Jocelynn Drake's Blog: Announcements, page 19

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

May your day be filled with treats and no tricks!

I have always enjoyed dressing up for Halloween, but I'll admit that I don't have any plans for the holiday this year. It kind of sneaked up on us. I've been traveling heavily this year and then the day job has kept me busy and then we just had the release of Torch .

See... busy.

And then there's all the new stuff that Rinda and I have planned. But I'm not going to get into that just yet. It's coming. Don't worry. We've got lots of good stuff coming.

But in the meantime, if you'd like to check out a fun Halloween-related story, be sure to check out Perfect . It's a Halloween short story that Rinda and I wrote for Lucas and Andrei. You can read the free version here.

However, if you'd like to read a revised (and slightly naughtier version), check out the Unbreakable Stories: Lucas . Perfect is one of the short stories included in the collection along with a fun Thanksgiving novelette.

And as a special treat, don't miss out on the sale going on over at All Romance Ebooks through today. They are offering a 50% off on all my books as well as Rinda's (and her awesomely sexy Dani Worth books).



Well... Let's see... you've got a Halloween story to read, a book sale to take advantage to take of ...

Oh... and if you're interesed in a different kind of holiday story, I have a Christmas novella coming out on November 22 called Walking on Thin Ice . You can pre-order it today.

In the meantime, I'm heading back into the Unbreakable Bonds series. We've got free short stories comes soon for Rowe and Noah, Snow's getting his own collection of stories, and we've still got to write Ian's book, DEVOUR.

A Book-Tastic 2016: Don't Miss Out

It has been an incredibly busy year and we’re getting down to the last couple of months. There has been travel – Daytona, Uruguay, Cincinnati, Bermuda, Savannah, and Oklahoma City… with the U.K. closing out the year.

But the most important thing is that there have been books!

I can’t believe it, but I’m on pace to release 5 new projects this year. I’ve got a quick recap below in case you might have missed out on some of the fun!

Shatter (Book 2 of Unbreakable Bonds) — Gay romantic suspense — Released in April

Maverick trauma surgeon Ashton “Snow” Frost keeps the world at a distance, relying only on his three closest friends to keep him connected. But when a ghost from their past returns to Cincinnati, Snow stands to lose everyone he loves. Framed for murder and reeling from attacks on his friends, Snow is pushed to his breaking point.

Jude Torres won’t let the doc shatter. The paramedic has been attracted to the doctor since he first laid eyes on him at the hospital, even if the arrogant, solitary man doesn’t fit into any of his plans. One hot, reckless kiss shows that Snow isn’t who he appears to be. And one night together will never be enough. Jude will fight for the doc.

Fight to keep him whole. Fight to keep him safe. Fight to simply keep him.

Unbreakable Bonds.

Unbreakable Stories: Lucas (Book 1.5 of Unbreakable Bonds — short story collection) — Gay romantic suspense — Released in June

This special collection of features 5 short stories and 1 novelette.

It will include special Author’s Editions of the previously released free short stories. (And don’t worry, the original versions of the free short stories will continue to be available here.)

The collection will also include at two brand new, never-seen-before short stories as well as a brand new novelette.  At a minimum, the book will be approximately 30,000 words. In other words, a lazy afternoon read.

All the stories will focus on Lucas and Andrei, but all the main characters (Snow, Ian and Rowe) will make an appearance within the collection. The stories in this collection will occur after the events of Shiver, book 1, but before the events of Shatter, book 2.

Unbreakable Stories: Lucas includes:

The Meeting

Perfect

Te Iubesc

Thanksgiving

Homecoming

I Want More

Stefan (Lost Nights series) — m/f paranormal romance — Released July

Kidnapping. Betrayal. Murder.

That’s an average night for most vampires.

But it’s a harsh wake-up call for artist Erin Prescott during her recent trip to Venice, Italy. The world has changed since humanity discovered the existence of vampires, and not for the better.

It was just supposed to be one night. What could be the harm in helping out Stefan — the vampire with a smile that could stop her heart?

But that one night twisted into something far more sinister and deadly.

Framed for murder and trapped in the center of a plot to take down one of the most powerful vampires in all the world, Erin is fighting not only for her own right to exist, but also to save Stefan.

