Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 4: The Importance of Picking a Genre by Erin Quinn

The Importance of Picking a Genre

Some authors start with a full and rounded vision of the genre they write. Others struggle. I fall into the second pool. As a young reader, I read two very distinct genres of fiction: romance and horror. I loved them both and often wished the two would meet, marry and live happily ever after. As a writer, I vowed to bring the two genres together. In my award-winning dark paranormal romances, I do just that. However, this love story of genres does not necessarily have a HEA and my career has been filled with challenges. Why? Because merging genres often leads to diluting and mixed-message marketing.

Start with the book’s cover. What is the main genre of the book? Does the cover have a couple in a passionate clench or are there images of carnage and destruction? Many readers choose the book by the cover and if the images promise a love story and deliver Walking Dead, you’ll have some unhappy readers. The problem is, how to put a cover on the book that says “Read me! I have time travel, elves, and demons in my Regency ballroom” without also saying, “I don’t know what in the hell I write so I’ve created a masterpiece of genre soup”?

Before you even deal with the cover challenge, you have to write the book, though. A romance written while the hero and heroine are on the run from monsters, evil, demons [insert your beast of choice here] is a tricky endeavor. You must tell this tale with high stakes. The above mentioned foe must be believable, scary as hell, and fearsome. Yet somewhere in between battles and chills, you have to create a credible, sustainable romance that has depth and emotion. It’s no easy feat packing I love you into a ticking-clock, on-the-run, thriller.

These are just a couple of reasons why picking a genre is so important and picking a main genre is essential. If you are writing for the romance reader, that main genre must be the romance. Period. Whatever else goes in the book, the central story must be a love story. If, at the end of the book, you could go back, remove the romance and have it end the same way, it’s not a romance. (Period, double exclamation point.) The escalating tension and emotional stakes must drive the story to its end. Only a few can divide genres down the middle with success. The best example I can give you of a story that does this is The Terminator. It’s action packed, it’s science fiction, it’s time travel and, at the core, it’s a love story. If Reece hadn’t traveled through time, Sarah Connor wouldn’t have survived the night. Reece sacrificed his own life because he’d loved Sarah from afar and felt compelled to meet her in the flesh…even when he knew he’d die trying. Oh, and there’s a Terminator trying to kill them.

Mixing genres can be done and can be done well. I’ve built a career on it. What I’ve learned is that you need to prioritize the genres you have in the book in order to keep your reader from thinking it’s a leftover goulash. Absolutely, put in more ingredients in than your romance, but remember, at some point you’ll have to boil this book down to a blurb, a tag line and an elevator pitch. If you’ve writing a high concept Tolkienesk fantasy with a Silence of the Lamb FBI heroine and a demon slaying hero in a M/M/F erotic romance, you’re going to have your work cut out for you. I’m not saying it can be done. I’m not even saying it wouldn’t be good.

What I am saying, is this: make sure YOU know what genre you’re writing and if you have multiple genres, make sure you know which is the most important to the story you’re telling.
New York Times bestselling author Erin Quinn writes dark paranormal romance for the thinking reader. Her books have been called “riveting,” “brilliantly plotted” and “beautifully written” and have won, placed or showed in the Booksellers Best, WILLA Award for Historical fiction, the Orange Rose, Readers Crown, Golden Quill, Best Books, and Award of Excellence and Holt Medallion. Go to www.erinquinnbooks.com for more information or follow Erin on Facebook or Twitter @ErinQuinnAuthor

Sign up for Erin Quinn’s newsletter or enter Erin’s monthly contest to be automatically added and eligible for free books. Also look for Erin’s scholarship to the San Diego State University Writers conference on her website. Just look for the Scholarship link on the left navigation bar.

Erin is offering up a digital copy of The Five Deaths of Roxanne Love.

Here is a look at Roxanne’s story

*****

The Five Deaths of Roxanne Love

Beyond #1

She Cheated Death…

Roxanne Love isn’t human. At least not entirely. She tries to fit in but can’t conceal her ability to defy death—not from the world, not from heaven’s darkest creatures, and not from the Reaper determined to destroy her. Now Roxanne is on the run, her only ally a compelling, dangerous detective with secrets of his own. Against her will, she’s drawn to his quiet strength and heated touch. But can she trust him with the truth?

…Until She Felt Death’s Kiss.

Incognito as guilt-ridden cop Santo Castillo, the Reaper’s plan is simple: get close to Roxanne, uncover the secret of her immortality, and cut it at the source. Yet with his borrowed body come emotions the Reaper hadn’t expected. Now nothing is clear but his conflicted desire to protect the woman he came to kill. As destiny forces them to face an enemy hell-bent on using Roxanne to wipe out all of mankind, she and Santo must choose between love…and salvation.

