Friday Fun Facts: Reviews Are A Beautiful Thing

That's all today, folks! If you've read one of my books lately but haven't had a chance to leave a review, you can hop on over to my Amazon page and do just that! Doesn't have to be long or detailed. We just love to see new ones!

Writers' Wednesday: Why Writing the Next Book is Always a Good Marketing Strategy

Hello writers! (and readers, and everyone else who's dropped in today. But my post this morning is mainly targeted to ((newer)) writers).

Inevitably, no matter what path you take to publication, you will discover that a large part of the marketing and promotion of your books will fall on your own shoulders. From New York Times Best-Selling authors, to brand-new teeny fish in the pond indie authors, we must promote our own books. Your publisher may do some of this for you, but by and large, even the most famous names are out there on Facebook or Twitter, or speaking at conferences, or setting up book signings, or taking out ads in various media.

Where to start? Where to spend the money? It's a daunting task, and conventional wisdom will tell you that in many cases, it's hard to directly link advertising to sales, because so many other factors come into play. This post is not about where to advertise - there are a million posts out there about best choices for you, your genre, your budget, your social media reach.

Many authors I've come into contact with recently will tell you not to spend a dime on advertising until you have at least 3 books for sale. I don't know if I agree with that completely. After all, you do want people to know you have a book they can buy. If you can throw a Facebook party, or book a $5 ad, or get your friends and family together at a winery to sell your first print copies, I say go for it.

But far and away, the other advice you will hear, and the advice I will echo, is to write your next book. Backlists (those books you've already released) are beautiful ways to sell, especially since e-books are always available (as opposed to print books which will be removed from store shelves after a pre-determined time). Release a new title - people read it - people love it - people want more. So they look up your name and see what else you've published. Voila! More sales.

Series work along these same lines. Once your readers fall in love with your characters/plot/setting/world/whatever, they'll want to read more. So release the first book, and then get to work on the second.

As a very basic example, I thought I'd share my sales over the last 3 months, all of these indie-released titles. Now, I am not a big seller (sigh). Roughly speaking, I averaged about 1-5 books sold a day in May and June (excluding a BookBub ad which ran in early May - more about this another time). Prior to June 1, I had 3 indie titles for sale.

On June 23, the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set released. On July 20, Tequila Sunrise released. On August 5, Sex on the Beach released. My sales now average anywhere from 5 - 15 books each day. And interestingly, Inferno of Love, which follows my book included in the boxed set, is far and away the best seller of the 5 titles now available. I have not spent a single dime, or much time at all promoting Inferno of Love. It is simply the next book in the Hometown Heroes series, and once people read Beacon of Love, I'm guessing they wanted more :)

People read books - people want more books. So keep writing! Don't get too hung up on promoting, and don't spend too much time or money on it, either. Write. Isn't that what you love to do, in the first place?

Monday Mentionables: New Things to Come!

Happy Monday, everyone! My apologies for being rather absent last week. I'm a full-time high school teacher, and we started school last Tuesday. Bring on the coffee!

In other, more exciting, book-related news, though, exciting things are on the horizon. First, the 3rd novella in my Cocktail Cruise series, Between the Sheets, will be available within the week! It's the story of a single mom and a sexy dance instructor and the sparks that fly on (and off!) the dance floor...

If you didn't get a chance to pick up Tequila Sunrise or Sex on the Beach yet, the first 2 books in the series, they've both gotten some lovely 5-star reviews over the last few days, so do check them out! Quick reads, only about 100 pages each.

Finally, I'm soon going to be launching some changes to my newsletter, which will include lots more sneak peeks and prize opportunities for everyone who subscribes, so sign up right here if you want in on the fun! Have a wonderful start to your week!

Monday Mentionables: Honoring Labor Day

Whatever kind of labor you're doing (or not) today, in the United States, here's something to keep in mind:

Friday Fun Facts: How Much Do You Know About Indie Authors and Self-Publishing?

