Tag Archives: Books

Down the Rabbit Hole: Avoiding the Slippery Slope

Posted on by Author Cat Johnson

It seems as if, like Alice, we’ve all slipped down the rabbit hole into a world that is less Wonderland and more WTF-land. In the year 2012, politicians are on TV actually discussing the legalities of birth control, even as banks are telling legal adults what we can and can’t sell and buy for our own personal use. It’s surreal. It’s frightening. It’s angering (if that is even a word).

It’s a slippery slope I don’t want to go down. So what can we do? Mark Coker, the owner of Smashwords, explains the situation better than I can in his email to indie publishers, which I have pasted below. He outlines steps we can all take to make sure we don’t go down that rabbit hole and find ourselves in a place we don’t want to be….

 

 

PAYPAL CENSORSHIP UPDATE
________________________________________

In case you haven't heard, about two weeks ago, PayPal contacted Smashwords and 
gave us a surprise ultimatum: Remove all titles containing bestiality, rape 
or incest, otherwise they threatened to deactivate our PayPal account. We engaged 
them in discussions and on Monday they gave us a temporary reprieve as we continue 
to work in good faith to find a suitable solution. 

PayPal tells us that their crackdown is necessary so that they can remain in 
compliance with the requirements of the banks and credit card associations (likely 
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, though they didn't mention them 
by name).

Last Friday, I sent the following email to our erotica authors and publishers: 
https://www.smashwords.com/press/release/27 Then on Monday, I issued an update, 
and announced we would delay enforcement of PayPal's guidelines so we and PayPal 
could continue our discussions: https://www.smashwords.com/press/release/28

THE PROBLEM:

PayPal is asking us to censor legal fiction. Regardless of how one views topics 
of rape, bestiality and incest, these topics are pervasive in mainstream fiction. 
We believe this crackdown is really targeting erotica writers. This is unfair, 
and it marks a slippery slope. We don't want credit card companies or financial 
institutions telling our authors what they can write and what readers can read. 
Fiction is fantasy. It's not real. It's legal. 


THE SOLUTION:

There's no easy solution. Legally, PayPal and the credit card companies probably 
have the right to decide how their services are used. Unfortunately, since they're 
the moneyrunners, they control the oxygen that feeds digital commerce.

Many Smashwords authors have suggested we find a different payment processor. 
That's not a good long term solution, because if credit card companies are behind 
this, they'll eventually force crackdowns elsewhere. PayPal works well for us. 
In addition to running all credit card processing at the Smashwords.com store, 
PayPal is how we pay all our authors outside the U.S. My conversations with 
PayPal are ongoing and have been productive, yet I have no illusion that the 
road ahead will be simple, or that the outcome will be favorable. 


BUILDING A COALITION OF SUPPORT:

Independent advocacy groups are considering taking on the PayPal censorship case. 
I'm supporting the development of this loose-knit coalition of like-minded groups 
who believe that censorship of legal fiction should not be allowed. We will grow 
the coalition. Each group will have its own voice and tactics I'm working with 
them because we share a common cause to protect books from censorship. Earlier 
today I had conversations with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), The 
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the National 
Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC). I briefed them on the Smashwords/PayPal 
situation, explained the adverse affect this crackdown will have on some of our 
authors and customers, and shared my intention to continue working with PayPal 
in a positive manner to move the discussion forward. 

The EFF blogged about the issue a few days ago: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read 
Today, ABFFE and NCAC issued a press release: http://www.scribd.com/doc/83549049/NCAC-ABFFE-Letter-To-PayPal-eBay-re-Ebook-Refusal-2012

I will not be on the streets with torch in hand calling for PayPal's head, but 
I will encourage interested parties to get involved and speak their piece. This 
is where you come in...


HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Although erotica authors are being targeted, this is an issue that should concern 
all indie authors. It affects indies disproportionately because indies are the 
ones pushing the boundaries of fiction. Indies are the ones out there publishing 
without the (fading) protective patina of a "traditional publisher" to lend them 
legitimacy. We indies only have each other.

