Website moving to ericachilson.com
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Thank you, and I apologize for the inconvenience.
Look in the Mirror
There are times when you have to step back and look at yourself: your self-image, your mental abilities, your confidence.
Self-evaluation.
In the world of selfies, where people post images with captions, “I look like hell,” but post them anyway, it makes you take a closer look at self-evaluation. If you really thought you looked like crap, you wouldn’t post them. Obviously the poster likes the way they look, and then I wonder if they have a higher opinion of themselves than they should.
Wow, Erica! What a horrible thing to say!!!
Bear with me, here. I’ll get to my point shortly.
Anyone who has paid attention to my postings in the past month or so, knows I’m rewriting my Mistress & Master of Restraint Series- FROM SCRATCH. What a humbling, crippling experience. So I will explain my self-evaluation and a false sense of confidence comment.
Erica has taken a step back and did some major self-evaluation these past few months. In the now, you feel great about yourself: I look good. I feel good. I’m smart. This book is fabulous. Right? Isn’t that how you feel when you look into the mirror of yourself?
A few years ago, I was a bigger girl, and I felt confident about myself. I thought I looked good. (Now, don’t go tar and feathering me, as if I’m saying my size was a reflection of me as a human being. That is NOT where I’m headed with this blog post. I’m long-winded, I’ll get to the point eventually.) Anyway, I was a size 18/20 and quickly gaining ground on the next size up. At the time, I was working on changing my life, all aspects. So I lost weight, dropping down to a 10/12. Yay for me, right? Not really. Because there is fallout from that as well. You start to feel shitty about who you used to be because you still feel like shit now. When I look at pictures of myself- new pictures- I think I look bad. So then I start to question my own sanity. I thought I looked good in images from several years ago, several sizes larger, yet now I feel like crap when I look at myself. Was I thinking clearly back then, then?
My entire life I’ve thought myself as intelligent: quick to learn knowledge that I easily retained. Smarty pants. Know-it-all. With the mistakes I’ve made in the past, where I objectively look at my actions and reactions to the stimulation around me, at the time I felt I was making the proper decisions. Now I think I was a flippin’ idiot.
A stupid, stupid girl.
Stupid girl.
Stupid.
With the M&M rewrite has came a LOT of fallout, especially to my confidence in all things. In order to grow in my craft and as a person, I had to admit defeat. I had to recognize my faults. I had to take the bitter consequences of my actions. I had to look at myself in the mirror and say, “You suck. You f*cking suck, Erica!” Then, and only then, could I move on.
This new humbled, self-effacing person is now indecisive- demoralized. With my confidence destroyed, laying amongst the deleted words of my manuscripts, my world view has shifted.
The Erica from the past thought herself smart, average looking, and confident in her abilities to do her job. The Erica from the present disputes those claims as she cleans up the messes from the past Erica. The Erica from the future is shaking her head, clearly disappointed, and she’s shouting, “Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t make me redo your work because you’re an idiot. Don’t make me stand in front of the mirror and say, ‘I suck. I f*ckin’ suck!’ Don’t make me clean up your messes because you had a bloated self-image!”
Yes, future Erica is a bit pessimistic and bitter, while past Erica was naive, and present Erica is just… resolved.
Where does this leave me, present Erica?
Rolling along, doubting myself, because the past predicts the future. The Restraint I’m writing today (from scratch) will be a Restraint I’m proud of today. But I fear that future Erica will be embarrassed by it, and will want to go back in time and kick my behind. Just as present Erica longs to do to past Erica.
As I go back to Restraint, where I’ve deleted 3 out of every 4 words and replaced them with new, I know I can only do what I am capable of as of today. Tomorrow I may be better. But when it’s all said and done, Restraint will be a reflection of who I am today, and future Erica will have a different reflection of herself within a new book. But for the past Erica’s honor and reputation, present Erica and future Erica have joined forces, refusing to allow their naive, younger self to be demoralized and humiliated.
I’m sure I will doubt myself next week, next year, a lifetime from now. But that shows the ability to recognize my faults and grow. If I truly had a bloated self-image, I’d destroy myself with my narrow view. The only thing I have in common with future Erica, at this time, is the fact that my world view is 360 degrees.
Concentrating on M&M of Restraint now.
Yes, I promised Warped before I took a hiatus from Blended and concentrated on M&M.
Yes, I am reneging.
Why?
#1: I’ve published nearly 1,800 pages of Blended in 2014. I think I’ve earned a pass.
#2: I tend to emulate my characters. Writing a Bipolar drug addicted police officer is not a small feat while maintaining your own level of sanity. As of late, I’ve been suffering with the manic portion of my character’s condition. I cannot concentrate on anything for longer than a few moments. To write, one must be able to sit for large amounts of time and be completely within their minds. I can only read the beginning of a book, and then I lose interest at this point. It’s like my mind has been invaded by a swarm of thoughts that just will NOT settle down into something conhesive.
#3: I’ve already written over 100,000 words of Warped. (Restraint is 97,000 in its current state). Warped will be nearly 1,000 pages in length if I write it while inspired, with patience, and without rushing. I want to enjoy what I write, but if I don’t, the readers will feel the emotions infusing the page.
#4: I promised myself I’d NEVER rush-write again, and that is a promise to myself I will never break. I wouldn’t be in this situation if I hadn’t wrote how I did earlier in my career. But I can call upon my ignorance. I. Am. NOT. Ignorant any longer. I have been wizened beyond my years through trial and error and shit writing.
#5: I’ve written well-over a million words since I began Restraint. I’m positive I’ve evolved in my craft, and M&M deserves better. The series deserves the level of writing I am currently at, not what is currently published, silently embarrassing me.
#6: we are coming up to the one-year anniversary to the release of Integrated, the last M&M book I published. If I were to take my time, making Warped as incredible as I believe it will be (hard-hitting, raw- gripping, and emotional), it would be nearing 2 years for the next M&M book. Some authors don’t write a 1000 pages in several years, and to expect me to crank it out in a few months without harsh consequences is madness.
