Mona Ingram

Historical Romance and Modern Love

Cover Design – Does It Really Matter?

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I look at a lot of book covers. These days, that means almost exclusively e-book covers. I subscribe to eighteen different advertising services. You’ve probably seen some of them – they send you a daily e-mail, listing free and discounted e-books. This type of service is ideal for those readers who want to be specific about what they receive. For example, I receive a range of romance books plus women’s fiction, and sometimes I check the box for thrillers and action books. That means you don’t have to slog through listings of books that don’t interest you. It’s a great system.

Since I get so many of them each day, I’ve become adept at scanning them. And do you know what? I’ve found that the book cover is even more important than many experts indicate. No doubt I’ve missed out on some good stories, but if the cover doesn’t appeal to me, I don’t look at it. Why should I when there are so many from which to choose?

From the point of view of a writer, this is where a good cover designer comes in. I need my covers to stand out from the rest – or at least be attractive enough that a potential reader will stop and check it out.

I had the good fortune to discover a new cover designer recently. New to me, that is. Elizabeth Mackey has designed covers for some of the most popular authors of the day, such as Melissa Foster, Russell Blake, Nick Russell, Kate Aaron, Anna J. McIntyre, Traci Tyne Hilton, George Wier, and Billy Kring. You’ll find many more authors on her website: Elizabeth Mackey.

JockElizabeth has now re-done seven of my covers and is working on another as we speak. Those of you who know my books will recognize Between a Jock and a Hard Place. Since Elizabeth worked her magic on the cover, sales have gone up about four-fold.

Elizabeth has also designed the covers for a new series I’ll be releasing throughout 2015. She excels at this – putting thought, plus her talent into coming up with a look, or a theme, if you will. I’ll be excited to share them with you when the time comes, but right now I’d better get back to writing them.

So when you see an outstanding e-book cover, remember that there’s a talented designer behind it. And of course … enjoy!

Check out Elizabeth’s covers HERE.

Links to my author pages:
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Mona-Ingram/e/B001JSDJVO
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mona-ingram/id478033499?mt=11
B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/mona-ingram?store=allproducts&keyword=mona+ingram
Kobo:  http://store.kobobooks.com/Search?Query=mona+ingram&fcmedia=Book

What did you read in 2014?

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   2014 was a productive year for me, working on The Women of Independence series, as well as completing three books in The Gold Rush Romance Series.
   In spite of that, I found plenty of time to read, and I’d like to share with you some of my favourites.
   I first discovered Russell Blake’s Jet series, and enjoyed it immensely. But, dedicated as he is, he still can’t write ‘em fast enough, so I scoured the rest of his impressive list and came across his Assassin series. I’m not sure how he does it, but he’s created a likeable character out of an assassin. If you’re not sure if this is your cup of tea, the first book in the series is free. Check it out HERE.
Nick Russell is another author I first discovered through a series. His Big Lake books are difficult to pigeonhole. Part police procedurals, part character study… humorous and exciting all at the same time. Check them out. But in my opinion, Dog’s Run is his masterpiece (so far). A beautifully crafted story that you won’t soon forget. Check out the Amazon blurb HERE. You won’t be sorry.
Since I was writing historical romance this past year, I felt compelled to read a few historical romance authors. Here are two I enjoyed:
Also:
Christie Caldwell’s Heart of a Duke Series. HERE’s the link to Book 1:
In contemporary romance, I enjoyed Catherine Bybee’s Not Quite Series: 
Bryce Courtenay is my all-time favourite author. My granddaughter turned me on to him some years ago with The Power of One. If I was marooned on a desert island and could only take two books, they would be:  Four Fires, and  Whitethorn.
I discovered Billy Kring somewhere around the middle of the year and quickly gobbled up his books. I like his Ronny Baca mysteries, but for a gritty, honest look at the life of a border patrol agent (which Kring has been), take a look at his Hunter Kincaid books.  I recommend you start with Quick. 
On the recommendation of a friend, I discovered Wayne Stinnett. His Fallen Palm is Book One in the Jesse McDermitt series. I ran through them quickly and await the next in the series.
And, along with many others, I read Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman. I’m not sure what it was about this book, but I found it fascinating.
And lastly, I haven’t read this one yet, but I already know I’ll enjoy it. I Must Say, by Martin Short. If I get a chance, I’ll post a review.
Happy Reading in 2015!!

Sex or Story?

