Rachael Tamayo's Blog, page 20

Character Spotlight: Clint Montgomery (Chase Me: Friend-Zone book 1)

Meet Clint. Best friend to Adrienne, Micah, and big brother to Chloe in a tight knit group of friends that grew up together. He's a popular  high school biology teacher, and all around boy next door.

One lazy Texas summer, when his close friend Adrienne get herself into trouble with a lie to her mother, he steps up to help out. After all, what kind of friend would he be not to help? 

Oh, did I mention that Adrienne lied to her mother about having a long-term boyfriend? Here's the catch, they have to go to a week-long venue wedding together, pretending to be in love. 

To hell with it. I lean over and catch her ear in my mouth. I drag my lips along her jawline and feel her sigh and hold me tighter. When I make it to her lips, she turns her head and offers them to me. 

I'm done for.

---Clint in Chase Me

 

Clint says, no problem. Only thing is, that first "fake" kiss sure as hell didn't feel fake. Now he wants more. Feelings for his friend rear their heads over days of pretending to be in love, kissing, touching for show.  Turns out it's easy to pretend when it feels natural.  Once they get back home, Clint finds out quickly just how much he misses his friend's lips, and sharing a hotel bed with her. 

Find out what happens in that hotel room in Chase Me, Friend-Zone book 1.

See Clint again in Friend-Zone book 3, Claim me. 

Chase Me (Friend-Zone Book 1)







By Rachael Tamayo

Character Spotlight: Ashley Lawrence-Riverside (The Friend-Zoned Series)

Meet Ashley. She's the one that you loved to hate in book 1, Chase Me. Well, she's back in book 2, Reach for me and we really get to know her this time. 

In Chase Me, we saw her return home to Dallas as an entitled bitch with a history of stealing her sister Adrienne's boyfriends and getting her own way. 

In Reach for me,  Ashley is back and it's been almost a year. One year since she left behind her life in New York.  A highly successful fashion agent and former model, Ashley discovers her semi-famous photographer husband in bed with not just one person, but two. And one of those people is her boss.

Needless to say, it's a bad day for Ashley.  Leaving behind a life that she was pushed into as a young woman by her mother, she comes home to Dallas to work in her fathers restaurant under her sister Adrienne's management.  Will Ashley and Adrienne finally be able to learn to be sisters after all this time? 

Swearing that she will never let a man cause her to lose control of her life, she vows to remain alone. 

Then there is Shane.  Her co-worker, friend, and roommate.  As time goes by, she starts to realize that her resistance to his charms and her growing feelings are creating an intense internal struggle.

 

Will her heart win over her head?  Can Shane show Ashley who she really is inside after a life of a dominant mother and a verbally abusive and neglectful husband have dictated her life to her?

Ashley has no idea who she really is, and Shane is determined to show her.

Find out what happens in Reach for Me on November 2nd.

Chase Me (Friend-Zone Book 1)

By Rachael Tamayo

Ashley and Shane will return in book 3, Claim Me and in book #1 of the Scarred Series, Sticks and Stones. 

Character Spotlight: Shane Coulson (Reach for Me)

Welcome Back! With book 2 of the Friend-Zoned series only 11 days away,  I'd love to introduce you to one of the Main characters.

 

Meet Shane Coulson.  He's  a twenty-seven year old bartender.

A little about Shane: He's a very popular guy behind the bar. Standing well over 6 feet tall, his dark, spiky hair and dark short clipped beard make his sea blue eyes pop even more than normal. The face of an angel, with the heart to match.  Don't let those tattoo sleeves and that motorcycle fool you, deep down, he's one cool nerd. Shane spends his time away from work as a bit of a bookworm, and he loves to play Xbox.  

Unlike his friend, Ashley, Shane is close to his Family. The product of a one night stand, his parents came together after his birth.  He's a bit of a mama's boy even though he lives hours away from her.  He  also has no problem with expressing emotion. 

