On Writing

Algo raro y precioso

June 24, 2014 by Raine Miller 23 Comments

Me complace anunciaros que, por fin, voy a publicar mis libros en español, y lo haré por mi cuenta.

Comenzaré con Algo raro y precioso, la cuarta entrega de El Affaire Blackstone.

No ha sido fácil tomar la decisión de autopublicarme para mis lectores de habla hispana, pero sí sé que esta es la decisión correcta.

Por fortuna, he sido bendecida con grandes amistades que me ayudan a estar en contacto con mis fans en este idioma y me echan una mano a la hora de poder concretar este sueño. Así que después de esperar casi un año, de que mis seguidores me escribieran todos los días diciéndome que querían leer este libro en español, puedo anunciaros que podréis conocer el desenlace de la historia de Ethan y Brynne.

Todos mis libros anteriores están siendo traducidos al español (si no lo han sido ya), y los que publique en el futuro serán publicados en este idioma a su debido tiempo; no volveréis a tener que esperar un año para leer una de mis novelas en vuestra preciosa lengua. (Sí, tengo en cuenta todo lo que me contáis en vuestros correos electrónicos).

Mis libros están ahora en las capaces manos de la traductora más maravillosa del mundo. Vive en España y está a punto de empezar a trabajar con Cherry Girl, que verá la luz en otoño (el otoño del hemisferio norte). Algo raro y precioso estará a la venta el día 25 de julio de 2014 y ya se encuentra en preventa en las principales plataformas, tanto en versión digital como en papel.

Espero que leáis y saboreéis de mis libros en español cuando estos vean la luz y que disfrutéis de todos y cada uno de ellos en vuestro hermoso y romántico idioma.

Mi más profundo cariño,

xxoo R

Putting It All Into Perspective

May 31, 2014 by Raine Miller 7 Comments

I want you to think of Ivan sticking it to social media with this sword. *grin*

I have been very remiss. I know, and I am sorry. I try my best to get a blog post up monthly and am constantly reminded that I haven’t done one when I look forlornly at the last post I made on February 28^th, the day that Rare and Precious Things released.

We have now come to the final day of May and if I want to get in under the three-month window it’s today or nothing. So, why have I been absent?

Pretty much because I’ve not felt very social. Real life took precedence and I was where I needed and wanted to be during my father’s illness and eventual passing on the 8^th of April. I just didn’t have anything interesting or fun to talk about and so I took the time to reflect on lots of aspects of my life in general and I think it has been a good thing for me, and my family.

What are you talking about, Raine? Why so cryptic?

Social media is the backbone of my business, but in the past three years since I have been really active on Facebook and Twitter (let’s not even mention Pinterest, Instagram and Goodreads) it has changed as much as Indie Publishing has, consuming hours and hours of my productive days to where I can no longer manage it all with an effective use of my time. I have tried, and yet, feel like I’m treading water wearing a suit of armor. I used to spend more hours writing than I spent on social media. Not anymore. I…socialize a lot, and if I’m honest, too much. Visiting my fan page and book discussion groups, sharing any book-related or signing-event news, posting stupid pictures that make me laugh, sharing book releases for author friends and acquaintances, while knowing full well it would take an apocalyptic event to ensure me some reading time of someone else’s book for enjoyment. Too much socializing I fear. I do all of that socializing and get stressed about word counts and writing deadlines, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it just isn’t very fun, and no way to live my life.

Don’t panic and think I am deleting my accounts on Facebook and Twitter because I won’t be. I need them to do business, but I don’t need them to be happy and live my life or to write new books. I wrote three books before I ever had a Facebook account, and I miss that innocent time very much. I wish I could go back to it, but I know I can’t. Real life doesn’t work that way. It is hard work all of the time and you do it because you love it, and cannot imagine doing anything else. Writing was my escape and entertainment when nobody much knew who I was or that I had even published a book. I want to find that feeling again.

Another example is how much I enjoy traveling to meet fans and new readers. I love visiting new places and talking about my books to people who want to meet me. I love seeing my peers and catching up with them. I just got back from the RT Convention in New Orleans and had a very wonderful and productive trip. I love traveling…BUT…I love my family more. I’d rather be at home with them and writing new books for my fans to enjoy, than trying to absorb the miasma of whatever is trending on social media. And let’s face it, a lot of that miasma is drama-laced tabs on who is doing what, and to whom, and whatever. Mostly just useless crap that didn’t enrich my life even a tiny bit while I was looking at it. Trust me, at my age, I need things that will enrich my life. LOL

I’ll still be checking in on my pages at least once a day, you’ll still see posts from me that relate to my books, and I’m sure I’ll still share a funny when something crosses my path that gives me a kick, but mostly I will be getting back to the basics of where I started with this whole writer thing. Less Social Media = More Books From Raine pretty much sums everything up.

If you want to keep up with what is going on in Raine Miller World you can do that in a few ways. I am soooo blessed to have the help of some wonderful people who pimp the hell out of my stuff and keep me organized. They know who they are and how much I love them.

1) Sign up for my NEWSLETTER <– here. I promise you won’t be inundated with postings. I will only send one when I have a new book or link for pre-order or purchase. Think no more than once every OTHER month.

2) Sign up for this BLOG by filling out the form on the right sidebar –> ALL POSTS BY EMAIL. Anything important will always be posted to my blog on a monthly basis.

