Vivian Arend's Blog, page 46

New Release – Unexpected

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Today, BABY, BE MINE comes out in the print anthology, UNEXPECTED, with HelenKay Dimon.

 

Cold nights. Hot passion.

Baby, Be Mine

By Vivian Arend

A Thompson & Sons story

After a head injury sustained on a storm-swept road, Katy Thompson can’t remember her own email password, much less how the little pink “positive” on the pregnancy stick got there.

Suddenly her former teenage crush, Gage Jenick, is back in town, acting as if he has a right to be in her life. She may have reason to be grateful, especially when her domineering ex tries to stake a claim…

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

By HelenKay Dimon

Men at Work, Book 1

Three months after red-hot office encounter that ended with revelations of corporate espionage, Linc Campbell can’t shake the notion his assistant isn’t the guilty party. But when he knocks on her cabin door, he’s not ready for what he finds.

Thea needs a few more weeks to plan the drastically different direction her life has taken, but with a snowstorm rolling in, a baby on the way and a stubborn Linc on her doorstep, but there’s nothing to do but face the past…and try to resist the real man behind the suit.

This book contains: Two stories with determined heroes and the women strong enough to keep them in line. Making pregnancy sexy, one baby bump at a time. 

 

Buy Links:

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Flashback Friday – One Sexy Ride

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Today we are flashing back to the second book in the Thompson & Sons series, ONE SEXY RIDE.

 

Title: One Sexy Ride

Heroine: Janey has always had a huge crush on her BFF’s older brother, Len, but he never took her seriously. Until one day he does, and Janey’s whole world is turned upside down by the sexy mechanic who wants to rock her world.

Hero: Len Thompson has always been afraid to get involved with Janey until now. Although he doesn’t have any sexual experience, he’ll work extra hard at knocking her socks off in bed and out of it.

Tidbit:  When the Thompson & Sons garage came to mind back when I was writing Rocky Mountain Desire (yes, that long ago) I had figured out a few things about the family. I knew that there were 5 kids, 4 of them boys, and that the mom had passed away when most of them were in their early teens. And everyone of the stories in the series so far has told something about how that loss effected the family.

In One Sexy Ride we find out why Len…got quiet. And while I don’t want to post too many spoilers, yes, that means that big ol’ sweet-hearted man is still a virgin. It makes sense, trust me, but he’s one of my favourite heroes ever to write.

(And yes, he’s a very quick learner.)

 

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

 

Buy Links:

Digital: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo |iBooks | All Romance eBooks

Print: Amazon

Flashback Friday – Copper King

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Today we are flashing back to Copper King, the first in the Takhini Shifters series.

 

Title: Copper King

Heroine: Lillie – A bear-shifter who is a bit timid in her human skin. She’s headed to Vegas for one last hurrah before facing her future.

Hero: Jim – A playboy bear-shifter who lives for work and the yearly chance to win back Lady Luck. Running into a female who intrigues him isn’t what he expected – or wanted – to happen during his time in Vegas.

Tidbit:  It seems any time I add a couple to a book (i.e., a couple who are already in a HEA relationship) readers want to know how they got together. In this case, during the writing of Diamond Dust, I knew there was a rich bear living in the area, but there had been no need to introduce him and his mate before Diamond Dust began. And then it turned out people were very interested to know HOW they got together.

So I went back in time. Copper King happens about four months before Black Gold begins. The neat part is Copper King stands completely on it’s own, but it adds a layer to the rest of the Takhini books.

And that’s what I hope to do with other novellas in this series. Give you the rest of the story for characters who came onto the stage in Takhini or Granite Lake books.

And bears…come on, BEARS. Who could resist?

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

 

Buy Links:

Digital:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo |iBooks | ARe

Print:  Amazon

New Release – Rocky Mountain Romance

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Steve and Melody are finally here!! The seventh book in the Six Pack Ranch series releases today.

 

Second chances are the sweetest—and the hottest.

