New YA Fiction! "Unclaimed: The Memoirs of Jane E., Friendless Orphan" by Erin McCole Cupp

Today, fellow Catholic Writers Guild member and friend, Erin McCole Cupp, presents her latest release. If you're a fan of Jane Eyre and you like dystopian fiction, don't miss "Unclaimed"! Here are editorial blurbs to whet your whistle and a purchase link is included!

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"Unclaimed, the Memoirs of Jane E, Friendless Orphan, is a book set in a future world created by Erin McCole Cupp. Her imaginings may just be how our planet and its population turn out if the negative forces we see in this day and age are left unchecked. This genre of writing is something I've never read before and to be honest, I've never read the book Jane Eyre either, so for me the story line is all new. That being said, the book captivated me from the start and I was impressed by Cupp's creativity and her flair for descriptive prose. I read it in one sitting and I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy." Amanda Lauer, A World Such as Heaven Intended

“Most of us have a favorite story that we have re-read a few times. Perhaps we enjoy the plotline, the character development or the writing style. But no matter how many times we re-read a story, nothing will quite compare to the thrill, excitement and anticipation of that first read. Until now. Erin McCole Cupp has taken the classic, beloved tale of Jane Eyre and reawoken all those joys of reading a story for the first time. Jane is truly Jane, though now she can speak multiple languages, send encrypted messages, fight, and travel around the world with a perks ring instead of a credit card. It doesn't matter if you've read Jane Eyre a dozen times or have never once opened the cover. Unclaimed will speak to your soul and challenge you to see our present world with new eyes.” Kate Taliaferro, Daily Graces

“In a style that's engaging and unputdownable, Erin McCole Cupp grabs readers, sucks them into her world, and makes Jane E a part of our hearts. Be warned: you'll finish this book and demand the next one.” Sarah Reinhard, Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary

"A riveting, heart-wrenching retelling of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel, Unclaimed packs a punch that brings the timeless truth of the original Jane Eyre to Millenials, Generation Z, and beyond. Bravo! Bring on the next installment..." Antony Barone Kolenc, The Chronicles of Xan Trilogy

“If you needed proof that Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a timeless classic, Unclaimed: The Memoirs of Jane E, Friendless Orphan—Book 1 is it. Erin McCole Cupp expertly re-imagines Jane as among America’s least wanted in the near future: an unclaimed embryo brought to life but unloved then laboring anonymously half a world away from home. Interestingly, Jane’s hidden existence in a quasi-school/sweatshop extends beyond merely weaving textiles, but hidden messages as well. Her only solace is the companionship of the ill Aidann, whose backstory is also modernized, and the compassion of her instructor Bhenji Nealingson. Unclaimed takes the dear reader to Jane’s first encounter with her absentee employer Mr. Thorne in his fortress beneath the American desert. Jane Eyre has long been a favorite of mine, and I enjoyed the first part of this retelling immensely. While appealing to the modern reader’s ear, it remains faithful to the truth of the original, even retaining the charm and tone of Bronte’s voice. You do not, however, have to have read Jane Eyre to enjoy Jane E. Much like the character herself, chin lifted high, it can stand on its own.” Carolyn Astfalk, Stay With Me

"Unclaimed is gripping and creative. The futuristic topics are thought-provoking and compelling. With its well-developed characters, the reader connects to their stories with ease. The suspenseful events make it hard to put down. The pro-life issues it raises are currently heading society down a similar path. Brilliant and inspiring with a unique blend of genres. This book is for classic and sci-fi fans alike. It will leave the reader anxiously waiting for the next installment." Tanya Weitzel, Catholicsimplicites.com, Catholicmom.com Contributor

"Science fiction readers will love the creative futuristic elements in Unclaimed by Erin McCole Cupp. At times humorous and other times heart-wrenching, this story delves into issues worth considering as society advances. Having developed a strong connection to Jane E, I found myself incredibly moved by a climactic scene where faith plays out in a natural but powerful way. Unclaimed: The Memoirs of Jane E will leave you wanting more."  Theresa Linden, The Chasing Liberty Trilogy

