How I got started in publishing

I get asked fairly often how I got started as a writer. Some people want to know how I got started as far as publishing goes while others want to know how to begin their novel.

I am more than happy to help in any way I can. I just shared this information with a Facebook friend and thought, "Hey, maybe I should put this in a blog."

Please, feel free to ask questions, because I'm sure I haven't covered everything. This is just off the top of my head when it comes to getting things started. 

As I've said, I'm happy to tell you how I started, but I'm not sure how much it will help, since 

everyone's process is slightly different.

I've always wanted to be a writer, from the first day of kindergarten when they asked us what we wanted to be. LOL No joke. So, it's something that I knew one day I would do.

Then, I decided one day (6 years ago) that it was about time I got started. The story in my mind that was dying to be written was the Lilith Mercury series.

The very first thing I did was get a legal pad and decide what was going to happen in my story. Then I asked myself, why would anyone care about this besides me?

With those questions in mind, I made a very rough outline. There was no order to it, but that was okay. The notes or points on my outlines are never in order. Once I've included them in the story, I put a small check beside them.

Anyway, as I outlined the topics I wanted to cover and the scenes I wanted to write, I soon realized that I was looking at more than enough material for a series rather than one book.

I sat down and just started writing. I wrote the first two books, Red and Object of My Affection in just under 3 months. After editing it thoroughly and knowing that I had more books in me, I knew it was time to look for a publisher.

I knew absolutely nothing about publishing. I bought the current edition of Writer's Market and read it from cover to cover. They give exact details on how to put together your presentation package (cover letter, etc.) so that you look like a pro when you approach publishers or agents.

I made the choice to skip finding an agent. The way I saw it, they would do what I was already doing (putting my presentation together and shopping it around) and they would take part of my profits with them. That didn't seem right to me when I was more than capable of doing it myself.

Within 3 months, I'd found a publisher. While I later moved away from them and into self-publishing, I had to start somewhere.

I've worked with three different publishers, one of which I'm still with, Ellora's Cave. They are very professional and they get good press/exposure.

Having said that I must confess, I could never pay my bills with what I make with EC. Self-publishing puts food on my table and keeps a roof over my head.

I hope some of this information is helpful. I'm never sure exactly how to go about answering questions, so I tend to over-answer. ;)

I self-publish because I CHOOSE to, not because I HAVE to

Obviously, by the title of my post you can tell that I am aggravated. I am so sick of people assuming that I self-publish because no one would publish my fiction. That is bullshit. Okay, does that clear it up? I'm also sick of those who see I have a few self-pub titles out and decide to send me spam trying to get me to use their rip-off publishing services. I am NOT interested.

Ever since I started self-publishing my backlist titles (along with a few new books), I've been getting spam and insults. What the heck?

I've gotten everything from people wanting to charge me to have my books in print to others slamming me because they think I just "decided" that I could write and started putting out books. What jackasses, all of them.

In case it isn't already clear, I will explain how I came to this decision. And yes, it was MY decision to self-publish, not a last resort after years of rejection. In fact, I never suffered years of rejection. It only took me a few months to find my first publisher.

I was traditionally published for 5 years before I made the leap to produce my first self-published title. This was not a decision I came to lightly. I researched this for quite some time before deciding to give it a try.

Why did I look into self-publishing in the first place? Well, the major thing was I wasn't making enough money to live. My books were selling fairly well, but my cut of the royalties was barely enough to pay my light bill. Yes, I do this for a living, so that was a major factor. Of course I love what I do, but that doesn't mean I can afford to do it for free. 

The second reason? Complete creative control was a thought that made me almost high with anticipation. To be able to tell the story that I want to tell regardless of "formula" was an exciting thought. However, that should not suggest that my stories are not edited. That's another HUGE misconception when it comes to self-published books. Not all are created equal. My books are thoroughly edited by myself at least four times before being sent to my writing partner/editor. She helps me check for plot holes as well as grammar and misspelled words. She is also highly qualified to do this. Though I consider her family, I didn't just pick my best friend to help me. If something doesn't sound right or is obviously wrong, she tells me. And I don't take it personally because I trust her. We work very well together.

So far I have only gotten one presumptuous email from another writer who thought one of my books was poorly edited. I looked it over again and found nothing wrong. Different editors ask for different things when it comes to sentence structure. That doesn't mean one way is right or wrong. If you want to use a semi-colon, go ahead. But most of my editors have asked that I use a comma instead. Oh, and just because you wrote a comic book, that doesn't qualify you to judge my novel.

