Sierra Rose Books Online

It's been awhile since I updated the page or gave any news and I deeply am sorry for that. For those waiting on Ryan's books in Celtic Evil, he is coming. I was delayed due to some health issues for both myself and my Mom so writing has been taking a backseat to real life. I do appreciate everyone's continued support and patience and can assure you that he is coming very soon. I'm hoping for May.

There is also a new S.E.A.L. Team Omega book in the works so fans of that series can relax. I haven't forgotten Ethan and Cassidy.

I've updated the links to include some Facebook ones and will continue to add more to that. I've also included some new details in the The Fitzgerald's link to include some information on other characters.

Soon I'll be adding new things to the excerpt tab and also to the Documents tab. Since I'm busy so much, Ryan and his brothers may be doing some blogging in the future so keep an eye out for that as well.

To all my readers and fans of both my series, Celtic Evil and S.E.A.L. Team Omege I want to offer my deepest apoligies for the delay in Ryan's book in the Fitzgerald's. The book is going well but due to personal issues and an illness with my Mother who I take care of the writing has been slowed down. I write as I can and it will be released very soon. I appreciate all your patience and assure you that Ryan's book and those of Mac and Kerry will come out. Thank you.

Sierra

I know it's hard for independent authors to sell their own books these days so it may seem weird to promote the works of other authors. I believe in helping others, especially if it's a book I can fully get behind and cheer for.

So, I've decided to try to do this weekly or so and help promote other authors. Who knows, maybe the good karma will come back. At least that's what my great-grandmother always said...well she had a more folksy way of saying it but you get the idea.

This week: Magnolia Belle

Bio infor taken from author's Goodreads page, all rights reserved and copyright to Ms. Belle

Magnolia Belle grew up in a military family and has lived in several U.S. states as well as the Orient. She graduated in 1978 from Tarleton State University, where, as editor of the University paper, she won first place in the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Editorial competition in 1977. She was also a member of "Who's Who Among Colleges and Universities" in 1977-78. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and their (spoiled) dogs.

A singer/songwriter and guitarist, she played with a band in the 1980s that made 3 albums. Belle proudly declares some Native American heritage. The above two facts are part of the basis of the Black Wolf series. Considering herself a native Texan, her T'on Ma and Black Wolf series are both set in that great state.

I can't speak of all of her books(I've only read four...well three and a half as I'm almost done with the third book in her Black Wolf series). Let me say that I can and will sing the praises of the Blackwolf brothers to one end of the ethernet to the other.

I've been a huge fan of books with brothers and Native American characters for a long time but except for Cait London I really couldn't find an author who handled characters with such deft skill at making the characters come alive as Magnolia Belle has with these brothers. You will laugh, you will cry and in some cases grieve but you will find such enjoyment. I could go on but that would just be gushing and I think readers will enjoy this series and more.

You can check out more about Magnolia Belle and her books at the following:

Black Wolf Books: http://www.blackwolfbooks.com/

Magnolia Belle on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Magnolia-Belle/e/B001U4SZR0

Thanks to a wonderful friend and fellow author, Magnolia Belle the first book in the S.E.A.L. Team Omega series has been revised, edited and in the case of a couple chapters certain scenes removed. It is now tighter and of course free of over used words.

I hope readers who have read the original version will try to the new version. To help with the that since it can be a huge pain re-reading a new version on Kindle, I'm offering free coupons for the Smashwords version if I'm contacted.

There's a 3 chapter preview available on the site here. When the paperback goes live again on Amazon it will also have a new price which I'm pleased about. It will now be $8.99 so I'm hoping the new proof will be here this week.

So, take a peek at the preview and if interested contact me for that code and Smashwords like. It's available in many formats on Smashwords, Kindle, PDF, EPUB, etc. Also, the ebook is available on Goodreads if you search for the title under Sierra Rose.

Also, take a peek at the books offered by Magnolia Belle at http://www.blackwolfbooks.com/

She has a fantastic series about the Black Wolf brothers that I highly recommend.:)

Thanks to a wonderful friend and fellow author, Magnolia Belle the first book in the S.E.A.L. Team Omega series has been revised, edited and in the case of a couple chapters certain scenes removed. It is now tighter and of course free of over used words.

I hope readers who have read the original version will try to the new version. To help with the that since it can be a huge pain re-reading a new version on Kindle, I'm offering free coupons for the Smashwords version if I'm contacted.

There's a 3 chapter preview available on the site here. When the paperback goes live again on Amazon it will also have a new price which I'm pleased about. It will now be $8.99 so I'm hoping the new proof will be here this week.

So, take a peek at the preview and if interested contact me for that code and Smashwords like. It's available in many formats on Smashwords, Kindle, PDF, EPUB, etc. Also, the ebook is available on Goodreads if you search for the title under Sierra Rose.

