Monday, December 15, 2014

Author Spotlight - An Interview with S.S. Lange

JET:  Can you tell us about your most recent book?

S.S. Lange: My most recent book is Almost Found, which is the third book in the Charlotte Hayes series. It picks up right after Charlotte, the main character, has a major bomb dropped on her by another character and follows her through the resulting fallout and ongoing threats from a crime family that has been after her for quite a while.

JET:  What drew you to suspense?

S.S. Lange: I’ve always loved a good mystery and cliff-hangers, anything that makes me keep turning the pages. Getting to the end of a chapter with the feeling of “I can’t stop here… just one more” is one of my favorite things. When I finally convinced myself to sit down and really write something, I wanted to write what I enjoy reading, and hopefully create that experience for others.

JET:  What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication? 

S.S. Lange: My biggest hurdle was my own insecurity. Sending off my manuscript to be read by someone else for the first time was absolutely terrifying (and even as I start in on my fourth novel, it’s still pretty terrifying).

JET:  What was your favorite moment in the journey?

S.S. Lange: When the first person to finish the book once it was published told me they stayed up until 4a.m.
because they couldn’t put Long Lost down. Absolutely amazing feeling.

JET:  Which authors had the most influence over you growing up? 

S.S. Lange: Tough question! I read almost anything I could get my hands on. Some of the authors I still go back to include Lois Lowry, Mitch Albom, S.E. Hinton, and of course I can’t wait to revisit Laura Ingalls Wilder with my daughters.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

S.S. Lange: I’m sure this is cliché, but I’ve always known. Before bucket lists were even a mainstream thing, one of my life goals – in the back of a journal from third grade – was to be published. I’ve been writing as long as I can remember – poems, short stories, terrible attempts at song lyrics at first. I think the longest story I wrote prior to Long Lost was maybe thirty pages? Something clicked one day though and LongLost started to come together and before I knew it I had an actual completed novel.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

S.S. Lange: My Google history could probably get me arrested, but nothing to crazy (yet).

JET:  Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite?  Why?

S.S. Lange: They’re a bit like my children so it’s hard to pick favorites, but so far Blood is Thicker is definitely my favorite. I had so much fun writing it and it completely took on a life of it’s own, which if you’ve never had happen, is a very cool experience. I think each one becomes a new favorite though as I face different challenges and learn more about myself and my process.

JET:  Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

S.S. Lange: Just do it. And keep doing it. Stay up far too late when you’re in the zone and just keep writing. And don’t let your nerves keep you from putting yourself (and your work) out there.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten... starting with: Steak or Tofu?

S.S. Lange:  Steak

JET: Beach or Mountains?

S.S. Lange:  Mountains

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

S.S. Lange:  Country

JET: Coffee or Tea?

S.S. Lange:  Coffee

JET: Salty or Sweet?

S.S. Lange:  Sweet

JET: Cat or Dog?

S.S. Lange:  Dog

JET: Audio books or E-books?

S.S. Lange:  E-books

JET: Kick-ass name-taker or Scream for help?

S.S. Lange:  Kick-ass name-taker

JET: Sword wielding ninja or Gun toting momma?

S.S. Lange:  Gun toting momma

JET: Star Trek or Star Wars?

S.S. Lange:  Star Wars

JET:  Thank you for indulging me.  Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now?  What's next?

S.S. Lange: Now that Almost Found is out, I’m plugging away on the next in The Charlotte Hayes Series. It’s still early so I don’t have much to say about it yet, but I’ve got big plans for this one. I’m also working on something completely new that’s more in the young adult genre with some supernatural and dystopian elements.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog.  Folks, you can find out more about S.S. Lange and his/her work at the following places:


Until next time,
Ciao.
JET

Friday, December 5, 2014

Suffering in Silence

SILENCE   

On an early September day in 1979, Jamie Wilson hobbles down the sidewalk on crutches, her broken leg aching. As the school buses rumble past, some jerk yells “Faker!” out the window. 

Jamie flips the bird in response. 

Big mistake. 

She pissed off the wrong egomaniac, and this bully rules the school. 

High school becomes a daily nightmare when her tormentors wage psychological warfare, starting with a physical attack in the hallway meant to terrorize. With only a three-day suspension as punishment and the threat of expulsion for any further physical attacks, the bitch squad change tactics, relentlessly lobbing verbal hand grenades at every opportunity. 

Words are powerful weapons, especially when the school offers no protection against verbal assault. Suffering in silence is Jamie’s only choice if she doesn't want to end up in ICU. 
But silence can become an equally dangerous agent of self-destruction. 


____________________________
This book is perhaps the hardest story I've ever put down on paper, and let's face it, I've written some pretty disturbing stories.  But everything before this book was pure fiction. Making up crap is easy compared to dredging up old and unwelcome memories, even if it occasionally prompts some nasty nightmares.  

The only other true story ripped from the pages of my life can be found in the short story collection Glimpses. Pollywogs and Water Moccasins was based on the day we moved into our home in Connecticut when I was seven.  

Silence is, at it's core, a true story, wrapped in the pretty packaging of fiction. It tackles a social issue that is still prevalent today. Perhaps, the means are different these days; instead of verbal assault, it's now cyber attacks. Either way, bullying is bullying and it takes a strong core to constructively handle a bully. 

Is standing up to a bully the right course of action? Sometimes it is, especially if you are equipped with self defense training or a sharp, quick wit.  But when that approach could land you in the hospital...or worse, silence may be the only option. 

