Catherine Bybee's Blog, page 21

Six Sentence Sunday ~Married by Monday

Being asked out on a date should always feel like this!

Excerpt from Married by Monday. Book Two in the Weekday Brides Series




Eliza fixated on his lips and felt the tip of her tongue sneak out of her mouth to moisten hers.
Carter sucked in a quick breath.
He was dangerously close. Close enough for her to absorb the masculine scent of his cologne, the very fragrance that lingered on her skin after their one brief intimate moment.
“Have dinner with me, Eliza.” The deep tenor of his voice rumbled in his chest.
“Dinner? I can do dinner.” 

Married by Monday by Catherine BybeeBarnes and Noble Bestseller
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

I'm going on tour...Blog tour that is!

Yes, yes... It's that time again. Time to search the web for readers who love romance and who are looking to either learn more about me, or discover me for the first time.

Here is my tour schedule for Married by Monday.


July 9 Guest blog ~ Let's Talk WeddingsThe Creatively Green Write at Home Mom

July 10 Interview, excerpt and reviewBajan Rosa Books 

July 11 PromoRoxanne’s Realm 

July 12 Guest blog ~  How the Bride Series Evolved Claire Ashgrove’s Blog

July 14 Guest blog and review ~ Let's Talk Books Always a Booklover – 

July 15 PromoRead 2 Review 

July 16 InterviewMary’s Garden 

July 17 Interview and promoJeanzbookReadNReview         

July 17 Reviewhttp://www.smittenwithreading.blogspot.com/
July 18 PromoTBQ's Book Palace

July 18 ReviewThe Autumn Review

July 19 InterviewLaura Kaye’s Blog

July 21 Interviewhttp://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com
July 22 Guest blog  ~ Wine and Summer Reading Between the Wines

July 22 ReviewReviews By Molly 

Spotlight on Nadia Scrieva

Nadia Scrieva
Drowning Mermaids
And
Fathoms of Forgiveness
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Nadia Scrieva was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where she grew very strong from carrying heavy bags filled with books back and forth from the library. She attended the University of Toronto, graduating with a B.A. in English and Anthropology. She likes knives. Her writing always features powerful females and (mostly) honorable male characters.

Writing has been the most meaningful part of her life since she was a child. Nadia has an addiction to receiving feedback from readers, so do not hesitate to contact her with any of your comments or even just to say hello. 


Website/ Twitter / Facebook
  
Drowning Mermaids
Deep under Arctic waters lies an ice kingdom carved into a glacier. Those who dwell within it possess magnificent biological secrets. Due to the dangers of impending war, the Princess of Adlivun is forced to flee her undersea utopia and regroup with her sisters in Alaska.

Captain Trevain Murphy is a successful king crab fisherman who has spent his life building his empire above the sea, and knows nothing of the empire beneath it. When he meets a mysterious dancer whose father has recently died, he extends kindness towards her, unaware of her unique genetics and royal lineage.

Trevain's attraction to the enigmatic Aazuria Vellamo will involve him in dangerous designs that will forever change his life, and his perspective on himself and his world. He embarks on perilous journeys in which he will need to release all of his insecurities and inhibitions in order to survive. 


Fathoms of Forgiveness
There is no divorce in the undersea kingdom of Adlivun. Marriage is a bond that lasts until death—even if death comes in several centuries, and in that time your spouse happens to become your sworn enemy. This is the conflict that General Visola Ramaris faces when she learns that the mighty Vachlan is behind the attacks on her kingdom. She has sworn to protect Adlivun with her life, but long ago, she also swore to love and honor her husband...
Visola must choose whether she will destroy Vachlan once and for all, or attempt the hardest thing conceivable: communication. After two hundred years of desertion, she has no faith in their feeble bond and knows she can never forgive him. When he threatens the person dearest to her, she must take action. Confronting Vachlan on enemy territory would be nothing short of suicide. She knows that if she falls into his custody, the deranged man would relish breaking her down and making her lose her sanity.
Princess Aazuria forbids Visola from taking matters into her own hands; she will do anything it takes to protect her friend from the man who wants to crush her. Alas, Visola is a crazy, uncontrollable warrior woman with the blood of Vikings in her veins. Why would she ever consider doing the safe and predictable thing? 

