Huge thanks to Books-n-Kisses for letting me stop by today and take part in Writer’s Tips & Tricks.
My topic to touch on is: How to handle a rejection/how to develop a thick skin.
Rejection in the publishing industry is just a given. Does it suck? Well, of course it does. From publishers to agents to negative reviews, an author has to deal with rejection from the very early stages of a book right up until after it’s published. So, why do we, as authors, subject ourselves to this? Seems kinda crazy, doesn’t it? For me, I write because I love storytelling. That simple.
There are a few things I’ve learned along the way. The best of all, the power of the delete button. During the process of looking for an agent or finding a publisher who loves your work as much as you do, it’s likely you’ll receive a few – or more than a few – rejection letters. They are going to happen, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with hitting that delete button on the rejection letter with a little more force than normal. It feels kinda good to delete the email as if it never happened and you never saw it. Even better, it’s best to stay focused on moving on and waiting for that next email, hoping for good news. Always remember, it only takes one yes to make your dreams come true!
Next up is reviews. So, you’ve gone through all the emotional ups and downs to get a book published. Now your book is out in the world. Everything is rainbows and sunshine, right? Not likely. Someone is going to hate your book – there’s no way around it. You have to accept it….or, I should say, learn to accept it. I’ll admit that when I was first published negative reviews affected me for days, sometimes even a week. It got right inside my head and I found myself believing what that reader said, more than believing in myself. Terrible thing that is. Authors always told me not to read reviews, but heck, I could never do that. Once I realized how bad reading reviews was for me, I went a different route and found a way that put reviews into perspective.
Truth is, authors can get very hung up on stars that are given – and rightly so, we want readers to love our work – but luckily, Goodreads has this little thing that makes those stars simply go away. Here’s a screenshot so you know what I mean:
See how an author could get hung up on the one stars or two stars – that’s the type of rock in the corner kinda stuff – but when you see that 94% of people liked the book, it seems those stars just don’t matter anymore. Or at least, they don’t to me.
My advice to new authors wouldn’t be, “don’t read reviews”, it would be “go on Goodreads and look at that little line.” Then feel proud of yourself that you wrote a book people enjoyed! Oh, and of course, read all those gushing reviews that your loving readers send to you. Those are just good for the soul!
While there will always be rejection in the publishing industry, I think the best way to cope is to find a positive way to work around it. I’ve never developed a thick skin, and I doubt I ever will. Negative stuff bothers me. But it doesn’t mean I don’t have ways to ignore it. Whether it be focusing on the percentage on Goodreads or hitting that delete button to forever forget that rejection letter, you simply need to keep moving forward. Stay positive. Stay true to work. And more importantly, enjoy the experience of being a published author. It’s a fun ride!!
A little about Stacey:
STACEY KENNEDY is the USA Today bestselling author of the CLUB SIN series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules and she continues to feed off emotion – staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy.
Learn more about Stacey and her books here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Make sure to check out Stacey’s upcoming release Freed
*****
Freed
| Fans who can’t get enough of USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy will love this wicked, wild spinoff novel that explores how sexy life can be outside Club Sin.
Mary Schmidt knows only too well how thrilling a Master’s touch can be. Her husband, Charles, had been her ultimate fantasy, a seducer in the erotic dance of dominance and submission. She misses the sensual lifestyle they shared, but mourns him so deeply she cannot bear to embrace her submissive needs with another Dom—until a man who exudes temptation reawakens desires she can no longer deny.
Elliott Foster is dazzled by Mary. He instantly knows that she’s the woman he’s been waiting for—a woman who turns games into need. As her Master, he dares to unlock the deepest pleasures of her flesh, releasing her from pain and healing her mind. When Mary’s lithe body comes to life under his, he knows their connection goes beyond sex. Now that he has found the perfect woman, the perfect partner, the perfect submissive, he desires only to give her everything she craves.
Awakened is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
Praise for the Club Sin series
“Claimed sucked me in! Stacey Kennedy weaves together the intense BDSM lifestyle with the soft touch of a sweeter, more traditional love story in a novel with an engaging heroine at its heart.”—J. Kenner, New York Times bestselling author of Release Me
“Deliciously sexy, Claimed will captivate you at once, leading you on an erotic journey that you won’t want to end. A fabulous talent, Kennedy shines in this fast-paced and exciting novel.”—New York Times bestselling author Cheyenne McCray
“Tender, emotional—and smoking hot!”—Savanna Fox, author of the Dirty Girls Book Club series, on Claimed
“Bared is a seductively haunting tale of control and surrender that will tantalize existing fans of the series while enticing new readers into the passionate world of Club Sin.”—Eliza Gayle, New York Times bestselling author of Submissive Beauty
“Bared is a hot blend of raw sensuality, and Stacey Kennedy is an author to watch!”—Eden Bradley, author of The Dark Garden and Dangerously Bound
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from other Loveswept titles.
*****
Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.
All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.
Blog Tour & Giveaway: Groomed For Murder by Annie Knox
First Love
by Annie Knox
Love is in the air in Merryville, Minnesota, as Izzy McHale and her friends plan the wedding of 83-year-old Ingrid Whitfield to her first love, Harvey Nyquist. Ingrid and Harvey were torn apart when his parents shipped him off to a military boarding school. They both enjoyed long marriages to other people, but after they were widowed they reconnected on the Internet and that old flame reignited.
The romantic in me sighs at the idea of a love that spans the decades, a love so bone-deep that it survives a vast and lengthy separation. I’d like to think that the love my husband and I share is like that: if we were ever separated, we’d find our way back to one another.
