31 January 2010

still time to register for EPICon

Registrations close Feb 5th, and this is a year not to be missed. Look at the line-up for this year so far. For more information, visit http://www.epic-conference.com/index.html

C.T. Adams
Maria Allaire, M.A.
Melanie Atkins
Darrell Bain
Pauline Baird
Laura Baumbach
Marci Baun
Ally Blue
Heather Bolinger
Sean Brennan
Lisa Brennan-Webb
Jim and Zetta Brown
Jade Buchanan
Corina Calsing
Patrick Calsing
Dawn Chartier
Lorna & Larry K. Collins
Lisa Cordeiro
Lynn Crain
Debbie Dalme'
Kristin Daniels
Kimberley Dehn
Debra Dixon
Jolie duPre
Russell Fee
Sutton Fox/Twyla Hart
Nick
Genovese
Mary Lynn Hansel
Peg Herring
Ann Hinnenkamp
Jenni Holbrook
Holly Jacobs
Deidre Knight
Deborah LeBlanc
Laurie Larsen
Stephen LaFevers
Ilena Lolder
Lynn Lorenz
Brenna Lyons
Kim McDougall
T. D. McKinney
Linda McLaughlin
Judy McMaster
Marilyn Meredith
Jet Mykles
Kathleen Nordstrom
Gloria Oliver
Kat O'Shea
Charlotte Parker
Janet Quinn
Rick Reed
Daniel J. Reitz, Sr.
Linda Rettstatt
Judith Rochelle
Allie Standifer
Debi Sullivan
Kathryn Sullivan
Sara Thacker
Danielle Thorn
Janet Lane Walters
J. L. Wilson

30 January 2010

NEW ART!


Coming Feb 2010 from Logical-Lust!


FREE books and 50% off further sales!

Last Chance for Love (book one of Kegin) and Night Warriors (book one of the series) are BOTH FREE until tomorrow night. So, be sure to grab your free copy.

In addition, ARe http://www.allromanceebooks.com/ and OmniLit http://omnilit.com/ is offering a massive sale this weekend. This weekend, you can get 50% off all e-books using the code SBTBARe1 Happy reading!

Brenna

27 January 2010

NEW REVIEW in on Bride Ball!

New review in!

"Love, love, LOVE this story! The story flew towards the eminently and wholly satisfying end and it was a perfect length. It was also a much deeper, richer and very involving story than I had expected. Brenna Lyons is a multi-published author whose books I’d not been acquainted with, an oversight very quickly to be rectified! Bride Ball is, first and foremost, a riveting romance and it is also an extremely well-told story of greed, manipulation and, in some cases, almost obscene machinations. That’s due to a couple of quite evilly wicked, rather than delightfully wicked, characters. I actually read this book straight through ~ thank heavens I didn’t have any commitments ‘cause I would have totally ignored them in my quest to devour this wonderfully sexy and beautifully heart-warming story. If you’ve never read anything by Brenna Lyons I would suggest that this is an excellent book with which to start your acquaintanceship. If you are a fan of Ms. Lyons then you have probably already read Bride Ball. And I congratulate you!"

Reviewed by Kathy K. for Ebook Addict

26 January 2010

Guest Blogging!

Don't miss Shelley Monro's blog today and tomorrow, where I'll be talking about working for multiple publishers!

25 January 2010

NEW REVIEW!

Review Link
Story: 8.5*
Presentation: 9*
Total: 17.5

What little girl didn't love the story about Cinderella when she was young? Well, now as grown women we can have our own version....an adult version :) Good characters, great bad guys (err girls), super sex and a great spin on the classic tale......with some extra thrown in there. I enjoyed all three parts in this book and have to say that the way the author gave them to us was cool. All angles were covered and I didn't feel like I was being left in the dark. Congrats Ms Lyons, on a job well done. I can't wait to read more from you :)

*Scoring

Story Rating Scale – reflects the quality of the story
10 – Perfection!
9 – Lifetime Keeper to be read and reread.
8 – Excellent, solid storytelling. A book you can’t put down.

Presentation Rating Scale – reflects the quality of the publisher
9-10 – Cover, editing and overall book is spectacular

Wahoo! And a big thank you to Seriously Reviewed.

