♥ E-book Sale at Smashwords! ♥

Every year, Smashwords has their July Summer/Winter sale. I've decided to participate this year by enrolling all my titles in the promotion. That means you can get Honor, Betrayal, Deception, Intrigue, Spellbound, Heartless, Redemption, and Forgotten, and other Heartless tales for only $1.50 (USD) each by using coupon code SSW50 in your shopping cart. The 11th Commandment and The Dragon's Birth are FREE using the same code, and My Lady Coward is always FREE. ☺

Thank you so much for all your support, my lovelies! ♥

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪  Sick Puppies ~ Don't Walk Away 

~E-book Sale~ ♥ FREE to 99¢ ♥

Just a few book related updates for you, my lovely readers. ☺

First and foremost, Intrigue received a glowing, beautiful, 4½-star review from InD'tale Magazine. It was completely unexpected, and so thrilling! (I always expect the worst. LOL)

"Writing that shouts "well above average" should never be missed, and Ms. Grant certainly has attained a lofty position with this story!" ~InD'tale Magazine

To celebrate, I've put Intrigue on sale. The price change hasn't fed through to all the stores yet, but at the time of this post, it's reduced at Amazon (US & UK), Apple, B&N, Smashwords, and Kobo. It will soon follow to Sony and Diesel. 

Second, Heartless has been on sale for 99¢ since I revealed the cover for my upcoming release, Forgotten, and other Heartless tales. Seemed appropriate, considering the new book is tied very closely to Heartless. (For example, the heroine of the first story in this anthology is the sister of the heroine in Heartless. Yup, very closely tied together.)

"The richness and emotion of these characters will grab you by the heart and the story will not let you go!" ~InD'tale Magazine 

Get Heartless at Amazon (US & UK), Apple, B&N, Smashwords, Sony, Diesel, and Kobo for only 99¢ until Feb 28.

As another "woo-hoo" announcement, Whispered Beginnings, the Clever Fiction Writers Anthology that boasts one of my exclusive Regency short stories, is now free. Follow the title to read an excerpt of my short story and for buy links.

And as always, My Lady Coward is free, The 11th Commandment is only 99¢ everywhere e-books are sold, and my one and only non-romance/fantasy short story The Dragon's Birth is also 99¢.

*All links open in new tabs or windows, depending on your browser settings. All linked titles go to the corresponding page on my site where you can find blurbs, excerpts, and buy links.  

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Nashville Cast (Hayden Panettiere) ~ Undermine

~Just Released~ The Dragon's Birth...cont'd

~♥♥~ Now playing in my head: Chloë Agnew, Someday ~♥♥~

 Forgive me for the multiple posts on this topic but my excitement knows no bounds. The Dragon's Birth is now available in the Kindle Store on Amazon. There's a handy link, just to the left here, that will take you right to the listing, should you be interested in checking it out. 

If Amazon's not your cup of tea, there's still the listing at Smashwords, and soon (hopefully) it will appear on B&N, Kobo, Apple, Diesel, and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head. 

And if you like to try before you buy, there's an excerpt (from the first edited draft, not the final) on my website and Smashwords allows you to read the first 10%. Amazon also will send an excerpt to your Kindle, if that's how you prefer to roll.* 

Happy reading, writing, and blogging!! 

*Edited at 12:54PM to add: I just sampled the Amazon version and they don't give any of the actual story, just the copyright page. Sorry about that. lol

Your Last Chance

Today is your last chance to enter to win your choice of my five currently available eBooks. All you have to do is follow the directions for June 26 in the post 3rd Annual Summer Treasure Hunt: Dig For Clues & WIN! Contest. The winner will be drawn and announced tomorrow.

There are a few more days of other prizes to win as well. And don't forget to check back often to see if you've won!

Happy reading, writing, and WINNING!! 

*Photo came from Dreamstime free images section. Click the image for more information. 

Call for Beta Readers : Heartless

What's a beta reader? Just like beta testing a program or product, manuscripts should be tested too. Readers are lined up to read an unpublished work and search for plot holes, typos, loose threads, and things like that.

That being said, I need readers for Heartless, readers who are unafraid to tell me (nicely, of course; no call for rudeness) what's keeping the book from being a 5-star read. (The book was previously self-published but has been picked up by TreasureLine Publishing.)

The blurb from the first edition:

They married in haste. Would she repent at leisure?

Finding herself abandoned after the death of her father, Leandra Harcourt takes a chance on a dark stranger at a small inn. Married, she learns about her husband during his extended absences, discovering more truth and mystery than she ever could have dreamed.

The Duke of Derringer is feared and reviled wherever he goes; he is a man not to be crossed. Finding himself suddenly in need of a wife only interferes with the plans he has already set in motion. Vowing to marry the first woman he meets, he stumbles upon Leandra Harcourt, desperate and alone.

With only sporadic visits home, Derringer finds his wife intriguing, baffling, and oddly desirable. In her prosaic attitude and calm demeanor, he discovers a peacefulness that he's never known in his life and knows he will never find again. While facing a nameless assassin, his search for his missing cousin intensifies. Little does he realize that in reaching his goal, his enemies may reach theirs, endangering his new bride as well.

For more info about the book itself, you can check out my blog, The Heartless Duke.

If you'd like to volunteer as a beta reader, please comment here with your email address and your qualifications (reader, writer, editor, proofreader, or any combination thereof--I'd like a variety). If you'd rather not leave your email addy here, drop me a line at jaimeygrant{at}yahoo{dot}com or private message me through facebook or Goodreads (don't forget to include your email address and qualifications if you choose one of these ways to contact me). A DOC file will be sent to you, along with instructions. I will be accepting volunteers until May 7.

