Category Archives: Avery Flynn

Mermaids Immortalized in Romance Fiction (And a giveaway to boot!)

7Hello fishy friends!

How’s everyone doing? I hope your 2016 is off to a great start. I’m humbled and honored to say January is wrapping up very nicely with the release of my eighth published novel. Let Me See (Book 2 of the These Three Words series) just came out today. I’m so very happy I get to share this story with you but guess what really has me smiling?

I’ve missed my fishy sisters so much since moving away from their area nearly two years ago. But today I get to be with them again. Sort of.

I hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from my new release in which the Waterworld Mermaids become immortalized in romance fiction. **Be sure and leave a comment below for a chance to win a free e-copy.** Let’s see if you can spot them…

Copyrighted Excerpt from Let Me See (These Three Words, 2) by Carlene Love…

Jay normally spent as much time out front chatting with the guests as he did on stage performing for them but right now he wanted a few extra quiet moments alone to let the importance of tonight sink in.

“Jay, come.”

Having thought that, Marie was rarely persistent with him like this. So he followed her out front, forgetting for the time being that he was only half-dressed for his solo. He ran his hand over his abs, rubbing away some of the sweat already sticking to his skin. He’d barely crossed paths with Julian but the bump-in had been enough and he had the man’s angel wing glitter all over his black pants. Jay dusted it off as best he could, eventually giving up. Jay hooked his thumbs in his suspenders. He left the newsboy hat that would—pardon the pun—cap off his college prep outfit in homage to Maggie, in his locker and followed Marie out front. One thing he recognized for sure was the extra pep in her step. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought she was playing Cupid or something ridiculous like that. Too bad he couldn’t just tell her he’d officially taken his heart off the market, for good, two weeks ago when he’d been stood up again by the girl who had somehow taken his everything prisoner.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and followed her out, pumping himself up for the night and walking to the beat of Gabe’s solo song.

“So you guys had a pretty successful adoption event at the last shelter drive?”

“Yes, Marie. Why do you ask? You sure are talking to me a whole lot tonight. I mean, I love it. But, do you swear everything is okay with you?” He’d do anything he could to help her. She worked hard and he knew she had issues she kept hidden. Jay knew how that could eat at a person.

“I’m in the mood to do some good and you think there’s something wrong with me? Gee, thanks, Stud.”

He wasn’t sure exactly what to say back to her, to be honest. It was tricky with Marie because Jay knew he had to keep his flirting to a minimum, remembering how wrecked it had made him when D had gotten too loose with his flirty words for Kelley. “My apologies to the lady.”

They walked single file through the last bits of the cramped back hallways until they got to the door that led into the public portion of the club. Jay took an extra-long step to put him in front of Marie so that he could get the door for her. He ushered her through but then noted how she quickly jumped back in front of him. Guess she really wanted to be the leader.

“Accepted. And you’re right, it is odd that I’m feeling so chipper. It’s freaking me out but I’m going with it for this night only. I just feel like this burst of goodness came inside earlier. Apparently your sister’s spirit of positivity has its claws in me tonight.” She winked and smiled softly at him. “Anywho, recognize anyone?”

Marie suddenly stopped walking when they’d only made it a few feet into the club, clearly waiting for him to stop too and have a look around. Okay, he’d play along and checked out the bar area since that was where he associated Marie as being most often. “Drunk Al. Tina and her mom and her sisters. Um, Brad?” He noted the faces he could see this far in the dark.

“Ahem.” She cleared her throat and pulled him around by the suspender until he was facing the stage. She let go and the elastic snapped his skin. It didn’t really hurt but he let out a yelp just to tease her. “Ouch.”

Now he did see a ton of familiar faces. “Do you really want me to start naming everyone? Cause there’s Liz, Kerri, Dana, Kim, Alethea, Pintip, Susan, Loni, Masha, and Denny, just for starters.” It gave him an immense feeling of joy that so many of the regulars were already here supporting the cause. “Oh, and let’s see … Lynne, Robin, and Avery. I can keep going—Jen, Keely, Deb, Denise, Sue, Lil. Ooo, Becky’s looking supa-hot tonight. She turned fifty in here last week, you know. Still fricking gorgeous. Did you know she’s the drummer in a band? I think I’m going to give her a late birthday lick later on. In fact, I think I’m gonna go over there with my sexy self and lick her right now.” Of course he was just teasing, watching Marie’s face get more and more perturbed with him. It was his playful payback to her for bringing him out before he’d gotten dressed and then being so secretive. But honestly, who did she want him to see?

