DADDY’S GIRL

By

J.M. Kelley

BLURB:  

Sometimes, returning home isn’t about confronting your past; it’s about discovering your future.

Janie McGee, the black sheep of her family, is free-spirited, uninhibited, and never one to stay in the same place for too long. When Janie learns her father, Joe, is gravely ill, she reluctantly returns home to rural Pennsylvania to care for him. Joe’s neighbor, David Harris, sports a pocket protector, collects coins, and is addicted to Antiques Roadshow. Everything about him rubs Janie the wrong way, from his nerdy wardrobe to his enviable friendship with Joe. And to make matters worse, her father thinks they’re perfect for each other, proof positive of how little Joe knows his own daughter…or so Janie thinks.

A shared devotion to the elder McGee begins to close the gulf between Janie and David, but a burgeoning romance opens the door to new problems and unexpected consequences neither could foresee. Joe, however, remains steadfast in his resolve to show Janie that Daddy knows what’s best for his little girl. Can Janie finally open her heart to David while watching the first man she ever truly loved fade away?

Excerpt:

“Need help?”

Janie turned around and grinned in spite of herself when David appeared from the living room. Her eyes lingered on the red sleeveless cardigan he wore over a crisp white work shirt. “Nice sweater vest,” she said. She held a crumpled bag out to him.

“Thanks,” he said, too brightly to have read the sarcasm in her words, Janie figured. She rolled her eyes and followed him out into the kitchen.

“So, what are you doing here?” She shed her coat and hung it over a chair.

David started unpacking the bags. “Antiques Roadshow. Didn’t your father tell you?”

Janie snorted. “Well, yeah, but I thought he was joking. You guys really sit around and watch that show?”

David stepped aside to grant Janie access when she reached for the boxes of cereal. “It’s intriguing.”

“Oh, yes.” The sarcasm was back. Janie carried her armload to the pantry. “I saw it once. They had an intriguing analysis of a step stool. I’ve never been so moved in all my life.”

“You mock what you do not understand.”

Laughing, Janie walked back to the kitchen table. “So what was the big item of the night?”

David scowled. “A pair of eyeglasses.” He paused. “They had reason to believe they could have belonged to Benjamin Franklin.”

Janie made an O shape with her mouth and fanned her hand at her face. “Be still my heart. I think you should get permission from the doctor before you subject my father to such drama. What’s he doing, anyway?”

Unfazed, David tossed a pear at her. “He’s asleep in his chair.”

“Shocker.” She pulled a bowl from the cabinet and placed the pears inside. “Oh, by the way? I’m mocking what I do understand.”

“Yeah, well, you have your shirt on backwards.” David grinned and folded his arms over his chest as Janie pulled the neck of her shirt out and peered at the tags.

“Crap,” she whispered.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Three years ago, native Pennsylvanian J.M. Kelley packed her bags and moved south. Now, the wannabe Carolina Girl can’t speak a single sentence without adding the word y’all at the end of it, and regards a blast of snow flurries as a doomsday-level event.  When the day job allows, and when she can pull herself away from George Takei’s Facebook fanpage, she likes to go on writing jaunts to her favorite lake, or a local coffee shop with delicious shakes and questionable Wi-Fi connections.

J.M. Kelley is a proud recipient of a Carrie McCray Memorial Literary award, and is a member of The South Carolina Writers Workshop and Romance Writers of America (PAN). Readers interested in more information may visit her website at www.jmkelleywrites.com.

Guest post by the author:

Choosing the path of small press publishing is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. I think the best advice I can give anyone, when trying to find a comfortable home for his or her story, is to research, research, research. I am happy to share a few points I’ve learned along the way, and I hope you find what I’ve learned helpful.

First, and foremost, one must truly understand what the small press experience means, and what it means is work—lots of work. You will toil for sales and recognition, trust me on this point. Make sure you truly understand you are about to dive into a vast sea of authors, and finding ways to stand out and get your book noticed will always be a challenge. Signing a contract does not grant you an easy publication experience.

