It was a busy, wonderful week for Tracking Shadows, book 4 in the Shadows of Justice series! The story of Slick Micky, notorious Chicago smuggler and Trina Durham, the assassin hired to eliminate him, has won its first award:

I was thrilled to hear the book won 2nd place, especially considering the excellent company it was up against. To everyone who voted for Tracking Shadows, you have my heartfelt gratitude. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! It’s such a great feeling to know readers are enjoying these 2096 adventures.

Here’s the back cover blurb…

In Chicago, Slick Micky is the king of smuggling. Known to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere, he specializes in caffeine and sugar and works in the anonymity of shadows. But recently an old enemy is tired of waiting for Micky’s empire to crumble and has called in the best assassin in the business to take him out.

Trina Durham is an assassin with a sterling reputation, thanks to her unique ability to induce deadly hallucinations. When Slick Micky killed her best friend, she left Chicago – forever. She’s back now, unable to resist the perfect opportunity for vengeance. But no one warned her Slick Micky might as well be a shadow. Or that shedding light on the man and his secrets would put both her heart and reputation at risk.

(Want to read a sample? Just click here!)

…and a few words from readers and reviewers:

“Tracking Shadows is a smart, sexy, and dangerous read that you won’t be able to put down!”

Crystal <3

“All the elements readers have come to expect from a 2096 novel– a kick-butt alpha female lead, an equally strong hero, and a gritty, fast-paced thriller.”

“…film noir atmosphere with the tinge of a science fiction…”

The Bookish Dame 5 stars (Amazon)

“Join Ms. Black for this amazing addition to a powerful series – you won’t be able to put it down once you start.”

Jordan 5 stars (Amazon)

“I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves futuristic urban fantasy mixed in with some good old-fashioned mushy stuff. Way to go Ms. Regan, you deserve the elusive 5 stars from me.”

Penelope Adams 5/5 stars from the Paranormal Romance Guild

Thanks again for voting!

Live the adventure!

Welcome to part two in the Tuesday series of teamwork for writing success. Whether you’re a paranormal romance author like me, or you write in any other genre, trad or indie published, teamwork matters.

Based on my own experiences, I believe teamwork makes the difference and the first step is finding a writing group that fits your needs, either online or in person.

A positive, active writing community is essential for success no matter what your writing goals are.

It was during my first critique session with my local RWA chapter that I learned my writing voice bent naturally toward the genre of paranormal romance novels. The exceprt I shared that week was from a novel aimed at the romantic suspense audience, but everyone who read it commented that I needed to show the paranormal element sooner.

“There isn’t any paranormal element,” I thought. But when I took a look at the comments and compared them against the manuscript, I realized my vocabulary, mood and even the world building were better suited for paranormal romance readers.

A good writing group will help you identify your strengths. They will foster and encourage each other through accountability and camaraderie.

We all have days when we get lost in the research when we should be writing. We all have to deal with and conquer life distractions as frivolous as twitter and as serious as a family crises.

The give and take, the wisdom and support, the references and referrals, from writers who have ‘been there‘ is a vital element of team spirit and personal growth for an author at every stage of the game. No matter if ‘there’ is a form rejection, The Call!, or the choice to go Indie.

Writing groups are also essential for keeping your sanity. Not every one has imaginary friends that keep them up at night or show up in sleeping or waking dreams (those folks are missing out, in my opinion).  Connecting with a writing community, you realize you’re not as alone on this journey as it feels sometimes.

Match that positive camaraderie with smart programming to help writers with everything from grammar to marketing and you start to realize that a writing community is the solid foundation for teamwork which is vital to success, no matter what your writing goals are.

Live the adventure!

Today I’m launching a new series based on my experiences in traditional and indie publishing. Over the next few Tuesdays, you’ll find posts about writing, publication, and marketing and how it takes a village (or at least a committed team) to get a book to readers these days.

Whenever I get the chance, I encourage people to find what they’re good at, and nurture it. We all have skills and strengths and experience. Learning what those skills and strengths are, using them well, sets us apart from the pack, no matter what we do.

“What are you writing when the words flow effortlessly? Go write that!” It was the question (and advice) posed to me at the very beginning of my fiction writing adventure. And it’s made all the difference as I’ve developed my craft into a career.

That one phrase from a wise published author set me free to follow the darkness lurking inside my imagination, resulting in my first sale: a paranormal romance novel. That sale led to the Shadows of Justice series. (Book 5, Shadows to Light, is now available).

Which brings me to my first point of teamwork for writers of paranormal romance novels or any genre: you need support from other writers.

You can’t write in a vacuum (though some days I’m inclined to try). That’s as true as the statement “You can’t edit a blank page”. While I have no intention (nor the ability) to follow Hemingway’s example of living out the story I want to write, writers need support to learn their craft.

