Starla Kaye's Blog, page 23
July 4, 2014
Hero-A man to fall in love with
I’m an avid reader of romances, as well as a multi-published romance author. I write about heroes…and, of course, heroines.
What makes a good hero in a romance? There are many articles on the subject, many posts from talented authors. Here are some of the traits most loved in a hero:
Attractive
Talented or skilled in some way
Wealthy
More than brawn
His admiration, respect and love for the heroine grows
Maybe frustrated with the heroine, but devoted to her
Has flaws, but not tragic flaws
Loveable on many levels and unforgettable
Redeemable qualities
Unmistakably masculine
Driven
Protective
Sources:
Wonk-a-Mance: Creating Dynamic Heroes
The Creative Penn: 20 Tips for Writing Loveable Romance Novel Heroes
Writing World.com: Creating Great Heroes and Heroines
Romance is My Day Job: the Swoonworthy Romantic Hero
Goodreads: How to Write a Romantic Hero
By Starla Kaye
The post Hero-A man to fall in love with appeared first on Starla Kaye.
June 13, 2014
Promotion: When is enough, enough?
Writing a book is hard work, every author knows that. After that grueling process, you need to figure out the whole “promotion” thing. It’s not enough to have the book published in some form and have it listed on one or many of the book selling sites. There is too much competition out there for similar books. You, the author, need to determine how best to Promo, Promo, and then Promo some more.
I’ve been preparing to present a program for a local writers’ organization this weekend on Social Media, in other words learning all about promotion. The task of just learning about it all was daunting. And I quickly realized how many things I’ve been doing wrong or not at all. (heavy sigh here)
The basic elements of an Author’s Promotion Platform should at least include some, in truth, a lot of the following:
Website with a blog, or a blog site
Brief bio to use whenever your name appears online
Press kit
Social media accounts: Facebook fan page, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest
Social book cataloging sites for mix with readers: GoodReads, Shelfari, LibraryThing
E-newsletter
Contributing to other blogs
Public appearances: book signings, speaking engagements, readings, interviews
Does that all seem daunting? Yes. So you need to do the best you can, choose the promotion ways that you can be the most comfortable with. I’m still working on fine-tuning my Author Promotion Platform. At the moment, because I write/publish under three pen names, I have 4 websites, 3 Facebooks, 3 Twitters, Google+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Plus I’m loosely on GoodReads and Shelfari.
This promotion stuff takes a lot of time away from actually writing. Carefully consider what works best for you and will allow you to continue your real purpose: writing and selling your work.
Stop by and leave a comment on works best for you…or what doesn’t work for you.
By Starla Criser
aka Starla Kaye and S.K. Fero
The post Promotion: When is enough, enough? appeared first on Starla Kaye.
June 3, 2014
It’s All About Pleasing Your Man (Woman)-June Contest
June already? Wow! Plus it is time for a new contest for June in connection with Romance Books 4 Us. This time It’s All About Pleasing Your Man.
The contest begins today (June 3) and runs until June 30. The randomly selected winner will be chosen on July 1.
CONTEST DETAILS
Leave a comment about what you do special to please your man (or your woman). One randomly chosen commenter will win a Muffin Tops cupcake mold (they’re sooo cute).
May contest winner announced
I’m happy to announce that the winner of my May “It’s All About Me (You) Contest winner is Lola Karns.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by and left a comment about how you like to pamper yourself.
May 19, 2014
Contest Winners Announced
It has been a busy contest month for me. Today I am happy to announce the following winners from my various contests.
“Just for the heck of it” contest on my blog: Pamela Sims
“Keeping the Romance Going” contest on 1 Night Stand Series blog: Louise Pelzl
“TRS Staying Home Party” contest: Charlene Fraley
Congratulations to all of you!
May 15, 2014
Starting Over – A look at Corbin and Matt’s life now
I’m visiting Decadent Publishing’s 1 Night Stand Series blog today, revisiting another pair of my favorite characters: Corbin and Matt from Starting Over.
I had a good time writing their story the first time. It was a story about two very special men and finding their way together while healing their individual internal issues. Starting Over was a second chance at love, a coming out, and a fairly hot romantic M/M story.
Today on the other blog I’m sharing a quick look into what their lives might be like today. Please stop by and check it out. There is also a contest.
CONTEST: One lucky commenter will win a really fun “To Do” list and a small surprise. The winner will be chosen May 19th.
Starting Over
Genre: Contemporary, erotic romance, GLBT
Heat Level: 4
May 14, 2014
TRS Staying Home Party – Contest
I’m excited to be part of The Romance Studio’s Staying Home Party May 13-18. This if for those readers and writers who are not going to New Orleans, but still want to have fun. Be sure to check on this link TRS STAYING HOME PARTY to take part in the fourth annual party.