I also do my own cover art. I hear lots of people getting slammed for this. I'm not just a cheap-ass author who doesn't want to pay a professional to do my covers. I AM a professional. So, why hire someone else to do what I can do at a fraction of the cost? I've been an avid reader almost as long as I've been an artist. I have faith in my abilities to create a cover that is visually pleasing as well as conveys the basic meaning of the story. I take pride and pleasure in being able to do this for myself.

After my first self-published title (Frank and The Werewolf Tamer) was received so well, I decided to self-publish my backlist titles. That's right, I DECIDED to do this. It wasn't forced on me. None of the books I have now self-published were rejected by ANY major (or small) publisher. I chose not to renew my contracts and to put the books back out on my own.

I've spent much of the past year working on this project. If anyone was wondering, this is why I haven't been releasing any new books. I've been working on re-editing, expanding, and re-releasing my backlist titles that are now coming off contract. This takes quite a bit of time and effort. It's as if I'm having to catch up on 5 years of work all at once.

My point is this was my choice and one that is so far working out very well. I was published with 3 different houses before I made this choice, and I still work with Ellora's Cave. I see no reason to burn bridges with a company what has treated me very well. I plan to continue to work with EC as well as to self-publish many more titles. Why? Because being published with them is helping new readers to find my work. It's all about marketing. Everything I do (with regards to my writing) is a business decision. Sure, I have strong feelings about some things, but my feelings are not what dominates my choices.

I hope this clears up any confusion. I earn 70% from Amazon sales as compared to 30-40% from an epublisher. (That's just a rough estimate based on my experience.) My books are also listed on Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and just about anywhere else you can think of. I do this all myself. It isn't difficult, so I can't see paying someone to do it for me. This way, if something is incorrect, I can fix it on my own. I keep track of sales quickly and easily, so I know what my paycheck is going to be for the next month. I don't have to wait for a statement.

Self-publishing is convenient and profitable. Yes, there's a lot of work involved, but I love what I do. Why shouldn't I be able to make a living at it? I'm not rich by any means, but thanks to the higher percentages of self-pub sales, I can actually pay my bills.

What actually works to increase book sales?

The truth is (in my best Sherlock Holmes voice) I haven't the foggiest. As I try desperately to manage my time more effectively and not write myself to death, it turns out I'm worrying myself to death. You wouldn't believe all the factors that run through my head about why a book may or may not appeal to my audience. I'm tearing my work apart and that is never a good thing.

I can tell you for sure what doesn't work, everything I've tried so far. Advertising in every form I've tried thus far has been absolutely pointless. I haven't seen a definite increase in sales from any one thing. I've seen a temporary jump here and there that might be because of an online ad, but who knows. There isn't any way to know for sure. Print ads have been the biggest waste of money so far, especially if you hire someone to format your ad, and then (of course) you have to pay for the ad space. A very small ad in a magazine that targeted my audience and got good circulation cost me about $220. My sales on that book for the quarter were only around 300 copies. There was only an increase of roughly 50 copies more than usual. Not worth $220.

I keep doing my best to write quality stories. I know that I put the work in and I have faith in my work. I write the kinds of things that I would enjoy reading. That's got to be worth something, right? At least I'm not turning out crap and expecting people to buy it. I'm putting my heart and soul into my work ... and sales are down. But hey, at least I'm selling a product I believe in.

Lately, that's all I've got. I try to share advice here that I think will be of value to other writers. The truth is, sooner or later, you're going to be hitting your head on a brick wall too, wondering why your books aren't selling.

It's not just my self-pub titles either. Sales are down with my publishers as well. And from the other authors I speak with from time to time, it's the same for them. So, I can take a great big breath and calm down a little. This doesn't mean I suck, right? No, I really don't think so.

I have no idea what to think. I'm going to keep plugging away on my weekly word count goal and try to figure out my next move. Should I proceed to self-pub my next title like I was planning? Or would it be helpful to try submitting it to a large publisher? If they offered me a contract, would that help me gain more exposure? It's possible, but there's no guarantee. Then again, my titles on Amazon could sale like crazy overnight. It happens all the time for no apparent reason.

As you can see, I have no clue what to do next. The only thing I know for certain, is I'm going to keep working on this book.

Should you self-publish AND do your own cover art?

As some of you might know, I've been practicing "un-plugging." That's where (in my case) you check your email and then don't go near the computer for the rest of the day. It's been wonderful.

However, today I browsed a forum online that was discussing the pros and cons of a few topics I feel do not have a clear answer. What I mean is, the answer is different for everyone.

