My first novel, Entangled Passions, published this week on Amazon

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Ray,
my wife sends her heartiest congratulations to a fellow author.
She looked on Amazon and laughed, then blushed lightly and exclaimed, "This sounds more like Sex'capades than a Bodice Ripper!"

The 3rd book in her 8 book series is out, and the 4th is due in the Spring.
Plus she has contributed to a couple of anthologies.
I need to post those.

She says that when you're deeply dismayed by publisher's rejections to stay strong, not take it personally and send out three more submissions.

Hey John. Thank your wife for the advice. After a few decades in sales, I've learned a few things about rejection. I researched traditional publishing routes, but chose to self-publish. The nice thing about self-publishing is I can explore reader responses and change keywords to more accurately reflect my target market. This is all a learning experience for me. It is definitely a genre hybrid. Beta readers and contracted editors labeled the novel (in no particular order) romance, mystery, light sci-fi, thriller, techno-thriller, crime, sexy but not erotica.

One of the questions I asked my beta readers on every sectional review was to predict the plot and themes of the book. Each one made very specific predictions, and by the 25% mark, gave up guessing. It was nothing that they expected due to plot twists and world-building. The one thing I wanted to avoid was a reader saying to themselves, "Oh, this is BS" when they read a plot twist. One beta reader said, "I've never read another novel like this!" She was an avid reader and complete stranger who worked in an eye doctor's office, and was the one I mentioned above whose husband had to hide it from her so they could get work done around the house. She'll be getting a free, signed copy next week because she hasn't seen the final version.

And wow, your wife is a novel producing machine! I purchased her Kindle version of Perilous Confessions back on your original posting. Now that my first writing effort is behind me, I look forward to reading it. I apologize for the delay, but I am unable to read other works while writing my own. Now, I can relax and read something that isn't occupying my mind 24/7/365.

Ray
 
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Beta readers and contracted editors labeled the novel (in no particular order) romance, mystery, light sci-fi, thriller, techno-thriller, crime, sexy but not erotica.

Now you've piqued my interest.
When a paperback is available I'll read it.
Sorry, no e-books here, old-school and just have to turn pages.
 
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Congratulations and hats off to you, Ray.
Being published, whether through a house or self published, is no small feat by any means.
These days, I don't which one is more brutal; writing the the novel or getting it publsihed.
 
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Congratulations, I hope it sells well.

Thank you, Winterrider. After one day I am already a $fortyaire! Woo hoo! My personal philosophy since flight school has always been, "If someone else can do it, so can I." And the journey begins.

Congratulations and hats off to you, Ray.
Being published, whether through a house or self published, is no small feat by any means.
These days, I don't which one is more brutal; writing the the novel or getting it publsihed.
A great big thank you SHS! Writing it was actually a wonderful experience. I even enjoyed the seemingly endless rewrites. Imagine a favorite movie playing continuously in your head, one you can change and adapt with your keyboard. It was so fun to make sure I captured on the page what I was seeing, hearing, and feeling in my head. There was one scene that was so effing brutal to write. My wife read it and went, "Nope. I'm not feeling what you're feeling." I had to write that scene over and over, and even concoct a new way to present it, until she and my critique group agreed it was as equally physical and emotional to them. I literally had to take an anti-anxiety pill several days after writing and rewriting that scene because I was living it through the keyboard. But overall, it was an amazing experience.
 
WOW, very impressive. Nice work and dedication! hope its a big seller.

Thank you Sandy! One can only hope it is a big seller, but I made one reader very happy. My wife is reading it again, but this time as a reader, not an advisor. It is the first time she's read the completely polished and proofread version. She was all smiles. Hopefully others will feel the same way.
 
Congrats on completing the book and getting it out there!
I hope it does very well man, it is cool to see someones work get out there :)
 
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been lurking a month or so, first post.

I downloaded the kindle unlimited version yesterday. I'm about halfway through and can't stop reading. the title makes you think romance but it's a lot more than that.

get to work on that next one!
 
