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Showing posts with label troubled heroes series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label troubled heroes series. Show all posts

(Another) Revamp!

Long time no see, readers! Here's a small update in the world of J.R. I was talking with another writing friend and we were trying to brainstorm some ideas on why I can't get my Troubled Heroes Series to sell. I've changed descriptions, prices, and covers several times. My friend was gracious enough to do some experimenting on her own, and she came up with 3 fantastic covers that I have changed those books over to. Here they are:




So my next concern was, how would I let people know that these books were about a firefighter? More brainstorming commenced, and we came up with a name change to the series. So, what was once known as The Troubled Heroes Series is now know as the Firefighter Heroes Trilogy.

I'm really loving these new covers - I'm trying hard to get eyes on this series and I'm hoping that they catch someone's eye. Again, special thanks to M.P. McDonald, fellow author and friend, for her ideas and wisdom on this!

As always, if you enjoyed one of my books, please spread the word! Word of mouth is one of the best promotional tools we can have! Happy reading!

J.R.

J.R.'s Books - Now Available For Nook and Apple!

It occurred to me this evening that I have not officially announced that my books are now available on Barnes & Noble and in the Apple store. About a week ago I took all of my books about of Kindle Select so I could make them more available for those who might not have a Kindle. So, here in this blog post you can find the links needed to get the books for your Nook or iPad!

I've had several ask why they weren't available before - I tried out KDP Select because of the ability to make my books free at any time, as well as allowing Kindle readers to "borrow" the books too. Well, I gave it a try - needless to say, it wasn't a successful marketing plan so I'm going to move on to trying something else and expanding the availability for other people.

To make a long story short, here are the links for those who are interested in purchasing them from Apple and Barnes & Noble, or for those who want to pass the word along to others! Word of mouth is the best way to help tell others about books you have enjoyed!













                                     Click Here for Dance With the Devil on Barnes & Noble


Happy Reading!






Murphy's War - Now Available!



Murphy's war went live last weekend, but here is an update for those who might have missed the announcement!

Sean Murphy knows all about the dark side of growing up in a violent Irish family deep into gang activity. What he doesn't know about is love, but he wants to learn when he meets Gracie. She's the light to his darkness, but how can he have her when violence threatens his every action? Can he risk dragging the only woman he ever cared for into the middle of his dangerous life? He longs to leave the gang, but his only option out is in a body bag. Will his love for Gracie trump his allegiance to his family? As an all out war with a rival Italian gang rages, he is thrust into the thick of the battle, unable to see an escape from the way of life he's come to loathe.


Available at these links:


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!


 

 
 
 


 
 
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. 

 

Ryan Shay's Story


If anyone has taken a gander at my author page recently, they probably have realized that Fight for Absolution is no longer there. Rest assured, it IS still available, just under a new name and has a new cover. In a previous blog post, I mention that the book is my red headed step child, that it has sort of been in the shadow of my Troubled Heroes Series , and that I want to get Ryan Shay's story out there and heard.

I was given some advice from a fellow writer friend who suggested that a more catchy cover might grab some attention. Also, Fight for Absolution was sort of a mouthful, and as I thought about it, I started to agree with her about it. So, after a revamp, what was previously known as Fight for Absolution is now going to be known as Reformed. It is the same exact book as before - this is just a marketing attempt to try to get it some exposure that it desperately is needing.

Here is the book blurb for those that aren't familiar with it -

Ryan Shay wants to forget his past.  Memories of an abusive childhood, betrayal from his family, and failure to trust anyone have held him captive his whole life. Afraid to confront his demons, it's a miracle he hasn't wound up a statistic in the war on drugs. Having no real purpose or reason to get better, he has failed several rehab stints and has always gone back to the one thing he finds comfort in - drugs and alcohol.  After being accused of stealing from a local dealer, suffering from an overdose, and learning he might have a son, Ryan finds a strong reason to break the chains of his addictive past and end the cycle of his shameful ways.  He is determined to become clean, despite the constant negativity sent his way from his friends and society.  His success is not only for himself, but for someone who desperately needs him.  What could be viewed as a careless mistake to many is possibly the one thing that might save Ryan Shay's life.

