Lori Brighton's Blog, page 9

Giveaway!

Hi All! I'm over at Magical Musings today and giving away a signed copy of Ally Carter's Heist Society! Stop by and leave a comment for your chance to win!

Winners!

Hi everyone! Hope you're doing well :)

A special thanks to designer Betsy for guest blogging! And now... the winners of the necklace sets from Coconut Beach are...

Edie
and
Blodeuedd

Remember, if you didn't win you can still use the coupon to get 15% off! Just type in ROMANCE when ordering (caps).

Today I'm blogging at Magical Musings and giving away a signed copy of Wendy Wax's Ten Beach Road. So stop by for your chance to win!

Interview and Giveaway with Betsy from Coconut Beach!

I've said it before and I absolutely mean it, the best thing about writing are the people I meet! Betsy, from Coconut Beach, is one such woman I met awhile ago and fortunately we've kept in touch. She is one of the sweetest and most generous artists I know! Betsy has started her own business designing clothing and jewelry, perfect for the beach! And you all know how much I love the beach!

Not only has Betsy agreed to an interview, but she's also giving away a necklace and earring set to two people who leave a comment!

Join me in welcoming Betsy to the blog!

Tell us about your company: Coconut Beach is a new-age paradise for coastal lovers. The products are hand-made with a lot of love and the spirit of the ocean is imbued into everything I make! Essentially I make seaside inspired clothing and accessories for women, but I hope to expand in the future to include a line for children, men & mommies to be.

Have you always been creative? Yes, always! I've always had an artistic life-style, but I wasn't able to bring my vision to life until recently. That's where Coconut Beach came in. All my beachy items reflect it too!

You design jewelry and clothing. Do you have a favorite?


That's a tough one. When an idea comes to me, I put so much love into it that I end up adoring each and every piece I make. If I had to choose one piece of jewelry it would be the nautical bracelets with rare glass beads. A friend taught me how to make them and it was the first thing I ever made. As for clothing, I have a new "Beach Couture" line coming soon and I love everything in it!

I love those bracelets too! One of my favorites. Where do you get your inspiration? Mainly from the different beaches I've been to. Also the fact that I'm from the islands, my husband is a surfer and my brother's hobby is sailing might have something to do with it. The fabrics and beads inspire me too. That's usually where an idea starts for me. And music inspires me!

What advice would you give aspiring artists?




Be creative! Put your ideas on paper and believe with your whole heart you can do it. Also let your family be the basis of your support.

What do you do when you're not working? Any hobbies?

Well being a mom, a wife and a new designer doesn't leave much time for hobbies, but I do LOVE my Romance Novels! When I do take time off, I like to do projects like decorating, making furniture, gardening and painting.



Since many of my visitors are readers, what do you like to read?
Historic Romance Novels are my absolute favorite! (Need I mention that my favorite all time author is Ms. Lori Brighton?) I also enjoy reading inspirational books, but Romance novels are my one true love, my guilty pleasure.

Where can we find you on the web? (facebook, etsy site)
coconutbeach.etsy.com
bebebets@facebook.com

What can we expect from you in the future?
I would love to make coastal household Items in addition to what I make now. It would be a one stop shop for all things coastal.

* I know this isn't the Oscars but I'd like to thank Ms. Lori Brighton for believing in me. She told me about Etsy and motivated me to open up a shop. I'd also like to thank my mom for giving me my very own sewing machine and for being my guide. My brother for inspiring me & supporting me constantly. My husband for taking countless pictures in the hot sun and for financing this venture. My sister for being my jewelry mentor. My sister in law for inspiring me with her impeccable sense of style. My cousin for reminding me of my love of beachy jewelry. Thanks to my Etsy mentor for all her marketing tips and motivation. She's the sweetest! My uncle for being a web genius and sharing his wisdom with me. And most importantly, I'd like to thank my hero, my son who gives me inspiration, motivation and support on a daily basis. I love you. All of you have helped make my dream a reality. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!



A special thanks to Betsy for stopping by and for the giveaway!


Remember to leave a comment for your chance to win a necklace and earring set (see left and right)! Remember to leave an email so I can get ahold of you. Also, one more special treat.... Betsy is giving my readers a coupon for 15% off their purchase! Just type in ROMANCE when ordering (caps). This coupon is good until the end of June!

P.S. Once again Blogspot is behaving badly. If you can't get your comment to stick, email me! loribrighton(at)yahoo.com

Just Released: Love Letters

Hi all! My Anthology, Love Letters , is now available for 99 cents on Smashwords, Amazon and Barnes and Noble! Read the blurbs below. The first story was on my website at one time, in case it sounds familiar. The second story is new!

These two short stories will delight the lover of historical romance!



The Art of Seduction



Clara Cameron will do anything to escape her impending marriage to the odious Lord Desmond, even if it means posing nude for artist Brendon Evans, the man she once loved. It's been years since they've seen each other, but Clara's love for Brendon hasn't diminished. Will Brendon recognize Clara and admit his feelings for the woman before Lord Desmond comes calling, claiming Clara for his own?

