kate rothwell

I swore I wasn't going to make this blog about promo, but then I notice it showing up on Amazon and Goodreads (I put it there so this shouldn't be a big shock) and I had to wonder: do people want to read about the dog's bloody ears? Will that make them buy our books? Or will I do better linking to THIS NEW REVIEW OF OUR NEW BOOK and THIS OTHER REVIEW OF OUR NEW BOOK.  I think you can see where I'm going with this.... A NEW BOOK OUT TODAY! YAY US!  This one is a little darker than our usual story. It was easy to write in some ways (built in conflict, two characters we liked) and harder in others. For a while in Maryland, I worked at a halfway house, and as we wrote, I got to remember that part of my life and draw on it, a bit. I worked the weekend shifts in level 4 houses (level 1 residents were almost independent, level 4 meant they were teetering on going back into the hospital.) I have some of that experience in another short story I wrote soon after ...

Another Amazon Countdown! The Earl, A Girl and a Promise was $2.99 and for the next few days is only 99 cents! Cheap!Victorian Romance! Fun! Hot! In other news, our poor dog.  We put the holiday lights on her cone and she really didn't mind. This is because she didn't actually notice. This evening the vet will unstitch her ears and they won't be pinned to the top of her head anymore. Less comic pathos, but not a lot less. The way she negotiates her life wearing that cone is still pretty comic, and pathetic--and painful when she comes up behind you and smacks into your legs.

My dog is pathetic with her ears pinned to the top of her head--and she's wearing the cone of shame 24/7.  She's 11 and a little ga-ga, but she's our pup and she spent all of her time shaking her head, floop floop, with that damn ear filled with goop. Eww. Many hundred dollars later, she's got her ears pinned.  * * * I have another book doing the amazon countdown soon. The Earl, a Girl and a Promise will be 99 cents starting Christmas Day. You are warned. You'll get to load it onto your new Kindle. And the Countdown Fun is Over. My last one didn't sell worth beans. * * *  I'm listening to Parasite by Mira Grant and I wish that Mike was listening too. He'd rant "no way! No!" all the time. The personal stuff is interesting but the heroine is sort of a dope. Come on, we knew The Big Truth all along. I knew as soon as that whole drums, hot-warm stuff started. Chapter one, I knew. No, I knew before the book started because of the back-cop...

Thank You, Mrs. M is doing the Kindle Countdown thing now. For the next 4 days, XX hours, XX minutes and XX seconds, it's only 99 cents.  I'd go look up and copy/paste the right numbers, but it would all be a lie by the time you read this anyway. Yep, still like that countdown thing. This book also recently showed up in an article. * I like it; Kathy like it; someone at RT likes it. ***  Otherwise? This book has never sold very well and when I tried to give it away, people wouldn't meet my gaze--they checked their wrists when everyone knows no one wears watches anymore. BE A TREND-SETTER AND READ THIS BOOK. ONLY 99 CENTS. __________________________________________________________ * it [uses] the basic plot of Jean Webster's Daddy Long-Legs in a way which captures its essential spirit but also creates something intriguingly new...Rothwell's story is wonderful in its own right, but it also added something new to my understanding of Daddy Long-Leg...

another of those personal notes.  I was an unforgiving twerp (not twerk, like I first wrote) back in the day, entitled and injured. My father basically lost who he was when I was 22 -- he had a stroke and, though he lived for years, he wasn't a grownup after that. That meant I didn't get a chance to get past his imagined and real sins when he was fully present, not that it mattered to him. Didn't matter to me that much either, but now it does, probably because I'm a parent. Also because at a certain age (maybe after your 20s?) love/affection isn't as easily attained, retained, sustained. Anyway this letter--the message hit me hard for some reason. Most of us mean well, okay? Don't despise anyone who loves you to any degree--not if their affection doesn't harm you.  So....yeah. What it says. From Carolyn Hax's column. Dear Carolyn: Haven’t spoken to my father for 2.5 years, for various reasons that boil down to his being very selfish and re...