“Ugh. You’re impossible. And you wonder why I don’t talk much to you boys. Gabe—”

But she may as well have stopped speaking.

The second he changed his line of sight to the stage where Gabe currently held court as a half-dressed military hero, he saw the one thing he never would have expected, not in a million years at this point.

She didn’t even have to turn around for him to know.

*****

Eek! I hope you liked it!

Take my friendly fishy advice. If you find yourself missing those who you care about and can’t be near, write them something. Whether it’s a letter, an email, a text, or yeah, in this case a novel. Reach out. Let them know you’re thinking of them. I call it a paper hug. xoxo

**Giveaway Info: Say hi, or better yet, say hi and leave a message for someone you’re currently missing in the comments section and I’ll enter you into the drawing for a free e-copy of Let Me See. Winner will be randomly picked on Sunday night, 1/31/2016. Good luck!

My best to you and yours!

Fishy kisses,

Carlene Mermaid

Let-Me-See-evernightpublishing-JayAheer2016-3DrenderAre you sure you’re ready to see what’s inside?

Two hearts beating…      

S Club dancer and extrovert, Jay, has worked very hard for this eye-opening moment with his reluctant and shy friend, Kelley. Unfortunately, a humorous attempt to get her to open up serves to push her further away. Now it’s nearly impossible to convince her he’s not just out to play.

Hundreds of scars in need of hiding…       

For good reason, Kelley has yet to let Jay see all of her whereas he takes his clothes off nightly for a living. Her respect for him runs unmatched because she sees who he is inside. There’s just no way to ever reciprocate and that’s not fair to him. His interest in her has never made sense. The best option is convincing Jay there really is nothing to see.

One dark night to shine some light on their healing…

Sometimes, it just takes one very patient man, one dimly lit room and one safe set of arms.

Check out more from Let Me See HERE at the Evernight site or HERE at Amazon. xoxo

Understanding the Budding Male Mind

As romance authors, we do a lot of research to better understand the male mind. We read papers and books. We talk to dudes and ask uncomfortable questions. We flip through guy magazines – although you couldn’t pay me enough money to ever read a Maxim again. I weep for twenty-something women. Weep.

However, as the mother of two boys I’m getting a whole new perspective on the male mind. A year ago Flynn Kid No. 2 was all about Ninjagos and Legos. Then somehow, somewhere a switch was flipped. And he turned into this guy.

FAT-NAKED-ARKANSAS-FANOK, not exactly that guy, but that kind of sports fanatic. This was my reaction to this development.

confusedI mean really. The change happened overnight. All the sudden he was all about sports. He went from Ninjagos to Sports Center and from Star Wars to Rudy. When his teams are doing great it’s all

BOSHTONGUE.gif.pagespeed.ce.FgHrqBXhxyDisturbing? Yes. But it’s so much better than when they lose.

SAD-FANIt’s never good to see your eight year old cry over a game, but there’s part of me that can’t help but react like this

152c9hgbecause come on … it’s a game. Not that I say that. No. I know way better than that. Plus there are the unintended amusements of raising a budding sports fanatic. There’s the bright orange cowboy hats he wears for Syracuse games. Then he has the New Jersey Devils Mr. Potato Head that has to sit by the TV during games. And the Notre Dame mini helmet, the New York Giants helmet and the New York Red Bulls scarf that are all deployed when necessary. Pretty soon, Flynn Kid No. 2, the fab Mr. Flynn and Flynn Kid No. 3 will be doing weird things like this.

Brian-WilsonGive it time. It will happen.

I may not totally understand the male mind, but this I know: beware dragons and foul balls be there. So I just giggle and say

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Who You Calling Crazy?

My love for Mary Jo Putney grew exponentially this month when I heard her speak at RWA Nationals. She received the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and gave one of the best speeches about the writing life that I’ve ever heard. My favorite line? This one:

You don’t have to be crazy to be a writer, but it sure helps.

