Spring Release for Trial of Marriage 3

Posted in Article, ebooks, Free, indie author, self publishing, Uncategorized, writing by R. Lynn

Coming Soon – Trial of Marriage 3

I am working on the final book of the Trial of Marriage series. Yes, after many requests of asking when is it coming, just know I heard you, I’m sorry for the long delay, and it’s on its way, coming soon this spring. I’ll be posting updates periodically to keep you in the loop. I’ll admit it’s a great feeling of accomplishment when a story ends, but it also brings a little sadness too. When you have a piece of work, that you have put your heart and soul into creating, it’s a bittersweet moment when the story ends forever. And, honestly, how can it not? What I know for sure is I plan on giving the story and characters the proper goodbye it deserves, and I hope my readers will be happy with the final ending too.

Lately, I have thought about how long it has been since the second book, and since there was such a long hiatus (again sorry), I am offering for free the first book of the series for a limited time only. Just sign up for my email list to get a PDF copy sent to you, easy peasy. Also, before the big release date for Trial of Marriage 3, I am planning a few giveaways to start things off, so do not forget to sign up because the majority of the giveaways will only be those who sign up.

In moving forward and thinking ahead, there are two books I plan on releasing in 2018. One being a book 2 for Love vs. Career and the other will be a brand-new story. A lot of good things are coming, and I’m looking forward to being able to share them with you.

R. Lynn

2Nov2018

The Unconventional Guide to Writing a Good Romance Novel

Posted in Article, ebooks, good writer, helpful author tips, indie author, self publishing, writing, writing tips by R. Lynn

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What does it take to go about writing a good romance novel? Well first, let me throw out the disclaimer I am no way, shape, or form an expert in writing, but it’s a part of my daily life, and besides I know more now than when I wrote my first novel five years ago. And to be honest, I still pick up valuable tips when I stumble upon them.

Even as a novice writer back then, the one thing I knew for sure when I became an independent author was my genre would be romance. I love reading it. Readers get deep down, invested in a romance novel, one of many reasons the genre is so popular. They love the concept of two attractive people meeting and falling in love, are ready to go through boxes of Kleenex when the male and female go through their conflicts and struggles, and can finally breathe again at the end of the story when the love-birds work everything out to live their happily ever after.

So how do you begin a good romance novel? Well, think about story ideas you can write about for your novel, if possible, something that would spark a reader’s interest. After you figure it out, the next move is to work out your storyline. Try thinking about it in different phrases (e.g. beginning, middle, end) and mapping events out. It helps a lot.

The information below are a few ideas to steer you in the right directions.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I need inspiration for my storyline. How do I get it?
You can base a storyline off real-life experiences or something you made up. This is where you get creative and let your imagination soar. Still, if you find yourself at a loss, think about things that have triggered your interest, and why it did, such as books, magazines, tv shows, and movies just to name a few.

What is the age group of your audience?
Determine if adults or tweens will read your romance novel. It doesn’t matter which one you pick, just remember your novel should be age-appropriate for the reader.

Point of View.
When you’re creating your story you should consider what point of view you are writing. I prefer writing in third-person point of view, but choose what’s comfortable for you.

Think about the main character.
The main character tells the story so you want this person to be interesting so he/she engages with the reader (e.g. Joe of Caroline Kepnes’ book/Lifetime Movie YOU).

What type of romance should I write?
By this I mean there are subgenres of romance (e.g. historical, contemporary, time travel, etc.) For example, the subgenres of my stories are interracial romance, which is the partnering between different races; paranormal, these deal with vampires, werewolves, and other undead; and/or urban fantasy, which is good vs. evil. Though writing in different genres may not be the norm, my belief is you should write however you want and do what works for you.

These suggestions are starters to head you in the right direction. I hope you found it useful.

5Nov2015

One Space or Two Spaces After the Period at the End of the Sentence?

Posted in Article, good writer, helpful author tips, writing, writing tips by R. Lynn

I decided to do a little research about that pesky question of whether to use one or two spaces after the period at the end of a sentence. As a lifelong proponent of the two spaces camp, I now grudgingly yield to the 21st century and advances in typography to move to using only one space after the period.