Make Welcome, Rebecca J. Clark

 I want you all to welcome Rebecca J. Clark to my blog today. She agreed to an interview so you can learn a little more about her and her work.
Thanks for coming, Rebecca. Tell me, how do you respond when someone says... "Oh, you write THAT kind of book?"
It depends on the mood I’m in. If I’m feeling coy, I’ll say, “Yes, because I’m THAT kind of woman.” If I’m feeling dramatic, I might say, “What do you mean THAT kind of book?” And I’ll look at them with a really hurt, confused expression on my face. Or if I’m feeling snarky, I might say, “Why? Do you have a problem with a woman finding a happy ending with a man who loves and respects her and is good in bed?”
Good answers. Most of us that write do so because we love to read. How many books do you read a month? What was the name of the last book you read?
Again, the answer is...it depends. I’m the type of reader that when reading a good fiction book, I must stay up all night to finish it if necessary. That’s not good for the day job. Or the writing job. LOL. So, I probably read only one fiction book a week, but I am always reading two or three non-fiction books. The last fiction book I read was Her Forbidden Hero by Laura Kaye. As for non-fiction, I’m reading The China Syndrome about the relationship between our diets and our long-term health, and Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham (cuz a writer should never stop trying to improve his/her craft).
That’s so true. We all need to continue getting better at what we do. What are your thoughts on Self Publishing?
I think it’s the best thing to happen to authors and readers ever. Seriously, EVER. I shudder to think of how many wonderful books have been rejected over the years from traditional publishers because they didn’t quite fit what the market was supposedly looking for. But I don’t honestly think publishers—the big ones anyway—necessarily know what the market is looking for. For instance, I LOVE romantic suspense. I LOVE straight contemporary (real world, no vampires, dead bodies, aliens, etc), but the Big 6 publishers don’t buy many of those because “no one is reading them.” Um, hello? What am I and others like me? Chopped liver? :) Anyway, with self-publishing, authors can now write the books they want to write, and readers can read more of the types of books they want to read. Is there a lot of crap out there by self-published authors? Yeah, there is. But I think most online bookstores will let you read sample pages before you buy. I can tell in the first page if I’m going to like the story. Plus, if I’m only shelling out .99-$2.99, if I end up not liking the book, it still cost me less than my trip to Starbucks. Big deal.
Amen! But then you know I’m all about self publishing. What do you like better, Facebook or Twitter? Neither. LOL. Seriously, I’m horrible at social networking. I dabble here and there with both, but have found neither very effective at reaching my readership...probably because I’m only dabbling. I just don’t have a lot of free time—if I have time to be on Facebook, I should probably be writing. That said, I do need to find a better balance between writing and promo. So if I had to choose...I’d say Twitter because it’s quicker and less of a time suck.
*Head-desk* Honey, you have to get online more! LOL Tell us something about your current release that you've not told any other blog.Within a few days of DELIVER THE MOON coming out, one of my readers found a really “duh” error within the first few pages. The wrong last name on one of my major characters. ACK! Luckily, my fabulous most-awesome publisher, The Wild Rose Press, was able to fix it in both the ebook and paperback. Thank goodness. Otherwise, every time I look at that book on my shelf, I would think of that error.
I did enjoy working with The Wild Rose Press. And you’re not the first one to spell a character’s name wrong.  
And the most important question ever... Toilet paper...over or under?
Duh. Over, of course.
Of course!
Available at The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=4897
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Deliver-Moon-Rebecca-J-Clark/dp/1612171478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338608103&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deliver-the-moon-rebecca-j-clark/1111794605?ean=2940014626859
http://rebeccajclark.com
https://www.facebook.com/#!/rebeccajclark.author
Twitter @RebeccaJClark

Bybee and Montlake

The ink is dry and the phone calls and emails are flying.

So here is the official scoop. I have signed a three book deal with Amazon Montlake. Here is the official press release with Publishers Weekly:

Bybee Lands at Montlake 
Kelli Martin, at Amazon’s romance imprint, Montlake, bought world rights to a contemporary romance trilogy by Catherine Bybee. Jane Dystel, at Dystel & Goderich, handled the sale for Bybee, who has self-published a number of romance titles—she writes in the paranormal, erotic, and contemporary subgenres—and hit national bestseller lists with her work. (One of Bybee’s most popular titles is Wife by Wednesday.) The series is called Not Quite... and, Dystel said, features “sexy, rich bachelors, desperate hotel heiresses, and Caribbean scandals.”


I tell ya what folks. It doesn't suck seeing your name on Publishers Weekly. In fact, it feels damn good. 


I had a long chat with Kelli Martin yesterday and it seems that we both have the same vision for these books. 


Not Quite Dating will be the first installment and this book will be released in October...yep, October of this year! Publishers just don't do that folks. Most take for-evah! Not Amazon. I feel like I'm talking with a publisher that understands and is embracing the changes in this industry. 


I'm super excited to have a publisher backing my work and won't it be nice to have an extra promotional kick! 


