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No Guts – No Glory – No New .45

July 30, 2014 By Lynne

As I prepare to release Vapor Point, I find myself stuck between a rock and hard spot. Amazon is offering a great new program that might help an independent author like me get noticed and perhaps be read by people who may not otherwise see my books or know of my existence. The new Kindle Unlimited program is part of KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) Select – the author side of Amazon Prime.

With the original Prime membership, a reader could “borrow” a free book each month. As an Indie, I didn’t get too excited about this. Let’s face it, who’s going to borrow a $4.99 book by an unknown author like me when you can download your favorite established author’s new $12.99 book at no charge. While I would love to say that I’m all about trying the new guy for free, it’s simply not true. I’m just like everyone else – I’m looking for the best deal for my money.

However, with the new program there will be no limit on the number of books that can be borrowed by a program member. This means you won’t be forced to choose between the new Michael Connelly thriller and my latest release – you can have both for your membership fee. Download and read any book past the 10% point – a little farther then the free preview – and the author gets paid. A sweet deal for the reader and the author.

Here’s the rub – an author must make Amazon the exclusive digital (ebook) distributor for the book for as long as it’s enrolled in the program. The enrollment period is in 90-day increments. Here’s how Amazon explains this:

What does it mean to publish exclusively on Kindle?
When you choose to enroll your book in KDP Select, you’re committing to make the digital format of that book available exclusively through KDP. During the period of exclusivity, you cannot distribute your book digitally anywhere else, including on your website, blogs, etc. However, you can continue to distribute your book in physical format, or in any format other than digital.

So if I want in, I can’t sell an epub file for a Nook, Kobo, or Sony reader – those folks get their digital books through Barnes and Noble.

Realistically, 98% of my (not so many to begin with) book sales are through Amazon. I’m not bothered by a retail exclusive clause that doesn’t allow me to sell digitally through Barnes and Noble for the 90-day period, but I don’t like that I can’t distribute to my readers through my own website. Do I understand why Amazon requires this exclusivity? Of course – we all do. If you want to drive Barnes and Noble’s digital trade into the ground, then you have to cut off the supply to the other devices. And the way to do that is through incentives to the publishers. In this case me.

What makes it a painful decision is that a lot of my personal friends have Nooks and Kobos. I take pride in being a loyal friend. But financially… it would be silly not to try this program.

I didn’t load the digital version of Blood Link Book V – The Healer to Barnes and Noble when it was released in December. That decision had nothing to do with the KDP program. At the time, it was a decision based on the hassle of working with Barnes and Noble. They were making some internal changes to their self-publishing program and loading or adjusting books was a giant horking pain in the butt. I chose to hold off loading the book in hope they’d resolve some of their technical issues. I never did get around to loading the book. The mail from Blood Link fans with Nooks or Kobos was minimal. I took care of those few folks independently utilizing PayPal. But based on the exclusivity agreement – I won’t be able to do that if I opt into the new system.

I think it’s important to point out that this doesn’t mean that the folks who don’t own a Kindle are without options. Anyone can read a Kindle formatted book on a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop without buying a Kindle reader. The applications are completely FREE through Amazon. I’ve embedded the link to the applications page for you here. This was how I read the Kindle version of my books for the first year I was published. Now I own an inexpensive Kindle as well as a Nook so I can read in either format.

I’ve been at this for a couple years now, and if you’ve spent any time following along, you know that I’m terrible at self-promotion. That hasn’t stopped me from stumbling around and trying new things. I still have a lot of questions about this program:
Will this help me be seen and become established?
Will I sell more books/make more money?
What will it cost me in terms of readership?
Will I go from a faithful ten readers down to a faithful eight?
Do I enroll one book or all my books?

I don’t know the answers yet. But I do know that if I don’t sell enough books to cover the costs of editing, producing covers, and my website, then I’m not going to be able to afford to continue publishing, much less ever afford a vacation, a boy toy, or a new .45 and the ammo to put through it. You all knew that I’d come back to the weapon didn’t you?

Based on where I am and looking at where I would like to be, I’m going to give the program a try. And just for the record, I threw the boy toy in as a distraction in hopes that Mr. Scott wouldn’t notice the part about a new .45. Ssshhhhhhhhh!!!

