Friday Quickie

25 quickie facts about Angela Britnell:

Birthday? 13 August
Favorite color? Peach
Favorite animal? Horses - from a distance they're beautiful although I've no desire to get too close!
Siblings? None
Favorite drink? Hot tea or chardonnay depending on the time and place!
If you were a jelly bean flavor, what flavor would you be? Apricot
Favorite author? Joanna Trollope
Favorite dish? A Cornish pasty
Ice cream flavor? Coffee and almond
Favorite Season? Spring
Plotter or pantser? I'm a definite pantser
Hobbies? Reading, Water Aerobics, Travel
Dream vacation? A world cruise on a luxury liner
Favorite TV show? At the moment it's 'Downton Abbey' and 'Nashville'
Musical preference? Very varied but love Chris Mann, Maroon 5, Coldplay and Train
Pet peeve? Rudeness - it doesn't cost anything to be polite
Favorite place to write? My lovely office - appropriated when my oldest son left home!
Favorite song? My new favorite is 'No One Will Ever Love You' by Connie Britton and Charles Esten from 'Nashville'
Odd family fact? My husband and three sons are all over six feet tall and so I'm dwarfed around them
Unforgettable moment? Apart from the birth of my 3 sons it has to be when I opened the box of my first book and saw my name on the cover
Favorite Superhero? Does Mr. Darcy count?
Spicy or not? Not really although I do like a lot of Indian food
Cat or dog? If I have to choose I'd say cat but I'm not a great animal lover thanks to my animal phobic mother!
Favorite candy bar? An English Crunchie
Favorite guilty pleasure? Watching the lake scene in the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice too many times!

Summarize your book Twitter style – 140 characters or less:

A troubled Nashville musician and an English journalist on the run hide too many truths from each other on the rocky path to lasting love

BUY LINK

To learn more about Angela Britnell and her writing, please visit her website:

 http://www.angelabritnellromance.com/

 

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Mid Week PIC Me Up

This week I thought I would share
my love of reading with you.

I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly craving
a good book.

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Cover Reveal ~ HARD AS IT GETS by Laura Kaye

Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome-pure catnip to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...

ORDER NOW:

AMAZON KINDLE
AMAZON PAPERBACK

NOOK (coming soon)

ADD TO:
GOODREADS

About Laura Kaye: 

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Weekend Writing Warriors 3/24/13

Thanks for stopping by! Today I bring you eight sentences from my award winning contemporary romance, After Midnight.

His mouth curved into an irresistibly devastating grin, and everything female in her stood at attention. He strode the rest of the way to the bar, his every movement fluid and easy. Confident. Naturally sexy. His lean, rangy body was clad in snug jeans and a black tee. Jeans so worn and faded that only their seams gave hint to their original color. Jeans that rode low on his hips, cupping his sex as tightly as a hand.

Her body reacted before she could steel herself against it. A burst of heat snapped along her nerves.

Don't forget to visit http://www.wewriwa.com for a complete list of participating authors. But be warned...your to-be-read list will expand! I know mine always does.

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What Do You Want to Do?

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about David Morrell and one of his Five Concepts (http://davidmorrell.net/on-writing/five-further-concepts/ ) specifically his concept on Flow. One of David’s suggestions on keeping the flow of our story from our brains to the page is to “develop a relationship with the story, as if it were a person”. David goes on to suggest that the author ‘literally ask the story, “What do you want to do? Where do you want me to go with you? Why are you stalling?”’

I love this advice! I wonder if he had any idea where some of our characters would take us when asked these questions, though? For instance, this is my conversation with Dominic Price, hero of Midnight Heat:

     Sarah: Dominic, where do you want me to go with you?
     Dom: Seriously, luv, you have to ask?
     Sarah: I guess I do. We’re supposed to be moving forward but you’re stalling. Why are you stalling?
     Dom: I could ask you the same thing.
     Sarah: What are you talking about?
     Dom: Becca. Why isn’t she is my bed yet?
     Sarah: Rebecca isn’t one of your groupies, Dominic. You can’t just give her a look, talk to her in that low, sexy accent and have her clothes fall off.
     Dom: I don’t sleep with groupies. Not anymore.
     Sarah: I know.
     Dom: I don’t sleep with anyone. Not since…if you’d just put her in my bed I could show her how much I’ve changed.
     Sarah: Show her you’ve changed and then she’ll welcome you in her bed with open arms.
     Dom: How am I supposed to do that?
     Sarah: You tell me.
     Dom: You’re the writer!
     Sarah: Yes, I am. And you’re going to have to work for this one, Dom. I know that’s new for you, but stalling isn’t helping. Rebecca needs more convincing before she’ll go to bed with you. The past – how much you hurt her – right now that is greater than her desire.
     Dom: Fuck.
     Sarah: Not yet.
     Dom: Bloody hell, you are frustrating!
     Sarah: I love you, too.
     Dom: *shakes head and grins* Fine, let’s get on with this, shall we?

