Reblog, Retweet & Share to WIN!

Great News! My publisher has decided to extend the sale of After Midnight to February 15th!
So I've decided to extend the contest.

~*~ 

After Midnight is On Sale! 

It’s official, my award winning contemporary romance, After Midnight, is on sale for the super low price of 99 cents! So, I’m celebrating with a re-blog, re-tweet and share to win celebration!

What can you win??? 

$25 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM BARNES and NOBLE or AMAZON
(winners choice) 

Here’s how to play:

1. Tweet (or retweet) about the sale. Every tweet will earn you one entry in the drawing. Make sure to include @SarahGrimmAuthr in your tweet so I can track your entry. 
2. Post or Share the sale on Facebook. Every post/share will earn you one entry in the drawing. Be sure to tag Sarah Grimm – Author in your post so I can track your entry. 
3. Reblog this post. Make sure to leave a link here so I can keep track. 

That’s it. Pretty simple, yes? The more you tweet, retweet, share or repost, the more entries you receive! I will announce the winner of the gift certificate on this blog on February 18, 2013.

Can music heal a fractured soul? 

Or will it tear them apart forever? 

Thirteen years—that’s how long Isabeau Montgomery has been living a lie. After an automobile accident took her mother’s life, Izzy hid herself away, surviving the only way she knew how. Now she is happy in her carefully reconstructed life. That is until he walks through the door of her bar…

Black Phoenix singer/front man Noah Clark came to Long Island City with a goal—one that doesn’t include an instant, electric attraction to the dark-haired beauty behind the bar. Coaxing her into his bed won’t be easy, but he can’t get her pale, haunted eyes nor her skill on the piano out of his head.

Can Noah help Isabeau overcome the past? Or will her need to protect her secret force her back into hiding and destroy their chance at happiness?

2012 Romance Through the Ages Award Winner ~ 1st Place Contemporary 

2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Finalist 

2012 Readers Favorite Award Finalist 

2011 Book of the Year Finalist ~ Long and Short Reviews 

GET IT TODAY – Just $0.99!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/11kD7JS (1/25 – 2/15) 

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/TNBRdL (1/25 – 2/15)

 "After Midnight is one hell of a love story! I was hooked at the end of the first chapter. I had to read more. I had to know more. And Sarah Grimm definitely delivered more." —5 Stars, Fire Pages

"Ms. Grimm creates characters that grab hold of your heart and never let go. This is an emotional ride that you won't want to miss."—BEST BOOK, Long and Short Reviews

"I am in love. This book was amazing. I would even go as far as to say that it was one of the best books that I read this year." — 5 cocktails, Cocktails and Books

 

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Choosing Titles

A lot of writers begin a story without a title in mind. They flesh out the characters, envelop themselves deep within the story, and never think about the title until a) one comes to them naturally while writing the book, or b) they are forced to think of one because they can’t submit without the title.

Not so with me. You see, I can’t lose myself in a story if it’s untitled. I can connect with the characters and flesh out their lives, but I can’t spend hours, weeks, and months bleeding on the page without giving that page a name. Talking with friends about my work in progress only works for me if that WIP has a title.

Imagine it: I’m raving about my newborn son or daughter, showing pictures to friends. They ooh and ahh over how handsome he is, and then someone asks, “What’s his name?”

I can’t reply, “I don’t know, it’ll eventually come to me.” Could you?

So the first thing I do is think about the tone of my book. Is it funny? Sexy? Serious? Does a consistent theme run throughout? Something that either the hero or the heroine needs to learn or acknowledge by the end of the book?

Once I’ve decided, then it’s time to brainstorm. I sit at my desk and make a list of words related to my book. Nothing is off limits. I write down everything I can think of that is related to my story, whether it’s an emotion, a setting, or a question. At this point, one word usually jumps out at me – a word I KNOW has to be in the title. From there I play with word combinations and another list takes shape—a list of possible titles.

Here I should probably tell you that sometimes this method works for me, and sometimes…well, not so much. Take, for instance, the title of my first book, Not Without Risk. My original title for this book was Strength to Love. No really, that’s what I called it, which was better than my original title for After Midnight (and no, I’m not telling what that was called). Anyway, back to Risk…The farther I got into the story, the more I hated the title. It just wasn’t right. Then one day I’m typing along and the hero’s mother tells him, “To love someone, to have someone return that love is…It’s a risk, certainly, but what is life if not a risk?”

*insert light bulb*

There it was, the moment when the word clicked into place. Risk. Everything in that book revolved around risk, from the hero’s job, to taking a leap of faith and risking his heart in order to find love.

Here’s another confession. I have a compulsion to see the name of the book somewhere in the book. It doesn’t matter to me whether a character voices it, or thinks it; my titles have to be in the book. This need made naming, or should I say coming up with the correct name for, After Midnight even easier.