Meant For Me




For years Cynthia Shaw has replied to Gabriel Baston's letters, pretending to be his fiancé, Cynthia's wretched cousin Helen. When Gabriel appears at a masked ball and mistakes Cynthia for Helen, she can't help herself and gives her innocence to the man she has loved for years. Will Lord Kennwick realize Cynthia was meant for him before it's too late?

This anthology is approximately 30,000 words and is appropriate only for adults!



Want a chance to read the two short stories? Just leave a comment and I'll pick a couple winners in a few days!

Coming Soon, Part 2!

I have two short stories that never sold. One you might have read, it used to be on my website. The other has never been read. I decided I might as well throw them together and put them on sale! So starting this weekend, they'll be posted together on Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and Amazon as an ebook. Two short stories, historical romances, about 30,000 words altogether at 99 cents. Want to see the cover? My friend and fellow author Harris Channing designed it for me!




Look for Love Letters soon!

P.S. Harris has links to two free short stories on her blog! Download them while you can!

Winner and Magical Musings

Hi all! First, I'll announce the winner of Saving Grace and Must Love Kilts...

StacieDM!

About a month ago I started guest blogging at a site called Magical Musings. If you haven't been there, I highly suggest visiting. I'll be on that blog about once a month and I'd love for you all to stop by. Today I'm there talking about romantic books and giving away two historical romances, The Secret Duke and Taken by the Prince. Stop by for your chance to win!

Coming Soon!

I haven't mentioned much about my next release, but since I now have a cover, I thought I'd share! The cover was made by the amazing Kim Killion at Hot Damn Designs. It's a historical romance and I'm a bit nervous because it's the first historical romance I've written with no paranormal! Just straight romance! I so love the hero and heroine and hope you will too! It will be out in two to three weeks, Ebook only, unfortunately. If you're interested in To Seduce an Earl , read the blurb below!

On the outskirts of London in a meadow of lavender, sits a house of esteemed ill repute. But this is no house geared toward pleasing men. No, this house is for women who have come to seek their own delight. And for three young ladies it's where they'll find something completely unexpected…true love.

Grace Brisbane will do whatever it takes to save her dying mother, but with a stepbrother intent on gambling and drinking, their funds have run dry. What's a girl to do when she's left poor and destitute? Seduce an Earl, of course. Handsome and rich, the Earl of Rodrick is the perfect target. Unfortunately, Rodrick despises innocent virgins. There's only one place where Grace can learn the secrets of seduction… Lavender Hills. The moment Grace spots Alex, the man who will teach her the ways of intimacy, she knows she must guard her heart. Alex is charming and gorgeous and completely inappropriate.

As a young man, Alex Weston is blackmailed into working at Lavender Hills in order to save his family from London 's prisons. There could be worse ways to spend his days and nights. Still, seduction has become a chore and thoughts of freedom keep him up at night. Until he receives a new client, the sweet Grace Brisbane. He should be thinking only of his growing need to escape, instead he's captivated by the lovely Grace. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes that their brief meetings aren't enough. For while marriage between a lady and a whore could never happen, Alex knows in his heart that he is willing to accept nothing less.

There's still time to enter to win 2 Medieval romances! Read the blog below to enter.

Headed Back In Time

It's time for the annual Renaissance/Medieval festivals to start! Here in the south, we have a lovely fair with permanent buildings made to look like the English Tudor style. If you've never been to a Renaissance Fair, I highly suggest attending. They'll often have deals, such as two for one on tickets, which makes it worth going. The jokes and attendees can be raunchy, the woman's clothing can be gaudy and low cut, but it's still fun! A Renaissance Festival is one place where adults can dress up.





There are a variety of things to buy, foods to try and shows to watch. Of course you must see the jousting! It's not a real Renaissance festival without a joust! Usually there will be a Bird of Prey show as birds were often used to hunt during the time period. Children love to see the birds swoop and fly over the audience. We also saw a sheep herding demonstration. And there are plenty, and plenty of comedy shows.

Because I'm in the Medieval mood, I'm giving away two Medieval books! The first is Saving Grace by my favorite author of all time, Julie Garwood, who made me fall in love with romance novels! She writes the absolute best heroes, imo. The other book is a new release I found while searching the store, Must Love Kilts by Allie MacKay... a real, actual time travel! Remember those? They still do exist! So just leave a comment and I'll pick 1 winner in a couple days.

P.S. These are romances for adults.... so rated R!

Email

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a great weekend. Just a quick note to let you know that if I haven't responded to an email, its not because I don't want to! A few times now I've responded, only to have the email bounce. I don't know if its because someone typed their address incorrectly, or if its something wrong with my site. If it's important and I don't respond, email me again, or leave a comment in one of the newest blog posts. And to the person who emailed me today, yes, there will be a Ghost Hunter two. Just not sure when it will be out yet :)

Magical Musings

My friend and fellow author Edie Ramer invited me to join her group Magical Musings. Although I'm so busy I barely have time to sleep, I knew I had to jump at the chance to join these wonderful, talented women. So, today is my first post there! Stop by and leave a comment. I'm giving away Wild Desire and some Ebooks.