"Jane Eyre does not need to be updated.  It needs to be read and re-read and treasured for its timelessness.  But too often, the people of a world obsessed with progress refuse to remember the wisdom of the past.  Sometimes, an author must dress the eighteenth century in futuristic salawar kameez to remind the present day that the human story never changes.  Whether in Georgian England or the global community of a technocratic future, there will always be orphans who can teach the rest of us how to love, if we will only take the time to learn.  This is the reason we need books like Unclaimed." Karen Ullo, Jennifer the Damned

"This dystopian spin on Jane Eyre transports the reader into a world that, disturbingly, seems just around the corner. I was captivated by Jane E's boldness and resilience as she navigated the challenging circumstances of living with a genetic defect in a designer-gene world. Erin McCole Cupp's novel is a blend of three genres I rarely read (19th-century novel, dystopian fiction and fanfic) and it's definitely a combo that works." Barbara Szyszkiewicz, Editor, CatholicMom.com

"I really enjoyed [Unclaimed] because it was quite different from anything out there right now; the setting, the voice and the story... a good addition to any library or home."  Anna delC Dye, Kingdom by the Sea

"Unclaimed, a remake of Jane Eyre, has all of the sophistication of the original and an intriguing, futuristic spin that makes the book hard to put down." Dawn Witzke, The Catholic Underground 

"This is a genre I'm not very familiar with, so my expectations were a blank slate when I embarked. Before I could catch my breath, I was completely absorbed into the setting, and developing a maternal love for the endearing main character, Jane. I so desperately wanted Jane to find hope, love and acceptance, and her journey towards these things resonated deeply within me. As well, the element of faith in this novel absolutely intrigued me, and I cannot wait to read more of Jane's story!" Tiffany W., Life of a Catholic Librarian

"[Unclaimed] is a dystopian sci-fi take on Charlotte Bronte’s well-loved gothic/romantic novel. Jane Eyre, as a person and as a story, translates well into a new setting--a near-future cultural mélange that will make Browncoats smile while Bronte lovers nod along to the beat. Erin McCole Cupp has got something here. With barely a bump in a smoothly-written narrative, she combines faith and philosophy with a familiar-but-new story and delivers an ending that’s a pleasantly cruel tease of the gothic that will leave fans checking the release date of the next volume." Joseph Wetterling, The Baptized Imagination

"As deftly and intricately woven as the 'contracts' that the Naomi girls produce in the story, Unclaimed tells the powerful story of Jane E, an unclaimed embryo who has grown up in foster care without the love of a family.... This is a riveting story, set in the not-too-distant future, that raises many questions about the morality of reproductive technology and the effects of it on a society that does not value human life for itself, but for what it can provide for others." Amy M. Bennett, The Black Horse Campground Mysteries

"Unclaimed is a unique take on the classic Jane Eyre but it's much more than that. When I started it I kept trying to compare it to the Bronte version but instead I ended up getting swept up in the story and just going along for the ride. The settings and cultural details of this world immerse you in the story. It really doesn't matter if you are a Jane Eyre fan. If you like original science fiction then this is the book for you." Sherrie Palmer, Sherrie's Scriptorium

"What a great read! Jane E has Hollywood written all over it: strong, complex characters; rich settings, adversity, action and intrigue—it’s all here in this modern updating of Jane Eyre. I couldn’t put it down!"  Rhonda Ortiz, The Virtuous Jane Austen

"A brave and thought-provoking story rich with vivid details and authentic, memorable characters." Therese Heckenkamp, After the Thaw

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The amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Unclaimed-Memoirs-Jane-Friendless-Orphan-ebook/dp/B01HVKQ3NY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468102216&sr=1-1&keywords=erin+mccole+cupp

Working for a Living

It's inevitable when you meet someone new that one of the first questions you'll be asked is, "What do you do for a living?"

I'm willing to bet that many authors who aren't in the same league as James Patterson, Stephen King, or J. K. Rowling will not respond with, "I'm a writer." I know I don't. That's because writing is not how I make my living.

Yet.

Though I've had four books published in my Black Horse Campground mystery series, it's far from being "what I do for a living". I don't make enough money from my writing to make a living. Therefore, I have a full-time job and a part-time job. The full-time job--cake decorator at Walmart--is the job that pays the bills and buys groceries. The part-time job--"vino slinger" a.k.a. bar tender at Noisy Water Winery--goes into savings and pays for emergencies and for some fun stuff. What both jobs have in common is that they allow me to do the third job... writing.

