Summer Blow-Out Sale

OUTBACK LOVE on my Kindle Fire.

Another stormy summer day here on the Florida Gulf Coast. I'm sitting in my living room looking out the front windows as the day grows darker and darker and the rain comes pouring down. Every few minutes there's another loud clap of thunder.

Well, this stormy weather got me to thinking. Maybe this is just the right time for a Summer Blow-Out Sale of my books: OUTBACK LOVE, MOON OVER MADNESS and BAYOU BLUES AND OTHER SORROWS.

All three eBooks are temporarily $0.99/ea. In addition, JETTING AWAY, my short story prequel to OUTBACK LOVE, will continue to be FREE.

Teri Heyer's eBooks at Amazon/Kindle - $0.99/ea.

Just so you know, this sale was not something I planned in advance. It's the result of day after day of steamy, sultry, HOT summer weather interspersed with lots and lots of rain. How long will this Blow-Out Sale last? Well, maybe until the weather improves? It's really hard to say. Since this is a temporary, spontaneous Blow-Out Sale, not a planned one, the price of $0.99 is only available at Amazon/Kindle.

Now why would you want to buy and read my books even at this great price? Well, because they're fun, upbeat, adventurous and heartwarming reads with plenty of love thrown in and some guaranteed happy endings?

OUTBACK LOVE is a short contemporary romance novel set in Australia and the Outback. Years back my husband and I took a five thousand mile road trip through Australia, from Melbourne north through the Outback and then east to Queensland and the beautiful and exotic Australian coast. We rented a conversion van which my husband drove (they drive on the left instead of the right in Australia). I rode shotgun and filmed much of the trip. It was an awesome three week vacation and I hope that we'll be able to repeat it sometime in the future.

The places I wrote about in OUTBACK LOVE are real locales. We went there and fell in love with each and every place mentioned in my novel. OUTBACK LOVE is not a travelogue, but you will read a little about The Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell, Barossa Valley (great wineries), Chateau Yaldara (an awesome winery), Glendambo (a stop on the road to the Outback), Coober Pedy (where they mine gorgeous opals and most of the people live underground), Ayers Rock/Uluru (which is one of the most awesome sights ever and I did climb Ayers Rock), Alice Springs (have you seen the pop movie, 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'?), Mataranka (a hot springs oasis in the middle of the Outback), Tennant Creek (a tranquil crossroads in the Outback), Darwin (a must-see city at the tip-top of Australia) and Kakadu (an exotic, beautiful, step-back-into-time kind of place where they filmed 'Crocodile Dundee'). Whew! That was a long trip, a great adventure and wonderful inspiration for my novel.

A few tidbits about OUTBACK LOVE. A river guide I met in Kakadu was the inspiration for rugged, handsome, Ian MacAlister. A young college student working for the summer in Tennant Creek was the inspiration for Priscilla Alexander. A so-homely-he-was-cute dog in the Outback was my inspiration for Elliot.

OUTBACK LOVE is an adventurous love story with a happy ending. But it took Priscilla and Ian some definite ups and downs to get there. I loved writing OUTBACK LOVE and hope you'll love reading it too.



JETTING AWAY on my Kindle Fire.

JETTING AWAY  is a short story prequel to OUTBACK LOVE. It came about following a reader's request to know more about Priscilla's background. She wanted to know why Priscilla, a high-powered business woman, would leave beautiful San Francisco and travel to Australia to find herself.

Though JETTING AWAY is a prequel, it can be read as a stand-alone short story. No, you don't have to read OUTBACK LOVE to enjoy this story. It's all about Priscilla, a young woman who decides to make changes in her life and jets away to Australia.

Best of all, JETTING AWAY is a FREE eBook on Amazon/Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Apple iTunes, Sony and Kobo. How can you resist a fun, FREE read?





MOON OVER MADNESS on my Kindle.

My paranormal, romantic comedy novella, MOON OVER MADNESS, came to me full-blown in one mad moment of inspiration. I swear the little helper-elves in my head wrote this book and all I did was write down the story as they told it to me.

Chantel Deneuve is a responsible mother of two beautiful young daughters and living a quiet life in Florida. She also happens to be a half-witch, something she'd prefer to ignore. But then one night a to-die-for, gorgeously handsome vampire, Riordan "Rio" Martainn, comes knocking on her front door.

Chantel's life is never the same after that night. An assortment of witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, a very angry dragon named Sabilla and Jake, a dog who only talks to to children, all join in this romantic mad adventure.  If you want to read a book that will make you smile, then MOON OVER MADNESS is just the book for you.

BAYOU BLUES ... on my Kindle Fire.

BAYOU BLUES AND OTHER SORROWS  is my book that evolved over time. It's a collection of eight short stories and eight poems that all contain little pieces of me. The central themes are love, family, hopes and dreams.

There's a little bit of everything in these stories and poems. "Harry's Garden" was inspired by a not-very-nice former neighbor when we used to live on a Florida bayou way-back-when. "A Kiss is Just a Kiss" was written after a childhood friend of mine died of AIDS. I was thinking of him as I wrote that story. "The Night of the UFO" was inspired after we (my husband and I) swore we saw a UFO over the bayou. I was drinking Margaritas that night, rather than Whiskey Sours (I happen to like both) and the story came to me full-blown. I stayed up half the night to write it. "I Love You, Joe Montana" was inspired, because, well, you know, I happen to love Joe Montana.

The stories and poems in BAYOU BLUES AND OTHER SORROWS are very dear to my heart. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed the journey in writing those stories and poems.

