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Sunday, October 28, 2018
Friday, October 26, 2018
#NewRelease from Anna Lores: CURSED TO LOVE
Anna Lores makes a return trip to Journeys with Jana with her new release, CURSED TO LOVE, which released on October 19, 2018. Anna says that CURSED TO LOVE is a spinoff of her paranormal shifter romance ONE NIGHT OF LOVE, which Anna told us about on my blog earlier in the month. Welcome back, Anna!
CURSED TO LOVE by Anna Lores
Blurb:
She's caught between two worlds. Her blood could be her demise. To save her life, will she choose to love the coven or the pack?
Meredith Kilpatrick doesn't have much time left. With a deadly curse running through her veins, she wants nothing more than to die in the arms of Vampire King Jeremy Hunter. But when her love refuses her choice to remain human and leaves her at the altar, she vows to spend her remaining time away from the world of supernatural beasts. Little does she know that her niece's upcoming nuptials will send her straight into a werewolf's embrace…
Dietrich Wolfgang sees Meredith as a true mate, and the alpha is willing to ignore her curse to make her his. But when the blight on her blood puts his entire pack at risk, there's only one person who can help. Dietrich must enlist the vampire king to set things right…
With the people she loves in danger, can Meredith survive her affliction and finally make her eternal choice between a vampire and a werewolf?
Cursed to Love is a standalone paranormal romance novel and a spinoff from the sensual novel One Night of Love. If you like powerful paranormal chemistry, sexy vampires and werewolves, and scenes of passion, then you'll love Anna Lores's risqué read.
Buy Cursed to Love to sink your teeth into a sexy saga today!
Buy Links:
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2piXUP3
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2OpWWLD
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/CursedToLove-iBooks
B&N: https://tinyurl.com/CursedTolove-BN
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cursed-to-love
Excerpt:
Mere tilted her head to the side and the raw fury in her eyes lessened. “Are you legally blind? Can you drive? Did you know you were grabbing my ass?”
The softer side of her voice called to his beast.
“I can drive, although I don’t. It’s safer that way.” He held back from explaining his sight was fine, but when his wolf’s power surfaced his eyes changed to more of a snow white, making him look blind, but they allowed him to see spiritual and energy variances others lived their entire lives unaware of. “I’m sorry I got touchy with you, even though you were talking dirty to me.”
She shuddered. “Don’t do it again.” The bold red in her face drained to a lighter shade of pink. “Do you need me to lead, so you don’t bump into anyone?”
My sight is better than yours. He offered his hand to her. “Following isn’t really my thing. I’ll keep you safe from everyone else’s unwanted touch.”
She placed her small hand in his. A jolt of electricity like none he’d ever felt before struck the center of his heart at her tender touch.
The gentle strumming of a guitar resounded from the speakers. A sorrowful female voice filled the room.
“One moment you were with me. One moment you were gone…” the woman sang. “One chance to be your lover. One dream vanished before dawn…”
He tugged at her hand, and she stepped into his personal space.
She curled her hands around the back collar of his white shirt. “Do not make me regret this.”
He slid his hands to the small of her back and nudged her closer. “No regrets, beautiful.”
She inhaled and softened against him.
“Your voice. Your lips. Your kiss. I’ll cherish…” the woman sang.
Meredith raised her chin and the haze of the mating trance covered her gorgeous eyes. “You’re not part fish, are you?”
“No,” he chuckled. Are you fascinated by the men of the sea?
“You smell so dang good,” she mumbled. “I want to touch you.”
“Do it,” he whispered. You want me. I want you. Yet, you resist. Why?
Her hands glided down his arms at her back and lingered at the cuffs. Almost there. Slide your wrists into my hand behind your back. Surrender. I will reward you with a—
Electricity sizzled down to the tips of his toes and dove into the depths of his beast’s spirit as her fingers grazed the inside of his wrists along the heels of his palms. Vibrant colors exploded around him in layers of turbulent waves. Thousands of intricate ripples of intense energy unlike any he’d experienced flowed into him. A vision from her moved through his mind.
Author Bio:
An avid romance reader, Anna Lores started writing steamy romance novels as a by-product of insomnia. One night, with a nudge from her husband to write a book, Anna borrowed her son's laptop and set about breathing life to her very own characters. After a month, she was surprised with a new laptop of her own to pursue her dreams of writing sensual happily ever afters.
The desire to fill her world with wonderful stories she and her close friends could not just talk about but gush over, keeps Anna's fingers racing to keep up with her imagination. As the rest of the house is sleeping peacefully, Anna sheds her title as Supermom of Three to write sexy love stories.
Sleeping might still be a battle Anna hasn't conquered, but armed with a B. A. in English Literature and all the hot men in her mind calling for their own story, she stays busy during those midnight hours writing her next international bestselling spicy romance.
Social Media Links:
Author site: www.annaloresauthor.com
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/AnnaLoresAuthor
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-lores
Twitter: www.twitter.com/annalores
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorAnnaLores
CURSED TO LOVE by Anna Lores
Blurb:
She's caught between two worlds. Her blood could be her demise. To save her life, will she choose to love the coven or the pack?
Meredith Kilpatrick doesn't have much time left. With a deadly curse running through her veins, she wants nothing more than to die in the arms of Vampire King Jeremy Hunter. But when her love refuses her choice to remain human and leaves her at the altar, she vows to spend her remaining time away from the world of supernatural beasts. Little does she know that her niece's upcoming nuptials will send her straight into a werewolf's embrace…
Dietrich Wolfgang sees Meredith as a true mate, and the alpha is willing to ignore her curse to make her his. But when the blight on her blood puts his entire pack at risk, there's only one person who can help. Dietrich must enlist the vampire king to set things right…
With the people she loves in danger, can Meredith survive her affliction and finally make her eternal choice between a vampire and a werewolf?
Cursed to Love is a standalone paranormal romance novel and a spinoff from the sensual novel One Night of Love. If you like powerful paranormal chemistry, sexy vampires and werewolves, and scenes of passion, then you'll love Anna Lores's risqué read.
Buy Cursed to Love to sink your teeth into a sexy saga today!
Buy Links:
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2piXUP3
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2OpWWLD
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/CursedToLove-iBooks
B&N: https://tinyurl.com/CursedTolove-BN
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cursed-to-love
Excerpt:
Mere tilted her head to the side and the raw fury in her eyes lessened. “Are you legally blind? Can you drive? Did you know you were grabbing my ass?”
The softer side of her voice called to his beast.
“I can drive, although I don’t. It’s safer that way.” He held back from explaining his sight was fine, but when his wolf’s power surfaced his eyes changed to more of a snow white, making him look blind, but they allowed him to see spiritual and energy variances others lived their entire lives unaware of. “I’m sorry I got touchy with you, even though you were talking dirty to me.”
She shuddered. “Don’t do it again.” The bold red in her face drained to a lighter shade of pink. “Do you need me to lead, so you don’t bump into anyone?”
My sight is better than yours. He offered his hand to her. “Following isn’t really my thing. I’ll keep you safe from everyone else’s unwanted touch.”
She placed her small hand in his. A jolt of electricity like none he’d ever felt before struck the center of his heart at her tender touch.
The gentle strumming of a guitar resounded from the speakers. A sorrowful female voice filled the room.
“One moment you were with me. One moment you were gone…” the woman sang. “One chance to be your lover. One dream vanished before dawn…”
He tugged at her hand, and she stepped into his personal space.
She curled her hands around the back collar of his white shirt. “Do not make me regret this.”
He slid his hands to the small of her back and nudged her closer. “No regrets, beautiful.”
She inhaled and softened against him.
“Your voice. Your lips. Your kiss. I’ll cherish…” the woman sang.
Meredith raised her chin and the haze of the mating trance covered her gorgeous eyes. “You’re not part fish, are you?”
“No,” he chuckled. Are you fascinated by the men of the sea?
“You smell so dang good,” she mumbled. “I want to touch you.”
“Do it,” he whispered. You want me. I want you. Yet, you resist. Why?
Her hands glided down his arms at her back and lingered at the cuffs. Almost there. Slide your wrists into my hand behind your back. Surrender. I will reward you with a—
Electricity sizzled down to the tips of his toes and dove into the depths of his beast’s spirit as her fingers grazed the inside of his wrists along the heels of his palms. Vibrant colors exploded around him in layers of turbulent waves. Thousands of intricate ripples of intense energy unlike any he’d experienced flowed into him. A vision from her moved through his mind.
Author Bio:
An avid romance reader, Anna Lores started writing steamy romance novels as a by-product of insomnia. One night, with a nudge from her husband to write a book, Anna borrowed her son's laptop and set about breathing life to her very own characters. After a month, she was surprised with a new laptop of her own to pursue her dreams of writing sensual happily ever afters.
The desire to fill her world with wonderful stories she and her close friends could not just talk about but gush over, keeps Anna's fingers racing to keep up with her imagination. As the rest of the house is sleeping peacefully, Anna sheds her title as Supermom of Three to write sexy love stories.
