PSA: It's Okay to Enjoy Romance #authorconfession

Pause—

I’m supposed to be writing my latest book.

I’m way overdue on deadlines, but I had to take a time out.  

As I sit here and meld together the beginning and ending of my latest romance, daydreaming about how to tie up all the loose ends and give this couple their happily-ever-after, I’m actually pondering why it’s so crucial.

I mean: you write Romance.

As I’m reminded several times a week.

Is that porn? Like Fifty Shades?

I used to defend myself.

No, I don’t write erotica. No, my stuff is only steamy. Blah, blah.

Now, I own it all and this is why…

Has anyone turned on the news lately? Opened a newspaper? Flipped through Twitter?

I can’t imagine anyone being immune to the #metoo campaign or Kevin Spacey using his “coming out” as an excuse for past indiscretions involving a child. The list of women Harvey Weinstein propositioned from his bathtub to the number of brave women speaking out on past sexual abuse grows hourly.

In a world where our news is marred by such awful, real-life tragedies, why not spend some time with a hard-earned happily-ever-after?

Why not take the time to curl up with a good love story? Erotic or not? Is It so bad to enjoy the story of two individuals looking for love?

Romance comes in all shapes and sizes. Even when faced with adverse conditions, the hero and heroine find a happy ending. While it may all be a fictional fairy tale, isn’t it grand to lose yourself in it for an hour or two?

So, I’m not only owning my business, I’m saying come on over to my side…try it, you may like it.

The sun on your back, the wind in your hair and a good book on your kindle!

Summer is here, and that's me cursing up a storm that I don't have enough time to read!

But you do!! And if you need me to tell your kids, just have them give me a call.

In honor of summer being here, and I know your kids are spending all of your money on ice cream and chatchkas...I put not one, not two, but THREE books for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

It's a pain, I know. For me and you, believe me. But I do try to appease all readers and for one price this summer...you can read THREE books and many, many more in the KU program.

As an added bonus, I marked ELECTRIFIED as free (so far live on 2 sites).

That's about it...get to reading!

XOXOXO, Rachel

Oh, the links.

Here you GO!

TO SEE YOU -->

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Verite

Dolce

ELECTRIFIED

If you don't have anything nice to say...you know the saying.

This blog has sat dormant for a while, and there's no good explanation other than I don't have any words. SHOCKING! An author with no words.

I just don't.

And I shouldn't be using the word just.

I simply don't.

I've been saving all my words for my books, but every night as I go to sleep, I wish I had some extra words. I'd write about how hard self-publishing is and the many behind-the-scenes facets. I'd vomit up how important reviews are, and yet many are disappearing from Amazon. Daily. I would speak to the agonizing decision of participating in KU vs. NOT. Mostly, I'd complain about the loneliness that often accompanies writing.

It's a good thing I don't have any words left because they would come out all negative and twisted when I should simply be grateful.

And I am. 

For you.

Readers. Who make my world a little less lonely and A LOT brighter!

XOXO,

R

Coming Soon with all my words.

An Ode to My Readers

(I'm back to rambling instead of doing what I should be doing) Last week, I shipped my fifth book off to the editor.

Earlier this week, I wrote a prologue for book number six.

Does that make me an expert? A seasoned author? I don't know––

But every morning this week, I took pause. Time to reflect on my writing career, the romance industry as a whole and what we can be doing better...as authors, mostly myself.

My books have seen medium success. More than that, I have a really amazing group of readers. I talk to most of them. Ask them, and they will tell you. If they message or email, I write back. If they write reviews, I like them. It was easy with one book and one reader and with each release, it takes a little more time. BUT this is something, I will never give up.

Listen carefully, I'm going to share my biggest trade secret:

Readers make it all happen.

Whether they blog big time or for small peanuts, tweet, share on Facebook and/or simply leave reviews. Without readers, we are nothing.

