I'm Coming Out

Nope, I'm not gay, and I'm not Diana Ross, but I am coming out. I was dragged out of the pseudonym closet somewhat kicking and screaming, but I'm out now. :)

Hello, my name is Kit Tunstall, and I'm an author. That means I have multiple personalities that have varying interests. At least most authors do. We tend to use a pen name for one type of writing vs. another. For example, I write horror under T.K. Reilly. Well, I wrote it. It didn't sell, so I stopped and moved on. Most people know my author name as someone who writes erotic romances. They might fit in various subgenres, but they're all erotic and romances.

Once upon a time, way before I started writing eroms, I wanted to write for Harlequin. Many romance authors can tell you that was the best game in town before publishers like Ellora's Cave started, and way before indie publishing. I wasn't successful (ironically, I did get contracts years later, but for erotic romance titles *LOL*), but I kept trying. That meant I had several manuscripts that were Harlequinesque (especially Presents), but without a market. Rather than sex them up for publication with EC, I left them on my hard drive as I moved on to erom.

And then came 2011. It was an amazing year for me, because I discovered self-publishing. I found out I could earn just as much (and eventually significantly more) publishing my own works than I could with a publisher. Better yet, I could choose what content to write.

That made me evaluate some of the projects I had from years before. They didn't fit with my erom brand, so I decided to create a pen name. Lilly LaRue was born--though not in Victoria, B.C. as her bio claims (which would be a dream of mine)--and her contemporary sensual romances hit the market. They did okay. Nothing stellar, and I mostly moved on. Sometimes, when I feel the urge to write a sensual contemporary, I add to Lilly's catalog, but she's not my main focus.

Fast forward to the end of 2014, when a wonderful author/businesswoman gave me some excellent advice about clarifying my brand. It's too late for me to focus on just one niche, like paranormal eroms, so I used templates to label my different works. The AFTER THE END series went into "speculative," etc. At the end of the restructuring and rebranding, there was a sore thumb sticking out. "Losing Leah" was my last semi-Harlequin attempt targeted at Carina Press. When I first started indie publishing, I just put it up under KT without thinking about it. It didn't fit with my other erom titles, so I decided to move it to Lilly's catalog. For some reason, after languishing under KT, the book took off and has been selling like water in the desert for Lilly.

I included the information that it had been previously published under a pseudonym, but I guess I wasn't explicit enough, because I was still trying to keep the two names separate. One of the five people (sales were really terrible when it was a KT title, though maybe not that bad) who actually read "Losing Leah" also picked up its new incarnation ("Greek's Marriage Bargain"--doesn't that sound like a HP title?). She recognized it and outed my pen name in a one-star review.

My first reaction was to bawl like a baby--not to the one star, but the forced outing. My dad died earlier this month, and I've just been an emotional wreck. To put it in perspective, I also almost cried about dropping a fork on the same day. A little time calmed me down, and I realized it was no big deal. LL doesn't write anything shameful or horrendous, like serial killer clown billionaire porn, so I should just relax. I thought I'd better 'fess up though, to avoid more angry readers and one-star reviews (which, unfortunately, wasn't actually about the book or the reader's impression of it :( ).

So, I'm now out of the closet. I write eroms under Kit Tunstall, and I occasionally add to my older library of sensual contemporary romances under the pen name of Lilly LaRue. I hope my readers can forgive me for not coming out in the beginning. :-)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QVUKOFO/

Have a hot Xmas

Pick up a collection of nine sizzling erotic romances for $0.99. "Playing Favorites" is now live to buy exclusively on Amazon or borrow with Kindle Unlimited.

Playing Favorites

I'm really excited to announce the upcoming release of "Playing Favorites," a nine-author erotic romance collection. The book is available to buy or borrow with Kindle Unlimited on Xmas Eve, but you can preorder your copy today for just $0.99. There are almost 500 pages of the authors' favorite stories, with a mix of everything--contemporary, paranormal, SF, BBW, suspense, and western.

 

Grab this collection from nine bestselling and popular authors, featuring a selection of their favorites. Get it before it's gone!

CURVOSITY by Christin Lovell
When plus-size Lucy decides to move on, her werewolf boss decides to move in, and both are surprised in the end.