However, remaining silent for extended periods of time can be self-destructive. That build up of hostility, anger, frustration, and all the other emotions that go along with being a victim, must be released in some manner. I would advocate finding a healthy release, even though that is not the path I took. 

Surviving high school can be challenging in the best of circumstances, but when you pile on bullies and other social issues, it can seem next to impossible. Silence is a walk alongside the darkest days of my life and for those that are on that same path today, you may just find a sliver of hope within these pages.

Silence will be released on December 17, 2014, however, it is currently available for preorder at the following places:  AmazoniTunesBarnes & NobleKobo and Smashwords


Until next time,
Ciao
JET








Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Guest post by New York Times Best Selling Author Dawn Michelle

A couple of months ago Jane let me on here to talk about my werewolf series, Claimed by the Beast. Whatever I did, it must have worked because she's letting me come back and do it again. Except this time it's not Claimed by the Beast and it's not about werewolves…well, not entirely. This time I'm here to talk about what happened after Claimed by the Beast. My new book follows Beth, one of the main supporting characters that faded away by the time the series was finished. A lot of bad things happened to her, bad things that I wanted to make up for. Unfortunately, giving her a series of her own might not have been the best option. To come out on top with a HEA (Happily Ever After) ending, she's going to have to earn it.

In between the Claimed by the Beast and Blood Kissed series I spent a little time a story called A Cold Winter's Bite. It was included in the A Kiss of Christmas Magic bundle that saw amazing success when it was released earlier this month. So amazing that yours truly can now say she is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author!

That same chart topping story has some characters that pop into this series as well. All of my books are going to be connected, it's just so much more fun that way. A little drama here and there, maybe some love triangles, and even an occasional chest thumping between alpha males that haven't figured out it's the women that are really in charge. Silly boys, anyhow!

I hope by now you're waiting for your First Kiss, because it's waiting for you! And when you're done with that, head on over to pre-order Forever Kiss, which is scheduled to be released on December 12th. Lover's Kiss, book 3 (and the last book in the series) will come out sometime around January 1st.
 




Thank you all so much!

Dawn Michelle

Sunday, November 2, 2014

When series collide...


Whether you're a fan of the Steve Williams Series or the Games series, or even the Night Hawk and Ryan Chronicles series, you may wonder if the same characters are found in other books. Yes, they don't seem to want their story to end and crop up in the damnedest places.

It really all starts with Ty Ryan and I'll map out the books in chronological order for you and include where he crosses into a different series:

1. Fallen
2. Survival Games
3. Mind Games
4. End Game
5. Hunting Season (Book 3 in The Steve Williams Series)
6. Georgia Reign  (Book 4 in The Steve Williams Series)
7. Crystal Illusions (Book 5 in The Steve Williams Series)
8. Saving Face (Book 6 in The Steve Williams Series)
9. Trinity Rising (Book 3 in the Night Hawk Series)
10. Angel Grace (Book 1 in the Ryan Chronicles)
11. Angel Heart (Book 2 in the Ryan Chronicles)
12. Angel Wrath (Book 3 in the Ryan Chronicles)
13. Black Magick (Book 2 in the Magick Series)
13  Angel Blood (Book 4 in the Ryan Chronicles)
14. Angel Fire (Book 5 in the Ryan Chronicles Series)
15. Angel Fury (Book 6 in the Ryan Chronicles Series)

If you're looking for the boxed set instead of individual books:
The Games Trilogy (Survival Games, Mind Games & End Game)
The Steve Williams Series (all 6 books in the banner)
The Night Hawk Trilogy (Night Hawk, Tigress & Trinity Rising)
The Ryan Chronicles Series (all 6 books in the series)

As you can see from the banner above, there are two books in The Steve Williams series prior to the introduction of Ty into the series and Steve is also featured in the same books going forward that Ty has a supporting role in.

Look for more from these characters in 2015!

Enjoy and thanks for loving my characters as much as I do!
Until next time,
Ciao,
JET

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Goodreads Giveaway!

Do you want to win a paperback copy of The Ryan Chronicles?

Sign up for my giveaway on Goodreads:
                     Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Ryan Chronicles Trilogy by J.E. Taylor
         The Ryan Chronicles Trilogy  by J.E. Taylor                   Giveaway ends November 13, 2014.                             See the giveaway details at Goodreads.                                                    Enter to win



Friday, October 17, 2014

Celebrating new releases and a sale!

Happy Friday! Time to celebrate some new releases and a sale at Kobo!
First up – we have the release of Trinity’s Wrath- Book 3 in The Ryan Chronicles! (see below for the boxed set)




Trinity’s Wrath buy links:






The Ryan Chronicles (Books 1, 2 and 3 together in a boxed set)
Amazon US 









House Rules: Short erotic horror story available on Amazon only:








Last, but not least – there is a 50/35/25 sale going on over on Kobo this weekend and I have a few books available. This is a great time to pick up one of these if you don’t already have them:

50% off  The Steve Williams Thriller Series Box Set (Regularly priced at $9.99 US)
Sale code: SAVE50

35% off Saving Grace – book 1 in The Ryan Chronicles (Regularly priced at $3.99 US)
Sale code SAVE35 

25% off Trinity Rising – book 3 in Night Hawk Series (Regularly priced at $3.99 US)
Sale code SAVE25 

If you already have the titles above, check out some of the other books within each category here:

Happy Reading! 
Until next time,
Ciao
JET