt, when I really need to I can usually produce some fairly acceptable content. So, as I was planning my 2014 schedule I made a decision – I’m going to write a minimum of 1,000 words a day. Every day. No matter what. Continue reading “The 1,000 Words A Day Project”

IU Named Among Six Great Blogs for Indie Authors

6 Great BlogsWe are very pleased to share the news that Indies Unlimited has been named in Publishers Weekly to a list of six great blogs for indie authors.

The article, by Betty Kelly Sargent, features blogs with “… passion on the part of the creator, extensive knowledge of all aspects of self-publishing, consistency, and clean, clear, entertaining prose.”

The other blogs honored include some of our perennial faves: The Book Designer, The Passive Voice, Jane Friedman, The Creative Penn, and No Rules Just Write.

Of course, Indies Unlimited is more than just the fevered dream of a lone evil mastermind brought to fruition. We would not be what we are today except for the talent and dedication of my partner, award-winning novelist and photographer, K.S. “Kat” Brooks, and the able assistance of our associate editor, Laurie Boris.

No blog can accomplish anything without a lot of high-quality content. Our staff contributors have given Indies Unlimited the certain je ne sais quoi we enjoy. Guest contributors also provide valuable and informative content.

Most importantly, we want to thank YOU. Thank you for making the occasional donation, for sharing our links around the internet, for engaging, and for spending part of your valuable time with all of us. Without you, our readers, none of this could happen.

Be sure to check out the whole article at Publisher’s Weekly.

Are You Meeting Your Readers’ Expectations?

confusedUnless you write fiction for the sole purpose of personal fulfillment, you probably hope other people will read your work. When you publish a story, you are setting up a kind of contract between you and your reader. For the investment of the reader’s time and money, you agree to provide a satisfying reading experience. Of course, your definition of “satisfying” may vary, depending on what you like to read, and I’m not here to judge you. I’m here to tell you that as writers, we are communicating. Successful communication requires not just the delivery of a message but also for the recipient to understand the message. Okay, now that I’ve boiled down my expensive college education into one sentence, we can move on. Continue reading “Are You Meeting Your Readers’ Expectations?”