Yes, I know… Most of you are waiting for print.

But for anyone who likes to read ebooks, I thought I’d let you know about a great book that went on sale today! The Damaged Heroes series continues with All the Right Reasons.

With my surprise at the bump up of the release date of my third “Damaged Heroes” book — All the Right Reasons – I didn’t get much opportunity to “promote” it. So, in celebration and to get word out there that my story is debuting, I’ve decided to host a weekend contest. To enter, all you have to do is purchase either of the first two “Damaged Heroes” stories — Murphy’s Law or Free Falling – email me at sj@sandy-james.com the cut/paste of the receipt, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win one of two ARCs of All the Right Reasons! I’ll announce the winning entry on Sunday, April 26th at 6PM EST.

Each of the stories in my series have been finalists or winners in RWA chapter contests. I’m very proud of this series, and the latest installment, All the Right Reasons, is a very emotional story that is near and dear to my heart because I wrote it to honor all of my former students who have made the noble choice to serve their country in the military.

I hope you’ll give my “Damaged Hereos” a chance to win your heart!

***Update — Congratulations to my two winners — Kelly and Catalina! I sure hope you enjoy the story!

I had a big surprise today.

BookStrand is going to release All the Right Reasons early. The ebook will be available this Tuesday! Wow.

I’ve been so thrilled to work with this publisher. The editor of the series has been helpful and always gives me some fantastic constructive criticism. (Love you, Devin!) The book covers are beautiful and look like they belong to a series while still showing their individualism. (Love you too, Jinger!) I’ve never received anything but support and encouragement from everyone at BookStrand.

I feel truly blessed that this first experience in publishing has been so wonderful.

I’m pleased to be guest blogging on Equestrian Ink again today. Please stop by and leave me some love!

I’m a part of the revival of classic romance.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be a part of the beginning of a new group that wants to bring more attention to romance. Several authors, led by the fantastic Judah Raine, banded together to try to bring more attention to our brand of romance — classic romance. We had become frustrated with the (if you’ll excuse the pun) dominance of erotica in ebooks. It’s not that we have a dislike for erotica, nor do we intend to compare ourselves to that genre. Erotica has made its presence known in the world of publishing, especially in ebook form. But as a result of the strength of erotica ebook sales, mainstream romance is often overlooked. What Classic Romance Revival hopes to do is bring some attention to those of us who write more traditional romance.

What is our definition of traditional romance? Here are the three categories we consider to be Classic Romances:

Sweet Romance - This denotes gentle romance, with no sensual or sexual overtones or intimacy, either literal or implied.

Sensual Romance - In this category you will find more intense romance, with a strong sensual exploration and greater intimacy; total intimacy may be implied but is not described.

Sophisticated Romance - This may contain intimately explicit scenes, providing that: a) these are handled with sensitivity and are not graphically descriptive; b) scenes do not use language or description that lie within the erotic domain; c) the inclusion of the scene is essential to the storyline and is not included simply for the sake of sensationalism; d) intimacy occurs within the context of classic romance values, i.e. commitment, loyalty, love and happily ever after (either stated or implied).

I’m thrilled to be a part of this group. Thanks to the hard work of Judah and the other CRR authors, we now have a Yahoo chat loop (classicromancerevival-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) and an author’s blog. What I’m most thrilled about is that CRR is now reviewing books that qualify as classic romances.

If you’re a fan of sweet, sensual, and sophisticated romance, please stop by and see what this group has to offer.

Please excuse my lack of posts lately.

I received the edits for All the Right Reasons. Between those revisions, getting my AP kids ready for their rapidly approaching exam, judging a couple of contests, and the usual nonsense of life, I just haven’t had much to say.

Promise to update soon!

Two quick pieces of news.

First, I’m proud to say Turning Thirty-Twelve was named as Long and Short Reviews “Book of the Week”!

Second, tomorrow is the release date for the second of my Damaged Heroes. Free Falling was written to bring back attorney Ross Kennedy from Murphy’s Law. I hope you enjoy his story.

What a great surprise to come home to!

Turning Thirty-Twelve by Sandy JamesPublisher: Siren BookStrand
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full (288 pages)
Heat: Spicy
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Violet

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.