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Congrats on completing the book and getting it out there!
I hope it does very well man, it is cool to see someones work get out there :)

Thank you T! It is scary as heck to have others read something you've poured your creativity into for so long, but I am going to do it again and again. I love mixing genres. I have rewritten my horror story from the eighth-grade that eventually sent me on this novel quest. I have a pure sci-fi story that folks who are not sci-fi fans have understood and been totally engaged while reading. I'm turning it into a novelette. And there's a Memorial Day story I've written that I can't get through without balling my eyes out. Hey, I'm half-Italian. I wear my heart on my sleeve!

been lurking a month or so, first post.

I downloaded the kindle unlimited version yesterday. I'm about halfway through and can't stop reading. the title makes you think romance but it's a lot more than that.

get to work on that next one!


Dude! Thank you! Since you're halfway through it, you are deep, deep, deep into the plotted bell curve. Your wife or girlfriend is going to have to take it away from you so you can get some work done around the house! I think you'll understand my suggestion not to give anything away. My critique group leader said I have a way of grabbing the reader by the collar and not letting go. So happy you feel the same way. PERFECT!

Edit: the next book is already underway, the first chapter, anyway. Hopefully, I can get the next one to market in less than two years.
 
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Congrats on your Accomplishments, Ray!!
I got enough trouble seeing good enough to read nowadays, let alone writing.
My Mother was a very good writer, but mostly short stories for magazines & Newspapers.
She never wrote anything like a Novel.

Bear
 
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Congrats on your Accomplishments, Ray!!
I got enough trouble seeing good enough to read nowadays, let alone writing.
My Mother was a very good writer, but mostly short stories for magazines & Newspapers.
She never wrote anything like a Novel.

Bear

Thank you, Bear. What wonderful memories of your mother. Hopefully you have a box full of her writings.

I feel for you and your vision issues. One of my critique group writers, whose first novel will publish in April, is losing her eyesight. She may have found an avenue to save her sight. Only time will tell.

I've written hundreds of short stories for my wife. Novel writing is similar, but WAY more complicated due to plot timing issues. There's a countdown timer in my novel which complicated it even more, but I loved the challenge and found a way to keep it accurate across time zones and scene development. It was fun. Thankfully, my wife supported me as the breadwinner while I played with my keyboard!

Ray
 
Thank you, Bear. What wonderful memories of your mother. Hopefully you have a box full of her writings.

I feel for you and your vision issues. One of my critique group writers, whose first novel will publish in April, is losing her eyesight. She may have found an avenue to save her sight. Only time will tell.

I've written hundreds of short stories for my wife. Novel writing is similar, but WAY more complicated due to plot timing issues. There's a countdown timer in my novel which complicated it even more, but I loved the challenge and found a way to keep it accurate across time zones and scene development. It was fun. Thankfully, my wife supported me as the breadwinner while I played with my keyboard!

Ray


I don't believe I'm losing my sight. It's just my left eye that got screwed up from a Stroke I had during my Open Heart Surgery 7 years ago. Doesn't seem to be getting any worse. I just try not to over-stress it.
My favorite story of my Mother's was a story I wrote in 5th grade, but naturally I only had to make it to 100 words. I got a good mark on it, but then she took it and elaborated & expanded on it, and sold it to "The Pennsylvania Game News". She stretched it to a few pages.
I have it somewhere around here---I'll have to look.
It's called. "The Phantom Buck of Haycock Mountain"

Bear
 
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My favorite story of my Mother's was a story I wrote in 5th grade, but naturally I only had to make it to 100 words. I got a good mark on it, but then she took it and elaborated & expanded on it, and sold it to "The Pennsylvania Game News". She stretched it to a few pages.
I have it somewhere around here---I'll have to look.
It's called. "The Phantom Buck of Haycock Mountain"

Bear

That is SOOOOO cool! Great title.
 
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