Kaylene Winter's Blog, page 14

FEARLESS COVER REVEAL!

Oh, how excited I am about the cover reveal of FEARLESS!

The gorgeous Ryan “Shorty” Vest is the perfect man to play Connor McGloughin, LTZ’s rogue Irish bass player. Beautiful Christine Klein, his real-life muse couldn’t be more incredible as the strong, feisty Ronni Miller.

I’m sure you will see from all of the beautiful photos and videos I’m posting all over my social media accounts that this couple is a DREAM!

BEHIND THE SCENES COVER TIDBITS

I’ve mentioned before that I’d waiting for over a year to finally safely do a photo shoot during these COVID-19 shutdowns.

We had planned to go to Los Angeles, but when they had another lockdown during the holidays we opted to go to Minneapolis. It had been many, many years since I’d last visited, and I loved the city so much! For one, my beloved cousin and her family live there. It was great to be able to enjoy lunch with her and catch up. For two, what an incredibly creative community! Oh, and TARGET is EVERYWHERE!

As for the photo shoot, I must give more shout outs to Regina Wamba, my creative vision and my two dear friends Elena Chavez and Debbie Murphy who are wardrobe/photoshoot ninjas (they work for a major retailer) and jumped in to make sure the day ran smoothly.

We had hoped to have our models pose in a rain room, but alas – another COVID casualty. Undeterred, we made magic happen MacGyver-style. Nothing could stop us armed with a shower pan from home depot, a pot of warm water some baby oil and a silo cup. The shots are nothing more than extraordinary – and if you follow me on FB or IG, you’ll see Debbie up on a ladder dousing our models with water.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT!

As you count down the days until FEARLESS is released – I’d love for you to learn about another author friend of mine, USA Today Bestselling author Kat Mizera.

She recently released “PLAY” – the first book in her Rock Hard Series. Here is a little tease. ​

Tyler Thompson is a bona fide rock star.

He went on tour at seventeen and never looked back. And now, fifteen years later, he has more fame, fortune, and success than he ever imagined. He’s the bass player for a new band, Nobody’s Fool, and all he wants to do is get back on tour. But business and personal issues are blocking his next move.

Pop star Ariel Fox has been under her father’s thumb for so long she doesn’t remember what freedom is like. When she gets invited to record a single on Nobody’s Fool’s demo tape she’s ready for a week of work…and fun, without the watchful eye of her father. One look at Tyler’s blue eyes and she’s immediately snagged. She wants it all—him, success, a real future. But nothing is ever that simple.

Falling in love wasn’t part of the deal.

And when the record company tries to sabotage Nobody’s Fool, Ariel must choose between protecting Tyler and protecting herself.

You can read PLAY and preorder her other books here. 

The post FEARLESS COVER REVEAL! appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

ENDLESS PHOTO SHOOT

At long last I was finally able to complete the photo shoot I had scheduled last year for ENDLESS with Brandon Katz. As a special added bonus, his wife Tara Salerno joined in the fun and BOOM! Ty and Zoey were brought to life.

I mentioned on the last newsletter how special our time in Minneapolis was shooting LIMITLESS, FEARLESS and TIMELESS – and today you will get to see some of the results of our efforts – I’m revealing Connor and Ronni – in the flesh!

FEARLESS PROMO BLITZ

March is a REALLY busy month because FEARLESS is releasing on Paddy’s Day. There are a number of ways you can participate, and I would LOVE for you to become even more entrenched into the LTZ world.

1. NEWSLETTER – If you received this in your email, congratulations!  You’re already in possession of a backstage pass to all things LTZ.  If you are seeing this blog, click here to sign up and get all of the insider information EARLY!

2. ARC READERS: I’m looking for a few of you to get the AFTER PARTY PASS. You will get a free advance copy of FEARLESS sometime before March 5. Only a select number of readers will be chosen. In exchange for a preview copy, I would ask that you read the book before 3/17/21 (the release date) and share an honest review on Amazon, GoodReads and/or BookBub on release day.

