Do you find the time for doing what you love? Also, a FREE boxed set!

 Wishing you all a happy Wednesday! 💕

Yesterday it was 74 degrees and sunny. Today we'll be having snow...and just five minutes ago, I heard thunder. The Upper Midwest is always interesting!

But I won't be seeing any of that snow today. I'll be working like mad to finish proofing a new book, because I need to leave for a short trip as soon as I hit "Send." The pressure is on...as well as the anxiety.

This book has been professionally edited...twice.  This week, I have been going through it using two editing programs, one after the other, to catch any small typos all of us might have missed.  

 At this point, I always yearn for the "day after" when I can breathe a sigh of relief and then catch up on everything else. 

My husband is patient, though he frequently asks why I work such long hours when I should be having fun. My answer is always the same--this is what I love, until a deadline looms.

At least until retirement, most of us have many commitments that take up our time, whether it's our own education, a career, raising a family, caring for a loved one, or volunteering for a church or community. Sometimes, many of those hit all at once.

What do you love to do? What makes you the happiest? Are you able to find quiet times for yourself?  I would love to hear about it!

                                             ~~~~

Would you like a FREE boxed set (collection) of three full-length Christian romantic suspense novels?  It was released on March 11th.

You can find  MONTANA SECRETS Books 1-3 on Amazon by clicking HERE.

It's free with Kindle Unlimited, but if you choose to buy, it's still a bargain compared to buying the books individually.

Leave a comment, and you will be added to a drawing for a free e-copy of  DANGEROUS STORM. You can see it by clicking HERE.

Wishing you a blessed week,

Roxanne Rustand
www.roxannerustand.com

Have I got questions for you!

 It's already the end of January, and the clock is ticking. I start every year by planning to be organized, to keep to a comfortable schedule, and to strike a healthy balance between my family, my church family, and my writing.

Invariably, I end up a bit overwhelmed--writing deadlines start to pile up and interfere with the extra time I want with family, and I get behind on everything else.   

Does your life ever end up that way?  I have three book deadlines looming and wish I could create an extra three weeks in February! 😁

One of those deadlines is for the final proof of my first boxed set containing three full-length novels. 

It will be released May 11th on Amazon. It's up for pre-order now (click here to read more) at a bargain price compared to buying the individual books.

Other authors tell me that many readers prefer boxed sets, so they can easily move through the books in a series. Is that true?

I would love your opinion on boxed sets before I do another for the final three books in this Montana Secrets romantic suspense series. What do you prefer--buying books one-by-one, or buying a boxed set? 

I have another question.  😊

Do you prefer audio to e-books or print?  

It's very expensive to create an audio book if authors hire professional narrators. Less so, if one does this via a shared royalty contract with that voice talent. But either way, it takes a lot of financial commitment.

I'm seeing quite a few audiobooks for sale created with an AI voice.  This doesn't begin to compare with live voice talent, of course, though it is getting much better.  

I deeply dislike the idea of AI taking work away from people. But I am wondering about my readers who have visual impairment and struggle to read even the largest font size on their Kindles. Or those who would like to listen to books for sheer convenience.

Have you ever listened to an audio book created in this way? What did you think? Would it be better to skip audio versions altogether until I can afford to have one professionally produced?

I would be so grateful for your opinions! Leave a comment and you will be entered in a drawing for one free e-book of any of my book titles.

Click here to see them (but be sure to click "Sort by date") on the right side of the column, so you don't see very old titles first.

Blesssings,

Roxanne Rustand

www.roxannerustand.com

New release: DANGEROUS MOVE, and a chance for a free book! Roxane Rustand

 

Is your summer starting off as quickly as mine? It seems like the time has flown!

Part of that is because we had a new grandbaby in mid-May. Such a cutie, with long, thick hair. She was over nine pounds and is eating like a champ. She's already out of newborn size!  I spend a lot of time preparing meals for our daughter's family to help them out, and then adore spending as much time there as I can.

And then there was a book deadline. It had been well edited and proofed, and I had gone over it dozens of times, But at the last minute, to my dismay, I found a small timeline issue. 😟

Sounds like a simple fix, right? Well, nope. Not always. Because if even a small part of the plot needs to be fixed, it can end up being a much, much bigger issue. Plot threads can run through a story like octopus tentacles...and some can be hard to find.  I'm so glad that I discovered it! All of us work so hard to create stories readers will enjoy, and we don't want to let our readers down in any way.

DANGEROUS MOVE, released yesterday on Amazon, is FREE on Kindle Unlimited or just $3.99 to buy.  CLICK HERE  to read more about it and to buy.

Here's a quick blurb:

Has she just made the worst decision of her life?

Her husband walked out on her and their three, recently adopted children--children who desperately need a sense of security.

The children are her world, and she will do anything to keep them safe.

So now she has moved far away to a quaint small town in Northern Wisconsin, to start her new career as the administrator of Blackberry Hill Hospital.

But all is not what it seemed when she took the job.

The hospital death count is rising. And when a man from her past shows up, she must keep a dark secret from him...or risk everything she holds dear.