For my Brothers and Sisters

July 20, 2014 By Lynne

As you know, I have many brothers and sisters that I’m related to by choice and profession. As a group, we talk a lot about being there for each other, both downrange and at home. We’re known to make those solemn pledges to never leave one of our brothers or squad mates behind. We pledge our lives to each other because sometimes each other is all that we have. We wouldn’t leave a brother behind in battle.

However, we are also the WORST group at admitting we need help or asking for it. We suck at sharing our personal pain. It’s not in our nature to show our weaknesses. We aren’t interested in making our emotional trauma a subject of discussion. And in most cases if you challenge us on these issues, we’ll tell you that we’re fine, and, oh by the way, you should fuck off now. I know these things because I am part of that group.

What WE are all willing to do is be the one who says, “Don’t quit, brother. I’ve got you. I won’t let you go.”

But then what? Who’ll be there for the long haul, fellas? How do you make a man who used to outrun, out ruck, and out gun everyone in the unit see beyond his past and embrace a future that’s different? A life where fast isn’t an option. A life where endurance is measured by getting through the day not a 20 mile ruck. A type of life that’s the antithesis of how any one of us ever perceived ourselves.

The only thing I can think of is that we have to be there. We can’t count on “a system” to solve these things for us. We didn’t when we were active duty, and we sure as hell can’t now. Most of us can count on one hand the number of our fellow warriors who would ever voluntarily go to a mental health counselor. We weren’t giving up our careers or our weapons. We were bred to perceive asking for that type of help as tantamount to ending our careers. But as NCOs, it was our job to care for and protect our people. We were there for them. Good or bad. It wasn’t just our responsibility as professional warriors — it was our calling.

We spent most of our careers telling each other that WE were the best fighting force in the world. That WE were the best NCOs. We were the finest warriors and, sure as hell, WE weren’t just the meanest sons-a-bitches in the valley — WE were also the smartest fuckers that walked the face of the Earth.

Our leadership mantra was “Take care of the people and they’ll take care of the mission.”

The mission isn’t going downrange anymore, people. The mission is right here at home. So if you know of a brother or sister who’s struggling, get off your ass and reach out. Don’t let them push you away. You didn’t let your troop do it when you were in uniform, don’t let them do it now.

And, all you beautiful bastards who’re struggling with something ugly, listen up. Maybe your life isn’t what it used to be. Maybe you’ve fucked yourself up by booze, dope, or just living too large and too dark for too long. Maybe you don’t think you deserve the hand your brother is sticking out there for you to grab. Maybe you just plain don’t want to take it, because you ain’t “that guy.” And maybe some days it is just all too fucking much. But the simple truth is that the world will not be a better place without you. Pull your head out of your ass and think back to all the times we saw this kind of ugly shit go down. WE all hated the pain it caused the family. We all questioned how someone could do that to his wife and children. And WE ALL bore that loss as only chosen family can.

YOU were part of that WE. YOU still are. YOU are not a burden to your family or your brothers in arms.

There isn’t a one of us that doesn’t bear the scars of the life we’ve chosen. Some are visible, some aren’t. But we are left with making a choice now. We can either make all the pain and ugly shit in our life an excuse to stay in the suck, or we can make it a reason to move forward.

Sometimes all anyone needs is to be given a reason and to be asked to try. So here it is, brother. Please don’t do this to the people who love you. I’ve seen too many not to know how this works. I’ve held a boy when he breathed his last, I’ve walked into the scenes, I’ve notified the families, and I’m stuck with that ugly and horrifying shit in my head forever. For you it may be over, but for the rest of us it’s only the beginning. You are condemning your family to a lifetime of fucked up memories and pain. You say you don’t want the shit you have stuck in your head, well what do you think your loss will do to your wife and kids. Ruck up, brother, and fight one more day. You swore you’d never quit in the field, don’t fucking quit now!

For anyone who needs help, I’m here. For anyone who wants to help – just reach out to your brothers and sisters. Let’s take care of our people.

Almost There!

June 23, 2014 By Lynne

The last two months have been a real slog as I’ve worked through the edits on my next book. I’m happy to report that I’m in the home stretch on those. What makes me even happier is that I have a blurb ready to go.

