"I would love to win in the new blanket giveaway. First, that blanket would match my mug, but, second and more importantly, you are still my favorite m/m romance author. Although Rough Canvas is still holding as my favorite, Vampire's Soul is running a close second. Well, maybe third after Divine Solace, or fourth after Vampire Trinity. And let's not forget Natural Law or... Oh, hell, your books are great, and I want a bound man on my bed..."
--Dolly (Reader Email)
Yes, Dolly is the winner of my Natural Law blanket giveaway!! Her entry email was so entertaining, I thought you all would enjoy reading it as much as I did. I wish I could have given all of you a blanket, because I know just how lucky I am to have readers like you.
Because many of you asked me about this, the blanket was obtained from Snapfish. Though I'm sure I'll be giving away another blanket in the future, they're structured for personal purchases, not commercial sales, so I won't be selling the blankets. However, if you keep an eye on their site, they run frequent, really good sales. When the blanket you want qualifies, all you have to do is set up your favorite book cover in the template and presto, you can have a blanket of Mac as well (or whichever cover you like best).
Mac's blanket was the "arctic fleece" (a little more smooth/like velour), while the Vampire Trinity one I gave away on FB a month or so ago was the "plush" version (more fuzzy/silky). If you need to know how to get a good resolution copy of one of my covers for this, just contact me via email, FB, Twitter, etc. Thank you everyone who entered the contest!!
Ever since I read my first love story, I have been enchanted, fascinated, mystified and enthralled by the many ways love is expressed. To me, Valentine's Day is about that, more than one specific type of love. I'm sure many of us made valentines for our mothers when we were little. Valentines can be given to a favorite teacher, a neighbor, a pet (heart-shaped dog cookies, of course). I hope however you celebrate it this year, that the holiday will give you warm feelings to carry you through the month of February. PS - Any holiday where chocolate plays a central role works for me!
In looking over past goodies I have offered for Valentine's Day, I found a nostalgia short from February 2014 I thought you all would enjoy revisiting (or reading for the first time). Back then, SubClub Books ran a feature where authors submitted Valentine's Day letters their favorite book characters wrote to one another. My submission was to Marcie from Ben, the characters from Hostile Takeover. Want to read it again? Click here for the BookFunnel link so you can read it in whatever format you prefer.
So, just a reminder from last month. I'm working on TWO books for you all, and aiming for a Summer 2020 release on both. If I stay on track, one is very likely going to happen mid-June, while the other one will happen sometime in August or early September. By late March/early April, I should be able to confirm those dates for certain, and possibly have at least one of them up for pre-order. Sound good? Want a refresher on what the two books are about?
AT HER COMMAND - For my FemDomme/male sub fans, let me introduce you to Rosalinda Thomas, whose book, At Her Command, will launch a spin-off series in our popular Knights of the Board Room series world. The Mistresses of the Board Room work at a marketing firm, Thomas Rose Associates, and the company is of course in New Orleans. The first chapter includes appearances by Matt Kensington of Board Resolution and Dale Rousseau of Unrestrained. Why Dale? Because our hero is Lawrence, a Navy SEAL who served on one of Dale's teams. For the Chapter One peek, click this BookFunnel link so you can download it to your preferred device. Or you can visit my website book page and read it there. I think you'll like Ros. I sure did, and I've only spent Chapter One with her so far. I already liked Lawrence, from his short appearances in Unrestrained and Willing Sacrifice. Here's a little teaser I did on the Facebook page earlier this month:
IN HIS ARMS - How about for my readers who love their MaleDom/female sub stories? I have good news on that front, with two characters who have waited a LONG time to get their story told. And the best part is we get to go back to the Nature of Desire series world, where we haven't been for awhile. Rory and Daralyn first appeared in Rough Canvas, and we saw a bit more of them in the free Marcus/Thomas vignette, First Christmas. Here's their blurb, cover and Chapter One peek, again for easy download on BookFunnel, or you can read it directly on their webpage on my site. And below is the Facebook banner I used to introduce the characters.
If I get these done when I expect in 2020, I'll get started on a new Vampire Queen series book well before the end of the year. A December/January release is not out of the question. And then "maybe" we'll see about writing Ramona and Silas's book in 2021. Ramona is the witch who is still waiting for her story, to complete the Arcane Shot series trilogy.
