Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Jan Romes - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Author Jan Romes. She writes Romance fiction novels. She is a member of Romance Writers of America.

Author Genre: Romance, Humor

Website: Jan Romes - There's a writer in all of us …
Author's Blog: Jan's Blog
Twitter: @JanRomes
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


Author Description: Jan Romes grew up in northwest Ohio with eight zany siblings. Married to her high school sweetheart for more years than seems possible, she is also a proud mom, mother-in-law, and grandmother. She likes to read all genres, writes witty contemporary romance, is a part-time fitness trainer, and enjoys growing pumpkins and sunflowers.





SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Let’s start with what’s next. Do you have another book on the horizon? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

Yes, I’m happy to announce that I have another book in the making. It’s tentatively titled, A Little Imperfection. I’ve completed the rough (very rough) draft. Now I will go back and have fun adding details and editing.

I don’t have a timeline on the release, but I’m hoping early to late spring.

Teaser:

Fashion designer, Libby Griffin is quirky, vivacious, and has just been fired from her job with little to no explanation as to why. To make matters worse, she also receives bad news about something near and dear to her heart. She’s had the week from hell. Devastated, Libby rents a cabin on Grand Lake St. Mary’s hoping to shut out the world for the winter to regroup and hopefully design a clothing collection that will make the fashion world drool. And then she meets Max.

Recently divorced author, Maxwell August, has a book due in two months and his muse has gone on hiatus; either that, or his ex got it in the divorce settlement. A friend suggests he hole-up in a cabin to forget about his failed marriage and to cure his writers block so he can meet his deadline. Max has a chip on his shoulder, is in stuck-mode with his writing, and suddenly has a neighbor who’s determined to get chummy.

Will these two creative misfits act on the chemistry zinging between them? Or will they kill each other before spring arrives?

You have a great following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been to your writing success?

Social media has been a god-send. I’ve met some great people who make me laugh, inspire me, share their knowledge, and have taken a chance on my books. Without those folks, I would still be an unknown writer from Ohio.

Do you do book signing, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when is your next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?

I’ve not done a book signing as of yet, but I am scheduled to be a speaker at a local mother’s club in March. My readers can find me and my books at: www.janromes.com .

You have great covers. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

Thank you for the compliment, James! I love each of my book covers. For my four traditionally published books, I gave a basic idea to the publisher, so they allowed me some input. On my three self-published books, I had a lot of input. I could picture what I wanted and conveyed that to the awesome woman who formatted my books and designed the covers. I haven’t gotten my readers involved in the cover creation yet, but I know authors who have for theirs.

Have you created a book trailer for any of your books to promote your books online?

I may be the last hold-out when it comes to book trailers. I’m still trying to figure how out how much it adds to a books success. I’m not only a writer, but a reader, and I can’t say that viewing a books’ trailer has prompted me to buy the book.

You belong to the Romance Writers of America and IAN writer's groups. What other support groups do you belong too? Do they help with writing, marketing and the publishing process?

I’m also on several Yahoo writing loops. We share experiences, problems, promotional ideas, and etc.

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in other types of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

I’ve only had one free promotion with Amazon KDP Select. I ran it for five days. The results were better than I would have anticipated. And my sales jumped for a while afterward. I have given away copies of eBooks as prizes for commenting on my blog.

My main goal for doing this is so readers can sample my work. If they like the book, they will probably want to read the rest of my work. Luckily, I’ve not run into any obstacles.

Have you ever done a book tour before? Along with that, when do you start the marketing process for a new book? Give a brief outline of the steps you go through to get your book to market.

I’ve not done a book tour. Marketing ahead of time is always a good idea. I like to let folks know about my current work-in-progress. When I get my cover art back from the designer, I can’t wait to share the joy. And by the time my books are released, most people on Twitter or Facebook have some idea it’s coming.

A brief outline…hmm…

1. Writing the story.
2. Editing.
3. Editing.
4. Editing.
5. Sharing the cover art on Twitter, Facebook, and my blog.
6. Summarizing the story in a couple of paragraphs.
7. Choosing a suitable excerpt for the retail sites and for use on my blog.
8. When the book is released, shout for joy! Via Twitter, Facebook, my blog, and word of mouth.


Do you publish your books in other languages?

