Welcome to Day 3 of the A to Z Challenge for this year. One of my biggest challenges as an author is promoting myself. I’ve never been one to blow my own horn. I’ve always preferred to stay in the background until I have a few drinks and can come out of my shell … at least for a short while. Most people don’t realize it, but the majority of teachers are introverts. We’re not comfortable in crowds and large groups, but when we’re at the front of a classroom, we don’t have to be ourselves. We can be anyone we want to be, including a confident person imparting knowledge and wisdom to others. I get that same feeling when I write.
Today’s post is for the letter C, and it stands for Challenge, Confidence, and Cocktails for You.
Most of the books I write are written in the third person with two viewpoints, occasionally three. My entire Cocktails for You series is my attempt to step out of that box and challenge myself to write in the first person, single point of view. This is a lot harder than most people realize since no one in the story, including the reader, can be aware of anything that the main character doesn’t know.
The first, second, and third books in the series, Tequila Sunrise, Champagne Cocktail, and Buck’s Fizz were short ones, but as I got comfortable with the genre, Romantic Comedy, and the first person POV, the stories got longer. The Tipsy Pig, Make Mine a Manhattan, Emerald Glow, Sea Breeze, It’s a Match, and the latest, Noelle’s Gambit are all full-length novels. The titles are taken from the names of popular cocktails, and in each book, I’ve included a reference to the drink and how it’s made.
Writing Romantic Comedy, which some label chick-lit, was a stretch for me for two reasons. The first, I don’t think of myself as particularly funny, and the second because that genre seems to require more sex scenes than romance suspense, historical, or paranormal books I usually write, although my Timeless Love series has several sex scenes.
In most of my books, I focus more on the action in the plot than on the sex or the romantic relationship. I’m not a prude, but I think people spend way too much time worrying about the sex lives of others when there are far more serious issues facing us these days. As well, in my daughter’s words, “Mom, it’s just weird reading sex scenes that your mother has written.” I can actually see that.
When I decided to try the first-person genre and Rom-Com, I did so at the urging of a friend and colleague who claims I can be hilarious. Tequila Sunrise did well, and I followed it up with the other books, confident that they would sell well. Sadly, they haven’t. Why? Because I suck at marketing. I’ve changed the covers, I’ve created Amazon ads, but I just don’t seem to be able to find the reading audience I need. So, now I’m trying a promotion with a reduced price. Will it work? I certainly hope so. At any rate, from now until April 9, the box set for Cocktails for You, the first five books in the series, is only 99 cents USD. Maybe I’ll pick up a few readers, and maybe I won’t, but what do I have to lose?
Here’s the blurb. If you decide to take advantage of the promotion, let me know. I would love your feedback.
A delicious smorgasbord of romantic comedies designed to make you laugh and brighten your day. Meet Kelly, Ronnie, Jewel, Sydney, and Robin, five women at a crossroads in life, each one searching to redefine themselves as only they can. Follow them as they blunder their way to falling in love and finding their own happily ever after.
Tequila Sunrise She left him in stitches before pulling a Cinderella and disappearing. Ten years later, she wants a second chance.
Champagne Cocktail She wrote a nasty letter to Santa, not expecting he would send a life-sized elf to her door with an offer she can’t refuse.
Buck’s Fizz She’s determined to control her own destiny and not be a bargaining chip in her father’s business empire.
The Tipsy Pig A socialite, a lone wolf, a snowstorm, and a pig with a taste for dandelion wine—the perfect recipe for disaster or romance?
Make Mine a Manhattan What’s an author to do when she’s hopelessly stuck in her latest novel and the deadline is eight weeks away?
Check out blog posts from other participants here: https://tinyurl.com/w54yupwe
Living the Dream 
I don’t like promoting myself either, which is one reason I haven’t worked on getting published. That’s great you tried to write something in first person vs. third. I’ve only written in third person so far.
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The first book was the hardest for sure.
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I’m with you on the promoting ourselves thing!
But reading this and seeing how you felt that writing in first person POV was a challenge – all I can say is that from a readers perspective, I never would have known that. You nail anything you set out to write! I always enjoy reading what you write. You are a phenomenal author.
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Aww, shucks! Thank you.
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I firmly believe that all stories have their audience, but finding that audience is seldom an easy process, especially when we write stories that are not clear-cut in regard to genre.
I do believe persevering will get you results. I’d also suggest to have a look at how marketing works today. It’s very different from marketing in the past and leans heavily on quality and sharing. I daresay that sometimes might even be fun 🙂
https://theoldshelter.com/
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Good luck. I read the occasional rom-com but I prefer mine without any sex scenes.
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Same here, so I don’t have a lot of them in mine and the ones there are considered warm not steamy . LOL
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I like the premise. Maybe your audience lies wide and not in KU?
Ronel visiting for C: My Languishing TBR: C
Unsettling Changelings
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The problem with going wide lies in the need to get a US tax number, something I prefer not to do.
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I’m not a US citizen, and I’m wide using my country’s tax number just like on Amazon. Just go to Draft 2 Digital and do everything from there. Except for Google Play Books, I’m published everywhere thanks to D2D.
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I will look into it. Thank you.
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