As I head into a day filled with psychotherapy clients, I decided to share a brief excerpt from Bad Behavior (The Conduct Series #2).
In an unconventional move, Sophie and Grant’s parole officer ordered the naughty parolees into couples counseling sessions with psychologist Dr. Hunter Hayes. Here, they process a lovers’ spat after Sophie falsely accused Grant of betraying her:
Tag: The Conduct Series
BLURBS!
Why do authors complain about writing summaries of their novels for the book jacket?
Because it’s TOUGH. Waaaah!
A good blurb captures the voice of the novel. It entices the reader without giving too much away.
We’re starting to edit my fourth novel On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3), and we need the book blurb for a press release.
Here was my first effort at writing the blurb:
The good news is that blurb writing does get easier with practice. The bad news is that this blurb felt disjointed. So I turned to my trusty editor Jessica Royer Ocken for help. Her first suggestion was to eliminate the clause represented by **** because it gave too much away. Whoops!
Here is what Jessica came up with, which I like much better:

Happy Times
Happy March to you! It’s still cold in Ohio, but I’m hoping the spring thaw happens soon. I planted some bulbs in the front of my condo last fall and I’m curious if they’ll appear. (My thumb isn’t exactly green.)
Now to share a few happy events in my writing career:
1) I’m under contract for my fourth novel with Omnific Publishing! On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3) will be the third and final novel in my romantic suspense trilogy, which tracks the journey of two ex-cons falling in love and running from the Mafia. It feels wonderful to finish a series.
I can almost visualize the cover for On Best Behavior, and I can’t wait to see what my publisher creates. If you want to add On Best Behavior to your Goodreads TBR shelf, go HERE.
2) I’ll be a featured author at the New Adult Sleepover Weekend. One of my sisters lives near Hilton Head, so the Savannah, Georgia location is perfect for me.
This gathering of authors and readers will take place 12/6/13, hosted by Stella Price and Damaris from Good Choice Reading. Check HERE for more info.
I look forward to discussing my mature YA/NA novel Streamline with readers.
3) Streamline‘s turning one year old. Stay tuned next week for the Book Birthday Bash, with over 20 blogs signed up March 25-29. Details are HERE.
Finally, I meet with my tax preparer today. Gathering bundles of paperwork crap isn’t so happy, but getting a return will be! Have you done your taxes yet?
Follower Love Giveaway Hop
I looooove my followers! To celebrate YOU, I’m jumping on the Follower Love Giveaway Hop, hosted by the illustrious Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Nicole at The Reader’s Antidote.
Want an iTunes gift card or a Jennifer Lane ebook of your choice? Just enter using the Rafflecopter form.
a Rafflecopter giveawayShow some love to these participating blogs!
Seriously Series Reading Challenge
Bad Boy Rehab Hop Giveaway
Bad Boy Rehab Hop
We tried giving up Bad Boys for our New Year’s Resolution…..
but try to make me go to rehab and I said no no no.
Bad Boy (n.) person1. A guy who has many characteristics of a naughty, naughty boy.OMG let the drooling begin.2. A heartbreaker with a five o’clock shadow.Rawrrrrrr!3. Independent and willful. Does what he wants when he wants. Never follow trends, they follow him.4. Someone that’s not looking for trouble, but there’s a serious sense of danger about him.We love danger!Usable Note: A bad boy is a gorgeous man with MANY layers and is INSANELY irresistible to women.
*raises hands*… YES PLEASE!
Best of 2012 Giveaway
Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer blog is at it again hosting another awesome giveaway…
Because I write both YA and adult books, I’ve chosen my favorite from each genre.
Favorite YA Book: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Any book that makes me cry is A-OK with me, and this book elicited so many tears!
Here’s my REVIEW of Pushing the Limits.
Favorite Adult Book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The twists in this thriller are jaw-dropping. I love how Gillian Flynn manipulates the reader.
Here’s my REVIEW of Gone Girl.
To enter, simply complete the Rafflecopter form. Hop over to all participating blogs!
Look! The Next Best Thing!
Author Darcia Helle sure is creating a lot of work for me on the blog. 😉 First she tagged me for The Next Best Thing Blog Challenge. Then she tagged me AGAIN for the U Got the Look Blog Challenge.
Both challenges involve my work-in-progress On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3).
Author Gail Baugniet started The Next Best Thing HERE. The rules are:
Answer 10 questions about my current WIP (Work-In-Progress)
What is the working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I decided to follow Gail by posting my answer to one question a week, with the hope of finishing the manuscript in ten weeks.
Sadly the past two weeks have been epic FAIL for me and I’ve forgotten to post my answers among all the giveaways I’ve been hosting. (And another giveaway starts tomorrow–stay tuned). So, I’m answering three questions today to catch up.
4) Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Actor Wentworth Miller is my absolute celebrity crush–he’s an easy pick to play Grant Madsen. I can’t remember this actress’s name but I can totally see her as Sophie Taylor.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Planning a wedding is never easy, especially when the Russian Mafia want you dead.
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Neither–it will be published (I hope!) by Omnific Publishing, a small publisher I lurve.
And now onto U Got the Look!
The Look is a writing prompt, a game, another tagging event. This is how U Got “The Look” works: you take your current manuscript, search for the word “look”, and post the surrounding paragraphs. Lastly, you tag 5 blogging authors who you think will be a good choice for the game.
(I use the word “look” approximately 20,000 times in each manuscript so this should be no problem.)
And now I tag 5 author friends to get the “look”. No worries if you’ve already participated.
And finally, please join us on the Omnific Publishing Author, Author Blog Bounce! Instructions are HERE.