Book review: Midnight Sun, by MJ Fredrick

I tried this book because, well... it's by an author on my roster and I love her stuff. Plus, it was a good deal, and I'll admit to a smidgen of curiosity because she'd self-pubbed it. (We've all heard the really bad reports about self-pubbed books that are a total trainwreck, but I had faith in her.) So here's my review:

Ever do something one night, and regret it the next day?

From the moment Marcus wakes up to find Brylie gone, he misses her. And from the moment later in the day when Brylie discovers hottie Marcus--her hook-up from the night before--is actually her boss, she knows this voyage is going to be trouble. Brylie’s got more reason than “office politics” to be wary of a relationship with a silver-spooned snowboarder who has the power to fire her from her job as head chef aboard a tourist ship to Antarctica. When Marcus’s family sent him cruising on one of their ships to keep him out of trouble, they had no idea the danger they’d sentenced him to—or that their “bad boy” would end up a hero.

Cruise ships and conflict, pirates and private pasts, tension and tempestuous seas… MJ Fredrick grabs with an action-packed plot, relatable characters, sizzling hot romance, and plenty of suspense--proof positive that “self published” is not synonymous with shoddy fiction.

I rate this book a Get Your Own Copy! A book you love so much, no way are you loaning it out. Worthy of high praise and frequent recommendations – but trust us, if you let someone borrow this one, they’ll “forget” to return it. Don’t miss the next title by this author.

Piper Denna

Romance is sexy!

Good outlook, and... cowardly authors?

Yet another news article detailing the explosion in ereading since 2008--this one brought on by info from the techno-makers behind eInk displays. Good news.

Which goes on to discuss ebooks, ebooks conquering paperbacks on Amazon, another self-pubbed author hitting it big (1 million Kindle copies) on Amazon, and the inevitable... ebook pricing.

Oh, and let us not forget, we've got yet another best-selling author who has apparently relied upon a somewhat gutless agent for eons and believes authors' hands are tied by this newfangled ebook business because publishers just don't want to pay authors properly for their hard work. Pardon me, but there's this document called a contract... unless somebody's holding la pistola to your head or has tied a fair maiden to parallel iron tracks with an attached locomotive barreling straight for her, you don't have to sign it (even if the handle-bar mustached agent tells you to). You're legally free to find one someplace else, where they will pay you properly. Heck, here's an idea. Why not search out some small press whose entire year(existence?) you'd like to make, sign with them (for a whopping huge percentage compared to what you're used to), and use your significant fan base to sell your next book? You don't need no stinking big publisher. People buy your books because your name is on them--not because of that publisher logo on the cover. Grow some business cajones and go for it. You'll be able to stand much taller in your boots, knowing you stood up for yourself and took charge of your business, rather than... whatever it is you're doing now.

I predict about the time each of our friendly large publishers lose a couple of their "star" authors who've set out on their own, said large publishers will begin offering much better terms on electronic royalties. Or is that just wild thinking?

Piper Denna

Romance is sexy!

New release--Sea's Sorceress

I'm pleased to announce the release of Sea's Sorceress, #4 in the Elemental Magic series by Brynna Curry. It's 30% off this week at the Lyrical Press bookstore, for just $2.45.

It's a fast read, about best friends whose relationship grows a bit deeper, family values, and a bit of Irish magic. (and I've been waiting 3 books to see Skye get his happily ever after)

Only 1 more book in this series, and then I'll be a bit lost. Brynna'd better come up with something else for me to edit!

Piper Denna

Romance is sexy!

On editing

I've been interviewed by Naughty Nights Press on the subject of editing. (this month they've also interviewed cover artists and other editors) Lots of info on the down-and-dirty work of editing.

(there's a content warning, and it's because of a few racey photos at the top of the blog, but not anything in my interview)

Piper Denna

Romance is sexy!

Wonder if they saw that coming?

Apple and 5 of the Big 6 publishers are being sued for illegal price fixing via the agency model.

Hmm.

You can read all about it here... an Apple Insider article

Or, at the other end of the spectrum and laid out in more crisp black and white, a Windows IT article. I rather enjoyed this article more--especially the quote from Steve Jobs "Apple CEO Steve Jobs infamously dissed ebooks two years before releasing iBooks, claiming, "The fact is that people don't read anymore. The whole conception is flawed at the top."

Heh. Although I'm sure Jobs is man enough to admit he was wrong, it is funny to see how wrong so many bigwigs were about ebooks.

Meanwhile...Both articles say ebook sales have jumped 1274% since 2008, which is a much more feasible figure than that 39% in the article I cited in Wednesday's post, about ebooks saving the publishing biz. I still have no freaking idea where that number came from.

In yet another article, this one on the site belonging to the law firm representing the plaintiffs,

we discover that anyone who has purchased an ebook by one of the big 6, since the agency model was adopted (basically since iPad released). The site even has a link to register as potential plaintiff. Which makes it very easy and also makes me wonder if this isn't The Case this firm is hoping for to make their name. And yet... I really don't think it's okay for those big publishers to have told Amazon what price they could sell their books for--and if Amazon didn't comply, they pulled the books. Hello? Amazon is largely responsible for making ebooks what they are now. Go anyplace and listen to somebody mention ebook readers--somebody will invariably say, "You mean a Kindle?" On our flights last month, when the attendants asked everyone to power off electronic devices, they'd say, "This includes Kindle book readers." Kindle is the Kleenex (Band-Aid) of ereaders. For those publishers to waltz in and take advantage of Amazon's much-earned success in ebooks by saying, "Whoa. Now this is the new craze. We're going to make more money on it, and you're going to charge that money for us"... is not okay. Do filmmakers get to tell theaters how much they'll charge per ticket for people to see their movies? Digitally downloaded songs and CDs are usually cheaper than buying the actual CD, and we don't see music artists bitching that they are losing money. In fact, the music business has realized their products move like hotcakes now--with different types of distribution costs, and yet, artists and producers are still making money, and consumers are still consuming.

Piper Denna

Romance is sexy!