3. BOOK BUB CHALLENGE! I need to get to 1000 followers on BookBub to be considered for a lot of awesome promotions. I’m halfway there my friends – if you would take a minute to follow me on BookBub here – I will see that you have followed me in my email – I’ll pick a random winner to get a very special prize that NO ONE ELSE will have!!!  Trust me!!  You’ll want this special keepsake from the photoshoot. Pass the word along – let’s see if we can get 1000 followers by release day.

UPCOMING EXCITING THINGS

There are so many cool things happening – I can’t wait to share with you. In the meantime, enjoy the promos leading up to the release of FEARLESS. Then, we will be revealing new covers for ENDLESS and LIMITLESS. Next will be TIMELESS – Zane & Fiona’s story. And coming in November I’ll be part of an incredible anthology featuring a lot of your favorite Rockstar Romance authors—

Have a great weekend!

Kaylene

The post ENDLESS PHOTO SHOOT appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY BEHIND THE SCENES SPECIAL

Hey everyone! I’ve been a bit sporadic in the ole’ newsletter thing for a few weeks – all because of the AMAZING things that are happening here at Rocker Romance. This is an EXTRA long edition!

ALL FOR YOU!!

First off, I want to wish you all a WONDERFUL Valentine’s Day. Whether you are spending it with a sweetie or a book boyfriend (I know a few), enjoy the day and make sure you have some chocolate on hand.

LESS THAN ZERO PHOTO SHOOT

A year ago, I was prepping to release ENDLESS, my very first novel and had enlisted the amazing Regina Wamba to create my covers. We had a photo shoot scheduled in Los Angeles with the gorgeous Brandon Katz, and then poof! All plans were put on hold due to COVID 19. Luckily, we found some good images of Brandon squirreled away, and he became the one and only rock-god Tyson Rainier.

Later, when LIMITLESS released, we were still under the same restrictions and luckily, Regina had some images of the flawless Garret McCall in the hopper, and he became the laid-back sexy drummer, Jace Deveraux.

I’m SOOOOO Excited to report that we were able to FINALLY complete the photo shoot for LIMITLESS, FEARLESS and TIMELESS in Minneapolis in early February. I had no idea how much time and preparation goes into a photo shoot of this magnitude, and luckily I have my squad in order.

Regina, of course, was phenomenal. I can’t think of any other person I’d want to creatively collaborate with on my rocker vision. I need to give a shout out to Ms. Elena Chavez and Debbie Murphy, my longtime friends (and fellow rock chicks from back in the day) who are now big-wig fashionistas for a major retailer. They lent a hand on styling and production, we couldn’t have done it without them.

What was so wonderful and made my heart go pitter-patter was getting to know all of the models, who truly embodied the characters of my stories.

Garret, reprised his role as Jace – and nailed it. From drumming like he was born to play to being the cool, sweet, tender partner to Carson Hunstad (aka “Alex”), he is an absolute sweetheart. Carson, gorgeous, blond, ethereal – the perfect Alex – rocked her black Frye boots like a champ.

Next up were real-life couple Christine Klein and Ryan “Shorty” Vest, as Ronni and Connor – I’m teasing you with a few pics today, but since FEARLESS is coming out in March, be on the lookout for all sorts of awesomeness over the coming weeks. Both of them were funny, sexy, and oh-so-perfect for their roles as an advocate actress and strong, silent bass player who takes care of his family – no matter what.

Rounding things up were Enrico Ravenna and Sophia Tomlinson as Zane and Fiona. Oooh la la!  Enrico flew in from Atlanta to the bitter tundra of Minneapolis to become the musical prodigy, upbeat, loyal guitarist, Zane. Sophia’s sultry, sassy Fiona is his perfect counterbalance. TIMELESS, their story, will be out later this year – but I couldn’t resist giving you a few pics of them as well.

Next week, I’m in Los Angeles with Regina and the team to shoot Brandon and his gorgeous wife Tara, which means Ty and Zoey will be getting a new ENDLESS cover. Their story continues in an anthology I’m going to be part of around the holidays called “Rockstar’s Ball.” Me and 9 fellow Rockstar romance authors will be serving up a little suspense at an award’s show, where Ty will receive a pretty cool award for his charitable work. More on that later.

