Wednesday, August 20, 2014

#WWW It's Never to Late to Dream - London Saint James #Romance #Giveaway


Today on WWW I have the lovely London Saint James for part of her Welcome to Paradise blog tour sharing about her journey to publication.

Ms. James' latest release is now available AND there's a giveaway going on. Be sure to scroll down for the goods!

But now...Ms. James.

~~~oOo~~~

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today to celebrate my new release, Welcome to Paradise. I had a great time writing this novella which is the introduction to a new western erotic romance series I’m writing called Paradise Ranch. Welcome to Paradise is my 18th published book, and I’ve learned so much on my journey into publication and continue to learn 18 books later.

In a past life, that’s how I look at it anyway, I did the sensible thing, earned a college degree, and worked in the metal health realm for more years than I like to admit to. Like many authors, I always scribbled down things, little stories and such, from a young age. Something about the art of storytelling has always been a part of me.

In the second grade I wrote my first short story, and trust me when I say the endeavor wasn’t encouraged, and my teacher didn’t necessarily think my big imagination was a good thing, so I put writing and my imagination on the shelf to gather dust and whither.

As I grew a little older I started writing again, and at the urging of my eighth grade English teacher, I wrote my second short story inspired by a love song. Then as life does, it moved on and again I put all the childish things away, writing being one of them. I needed to do the sensible thing.

Once in college, I took another foray into writing and the scribbles became an outlet for me. A stress reliever. An escape. Nothing more. I went to work in the real world doing all those sensible things. But the thing was, I always came back to what I loved—all that writing nonsense. I guess I’d dreamed about actually being a writer. A dream I never thought about going after because those family and friends closest to me never encourage my dream. In fact, I’d been discouraged from one or two of the closest people in my life at the time for even sharing the dream I had with them.

In late 2010 I worked up the courage and decided to submit a short story to a publisher for an anthology call. I figured what’s the worst thing that could happen? I pictured the rejection email telling me in polite terms my story sucked, but that didn’t happen. *Smiles* My story was accepted for publication, and I’ve literally never stopped writing.

In the end, I followed my heart and all those non sensible things people in my life tried to discourage me from doing. Now, I write full time, have two upcoming releases, and probably far too many WIPs (works in progress) to keep me busy.

So what have I learned along the way. It’s never too late to dream, and never too late to believe. Speaking of never. Never let people discourage you from achieving your dream. Never give up. Never stop working hard. Nothing in this life is unattainable, not unless you make it so.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. – Gail Devers

~~~oOo~~~



Welcome to Paradise 

A Paradise Ranch Novella
Publisher:  Roane Publishing
Release Date:  August 18, 2014
Keywords:  Contemporary, Erotic, Romance, Western, Novella, Series


Just three days before her thirtieth birthday, Acquisition Editor for Starling Press, Sutton Callaway, has buried the last of her family in the cemetery on the plot of land she inherited.

After turning down the powerful and wealthy owner of Triple Bar-S Ranch to sell her inheritance and walk away from the obligations of running one of the biggest cattle ranches in West Texas, Sutton puts her Dallas condo on the market, resigns her position from SP, packs the contents of her life into boxes, and heads for the one place filled with bittersweet memories—Paradise Ranch.

Will Sutton be able to handle the pressures of being the newly appointed cattle baroness, the rough and tumble men under her employ, and the temptation of a sexy mystery man? Or will her grandmother’s matriarchal boots be too big for her to fill?





Purchase Links:



~~~oOo~~~

London wrote her first short story in the second grade. Her teacher informed her parents she had a big imagination, and as far as he was concerned, having a big imagination wasn’t necessarily a good thing, so she placed her vivid characters, her childhood stories, along with her imagination on the shelf, where they would wither for a while. After all, she needed to grow up and do the “sensible thing.” 

Life moved on, London grew up, and the sensible thing earned London a degree in Psychology. She took a serious job in the real world, doing serious things and being a responsible adult, although the need to be a little irresponsible crept in. As a result, she started scribbling again. 

Happy to find her imagination was still alive and kicking, she decided to pursue writing, walked away from doing the sensible thing, took on the world of the written word, and has never looked back!

Website  /  Blog  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  


Tour Schedule

~~~oOo~~~


Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway

An ebook copy of Welcome to Paradise, a $10 Amazon gift card, and a Paradise key chain!
Ends 9/12/14



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code.  No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing's marketing department.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Happy Book Birthday! Welcome to Paradise #Western #contemporary #Romance



Happy Book Birthday Welcome to Paradise!