I found my one-and-only in my 30s, so he was obviously not the first man (or boy) I had shared the L word with. I’ve kept in touch with one of them … my first love, my high school sweetheart. We’ve both gone on to have full and happy lives. He’s a lawyer who’s been married twice (last I heard), he’s successful, and he is surrounded by good friends and a big wonderful family. I’m blissfully married, have the best job in the world, and the best friends I could ever hope to have.
We’ve done well apart.
But a tiny little part of me wonders what would have happened if our first love had lasted. What would my life look like if that sweet boy and I had stayed together, weathered being apart during college, and made a go of things as a married couple? I don’t wish that had happened … I just wish I knew what it would have looked like if it had.
What about you? Did you marry your first love? Do you know what happened to him or to her? Do you ever let yourself wonder what might have been?
About the Author:
Annie Knox doesn’t commit–or solve–murders in her real life, but her passion for animals is 100% true. She’s also a devotee of 80s music, Asian horror films, and reality TV. While Annie is a native Buckeye and has called a half dozen states “home,” she and her husband now live in a crumbling historic house just a stone’s throw from the courthouse square in a north Texas town.
Izzy McHale wants her new Trendy Tails Pet Boutique in Merryville, Minnesota, to be the height of canine couture and feline fashions. But in a week of wedding bells, someone is about to hold their peace…
forever. Love is in the air, and Izzy is hard at work coordinating two special weddings at Trendy Tails. First, Izzy’s friend and mentor, Ingrid, will be tying the knot with her old flame. And a week later, Izzy will host “pupptials” for two lovable dogs.
But even with the hullabaloo, the Trendy Tails crew is intrigued by Daniel, an enigmatic writer boarding above the shop who’s caught the attention of Izzy’s zany aunt Dolly, who gossips like most people breathe.
Unfortunately, it’s Daniel who stops breathing when he drops dead at the altar on Ingrid’s wedding day. Then Dolly is found at the scene with the murder weapon, and it’s up to Izzy, her Trendy Tails pals, and her scrappy pets, Packer and Jinx, to find a killer before the two affianced doggies bark down the aisle….
Jennifer’s Review of Groomed For Murder
Review (4.25 Stars): I loved Ms. Knox’s first book, Paws for Murder, which I had finished in about a day. Groomed For Murder picks up shortly after the events of the first book, in which Izzy is helping Ingrid prepare for her upcoming nuptials. On the day of the wedding, a dead body interrupts the ceremony and Izzy’s aunt Dolly is found holding the murder weapon. Izzy must help find the true killer and why the victim was staying in Merryville before her aunt Dolly is locked up for a crime she didn’t commit.
This is such a cute cozy series! I really enjoyed Paws for Murder and Groomed For Murder is even better than the first one. Izzy is a very sweet character that you can instantly relate to and I love her idea of creating clothing specifically designed for your pets. I really enjoyed the mystery in this one because there were so many potential suspects in this one and I had a hard time figuring out why the victim was killed. Ms. Knox has created a winning mystery series that will keep you entertained until the very end. I’m looking forward to reading more about Izzy, Packer and Jinx in future installments of this fun series.
Giveaway
I’m excited to give away a copy of Groomed For Murder. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by September 8th, please answer Ms. Knox’s question:
Did you marry your first love? Do you know what happened to him or to her? Do you ever let yourself wonder what might have been?
Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 1 part b: 5 Tips for Crafting Realistic Dialogue by Dianne Duvall
5 Tips for Crafting Realistic Dialogue
Thank you, Book-n-Kisses, for letting me participate in this fantastic series! And thank you, writers and readers, for joining us. I’m Dianne Duvall, author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series. One of my favorite things to hear from readers is that they enjoy the banter in which my characters engage. Dialogue is a crucial part of creating likable characters and of making characters who aren’t real—such as glowing-eyed, fang-sporting, centuries-old immortal warriors—seem real. So I thought I would offer the following five tips for crafting realistic dialogue:
1
Word choices should be tailored to each character’s age and background.
This is actually a pretty easy one to remember. If you’ve ever been to a gathering that included men and women of all age groups, then you probably noticed the differences in their vocabulary. Men and women in their eighties or nineties, for instance, who don’t spend time online or watch a lot of popular TV shows, don’t use the slang of the younger generations. They instead tend to use slang that was popular in their youth. Baby Boomers may use slang that is common today because they’re more plugged in to today’s technology, but also continue to use slang from the 60s and 70s. Generation Xers likewise sometimes use words and phrases that were popular in the 80s. And keeping this in mind will help you create more realistic dialogue when you write.
How about an example? In my latest release, NIGHT UNBOUND, Zach (the hero) has been declared a traitor or enemy by Seth, the Immortal Guardians’ leader. When Zach unexpectedly appears at the home of Lisette (the heroine) after escaping months of torture, she enlists the aid of a couple of immortal friends to help her patch him up. Ethan arrives first:
“I am so glad you called,” he said, flashing her a boyish grin. “I really need to get laid tonight.”
Rolling her eyes, Lisette stepped back and waited for him to enter. “When I said I needed you, I meant I needed your help.” Closing the door, she locked it, but didn’t bother to reset the alarm.
His face fell. “Ah, hell. You mean this wasn’t a butt call?”
“Booty call, Ethan. I believe the term is booty call. Honestly, I’m a hundred and thirty years older than you and from France. How can I be more familiar with American slang than you are? You were born here.”
