I’m pleased to be a part of the Siren-BookStrand Authors’ “Seven Day of Valentines.”

Tomorrow is put aside for contemporary romance authors. I’ll be joining Barbra Novac, Jan Bowles, and Karenna Colcroft on the Siren-BookStrand Readers’ Loop to answer questions and post excerpts. We’ll also be having several prize giveaways. If you’d like to join the loop, here’s the link: SirenBookstrandAuthors-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you’re not into Yahoo loops, you can still participate in my giveaway! Just take a moment to read the excerpts from Turning Thirty-Twelve on the BookStrand website. When you find out what nickname Jackie gives Mark, send that answer to sandys36 at yahoo.com At the end of the day Sunday, I’ll draw one of the winning entries at random. The winner will receive a signed trade paperback of Turning Thirty-Twelve.

Turning Thirty-Twelve has been such a surprising book. It was the first book I wrote around a title. I wrote it simply to please me, thinking I could exorcise a little bit of middle-aged angst. The reception it has received has been such a wonderful surprise. It was a finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and it won the Best Contemporary Romance category of the Aspen Gold Readers’ Choice Contest. It’s in the running for Book of the Year at Long and Short Reviews. (And I could use a few more votes! Pretty please?)

I guess there are a few middle-aged ladies out there who enjoy reading a story with a heroine with which they can truly identify.

Turning Thirty-Twelve is up for Book of the Year at Long and Short Reviews!

Since it was given a “Best Book” rating, Turning Thirty-Twelve can compete for the honor of Book of the Year! I would really appreciate your vote!

Here’s the link!

If you missed the review, here’s what Violet had to say:

Jackie Delgado didn’t want a new man in her life until a dreaded blind date turns out to be more exciting than she’d ever imagined.

When her youngest son leaves for college, Jackie is hit hard by empty nest syndrome and pours herself into her work as a teacher. Bowing to pressure from friends, Jackie agrees to a blind date. But when Mark Brennan calls, she realizes the date won’t be “blind.” He’s the father of one of her students.

Widower Mark Brennan isn’t looking for love. After only a few dates with Jackie, he realizes he’s quickly forming deep feelings for her. Wracked with guilt that he’s “abandoning” his late wife, Mark resists the pull toward dynamic Jackie. When Mark’s daughter begins to date Jackie’s son, things become more complicated.

Can Jackie and Mark find the courage to leave the past behind and embrace a new love? And how will Mark’s daughter’s pregnancy affect all their lives?

Jackie had gone through a divorce that left her self esteem shattered and her best friends constantly trying to set her up on blind dates. Mark’s wife had died of cancer two years earlier and his friends were also hoping for a Cupid to strike up a relationship with the next woman of his dreams. Both Jackie and Mark have children from their previous relationships and now, my friends, it’s time to watch the fireworks.

Jackie was hilarious, captivating and had issues with trusting men. So many women, including me, can relate to Jackie’s character. Mark’s character was seductive at just the right moments, knew what to say and just when to say it. His overall character was stunning and very very real. The secondary characters in this book were sensational. The situations between David (the ex) and Jackie had me laughing till it hurt. They all added a very real element to the book with their emotions and the way situations were handled.

When Jackie and Mark’s character got around each other, it was electric and you could feel the sexual tension between the two. This was a very believable book and was written in such a way that during the tense moments, it ripped my heart out. During the happy moments, I found tears in my eyes.

Ms. James did an outstanding job writing Turning Thirty-Twelve. I most definitely did not see the twists and turns coming. This book grabbed a hold of my heart and did not let go until the very last page. I still find myself thinking of this book and the characters who made this book so special. I highly recommend Turning Thirty-Twelve to anyone who enjoys a laugh out loud, exceptionally written book that will keep you coming back for more. I would love to see this book either have a sequel or become a series so I can see where my favorite characters are today and how they are faring. Turning Thirty-Twelve was simply an amazing book that I would read many times over which is why I would like to give it the LASR Best Book Rating! I will most certainly be keeping my eye on Ms. James for any books she may have coming out.

What a fun day yesterday!!