Happy Friday, everyone! If you're in the United States, it's the beginning of Labor Day Weekend - we hope with good weather to round out this summer. Two interesting reads came across my Facebook Newsfeed this week, both related to self-publishing. Now, many of you probably know that I am what they call a "hybrid" author, meaning I'm both published with a traditional press and I've self-published, or indie published, other titles. I have much to say about both experiences, but that I'll save for another post. Today, let's just say that while I do believe that attitudes are changing toward indie authors, many readers do think that DIY publishing is less than authentic. I will say this: for those who do it right, nothing could be further from the truth. Check these out:

12 Things You Should Know About Indie Authors Before You Snub Them

What It Costs To Self-Publish (I actually take issue with the very low figure given to Cover Design. In my opinion, covers sell books. Yes, yes, I know we might not like to admit that, but it's true. I've seen many covers on indie published books that LOOK amateurish. This is definitely one place you don't want to skimp.)

Have a great day and a spectacular weekend, everyone! Go out and buy an indie-published book!

Monday Mentionables: Oh, How We Love Those Reviews!

Good morning, readers! I know I've said it before, but reviews are so crucial - and so appreciated - by authors as we strive to set our books apart from others. I checked my books on Amazon last night and was thrilled to see that

(A) The Promise of Paradise hit its 100th review (!!), with the last 4 being these:

"Good"
"Loved it"
"This is a cute love story I can absolutely relate to"
"A great story, great characters, and great location."

and (B) Beacon of Love had a lovely 5-star review posted as well:

Thank you, thank you, to all of you who leave reviews. It means so much!

Writers' Wednesday: What's In A Name? Talking About Book Titles

Happy Hump Day, everyone! Aren't titles - of days, of places, of books - interesting? I blogged over at Long and Short Reviews this week all about my thought process behind titling the 3 novellas in my Cocktail Cruise series. Want to know where the heck Tequila Sunrise, Sex on the Beach, and Between the Sheets came from? Hop on over and see :)

Monday Mentionables: A Review of Against Her Rules by Victoria Barbour

What's up today? Another review of a book included in the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set! This time it's Against Her Rules by Victoria Barbour, a sweet, fast-paced story set in beautiful Newfoundland:

Thriving business? Check. 
Sexual exploits with a rockstar? Check. 
Complete independence? Check. 

Elsie Walsh had it all. Or so she thought. Until Scottish hunk Campbell Scott showed up on the doorstep of her bed and breakfast. He’s making it pretty hard for her to stand by her one rule: No sleeping with the guests. She’s denied some of the world’s hottest actors, musicians, and even royals... but how can she keep Cam out of her bed, when he’s invaded her head and her heart? 

Campbell Scott went to the wilds of Newfoundland with one thing on his mind: sketch some birds, and then get back to his playboy lifestyle in London. But one look at his sexy hostess and there’s a whole lot more in the air than sea birds. Rejection isn’t part of his vocabulary, and Cam sets out to not only convince Elsie that he belongs in her bed, but by her side at the Heart’s Ease Inn.

Victoria Barbour has a wonderful writer's voice, and the setting and characters come alive in this story. Elsie is full of fire and determination, and Cam is a sexy Scot who meets his match in Elsie and finally realizes that there's more to relationships than jumping in and out of bed. While there are great, hot sex scenes in this story, it's mostly about the whirlwind romance between these two. It's a very sweet, sincere story about two people who meet and just know they're supposed to be together. They don't hem and haw around but give in to their feelings and make us, the readers, believe that it can be that magical for us as well. The setting also comes alive with rich detail - now I want to move to Newfoundland! I'm glad there are more books in this series, because I will be picking up Hard as Ice, the next, to find out what happens in the town of Heart's Ease next!

And don't forget, readers - you can own all ten of these sizzling romances for only $0.99. Our set is still on sale - just click below!

In Memory of Robin Williams

It was  a sad beginning to this week, the announcements of Robin Williams' death. Among the many tributes, statements, and video clips I've read and watched, I think the one of most poignant comes from this quote by David Foster Wallace about suicide:

“The so-called ‘psychotically depressed’ person who tries to kill herself doesn’t do so out of quote ‘hopelessness’ or any abstract conviction that life’s assets and debits do not square. And surely not because death seems suddenly appealing. The person in whom its invisible agony reaches a certain unendurable level will kill herself the same way a trapped person will eventually jump from the window of a burning high-rise. Make no mistake about people who leap from burning windows. Their terror of falling from a great height is still just as great as it would be for you or me standing speculatively at the same window just checking out the view; i.e. the fear of falling remains a constant. The variable here is the other terror, the fire’s flames: when the flames get close enough, falling to death becomes the slightly less terrible of two terrors. It’s not desiring the fall; it’s terror of the flames. And yet nobody down on the sidewalk, looking up and yelling ‘Don’t!’ and ‘Hang on!’, can understand the jump. Not really. You’d have to have personally been trapped and felt flames to really understand a terror way beyond falling.”