#7: Erica needs a break. I’m drained. Tapped out. The muse is not amused, or inspired, or awake. I slept for hours last night, finally, realizing it’s been ages since I slept longer than 4 hours at a time. It isn’t healthy. It’s a delicate balance: creating books to sell to the masses, versus taking care of yourself. I write book that my fans are hungry to read, but I don’t have a lot of devoted fans in my niche writing. So it takes a LOT of releases to earn squat. But at what cost? My sanity? My health?
#7.5: see refusal to speed-write to crank out books to earn more money. I’d rather write a great book, the first time, and be proud of what I’ve given to the public, than to pad my bank account. I deserve more. The reader deserves more. But most importantly, the STORY deserves more.
#8: Sometimes I just can’t write anew. Sometimes I find immense joy in fixing what I’ve previously written, finding pride in making it better- more. Obviously this is obvious, since I can never leave well-enough alone. Which is why I’m going into Print books. Once in print, it’s permanent, a stopping point for my never-ending obsession with perfection.
#9: I don’t cater to the masses. My books are not for the mainstream. A notion I’m completely ditching during my M&M rewrite. Maybe if I wasn’t trying to straddle the line of normalcy versus how twisted my mind truly is, the readers would feel it, connect with the story, and want to share it with the world. So instead of trying to crank out books to sell more books to a handful of devotees, I’m going to try to write the best books to my ability, to my standards, and perhaps gain some more fans in the process. I think the payoff for all those involved will be greater.
#10: Restraint is getting refurbished: A new cover. A new blurb. A new price point. Both in print and in ebook form. It’s getting completely rewritten, restructured. Because if I demand more of myself as a writer, to write my flagship book to be one of the best books I’ve written, then I should not discount it. As with self-respect, you get what you project. If I give my own version of a masterpiece away for free, in hopes someone will one-click it, and may or may not ever even open it to read its contents, then I’m belittling my own work. If I want readers to know it’s worthy, then I’ll make sure they know its worth. I’m not saying I will never sale price the title, I’m promising it will never be FREE.
#11: I can give a way a lot of books for free or next to nothing, and they may or may not ever be read. But this avid reader/one-clicker/bookwhore, hardly ever reads the free books she collects, but one thing that is for damned sure: if I BUY it, I READ it. If I READ it, I REVIEW it.
#12: I’m pulling myself out of the rabbit hole. If I sell 10 books at the higher price point, it’s still worth more than giving away thousands of books no one will ever read. I will keep the Kindle Lending, Prime, and Unlimited. I will sale price my books for promotions. Books, just because they are offered in ebook form, does not make them any less valuable than one sitting upon the shelves. It still took the same amount of time to write, edit, buy the cover, pay the cover artist, pay Uncle Sam his cut, maintain an at-home office. If the writer is good, then the book will be better. The good writer with the better book shouldn’t have to lower their prices to compete with books of a lower caliber.
I’m not speaking of price gouging; I’m speaking of worth. To say Good Girl is only worth 99 cents is madness. To say when it’s in its print form it will be worth ten bucks just because of the paper it’s printed on is lunacy. It’s 700 pages of my blood, sweat, and tears, of ME on the pages, and to give it away for free, or to only get 30 cents BEFORE taxes per copy…
Yes, anyone can type up a book and slap a price on it, but it takes money to be a writer and survive. It takes even more money to be a damned good writer and show it in your work. We’re all worth more. I’ve just finally figured that out.
#13: My plan, which is subject to change: All of M&M of Restraint, rewritten and republished in both print and ebook, with every book published thereafter as a permanent book. Only one try this time for the Wicked Writer. No more do-overs. I can’t survive it. I either respect and feel proud of the work I’m publishing, or it won’t be published. The first time. No rush-writing. No getting books out to have a new release and keep my links on ppl’s Twitter, Fb, and Goodreads feeds.
#14: Hero will be my next new release.
#15: My apologies, Blended Fans, but I released 4 Blended books, back-to-back, in less than nine months (1,800 pages). It’s The Mistress & Master of Restraint’s turn. But I will never go longer than 2 books per series without going back to the other. No more years of one series without giving a voice to the other.
#16: Blended is finite for a reason. It’s heavily outlined. I even know the final sentence of “THE END”. M&M could be infinite, as along as I have a palate cleanser, affording me the opportunity to give my muse room to grow and play.
17: When I catch up, or when the muse demands some space, you’ll be hearing from my pseudonym. The mystery and the suspense will be that I will NOT tell you who it is. I’ll wait, announce it, and let you all scour goodreads & Amazon until you figure it out. I call myself the Wicked Writer for a reason, and I will derive perverse pleasure as I watch you reason out who my other half is…
New Release Blended Series Sale: Wanton
Buy Links:
Good Girl (FREE 9/19-9/23 ONLY)
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B3V6Q2G
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B3V6Q2G
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00B3V6Q2G
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00B3V6Q2G
Wildly Wedded Wife: (FREE 9/19-9/23 ONLY)
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LBITZPQ
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007X6GZDK
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00LBITZPQ
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00LBITZPQ
Widow: ($2.99 9/19-9/23 ONLY. $4.99 after)
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KVNGPIM
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KVNGPIM
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00KVNGPIM
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00KVNGPIM
Wanton: (New Release Price $2.99)
Amazon US – http://amzn.to/1qmKHRp
Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/1qNn6qN
Amazon AU – www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00NHB60SK
Amazon CA – www.amazon.ca/dp/B00NHB60SK
Wanton (Blended #2.5) is LIVE on Amazon
Orbiting one another’s lives, yet never intersecting, a clandestine meeting finally pushes Opal Fischer within Ginny Jamison’s path.
In the past, in the present, and in the future, both women make a major impact on the lives of the Blended Family. They worry more about their loved ones than themselves, pushing their needs and wants to the back-burner. They themselves are the only ones in their own path to true happiness, by holding onto the debilitating wounds of the past and refusing to let go of their visions of the future.
Opal’s lifelong adage: the sin isn’t in the wanting; it’s in the taking. Will Ginny be able to make Opal realize the sin is actually in the regret of never taking what you want, what you so rightfully deserve?
Wanton (Blended #2.5) is a full-length Contemporary Romance novel featuring the slowly budding relationship between two females. Warning: a glimpse into future Blended Series books, with sensually erotic scenes featuring f/f & f/f/m. Wanton is approximately 67,000 words in length.
