Six Sentence Sunday

This week's SSS comes from Highland Shift, the first book in the 4-book Highland Destiny Series. Elena just spent an uncomfortable hour on a plane, trying to make polite conversation with an arrogant Scot who keeps sending her hormones into overdrive. All she really wants is to get off the plane and begin her new life.

The Six

Elena looked up and stifled a gasp. He was a foot taller than she was and towered over her, yet his face much closer than she expected because of the cabin’s low ceiling. His look was positively dangerous, and his tawny eyes turned dark as he scowled. Their gazes locked for a long moment, the air doing that strange burning thing around them again, just as it had done in the terminal. He bared his teeth in a tight, wolfish imitation of a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. 

“I always get what I want...eventually.”

Highland Shift will be available for purchase September 17. 

Six Sentence Sunday

December 26, 2008 I woke up and knew I had to write a book. How? Because Elena MacFarland told me so! I'd never written anything before, but she whispered the idea of a four book series into my dreams, and I started writing that very morning. Today's Six comes from that first book, HIGHLAND SHIFT, and I'm thrilled to say it's my next release. Enjoy this little preview...

The Set Up

Elena has had a rough few months and is in London, waiting for a flight to Edinburgh on her way to start her new life. She gets a whiff of a man behind her in line and it sets off a fantasy of naked limbs and tangled sheets, but when she gets a look at his face? Holy show! Then she remembers why she hates beautiful men.

The Six

He stirred an ancient hunger deep within her belly, and lower still, as though she had a primal knowledge of his rock-hard body, steely arms, and crushing lips. 

Twenty feet apart and total strangers, Elena felt scorched by the heat that radiated between them. She extinguished the fire quickly as her mind filled with memories of another egotistical jerk who had oozed such an overload of self-confidence. Over the past few months, Elena MacFarland graduated from law school, became engaged, passed the bar exam, and landed her dream job. She’d also been dumped on her ass, fired, served with a restraining order, and evicted by Martin J. Worthington, III, who was both her former boss and ex-future-father-in-law. Arrogance did not impress her.


Thanks for stopping by, and watch for the release of Highland Shift, later this month. Don't forget to check out all the other Six Sentence Sunday entries by clicking here .

Friday Flash Fiction

Hello lovelies. Welcome to Friday Flash Fiction, where you will find one hundred words per week based upon a picture chosen at random by one of the FFF cohort.

Make sure you follow the links both within the one hundred words and at the bottom of this post to see what other treats await you on this FFF journey.

“We’re represent Fantasy Foot Fetish. We make shoes for the demanding woman,” Ben said, holding up a pair of black strappy heels.

Lisa looked at Ben and Lee and wondered when the neighbor boys who used to mow her lawn had gotten so big. What game were they playing?

Lee whispered, “Play along.”

Lisa glanced at her watch and saw she had plenty of time before work.

Ben sat and pulled her foot into his lap and fastened the shoe while Lee took pictures.

Lisa watched the young man stroke her foot- “Get naked. You both belong to me, now.”

Be sure  to visit these other fab writers and see where their Friday Flash Fiction takes you!

Lisa Worrall 
Benjamin Russell

Chris Quinton

Sara York  
Muffy Wilson
Jp Archer
Lani Rhea  
Rhea Archer
Katie Harper
Bonnie Sansom  

Six Sentence Sunday

The Set up

Detective Danielle Delacroiux just stepped out of the shower after a long day of investigating a murder. She races to answer the door before her nosy neighbor pokes her head out to find out who is ringing the bell in the middle of the night. With nothing but a towel and a handgun, she's more than shocked to discover the chief suspect standing at her door, holding her cell phone in his hand.

The Six

“Thanks, sugar, I’d love a glass of wine,” he said and headed to her small kitchen. He began to rummage around, getting glasses, a bottle of wine, and started looking for the corkscrew.

Dani raced after him, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting my reward for returning your phone and I think a glass of wine is a small price to pay, don’t you?”

“I’m not giving you a glass of wine—” she broke off as he stepped close to her, backing her up against the counter and forcing her to look up to meet his gaze.

“If you have something else in mind to show your appreciation…” he trailed off suggestively.

Forbidden Love is available at Amazon and All Romance eBooks.

To read an excerpt or buy at Amazon 

To read an excerpt or buy at ARe 

Six Sentence Sunday

Last week's Six Second Sunday received so many comments, I thought we should look at how that little scene plays out. If you remember, KC got the best of Susan in a little verbal sparring match. Now she's having second thoughts, because the man she walked away with is also the Sheriff. 

If there's one thing KC doesn't do-it's cops.

The Six:

“Susan isn’t known for her gentleness around other women; around other things, yes, around other women, not so much,” Quinn added with a throaty growl.

“Oh really…what types of other things?” I asked sweetly, as if I cared. I didn’t care if he wanted to boff some woman old enough to be his…okay, maybe not his mother, but surely, she was old enough to be his older sister—much older sister.

I didn’t even like the muscle-bound Sheriff; although looking at him in his dark gray slacks, and form-fitting jade sweater, I had to admit he did clean up well.

“Oh, you know,” he said, lowering his head conspiratorially, “the things that make a man feel—”

“Excuse me Sheriff, I see my date,” I said and walked toward Jason, leaving Quinn hunched over, whispering to where my ear had been an instant before.

Read Sample or Buy at Amazon 

Read Sample or Buy at ARe

 

Six Sentence Sunday

The Set up

Katherine "KC" Carmichael inherits the Honey House, a Bed and Breakfast that decides who will and won't be staying. This scene is early in the book, set at a party in the courtyard of the Honey House to welcome KC. Sheriff Quinn shows up with a pretty, but bitchy blonde Susan on his arm, which doesn't exactly thrill KC, since she's not overly fond of cops. Susan is introduced to KC, and immediately insults her by saying she finds nicknames rather juvenile. Why is it some women can never resist a challenge?

