Tuesday 30 April 2013

Allyson Lindt...Conflict of Interest!

I am so pleased to welcome my new friends and Liquid Silver Books pub buddy Allyson Lindt today! Allyson's hot book Conflict of Interest just released yesterday and I couldn't be more excited for her. Please read on as she tells us a bit about it, and the power of plot bunnies that just won't go away.

Welcome Allyson!


What Should I Write About?

When Rosanna offered me the chance to appear on her blog (thank you for this opportunity, btw :-) I said “Yeah, all right, awesome!” And then I realized that meant coming up with a topic. My brain went “Dur…sugar please.” Which is stupid, because my brain never gives me good ideas on sugar, but it keeps trying to convince me it can learn, and I keep listening.
So here I am, and it made me realize, the entire thing is real similar to the cliff-notes version of how I pick which book to write next. At any given time I have dozens of story ideas bouncing in my skull and nagging for attention. And sometimes one screams really loudly, and sometimes none of them really speak up much at all. They’re more like “Eh, you could pick me, or not. Whatever. I don’t need you. I’ll write myself.”
Which they have never done. But like with the sugar, I keep hoping. 
And frequently I’ll sit down and start a kind of stream of consciousness writing. If I can get a synopsis type summary spit out, I’ll head into outlining. If I can make it that far, I’ll give writing a scene or two a try. But that still doesn’t mean that idea wins for the week.
The ones that haunt me even after I walk away – both character and story – those are the ones I stick with. Conflict of Interest for instance. The original idea was simple. Two people with stress in their live meet in a coffee shop, and over time and the occasional “accidental” meeting, random venting becomes more.
The idea wouldn’t leave me alone. Next it wanted to consume (sorry, incorporate) two characters I created eons ago, for very different purposes, who I love so much I’ve never been happy with their roles in their stories.
Suddenly (okay, it actually took a little more work than that), just a little while later, I had: Scott’s sick of his board of directors dictating his behavior. Kenzie’s job is to make him like it. Talk about Conflict of Interest
And now, as a result of the loud, nagging story about the couple who meets in the coffee shop, I’m writing this blog post. And off to find more sugar. Hey, it might work this time.
What inspires you?
 


 

Blurb

Kenzie propositions a sexy stranger in a coffee shop to prove to herself she’s capable
of taking a risk. She doesn’t expect him to be sitting across from her the following
Monday as her newest client. Even worse, she can’t stop thinking about what might
have happened between them on a personal level if it weren’t for their professional
relationship. He knows how to push her buttons, and she doesn’t want him to stop. 

Scott has built his software company from the ground up to escape things like stuffy
old men telling him how to behave, so he loathes his board of directors ordering him to
make the public forget he doesn’t have a verbal filter. When his new publicity manager
is the almost-fling he never expected to see again, he seizes the opportunity to have fun
and still pretend he’s complying with the board’s edict. 

Giving in to desire could mean both their jobs, but each “one last time” always leads to
another. Now they have to decide what they’re willing to sacrifice to indulge this conflict
of interest.

Excerpt:
 
Kenzie twisted in the leather seat to face him, sinking into the oversized jacket draping her shoulders and wiping the rain from her face. The faint scent of his cologne swam through her thoughts. She studied him, soaking wet, shirt accentuating every line of definition on his chest.
 
He laughed and raked his fingers through his brown spikes, pushing the dripping strands off his forehead. “So you’d rather take your chances in the love van than the rain? At least now I know your limits. You’re not worried I might be bad news?”
 
“I know you’re bad news.” The way he didn’t filter his thoughts, but was still gentle and polite. The hint of mischief always lurking in his smile and promising something unknown. It was making her giddy, and nervous, and tingly all over.
 
She worked her fingers into the elastic holding her hair back and yanked it free, letting the loose strands fall around her shoulders. The ponytail had kept it from getting soaked, and it was nice to have the almost-dry warmth against her skin. She’d rather it was his hand again, but the moment seemed to be gone.
 
How had she ended up in this man’s car in the pouring rain, toeing the line of indecent conversation and fantasizing about stripping off his wet clothes? “The barista knows me. She saw us leave together.”
 
“So they’ll come after you when they find my body dead and mangled in a gutter?” His teasing smirk never faded.
 
She batted her eyelashes. “Yes. And the police will track me down, bringing my long string of kidnapping devastatingly sexy men to an end.”
 
“Sexy?” He leaned closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
 
Crap, she hadn’t meant to say that. No, wait, this was perfect. She wasn’t being frigid anymore. She could do flirting. Especially when he made it so easy. Her voice was husky when she replied. “Definitely sexy.”
 
“And you’re going to devastate me?” His fingers lingered on her ear, tracing light lines, eyes searching hers. She inhaled sharply when he trailed down to her earlobe and then brushed the hollow behind it where her neck met her jaw.
 
Her heart hammered against her ribcage, and her mind argued with itself—half insisting this was grossly inappropriate and the other half saying she was thinking too much. He was a random stranger, not a client or an associate. Just a guy whose rough palm against her neck was driving her thoughts wild. “I wouldn’t mind trying.”
 
Wind howled against the vehicle, rain slamming into it from all sides and drowning out the rest of the world. She could get lost in those eyes.
 
“Don’t you need to get home?” He didn’t pull away, and his skin was hot against hers.
 
The same argument she’d had with herself when Riley called echoed in her thoughts, but this time she was leaning toward continuing to swap one-liners with the sexy stranger instead of trudging back to her condo.
 