Certainly, the depths that depression and mental illness reaches cannot be underestimated. I do hope that amid the sadness and shock of Williams' death comes a greater awareness of, and compassion for, mental illness and the havoc it can wreak on an individual. 

To the mighty and talented Robin Williams, I hope you're resting in peace. Finally.

Writers' Wednesday: A Peek Inside Book Three

Yes, yes, I know that Sex on the Beach, the second book in the Cocktail Cruise series, just released. But I'm busy at work on the third and final book in the series, Between the Sheets, where single mother Andrea and dance instructor Sebastian get their romance (finally!). Want to see a peek inside one of the early scenes?

Her cabin was twice the size of his, with a sliding glass door that led to a balcony. Precioso. So beautiful. He stood for a minute looking out into the black. She closed the door and slipped off her shoes, silver sandals with buckles that glittered. She sank onto the small loveseat and stretched out her toes. “I don’t have anything fancy to offer you to drink,” she said with a little laugh. “I think there’s bottled water or cold sodas in the fridge, though.”

“It is fine. I do not want anything.” Sebastian picked up the television remote. “May I? There is music on some of the channels. Good for relaxing.”

She nodded. “Go ahead. I don’t even know what’s on.”

He found a station playing soft Latin music, the one he sometimes listened to before bed.

Her head dropped back on the loveseat. He remained standing where he was. “Do you like working here?” she asked.

“I’m not –” What was she really asking? Women, American women especially, always seemed to have a second or third meaning in their words. Did he like the guests? The captain? His actual job of teaching three or four classes a day to people who didn’t know the difference between the cha cha and the mambo?

“I know you said it was a good change for you.” She opened her eyes again. “But what do you really think? You’ve been on board – how long? Almost a year?”

He nodded.

“What do you think we could change? What would make people happier?”

Ah, happiness. “I am not sure I am the best person to answer that question.”

“What do you mean?”

“Only that I am still trying to figure it out myself. True happiness, what it means, where it comes from. How to find it again after it disappears.”

She looked at him for a long minute, saying nothing. Her eyes shifted to the television, where a blue line zig-zagged across the screen as the music played. “That is nice,” she said. “I don’t know what it is, but you’re right. It’s soothing.”

He hesitated a moment, then held out one hand. "Would you like to dance?"

"Here?" She looked around. “Is there enough room?”

"Does not take much.” He smiled. “I do know this: happiness for me comes when I am dancing. When there is music in my soul, when my feet can move, then nothing else matters.”

She stood, her bare toes peeking out from beneath her dress. “Well, how can I turn down an offer like that?” She took his hand. “I have to tell you, though, except for this morning, when you were showing me the tango, I haven’t danced in years.” She blushed, and her fingers tightened around his. “I mean, I haven’t danced with anyone.”

“It’s nothing. It’s like – what do you Americans say? Like riding a bicycle. You do not forget. It is like breathing." His free hand went to the small of her back. "Let me lead."

A worry line appeared between her brows, and her spine stiffened. He shook her fingers to loosen them. It had been forever since he'd taught a private lesson, since he'd had a woman who looked more concerned about where to put her feet than trying to peel off his clothes. It felt good. Refreshing.

The music changed, and the tempo picked up. He smiled and nodded to himself. They could move easily to this one. But three beats into the song, Andrea turned fire-engine red. She froze, her hand gripping his as though she were balancing on a two-inch ledge. “I’m sorry. I have no idea what I’m doing.”

He pressed his palm into the small of her back. “Just follow. Try to relax.”

Her lips parted in a breathless laugh. "I'm not sure the last time I actually did that. I might not remember how."

The song changed again, and he improvised a few dance steps, just to put some space between them. At that, she smiled, and turned on her tiptoes in the small cabin, mimicking his motion. Ay dios mio, he had a hard time looking away from her. “See? You are very much a good dancer.” She twirled again, only this time she stumbled a little at the end – straight into him. 

Coming in September 2014!!