The first topic I stumbled across was more of a listing of cons than a discussion. It was someone stating how an author should NEVER do their own cover art. Their reasoning was that an author didn't know the proper size for the image and didn't know how to blend backgrounds. They also said that authors would only use standard fonts that came with the software they were using and that these fonts were boring.

Although I understand their point (there are lots of examples of this on Amazon) I disagree that you should always hire a cover artist. There are many authors out there who do an amazing job on their own cover art. Mandy Roth and Michelle Pillow are two that come to mind. Just because you write doesn't mean you don't have other talents.

I don't think I've done too badly on the covers for my self-pub titles either. I created the look I wanted and that as a reader would attract my attention. That can't be all bad. I also didn't use "standard" font. I found something that I believed conveyed the mood of the story. I took everything into consideration. The initial cover image, the background, the colors, fonts, placement of fonts, how it would look in a thumbnail on Amazon, as well as how it would look on the front of a print copy.

In this same forum someone also said that they thought it was expensive to hire a cover artist. Someone else replied (snidely I thought) that, "If you think $50-100 is expensive, then yes." Um, it isn't cheap. If you've been affected by this economy the way many have and need to carefully plan your budget, you don't have $50-100 to just throw around. I'll admit I don't. Now that is a very rough estimate. Some artists will do covers for less and some charge more. I also respect the fact that they need to make a living as well. I'm simply saying that from my point of view, it is an expense that doesn't make sense.

I also respect the fact that not everyone is comfortable or has the desire to do their own cover art. However, if you CAN do it and do it well, then I say go for it.

Another hot topic I stumbled across in these forums was the old argument of self-published vs. traditional. This decision is personal to each individual and depends on lots of factors. Many argue the point that if you use a traditional publisher, you don't have to do all the marketing yourself. Um, wrong. While publishers will do some small amount of advertising, they generally advertise their company and not individual authors. I don't blame them. Who could afford to advertise for EVERY author in a big house? For the cover of your book to even be included in a big ad, you generally need to be established with the house and your books need to be selling pretty well.

I'm not knocking publishers for this at all. It makes good business sense. I'm just pointing out that the idea of, "I'll get a contract and then someone else will do the rest of the work," is way off base.

Regardless of whether you self or traditionally publish, there is marketing to be done. Lots and lots of it. It can be overwhelming and even depressing at times. Then again, there are some publishers who will put your book up for sale and never advertise it at all. It just sits there looking pretty on their site. In these cases, uploading it to Amazon and letting it just sit THERE looking pretty might get your title more visibility based on location alone. It's a lot to consider.

Another point made was that everyone needs an editor. I agree. No one is perfect. I'm a better writer because of the editors I've worked with and I'm grateful for that. That is why I continue to traditionally publish as well as dipping my toes into self-pub. For my self-published titles, I have someone who helps me edit. I'm lucky to know someone who is so good at this. I also use test readers from time to time to check everything about the story I can think of that needs to be checked.

In this same forum (which I don't plan to read any more LOL) someone was expressing their opinion about the importance of reviews. They believed that people religiously checked book reviews just as they do movie reviews before purchase and that reviews were therefore VERY important.

While I understand their point and see where it is entirely reasonable for someone to have this opinion, I disagree. I never read movie reviews unless I've already seen the film, hated it, and want to see if others agree. Ha. Ha. Sad, but true. Movie reviews, just like most film trailers these days, ruin the plot for me. I do not appreciate spoilers.

Now, back to the subject of books. I agree that an honest review is a very nice thing to take into consideration before a purchase. However, those are getting harder and harder to find. As I've often shared my opinions on this topic here, I'm not going to get into a rant. I promise. Many sites that allow for reviews to be posted will let people say anything. Reviews have become the place for the author to be bashed, not the book. Rather than sharing honest points they liked or disliked and the reasoning behind it, many "reviewers" just sling insults and bad language. They seem to be of the opinion that being rude means they're being honest. No, it just means they are an ass with no consideration for others and no respect for themselves.

Now, I'm reeling in that rant like I promised. My point is, I don't put a lot of faith in reviews in general. That's not to say that there aren't some REVIEWERS whose opinions I trust and value. THAT is a different matter entirely. I'm talking about the general subject of reviews.

It's too easy for people who haven't even read a book to go online and trash it and the author. Likewise, it's just as easy for someone to get their friends to write 5 star reviews.