VAPOR POINT

After her return from a deployment to Afghanistan, Jenna Robinson’s life is spiraling out of control. Too much booze, too many nightmares, and an emotionally abusive and controlling mother have put her on a collision course with her family and her job. She accepts an offer to step out of her personal tornado and start over as a deputy in a small county in Utah. It’s her chance to climb out of the bottle, make peace with her past, and distance herself from her mother.

But the county isn’t as quiet as advertised. Jenna finds herself busy working to solve a cold case involving a world-renowned photographer, facing off against a drug boss with a fetish for young girls, and coping with the escalating abuse from her mother. All the while, a terrorist is using bombs filled with deadly nerve agent to hold the country hostage. Amidst the professional and personal turmoil, Jenna finds herself falling hard for her handsome new partner, Morgan North, who’s now squarely in the cross hairs of a drug boss who wants him dead because Morgan won’t back off his investigation.

Jenna and Morgan must work together if they are to save each other, knowing each moment could be their last.

The truth about the blurb. As I’ve stated many times, I’m terrible at them. This time, I tried something new. I asked a couple of my beta readers to help me out. Jennifer Sasnett asked if I’d mind if she gave it a shot after reading my first (terrible/rotten/Gawdddd awful) attempt. At the same time, I asked Ann R. Stephens if she’d be willing to read the rough manuscript and take a shot at writing one. Ann posts about the books she reads on Facebook and is great at providing a few short sentences about each one. I used pieces from each of their descriptions, and I’m happy with the result.

Thank you, Jennifer and Ann for your help.

This book proved just as difficult to title, but thanks to Bill Peterson, I’ve got that covered too. Thanks, boss! Dean is working on another awesome cover, and Marcia is still giggling and pointing at my sentence structure. I’m hopeful that in a few short weeks, VAPOR POINT will be ready to go. Thanks for staying tuned.

The Predictability of Lynne Scott

May 9, 2014 By Lynne

I took a little time off. Call it a voyage of self-discovery. Hell, call it what it was – a reality check.

The simple truth is that I doubted myself. I know… it’s shocking, but there you have it. I too have doubts. I let one person’s opinion matter more than others. Not that I should have discounted it, the opinion was valid and deserved consideration. Someone had to have the courage to tell me what they thought even if I didn’t want to hear it. But I took it to heart and let it eat at me when I should have just accepted it for what it was and moved on.

Here’s what happened.

I sent out several chapters of a work in progress and asked a few of my favorite betas to read it. My only question was: Does this have legs? I wanted to know if they felt like the story had potential or if I’d gone too broad on the topic. Five out of the six betas liked it. They pointed out a few issues that I would need to address if I was going to make it work, but they liked the premise.

The sixth beta – not so much. He told me that it was “fine,” but he didn’t feel an urge to read more. He already knew that my gal would kick butt and take names. He told me I was “predictable.”

As we all know, it wasn’t personal. It was honest and damn important feedback. I just couldn’t see it for a little while; nor could I accept that there was nothing wrong with being “predictable.” It took a bunch of conversations with other authors and readers to understand that it’s not only okay to be predictable in some ways – it’s important.

If you read certain authors, you know what you’re getting each time. It’s why you buy and read their books.

A Harlequin romance will always be feisty girl meets hot guy, they connect, sex, misunderstanding, sex, misunderstanding, and happy-ending. Women buy them because they know exactly what they are getting and it’s what they want. They don’t want real life, they want the fantasy of what a romance novel offers.

Everyone picks authors based on their likes and the predictability of those authors. You read Dean Koontz and Stephen King because you want the crap scared out of you. You read Michael Connelly because you love Harry Bosch and you like cop novels. You read John Sanford’s Prey series because you like psychos and cops. You read Russell Blake because they’re fast paced and fun.

My ten faithful readers buy my books because they like what I give them.

I write books about strong women who generally have some type of problem to overcome. They often have a military or law enforcement background because these are the people most likely to be put in the positions I want them put in. The books are action, adventure, and suspense with a healthy dose of non-gratuitous sex connected to a non-sappy love story.

My heroines are sometimes the damsel in distress, but they are never completely helpless and they are never, ever, drama f***ing queens. They’re independent, resilient, resourceful, and in most cases, willing and able to fight back. They are also tender-hearted, love dogs, want to find love, and almost all of them are flawed in some way. Life, their jobs, wars, discrimination, and crazy people may have battered them, but all of them will attempt to stand on their own two feet. And all of them just want the love of someone who accepts them for who and what they are.

