New Cover, New Price

The Memoir of Johnny Devine, under new management with WhiteFire Publishing,

has been given a new face. What do you think of the new cover?

AND the kindle version of my 3 novels are now 3.99. Such a deal!

-Camille

$5 Dollar Books (While They Last)

Friends, Readers, Librarians, Book Clubs, Bibliophiles, Bargain hunters, etc...

I’ve acquired a small overstock of my books and they'd love real homes, so I’m shipping them out at my cost. Paperbacks are $5, plus $3 s/h (multi book rate varies). 

I also have one Hardcover Large Print of The Memoir of Johnny Devine for a little more.

So, just comment below if you’d like books shipped. There’s a limited amount, so 1st come, 1st served, etc. I hear it’s never too early to start Christmas shopping.

😉

If you’re not familiar with my work, it’s been compared to Melissa Tagg, Becky Wade, Dale Cramer. I write love stories some call “more than a romance,” deep, poignant tales laced with grace, humor, and redemption.

Like There’s No Tomorrow (2014): An amusing, tender love story about two kind, single caretakers, two quirky, old Scottish sisters bent on reuniting, and too many agendas. It’s a tale of family, falling in love, faith, and the gift of each new day.

Excerpt –
There were a number of things Ian had grown to appreciate about his co-correspondent over the last two years. A very natural bond had developed between them. A bond that, until now, he thought he shared with a stout, tenderhearted spinster on the downhill side of middle-age . . . His mind worked frantically to reconcile the Emily he knew from the letters with this one, and to accept the fact that this woman, this very lovely young woman, had been his pen pal for the past two years…

Like a Love Song (2014, Genesis Winner & Romantic Times 4.5 Star Top Pick): A romantic, heart-tugging drama about a social worker turned surrogate mom to a bunch of cast-off teens, desperate to save the group home she’s worked hard to build in Oregon’s outback. She faces foreclosure and heartaches that won't stay buried. Her only hope lies with the last person she’d ever turn to—a brawny handyman with a guitar, a questionable past, and a God he keeps calling Father.

Excerpt –
“An oil rigger?” Sue hacked out a laugh. “A roughneck? With my kids? Great. Who are you going to send next, a lumberjack and a couple of bikers? Maybe they can pull night watch in the girls’ dorm.” Sue yanked open the driver’s door of her Suburban, climbed in, and cranked the key. A few feeble chugs, then nothing. Big surprise.

“I’m serious, Sue. Joe is an all-around handyman and knows how to manage a crew.”

“I’m sure he’s charming, Layne. On an oil rig. But I need someone with experience handling kids. Special needs kids. You know that.”

“Yes, in the long run, in optimal circumstances, absolutely. But you’re going to give old Roberta a stroke if you don’t get some help. You have to hire someone.”

Sue rested her aching head on the steering wheel. Pain and fatigue rolled over her in a cold fog…

The Memoir of Johnny Devine (2015, Romantic Times 4½ GOLD Star Top Pick, Seal of Excellence, & Best Inspirational Romance; OCW Cascade Award Best Historical): In 1953, a young war widow hired to write an exclusive memoir lands on McCarthy’s hit list and must clear her name while trying not to fall in love with the born-again, ex-Hollywood heartthrob whose scandalous past keeps him too busy to notice her. Or does it? It’s a love story set at a time when post-war America seeks security in prosperity, Hollywood’s Golden Age is coming to an end, the Red Scare reaches new heights of paranoia, and unrest over civil rights continues to grow. It’s a story for those who enjoy a character-driven, inspirational drama, a strong-yet-tender romance, and a touch of intrigue.

Excerpt-
“I was topping all the charts, but even with so much fame, all I had to show for my life was a stack of films and a long line of women who wished I’d never been born. Even if I’d wanted honor, you couldn’t find a trace of it in me. If there was ever a time in my life I’d longed for true significance, it was long past.”

Eliza’s pencil froze. True significance? The words echoed, taunting her. She had believed everything John said so far, but his last statement struck her as ludicrous. Could a Hollywood star with scores of fans truly have any concept of the quest for significance? Could a man whose name had emblazoned every marquee in the country understand the void that she—a penniless nobody—had so long struggled to fill?

Don’t think, just write…

Passing the Baton & VOTE for a NEW Look for Johnny Devine!

And no sooner did I announce that Ashberry Lane is closing its doors than another publisher has stepped in to keep the AL line alive! WhiteFire Publishing has acquired Ashberry Lane and will resume publishing AL titles under the same name, as an imprint. 

This means my full length AL novels will continue to be available! I'm not sure if they will be sold beyond Amazon, or if so, when, but I'll share more info when it comes.

One of the first things WFP wants to do is give Johnny Devine a new face, and they want your help!  Whether or not you've read the book, you can help WhiteFire decide which cover to use for my novel. 

Voting is super easy! Go to: https://goo.gl/forms/9fWaK7qqr4paxK9q2

Thanks! 

To Everything, A Season

Ashberry Lane, the publisher who championed three of my novels, is closing its doors. When other small presses were floundering after biting off more than they could chew, AL sought out special stories and authors in whom they could believe. I'm grateful to AL for their help in bringing Like There's No Tomorrow, Like a Love Song, and The Memoir of Johnny Devine to print.

But the publishing industry is a rapidly changing place, and sadly, is becoming a difficult place for the small press to stay afloat. So this forced transition is the end of a particular publishing season for me, but perhaps, Lord willing, the beginning of another.

Since AL is closing, all of their 24 titles (including my 3 novels), now found only at Amazon, will no longer be available. It is my hope to relaunch these three books under my own indie brand one day. But, until then, these titles will no longer be available in any format after April 30.