That countdown clock makes me smile every time I see it. I have no idea why--it's old news by now. Something so portentous about having the minutes and seconds tacked on there. Probably bringing back memories of all those movies with bombs...just....about....to.....blow. So anyway. Go look at the clock here. And buy the book cheap!  Which title is this, you ask? It was once published by Loose Id as Powder of Love but enough people read that as "Power of Love" that the whole title thing got awkward. I got the rights to the book back and published it on my own. Now some people are shocked that a story about an aphrodisiac has sex in it. ( "The sex scenes towards the beginning were what you might find in a slightly saucier than normal romance novel, but towards the end of the book it surprised even me how graphic the sex scenes had become. Not that I minded... Much .") Or they're shocked that a story about an aphrodisiac doesn't have sex in it soo...

Seriously. No. Soup, sandwiches, pizza topping, tetrazzini, I think I'm putting the rest of the carcass in the freezer and using it for dog reward treats. I read somewhere that Americans waste 20% of their food. I'm guessing about 5% of that is after-holidays turkey meat. Poor murdered birds--we should at least be willing to eat all every scrap to honor its sacrifice. We're not.

Let me know and I'll send you an ebook. It's selling well enough, and a couple of people who didn't have to say anything have said they like it (including Valerie Parv , which made my day, thankyouverymuch ) but I need some stars.** I'd prefer a bunch of them, but I don't have enough cash to bribe you for them. I do have cookies. AND A FREE BOOK. Seriously--let me know at katerothwell at gmail dot com.  ** and here's another thing: If I send you a copy and you hate the book, or don't finish the book, or feel awkward about writing a review, I get it. I've been there. It's fine.

See? I did like Christmas with my boys. and I'm not always a grouch about it.  I even have pictures of me and my guys to prove it. Check out my hair. Wow. And the vest.  Of course Christmas nightmares are tough. . .

Holiday, jolly holiday. the trouble is most of the counterbalance to the usual stuff-- ( memories of people who died years ago touching off seasonal mourning? not enough sunshine? unfulfilled expectations? misunderstood words? ignored words? old and new resentment? too much work? not enough? too many people around? too lonely? too many invitations? none not enough money to enjoy the holidays? cold? dark?) --is produced by the industries that want you to shut up and buy buy buy. (does anyone else remember that spray painted slogan on the bridge over the Charles River?) Personal honest sweetness is hard to separate from the manufactured treacle. And everything is coated with an air of desperation. Hey, come on, a bit of treacle is fine, but it's released this time of year with subtlety and volume of a fire hose. Happy Holidays is a command to get with the program. Good thing there aren't holiday police out there. I swear I really am fine. I was listening to online peopl...

LOOK! A give away! Enter the contest! Win a real book! With paper pages!         Goodreads Book Giveaway                                       The Earl, a Girl, and a Promise                       by Kate Rothwell                                   Giveaway ends November 19, 2013.                                 See the giveaway details          ...

I still don't have a strong opinion about Censorship vs Freedom at Goodreads. GR can do what they want and people can get mad about it. I get both sides. But what I don't get, once again, is why anyone would want to wallow in Kerfuffle crap.  This started when I noticed someone gave most of my books one star ratings. She does that a lot. Thousands of reviews, 1.6 average rating.  I figure either she's a truly unhappy reader with lots of money to burn or she reads a lot of first chapters and then rates them accordingly.  That's cool. That's what goodreads is for--to keep track of the books you've read, you want to read, and you wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Though, really? You have to do that? Rate every single book by an author with one star? the author whines.   Eh, okay. Your account, your life. Other theories I've seen for the chronic one star reviewer is that they're jealous wannabe writers, but that seems more like wishful thinking ...

I was thinking about the minimum a person needs to remain a social being connected to the world.    You think maybe I need some credentials for making this list in a This Is Absolutely True Don't Argue With Me manner? Okay--I've been human a bunch of years. Credential that, buddy. Also, see "Obvious."  Then why bother writing it down? is your next question. I'm ignoring you now. Rudesby. My List: 1. To be desirable. Usually seems to be sexual, but it's not the only boat on that lake. Desiring your company, desiring your feedback--that might be all you get. A hello smile of a greeting that lasts longer than an inhalation and exhalation when you walk into a room--a greeting composed of real pleasure to see you . That might be it. That might be enough. Maybe even an exchange on the internet will do it. 2. To be heard. Minimum=a small moment of exchanged greetings. When someone asks "how're you" and you say "not so good" their ...

