Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Interview of Author @SamaraKing #RB4U #InterracialRomance #PNR



Please welcome Samara King to the blog today! 
1. How did you celebrate publishing your first book? I went out to dinner with my family - actually before knowing that I had an acceptance letter awaiting for me at home for my first book. When I arrived home, I remember opening the letter and guzzling down wine and swiping tears. It was a wonderful night.
3. What’s your writing schedule like? I attempt to get up at 3:30 am, meditate/pray/journal, workout about 3 times a week and write for an hour to 90 min - which I break down into 15 min segments. 
4. Do you strive for a certain amount of words each day? I try for 2000 words - five days a week.
5. How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book? Laughing, ummm...quite a bit. I have to say that my heroines definitely have my humor sometimes and my sass.
6. Of all your characters, who’s your favorite, and why? I love Detective Elle Taylor, in Sweeter Than This. She has grit, and flaws and insecurities. I mean she's a woman in blue and finds out her biological father is the criminal of the year, not to mention fallowing for his second in command. Her whole world goes crazy, yet she's able, not without doubts, to keep her soul. I really value the realness shown in Elle's development throughout the story, that I think we all face when determining where we stand on certain issues.
8. Do you eat comfort food/listen to music when writing? Popcorn, chocolate, especially Hershey's Treasures w/ almonds, green tea or coffee. I must have music, which I listen to all the time, except when editing. LOL. During the first draft it helps me through the journey and even sets the mood for love scenes.
9. How do you choose names for your characters? I have several name books, one by the year a name was introduced into use, another by personality. Often the names come to me by the characters themselves as I'm jotting down their character profile.
10. Covers. Ever get one you wish you could change? Yes, but you learn to go with it and enhance the book with interesting promo pieces.
11. Give one advice tip to an aspiring author. Never give up on your vision. Your creativity is enough. Will always be enough and never stop learning and recreating your vision is always an option - just never give up.
12. If you could give a younger version of yourself advice, what would it be? Don't stress so much over the little things, just DO IT.
13. What genre would you like to try writing that you haven’t yet tried? Actually I will be writing historical romance under a separate pen name, Olivia Alicia next year. :)
15. Any part of a book that drives you crazy as you write: beginning, middle, or end? I would say the middle. But I've learned to stop for a moment after chapter three and re-read, write down all the could-happens, need-to-happens, this is about as much heavy planning as I do, other than jotting down a brief sentence of what I will write about before I write and loose character profiles.
Fun Stuff:
1. What is your favorite holiday and why? I have to say I love New Years, feels like rebirth, a huge restart button while running in the midst of a 5k run. I love the feeling of hope, well wishes.
3. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A singer/dancer
4. Favorite food. It's a toss up between Mexican and Italian
5. Favorite sweet. Chocolate turtles or butter pecan ice cream :)
6. Favorite drink. Green tea (iced) or a strawberry margarita or mojito :)
7. Hot summer days or chilly winter nights? Summer, definitely!
8. What is the top thing on your bucket list? To travel to Eygpt and other world sites. Also, to use up all my talents to the best of my ability.
9. If you could have a super power, what would it be? I'd love to be able to fly, lol. Save me on those delayed flights and time. :) #supergirlenvy.

Samara's Bio
Samara King began her literary journey at the age of twelve years old while sneaking to the back of the library and indulging in romance novels; soon after, she wrote her own!
She has penned four novels and fifteen novellas all within the multicultural erotic romance genre, as well as two poetry collections. She is a 2011 Poet of the Year Nominee by African Americans on the Move Book Club. 
Samara lives in Chicago with her family, where she encounters new adventures every day that service her in the creation of each of her stories! 
Readers can reach her at: http://www.samaraking.com

Anything else you’d like to add?
Readers may reach me at:


With her best friend murdered, the man believed to be partly responsible under the nose of her gun and a stranger looming in the shadows out for blood, Officer Elle Taylor is running out of time and people to trust. Will Elle risk crossing the line between attraction and revenge to take help from an unexpected source, before the murderer strikes again and leaves her life in flames?

