WHY DO WE DO IT?

Why do authors price a book free or at 99 cents? Each time an author releases a book, he or she is sharing a sizable investment of hundreds of hours of backbreaking and heart-wrenching work and hundreds of dollars spent for a cover, editing, formatting, and promotional ads. Why would we give the fruit of our toils away?

We can’t do so often. Sometimes we make the first of a series free or reduced in the hope people will like that work and buy the remaining volumes of the series. We actually go into debt to do so. And then—because writing is usually incurable—we start writing another book.

Another way we offer a reduced price is with an anthology or box set with other authors. We each hope readers who are fans of the other authors in the group will like our work enough to become a reader of all of our books. You probably know this is called cross-promotion. Once again, we’re losing money unless the gamble works.

Yes, writers are gamblers. Not in casinos or bingo parlors, or not in my case, but we gamble on ways to attract readers to our works. We are as much gamblers as the farmer who plants crops with the belief that he can harvest in spite of the elements he battles—rain, hail, drought, and insects. Or the rancher who fattens his cattle in a race against disease, rustlers (yes, we still have those), and the elements.

Why I started this is to tell you of a great value coming your way. COURTING THE WEST is a box set of ten western historical romance books by NY Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors. This box set is now up for pre-order and will be available on October 15.

COURTING THE WEST includes: PAINTED MONTANA SKY by Debra Holland; DAISY by Kirsten Osbourne; HIS BROTHER’S WIFE by Lily Graison; TAME A WILD WIND by Cynthia Woolf; SLEIGHT OF HEART by Jacquie Rogers; A HERO’S HEART by Sylvia McDaniel, LAYING CLAIM by Paty Jager; SARAH SUNSHINE by Merry Farmer, CHASING THE DEAD by Keta Diablo, and THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP by Caroline Clemmons.

I re-read each of these and truly enjoyed them a second time. I even re-read my own book and brazenly admit I enjoyed it too. These are ten novels about handsome, rugged westerners and the women strong enough to tame them. Individually, they'd cost over sixty dollars but readers who purchase this box set can have all ten for only 99 cents. Amazing, right? 

That's only 9 cents a book! Even if you’ve read one or two of these previously, you can’t go wrong at 99 cents for the box set. We’re gambling that fans of the other nine authors will discover our books and become a fan of those, too.

COURTING THE WEST is available now for pre-order on Amazon and will be available on October 15 at Amazon, Nook, iTunes, and Kobo.  

Here’s the preorder url: http://amzn.com/B015JVRIZY

WHAT IF YOU COULD SEE EVERYONE ELSE'S DREAMS?

Find out with the Dream Series by J.J. DiBenedetto! Book #9, FEVER DREAM, is out!

What's the story?

Dr. Sara Alderson isn’t used to her patients dying for no reason. When a young boy succumbs to a mysterious illness that defies all her efforts to treat it, she refuses to accept defeat.

After two months of questions, Sara has attracted the attention of powerful people who don’t want their secrets uncovered, and will go to any lengths to make sure they stay hidden.

Now, time is running out for Sara to unravel the mystery before anyone else falls victim to the illness. And before her career, her family and her freedom are taken from her by enemies she doesn’t even know she has.

Where can you buy it?

Amazon (Kindle or Paperback)

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble (Nook or Paperback)

Apple iBookstore

Kobo

AllRomanceEboo

Want to know more? Here's an excerpt from FEVER DREAM!

It’s one in the morning, and the last guests have gone. Other than the cleaning crew, Brian and I are the only ones left in the ballroom. I know we need to leave, but I can’t bear the thought of standing up and trying to walk out of the room, down to the garage and then to the car. I think my feet might literally fall off.

“You’re going to have to carry me out of here,” I tell Brian, and he gives me a wicked grin in return.

“I was planning on it,” he says, and he stands, takes a deep breath, and lifts me right out of my seat. I yelp and throw my arms around his neck as he carries me out of the room and over to the elevator, barely showing any strain at all. He has to put me down once we get to the elevator, though. “I need a free hand,” he says, hitting the “up” button. But the garage is – oh. I should have known.

“You booked a room.” He nods. “And you told my parents we wouldn’t be home tonight.” Another nod. It’s all part of the fantasy, I guess. He’s been imagining that he’s James Bond all night, and after a glitzy evening at the casino, James Bond doesn’t hop into the minivan so he can get home, walk the dog and collapse into bed. No way. He takes his conquest for the evening up to the five-star hotel room, where the champagne is already waiting. On ice, no doubt.