That's the really fun job!

The other thing my "real" jobs (a.k.a. paying jobs) do is help me find material for my writing. Interacting and speaking with people, doing work other than sitting at a laptop, all that feeds my imagination and helps me create characters and stories. Then, after the work day is done and I can sit at my writing desk, those experiences come back and fuel my creativity and the fun job begins! Being able to create characters and tell their stories is how I have fun. It's the job I want to do regardless of what pay (if any) I receive. It's more than a hobby; it's how I want to live my life.

So while writing may not be how I "work for a living", it's how I "work for life"... the life I love to live!

Me and my "agent" enjoying the best of both worlds!

Celebrating Another Anniversary

Yes, I know it's Independence Day and a national holiday, but Paul and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary two days ago and that's what is foremost in my mind!

Anniversaries are supposed to be wildly romantic events with candlelight and roses and surprise getaways to exotic locales... at least, they are if you listen to the ads from travel agencies and read their magazine articles. Those are better pieces of fiction than I could ever write.

I'm not saying they don't occur and I'm certainly not saying that I'm opposed to celebrating an anniversary in that way. It's just that I always find myself wondering about things like... Is it going to rain? A lot? Is the restaurant's chef about to walk out because he had another fight with the head waiter? Am I going to fit into that dress I bought for the occasion two months ago? Is the car going to break down en route? You know, all those things that never happen in the pages of a romance novel.

It's said that fiction mirrors fact, but whenever I read about such stories, I seriously doubt that it's anything but an unrealistic fantasy. Maybe because my ideas about romance don't exactly mesh with that ideal. My husband and I celebrated our anniversary--indeed, just about every potentially romantic holiday or event this year--doing something we both enjoy very much. Working.

As I've mentioned before, I work part-time at Noisy Water Winery and the people in charge there know that, if Paul's available, they get a two-for-one deal whenever I work. Life, unfortunately, demands that bills be paid and that sometimes means having to work extra hours. Much as I would like to spend every waking hour with my husband in a relaxing way, I'm willing to accept that sometimes our time together involves working together.

I've discovered that when two people agree on what's important--being together vs. being someplace really cool--then every day can be a honeymoon. Oh, one of these days we'll have time and money to have our romantic getaway in some exotic locale. For now, sharing a house with three other people (who are extremely cool and fun to hang with--Amber, Fabian, and Daniel!) who are co-workers and spending two days pouring wine for hundreds of strangers in a crowded tent in 85 degree weather (with few bathroom or meal breaks!) and finishing up the day sweaty, tired, and smelling of wine wiped off on our t-shirts... yeah, I'll take that. As long as we're together.

Getting ready to sling vino at the Santa Fe Wine Festival!

Dinner at Andiamo's in Santa Fe on our actual anniversary with the wine folks!

I'm a Cover Girl!

Yes, the truth comes out... I am the person who takes the photos for my book covers.

What did you think I meant? Is that why you're laughing hysterically??

I've received a lot of compliments on my book covers which I take as high honors because I'm not really a photographer. I don't have an expensive camera, I've never taken a course in photography, and I delete many more photos than I save (there are just so many shots of the inside of my tote bag that I'm willing to keep.) I do, however, love to take photos and since my Black Horse Campground series is set in the region where I live, it only made sense to me to use photos of the area for the covers of my books.

This photo for my first book was taken on the road near my home. While the term "end of the road" may have some negative connotations, for me, this scene is what signals to me that I'm almost home. I like to think that the Black Horse Campground feels like home to a lot of my readers.

The photo for "No Lifeguard on Duty" illustrates how important it is for authors to have connections. At the time "No Lifeguard" was written, my husband worked in pool maintenance. He had to be there one morning (before sunrise) to get the pool ready for an early event. I went along to keep him company and take advantage of the eerie atmosphere of a deserted pool that would be the backdrop for the murder in the book. This is one of my favorite covers. 

When I wrote "No Vacancy", I had a really original concept for the cover: a "no vacancy" sign. In my quest to get a good photo for the cover, I discovered that the majority of "no vacancy" signs that I found were neon signs... something that the Black Horse Campground didn't have (I'm sure I could have changed that, but the Black Horse just isn't the place you'd find a neon sign. Trust me.) So I came up with the idea of taking a scene from the book and using that for the cover. The KOA in Alamogordo, NM is run by Kelly and Sandy Rodwick and they graciously allowed me to use one of their cabins for this picture.

