Pre-orders are up! Steamy Second-Chance #Romance + Suspense ~ New Release #Books

My fifth novel, Dangerous Currents, is almost here!  Pre-orders are live for all formats except print, and if you order now, it will hit your Kindle/Nook/iPad on Thursday!  Dangerous Currents is a second-chance romance with plenty of suspense, but no ghosts--a bit of a departure from my other novels that involve some paranormal elements.  This release date is especially meaningful to me, because I struggled with writer's block for a while after my father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away five months later in April of 2017.  I desperately wanted to finish Malorie and Dean's story, but the emotional turmoil made it impossible to write even a single sentence for months.  So to have this novel about to finally release feels like a victory!  Check out the blurb below, as well as the cover, done by the talented author and graphic designer K.R. Conway.  And the first rating has just hit Goodreads--5 stars--I can't wait to see the review when release day hits!

No ghosts in this one, but plenty of dark secrets, danger,
and of course, steamy romance!
Grab your copy on Pre-order!

When a costly mistake ends Malorie Montgomery’s career, she returns to Cape Cod in search of a fresh start.  But her plans for a new—and quiet—life are quickly derailed when she makes a grisly discovery in the woods, and her screams bring the one person from her past she’d hoped to avoid.  Dean Slater, the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart in high school, now lives in the beachfront community that was supposed to be her haven…and he’s just as hot as he was six years ago.

With his rough background, Dean always knew he wasn’t good enough for the kind, intelligent beauty who claimed his heart, but somehow he’d believed their love was strong enough to survive anything—until the tragic night she turned her back on him when he needed her trust the most.  Despite their painful history, Dean can’t resist the instinct to protect her, especially when it becomes apparent there’s a killer in their town.

Their former chemistry soon reignites, but Malorie has long accepted that her dark family secret has destined her to a life alone.  And when she uncovers evidence that makes her the killer’s target, a deadly confrontation threatens to destroy any possibility of a second chance.

Preorder Dangerous Currents to hit your Kindle, Nook, or iPad on May 3rd!  Print paperbacks will be available in May as well.

Dangerous Currents Kindle

Dangerous Currents Nook

Dangerous Currents Kobo

Dangerous Currents iTunes

Steamy Romance + Haunting Mystery on #Audible! New audio #book #ghosts Cape Cod

My second audio book has just released!  Haunted Souls is now available as an audio book, on Audible and iTunes!  I'm so excited, as audio books are becoming increasingly popular.  They have certainly become a big part of how I find more time to "read" --  I am now addicted to listening to audio books, and I'm a member of Audible, which gives me a credit a month to download a new audio book for a low monthly fee.  Even so, I'm now so used to listening to books while I'm driving or doing chores, I often have to take advantage of the extra credit sales.  If you've never tried an audio book, you can get your first one for FREE!  And it downloads easily right to your phone.  

A few of my favorite reviewer quotes!

My publisher brought Gull Harbor to the audio format first, and this #1 Kindle and Nook Bestseller was released on audio in February.  I'm thrilled that the talented narrator we chose for Gull Harbor also narrated Haunted Souls, because the narration can often make a break a listener's experience.  (And for fans of Gull Harbor, you'll find a cameo appearance by Claire and Max in Haunted Souls!)

New Audio Release!  Voted a Top 3 Read of 2016 at Read Free.ly

So grab yourself a new read or listen today, and get lost in some steamy, second-chance romance mixed with a haunting mystery on the shores of Cape Cod!

Haunted Souls on Audible

Haunted Souls on iTunes

Haunted Souls on Amazon

New Fiction Writing Class in #Falmouth! #amwriting Cape Cod

I'm thrilled to be teaching a new "Fiction Writing and Publication" course this spring, back at the Lawrence School in Falmouth.  For the last few years, I've taught this popular class for both Cape Cod Community College's Center for Corporate and Professional Education and for the Town of Falmouth's Community School in a number of locations, and I've met so many aspiring authors and hopefully helped them on their writing journey.  I've even read some of their finished manuscripts and visited their writing groups, which has been so rewarding.  If you're interested in writing a novel, or exploring publishing options, and you're in the Cape Cod area, consider joining us!  The press release is below:

Ready to Write That Novel?

A course offered this spring in Falmouth provides instruction on writing fiction and guidance on publishing options.

For many writers, a quote by Nobel Prize-Winning Author Toni Morrison summarizes the beginning of the journey: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”  Many people dream of writing a novel, but aren’t sure how to begin.  Even once a manuscript is finished, the choices within the publishing industry seem to grow every day.  Literary agents continue to seek clients for the big publishing houses, smaller electronic presses have become a force in the new digital world, and more options than ever exist for those looking to publish independently.  Unfortunately, this type of growth has also resulted in many sites looking to take advantage of authors eager to publish and promote their work.  The entire process can become overwhelming quickly.

A five-week evening class offered by Falmouth Community School aims to offer guidance to aspiring authors.  “Fiction Writing and Publication” will be held at the Lawrence School on Tuesday evenings, May 1st - 29th, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Bestselling author Kathryn Knight will teach the elements of successful fiction writing and outline the various options in the rapidly changing publishing industry.  Key concepts such as voice, POV, the hook, Goal-motivation-conflict, and character development will be discussed. Idea inspiration, common pitfalls, and query letters will also be covered.  Finally, avenues to publication - from self-publishing to small and digital presses to seeking agent representation - will be explored.

Lawrence School is located at 113 Lakeview Ave.  Pre-registration is required; please visit Falmouth Community School online or call 508.548.5739 to register.  Cost is $149, no materials or experience needed.

Cover Reveal! Dangerous Currents #book #coverreveal #RomanticSuspense

Who doesn't love a cover reveal?  Seeing the artistic creation that will be the "face" of months (in this case, years) of hard work is an unbelievable feeling!  Unless the author isn't happy with the cover, something that has certainly happened to a few of my author friends, and it's devastating.  Thankfully, I've really loved all of mine, and this one is no exception.  My fifth novel, Dangerous Currents, is a second-chance romance with plenty of suspense, although not what most people think of when they think of the genre "Romantic Suspense", which is why I'm going to try to clarify.  It's pretty much the same thing I've been going through with most of my other novels for years--Silver Lake, Gull Harbor, and Haunted Souls often get classified as Paranormal Romance, for lack of a better term, but they don't fit the traditional description, since these three books are a mix of romance and a ghost mystery rather than a main character being a supernatural being.  But, I digress...here we go, what do you think?  Blurb and Pre-order links are below the cover, done by the talented author and graphic designer K.R. Conway.

No ghosts in this one, but plenty of dark secrets, danger,
and of course, steamy romance!
Grab your copy on Pre-order!

When a costly mistake ends Malorie Montgomery’s career, she returns to Cape Cod in search of a fresh start.  But her plans for a new—and quiet—life are quickly derailed when she makes a grisly discovery in the woods, and her screams bring the one person from her past she’d hoped to avoid.  Dean Slater, the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart in high school, now lives in the beachfront community that was supposed to be her haven…and he’s just as hot as he was six years ago.

With his rough background, Dean always knew he wasn’t good enough for the kind, intelligent beauty who claimed his heart, but somehow he’d believed their love was strong enough to survive anything—until the tragic night she turned her back on him when he needed her trust the most.  Despite their painful history, Dean can’t resist the instinct to protect her, especially when it becomes apparent there’s a killer in their town.

Their former chemistry soon reignites, but Malorie has long accepted that her dark family secret has destined her to a life alone.  And when she uncovers evidence that makes her the killer’s target, a deadly confrontation threatens to destroy any possibility of a second chance.

Preorder Dangerous Currents to hit your Kindle, Nook, or iPad on May 3rd!  Print paperbacks will be available in May as well.

Dangerous Currents Kindle

Dangerous Currents Nook

Dangerous Currents Kobo

Dangerous Currents iTunes

From #Book to Audio - the Process, + a New Release! #Audible #amwriting #writingtips

Much of this post originally appeared as my guest post on Jennifer Wilck's blog, and I'm sharing it here because my second audiobook is coming soon!  I've learned a lot about the process of turning a novel into an audiobook, and I'm so excited to have another on the way.  My first, Gull Harbor, released on Valentine's Day (what a release date!), and I love how it turned out.  Since this steamy romance + ghost mystery first came out in print, it's been both a #1 Bestseller on Kindle and Nook platforms on several occasions, so I'm thrilled it is now available on Audible and iTunes for readers who love to listen (which is now something I do constantly--such a great way to get another story "read" while I'm fighting traffic or folding laundry.  If you don't have an Audible membership, you can sign up easily and get your first book free!)

Steamy, second-chance romance meets spooky suspense!

When it comes to the process of production, things can get started in a few ways.  When a publisher is involved, as in this case, they usually have contracted the rights to publish and sell the story in all formats, so the first thing I had to do was sign a contract extension so all contract expiration dates lined up.  I actually signed the extension for Haunted Souls first, and then I was given a form to fill out regarding preferences for a narrator (accent, gender, etc.) and what section of the book I thought would make a good audition sample (one with several character voices is a good choice, and for me, using a suspenseful scene was a must to make sure the narrator could convey the tension).  Then the sample goes up on ACX and waits for a narrator to maybe find it and be interested enough to send in an audition to the publisher for consideration.

Except I'm not good at waiting.  In fact, I'm a bit of a control freak.  So I went with another option: searching the ACX site for available narrators myself, and reaching out to ones I liked.  I quickly discovered there are various models of payment for this work, with some narrators agreeing to share the royalties of future sales (Royalty Share or RS), and others only working for an upfront fee Per Finished Hour (PFH), and some accepting both, depending on the circumstances.  Since my publisher was offering RS, I had to use that filter to look for narrators.  I had also decided I'd prefer a female narrator, since the majority of the novel is from the heroine's Point-of-View.

Both Brett and Emily have Point-of-View chapters in Haunted Souls, but
the majority of the story is through Emily's viewpoint.

Eventually I found a narrator I liked, and the publisher approved of the deal.  Contracts were extended and signed, but I knew going in this narrator was behind schedule due to other projects.

Then something exciting happened.  Gull Harbor was featured on BookBub, and it received a lot of exposure and hit many bestseller lists.  I had several narrators contact *me*, saying the story sounded intriguing and inquiring if the book would be going to audio.  I listened to a sample chapter one of the narrators sent me, and I was blown away by her talent and range.  

I replied to tell her that I was very interested in having her narrate the story, but that my publisher was offering RS agreements on audio formats.  Fortunately, the title's past sales on other formats met certain thresholds, and a contract on Gull Harbor was extended.

While that book was being recorded, the contract on the first book I'd signed off on to go to audio fell through, due to equipment break down.  So I hurried to approach the fabulous narrator I was currently working with, Kristin James, and we were able to sign a new agreement for Haunted Souls.  Now, it's finished, and should be available on audio in the next 5 to 10 days!  Here's my author page on Audible with available titles!

In addition to this new audio title, I have two new books coming out this year, so if you'd like to be kept up-to-date on these new releases, plus book sales and giveaways, please consider signing up for my monthly newsletter here.  Thanks for stopping by!

The #Book That Made Me Love #Paranormal #Romance ~ #amwriting #ghosts

This is a re-post of my contribution to the latest blog series over at Moonlight & Mystery, a site for all types of mystery, romance, and paranormal reads.  The theme revolves around looking back at a book from our youth that inspired us in some way—a novel that maybe made us fall in love with reading, drew us to a new genre, sparked our imagination, or inspired us to write our own stories someday.

I love ghost stories, which is probably pretty clear from my novels…and while I do try to elicit a few shivers up my readers’ spines, the hauntings in my novels are more mysteries than horror.  My plots revolve around a ghost who has some unfinished business that the characters need to unravel before the spirit can rest in peace.  After all, even ghosts need goals and motivation to make the story work!

Of course, romance is a big part of my novels as well, because I love love stories as well!  Who doesn’t want to see a meant-to-be couple finally get their Happily Ever After, once they’ve managed to overcome all the obstacles in their way?  Readers get to experience all those emotions associated with falling in love while rooting for the characters to find their way to each other.

So, yeah, I have a thing for ghost mysteries mixed with romance.  What started this? 

Well, when I was in second grade, my father brought home the usual weekly stack of chapter books the local librarian had recommended for me.  Generally, the books revolved around horses, my main interest as an 8-year-old girl.  But sometimes other subject matter found its way into the pile, and this time, there was a book entitled Jane-Emily, by Patricia Clapp.  The tag line read “A ghost story…and a love story”.  My first paranormal romance, this YA book is both a sweet romance and a spooky ghost story.  I was hooked.  I read that book over and over again throughout my childhood.  I made my best friend read it.  To this day, we're both still scared of those silvery reflecting balls that sit on pedestals in yards.

Ten years ago, I purchased my own copy (finally!) from ebay and read it to my kids.  The ghost of 12-year-old Emily still delivers chills even after all these years as she unleashes her wrath on 9-year-old Jane--but of course the romance piece was there as well between the hunky Doctor and Jane's young aunt Louisa.

My best friend and I *still* call
these Jane-Emily balls

This childhood favorite has made a lifetime mark, impacting what I write as an author--although the romantic element in my novels is decidedly steamier, as my books are meant for more mature readers.  But I still go back to revisit Jane-Emily from time to time--my copy from eBay sits on the bookshelf.  And I may never have discovered this book without my Dad's dedicated trips to the library to keep me reading for pleasure.

Check out some of the other posts over at Moonlight and Mystery!  And if you missed our last series, each author discussed fun details about the setting of one of her books; start here with my post on Cape Cod!) 

"Dragged me in on Page One" #Book #Review! #Ghosts #Romance #amreading

Reviews are tough to get in this competitive market, so I am thrilled that Haunted Souls has been featured recently on two review blogs, along with fabulous reviews!  I am also gearing up for this steamy romance + ghost mystery to be released as an audiobook soon - stay tuned for details on that!  (If you like audiobooks, Gull Harbor is available on Audible already, narrated by the fabulous KJ the Voice Actor!)

A few other great quotes from reviews of Haunted Souls!

My publisher made Haunted Souls available on NetGalley in February, and it was picked up and reviewed on T's Stuff...favorite line: "This book dragged me in on page one and didn't let go until the final period on the last page".  Music to any author's ears!  Read the full review here.

Haunted Souls was also reviewed on a blog dedicated to two of my very favorite things...wine and books!  Appropriately named the Wino Bookworm Blog, here's a few lines that made me smile: "It's like nothing I've ever read before and I loved it!"  My novels are a combination of a few genres and don't really "fit" into any one category, so I enjoy hearing it's a unique read for someone!  Also, from the review, "I really connected with the characters" - so important, because no matter what the genre, if a reader doesn't care about the characters, it's hard to care about what happens to them...i.e., the plot!  And, things that make my day, "Fantastic read!".  Check out the full review here.

If you're looking for a new read, give Haunted Souls a try...steamy, second-chance romance with a haunting mystery!  Suspense, romance, mystery, and history.  Amazon link to Haunted Souls

Treat yourself to a new read!