Kianna Alexander's Blog, page 7

Christmas is Coming Around

Readers have been asking, Angie what can we expect from you this year for Christmas? As most of you know, every year I have my 12 days of Christmas countdown and each day I do a giveaway to my readers. Last year’s big  prize was a Kindle Fire. I haven’t quite decided what I plan to do to top that this year.You’re also releasing a book, right? Yes! It’s not Christmas without a holiday story. Book two of the Sexy Simmons series, Claiming What’s Mine, is scheduled for a Christmas Eve release. Yaaay!I’ve been burning up the midnight oil to release this book on time, however, the problem I’ve been having is the cover. I can’t seem to decide what I want to see on the front. A Christmas scene? A sexy couple? I think my graphic designer is ready to quit because I have looked at over a dozen cover concepts and yet nothing screams Darnell Simmons to me. LOL. I want something that brings in the holidays and creates Christmas anticipation, and nothing is talking to me yet. I’m starting to think that maybe I am overthinking the whole thing and instead, I need to focus on what I enjoy most. Bringing back the families my readers have grown to love.

A Review...Of Book Reviews

October has been a month of spectacular events. This month I attended a wonderful weekend conference hosted by the BRAB Online Book club. BRAB- Building Relationships Around Books organized the Southern Readers Retreat-A Literary Affair in Roswell, GA just outside Atlanta.     There were lots of exciting sessions put in place over the weekend. One of my favorites was the Author Panel on Saturday morning. I love taking part in Q&A sessions and this one ranked right up there with the best. Panel authors fielded loads of questions from a fun and highly engaged audience. Readers queried the authors on everything from what they read when they aren't writing to how they select names for their unforgettable characters.     One of the more interesting questions for me focused in on book reviews. Attendees wanted to know what authors think of them. I decided to pass the mic on that particular question. Over the years, I've been rather vocal about my indifference to reviews-as an author. As a reader however, my opinion is quite different and therein lays the purpose of this blog.     As a reader, I find reviews to be a great help. I don't really rely on them to help me make the decision to purchase a certain book though. Instead, I refer to them when I'm already in the process of reading a story and wondering what's wrong with me because I'm not in agreement that it's a 5-star piece of work. Reading reviews with lower ratings, let's me know I'm not alone in my opinion and therefore not off my rocker- not completely anyway :-)     The most exciting part of the answers given for this question however, involved the power of the reviews. I learned that the 'power' of a review wasn't so much in the number of stars associated with it, but in the number of reviews a book has overall. More reviews increases a book's discoverability- this term gets tossed around a lot in my line of work. Basically, it means just what is says. A review increases a books potential to be found by a reader. As a librarian I gotta appreciate that! As a writer, I love it all the more. Do you have any idea how many great books there are that no one knows about simply because it hasn't generated a enough reviews? So sad! :-(           I can honestly say that I took in as much information as I gave during this year's BRAB Conference. It makes me eager to attend next year's event- Vegas, Baby!      Looks like those reviews (good or bad) that I'm so indifferent to, are really a huge help.     This author still prefers the good ones, though :-)

Colorful characters. Sinfully sweet romance.

Hi There, Romance Readers!I’m the newest Hot M.A.M.A., Reese Ryan. I write steamy, romantic fiction filled with secrets and family drama. I have a thing for writing about unconventional heroines and beta heroes. I’m the babe of the group–literarily speaking. I was first published in the summer of 2013 and have two published novels, both are part of my Bad Boys Gone Good series.