Welcome to Paradise
A Paradise Ranch Novella
by London Saint James
Publisher:  Roane Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance (Western)
Keywords: Romance, Contemporary, Western, Erotic, Novella, Series
Release Date: August 18, 2014

Description: Just three days before her thirtieth birthday, Acquisition Editor for Starling Press, Sutton Callaway, has buried the last of her family in the cemetery on the plot of land she inherited.

After turning down the powerful and wealthy owner of Triple Bar-S Ranch to sell her inheritance and walk away from the obligations of running one of the biggest cattle ranches in West Texas, Sutton puts her Dallas condo on the market, resigns her position from SP, packs the contents of her life into boxes, and heads for the one place filled with bittersweet memories—Paradise Ranch.

Will Sutton be able to handle the pressures of being the newly appointed cattle baroness, the rough and tumble men under her employ, and the temptation of a sexy mystery man? Or will her grandmother’s matriarchal boots be too big for her to fill?




Purchase Links:

Will be sent 1-2 days prior to release


~~~oOo~~~

Tour Schedule


Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway

An ebook copy of Welcome to Paradise, a $10 Amazon gift card, and a Paradise key chain!
Ends 9/12/14






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code.  No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing's marketing department.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

FREEBIE ALERT! Hereditary is now available! #HollowayPack #Wolves by @JABelfield #Giveaway

Hereditarybutton

It's release day for HEREDITARY!

This means a chance to celebrate.

Because HEREDITARY is a FREEEEEEE Holloway Pack short story, which means you can go grab your copy now and not have to pay a penny.

\o/\o/ \o/ \o/ \o/

And if you've yet to read the Holloway Pack series? Fear not, because HEREDITARY can be read just as easily as a standalone. So, you, too, can go grab your copy now.

Here's what it's all about:

Hereditary

The trouble with one-night stands: you never know who—or what—you’re sleeping with.
~~~
Being a parent isn’t an easy ride. Even more so for single mum Shelley Lewis.
When her thirteen year old son’s hormones kick in, she’s faced with his immense growth, insane sweat, and ridiculous hairiness, not to mention all the normal teenage issues.
Discovering her only son isn’t human on top of those is the shock of a lifetime, and Shelley knows she’s the only one to blame.
It may be too late to save her son from her mistakes, but she can still try to save Gabe from himself.
~~~
For fans of J.A. Belfield’s Holloway Pack series, Hereditary is a look back at the origins for characters met in Resonance.

Release Date: August 13th 2014


Grab your copy!

KindleButton EpubButton

Pssst, if you visit J.A. Belfield's post, you can listen to her read a short passage, too!

But before you vanish, be sure to enter below in the celebratory giveaway to win a pair of signed Caged bookmarks ....

front

AND a $10 Amazon GC.

GCprize

Hey, maybe you can use it to add MORE Holloway Pack to your eReader. ;)

Good luck.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

#WWW Sleeping Children = Writing Time! #WritersLife


Romance author, Rachel Brimble's, Journey to Publication


I have wanted to write forever and when I finished working in a bank in 1999 to have my first daughter, I had a ‘now or never’ moment and enrolled in a distance learning creative writing course. It was a mistake in that I had no idea how much time and energy is would take to look after a baby who a) liked to cry a lot and b) didn’t go that much on the sleeping thing.

The course was promptly abandoned in favor of motherhood.

Then when I fell pregnant with daughter number two in 2001, the ‘now or never’ moment reemerged and this time refused to go away…plus this daughter slept! I began writing short stories and had some success in women’s magazines, and even more success in online competitions. This gave me the confidence to pursue my dream of becoming a published romance novelist.

Several online courses later…I felt I had learned my craft well enough to start writing seriously toward publication. In 2006, The Wild Rose Press accepted my first novel ‘Searching For Sophie’. Hurrah!!

Since then I have had several novels (romantic suspense, contemporary romance, romantic comedy and historical) published by small presses, but it wasn’t until 2011 when I secured a US agent, that things really took an upturn.

Now I write romantic suspense and contemporary romance for Harlequin Superromance (three published and a further two contracted) and Victorian romance for eKensington (two published and a further two contracted).

I adore writing and am truly living the dream of getting paid to do something that I would willingly do for free. Fingers crossed, I will continue to be offered contracts and continue to have readers write to me telling me how much they enjoy my books. The plan is to write for as long as possible…eventually aboard a luxury cruise liner while my husband and I tour the world!