Oh, and all of our rockers will be getting follow-up books— you heard it here first!

FEARLESS RELEASE MARCH 17, 2020

Now is a GREAT time to get caught up on all of the books before FEARLESS releases on St. Patrick’s Day. Here is a little teaser of what’s in store:

Family is everything, I protect mine with my life..
Connor McGloughlin had it all, a great family, a college scholarship, and music.
Tragedy forced him to grow up too fast.
When his life finally is on track, Ronni Miller appears like a dream.
Kindred spirits in the most unlikely of circumstances.
There’s only one thing in the way—
Her dark past he’s determined to protect her from.

When your innocence is stolen, trust is a precious gift..

Actress Ronni Miller tasted fame at a young age.
But her path to stardom was riddled with tragedy.
She never imagined falling for Connor McGloughlin, a rogue, Irish rock star.
The thing is? Ronni’s got revenge on her mind.
Regardless of the risk or the consequences—
Or losing the one thing in her life that makes her feel alive.

Connor has only ever asked Ronni for one thing: her heart.
But when her bravery is couched in lies?
She risks losing the man who would do anything for her.
Will she realize being fearless means trusting true love?

That’s all for now my friends!

Don’t forget that Carter & Lianne’s short prequel novella RESTLESS is FREE – so if you haven’t picked it up yet, you can get it here: https://BookHip.com/SQPRPQ

ENDLESS:
Get ENDLESS Here!

LIMITLESS:
Get LIMITLESS Here!

The post HAPPY VALENTINES DAY BEHIND THE SCENES SPECIAL appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

EXCITING THINGS FOR LESS THAN ZERO LOVERS!

Happy new year again everyone. I hope you’ve had a chance to read RESTLESS. If not, get it here for FREE: https://BookHip.com/SQPRPQ

Note – There are some adult situations in this short, sexy novella. I’ve had a few reviews up on Amazon, but I’d REALLY appreciate it if you could take some time to write an honest review.

Thank you!!!

If you post a review and email a link to kaylenewinterauthor@gmail.com, I will be choosing 10 lucky readers to get a BRAND NEW CONCERT T-shirt!

I might even throw in an autographed copy of RESTLESS—

NEXT UP: FEARLESS

Here is my description:

Family is everything, I protect mine with my life..

Connor McGloughlin had it all, a great family, a college scholarship and music.
Tragedy forced him to grow up too fast.
When his life finally is on track, Ronni Miller appears like a dream.
Kindred spirits in the most unlikely of circumstances.
There’s only one thing in the way—
Her dark past he’s determined to protect her from.

When your innocence is stolen, trust is a precious gift..

Actress Ronni Miller tasted fame at a young age.
But her path to stardom was riddled with tragedy.
She never imagined falling for Connor McGloughlin, a rogue, Irish rock star.
The thing is? Ronni’s got revenge on her mind.
Regardless of the risk or the consequences—
Or losing the one thing in her life that makes her feel alive.

Connor has only ever asked Ronni for one thing: her heart.
But when bravery is couched in lies?
She risks losing the one man who would do anything for her.
Sometimes being fearless means placing trust in true love.

PHOTO SHOOT NEWS

My amazing team is preparing to do a socially distanced, Covid-19 compliant photo shoot the first week of February. Make sure to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kaylenewinterauthor/ to get behind the scenes photos in my story and posts!!

Happy January!

The post EXCITING THINGS FOR LESS THAN ZERO LOVERS! appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

HAPPY NEW YEAR SURPRISE!!!

I’ve been teasing this for weeks and I’m so excited for what I’m about to tell you.

Come a little closer—

But first, did you have a great holiday? A fun New Year?

I celebrated with my husband and my godson and his parents. The little 5-year old dynamo is the only person who can wear out my 3-year old Siberian Husky. The were super cute together, and it made for a very special way to ring in the new year.