Meeting a new reader, reaching a brand new pair of eyeballs is like grabbing the holy grail for an author. It's why we don't spend all day in our robes, eating donuts and writing books (that's only 50% of the time). We get online every day and chat, go to signings and hand out swag and smile for photos and sign kindle covers, and do giveaways.

Does my time on email and social media drive my family bonkers? Yes.

Do my eyes feel like they're going to cross at the end of the day? Yes.

Do I still love what I do? Yes.

Do I dream of my books making it big time? We all do. We just lie and say we don't.

This week among all the riffraff and chatter (low sales, new strategies), it was suggested I write "something en vogue" or join KU or every other theory as to what I could be doing to be more successful. Which is why I took pause...because what does SUCCESS mean?

Absolutely, this is my business––100%––and I have to sell books, make a profit, pay my assistant (because she is away and crap, everything is falling apart).

BUT still success can't just be in the number. It is but it isn't I told myself.

If it were only in a number, I wouldn't write what's in my head but rather what is expected.

If it were only in a number, I would NOT answer emails and messages and send signed books to Colorado when a reader cannot make a signing.

If it were only in a number, I wouldn't worry about Mandy (my first reader) and her health. Seriously, I do.

If it were only for a number, I wouldn't have created these stories and the ones to come. Stories from my heart and my head.

Hence,

Readers make it all happen.

SO, as I start book number SIX, I take pause and think to myself of all the blessings, the good parts, the highs and forget the lows because of the readers. They may be few, but they're mighty and growing.

Thank you. ~R

Gratuitous Thanks and Run-On Sentences

Excuse me for a moment because I'm about to get all sappy...it could just be that Hello Again by Neil Diamond is playing. OR not. It may be...a year and a few days ago, I hit publish on my first novel. With one stroke of a button, I put all my hard work, blood, sweat and tears on the line. My friends bought it, my mom read it, and soon...a small group of unknown-to-me readers read it. Some loved it, others abhorred it. My editor told me to strap on a thick skin (in a much nicer way); my husband assured me that if I didn't receive any bad reviews, I hadn't really gone mainstream; my mentors said to just write another book.

What did I do? I dried my tears and wrote another book. Well, actually two more in a year's time. I just kept typing, dreaming, and marketing. OH, the fucking marketing. It's 97 & 1/2% of my day. Marketing. There are fun parts of this like talking to readers––the ones who like your books––and meeting bloggers. Bloggers are hard-working people who actually do work-for-free most of the time. If not, they make pennies while helping us––authors––with marketing. All for the love of reading and romance in my case.

There are not-so-fun parts like ad placement and reading bad reviews, feeling the need to apologize that my book wasn't your cup of tea (I really do feel this way), blogging myself, running giveaways, etc. Most of these are not all bad just tedious and keep me away from writing. I'm not going to lie, reading a bad review hurts, but I get over it now. AND I have Nicole now. She makes everything better...are you reading this Nicole?

Anyway, I digress (a bad habit of mine). A year after publishing Electrified, it's still growing and gaining new readers/fans (?!?!) and sometimes I run to the mirror and check that I'm still standing...and this is happening. BTW, Pam is going to shoot me over the run-ons here, but it's my party, and I'll clearly run-on if I want to!

I continue to be shocked how Electrified is still moving and shaking. Sienna is special to me...Asher even more so––at times. Smoldered was my most emotional to write, and clearly polarizes audiences to the max. I was still a new & fairly dumb idiot back then, and I made Asher an absolute cheating prick with a heart of gold. I love him that way.

Redemption Lane brought a new set of characters and a less glitzy background. Lane and Bess made me cry, Jake makes me swoon...I'm writing him now. And then there's my soon to be released, Tiberius. He's not what you think, debunks all those preconceived notions you may have, and was totally new for me to write.

It wasn't planned this way, but somewhat ironic that the cover reveal for Vérité fell on the same week as Electrified's anniversary. Yesterday blew me away, toppled me over––and that's not easy when you're 5'10. Thank you so much for all the messages, emails, texts, posts etc - bloggers, readers, friends, enemies alike.

