Saturday 17 August 2013

Cover Reveal - Tormented, Book Two Of The Gates Legacy By Lorenz Font

I love a good cover reveal, and this one by Renaissance Romance Publishing author, Lorenz Font is brilliant. Check it out, and pick up a copy of the first book in The Gates Legacy before Tormented is out.



Summary:

Tor Burns is a non-infected vampire who has taken refuge in the Tack Enterprises underground facility. Having survived a vicious attack with his fellow vampire Harrow, he now has a new purpose. Vampires afflicted with Gates Syndrome are still being hunted, and Tor is committed to saving them from the clutches of the Vampire Council. With a semi-cure within their grasp, Tor is reluctant to accept his new assignment: bodyguard to Allison Tack, the daughter of their fallen leader. Armed with an abrasive personality and fierce loyalty, Tor approaches this new responsibility with serious determination despite his reservations. 

Vampire Allison Tack is the beautiful and timid co-heir of the Tack fortune. Infected and hunted by the Council, those lucky enough to have known her father are determined to keep her safe.  A walking target wherever she goes, Allison wants to learn how to protect herself, but no one is listening. Sick of being the helpless one in the company of trained fighters around her, Allison vows to prove that she can fight alongside the best of them. 

Meanwhile, the harem leader, Melissa, is hell-bent on unraveling any clue about her son Demetrius’s fate. He disappeared without a word, and time has made her desperate. Stepping up her efforts, she seeks the help of Demetrius’s son, Zane. With the additional manpower, Melissa finds the lair of the suspected vampires and wages war against them. 

Thrown together by necessity, Tor and Allison can’t continue to deny their attraction to each other. Tor wants to give in to his feelings for her, but old demons resurface. He must confront the past to prevent losing the best thing that ever happened to him. 

A life must be given for a life taken. Will Tor have to sacrifice himself before Allison pays the price?




Author Bio;

Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. She is currently enjoying the buzz from her debut novel Hunted, the first installment of The Gates Legacy trilogy. 

Writing is therapeutic for Lorenz, and a perfect day consists of writing and playing with her characters while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She enjoys dabbling in different genres, with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories. 

Lorenz currently lives in California with her husband, children, and two demanding dogs. She divides her time between a full-time job as a Business Office Manager for a hospital and her busy writing schedule. 














Thursday 8 August 2013

Cover Reveal - The Journey To A New Life


Renaissance Romance Author and big boss lady at the house (one of) has the final instalment in her Journey series coming out, and below is the cover reveal - drum roll please.





Summary;

Travis McCoy’s journey has led him down a road of changes where he found the love of his life and their child. Travis, Penelope, and Max have struggled during their time apart, found their way back home, and finally tied their lives together as a family. Now, Penelope and Travis find themselves on a new journey, one that leads them to the greatest journey of all.




Authors Bio;


Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. 
Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller. 

In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley. 




For more details on this author, and links where you can purchase this book and the series, check out below.






Guest Post From Author R.E. Hargrave



A Divine Life


On my blog today I have a guest post from Renaissance Romance Publishing author, R. E. Hargrave. Currently on sale is her second instalment from her Divine Trilogy, A Divine Life.

 

Summary;


Over the past year of being Jayden Masterson’s collared submissive, Catherine O’Chancey has worked through the mental terrors left behind by her old Dom — she thinks. To celebrate their collar-ing anniversary, Jayden organizes a special day, during which her final limits and fantasies will be realized. Will it prove to be more than she can handle? Can she endure the erotic onslaught her mind and body will experience and survive unscathed?

While Catherine faces dark shadows and pleasurable highs, Jayden finds his own inner strength being tested. He has come to realize that, somewhere along the way, Catherine has taken possession of his heart, mind, and body. Now he faces his biggest challenge ever; he must let go of all his submissives but one: his jewel, Catherine. Can he leave his philandering ways behind? Has he made the ultimate mistake by putting his jewel into the hands of others?



Excerpt;


“So, how does that work? I mean, how does one draw the line between Master and husband?” Was such a complicated relationship possible? Could Jayden see her that way? Just thinking his name caused a funny feeling in Catherine’s chest. Her thoughts continued, now on overdrive . . .

