It's 4 a.m. and I'm on my second cup of coffee!

So how did this happen? Got up at 3 a.m., opened the cat door for my fellas, made some coffee, and then I was in a quandry as to what to do next.

Did some reading of Publishers Weekly, Facebook, and Twitter ... posted a few ... and here I am. Blogging.

Did you know that Amazon has several imprints? Yes, they've entered the traditional publishing market. First one was AmazonEncore - May 2009. AmazonEncore is a new program whereby Amazon will use information such as customer reviews on Amazon.com to identify exceptional, overlooked books and authors with more potential than their sales may indicate. Amazon will then partner with the authors to re-introduce their books to readers through marketing support and distribution into multiple channels and formats, such as the Amazon.com Books Store, Amazon Kindle Store, Audible.com, and national and independent bookstores via third-party wholesalers.

Then according to a press release AmazonCrossing was launched in May 2010. AmazonCrossing uses customer feedback and other data from Amazon sites around the world to identify exceptional books deserving of a wider, global audience. AmazonCrossing will acquire the rights and translate the books and then introduce them to the English-speaking market through multiple channels and formats, such as the Amazon Books Store, Amazon Kindle Store, and national and independent booksellers via third-party wholesalers.

Here's an EXCERPT from a May 2011 Amazon Press Release regarding its new Montlake Romance imprint: Montlake Romance takes its name from the central Seattle neighborhood of Montlake, and will publish a broad range of front list titles in popular romance sub-genres, including romantic suspense and contemporary and historic romance novels, as well as fantasy and paranormal. The new imprint joins AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing and Powered by Amazon as part of the Amazon Publishing family. Montlake Romance books will be available to North American readers in Kindle, print and audio formats at www.amazon.com, as well as at national and independent booksellers.

Looks like Amazon is launching a new imprint in May of each year, doesn't it? Interesting.

Now it's Thomas & Mercer ... "The new imprint should come as no shock to those in the book community, as its rollout is part of the larger plans Amazon said it has for its publishing program. When the e-tailer announced Montlake, it said it would be expanding into category publishing in mystery, thriller and science fiction. Amazon called Thomas & Mercer its fifth imprint, adding it to AmazonEncore (the company's flagship, general imprint), AmazonCrossing (dedicated to literature in translation), Powered by Amazon (a self-publishing platform and less of an imprint per se) and Montlake."

Makes this writer want to get on the bandwagon and focus on her Amazon author's page as well as encourage Amazon reviews of her books and write reviews of other books. All ways to be seen and heard to increase exposure and be noticed by the Amazon powers that be. Certainly to increase sales if nothing else, it all works together ... get the picture?

AND ... if a writer's work creates enough visibility on Amazon in all those ways, why not shoot for one of their imprints to publish your books? As for me, Montlake would be best for my next romantic suspense series.

How about you?