Author Genre: Romance, Children's Books, Horror,Poetry
Website: Regina Puckett's Books
Author's Blog: Regina Puckett's Books
Twitter: @ReginaPucket
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Author Description:
Regina Puckett is a 2014 Readers' Favorite Award winning author for her sweet romance, Concealed in My Heart. Her steampunk book, I Will Breathe, and her children's picture book, Borrowed Wings, both received the Children's Literary Classic Seal of Approval. “I Will Breathe” was selected as a Science Fiction Finalist in the 2015 IAN Book of the Year Awards. Her boxed set, A TOUCH OF PASSION, is the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards.
Memories, won first place in the 1st WSBR International Poetry Contest, and her collection of poetry, Fireflies, won the 2013 Turning Pages Poetry Book of the Year.
Regina Puckett has been writing for over forty-eight years, and lives in Tennessee with her husband of over forty years. She has two grown daughters and four grandchildren.
She writes sweet romances, horror, inspirational, steampunk, picture books and poetry. There are always several projects in various stages of completion and characters and stories waiting in the wings for their chance to finally get out of her head and onto paper.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: Hell Bound. What do you have on the drawing board next? Will it be another Seventh Level novel with Charity Parkerson? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
Charity and I have discussed working on another series but at the moment we’re both extremely busy on other projects. I’m working on the next two books in my new steampunk series, The Men of Forbidden, and writing short stories for my next horror book, Short Tales of Horror Part III.
I have a great idea for a new paranormal romance series. I love the idea of writing about a coven of witches. It just remains to be seen whether or not Charity catches the ‘witch bug’ too.
You have a good following on twitter. Since you started before the social media buzz, what impact has social media relationships had on your current success? How did you build your following in your niche? How much has it changed your book launch process?
I jumped onto Twitter without the vaguest notion about what I was doing. Somehow by accident and pure dumb luck, I made several friends from all over the world and my love affair with Twitter took off.
Since I write several different genres, I don’t really have a ‘niche’ on social media. What I have is a wonderful way of connecting with people I would have never known. Twitter has also been a great way of connecting with new readers. These sites allow people to ask me questions about my books and about my life. I’m willing to answer anything as long as it’s not too personal.
Do you do any book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
I have two book signing events taking place in September. Authors at the Opry - Saturday, September 17 at 11 AM - 6 PM, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37214
Pages in the Caves author event will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2016, in Cave City, KY at the Cave City Convention Center.
Those are the last two events I have planned for 2016. My readers can keep up with all of my plans for book signings and new releases by following me on Facebook.
You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?
I pick all of the photos for my book covers. It’s my drug of choice. I love a new cover. Sometimes I think I write just so I can create a new one.
I’m not only a writer but an avid reader so I know how important a book cover is. They’re the first thing I look at and will only read the synopsis if it attracts my interest. It doesn’t matter how well written or edited a book is, if you lose the reader before they open to the first page.
I spend hours searching for the right photo. Once I’ve chosen one, I turn the rest of the process over to my daughter, Charity Parkerson. As soon as she has added the title and author name, she emails me the finished book cover for my final approval. She never lets me down. She has a great eye for the correct font and title arrangement.
Many of your novels have been converted into audio books. What has been the impact on your regular sales? Has the audio books gained a new audience for you?
We live during a time where so many people are too busy to read but do enjoy listening to audiobooks as they exercise, drive to work or are jammed shoulder to shoulder with strangers on airplanes.
Audiobooks are just another way to market my stories. You have readers who prefer print over ebooks, and those who had rather listen than read.
You have written many short stories. Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work?
I started writing short stories as a way of introducing myself to readers who might not want to invest more of their time or money getting acquainted with me. The funny thing is though, now I prefer writing novellas. I still work full time so there aren’t enough hours in the day to write as often as I would like. The shorter storylines give me the chance to offer new books to my readers within a reasonable amount of time.