Passion is inherent, and talent doesn’t hurt, but when it comes to writing for an audience you need to match consistent, persistent effort with education.

While the publishing industry is a fluid concept these days, what readers crave – a great read – will never change.

So to start building the team that will help you hone your writing craft as craft is the one thing you have the most control over and the one thing that makes readers return for another great read.

A writing class is good start and a writer’s group with people of various levels of expertise is invaluable.

I’ll forever treasure the authors and industry professionals I met at my local writer groups as well as at regional and national conferences who shared their knowledge and encouragement in equal measure.

Through those groups I made lifelong friends, found critique partners, met agents and editors, and learned everything from industry to formatting from the speakers at classes and retreats.

Most of all, those writing groups helped me identify my particular strengths and weaknesses and made me aware that while writing is an individual sport, I wasn’t alone with my doubts, insecurities or triumphs.

You can find writing groups online, through your local bookstore, or even through your local schools.

Live the adventure!

Being a paranormal romance author is a delight and a challenge during the holidays. (or any time of year). Keeping control of the most productive working hours is a challenge for any entrepreneur. Balancing a schedule, especially when you work primarily from home, is tough any time or year.

It sounds divine to simply bounce out of bed, breeze by the coffee pot and sink into the cushy chair for hours upon hours of productive writing. But working from home means so many distractions that can sneak in and — Oh, look! A squirrel!

What I mean to say is although I love the benefit of writing in my jammies, I know the perils of skipping my prime creative time. It’s more than the risk of losing my momentum with a story. Writing, spending time quietly venturing forth with my characters, is a treat for me as much as it is the foundation of my career.

Some authors I know plan their annual calendar so they aren’t facing hard deadlines during the holidays or other times when personal demands are high. This is fantastic and last year that worked for me.

This year, not so much. But what I do have on my career to do list this month is manageable – particularly if I work ahead on some supporting tasks. Like…outlines, character sketches, and…. Oh who am I kidding. I’m a pantser at heart. All I can really do ahead is a bit of brainstorming and marketing stuff.

Knowing that, knowing what works best for me as a paranormal romance author, makes the biggest difference in my time management. It means I can adjust my schedule to work my writing and career stuff around the family things I want and need to address.

There’s baking and shopping with my daughter. Movies and gaming with my son. And quiet time over breakfast or a nightcap with my husband.

Sure it would be nice to have the whole month off to rest and relax, but if I go too long without working on the creation of some story I start to grow horns and snarl at people. (It’s really a look better suited to Halloween).

So I carve out time each day to listen to the voices in my head and play with my fictional friends and I’ve set up a schedule to handle my promotion as well as my need to write forward. Which means I can relax and enjoy every moment with my family in between.

Live the adventure!

In the interest of not shocking you, let me say up front that I opted to break from my world building posts for a behind the scenes look at being a paranormal romance writer. As a reader you might ask, “What’s in it for me?”

Well…I’m fairly sure you’ll appreciate your own career a bit more after reading this post. On the off chance I’ve written this post the way it sounds in my head, you might even spit coffee on your keyboard from laughing so hard. Let’s find out.

*Chair scraping. Shuffling to the microphone to stand in front of a room full of people cradling coffee mugs, wearing fuzzy slippers, and sporting pens as questionable hair accessories.*

“Hello. My pen name is Regan and I’m an author.”

Group mumbles, “Hello, Regan.”

Here’s the deal. When I wrap a book, while I’m waiting for the first edits and beta reader comments, I always get a little giddy.

This is refreshing because toward the end of the draft process I’m usually convinced I’m a hack who has no more business sitting at a keyboard than a monkey. (although I hear they might be working on a new Shakespeare manuscript.)

So after feeling like a hack, giddy is fabulous. It’s a welcome relief. But then the edits come back – usually about the time I realize all the ways I should’ve made the book better before I even sent it out. *head-desk*

Then I buckle down and dig into the edits. I don’t feel like a hack in this phase because usually there’s plenty of good feedback to go along with the improvements. I just usually feel a little stupid.

Edits resolved, out the manuscript goes again and while I’m riding another (slightly less) giddy phase I start working on sales and promotion stuff to distract me from the stupid mistakes I surely left in this time around.

With five books in one series on the market along with several short stories and a couple of non-fiction titles, plus the lighter series, and new ideas, I have plenty of other responsibilities (like tracking my sales numbers) to keep my mind away from dangerous cliffs…

…like wondering why in the hell my editors and beta readers stick by me when I’m such a bloomin’ hack.

“My pen name is Regan, and I’m an author.”

Authors have giddy moments when we’re flying on top of the world over the perfect phrase, a great review, or the ever promising uptick in sales.

We have moments when we’d like to dive off the nearest cliff or into the closest dumpster because, face it, everyone knows the alphabet and the neighbor’s three year old knows the difference between it’s and its.

