I’m so pleased to have author Susan Connell on my blog today. Susan writes sexy and sophisticated romance, and she’s here to tell us about her adventures in publishing, including the re-release of her backlist, now available as digital books.
THE BACKLIST IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER
Thanks, Vanessa, for inviting me on your blog. I feel a little like Dorothy on her first time out of Kansas – things happen so quickly here in e-book land! Of course that’s what’s so wonderful about this new area of the book business. Back in the ‘90’s it could take up to two years, sometimes more, for a writer to get her book published and that was after it had been written, shopped around New York and finally accepted. If you were truly fortunate you worked with a talented editor; if not you were left with no alternative but to wonder what was happening to the people you’d created and the problems you’d given them to solve.
And those covers. Let’s face it, some romance covers were just awful. I’ll never forget the one for the paperback edition of TROUBLE IN PARADISE because, I swear, my heart dropped to the basement when I first saw it. How bad was it? It came with a note that the art department was “adjusting it” – two more tries and his head still didn’t fit his body. Forget about the loincloth, the monkey on his shoulder, and “Tarzan” himself sitting in a tree, all I saw was that little head. Mistakes like this don’t have to happen with e-books. Today, how a backlist is presented is up to the author.
When I realized I could present my backlist through e-books I couldn’t wait to begin. I found I missed my characters and the stories I had created for them. But this time around I was in charge of bringing them to the readers with plenty of TLC. A second chance at presenting these books, once I’d updated, re-edited and “re-covered” turned into nothing but fun. A classic love story never goes out of style, but freshening it up is always a good idea.
Here are the covers to the new and improved e-book versions for both TROUBLE IN PARADISE and, it’s stand-alone sequel, PAGAN’S PARADISE. They’re both available now – you can read about Reilly Anderson and then Jack Stratford on my website SUSANCONNELLBOOKS.COM Both Reilly and Jack are undercover agents working for an American pharmaceutical company in Central America. TROUBLE IN PARADISE takes place in the rain forest where Reilly must contend with a dangerous and greedy timber company threatening to end a worthwhile research project. PAGAN’S PARADISE takes place in the seaside capital where a coming revolution threatens to end Jack’s plan to keep a part of the rainforest preserved for research. As if there aren’t enough problems to contend with two bold and beautiful women bring Reilly and Jack some surprising challenges, at just the wrong time. Have fun but be careful. It’s a jungle out there!
By the way, I’m working on a new e-book and I promise it won’t take two years to make it available to you. SWIZZLE is a family-centric romantic comedy set in the Florida Keys. Bring suntan lotion; I’ll provide the banana daiquiris.
Vanessa, here. Man, those books sound like fun, don’t they? And Susan is donating a copy of Trouble In Paradise for one of my readers today. Now, take another look at the heroes on Susan’s covers. One is a bare-chested hunk and the other is a sophisticated James Bond type. Which one would you prefer on your arm? The more relaxed, casual guy, or the sophisticated man about town? One person who comments will win a copy of Trouble In Paradise.