To Enter for a chance to win.

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*this giveaway is sponsored by the author*

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All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

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September 3, 2014September 3, 2014

Writers Tips & Tricks Day 3: Passion & Writing by Nalini Singh

Passion & Writing

This post was inspired by a conversation I recently had on Twitter that included a new writer who was worried about where he would place his as yet unfinished work, how he would market it, and whether anyone would buy it.

Author Justine Larbalestier started the conversation off by saying: “…focus on writing and not worry about publishing.”

It’s exactly the same thing I believe: That you must write the book first. Everything else can come later.

You can’t market or sell a half-written book. Neither can you “write to the market” by chasing trends. I deeply believe that passion shows on the page.

So my tip is to write a story you’re passionate about. A story that makes you race to the computer to put down more words because you’re impatient to find out what happens, and to see your characters. A story that makes you cry, makes you laugh, makes you despair and celebrate with your protagonists.

Because if a story has that effect on you, chances are it’ll have the same impact on your readers.

So shut the door, turn off the Internet, put on your headphones if you write to music (or light a candle, whatever works!), and write. That is what you must do first of all. At the start and throughout your career.

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There’s no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

A little more about Nalini:

I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated frequently).

So far, I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.

Find out more about Nalini and her books here: Website | Facebook | Twitter @NaliniSingh | Goodreads

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

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September 2, 2014September 3, 2014

Writers Tips & Tricks Day 2: How to handle a rejection/how to develop a thick skin by Stacey Kennedy

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

Club Sin #4

Release Date: November 4, 2014

Amazon| B&N

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.

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September 1, 2014September 3, 2014

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Amazon| B&NDianne Duvall’s Immortal Guardians protect humanity from unspeakable horrors–but their hearts are as fragile as any mortal’s. . .

For 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.

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September 1, 2014September 3, 2014

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!

*****

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 1, 2014August 31, 2014

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…

Amazon/B&N

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.

August 5, 2014August 4, 2014

Blog Tour & Review: Death by Devil’s Breath by Kylie Logan

Death by Devil’s Breath

by Kylie Logan

There’s no month steamier than August, no town hotter than Las Vegas and nothing on the planet as spicy as Devi’s Breath chili! It’s the perfect combination, especially since the second book in my Chili Cook-Off mystery series, “Death by Devil’s Breath,” will hit store shelves on August 5.

Once again, Maxie Pierce and the band of pepper purveyors, bean sellers, chili aficionados and hot sauce honchos who make up the Chili Showdown are on the road, and after the trouble they got into in Taos (“Chili Con Carnage”), they’re hoping for a little R&R in Sin City. Knowing that over-the-top is never over-the-top enough in Vegas, the Showdown has scheduled it’s hotly (pun intended!) awaited Devil’s Breath chili contest for the first morning of the show. The regional winners are set with bowls of the spiciest of the spicy, and the contest is going to be judged by local celebrity performers.

It’s perfect. Or at least it would be if comedian Dicky Dunkin didn’t fall over dead in his bowl of Devil’s Breath.

With another murder on her hands and a mysterious person from her past plaguing her, Maxie doesn’t waste any time jumping into the case and she encounters a host of suspects including Dickie’s fellow performers:

There’s Hermosa (one name, like Cher, but without the looks or the talent) who says she was in love with Dickie, and fails to mention that lately, there’s been serious trouble in Paradise.

And jazzman Yancy Harris who has his own secrets to keep, secrets Dickie threatened to expose.

Then there’s lousy magician, The Great Osborn, who’s trying to compete for Hermosa’s affections and even Linda Love, owner of the largest wedding chapel in Vegas.

If all that wasn’t enough to get Maxie into big time trouble, somebody’s sabotaging the Chili Chick costume she wears to dance out from of the Hot-Cha Chili Seasoning Palace and entice buyers inside.

Hot? Oh yeah, Vegas is plenty hot. And Maxie is about to find out that Devil’s Breath chili is just the tip of one peppery iceberg!

About the Author:

Kylie Logan has loved mysteries since she was a kid. Her dad was a Cleveland Police detective and he introduced her to Sherlock Holmes stories and gave her investigating experience when on his days off, they’d pile into the car and hit the streets to look for stolen cars. When he retired from the force, Dad became head of security for the Cleveland Public Library.

Crooks and books! Kylie comes by her love of mysteries honestly.

Kylie began her career writing historical romance and her book, “Devil’s Diamond” was nominated for a RITA award as historical romance of the year by Romance Writers of America. She’s also written contemporary romance (as Connie Lane), young adult horror (as Zoe Daniels and Connie Laux) and she writes the popular Pepper Martin Mysteries as Casey Daniels.