Durant Kane is no stranger to trouble, especially the kind that comes with a gun trained on his face and an angry woman attached. But Elle's something different, something unexpected and sweeter. He never could have imagined coming to feel so deeply about her, even if his own disastrous path in relationships hadn't left him so wary. But he'll have to take the risk if he doesn't want to lose the woman he's come to realize he can't even think of living without.

EXCERPT
Everyone had a guilty pleasure. Some gave in once and could walk away afterward. Others became a slave to it. Given the wicked spasms pulsating between Officer Elisha “Elle” Taylor’s thighs, the deciding factor of which side she fell on was clear.
Seeing Durant Kane again cracked open her wall of defense. Elle gritted her teeth as she waited on her coffee. Her usual early morning joint was filled with commuters and the normal hum of conversations and steady traffic. Her gaze traveled slowly over the handsome man standing at the entrance of the diner. His golden skin, brilliant blue eyes hinting at wise-cracking cynicism, and cropped blond hair gave him the air of a playboy. Sophistication and confidence defined every move he made.
The shrewd gleam Elle knew oh so well in his baby blues matched his smooth-talking ways. Although it hadn’t taken much talking for her to end up in his bed. The dark designer suit lined his tall, muscular frame with contemporary style, as did the black, quarter-length coat he was shrugging out of. She noted that same potency registered with several of the men Durant stood with as he gazed occasionally at traffic. They seemed intent on his every word. She was addicted to him in all the ways that shouldn’t matter to a cop, but as a full-blooded woman—that was a different story.
Look away!
Elle turned to him just as Durant looked in her direction, a slow smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She faced the counter. Where the hell is that coffee? She needed to be on the road, and not recounting the ways he’d made her come a year ago. Knowing he still had the ability to captivate her attention made her blood boil. Lines had been crossed, dotted, and underlined in Durant’s company.
Guilty pleasures… Elle knew of them; she was experiencing one right now. The swipe of his tongue across his lips made her stomach clench. She balled her fist. Moments later, she felt the brush of his hand graze her lower back. She didn’t dare turn around, and with the steady stream of people roaming the diner, no one would notice that Durant was standing inappropriately close behind her. The heat from his breath fanned the back of her neck.
“Excuse me, Officer. So rude of me to reach over you.” He leaned forward, grabbing a menu.
“I should shoot you.”
She could hear the smile in Durant’s whispering voice. “A pleasure to see you as well, Elle.”
She raised her eyebrows, despite the sexual intensity spreading throughout her body. “I doubt your associates would see it that way.”
Durant chuckled. “That’s why they’re waiting outside.” The sound of his laughter was rich and filling, just as he’d been when their bodies had intertwined.
Elle squeezed her thighs, standing stiffly. “Perfect, a henchman who does delivery.”
“I try to be as accommodating as possible to my employees and otherwise.”
Elle grunted. “Is that what you’re calling it these days?”
“There are many names I have for what I want to do to you.” He moved closer, the hard muscles of his chest pressed against her back. An innocent onlooker would only see a man perusing the menu and not the sensual heat ricocheting between them.
Durant snaked his right hand to the side of her waist, over her belly, and tugged her backward. Her ass brushed his erection. “What’s good here?” he said against her ear, inhaling her scent.
“Get your hands off me.” Elle’s eyes fluttered for a moment before she pushed away, only to feel his hand clamp tightly against her. Her body responded swiftly, and her clit quivered wildly. She bit her lip to stop from moaning out loud. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “Damn you! If I scream—”
“If you scream, it’ll be a sound I’ve been longing to hear,” he replied huskily.

Buy Links:


Sunday, May 29, 2016

Winner Take All – an Amazon and ARe Romance Best-seller FREE! #RB4U #MFRWauthor

I’ve always considered myself more an Historical writer than contemporary, though in recent years I’ve become very associated with both contemporary and paranormal genres. The thing is, when I am feeling lost about where to go next, I inevitably go back to the Old West. My first heroes were cowboys and the love affair has never died.