RESURRECTION by Jodi Lynn Copeland
Gill’s mission is simple: Escape his lovely lying ex-wife via a solo voyage on his buddy’s boat. Capsizing that boat and landing in the arms of another beautiful liar never figures into his plans.

BUCKAROO by Kit Tunstall
After hurting her so badly nine years ago, will Chloe ever believe Dawson is more than a buckaroo just passing through?

INVICTUS by Lani Aames
Serena Blackstone’s enchanted robe reveals all to the dark and dangerous man of magick, Invictus Cross.

FLY YOU TO THE MOON by Jocelyn Han
Ten months on the Moon seem like an eternity if you know you're not supposed to fall for the man taking care of you—but you just can't help yourself.

MORE THAN FRIENDS by Keira Kohl
Tired of the friend zone, Corinna forms a plan to get her best friend into her bed.

PRESCRIBED by D.D. Parker
Will Dr. Matthews still be able to prescribe Emma just what she needs or will Emma’s own demons come to threaten more than just their relationship?

QUIVER: ENTICED BY SHADOWS by Livia Rook
A devilishly handsome stranger threatens to turn Kate's world upside down, expose her, and use her unexplored fantasies to his advantage.

SMOLDER (AFTER HOURS VOL. 1) by C.C. Sinclair
On the eve of his sexy co-worker's going away party, a workaholic journalist takes advantage of the building's power outage to capture her mind and body as his before she slips through his fingers.

WTRAFSOG bundle

What's better than a Kit Tunstall book for $0.99? How about a book with 10 other top authors for $0.99? Here's your chance to discover a new author or reread an old favorite (like "Undercover Mother").

Kindle US - http://amzn.to/1BS3Q3L

Kindle UK - http://amzn.to/1zHXlM5

iTunes - http://bit.ly/1zHXjnr

Nook - http://bit.ly/1BS3Q3N

Kobo - http://bit.ly/1yvWnBC

New Cover "All Grown Up"

"All Grown Up" has a new cover. It turns out, Amazon doesn't like a tiny hint of buttocks. Even a peek will get you an "Adult" tag, which basically makes your book disappear from the general search. After realizing AGU had been tagged, it was time for a new cover. It should appear on the Amazon product page in a few days, but here is the unveiling:

Blake feels coerced to take out his best friend’s sister while she’s in town. He remembers her as a chubby, awkward teenager with a crush on him. When Erin shows up at his door, he’s blown away. She’s all grown up now and a lush, curvy beauty. He’s never gone for Rubenesque women before, but he wants her desperately. To his consternation, Erin doesn’t seem to like him at all. He needs to figure out if he’s too bad-boy for the good girl, or if her apparent dislike hides something else—like a mutual desire she’s fighting to control, due to her own self-esteem issues and a refusal to be another one of Blake’s conquests.
(Don't forget you can read this title for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited membership.)

That awkward moment...

When you feel compelled to defend yourself as a serious writer, even though you write romances (but they have WORTHY!!! themes and none of that erotic trash), while simultaneously denigrating people who write erotic romances and erotica, and you don't realize how hypocritical you're being. The person who did this made me want to snort with amusement. The irony.

My view is if your writing entertains someone, it's as valid as anyone else's. My personal preference is I would rather read a well-crafted romance, erom, or erotica than one of the bastions of literature, such as Hemingway. (Have you read "The Old Man and The Sea"? He takes a long boat ride, catches a fish, loses fish to other fish, and that's about it. The End) For me, there is more value in a smutty (I mean that in a good way) romance novel by Marysol James than John Steinbeck. That doesn't mean I don't think the great writers were great. They worked hard, I'm sure, and some people love them. I'm just not their target.

So, authors, don't get so defensive, regardless of your genre. The people who want to read you will find you. The people who aren't your demographic will steer clear. They might mock you too, but develop a thick skin. You're going to need it in the publishing biz.

New Assistant

I've hired a new assistant, and she'll be doing most of the social media and PR things for me. You'll probably see Alexis posting for me on various places, like Twitter. She's my go-to person for interviews, review requests, etc. too. If she posts for me, she'll identify herself (maybe with initials or her first name). She'll find a way. I have complete faith in her. Thanks for the help, Alexis.