It’s a good thing he’s so handsome.

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Friday Quickie

25 quickie facts about Regan Walker: 

Birthday? December 1st
Favorite color? Red (you can tell this from my novels!)
Favorite animal? Ooo, that’s a hard one. I suppose for personal relationships, I’d pick a large dog (I have a Golden Retriever), but I love to watch Friesian stallions race across a green lawn and the Canadian geese on the wing and their “mate for life” characteristic is most romantic.
Siblings? Sadly, no.
Favorite drink? Green tea but must be served with dark chocolate. Oh, and did I mention Merlot wine?
If you were a jelly bean flavor, what flavor would you be? Ah, I love it! I’d be cinnamon. Or, maybe peppermint.
Favorite author? That’s a hard one. I have a review site (Regan’s Romance Reviews, http://reganromancereview.blogspot.com) and on Amazon I have over 500 reviews of mostly historical romances. It is probably Penelope Williamson, but there are at least a half dozen on my short list.
Favorite dish? We’re talking food, I presume. Something French served with wine and candles.
Ice cream flavor? Coffee. Of course, dousing it with hot fudge makes it.
Favorite Season? Spring, because it promises summer.
Plotter or pantser? A combination. I usually know the beginning and the end but the “mire of the middle” is all pantster. My goal is to become a plotter.
Hobbies? Reading and writing are my hobbies and my passion. I am a lawyer by profession.
Dream vacation? Right now it would be a month in Scotland followed by a few weeks in Ireland.
Favorite TV show? The only TV shows I watch are on PBS or the History Channel (I hate commercial TV). Right now it would be a toss up between Garrow’s Law and Downton Abbey on PBS and Vikings and The Bible on the History Channel.
Musical preference? Jazz; great hymns; and movie scores that inspire my writing (Alexandre Desplat is my favorite composer, but The Last of the Mohicans score is a favorite, too).
Pet peeve? In reading romance novels it would be “improbable moments” when the plot goes south because the author injects something that has me rolling my eyes. Hate those. If you want to see my top 10 list, here’s the link: http://reganromancereview.blogspot.com/2012/01/readers-pet-peeves-10-that-set-me-on.html.
Favorite place to write? My writing took over my dining room table two years ago. It’s nice because in addition to lots of room, one wall of the room is a sliding glass window looking out at my wonderful view and my tangelo tree, now full of fruit. When I open the slider I can hear the birds.
Favorite song? As Time Goes By (I am a “rank sentimentalist”)
Odd family fact? My mother told me that the Scots in my family were Papists (the Walkers have long been associated with the MacGregors and Stuarts) and the Irish in the family were “Orange” (Protestants). I think that makes us rebels.
Unforgettable moment? I have many, but since we’re talking romance, I’d say seeing my first novel on Amazon and then getting my first 5 star review (thank you Reading Café!). To know that my novels speak to women’s hearts is very rewarding for me.
Favorite Superhero? Superman (he comes from another world, he has the patience of Job and is very protective; and he loves a human who is always getting into trouble—what’s not to like?)
Spicy or not? Definitely spicy.
Cat or dog? Dog. Big dogs, not the little yippy ones, though I’ve put cats in my novels realizing many (most?) of my readers like cats.
Favorite candy bar? Ritter Sport Bar Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts. (They are German; I fell in love with them while traveling in Germany.) Fortunately I can get them here.
Favorite guilty pleasure? Dark chocolate (did I not mention that?) and driving fast on an open, deserted road. Like my heroine in Racing With The Wind, I think, walk and ride fast.

Summarize your book Twitter style – 140 characters or less:

English Spy returning from France encounters a lady in a bordello and sweeps her away to adventure and love in the Midlands of England in 1817.