Kylie is currently writing three different mystery series: the Button Box Mysteries, the League of Literary Ladies mysteries and now, the Chili Cook-Off mysteries. She can’t pass up an antique shop…there might be buttons in there! She can’t put down a classic book . . . even if she already knows the story. And she can’t say no to a good bowl of chili. Luckily, her husband is the world’s greatest chili maker.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually with her family and their two dogs, Ernie, an adorable Airedale, and Oscar, a rescued Jack Russell who came for a short-term stay and ten years later, is still around. Kylie says that those of you who have ever met/lived with/had dealings with a Russell will certainly understand how knowing him has increased her propensity for murder.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Cold-blooded murder can be hot as hell…

In Las Vegas, the stakes are high—and so is the Scoville scale. Maxie Pierce and the Chili Showdown are in town for a very heated contest devoted to judging the legendary and notorious-for-being-self-combustible Devil’s Breath chili. The guest judges are casino performers with a taste for chili and an eye for publicity.

Maxie is already going mad organizing the event, dealing with her snide half sister, Sylvia, and trying to figure out her hothead of security, Nick. But when a local hack comedian drops dead in the middle of the Showdown, it isn’t the spicy dish—it’s poison. And Maxie is going to have to shuffle through a full deck of suspects to pick out the culprit.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Death by Devil’s Breath

Review (4.5 Stars): Maxie Pierce is in Las Vegas for a Chili competition and during the middle of the judging of the hotter than hot Devil’s Breath chili, a celebrity judge ends up dead right after the taste testing. The last thing that Maxie wants to do is get involved in another murder mystery but she decides to help find the killer to save the Chili Showdown. Hopefully, she finds the killer soon before the competition and their reputation goes up in smoke.

Death by Devil’s Breath is the second book in the Chili Cook-Off mystery series and I definitely loved this story more than the first. Maxie is a character that you will immediately fall in love with because she has a spunky personality and is very entertaining to read. I am always amazed at the crazy situations that Maxie finds herself in and I find myself laughing throughout most of the book. This series keeps getting better and better with well-written mysteries and a fun cast of characters that will keep you coming back for more. I’m looking forward to reading the third book in the series, which I hope will come out sometime next year.

June 5, 2014June 3, 2014

Guest Blogger Terry Spears

What To Pack When Headed To The Jungle

In Jaguar Hunt, shifter agents Tammy Anderson and David Patterson reluctantly get paired to investigate an important jaguar matter in the jungles of Belize. While they only have a short time to pack for their mission, both seem to know just what to bring. Since they are able to shift into large cats, weapons always at the ready, the focus is on intimate items … neither realizing just how much these items will come in handy when sparks between the two begin to fly.

So what do these enforcers pack when headed to the jungle?

Tammy

Lipstick and other essentials—just stuff she usually takes, though she never guesses she will see her lipstick marking a heart on a tree.
Lace and silk red hot panties—always a requisite, even though Tammy has no intention of David getting her bag and seeing an eyeful of her undergarments.
A teeny, weeny bikini—just in case she goes swimming, but she has no idea she will have to take a shower in it…

David

Bathing suit, just in case he can get some swimming in with the she-cat, while not in jaguar form.
XXL condoms, he means just to take a couple, not a jumbo size box, nor for Tammy to get HIS bag by accident. But you see, she ditches him, and he is running late, and…
Aftershave—the kind that drives females crazy, only he soon learns he doesn’t need to use it because he drives Tammy crazy without it.

So some might say that they look like they prepared for romance when they “signed” up for this mission. But Tammy would say that she only brought what she did for herself and not to entice some hot male cat into getting interested.

And David would say, with a smirk, of course, it’s always good to be prepared.

Here’s an excerpt from Jaguar Hunt showing just what is essential for a trip:

“Missing anything?” she asked. “Doesn’t look like anything else of mine is gone.” She was relieved for that.

“My bottle of aftershave lotion. Wild Earth Essence—the fragrance of Indonesian sandalwood combined with patchouli.”

She had to admit she would like smelling the aftershave on him, though only if he applied a hint of it—much more and her sensitive sense of smell couldn’t handle it.

“The hippies wore patchouli—the odor of pot, sex, and forest. It’s from the mint family,” she said, recalling reading about that somewhere.

“I never thought of it that way, but you’re right.”

She frowned at him, not meaning to, but still… “So you wear it to attract human women?” Here she was defending herself against her brother’s claim that she only dated humans. Did David?

“I haven’t dated a human since last year. Bad mistake.”

“What happened?”

“I learned not to date a woman who had a former boyfriend who wasn’t ready to let her go.”

She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t, though she was dying to know what had happened. Not that it should matter, but it piqued her curiosity. Would Maya know?