To save him… she has to be willing to lose him.

Torch (Book 3 of Unbreakable Bonds) — Gay romantic suspense — Released on October 24

Nine months ago, Rowan Ward thought he had it all. Now he’s fighting to pull his shredded life together, buried in work and battling the kind of grief that destroys a man’s soul. When fires spring up around Cincinnati threatening Rowe’s friends and clients, he’s thrilled to find his old Army buddy, Noah Keegan in town. They were a hell of a team when they served together, so in-sync, it was rumored they could read each other’s minds.

Noah thought devoting his life to the Army would be enough. Then he realized he had no family and only one friend he cared about. When his enlistment was up, he found himself standing on Rowe’s doorstep, looking only for friendship but secretly hoping for more. He needs to know if their one unbelievable night together years ago wasn’t a mistake.

Caught in a dangerous game of fire and bullets, neither expects the inferno of emotion that ignites between them. One Rowe isn’t prepared to accept. One that could break Noah.

 

And finally…

I’ve got a brand new Christmas novella that I am released on November 22 called Walking on Thin Ice .

It is a gay contemporary romance that is a stand-alone novella of approximately 42,000 words.

It’s not easy for Spenser Roland to admit it, but he needs help. Christmas is just a few days away, and he can’t face the idea of showing up to his family’s gathering alone … again. They want to see him happily settled, but Spenser doesn’t date. He can’t risk it if he wants to protect his family. But one unexpected night with Evan Scott has him thinking that maybe he can strike a deal that will make his family happy and give him a little holiday cheer as well.

Evan never should have accepted a ride home from the sexy-as-hell corporate executive, but he’s proud that he stuck to his guns. He’s done with the one-night stand game. He wants something real. Something that lasts. But when Spenser returns, asking him to pose as his boyfriend over the weekend at a Christmas celebration, Evan is sure he’s lost his mind.

But he can’t say no.

Maybe it’s the shadow of loneliness in Spenser’s bright blue eyes that’s too much like his own. Or maybe it’s his heart-stopping smile.

Either way, Evan knows he’s on thin ice with Spenser, risking his own rules and heart, but Spenser is worth the risk.

You can pre-order your copy here.

And don't worry. I've got several more books planned for 2017. Rinda and I had a fabulous retreat earlier this month and we planned out book for not only 2017 but 2018 as well. It's going to be very busy for the next few years!  Happy reading!

 

A Moment With Andrei and Noah

We are nearly ready to release Torch, book 3 of the Unbreakable Bonds series. We know that readers are so excited for the release of this book. Heck, I'm dying to get it into the hands of readers. To help ease the wait, I thought I would share a sneak preview of one of my favorite scenes from the book. But then... Andrei is one of my favorite characters.  Enjoy!

Torch Sneak Preview

Andrei stared at him with probing dark eyes a long time before he nodded. “Fine then. I thought not. Come on. I’m supposed to give you a weapons training session.”

Noah had barely enough time to sort through Andrei’s apparent belief that he and Ian were a poor match before being slammed with the idea that he actually needed weapons training. He snorted. “We have met before, right? You know I’ve been in the Army all my adult life. Former Ranger even. There isn’t a lot I don’t know about weapons.”

“Right?” Andrei shook his he ad. “I think it’s Rowe who needs the stress relief. He nearly bit my head off.”

Noah didn’t know what to say to that, but his gut twisted up in knots because it was his fault Rowe wasn’t dealing well with their situation.

Andrei suddenly grinned. “He didn’t say what kind of weapons training. I got an idea.”

Thirty minutes later, Noah whooped and held up his target. “This one won’t be eating any more brains.” He winked at Andrei through the hole his bullets had made through target’s head. “I’ve never seen zombie targets.”

“Rowe ordered them.” Andrei pulled his in and pointed.

Noah cracked up when he saw the happy face right in its center mass. With weapons and targets in hand, they walked over to a weapons cleaning and storage area. Andrei quickly showed him how to mark the usage of ammo and the fact they were the last ones to use those particular guns before they started to clean their weapons.

“Have you worked for Rowe long?” Noah asked, his fingers moving over the metal with a practiced ease.

