"Legs" is FREE TODAY and tomorrow (3/20 and 3/21). Spread the news!

Go and get your free copy of Legs!

A sample from "Unfinished Business"

I'm very close to finishing, so here's a sample to keep you interested. Historical fiction with romantic elements, set in Boston in 1912:

Alone now, James looped through the memory of the morning meeting. Lilith's dress had been conservative, a high-necked white cotton Gibson Girl shirt and v-cut jacket made to emphasize broad shoulders Lilith lacked. The gray heather jacket, made of a fine cloth James couldn't afford even if he spent a year's salary, nipped in tight at the waist, her ribs narrowing to a point so simple in diameter that he wondered if he'd even need both hands to close the space. The three-quarters sleeves showed she was a modernite, not afraid to show wrist, and James wondered how free thinking she was in bed.

Her skirt dropped off from under the tight waist, made of a fine white materials that he thought was linen, as it was an off-white color and slightly wrinkled. Three horizontal stripes along the hem of the skirt, perfectly matching the heather tone of her jacket, finished the look. She was a fashion plate, but an odd mixture of old-fashioned Boston style and progressive dress.

The woman was as tiny as he was big. He was close to triple her weight, he assumed, and would just as well be able to eat her entire head as plant a passionate kiss on those poisoned lips. He wondered what she looked like without the armor, or wearing a simple, flowing silk dress. Again, arousal plagued him, and he cursed his lack of undergarments. The morning had been a blur of hangover and plying last night's woman from his bed, and in the rush to do his hair and find a presentable business suit he'd found himself without anything clean. The thick wool of his buttoned suit pants scratched against his hard bulge and he willed thoughts of Lilith Stone away, thinking instead of the night's lecture before him. Dr. David Burnham was in town, talking about Ellis Havelock's findings on the sexual invert and its importance in human development and society.

The erection lingered until he found himself on the edge of an enormous hole in the middle of the road, nearly pitching down a good twenty feet into an open sewer pit. That did the trick. Construction on the Charles River Dam had been ongoing for months now, and his bosses bemoaned the interference in the roads, making the commute to the office damn near impossible.

The water table rose and runoff from Beacon Hill flooded some of the lower parts of the Back Bay, leading to flooding. Getting from South Central Station to the common was hard enough. Avoiding these unmanned pits was harder. What wasn't hard, anymore, was the other brain James' body used for the wrong thoughts at the wrong times. He thanked God he hadn't absentmindedly fallen down that enormous hole, for he'd surely have broken a leg. Or worse. Such an ignominious way to harm oneself while being distracted by Lilith Stone.

Note: like that little dig at Seth? Heh.

A new review for Legs!

A month (or so) break isn't right, so pardon my absence. It's been an interesting month, for various reasons with which I will not bore you (but that include Hurricane Irene. I hate that bitch.).

I was wandering the Interwebz and found that Legs received a lovely review on The Paperback Pursuer blog! Read it here.

Six reviews for Legs on LibraryThing

Nice! If you haven't joined LibraryThing, it's totally worth it as an author and, of course, as a reader! Meet other people who share the same reading interests, get free copies of print and eBooks, and more.

Reviews for Legs are coming in!

Quirky-Gurl Media just gave Legs a 5-star review, and I've received a total of 11 reviews on Amazon: 5 five star reviews, 4 four star reviews, and 2 three star reviews.

Average: 4.5 stars.

Love it! Keep the reviews coming in! Feedback is important, and I'm wrapping up the prequel now, so I like to know what people think of Legs as I work on James and Lilith's story.

#1 Bestseller on Amazon! For...Chile travel books?

Take a look. Legs is, currently, the #1 bestseller for Chile travel books.

While that's GREAT, and a source of endless amusement, it's not really accurate. Gotta love Amazon's algorithms LOL.

So I've changed my book description and added it. Hey! We're NUMBER ONE in something!

