S.L. Pierce's Blog
March 27, 2013
March 8, 2013
Betrayed Cover
Here is the cover for Betrayed, the new Gwen Michaels book. The book is with the editor and will be released as soon as editing is complete. Hopefully in the next two weeks.
January 14, 2013
Real reason Secrets 2 isn't out yet
I had hoped to publish the next Gwen Michaels book in December, but unfortunately that didn't happen. And the reason is, it just wasn't good enough. It was really hard to hear that from my beta readers.
Really hard.
And it was very discouraging. This was my baby. I'd poured my heart into it. And it was boring? Boring?
I kind of crawled into a hole with my blanket and chocolate and said forget the whole thing!
But, in the end, they were right. The story was too boring. The thing that made Secrets successful was the fast pace, the continuous action. And this new story just didn't have it.
And I have to be honest with myself, and my fans. So here it is - I haven't put 100% into it. Something very hard to admit. I've been working with a partner (Maren Kaye) on the last two books (Devil's Game and Treasure Hunt) and we push each other to get the best result. But working on my own for this book, I'd forgotten how to push myself, and the story, to the edge.
And now that I've admitted it, I can fix it. So I have hunkered down and am now making the story the best it can be. I hope you will be patient with me. It will be worth it, I promise:)
Really hard.
And it was very discouraging. This was my baby. I'd poured my heart into it. And it was boring? Boring?
I kind of crawled into a hole with my blanket and chocolate and said forget the whole thing!
But, in the end, they were right. The story was too boring. The thing that made Secrets successful was the fast pace, the continuous action. And this new story just didn't have it.
And I have to be honest with myself, and my fans. So here it is - I haven't put 100% into it. Something very hard to admit. I've been working with a partner (Maren Kaye) on the last two books (Devil's Game and Treasure Hunt) and we push each other to get the best result. But working on my own for this book, I'd forgotten how to push myself, and the story, to the edge.
And now that I've admitted it, I can fix it. So I have hunkered down and am now making the story the best it can be. I hope you will be patient with me. It will be worth it, I promise:)
November 27, 2012
The Next Big Thing Blog Hop
I've been tagged by a great fellow author Scott Bury to participate in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. The idea is we all answer interview questions and link to each other's blogs. Each author asks five other authors to participate. Here is the link to Scott's post.
Sounds Great, right?
So, here is The Next Big Thing Interview:
What is the working title of your book?
My new Gwen Michaels book is tentatively titled Betrayed.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I'm not sure where the plot of the book came from but the idea for a sequel to Secrets came from one of the first readers to love it, Grace G. She was so excited about the idea of a sequel I just couldn't resist. I felt some pressure and excitement to write a sequel, but nothing would come to me. The more I pushed the fewer ideas I had. Then one afternoon the light bulb just went off and I thought what if one of Gwen's old teammates showed up. Someone that should never have been able to find her? And I went with it.
What genre does your book fall under?
Definitely mystery/thriller! I love them.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Always a hard question. Twenty years ago it would have been Demi Moore, no question. Now, I'm not sure. If I had to choose, I think Sarah Michelle Gellar would do a really good job. I did recently see another actress named Maggie Grace in a movie called Lockout and she had a really good mix of toughness and humanity that would work well for Gwen Michaels.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
What if your worst enemy showed up on your doorstep and needed help?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self published, as all my books are.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Technically the first draft took a year, but I was actually working on a different book at the same time with my co-author Maren Kaye (Treasure Hunt). So the first draft took about three months of real time.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Ugh such hard questions. It's hard to compare because I haven't really found any real kick ass female heroines who never need 'rescuing'.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I guess I should have read ahead since I answered this earlier. Everyone really does have Grace G. to thank for the sequel. Her enthusiasm was irresistible.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I think the relationship between Gwen and her husband Jack will really intrigue readers this time. They face a lot of challenges now that he knows about her past.
In the coming weeks I will be posting links to the author authors I have tagged for this blog hop! Stop by and check them out. In the meantime here are some other participants (not recruited by me) in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop:
Mira Brown
November 15, 2012
Our Own Black Friday Specials
Maren Kaye and I have decided to lower the price of The Devil's Game and Treasure Hunt to 0.99 now thru the end of December as our own Holiday sale. (Price change should go into effect Friday November 16)
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
November 1, 2012
New Gwen Michaels Book - Chapter One
As much as I wanted to get the new Gwen Michaels book out by December, I don't think it's going to happen. However, to push myself and give Gwen's fans a little taste of what's to come, I am posting the first Chapter. Enjoy! And feel free to comment and tweet your desire for me to work faster :)
“Pull over to that little cafe, would you Jack?” I asked.
“I thought we were going to eat at home, after the grocery store.”
“Change of plans.”
“Why?”
A perfectly reasonable question that I didn’t want to answer but he caught me watching the car behind us in the vanity mirror. I had no choice.
“Gwen? You said no more secrets. Isn’t that what this whole trip to Hawaii was about? No more secrets.”
He was right. The whole trip was a clearing of the air. After being forced to confess my secret past life as government assassin, the trip had been a chance for Jack to know everything about me. About my past. No more secrets. The forced part came when an assassin showed up at my house to kill me. And yes, I see the irony.