BUY LINK

To learn more about Regan Walker and her writing, please visit her website:

http://www.reganwalkerauthor.com/

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Mid Week PIC Me Up

This piece of yumminess was my original inspiration
for Dominic Price.

 

Oh. My. Is it hot in here?

Time to dive back into this WIP.
I feel a bit of SEXiness is about to happen...

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I have a confession to make...

I have a confession to make…I am a car junkie.

It’s true. I can talk horsepower, 0 to 60 times and torque with the best of them.

Well, perhaps not the best of them, but I can actively participate in a conversations about cars that make most women’s, and a lot of men's actually, eyes glaze over. I credit my uber-talented, mechanic husband with this. However, my love of driving too fast and want of something sexy and classic to do it in is why I’ve paid attention to his ‘car speak’ for all the years we’ve been together.

I know the difference between a carburetor and fuel injection, a turbo charger and super charger, and I know the effect of cold weather start-ups on fuel mileage. I can do my own oil change, a tune up and change my own fuel filter. And yes, I’m the one that gets irked when I read something totally wrong in a book – like the NYT bestseller who had her heroine remove the valve stem caps from the FBI agents car and the tires went flat. Oh, no, that’s not how it works.

Yup, I’m a bit of a geek. My love of cars can be seen in my writing. I can’t help myself, I usually slip a great car in the book. Take Not Without Risk, for instance – in RISK, the hero drives a 1969 Pontiac GTO:

And the heroine a 1959 Cadillac El Dorado:

I skipped giving either character in After Midnight something fancy. Well, I knew Noah had a wonderful car, I just don’t point out what it is until Book Two, Midnight Heat:

Aston Martin DB9 Convertible

Beautiful, isn’t she? (yes, I mean the car, LOL)

I typically choose American Muscle as the cars to feature in my books, since that is where my passion lies. But, Noah Clark is a British Rock Legend, so this gorgeous piece of British art was the only choice for him.

What about you? Do you love cars the way I do, or just look at them as something to get you from Point A to Point B?

Oh, and before you go… What do you think of this sexy beast?

Should it go in my next book?

 

I LOVE the suicide doors!

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New Book Video

I have two new trailers that the amazing Amie Louellen created for me. The long book trailer for NOT WITHOUT RISK can be found under the 'Book Trailers' tab above. I also have a shortie or teaser trailer that I think is fun. Check it out!

What do you think?

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Friday Quickie

25 quickie facts about Rue Allyn: 

Birthday? All Saint’s Day ~ Go Figure?
Favorite color? Almost any Blue but mostly teals.
Favorite animal? Too many for a favorite.
Siblings? Yes (and the least said the better).
Favorite drink? Liquid.
If you were a jelly bean flavor, what flavor would you be? Raspberry all the way.
Favorite author? Too many for a favorite.
Favorite dish? Delft.
Ice cream flavor? Cherry Garcia.
Favorite Season? Spring/Summer (end of Spring/start of Summer)
Plotter or pantser? Yes.
Hobbies? Not that I know of.
Dream vacation? Beach, balmy breeze, books, hammock (sorry I don’t know a word for hammock that alliterates with ‘B’, umbrella drinks, personal cabanna boy—yes, I’d prefer he be good looking with an Aussie accent, and most important I don’t do a single chore.
Favorite TV show? See Favorite Animal.
Musical preference? Yes.
Pet peeve? Mis-communication.
Favorite place to write? My computer.
Favorite song? See Favorite Animal.
Odd family fact? My mother couldn’t have children.
Unforgettable moment? Again too many, but my first sight of the Grand Tetons will do for starters.
Favorite Superhero? My husband.
Spicy or not? Books yes, food not so much.
Cat or dog? Cat.
Favorite candy bar? Jelly bellies. (I know not a candy bar, but I’m not a big fan of bars.)
Favorite guilty pleasure? I’m not telling.

 




Summarize your book Twitter style – 140 characters or less: 

One Moment’s Pleasure: Everything for love. Nothing for lust

BUY LINK

To learn more about Rue Allyn and her writing please visit her website:

http://RueAllyn.com

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Mid Week PIC Me Up

I was going to share this piece of heaven on my Pinterest board titled 'My Shoe Fetish' but it seems that even though I've seen full monty pics on there, Pinterest has decided this photo is not allowed. So, my friends, I've decided to put it here.

You.
Are.
Welcome.

