Friday, October 22, 2010

SILENCE: BROKEN! The Secret is OUT!!!! ;)



Okay, guys! I know I've made you wait a long time for this (and hopefully there are still a few of you around to read this!!!) but honestly--I was literally given the OK by my publisher to "let the cat out of the bag" earlier today. So here goes!!!.....


New pen name: ELLE JASPER

New series: The Dark Ink Chronicles

Book One: AFTERLIGHT

Release date: November 2, 2010


Content: VAMPIRES in SAVANNAH!!!


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Now...most of you who've read my books love the low-impact sex (ie: usually ONLY in the last chapter, and after the vows have been said!!!) as is the nature of my light ghosties! I shall give you all fair warning: The Dark Ink Chronicles are wicked-sexy, gritty, with occasional BAD LANGUAGE. EEK! Some of you use to write and tell me MORE SEX!!! Lol! Well you'll find it in this new series for sure. my hero and heroine, Eli and Riley, are wicked crazy about each other, and they don't play games!


I completely understand different tastes in reading, and I know not all of you will like/be interested in my new work. I LOVE my Cindy Miles books, and I LOVE the characters. I hold a special place in my heart for them all and would LOVE to work on those stories again. But, I had to flex my versatile muslces and swing a little with the market, and The Dark Ink Chronicles definitely reflect that! While my new characters are alot different than my ghosties, I love them just the same. To me, they're real, they're deep, and I'm very attached to them!


But if you do take a chance and buy the book, I hope hope hope you totally enjoy! There's a contest running, and if you're already a subscriber to my Newsletter, no worries--you're already entered! If not, then visit the website www.ellejasper.com and take a look around. Join my Newsletter! And check out my character bios/portraits of my hero and heroine! And definitely send me a shout-out via email! elle@ellejasper.com
Thanks to all of you, and now that I'm able to Break The Silence, hopefully I'll be able to stop by here a bit more often!!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Great News!

Hey Everyone! I just found out that we have sold German Foreign Rights for MACGOWAN'S GHOST! How cool is that? :) THANKS, GERMANY!!!!!

For those who may not know how it works, the book will be translated in German and given a new cover. Cool! As soon as I recieve the cover I'll post it! I'm anxious to see what they come up with. I love my present cover for it though! :)

Small update (since I'm so bad about jumping on here!): I am busy at work with not only Captain Justin Catesby's story, but a Young Adult novel as well. It's not sold yet but I plan on completeing the manuscript by September. Wish me luck!

I hope everyone's staying out of the heat (if you live in it!) and having a wonderful summer! I love the 4th of July--the whole Sandlot, fireworks, hotdogs, homemade icecream thing! But once it's over I'm then ready for FALL!!! :) It has been blazing hot here lately (Savannah, GA) but we get storms every evening and it seems to cool things off. My daughter and I set the tripod up last night and took some really cool pics after the storm, of the moon and weird clouds. I'll have to upload them and post! :)

ALSO! For those of you traveling or living in the Orlando, FL area, plan to stop by the Romance Writers of America Convention July 28th through the 31st. I will be there signing copies of THIRTEEN CHANCES at the big Books for Literacy Signing. Go here to check out details: http://www.rwa.com/

Okay! I miss all of you and hope you're all having a fab summer! Stay cool!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Captain Justin Catesby! :)

Hey Everyone!

WOW! I know it's been a lonnng time since I posted. So busy these days! I hope everyone is having a super summer! So far, not sweltering here in Savannah, but I know it's coming!

So! FINALLY! Justin Catesby (for those who may not remember, he was the ghostly young, flirty sea captain introduced first in MacGowan's Ghost!) is getting his own story! I am in the process of plotting it out now, but it will be included in another great collection of short stories in the Mammoth Books, by editor Trisha Telep! As soon as I get the details, I'll post them. I'm not even sure when the deadline is for it! I'll keep you updated, and as soon as I get my story together I'll give you guys a little peek! :)

I'll post more soon! Lotsa movies to chat about, and books. :) Has anyone seen Letters to Juliet? OMG, that movie is FANTASTIC!!!! Went with super-girlfriends and we had a blast. LOVED the movie!!!

