Research, Relaxation, and Meditation

In this week's episode of Bound by Books, Authors Tina Moss and Hannah Byron are talking about their writing process and how that affects their reading habits. Find out how they research their books, and what led Tina to read 150 sci-fi romance books. Discover what Hannah and Tina do for relaxation when they’re not writing their latest novel. And Hannah shares how she gave herself the chills when writing a scene for her current work in progress.

 

Click on the picture below to listen.

Bound by Books Podcast - Goblin Kings and Reverse Harems

Today's podcast features me and Tina Moss. Tina is a USA Today Bestselling Author of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and sci-fi romance. 

 

This week we're talking about indie publishing, writing our first novels, and how TikTok has changed the direction of Tina's upcoming projects.

 

Click on the picture below to listen.

Cover Reveal For Boys In Blue

 

 

 

Are you looking for an alpha hero? Follow two law enforcement officers as they find love in the most unexpected places. 

  

Crossing the Line 

  

A widower who’s still mourning the loss of his wife, Paul Daniels isn’t looking for love. He’s a single dad, and he’s content to raise his little girl on his own. What he didn’t expect was the change that would occur when Megan moved in to help him take care of his daughter. Thirteen years his junior, she’s full of life. She’s brought joy back into his home and has him craving things he thought had died long ago. Can he open himself up and find love again, or will the past continue to haunt him? 

  

*** 

  

Seducing Janey 

  

Kyle Reed left the Army to take care of his younger sister after the death of their parents. He gave up his carefree life as a bachelor and settled into a new career as a sheriff’s deputy in their small town of Liberty, Indiana. When his boss asks him to show a city detective around, he wasn’t expecting a blonde bombshell. He knew the moment he saw Janey there would be more to their story than solving a murder.  

  

  

These two sexy Law Enforcement romances will have you wanting to curl up with these Boys in Blue.

 

What I'm Currently Reading #FridayReads

 

I'm stretching out of my comfort zone this week with Code Black by Tina Moss. This is a paranormal shifter romance surrounding a government agency similar to the FBI, but for non humans.

 

Gossip mag reporter Sera Benenati knows a thing or two about unearthing secrets...and burying them.

As an unregistered supernatural, her freedom depends on keeping her fire-wielding abilities contained.

Yet the threat of a little flame isn’t enough to snuff out her journalistic pursuits. She’s determined to claw her way to the top and land a spot with a real paper.

When she tracks a lead on a string of gruesome paranormal murders to the small town of Buckhorn, Arizona, she’s certain she’s landed the perfect scoop. But as the crime scene reveals victims with bite marks, torn flesh, and battered bodies, Sera may have smoked out more than she can burn.

As the investigation grows hot and Sera winds up in the crosshairs, she’ll need the help of a sexy shifter, special agent Talon Rede, to unmask the murderers before she becomes the next victim.

 

 Amazon

Finding Writing Time #WriterWednesday

I've been publishing novels for the last ten years and writing stories for about twelve. The biggest challenge for me is finding time to write and I know that's a struggle for many authors and aspiring authors.

 

When I first started writing, I used to stay up till one or two o'clock in the morning typing away at my keyboard. That worked well for me until my husband transitioned from working for someone else to working for himself. This required a major shift for me and meant that I would not only have less time to write, but also that I couldn't stay up until all hours of the night either.

 

After years of trial and error, I've realized the biggest thing is consistency. 

 

Oh, and don't worry about what other writers are doing. You do you. 

 

Can't carve out three hours to write every day? That's okay. If writing for thirty minutes a day is all you can do, then do it. 

 

 

The important thing is getting those words in. I know authors who get up early in the morning before their kids wake up just so they can write. There are others who hold down a full time job and spend their lunch breaks huddled in a corner with their laptops.

 

For me, I've found the best time to write these days comes in the morning. Before I even eat my breakfast, I sit down on the couch with my laptop and write for at least thirty minutes. Some days I get 1,000 words in. Other days I'm lucky to get 500. Either way, I've made progress that's working toward my goal of finishing the book. For me, that's a win.

 

Is there a specific time of day when you like to write?

Announcing A New Podcast

 

 

 

Check out the debut episode of a brand new podcast.

 

Bound by Books is hosted by 5 authors who write in multiple genres. Each week two of the five authors will chat about writing, reading, and all things book related. Get a sneak peak of what we're working on, and a behind the scenes look at what goes into being an a author.

 

In this week's episode, I'm chatting with author Danielle Bannister. She writes a variety of genres from YA to steamy contemporary to paranormal. Find out how each of us started writing and the connection we never knew we had. 

Episodes go LIVE every Monday at noon Eastern Standard Time (New York, NY). 

 

Click HERE to listen to this week's episode of Bound by Books!

 

 

Cover Reveal Coming Soon #BoysInBlue

 

I can't wait to share the cover of the Boys In Blue Box Set with you on May 17th. 

Mark your calendar!

How to Find A Good Editor #WriterWednesday

You get what you pay for.

 

This phrase is tossed around in a lot of industries, and for the most part it's true. If you purchase a refrigerator for $5,000.00,  you'd expect it to be of better quality than one you purchased for $1,000.00. 

 

But with editors, this isn't always the case. 

 

I've seen editors who charge top dollar for their services, but aren't as good as those who charge half as much. Even degrees don't always broadcast the quality of an editor. In school, they teach how to edit research papers, not usually genre fiction. These are two separate animals and unless you want your book to read like a textbook, you probably don't want it edited like it's a science book.

 

So how do you find a good editor?

 

1) Ask around. Find out from other authors in your genre who they use.

 

2) Do your research. If the editor has a website or Facebook page, they will often have books listed there that they've worked on. Head over to Amazon, read over the sample, and see how well edited the book is.

 

3) Ask for a sample edit. Once you've narrowed it down to 2-3 editors, contact them and ask if they can provide you with a sample edit. This is usually either 1,000 words up to the first chapter of your novel. Editors do not typically charge for this, and it will give you a good idea of what type of work  you can expect from that particular editor.

 

Finding a good editor does take some work, but it's worth it. You wouldn't want to go into a store and buy a chair only to find out one of the legs is a little shorter than the other. In the same respect, readers don't want to purchase a book and begin reading only to find the story riddled with typos and missing words. You want to give the reader the best experience possible. You want them to get lost in the story and nothing can pull a reader out of a story faster than a badly edited book.