Here's the cover! Clarissa Yeo did it. She was fast and easy to communicate with. She managed to make an unwieldy title look good--got to love that ampersand. AND she's only 19! I highly recommend her. I think she must be superbusy though because she's not accepting custom jobs at the moment. Anyway... In case you missed it, here's a link to buy the book. 

Hey! LOOK! The Earl, a Girl, and a Promise is available now! When a nearly naked woman crashes into his arms, Paul, the new Earl of Latterly, knows he’s left his monk-like world behind. Raised apart from females by his misogynist father, Paul hardly knows how to speak with the delightful girl who’s dashed out of the dance hall. But in a single night’s tryst, they discover a passion he’s long denied himself. Yet to his dismay, he learns Emma is the adopted sister of the very man he seeks. The true heir to the earldom, Paul’s ne’er-do-well cousin. Although she’s tried to escape her free-loving mother’s reputation, Emma consents to one night of lust…for a price. But as her heart falls for the stranger, she forgoes payment and flees into the night. Only to find Paul on her doorstep again, seeking her brother. And offering an inheritance that will change her family’s lives forever. Her rapscallion brother needs training to blend with the ton, and Paul needs E...

First of all, Love Between the Lines is free for the rest of today. TODAY only! You can go grab a copy, read it this weekend, and then give it a five star review--and still have time to rake the leaves. Since I'm asking you to do me a favor, then maybe I should go rake your leaves while you read the book. I made it free because I can. I'm about to take it off KDP Select and why not go for that last feature? This is nice: a bunch of people took the time to offer their opinions on my cover. Thank you, people! For some reason I can't seem to use my comments to say thank you in the post below. Maybe everyone is being blocked from google plus and the stupid program will finally peter out. The thing could use a wooden stake through its heart. In other news, I'm going to go watch my kid be Hamlet tomorrow. I'm overly impressed that he is playing Hamlet. Even if he does the whole production wearing a horse mask and saying the lines backwards, I will be impressed beca...

 I have to pick and I don't know which one is more appealing. I went to art school (hard to believe, I know) and it destroyed all ability to know what I like. Over the years, I've also lost what art is. But that's another whine for another day. The question is important! Pick one, damn it!  Which cover do you prefer? cover one, all sepia or cover two, a mix of sepia and blue-ishness.

Someone to Cherish -- only 99 cents through October 22! And this is cool. You can buy the book AND the recording for only $4 . actually I got that wrong. I finally checked the page and the combo is even cheaper than I thought:  Kindle book price: 99¢ Audiobook price: $1.99 Total price: $2.98 I've been doing this for a while with other people's books--buying the cheaper (or free) Kindle copy and then heading over to audible to get the cheap audio version. It hadn't occurred to me that this cheap-o method was open to people who want my book until I found this link at addicted to thrift.  If you hate the Zon, you can get it through Smashwords and use this coupon code RH67C  to lower the price to 99 cents at check out.  No cheap audio for you, though. Sorry. Have we promo'd enough for the day? Yes. ALSO Here's a picture of a pug in a costume, lifted from Funny or Die. labeled pugkin spice latte.   So yummy.

I'm sure you're all dying to find out how the big NEW BOOK ( Love Between the Lines ) campaign went. * Here's what I did: --gave away the book for 2 days on Amazon --nabbed myself a spot on a few websites where I promo'ed until my fingers fell off** Bev Kendall's place , bookbinge, Tina Donahue's place , and at least two other sites that I can't recall now . And it's time to point out that people like Bev, Holly and Tina are wicked generous, sharing their space and bandwidth with other writers. Yeah, I should do that again, but the two of you who show up here don't comment, I'm okay with it but I feel dumb when there are visiting authors. --bought a couple of one day ads, like sponsoring Kindle Direct (why? I don't know) let's not forget that I actually bought an RT ad long ago. (why? I don't know) And that the book got a pretty good review at RT and elsewhere...but that's in the past, so moving along to the three day ...

and in other news, I showed my kid the serenity prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. and he introduced me to Lord Byron's prayer for poo: O Cloacina, Goddess of this place, Look on thy suppliants with a smiling face. Soft, yet cohesive let their offerings flow, Not rashly swift nor insolently slow. This demonstrates why you want to raise nerds. 

