Confusion

I want to take a minute to clear a few things up. I published a post last night on piracy and .99 cent sales. You can read it here.

I've noticed that it has grabbed a lot of attention, both negative and positive.

Please let me explain what I meant, because I think a few things were taken wrong.

First, I sincerely apologize for using the Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow image. I was trying to bring light to a topic that really hurts a lot of authors and bloggers. Johnny Depp photos can make anything in this world less serious. We're all too distracted staring at him to be upset. At least, I am. I've never used images (besides my own) in posts and didn't stop to think that it wasn't right. It was a completely dumb move on my part and I willing admit to being in the wrong. I removed the post and then republished it without the picture when I came home from work tonight.

Second, there has been a lot of comments about the mention of bloggers pirating books. That comes from several readers sending screen shots to some of my author friends, showing a few blogs requesting Kindle email addresses so they could send the books directly. (And later, the authors verified that they had not okayed this.) Teressa Mummert was one of them. You can read her post here. I am not accusing every blogger out there of pirating. 99.9% of bloggers are legit.

I have not had anyone come forward about my books being pirated by the blogs mentioned in the last few days. I wasn't making that personal. What I did state was this: "I've decided that for future blog tours, I will no longer have an open door policy. The last few tours I've ran, I've had several blogs signup, get the ARC, and never post a thing." That has happened to me personally, as well as other authors. That's why I said that from now on, I plan to contact bloggers I've worked with before and send in a request to see if they'd like to review future books instead of creating a Google doc for tours like I usually do. 

Also, I posted this on the blog: "I hate to do this because I know there are A LOT of good blogs out there. Some of my best friends are bloggers that I've met since I started writing. But sadly, one person can ruin it for everyone."

I am not bashing bloggers. At all. I love bloggers and everything they do. Their dedication to books is mind blowing. I've met some incredible bloggers since I started writing and I'm proud to call them my friends.


Third, the part about .99 cent books. I was not telling anyone not to purchase .99 cent books. I was explaining why so many authors do not price them at that level. We put hundreds of dollars into a book before it's published and we want to at least break even. Authors aren't here to become millionaires. We write because we love it and it's a huge part of who we are.





Finally, I want to apologize if I came off as rude in the post. That was definitely not my intention. I'm sorry if I made some of you angry or if I made you think I was trying to make everyone look down on bloggers or books that are .99 cents. I can promise you that I would never, under any circumstances, do that. Authors, bloggers, and readers are a family. We all depend on each other to survive.  Please never think that I don't respect bloggers. I do. 

Devour Anthology Charity - Final Total

I'm so excited to post this. We now have the final totals for the charity fundraiser we did for First Candle. Together with E.K. Blair, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Lexi Buchanan, Missy Johnson, Sandi Lynn, S.E. Hall, and Tijan, we published an anthology called Devour. All proceeds went to First Candle. This charity is very close to my heart for personal reasons, and I am so proud to have been a part of something so amazing.

If you're not aware of what First Candle is, let me give you a little bit of information on them.
"First Candle is a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life. Current priorities are to eliminate Stillbirth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) with programs of research, education and advocacy."

With YOUR help, we were able to raise just under $14,000 for First Candle! I just want to take a second that thank every single one of you who purchased Devour, shared links, and supported us. You guys are incredible!

Piracy and Book Sales

***Additional post can be found here, clearing up a few things about this post.***


I wanted to talk about a couple of things that I've noticed lately. Book piracy and .99 cent sales.


I'm going to start with piracy. I've ranted about it about a bazillion times now. Maybe more. And yet it keeps happening. And it will continue to happen. As long as a book is published in eBook format, it will be pirated. It's sad, but true. (Look at me, quoting Metallica songs. My husband would be proud.)

 

There are thousands of people pirating books. THOUSANDS. Sadly, several of these people are bloggers. Authors talk. A lot. (What do you think we do when we're trying to avoid writing? We talk to each other. Darn social media.) There are several blogs that have been called out on piracy, and even more that haven't. But authors keep track of that stuff. Unfortunately, I can't talk to every author out there, so I'm sure there are blogs doing it that I'm not aware of.

