Blog Archives - Page 7 of 59 - Maggie Wells-Margaret Ethridge

June 29, 2020June 28, 2020

Monday Mayhem – Onward!

I did it! I typed THE END this weekend!

It’s been a long time. Over 18 months, since I finished TO MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE. I’ve started and stopped three other novels since then, but nothing stuck. Time and again, I dove in again. Over and over I hit a wall.

I thought very seriously about quitting. After all, there’d be no shame in that. I’d written forty complete works. I’d signed with my top pick of literary agents. I’ve been contracted by a half-dozen publishers, earned starred reviews, and had a book named Amazon book of the month.

I knew I could write, I just couldn’t…write.

By the middle of 2019, I’d stopped even attempting. Then I stumbled across some YouTube videos produced by author coach, Becca Syme. Everything she said clicked with me.

In February, I met with my agent while at my agency retreat and we discussed possible projects. I could tell none of the ideas I pitched were working for her, but she knew I was ready to dive back in, so I started toying with one of the ideas. But all the while, I was wondering if I was done.

Then she asked if I wanted to write something completely different. An opportunity to submit a proposal to Harlequin Romance’s Intrigue line. For those of you not familiar with the line, Intrigue specializes in gritty romantic suspense – something I’d never attempted before.

I had a vague idea for a story, so I ran with it. I wrote two chapters and a detailed proposal for three books in a series that would revolve around small town law and justice.

Three weeks later, I had an offer and a contract.

And as of Saturday, I have a completed manuscript.

There’s still a lot of work to do, but for the first time in a long time, I’m excited. I hope you will be too!

June 22, 2020June 21, 2020

Monday Mayhem – Confessions of a carbohydrate addict

Caution: Food porn ahead

I baked another loaf of bread yesterday. I think I may have a problem.

It’s nothing fancy, and I certainly don’t make ’em pretty, but yum!

It’s an easy white bread recipe I found online. I think it’s even titled ‘Easy Homemade Bread‘. We’re totally hooked. As soon as it cooled the teensiest bit, we sliced into that loaf and slathered our victim with softened butter.

My only regret is that I’ll never be able to enjoy a slice of gold old Wonder bread again.

Nah. I take that back. Je ne regrette rien!

June 8, 2020June 7, 2020

Monday Mayhem – Back in the saddle again

Hello, friends. How are you? I am well and hope you and yours are too! If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, you’ll be glad to know I’m back in the saddle again.

Except my saddle is a desk chair, and I’m trying to rein in the first book in my upcoming series with Harlequin Intrigue. I’m closing in on the last 10k or so words and boy are things happening! This has been such a fun experience for me.

Contributing to the fun aspect of cranking out a whole new book in just a couple of months is the 30 for 30 challenge issued by Better-Faster Academy. Becca Syme and her team challenged us all to spend thirty minutes per day working with our manuscripts for 30 days in a row.

Well, you know Team Awesome was all over that.

Jewels and I love a competition, and if there are prizes, well…watch out! We’re 20 days in and churning out the words like maniacs.

Hey, did you remember that To Make You Feel My Love is out there in the world looking for some love? Grab a copy today! If you already have your copy, don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon, GoodReads, Book Bub, or wherever you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts.

It’s a tough market these days, and my algorithms need all the help they can get!

Finally, we’ll be wrapping up the Hometown Hope collection giveaway. Last week, this collection of seventeen full-length novels (including my Home In Heartsfield) was the #1 free download in its category on Amazon. If you’re looking for an easy way to find some new-to-you authors, grab a copy now!

May 18, 2020May 17, 2020

Monday Mayhem – New release and exciting news!

TO MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE is live on all platforms! Don’t forget, you can order digital copies directly from me by clicking the Buy Direct button on the menu above. Use this coupon code to get 25% off your direct purchase: 25OFFMAGGIE

Brittany Owens is a young woman on the brink.
As Brit’s career soars past up-and-coming and hurtles toward the stratosphere, she feels like she doesn’t have any control over its trajectory. Her grandfather is country music royalty. Her momager is determined to get Brit to the top at all costs. And then, there is the man she fell for when she was far too young to know any better.
Cash Dorsett once had stardom within his grasp.
But the excesses that come with a life in the spotlight had him landing flat on his face when he reached for the success he craved. Clean and sober now, he doesn’t let himself think about the blue-eyed girl he left in the wreckage of his career. Much.
A chance encounter leads to an intense collaboration.
But can Brit and Cash find a way to make beautiful music together without allowing her rising star to burn their love to the ground?