~~~oOo~~~

Rachel’s latest release with Kensington is The Temptation of Laura. Here is the blurb & buy links:


Laura Robinson has always been dazzled by the glamour of the stage. But perhaps acting and selling one’s favors are not so different—for Laura must feign pleasure with the men she beds to survive. Now, with her only friend at death’s door and a ruthless pimp at her heels, escaping her occupation seems impossible. Hoping to attract a gentleman, she attends the theater. Yet the man Laura captivates is no customer, but a rising star and playwright…

Adam Lacey has been driven to distraction since the moment he saw Laura. She is his ideal leading lady come to irresistible life—and so much more. Certain they can make the perfect team on and off stage, he is determined to win her heart—and discover her story. But that is precisely what Laura fears. And she has no idea that Adam harbors shameful secrets of his own. Will the truth free them to love—or destroy all their dreams…?



 ~~~oOo~~~


Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in 2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013 and she has since signed for three more.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Website  /  Blog  /  Twitter  /  Facebook



Tuesday, August 12, 2014

#TRRparty is coming! Are YOU ready? #Romance Over 100 #Prizes #Giveaway



Check out what's coming September 1st through 30th!!!

#TRRparty


The event will be advertised in more than 100 websites and social media channels!!!

More than 100 participating authors!!!

More than 100 prizes to be won!!!

PARTICIPATING PUBLISHERS

Forever Romance
Kensington Books
Writers Exchange E-Publishing
Lyrical Press


PARTICIPATING AUTHORS

Katie Lane
Chloe Douglas
Jianne Carlo
Angie Sandro
Hope Ramsay
Molly Cannon
Delilah Devlin
Teri Riggs
SJ Maylee
Deanna Lynn Sletten
Ana J. Phoenix
Calinda B
Velda Brotherton
Amanda Bretz
Shannon MacLeod
Gloria Marlow
Jennifer Ann Coffeen
Mary M. Forbes
Margo Bond Collins
Lynne King
Tina Donahue
Lee Ann Sontheimer
Shanna Hatfield
Rhonda L. Print
Amber Daulton
Elyse Grant
Dianne Duvall
J.A. Redmerski
Debbie Mason
Rebecca Rose
Alexa Grace
Jeanell Bolton
Chelsea Fine
Becky Lower
Sarah Madison
Maggi Andersen
Kimberly Dean
Diana Green
Iyana Jenna
Helen C. Johannes
Nicki Elson
Ann Herrick
London Saint James
Natalie-Nicole Bates
Dee J. Adams
Heather Boyd
Cass Peterson
Maeve Greyson
Charley Descoteaux
Allie Ritch
Mary Hughes
Rosanna Leo
Rebecca Donovan
Heather Hiestand
Kate Meader
Lucy Monroe
Olivia Miles
R.C. Ryan
Ashlyn Chase
Rena Koontz
Elizabeth McKenna
Rhea Rhodan
Cynthia D'Alba
Kiss Carson
Selene Grace Silver
Anne Kane
Tara Fox Hall
S.J. Frost
J.C. McKenzie
Houston Havens
Terri Rochenski
Naomi Bellina
Scarlett Sanderson
Te Russ
Rose Anderson
Rob Manary
Kathryn Knight
Jamie Salisbury
Jill Shalvis
Sharon Buchbinder
Kristen Ashley
Marilyn Pappano
Marina Anderson
Amanda Scott
Lia Davis
Alison Henderson
Grace R. Duncan
Sherrie Wouters
Adriana Kraft
Sayara St. Clair
Jenna Jaxon
Elaine Hopper
Elsa Winckler
jj Keller
Layla Wilcox
Maggie Le Page
Marie Lavender
Scotty Cade
Rebecca Heflin
Megan Derr
Ashley Chunell
Nikka Michaels



To advertise with us for the event: please contact carole@theromancereviews.com



Login and join the TRR Fall Into Love Party on Sept 1! Play games, join the fun and win prizes! See you then!

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

#IWSG Some Days I Feel Like Throwing in the Towel


Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

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It's that time of month again, where we the members of IWSG get to share our woes & offer encouragement.

Today, I'm mostly woes. Sorry.

Summer has obliterated any and all thoughts of forward progress on my latest WiP, Love's Revenge. Having 3 kids at home with me all day every day will do that, I guess. I already talked my publisher into pushing back the release date from November to January, and I'm STILL nervous I won't make the new deadline!!

Sales are non-existent on my previous publishings.

Garnering attention and reviews is tougher than driving a nail into steel.

To top that off, I'm trying to organize a blog tour for my upcoming October release - Secret of the Souls (Pool of Souls #2), and to say it's SLOW going is an understatement.

Some days, I question this little passion of mine called writing. Today? Yup. Big time.

Some days, I feel like throwing in the towel...