Brenna

20 January 2010

NEW RELEASES!

Now, from ARe... 100% of the sale price of this book goes to charity! ARe has graciously donated their cut, as well.

Coming Together: Into The Light, including "Foundling"- This charity anthology will benefit V-Day, fighting the epidemic of violence against women! Authors and editors take no portion of the profits from this endeavor.

"Foundling"- From the Instinct Series... Mannias is soon to be alpha of his pack, and he wants Vahlrae as his mate. She is weak, unable to perform the slightest shift toward her wolf form, unable to sense as the others do. But when mating calls, her shortcomings don't matter.

HEA-yes, VIOLENCE-moderate/high, LANGUAGE-moderate, SEX-sensual

Cover art created by Debi Lewis


Bride Ball- Welcome to Lenvia, where the young prince has been given a year to choose a wife or have one chosen for him. Hoping for a desperate family to send an innocent into the fray, Edward arranges a series of Bride Balls--outrageous sexual events--and a willing decoy in his bid to find someone who loves him for himself and not his crown. Enter Amber, daughter of a dead lord on his beloved mistress, a servant in her own household. When her irrepressible grandmother pushes her to find a husband or lover to protect her from the wrath of her step-mother, Amber loses more than her virginity...but it’s not a glass slipper that the prince has to track her with. The race is on. Before these two are through, more than one couple may find their way through the traps of poison, lies, and no-win choices forged at a long ago Bride Ball and left to fester through two generations of the royal family.

HEA-yes, VIOLENCE-mild, LANGUAGE-moderate, SEX-erotic

Now available from Phaze!

Cover Art by Debi Lewis


19 January 2010

5 Cherries for TYGERS!


"Tygers is a hard hitting psychological thriller with an amazing array of characters, plot and drama. The paranormal twist is as devious and sinister as any intrigue lover could wish. When the book started, I was a bit confused because there are a lot of people being introduced and it seemed awfully busy. There’s a reason for that and it gradually becomes clear as the story progresses. If you remember the original series, Star Trek, and the reference to the Red Shirts, then you will understand what to expect. You just won’t know who or when or -- and this is the creepy part -- how. The conflict is bizarre, nefarious, evil and downright nasty. Because Ms. Lyons wove the intrigue, the clues and the hints of truth throughout the book, I don’t feel right in discussing it in a review. You are going to have to wade through the emotion, the shocks and the diabolical conspiracy like I did. When all is revealed, you’ll get that ‘Wow, that was freaky!’ moment too. And be glad it’s only fiction. When Katie and Keith do get together, I mean this story does have a wonderful and complete happy ever after, they are smokin’ hot. Ms. Lyons peppers Tygers with an amazing cast of secondary characters that rivals any Hollywood script. Every person plays a role, serves a purpose and forwards the plot movement with nothing wasted or gratuitous. It’s a well crafted tale, with dialogue and descriptives worthy of high praise. I would greatly recommend Tygers to any reader who seeks a book which encompasses intense plot and intelligence, suspense, passionate characters, mystery and a unique paranormal element to sweeten the pot."

Reviewed by Xeranthemum for Whipped Cream Reviews 5 Cherries!

18 January 2010

New review!

"This was a well thought out story and I thought it would be straightforward. I was wrong. While Robin was happy with Zach, their sex lives were frustratingly vanilla. Robin craved more and when she approached David she got more than she anticipated. While trying to keep their relationship a secret to avoid conflict with the family, both wishes their relationship were real. But a secret like this is just begging to be let out, and since it’s Christmas, wishes can come true."

Reviewed by Chris for Night Owl Romance 4.5 Stars - Recommended Read!

16 January 2010

Remember-only three weeks left!


For what? To register for EPICon. Honestly, this year is not to be missed. Not only will we be in beautiful NOLA, but we've got a star-studded group of presenters this year. We've had one or two stars other years, but if you look at the line-up this year, it's downright amazing.

CT Adams
Debra Dixon
Holly Jacobs
Deidre Knight
Deborah LeBlanc
Maria Allaire, M.A.

It's going to be well worth the money and more, thanks to Charlotte Parker and her committee.

