Thursday, February 26, 2015

FOLLOW YOUR HEART preorder: $1.99 through March

I'm excited to announce that FOLLOW YOUR HEART, the next standalone book in my Wars of the Roses Brides series, is on Amazon preorder for $1.99 for March to thank my readers.

She's a glass-painter making her way in a man's world. He's on a quest to redeem his family name and estates. When unexpected passion makes their marriage of convenience inconvenient, will his secrets tear them apart?

The first scene popped into my head one day. As I began sharing Adrian's struggle with what he had to do to attain his goal, Joanna arrived. I hope readers love their story as much as I enyoyed writing it.

I also loved delving into research about how stained glass was made and sold in 1460 England. The techniques used to create the rich colors and and intricate designs of the windows, some of which survive, fascinated me. 

I'm considering a novella or another book about the heroine's half-sister...let me know what you think!










Thursday, February 19, 2015

This plate-spinning feelancer's many hats

Goodreads Book Giveaway

At His Command by Ruth  Kaufman
At His Command by Ruth Kaufman

Giveaway ends February 28, 2015.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win
If you're new to Gainfully Unemployed, that's not a typo. I call myself a feelancer instead of a freelancer, because I rarely work for free.

Keeping all the plates spinning means wearing a lot of hats (cliches, but true). This week I've worn these hats in addition to bopping in and out of social media, promoting my Goodreads giveaway (link to enter is above), and following various online indie author groups (I've learned a lot, but there's always more to learn and things change so rapidly):

Monday:
Speaker: A romance writing group asked me to do an online workshop, so I sent some pitches. Submitted to an improv show that starts with a guest speaker.
VO talent: Commercial booking at a recording studio. Found out I'd be doing two commercials when they gave me the scripts.
Author: finished reviewing my next book and sent it to my editor.
On-camera talent: submitted for an indie feature and student film. Got an audition for the student film on Saturday (need to review my monologue).
Theatre: had the lead role in a reading of a new play.

Tuesday:
VO: submitted audition I'd recorded at home
Author: wrote back cover blurb and tag for new book. Submitted 1st book for a review.
Colleague: searched possible audio books for a friend to narrate.
Designer: Worked on website redesign...reviewed other author sites, searched for images.
PR: decided to do my first Facebook post boost.
On-camera: went to casting agency for a national commercial audition.

Wednesday:
Business: signed NDA for upcoming VO role in a military video game. Learned I'd have many more lines I'd thought.
VO & on-camera: sent a couple of VO auditions, submitted for an on-camera project
Designer: more image searching. Having difficulty finding what I see in my head despite searching a bunch of stock photo sites (which could use better search engines, IMO...too many things come up that aren't related to my search terms).
Author: asked two best-selling authors if they'd give a cover quote for #2. Both said yes. :-)
Singer: chorus rehearsal for 2 concerts of Rodgers & Hammerstein songs.

Plan for today:
Designer: Review and respond to the long email my cover designer sent with different options for my next book. Continue site redesign and review all pages of current site for updating.
Colleague: work with a friend so we both stay on track and get more done. It can be easy to get distracted/spend too much time online. And when there are so many tasks in different areas, prioritizing can be a challenge.
PR: review FB boost results.
VO: review video game scripts and estimate delivery time.
Stay warm: current temp is -6, windchill -22


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Book Hooks #MFRWHooks + Brief At His Command excerpt


Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly blog hop where authors post short excerpts, hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog. It's a great opportunity to check out more authors via the link below.                        

Here's my excerpt from AT HIS COMMAND: 


A wonderful debut sure to please lovers of romance!
— NYT & USAToday bestselling author Madeline Hunter

     Having him so near was torture. A teasing, wonderful glimpse of what could never be.
    “This will get us nowhere. I am not for you.” It took all of her willpower to push free of his embrace. She ran from the hall and back to her chamber, where tears burst forth with all the force of the storm.
    She’d experienced the freedom of the hall only to return to her cage. Just as she had barely begun to enjoy Nicholas, only to be returned to the prospect of an unknown groom.           

Could she defy her king for love?
England 1453: King Henry VI sends Sir Nicholas Gray to protect the recently widowed Lady Amice Winfield from undesirable suitors. Though Nicholas intrigues her, she yearns to run Castle Rising without a man’s control.

Nicholas has no interest in marriage, but can’t deny he’s attracted to Amice. He’s surprised to finally find in Castle Rising a place he feels at home. A kiss sparks desire neither can ignore, yet serving opposing factions seeking to govern England threatens to pull them apart. 

At court, the king and queen reject Amice’s pleas and choose a new husband for her, a highly-ranked lord who’ll provide connections and coin for the king’s depleted coffers that Nicholas cannot. How can she follow the king’s command when she’s a scribe for his rival? How can she marry another man when she’s falling in love with Nicholas? 

Available at Amazon.com: http://amzn.com/B00QPG52A6

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Thursday, February 05, 2015

Goodreads Giveaway & Romance Bandits-enter now!

I'm at Romance Bandits today talking about the Wars of the Roses and offering a bit of advice to aspiring authors. Commenters have a chance to win one of two AT HIS COMMAND e-books.

I'd heard of Goodreads of course, but hadn't joined it as a reader or spent much time there. As my release date approached, I explored it as one way to communicate with and perhaps interest more readers. Now I enjoy it as a reader, posting what I'm reading and have read and keeping up with what friends are reading. As an author, I set up my author page and answered a couple of author questions so readers can learn more about me.

I'm also doing my first Goodreads Giveaway, where readers can enter to win one of five copies of my book. It's exciting to see how many readers (it's exciting to have readers) add AHC to their reading lists and are signing up for the giveaway.  If you're on Goodreads, what's your favorite aspect?

Goodreads Book Giveaway


At His Command by Ruth  Kaufman
  At His Command by Ruth Kaufman

  Giveaway ends February 28, 2015.

 See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win