Bloggers who were on vacation reached out, new reviewers sent messages for my current books and wanting to be on the list for upcoming titles, and my mom forgot (I think she did, but she played it off). There's also the other authors I've met and fallen in love with...too many to mention. But they really have circled around me when this author stuff got too hard and celebrated with me when it's going well.

So, just thank you. Thank you so much for making this last year incredible. I look forward to the next few - Rachel XOXOXO

Saying Goodbye to Characters isn't so EASY #writerproblems

I’ve been a little down this week... After putting a few finishing touches on my latest work-in-progress and getting it ready to send to my editor, a huge let-down washed over me. It is hard to explain, but it happens to me every time I finish a story. There are those long endless days or weeks that all seem to blend together. The days I’ve spent all alone with those characters––in my robe, drinking coffee, eating nothing but snacks and breaking only for Chinese takeout with my family. My brain begins to think like the people I’m writing as I hum the music they’d listen to, and they are very, very real to me. Not in some psychotic sense, but in my mind, the main and side characters come to life, instructing me to put their story on paper.

As a person, I don’t generally squee or eeek or gasp over the people who come to life in my imagination. Perhaps, I’m overly attached and nervous to share. Maybe it is an unhealthy dose of separation anxiety or nerves over whether you––the reader––will accept my characters. Often, they’re flawed, not perfect beings trying to live their lives and fucking up while they do it.

With my latest project, I realized that if I want or need to do one simple thing as a writer, it is to make my readers think and question what they are told to believe.

Starting with my first heroine, Sienna. She’s a religious woman turned stripper––not for kicks, but for freedom and safety from her tyrant of a husband. At one book club, I was called a particular religion basher and asked why I wrote this? I took it in stride, as Sienna is a survivor, my woman of valor who commanded her own destiny, and wasn’t created without the necessary research. When you dig, you find, and that’s what I did. If I made one or two readers question what may be hiding underneath some, a very few, and definitely not all religious sects than I did my job.

Then, there’s Asher, the star of my Electric Tunnel series and Smoldered. He is such a psychological wreck, the product of no parental supervision and a degenerate of the Las Vegas streets who did the best he could. He cannot get his personal life together, and he cheats and acts a fool and tears down homes and ruins relationships when love is right in front of him. Some hate him, won’t read him for his lousy cheating ways. To me, he’s every bit as lovable and broken, and watching him climb out from under the boulders weighing down on top of him makes me fall a little bit harder for him. After all, the notion is not all of us came from the same loving place where we learned to cherish what’s in front of us. Sometimes, men and women need a swift kick in the ass as adults to understand this.

I’m not going to take apart each of my characters. They all have their own distinct issues and hurdles, and writing their journeys, bringing to life their passion and pitfalls––that’s my greatest passion. In my latest––Vérité––I decided to take a different approach. A good guy meets a screwed up, mixed up, train wreck of a girl. I take down stereotypes––not just gender roles, but way more. Creating people who are not what you think they will be, breathing life into them has been my main focus for the past two months, and now I’m sending them to get them ready to share.

I already miss them, hope you love them, and treat them with the same respect I’ve come to have for them. So, it is a bittersweet moment like sending your kid to kindergarten. It’s time to let go, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Thank you to all of you who have cared for my characters. XOXO ~ R

First Time Excerpt and #Teaser - vérité - Standalone New Adult Novel

Woohoo, I've been writing nonstop, and I'm so excited to reveal the FIRST ever teaser and excerpt for vérité! This story took hold of my brain, and I just had to let it out. A steamy new adult book that will make you think and question where the truth can be found when it comes to love. Sometimes it's in the most unexpected places...

Blurb:

That's me - Tingly Simmons - athlete, foreign-language major, professor lover, obsessed idiot girl. Definitely not a frat rat or sorority slut. I've never ever played beer pong.

I ditched the vapid, soulless high-society life of Los Angeles for the promise of something more meaningful in rural Ohio. Accepting a track scholarship for college, I tried running my way to happiness, but instead I ended up sleeping with my French professor and falling head over heels for him.