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As a romance author, I read a lot. In between reading romance, I delve into other genres and over the past couple of years I’ve found many great new authors. New to me, that is. Among them:
Russell Blake:  Russell has exploded onto the scene in the past couple of years, garnering a legion of fans with his Jet series, his Assassin series, and his newest, featuring Artemus Black, a series he describes as ‘hard-boiled, noir detective’. I’ve read and enjoyed most of Russell’s books.
George Wier:  George’s book, Long Fall From Heaven, co-authored with Milton T. Burton, has recently been named as one of MysteryPeople’s Top 5 Texas Mysteries of 2013.
Nick Russell:  Nick’s newest, Dog’s Run is receiving rave reviews. More than a finely crafted mystery, it picks you up and sets you down in a small Ohio town in the 1950s. The language, the descriptions, the undercurrents are so powerful you feel you’re there!
   But I digress… as usual. For those of you who read romance, you can’t help but notice the trends these days. All the ‘grey’ covers, for example. Now where did that idea come from? All of the bared chests with sharply defined abs. Shirts hanging open. And billionaires. According to the current wave of romance books, in most big cities, women must be wading through waist-deep piles of billionaires!
   Am I knocking these things? Absolutely not. That’s what romance is, after all… it’s fantasy. I have plenty of fantasy in my own books, and it’s fun.
   So what’s my point? My point is that in most of the romances I’ve read lately, the story takes a back seat to the sex. Romances are becoming little more than a series of sex scenes, linked by the thinnest story line you can possibly imagine. And that bothers me.
   Give me some story with my sex. Please. Make me care about the characters. Tell me why they do what they do. I don’t care if they have sex the day they meet, or a month later, or ten years later. I personally feel that a romance needs some sex – be it implied, or explicit. But please! Give me a story as well to hold my interest. Without that, frankly, too many of the current romances out there are boring.

The List is Growing…

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I’ve added a couple of books to my “So Many Books…” page today. Anna’s entire Coulson series is on my TBR list, and I’ve read two of Nick’s Big Lake series and enjoyed them immensely!

If you’re in the mood for a contemporary romance that goes deeper, one reviewer described Anna J. McIntyre’s Lessons as “a deep, rich story of love, family and friendship.”
also:
Big Lake, by Nick Russell.
One reviewer has referred to the Big Lake mystery series as “Mayberry Meets Twin Peaks.” It’s a combination of humor and intrigue that launched author Nick Russell’s first Big Lake book into Amazon’s 100 Top Paid Kindle books for over 78 days!

Day Soldiers by Brandon Hale.  Here’s the description:
    A legion of vampires and werewolves has declared war on the human race.
   For ten years now, humanity has been at war with the creatures of darkness. The war has changed the world. The day now belongs to humanity and the night belongs to things once thought to exist only in myths and legends… but there is hope. This new enemy has united humanity and an army has stepped forward to protect the light from the darkness. An army of heroes.

Department of Magic by Brian Dockins.  Here’s the description:

   Cadan Johnson lived a seemingly ordinary life. He was on the soccer and cross country teams and had a loving family. But one thing about the Johnsons made them very unordinary- they could perform magic.
   When a mysterious spell on his school counselor backfires, Cadan is faced with the realization that everything he thought he knew about his family has been a lie. He leaves his home to search out the identities of his real parents, but before he can discover the truth, he is tracked down by another group of magic-wielders, this time sent by the government.

Covert Dreams by Michael Meyer

   Imagine waking up remembering intimate details about a country in which you have never traveled and fluently speaking a language that you have never spoken. B.J. is living the ideal life. He has a great wife, a wonderful job. And yet he is experiencing life-like vivid dreams of Munich, a city he has never visited.
   Stan Halsey is a professor in Saudi Arabia, who sends for his wife to join him. She arrives, and, in the blink of an eye, she vanishes, leaving no trace of ever being alive in either the United States or in Saudi Arabia.
   COVERT DREAMS is a fast-paced international suspense thriller that moves from Munich to the burning sands of Saudi Arabia. What is real, and who is responsible for the terrifying nightmare?

Prior Earth, by Scott Langrel

  Part one of a serialized novel. 13,000 words. 
  What if everything you thought you knew about your home, your friends, your family–even yourself–was a lie?

  A storm of change is coming to the planet Earth, and no one will escape it. Many will perish, unable to accept the total reshaping of reality as we know it. In the aftermath that follows, a handful of ragtag heroes must adapt to this strange, new world and begin a quest to save the Earth’s remaining inhabitants from total annihilation.

  Combining elements of fantasy, horror, and science fiction, PriorEarth takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through a world that is alien yet familiar at the same time

Jake was just a normal kid who enjoyed hearing his mother’s bedtime stories. The stories became shockingly real when he discovered that he was a descendant of Dr. Jekyll and that he had his own Mr. Hyde living inside him. Driven by a desire to do good, he attempts to hunt down and kill the remaining Hyde monsters. Can he finish off the onslaught of Hyde monsters and keep the girl he loves safe from their retaliation?

SODIUM1 – Harbinger by Stephen Arseneault
Before an invasion it is wise to gather intel on your foe. Harbinger begins the tale of the fight to save Earth as told from the perspective of an unlikely hero…
In 1957, a group of wilderness adventurers are confronted with the unexpected. They are forced to defend themselves against an unworldly enemy. Will man’s first encounter with aliens force them to run or will they stand and fight? This is the first thriller in the SODIUM series. Follow along as the unwitting group determine their own fate.