Thanks to the advice of a fellow author, I've stopped reading reviews unless someone emails me a link. You wouldn't believe how much my stress levels have dropped when I stopped obsessing over every little thing other people say. Sure, public opinion is important. I don't mean to dismiss that. Readers send me positive letters all the time to let me know I'm on track. I listen to THEM. I write for THEM. Know what I mean?

The decision to self-publish or not isn't an easy one. It's also not easy to decide what to do about cover art. Here are my closing thoughts on both topics. Hopefully, they will be of some help.

If you are computer savy, formatting an ebook (or print book) isn't that difficult.

Photoshop is pretty user friendly. There are many videos on youtube that can teach you the basics.

Just because you have a contract with a publisher, doesn't mean your part of the deal is finished. There is still work to do regardless of which route you choose.

With self-publishing you get a larger percentage of your profits.

With self-publishing you have complete creative control. Don't let it go to your head. This makes it easier to tell the story you want to tell. However, it also makes it easier to publish crap.

Here are examples of cover art I've done myself. I'm proud of them. :)




As always, I hope some of this is helpful to you in your publishing adventures. :)

What to do when sales stop

For starters, I wish I had an easy answer for this one. I'm sure I'm not the only one trying to figure this out either. So, I thought I'd share my ideas. Hopefully, some of it will be helpful to others facing the same problem.

Who knows, maybe I'll even come up with a solution for my own issues by the time I'm finished. You might be surprised how good writing things down is for working out stress and confusion. Sometimes, it's even better than talking out a problem. This way you can look back at what you've said and not rely on memory.

Okay, so here's the thing. Sales have almost completely stopped for the past 2 weeks on my 2 self-published books. (I'm not counting my books with publishers, because I have no control over those. Sure, I promote them. But I make a smaller portion from sales which equals to about the same thing as say 1 self-pub book vs. 3 traditionally published.) Therefore, I'm focusing on the books I have total control over.

This also makes it easier if I decide something needs to be changed, book description, price, etc. I'm in complete control of all that.

Like I said, sales have been at almost a complete stand-still. I have no idea why. Both books have good reviews. Readers have written to me to tell me how much they enjoyed them. And yet, these stories aren't moving.

My free read was a different story. As you may have read, I just removed Eaten by The Wolf because of a series of nasty fake reviews. This short story was downloaded 8,000+ times in the past 2 weeks. Why the hell would I take it down and not stick it out? Because I don't think it was helping my sales. The reviews were messing with my concentration and pissing me off on a daily basis. That's never good for creativity. Besides that, since the short had been free, only downloads of the short story increased. My sales of other books got lower.

Was the free read actually hurting me? If so, I don't believe it had anything to do with content. I believe it was more like people who'd never heard of me were going to get one of my books and, "Hey, this one is free."

Out of over 8,000 free copies, my sales only went up by about 3. That's right 3 copies! What a crock, right?

I have considered putting the free read back up. But I believe that will only add to more frustration and personal attacks from whatever nutters are after me. Besides, I wasn't making any money off it, and apparently it was NOT helping my sales.

My other idea is maybe I should leave Frank and The Werewolf Tamer in the KDP Select program. I'd said before that I believe this offers no real benefit to authors. I'm still not sure it does.

My book was downloaded for free (through the KDP Select program) about 30 times. What did I get out of this? $1.70 - One dollar and seventy cents. That HUGE pot they send everyone emails about all depends on how many authors are enrolled and how many times everyone's books are downloaded. Unless you're already a big name and get like 100,000 downloads, this will not pay your bills.

Another thing to consider is this. If your book is enrolled in the KDP Select program, you can't have it listed for sale anywhere else. At first I thought that was ridiculous. Why wouldn't I list my book in other places? Wouldn't I be selling myself short?

Not necessarily. My second self-published book is up on Smashwords. It's sold a whopping 10 copies in a month. Sure, every book is different and sales will fluctuate based on SO many factors it's frightening. But seriously, 10 copies? Is it worth taking Frank and The Werewolf Tamer out of the KDP Select program to list it on sites like this? Maybe not.

I also have this to consider. The free read I had listed there was only downloaded 1,500 (roughly) times in 2 months vs. the 8,000+ in 2 weeks on Amazon. Even if it didn't amount to sales, it speaks volumes about how many people are purchasing off Amazon vs. Smashwords.

So, here's what I'm thinking. (After debating this with me, myself, and I, because I have no one else to talk to. LOL) I may leave Frank and The Werewolf Tamer enrolled in KDP Select and see what happens.