Oh. My. F. . .Gracious me. So much win and lose in the same moment. My book is #4 in the category! Wonderful. . . but WAIT A SECOND. The category should be "romance, victorian" Not this. Ugh! #4 in  Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery > Historical This book is not a mystery. There is a mystery in it, but I know my genres and this book is mostly a romance. I'm hoping that if the Lady Georgie books are considered full-blown real mysteries then some readers might grant this the same status. But uh oh. I don't think so. Who is the patron saint of authors? I'm lighting candles to him/her now. ** __________________________________ ** I have the candles lying around because our power went out last night at about 9 p.m. A drunk driver ***** smashed into a utility pole around the corner.  Impressive accident. ***** In a couple of days, when the outraged reviews come in, ### I plan on ...

In celebration of Love Between the Lines release, I'm giving away books--including Love Between the Lines . (Hey, promo makes no sense to me either) These three are free through October 15. Here are the freebies.... Thank You, Mrs. M 4.5 stars! This is a sweet, funny and emotional tale. This modern take on Daddy-Long-Legs, by Jean Webster, has wonderful, fully developed characters... This incredible story will appeal to adult as well as young readers. -- RT Bookreviews Magazine Thank You, Mrs. M. is a wonderful read...This is a poignant and enjoyable read. -- Night Owl Reviews This is not just Daddy Long Legs gender-reversed and updated for shock value, but a thoughtful and really interesting re-imagining of how the story might play out in today's world. There are light homages to the original, which add a bit of extra glow to the romance if you're a fan, but what really made the story for me were the differences. It turns out the unknown philanthropist, h...

Apparently when I launched my latest self-pity party, other attendees showed up. Authors who have had horrible reviews wrote to me to complain. They're staying private--not revealing their identities because they're professionals, unlike some people** . I wasn't going to mention this issue again, because who wants to be known as the continuously whiny windbag? But I'm not stopping yet just because it's finally turning fun. I'm working on the details of a new author support group. There first order of business, of course, is the monthly prize for the worst review. I'm thinking chocolate or w h ine. An old group I used to belong to handed out a cowbell for the annual absolutely worst review, but the competition grew too fierce. We also had teeny tiny little buckets with the word "always something new to throw up about."  on the side. What else could this new support group do? I'll bet there are other authors banding together out there to ...

and an ancient wodehouse and a historical from the 80s and I have absolutely nothing to say about any of them. Usually I'd have an opinion. . . ok, wait, I do. The mystery, by Julia Spencer-Fleming, is the sixth in a series and I haven't read any of the others. I'm getting back story in a perfectly natural way, no big info dumps. People who can write series like that -- series in which readers can pick up any book and not feel lost -- those writers deserve some kind of prize. It's too early to wake up and I'd like to fall back asleep...and the best way for that might be to mentally design this prize. Maybe a stretch of road would work. I've gotten a couple of letters about my bad reviews and I want to buy those note-writing people lunch or at least a cuppa. (One reader pointed out that the book seems to promise some hot bro on bro sex, or at least tension, and those guys barely hug.) I also want to beg the note-writers to leave reviews, but I have some dignity...

I am absolutely not sitting around fretting about this stuff, y'all. Other people are just talking to me. Anyway. Quite a few people have come out with this statement (or variations of it): Book reviews are more negative across the board. Do you believe it? As for me -- I have no idea. I haven't seen any kind of proof, but okay. For this blog entry, I guess I'll take it as some kind of truth. There's the whole ad hominem issue, authors and their strong/dumb opinions are too easily accessible by readers, conversations take place. And readers aren't going to be quiet about their own responses.  But leaving out the personality factor..........If reviews are more prone to negativity, then I say the reasons are perfectly reasonable, as in this makes some sense.  1. There are many more books out there and many more are self-published. That's the most obvious drrrp reason. 2. But there's also the removal of the reverence. Back in the day, people would pi...

but apparently other people don't. I was afraid of that.* You have to wonder how people who get huge numbers of stinky reviews for their first book ever manage to keep going. I’m fairly demoralized with two bad reviews and I can’t imagine how it would feel if this was my only book. We authors tell each other not to check Amazon or Goodreads, and that's good advice -- just because it’s too much work to get back to normal operating speed after being slapped in the face with a bad review. Yes, yes, such an overdramatic response, but any author can tell you--that's how it feels. Really. It's the feeling, the internal authorial response, that contains the greatest quantity of suckage. The fact of a bad review is out in the world hardly matters. Much. Anyone is allowed to leave bad reviews, for Pete’s sake. I resent my own inability to ignore it. I hate how it entirely unfloats my boat. I get swamped and there are no life vests onboard. (“May day! May day!”) Authors wi...

