Posted in my books, Uncategorized

Last Day of Sale

Only one day left to get the Harrell Family Chronicles for the low price of $1.99 each! You can purchase the ebooks directly from my website or from your favorite ebook retailer.

Remy’s Dilemma https://books2read.com/u/4jBxKj

Trent’s Melody https://books2read.com/u/bz1vK2

Roxy’s Betrayal https://books2read.com/u/boD5Na

Janie’s Secret https://books2read.com/u/bpDq79

Willow’s Retreat https://books2read.com/u/mgEra7

Posted in contest

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Win!

http://ow.ly/LnIx50Ko8Gj

Just click on the link above and enter the Rafflecopter on the giveaway page. It’s easy & fun. If you love #reading, enter now; #giveaway ends Sept 9th. Click here and enter every day! Whether you’re hoping to purchase school supplies or something for yourself, this Amazon eCard is the perfect gift for anyone. I know I could use it! And if you want to use a couple of dollars to buy books, Trent’s Melody is on sale for $1.99!

From drunk on a plane to falling in love in paradise, Trent sang his way into Melodie’s heart. But when the couple is accused of being the cause of her former fiancé’s death, Trent leaves her to handle things on her own. Melodie Henries will never trust Trent Harrell not to bail when things get hard.

Left broken and disillusioned by one reality show, why would Trent ever agree to do another? But given the chance to make things up to the girl he betrayed, Trent Harrell would do anything, even agree to star in a renovation reality show competition.

Trent’s leaving nearly destroyed her, but Melodie Henries refuses to let him do it again. She’s doing the show to promote her books, not rekindle an old flame.
When a stalker blames them for the death of Trent’s former bandmate and Melodie’s former fiancé, the couple must delve into the past for clues. Can they discover the threat in time?
Steamy Romantic suspense

https://books2read.com/u/b515y1

Posted in Thoughts

A Rough Few Months

Holiday chaos: the true life of a busy writer-mom!

It’s almost Christmas and those of you who know me, know it’s been a rough few months. My mom fell and thankfully did not break anything, but she’s still had a rough recovery. At the same time, we lost a beloved friend and extended family member, and then the holidays struck. Oh, and did I mention two of my children were moving at the same time? Yeah, it was chaos but now things are returning to what passes for normal in the Hollister household which is somewhere between chaos and catatonia.

It took two weeks to decorate my tree, I am almost finished with Christmas buying and I’ve gotten a good start on wrapping. I’ve been moving things around to finish decorating and I hope I have all the Christmas cards sent out. At this point I can guarantee nothing, but I have food to cook and a place the kids can hang their hammocks. I’m hoping to finish cleaning and decorating this weekend so I can enjoy my family coming in for the holidays and my mom coming home. That in itself is a reason to celebrate.

Oh Crap, Christmas Tree! (after I cleaned up)

As you can imagine a lot of stuff has fallen by the wayside during this time. I did manage to get out both my holiday ebooks and create the print copies in time for Christmas, but I’ve been a bit slack about promoting them. I’ve also been lax in my duties with Heart of Carolina and Pamlico Writers, I’m so thankful for both of these groups and for the members who have graciously taken up the slack during this difficult time. I know that without these guys I wouldn’t be a published author. They and my mentor MK Graff, who hosted the North Carolina Writer’s Read for many years were instrumental in teaching me and giving me the courage to follow my dreams. My husband, best friend and my sister-in-law have been the ones to physically push and drag me to events and out into the spotlight. As this year ends, there are so many people to thank for making this year bearable and wonderful: my husband, family, friends, my writers’ groups, my Beta readers, my self-promo groups, the nurses at mom’s nursing home, her friends and family, and so many more. Even the people I work with, and my customers have been a great source of inspiration and courage during these rough months as well as a joy during the fun months. Thank you all for caring! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Back ground is the Murfree House in Murfreesboro, NC

https://books.bookfunnel.com/holidayone/hj4s43yyey

Posted in my books, promo

Contemporary Romance Bookfunnel Promo

https://books.bookfunnel.com/contemporaryromancejune/yyuh1m34n0

Janie Harrell wears clothes her grandmothers wouldn’t be found dead in and tries to hide the woman underneath. Years ago, she made a mistake, and she’s been making herself pay retribution ever since. Denying her feelings for Mike McKenzie, Janie pretends she doesn’t still want him but he’s not making it easy. When they both end up in the same hotel for business conferences, they can’t pass up this chance for a brief affair.

