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. 

Monday Mentionables: Happy Anniversary!

Today is a shout-out to my husband of 13 years as of yesterday :) Happy Anniversary! We always try to buy each other gifts that match the Themes By Year, but some years it's harder than others. 13 = either lace or fur. Hmm. Okay, that was fairly easy for him to buy, but how on earth was I supposed to find something appropriate for HIM? Let's just say that I ended up getting something that would make us both happy (here's a great recipe for lacy oatmeal cookies, by the way)

What about you, my married friends? Do you buy each other gifts for your wedding anniversary? Do you follow the "themes" or do what you want? Have you ever forgotten your anniversary?

Friday Fun Facts: Two Blog Appearances!

Happy Fourth of July to all my U.S. friends, family, and readers!

Oh and hey! I was featured on 2 blogs this week, so if you didn't get a chance, take a peek!

Fabulous Firsts

You Gotta Read Reviews

Monday Mentionables: A Review of Shameless by Rebecca J. Clark

Happy Monday, everyone! Over the next few weeks I'm going to be posting my reviews of the other 9 books in the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set...because don't you love sneak peeks at stories! And I'm reading them in no particular order. Today's review is of Shameless by Rebecca J. Clark:

Haunted by a tragic accident 20 years ago, John Everest knows he doesn't deserve a family of his own, so he spends his days building the most successful fitness franchise in Seattle...and his nights alone. But that all changes when Samantha Rossi storms back into his life. 

Happily single, Samantha feels there are only two types of men in this world: those who are good for nothing and those who are good for one thing. Now she needs that one thing desperately, because she wants a baby. John, a man from her past, is the perfect donor. He doesn't want children. He doesn't want a wife. He just wants her body. She can deal with that. 

John agrees to Samantha's no-strings-attached proposal, never expecting to fall for the fiery beauty he'd wronged so many years ago. It'll take more than a shameless proposal to overcome their tragic past, but with a little luck and forgiveness, anything is possible.

I absolutely loved this book! The story is beautifully written and comes together, for both the major and minor characters, in the best and most complex ways. Sam is a beautiful but complicated heroine and John is the hero who's successfully put some, but not all, of his past behind him. I loved that these characters were flawed and had a messy history, because they were real and relatable. Minor characters Alex and Brian were equally real and riveting. I truly could not put this book down and cannot wait to read more by Clark. This story has real emotion, believable conflict, and a wonderfully happy ending. Her focus on family and forgiveness made for some wonderful themes from beginning to end. 5 stars!

Don't forget, this book is part of the 10-book set that is on sale for only $0.99 for a limited time! Enjoy :)

Friday Fun Facts: We're Still Celebrating our Boxed Set Release!

Hey gang, don't forget it's release week for Passionate Kisses! We're super-excited to be featured on the USA Today Happy Ever After Blog today. And tomorrow will be a day-long Release Party at The Romance Studio. $60 worth of gift cards given away just by our authors! And thank you to all who have already bought and/or reviewed the set - we appreciate your support SOOO much!

Monday Mentionables: It's Release Day!

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's the big day: the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set officially releases! Please share the news with your friends and family and PLEASE buy this awesome set of 10 sizzling romance novels....it's only $1.00!! I'll keep you posted throughout the week with how our sales are going. In the meantime, thank you as always for your wonderful friendship and support :)

Friday Fun Facts: YOU Can Help Us Make a Best-Seller List!

Happy Friday, everyone! Now, if you're one of my regular blog readers, you probably know that I am part of a boxed set of contemporary romance novels that is coming out NEXT MONDAY, June 23, called Passionate Kisses. We are totally excited about this project and hope that all of you would like to help us make it "big." We are calling on all friends and family, and here’s the plan:

Beacon of Love is now part of the Passionate Kisses Box Set boxed set along with 9 other full length romances by 9 other authors.  Starting Monday, June 23rd the set will be available for a whopping $0.99.  Yes, a true bargain for romance lovers, and a great opportunity for friends of  Yours Truly.

The Passionate Kisses authors are doing a big advertising push and marking the price so low (retail for all ten e-books would be $28.90) in hopes of not only promoting our books but to also have the boxed set sell like crazy and hit a list, like Amazon Top 100, or even better USA Today, or The NY Times.

I’d so appreciate your help. Next Monday, if you’d please purchase the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set at Amazon Kindle Store  Barnes & Noble  or iTune  it would be greatly appreciated. (And if you are flush with cash, buy it at all three.)  Please spread the word to your friends and family.