Due to the above statement, I've decided that for future blog tours, I will no longer have an open door policy. The last few tours I've ran, I've had several blogs signup, get the ARC, and never post a thing. At all. Not even a, "Your book sucks. Go away."

I hate to do this because I know there are A LOT of good blogs out there. Some of my best friends are bloggers that I've met since I started writing. But sadly, one person can ruin it for everyone.

Before you download a pirated copy of a book, please think about this:

Books are an author's livelihood. We have to survive off of our book sales. If you're pirating them, we're basically working without getting paid. A book takes MONTHS to complete. You have to write it, edit it, edit it again, send it to an editor, do final edits once you get it back, read through it until your eyeballs bleed, and then have it formatted. That doesn't even begin to cover it though. You have to pay for a cover, promo material, book signings you attend (those suckers aren't free - table fee, hotel, food, travel... the list goes on and on.)

Imagine working overtime for two weeks straight. You're tired, you're cranky, and all you want to do is cash your paycheck, go pig out at a restaurant, and spend some cash. But when your check arrives, they didn't pay you for ANY of your overtime. Same thing. Wouldn't you be mad too?

My books can be found on Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords. Torn and Twisted are the exception - they're also on Google Books. ANY PLACE ELSE IS A STOLEN COPY!!! Plus, most of those sites usually have viruses on them or worse. I once clicked on a link to a pirated copy of my book, only to see a video I will NEVER be able to wash out of my brain, no matter how much bleach I pour into my eyes.

 

 

Not only does it hurt authors, it's also a CRIME!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, onto sales. I constantly see posts on Facebook and Twitter regarding .99 cent sales on eBooks. I have had a book for that price ONCE. Shattered Ties was on Bookbub, so I stomped on my pride and dropped the price for two days. It hurt. I won't lie. Again, imagine working for months on something, only to make .35 cents off of it. Yeah, that's it. Thirty-five cents. Not only that, authors also have to pay taxes on our sales. So, take off some more. I probably made twenty cents a book after taxes. (I'm in the US.)

 

I understand that everyone is on a budget. Trust me, I get it. But if you truly love an author's work, don't wait and hope they'll drop the price. Support them. Remember, they don't make $3.99 or $4.99 on a book when you buy it. The platform takes a cut and then they have to pay taxes on top of that.

 

My books (with the exception of Torn and Twisted since they're trade published) are all between $3.99 to $4.99. To me, that's a fair price since I have to give practically half of it away to the platform and then the government. I do not plan to run any kind of sale on any of them for a long, long, long, looooong time.

 

 

 

Also, I just want to take a second to thank my readers for your dedication. You guys are the BEST and I love every single one of you to pieces!

 

 

 

 

 

Deception Chapter One!

Chapter One

      My feet were killing me. All I wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and crawl into bed. Work had been brutal tonight. 

     I’d worked at the same diner for almost two years, but up until last week, I’d only been part-time. The day after I’d graduated from Morgantown High School, I’d switched to full-time. 

     I didn’t mind waitressing, not really, but my body was still getting used to being on the move constantly. The diner, a small family-owned business, was always busy with the same customers. Most of them knew me by now and usually tipped well. We had a few college kids come in from time to time, but they usually went to one of the more popular spots in Morgantown. I didn’t mind because they were normally the ones who would leave crappy tips. 

     I pulled into the driveway of my foster parents’ house and yawned. I hoped they were asleep. My foster dad, Rick, was an asshole to me most of the time. The only reason he kept me and the other foster kids around was because of the nice checks he would receive for taking care of us. I knew my time here would be up soon. Today was my eighteenth birthday. Hopefully, my foster dad wouldn’t remember. I didn’t feel like getting kicked out of the only place I had to go tonight. My foster mom, Tammy, wasn’t as bad as Rick. She was even nice at times, but her fear of Rick’s temper would keep her from defending any of the kids. Rick wasn’t abusive physically, but when his temper got the best of him, he would go on a rampage that rivaled a three-year-old’s. Tammy had learned long ago to lock up anything breakable. 