Sleeping might still be a battle Anna hasn't conquered, but armed with a B. A. in English Literature and all the hot men in her mind calling for their own story, she stays busy during those midnight hours writing her next international bestselling spicy romance.
Social Media Links:
Author site: www.annaloresauthor.com
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/AnnaLoresAuthor
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-lores
Twitter: www.twitter.com/annalores
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorAnnaLores
Friday, October 19, 2018
Interview with Jeny Heckman #WRPbks
Jeny Heckman is a new author with The Wild Rose Press. Her debut novel, THE SEA ARCHER, releases on October 17, 2018. It's book one in her Heaven and Earth series. I'm very happy to welcome Jeny Heckman!
Where did you get the idea for your new novel?
I had written my first book, The Catch, and self-published it. I was trying to learn more about the craft of writing and decided to take on the challenge of a series. I love series! My favorite thing is getting to see what happens to favorite characters after their book ends. I knew I wanted the series to be paranormal and just had to decide on the element. I felt like werewolves, vampires and witches might be a market that’s a little saturated, and have always enjoyed Greek mythology. I love that the characters, even though they are gods, are so incredibly imperfect. I also loved the idea of gods needing help from us mere mortals, so it began there.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read your book?
I believe women are pretty powerful beings and yet can sometimes lose their way or get caught up in an inner made up story. I would love for a woman that struggles with some of the same insecurities that Raven does, to find a voice and role model in her. You must be brave in the world, and that you are entirely capable of most things. The same would be said for men. I feel like they don’t always get a fair shake. They are expected to be these strong individuals, the driving force in most things. I would hope a man might read this book and let go of some of those beliefs and feel safe to be just a little bit vulnerable, especially to a woman.
If you could change something about one of your books already released, what would it be?
The Catch! My first book The Catch, is my baby! I wrote it just to see if I could but in doing so I fell in love with almost every character and gave everything I had to them. I wrote the book when my father-in-law was in the final months of his battle with cancer and I was taking care of him. So, there’s a lot of meaning behind the book. However, because it’s my first book, the writing wasn’t everything I hoped it would be. I’d like to go back and tighten it up a bit, now that I have more knowledge about the process. I will do that one day soon when I have time. It’s a great story.
When were you first published and how did that happen? Was it a long or short journey?
Wow! Well I’ll try and make this concise! I’ve always thought in stories and pictures. My imagination was always very vibrant and I loved to read and enter those “other” worlds. I never thought about writing until I was older and walking one day. My father-in-law was very ill and I was taking a break from caring for him. I had an idea for a story and the character wouldn’t stop talking in my head. When I got home, the kids were in school and I didn’t have anything going on so decided to write it down. At one point, I looked up and four hours had passed! I decided to play it out and in three days had a somewhat fleshed out story. I sat on it for a long time, just being busy with my active family and job. People read it and encouraged me to, “do something with it.” However, it wasn’t until my son (who isn’t a big reader), read it and said he wanted me to publish it. I decided to try and, “The Catch,” was created. I fell in love with the craft and started writing another book which was picked up by The Wild Rose Press and the result is or hopefully will soon be in your hands, The Sea Archer.
What is the hardest part of being a writer for you?
By far, the most difficult thing about writing a book for me is having a head full of ideas and unable to write them down because I’m busy or the day is packed full of other events or people. It’s by far the hardest part. When I write, I don’t really like to stop. I definitely lose track of time. So, invariably I need a lot of undemanding time or I’ve been known to get a little grumpy when I get interrupted.
What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to learn about you?
Well, I’m not sure they’d be surprised but I am an introvert, as many writers are. What I think is surprising is that many people don’t understand us. They think we’re hermits, and that we don’t like people or are somehow lonely and unhappy all the time. Which is unfortunate because it couldn’t be further from the truth. I gain energy and inspiration from quiet, where others might gain energy and inspiration from others or “busyness” around them. For me, I have to be in the mindset and prepare to be around a lot of people or it stresses me out.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Writing is absolutely my first passion and then a very close second is photography. Two very creative fields I know. I love capturing moments whether in life or in my mind and showing it to people. To stand in the Scottish Highlands alone but able to show it to people like they’re standing there too, is exciting. Primarily, I shoot portraits and weddings but recently I’ve really gotten into scenery and epic landscapes.
What are two (or more) of your all-time favorite books in any genre?
I love almost every genre, so I do have my favorites in all and it would be easier to name all my favorite authors but two authors on opposite ends of romance are probably Diana Gabaldon and The Outlander series because it has everything in it. Adventure, romance, time travel, humor, vision, just everything. My second is Sophie Kinsella and all her works, but primarily the Shopoholic books. Few people can make me laugh out loud when reading and she can with every book she’s written. Both of these amazing ladies I have their books in every format, so there’s an investment there and I find myself re-reading or listening to them often.
How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing?
I really like this question. My life has been a very fascinating one. Most people in my life don’t know half of what has happened to me and one day I may write about it. I feel my life has appropriately set me up to write about the topics I write. Empowerment has not come easily, it’s been a very long process but as I get older I do feel stronger, and more empowered than I felt possible. That’s why I wouldn’t trade my life now for my twenties or thirties for anything. It’s also why I like that evolution to happen to my heroes and heroines.
What do you like best about your hero in THE SEA ARCHER?
Oh Finn, what is there not to like about Finn! He is perfectly flawed, as most men are. I love men, so I love writing about them and Finn is the epitome of male beauty but doesn’t always get that isn’t enough. I like his turmoil in how he handles this tsunami that’s entered his life. Just a side note. When I write, I have to have a visual on my desktop of the character and when I wrote Finn’s scenes, his visual counterpart is Ben Dahlhaus (with the short beard). So, if you are wondering my vision of him, Ben was it. Go look him up now and you’re welcome!
What do you like best about your heroine?
I love…LOVE Raven! She was such a loud voice and presence in my head. I love that we have an idea about what a celebrity might be like. We think we understand their lives, their intellect, their beliefs, when we don’t know them at all and many times they are nothing like the people you fall in love with on the stage or screen. Raven is two separate people and everyone thinks the one on the stage is the real one. However, she is just as insecure as everyone else. She doesn’t know any more or less than anyone else. Her life is primarily the same just with extra wrapping paper. Second side note, Jennifer Anistan was the visual que for Raven. The best thing is Jennifer has played many roles and I was able to get the performer and every day woman characters of Raven from Jennifer too.
How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?
As I explained already about the visual ques I do need that when I am writing and I look at the characters often when writing movement or dialogue. Other visual ques for characters in this book were Pierce Brosnan for Donovan Fortner and Gerard Butler for Wyatt Hunter. The others were models. As for names, I stopped doing that for the most part. In The Catch almost every character was named for someone in my life but it was very hard to tell the person that the name assigned to the character in the book had nothing to do with them personally. If you’ve assigned a loved one's name to a particular asshole in a book, you don’t want that person thinking that’s how you see them. So, I had a lot of explaining to do and decided I wouldn’t be doing that again.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
The primary place to find me online is my website www.jenyheckman.com You can sign up for my newsletter and get all the inside info. You can also find me on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heckman.jeny/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenyheckman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenyheckman/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41823002-the-sea-archer
Tell us a little about your current work in progress.
Currently I’m working on The Warrior’s Progeny, book two of the Heaven & Earth series and now that The Sea Archer is finally coming to release, I’ll be able to work on it exclusively.
I’d like to sincerely thank the readers for following along and I hope The Sea Archer finds its way into your hands and that you enjoy it. I’d also like to give my sincere thanks to Jana Richards for today, a brilliant writer and a very thoughtful host.
Blurb:
Raven Hunter, a musical prodigy, flees to the Hawaiian Islands to pick up the pieces after her marriage to her manager collapses. Instead, she experiences extraordinary and unsettling events that are beyond her understanding.
Living in paradise, marine biologist, Finn Taylor has the unconscious but effortless ability to understand the needs of the animals he cares for. His playboy lifestyle is most men’s fantasy. That is, until the night he meets the shy and elusive new island resident. Suddenly his life no longer feels like his own.
The attraction is undeniable. However, vastly contrasting lives, peculiar dreams, and an unbelievable proclamation that they could be the direct descendants of Poseidon and Apollo threaten to divide them forever. Will they accept their destiny and begin the quest of a lifetime or will they remain in their comfortable yet separate existence?
Tagline:
When opposites meet the attraction is undeniable, but Fate has other plans.