*Cue lots of knowing laughter.*

Ah, the writing life. It makes us all a bit batty even if we weren’t before. Why? Well for us planners it’s because we work things out in our heads (or our forrest-killing line of Post-It notes) and then this happens:

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If you’re a freak like me that makes you do this:

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But that never gets the job done, so I suck it up and make a new plan. This is what I tell my characters:

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Thank God, they say yes. (Yes, I know the characters aren’t real, but the muse is and sometimes she’s a real diva.) Then the words start flowing and this is how cool I feel:

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And it all works out in the end with even the author getting a happily ever after. And if I have to be crazy to make that happen? So be it.

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Because the crazy amongst us are in good company. I say go forth and wave your crazy author flag.

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Avery Flynn Climbs the Vine to Tell Us About Jax and the Beanstalk Zombies

AFlynnHeadshot2Mermaids, friends, and romance readers galore… I have convinced the fabulous Avery Flynn to tell us a little about herself and dish on her latest release, Jax and the Beanstalk Zombies, a zombie-apocalyptic romance published by Lyrical Press.

Don’t forget, Avery is doing a Rafflecopter giveaway to celebrate the release of Jax and the Beanstalk Zombies, so read on for the details on how to enter to win those great prizes are below.

Hello, lagoon! 🙂

Welcome Avery! Can you please tell us a little about yourself?

Let’s see … I drink a lot of coffee. I have an unfortunate addiction to Oreo cookies. I’m a bit of a loud mouth. Stop laughing, there are people in the world who talk more than me. … There just aren’t many of them.

When you were five years old what did you want to be when you grew up?

I have never wanted to be anything other than a writer. OK, I may have wanted to be Wonder Woman, but I got over that. Mostly.

How long have you been writing and do you recall what originally sparked your interest?

I got my first typewriter before I could even spell and I used to write gibberish stories about my stuffed animals. I have no idea what sparked my first story, but I’ve always loved reading or being read to

What is your favorite part of the writing process and what is your least favorite?

That depends on the day. If everything is flowing, I LOVE everything about writing. It is all unicorns and rainbows. On the days when nothing but crap is coming out of my fingers (ewwww, now isn’t that a pretty visual?), I despise everything about writing

What was the inspiration behind your most recent story, Jax and the Beanstalk?

I was on the way home after a July 4 BBQ at Kimberly Kincaid’s house. That means I was well fed and a little tipsy – don’t worry, the Fab Mr. Flynn was driving. I knew I wanted to write a twisted fairytale involving zombies and Jack and the Beanstalk seemed like the perfect candidate.

What was your favorite chapter (or scene) to write and why?

The scene where Jax and Veronica have sex on the magic carpet was pretty fun. I mean come on, how do you top that?

What has been the toughest criticism you’ve received as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Criticism? No one criticizes authors. 🙂 I think I’ve blocked out the worst, but my own aunt did give me a three on Goodreads once. But we’re not really a hold-your-punches kind of family, so I’m OK with it. The best compliment? Really, anytime someone enjoys something I’ve written, it’s the best compliment.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

Reading. Shopping. Eating. Spending the day in yoga pants with a bottle of wine. Wait, did I type that last bit out loud? 🙂

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done to research for a book?

I wish I had done something crazy to research a book. Maybe I can work skydiving into a book. I’d need to research that. Of course, I’d have to hogtie the Fab Mr. Flynn to a chair or he’d tackle me before I got out the door.

Please share five random things about yourself.  

  1.   I love shoes, but spend most of my time barefoot.
  2.   I love to eat, but hate to cook.
  3.   I love men who are smart, funny and hot … hello, the Fab Mr. Flynn.
  4.   No one makes me laugh harder than my kids.
  5.   I would rather chew off my own arm than shop with my mother.

 

Thanks so much for letting me hang out with you today, Dana!

No, thank you Avery for taking a break from your crazy, busy schedule to keep us up to date on your latest release. But let’s not let the fun end now.

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Jax and the Beanstalk Zombies by Avery Flynn

“I loved this story.” – -Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author

“4 stars. Snappy, smart, thoroughly romantic.” – RT Book Reviews

“This is Jack and the Beanstalk smexified, zombified and all grown up.” – Elisabeth Staab, Bestselling Author

 

The treasure hunter… Veronica Kwon is determined to be the only person in control of her destiny. After surviving a broken engagement and turning her back on her wealthy manipulative father, she’s started a treasure hunting company and is ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

The ex-fiance… Jax Taylor is a Southern charmer with enough sex appeal to melt the polar ice caps. He disappeared three months before their wedding and swore he’d never cross paths with Veronica again.