Quote from Shane:

“Ashley, I think that someday all the people, who are trying to get you to live out their dreams for them, will be gone. When that day comes, you will be left with nothing but a life full of other people’s fantasies and none of your own. They should figure out a way to make themselves happy and let you learn to be who you want to be.”

Can he help Ashley get past her own fears, learn who she really is, and show her that sometimes love doesn't come along in the package that you expected it to?

Find out November 2nd, in Reach for Me.  

Sensual Romance vs Erotic Romance: The value of a Good Kiss

So you might know by now, I write romance.  In the course of my writing, being critiqued, and so forth, I’ve received a few opinions. Suggestions, if you will regarding the “heat level” of my books.

Some say it’s not hot enough. Some say it’s too much. Some say it’s just right. (Insert your three bears joke here.)

I’ve read pretty much every heat level there is.  I know where I’m comfortable in the span between no heat and OMG heat.  My theory is this. I really believe that it’s more sensual to leave the details to the imagination that it is to go into pornographic detail when writing a love scene.

That being said, there is so much to be said for a good, well written kiss.  It’s a simple thing, a kiss.  But if done correctly, it can be fantastic. Fireworks, choirs of angels singing, shattering.  In reality, a kiss can change everything. In a book, it can be more sensual than the act of sex itself if built up and executed properly.  

The following is an excerpt from my second book, Reach for Me, coming out November 2nd (There is swearing in this quote.) 

Before I can lift her up, she kisses me. Soft lips sigh as soon as they touch mine, and, fuck me, I’m lost the second it happens. Her fingers sink into my hair and she gently reaches for my tongue with hers, moaning when she discovers it, rolling her own over it until they are tangled.

She taste like alcohol, but feels like heaven. I can’t stop myself from kissing her back. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. Sex has its place. It’s realistic, necessary in one shape or form when you are writing romance.  Personally, I just really enjoy reading a fantastic kiss, so that’s what I try to include in all my writing. 

Reach for Me (Friend-Zone book 2) is coming out on November 2nd. Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in Paperback.

 

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram and Amazon.  I love to hear from you, so please drop me a note! 

Writing Tips: Holding on to tight

I've seen this over and over again on the critique site that I use religiously for everything I write. I submit every chapter to be torn apart by fellow writers.

Why do I submit my work to this? The pages that I've poured by blood, sweat, and tears into? The creation that I so tirelessly created? Because I have to. 

Here is the thing. Get ready for it. It might hurt. 

Your work is not perfect.

There. I'm sorry, but it had to be said. It needs work. It needs tweaking. Editing, the horrid marks of a red pen scribbled all over it.  I've seen many authors, novice and otherwise, hand over their work for critique with comments like:

I've been rejected because they just don't understand my work.

Everyone tells me that my characters aren't likable, but I won't change them.

That's just a drop in the bucket. You've penned your masterpiece, or so you think. The problem is, it might need change. If you want to be a real writer, you have to be willing to let go.  When they tell you that your plot works better as a thriller and doesn't fit as a romance maybe its the truth. When they say, I can't sell this, I'm worried about...fill in the blank...Perhaps you need to review.  Those are comments that I received on my first ever manuscript. I was told "keep writing" and that my writing was good, but the plot...no thanks. So As hard as it was, I kept my characters and started all over. 

Two published books later,  This re-write is the next book on my list to submit to my publisher. 7 revisions later,  I finally have it. I also realize that I can write my original idea as a suspense.  

It's not hopeless. Let go, revise, and be great.  

 

Book Spotlight: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Debbie De Louise

Cobble Cove Mystery #2.   Released today from Solstice Publishing!

If you had the chance to read A Stone’s Throw, you came to know widowed librarian, Alicia, and followed her through the mystery that brought her to Cobble Cove and her meeting with John, the town’s newspaper publisher. In Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Alicia is faced with several new mysteries and one that is particularly close to home.  

 This new story features the main characters from book #1 and introduces new Cobble Cove residents. 

