A Friendly Guide to Buying My Books

As any author can attest, one of the most wonderful compliments from a reader is, “I love all of your books! You’re an automatic buy for me!” Seriously, I get such a thrill out of hearing those words! I just want to kiss that reader and name my next child after them because, honestly, where would I be without loyal readers like that? But the reality is that since I dabble in a variety of genres, not every book I write will be everyone’s cup of tea. It pains me to admit that, and naturally I wish that each of my novels was deemed a masterpiece worthy of the Nobel Prize in Literature. But just because I’m a storyteller doesn’t mean I’m delusional. LOL.

So without further ado, here are some friendly tips to help guide you through my stable of books:

Read the book description to familiarize yourself with the story

As much as you may be tempted to just snatch the book off the shelf or download it instantly onto your e-reader, it may be a good idea to take a few moments to read the back cover/product description first. For example, if you’re highly uncomfortable with explicit sensuality or stories about professional escorts, Whatever You Like and Any Way You Want It may not be the books for you.

Check the spine of the book (where applicable)

With the exception of A Heartbeat Away and Weapon of Seduction, all of my romantic suspense novels are labeled as such. If you’re really not a fan of dead bodies and crime scenes appearing in your fiction, you might prefer to skip my romantic suspense titles (although I always strive to balance the romance and suspense in my novels). If you’re not sure which of my books fall under the romantic suspense category, check the listing here on my website.

Do you know who’s related to whom?

Although all of my books are standalone stories, I have written several connected books that feature recurring characters from the same family. If you’d prefer to read these series in order, please check my complete list of books.

I have no say on cover art (except for self-published books)

Most traditionally published authors have very little input when it comes to our cover art. So, unfortunately, I can’t do anything about a male cover model who’s bald when the actual character has an Afro. And if you bought one of my books mistakenly believing that the characters were of a different race, let me assure you that I wasn’t part of some evil conspiracy to deceive you into buying the book. To my knowledge, every model featured on my book covers has been of African-American descent (unless the book is an interracial romance). That said, if you honestly believe that you were somehow tricked into buying the book, I hope you still enjoyed the story and will give my other books a try. After all, the language of love is universal.

Naomi Chase is my pseudonym

When I decided to venture into the women’s fiction genre, I came up with a story that was such a departure from my usual books that my editor told me to write it under a pseudonym. My novels Exposed, Deception, and Betrayal are NOT romance. They are gritty, graphic, filled with nonstop drama, and I cannot guarantee a happy ending. Honestly, I hope all of my fans will buy the books and come away wanting more. But if you’re truly not a fan of mainstream fiction with adult content, please keep that in mind when considering whether to buy my Naomi Chase books.

I sincerely hope you’ll find these tips helpful. For me, the beauty of being a fiction author is that I can push the boundaries of my imagination and write about anything I want. And since I write in different genres, I have more choices to offer readers. As they say, variety is the spice of life!

Happy reading!

Gratefully yours,

Maureen Smith