It took a spectacularly embarrassing break-up to knock Steve Moonshine Coleman off his lazy butt. In the ten months since that night, he’s changed his ways. Now that Melody’s back in town, it’s time for this sweet-talking cowboy to convince her to get back in the saddle with him.

A return to her veterinary position in Rocky Mountain House was always in the cards for Melody Langley. Getting back together with Steve? Never part of the plan. He had lots of potential but zero ambition, and there’s no way she’ll accept anything less than a man who can keep up with her, in and out of bed.

But the new-and-improved cowboy is impossible to resist, so Melody issues a challenge. Three months to prove he’s reformed. Three months of Steve orchestrating one sexual indulgence after another—wicked distractions from the old boys’ club Melody faces at work and Steve’s growing responsibilities.

He’s got one shot to prove with more than words what’s in his heart and soul.

Warning: Fifty percent less angst, twice as much filthy-talking, dirty-daring cowboy. Get ready for a whole lot of make-your-knees-weak wooing from a man intent on proving he’s got what it takes, and the woman ready to push him way past his limits.

 

Buy Links:

Digital: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | ARe

Print: Amazon

Flashback Friday – Rocky Ride

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Today we are flashing back to the first book in the Thompson & Sons series, Rocky Ride.

 

Title: Rocky Ride

Heroine: Anna Coleman – Anna is a tough cop who isn’t looking to settle down, especially with bad boy Mitch. But he’s tempting her to stick around for good, and denying the sexy man is growing more difficult than Anna expected.

Hero: Mitch Thompson – Mitch looks the part of the ultimate bad boy, but even though he likes things on the wild side, he’s got a sweet side that needs someone like Anna. She lights his fire, but she’s not sure she’s ready to settle down. Mitch is willing to pull out everything in his sexual arsenal to keep her for good.

Tidbit: I love writing series, and as the Six Pack Ranch series expanded to include the cousins, I realized I had to make a choice. There are 11 boy cousins, and 4 girls, and at some point, writing 15 stories seemed a touch overwhelming

Yet, getting to see glimpses of the extended family is one of the best parts of series. The Thompson & Sons was my first solution.

The Thompson & Sons garage was already mentioned in book 3 of the Six Pack books. Having Anna Coleman (straight-laced cop) hook up with Mitch Thompson was perfect. And then Mitch and his siblings become a part of the entire adventure in the Rocky Mountain House area.

And Mitch and Anna? On fire. It was a blast to take a couple who were already a couple and dive into their journey from hot sex partners to an actual relationship.

Hot, sexy and so much fun!

 

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

 

Buy Links:

Digital: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | iBooks |ARe |  Kobo

Print: Amazon

Flashback Friday – All Fired Up

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Today we are flashing back to the first book in the DreamMakers series, All Fired Up.

 

Title: All Fired Up

Heroine: Lynn Davidson is happy to get out of her boring relationship, especially when she runs into the sexy Parker. But his secret about how their relationship got started might be more devastating than she expected.

Hero: Parker Wilson loves his job: establishing DreamMakers with his two best buddies was the best decision he’d ever made. Getting involved with a client was never a possibility, until he met Lynn. Now he will do anything to keep her by his side, no matter what gets in their way.

Tidbit: This series was so much fun from the very start. Elle Kennedy and I threw around ideas for a while before coming up with the guys establishing a dream dating service, and yes, our plotting sessions AND writing involve a lot of laughter.

One thing I have to share is how well Elle and I work together. People have asked who writes what in these books. Well, I don’t know that I can tell you. Some co-writers take a character to work with through out the book and write all the scenes in their point of view. Some switch back and forth during scenes. Elle and I basically started writing and when I’d finish writing a part, I’d hand it to Elle for her to continue. Sometimes that meant in the middle of scene, sometimes in the middle of a sentence.

And every time we got the rough draft, we’d go through and make small changes to improve the story. We didn’t worry about who had written the words originally, and sometimes it was a case of being inspired by what the other had written to add the perfect twist. It’s not a method would work for all writers, but for us, it clicked.