Also, take a peek at the books offered by Magnolia Belle at http://www.blackwolfbooks.com/

She has a fantastic series about the Black Wolf brothers that I highly recommend.:)

How does an author who writes in multiple genres handle going from one to another? Much less, do readers take into account how those very different genres are also very different in writing style?

That's something I've been wondering since I write in two primary genres and each title seems to have its own style. Take Celtic Evil for example. It's more of a paranormal/romantic suspense series. Yes, there is some action since that plot calls for it but that series is a complete turnaround to my pure action/adventure series, S.E.A.L. Team Omega. That series is more action and it calls for more violence. So, do readers who look for Sierra Rose consider that while both books are written by the same author that the styles are different or because one may be too violent or extreme in come cases will they hold that against the other, more mild series? If that's the case then it's hardly fair because while one book may not appeal the other could be just fine.

I suppose that's why authors in different genres use a different pen name for the other one. I considered that when writing the Seal series but was advised it would cause confusion to readers who may have begun following Sierra Rose.

As an author, I do not plot or pre-plot a story for the most part. I may have a general idea but the main story fills itself in as I write. I will never make apoligies for how I write in terms of plot, characters or how the story fills itself in. I've often said that I allow my characters to write their own story and then I go behind them and clean up as best as I can and that's what I do. I never try to control or change how a scene goes as it builds in my head because I don't write like that.

Flames of Betrayal, the first in my S.E.A.L. Team Omega series has been coming under fire recently here on Amazon it seems by a couple reviews that I just caught today for a few scenes. I know the ones being complained about because they were the hardest to write in my life and I bounced back and forth, struggled with the inner writer who writes the scenes in my mind until finally all the going back and forth blocked the book up. It took several days until I decided to given in and allow the scenes to remain. I debated on it and waited to get several opinions from people who did read it, one included my very own Mother who has never been afraid to say when something should be taken out or didn't work. It was also test-read by several in the military and also a psychologist. It passed those people.

Now, do I think the style in Flames will appeal to everyone? Of course not. Just like I know my writing itself will never appeal to everyone or anyone with a higher knowledge of the English language or grammar, but that's another matter. Do I agree with a couple comments on a review that I read, about if Flames had been written by a man, it wouldn't be getting the complaints about those scenes? I'm not sure. I can't honestly say that when I wrote the book or its sequel that I considered it being flamed, no pun intened, because it was written by a woman. Many females write action books but maybe it was more because of the scenes themselves. I certainly don't like to think that readers believe that only men can do to a character what I wrote in Flames. As a reader myself, I don't hold those views.

Do I regret putting those scenes in? No, because I write for myself as a whole and if the scene writes itself in a way that people don't like or approve of then I can't regret that. No author will please every reader and if we try, no book would ever be worth reading.

As to address another matter, Flames is based on a fictional story. I am a 35 year old disabled writer with no complex knowledge, authority, or details on military matters. I have read military books since I could read. I researched weapons, locations, and other military matters to the best of a limited ability. It was not written to be 100% authenic but it in no way reflects badly on any branch of the military. It is explained in the story that this team operates outside normal chain of command, and therefore handles themselves differently given the jobs they do.

Celtic Evil is written in an entirely different style but it is still written in the same free flowing method. I allow the characters to write their story how they will. I suppose I should be pleased that I haven't had any modern day witches complaining about something that was portrayed wrong in the first book in that series though as I do with every book I write I do the best research possible.

This brings me finally to the final matter I wish to address, grammar. Unlike most authors, I have never made claims to adhere or understand it. I made a post on a forum that addressed this once but to streamline it:

Due to illnesses that removed me from standard school at 3rd Grade, I was homeschooled by a schoolboard sent tutor from 3rd grade until I graduated. I received excellent grades and had a GPA of 3.8 on graduation. English was passed via extra credit work. The tutor was a single tutor who could teach all standard subjects but was not a plain English teacher with all the skills needed to understand all the workings that perhaps students in a physical English class would receive. Grammar was pretty much glossed over since he only had so many hours a week to teach so I have never denied that I don't understand grammar like those who went to school do or who perhaps went to college. I write how I think and how I was raised and that will never be accepted by readers who choose to look for that style.

Oh, I've been told to take college courses or writing classes. To put this bluntly: if I couldn't go to school due to illnesses that have increased over the years, how do people accept a writer dealing with that to go to classes? Online courses take funds and an ability to learn that this writer doesn't have.