The bell dings, he ushers me into the empty elevator, and as the door closes, I feel my fatigue suddenly, instantly, drain away, and I’m all over him. I may not be a fan of those movies, but I know how they go, and it’s not as though I need much of an excuse to throw myself at my husband. By the time the door opens onto the third floor, I’m panting and extricating my hands from his tuxedo jacket. “You woke up in a hurry,” he says, panting himself, pulling his hand off the zipper of my dress, which is already halfway down my back.

“Well, I know what you were thinking, and I also know that no girl can resist James Bond, right?” By way of an answer, he leads me down the hall, opens the door to our room, picks me up again and deposits me on the bed. In seconds, he’s finished the job of zipping me right out of my dress, and his tuxedo is in an undignified mess somewhere on the floor. After that – there’s no more thought, just feeling, just his hands and his lips and his – his everything.

Interested in the books that lead up to this one?

The first five books in the series are collected in one Kindle Box Set.

What if you could see everyone else’s dreams?

Sara Barnes has just discovered that she can. And this gift – or curse – will lead her on an extraordinary journey.

Follow Sara as her newfound ability leads her into adventures she never imagined. She will hunt down a serial killer, investigate a plot to murder one of her teachers, unravel a conspiracy between a mobster and a corrupt politician and face off against her nemesis: a woman who shares her talent, but uses it to destroy lives rather than save them. And Sara will have to manage all that while finishing college, becoming a doctor and falling in love, too.

Here are the first five books of the Dream Series, along with bonus material created especially for this collection. Included in this set are DREAM STUDENT, DREAM DOCTOR, DREAM CHILD, DREAM FAMILY and WAKING DREAM. In addition, you’ll find the short story BETTY AND HOWARD’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE starring Sara’s parents. But most of all, when you open this box of dreams, you’ll find romance, suspense, humor and plenty of heart…

Where do you buy it?

Amazon

Smashwords

Barnes and Noble

Apple iBookstore

Kobo

AllRomanceEbooks.com

Google Play

What about books #6, 7 and 8?





They're all on sale at Amazon!

But I like to listen instead of read! What about audiobooks?

The first five novels and a short story are all available on Audible! And you can hear samples from all of them right here!

So who's the author?

Well, technically, that's a picture of his cat, Danny. Danny is much more photogenic than J.J. is. But J.J. (James, really) is a pretty nice guy. He's a native New Yorker, although he's lived in the Washington, DC area for the last 20 years. He loves the opera, reading, photography, science fiction, fondue, travel and the New York Giants. Oh, and of course Danny, and also of course his lovely and talented wife.

Where can I learn more about him?

At his website, on Facebook, on Twitter and at his Amazon Author Page.

A LOT FOR A LITTLE!

Do your love a bargain as much as I do? I joke that I was born under the "Sale" sign. Okay, it was really Virgo, but I think Virgo's hand must have firmly grasped a "Sale" sign. Perhaps that's why I enjoy reading box sets.

Saving money is only one reason. The other is that I find new authors whose books I might never have found had I not read one in a boxed set. So, please allow me to tell you about a few box sets now available in which I have special interest. In other words, those in which I have a book or novella. Hey, you can't blame me for being partial, can you?

The latest boxed set is WILD WESTERN WOMEN. As I mentioned previously on a blog, this does not mean women who went wild, but Women who lived in the Wild West. These feisty heroines deserved the heroes whose love they gained. I am fortunate to be included with USA bestselling authors Callie Hutton and Kirsten Osborne as well as Amazon bestselling authors Sylvia McDaniel and Merry Farmer. This set contains my favorite of my novellas, because the heroine's mother is named after my mom's maiden name and the heroine after Mom's sister. For some reason, I couldn't help picturing my handsome father as the hero, making the book a sort of family venture. The link for Amazon is http://amzn.com/B00O35YY0U

MAIL-ORDER TANGLE is a duet by Jacquie Rogers and myself. We entered this venture because we enjoy one another's writing and thought we could work together. Each of us wrote an entire book, but it linked with the other's book. We chose cousins who end up married to sisters. My book is first, MAIL ORDER PROMISE. Jacquie's book is MAIL ORDER RUCKUS. Picture me smiling because Jacquie's books always make me happy. I'm proud of this duet set priced at only $3.99. The Amazon buy link is http://amzn.com/B00MZ6ZRXC

Another box set that is such a great bargain is 10 TIMELESS HEROES. Sky Purington and Skhye Moncrief put this group together. Again, I am fortunate to be included with some of my favorite authors. Sky Purington, Skhye Moncrief, Beth Trissel, Donna Michaels, P. L. Parker, Nancy Lee Badger, L. L. Muir, Bess McBride, Linda LaRoque, and me. Over $25 worth of books for only $1.99, and you'll have many hours of pleasurable reading on your Kindle or other e-reader. The Amazon link is http://amzn.com/B00JR9NAOS 