I have also posted a note on the book -

Forgiveness won't change the past - but can do a lot for a future. This book was an idea I have thought about for several years.  I am fascinated with the human mind, from addictions, to deep rooted psychology - it is a topic I'm always thinking about.  This story poured out and I wrote it faster than any book I've ever mused about. I was a bit worried about the subject matter at first, which is why it took me so long to actually give the idea a second thought, but now that it is published, I am thankful I did it. It became a journey far more exciting, emotional, and thrilling than I ever imagined it could be. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


I really hope changing it around isn't murder for the book, but really, the sales have been quite dismal on it since it's been published, so the few who have purchased it probably won't realize it anyway. I'm really hoping more people will get to know Ryan and his story - it's not a pleasant one, but his struggle might lend some inspiration to everyone out there.

Happy reading!

Kindly,
J.R.

Island of Misfit Ideas

Recently, I've been going through some book ideas that I have worked on in the past. I have a couple of books that I've started on and sadly, the idea, for whatever reason, has fallen flat. I had an apocalyptic story revolving around fierce storms that I was deep into back in 2012 that I just sort of stopped writing on. Actually, now that I think about it, I remember exactly why I stopped writing on that one.... That year was a year that seemed like whatever I wrote in the story seemed to come true in storm systems across my area. Coincidence? Oh, I'm almost sure of it, but it was still enough for me to get a little wigged out about it. That year on April 29th, a tornadic storm ripped through my neighborhood, tearing up my car and my house. (I live in an active tornado area, but it was enough to hit that close to home to make me shy away.) I think that was the final straw in putting that story on hold, and sadly, I never went back to it. Now, almost two years later, I've dusted off that old file and have done some looking around on it. If I do a thorough read through on it, I think maybe the muse could come back and maybe I could complete it. Of course, storm season is right around the corner and gearing up, so should I? Hmmm, yeah, why the heck not?? Apocalyptic stories seem to do pretty well.

The story is titled "The Roaring Silence" and here is the probable cover that I was thinking about using. Keep in mind that this is just the preview and not the purchased background that I would use, hence the watermark over the middle of it. The final picture will not have that:


Another book on my mind is the very first self published book I ever wrote called Modern Day Drifter. I took that book down due to it needing some mega re-writes. What can I say? It was my first book and I was so naïve going into it all. I had EVERY intention of making it available again and gosh, I want to say it's been well over four years since I took it down off of the Amazon website. It was basically a general romance about an ex convict who found his way to a small town and began working on a ranch. He becomes a rodeo prodigy and finds something he is great at. It doesn't have as complex of a plot as my Troubled Heroes Series does, but it was good for a quick, romantic read. Maybe this summer I can do those re-writes and get it back out there as well.

Long story short - I need to start producing more stories at a quicker pace. With two half written books sitting on my shelf, the potential to produce more than a book a year is there... I just have to get the muse back for both of them. With storm season rolling in soon, maybe The Roaring Silence can really take off and I can have that out soon. I need to stop letting things fall flat and buckle down and finish!

Fight for Absolution - My Red Headed Step Child

Click here to see this book in the Amazon store
 
I have decided to put Fight for Absolution free today. In the midst of Fire Escape, the third took in my Troubled Heroes Series going live, it seems that my books not included in this series have been somewhat neglected... I guess you could say that they have become the red headed step children in my library. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled at the fact that the launch of the third book in my Mikey series has done so well, but I need to give some TLC to my other babies as well.