Author Bio:
Jeny Heckman, loves romance. She especially loves romance with a paranormal and/or historical twist. Educated as an artist, banker, sales clerk, draftsman, charity fundraiser, jewelry maker, nursing student, hospice volunteer, photographer, mother, and wife, she felt her calling lay elsewhere. While taking care of an ailing loved one, she was inspired to write her first novel entitled, The Catch, about a female Alaskan crab fisherman, and self-publish it. Wanting to try something very different she pitched an idea to a New York agent who told her to run with it. This book is the first of that seven-part endeavor. When not ignoring her family and friends by writing you will find her time exclusively on them and photography. Jeny lives in Stanwood, Washington, with her husband of over twenty-five years.
Links for Purchase:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Archer-Heaven-Earth-ebook/dp/B07H51823S
Barnes and Noble Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sea-archer-jeny-heckman/1129487886?ean=2940161651582
The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/2444_jeny-heckman
Where did you get the idea for your new novel?
I had written my first book, The Catch, and self-published it. I was trying to learn more about the craft of writing and decided to take on the challenge of a series. I love series! My favorite thing is getting to see what happens to favorite characters after their book ends. I knew I wanted the series to be paranormal and just had to decide on the element. I felt like werewolves, vampires and witches might be a market that’s a little saturated, and have always enjoyed Greek mythology. I love that the characters, even though they are gods, are so incredibly imperfect. I also loved the idea of gods needing help from us mere mortals, so it began there.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read your book?
I believe women are pretty powerful beings and yet can sometimes lose their way or get caught up in an inner made up story. I would love for a woman that struggles with some of the same insecurities that Raven does, to find a voice and role model in her. You must be brave in the world, and that you are entirely capable of most things. The same would be said for men. I feel like they don’t always get a fair shake. They are expected to be these strong individuals, the driving force in most things. I would hope a man might read this book and let go of some of those beliefs and feel safe to be just a little bit vulnerable, especially to a woman.
If you could change something about one of your books already released, what would it be?
The Catch! My first book The Catch, is my baby! I wrote it just to see if I could but in doing so I fell in love with almost every character and gave everything I had to them. I wrote the book when my father-in-law was in the final months of his battle with cancer and I was taking care of him. So, there’s a lot of meaning behind the book. However, because it’s my first book, the writing wasn’t everything I hoped it would be. I’d like to go back and tighten it up a bit, now that I have more knowledge about the process. I will do that one day soon when I have time. It’s a great story.
When were you first published and how did that happen? Was it a long or short journey?
Wow! Well I’ll try and make this concise! I’ve always thought in stories and pictures. My imagination was always very vibrant and I loved to read and enter those “other” worlds. I never thought about writing until I was older and walking one day. My father-in-law was very ill and I was taking a break from caring for him. I had an idea for a story and the character wouldn’t stop talking in my head. When I got home, the kids were in school and I didn’t have anything going on so decided to write it down. At one point, I looked up and four hours had passed! I decided to play it out and in three days had a somewhat fleshed out story. I sat on it for a long time, just being busy with my active family and job. People read it and encouraged me to, “do something with it.” However, it wasn’t until my son (who isn’t a big reader), read it and said he wanted me to publish it. I decided to try and, “The Catch,” was created. I fell in love with the craft and started writing another book which was picked up by The Wild Rose Press and the result is or hopefully will soon be in your hands, The Sea Archer.
What is the hardest part of being a writer for you?
By far, the most difficult thing about writing a book for me is having a head full of ideas and unable to write them down because I’m busy or the day is packed full of other events or people. It’s by far the hardest part. When I write, I don’t really like to stop. I definitely lose track of time. So, invariably I need a lot of undemanding time or I’ve been known to get a little grumpy when I get interrupted.
What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to learn about you?
Well, I’m not sure they’d be surprised but I am an introvert, as many writers are. What I think is surprising is that many people don’t understand us. They think we’re hermits, and that we don’t like people or are somehow lonely and unhappy all the time. Which is unfortunate because it couldn’t be further from the truth. I gain energy and inspiration from quiet, where others might gain energy and inspiration from others or “busyness” around them. For me, I have to be in the mindset and prepare to be around a lot of people or it stresses me out.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Writing is absolutely my first passion and then a very close second is photography. Two very creative fields I know. I love capturing moments whether in life or in my mind and showing it to people. To stand in the Scottish Highlands alone but able to show it to people like they’re standing there too, is exciting. Primarily, I shoot portraits and weddings but recently I’ve really gotten into scenery and epic landscapes.
What are two (or more) of your all-time favorite books in any genre?
I love almost every genre, so I do have my favorites in all and it would be easier to name all my favorite authors but two authors on opposite ends of romance are probably Diana Gabaldon and The Outlander series because it has everything in it. Adventure, romance, time travel, humor, vision, just everything. My second is Sophie Kinsella and all her works, but primarily the Shopoholic books. Few people can make me laugh out loud when reading and she can with every book she’s written. Both of these amazing ladies I have their books in every format, so there’s an investment there and I find myself re-reading or listening to them often.
How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing?
I really like this question. My life has been a very fascinating one. Most people in my life don’t know half of what has happened to me and one day I may write about it. I feel my life has appropriately set me up to write about the topics I write. Empowerment has not come easily, it’s been a very long process but as I get older I do feel stronger, and more empowered than I felt possible. That’s why I wouldn’t trade my life now for my twenties or thirties for anything. It’s also why I like that evolution to happen to my heroes and heroines.
What do you like best about your hero in THE SEA ARCHER?
Oh Finn, what is there not to like about Finn! He is perfectly flawed, as most men are. I love men, so I love writing about them and Finn is the epitome of male beauty but doesn’t always get that isn’t enough. I like his turmoil in how he handles this tsunami that’s entered his life. Just a side note. When I write, I have to have a visual on my desktop of the character and when I wrote Finn’s scenes, his visual counterpart is Ben Dahlhaus (with the short beard). So, if you are wondering my vision of him, Ben was it. Go look him up now and you’re welcome!
What do you like best about your heroine?
I love…LOVE Raven! She was such a loud voice and presence in my head. I love that we have an idea about what a celebrity might be like. We think we understand their lives, their intellect, their beliefs, when we don’t know them at all and many times they are nothing like the people you fall in love with on the stage or screen. Raven is two separate people and everyone thinks the one on the stage is the real one. However, she is just as insecure as everyone else. She doesn’t know any more or less than anyone else. Her life is primarily the same just with extra wrapping paper. Second side note, Jennifer Anistan was the visual que for Raven. The best thing is Jennifer has played many roles and I was able to get the performer and every day woman characters of Raven from Jennifer too.
How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?
As I explained already about the visual ques I do need that when I am writing and I look at the characters often when writing movement or dialogue. Other visual ques for characters in this book were Pierce Brosnan for Donovan Fortner and Gerard Butler for Wyatt Hunter. The others were models. As for names, I stopped doing that for the most part. In The Catch almost every character was named for someone in my life but it was very hard to tell the person that the name assigned to the character in the book had nothing to do with them personally. If you’ve assigned a loved one's name to a particular asshole in a book, you don’t want that person thinking that’s how you see them. So, I had a lot of explaining to do and decided I wouldn’t be doing that again.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
The primary place to find me online is my website www.jenyheckman.com You can sign up for my newsletter and get all the inside info. You can also find me on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heckman.jeny/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenyheckman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenyheckman/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41823002-the-sea-archer
Tell us a little about your current work in progress.
Currently I’m working on The Warrior’s Progeny, book two of the Heaven & Earth series and now that The Sea Archer is finally coming to release, I’ll be able to work on it exclusively.
I’d like to sincerely thank the readers for following along and I hope The Sea Archer finds its way into your hands and that you enjoy it. I’d also like to give my sincere thanks to Jana Richards for today, a brilliant writer and a very thoughtful host.
Blurb:
Raven Hunter, a musical prodigy, flees to the Hawaiian Islands to pick up the pieces after her marriage to her manager collapses. Instead, she experiences extraordinary and unsettling events that are beyond her understanding.
Living in paradise, marine biologist, Finn Taylor has the unconscious but effortless ability to understand the needs of the animals he cares for. His playboy lifestyle is most men’s fantasy. That is, until the night he meets the shy and elusive new island resident. Suddenly his life no longer feels like his own.
The attraction is undeniable. However, vastly contrasting lives, peculiar dreams, and an unbelievable proclamation that they could be the direct descendants of Poseidon and Apollo threaten to divide them forever. Will they accept their destiny and begin the quest of a lifetime or will they remain in their comfortable yet separate existence?
Tagline:
When opposites meet the attraction is undeniable, but Fate has other plans.
Author Bio:
Jeny Heckman, loves romance. She especially loves romance with a paranormal and/or historical twist. Educated as an artist, banker, sales clerk, draftsman, charity fundraiser, jewelry maker, nursing student, hospice volunteer, photographer, mother, and wife, she felt her calling lay elsewhere. While taking care of an ailing loved one, she was inspired to write her first novel entitled, The Catch, about a female Alaskan crab fisherman, and self-publish it. Wanting to try something very different she pitched an idea to a New York agent who told her to run with it. This book is the first of that seven-part endeavor. When not ignoring her family and friends by writing you will find her time exclusively on them and photography. Jeny lives in Stanwood, Washington, with her husband of over twenty-five years.