He shrugged. “I don’t watch a lot of television and my Second is going on sixty. Neither one of us keeps up with whatever the hip kids are saying these days.”
“First, I don’t think anyone says hip anymore. And second, Ed is going on sixty?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn. He looks like he’s in his late thirties.” He was actually pretty hot.
“I know, right? He dates more than I do.”
I could’ve just had Ethan stroll inside and ask Lisette what she needed him to do. Instead I opted for the dialogue above, which gives readers more insights into the characters, their ages, and their personalities.
2
People interrupt each other and talk over each other all the time.
This is especially true in the case of friends and family. (If you’d like some good examples of this, pick up just about any Woody Allen movie.) And it doesn’t only happen during arguments. It isn’t intentionally done to be rude. It just happens. One person will see where the other is going and will either finish the sentence for her or cut her off to save time or correct her. Here’s another example from the same scene mentioned above:
It appeared she was back to square one. “What should I do?”
He took in the patient once more and pursed his lips. “I think you’re going to have to call in the big guns.”
“I told you, Seth doesn’t like him. If he—”
“Not Seth. Seth isn’t the big guns. Seth is the f***ing hydrogen bomb.”
“Ethan.”
“Bastien. I meant Bastien.”
Again, I could’ve just had Ethan suggest Lisette call Bastien when she asked what she should do. But this accomplished two goals: It made the dialogue seem more realistic. Two people involved in a conversation aren’t always on the same page. And one will often interrupt the other off to clarify his or her point. This also allowed me to slip in a little background information on both Seth and Bastien for readers who may not have read the earlier books in the series.
3
Conversations often are not linear.
Conversations may start with one destination in mind, but frequently veer away and explore other tangents before reaching it. Case in point, how many times have you been talking with a friend or family member and said, “Oh, that reminds me . . .”? I could have continued the aforementioned scene by having Bastien arrive, ask what task Lisette wished him to perform, then either follow her instructions or deny her request. Instead, I chose to have Lisette lead Bastien to the battered and broken hero (Zach) and mistakenly assume Bastien would draw the conclusion that she was in need of his first aid skills. He didn’t. He drew the same conclusion Ethan drew upon first seeing Zach:
Bastien nodded to Ethan, then stared down at Zach. After a few moments, he looked around. “Where’s the shovel?”
Ethan coughed to cover a laugh.
“I didn’t kill him!” Lisette nearly shouted.
Bastien shifted his gaze to Ethan.
Ethan held up his hands. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t kill him.”
“He isn’t dead,” Lisette snapped. “And I’m not into rough sex!”
Bastien stared at her. “Ooookay.”
She frowned. “Isn’t that what you thought had happened? That I had killed him during sex?”
“No. I just assumed he had pissed you off.”
“Oh.” Her face heated with a blush.
Bastien’s lips twitched.
And Ethan was enjoying this way too much, damn him.
She counted to ten. “Why would the two of you think I would call you over here to bury him? It’s not like I don’t have the strength to lift him and do it myself.”
Ethan shrugged. “You’re a girl.”
Lisette glared at them both. “And, what, you think I don’t want to get my pretty little hands dirty?”
No response.
“You do know I kill vampires for a living, right?”
Bastien pointed at Ethan. “He said it, not me.”
“But you were thinking it.”
He scowled. “Are you reading my thoughts again, telepath?”
“I didn’t have to. It was all over your face. Besides, I stopped peeking into your head a long time ago because all you ever think about is Melanie naked and your vampire friends.”
Ethan’s eyebrows shot up. “He thinks about Melanie naked with his vampire friends?”
Bastien popped him on the back of the head.
“Ow! Sh**!”
Lisette pinched the bridge of her nose. “Let us return to the subject at hand, shall we?
Much more entertaining than Lisette simply saying, “Can you patch up Zach’s wounds?” and having Bastien say yay or nay. This shows the rapport these characters share and gives more insight into their personalities. The dialogue meanders as conversations often do and, thus, comes across as more realistic.
4
Speech isn’t perfect. Sometimes people just can’t find the right words.
If your character is furious or rattled or tired or just plain doesn’t know the right thing to say in a particular situation, don’t be afraid to add a stutter or a pause. Both are great ways to show a character is upset, flustered, etc, rather than telling readers he or she is upset. Here’s a quick example.
Lisette gaped at him. “After you just . . . And all that bitching and moaning . . . You can’t . . . ” She clenched her teeth. “Tell me again why you’re here?”
I could’ve said, She was so angry that words escaped her, or She was so angry she couldn’t think straight. But that would have told readers, which is considered passive writing. This showed them instead.
5
Read your dialogue aloud to ensure it flows smoothly.
I have slaughtered many a foreign accent doing just that with my Immortal Guardians series, but have always liked the changes it generated.
I know a well-constructed plot is essential for writing a good book. But creating likable, relatable characters whom readers can enjoy is just as important. Crafting realistic dialogue will go a long way toward helping you accomplish that.
Thank you again for joining me here at Books-n-Kisses! I hope your writing will flow smoothly and that these tips will help.
*****
Let’s take a closer look at Dianne’s upcoming release (tomorrow) Night Unbound
| B&NFor centuries, Lisette d’Alençon has been a warrior against the dark. She fights alongside her brothers and comrades. But when the dreams start coming, she can’t bear to confess them to the Immortal Guardians’ command. Dreams of a dark-haired man with soft eyes and brutal wounds, a man her heart aches for–and a man she knows has been declared a traitor.