The convention will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans (Canal St) on March 4-7. In addition to full con memberships ($225 for members and $255 for non-members), we have arrangements for single-day memberships (with or without food), ala carte meals (for non-writing family members along for the ride) or banquet/awards ceremony only, and a special New Voices Young Writer's Track that runs 9-5 on Saturday ($40 and that includes lunch). Our hotel rates are more than a third off the standard rate for the Sheraton...$139 for single or doubles and $164 for triples per night.

For more information, visit the convention site at...
http://www.epic-conference.com/index.html

Brenna

14 January 2010

NEW REVIEWS!

Joyfully Reviewed

"I enjoyed the very modern flavor since it didn’t detract from anything. It allowed for sly humor and sexually charged scenes within the plot. Ellie is a contemporary heroine which means she’s clever, uninhibited, strong-willed, and not a doormat for her nasty step relations. The hot-blooded detective took me by surprise admittedly, while catering to all the men-in-uniform fantasies. Ellie’s fairy godfathers are marvelous! Angus, Marcus, and Liam are mystery, mayhem, and miraculous. Ms. Lyons does a superb job at not clumping them together by developing unique characteristics for each one.

"There’s loads of fun times, adult humor, and it goes without saying, sparkles. Who can resist sparkles, I ask you? The darker elements aren’t down played either. The Grimm stories were never intended for children, so you don’t escape the more gruesome and violent aspects. The approach is sophisticated, mirroring the criminalities of what you might see in the local paper. Questions and answers surround the pursuit of true happiness; it comes down to how our choices affect us, the future and our children. As a featured mainstay in the narrative, it reminds us of the price we pay for selfishness and for dismissing the gifts of love and sacrifice. This delightful gem gets top marks for presentation, originality, and chocolate-lava-cake-devilish-yumminess!"


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Whipped Cream

"Conquering the lost lover/spouse/partner theme without teetering too far into the darker, more despondent undertones is tricky. Oftentimes, it’s difficult to fall for the current hero and/or heroine if they are overshadowed by a shadow lingering in the pages. Fortunately, author Brenna Lyons has combined acceptance and loss, creating a stable place for the protagonists to come together and move forward with their lives.
Align CenterIt’s apparent that both David and Robin loved Zach – his brother and her fiancĂ©e – but instead of being something they can’t move past, it’s written so that you ache with them – not necessarily for them. The chemistry between Robin and David is burn-the-tips-of-your-fingers hot, and sex scenes will have you melting in the reading chair. I love Ms. Lyons style of writing, as well as her ability to bring emotion to the page – even as she kicks up the heat. Don’t miss this engaging and thoroughly enjoyable read. Be sure to put All I Want For Christmas Is You on your TBR list."
Reviewed by Fern for Whipped Cream Reviews 4.5 Cherries!

12 January 2010

two piracy posts in a day?

Apparently... Grinning... First, there is a wonderful article by the New York Times. I'm usually at odds with them over the industry, but they really pleased and surprised me with this article! This is solid journalism...balanced, realistic, and timely. Kudos to the Times!

Oh, and don't forget to answer their questions at this link. I'll even share what I answered their questions to start off the conversation.

1. I would absolutely pay to read online content like your news stories. I would be willing to pay three-quarters of the paper cost of the newspaper, as a subscription if I use it often or the single day amount (which would get me unlimited read of that day’s news) to check out articles others tell me about.

Why that amount? I know that the costs of producing the content, including paying editors and journalists, as well as the costs of maintaining the site, are still there. What you’re missing are the costs of printing, shipping, and returns…as well as physical archiving in a warehouse setting. So, 25% reduction in print price is reasonable to me.

2. Absolutely not. The government is involved enough in spin doctoring. No further hold on the American media should be allowed, IMO. The government’s only involvement should be in prosecuting digital infringement, as they would for physical goods that are pirated or faked.

3. Anytime there is a heavy reliance on ad money, there is the possibility of interference in the journalistic medium. What do I mean by that? If your largest advertiser has a certain political agenda and threatens to remove the ad income the newspaper depends on, will the newspaper bite the bullet and tell them where to get off or knuckle under? I’d like to say the former, but I’ve seen the latter. For that reason, I absolutely feel a micropay system is infinitely better than high reliance on advertising dollars.


