On Why Rocky Isn't a Bada**

I'm not exactly on the same page with John Green all the time but he did say one thing that I completely agree with, and I'm paraphrasing here, "You don't have to like my characters."
In the past, back when I dared to read reviews, some complained about Rocky. She's emotionally unstable. She doesn't know what she wants. She's this then she's that. She's annoying.
Yeah.
She's 17.
She's never traveled.
She doesn't hang out with the party crowd.
She's built this false exterior around herself to hide her pain and to protect herself from abuse.
She has serious, legitimate trust issues.
Take her away from her white trash, roaming-eyes pervert of a stepdad and throw her into a world with rich men who have potentially nefarious ulterior motives and yeah...that could make her a little bipolar in her actions. Mix together the danger, intensity,  and lies with some seriously emotionally damaged heartthrobs and the girl has some issues to work out while she's in the thick of it.
I believe in growth, that wisdom and strength come from passing through the fires and being refined. What teenage girl doesn't think she's all that but doesn't fall apart when cast out into the storm? We stumble and fall along the way before we learn to walk against the wind. We do stupid things and that is how we gain wisdom and humility.
Is Rocky a pain?
Absolutely.
But she and William and Peter are on a journey to become the people the family has needed all along.

Powerful in Pink

To begin, I do not write full-blown reviews. Just more of an insight into whether or not I liked a book and found it worth my time.

I absolutely loved Paranormalcy, with its quirky, fresh take on the paranormal world. Evie is perhaps one of the most vibrant and realistic teenage characters I have ever read. She's a bit insecure, bit of a dork, giddy and shy but filled with power and potential. Even better, she's a GIRL. She wears pink boots and zebra print dresses, totally owning her femininity while kicking undead butt. And Lend? Adore him! I can't wait to read the next installment!

A PG-15 Read

Some recent discussion I've participated in on Amazon have led me to rethink the marketing of my book. Calling it a teen read is too broad. While there aren't any scenes with sex, there are some darker matters the story eludes to. It's essential to the plot. There is also some sensuality, but it's Rocky's first kiss...not her first "time." It's an innocent enough read but because of the tragedy and the sexual tension I don't know if I would want my 13 year old reading it. 14 maybe. 15 and up would be best. Which is why I have started marketing Filter more as a YA novel. It's just the books that I've read recently...Evermore and A Great and Terrible Beauty had some content that was mild as black pepper for adults but I wouldn't want my 13 year old reading them. So, Filter is a YA suspense/romance/family saga and more of  mystery than you know! (And I sold another book on Amazon! Yea!) 

Filter, One Customer Really Got it!

One customer review boiled my book down better than I ever could!
Maybe I should have her develop my pitch for me! Here's her review: 

Intertwining the past and the present, Ms. Wright expertly weaves a tale of romantic suspense that keeps you turning the pages. The struggle of the feisty Rocky (Raquel) and the moral William against corrupt and unjust relations in modern St. Louis, Missouri, is parallel to the struggle of the fragile Katherine and the courageous Viktor in a bygone era. In the unanticipated ending, the connection these people share is understood, and you will cry out for the next episode of this intriguing tale!

eBook Coupon!

I am not a good businesswoman.
It is so thrilling for me just to know that people are reading my work and (from reviews) enjoying it that I don't even want to charge for it. But my tooth really hurts and we just had to pay to put a new fuel pump in my car (NOT CHEAP).
So I have started charging $0.99 for my ebook. We'll see if people are willing to pay. For those of you who stopped by my blog though....I have a coupon code for you! BD39K
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/filterbookone
If you use the coupon between now and September 16th Filter is yours for FREE!