Wanton: Where is it? & Beta Drive info
Wanton was set to release the last week of July. Erica, where the hell is it?
I had to take a step back from my insane writing schedule. Which is laughable, since I started writing Warped instead. My New Year’s resolution was to slow down, not to rush-write to get books out to the readers, which always ends up in regret (mine) and rewrites with revamped released editions. Not going there again, Deviants. With that saying, I’ve released 1,500 pages to-date this year, with another 200+ in Wanton coming up, and Lord knows how many in Warped. So I’m guaranteed 2,000+ pages released in 2014- a new record for me, and totally contradicting my resolution.
Where is Wanton? Shelved for a few weeks for its betterment. Wanton evolved into a full-length book. On the short side of full-length, but longer than Restraint was when I first released it. Meaning, it’s not classified as a novella. It’s also not truly a half-book in the series any longer, either. Unlike Wildly Wedded Wife, Wanton will be necessary in the lineup in the Blended Series. I have 3 chapters to write, edits, and beta edits before it’s ready for publishing. Sometime in September. I want Wanton to be the best it can be, and if I’d rushed, it wouldn’t have been.
Warped: Flowing like water… in five days, I wrote over 40,000 words on Warped. As with the title, and the cover, Warped will be dark. Definitely the darkest book in the Blended Series. 50% Devon Mason. 25% Essie Prynne. 20% Kieren Mason, & 5% Willow Prynne. We’ve already had 700 pages from Willow’s POV. We’ve been deep inside her mind, I wanted readers to be one with the other characters now, but spotlight important scenes for Willow while inside her head. Outlook on Warped: I have no idea how long it will be. It’s writing itself. I’ve heavily outlined, but all 40,000+ words I’ve written thus far, were NOT outlined. I’m sure it will live up to the development and the length of its predecessors. Release date: Late September/October. It depends on how much of itself it wants to write. LMAO (my muse is trying to kill me, I swear)
BETA DRIVE: The beta drive is still in effect. Late August/Early September. I will sort through the submissions, email the beta test, and choose a roster of betas. It should be in time for Wanton & Warped’s beta reads. Here is the submission form for those interested in becoming a Wicked Writer’s Beta. Thank you for the interest, and the help!
Book after Book, after Book…
**I just spent the last three days in the car, riding from Pennsylvania to New Mexico, desperately searching for a book to hold my interest. That is the emotion behind this blog posting- pure frustration mixed with bitter disappointment*
A plea to my fellow wordsmiths from the reader in all of us.
I spend a great deal of time in analytical-mode, observing others for their actions and reactions. I do this to perfect my character development. Lately, I’ve had a difficult time reading anyone’s books but my own because of ‘character lobotomies.’
I’m not just speaking of Indie or traditionally published authors. I’m speaking of BOTH!
Like actual human beings: age, gender, personality traits, emotional baggage, and careers should drive your character’s actions. The hardest thing for me to swallow when reading: characters acting out of character. The dumbass or helpless female disease. Many a doctor, lawyer, or other professional women, with 8+ years of higher education and an analytical mind with a ‘take no prisoners’ attitude, turn into dipshit, teenaged girls in these books.
“I know this is a bad idea, but I’m gonna do it anyway. So there!” *sticks tongue out like a petulant five-year-old child when in actuality is a 35-year-old professional* “Aren’t I cute and funny? Hehe!” *Looks like the first to die in a horror flick.* “Oh, shit, I shouldn’t have done that. Gonna get hurt now unless some manly man rushes in to save me.”
Erica rolls her eyes, threatens to smash her Kindle, and puts the author on the long list of DNF & ‘never-going-to-read-a-word-you-write-again.’
Authors: you have your characters thinking one thing in their internal monologue and reacting in an opposite fashion. This seems to be the norm today, along with insta-love.
Why this diatribe today? Well, I was reading a book I thoroughly enjoyed, and then it was lobotomized. Personally, the short backstory was the key to my interest. I would have rather read that instead. It was hard-hitting, engrossing, and worthy. Instead of expanding on the story to create a solid foundation, the author went ahead and made it about insta-love. I say it’s a cop-out. Write the story out, and quit selling me phony romance without a backbone or foundation.
There is something to be said about intensity, chemistry, and tension.
Build some.
In so many books today, the protagonists meet, and then it’s instant attraction and… *shudders* L-O-V-E? Really? Seriously? Love? What happened to lust?
It takes time to build a foundation of love, one that is only made over time, over interaction, over emotional attachment. This is never built over sex- never, ever. If you believe this phony bullshit, you’re probably addicted to the high of ‘new love’, or as it’s better known, infatuation.
9 times out of 10, this occurs. I realize in order to properly show the time it takes to develop a real relationship, the readers would be bored out of their skulls. But to ‘tell’ me versus ‘show’ me WHY they fit as a couple, is taking the easy way out, and a detriment to your story. Lastly, not everything has to be about sappy romance or hot sex.
No, it doesn’t.
Because if all you have is sappy romance and hot sex without any real story behind it, then it’s forgettable and a dime-a-dozen, and personally, the sex is just flat.
I expect certain things out of a book. In YA or NA, I expect the girls to do something stupid, since they are, in essence, children. They are without the experience of life, the growth to make sound decisions. But in those novels, the females act older, wiser. They save the world in Fantasy and Dystopian novels, or live on their own while their wayward parents are off living their life somewhere else, acting criminally for leaving their underaged children alone for long periods of time.
I found the missing and idiotic parents to our YA heroines and heroes in Contemporary romance/erotica novels. In today’s contemporary romance and erotica genres, you have 25+ year old females acting the way those in the YA & NA should have been behaving. How do you explain this shift? Why do our younger readers get strong role models and our adult readers get “Too Stupid to Live” females who give all women a bad name?
One book that will forever stick in my mind, a female doctor, highly intelligent, acting like a twelve-year-old in heat, pranking hospital faculty. They took an oath to save lives, and the author is making light of this highly intelligent character with slap-stick, over-the-top bullshit for the sake of comedy. For me, it’s not funny if you’re trying too hard. It’s just freakin’ annoying.
