A New Book Trailer!

 

The Series Has New Book Covers

It's long overdue, but new professional book covers have been designed by Wicked Smart Designs and the talented Dar.  In fact, she's done all of the covers for my other series as well (Ladies of Disgrace and Romance with a Kiss of Suspense).  I love them all!  Hope you do too.

The Love/Hate Relationship for The Price of Innocence

My recent promotion on The Price of Innocence has once again skyrocketed the book into best seller sales ranks, giving it more exposure than usual.  It appears that I am having a repeat of my 2012 experience when I participated in May with a free giveaway.

Since this book was first released in 2009, I have consistently advertised it as historical fiction, with romantic elements.  It is not historical romance. If you’re looking for traditional feel-good romance, that is not The Legacy Series. If you read the series, proceed with caution. It’s not the normal cookie-cutter story to sweep you off your feet.  It is a family saga that covers twenty-plus years. My characters face hardship and challenges. The story is filled with reality; and its themes are the price we pay for innocence, deception, love, and passion.

The Price of Innocence has been reviewed by Writer’s Digest (read here the critique), Coffee Time Romance, NightOwl Romance, Mama Kitty Reviews, and others. The book was my debut novel. It has been read worldwide and accepted by many fans who are eagerly followed the series to the end. 

Lastly, I want to thank all of my new readers for downloading the book. Whether you love, hate, or average me out, it’s been wonderful meeting you all. I’m not offended if you find the story difficult. Read according to your tastes.  However, like any author, I am blessed and graciously thankful for those who have supported the series and sent me communication letting me know how the story moved and touched their hearts.  It has taught me the power of how readers can get emotionally involved with characters regarding their struggles, love relationships, and overcoming family discord to find happiness.

And thanks to BookBub!  They are a great source for getting books in front of readers.

I love being an author.  One of my favorite scenes from the movie Silver Lining Playbook is below that puts things into perspective and keeps me smiling.  I do apologize for the language but it makes a humorous point that not everyone needs to love your books, even if you're Ernest Hemingway.

The Price of Passion - Released

Today, The Price of Passion was released on Amazon.  Other venues will follow in the next few days as my distributor ships them to various retailers.  A print version will be released in about two months.

AMAZON LINK TO THE PRICE OF PASSION

So what was I thinking when writing this story?  Read below.

Let's face it, sometimes you read a book and have expectations.  As an author, I understand that many of my readers have held expectations as to the outcome of my characters in The Legacy Series.  A few have found fault about the paths I led them down while others have enjoyed them nevertheless.

Like people in real life, we expect certain things out of characters.  Their behavior can disappoint us or thrill us, depending on the choices they make in life.  In The Price of Passion both Robert and Jolene are faced with decisions regarding who they will marry.

As writers who study character development, that is really is what it is in a nutshell -- the development of personalities that our characters possess.  Each is slightly flawed or extremely flawed.  However, if you haven't picked up in the series by now, each main character is really faced with how they deal with innocence, deception, love, and passion.  Each carries a price in life.

Characters in books are supposed to grow.  You may discover in Book #4 you would like to slap Jolene up the side of her head or tape her mouth shut.  Yes, she is bullheaded, prideful, and fiercely independent.  Like others, she has a lesson to learn, so hopefully by the time you read "The End," you'll discover that she has grown into a mature young woman.

What about Robert?  Does the rogue finally settle down and pursue Grace?  Does mild-manner Alastair find love?  Does Geoffrey Chambers ever stop being a pain in the you-know-what?  And then there is Philippe, Suzette, and Robert, with a past that is enough to make your head spin.

The focus on this last chapter is, of course, on the younger generation.  However, in the end, I've tried to wrap it up neatly with a nice happy everafter bow, except for one part that may surprise you.

I hope you enjoy it.  As usual, I cried in a few spots and laughed in others while writing it.  Authors get engrossed in their characters' lives as much as readers.

And by the way, thank you for following me on this journey with The Legacy Series!  You are the best.

Fondly,

Vicki

Update on The Price of Passion

For those of you patiently or not patiently waiting for an update about book four of The Legacy Series, you will be happy to know that I’m almost in the home stretch of completing the book. However, let me clarify that throwing 70,000 plus words into an MS Word document doesn’t mean my task is finished. After that, I will have a painful process of self-editing before I send it out for professional editing.

