Life blood

Finally I've begun writing my fourth Oregon historical although there will be more research to enrich the details. Every time I start a new book I feel the excitement of a new adventure about to begin-- vicariously, of course. For me, writing is fun-- marketing,  not so much. One gives life blood. The other sucks it out. They both are part of the process.

What I plan regarding indie publishing those four historicals, which encompass the years 1852 to 1867 or '68 (depending on how the fourth goes) will depend a lot on how the two Arizona historical books do-- because if my books are going to disappear into Amazon's black hole, why bother putting them out that way? I don't want to submit them to a publishing house. I like the control of indie publishing, lower prices for readers, but maybe I'll have to rethink that. I'll know better by January.

Marketing is really a lot of this game and marketing is where most writers are weakest-- not to mention where they don't have gifts. What they need is someone with marketing skills to promote their work-- unfortunately that costs a lot of money or requires going through a corporation; so indie writers, like myself, are learning as we go with things like Twitter (which I am still not sure of its value but I am growing it too).

So despite my really wanting to only think about the new book, the new characters, the new events, I just have to give Arizona Sunset another push to be sure that any possible reader has had a chance to see this book while it's still $3.99. October 1st or as close to that as Amazon can do it, it'll be $4.99. Always when buying a book at Amazon be sure the price you see is the price you want.

Arizona Sunset has gotten some nice reviews which if you are a writer or creative person, you know that means a lot. One that I especially liked didn't get onto Amazon but was on my Facebook Rain Trueax page and from a man.

"Just finished this book last evening. Enjoyed from cover to cover."

I've gotten a few of those reviews on other books from men, and I always smile when I see one. Why would I like a review from a man so much? Well because it's always assumed that men won't read romances. Since I consider my books hybrids, I see them as appealing to people who like good stories, with some action, and in the case of the historicals, a piece of what life was like in the past. I write about strong, powerful male characters so why wouldn't men like that. I don't use those catch phrases that have gotten so much humor for romance books. I won't mention the words here but you've probably heard the jokes and know them. Yes, I use emotional words when needed. So men don't feel emotions? You know they do; so long as the words aren't silly, I think men should like my adventure romances as much as any woman.

That said, this book got two other reviews that meant a lot to me.

 "I love a love story like Trueax's about finding freedom to engage in healthy pleasures. Pleasures forbidden were many for a stifled proper lady, Abigail, in Arizona territory 1883. Even more stifled, Sam, believed he was shackled for life as an outlaw gun man not worthy of a lady. I took pleasure to see the changes in these two. During my first reading, I skipped the sexual parts but by the second time around I could enjoy them because of how healthy sex was in gluing their unlikely relationship which allowed them to live to their fullest."

"I loved the interaction between Sam and Abigail. Sam felt he was nowhere near the type of man she deserved but Abigail saw past his faults and knew he was the one she wanted for life. This is a story of redemption, second chances, belief and true love.A beautiful story that will capture you from the beginning and not let go until the end"

To me, Arizona Sunset is the story of a woman who is trapped by her life, who meets a man traveling a road of destruction. Together they might create something new, but the road ahead is rocky as they must fight for the life they want across the dangerous and beautiful terrain of Southern Arizona. Often what we think we want has some catches attached, and it's what this hero and heroine come up against. Expectations lead to both having to do some rethinking on what they want. A snippet:

      Then she heard the loud voices from around the shed. "Boss, there's dust in the air. Buck says a bunch of riders coming this way."

     He cursed. "How far off?"

     "Maybe seven miles northwest. Buck saw 'em looking for sign, but it won't take them long to find ours if we’re what they’re looking for."

     "All right." He looked down at her with regret in his eyes.  “Well, lady, looks like this is it.”

     “Leave us here. We can ask those men to help us get to Tucson.”

     His smile was cynical. “You think you’d be safer with them?”

     “I don’t know who they are. Do you?”

     “There is no posse coming after you, is there?”

     She shook her head. “No.” Her father wouldn’t miss her until the morning, if then depending on what Priscilla told him.

     “Then out here no big bunch of riders is safe for us or you.”

     “What are you going to do with us?”

     A heavy-set man came around the cabin; he looked at Abigail then the man he called boss. "Shall I kill these two?" he asked. “They seen us here-- too near that dead man.”

     The tall man looked down at her, and Abigail realized how easy it would be for him to order their deaths. No one would know.

     Without looking at the big man who'd just offered to commit murder, the man she now knew was Sam said, "Get ready to ride. I'll meet you out front."

     "What about the mail bags?" she asked, hoping she could deflect his plans away from murder.

     "That what your friend had buried there?" he asked.

     She nodded. "We offered a reward for them. I know you didn't steal them." She knew no such thing, but she decided she had to play a game here, a game for hers and Martin's lives. "You could have the reward if you restore them... To this point, you've done nothing wrong."

     "You are green to the way of things."

     She tried again. "We won’t say anything about having seen you." He appeared undecided. She sucked in a breath. “Take us with you then.”

     "Oh that’d be smart.” He chuckled.

Arizona Sunset available for eBook or paperback

So onward and upward as I begin to flesh out the Oregon story with a new hero and heroine who are interesting me a lot. I began putting together some images today from scenery and characters. The story is set in John Day country where I hope to spend some time again soon.