They will be giving away an Amazon gift card for $100 to one lucky reader and a lot of other prizes too! The Amazon gift card winner will be selected at random on May 19, 2014.
Participating authors will be posting during the event at the TRS STAYING HOME PARTY site about their latest books and other entertaining topics. Instructions for commenting and entering the contest are on the party site.
I am giving away a $25 Eden Fantasys gift card as my part of the author giveaways.
My Link to the Party: Cowboy Dreamin’ by Starla Kaye
CONTEST: Leave a comment on my Starla Kaye website or the contest page about why you think cowboys are “hot.” One lucky winner will receive a small cowgirl hat jewelry box with a necklace. See photo on my website. The contest winner will be selected May 19.
May 13, 2014
TRS Staying Home Party
I’m excited to be part of The Romance Studio’s Staying Home Party May 13-18. This if for those readers and writers who are not going to New Orleans, but still want to have fun. Be sure to check on this link TRS STAYING HOME PARTY to take part in the fourth annual party.
They will be giving away an Amazon gift card for $100 to one lucky reader and a lot of other prizes too! The Amazon gift card winner will be selected at random on May 19, 2014.
Participating authors will be posting during the event at the TRS STAYING HOME PARTY site about their latest books and other entertaining topics. Instructions for commenting and entering the contest are on the party site.
I am giving away a $25 Eden Fantasys gift card as my part of the author giveaways.
May 8, 2014
And now…nothing in particular (with contest)
I was just half listening to the radio and they said, “And now…nothing in particular.” It was one of those pre-recorded blurbs the DJs inserted, and then they made fun of it. But the words hit me.
I thought that, in a way it went along with the May contest I’m running here on the website: It’s All About Me (You). The contest is asking people who stop by to enter the contest to share how they pamper themselves. So far the answers are fun and have told me that I need to work on the whole pampering myself thing. Stop by the post at this link: It’s All About Me (You)…or just roll down to the post.
Back to the “nothing in particular”…
It made me think of how few days, even hours, that I feel like I have “nothing in particular” that I need to do. Life can be so demanding. I (and most people) go from one task/errand/whatever to another from the time I get up and around in the morning until I crash at some point in the evening.
Remember that cliche “Take time to smell the roses”? Do I have roses to smell in my yard? Yes. I barely take the time to trim them twice a year, let alone take a free second to stop and smell them. How sad is that?
How about you? What are you missing while you’re running yourself ragged day after day?
CONTEST: Thinking about all of this, I’ve decided to add a SECOND CONTEST. A “Just for the heck of it” contest. Take a few seconds to share about the craziness of your life and what you feel like you’re missing out on enjoying. One randomly chosen winner will win a $25 gift card from Eden Fantasys, which will give you a chance to pick out something fun to enjoy when you do manage to find a an extra minutre or two to pamper yourself. And I’ll throw in a small surprise gift too. The contest will end May 19.
May 2, 2014
Another terrific review for Cowboy Dreamin’
I’m absolutely thrilled with yet another wonderful review of my very special story COWBOY DREAMIN’.
Rainbow Book Reviews, reviewer jj, said, “This novella, part of the 1Night Stand series, was super delicious. Plus it has an ending that just lit up my heart, misted my eyes, and provided a fantastic happy ending….This is an M/M/F focused story and I recommend it!”
See the full wonderful review at Rainbow Book Reviews.
BLURB: Kendra spends her days and nights running a business, sculpting, and leading a Tahitian dance group in Kauai. She can’t squeeze anything else into her life, but she dreams of cowboys. Sexy, hot cowboys in tight jeans, low-tipped Stetsons, and dusty boots. Men who know all about how to please a woman. She enjoys her fantasies, but can’t imagine ever settling down. But one night with one would be so nice. Surely that would get her dreams of a white knight cowboy sweeping her off her feet out of her system.
Because of an accident that Shane believes left him “less of a man,” he doesn’t see a wife and children in his future. Carson, his ranching partner—and sometimes lover—thinks Shane is wrong. Carson refuses to let Shane settle for a life of rodeo bunnies who only want a romp in bed with a bull rider. Shane deserves more than that. He manages to sign Shane up with a matchmaking service to, hopefully, meet another kind of woman, maybe someone who will appreciate Shane for the man he is. Except Madame Evangeline expects both of the cowboys to go on this special one night date. It doesn’t take long for either cowboy to realize that one night with the purple-haired, hip-shaking beauty in Kauai might not be enough….