Maybe David’s brother had told Maya and Tammy could ask her. “I don’t remember you wearing it earlier before you took your shower.” She zipped up her toiletry bag.

“I didn’t need to. I wasn’t planning on being with any human woman,” he reiterated, and smiled a little as if he thought she might care. “In truth, the fragrance attracts jaguars and other kinds of big cats also.”

You see? It’s always important to be prepared!

If you were going on a mission in the hot jungle with a hot male jaguar shifter, what would be the essential item you would bring?

*****

JAGUAR HUNT

Release Date: June 3, 2014

Amazon | B&N

An agent and a jaguar-shifter chase trouble, and each other, through the jungles of Belize

Agent Tammy Anderson has a reputation: she prefers to work alone. So when she’s paired up on a mission with jaguar-shifter David Patterson-who’s only recently been released from jail-to say she’s less than thrilled is a understatement. Until she realizes that this sexy agent has what it takes…

Soon, what started as an “easy” mission to locate a missing jaguar takes the pair to Belize, where they’re chasing down two renegade teen shifters who know more than they’re telling. As the action heats up, can they keep their minds on the job and off each other?

Don’t miss Kelly’s review of Jaguar Hunt HERE

A little about Terry:

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over two dozen paranormal romance novels and medieval Highland historical romances. In 2008 HEART OF THE WOLF was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world. She lives in Crawford, Texas.

Website | Goodread | Facebook | Twitter @TerrySpear

June 2, 2014June 2, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Engaged in Murder by Nancy J. Parra

I have Nancy J. Parra here today to discuss her new book and first in a new mystery series, Engaged in Murder.

It used to be that a fellow in love would ask the girl’s father for her hand. Then he would buy a ring and over a candlelit dinner, he would get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. With advent of video these simple proposals became grander and grander. Suddenly there were proposals at half-time at basketball and football games. Proposals from Santa’s knee. Flash mobs singing and dancing their way into the heart of the woman. In fact, I have a Pintrest board of cool proposals where you can see some of the fun and crazy ways that men plot and plan to ask a woman to marry them. I often thought how fun would it be to help men plan these proposals.

When I had the opportunity to write about an amateur sleuth who planned extravagant proposals I jumped all over it and Pepper Pomeroy was born. Pepper is a tall, thin red head who would like to consider herself perfect, but knows better. She was recently “down-sized” from her job as an event coordinator for a downtown Chicago Hotel/conference center and is facing a dwindling savings account and the idea that she may have to live with her parents again at age thirty.

Her younger sister, Felicity, on the other hand is practically perfect. She is shorter and blond and curvy in all the right places. And Felicity’s long time boyfriend, Warren Evans, has come to Pepper with a request. Could she plan an extravagant proposal for Felicity? Who but Pepper would know Felicity better and understand what she might think would be her dream proposal.

With not much else to do Pepper agrees and happily helps Warren plan a jet setting proposal for Felicity. The proposal goes off with just one hitch. Right before Felicity arrives Pepper discovers a man passed out in the woman’s bathroom at the tiny airport where Warren is popping the question. In a decision that would prove to haunt her, Pepper decides to let the authorities know about the drunk guy after Warren and Felicity jet off to an exotic weekend. The proposal goes so well that Warren tells Pepper she should start her own business event planning proposals and Perfect Proposals is born.

As she waves good-bye, Pepper remembers the guy and calls the police only to discover that there has been a murder and Warren is suspect number one. Now Pepper feels she must prove Warren’s innocence to save her sister from a lifetime of grief. What Pepper learns is that it’s not easy catching a killer and she must trust her instincts if she wants to save the day.

To see some of the proposals I’ve pinned as well as possible bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses follow me on Pintrest at http://www.pinterest.com/nancyjparra/

About the Author:

Best known for writing “…strong stubborn heroes and plucky heroines who aren’t afraid to go toe to toe with them,” (Shelley Mosley, Booklist Magazine), I currently have 12 books published-two made the top ten list and a total of five were given starred reviews by ALA’s Booklist.

Praise from readers and booksellers made All Fudged Up – by pen name Nancy Coco a 2013 National Bestseller. Thank you! I’m very excited to bring you three books in 2014 and 2015 as the three series heat up.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

There’s no planning for murder…

Event planner Pepper Pomeroy is making the most of her current unemployment by arranging a surprise for her sister, Felicity. Warren, Felicity’s boyfriend, plans to lure his lovely lady into a private jet, propose, and whisk her away on a romantic vacation. He just needs Pepper to handle all the fine details in order to make it the perfect proposal—and it is. Everything goes so well when Warren pops the question that he suggests Pepper do this sort of thing professionally.