"The plot is rich in detail and subtle in message, and Peter’s relationship with Colin is thoroughly and playfully sexy, joyfully leading readers through a truly romantic journey toward happiness." --STARRED review, Publisher's Weekly Happy release day to me!  

ME: Hey, I guess you should send that birthday card again. It didn't make it through yet. email is so unpredictable. HIM: ho ho ho what am i drawin ME: a berthday card. so maybe something with cakes and candles and balloons and maybe a theme HIM BORING gime something cool ME: depends on the theme HIM: well ok but our ideas of cool are a lil diff [lots of shit] ME: I just require a card and you're the man to do it. lemme practice this now. . ."a card for me? really? you shouldn't have! How nice!" HIM: ok shutup im makin it

My bank, Kelloggs, Google, a credit card company. It still seems odd that these companies know when I was born and want to remind me They Know. I turned off the FB notification because I got over 160 birthday greetings, which feels a bit like the scene in Harry Potter when all the Hogwarts acceptance letters show up. My plan for the day: paying bills and getting a new driver's license and taking another Aleve. Damn back. I was going to give away books but everyone does that on her birthday. 

Ever notice the quotes pulled from people's books on Twitter? I have. Almost always, the little bit of the book seems dumb. I follow a bunch of romance writers so the words are usually about a kiss or a moment of high drama. The quotes are supposed to intrigue you enough to hit the link and go buy a book. It hasn't worked for me. Maybe 140 characters (plus link) isn't enough to draw people in? Or that tiny moment isn't affecting all by itself. Wait, I'm wrong about it not working for me. Here's the one exception: “Lord Maccon was built like a brick outhouse, with opinions twice as unmoving and often equally full of crap.” ― Gail Carriger , Blameless I read that and actually ended up buying the book...and then the series. Maybe if all the quotes were brought together they'd look better? I'm going to try that--just grab a quote when I see it and add it to the list. I'd say authors should stick to tweeting taglines.

Honest to pete, you really can't satisfy some people. I'm about to emerge from the bad mood, I hope. I'm trying to slough it off because it's so tarsome** and if I was someone else--someone other than the person experiencing this mood--I would be ready to drop-kick me to hell. Okay, I am ready to drop-kick myself anyway. Eh, maybe I'll just go for some low-grade mockery. I don't like crowds. But I feel bad about missing a writers' conference which is . . . full of crowds. I want to learn more about promotion and other important tools of the trade (see conference). But the more I learn about it, the less I want to do it.  I don't particularly like surprises. But I'm resentful because I know I'm not getting one on my birthday. I think birthdays are for little kids and once you hit 25 or so, you really should back off on the whole It's About Me thing. Or maybe it's once you hit 12. Depends on my mood. BUT see the thing immediately ab...

I bet you do too. From my very good friend who is going to lick my balls next time we meet. Adriana, my BFF, my sweet, chatty friend, best of luck finding that special gink, but I'm sticking with my Nigerian banker who at least is respectful enough to address me as Dear Sir/Madam.   * * *  BABE... i guess your not getting any of my email huh? ive been tryign to email u so many times but this dam laptop is such a piece of garbage and keeps freezing.. anyways how u been? In case u dont know who this is its ME Adriana.. we used to chat a bit on facebook and then I think u deleted me :( haha.. anyways guess what... I got 2 things to tell u.. both good news.. 1) im single now.. yup me and my bf broke up about 3 months ago... and 2) guess where im moving? RIGHT EFFING NEAR U.. lol... ur actually the only person im gonna know there.. well 3 cousins too but i cant chill with them lol.. I remember when we chatted u told me u thought i was cute and u wanted to chi...