Leave a comment, and you will be entered in a drawing for a free e-book book from my backlist.  

 

I hope you are having a wonderful summer!

Roxanne Rustand
https://roxannerustand.com

Easter blessings...and a question: what's in a name? Roxanne Rustand

 Easter blessings to you all!

This season is filled with such joy and hope, as we move through the weeks of Lent toward the suffering Jesus endured and his glorious resurrection.

It has even more meaning to me this year. I was adopted at three and have been a lifetime church member. My parents were told by the social worker that I had been baptized and they believed it.  But was I?  There were no documents, and I always wondered. 

So this winter, when our Lutheran church had a weekend of open baptism when anyone could walk forward on the spur of the moment, I did. And now I know. I felt such joy at that moment, and now feel so blessed and reassured!

On a completely different note, after I find and buy books by my favorite authors on Amazon, my gaze always drifts to the rows of book covers below the book's description, called "Products related to this item" and "Based on your recent views." Then farther down to "Books you may like."  

Do you do this, too? Just by looking at a cover, book title, and subtitle, I can sometimes find books I want to explore. 

I know those details have been carefully planned by the authors (at least those who are experienced) to show a great deal about the book--and avoid misleading buyers into a purchase they might regret.  Even the font used on a cover can convey useful information. Is it fun and swirly? Intense?

I was so naive when I first started publishing with Amazon. 

I found photos of lovely flowers or landscape scenes, and asked my cover artist to use them. 

I also came up with what I thought were pretty titles, without a thought about actually conveying what the book was about. And I didn't know how to write book descriptions for Amazon, either.

When I look back at my abysmal sales during those early years, I  actually feel gratitude. No one would have guessed those books were romantic suspense! And if readers bought them expecting to read a nice contemporary romance novel, they would have been deeply disappointed.

It's all about branding, really. A way to convey information about a specific book, a book series, and also about the author.

For example, I write both Christian Romantic Suspense and Clean Romantic suspense, so I use those labels as my book subtitles.  The book titles themselves are meant to convey that the book is a suspense. 

If you look at the wonderful books shown here on the Suspensesisters blog, or do a search on Amazon for a category like "Top 100 Christian Romantic Suspense," you can see how authors do this. Clarity is important, for the best reader experience! 

My brand (my promise to readers) is that in addition to suspense and romance, they will find a warm thread involving family relationships, and a thread of faith--but with a lighter touch in the books labeled "Clean romance." And I always include an animal of some kind that makes a difference to a character in the story.  

I hope including that animal on my book covers visually alludes to deeper emotion and warmth, as opposed to covers promising a gritty or far more intense read. Usually, it's a dog. My new release is just a bit different--with a nosy llama! 

 
Here is a quick link to FINAL TRUTH in case you would like to buy or just take a look.

What are your thoughts about book titles and cover art? Do they help spur your interest in looking at a book's Amazon page, or do you mostly go by author names?

Wishing you all a happy Easter!

Roxanne Rustand

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!  💕💕💕

Are you planning on doing anything special?  We gave up on going out for  Valentine's dinner long, long ago because a crowded restaurant just isn't appealing, especially during the height of cold and flu season. 

A good romantic movie always sounds nice, though.  One of my favorites is the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice, which I've watched too many times to count! Do you have some favorites to recommend? I would love to hear about them.

The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's always fly past. Does that happen to you, as well?  We have  four  family birthdays that fall within two weeks of Christmas, making that time even more special. And busy!

But come January 1st, I always launch back into long days in my home office. The old saying "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life" is so true. Writing fills me joy. 

What fills you with joy? 

One thing that doesn't fill me with joy is the endless task of trying to winnow through a lifetime of possessions. 

Though we have no plans to move, I have a dream of downsizing.  My husband is a minimalist, while I'm a very sentimental saver--probably stemming from being in a long series of foster care homes from birth until I turned three, and it's hard for me to "let go." 

The book "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning" inspires me, though. 

Yet, despite never-ending trips to donate at our local Treasures (a shop that supports young parents), Olivet Mission (where everything is free for those in need), and Salvation Army, it seems as if I barely make a dent. Are you a saver too, or are you more of a minimalist?  I could sure use your advice!

Last week, my husband and I went to a draft horse sale in Kalona, a very small town in an Amish and Mennonite area nearby. 

The Amish help run the sale and are big sellers and buyers, though the license plates in the parking lot were from states coast to coast. It's always fun to watch the horses and exciting to hear the bids go up and up. Last year, a two-horse team went for $45,000! 

Before I go, HERE'S A LINK to my new book, Deadly Evidence. It's free on Kindle Unlimited and at a bargain price otherwise. 😊

Leave a comment, and you will be in a drawing for a FREE copy of Deadly Vendetta. CLICK HERE to read about the book you could win!

Blessings,
Roxanne Rustand 

Reaching the end... Roxanne Rustand

 

Do you ever reach the last book in a series, or the end of a series on television, and wish it would go on and on? 