And I have big news!

I have a new book deal! Here are the deets:

Women’s/Romance
Maggie Wells’s Pine Woods trilogy, about local law enforcement, prosecutors, lawyers, and DEA agents who combat drug trade in small-town Southern USA, to Denise Zaza at Harlequin Intrigue, in a three-book deal, for publication in September 2021, by Sara Megibow at kt literary.

I‘m super-excited to dive into writing romantic suspense. I hope you all will enjoy the ride too!

May 11, 2020

You guys!!!!!

So this little bit of news dropped in Publishers Marketplace today:

That’s right, I’m diving into the world of romantic suspense! I’m thrilled and terrified, and so very grateful to have you all along for this ride. Buckle up!

May 11, 2020May 11, 2020

Monday Mayhem – In case you’ve forgotten…

I have a new release this week! TO MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE will be live on all platforms on Thursday, May 14, 2020. Be sure to mark your calendar or pre-order now! Don’t forget, you can order digital copies directly from me by clicking the Buy Direct button on the menu above. Use this coupon code to get 25% off your direct purchase: 25OFFMAGGIE

Brittany Owens is a young woman on the brink.
As Brit’s career soars past up-and-coming and hurtles toward the stratosphere, she feels like she doesn’t have any control over its trajectory. Her grandfather is country music royalty. Her momager is determined to get Brit to the top at all costs. And then, there is the man she fell for when she was far too young to know any better.

Cash Dorsett once had stardom within his grasp.
But the excesses that come with a life in the spotlight had him landing flat on his face when he reached for the success he craved. Clean and sober now, he doesn’t let himself think about the blue-eyed girl he left in the wreckage of his career. Much.

A chance encounter leads to an intense collaboration.
But can Brit and Cash find a way to make beautiful music together without allowing her rising star to burn their love to the ground?

****PLUS****

HOMETOWN HOPE is still available!

If you have not downloaded your FREE copy of this collection of small-town romances (including HOME IN HEARTSFIELD), what are you waiting for?

Happy Monday, my friends. Stay safe. Be well.

May 4, 2020May 5, 2020

Monday Mayhem – On grief

On Friday, our friend Michelle lost her battle with cancer.

This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with grief. I’ve lost grandparents, both my father and mother, all but one aunt and uncle, a few co-workers and acquaintances, and grieved each and every one of them.

But this one is hitting me hard.

There are a lot of reasons why I may not be dealing well. It happened too soon. The disease progressed too fast. She was too young, too bright, too vibrant, too determined. All of those toos and too many others.

Her family asked if I would write something about her life, not knowing that she was the reason I became a romance writer. She loved the fan-fiction I wrote and was always after me to write something original. She gave me her story, and I gave her a prologue for her birthday in 2009. She read it, liked it, and then pushed me to write the rest of the story which would become the first novel I wrote, Contentment.

Here is the last thing I wrote for Michelle:

Michelle Kelly lived a life filled with passion and unmatched generosity of spirit. Family, friends, acquaintances – no one was immune to her bright smile or the mischievous twinkle in her eye. She had a laugh that drew people to her and used it well and often. Michelle will forever be known as a determined shopper, willing and able volunteer, world-class adventurer, and master of all things organizational. Her wit was stealthy and her humour good-natured. She frequently amused her friends by misappropriating words with intent to tickle.

But mostly she loved. Michelle loved her family and friends with unreserved gusto. Shakespeare had the measure of Michelle Kelly when he wrote, “And though she be but little, she is fierce.” Our Michelle was the fiercest of women – bright, beautiful, and brave.

How do you say goodbye to someone who altered your life in such a profound way? Someone who shared your highs, lows, passing enthusiasms, and enduring loves?

The truth is, I have no idea.

So I’ll just sit with it a while. Feel all these feelings, and cry all these tears. The only way forward is through, right? I do know one thing for certain. Kelly Clarkson was right, my life will suck without her.

March 24, 2020

Cover reveal

I did a cover reveal for my upcoming release. Did you see it? If not, it’s because you are not in my reader group. Why aren’t you in my reader group? I only send newsletters once or twice a month, and there’s usually a giveaway.

I’m ponying up a gift card in the one that just went out. Ten whole American dollars to spend at Amazon.

Definitely worth one more addition to your inbox, don’t you think? If you haven’t signed up, you can do so by entering your email address into the sidebar and I’ll catch you next time.

If you did receive my email and have not opened/responded, why not? Don’t you like free money? You can buy books with that, ya know… 😉

Anyhoo…

I hope you are well. I pray your families are healthy and you are finding ways to cope with the turbulence in our world.

Last weekend, I spent a good deal of time trying to look forward. Sunny days are coming. Flowers will bloom. We’ll feel hopeful again. I’m so convinced that we will, that I have a new book that will make it’s way into the world this spring, so how about that cover reveal?

Wanna see the art for TO MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE?

This time I decided to do something a little different and use two different images from the same session for the ebook and print editions.

So there you have it. I hope you like them.

Brittany Owens is a young woman on the brink. As Brit’s career soars past up-and-coming and hurtles toward the stratosphere, she feels like she doesn’t have any control over its trajectory. Her grandfather is country music royalty. Her momager is determined to get Brit to the top at all costs. And then, there is the man she fell for when she was far too young to know any better.

Cash Dorsett once had stardom within his grasp. But the excesses that come with a life in the spotlight had him landing flat on his face when he reached for the success he craved. Clean and sober now, he doesn’t let himself think about the blue-eyed girl he left in the wreckage of his career. Much.

A chance encounter leads to an intense collaboration. But can Brit and Cash find a way to make beautiful music together without allowing her rising star to burn their love to the ground?

To Make You Feel My Love will be live on May 14, 2020!

In the meantime, be well, be safe, and be kind to one another.

xoxo Mags

March 9, 2020

Monday Mayhem – It’s a kind of magic

I have a new project running around in my head. I don’t want to talk about it too much, because I’m not quite to the point of writing it. What if the kind of magic I have in my head doesn’t translate to the page? But I am excited about it. I’m just… waiting for that magic moment when I feel ready to start spinning the tale. Maybe this guy can help:

Illustration of an old wizard holding a book and a wand

In the meantime, work is coming along on TO MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE. No release date set yet, but we’re well into editorial and I have cover art, and I love it. Here’s a little hint of what’s to come. Reveal to come as soon as I set a release date. In the meantime, I’ve got plenty to keep you occupied on the My Books page.

Spring has come to Central Arkansas. Thank goodness. As much as I love and miss my friends and family up north, I do not miss the winters. There’s a fresh-cut hyacinth in my bud vase. Last week, Fodder clipped these beauties and brought a little sunshine into the house. We’re supposed to be entering into a rainy stretch over the next 10 days, so Sally and I sat outside soaking up the vitamin D over the weekend. Hopefully, the rain will help keep the green pollen monster at bay.

Speaking of Spring…I will be attending the Chicago North Spring Fling in Chicago again this year. There’s a multi-author book signing scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2020. If you’re in the Chicago area, be sure to mark your calendar!

How’s the weather in your neck of the woods?

December 30, 2019

Monday Mayhem – Well, I, uh…

I don’t have much to say. At this point in the year, I usually recap what I’ve accomplished, note items that were successes or disappointments, and lay out a few goals for the coming year.

But I have nothing to report.

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I have barely touched the book that was 2/3 written at the end of 2017. I didn’t write any new words until NaNoWriMo rolled around in November, and those words had nothing to do with the previously written words. Oh, and those words are also nothing remotely resembling a novel.

Yet.

I remain hopeful. In spite of the burnout, and in the face of an industry that fluctuates from indifference to implosion on a near-daily basis.

I’m still a writer.

I still have 40 completed works under my belt, two in progress, and dozens of ideas left to nurture. I’m just…doing things a little differently these days.

Writing isn’t my life. It’s not who I am at my essence. It’s just something I like to do. But, I used to love doing it. And I want to get back to that place again.

So here I am, looking forward to 2020 armed with nothing more than a battered ego, a dusty keyboard, and a bucket-full of self-awareness. And, hopefully, I’ll get something done.

Oh, and to that end…don’t look for me on Twitter anymore. I have deactivated my accounts. You can find me on Insta @maggiewells1, the book of Face in all the usual spots, and-as always- here. Like Luke Danes, I’m always here.

Wishing you all the best health and happiness in 2020. Thanks for hanging around with me. <3