Next up, the hotter than blazes Mary Jane. MJ’s internal monologue is something like this, “Woe-is-me.” “I’m 35 and no one wants me.” “I’m shy and quiet, and my last boyfriend was mean to me.” “I don’t trust men.” The author usually writes one, more often two or three, hot guys sniffing at MJ’s tail. & in their POV, they find MJ the most gorgeous creature, engrossing in conversation, and completely sounding like MJ in their minds. Add, “I’m fat.” “I’m ugly.” “I’m boring.” Yet these women are goddesses in the hotties’ eyes.
I get the realism of using everyday women, and the fantasy of being wanted by 5 hot rockers or billionaires, or what have you, but it’s an insult to my intelligence… and freakin’ annoying to boot.
Next up, these Gods among men, who are starve-gutted for plain Mary Jane, mysteriously sound, act, and react like a woman… or a douchebag. Never an in between. Then douchebag gets pussy-whipped by MJ, and then his internal monologue becomes just as hers. Without fail.
If I’m reading a male’s POV, I expect him to act, react, and sound like a dude from page one to ‘the end’. A guy in love is still a guy, not a girl who is wielding a penis aimed at our damsel-in-distress. If the girl can’t save herself, her male clone shouldn’t be able to save her, either. Right?
Candy at the Van Predators versus Streetwise, Badassed Bitches.
As I said, these intelligent, streetwise, or take-no-prisoners women always have a baggage-filled backstory (which I love, and I always wish the authors would write that instead of the fluff-filled romance piece they publish). Today’s woman slept in a shelter with a knife in her hand to save her pitiful belongings. She’s on the run from an abusive ex. Meets a guy by happenchance (always is the case, right? Gotta love fate!), and trusts this new stranger infallibly. Character trait lobotomy, anyone? This is without fail, always, and was so difficult to swallow that I was furious.
So then the dude starts in on possessive shit, and she shrugs it off, ‘cuz you know, it’s NOT like she doesn’t recognize the signs after being abused. He’s hot. *shrugs* He wants her mousy ass. *shrugs* I’m sure he’s a good guy, even if he’s telling her what to do after a handful of words, and now looking, touching, and breathing on her in a way that makes her girly parts tingly. *tingling so intensely I wonder if she has feminine itch*
It’s been 12 hours, in which she lost a job, gained a job, cried, gained an apartment and money, did all the necessary body functions, spoke less than 100 words to this dude (none of them of any real substance) but has looked at, and been looked at by, this insanely HOT dude, so all her reasoning skills and intelligence just flee her mind to pool at her itching stranger-danger zones. She’s been super busy, dang it! I’m exhausted for her just by writing the sequence of events out. (I know I can’t get THAT much done in 12 hours- oh, she slept too!) (She puts the Super in “HERO”ine) She’s spent maybe an hour in this dude’s presence, but now she thinks she loves him, and his POV is thinking the same about her, too…
Awww… how sweet, and toe-curling, and sexy… I hope they make cute babies on their first time, because that’s the rational thing to do.
Are you freakin’ kidding me? Seriously?
(I’m not making fun of just this book, since the 7 I tried to read in the past 24-hours have followed this same formula)
I’m not a feminist, but this pisses me off. & more often than not, all women are depicted as dumbassed bitches while spouting how intelligent, streetwise, and gun-shy they are. Trust? What’s that? It’s called following strangers around, and then letting them touch the places your parents warned you about without having something called a conversation first. *growls in fury*
But it’s love at first sight, right?
No, sweetie, it’s a thing called lust.
How about the author creates some sexual tension by NOT having the characters have sex and fall in love in the beginning of the book (both of which spells out ‘THE END’ for me) Build to the moment without giving into instant gratification and ploys. If you wrote a douchebag, have him douchebag it up for ½ of the book (love/hate, sexual frustration and tension) with a ¼ for redemption, and the last ¼ for ‘THE END’.
Don’t give me the meat before you even scoop the serving of potatoes on my plate, after completely bypassing the salad. We are a generation of dessert eaters when I still want to digest the whole, entire meal.
Book after book, after book, after book, after book, in an endless stream of sameness- a sameness I cannot stand.
I understand there is a guideline to each genre, a formula to follow, but c’mon! Don’t ruin your well-thought-out story by following the herd. The incredible story you briefly mentioned, as a way to introduce your character so she could get acquainted with the nearest mattress, IS the story you should be telling. Not some mediocre, dime-a-dozen, formulaic clone of all the rest.
Entertain me.
I read like an editor, and I’m not speaking of grammar rules, even though we all break them. I read a book like an editor, reading it in a way to FIX it, develop it into something more. It’s this quest that has me looking at my books with clear eyes, longing to better them for the reader. A quest I will soon be embarking upon for the Mistress & Master of Restraint Series. I don’t follow the herd. I don’t write for my readers. I challenge myself to write a better book than my last, to remove the ‘character lobotomies’ from the storyline, to write with true substance, to evolve the chemistry, the lust, the intensity of the characters’ romance.
I keep trying to read, trying to finally reach that intoxicating feeling where if disturbed I’d knife the asshole who broke me from the story… but I can’t find that plane of existence any longer.
I need more, and dear Author, I want YOU to give it to me!
Widow Blog Tour Hosts & Dates
Widow, Blended #2, Blog Tour Stops and Dates. Please visit for excerpts, teasers, and reviews.
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July 11th:
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July 12th:
Breaking that Kindle Budget Book Blog
Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
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July 13th:
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July 14th:
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July 15th:
Life, Books, and More Books Blog
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July 16th:
Come to the Darkside. We Have books
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July 17th
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July 18th
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July 19th
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July 20th
Abibliophobia Anonymous Books Reviews
~Thank You for hosting Widow’s Blog Tour~
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!!A HUGE THANK YOU to ANGELA & Wicked Reads for organizing the tour!!
Blended Series Sale: FREE/.99/2.99
In honor of the newly released sequel to Good Girl, Widow. For Widow’s Blog Tour & her BIRTHDAY, author Erica Chilson is offering all the books currently in release in the Blended Series at a heavily discounted Rate. Combined, ONLY $3.99 for 1,500 PAGES of angsty twistedness.