Andrei shook his head. A few stray tendrils slipped from where he’d pulled it back to crowd his eyes. “Just a few years. I was training to be a professional MMA fighter when I blew out my knee in the cage.”

“Damn,” Noah whispered, pausing to look at the younger man. Rowe wasn’t the only one walking around the company with a dream-ending injury. “You couldn’t come back from it?”

“Thought about it.” Andrei paused for a minute, his long fingers tightening around the gun for a second. “But the injury would have been common knowledge. Every fighter would have been aiming for my bad knee for an easy takedown. One or two rough matches and the knee would get fucked up bad enough that I wouldn’t be able to walk. Wasn’t worth the risk. I was lucky Rowe found me. So instead of beating the crap out of people for a living, I’m protecting them.”

“And beating the crap out of the people threatening your clients.”

Andrei snorted. “Every job has its perks.”

Noah matched his smile, feeling the last of the lingering tension ease from his shoulders. He liked talking to Andrei. The man had this easy-going nature to him, as if there wasn’t much that could actually get under his skin. That kind of mellow demeanor helped him to push his worries about Rowe to the back of his brain.

“Do you ever miss it?”

Andrei looked over his shoulder at Noah as he slid home the lock for the weapons cage. “The cage?” He grinned and there was a little self-mocking in that look. “For the first year working here, yes. Every fucking second.”

Noah chuckled. “But not now? What changed?” But even as the words left his mouth, he knew the answer. Andrei met Lucas.

“Found something that means more to me than being the best fighter in the world.” Andrei turned and pushed back a stray, damp hair from his cheek. “Besides, Rowe lets me ‘train’ with the new recruits whenever I’m feeling restless.”

A loud laugh jumped from Noah’s throat. “Gee, thanks for the warning.” A new tension crept into Noah’s frame as he noticed that Andrei stood with his arms folded loosely over his wide chest, a speculative look in his eyes. He caught the bodyguard doing that a few times while at Lucas’s penthouse, and each time it preceded something particularly insightful coming out of his mouth. The man was good at playing the role of the watchful guardian, sinking back into the shadows until you nearly forgot that he was there, but he was and he was taking in everything that happened around him. Noah wasn’t sure he wanted to know what Andrei saw.

“You need to give him more time,” Andrei said softly after nearly a minute of silence.

Noah didn’t need to ask who Andrei was talking about and he didn’t really want to know how Andrei even knew. For just a second, sympathy filled his dark brown eyes, showing Noah that he understood. And Andrei probably did. He couldn’t imagine loving someone like Lucas Vallois was particularly easy.

“If I thought I had a real shot in hell with him, I’d give him the rest of my life.”

If you haven't pre-ordered your copy of Torch yet, click here for a link to all the vendors. Yes, we will also have a print version of the book, which will be available at the same time as the ebook.

And if you would like to keep up on all the inside gossip and get early sneak previews of our work, be sure to check out our Facebook Group, Unbreakable Readers.

Would You Like to Meet Noah?

If Lucas is control and Andrei is protection….

And if Snow is pain and Jude is family…

And if Rowe is chaos…

Then I have to say that Noah Keegan is joy.

Let's Meet Noah

Noah Keegan was born on the West Coast in California, but he doesn’t remember much of it. At the age of eight, his parents were killed in a car accident and he was sent to live with his grandmother in Alabama. H e was relatively close with his grandmother, but the conservative south was not a comfortable place to be gay so Noah was careful to keep that side of himself lock away from even his only living relative. He feared losing the only home he had left and her love.

After completing high school, he joined the Army and then went through Ranger training, where he met Rowan Ward. They were both assigned to the same squad and quickly became close friends. They both have a fierce sense of loyalty and a need to protect. They also have the same diabolical sense of humor.

Noah loves practical jokes and when he’s not plotting them with Rowe then he’s plotting jokes to play on Rowe.

Music is also a key part of Noah’s soul. He plays both the guitar and piano, learning both while he was living with his grandmother. He’s got a gift for crafting melodies and can pick out most songs simply by listening to them. While in the Army, he was able to get his hands on an old acoustic guitar and he would play for the member so his squad or just as a way to keep his hands busy and his mind settled.

