by Mlissa | Mar 16, 2018 | 5 Things, New Releases, Simple Need
The fourth and what was supposed to be the last of the Simple Need books is out on Amazon and ready for your greedy eyes. I hope you’ll love him. He’s hot. He’s sexy. He’s ooey gooey sweet on the inside.
But, there are some things about the book that you need to know …
First New Book … Mac is the first new book written in the Simple Need world in about 8 years. My writing has changed a lot since 2009-2010. I have a change a lot since then. I had started the book back when Jaz’s book came out with Ellora’s Cave, but things had begun to go downhill with them and I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep going with the series with them. Needless to say, once I got all the books back from them after they closed up, I began planning to write Mac and Jackie’s story. While I tried to capture the same tone, I have to acknowledge that it isn’t because I’m not the same writer I was then.
Trevor and Trae … I introduce 2 new characters in the book. Mandi’s brothers, Trevor and Trae. They own a vintage car restoration shop and are mentioned for the first time in Jaz’s book. There’s a possibility they’ll get their own stories, too.
Short … The book is short. Yes, I know. I didn’t intend for it to be as short as it is, but that’s how it turned out. The writing is tighter. There’s not a lot of extraneous information. It tells the story I had planned way back when I started it and it fits the baseline length of the other books in the series.
The Treehouse … I had been looking on Pinterest and all these treehouses showed up in my feed. I couldn’t get them out of my head and well, Mac said he wanted one. He wanted to be different. He wanted to show a different side of himself to Jackie than the one she normally saw.
Jackie and Jaz ... Their friendship is deep and everlasting. They will not allow their friendship to change because they’re in love with others. Jackie has a past and she has protective instincts. Not for herself. She doesn’t care how others see her, but she’s protective over those she loves.
Time Didn’t Jump … The series was started back, as I said in 2009-2010. It’s been almost 10 years. However, I didn’t jump time in Mac. I didn’t jump the years. I didn’t mention time in the book, but I didn’t jump it. It’s still within the same time frame as the other books.
Those are just a few small facts about Mac and Jackie’s story to help you along. To answer some of your questions. Now, maybe answer one of mine …
Simple Need weddings … Would you be interested? Leave a comment below.
~lissa
by Mlissa | Mar 8, 2018 | 5 Things, writing
Publishing continues to change and shift and the length and style of books continues to do the same. Writers are not held to one length or one contract anymore. We can publish what’s right for us right here and right now.
Readers have asked me over the years why don’t I write longer. I get reviews and emails saying, man I wish this or that story was longer. So, because I am in this reboot of Lissa Matthews so to speak, I thought I’d answer this question, because I don’t see me changing the length I write too drastically in the near future. It could happen, but until then, here are my …
Time … Writing novella was a conscious choice for me. I wanted to write shorter than full length. It doesn’t take 30 forevers to write a novella. My sweet spot is between 25,000 and 40,000 words. I have plenty that are under 22,000 words and a few that are over 41,000 words. I write where the story takes me. I write what the story in my head is meant to be. I write what is necessary for me to tell through the characters eyes. Not every story is meant to be 50,000, 75,000, or 120,000 words. It doesn’t take you that long to read, either. And everyone, readers and writers, our time is precious and ever more limited and distracted. But don’t take that to mean the story isn’t important, it is. Its very important. Each one is saying something, showing me and you something, pulling us in to a different life for a moment. You can read one of my novellas and escape for a few hours and then get back to your life and the things you need to get accomplished. Time is valuable. There aren’t enough hours in our days. Most of us, even if we had an extra 6 hours would still need more. I love novellas for this reason. I can read a book, get involved, get finished and get back to my day. It allows me a little fantasy in the midst of reality. I’ve been reading a lot of full length books the last few months that take me days or weeks to finish and I’m way behind on my reading goals for the year because of this.
It takes skill … Some do not think this is true, after all, it’s a novella, how hard can it be? Some of us know it is true. And some who don’t write novellas know it’s true, as well. Not every book written has to solve a huge outward problem. Not every book written has to solve any problem at all. It could just be about sex, which is definitely not a bad thing. Nope. But just as writing long, in depth, full length novels take skill, writing novellas takes skill too.
More titles … You get more stories. Presumably. If I do my job. You get more stories. More often. And this is not about quantity over quality. That’s not what I mean. What I mean is that I’m able to finish something quicker and get it edited quicker and into your hands quicker. Several authors do this very successfully … Alexa Riley and Mina Carter. They write quick, hot books and get them out for their readers to devour.
Because I can … Yes. I said it. Because I can. I can write any length I want. As I said at the beginning of the post, with publishing the way it is, authors can write what they want, any length they want, and publish when they want. We no longer have to wait on a publisher to give us the go ahead or give us guidelines to follow, only accepting this length for this type of story. It’s in our hands now. It’s within our power. And, while it once scared me, I’ve righted that thought process and find it to be awesome now.