As I finish writing this post it's still raining outside. Overall, this has been a very wet, rainy summer here on the Florida Gulf Coast. Am I complaining? No. But I've spent a lot of indoor time instead of enjoying the great outdoors and our beautiful sugar-sand beaches. However, all this rain means you get the Summer Blow-Out Sale of my books. I do so hope you'll rush right out and add all of my books to your Kindle or other eReader. Who can resist eBooks for only $0.99/ea.? I know I can't. Of course, I'm addicted to books and I'm assuming you are too.

Summer Blow-Out Sale of Teri Heyer's eBooks at Amazon/Kindle - $0.99/ea.

A happy summer shout-out to y'all. Thanks again for stopping by my blog. And many many thanks to all my readers too.

Talking about the "Supermoon" and Books

A photo I took of the "Supermoon" last night, 6/22/2013.

Last night was the first I heard about the "Supermoon." It's been all over the news and the net for days, but it only just sank in when my husband pointed out to me last night that I needed to look at the moon.

Now this is uncharacteristic of me. I've always been fascinated with the moon ever since my dad bought my brother a telescope and we gazed at the moon, up-close, and saw all those mysterious shadows and craters. Simply awesome!

As the "Supermoon" rose over the treetops last night I snapped several photos. The best of the bunch is the one in this post. My camera is a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX20V. It's a great little camera (purse size and fits in the palm of my hand), but it isn't particularly designed to take moon photos. So I was pleased to get such a clear photo of the "Supermoon."

Now what's so great about this month's full moon? The moon is closer to the earth for this cycle, so the moon appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual. Well, after gazing at the moon last night I have to agree that it looked bigger and brighter and awesome.

Some links to check out:

Supermoon Sunday - NASA.com

Don't fear the Supermoon - Space.com

VIDEO: "It's a 'Supermoon'! - The Weather Channel

My dogs went out into the darkened front yard with me last night while I took photos of the moon. They gave me that funny look of "Why are you taking photos at night?" They didn't even bother to look at the moon. 

Now my dog, Dude, who knows how to howl, didn't even bother to howl at last night's "Supermoon." However, the actual full moon is tonight, so maybe he'll give it at least a little howl as the moon rises over the treetops?

Now all this talk about full moons brings to mind werewolves. Yeah, I have a fascination with werewolves too. In the wee hours last night, just before it started to rain, my dogs and I went out front again to look at the "Supermoon" one more time. The clouds were drifting around the moon, creating an eerie effect. I couldn't help but check over my shoulder for possible werewolves. Any rustle in the bushes caught my immediate attention. But my dogs, Dude and Shani, weren't the least bit alarmed. So I guess we didn't have any werewolves lurking around our house last night? Oh, but the full moon is actually tonight. Oh, my!

My very fav werewolf movie is the 1981 classic, "An American Werewolf in London." I've watched that movie so many times. Absolutely love it!

An American Werewolf in London - Blu-ray Edition

'Moon Over Madness' on my Kindle Fire.

Now it seems to me this is the perfect time to talk about MOON books and particularly those that pertain to werewolves. So in case y'all didn't know, I wrote a paranormal, romantic comedy about, yep, you guessed it, the moon and werewolves. I included witches, vampires, ghosts, dragons and a dog named Jake too.

My mom insists this is her favorite one of my books and thinks it should be made into a movie with actress Shirley MacLaine as one of the witches. What can I say? Thanks, Mom. I loved writing MOON OVER MADNESS and hope y'all will love reading it too.

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle


MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/Nook


MOON OVER MADNESS - iTunes/iPad



Connie Flynn's 'Shadow on the Moon' on my Kindle.

I thought this would be the perfect time to list some of the MOON fiction reads on my Kindle. Note, some of these reads include werewolves too.

MOON Reads on my Kindle (in no particular order):

Shadow on the Moon (Werewolf Series #1) by Connie Flynn
Dark Moon by Rebecca York
Indian Moon by Carolyn McCray
Mocha, Moonlight and Murder by MaryAnn Kempher
Song of the Orange Moons by Lori Ann Stephens

Marsha Canham's 'Pale Moon Rider' on my Kindle.

Pale Moon Rider by Marsha Canham
Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham
Moonlight on the Nantahala by Michael Rivers
Irish Moon by Amber Scott
The Light of the Lovers Moon by Marcia Lynn McClure
Sailing Down the Moonbeam by Mary Gottschalk
Three Moons Over Sedona by Sherry Hartzler
Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens

Anne Stuart's 'Moonrise' on my Kindle

Moonrise by Anne Stuart
Under the Desert Moon by Mary Tate Engels
Orchids in Moonlight by Patricia Hagan
Songbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer
Moon in Leo by Kathleen Herbert
Sarah of the Moon by Randy Mixter
Fever Moon by Carolyn Haines
Rustler's Moon by Jim Jones
The Valley of the Moon by Jack London


I hope y'all find some great reads in the list above. Thanks again for stopping by. And don't forget to take a look at the "Supermoon" tonight. Oh, and don't forget to watch out for werewolves too.

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Happy Valentine's Day on Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge.

In the words of Tina Turner, "What's love got to do, got to do with it ..." I'm sure that's a question we all ask, over and over again. Romance, lust, like, longing, love, get all mixed up together. Why do we want it? Why do we need it? Well, heck if I know, but when Valentine's Day rolls around we all get reminded of it real fast.

Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It (on YouTube with Lyrics)

Turn on the telly and we're bombarded with "Buy her this, buy her that ... perfumes, flowers, chocolates." Chocolates??? Now we're talking. I absolutely LOVE chocolate! So am I going to complain about Valentine's Day? No way! Will my "Dear Hubby" buy me chocolates? Maybe yes, maybe no. Is it wise for him to forget to buy me chocolates? Probably not. And what about flowers? Yep, I love flowers too, but particularly the live variety that I can plant in my flowers pots or garden.

It's all about hearts and love on the Graffiti Bridge.

Now I'm a realist. I've been married for ever so long. The shine has worn off all that romance. So I don't expect flowers, chocolates, diamonds or perfumes (by the way, I'm allergic to perfumes). But I do expect friendship, love and a bit of romance now and then. Hey girls, don't we all?

On the other hand, I'm a dreamer and I dream about love, romance, the whole nine yards. I love diamonds and yes, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." I swear that's true. Do I have diamonds? "You betcha!" Do I want more? Girls, what do you think? "Heck, yeah!" Will I get some this Valentine's Day? Of course not! I'm a realist, remember? I'm practical. I want more important things, like BOOKS.

Yep, I said BOOKS. Ask me any time of day or night if there's something I want and I'll tell you, "I want books. Lots and lots of books." But here's where you ask, "Don't you already have lots and lots of books?" Well, of course, darling, but there's no such thing as too many books. I love romance novels, historical fiction, short story collections, poetry, history books and everything in between. I definitely love books!

I read romances and I write them too. So if you all get a chance, I hope you'll check out my books and add a little more romance and love into your life. My books are all about love, in one form or another. Oh, and there's some adventure, laughs, a little sorrow, and a good amount of romance in there too. So here they are: Outback Love, Jetting Away, Moon Over Madness, Bayou Blues and Other Sorrows. Won't you "give love a chance" and read my books?

Now, as I was saying, I read romances too. Lots of them. Here's an assortment you might want to try for Valentine's Day!

On my Kindles (Read or TBR):

Candy Valentine (A Sensual Short Story) by (my BFF) Ruth D. Kerce
Kiss Me (A Contemporary Romantic Comedy) by Jan Romes
The Trouble With Valentine's Day (Chinooks Hockey Team) by Rachel Gibson
Candy Store (A Contemporary Romance) by Bella Andre
Cupid's Cupcake (A Romantic Comedy) by Ivy Sinclair
Chocolate Kisses  (A Contemporary Romance) by Judith Arnold

Some other Valentine's Day Romances that caught my eye (all available as eBooks and in no particular order):

Be My Texas Valentine by Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday & Phyllis Miranda
Valentine Babies (Holiday Babies) by Mona Risk
A Romantic Comedy Duo by Talli Roland
Cupid on Deck by Nancy Serofano
Tripping on Love by Carrie Stone
A Valentine Surprise by Lisa Page
Valentine Collection (Anthology) by Jennifer Conner
It Happened on Valentine's Day (An Avon Romance Sampler) by Eloisa James, et al.
Valentines Say "I Love You" (Anthology) by Denise L. Wyant, et al.
My Vegas Valentine by R. A. Lee
A Cupid Kind of Day by L. A. Dale
Stirred with Love by Marcie Steele
The WG2E All-For-Indies Anthologies: Viva La Valentine by Talli Roland, et al.
Heart Bouquets (Romantic Short Stories) by Stephanie Craig, et al.
The Valentine's Day Ball by Julia Parks
Kiss Me (An Avon Valentine's Day Anthology) by Codi Gary, et al.
Love is in the Air (A Valentine's Day Collection) by Carolyn McCray
Valentine's Dream by Sandra Kitt, Carmen Green & Felicia Mason
Burning Hearts by K. L. Morisen
Duping Cupid by Gina Ardito
Un-Valentine's Day by Kristine Cayne
Cupid's Revenge (A Chloe Boston Mystery) by Melanie Jackson
Heart Stealers by Patricia McLinn, Judith Arnold, Julie Ortolon & Kathryn Shay
Valentines (A Trio of Regency Love Stories) by Barbara Metzger
Straight from the Heart by Janelle Taylor
One More Valentine by Anne Stuart

Valentine presents from my Dear Hubby. <smile>

I'm sure I've missed listing lots of cool/great/fun/romantic reads for Valentine's Day, so please feel free to list more in the comments below.

Once again, thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day! And just for the record, LOVE has everything to do with it.

What are you Reading for Halloween?

Halloween is almost here, again. That means witches, vampires, ghosts, goblins, werewolves and other "spooky" beings are out there waiting for their special night. It also means there is a lot of great Halloween and paranormal fiction that we all ought to be reading.

Well, this is where I point out that you all ought to be reading my paranormal romantic comedy, MOON OVER MADNESS, which is a great Halloween read. If you love witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, dragons, oh, and a dog named Jake, then this is just the book for you.

Chantel Deneuve is a half-witch who denied her witch heritage and moved away to the cottage town of East Hill, Florida. She has a quiet life with her two young daughters, Aria and Lucia, until something extraordinary happens. One night, much to her surprise, a vampire, Riordan "Rio" Martainn, comes knocking at her door and invites himself inside.

Rio is hot and Chantel flustered, but he manages to explain to Chantel that King Murdoc and his minions will be coming after her to retrieve the stolen Blue-Star. The Blue-Star? Chantel hasn't a clue. Rio, on the other hand, vows to protect Chantel. But who will protect Chantel from Rio? Together they search for the Blue-Star in order to return it to its true owner, a very pissed off dragon lady named Sabilla. Join Chantel, Rio, a dog named Jake, and an assortment of other-beings in their quest for the missing jewel. In the meantime, will Chantel and Rio fall in love in spite of all the madness?

