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Saturday, September 28, 2013

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.





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.

12 comments:

Mark said...

You're an inspiration. I have been thinking of writing for a long, long time. I have several novels floating around in my head, wanting to be written. Maybe soon.

Rain Trueax said...

Well get started, Mark. You'd be surprised how starting to write begins to get the ideas flowing for new directions and interesting additions. I always have control of where my story is going to end up but the road there can be a lot of fun. :) I try to use Rain Trueax blog for promoting writing as well as my own books. I have had some guest authors there and will be doing more of that in the future.

Celia said...

Love the John Day country. You are so right about the love of creating and the pain of the marketing. At one point in my life I made stained glass windows for residences, mostly by commission. Getting out and selling my craft was a struggle compared to the making of them. I got better at it but I never liked it.

Rain Trueax said...

One good thing about writing is you can do it and it doesn't clog up your house. I've painted and sculpted and both end up with physical issues if you don't sell your work. Writing you can do and build it up as I've done for years. I can enjoy creating a new story whether it will ever see the light of day and all it's on will be jump drives, CDs and the computer. Better than the days when I had to type them and have boxes from those years that I should burn ;)

I am very high on the wonder of writing, creating, and improving skills as you go. The more I write novels, the better I have gotten at it and i bet there's no end to that. Writing leads to more ideas for writing plus some very cool dreams.

Rain Trueax said...

It looks like the federal government will be shutting down Yellowstone which was our original destination with reservations at Old Faithful Inn. They say they'll close the roads in which means either Xanterra will offer refunds or try to talk people into taking in buses if the feds even allow that. A lot of people want to see the gov't shut down, not sure of the logic behind that but it looks like the Cruz faction is running the Republican party for now :( He's their hero and closing parks will be the least of it

Mark said...

My wife and I have been planning a trip to Colorado and Utah, and it looks like the parks (Arches, Canyonlands) we were going to may be closed.

Rain Trueax said...

They would be in the beginning of the month from the sounds of the right wing agenda. Obama cannot yield to their blackmail on the insurance issue; so pretty much it guarantees they'll shut it all down but it depends on how late in the month you will be there as they will work it out... you'd think. They are so enamored of Cruz that he seems to dictating to the right wing but it won't last. If it does, the House will be back in control of Democrats in December 2014. When you want to govern, you have to govern, not just destroy.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

So happy it is available in Paperback! Just ordered it from Amazon...! It's great to read what that man said about your book, and to know that this can have a truly wide audience....Much Good Luck, My Dear Rain....

Rain Trueax said...

Thank you and hope you enjoy it, Naomi. :)

Hattie said...

I love that country and am happy you are writing about it.

Ashleigh Burroughs said...

You are a brave and talented woman and a (scary) inspiration to me to DO IT.
a/b

Rain Trueax said...

Writing isn't the problem. It's marketing that is ;)