I like the idea of Author bundles. You are a part of a novel collection called A Touch of Passion. What was the impact on your other sales? What was the main objective of bundling your works with other romance authors? How did you put something like that together?
I was asked to join the other authors in this collection. It seemed like a good way of connecting with new readers. Concealed in My Heart is the first romance novel in my The Warren Family series. Since including it in A Touch of Passion, sales for the other four novels have increased.
I have loved working with the other authors in A Touch of Passion. All of them have worked tirelessly in promoting this collection. The collaboration would have been a complete waste of time if all of us hadn’t been committed to its success.
What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
I have had mixed results with giveaways, but believe they are essential to the indie author. They’re great for getting new reviews.
Do you maintain a reader list? What are the methods you use to find your readers and create the list and the relationship? Do you use social media, forums, newsletters and/or support groups to build your list?
I don’t keep a reader list because I don’t appreciate it when other authors assume just because I visited their site or read their newsletter that I want to have my email filled with spam.
You are published under several different genres and formats (Novels, Short Stories, Poetry). Does changing hats create any problems? Any tricks you can share with us? Which genre did you enjoy writing the most? Does moving from one to the other give you some breathing room?
I understand the philosophy behind creating a niche and the dangers of not doing so. Saying that, I think it’s total bull----. I’m an avid reader and love all genres. A good book is a good book, whether it’s a mystery or love story. I think most readers will agree with me, so why should I only write about people falling in love, serial killers, vampires, werewolves, airships or dinosaurs? See? Even now I can’t settle on one subject.
At the moment I’m in love with writing steampunk, but I reserve the right to fall back in love with writing romance again. The truth is that I write whatever new storyline begs to be told.
Author's Book List
Hell Bound
- Seventh Level Book 2Wade Collins survived a childhood filled with abuse and vows he’ll never have children of his own. So his bargain with Septem, prince of the seventh realm of Hell, for the soul of his first-born is no loss at all. That is, until he meets Morgan and their hot love affair produces an unexpected child. Now Wade must find a way to save everything he has come to love by outwitting a demon who is old as time and who will stop at nothing to collect.
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Pure Hell
- Seventh Level Book 1Not good enough for heaven but not bad enough to burn.
Kylie has a slight problem. She's dead and trapped between the realms. Left with no options, she follows Detective Liam Stone on the hunt for her killer. Death has left Kylie invisible but does nothing to dampen her desire for the sexy detective. Instead, it gives her the freedom to do as she pleases with his body, and what a delicious body it is.
Liam’s determined to solve Kylie’s case but as the clues uncover an underground world of demonic torture and pacts, Liam must face his own secrets or the flames of passion won't be the only ones the couple will have to face.
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A Touch of Passion
- Boxed set - Romance bundleLose yourself in a touch of passion. Whether it’s the beauty in a song or the magic of a kiss, the agony of heartbreak or the hunger of yearning, explore ecstasy and desire in these captivating full-length, award winning novels. Written by eight bestselling, USA Today and NY Times authors, this boxed set has it all: Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult Romance, Victorian Romance, Western Romance, Romantic Suspense, Wounded Warrior Romance, Military Romance, and Literary Fiction. These sensual tales of love with a strong female lead will leave you with a smile on your lips and music in your heart.
Thanks to the readers who love the romance novels in this anthology, A Touch of Passion has just become the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards.
The Music of Us by Uvi Poznansky (Bestselling Author)
Lenny goes as far back as the moment he met Natasha during WWII, when he was a soldier and she—a star. Natasha was a riddle to him then, and with all the changes she has gone through, she still is.
Love Me Tender by Mimi Barbour (NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author)
How could Anne return to Texas knowing that her son would be meeting a father who didn't know he existed? And how could she go back to face the only man she'd ever truly loved?
That Unforgettable Kiss by Tamara Ferguson (Top-10 Bestselling Author, Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Award Winner-New Adult)
Since Kate Callahan will be running the family construction business someday, she doesn’t have time for love. Until fate steps in by way of an unforgettable kiss from architectural intern Michael Murphy.