She shifted her weight in the seat and leaned into his hand, her voice almost lost in the storm outside. “Right. I should do that.”
 
The corner of his mouth twitched, fingertips gliding along the back of her neck. “You’re not convincing me.”
 
She exhaled at the light touch, currents of anticipation flowing through her. “I haven’t convinced myself.”
 

 

Biography

Allyson Lindt has been telling stories since before she could put the words on paper.

She was lucky enough to marry her muse and soul mate. Their cats are their children,

and when they’re not spending way too much time gaming, they’re building new worlds

together. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, and she made

her authorial debut with a racy, erotic short story on a popular porn site for women.

She loves a sexy happily-ever-after and helping deserving couples find their futures

together.

Monday 29 April 2013

Melodie Campbell...Rowena and the Dark Lord!

Allow me to tell you a little story.
Some time ago, I noticed a pretty pink book at my library, one called Rowena Through the Wall. I picked it up, read the blurb, and knew I needed to read it. So I did.

I loved it. With a passion. It had everything I wanted in a book: humor, sex and so many men, I didn't know where to look.

Not too long afterward, I noticed the author Melodie Campbell was a member of one of my Facebook groups. Being a total fangirl, I sent her a little message, letting her know how much I loved Rowena! Melodie was gracious and lovely. We began to talk online. Melodie and I soon noticed that we were local to each other, in fact, even had a couple of people in common. It is a small world!

We met for a coffee, became friends, and the rest is history as they say. I am so privileged today to have Melodie here in my Room for the first time, giving us the scoop on the sequel to her book, Rowena and the Dark Lord. I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy and can't recommend this series enough, for the madcap romance, for the startlingly amazing men, and for the magic.
I know you'll love Melodie's books too! Join her plucky heroine Rowena as she wanders through the maze of an alternate universe where every man wants her, and she isn't sure what she wants.

 
Burn, Baby!  Writing Sex in First Person

Welcome to Land’s End, where the men are real men, the women are scarce, and the sex is…well…pistol hot. But that’s only part of the book. Honest.

I’m a former comedy writer, so I set out to write a rollicking adventure series with lots of funny moments based on the premise of “Girl out of Time.” Take a modern woman, put her back with medieval warriors, and watch how she manages to survive in a primitive world using modern wiles.

Even though I write comic fantasy, I try to make it as realistic as possible. So what happens when a medieval earl sells his soul to become the most powerful mage in the land? The woman he wants is powerless to resist him, of course, and dammit, he isn’t going to settle for dot dot dot…

But here’s the difference. I write in first person. So everything that happens in the book is through the eyes and ears of the protagonist, Rowena. Writing sex scenes in first person is a teeny bit different. You don’t get the ‘blow by blow.’ You get only what the protagonist sees and feels…

What does this mean? Well, if I’ve been good at it, for a short time the reader will become the protagonist. You’ll be pitched into her head to experience what she experiences and her reactions. This can be remarkably provocative.

Powerful stuff for both the reader and my protagonist Rowena. Hopefully, a girl from modern-day Scottsdale Arizona may not mind that kind of attention. You gotta admit, it beats endless E-Harmony first dates.

Rowena Through the Wall, first in the series, was the no. 1 time travel on Amazon.ca in Feb. 2013. Reviewers have called this series “Game of Thrones Lite.” Here is an excerpt from book 2, just released, ROWENA AND THE DARK LORD.

Filled with brutal, sword-swinging danger, yet sexy and funny, I hope you’ll like the Land’s End series.

Excerpt from ROWENA AND THE DARK LORD

Cedric moved to the window with startling speed, eyes sweeping the land for riders. “I don’t blame you for this. I hardly blame him. You are too much a temptation. I need to get you back to Huel.”

He spun back, eyes on me again. I cried out from the pain of it and I felt his answering howl, as the draw shook him where he stood.

“Damn the gods! How can I hold my powers at bay with you so close—“

He was across the room in a second, down on the floor over me, gathering me to him. The pain gave way to unbelievable release—not joy, oh no, never joy—but like a cage of pain being ripped away. I didn’t try to resist it. No, I didn’t resist his hand in my hair, his lips on my throat moving down and down. Already, my legs were moving apart, betraying the thoughtless, helpless creature I was becoming.

His mouth moved down further and I let him, dear God, I welcomed it, his mouth on my skin, knowing me, claiming me, and then…

I jerked and cried out when he entered me. He roared like a lion, pulled back, then burst forward again, and I grabbed his tunic hard and pulled. The cloth ripped in my hands, and I heard him laugh like a demon. His face came down on mine, and we were drowning, fighting for air, and I let go—gave in to the madness, and the waves roared, the room pitched, and I was one with something greater than human—

The room was still now. I opened my eyes. Cedric was sitting cross-legged beside me on the floor with concern on his face. Concern?

“I lost you for a time there,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

This was an old Cedric—a Cedric from before the magic had ruled him. I saw an anxious boy there for a moment, and it confused me. I swallowed hard. The last thing I remembered was being lifted into the night sky. What happened just before that?

Melodie Campbell achieved a personal best this year when Library Journal compared her to Janet Evanovich.  She has over 200 publications, including 100 comedy credits, 40 short stories, and 4 novels. She has won 6 awards for fiction. 


ROWENA AND THE DARK LORD, book 2 in the Land’s End series, is NOW AVAILABLE at the special introductory price of .99! (regular price $3.99, after May 1.) Buy Link:


And the one that started it all: ROWENA THROUGH THE WALL, book 1 in the Land’s End series


 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 25 April 2013

Selkie's Revenge is coming!