No. Master didn’t do personal relationships. He’d said as much when they’d first signed their con-tract together. They’d both agreed to the understanding that this was nothing more than a sexual relationship. Hell, he was fucking two other people besides her that she knew of. If there were a chance that he wanted something more with her, he wouldn’t have handed her over to complete strangers today. Would he? Oh, God. Sir Jonathan’s offer to take Catherine on repeated itself in her memory, along with the knowledge that she had more sessions today with an unknown number of Doms. Was that what today was? Had the ‘inspection’ Sir Jonathan performed not been part of the scene? Was Sir Jonathan looking her over as a potential acquisition? What about Miss K offering to take her on back in February? Catherine’s stomach soured again.

“No. No, please, no. I — I can’t,” Catherine mumbled and began to shake.

“Erin?”

Her world began crumbling around her, and panic took root. Catherine gasped for air, wrapping her arms around her mid-section.

“Erin! What’s wrong?”

Paige’s shriek snapped Catherine to attention, and she raised her watery eyes to meet her new friend’s.

“Paige,” Catherine started to cry. “He figured it out. I tried to be so good, so careful. He knows, and he’s going to get rid of me!” She thought she’d done so well at hiding her secret over the months, protecting her heart.

Paige had wrapped her arm around Catherine and was rubbing slow circles on her back. With a wince, Catherine became quite aware of every lash mark from Sir Jonathan’s whip. They now burned to her core when Paige’s soft hands brushed over them. Catherine flinched away from her.

“Shh, Erin,” she said in a calming voice. “Who knows what, sweetie? What are you talking about?”

Turning wide eyes on her, Catherine choked out, “Jay . . . Master. He knows I’ve fallen in — in love with him. I wasn’t supposed to. He found out, and now he’s interviewing me with strange Doms to get rid of me. I broke the rules and he —” she swallowed a sob, “he doesn’t want me anymore!”




Author Guest Post;

I find myself obsessed with knowing what inspires all authors to write, and where they draw the ideas from. With this in mind I asked R. E. Hargrave to answer me the following;

Please tell us where you draw your inspiration from in your writing, and what you think is the foundation of a good author.

First, and foremost, thanks so much for hosting me today!

Now, for your question. Allow me to begin with what I personally feel makes a good foundation for an author. The answer, in one word: Life. 

A good writer gets out there and experiences all that life has to offer, from the great moments to the less than stellar. But it’s these experiences that give us—writers—a solid base to draw inspiration from.

In this fast-paced, high-tech age, people are more selective with their purchases, and their time is precious. When they spend their hard earned dollar on a book, hopefully that book will be a mini-vacation from real life; between those covers should be another world created from the written word.

How is it possible that an author can take you away in their stories? By writing with feeling; putting words down with deep-felt emotions that they’re able to bring to life because they Have. Lived. Them. Therefore, the writer knows, inside and out, what they are describing. First crush and first heartbreak; losing someone to death, whether it be gentle and natural, or a violent one; holding your baby for the first time, then watching that child grow—these are all things that are special, yet unique for each person. Familiar enough to relate, but when told from a new perspective, the reader gets to experience them all over again.

Shall I demonstrate? This excerpt is from book one of The Divine Trilogy, To Serve is Divine. Having been in Bass Hall, and having seen a live performance of The Phantom of the Opera, I was able to incorporate my personal experiences. Enjoy . . .

Catherine wasn’t fast enough to stop her escaping gasp when Master lowered his lips to tease across Micah’s. It was nothing more than a glancing touch, but the personal nature of the action unsettled Catherine.

Master’s eyes were dark when they turned back to her. 

“I’m not a puppet to be controlled, pet. It would do you well to remember that when you try to orchestrate an outcome.”

Embarrassment and shame crept into her. Without doubt, Master was right. Since she had tried to force his hand, she deserved whatever discipline he wanted to dole out. Catherine would be humble in accepting her punishment. She’d been disrespectful and rude, and that was uncalled for.

Punctuating the moment, the lights in the hall dimmed at the same time she lowered her eyes and slid from her chair to kneel at Master’s feet.

“Please accept this girl’s profound apologies. She is willing to receive any reprimand her Master desires to bestow upon her,” Catherine murmured, and the words were almost drowned out when the orchestra played their concert F.

The lone note rose into the air until it reached its peak, and the orchestra held it steady and unwavering before letting it fade away. It was an exquisite display of the acoustics the room held.