What is the web’s impact on creativity? As an author, I am seeing midlist authors and indie authors refused new contracts, because books that have downloaded illegally tens of thousands of times (more than enough to save their contracts, if they had sold instead of pirated) didn’t sell enough to keep the author on tap. I’m seeing authors giving up writing, because they are tired of making a pittance while their books are pirated across the globe, and they are tired of fighting pirates as a part-time or full-time endeavor and seeing the books show up again within 48 hours, often from the same pirate that the sites refuse to remove. Worse…seeing the book pirated within 24 hours of release. Or they see eBay or iOffer pirates illegally SELLING copyrighted work.

Believe it or not, the only ones getting rich in this game are the blockbuster authors, like Nora Roberts, Stephen King, and others of their ilk. They are one in a million, literally. The indies and NY midlist (even those that make the bestseller lists) are often holding a day job, because writing brings in so little. The indies do not have boards of directors. They don’t have investors. They are often 1-3 man teams who are hurting as much as the authors are. They aren’t money-grubbing corporate types, like the pirates like to attest. Often, an indie author or NY midlist author without a day job is only without one, because he/she is disabled or caring for small children or disabled relatives. These are the people being hurt by piracy.

And beyond even the lowlifes selling someone else’s work illegally… I’ve seen pirates selling free reads, which have permission granted to pass for free but not for monetary gain. Which means they are ripping off the other readers they claim to be helping.

And I’ve seen pirates heisting charity anthologies that are meant to help people who have lost everything in fires or hurricanes, autistic children, cancer victims, abused women, premature babies, and other worthy causes. The authors aren’t making a thin dime there. Only the charity does. How can these people live with themselves?

I am seeing misinformation and mob mentality spreading like wildfire. To be honest, I am relieved when I encounter reasonable people who want to pirate moderately…just sharing a single copy with a friend, not selling my work illegally, not using pirate hotbeds to pass my work to thousands at a shot, not lying about what the laws actually say to dupe others, not passing viruses and worms or stealing identity or otherwise using malware and spyware, willing to go to bat and explain to the lawmakers what they feel is wrong with the laws…and so forth. I’m even more stoked to encounter someone who really doesn’t know what the laws say and — in either case — is willing to hold a reasonable discussion. Because these people are not the threat to my income and IP. They are the sorts of things Lanier envisioned, all those years ago.

Neither do I have a problem with people doing things the Millennium is against, if it is done to access a book legally purchased FOR THE CONSUMER’S OWN USE. That’s right. If a blind person wants to break DRM to have software read an e-book to her, I support it. Not that most of my books are DRMd to being with, but... If someone breaks DRM solely for the purpose of backing up his own legally-purchased e-books, I support it. It is when the hack or hacked copy is passed along that I stand with Millennium. Otherwise, I am supportive of anything that allows an honest, paying reader to access my work, at the reader's comfort and convenience level.

Back to the subject… I prefer reasonable people and try to be reasonable in return. The alternative are the ones who feel entitled to take whatever they want and justified in doing so, no matter who and what they have to lie about to get to that justification. There is no arguing with that type, small a percentage as they seem to be in discussion, thank goodness. But believe me, one of this type does more damage to my bottom line than a hundred of the more reasonable ones lumped together.

I am seeing thousands of copies of my work passing every month, while all I can do is try to slow it down with a completely unresponsive and clueless government in the wings, claiming they are doing good. Clue arriving. They have switched which agency is in charge of anti-piracy three times in about three or four years, and they are no closer to what they are supposed to do about it now than they were then.

I am fighting with sites that turn a blind eye and make a ton of money on advertising. I am fighting with sites that exist (purposely) in countries that do not uphold or respect copyright of other countries.