My heroes are almost always the doers of the world. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and cops. Who wants a hero who has no idea what to do when the s*** hits the fan? They’re often men who’ve seen a little too much of the dark side of the world, but they aren’t afraid of confrontation, and they don’t suffer fools. This is rarely the first rodeo for these guys.

And, my people are not “youngsters.” I prefer them to be in the mid-thirties or early forties. I get tired of perky and inexperienced. Give me someone with some life experience who’s made mistakes and knows what they want in a job, a relationship, and in life.

So, yeah. I am predictable. I write what I like to read. Each one is better than the last one. And each one will leave you satisfied.

This is my niche.

The Healer – Blood Link V

January 2, 2014 By Lynne

I’m very proud to announce my newest release is now available. I hope you all enjoy it.

The Healer – Blood Link V

Where the military and vampires meet.

Dr. Peter MacKenzie is weary. Twenty-four hours after the attack on the unit that has left several of his friends severely wounded, Mac has a full plate. What Mac doesn’t need right now is someone from the Department of Defense Inspector General’s office showing up because they’ve noticed an anomaly in the blood bank records.

Agent Holly Lind doesn’t want to waste her time going to Camp Revells to deal with a bunch of idiots who can’t spot a simple computer error. Dumped out of her job in cyber security after an argument with her boss, Holly is forced to cool her heels for a year in the IG. But that doesn’t mean that she stopped playing with computers. Working under her hacker alias of “Portunes,” Holly is still testing security and on the lookout for unauthorized infiltrations of the NSA and DOD computer systems.

What Holly doesn’t know is that there’s a hacker out there looking for a way into Camp Revells, and he’s sure she’s that way in. “Invicta” is chasing “Portunes” through cyber space and he now wants Holly almost as much as he wants to destroy the vampires of Camp Revells. What “Invicta” hasn’t counted on is that once Mac meets her, he will want her too.

Editor: Arwen Newman
Cover Design: Liquid Reality Studios
112,000 Words

Available now for your Kindle at Amazon through the link on the right.
Also available in paperback at CreateSpace or Amazon.

New Year’s Resolutions – Again

December 29, 2013 By Lynne

So who kept the resolutions they made for 2013? That’s right people –
I DID!!!

I told you I was making them attainable and something I could live with.

Let’s review the 2013 resolutions.
1. I will not step on my scale more than once a month. The damn thing just annoys me so I don’t know why I’d want to spend any real time with it. It’s rude, obnoxious, and the little bastard lies.

I don’t think I stepped on that ugly POS (piece of s***) more than three or four times since my post. I saw the doc several times this year and stepped on her scale (it lies too – must be something the manufacturer builds in). The doc seemed unconcerned, so I went with her attitude.

2. I will step away from anyone who I can’t be nice to or won’t be nice to me. Both in person and online. In person, this will save me the hassle of calling Mr. Scott to pick me up after arraignment, and online, it will keep me from leaving a permanent trail that can be used against me in a court of law.

In my opinion (besides that annoying judge’s, mine is the only one that really matters), I was successful. I steered clear of a few people here in town, and I closed Facebook more than once this year. I did attempt to stay in the face of my elected representatives concerning their votes on the things that most affected me. And when it came to many of the online dramas, I did my best to say nothing and walk away. Arguing with people who feel “persecuted” is a lot like pissing in the wind. It may accomplish the job, but it leaves you feeling unsanitary when you’re done.

3. I will adopt a dog this year because I have no trouble being kind to a dog. I like them better than most of the people I encounter. Dogs like me, and they don’t care if I’m overweight, have no fashion sense, curse too much, and don’t give a rat’s ass about dusting.

We have the darling Daisy. We weren’t ready for her, but she wasn’t ready to have her human die and leave her alone. Mr. Scott brought her home from Phoenix, and she’s been one of the best things that happened to us this year. I did worry about her fitting in, but I guess she feels at home here.

4. I will keep my one living houseplant alive for another year. It helps that it’s a cactus, but it’s still a challenge to me.

Not only did I accomplish this, but a friend gave me another green thing at Valentine’s Day and it too has survived my many attempts to let it die. I’m quitting while I’m ahead – no more plants. Fortunately, the resolution was only about the houseplants because I managed to kill off a couple rose bushes outside this year.