But before she can get her new business off the ground, there are some disturbing questions. Like who’s the dead guy Pepper finds in the ladies’ room of the jet hangar? Is it possible Felicity’s high-flying fiancé has been hiding more than the engagement ring? Pepper’s not married to the idea of having a criminal in the family, so in order to protect her sister, she takes off in pursuit of a killer…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Engaged in Murder

Review (4 Stars): This is the first book in a new mystery series and it definitely holds a lot of potential. Pepper is trying desperately to make ends meet after losing her job so she doesn’t have to move back in with her parents. She agrees to help her sister’s boyfriend plan the perfect engagement aboard his private jet and soon encounters a dead body in the bathroom of the airport. Pepper then finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation while trying to establish her new business of engagement planning which she seems to be exactly what she needed. She also needs to help find the true killer before her sister’s fiance’ is charged with the murder and all her dreams go up in smoke.

I liked Engaged in Murder but it took me a while to warm up to the character of Pepper. The mystery started off a little slow but then picked up the pace and was an enjoyable start to this cozy series. I loved Pepper’s family and some of their scenes with her had me laughing out loud and were a great addition to the story. Engaged in Murder is a good start to the series and I’m hoping that things will pick up in the second book because these characters definitely have a lot of potential.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Engaged in Murder. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by June 10th, please tell me your engagement story:

May 30, 2014May 22, 2014

Guest Blogger: Paige Tyler

HER PERFECT MATE (X-OPS Book One)

Paige Tyler

Thank you so much for having me at Books-n-Kisses! I thought I’d introduce readers to the world of my new X-OPS Series with an inside look at a conversation between the hero, Special Forces Captain Landon Donovan and the resident psychologist at the Department of Covert Operations during a mandatory counseling session all agents must attend after completing their first mission with a new partner. While this scene isn’t in HER PERFECT MATE, I imagine it would have gone something like this.

Landon was a little nervous. He and Ivy had just gotten back from South America and he’d been called in for a mandatory counseling session with the DCO’s head shrink, Marlon Anders. After what happened between him and his new partner down in the jungles of Venezuela, Landon wasn’t too eager to let anyone go sniffing around in his head. But what choice did he have? These stress-reduction sessions were apparently part of the job description at the Department of Covert Ops. If he didn’t do it, he’d just draw that much more attention.

The door to Marlon’s office was open, and the short, curly-haired man motioned him in the second Landon poked in his head.

“Agent Donovan, come in and close the door.” He got to his feet and came around the desk. “I’m glad you were able make it. I know how busy you are right now.”

Busy didn’t even begin to cover it. He and Ivy had just gotten back to the States last night and had at a full day of training ahead of them starting in an hour.

“Have a seat.” Marlon gestured to the couch against the wall. “I’ll get you out of here as fast as I can.” He smiled as he made himself comfortable in an adjacent chair. “Remember, these are confidential sessions—you can tell me anything and it will stay just between the two of us.”

Sure it will. Landon had a sneaking suspicion whatever he said was going to end up in the written report Marlon gave to the director of the DCO. He eyed the sofa. Brown leather, it looked comfortable enough, but he didn’t sit. Marlon smiled at him in that unamused doctor kind of way and gestured to the couch again.

Landon sat, but promised himself he would not—under any circumstances—lie down.

“I understand things got pretty intense down there in South America,” Marlon said. “Tell me about that.”

Landon almost groaned as he remembered the sensation of Ivy’s mouth on his, her body under his hands. But he doubted that was the kind of intense that Marlon was talking about…at least he hoped that wasn’t where the shrink was heading with this.

He propped his ankle on his opposite knee, hoping it would hide the hard-on pitching a tent in his pants. “It wasn’t any more intense than I’m used to. We did the mission, got shot at, shot back, then got the hell out of there.” He shrugged. “Stuff like that was an everyday occurrence back in Special Forces.”

Marlon wrote something down on a pad, then eyed him over the tops of his reading glasses. “Then you and Agent Halliwell got along well? You didn’t find it too hard working with a female EVA?”

While Landon found himself shaking his head and giving a pat answer about how well he and Ivy had worked together—which was true—he couldn’t forget that little nap they’d taken in their tiny makeshift tent. His erection stiffened even more at that and he shifted on the couch.

“And that fact that she’s an EVA,” Marlon continued. “That doesn’t bother you at all?”

Landon hated that acronym—Extremely Valuable Asset. Who the hell came up with that anyway? “No. I have no problem working with a shifter.”

He’d never considered himself much of a cat person, but that was before he met Ivy. With her exotic beauty and long silky hair, she was the epitome of grace—even when she was out there kicking ass.

Marlon took off his glasses and dangled them between his fingers, his gray eyes piercing. “You know Agent Halliwell had problems getting along with her previous partners, right?”