Begin your Blended Family epic saga with Good Girl– FREE for a limited time only, July 10th-14th. Follow Willow Prynne as she grows into her own woman, all the while introducing you to the Blended Series’ cast of characters. Willow’s journey is a coming-of-age tale that dives deep into the darkest recesses of a young mind, while maintaining a feeling of growth and hope.
Erica Chilson is all about the balance. To lighten the darkness within Good Girl, Wildly Wedded Wife, the Blended Series first novella, spotlights Bethany & Rory. Only *99 pennies* Cute, sweet, romantic, and enlightening, Beth & Rory take the reader on a wild ride from Auggie’s hedonistic Playroom all the way to Las Vegas- wee… wee… wee…
Widow parallels events in Good Girl, while showing the reader a more mature and different side of the story. Clover Webster & Malcolm Mason are proof that second chances do in fact exist, even when the world is against you. Widow is an emotional journey through all aspects of life, leaving the reader with a sense of hope and redemption for the future. Grab a copy July 10th-17th for $2.99 and save off the regular price of $4.99.
Please visit author Erica Chilson’s Amazon page to buy your copy today at a heavily discounted rate.
Disclaimer: The Blended Series is for mature audiences only. 18+ Contemporary Romance with an erotic twist. Good Girl features bisexual themes and sexual content that some may find disturbing. Drug Use is prevalent, without being Pro-Drug or Anti-Drug. Recreational Drug users and abusers are in our everyday life, and the Blended Series is nothing if not reality. Wildly Wedded Wife contains sexually explicit content, with a scene featuring a wicked male/male sex toll into the Playroom. Widow features sensual erotic themes, guaranteed to leave you jonesing for a sensual massage.
NOTICE: If you already own a copy of Good Girl, and the title page does not list the Revamped edition as February 2014, then you must update your copy before continuing on with the series. The author made major changes to the foundation of the Blended Series. You do NOT have to re-purchase. Please visit *Updated Editions* for details.
Impatient for more from the Blended Series? You don’t have long to wait. Coming late July, Wanton (Blended #2.5), Opal Fischer & Ginny Jamison’s tale, diving deeper into the cast of characters than your average novella. Coming late September, Warped (Blended #3). In Warped, delve into the mind of Devon & Kieren Mason, & Willow & Essie Prynne.
With much appreciation, could you please spread the word of The Blended Series S*A*L*E. Word-of-mouth is an indie author’s bread&butter. For less than the price of a Frappe, you can spend days, if not more than a week, reading 1,500 pages of angsty twistedness. Show your thanks to the author by sharing the sale and leaving an honest review on Amazon & Goodreads.
!!THANK YOU!!
The wicked Writer sings,“Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday, dear Erica. Happy Birthday to me!” *passes out FREE Kindle copies of Good Girl to her readers as birthday presents*
Wicked Writer’s Betas: Beta Reader Drive
Erica Chilson is doing a Beta Reader Drive, looking for enthusiastic readers willing to beta read. The Beta Reader Drive will run until mid-August-through-early September.
Signup form for Erica Chilson’s beta readers. Please fill out the form below with the necessary information, and await a response from the author. (Beta drive runs through mid-August/early September, in preparation for the M&M Series rewrite & Warped (Blended #3)
Applicant is NOT required to be a reader of Erica Chilson’s previously published works. The author is re-editing all of her works before republishing in ebook form and in print.
Erica Chilson writes in several genres, meaning she needs a variety of beta readers willing to read specific types of stories. The author is looking for a group of betas, who she will choose between depending on the type of book to be beta read, as well as the content within the story. Also, betas have lives, and Erica doesn’t wish to tax her betas on a continual basis, attributing to her need to have a revolving team of beta readers.
***You do *NOT* have to be a proofreading genius or editor to apply***
Erica Chilson stresses that beta reading is about the R-E-A-D-I-N-G. She is looking for readers of all types to spot different things. We all read a book differently than our fellow readers. She is specifically looking for anything that is jarring, tearing the reader from the story. If your strong-suit is proofreading, GREAT. If not, GREAT TOO! Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
Erica Chilson is **NOT** looking for an editor. Please be respectful by NOT editing the author’s work. Pointing out errors in grammar, punctuation, run-ons, awkward sentence structure, redundancy, discrepancies in timeline, and character trait lobotomies is what beta reading is about.The author is NOT looking for word-by-word, line-by-line sentence restructuring and editing, since Beta Readers are not professional editors. This leads to the ‘voice’ of the story no longer sounding as the characters and the author herself.
***DON’T OVER-COMPLICATE THE BETA PROCESS***
Erica Chilson thanks you for your time and your interest in becoming a member of the Wicked Writer’s Betas.
Erica Chilson’s RAGE AGAINST PIRATES SELLING HER DAMN WORK!
I knew from day-one that my titles would be pirated eventually, and they have been since early on. I was passive about piracy, knowing it impacted my sales yet hoping it would draw in true readers. I likened the piracy to a twisted library of sorts. I purposefully left off the DRM from the first few titles in my series, and then put a DRM on the later titles. My stance, “Here, have a copy. I hope you get hooked, and then pay for the rest.”
With that saying, I know from reviews on whether or not it’s a pirated copy. As I said, I was pirated from early on with Restraint, and that Restraint no longer exists. I don’t even have a copy. Yet two years and some change later, readers are still reading, judging, and reviewing me based on the edition of a book that sold fewer than an hundred copies… so what are the odds you purchased the ‘extinct‘ Restraint and it took you 30 months to review it? I’m no statistician, but I’d say the odds are next to none, considering the tens of thousands it’s sold in its current form.
My warning to pirates: You may not be reading the book in its actual form, and when you review it as such, you are caught. But not only that, you are missing out on what the book evolved into, ruining and confusing you when you read the subsequent books in the series. & that is a pity and a shame for the reader, the author, and most importantly, for the purity of the story itself.
Why am I writing this blog posting? Several times over I’ve been contacted about my books not only being pirated, BUT SOLD. Yes, SOLD by PIRATES.
If you want to read my book for free, then by all means, get it from a piracy site. I’m not being facetious. I’d rather you get it for free than pay your hard-earned money to my pirate. But if you pay that fuckerfucking pirate, damn you to HELL!