Their second chance is threatened when old secrets come back to ruin everything.

Blurb

Janie must battle her own demons of guilt, self-worth and sibling-rivalry, and learn that life isn’t about waiting for perfection it’s making the most of what you have today. Learning to take chances and believe in herself are some of Janie’s biggest obstacles. When she finally decides to take a risk, it backfires, and she suddenly risks losing everything. Mike McKenzie is fighting his own demons. He fears he might be losing his grip on reality. Overwhelmed by everything that has been happening in Leeward, Mike carries the burden on his shoulders alone. He is afraid to ask for help. He’s felt like a coward since he was a boy of seventeen and allowed Remy Harrell to warn him away from Janie. When the two of them end up together, he believes they can have their happy ending but too many secrets threaten to rip them apart, this time for good. When you are the middle child of seven, you often get lost in the shuffle, that’s Janie. Plain Janie. Smart Janie. She’s the good sister that never causes any trouble. Scared to go out on her own, she still lives at home with her parents. She has spent her life afraid to believe in herself. But Janie has a secret. The trouble with secrets is they don’t stay secret forever. Second Chance Romance, Secret Baby, Blackmail, Murder, Kidnapping, Family Drama and more

https://books.bookfunnel.com/contemporaryromancejune/yyuh1m34n0

Posted in my books, promo

Mystery Thrillers NEW Releases

Bookfunnel Promo

https://books.bookfunnel.com/mysterythrillernewreleases/sr5heueafn

Roxy didn’t come home to fall in love. She came to betray her family. It’s the only way to save her friends.

Jorge’s first taste of freedom is Roxanne’s laughter. Discovering she is in danger he has no choice but risk it all to save her.

Will her betrayal doom them all?

Roxy is the bad sister, the one voted most likely to steal your boyfriend. Not to be confused with her smart sister or her ambitious sister…

She’s a lying, self-centered diva, she didn’t come for a family reunion or to fall in love, she came to betray her family…

It’s not like she could ask anyone for help. They wouldn’t believe her anyway. If she was going to save them, she would have to do this on her own. Would they ever forgive her? What did it matter, she probably wouldn’t live to see it anyway?

https://books2read.com/u/boD5Na

Posted in contest, event

Kindle Book Awards

I submitted Red Steel to the Kindle Book Review 9th Annual Reader’s Choice Awards

Red Steel is a suspense thriller set in a small town on the North Carolina coast. Things heat up when a vigilante turns to arson to purify the town of Leeward. Firefighter Billy Grimes and reporter Tracy Harrell cast a few sparks of their own when they are thrown together as this story becomes explosive. Who will survive when the dark secrets of the town’s past are cast into the fiery light?

Now through October 15th, 2020 you can vote. Go to Kindle Book Review to vote, leave a comment at the bottom of the page and don’t forget to sign up for the raffle. You might win a Kindle Fire!

https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/2020-readers-choice-awards/

HOW CAN YOU VOTE & WIN?

  1. Go to https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/2020-readers-choice-awards/ 
  2.  Click on YOUR preferred genre box below. (Red Steel is a Thriller!)
  3. Scroll through the book covers in your preferred genre. If you see your favorite book in that list, VOTE for it. IN THE COMMENTS (you must put the information in the comments.) If you see a book that draws you in, read it, and if it’s your new favorite, VOTE for it.

 Vote MUST include book Title & Author name.

  • Finally, enter the easy entry Rafflecopter form below for a one (1) entry to WIN an 8″ Kindle Fire.

So without further ado, we present this year’s categories. Please click on your preferred genre, and then VOTE for one of the books in your preferred genre after scrolling through all the book covers on that page. Please VOTE for ONE BOOK ONLY.

Posted in contest, my books, Thoughts

A Sense of Community

During this trying times I have seen some bad things but I have also seen some amazing things. Most of you who know me know I prefer not to dwell on the negative. We can’t stop the prejudice, the ignorance or the selfishness in others, we can only try to correct it in our own lives. So, instead of worrying about THOSE people, let’s celebrate the people we see doing good things.