Noah and Rowe made a great team in the field. He always had Rowe’s back and took pride in keeping him safe. And it nearly broke him when he wasn’t there when Rowe was shot … ending his friend’s career as a Ranger.

When Rowe was forced to leave the Army, Noah was lost. He still believed in the work he was doing while in the Army and as a Ranger, but so much of the joy he’d found in life was suddenly absent without Rowe. He stayed for another 13 years because he was damn good at what he did, but as time passed, he found that he wasn’t making close friends and he wasn’t setting down any kind of roots.

He alone and empty inside. He needs a new purpose. He needs a life that’s honest and full of laughter again.

And he’s determined to find just that.

The first step … is getting his old friend Rowe back.

We can’t wait for you to meet Noah in Torch . The third full-length novel in the Unbreakable Bonds series will be out Tuesday, October 25. You can pre-order a copy now by clicking here.

On the Road Again: Savannah Style

I've been traveling...again. I'd like to say that I don't travel often and that I spend the majority of my time behind my computer, never going out to see the light of day. I'd like to say that ... mostly because I'm a hard-core introvert who loves spending quality time with the people in her head ... but I can't. If I'm remembering correctly, I've been to Uruguay, Cincinnati, and Bermuda this year. And I've still got two more trips to go.

But if you follow me on Facebook, you know that I recently went to Savannah with my husband. You see, he couldn't go to Uruguay or Bermuda with me (those were trips for the day job). As a result, we planned a quick vacation to the city that we both absolutely adore.

SAVANNAH....

Our very first trip together many years ago was to Savannah. And he fell in love with the city too!

But that fateful trip wasn't my first trip to the lovely southern city. I actually first ventured to Savannah a couple years earlier as part of a research trip for a book. You see, Savannah was a major location for my Dark Days series. And I knew if I was going to write about Savannah, I needed to walk her streets and spent some time with her people.

I just never expected to fall in love.

I have enjoyed three trips to the city. Each time I like checking out the little changes and developments they've made, while at the same time remarking on how so many of the big things (such as the beauty of the historical homes and the welcoming charm of the people) never change. It's a city that I can't imagine ever growing tired of. But I am willing to go again and again and again just to see if it's possible.

For me, I think one of the first things that stands out is that Savannah is the land of the trees. In particular, the live oak.

These trees are absolutely massive with giants limbs that stretch out in all directions, offering up the most wonderful shade on a hot day. These trees beckon you to sit under them and stare up at glimpses of blue sky between the leaves. You can just sit on a bench, your legs stretched out before you, and enjoy a little peaceful people watching while letting your mind amble down one path after another.

These are the trees exist the sole purpose of daydreaming.

If you've never made the trip to Savannah, let me give you a bit of a tour of one of my favorite places in the world (and keep in mind that I have been to Paris).

Established in 1733, Savannah is a town that oozes history from its very pores. From the birth of our nation to present day, the city's history and the history of our nation (both good and bad) can be found at every step. Embrace it and trust me, you'll find yourself enamored.

Built on a grid system, historical Savannah is actually quite easy to navigate. Bull Street runs up the center of the city from north to south, acting as the dividing line between east and west halves of the city. Because of the hotel I tend to pick each time I'm in town, we start our walking tour at the river on River Street.

Yeah, it's touristy and filled with souvenir shops with Savannah slapped on t-shirts and mugs, but it's also a good spot to book a dinner cruise on a river boat or grab some candy at one of the two candy shops along River Street. Oh, and both candy shops also offer ice cream and gelato. (I might have had a pineapple gelato in a waffle cone that was to die for and we might have splurged on some amazing fudge and a caramel apple. Shush! It was vacation and I had salads too!)

And as you can see, it's a pretty awesome place to take a stroll as the sun is setting.

Our first night in town, we had dinner along River Street. We then slowly strolled from one end to the other, checking out each of the historical memorials that dotted the path, enjoyed the beauty of the sunset, and listened to the various performers.

In short, it was a peaceful and perfect way to start our vacation.

The next day...

We headed out from River Street, moving south along Bull Street and visiting each of the squares that dot our path.

And that is something you will love about Savannah. The city has a deep respect for green space. The city has 22 squares spread at regular intervals. And if you following along Bull Street, you will eventually hit Forsyth Park.

