I have no excuse except for working and writing, but I was not checking the blog for comments as frequently as I should and I'm late on responding to a couple.
Quinny: I am so glad you like TRL and enjoyed the change in voice. I found that I wanted to tell a bigger story with this book and first person was not going to let me do it the way I hoped. I apologize for the grammer errors. I did have a couple of proof readers, but I didn't have an editor come in and do the great work done on the first of the series. Editors earn their money, but they don't come cheap either and in this economy I made a choice to not overextend myself at this time. It may turn out to have been a poor choice, but it is one I can rectify, when I am able.
I don't want that to get in the way of the story, and I don't think that it does. I have to admit, I told myself that if it started selling well that I would use the money to have a thorough edit done. If I do though, I would feel the need to increase the price of the book. I also believe very strongly that you pay for what you get. Millions of readers are now seeking out the self published eBooks because they simply cannot afford the price of books from large publishing companies. They are accepting the fact that punctuation and editing is not on par to a book three times more expensive to buy. I'm not advocating that badly told stories that the reader will not enjoy be pushed upon the public.
I remember reading a LKH book some years back that was very poorly edited and said to myself at that time. Hey, I can do that!. (I'm joking) The difference is that I paid a lot of money for a hardcover for LKH. The Replacement Lists is priced 2.99 for a quick download, an easy exciting read and a great price for a 100,000 word count. It's out there for all of the readers who loved Shaking Off the Dust and wanted more. As is, it will not be offered as a paperback. If it does well, then I have more great stories for those characters.
I will definitely keep you in mind for a proof reader in the future. Do you like historical romance? I'm working on one now and I'm enjoying the writing of it. Weird, but if I laugh or cry while I'm writing the story, I get the sense it is going where I want it to be.
Jess: I want one of the big Kindles, for the eye sight that is requiring thicker lenses every year. I have not widely advertized The Replacement List for a couple of reasons. Number one was because I wanted to quietly put it out there for the fans of Shaking Off the Dust. Though, I do think it stands on its own. I would be happy to offer up a few free copies to readers at GoodReads. The Replacement Lists includes the paranormal theme and romance, but has more of the thrilling excitement of a suspense.
I try to respond to all comments made, even if I might take a bit of time to do so.
Rhianna
Rhianna
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
August
It's been a couple of weeks, but my mom had surgery last month. There is always so much we think about, but it is hard to put it all into words how we really feel. I love and adore my mother. But, we are worlds apart in how we view the world. She has tongue cancer and this was her second surgery, so it could have changed her life completely by causing issues with speech and the ability to do something as simple as sitting down to a meal. The speech is slightly effected, but not to the point we can't understand every word. And the getting past milkshakes and soup is still ongoing. But, the margins are clear and her life goes on, with a large pot hole in the road. Did I say pot hole, you could take a mule ride the bottom...She is eighty-two.
My dad used to always say "such is life" He didn't speak french very well. I miss him everyday. It would have been his birthday on the third. You can blame that for my ramblings today.
The road we take is seldom without construction or a straight line. And sometimes it's the circle around the big cities or the stop light on a county road, but the view is seldom the same, unless of course, you're in Kansas. Before the gasoline crisis, I was young and loved to travel. I can tell you that driving through Oregon was one of the most spectacular drives I ever took. I went from the stark young mountains of Colorado, to the rich lush visages of the Bitter Roots. And yet, I live in a small southern Indiana town, so that I can be close to family.
I am always trying to tell stories in my writing that are essentially about hope and happiness, but there is always some fundamental roadblock that must be overcome along that journey. It is how I have always experienced life. Wanting, but always having to work hard for whatever has been achieved. The characters in The Replacement Lists have lived those kind of lives. They are a reflection of the road they have taken in life.
Takeshi and Hannah's love story unfolds in the first book, Shaking Off the Dust. She is has been somewhat beaten down by her life and yet she lives each day with humor, often at her own expense. She realized a while back that she was going to be single, until she meets Takeshi. Shimodo has achieved great things scholastically, but he has a very clinical view of life until her meets Hannah. She is the perfect research subject, but she is fully engaged in life. She soon makes him laugh and feel all those emotions he thought were beyond his experience.
Despite The Replacement Lists being an adult read, it is all about family. Taking responsibility for the safety of those you love. Creating extended families. The blending of families into a protective unit. I don't want to spoil any of the odd twists and turns of this book, but you will discover that love has a way of sneaking up on you, even when you are seeking to avenge the death of those you care about.
Kiss your mothers, fathers, husbands and wives and children goodnight and take a journey down a different path.
Rhianna
My dad used to always say "such is life" He didn't speak french very well. I miss him everyday. It would have been his birthday on the third. You can blame that for my ramblings today.
The road we take is seldom without construction or a straight line. And sometimes it's the circle around the big cities or the stop light on a county road, but the view is seldom the same, unless of course, you're in Kansas. Before the gasoline crisis, I was young and loved to travel. I can tell you that driving through Oregon was one of the most spectacular drives I ever took. I went from the stark young mountains of Colorado, to the rich lush visages of the Bitter Roots. And yet, I live in a small southern Indiana town, so that I can be close to family.
I am always trying to tell stories in my writing that are essentially about hope and happiness, but there is always some fundamental roadblock that must be overcome along that journey. It is how I have always experienced life. Wanting, but always having to work hard for whatever has been achieved. The characters in The Replacement Lists have lived those kind of lives. They are a reflection of the road they have taken in life.