Links for Purchase:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Archer-Heaven-Earth-ebook/dp/B07H51823S
Barnes and Noble Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sea-archer-jeny-heckman/1129487886?ean=2940161651582
The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/2444_jeny-heckman
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Interview with Leslie Bowes
Join me today for an interview with time travel romance author Leslie Bowes. Leslie is here to tell us about her newest release, HEART HEALER. Take it away, Leslie!
Where did you get the idea for your new novel?
Heart Healer started out as a historical romance called Rose Hill but it did not get published. So I started on a contemporary romance called A Second Chance At Love. When I was in middle of writing, I noticed something was missing. So, I pulled out Rose Hill again and put parts of Rose Hill and A Second Chance at Love together and it became Heart Healer.
Why did you choose this genre?
I love reading romance books and when I stared planning to write my book I knew that it had to be a romance book.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read Heart Healer?
It’s a different kind of romance something you have never read before
Did you always want to be a writer?
No. Writing was just something I did for fun. I was going to school to be a movie editor but then I had to take a writing class and I was hooked.
Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?
I was born and raised in southern Maryland. When I was thirteen I moved Summerville, South Carolina where I fell in love with the Lowcountry culture and history. South Carolina was my inspiration for my book Heart Healer. Recently, I moved to central Va and now I am enjoying the beauty and history of this area. The rolling hills and pastoral views will surely inspire ideas for future stories. I have been writing for as long as I can remember.
Name two authors we might find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.
Nicholas Sparks, Tracery Jane Jackson.
What are two (or more) of your all-time favorite books in any genre?
Safe Haven, Bound By Blood
What do you like best about your hero in Heart Healer?
Christopher (our hero) is not the traditional alpha-hole romance hero. Rather, he's the perfect Beta. He's kind and genuine and as real as it gets.
What do you like best about your heroine?
Catherine is a wonderful sweet lady who gives so much of herself. Life has not treated her good since her mother’s death, with her father leaving her to raise her brother. On his return after a few years he brings home a man and tells her she will be his slave until she works off his debt. Blake turns the tables and said no she will marry me. Catherine isn’t happy about this but there is little she can do. On getting to his home he becomes abusive and something happens to make her run. In return she turns up in 2014. Christopher finds her and their journey begins.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
https://www.facebook.com/Heart-Healer-702127559856732/
What’s your tagline? Why did you choose it?
In darkest hour can time and love truly heal all wounds? I thought it gave a hook to the book.
Blurb, HEART HEALER:
Christopher King is living in 2014 doing his best to raise his young son Ryan after his wife left him. One night, Christopher finds a woman in the river unconscious and barely breathing. She is also wearing old fashioned clothes. Christopher does everything in his power to help the young women. When Catherine regains consciousness, she finds herself in a strange and unbelievable situation. Terrified, she does her best to keep her guard up against Christopher. But as she gets to know him, she can't help but fall for the man who saved her life. When Catherine's dangerous past comes back to haunt her, it has Catherine and Christopher fighting for each other and their love.
Excerpt:
“That’s true, but I don’t need a servant. I need a wife.”
Catherine dropped the spoon as her whole body shook. What was her father planning to do? Hard work? A wife? What was going on? She was not her father’s slave to trade as he wished. She was his daughter. Too nervous to turn around, Catherine prayed that she heard wrong.
“What did you say?” her father asked, shocked.
“You heard me.” Mr. Von-Clyer laughed. “You had no problem selling her to me as a servant Mr. Andrews, but now that I want her for my wife your conscience haunts you. What’s the difference? Either way your debt to me is paid.”
“Catherine, get over here now!” her father yelled drunkenly. The longer she stared at the vein in her father’s neck; she realized that she was making him angrier than Catherine had ever seen before.
She slowly walked over to the table and stood in front of her father. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she watched him drink his last bit of wine.
“You will be Mr. Von-Clyer’s wife to pay off my debt.”
“What debt?” Catherine asked angrily.
“Catherine, do not speak unless you are spoken to,” her father snarled.
“What debt?” Catherine yelled.
Her father jumped up from his chair with an angry shout, bumping the table, but James jumped in front of him.
“You cannot treat Catherine like that, Father. She is your daughter and my sister, not your slave!” James yelled.
Catherine’s father was having none of that. He lunged for James, but Catherine got in between them before her father could do anything. She knelt in front of James and wiped his tears. All the while she prayed for strength.
“Thank you, James, but I need you to go to your room.”
“But, Catherine—”
“No buts. Go to your room and stay there until I come for you.”
As soon as James was in his room, Catherine’s father grabbed her arms and shook her hard.
“Don’t you ever speak to me like that again, Catherine! Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” Catherine whispered, scared for her life.
“Good. Now go with Mr. Von-Clyer and pay off your debt.”
“Father, I beg of you. Tell me what my debt is."
Author Bio:
I was born and raised in southern Maryland. When I was thirteen I moved Summerville, South Caroline where I fell in love with the Lowcountry culture and history. South Caroline was my inspiration for my book Heart Healer. Recently I moved to central Va and now I am enjoying the beauty and history of this area. The rolling hills and pastoral views will surely inspire ideas for future stories.
Where did you get the idea for your new novel?
Heart Healer started out as a historical romance called Rose Hill but it did not get published. So I started on a contemporary romance called A Second Chance At Love. When I was in middle of writing, I noticed something was missing. So, I pulled out Rose Hill again and put parts of Rose Hill and A Second Chance at Love together and it became Heart Healer.
Why did you choose this genre?
I love reading romance books and when I stared planning to write my book I knew that it had to be a romance book.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read Heart Healer?
It’s a different kind of romance something you have never read before
Did you always want to be a writer?
No. Writing was just something I did for fun. I was going to school to be a movie editor but then I had to take a writing class and I was hooked.
Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?
I was born and raised in southern Maryland. When I was thirteen I moved Summerville, South Carolina where I fell in love with the Lowcountry culture and history. South Carolina was my inspiration for my book Heart Healer. Recently, I moved to central Va and now I am enjoying the beauty and history of this area. The rolling hills and pastoral views will surely inspire ideas for future stories. I have been writing for as long as I can remember.
Name two authors we might find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.
Nicholas Sparks, Tracery Jane Jackson.
What are two (or more) of your all-time favorite books in any genre?
Safe Haven, Bound By Blood
What do you like best about your hero in Heart Healer?
Christopher (our hero) is not the traditional alpha-hole romance hero. Rather, he's the perfect Beta. He's kind and genuine and as real as it gets.
What do you like best about your heroine?
Catherine is a wonderful sweet lady who gives so much of herself. Life has not treated her good since her mother’s death, with her father leaving her to raise her brother. On his return after a few years he brings home a man and tells her she will be his slave until she works off his debt. Blake turns the tables and said no she will marry me. Catherine isn’t happy about this but there is little she can do. On getting to his home he becomes abusive and something happens to make her run. In return she turns up in 2014. Christopher finds her and their journey begins.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
https://www.facebook.com/Heart-Healer-702127559856732/
What’s your tagline? Why did you choose it?
In darkest hour can time and love truly heal all wounds? I thought it gave a hook to the book.
Blurb, HEART HEALER:
Christopher King is living in 2014 doing his best to raise his young son Ryan after his wife left him. One night, Christopher finds a woman in the river unconscious and barely breathing. She is also wearing old fashioned clothes. Christopher does everything in his power to help the young women. When Catherine regains consciousness, she finds herself in a strange and unbelievable situation. Terrified, she does her best to keep her guard up against Christopher. But as she gets to know him, she can't help but fall for the man who saved her life. When Catherine's dangerous past comes back to haunt her, it has Catherine and Christopher fighting for each other and their love.
Excerpt:
“That’s true, but I don’t need a servant. I need a wife.”
Catherine dropped the spoon as her whole body shook. What was her father planning to do? Hard work? A wife? What was going on? She was not her father’s slave to trade as he wished. She was his daughter. Too nervous to turn around, Catherine prayed that she heard wrong.
“What did you say?” her father asked, shocked.
“You heard me.” Mr. Von-Clyer laughed. “You had no problem selling her to me as a servant Mr. Andrews, but now that I want her for my wife your conscience haunts you. What’s the difference? Either way your debt to me is paid.”
“Catherine, get over here now!” her father yelled drunkenly. The longer she stared at the vein in her father’s neck; she realized that she was making him angrier than Catherine had ever seen before.
She slowly walked over to the table and stood in front of her father. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she watched him drink his last bit of wine.
“You will be Mr. Von-Clyer’s wife to pay off my debt.”
“What debt?” Catherine asked angrily.
“Catherine, do not speak unless you are spoken to,” her father snarled.
“What debt?” Catherine yelled.
Her father jumped up from his chair with an angry shout, bumping the table, but James jumped in front of him.