When that relationship fell apart so did I.

Barely hanging on by a thread and using the most absurd coping skills, I was determined to hide behind my past indiscretions. That was, until I met Tiberius Jones.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd learn the truth about love from a six-foot-five basketball player.

Add to your Goodreads Shelf here

Excerpt:

My new friend sat next to me, very tall and yet broad. I couldn’t stop my eyes from drifting, taking little side glances at him while I pretended to read. The room was warm, and when he tugged off his hood and lifted his sweatshirt over his head, his T-shirt rode up, revealing the standard-issue six-pack for male athletes.

I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the book in front of me, but my attention wandered again as he pulled out a textbook for freshman English. God, he’s a freshman. Was that what I was reduced to…ogling jail bait?

The guy was crazy handsome in an exotic way. His skin was a rich brown—neither dark nor light. In stark contrast, his eyes were the palest shade of blue I’d ever seen. They were two translucent aquamarine orbs that complemented a perfectly formed nose, well-defined eyebrows, and luscious lips. His hair was clipped tight, but would probably curl if allowed to grow. And then there were his arms. Every time he moved, his sleeves lifted past his bulging biceps and defined triceps.

There was zero fat on this dude’s body. He was a specimen. For a freshman. Not to mention, he was probably one of those beer-pong-loving jocks about to turn frat boy.

And I wasn’t getting involved with anyone—certainly not with a party boy with looks to kill, and trouble written all over his long, lean frame.

I hadn’t realized I’d spent the whole hour studying this kid until the proctor stood and dismissed us. When I tossed my book back into my bag and stood to leave, the object of my obsession unfolded himself from his tiny chair and said, “Hello, officially this time. I’m Tiberius. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow night?”

“I guess,” I said, and turned to head toward the door.

“You got a name?” he asked from behind me.

Surprised, I turned to face him and hugged my bag closer, like a shield. “I’m sorry, that was rude. Tingly,” I said, waving my fingers in the air as if they were asleep and all tingly. It was my go-to expression when telling someone my name, really more a defense than an explanation. I’d rather make light of something so toxic than reveal the disgust that rolled through my stomach every time I heard someone shout Ting…leee.

“Well, I dunno know what sport you play, Tingleee, but you could definitely win the weirdest-name-I-ever-heard contest,” he said with a chuckle. “This may be the first time I met anyone with a stranger name than me.”

Sadness bled through me. God, even this kid couldn’t just leave my name be; it did nothing more than remind me of my past. The one before Pierre, the real reason I was such a mess. Except there wasn’t enough therapy in the world to get me to relive that shit.

“I know,” I whispered as I turned again to leave.

“Tingly,” he called out. “Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. Don’t be mad; I thought it was funny. I don’t know. I’m so stupid,” he yelled after me.

As I walked away, I waved my hand in the air and dismissed his apology. “It’s fine,” I yelled back, then ran down the stairs and out of the building. ~ ©Rachel Blaufeld, 2015

Other books by Rachel Blaufeld:

Electrified: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Smoldered: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Redemption Lane: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

My own personal #MARCHMadness

"I'm never doing that again. EVER!" -- These were my words early yesterday morning as my prices went back to normal after a three-day sale on Electrified. My friend and fellow author, Susan Ward, replied with skepticism. She didn't believe me––to which I answered, "You're probably right."

Electrified was free for 72 hours. It started out as my way of thanking new readers who may have started with Smoldered or my newest series, Redemption Lane. It turned into 24 frantic hours of me hassling Amazon and Nook to adjust my prices. I know, it was naive on my part to think I could just set my book to free. With Amazon, I must be exclusive to their platform to do so and with Nook, I needed to use a third-party provider to deliver my ebook in order to do so. Neither one would allow me to offer my readers a freebie.

I wasn't going down without a fight as I learned about these policies. I started bombarding Amazon with emails, and I have to say their support people were the BEST!!