Now each of the individual squares is lovely. Some are more ornate and elaborate than others, but they are all a great green space to relax and escape the heat of the day under a giant tree while chatting with a friend or reading a book.

But the crown jewel of green spaces is Forsyth Park.

Many times larger than the squares, Forsyth Park has a place for children to play and a small restaurant, but the thing that everyone comes to see if the large white fountain at the end of a tree-covered path.

On the east side of the historic district, you will find the Colonial Park Cemetery. Yes, I know it's no surprise that I found my way to the cemetery.

While it's not Savannah most famous cemetery, it is worth a visit. Many of the headstones are so old and weathered that the names and dates have been largely worn away.

Also as a side historical note, back during the Civil War, soldiers had to billet one winter in this cemetery. As a way of amusing themselves, soldiers pulled up many headstones and used them for target practice. Others changed the dates that some people died before they were born.

If you haven't figured it out, Savannah is a walking city. On the first day, we covered about seven miles and that was with ample breaks. On the second day, it rained a bit and we were lingering in the squares a little longer. As a result, we covered only 4.5 miles.

However, one great way to see Savannah is through one of the many tour groups. Several trolleys run through the historic district each day. Buying passage on one not only gives you on-and-off privileges all day but the driver provides some great stories about the city.

But the tour aren't just for the day time. I highly suggest that you also check out the ghost tours. A city this old, you know it's got to have a ghost story or two or a hundred. Yes, Savannah is ranked as one of the most haunted cities in America. And you don't even have to believe in that sort of thing to absolutely love the tours. Go for the nighttime spooky stories.

If you can't tell, I love Savannah. It's currently at the top of my list for where I want to move next. And it's also at the top of my list for places I want to feature in a book. I've already started the process of nudging and wooing Rinda to the idea of new books set in this old city. Trust me, it's a place made for mystery, magic, and romance.

Visiting Our Boy Rowe Ward

We are now just one month away from the release of Torch , which focuses on Rowe and Noah. I thought it was time to revisit Rowe. We did a background on Rowe once before, which focused on this life prior to the events of Shiver , the start of the Unbreakable Bonds series. But things have changed for Rowe…

Actually, I’m going to stop right here for a second because big spoilers are coming. Have you read Shatter ? No?  Okay, I’m going to need you to take a step back and read Shiver , then Unbreakable Stories: Lucas , and then Shatter …  Don’t worry. I’ll wait.

Okay… you’re all caught up now.  Deep breath…

Yeah, Melissa. That was bad. Rinda and I fell in love with that woman the first time she stepped onto the page. I can still see her gently holding Lucas’s face while standing in his penthouse, asking who in the world would want to fuck him now that he’s all beat up… She never held anything back and she loved Rowe and the rest of the group with a fierceness that couldn’t be beat.

But bad things happen to good people in books.

While you can read about early Rowe here, I thought I’d pop back in to talk about the Rowe of now. You can’t lose someone that you love with your every breath and thought and not be changed by it.

Nine months have passed since Melissa’s untimely death and Rowe is … functioning. He’s learning to simply be again. To exist. To smile. To not let the pain consume him. Some days he does well. Some days he doesn’t do so well.

It goes without saying that Lucas, Snow, and the rest of the boys are extremely worried about him. They are trying to give him the space he needs to get back on his feet again, but they are also trying to keep him active and engaged. They don’t want to lose another critical member of their family.

In many ways, Rowe at the start of Torch is lost. He’s lost his drive. He’s lost his energy. He’s lost his joy. He’s little more than a leaf carried along by the wind. He will always be there to love and protect his friends, but when the danger isn’t bearing down on them, he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

And that’s where Noah comes in….

Ahh… I’m not going to give all the good details on the lovely Noah just yet. I’ll just say that Noah is someone from Rowe’s army years.

Noah helps Rowe find himself again. To find his heart and the fire that once sparked in his green eyes.

But that’s not to say that they have an easy road ahead of them. How do you get your heart to work again when you’re sure you’ve buried it in the ground? And if you can risk loving, can you ever forgive yourself for loving another?

Don’t miss out on a second of Rowe and Noah. You can pre-order Torch here.