We also leave notes for each other in the text at times–Elle uses blue font, and I use red, and most of the time these end up being LOL! or other comments as we made each other laugh.

Ie, we really enjoyed ourselves while writing these! And we hope you enjoy reading them.

 

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

 

Buy Links:

Digital: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | IBOOKS | ARE

Print: AMAZON

 

Flashback Friday – Rocky Mountain Freedom

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Today we are flashing back to the mysterious Travis Coleman in ROCKY MOUNTAIN FREEDOM.

 

Title: Rocky Mountain Freedom

Hero: Travis Coleman: He’s hiding more than one dark secret. Travis struggles trying to find a place in his life for the two people he loves more than anything: Ashley and Cassidy.

Cassidy Jones: A cowboy who doesn’t want to love another man, but can’t seem to resist Travis. Especially once Ashley enters the picture.

Heroine: Ashley Sims: After leaving Travis before, Ashley is back to see if they can make their relationship work. Adding Cassidy to the mix is something she never expected, but is open to try.

Tidbit: From the beginning of the Six Pack Ranch books, I knew that Travis was going to break my heart. Everything that happened before it was time for his story made it clear exactly what he needed. Only it wasn’t until Ashley turned up on the scene did I really know HOW Travis would end up with his happily-ever-after.

Sometimes writing is a lot like life. Until the right person comes along, there is no next step to take. Ashley was the connection that made both Travis and Cassidy work–without her, there would be no way for Travis to ever be happy. There would be no way for Cassidy to have a home.

And the fact that Ashley got to have her own happily-ever-after tat the same time? Made it magic for me.

 

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

 

Buy Links:

Digital: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain | Kobo |  iBooks

Print: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Booksamillion | Powells | Samhain

There’s something missing…

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A quick update on something, mainly to make sure the word continues to get out.

There’s a book missing from my backlist of available books. This doesn’t mean the book is off the store shelves, but I don’t want to draw attention to it for you to purchase right now. I love the story, and I had a couple more books intended to complete the space opera (because you KNOW I write in series, right? Can’t resist!)

But…I’ve been resisting. Ever since my book came out with Ellora’s Cave (EC) back in 2010, I’ve held off from writing books 2 and 3. It was both a financial decision and a sanity one. I didn’t like working with the company, so I focused on other things, saying farewell to the series I had intended to write.

Sometimes when you make a mistake, the best thing to do is to move on quietly.

Now, though, it’s time to say something in the hopes no one else makes the same mistake I did. EC hasn’t been all bad–but in the last short while, they’ve not been very good either. There are authors who I know and respect who are trying to deal with some major issues within the company. There is information that came out in this Dear Author post. There is now a lawsuit pending.

I’m sending out all the positive thoughts I can to the authors truly impacted by this turn of events. (I have 1 book- I don’t consider myself effected, just annoyed.) I hope that the end result means your books will become your own again.

Again, this post is offered in the hopes that if you’re reading this, you’ll have more information to make your own decision about submitting to EC (if you’re an author) or information regarding BUYING from EC (if you’re a reader).

Viv

Flashback Friday – High Seduction

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It’s time to flashback to the third book in the Adrenaline Search & Rescue series, High Seduction.

 

Title: High Seduction

Heroine: Erin Tate – She’s a chopper pilot who likes taking control while at work, not so much in the bedroom. Although she’s been burned by Tim before, she might be convinced to take a second chance.

Hero: Tim Dextor – Bad-boy reputation firmly in place, years ago he left Erin high and dry. But he’s realized what he’d lost, and wrangled things so the two of them are once again working together. He’s willing to pull out all the stops to win her back.

Tidbit: Again, it was so much fun to research this book. There’s a fine line, though, between writing the reality of flying a helicopter and putting ALL those details into a book. While an expert might not like everything the way I wrote it, the average non-pilot can enjoy the excitement of a very possible adventure, or two.