I'm not joking. I don't know if I got lucky or what, but they were insanely responsive. They heard my plight, could sense the worry and fear and anxiety jumping off my emails and worked quickly to price match Electrified to FREE. Nook not so much. They kept passing the buck and passing the buck, and finally I waited 3 days to hear back from someone, who said it just wasn't possible. DUH! Good for everyone involved, I'm not a quitter and I found out over the weekend how to get around this policy and set that plan in motion. These are the not-so-glamorous days of independent publishing.

Anyway, the point of this is not to complain, but to say thank you. Not just by offering the sale but from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. For reading and supporting me. And know this -- I will do whatever it takes to keep making you all happy.

CHEESE ALERT --- I know!

And because I love you all so much, I'm part of this giveaway HERE with a number of other authors...hurry up and enter.

Also, I'm going to be giving away a ♥ primo ♥ prize next week for readers. You need to be signed up for my mailing list to receive the details. There is a little tab right there in the sidebar --->

I hope you are all enjoying your reading––whether it be my books or not!

♥ Leave a comment with a great book you are reading, so we can share the wealth! ♥

RB

Why Reviews Matter to Independent Authors

From time to time, you may have heard me saying something like, "If you liked my book, please leave a review where you purchased it or on Goodreads or both..."  

And you probably think, "GOD, that Rachel is such an ego-maniac. First we have to buy her book and now we have to go write a review about her writing. How much ego-stroking does this lady need?'

I know it appears that way, but let me explain why reviews are important to any author, but especially an independent one. We [I] do all our own marketing. We make teasers, interact daily/hourly in Facebook and Goodreads reading groups, we love to talk to readers, and we take time every day to do all of this and more. It's time-consuming, and I'm sure it sounds like I'm whining, but I would not trade my relationships I have with readers for anything. Nothing. Not even my own Dunkin Donuts franchise.

But I also want to write more books and I can't keep up with everything, and this is where reviews come in. Reviews are really helpful marketing tools for authors. They live and breathe on the pages where readers visit to peruse and buy books. They are read by potential customers and influence their purchasing decisions. Yes, that was a mouthful, but basically, your kind [or not so kind] words help me promote my books, which let's face it––I appreciate that immensely. I spend a lot of time writing each and every title, and I want to share them with as many readers as possible.

An ego-trip is the furthest thing in the world that I want or need, but don't think that your reviews go unnoticed. I try to like, comment and touch base with as many reviewers as possible.

What did you say? You don't want your name associated with a romance review. NO problemo.

Reviews can be short, sweet and to the point. A quick little note, and if you don't want to include your name––that's cool. Just put Amazon Customer or Nook Lover or Reader Extraordinaire. You can call yourself whatever you want, and I don't even have to know it's you.

So far, today had been one of those oh-so-NOT-glamorous days, being an independent author. Mostly, I'm already pulling my hair out regarding uploading Redemption Lane to the various places you'll be able to buy it. Currently, it's stuck in review purgatory at iTunes and from what I hear, Amazon is running slow in approving titles. So, I'm panicking. All the while, I'm trying to rush getting the paperback approved because I know there are a number of you who prefer the feel, touch, and smell of a real book.

And even though all this seems so crappy, I'm super excited to share my latest title with YOU. Seeing your feedback after it releases lets me know my hard work was not for nothing.

At the moment, I look ghastly, and that's being generous. Still, I am about to publish my third book, and my stomach is a mix of nerves and mostly excitement.

So, if you happen to read Redemption Lane and enjoy it, please leave a quick note where you purchased it. And to those of you who have read my other titles and left a review -- THANK YOU! And if you haven't written one yet, you still CAN!

~ Rachel

XOXO

p.s. Smoldered is on sale for 99 cents --> EXTENDED through the release of Redemption Lane on 2.19.15

amazon 

iBooks 

barnes&noble

This Author's 2015 Bucket List

So, if I'm correct we're already two days into 2015. At least in my time zone.

And I'm yet to make a list of what the hell I want to accomplish this year––goals, trajectories, long-range plans. In other words, the ugly side of self-publishing.