“You cannot treat Catherine like that, Father. She is your daughter and my sister, not your slave!” James yelled.
Catherine’s father was having none of that. He lunged for James, but Catherine got in between them before her father could do anything. She knelt in front of James and wiped his tears. All the while she prayed for strength.
“Thank you, James, but I need you to go to your room.”
“But, Catherine—”
“No buts. Go to your room and stay there until I come for you.”
As soon as James was in his room, Catherine’s father grabbed her arms and shook her hard.
“Don’t you ever speak to me like that again, Catherine! Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” Catherine whispered, scared for her life.
“Good. Now go with Mr. Von-Clyer and pay off your debt.”
“Father, I beg of you. Tell me what my debt is."
Author Bio:
I was born and raised in southern Maryland. When I was thirteen I moved Summerville, South Caroline where I fell in love with the Lowcountry culture and history. South Caroline was my inspiration for my book Heart Healer. Recently I moved to central Va and now I am enjoying the beauty and history of this area. The rolling hills and pastoral views will surely inspire ideas for future stories.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
2018 Spooktacular Giveaway and October Book Fair!
Time for the 2018 Spooktacular Giveaway! Over $200 in Amazon gift cards up for grabs. It's fun and easy. Enter now!
And there's more...
Check out the October Book Fair! Vote for your favorite book cover for your chance to win a Kindle Fire or a $50 Amazon gift card. Enter now!
Friday, October 12, 2018
Julie Howard: In the Spotlight! #NewRelease
Julie Howard is my guest today and she's got big news. Her newest book in the Wild Crime series, CRIME TIMES TWO, released October 8, 2018. And book one, CRIME AND PARADISE, is on sale for .99 cents for a limited time. Help Julie celebrate her new release and her sale. Welcome Julie Howard!
Blurb from “Crime Times Two”:
When divorce is out of the question, can murder be forgiven?
Meredith knows three things: First, the man in the library begged her to help him. Second, he was afraid of his wife. Third, now he’s dead.
While the evidence first points to a natural death, Meredith is certain there’s more to discover. People are tight-lipped in this small mountain village, and the man’s wife isn't talking either. Then a second death occurs, with remarkable similarities. It’s time to talk about murder.
As a slow-burning relationship heats up in her own life, Meredith struggles with concepts of love and hate, belief and suspicion, and absolution and guilt. Nothing is clear cut…
She must decide: Is guilt, like evil, something you can choose to believe in?
Excerpt from “Crime Times Two”:
Jowls quivered under the man’s weak chin, and Meredith noted the stained and frayed shirt of someone who spent a lot of time alone in dark rooms, sending out a better version of himself into the virtual world. His eyes were anxious and beseeching at her as though she should have a clear understanding of him and his life.
Somehow, over the past hour and a half they’d been sitting next to each other – him playing video games and sharing his life story and her ignoring him the best she could – she had become his confessor and friend.
Meredith gave him what she hoped was an impartial-though-quasi-friendly smile. She reached for her purse and papers and rose from her chair. “Well. Nice talking with you.”
The man was lost in his own train of thought and seemed only slightly aware that Meredith was leaving.
He shook his head, morose.
“To make a long story short,” he summed up, “I think my wife is trying to kill me.”
Flash sale! Julie Howard’s first book in the Wild Crime series, Crime and Paradise, is on sale for 99 cents for a limited time. https://www.amazon.com/Crime-Paradise-Wild-Julie-Howard-ebook/dp/B073MYJSP9
Author Bio:
Julie Howard is the author of the Wild Crime series. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. She is a member of the Idaho Writers Guild, editor of the Potato Soup Journal, and founder of the Boise chapter of Shut Up and Write. Learn more at juliemhoward.com.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://juliemhoward.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07D6CS4NQ
Blurb from “Crime Times Two”:
When divorce is out of the question, can murder be forgiven?
Meredith knows three things: First, the man in the library begged her to help him. Second, he was afraid of his wife. Third, now he’s dead.
While the evidence first points to a natural death, Meredith is certain there’s more to discover. People are tight-lipped in this small mountain village, and the man’s wife isn't talking either. Then a second death occurs, with remarkable similarities. It’s time to talk about murder.
As a slow-burning relationship heats up in her own life, Meredith struggles with concepts of love and hate, belief and suspicion, and absolution and guilt. Nothing is clear cut…
She must decide: Is guilt, like evil, something you can choose to believe in?
Excerpt from “Crime Times Two”:
Jowls quivered under the man’s weak chin, and Meredith noted the stained and frayed shirt of someone who spent a lot of time alone in dark rooms, sending out a better version of himself into the virtual world. His eyes were anxious and beseeching at her as though she should have a clear understanding of him and his life.
Somehow, over the past hour and a half they’d been sitting next to each other – him playing video games and sharing his life story and her ignoring him the best she could – she had become his confessor and friend.
Meredith gave him what she hoped was an impartial-though-quasi-friendly smile. She reached for her purse and papers and rose from her chair. “Well. Nice talking with you.”
The man was lost in his own train of thought and seemed only slightly aware that Meredith was leaving.
He shook his head, morose.
“To make a long story short,” he summed up, “I think my wife is trying to kill me.”
Flash sale! Julie Howard’s first book in the Wild Crime series, Crime and Paradise, is on sale for 99 cents for a limited time. https://www.amazon.com/Crime-Paradise-Wild-Julie-Howard-ebook/dp/B073MYJSP9
Author Bio:
Julie Howard is the author of the Wild Crime series. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. She is a member of the Idaho Writers Guild, editor of the Potato Soup Journal, and founder of the Boise chapter of Shut Up and Write. Learn more at juliemhoward.com.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://juliemhoward.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07D6CS4NQ
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Anna Lores Balances Solitude with Companionship
Anna Lores visits Journeys with Jana to tell us about her writing buddies, who I have to say are totally adorable! Anna is featuring her shifter romance ONE NIGHT OF LOVE: LIVE FOR ME. I love the premise! Please welcome Anna Lores!
Writers: Balancing Solitude with Companionship
by
Anna Lores
People are not meant to be alone. It is in our DNA to want companionship. Yet writing is one of the most solitary of pursuits. Creating entire worlds in a single mind, especially spicy romance, is an incredible challenge in isolation.
So how do you reconcile the need to be alone and create, with our human desire for companionship? I have writing companions that I know are going to let me focus, but also are always there for me when I need some unconditional love: my two dogs Evelyn and Marcus.
I’ve been a dog lover my whole life and have enjoyed canine companionship for many years. In 2011, I really started to focus on becoming a published author, and I found that my dogs at the time, Zippy and Mike, were always there with me while I wrote. They became my silent writing partners.
Zippy and Mike eventually crossed the rainbow bridge, and we got new dogs. You can never replace a dog, because they are each individual and unique in their own way. But they each bring the same thing to me, their unconditional love. Evelyn and Marcus are there for me, just like Zippy and Mike were there before them.
While I’m writing, I can use them as a sounding board for story ideas. And no, I don’t actually think they will respond to me, but as writers, we have internal conversations in our heads all the time during the creative process. I’ve found that externalizing those conversations with my furry partners helps me work through the process.
And here’s a little secret for you. My latest novel is part of a paranormal series that includes werewolves. My little pack here at home has been a great inspiration for me in the process. None of the characters are based on Evelyn or Marcus, but the connection and love I feel for my pack is absolutely shared with the fictional pack I created as the foundation of my story. Those feelings of connection are absolutely real and based on the real life connection we share with our pets.
Whether you have dogs, or cats, or guinea pigs, or fish, you have a partner that can help you navigate those times when you need to be alone, but also need that connection. For me that is the writing process. For you, it might be something else.
**blurb
One Night of Love: Live For Me by Anna Lores
This work contains mature content, including graphic intimate descriptions and scenes, and is provided for adults only.
She’s hoping for a miracle. He’s looking for a soul mate. Will one moonlit night of passion grant their hearts’ deepest desires?
Lainie would do anything for a few more days with her dying husband. With his will to live fading fast, she knows only a miracle baby could pull him back from the edge of the grave. Desperate to conceive, she shares a night of passion with a rugged stranger whose skills under the sheets border on the supernatural… in more ways than she could ever imagine.
As the alpha of his pack, Luke Wolfson could have his pick of the litter. Drawn to a mysterious woman’s irresistible scent, he knows he’s finally found his perfect mate… even if she's only a human. But when she slips out of his bed before morning, he knows there’s much more at stake than his broken heart if he can’t win her back.
Before the due date arrives, can Lainie and Luke hold fast to each other and embrace the transformational changes that threaten to tear both their worlds apart?
One Night of Love is the first book in a pulse-pounding paranormal romance series. If you like sexy shifters, sizzling chemistry, and fresh perspectives on werewolf lore, then you’ll love Anna Lores’s howl-worthy romance.
Buy One Night of Love to turn up the heat with a case of full moon fever tonight!