My Photos of Bermuda

I've got a day job. I love writing books, but it takes a while for the books to pay all the bills. But even with that, I've got too admit that I love my day job. I've been working in the financial industry for more than 15 years now. I love reporting about what's happening on Wall Street. I love uncovering interesting ways to grow and preserve their wealth.

I've been with the current company for roughly three years and I have met some truly amazing and crazy people. I've also got an amazing team that I absolutely adore.

And it doesn't hurt that the company I work for sticks me on a plane occasionally. During the past three years, I've been to Panama, the Bahamas, Uruguay... and now Bermuda. Of course, at the time of the travel, I'm working conferences so I don't get out of the hotel too much. But I have gotten to see some sights.

So..... today I thought that I would share some of the pictures that I've managed to take while I've been here.

The picture on the left is the hotel that we're staying in - the Southampton Fairmont. One thing that I learned very quickly is that Bermuda is incredibly hilly. The only flat land is the man-made land that is occupied by the airport.

The rest of the chain of connected islands is filled with narrow winding roads heading up and down these hills.

Naturally, I managed to find the cemetery...

I'm guess due to the high water table all the people are "buried" in these adorable crypts similar to what I found in one of the cemeteries in Savannah.

I like it because it's a tidy little city of the dead. (Can you tell that I've written urban fantasy and vampires in the past?)

After my travels to Uruguay, I have developed a love of lighthouses. I was lucky enough to spot the lighthouse in Bermuda from my own hotel room balcony. I heard there's a very nice restaurant near the lighthouse, but I don't think that I'll be able to get over there to check it out.

But... I still think there's something very romantic about lighthouses. That shining beacon cutting through the darkness guiding you home...

It's the last day of the conference for me so I'm hoping to spend some time at the beach. One of my favorite things that I've seen since coming to Bermuda is the blue of the water. It's just a lovely deep blue that is punctuated by a lighter turquoise from the two different coral reefs that surround the islands of Bermuda.

The stories that I've heard is that there are over 300 shipwrecks in Bermuda - and it's not due to the fabled Bermuda Triangle. It's the various coral reefs that tore ships apart. There are also tales of hidden pirate treasure, particularly in the Crystal Caves. The island is just made for stories to be written...

But without all the pirates and shipwrecks, Bermuda is a lovely, romantic place. I think I can imagine Lucas and Andrei or Snow and Jude ... or maybe even Rowe and Noah stretched out in the lounge chairs on the beach, soaking in the sun, and listening to the waves crash against the shore.

Yeah... I think we might need to send the Unbreakable Boys on vacation after all the adventures are over. They've earned it.

 

Drinks With Noah

Earlier in the week, I shared a glimpse of what it’s like to be in an author’s brain. In short, you’ve got to be a little mad. I guess that’s just my theme of the week, because I’ve got another secret to share with you. I talk to my characters.

No, it’s true. We have conversations.

When I was working on the Dark Days series, I used to take nightwalker Mira shopping with me. I always knew she’d have an opinion. (Danaus would trail behind us, huffing and grumbling.) Gage from the Asylum Tales series used to meet me for coffee and tease me with promises of new tattoos.

When it comes to Unbreakable Bonds, I’ve interviewed Lucas (who really doesn’t care to talk to me because he’s smart enough not to trust me) and I’ve had coffee with Andrei (who likes me because he knows I live to tease Lucas). I kindly left Snow and Jude alone because they like Rinda more than me.

And recently, Noah Keegan (someone new you’re going to meet in Torch) has been tugging at me, wanting a special meeting of his own….

Drinks with Noah

Noah let me pick the bar, but I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised since he was still learning the Cincinnati area. I’d brought him down to the Village, or better known to the world as Main Strasse Village. I’d spent too many of younger years popping in and out of these bars and restaurants with friends. It was evenly balanced between boisterous places booming with live music and dark nooks that offered a killer selection of bourbons and handcrafted drinks.

And I had a feeling that Noah needed a drink.

Which was only confirmed when he beat me to the bar. I found him sitting in one of the deep black leather chairs, his gaze out the window looking down Main Street, watching the scattering of people below. It was still early by Village standards, with most people crowding the restaurants. We had a solid couple hours before it became packed.