Several Smashwords authors have contacted me to stress that this censorship affects 
women disproportionately. Women write a lot of the erotica, and they're also 
the primary consumers of erotica. They're also the primary consumers of mainstream 
romance, which could also come under threat if PayPal and the credit card companies 
were to overly enforce their too-broad and too-nebulous obsenity clauses (I think 
this is unlikely, but at the same time, why would dubious consent be okay in 
mainstream romance but not okay in erotica? If your write paranormal, can your 
were-creatures not get it on with one another, or is that bestiality? The insanity 
needs to stop here. These are not questions an author, publisher or distributor 
of legal fiction should have to answer.). 

All writers and their readers should stand up and voice their opposition to financial 
services companies censoring books. Authors should have the freedom to publish 
legal fiction, and readers should have the freedom to read what they want. 

These corporations need to hear from you. Pick up the phone and call them. 
Email them. Start petitions. Sign petitions. Blog your opposition to censorship. 
Encourage your readers to do the same. Pass the word among your social networks. 
Contact your favorite bloggers and encourage them to follow this story. Contact 
your local newspaper and offer to let them interview you so they can hear a local 
author's perspective on this story of international significance. If you have 
connections to mainstream media, encourage them to pick up on the story. Encourage 
them to call the credit card companies and pose this simple question, "PayPal 
says they're trying to enforce the policies of credit card companies. Why are 
you censoring legal fiction?"

Below are links to the companies waiting to hear from you. Click the link and 
you'll find their phone numbers, executive names and postal mailing addresses. 
Be polite, respectful and professional, and encourage your friends and followers 
to do the same. Let them know you want them out of the business of censoring 
legal fiction. 

Tell the credit card companies you want them to give PayPal permission to sell 
your ebooks without censorship or discrimination. Let them know that PayPal's 
policies are out of step with the major online ebook retailers who already accept 
your books as they are. Address your calls, emails (if you can find the email) 
and paper letters (yes paper!) to the executives. Post open letters to them 
on your blog, then tweet and Facebook hyperlinks to your letters. Force the 
credit card companies to join the discussion about censorship. And yes, express 
your feelings and opinions to PayPal as well. Don't scream at them. Ask them 
to work on your behalf to protect you and your readers from censorship. Tell 
them how their proposed censorship will harm you and your fellow writers.

Visa: 
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=V+Profile

American Express: 
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=AXP+Profile

MasterCard: 
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=MA+Profile

Discover: 
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=DFS+Profile

Ebay (owns PayPal): 
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=ebay+Profile

_________

Starting Sunday, if our email systems can handle it, we will send out an email 
to several hundred thousand registered Smashwords members who are opted in to 
receive occasional Smashwords service updates. The email will combine Read an 
Ebook Week with the censorship call to action. Let's start a little fire, shall 
we?

Thank you for your continuing support of Smashwords. With your help, we can 
move mountains.

Best wishes,

Mark



Mark Coker
Founder
Smashwords
http://smashwords.com
blog: http://blog.smashwords.com
twitter: http://twitter.com/markcoker

Naughty Girls Don’t Wait–Open A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS Now!

Posted on by Author Cat Johnson

I’ve gotten a few Christmas gifts early and yeah, I opened them immediately! Sorry, but that’s what naughty girls do.

  

There’s the custom made leather cowboy boot Christmas stocking sent to me by Kim and the Book Obsessed Chicks Book Club. There’s the cowboy boot ornament sent to me by PBRCowgirl. Apparently my obsession with both cowboys and boots is well known! I love both surprise gifts.

And now, finally, A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS is available in eBook for all of you to open, and I insist you do not wait until Christmas! Want a little taste to entice you? Here you go!!

A Cowboy for Christmas by Cat JohnsonBLURB:

Sexy, independent, corporate executive Casey Harrington’s life and career were shaped by a childhood Christmas wish left unfulfilled.  Now, twenty years later on a Colorado cattle ranch, she finally gets everything she’s always wanted—both a hot cowboy and a dream job.

But Bonner “Blue” Boyd is a rancher and Casey is a New Yorker, and even if the sex between them is hot enough to start a prairie fire, they both know that city and country might mix for a week, but it can’t work for a lifetime. Or can it?

When a dramatic turn of events reunite Bonner and Casey, this time on her turf in her city, she has to prove to her displaced cowboy he belongs with her, no matter where they end up. Luckily Casey knows the quickest way to a man’s heart is slightly lower than his stomach.

