10 Things I love about Bandit Creek Books

Thank you Lee, for inviting me to blog. I just have to talk about this cool new project I’ve been a small part of--Bandit Creek Books. I’d like to tell you everything that’s exciting and different about it but that would make my blog too long. Here’s my top ten:

1.       Ingenuity--I love creative new ideas. One day a bunch of the members of the Calgary RWA were chatting after a workshop. Self-publishing and e-books were changing the industry. This creates risks for authors, but also opens opportunities. One of our members (who shall be nameless, but she’s awesome and has the energy of a million sparkling Christmas lights) said, “You know, we could create a series of our own. Invent a town and a back story and a bunch of interesting characters and see what happens! “ And you know what? Our crazy executive went for it.

2.       Everything Happens in Bandit Creek --This is the tag line for the series and it’s true... novellas are released twice a month, and anything goes. You’ll find historicals, paranormals, sweet romances, mysteries, erotica,  horror--our chapter members are doing it all. The lack of rules and restrictions is just so freeing and exciting!

3.       Come One, Come All--This project was opened to every member of the chapter, whether they were previously published, or not, and no matter which genre they wanted to write in. All that was asked and expected was that they meet their deadlines, cause when you’re putting out a new novella every 15 days, well, those deadlines sneak up fast!

4.       Carla Roma--This is the enigmatic editor of the Bandit Creek novels. She interviews every author about their upcoming book, and the stories are amazing. All the interviews are posted on the Bandit Creek Books website and provide wonderful context for the stories.

5.       The Maps--one of our talented members created two maps for Bandit Creek--one historical and one present day. It’s fun to have the maps to refer to when reading one of the Bandit Creek stories. Puts everything into perspective!

6.       The Legend of Lost Lake--The town of Bandit Creek is nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana.  A mining town, in 1911 a flood caused the entire town to flood and Lost Lake was created. Lots of mysteries of treasure and intrigue exist around Lost Lake...

7.       The stories are presented with “heat levels” from 1 (sweet) to 5 (blow your brains out sexy) so readers know what they’re getting into before they buy.

8.       The stories are great! I’ve read most of them so far and really enjoyed them. It’s exciting to see what a group of writers can accomplish when they pull together.

9.       The stories aren’t too long, so they don’t require a huge time commitment. They’re fast-paced, as well...before you know it you’ve reached the end and you’re waiting for the next installment.

10.   The chapter asked me to participate! Although I wasn’t at the meeting where this idea was initially brainstormed, I was invited to partake, with the result that my story, The Gift, will be available on December 15. I opted to write a heartwarming Christmas Tale about the Bandit Creek librarian and her boyfriend, a local rancher and part-time deputy.

So that’s it--my top ten on Bandit Creek! If you’ve tried any of the stories, let me know what you think about them! Also,  to celebrate release of The Gift, I’m running a scavenger hunt contest  (http://www.cjcarmichael.com/contest.php) on my website, with a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift certificate.  Come and play!

Wishing you Joy!

C.J. Carmichael