Cover Revamps (Again)

Due to lackluster sales recently, I've had to think of a new way to get eyes on a few of my stories, so again, I have revamped the covers on my Firefighter books as well as The Search For Skylar. And if you notice, I have changed it from The Firefighter Heroes Trilogy to The Firefighter Heroes Series. I am currently keeping my options open on it, as I might have a 4th Mikey book in the works for those who have stuck with the first three!

Here are the new covers:

I am currently waiting for the to go live on Amazon, but here they are! Hope you are having a great weekend, and happy reading!

J.R. 

Character Perspectives & Development

Character's perspectives are a part of writing that I probably enjoy the most. Creating a character, making that character yours, and completely making a personality for them is powerful. With that comes the perspective of the character and the range of knowledge they might possess. Before I completely lose you here, let me explain the main ideas of what this blog post will consist of today.

For example - Michael McGinnis is my main character in my Firefighter Heroes Trilogy - he has a wide array of wisdom when it comes to high rise saves, burning buildings, and intense situations. However, when it comes to speaking eloquently, let's face it, Mikey is lost. I don't claim to talk proper by any means (I have a Texas twang that I can't shake)... but I'm more likely to use bigger words than he would, though he is my character and I've developed him. I have a degree in psychology and addiction studies, but do my characters hold knowledge of the disease? - more than likely they don't.

I was chatting with a writing friend the other day and we were talking about regional terms that people might be familiar with. Here where I live, we have what we call caliche (caleechee) roads, which is just another term for gravel. She had never heard it called that. Since some of my characters are from areas where I've lived, their perspective of a gravel road might come out as caliche... and if they're from where she lives, they'd have no clue what the heck caliche is. Another question arose - a character of hers mentions cement and concrete in the same scene. And I might regret admitting this, but I honestly had no idea that cement was an ingredient to make concrete until someone had taken the time to point it out. I learned something new that day, but what if the character wasn't aware of it either? What if they were lying on the concrete and just thought cement was another term for it? I was guilty of thinking that - maybe the character is too, but the author knew exactly what they were doing.

Long story short - writing a character means we are limited in what they know. If we wrote someone who knew everything (or the same things we were experts in), they'd most likely be unlikable. Who loves a know it all? Keeping them limited also leaves room for growth and another thing I like to write - character development. Mikey has learned through the course of the three firefighter books. He's a different man from Through Smoke to Backfire, and Fire Escape because I started him off as having a limited perspective on what he knew.

To tie up my whole rambling - sometimes an author can come off ignorant due to the character they have thought up. If a character calls something wrong, take the perspective into consideration. How well educated is the character? Who is the person and where are they from? Does the character use "gonna and wanna" a lot in their dialogue? That doesn't mean the author is the same way - it just means the character might be different. Where is the book taking place? There are tons of different accents all over the world.

Breaking News!!

Good news in my writing world! Recently, I was referred to a group of authors who participate in a boxed set edition called The Thrilling Thirteen. They've already had one edition out and had a pretty successful run, grouping 13 thrillers together and selling them at a low price to readers. So, long story short, Through Smoke will be included in The Thrilling Thirteen part two! I am stoked to get more exposure on the book, and hopefully it will help people become more aware of the entire Firefighter Heroes Trilogy!

I am still planning on keeping Through Smoke free as a standalone book. Yes, completely FREE! I'd explain why I'm doing it this way, but that's a topic for another day!

With this release in the Thrilling Thirteen boxed set also means that I will be taking the trilogy out of Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Select, so for those of you who have this, snatch up the other two books before they're no longer available to borrow from Amazon. Their last day in Kindle Unlimited is January 20th, so there's still a couple of days.

Why pull them out of KU? It's simple - Thrilling Thirteen will be available in several stores and not limited to just Amazon. With the exposure I'm hoping it'll get from other websites, I'd like for readers in those markets to be able to go on and read the rest of the trilogy on Barnes and Noble, Apple, etc. Let's face it - without this chance to include Through Smoke in the boxed set, I probably wouldn't let my Kindle Select contract lapse. Sales in those other markets aren't the greatest and don't make up the difference on what my payout usually is with KU.

This is all trial and error. It's the marketing side of writing books that most people usually find very boring and don't care about. Main point of the blog - A big opportunity is on the horizon for my Firefighter Heroes Trilogy. I can't pass up a chance at extra exposure in a boxed set that has the chances of being great. Also, if you have read Through Smoke and have Kindle Unlimited, hurry and get Backfire and Fire Escape before Tuesday, otherwise, be prepared to pay for them!

Here's to a good run with the Thrilling Thirteen! I am looking forward to this upcoming opportunity!

Happy Reading!
--J.R.

Cover Revamp!

Today I took some time to revamp my Troubled Heroes Series covers. Through Smoke, Backfire, as well as the Trilogy box set all got a makeover, and here are the covers for you to take a look at!

THROUGH SMOKE: BOOK ONE

 



 

 

BACKFIRE: BOOK TWO

 

TROUBLED HEROES SERIES TRILOGY BOX SET

 

 

The books were overdue for a facelift, so here they are! I hope you all like them, and as always, HAPPY READING!

 

Kindly,

J.R. 



 

New Release - Fire Escape - Book Three: Troubled Heroes Series

After taking much longer than I had anticipated, Fire Escape - Book Three: Troubled Heroes Series is now available! Here is the book blurb:

Michael McGinnis has finally escaped the clutches of alcohol, and with his brother Casey doing well in rehab, for the first time in his life, he dares to hope that what only seemed like a fantasy a year ago - a life with Eva as his wife, a child or two, and a job he was born to do - will become a reality. But Viper reaches out even from prison, and sets out to shatter Michael's dreams. With help from outside sources, he frames Michael for a string of arson cases. Desperate to clear his name, Michael becomes a fugitive, staying one step ahead of the law, but one step behind the real arsonist.