Concealed in My Heart by Regina Puckett (Bestselling Author, Readers' Favorite Book Award Winner)
Charity Fields is married to her childhood sweetheart and has the job of her dreams—until a terrible lie and a heartbreaking betrayal turns her life upside down.
Perfect for Him by Suzanne Jenkins (Bestselling Author)
As they danced, Jason whispered words of love to Harley, while her oncologist’s terrifying diagnosis kept ricocheting in her skull. To ensure he’d be okay after she was gone, Harley would take matters of love into her own hands.
Nellie by Cynthia Woolf (Bestselling Author)
Saloon owner Blake Malone is a bachelor and likes it that way. Nellie Wallace, a widow, needs a husband but never expected a man like him. Can Nellie and Blake make a marriage out of mutual need, without love being involved?
Ambrosia by the Sea by Traci Hall (USA Today Bestselling Author)
After a bitter betrayal by her late husband, self-taught chef Celia Langdon moved to the sea, where dive shop owner Dax Smith dared her to heal from the heart.
The Single Daddy Club: Derrick by Donna Fasano (USA Today Bestselling Author)
Ex-military man Derrick is solitary and satisfied—until Timmy’s dropped into his lap and Derrick must become a daddy. Fate has denied Anna a family of her own, but she has plenty of love to give, if only someone would notice.
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An Ill Wind
- Forbidden Series Book 3It has been eight hundred and seventy years since The Great War and the quality of life of the war-torn-countryside is slowly improving, thanks to the pioneering spirit of Harmony’s grandmother and grandfather.
Harmony and Boy have been flying her grandmother’s airship since her death. They use it to deliver food supplies and found objects from The Forbidden Lands to the few, last remaining humans on earth. It’s on one of these trips up the east coast an unexpected storm pulls the airship out into the open ocean. Even though Harmony struggles to keep Airus airborne, the strong winds are too much and it crashes into the ocean.
When Harmony regains consciousness, she discovers Airus has been pulled in by the tide onto a tiny island – that’s the only good news. There’s no fresh water on the island, her two robots are damaged, Airus’ balloon is deflated, and the friction engine is broken. All of that might be enough to defeat someone else, but Harmony has never been known to give up. She’s lucky enough to be blessed with her grandmother’s grit, determination and bullheadedness.
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Into Forbidden
- Forbidden Series Book 2Freedom isn’t a place Harmony would normally travel to, but she’s there on a mission to rescue her brother and cousin, Walker and Journey. Since The Great War, the world has become a barren and unfriendly place. If Harmony didn’t already know that, she certainly does the moment she winds up in the wall-off city of Freedom. It turns out that this city is anything but free. Its people are ruled by a group of huge, spider-looking robots aptly named Overseers.
Harmony’s big plan is to run in, rescue Walker and Journey and then steal one of the Overseers’ steam engines to use in their escape. The only thing going in her favor is an escapee from Freedom and two rusted-out, falling apart robots who have offered their help. With the plans made, all they need is to find a way to sneak Walker and Journey out of their jail cell and figure out how to run a steam engine. Easy right? Throw into this crazy mixture a few Overseers determined not to let them get away and a steam engine low on water. It all turns into a long flight to Forbidden that is fraught with danger.
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I Will Breathe
- Forbidden Series Book 1The year is 2836. It has been eight hundred years since The Great War. There are small groups of people scattered in isolated pockets around the world, but most are too suspicious of each other for any intimacy. If they don't stop hiding, and learn to help each other, there won't be anyone left on earth.
Liberty has grown up in this post-apocalyptic world. Her home is an airship built by her adopted father. Since his death, each day is just another day trying to survive in a hostile environment. That is until her father's dying friend asks if she'll take custody of a small, child-like robot.
The last thing Liberty needs is another responsibility. Surprisingly, once the endearing robot is aboard Airus, she discovers there is more to life than just living, and loving someone can be as easy as breathing.
