Lily Graison's Blog, page 16
August 22, 2014
Friday First Kiss #42 :: Love, Myth and Monsters by JoAnn Myers
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I’ll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from, Love, Myth and Monsters by Joann Myers
“When a non-human lives as long as I do, he never sees humans the same as others. Some mortals are good, like you, but most are no better than gutter rats. Humans kill for sport. The wars and epidemics take their share. In the famished countries, parents eat their own children to survive, much like Lycans”
“Do you hate being immortal?”
“Everything must eat to survive. After a while over the centuries, I looked to killing humans like changing my underwear. After a while, I rationalized my actions. ‘Many families were better off with fewer mouths to feed’ was one excuse I told myself. ‘The world is over populated’ is another, so who would be missed? After a while, I convinced myself my kind helped rid the earth of human riffraff.”
“Like a natural garbage disposal?”
“Yes, but I see things differently now.”
“So, do you miss being human?”
“Only because I met you. I can never grow old with you.”
“You’re asking me to marry you, aren’t you?”
“That’s why I took you to the mall. To pick out a ring, but…”
“But we were interrupted.”
“Don’t sweat it. Things worked out anyway.” Then, we kissed for the first time, long and hard, and it took my breath away. Yes! This is the one. I knew it.
Drenda glanced at her watch and she looked tired. It was nearly three in the morning.
“How about one more stop before I take you home? There’s someone special to me that’s been waiting to meet you.”
“Two Paws!”
“Yes, is it okay?”
“Of course, I want to meet my future father-in-law.”
We quickly dressed and drove to the cave. From the moment we entered, our lives were never the same again.
“Two Paws! Two Paws! Who did this to you?” My oldest and dearest friend lay on the floor, dying from multiple gunshot wounds to the stomach. Shot with a silver bullet. Silver metal poisoning was a painful and lingering death. A quick death for werewolves was a silver bullet through the head or heart. Anywhere else and we suffer for hours or days before dying. The person who shot Two Paws made sure he could not fight back—wanted him to suffer—and the shooter smelled of Lycan.
Love, Myth and Monsters by Joann Myers
When young Lycan Sonny Red Blanket, a Shawnee Indian falls for mortal girl Drenda Way, he must save her from his fellow Lycan’s and stop a werewolf uprising.
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About JoAnne Myers
I have been a long-time resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I canvas paint.
When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dogs Jasmine, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill’s Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams. My original canvas paintings, can be found at: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com
The post Friday First Kiss #42 :: Love, Myth and Monsters by JoAnn Myers appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
August 15, 2014
Friday First Kiss #42 :: Comes The Dawn by Rain Trueax
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I’ll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from, Comes The Dawn by Rain Trueax
“So there are deer here.” She observed as she gathered small branches for starting a fire.
“Potentially, also bear and mountain lion; so stick close and keep your gun handy.”
“I’ve seen a bear but never a cougar.”
“You usually don’t. You just get your neck broken if you aren’t paying attention.”
“Not very friendly creatures.”
Making a rock circle, as he got out the food, she put the pine cones down first and then laid sticks on it before lighting the fuel. He hid his surprise. He knew she had been taught by her father about being out in the woods. He’d just forgotten it.
Forcing his mind away from how cute her butt looked in those pants, he tried to remember what she’d said last. “Predators can’t afford to make friends with their prey.” He felt proud of himself for remembering because she was proving to be a major distraction.
Being so close to her, sleeping next to her, watching her as she rode so easily, her scent, that beautiful long hair that she had again released, it was becoming a kind of torture all of its own. She wasn’t his. He reminded himself of it again. She didn’t really know what she wanted. All too soon, she would remember who she was and what her options were. She had a lot better than a half-breed.
“Do you think I could bathe here?” she asked as the fire flickered to life.
God, how would he endure that? “I suppose,” he managed to choke out.
“You could use one too,” she said moving toward him. When next to him, she reached up to caress his jaw with her fingertips. “A shave wouldn’t be amiss.”
She pulled his head down then and to his surprise brushed his lips with hers. They were soft, so sweet that he lost all sense of his purpose. He drew her tightly into his arms, pushing against her lips with his tongue and then delving within. He felt her surprise, expected her to push away, but she threw her arms around his neck and leaned into him. The kiss went on until he finally was the one to break it. If he hadn’t, it wasn’t going to end with a kiss. His whole body was aroused. He fought back the feelings.
Arms still around his neck, she said, “You do need a shave.” She ran her tongue lightly around his lips. He could no more have stopped what happened next than stopped breathing as he kissed her again, this time with all the passion he’d pushed away from them both for all those years. When he finally released her, she was breathless. Then she laughed.
“I had been kissed, you know,” she said as she stepped back. He didn’t much like hearing that. “But… never like that. It’s probably lucky.”