Maybe Amazon will come up with another incentive for staying in this program that is actually worth something. Plus, this allows me to offer my story for free for up to 5 days every quarter.

Who knows if that will spike sales or not. Right now, it's all I've got. At the very least, more people will be exposed to my work and maybe even remember my name.

What's the point in continuing to release new books if no one knows they are there?

Paranormal Romance

It's a difficult genre to write in my opinion. Not because of the writing itself, but because of the category. For one thing, it's not exactly romance. Sure, some of it can be romance, but most paranormals don't fit the standard definition as set by the industry.

The word paranormal itself simply means something out of the ordinary. And romance just means that at some point a relationship is involved. Something else that is common in paranormal romance is what is called the "happy for now ending." This is becoming more and more common in the industry, however, some readers are confused by it.

A lot of people feel that romance should have the traditional happily every after and that everyone should ride off into the sunset with his hair gleaming in the light and her blue eyes sparkling with newfound joy. Why am I suddenly picturing Prince Charming from Shrek? LOL

I'm sorry, but no one runs across a field of wildflowers in my stories without having an allergy attack.

I was reading an article recently that made a lot of sense to me. It was talking about paranormal romance and the "in-between" genre that it is. Essentially, what a paranormal romance novel consists of is an adventure for women. Women just happen to consider a relationship part of the adventure.

The word part is the key. In most paranormals the relationship isn't the entire focus of the story, it's a side line. I believe that every story should have a satisfying resolution. That doesn't necessarily mean that the main character gets married or ends up pregnant, or that all of her dreams come true. To me it means that her dreams now have the potential to come true. She is one step closer to her goal, whatever that may be.

For example, I write a series. In that series, there is a resolution at the end of each book, but not necessarily everything is "perfect." Though the series has been largely received in a positive light, someone said that book one left them, "sexually frustrated."

My first thought was, "This is a novel, not a jerk rag, why the heck are you reading it if that's what you were looking for?" Of course, I didn't say that. In fact, I didn't respond at all. I just feel that many people's perception of romance is wrapped up in sex. My series gets more sexual as the story goes, but it is labeled as "not a traditional romance." It is also not labeled as erotica. Certainly if it were sold as erotica and had very little sex in the first book, I could agree with the comment.

Don't get me wrong. I write about sex. In the last book I wrote, there's quite a lot of it. However, sex is not romance. And romance is not always a perfect love story. Life isn't perfect, so I don't feel that stories and characters should be either. I realize that many people, myself included, read to escape reality. However, if a story is too far removed from reality, to me it loses its believability. Bad things happen to good people sometimes. It's called conflict. And if a story doesn't have conflict, then what is it about? Why should we read it? Why should we care?

These are just my thoughts and opinions. You don't have to agree with them. However, I write the kind of stories that I would want to read. I like strong women and men who are looking for an equal, someone to challenge them, not just to mate with them. I like something to challenge my mind and make me look for extra batteries. LOL

To me paranormal romance is truly an adventure for women and I look forward to writing more of them.

Shot Through The Heart - Scavenger hunt begins tomorrow

For those looking for more than chocolate this Valentine’s Day, look no further. Each of the participating authors has hidden a “devil heart” somewhere on their website and it’s up to you to find them. The contest will run from January 25 through February 29.

Here’s what you’ll have a chance to win:

A free download of Object of My Affection by Tracey H. Kitts
A copy of Eros Arrow on cd in PDF format, Annmarie Orgeta
Free PDF of both Valentine's Day Do-Over and VDDO Part II: The Siblings, Donna Michaels
30-day trial to Essence of Romance, Melanie Grant
One .pdf download of Under a Painted Moon, Rayne Forrest
A .pdf of The Drinking Game, Chris Redding
Prize will be a download of choice either from Angelia Whiting or Angel Lynn


Where to begin the scavenger hunt:

Tracey H. Kitts – http://www.traceyhkitts.com/
Annmarie Orgeta - http://www.annmarieauthor.bravehost.com/
Angelia Whiting - http://www.angeliawhiting.net/
Shawn M. Casey - http://www.trevaneandcasey.com/
Donna Michaels - http://www.donnamichaelsauthor.com/
Rayne Forest - http://www.rayneforrest.com/
Desiree Lee - www.desireelee.com
Chris Redding - http://www.chrisreddingauthor.com/
And Melanie Grant from The Essence of Romance - http://www.eordb.com/


Here’s how to play:

Simply locate the graphic on the author’s site and email the ENTRY FORM to tracey h kitts @yahoo.com (without the spaces)

In order to be considered for a prize you must be 18 or older and have the correct URLs listed.