If Catherine had dared to break form it would have been to cross her fingers in the hope’s that she could remain quiet with whatever was about to happen. Instead, she resigned herself to the excitement that traipsed across her skin at the delicious naughtiness of it all. There was no denying that her thighs were now sticky, or that she wanted to rub them together.

Down on the stage, the opening scene of Phantom of the Opera began with the loud rap of the auctioneer’s gavel reverberating throughout the hall.

Catherine and Micah stayed kneeling until the first song filled the great space. At which point, Master set his plans into motion.

The cool thing about building that creative foundation? When you open your eyes, ears, and heart, you'll find that inspiration is everywhere. A picture, a song lyric, an overheard conversation, even a stolen moment in a lover's arms—they are every day parts of our life. Don't be afraid of them; live life and embrace both the good with the bad, and only your imagination can fence you in.



Author Bio



R.E. Hargrave lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX where she prides herself on being a domestic engineer. Married to her high school sweetheart, together they are raising three children from elementary age to college age. She is an avid reader, a sometimes quilter and now, a writer for Renaissance Romance Publishing.


Author Links






Sunday 4 August 2013

Jane Reinhart - Heat Wave Guest Post

Last, but by no means least, is Jane Reinhart and her guest post which is below. Jane's story for the Heat Wave Anthology is called Peeking Through Wooden Blinds.





Where do you draw your inspiration from, and what inspires you to write?
I draw inspiration from the people and places around me. It's true - there is a story in everything. Having lived in many parts of the world and also traveled extensively, I am fortunate to have acquired several friends from around the globe. As I listen to the personal experiences of others, the one interesting concept I find is that life can show you a piece of paradise - then in a flash, take it all away. Since love, life, and relationships are not perfect, I tend to write stories readers can relate to; where the main characters face difficult challenges, and I like to lighten the tone with a peppering of humor.
I am inspired by the splendor of life and the ability of mankind to rise above hardships with grace and dignity, and I strive to transfer that inspiration to my readers by infusing my books with messages of hope, self-reflection, and the importance of our decisions. While my stories are designed with suspense and a surprise twist at the end, I also want them to be meaningful.




Summary;

Paige Henderson and Joey Novak are planning their wedding. But a devastating and mysterious phone call leads Paige onto a path of self-destruction and into the arms of the wrong man. Her ensuing marriage to Nick Bruska becomes a nightmare and she struggles to regain self-worth. Joey has never forgotten Paige. Will he ever see her again? Only then could they discover the terrible mistake that changed the course of their lives.




Excerpt;

The invitation list included Bob and Maura, a couple who also grew up with Nick. While Paige was mingling with guests in the living room, Nick and Maura were in the basement playroom watching television. Bob walked downstairs to inform his wife it was time to go. All of a sudden, the irate husband came storming upstairs to confront Paige.

"Do you know what your husband is doing?" Bob screamed.

Paige was dazed and uncertain.

"He is lying on the couch with my wife, and he has his arms wrapped around her!"

While Paige was trying to create a suitable excuse for Nick's behavior, Maura ran upstairs to explain her innocence. After a brief scolding from her husband, she directed her comments to Paige.

"Don't listen to Bob," Maura said. "He has a bad temper. You know Nick and I have been close for a long time, and he wasn't doing anything wrong."

Bob and Maura left while the other guests were still trying to close their mouths.

Paige knew Maura spoke the truth. Nick took all aspects of his personality to the limit, especially his affectionate nature, but she gave him an impending warning.

"Nick," she started, "one day your over-friendless is going to get you into a lot of trouble."
 Nick agreed, but didn't absorb her warning.

Insisting that it was "nice to be nice," the sociable husband assured his wife that he knew where to draw the line. For instance, Nick confessed that, once, when a young woman offered him her phone number after an evening of pinball challenge, he declined and told the girl he was married. With a gallant air, he shared the story now to prove his fidelity. Paige reminded him that if he spent hours cavorting with female competitors, he was already straddling the fence. Furthermore, she argued that women on the prowl always checked a man's hand to see if he was sporting a wedding ring. That was something Nick refused to do; explaining that, since he was a tradesman, wearing one presented the dangerous risk of getting the ring caught in machinery. He added that when he retired, he would wear the band of gold with pride.