      I’d been in twelve different foster homes since I was three. Tammy and Rick’s house wasn’t the best, but it definitely wasn’t the worst. I shuddered as I thought about my last two houses. Yeah, I could deal with Rick’s asshole ways. I didn’t give a gigglefuck about Rick’s temper as long as he didn’t try to touch me.

      I climbed out of my piece-of-shit car and headed for the house. My car was the only thing I truly owned. I’d saved every penny I could and purchased it two months ago. I’d paid six-hundred dollars for it, and I’d definitely gotten what I paid for. It was a 1989 Chevy Impala. The body was rusted out in several places. The rear fender was an ugly green color while the rest of the car was a faded red. It was the ugliest Christmas-themed car I’d ever seen. It was the ugliest car I’d ever seen, period. But it would get me from point A to point B most of the time. Sadly, it wasn’t even legal, and I didn’t have the extra cash to get everything I needed to make it so. 

     Once I reached the house, I stuck my key in the lock and turned it. I frowned when the door didn’t unlock. I pulled the key out, thinking that maybe I’d shoved it in backward, so I tried again. Realization hit me when the lock still wouldn’t turn over. Rick had changed the lock while I was at work.

       I sighed in defeat before knocking loudly on the door. Lights turned on in the living room, and then I heard the door unlocking. 

Rick opened the door and frowned at me. “Yes?” he asked.

“Um…the door wouldn’t open for me,” I said. 

“Probably not. I changed the lock.”

         “Why would you do that?” I asked even though I knew the answer. 

“You’re eighteen now, Claire. You’re no longer my problem.”

        I laughed humorlessly. “Seriously? You’re kicking me out on my birthday?”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” he said without remorse. 

“Can I at least get my clothes and stuff?” 

He shrugged. “Make it quick.”

        He moved out of the way, and I hurried past him toward the room I shared with Shelly. She was a foster kid, too. She’d been here when I arrived. She was only ten, but I’d found myself gravitating toward her from the beginning. We would look out for each other. I hated to think about her being here alone. I was pretty sure I was the only person in this house who cared about her. I passed by the boys’ bedroom on the way to my room. There were four foster kids here total—Shelly, me, and two boys. Kevin was thirteen, and Jerimiah was eight. I wasn’t as close to them as I was to Shelly, but I would still miss them as well.

        I opened the door to my room and flipped on the light switch. Shelly was sound asleep in the bottom bunk. I moved around the room quietly, shoving my clothes and personal items into the suitcase I’d carried around since I was first put into foster care. It didn’t take me long to pack. I had very few clothes and even less personal items. My eyes misted as I picked up the only thing I had left of my mom— a locket. I opened it up to see the tiny picture of her and me. I was only a few months old in the photo. 

My mom had been killed in a car accident right before I turned three. Her parents were also dead, and no one knew who my father was. With no family to take me in, I had been thrown into the foster system. 

         I closed my eyes and tried to remember my mother. As always, nothing came to me, except the way she had smelled. That was all I knew about her—that she’d smelled like strawberries. I closed the locket and slipped it into my jeans pocket. Once it was tucked safely away, I closed my suitcase and glanced down at Shelly. I hated to wake her up, but I couldn’t leave without saying good-bye. 

I crouched down next to her and poked her gently a few times. 

Her eyes slowly opened, and she stared up at me. “Claire?

       What’s wrong?” she asked as she sat up. 

“I have to leave, kiddo. My time is up.” I tried to smile at her. 

“What? Why?” she asked, panic filling her voice.  “Rick is giving me the boot. I gotta go.” “He can’t do that!” she cried angrily.

“I’m eighteen, so technically, he can.”

        Her eyes filled with tears as she sprung off the bed. She wrapped her tiny arms around me. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

         I hugged her back tightly. “I’ll miss you, too. Take care of yourself, and keep out of trouble, okay?”