Winners will be selected randomly from correct entries and should be notified within a week of the contest’s end. The deadline for entry is midnight (eastern time) February 29, 2008.

ENTRY FORM:

Your Name:
Your email:

Participating Authors: Location of graphic:
Tracey H. Kitts
Annmarie Orgeta
Angelia Whiting
Shawn M. Casey
Donna Michaels
Rayne Forest
Desiree Lee
Chris Redding
Melanie Grant from The Essence of Romance


Remember, the contest begins tomorrow:)

Happy hunting,

Tracey
http://www.traceyhkitts.com/

The Dread Moon and Brain Dead

These are the two new titles that I've just signed with New Concepts Publishing. I thought I'd share a little more about them:)

The Dread Moon: Book three in the Lilith Mercury: Werewolf Hunter Series.
Lilith's reputation as the best in the business has spread, and not just to the lycanthrope population. She's just been hired to find the original vampire. The vamps want what everyone else wants, equality. However, she will soon realize that the original vampire isn't just out for blood, or the return of rights to his people ... he wants Lilith too."

Brain Dead
Jane Masters has no idea she's a necromancer. Luis Phillippe is the vampire responsible for the power mingled in her blood. Though her love life improves dramatically after meeting Luis, Jane faces a more urgent situation than dating a vampire; her boss is a zombie and it might be her fault. As Luis reveals the details of her past life and the source of her power, they learn there's a killer on the loose and Jane is next on the list. As for her newly discovered past with Luis, her heart remembers him. But will she survive to love him this time?

Good News!

I signed two book contracts Thursday night! I just wanted to share the good news with everybody. I’m still flying highJ I’ve also been trying in vain to upload my happy dance to youtube. LOL I don’t know if something is wrong with my computer or their uploader. Oh, well. When I finally have it, I shall subject you all to my happy dance. LOL

Release Anxiety

This post was originally written for a feature on The Raven Blog. However, it has gotten such good response and helped so many writers that I thought I would re-post it here:)

Press Release. Just those two words are enough to send some authors straight into a panic attack. But they don’t have to be. This post will focus on just how simple writing a press release can be. It doesn’t have to take hours, or make your hair turn gray. I don’t profess to be an expert, but I have had some success with writing my own.

My first release, which I will share in this article, has earned me coverage on two local morning shows with an invitation to return, two feature articles with local newspapers, which I interviewed for, as well as several other papers which chose to print the release exactly as is.

The first, and really good thing, about a press release is it needs to be short and simple. Journalists are looking for a story, not a biography. So, your release should read like a headline. Pick up your local paper for some examples.

Second, it should be written in third person. This is just as simple as pretending someone else is writing about you.

Third, include a brief statement about your book, you may even use your blurb if sounds good with the rest of the release.

Lastly, include a brief statement about yourself followed by where they can obtain more information about your book. (like your website)

Here is my press release as an example. Word has many formats you can choose from. At the top I included contact information, name, address, and a number where I could be reached. This is what I included below my contact information:

Local author announces debut novel

Graceville, FL, August 11, 2007: Tracey H. Kitts, a local author from Graceville, FL, is happy to announce the release of her debut novel, Red. It is being released through New Concepts Publishing (www.newconceptspublishing.com).

Red is a paranormal romance novel. It is the first book in the Lilith Mercury: Werewolf Hunter Series. Lilith Mercury is a werewolf hunter whose love life is nearly as dangerous as her job. She’s torn between the man who saved her humanity and the one who makes her want to embrace the beast.

According to Ms. Kitts, “I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this series and look forward to continuing the story.”

The second book in the series, Object of My Affection is also under contract with New Concepts Publishing with the release date to be announced.

Red, ISBN: 978-1-60494-049-8
-End-

Also, be sure to say “End” at the end of your press release. Then, take a deep breath and relax. That’s all there is to it.

Tracey H. Kitts is the author of the Lilith Mercury: Werewolf Hunter Series with New Concepts Publishing. Her debut novel, Red was released in August 2007 with NCP. Book two, Object of My Affection was release in October 2007.

For more information on Tracey and her books, you can find her at www.traceyhkitts.com or www.newconceptspublishing.com

Writing Horny

That's right, this post is about writing horny. See, writing horny is a lot like going to the grocery store hungry. Sometimes, you just shouldn't do it. You always end up with something you didn't need, but it looked good at the time. Maybe you crave something sweet, so you end up with chocolate instead of fruit. Or, maybe you end up writing about a vampire foursome, like in my case. LOL

You know how it is. You're home alone, you're bored. You think, "Hey, maybe I'll write a little while I've got a minute." And the next thing you know, Dracula is naked.