People, myself included often complain about the negativity on Facebook and social media, but since the virus outbreak I have seen people trying hard to be positive and encouraging. Even as they pass on information, they try to be positive. I still see an occasional post that makes me hesitate to send it, not because I don’t agree with it but because the way it is worded sounds negative. During this frightening time I do not feel it is the time to lash out at each other, it is a time to come together as best we can, and support each other.

I went to our local restaurant this week to pick-up my take-out order. My husband goes to the drive-through but I decided to go inside. I wanted to check on my friends. People were standing apart three to six feet, but they were still having conversations, still helping their neighbors and even a stranger or two, they were showing more kindness and consideration, and patience. It made me realize that there are still good people and we will get through this together.

I’ve put up a sign on the door to my store no more than three customers at a time please and most people check before entering. People stop to visit a moment, hungry for contact but keep their distance, some have worn gloves, avoided touching doors by using their shirts, elbows or backsides to open them. They are learning to cough into their elbows, wipe their face with their wrists and wash their hands often.

No matter whom I see during the day whether at the store where I work or when I have to run my errands or on social media, the majority is trying to offer support to their friends, family and neighbors through whatever talents they possess.

I, and some of my fellow authors have put their books on sale or even free. My first four ebooks are 99 cents each, Red Steel, my recent release is only $2.99 but I have free ebooks available for anyone who asks. I would love to share them with you!

Chrome Pink https://books2read.com/u/bQRlrZ

White Gold https://books2read.com/u/mZKlR5

Titanium Blue https://books2read.com/u/bMpl6a

Evergreen Crystals https://books2read.com/u/mVwlMr

Red Steel https://books2read.com/u/m0OdRV

Just before the virus outbreak, I took my books to The Next Chapter Book Store in New Bern. Michelle Flye, author and owner of the book store has a fabulous collection of local authors’ books. As an author herself, she is an advocate for indie-authors and she is doing all she can to keep her store going during this frightening time.

In trying to support my community and a bit self-serving as well, I have purchased a gift certificate to The Next Chapter Books and Art Store in New Bern to give away. For my out of state friends, I will also provide an Amazon Gift card. To win, share. Share this post. Share your book links, especially if you are one of Michelle’s authors, shout out your books. Tell people what books you are reading, no matter if they are indie or not. Share pictures of what you are doing during your confinement, or if you are like me, still working, tell us how you are coping. I would like to see a real community built here.

April 15th I will draw a name or email address from those who have commented, shared or posted on my social media, or who signed up for my newsletter. If when I contact you, you are not able to use the store gift certificate, I will send an Amazon gift card and draw again. If that person is also from out of state, I will send another Amazon gift card and choose a local supporter to receive the $20 gift card from The Next Chapter. (Facebook, Twitter nor any other entity is NOT responsible for the outcome of this contest.) Winners will be announced on all of my social media sites. Note: if the first winner drawn is local, I will draw once more for an Amazon Gift Card. You do not have to purchase my books with your card though I hope you are a fan. You do not have to sign up for my newsletter to be added to the drawing either but I hope you will. Let’s be a community.

The Next Chapter Book and Art Store website: https://thenextchapternc.com/

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheNextChapterBooksNB/?ref=br_rs

To sign up for my newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/25b327a3db97/httpssherrilhollistercom?fbclid=IwAR0cq2YEK3RtTE_UyjxH_K_UbCo_X3y99WItSkJyYp9OtP36iZMtgyai9Wk

Posted in interview

A Warm Friendly Chat with Hannah Meredith

also known as Merry Simmons

I am thrilled to welcome Hannah Meredith to Creekside Café, my dream job if I ever win the lottery or get a million-dollar movie deal, for now, the café only exists on my website. Hannah and I are both members of Romance Writers of America and our local Heart of Carolina RWA. We met at local meeting and became friends. I have learned as much from riding in a car with her as I have from classes I’ve attended. It’s so good to have you here, Hannah.

Hannah: Thanks. It’s great to be here. Your café is so warm and friendly, it’s a great place for a chat.

Sherri: I have been blessed to have met some wonderful writers and interesting people through RWA and HCRW. You are one of my favorite people. You came into writing romance from a little bit different angle, tell our readers about your interesting path to publishing.