And I’m thrilled to be here.Two years ago, Kianna Alexander mentioned the Hot Multicultural Authors of the Mid Atlantic during a meeting of our local RWA chapter. First chance I got, I checked out the blog. I knew I wanted to be part of this fierce group of writers who were telling their stories about people of color, without apology. Many of them doing so independent of a traditional publisher.The Hot M.A.M.A.s were candid and open with their readers. They talked about their writing and their experiences in the publishing industry. They gave readers a peek behind the scenes of their smart, sexy tales and connected with them at live events.I couldn’t message Kianna on Facebook fast enough to find out how I could be a part of this fantastic group of authors.The timing wasn’t quite right, but she promised to keep me in mind when the group was ready to welcome a new writer. As an author with my first publishing contract under my belt, I was eager to be part of a group of experienced writers. I started a group blog with several fellow contemporary romance authors who also write for my publisher. (My post there, also happens to be today.) Time and life moved on.  I released two books with Carina Press, joined the board for my local RWA chapter, went back to school and took on more and more freelance writing work.Suddenly, I was drowning in responsibilities and forced to realize it was time to start saying no to some projects. Around this time, Kianna delivered unexpected news: there was room for a new writer here at Hot M.A.M.A.s, and the spot was being offered to me.Whether or not to say yes wasn’t even a question. Of course I was going to take the spot. How could I not accept the honor? Despite being overwhelmed by my crazy schedule, I knew that I wanted to put the focus back on my writing career, finish those countless, half-finished works in progress and–most importantly–connect with readers of multicultural romance.So here I am. Grateful for the chance to get to know you, dear reader, and to chat with you about a genre we both love–multicultural romance. I’m also grateful to be among a group of multicultural authors who understand the challenges of this business for writers of color, yet they remain focused and are making their voices heard in ways big and small. Their commitment to their craft, to the business of writing and to their readers is truly inspiring.Feel free to connect with me on Facebook or on Twitter @ReeseRyanWrites. I’d love to meet you.Best,Reese RyanColorful Characters. Sinfully sweet romance.

She's the newest HOT M.A.M.A . . .she is . . .

So, you've heard the rumors, there's a new M.A.M.A. in the land. But who is she? (In my Isley Brothers voice)

Well, she is the outstanding, amazing and delightful Reese Ryan.

Reese is one of those people who is a great writer and good person. No matter when you see this natural beauty, she has a smile on her face and unlike me, she doesn't have a resting bitch face!

Novelist, freelance journalist, and hopeless romantic, Reese Ryan, writes sexy, contemporary fiction filled with colorful characters and sinfully-sweet romance. She secretly enjoys torturing her heroines with family and career drama, reformed bad boys, revealed secrets, and the occasional identity crisis, but always rewards them with a happily ever after.
Born and raised in the Midwest, she now resides in Central North Carolina. A self-proclaimed Bohemian Southern Belle, she treads the line carefully between being a Northerner and a damned Yankee, despite her insistence on calling soda pop. She gauges her progress by the number of “bless your lil’ hearts” she receives each week. She is currently down to two.
Reese is an avid reader with a to-be-read stack that resembles a small skyscraper, a serious thing for brilliant singer/songwriters, and an incurable addiction to musical soundtracks and film scores.
Visit her online at ReeseRyan.com. Follow her on Twitter @ReeseRyanWrites. Connect with her on Facebook or Goodreads. Get a peek behind the scenes into her character inspiration boards and story soundtracks on Pinterest.

Let's welcome Reese to the Hot M.A.M.A. sisterhood and be sure to check out her Bad Boys Gone Good series.

The Little Story That Could

Hi my sexy babies!

As I prepare for my very first interracial romance cruise on Princess Cruises while I promote my latest re-re-release, Last Call, I was thinking about that book. And, no, I didn't mistype back there. Last Call is my little story that could. It was originally released in a three-author anthology called Reignited along with authors Yvette Hines and Aliyah Burke through Whispers Publishing. When that publisher folded, I knew I wanted to expand the story from the 20,000+ novella to a full-length novel. So when I was asked to join the Scandalous Heroes box set, I found the perfect venue to expand the story and put it back out there.

The box set was only set to be on sale for only 2 months. So before it came down in September, I decided to expand it once again for when it was set to be released again, this time through Phaze Books. I had always had it in my mind that I was going to add at least 5 chapters, which seems crazy to do when I had already added over 30,000 words to the story when it was in the box set. As I was expanding it, little by little, I found that I was making my challenging goal of 5 extra chapters! Now it's on sale in ebook and print at Phaze Books, and it's available in Nook form at BN.com. Soon it'll be available at Amazon and Books-A-Million!

More exciting news that that: have you all heard about the newest Hot M.A.M.A. to join the set? Keep a look out for the announcement coming soon.

I hate to chat and run, but I have to get going.

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

What's a writer to do?