So, what is Not Quite Dating about you ask? Well... Think sexy cowboy and a single mom destined to marry money. Does my cowboy have money? Yes! Does my heroine know it? No! Oh, the tangled web and fun they get into. 


And it's set during the holidays. All wrapped up with green and red bows. 


So when people ask what I'm working on right now... I tell them "I'm on a deadline." For the first time in my writing life I have a deadline and I like it! 


But don't you worry, readers of my bride series and my time travels. Those books are a comin'. And they will be worth the wait! 

Spotlight on L.J. Garland $ Debbie Gould

Sins of the Mind
L.J. Garland & Debbie Gould




Seven years ago, Abby Montgomery survived a brutal attack. Now she is ready to put her pain in the past and move on with her life. The problem is, one by one the men in her life are being viciously murdered.
The detective assigned to the case, Ethan Parker, has demons of his own to hide. As the danger gets closer to Abby, so does Ethan. But can they get past his secrets before the killer gets to them? Sometimes the sins of the mind are more depraved than the sins of the heart.

EXCERPT:
 “Moment?” He raised his eyebrows, tried for a surprised expression. “We were having a moment? Where was I?”
A husky laugh escaped Abby’s lips. She gave him a playful shove, but he caught her hand, his fingers encircling her delicate wrist. With great care, he bowed his head and pressed his lips to the center of her palm. Her sharp intake of air told him she liked it.
 “Is this the moment you were referring to?” He kissed her wrist. “Or this?” His mouth grazed along her skin, up the side of her neck to the tender point below her ear.
“Mmm.” She tilted her head, offering him better access.
He inhaled, reveled in her unique scent. A mixture of spicy vanilla and exotic flowers invaded his senses and sent the room slowly spinning. Primal lust roared through him, demanded he possess her in a rush of carnal passion.
But Ethan resisted.
Intent on enticing Abby into a wild, heated frenzy, he trailed the tip of his tongue along her throat. Her pulse hammered beneath his ardent attention, and he reveled in her response. His fingers slid over her supple skin. One hand sought the silky tresses adorning her head while the other coaxed her legs across his lap then slipped around her waist.
He pulled back, stared into her lovely face. Eyelids fluttering, she sighed in his arms. When she looked at him, desire burned bright in her eyes. His heart stuttered at the sight, and hot need rushed to his groin.
“Abby.” Her name rolled from his tongue in a mix of desperation and lust. A voracious hunger to taste every inch of her body washed over him. The urge to kiss the small of her back, to run his tongue along her skin, delving and dipping into her secret, sensitive places, all but overwhelmed him. “Tell me to stop. If you’re not ready, honey, tell me to stop right now and by all that’s holy, I will. But you need to know how much I want you right now.”

Married by Monday ON SALE

For a limited time only, Married by Monday will be on sale for only .99 cents on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Stock up on your summer E-Reading by getting your copy today.

Thanks and Happy Reading

Catherine

Advertising

A good friend of mine told me not to long ago that I'm still advertising my caviar work with a beer budget. She's right. I've never put a lot of money into advertising...didn't have the funds to put much into advertising. Up until the success of Wife by Wednesday I simply couldn't justify the expense. I find that the best advertising is word of mouth. Nothing tells a reader to pick up a book more than a recommendation from a friend.

However, and this is a big however, once a reader has an author on an 'automatic buy' list, that reader needs to be reminded when books become available. Not all readers sign up for newsletters and lets face it, some newsletters are lost in spam filters or skimmed over like the Bed, Bath and Beyond adds.

I have plenty of fellow authors ask me where I spend my advertising money. Well...I tell them, I run an add on Goodreads, but nothing to fancy there. Just a book cover and a link. I blog on other blogs and try and do as many interviews as time allows.I schedule blog tours with a marketing group to help me find new blogs to reach. Other than that, however, I don't spend anything.  I'm now looking into magazine adds, online and paperback. I know I enjoy seeing my favorite authors adorning the pages of the magazines I pick up. 

As of yet I haven't had many authors tell me that an add has = sales. There isn't a way to truly track an add to see if it directly affects sales. I do know that once a book hits the bestseller lists sales climb. This is something I can track and watch.

Most of my readers are online. They have to be. I might be one of the only NYT's Bestselling Authors who has yet to have her book on a shelf at a brick and mortar store. *sigh* Oh, well! I'll take my success and my readers however I come by them. I'm thankful for each and every one of you who read my books and look for more.

I am working on a more efficient newsletter and encourage those of you who want to be informed about my releases to sign up for my Yahoo Group. It's not a chatty group, just a collection of names so I can send you my newsletters and important announcements.