My two cents? Actually enforce the laws. Make people caught pirating responsible for what happens on their computers and on their sites. If it’s a business or school, so be it. They can learn to police their own. If it’s grandma’s computer, maybe grandma can beat sense into the teen-aged kids and remove their online privileges. In short, enforce personal responsibility. I’d even be willing to let the government keep the fines for stopping people pirating my work, if they did something useful.

pirates sinking to a new low

You know... I thought I'd heard it all. I really had. How much lower can pirates sink? I thought I'd hit the all time low with the pirates heisting charity anthologies intended to raise money for everything from victims of fire and flood to premature babies, abused women, autistic children, breast cancer victims... But I've found something that is even more deplorable than that.

The CNN discussion of piracy has been an education in the lengths pirates will go to in order to justify their illegal activities.

We started off with them blatantly misrepresenting the laws. I'm sorry. I've read the copyright law, the Millennium Act, fair use... I know what Creative Commons and Open Source do and do not. That didn't go well, though the Open Source myths persist, even after dozens of individuals stating the truth.

There was even a self-professed college professor misrepresenting fair use. I find that one scary, since this person is in charge of teaching college students about fair use. Personally, I think he should be fired (if he really is a professor) or at least forced to go through remedial training on the law. If he really believes a fraction of what he says, his students are surely plagiarizing all over the place, and he's letting them. That is not a good situation.

They proceeded to blatantly misrepresenting the industry. Sorry...Dan Brown and Nora Roberts and Stephen King earn a heck of a lot more money than your average midlist or indie author. The indie presses are not getting rich. The indie presses do not have investors and boards of directors. The e-books are not grossly overpriced...maybe in NY but not in indie. And most indies do not use troublesome DRM. That tack didn't last much longer, though they still claim the books are grossly overpriced at over $10. Picture me rolling my eyes, since the most expensive e-book I have is about $7 and is for a book that is 50% longer than your average 100,000 word length. Some are as low as $1.50...or free.

They proceeded to arguing that the copyright laws are old and outdated. I would have to agree that they do not adequately cover the digital community, but the proper way to change a law is to appeal to the lawmakers with your concerns...not to break it, because you don't agree with it. Too much work for them, apparently.

Oh, we've seen it all...from the self-proclaimed anarchist of the discussion, who feels all copyright should be abolished, to the flaming two-year-old who feels that there should be a money-back guarantee on life and he should never be responsible for his own choices, because that means being a responsible adult and doing his research, like most people do. Everyone in the world should pander to him. Nope. Not in my job description. If his parents and teachers defaulted in teaching him personal responsibility, I'm not his mother and responsible for trying to instill it in him. Nor am I responsible for enabling his bad behaviors, behaviors that others allow him.

Talking to that one is a lost cause, since he completely misrepresents his opponent, even to dismissing the risk the creators take, because it doesn't fit his tiny mindset and feed his entitlement mentality. Gods forbid anyone should be paid for their work (besides anyone who turns wrenches for a living (which I'll assume he does), which really makes me wonder if he realizes that wrench turners are, at best, 10% of the world these days, though many people in my immediate family do and don't share his bias), because that means someone getting an equitable shake in life for their hard work and means that someone else does work...which he dismisses, if you aren't turning wrenches.

Further, forbid that he should read the free reads offered by an author and decide to chance a book or two afterward, because he wants to try everything for free first...in totality, before deciding if it's worth his hard-earned money. Of course, he's not paying for them, because that would be responsible. Nor does he believe in voting with his wallet and not purchasing from authors who don't give free reads, which actually has a better chance of changing how authors operate than what he's currently doing.

But, we're not even to the lowest of the low yet. Think it can't get worse? Oh, it can. This twit feels he's somehow better than those protecting their copyright because...he's a military vet. WTF? I am sorry. Did I miss a step? I think he missed the boat, but he's honestly saying that he alone gets to define what is patriotic, because of his military service, and he finds piracy patriotic and anti-piracy movements unpatriotic. Never mind that when I presented this to my personal military family, they said the man was out of his mind to make such statements.

Let's not even get into my military background. I've sacrificed more than my share, and my husband has as well...most of our family has. Within in the last two generations, we have military members from every major US service, all of them vets of foreign wars. Anyone willing to take that honorable service and cheapen it as to associate it with illegal acts has no respect from me. Of course, since he has no qualms about pirating from charity, he was already at the bottom of my list, but hey... He's just continuing to be the bottom-feeder he always was, I suppose.