Zach is an exile, a loner. He won’t defend himself against false accusations or grovel to those who should have faith in him. But he’ll damn sure defend the woman who kept him sane against a plague of super-vamps that seems to have appeared from nowhere. The Guardians will blame him, and that will make Lisette suspect, too. With life, death and eternity on the line, who can they really trust?
A little about Dianne:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Dianne Duvall earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of St. Thomas, where she studied fiction writing, playwriting, and poetry writing. Darkness Dawns, the first book in her Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, was nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews and for Best Paranormal Romance – Vampire by The Romance Reviews. It was also deemed a Top Pick by The Romance Reviews and a Best Book by Long and Short Reviews. Night Reigns, the second book in the series, was nominated for Best Best Book of 2011 – Paranormal Romance by The Romance Reviews and declared an “utterly addictive” Top Pick by RT Book Reviews. Phantom Shadows, the third book in the series, has been declared a Top Pick by both The Romance Reviews and Night Owl Reviews. Her Immortal Guardians novella In Still Darkness was released in the Predatory anthology on May 7, 2013, and has received many fabulous reviews. Darkness Rises, the fourth book in the series, hit the USA Today Bestseller list, has been nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews and was deemed a Night Owl Reviews Top Pick.
Dianne has also completed two not-yet-published paranormal romance novels that are prequels to Darkness Dawns. A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that won awards in the Lone Star, Where the Magic Begins, Southern Heat, Picture This, Book of Your Heart and Suzannah national writing competitions. Rendezvous With Yesterday is a time travel romance and won second place in the Picture This writing contest.
In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-wining screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.
When she isn’t writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film industry and once even appeared on screen as a machete-weilding maniac not unlike the vampires she so loves to create in her novels.
*****
Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.
All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.
Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 1 part a: Organization? What’s that? by Carrie Ann Ryan
Organization? What’s that?
I’m a huge fan of spreadsheets, color coding, and calendars. I mean, come on, the word spreadsheets is actually in my author bio. I started out in the math and science area of life and though I don’t use the deep part of those daily, some of that bled into my writing.
While writing a book seems like it should just be that—writing the book—sometimes you need a bit more. I love book bibles. You can have someone make them for you—Lillie is amazing for my friends—or you can do it yourself. There are programs like Scrivener and WriteWayPro to help you for Mac or Windows. I tend to use OneNote since I can color code a bit better there.
1. Character Tables
These can include names, ages, scents (PNR romance!), jobs, tattoo placement, hair color, height, etc.
I like having a spreadsheet of my characters, characteristics, and other things I might forget six books down the line. Or let’s face it, I might forget it 6 chapters down the line. Not everything is used, but the fact that I know it is what matters. This helps me (hopefully) not have a hero with blue eyes, then green eyes, then brown eyes in the series or even the same book.
You don’t need to use a table, but you do need to write it down somewhere. I have another sheet with all my side characters. It’s always good to remember what you named a random character that one time in a store so you can maybe use them again next time.
2. Notes and organization
I like to keep notes of what I’m doing in one book and what might be a seeder for the next book. Not all of these notes are used but I at least have it in the back of my mind. I use OneNote so I can have a tab that has a timeline, character table, seeder notes, research notes, maps, character images, etc.
I also put each book in its own tab within a notebook that is the series. See? Color coding!
3. Calendars
I keep calendars that are color coded (sense a theme?) that tell me when things are due, release dates, edit dates etc. I’m lucky in that most of the time, I can set my own timeframes, but deadlines keep my sane. That is NOT how some people work so if looking at a calendar frightens you, it’s okay. I promise.
4. Outlines
I write by outline. I actually start with color coded sticky notes. Each POV gets its own color and I pull off how many sticky notes I need to get the word count I want. I know about how many words I write per chapter, so it works for me. Then I plot out the conflicts, inner and outer, and arrange the main points so I can create an outline from that. I then fill in the outline a bit more until I’m ready to write. I’m a heavy plotter that allows for some inner depth when I’m writing. Again, this works for me, not everyone.
5. Saving. Saving. Saving.
One of the main things I’ve learned from writing is I need to keep organized when it comes to my folders. Each series has it’s own folder, then book, then within that I have drafts and other files that are nicely labeled. Don’t just put your draft on your desktop and call it a day. Save it in your cloud, your Dropbox, your external hard drive etc. Keep it organized and don’t label everything the same thing so you never know where you left off.
I hope this helps you somewhat. I try my best to keep organized and keep daily goal lists of admin and writing things I need to do for the day. Those lists feed into the large monthly and yearly goal lists. It’s how I can write 8-10 books a year, own a small press, and live a life I love. Good luck and you can always ask me questions if you need to.
A little about Carrie Ann Ryan :
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.
Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.
Get in touch with Carrie Ann Ryan!
Website | Blog | Facebook, Author Page | Facebook, Friend | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Newsletter | Email
*****
Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.
All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.
Blog Tour & Review: Death Is Like A Box of Chocolates by Kathy Aarons
Ingredients Make it or Break It
by Kathy Aarons
One thing I’ve learned from researching chocolate-making for my book, Death is Like a Box of Chocolates, (and I’ve done a lot of research J) is that the quality of ingredients is the most important, well, ingredient in the outcome.
Of course, the base chocolate you use is critical. Chocolatier Isabella Knack uses Felchlin for much of her products. I’d been experimenting with her recipes that she provided for my book –more are available in her chocolate-making classes – using whatever I could find at my local grocery store, even springing for the Ghirardelli brand. And then I tried the Felchlin.
Wow! The difference was amazing!