Monday Mentionables: The Cocktail Cruise Series Continues!

Happy Monday everyone! The big mention today? Sex on the Beach, the second book in the Cocktail Cruise series, is now available on Kindle! (or, if you have a Nook, order your copy over at Smashwords, since it's not up at Barnes and Noble yet).

Blurb:

Two people who’ve always played at love discover the stakes are higher when they let down their guard and open their hearts…

Cassidy Arnez is an elementary school teacher with an enormous secret: a sexually adventurous online life that she leads under a foolproof alias. Her motto has always been to enjoy sex and the single life as much as possible. With a deadbeat dad and a brother who died in combat, she knows she can’t rely on any man to stick around.

Bryce Anderson enjoys his bachelor life as the CFO of a major cruise line, a position that gets him all the sun, sand, and women he could want. But he meets his match in Cass, who’s even less interested in commitment than he is, and her casual, confident sexuality turns him on more than anyone he’s ever met.

When a financial crisis at Cass’s school places her, and her coveted secret identity, at the center of a small town firestorm, she must decide whether she’ll let Bryce become the first man she’ll trust with both her secrets and her heart. 

Excerpt

Bryce ran the back of one hand down her bare arm as he leaned over to flag the bartender. Electricity shot all the way up to Cass's shoulder, and something deliciously warm and familiar tingled between her legs. She brushed his shoulder as she reached for her drink, telegraphing a message that registered in the light of his eyes.

He took a long swallow of his beer, then rested one elbow on the bar and turned toward her. Two inches, maybe one, separated them. She could smell him. If she leaned forward, she could probably taste him. And damn, but that mouth looked like it would know what to do on a woman’s body.

“That pick-up line, by the way?” she said. “The good-luck charm? Weak.”

He clutched his chest as if she’d shot him. “Was it that bad?” The corner of his mouth quirked up. “I thought it had flair.” He touched the neck of his beer bottle to her glass. “Women like flair.”

Cass crossed one leg over the other and let her dress ride up. “Flair is over-rated.” She ran her fingers through her hair, loose and falling past her shoulders. “It takes more than that to win a girl over.” A nice ass will do, though, she thought. Good smile and wit helped too, and so far Bryce was three for three, though she wouldn’t tell him that.

“Decided to take the free cruise?”

“I did.”

“How’s your friend Louise?”

“She’s fine. Spends a lot of time with Toby, but I’m guessing you already know that.” She sipped her martini. “What about your buddy? The one from the bachelor party? He get married yet?”

“Yep. Valentine’s Day.” He cocked his head when she didn’t answer. “I take it you're not a fan?”

“Of marriage? Or Valentine’s Day?” Not either one, she wanted to say.  She set her glass down after another sip. “Thanks for the drink. But I think I’ll be going.” First conversations never needed to last longer than a few minutes. She’d leave him wanting more... 

Writers' Wednesday: The Pros and Cons of Being a Boxed Set Author

Hello readers! Most of you know that I'm one of ten authors included in the Passionate Kisses: Ten Sizzling Contemporary Romances Boxed Set that released back in June. Since the boxed set as a general concept seems to be enjoying its heyday in 2014, and so many other authors are jumping on board, I thought I'd share my experiences in this endeavor.

Background: an author put out a call for any interested authors to join her in publishing a boxed set, back in May. She was looking for contemporary and/or romantic suspense, and it turned out that the result was so overwhelming that she got enough authors to do 2 sets. She selected 9 authors, plus her, for the contemporary romance set with the stipulation that all books be ready to go, since she was aiming for a June/early July release.

First, we set up a private Facebook page for our group where we could discuss everything related to the set. We chose June 23, a Monday, for our release, since the "big lists" (New York Times and USA Today) record weekly sales beginning then. We spent about 5 weeks choosing a title, deciding on a cover, getting the set formatted, and setting up marketing. We decided to price the set at $0.99 to drive sales.

For marketing, we established a Facebook Page and we made up a schedule for the 3 weeks leading up to June 23 so that each day, at least 2 authors posted - teasers, background info, biographical trivia, pictures, etc. We held a Facebook launch party on June 24. We booked cover ads and participated in The Romance Studio's release party on June 28. We posted on Facebook groups. We ran ads with Kindle Boards, Kindle Books and Tips, The Romance Studio's newsletter, Digital Book Spot, Book Gorilla, Kindle Nation Daily and Ereader News Today (which was the most effective). We all made efforts to blog, tweet, and Facebook about the set in its opening days and weeks.

