Welcome To Chance by @ElsaKurt #RomanceGems

Yippie...

I'm gearing up for the re-release of my beloved Welcome To Chance series and I am beyond excited!

Oops, Hang On...

In fact, I'm so excited that I just jumped right in. Let me backtrack a little. Last year, right around this time, I developed two stories. One was about a young, hard-edged girl name Feather Anne and an elderly couple, the Brightsiders, who took a shine to her. The other revolved around a May-December romance. Meanwhile, a third story - this one centering a shy, mousy woman with a massive crush on the town playboy - emerged from the brain jungle. Three separate books... so I thought.

Lightning Bolt Moment Ahead...

Then it hit me. These aren't stand-alones. These people - these stories - are connected. My excitement grew. There was this whole community waiting to tell their stories, I could see them clear as day. I couldn't write fast enough. Have you ever heard a psychic medium say, 'several spirits are trying to talk at once?' Well, that's what it felt (and still feels) like when I slip into this small, fictional New England town.

What's it like there? 

Well, Chance, Connecticut is small-town USA, a place where everyone knows your name... and your business. It's a close-knit community with scandals, romances, break-ups, and long-standing friendships. In Chance, just as in our own lives, no one is solely what we see on the surface. The hard-edged girl with a chip on her shoulder? The narcissistic playboy? The ice queen? The stranger who's come to town? The wallflower? They all have a story to tell, so I listen and tell them.

After all, every writer will tell you... never argue with the muse.



But I Digressed...

So, I wrote the first two books and self-published them. Then, on a whim, I sent them off to my publisher (of three anthology novellas, HERE, HERE, and HERE). I know, I know... why didn't I send them in the first place? The simple answer: Self-publishing allows for greater control and... I'm a control freak. It's something I've been told but didn't believe about myself until I started publishing.



Pros and Cons...

I also appreciate the value of having a publishing company. Long story short, they wanted the series. This meant I had to un-publish the books, effective immediately. Honestly? Doing so was painful. I'd put in a lot of time marketing and promoting the books & was seeing results. So, I had to weigh the pros and cons of self-pub vs. traditional. For me, it came down to expanding my platform and using the resources afforded by a having a publisher handle some of the heavy lifting. The con, of course, was giving up some much of the control. I've had to say goodbye to my beautiful covers and bite my nails in anticipation of what they'll choose. Here are my babies when they were born...

Then A Thing Happened...

Here's what I know so far. New cover for Mae's Cafe... not what I'd have chosen. I confess I had to take deep breaths, dry my eyes, and pull on my big girl pants. I've learned that this is the nature of the beast. To grow, one must loosen the death-grip on the reigns. No matter what, I'll love my book babies and send them out in the world with love and hope for their success. When I get the green light to share on the Official Welcome To Chance page, I'd love to hear your thoughts. We've also changed the name of book two (A Season to Remember) to Georgie's Secret. Since I picked the title, I'm happy with this change. No crybaby whining, lol.



I Need Ya...

I would love if you joined me on the Welcome To Chance page or on my page to get the latest updates on Chance. Book One, Mae's Cafe releases on June 4th (pre-order begins May 27th) and Georgie's Secret releases July 31st (pre-order begins July 24th). Meanwhile, here's an intro to the people of Chance...

May Celebration: Heroes and She-Roes

I love our May theme! My book, The Writer's Romance is in the Giveaways because Mitch Ford is more than just a handsome reality tv personality. His show, The Rebuilder, restores home for veterans on hard times. And Katharine Evan's may seem like she's cold as ice, but she's all heart for her Down's Syndrome foundation that she runs with her older brother Nate, who has Down's. I love how different these two characters seem at first, but then we learn they're not so different after all. Both their hearts beat strongest for those less fortunate. My Hero & She-ro!

Our Rafflecopter is live! Check out our Monthly Giveaway page for details and to view the prizes. Each day's post will have a reminder about the May Rafflecopter.
Be sure and enter you just may win the $20.00 Amazon Gift Card or some of the incredible romance novels by our amazing authors.

Enter often for a chance to win this!