Now here is where I swear that you'll love MOON OVER MADNESS. Rio is a hunk and Chantel can't resist his charms. Rio's companions, an assortment of vampires and werewolves, are to-die-for hunks too. Then there's Jake the dog who almost steals the show. The action builds and Halloween night is explosive. Then there's the problem with dragons. Sabilla is one dragon you'll not soon forget.

Well, if you're looking for a romantic, lighthearted, fun, action packed, Halloween read, then why don't you give MOON OVER MADNESS a try? This book is novella length and only $1.99.

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/US

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/UK

MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/Nook

MOON OVER MADNESS is also available at Sony, Apple, Diesel, Kobo and Smashwords.

I've put together a list of fun, romantic, exciting, spooky, haunted reads that are perfect for Halloween. So here's the list, in no particular order. (Note - I slipped in some scary reads too.)

The Corset & The Cowboy (A Sensual Short Story) by Ruth D. Kerce
Livin' Lahaina Loca (Islands of Aloha Mystery) by JoAnn Bassett
Wilder Family Halloween (Darkness Chosen) by Christina Dodd
All Hallow's Moon by S. M. Reine
A Skeleton at Her Door (Halloween/Fall Romance) by E. Ayers
Passion & Pumpkins by Lily Rede
Halloween is for Lovers by Nate Gubin
Dumb White Husband vs. Halloween by Benjamin Wallace
Halloween Romance by Denaya Haymond
Under a Halloween Moon by Beverly Breton-Carroll
The Pumpkin Thief (A Chloe Boston Mystery) by Melanie Jackson
A Catered Halloween (Mystery with Recipes) by Isis Crawford
Halloween Honeymoon by Merline Lovelace
Lady Hilary's Halloween (A Regency Paranormal Romance) by Anne Barbour
The Halloween Collection (Indie Eclective) by M. Edward McNally, et. al.
A Halloween Homicide by David W. Robinson
Uneasy Spirits (A Victorian San Francisco Mystery) by M. Louisa Locke
A Halloween Collection Anthology: Sweet by Charlotte Raby, et. al.
A Halloween Collection Anthology: Stimulating by Rebecca J. Vickery, et. al.
All Hallow's Eve by Carolyn McCray
Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot Mystery) by Agatha Christie
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The October Country by Ray Bradbury

Check out my next post for an assortment of witch, vampire, ghost and werewolf fiction.

(Note - Please feel free to add more Halloween reads in the comments below.)

Once in a Blue Moon

My photo of the Blue Moon on Aug. 31st, 2012

When I was a kid no one bothered to explain to me that a Blue Moon is not really blue. So for years I kept waiting to see that blue colored moon.  How hard would it have been to explain that a Blue Moon is the second full moon in a month?

Well, last night was a gorgeous Blue Moon, which doesn't come along all that often, the last one being in 2009. I went out late last night and snapped a couple photos of that gorgeous full moon. Awesome!

I happen to have a special affinity for the moon. As a very small child my dad would take my brother and I outside to look at the moon through a telescope. What a great memory to have from those early years. Nothing seemed quite as special as that moon.

In my college days, I remember a Moon-Walk Party, when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. There was a group of us college kids glued to the screen of a very small TV. Yes, TVs were small those days. Of course, I'm also showing my age. What can I say? It was an awesome moment and I was there to see it.

Due to my fascination with the moon, it's no surprise that I wrote Moon Over Madness, my paranormal romantic comedy.

MOON OVER MADNESS at Amazon/US

MOON OVER MADNESS at Amazon/UK

MOON OVER MADNESS at Barnes & Noble

MOON OVER MADNESS at Apple iTunes

MOON OVER MADNESS at Kobo

MOON OVER MADNESS at Sony Reader Store

MOON OVER MADNESS at Diesel eBook Store

MOON OVER MADNESS at Smashwords

Moon Over Madness is a novella about Chantel Deneuve, a half-witch who denied her witch heritage and moved away to the cottage town of East Hill, Florida. She has a quiet life with her two young daughters, Aria and Lucia, until something surprising happens. One night, much to her surprise, a vampire, Riordan "Rio" Martainn, comes knocking at her door and invites himself inside.

Rio is a to-die-for hunky vampire and Chantel is quickly flustered. Now what is she supposed to do? What is a vampire doing in her house, never mind that he's sexy as hell. She should push him back outside and lock her door. But on the other hand...

Rio quickly explains to Chantel that King Murdoc, someone she's never heard of before, and his minions will be coming after her to retrieve the stolen Blue-Star. The Blue-Star? Chantel hasn't a clue. Rio vows to protect Chantel. But who will protect Chantel from Rio?

Together they search for the Blue-Star in order to return it to its true owner, a very pissed off dragon lady named Sabilla. Join Chantel, Rio, a dog named Jake (who only "talks" to children), and an assortment of other-beings in their quest for the missing jewel. In the meantime, will Chantel and Rio fall in love in spite of all the madness?

If you haven't already read Moon Over Madness, I hope you'll give it a try.  I had a really fun time writing it and hope you will have as much fun reading my book.

Now for the part of this post that my followers have come to expect. I'm always listing cool books that I think you'll all enjoy. So here's a list of Moon Fiction. I think there are some great reads on this list.