Don’t get me wrong – pretty much all chocolate has something to offer. (Except for maybe Butterfingers, but that’s a personal prejudice. J) But the more I sampled from different chocolatiers, and the more I made myself, a few subtle and not-so-subtle qualities came through.
Of course, the flavor was critical – the depth of the cocoa itself and the notes of vanilla, berry, coffee, and other spices that depend on where the cocoa was grown. But the next factor of importance to me was the “mouth feel” — how creamy the chocolate felt while melting on my tongue without being pasty or sticky. And third, the aftertaste. Did it continue to taste just like chocolate as it melted or did it turn bitter? I didn’t mind good bitter (like a great cup of coffee) but bad bitter (like medicine) was not for me.
Chocolate connoisseurs also evaluate the sheen and color of the chocolate, the way a bar cracks when you break it, the feel of the chocolate when you touch it, and more. But to me, flavor –which is subjective and totally personal — is paramount.
Following is one of Isabella’s recipes that makes awesome Lavender Truffles. I experimented with a variety of chocolate brands and my favorite was Felchlin.
Enjoy!
Lavender Truffles
Recipe by Isabella Knack
Ingredients:
12 fresh lavender flower heads (can also use dried)
1/3 cup heavy cream
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions:
1. Place the flower heads and cream in a small pot. Heat on high until cream starts to simmer and melt the butter in the mixture. Take off heat and set aside to steep for 15 minutes.
2. Divide the chocolate into two equal 5 ounce portions, and set one portion aside.
3. Heat up the cream mixture again and, using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the cream into the chocolate in a small mixing bowl; discard the flower heads and bits of lavender.
4. Stir the cream and chocolate together until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until somewhat firm, but not hard, for about 1 hour.
5. Melt the other half of the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments until liquid.
6. Line a baking sheet with a piece of waxed paper. Roll the lavender mixture into 1 tablespoon-sized balls, and dip into the melted chocolate mixture using a skewer or toothpick. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to harden.
About the Author:
Kathy Aarons is the author of Death is Like a Box of Chocolates, the first in the CHOCOLATE COVERED MYSTERY series by Berkley Prime Crime. It will be available at your local bookstore, Amazon and Barnes and Noble on September 2nd.
Research for the series was such a hardship: sampling chocolate, making chocolate, sampling more chocolate, and hanging out in bookstores.
After growing up in rural Pennsylvania and attending Carnegie Mellon University, Kathy built a career in public relations in New York City. She now lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters where she wakes up far too early, and is currently obsessed with the Broadway Idiot documentary, finding the perfect cup of coffee, and Dallmann’s Sea Salt Caramels.
You can follow Kathy on Facebook or Twitter or visit her at: www.kathyaarons.com.
Whether it’s to satisfy a craving for chocolate or pick up the hottest new bestseller, the locals in charming West Riverdale, Maryland, are heading to Chocolates and Chapters, where everything sold is to die for…
Best friends Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell are celebrating the sweet rewards of their combined bookstore and chocolate shop by hosting the Great Fudge Cook-off during the town’s Memorial Day weekend Arts Festival. But success turns bittersweet when Main Street’s portrait photographer is found dead in their store, poisoned by Michelle’s signature truffles.
As suspicion mounts against Michelle, her sales begin to crumble and her career seems whipped. With Erica by her side, Michelle must pick through an assortment of suspects before the future of their dream store melts away…
Jennifer’s Review of Death Is Like A Box of Chocolates
Review (4 Stars): Michelle and Erica have created the perfect business in West Riverdale; a bookstore with a chocolate shop that have all the locals raving. Michelle has been looking forward to participating in the Great Fudge Cook-off when a friend is found dead in their shop, poisoned by Michelle’s own truffles. To clear her name and the reputation of her business, Michelle must team together with Erica and her brother to find the true killer before the negative publicity causes their business to go up in smoke.
I love culinary mysteries especially ones that deal with my favorite food, chocolate. This mystery was a winner for me because it had chocolate, books and a good-looking love interest. I liked Michelle and Erica together as a team because they were best friends and business partners and they just had this easy relationship with one another that I was a little envious of. The mystery was well-written and I’m excited to see what happens to these characters in the rest of the series. Death Is Like A Box of Chocolates is a mystery that you can definitely sink your teeth into and will have readers clamoring for more.
Blog Tour & Giveaway: Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath
From New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath, comes the second book in a brand new series, The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, featuring three eligible bachelors…and the scoundrels that reside within each.
Born to the street but raised within the aristocracy, Drake Darling can’t escape his sordid beginnings. Not when Lady Ophelia Lyttleton snubs him at every turn, a constant reminder he’s not truly one of them. But after rescuing her from a mysterious drowning, he realizes she doesn’t remember who she is. With plans to bring her to heel, he insists she’s his housekeeper—never expecting to fall for the charming beauty.
While Ophelia might not recall her life before Drake, she has little doubt she belongs with him. The desire she feels for her dark, brooding employer can’t be denied, regardless of consequences. So when Ophelia’s memory returns, she is devastated by the depth of his betrayal. Now Drake must risk everything to prove she can trust this rogue with her heart once more.
About the Author:
LORRAINE HEATH always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals and computer code, but something was always missing. After reading a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s RITA® and a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times best-seller lists.