And in case you are looking for a Christmas story, please keep in mind my Christmas novella, STONE MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS. This is set in North Central Texas' Palo Pinto Mountains and is part of the Stone Mountain series. Celia hatches a plan to bring the spirit of Christmas back to Radford Falls. She hopes doing so will add joy back in her life. Eduardo wants Celia in his life and will do whatever makes her happy. Ah, but the course of true love is never smooth, is it? The Amazon buy link is: http://amzn.com/B00OQUTDXA

Dear readers, if you take advantage of these bargains, you will have reading material all through the holidays--depending on how fast and how often you read. And maybe you'll discover a new favorite author. Oh, but please still consider me a favorite author too. You know I ♥love ♥ readers!

Let me know which of the box sets is your favorite.

Thanks for stopping by!

CARE TO TRAVEL THROUGH TIME?

Have I mentioned a time travel box set? I'm honored to be included with these great authors. This set is a great value. For only $1.99 you can have 10 TIMELESS HEROES. Only 20 cents a book. What a bargain! Here's a little about the contents:

Magic & destiny unite lovers across time and space in this epic collection of award-winning, chart topping tales. From sweet to sizzling romances, 10 Timeless Heroes has a little something for everyone. With over fifteen hundred pages and a retail value of $25.90, you save almost $23 with this special introductory price! Don't wait to stock up. Fall is right around the corner...

FIONA by PL Parker: In the past, she found her future.

SOMEWHERE MY LASS by Beth Trissel: Neil MacKenzie's well-ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he's her fiancé from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her she's just addled from a blow to her head-until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood.

GOING BACK FOR ROMEO by LL Muir: Alone with a Highlander, in his castle, on a cold dark night...Okay, so it wasn't that cold. Jillian is duped back to 15th Century Scotland to rescue a plaid-clad Romeo and Juliet. The monster in her way, however, is a handsome Highlander who may just be her own Romeo.

SWORDSONG by Skhye Moncrief: He's arrived to help her create the perfect bride. His ticket home relies on a lonely woman haunted by more than apparitions. If time-travel duty, romance, and a bit of magic don't help them realize their destiny resonates in mysterious fairy SWORDSONG, all known history could change.

HIGHLAND MYSTIC by Sky Purington: Caitriona is not who she seems. Her fate was foreseen long before birth and so important it will impact all future MacLomains. When dreams of Alan Stewart begin, she knows the time has come. But how to convince a Highland laird from another century that he must die for her? Especially when she couldn't bear his death.

MY HONORABLE HIGHLANDER by Nancy Lee Badger: Bumbling present day herbalist, Haven MacKay, gets more than she bargains for when her love spell goes awry, is cast back in time, and meets her true love -- Laird Kirkwall Gunn. Kirk's plans go slightly off course when he falls in love with a woman wandering through the Scottish Highlands. After all, he has pledged to marry another, from an enemy clan, in order to end a century-old feud.

OUT OF THE BLUE by Caroline Clemmons: Police Detective Brendan Hunter wants answers. Who shot him and killed his partner? Why? And why does Deirdre Dougherty know details of the event? He can't let her out of his sight until she confesses to how she learned details no one but he and his late partner knew.

A TRAIN THROUGH TIME by Bess McBride: Ellie awakens on a train to Seattle to find herself on a bizarre historical train full of late Victorian era reenactors. When handsome Robert convinces her the date is 1901, Ellie presumes she is in the middle of a very interesting dream--a dream she doesn't want to awaken from.

CAPTIVE HERO by Donna Michaels: Test flying an invisible plane--unreal. Time-shifting to WWII--unbelievable. Capturing a hero--unavoidable. When test pilot Samantha Sheppard accidentally flies back in time and inadvertently saves a WWII pilot, she changes history and makes a crack decision to abduct him back to the present, but convincing him it's another century proves tough.

DESIRES OF THE HEART by Linda LaRoque: At a cottage in the UK, recently divorced Loren Fairchild rebuilds her life. A simple-minded woman appears and triggers an event that hurls Loren 60 years into the past. During WWII, Miles Chapeau's wife is hurt in an air raid. She now has the mind of a child. One day she disappears. That very night a strange woman appears. Caught in a web of confusion, Loren and Miles struggle with the direction their lives must take.

The following titles contain stronger sexual content and are recommended for a mature audience: SWORDSONG, HIGHLAND MYSTIC,, MY HONORABLE HIGHLANDER, and CAPTIVE HERO.

Thamks for stopping by!.