Every major style guide–including the “bibles” of the Modern Language Association Style Manual and the Chicago Manual of Style–prescribes a single space after a period. The two-space rule began during the age of typewriters, when the spacing of letters was not proportional (as it is now) and using two spaces at the end of a sentence made documents more readable. The only computer font that is not proportional is Courier, which we do not use. (I don’t think anyone uses it anymore.)

According to an article in Slate (http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html) which addressed this very issue, “because we’ve all switched to modern fonts, adding two spaces after a period no longer enhances readability, typographers say. It diminishes it.” This same point was made by every major source that I researched.

So, I am waving the white flag of surrender in my ancient, Tyrannosaurus Rex hands to say that I think the switch to one space is the better and updated rule to follow.

I feel I can adapt to change okay, however, if you find yourself having great difficulty in making this transition, I saw the following suggestion in the online version of the Chicago Manual of Style: once the document is finished, use the Find and Replace feature to eliminate all double spaces. In the “Find” box, type two spaces, and in the “Replace With” box, type one space. Hit “Replace All” and you’re done.

R. Lynn Archie

www.rlynnarchie.com

23Oct2015

IS SELF-PUBLISHING RIGHT FOR EVERYBODY?

Posted in Article, helpful author tips, self publishing, self publishing pros and cons, traditional publishing, writing by R. Lynn

The book publishing world has gone through a revolution in recent years that is similar to the one that happened in music ten years ago when it became easy for bands to publish their own music and have their fans download it, instead of dealing with the middlemen – the record companies. With the rise of e-books it’s easy for authors to self-publish, rather than go through the laborious process of trying to get a book contract with a mainstream publisher.

But is it worth it? There are many pros and cons to self-publishing, and if you’re thinking of doing it, these are the questions you should ask.

How long am I willing to wait to get published?
If you have a story or idea that is just gnawing at you and you feel compelled to publish it, you’ll definitely get it into your readers’ hands a lot quicker if you self-publish. The traditional publishing route can take years, from the time when you send out your first manuscript to when the book actually gets on the market. If you self-publish an e-book it will be a matter of months from the time you write it to when you can publish it.

Am I willing to promote and market my book, or do I want somebody else to do that?
Traditional publishers do a lot of the marketing for their books, which takes pressure off the authors. If you self-publish, the marketing begins and ends with you.

Do I want to do all the editing, cover design, formatting, etc. myself, or do I want somebody else to do that?
Again, traditional publishers have the manpower to do the jobs involved in the book’s presentation. If you self-publish, you’re responsible for all that.

How much of a royalty do I want?
Self-publishers get to keep up to 70 percent of their book’s income. The royalty offered by publishers is usually in the single digits. Self-publishing is a viable option for some authors, but for others, it’s not as attractive as going the traditional publishing route. It’s a question you need to research and think about, to determine if it’s right for you.

R. Lynn Archie
www.rlynnarchie.com

14Jul2015

Suggestions on How to Get Out of a Writing Rut

Posted in Article, helpful author tips, indie author, self publishing, writing, writing tips by R. Lynn

Has there ever been a time when you wanted to get essential thoughts down on paper but just could not get yourself moving to do so? Whether you are a writer, student, or simply someone wanting to inscribe a thank you note, it can happen. The magic question is what can be done to get out of the rut?

Helpful Suggestions

Think about what you are trying to write about in the first place. Start by focusing on the task at hand and then begin mentally de-cluttering your mind of everything else.

Put your thoughts down on something tangible like paper or a computer. If you are anything like me, as soon as a great inspiration pops into my head I have to immediately write it down. When you have a busy schedule, it’s very easy to forget things. With this method, you then have the option to go back to your notes later on. It’s a helpful way to kick-start your creative juices to get it flowing again.

Select a means to push your productivity. This can be a special room, a selective piece of furniture like a bed or chair, a special music playlist, or even something straightforward as a change of scenery like sitting in the park or going to a coffee shop. Whatever you decide to do it should be something that is refreshing, and will give you the ability to concentrate.
All it takes is the decision to get started, and as long as you stay motivated and passionate you have the foundation to work through getting out of a rut.

R. Lynn Archie

Website: www.rlynnarchie.com

16Apr2015

FREE 4/16-4/18 ~ Trial of Marriage (Interracial Romance eBook)

Posted in Article, ebooks, Free, indie author, self publishing, writing by R. Lynn

Click Here & Get Your Copy Today

Trey Moretti has it all, dream job, loving wife Angelique, and finally a baby on the way. What he does not plan on is his past sneaking up on him. Gradually things start to unravel as Trey fight to keep his family intact. But when that last big skeleton is finally out of the closet will it mean the end for Trey and Angelique?