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Love is a Promise Kept
- Warren Family Series Book 5Love is a Promise Kept is set in the small town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Gregory believes a promise should never be broken. At the age of twelve he promises to wait on four year old Mary Elizabeth. While everyone else believes it was just a sweet exchange between two children, Gregory never forgets his promise of marriage.
Even though Mary Elizabeth doesn’t believe in fairy tales, she does believe in Gregory. While her parents continue to insist he won’t keep his promise, she knows he will. Years before, her young heart recognized the person it belonged to. But when she believes her perfect future is about to come a reality, a spiteful adversary causes her to doubt Gregory’s sincerity. Now the future doesn’t seem quite so bright or certain.
Gregory and Mary Elizabeth are strong-willed people and are willing to do anything to make their relationship work, but they'll have to overcome many obstacles in order to have the love that once little girl recognized as a forever-love.
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Love's Great Plan
- Warren Family Book 4As the son of two famous actors, Coty is used to the unfaltering scrutiny of the media. But even though he’s been in and out of the spotlight his entire life, he is totally unprepared for the public’s harsh judgement when he’s forced to kill a teenager in the line of duty.
Amanda is the love of Coty’s life. She wants to stand by his side and weather his current crisis, but he’s determined to create a distance between them in the hope of protecting her. His biggest fear is that, if the media makes a connection between them, the reporters will turn their focus from him and onto her. That would most certainly bring the media to rehash the lurid scandal that had erupted after the attempted rape of his sister by Amanda’s own deceased brother.
Coty has no intention of letting his problems hurt Amanda. He only wants her happiness, and if that means he has to let her go – then so be it.
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What the Heart Knows
- Warren Family Series Book 3After escaping a rape attempt, Emily hides away in her old family home until her sister’s best friend fakes a health crises to lure her into visiting him at his country estate. It doesn’t take long for Emily to tell Bill about her fears and the two of them finally admit to loving the other for years. It sounds like a happy ending - but nothing is ever that easy.
Bill and Emily travel from the small towns of Tennessee, to the beautiful beaches of North Carolina and then to the bright lights of New York City, as he tries to protect her from a merciless predator. Emily has it all until she slips up and makes a terrible mistake. Her unfortunate decision tears her and Bill apart. Now she’s left to face her attacker by herself, but more importantly, she has to face a life without Bill’s love.
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Songs that I Whisper
- Warren Family Series Book 2Suzette is a famous artist who owns an ultra-chic art gallery on the square of small town in middle Tennessee. She’s perfectly content with her quiet life until a famous country music singer walks into her gallery with a strange proposal. Seth Black wants Suzette to paint his portrait for the band’s next album cover. Against her better judgment Suzette agrees to travel on the road with Seth and his band so she can sketch them in action.
Even though sparks fly the moment Suzette and Seth meet, neither one of them wants a relationship much less the turmoil that falling in love would bring into their planned lives. Unfortunately, these plans go a little haywire when they both tumble hard into love. But even though Seth is willing to take a chance at love, Suzette fights her attraction after witnessing all of the temptations faced by him while out on the road. Since this is what he does for a living, the last thing she wants is a man who is tempted nightly by obsessed, half-naked fans. But even as she tries to pretend there’s nothing between the two of them, there’s something about Seth that captives her heart and makes her want to take a risk and believe he only has eyes for her.
Sometimes it takes more than love to make a relationship work – it takes faith.
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Concealed in my Heart
- Warren Family Series Book 1Charity Fields has everything she ever wanted. She’s married to her childhood sweetheart and is acting in her first leading role in a major motion film production. But soon a terrible lie and a heartbreaking betrayal turns her life upside down, and she has to rethink her entire future. To put some distance between her and her old love, Charity relocates to California. Unfortunately, she is faced yet again with another loss and betrayal. Even though she doesn’t think her heart can handle the pain, Charity once again digs deep and uses her inner-strength to reinvent her life. But this time, she vows to keep her new love concealed in her heart.
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Thank you for hosting me on your blog, James.
ReplyDeleteRegina