A writer is always looking for ideas, and we get them from all sorts of places. Especially when we're trying to think up ideas for blog posts, lol. I'm not a football person, but Super Bowl Sunday always calls to mind some particular childhood memories, which led to the subject of my latest GoodReads blog. Want to know how readers can become "memory tourists?" You can check it out here.
This past month has been about the never-ending exploration of marketing paths to seek new readers. I had a very interesting hour-long consult with an expert on taking books-to-film, because one of the things I'm focusing on at the moment is selling what we call subsidiary rights--foreign translation, movie, audio rights, etc. Since I love movies, I've been looking at doing an outline or actual draft screenplay of one of my stories to market in that arena. Not because I am trying to be a fabulous screenwriter (which, like being a good fiction writer, takes years), but because it helps the powers-that-be in film if you can give them a rough draft of how the scenes could unfold. After watching the Netflix episode of The Movies That Made Us about Dirty Dancing (a personal favorite of mine), I find it miraculous that any worthwhile story ever gets made into a movie, but apparently the creative gods sometimes make it happen (grin).
I've also continued to catch up on my reading. I don't do a lot of fiction reading, but thanks to a good friend, I'm reading Just One Thing by Rick Hansen. It's about how to develop a "buddha brain" to help you relax and be kind to yourself. Easy daily devotion kind of stuff, including advice that applies to obsessive, driven workaholics. Not that I know any of those (*whistling, looking away from that mirror VERY deliberately*). I'm also reading Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur (very awesome). If you're interested, you can check my profile and reading list at GoodReads to see what I'm reading, follow my blog etc.
In addition to the July SASS conference I'm attending in Norfolk July 9-12, I'll also be at Frolicon, which happens in Atlanta, GA April 30-May 3, for their "Ink Track." While that track does focus on authors who write the kinds of things I write, Frolicon isn't an author-reader conference, per se. It's more like a light-hearted conference celebrating sexuality and educating others about many different aspects of it, including BDSM. Here's their official "about us" statement:
Frolicon is the unique juxtaposition of the geek and kink worlds celebrated in glorious fashion in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Each Spring we celebrate our unique sense of fun and frivolity with 2000 of our closest friends. What’s your poison? We’ve got it all. Kink. Gaming. Burlesque. Music. Costuming. Parties. Lots and lots of parties.
At Frolicon we pride ourselves on providing a safe and comfortable place where you can be you. With tracks of programming with focuses on LGBTQIA, erotica and sci-fi/fantasy authors, photography, dance, polyamory, psychology, and so much more, we are positive that you’ll find your happy place and maybe discover a few new ones. See you in the Spring!
So how could that NOT be tons of fun? This will be my first year attending, so I'll let you know more details as I have them. Hope you'll be able to join me for at least one of those events!
Don't forget, Controlled Response and Honor Bound, Books 2 and 3 of the Knights of the Board Room series, are now available on Audible! Last month I reported that these books are also offered through the Audible Escape program. My apologies (and thanks to the readers who let me know), but apparently there was some glitch on that with Audible. They are not available through that program at this time. I'm trying to resolve what the hold up is, but so far answers have been very slow in coming. I'll keep you posted when I hear news. Click on either of the titles above to go directly to the Audible listing for that book. Hope you enjoy the graphic below promo'ing the audio versions! You're welcome to share it with any readers who might be interested (same goes for any of my graphics).
Remember, you can find me online through my website email contact link (little envelope under Follow Me on the right side of home page) or email me directly at storywitch@storywitch.com. You can also leave a question for me under my Author Profile on GoodReads. I'm on Facebook under Joey W. Hill, and you can visit the JWHMembersOnly FB fan forum group here. I'm @JoeyWHill on Twitter, and my Pinterest boards related to the books are here.
I'd also love it if you followed me on Bookbub, Amazon or both, since that helps my books get increased visibility and recommendations on the site. And in return, you get heads up about releases and sales!
DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE? Responding to my readers, and doing so in a very timely manner (within 24-48 hours), is extremely important to me. So if you have sent a communication to me in any medium - direct email, FB, GoodReads or Twitter - and have not received a response, a technical glitch has occurred. Either your communication did not get through to me, or my response did not reach you. If you suspect that's the case, use one of the alternative communication methods to send me a "Hey, Joey, I sent you a note through email (or FB, or a tweet, etc). Did you get it?" message, and we'll make sure we sort it out. I will never intentionally ignore my readers!
Thank you so much for your support of my work!
While you can subscribe to the newsletter through my website, you may find your email host isn't letting it through, thanks to broad spam-blocking mechanisms that don't separate communications you've specifically requested to receive, from those you haven't. Regrettably, there's not a lot we can do on this side if the newsletter is hitting an email filter that is bouncing it without notifying either one of us.
However, if you think this is happening to you, and you've checked your allowed lists and done everything you can think of to get the email through, here are a couple other options:
Like my FB page or follow me on Twitter. Whenever I issue a newsletter, I will post the updated link to it on both of those, to make sure it reaches the widest number of people possible. Or...
Put https://storywitch.com/newsletter/?latest as one of your Favorite links. You can click on it anytime to see if a new newsletter has been released. I try to get a new issue out during the first 7 days of every month. If you ever get an error message with the link above, simply go to storywitch.com, hover over the "More" menu item and click on the Current Newsletter.
12/15/2019 - Vampire Master - Book 16 of the Vampire Queen series
08/2019 - Naughty Bits - re-release as a self-published title in print and ebook.
07/2019 - Vampire Queen's Servant - re-release as a self-published title in print and ebook.
6/30/19 - The Problem with Witches - A Crossover novel of the Arcane Shot and Knights of the Board Room series
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
June 2020 - At Her Command, Book 1 of the Mistresses of the Board Room, a spin-off series in the popular Knights of the Board Room world
Aug/Sep 2020 - In His Arms, Book 11 standalone in the Nature of Desire series
1/7/2020 - Release of Controlled Response and Honor Bound in audio format at Audible
12/15/2019 - Vampire Master - Book 16 standalone of the Vampire Queen series
08/2019 - Naughty Bits - re-release as a self-published title in print and ebook.
GoodReads Blog - Whenever I have something half-way interesting to say (hopefully), I post it on my blog. Check out the latest, as well as the backlog of over 80 posts!
For my most up-to-date appearances info throughout the month, follow me on Twitter or "Like" my Author Page on Facebook - I'll keep you in the loop as things happen!
GoodReads Blog - Whenever I have something half-way interesting to say (hopefully), I post it on my blog. Check out the latest, as well as the backlog of posts!
For my most up-to-date appearances info throughout the month, follow me on Twitter or my Author Page on Facebook - I'll keep you in the loop as things happen! I'm also regularly at the JWH Members Only Fan Forum group. Come join the fun!
SEXY AND SASSY SIGNING 2020 - July 9-12 - next year's popular reader/author event will happen in Norfolk, VA. The theme is Sinful Fairy Tales! Click on the link above to find out more. You can also join the SASS Attendee group once you've registered.
FROLICON 2020 - April 30-May 3, Atlanta GA - A sexual lifestyle conference focused on sensual frivolity, with a plethora of educational workshops.
SEXY AND SASSY SIGNING 2020 - July 9-12, Norfolk, VA - An author-reader conference where the 2020 theme will be Sinful Fairy Tales!
Want a Kindle signature? My books are listed at the Authorgraph site, so if you'd like a "Kindlegraph", send me a request! Just go to Authorgraph.com, put Joey W. Hill in the search line, and it will pull up my books, with a "Request Authorgraph" button beneath each.
Want a signed bookplate for your print book and a bookmark? No need to be bummed about not seeing me at a book signing. Just shoot me an email at storywitch@PROTECTED with your mailing address and the title(s) of the book(s) for which you want a signature, and I'll send you personalized bookplates anytime, free of charge. And I always send it with a signed bookmark!
HAVE YOU CHECKED THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE?
I am ALWAYS delighted to hear from my readers, and I never mind answering your questions. However, about 90% of the general questions I receive on email can be quickly answered on my website, www.storywitch.com. And the cool thing is you get your answer in the time it takes you to do a couple clicks, versus having to type up your question and send it to me, then wait for me to emerge from my writing cave and check my email.