“I should have suspected that you’d know the best bar in town to get an Old Fashioned,” Noah said as he reached for his glass resting on the low table next to his knee.

I shrugged before sliding into the seat across from him, setting my own Rye Sour on the table. “I’m a Kentucky girl at heart. I know my bourbon.”

“But you’re not drinking bourbon.”

I smiled. “I also know when I need to keep my wits about me.”

A ghost of a smile drifted across his lips before it faded completely and his eyes moved back to the window. This was not the Noah I knew — the man with the easy smile and teasing quip poised on the tip of his tongue.

“How are you liking Cincinnati?” I asked after the silence had stretched for nearly a minute.

“It’s great. It seems like it’s got a little bit of everything. I feel like I’ve got sports coming out of my ears here. I can see why Rowe fell in love with this town.”

“And wait until it’s summer. This town really loves to blow stuff up in a big way.”

Noah just glared at me and I cringed. Way to really step in it! I’d been referring to the citizens’ love of fireworks, but now really wasn’t the time for that.

The glare fell away and I bit back my own sigh.

“Just spit it out. What’s on your mind?”

“I’m beginning to wonder if I should have come back at all,” Noah announced and my heart went out to him as he stared down at his empty hands. “I thought I’d be able to help him, but now I’m wondering if my motives were really just selfish and me being here is only making things worse.” His head snapped up and his hands balled into fists. “It’s not like he needs me at all. You’ve met all his friends. He’s got a great family already with Lucas, Snow, and Ian. Why does he need me?”

Reaching across the table, I placed my hand on top of one of his trembling fists. “He needs you.”

“I’m making things worse…”

“Listen, Kitten—”

Noah’s head jerked up and I bit my tongue, but it was already too late. The pet name was out.

“Kitten?”

I winced, trying hard not to giggle. “Sorry. It’s how we think of you sometimes.”

“Don’t you dare tell Rowe!”

“I make no promises,” I said with a grin and then turned serious again. “I won’t tell you to trust me, because I’m sure Lucas has already warned you against that. I will say that you should trust your heart. What is that telling you?”

Noah heaved a heavy sigh that sounded as if it had been pulled up from his toes. “Don’t go.”

I nodded and picked up my drink, lifting it to him a mock toast. “There, you have your answer.”

Hyde and Jekyll Are Editing Torch

Torch is nearly done. The third book in the Unbreakable Bonds series goes to the editing team that we’ve hired to clean up our messes. Rinda and I have both reached that part where we are picking apart the little things in the book. There was one section where I spent an hour emailing and debating a section that came down to one sentence. It’s the point where you start picking apart the various layers and examine them one by one, weighing their effectiveness. It’s the least pretty part of the writing process.

I’ll admit that I’m one of those writers where I allow myself to throw everything in during the rough draft. I let the characters have temper tantrums, say horrible things, and do horrible things. I let them shout and cry and laugh a little more than necessary. The characters and I break a lot of stuff during the rough draft process. We shatter, crush, beat, and burn the world.  (I think I’ve even scared Rinda a bit during this process.)

But the key is that the characters and I have to get all our mad impulses out during the rough draft process. You just gotta let the freak fly.

Because when it comes to the editing process, the controller moves into position. It’s almost as if I’m Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (Mr. Hyde is the one who gets to have all the fun in rough draft.)

The control freak, the scientist, the analyst – that’s the person who moves in and carefully examines every inch of the book. It’s not just weighing the scene against other scenes and the long-term impacts for the plot, but it’s weighing specific words as well. (In Torch , I spent 20 minutes analyzing the impact of “…maybe” in the book. Was is misleading? Did it give the wrong emotional impression? Was it too early?)

Dr. Jekyll loves to rein in Mr. Hyde, to pull in those scenes where the character’s action are a little too much. Of course, Dr. Jekyll doesn’t always win, but it’s a good push/pull relationship where we end up with a good book in the middle.

As you may have guessed, writing a book is a lot like making sausage. You don’t really want to know about the process… you just want to enjoy the final product.

And don’t worry about Rinda. She’s learned to handle my split personality just fine. She knows to send me sexy pictures to keep my Mr. Hyde in line.

