Monday, December 30, 2013

Launch Day - Under the Hood

I have a new novella out today - Under the Hood is my first with entangled publishing...and it's at a special introductory low price, so grab it quick!

Here's a little bit about it...
When sexy mechanic Alice Starr mistakenly believes attorney Mark Jameson needs her help, he discovers he likes being rescued for a change. Smitten by her confidence, he hides his expertise so he has an excuse to see her again.
Starting their new all-female garage, Under the Hood, is keeping Alice and her friends busy. She doesn't have time for a man. But with one kiss, she and Mark have advanced into water so deep she's in danger of drowning. So why hasn't he called?
Mark wants to tell Alice the truth so they can pursue a relationship. But he's got even bigger problems at his office when his bitter aunt threatens Alice’s livelihood. He needs a plan, fast, or else Under the Hood and his chances with Alice could both be ruined.

Or if you can't be bothered reading that, here's a comic...
Available from Amazon.com - Amazon.co.uk - and everywhere else....

 

Friday, December 20, 2013

And the winners are....

Congratulations to Donnalynn Lapointe and Crystal Young who are the winners of Runaway Groom from our awesome multi-author giveaway, those copies are presently winging their way to you!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

The Super Duper December Giveaway!

Christmas is coming - and everyone is thinking about presents, so wouldn't it be nice to win some? I've banded together with a group of other authors in the Super Duper December Giveaway, where we are offering the chance for people to get there hands on loads of free stuff, starting today, and continuing for the next 2 weeks!

Enter to win 1 of the lovely Ebook and swag prizes listed below in the Rafflecopter. There are at least 46 different kind of books you can win! There are lots and lots of romantic, New Adult and steamy Ebooks, ranging from sweet and sassy, or a touch of paranormal, to spicy and erotic.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, November 2, 2013

New Release - Mile High


My new novella, Mile High has just been published on Amazon - Here's a little bit about it!

Out with the old...
Cori’s kicked her cheating boyfriend to the kerb, packed her bag, and boarded a flight to combine a sun drenched vacation with her boss’s wedding. On the agenda? Fun, relaxation, and maybe even a no-strings hot fling.
In with the new…
The fun starts even earlier than she'd anticipated - when she finds herself seated beside Kill Jackson on the flight to Tourmaline, she's more than happy to soothe his flight fears. He's funny, flirty and dangerously gorgeous. 
With a name like Kill, what could possibly go wrong?
The heat kicks up when they touch down and spend time together in the faded splendor of The Tourmaline Grand Hotel, but what will happen when Cori discovers Kill's real reason for being on the island? 
Sizzling sex, divided loyalties and weddings in jeopardy under the Mediterranean sun...

Writing this book was great fun, mainly because of the yummy hero....here's an excerpt...

A shadow blocked the sun streaming in from her left. Someone was in the aisle next to her seat. His face wasn’t visible as he lifted his bag into the overhead locker, so she took the opportunity to check out his body. Long legs encased in worn denim. Cowboy boots. A black cotton tee-shirt that rose up as he stretched, revealing a band of flat, perfectly defined abs. Man candy.

The stranger bent to edge into the seat next to hers. She looked into startling green eyes.

Wow.

He was beyond gorgeous. Thick black hair tumbled over his forehead, half-hiding his black brows. His cheekbones were pronounced, and below his straight nose was a scar that cut as low as his top lip.

“Hi.” He grinned and sat in the seat next to hers.

“Hi.” Her voice came out maiden-high, so she cleared her throat. Sweet heaven, this was going to be an interesting trip.

“Travelling alone?”

“Yes. You?”

He nodded. “In that case, we better get acquainted.” He proffered a tanned hand. “Kill Jackson.”

She felt her eyebrows rise. “Who’s Jackson, and what has he done to deserve that?”

His deep laugh did something funny to her insides.

“My name is Kill.”

“Seriously?”

“Well, no. It’s a nickname.” He leaned closer and whispered. “And bad as it is, it’s a lot better than my full name, so it’s what I go by.”

She wanted to know his full name immediately. “Killian?”

“Killian wouldn’t bother me. It’s considerably worse than that.” He fastened his seatbelt. “And no, I’m not going to answer any more guesses.”

 
Want to know what Kill is short for? Read it, and find out! It's available now on Amazon... com/uk

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

How to do description well

I love reading, and my current fave is Karin Slaughter who writes tremendously good thrillers. When reading 'Criminal' last night, I was struck again and again by the freshness of her descriptions, so am posting some here to show how a master takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary....

The story begins with Kitty and Lucy who are both prostitutes.