This book cover is the one for which I took many shots that were eventually discarded. My husband, sister-in-law, and I went on a quest, visiting little towns and their church cemeteries one Sunday to try to find the perfect wooden cross hidden in the weeds and tall grass. We had a great time but when I looked at the pictures, nothing seemed just right. A few days later, I was coming home and decided to stop and check our local parish's cemetery (about a mile from our home.) After taking a few pictures in the cemetery itself, I decided to walk back to my car through the ditch that ran behind the cemetery. It was starting to rain and I slipped and almost twisted an ankle. Then I looked up and saw one of the crosses I had photographed earlier through the trees and thought, "That's it!"

Right now, I'm working on the edits for the fifth book in the series. So far, I don't have the title, but I have an idea for the cover and I'm looking forward to whatever adventure comes my way in finding the perfect photo for it!

The Riches of a Writer

I was scrolling through Facebook last week and saw that the day before my book signing at Treasure House Books and Gifts in Albuquerque another author had a signing scheduled... at a Barnes & Noble in Anchorage, Alaska. The reason I heard about this was because my nieces had attended the signing. I also discovered that fans had waited three hours in line to hear his book talk and get their books signed by him. The author was Christopher Paolini, author of the "Eragon" book series.

It seems to be a given that, once a writer gets their first book published, many people believe that they've "hit it big" and that they have received a huge advance and will have ever-growing royalty checks rolling in ever so often as their book series continues, especially after their books are optioned for a TV series or movie. And that the public gathers in the streets whenever the author appears in order to meet said author and get their books signed, even if it means standing in line for three hours.

I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't allowed my daydreams to wander in that direction, but the riches I've amassed as a relatively unknown author are certainly the ones that, I believe, most writers would cherish.

At my book signing, I didn't have fans lined up for three hours--or even three minutes--to meet me and have me sign their books. Many people who wandered in had never heard of me, although they did stop to pick up a bookmark and a cookie (yes, I bribe customers with cookies. Don't judge.) A few very graciously listened to me tell them about my books and then--wonder of wonders--picked up a copy to purchase. And I wondered if Paolini still did a happy dance in his mind when that happened.

Of course, Paolini doesn't have to work too hard to sell his books anymore. I'm sure he did when he first started out, but now his work is practically a household name (even if his own name isn't.) No, my books don't sell themselves; I have to sell them. I'm in the position of being a matchmaker of sorts... I see a person and I introduce them to a book they've never seen or heard of before and convince them that they will have a great time reading it. When I succeed, it's a moment of triumph for many reasons, mainly that my characters (Corrie, Rick, and J.D.) might find a new friend in that reader who had decided to purchase their story.

I didn't sell a huge amount of books (though the bookstore owner graciously told me that my signings are among the most successful ones that they host), but I did sell books, talk to a lot of wonderful people, and gave away many bookmarks that will, I hope, inspire more sales in the future. But it was a success in that I was able to do what I love and find readers who love what I do.

I had a woman come charging through the door, not long after my event started, her eyes alight and her smile from ear to ear. Not only was she eager to buy two books in the series and have me sign them, she pulled out one of the other books in the series from her purse that she had purchased elsewhere and asked me to sign it. That was a first for me and it made me feel extremely grateful and humbled. Many books I sell at signings are impulse buys for first-time Black Horse Campground readers, but this lady had already read a couple of my books and was hooked on the series. And if she had a copy that wasn't signed, then it was one that I didn't personally sell to her... she had bought it from another source because she couldn't wait to read it.

That's a feeling I can't begin to describe.

Book Covers--What You See is What You Get!

I got home late from a book signing in Albuquerque last night and have an early work day today, so today's Back Deck Blog is a rerun from last June and the subject is book covers!

Often the adage "Never judge a book by its cover" is merely an admonishment to look on the inside before one makes a decision. This advice might work when talking about relationships with people. But if you try to follow that advice to the letter in a bookstore, you might be in there a long, long, LONG time.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The truth is, when discussing works of fiction, most readers admit that the cover of the book is what draws their attention. It might be because their favorite author's name is on the cover, but many times, when one is wandering through a bookstore trying to pick out their next read, it's the book's cover that will draw the eye and pull a prospective reader to the shelf to pick the book up.

