#ReadMe - Scandal at the Manor House! The Darkness of Love - #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. Here is an excerpt from my new Victorian vampire novel The Darkness of Love. It tells the story of the vampire Marcus Scott from the Redcliffe novels, from the time when he was human…

     “Someone is approaching!” Sarah whispered. 

      She moved away from Marcus and he jumped to his feet, hurriedly straightening his clothes.  Sarah sat, fanning her face with her hand, and looked up to see Gregory and Amelia walking through the archway and along the path.

      “Ah, my dear, there you are,” Gregory called, “We were wondering where you had got to.”
            Sarah stood slowly, and Marcus bowed to his master, and waited for instruction.  He hoped they had not seen his embrace with Lady Stockton.  He would most definitely be turned out of the house for this.  He could barely even process what had just happened.  Had Lady Stockton really offered herself to him?  Had she asked him to be her lover?  It seemed ridiculous.  Perhaps he was dreaming.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and peruse some new and exciting authors. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!  

*New Release* The Darkness of Love by Catherine Green #amreading

My new  book is live online and available to download now! You can also order it as a paperback, if you prefer a good old-fashioned book to read. Here is the description of The Darkness of Love, I'm sure you will enjoy reading it, and don't forget to leave a review!

Lord Gregory Stockton is a powerful and respected businessman embracing the modern era of the Victorian industrial revolution. He has a grand and beautiful manor house complete with a repertoire of servants, and his young wife is charming, attractive, and the perfect lady to his gentleman. The only thing they lack is an heir to the family estate. Lord Gregory knows he can never produce a child, for he is a vampire, although his wife and servants know nothing of his secrets. There are other ways to provide heirs for his estate, however, and Lord Gregory has noticed the romantic attraction between his wife and the young stable hand Marcus Scott. He hatches a plan to bring the would-be lovers together, and then cruelly tear them apart as he continues to build his empire and secure his power base in the south of England. The humans are pawns in the vampire’s game of lust, love and control. 

#ReadMe – The Darkness of Love by Catherine Green - #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. Here is an excerpt from my new book, Victorian vampire novel The Darkness of Love.

     “Walk me to my room, Marcus,” Lady Amelia purred beside him.

      Marcus jumped, startled out of his reverie.

      “Yes, of course my Lady.” he replied, flustered.

      Lady Amelia laughed, and the sound echoed in Marcus’ head and sent shivers of anticipation up and down his spine.  He glanced at the powerful woman beside him.  She was enchanting, like a forbidden fruit that would taste delicious but would cost you your life.  Her lips were full, pouting, and a rich red colour.  Her eyes sparkled dangerously, promising mischief and delight.  And her pale bosom heaved above its tight corset of deep blue velvet.  Marcus’ mind switched back to earthly pleasures, and he felt the familiar stirrings of lust.  It had been a very strange evening all things considered.  Perhaps there was more to come.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and peruse some new and exciting authors. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find uson Facebook. Happy Humping!  

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Here is my review of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Fascinating and disturbing, worryingly close to our everyday reality

I read this book as the first on the list in my newly formed local book club. It was a book I had not heard of before, and I admit I was a little snobbish and decided right away that I wouldn’t enjoy it, even though I knew nothing about the story or the author. I think I have been reading a few too many indie books recently! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Gone Girl, and I will definitely read the other books written by Gillian Flynn. It had me hooked from the first chapter, and I felt a certain empathy for the lead characters, more especially Nick, even though he has his faults. They were believable and flawed just like the rest of us, and I can even relate aspects of all the characters to people I know in real life. The only criticism of this book is that I didn’t like the ending, and nor did my fellow book club members. It was a total anti-climax and left you feeling a little flat and unfulfilled, although I think this was intentional on the author’s part. Try the book for yourself, and you won’t be disappointed.

#amwriting New Book Coming Soon! #ReadMe

I finally have an official release date for my next novel, how exciting! My Victorian vampire story The Darkness of Love is scheduled for release on 15th October, the perfect time for a Halloween themed book tour. It was originally planned for release in September, but since I gave birth on 1st August we can be forgiven for the very slight delay. I am now eagerly awaiting the 'birth' of my literary child...

In terms of writer news, my focus will now be on promoting and marketing the new book, as well as continuing to promote my Redcliffe novels series. I will be contacting people to arrange blog tours, competitions, reviews etc in the coming weeks and months as we work on catching the Halloween and Christmas shoppers. It will be interesting to see what promotional activity I receive from my new publisher, since I am currently doing everything by myself after my experiment in partnership publishing. Watch this space and I will report back on the service.