Winner Take All is a combination of influences for me, and Dylan Coulter is many heroes rolled into one. He has Paladin’s charm and easy grace, Chris Larabee’s intensity and deadly accuracy with a gun, and probably both men’s tempers when pushed. (For those who don’t recognize those names – Paladin is Have Gun, Will Travel, played by the late Richard Boone, and Chris Larabee is The Magnificent Seven, played by Michael Biehn.) The heroine, Maggie, is a lady with fight, brains, and independence–she’s the heroine I often wished had graced the screen with the heroes I love.

Here’s a revisit/look at Winner Take All:
Historical/Western Erotica Novella

Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Google Books    iTunes    Smashwords    ARe Romance  •  Publisher

When Dylan Coulter rides into Sparkling Springs, he quickly discovers the woman who runs the local saloon is worth the risk of facing the hangman. Things get ugly fast when Dylan is accused of killing the only son of the richest rancher in the area. Unwilling to leave her behind, Dylan takes Maggie with him as he tries to dodge bounty hunters and a determined Pinkerton agent who just happens to be Maggie's old love...

Excerpt:

Fifteen minutes after they’d separated upstairs, Maggie was waiting in the main room of the saloon. She heard a heavy footfall on the stairs and swung around to look at him.

For the second time that night, Dylan Coulter took her breath away. He’d changed from his riding clothes into a suit of rich, dark blue. His shirt was pale blue, ruffled at the cuffs and down the front. His silk tie was black, and the jacket he was pulling on drew her attention to broad shoulders and the undeniable impression of strength and power. He hadn’t bothered with a hat, and his dark brown hair was neatly combed, the deep waves gleaming when he passed under a lamp.

As he continued his walk toward her, her eyes drifted over him. Narrow hips flowed into long legs that were muscled from many hours spent on horseback. His boots were polished black leather, and the silver spurs were more ornate than functional. A gold chain dipped gracefully from the pocket of his burgundy vest, and the watch fob was a small, exquisitely carved replica of an old-fashioned flintlock pistol. At his hip, once again, rested a polished black gun, holster and shell belt lacking ornamentation.

A tiny sliver of ice formed at the base of her spine and began a swift ascent, chilling the back of her neck in heartbeats. He knows how to use that gun, too, a tiny voice murmured inside her head. The knowledge scared her a lot more than she wanted it to, though she wasn’t sure why it should.

“Maggie?”

She actually started at the sound of his quiet, richly timbred voice. His accent, like so much else about him, was something of a mystery; it revealed lingering traces of the south, but also the precision of an education obtained abroad. There was a subtle, growling purr in the texture of his speech A sound that made her feel awkward and vaguely disoriented. She’d felt a shadow of that kind of feeling only once before, and the reminder of it unsettled her further.

“Mr. Coulter.” She tried to smile, and knew it was only a partial success when his eyebrow rose, curiosity lighting the deep azure gaze that studied her. “Dylan,” she corrected softly. “Shall we go?” It was safer than standing around looking at him. She was distinctly certain that too long in his presence would not bode well for her peace of mind.

“Ma’am.” He nodded and offered his arm. “How far is this café?”

“A few doors down,” she said, and waited while he locked the saloon and pocketed the key. She opened her mouth to question the action, then chose not to bother.

“How much money did Billy Madison lose to you?” She asked the question carefully, a deep reticence about the answer stirring something akin to dread in her heart.

“A fair bit,” Dylan replied, his tone casual. “He assures me his daddy will be happy to pay the debt.” He looked down at her, a tiny smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “Is that true, Maggie. Or is the boy really as stupid as he seems?”

She sighed and shook her head. “Unfortunately, both.”

Dylan nodded. “Is this the place we’re looking for?” They’d stopped outside a small building with several windows in the front, and a sign above the door that read Wilkins Café.

She glanced at the door, with its shutter down but a light clearly burning inside. She smiled. “Yes, this is it.”
* * *

“She’s pretty friendly with that stranger, Billy,” Gil Horner noted as they watched from the concealment of an alley across the street from the café. He wasn’t much interested in Billy Madison’s attempts to win Maggie Watson’s heart, but Billy’s father paid him well to keep the kid alive. He had the feeling this would be one night when he had to earn his pay by more forceful means than the threat of his presence. If the kid went after Coulter, Gil knew they didn’t really stand much of a chance. Coulter had an air about him that Horner had encountered before; he was dangerous, cool, and confident. All the things Billy Madison wasn’t, of course. “Why don’t you just leave it, kid?” he advised, knowing as he spoke that the boy wouldn’t be deterred.