I would also explain to my readers that I have to write as well as promote my books. The more my readers are talking about me, the less I have to which means I can write more. Hint...hint... LOL

Feel free to SHARE my above graphic for your blog, your facebook page, or whatever you want.

Now...back to my latest WIP

Happy Reading,
Catherine

Spotlight on Dana michelle Burnett

Dana Michelle Burnett
Haunted
Book 2 of the Spiritus SeriesDana Michelle Burnett spent most of her life writing short stories and sharing them with family

and friends. Over the years, her work was published in numerous commercial and literary magazines including Just Labs, Mindprints: A Literary Journal, Foliate Oak, and many more. Her short story John Lennon and the Chicken Holocaust was included in The Best of Foliate Oak in 2006.
In 2010, Burnett’s first novel, Ghost Country, was released. Based on her own Cherokee heritage, the novel marked her return to the literary world after a four year hiatus. She followed that with the release of her romance novel, Two Out of Three in the summer of 2011.
Spiritus is the first novel in her new paranormal romance series by the same name. The second book, Haunted, is now available.


Website/ Facebook / Twitter


Haunted - Spiritus Series Book Two

Alastor came at me then, forcing me back against the wall. He was so solid that I could feel his
weight against me. I could feel his frozen breath on my face….He ran his hand up my arm, over
my shoulder, and rested at the base of my throat. His blue eyes glittered dangerously.

With the publication of Spiritus, Dana Michelle Burnett created ghostly romance in a small town. Now, in her new novel, she brings us again - even more magically - into the midst of the haunted love story she introduced in Spiritus, of the solitary and beautiful Becca McAllister and Alastor, the darkly captivating ghost whom she loves and killed over a century ago.Becca has already decided that it’s Alastor that she loves, but now, as their uncommon relationship limits Becca’s future, Alastor must decide if he’s willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for Becca’s happiness….