3) Join the Raine Miller Romance Readers group on Facebook for daily fan fun and news, plus read-a-longs of my books. The amazing ladies who run it know everything that is going on with me and my books and can probably answer any question you might have.

4) Follow me on Twitter @Raine_Miller and on Goodreads. Everything important gets posted there too, now that I have figured them out. *You should know it wasn’t at all easy for this old woman to figure out* 😛

5) Use the CONTACT button for email if you want to message me. I will always reply. Or snail mail. If you want to send me your books to be signed, I have a PO Box listed for mailing to me. I will sign your books and pay the postage for return. I’ll even throw in some swag because I thank you for reading and loving my books. You can also buy signed books directly from me using the SIGNED BOOKS tab if you want something and are not able to attend a signing event in person.

To quote a simple, but happy man:

“And that’s all I have to say about that.”

-Forrest Gump

Blessings, et al

xxoo R

Baby is Born!

February 28, 2014 by Raine Miller 10 Comments

Good morning!

And on that note…

PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT SPOIL THE SURPRISE OF BABY BLACKSTONE IN YOUR REVIEW OR COMMENTS.

(this request is made with tremendous love and respect, but I am dead serious–picture an Ethan Blackstone hard stare as you read this)

Here is a beautiful video made by The Book Avenue of the top ten moments for you to enjoy. Thank you, Cris!!!

Top Ten Moments from Rare and Precious Things

I am happy to deliver Rare and Precious Things to the world today. This is the fourth book in The Blackstone Affair series. Is it the final book for Ethan and Brynne? For now it is. Will I write any more books about them? It’s possible, but not in the foreseeable future. My plans are to move on to some of the other characters that have been introduced along the way. Ivan and Gaby need to have their story told next. Those two are always getting “lost” together, and it’s time for people to know what’s going on there.

I’ve also introduced a new character in this book that will be getting a whole series–Dillon Carrington–so watch out for news on him. There is a ‘dark horse’ in the book, who may, in time, get a book, too. The jury is still out on him, but let’s just say that his story has been swirling around in my head since I penned Naked over a year ago. You will know who I am talking about when you read. And then, there is still Neil and Elaina, from Cherry Girl, who have some things to be resolved in their future, plus her brother, Ian Morrison, will get his story told eventually. So, as you can see, I have my work cut out for me.

Some questions people have been asking:

1) Will Rare and Precious Things be produced in audio? Yes. I am working on an audio version with my agency for production. It won’t be tomorrow, but hopefully in a month or so.

2) When will the book be on Kobo? That’s a very good question, and I cannot say for sure. Their time frame is stalled at the moment. We must be patient.

3) When will it be translated into Spanish? I am working on trying to get a translation rights deal done with Spain for Rare and Precious Things and Cherry Girl. When I have a definite on that, I will share. The good news is, once we have agreed upon the translation, it doesn’t take too long for the book to be translated. About one month.

4) What about paperbacks from other vendors besides Amazon? The orders have been placed, but a wider distribution will take a few weeks to be showing up on sites like Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.

Love to all, and blessings upon you and yours.

xxoo R

Smoke and Mirrors~

February 20, 2014 by Raine Miller 15 Comments

“My wife will never agree,” I told him, picturing how I’d left her in bed after crying herself to sleep. Drained and exhausted, and very emotional from the argument with her mother. That insensitive cow was on my last nerve too. I stubbed out my ciggie and lit another.

“Make her agree, Blackstone.”

“I know you care for nothing but the success of your campaign, Senator, not even what’s happened to your son, but I don’t give a maiden queen’s first fuck about your politics, or your rapist son.”

I’d give Oakley points for laying it all out on the line. He wasted nothing on words. Just went straight to the issue in that tonal American accent of his that seemed almost devoid of humanity. “Don’t you think it’s better to be a couple of indiscreet teenagers who had a lapse in judgment years ago, and who’ve put it firmly behind them, than to worry about extortion should their shameful secret be brought to light? If they are still friends, then no crime ever occurred. Simple insurance, Blackstone. I think you should care very much.”

As much as I hated to admit it, Oakley’s ‘insurance’ scheme was really very clever. But the cleverness of it wouldn’t help Brynne. It would hurt her. “I care about the welfare of my pregnant wife, who was made ill tonight by this whole shitstorm blowing up in media. And that, Senator, is not going to help you one iota. I can’t make her go and see him. She won’t do it.”

He responded with, “Within the week, please,” and cut the line. I stared at my mobile, sure the number he’d called from was already deactivated. The tingle of fear scratched its way down my spine. I lit another Djarum and filled my lungs. I didn’t know how to fix this problem, and it had grown exponentially in the matter of hours. The US presidential election was propelling this one. How in the goddamn shitting hell did one fight that monstrous beast?

So I got up and left my office. I went to sit outside on the balcony, where I started smoking in earnest. One ciggie after the other, until I was high from the pumping nicotine that fueled the addiction I couldn’t deny.

The smoke drifted away on the cool nighttime breeze in lazy, wafting swirls. I had a flash of longing that my problems could magically do the same. Wishful thinking. Real life never worked that way. My hand was being forced in this. Sometimes my experience with poker was a curse…because I knew the odds here. I could see when folding was the only option.

It wouldn’t help Brynne to bring her into Oakley’s circle, but I feared it was already too late for that.

***

Rare and Precious Things coming February 28th

#Blackstone4 on Twitter @Raine_Miller

***

xxoo R

« Previous Page