Now, we'll go to the editing issues. Celtic Evil has been edited. it's sequel and the sequel to Flames are being looked over. Unlike writers with jobs to support them, many writers starting out don't have the funds to pay $500-$12,000 for an editor or a proofreader. Readers don't understand that either. They think that every writer can turn a book over to someone to proof or edit for them. They think that every writer has a college professor for a best friend or relative who will do this for them pro bono and that's not the case. Many writers self-edit because that's all we can do and I think that there are some wonderful self-edited/self-published books available these days. Readers complain about poor editing or poor grammar yet they don't stop to think why these things may be happening. There are very few editors who will offer their services free of charge, if there were they'd be swamped. There are writers who bash fellow authors for the very same thing but you also find very few of them willing to edit without wanting money and in this economy if a new author has to choose between feeding their family, buying medicine or paying someone to edit a book, what would you choose? Not every writer has a full time job, not every writer has a family to support them. Many writers live on a single monthly check and then must balance how to spend that on vital things. As one of those, I can assure you that medicine and food and a roof over my family's head will always take top spot.

I often joke that I plain on putting a disclaimer in new books that it is being written by an author with no understanding of proper grammar. That and future disclaimers for violence may become the next section of my copyright page.

This turned out longer than I planned on and perhaps it will hurt sales of future books but I fully believe in being honest with potential readers. Do they care? Probably not but it's better to say it. To explain that I deeply love what I do, the characters I write and the stories that I tell. Do I wish that every book could be perfect? Of course. Will they be perfect? No, they will be as good as I can make them with the abilities I was gifted with. Most readers are able to accept that and I can't help the ones who can't.

First, let me start off by saying that this isn't aimed at anyone who has actually previewed, read, looked at or actually reviewed the first in my book series, Celtic Evil. This is more toward all those who put down the writers who don't or in some cases, can't follow normal tradition after writing a book.

See, I learned while in school and afterwards there are several stages to writing a book. The first, you research your general location. Vital if you don't want to land your character(s) in a spot that is impossible where you are. You then know your characters. I find this is especially important since you have to have a feel for the men and women you write. Then you sit down and write. This is done differently by every single writer. I, personally, just write the scene as it comes in my head. Most of my works are built in my head and then get put on computer(used to be paper). Then, once it's done you take it from the start and edit it. Correcting those pesky misspellings, if possible you fix the punctuation errors and this goes on and on until it's edited to the best of the writer's clean-cut ability and this is where most will hit the wall of stone cold criticism.

In a world of dreams, in the perfect world where writers dream; all writers have an uncanny ability to edit perfectly or there is always someone to edit their books perfectly for nothing but we all know that isn't the case for nothing comes free and nothing should come free. In this modern world where anyone can self-publish a book on places like Lulu or Createspace, it's easy for some kid out of school to upload an error ridden manuscript and price it for $20 and then get mad when it doesn't sell. Those types of authors are what makes it bad for the really talented ones who have a true gift at writing a compelling tale but can't afford a professional editor and they get chopped down for being hacks with crap because they'll not willing to strive for perfection.

If you can find a decent editor, the cheapest may want either $0.05 or $0.01 a word to edit a manuscript. You take a book with up to 90,000 words and add that up. Now you figure that these possible authors are housewives, or veterns, people homebound for one reason or another, retirees, etc. People living from check to check, people with lives to live from check to check and still have a budget for mortages, bills, medicine, food. These people are often choosing between food and medicine now and there are writers (not publishers, not agents but other writers) who believe they can shell out $200 and up for an editor or a professional cover designer and if they don't, they're considered cheap, lazy, no-talented with crap. This isn't the right message to portray to people.

These writers just want to share their tales. Be it memoirs or just a story they have to tell. They may be looking to offset their income a little but most know this won't be possible in this POD world and are just looking to share, to let other readers enjoy a story that they enjoyed writing.

There are writers out there who can afford to find editors, or know people who can edit for a discount, or know people in the business of writing, etc or they have all the skills that a writer dreams of having. They know what word goes with this sentence, what punctuation goes best in this position, etc. Wonderful!

Not everyone in this business is that lucky. Not every writer can afford that, they don't have friends who know anymore than they do, they can't take 'classes' to 'learn' to write. Learn to write. That's one I hate. You're going to tell a sixty year old grandmother to 'go to a class, learn the skills it takes to write then come back'. That's rude, insulting because these people write from their experiances. Just because not everyone writes in proper sentences or in proper style, voice, tense, then they can't write a book. Please. You can't place a disabled person who can't go out in public very often because of the illnesses(both physical and mental perhaps) in a class when they can't learn what's supposed to be proper form. You can't expect these people to give up food or medicine just to have someone change a sentence.