The Six
I looked up innocently and said, “Poor Quinn, I’m sure she didn’t mean it about your nickname.” Then I dragged him to the fire pit, well out of Susan’s reach.

He was shaking when I let loose of his arm, and I looked up expecting to see fury all over his face. Instead, he was struggling to keep his face composed; it was laughter making those big shoulders shake. With his back to Susan, he grinned, the first genuine show of anything directed at me, other than supreme irritation. “Okay, round one to you, Ms. Carmichael."

Read Sample or Buy at Amazon 

Read Sample or Buy at ARe

Happy Anniversary? Harner and Cobblestone Part Ways

A year ago, my first book, Whiteout, was published by Cobblestone Press. An hour ago I received my legal release from my contract. I spent the last few minutes removing all the cover art for those two books from my blog and Facebook pages, and contemplating if this was actually the end of this ugly chapter.

Unfortunately, it is not. I admit that I’m tempted to grab my rights and run, get working on editing and designing two new covers. That part is pretty exciting for me, and I am already pouring though Dan Skinner’s galleries, imagination running wild.

Before I can completely move on, there is still the lingering matter that I haven’t been paid for the books that have been sold. I have an email promise to pay me the missing $87.33 for the months of February through May, and statements that show the only place my books were sold was the Cobblestone Press website. On July 18, I did receive a much larger check that included sales on the All Romance eBooks site for the first quarter only. My books were not on the ARe site for the whole quarter, so I know I’d like to see the statement and the check from the second quarter and the first six weeks of the third quarter. I would also like to receive the royalties from the Fictionwise sales for those same periods.

And damn it, it’s not all about me…every Cobblestone author deserves to be treated with respect, receive timely communication from their publisher, and above all, be paid for the books they sell.

So, I will not go quietly grateful with my books clutched to my chest, and willing to leave my money behind. Cobblestone Press needs to make this right and pay all their authors the money that’s owed.

For those following this saga on my blog and on other sites listed below, you know a big area of contention is the lag or lack of putting the books up for sale at retailers, other than the publisher’s website. The Cobblestone Press website submissions FAQ section for authors considering publishing with them has the following information:

Q. Do you distribute your books to vendors?

A. Yes, we currently have contracts for distribution with Fictionwise, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, and Amazon Kindle.

Q. Why should I publish at Cobblestone Press?

A. We’re dedicated to producing quality. Everything about Cobblestone is designed to create a positive, creative, and attractive experience for both authors and readers. Our contracts are pro-author and demonstrate our dedication to the success of our authors while they are with us and beyond.

After all was said and done today regarding the agreement to return the book rights and pay me the money for the missing checks, one of the owners felt the need to make one last comment. Other than the legal notice, which was signed by an agent of the company, this is the final line of communication I received from Deanna Lee, one of the owners of Cobblestone-Press. I have copied the entire line, including her embedded signature.

Additionally, absolutely no where in our contract does it state when, where, or IF we will distribute books to other venues.

 All the best,

Deanna Lee, Publisher & Editor-In-Chief

Cobblestone Press, LLC

www.cobblestone-press.com 

admin@cobblestone-press.com 

deanna@cobblestone-press.com 

The emphasis is hers- I did not edit the word ‘IF’ for dramatic effect, she did. She is absolutely correct, I read through my entire contract and nowhere does it say they would sell it at any other retailer. 

Consider that statement and tell me why any author would sign a contract with Cobblestone Press ever again?

Beg for Mercy- Mercy Celeste

Absolute Write

Erotic Romance

The Naughty Bits

Cobblestone Updates

I’m Sensing a Pattern

In the world of e-commerce, there’s one tool that must be at your disposal: email.

Communications have been sketchy, at best between Cobblestone and its authors, and far more than email has been slow to come out of the publishing house. Recently, another author and I have taken the discussion public because of our extreme frustration with the business practices and lack of response from this e-publisher.

Now some are suggesting we should feel bad because one of the owners has claimed to be hit by a computer virus. I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong, really I don’t. But don’t you think that a pattern can sometimes indicate a deeper problem? This is at least the third documented extended email outage in the last six months.

Let’s think about this in terms of good business practices.

Let’s say you and a partner own a company, and 100% of your business is conducted through e-commerce. Email is the primary way your customers, your suppliers, and your secondary distribution outlets communicate with your company.

In my little scenario here, let’s further imagine one of the partners believes she may have a computer virus. Quick…what would you do?

A. Buy a cheap lap top and access my online storage files, then download the information I need from the secondary distributors. Business continues as usual after a day.

B. Partner Number 2 would take over the business communication until I was able to resume my usual duties.

C. Ignore my business obligations, and assume everyone will understand because it’s not my fault I have a computer virus.

Right, now, times up. How many of you picked answer C? That’s what I thought.

How many of you pay your bills online? Have a mortgage? An electric bill? Credit card bills? How long would any of your creditors allow you to skip payments because you have a computer virus?

Let’s be clear, I am not unsympathetic to anyone who picks up a virus, however, that cannot be an excuse to ignore your business obligations. A professionally run business has on obligation to develop and implement contingency plans in the case of natural or man-made disasters.

Having said all that…writers- run, don’t walk to back up your files to an external source. We can all learn from this experience.

Late Update

I just received an email from Cobblestone, indicating an agreement with my request that our contract be dissolved. It was very polite and professional, which I appreciate. I will update you as the status changes.. . ie, the books are removed from distribution, I'm paid the royalties for books sold, and a letter indicating that the rights have been returned is received.

New again, before I even hit post:  Rescued and Whiteout are no longer available on the publisher's website or at All Romance eBooks.