~~~oOo~~~

How 'bout you? Ever get down in the dumps over your passion's lack of enthusiasm in giving back for all your hard work? Ever want to toss in the towel & call it a day?

#WWW Finding Balance with Sticky Notes #WritersLife Sandra Dailey @sdaileyauthor



Finding Balance with Sticky Notes
By Sandra Dailey

I’ve been given many labels; over organizer, micromanager, nit-picker, etc… I own every one of them. My mother explains it best – I’m a typical Virgo. Everything around me must be in perfect order.

The clothes in my closet are organized by type of item and color. Everything stored in my kitchen cabinets that are multiples, (such as glasses, cups and dishes), are in even numbered amounts. If one gets broken the set is replaced.

When my children were at home, they’d misplace pictures and knick-knacks before I came home from work. Then, they’d secretly time how long it took me to have them back in place.
Yes, I’m the person who will rearrange the dishes in your dish washer, the bottles on your bathroom counter, and the pillows on your sofa. I’ll let you know if a picture is hanging crooked and stare all day at one that’s not hung in perfect line with the others. I don’t get a lot of invitations.

I use the same principle in my writing. My hero, heroine, and villain have to have equal page time. My romances must have a balance of humor, drama, and seduction. My suspense/mystery stories need an equal sprinkling of clues, red herrings, and threats.
I do envy those people who can open their word processor with a single idea and write whatever comes to mind, but you can see why this doesn’t work for me. So, how do I achieve my balance? Sticky notes – several of them in different colors.

I divide my story into three sections, beginning, middle, and end. I plan what I want to happen in each one. Then, I start with just the beginning. Here’s where the sticky notes come into play. I write scene ideas on each piece with the POV noted.

Example:
·         Clues-pink paper
·         Red herrings-yellow paper
·         Threats-blue paper
·         Heroine-blue ink
·         Hero-black ink
·         Villain-green ink.

Why sticky notes? They are laid out on my large dining room table on a plastic table cloth and I don’t have to worry that a strong breeze will ruin my work. I can easily move them around to add, rearrange and achieve perfect balance. Then, the outline is transferred to a notebook which stays by the computer on my desk.

This may seem time consuming to some people, but I find it saves me time. I spend approximately one afternoon planning and outlining each section. Most of my time is spent filling in the scenes on the computer. I don’t usually have to go back to do a lot of rewrites. If I do want to add or change something later, I can quickly find the scene in my outline.

Did I mention that I’m a typical Virgo?

My newest release is COMMON ENEMY.


Jordan Holbrook is the single mother of a five-year-old daughter. She’s just inherited her Grandmother’s house in South Florida where she’s hiding from an abusive ex-husband who’s been released from prison early. A new man in her life isn't part of her plans.

Connor McCrae is a handyman who lives out of his van. He walked away from a privileged life and loving family after being badly scarred in a vicious attack. He doesn't believe a woman’s love is in the cards for him.

What brings them together is a rundown house, a mutual attraction, and a Common Enemy.

Bobby Ray Butler is cutting a path of murder and mayhem through south Florida in his quest for vengeance. His sights are set on his ex-wife and anyone who gets in his way.