So you have a perfectly wonderfully story. Any reader, any real reader who loves to read, will read a book written by a new writer and not know or care who edited it. They just know they enjoy a book but when you have other writers putting down these people why should they go on? Why should they write when told they're garbage? There is a thing called constructive criticism then there's being high handed and a bully because these people won't listen so they're labeled hacks by people who should offer help. They want books edited to look professional so it doesn't hurt their own 'self-published books' by having books with a word in the wrong place, or a similiar word being used but yet they don't offer to edit. They just say, 'hey, you want to considered an author then don't write if you can't afford the price'. This is the self-published world. This is what new, serious authors will face.

Now, does this mean you should stop writing? Heck, no! You have a story to tell, a memoir, a recipe book, a comedy, an action story, etc? Then write it. Write it, edit it to the BEST of your ability (because I do recommend that), make sure it's formatted right with correct spacing, margins, justified, etc and submit it. The vital thing is you write what you want, for who you want and anyone that says you can't well.... it's not polite to write what most will think to say to that. There will always be negative, mean spirited people who shoot you down but like a duck sheds water, let those people shed off your back and keep doing what you do.

Sorry for the long rant but it's been building for months but some people understand what it's like to be on the wrong side of that fence and I hope this will reach others who have been talked out of publishing or scared away from those that say you can't write without an editor on your back.

This is in no way an advocation to not edit at all because even the youngest to oldest writer who uses a Word program can check for spelling errors.

Best wishes and blessings to you all.

Sierra

I've made a second edition to Roarke's novel which will be back available on Amazon by next week I hope. I had to change one little word on the copyright page so it's gone into hold on Amazon for a little bit but should be live again very soon. It's also got a nice new cover.

While updating my webpage here (I hate IE8)  I also uploaded a new revised excerpt with more chapters available so have a look. Soon I'll be adding pages for books I've read as I did for reviews offered for my own title. I'll also be updating the photos since I've mostly changed all of Celtic Evil's covers to match.

The link page has been updated to show Celtic Evil's availibility and I've removed many of them since I've retired several versions from Amazon.

I'm also working on Book Two of the Celtic Evil Series with high hopes that it will be done by the fall.

Blogging Reviews? I'm hoping to do this on and off as I find books that I enjoy and find they need mentioning. Also, as I have time.:wink:

While as a newly published author who is trying to market and sell my own novel I know this will seem like an insane plan and readers will wonder, why is she promoting another writer's books?! Well, in this crazy, dog-eat-dog world we live in I honestly believe that we all need to help each other and if I like something I want people to know it.

On Lulu.com and a couple on Amazon.com now any read who enjoys action/thrillers or military themed books will just love the books by Roger Cave. When I first previewed his first novel, the Barcza Gambit, it struck me so much how Roger's writing style reminded me of so many of the authors I love who write the Mack Bolan, The Executioner series these days or another favorite military series I like written by Chet Cunningham. His style and skill is superb and if he's not picked up by a national or world-wide publisher in the next few years then someone in the publishing field needs to be shot!

On Lulu.com(yes, I'll give a link) he has his complete series(so far) in his Alec Fincham series which is five books so far. His main character, Commander Alex Fincham, is a former Royal Marine who now serves in the Special Boat Squadron. He and his squad face dangers in some well written scenes that never lack for action or excellent description.

I've had the pleasure of buying three of these books and reading all the way through the first two. I'm working on the third one and will certainly be getting the last two very soon. I've come to value his opinion on the Lulu forums and he's a great man to chat with there as well.

So for all you book lovers who love those action series that seem to dwindling off(at least the good ones) I hope you'll take the time to look this author up at his Lulu store:

http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1339557

Also for those who prefer Amazon.com, see the versions over there:

The Barcza Gambit: http://www.amazon.com/Barcza-Gambit-Roger-Cave/dp/1847990061/

Zugzwang

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AD87SC/

Sicilian Defense:

http://www.amazon.com/Sicilian-Defence-Roger-Cave/dp/B002AD4DIU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243725742&sr=1-5

Or just do an advance search on Amazon for his name.

All mentions of the above are done with respect to the author and all that legal stuff. No reproduction of anything may be done without his permission.

Finally, so everyone will quit rolling their eyes at this promoting deal I'll throw in also that Celtic Evil: A Fitzgerald Brother Novel: Roarke is available on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Evil-Fitzgerald-Brother-Roarke/dp/1442125225/

It's also newly on Kindle on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Evil-Fitzgerald-Brothers-ebook/dp/B0028AD7CS/ref=ed_oe_k

I have completed my final format size for Celtic Evil's first book and also changed the cover on Diablo's Return on both Lulu and Amazon as I mentioned in my last post.

I'm planning to put back up a storefront soon for those browsers who wish to buy from me as I decided to give Paypal another chance.

As for links, I added an excellent storefront from Lulu.com. Roger Cave's books are very good for those who enjoy military series and I'm hard to impress in that area so give the links page a look through.