Landon nodded. “She told me.”

“But the two of you have no problems working with each other at all?”

“None,” Landon said.

“I see. And why do you think that is?”

Landon grinned. “I guess we just have better chemistry.”

That was an understatement. Hell, they were jonesing for each other so badly they were practically going nuts. The only thing that had kept them from taking things too far when they were in Venezuela was knowing they were too good together as a team to risk getting split up. Which was what would happen if their boss found out.

Marlon jotted something else down in his notebook, then smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I was a little concerned that they purposely sent you two on a mission so soon just to see you fail. Nice to see you proved them wrong. I think you two have the makings of a special team.”

Landon couldn’t agree more.

Amazon | B&N | Are | iTunes | Sourcebooks

He’s a High-Octane Special Ops Pro

When Special Forces Captain Landon Donovan is chosen for an assignment with the Department of Covert Operations, he’s stunned to find his new partner is a beautiful woman who looks like she couldn’t hurt a fly, never mind take down a terrorist.

She’s No Kitten

Ivy Halliwell isn’t your average covert op. She’s a feline shifter, and more dangerous than she looks. Her feline DNA means she can literally bring out the claws when things get dicey. She’s worked with a string of hotheaded military guys who’ve underestimated her special skills in the past. But when she’s partnered with special agent Donovan, a man sexy enough to make any girl purr, things begin to heat up. He doesn’t think she’s a freak-and he’s smokin’ hot. Soon they’re facing a threat even greater than anyone imagines…and an animal magnetism impossible to ignore.

Read an Excerpt

http://paigetylertheauthor.com/BooksHerPerfectMate.html

What are the people saying about Her Perfect Mate:

“An absolutely perfect story-one I honestly couldn’t put down. One of the best books I’ve read in years. I hope this is the beginning of a very long series, because I definitely want more of Paige Tyler’s shifters.” – Kate Douglas, author of the bestselling Wolf Tales and Spirit Wild series

“A wild, hot, and sexy ride from beginning to end! I loved it!” – Terry Spear, USA Today bestselling author of A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing

“Once I began, the outside world ceased to exist. It’s exciting and fast paced.” – Paranormal Kiss

“I love a good paranormal romance and this series has started off with a bang!” – Hopeless in Literature Reviews

Check out Kelly & Kimberly’s reviews of Her Perfect Mate HERE

A little about Paige:

Paige Tyler is a USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic fiction. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kickbutt heroines who fall in love with them.

She is represented by Bob Mecoy.

Learn more about Paige here:

April 1, 2014March 31, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer

I’m delighted to have Connie Archer here today to discuss her new book, A Roux of Revenge. This is one of my favorite mystery series right now and I absolutely adore her main character, Lucky and her restaurant, By the Spoonful Soup Shop. Take it away, Connie.

When a band of travelers arrives in the village of Snowflake, Vermont and a dead stranger is found by the side of the road, the past returns with a vengeance. Long kept secrets will be revealed, lost loves will be found and the lives of many in the village will be irrevocably altered.

Special thanks to Books-n-Kisses for hosting this stop on my blog tour for A Roux of Revenge, the third book in the soup lover’s mystery series.

How did this book come to be? Well, it’s a cozy culinary mystery–there’s a dead body, an old crime and a young girl in danger, but apart from all that, this story somehow took on a life of its own, and before I realized it, I was also writing a love story–a story about love gone wrong, lost love and love found again after many years.

Sometimes we know exactly what sparks a particular story and sometimes it’s lost in the recesses of memory. It was just such a random event that gave me the kernel of an idea for A Roux of Revenge. A brief headline on a web page read: “Eleven Romanian Gypsies Captured by Canadian Border Patrol.” My ears went up. I just had to read this article. And it turned out to be true! It wasn’t an exaggeration and it made me wonder.

Why couldn’t a group of travelers from the north arrive in the village of Snowflake, Vermont? Perhaps they come from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Perhaps they speak a form of Gaelic–Scottish Gaelic. Perhaps they have been traveling for generations and could be connected to someone in the village of Snowflake, Vermont. That’s how my invented clan of Scottish Gaelic-speaking travelers came to life.

But then I started wondering about all traveling people — are there gypsies or travelers in the U.S. today, still living a nomadic lifestyle? How do they live? Under the radar? How do they deal with the simple things of life, like a birth certificate or a driver’s license. I did a bit of research and learned a lot.

The word “gypsy” is a perversion of the word “Egyptian,” but the people called “gypsies” weren’t from Egypt. They migrated out of northern India over a thousand years ago, moving through western Asia and Europe, and eventually traveling to the British Isles and the Americas. They are know by many names in many countries – they have become the Irish Travelers (although this group claims a different lineage), the English Romnichels, the Ludar, the Hungarian Slovaks, and the Tinkers of Scotland, to name just a few. They have been persecuted, vilified and subjected to forced emigration throughout the centuries.