:)

How to Upload and Sell eBooks on All Romance eBooks

So I asked around at Kindleboards and got some ideas and help from Courtney Milan, Jill Myles, Debora Geary and Liliana Hart.

That turned out to be easier than I thought! Legs on ARe.

A few minor hitches for anyone considering ARe:

1. You need an ISBN or just email ARe and they'll give you a 13-digit number you can use in lieu of the ISBN. Email them BEFORE you fill in your book forms and try to add the files! I wasted some time there LOL.

2. Your cover must be *exactly* 200 x 300. But...

3. if you're opting in for the iBookstore, THAT cover image must be *exactly* 453 x 680. So you need two cover image sizes to those exact specs.

4. Don't try uploading more than 2 file formats at a time.

5. The whole process is FAST. My book was available within 10 minutes, and I bought it, downloaded it, then checked my publisher report and saw the sale instantly. On a $.99 eBook my royalty is $.59. On Kindle it's $.35 and for Nook it's $.40.

And, UNLIKE NOOK, you can gift eBooks on ARe -- and the recipient can select the file format. Brilliant!

I'm very impressed overall. Calibre is great for converting to weird formats. So far I've done ePub, mobi, lit, prc and html. More to come!

Do You Buy from All Romance eBooks?

I'm contemplating selling Legs at All Romance eBooks. The site gets about 4 to 5 million hit per months, which is strong. I can upload and sell Legs in up to 9 different formats (ePUB, HTML, PDF, etc.), which I'm assuming helps with worldwide sales, people reading on uncommon eReaders, etc.

And, from an author's standpoint, the 60% royalty structure is enticing! I earn 35% on Kindle sales of Legs and 40% on Nook sales.

But here's my concern: will I go to all the work to provide different formats and only sell a few a month on ARe? Can romance readers chime in and let me know whether they buy on ARe? I'd LOVE to be part of the pack there, but this is a time/benefit analysis.

Readers, please weigh in!

p.s. One aspect of ARe I adore is that the author can assign heat levels to books, on a scale of 1-5! Readers looking for less heat or more heat (or smokin'!) can browse by this category. LOVE IT!

Legs is featured on Indie eBooks today

Indie eBooks is featuring Legs today on their site. Nadine Earnshaw interviewed me about the book -- loads of fun to think through how to explain why I chose to write about two star-crossed lovers, Chile, Toronto, and gushing!

Sales have quadrupled for my contemporary romance, Legs!

20 hours ago I lowered the price on Legs. Sales have quadrupled!

Now $.99 on Nook AND Kindle.

Sale! Legs now $.99 for a limited time

Check it out!

I'm a Kindlevangelist -- Are You?

This week I introduced 7 people to the joy of the free Kindle app for iPhone/PC/Mac/Android and -- yes! -- even Ubuntu. These are folks who said they couldn't read my book, Legs, because they didn't own a Kindle.

All have gone on to read my book and to download free and paid eBooks from Amazon, all because I spread the word and taught them how to use the free apps. One person even bought a Kindle (she'd been on the fence and I tipped her over).

This got me thinking about the fear that Amazon will somehow close the doors (or create significant barriers) for self publishing. I don't think it will happen, precisely because of "Kindlevangelism." Whether you publish and sell 10 books a month, or publish and sell 10,000, every single writer who published on Kindle will, at least once, teach a person how to download the free software for Kindle, thus opening Amazon's customer base.

Amazon pays nothing for our marketing their products for them. We do it out of self interest. Even if we don't sell a single eBook, the new customer we introduce to the Kindle technology represents business development. So why would they cut off their own unpaid force of authors who do this for them?

Amazon might add a small fee (a few dollars per title, for instance) or take other measures to weed out true spam books. But the brilliance of making eBook publishing open to all is that Amazon has turned us all into Kindlevangelists, converting non-eReader users one person at a time.

I haven't become a Nookevangelist, however, because somehow that just sound dirty. What's a good word for spreading the good word about the free Nook app? Leave your ideas in the comments. Best name wins a free copy of my book ;)

Free romance eBook giveaway! Get your copy of Legs!