They say that Publisher's Weekly reviews don't affect sales. They say that only a few people read Publisher's Weekly. They say having a review in PW makes no difference. BUT THEY ARE WRONG. Okay maybe they're not wrong about some of it, but that last one: WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. It does have an effect. I got two crapola reviews this week and I managed to shake them off without the need for chocolate. I say, out loud, in the cafe , "Well. That's what you think. But I have two starred Publisher's Weekly reviews , beyotch. Ha! TWO!" And then the people gossiping about teaching at the next table get up and move to a table closer to the entrance. TWO OUTSTANDING REVIEWS . So suck it! Ha! Also let's not forget that 4.5 star Romantic Times review . HA! Sowhatifthepersonapparentlydidn'treadthebook. Do I seem to be all about the reviews these days? Eh, I don't know what else to be about. I find if I talk too much about what I'm writ...

The next Bonnie Dee Summer Devon m/m historical will be out February 18. Want to see the cover? SURE YOU DO. Take a look. It fits the book beautifully.

I dreamed I could switch between being white and black. I decided to stay black most of the time because I was getting more hugs from my friends.  I don't particularly like hugs.  * * * I dreamed I was in a huge art exhibit, but no one was calling it art. I walked up to other people wandering around this giant space filled with useless objects and asked them what is it all? Who put this here? What does it mean? They said something about funding and getting paid. But it was most definitely not art. One woman with braids all over her head told me to please shut up. * * * I dreamed that I had finished writing a book that was brilliant and sweet and just thinking about its message and the characters made me cry.  I woke up from that dream and couldn't write that day. * * * I dreamed that someone killed my dogs and wore their skins. I called the police and said these people! they're the ones! They had to be the ones who killed my dogs. The police refused to in...

This is what I mean. Connecticut is keeping us parents on our toes with their testing. CAPT test vs TERROR alert

I waited and waited for this Sandra Brown book (Low Pressure) and now that I'm a few chapters in, I might switch back to Carl Hiaasen. Brown is known for her alpha heroes but this guy is mostly a sulky jerk. The chip on his shoulder is almost the sum of his personality. The heroine is also sort of a blank person, and her motivation for writing a book (called Low Pressure...hey!) screams Plot Device. No, I don't mind the fact that the character is a best-selling author, although it sounds like her book, a novel based on true events (and she didn't have to do research since they were her true events) is a mystery with a mooshy ending. Nope. That's okay--I'm more annoyed by the stereotype of skanky sister who had it coming. And there are some instances of deus ex machina stuff that is getting on my nerves. My money is on mom, and if I'm right, I might have to give up on Sandra Brown forever. If it gets more clever, I'll forgive and forget and wait for the...

Tom and I are trying to make a nice badge for people who won the Charter Oak contest.

Powder of Sin is free for the rest of today.  Right now it's at #3 in Regency -- which is odd because it's not set in the Regency era (it's a Victorian romance) And it's at #3 in Romantic Comedy -- which is also odd because I didn't say it was a romcom. It has moments of humor but it's hardly laugh-out-loud funny stuff. This tells me that either someone else can add labels or I was not operating on all cylinders when I listed this book at Amazon. But there we go, And it's 107 in the free books overall! That's okay. In other news, the Spanish version of Take a Walk on the Wild Side is an earworm. Makes sense--Lou Reed's version essentially defines earworm material.

One of the writerly tasks I avoid is checking an ebook before it goes to print. I'm not a great proofreader and that's what the job requires. I also have to find and collect "praise for this book" that will go in the front of the print version. Our book is almost overdue (sorry) so I'm doing that job now. I can do the search pretty late at night so I am, hoping it will make me sleepy but... hey wow! I'm having a Sally Fields moment gathering the reviews for The Gentleman's Keeper.  Sometimes looking for good reviews is difficult because you have to slog through a wasteland to find them. This? It's a sunny day, it's picking a bouquet of sweet daisies from a huge field of perfect flowers .... with only a couple of slugs in there. I pluck the slugs and set them free. Naw, I sprinkle them with salt and then stomp on them. What I've got so far (and I think I'm done now. Unless you want to send me your fulsome tribute.) Praise for t...