EXCERPT (rated PG):

“You ready to try one for yourself?” He cocked his head toward the cow checking operation before them.

Casey didn’t know if he was asking her to help shove them into the tight little railed enclosure, or pull on a glove and anally probe them. Not that it mattered. Both tasks were equally unpleasant and she didn’t know how to do either.

“Sure.” She mustered her courage and turned to face Bonner as he laughed and shook his head. “What, you weren’t serious? Was that just a test? Do I pass?”

“Yeah, you pass.” He grinned.

“Don’t let me stop you from doing your job though. If you need to slap on a glove and some lube, go for it. I’ll be fine here alone.” She waited for his reaction.

“Wouldn’t be the first time, Miss Casey. Believe me, I’ve checked the herd myself in past. The vet’s just a whole lot faster and usually a bit more accurate than I am.” He smirked.

Casey immediately got naughty thoughts regarding Bonner and the industrial-sized tube of lubricant she’d seen the vet with. She glanced sideways and found him watching her. “You know, if you’ve got any other tests for me, I’m up for just about anything.”

Bonner leaned close. “Don’t tease, Miss Casey.”  His voice was low and dead serious.

Again he seemed to be able to read her, and all her naughty thoughts. Interesting. Bonner Blue may live by the cowboy code, but he sure wasn’t innocent in that department.

“There’s something you should know about me, Bonner.” Her eyes narrowed. “I never tease.”

He dropped his chin to his chest as he closed his eyes and stayed silent.

“Something wrong?”

He opened his eyes. “Yup.”

“Feel like elaborating?”

Bonner stared right at her. “I’m thinking it might be best if I just give in, fucked you and got it over with. Then maybe both of us will have some hope of getting to any work or sleep over the next week.”

Once she recovered from the shock of hearing the last thing she’d ever expected to come out of Bonner’s mouth, Casey smiled. She laid a hand on the front of his shirt. “Well if you’re serious, make sure to grab that lube the vet’s using. You can demonstrate your examination techniques for me.”

His chest rose and fell beneath her touch as his breathing quickened.

“Blue!”

“Yeah.” His gaze didn’t leave hers even as he answered Dakota.

“There’s a whole bunch of ’em open. I’ve never seen this many not bred in one year. What do ya want us to do? Are we supposed to cull them all? Or do you want to save some for breeding next year?”

He drew in a deep breath. Still looking a bit dazed from her suggestion, Bonner hooked a thumb in Dakota’s direction. “I gotta—“

“I understand. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Bonner turned on his heel and she heard him mumble, “That’s what I’m worried about.”

Yup. The best way to absorb the cowboy lifestyle was to just jump right into it…or on top of one. Casey smiled.

AVAILABLE NOW AT:

Ravenous Romance

Bookstrand

All Romance eBooks

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble

“In a nutshell, A COWBOY FOR CHIRSTMAS has it all.  A sexy cowboy, feisty heroine, great secondary cast, HOT SMEXIN’, a couple of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and a totally SIGH-WORTHY ending!!!” DiDi, Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews


The EX-Files-The Newest RED Book is OUT!

Posted on by Author Cat Johnson

As “Plain Jane” Dolan—what an ex once called her—makes her way through her little black book and the men from her past searching for the Mr. Right who got away, there’s another man who makes his way into her little black panties. She can’t deny he feels oh so right.

Gorgeous and much too young Damian serves up both tongue-tantalizing cocktails and mind-boggling orgasms and Jane finds her post-date sexual encounters with the tempting bartender completely irresistible.

But her soulmate is waiting and there are still more men from her past to re-date—or are there?

Reader Advisory: Contains smoking hot sex with no strings–but with toys!

EXCERPT:

Damian hefted the rack full of dirty glasses onto the stainless counter. The guy they’d just hired as a dishwasher would take care of cleaning them in the morning. Damian’s shift had come to an end and thank God washing the dishes before he could leave was not part of it.

Back out front, he headed for the door to lock up and was surprised to find he wasn’t alone. He stepped behind Jane where she stood fumbling in her bag by the restroom door. “Hey, there. I thought you’d gone home.”