We have philosophical moments when we genuinely admire another’s success, often followed by moments when we’d rather slit our wrists than admit we write books for a living.

The only redeeming part – aside from readers who love the books we create – is that writers (of every genre) understand this wacky process completely and are ever so supportive!

Yes, “my pen name is Regan and I am an author…”

Live the adventure!

On Tuesday, I posted about being a indie paranormal romance author and offered some advice to others who might want to look at the adventure of going the indie route of publishing.

Today, I’d like to look at indie publishing from the eyes of a reader. Because as much as I love to write, I love to read! My motto used to be “so many genres, so little time”.  Now, as a paranormal romance author, I’m focused on a production schedule that puts a quality book directly into the readers hand as frequently as possible.

Seriously…if I were a reader looking for great books at the best prices, I would (and I do!) check out the following places for guidance and intros to new-to-me authors who made the choice – for whatever reason – to go the indie route and take their book directly to readers.

99 cent network: A fabulous resource for established authors in any genre, and guaranteed affordable so you don’t bust the budget!
Authors on the Cheap (and their affiliate pages on Facebook)
Kindle-Author  With interviews and book features, this is a great place to discover indie authors.
the Kindle Nation Daily Daily sponsors, features and more
eReaderIQ  Another great site…you can even sign up for alerts when books go on sale or Free!
the Kindlefinds site offers a daily feature and only “promotes books that don’t suck!” You’re sure to find books that are highly rated here.

There are tons of sites and resources beyond the few mentioned here, and that’s just the point. Finding indie authors doesn’t have to mean searching endlessly for a golden needle in a haystack. Whether your first concern is your budget, or you just want a great book that didn’t quite fit the traditional publishing mold, there are indie authors writing just for you.

Goodreads, fReado, Smashwords, OmniLit, and many more sites also offer ways to sample a book right there, before you invest too much time or money.

Amazon is a huge database, and I’m a huge fan, but if you want targeted leads to good books, by authors who might not be household names or in the Amazon top 100 yet, the sites above can help you zero in on precisely the price point and type of book you’re after.

Live the adventure!

As a writer, I’ve been working on one project or another most of my life. I would go so far as to claim the written word seems to be part of my genetic makeup.

There were the silly stories in school, the wealth of poetry (limericks count!), the angst filled letters among friends, and the lengthy essay explaining my utter brilliance in physiology as contrasted to my utter ineptitude in chemistry. That essay earned me a passing grade in the chemistry class, btw.

When I started writing with an eye on a career, it was many years ago. There were the published poems (talk about your validation!) followed by the multitude of rejection letters as I lurched my way into the fiction market – before I found my pace and my voice in action packed paranormal romance novels.

Apparently, I’ve had enough measure of success to date that people ask me about my publishing experience and what advice I might offer.

Well, if I were an author new to the publishing world, investigating my options, I’d definitely consider going indie. However, going indie will sometimes feel lonely. Heck, some days it feels like you’re standing in the middle of a writer’s conference consulting the hotel map, desparate to find your next workshop room, only to realize you’re stark naked!

Trust me this is the worst of the undressed and embarrassed type of dreams. Fortunately there are others who have paved the way, who’ve proved success as an indie author isn’t a pipe dream.

Based on my personal experience, I consistently tell the curious and bored alike, if a new author wanted to go indie with one work or an entire backlist, that author should look at the following resources for advice, guidance and motivation:

Give Joe Konrath’s blog a read sometime, if you want hard numbers and a tough-love message about a writing career. Love him or hate him, he knows what he’s talking about.

Authors from all walks of publishing can find resources, hope, and guidance along with excellent team spirit at the Indie Book Collective.

Bob Mayer and Jen Talty have created a fantastic site at Write It Forward that educates and motivates with a solid, comprehensive message for writers at every level of the publishing experience.

Mark Coker’s Smashwords site and blog also provide exceptional technical expertise for an indie-bound author. You can learn everything from how to format to how to market your book when it’s uploaded. He’s on the leading edge of what’s next in publishing and he’s an author advocate all the way.

I’ve learned (and continue to learn) from all of those sources during my transition from a traditionally published author to an indie author. Of course there are plenty more sites out there packed with advice.

Much like writing, going indie requires dedication to the research and development of your career.

Live the adventure!

It took plenty of trial and error to accept that my strongest writing voice fits best in the paranormal genre. It’s not a big leap then to learn that I prefer the impossible or unknown when it comes to world building for paranormal romance novels and urban fantasy books. But when it’s time to build a future or imaginary world, I look back in time.

I love Chicago, it’s an amazing city, but I write a Chicago in the year 2096 and it’s a scenario that most likely won’t ever come to pass. (Thank goodness, because coffee is illegal there, which is why Slick Micky, the smuggler, is so very popular).

Urban fantasy adventure!