Hello dear friends!

I am so pleased to announce that Liquid Silver Books has accepted my latest manuscript, Selkie's Revenge! This is the continuation of my selkie series, which will now be called Orkney Selkies. It gives me such a thrill to see how Calan and Maggie were embraced in The Selkie, and I really hope everyone loves Machar and Beth, my new hero and heroine!

Who are they?

Machar "Mack" Kirk is a selkie on a mission: to destroy the evil being who took his love away from him.

Beth Pedersen is a woman with her own ghosts...literally? You'll see.

Please stay in touch and as soon as I have more info and covers to share, you will hear it here first!
Thank you.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Let's welcome Kelli Evans!

I am very pleased to showcase the wonderful works of Kelli Evans today! Kelli is a fellow Liquid Silver Books author, the author of the very sexy Whisper Hollow series, and I can't wait to hear more about her stuff!

Check out the following books...you'll want to add them to your TBR list today!



Author Bio: Kelli Evans is a bright new voice in the contemporary romance world. She sets most of her books in Michigan where she lives with her husband along with their cat and their pony-sized dog. When Kelli’s not writing she can be found spending time with her sitcom- esque family, boating, fishing, crafting or enjoying her first love – a good book. 

 
Lucky Enough blurb:Reagan Hilt is down on her luck after a recent breakup that leaves her with an expensive wedding to pay for that never even happened. Not to mention she already has two sisters meddling in her business and a sleazy landlord knocking on her door. The last thing Reagan needs is a hot guy sniffing around who may or may not be the father of the teen girl she’s been court appointed to mentor. He should have been off-limits, and would have been if he didn’t blow her world away with every one of his kisses.

Reed Morely’s daughter was just dropped in his lap after his piece-of-work ex-wife kept her from him for years. She’s no longer daddy’s little girl but a nose-pierced, smart-mouthed teenager. Being a father is suddenly a full-time job and trying to make up for lost time has Reed attempting to keep his hands off his daughter’s pretty mentor.

Reagan and Reed have their hands full already, but when they’re confronted with their pasts, and with the odds stacked against them, they’re left wondering if they could ever be lucky enough to have it all.


Just Her Luck blurb: Ronnie Hilt is the ideal business woman and golden child—successful, dedicated, and an absolute perfectionist. Joe Aarons can ruffle her cool like no one can, but due to a heartache looming in her past Ronnie is looking for stability not a tall, virile, dangerous sheriff.

Officer Joe Aarons has been after Ronnie since the day they met. He may come off as the carefree, smirky, risk-taker that Ronnie thinks he is, but deep down he’s looking for the permanence and family he’s never truly had. While there are many other women in town who wouldn’t be opposed to settling down with the town’s hot cop, he can’t ignore the chemistry sparking with Ronnie.

A drunken wild night allows Ronnie to let her hair down and with it her walls and inhibitions. In the morning Joe is hoping for more, while Ronnie is trying to pretend it never happened. It’s just her luck that one home pregnancy test several weeks later proves that she can’t. With a baby on the way, Ronnie tells Joe she wants to marry him for the sake of appearances. Joe’s left trying to decide how far Ronnie will go to keep up her good girl reputation, and to what lengths he’ll go to have her and the family he’s always wanted.




One Lucky Deal Blurb: Candace Hilt works with stray and injured animals, takes care of five of her own loveable mutts, deals with meddling sisters, and can hold her own at a poker table full of rowdy men. Her heart is as big as all of Whisper Hollow but not quite big enough to fit a serious relationship into the mix. That was reaffirmed when she came face-to-face with the walking, talking reminder of that long-ago summer when one stupid guy ruined it for all the rest.

When Tad Dundee met Candace he’d been six feet of baseball-capped, country boy, down-home idiot and probably still is. He is the guy who broke Candace’s heart all those years ago because his feelings for her scared him then, and even now, as a grown man, doesn’t find her or relationships any less intimidating.

With the past tucked neatly behind them and neither of them looking for anything serious, they’d fallen into a very easy, comfortable friendship until their friends challenge them to a summer of commitment. Tad and Candace’s pride won’t let them turn it down. They are thrust into a fake relationship with each other that has them both battling against a sizzling hot attraction and that even hotter old flame. Will winning the bet mean losing everything all over again, or are they about to be dealt one lucky deal?


All of Kelli's books can be found at www.lsbooks.com

Tuesday 23 April 2013

T.D. Hassett...Isabel's Awakening!

Today, it is such a pleasure to welcome a new friend and Liquid Silver pub buddy T.D. Hassett! She's here to tell us a bit about what makes a story fun for her, and tortured heroes (our favorite kind!) Her new book Isabel's Awakening is on my TBR list, and I'm sure it'll be on yours as soon as you read on.

Welcome T.D.!



First of all, let me send out a big thank you to the very talented Rosanna Leo for hosting me today on her blog!  I admit to lusting after quite a few of her covers and so hope to capture a Selkie of my own someday.  In the meantime, I will just have to keep on writing about the heroes that steal my own heart.  Let me just sit down and get comfortable for a minute because this is something I have a lot to say about. *Pulls up chair*. 

So what sort of hero calls to me? You wanted to ask me that, right? *Starts talking anyway* 

I love heroes that are both vulnerable and strong.  They have to be self deprecating but still confident in their primary abilities.  Of course, being incredibly sexy and great in bed doesn’t hurt either! * Wipes a bit of perspiration from brow *. A hero needs to be protective of his woman while also letting her live her own life and excel in her own endeavors without jealousy and manipulation. He must be faithful, persistent and determined to see the positive in life despite what darkness has transpired.   