I love his boots!

What, you didn't notice his boots?

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Lucky's Leprechaun by Elysa Hendricks

Lucky no longer believes in wishes, hope or dreams. Cheated by his bookkeeper and his ex-girlfriend, he's resigned himself to losing everything.

Twenty-five years ago curiosity about a small human trapped Diamond, a leprechaun, inside a crystal paperweight. Now she has one day left to grant Lucky his final wish or perish.

Can a chance meeting between a little boy and a leprechaun result in love?

On his way back to the kitchen, out of habit rather than hope or belief in luck, Lucky rubbed the planes of the crystal diamond paperweight sitting by the register on the bar. There was little chance the cops or the security firm he'd hired would catch up with Doreen and Fred or if they did they'd be able to recover any of his money.

The bells above the door jangled just as the oven timer buzzed. Damn! Where were Meg and Ted? He'd asked them to come in early today for the St. Patrick's Day lunch crowd. He twisted to see who was coming in and the crystal flew off the ledge. After twenty-five years of sitting there securely, it landed on the tile floor with a sharp cracking sound. He looked down to see it shatter. Not a single recognizable piece of it remained. Dust shimmered in the air. A smell like a fresh spring rain teased his nose.

He and Gramps had brought the crystal paperweight back from their trip to Ireland when Lucky was five. He only had vague memories of the trip. According to Gramps if you wished on the crystal it would know your true desire and grant your wish. While he loved and admired Sheamus as both his grandfather and as a man, despite his name, Lucky no longer had the same optimistic outlook on life.

As a child he'd believed with all his heart, but now he knew only hard work made dreams come true. And even hard work didn't trump misplaced trust and poor judgment in women. He no longer believed in luck, hope or dreams.

Still, he felt a pang of regret over the loss of the family heirloom, no matter how foolish it was.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Was it very valuable?" A petite woman dressed in shades of green, white and silver rushed over to him.

Like a character out of a Lords of the Rings movie her appearance caught him off guard. Blonde hair fell around an elfin face. Bright hazel eyes peered up at him. A forest-green coat and white pants hugged her slender body. White ankle boots trimmed in silver fur completed her outfit.

He shook his head at the whimsy. While gramps might believe in pixies, fairies, leprechauns and wee folk, Lucky was a realist.

"Yes. No. I'm not sure. Don't' worry about it. It wasn't your fault. Just my own clumsiness." He wondered why the heavy crystal fell. He wasn't touching it and there hadn't been any wind or vibrations from the opening door. It was almost as if it had jumped or been pushed.

"Well, whatever it costs to replace it you can take it out of my first paycheck."

"What?"

"I'm here about the job." She smiled and held out the sign. "It's still open, isn't it?" When her smile faded the light in the room seemed to dim as well.

"Which position are you interested in?" She didn't look old enough to work much less serve alcohol.

"Oh, I can do any of them. Waitress. Tend bar. Cook. Whatever you need."

"How old are you?"

She paused for a moment as if considering her answer. "Older than I look for sure." She smiled again and his mood lightened.

"Got some ID? References?" As much as he needed help and as appealing as this little ball of blonde fluff might be, he didn't need the hassles an underage girl would bring with her.

Her lips drooped. Lucky swallowed. He didn't care for the way her expressions seemed connected to his emotions.

"No, but. . . ." she drew out the words in a wistful plea.

A whiff of something fresh and clean, like a delicate flower, wafted under his nose, tantalizing him. He breathed in and coughed as the acrid smell of burning hit his lungs. The smoke detectors started blaring.

"Shit!"

Lucky's Leprechaun is available now at AMAZON and SMASHWORDS

 Elysa Hendricks is 5'6" tall. She has curly hair and brown eyes. She's an author, a wife, a mother and a daughter. Everything else is subject to change without notice. But if you insist on knowing more about her bland, beige, boring life you can find her at her web site or hanging around on Facebook.

http://www.elysahendricks.com 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elysa-Hendricks-Author/137316289643103

 

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Authors by Moonlight

Blogging is difficult for me.  It's not just making the time for it, but coming up with what to say. I'm usually at a loss. So someone please explain what possessed me the day I joined another group blog?
Anyone?
Bueller?