The point is, when you write horny (just like shopping hungry) you always end up taking something home with you that you should have left at the store. There are times when the vamps should keep their clothes on and times when they desperately need to take them off. Then there are other times when I desperately need them to take it off.

Maybe the next time I write about vampires, I'll just get an ice pack instead of a glass of wine.

I'm not a machine, and there's nothing wrong with that

Or, so a friend of mine recently told me. I'm currently working on a new book. I started three days ago, and I've already written 47 pages. Can you believe I think I need to write more tonight? I'm not saying any of that to brag. I'm illustrating a point. I expect too much of myself.

The thing is, this is all I've ever wanted to do with my life, and I want to succeed with all of my heart. But, as someone else told me, that doesn't mean I have to give all of my soul. But it does really. To me at least. Sure, your book (or books) is a product, and I do see it as such. But it is also a part of you.

No artist has ever turned out a masterpiece that didn't have some part of themselves in the finished product. So I guess in a way, I am giving a part of my soul when I write.

I believe that you get what you expect out of life, and I expect great things. But I also believe in hard work and earning your place in life. So, to put it mildly, I'm kicking my ass on a daily basis to be in the right places, make the right connections, and get the job done so that I can move on to the next thing on my list.

However, as my friend's words helped to point out ... I'm nowhere on that list. The point of this somewhat mild rant is to let other writers out there know that it's okay to take a break. It's okay to go to bed early some nights, even though you could use the time to write. Your work will be fresher when your brain has had some down time:) And writing in your pjs doesn't count as rest. LOL I've done that too and still do. It's not exactly the same thing. You CAN let your email go for one day, every now and then. You CAN resist the urge to check all of your messages on every account/blog/myspace page, or whatever else you may have.

My point is this: The world won't stop for you to catch up. However, it won't leave you behind if you get a good night's sleep.

Goodnight:)

Another great review for Red!

WOOHOO! *pauses to do a little dance* Oh, crap. I hear thunder. That must have been the wrong dance. Anyway, this post isn't about dancing. It's about the reason I FEEL like dancing! My debut novel RED just got another great review! This one is from ParaNormalRomance, and I couldn't wait to share it:)

"action and electric heat"

Lilith Mercury is one of those women you don't mess with or she will show you first hand what a bad-ass she is. Having the job of hunting werewolves has hardened her into the strong woman she is. She was born into the job through her father being part of the police squad that was in charge of exterminating the outlaw Lycan Species. She loves her job, it makes her feel alive. But then Marco walks into her life and all of her firm ideas take a beating when she realizes that Marco is all that she has been taught to fight, to take out. Marco is "Off Limits" to her because he is a werewolf. But Lilith can't fight the attraction she feels for him. Could all that she has been taught be wrong? Then there is Alfred, her partner and housemate for years. What is going on? She not only finds it impossible to stay away from Marco, but she is finding the man she has known for years very attractive, a man that would help and do anything for her. Add to that the police detective and Lilith wonders what is she doing, feeling here?

How is she going to chose between three great guys that will do anything for her? Alfred is willing to wait as long as needed because his love for her is that strong. Then you have Marco, the alpha werewolf that is so sensual, he knows what he wants and has faith that the wait will end with him winning Lilith.

Tracey H. Kitts blew me away with the world she built in this story. The characters were so real and knew what they wanted; they just needed to get Lilith to see it their way. The action and electric heat between all of the characters made the story flow effortlessly. I look forward to reading the next in this great series by Tracey H Kitts.

Reviewed by Nicole Harvey
Posted November 1, 2007 - ParaNormalRomance

Blue Notes Exclusive One on One Interview with Lilith Mercury, Werewolf Hunter

New Interview Posted at the Blue Notes.
Read More at http://sapphirebluenotes.blogspot.com/

This week read the exclusive one on one interview with Lilith Mercury, Werewolf Hunter

Title of book: Object of My Affection, book two in the Lilith Mercury: Werewolf Hunter Series
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60494-099-3
Price: $5.50

Blurb

Lilith finally admits to herself that she's in love with Alfred,
her partner and fellow Hunter. However, her desire for Marco
is growing stronger. With Alfred still on planet Terra, she's left
vulnerable to the charming wolf. Though he's promised to
behave, you can only expect a wolf to wear sheep's
clothing for so long. Besides, the wool itches.