For those who are not too familiar with the book, here is the description:

Ryan Shay wants to forget his past.  Memories of an abusive childhood, betrayal from his family, and failure to trust anyone have held him captive his whole life. Afraid to confront his demons, it's a miracle he hasn't wound up a statistic in the war on drugs. Having no real purpose or reason to get better, he has failed several rehab stints and has always gone back to the one thing he finds comfort in - drugs and alcohol.  After being accused of stealing from a local dealer, suffering from an overdose, and learning he might have a son, Ryan finds a strong reason to break the chains of his addictive past and end the cycle of his shameful ways.  He is determined to become clean, despite the constant negativity sent his way from his friends and society.  His success is not only for himself, but for someone who desperately needs him.  What could be viewed as a careless mistake to many is possibly the one thing that might save Ryan Shay's life.

I also have included a note from the author, and if you're interested, here is what I had to say about the process of writing this particular book and why I chose to do something so dark:

A note from J.R. -
-Reader discretion advised -- this book contains some graphic content.
Forgiveness won't change the past - but can do a lot for a future. This book was an idea I have thought about for several years.  I am fascinated with the human mind, from addictions, to deep rooted psychology - it is a topic I'm always thinking about.  This story poured out and I wrote it faster than any book I've ever mused about. I was a bit worried about the subject matter at first, which is why it took me so long to actually give the idea a second thought, but now that it is published, I am thankful I did it. It became a journey far more exciting, emotional, and thrilling than I ever imagined it could be. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
 
I hope that it doesn't scare readers away. In general, the book is quite dark at times, but sadly, is realistic to what many people go through in life. It isn't fantasy, it isn't something so far out there that it's unbelievable - people live with addictions and demons everyday, and I wanted to share Ryan Shay's story to those who were interested to give hope, faith, and a reason for others to try and take that huge step out to save their own lives.
 
Please help spread the word.... My Troubled Heroes Series is doing well and I would love for Fight for Absolution and Ryan's story to come out of the shadows and stand right along side Mikey and his story. I love both of these characters.
 
Happy reading! Spring is almost here!!!
 
Respectfully,
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:


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.

Through Smoke - The Paperback!

Front cover




(Click on blog entry to view entire blog post in a pop up window.)

I am officially announcing that Through Smoke is now available in paperback! It is 226 pages and I'm pricing it at $9.99. Right now, as far as I know, it is only available on Amazon.com. The Kindle version is also available as well. I know that ebooks are what is in style now and what is more common in general, but seeing my book as a paper copy feels great. It will be nice actually showing someone it. I've even had a few people request I sign a copy!  I've had several people tell me that they would read it if it were available as a paperback, so now, to those of you who told me that, no more excuses! :-P Just kidding!

Back cover
I'm planning on eventually making Backfire: Sequel to Through Smoke and Dance With the Devil available in paperback as well! The process of doing it through Createspace was not near as hard as I thought!

    Happy reading!




Introducing Dance With the Devil


            

            Last night, I finally got Dance With the Devil: Book Two in the Troubled Heroes Series published! Sadly, it was way past the deadline I had set for it. Originally, I wanted it posted by mid September at the latest, and here it is mid November, but hey, it has finally arrived!
            While this is the second book in the series, it can serve as a stand-alone story as well. There is no need to read Through Smoke before this one.  It is a series solely on the fact that it focuses on troubled, everyday heroes. 
            Here is the description of the book: Lane O'Reily, a Baltimore Homicide Detective, takes on the case of a lifetime when he is handed a murder investigation involving a string of young women. Desperate to solve the case before another victim turns up, he must rely heavily on his only witness, a survivor to the crimes. She begins harassing and stalking him and with his marriage, career, and life on the line, he must decide if the obsessive witness is leading him down a path to the murderer, or down a trail littered with lies, betrayal and ultimately, a dead end.
            I am relieved to finally get this published. With school coming on strong like it has, I really thought it was going to just sit on the shelf and collect dust, so to speak.  I buckled down, got it edited several times, did self-edits, and finally can take a breather! I hope if you choose to read it, that you enjoy it.
            So, what’s up next? I’m planning on beginning a sequel to Through Smoke and base it on the drought that Texas has experienced this past summer. It is in its first stages, and hopefully the fire can begin rolling on it, pun intended!