The magic beanstalk… Brought together again by their dying mentor, who has found three enchanted beans, Veronica and Jax agree to an uneasy partnership. Together they’ll climb a magic beanstalk to the cloud kingdom, but will their destiny be the riches they so desire, the passion they thought dead…or will the undead get them first? 

Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. Find out more about Avery on her website, follow her on Twitter, like her on her Facebook page or friend her on her Facebook profile. Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

Enter to win a JAX AND THE BEANSTALK ZOMBIES prize pack (including a Shaun of the Dead DVD, zombie hunting license and more) from Avery Flynn and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Fly Your Romance Flag and Win Design Services

Avery-mermaidIt’s Flag Day (at least for those of us in the U.S.)! And that means it’s time to fly your romance genre flag.

What you didn’t know Romancelandia had its own flag? It doesn’t, it has five. OK, Romancelandia has more than five genres, but come one it’s a lagoon not the ocean. Jeesh.

The uber-talented graphic designer (and one of my favorite people in the world), Elizabeth Babski with Babski Creative Studios, created these flags for several of the genres in romance. We’re flying these flags with pride in our lagoon today and want you to do the same. Pick your genre flag and fly it on Facebook, Twitter and Pintrest (be sure to mention you found the flags at www.waterworldmermaids.com), then enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Read or write in more than one genre? Pick your favorite one.

The winner will receive either one banner ad or a Facebook header from Babski Creative Studios. The design would use your existing cover art and copy you provide, and she will provide background graphics and supporting text effects. You have until midnight EST June  16 to enter.

Pick Your Romance Flag!

Suspense3 Contemporary3 

Paranormal3 Historical3 Erotic3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Elizabeth Babski co-owns Babski Creative Studios, a full-service graphic design studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Need a custom book cover, web/social media graphics or author swag?  Contact her at [email protected].

Party Time in the Lagoon! Loni Lynne #Book Release and #Giveaway!

Wanted-1600Y’all I am super excited to have cornered our own Loni Lynne in the lagoon. She’s getting tipsy on the One Fin Cosmopolitan, so you know she’s going to spill the goods. Why is she in such a party-down mood? Because her debut novel Wanted: One Ghost was released this week and it’s time to celebrate.

Since it’s always 5 p.m. in the Waterworld Mermaid lagoon, grab yourself an adult beverage and join the conversation with Loni. And be sure to play along in the comments for a chance to win Loni’s debut novel, Wanted: One Ghost.

OK, I have to ask about your writing space. Where does the magic happen?

My daughter’s former bedroom which now has my L- shaped writing desk, an aerobics ball I use for a chair and three book shelves loaded with romance books and research books.

I’m going to totally out you because you’re one of the more quiet mermaids in the lagoon. I promise not to share it with the world *wink*, but what are three things about you that would surprise other people?

Loni Lynne 5 p12756ta105474_251.) One of my first jobs was as a radio DJ for a country music station out in western Oklahoma.

2.) I joined the Navy right after high school and tried out for Navy Diver when they started to accept women in the program…I didn’t make it.

3.) Was stationed for four years in Hawaii.

Loni, you have led an interesting life, which is great for a writer. 🙂 How did you get your idea for Wanted: One Ghost?

After a few ghost tours I wondered what the ghosts would think or do so I created my own version of ideas.

 If you could divine history by touching objects, like your heroine April, what event or person would you like to know more about?

I’ve always had a thing for Revolutionary War era. I would have loved to sit in on the signing of the Declaration of Independence or sat and talked with Ben Franklin.

James, your hero, is a ghost/ladies man. That’s quite a combination. What inspired you?

I consider that era so full of charming gentlemen. He was a combination of some of the historical romance heroes I read in the 1980’s and 90’s.

Are you a history buff? If so, what’s your favorite era and why?

To read about and study, I love Colonial American and Westward Expansion. I grew up in the Midwest and was fascinated when my family moved and traveled frequently around the country. First thing we did was check out local museums.

For music/decor I love vintage/1920’s-1950’s. Big Band and the old crooners.

OK, now for the most important question ever. Historical hotties (i.e. who’d you rather): A dashing Duke or a brawny Viking?

A dashing Duke. Dark hair, charming and elegant.

***

Who’s ready to get their hands on a copy of Wanted: One Ghost? Yay! I want to giveaway a digital copy to one lucky commenter (open internationally) who answers this question: If you could divine history by touching objects, like April- the heroine in Wanted: One Ghost, what event or person would you like to know more about?