Buy links:




~~~oOo~~~



Sandra Dailey lives in North Florida with her husband and house plants. She has four children, ten grandchildren, and a goldfish named Clementine. She has a passion for needle crafts, reading and writing. Her addictions are chocolate, coffee, and football. She loves to hear from fellow readers and writers. Her first two books, The Chief’s Proposal and Twice the Trouble are contemporary romances and also available in eBook and print. She is currently hard it work on Close Enemy and a couple other surprises.



Monday, August 4, 2014

MIDNIGHT DAWN is here!!!! #MortalMachine #PNR by @JocelynAdams #Excerpt

“Midnight Dawn straps you in from the beginning and whisks you away on an emotional, breath-taking ride of romance, fantasy, and good vs. evil. It's magic.” --Naima Simone, author of the SECRETS AND SINS series



Midnight Dawn (The Mortal Machine #2)
Release Date: August 4th, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, Embrace Imprint
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Her soul remembers his touch, even if she doesn’t. 

With only three days until the wraith king turns the earth into an all-you-can-eat buffet, Addison Beckett is forced to enlist brooding sentinel Asher Green’s help to unlock the Mortal Machine. According to the founder, all she has to do is find the sanctuary—the same sanctuary she can’t remember because Asher erased her memories.

Trying to save humanity while navigating Asher’s lies is a royal pain. But the more time she and Asher spend together, the harder her soul tries to remind her what else he’s made her forget—that he loves her, wants her, needs her.

When she’s trapped by the wraith king and forced to pick who will stand by her in the coming battle, Addison is faced with an impossible choice: the sentinel she loves who refuses to love her back, or a powerful stranger who insists they’re meant to be together. Her decision will determine the fate of humanity, and once decided, can’t be undone.

Pick up a copy at only $0.99 for a limited time!:



~~~oOo~~~


Excerpt:

I handed the sarcophagus over to Kyle. As Asher boosted me up, something creaked on the far side of the room. He jerked me down again as Kyle ducked back outside, and I ended up with my back against the wall behind a display case with Asher’s tense body pancaking mine.

Oh. My. God. I might have squealed if there’d been any air left in the room. I wiggled my hands up between us and pressed my trembling palms against the forbidden land, half blind with the pyrotechnics going off in me. Not now, body. Off-limits. Proper girls do not poach other girls’ guys. Please, for the love of God, do not sigh or make any ridiculous sounds.

A spark of familiarity lit up behind my lids, which had closed, as if my fingers had once explored the lay of his spectacular landscape and knew every rise and fall. But he’d never let me get that close to him before, except when he’d carried me to my bed last night. That had to be it, but why had it stirred such an emotional rush for me now? Maybe it was the adrenaline.

I couldn’t keep my fingers from crawling up into his hair. Just as I’d always imagined, it was the best damn thing I’d ever touched. Thick and soft, cool on my skin, the satin threads tickled as they gave way to my stroking. So good. No drug could ever suck out my anxiety and fear and fill me with such utter peace. I could have stayed there for hours, until I knew every strand by touch alone, which way it waved, especially the ones that curved around his ear on his left side.

He made a choked sound, thrusting me out of my tactile wet dream and back to reality. I cracked my lids open and ran head-on into his demon stare, which seemed nuclear bright in the dim lighting. Oh yeah. Bad guys. Trouble. Yep, head in the game, Addy. Jesus.

I gave an awkward smile, and mouthed sorry. Thank goodness my energy storm hadn’t come out to light me up—as much as I could without a conduit. Nothing like a glowing beacon to draw the bad guys right to us. Then again, I was the Darkside Sun, so it was only a matter of time before they followed their senses right to me. Dammit, we needed to get out of here before I ended up getting Asher killed.

~~~oOo~~~



About Jocelyn Adams:


Jocelyn is an office grunt by day and creator of romance and adventure by night. Born a farmer’s daughter with a vivid imagination, she spent her childhood dreaming up stories.

With no formal training, she relied on the honest feedback of her writing group to take her from that first short story all the way to THE END of her first novel. She now has five published novels and has recently signed a 3-book deal with Entangled Publishing.

When she isn’t slinging words, you can find her shooting her bow or enjoying the serenity of family life in her little house in the woods.