“I was trying to call a cab, but I don’t have a number. So I thought I’d call information but I can’t seem to find my phone in this stupid purse. Then I thought I could call on the payphone, but you don’t have a payphone. Then I needed to go to the ladies room.” Jane swept one arm toward the restroom, threw off her balance and swayed.

He reached out with both hands to steady her. “Whoa. Easy. And just so you know, I always have numbers for cabs behind the bar. I even would have called one for you if you’d asked me.”

When he was certain she was standing okay on her own two feet, he let her go, not that it was any hardship holding on to her. Not at all. Of all the women who came to hang out at his bar, Jane was always a pleasure to be around, not to mention to look at.

“I didn’t want to bother you. You looked busy, with that big…thing of yours.” Her face colored. “The thing you carried, not your big thing.”

Damian laughed. “Yeah, I got it. You meant the rack of glasses.”

“Yeah, that must be what I meant. Because it would be rude to talk about, you know, your other big thing.”

Usually drunks were annoying. However Jane being drunk was proving to be absolutely adorable. He smiled. “Oh, I don’t know. I never mind talking about any thing, my thing included, when it’s with a cute girl.”

A scowl creased her brow. “Unfortunately, I’m not a girl anymore.”

“You’re right. You’re definitely a woman.” A successful, smart, attractive, funny and very inebriated woman who he should be putting in a cab home rather than noticing how one of the buttons on her blouse had opened and he could clearly see the lace of her bra. She wasn’t big up top, but what was there was really nice. Huge tits, especially the fake ones, were overrated in his opinion.

Jane frowned and touched her head. “I think I had too much to drink.”

“Mm, hm. I think you’re right.” And that was his fault. He’d been having so much fun mixing drinks for them he hadn’t realized what the combination of liquors, as much as the amount, would do to two women. Candice had gotten into her cab fine. Drunk yes, but functioning, but Jane seemed to be handling the alcohol less well. He’d keep that in mind when pouring for her from now on. She required a lighter hand.

That thought had him thinking other far from bartenderly thoughts about his hands on her.

“Damian?”

“Yes, Jane.”

“I’m attractive, aren’t I?”

He nodded. “Yes, you are. Very.”

“Then why am I alone? I mean I’m not even talking about being unmarried. I mean alone like I burnt out the motor on my vibrator last week and now I have to buy a new one.”

And now he had a hard-on. Wow. That was some piece of information. It put a hell of a visual in his head. Jane, splayed out on her bed, working herself to an orgasmic frenzy.

Damn.

Buy at:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon Kindle

All Romance eBooks

Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4661-0637-6

You Asked for It, You Got It: Red, Hot & Blue Questions Answered

Posted on by Author Cat Johnson

You might not know this but I can see the search engine terms entered that lead people to my site. Some are pretty amusing (AKA today’s search for “well hung cowboys”, some are bizarre (last week’s search for “covered parking structures”), some make me angry (I won’t list those here) and some are valid questions that I’ll be happy to answer such as the search for “do Trey and Carly ever go back in Cat Johnson’s books”. Yes, they do!

Below I tackle your burning questions regarding the Red, Hot & Blue series (originally released by Linden Bay Romance) currently rereleasing through Samhain Publishing. In addition to the questions answered below, there are more on the page for JARED and on the page for the SERIES READING ORDER.

Q: Do we see Trey and Carly (TREY RHB #1) again in future books in the series?

A: YES! They both appear again in JACK (RHB #2) and Trey is seen in JIMMY (RHB #3). When I get around to reworking the currently out of print stories for the Commander, Bull and Matt, all the guys will appear again.

Q: Will the stories in the Red, Hot and Blue series ever be in paperback?

A: YES again! TREY, JACK and JIMMY will be bundled and sold in the trade paperback RED BLOODED. I don’t have a release date yet but here’s the cover.

Q: Are there more RHB stories?

A: Yes, including three full length novels: A FEW GOOD MEN (releasing June 2012), MODEL SOLDIER and A PRINCE AMONG MEN.

Q: What happens with the reality show after the end of JARED? ARe you leaving us hanging?