During the initial stages of editing, I sometimes embellish with additional text, cut things, and rearrange things. Right now I have a “to-do” list as I near the end of the story. After that, I run it through Grammarly and Autocrit, my two favorite programs and make corrections. There are multiple re-reads and formatting checks to make. Finally, I hire an editor, who can take a month or more to edit and find things that I missed. When returned, it’s correction time. Then finalization of the eBook formatting and eventually off to distribution. Oh, and in between all of the above, I have the cover to think about.

Once the book is out, I’m usually exhausted, depressed, and telling myself this is the last one. Of course, as far as The Legacy Series is concerned, book four will be the last one. I just couldn’t bring myself to write another generation with characters dying off from old age and young men going off to fight in World War I, who never come home. Don’t make me go there, please.

The good news is that very soon I am lowering the price of The Legacy Series box set to $0.99 until January 1, 2016, in the hopes of gaining more readers before the release of The Price of Passion. Feel free to share the 99 cent deal to your friends on social media. I will also be purchasing advertising.

I’m happy that overall the reviews on the box set have been very strong. Readers in the United States and the United Kingdom have given it five-star ratings. Thank you!

Don’t forget, too, for other updates to follow my blog. You can subscribe here - SUBSCRIBE

If I don’t touch base with you in the next few months, have a wonderful upcoming Holiday Season.

All my best, Vicki Hopkins

 

The History of the Legacy Series

I thought that I would take a moment to talk about The Legacy Series and how it came about. If you have not followed along at my Legacy Series Books Blog, you probably don't know the whole story.

The Price of Innocence was written in 2009. It is my debut novel.  I researched my fingers to the bone on that book, studying legalized prostitution in France, the infamous Chabanais brothel, and the challenges of the poor in 1870s Paris.  

Since its release, it has garnished a lot of criticism, most of which started when the book hit the #1 spot in historical romance on Amazon for three days in a row in May of 2012.  Great to be #1, but it's almost like having a target on your back.  It was edited in 2009 by Autumn J. Conley, a book editor, who has been in the business for 28 years. In addition, it has been subsequently proofed and updated a few times by additional editors afterward. 

Is it my best book?  No, but it was my first book -- the book that launched my career as a writer. Even though it may not be great, it did receive a favorable critique from organizations such as Writer's Digest and other good reviews from romance sites.  Like any other author out of the gate, you grow in your craft and learn.

The Price of Deception came about a few years later.  After release, I was hounded by readers to write the third installment. Many fell in love with the book, which frightened me that I would not be able to live up to the expectations for a third one.  Interestingly enough, I wrote it during a six-month period when I had huge challenges in my life.  I was caring for my eighteen-month-old granddaughter and working full time.  During those six months, I had pneumonia and then fell a few months later breaking my shoulder.  It made the best-selling paid list on Amazon a few times and the Movers & Shakers list, too, in 2012. It's times like these you take screenshots to keep the memories! 

As much as my fans wanted The Price of Love, I frankly felt stumped trying to figure out where to take the story. I made premature promises on its release and let people down, for which I'm very sorry.  However, if the inspiration isn't there for an author, writing a story is torture.  It took me longer than I anticipated to decide what to do with Jolene and Robert, plus the remainder of the dysfunctional family.

Now that is past, the emails continue from fans to keep the story going. The Price of Passion has begun, but I'm off right now working on a new release under a different pen name.  I will return to it shortly and am shooting for the end of the year.  However, I make no promises.

As the series continues to either enthrall or enrage readers, it has sold over 18,000 paid eBook copies, plus many print copies, since the first book was released. In addition, over 22,000 free copies of The Price of Innocence have been downloaded. What is even more amazing, is that my sales on Apple and Nook have skyrocketed in the last six months regarding the series since The Price of Innocence went perma free.  I have only 48 reviews on Amazon and 222 ratings on Apple. That is astounding.  I'm hopeful that the series will continue to do well in the years ahead. 

From the bottom of my heart, I thank those who have supported me as an author and sent some of the most moving and wonderful private emails letting me know your feelings about the series.  I've had a few comments that they'd love to see in a TV series.  Yes, in my dreams, too, but it takes getting noticed with substantial sales for that to happen. 

Remember, the best way to thank an author for a book you love is to write a review -- even if it's just a few words. 

Have a great weekend.  It's rainy and cool in Oregon, so I'm going to write to pass the time.

All my best,
Vicki