I was home sick. Not a great way to start the day but… In the afternoon, I received a phone call from Jackie Fleming, paranormal category coordinator for the GOTCHA! contest. The Reluctant Amazon won! I was so very pleased because Maureen’s wonderful assistant Katie and I had just revamped the opening to tighten it up. Since GOTCHA! is supposed to be judged on how strong the hook is and how quickly a reader was pulled in, this win told me we were successful! Mega thanks to Katie! And mega thanks to the judges — three of which who gave me scores of 100, 99, and 98 out of 100! ***hugs***

Not done yet… Right before I turned in for the night, an email arrived that told me The Reluctant Amazon — the revised edition! — also won the Where the Magic Begins contest.

Sick or not, it was a helluva day!

I had a beautiful 5-cup review from Cherokee at CoffeeTime Romance today!

Thank you so much, Cherokee! And I’m thrilled you enjoyed the story so much!

Here’s what she had to say:

******

Joshua Miller is trying to get over the death of his dear wife. As an investigator reporter he is finding it difficult to write stories. His friends are concerned about his welfare.

Sarah Reid never thought being struck by lightning would change her life, enabling her to aid the sick and dying. After meeting a sympathetic journalist, her life takes on new meaning.

It has been a year since Josh lost his wife, and Ross, his good friend, needs his help. His sister, Cheryl has been taken advantage of by a faith healer and he wishes Josh to expose the woman as a fraud. Since Ross and Cheryl are good friends, Josh allows the journalist in him to come out. The moment he and Sarah meet, something clicks inside their hearts. At first Sarah refuses any interview feeling, tired of being exposed as a fraud, but moments with Josh prove him to be honest and caring. The more time spent together makes it difficult to find anyone to take Josh off her mind. With the fascination and love that he has found with Sarah, what will it do for them once the real story is told?

Faith of the Heart is an unforgettable poignant read. I love the way the story cements the two characters together. Both souls ache within their hearts as they reach out for the other. I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom as the concrete within their hearts slowly cracks and breaks away. I could relate to Josh in many ways. The ending captivated me. Sandy James creates in-depth characters that engage the reader. It was hard letting go once the story was finished. She captured the expressions of the players tremendously and I must admit, Josh and Sarah’s first kiss was melting in this precious read.

Cherokee
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Fictionwise and Amazon Kindle are being very, very good to me.

I know it’s probably a counterproductive thing to do, but I check my sales on several of the book/print outlets where you can find my Damaged Heroes and Turning Thirty-Twelve. Some days, those numbers make me smile all day. Some days, they make me frown. I do love that I get feedback from readers, both in their willingness to take a chance on my stories and in the comments and ratings they leave when they are finished reading.

My stories have been releasing slowly on Fictionwise for the last couple of months. The last of my Damaged Heroes, Faith of the Heart, should pop up in the next week or so. I am tickled that Fictionwise readers have been so kind to me! I had been in hopes my ebooks would do better on a more mainstream site like Fictionwise than they’ve done with my publisher since Siren-BookStrand is better known for erotica while Fictionwise carries all genres. So far, I’ve managed to push into the romance top 100 with every book that has released to Fictionwise. I’m even happier to know that three of the four were on the Recent Bestseller list while they were in their first thirty days of release.

When I look at sales rankings, I have to acknowledge that my books are all backlist now. However, if I watch my Amazon Kindle sales, you’d never know that. I’m constantly selling ebooks to Kindle readers, and heavens, does that make me happy!!

Now, I’m concentrating on finishing the fourth book of the urban fantasy series and juggling three other projects in various stages of development. I’m trying to take my overabundance of angst and redirect it toward being creative. The nice thing is that the utter joy I felt when I started writing is back. I find myself waking up at 4:30 AM with ideas, and I couldn’t be happier.

As my wish for all my family, friends, and students for 2010, I borrow an Old Irish Blessing: May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Writing is such a frustrating process.

Okay, maybe not the writing part. I love to write. Now that the five books are edited and released, I can finally listen to the voices in my head. But, believe it or not, that is where some of my frustration begins. I never stop thinking, but I don’t always have time to write everything down.

So what is spinning in my head? I have the historical that I’m rewriting. It was actually my second book, a sequel to the time travel that was my first story. I recently finished rewriting it, now I want this story to shine as well. I also have energy directed toward writing the fourth and final book of the Amazon urban fantasy series. And with the inspiration I received from reconnecting with friends from junior high and high school, I’m writing a first person women’s fiction story about a reunion.