A: No. I would never do that. What you need to realize is the Red, Hot & Blue stories were never meant to be separated. They were written and published originally in 2006-7 as a series of trilogies. So Trey, Jack and Jimmy’s stories were meant to be read together, in one book, in succession, immediately one after the other. And so were the three stories about the filming of the reality show in Pigeon Hollow which begins with Jared’s book, and continues seamlessly through Cole’s and then Bobby’s story. Do the stories suffer from being released individually with months separating them? Yes, I think they do, and reader comments on sites such as Amazon prove it. Do they feel incomplete when read separately. I’m afraid though the individual story’s plots and romances are tied up by the end of each story, the larger over-arcing plot is incomplete for the first two of the three in each trilogy.  I believe the stories are far stronger together than apart, that’s how I wrote them to be read, but it’s not my decision to make and I am grateful they are being bundled as they were meant to be, even if it is a year after eRelease.

Q: Who the hell is Cole? I don’t remember seeing him in the previous books in the series.

A: Remember sexy Deputy Bobby from JARED? Remember Bobby and Jared discussing Bobby’s sister Lizzie? Cole is the love of Lizzie’s life. He’s been gone for ten years but now, a famous pro-baseball pitcher, he’s back, and the filming of the reality show during his homecoming and reunion with Lizzie proves to be a big thorn in all of their sides. I just got the cover art for Cole (releasing in eBook this December).

As I said, there are more answers to questions regarding the RHB series on the Series Reading Order page, and I will continue to update that page as I get new contracts and release dates for the series. Thanks for being fans of the series. Thanks for understanding my dilemma as an author as I delicately navigate decisions made by my publisher. Most importantly thank you for not bashing the separated RHB stories in reader comments because of it.

The ABCs of an Erotic Romance Writer

Posted on by Author Cat Johnson

Ever wonder what all the acronyms and terms mean that we romance authors throw around? Here is a quick primer in the ABCs of Erotic Romance.

ARC- Advanced Review Copy (sometimes Advanced Reader Copy). It’s a copy of the book given prior to release usually to book reviewers.

HEA- Happily Ever After. Think fairy tales. It’s required by many of today’s romance publishers

HFN- Happy For Now. The hero and heroine don’t have to declare their undying love and get married, but there is a promise that they are at least happy…for now.

M/M – Male/Male gay-themed romance (or F/F would represent 2 women)

M/F/M – a heterosexual threesome where the Male/Female/Male characters all have sex together however there is no direct same-sex sexual interaction between the men.

M/M/F- a threesome where the Male/Male/Female character all have sex together during which the men also interact sexually with each other.

GBLT – a genre in romance incorporating Gay/Bisexual/Lesbian/Transexual themes.

BDSM – a genre in romance with Bondage and Discipline/Dominance and Submission/Sadism and Masochism elements.

D/s or D/S  D usually stands for the dominant partner (or Dom/ dom) in the BDSM.  S (or s) usually stands for the submissive partner in BDSM

Galley – before a book goes to print, we review the galley and look for not only typos that may have been missed in the editing and proofreading stages, but also for formatting issues, page numbers, correct headers and footers, etc.

WiP – Work in Progress. Whatever book I’m in the middle of writing at the time.

FLE- Final Line Editor. After my editor is done, a FLE goes through the book to find any grammar, spelling, continuity or story issues.

The Big Six – the 6 big publishing houses who own most of the imprints you’d recognize.

Agency Model – a big mess where the publishers and the booksellers are in debate as to who gets to set pricing on third party sites like Amazon.

Legacy Publishing – the way publishing was done forever before digital came along. Authors (usually through an agent) submit, if contracted they receive an advance which will either be earned out or not. This model depends a very few huge name authors to sell many books and carry the rest.

Digital First- a publisher who releases the book in eBook format first and possibly will release some in print later. Generally authors are paid in royalties on actual sales and not with any form of advance. This model depends on sales spread among many authors.

Vanity Press – Author pays a publisher to put out their book.

Author Mill – a vanity press thinly disguised as a publisher.  They accept all author submissions and charge a lot of money (either on the front end or the back end) for the author to release their book through them.

POD – Print on Demand. A technology where books are printed as ordered. Usually in Trade Paperback size.

Self-publishing – the author acts also as publisher for either eBook, print or both.