“How?” he asked forcing himself to turn to the work of starting a meal. He felt as stunned by the kiss as she had looked. He had kissed women before but never with the accompanying surge of energy that had been there with Grace. Good God.
“Well, I’d likely be more experienced. Or… maybe it wouldn’t have been the same with anyone but you.” She turned then to the spring, took off her gun belt, laid it carefully on the ground, and began unbuttoning her shirt.
“What are you doing now?” he managed to ask as she shoved the shirt from her shoulders and stood with a thin chemise barely covering her breasts. If he had been a gentleman, he’d have looked away. He guessed he wasn’t because he stared at her breasts, the rounded globes visible under the thin cloth, her nipples now tight and pointing at him. He had imagined what they looked like, of course, but they were more perfect than his best dream—and his dreams had been pretty good. He wondered what she would do next and then wondered what response he would give to it. He felt caught up in a sensual haze.
Before he could take a step toward her, he heard the sound of a pebble bouncing off the wall of the cliff. Moving as fast as he could, he leaped toward her, thrusting her away with his left arm as he pulled his gun from the holster. The long golden body of the cougar had made a smooth leap from a ledge where it had been hidden behind the sycamore’s branches. Rafe had no time to pull the trigger before putting his own body between her and the big cat.
Comes The Dawn by Rain Trueax
Grace, a young girl in Tucson Moon, returns to Tucson after getting the education she did not originally want. She now has the polish, has graduated from a major university with a degree in architecture. The man in her girlhood heart has also returned to Arizona. Before she can go on, Grace needs to know if all she has felt for him has been a fantasy.
Rafe had been through years of hell with his first marriage ending when his wife took his son back to Tucson to live with her new husband. To Yaquis, family is the center of their lives, and he’s been estranged from his small son. As bad as things seemed for him fighting with the Rough Riders in the jungles of Cuba, they are about to get worse in Arizona.
Before the dawn, comes the darkness, which we all must at times come through.
Comes the Dawn is the third book in the O’Brian historical series. The first of the O’Brians began with Arizona Sunset in 1883. Then came Tucson Moon, which took secondary characters and brought them forward to 1886 for their own love story. The third, Comes the Dawn, is in 1899 southern and central Arizona with its core being about love, healing, family, friends, Yaqui culture, Arizona, and what it means to be a father.
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Arizona Sunset: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EV69EYC/
Tucson Moon: http://www.amazon.com/Tucson-Moon-Rain-Trueax-ebook/dp/B00GYL9DVQ
Comes the Dawn: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LMMLFA4
About Rain Trueax
My stories are all written under my maiden name and a nickname of many years. As Rain Trueax. I write contemporary and historical romances, most 80,000-130,000 words all set in the American West. There are also four novellas.
In writing, my goal is to portray the values of self worth, hard work, nature, and community while intertwining the complications of sexuality and outside challenges. I often link characters in several books, with each book however always standing alone. Currently I have one such historical series set in southern Arizona with another potentially to come out late in 2014 and into 2015, which tells the Oregon story through the Stevens family.
A native Oregonian, I am married with grown children and grandchildren. I write from our sheep and cattle ranch or on the road in the inter-mountain west via satellite link.
The post Friday First Kiss #42 :: Comes The Dawn by Rain Trueax appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
August 1, 2014
Friday First Kiss #41 :: Cast Away Heart by Sarah J. McNeal
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I’ll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from, Cast Away Heart by Sarah J. McNeal
Nickoli slid off the end of the bed and knelt beside her where she sat in front of the dresser folding her tee shirts. “The more you think about Mark’s life, the less you think about your own.” He leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. He smiled then. “Perhaps we play our music for your family after supper. Yes?”
Ella rose to her knees and kissed him on the lips. A wave of heat ran through her, and, without knowing why, she kissed him again.
Nickoli could not help himself. The taste of her was overpowering. After all this time, could she begin now to have feelings for him? Could he be that fortunate? He stood, taking her with him, and drew her into his embrace tighter. He deepened the kiss as she opened to him. The light fragrance of roses titillated him further until he thought he might not be able to stop. The temperature in the room seemed to rise..
He knew it was too much, too soon. She would only despise him for taking advantage of her this way. Nickoli pulled away from the kiss and gently set her away from him before he did something he knew he would later regret.
“I am sorry.” Passion roughened his voice. “I should not kiss you this way.” He bent over to pick up the clothes she dropped on the floor in front of the open drawer. When he realized they were her lacy bras and panties, he felt a surge of desire and embarrassment rolled into one. He flung the titillating garments onto the bed, turned back to face her, and saw that she had a smile on her lips.
“Is funny to you now?” What could she be thinking to laugh at such a moment?
Cast Away Heart by Sarah J. McNeal
Humiliated and heart broken by her fiancé, Ella has vowed never to open her heart again.
Nickoli has loved her for years, but she sees him only as her handsome Romanian friend.
How can an abandoned piano heal a broken heart and make it sing again?
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About Sarah McNeal
Sarah McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories may be found at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery, Victory Tales Press, Prairie Rose Publications and Painted Pony Books, and Fire Star Press, imprints of Prairie Rose Publications.
The post Friday First Kiss #41 :: Cast Away Heart by Sarah J. McNeal appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
July 30, 2014
An Authors “How To” Guide to Building An Online Presence :: Pinterest (part 2)
Photo: mkhmarketing
Welcome to week 8 of my ‘How To’ blog series.
Last week I went over Pinterest and how an author could use the site to their advantage by creating story boards for their books and creating custom Pin It buttons for your website.
This week I’m going to show you a quick and easy way to incorporate those story boards you’ve created directly onto your website pages.
Head over to your Pinterest page and click on any of the boards you’ve created. At the top of the board, you’ll see a small menu. This is where you’ll find the html coding for the board. Click the arrows on the right to bring up the html text box.
Copy and paste the html into your webpage where you would like the board to go and save your work. The board is now a ‘live link’ that will take readers to Pinterest, and to your board, when they click on the “See on Pinterest” button.
This is a great tool to get readers more involved with your story by giving them visual insight into your story. You don’t have to just paint pictures with words now, you can show them your inspiration through story boards.
Go ahead and make a few of your own and get them onto those story pages. Your readers will thank you for it!
I still have tutorials on Scrivener (writing software), Google Docs, Google Calendars (and how to add those to your website), Production Schedules and creating Weekly/Daily ‘To Do’ List yet to cover, so get your name on the list so you don’t miss out.
And as always, if you found this post useful and informative, be sure to share it with your friends!
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About Lily Graison
Lily Graison lives in the foothills of North Carolina with her husband, two high-strung Yorkies, more cats than she can count. First published in 2005, she is the author of over a dozen published books in the Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance genres.
When not writing, Lily can be found at her sewing machine creating 1800’s period clothing or participating in civil war reenactments and area living history events. When not portraying a southern belle, you can find her at a nearby store feeding her obsession for all things resembling office supplies.
To see the dresses Lily has created, visit her Pinterest page.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+
The post An Authors “How To” Guide to Building An Online Presence :: Pinterest (part 2) appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
July 28, 2014
New Release Giveaway!
Its Finally Here!!!
The Averys of Willow Creek Boxset contains the first four books in the Willow Creek Series and features the four Avery men who started it all. The Lawman, The Outlaw, The Gambler and The Rancher have all been bundled into one eBook edition.
The Boxset has been on pre-order for a few weeks now but Amazon users were left out. Amazon doesn’t allow for pre-orders unless you publish with a big name publisher so I’m extending the .99¢ special price so everyone has a chance to take advantage of it but don’t wait long…this price won’t last and the boxset will go to the regular $6.99 price.
If you already own these books, then share the love and buy a copy for a friend. What batter way to introduce them to a new author than gifting them a Boxset!
Buy The Averys of Willow Creek Now for .99¢!
AMAZON US / UK / CA ~ NOOK ~ KOBO ~ SMASHWORDS ~ iBOOKS
To help kick off the release week blitz, I’m holding a new release giveaway to celebrate! This giveaway will run July 28th – Aug. 6th and IS international so everyone can play. I have gift cards and signed paperbacks up for grabs. To enter, just help me spread the word about the boxset by doing any of the options listed on the form below. The more options you choose, the more chances you have and some you can even do daily!
Good luck!
The post New Release Giveaway! appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
July 25, 2014
Friday First Kiss #40 :: Keeping Faith by Christina Cole – Western Romance
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I’ll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from, Keeping Faith by Christina Cole
She pushed open the swinging doors and marched into the Red Mule saloon. For a moment she couldn’t see more than dark, shadowed figures. She nearly turned and fled, but then a voice called out.
“Lucille? What in hell are you doing in here?”
The voice belonged to Tom. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and headed directly for him. “I could ask you the same thing, but I know what you’re doing. You’re getting drunk on Friday night, same as you always do.”
“Something wrong with that?”
“Well, yes, and no. I mean, well…” She had no idea what she meant. Looking at Tom left her both flustered and excited. “Is that invitation to the shindig tomorrow night still open?”
His eyes narrowed. “You said you weren’t going.”
“I know what I said, but it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.”
“A woman’s…what?”
“Prerogative,” she repeated. “Never mind.” She’d have to remember to use common words with Tom. No wonder it was so difficult to talk to him. “It just means that women have the right to say one thing and do another, that’s all.”
“Sounds awful confusing.”
She heard the guffaws of the men standing by Tom. Her cheeks blazed. The last thing she intended was to get into an argument with the blasted man.
“Are you going to invite me to the dance or not?” She stepped closer and looked up. “I’m willing to go with you.”
“You sure about that? Or are you going to use that prerogative thing and change your mind again?”
Lucille stamped her foot. “Would you listen to me, please? I said I’ll go to the dance with you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
A frantic urge seized her. Before she could stop herself, she threw herself against Tom, stretching up on her toes to plant a huge, wet kiss on his mouth. At once, his arms went around her. A thrill ran up her spine as he pulled her close. Oh, the kiss!
When he finally drew away, she was breathless.
“Now, does that convince you?” Acting as nonchalant as possible, she walked away, then stopped and looked over her shoulder. “You can pick me up tomorrow at six.”
Her knees went weak, but somehow she managed to get out the door before she collapsed.
What had she done? She’d kissed Tom Henderson!
And she’d liked it. She’d liked it a lot.
Keeping Faith by Christina Cole
Everything they say about Tom Henderson is true. Born in a barn, the bastard son of a drunken whore, he’s got nothing to offer, and any dreams he might have are as far away as the distant snow-capped Rockies — and probably as unattainable. He’s long had his eye on pretty Lucille McIntyre, but that’s just one more impossible dream.
Lucille has always been considered the prettiest and most popular girl in Sunset, but her father’s sudden death has left her shaken and sad. Now, life seems to be passing her by.
When a prim and proper spinster arrives to deliver a squalling 3-month-old infant to Tom, his life and Lucille’s both change. His decision to keep the baby girl sets off a firestorm among the good ladies in town who don’t consider him fit to raise a child.
Together, Tom and Lucille will do anything in their struggle for keeping Faith.
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Bookstrand
Secret Cravings Romance
About Christina Cole
Christina Cole will always be grateful to her grandfather who patiently held her on his lap and taught her to read. He also told her stories of his own childhood and stirred her imagination with scenes from days gone by. From him, she developed not only a love of words and story-telling, but a deep appreciation for history and a longing to learn more about the past.
Today, she still loves reading, and loves sharing her own stories about men and women and the romance of an earlier time.
Her romantic stories have been published online and in print, and she’s also published inspirational pieces, poetry, and essays.
She is happily married to the love of her life, and lives a simple, uncomplicated life in a small mid-western town.
Website | Sunset Series | Twitter @kcchristinacole
The post Friday First Kiss #40 :: Keeping Faith by Christina Cole – Western Romance appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
July 21, 2014
My Next Book Is Dead…
Image courtesy of: Shane Gorski via
Image courtesy of: Echo Valley Ranch via Flickr
I have a notebook I’ve been jotting down ‘scenes’ for this story in and Saturday night, I opened up a new document in Scrivener and copied all those notes over, added new ones I had yet to write down, and wrote “half”of a proper outline. To my amazement, I ended up with 6 pages of notes and had to force myself to bed at 3am.
And for the first time in six months, I woke Sunday morning excited to get back to my story!
Then I cranked out another 2,400 words. Talk about feeling buzzed! 12 pages in three days. It doesn’t sound like much but believe me, after struggling for so long and producing nothing, 12 pages is amazing. I’ll be honest and say, that is the most I’ve written in a months.
As excited as I feel, the guilt in not writing WANTON ANGEL is pretty fierce. I already have an awesome cover for it that I couldn’t wait to show off. I want to give Evan Reid, the doctor in Willow Creek, a chance to show us who he is but I’ve been forcing out words, sometimes only a few paragraphs a day (if even that) and its just not happening.
For those of you waiting on Evan’s story, I do apologize. I hope to come back to him and Phoebe later but I can’t keep dwelling on it when nothing is happening so I’m moving on. Alex and Jesse want their turn and I’m going to give it to them. I hope you’ll wait just a little bit longer for a new book. If things work like they’re “supposed” to, I ‘should’ have it ready for release very early fall – depending on how quickly I can get a spot with my editor. 
The post My Next Book Is Dead… appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
July 18, 2014
Friday First Kiss #39 :: Marcellus (Lords of the Dark Fall book #2) by C A Nicks – Fantasy Romance
The moment I crack open a new book, I always rush through the beginning, the budding relationship between the hero and heroine, and anticipate that spontaneous moment when one of them makes their move. The First Kiss. The first turning point in every story.
Every week here on the blog, I’ll be sharing First Kisses from my books and those of other authors.
This weeks Friday First Kiss comes from, Marcellus (Lords of the Dark Fall book #2) by C A Nicks.
Marcellus appeared, as if from nowhere, hair slicked back from his face, suit newly-laundered, shoes polished until they gleamed in the orange glow of the street-light. On the index finger of his right hand sparkled a large clear stone set in gold. More gold gleamed in the heavy chain adorning his wrist. He’d been busy since they last met.
Taking her hand, he kissed the back with a flourish, his lips lingering long enough for a prickle of heat to warn her cheeks.
“Never did I think to see something more beautiful than the white rose, and yet, here you are.”
His voice, pitched low, sent a tremor chasing over her skin and a silly smile to her lips. A professional seducer, he’d made no secret of the women who’d queued for his favours. Who’d graced his bed. He liked women and they liked him. It was as simple as that.
Tugging down the tight skirt, she accepted the compliment and steered the conversation to more practical matters. Marcellus was a business partner who happened to be a hunk with a smooth tongue. No need to make a fool of herself over him.
“How are you feeling?”
“Much better thanks to your nursing skills and the magic pills.” He offered his injured hand for inspection. Drying nicely, the wounds showed no sign of the infection that had threatened to bring him down.
“You were lucky to find me in time.”
A couple strolled by, arm in arm, looking very much in love. Marcellus watched them pensively and then leaned close. “Not luck, Cassandra Evans. Destiny.”
Again, the shiver of excitement. A tad prone to melodrama, he nevertheless had a mesmerising command of language. She’d grown to love the way he used her full name, how he emphasised his words for dramatic effect. She’d never met anyone like him.
There would be other women there tonight. Sophisticated women who would regard him with hungry eyes and her with eyes that could kill. Let them look. They would see only a wealthy man with a killer smile. Someone who would give them a good time, both in and out of bed. They didn’t see destiny standing in the wings ready to whisk them off on the adventure of a lifetime.
Good lord above, listen to her. She was getting as bad as he.
“Don’t take any risks,” she said nerves suddenly ramping into overdrive. “You don’t know these people.”
“You fear for me, Cassandra?” He stroked a light finger over her cheek. “I find your protectiveness strangely stimulating.”
“Stop it.” She batted away his arm knowing the liberties were something of a power-play, subtle, rather than overt and his way of keeping her wanting. Of keeping her focussed on their deal. “This is strictly business, Marcellus. Let’s keep it that way.”
“As you wish.” His hand closed around hers, and when she made to protest, he gripped tighter and lengthened his step, forcing her to almost run to keep up. The club-land quarter of town housed several large casinos as well as pubs and clubs. They walked from the relative shade of the bridge into the crowds milling in front of the brightly-lit facades. Marcellus produced a small metal disc from his pocket and brought it close to his eyes. “The Trocero, which one is it?”
“I have no idea. Marcellus, don’t walk so fast. I fall off these heels, money or not, we’re going nowhere.”
“Apologies.” He sounded anything but apologetic. “But we must keep up appearances, must we not? Tonight you are simply a woman I purchased to enhance my own status. Do try to play your part, Cassandra.”
“You don’t believe in modesty, do you?” she muttered back. Professional escorts or mistresses, only two kinds of women would be seen dead in the gambling dens. No chance of meeting anyone she knew or she’d never have agreed to come. One wrong move and years of striving to be taken seriously in the lofty realms of academia would go right down the pan.
“Would you be modest if you looked like me?”
She couldn’t help laughing. At least the man had a sense of humour.
Brow creased, he gazed at the facades, trying to decipher the flashing banners.
“They don’t display names,” she said shouting above the buzz of the crowd. “Your contact. The man who made your introduction was supposed to have given you directions. Do you want me to go ask a doorman?”
“To question would show weakness. Use your powers of divination instead. We must approach with confidence.”
“I can read stones. Ruins and atmospheres. Get the feel of a place. I don’t have the ability to read signs that aren’t there.”
“Yes, you do. Calm down and concentrate. Which building is it?”
She glanced along the row. “All right, how about second from the end?”
“Then second from the end it is.” With determined stride, Marcellus marched her to the dark red of one of the smaller buildings, guarded by two men in white suits and bow-ties. And right in front of them, he slid a hand behind her neck, angled back her head and kissed her full on the lips. A swift, abrupt kiss that ended almost as soon as it began, giving her no time to respond.
“Merely keeping up appearances,” he murmured before placing a hand on her back and steering her towards the waiting doormen, who’d witnessed the display with the bored indifference of ones who had seen it all before. “Come, my little lucky charm, let’s go in.”
“Lucky charm?” She was still recovering from the kiss, which had made her head spin and left an imprint of hot hard lips on her own, the feel of his hand holding her neck so possessively.
Completely immune, she told herself. The doormen waved them in with no more than a cursory glance at the token. Maybe the kiss had been some kind of code, who knew what games Marcellus played? She caught a glance of the two of them in the mirror-lined foyer, a tall hard man with a woman she hardly recognised, like something out of an old gangster movie. A hint of an enigmatic smile lit the woman’s face, as if privy to some secret she wasn’t about to divulge.
Rubbing a finger over her lips, she wiped away the kiss but couldn’t for the life of her get rid of the smile. One kiss and he’d reduced her to mush? She’d been too long without a man in her life. Marcellus, on the other hand, appeared to be the master of game-face. By the time they’d purchased stakes and made their way into the brightly-lit interior, he’d lost all hint of frivolity and had eyes only for the game in progress, the spinning wheel, the cards flipped so effortlessly by the elegant hostesses.
“What do you mean, lucky charm?” she whispered. “You said I was here as ornament only.”
Marcellus (Lords of the Dark Fall book #2) by C A Nicks
Marcellus, former immortal prince from another time, is desperately searching for his brother and despairs of ever finding him. Until the day he wanders into a museum to get out of the rain and bumps into archaeologist Cassandra Evans…
After following his brother in the Dark Fall, Marcellus lands in a park in the university town of Ellinburgh. Fate leads him to archaeologist Cassandra Evans, a woman who seems to be his best lead to finding out what happened to his brother, Fabian.
Obsessed with her theories of the “falling men”, and her studies of Fabian the Great, Cassandra is stunned when his double accosts her in a museum. He calls himself Marcellus and claims to be not only a former immortal prince, but a time traveller, too, one of her falling men. A man who could be her direct link to Fabian the Great, if only she can bring herself to believe his story
(108,000 words. Please note, UK English spelling)
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About C A Nicks
I live within sight of the Lancashire moors with my family, cats and vast collection of musical instruments. Saturday nights are likely to find me in some spooky mansion or castle indulging in my hobby as a paranormal investigator. I love to write romance that’s tightly focussed on the main characters and their emotional journey.
I write under two pen names, Alexandra Marell and C A Nicks.
The post Friday First Kiss #39 :: Marcellus (Lords of the Dark Fall book #2) by C A Nicks – Fantasy Romance appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
July 16, 2014
An Authors “How To” Guide to Building An Online Presence :: Pinterest (part 1)
Photo: mkhmarketing
Welcome to week 7 of my ‘How To’ blog series.
This week, I’m going to talk a bit about a site that, to me, is the most fun an author can have and still connect with readers.
I’m sure you’ve all heard of Pinterest by now, if not, where have you been? Pinterest is a great tool for authors that many haven’t taken the time to use. I’m going to explain how to use it, why, and show you ways to make the most out of your page.
For those of you living under an internet rock and haven’t heard of Pinterest yet, this site is basically a cork board of things you want to remember. We all have those special places around the house we ‘pin’ or jot down things we don’t want to forget. Well, Pinterest is exactly like that, the only difference being, the things we pin are found on the web.
I’ve been using Pinterest since the site opened and it didn’t dawn on my at first “how” the site could benefit me as a writer. I pinned mostly recipes and crafty things I think I’ll actually have time to do (but won’t) and on a whim, I made a board for a book I was writing. The only reason I did, was because I found a photo of a coat my heroine was given in the story and instead of making a folder and saving the link as I usually do, I ‘pinned’ it to Pinterest instead. Once the idea struck, I started pinning those links to my ‘story board.’
What started out as a way for me to ‘visually’ see my story, turned into a way to let my readers see the inspirational photos that were shaping my story. They could finally see what I was seeing. The things they read about in the book were in living color on my pinterest board and once the book was complete, I ‘pinned’ the book page on my website to the board. This is where you, as an author, can gain readers from nothing more than a small picture.
The concept of Pinterest is ‘sharing’ the things you find across the web. You share those things with other ‘pinners’ who use pinterest. Every ‘pin’ you place on your board links back to the original post and if those photos you’re pinning come from your own website, then all those new readers will be directed back to you.
I have boards for stories I’m writing, for book series and for future books. I pin my blog posts that I think may be of interest to readers, like this “How To Series” or the research blog posts on the Sweethearts of the West Blog. Every ‘pin’ directs back to the original post so you’re not only filling your board with pretty pictures, you’re linking to interesting content that others may want to see.
If you take a look at “my Pinterest” page, you’ll see a variety of things there. I have 92 boards ranging from my books to sewing and sweet treats that will go straight to my butt. The more pins you have, the more people will see you, and the likelihood they’ll find your books by doing nothing more than browsing. Like most other sites you can have followers who will be able to see the things you post and you’ll be able to see the things they pin as well.
If you don’t have a Pinterest account, head on over and get it set up. Just follow all the prompts and fill in all the information it asks for.
Now, once you have all that done, you can start creating your boards. Just click on the “Create A Board” box there on the left.
Then fill out all the board information. Name your board, fill out the description if you want, pick a category, and select if you want the board to be private or public. (I do private boards for furture books that are still in the planning stages. No one can see a private board except me, unless I invite someone else to ‘pin’ on the board as well.)
Once you have all that done, click “Create Board” and you’ll be taken to your newly created board. This is where all your new pins will go.
