2011 ended on a high note for me. On December 30th, I discovered that my new release, WHERE SHE BELONGS, was finally shipping from Canadian Amazon, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. However, Canadian Amazon had an extra surprise in store. My book, which features the healing of a mother-daughter relationship as well as a romance between Jess, the heroine, and Adam, the hero, reached #6 on the Canadian Amazon Women’s Fiction Hot New Sellers list (it might have gone higher, I don’t know, but that’s where it was sitting when I learned the news, so that’s all I have to go on). This might not mean much to someone who isn’t Canadian, but I’m Canadian so it means a lot to me. Thank you to the readers who ordered the book and helped make my first day on Canadian Amazon memorable. Because not only did WHERE SHE BELONGS reach #6 on the Women’s Fiction list overall, alongside major American authors like Nora Roberts and Kristin Hannah, but my book reached #2 on Hot New Sellers, Women’s Fiction – Mothers and Children sub-category and #10 on Bestsellers for Women’s Fiction – Mothers and Children.

I’m pretty happy about all of that.

As a writer, I know that bestseller lists are subject to all sorts of nuances. Ten people buying your book in one hour can jump it up a bestseller list. And I’m the first to admit that the Canadian book-buying market isn’t in the same league as American book-buying markets, so appearing on a Canadian Amazon bestseller list isn’t in the same league as appearing on an Amazon bestseller list. But as a writer buddy said, stop making excuses for your work appearing on a bestseller list (how typically Canadian!) and take a screenshot. I did. I took three screenshots, one for each list.

However it happened, whatever computer algorithm was at work that made it happen on opening day, the year ended on a high note for me.

Technically, the “on sale” date for WHERE SHE BELONGS is January 6th, so I’d be curious to learn, when that time comes (or beforehand if you find out), if anyone finds the book in their library or at a bookstore. If you do, drop me a note. I’d love to learn how it’s making the rounds. Five Star/Cengage sells primarily to the library market, so especially if you spot the book in a store, I’d love to know. This goes for Americans and Canadians, although probably primarily American libraries and bookstores, if I’m being realistic.

Now that the book is readily available on-line, you can look forward to excerpts appearing on my blog this week that I’d had planned for the week of December 16th. In the meantime, an excerpt from the beginning of the book can be found on the Books page and an excerpt featuring a scene leading up to Jess and Adam’s first kiss can be found a few blog posts down, in the post titled Happy Book Release To Me!

Enjoy!

Lo and behold, this morning I checked Canadian Amazon and saw that WHERE SHE BELONGS is finally “order-able.” Slow shipping, which means they aren’t likely keeping copies in stock but ordering them as needed. Right now the site says “Usually ships within 1-2 months,” and if you bundle with other books (or order more than one copy!) free shipping applies.

There you go, my Canadian friends. Order away! But be patient re: the delivery time. Five Star/Cengage sells primarily to libraries, so I’m thrilled that Canadians can order the book off Canadian Amazon at all.

In case you need another link to the page on Canadian Amazon, here it is. And thank you so much!

WHERE SHE BELONGS is now shipping from Amazon (U.S.) and Barnes and Noble! Tell your friends, tell your buddies, tell your chipmunks.

Canadian Amazon still shows as Temporarily Out of Stock. Hopefully, that situation will change next week. However, Canadian Amazon does say that you can order the book now and they’ll ship when available (the Add to Cart button is clickable). For all I know, that means they won’t order in a copy until a customer asks them to. So if you’re waiting for Canadian Amazon to say the books are in stock, maybe…just go ahead and order now (for those of you who have been asking me, and, all right, for those who haven’t been asking, too).

Because of my laser surgery, I haven’t been able to update my Books page with this information, but if you’d like to get your librarian to order in a copy of the book, please print out the Five Star/Cengage Winter 2011 Catalogue and Order Form (handy-dandy link provided) and take it in to them.

Thanks to those who offered their commiseration on my release day SNAFU for my contemporary romance, WHERE SHE BELONGS. Usually if a book or magazine is dated, for example, January 2012, the issue or copy appears for sale during December. For example, I placed an ad  for WHERE SHE BELONGS in the February 2012 edition of RT BookReviews. Well, that edition will be on newsstands and in subscribers’ hands by January 10th or thereabouts. It’s not common for the “release date” to arrive before the “on-sale” sate, but in the case of my book that’s what happened.

C’est la vie! I’ll survive. And hopefully so will the sale of my book! If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with my laser eye surgery (recovery coming along), I might have questioned the Amazon and Barnes and Noble information.