Ah, while I’m sure you are happy to hear about my NYE, I know you’re waiting for the surprise.

So, here it is:

FREE COPY OF RESTLESS!

As my gift to you, my awesome readers, you are getting a FREE copy of RESTLESS one week early!!! HURRAY!

RESTLESS

My mistakes nearly cost me everything, including my life.

Carter Pope is a rock superstar on the rise.

His band Limelight catapulted him into a world of fame and excess.

Meeting his soulmate was not in his plan.

Neither was having a son at age 19.

When he succumbs to a crippling addiction?

It’s all gone in an instant.

Now he’ll do anything to redeem himself and reclaim his family.

I got off the merry-go-round to protect my son.

Stunning prima ballerina Lianne Rocks is taking the ballet world by storm.

Coveted, worshipped, she has her pick of suitors.

But she only has eyes for one man.

Guitar superhero, Carter Pope.

Caught up in a merry-go-round of addiction and fame.

She leaves to create a stable life for herself and Zane.

Her son, the musical prodigy who really needs his dad.

When Carter gets clean, Lianne reluctantly lets him back into their lives.

Only so he can reconnect with his son.

Little did she know.

A restless soul can always be tamed by true love.

All you have to do is click HERE: https://BookHip.com/STDQMX

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The post HAPPY NEW YEAR SURPRISE!!! appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2020

I guess this is my first annual holiday newsletter! The past week has been spent getting my novella formatted, the cover done and all of the little details that you need to do for a surprise book release. My goal is to have this out to all of my newsletter subscribers for FREE by New Years as a special 2020 thank you for your support.

If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, please do it here: https://rockerromance.com/backstage-pass/

CARTER & LIANNE

To say that I’m surprised at how their story unfolded is an understatement! In my last post, I spoke a little bit about the writing process. In the back of my mind, I’ve always know that Carter’s heart is in the right place, he just isn’t the best about how to communicate. In many ways, when he became a rock legend at such a young age and then spiraled into addiction, he was frozen in time on an emotional level. When he emerges from recovery, he has a son that isn’t much younger than he was when he became famous.

Lianne also surprised me – she’s feisty and strong – but also compassionate and refreshingly able to get out from under a co-dependent relationship. For the sake of her son. Essentially, she gives up her dream of a happy ending with a bad-boy rocker to ensure Zane is raised correctly, around family who are there to love and support him.

Will Carter redeem himself?

And, heck, will we find out why the hell he interfered with Ty & Zoey in the first place?

Stay tuned!

MORE AUTHOR GOODNESS!

I’m super excited to provide you with a couple of awesome reads while you wait the next 10 days or so for RESTLESS.

My friend Anne Mercier has released A Very Xander Christmas 4 – which is free in KU and only $.99 on Kindle. Here is a link: https://smarturl.it/AVXC4

My other friend Charli B. Rose is making Beats of the Heat (Lyrical Odyssey Rock Star Series Book 1) FREE starting next Tuesday December 29 – but only for a limited time, so mark your calendars! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K5CDB3K

The post HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2020 appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

HOLING UP TO WRITE

I’m back!

I’ve been in a “writing cave” for the past couple of weeks finishing up my first draft of FEARLESS, Connor and Ronni’s story.

What is really a fun part of the writing process is how characters evolve. You think you “know” them and then they go off and do something you didn’t expect. I can’t explain it, other than when you’re in the zone and you connect with your characters, they speak to you. Their dialogue flows. Their interactions make complete sense.

I’ll give you a couple of hints:

Connor’s parent’s are from Northern Ireland.
Ronni was a child actor.
Connor had to step up and help his family at an early age.
Ronni’s experience on her first television set was less than ideal.
Their first meeting is based on a dare.
The first chapter should shock your pants off if I’ve done my job right.

RESTLESS

My biggest surprise is my holiday gift to you – hoping by New Year’s (if not sooner). If you are on my mailing list, you’ll receive a new novella – a prequel to all of the LTZ novels – this one about Connor and Ronni.