Jennifer’s Review of Once More, My Darling Rogue
Review (5 Stars): Drake Darling has never been able to forget the events of his childhood and even with all the success that he has achieved, those memories are never far from his thoughts. Lady Ophelia Lyttleton has known Drake for years and has always treated him as though he was beneath her. The two verbally spar with one another every chance they get and it has become a game to see who will win first. One night, Drake finds a young woman on the side of the river, dirty, bruised and has no idea who she is or how she got there. What surprises Drake the most is that the young woman is none other than Lady Ophelia and she has no memories of Drake whatsoever. As a punishment for the way that she has treated him all these years, Drake tells Lady Ophelia that she is his servant and makes her spend her time doing servant duties. As the days pass, Drake finds himself falling for the new Lady Ophelia and dreads the day when her memories return, knowing that she will hate him even more for what he has done. But Lady Ophelia is falling for Drake as well and maybe this chance at love will finally help melt her deeply protected heart of ice.
I absolutely fell in love with Drake Darling in Once More, My Darling Rogue. He was a charming man who couldn’t understand why Lady Ophelia hated him so much when he never did anything to hurt her. In a way, he felt that he deserved the verbal abuse because of his torrid beginnings but Lady Ophelia was downright cruel, mean and vindictive whenever Drake was around. I loved when she became Phee, the woman with no memories, who was sweet, kind and a crusader against any injustice in the world. I didn’t agree with Drake for making Phee believe that she was a servant as retaliation for all the things that she had done to him, but if he hadn’t, he would have never seen the amazing woman she could become.
Drake and Lady Ophelia were two very interesting characters because they both believed that they were unworthy of love because of events that happened in their childhoods. They were haunted by their past and were finally able to heal their broken spirits by finding love in each others arms. This love story brought me to tears when I discovered both of their secrets and to what lengths Drake went to make amends for what he had done to Lady Ophelia when she had lost her memories. Such a beautiful story of love and forgiveness between two emotionally scarred people who deserved to find love and found it in the most unlikely of places. This is one of my favorite books this year and I am looking forward to reading more from this talented writer.
Kissing the week of August 25th-30th Goodbye
8.25.14
Kimberly reviews Sandpiper Island by Donna Kauffman
Kelly, Jennifer & Kimberly review It’s In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis
Release Day Book Blast: Cash’s Fight by Jamie Begley
8.26.14
Spotlight feature & Exclusive Excerpt from Jill Shalvis’ It’s In His Kiss
Natasha reviews Lord Of Vengeance by Lara Adrian
Natasha reviews Memory Zero by Keri Arthur
What releases the week of August 25th? Check here!
8.27.14
Kimberly reviews The Best Kind Of Trouble by Lauren Dane
Kimberly reviews Stone Cold Lover by Christine Warren
8.28.14
Kelly reviews Miami, Mistletoe and Murder by Karie Reus
Kimberly reviews Irresistible Force by D.D. Ayers
8.29.14
Kimberly reviews No Limits by Lori Foster
Kimberly reviews The Homecoming by Robyn Carr
8.30.14
SINsational Saturday Series
SINsational Saturday Series: Robyn Peterman’s Hot Damned Series
Fashionably Dead
Vampyres don’t exist. They absolutely do not exist.
At least I didn’t think they did ‘til I tried to quit smoking and ended up Undead. Who in the hell did I screw over in a former life that my getting healthy equates with dead?
Now I’m a Vampyre. Yes, we exist whether we want to or not. However, I have to admit, the perks aren’t bad. My girls no longer jiggle, my ass is higher than a kite and the latest Prada keeps finding its way to my wardrobe. On the downside, I’m stuck with an obscenely profane Guardian Angel who looks like Oprah and a Fairy Fighting Coach who’s teaching me to annihilate like the Terminator.
To complicate matters, my libido has increased to Vampyric proportions and my attraction to a hotter than Satan’s underpants killer rogue Vampyre is not only dangerous . . . it’s possibly deadly. For real dead. Permanent death isn’t on my agenda. Avoiding him is my only option. Of course, since he thinks I’m his, it’s easier said than done. Like THAT’S not enough to deal with, all the other Vampyres think I’m some sort of Chosen One.
Holy Hell, if I’m in charge of saving an entire race of blood suckers, the Undead are in for one hell of a ride.
*****
Fashionably Dead Down Under
Welcome to Hell.
Literally.
The Hell where the Prince of Darkness is hotter than Hades, Hell Hounds smell like brownies and the Seven Deadly Sins are addicted to Facebook… Not to mention the soundtrack in the Underworld is Journey. For real.
I should have known no good could come from offing my parents in the space of twenty minutes no matter how psychotic and evil they were…
Now I find out my family tree includes almost every deity and mythological being alive while Ethan, the one and only love of my undead life has a limited time down under before he turns to dust. In the land of Sin, you’d think I’d get some nookie time with my man, but no. Baby Demons, cousins and grandparents put the kibosh on that. Blue balls are the new normal. What the hell does a half-Vampyre Half-Demon have to do to catch a break?
Apparently find a freakin’ sword, calm Mother Nature’s unmedicated mood swings and make sure Mister Rogers keeps his sticky fingers to himself during weekly poker with the Devil.
And I have three days to do it.
By all that’s unholy, I thought Ethan’s Vampyre family was crazy…Trust me, they have nothing on the Demons.
*****
Hell on Heels
Where does a Demon go when she gets deported from Hell?
Kentucky. Eden, Kentucky to be more specific—where nothing is exactly as it seems.
My name is Dixie. I’m a Demon—a lousy Demon. I’m a twenty-one year old virgin and I have a battery operated boyfriend. My magic is iffy at best and downright dangerous at worst. Leaving Hell to represent my race is not high on my list of things to do.
