Why I'm an Indie Author

I posted this on another site, and I thought it might be good to share here as well. I've had a lot of people ask why I self-published Breathless, and this helps answer that question. I'd like to add, that I think it was one of the best moves I ever made, and I am really proud and excited with the book's reception. I thank you all for that!

I worked as the managing for an educational publisher for nearly a decade. I wrote nearly a hundred books for that company and edited thousands of others. For a long time, I had forgotten how to write for pure enjoyment, and one day, I started again. I tried to get an agent...I really tried, but it just didn't happen for me. Several agents--many from prominent agencies--gave me great feedback about the book. All told me there wasn't anything they would change. But, ultimately, with the recession happening and so many uncertainties about whether the vampire trend was nearing its end, none wanted to commit.

So, to be perfectly honest, I'm an indie author because I had no other choice. After a year-and-a-half of sitting on the fence while multiple agents decided what to do about my book, I decided to take matters into my own hands. At first, I hoped that even 50 people would check out my book. When I reached 500, I thought I was dreaming. I just surpassed 6,000 copies sold, and I feel incredibly blessed.

I can now say that while I had no choice before but to publish indie, I know that I have done the right thing--likely aspiring to more success than I would have with a small publisher. As I go forth with the next two titles in my series, and as I continue to write other books, I will be publishing indie because I want to, not because I have to!
Warmly,
HH

Frost...

Let me throw this out at you all...does anyone care if Frost returns in Wanderlust? I'm going to be perfectly honest--she wasn't going to. Not in any big way at least. There's a possibility of her making a small appearance. But, I'd like to hear from you guys. I'm at a crossroads in my writing. If she's going to be part of the book, it's now or never.

So, if you're big Frost fan, now is the chance to have your voice heard. At this point, I would have to hear from a lot of people that they would be disappointed to see her out of the second book in order to write her in. But, if I do hear from enough of you, it's a possibility. In the very least, I might be able to find a way to work her into a bigger role in the third book...

I look forward to hearing from you.
HH

Facebook Fan Page

Hi guys,

I know I've been neglecting my blog a bit lately...life just seems to keep getting in the way. I've been spending time in the various forums promoting Breathless and getting the word out. On that note, I have just launched the official Facebook fan page for Breathless. There is a link to the page on this site, and I would love for you to "like" it and tell everyone you know about it. You can also find in here. To get started, I`ve added some personal photos with captions, and I`ll try to keep the status current as I write wanderlust.

If you haven't had a chance to read the USA Today story on Amanda Hocking yet, check it out here.

I also encourage you to check out her response on her blog. Amanda Hocking is an amazing talent and success story. Like Amanda, I am a self-published author. And, while I haven't experienced her brand of success yet, I have been very blessed thanks to all of you.

As far as indie authors go, I aspire to her success, and I think she did an exceptional job at describing the hard work that goes into promoting our books. I have spent much more time doing that than I did writing Breathless. I would love to spend more time writing, but between my full time job, writing, and promoting my books...there's not much time left in the day.

Breathless has sold more than 6,000 copies, and, out of hundreds of thousands of books, it dipped as low as number 202 in the overall paid Kindle books. It's moving back down the ranks after several very successful weeks. If you know anyone who might be interested in reading it, please let them know they can get it for all kinds of ereaders at the following links.

amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
Smashwords
Goodreads
Barnes and Noble
Lulu
Kobo


So, once again, a resounding thank you for everyone who has supported me thus far on my journey. It's been a wild ride, and every minute of it has been wonderful!

Have a great weekend everyone!
HH

Thank You!!!

Just a quick note to say "thank you" to everyone who has taken the time to write a positive review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, or anywhere else. For indie authors, reviews are very difficult to acquire and they have a direct impact on our ratings and sales. We have very few ways to promote our book, and so it means a lot when you send a shout out.

I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your support. There are hundreds of thousands of books for Kindle alone, and Breathless has been in the Top 200 to 400 for weeks thanks to all of you!

I also love to hear from you all. I do my best to respond to each post--sometimes, it takes a while, but I try. It's incredible to hear from people my work has touched in some way through my words--good or bad! I'd be lying if I said the bad didn't sometimes sting, but the good makes it all worthwhile.

So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys are amazing.

Expect the Unexpected

So many people have asked me when Wanderlust will be published, and I can tell you that I am writing as fast as my little fingers will allow. That said, I'm aiming for mid-March. I know...it's still several weeks away, so I thank you all in advance for your patience and overwhelming support.