**Warning, story contains profanity and scenes of sexual content. Intended for mature readers only.**

15Apr2015

The Effect Duplicate Titles Can Have on an Authors KDP Select Bookshelf

Posted in Article, ebooks, helpful author tips, indie author, self publishing, writing, writing tips by R. Lynn

Do you know the protocol of having duplicate books on your Amazon KDP Select bookshelf? I didn’t before, but I do now. First off, as much as I would like to keep my bookshelf tidy by deleting unwanted things, unfortunately, there is no option to take that action. Maybe there is a way internally through KDP, I’m not sure, but what I am certain of is an author is not able to make it happen.

The alternative solution is to change your active book to an unpublished draft. And, if you want to start off fresh still using the same book title, but not wanting the baggage that goes along with it (e.g. reviews, editorials, etc.) you would then use the option “Add a New Book” to create a new book with the same title but under a different ASIN. To be frank, my thinking was the old, unpublished draft would be closed and obsolete, however, that wasn’t the case.

What I came to learn was if you have the same title book their detail pages automatically link within 48 hours after an additional edition or version is published as long as the content, title, and contributors are exactly the same. The only way to avoid this automatic action in the future is to change a small detail in the title by adding a subtitle or a change to the form in which the author’s name is written as desired. You might perform this with the unpublished draft so the system doesn’t feed and match details for similarities.

Though in my case, since it had already happened, it took a few times going back and forth in correspondence with KDP representatives to get things corrected. Things ended well, but it was a headache getting to that point. Hopefully my experience prevents you from making the same error.

R. Lynn

Website: http://www.rlynnarchie.com

4Apr2015

Now Available – Love vs. Career

Posted in Article, cover reveal, ebooks, indie author, promotion, self publishing by R. Lynn

https://rlynnarchie.wordpress.com/wp-admin/options-general.php

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

CLICK HERE TO SEE BOOK TRAILER

VISIT MY WEBSITE: http://www.rlynnarchie.com

26Mar2015

Coming Soon ~ Love vs. Career (Second Edition) plus a Giveaway

Posted in Article, cover reveal, ebooks, indie author, promotion, raffle, self publishing, writing by R. Lynn

Love vs. Career (Second Edition)

Giveaway

(10) Kindle copies and (2) $10 Amazon Gift Certificates

CLICK HERE TO ENTER RAFFLECOPTER

Book Description:

Marissa Andrews thinks her life is on target after graduating from college summa cum laude and landing her first successful marketing job. She feels happy with her dream job, along with caramel hunk James, her older boyfriend “slash” boss. Things for her are not looking too shabby. Unfortunately, everything praiseworthy does not always stay that way. And, when James’s freshly college graduated daughter Becky steps into the picture and starts working for her dad, with her comes nothing but trouble, topped off by a nasty attitude.

The strong woman that Marissa is factors into a decision to walk away from a job that she loves because the drama isn’t worth it. It is a move that brings unexpected consequences into her life. If there is one thing that she has learned from her partnership with James, it is that work and personal relationships entwined are bad karma, and definitely should not be combined. A rule that she vows to live by from here on out. Only, the one thing she doesn’t know is that entrepreneur Roaman Stuart is about to make her acquaintance and put that promise to a test.

Love vs. Career (Second Edition)

This is the re-edited copy of Love vs. Career (Second Edition). It will be released Friday, April 3, 2015. If this title looks familiar to you, then you are correct because the first edition was released July 2013. I chose to re-edit and do a second edition because I kept feeling the novel wasn’t quite right. I cringe at how much work it was redoing it; however, I went through it page by page analyzing and adding more “creative love” into the writing. In the new version, I also made some minor changes in the storyline that I feel make it a stronger and sensual read. I wasn’t able to do it today, but I’ll have a teaser from the book for you in a day or two.

R. Lynn Archie

28Nov2014

Get a Free copy of my eBook – Trial of Marriage from 11/28 -11/30

Posted in Book review, ebooks, Free, writing by R. Lynn

I thought I would do a Black Friday special for the weekend. My romance novel Trial of Marriage is free for the entire weekend. Go grab you up a copy!!