5. I will hoard three-way incandescent light bulbs. I hate those new squiggle damn things.

I have hoarded some of the larger three-ways, but I’ve come to realize that change is inevitable. I still hate those squiggly things though and I’m going to invest in the LED types.

6. I will not go back to doing things that I have already managed to give up doing. Therefore, I will not be smoking, seriously drinking, or jogging. If I take up jogging again, you can bet that I’m drinking heavily.

I am happy to report that my fat ass did not go jogging this year. Hell, I barely moved faster than the standard old people pace most days. I didn’t smoke or do any serious drinking either. Okay, maybe I am serious about this wine – if I’m gonna go, I’m going out happy. If you don’t get to drink much – drink the good stuff.

7. I will lower my head and not look directly at the other driver when I call him a freaking useless Asshat that can’t drive to save his soul. I’m getting too old to get out of the car and beat the hell out of people. It’s also not as easy as it used to be to beat up on those old white-haired ladies since more of them are going to the gym and eating healthy.

I did it, but this was the hardest of all my resolutions to keep. What the hell is wrong with people? Driver’s education needs to be mandatory. Teenagers without jobs shouldn’t be allowed to drive. Women who believe their rearview mirror is for makeup shouldn’t be allowed to drive. And all cars should be equipped with some type of device that disables phones unless the vehicle is in park or has already crashed. And I should be authorized the use of a rocket launcher when I’m stuck behind one of those useless Asshats!

8. I will not eat any beets or lima beans. I don’t like them. I don’t want them. And as an adult – I don’t have to eat the damn things if I don’t wanna.

This was a total gimme. I did not eat either of those things. I also managed to avoid several other items that I’m not fond of this year. I ate no yellow squash, parsnips, or turnips. I consider this a bonus.

9. I will avoid daytime television, reality television, and anything with wives, bachelors, survivors, gold hunting, trucking, crabbing, axe, or swamp in the premise or title. I’ve suffered enough brain damage from the serious drinking and I don’t need to add to it with this useless drivel.

Other than inadvertently walking through a room when Mr. Scott was watching Storage or Shipping Wars, I was completely successful. While I’ll never get those previously lost brain cells back, at least I didn’t lose any more to this crap. And who decided that being toothless was a look? Some idiot is now paying you – buy some freaking dentures. And just for the record – it’s neither History, nor is it worthy of Discovery. Asshats!

10. And finally, I will stay at least one-half mile away from Sam Elliott. The restraining order was quite clear about the distance, and I’m pretty good at following rules when there are consequences.

Santa didn’t deliver Sam (which would have been a freebie as far as the restraining order goes since he would have been coming to me – just sayin’!), so I was able to stick to the resolution. Had Santa delivered… well… I’d have just had to live with my failure.

2013’s list was good, but I’m going to change up a few of them for 2014.

I’m getting rid of #3. I can only manage one dog at a time and Daisy is perfect for us. My new #3 will be to do my Lumosity training daily. And to try to think about doing it before the reminder comes. I’d really like to remember where I put that damn phone down without having to wander around the house – even though that counts as activity in my books.

#4 changes to keeping my two houseplants alive. And this is a bonus item! There are two plants in one pot, so it’s actually three plants I’m keeping alive. I’m now at my limit. No more plants!!!

#8 is going away. I’m not going to eat stuff I don’t like anyway and there should be some element of challenge involved.

My new #8 will be to not drink the entire pot of coffee each day. This will be a real test for me. The doc would like me to cut back to 2 cups of coffee per day. She also seems to think that caffeine is bad for people. I’m willing to cut back from the entire pot and I’ll even drink an additional bottle of water during the day; however, giving up coffee is like giving up being an Oregon Duck fan – it ain’t ever gonna happen.

#8 violates my rules of easy resolutions, but I get bored without a challenge. This one will be a major challenge. Without the additional caffeine, it might be difficult to control other impulses…

Mr. Scott and I wish you all a safe and happy 2014.

The dog and scale images are mine. The rest were blatantly stolen from the internet and violate someone’s copyright, although I’m sure Patz and Hall won’t mind that I singled them out for having a great wine. Please feel free to send the copyright police and have me arrested. I could use the break.

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