So, without further ado, my 2015 Bucket List.

1. Get dressed each and every day. Work as much as I can in my robe.

2. Release THREE books and hopefully one novella.

3. Go to bed on time, making sure to get my 8 hours every night.  Stay up late into the wee hours reading for fun, reviewing other indie's ARCS and editing my own.

4. Give back. Send books to the troops and the women's shelter.

5. Give up sugar and caffeine. Install a coffee maker in my office. Maybe a bat-phone to Dunkin Donuts too.

6. Run a half-marathon or three to counteract the donuts and writing while sitting on my ass.

7. Hide out in my office or coffee-shop. Hit the road and meet readers and other new authors.

8. Lend support [and a shoulder to cry on] to other authors.

9. Shove all my receipts into a drawer until April 14th. NOT! My accountant will shoot me.

10. Answer every message, email, tweet, fb post, or as many as I can. Because without you––READERS––I am nothing.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for a great year in advance...and making last year the absolute best debut year EVER!

RB

AND a very special thanks to Becca Manuel for this fan-made trailer.

Have you seen it?

Happy Holidays [and I'm not on tsu]

 

Just yesterday it was the end of the summer and I was putting the finishing touches on Smoldered. Now––it is almost Christmas Eve, and I'm blown away how quickly the time went.

This has been one hell of a year. From releasing both Electrified and Smoldered to meeting many of you. Cliche', yet so true,

without readers, an author is nothing.

For the last nine days, I've been giving away books on Facebook––on my page––but I'm told that will not be a viable place to touch base after the new year. FB is apparently adding fees and further controls to make connecting more difficult.  Many authors and readers are jumping on tsu. I'm not there yet.

I barely have time to keep up with the social media channels I'm currently on let alone new ones––and keep putting out books.

I hope to stay connected on FB, but if that's not possible...I am prepping a new subscription form where you will be able to sign up and receive updates and fun, probably naughty, notes from me. Maybe even teasers?!?! Stay tuned for details.

I adore each and every one of you. Thank you so much for stopping in to say something exciting about the books or to ask me about upcoming releases on FB or here or by email or at a signing.

I wish all of you the most spectacular holiday season.

Love, RB

2014 Holiday Reading Recs

The elf is hiding and everyone is having twelve days of Christmas or this or that...and I'm editing. And maybe doing a little internet shopping. But with winter break coming, I thought I would share a few of my holiday reading recs.

Grab any or all of them and enjoy them by the fire or while ignoring your kids or when you're on vacation.

The Redemption by S L Scott

The second book in the Resistance Series. I think I loved the Redemption more. While the Resistance was frisky and fun, this installment is angsty and painful. But oh so, so good. Rochelle is a widow and a single mom. Dex, her late husband's closest friend has been in love with her from afar––since they met. Now, he has his chance, but there are so many misgivings and secrets that their romance is cloaked in twists and turns and more twists.  A holy hot mess of a rocker,  Dex has a sweet side and it makes this read totally worth it. It is an absolute one sitting read because there's simply no good point to put it down.

The Signature by Susan Ward

I picked this book up one afternoon and didn't put it down. Krystal, a rockstar fugitive, and Devon, an investigative reporter, should stay away from one another, but they don't. And sparks fly. Emotional ones. This is a fabulous contemporary love story with the beauty of old school romance woven through it. A perfect read for someone who is looking for a book without all the erotica. But have no fear...there is still steam and sparks.

With Everything I Am by Kristen Ashley.

Although this is an older read, the next book in the series comes out after Christmas and I LOVED this one. A werewolf and his betrothed carry secrets and as their love unfolds, these secrets become more and more entangled. A perfect paranormal romance, there is beauty and passion. And it is KA––so you know, it's amazing. And, at the time of writing this, it is on sale for 99 cents.