Okay, so it's not that bad. At least, that's what I keep telling myself - "Hey self, it's not that bad, just wait until summer!" *Forehead slap*

Starting today, and every 2nd Monday of the month, I'm blogging at a wonderful group blog called Authors by Moonlight. And in all seriousness, it will be fun! Stop by and say hello!

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Not Without Risk

I've shared with you a picture of Sergeant Justin Harrison, right?  From my relaunched romantic suspense, NOT WITHOUT RISK...

He's pretty darn yummy, isn't he?
What you think he looks a bit frustrated?  That's because he is...

Justin crossed to the door, held it for her as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. He smiled at the sight of her Cadillac sitting at the curb, its top down in deference to the humid night air, before shifting his gaze to his own car, parked a few feet in front of hers and shining in the light from the street lamp.

Her lips parted as a startled gasp slipped free. Feet still bare, she walked to his car and slowly, one finger at a time, pressed down until her palm lay flat atop the front quarter panel. Even from his distance, he caught her tiny shiver of pleasure. “She’s beautiful.”

Justin watched, transfixed, as she moved around his car, each step forward followed by the gentle slide of her hand across the quarter panel. Down the side, across the rear spoiler and forward once more. Each stroke, each caress of her hand pushed his blood pressure up another notch until he had to steel himself from closing the distance and pulling her into his embrace.

Want consumed him. He wanted her hands on him, not just on his car. He wanted to taste her, feel her, to fist his hands in her hair and sink into her warmth. It’d been too long, far too long since he’d been with a woman—six months, ten days and twenty-two hours to be exact, and he missed it. He missed it more than he missed nicotine, more than he missed being able to draw a deep breath without the slightest twinge of pain.

She looked up and met his gaze across the expanse of the car. A smile curved her lips, brightened her face and lightened her features. Joy, pure, unadulterated joy sparkled in her eyes, warmed her voice. “How long have you had her?”

“About ten years now. I found her in a field behind someone’s house with four flat tires and mold covering the front seat.” Disgust colored her features but her smile did not fade. Justin caught himself before he could return her smile. He shoved his hands into his front pockets.

It’d been a mistake coming here, a mistake he needed to quickly remedy. For years he’d chosen his women for their physical endowments and little else. He liked them blonde and stacked, girls who didn’t expect more from him than a night of pleasure and tempted him in no other sense than the physical. Only since he’d faced down a bullet and lost, he hadn’t been able to even consider enjoying a woman with the same carelessness as before.

He has a killer to find and doesn't need a leggy brunette clouding his investigation.
She wants to know who murdered her friend.
As Paige and Justin try to stay one step ahead of a madman, love comes...Not Without Risk.


Buy your copy today at:
Amazon / Barnes and Noble / All Romance eBooks

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Friday Quickie

25 quickie facts about Rachel Brimble:

Birthday? April 10th
Favorite color? Red
Favorite animal? Dog
Siblings? Older brother
Favorite drink? Chilled dry white wine
If you were a jelly bean flavor, what flavor would you be? Blackcurrant
Favorite author? Nora Roberts/Philippa Gregory
Favorite dish? Chicken Satay
Ice cream flavor? Coconut
Favorite Season? Summer
Plotter or pantser? Bit of both!
Hobbies? Reading/Knitting/Walking
Dream vacation? Caribbean
Favorite TV show? Grey’s Anatomy/Scandal or Downton Abbey/Upstairs, Downstairs
Musical preference? Soft rock
Pet peeve? Prejudice
Favorite place to write? Sofa with my black Lab beside me
Favorite song? She by Elvis Costello
Odd family fact? We were rescued by helicopter from a hotel roof during the 2010 French floods
Unforgettable moment? See above!
Favorite Superhero? Superman
Spicy or not? Occasionally…. ;)
Cat or dog? Dog
Favorite candy bar? Snickers
Favorite guilty pleasure? Reality TV

Summarize your book Twitter style – 140 characters or less:

Poverty touches them both – but riches lie in their in love…

BUY LINK

To learn more about Rachel Brimble and her writing, please visit her Website:

http://www.rachelbrimble.com/

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Spotlight On: Niecey Roy

I'm thrilled to welcome fellow Wild Rose Press author Niecey Roy to my blog today. Welcome, Niecey, can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I’m a romantic comedy flick junkie. I prefer to be barefoot, but if I have to wear shoes, I will almost always choose a pair of cute heels. I prefer summer over winter (I hate being cold). If I had the metabolism of my before-kids-days, I’d eat pizza three times a week. If I’m not craving pizza, I’m craving Asian food. Oh, and I’m obsessed with learning how to plant a successful garden, but I really have no idea what I’m doing. So far, I’ve only killed roses, though. And roses are the one thing I really, really want in my yard!