If you've already read Heartless and thought of a few tweaks, feel free to send me an email detailing the things that bothered you.

And as a special thank you, all volunteers* (including those who have already read it and send me an email with their complaints) will be sent a code to download the new edition for free from Smashwords.com, when it's released. Additionally, all volunteers will be entered to win a signed paperback of the new edition.

Any questions? Please ask. :o)

Thank you and happy reading!!

*You must complete the "assignment" to qualify for the free download and be entered to win the signed paperback.  

Read an Ebook Week (March 7-13)

Before you say anything, yes, I know the precious little redhead is reading a physical book, not an ebook. Still, I think it is an adorable painting.

Now that that's out of the way...

It's that time of year again. It's "Read an Ebook Week" and as usual, Smashwords is up to the task. There is a special going on all week where you can download some great titles for 25, 50, or 100% off! (I have enrolled my books at 50% off. Each one is only $1.48.) And Smashwords makes it easy by including the sale code on each and every participating book page.

Remember, Smashwords is where to go if you want "your ebook. your way." These are DRM-free, people! You can purchase the title you want and download the format you desire. Do you have more than one e-reading device? Great! Buy the book once, download the PDF version for your PC, the .mobi version for your Kindle, and the PDB version for your Palm. There's no need to purchase multiple copies.

Here's a link to get you started (Of course it goes to one of my books. This blog is all about me.): "Read an Ebook Week" at Smashwords

Happy reading!!

Curiosity Continued...

Update on my Amazon test as mentioned in the post Curiosity Forces Me to Try Something Different:

I don't think that bold little Amazon sale price really has a whole lot to do with Amazon Kindle book sales. Not for me, anyway. Of course, it is difficult to accurately test this theory when one is left two negative reviews. Sometimes, overly nasty negative reviews can make readers curious. Hmm. Now that those plagiarized reviews have been removed--Thank you, Amazon!--we may get a more accurate test.

Oh, July's sales were higher than June's but nowhere near March's. (I'm not revealing actual numbers quite yet.) :o)

On another, related matter:

I realize e-books are really only just starting to gain momentum as a preferred reading format. I participated in the recent sale at smashwords.com, offering 50% off my Regency novels. Well, I've decided to go one step further since that sale ended. I lowered the price to $2.95. (Old price was $4.95.) No coupon codes necessary.

For those of you unfamiliar with smashwords: The books offered on smashwords are available in several formats including Kindle and PDF. Each book can be previewed, too. For absolutely no cost to you, you may read the first 50% of each of my books for free.

Happy reading, writing, and blogging!

Betrayal by Jaimey Grant. $2.95 from Smashwords.com

England 1816. Bri has been running for years. Just when she thinks she may have escaped those pursuing her, she finds herself thrown into Newgate Prison...where Adam finds her. Hired by Bri's family, he is determined to return the heiress posthaste. When it becomes clear that her family does NOT have her best interests at heart, she must accept Adam's help, something her pride will not allow.

Spellbound by Jaimey Grant. $2.95 from Smashwords.com

England 1820. Retired actress Raven agrees to pose as a missing noblewoman/fiancé of an eccentric duke. If caught, she could lose her life. Her reason is simple curiosity about her employer, Lord Windhaven. His plan goes far deeper than merely hiring an actress to play a role. He suspects something is not right with Raven. Then the duke's brother arrives, threatening to reveal Raven's identity.

Heartless by Jaimey Grant. $2.95 from Smashwords.com

England 1820. The Duke of Derringer must marry within five days. Disgusted with his father for such a stupid codicil, he vows to marry the first woman he meets. That woman is Leandra Harcourt, illegitimate daughter of the late Earl of Harwood. Derringer marries her, refusing to admit he's helping her more than himself. Meanwhile, some disobliging soul wants him dead.

Redemption by Jaimey Grant. $2.95 from Smashwords.com

1821. Lady Jenny is the pampered, beloved daughter of a duke. Becoming a little jaded after several Seasons, Jenny flirts shamelessly with the newest rogue to grace London, Dare Prestwich. The situation gets out of hand, Dare flees, and Jenny must face judgmental Society alone. The one left to pick up the pieces is Dare's twin, Miles, who is in love with Jenny's twin, Gwen. Oh, the scandal.

Curiosity Forces Me to Try Something Different

I am curious about something. Amazon used to discount my Kindle books by 20% and sales were adequate. After the discount disappeared, sales dwindled.

I recently read an article from a self-published author who suspects that Amazon has decided not to offer the discount on self-pubbed titles anymore. This would be truly sad and a bit short-sighted on Amazon's part, but fairly typical of many these days. (I am self-pubbed, as well, just FYI.) At first, I thought she was probably right. Until I noticed my title Heartless.

Amazon took the discount from only three of my four titles. Heartless continued to enjoy its 20% discount. I don't know if this had something to do with Heartless having far better sales than the other three or not. When one is dealing with Amazon, one never knows what is actually going on.

I am participating in a sale at Smashwords.com. My books can be purchased for 50% off the list price of $4.95. This is accomplished with an easy-to-use coupon code which is displayed prominently on the pages of all the books participating. With Amazon, they do not offer the publisher/author a coupon or discount option. Discounting a title is something Amazon decides at their own discretion. To their credit, the author/publisher's "royalty" is based on the list price no matter how much Amazon decides to discount the product. Honestly, it's about the only positive thing I can say about Amazon lately. They are not the most author-friendly online bookstore.

That being said, I have decided to drop the price of my eBooks in Amazon's Kindle Store for a limited time. I want to see what happens. From now (July 15) until October 31, my books can be purchased from the Kindle Store for $2.95. If Amazon decides to discount them further, all the better for everyone. :o)