The other part of my frustration comes from the waiting game that goes along with the submission process. Patience certainly isn’t one of my virtues. I just keep hoping that with the backing of a fantastic agent like Maureen, the success I’ve had with my BookStrand books, and the potential of the Amazon series, an editor will see what I can do and take a chance on me.

Until then, I’ll just keep writing and waiting and not let the frustration get the better of me.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17, King James Bible

I send to all of you my best wishes for a wonderful Christmas! May it be full of family and friends and bring you peace and joy!

Now that my “year of living dangerously” has ended, I’ve made an amazing discovery.

I love to write.

I think editing and promoting five books while working full time took a toll on me. Not that I regret a single minute of it! But I started to realize that I wasn’t looking forward to writing. Editing was just too important and so time consuming, I had nothing left at the end of a day. Now, don’t get me wrong. I actually love editing. I just found myself with very little free time. I had to start forcing myself to write new words, which is SO not like me. And it made me sad to miss out on what started me on the path of writing in the first place — the sheer joy of crafting words into a beautiful story.

But the edits are finished. For now. And I seriously doubt I’ll ever have quite the whirlwind of a year I had in 2009. Seriously — five full length manuscripts edited, released, and promoted everywhere from chat loops to interviews in eleven months? All while working as a teacher of advanced psychology and U.S. history to around 180 teenagers, being secretary of IRWA, and helping judge six different contests? And I came through it with some sanity and a smidgen of sense of humor left? Priceless.

My mind is suddenly free. Story ideas are popping in my head like shooting stars. I find myself anxious to write again. I rediscovered the joy I feel when I have stories flowing through me that are begging to be written.

And, damn, did I miss it!

It’s my anniversary! A year ago, I was privileged enough to release my first book, Turning Thirty-Twelve through BookStrand Romance. And my heavens, it has been a whirlwind of a year!

Turning Thirty-Twelve has been well received by reviewers, earning honors like 5 hearts and a “Reviewer Top Pick” from Night Owl Romance, a “Best Book” rating from Long and Short Reviews, and 5 kisses from Two Lips. It currently sits in spot #3 of the top mainstream romances at BookStrand after having been #1 for quite some time, and it was a finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence Contest. But I think the most outstanding achievement of this spunky little book was that it was named the Best Contemporary Romance in the Heart of Denver’s Aspen Gold Readers’ Choice Contest.

I was thrilled to find out that BookStrand was so pleased with Turning Thirty-Twelve that they offered me a contract for the first in the Damaged Heroes series, Murphy’s Law. That story will always be the “book of my heart” because of the connection to the harness horseracing world. After reading Murphy’s Law, my publisher contracted the rest of the Damaged Heroes series, and over the course of this year, I had all four books released. So what happened to my Damaged Heroes? Lots…

Murphy’s Law received glowing reviews from several different review sites, including 5 hearts and a “Reviewer Top Pick” from Night Owl Romance, 5 hearts from The Romance Studio, and 5 books from Long and Short Reviews. The highest honor though came just this last month when it was named a finalist in the EPIC Awards for the best Contemporary Romance of 2009.

Free Falling, the second of my Damaged Heroes, has also been well-received by reviewers, including 5 cups from CoffeeTime Romance, 5 kisses from Two Lips, and 5 hearts from the Romance Studio. To my surprise, it was also named an EPIC Awards finalist for best Romantic Suspense/Mystery of 2009.

I believe the biggest surprise of all for me was the success of All the Right Reasons. That book was an emotionally draining story to write, and I left my heart and soul all over the pages. I was able to honor all of my relatives and students who have chosen to serve in the military. When the reviews began to appear, they included a Romance Junkies Blue Ribbon Favorite, a Two Lips Recommended Read, and a CoffeeTime Recommended Read.

The last Damaged Hero just popped up in print this week. Faith of the Heart has also been reviewed several times in ebook form, and it has earned 5 hearts and a “Reviewer Top Pick” from Night Owl, 5 books from Long and Short Reviews, 5 ribbons from Romance Junkies, and a “You Gotta Read!” rating from YouGottaRead reviews.

After a year like that, I doubt I’ll ever be able to top it. On the other hand, this year held one more really important surprise for me. It brought me my fantabulous agent, Maureen Walters of Curtis Brown, Ltd. And with a lot of hard work and a big dose of luck, she’ll be leading me on to bigger and better things.

So, paraphrasing Jackie at the end of Turning Thirty-Twelve, thank you for the best year of my life!!