My newest hero, Thomas Morgan, has a past that haunts him but he has found ways to cope with his mistakes.  At least until love finds him and he has to change.   

How long does it take to write a full-length novel? How do I stop talking long enough to ever get any writing done?  

I can’t speak for any other writers, but it takes me quite a long time!  Just ask my husband and kids who complain about the amount of time I spend handcuffed to my computer.  I start out with a character in mind and then imagine what sort of trouble they might attract.  Once I get a basic idea of where I think the story is going the real work begins.  I probably write in batches of about 2,000 words every few days, which usually works out to equal a fully fleshed out scene.   The scenes build on each other and sometimes things wind up going in a completely different direction than where I had planned!  Those pesky characters haunt me.  Now I realize writing a few thousand words every few days sounds like a lot, but much of that winds up in the trash.  I once read another famous author’s advice to aspiring writers and he basically said to just keep writing.  Even if you think most of it is junk there will be some treasures in there.  My newest release, “Isabel’s Awakening” took me almost a year to write because the characters of Isabel and Thomas just kept talking to me and not letting me finish their story.  For the last couple months I have been writing a follow-up book  and don’t expect to finish before the end of summer. 

 What is a theme of your romances? Theme, what theme, I just look for excuses

 to throw lots of hot sex into my books…I mean of course there are themes of transformation and healing. *Coughs discreetly and smiles*. 

I love fairy tales because the stories are such simple tales of good and evil, love and hate. A childhood favorite of mine was the tale of Cinderella.  As an adult, I realize that such a tale really needs some modern updating.  In the traditional story, Cinderella is the poor stepdaughter forced into a cruel fate and can only be saved by her Prince Charming. Cinderella doesn’t fight her way out of the basement and into the light; in fact, her attempts at doing so are rather futile and based more on the activities of her friends than her own ingenuity.   

Finally, the only thing Prince Charming knows about his love for her is her beauty and her sweetness.  He has no idea what kind of a woman she really is! I fully accept that my stories are modern Cinderella tales.  They involve women who are attractive, but not international beauties.  They often have experienced profound loss and pain in their past, which they work to overcome. They are talented, resourceful and smart women who have a fiery independent streak and a desire to take on the world in their own way.  Each of them falls in love with a different type of man and each works to bring that man to his knees.  They don’t need an alpha male to rescue them; they want a man to need them and share their souls with.  I do wish the Prince had at least known a bit more about his bride-to-be besides her shoe size.
 

Anyway, thanks again Rosanna for letting me blab on today! *Waves and then bites down on lip to stop further talking*. 

 

Author Biography

T.D. Hassett  grew up reading the romance greats, Jackie Collins, Julie Garwood and Judith McNaught.  She was certain that life should be like a romance novel, lots of passion, some incredible adventures and a guaranteed happily ever after.  She attended college in New England earning a B.A. in history and a M.S. degree in clinical psychology before changing her mind again and studying education.  Currently Ms. Hassett lives in Connecticut with her very patient husband and two young children.  Her rambunctious family shares their home with 3 crazy cats and a darling golden retriever named Delilah.  Her eccentric relatives and their quest to make her feel like the only normal nut in the family tree inspire her writing.

 

Isabel’s Awakening Blurb

 

It’s been five busy years, and Newcastle-born singer/guitarist Thomas Morgan is still punishing himself for his younger brother’s death.

Thomas’s young, fashion-model wife once led her husband’s idolizing brother, Chris, into both drugs and an adulterous relationship. The loss of his brother and total destruction of his marriage destroyed Thomas. To avoid entanglements with others, even his young son, Thomas focused on promoting his music and the management of his now highly profitable record company. He thought he had everything at a safe distance, at least until Isabel literally slammed into his life.

High school teacher, Isabel Warren, finds herself falling head over heels in love with the sexy-as-sin guitarist for the rock band Becket. Soon Isabel’s orderly world of lesson plans, thesis writing, and student loan debt is competing against desire, passion, and her vulnerable heart.

Isabel struggles to navigate her newly stirred passions with her rising academic career and independent nature. As the sex sizzles, the two lovers will have to decide which parts of their dreams they will sacrifice for their fledgling relationship. 

Can Thomas ever trust and love again, and will the young woman he meets ever have the confidence and strength to be with him? 

 

Excerpt:

 

It was well after midnight, and Isabel felt the buzz of concert beer and party wine. Thomas had been working the room steadily and checking back to ensure she was chatting happily with a group. She saw him cornered with a radio show producer he’d introduced her to earlier. Thomas had a tortured expression on his beautiful face. She finally understood why the whole band didn’t show up at these things.

The ladies she’d been chatting with were working up a sweat on the dance floor, and part of her longed to join them. The rational side won out. She really couldn’t dance and preferred others not to know how clumsy she could be, especially after a few drinks. Isabel parked herself by the bar and prepared to enjoy some people-watching. She couldn’t believe how packed the place was. She did meet some really nice people and only got snubbed by a few drunken idiots who must have been trawling for celebrities. Part of her was disappointed it was time to go when Thomas returned from his latest round of shop talk and asked if she was ready to head out.

Thomas escorted her to the elevator while tapping out a message on his iPhone. He was letting the hotel’s driver know they were ready to go and where to meet them. They stepped into the mirror-lined elevator and headed down to the lobby level. Suddenly, Isabel was nervous, and not in a front-door-kiss-or-no-kiss-end-of-the-date sort of way. She hadn’t had the talk with herself about this date because it just all sort of happened. She had really expected just to go to the show and then be home by ten thirty, reading thesis notes and petting her cat. Even at the backstage party, she’d still thought she’d get to chat with him for a few minutes and then be dismissed with the rest of the hordes. Why did he want to be with her when there were so many other girls? Insecurities washed over her.

Thomas overwhelmed her. He was so out of Isabel’s little world. On Monday, she would teach the Crusades to disinterested seventeen-year-olds, and he would be many miles away somewhere, crooning out megahits to a stadium filled with adoring fans. Oh my God. What was she even pretending to do?

Her disparaging thoughts suddenly flew totally out of her head. Thomas looked right into her eyes and stroked her lower lip.

“You did great tonight. I’m really glad you came,” he huskily whispered. Before she could ask for clarification, he continued. “I saw you talking and laughing with the staff from Marketing and Planning, and I liked that. In my line of work, you get a little sick of people always brown-nosing the celebrities and forgetting who’s responsible for the whole fuckin’ operation.”

It sounded as though he was about to say more, but the elevator jerked to a stop, and the lights went out, only to flicker back on seconds later. Must have been a power surge and the backup generators were kicking on.

Isabel stared back, wide-eyed and openmouthed. He leaned closer, and without any further hesitation, his lips met hers.

This was a kiss, a real, soul-sucking and tongue-sliding-over-her-lips kiss, the kiss of all kisses. Oh my.

One of his hands slid from her jawline to the back of her neck and pushed her lips into harder contact with his own. The other hand gently tugged her jaw down so her mouth opened slightly. His tongue slipped into her mouth and tickled her inner lip. He swirled his tongue around and caressed hers. She tasted the heady mix of wine and good stout on their mingling breaths. Before she could stop herself, she let a little moan escape. Their mouths became even hungrier for each other, and she pressed her breasts to his chest. He nibbled her lip a bit and then resumed the dueling of tongues deep in her mouth. The hand on her neck dropped down and gently squeezed her ass, pushing her harder into him. She felt his erection against her lower belly, and very wicked parts of her longed to pull his leather pants down and stroke him. Isabel rolled her hips against him and was rewarded with a wonderful growl.

He slid his hand up her clingy tank top and cupped her breast. She wanted more. Her breasts swelled, and her core became soaked with just the rhythm of his tongue in her mouth, sliding in and out and around. His slender fingers slid their way under her bra, and finally, he stroked one engorged nipple. The blood in her body flooded to two very special spots.

Isabel strained against his fingers, wanting him to pinch and stroke her nipple more. Hell, she wanted him to slide his other hand up and play with both breasts. He ground against her, and she responded with animal like mewling noises. This was not the teacher her students would even realize existed.

The elevator shook and resumed its downward journey, jolting both of them apart. Cool air flowed against her heated skin, and they each took a deep breath. Thomas stepped sideways a bit. He smiled like a male model and said simply, “Wow.”

She couldn’t help replying, “Wow to you too.”

 

 

Monday 22 April 2013

Cover Reveals with Wild About Bones!

Hello!

Today is a special day here in my Room. I get to host the illustrious and mysterious "Wild About Bones," the creator of the wonderful site Cover Reveals. If you haven't yet had a look at Cover Reveals, it features some of the hottest covers in today's lit. Wild About Bones is not just a blogger, but also a book reviewer, content editor and acquisitions editor as well, and she knows romance! If you write in the genre, or related genres, you will want to check out her cool blog. I hope you enjoy our interview!

 WildAboutBones Presents Cover Reveals


Cover Reveals is a hot site which showcases some of the best covers out there. How was the Cover Reveals idea born?

Thank you, Rosanna. I saw so many good stories not getting the attention I felt they deserved, stories I thought were great and knew others would too – if they only knew about them. I decided to see what I could do to change that. I was already telling friends and was on an author’s street team, but I just wasn’t reaching enough people. As a book reviewer for a friend’s site, I was able to post a few cover reveals, but only for the genres that site catered to. So Cover Reveals (http://CoverReveals.blogspot.com) was born. I started out only featuring the romance sub-genres and urban fantasy but soon added fantasy. In the future I will be added more genres. 

 

What do you think makes an effective cover? Does this vary depending on the book genre?

Absolutely! But before I elaborate, I want to talk about a cover’s purpose. The cover’s job is first to catch the readers’ eye and entice the reader to pick it up/click on it to find out more. Secondly, the cover needs to reflect the genre at a glance. And lastly, it is an advertising tool for the author. Therefore to be effective, the author’s name must be prominent, the series name and book number should be present, and it must represent the genre, sub-genre, and/or theme. It should be relatively uncluttered, especially if it will be available online. The cover needs to be legible at thumbnail size. A book’s cover can make or break the book unless the author is able to get everyone talking about the story.

 

What do you think of the old adage about judging a book by its cover? Do you look at cover first when choosing your reading material?

Without a doubt. Whether I’m browsing the shelves in a bookstore or shopping online, even within my favorite genre, the cover is what attracts my attention first. If it is appealing or has a familiar author name on it and looks like it is my genre, I will pick it up, or click on it, and read the blurb. Most readers will do the same.

 

So many of the covers showcased on Cover Reveals are from the romance genre. What do you think of the current trend for spare covers, featuring a single item such as a pair of cufflinks or a rose? Do you think readers might gravitate to these covers, rather than the ones featuring a couple/group in a risqué position?