Hannah: Well, first of all, I’m honored to be included in your “favorite people” group. 😊 And I think my wandering journey to publication is pretty typical. Few of us seem to arrive there in a straight line.

Since I was a child, I’ve loved making up stories and have always been an avid reader, but like most of us, these impulses were overshadowed by just living life. I got a couple of degrees in English from SMU, married, taught at the high school and university level for 15 years, and then switched to a career in Real Estate for about 25 more… and then, finally, life slowed down enough that the characters who lived in my head could be heard screaming to get out.

Since I was still working, I figured writing short fiction was the way to go, but the market for short stories was quite limited. The one genre that still had a number of active magazines was science fiction and fantasy. I’d long been an enthusiastic reader of C.J. Cherryh, David Brin, Anne McCaffrey, etc., and so decided to give it a try. This pursuit was greatly advanced when I won the grand prize for the Writers of the Future Contest—which I highly recommend for those writing sf&f. It’s free to enter and has decent cash prizes and an excellent workshop. I went on to sell over a dozen stories to many of the major science fiction and fantasy magazines before switching to romance.

Now, if you add up all the years before I began writing seriously, it’s obvious that I was not a spring chicken when I got around to putting words on paper. But this is one of the joys of most any creative pursuit – age provides no barrier and instead brings a better knowledge of the world. I have a saying painted on my kitchen wall, “Some of the most interesting flowers in the garden are Late Bloomers” and I hope that applies to me.

Sherri: Well, I hope it applies to me as well, since I’m new to publishing and not quite fresh as a daisy myself.

I’ve been a fan of yours for several years. You started writing science fiction but when I first read your work you were already writing historical romance. How did you make the switch to romance?

Hannah: After writing short stories for a while, I wanted to expand my ideas into a fantasy novel. Alas, I must have been channeling George R.R. Martin as I wrote and wrote and wrote. After about 200,000 words, I realized what I had was—a mess. I’ve always read broadly and, consequently, had enjoyed a number of historical romances along the way. I recognized that this was a genre where I was not expected to fill such a large canvas, so decided to give it a try. The transition to romance was not easy, however. The reader expectations were very different, and the contacts I had in ss&f didn’t transfer to another genre. I was now sailing on uncharted waters. In this, the advice of other romance writers was really helpful, and the support and programs offered by the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers were priceless.

Linda Johnson, Hannah Meredith and me at 2019 HCRW Writers Workshop, photo by Donna Steele

Sherri: You started self-publishing early, how and why did you make the decision to self-publish?

Hannah: Submitting to a romance publisher was very different from sending a manuscript to a magazine editor in a genre where I had a track record. Now I had to start from scratch. The process was totally different. There were pitches and log lines and all sorts of dance steps I didn’t know and wasn’t sure I wanted to learn. And then, if I were successful, I would be looking at potentially a year before anything would make it to print. Okay, I am not getting any younger. I simply did not want to go through the process and take the time. Especially when self-publishing had become a viable option.

I also found self-publishing appealing since I’m a bit of a control freak. (I must admit here that my husband of 52 years would probably question the “a bit” part of that last sentence) I like the fact that I have control over what my covers look like. I like the fact that my stories don’t have to conform to what a given publisher thinks readers want rather than how I think a story should be told.  I like that my books will come out on a schedule of my own making.

I happily embraced self-publishing—and I’m glad I did.

Sherri: What changes have you seen in publishing since you first started? Do you think it is easier or more difficult for new writers?

Hannah: There’s been a consolidation in publishing caused by a lot of mergers and, unfortunately, by a number of disappearances of excellent mid-sized and smaller lines. All the Big Five New York publishers are now just a part of some bigger conglomerate. Penguin Random House is owned by Bertelsmann (German) and Pearson (British), Hachette by Lagardere Publishing (French), HarperCollins by News Corp (Australian), Macmillian by Holtzbrinck Publishing Group (German), and Simon & Schuster by CBS (American). Big conglomerates tend to streamline and so the number of editors has been reduced and their work load increased. If it seems to you that many traditionally published books aren’t as carefully edited as they have been in the past, this is the reason. But this has also reduced the number of slots for new authors. The best way to get a “foot in the door” is now through the eBook only imprints and these seldom pay an advance. So, while I have no personal experience, I would say finding a publisher is probably more difficult.  