Librarian Alicia McKinney has put the past behind her…

Two years ago, Alicia discovered both a terrible truth and lasting love with John McKinney in the small town of Cobble Cove, New York. Now a busy mother of twin babies and co-author of a mystery series, Alicia couldn’t be happier.

Alicia’s contentment and safety are challenged…

Walking home alone from the library, Alicia senses someone following her, and on more than one occasion, she believes she is being watched. Does she have a stalker? When the local gift shop is burglarized, the troubling event causes unrest among Alicia and the residents of the quiet town.

John and Alicia receive an offer they can’t refuse…

When John’s sister offers to babysit while she and John take a much-needed vacation in New York City, Alicia is reluctant to leave her children because of the disturbances in Cobble Cove. John assures her the town is safe in the hands of Sheriff-elect Ramsay. Although Alicia’s experience with and dislike of the former Long Island detective don’t alleviate her concern, she and John take their trip.

Alicia faces her worst nightmare…

The McKinneys’ vacation is cut short when they learn their babies have been kidnapped and John’s sister shot. Alicia and John’s situation puts them between a rock and a hard place when the main suspect is found dead before the ransom is paid. In order to save their children, the McKinneys race against the clock to solve a mystery more puzzling than those found in their own books. Can they do it before time runs out? 

Buy the book

 

 

About the Author:

 Debbie De Louise is a reference librarian at a public library on Long Island and has been involved with books and writing for over thirty years. She received the Lawrence C. Lobaugh, jr. Memorial Award in Journalism for her work as Features Editor on the Long Island University/C. W. Post student newspaper, the Pioneer. More recently, Debbie received the Glamour Puss Award from Hartz Corporation for an article about cat grooming that appeared on Catster.com. She has published a short mystery in the Cat Crimes Through Time Anthology and two novels, CLOUDY RAINBOW and A STONE’S THROW, the first book of her Cobble Cove cozy mystery series. Her short stories, THE PATH TO RAINBOW BRIDGE and DEADLINE appear in the anthologies, REALMS OF FANTASTIC STORIES and PROJECT 9, Vol. 2 published by Solstice Publishing. She is currently working on a psychological thriller, the third Cobble Cove Mystery, and a new pet-related cozy series. She lives on Long Island with her husband, daughter, and two cats. 

Find Debbie on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Goodreads, Amazon, and her website.

Book Spotlight: Room 629 by Vicki-Ann Bush

Jesse Marshall and her friends just wanted a weekend getaway. After four years of college, cramming sessions, late night book vigils and the epiphany of finally knowing what you want to do with your life—or not, they needed a few days to let go and relax. Forty-five minutes away from their home town of Las Vegas, Primm Nevada, was close enough for their limited schedule and a few days of celebration.

 

            But their carefree weekend quickly crumbles after they witness a young woman standing in the the middle of a casino, screaming and bloodied. After security takes her away, the friends begin to unravel a mystery that none of them were prepared for and a horror that would change their world forever. 

About the author

 

I am originally from Long Island, New York, but now reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. Living in the desert has given me inspiration for several of my books.

For many years I wrote various short stories and poems, but never tried my hand at the publishing process.. In 2008, on the suggestion of my two daughters, I began submitting. The first positive response was from Salt of the Earth Publishing for a short childrens story. Winslow Willow the Woodland Fairy, was beginning of my adventure. Since then I've written another story for children, The Queen of It, before settling into YA fiction. My first release was the novelette/novella series, The Dusk Chronicles. It is a supernatural romance set in Las Vegas.

Currently, from Solstice Publishing, I have the historical romance novel, The Garden of Two. It is about the perils of World War I through the eyes of a young Long Island couple. Room 629, is my first sci-fi novel. It takes place in Primm Nevada and follows a group of friends as they uncover a life altering truth. In addition the paranormal romance novella series The Fulfillment, which is centered in Boulder City, Nevada. Procurement, is the second release of The Fulfillment series. It centers on Luke and Mary, as they fight to stop Lucifer from escaping hell for eternity and destroying everything and everyone they love. And my most recent release is the paranormal short, The Joshua Tree.