We also have the fabulous and fraught adventure that is NaNoWriMo 2013 coming up, and the time is ticking away a little too quickly for my liking. I cannot believe that summer is almost over already! I plan to complete NaNoWriMo again this year, since it is something of a personal goal and a great way to motivate me to write a new book. I am still working on the manuscript for my vampire hunter novel, but that will continue to tick along slowly until I get my mojo back for it. I have decided that for NaNoWriMo I will begin writing the fourth Redcliffe novel, which will be both exciting and surprising, since I don't really know what will happen next.

Busy times as always my friends! Happy writing, happy reading, and welcome to Autumn (or Fall if you prefer).

#ReadMe - Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) by Catherine Green - #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. Here is an excerpt from my third book Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), where our reluctant witch Jessica has had a run-in with the alpha werewolf and her wayward animal familiar. As always, the vampires are never far behind when they sense trouble brewing…

I gasped when I found Marcus Scott standing before me.  He was staring at me with interest, his silvery-blue eyes full of curiosity and intrigue.  His skin was pale, and I could see his fangs protruding when he smiled.  I didn’t know whether to smile or snarl at him, given our interaction only a few hours ago.  I was definitely angry.  This whole sorry mess was his fault.

“Why are you here, Marcus?” I asked moodily.

He dropped into a squat before me, staring intently at my face.  I knew that he was trying to decide whether to touch me or not.  I moved away from him, struggling to stand up but making it clear he was not welcome when he reached out to help me.

“I came to see Jack,” Marcus replied, “What happened here?”

He straightened up as I stood, and he gestured to the room.  I realised he could sense the energy that still lingered, and maybe he had seen Jack and Danny.  I wasn’t sure. 

“You,” I said, “That’s what happened.”

“Ah,” he said, “You refer to our liaison earlier.  That was not entirely my fault, Jessica.”

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and peruse some new and exciting authors. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping! 

 

Where to Sell Your Books #amwriting

Since the world of Indie publishing became established in recent years, we are seeing a rise in online book sales and a sad demise of independent high street booksellers. I am very upset to find bookshops so few and far between in the UK, although some of my favourite second hand shops still keep on going. I don’t believe they will ever die out because there is a dedicated following of readers like myself who will support them to the bitter end. And so it should be.

There is no denying that Internet sales of books are the way to go when you are an Indie author. If you choose to self publish, whether the reason is because you can’t find an agent or publisher, or you simply want the creative freedom to do it yourself, you have to sell your books online. The remaining chainstore bookshops here in the UK are loath to take on unknown authors. They prefer to accept sponsorship from the big publishers and promote celebrity names that come with their own ready-made audience and fan base. It is a simple fact of economics.

 

That leaves us poor mortals fighting tooth and nail to be seen, heard, and above all, read, by the market that will be the biggest influencers in social circles. Probably the main supporter of Indie authors has been Amazon, closely followed by Smashwords, for Internet sales. Both websites offer the author a chance to upload their work as an eBook, and on Amazon you can include paperback books for sale as well if you have them. Amazon has received a lot of negative media attention recently when it was revealed that the company has been using a legal loophole to avoid paying UK tax. Subsequently there is now a movement trying to boycott the company.

Personally I still like Amazon. No, I don’t agree that they should avoid paying their taxes. If we have to do it then so should they. But as both a seller and a buyer, I like the service and the products that they supply. My books are available on Amazon, and that is where I make the majority of my sales. It is quick, easy and convenient to download a Kindle book. I also order various items from Amazon frequently, although admittedly I am largely a book buyer. I just can’t help myself, and I own a Kindle!

As an Indie author, and in my experience, we must have our books available in as many places as possible. Therefore I chose publishers who would list my books on the central wholesale database from which all UK stores can order my books on request. I also made sure that my books could be sold internationally, although at the moment those outlets are via Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  I am listed on Smashwords, where you can choose from a number of different eBook formats, depending on the device you use for reading.

And, finally, I haven’t given up on the high street stores. I did do several book signing events with Waterstones, but these have since dried up after the company was sold and the business model has changed. It is now more difficult than ever for an Indie author to gain presence in a real, solid bookshop. It is all about networking, building contacts, and gaining the trust and working relationships with people that can get you seen by the right readers at the right time. And for now, the best place to start is on the Internet. Get your social media hat on folks; it is the only way to sell your book brand!

*Book stack image courtesy of Modernish Homemaker 
Kindle image courtesy of Kindle Publishing