Moon Fiction (In no particular order):

The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart
Blue Moon by Luanne Rice
Three Moons Over Sedona by Sherry Hartzler
Sarah of the Moon by Randy Mixter
Rustlers Moon (Jared Delaney Trilogy) by Jim Jones
Brazen Moon (Passion and Hellfire, #1) by Ruth D. Kerce
Irish Moon (Moon Magick Series) by Amber Scott
The Light of the Lover's Moon by Marcia Lynn McClure
Magic in Moon Time by Dara Harper
Moon Dance by Mariah Stewart
Blue Moon Rising by Lillian Francken
I'll Watch the Moon by Ann Tatlock
Deliver the Moon by Rebecca J. Clark
The 5 Moons of Tiiana (Chronicles of Rez Cantor) by Paul Harry
Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1) by J. R. Rain
Blue Moon by Lori Handeland
The Moon Lady's Lover by Vanessa Grant
The Heat of the Moon (A Rachel Goddard Mystery) by Sandra Parshall
Indian Moon by Carolyn McCray
Harvest Moon (Virgin River) by Robyn Carr
Moonlight Road (Virgin River) by Robyn Carr
Blue Moon Bay (Moses Lake) by Lisa Wingate
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Huntress Moon (Huntress/FBI Thrillers) by Alexandra Sokoloff
Shadow of the Moon (Werewolf Series #1) by Connie Flynn
Blue Moon Over Texas (Lone Star Cowboys) by Tori Scott
A Moon Called Sun by Christopher F. Cobb
Moonlight and Margaritas by Cindy Stark
The Moonstone by Claire Delacroix
Moon Called by Andre Norton
Man in the Blue Moon by Michael Morris
Eye of the Storm (Moonlight Mysteries) by Denise Moncrief
Tularosa Moon Stacey Coverstone
Moon Shell Beach by Nancy Thayer
Bad Moon Rising by Helen Haight Fanick
Moon Signs (Moon Mystery Series) by Helen Haight Fanick
Moonlighting in Vermont (Bree MacGowan Series) by Kate George
Beneath a Midnight Moon by Amanda Ashley
Witch Moon by Maggie Shayne
Musketeer by Moonlight by Maggie Shayne
 
YA Moon Fiction (In no particular order):

A Leap in a Blue Moon by Ishwar Vedam
Six Moon Summer (Seasons of the Moon, Bk1) by S.M. Reine
Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

I'm sure I missed a lot of the great Moon Fiction out there. So please feel free to mention others in the comments below. (Authors, this is a chance to list your own books too.)

Moon Over Madness has a New Cover

"Moon Over Madness," my paranormal novella, has a new cover. This cover should appear on the Amazon/Kindle edition sometime this weekend.

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle

MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/Nook

MOON OVER MADNESS - Smashwords

The new cover will also be on the Smashwords edition of "Moon Over Madness" this weekend. However, the Smashwords editions at Barnes&Noble, Sony, Apple, Diesel and Kobo may not have the new cover until the middle or end of March.

For those of you who have already added "Moon Over Madness" to your Kindle, you should be able to request a free updated version from Amazon in a few days.

The only changes in the new version, besides the cover, are some formatting improvements, plus an Active TOC (Table of Contents). No changes have been made to the story.

"Moon Over Madness" is temporarily being offered as a free ebook at Barnes&Noble, Sony, Apple, Diesel and Kobo. At Amazon and Smashwords the price is .99 cents. By the end of March it will be back to .99 cents at all distribution sights, so get your free copy of  "Moon Over Madness" before it's too late.

I'm currently working on a short story about Jake-the-dog from "Moon Over Madness." Jake is such a cool dog and has insisted that he have his very own book. Jake's story will be available soon.

Let me know what you think of the new cover. Thanks so much.

Happy New Year!

The New Year 2012 snuck up on me. How did it get here so fast? I swear that Thanksgiving was only a couple days ago and Christmas was just yesterday. Did I get lost in time somewhere? Did I spend too much time on the computer?

Well, 2011 was a very good year for me. I fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming an author by ePubbing four books between August and November: "Outback Love," "Jetting Away," "Moon Over Madness" and "Bayou Blues and Other Sorrows." I guess that is why the year zipped by so fast.

"Jetting Away" went free on Amazon October 27th and from that date on I've been on a roller coaster ride. To date, over 20,000 people have downloaded a copy of "Jetting Away." For weeks it was on the Best Sellers Top 100 Free ebook list on Amazon and then for weeks more on the Best Sellers Contemporary Fiction Top 100 Free ebook list. What an exciting ride for a new indie author. I can't thank you all enough for getting "Jetting Away."

In addition to the excitement on "Jetting Away," "Outback Love," my contemporary romance novel, was on the Best Sellers Contemporary Romance Top 100 Paid ebook list for a number of days. Needless to say, I was on Cloud-9 for all of those days.

In the midst of that roller coaster ride, I ePubbed a collection of eight short stories and eight poems, "Bayou Blues and Other Sorrows." The date, 11/11/11, just seemed like a perfect day to bring out a new book. Unfortunately, "Bayou Blues..." is off to a slow start. However, it's now available as a free ebook to members of Amazon Prime. This is a book I've worked on for a very long time and am so pleased to finally have it out there. Writing poetry and short stories was my first love before writing novels.

November and December have been months of mostly dreaming and some writing. I've been working on several different ideas for some new novels. I managed to write partials on some of them and have hopes of finishing and ePubbing them in 2012. For now, I'll just say that I think you'll enjoy the novels I've been dreaming about and writing. If all goes well, I should have a new contemporary romance novel out before spring.