Today, in the United States alone, there are estimated to be more than a million Romani people who come from far flung places around the globe. Although traveler culture honors family and ancestors and a commitment to a nomadic lifestyle, many descendants of travelers have very little information about their roots.

There are, however, dedicated people who want to help. If you believe you’re descended from a traveler culture, read on and explore the following websites where you might learn more about your origins and your ancestors.

The Gypsy Lore Society

http://www.gypsyloresociety.org/additional-resources/gypsy-and-traveler-culture-in-america

Roma of the Americas

http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/roma.html

Irish Travelers

http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/travellers.html

My clan of Scottish Gaelic-speaking travelers knows exactly where they come from and the place they’ll return to every year. It may be a long time before they’re in Snowflake, Vermont again, but I know you’ll enjoy reading about them all in A Roux of Revenge.

About the Author:

Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of A Spoonful of Murder and A Broth of Betrayal, the soup lover’s mystery series set in Vermont, from Berkley Prime Crime. The third book in the series, A Roux of Revenge, will be released on April 1, 2014. Connie was born and raised in New England. She now lives on the other coast.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

STIRRING UP TROUBLE

Snowflake, Vermont, is known for its skiing in winter—and its soup all year round, thanks to Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful. Autumn brings golden leaves, pumpkin rice soup, the annual Harvest Festival…and murder.

Lucky’s soup shop is busier than usual this October, with groups of itinerant travelers in town to work the Harvest Festival. One newcomer seems to take a particular interest in Lucky’s young waitress, Janie, spying on her from across the street. Is the stranger stalking Janie?

After an unidentified man is found murdered in a van by the side of the road, simmering suspicions about the travelers are brought to a boil. But when Janie is put in harm’s way, Lucky must join forces with the travelers to turn up the heat on a killer…

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Jennifer’s Review of A Roux of Revenge

Review (4.5 Stars): This is one of my favorite mystery series right now because I absolutely love the residents of Snowflake and Lucky’s restaurant, By the Spoonful. In this book, the town of Snowflake is preparing for the annual Harvest Festival which will bring a much needed influx of tourists into this little town. Before things get under way, a man is found murdered in his van and believed to be a part of robbery that had taken place many years ago. While the police look for clues, Lucky is having problems of her own with her boyfriend, Elias. A flame from Elias’ past has come back and Lucky is afraid that her budding romance may soon be over. Long hidden secrets finally come to light in this wonderful mystery and not everyone is ready to hear the truth.

This is the third book in the Soup Lover’s Mystery series and I look forward to each installment of this series. I’ve always liked Lucky and I’m so glad to see that everything is going well for her in the beginning of this book. Her business is successful and her relationship with Elias seems to be getting stronger until an old love from Elias’ life comes back to town. She goes through a lot of emotions during the course of this book which really adds to her character. The thing that makes this series so great besides having a fabulous restaurant which I wish I could visit, is the characters. Each of them add so much to the story and Ms. Archer does a great job creating them and writing such entertaining mysteries. I can’t say enough wonderful things about these books and I’m looking forward to the next installment in this charming series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of A Roux of Revenge. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by April 7th, please leave a comment or question for Connie:

March 19, 2014March 19, 2014

Guest blogger Elizabeth Michels talks about kisses and her newest release + a giveaway

I’m so excited to be here on Books-n-Kisses today to celebrate the release of the second book in the Tricks of the Ton series, Desperately Seeking Suzanna! And, what better juicy tidbits of this story to share with you on this fabulous blog than the first kiss scene between Holden and Sue. Technically, the first kiss in this story occurs on page 34 when Holden and Suzanna have an unexpected evening together at a masquerade ball…after she accidentally kicks him in the nose. But, when she disappears later that night, he spends the London season searching for her, only to find simple, girl-next-door, Sue Green, standing in his path.

Finally, on page 191, Holden realizes not only that Suzanna was a myth, but he has developed a fondness for the very real lady at his side on the bench in the garden…

She wasn’t sure at what point in his story she’d slid her hand down his arm to wrap her hand around his, but she glanced down to find their fingers entwined now. She should move. She should remove her hand from his grasp. Instead she squeezed his fingers and laid her other hand on his forearm, attempting to rub the tension away.

With his story came understanding. A few of the missing pieces that made him whole snapped together in her mind. Not all of them, but enough for now. “Your father can’t honestly hold you responsible for such a thing.”