“Maggie and me have an understandin’, Gil,” Billy objected. “I don’t aim to leave her alone to face the likes of Dylan Coulter.”

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Horner grabbed the young man by the shoulder and spun him around so he could look Billy in the eye.

“What you and Maggie Watson have is a misunderstandin’, kid,” he snarled. “She’s out of your league, Billy. Leave her alone before it gets you killed!”

He waited, and in a detached corner of his mind, he gave the kid a once over. Billy was a good-looking boy, with light brown eyes and hair as black as his Indian mother’s had been. He carried the best features of both his parents, and there wasn’t a girl within a fifty-mile radius who wouldn’t be eager to marry him. Nature being perversely absurd, the only woman he’d ever expressed an interest in was the one who didn’t want him. Maggie was twenty-five to Billy’s nineteen, and Gil had wondered a few times if that wasn’t her primary objection to the kid. Horner had made a play for her once, and like others, she'd shot him down with kind, but firm words.

“You still hankerin’ for her yourself, Gil?” Billy asked with a sneer. “That why you want me to give up?”

“I’m not a man who likes to be turned down more than once, kid,” Gil snapped. “She said no, and I’m willin’ to leave it at that. Unlike you,” he added pointedly.

“Go home, Gil,” Billy ordered. “If I need backup, I can find Boyd.”

“Billy,” Horner began with forced patience. “The Sheriff’s out of town. Boyd ain’t in a position to be doin’ you favors. He’s the deputy, let him do his job.”

Billy started to object, just as Horner knew he would. Gil’s closed fist rose straight up, clipping the boy soundly beneath the chin, snapping his teeth together and knocking him out cold in a matter of seconds. Sighing heavily, Gil caught the kid’s weight, hefted him onto one broad shoulder, and headed down the alley to the waiting horses. Billy would be madder than a caged bobcat come morning, but that was better than dead. At least in Horner’s book.



Friday, May 27, 2016

Windswept Shores Two Preorder on Smashwords by Janice Seagraves

I've decided once the three months with kindle select was over, I'd launch it again through smashword.

I've been wresting with the meatgrinder this last week. That's what they call the upload and check program on smashword that also reformats your book into different reading formats.

It give me a headache, but I always do the formatting myself.

There's a template that makes everything easier and I use that. Fill it out, load in your book in the chapter section, chapter by chapter, and your good to go.

I used it because Smashwords makes your book available to: Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch/Mac, Apple iBooks app from the iTunes app store,  Bluefire or FB Reader, Android devices, most e-reading app, MOBI (Kindle), PDF - for most Adobe Acrobat, and RTF.

The release date is my mother's birthday May 29th. Happy birthday, Mom.

The hero, Seth, has my mom's warm grey eyes and my dad's dimples. And the heroine lives in Anaheim California, where one of my uncles used to live.

Guess I made my hero and heroine part of the family.

WindsweptShores2_432
Blurb: Megan and Seth are finally rescued off their little island, but things are far from idyllic. Megan's husband is somehow still alive, and then Seth is arrested for murder. Which puts all plans of a wonderful future in jeopardy.
Will they ever get back together again or see the life they envisioned?

Except:
Handing him the loofah and soap, Megan turned away. Seth soaped up and started washing her back in small circles. “You know I love ya?”

She nodded.

“Liz really did sneak into the room, and I really was asleep.” He hoped she understood. He wouldn’t have brought her halfway around the world to then sleep with his ex.

Megan stiffened. “She wants you back.”

“I reckon she does, but I don’t want her. I only want you.”

After she rinsed off, she grabbed the soap and loofah from him. She gestured for him to change places with her. “I’m not one to fight over a man.” Megan worked her way from the top of his shoulders all the way down to his butt. “I never fought with Jonathan’s mistress over him. I told him to stop seeing her, but of course he didn’t.”

“Megz, I—”

“But if Liz gives me any more trouble, she’ll wish she hadn’t messed with me.”

