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Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Hiring an Editor: The One I Didn't Want

I've been touring and promoting Juliet for a couple months now.
Sorry, no I am not done yet. 
But I have heard quite a few people say - where did you come from?

First, Texas.
Second, I've been writing my whole life.
Third, I first published in 2015.

The abbreviated version goes something like this.

I have been writing since I was 5. Around 2012, I wrote a short story about this young alpha male submissive who would grow into a Dominant. His name was Salvatore Raniero.

In 2013, I almost died from a bacterial infection called campylobacter. During that time, I decided that if I made it out of that alive I would write something with the intent of publishing. 

My first novel is sitting half-finished – a science fiction/fantasy horror erotica piece.  

Half way through that and 140k in, I had this vision of this broken young woman discovering her sexuality. Iris Kettles would not shut up and sometimes when the voices start yakking – you either listen or drown them in whiskey.

I chose to listen.
And Juliet was born.

I wrote the original manuscript 150k in about ten weeks. I edited the best I could and hit the publish button, but I knew she wasn't done. So I fought with her – all the while working on her sister, Kinky Sex Magic and The SOS series. I released two more books - The Initiation and Kinky Sex Magic, doing everything I thought would grow me as an author.

Frustration and commas took a heavy toll on me during the later part of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. So much so that I was threatening to quit and then... I received an email from Goodreads – An editor!

I didn't want to hire an editor.
I mean, I REALLY didn't want to hire an editor.
I thought, "An editor will paint my picture differently. They'll change my words and rearrange my story."

I believe a lot of new authors have that same fear. But I am hear to tell you – that is your head talking and this is one time when you should ignore it. Just walk away and ignore.

A good editor can open you up not only as a writer, but as a storyteller. I sent Tea for Two off to Jenn first. I told her if she didn't piss me off too much, I'd let her have the first trio.

Well, holy shit.

Personally, I have no desire to learn about commas, but that's my thing. They are the bane of my existence, but when I am in the midst of creative flow the last thing I want to get bogged down by is – um, does this sentence need a comma? So I kind of put them where I feel they should go. Sometimes I am right, sometimes I am wrong. The beauty is I have an editor to fix my words.





I can't say what a bad editor will do. I have an excellent editor. 
Accept this fact now – Someone will always disagree with your painting.
Fuck'em.
That's what I say.

I have good number of people who got it and some that didn't.
And that is ok.
Not everyone is going to love you, like you, want to read you.
And that is ok.

But there will be one who will totally get it – I guarantee there will. 
And they will beg for more of your words. 
That one or ten or hundred or ten thousand is the reason you keep plugging on –– they are your FUEL. 

I certainly haven't been here the longest, but I always said I would impart my experiences on this journey as I went. If one writer benefits from it, I am happy.

Keep your head above the water! Keep moving forward! And keep writing!

Love & Light,
Ms. S



Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Sale, Sale, Sale!!!!


Amazon US – http://amzn.to/2kU0PNz
Amazon CAhttp://amzn.to/2ltiPhV
Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/2l3LUPY
Smashwords – http://bit.ly/2k9LYdn
Barnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/2kYKQgO



DOLLS!
All three books – Juliet, Kinky Sex Magic, and The Initiation – are ON SALE for ninety-nine pennies each! So get started on the SERIES everyone will be talking about in 2017!  

The Juliet Collection begins with the epic-read, Juliet. You will meet Sal and Iris as well as a menagerie of other characters in Sugargrove, Texas and by the end of the book, you'll want your OWN application to Juliet. Fall in love with Juliet!

Kinky Sex Magic (Author's Cut) has been described as cut scenes from a long movie. And that is truly what it is – scenes from the same time frame as Juliet, running parallel – all those secrets you get to see! You'll fall in love all over again!

And lastly, The Initiation (The Story of Salvatore Book One) takes us back in time to our hero Sal Raniero's beginnings at the Juliet academy. There are FOUR books in The SOS set all to be released by Fourth of July 2017!

So come take the journey you will never forget!
You'll cry...
You'll want to throw the book...
You'll laugh...
And you'll miss it when it's over.