The vacation had gone well. Snorkeling, surfing, warm sun and hot sand. And most important, no distractions. We left our phones at home. Jack asked me a thousand questions about my past, and I answered as honestly as I could. When he first found out, he handled it alright, but it’s not like he had much of a choice. We were hiding out, trying to figure out who wanted me dead. But the fact is I didn’t tell him when we first started getting serious and I promised no more secrets from now on.
“You’re right. You’re right,” I said. “So? Why do you want to stop?”
“Because someone is following us.”
“What?” he laughed. “We left home five minutes ago. How could someone possibly...Why would you even be looking?”
“Someone tried to break in while we were gone.”
“Now how do you know that?”
“Because the alarm system I had installed before we left records any tampering.”
Jack’s shoulders sagged and he let out a loud sigh. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I could hear it in his voice. That exhausted frustration of someone who is starting to give up on you.
“It’s not like that Jack. I figured it was just some run of the mill burglar who noticed we were gone. Who knows how long it took for Peter to come by. Or how often he made it.” Jack’s friend Peter was supposed to stop by the house to pick up the mail and the paper. Make the place look lived in. I didn’t fault him if he didn’t make it very often. He had a life too. Besides, the system I had installed was state of the art. No one but a real pro was getting past it, and even then there were redundancies.
“I swear if I’d thought it was more I would have told you.”
He smiled and nodded as he turned his attention back to the road, but I knew I’d undone some of the progress we’d made in Hawaii. I’d have to think about that later.
“So just pull into that diner on the right.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to talk to whoever is in that car.”
“Should I even bother asking why you can’t just call the police.”
“And tell them what?”
“But if they are following us, isn’t it dangerous to just go talk to whoever it is?”
“Whoever it is wants to talk or they wouldn’t have been so obvious.”
“Then why not just come up and knock on the door?”
“That’s what I’m going to find out.”
We parked and waited. The blue Chrysler pulled in and around the side of the diner.
“Gwen,” Jack said grabbing my arm as I got out of the car, “be careful.”
“Always,” I smiled.
When I was close enough to make out a face I felt a wave of shock. I couldn't have been more surprised if it had been my own parents. And they had been dead for fourteen years.
“Pull over to that little cafe, would you Jack?” I asked.
“I thought we were going to eat at home, after the grocery store.”
“Change of plans.”
“Why?”
A perfectly reasonable question that I didn’t want to answer but he caught me watching the car behind us in the vanity mirror. I had no choice.
“Gwen? You said no more secrets. Isn’t that what this whole trip to Hawaii was about? No more secrets.”
He was right. The whole trip was a clearing of the air. After being forced to confess my secret past life as government assassin, the trip had been a chance for Jack to know everything about me. About my past. No more secrets. The forced part came when an assassin showed up at my house to kill me. And yes, I see the irony.
The vacation had gone well. Snorkeling, surfing, warm sun and hot sand. And most important, no distractions. We left our phones at home. Jack asked me a thousand questions about my past, and I answered as honestly as I could. When he first found out, he handled it alright, but it’s not like he had much of a choice. We were hiding out, trying to figure out who wanted me dead. But the fact is I didn’t tell him when we first started getting serious and I promised no more secrets from now on.
“You’re right. You’re right,” I said. “So? Why do you want to stop?”
“Because someone is following us.”
“What?” he laughed. “We left home five minutes ago. How could someone possibly...Why would you even be looking?”
“Someone tried to break in while we were gone.”
“Now how do you know that?”
“Because the alarm system I had installed before we left records any tampering.”
Jack’s shoulders sagged and he let out a loud sigh. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I could hear it in his voice. That exhausted frustration of someone who is starting to give up on you.
“It’s not like that Jack. I figured it was just some run of the mill burglar who noticed we were gone. Who knows how long it took for Peter to come by. Or how often he made it.” Jack’s friend Peter was supposed to stop by the house to pick up the mail and the paper. Make the place look lived in. I didn’t fault him if he didn’t make it very often. He had a life too. Besides, the system I had installed was state of the art. No one but a real pro was getting past it, and even then there were redundancies.
“I swear if I’d thought it was more I would have told you.”
He smiled and nodded as he turned his attention back to the road, but I knew I’d undone some of the progress we’d made in Hawaii. I’d have to think about that later.
“So just pull into that diner on the right.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to talk to whoever is in that car.”
“Should I even bother asking why you can’t just call the police.”
“And tell them what?”
“But if they are following us, isn’t it dangerous to just go talk to whoever it is?”
“Whoever it is wants to talk or they wouldn’t have been so obvious.”
“Then why not just come up and knock on the door?”
“That’s what I’m going to find out.”
We parked and waited. The blue Chrysler pulled in and around the side of the diner.
“Gwen,” Jack said grabbing my arm as I got out of the car, “be careful.”
“Always,” I smiled.
When I was close enough to make out a face I felt a wave of shock. I couldn't have been more surprised if it had been my own parents. And they had been dead for fourteen years.
September 15, 2012
September 12, 2012
New Cover for Treasure Hunt
Check out the new Treasure Hunt cover! We feel it better reflects the fun nature of this book!
Grab a sample and see for yourself!
Grab a sample and see for yourself!
August 24, 2012
FREE Friday and Saturday
A fan of Flash Fiction? Try my book, STARVED, of all the flash fiction from my blog. It's FREE today and tomorrow! 