“You know I will. Will I see you again?”

        I pulled away and cupped her cheek. “I don’t know. Maybe someday.”

        She nodded as her shoulders sagged in defeat. “Please be careful.”

“Always. I love you.”

“Love you, too,” she whispered. 

         I pushed her back into bed and tucked her in. I kissed her forehead before pulling away. I stood and grabbed my suitcase off the floor. I gave her one last smile before I opened the door and slipped silently into the hallway.

Rick was still standing by the front door when I walked into the living room. 

“Did you get everything?” he asked. 

“Yeah.”

       “Good, because you’re not welcome back here. Got me?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I got you.” I shoved past him. 

        I didn’t look back as I walked to my car. I tossed my suitcase into the backseat before climbing behind the wheel. I backed out of the driveway and headed back toward the main part of town. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling as I realized just how screwed I was. I had fifty bucks to my name until I would get paid next week. There was no way I’d be able to afford an apartment, even a shitty one. I just hoped that I could make decent tips until then, or I’d be living on air. I had no money, no friends, no credit. I had nothing. I was completely alone. The only thing I did have was my car. 

          I patted the dashboard gently. “Looks like it’s just you and me now, ugly Christmas car.”

I drove back to work and parked behind the building. There was no way I was parking on the street. With my luck, a cop would come by and notice that every sticker on my car was expired. I didn’t need a tow bill that I couldn’t pay for. I shut off the engine and reclined the seat back so that I was looking up at the roof of the car. 

         At least it’s not cold out, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes. 

         My entire body went limp as I tried to control the emotions raging inside me. I tried to find the positives, but aside from the fact that I didn’t have to deal with Rick anymore, there were none. I tried to shut off my mind, so I could sleep. I was working the morning shift tomorrow. I needed the money too much to oversleep and miss my shift. Plus, I didn’t want to do that to my boss, Rob. He was a really nice guy, too nice for his own good sometimes. 

          I vowed to myself that I would figure things out when I woke up the next morning. I had no other choice. I had to make a plan, or I’d never survive.

+++

          Two days had passed since Rick kicked me out of his house. I’d accomplished nothing—unless I counted the tips I’d made. I was living off of dollar cheeseburgers and washing in the restroom sink at work. There was a Laundromat nearby, so I at least had clean clothes. 

          The first day, I’d left after my shift ended. I’d waited until the diner closed and everyone was gone before driving back and parking behind the building again. I’d made sure that I was up and gone before the diner opened up the next morning since I was on the night shift. The second day had gone much the same way, except I worked the night shift. I’d hidden at the local library all day, losing myself in the pages of not one, but two books. 

           It was the third day, and I was working the morning shift again. I was taking my daily sink bath in the restroom, and one of my coworkers, Junie, walked in on me while I was naked. Apparently, I had forgotten to lock the door, and now, I was caught. 

“Oh my God!” I screamed as I tried to cover myself. 

          Junie looked like she wanted to die as she quickly mumbled an apology and slammed the door shut. After I dried off with paper towels, I walked back into the main part of the diner. I walked to the coffee pots and started making both decaf and regular, praying that Junie wouldn’t mention what had happened. Naturally, she cornered me while I was dumping coffee grinds into the filter. 

“Claire, why were you taking a bath in the restroom?” she asked. 

         I glanced up to see concern in her brown eyes. Junie was older than me, probably in her late twenties or early thirties. Her hair was light brown. She was pretty but plain. She’d recently gone through a nasty divorce, and she had lost a lot of weight. I knew the stress from her divorce and trying to raise her two boys on her own was taking its toll on her. 

        “I didn’t get a chance to shower at my house this morning,” I lied. 

“Cut the crap, Claire. What is going on?” she asked. 

          I debated on lying again, but I couldn’t do it. Junie had always been nice to me, and I couldn’t lie right to her face.

        “Rick kicked me out of the house the other night,” I said as I looked away from her. 