Sherri: You do it all, write, publish, design your own covers, what advice would you give to other indie-authors who feel they don’t have a lot of money to invest in their first book?

Hannah: Yeah, doing it all is the control thing again. 😊 And I’m also afraid proves that I tend to be frugal. But anyone can put out a book without it costing a lot of money. Just remember that while everything you do yourself saves money, it takes up more of your time and adds to frustration. You need to determine what is important to you.

If you can use MS Word, or its cousin available on Apple products, you can produce a manuscript that can be made into both an eBook and a print file. If you follow Smashwords’ Style Guide, you can upload your manuscript directly to KDP and you should end up with a good product. I use Smashwords to upload all the other venders, and if I’ve followed the Style Guide, it will obviously upload to all the other places just fine. Now, this will be perfectly readable, but it will not have anything “fancy” on it. The plus is it costs you absolutely nothing. You can see what it will look like by emailing the manuscript to your Kindle. If there is anything weird, you didn’t follow the Style Guide. Alternately, you can pay someone to format both mobi and epub files to upload, Or you can use various purchased software, the most lauded being Vellum, which unfortunately for me, only works on a Mac. You’ll be able to personalize these.

You can use the same manuscript to build a print book. KDP has a template or you can make one using just Word, which is my choice. It’s more work, but I can make it prettier.

KDP also has templates on which you can build both an eBook and a print cover. These have worked well for many people. I use Photoshop to make my own. I took a $25 online class on Cover Making and got a Photoshop Elements on sale, so there was some initial outlay, but I’ve made a lot of covers for both myself and others. Now these are not award-winning covers, but I think they look professional. Or at least, professional-enough. If you need costumed people, you can buy them for about $10. For backgrounds I just use one of the stock photo places. I like Deposit Photos because about once a year they run a sale with 100 downloads for $39-49. I just finished the cover for an almost-completed Christmas story (I make covers when my brain is too tired to write) and it cost me $1.47. Yep, it’s made from pieces of three downloaded photos. 😊 If messing with covers is not your thing, there are a lot of sites where you can get a lovely pre-made cover personalized with your information for as low as $50.

One place you do not want to get cheap is with editing. Yeah, we all think we don’t need it, but this is usually the reason we see a bunch of not-ready-for-prime-time books appear from Indy authors. To get a comprehensive edit can be pricy, so you need to train yourself to do decent self-editing. Then also develop a group of “wise readers” who will give you honest feedback on where the book may go off the tracks. I’ve teamed up with some other authors I have confidence in, and we edit each other’s stories. I sometimes trade off book covers for editing. But before I developed this support group, I paid for edits. Again, this is one place to spend money.

The last potential cost is for an ISBN. You can get these for free from both KDP and Smashwords. I however, have purchased my own because I have my own imprint, Singing Spring Press. I think we’re back to control… I bought 100 from Bowker because they’re much cheaper that way. Of course, I’m in my 70’s and still bought 100. I think this is the definition of optimistic. 😊

Sherri: You have recently made a bit of switch into fantasy? What is the biggest challenge you face with changing genres?

Hannah: Changing genre makes finding readers a little trickier, but that’s the only difficulty. Song of the Nightpiper is a medieval-based, fantasy romance, so it was still in the same overall genre. The Christmas story I hope to publish shortly, The Last Gift, is also a fantasy romance.

Sherri: You and a few of you writer friends have been publishing an annual Christmas anthology for several years. Tell us about it. How did it start? How do you manage three other writers?

Hannah: Back in 2014, over lunch before the HCRW meeting, Kate Parker and I decided it would be fun to do a Christmas anthology. We each asked someone we thought would be a good fit, and the group was formed. Thus, Christmas Revels was born. We have just published Christmas Revels VI, and this simply has to be the last. I’m the cover maker and I can’t tweak any more semi-Christmasy colors out of the background file. 😊

I’m very proud of all our volumes. Each of the stories is interesting and unique and covers some aspect of Christmas in Regency England. Here’s a quick look at this year’s content –

            Come Revel with four award-winning authors for Christmas tales filled with laughter, tears,   and love…

Her Ladyship Orders a Christmas Tree – A pagan custom leads to an unexpected attraction.