Kitty took her place back in the line. She didn't look at any of the other girls. She just stared blankly into the street, waiting for the next car to roll up, waiting for the next man who would either give her a nod, or pass her by. It'd take two days, tops, for her eyes to develop the same dead look as the rest of the girls. What was going through her mind? Probably the same as Lucy, that familiar chant that rocked her to sleep every night: When-will-this-be-over? When-will-this-be-over? When-will-this-be-over?

Juice cleared his throat. He cut his eyes to the other girls, then zeroed back in on Lucy. "Keep going." His deep tone wedged a splinter of cold into her spine.

Lucy felt the crack of a tooth breaking. Her jaw twisted like a Hula Hoop.

Lucy stumbled into Jane, who pushed her away like a diseased dog.

Henry's cramped script was so familiar that it felt like a soft hand on her cheek.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Kindle Matchbook


There's something new launching in October from Amazon, which is called Kindle Matchbook. I received an email about it, and signed up straight away. Essentially, it's an offer that bundles print books and ebooks.

The idea is this. If you buy, or have bought in the past, a book in paperback from Amazon, you can buy the ebook equivalent for a discounted price - the discounted price being 2.99, 1.99, 99c or free.
The best part about this is the fact that it applies to books you've bought from Amazon at any stage... so if you want to grab your favourite paperback for your kindle, it will cost you no more than half the regular purchase price of the ebook.

I love this, and for my paperbacks (which vary in price from $7.20-$9.99) I've set their ebook equivalent Kindle Matchbook price for 99c.

A note for self publishing authors : The 99c price point for authors usually gives a 35% royalty rate, with the 70% royalty rate reserved for ebooks sold at 2.99 and up. On signing my print books up for Matchbook, it appears as though the royalty rate is closer to the 70% rate, which is the rate my ebooks qualify for at full price.

So - Kindle Matchbook launches in October - keep an eye out for it!

Monday, August 26, 2013

Looking forward to The Newsroom...

The second series of The Newsroom is going to be showing where I am soon, and I'm looking forward to it. I love the way Aaron Sorkin writes, he's so great at dialog and weaving all the different characters together. The plotlines are serious, and make me think. The challenges that the newsreaders face to report the actual news, rather than to compromise due to the demands of the station hierarchy are massive, and it's pretty difficult to anticipate where the storylines will go.

Of course, there's also the romance. Will and MacKenzie, ex lovers now working together, and my favourite, the star crossed Jim and Maggie. When series one ended, Maggie was in a relationship with Don (why?) and Jim was 'dating' Maggie's friend and flatmate, Lisa.

I particularly like this scene where Maggie has a rant about Sex In The City ....



Monday, July 29, 2013

Results of the super multi-author rafflecopter!

The Rafflecopter competition is now closed and the winners have been picked. Thank you to everyone who entered!

 

Saturday, July 27, 2013

A Virgin Giveaway...

No. I'm not giving away a virgin, I'm having the very first giveaway for Marrying Cade!

Set on a Tuscan Island, Marrying Cade is one of my favourite books, which came out of it's previous contract, and was self-published by me just a month or so ago. It's also available in paperback.

Here's a teaser:

She straightened. Long chestnut hair shot with caramel lights was piled up on top of her head. A couple of tendrils had escaped to dust against the smooth, tanned skin of her cheek. Large sunglasses covered her eyes, and her full mouth formed a perfect bow. She locked the car and sashayed into the hotel, hips swaying in the tight blue cotton sheath. Cade breathed out the breath he’d been holding, shaken by the surge of arousal the mere sight of the woman had awoken. It had been too long since he’d had a female in his arms. It must be, if the mere look of a gorgeous woman had him this hot and bothered.

She must be meeting her lover. Women didn’t dress like that unless they were meeting a man. Cade glanced at his watch, wondering if he’d have to rescue Adam from the hotel’s owner, just as Adam arrived with plateful of antipasti. He wasn’t alone. The bombshell with the killer curves walked next to him, right up to the table. Cade pushed back the chair, and stood up.

“Hey, Cade. Our ride is here. I’ve persuaded her to join us for a drink and a snack before we go back to the house.” Adam eyed him carefully. “You remember Melo?”

Melo? Cade rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw.

She slipped off her glasses, and stowed them in her bag.

Could this really be Rosa’s sister? The tall, boyish tomboy he’d spent the summer with, so many years ago? She’d been gangly, awkward. Barely in her teens. The woman who stood in front of him bore no comparison.
 
So if you fancy a free read - Marrying Cade is available FREE on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and all the other Amazons now. And so is The Morning After - here are the links: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Load up your kindle for free, and have a good weekend, everyone!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

New Adult Authors Unite (NAAU) Blog Tour



I'm part of a new group on Facebook, New Adult Authors Unite, and we're having a blog tour where you can discover some New Adult authors and win copies of their books! I'm appearing on Laurelin Paige's blog on the 8th, where I've giving away a copy of Runaway Groom, and I'm delighted to host Elle Chardou here today!
 
