Of Ink and Quille

As an author, especially in todays industry, you do have to have some ideas for marketing yourself, your books, your very brand. Something I hear all the time is to have a backlist of books, and I do. Currently I  have thirteen books out under my name and another seven under my pen name. Some of these books are doing well, others seem to have fallen off the reader's radar. In the hope that I can generate new interest, and thus improve my connection to my readers I'm going to try something different. Too often we forget what has come before, I can tell you what titles I have, what genres, even a bit about each of my books...but if a reader doesn't know about them what good will that do? I write for the love of it. Its part of me. But, I also have to be honest when I say the royalties are also a big reason why I continue to do this. So, each week I'm going to feature my backlist - tidbits, trivia, and more to refresh these stories in my fans' minds. This week we...

No longer content in the shadows of his older brothers and on a quest to find his destiny, Bryce Fraser's chosen path is fraught with danger, passion, and decisions. Can his unspoken love for spirited, beguiling Fallon be triumphant in a time of war and uncertainty, or will they both fall prey to the devious plans of a traitorous laird from a rival clan?   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXCERPT : Loch Ryan Scotland, 1307 “ Wa . . . water,” Bryce mumbled, but there was no one there to listen.   His throat was parched and he ran his tongue over dry, cracked lips, but his action offered no relief. An entire loch lay only a few feet away, but he couldn’t muster the strength to drag himself to the bank and quench his thirst. “ Cold . . . so cold.” Despite the sun beating down on him, he’d swear he was encased in ice. His life’s blood seeped from his wounds, soaking the ground beneath him. He tried to raise his head, but the excruciating pain radiating across his che...

To celebrate the season authors Patricia Bates and Ciara Lake are running a contest to give a away two free ebooks. This is how it works -- If you have purchased one of our titles on Amazon other than the books we are giving away (see below)-- we will put you in a contest to win a free ebook from us. Yes this means you could win two books. You have until December 24, 2011 to review one of our books on Amazon. You'll be entered into a draw to win a copy of Firecracker by Patricia Bates and/or The Ketchikan Man by Ciara Lake in Kindle or PDF. There will be two winners, one for whichever book (author) you reviewed. You could win twice if you are in both pots of contestants. You'll need to email Ciaralakeromanceauthor@gmail.com or patriciambates@gmail.com to let us know you have reviewed one of our books and you will be added to the pot of contestants. If you have any questions feel free to contact us to!The winners will receive a book by January 1, 2012. Come out a...

Lady Kora has lived every day of her 300 years behind the stone walls of her family's estate. Yearning for something more, now on the eve of the most important night of her life everything is about to change. Damien is a slayer - a whore to his sword, paid to take the heads of vampires. Given a task of ridding the last Ancient from a village, he's on edge. The spirits tell him something is coming - something that will have far reaching consequences beyond this night. The slayer and the vampire drawn together by the fates, their bodies burning with lust can they survive sin's bite? Kindle $0.99 Want a chance to get a sneak peak at Kora's future? Everyone who signs up for my newsletter will be entered into a draw for a copy of the advanced reading copy of Sin's Claim coming spring of 2012. Newsletter Subscription