Also? There is totally such a thing as the ‘no-touching zone’. Watch this video!!!

 

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

Powells

New Release – Light Me Up Box Set

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Viv and Elle have combined forces with six other authors to release the LIGHT ME UP box set. It includes Viv and Elle’s first book in the DreamMaker series, ALL FIRED UP.

 

Buy Links:

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Surprise Release!

I had so much fun in my last box set  (Alphas After Dark) that I decided to get involved in another one. One of the things I like best about box sets? For one low price, readers get a chance to check out new authors. (That includes me, because I’m a reader too!)

And in this case, what you’ll find are seven first in the series books. If you bought ALL FIRED UP last April when it came out, you’ll have already met Parker and Lynn (My and Elle Kennedy’s contribution) But there are six more stories here for you to try, with a wide range of themes, including some that I’m sure are your favourites.

For $0.99, there’s not much wrong in discovering even one story you’ve previously missed, and who knows? You might fall in love with another author along the way!

Falling in love with the heroes–that’s a given!

 

When the lights go out, bad boys burn even hotter…

Join eight NYT bestselling and award-winning authors as they introduce you to their red-hot series in this explosive collection.  Whether you like cowboys or criminals, bootleggers or Army Rangers, Masters or MMA fighters, there’s a hero—or two—for you.

Light Me Up includes seven complete stories and zero cliffhangers, each book the first in its series:

Long Hard Ride (Rough Riders #1) by Lorelei James

Channing jumps at the chance to shed her inhibitions and join a real chaps-and-spurs wearing rodeo cowboy for a wild summer on the circuit. Having his two traveling partners join in? Might be more than she bargained for. Can Colby McKay and his sweet-talking ways burrow into her heart and lead them to true love?

Tank (Blue Collar Billionaires #1) by M. Malone

Tank swore years ago to leave his anger behind, but after his mother is diagnosed with cancer and his deadbeat dad makes an appearance, sweet Emma Shaw might be the only one keeping him from exploding. But when billions are at stake, there’s no such thing as innocent. Money. Changes. Everything.

All Fired Up (DreamMakers #1) by Vivian Arend & Elle Kennedy

Parker Wilson unexpectedly went from battle-hardened soldier to romance expert, but when a routine date recon turns into an unexpected night of passion, his mission becomes personal. Lynn Davidson is thrilled to walk on the wild side, but when their red-hot affair is threatened, it’ll take a united DreamMakers effort to make their dreams come true.

In Kelly’s Corner (Fighting Connellys #1) by Roxie Rivera

After a stalker threatens her, internet entrepreneur Bee Langston turns to Kelly Connolly to be her bodyguard. Up until now, Kelly had desperately tried to deny his feelings for his best friend’s sister, but he can’t turn her away. Only family troubles of his own interfere—ones that just might cost Bee her life.

Tucker’s Fall (Purgatory Masters #1) by Eliza Gayle

Maggie Cisco returns to her hometown to lick her wounds and reconsider her future when a snowstorm puts her in the path of the handsome, rich and intense Tucker Lewis. No stranger to personal gossip, he looks past her recent scandal to the submissive craving a master’s touch—he’s going after Maggie and her heart’s kinkiest desires.

Beyond Shame (Beyond #1) by Kit Rocha

All Noelle Cunningham ever wanted was a life beyond–beyond the walls of puritan, controlled Eden. Jasper McCray, bootlegger and cage fighter, has clawed his way up from nothing to stand at the right hand of Sector Four’s ruthless leader. Together, they’ll need to find a way in a world where passion is power.

Glutton for Pleasure (Pleasure #1) by Alisha Rai

As head chef in an Indian restaurant Devi Malik knows how to heat up everything—except her love life. Offered a chance to fulfill a secret fantasy involving her long-time crush and his brother, Devi puts her desire on the front two burners. It’ll take more than explosive sex, however, to light up the shadows surrounding Marcus and Jace Callahan’s secrets.

Buy Links:

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