Hell was exact. Hell was simple. All I want to do is get to home base with the hotter than Hades Demon of my dreams and work on my dark side so Satan, my dad, will get off my ass.
Instead I end up in Kentucky looking for the Balance of Chaos, avoiding pole dancing classes with Mother Nature and finding out my invisible friend is a silver skinned destructive weather pattern.
And if that isn’t craptastic enough, the damn Sword of Death is missing again and who ever has it wants the King of the Underworld dead. Seriously.
With new powers emerging daily, keeping my Demon side, horniness and general disgust under wraps doesn’t make it any easier to fit in with the humans. Thankfully my priorities are in line; get laid…save world…try not to blow up kitchen appliances…and get laid again. I was ready to rumble.
All I want to do is go back to Hell, but with the balance of good and evil in my hands, I’m stuck in the garden of Eden. Oh well, what the Hell. Someone has to save the world before there’s no world left to save. Might as well be me.
Spotlight feature & Exclusive Excerpt from Jill Shalvis’ It’s In His Kiss
It’s In His Kiss
Lucky Harbor #10
Amazon | B&N | iTunes | IndieBound
Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now’s her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam’s eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.
Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can’t resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca’s heart?
Excerpt – IT’S IN HIS KISS by Jill Shalvis
“I see you sometimes in the mornings,” she said. “And you do. You always run that hard.”
He smiled. “Peeper to the bone.”
“Can’t seem to help myself,” she admitted.
He dropped to the sand beside her and didn’t miss the fact that she stiffened up at his quick motion. To give her a minute, he stretched out his tired legs. “I worked at sea for seven years. I missed running. I promised myself when I got off the rig, I’d get back to it.”
She took her gaze off his body to look into his eyes. “What was the job?
“I worked for a consulting firm monitoring the deep drilling rigs. We’d go out for months at a time, no land in sight.”
“We?”
“I had a crew,” he said.
“You were out at sea with a bunch of guys for months at a time?”
“There were a few women too,” he said. Three, to be exact, one of whom had neatly sliced Cole’s heart in two.
“What was your job out there?” Becca asked.
“OIM. Offshore installation manager.” He shrugged again. “Basically just a fancy title for babysitting the operation.”
“All of it?”
“I handled the business side of things,” he said, “the shifts, the tasks, everything.”
“Sam knows everything,” she said softly. “That’s what people keep telling me.”
He didn’t know everything. He didn’t know, for example, why he was so drawn to her. Or what made her so wary.
“Must have been a tough job,” she said.
“The job was hard as hell,” he agreed. He had few good memories of those years, working his way up from grunt worker to manager. After they’d lost Gil, he and Tanner had come back to Lucky Harbor with Cole, who’d wanted to be here to take care of his mom and three sisters. Tanner had needed recovery time. And it’d been as good a place as any to start their charter company.
“So you retired from the rigs and now you run, surf, take people out on charters, and handcraft boats,” she said.
He slid her a look.
“Peeper, remember?” she said. She bit her lip but a sweet, low laugh escaped. “Plus, I looked you up.”
Now it was his turn to narrow his eyes. “Why?”
She squirmed a little, which he found fascinating. Actually he found her fascinating. “I’ve spent the past three mornings at the diner for the free WiFi,” she said. “I’ve been…researching.”
“Me?”
“Not just you. But I was curious,” she admitted.
“Yeah? You didn’t get enough information from watching me out the window?”
“Hey,” she said on another laugh. “I can’t help it that you’re pretty to look at.”
At this, he went brows-up. “You said attractive. You didn’t say pretty.”
“Pretty,” she repeated, still smiling.
He loved her smile. “I’m not pretty.” But he was smiling now, too.
“Okay,” she said. “You’re right. Pretty is far too girlie a word for what you are.”
They looked at each other. The air seemed to get all used up then, and his heart beat in tune to the pulsing waves. “What else did you learn about me, in your…research?” he asked softly.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth. “That you guys take people deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, that sort of thing. Also, your charter company’s got four and a half stars on Yelp—although I’m pretty sure some of those reviews were written by women who want to date you because there’s lots of mentions of the three hot guys who run the company.”
He winced, making her laugh again.
“Might as well own it,” she said. “Also, did you know that the town of Lucky Harbor has a Pinterest account? The woman who updates it has a board there for her favorite things.”
“Lucille,” he muttered.
“And one of her favorite things,” Becca said, “is you.”
He grimaced. “Lucille’s a nut.”
“She seems very sincere.”
“Okay, so she’s a nice nut,” he said. “A nut’s a nut.”
“People around here seem to look to you as a leader, as someone to turn to,” she said. “If there’s a question, people say Sam’ll know, but I’ve noticed something.” She waited until he met her gaze. “No one seems to really know you except for maybe Cole and Tanner.”
That was just close enough to the dead truth to make him uncomfortable.
“I think it’s because you come off as a lone wolf,” she said, head cocked as she studied him. “And then there’s your approach-at-your-own-risk vibe.”
Hard to deny the truth, so he didn’t bother.
“I mean you’re really good on the fly,” she said quietly, as if talking to herself, trying to figure him out. “And you’re good at helping people, but you’re not readily available to get to know.”
It was a shockingly accurate insight, but he went with humor. “Not seeing the problem,” he said.
“Well, it’s interesting, is all.”
“Interesting?”
“Yeah.” Again she looked at his mouth. “Because your distance is perversely making me curious to know more. And I haven’t been…curious in a long time.”