In preparing this post, I checked Amazon again and the site is now saying WHERE SHE BELONGS will be in stock December 27th—next week!

No more info yet from Barnes and Noble.

I also have updated news for librarians. Or, rather, a link to the Five Star Winter Catalogue, which includes ordering information and a promo that can be applied to orders of my book. So if you’re eager to read a copy but don’t usually buy hardcover, or if you’re a frequent library patron, please direct your librarian to the PDF catalogue. Or visit the link yourself, print the pertinent pages of the catalogue and deliver them to your librarian. I am eager to make some library sales.

Thank you to everyone who participated in my contest for a trade paperback ARC of WHERE SHE BELONGS plus one of either BORROWING ALEX or HEAD OVER HEELS.

Julie Barrett won the draw!

Congratulations, Julie. Please look for an email from me in your in-box.

My release day glitch for WHERE SHE BELONGS is turning out to be a bigger SNAFU than I realized. I’ve learned from other Five Star authors with the same release date that some readers who have pre-ordered December 16th “release date” books from Amazon and Barnes and Noble have received notices that the books aren’t available and do they wish to cancel their pre-order?

Well, the books ARE available, but not until the “On Sale” date of January 6, 2012. Now, I always knew that the books were considered to be shipping on December 16th and would not be available in libraries or for sale in bookstores (that have ordered them) until the January “On Sale” date. But I did not realize that Amazon and Barnes and Noble would show them releasing on December 16th (ie. available for shipping on that date) and then turn around and switch to the “On Sale” date of January 6th. Mea Scratchy Laser-Surgery-Recovery-Mode Eyeballs! What a SNAFU.

Somehow, my brain thought that “On Sale” date applied to brick and mortar establishments. Turns out—heh heh—it applies to on-line venues, as well. No matter what those on-line venues were saying a week ago.

So…if you’ve pre-ordered my book and received one of these emails asking if you want to cancel your order, please know that supposedly the books will magically appear available again on January 6th. Do what works for you. Cancel your pre-order, or keep it going, cancel and re-order when the books appear on-line, or cancel and don’t re-order because Cindy is an airhead and who wants to read an airhead’s books?

How about if you win a free book?

My hardcover author copies of WHERE SHE BELONGS are all already spoken for, however, I still have trade paperback ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) that Five Star/Tekno supplied me with for garnering reviews, etc. These trades paperbacks feature the same cover and the insides are the same except for a handful of typos that I found at the proofing stage (the ARCs were also used for proofing).

To make up for my release day SNAFU, I’m giving away one of my remaining WHERE SHE BELONGS ARCs. Autographed! And, while I’m at it, you can choose one of either HEAD OVER HEELS or BORROWING ALEX (trade paperback) to go along with the ARC of WHERE SHE BELONGS.

If you’ve read both HEAD OVER HEELS and BORROWING ALEX, I will mail you two copies of WHERE SHE BELONGS in ARC form and you can give one to a friend. They aren’t perfect—some minor edge wear. But they’re totally readable and enjoyable!

To enter to win an ARC of WHERE SHE BELONGS along with your choice of either HEAD OVER HEELS or BORROWING ALEX, please leave a comment at the end of this post. I will choose the winner’s name December 24th and email you at the email address provided for your snail-mailing info. The books will go in the mail around December 27th (post offices aren’t open on December 26th in Canada).

The winner must live in North America.

Meanwhile, the excerpts I had planned to share this week will wait until I know for sure this time that the books are available to order.

Happy Holidays, and good luck!

Note: If you are reading this post at a feed at Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, etc., please note that you must leave a comment at Muse Interrupted to enter.

I’m about to leave for my laser eye surgery, but I wanted to update readers of my blog that apparently (or so I’ve found out from other authors) Five Star/Cengage books begin shipping on the publication date, which is today for my contemporary romance, WHERE SHE BELONGS, but that the books won’t actually arrive “on sale” at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc., until the stock gets there, which might be early January. Or might be next week.

So if you want to support this author, feel free to click the pre-order links, knowing your copy will ship out at the earliest opportunity. And please know that I appreciate ALL my readers and I thank you all.

Meanwhile, enjoy the excerpt I posted earlier today, and there are two more excerpts coming next Monday and Wednesday.

Five long years…

One determined writer…

Lotsa works-in-progress…

Several new releases under a pen name…

All leading up to…ta-da!!…my first new book as Cindy Procter-King since June 2007!!