Many times the artwork on the cover gives an idea of what the book will be about. If you look at a cover of a cozy mystery and the cover of a police procedural, you'll be able to tell right away that the stories may be about the same thing--a murder mystery--but the way the story is told will be very different. A cozy will have an ordinary person, usually a woman, who has an ordinary job find herself mixed up in a murder and trying to solve it despite opposition from the police. And the cover art will reflect that: it will usually show an otherwise peaceful scene from the protagonist's daily life with perhaps a hint of the crime being shown. You won't see that on the cover of a police procedural, of which the artwork will often leave no doubt that the story of the investigation is being told from an official viewpoint: weapons, handcuffs, a badge. Certainly not balls of yarn, teapots, or a cute cat!

In my Black Horse Campground mystery series, the cover pictures of all three books were photos that I took myself. The first for "End of the Road" was taken of the road that leads to my home... essentially, at the end of the work day, it was the "end of the road" for me! I wanted to convey a feeling of coming home, which many readers have told me is how they felt once they got into the book and learned about the characters that populate Bonney County and the Black Horse Campground.

The next book, "No Lifeguard on Duty", revolved around a murder taking place in the campground swimming pool. Here is where having a connection to the city pool (my husband worked pool maintenance for the city rec center) allowed me to be there in the wee hours of the morning which helped with the overall "feel" of the book cover:

For the third book, "No Vacancy", I toyed around with the idea of finding a (wait for it) No Vacancy sign hanging outside a campground or other lodging. My husband and I drove for miles through the mountains one Sunday afternoon, looking for just the right scene and never finding it. Finally I decided that was a little too obvious. So how about a scene from the book? But where could I set the stage? I wanted it to look like a cabin in a campground....

Just then we drove by the local KOA Kampground. The owners, Kelly and Sandy Rodwick, were nothing short of lots of fun and good sports. I mean, why would they humor an unknown who shows up on their doorstep and asks to take a picture of one of their cabins for the cover of a murder mystery? 

One thing that's given me great satisfaction and a feeling of pride is how many compliments I get on my covers. It means more to me knowing that the artwork is something I created myself to fit the story inside the book. I have yet to find the picture that will grace the cover of Book Four, but I'm already looking for it. I'll know it when I see it. And I hope my readers will enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The Circle of Life (Author Edition)--Writing and Selling Books

What does a writer do when, after months (or years) of work, their novel isn't warmly welcomed by the reading public?

Fellow OTP author, Ilene Schneider ("Chanukah Guilt", "Unleavened Dead") posted a "Pearls Before Swine" comic strip (by Stephan Pastis) in which the character, Rat, after deciding that he must write a novel, is crushed when he presents it to an unimpressed world and turns to drink:






That's one option a writer can choose, but I suggest a much better one....

I'll be the first to admit that I, like almost every writer who has been published, had dreams that my first book would hit the top of the best-seller lists, thus propelling me to super-star author status (much along the lines of Stephen King, James Patterson, and Nora Roberts) or, at the very least, allow me to quit the "day job" and make a living off my writing.

Four years later, I'm still very much working a "day job"... and I'm still writing. No, my first book didn't hit it big. Neither did the next three books. And my fifth book, due out in a few months (and still untitled), probably won't either. So why keep writing? Why keep promoting? Why keep trying to sell my work?

One thing I have learned is this: each subsequent book fuels sales for the previous books. I am always meeting new people who haven't heard of me or my book series, but when they find out that I've written and published four mystery novels, they are interested in going back to the first one to see how the story starts.

I've always been advised, from my earliest writing days, that a writer should always be working on the next book, whether it's a series or not. Despite all the work involved in promoting and selling your work (as disheartening as the sales numbers may be at times), there should always be time for writing the next book. Especially if it's a series. For one thing, it shows that a writer is serious about their work. And it shows that they love their job enough to keep doing it, even if the financial rewards aren't that great.

If, like me, you're blessed enough to find one or two people who love your books enough to want to read the next one, that should be reason enough to keep writing. Do it for love, not for money.