While I did not handle any of the formatting or uploading tasks, I do know we ran into a little trouble with creating and uploading from our Nook account. I also did not handle any of the sales or royalty reporting or distributing. We have two gals from the set who are bravely handling all that.

While one of our primary goals was to make a "list," we didn't :( But we did sell well, at least in my opinion. Since our June 23 release, we have sold just over 30,000 copies of our boxed set. Since the royalty on $0.99 = $0.35, divided by 10 authors, you'll see that we each received 3 cents for every set sold. Not exactly tons of money. BUT when you multiply 3 cents by 30,000, you'll see that each author's royalty to date is approximately $900.00 I will also add that in dividing the marketing costs by 10 authors, we all spent less than $100 each on marketing.

So...what do I think? Would I do it again?

Pros:

1. Working with other authors. You can discover marketing strategies and opportunities you never heard of before. Plus, being part of a boxed set, you'll gain readers that follow other authors, who might never have heard of you. They buy the set, discover your writing, and bam! You have a new fan. My book in this set, Beacon of Love, is the first in the Hometown Heroes series. The second in the series, Inferno of Love, saw increased sales in July, and I will credit most of those to readers finishing the set and wanting to read more. Yay! Also, since my book is the 9th in the set, I'm assuming it will take readers a while to get there, so I hope these secondary sales will continue into the next couple of months.

2. Sharing the costs. An ad that costs $200, divided by 10 authors (or even 5 authors) is much more manageable than paying for it on your own.

3. Making money. As I said before, it cost me less than $100 to participate in this set, and between the set's royalties and my own books selling as a result of the increased exposure, this was definitely a money-making effort for me.

4. Finding new friends. Thanks to this set, I have a new beta reader who connects really well with me - plus I also have 9 new virtual author friends I didn't have before. I will caution, I don't think this is the case with all boxed sets. Combining personalities for a business venture can be tricky. I think we REALLY lucked out, in that all 10 of us carried our weight and worked well for the common goal of selling.

Cons:

1. Working with other authors. I say this tongue-in-cheek, because again, I had a good group to work with. But be aware that you will be interacting with people who might have very different personalities than you. There will be disagreements. My advice is to make clear from the start your goals for the set and your expectations for each author, as much as you can.

2. The number of authors involved. I think 10 is a lot. Yes, it's nice to split the cost of an ad 10 ways, but it's a lot of people to coordinate with, it's a lot of people to split royalties with, and if you're at the back of the set, like I am, there's a good chance your book either won't get read, or won't get read for a very long time.

3. Having different kinds of books. I don't think this was a huge issue for us, but it was a minor one. We have a couple of books that end with a deliberate cliff-hanger, and some readers didn't like that. We couldn't market our set as being "10 complete novels without cliff-hangers" and so we may have lost a few readers. Considering the 30,000 sales, though, I'm not as concerned with that as I was a month ago. Also make sure that your heat levels are relatively the same, or that you market your set clearly so readers know what to expect. A couple of our books are much closer to 4 or 5 flames than the 3 flames of the others - again, not a huge deal, but some advertising places won't take books that aren't "family friendly."

4. Paying for ads. Make sure from the start that everyone agrees about how payment will work. I know some boxed sets put all their royalties back into marketing costs. Some pool their money (an agreed-upon amount, ahead of time) and pay for ads out of that pool. With us, one person generally just suggested an ad, and if most people agreed, that person would book it, pay for it, and add it to a file we keep listing all costs paid out. We'd put a general announcement on our private Facebook page as to how much it cost per person, and the others would pay via PayPal. However, because everyone has different financial situations, some couldn't pay the ad costs right away, and so those costs will come out of their royalties. Keep in mind that royalties pay out anywhere from 2-4 months after sales, though, which means there's a delay in paying each other as well. Again, make clear with your group how you will handle things like that.

Would I do it again? Probably. For the minor difficulties we ran into, the new readers and the money was worth it, for me. And if for some reason you haven't yet picked up a copy of Passionate Kisses, it's still on sale for $0.99. Be our 30,001st sale!