I’m sure you’ve seen the ‘pin it’ buttons all over the internet. Well now all you have to do is click those pin it buttons and select which ‘board’ you want it to show up on and the photo/page will be saved on Pinterest until you remove it. All that research you need to save is at your fingertips and available for others to find as well.
But finding things on ‘other’ sites that aren’t your own doesn’t really benefit you much as an author so I’m going to walk you through the process of making your own “custom pin it” buttons to place on your website pages. This does take a bit of time if you have a large website but I promise you, it is time well spent!
The first thing you want to do it head over to your website and pull up the page you want readers to pin. Then, open a new window tab and pull up the Pinterest Widget Builder. This is where we’ll create your custom Pin It buttons for your website.
This page will allow you to make a few different types of buttons so be sure to save it for later use as next week I’ll show you how to put your board directly onto your website pages using one of the other widgets listed. For this tutorial, we’ll just be concentrating on the first one, the “Pin It Button.”
The first thing you want to do is pick a style of button….the Button Type. One Image, Any Image or Image Hover. Most sites use the One Image type.
The Appearance of your button will be your next option. Select the size, shape, color and language of your button. Then decide if you want a the ‘pin count’ (how many people have pinned your image) on the widget and where to place it.
Once you have that finished, you need the URL of the page you want others to pin and the URL of the image. The description will be seen underneath your photo so be sure you have exactly what you want to say there. It can be the book blurb or just a simple explanation of what you’re seeing.
Once you have that done, hit the Build It button and your new Pin It Button will appear at the bottom of the page.
Copy and paste the html code it provides onto your website page where you want the button to be and your pin it button will automatically appear once you save the code to your page. All you’ll see is the small ‘red’ Pin It button and the ‘number’ of pins it has if you selected that feature to show up. When someone clicks that pin it button, a new page will pop up showing every image you have on that page.
As you can see, the ‘new custom pin’ we made is there in the top left corner. Pinners will select the photo, then which board they want it to appear on and your webpage will be saved to their pinterest board. Anytime someone clicks on the pin, they’ll be directed to your website to see the entire page.
Most authors I’ve talked to avoid Pinterest for one reason…its a time-suck. I’ll admit that statement is true – to a certain extent, but…avoiding the site completely is where authors fail. They don’t use the site to their advantage.
I spent an entire weekend creating pins and placing them on my website for the sole purpose of having others – potential new readers – find my books and my website. As authors, getting new readers to our website is crucial and this is one easy way to do that. Every time you create a new page on your website, create that pin it button and place it there as well. All it’ll cost you is a little bit of time but trust me, its time well spent. I know this from looking at those pages I’ve pinned and seeing how many people have re-pinned those same things. The more readers (strangers who have never heard of me) know about my books, the better off I’ll be because you can’t sell books without readers to buy them and you can’t find readers unless you go out and look for them. Why not find them in a way that’s fun for everyone? But do yourself a favor and don’t browse Pinterest until your work is done. The site is so interesting you can get lost for hours! Trust me…been there and done that. I only go there now in the evenings when I have nothing else to do for that very reason. Or when I need something quick and easy for supper. *grin*
Next week I’ll be going over how to embed your Pinterest boards directly onto your website pages so don’t forget to come back for that. (You can see what I mean on this book page – scroll to the bottom of the page to see my board)
If you want to make sure you don’t miss anything in the coming weeks, sign up for email notifications and receive each post in your email inbox. I still have tutorials on Scrivener (writing software), Google Docs, Google Calendars (and how to add those to your website), Production Schedules and creating Weekly/Daily ‘To Do’ List yet to cover, so get your name on the list so you don’t miss out.
And as always, if you found this post useful and informative, be sure to share it with your friends!
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About Lily Graison
When not writing, Lily can be found at her sewing machine creating 1800’s period clothing or participating in civil war reenactments and area living history events. When not portraying a southern belle, you can find her at a nearby store feeding her obsession for all things resembling office supplies.
To see the dresses Lily has created, visit her Pinterest page.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+
The post An Authors “How To” Guide to Building An Online Presence :: Pinterest (part 1) appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
July 9, 2014
An Authors “How To” Guide to Building An Online Presence :: MailChimp
Photo: mkhmarketing
Welcome to week 6 of my ‘How To’ blog series.
Every author, whether well established or just starting out, needs a mailing list, a place where they can get in touch with their readers at a moments notice.
I know authors who have dozens of books out who still haven’t set up a direct link to their fanbase. The reason most don’t is they don’t think they have enough readers to bother. You’d be surprised how many people want to be in your loop, so don’t sell yourself short.
This week I’m going to show you one easy way to start gathering your readers and getting them the information they want.
I’ve been using MailChimp for a few years now. I know there are other email marketing applications out there but this is the one I’ve been using so if you want to know your options, just Google to find others.