“He what? That asshole! I’m so sorry, Claire,” Junie said. 

I looked up to see her brown eyes had filled with anger. 

“Don’t apologize. There’s nothing you or anyone could have done to stop him. We both knew it was coming.”

        “You could call in and report him though. I mean, he’s still getting paid for this month even though you’re eighteen.”

        “And then what happens if Child Protective Services decide Tammy and Rick aren’t suitable foster parents? Shelly, Kevin, and Jerimiah would be pulled and possibly put into a house that could be ten times worse. Rick’s an ass, but he’d never hurt them. I won’t be the reason they’re sent to a horrible home,” I said as I stared at her. 

         She sighed. “Fine, I see your point, but it’s still not right. What are you going to do?”

          I shrugged. “I have no clue. I guess I’ll just keep saving my tips until I can afford a place to stay. My car is fine for now since it’s summer, but I’ll have to find somewhere to stay before winter hits.”

        “I wish you could stay with me, but I have no room,” she said, clearly upset over the fact that she couldn’t help me. 

        “Don’t worry about it, Junie. I’ll be fine. I just need you to promise me that this doesn’t leave the two of us. I don’t want anyone to know what’s going on with me. It’s embarrassing.” “Claire…” She bit her lip. 

“Junie, please,” I begged. 

        “Fine. I won’t say anything. I just wish I could help you somehow.”

        “Don’t worry about it. Just focus on taking caring of your kiddos. They need you more than I do.”

         She gave me a weak smile before walking over to a family that had just walked in. I watched as she led them to a table and handed them menus. I smiled as I watched the mom pick her baby up out of the portable car seat and cradle the baby in her arms. A wave of sadness swept over me as I thought of all the things I’d missed out on with my own mother. I just hoped that this baby would have a better life than I had.

          The rest of the morning went by quickly. By the end of my shift, I was dragging. Once my last table was cleared, I walked into the back room and grabbed my purse. I headed out to the front and waved at Sarah, the waitress taking over my tables. She waved back before turning her attention to the two guys she was waiting on. 

Rob came barreling out of his office and headed straight for me.

       “Claire, I need a favor,” he said when he stopped in front of me. 

“Sure. What’s up?” I asked. 

        “I hate to ask you this, but Stacey just called off. Can you work the evening shift, too? I’d ask Junie, but I know she has to pick up her boys from the sitter.”

         My feet screamed at me to run away, but I couldn’t do that to Rob. Plus, I needed the extra money. 

“Of course I’ll stay.” I smiled at him.

        “Thank you. I owe you one, Claire. Don’t think that I haven’t noticed how hard you’ve been working lately.”

        I nodded. “I try. I’d better go put my purse away and head back out onto the floor before Sarah gets overrun.”

        He nodded before turning and walking back into his office. I hurried to the back room, and I shoved my purse in my locker. After making a quick stop in the restroom, I walked out onto the floor. Sarah was running back and forth, trying to take care of her tables as well as mine. I gave her an apologetic smile before heading to my side. 

        By the time my second shift was over, I could barely walk. It was a Friday night, and we’d been especially busy. The diner didn’t serve alcohol, which I knew kept away several potential customers, but we were constantly busy with families. Most of them had tipped well, and I ended the day with almost one-hundred dollars in tips. I smiled when I realized I would be eating something besides artery-clogging hamburgers when I left. I might even splurge on a salad. 

        “I’m beat,” Sarah said as we wiped down all the tables. “I don’t know how you’re still standing. You’ve been here since we opened.”

“Sheer will and determination. Plus, I made a ton of tips today.”

        She high-fived me as she walked by. “Nice. Go buy yourself something pretty.”

 I laughed and smacked her on the butt with my towel. 

         The tables were clean, the condiments and shakers were filled up, and the floor was mopped, so I walked to the back room and grabbed my purse. After shoving my cash inside, I told everyone good night and headed out to my car. 

         I drove across town to Denny’s and ordered the salad I’d been desperately craving. I even ordered a Coke instead of water. I was a splurging fool tonight. 