AmazonUS: https://amzn.to/2pdBsXw
AmazonUK: https://amzn.to/2NhPVA8
AmazonCanada: https://tinyurl.com/ONOLca
AmazonAustralia: https://tinyurl.com/ONOLau-ed-1
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/ONOL-ibk-1
KOBO: https://tinyurl.com/ONOL-kobo-1
B and N: https://tinyurl.com/ONOL-bn-1
Author Bio:
Anna Lores started writing romance as a by-product of insomnia. After a year of late-night reading, she borrowed her son's laptop after he went to bed and set about breathing life to her very own characters. After a month, she was surprised with a new laptop to pursue her dreams.
With a B.A. in English Literature and a desire to fill her world with wonderful stories she and her close friends could not just talk about but gush over, Anna shed the job as mom of three in the late night hours and assumed her alter ego of Dirty Girl.
Now, Anna is a multi-published author of contemporary and paranormal erotic romance.
Social Media:
Author site: www.annaloresauthor.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/annalores
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorAnnaLores
Publisher page: http://tinyurl.com/LoresTWRP
Writers: Balancing Solitude with Companionship
by
Anna Lores
People are not meant to be alone. It is in our DNA to want companionship. Yet writing is one of the most solitary of pursuits. Creating entire worlds in a single mind, especially spicy romance, is an incredible challenge in isolation.
So how do you reconcile the need to be alone and create, with our human desire for companionship? I have writing companions that I know are going to let me focus, but also are always there for me when I need some unconditional love: my two dogs Evelyn and Marcus.
I’ve been a dog lover my whole life and have enjoyed canine companionship for many years. In 2011, I really started to focus on becoming a published author, and I found that my dogs at the time, Zippy and Mike, were always there with me while I wrote. They became my silent writing partners.
Zippy and Mike eventually crossed the rainbow bridge, and we got new dogs. You can never replace a dog, because they are each individual and unique in their own way. But they each bring the same thing to me, their unconditional love. Evelyn and Marcus are there for me, just like Zippy and Mike were there before them.
While I’m writing, I can use them as a sounding board for story ideas. And no, I don’t actually think they will respond to me, but as writers, we have internal conversations in our heads all the time during the creative process. I’ve found that externalizing those conversations with my furry partners helps me work through the process.
And here’s a little secret for you. My latest novel is part of a paranormal series that includes werewolves. My little pack here at home has been a great inspiration for me in the process. None of the characters are based on Evelyn or Marcus, but the connection and love I feel for my pack is absolutely shared with the fictional pack I created as the foundation of my story. Those feelings of connection are absolutely real and based on the real life connection we share with our pets.
Whether you have dogs, or cats, or guinea pigs, or fish, you have a partner that can help you navigate those times when you need to be alone, but also need that connection. For me that is the writing process. For you, it might be something else.
**blurb
One Night of Love: Live For Me by Anna Lores
This work contains mature content, including graphic intimate descriptions and scenes, and is provided for adults only.
She’s hoping for a miracle. He’s looking for a soul mate. Will one moonlit night of passion grant their hearts’ deepest desires?
Lainie would do anything for a few more days with her dying husband. With his will to live fading fast, she knows only a miracle baby could pull him back from the edge of the grave. Desperate to conceive, she shares a night of passion with a rugged stranger whose skills under the sheets border on the supernatural… in more ways than she could ever imagine.
As the alpha of his pack, Luke Wolfson could have his pick of the litter. Drawn to a mysterious woman’s irresistible scent, he knows he’s finally found his perfect mate… even if she's only a human. But when she slips out of his bed before morning, he knows there’s much more at stake than his broken heart if he can’t win her back.
Before the due date arrives, can Lainie and Luke hold fast to each other and embrace the transformational changes that threaten to tear both their worlds apart?
One Night of Love is the first book in a pulse-pounding paranormal romance series. If you like sexy shifters, sizzling chemistry, and fresh perspectives on werewolf lore, then you’ll love Anna Lores’s howl-worthy romance.
Buy One Night of Love to turn up the heat with a case of full moon fever tonight!
AmazonUS: https://amzn.to/2pdBsXw
AmazonUK: https://amzn.to/2NhPVA8
AmazonCanada: https://tinyurl.com/ONOLca
AmazonAustralia: https://tinyurl.com/ONOLau-ed-1
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/ONOL-ibk-1
KOBO: https://tinyurl.com/ONOL-kobo-1
B and N: https://tinyurl.com/ONOL-bn-1
Author Bio:
Anna Lores started writing romance as a by-product of insomnia. After a year of late-night reading, she borrowed her son's laptop after he went to bed and set about breathing life to her very own characters. After a month, she was surprised with a new laptop to pursue her dreams.
With a B.A. in English Literature and a desire to fill her world with wonderful stories she and her close friends could not just talk about but gush over, Anna shed the job as mom of three in the late night hours and assumed her alter ego of Dirty Girl.
Now, Anna is a multi-published author of contemporary and paranormal erotic romance.
Social Media:
Author site: www.annaloresauthor.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/annalores
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorAnnaLores
Publisher page: http://tinyurl.com/LoresTWRP
Friday, October 5, 2018
Review: Liz Flaherty's THE DARK HORSE
I had the great pleasure to read my friend Liz Flaherty's 2018 contribution to the Heartwarming Christmas collection. THE DARK HORSE: A Christmas Carousel Story was my first Christmas read this season and it was a joy to read. I hope you enjoy my review.
Blurb:
Widowed Chloe Brewton has made a life for herself in Christmas Town, Maine, teaching literature and being the drama coach at the high school. Although she’d loved her husband and their life in the army, she doesn’t really want to start over with someone else, but when she meets Major Row Welcome, in Christmas Town to spend the holiday month with relatives and decide about his future, she feels stirrings of old wishes for happily-ever-after. The attraction is mutual, although the last thing Row wants is to try marriage again, plus he’s about as interested in having a family as…well, he isn’t. But then there’s Connor Michaud and his three younger siblings. Oh, no. What now in Christmas Town?
My Review:
"The Dark Horse" is a beautiful story about heartbreak and hope, and finding family when you least expect it. A story about a place called Christmas Town, where Christmas magic reigns supreme, could come off as kitschy, but in Liz Flaherty's capable hands, the story has just enough grit mixed with the magic to create the perfect balance. I loved Row and Chloe's story, and I so enjoyed watching these two scarred people fall in love. Can't wait to read more stories in this series!
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
An Interview with author Leslie Scott
I'm welcoming back Leslie Scott and her novella from The Wild Rose Press, TWO HEARTS ONE STONE. She answered a few of my interview questions. If you haven't read my review, check it out here.
Why did you choose this genre?
Because, in truth, it’s really hard to say no to a sexy cowboy. This one, wanted his story told. Who was I to deny him?
What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?
Writing so short. I’d never written a novella before. My other completed novels are eighty thousand words, plus. Keeping the story concise and on point was a challenge, but a really fun challenge.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if you’d call them unusual. I work late into the night, mostly because no one is awake, I get more accomplished when the house is quiet. I also tend to work on multiple projects at a time. Right now I’m writing a paranormal suspense novel for an editor that liked a proposal I sent in. At the same time I’m outlining, longhand, a second novel in a romantic suspense series I have in the docket.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read TWO HEARTS ONE STONE?
I want readers to feel good, to have several hours of escape into Stone and Emmy’s world—live vicariously through my characters and their story so that whatever thing is bothering them—the reader—, doesn’t matter for a while.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m a both-er. One of the novels I’m working on I’m completely pantsing. But because I’m pantsing it, I’m outlining the next one I’m working on. I have ideas and thoughts about both. For one, they go automatically in the novel (me writing, so pantsing)and for the other, the cliff notes go in my story outline notebook.
How many books do you have under the proverbial bed? Will they ever see the light of day?
I have a whiteboard in my office where I keep a running track of all my projects. I have six currently in some level of development (one about to have a release date, one about to be submitted, one revising with editor notes… etc.). Six with partial outlines started. And four that are fully outline just waiting on me to have time to write them. This is not counting the running list of book/story ideas I keep updating constantly. Currently that leaves sixteen under the proverbial bed plus however many else I come up with from that long list of ideas. Certainly enough to keep me busy for a few years.
Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?
Well, I live in northern Alabama. And before you think “wow, hicks”… keep in mind that Huntsville, Alabama (where I was born and raised) is the heart and soul of space exploration. We are The Rocket City. It’s an engineering stronghold, so I’ve grown up surrounded by people from all walks of life in a very intelligent part of the world. Everywhere you go you meet an engineer and our universities are top notch. Not to mention the military installations here. All in all it’s a wonderful place to live and grow. Except… it’s super hot in the summer. Air you can wear, hot.