Tell us a little bit about you and your writing.
I like to think my writing is at the heart romance regardless of the different genres I have tried. I have written paranormal, a dystopian book, a romantic suspense and contemporary romance. My latest books have been New Adult because I really enjoy the breadth of the genre and what can be written about.

How many books do you have out?
A lot. I think between my personas as Elle Chardou and Selene Chardou, I have about 24 plus Omnibus Collections for my rock trilogy and the romantic suspense trilogy I wrote.

You write across a variety of romantic genres: hot romantic suspense, contemporary romance new adult, and paranormal. Which is your favourite?
Definitely contemporary with romantic suspense a close second. I would like to sharpen my suspense chops which is why my current work in process is a contemporary romance crossed with suspense and mystery aspects. It is very interesting and I love how it is a bit different from my contemporary work but at the same time, it is still a New Adult novel.

I’m interested to see you write series and sagas as well as stand alone novels. What’s the difference between a series and a saga?
To me, a saga is a bit more dramatic, hence the reason why all my sagas have been paranormal/urban fantasy in nature as opposed to my series have been contemporary romance. I have several series going but they are all books that can be read as stand alones and although they involve the same characters, they don't have to be read in a particular order (the lone exception being the Atonement series; there will be spoilers if you read the later books before you read the first and second novels in that particular order).

What’s your top promo tip for other writers?
Oh I am horrible at promotion. I have hired a publicist to help me out because I work and write a lot. I usually have a book out each month since this is my career and not just a hobby. I love writing and it's really no hardship. I am always following my muse so novels don't always come out when they are supposed to but they will come out eventually. The best promo tips I can give would be to use Facebook and Twitter but make friends and don't constantly pimp your books. They will be discovered. Also, form solid relationships with bloggers. They are invaluable.

What are you working on – right now?
A stand alone novel that is a romantic suspense novel. All my novels under my Selene Chardou persona are tied by the characters. Someone is related to someone else but all the books don't have to read. In this one, it deals with a specific character's cousin and a tragedy she goes through. She takes her in and unfortunately, her rock and roll lifestyle leaves a mark on her young cousin and she falls for a band mate. There is an eight year difference between them. Just when everything looks like it will be okay, secrets start spilling out and the answers she has about the tragedy are answered but not in a conventional manner. Much like her romance with her rock star lover.

Tell us about your latest book.
A Summer to Remember is a fun book for the season. It is about a damaged yet successful young woman who doesn't believe in love but she finds it in the arms of her brother's best friend. It is also about strong female friendships and how they carry us through tough times. My best explanation is Sex & the City meets Gossip Girl.



Life is really strange. Two events have shaped mine although I am only twenty-four, a successful entrepreneur and owner of my own gallery, Maison des Artistries, in Tribeca. One happened when I was ten: I realized I was in love with my brother’s best friend, Paul. The other event happened while I attended Vassar College during my last semester.”

Jerrica Peterson doesn’t believe in fairytale relationships but she does believe in friendship and she has three best friends who will stick by her through thick and thin.
Jerrica and her best friends: Talia, Autumn and Savannah bond over a summer of heartbreaks and discoveries, love and scandal, and three unforgettable vacations to Southampton, Martha’s Vineyard and Miami Beach. Every moment they spend together will enrich their lives and make it a summer they will never forget and one they will always remember.

A Summer to Remember is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and you can find out more about Elle by visiting her blog.
 
Elle is giving away a copy of A Summer to Remember to one lucky commenter, and I’ll be drawing a winner on the 14th July. Thanks very much for being my guest today, Elle!

Here's the rest of the blog tour, do pop over and check them out - I'm appearing on Laurelin Paige's blog on the 8th where I'm giving away a copy of Runaway Groom...

July 1st Emmy Neal http://emmyneal.wordpress.com/

July 2nd Olivia Mayfield http://oliviamayfield.com/blog/

July 3rd Emma Hart http://www.emmahartbooks.com/

July 4th Melanie Harlow http://melanieharlowwrites.blogspot.com/

July 5th Colina Brennan http://colinabrennan.blogspot.com/

July 6th Elle Chardou http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/

July 7th Sally Clements http://www.sallyclements.blogspot.com/

July 8th Laurelin Paige http://laurelinpaige.blogspot.co.uk/

July 9th Brit McGinnis http://www.happilycynical.com/

July 10th Katlyn Duncan http://katlynduncan.com/

July 11th Cecilia Robert http://cecereadandwrite.blogspot.com/
 
 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Runaway Groom available on NetGalley

Runaway Groom is currently available to reviewers on NetGalley.....

Here's the link http://bit.ly/18jdPiX

The HarperImpulse Interview and Lorraine Wilson's Debut Novel!