I am totally and completely thrilled that WHERE SHE BELONGS releases from Five Star/Cengage today. WHERE SHE BELONGS is a departure from my usual romantic comedy fare and also a departure from Penny’s books, which are erotic romances. WHERE SHE BELONGS still has humorous moments, and the love scenes are “tasteful” (according to my mother), but it’s also a deeply emotional story about belonging and forgiveness.

I’ve put the book cover up on this blog so many times, it’s not funny. But what’s book release day without the book cover?

You can find an excerpt for the book here. Already read that excerpt? Okay, here’s another one. First, buy links!

Amazon

Canadian Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Information for your librarian to order from Five Star

Excerpt!

The following excerpt leads up to Jess and Adam’s first kiss. They are in Jess’s mother’s detached garage. Adam has been helping Jess with her recently deceased stepfather’s classic old car, which has mechanical issues. Jess and her mother have reunited after a long estrangement, and Jess doesn’t want to do anything (like have to convince her mother to sell the car) that could hamper the positive steps they are just learning to make in their relationship.

Adam strode toward her. “A friend of mine’s a good mechanic. He’ll look at it for you.”

“I’ll talk to Mom about it in a couple of days.”

“Don’t put it off. You don’t want her having transmission trouble after you leave.”

“Yes, but there’s no point rushing her into something she isn’t up to handling yet. Isn’t that what you said to me about the grocery shopping this morning?”

“I’m sure you’ll know best when to discuss it with your mom.” His hand settled on the hood a scant inch from hers. Her fingers twitched. She would not move them and risk making him feel like he carried a contagious disease. “I’d hate to see her stuck without reliable transportation, especially come winter.”

The hot car hood cooked her hand. Specific lower regions of her body warmed up, too—for reasons that had zippy to do with engine heat.

God, what a time to redevelop a teenage crush.

“I will talk to her, Adam.”

“I know. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.” He brushed grime off her sweater sleeve. His gaze lifted to meet hers. “You’re all dirty.” His thumb grazed her cheek, and her skin tingled. This was crazy!

“How did things go with the lawyer?” he asked. “Nora was quiet after the meeting.”

Don’t step back, she ordered herself. Don’t relay how much his touch affects you. “She needed time alone, um, to pull herself together. She’s doing better now, though. A friend dropped by to see her this afternoon. That helped.”

Adam’s faded-denim gaze pinned her in place. “The meeting went well?”

She shrugged. “Pete left her in a good position financially. The house and land were paid off before she married him, and he had life insurance. If she wanted to buy a new car, she could. I’d be willing to help her out, too, of course.”

“Of course.” He seemed to lean toward her slightly. Or she toward him? Awareness of him licked at her nerve-endings like a constant, low-burning flame.

“Would you like to stay for dinner? Mom wanted me to ask.” A lie. The question had popped out. “Molly brought over a casserole while you were gone. It’s heating in the oven. She and Mom are showing the horses to the kids,” she stupidly tacked on. Her rambling betrayed her nerves, which was silly. She’d had relationships with other men since Danny. She could deal with this unwelcome attraction to Adam.

“Do you want me to stay?” he asked softly.

“Um . . . ”

“I’m trying to be honest here, Jess. You’re in town for six weeks—that’s a fair while. I could keep my distance. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize I don’t want to. I’d like to see you while you’re here.”

“You mean as in dating?”

“If that’s what you want to call it. Although there aren’t many places in Destiny Falls I could take you on a formal date.”

Then what did he have in mind? A hook-up? “Well, I don’t sleep around.”

He laughed. “That’s gratifying to hear, because I wouldn’t dream of sharing you.” The scent of his aftershave floated to her, a heady mixture of moss and musk. “I was thinking more along the lines of getting to know each other better, one on one. However, if you’d like, we could always discuss our sleeping habits later.”

Her face burned. Now he knew the thought of having sex with him had crossed her mind. She wanted to crawl beneath the car and hide.

“Is there someone in Toronto?” he asked.

Say yes. “No, but—”

“Think about it for a few days. I’ll catch you on the weekend.”

“You’re not staying for dinner?” Her mother would be crushed.

“Can’t. Remember that big contract I mentioned Friday? I’m initiating some silviculture surveys up past Valemount tomorrow. They’re of the same nature, though smaller and less intensive. It’s another opportunity to show what MountainTop can do, so I’m leaving tonight.”

“Silviculture?”

“Textbook definition—the growing and tending of trees. We’re doing mainly survival assessments of blocks planted three years ago.”

“How long does starting the contract take?”

“Two or three days. Why, miss me already?”

***

Return Monday for another excerpt! Or visit my book page to find out how to buy.

Thank you for following along in my publishing journey!