JANE’S REVENGE: Women can also do the business (BOOK 1 Crime Series) (JANE'S BUSINESS) by Samantha Smith

7/16/2023

Multi-volume, women’s crime fiction author, Samantha Smith introduces us to the first volume in her “Jane’s Business” series about being the daughter of a mafia boss, “Jane’s Revenge”:
Jane is a young but smart, fearless, and brave woman. She was born in a wealthy, but extremely sexist family and was never included in anything related to the family business. She had always wanted to be successful and decided that she would make her own rules and wouldn’t let anyone get in her way. She never expected her dad to be the one to become an obstacle towards her success. Her father, Paul, ran one of the largest and most successful crime families on the East Coast. Her father died from an attack and her brother, Rico, saw this as the perfect chance to get control of everything. Her brother decided to kidnap her, because he saw her as an impediment to him taking the power and he didn’t want her to know what had happened to her father. After a long time of being kept hidden, she escaped. She obviously wouldn’t stay quiet and act like nothing happened, she wasn’t going to be the same. She wasn't going to let her brother step on her like that, she was going to get her revenge for everything, and she was going to become the master and everyone would have to listen to her rules and she’d be the one in control now.

Great story! Jane escapes from her brother's clutches and finds a new, lifelong ally in the process.
I enjoyed the dialogue so much and with lots of action the story moves forward at a good pace. Descriptions are just right, not overwhelming.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/JANES-REVENGE-Women-business-BUSINESS-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-jane-s-revenge

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/SmanthaSmith95
https://www.facebook.com/Samantha-Smith
https://www.instagram.com/sama_nthasmith

Copyright @ 2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

35 Comments

Samantha Smith link

7/17/2023 09:34:38 pm

Hi Mark!
Thank you for having me, I'm very excited. Thank you for putting all my links up. I'm looking forward to your interview!

Mark

7/18/2023 07:23:09 am

I am glad you are here, Samantha, welcome to the Word Refiner channel.

I enjoyed your book quite a bit. It has lots of action and a different, first-person point of view in each chapter. I love that style of writing because it is so intimate.

First question.

Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

7/18/2023 01:56:58 pm

Hey Mark,

I'm glad you enjoyed my writing style, I find it easier to relate to the characters that way.

Well, ever since I can remember, I've been into romantic and mystery movies, and I also read in my free time. One day, it just clicked in me to start writing, and I just started off from then. I'm a proud Ohioan, and when I went off to college and moved into Texas, I quickly started to miss my family and my life back home. I moved back to Ohio, and I have lived there ever since. That's when I began writing and have loved my job since then.

7/18/2023 02:18:47 pm

I think most authors start as readers, so you have a lot of company in that boat.

I am a reader and always have been, but I never had a serious thought about writing. While in high school English, I struggled quite a bit with any assignment for creative writing. Except for a structured work such as poetry or haiku.

New questions.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer?

What kind of work do you do if you are a part-time writer? Feel free to skip that question, if you would rather not answer.

7/18/2023 05:22:45 pm

Hey again,

I'm actually a part time writer and I have been ever since I discovered my love for writing. My job outside the writing world is actually applying my culinary skills that I learned during my time at college.

7/18/2023 06:11:53 pm

I love cooking! I love baking also! As long as it's not my own. I am an unskilled cook and baker. I can follow explicit instructions. My wife, on the other hand, is a superb cook and an even better baker. She can make a wonderful meal out of unexpected ingredients. I am rambling now, I must be hungry.

Again, you are like so many other authors who have a bill-paying job and write because they need to get the stories out of their head. Some describe it as quieting the voices in their head.

New questions.

Why do you write?

How has writing changed your life?

Does your work have any influence on your writing?

7/19/2023 12:55:05 am

Hey Mark,

The main reason I write is because, as you said, most writers use writing as a way to get stories and ideas out of their head. That's my case. As you might know, I'm very creative and I constantly have my brain filled with new story ideas. I think it's just awesome to put them all together and create a new story.

Writing is a big part of my life since I constantly use it as a way to escape from the reality. Writing gives you a lot of freedom and you get to choose what goes next. I feel like it gives me a lot of peace and makes my brain workout constantly, which then works a lot for the world outside writing.

7/19/2023 08:17:28 am

Like so many other authors, writing brings you peace and fulfillment. Writing also uses different parts of your brain which is a good thing also.

New questions.

What inspired you to write this book?

Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

7/19/2023 01:47:11 pm

I had been into a lot of mafia related stories, movies and series, and I just wanted to try writing my own. I also realized that in most mafia stories the lead is always male, so I tried switching it up and having a strong woman as the main character.

I feel like everything just came together and the ideas started flowing, so I'd say the genres of this book honestly chose me.

7/19/2023 02:28:30 pm

Stories about the mafia are very male dominated there is no question about that. It makes a lot of sense to me that a daughter would want to be involved also. I am glad you took that mantle up and have written several stories with this one being the first.