“The Play’s the Thing…” – Going off-script prompts a surprise ending.

Yuletide Treachery – Two lonely people find a traitor—and love.

A Perfectly Unexpected Christmas – An accident brings redemption and a homecoming.

The heat level varies by story, but this year, totally by accident, all the stories are PG-13. As far as riding herd on three other creative people, most of the time it is delightful… occasionally, not so much. 😊

Sherri: You and Kate Parker, one of your partners in crime helped me get started. Who helped you? Who were your mentors, support or influencers?

Hannah: This is an impossible question since there have been so many who have been helpful along the way. I was lucky to find Kate as a critique partner at HCRW many years ago. Anna Allen, one of the anthology contributors, has exchanged manuscripts with me since we met at Writers of the Future about 17 years ago. She can be quite brutal, but her comments always improve a book. Back in my SF days, I was fortunate to attend four different residential workshops that each lasted at least a week. This is where I had a lot of bad habits thrashed out of me. And the entire HCRW group has always been knowledgeable and supportive.

Sherri: You enjoy traveling, what are some of your favorite places to visit? Have you used any of these as settings for your stories?

Hannah: My husband and I promised ourselves we’d travel when he retired, and we have done so with a vengeance. We’ve been to all the continents except Antarctica. And we’re not really wanting to go there. Too cold! We’ve been to the UK quite a bit, and we’ve spent a lot of time visiting historic houses where my character will live. We’ve also returned twice to Australia and New Zealand, but so far I have no stories for those countries. Almost two years ago we visited India, where I do have pieces of some tales taking place. Our most unusual venue was Mongolia, and I have a crackerjack story idea placed there, but it will probably never exist. I have more stories in my head than I can get written.

Sherri: What are you working on now?

Hannah: I’m trying to get The Last Gift finished so it can come out in November. It would qualify as a contemporary romance except the hero is half Fey, so there is some magic involved. I’d planned on it being light holiday fare, but it is turning out to be bitter sweet and at times tugs at the heart. I’m really liking it. But I could be prejudiced. 😊 I’m hoping to get two historical romances finished for 2020, Fortune’s Promise, a standalone story set in the early Victorian period and The Color of Night which follows Tremaine from Kaleidoscope. Both of these are well on their way. I have three more stories to follow in what will be a Kaleidoscope series, and these will hopefully appear in 2021-22. I’m basically a slow writer.

Sherri: Well, I hate to say good bye, but you know what they say, leave them wanting more. Speaking of more, tell us how we can find you on social media and how can we buy your books?

Hannah: People can find most my books at whatever online source they use. For Amazon, they can go to http://tinyurl.com/q8ywr39 for all of them. I’m a social media dud, but would love to have others visit my oft-ignored Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HannahMeredithAuthor and my website, http://www.hannahmeredith.com.   

Sherri: Say Good bye Hannah. Let’s have a glass of wine, what do you recommend?

Hannah: Bye! And I like my wine pink…

Posted in contest, promo

Let’s Celebrate!

With the fourth of July fireworks behind us, there is still more to celebrate. July is my anniversary and birthday month! I lieu of gifts for me, I’d like to do something for you guys.

It’s time for me to properly thank my loyal fans and I hope, find fresh eyes to read my books! I have joined up with The Kindle Book Review for their Welcome to the July Giveaway Extravaganza! Together, we are offering $500 in Amazon cash and prizes to three lucky readers from July 1st – 29th.

$500 Ultimate Reader Giveaway (July 1-29) ~ 3 Winners. First Place wins a 10″ Kindle Fire, 1-Year Amazon Prime, plus a $50 Amazon eGift card ($320 value). Second Place wins a $100 Amazon eGift Card ($100 value). Third Place wins an 8″ Kindle Fire ($80 value). Go to their website and click on the books that look like your kind of books. Don’t forget to click on mine, Titanium Blue. Sign up to win with Rafflecopter and if you buy one of the books that’s extra points. You don’t have to purchase to win, but please follow me and my fellow authors on Amazon. https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/500-july-giveaway-extravaganza/?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2_5_2019_21_10_COPY_01)


Summer is officially here, so enter our $500 July Giveaway Extravaganza and WIN big.