Hints:

She’s a ballerina.
He’s a budding rock star.
Their love story is beautiful.
And tragic.
Plus, you’ll find out why he’s such a meddling grandma (Zoey’s words, not mine)

I cannot wait you guys! I think (hope) Carter will be somewhat redeemed!!!

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Tylor Paige and provide you with a link to the first novel in her You & Me series – It’s called MISSING YOU, MISSING ME.

Cleo is good at two things: stealing the spotlight and always making the wrong decisions. From bad tattoos to a sudden elopement, Cleo is a mess who can’t help but be loved from everyone around her. Except for the one that matters, her husband.

Ethan is hurt beyond measure. Leaving home after losing his best friend and brother, he joined a band and traveled the world looking for someone to love his damaged soul. Turning to girls who can’t love and drugs that make him hate himself, Ethan is just as lost as Cleo is.

Forced to work together for a summer tour, Cleo and Ethan discover the old flame isn’t completely snuffed out. However, she can’t let go of her husband, and Ethan can’t let go of her.

– You can get it here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JR9RV4W?fbclid=IwAR15qyVjO6JdIRUJFDm1nnaK1pEcVxXIVNumFejHbxgSeRbHTMdDTWT2njQ

The post HOLING UP TO WRITE appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

THANKFUL

This Thanksgiving I want to focus on the magnitude of blessings that I’ve had in a year of turmoil. It would be easy to get lost in the drama of the Presidential election or the horrors of COVID. I’m always a glass is half full kind of gal, and feel like in many ways this has been one of my best years in terms of growth and acceptance.

Today, I want to talk about all of the people I’m thankful for.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

My husband is my rock. He’s a very manly man, is a builder and can fix anything. He’s Irish, so he’s funny, witty and loves a good banter. What most people don’t know about him is that he’s the silliest, sweetest, most sentimental and loving man. He’s the one who has encouraged me to pursue this creative outlet of writing Rockstar Romances and I’m grateful that he gave me this gift.

S&K: My two muses, the inspirations behind Alex and Ronni. Both of you also have encouraged me ever step of the way. You’ve been my beta readers. My cheerleaders and all around sounding board about literally every single thing about this author journey.

NEW FRIENDS AND TEAMMEMBERS

Grace: My editor extraordinaire. You humbled me in such a good way and I’m a better writer because of it. I’m so excited to send FEARLESS to you in just a few short days.

Mari: My first author friend and supporter. You gave me something that I needed, and that was validation. I’ve been such a great fan of yours for so many years, I’m grateful for your friendship, support and encouragement.

Regina: I stalked you and made you my photographer and creative director in many ways. We have a really fun collaboration coming up and OMG I cannot believe all of the hotness that will be in one room. Thank you for creating such wonderful book covers, and giving me Jace.

Beth & Anna: You two were the first to read ENDLESS and really get what I was trying to do. You’ve become invaluable friends and sounding boards in my LESS THAN ZERO journey, and you’re both awesome to boot.

Rock Star Romance Sisters: I’m thrilled to be included in this new group because I’ve admired all of you for so long. I can’t wait for all of the awesomeness to be unleashed upon Rock Star Romance fans.

READERS!

A special thank you to all of the bloggers and readers who have loved ENDLESS AND LIMITLESS. I’m so excited for 2021 to bring you more from the LTZ world. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Kaylene

The post THANKFUL appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

CELEBRATING ROCKSTAR ROMANCE

This year has been so fun for me as a new romance author. I feel like I have my undergraduate degree in book publishing and marketing now. Next steps? A Masters and then PhD.

In all seriousness, some of my friends have asked me “how do you do it?” when I run another business full-time and serve on two very important arts boards in Seattle.

The answer is— My fellow sister authors.

In the beginning, I was a huge fan. I devoured a ton of books by other women who write Rockstar Romance and other types of Contemporary Romance. Getting lost in their worlds has been such an amazing escape for me.

