Presents for everyone!

In celebration of my birthday weekend, all my adult fiction books are free on Kindle! Just follow the links below to download the titles that interest you most.

Willow didn't know that spicing up her routine life with small changes could ultimately lead her through a soul-searching experience that would forever change the way she thinks of herself and the people who surround her.

myBook.to/RememberNewvemberbyJMBogart

Roxanne sees a frumpy, dumpy, painfully plain, rundown single mother when she looks in the mirror.  A change of job, an unexpected guest and a fresh look at her teenage daughter give Roxanne new insights into how her life has spiraled into a vortex of nothingness.

myBook.to/ReflectionsbyJMBogart

Raised by unorthodox parents in a secluded cottage, only to be set free in the wilds of Montreal, Tulip Garden is painfully naive and needs to grow up fast. Torn between money, masks, and the sinking feeling she is falling into madness, Tulip struggles to discover who she is, what she needs, and where she's headed in this crazy escapade called life.

myBook.to/MoneyMasksMadnessbyJMBogart 

 Don’t have a Kindle eReader? That’s not a problem. Kindle has a number of free apps you can download to your computer, phone, or tablet!

Happy reading!

Mid-summer giveaway - "Reflections" FREE on Kindle

When I realized my KDP Select contract was coming to an end, and I hadn't used all the free promotional days, I figured I may as well string them together and put them out there. So - here it is, the great, mid-summer freebie you've been waiting for.

You asked; I answered.

Over the past six weeks, I’ve done a number of book signings. From trade shows to bookstores, it’s been a fun and exciting time. Along the way, I’ve been asked a few questions, so I thought I’d answer them here.

Question: As an independently published writer, how do you get your books in Chapters?

Short Answer: I picked up the phone and asked.

Long Answer: Each Chapters store operates differently. They all have the ability to stock books on consignment, but how they distribute those SKUs and handle author appearances is up to them. Polite phone calls, brief emails, and making a personal connection with the Events Manager all worked in my favour.

Question:  How long does it take to write a book?

Short Answer: About a month and a half.

Long Answer: It might only take 45 days to write a book, but it takes about a year (and sometimes more) to reach publication. The editing process is what slows things down. I rely heavily on beta readers, my editor, and other writers for feedback.

Question: How long have you been writing?

Short Answer: Since I was old enough to pick up a pencil and loose leaf.

Long Answer: As a teenager I wrote wonderful works full of angst and heartache. As an adult, I needed a job to pay the bills so I worked first as a proposal/technical writer and then as a copy writer. Four years ago, I started writing fiction again and it has become something of an addiction.

Question: How many books have you written?

Short Answer: Three.

Long Answer: Actually, I’ve written several books. Most of them are tucked away in a box, stored on a floppy disk, or have been used to start backyard fires. They make excellent fuel for roasting marshmallows and hanging out with my boys. At this time, only five books are worth sharing. Three are published (Remember Newvember, Reflections, Money, and Masks & Madness), one is with Beta Readers (Liminal Lights), and one is at the beginnings of the editing phase (Shadow Shifts). Currently, I’m writing the third book in the Liminal Trilogy (Seminal Souls) and doing some research for a sequel to "Money, Masks & Madness".

Question: Are your books about you.

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer: Honestly, I think every writer puts a bit of herself into each book she writes. A little piece of my soul is threaded through the text, linking the words back to the essence of me. The stories might not be about my life, but there are elements of my personality, character, morals, and beliefs embedded in them. 

It’s lucky 2013 and yeah, I have some work to do. Instead of making New Year’s resolutions I’m thinking I’m just going to set a few concrete goals for the coming year, do my best to meet deadlines and allow myself the freedom to dream big.

First, I need to write more. I’m not talking about books; currently, I have two to edit, one to complete and a fourth in the works. There’s more to writing than novels. I consider myself to be a long-distance writer, but I’m thinking there’s much to learn from delving into shorter pieces such as blog posts, short stories, flash fiction and maybe even poetry (although this is probably the biggest challenge of all for me).

Second, I need to figure out the whole marketing thing. I might even pick up a book or two, attend some webinars and get myself a bit of education. I know how to use Facebook, but twitter eludes me. I know book bloggers are very important to Indy writers, but approaching established blogs is much like sending out query letters. Of course, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

Third, while on the topic of asking, I need to send out more queries, not just in Canada, but in the United States as well. Being independent is a lot of work, and I’ll admit I’m not so great at the marketing, selling and promotion part of it. Even with a traditional publisher, a writer has to make efforts to sell their work, but some of the pressure of constant promoting might be alleviated – might.

And fourth, I need to focus. It’s too easy to get caught up in what others are doing. I enjoy interacting with other writers and artists on Facebook. Blogs are intriguing, articles are inviting. Knowing what’s going on in the world of writing is essential, but there are times when hours pass by and suddenly I have spent the day trolling the internet in search of who knows what instead of working on my own stuff.

Last of all, I need to remember that I’m kind of good at this writing stuff. It’s okay to be proud of my accomplishments and show off my work. There might be days when I want to toss the entire lot in the bin, but I’ve had enough feedback to know my work isn’t half bad. With each new book, blog and bit of writing I complete I learn something new, both about myself and my writing.

So, in short, 2013 is going to be a good year for me. I feel the tingling in my fingers and excitement in my heart. Watch out world, here I come.