Seth gritted his teeth against Megan’s hard scrubbing. “I reckon she will. Blimey, I know I am, and I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, you just lay there, letting it happen!” The soap and loofah bounced off the shower wall.

Seth turned, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her against his chest. “I’m sorry Liz is giving you such a hard time. She’s a bit of bitch most days and a drama queen the rest. Why do you think I left?”

“Yeah, I kind of figured.” She sniffed and leaned her head against his chest.

“This is a right mess, eh?”

Megan sighed. “What are we going to do?”

“Once things get settled, I could get us a house, yeah? It’ll be a nice big mansion on a hill overlooking the ocean. In the master bath, the shower will look like your waterfall, and in the garden, we’ll have a pool and fix it so it looks like our old swimming lagoon. I’ll make us a pergola and more chairs, and you can weave the bottoms and backs. I’ll plant palm and banana trees. You can have a garden. We’ll pretend we’re still on our little island and make love all day long, eh?”

Megan looked up at him with sad sea-green eyes. “Seth, that sounds so lovely, but your father’s dying and your son misses you. You can’t leave. You’re needed here.”

He ran his hand down the side of his face. “Then what do we do, eh?”

“I don’t know.” She rested against him. “Just bide our time, I guess. But don’t blame me if you come home late one night and your ex is black and blue.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Windswept Shores (One) only $0.99:  http://www.amazon.com/Windswept-Shores-Survivors-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B00AS9NDNO/
Windswept Shores Two: http://www.amazon.com/Windswept-Shores-Two-survivors-story-ebook/dp/B01BPLNHTI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
In the UK, Windswept Shores (One):  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windswept-Shores-Survivors-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B00AS9NDNO/
In the UK, Windswept Shores Two: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windswept-Shores-Two-survivors-story/dp/1523945117/

Preorder Windswept Shores Two on smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/637092



Thursday, May 26, 2016

You want me to pay what?




For at least as long as I’ve been paying attention, pricing for books has been a controversial subject. The advent of the digital age has only added to the fire. Amazon may not have started it, but they definitely added fuel to the slow-burning fire and transformed it into something hotly contested. They used their vast pool of buyer data to figure out some of the psychology behind who buys what, something with which the Big Publishers have a hit-or-miss relationship.

As someone who first started with smaller epublishers before swan diving off the cliff into the world to Indie publishing. I really didn’t think I’d become part of the controversy. After all, I wasn’t part of the system of corporate greed. I was just a lowly author hoping to sell enough books to eventually replace the windows in my house.

Boy, was I wrong. (And not just because the only window I replaced was due to hail damage.)

It started with my first publisher, Siren. My first book with them (about 100K words) cost $5.99, and people liked it, so it sold. After that, they charged more for the same number of words, even going as high as $7.99, which I found shocking for an ebook (though I did enjoy the royalty checks. We took our first vacation in five years.) My second publisher, Loose Id, had a similar pricing structure, charging $6.99 for a 60K novel. Again, I was shocked—but at the time the market supported those price points.

Then Amazon kicked the publishing community again, this time targeting small publishers like Siren and Loose Id. They offered authors unlimited publishing of anything, which led to a glut of free and 99 cent books. That began the deluge of low quality works that never would have made it past and editor’s desk. (Note: There was a lot of great stuff too, but much of it was lost in the torrential downpour of books suddenly on the market.)

My next publisher, Omnific, rode that low-cost-to-the-reader wave, only their gimmick was to offer high quality works that had passed the “committee of editors” test. What could go wrong with that? Vetted and cheap—it had to be a winning combination. I now had two 65K novels out there for $2.99. I loved the Kiss Me series. It was arguably some of my best work—but it is also unequivocally my worst-selling series. Kiss Me Goodnight and Kiss Me by Moonlight were stories that tugged at my heart. Lacey and Dylan haunted my dreams and stole my thoughts for almost a year. Their journeys were arduous and heartbreaking.