A little about Jill Shalvis:
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-
Learn more about Jill and her books here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Release Day Book Blast: Cash’s Fight by Jamie Begley
“I was born in a small town in Kentucky. My family began poor, but worked their way to owning a restaurant. My mother was one of the best cooks I have ever known, and she instilled in all her children the value of hard work, and education.
Taking after my mother, I’ve always love to cook, and became pretty good if I do say so myself. I love to experiment and my unfortunate family has suffered through many. They now have learned to steer clear of those dishes. I absolutely love the holidays and my family puts up with my zany decorations.
For now, my days are spent writing, writing, and writing. I have two children who both graduate this year from college. My daughter does my book covers, and my son just tries not to blush when someone asks him about my books.
Currently I am writing four series of books- The Last Riders, The Dark Souls, The VIP Room, and Biker Bitches series. My favorite book I have written is Soul Of A Woman, which I am hoping to release during the summer of 2014. It took me two years to write, during which I lost my mother, and brother. It’s a book that I truly feel captures the true depths of love a woman can hold for a man. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I am an emotional writer who wants the readers to feel the emotion of the characters they are reading. Because of this, Teased is probably the hardest thing I have written.
All my books are written for one purpose- the enjoyment others find in them, and the expectations of my fans that inspire me to give it my best. In the near future I hope to take a weekend break and visit Vegas that will hopefully be this summer. Right now I am typing away on my next story and looking forward to traveling this summer!”
I’m Nicholas Brooks.
Cathryn Williams is the oldest and only female in a family of four children. While born on the east coast, she has lived all over the country. Her father’s job as an engineer caused the family to move throughout her entire youth. She has spent time in Texas, Idaho, and Nevada before moving back to the eastern part of the country as an adult.
It was during these early years that her love of literature began, starting with Nancy Drew and growing with the Sweet Valley High series stories. This passion grew with each book and has caused her to transition into writing her own stories. Cathryn’s inspiration stems from a diverse childhood, loving family, and oversized lapdog Scarlet. When not giving life to her characters, she enjoys traveling, marathoning TV shows, and spending time with her family.
Kissin the week of August 18th-23rd Goodbye
8.18.14
Kelly’s interview with Marie Harte
Kelly reviews The Taken by Vicki Pettersson
Natasha reviews Fireborn by Keri Arthur
8.19.14
Yasmine Galenorn’s Flight From Hell Release Day Blast
Spotlight & Excerpt of My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts
Kelly reviews The Lost by Vicki Pettersson
Kimberly reviews One Hot Second by Stacy Gail
What releases the week of August 18th? Check here!
8.20.14
Kelly’s interview with Shana Galen
Kimberly reviews Rescue My Heart by Jill Shalvis
Kimberly reviews One Night Of Sin by Elle Kennedy
8.21.14
Spotlight Feature of Darcy Burke’s The de Valery Code
Kimberly reviews Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
Kimberly reviews A Highlanders Obsession by Vonnie Davis
8.22.14
Kelly reviews Lover At Last by JR Ward
Kelly reviews Tangle Of Need by Nalini Singh
8.23.14
SINsational Saturday Series
Book Spotlight & Review: The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost
In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.
Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse–her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who’s bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.
Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn’t mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn’t: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side, Adrian on the other, and nothing but ashes in between…
About the Author:
Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, and the upcoming Broken Destiny series. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Jeaniene splits her time between North Carolina and Florida with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cook books frighten her.
Jennifer’s Review of The Beautiful Ashes
Review (4 Stars): I have always been a big fan of Ms. Frost’s work and I was very excited to read her new book, The Beautiful Ashes, which is the first title in a brand new series. Ivy is on the search for her sister, Jasmine, who has been missing for days and seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. No one has seen her and Ivy is dealing with her disappearance as well as the death of her foster parents, who were recently killed in a car accident. Ivy has always been a little different, plagued by dreams and visions of horrible things that no one has been able to explain. She soon finds that people are trying to kill her to prevent her from finding her sister and finds an unlikely ally in a young man named Adrian. Adrian may be the only person she can count on in this deadly fight but he may also be the one person that is meant to betray her. She is running out of time to save her sister and she needs to find a historic weapon before it is too late to save them all.
I liked Ivy from the very beginning, she was a strong, independent young woman who was trying to hold it together after the loss of her parents and the disappearance of her younger sister. Ivy has always been plagued by horrifying visions of things that no one else could see but her. During the search for her sister, Ivy can’t find anyone that has seen her and the people that she meets look fine one second, then something out of a horror movie the next. She soon meets up with Adrian, a young man with secrets of his own, where she finds that her visions are real and she is the last descendant of a distinctive bloodline. She has supernatural powers that she has never known about and to save her sister, she must help Adrian find a historic weapon that only she can locate. She also discovers that Adrian is the descendant of another infamous bloodline and it is has been prophesied for him to betray her. She has this love/hate relationship with Adrian through most of the book which dragged on a little but I enjoyed them both together. He was the first person to believe in her and tell her that everything she had been going through was real.
Adrian was definitely a charmer but he was also a bad boy with a tainted past. He was always there by Ivy’s side through everything but sometimes his attitude made me want to reach in and smack him. He was destined to betray Ivy but couldn’t stay away from her no matter what happened. I liked that he tried to redeem himself from the past things that he had done and I’m interested to see how things play out for them in the rest of the series.
I liked The Beautiful Ashes and I think that is a promising start to a new series. It was action-packed from the beginning with a touch of romance to even things out. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see if the prophecy between Ivy and Adrian actually comes to light or they are able to change their own fates.