You probably know that I love to write books about families. When I do, I can spend as much time as I like developing individual characters within the family I’ve created. I also get to explore different themes. The good news is that readers love reading these sagas as much as I enjoy writing them. Is it because they can connect with different members of a family, learn about them in depth, find out what makes each individual unique? Or is it because family sagas sometimes remind us of our own families, the good stuff as well as the not-so-good? I suspect it’s a little of each. Right now, I’ve completed the stories of the Wilde Brothers. And just a few days ago, I published the story of the first Wilde sister. Emily: Sex and Sensibility. I had a wonderful time with Emily… and Jaimie, the middle sister, is already in my head, clamoring for me to tell her story, too. Be patient, Jaimie. I absolutely will!

The next book in my Wilde Family series was published TODAY!  It’s Emily: Sex and Sensibility, and it’s the first novel about the three Wilde sisters.

EMILY already has rave reviews on Amazon and at Sandra at Facebook. Hurry and get your copy at Kindle, Nook, Kobo or iBooks, and settle in for a sexy, passionate, exciting read!

The Merciless Travis Wilde is possibly the most emotional book I’ve ever written.  I wanted a conclusion to the Wilde Brothers that would bring together all the things you and I loved about them: the intense loyalty between Travis, Caleb and Jacob; the change each brother undergoes as he finds the love of his life;  the way the brothers seem to live and breathe away from the pages of their books, which is how one of you wonderful readers stated it.

That’s how I came up with Travis and Jennie, and their story.

The link on this page will take you to Amazon, and to the most amazing and touching comments some of you have already made about Travis. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

And yes, for those who are asking,  the Wilde Sisters are coming! The first book, EMILY: SEX and SENSIBILITY will be available as an ebook at the end of this month at Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBook, Smashwords, etc.

Check back here for further details and if you haven’t yet subscribed to my newsletter, I urge you to do it now. That way, you’ll be among the very first readers to know of Emily’s arrival.

Here’s a beautiful holiday gift from one of my wonderful fans, DENISE BUSH.  Thank you, Denise. This is beautiful.

Street Squads

This is a note for all you wonderful readers and fans out there, especially those of you who have been buying me, reading me and, best of all, sharing your thoughts about my books with me.

Do you know what a street squad is? Basically, it’s a group of fans who love an author’s stories and style and want to help her get her books into the hands of more readers.

I formed a Street Squad a few months back. (You know who you are!!) We call ourselves Sandra’s Scouts and my Scouts are amazing. They’ve helped promote my brand new career in self publishing as well as the books I’ve written for Harlequin Presents.

How? In all kinds of ways. By reading my books and reviewing them. By talking about my books in blogs, in book review groups, with friends and family. My Scouts never praise my books unless they really think the books deserve praise. And, I should add right here, nobody gets paid for doing any of these things.

The Scouts are all about friendship. Togetherness. We have a special, private Facebook page accessible only to members and I’m in the process of establishing a private page on my website where I’ll occasionally post bits and pieces from my books in progress, covers not yet available to others, thoughts, ideas, whatever might be fun to share. I also hold occasional games open only to the Scouts, sometimes with small prizes.

If this sounds like something you think you’d enjoy, contact me through Messages at Facebook (facebook.com/writerSandraMarton) or through “Contacts” here at my website or simply send me an email at sandra@sandramarton.com.

My next book will be out soon. It’s about the youngest Wilde sister and it’s called EMILY: SEX and SENSIBILITY. It’s romantic, it’s sexy, it’s fun and yet it’s also deeply touching. And I would love to have your help in introducing  Emily and her exciting lover, Marco, to readers everywhere.

While going through some old tax records, my husband came across a copy of the first check I was ever paid for my writing. It was for a short story, and I wrote and sold it a long time ago.

I’d had stuff published before: a poem in my dad’s trade magazine (he was a salesman) that I wrote when I was six or seven. More poems in my high school newspaper. Dark and murky poems in obscure little magazines  that paid the writer with free copies. I wrote a lot of poetry but never short stories… until that one.

What a feeling!   It wasn’t a lot of money. It was only for $125.00 but it was the validation every writer longs for.  “You can write,” the check said, “and here’s money to prove it.”

Of course, money isn’t everything. Putting down the words is what it’s all about. Still, to get paid for those words… It’s a remarkable feeling. It tells you that somebody who gets to choose what words he or she will read  has actually chosen to read yours.

I celebrated by taking my family out to dinner and proudly reaching for the bill at the end of the meal.  The next day, I sat down at my typewriter–anybody remember those?–and started another story.  When it was finished, I sent it out with the same trepidation as in the past. Would someone want to read my words?

You never stop asking yourself that question. No matter how many books and stories you sell, there’s always that little bit of  doubt… and that wonderful rush of pleasure when it turns out that yes, people want to read what you write.

What a winter! Last night’s weather report said rain and “some snow.” Woke to 12 inches of the stuff this morning! Wow. I just looked out the window. I suspect we’re at the 15 inch mark.

Our friends’s pair of Corgis are coming to spent the weekend with us. I don’t even want to think about the Corgis (low to the ground guys) and walking them through all that snow.

But no complaints from me! The house is warm. The dogs are always wonderful company. I’ve put up a big pot of vegetable barley soup. And, best of all, the characters in my next book are leading me deeper and deeper into theier lives. See, they met only last night. And never expected to see each other again. He’s far too sophisticated for her. She’s far too inncent for him. At least, that’s what Emily Wilde and Marco Santini think…

Thankfully, I know better.

Love,

Sandra

P.S. Check out Thoughts About Self Publishing

Another snow storm is on its way!  Aaagh!!! We have a generator all ready to go but I’m charging up my iPhone and iPad anyway. The sky is leaden; the wind is picking up speed. I love the sound it makes as it whooshes through the woods.  The deer seem to know what’s coming. They’ve made a couple of stops at our bird feeder to check for ground spills. They have plenty of natural food but they love to snack on the special woodpecker mix  we have blended into the mix. I don’t blame them! The woodpecker mix is full of nuts and dried berries. It looks delicious. 

Well, not my new look, exactly. I mean this site’s new look.  My designer, Croco Designs, gave me something updated, colorful and easy to navigate, and I’m delighted with it!  Why not email and tell me what you think? You can use the CONTACT page on the site or simply send me a note at sandra@sandramarton.com  I’d love to hear from you.

Sandra

Do you live in Connecticut? If you do, you’ve probably read Hartford Magazine. It’s all about the fun, interesting things going on in Connecticut–my home state!
There’s an interview with me in the current issue. The same as the magazine, the questions (and, I hope, my answers) are fun and interesting, and might give you some insight into me, as a writer.