When a story comes together and the words flow out of your fingers that is a good sign that you are on the right track.

New questions.

How many drafts did your book go through before publishing?

Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.

7/19/2023 03:11:36 pm

Well this book went through about 6 drafts before I thought it was ready for publishing. This is for most of my books, they go through at least 5 drafts until I get to the final one, which is the one I'll end up publishing.

Well my brother is actually a designer, so I asked him if he could help me out. He agreed, so that's where I got my cover from.

7/19/2023 04:49:04 pm

Very nice, a shorter story probably doesn't need as many drafts as something much longer. Fewer moving parts.

Your brother did a nice job. The cover exemplifies the story quite well.

New questions.

Was it hard to come up with the title?

What was the process?

7/19/2023 05:05:33 pm

Thank you, he's actually pretty talented. I've used him for my other projects as well. I'd say he has done a pretty good job.

To be honest, the idea of having the main character's name in the title was always part of my plan. The next part was pretty complicated for me to come up with. It took me about a week or two to finally think of what I wanted the title to be, and then I just looked for words that looked like they fit in.

Pretty much the process was that. What took me long was thinking about what was a title that gave an idea about what the book was about, but wouldn't give out the entire story.

7/19/2023 06:20:20 pm

It's good that you spent some time refining the title because the title is very important! I am not sure which is more important, title or cover. Together, they are supremely important for getting a prospective reader to be grabbed by your blurb or the reading sample. We have been instructed for many years not to judge a book by its cover, yet we all do. That aphorism may apply to many things but not anymore to books.

New questions.

Were the character names difficult to develop?

How did you choose them?

7/20/2023 11:29:11 pm

Yes! I totally agree with that. The title is what catches the reader's attention at first.

To be honest, they weren't really that complicated to come up with since as I was writing, the names just flowed. Whenever it came to having a new character appear, every name just clicked in my brain.

As I mentioned, I didn't really choose them, I feel like they chose themselves. Each name fit into each character perfectly, and that's how they were chosen.

7/21/2023 08:07:09 am

You are lucky! Many authors put a lot of effort into choosing character names, sometimes it's necessary because of the genre. Especially in historical fiction, names appropriate to time and locality. There are websites that are devoted to the most popular names by decade and geography, using church and tax records that go back for hundreds of years, in some cases.

New questions.

What other books and genres have you written?

How many books are you planning for the series?

Any side stories?

7/21/2023 03:31:01 pm

Well as of now, Hiding a Dangerous Love is the only series I have released. I released this before I started writing the Jane series and it's my first published project. I've written more stories, but haven't planned on publishing them.

This series has 5 books. The last one, which was the 5th, was published a few days ago and I closed the Jane series with that.

I haven't really planned any side stories as of now, but maybe in the future there might be one.

7/21/2023 05:49:58 pm

Very good, so Jane's Business is another series and this book is the first.

New questions.

Have you done any public speaking?

If so, will you be doing more in the future?

7/22/2023 04:45:57 pm

Yes, correct haha.

No, I haven't. Maybe in the future I might think about doing some public speaking.

7/22/2023 04:55:26 pm

Many authors have found that speaking engagements such as book signings or addressing a book club are fun and sell quite a few books. Many authors like to rent a table at a farmers market, swap meet or a comic convention. Personal contact can sell a lot of books.

New questions.

Have you entered any writing contests?

Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

7/22/2023 07:02:06 pm

Yes, I agree with that which is why I've thought about it. Having some interactions wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

Well, now that I publish books I haven't really entered any writing contests yet. I might, though, once I find one of my works is really worth winning.

Since I don't have much of my work published, now that I write professionally, I haven't really had the chance to win awards. Back when I was younger though, when the award ceremonies came around by the end of the year, I won plenty of awards for writing.

7/22/2023 07:17:36 pm

Congratulations on winning those awards in the past.

There are many different types of writing contests. Many of them require entries of a certain length. Short story length or shorter. Many have an entry fee, some provide a judge's feedback of submitted works, others don't provide feedback.

I have recommended to writers that writing contests, especially those that provide feedback from the judges, can help a writer improve their writing skills. I do have a warning, there are a lot of shady contests out there. Some want to extract as much as they can from your wallet, others want to steal your intellectual property. Here is a copy-and-paste link about those things: Beware Bogus Writing Contests! Look for These 8 Red Flags. https://annerallen.com/2019/05/beware-bogus-writing-contests. You can also use the search box below to find the link. There are other blogs I have links for on my Highly Regarded Blogs page.

New questions.

I noticed that your book is in Kindle Unlimited. How is that working out for you?

Why did you choose that exclusive venue?

7/23/2023 01:31:59 am

Yes, indeed it is. Well it's working out pretty nice and smooth. I chose it due to it being simple, as well as effective. Since I'm just starting off with my first books, I thought it was a nice idea.