There are some obvious points you must keep in mind when you are pitching your work to editors at small-presses. Learn about the press. Google them. Keep an eye out for warning signs like bad online behavior from staffers. Check out sites that keep tabs on presses and carefully read what is reported.  Involved in any writing organizations or critique groups? Ask around. If they don’t have information, they might know somebody who does.

 Look into past releases. Read a book and get a feel for the level of editorial skill. Check out the reviews.

Does the press have an online presence? Do they actively participate in promotion for their authors? Do they engage with readers in a professional but friendly and inviting manner? Do they seem to attend to all of their authors or just a select few?

Look at the cover art for previous releases. Professional-looking cover art is important, even if you are interested in working with digital-first presses. Does the artwork give you a good first impression, or does it look amateurish?

When considering an offer, understand that most digital-first small presses should work with a standard contract. While royalty percentage may vary to some degree from publisher to publisher, most legitimate houses will stay within a certain range. If you don’t have access to someone familiar with contract law, a thorough internet search will show you the standard in contracts.

Consider the rights the publisher is asking for. If you are being offered a contract for ebook publication only, does that publisher need print/movie/foreign rights?  If you wish to negotiate those rights as the opportunities arise and your potential publisher demands all or nothing, consider that another red flag.

Are you being asked to pay for publication? If a publisher asks for you to invest your money in printing costs, formatting costs, artwork costs, run, don’t walk away. The publisher, in agreeing to accept your story for publication, is by default agreeing to take on publication costs. Any small press asking you to foot the bill is not on the up-and-up.

A professional publisher, in the negotiation process, will not discourage questions. If you are uncertain about a point, ask for clarification. If they will not clarify, take a step back. You do not want to sign your rights away when you are unsure of any aspect of the agreement. Feel free to ask what level of input you will have on cover art, editorial work, and marketing. Be certain you are happy with their answers before continuing the process. This is your work. You don’t want to find yourself in a position in which it no longer feels like your words.

Make connections with authors that have worked with the publisher. I have, in the past, sent a polite message to authors I’ve had some level of interaction with to ask them if they would be willing to answer a question or two about their publishing experience. Don’t ask intrusive questions about their contract terms or personal opinions of any particular staffer, but a simple ‘Were you happy with your experience?’ may give you a response that helps you in your decision.

Lastly, I think it’s important, when you get a contract offer, to take a step back and breathe. I know the feeling of wanting to pounce and reply with a joyous ‘Yes!’, but the offer will be there in the morning. Take a few days and mull it over. Make sure you understand the contract terms before signing. Talk it out with a friend. Weigh the pros and cons, and do so in a realistic manner. Look before you leap, be cautious, and don’t let anybody make you feel like you’ve lost your grip on your own creative work.  You’ve put so much work into bringing it to publication, you deserve an experience you will treasure forever.

LINKS:

Email: readers@jmkelleywrites.com

Website: http://www.jmkelleywrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Kelley/108021242585994

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorJMKelley

Daddy’s Girl purchase links:

Turquoise Morning Press: http://www.turquoisemorningpressbookstore.com/products/daddys-girl-by-j-m-kelley

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Daddys-Girl-ebook/dp/B00B76P58S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359433661&sr=1-1&keywords=daddy%27s+girl+kelley

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daddys-girl-jm-kelley/1114255053?ean=2940015960969&isbn=2940015960969

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Daddys-Girl/book-KHCuDTSR9E2C7bbOEw-87A/page1.html?s=E-llxuUKm0m_cW4LB0jGNA&r=1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/279529

AllRomance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-daddy039sgirl-1049844-149.html

Omnilit: https://www.omnilit.com/product-daddy039sgirl-1049844-232.html?oid=19

J.M. will be awarding a gift basket of some of the author’s favorite things, including a $25 gift card from Amazon and a signed copy of the Foreign Affairs anthology from Turquoise Morning Press to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/04/virtual-book-tour-daddys-girl-by-jm.html

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