muse

Since middle school my writing habits have been pretty rigid. not in terms of schedule or a particular form of media. My only unbreakable habit is the need foor music, loud music. And I have to have headphones. Yes I know this is unwise, but it's the only thing that works. What's funny is after a while I don't even hear the music anymore. It keeps the world at bay and allows me to slip into my writing, into the world I've created. In high school the rules changed slightly. Not any song would do and it had to be a particular song looped over and over. When I took up writing again after years of pretending I was too practical to do such a thing, the rules had become more refined. If I don't find the absolute perfect song, writing is like slogging uphill in deep mud. Usually i could pick a song and run with it and say, "Okay this fits." Now the story seems to pick the song. I learned this when, to my horror Katherine (Filter Book One) would only flow to Katherine McPhee's "Terrified." You see I listen to christian music and had only heard this on American Idol. And then as the story intensified it switched to Airplanes by B.o.B, a song I picked up from driving with my sister. In the end, with tragedy and violence, it was Flyleaf. As I work on Book Two more surprises are hitting me. William's muse song is "What do I Know of Holy" by addison road. Not a huge surprise, and a song that makes me cry every time I sing along. But Marie's muse is a shocker, a song I haven't heard since I graduated from high school in 1997, "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin. I love that song but hadn't tried to think of it. That's what's so weird. I wanted a girl power song by Natalie Merchant, Ophelia. Marie would have nothing of it. So I downloaded Sunny and soon after had five fantastic pages of Marie done. I loved Katherine, but she is a candle beside Marie's bonfire. I'm so excited about book two now. William is a complicated young man and makes my brain hurt to follow his thoughts, but I still adore him. book one is still available at
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/filterbookone for free!

The Downside of ePublishing

It must've been easier to be a writer when you weren't constantly plugged in to your numbers. I remember the good old days of stamps and envelopes and waiting in silence for so long that you forgot you even mailed something to a publisher. Of course those were also the days when you relied on a publisher or agent actually opening your envelope and giving it a fair chance. Those were also the days of high prices for self-publishing.
Right now Filter is lost in a sea of ebooks and I am fighting tooth and nail to get it noticed. That's why it's free right now at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957 At least if it's free people will read it and, I hope, enjoy it and leave a favorable review. I might have to wait until the next book to actually charge some minimal amount.
If writing does pan out I'm going to have to get a 9-5 which is NOT what I want. I've accepted my June Cleaver fate and I love being home to take care of my boys and shuffle them around. But I need my own home. My parents have been good enough to let us live with them for some time now while we get our degrees and establish our careers but I want my own home with my own decor and my own rules. I also need to get my broken tooth fixed. My Mac book attacked me. Broke my front tooth. And we're too poor to get it fixed.
I've spent the last week shamelessly self-promoting my book and I'm not very good at it. I don't want to just say, "Hi, buy my book." That's not me. I was never good at small talk. I like to be invested in people and hear their stories and know their thoughts. Problem is, that takes up a LOT of time. And that's time I should be spending working on Book Two and reading. I haven't had time for lazy days of reading because I'm busy peddling my free ebook. Ridiculous. And don't even get me started on Amazon. I've only sold two copies there because you can't find it. Everyday hundreds if not thousands of new ebooks are uploaded for the Kindle format. I'm only charging $2.99 and have only sold 2. That is not going to fix my tooth. At least I know at Smashwords people are downloading my ebook and I pray they are enjoying it. If they aren't I want to know why because I know I have a lot of growing to do as a writer. Sometimes I think I was a better writer back in high school before my adult ADHD kicked in  (I don't actually have ADHD, it's just called an overly busy life).
I need coffee.

Get A Free Filter...ebook!

For a short while I am making Filter: Book One available for FREE at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957 I really want to get some teenagers who don't know me to read it....I would like their opinions.

Filter Book Trailer!

Filter is Available on Smashwords.

Filter is available on both Smashwords and Amazon.com.
If you actually want to buy it and don't have a Kindle I would recommend getting it from smashbooks for now. I've just uploaded a more e-friendly version to Amazon and it isn't active yet. Sales are going up! I'm just waiting for the reviews. More than anything I want to know people are enjoying reading about Viktor and Katherine and William and Raquel!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957