I've been watching the tenth and final season of Doc Martin on public television. The doc is a curmudgeonly sort with an abrasive lack of people skills, but the series has been filled with humorous characters and subplots that I have come to love and I will miss them when the series ends.

Another series (among many PBS shows I enjoy) I am grateful for is All Creatures Great and Small.  Being an avid animal lover, this series has been a joy. The setting is a delight as well, because I love reading fiction set in Ireland, Scotland, and England. The series is still running, and I wish it would never end. But that time will come, too.

What about you? Do you have some favorite, ongoing television series to recommend on television or a streaming service? I would love to hear about them! 

As a writer, writing the final book in one of my Christian Romantic series is a little sad, too. Creating characters and writing multiple books in that world becomes part of me--as if some of those imaginary folks have become friends.

DEADLY EVIDENCE will be released on January 30th. It is the fourth and final book in my DEA Agents series, and is available for preorder HERE. The good thing, is that the books can be read in any order. So if you missed the other releases this past fall, it's not too late!

Leave a comment, and you will be entered in a contest for a free e-book copy of  DEADLY BETRAYAL (read about it HERE.)

I hope you had a wonderful, blessed Christmas and that the coming year will be a blessing as well.  

All my best,

Roxanne Rustand
www.roxannerustand.com

An interview with Susan Page Davis ...by Roxanne Rustand

Susan Page Davis's TRUE BLUE CHRISTMAS released November 7th.

It’s the fifth in her True Blue Mysteries series, featuring Campbell McBride, who has recently begun working with her father, Bill McBride, as a private investigator.

New neighbors, cryptic Christmas cards, and jury duty. What next? Campbell McBride is juggling her new role as a private investigator with her slightly wacky personal life.

Can she and her dad figure out who stashed a valuable painting in their client’s attic? And is the murder of an egocentric landlord somehow connected?

She and Bill end up helping a client learn the truth behind a stolen painting and so much more! Not only that, she has some adventures both on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

I wrote this story shortly after serving on jury duty in Calloway County. I really hoped I’d be picked for a panel, but I wasn’t. I tried to channel my frustration through Campbell, who also has jury duty at the opening of the story.

I've lived in western Kentucky for thirteen years, now, and I keep learning things about the Commonwealth and the area where I live.

I hope you enjoy reading True Blue Mysteries as much as I enjoy writing them.

I’m giving away a copy of BLUE PLATE SPECIAL, the first in this set, or any other of books 1-4 in the series. For US address only, if you want a paperback. For foreign addresses, please choose an e-book.

Amazon link for e-book or paperback: CLICK HERE

Find Susan at:

https://susanpagedavis.com

 

Thank you for your cover help! Roxanne Rustand

On Friday, October 13th, I posted about a mistake I'd made with the  book covers for the upcoming third and fourth books in my  DEA Special Agents series.  I almost always have book covers show the dogs in the story, but I forgot to tell my cover artist to add them! 

Many of you were so kind, and offered opinions on what I should do: go with the dog-less book covers as-is, or have them redone ASAP, to include the correct dogs that appear in each of the books. 

The Suspensesisters authors usually post just once a month or so, but I asked Nancy Mehl if I could post again just to express my thanks to everyone who left comments.   
 

Though I was in a bit of a tizzy, since the release dates are so close, all of you helped clarify both the situation and the solution.

I hope these new Deadly Evidence (release date 11/14) and January's Deadly Betrayal covers now coordinate better with the first two books in the series.

For comparison, look at the bottom cover. Deadly Noel is the book  released on October 18th--and it has a dog on the cover.   :)  

I hope the newly added dogs lend a bit more warmth and appeal. What do you think?

Thank you to everyone who offered advice.  

You are all so kind!

Roxanne Rustand    

Can you help me with a cover decision? Roxanne Rustand

 

Hello, again!

What a wonderful rainy morning this is! Our county has been in a severe drought since June, without any measurable rainfall, but now rain has been falling for two full days. 

I stand at our windows and just watch it, feeling so blessed. Have you had severe or unusual weather this year where you live?

 

 DEADLY NOEL will be released on October 18th, and is at a special pre-order price until then.  Click on the title to check it out! 

I've got a question for you about book covers. 

I write Christian romantic suspense, and usually have a dog as an integral part of the story. That dog then appears on my covers. Part of my author brand is to have warm, emotional threads in my books, and I hope the dogs on my covers help convey that a bit. Or does it?

 The cover artist for my current DEA Special Agents four-book series did include the pertinent dog on the first two covers of this new series, but didn't on the last two. So now I am debating about asking for replacement covers for them. Do you think it matters?

Here is the third book in this series without the dog (a Basset) on the cover. What do you think?  Is it all right, or would it be better with a dog on the cover?

DEADLY BETRAYAL, is available for a special preorder price until its release day on November 14th.

But I can still request a cover change!

Leave a comment, and you'll be in a drawing for a free Kindle copy of any title in my previous Wyoming Courage series.

Wishing you a wonderful autumn,

Roxanne Rustand