The original title broke my rule about following the tone of the book. It was too sappy, and gave the impression the book was light-hearted. I don’t write light-hearted. Yes, everything I write has its happily-ever-after. Yes, the hero and heroine always ride off into the proverbial sunset. But getting there is never an easy journey. I torture my characters, some more than others, and Isabeau Montgomery…she’s a tortured heroine.

Then it hit me. Isabeau owns a bar, the opening scene takes place in that bar after closing. In fact, most of the key moments in the book occur late at night. Night… Darkness… Midnight…aha! There it was.

Sometimes the moment that changes everything comes After Midnight.

Don't miss out!
Get your copy of AFTER MIDNIGHT today for just 99 cents!

(hurry, offer ends 2/08/13)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/11kD7JS
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/TNBRdL

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First Chapters

My book, AFTER MIDNIGHT, is featured today on D. Renee Bagby's First Chapters Blog. You can check it out HERE.

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Inspiration Boards

With the success of websites like Pinterest more and more people are talking about boards, specifically visual ‘pin boards’ of things they love or find interesting. They’re surprisingly easy to create – you can ‘pin’ an image from just about any site, in effect saving it (and the link to its original site) to your very own digital bulletin board.

But did you know that writers (and other artists) have been using boards for years? Inspiration boards – or collections of images that help define or inspire a project. Before technology and the internet, inspiration boards used to look more like this:

Diane Von Furstenberg Inspiration Board

Some still prefer this look. (I admit I would most likely be one of them if I had an office, as there’s just something about having a ‘physical’ board.) But more and more, inspiration boards are showing up online.

If you spend any time on Pinterest, and follow any authors, perhaps you’ve seen one or two inspiration boards – boards specific the author’s book. Even I have one (or three as the case may be). Unfortunately, the content on my boards is sparse. Why? Honestly, I’m not sure why.

My ‘real’ inspiration boards include…well, just about anything and everything that both ‘speaks to me’ and relates to the characters or plot of the book. Some of the things on my boards aren’t in the book – perhaps it is from a scene I deleted, or the character’s lives after the story ended. Yes, my ‘real’ inspiration boards contain things that happen to the hero and heroine AFTER the story ended. Hey, it’s my book. I’m allowed! :-)

I suppose the reason these are not included in my Pinterest boards is because I wonder if all of it would truly be of interest to someone who hasn’t read my books. I’m not sure. But since this question has been on my mind lately, I thought I would share with you some of the items on my ‘real’ inspiration boards. And hey, maybe you can help me decide whether I should add them to the boards I have on Pinterest.

Inspiration Board for After Midnight: 

Isabeau Montgomery

Noah Clark	Noah Clark

Isabeau's Engagement Ring	Isabeau's Eternity Band

Noah's House

Recording Studio in	Noah's Basement

Isabeau's Wedding Dress

Lovers

The heels I imagine Isabeau is wearing in Chapter Twelve. ;)

Thanks for visiting with me today. If you are interested in following me on Pinterest, or even just checking out what Pinterest is all about, you can see my profile HERE.

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Sinful Sirens Giveaway Hop

Congratulations JoAnna, random.com picked you as the WINNER!
Watch for an email from me.

 

Heat Up Your Summer!
Are you a Sinful Siren?

We know you are! So come and join us at Under the Covers and Guilty Pleasures for our Sinful Sirens blog hop. This summer we want to heat things up until the only way we can cool down is with a dip in the ocean. Entice other sirens by sharing some of your favorite scorching hot reads!

With all the rain we've had in Michigan this Spring, I thought I would share with you all this sinful little encounter between Noah and Isabeau, hero and heroine from my contemporary romance,
After Midnight.

AFTER MIDNIGHT

The Wild Rose Press      Amazon

Thirteen years—that's how long Isabeau Montgomery has been living a lie. After an automobile accident took her mother's life, Izzy hid herself away, surviving the only way she knew how. Now she is happy in her carefully reconstructed life. That is until he walks through the door of her bar...

(Warning: this excerpt contains adult content. 18 and older only, please)

Startled, she bolted upright in bed, her hand pressed against the frantic beat of her heart in her chest. A glance at her alarm clock told her it was thirty-six minutes after four. The incessant pounding told her whoever stood at the outside of her reinforced steel security door wouldn’t be ignored.

Wearing nothing but her silk robe, she crossed to the door, paused to peer through the peephole. She blinked to clear her eyes and looked again. With a gasp of shock, she threw the lock and pulled the door open.

Lightning flashed, illuminating Noah as he stood with his hands braced on either side of the doorway. Water ran in rivulets down his handsome face to soak his clothes to his skin, but he didn’t seem to notice. In fact, he didn’t seem to be aware of anything but her as he looked down at her.

Where earlier today his eyes had been emotionless, tonight they were anything but. Her skin flashed hot, her breath caught as deep green eyes filled with longing and desire locked on her. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to. His intent was obvious.