Okay! Catch you soon!
Cindy

Monday, March 22, 2010

Breaking Benjamin



I LOVE Breaking Benjamin! Check them out! http://www.shallowbay.com I think they're so COOL!!! And CUTE!!!! Their song I Will Not Bow is my ring tone, and I listen to them while writing my new stuff (OOPS! CLUE!) :) They're going to be in Atlanta in April. I think I wanna GO!!!! :) Do they sell hot dogs at concerts? Pretzels? The last concert I went to was Michael Jackson's THRILLER concert and lemme tell ya--that thing ROCKED! (I was in HIGH SCHOOL. EEK!) I don't remember hot dogs though. Hairspray. Lotsa lotsa hairspray. HA!
So Spring is trying to weedle its way into the coastal south, and we've had a few days of springish weather--complete with a dusting of YELLOW JUNK from the pine trees. Ah-CHEW! Allergy time! But yesterday it all faded away, back to gloomy, dark, and chilly willy. I worked on a new (ANOTHER!) young adult outline and finished it. I ADORE it and can't wait to start writing it! Believe it or not, it's a straight young adult/teen contemporary romance--no paranormal! WEIRD! I'll let you know how it all works out. :) This one's set in North Carolina's Outer Banks, and I'd like to go there this summer. We'll see!
So did anyone see Gerry Butler's new movie? Bounty Hunter? I have not but it looks fun! I'm still reeling from Wolfman and Shutter Island--man, those were fantastic!!! I love Leo! He has another movie coming out that looks pretty awesome, in July I think. Gotta check it out!
Alrightythen! :) Off to do a little writing! I hope you all have a great week!!!
xo!

Monday, March 1, 2010

I'm BACK--and with STUFF to talk about



Hey guys :) I know it's been quite a while since I've been consistent with blogging, and I mean to rectify that! But first, there are a few things to chat about. :)


Firstly, I hope everyone had super holidays and a wonderful entry into 2010! It's so busy around the holidays, and then they zoom right by! I LOATHE Post-holiday aftershocks. Lets just say it was the LAST weekend in January before my dry, dead, brittly Frasier Fir Christmas tree was undecorated and hauled out side. YIKES! Truly a sad moment (and a serious fire hazard!). Needles everywhere! I'm still finding them!


Okay, down to the STUFF. I've had many, many wonderful readers email asking about my next project, and I so very much appreciate how interested you are in my stories. I LOVE my stories, the characters, and it makes me so happy to know there are those who've enjoyed them just as much as I. I've got a stack of ideas for characters/their stories that one day I truly hope to write one day. But here's the thing: The Market. Right now, dark, sexy paranormal romances and urban fantasies are HOT and flying off the shelves. It's what the majority of the public demands. My books are light paranormal, and overall the light stuff's sales are "soft". So for now, I'm sorry to say, my stories are on hold, and I say On Hold because I hope the market eventually swings back in the light paranormal's favor. Don't get me wrong--I love the dark stuff too. But the truth is many, many people, due to economy and etc., either check out books in the library or buy books used. Unfortunately, neither of those methods work in an author's favor as far as keeping the books on the shelf, or their books continuing, or further contracts from the publisher. If an author's book isn't bought new, they don't get "credit" for that sale. The publishers have no idea who checks out books at the library, or who purchases used books. So therefor, the author's sales don't speak a whole truth as to how many readers and fans they really have. I know because I get super emails nearly every day from you guys! And I LOVE them. THANK YOU! Bottom line is this, unfortunately: if you have a favorite author and you want to see his/her books continue, buy the books new if possible. I am NOT a salesman (I couldn't even sell Girl Scout cookies well!) and I don't like bringing business into it, but some people have no clue that a used sale doesn't give the author and his/her book count credit. I know times are tough economy-wise, but if it's possible, buy the books new.

WHAT I'M DOING ABOUT IT: First off, I'm persistent, if anything. It took me 8 years to make my first book sale. It took me 4 times to pass my nursing state boards exam (what a stinker!). So its just not in me to give up. I have story ideas for 2 guys in particular: Jason and Captain Justin Catesby. I think I could write a story for almost all of my secondary characters--I love them all! But Jason has always been one of my favorites, and Justin fast became one! :) When the market does a turn-around for light paranormals, those two will be my first stories pitched.

Until then, I can only say this: I am excitedly working on a new contract and have to be totally mute about it until the first book releases. YIKES! I honestly can't even breathe a peep about it! But I PROMISE, as soon as I'm given the OK, I will share it in its entirety. The full deal. The skinny. The low-down. LOL! I will tell you this--you'll hear about it before this year is up. :) They will be written under another pen name so keep checking back and I SWEAR, I'll update you ASAP! :)


Other stuff I'm doing: I do have a short story in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romances entitled Nia and the Beast of Killarny Wood. :) Check out the cover at the right! :) That was a fun story to write--but it has no links to any of my previous books. I'm just sayin'! :)


I'm also working on some Young Adult ideas, and actually I may very well work Jason's story in as a Young Adult. I mean, he IS young. :) I need the perfect heroine for him, though, so my mind is working in that direction. I'm really excited about this other young adult project I've been working on, and if I make the sale (I'm working on edits right now) you guys will be the FIRST to know! :) I may even use Cindy Miles instead of taking a pen name.