When I start world building for the urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels I set in my version of Chicago, I look at the city’s history.

That research is often a catalyst for the characters in my stories. In From the Ashes, the Great Chicago Fire plays a role -even though the story is set at the 225th anniversary of that tragic event.

For Tracking Shadows, my heroic smuggler, Slick Micky is descended from a ‘shady’ business family who worked the Levee during the march of evangelist Gypsy Smith.

So as much as I love to make things up as I go along, researching the past is a big part of how I get there. Where we are and were as a society helps me hone the world building. I’m always asking myself what mattered ‘then’ and why or how does it affect what matters now?

We all know how personal baggage can impact our thoughts and choices and I employ the same sort of theory to both community and individuals when it comes to world building for my paranormal romance novels.

As I developed a new series, I found myself repeating the process. This time in Charleston, South Carolina, the setting for the lighter paranormal romance, The Matchmaker’s Mark. Though not quite as obvious as futuristic Chicago, the sense of place and community are shown through both ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ perspectives as the characters venture through the historical city and the novel.

Live the adventure!

Recently, (late last Tuesday to be exact) Amazon changed the listing on my short ghost story, Famous Last Words to FREE! I was both relieved and very excited because I’d been asking them to list it for free since I uploaded it way back in 2010.

So how did I discover this fabulous news? When I checked my sales numbers Wednesday morning, 170 copies of Famous Last Words  had been downloaded. After I retrieved my jaw from the floor, I called a friend and we shared a HUGE happy dancing moment over the phone!

Then my marketing team informed me that eReaderIQ had added it to their site. A few hours later the first review (5 stars,  more happy dancing) popped up at Amazon.  Granted, this story has been doing well with favorable reviews on both Smashwords and Barnes and Noble, where it’s always been free, and maybe that’s why Amazon joined in the fun.

#1 on Kindle Free list/Ghost

Regardless, the download numbers started to snowball and soon I was climbing into the top of my first-ever bestseller list on Amazon!

For several days now Famous Last Words has topped the Free list for ghost stories and is hovering around the #32 spot on the Top 100 Free kindle list.

Much more happy dancing for me!

Anything that increases visibility in a positive way is wonderful for authors in any publishing model. I never would have thought my first bestseller on Amazon would be a short story in the horror/ghost category, but I’m not about to argue with the readers who are enjoying it. It’s October, after all, and the perfect time for a spooky, haunting tale of revenge.

Ever since that short story turned free, it’s been surreal watching the number of those free downloads grow higher and higher. 1000 felt fabulous. 5000, even moreso. I’m telling you if I could really do backflips, there would’ve been a show on our street.

And I’ll happily haunt the bestseller list for as long as it lasts! I’m so grateful to Amazon for making this change and helping me get my name out there.  Knowing readers are enjoying the product makes the writing more fun. At the time of this post Famous Last Words has been downloaded over 10,000 times for kindle.

Yup, you guessed it, this paranormal romance author is off for more happy dancing!

What kind of good news makes you want to get up and do a happy dance?

Live the adventure!

Most people have two questions for me lately. 1) When will Mira’s book be out?  (December 2011) and 2) Why don’t I ever call myself an urban fantasy author?

It’s a valid question since I write a series of novels set in the future, starring kick butt alpha female heroines, (par for the urban fantasy genre).

My answer is simple. Urban fantasy didn’t exist when I first got published. The joke with Justice Incarnate was that I’d written a futuristic-action-adventure-paranormal-romance-thriller. Talk about crossing your genres!

Book one in the Shadows of Justice series

For marketing we settled into the paranormal romance groove, just because it didn’t take five minutes to say. And because we thought women were my primary audience for that series. (We were wrong as the Shadows of Justice series turned out to be a big hit with men who enjoy action-adventure and sci-fi too).

The real point is no matter what the tags or labels on the finished product, no matter where it’s shelved, readers have come to expect something paranormal in all of my stories, and usually a little romance too.

And I’ve learned the hard way that’s how it’s likely to stay.

I’m forever telling people to discover and play to their strengths. My kids are probably sick of this message, my husband too. But it’s the truth.

My recent efforts to branch out, to explore story ideas with contemporary settings with absolutely normal people have failed miserably.  Trust me on this. It’s been an epic fail.

I was humming along with a cozy mystery, the most para-normal thing about it was a character’s pink hair, and I could feel the need to toss in a paranormal element. Or two.

Shouldn’t there be a ghost -or at the very least a faked ghost? When it started to feel like a bad Scooby Doo episode I put that story away. Sure I liked the characters, but I didn’t like the plot without the little something extra I’ve come to love about the paranormal romance genre.

I hope readers will agree when the next Regan Black paranormal romance novels are released. (Mira’s novel in December 2011, book two in the Matchmaker series early 2012).

Live the adventure!