But very few readers take a chance on it. Why? I used to think it was because I’m known for BDSM stories, and this is a mainstream series. However reviews and feedback were great, so I had to consider other explanations. I think it goes back to basic psychology. When people have to pay more for something, they automatically assume it’s worth more. If it’s priced low, they assume it’s probably not worth the time. Readers have become wary of novels that cost less than $3.99. The latest market research tells us that readers currently like their novels to be priced between $3.99 and $6.99, and I’ve found that to be true for now. Reader psychology is a difficult and ever-changing field, and I’m poised to keep up.

I’d charge more for the Kiss Me series, but it’s out of my hands. However, I urge you to take advantage of the low-low-low price.

Blurb for Kiss Me Goodnight:

I'm Lacey Hallem, and I have a few secrets. These aren't them: I wash my hands a lot and lie when I'm stressed. Also, I have horrible taste in men. That's how I knew Dylan was trouble the first time I saw him...

Life can be challenging for Lacey, especially when things don't come in sets of six, but she's smart and funny and able to keep her demons at bay--most of the time. She might have sensed trouble when she set eyes on Dylan, a delectable musician in a vintage T-shirt, but that doesn't stop her from thinking about him, or spending more and more time in his company.

Enter Thomas. Wealthy, handsome, and completely adoring of Lacey (flaws and all), he's everything a man should be. So why can't she convince her heart to fall in love?

Prepare to be swept up in Michele Zurlo's emotional and compelling story of learning to trust yourself, facing the past, and finding strength you never knew you had.

Blurb for Kiss Me by Moonlight:

Hey there. It's Lacey again. Falling in love and landing Dylan hasn't been the panacea I thought it would be. For starters, he moved into my apartment without asking, and he continues to have no respect for my need to have things in sets of six. Pile that on top of my emotional upheaval after losing my stepfather, and you have a recipe for disaster no amount of German chocolate cake can cure...

Yes, Lacey Hallem's life remains fraught with challenge, but you know she's a fighter. Forming a talent management agency with her best friends has been the best career move she's ever made--even if it's the only thing currently working according to plan. Lacey's OCD is getting the better of her, and this time her hands aren't the only casualty. When her lies ruin her relationships with both Kiss Me Goodnight and Dylan, she's forced to confront her demons in ways she's never had to before. As she again faces her past, can she learn once and for all to let love and friendship through the barriers she's built?

Both harrowing and hilarious, this conclusion to the tale of Lacey and Dylan will leave you laughing, crying, and fanning yourself--sometimes all at once. Michele Zurlo triumphs again in this moving story about life's quirks and what we all have to do to get by.

On a side note, I'm looking for blogs to host me next month for the Re/Leased (Doms of the FBI 5) Release Blitz. I also have ARCs available for review. Use this link if you'd like to host and/or review (non-bloggers welcome): Re/Leased (DFBI 5) Blitz or Review Signup

List of Important Links:
Kiss Me Goodnight: http://amzn.to/22C2RN3
Kiss Me by Moonlight: http://amzn.to/1r2nx5I
Michele Zurlo’s Website: http://www.michelezurloauthor.com
Twitter: @MZurloAuthor
Kissing Bandits (closed FB group for MZ fans): https://www.facebook.com/groups/499290280156304/

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Escargot Or No



According to the National Day Calendar, today, May 24, is National Escargot Day. I wonder where they come up with this stuff. Since I blog on the 24th of each month, I wanted to write a blog around whatever the national day is for that date. When I saw National Escargot Day, I groaned. How could I write about escargot and relate it somehow to my books? I decided to give it a shot.



I’m not afraid to experiment with new foods. I’ve eaten kangaroo in Australia and alligator in Charleston, South Carolina. They both taste like chicken. I draw the line at horse meat, though. Once on a trip to Italy, some meat was placed in front of me that I didn’t quite trust. I didn’t eat it. Found out later it was horse meat. Europeans eat horse meat. No thanks.

I ate escargot once many years ago. I don’t remember where I had it, possibly Toronto, Canada, when I lived there, or a restaurant in Philadelphia. All I remember is the garlic. The snails themselves had no taste, but were swimming in garlic. I never ate escargot again. Tried it once and that was enough.