I've really had a hard time deciding how to come out and say all this without SAYING all this. LOL! But it started making me avoid the blog, and I didn't like that at all. So I'm BACK, this is what I can tell you about it, and I hope you guys keep coming by! While I'm sad that I don't have any more Cindy Miles books on the way in the near future, I am VERY excited about the new stuff, and I can't wait to share it with you all! I will start back my blogs here--you know me, mostly I just chat about movies and trips and new books and stuff. But I promise--I'm not going ANYWHERE! :) I will be doing some book signings and conferences/workshops throughout the year, as well as some guest blogs, so I'll post them all on my News page once I get them organized. :) Okay! So that's all the heavy STUFF--now onto some fun stuff! :)


Erin Hart http://www.erinhart.com/: My pal Leah Brown (she is a wonderful writer of French historicals and has a super-great blog: http://leahmariebrown.blogspot.com/ )turned me onto this author years ago when her debut book, HAUNTED GROUND, released. It is one of my all-time favorite books to date. Her second novel, a continuation of Haunted Ground, soon followed: LAKE OF SORROWS. Now, several years later, (well, a few) her third and continuation novel has just released: FALSE MERMAID. I am ON my way to get that book! I've been waiting and waiting for it and FINALLY! It's here! Erin's books are these phenomenal crime/mysteries with a speck of romance set in IRELAND, and she does Ireland PERFECTLY! I was SO hooked! If you've never read any of the books before, and you'd love to sink your teeth into some kinda good Irish mysteries, start with HAUNTED GROUND. You have to read them in order!



MOVIES: Oh my lucky stars, the movies! I've squeezed in TWO that I absolutely had to watch on the big screen: The Wolfman and Shutter Island. GOOD LAWD, they were both FANTASTIC!!!! Benecio Del Toro is SO COOL as the wolfman! :) I'd honestly never watched him work before, but man--he's superb in this movie! A remake of the 1941 version, it has that Old Hollywood feel with today's modern cinemetography. So freaking awesome! I loved loved loved it! Here's something funny--my best pal, NAL Author Kim Lenox http://kimlenox.com/, looks JUST LIKE (to me!) the heroine, Emily Blunt. (Kim has a new book releasing in April: Darker than Night, the third installment in her Shadow Guard series set in Victorian London!) :) Both Kim and Emily are GORGEOUS! :) And of course, Sir Anthony Hopkins was kick-butt in it as well!! :)
SHUTTER ISLAND: Oh my word, that Leo DiCaprio just gets better and better looking as the years tick by! He was cute in Titanic. I mean CUTE! With that adorable floppy hair darling smile. :) Now? Good sweet Muther! Hot! I said HOT! Blood Diamonds, hello? EEK! Well he really outdoes himself in Shutter Island! If you 've not read the book the movie is going to shock the pants off you! (so wear clean undies with no holes please!) Me and my daughter BAWLED! Oops--don't want to give anything away, but come on--if you're a Leo fan you KNOW he always bumps into tragedy! And he does it so WELL!!!! :) I will be buying both of those movies when they come out!
I also want to see Alice in Wonderland (helllloooo, Johnny Depp!!), Percy Jackson and the Olympians, CLASH OF THE TITANS! (woohooo!) and of COURSE, the Bounty Hunter! (WOOOP! Gerry Butler!!!) Those are all next on my list!

Okay, guys! I know that was a load to dump on ya! Trust me--I've been fighting with how to say it without being down or gloomy. All I can say is I truly love my Cindy Miles books, settings, characters, and stories. I will not give up! :) And I hope, once I'm able to announce the new stuff, you might give it a shot, too!
Have fun at the movies, check out Erin's books, Kim's new release, and Leah's blog! FUN! And I'll see ya here again soon! :)
XOXOXOXXO!!!!!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

I'm a CAVE DWELLER!!!!



Hey Everyone!!!! I am sorry for being so absent! Holidays plus deadlines equals INSANITY!!! :) I do hope everyone had a super Christmas/Holiday and fabulous New Year. WOW! It's 2010! I cannot believe it!!!!

My status right now is still CAVE DWELLER! I'm on serious deadline and will check back with updates and a new contest and STUFF after February 1st!

Meanwhile...check out the next Mammoth book: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romances. I have a short story in there entitled: Nia and the Beast of Killarney Wood. It was so fun to write! :)

Take care, I've been thinking about all of you, and I look forward to seeing you again in a couple of weeks!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!