NaNoWriMo to write a new story

I've been getting invitations to take part in anthologies. One issue of this new world order of marketing ebooks at large online stores like Amazon and Apple iBooks, is that getting attention is harder than ever.

If you already have a fan base, outstanding. You can send out announcements and people will preorder your book and you will sell well. But for most of us, that doesn't happen and so we have to be creative.

One creative way to find potential readers is to offer your work bundled with a number of other authors, some of whom will have a bigger audience than you. Since your audience and theirs only partially overlaps, then there is a lot of potential for getting new readers. Also you can split the cost of marketing a group anthology, even taking advantage of ads and the like.

I was invited to submit to a Science Fiction Romance anthology, and since that is one of my favorite genres to write in, I decided to put together my novella for the anthology as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month for those who aren't familiar with this.)

I had been doing quite well on my story as this calendar will show:



I had a few hard days where not much writing got done. That was due to not feeling well last week. But otherwise I've been working hard and while I might not make it to a full 50K words written for the month, I will at least get this story done. And yes, it is part of my Gaian series.

So I'm not writing a long entry today since I need to get back to work and make sure those word count boxes fill up yellow and green rather than orange and red.

Cheers
Janet Miller, J. L. Miller
http://www.janetmillerromance.com

Today I’m celebrating a new release. Memories Undone is out at Ellora’s Cave, a novel built in my fantasy world of Gal.

Memories Undone is about a couple who think they are wrong for each other until a divine individual intervenes on their behalf. In this case the couple is Captain Albinan and his wife Livilia, princess of Gal, and the divinity is Gillian D'Amatah, goddess of hearth, home, and love.

This book is a continuation of my stories about Gillian, a goddess with a wicked sense of humor. Gillian tends to interfere when she thinks people are about to do the wrong thing even if they think they are right.

They aren't of course. Goddess Gillian always knows best.

I've been working on this story for a while and I'm thrilled it is finally out - just one day before my own wedding anniversary. What a great present!

If you want to read more about it you can check it out on my website: http://www.cricketstarr.com/publications/memoriesundone.html

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

Lady's Choice now available as a stand alone novella!

Lady's Choice released January 22nd!

Lady's Choice is about a young woman on the verge of being betrothed to a man she doesn't want. She goes to a bar hoping to get in at least one night of fun before having to settle down but she doesn't count on being found by two Zelion warriors, each of whom is eager to claim her as his "true mate". Trouble is that Zelion warriors aren't good about sharing...so how can this all be worked out?

Fortunately it is the lady's choice as to who she'll pick for her husband.

Lady's Choice is from the anthology Two Men and a Lady and while it is still available in print in the anthology, Ellora's Cave has decided to release the ebook version as a stand alone ebook.

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

Partners - a new erotic science fiction romance novella from Red Sage!

Partners coming January 1st!

Partners is the first in a series of futuristic tales involving an artificial people called the Synths. Both my hero and heroine were made to be pleasure slaves, subject to raging hormones called Need where they crave sex. But both of them want to be seen as more than an artificial person. They want to be "real" to each other and so they have to hide their craving as best they can.

The story takes place in the asteroid belt in the somewhat distant future. Reyna is prospecting for hyperore when Steel arrives at her claim as her new and unwanted partner. When she strikes ore the very next day, she's even less happy to have him share what she found so she hides it, hoping he'll find the work too hard and quit. However there is at least one thing Steel is good for...satisfying her synth need for sex and between that and the way they work together, they eventually find themselves in love.

The trouble is what will happen when all secrets are out in the open.

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

Reflecting The Future - available as a standalone novella!

Reflecting The Future coming December 11th!

Reflecting The Future is an erotic romance science fiction story that takes place in a mining colony on Mars. The heroine is the morale officer for the mine who decides that what the miner need is a holiday...like Christmas!

It is fun, and sexy, and has a magic mirror and a visit from you know who to make the spirit bright.

This story was originally available in an anthology and is now being re-released as a stand-alone ebook novella.

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

I Won!

Yes, I've been writing. I took part in this year's NaNoWriMo contest where the challenge is to write a 50,000 word manuscript during the month of November.

And I DID! YAY.

Someday it might even get published...after another three months of rewriting and polishing.

Cheers, Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

Nightwalker's Pet - a new parafolk story

Nightwalker's Pet a new Parafolk story tale coming July 10th!

My newest story is part of a fund-raising project to help the family of one of the Ellora's Cave long-time employees. The complete story of Lara was told on the Lady Jaided blog: Honoring Lara.

I am very pleased to be part of this effort.

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

NEW RELEASE!

Christmas With Sarah a Contemporary Holiday tale is RELEASED!

A family together at Christmastime - there couldn't be a more perfect holiday scene. But for wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneur Greg Wilcox and his daughter Sarah, one thing is missing - a woman to help wrap the gifts, bake the cookies and fill that emptiness in their hearts and home. Greg and Sarah both think Molly would be the perfect addition to their family, but they have to convince Molly first.

Big Sur artist Molly Anders remembers the Christmases of her past, baking cookies and decorating a tree. More than anything she'd love to have a holiday like that with Sarah. Trouble is, she doesn't want a man in her life as shiftless as Greg seems to be, especially as he stirs something in her that she isn't sure she wants resurrected.

Circumstances have pulled them together and led them into love but it will take trust and the spirit of the season for them to get what they really want for Christmas - a family.

Check it out!

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

NEW RELEASE!

Beloved Traveler, Sequel to Romantic Times Top Pick, Beloved Enemy is RELEASED!