         When I glanced up from my salad, I noticed two guys watching me from a few tables over. Both of them were good-looking from what I could tell. They were around my age, so they were probably students at West Virginia University. Morgantown was a college town through and through, and the streets were crawling with kids. I assumed that these two were local since most of the students had packed up and headed home for summer vacation. 

          One of them noticed me staring, and he gave me a smile that sent my heart racing into overdrive. Suddenly embarrassed by my gawking, I looked away and used my blonde hair as a shield between them and me. I’d had a few dates in high school, but they had been nothing to get excited over. I wasn’t a virgin. I’d lost that to Scott Marks my junior year, but I definitely wasn’t skilled when it came to the opposite sex. 

          I ate my food quickly and paid my bill without looking over at the guys’ table again. My life was a disaster as it was. Adding a guy would only complicate things more. I walked out to my car and quickly unlocked the door before climbing inside. Once the doors were locked, I started the engine and pulled away from the lot. 

           I couldn’t help but grin as I remembered the guy’s smile. He’d been cute from what I could tell. His dark brown hair had been shaggy, but it hadn’t been so long that it looked messy. His arms had looked toned, probably from playing football or basketball. Those were the only two sports, especially football, that people really cared about around here. Once football season hit, that was what everyone would talk about. I wasn’t a big fan of sports, but even I cheered for the Mountaineers. 

          I drove back to the restaurant and parked, trying not to think about the cute guy or his smile. I yawned and reclined my seat. Yeah, there was no way in hell I could think about boys right now.

 

 

 

 

TEASER:

Also, here is a teaser! (The very first one!) This is completely unedited!
I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I whispered as I took a step back. My back hit the wall, but he continued to step closer. He stopped right in front of me and rested his hands on the wall next to my he...ad so that he caged me in.

“You’re a terrible liar, Claire. Even now, you want me. Your pupils are dilated and your breathing is uneven. You know what I can do and you want it. You want to be the one on my bed with my head buried between your legs.” He leaned closer so that his lips touched my ear. “All you have to do is ask. I promise you’ll be screaming when I’m done with you.”

Amazon PREORDER! Coming October 3rd, 2014!

 

 

 

Hugs,

K.A.

Signed Book Orders!

Signed Book Orders!

 

 

 

I am now taking orders for signed copies of ALL of my currently published books. If you would like to order a copy, just click the link below. I only have two more signings this year and I'm limiting my signings next year as well (it's hard being away from my kiddo) so if you'd like to have a signed copy, now is your chance.

 

Pricing information is included in the Google document. Once you submit your information, I will email you with instructions on how to pay. (Sometimes it takes me a day or two to send out the emails.)

 

 

Just click >>HERE<< to fill out the form.

Deception preorder and synopsis

Yay! Did you know that you can now preorder DECEPTION? (October 3rd, 2014!)

Since the description is on Amazon, I'll go ahead and post it here as well. The cover reveal will be later this month!

Please note: This isn’t your typical love story. Things are messy. Characters aren’t always what they appear to be. Wrong decisions are made. If you’re not a fan of the darker side of love, this might no...t be the book for you. Read at your own risk.

I’m strong—or at least, I want to be. I try to be. Oh, how I’ve tried.
But life screwed me over. When I was at my weakest and lowest, desperate and alone, he found me.
Robert changed everything. He gave me everything.
He was every woman’s dream—rich, powerful, and charming. He made me forget the fact that he’s twenty-four years my senior.
He made me feel alive, and for the first time in my life, I was content.
Until I met Cooper—his son.
And Robert? He began to change.
I’m despicable. I know I am. I’m ashamed of what I want.

Things are never what they seem.

Greed.
Lust.
Lies.
Murder.

Deception.
http://amzn.to/1kywPk6

Deception Cover Reveal

I am currently looking for blogs who would like to help me with the cover reveal for Deception. If you are interested, please click on the link below to sign up. It has all the information on the doc.

Thank you!

http://bit.ly/1ouvzg2