Legs is now live on Kindle and on sale for $2.99!

If you're reading this and want a FREE copy, email your Kindle email address (your Amazon account email under which you buy and download Kindle eBooks) to aromanceofthebody@gmail.com.

I'll gift you a free copy of Legs. All I ask in return is an honest review posted on Amazon :)

The first 25 readers who email me get a copy!

New blurb for Legs

Legs will be fully live on Kindle sometime today. Here's my new blurb (description):

A chance encounter on a mundane morning bus commute leads history scholars Jill Knowles and Seth Hines into a spontaneous, uninhibited romantic encounter that leaves both reeling -- and destined for more.

Determined to become a respected historian in her field, Jill's entire career path is thrown off by a love that seems like deja vu. Meanwhile, Seth has wanted Jill since the first day they met, nearly two years ago. When she makes the first, unexpected move he leaps -- and falls far harder than he ever planned.

But Seth has a secret that will keep them apart, and when Jill finds out she turns her razor-sharp mind against him by day, yet channels her anger into passion-filled nights. Archives in Toronto, Canada and Santiago, Chile hold the key to their reunion, but Jill and Seth may be too late when each discovers the same century-old secret that could bring them together -- or tear them apart forever.

Fans of "Dead Again," "Somewhere in Time" and Possession may enjoy the ride as as Legs covers three continents, two centuries, and one fiery journey of two souls destined to make history together.

Legs is a full-length novel of 50,000 words with two excerpts at the end: a preview of a prequel for Legs, and a section from Arms, the next book in the "A Romance of the Body" series.

What say you? Comments, praise, and rotten tomatoes all gratefully accepted.

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

Legs is now crunching through the grinder, making its way into a Kindle eBook right now. Within 24 hours or so it will be officially up and ready for purchase. Stay tuned! Pisco sours on me!

Sample from Chapter 8 of Legs

So here's a nice sample from Chapter 8 of Legs:

She was so tired – tired of holding it together, tired of all work, no play, tired of second-guessing how she handled things with Seth, and just tired of carrying the weight of the Munson grant on her shoulders, the expectations it brought with the award. In a quiet voice she spilled the whole story, going back to Joe's leaving her, Seth's interest, their bus encounter, the two months they spent together, his omission, and her disappearance and move to Toronto. When she mentioned Seth's moving to Chile Toby had started to say something, then stopped and let her resume her story.

“Damn, Jill, you're hardcore!” he said when she was done, his baritone resonating in his chest, her ear pressed against his neck. He pulled back from her and she could see he was surprised and a bit befuddled, as if she'd destroyed an impression he had of her.

Toby shifted in his seat, hugged her again, and asked, “How's that? Feeling better?” She nodded and he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. The affection startled her and she pulled back, suddenly aware of the physical change in their relationship. Faltering, she started a sentence a few times and then finally blurted out, “I can't, Toby. I can't.”

A confused look filled his eyes. “It's just, you're really wonderful, but I'm not looking for anything-”

He held his hand up in a gesture that said 'stop' and answered, “If you think I'm hitting on you, then let's just get this out of the way. I'm more your ex-fiance's type than yours, honey.” He crossed his arms and let the words sink in.

“You're gay?” she asked.

“Yes, Captain Obvious. I am. But apparently you're not, and I was getting a little Gold Star lesbian vibe off you, you know? What good is a gay man with broken gaydar?”

Belated Winner Announcement!

Life intervened and my blog didn't make the cut. Now life is calmer, so here we go. Congratulations to a reader from Massachusetts for winning Bella Andre's Candy Store. Enjoy!

I'm busy editing Legs, which has an official publication date of June 10-11 now! My Monday Review Contest is suspended until Legs goes out - the only book I'm reading these days is my own!

Bella Andre's Success Story as an Indie Publisher

The Washington post has a 5-page article about Bella Andre (pseudonym for Nyree Belleville) and her success with indie publishing. After flat sales in print, Belleville turned to Kindle in Spring 2010 and, now, is earning a healthy 5 figures per month as she uses her backlist and new books to make outstanding sales.