Trust regained its stronghold, and another obvious wave of the red flag was ignored.





Author Bio;

Jane Reinhart, author and poet, resides in Westchester County, New York, with her husband and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and cooking. 






Elizabeth M. Lawrence - Heat Wave Guest Post

Second of the authors on my blog today is, Elizabeth M. Lawrence who has given me a great guest post. Her story in the Heat Wave anthology is called, Wishing Cotton.




Simple Storytelling

A short story is often difficult to talk about in-depth simply due to its brevity, and so readers may wonder why an author would choose not to expand a tale into a full-length novel. As writers of flash fiction will tell you, it is possible to create a whole, breathing, vibrant world in very few words, and short stories are often more complex than their lengthier counterparts. My previous short story, My Apple Tree, actually told two separate stories that covered a great deal of time and incorporated several different characters. However, I have elected to keep my new short story, Wishing Cotton, very simple and uncomplicated.

In my experience, it is the little moments in a story that resonate the strongest with readers rather than the entire plot as a whole. Readers want, of course, to be engaged throughout the full length of the tale, whether it be a novel or a short story. However, a story’s success often hinges on just a paragraph or two – sometimes only one sentence. I’m not pretending to have a powerful, magical moment like that, but it does support the theory that a story does not need to be complicated to be enjoyable.
Wishing Cotton is by far the simplest story I’ve ever written (as an adult, anyway). On its face, it introduces us to three characters: Olive Alexander, her friend Blair Adams, and Peter Keyes. Olive and Blair are vacationing together in a cabin by the beach, and Peter has likewise rented one of his own. All three characters are at a moment in their lives when they must make some decision about where they will go from here. Olive is adjusting after the end of a long-term relationship, Blair is struggling against her need for financial security, and Peter is living under the shadow of a professional failure. While each of them responds in their unique way to their challenges, none of these scenarios are unusual. We can understand the emotions behind their situations because each is something that almost everyone has experienced in their lives. By not focusing on the particulars of the back story, we are able to see the commonalities that resonate with our own experiences.

Likewise, it is the simplicity of this story that allows the reader to see the true lessons that can be taken from each small development in the plot. In order to move forward, the characters must be honest with themselves and identify what is most important to each of them. Until they do this, each of them is trapped in a moment of indecision. If the overarching story were more complex, this essential detail would be lost, but without anything to distract from it, the reader is fully aware of the truth behind each character’s ultimate wish.

I will admit that it is somewhat daunting to present such a basic, straightforward plot. The modern trend favors more dramatic and tempestuous story lines. However, as with any other manuscript I’ve worked on, the central idea and the characters engaged and intrigued me, and I felt that their experiences, however simple, deserved to be brought to life. Authors – like any creative professionals – need to continually stretch and develop their skill, and I have found that writing a simple story is far more challenging than I would have anticipated. 

Wishing Cotton is being released on July 23, 2013, by Renaissance Romance Publishing. I hope that readers will enjoy my effort at simple storytelling!




Summary;

Throw a penny in a well, wish on a star, find a four-leaf clover . . . No matter which rituals people follow, none ever seem to work. But what if there were a way to make wishes come true? For best friends Olive Alexander and Blair Adams, a beach holiday provides the perfect opportunity to see if they can find the secret. Could fellow vacationer Peter Keyes hold the key to solving this puzzle?






Excerpt;

Pulling a piece of cotton candy from its cone, Olive rolled it around in her fingers, letting it get sticky and matted. She glowered down at the mess she was making without really seeing it and thought, “All I want is a man who will love me for who I am. Someone I can talk to and laugh with and be friends with. I just wish I could fall in love and know that it was real and true and forever. A man I can grow old with and go exploring with and just . . .”

“Hello.”

Olive jumped about half a foot. The unexpected greeting came from her left, where a man of about thirty sat grinning at her. She was certain he had not been there a minute ago. Even in her funk, she would have noticed the kind, dark brown eyes, expressive eyebrows, and generous lower lip that gave her some rather interesting ideas about potential nibbling. His hair looked almost as though he had been electrocuted, sticking up in all directions in a way that should have been a disaster, but he managed to pull it off somehow. It suited him.

She attempted to regain her composure, but her heart was still hammering in a rather determined manner. “Um . . . Hi.” Brilliant. Someone should give her the Pulitzer.

“So,” her new acquaintance continued in a smooth British accent, “are you having some sort of existential crisis, or are you just not a fan of funfairs in general? You looked quite cross when I sat down.”

“I suppose I did,” she agreed, not really wanting to tell this man that she’d been indulging in a bit of a pity party.




Author Bio;

Elizabeth M. Lawrence is the author of both contemporary and period romances. Each book incorporates its own unique blend of humor and reverence, the paranormal and the mundane, innocence and insanity. In addition to her novels, Elizabeth serves as Editor-in-Chief for Renaissance Romance Publishing. A lifelong writer and former paralegal, Elizabeth divides her free time between her husband and two sons, her three cats, her collection of cozy murder mysteries, her slight Doctor Who obsession, and her mildly severe caffeine addiction. A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Elizabeth now works from her home in Cleveland, Ohio.



Jude Ouvrard - Heat Wave Guest Post

With the release of the Heat Wave Anthology from Renaissance Romance Publishing authors, I have the pleasure of having a guest post from all three authors.

First we have the lovely Jude Ouvrard, whose story is called Under The Sun.



I have asked Jude the following, because this is something which always has intrigued me.

Where do you draw your inspiration from, and what inspires you to write?

I'm only 29 but I can tell you that a lot of my life experiences have had influenced on my writing.

The loss of my grandparents has inspired me to write Under the Sun and it helped me writing Wonderland as well. Losing family is never easy but you can learn a lot from it. You learn how to deal with your emotions and how to move on.

In my novella Under the Sun, the story occurs after the death of a love one. The grief, the sadness, all these emotions that the main character, Tracey, had to go through, I did too. Saying goodbye is never easy even when it’s the right thing. And after, you just need to take the time to heal and sometimes, you are lucky enough to have someone who's willing to help.

Also, Tracey leaves her city life to spend the summer in Wells Beach, Maine. When I was younger, I was lucky enough to go there every summer with my parents and brother. I love this place very much, it feels like home. The ocean, the cabins where we used to stay, all these memories helped me to write the story.  There are few things in the book that happened in my life during my time there.

I personally think the best inspiration we can have is based on our own life. I know it isn't always possible but so far, my life helped me  a lot with my writing.

When I write, I always try to send a message to my readers.  A life lesson. It helps me to create the story. No matter what life lesson the story is based on, to me, it's as strong as a storyline.

I always get tons of ideas when I am driving my car around town. It gets distracting. All the plots are clear in my mind and I can't write them down. Of course, when I'm finally able to write them down, they are  gone. I should definitely get a voice recorder or hire an assistant who could write down all my crazy ideas while I'm driving. Ha! Ha! Only in my dreams, I guess.



Under The Sun 
By Jude Ouvrard


Summary;

Tracey Howard has put her life on hold for years to care for her grandmother. Now that her grandmother is gone, Tracey decides to spend summer at the beach and reflect on where she wants life to take her next. Jackson Phillips is her new neighbour, and he dazzles her from the first moment they meet. Will Jackson be able to show Tracey how to let go of old pain and embrace future happiness?



Excerpt;

It might have been my imagination, but when our eyes met, I felt something stirring inside me. I stared at her, wondering what had just happened, and I could still feel the tingling warmth on my skin. There was something between us, but I didn’t know quite what. Everything felt right, like we were supposed to be together.



Tracey looked away, breaking our connection. “Do you need help with anything?”

“Nope. Everything's ready.” Even though I could have stared at her all night, I didn’t want to ruin the evening. So I turned my attention to our dinner and got the bruschetta and the garlic bread on the table.

“Mmm, it looks delicious, chef.” Tracey laughed. She had quite the spirit, and unlike so many women, she didn’t appear to be complicated. When I placed the shrimp Alfredo linguini on the table, Tracey literally licked her lips. “I think I might join you for dinner every night. It smells so good.”

“I would love that,” I replied. “The company would be nice.”



***


Author Bio;

Jude lives in Montreal, Canada. She is the proud mother of a beautiful four year old son, and has spent the last twelve years with her partner, Cedric. French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English. Besides working full time for a title insurance company and being a mother, Jude has a passion for books, both reading and writing them.