Many thanks to everyone who bought my books from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, Apple, Sony, Diesel and Kobo. Many thanks too to those on Twitter who re-Tweeted my many Tweets, mentioned me on Twitter, and/or chose to Follow me on Twitter. Thanks too for the very nice reviews I've received on my books on Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

In the meantime, best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year for all.

JETTING AWAY is Now on the Amazon Top 100 Free eBooks List

JETTING AWAY went FREE on Amazon sometime last night after I had gone to sleep. So I woke up this morning to a great surprise. By the time I checked on my sales at Amazon/KDP, 328 people had already downloaded my free book. At that point I was really excited.

If you don't already have my ebook, please use the link below to download a FREE copy of JETTING AWAY on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Jetting-Away-ebook/dp/B005JGE9R0/ref=zg_bs_154606011_39

I had always intended for JETTING AWAY to eventually be offered as a free ebook since it's a short story prequel to my contemporary romance novel, OUTBACK LOVE. Of course, both books can be read as stand-alones, but I hoped my readers would decide to read both books.

I lowered the sales price of JETTING AWAY to free on Smashwords first. Barnes and Noble quickly followed suit and so did Sony. Though I contacted Amazon, they decided to keep the book at .99 cents. I tried to explain to them how important it was to make the book available as a freebie, only I kept getting the same answer back. No.

So I was ultra-excited this morning to find that Amazon finally decided to make JETTING AWAY a free ebook. I must say, it has been really fun today watching the free sales increase and the ranking go up, up, up. The last time I checked the stats, 2192 free copies of JETTING AWAY were downloaded. That was in less than 24 hours. In the morning the sales ranking was #574 out of millions of books on Amazon. By afternoon my book was ranked #89 and on the Top 100 Free list. As the afternoon progressed, the ranking went higher to #82, then #39 and the last time I looked #33. My other two books are selling too. So this is very exciting for a new indie author.

I am excited by this day and humbled too. For someone who has been wanting/dreaming of being a writer since I was of grammar school age, today has been the best of the best. I thank all who have downloaded my books. It means a lot to me that you are willing to try a new writer. I strive to be the best that I can possibly be. I'm sure I have much to learn. This will be an evolving, growing, strengthening process. I have so many stories to tell. Yes, I am humbled by you all being willing to take a chance and read my books. Thank you so very much.

For those of you who haven't yet read one of my books. Please download a FREE copy of JETTING AWAY on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Sony or Apple. Please tell your friends and family members about my books too. It's very difficult for a new indie author to enter the book market, so I need all the support I can get.

A little story about today. I've been sick since last Friday with a sinus infection due to seasonal allergies. I try to avoid doctors and can usually get well on my own. But yesterday I lost my voice. Yep, laryngitis. So when I woke up this morning to all that excitement over my books, I wanted to scream with joy, only I couldn't even squeak, let alone talk or shout. So while all this excitement over sales and rankings were happening this afternoon, I was at the doctor's office to get antibiotics so I can get well. Hopefully in a few days I'll be able to scream and shout with joy. For now, I'd like to get my voice back so I can at least talk. I can't even call my family or friends on the phone today, because no one can hear what I'm saying. I have to admit that it's rather funny than I can't talk about this. Everyone who knows me, know that I love to talk. But for today I have to be quiet and write out my joy and thanks.

I have to say a special thanks to the gang at Twitter who helped make this all possible. In particular, indie authors Ruth D. Kerce, Russell Blake and David Bain helped along the way. They would RT (re-Tweet) all my Tweets and their Followers would RT and so on. I could never has done this all without you.

Also, indie author Russell Blake fought really hard to get his ebook, ZERO SUM, to go FREE on Amazon, which happened a few days before my book. He fought the good fight for all of us indie authors for price matching on Amazon.

I also need to thank Amazon too for finally making the decision to let JETTING AWAY be a free ebook on Amazon.

 I also have to say a special thanks to my friend of many years, author Ruth D. Kerce, for pushing me every step of the way to get my books out there for others to read. Note - Ruth offered lots of advice and moral support too. So thanks to a very special friend.

Special thanks to all my family members, friends and author/friends who forwarded my emails to others who forwarded them to even more. Believe me, it takes a really big village to sell a book. I know I'm forgetting names here, but you all know who you are. As my five year old grandson would say, "We're a team."

I know things will slow down again, but I intend to enjoy every minute of this high. I also intend to get busy writing and finishing my next books. I have two new ebooks that you'll be seeing soon. BAYOU BLUES AND OTHER SORROWS  is a collection of short stories and poems that I've wanted to publish for a long time. MOON OVER MISTLETOE is a paranormal novella that should available by the end of November.

(Please forgive all the extra adverbs, adjectives, etc. in this post. I'm too excited to edit them all out.)

The Importance of a Great Book Cover

I realize now the importance of a great book cover. Until I started ePubbling my own books, I never thought all that much about covers. Sure, I was attracted to an eye-catching cover, which always made me look inside the book. Only I never thought about how that happened. I guess it was just an automatic reaction, which I never realized I was doing. Now I study covers voraciously, online and at the bookstores.

I've come to the following conclusions. I've always look at any book with a moon on the cover. Don't ask me why, I just do. I guess it's because I've been totally fascinated with the moon since I was a kid and my dad brought home a telescope. I was instantly hooked. Although, until recently, I didn't realize it made me pick up certain books. Having "moon" in the title is also enough to make me take a second glance at the book.