First off, congratulations to my friend Lorraine Wilson on her debut with HarperImpulse that launches TODAY! As anyone who's read Lorraine's story in BLAZE, the minxes of Romance anthology knows, Lorraine is a fabulous writer, and Confessions of a Chalet Girl is a great read!
It's available now from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. and is perfect holiday reading...

In other news, I interviewed Charlotte Ledger of HarperImpulse for writing.ie recently, and that interview is up on the writing.ie site now... so pop on over and learn more about this new imprint!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Catch Me A Catch on Amazon Movers and Shakers List

I have Catch Me A Catch on sale for 99c at the moment (77p in the UK), and just noticed that I'm on the Amazon Movers and Shakers List today. Woo! The sale is still on through the weekend, so if you haven't already read it, now's the time.
 
 

Amazon.com link http://amzn.to/131fGbl
Amazon.co.uk link http://amzn.to/19ptfjv


Thursday, June 13, 2013

Marrying Cade - again

I have the rights back to my book Marrying Cade, and over the next while will be re-releasing it as a self-published title. I've a new cover (see before and after covers below) and am working on preparing a paperback version too...

Before:
After:


Woo!

Friday, June 7, 2013

Runaway Groom - Out Now!

My new book, Runaway Groom, is out early! This is a sort of genre crossover book - both Contemporary Romance and also New Adult Romance, and was great fun to write. It's available in both ebook and paperback versions.

Here's the blurb again, and a new excerpt - because I've already shared the 'onesie' one!

Seven years ago, Matthew Logan ran out on his wedding to June Leigh.
Life is good for fledgling dress-designer April Leigh. She couldn’t be happier that her sister has found a new love, and is excited about her very first commission, June’s wedding dress.
On learning June has invited runaway groom Matthew Logan to the wedding, April has to intervene. Matthew’s presence will ruin everything – her father hates him, and just the sight of him in the church might give her mother a heart attack.
Matthew Logan has no intention of going to June’s wedding, but intriguing April’s arrival on his doorstep sparks his interest and he can’t resist getting to know her better. When a disaster forces them together neither can deny the passion that combusts into a red-hot affair.
Discovering the truth about the past shifts April’s feelings from lust to love, but bitter experience has taught Matthew to guard his heart.
When it looks as though Matthew will lose her forever, will he fight or flee?

And here's another teaser....

April walked before him up the path to the house they shared. The sway of her hips in the warm claret-colored dress mesmerized. The back of her calves, the indent at the back of her knee so smooth, so touchable. Would her skin be warm under his fingers?

She slipped her key into the lock as he came up behind her quick and close. His hand slipped around her waist as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

She leaned back, angling her head to the side. A sound somewhere between a moan and sigh rippled from her throat, making him harden instantly.

Matthew’s palm was flat against the front door. The moment it opened, she turned, sliding her hands up his jacket and into his hair. This moment had been too long coming. Every moment in the restaurant had been torture; talking business when instead his entire being demanded he get April alone. Now, at last, the moment had come, and he wasn’t wasting a single minute.
 
Get your running shoes on....
Catch the Runaway Groom on Amazon us.uk or
under the books tab in Amazon for the paperback version.
 
The paperback will be appearing in other retailers over the next few weeks.

Goodreads Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to Debbie and Ann who have both won a signed copy of Runaway Groom!
Both winners have now been notified - thank you to all 1,389 people who entered my giveaway.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

#samplesunday Runaway Groom

My new book Runaway Groom will be out on 9 June, so I thought it might be good to have a taster for Sample Sunday... here April has to come clean about the night before with Matthew Logan...


“You’ve got to admire a man who kisses a woman over cocoa,” Marie sipped her drink. “Especially if she’s wearing a onesie.”

“I can’t see it.” Eliza’s forehead pleated. “I thought it was black for winter, white for summer. I’ve never seen you in anything with yellow on it, especially not ducks. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ve nothing against ducky onesies.”

“It wasn’t mine, you idiot.”

“If you tell me it was his, you’ll totally ruin the moment. You know that, right?” Marie said.

“It’s his sister’s. All my stuff was in the washing machine, I borrowed it.” She tucked her legs under her and refilled her glass. “It was just one of those things, you know, the fire—I was upset…”

“So it was a chaste comforting kiss, was it?” Eliza leaned forward.

Red flags signaled nope on April’s face again. “Um…”

“Just stop beating about the bush and out with it. Every single detail,” Marie demanded. “You know you want to.”

The feelings dammed up within needed an outlet. April breathed in deep, and recounted the story of the kiss.

“And then today he came home early and I caught him in the shower.”

The sound emanating from Marie could only be described as a squeal.

“Behind an opaque shower-curtain catch?”

“More like behind a totally transparent shower screen catch.” Heat flared though her entire body at the memory.