I want to be her.

Well, my version of her.

Belleville's is not an overnight success story. Years of print publishing, using fan mail to contact fans to help promote new books, developing a strong social media platform -- Belleville puts in the hard work.

She also writes 6,000 words per day, which I've done. My brain is currently on vacation on the Croatian island of Hvar, desperately working to recover. I can't imagine 6K/day ongoing, but if she can do it, my hat's off to her.

This is why so many romance writers are entering indie publishing. Read the entire article. It gives the ins and outs of this new frontier and also stresses that there is no happily ever after guarantee. But there is a new option, and taking the risk is key.

(Plus there's a picture of Jimmy Thomas in there. The photos from my cover for Legs are from his stock image site!)

I loved her book Candy Store - and just realized that I'll review it, here, tomorrow!

First Chapter of Legs - Sample!

OK, so here goes:

Chapter 1

The heels of her buttoned boots caught in the crevices between cobblestones as she erratically click-clacked her way down an unnamed street. Her corset felt like a vice and although she increased her pace, she seemed to be walking through water, her feet clawing the rocky bottom of a clear lake. A thin wrist reached up to check her hat and adjust the pin, the feather damp and limp now as the fine mist slowly turned to a full deluge, the incongruity of bright sunshine and sheets of rain giving the stone-lined street with its row houses and gas lamps the feel of an impressionist painting.

Spine stiff and straight, she walked faster, cursing herself for failing to bring an umbrella but tucking the thought away. A slight smile played on her lips as she thought of him, and she willed her tiny feet to walk faster, each step closing the gap of thousands of miles, a journey she'd begun weeks before. The long buildings sectioned into row houses with differing facades, some a pale stone with black iron detailing and others with painted wood exteriors, offered no asylum from nature's wrath. She would appear before him with the countenance of a drenched match girl. He would have to help her out of her wet clothes to prevent a case of the chills. The thought aroused her, but she kept her face set like a stone statue, neutral and unyielding.

Beggars reached toward her and asked for money in a foreign language she didn't know yet spoke fluently, and at one point she stopped a man in uniform and asked for directions to a building. The police officer replied and she thanked him, changing direction and seeing the church steeple, knowing her destination was just around the corner. Soon she spotted the grey stone building, the thick wooden door, and she walked into the lobby, a feeling of relief and excitement blending at once in her chest.

She asked at the reception desk for James' room. Without warning, as if time fast-forwarded, she was in front of a door, knocking. The door slowly inched backward and a gorgeous Latina woman with long, black, wavy hair answered, her skin the color of fine, pure spun silk, red lips lush with smudged makeup and chafed from activity.

Next she saw her face in an enormous mirror edged with color, her eyes wild and mouth twisted in a tortured expression, a chandelier glittering in the backdrop. But the face wasn't hers; it was a small-boned blond woman, with red-rimmed China-blue eyes and a sharp jaw, her wet hat hanging on an unkempt hairdo by a loose pin. Her heart slammed in her chest and she clawed at her collarbone, digging through the fabric of her bodice to find air.

Suddenly she was running back down the street, holding up skirts and struggling on the cobblestones, running and not caring that she made a scene as onlookers stared. Tears streaked her face and she found a small park bench many blocks away and sat and cried until a small child placed his filthy hand on her gloved arm, offering her a sweet in his other hand.

A ragged sob filled her lungs, and that was the point in the dream when Jill woke up every night.

Legs has a COVER!

I've started the next book in the series, Arms, while I wait for edits on Legs. Then life becomes an intriguing mixture of writing the second book while editing/revising the first, then getting the cover going for the second while getting a revised draft for Legs out to a bunch of beta readers, with a goal of May (May 31 at 11:59 p.m. counts as "May," no?).

I'm thoroughly enjoying this process.

And here's a larger pic for your enjoyment: