Thursday, June 28, 2012

Friday Fun: Meet Eileen Dreyer + Giveaway!!!

Please help me welcome mega-talented Eileen Dreyer to the blog today! I'm lucky to call Eileen my RWA chapter mate and so thrilled to have her here:) 
Eileen will be offering a B & N gift card to one lucky commentator, so be sure to leave a note to Eileen.
You can learn all about Eileen and her many, many books at her Website 


Thanks for being here today, Eileen!


How to Do Innocent Sexiness

            So there I was with a historical romance trilogy under my belt, and I realized that there would be an unavoidable lapse before the next one. “I have an idea,” my editor said. “Why don’t you write an e-story to bridge the gap.”
            How did I answer? The way I answer any question put to me by my editor. “Sure. I can do that.”
            Hmmm. What exactly should the story be? I couldn’t just slip one into the ongoing timeline. After all, my series is about a group of gentlemen spies who are in the midst of foiling a plot to overthrow the British throne in 1815. Before I knew what I was doing, I had established a timeline. Ian Ferguson, one of my spies, also called Drake’s Rakes, ended the last book of the first trilogy(Always a Temptress) shot and falling into the English Channel. I couldn’t simply say, “And now for something completely different.” By the time I got back to him, he’d be a mackerel snack.
            Well, I thought, how bout I introduce the next trilogy?
            “Next trilogy?” my editor asked. “You just said you’re doing the Rakes. That’s nine books.”
            “Ah, yes, but if I divide it up by heroines into three, the whole thing would be much more manageable.”(at least for me.)
            Just as with every conversation I have with my editor, this one ended with me saying, “Trust me.”
So I would like to introduce my new Drake’s Rakes trilogy, Last Chance Academy, where the next three heroines—Sarah Clarke, Fiona Ferguson and Pippin Knight—survived school. They think they were sent there because they were incorrigible. And while they are, there is another very good reason. They just don’t know it until they find out in my estory, It Begins With a Kiss.
            Excellent. We have an idea. We have a story that introduces not only the school and how it affects our heroines, it introduces those heroines, and lets us know which heroes they will eventually match wits with. Which brings us to an unexpected problem.
“We’d like it to be…you know…hot,” one of the publishing people said.
            Okay. So in addition to introducing the characters, I  had to actually introduce one of the couples. I settled on Fiona Ferguson and Alex Knight, who is called to the school to stop Fiona from running away. And yes, of course there is chemistry. How can there not be?
            However…
            When Kiss begins, Fiona is only sixteen. Alex is only twenty-three or so, but still, it just seemed a bit…well, felonious. So I’ll admit it right now. There is no full-frontal nudity. There is, however, quite enough action to make their relationship inevitable.
            I really hope you enjoy It Begins With a Kiss. I had such fun writing it(once I figured out that whole PG rating thing). And I do get to introduce three new heroines, whom I know I’m going to love just as much as the Three Graces who made up the first trilogy. Tell me if you agree.
            Stop by my website www.eileendreyer.com or my Drake’s Rakes page on Facebook for giveaways and notifications. Oh, and romance trading cards. I have a brand new one for It Begins With a Kiss, complete with one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen, much less had. And let me know if I got that heat level right. I hope so. I’ve loved my Rakes for a long time. And I’m really falling in love with the girls of Last Chance Academy. 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

New Release Wednesday!

Please help me welcome the talented LOUISA MASTERS! And be sure to check out her new release ONE NIGHT IN A BAR here
And leave a comment for your chance to win an e-copy!

Thanks for being here today, Louisa!
*****


All the best stories start with "So I was painting my nails sparkly green..." Seriously. They do.
So I was painting my nails sparkly green, watching Castle on TV and surfing facebook—just a typical Sunday night—when the power went out. Poop. Fortunately, the glow from the screen allowed me to put the polish safely on the table and fumble around for some candles. Unfortunately, I was missing one of the few TV shows I actually allow myself to watch and I'd just totally ruined my manicure.
I sat there in the candlelight, my laptop hibernating because I didn't know how long the power would be out and I didn't want to waste the charge, and I'm bored out of my mind. I wasn't in the mood to read—unusual for me, but typical for the situation—no TV, no laptop, not enough light for crafts or cleaning. I started thinking about stupid things, like if the blackout lasted until morning, how the hell was I going to get the car out of the garage (yes, I know there's a manual release). And that led to wondering what happens in hotels when the power goes out. Do those key-card locks release? Or are you closed out of your room? Do you wander the halls, lit only by the glow of emergency lighting, shadowy corners everywhere...
Ka-ching! Hello, new plot.
Still unwilling to risk the charge on my laptop, I pulled out a notepad and began to write longhand. I got very involved...in fact, I only realized how long it had been when the candles began to flicker. The story is still unnamed, but it started when I was painting my nails sparkly green—and it promises to be awesome!
My latest release, One Night in a Bar, was written in the normal fashion, on my laptop, but is still pretty amazing.
Ever had a one—night stand who didn't want to go away? What happens when your one-nighter comes back into your life...?
Karen comes home unexpectedly to find her boyfriend cheating on her with her (male) boss, and another man. Can she really be blamed for pulling out the mace when they invite her to join in?
She mourns the loss of her job at a bar, gets a little tipsy...and somehow, she ends up having sex in an alley with tall, dark, and sexy Daniel. Something she’s never done before. Good thing they'll never see each other again, right?
Wrong...
One month into a new job, she lands a fabulous new client, world—renowned sculptor Crogan. Except, Daniel Crogan turns out to be her one—hour stand. And professionalism is the last thing on his mind.
What's a girl to do in this situation? Should she insist on a working relationship only, or give in to the demands of her body? And what happens when Daniel wants to sculpt her...in the nude?
You can read an excerpt and buy One Night in a Bar here and please visit my site to see what else I'm working on. In the meantime, I'm giving one lucky commenter a copy of Inter-Office Relations.
Huge thanks to Jennifer for being such a wonderful host!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Friday Fun -- Meet Rebecca J Clark!!!


Please help me welcome the wonderfully talented REBECCA J CLARK to the blog today!! Let's help her CELEBRATE because today is RELEASE DAY for DELIVER THE MOON.

Rebecca is giving away an e-copy to 1 lucky commentator so be sure to share in the congratulations and party fun!!
*****

Once upon a time, he promised her the moon. It's time to deliver.

Louisa D’Angelo used to believe in happily ever after—until the tragic death of her son and the demise of her marriage. Now, five years later, with her life back in order, she has a great career and a wonderful man in her life. So what if the passion and excitement isn't there? In her book, passion and excitement only lead to heartbreak. Then, her ex-husband shows up and upsets her tidy little world.

Gabe D’Angelo never believed in happily ever after—until he met Louisa who taught him how to love and be loved. But their happiness was short-lived. Guilt and grief forced Gabe to walk away. Now, though he's pulled his life together and should be happy, he realizes something’s missing. After seeing her from afar at a family wedding, he knows what it is. It’s Louisa.

The problem is convincing her she's still in love with him.







Friday, June 1, 2012

Friday Fun: Meet author Ramona Butler!



Please help me welcome Ramona Butler and her great new Novel BORDER HEAT!
You can find out more about Ramona at her Website

Thanks so much for being here today, Ramona! I LOVE the cover for BORDER HEAT! Can't wait to read it.
****
Thanks, Jennifer.

Late Bloomer
I've always claimed to be a "late bloomer" but this borders on the ridiculous. Why?  Because it took me so many years to decide to even reach for that star -- go after my lifelong dream of publication.  Would you believe I began Border Heat before my detour to write six books with a good friend, the first of which made us a Golden Heart finalists on our initial attempt?
No, we didn't win, but our teamwork meshed so well it resulted in four published novels before I decided to fly alone.
My mother always said I had a stubborn streak -- from my father's side of the family, of course.  Still you can't begin to guess how long the romantic adventure, Border Heat, languished half-written in my heart and in my computer.
Five years?   Ten?  Ha Ha Ha!
So, now, at long last, it is with a great deal of pride and satisfaction, that I bring you an brief excerpt from my romantic adventure Border Heat  (published by Champagne Books --) -- the first book to carry my name as author.

BLURB:
Special Agent Jess Hightower, working undercover as a tour guide, knows he’s in trouble as soon as he catches sight of Caroline Cody’s red hair. What is the beautiful babe doing on a senior citizens’ tour of Mexico’s famed Copper Canyon? 

Red haired travel agent Caroline Cody blames a Tarot Death card for her latest assignment: an on-site review and evaluation of a tour tailed specifically for senior citizens, a trip that experiences trouble from the get-go. When her first meeting with tour guide Jess Hightower ends in disaster, she suspects he isn’t an experienced tour leader, but she can’t begin to foresee the danger he represents to the tour group—or to her heart.

EXCERPT:
 
A gunshot shattered the silence.  And from out of nowhere, a large form, blacker than the black night, slammed her to the ground, covered her.  Air swooshed from her lungs.  She gasped for breath, twisting, thrashing, fighting the hulk that had landed on top of her.  When her knee struck soft tissue, she was rewarded with a oath, then a hoarse, low-pitched, "For God's sake, stop your squirming.  I'm trying to save your unappreciative hide!"
Stunned by recognition of that husky rumble, she stilled.  "Jess?"  Lord, he was heavy.  Solid muscle.
"Shhh, don't talk."  Words breathed against her temple.
"Get off me, you--"
His callused hand covered her mouth and shut off her words.  She twisted again, writhing, bucking--with no success whatsoever.

Many thanks, Jennifer, for allowing me a spot to brag about this long awaited accomplishment.

--Ramona Butler
Buy Link
www.ramonabutler.com
http://ramonabutler.blogspot.com/
 http://www.facebook.com/#1/pages/Ramona-Butler/201924266492805



And, for those who might be interested, here is a list of the books I co-authored with Louise Crawford before attempting my solitary flight:

Jaded Hearts
http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4V4ASZI"/dp/HYPERLINK http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4V4ASZI"BOO4V4ASZI

Lonesome Cowboy series
Sabrina Says http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4WSQQ3G"/dp/BOO4WSQQ3G
Trouble in 3-D http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4yr549W"/dp/HYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4yr549W"BOO4yr549W
Sagebrush Cinderella http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO523KDA2"/dp/HYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO523KDA2"BOO523KDA2


Silver State Wild Romance series
Dance with Destiny   http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4UWPKMC"/dp/HYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4UWPKMC"BOO4UWPKMC
High Flying Love http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BO4VNVCV8"/dp/HYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BO4VNVCV8"BO4VNVCV8

(All of the above are also available via Smashwords.com)