Put your answer in the comments and I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday.

Wanted: One Ghost 

Wanted-1600Stuck in ghostly limbo for 238 years, James Addison can’t move on to an afterlife.  After being falsely accused of treason and executed, fate’s cursed him to remain an earth-bound specter until he meets a historian sent to research his past.

Distrustful of fate, Dr. April Branford wants to be taken seriously, but her unique ability to divine history by touching objects seriously compromises her credibility. Her latest assignment?  James Addison, a legendary colonial ladies’ man with a shadowy past.  Without much to go on, she doesn’t hold out much hope to discover the man behind the legend until the day she accidentally touches him and brings him back to life.

 With the help of family and ghosts from James’s past, they unravel the truth. But after falling in love and with time running out, it’s hard for April to believe in fate and a future where forever is now.

 

Poll Results: How Much You Make and the Books You Write

So it all started out with me being my normal nosy self and wondering how much money everybody else was making. We put out a little poll in the lagoon.

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42% of respondents made $1,000 or less in the past year. Click the picture to see in more detail. 

That led to a bunch of questions from our fabulous commenters. So, we threw out those questions to everyone who dips their toes into the Waterworld Mermaid Lagoon. Here are the results. Click on any of the images to enlarge them.

Please not this is not a comprehensive survey of romance writers. I’d love to see RWA or a chapter do that kind of survey.

j l k i h g f e d c b Click the picture to see in more detail.

Money Matters: Experience, Digital First and Indie Writers

Coin Dropping Into Piggy BankA few weeks ago, the Waterworld Mermaids ran a poll asking authors how much money they made from writing romance novels. What we found is that 42 percent of the respondents had made $1,000 or less in the past 12 months.

However, the response in our comments section was so great that we wanted to ask a few follow up questions suggested by the Waterworld Mermaids’ amazing readers. Here they are.

If the polls – or vote buttons – don’t show up for you on this page (some internet browsers don’t like mermaid polls), click on the link under the poll to take it. Please only take the polls that apply to your romance writing income bracket.

And don’t forget to share these polls with your romance writing friends and tell us your thoughts about the results in the comments below.

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Mermaid Blogoversary: Getting Our Freak On AKA Paranormal Day

mermaid logoBy Avery, Denny, Loni and Masha

Hey all! Thanks so much for hanging out with us during our blogoversary blowout week. There are 13 mermaids in the lagoon, so we broke the week’s posts into groups via genre – just like the tables were grouped by genre at the very first Washington Romance Writers retreat we all attended together. Cool, eh?

This year for our blogoversary, we’re telling tales (not pulling mermaid fishy tails) about some of our favorite memories from that first retreat. Be sure to check them all out and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of each day’s post to win a fantabulous prize pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card, books, reader goodies, a mermaid nightie, a Waterworld Mermaids water bottle and fun stuff galore!

Avery:

Avery FlynnOne of my favorite memories of meeting a mermaid was meeting Kimberly MacCarron. There I was sitting quietly in a corner — OK, you know that’s a lie. So there I was chatting up a complete stranger before one of the workshops started. I stopped talking ever so briefly to suck in a breath when BAM! the woman next to me starts talking about the difficulties of making Persian rice. It was such a total non-sequiter and she talked with such passion, I knew we were destined to be friends. Either that or we’d have a who-can-talk-more battle to the death. That crazy woman with the waving hands and sarcastic tweak to her tone was none other than Kimberly MacCarron who to this day can talk me under a table without even breaking a sweat.

Denny:

Denny S. BryceMy memories of my first WRW Retreat are sketchy. It was of course the weekend when I entered into the land of Mermaids, but I actually wasn’t in the mood to attend. I’d never been to the Retreat. I had tried to attend one or two times, but it was always sold out by the time I’d mailed in my registration. So, my  critique partner Joy Daniels (Danielle:) said I had to go, so I signed up. I didn’t mingle much outside of the orientation for first-time members, but I do remember sitting near Mermaid Alethea. She was very chatty (and a little scary:)…she kept telling me I needed to write short stories. Every time I saw her she said ‘You should be writing short stories.” I didn’t ask her why. I just nodded and smiled.
The only other clear memory I have was sitting next to Sherrilyn Kenyon during lunch. I didn’t know who she was though. Sorry, but seriously, I didn’t. After a few minutes of chatting (we didn’t talk about writing either), I learned she was very nice, funny, and she talked a lot. I do recall saying to myself, “Self, if everyone at WRW is like her, this could be fun.”
Then someone stood up and said, now I’d like to introduce our keynote speaker, and the gal sitting next to me stood up, and I grinned, thinking, I bet everyone thinks I really know her.
Okay, that was a typical all about ‘me’ moment,  but I can’t lie during the weeklong celebration of the Waterworld Memaids blog-anniversary, right?
Loni:

