Articles

Feb 09 2014

Welcome to Coulson

Author: Anna J. McIntyre • Discussion: No Comments

Of Coulson’s Wife, one reviewer wrote it was “a bit far fetched.” I thought about that observation, wondering what about the story he found unbelievable. I don’t think the human story of Mary Ellen and Randall was far fetched, especially for that moment in time.

I then wondered if the reviewer was referring to the fact Randal Coulson founds the town of Coulson. If that was the part he found difficult to believe, well, truth really is stranger than fiction.

Coulson and its founding were inspired by the true story of my home town, Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The fictional community of Clement Falls was inspired by the Hualapai Mountain near Kingman, about an hour from Havasu.

Coulson is approximately 15 years older than Lake Havasu, but they share a similar history. I suppose I could have really thrown an unbelievable element into the story – like have Randall Coulson buy the London Bridge, take it apart, drag it across the globe and reconstruct it Coulson. But, they already did that in Havasu.

Dec 15 2013

Rebranding Books from a Series

Author: Anna J. McIntyre • Discussion: No Comments

It’s sometimes confusing to those who read Lessons when it was first published two years ago to discover Lessons is now titled Coulson’s Lessons and that instead of being number one in the Coulson Series, it is now number three. How did that happen? I am so confused!

Well, actually, I’m not confused. But I may have confused a few of my readers.

I first wrote Lessons (an adult love story) and then The Senator’s Secret, which is more mystery than love story. Readers first met most of The Senator’s Secret characters in Lessons.

I later decided I wanted to go back in time and write about the people from Lessons, when they were children, to show how they first met and formed their relationships. I wanted to give readers more insight into their history.

When I started writing, I found myself jumping back one generation to first tell the story of the grandfather that started the empire and founded Coulson. But the story ended up being more about his wife in Coulson’s Wife.

After Coulson’s Wife, I wrote Coulson’s Crucible, which introduced many of the characters from Lessons. For some it might have been a character overload. I’m just hoping the story of Garret’s parent pulls the reader successfully through the book without too much confusion.

After Coulson’s Wife and Coulson’s Crucible, it was decided to rebrand the series – and rename the first two books written. Lessons became Coulson’s Lessons and The Senator’s Secret became Coulson’s Secret.

As I’ve mentioned before, there will be at least one more book in the series – Coulson’s Reckoning, which will tie together loose ends woven throughout the books.

Yet, for those who despise having to read all books in a series to get a complete story, I promise you can read any of the first four books, without having to read any of other books from the series.

Nov 14 2013

Bookmarks and Paperbacks Coming Soon!

Author: Anna J. McIntyre • Discussion: No Comments

It’s been a busy week around my office. All of my books will be coming out in paperback in the very near future – in time for Christmas. Today we finished up the design for our new bookmarks. As you can see, it is double sided – with the QR Code on the backside, to quickly bring scanners to this website.

Sales on The Coulson Series have been brisk – with the recent release of Coulson’s Wife and Coulson’s Crucible, the first two books in the series.

For some of my readers – those more looking for a lighter, fluffy romance as they expect to find in one of my Sensual Romance books, Coulson’s Wife may come as a bit of a surprise.

One reviewer wrote: I’m actually giving this book 3.5 stars…I’m not sure if I just like it or really liked it. This is not a happy ever after book. I was so sad at the beginning of the book young Mary Ellen being forced to marry a man she doesn’t know or love. I know that these things happened but it’s still not right. My heart broke for her, even more when she falls in love with her husbands best friend. I kept hoping that the two would get there happy ending but that’s not what happened. I shed quite a few tears while reading this book but I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. It was well worth reading.

I’m flattered this reader couldn’t put it down – in spite of the fact it wasn’t what she expected. Personally, I don’t think the ending is as much sad as it is bittersweet – and I hope readers understand this is the story that begins the family saga – and each book tells a very different story in the family’s history.

Coulson’s Wife tells the unusual marriage of Coulson’s founder. Readers learn of a family secret that won’t be revealed for almost a century – in the fifth book of the series, Coulson’s Reckoning.

Coulson’s Crucible tells the story of the second generation – and introduces children that we meet again as adults, in Coulson’s Lessons.

The third book in the series, was actually the first written – Coulson’s Lessons. It was initially released as Lessons. I’ve been told While Snowbound, in my Sensual Romance Series is more sweet than sexy. For my readers looking for a bit more heat, they might read Coulson’s Lessons. Of the first four Coulson books, it is the steamiest.

Coulson’s Secret, originally released as The Senator’s Secret, is more murder mystery – a who done it. If readers pay attention, and have read Coulson’s Crucible, they may start figuring out some of the connections between new characters introduced in Coulson’s Secret – and characters they met in Coulson’s Crucible.

If you’ve read and enjoyed Coulson’s Wife, I would really appreciate an honest review at Amazon.

Thanks!

Nov 01 2013

Coulson Series New Releases

Author: Anna J. McIntyre • Discussion: 2 Comments

We just completed a comprehensive re-edit of Lessons and The Senator’s Secret. Recently I pulled the books from all venues, although there may be some floating around on online stores that haven’t received the memo – yet.

So far, the new versions have been released on Amazon in eBook format only. They will get to the other sites shortly, and hopefully by Christmas we’ll have the paperback versions available.

They also have new names and new covers. Lessons is now Coulson’s Lessons, and The Senator’s Secret is now Coulson’s Secrets.

Why did I do this? To prepare for the three new books in my Coulson Series. Within the next few weeks you should be able to find Coulson’s Wife and Coulson’s Crucible on Amazon eBook bookshelves, before they hit the other venues. Expect the fifth book in the series – Coulson’s Reckoning to be out in 2014.

I first wrote Lessons in 1995 and it will – technically speaking – be book three in the series, even though it was written 18 years prior to Coulson’s Wife.

Coulson’s Wife tells the story of Randall Coulson’s bride and her unusual marriage. Readers first heard about Randall Coulson in Lessons. He was Garret Coulson’s grandfather, and founder of Coulson. This story begins in 1900.

Coulson’s Crucible begins in 1960 and introduces us to much younger versions of the characters we first met in Lessons. It also tells the turbulent relationship of Garrett’s parents and reveals a deadly family secret.

Events revealed in Coulson’s Wife and Coulson’s Crucible will collide in Coulson’s Reckoning, when over a century of Coulson secrets and lies are finally exposed to the characters we first met in Lessons.