Tell us about Fender Bender Blues and where we can find it. 

Right now you can get Fender Bender Blues eBook FREE on Amazon!!!

The print book is available for purchase at Amazon and The Wild Rose Press.

Here’s the blurb:

Her life took a wrong turn. He's driven by success. They didn't count on crashing into love... 

Rachel Bennett loved her job until the day she finds herself doubting her choices. Now she's hunting for a new career, but starting over isn't easy. Her plan is simple—no distractions until she finds her dream job. She didn't plan on fate throwing her a curveball in the form of a fender bender with a sexy guy in an expensive suit.

Craig Larsen is a wealthy, successful business owner with a plan of his own: survive his current PR nightmare and stay away from his overly determined ex-girlfriend. His need for control and personal success is turned upside down when he meets Rach, a sassy redhead who can't drive.

Soon they find themselves battling with Rach's grumpy old neighbor, toilet-papering the trees of a high school nemesis, and fighting over the last slice of pizza. Can two very different people plus one fender bender equal a chance at forever?

"Classic cars, garden gnomes, and steamy romance? My kind of book!"
~Bestselling Author Kate Perry 

Describe your writing in three words.

Sexy smooches and happily-ever-afters…(just don’t count “and” ha!)

What was your first reaction when you got a glimpse of your cover art?

I was so happy with it. It was the most exciting, intense feeling of “it’s real” that I’ve ever had. Well, at that moment, it was. The day I held the print book of Fender Bender Blues in my hand is now officially the most exciting, intense feeling of “it’s real” I’ve ever had!

What is something readers would be surprised to learn about you? 

I have stage fright. Yes, around people who know me personally, I almost never shut up. But get me in a room full of people I don’t know and stick a mic in my hands, I’m a mess. My hands get all clammy, my knees go weak…and I stutter and say dumb things. Ha!

Where can we find you on the web? 

Come visit me on my website at www.nieceyroy.com or hang with me on my blog at www.nieceyroy.com/blog/

I’m also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/NieceyRoyRomanceAuthor and twitter https://twitter.com/#!/NieceyRoy

 “Now what?”

“Nothing.”Rach sniffed.

Craig shifted to eye her warily. “Since when do you answer me with single words?”

“Since I decided I’m not talking to you,” she answered with a shrug, crumpling up the white paper wrapper from her sub.

Craig leaned his face in close to her neck and enjoyed the startled jerk of her shoulders. Her eyes opened wide in surprise. His breath shifted a few strands of hair at the nape of her neck as he whispered, “Why, because you want me?”

“You’re incorrigible,” she said, breathless, her cheeks flushed.

She’s enjoying this. The thought pleased him. Rach was on her back beside him now, her eyes closed. He glanced around the park to see if anyone was watching. No one was. He could swoop in for a kiss and no one would catch him. No one would care, he told himself. She won’t mind… 

“I can feel you staring.”

Craig smiled down at her. “So what.”

She peeked at him with one green eye. “So stop it.”

“And if I don’t?”

Maybe she’d tackle him, push him down on the blanket and…

She didn’t. She promptly closed her eye and went back to pretending indifference. “I’ll hit you, that’s what.”

“Not if I do this, you won’t.”

He’d only meant it to be a short kiss, but the pleasure of touching his lips to hers kept him there longer. Her tongue was velvet soft and warm against his and the slow mating of their mouths quickened his heartbeat even as he told himself, It’s no big deal, just a kiss.

She nipped his bottom lip and sent heat sliding through his body. The woman could kiss.

She whispered soft against his lips, “Now why don’t you admit that it’s you who wants me.”

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Mid Week PIC Me Up

OK, I know it's not Wednesday yet, but I have a guest tomorrow and didn't want to cheat you lovelies out of this piece of heaven... What can I say, I'm a giver. :-)

 

I believe I just found the hero of LOVER UNDERCOVER.

What do you guys think? Does he look like a dark, brooding,
undercover cop who gives the heroine the ride of her life?

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Promotion- Part 1

Whether you’re published with one of the NY houses, a small press, or self-published, promotion is a necessary evil in the writer’s life. There’s no avoiding it. Writing a great book is only the beginning. Now the real work begins.