Well, I love horses, dogs, flowers, seashells, the beach and tranquil landscapes too. So I realized I tend to look at books that have one or more of those elements. It doesn't mean I buy every book, but it does ensure that I stop and look. I now realize that if your book cover doesn't catch the reader's eye, you probably won't sell many books unless you're a big name author. On the other hand, I've been known to buy a book, now and then, just because I fell in love with the cover.

I'm a history fanatic, so I tend to look at books with medieval covers, particularly with knights and/or castles.. I've had a lifetime fascination with the westward movement, maybe because some of my ancestors traveled the Oregon Trail. So I look at books with covered wagons or just about any image that depicts pioneers. Maybe that's why I first fell in love with Louis L'Amour's books? I own just about every one of his books and so far have read more than half of them.

As a kid, I made my mother buy me every one of Marguerite Henry's books because of the beautiful covers of Chincoteague Ponies. I had the whole Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House Books," because of the pioneer covers. I first fell in love with "The Phantom Tollbooth," "A Wrinkle in Time," "Savage Sam," "The Enormous Egg" and "Island of the Blue Dolphins," because of the wonderful covers.  I still have my childhood copies of those books. Of course, it helped that the stories were incredible too.

My husband, Ben Heyer, is designing the covers for my ebooks. We're going through a trial and error period. I'm pretty picky about what I want on a cover and he's just downright stubborn. So, at this stage of the game, my covers are all a compromise. I'm getting better at conveying what I'd like to see on the cover and Ben is getting a bit more patient with all my changes. For now, it's still a learning process.

Ben is already designing covers for some of my upcoming books. I'm excited about what he's creating and anxious to get the books finished just so the cover can be attached to the book. Now isn't that a silly reason to hurry up and finish writing a book? However, it's also a good incentive to keep writing.

In the meantime, Ben just redesigned the covers for "Jetting Away" and "Moon Over Madness." I like these covers better than the original ones.  He just made a few changes here and there, which made all the difference.

So it comes down to this. I look at a book because of the cover. I may even buy it just for the cover. But finding a great story inside is what makes me keep the book and continue to rave about it for years and years.

My goal now is great stories with great covers. Gee, that's asking for a lot. Will I succeed? I certainly hope so. I have lots of stories to tell, so Ben will have lots of book covers to design.

On Contests, eBooks, eReaders and More

My "Moon Over Madness" Contest was a bust. Apparently no one wanted a free copy of my ebook. Okay, I understand, I think. Who wants to take a chance on a new author? I can understand not wanting to pay an enormous amount of money for an unknown. But free? That surprises me.

As I've said before, I'm a voracious reader. So when I discovered the Kindle eReader, I had to have one. What an incredible invention, to be able to carry hundreds, thousands of books in one little device that fits in your purse. Believe me, I carry my Kindle everywhere I go. Gee, I might get stuck on the top of the three mile bridge going over the bay. Hey, that's happened to me before, twice. So I just pull out my trusty Kindle and start reading until the traffic starts moving again.

What I love about having a Kindle, or any eReader for that matter, is the fact I have a whole library at my fingertips. So I can switch what I'm reading to fit my mood of the moment. My Kindle currently contains 429 books, everything from classics to history to romance to mystery to paranormal, to mystery/suspense, you name it. I have another 640 books in my Kindle archive, which I can transfer back to my Kindle at any time.

So here's the thing. New indie authors, and occasionally big authors, offer a book for free. Sometimes it's via a contest and other times on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple, etc. I'm always looking at the freebie books. It's wonderful to discover a book I may never have noticed. So I download freebies that catch my eye and I've discovered some wonderful books. I also enter book contests whenever I can, even though I've yet to win one of those contests. Oh well, there's always a first time.

I've discovered some really wonderful indie authors by reading a freebie ebook first. I've also come across some big authors I used to read, but who sort of slipped by the wayside. So my Kindle has a goodly number of those freebie books. But it also has bunches of ebooks that cost .99 cents to $3.99. That's my impulse price range. If the book looks interesting I buy it with a click and give it a try. Wow! It's like stepping into paradise, a world of books and all there by a single click.

Okay, I admit, I'm a book addict. I can't get enough books. I have bookshelves all through my house. Shelves of old favorites to be read again and again. Shelves of history books. I absolutely love reading history. Shelves of classics. I've been reading classics since I was a kid and still love them. Shelves of art books. Yep, I love to paint (landscapes and still-lifes in oils or acrylics), so art books and art magazines are a must. I have bookshelves just for paperbacks and others for hardbacks.

Yep, I'm definitely a book addict. Even though I own more books than I could possibly read in a lifetime, I still buy more. My husband grumbles from time to time. After all, he doesn't enjoy reading, unless maybe a science or travel magazine from time to time. Though he's a voracious reader on the Internet.  Huh!? And why did I marry a non-reader? Well, that's something I'll have to write about on a later post. Anyway, he grumbles from time to time and then continues to ignore all my books.

Well, I could ramble on and on about books. Suffice to say that I'm disappointed no one wanted to enter my contest for "Moon Over Madness." It's a really fun book, so I hope there are readers out there willing to take a chance on this ebook by a new indie author. The price for "Moon Over Madness" is only .99 cents and it's currently available online at Amazon and Smashwords. My two other books, "Outback Love" and "Jetting Away," are available online at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Sony.

For those who have already taken a chance and have started reading my books, I can't thank you enough. It's nice to know my books are getting read and enjoyed by other readers. For my, as yet, small following, I have many more books in the works. So please check back to hear about my latest releases. I should have two more books out there before the end of the year. One is "Moon Over Mistletoe," a paranormal novella sequel to "Moon Over Madness." I've yet to decide what the second book will be. I have several different books in progress. It will depend on which of my characters insist that their book has to be released next.