What are the reviewers saying on Amazon

"Vicki Ann Bush has a unique ability to keep you engaged with the perfect balance of reality, mystery, suspense and excitement"--5 star Amazon Review

"...This sci-fi adventure keeps you guessing and is an all-around gripping story."--4 Star Amazon Review

Amazon

Find Vicki on Facebook, Twitter, her Blog, and Goodreads.  Don't forget to stop by her website! 

 

Book Spotlight: Reach For Me (Friend-Zone Book 2)

Coming soon from Solstice Publishing, the next installment in the Friend-Zone series.  

Remember Ashley from Chase me, Book 1? Well, she's back. This time she has her own tale to tell about lost love, starting over, and the real reason she is such a raging bitch in book 1 to her little sister Adrienne. 

In Reach for me, we get to know her more.  Turns out, there can be more to being a man stealing bitch than we all might have thought.  In Reach For Me, almost a year has passed and Ashley has settled into a mundane day to day life that she never knew before. Not only has she settled in, she's realizing that she actually likes it, and maybe some self loathing is causing her to keep everyone at arms length. 

Of course, keeping everyone away because she doesn't trust them or herself will only work for so long. When hunky Shane becomes determined to help her realize that she's spent all her life living the dreams of everyone around her, and has none left for herself.  

Will Ashley learn to trust Shane, even as sparks fly between them? How about sharing an apartment with a guy that makes her feel like jelly inside when he gives her that smile and those blue eyes of his light up? 

Find out soon. Reach for me,  coming soon!!  Available on Amazon for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback, and Barnes and Noble.

 

Meet New Paranormal Author K.A. Meng

Meet Solstice Publishing's new paranormal author, K.A. Meng.  

K. A. Meng lives in North Dakota, in the same town she grew up. Her love for the paranormal started at a young age when she saw her first ghost.

Today, she spends her time writing paranormal romance, fantasy, and everything in-between. When life drags her away from it, she hangs out with her son and friends, goes to movies, watches TV, plays board games, walks her dogs, and reads books. She is actively involved in two writing groups and wishes to some day visit Disney World. 

 

About Superior Species Book 1:

Ivory Ames has caught the attention of four gorgeous guys. At Los Roshano University this isn’t normal, even when all the upperclassmen have perfect physiques, flawless complexions, and hypnotic looks. That’s not even the weirdest part. The town has a strict sunset curfew because of wild animals attacking.

To keep her friends and herself safe, Ivory must figure out the truth behind the town’s mysteries before it’s too late. 

Watch the Trailer

Want more of K.A. Meng? Find her on Facebook, Twitter, her website, or check out her blog here.

Mastering the Point of View Switch

More and more in books these days you might be seeing the POV switch.  Alternating the voice between 2 characters in the book, thus telling the story from two different points of view. 

As a reader, I personally love this effect in a book. It's very popular in romance now, and you might start to see it in other genre's as well.  As a writer, Its the only way I write.  I've tried to write in "one voice" and it just doesn't work for me, unless it's a short story.

The question is, how do you write it? Getting deep into one character's head is difficult enough, how on earth do you do it for two people? I suppose that would depend on you and your process. Like in real life, our characters develop their own personalities as the story flows, and their reactions play off each other. Using this, I think it's easier than you think to get into the mind of a second character. 

Read it, practice it. Keep your characters personalities true and individual.  Play them off each other, let your characters make decisions. 

In my book, I've had good feedback from readers regarding the Male point of view. They seem to love having the insight into both characters as they read. In a current work in progress of mine, Crazy Love, I actually decided to alternate between three characters.  Crazy Love is a romantic suspense (if not a thriller) in which Emily is stalked by a deranged, millionaire all while falling head over heels for a guy she runs into months after a one night stand.   I wasn't sure if switching between three people would work, but my critique group loves it. 

So step out, try something new. You might be surprised and find one more thing that makes your writing amazing.