MailChimp allows you to collect names and email addresses of your readers and lets you send emails to all, or part of them, whenever you need to. To get started, head over to MailChimp and click on the “Sign Up Free” button.
And then fill in all the information it asks for.
Once you click the “Create My Account” button, you’ll be taken to a screen telling you to check your email. You’ll need to activate the account before you can go any further. Once you click the link in your email, you’ll need to get past the Capthca screen to prove you’re human. Once you’ve completed those tasks, you’ll be taken to the information screen. This is where you’ll put in all the information about “you” and your author identity.
One part of this information is a mailing address. Do not use your “home” address unless you want your readers to see this information. Sending email solicitations, which is what you’re doing if you encourage readers through email to buy your books, has certain rules, so be sure to read over that information when its provided.
I’ve purchased a small (the smallest one they provide) PO Box from the post office just for this purpose. The cost is tax-deductible so if you’re worried about your personal address, this is one way of working around this problem but you “must” put an address down. Its the law, folks, and you can’t get around it.
Once you’ve inserted all your information, you’ll be taken to the site. The first thing you want to do is “Create A List.” This is going to be where you store all those lovely readers you have. You can name the list anything you wish and have as many as you need. I have two lists, “New Release Notifications” and “eNewsletters from LilyGraison.Com” so set yours up as you see fit.
Again, you’ll be asked for information about your list so fill everything in accordingly. Some of this information will show up on your actual newsletters so make sure its all correct. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to see your list and create a form so readers can join.
You’re given three options for forms. The two you’ll use the most are the “General Forms” and the “Embedded Forms.”
General Forms is going to allow you to customize how your form looks and how much information you want to collect.
Just fill out everything it asks to build your form. These can be as plain or fancy as you wish. I love being able to customize these forms and I change mine all the time. I recently began asking what books people are reading. You can see my form HERE.
Once you have the form completed, you’ll be able to use the URL shortcut provided on the page to direct readers to your sign up form. Just post the link on your website, your blog, link it from Facebook or Twitter, and all your readers will now have a way to stay in touch.
Another type of form is the Embedded Form. This form comes in the form of HTML. I use this type on blog posts when I want to direct readers to my lists. This type of sign up for isn’t as ‘fancy’ as the first and it only allows you to collect a name and email address. It looks like this when finished and placed on your website/blog.
Again, fill in the information for the Embedded Form, and copy the HTML code to insert into your website/blog posts.
Once you have your lists made, your forms created and placed where readers can sign up, you’re going to get busy creating your first newsletter. MailChimp calls them “campaigns” so that’s where you want to go next on your dashboard.
Click on the “Create A Campaign” button and you’ll be taken to the first screen. Here you’ll need to pick what ‘type’ of campaign you have. For most newsletters, you’ll pick “regular ‘ol campaign.”
Next, select who to send the campaign to and click the NEXT button at the bottom.
On the next screen, fill in all the information it asks for and click the NEXT button at the bottom.
This is where creating your newsletter gets fun! There are templates galore offered on MailChimp and all you have to do is pick the layout you like best and get creative.
You can add text boxes, photos, social media links, buttons, change the color of your text, frame your images, etc….the sky is the limit here. Your newsletter can be as elaborate as you want or just a simple note highlighting your brand new release.
Once you have your newsletter looking exactly like you want it, you can Preview it by clicking on the “Preview and Test” tab on the top.
Once everything looks exactly like you want it, click the NEXT button at the bottom of the page and review all your options. Once it passes your scrutiny, you can “send now” or schedule it to send at a later date.
As with any program, the more you use it, the less confusing it will seem. Just take your time, walk away if you get frustrated and remember, growing your list will sometimes mean collecting names one reader at a time. Don’t give up. You’ll get where you want to be with patience and time.
Next week I’ll be going over Pinterest and how every author can use the site to their advantage. I’ll be talking about a lot of different things so the posts may be broken into several parts as I’ll be showing you how to create Pin It buttons for your websites and how to embed those boards you create directly onto your website pages.
If you want to make sure you don’t miss anything in the coming weeks, sign up for email notifications and receive each post in your email inbox. I still have tutorials on Scrivener (writing software), Google Docs, Google Calendars (and how to add those to your website), Production Schedules and creating Weekly/Daily ‘To Do’ List yet to cover, so get your name on the list so you don’t miss out.
And as always, if you found this post useful and informative, be sure to share it with your friends!
Leave Blank:Do Not Change:
Your email:
About Lily Graison
When not writing, Lily can be found at her sewing machine creating 1800’s period clothing or participating in civil war reenactments and area living history events. When not portraying a southern belle, you can find her at a nearby store feeding her obsession for all things resembling office supplies.
To see the dresses Lily has created, visit her Pinterest page.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+
The post An Authors “How To” Guide to Building An Online Presence :: MailChimp appeared first on Romance Author Lily Graison.