Once again, many thanks to my readers. Thank you too for letting me take this time to rant. Oh, before I forget, my ebook, "Jetting Away," is currently a free download on Smashwords and Sony. It should soon be a freebie on Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble. "Jetting Away" is a short story prequel to "Outback Love." As I've mentioned before, they can be read as stand-alone books, though I hope you'll enjoy reading both.

"Moon Over Madness" Contest

I am excited about the recent release of my paranormal novella, "MOON OVER MADNESS." If you love quirky characters, witches, vampires, ghosts, dragons and dogs, then this is the book for you.

Here's a link to read a free excerpt of "Moon Over Madness" on Amazon.com (when you get to the book page, click on the "Look Inside" feature on the book cover).

http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Madness-ebook/dp/B005T8MQD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318115374&sr=8-1

I had a lot of fun writing "Moon Over Madness." Some characters weren't planned and just wriggled their way into the story. I swear, I didn't even know the dragon lady's name was Sabilla until my characters told me. Sometimes they know things I don't.

Since I love dogs, particularly big ones, most of my books will include a colorful doggie character. Jake, the overgrown puppy in "Moon Over Madness," is modeled after a real life dog that I met at PetSmart. The real Jake was shopping for new toys that day. He was a big, lovable guy with soulful eyes and giant puppy paws. Like I said, I love big dogs.

Well, I've decided to try another CONTEST. I tried this before with my novel, "Outback Love," but no one seemed interested. So maybe I can do the contest the right way this time? So HERE'S THE DEAL. All you have to do is COMMENT BELOW and make sure you leave your email address.

There will be THREE WINNERS, picked at random by my giant puppy, DUDE, who turns one year old this month, weighs over one hundred pounds, and you can see photos of him on my blog. I'll read off all the comments and see which three he responds to. Yes, Dude is very vocal and "ah-roooooos" all the time. He also tips his head from side to side in listening and is in love with tapping my keyboard with his giant head. ( NOTE - Since Dude will be the judge in this contest, it might be to your advantage to mention something about dog biscuits or treats in your comments.)

The CLOSING DATE on the CONTEST will be SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16th, 2011 at MIDNIGHT. The WINNERS will receive an eBook Kindle Copy of "MOON OVER MADNESS," which is why I need your email address.

Thank you so much to everyone who enters my contest.

I love hearing from my readers.

(Please note, my eBook, "Moon Over Madness" is available at Amazon (US/UK/DE/FR) and Smashwords. "Outback Love" and "Jetting Away" are available at Amazon (US/UK/DE/FR), Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Apple. They should soon be available on Sony, Kobo, Diesel and Scrollmotion.)

"Moon Over Madness" Released

I am really excited to announce that my latest ebook, "Moon Over Madness," a paranormal witch/vampire/ghost novella was released today. It is now available online at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com. This was a really fun book to write with lots of twists and turns and interesting characters, including a hundred pound puppy named Jake.

Amazon link to "Moon Over Madness"

http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Madness-ebook/dp/B005T8MQD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317957417&sr=8-1

Smashwords link to "Moon Over Madness"

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94451

October Release of "Moon Over Madness"

October and Halloween are almost here. What a perfect time to release my latest book, "Moon Over Madness," a paranormal witch/vampire/ghost novella. This ebook will be available at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com for .99 cents in the next few days.

Chantel Deneuve is a half-witch who chose to deny her witch heritage and move away to East Hill, Florida, to raise her two young daughters. Unfortunately, her long ago ex-husband, Colin Rowe, has implicated Chantel in an antiquities theft he committed years before. As Halloween nears, danger and madness ensues. How will Chantel combat the assortment of ghouls who come to take back the treasure?

First off, Chantel didn't know anything about the theft. So how can she give back something she's never seen and doesn't know how to find? Enter vampire, Riordan "Rio" Martainn, who just happens to live down the street from Chantel. Rio arrives at Chantel's doorstep late one night and offers his services.

Chantel is wary, but charmed, by the handsome Rio and listens to his plans to help her seek the missing antiquities. She needs his help, whether she wants it or not.  Now the lives of her daughters and herself are at stake. In the midst of this madness, Rio's vampire friends help out, along with an assortment of witches, ghosts and more. As the chaos increases, Chantel and Rio find themselves drawn to each other. Neither is looking for a romantic interest, but as everyone knows, you can't fight love.

"Moon Over Madness" is a light-hearted read. Although there is romance in this novella, nothing too racy ocurrs in the story. Chantel and Rio try denying their mutual attraction, but in spite of their efforts, their relationship grows beyond their control.

You'll be able to read more about Chantel and Rio in upcoming books. The next Chantel Deneuve novella, "Moon Over Mistletoe," will be released in early December.

I hope you enjoy "Moon Over Madness." I had a fun time writing this story and hope you will have as much fun reading about the adventures of Chantel, Rio, and their friends.

"Moon Over Madness"

This is the season for witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and ghouls. So it's the perfect time to be writing my latest book, "Moon Over Madness." Imagine a half-witch meeting up with a vampire. Add a couple precocious kids, a hundred pound puppy, some meddling neighbors who happen to be witches, a grandmother who wants to be part of the action, a couple dragon hunters, an angry female dragon, some really bad guys and you get the picture. This is a really fun novella to write and should be as much fun to read. So I'm working really hard to get "Moon Over Madness" finished in time for an early October release.