I think the single item covers work for a few very select genres.  Most of the time, you can’t tell what genre a single item cover is for.  Many readers have precious little time to waste time looking at titles not in their preferred genres. I think this trend comes from being a popular choice of the indie authors who don’t want to invest in their cover or don’t realize how important it is to reflect the genre in the cover. Sex sells. So a sexy cover is going to grab a romance reader’s eye much quicker than a cover that isn’t sexy. And that is the purpose of a cover.

 

Okay, the question burning in everyone’s minds (meaning me). Why are you “WildAboutBones?” And what sorts of bones are we talking about? (hee hee)

LOL! I needed a fun name to post books reviews under for a paranormal review site. I am a huge Jeanienne Frost fan, and I love her Night Huntress series featuring Cat and Bones. Bones is the nickname of the main vampire character. I just adore him. I got the idea from a Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake series fan who was WildAboutJeanClaude on Laurell’s forum.

 


Was there one particular romance book that inspired you to join this industry? Who is your favourite author and why?

I’ve always been a huge horror fan. I loved the Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, I was a Teenage Werewolf movies growing up. And reading has been a passion since listening to my mother act out the voices while reading us Where the Wild Things Are. Although I read the bodice rippers in the seventies and eighties, horror was my favorite. I couldn’t get enough of Stephen King and Clive Barker and they led me to Brian Lumley who has a very cool vampire/necromancer series called Necroscope which in a roundabout way led me to Laurell K. Hamilton’s urban fantasy Anita Blake series (she is both a vampire hunter and necromancer of sorts) which led me to my love affair with paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I read a lot of many different genres but also come back to paranormal romance, urban fantasy and fantasy. 

 

Who is my favorite author? I just have too many to name. There are so many really good authors out there, and I find new ones I really like every day.  I have about forty authors I will drop everything to read their newest releases and the list just keeps getting longer.

 

What do you ask of authors who come to you for a cover reveal?

First I ask them what genre their title is. Then I ask if the book was released within the past three months or will be releasing within the next six months. If the book matches my criteria, I ask them to visit my Requests page at http://coverreveals.blogspot.com/p/requests.html for a list of all of the information I need including up to three past releases. I want to not only help get the word out about their current title but also provide a way to check out some of their past releases. I also ask for their twitter handle because I tweet about every post and will include their handle if they have one as a quick way for their fans to engage them.

 

Many authors ask when the best time to do a cover reveal is. My answer is basically any time. If you have a big fan following, you can do it several months in advance to get readers excited. You can slowly reveal different things within the six week prior to release. For example, reveal just the book trailer six week ahead of release. Reveal the cover and blurb four weeks prior to release and two weeks before release, reveal an excerpt.  If your title has pre-ordering, make sure to take promo it. Many authors will wait until release day or just afterward for their reveals to take advantage of impulse buying.  Authors can also do reveals months after the release to provide a boost to sales or keep the current sales momentum going. I tell authors not to get caught up in the word “reveal” and let that stop them from promoting their titles after release. 

 

For fun:
 

Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan? Pierce Brosnan 

White or dark chocolate? Dark,,,yummy
 

Cotton PJ’s or silky things? Cotton
 

Ereader or hard copy? Wow, that is a really hard one. I love the convenience of being able to carry around hundreds of books with me in case I am stuck waiting somewhere for a while. I also love being able to shop in my PJs without having to leave the house and having the stories delivered immediately. But there is just something about being able to sit in a comfy easy chair with a hard copy. So I guess I have to say…both.
 

If you could travel to a fantasy location with any romance hero, who would it be, where, and what would you do to, ahem, with him? The place? Alaska, the northern wilds of Canada, the North Pole, or South Pole. While those don’t seem very romantic at first thought, hear me out for me minute. The what to do? Snuggle, cuddle, and always stay close to keep warm, wrapped around each other and…ahem…you get the idea. The who? Well now, there are so many good candidates, why limit myself to just one? I’m thinking of a triad or quad ménage lifestyle. *wicked grin* They would be paranormals of some sort…a shifter/were or two, maybe a vampire, a Sidhe or fae, and/or something else intriguing. I really like the whole mating for life thing. My first choices would be Bones from Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series, Zsadist from J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, or Zarek from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series, but they are all taken, and I don’t poach. So I’ll just have to find some of my own. Hmmm… I wonder if there are any of Calan Kirk’s brothers still unattached? I could go for a sexy selkie.
 
Why thank you, Wild About Bones...I will do what I can to send a selkie man right over!! Thanks for being here. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Dy Loveday...Illusion!

Hello!
Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming Dy Loveday, another of my Liquid Silver Books pub buddies. When I read Dy's post for the first time, I related instantly. I think every writer has the need to write and it was fascinating to hear about her journey. I hope you'll welcome Dy today and don't forget to take a boo at her awesome book Illusion!

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Hi Rosanna and thanks for hosting me on your blog today.

 

I’d like to chat about my writing journey: how it started, some of the barriers and what helped me on the path to publication.

 

Around 10 years ago, I was buying books from the LSB website and secretly fantasizing about being one of their authors.  The memory lurked in my subconscious and after having kids and settling into full time work, I decided that it was either now or never. 

 

Once I packed in the day job, I realized that writing decent prose and dialogue wasn’t going to be easy.  Firstly, writing a novel is nothing like writing policy for government (I can hear readers scoffing from here, but believe me I was that naive).  And then there was all the research required in making the story as realistic and believable as possible. 

