What’s In A Title? Guest Post (and Giveaway!) by RJ Scott

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Marie Sexton

A title can give you a first impression of a book. That, and the cover, are the things that jump out at you on a list of new books.

I once wrote a blog where I came up with the title: *A Texas Shifter Cowboy And A Cop With A Kid At Christmas*. Of course this would be impossible to fit on a cover… maybe instead the cover should have a semi nekkid dude wearing a cowboy hat, a wolf to indicate what kind of shifter, a cop, a cute kid, a Christmas tree, and the title which you could shorten to *The Cowboy And The Cop*… or *Texas Shifter* or *The kid at Christmas* or….

Do you see where I’m going with this?

When you title your book, calling it something unhelpful like *Moments* or *Oracle* or *Kian* or *insert unhelpful name here* means nothing to a new reader who is looking at the book in a long list of new publications… So I guess as an author what I ended up getting my head around was that I needed to think about titles that stood out to ME and go from there. The perfect example of this was The Fireman And The Cop…

All the kings men 6x9Take my newest self published story – All The Kings Men. What is this about? It sounds soldiery, or maybe paranormal? BUT, it’s from the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty, and is about an earthquake and forest fires that destroy LA and the battle to survive for two central characters. So, pretty useless title, but the cover, by Meredith Russell, captures the story perfectly with the embers of the forest fire.

Just imagine if you were wanting to try a new author and you had ten seconds to choose one out of ten and you knew none of the authors… The question I always asked myself was what makes me buy the book I have chosen? So, if you don’t know the author, and you have no recommendation what makes you choose a new book to try from, say, a list of ten books? Is it cover? Title?

Tell me what you think and I will choose a commenter at random to win one of my backlist, or a future book.

See the full list of RJ Scott stories at http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/p/published-writing.html

Posted in Guest Bloggers | 33 Comments

Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding Available for Pre-Order

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Marie Sexton

You can now pre-order Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding from Dreamspinner Press! Go here.

FearHopeBreadPudding-1

Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding will be released June 5, 2013!

Posted in Fear, Hope & Bread Pudding | 9 Comments

Busy, Busy Day (And Cover Reveal!!)

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Marie Sexton

flowersforhim_800BestsellerIcon100X100First of all, I woke up to an email today telling me that Flowers for Him is an ARe Bestseller! How fantastic is that? You can find it here.

Never a Hero was officially released today, and so far the reviews I’ve seen have been fantastic. Of course, I tend to only see the ones people send me, and they probably don’t bother to tweet at me when they write a bad review. But still… here’s a bit of what folks are saying:

NeverAHero_200x300The Armchair Reader says, “I felt as if the charm and honesty in the writing cut through whatever natural angst exists from dealing with characters who have such enormous difficulties….Definitely recommended!”

Under the Covers says, “Marie Sexton is one of the premier authors of the genre and she showcases exactly why with NEVER A HERO!!…What starts off as awkward and fumbling soon turns into a romance that is imbibed with trust and understanding.”

Love Affair with an E-Reader says, “My favorite Marie Sexton book to date!…It was so perfectly crafted, paced, and executed. One of those books you’re just happy to have read.”

Ready to read Never a Hero? You can get it here.

And last but not least, I have cover art for Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding!!! (I was totally shouting that last bit, could you tell?) Anne Cain always does a wonderful job, and this time is no exception. Check it out.

FearHopeBreadPudding-1

Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding will be available sometime in June. Exact date TBD.

Stay tuned…  :-)

 

Posted in Fear, Hope & Bread Pudding, Flowers for Him, Never a Hero | 20 Comments

RT Recap, Upcoming Events, and New Releases

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Marie Sexton

May and June always seem to be busy months for me. I’m not sure if there’s really that much more going on or if it’s all in my head. Either way, I always feel a bit frazzled.

So, I’ve been home from RT13 for a week now. It was a fantastic event. RT rivals GRL in my mind for being the most fun and the most outrageous of the conferences and conventions I’ve been to. I met up with a few old friends, like Leigh, the crazy fangirl, LA Witt, Daisy Harris, Devon Rhodes, and Jane Kindred. I got to know TA Chase a bit better. I spent some time with Riptide’s marketing queen, Stephanie, and with my Riptide editor, Sarah Frantz. And — what I loved most — I met some new friends who are now officially some of my favorite people in the world: Alanna Coca, Ranae Rose, Lauren Stewart, and Caroline Hanson. And there were all the people I barely managed to see at all: ZAM, Mary Calmes, Belinda McBride, and Amy Lane. (And even now, I know I’m forgetting tons of folks!) Here are some photo highlights:

I have several events coming up this summer as well, both virtual and real.

If you’re in the Denver area, I definitely suggest you stop by our booth at Pride. I’ll be there with some of the Out in Colorado crew: Caitlin Ricci, George Seaton, PD Singer, Brannan Black, ML Rhodes, Carter Quinn, Cari Z, and Tabatha Heart.

