Category Sales/Percent Change

E-books $313 million 176.6%
Higher Ed $4.3 billion 12.9%
Adult hardcover $2.6 billion 6.9%
Children’s/YA paperback $1.5 billion 2.2%
Book clubs/mail-order $588 million -2%
Mass market paperback $1 billion -4%
Children’s/YA hardcover $1.7 billion -5%
Adult paperback $2.2 billion -5.2%
Religious books $659 million -9%
Audiobooks $192 million -12.9%

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies.

This is great news for those of us who write “suspense” which can fit in both genres of mystery and thrillers.

You can read the interview here.

I’m presently re-working chapter five of Deadly Shadow, the first book in the series. My goal is to complete the book before August 1st.

Click to open the document in Microsoft Word. HEROSJOURNEYBLANK

How do you plot your story?

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An Angel With a Golden Heart

I’ve written all my life but never had the courage to take it seriously as a career until my life drastically changed in October 2001.

After contacting a painful, progressive and debilitating disorder, RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy), I found writing was my saving grace. I joined one writing group after another and that’s when I met, Christina Harris.

Christina wrote historical romance, a genre very different to mine, romantic suspense. We had one common goal—to be published. She was preparing her novel, WildFlower, for entry in the Golden Heart contest. I was writing the first draft of Lethal Journey. She had been writing for over ten years and was already a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist. In her words, “always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” She wanted to win so badly.

Over the months, we critiqued each others work, and discussed life. That’s when I learned she was dying of cancer. As sick as Christina was, she always critiqued my work and answered my writing questions even while she was going through chemotherapy. Her strength and determination and her passion for writing truly amazed me.

As the months passed, her health deteriorated. December 2003 was the last time I heard from her. I was worried sick. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t write. A month later, I received an email from one of her family members stating she had passed away.

I cried.

After Christina’s death, I finished Lethal Journey, a book dedicated to her memory. I knew she was by my side, pushing me every step of the way. Since then, a lot has happened. I completed another novel, Reflection, and I’m writing the sequel, as well as working on a five book paranormal suspense series. This year, I also signed with Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Even though I never had the chance to meet Christina in person, she was an incredibly talented writer who changed my life forever. She was much more then a virtual friend and writing mentor. Christina Harris taught me about strength and what courage really means.