 

The backstory of my fantasy romance, Illusion, is based in Mesopotamia.  Digging up records of Carthage and sorting Roman propaganda from fact was a long, drawn out affair.  At times I wanted to toss the computer out the window and go back to my regular day job (much better paid by the way).  I spent hundreds of hours researching child sacrifice and questioning the accuracy of the source.  Most of the scholars ended up disagreeing with one another, and I’ll happily let the reader decide whether the Carthaginians sacrificed their children to their god, Molokh.  You might conclude the ancients had the terrible misfortune of losing hundreds of aristocratic kids of a specific age and the Romans were just nasty rumourmongers.  Hell, stranger things have happened, right? 

 

Illusion was written in free form or as many authors say, by the ‘seat of my pants.’  It took 9 months to write and 18 months to revise.  Nowadays I tend to plot my stories so I have a handle on where they are going, because there is nothing worse in my mind than endless revisions after a story is finished. 

 

For anyone wanting to write or anyone who has a dream, I encourage you to push through the barriers.  Ignore the naysayers who tell you that you’ll never make it: because if you’re persistent enough, stubborn enough, you can turn your dream into a reality.  Someone once told me to write from the heart and I find if I’m doing that, I’m truly happy.

 

Illusion is a near-future story of a girl addicted to spells in a post-apocalyptic setting of mages and warlocks.  She falls in love with an off-world warlock and must discover the truth of her past in order to find love and redemption.  There are several dark themes running through the narrative.  Although I love romance I do enjoy writing and reading about the darker side of life and Illusion is no exception. 

 

Feel free to visit my website www.dyloveday.com,


Facebook www.facebook.com/dylovedayauthor to catch up on current projects.

 

Excerpt:

 

Trembling inside, she moved to the window and watched lightning split the sky. Thunder boomed overhead, echoing down the river and bouncing off the cliffs. It was time to make a decision. Maya wavered for a moment. She understood what Resh wanted. But did she want the same thing?

Hearing a hiss, she turned to see Resh dump a handful of St John’s wort and apple seeds into the crucible. Magic vibrated in the room, pooling low in her stomach. A crack appeared in the crucible, but he didn't appear concerned. If possible, his hands moved faster.

Resh drew three concentric circles and corresponding lines on the floor in black charcoal. It looked like a wheel with broken spokes. He marked twisting serpent creatures in the second circle, and astrological symbols in the outer ring. The serpents began to move, just slightly, but enough to make her step back.

"Can I help?" she asked, hoping he wouldn’t say ‘yes’.

He glanced up. "Given your artistic skills? No, I think I'll rely on my meager slashing."

His hands quivered slightly as he placed the cinnabar on dolomite in the middle of the formula. Chanting in a low, deep tone he used tongs to pick up the crucible and placed it on the crystal. As soon as the two surfaces met, splashes of olive and scarlet liquid pooled onto the wooden floor.

He stared at her, eyes intent. His lips were slightly open and full and she wondered what they would taste like. Heat coiled and spread through her body, and she resisted the impulse to squirm. He had a beautiful body. He definitely wanted her, she could tell by his eyes and the way he avoided touching her. But he also wanted something else, and she couldn't quite work out if he protected her, or just used her for his own benefit.

"When do we leave?" she asked, instead of doing something else; something she’d regret. His lips were gorgeous. The veins in his arms bulged in a darkening web, the magical roadmap of life.

“Within the hour.”

“An hour.  I had no idea it would be so soon.”

He stared at her with incomprehension and then his face cleared.  “The tincture is near completion and when Jupiter reaches mid-sky, we leave.  The Khereb are on our heels.”

Sweat dripped from his face and his hands shook with strain.  The ritual wore on him, but any sympathy she might have felt disappeared with his abrupt words.  He sounded exactly like the creepy mage from the House of Horus. 

He wiped the perspiration off with a piece of linen, tossing it and a bloody eyeball into the circle.  At the center of the formula an obsidian cloud coalesced and reached out as if attracted to him.  It whirled and revolved upon itself, and in the middle of the dark mass, an eye appeared.  The eyelid opened and the pupil focused on Resh and then swivelled to Maya.



 

***

 

You can find a copy of Illusion at:


Barnes & Noble:  http://tinyurl.com/bol75tm

Liquid Silver Books:  http://tinyurl.com/d467eya

OmniLit:  https://www.omnilit.com/product-illusion-986100-140.html

Saturday 6 April 2013

Thank you to my Selkie fans!

I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the wonderful folks who voted for The Selkie in the recent TRR Best Book awards for 2012.


Although my selkie man did not take home the prize this year, it was such an honor to be nominated. I was in tremendous company, and received so much support from my readers. It touched me a great deal to hear how readers have responded to Calan, my sexy selkie man.

I hope, as we continue with 2013, that Calan will inspire more readers. Thank you everyone, and feel free to tell a friend about The Selkie. I appreciate you sharing the love. :)

http://www.lsbooks.com/the-selkie-p698.php

Rosanna

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Tara Quan...Warlock's Pawn!

Hi all!

Well, can I just say this? My TBR list has Tara Quan written all over it right now! And can you blame me? Tara is a new Liquid Silver author who already has a legion of fans, and I know you will be too after reading the excerpt from her new book Warlock's Pawn.

Please help me welcome Tara!



Tara Quan … Warlock’s Pawn

 

I first stumbled upon Rosanna’s name while searching for a place to submit my first novella, Tower in the Woods. I read excerpts from The Selkie and For the Love of a God, and Rosanna’s flair for melding the paranormal with romance helped convince me to submit my manuscript to Liquid Silver Books.