Before she could absorb the shock of his arrival, he used his left hand to push the door open wider. His right curled around her waist and pulled her against his wet body. Sensation overwhelmed her—the damp chill that immediately saturated her robe, the hot press of his mouth against hers and the heady combination of pleasure and pain as he fisted a hand in her hair and tugged her head back.

She realized in an instant that this was not going to be like any coupling they’d shared before. His lips were hard and demanding, his muscled arms like steel around her. He kicked the door closed as he feasted on her mouth, devouring, arousing her with his teeth, his tongue. And far from shying away from it, she fisted her hands in his shirt and begged for more.

He tasted like rain. He tasted like aroused man. Desperate to touch him, she trailed her hands down his chest and slipped them under his shirt. Beneath her palms, his body vibrated. Whether it was from restraint or emotion, she wasn’t certain, but she knew it was important for him to work through it. She was more than willing for him to do it with her.

She rocked against him, shuddering as his heat and strength radiated through their clothes. A groan rumbled out of his chest, and he lifted his head to come after her from a different angle. His kiss was voracious, starving. Rough and demanding. She wanted more.

His arm tightened around her waist and he lifted her off her feet. She braced her hands on his shoulders and arched her back in pleasure as his mouth closed over her breast. She sucked in air hungrily, greedily as he suckled her through the fabric, scraping his teeth across her budded nipple—moaning against the exquisite pain, sobbing his name. Shifting her, he treated her other breast to the same beautiful torture until she felt an orgasm building inside her.

 His free hand skimmed over her body, slid down the outside of her thigh then up beneath the robe to cup her bare cheek. Her breath left her in a rush as sensation streaked through her. She lifted her knees and hugged his hips. The action separated her cheeks and his fingertips brushed along the division of her buttocks.

“Noah!” she gasped.

 “Tell me to leave,” he growled as his fingertips continued downward, following the intimate curve until his long fingers eased between the lips of her sex and his thumb pushed into her in one devastating plunge.

She clamped tightly around him as a contraction exploded inside of her. “Stay.”

I'm giving away an eCopy of After Midnight to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is tell me what you're looking forward to this Summer.

Continue the Sinful Sirens Giveaway Hop HERE

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The Importance of Touch

*originally part of After Midnight Blog Tour

Last year I had the extreme pleasure of being a participant in the Summer Scorcher Blog Tour, where one of the fantastic authors blogged about the 12 Stages of Intimacy. For me, the post was more than just informative, it was thought provoking. You see, I know these stages, at least I once did. I learned about them in one of the multitude workshops I’ve attended over the span of many years. Then, as happens far too often, I promptly forgot about them. Or did I?

Let’s take a moment to look at these 12 stages: (as defined by Desmond Morris, a behavioral scientist).

1. Eye to Body
2. Eye to Eye
3. Voice to Voice
4. Hand to Hand
5. Arm to Shoulder
6. Arm to Waist
7. Mouth to Mouth
8. Hand to Head
9. Hand to Body
10. Mouth to Breast
11. Hand to Genitals
12. Sexual Intercourse

The first three are fairly straightforward. You see someone who interests you, make eye contact and strike up a conversation. Basic stuff, right? And this contact doesn’t always lead to something. But number four is when things begin to get interesting. In fact, Hand to Hand is where things get intimate. This is the first step in physical contact. Allowing someone to touch you also means placing yourself in a very vulnerable position.

You may be surprised to see that number eight, Hand to Head, is considered more intimate than number seven, Mouth to Mouth. But let me ask you—how many people do you let touch your face?

Because nine thru twelve are fairly obvious, I’m going to assume we all know what those stages are and why they’re last on the list. For today, I’d like to focus on number eight. Why? Because Noah Clark—the hero of my new contemporary romance, After Midnight—excels at number eight. Call it a lack of boundaries, or having been raised in a family where touch was as commonplace as a bed to sleep in or a roof over his head. Whatever this contact stems from, Noah’s inadvertent crossing of the boundaries of intimacy—specifically, his habit of jumping from stage three to stage eight—is enough to keep Isabeau, a woman not used to even the most casual of touches, on edge.

A breeze stirred, picking up the ends of her hair and blowing them across her mouth. Her knees went weak as he reached out and brushed his fingers over her cheek, scooping up the strands.

Isabeau struggled for balance, but knew she wouldn’t find it. Not with him standing this close to her. Her gaze took in his black T-shirt, stretched appealingly across his broad chest, the play of muscle in his arm as he toyed with the ends of her hair. He didn’t appear to have shaved that morning. Dark stubble covered his jaw, lending him a look more dangerous than normal. It looked good on him, damn good. Her throat tightened and her mouth went dry.

She knew she should step back, away from his heat, away from his touch. Instead, she stood there, staring into his green eyes as she fought the urge to reach for him. Her palms began to itch with the need to test the feel of his stubble, the warmth of his flesh. Deep inside of her, desire pooled.

He shifted, her hair sliding through his fingers as he dropped his hand to his side. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh. 

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