Loni Ren Faire It was after the final session on Friday night, before everyone went their separate ways (some of us to the small bar at the hotel).  I was walking down the corridor in between the dining area and the break-out rooms when someone said, “I could sure use a drink!”

I replied, “Me too.  An Amaretto and Sprite would really hit the spot.”

The woman turned to me and said, “Really? I’ve never heard of that.”

“Well, let’s go see if they have some.”

The next thing I knew we were sitting at the bar with a drink and talking about our stories and our lives. Within minutes it was like we were old friends.  Susan asked me about my book I was pitching (which is now my debut novel, Wanted: One Ghost) in the morning.  I told her how nervous I was.  It was my first time to pitch—ever!!

Needless to say, she was there for me the rest of the weekend.  It was great!  We exchanged emails and when I got home, excited to have had two full ms. from my pitches, I went to work on preparing them to send.  Susan emailed me about the group forming of a bunch of virgin-WRW retreat ladies who were putting together a blog page—had never done one of those either.  The rest they say, “Is history!”

Masha:
Masha MermaidSo there was this table.  It was supposed to be inspirational.  Inspirational writing, that is. Turns out, everyone at the table wrote everything but inspirational.  A glitter infused chickie, who had more energy than two thousand fireflies in a small glass jar, decided to rename the table. It was no longer inspirational, but that’s what it turned into.
So there we were. A motly crew of writers. I listened as they told their stories, fascinated by the different journeys. I don’t usually feel comfortable crowds, even less so when forced to speak. But at this bouillonbase table, I felt comfortable, safe.
So there I was that night. At home. Because that’s what I do. Hellicopter around like a wordless specter. What I later found out were my soon-to-be sisters were hooting it up.  Mermaid style. At a game of Jeopardy (or such). As usual, I missed out, but that’s okay. It was by choice.
A few days later I got an invite to join them in the sisterhood of mermaids. Me. The one who never says much. Who doesn’t participate with gusto.  And is always more present in spirit than in person.
And for me, that’s how it began.  They’ve put up with my missing deadlines, complaining, tardiness and continued hellicoptering. And they’ve done this without question, without recriminations and always with support and a hearty “we’ll be here.” And so I thank them.. again, from behind the computer screen, because that’s where I feel safe. The writer journey is a tough one, but these women make the road less lonely.  Thank you.
Mermaid Anniversary Prize Pack
Now it’s time to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to win a fantabulous prize pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card, books, reader goodies, a mermaid nightie, a Waterworld Mermaids water bottle and  fun stuff galore!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How Much Do You Earn From Writing?

Avery-mermaidI remember when I signed my first book contract and a friend’s husband wanted to know when I was going to buy a second house. I still want to know the answer to that. I think I could swing Barbie’s Dream House (finally!), but I won’t be basking under a thatched roof on my own private island any time soon.

Maybe I should start a Kickstarter campaign for the Avery Flynn island dream home, I hear that works (Yay, Veronica Mars movie!).

Joking aside, we all want to know when we’ll earn enough from writing to give the evil day job the old heave ho. I’ve seen some averages for advances and earn outs. Check out this great post from Brenda Hiatt for breakdowns by publisher. I’ve talked to friends and eavesdropped on others. Yes, I’m that girl. Come on you cannot be shocked by that. And I’ve researched using my Google Fu skills. But everything I found looks mainly at returns on one book (hello, backlists matter) and give self-published authors the short shrift.

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Well most of the mermaids in this Waterworld Mermaid lagoon are too polite to ask, but you’re stuck with me today so I’m going to go for it. I want to know how much money you made from writing romantic fiction in the past year. Answer the anonymous poll below and you’ll get to see the results right after you vote.

 

*Note, only include income that went into your bank account (no counting agents’ cuts) from advances and all romance books sold, including from your backlist.

Not seeing the vote buttons? Click here to vote.