More about Runaway Groom on Goodreads
And I have a few pre-release ARCs available if anyone would like a copy to read and review, just contact me from the contact button on the sidebar, or leave me a comment with the format you'd like and your email...

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Hot Firefighters for Free....

The Minxes of Romance anthology Blaze is free today until the 27th on Amazon, so if you haven't already read it, go grab it now!

Here's a little about it:
Coombethwaite, the lakeside town where passions run deep, is the setting for the stories in Blaze, the first anthology from The Minxes of Romance.
8 scorching tales from The Minxes of Romance.
Romance is in the air for Coombethwaite’s retained firefighters, and none of them will escape its heat unscorched!
MEMORY’S FLAME by Maya Blake A fiery reunion – when Ellie returns after twelve long years to bury her grandfather, the last person she expects to see is her first love, Jake Spencer. One look, one touch and they know memory's flame is as sizzling as ever!
THE FIRE INSIDE by Romy Sommer Fire fighter Sam Redfern is used to being seen as just one of the boys. Until TV talent scout and celebrity Ryan Morgan shows up in Coombethwaite and starts to make her feel very much like a woman. A woman with needs.
A SMOULDERING ATTRACTION by Suzanna Ross Shelley Fox is finished with all things romantic. So is Harrison Reid - until he meets Shelley and realises he might easily be persuaded otherwise.
LOCKED INTO LOVE by Catherine Coles Journalist Cassie Parker returns to Coombethwaite with her dream in tatters—the last thing she needs is to rely on her ex for anything but on her second day back she needs hunky fireman Ben Spencer to release her from handcuffs!
HOT, BOTHERED AND BEWITCHED by Kat French All alone on her birthday, Wiccan vet Seraphine conjures up more than she bargained for when she casts a Halloween love spell. Five minutes later a knock on the door heralds the arrival of handsome fireman Isaac Quinn, complete with a stray black cat. Is it just coincidence, or has Mother Nature answered Seraphine's request with lightning speed?
LIGHTING LOVE’S SPARK by Sally Clements Primary school teacher Annabel Jackson knows flirting with the parents is a no-no, but when single father Daniel Walker arrives at Coombethwaite Primary in full fire fighter garb clutching an axe, how can she resist?
WORTH THE RISK by Tara Pammi Baker Annie Bennett has always stood on the sidelines while life passed her by. And it has brought Annie nothing but loneliness. With the New Year coming in, Annie decides it's time to come back home, risk her heart with the man she's always loved. Will her risk pay off or will Marcus never see her as anything but his best friend?
A KINDLING ROMANCE by Lorraine Wilson Stressed out lawyer Polly Minton felt trapped in her city job and now she's trapped again, this time in a Lake District chimney; hunky fire fighter and local landowner Drew Reynolds has problems of his own but will he be the one to set her free in more ways than one?
You can grab it for your kindle for the .com store here Blaze (A Minxes of Romance anthology) And for the UK here

Sunday, May 12, 2013

In the grip of the 1920s? Gatsby fever - and some recommended reads!


With The Great Gatsby currently at number one in the Kindle Store, the lure of the 1920's is stronger than ever, and with the release later this month of the latest film version by Baz Luhrmann of F Scott Fitzgerald's story featuring Leonardo Di Caprio as Jay Gatsby and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, a whole new generation will be dying to know where they can get their hands on 1920's stories.

Drumroll.... If you haven't found these fantastic books by Rae Summers yet, they'll feed your Gatsby era addiction, and then some. I adore them, and I'm sure you will too.

First up is An Innocent Abroad:

 
Isobel Harrington, fresh from her English finishing school in the summer of 1922, is sent to visit cousins in Italy for just one reason: to catch the eye of their wealthy and eligible house guest.
But the man who awakens Isobel's passion is not the respectable British heir to a nobleman -- it is local Italian Stefano, an enigma who doesn't fit any of the "boxes" she's been taught to expect.
In Stefano's arms she experiences a sexual awakening. He dares her to follow her dreams, but is she brave enough to defy connvention, and her parents' expectations, to pursue her own happiness? Amazon links: .com .co.uk



Next: there is Dear Julia:

The discovery of a long-lost love letter in a house she’s redecorating sends Rosalie Stanton on a quest to find its rightful owner.
Since his return from the Great War, William Cavendish has lived as a recluse. His peaceful existence is shattered by the return of the letter that once held all his hopes — and by its bearer, the irrepressible Rosalie, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love.
As Rosalie sets out to lure William back into society, she realises that in him she might just have met her match.