Saturday night when I was editing, it was perfect. Right when I went to the KDP website to begin uploading the manuscript, I received an email from a reader stating how much they loved the book (Through Smoke, Book one in this series) and how they understand how important character development is. I have been in a feedback drought lately, and was thrilled to hear from someone. She went on to state that she would be reading the sequel, Backfire. I just had to let her know that her timing was perfect, and that the third book would soon be available in literally a matter of hours.

I apologize for the delay in finishing - I have put reasons (excuses) toward the end of the book in a special note to all of you.

Happy reading! Stay warm out there - spring will (hopefully) be here soon! And as always, I'd love to hear from you all! Hate the book or love it, sending me a quick email, tweet, or comment on Facebook will help me improve!

Kindly,

J.R.

Keeping it Real

First off, I want to start out this blog entry with a huge thank you to all of you readers out there who take the time to review, ‘like’ my author page, and email me pertaining to my books. Feedback is greatly appreciated, whether it is positive or constructive. One of the best ways to improve is hearing from others about my work! So, to get this started, THANK YOU!

Tying in to feedback, I want to broach the subject of the realism in Through Smoke and Backfire: The Sequel to Through Smoke. I’ve had a couple of people get back to me with concerns of the language used within these books. A few have said that the language was a bit harsh and inappropriate for the story. That is definitely an understandable concern. I have thought about this common thing that is brought up in emails to me. I want to apologize to those who didn’t like it. But I’d also like to explain why I wrote them the way I did.

I want to keep the story as real as possible.

I don’t want you all to think I’m handing out an excuse. I’m being truthful when I say I’m keeping it real. I grew up around firefighters and emergency personnel. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but they tend to have mouths like sailors. It’s almost like it comes with the job. I guess there really isn’t a 100% certain reason as to why this happens – I just know that it does happen.

Think about the TV show Rescue Me. Yes, it’s a fictional show about the FDNY. Denis Leary was the creator/writer/producer etc etc…. However, to not ramble, he has family who is also in this kind of business. If you’ve ever even seen just five minutes of this show, you’ll see that the language is even worse than what I’ve done in my books… It is what it is. I don’t want someone getting back to me and say that the book isn’t how the real thing is.

So… when asked why I felt I needed to put that type of language in my books, the quick and simple explanation is that I want it to be as REAL as I possibly can. Again, I apologize to those who found it offensive and unnecessary. I hope that you can still find enjoyment in the plots in the books and the writing. I keep you all in mind when I’m writing new material – your concerns and feedback do not get ignored, I promise you that!

I appreciate each and every one of you – yes, even those that do not enjoy what I put down into words. You all make me a stronger writer. I couldn’t ask for better readers!

Happy reading to you all, and I hope a wonderful book is in your near future!

J.R.

Why Go Free ?

This past week has been amazing in regard to my books.  Through Smoke went free on Monday, February 4^th and was free through the 6^th.  I run freebies from time to time to try to get some exposure, but this particular promo had perfect timing.  It was a great experience.  While the downloads came in, that was a great feeling, but the best part of it all is knowing how many new readers I’m gaining.  My author page had several new ‘likes’ and I have received several emails.

As a writer, it is a natural high to hear from people who read their material.  Each download that showed up on my sales report meant a possible person who might like my stuff. Of course, it could be a complete 180 and it could mean people don’t like it – but that’s the name of the game. Not everyone is going to enjoy what you write and publish.  That’s one thing as an author I have to still accept.  Sure, getting that review that wasn’t too glowing stings a bit, but that’s part of the job.  Even best selling authors like Steven King and Nicholas Sparks get those.  (Now I’m going off on a tangent not intended for this particular blog update! Haha!)

This week has officially been the most successful week since I have been published – and not necessarily just downloads and purchases of my books, but the fact that I am gaining new readers.  I write to entertain, and knowing that so many people have my book ready to go on their Kindle brings a smile to my face.  I’m not in this to get rich – I’m in this to offer joy, wisdom, happiness, or whatever other emotion a person might feel when reading Through Smoke, Backfire (Sequel to Through Smoke), Dance With the Devil, or Fight for Absolution.  While these books are intense in nature and can run through every emotion a person can feel, I hope when someone finishes them, they feel it was worth their time (and money). 

I don’t know what made this free promo so successful compared to other times that I ran it.  It could be timing, luck, or both.  Regardless, I owe a HUGE THANKS to all of you readers out there who take their chances with indie authors.  It has become a huge market that has caught on like wildfire, so it can feel like a massive sea full of millions and millions of book choices.  So again, I greatly appreciate everyone who has bought, downloaded, and read my stuff.  It makes this all worthwhile!

Happy reading to you all, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead of you! 

Backfire - Sequel to Through Smoke Now Available!

I just wanted to announce that Backfire – Sequel to Through Smoke, is now available in the Amazon store!

Here is the link: Backfire - Sequel to Through Smoke: The Troubled Heroes Series

Michael McGinnis returns in this sequel to Through Smoke.

While visiting his brother in Texas, he is struck by the devastation wrought by the drought and wildfires. Learning the fire departments are staffed mostly by volunteers, he feels compelled to stay and help. Having little experience with this type of firefighting, Michael is forced to learn the basics quickly, making him vulnerable to the deteriorating situations in the largest and most destructive wildfire in Texas history. Eva is forced to go back home to New York with the constant worry of his safety on her mind.

With danger closing in on him, Michael comes to terms with what is important and must make a crucial decision that can change the lives of everyone he knows.

HAPPY READING!