Unscripted by Christy Pastore

With a sneak peek at the end of Smoldered, I luckily had the chance to read an ARC of this book...and it is on fire. Sexy, sensual, and dreamy Ronan Connolly falls for Holliday Prescott, a contradiction of a woman. Strong yet broken, Holliday refuses the Irish actor's advances until she can't hold out any longer. An affair ensues with many ups and downs, and we are left hanging...I know, I know! It is tough. but it will be worth the wait. This book is a fabulous escape for any romance reader. Debuting on 12/9, it is avail for preorder now.

And if you read either Electrified or Smoldered...THANK YOU! from the bottom of my heart.

2015, Get ready! Coming in February, the first book, Redemption Lane, in my newest series, Crossroads.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! xoxox, RB

My Strip Club Confessional over at Romance at Random [uh-oh]

In case you missed it, my second book, Smoldered, is now LIVE. It is Asher Peterson’s story––Asher, the owner of the Electric Tunnel, the fictitious strip club of my mind and setting of the Electric Tunnel Series.

It may come as no surprise, but I am asked all the time about my personal experience with strip clubs. In fact, I had a chance to chat with Romance at Random about this topic specifically and here is what I said:

…The question I’m asked the most is, “Did you go to strip clubs before, during, or after writing this? Are you going today? Now? Tomorrow?”

Friends ask my husband, extended family members question my mother, readers are extremely curious if I have friends who are strippers, and most of my husband’s gang has offered join me in doing research. Okay, are you ready? Cue Drumroll.

Yes. The answer is yes. I have in fact been to a number of strip clubs before writing Electrified. While the Electric Tunnel doesn’t really exist and all the characters that work there are fictitious, I don’t think it would be wise to write a book about the adult entertainment world without researching it.

I’m not even going to take the fifth…I am here to tell all.

For the record, there were two crazy and wild nights I spent inside the dark and cavernous walls of a strip club long before writing a story about one…Way back when, I was young, carefree, legal, and having a blast at a dance club when someone from my group suggested we go to the latest “adult place” to open. We ended up leaving and going with a semi-famous sports coach, who was out with us, and subsequently we were given the VIP treatment, including secluded tables in the back and use of a limo.

This might have influenced a tiny bit of the adult entertainment culture in Electrified and Smoldered, but a separate visit definitely doesn’t make it into the book. This happened when I was six months pregnant with my first-born and went on a bachelorette weekend in Sin City and found myself hopped up on pregnancy hormones at the all-male strip club. Let’s say, I cut out early that evening; my feet were hurting.

Then, we finally get to the part where I decided to actually create my own adult entertainment empire and a bunch of complex characters residing full-time within its deep purple velour walls. The idea of writing a book was always seated deep within me, and there were a few attempts before Electrified that ended up stuck on some hard drive underneath a pile of junk in my closet. It was late one night, in the bathroom of a posh and exclusive Las Vegas Strip Club when I had my big moment. The brainstorm of the century and I was carrying a purse barely big enough to hold a lipstick, let alone a pen and paper. (I call these napkin––or toilet paper––moments.)

It was way past dark in Sin City; we’d been to dinner and a show before late night cocktails and an evening that never ended…I found myself at the aforementioned adult establishment. I had to pee, and so I went to the ladies room and for whatever reason, one of the dancers was in there, and to say I became fascinated was putting it lightly.

I watched from afar as she moved incredibly graceful through the women’s room, studied her while she studied herself in the mirror …and a story began to come to life in my head. This woman was such a complex creature. A standout on the stage. Sexy, sinful, silky smooth and radiant as she wrapped herself tight around the pole center stage or ran her body along someone during a lap dance in the dim haze of the club floor. But inside the bathroom she was a regular person: a wrinkle here, a scar there, a hair out of place, a tiny tube of lip balm in her hands just like mine. As I watched this stranger’s chest rise and fall with breath in the reflection in the mirror, she became a multi-dimensional being to me and not just a glorious body to envy.

The social worker in me began to wonder what her story was or is and how she came to do what she does. Did she have a family? One that she kept in contact with or saw with regularity? Was she running from something bad? The possibilities pummeled through my brain like a freight train before it became clear, I’d spent too long in the loo...