 

That was five months ago. Since then, we’ve bumped into each other on forums and Goodreads, as well as Facebook and Twitter. I was stoked when she invited me here to promote my new release.

 

Because Rosanna’s a fellow LSB writer, I thought this would be a good place to tell people about one of my inspirations for Warlock’s Pawn—the publisher’s description of their highest heat level. I read it, and I wanted to know if I could hit it. Only after deciding to give it a try did I discover how difficult writing about lots and lots of sex truly is. The real challenge, of course, was crafting the story in such a way that none of the sex was for sex’s sake.

 

An erotic journey filled with deception and suspense, Warlock’s Pawn is the first book in my Captive Fates series. My hero is a warrior who uses magic as his weapon, and my heroine is a fey foreseer determined to alter her kingdom’s destiny. Amidst a fantasy desert setting, they first fall in lust and then in love with each other.

 

I’ve included a sneak peak below. Come visit my website (www.taraquan.com) for more about my writing. I’m also on Twitter (https://twitter.com/LaylaTarar) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/taraquanauthor).

 

 

Blurb:

 

Foreseeing the warlock’s destiny, Alia saves the man her sister plotted to kill. He returns five years later to conquer her city. A pawn in a battle for desert waters, Alia resigns herself to a political marriage and an empty bed. But when Duncan demands more than just her name, she chances losing her heart along with her freedom.

 

Determined to reclaim her kingdom, Anora parlays her body to remain at Duncan’s side. From within the Helicon court she spins her web, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Alia is all that stands between her and the throne. Her sister must cease to breathe before the warlock’s affection wanes.

 

A master tactician, Duncan has no qualms making Anora his courtesan and Alia his queen. But it is Alia’s eyes that haunt his dreams, and she soon becomes his only weakness. With the perils that haunt the Helicon court, caring for the fey is absolute folly. A warlock’s love is a fatal curse, and Alia’s death will be his undoing.

 

Content Notes: Intense Heat/Edgy Erotic Romance, Anal Play/Intercourse, Light BDSM Practices or Play, Ménage

 

Excerpt:

 

Gripping her chin with his thumb and forefinger, Duncan tilted her delicate face up for better scrutiny. “Those fey eyes do not lie. Even with your face covered, you are as much a symbol of Dionian power as Anora. Those in the city may not bow at your feet for fear of retribution, but they know you are their princess all the same.”

Anger flashed, turning the purple pools a darker shade. “I serve them, warlock, as a disciple of the goddess. I mend bones and brew elixirs. I provide those with need the knowledge they seek. Dionians respect the temple because it is they we serve, and they see me as one among the many who help tend their wounds. Very few know what the color of my eyes mean.”

 

As his mind mulled over changes to strategy, he could not suppress a triumphant smile. “Then you are a more useful pawn than I first believed. When your bloodline is revealed, you will have already earned your people’s loyalty. Alia. It is a name I shall never forget.”

 

For reasons he could not understand, Duncan was reluctant to release her. Nonetheless, he laid her on the cold shifting sand and rose. An arduous path awaited him, and he was eager to begin the conquest he should never have attempted to avoid. Helicon needed the waters this kingdom possessed. What he failed to acquire through marriage, he would now have to take by force.

 

Surprising him, Alia lifted her hand in an unmistakable gesture. “You need power to return to your lands,” she observed as their gazes met. “Take what your body demands.”

“You will be weakened beyond awareness,” he warned even as he crouched by her side. His newfound conscience and practicality warred as Duncan scrutinized her small form. She was half his weight, and standing, her head would not reach the center of his chest. She was young, her power untrained, and she was too weak to make such an offer. “You have but a trickle of magic left. If you allow me to drain your life force, the act will forever tie your mind to mine.”

 

Her eyes were those of one who had often faced a destiny not of her choosing. “The link goes both ways. Accept what neither of us can change. You cannot wait for the sun to rise, for the princess will not be satisfied without your body. Soldiers will arrive at dawn, and the ravine takes days to traverse. Just promise you will leave me safe inside the temple’s walls. I will be cared for while you spend the next half decade coating the sands in blood.”

 

He took her hand and felt the uneven rhythm of her pulse. She knew what was being offered and where this choice would lead. There was a reason his kind risked their lives to possess the fey. He overlooked caution in his courtship of Anora because she was the only fey princess he believed existed. With their blood came indescribable power, enough magic to transport him back to his lands. Only a warlock could take a fey’s power at will, and that very nature had once pitched the two races in a war that led to the near-extinction of both. Worshiped by humans as demigods, very few of either bloodline still lived.

 

“What do you ask? What is the payment you demand for saving the life of the Ruler of Helicon?” he questioned as he bent his head to her proffered wrist and brushed his lips against her palm.

 

“I ask that you be merciful,” she said as he drew in her life force, and pure white magic seeped through his body to undo all that Anora’s poison had wrought. With the bond came an understanding of words that need not be spoken, of a request made by a being who knew too well how this war would end.

 

Once he was sated, Duncan released the fey’s hand and gazed upon her pale unconscious form. He bent to press his lips against her cheek before fastening on the veil.

“The Dionian court will pay for its crime, and one day you will belong to me,” he whispered as he lifted the feather-light body into his arms. “But the people you protect will be safe under my rule. To that you have my vow.”

 

Buy Links:

 

Reviews & Consolidated Buy Links available at - http://taraquan.com/captive-fates/ Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BW7BYLY



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Thanks for your lovely comments, Tara, and thanks for being here today!