Monday Mentionables: A Review of Good Cop by Liz Kelly

Good morning everyone! Today I'm blogging about the fabulous Liz Kelly's book in the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set, Good Cop:

Lolly DuVal has signed on to help Henderson’s ‘Golden Boy’ learn to loosen up, shake his good cop image, and embrace his inner bad-boy. Yum! 

At the same time, she’s coaching the town’s notorious ‘Great Seducer’ on how to appreciate women outside the bedroom. Hmmm. 

And the two of them are best friends. 

What could possibly go wrong?

I loved this book! Kelly has a wonderful, easy-to-read writing style that combines romance with comedy in a perfect balance. Her dialogue rings true on every page, and I became completely invested in these characters and their lives. I especially liked and appreciated the dual romance, focused on both the 20-something Lolly and her 40-something mother Genevra's search for love. The friendship and love triangle between Brooks, Vance, and Lolly is compelling and believable, not always an easy trick in a contemporary romance. The minor characters are well developed, the small town of Henderson is brought to life, and I most definitely will be picking up the next book in this series, Bad Cop. Readers, grab this one now!

Sunday Special Announcement: Now You Can Sign Up For ARCs!

Great news! It just got a lot easier to request Advance Reader Copies of my upcoming Cocktail Cruise series! Just click on this link to get started:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1W3Re3PINtH4oz_NMkVdHS1G-iEbH0tAuK9ohmNAca0c/viewform?usp=send_form

Writers' Wednesday: Small Towns Rock

I do a fair amount of blog stops and author interviews, and one question that always comes up is either "where do you live and how does if affect your writing?" or "where did you grow up?" Most of my regular readers know that I am from a small town in central New York. And though I don't live there anymore, I'm close enough that I go back every so often and visit, and I know that it has deeply affected my writing.

To me, it is the quintessential, Norman Rockwell-esque small town. It has heavy New England roots, which are apparent from the historic homes along Main Street and its village green that has three churches and the elementary school sitting on it. Everyone knows everyone. Things don't change much. It's safe. Some might call it boring. But it raises good kids, I can say that much, and its graduates have gone on to very big and very important things over the years.

Last weekend, I went home for a high school reunion. Only about 1/4 of our class made it back; some people have moved far away, some don't want to return, while others had summer plans. But for those of us who were there, it was a great time catching up with friends and reminiscing about old times. This was one of my favorite pictures from the weekend:

A few members of the track and cross-country teams reunited to run the training loop around town that we suffered through back in high school. Crazy? Maybe a little. I sure don't run as fast as I used to. But I ran it, with a few others, and it brought back oh-so-clear memories. I love this picture because this is 2 friends who haven't seen each other in 25 years. They competed against each other in every high school meet for 4 years. The one on the left stayed in town. The one on the right has traveled around the world. They've lived very different lives since graduating two-and-a-half decades ago. But that morning, it was just 2 buddies running the same quiet tree-lined streets around their hometown, talking who-knows-what and finishing the run together. Pretty cool, right?

Small towns, rock on.

Writers' Wednesday: Fun Blog Stops Today!

Hello readers! First off, if you haven't had a chance to pick up my brand new release yet, Tequila Sunrise, I hope you will. The first review is already in on Amazon, and it's 5 stars!

"Loved this short little novella! It was a great read and kept you wondering what will happen next! Cant wait for the next book in the series!"

This is the first book in my new Cocktail Cruise series, and it will be on sale for a limited time, only until the next book comes out in August!

Also, take a hop today and visit these fellow authors' blogs: Victoria Barbour posted about writing spaces (I'll tell you right now, I want Liz Kelly's in Naples, Florida), Liz Kelly gave me an awesome promo bump on her page last week, and Rebecca Clark has me featured on Fabulous Firsts later today, with the opening lines of Tequila Sunrise to whet your appetites! (check back in the afternoon if it hasn't posted when you hop over there; Rebecca's on the West Coast lol)

Have a great day, readers, and if you've read Tequila Sunrise, please leave a review :) We writers greatly appreciate it!

Monday Mentionables: Tequila Sunrise is Now Available!

This is late but my home Internet connection was giving me SOOO much trouble yesterday! Anyway, the big mention is that my latest book is now available in the Kindle store! Tequila Sunrise is the first in the 3-novella Cocktail Cruise series. And you can get it now for only $0.99! Don't you just love the cover? Sigh...