Available from Amazon and Amazon UK,


Then there's the excellent Let's Misbehave:

Passion simmers from the moment wild child and dedicated Flapper Gabrielle meets staid aristocrat Sebastian. When she discovers the adventurous spirit beneath his serious demeanour, she seduces him into a last fling before he settles for a loveless marriage.
His is a life of duty and tradition, hers is a pursuit of freedom and pleasure, so this can never be more than a brief affair.
But as the Twenties roar to their conclusion, will Gabrielle survive falling in love with the one man she cannot have? And will Sebastian be able to settle for less than the woman he loves?
RT Book Reviews: “Let's Misbehave is a romp through 1920s England that is sure to delight.”

Available from Amazon and Amazon UK

And finally, there's Rae's newest 1920's release, Prohibited Passion.

In the age of jazz and champagne cocktails, respectable English widow Jenny embarks on a new life in America. Whatever adventures lie ahead, she's certain of one thing: one loss was enough for a lifetime. She will never love again.
So when, halfway across the ocean, she is stuck in an elevator with Tom Gallagher, a roguishly handsome and very unavailable Prohibition gangster, she has nothing to fear where her heart is concerned. Or does she?

Available from Amazon and Amazon UK.

It's the time to get swept away into the 1920's - why not get swept away into this fabulous period of change today?

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Peek at Angel All Year - Free for kindle right now!

My novella Angel All Year is FREE right now on Kindle, and here's an excerpt:

For the umpteenth time, Lucen Bright wished he hadn’t been assigned this particular angel to mentor. Angela’s long red hair twisted in a titian rope down her back. Her pale green eyes flashed with fire when she was angry, and she was often angry. Especially whenever he had to try to break the link to her mortal that she gripped so tightly.

She’d been an angel all year.

And he’d been fighting the urge to kiss her for half of one.

“Look.” An eagle soared in the sky high above. Like they could, if she’d only leave Tom behind and acknowledge the attraction that blazed every time their eyes met. “Want to fly?”

“No.” She plucked a tall daisy from the grass, and peeled back the stalk into long strips. “I don’t want to leave him.” Her voice was hushed. Haunted by regret, shadowed by pain.

There was nothing for it. He’d tried to tell her how it was. How the task of moving on was difficult, not only for those who were left behind, but for those who had been forcibly ripped from the fabric of life. She was so stubborn, nothing he said made any difference. But if she stayed in Tom’s bed, the shock of sharing it with the petite blonde he’d been dating for the past couple of weeks would traumatize her forever.

Maybe it was time to make her face facts. Accept that heaven was right in front of her if she cared to look.

Lucen leaned close, breathed against her mouth, and watched her eyes darken.

A breath puffed out in a shocked exhale. “Lucen.”

Before she could say anything else, he claimed her lips with a kiss.
 

To find out what happens next, pick up Angel All Year free until the 5th from Amazon uk here, and Amazon com here.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Cover Reveal - Runaway Groom

Woo! New Book!
New Cover!

I'm very excited to reveal the new cover by the lovely Sarah Hansen of Okay Creations for my next release: Runaway Groom.

Runaway Groom is a New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance with an Amazon release date of 9th June. It will be coming out in paperback later in the summer.

Here's a little about it:

Seven years ago, Matthew Logan ran out on his wedding to June Leigh.
Life is good for fledgling dress-designer April Leigh. She couldn’t be happier that her sister has found a new love, and is excited about her very first commission, June’s wedding dress.
When April discovers June has invited runaway groom Matthew Logan to the wedding, she has to intervene. Matthew’s presence will ruin everything – her father hates him, and just the sight of him in the church might give her mother a heart attack.
Matthew Logan has no intention of going to June’s wedding, but when intriguing April arrives on his doorstep, he can’t resist getting to know her better. When a disaster forces them together neither can deny the passion that combusts into a red-hot affair.
Discovering the truth about the past shifts April’s feelings from lust to love, but bitter experience has taught Matthew to guard his heart.
When it looks as though Matthew will lose her forever, will he fight or flee?

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Goodreads giveaway ended

Congratulations Terri who won a signed copy of Bound to Love in my goodreads giveaway, it will be winging it's way to you on Monday!

Monday, April 22, 2013

Goodreads giveaway

I'm giving away a paperback of Bound to Love on Goodreads, just click on the link to enter!

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Hero inspiration

Thanks to Minx Kitty/Kat who introduced me to my current hero inspiration - I couldn't believe it when I looked up this guy on youtube and discovered that Matthew Logan, my current hero, can sing!
(Okay, so he says he's Chick Wicks, but he looks awful like the hero in my current work in progress)

Monday, March 25, 2013

Beating Konrath, but not Dan Brown

The Morning After is free for Kindle at the moment, with tomorrow being the last day free.
I checked on Amazon Canada a moment ago, and found that I was currently #2 in the free store.
I'm sandwiched between Dan Brown and J A Konrath, and as this is unlikely to ever happen again, and will doubtless be only the case for a millisecond, thought I'd share the screenshot.