As I sit here writing a few of the chapters in the book, it has struck me just how amazing the writing process is. I tend to formulate a rough idea in my head, feel it out a bit, and then begin putting it on pages. So, it always surprises me when the words take a twist that I wasn't expecting. I guess you should always expect the unexpected--even when it's coming out of your own head!

So, Wanderlust is turning into a bit of a surprise for me as well. Chaseyn has a few secrets of his own, and there will be a handful of new characters to keep the story interesting. I'm excited to share with you the twists and turns of Lia and Chaseyn's journey together...and apart!

So, thank you again for hanging tight.

Cheers,
HH

Introducing Balthazar--Another Sneak Peak at Wanderlust

Hi everyone,

As promised, here's another glimpse at Wanderlust. Balthazar is one of the new characters in the next book. I've always loved the name and wanted to use it for a character for as long as I can remember. I thought better of it when Claudia Grey gave one of her main characters the same name, but as I was writing Wanderlust, I couldn't think of a name more suited for this particular character.

Sorry for the wait...

Enjoy,
HH


The alley out back was dark and dirty. The only light was that of the moon, which reflected off trash cans and puddles of sludge that oozed from dumpsters and garbage bags. I held the door slightly ajar and fidgeted nervously for a minute. It was a bad idea for me to be waiting around in alleys alone, and I thought twice about my decision to be here. Turning to head back inside, I slammed smack into what appeared to be a brick wall--if walls wore button-down plaid shirts. Slowly, I shifted my gaze upward and was greeted by a menacing glare from one of the most foreboding, yet ridiculously attractive, men I had ever laid eyes upon. I knew instantly what he was--no human could aspire to such rugged perfection--and a desperate desire to be anyplace else shot through my body. Paralyzed by an all-consuming fear, however, I was unable to move even a single step. Finally, I felt the subtle pressure of his cool hands weighted on my hips as he shifted me slightly, gently to the side. He stepped past me into the lane, closing and locking the door behind him with a brassy skeleton key. Suddenly, I was frozen--both literally and figuratively. My arms were covered in goose bumps, and I was too terrified to move a muscle.

“Name’s Balthazar, but everyone calls me Balty,” he said in a smooth baritone that would make Barry White jealous.

I stood in silence staring at the mountain of a man standing before me. He was well over six feet tall--at least 6 feet 5 inches if I were to wager a guess. And, his jet-black hair was shaggy and overgrown, curling up at the nape of his neck and brushing past his eyebrows into his eyes. A slight growth of dark hair--just a tad thicker than a five-o’clock shadow--covered his chiselled jaw. I guessed him to be in his mid-thirties, and he was utterly stunning in a rugged and unkempt way. He must get really good tips as a server--women would love him.

Like, Mina, Chaseyn’s mother, Balthazar was a full vampire. I’m not sure how I knew, but I did. The knowledge terrified me, and the throbbing of my pulse drowned out all other sound. Running would be useless. Balthazar would have the gift of extreme speed--all vampires did. Screaming was out of the question--my voice was stifled in my throat. This was it, I thought. This is how I was going to die.

Who Do You See When You Read Breathless?

Hi everyone,

I know I've promised you another sneak peek at Wanderlust, which I will provide later this week. In the meantime, I would love to know who you see in your head when you read Breathless. If you're like me, there are certain celebrities that you try to place as the faces of your favorite characters. So, with that in mind, who stars in the movie of Breathless that plays in your head when you read?

I won't taint your vision with my own ideas, and certainly, some of my visions are constantly changing. One remains constant...the only one I will share with you...Frost. Moments after I first introduced her character, it dawned on me who I was describing, and to this day, I feel very strongly that one celebrity epitomizes her look--Katy Perry. That's it! That's all I will say, but I would love to hear who you see while you read.

For that matter, I would love to hear if there are any other characters from any books that you get a clear vision of in your head when you read. I can visualize every detail down to movie quality when I read scenes in books, with the exception of faces. I can read labels on cans, signs on doors, and all sorts of other details, but it's very rare for me to see a fully formed face. To get us started, though, there is one character that has a very distinct face as I read. I see Channing Tatum when I read about Patch in Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush and Crescendo books. Don't know why, but he's who I see, and I'm not complaining!

Cheers,
HH