As for writing I have been writing my entire life, winning contests as far back as like third grade. But only actively pursuing a career as an author for a few years now.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Writing is actually my second passion. The first being my family. Which is made up of Mr. Scott (tell me you said that like Captain Kirk, because I do all the time), my mother—she’s my best friend and Mr. Scott is lovely to her, one reason I adore him so, and my eleven year old son. I homeschool my son during the day, while writing. So, my life is basically books all the time in one way or another.
Do you have any pets? Are you cat person or a dog person? Or are you into totally different pets, like goldfish? What do you like best about your pet?
We are a family of animal rescuers. My eleven year old actually helps me foster kittens for a local rescue organization. Of those kittens we’ve only had two foster fails (a silver tabby named Asher and a black kitty named Salem). Currently we have four cats, two dogs, and a cow-pig. Yes, you read that right. A cow-pig. Carry on to the next question for an explanation of such things.
Share a photo of your writing space, your pet, a favorite book, or something else that’s important to you.
Here is a picture of the cow-pig. Her name is Lotus and there is a story to how she came to be with us that I will briefly share. I told my son he could not have a googly eyed dog unless he found one at rescue. He was very specific in his desire for googly-eyedness. Only a Boston Terrier, a French Bulldog, or a Pug would do. As a rescuer and volunteer—I don’t buy from breeders. There are too many animals at our local shelters for me to do that. I told him that if he wanted one, he’d have to watch the shelters. Sure enough, that next weekend our sweet Lotus was on the front page of the website of the organization I foster for (http://anewleash.org/, you can visit their website to see all the great work they do for animals in North Alabama). We go to their adoption event, he meets her, they are instantly bonded. He says to me “I found my googly-eyed Boston Terrier.” She sneezed. Snorted. Then grunted a grunt to end all grunts. I replied with, “Nope, you found a cow-pig.” Thus, we have a cow-pig.
What did you want to be (occupation-wise) when you were a child?
Shocker………………………a writer.
What do you like best about your hero in TWO HEARTS ONE STONE?
That he’s a lady’s man, a bad boy, but at the end of the day… he’s a good man who will do his best to do the right thing.
What do you like best about your heroine, Emmy?
She’s incredibly smart, capable, and independent. But not in such a way that she comes across as callous or cold. She’s still has insecurities, just like the rest of us.
How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?
Stone just came to me… though his last name is the last name of my first kiss.
Emmy…I actually know a little girl with the same name. Which I fell in love with it.
The physical characteristics of both characters just sort of happen as I wrote this book. It wasn’t until the end I realized I’d written my first “red-head” heroine.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
Website: http://lesliescottromance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliescottwrites/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leslieSwrites
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lesliescottwrites/
Youtube Playlists: http://bit.ly/2O6IDea
Tell us a little about your current work in progress.
Oh my. Well, I have four that I am working on in full. One is a paranormal suspense that will be a series following the lives and loves of a coven of powerful witches. The other is a romantic suspense, friends to lovers story about a K9 Deputy and his best friend. Then I have my western Romeo/Juliet retelling (because a cowboy version of Romeo, how can I say no?).And last, the third book in my Arkadia Fast series. By far, my most challenging heroine to write, maybe because she’s as sassy and hard headed as I am?
What’s your tagline? Why did you choose it?
Currently, it’s Romance With a Shot of Nitrous because my first novel/series is centered around drag racing. Also because “Writes All The Romance” isn’t really catchy?
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
Currently I only have the two released (Two Hearts, One Stone and The Finish Line) … start with either, as I hope you’ll love both.
Tell us about your current release.
Two Hearts, One Stone is the first time I get to put my first love on display. In that, growing up I was a cowgirl. I dreamed of my own horse, read all the books about horses, rode horses, and ended up working my way through college—at horse farms. Getting to rehash that knowledge, go back and relive the happy memories coated with the scent of a horse barn, was amazing. Also, if you read Stone, I hope you enjoy meeting Tink—he always was my favorite horse.
Blurb, TWO HEARTS ONE STONE:
Horse trainer Stone Dempsey’s life is all about the ride—with horses and women. He uses his equine talents to impress the country club set and earn money for Smoky Mountain Reining Horses. When his drug-addicted sister deposits her sick baby on his doorstep, he’s suddenly saddled with real responsibility.
Dr. Emmersyn Cole’s goal of starting a practice in her favorite place on earth is finally coming to fruition and she is not going to be sidetracked. Everything is going great until Stone swaggers into her life, half-dressed with a smile that could melt her insides. She's determined to keep her distance…until he rushes into her grandfather’s home, clutching a feverish baby, terrified and vulnerable, and her heart’s hard shell begins to crack.
In only a few short weeks, Stone’s wayward heart suddenly relies on two women—one who needs him—and one that he might not be able to live without.
Excerpt:
His upper lip curled into a snarl, but it did little to dampen her flourishing attraction. She took a step forward and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Ready to do just about anything to wipe the forlorn look from his face.
That’s how he does it.
Without even trying, he’d reined her in like his horses. She stood closer, at ease, and far too eager to please him. When she lifted her gaze to his, the slow burn of tension-laced desire beckoned her.
“Oh no you don’t.” Emmy took two dramatic steps backward.
His laugh in response wrought a heat in her cheeks. Annoyed with her behavior, she fisted her hands on her hips and spun away. She was an intelligent, highly educated, independent woman. Absolutely not the sort to get sucked into the Stone Dempsey tractor beam of sex and debauchery.
She only managed half the length of the barn when, abruptly, he stopped laughing.
“Emmersyn.”
Had the sound of her name ever held such a heated promise?
Why did you choose this genre?
Because, in truth, it’s really hard to say no to a sexy cowboy. This one, wanted his story told. Who was I to deny him?
What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?
Writing so short. I’d never written a novella before. My other completed novels are eighty thousand words, plus. Keeping the story concise and on point was a challenge, but a really fun challenge.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if you’d call them unusual. I work late into the night, mostly because no one is awake, I get more accomplished when the house is quiet. I also tend to work on multiple projects at a time. Right now I’m writing a paranormal suspense novel for an editor that liked a proposal I sent in. At the same time I’m outlining, longhand, a second novel in a romantic suspense series I have in the docket.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read TWO HEARTS ONE STONE?
I want readers to feel good, to have several hours of escape into Stone and Emmy’s world—live vicariously through my characters and their story so that whatever thing is bothering them—the reader—, doesn’t matter for a while.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m a both-er. One of the novels I’m working on I’m completely pantsing. But because I’m pantsing it, I’m outlining the next one I’m working on. I have ideas and thoughts about both. For one, they go automatically in the novel (me writing, so pantsing)and for the other, the cliff notes go in my story outline notebook.
How many books do you have under the proverbial bed? Will they ever see the light of day?
I have a whiteboard in my office where I keep a running track of all my projects. I have six currently in some level of development (one about to have a release date, one about to be submitted, one revising with editor notes… etc.). Six with partial outlines started. And four that are fully outline just waiting on me to have time to write them. This is not counting the running list of book/story ideas I keep updating constantly. Currently that leaves sixteen under the proverbial bed plus however many else I come up with from that long list of ideas. Certainly enough to keep me busy for a few years.
Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?
Well, I live in northern Alabama. And before you think “wow, hicks”… keep in mind that Huntsville, Alabama (where I was born and raised) is the heart and soul of space exploration. We are The Rocket City. It’s an engineering stronghold, so I’ve grown up surrounded by people from all walks of life in a very intelligent part of the world. Everywhere you go you meet an engineer and our universities are top notch. Not to mention the military installations here. All in all it’s a wonderful place to live and grow. Except… it’s super hot in the summer. Air you can wear, hot.
As for writing I have been writing my entire life, winning contests as far back as like third grade. But only actively pursuing a career as an author for a few years now.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Writing is actually my second passion. The first being my family. Which is made up of Mr. Scott (tell me you said that like Captain Kirk, because I do all the time), my mother—she’s my best friend and Mr. Scott is lovely to her, one reason I adore him so, and my eleven year old son. I homeschool my son during the day, while writing. So, my life is basically books all the time in one way or another.
Do you have any pets? Are you cat person or a dog person? Or are you into totally different pets, like goldfish? What do you like best about your pet?
We are a family of animal rescuers. My eleven year old actually helps me foster kittens for a local rescue organization. Of those kittens we’ve only had two foster fails (a silver tabby named Asher and a black kitty named Salem). Currently we have four cats, two dogs, and a cow-pig. Yes, you read that right. A cow-pig. Carry on to the next question for an explanation of such things.
Share a photo of your writing space, your pet, a favorite book, or something else that’s important to you.