My book, One Small Fib (with The Wild Rose Press) was recently contracted to be translated into Greek and sold in Greece.

In November, (2012) you published the ‘Three Wise Men’ with Laura Ricker and Nancy Ricker as co-authors. Your blurb says you ended up with three unique stories told by three unique writing voices. What was that experience like working on a project with three different points of view?

I loved doing the Christmas anthology with Laura and Nancy. It was an experience that I will cherish forever. Since each story is unique and stands alone, it was exciting to see the stories develop. And I have to say, while editing Nancy’s story in particular, I went through quite a few tissues.


Author's Book List
Three Wise Men
Three Wise Men - A Christmas Anthology! Meet Alex, Nick, and Evan - incredible men who need to wise up to find love!

Alex is a hero right off the bat but his story contains a surprise that will have you grabbing a box of tissues. Nick is an unlikely hero; not so loveable at first but he redeems himself to get his happily-ever-after. And Evan is a likeable hero that you grow to love despite the mistakes he makes along the way.

Warm your heart this Christmas with three wise men!

(Three unique stories told by three unique writing voices - enjoy!)
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Three Days With Molly
Finn Riley is a hard-working country-rock star whose less-than-meager upbringing turned him into a guarded, self-proclaimed heartless bastard. He's about to embark on a summer concert tour and is in need of a personal assistant.

Molly Williams is a stressed-out, over-worked aide to a divorce lawyer. She's dealt with people suffering from heartache and irreconcilable differences for so long that she thinks all relationships are doomed. When her boss takes a sudden leave of absence, she's gifted with three-months to do whatever she wants. A friend talks her into stumping as Finn's assistant.

Can two work-aholics with trust issues lighten up long enough to follow their hearts? Or will they kill each other before the tour is over?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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The Gift of Gray
Alexis Kelly will do anything for her best friends - even work as a masseue at their weekend matchmaking ranch. Besides, she needs the cash and a distraction from the mistakes she made in the name of self-preservation.

Gray Patterson is a grouchy advertising executive with perfectionist tendencies. He's tired of going home to an empty apartment but has little time to date, so he shucks convention in search of a soul mate. The second Alexis and Gray meet, their personalities collide, but there are also some amazing sparks. Over the course of the weekend, they dodge the convoluted attraction until it begs to be acknowledged. Their relationship takes a major hit when another client reveals Alexis's haunting baggage.

Will chemistry and a peek at love be enough to repair the damage?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Kiss Me
Running late for her spoiled stepsister’s bachelorette party, Lacy Goodlow is forced to speed—snagging a hefty traffic ticket and the interest of Officer Jared Kelly. Their paths collide again in the middle of the bachelorette party when Lacy plays an embarrassing game of Fact or Fun and she hands him a napkin that simply says Kiss Me. A full-blown attraction takes off, but so does conflict once it’s revealed that Jared and Lacy’s stepsister, Angela, had a tumultuous fling and she still claims territorial rights.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Smashwords
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One Small Fib
Millionaire's Club Allie Blue's dream of buying the old Smithington mansion and turning it into a bed and breakfast is stomped by a mystery real estate developer with a fancy pen and loaded checkbook. With no bed and breakfast, Allie resorts to one small fib which lands her a flight attendant's job and the task of pampering Upward Airlines' most demanding frequent flyer -- Kiptyn Thomas, III. Something raw and potent snaps between them, but Allie fights the attraction for the guy who thinks he's at the top of the food chain. Kiptyn Thomas is used to getting what he wants, when he wants it. Allie Blue both annoys and intrigues him. Will some well-intentioned fibs, a deep dark secret, and similar personalities draw them together or keep them apart?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Stay Close, Novac!
Jessi Novac leads the quiet life of a romance author until someone leaves a series of explicit notes under her windshield wipers and heavy breathing on her answering machine.

Until NYPD can track down the culprit who's trying to scare the bejesus out of her, Jessi hides out at her grandmother's beach house in Myrtle Beach where she hopes to get her bearings. Instead, her life takes an even bigger tilt toward crazy when she meets her clumsy neighbor. She's suspicious of Ian Alexander, and attracted to him at the same time. Their relationship becomes a calamity of errors until strange things start happening at the beach house. Jessi clings to Ian for protection, but soon discovers her heart may be in more danger than her life.
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Buy Page: Amazon
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner. Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

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