Unlike my willingness to try different foods, I’ve not gone outside my writer comfort zone as much as I would have liked. I love contemporary romance and have pretty much stuck to that. I do have several “foodie” romances, as I love to cook. I stretched myself to write my first romantic suspense, Logan’s Redemption (Redemption Book 1), and enjoyed the experience so much, I’ve gone on to write three more romantic suspense stories. And I intend to write more.

My biggest stretch was writing my very dark paranormal romance, Cursed Mates. This book is so different from anything I’ve ever written. It’s one of my favorites of everything I’ve done. It took a lot out of me emotionally to write something so dark, and I’ve not written another dark paranormal since.

I think pushing myself to go out of my contemporary romance comfort zone has helped me grow as a writer. As I will most likely not eat escargot again, I doubt I’ll write another dark paranormal, but I’m glad for the experience. And I got a book I love and am proud of.

My next “stretch” will be to write a historical romance. For years, I’ve wanted to write a book set during the Gilded Age, a time that fascinates me. I even have a rough plot. Just as I hope to have the opportunity to try more exotic foods, I hope to someday write this book. In the meantime, I’m committed to a boxed set with some local authors, several of whom are NYT and USAT bestsellers. In this set, I’ll write a historical romance, if you call 1970-1971 historical. I’ll rely on my own memory plus some research to write my Vietnam War era story. Who knew a period during my lifetime would now be considered history?

What about you? Are you a fearless eater, willing to try exotic foods at least once? Have you written stories that took you out of your comfort zone? How’d that work out for you?

Below are covers for my first foodie romance, A Catered Romance, and my most recent foodie story, Capri Nights. Also the cover for Logan’s Redemption, which is free now, and the cover for Cursed Mates. I hope I’ve whetted your appetite to try my stories.


 Buy Links:

  Print: http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Mates-Cara-Marsi/dp/0991597583

Capri Nights:

A Catered Romance:
Print: http://www.amazon.com/Catered-Romance-Cara-Marsi/dp/0991597567

Logan's Redemption:

#Giveaway ~ Author @Elaine_Violette talks about her newest #Historical #Romance on #RB4U

Thank you for the kind invitation to tell your readers about my newest Historical Romance eBook, THE DIARY OF NARCISSA DUNN, launched May 1st.
When I first began writing novels, they were strictly British romances, always my favorite to read. Perhaps because I love to travel, I sent my heroine in my third book, A KISS OF PROMISE, on a harrowing journey across the ocean to Boston. In THE DIARY OF NARCISSA DUNN, the setting is 1800s New England as two men vie for the same woman for different reasons.  My inspiration for THE DIARY OF NARCISSA DUNN came from a morning walk in a cemetery. After reading a compelling and captivating epitaph on an old gravestone, I knew I had to write a novel based on the message.  No spoilers!  I hope readers will be captivated as well.

THE DIARY OF NARCISSA DUNN is a ghostly love story that arouses our social conscience and can test our ability to forgive the unforgivable.  Set in New England, pre-Civil War, the story reveals the complex relationship between a father and daughter. When Olivia’s father, a minister, tries to force her into an unwanted marriage, mysterious events occur, creating havoc in the parsonage.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Pratt, desperately in love with Olivia discovers an old diary that exposes long hidden secrets that could shatter her identity and destroy her family. As he competes with another suitor, her father’s choice, he is torn between revealing destructive truths or keep the secret and watch her marry another. Either way, he’s bound to lose her unless a mysterious woman intervenes.

Pre-order Buy Links:
The Diary of Narcissa Dunn for Kindle: http://amzn.com/B01EBA54T6

About the Author
Elaine writes British and American Historical Romances. Part of the fun of writing Historicals, she says, is doing research into the past and creating characters that live and love in those sometimes glorious and sometimes harrowing times. A veteran English teacher, she resides on the Connecticut shoreline with her golfing husband, Drew, and delights in being a wife, mother, and grandmother. Other favorite activities apart from reading and writing are nature walks, kayaking, and baking yummy desserts.

Author Links
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Drawing for a Gift Card to Amazon!
We authors love to connect with our readers. I’m giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card for one reader who comments on this blog and signs up for my newsletter on my website www.elaineviolette.com.