Bring up the subject of promotion in a room full of writers and you will get mixed reactions. Some love promotion, and some, well, they’d rather have a root canal. But one thing they’ll all agree on, promotion is a must if you want to stand out in this growing industry. The days of writing the book, then slinking back into your writing cave and working on the next one are over. In order to build readership – to build relationships with your readers – we have to be out there in the online world, interacting and talking.

Believe it or not, this can be very uncomfortable. Most writers, though not all, are introverts. We LIKE our caves; the quiet solitude, the days we never get out of our PJs or put on make-up. Don’t get me wrong, we love interacting with readers, but stepping out of our comfort zones, being the one to start the conversation…*Sarah shivers*

Remember, we surround ourselves with fictional characters – converse with them, laugh with them, even cry with them. We writers are a bit nutty and we know it! Conversing with real live people is terrifying. Worse, WE are the topic of conversation. Talk about being self-conscious!

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time talking about myself. I can talk about my sons or my husband all day long. I can tell you about my dogs, all of them rescues, and how much they make me laugh. But to tell you about my books, my accomplishments and awards…it always feels a bit like patting myself on the back. And that little voice that pops into my head – the voice that tells me it’s not good to be a braggart – yeah, I could do without that. But let’s face it; unless we learn to promote ourselves, we’re never going to get anywhere. So what’s an author to do?

I’ve asked myself this question more times than I can count. Heck, I’ve probably asked it of other authors even more, but no one seemed to have the answer. Then, I stumbled upon a little gem of advice. And if once wasn’t enough, I ran into the same advice about three times in a two week span. Here it is, paraphrased:

You are not trying to draw attention to yourself, but to your product. You are offering something of value to them – your book. Tell people about it, this product that they may like, if it’s not for them, they can ignore you. 

I love this! I may type it up and tape it to my keyboard as it is something I am going to strive to remember. And maybe, just maybe it will make hearing the term ‘promotion’ easier for me to take.

What about you? Do you love promotion or would you rather have a root canal?

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Friday Quickie

25 quickie facts about M. S. Spencer 

Birthday? June
Favorite color? Coral
Favorite animal? Snake. I know, I know, but they’re so beautiful and sinuous—and they’re very affectionate.
Siblings? Brother and a sister, neither well-adjusted.
Favorite drink? Champagne
If you were a jelly bean flavor, what flavor would you be? If I were a Bertie Botts Any Flavor bean, I’d be Black Pepper; if a plain old jelly bean—Cinnamon.
Favorite author? Jeepers, depends on my mood—Shakespeare; Christopher Buckley; Jane Austen; Margery Allingham; Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes).
Favorite dish? Big juicy hamburger with blue cheese, bacon, and extra lettuce (Bibb).
Ice cream flavor? Fudge brownie
Favorite Season? Autumn—crisp and cool with a sense of new beginnings.
Plotter or pantser? Both—I’ve learned that no matter how much you think you’ve planned, the characters and the plot just waltz on by without so much as a by your leave or “Have an apple.”
Hobbies? Bird watching, swimming, making lists.
Dream vacation? Tuscany. No, wait. The Galapagos Islands.
Favorite TV show? Monk
Musical preference? Opera and Country.
Pet peeve? Paying for parking.
Favorite place to write? In my study—looking out at the fox- and deer-infested park.
Favorite song? Just in Time by Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, in the movie Bells are Ringing.
Odd family fact? My grandmother was a pioneer and principal of a logging camp school in Oregon at age 18. In 1918 she rode the trains to New York for graduate school.
Unforgettable moment? Galloping across the desert under what would be the nose of the Sphinx on my stallion Farid.
Favorite Superhero? Ben Grimm—the Thing in the Fantastic Four. He’s so sweet.
Spicy or not? Spicy!
Cat or dog? Cat—they’re snugglier and dogs always make me feel guilty.
Favorite candy bar? Heath Bar
Favorite guilty pleasure? So many choices, so little space: I guess skinny dipping.
  

Summarize your book Twitter style – 140 characters or less: 

Set on the Florida Gulf coast, Mai Tais and Mayhem features sea turtles, true love, Russians, parrots, murder, and money, not necessarily in that order.

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To learn more about M.S. Spencer and her writing, please visit her blog:

http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

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