Your Guide to the Unbreakable Bonds Boys

So…you went and did it. You tried Shiver and now you’re in love. Maybe you don’t necessarily love Lucas (he can be a bit of an ass at times, but his heart is in the right place) but you did fall in love with Andrei or Snow or Ian or maybe all of the above and more.

Trust me, I get it. When Rinda and I started working on these books, we fell so hard for these characters. We’re happy to live night and day in this world… but of course, we’re the ones writing it, so that’s not hard for us.

However… you’ve just finished reading the first book in the series and you’re wondering… where do I go next to get my fix?

That’s what my job is today. Let me walk your through our step-by-step guide to help get you through waiting for the next book or the next story.
Your Unbreakable Bonds Guide
Step 1. Take a deep breath and bask in your own brilliance for discovering this series.

Step 2. You’ve read Shiver, but you’re left with this nagging feeling that you need more from Lucas and Andrei. They’re taking their relationship too slow. (I know, even Snow thinks they are.) You need to check out the short stories for Lucas and Andrei. There are 3 free short stories that can be found here.

However, Rinda and I started thinking after we released those short stories… We decided to make some slightly naughtier versions of the free short stories PLUS we wrote 3 more new stories for Lucas and Andrei. We compiled them all in one place and titled the collection Unbreakable Stories: Lucas . It is only available on Amazon Kindle.

Step 3. Start reading Shatter , book 2 of the Unbreakable Bonds series. This is Snow’s story as he faces someone from his past who is out destroy his life and the lives of his friends. And you meet the one man to show Snow that he truly is worthy of love.

Step 4. OMG! Snow and Jude! Well, after that book, there is no way you’re ready to walk away from Snow and Jude. There needs to be more! Right now! Don’t worry… there is. We have two free short stories for Snow and Jude at the moment: House Hunting With Anna and No Walls Are Sacred . We are planning to release a third free short story for Snow and Jude.

Step 5. Take another deep breath. You’ve just plowed through two full-length novels, a collection of short stories, and another grouping of short stories. That’s a nice pile of reading. While you’re practicing your book-breathing techniques, go ahead and pre-order Torch , book 3 of the Unbreakable Bonds series. The book will be out on Tuesday, October 25 and you want to have that bad boy downloaded on your e-reader the second it’s out.

Step 6. It’s time to introduce you to the Unbreakable Bonds page. This is the page of awesomeness. Do you want an in-depth character write-up for each of the main characters? It’s there. Do you want pictures and a guide to Cincinnati, the setting of the series? It’s there. Do you want a handy place to find all the free short stories? It’s there. This is your go-to page for the series. We update it regularly so that you are in the know for new stories and character updates.

Step 7. Do I really need the newsletter? Yes, you really do. We’re not going to spam you or share your email address. We are planning to release the newsletter a maximum of four times per year to keep you up to date on upcoming books and contests. We are considering not doing a pre-order for the fourth book. The newsletter will be how we contact readers that the book is out. Don’t miss this important notification. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Step 8. I need to talk to other people about these books! We understand that so we created the Unbreakable Readers group on Facebook. This is the perfect place to talk about your love of the characters. We have pictures, chats, and even share early sneak peeks of books. Yep, there’s even an early sneak peek of Torch on the group right now that we haven’t shared anywhere else. Join in the fun now!

Step 9. What if I need something more visual to get through my withdrawal? Check out our Tumblr page. We’ve found models that remind us of our Unbreakable Boys. And sometimes we just find pretty pictures to brighten our day.

Step 10. Am I missing anything else? Social media. Yeah, Rinda and I are on there too.

Twitter: Rinda, Jocelynn, DrakeandElliott

Facebook: Rinda, Jocelynn, DrakeandElliott

 

This step-by-step guide will help get your through the series and keep you up to date on the release of future stories. I certainly hopes this guide helps and that you enjoy the series.

We would also like to ask for you to do one small thing for us… Spread the word. If you liked the books, please tell other readers, either by posting it on group that follow this genre or by posting a review on Goodreads or Amazon. It doesn’t have to be a long review, but every little bit helps us reach more and more readers. And if you don’t want to write a review or post it on a group, you can always grab a fellow reader (gently) and tell them about these awesome books you love.

Thanks so much for trying the Unbreakable Bonds series! Happy reading.