A lot of authors experience this now. Because we have so much more of a presence at FB, Twitter, and the like, it's easy to forget that most authors still maintain a website where you can quickly get info. On my site, you can not only find BLURBS and FREE EXCERPTS for every book I've published, you can find SERIES ORDER, including recommendations on which ones can stand alone or need specific titles to be read first. Under the In the Works page, you'll find information about UPCOMING RELEASES and what's percolating (the popular "will you ever write a book about so-n-so" question would be answered there).
Just go to my website, storywitch.com, and enjoy your visit. It is specifically and deliberately designed not to be flashy or confusing. Just look at the drop down menus at the top for what you're seeking.
FREEBIES - PLUS, HOW TO GET A SIGNED BOOK
Want a beautiful bookmark? I have gorgeous bookmarks representing FIVE of my series: Arcane Shot, Daughters of Arianne, Knights of the Board Room, Nature of Desire, and Vampire Queen. If you'd like one, send me an email at storywitch@storywitch.com with your mailing address and tell me which bookmark you want. I will send you two of your requested bookmark (signed) - one to keep and one to give to a friend you think might like my work! You can view the bookmarks at the Bookmark Gallery. It takes a moment to load, because I want you to see them in hi-res, but once they appear, click on each image to see full view.
Want a Kindle signature? My books are listed at the Authorgraph site, so if you'd like a "Kindlegraph", send me a request! Just go to Authorgraph.com, put Joey W. Hill in the search line, and it will pull up my books, with a "Request Authorgraph" button beneath each.
Want a signed bookplate for your print book? Just shoot me an email at storywitch@storywitch.com with your mailing address and tell me what book(s) you're requesting the bookplate(s) for, so I can personalize it a bit.
Want a signed book? Yes, I can sell you a signed print book directly. Email me at storywitch@storywitch.com with your mailing address and tell me what book(s) you want. Also let me know if you want the books signed to your first name, another name, or no personalization, just a signature and a cheery note. I'll shoot you an invoice with the cost of the books plus shipping (low media mail rate for U.S. orders). Once paid, I'll send your book(s) out to you.
"I have a question."
Answer: "Have you checked my website?"
I am ALWAYS delighted to hear from my readers, and I never mind answering your questions. However, about 90% of the general questions I receive on email can be quickly answered on my website, www.storywitch.com. And the cool thing is you get your answer in the time it takes you to do a couple clicks, versus having to type up your question and send it to me, then wait for me to emerge from my writing cave and check my email.
A lot of authors experience this now. Because we have so much more of a presence at FB, Twitter, and the like, it's easy to forget that most authors still maintain a website where you can quickly get info. On my site, you can not only find BLURBS and FREE EXCERPTS for every book I've published, you can find SERIES ORDER, including recommendations on which ones can stand alone or need specific titles to be read first. Under the In the Works page, you'll find information about UPCOMING RELEASES and what's percolating (the popular "will you ever write a book about so-n-so" question would be answered there).
Just go to my website at storywitch.com, and enjoy your visit. It is specifically and deliberately designed not to be flashy or confusing. Just look at the drop down menus at the top for what you're seeking.
"I have a question."
Answer: "Have you checked my website?"
I am ALWAYS delighted to hear from my readers, and I never mind answering your questions. However, so many of the questions I receive can be quickly answered on my website, https://storywitch.com. And the cool thing is you get your answer in the time it takes you to do a couple clicks, versus having to type up your question and send it to me, then wait for me to emerge from my writing cave and check my email.
Because of social media, it's easy to forget that most authors still maintain a website where you can quickly get info. On my site, you can not only find blurbs and excerpts for every book I've published, you can find SERIES ORDER, including recommendations on which ones can stand alone or need specific titles to be read first. Under the In the Works page, you'll find information about UPCOMING RELEASES and what's percolating (the popular "will you ever write a book about so-n-so" question would be answered there).
And what about FREE CONTENT? Yep, you'll also find links to BUNCHES of FREE content, including short stories from early in my career, character interviews, and the vignette "revisits" with my series characters.
Just go to my website at storywitch.com, and look at the drop down menus at the top for what you're seeking. Enjoy your visit!