And keep the party going at my FB group: #RanieroFanGirls

Find me:
Email: kaileereesesamuels@gmail.com
Website: kaileereesesamuels.com
Goodreads: Kailee Reese Samuels
Facebook: Kailee Samuels
Twitter: @KRSamuels
Pinterest: KRSamuels
Instagram: kaileereesesamuels
G+: Kailee Reese Samuels





Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Before the Firing Squad

I have been doing a lot of promotion for the re-release of Juliet, The Initiation, and Kinky Sex Magic. In doing such I've managed to meet some wonderful people. Call me a pessimist, but in all things there is balance. Good and bad.

I've gotten a lot of very good reviews and a couple iffy ones. And I'm ok with that.

I don't review books. That's gotten me called out - more than once. But I'm biased.
I'm an author. And if I don't think I can scream it from the roof top, I won't say a word. I have talked before about the sketchy activity we all know that occurs within this business. Buy our review $5 dollah! Five dollah! Five dollah sucky fucky too....ok, so...back to reviews.

I don't know how I feel about other authors reviews of me. Kinda good, kinda please don't expect me to review you. I won't. Unless of course I can shout you from the rooftop. Aside from one review I posted in support of a banned book, I have one written review on Goodreads.

Meet Me In The Dark by JA Huss, I loved that fucking book.
Like drool frothing out of my mouth loved. I digress....

So back to this firing squad of reviewers...

I understand not everyone is going to like or even love my books, and I am ok with that. I am NOT everyone's cup of tea. I am angsty, character driven, fighting, fucking, and ow! that hurt. And sometimes the tissues get pulled more for tears than cum. I'm not gonna lie - I'm not a one-hand author. I don't claim to be.

I am a romantic suspense author with an erotic flair. I do not write erotica. I do not promise HEA. I do not promise you won't throw your kindle, nook, or iPad. I write passionately. I write provocatively. I do not write strictly about hunky white guys getting it on with size 2 girls. If you are looking for that – PLEASE GO ELSEWHERE NOW NOW NOW!

I cannot be anything but me.
I cannot write different books.

However, if you like a half Asian/half English-cake-eating-wildly-submitting machine coupled with her pain slut of Italian boyfriend, well then....I might be just what you are looking for.

I write books I want to read. I believe more in the art of good literary prose more than sales. I believe in unique covers, different teasers, diversity, and saying the word cock and fuck way too much. I believe in adding pets and burgers and bottles of pinot with my splashes of erotica. I believe in storyline, plot, pacing, twists & turns, spin you upside down and turn you inside out.

I am not everyone's favorite ride. 

But these....reviewers. They are a different breed. And so am I. I am not like the others. I've complemented reviewers who gave me 3 stars because they wrote a damn good review. Yes, I have reached through the wall of "don't talk to the reviewers" - I flip that notion off. If I want to talk to someone – reviewer, reader, or hobo – I damn well will.

Don't tell me who to talk to. 

I believe in honesty. Ya, eventually you'll get your damn HEA, but it's going to take awhile. Sal & Iris are on a journey, a romance, a friendship, a growth arch in their lives that so many twenty-somethings experience. I wanted to document that upheaval of learning who the fuck we are and that cannot be done in 1 book or even 3.

Some have called the book too long. Meh. You have your op, I have mine. I write what the voices tell me to write. I cannot be anything else. I will not fit into the box for the sake of sales.

I am in this for the long ride. Sal & Iris are too. As are some of the 60-some odd characters in that 800 page tomb that quite a few people seem to be enjoying. I only wanted to impress one.

I did that.

I don't want anyone believing I am unapproachable. I am not some author in a dark room, pecking away at the keys. I mean sometimes I am in my chaise at night at 3 am, but I am not going to bite you just because you don't like my fucking book. *twirls finger*

If you do like it, and you want to write about it and shout it to the world that's great. If you want to savor it, salivate over it, and keep it all to yourself - I am ok with that too.

I am not a schmoozer, I do not say anything for the sake of it. Everything is properly placed. I love my fangirls, I love my reviewers - all of you - 1 stars or 5 stars - I appreciate your input if you left a review. Reviews don't exist for the author. They exist for readers. And I think in this time of - "Hey, let's swap reviews" - we have lost sight of that.

Reviews = Sales

And in this day and age, it's all about that bottom line, but this girl - this angsty, long book writing girl will not be swayed. I am not a tree, I do not bend. I mean I do bend, but only in bed and I won't be persuaded to be any other way or to write any other kind of book.

So this is me, this is where we are at. 
You are cordially invited to come to my party.
But I won't be offended if you don't.
Love me, hate me. 
I am ok with either.

XO - 
Ms. S