So if you've been thinking of getting one of my books for yourself, or for an upcoming gift, or a few for your church library or book club, be sure to get the copies you want before the end of this month (HERE).

I don't have a relaunch date yet, but if and when these stories become available again, YOU will certainly be the first to know. Until then, please be sure to get the copies you may have been meaning to get. (AND for those of you who belong to Kindle Unlimited, they are now available FREE under that program - but only until the end of April.)

And in the meantime, keep an eye out for my next novels, currently under construction, which will be published one way or another... Lord willing.

Thank you, my reading friends, for your support.

Isaiah 43:19
~Camille

The Birth of A Novelist

I don't know how many of my novelist friends can pin down the day they became a novelist. I can. March 7, 2007.  My friend Lisbet and I had been all dreamy-eyed, discussing the cross-continental romance between her sister (in Norway) and my brother (in America) and we decided someone ought to write a story about two people continents apart who fall in love over correspondence. That giddy musing turned into me going home, jotting a couple of notes (HAHAHA!), firing up the old computer in the kids' upstairs den, and sitting down to write. I planned to contact a publisher located in my state, because, after all, we were neighbors, and they would want to publish my book, right? I went to work, excited about what just might be the next best-seller. 

*Cough Gasp Cough*  Pardon me.

About 100 pages into the story, I realized my story, the one I'd been staying up until nearly dawn each night writing and was now irrevocably invested in, was in serious trouble. I had no clue how to proceed and figured it was time to seek out help. I searched online and found writing sites (www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com) and writer's organizations (www.ACFW.com, www.OregonChristianWriters.org), and from there, soaked up all the coaching, craft books, and critique I could get my hands on. (A word to the wise: not all critiques are beneficial, but ought to be considered for value and weighed against the instinct you must train into your writing gut with an obscene amount of high quality reading.)

In short, eleven years later, I have 3 full length published books (thanks to Rachelle Gardner and Ashberry Lane Publishing) and a Christmas novella (ebook), and a couple of novels in the works. That first story went through the proverbial ringer numerous times, and then came my agent's 10 page revision letter... but that first one did eventually become a book. The title went through several changes, as well as the opening, the storyline, and much more. My writing skill as well as my understanding of the publishing industry had to grow. A LOT.

So, since today marks the anniversary of the day I turned into a novelist, I thought it would be fun to pull out the first page (below) of that very first draft of what is now the book, Like There's No Tomorrow. (For those who know the story, Megan was later renamed Claire.)

Thank you, Gary & Merethe, for inspiring me to become something I didn't know was in there.

Here's the opening of that first draft, started 11 years ago today. :)

~CHAPTER 1~

 Megan Kendal sat speechless in the backseat of her own car. 

Anyone acquainted with the formidable little Scotswoman, especially those traveling with her now, knew she usually had no trouble unleashing her probing questions and fiery opinions on anyone within reach. But today, she was speechless. 

As the station wagon containing her whole family, including her brother Ian, headed toward Glasgow, she was still in shock. And not just Megan, but her teenage sons as well, who couldn’t remember their father ever coming to church with them. 

Ian and David had spent today the way they had spent many recent days: fishing at Loch Blane; and now Megan’s mind was churning with questions: What had happened? What did they talk about? How had Ian managed to get David to come to church with the rest of the family? Without thinking, she leaned forward to take a sniff of her husband who sat in front of her in the driver’s seat.

No smell of whiskey. 

She sat back, ashamed of her suspicions. Did she really think David would have to be drunk to go to church? She glanced over at 15-year-old Jack and understood the look on his face; he’d had the same thought. 

Johnny Devine, Living Large (Print, that is)

I'm pleased to share the ENORMOUS news that 

The Memoir of Johnny Devine is now available in Large Print!

These glossy lovelies arrived in the mail today, compliments of Center Point Publishing.

It's a hefty 415 page hardcover edition and weighing in at a whopping 1.3 lbs, according to Amazon.

(Whose job is it to weigh books? So, what do you do? Uh, I'm a book weigher. But I'm really discreet about it. You don't want the bigger ones to feel self-conscious, so I try to be sensitive and avoid weighing the heavy ones right after the skinny ones...)

So you get a book you can finally see without straining your eyes, but it's heavy enough to pull a hamstring. (?)

Seriously, I love large print. Not only do these books make reading easier, but when I go to reserve a popular title through the library, the large print versions are often available when the regular ones have 187 holds. Win-win!

The Memoir of Johnny Devine (Large Print) is available at Amazon for a hefty price ($36.95), but my guess is those who typically buy large print are prepared for that. Hopefully you've won the lottery or inherited a fortune from book addict. (Oh wait... that's a good one...)

The Memoir of Johnny Devine, a Novel, is a dramatic story-within-a-story of a Hollywood bad boy reformed and a good girl in need of reform. Set in the 1950s, it’s a powerful tale of love, redemption, intrigue, and the miracle of grace. Recipient of RT Book Reviews rare 5-star Top Pick, Seal of Excellence, Best Inspirational Romance 2015, and OCW Cascade Award for Historical Fiction.

I was pleased to find that the Cincinnati Library website includes a feature called Why This Title Appeals to Readers. They took the time to scan the 99 Goodreads reviews and pull the most frequently or commonly used terms people use to describe the "feel" of the Johnny Devine. According to CL, this book appeals in Tone: Moving, Strong sense of place, and in Writing Style: Engaging. I'm delighted to know readers are able to take away some of the things authors work so hard to include in our stories. 

I'm happy with the way this edition turned out. If you get a chance to read one of these, let me know how you liked the larger print. I almost expected to see a center section of film stills, autographed photos of Johnny, and his Hollywood Boulevard star.