Price points … When my novellas were at publishers, they could charge whatever they wanted. Sometimes, they had to charge outrageous amounts in order to make money. They were slightly higher than average, but it worked for them for the most part. When things began to go downhill, they still charged outrageously and paid for it with lower sales. It was too late once they began lowering prices. I can charge for new and re-released titles whatever I want. Whatever I believe is reasonable. I have several things at $0.99 right now and some of those will go up and some will stay at that price. My novellas are worth more than $0.99. I write well. I write raw. I write real. I put real emotion into what I write. Some readers only want free books. I get that. Some only want $0.99 and some won’t pay that because they perceive it as a bad book if it’s priced that low. The market has been glutted to death with $0.99 books for several years now and honestly, while I will buy some at that price or free (usually new to me authors), I pay $2.99-4.99 for an ebook. I want to cry if it’s more than $4.99. But that’s a whole other argument (it doesn’t cost near as much to produce an ebook, no matter who you are). Especially when NY publishers charge $8.99 and up for fiction. But for these books, I often go to the bookstore and buy the print or hop over to an online shop and order the print. Which is part of the game … But like I said, that’s an argument for another time. I want to keep my price points affordable to those who read my book, but I also want to make money at my job, the same as readers like you make money at your jobs and unless a writer has rabid readers, for most, $0.99 isn’t the money maker. It’s the $0.99 money loser.
So, those are some of the reasons I write novellas over full length novels. It may change. But I’ll continue telling the story from the characters as they want and need me to tell them. They often have a specific point in their lives, a certain thing that changed for them that they want told. They may not want the whole drama spilled on the page and novellas work for them. And yes, I talk about my characters as though they’re living and breathing like you and me because in my head, they are.
I welcome questions and comments, but for now, I’m going to sign off …
~lissa
by Mlissa | Mar 7, 2018 | Coming Soon, erotic romance, Simple Need
Mac: A Simple Need Story
Coming Soon as an ebook:
His interest in her has never been a secret. Neither has her past. He’s the Sheriff and she’s the adult entertainment club owner.
She doesn’t see a future with him. But he sees forever with her.
All he has to do is convince her to let her guard down. All he has to do is get her to agree to one night in his arms, in his bed …
Chemistry will take care of the rest.
Well, he’s finally getting closer… Just a few more days and you can have Mac in your hands. He’s all kinds of hot and sweet and has Jackie completely beside herself with want. Especially after the jail cell scene …
I know y’all have been patiently (some of you rather impatiently, which I totally get) for this one. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me.
Now, go. Pre-Order Mac right this second!
~lissa
by Mlissa | Jan 25, 2018 | 5 Things, re-releases
… that you may or may not have already known.
I am re-releasing a lot of older titles this year (following 7 re-releases last year through Entangled Publishing) that I have the publishing rights back to. So, in light of this, I thought I would share a bit of information with you so you’ll know what to expect, especially if you’re a more recent reader or not a reader yet.
1. I started publishing in 2008. I had a lot of books come out with 4 different publishers in a relatively short time frame. mostly 2009 and 2010. The books I’m re-releasing this year and some that I have already re-released were published around that 
same time. (Stick Shift, Arresting Holli, Melting Jane)
2. I wrote about small towns and a few big towns. Blue collar, hard working, tattooed, pierced men. Full figured, small business/boutique business owners, independent, submissive, sometimes shy, sometimes kinky women. I wrote the every day character. They cooked, they slept, they had sex with whomever they wanted to have sex with. They weren’t polished or posh characters. They were real.
3. I wrote fun books, sexy books. There wasn’t a lot of drama. There was snark. There was a lot of sassiness. Most of my characters were Southern. They were overcoming an issue, not trying to save anyone else or save the world. They wanted happiness and fulfillment and someone who cared enough to try.
4. I wrote back then, as I do now, primarily novellas. That means between 18,000 words and 40,000 words. Many of these hovering around the 20,000 to 32,000 word range. They’re not long books. They’re short. They’re to the point. They can be read in a weekend, in one night. They’re happy for now and happily ever after.
5. I’m re-releasing the books because I loved them and I was and am still proud of them. They were what got me into this business and they are how I’m going to find my way back. For the time they were originally published, they were hot and 
erotic. I don’t know, given some of what is on the erotic contemporary lists now, if mine would still qualify as such, but they are still sexy and graphic.
****Bonus**** Some of the characters are based on real people I know or have known personally. There’s light bdsm, but in general, it’s kink and hot sex. I touch on issues in the books, but I don’t delve deep. There was a reason for that. I wanted to write so that, for a night, a weekend, a couple of lunch breaks, someone could pick up one of my books and escape. They could just enjoy a light, sexy romance. I wasn’t trying to write the great American novel. I was trying to provide escape and happiness to people who liked to read.
All of the titles being re-released are revised and some are heavily re-edited. Price points have changed on them, as well. They are lower in price than what they were through their respective publishers to be more affordable.
In addition to the re-releases, there are a lot of new titles coming as well, starting March15th.
~lissa
by Mlissa | Jan 11, 2018 | Kindle Select, re-releases, Simple Need, Vinter
Vinter: A Simple Need Story
Available as an ebook:
Vinter is not your typical businessman. Tattoos, piercings and not a suit and tie in sight. One-third owner of a bar and a tattoo parlor along with being the bassist in a garage band, Vinter comes and goes as he pleases. He likes his beer cold, his music hard and his women scorching hot. Until he’s knocked off his game by a suburban doll he can’t stop wanting.
Elise needs a change. In men. The buttoned-up businessmen she’s been dating leave a lot to be desired—in romance, in respect and most definitely in sex. A recent text message from her now ex-lover drives Elise into a bar on the outside of town, where she meets Tattoo Guy. He’s just the kind of man she’s never had and definitely the kind she’s always fantasized about. Big, bad and oh so naughty.
Unexpected tenderness. Unimaginable lust. Being dumped has never felt so damn good.
*Vinter was previously published as Simple Need with Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
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