I also have two new releases to tell you about! The first is Flowers for Him, which I wrote with Rowan Speedwell. This was originally part of the Promoted by the Billionaire anthology but can now be purchased as a single story. Rainbow Book Reviews says it’s “as hot and passionate as it is sweet.” So, what are you waiting for? Get your copy now!

And finally, Never a Hero is now available! I’m so excited about this release. I finished this book months ago and it feels like it’s been forever in coming.

Everyone deserves a hero.NeverAHero_200x300

Owen Meade is desperately in need of a hero. Raised by a mother who made him ashamed of his stutter, his sexual orientation, and his congenitally amputated arm, Owen lives like a hermit in his Tucker Springs apartment. But then hunky veterinarian Nick Reynolds moves in downstairs.

Nick is sexy and confident, and makes Owen comfortable with himself in a way nobody ever has. He also introduces Owen to his firecracker of a little sister, who was born with a similar congenital amputation but never let it stand in her way. When she signs the two of them up for piano lessons—and insists that they play together in a recital—Owen can’t find a way to say no. Especially since it gives him a good excuse to spend more time with Nick.

Owen knows he’s falling hard for his neighbor, but every time he gets close, Nick inexplicably pulls away. Battling his mother’s scorn and Nick’s secrets, Owen soon realizes that instead of waiting for a hero, it’s time to be one—for himself and for Nick.

Never a Hero is available NOW from Riptide Publishing. It will be available from Amazon, ARe, and all other major retailers tomorrow, Monday, May 13th.

I hope to have cover art any day now for Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding. I’ll post it here just as soon as I’m able.

Have a great week!

Posted in Flowers for Him, Never a Hero, News, Out in Colorado | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Free Stories, New Releases, and Excerpts — Oh My!

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Marie Sexton

I’m attempting to make my blog titles more interesting, since I normally go with such catchy monikers as, “Update.”

How did I do?  ;-)

2013 is turning out to be a crazy year. The chaos started in February and will continue into July or so. Some of it has been bad (like seeing my father-in-law lose his year-long battle with cancer back in February) (on my 40th birthday, no less). Some of it has been good (like having a bunch of new releases!). I’m not sure how or why everything seems to happen at once, especially since I feel like I haven’t written anything in ages, but I guess that’s how things roll.

Family Man CoverFamily Man came out back in March and seems to have been well-received. As an author — and especially as one who tries not to obsess over reviews — it’s sometimes hard to gauge. Still, I have Heidi Cullinan (my co-author on the book) to tell me when something really great comes up, like receiving a starred review in the Library Journal! We were also selected as Smart Bitches’ Book of the Month for April, which was very exciting.

April saw the release of Flowers for Him, the story I co-wrote with Rowan Speedwell for Total E-Bound’s m/m anthology, Promoted by the Billionaire. The anthology can be purchased immediately from Total E-Bound. It will be available from Amazon and ARe on April 29th. I’ll post a (hot, steamy) excerpt at the end of this post. promotdbythebillionaire_800

Also in April was the gigantic ordeal with my dog. For those who are interested, you can read the story here. The good news is, this story has a happy ending! Jango is home. He’s fine. In fact, he has no idea how close he came to dying. And I am so happy I trusted my instincts and took him to the vet when I did!

Next week is RT. For those who will be there, I look forward to seeing you. Drinks are on me! ;-)

My next Tucker Springs book, Never a Hero, comes out on May 13th. I’m so excited about this book! Maybe I’ll post an excerpt from that in a day or two. At any rate, for anybody who’s coming to RT in Kansas City next week, I’ll have a few advance paperback copies at the Giant Book Fair on Saturday, so track me down if you’d like to purchase one. NeverAHero_500x750

That brings me to June, and the release many of my fans have been begging for since August of 2010 — the sequel to Strawberries for Dessert. This one is called Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding. I don’t have an exact release date or cover art yet, but I’ll share them here just as soon as I do!

Before I move on to that (hot, steamy) excerpt I promised you, I wanted to point out a couple of free stories I have available. Many people are already familiar with The Promise, which features Matt and Jared from Promises. I also have the story I wrote for last year’s Coffee and Porn Birthday Bash. It’s called Chapter Five and the Axe-Wielding Maniac. It’s not a romance, per se, but I think it’s kind of fun. Lastly, I have a vignette I wrote earlier this year called To Feel the Sun. This was supposed to be for an anthology, but it turned out way too short. I could have expanded it but the truth is, I kind of liked it the way it was, so I posted it here for free.

Now, as promised, here’s a fun little bit from Flowers for Him.  Continue reading →

Posted in Chapter Five and the Axe-Wielding Maniac, Family Man, Fear, Hope & Bread Pudding, Flowers for Him, Never a Hero, News, random blathering, To Feel the Sun, Tucker Springs | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Boulder Beans for Alex

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Marie Sexton

Don’t scoff at lima beans. These are awesome. No kidding. (It’s bacon and brown sugar! How can you go wrong?) (Granted, they’re probably not the healthiest thing in the word, but they’re damn good.)