The authors listed on this site CREATED THE STORY FROM NOTHING. WE SPENT THOUSANDS OF HOURS PLOTTING, WRITING, EDITING, DELETING, EDITING, WRITING, POURING OUR SOULS OUT ON THOSE PAGES, LISTENING TO CRITIQUES FROM BACKSEAT EDITORS, READING BULLYING REVIEWS, GETTING SHIT FROM READERS WHO LOATHED THIS OR THAT. WE EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE PAID, NOT SOME BASTARD, ASSHOLE OF A PIRATE!
If you want my book for free, fucking contact me and I will send one to your Kindle. But to pay the pirate for OUR HARD WORK, MAKES YOU AN EVEN BIGGER ASSHOLE!
I work no less than 12 hours a day to earn 30 cents on the buck, to where I then pay the government a third of that. As an indie author, I then make 20 cents on every dollar I sell, but out of that I have to pay for business expenses: laptops, software, cover images, cover artists, (I’d pay an editor, IF I COULD AFFORD IT). WHO THE FUCK COULD LIVE OFF THAT? & I LITERALLY WRITE ENDLESSLY, AS YOU ALL KNOW, JUDGING BY THE 1,500+ PAGES I’VE PUBLISHED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2014
To have my work not only stolen but resold… you have no idea how disheartening of a sensation this is, or how much fury is coursing in my veins. BECAUSE I’M FOLLOWING THE FUCKING RULES, THE LAW, PAYING TAXES ON MY WORK, AND THEY ARE NOT!
FYI: Plead ignorance all ya want, but if you are ‘purchasing’ from a dealer no one has ever heard of, you know what’s up. If you are a reader, you know who the major retailers are, or you buy straight from the publisher. If it looks hinky, it is.
FYI: NEVER HAVE I EVER published a PDF of my work. If the copy you are reading is a PDF, it wasn’t from me!
FYI: I lowered the price on Restraint to 99 cents for this exact reason. Now I’m under-bidding my pirate selling asshole friends who are bilking the ignorant and the criminal out of $1.50 a copy.
FYI: I’ve given tens of thousands of copies of Restraint and Good Girl away for free, and will continue to do so along with my ‘honest’ pirate friends. If you’re the honest sort, you’ll be out 99 cents for 700 HUNDRED PAGES of my hard work. You can either get it for free during Amazon promos or from a pirate, pay ME FOR MY HARD WORK, OR pay some asshole pirate who is laughing at you all the way to the bank.
Now if this just doesn’t make a person want to say the hell with it all, and cut their losses, I don’t know what does! It’s a spit in the face. I feel like I’m in an uphill battle against an unmovable army. I’m selling more books than ever and only getting paid half of that because I’m literally giving my books away for Free.
I want to know your reaction when you go into work tomorrow morning and your boss tells you how you have to work the next six months of your life, an upwards of eighteen hours a day, and NOT get PAID! You could live on that, right? You could deal with that, right? How about then your boss takes your earnings and gives it to some asshole criminal- all of it. And then your boss makes YOU pay the taxable income on what that asshole stole. Yeah, chew that over.
-peace out!
Wildly Wedded Wife (Blended #1.5) LIVE on Amazon for 99 pennies
Wildly Wedded Wife (Blended #1.5)
Bethany Oman: Another six months and my thesis will be finished, and then I can stop this suffocating charade. My dream is to become a therapist specializing in sexual dysfunction. What better way to write my thesis than in a Playroom filled with sexual deviants? Only problem, I had to become a deviant in order to gain entrance to the Playroom… and then I had to explain my motivations to Augustus Kline, who offered me protection for a very steep toll.
My other dream is standing before me, smirking with anticipation. My original, lifelong-dream, who could easily destroy any hope of my becoming a therapist if I’m not careful.
And Rory Essex makes me feel anything but careful.
Willing to do anything it takes to gain the woman he loves, Rory makes a deal with Beth, which forces him to bargain with the Devil Himself.
Accepting Augustus Kline’s toll into the Playroom, Rory gains the key to making Bethany his Wildly Wedded Wife.
Wildly Wedded Wife is Book #1.5 in the Blended Series. Contemporary Romance with erotic themes. 18+. Warning: content may be too steamy for those with delicate sensibilities. WWW is approximately 35,000 words.
Click the image to be rerouted to Amazon US to purchase for only 99 pennies.
Widow: Live on Amazon
Widow (Blended #2), the long awaited sequel to Good Girl is now available for purchase on Amazon. Please click the image to be rerouted to Widow’s sales page.
Trying to overcome insurmountable odds: lifelong secrets plaguing both families, the failed, bitter romance between their eldest born, the ghosts of their deceased spouses, and the addiction that taints everything it touches. Will Malcolm Mason and Clover Webster be able to forge an unbreakable bond in order to traverse this landmine of a blended family?
Widow is book #2 in the Blended Series, the sequel to Good Girl. Not suitable for younger readers: 18 +. Contemporary romance involving sensual, erotic themes. Prepare for a roller coaster ride of emotions: devastating loss, the mourning of death, the renewal of hope, the awakening of love, the unexpected humor of watching one’s loved ones fall down, get back up, and dust themselves off. Blended is the chaotic calamity of everyday life.
Information
Title: Widow
Series: Blended
Book in series: #2
# of pages: 617
Price: $4.99
WIDOW: read an ARC for FREE
Curious to see what happened after Good Girl ended, way before other readers get a chance? Are you a blogger or page/group administrator, or just a ravenous fan? Here is your chance to not only read Widow early & for free, but obtain a copy of Good Girl too.
Wicked Reads is organizing a Blog Tour for Widow July 7th- July 20th. & is also providing 10 lucky readers with ARC copies of Widow too!
Bloggers & page/group administrators: *click here* for details
Fans: *click here* for details
I hope you will join us!
I’d also love to thank Angela over at Wicked Reads for organizing Widow’s promotions :-*
As always, feel free to email me: wickedwriter.ericachilson@gmail.com
WIDOW cover/blurb reveal signup
Exciting news! Angela over at Wicked Reads was kind enough to extend her time and energy on helping us promote Widow. The first step is with a Cover/Blurb reveal signup. If you run a blog/group/page, and would like to join us, please click the link below to fill out the form. Shortly, signup for the Widow Blog Tour will begin, with ARC copies of both Good Girl & Widow for your blog/group/page’s reviewing pleasure. Stay tuned! & thank you!