Slush Pile – where your unsolicited book submission goes to wait for someone at the publisher to read it hopefully sometime before you die.

The above are fairly universal in the industry. Specific to my Tweet stream/Facebook page you may see the following:

ARe – All Romance eBooks, LLC, a digital bookseller who own AllRomance.com, OmniLit.com and ARe Cafe.

AAD – Authors After Dark. A convention for booklovers and authors held annually.

RT – Romantic Times Book Reviews Magazine throws a booklovers convention annually which we usually refer to just as RT.

PBR – The Professional Bull Riders organization (not Pabst Blue Ribbon if it’s in my Tweets!)

PRCA – Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association

NOTE: this is based upon my opinions, experiences and understanding from having written professionally since 1988. I may be wrong. Apologies if I am.

TOOLS OF MY TRADE: #1 DROPBOX

Posted on by Author Cat Johnson

I’ve been thinking lately about what I use the most, what I love the most, and what makes Cat Johnson, both the brand and the author, who and what I am. I’ve narrowed it down to 7 things (for now) so I’ve decided to do a series of posts, one each day this week, and share my favorite things. I’m only as good as my tools, and I’m sharing them with you here with the disclaimer that just because I love these tools doesn’t mean they’ll be to everyone’s taste. So, that said, here we go.

Tool of the trade #1: Dropbox

Though they won’t be in order of importance or value to me for the entire week, tool number one truly is THE MOST VALUABLE TOOL I USE, hands down, all caps because I can NOT stress this enough or love it more. Dropbox in an online file storage system that is FREE to use for the basic account which I have yet to even come close to filling up even with keeping all my writing, stockart, coverart, music files and other assorted important documents in it.

What’s so cool?

From my MAC I can open, edit and save files to the Dropbox, then turn on my PC and VIOLA! open the Dropbox folder and see all the same files there, updated and ready to be used, edited, etc. But it gets better, I can open the Dropbox APP on my iPod Touch and my iPad and yes, there are all my updated files to be read.

Why is this important? I do most of my work on the MAC, but my Photoshop is on my PC. In the past I used to email files to myself. Now I can create a bookcover in Photoshop on the PC, save it to the Dropbox folder (filled with my created subfolders), open the MAC, grab that cover and upload it to my website, or insert it into the Word .Doc I’m writing on the MAC.

That’s not even taking into consideration that every time my files autosave while I’m working on them, every update I make, is automatically backed up on the Dropbox cloud servers and accessible by me from anywhere should something catastrophic happen to my computer so I will never lose files. I’ll never have to take the time to back up my work in progress on a thumbdrive that I can lose, or email it to myself, or any of the other extreme measures I used to take.

AND there’s more! I’m the editor in charge of the Just One Bite Short Story Writing Contest at All Romance eBooks, which means I get to pre-read all the entries before they go to my team, who will help me select the finalists. After 12 hours a day on the computer, when my eyes are so tired I can barely focus, and when the husband looks at me like if he sees the laptop in my lap for any longer he’ll divorce me, I can put away the laptop totally, whip out the iPad and open the Dropbox app. There, I touch the Contest folder where I’ve previously saved all the Word .doc or .rft files from my email account. From the App I can open and read all those Word Doc contest entries on the iPad, which may just save my eyesight and my marriage.

You can set a password on the APP in case your iPad or iPod Touch is a shared device with other family members and you want your files to be private. You can also set up sharing folders within the Dropbox and share specific files with others.

NOTE: Some of you may remember a year or two ago I was a proponent of a similar tool, Mesh. I have since moved to Dropbox for 2 reasons, the device support and the reliability. After Mesh failed to update my files a few times, sent me a complicated email about upcoming changes, and didn’t come through with the promised device support, I moved to Dropbox and haven’t looked back since.

Check Dropbox out for yourself! 

When you love somebody…

Posted on by Author Cat Johnson

When you love somebody, let the whole world know.

Being self-centered (I blame it on the fact I’m an only child), I’m talking specifically here about readers and authors. Love an author? Leave them a written review on Amazon, or Barnes & Noble or Borders or AllRomance for the books of theirs that you have read. Hell, even if you love their written voice and their other books but didn’t particularly care for this one certain book, write that too. That’s perfectly fine.