Important: Even though it is available now, do not buy the boxed set until Monday! (And if you forget on Monday you can buy it Tuesday - no problem. We need big totals for the week.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support! We truly appreciate it - and we'll keep you posted! 

Monday Mentionables: A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

Happy Monday, everyone! Please hop on over to Victoria Barbour's blog today to see my post. Victoria is one of the fabulous authors involved with our Passionate Kisses Boxed Set, and she's featuring interviews with all 9 authors in these days leading up to our release (June 23!). Best of all, the posts are mostly pictures, and just a few words. Enjoy!

Writer's Wednesday: Promotion with Digital Book Spot

Hello writers! As I am always looking for new and effective methods of promotion, here's one that came across my email the other day: Digital Book Spot, which makes all their arrangements through Fiverr. Has anyone used DBS? Some authors are saying they have a pretty good bump in sales, so it might be worth trying, especially for the low price of $5-20.

Haven't heard of Fivvr? It is this very interesting website where anyone (truly, I think almost anyone) can post a service they will do for $5. Often you can add on other services for an additional $5, but that's the bare-bones start. Just for kicks, I looked at the home page today to see a sample of services up there:

I will translate English into Chinese or Chinese into English 
I will write contracts or any agreement 
I will professionally design a Facebook banner or cover 
I will make your logo or message appear out of clay as a video greeting...

So there you go! Promo food for thought today :)

Monday Mentionables: A Writer's Retreat that Turned into Something Else

Happy Monday! This past weekend, I treated myself to a solo getaway in Charles Town, West Virginia. The goal was to see hubby at a car show in Pennsylvania Friday night, then spend some solid time writing in a town I'd never been to before, snuggled away in a bed and breakfast with my laptop and nothing else.

You know that saying about "The best laid plans..."??

I arrived at the Carriage Inn late Friday evening (gorgeous place, by the way, and the owners are lovely hosts and great breakfast cooks) and plugged in my laptop - only to discover it didn't work. There is a very long and boring story behind why it didn't work, but suffice to say that after about 30 minutes of fretting and swearing and trying everything I could think of, I realized that my writer's retreat was going to be minus the writing.

For a few minutes, I actually considered going out early Saturday morning and buying a new laptop.

Then I said to myself, hang on. Thousands of people wrote before laptops ever came into existence. I can write without one. 

So instead, I went to the local grocery store, bought a $1 notebook (and some bulk candy and wine for sustenance), and spent the rest of the day thinking and brainstorming and drafting ideas. I didn't end up getting the massive amount of writing done that I originally planned, but you know what? There was something very relaxing about walking around town, sitting at an outside restaurant for lunch, napping on the day bed back in my room, and jotting down thoughts as they came to me. I even had time to go to the historic village of Harper's Ferry and watch the train pass by as I lounged on the grass after wandering around the recreated village buildings. Relaxing. Rejuvenating.

While it wasn't the writing-intensive weekend I originally envisioned, in many ways it was better. Just a reminder that when our plans fail, the best thing to do is look for another way, search for that open window and carry on :)

Friday Fun Facts: Boxed Set Coming Soon!

Hey everyone, look what's coming June 23rd!

(The books, not the guy, unless you bring your active imagination). Counting the days!

Writers' Wednesday: A Taste of Tequila Sunrise

OK, I know this is a very belated Wednesday post...BUT would you like a little taste of Tequila Sunrise? (the novella, I mean, not the drink). This is the first in the Cocktail Cruise Novella series coming out this summer (P.S. it will also be part of a different boxed set releasing in August). It just went out for its final edits today, so hooray!

Here is the scene where our hero and heroine meet for the very first time:

Louise 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?”

Lou 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. 

Friday Fun Facts: More Teasers from our Boxed Set!

Hang onto your hats, readers, because the lovely ladies at Passionate Kisses have some steamy reads for you coming up June 23rd. Here are some teasers to whet your appetite...

Don't forget to Like our Facebook page. Lots of info there about our upcoming launch party and all the goodies you can win!

Writers' Wednesday: A Tease from Beacon of Love

How about a little tease from Beacon of Love to start your day? This is one of the 10 sizzling novels that will be included in the Passionate Kisses Boxed Set, releasing June 23rd. Have you liked our Facebook page yet??

In Honor of Those Who have Served