7/23/2023 07:09:35 am

Excellent, some authors make a decent income from Kindle Unlimited but usually only if they have quite a few books and people are telling others about how much they enjoy the books. Testimony and word of mouth can be powerful selling factors.

New question.

Are all of your books in KU or are you planning to place all of your books there?

7/23/2023 03:41:43 pm

All of my current books are available through KU, and future books will most likely be available there as well.

7/23/2023 03:45:46 pm

Very good, I am glad you are having success there.

I would recommend placing your books on other sales platforms at your earliest opportunity. There are people who refuse to shop on Amazon, they frequent other websites. If you are not already, sell your books on your website also.

New questions.

Have you ever gone through the query process?

Were you seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers and why did you choose that path?

7/23/2023 10:53:31 pm

Yes, maybe in the future I might place my books in other platforms.

No, not really I'm not and at that time I wasn't looking for any publishers or any agencies. I'm publishing by myself and I think it'll remain that way for now.

7/24/2023 08:06:06 am

I think going wide is a good idea. If Amazon ever decides that book publishing isn't profitable enough they will shut it down. It's smarter to not have all of your eggs in one basket.

I think self-publishing is the best idea for an author. The traditional publishing industry has been falling into itself for decades now. The industry has contracted considerably, there are now only 5 big publishers left. Regardless of the size, most publishers are on a razor-thin edge of profitability. They cannot afford to publish a book that won't sell well. Thier first duty is to stay in business.

When an author signs a contract with a publisher, the author gives up most of their rights to the book for the term of the contract. The publisher can now ask the author to rewrite the story, change the cover and delay publication for a year or more if they think the book will make more money.

The self-published author keeps all of the profits and bears all the expenses. If the author removes the creative hat and wears the business hat, they stand a good chance of doing well.

New question.

There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?

7/24/2023 02:40:22 pm

I would say, that personally, the one I dislike the most would be getting bossed around by a publisher. I feel like they end up just changing up your whole idea by telling you to switch up little things multiple times. It just becomes what they want it to be and ignore the initial story.

7/24/2023 02:58:25 pm

I am not surprised that one bothers you. It would bother me if I was a writer also. After working so hard on a story, it feels like a slap in the face when the publisher requests that you make changes in the story. It's important to remember to the publisher your book is only a product to allow them to make money and they want to make as much as they can.

One client of mine who had written several volumes in a delightful series queried the fourth or fifth volume. After several rejections a publisher expressed interest but wanted her to rewrite the story out of the series. She agreed and started to rewrite it. She contacted the publisher with some questions and never got an answer. She decided to remain a self-publishing author. I don't think she regrets that decision to this day.

New questions.

Is there a book that causes strong emotions to come up no matter how many times you read it?

Do you ever read a book more than once?

If so, which one?

7/24/2023 03:34:39 pm

Yes, I'm actually a pretty emotional person so I tend to get emotional when reading. One book in particular that I'd say was a roller coaster of emotions would be It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover. I don't know why, but I guess since the story was kind of relatable I felt it much more.

Normally I don't but if I find the book really good and worth another read I do. One book I've read about 4 times already is If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio, honestly just a great book that keeps you intrigued from the start.

7/24/2023 03:42:32 pm

I am like you, an emotional reader. I find that good writing stirs my emotions sometimes in unexpected ways. Especially poetry. I am always caught unawares by poetry.

Anymore, the books I want to reread are those that make me laugh. It's good for my health to laugh a lot.

Last questions.

Did you have a favorite book as a child?

Which of your books is your favorite, and why?

7/24/2023 04:12:45 pm

Honestly I've always LOVED Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and I don't think I'll ever stop liking it. I just find it a very nice story, and I love the movie as well.

I'd say my favorite book from the ones I've published up until now would be my latest book. Jane's Mission: The Final War, it's got the most interesting part of the entire story, but it also is the last part sadly.

7/24/2023 04:31:36 pm

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! I loved the movie though a few people have hinted that there are dark things going on behind the scenes. I have never read the book, but I know that the book is almost always much better than the movie. I hope to read it one day.

The Final War sounds good! I am sure I would enjoy it.

I want to thank you for being a wonderful guest on the Word Refiner channel. I am grateful for the opportunity to help promote your book. I have another promotion starting tomorrow so I must bring our time to a close. I hope you sell lots of books.

Until next time, keep on writing.

7/25/2023 12:12:42 am

Yes! I've heard many rumors as well, but the movie is a classic either way. You should most definitely read it, it's amazing.

Thank you for having me Mark, I appreciate it. Hope we get a chance to do this again in the future.

JANE’S REVENGE: Women can also do the business (BOOK 1 Crime Series) (JANE'S BUSINESS) by Samantha Smith

Leave a Reply.

Who am I?

Archives

Categories