On Vacation

Hey folks, I'm on vacation so I won't be posting this week, but I have SO MUCH  to share with you when I return! See you soon...

Friday Fun Facts: A Review of Reckless by Jessi Gage

OK gang, as I promised, I'm reading and reviewing all the books in the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set, and today's feature is Reckless by the lovely Jessi Gage:

Sometimes it takes a miracle to find forgiveness.

Divorced construction worker Derek has anger management issues. Acting rashly on the freeway, he causes an accident. His truck escapes unscathed, but he can’t say the same for his conscience. Visions of the wreck haunt his dreams, but they’re always followed by the sweet caresses and soothing words of a beautiful woman who calls to everything male in him. 

As Cami recovers, she learns that Derek is not only real but also the driver charged with causing her accident. She should be furious with him, but their inexplicable nights together showed her a tender side beneath his rough exterior. Will she let one reckless mistake drive them apart, or will forgiveness have the right of way?

This was a terrific read! Above all else, I loved the originality of the story line. Derek meets Cami, his "Dream Girl," literally in the middle of the night, due to a strange phenomenon that connects them but only when she's on his bed (love it!) and only between the hours of midnight and five a.m. This is "light paranormal," and although I usually don't read this genre, I ended up just loving Reckless. The mystery that Gage sets up, and the conflict that begins the entire story in chapter one, compels you to read on. The relationship here builds naturally and romantically as the story progresses. Both characters are real and flawed, especially our hero Derek (he really is the center piece of this story, as he learns to forgive his past mistakes). Minor characters are well developed but don't take away from the romance, and the sex scenes are well-written but not heavy-handed. And the ending is just perfect in the way it resolves all questions. I loved this book and will definitely read more by Jessi Gage!

Don't forget readers, this is one of 10 sizzling contemporary romances in the Passionate Kisses set, still available for only $0.99! 

Writer's Wednesday: Who Wants to Read an ARC?

I'm super-excited that the first novella in my Cocktail Cruse series will be releasing in 2 short weeks!! I posted about this on my Facebook page, but if you didn't see it, you can have the chance to read Tequila Sunrise before the general public, if you'd like to post a review on its release day, July 21! Now, it's shorter than a full-length novel, about 1/3 of the length, in case you don't have a lot of time (and who does, right??)

Here to whet your appetite are the blurb and an excerpt. If you're interested in getting your hands on an Advance Reader Copy (ARC), leave me a comment or email me at allieb@allieboniface.com!

BLURB:

Recently dumped by her long-time boyfriend because she wasn’t thin enough, Louise Jamison wants to let loose and find love (or at least great sex) on board a romantic singles’ cruise. When she meets the man of her dreams at a speed dating event, Lou believes she’s struck gold.

Toby DeMarco is too busy building his new construction business to get involved in a serious relationship. He only goes on the four-day cruise because his best friend’s family owns the line and his sister works on it, so he got a great deal. He plans to relax, rejuvenate and maybe find a woman to pass the time with. But when he meets the luscious Louise, his heart's a goner and all bets are off.

A few days of romance are jeopardized when Louise learns that the cruise line’s matchmaking service assigns partners based on looks and weight. Mortified by this unethical business practice, she takes to social media and makes national headlines. But the publicity is hurting Toby’s family and friends – and family means everything to Toby.

Will Toby be able to convince Lou that true love exists beyond numbers, before it’s too late?

EXCERPT:

Lou turned away from the speed dating crowd and stared outside, where the sun was just beginning to slip toward the ocean. For a moment she wished she were one of the birds on the horizon, soaring and dipping far above the water. Carefree. Removed.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

She froze. That voice. A tanned elbow touched hers. Spicy cologne sent her hormones rocketing. In slow motion, she turned. And bit her bottom lip. And tried to remember how to breathe. Well, there you are. Chocolate brown eyes caught and held hers. A smile, framed on one side by that deep dimple, sent something sinfully wonderful squiggling straight down to the pit of her stomach. Lower, actually, to a spot below her stomach that hadn’t felt anything in months.

“Hi. I’m Toby.”

Lou’s entire world splintered, and it was all she could do not to drop her drink and dive into his arms. Maybe Charming Hearts hadn’t been a bad idea after all.