Little did I know how much I’d love to write. Now, I have the best of all worlds. I get to read amazing stories from my favorite authors. And I get to create my own worlds.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

I’m debuting a new feature in this week’s newsletter – my Author Spotlight, highlighting very cool authors and their new releases.

Today, I want to tell you about Michelle Mankin, one of my very first Rockstar Romance author friends and someone who I aspire to be one day. Michelle is a New York Times bestselling author of a PLETHORA of amazing Rock Star romances – let me give you a little taste:

BRUTAL STRENGTH is a trilogy combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry
TEMPEST is set in Seattle and follows a rock band on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there. (hmm, I see a tour with LTZ happening sometime—)
MAGIC is a collision of rock stars, myths, and legends with paranormal romance.
ROCK STARS, SURF AND SECOND CHANCES series is a sweet journey of romance and self-discovery
FINDING ME series is a Tempest spin off with a more experienced but familiar cast of characters.
The ROCK F*CK CLUB series is a girl-power fueled reality show with the girls ranking the rock stars.
ONCE UPON A ROCK STAR series is modern-day fairy tale retellings.

This week, Michelle released a new book called STORM (get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MWQR9CS/ ) a novel about never giving up, no matter what life throws at you. It’s about the importance of love and learning to dream again. It’s about looking beyond the wind, rain, and lightning to find the calm. It’s about holding on to the right person who helps you to be strong.

Here’s a description:

He wants her, but he can’t have her.

She wants him even though she doesn’t know who he really is.

Storm Hardy left Ocean Beach to pursue a career in the music industry.

Lotus Irving stayed behind, her world rocked by one terrible tragedy after another.

What if all your best memories are behind you?

What if you lost the one friend who understood you better than anyone else?

What if your greatest wish is to recreate the past instead of imagining a brighter future?

Friends – I’m telling you this, STORM is amazing. If you’ve loved ENDLESS and LIMITLESS, I really encourage you to read this book!

The post CELEBRATING ROCKSTAR ROMANCE appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.

ROCK STORIES

I have a lot of new subscribers to the newsletter, and I want to say “WELCOME!” I really appreciate all of you and am excited for you to be with me on my journey with LESS THAN ZERO.

The past couple of weeks have been CRAZY – mainly because LIMITLESS was released and I’ve been working on a lot of cool new things that I’ll be able to reveal soon.

WHAT’S NEXT?

My favorite thing about writing this newsletter is sharing updates about the LTZ world and also giving you backstories and inside scoop. I have been VERY busy writing FEARLESS, which is Ronni and Connor’s story. I’m not going to give any big spoilers away but suffice it to say I think the first chapter is going to BLOW YOUR MIND! What an adventure these two are on.

BLIND ITEMS

I thought I’d give you a new feature that I’ll pull out every so often. For those of you who don’t know me yet, I have spent a lot of time around real rock stars and there are a lot of really fun stories I like to share! Today I’ll give you two blind items, feel free to shoot me an email or comment if you think you know the answer!

1. When I ran a nightclub, there was a very famous 90’s band that had a ton of hits. They played my club at the cusp of their success and suffice it to say their heads were getting a little large. Now, this may not have been the band’s fault, but the tour manager actually threatened to cancel the show if I couldn’t stock the dressing room with Cool Ranch Doritos.

2. One of my side gigs was working production for big arena concerts. As the lowest gal on the totem pole, I’d often be assigned the funniest jobs. Let’s see if you can guess these two artists:

a. Artist 1: He was a big star in the 70’s, was also in a band with one of the Rolling Stones and had hits well into the 90’s. Now he’s more of a crooner. At his show, I was in charge of making sure his famous wife’s limo had a clear path to the side of the stage.

b. Artist 2: He was one of the biggest stars of the 90’s but was not out of the closet at the time. My job was working with his wardrobe manager, and I had to iron 20 of his black Armani t-shirts and steam all of the choir robes for the iconic song you all know. After the show, I took the wardrobe manager to Neighbors, one of Seattle’s most iconic gay nightclubs.

The post ROCK STORIES appeared first on Kaylene Winter, Author.