Author Roxanne St. Claire - The Changing Book Industry

It’s always a delight to have New York Times bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire back here at Thoughts. Today she’s introducing BAREFOOT IN THE SAND, the first book in her new sexual contemporary BAREFOOT BAY quartet.

Thanks to Roxanne and the good folks at Forever, I have 3 copies of this new release to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the guidelines.

Here’s a brief synopsis of BAREFOOT IN THE SAND, which releases today:
When all you hold dear is taken away . . . When a hurricane roars through Lacey Armstrong's home on the coast of Barefoot Bay, she decides all that remains in the rubble is opportunity. A new hotel is just what Mimosa Key needs, and Lacey and her teenage daughter are due for a fresh start. And nothing, especially not a hot, younger architect, is going to distract Lacey from finally making her dreams a reality.

A second chance is the only thing you have left.
Love has already cost Clay Walker everything. And if he's going to have any chance of picking up the pieces of his life, he needs the job as Lacey Armstrong's architect. What's not in the plans is falling for the headstrong beauty. Her vision of the future is more appealing than anything he could have ever drafted for himself. Will Clay's designs on Lacey's heart be more than she can handle, or will she trust him to build something that will last forever? 

Roxanne has graciously answered some questions for me about the publishing industry and the changes she has seen.

Thank you so much for having me back! I really love the diversity and insights on this blog and have been a regular visitor for almost a year.  And I’m delighted to talk about what’s going on in the publishing industry.  Of course, I’ll answer more questions in the comments, so ask away!

Mason – How has the publishing industry changed since you first began writing?

ROXANNE - I sold my first book exactly ten years ago, and just sent #31 into production. That covers multiple genres, three publishers, and a whole heck of a lot of words. During that time, the publishing business has changed in many ways, but in just as many, things remain the same.  

For example, readers still want great stories with memorable characters; that may never change. But  the dawn of the eBook era has obviously changed the game completely. Writers have options, readers can “test run” by downloading samples, and they can find thousands of books for free. For the first time, stories that don’t fit into a “box” can find an audience and sometimes break out into massive bestsellers. (Fifty Shades of Gray, I’m talking to you!)

Mason – Do you see eBooks as a ‘good thing’ or a ‘bad thing’ for writers?

ROXANNE - Not good...GREAT. Fantastic. Amazing. Life changing! Like millions of others, I buy more books, read more books, and talk about more books since I’ve gotten a Kindle. 

For writers like me who have large backlists with many, many books that are either out of print or very difficult to find, the eBook is a godsend. Many of my books are just impossible to find, even used, in print. With eBooks, those books do not have to go quietly into the hinterland. They can live. New readers can pick up book #1 (currently out of print) of my ten book Bullet Catcher series and then, with no effort and not a ton of money, download every book in the series if they like.  

Prices are coming down, access is going up, and writers are in an excellent position these days. I am, personally, thrilled about eBooks.

 

Mason - What can fans expect next from you?

ROXANNE - After many years of writing romantic suspense, I’ve spent the past eighteen months working on several projects that have been a huge departure and I’m excited to see the books come out in 2012 and in 2103. This year, I’ll have three book released:  the first and second in the Barefoot Bay series -- BAREFOOT IN THE SAND which comes out this week, and BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN, which will be released in November, 2012.  

The Barefoot Bay quadrilogy is set on a fictional island on the Gulf Coast of Florida and centers around four women who are dear friends from college who come together in times of crisis. They’re in their 30’s, all single, all with something in the past that’s keeping them from finding love. The third and fourth books will be out in 2013.

In addition, I’m a debut author again -- this time in the young adult genre. My first YA, DON’T YOU WISH, will be released in hardcover this summer from Random House/Delacorte Press. 

I had an absolute blast writing this story, which is a modern and fun take on the “be careful what you wish for” theme -- kind of like Sliding Doors meets Clueless. I have teenagers, so living in their heads was quite easy and fun. The book’s been optioned for film and I had the opportunity to work closely with the producer on a screenplay, so I’ve got everything crossed that something exciting comes from that, too. So, lots ahead in a very big year for me!

Roxanne, thanks for visiting again and for your continued support of the blog. You do have a lot on your plate, but it all sounds wonderful and exciting. Congratulations on the new YA venture and film. That will be a blast.

Here’s a bit more about Roxanne. She’s the author of more than twenty novels. She currently writes romance for Grand Central/Forever, including the popular "Guardian Angelinos" series and also penned an eight-book award winning series called The Bullet Catchers. Delacorte Press will soon release her first Young Adult novel, which has been optioned as a feature film. She resides in Florida. 

Romantic Times Magazine gave BAREFOOT IN THE SAND it's high score of 4.5 stars and said, “St. Claire, as always, brings a scorching tear-up-the-sheets romance combined with a great story: dealing with real issues starring memorable characters in vivid scenes. Best of all, since this is book one in the Barefoot Bay series, there's more to come.” 

BAREFOOT IN THE SAND in available in all formats (print and electronic). The Ebooks will release at midnight today (May 1). Roxanne has been posting snippets on her Facebook Author page and giving away free copies there, too. She has also completely redesigned her website with plenty of excerpts, news, along with character bios and photos. 

I agree with Roxanne that you should take New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery's advice about BAREFOOT IN THE SAND: “Pack this one in your beach bag and get ready for nonstop fun.” And if you can't make it to the beach, this book will bring the sun and surf to you! 

Here are the giveaway guidelines. To enter this giveaway, send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win BAREFOOT IN THE SAND.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. The contest is open to residents of the U.S. only and no post office box addresses can be accepted. And, just so you know, I don’t share this information with anyone other than the publisher nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance at one of 3 copies of BAREFOOT IN THE SAND will be 8 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, May 15.

Are eBooks making selecting books easier or more difficult for you? Do you find yourself buying as many eBooks as print? Thanks so much for stopping by today. Remember if you have questions for Roxanne, just leave them in the comments and she’ll get back to you.