Excerpt
 I clutched his hand as we moved along toward Magnolia Bridge. Still yards away, I could
hear the drums as well as feel them vibrating somewhere deep inside the middle of my body. As
the bridge came into view, the beat of the drums took over the air and shook the ground beneath
my feet.The crowd kept moving closer and closer to the old wood and metal bridge. As I stepped
up on the first creaking wooden plank, I saw eerie drawings of symbols and words in glowing
white chalk scratched on its surface.The air was thick with humidity and noise, too loud to even breathe. It all began to spin,
the drums, the wooden planks covered in glowing drawings, and the sickening sweet smell of so
many bodies pushed together.I felt myself staggering, everything going hazy and then coming back to quickly, like a
record played at the wrong speed. Before I could recover, I was spinning and the drums became
loud booms that shook the ground and far off there was a baby crying.It wasn't safe here. I had to get away. They were going to find us. They were going to get"Jonah," I pleaded, "I've got to get out of here."He didn’t hear me. I was clutching at his arm, but he was lost in the sea of bodies. At last,
I clasped his hand and jerked him around to face me."Now!" I demanded. "I want to go now!"Jonah was reluctant to leave, but the expression on my face must've convinced him
because he guided me through the crowd without complaint.As we stepped off the bridge, a beautiful woman with deep olive skin stepped into our
path. She seemed to glow in her long white dress and white head wrap. There was something
pulsating on her shoulders. It took a moment for my eyes to focus enough to see that it was a
large snake that slithered about her neck."I see that which you want most," she declared, pulling the snake’s head up to hers so
that it's forked tongue could flicker across her lips.I stepped around her, cringing away from the serpent.The woman laughed, showing a wide mouth of bright white teeth, "He can come back,
you know."The air left my lungs and I stopped short. I couldn't have heard her right. I dropped
Jonah's hand and turned around slowly."What did you say?" I asked.She stepped over to me, swaying her hips so that her dress swung like a bell."I can bring him back," She whispered as she came within inches of my face. "I know
that is the thing that you want most."There was a surge of air swirling around me and over my head. The woman's eyes
focused on it with a knowing smile."He will be angry," She said and took a card out of the waistband of her dress. "Come
and see me when you can."I clutched the card in my hand as Jonah led me away. I looked back and watched the
woman disappear in the darkening crowd.Jonah pulled me along, oblivious to the exchange. Once we were safe in a taxi and
heading back to the hotel, Jonah put his arm around me and kissed me on my cheek."You'll feel better after a long soak in the tub and a little rest." He whispered hot and wet
in my ear.I don't remember saying anything. I just remember the feeling of the card’s sharp edges
in my palm. Nothing else in the world mattered except that card.Late that night, I slipped from the bed were Jonah still lay sleeping. I dressed and went
down to the Carousel Bar. Again, the card that I was turning over and over in my fingers held
my attention.MADAME MARIE DESMARAIS’S SHOP OF VOODOORoyal StreetNew Orleans, LACould it really be possible? Could Alastor actually come back?I glanced around at the other patrons of the bar reflected in the many lights and mirrors
throughout the room. Were they aware of such possibilities? If so, how could they just sit there
and drink the night away?I sipped at my hurricane cocktail and enjoyed the tingling burn as it went down my
throat. I tapped the edge of the card on the table one, two, three times.The bartender sat another cocktail in front of me. I was already lightheaded, but I took itanyway.What was I supposed to do now? Could I bring Alastor back and lose Jonah forever?
Would I ever be happy with Jonah if I knew there was even the smallest chance that Alastor
could come back?It was just too impossible to sort out. It was easier to just keep drinking and pretend like I
didn't already know the answer.Two more drinks later and I barely recognized Jonah when he took a seat at the bar
beside me."Why aren’t you upstairs?" He asked, taking the drink from me and pushing it away.I rubbed my hands over my face, "I couldn't sleep.""Is anything wrong?"I looked down at the card on the bar and then covered it with my hands."Not really," I said. "Just restless, I guess."Jonah leaned over and kissed my cheek. He brushed his lips over my ear, "Why don't you
come back upstairs?"I slid off the barstool, struggling to stand on unsteady feet. Jonah's arm went around my
waist to steady me.As I reached back to get the stiff white card from the bar, I saw Alastor’s face reflected in
the mirrors surrounding the bar. He glared at me with angry blue eyes as I took the card and slid
it into my pocket. I silently dared him to try to stop me.I glanced back at Alastor's image as I stepped into the elevator with Jonah. He glared at
me with hostile eyes until the elevator doors closed and it was just me and my new husband
alone in the elevator.I leaned back and let out a sigh.Alastor’s secret voice reverberated in my brain, "Becca, throw the card away, no good
will come of it."I can't do that."What you’re thinking is impossible," He argued. “I wish it could be different, but it
cannot.”You don't know that."Yes, I do and you're not being fair to Jonah."I glanced over at Jonah. He leaned against the wall, watching the floor numbers change
as we went up. He felt me watching him and turned and gave me one of his brilliant smiles."I love you." He said simply and looked back up at the numbers.How could he be so trusting? That familiar stab of guilt hit me in the gut."I love you too." I answered.But I love him more…Alastor swirled near me, whispering inside my head. "I'm telling you that what you want
is impossible."I can't give up while there is even the slightest chance for you."Becca, you have to see that this is a lost cause."I can't believe that.
"You have to believe it or else you will drive yourself mad."

Spotlight on Elizabeth Loraine

Katrina: The Beginning By Elizabeth Loraine 
Blurb 
As a Vampire being hunted was nothing new. Finding out that I had to save those that were hunting us was! 
Katrina, a young royal blooded vampire, chronicles her life from the age of seventeen beginning in the 1800's forward in the series Royal Blood Chronicles. 
Katrina is thrust into something she never could have imagined growing up in the aristocracy of Europe. Once the fashion of the day, and girlish gossip filled Katrina and her new friends days, but their lives changed the instant their race was threatened and they were chosen as the Five, and the protectors of not only the vampire race, but all the peaceful races of the world! 
If you are looking for a new, exciting vampire series, with strong female characters you've found it in Royal Blood Chronicles. 
It starts here with Katrina, The Beginning! 
Barnes and Noble 
Amazon http://t.co/4tzyqGzZ 
Book Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTObw06aJFo
About the Author: 
I grew up in a small northern Minnesotan town married my high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children and as soon as we could we moved to a warmer climate. I have worked with my husband building and decorating custom homes for years. 
After loving every kind of vampire book, movie and series I decided that I wanted to know more. I can write a book I thought, how hard can that be? 
Well.... But I stuck to it and finished my first book Royal Blood Chronicles Book One in August 2009. I now have six books in the series and am about to release book two of my new series Phantom Lives. 
My parents always told me that I could do anything that I wanted, work hard, study and do it right. I believe that and live that way every day. I started writing this new vampire series for teens and their moms because I myself wanted something different to read. I was tired of all the modern versions of vampire books, there had to be more to these long lived beings. 
Where had they been what had they seen? I wanted, no I NEEDED to know more so Royal Blood Chronicles was born! As in Royal Blood Chronicles, Phantom Lives features strong female characters and action and adventure mixed with romance, friendship and a historical backdrop.