Whoot! My book is out, my book is out! All those folks who have send me email saying "where is the next Gaian book?" can now go read it instead! Check it out!

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

Coming soon!

Beloved Traveler, Sequel to Romantic Times Top Pick, Beloved Enemy.

I have great news and a great cover to show off! My latest book in my science fiction romance Gaian series, Beloved Traveler will soon be available from New Concepts Publishing. As you can see, the cover is fantastic! I got just what I wanted...mind you what I asked for was a half-naked hunk, so hey, what wasn't there to like?

I had a number of people pre-read this book, some of whom hadn't read any of my Gaian books and I'm pleased to say they loved the story and had no trouble understanding it. That makes me very proud.

I've put up a page about the story and an excerpt to tempt people. Check it out!

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

New for the New Year!



Hi all,

I have a few things to announce. First of all, I have a new release, Imperfect Judgment, a Torrid Tarot card novel from Ellora's Cave.

Imperfect Judgment is a futuristic, set during a time that I foresee will be full of people leaving Earth to colonize the universe. In this case the planet Gallia is colonized by two sets of people about a hundred years apart.

In addition I have three new novels in print:
Tasting Nightwalker Wine
Rogues
Holiday Reflections

Cheers,
Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

Tasting Nightwalker Wine took 2nd place in the Lories!

Oh wow! My Hollywood After Dark novel, Tasting Nightwalker Wine, has come in second in the From The Heart published author contest, the Lories. This is a contest I haven't finaled in before so I'm very pleased by the result.

Cheers,
Janet/Cricket

Book Peek for Tasting Nightwalker Wine

Here is a cool little video that I'm putting up in various places about my book Tasting Nightwalker Wine. Let me know if you like it!



Cheers,
Janet/Cricket

Ellora's Cavemen: Dreams Of The Oasis III won the CAPA!

The Romance Studio has given Ellora's Cavemen Dreams of the Oasis III their Cupid and Psyche Award (CAPA) for best 2005 erotic anthology.

This has my short story Pleasuremaid, a futuristic story about a woman who wakes up in a nobleman's garden without her memory. All Dina knows is that she wishes to help Gall in any way she can but when she remembers who she is that information just might separate them for all time.

You can read more at Cricket Starr: Pleasuremaid

Cheers,
Janet/Cricket

Memories Revised released!

My Ellora's Cave quickie Memories Revised by Cricket Starr has been released from Ellora's Cave. This is a companion to my award winning story Memories To Come, about a warrior trapped and dying in a prison cell, learning from the goddess Gillian what he missed by fighting instead of pursuing love with a village woman he once saved.

What would have happened if Talia had invited the handsome stranger who rescued her from his fellow soldiers to come home with her that evening? Would she have been able to give him an excuse to return to her once his soldiering was done? And how did she manage to rescue him from certain death in a prison cell after all that time?

Find out at http://www.ellorascave.com.

Cheers,
Janet/Cricket

Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award nominee - Times TWO!

Okay... this is cool. The two books I got Romantic Times Top Picks for in 2006 are now also nominees for the 2006 Romantic Times Bookclub Reviewers Choice Award! I've put together a nice little rotating banner for them as you can see.

The books are:

Fangs For The Memories by Cricket Starr in the category Best Erotic Romance & Erotica Novels 2006 - Paranormal/Fantasy/SciFi Erotic Romance.

Beloved Enemy by Janet Miller in the category Best Small Press 2006 Small Press Paranormal Contemporary/Fantasy/Futuristic.

So both sides of my split writing personality as well as two of my publishing houses are nominated for awards.

Wow, this is so frick'n cool. I'm grinning ear to ear.

Cheers,
Janet/Cricket

Memories Revised cover!

I just got the cover for my Ellora's Cave quickie Memories Revised by Cricket Starr. This is a sequel to the award winning story Memories To Come, about a warrior trapped and dying in a prison cell, learning from the goddess Gillian what he missed by fighting instead of pursuing love with a village woman he once saved.

In the sequel we see the story from the woman's point of view. Talia asks the goddess for help in choosing between two suitors but neither is a man she feels passion for. The goddess reminds her of the one time she did desire a man...when Remak saved her. In a dream she learns more about the mysterious warrior...but will this be enough to lead her to find him?

You can read more here: Memories Revised. The story is scheduled to be released on January 24th. I love how beautiful this cover is and think it matches the mood of my story so well.

Cheers,
Janet/Cricket

Perfect Hero is released!

Ellora's Cave has released my Wild Winter Quickie by Cricke Starr, Perfect Hero. This is a major expansion of a short story I wrote a few years ago as a gift to our Ellora's Cave fans.

You can read more here: Perfect Hero


This makes the fourth Christmas story I've done and the third for Ellora's Cave. I decided to make a cool little animated gif to celebrate these holday titles, including the cool cover of White Hot Holidays Volume 1, the print book containing Ghosts Of Christmas Past.

Cheers,
Janet/Cricket

A Promise Made is released!

New Concepts Publishing has released my Gaian novella about what happened when Dr. Karen Masters landed on The Promise in search of medical supplies and met Gaian doctor Jeffrey instead.

Doctor's note: Do not assume that a Gaian man who is having trouble breathing needs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!

You can read more here: A Promise Made

Cheers,
Janet/Cricket

Tasting Nightwalker Wine is released!

The latest in the Hollywood After Dark series about the parafolk, Tasting Nightwalker Wine, is being released today from Cerridwen Press. YIPPEE!!!

You can read more here: Tasting Nightwalker Wine

This is my book about what happens when a romance author meets one of her biggest fans at a booksigning and he just happens to be a vampire.

Cheers,
Janet/Cricket