If anyone would like to help me take over the top spot, The Morning After can be downloaded free for Kindle for any of the Amazon stores by clicking on the appropriate links below!

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Some Ryan Gosling for St Patrick's Day?

I think so.

But instead of pics, here's some musical Gosling....


Monday, February 25, 2013

Something to read for free

It's cold and horrid here, and so I decided to make Challenging Andie free for the next five days so those who hadn't read it could get it and snuggle under the duvet....

Available on Amazon .com and .co.uk until 1st March, FREE!

Friday, February 15, 2013

Lost in space

My email is kaput at the moment, so apologies to anyone who has been trying to reach me over the past couple of days....

I'm hoping to have it back in the next few days, but no doubt any emails will be lost, so if you've tried and got a bounce back or something, please contact me via my 'contact me' button on the right, which goes to my other email address.

Sorry! Am pulling my hair out here....

Oh, and p.s., Blaze is still free until the 16th! (scroll down for info and links)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Something free for Valentine's Day!

Blaze is free from today until the 16th!

Here's a little bit about it...

Coombethwaite, the lakeside town where passions run deep, is the setting for the stories in Blaze, the first anthology from The Minxes of Romance.
8 scorching tales from The Minxes of Romance.
Romance is in the air for Coombethwaite’s retained firefighters, and none of them will escape its heat unscorched!

MEMORY’S FLAME by Maya Blake
A fiery reunion – when Ellie returns after twelve long years to bury her grandfather, the last person she expects to see is her first love, Jake Spencer. One look, one touch and they know memory's flame is as sizzling as ever!
THE FIRE INSIDE by Romy Sommer
Fire fighter Sam Redfern is used to being seen as just one of the boys. Until TV talent scout and celebrity Ryan Morgan shows up in Coombethwaite and starts to make her feel very much like a woman. A woman with needs.
A SMOULDERING ATTRACTION by Suzanna Ross
Shelley Fox is finished with all things romantic. So is Harrison Reid - until he meets Shelley and realises he might easily be persuaded otherwise.
LOCKED INTO LOVE by Catherine Coles
Journalist Cassie Parker returns to Coombethwaite with her dream in tatters—the last thing she needs is to rely on her ex for anything but on her second day back she needs hunky fireman Ben Spencer to release her from handcuffs!
HOT, BOTHERED AND BEWITCHED by Jodie James
All alone on her birthday, Wiccan vet Seraphine conjures up more than she bargained for when she casts a Halloween love spell. Five minutes later a knock on the door heralds the arrival of handsome fireman Isaac Quinn, complete with a stray black cat. Is it just coincidence, or has Mother Nature answered Seraphine's request with lightning speed?
LIGHTING LOVE’S SPARK by Sally Clements
Primary school teacher Annabel Jackson knows flirting with the parents is a no-no, but when single father Daniel Walker arrives at Coombethwaite Primary in full fire fighter garb clutching an axe, how can she resist?
WORTH THE RISK by Tara Pammi
Baker Annie Bennett has always stood on the sidelines while life passed her by. And it has brought Annie nothing but loneliness. With the New Year coming in, Annie decides it's time to come back home, risk her heart with the man she's always loved. Will her risk pay off or will Marcus never see her as anything but his best friend?
A KINDLING ROMANCE by Lorraine Wilson
Stressed out lawyer Polly Minton felt trapped in her city job and now she's trapped again, this time in a Lake District chimney; hunky fire fighter and local landowner Drew Reynolds has problems of his own but will he be the one to set her free in more ways than one?
 
Available on Amazon .com and .co.uk

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Kobo Writing Life


The Canadian company Kobo has dedicated e-readers and these are my notes from the Cracking Kobo seminar given by Mark Lefebvre on 23 January 2013. The biggest player in the self-publishing market is Amazon, but I am interested to see Kobo’s growth in the marketplace, and they have some interesting strategies which may propel them more into the limelight in 2013 and 2014, so I thought it was useful to attend the video seminar. Here are my notes from the session - it's a long post, but I also left out a lot of stuff, and probably really useful stuff, so do check through the links if you're interested, where others have detailed more!

I haven’t self-published anything with Kobo to date, but have 2 novels published by The Wild Rose Press on Kobo, and also a collection of short stories (which is free).

Kobo uses the epub format, and their policy is any ebook, any device, any time.

My self-published collection of short stories went up on Kobo via Smashwords, which allows self-publishers to distribute their titles to a variety of different ebook retailers. It is possible to choose which retailers to distribute to via Smashwords – at the moment I turn Amazon off, because I upload directly to Amazon using KDP, and now that I have learned more about Kobo Writing Life, I am keen to try to publish there directly too. Like Amazon’s KDP, this gives the publisher access to a dashboard where they can have better control, including live sales data.