***Click HERE to signup**
Diatribe: Good Girl rants, and Widow.
As of this morning I hit 200,000 words on Widow. I’m now on the downwards slope towards the ending, where I’m tying all the loose threads from the entire book while adding insight for the books to come.
Since I published Integrated, I took a step back to reevaluate myself as a writer. I am determined to eliminate my bad habits, writing-wise, and slow down. A major thread of Widow is regret, and that is channeled from its author. My biggest regret is rushing a story.
When Good Girl was first published, I was proud of it. I thought it complete. I was wrong. I had written 70% of Widow shortly after Good Girl’s completion. I then took a step back and wrote KING, Faithless, The Hunter, Integrated, Hero, and found myself back to square one with Good Girl.
The foundation of the entire Blended series wasn’t right, which made me rethink all of my choices.
The day I had to delete over 200 pages of Widow… was a sad day, indeed.
Originally Widow began where Good Girl ended- that explosive cliffhanger of a scene that changed their family dynamic. I will prove a point now: Rushing would have killed the book and the subsequent books if I had released it over a year ago. All 200,000 of Widow’s words thus far, are before that end scene. It is the entirety of the book itself, with only a handful of scenes wrapping up the novel. Widow, as it is now, with the way the family’s lives have evolved, would never have been written. Warped would have been dead in the water, unable to be written.
After this major change, Warped will be one of my most challenging books. Picking up with Devon in rehab and showing the aftermath of Widow for the entire Blended family.
I’ve had some flack over Good Girl for a few things, things I wish to address now.
DRUG USE: I’m not advocating it, nor am I preaching about it. I’m showing it from both perspectives, and both are very real. I don’t write fairy tales. Drug and alcohol abuse are very present in our everyday lives. It’s not pretty because it’s reality. If this presses a trigger for you, then perhaps you’ve been affected by it at some point, and you should continue to read to see how I show it from the different angles. If you believe I’m advocating use, then perhaps you should continue to read to find out that is not the case. If you don’t believe drugs are everywhere, and as such, they shouldn’t be in books, then perhaps you are living in a world of your own creation. If you just don’t like reading about reality, then the Blended series isn’t for you, so don’t penalize me for it.
S-E-X: If you are on this earth, you were created through sex. If sex offends you, see above post in DRUG USE about reality. I DO NOT write closed-door romance. Nowhere do I say I do. Everywhere I say I don’t. 2 seconds of research through the reviews or my backlist will inform you that I write contemporary romance, erotic romance, suspense, LGBT, and BDSM. Unless I’m living in an alternate universe, I’d expect those to have sexual situations, and I wouldn’t expect the author to be penalized because of it. To me, it makes about as much sense as buying Science Fiction, reading Science Fiction, and then writing a 1 star review because it was Science Fiction. NOTE: for my deviants, Widow is more mild because of its characters. If you are a long-time reader of mine, you know I don’t write sex-fests.
Length: I’ve had readers complain of the length of Good Girl, with the irony being those same readers complain about spending their hard earned money buying what I call episodic series. (a series of novellas or short stories, all ending with a cliffhanger, forcing readers to wait for what comes next while it’s being written or to buy the next episode to see what happens next) While as lucrative for those authors as it is frustrating for its readers, I am not those authors. As a writer, the only thing I can do is write the way my muse programmed me. For me, a book has a beginning, middle, and an ending, and I will write that book the way it tells me to write it.
Yes, I’ve had cliffhangers. But the ending was to change the POV of the character, optimizing the readers’ experiences by telling the story in the voice best to relay the story. Good Girl was the length it was because it chose its length, ending because it was Clover and Malcolm’s turn to voice their story. Widow is the length it is to give you an entire story from start to finish, where the children will pick up the story to show you a new side in this journey.
As a reader, if long books aren’t for you, that is not my issue. I know there are so many amazing stories being written, and we, as readers, will never read them all. So we rush like kids trying to earn BOOK-IT points for Pizza Hut. But there is no gold star for reading the most books the fastest. I used to rush-read as well, until I realized I was short-changing my own entertainment. Reading isn’t a job; it’s for pleasure. A pleasure we pay for, so the faster you read, the more expensive the hobby. So when I get negative flack for a 700 page book you received for free or for only 99 cents, I get insulted. So if my writing style isn’t for you… I will not change, nor be penalized for it.
3rd person vs 1st person: I’ve heard this one many times: If only Ms. Chilson wrote in 3rd person… usually followed by, the book would be much shorter, and we’d know what so&so was thinking. 1st: I’ll let you know what they were thinking when I want you to know. Otherwise, it ruins any surprises, and I’m all about the surprises. Second: Well, that’s great that you enjoy 3rd person, but Ms. Chilson is the one who has to write the book. Ms. Chilson doesn’t write 3rd person. She also isn’t a fan of 3rd person narratives.
As a reader, you can choose what you read. As a writer, you CAN’T choose what you write.
This works for both my reading and writing styles: I must become one with the narrator, so 1st person present tense draws me into them. An overview isn’t intimate enough for me to connect with the characters. I’m in too many characters’ heads, and not deep enough. There is no deep connection when the internal monologue is disconnected from the readers. Also, past tense confuses me. I feel like saying, “I’m reading this RIGHT NOW, but it’s past tense.” I want to be walking around with the character, not hearing about how they walked around five minutes ago or ten years ago.
We all read differently because we are different people. Since I am the one writing the book, I can only write it the way I write. To each their own. To the joys of individual expression. *cheers*
Long story short: expect Widow to be a 700 page book in 1st person narrative in the present tense. Whether you find that boring, drawn-out, is not my issue. There are no unnecessary scenes written as filler in these pages. I don’t have time for that, not with all the characters screaming in my head. No shopping trips, car rides, or incessant decorator or fashion descriptions. Every scene is to propel the story or character development. There will be no doubting who the characters are on a soul-deep level. You, as the reader, will be able to predict their future actions as if they were your own. Why? Because I’ve bared their souls to you while you read, connected you, through the 1st person, present tense narrative.
Angry diatribe complete!