Here is a picture of the cow-pig. Her name is Lotus and there is a story to how she came to be with us that I will briefly share. I told my son he could not have a googly eyed dog unless he found one at rescue. He was very specific in his desire for googly-eyedness. Only a Boston Terrier, a French Bulldog, or a Pug would do. As a rescuer and volunteer—I don’t buy from breeders. There are too many animals at our local shelters for me to do that. I told him that if he wanted one, he’d have to watch the shelters. Sure enough, that next weekend our sweet Lotus was on the front page of the website of the organization I foster for (http://anewleash.org/, you can visit their website to see all the great work they do for animals in North Alabama). We go to their adoption event, he meets her, they are instantly bonded. He says to me “I found my googly-eyed Boston Terrier.” She sneezed. Snorted. Then grunted a grunt to end all grunts. I replied with, “Nope, you found a cow-pig.” Thus, we have a cow-pig.
What did you want to be (occupation-wise) when you were a child?
Shocker………………………a writer.
What do you like best about your hero in TWO HEARTS ONE STONE?
That he’s a lady’s man, a bad boy, but at the end of the day… he’s a good man who will do his best to do the right thing.
What do you like best about your heroine, Emmy?
She’s incredibly smart, capable, and independent. But not in such a way that she comes across as callous or cold. She’s still has insecurities, just like the rest of us.
How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?
Stone just came to me… though his last name is the last name of my first kiss.
Emmy…I actually know a little girl with the same name. Which I fell in love with it.
The physical characteristics of both characters just sort of happen as I wrote this book. It wasn’t until the end I realized I’d written my first “red-head” heroine.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
Website: http://lesliescottromance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliescottwrites/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leslieSwrites
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lesliescottwrites/
Youtube Playlists: http://bit.ly/2O6IDea
Tell us a little about your current work in progress.
Oh my. Well, I have four that I am working on in full. One is a paranormal suspense that will be a series following the lives and loves of a coven of powerful witches. The other is a romantic suspense, friends to lovers story about a K9 Deputy and his best friend. Then I have my western Romeo/Juliet retelling (because a cowboy version of Romeo, how can I say no?).And last, the third book in my Arkadia Fast series. By far, my most challenging heroine to write, maybe because she’s as sassy and hard headed as I am?
What’s your tagline? Why did you choose it?
Currently, it’s Romance With a Shot of Nitrous because my first novel/series is centered around drag racing. Also because “Writes All The Romance” isn’t really catchy?
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
Currently I only have the two released (Two Hearts, One Stone and The Finish Line) … start with either, as I hope you’ll love both.
Tell us about your current release.
Two Hearts, One Stone is the first time I get to put my first love on display. In that, growing up I was a cowgirl. I dreamed of my own horse, read all the books about horses, rode horses, and ended up working my way through college—at horse farms. Getting to rehash that knowledge, go back and relive the happy memories coated with the scent of a horse barn, was amazing. Also, if you read Stone, I hope you enjoy meeting Tink—he always was my favorite horse.
Blurb, TWO HEARTS ONE STONE:
Horse trainer Stone Dempsey’s life is all about the ride—with horses and women. He uses his equine talents to impress the country club set and earn money for Smoky Mountain Reining Horses. When his drug-addicted sister deposits her sick baby on his doorstep, he’s suddenly saddled with real responsibility.
Dr. Emmersyn Cole’s goal of starting a practice in her favorite place on earth is finally coming to fruition and she is not going to be sidetracked. Everything is going great until Stone swaggers into her life, half-dressed with a smile that could melt her insides. She's determined to keep her distance…until he rushes into her grandfather’s home, clutching a feverish baby, terrified and vulnerable, and her heart’s hard shell begins to crack.
In only a few short weeks, Stone’s wayward heart suddenly relies on two women—one who needs him—and one that he might not be able to live without.
Excerpt:
His upper lip curled into a snarl, but it did little to dampen her flourishing attraction. She took a step forward and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Ready to do just about anything to wipe the forlorn look from his face.
That’s how he does it.
Without even trying, he’d reined her in like his horses. She stood closer, at ease, and far too eager to please him. When she lifted her gaze to his, the slow burn of tension-laced desire beckoned her.
“Oh no you don’t.” Emmy took two dramatic steps backward.
His laugh in response wrought a heat in her cheeks. Annoyed with her behavior, she fisted her hands on her hips and spun away. She was an intelligent, highly educated, independent woman. Absolutely not the sort to get sucked into the Stone Dempsey tractor beam of sex and debauchery.
She only managed half the length of the barn when, abruptly, he stopped laughing.
“Emmersyn.”
Had the sound of her name ever held such a heated promise?
Buy Links:
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2McJvS5
Nook: http://bit.ly/2MtQkPA
Leslie Scott on the internet:
Website: http://lesliescottromance.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leslieSwrites
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lesliescottwrites/
Youtube Playlists: http://bit.ly/2O6IDea
Leslie Scott Biography:
Leslie spends most days attempting to wrangle the voices in her head and often wishes she could clone herself so that their stories get told faster. She loves words, romance, and characters that feel like family and spends almost all of her free time with her own family; including a boisterous eleven year old that she homeschools and an assorted cast of rescue pets. She lives her own happily ever after with her soul mate and best friend in the northern part of Alabama and hopes you enjoy reading her stories as much as she enjoys writing them.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Review: TWO HEARTS ONE STONE #WRPbks
Here's my review Leslie Scott's latest release. I received a copy of TWO HEARTS ONE STONE from the author in exchange for an honest review. Make sure to drop by my blog tomorrow for an interview with Leslie.
Blurb:
Horse trainer Stone Dempsey’s life is all about the ride—with horses and women. He uses his equine talents to impress the country club set and earn money for Smoky Mountain Reining Horses. When his drug-addicted sister deposits her sick baby on his doorstep, he’s suddenly saddled with real responsibility.
Dr. Emmersyn Cole’s goal of starting a practice in her favorite place on earth is finally coming to fruition and she is not going to be sidetracked. Everything is going great until Stone swaggers into her life, half-dressed with a smile that could melt her insides. She's determined to keep her distance…until he rushes into her grandfather’s home, clutching a feverish baby, terrified and vulnerable, and her heart’s hard shell begins to crack.
In only a few short weeks, Stone’s wayward heart suddenly relies on two women—one who needs him—and one that he might not be able to live without.
My Review:
You gotta love a story about a reformed bad boy, because when he falls, he falls hard. And forever.
Emmy Cole’s first meeting with Stone Dempsey left her with two impressions; the first that he was a man-whore. And the second that he was six feet of gorgeous male. Despite believing Stone isn’t someone she should be interested in, Emmy can’t help herself. She’s intrigued when her new employee tells her Stone is a better man than most people gave him credit for, but she’s not sure she believes it.
Stone’s first impression of Emmy is that she’s beautiful and sexy and someone he wants to know better. But when his sick baby niece is thrust into his life, he has a whole new appreciation for her as a compassionate doctor.
What I loved about this story is the strong, immediate attraction between the characters. I also loved learning who they really were. On first meeting Stone, I was as convinced as Emmy that he was nothing but a shallow womanizer. But both of us came to see him as a loving uncle, a caring brother and a faithful partner for Emmy. I love when an author can convince me her character is really a good guy after spending considerable effort to first convince me otherwise. Leslie Scott does a great job of doing that in this well-written, sexy novella.
Buy Links:
Blurb:
Horse trainer Stone Dempsey’s life is all about the ride—with horses and women. He uses his equine talents to impress the country club set and earn money for Smoky Mountain Reining Horses. When his drug-addicted sister deposits her sick baby on his doorstep, he’s suddenly saddled with real responsibility.
Dr. Emmersyn Cole’s goal of starting a practice in her favorite place on earth is finally coming to fruition and she is not going to be sidetracked. Everything is going great until Stone swaggers into her life, half-dressed with a smile that could melt her insides. She's determined to keep her distance…until he rushes into her grandfather’s home, clutching a feverish baby, terrified and vulnerable, and her heart’s hard shell begins to crack.
In only a few short weeks, Stone’s wayward heart suddenly relies on two women—one who needs him—and one that he might not be able to live without.
My Review:
You gotta love a story about a reformed bad boy, because when he falls, he falls hard. And forever.
Emmy Cole’s first meeting with Stone Dempsey left her with two impressions; the first that he was a man-whore. And the second that he was six feet of gorgeous male. Despite believing Stone isn’t someone she should be interested in, Emmy can’t help herself. She’s intrigued when her new employee tells her Stone is a better man than most people gave him credit for, but she’s not sure she believes it.
Stone’s first impression of Emmy is that she’s beautiful and sexy and someone he wants to know better. But when his sick baby niece is thrust into his life, he has a whole new appreciation for her as a compassionate doctor.
What I loved about this story is the strong, immediate attraction between the characters. I also loved learning who they really were. On first meeting Stone, I was as convinced as Emmy that he was nothing but a shallow womanizer. But both of us came to see him as a loving uncle, a caring brother and a faithful partner for Emmy. I love when an author can convince me her character is really a good guy after spending considerable effort to first convince me otherwise. Leslie Scott does a great job of doing that in this well-written, sexy novella.
Buy Links:
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2McJvS5
Nook: http://bit.ly/2MtQkPA
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