The Deepest Cut Now Available! #PNR

It's been a busy December for this author, to be sure. I've been unveiling all the new desktop wallpapers over at my website as a gift to readers (if you haven't seen them, definitely check them out! Talina does such a great job.), and a little over a week ago, I released the first Sons of Navarus short story, Longing. For readers of the series, that short gave them a little insight into Thane and his feelings for Sasa.

Now I've released another short story, The Deepest Cut, which deals with Vasilije and Sasa after he found her feeding from Thane. It's available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo and Kindle, Nook, Android, and even iPhone readers can enjoy it. Here's the blurb:

For Vasilije, Sasa is more than just one of his vampires. She's the only vampire he keeps in his life now. That comes with many perks, but also with its fair share of pain as Vasilije can be thoughtless of his empath girlfriend's feelings. His forgetfulness in this area has allowed another Son to befriend Sasa, and the result was Thane's willing assistance in feeding her while Vasilije was once again absent from her side.

Sasa is loyal to her sire and mate, but her mind is plagued with doubts that Vasilije isn't the devoted male she's believed him to be. The ease with which he leaves her makes her wonder if his eyes and other body parts have begun to stray from her. Naturally, she turns to her only true friend for sympathy, and Thane is happy to listen to the woman he secretly loves.

Conflict over a female between two alpha males can lead to a fatal misstep when so much is at stake. The Sons of Navarus can't afford to let their focus slip from deciphering the Prophecy of Idolas and defeating the Archons, and now more than ever they need to be united in their fight to save the vampire world.

This short sits right after Blood Spirit (the third book in the series) in the suggested series reading order. It could technically be read as a stand-alone, but it's so much better with the history of this couple in your mind.

So now it's Blood Prophecy next. I'm hoping that full length book will be available in early 2013. I can promise this: it's going to be a huge turning point in the series and for a lot of the characters' storylines. Don't miss it!

Why I'm Fine With A Buck Sometimes

Until recently, I hadn't considered writing any short stories. As an indie, I have a lot of freedom to do unique things with my stories, but for me, fair pricing is always an issue and I'm not a big fan of the .99 price range.

I think it's time we indies begin to see that the .99 price range for a novella of 30K or worse, for a novel 50K or above is degrading what we do. I know everyone wants to sell books, but I want you to imagine that somewhere like McDonald's began to sell some of their meals for .99.  You may think you were getting a great deal if it were a sale, but if the restaurant kept the price that low, wouldn't you wonder why those meals were so cheap compared to other meals priced up to 7x higher? Wouldn't you begin to think that they must be offering an inferior meal for such a cheap price?

Even as the economy struggles today, people know what cheap means, and it isn't just about price. As indies, do we want readers to believe that a story an author spent months writing and then spent money for professional editing and cover design is only worth .99? I'm sure some feel that way, but I don't. I am a professional who expects to be treated as such, and as a result, I won't charge less than a buck for a novel, no matter how many I want to sell. And I won't buy them either.

Short stories are different, however. While I do have them professionally edited and hire a cover designer, my short stories are around 6K words, so I feel .99 is a fair price for them. Did they take months to write? No. See, for me, that's the line of demarcation. I always pay for the services associated with my books. What changes with shorter stories is the length of time I work on them. While there are challenges associated with writing shorts (especially making sure that the stories have a beginning, middle, and end and they make sense to the series they are found in), they aren't as labor intensive to create, so I don't charge as much.

I will have two short stories out by later this week--Longing and The Deepest Cut--and both will be priced at .99. For readers who have come to know my Sons of Navarus series, the stories revolve around a growing love triangle between Sasa and two of the Sons, her sire Vasilije and Thane, her friend who has long harbored unrequited feelings for her. Those same readers can be sure that the level of writing is the same as in my novels. Nothing will be different but the length.

In some respect, I want to charge merely .99 for these not only because they're short but also because they're really for fans of the series. Reading these two shorts without knowing what occurred in the series so far will mean nothing if the reader hasn't gotten to know the Sons series, but for fans, it's a little more for them about the characters as they wait for the release of Blood Prophecy (the 4th book in the series) early next year.

So I'm okay with a buck sometimes, but I will continue to fight against the bottom basement pricing for indie work. I work too hard on my books to give readers the impression they aren't worth more. Readers want an entertaining story that's well crafted, and that's what they get in my novellas and novels. That's worth more than .99.

The Fling: An Interview and A Sexy New Read

Happy Monday everyone! I'm beginning the third week of the Paranormal Fall Fling today with lots of great stuff going on. First, I'll be picking a winner for Week Two's giveaway, the Sons of Navarus swag pack, tonight, so if you haven't entered yet, be sure to head on over to Fling central and get your comment in. While you're there, be sure to complete the Rafflecopter entries for the grand prizes.

Today I'm at Fictional Candy with an interview with the fantastic Liz who's the blogger in charge of that terrific blog. Stop over for some juicy details, including who I would cast as the Sons of Navarus. Thanks to my street team, the Goddesses, for help with those delicious choices!

And speaking of the Sons, here are two big and FREE announcements:  First, Vampire Dreams Revamped is finally free at Amazon, so if you haven't read the official prequel to the Sons series, grab it free at Amazon now.  

And second, my newest free read is up at my website. The Deepest Cut features Vasilije and Sasa from Blood Avenged, so stop over and give it a read. It's a very emotionally raw short, but it gives readers a little more about the couple.

Finally, happy Columbus Day to all!  I'm green with envy if you have the day off from work, and if you don't. I feel your pain. My university doesn't appreciate good old Chris as much as I think they should, so I'm heading to the salt mine today.

Have a great one!