CLAIMING MOON – John Peters
   People are dying in Southwest Virginia, their bodies ripped open, a vital organ missing.
   Clearwater Police Detective Frank Taliaferro has served in larger departments, advised the FBI, even worked international cases for The United Nations. Now he’s back where his career began, in the small town of Clearwater, Virginia, where he finds himself forced to participate in a charity bachelor auction.
   Cassandra Kincaid, a rising star at the Daily Dispatch who has her sights set on moving to one of the larger dailies – New York, Washington, maybe Los Angeles – is forced into participating in the auction as a bidder so she can write a feature piece on the whole process.
   That’s when things get complicated. The two find themselves drawn together in an uneasy yet passionate relationship while they both race to uncover what is behind a series of macabre murders.
A SHOT IN THE BARK – Carol Anne Newsome

Would you recognize a serial killer if you met one? Talked to one every day? Artist Lia Anderson doesn’t, and neither does anyone else who frequents the Mount Airy Dog Park. But a violent death brings Detective Peter Dourson into the close-knit group, and he is convinced someone is not who they seem. As the investigation uncovers secrets, Lia struggles to cope with warring emotions and a killer watches.

Suzie O’Connell – SUMMER ANGEL (Angel Series, Book Two)
Five years ago, Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Conner killed a man.  If that were the worst of it, he could have swallowed the guilt, but the man had a son—an eleven-year-old boy who was now no one’s son.  Ben buried himself in shroud of self-loathing and pushed away everyone, even his best friend June Montana, the one woman who might have been able to help him.
The last time Ben talked to June, she told him he could show up on her doorstep at any time.  When he returns home to Northstar in a last-ditch effort to flee his guilt and nightmares, he prays he can reconnect with June, because her friendship is the only thing that can help him find peace.  He knows it won’t be easy, but he also knows now that he can’t save himself.
Instead of the escape he hoped for, Ben is reunited with the boy he orphaned.  He will have to face the consequences of that fateful night, or risk destroying his friendship with June.
 With June’s help, and her son’s, Ben seizes the chance to finally forgive himself, but before he can begin to understand how his relationship with June has changed, an entirely new and disturbing problem arises.  Someone from June’s past wants revenge for a broken heart… and he’s willing to kill to get it.
 Set in the breathtaking mountains of Montana and spiced with a balance of humor, suspense and characters that will steal your heart, Summer Angel is a classic story of friendship and love.

Lee Hanson – Castle Cay
When her best friend is murdered, Julie O’Hara, a body language expert, packs up her suspicion and flies to Boston for his funeral. Who could have killed rising artist Marc Solomon, and what does Castle Cay, the Solomon’s mysterious Caribbean island, have to do with it? Before long, Julie’s sixth-sense pulls a hidden string that unravels a deadly conspiracy…and her own troubled past.
Jeannette Raleigh – Death Knell
  Nightmares of a horrific car accident haunt Amber, and the scars go deep. As she struggles to regain memories of the past few years, Amber receives a phone call from an old high school friend, a woman who has been missing for three months. The call is disconnected as her friend pleads for help.
 With her neighbor at her side, Amber digs into the disappearance, but sinister men are watching and they don’t like Amber’s meddling. While danger lurks, Amber discovers secrets that may unravel her life.
  Someone wants those secrets buried…

THE ROAD TO CORDIA by Jess Allison
In the country of Cancordia, on the planet D’Az,  set on the edge of the sea, is an isolated  Fisherfolk village. In this village people are dying who could have been saved. Ja’Nil (very much against her will) is sent to the Royal Court in the city of Cordia to find a healer.
  At one time the country of Cancordia was known for its safety, but now you take your life in your hands when they travel the roads. There are slavers, tricksters, dragons, and werewolves, powerful warlords, and ladies with mysterious and terrible gifts.
  One of the people Ja’Nil meets along the way is a handsome young man named Ee’Rick. They decide to travel together. Only much later does she discover Ee’Rick’s secret.
At the Palace, the Queen is having troubles of her own. Before Ja’Nil and Ee’Rick reach the city, traitors put their plan into action. Suddenly the two travelers find themselves caught up in the middle of a deadly political coup.
Instead of finally being safe, the most dangerous part of their adventure has just begun. But Ja’Nil is developing a little magic of her own, and Ee’Rick is an incredibly efficient warrior. Even so, Ja’Nil’s journey to Cordia is turning into an experience she may not survive.
  The Road To Cordia is the first in a series of Cancordian Fantasy Adventures.

 










About Mona Ingram

Romance author Mona Ingram has written dozens of novels, including the Forever Series, the Gold Rush Series, and the Women of Independence Series. She lives in British Columbia, Canada.

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Email me at mona@monaingram.com.

All text copyright Mona Ingram.