In other news. Widow will be released mid-June. Angela is organizing a Blog tour for Widow’s release, with ARCs for both Good Girl and Widow for review, as well as a Blitz and cover/blurb reveal. (All foreign language to me) So if you wish to join the fun, I’ll post the information when it becomes available.
As of mid-June, I will have publish 1,500 pages in the first half of 2014. I am stepping back again, reevaluating how Warped should proceed. In my leisure, I will be editing the M&M series, as well as writing a novella titled Wanton. Wanton is a (for Amber, who requested a BBW) BBW Lesbian romance centered around two females in Blended’s cast of characters. I will release the details on this title after Widow’s release. This book is my version of a test- a test to see if I can write about two people, centering the entire book around their connection, and manage to fit it into 120 pages or less.
Gauntlet thrown down: the Deviants over at M&M of Restraint don’t think I can do it. Anyone who reads my books knows I’m a challenge-taker. I’ll do it because you guys think I can’t, whether said in jest or not (I wasn’t offended. First, it made me laugh, and then it made me get down to business. As I end Widow, that novella has been writing itself in my head)
Off to finish Widow’s draft in the next week or so, and then the betas will work their magic while I put my editor hat on… and then things get really serious.
Widow: Release Date
Since I’ve received a high-volume of traffic to my website asking for Widow, this is for y’all 😀
Here’s the lowdown. I’m actively writing Widow, and I am trying my damnedest to meet my deadlines. With luck, Widow will be out on June 15th.
The cover is everywhere, but I will be posting an updated blurb within a week or so.
Estimation on length: 500+ pages (a conservative guesstimate)
If you’re a deviant soul & you don’t mind adult content, join us at M&M of Restraint– a closed group on FB dedicated to my fans. I post teasers and such, along with a healthy dose of naughty images and group conversations. We will welcome you to the dark side with open arms, but only if you have a twisted, open mind. You’ve been warned.
Back to writing Widow.
UPDATED EDITIONS: Tab Added
This posting is a notice that the UPDATED EDITIONS Tab was added to the top of Erica Chilson’s webpage for the readers’ convenience. Listed below is the contents of the tab, but at any time it can be accessed via the website.
Erica Chilson’s titles are updated periodically. Some are major changes, which are listed on this website. Others are just editing issues being resolved. While Erica Chilson places requests with Amazon to auto-update the titles, it doesn’t necessarily mean they update. This is both frustrating for the reader and the author. If you are unsure if you have the most recent edition of Erica Chilson’s titles, you have 2 options for recourse.
Do not delete the title from your Amazon Library and rebuy, this will not update to the current edition. Many have tried this approach, and received the same exact copy again. It’s in Amazon’s system which edition you own, and you will keep getting it back like a thrown boomerang.
Option 1: contact Amazon directly to manually update the title. Below will be a step-by-step guide in doing so, using Good Girl as an example.
Option 2: Proof of purchase. Take a screenshot of the title, either on your kindle or the receipt of purchase. Erica Chilson will send you the most recent copy of the title, directly to your Kindle.
Step 1: add wickedwriter.ericachilson@gmail.com to your approved email sender list on the Amazon website, under ‘Manage content & devices‘ ‘Personal document settings‘
Step 2: send Erica Chilson the proof of purchase along with your Kindle email address to wickedwriter.ericachilson@gmail.com. Your Kindle address will look something like this –>(naughtyreader@kindle.com)
Step 3: You will receive a confirmation email from Erica Chilson that the title was sent to your Kindle. Please check your Kindle to see if the download arrived. Allow some time if it doesn’t appear right away. (Remember to archive the outdated copy so you don’t mistakenly read it instead of the updated version, as the new copy will not overlap your old copy. In other words, you will have 2 separate copies on your Kindle)
Option 1, step-by-step guide: (Via Angela, during her Good Girl manual update via Amazon chat)
OK Everyone, here is the tutorial. It took me longer to write it up than it did to actually do the steps.
How to get Amazon to Push a Revised Edition of a book to your Kindle via Chat
1. Delete Good Girl from your Kindle device. Do NOT delete it from your Kindle Library.
2. Go to Manage Your Kindle (Link on Your Account drop down menu)
3. Allow Your Kindle Library to load for a minute and then type in “Good Girl” in the Search your library box.
a. “Good Girl (Blended) – Chilson, Erica” should appear in the drop down menu & click on it.
b. Right Click on the Order Details link & Open in a New Window or Tab
c. Go back to the Your Kindle Library page and move your mouse to hover over the Kindle Help link (located on the upper right side of the page below your Wish List tab).
d. Click on the Contact Us link. This should take you to the Help & Customer Service for Kindle page.
e. On the left side of that page, there is a Quick Solutions menu. Click on the Contact Us button. (You may be prompted to log into your account again.)
4. On the Contact Us Page,
a. Section 1 should have the Kindle tab active, so chose your Kindle Device.
b. Section 2, make the following selections:
i. Select an issue: My Kindle Books & Periodicals
ii. Select issue details: Managing/transferring content
iii. Select additional details: Using Archived Items
iv. Ignore the Did You Know? Section that pops up.
c. Section 3, Click on the “Start Chatting” Tab
5. When the Chat Window pops up and prompts you to explain your issue, enter the following info.
a. Hi, I need the revised edition of Good Girl by Erica Chilson pushed to my Kindle Account. Here is the corresponding Digital Order Summary #D01-5255260-6444807. I have deleted the previous version from Angela’s 2nd FIRE.
b. Be sure to change the Digital Order # to your order number (which can be found in the other open window or tab from step 2b) and your Kindle’s Nickname.
6. You should be connected with a Kindle Customer Service Rep rather quickly who can help you out.
a. Warning: I have on one occasion gotten a CS rep who did NOT know what he was doing. If the CS rep asks you to delete the book from your Kindle Library, tell him/her NO, that you need the revised edition pushed to your Kindle and ask for a different rep if necessary.
b. Be sure to open the newly arrived copy of Good Girl and make sure the header at the top of the page reads GOOD GIRL (BLENDED) before you end your chat.
The Wicked Deviants Probe Erica Chilson
I was probed by my Wicked Deviants. If you’d like to know how I responded, please read.
Erica Chilson: The Wicked Writer 