Takeshi and Hannah's love story unfolds in the first book, Shaking Off the Dust. She is has been somewhat beaten down by her life and yet she lives each day with humor, often at her own expense. She realized a while back that she was going to be single, until she meets Takeshi. Shimodo has achieved great things scholastically, but he has a very clinical view of life until her meets Hannah. She is the perfect research subject, but she is fully engaged in life. She soon makes him laugh and feel all those emotions he thought were beyond his experience.
Despite The Replacement Lists being an adult read, it is all about family. Taking responsibility for the safety of those you love. Creating extended families. The blending of families into a protective unit. I don't want to spoil any of the odd twists and turns of this book, but you will discover that love has a way of sneaking up on you, even when you are seeking to avenge the death of those you care about.
Kiss your mothers, fathers, husbands and wives and children goodnight and take a journey down a different path.
Rhianna
Sunday, July 10, 2011
When you want to laze around
It's July and hot in southern Indiana. I have a dozen or so things I should be doing, but the body and mind are arguing over how much energy there is to spend on this day.
One of my close friends sent on a link to the dear author blog where Maya Banks is giving an open interview on what she is making as an author through digital and print. I have met her a few times and she is a lovely woman. She enjoys her fans and I find her conversation genuine, which is not always the case when you are talking with people who are trying to sell a book or real estate. The article is very interesting, here is the link. http://dearauthor.com/features/interviews/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-digital-publishing-but-were-afraid-to-ask-a-qa-with-maya-banks/
I am amazed at how prolific she is, putting out eight to ten books a year, she really does work hard for the money.
It is a hot day here. I haven't opened my window curtains, trying to keep the cool inside. My two cats are not with the game plan. One of them keeps going to the window and sticking her paws through the blinds trying to maintain an opening. They don't seem to find my company as tantalizing as the occasional bird or squirrel running past. I should be insulted, but instead I applaud their good taste.
I watched the new Torchwood on Starz this weekend. I love this show and fell in love with the characters through the BBC production, though they did manage to kill off the great majority of the characters through the years. I recommend it to any of you who are fans of science fiction and just fun and entertaining programing. I wish they had given us a two hour first show. Like a big chewy bite, instead of a small taste of what's to come. I am looking forward to the series being amazing.
I hope everyone is having a great day. My overhead fans are on and I took care of that disorder of the hair that includes creeping gray all along the roots. I hear it is a common disorder of woman of all ages. I hate to admit it does seem to take a decade off my appearance. Now, if it could only take off a few pounds.
I need to hear the washing machine clatter and the vacum pierce the sound barrier before the day is done. Hope your day is quiet.
I'd love to hear how everyone else is spending their day. It has got to be more interesting than mine. Though, I am writing and there is an hot tempered male who is demanding a lot of intimate attention from the heroine.
You see, I have to fan myself for more than the temperature outside.
Rhianna
One of my close friends sent on a link to the dear author blog where Maya Banks is giving an open interview on what she is making as an author through digital and print. I have met her a few times and she is a lovely woman. She enjoys her fans and I find her conversation genuine, which is not always the case when you are talking with people who are trying to sell a book or real estate. The article is very interesting, here is the link. http://dearauthor.com/features/interviews/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-digital-publishing-but-were-afraid-to-ask-a-qa-with-maya-banks/
I am amazed at how prolific she is, putting out eight to ten books a year, she really does work hard for the money.
It is a hot day here. I haven't opened my window curtains, trying to keep the cool inside. My two cats are not with the game plan. One of them keeps going to the window and sticking her paws through the blinds trying to maintain an opening. They don't seem to find my company as tantalizing as the occasional bird or squirrel running past. I should be insulted, but instead I applaud their good taste.
I watched the new Torchwood on Starz this weekend. I love this show and fell in love with the characters through the BBC production, though they did manage to kill off the great majority of the characters through the years. I recommend it to any of you who are fans of science fiction and just fun and entertaining programing. I wish they had given us a two hour first show. Like a big chewy bite, instead of a small taste of what's to come. I am looking forward to the series being amazing.
I hope everyone is having a great day. My overhead fans are on and I took care of that disorder of the hair that includes creeping gray all along the roots. I hear it is a common disorder of woman of all ages. I hate to admit it does seem to take a decade off my appearance. Now, if it could only take off a few pounds.
I need to hear the washing machine clatter and the vacum pierce the sound barrier before the day is done. Hope your day is quiet.
I'd love to hear how everyone else is spending their day. It has got to be more interesting than mine. Though, I am writing and there is an hot tempered male who is demanding a lot of intimate attention from the heroine.
You see, I have to fan myself for more than the temperature outside.
Rhianna
Monday, July 4, 2011
The Replacement Lists
It's out on Amazon! The sequel to Shaking Off the Dust is called The Replacement Lists and it's got a different point of view than the first. I think it allowed me to tell a bigger story this way.
This story begins nearly eight months after the end of the first book. Takeshi and Hannah are getting ready for their babies to come any time when people that they know are suddenly being murdered in professional hits. When they finally put two and three together it equals the names from their wedding replacement lists. It also means going on the run and into hiding.
Along the way, all of those men and women involved in the original capture of the infamous terrorist and drug lord Sanchez are targets. Their friends are coming from all over the world to help Takeshi and Hannah survive, including a friend from Takeshi's childhood, Yanna. She's the daughter of a dojo master and a Japanese policewoman, but once she hears the concern in his voice, she flies to their side.
The graphic and violent murders of two of their friends turns Dr. Dwight Santiago in to the hard as nails ex Delta boy he was in the service. Doctor or not, he plans to see the the Shimodos safe and the assassins pay. You'll see a side of him that you never glimpsed in the first book.
I hope you all enjoy this new book.
Rhianna Samuels
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