📚 Up Close & Personal with 'Unorganized Crime' Judy Serrano @authorjserrano #upcloseandpersonal

Up Close & Personal is one of The Writer’s Life newest features. Here we feature authors who don't mind spilling the beans and telling what it's really like to write, get published and sell that book. Today's guest is Judy Serrano, author of the romantic suspense, UNORGANIZED CRIME. You can visit Judy's website at https://www.judyserrano.com/ .

On Writing…

I have always loved to write. I started writing songs and poetry around the age of 12. I published several articles in our local library paper when I was young. I recently worked for Examiner.com, Believe.com, and CBS Local. Here is a link to CBS Local.

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/tag/judy-serrano/.

My first book was published in 2010. It was called Easter’s Lilly and it just took off from there. I became addicted to the Montiago brothers and could not stop cranking out the books. The first three books came out of me in only a few months. There are seven books total in that series. Hector in Unorganized Crime, was one of the main characters in my Lilly series. I literally fell in love with him and had to drag him along to my next project. (Shhh- Don’t tell my husband.)

I learned a lot from Lilly’s story. I know what people like and what they don’t, and when I wrote Unorganized Crime. Jazz Burns became a strong force to be reckoned with. I also learned a lot about editing. They say it is easier to edit other people’s manuscripts than your own, and that is so true. I have learned to be a little more eagle-eyed about my writing. I am excited about finding the time to write like I used to so that I can put out more novels and inspire more women to follow their dreams and never lose hope.

On Being Published…

When I was first published I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Holding the book in my hand was surreal. I had always wanted to publish a book, and here it was. Many of my friends bought them to support me, which was also exciting. I even had a few people recognize me from the picture on the back of my book. The first time I was recognized, I was walking through Costco with my family. Someone stopped me and said, “Wait … are you, Judy Serrano?” My heart lept with joy. She was carrying the book with her; she said she was unable to put the book down. It was quite the moment.

Unorganized Crime is one of my more mature musings. Jazz, the main character, falls in love with a colleague of her parents named Gage St. Claire.

Because he feels he is too old for her, he starts his own black ops team and leaves her behind vowing to never come back. Jazz becomes an undercover police officer with the job of taking down the most dangerous drug cartel in the area. Unfortunately, Jazz finds herself just a little over her head, and Gage finds himself back in town in fear for her safety. The book has unexpected twists and turns, and humor that lights up the darker areas of the madness. The way the story ends will keep you on your toes, and book two needs to be told.

On Publishing Industry…

I started with a small publisher. This was with my first book. He gave me a shot, and I will always be grateful for him. However, I got a very small commission, and the publishing company made the biggest profit. In addition, I had to do my own marketing, so this is not the route I would recommend. Publishing on your own is a great way to go. You have total freedom, and you get almost all the royalties. Amazon will get a share, but it is a small one.

Of course, the real dream is to have Random House/Penguin make eyes at you from across the room and whisper a sweet offers in your ear, but it has been my experience that you need to know someone to get the key to that door.

On Marketing…

Marketing your book is crazy hard. I usually use book tours, but getting people to read and review becomes harder and harder as time goes on. Marketing is very expensive, so you need to do your research and see what’s out there.

On Goals and Dreams…

My dream is of course to write that one bestseller. I am a teacher, so time does not often present itself like it used to. I plan to cut out a piece of my day, every day, to write. Eventually, I hope to realize my dream. Having people stop me at the grocery store will never get old.

Title: UNORGANIZED CRIME
Author: Judy Serrano
Publisher: 6K Publishing
Genre: Historical Romance/WW2/Romantic Suspense

BOOK BLURB:

As Jazz finds herself falling from a helicopter, Gage St. Claire comes to her rescue. Organized crime is once again the culprit of her parents’ situation, and as usual, she is caught in the crossfire. Gage pulls her out of the water and helps her escape to safety. The love between them is undiscovered as he tries to leave her behind in an attempt to keep her safe and move forward with his black ops pursuit. Jazz becomes an undercover cop with wiping out organized crime forever as her goal. After Jazz exposes one of the largest crime families in the country, quite by accident, she is hired to expose crime syndicate leader Michael Giambetti Jr., otherwise known as Achilles. Achilles earned his nickname because he has no weaknesses. He has no weaknesses, that is until he meets Jazz. Achilles has been untouchable, and if she were to break this case, she could finally prove herself as a serious undercover officer. Her job is not an easy one, and people around her are not who they appear to be. Will Gage come back for Jazz, or will he be lost to her forever? Will she crack the case on her own? Read as this courageous upstart stumbles through another adventure.

Book Information

Release Date: July 7, 2020

Publisher: 6K Publishing

Soft Cover: ISBN: 979-8655914537; 220 pages; $10.99; E-Book, $2.99

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Bq8uru