This recipe is from Créme de Colorado, one of the many fabulous cookbooks from the Junior League of Denver. (My favorite is Colorado Collage.)

Anyway… the recipe:

Boulder Beans

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb dried lima beans
  • 1/4 lb bacon
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Soak beans overnight in 2 inches of water. (I’ve wondered how these would work using canned beans, but haven’t tried it yet.)

Boil beans in water until tender or until skins pop off. Drain, reserving liquid. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp. Reserve bacons and drippings. Put beans in a greased 9×9-inch baking dish. Top with bacon and drippings. (That’s right. Just pour the bacon grease right in there.) Sprinkle with brown sugar and sea salt. Pour in enough of the bean-cooking liquid to barely cover the beans. Cover and bake at 325 for 3 hours. Add more cooking liquid if beans become dry.

Yummy! Now I want some, too.

Posted in random blathering | Leave a comment

Upcoming Events

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Marie Sexton

Okay. Lots of stuff in the coming months! Here’s a run-down:

Family Man CoverThursday, April 25, 9:00-10:30PM EST: The Family Man book club chat at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Heidi and I will be there starting at 10:00 EST. Everyone is welcome. Please stop by and say hello!

May 1- May 5: RT Convention! There are two book-signing events at RT. (And I hope Smart Bitches will forgive me for stealing the info from their site in order to share it with you here.)

Thursday May 2: Ebook, Indie and Graphic Novel Expo - $5.00 (for non conference attendees)

On Thursday May 2 from 4 – 6 pm you will meet more than 300 e-book and small press authors and many graphic novel authors. Get autographs, chat with some of your favorite authors and purchase e-books and small press print books.

Saturday 4 May: Giant Book Fair – 11am – 2pm - $5.00 at the door (for non conference attendees)

When they say “giant,” they mean it: over 450 authors are registered to sign. You can get signed books, or bring collectible or personal copies to have signed. if you’ve ever wanted to see a really big group of romance readers and authors in one place, with squeeing and eagerness and possibly costumes, this is the event to attend.

Saturday, May 18th, 11:00-4:00: Fort Collins Pride Fest: I’ll be there, along with Caitlinn Ricci.

June 15th and 16th: Denver Pride A whole group of Colorado-based m/m authors will be there! In addition to myself, you can meet Caitlin Ricci, George Seaton, PD Singer, Brannan Black, ML Rhodes, Carter Quinn, Cari Z, and Tabatha Heart.

July 12-14: UK GLBT Meet I just registered for this one today and I’m very excited!

Posted in Family Man, News, random blathering | 4 Comments

From the Ashes, by Kayla Jameth

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Marie Sexton

Kayla Jameth is my guest today. I had to smile when I saw her post, because it’s about her book From the Ashes. From the Ashes is Cinderfella tale — an idea I obviously like. (For those who have read my version, don’t get confused. This is Kayla’s character Cinder being interviewed, not mine.) ;-)

And don’t miss the excerpt following the interview!

*****

KJ_From the Ashes_1650x2550

Cinder never thought that he could rise from the ashes of his life, but an unexpected encounter with a woman claiming to be his fairy godmother may be just what he needs. Finding himself flung into his very own fairy tale, she sends him off to meet his Prince Charming. But was the gown really necessary?

From the Ashes: Cinder’s Interview

From the Ashes is a Cinderfella (a m/m retelling of the classic Cinderella story) set roughly in 16th century France. By roughly, I mean, just how literal/historically correct can a fairy godmother be? It’s a fairy tale. It’s not intended to be taken as history; although, this may have slipped notice.

Accordingly, some readers had a few questions about choices Cinder faced so I thought I’d let him address them. Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Bloggers | 1 Comment

Doggy Update

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Marie Sexton

We heard from the vet yesterday, and I’m thrilled to report that Jango’s mass was not cancer!

Posted in random blathering | 2 Comments

Dog Details

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Marie Sexton

Since I’ve been tweeting about it this morning, I figured I’d give the details (as they stand now) about my dog.

Jango 2My dog Jango is almost eleven years old, but you’d never know it. He’s still very energetic and has seemed completely healthy up until now. Of course that’s one of the things about dogs: they don’t complain.

Jango sleeps in our room with us — sometimes on the floor, and sometimes on the bed — and he rarely disturbs us. He almost never needs to go out in the night. The most obnoxious thing he does is lick himself too loudly or shake the bed while chasing dream-squirrels. But last night was different. Last night, he was restless. He kept pacing around the room. When he stopped pacing, it was to stand with his head hanging. He didn’t seem to want to lay down. I think I knew right then that something was wrong, but I’m a worrier when it comes to my critters. (Last week I was in tears over my daughter’s pet mouse. She seemed to be having painful convulsions. I was positive she was dying. In hindsight, I’m pretty sure they were hiccups.)

Cut to this morning, when I get out of bed. Continue reading →

Posted in random blathering | 20 Comments