And the idea that only he gets to decide what is patriotic is...well, beyond unpatriotic and yet another sign of his self-absorption. Then again, his comments about how only wrench turners should define what is real work is rather self-important, as well. Overall, I'd say this guy's ego is the size of Jupiter. Thank goodness most military and ex-military (and wrench turners, for that matter) possess more common sense and integrity than this person.

09 January 2010

You never know what you'll find when...

I've been having too much fun wasting time over at Smashwords. Like indie publishing, you will always find something out of the box, if you go looking. Today's top four books that look fun?


The Dawning of Power trilogy by Brian Rathbone. $7.99 from Smashwords.com
Includes all three books. Echoes of the ancients' power are distant memories, tattered and faded by the passage of eons, but that is about to change. A new dawn has arrived. Latent abilities, harbored in mankind's deepest fibers, wait to be unleashed. Ancient evils awaken, and old fears ignite the fires of war. In times such as these, ordinary people have the power to save the world or destroy it.



Password Incorrect by Nick Name. $4.99 from Smashwords.com
A first volume of a tech-absurd short story collection. Designed to be a perfect mobile reading for geeks, who sometimes feel the need to recover from tech-related stress. In a book you'll find 20 stories, which can help you redefine "absurd" from "being ridiculous" to "being funny". Bonus: 10 best hashtagstories - author's original Twitter microfiction format.



The Purloined Boy: The Weirdling Cycle, Book 1 by Mortimus Clay. $4.49 from Smashwords.com
The Purloined Boy, by Mortimus Clay, is a work of fantasy literature for young adults. In parts dark and grotesque, in others luminous and inspiring; it could be described as R. L. Stine meets Plato. It begins with the question, Where do all those children on the milk cartons go? It provides the answer through the eyes of one of those children, a boy named Trevor Upjohn, the purloined boy.



A Penis Manologue: One Man's Response to The Vagina Monologues by Joe DiBuduo. $5.95 from Smashwords.com
Content in this book was banned from a college classroom—the same college classroom that required the reading of The Vagina Monologues. Joe DiBuduo wanted to show a blue collar guy's point of view. When he realized how reticent most men, and even a college instructor, were to talk about penises, Joe felt obligated to write his own attitude about the male appendage.

NEED FEEDBACK!

A serious question and in need of serious answers. TSTL need not reply.

I'm thinking about an experiment. A pirate is trying to convince me she makes more money offering her books for free with a request to donate if you liked it. She CLAIMS...and I think this is baloney for any author with decent sales...that she makes more money this way than she ever made with a publisher.

I don't buy it, because I know what I make from my published books with a few of my publishers. If people can get something for free, why would they pay for it? I don't buy that you can make out on this deal. But it may be worth a test run...just as an experiment to blog about. I'm analytical that way. Worst case, I make nothing, and it's just another free read I offer. And yes, I will give it as much distribution as I possibly can to give it a running start...and market it as I would any book.

I THOUGHT about doing this for charity, but I want an honest test. If people see it's for charity, they might give just to support the charity. If it works, I might further do another one for charity.

So...feedback time... What do you think of this test?

04 January 2010

New Reviews!

4.5 tombstones from Bitten by Books for Night Warriors!

"Brenna Lyons has created an amazing world of Warriors who keep the humans safe from the vampire Beasts. This tale produced the full range of emotions from laughter to heartbreak, then from heartwarming to fearful. I found it an emotional ride from start to finish that was thoroughly developed with rich details of the history behind the story. I would love to read more of the great Warriors and their missions to rid the world of the vampire Beasts."


5 Tombstones from Bitten by Books for Will of the Stone!

"When a reviewer asks to read more of a series in a review, it is sometimes not a possibility, but I am very glad that I was privileged enough to read more of the Warriors that Ms. Lyons so brilliantly brought to life in Night Warriors. This book was a pulse-pounding ride through the lives of two young siblings propelled to their own destinies. This book was full of action and adventure. I liked this sequel just a bit more than the first as it allowed us to see the depth of the characters and emotions rather than just feel for the loses they sustained."


Thank you to Bitten by Books! You've made my day!