Head on over to Romance at Random to read more…

What's on My #Kindle? A little of this & a little of that. ALL #indie

 

As I get ready for release day and I'm not so patiently awaiting my formatted books to start uploading, my Kindle is FULL.

I get to spend a few days catching up on reading. Lucky me.

So, I'm going to be quick because I want to get back to reading...

BUT here is another edition of what is on my Kindle:

Keep You From Harm by Debra Doxer is everything and nothing what it seems.  It is a YA/NA, coming of age paranormal story full of mystery, suspense and young love. I am hooked. Doxer is an incredibly talented writer, transporting the reader to Main Street U.S.A. in rural New York to follow Raielle and Lucas on their journey of finding themselves, each other and the powers they hold.

AYE! There is a Pirate aboard my iPad and from what I hear––he is SMOKING HOT!. When the Perfect Comes by Susan Ward is a historical romance, an often forgotten but amazing genre. If I know Ward, and I do...this will be nothing bu the best and I will be hooked for the rest of the series. I happened to be obsessed with Ward's rocker, Alan Manzone, in The Girl on the Half Shell.

I had the pleasure of reading Here With Me while it was being written, and people...it made my toes curl. Heidi Mclaughlin brings us a story of deep love and passion between twin brothers, Navy SEALS, Evan and Nate Archer, and Ryley, the girl of both their dreams. Beautiful, romantic and suspenseful, this book details Ryley being Evan's until he goes MIA and then Nate steps in to take over his brother's life. It is a one sitting read, so make sure to get comfortable.

Okay, I haven't read Take a Bow by CJ Wells yet, but A. the cover is magnificent and B. I am not so patiently awaiting the return of Alex Tate after meeting him in Perfect Plans. It is available for pre-order and I have it on very good authority, we are not going to be disappointed.

And of course, I am reading Smoldered. I CANNOT wait to release Asher's story on 10/16/14. Saying goodbye to Asher and Natalie was hard, but I am excited for you all to hear their story. *sigh* It is a painful one, but oh-so good, I am told.

I heart Asher from Smoldered #giveaway

I know, its all I've been talking about, but seriously, I've been doing nothing but editing and re-reading Smoldered.. and, I'm pretty f$@*ing excited.  

I've been in love with Asher since day one, but I never expected to adore Natalie as much as I have grown to ––

She is sometimes sweet, most of the time rough, definitely broken, and her life is blown to bits. And, one would think Asher rescues her, but honestly....

WELL, you will have to read the book to find out.

In the meantime, I am doing a little giveaway in anticipation of the Cover Reveal (9/9/14) and Smoldered's Release (10/16/14)....

For the first official teaser -- head here.

To enter and get some goodies -- SEE below.

One random winner will be picked at noon on Tuesday, 8/12/2014

*Signed books - U.S. only (otherwise ebook)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holla! Win FIVE debut romance ebooks this holiday weekend

 

I'm not going to lie: Being a first time, debut author is scary. Its downright, flat-out nail-biting, hide-in-your-closet or underneath a blanket frightening. As an author, you're putting your words, characters, and ideas out there for everyone and anyone to read or see, and that is intimidating enough. BUT, then there is the added fear of no one, other than your mom or sister or sister-in-law, even picking up your brand-new, shiny novel.

Which is why I have been on a mission  to check out as many debut romance authors as I can. On my adventure to read, I discovered Susan Ward, Terri Lyndie, Salem Archer, and Elle Michaels––AND their books.

Each story so distinctly different in feel and style, yet all of them compelling, I am crazy, run around naked, excited to be able to giveaway an ebook copy of each one this holiday weekend. LOOKS like one lucky winner, will have a very busy weekend of reading by the pool, lake, beach, or locked away in your bedroom.

The giveaway will run from 8 a.m. EST on 7/1/2014 through 8 a.m. EST on 7/5/2014 through rafflecopter, and then each author listed above will gift one lucky reader a kindle copy of their book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway