S.M. Butler's Blog, page 27

If I showed you my actual list of things I want to do this year, you’d probably run screaming in the other direction. It’s massive, it’s detailed, and it spans a twenty page Word document. I’m not going to do that to you folks. Here’s just a brief overview.

1. Finish the next hockey book.

I needed a break after finishing Heart and Snow from my hockey players. It was a hard book to write. Not so much in a bad way, but it was more of a struggle than the others. Maybe that had to do with the characters and the fact that the subject matter was so very personal to me. I don’t know. But I will be releasing another hockey book this year, and it will be Gavin’s book. He’s complicated, so I’m taking the time to really make sure that I do his HEA justice.

2. Finish the new trilogy

I’m releasing an entire trilogy of books this year under the S.M. Butler banner.  Like No Strings Attached, they are military romances (though not connected to NSA). They’re suspensey, they’re gritty, and so fun to write. If you got my newsletter the other day, you got first peek at the series announcement. Here’s a taste…

3. Start the fantasy serial

I’ve been putting this off only because my deadlines have been crazy nuts. It’s been my side project. I’m hoping to go live with it over the summer or the fall. There’s still a lot of work to be done on it.

4. Romantic Times Booklovers Convention

This year is the first year I’m going to RT. It’s in New Orleans this year. I’m encouraging all of you guys to go. I’m going to be walking around with goodies too, so it’ll behoove you to come say hi.

5. Authors After Dark

I went to the one in NOLA two years ago and it was a blast. Wasn’t able to make last year’s, but I’m very excited about being a Featured Author this year in Charlotte, North Carolina.

6. Open up the new adult fiction community.

I’ve been working on this for a couple months. The blog is almost ready to go and will launch Jan 20th. There isn’t much out there for new adult readers/writers in the way of community, and I’d like to change that. Yes, there are a few good ones out there, but not many. And I’d like people to know about the category.

All in all, 2014 is about new directions.

Writing has always been what I wanted to do (except when I was 12 and wanted to be an astronaut) and this year, it’s going to be the first year I’m able to do that. I have a bunch of military stuff that has to be taken care of as well. I have a few trips planned with my unit. But largely this year, it’s about writing, and taking that part of me to the next step.

I’m excited. There’s a lot going on, but I like busy.

I’ve been doing a lot of TV watching lately after my writing day. This week has been all about Doctor Who (well, and Sherlock, but that’s a post for another day).

If you haven’t seen Doctor Who, it’s likely that this post may not make any sense. Or it might. I don’t know, because I haven’t written it yet.

Anyway, so I just watched the season (series in the UK) finale of Season 2. I’ve seen it before, maybe two or three times. But the impact that this episode has on me never fades. I know exactly what’s going to happen, how it’s going to happen and when.

 

But that goodbye between Rose and the Doctor… It punches me right in the FEELZ every damn time.

I watched it before bed last night and I swear, I was so drained after that episode. I just wandered around the house in a depressed daze for a few minutes until I decided to go to bed. I didn’t think it would affect me that much when I’d seen it before.

Funny how that works… No matter how many times you watch it, and no matter how well you know what’s going to happen, it always feels like it’s kicking  you in the teeth.

Ever had that one episode of a TV show that does that for you?

I didn’t get online yesterday to say Merry Christmas to those that celebrate, but I wanted to say thank you to all my readers. This year has been an amazing year for me as an author, and none of it could have happened without you guys.

I’ve been thinking about all my goals for next year this week, and I realized that a year ago, I never would have considered some of the things I’m considering doing next year.

One by one, I’m ticking off dreams I’ve had all my life, and it’s all thanks to you, my readers.

So this weekend was a good time for me to unwind and pretty much not do anything of importance. After finishing the first of my SEAL books, I’ve been giving myself a few days before I head into revisions. Because that’s coming. The book’s a hot mess. At least, I feel like it is. But that’s okay. Hot messes can always be fixed.

I took the boys to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug today. I really enjoy these movies. I’ve read the book. I know what’s going to happen. But I’m always sitting there checking my watch to see how long it’s been because these movies are so damn long. For a book that’s maybe 300 pages, three movies is a lot. The story is completely stretched to the brink. Don’t get me wrong. They are well done, and Peter Jackson has done a good job making each movie feel like there’s enough meat there. But the overarching plot moves way too slowly for my tastes. In fact, even my nephew sees that.

All three boys (my two and my nephew) at the end of Hobbit2: THAT’S IT?? That’s a CLIFFHANGER!

Me: Looks like. *sigh* (I knew this was going to happen, so I was prepared… they weren’t so much…)

Kid1: Why would they do that?

Me: So… you come back and watch the third movie?

Kid 2: I hate cliffhangers.

Nephew: Yeah, me too. But this movie was better. There was more actiony things.

Me: Oh, you like this one better?

Nephew: Yup. The first was all “let’s meet each other” and Bilbo didn’t even kill anyone. (apparently this is how Nephew measures action… by how much killing the main character does.)

Me: Well, you guys liked the movie, though, right?

All Three: YES!!

The chatter then dissolves from Hobbit talk into the correct conjugation of the word “glow” and then into something about matches and gluing blue.

I really don’t understand boys. At all.

We’re all creative in our lives. It’s a thing we do. It’s part of our psyche. Even those of us that pretend not to be creative have a creative tendency. There’s no magical difference between people who “create” and those that don’t. Because honestly, there is a very small percentage of people who don’t, if any at all. It’s a function of humanity.

We cook. We knit. We crochet. We make movies. We read. We put a lift kit on a truck. (And by we on that, I mean, other people who are not me. Still creative though). We make sand castles.

Reading itself is a creative act. We’re actively engaging with fictional characters, imagining the world they live in, and build a personal relationship with the characters in that book. Some of us are more creative than others. Some make their creativity into a career. But humanity is all about creation.

I’ve talked about this before. That term, “aspiring writer.” God, how I hate it. You don’t aspire to write. Either you do it, or you don’t. Perhaps you aspire to write professionally, but you’re still a writer. Writers write. They don’t aspire to write. They just do it. Publication is a milestone, no matter if you’re doing it traditionally or self-publishing. You can aspire to be published, but no one can measure you as a writer. Either you write or you don’t.

NaNoWriMo just ended last month. There are hundreds of writers out there that have a newly completed manuscript out there. They’ve all done something awesome. They’ve given life to something inside them. They plotted and planned and wrote and they now have a shiny new story that they created.

We’re all creative at heart. I won’t go into what prompted this blog post when I said I wasn’t going to blog anymore. Just suffice it to say that you should go hug someone close to you that considers themselves a creative person.

 

 

That’s right. Heart and Snow is almost here!! And to celebrate, I decided to do a little giving away of things.

So you can win one of the following:

an e-copy of O Christmas Three
an e-copy of Off Her Game
a signed paperback copy of Off Her Game/Heart and Snow.

I’ve set it up so there will be 5 winners of OCT and OHG e-copies each (so ten winners of ebooks in all) and only one of the signed book.

Alternatively, you can order a copy of Heart and Snow signed by me at any point during my Virtual Signing. Check out the Virtual Signing Page for more information on that. The Virtual Signing will start November 25th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today, I got another cover reveal for you. This one is Juliana Haygert’s Playing Pretend! I’m really excited. I think this cover is really awesome, yo.

Playing Pretend is a New Adult contemporary romance and is scheduled for release March 2014.  

So, first, here’s the blurb:

As the Governor’s daughter, Charlotte McClain is an expert in playing pretend. High society, the men her mother shoves in her direction and a Pre-Law major are all a part of her perfect pretense. But when she pretends to be a nobody during Spring Break, she meets someone who rocks her world.

Mason Rowell knows heartbreak and Spring Break don’t mesh well, so he allows the mysterious Charlotte to seduce him. What should have been a fling, results in something deeper. After Spring Break has long since passed, he moves to Washington to pursue his graduate degree, but what he never expected to find living among the rich and pompous, was the girl who gave him the strength to change and the desire to start anew.

When the guy Charlotte can’t forget goes from a sensual memory to temptation in the flesh, her facade is put to the test. If she surrenders to his charms, she risks ruining her mother’s perfect career and master plan. Playing pretend is what Charlotte does best, but how long can she pretend she doesn’t love the man who made her proud of her true self?

Now, go add it on Goodreads:


And now, here’s the cover:

 

About the Author:

New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links:

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Cover Reveal Organized by:

 

Hey guys! I’m participating in a friend’s cover reveal today! I think this cover is gorgeous. Check it out, and in December, go grab it!

At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey

December, 2013

Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Achievement Unlocked: Geek Virgin

When Mia Strong, proud geek-girl and popular gaming blogger, auctions off her virginity online, she knows she’ll make waves. But what she will not be making is a love connection. Her rules are set in stone: One night. No further contact.

It’s a desperate step, but it’s the only way she can go to medical school and pay her mother’s mounting hospital bills.

Difficulty Level: Millionaire CEO

Adam Drake, the enigmatic auction winner, is a software prodigy who made his first million at seventeen. Now, in his mid-twenties, he’s sexy, driven and–as CEO of his own gaming company–he’s used to making the rules. Before Mia knows what’s happening, he’s found the loophole in the rules of her auction. Every stipulation she’s made to protect her heart gets tossed by the wayside.

She can’t tell if he’s playing her…or if he’s playing for keeps.

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18716577-at-any-price

About the Author

Brenna Aubrey is an author of New Adult contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, AT ANY PRICE, releases in December, 2013.

She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna’s favorite author is Jane Austen and favorite novel is PERSUASION.

Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. A mommy to two little kids and teacher to many more older kids, she juggles schedules to find time to pursue her love of storycrafting.

She currently resides on the west coast with her husband, two children, two adorable golden retriever pups, two birds and some fish.

Brenna’s short story “The Love Letter” was the Grand Prize winner of the JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT Short Story Contest. As such, it was included in the anthology of the same name (Ballantine, 2011)

Visit Brenna online:

Website: http://www.BrennaAubrey.net
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/BrennaAubreyAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BrennaAubrey
Newsletter: http://brennaaubrey.net/newsletter-signup/

So today, I’ve got a guest for you. I met JM Bray through one of my author groups on Facebook, so I thought it would be awesome if he came by and said hi so he could talk about his new release, Tearing the Shroud during his blog tour this month. So, let’s let him talk and I’ll just sit over here munching on this huge bowl of popcorn. Don’t judge me. Popcorn is healthy… kinda…

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”

– Ernest Hemingway

Among all the quotes attributed to Mr. Hemingway, that’s my favorite. I admit it’s partially because I stink at most sports (games by Ernest’s standard) but have found my niche behind the wheel of a race car. The other thing that speaks to me is the implication it carries: The things in life that really mean something also have the highest potential of catastrophic failure.

Fear plays a huge role in all this. When I started racing, I discovered something strange…I didn’t get scared. 120 mph into a corner with the car trying to break loose left me totally calm. On the other hand, put me at the computer about to click “send” emailing a query letter to an agent and my heart tried to jackhammer its way out of my chest.

Putting myself and my writing out to agents and publishers was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. If I had let fear rule, I would have packed it all up and gone back to something I was unafraid of…like blasting around a racecourse at breakneck speeds. If I had let fear rule, I wouldn’t have Tearing the Shroud released through Escape Publishing. If I had let fear rule, I would have changed my novel so much following well meaning suggestions, that I wouldn’t have recognized it. If I had let fear rule I wouldn’t have found the other thing I believe Ernest meant: Those times where we push ourselves, where everything could go horribly wrong, are also the sweetest when we accomplish them.

Do I still have fears? You bet. Will people buy the book and will they like it when they do…currently top the list. But I’ll stick with it, because the thrill is worth every sleepless minute. Don’t let fear rule your writing. Be true to your voice, the finish line may be closer than you think.

About JM Bray

JM Bray lives in Southern California with his college sweetheart and their two dogs. After a lifetime together, they are happier than the moment they met.

When not writing or working his “day job”, he loves to cook, play the guitar, and travel with his wife. Every chance he gets, he races an old Porsche named “Tuffy” at tracks in the southwest.

Visit JM Bray at any of these places online:

Twitter: @jmbraybooks
Website: www.jmbray.com
Blog: http://blog.jmbray.com
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JMBray.books
Facebook Connect Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003928607731
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jmbraybooks/

It’s that time again. I’ve got a new release coming up, and that means Goodreads giveaway. I’m giving away five copies of Heart and Snow over there, so I encourage you to go check out the giveaway, and add the book to your TBR!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Heart and Snow
by Suzan Butler

Giveaway ends November 25, 2013.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win