“I can’t believe I told you any of this. What is it about you?” He glanced down at their joined hands, pulling away as if burned. Flexing his fingers for a moment, his gaze returned to her face with an intensity she hadn’t seen since they’d met on the stairs that night.

“Holden.” Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips. “This is why you try as you do to play the disreputable rake.”

“Might we return to the subject of wiggling toes?” His breathing seemed harsh as he looked at her.

“You wish to confirm your father’s presumptions about you. You try to sink to his expectations. I can’t say I blame you. I suppose…”

Unexpected warmth flooded her senses as he reached up to frame her face with his hands, pulling her closer. His kiss was harsh, punishing, but with a desperation she matched. She heard a startled whimper escape her throat as his lips moved over hers. Her hands fluttered in the air for a moment before landing on his chest. He pulled back, watching her. There was an awareness in his eyes that she didn’t quite trust, as if he remembered something he’d forgotten long ago.

Her lips parted in question, yet she had too many thoughts to ask. He’d released her lips but his hands held her head still. His thumbs brushed against the wisps of fallen hair at her temples.

Blinking up into dark green eyes and lips she wanted back on hers, she tugged on his lapels until his mouth met hers once more. He chuckled, the rough sound vibrating through her, only to be soothed by the softness of his mouth. His tongue traced the lines of her lips until she opened to him, allowing him in. Time must have passed but she was unaware of anything beyond his lips on hers.

His hands slid to the back of her neck as he tasted her, his warm skin heating hers more than a thousand suns. His lips slashed over hers, pulling her deepest desires from her, then delving for more. Exposed, in need, she bit at his bottom lip, dragging him into the spiral of longing with her. As if in a battle where neither side would surrender, she matched every movement he made. She’d learned. Whether he knew it or not, he’d been her teacher. Her hands were inside his coat now, splayed on his chest and slipping further around him with every passing second.

Nearness. That’s what she needed.

His body pressed close to hers. His hand moved down her neck, sliding down her back to rest on her hip. He pulled away with a lazy smile, his eyes darting across the garden. “Where’s a bedchamber when you need one?”

“Holden, we shouldn’t.”

“Yes, actually I believe we should.” He pulled her in for one more kiss, leaving her flustered, confused, and giddy.

She touched her fingers to her lips as he pulled away. He’d kissed her. Not Suzanna, her! Sue Green!

“For someone who hasn’t danced a quadrille before, you certainly are experienced,” he mused.

“You. Only you,” she whispered. Had she spoken aloud or only in her mind?

How do I go about writing a first kiss? There are 3 steps that lead to the creation of a scene like this one: longing, atmosphere and wine.

Longing- The characters have to earn that first kiss by surviving far too many pages of heartache. Readers have to want these two crazy characters to get together, and to cheer for it when it finally happens. Also, the characters have to finally reach that turning point in their relationship. This was a challenge in Desperately Seeking Suzanna because Holden had to have time to befriend Sue and then choose her over the image of Suzanna. And for a disreputable rake, he doesn’t move very fast. *grins*
Atmosphere- The couple must be alone with no prying eyes, preferably, in a location with a romantic atmosphere. This isn’t easy in Regency England when chaperones were required and matronly eyes were always watching.
Wine- This is the point when the characters have suffered, the setting is perfect, the couple is ready to turn that corner in their relationship, and I just need to pour a glass of wine, close the door to my office, and write it.

Thank you for hosting me on Books-n-Kisses today! I hope you enjoy Desperately Seeking Suzanna. What’s your favorite setting for a first kiss scene?

DESPERATELY SEEKING SUZANNA

IN STORES MARCH 2014

Her Cinderella Moment…

Sue Green just wanted one night to be the pretty one. But a few glasses of champagne and one wild disguise later, she’s in some serious trouble. Who knew the devastatingly handsome face of Lord Holden Ellis would get in the way of her foot? And how exactly did all that high-kick dancing start in the first place? At least she blamed it on her new persona—Suzanna—so Society’s most eligible bachelor will never find out the truth.

All Holden wants is the truth. Who was that vixen who seduced him so thoroughly, then disappeared? The only one who seems to have any answers about Suzanna is Miss Sue Green. She’s promised to help him find his mystery woman, but she’s not being all that helpful. And the more time Holden spends with Sue—witty, pretty, and disarmingly honest—the more he realizes he may have found exactly what he’s been looking for all along…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Michels grew up on a Christmas tree farm in rural South Carolina. After tip-toeing her way through school with her focus on ballet steps and her nose in a book, she met a boy and followed him a thousand miles away from home to Kansas City, Missouri, before settling down in North Carolina. She attended Park University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Interior Design. Elizabeth is a lover of happily-ever-afters; she invites you to read her stories, get lost, and enjoy. For more information, please visit http://www.elizabethmichels.com/

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