Honest, well thought-out, intelligent reader reviews are always welcomed by any author. Tastes are subjective. I refuse to drink Diet Pepsi but love Diet Coke. Half of the world probably feels the exact opposite. The same goes for books. As long as the reader explains what they did or did not like about a particular book then everyone can benefit from the review–the author, other potential readers and the reviewer themselves.

So when you love something, don’t set it free like that old saying goes. Review it instead!

Oooo and I almost forgot. I just posted the first three complete chapters of Educating Ansley as a free sample. HERE

My PBR Weekend Round-up & More

Posted on by Author Cat Johnson

Sunday was the third and final day of my PBR weekend in Uncasville, CT. The day started earlier than Friday and Saturday, but it was no less eventful. I arrived at the Rider Relief Fund booth at noon to help sell raffle tickets and brought with me the items I’m donating to be auctioned off in Vegas to help raise money to aid injured bull riders. It was pretty much the same items I donated to the Brenda Novak Juvenile Diabetes Auction, and to the Authors After Dark auction to help the animal shelter–basically a custom printed “I Heart Cowboys” canvas tote bag, a “Let’s Buck” baseball hat, bumper sticker, fridge magnet, journal and pen, a cowboy boot charm bookmark, a Cowboy Corn Salad Recipe Card, and a signed print copy of Unridden (Studs in Spurs, Book 1).

I told the women running the auction how romance readers usually take the canvas bag and get it signed by their favorite authors, and how it would probably go for a lot more if some of the riders signed it. She took the whole thing downstairs to some mysterious PBR room and the next thing I know, she’s back telling me that Flint, one of the bull fighters who doubles as an entertainer/announcer, is reading passages from Unridden aloud to everyone in the room, and someone else wants to buy a copy. Sooo long story short, I had my box of author copies in the car and ended up selling 5, which is about what I sell at a good book signing at a Borders or Barnes and Noble after it’s been planned in advance and advertised. Though I can only imagine what Flint was reading aloud–I’m just gonna go ahead and assume it was the dirty parts because men have the uncanny ability to be able to flip immediately to those–I am a little concerned about what the people listening were thinking. There is also the concern that I wrote that book probably 2 years ago, when I was still learning about the sport and there is a good chance the pros will find inconsistencies in it, either things I changed because I needed to for my plot line, or things I just plain messed up. But so it goes in writing. Nothing I can do about it now. In the meantime I hope they keep in mind I write to entertain readers but a side benefit is that it exposes romance readers to the sport. If one more person discovers the sport and becomes a bull riding fan because of reading my book, it can only be a win-win for everyone.

bull rider autographs

So after the eventful prelude to my afternoon, the bull riding championship round did not disappoint either. From having one rider hanging on the fence right in front of us to avoid the bull, to watching the heart-stopping moment another was knocked out cold and had the paramedics scrambling until he hopped up and walked out under his own power, it did not disappoint. Our seats were once again one row back from the dirt and almost directly behind one of the judges.

THEN after it was all over, I got brave and stood along the rail with a few other fans and had the bull riders sign one of my baseball hats. Unlike the person next to me who felt they should critique each and every rider’s performance because apparently they know so much, I simply said thank you and was grateful to the ones that took the time to come out and meet us, which they are not required to do. And it was no hardship to get up close and personal with them. Yeah, they are all painfully young compared to me but phew…are they hot! Dirty jeans and all.

Then it was back home where I logged into my email and found the next big surprise–a fellow author saw my book in print on a shelf in Barnes & Noble. 2 copies! It doesn’t seem like much but it’s a huge deal for someone at my level to get unsolicited shelf space at a big chain bookstore. I’ve had 2 dreams in my career kind of come true so far. The first was that I wanted to walk through an airport and see someone reading my book and my Army consultant Sean saw that exact thing last year on his way from his garrison in Germany to leadership training at Fort Benning, GA. The second was to walk into a bookstore (one that I didn’t arrange a signing at and ask–or beg–the manager to order in my books) and see my books on a shelf and that is what my author friend Stephanie Julian found. Though both of these things have happened, the experiences have been second hand, but it is a step in the right direction and I couldn’t be happier!