Mark’s slides from the presentation are here, and I found an interesting you tube from Hugh Howey talking about Kobo Writing Life here.  

Here are some of the main points I gleaned from the seminar – any mistakes are mine!

Kobo uses epub format.

You can buy your own isbn, or use internally generated ‘dummy’ isbns.

70% royalty rate for books priced $1.99-$12.99 – with the ability to specify different sales prices for different territories. An interesting point that Mark made was that rather than allow the automatic readjustment for currencies, setting the price for individual currencies can earn you a few more pennies in each market…

The rate is 45% for all other price points.

Payment is 45 days after end of period once $100 threshold reached, and this is paid into your bank account in whatever currency you choose. They also do a twice annual purge (next on Feb 15 2013) to clear down the books, so if you’ve made below the threshold, you will at least see the royalties at some stage.

They create an invoice for you, and pay you against that, and don’t withhold taxes, it is the authors job to make sure that they are compliant in whatever country they live in.

Flexibility on hybrid files – so if you have sold the UK rights (for example) but hold the rights to different territories, you can make the ebook available for sale in just the territories that you hold the rights to.

The author dashboard has a lot of graphs and sales crunching info, including a global snapshot of sales.

You can upload in a variety of formats including word, mobi or epub, and a converter will convert to mobi, although the best way to do it seems to be to convert your file to epub, check and tweak, and then upload the final epub version for best results.

You can set a date in the future for publication, so can have preorders.

You can set the price and change it anytime. Including FREE.

And a dedicated Kobo Learning Centre is full of information about how to do things. Here’s the FAQ’s section.

Kobo is in 190 countries, and has localised rankings and bestsellers lists. Interestingly, they rank the author, not the books, so if for example your books Fabulous Romance one, Fabulous Romance two and Fabulous Romance three are the top three bestsellers on Kobo (dream on!) instead of taking up the top three spots, you are featured ONCE, which allows more authors to be featured in the top 20, which is not something that is likely to be useful for me, but interesting nonetheless. Mark also talked about a system that will notify you if you’re ranking high in a particular territory.

One point I found most interesting is the partnership options that Kobo has entered into. I became aware of this when I visited the UK in December, and kept seeing Kobo e-readers for sale in WH Smith, a major bookseller in the UK.  Here’s a report about the WH Smith partnership. Here in Ireland, Kindle is everywhere, but in the UK, I saw Kobo everywhere. This report states that Kobo doubled its sales in 2012, and continues to experience rapid growth, and this report from The Bookseller, states that they achieved 7 fold growth in sales in December alone.

As well as the UK WH Smith partnership, they have partnered with the ABA in the US as well as others, In short, their approach to the marketplace is strong and aggressive. Mark spoke about the possibility of authors doing promotion in their local stores, promoted by Kobo.

There was talk about Kobo’s facebook, and also about the ability to have ratings and reviews transfer automatically from Goodreads. I found this to be a very significant feature, and here is the link about how to get that to work. Eric Kent Edstrom has written a great tutorial on how to do this, which is here. I tried this yesterday for one of my books, but it hasn’t transferred my goodreads stuff over yet. For a new user of the Kobo Writing Life platform who has a strong goodreads community interested in their books, having the reviews port across could be fantastic.  Of course, if you have some horrid goodreads reviews, you might decide against it!

Also of interest? That the people who own Pinterest also own Kobo… more.

Here’s Kobo’s pinterest board.

So, in conclusion:

I’m a hybrid author, in that I am self-published and published by publishers. For self-publishing, I have found Amazon’s kdp select program (for which I have to be exclusive to Amazon) to be great for driving sales and increasing my visibility. I’m doing okay, always want to do better, but at this stage I’m selling hundreds every month. My traditionally published titles are selling better due to the halo effect from my self-published works. I like the look and drive of Kobo, and think that their rapid growth is something to be aware of and to inform myself about. I was impressed by the presentation, and found much to like in Kobo Writing Life. But looking at my sales reports, I’ve sold really miserably at Kobo for my traditionally published work. Like, really miserably.

I’d like to try out the Kobo Writing Life self-publishing platform, but have read much about the difficulties in gaining traction and getting visibility there – there’s no point in having a platform to sell if no-one can find me! And right now, leaving the kdp select program feels like killing a golden goose in a vague hope of attaining visibility elsewhere, so I’m reticent to try it.

For now.

But the one thing you can be sure of in publishing, is that things change quickly, and being informed is the best policy for making future decisions.

Thanks to Mark and Orna Ross of the Alliance for Independent Authors for the Cracking Kobo seminar, you can check them out on the links embedded above. Here are my Kobo titles!

I’d be very interested to hear from anyone currently using Kobo Writing Life – is it working for you?