Check out the wicked sexy trailer for Object of My Affection

I had a lot of fun making this video. Hope you enjoy it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykOgW1iB4ns

OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION IS OUT!

For those of you who have been eagerly anticipating book two in the Lilith Mercury Werewolf Hunter Series, the wait is over! Object of My Affection has been released early! I'm so excited. Once I finally calm down, I'm sure this will still be really cool:)

You can find book two here:

http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/objectofmyaffection.htm

Happy Reading,

Tracey

Release Anxiety!

Join me today as I guest blog with Mandy Roth to discuss writing your own press release. Writing your own press release doesn't have to be like visiting your dentist. It can be like visiting your incredibly HOT dentist. LOL

http://www.mandyroth.com/blog/

Hope to see you there.

Tracey H. Kitts
http://www.traceyhkitts.com/

5 Ribbon Review for RED!!!

I cannot begin to express how pleased I was when I read the following review from Maria Shaink of Romance Junkies. What can I say? I'm still doing the happy dance:)

From Romance Junkie's Maria Shaink

BLUE RIBBON RATING: 5 ribbons (out of 5)

Lilith Mercury is a badass girl with the best intentions. She’s a werewolf hunter, born to the job by virtue of her father being part of an interplanetary police squad that exterminates the outlawed Lycan species. She’s great at her job and it’s never been a problem, until she meets Marco. He’s off—limits, being a werewolf and all, but their attraction is undeniable and unstoppable. Then there’s Alfred, the man who’s been her partner and roommate for years, and who she suddenly realizes is not just her friend but a very attractive man who’d do anything to warm her soul. Added into the mix is a very sexy police detective who knows how to show a lady a good time. So who’s a girl to choose?

The story of RED is a fast—paced and highly detailed tale of a werewolf hunter in a world much like our own, but in which werewolves are common knowledge on Earth. In an interesting take on the werewolf legend, the author introduces Lycans as a race created by a mad scientist whose virus infected scores of people on another planet. These first werewolves fled to Earth, and now the people of the original planet, Terran, have agents—hunters—placed on Earth to exterminate them. I really enjoyed this departure from the norm, this blending of paranormal and science fiction genres. Ms. Kitts also blends her debut novel with fantastic details of dream analysis, enchanted journals and psychic powers.

The characters of RED are the best part of the story. Marco is a consummate Alpha and deliciously sensual figure, a man who knows exactly what he wants and has faith that his patience will win the girl of his dreams. Alfred is just as striking—a romantic, patient man whose love for Lilith has been waiting for the right moment to give it voice. I can’t wait to read more about him in the next installment of the Lilith Mercury tales. All the characters in this story come together to create a terrific vignette of Lilith’s life, what she is like, who she really is beyond the sarcastic wit and carefully controlled emotions. The reader knows and comprehends Lilith by the end of the story, and this leaves the reader anticipating the next book for resolutions to questions posed, and new developments in the life of the huntress. Ms. Kitt’s skill in writing is something that very few debut writers are capable of. Her mastery in weaving an intricate storyline and keeping the reader enticed and on edge is what sets her apart in such a gripping way. I fully expect to see her quickly snatched up by some New York publishing house.
The loves scenes in this story were exquisitely tasteful and well—placed. This was not just some excuse to write a lot of hot sex with little—to—no story to balance it. The whole book was oozing with sexual tension and I loved every second of it! Ms. Kitts keeps a lot of tension going on the sexual side of certain interpersonal relationships, while adding humor and fun into other aspects of the book. Every secondary character was well placed and added depth to the story, keeping the plot multilayered and vastly compelling. The scenes featuring Lilith’s great—grandfather had me teary—eyed, while scenes in Marco’s nightclub had my blood running hot. Ms. Kitts is an extremely adept writer who knows how to play to her audience’s emotions, and the personal touches she gives to each character, from Lilith’s poetry to her analysis of dreams, lend credence and humanity to the people inhabiting the pages of this work.

RED is a book that really resonated with me, crawling up into my consciousness like silk—covered fingers. The stage has been set for the next in the Lilith Mercury Werewolf Hunter series, entitled OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION, and I cannot wait to read it when it comes out in October! Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton’s early Anita Blake stories will find a lot to love here. Ms. Kitts’ storytelling is some of the best I have read in a long time, and after finishing this novel, I felt that ache of withdrawal that only comes with reading that last page of a truly great story and cursing yourself for reading it too fast! Anita Blake fans— you have just been served!