Recently I received a phone call from an aspiring writer who had gotten my number from a mutual friend. She wanted to know if we could meet for coffee and discuss the business of writing. Discuss the business of writing? Hah! Yeah boy, I can do that. We meet at a wonderful specialty cup cake bakery and after our selection of cup cakes and beverage we cozied up to one of the tables. In case you are wondering, I got a really scrumptious coffee cake cup cake. It was totally yummy. She told me she wanted to write a book. I remember those days. I still have them. One of the main questions she asked me was how did I get started, how many books had I written and how did I get them published. The book count is the easy part. That's just a number. The harder part was getting started. I've always loved to write. I remember even as a child and well into my adulthood I keep journals. I wrote about everything. I also wrote short stories and articles, however in most cases they were tucked away and forgotten and I definitely never wrote a full length novel. It took the poking and prodding of a friend to make me see and understand my vision. One of the things she did was thrust a romance book in my hand and begged me to read it. I really didn't want too, because my book shelf housed, mystery, suspense, horror and thrillers. I was not familiar with the romance novel. Go figure. It was Felicia Mason's 'Body and Soul' that opened my eyes to the wonderful world of romance. I loved the book and I've loved romance every since. I told my new bakery buddy the best way to write a book is to stop talking about it and do it. Yes, I know, it's harder than you think. Much harder than mere words. But we have to start somewhere. Take that idea and start jotting down thoughts, words, paragraphs. Even a sentence will do. Don't worry about editing and don't worry about getting it published. You can't edit what you don't have and you can't publish what you don't finish. It's just that easy. Okay, stop laughing. I know it's not easy. Writing books is probably one of the hardest jobs I've ever had and I've been a registered nurse for over two decades. It's not so much the putting the words on paper and as much as I hate editing, it's not even that. The hard part is making sure you don't disappoint your readers. Lucky for me I have very forgiving readers. They understand that we too have bad days and sometimes life gets in the way. and on more than one occasion me will miss a deadline or release date. But if you don't put the words on the paper and get the paper into their hands you will never know how great it feels to have someone come up to you and say 'great book.' Thanks to Felicia Mason for writing a great book. Thanks to Margo for making me write my first book and definitely thanks to the readers for purchasing and reading my books. Now keep reading for a snippet of my work in progress. It will be released early 2015. Sorry. Saint's BayouTyson sucked Raine’s finger between his lips. Her breath hitched when his tongue stroked along its length, when he pulled on it. He laid her down onto the bed, touched her, kissed her. He wanted this to be special. He wanted to make love to her the old fashioned way, drawn out kisses and strokes. He wanted her pliable under his hands. He wanted her gasping for breath and begging him to allow her to orgasm. And when she couldn’t take it anymore, when his body screamed for release just as loudly, he’d slid into her in long drawn out strokes, rekindling the fires that burned so deep within them that when it was over their skin would be burned from their bodies. The curtains in his apartment would go up in flames as would the mattress and sheets. When he’d finished with her she wouldn’t know her name. She wouldn’t be able to move, much less walk. When he finished with her, she would have no choice but to come back to him because without him she’d die. Pretty much as he would die without her.

An interview with author Deatri King-Bey!

I have the awesome opportunity to interview author Deatri Key-Bey! If you don't know her, you're about to get to know her. Her release, For Keeps, is coming out Labor Day weekend.

1. How long have you been writing? When did you get published? What drew you to writing?

I was first published in 2006 and have always been a story teller. Growing up, we would make up elaborate stories to keep each other entertained and people often said I should become an author. I have also always been an avid reader. Sooo, I came upon a bad patch of books. It was pretty sad. One day I was in the bookstore with my sister and I complained about the lack of good books lately. She basically told me to stop complaining and write books I wanted to read if I thought I could do better. Two months later, I’d penned my first book.

2. Who are your favorite authors to read and why?

Beverly Jenkins. I love historical fiction and she’s so good at it. She doesn’t sugar coat our history, which is quite painful, but her writing isn’t depressing. It’s uplifting and exciting. I just love it. Sharon Shinn. She has created this world of “Archangels.” The world she built is fascinating with it’s politics, love and loss. J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts). I’m so amazed anyone can write a series (In Death) so long and it still be good. I’m in awe. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few that aren’t the best, but overall it’s a great series. I could keep going and going. I read a LOT.

3. How many books have you written and what are they?

How about we only count the ones that have been released (SMILE). The ones marked “Free Read” aren’t actually books, but short stories.

Deatri’s Romance
Beauty and the Beast
Broken Promises (Interracial)
Christmas Angel (Second Chances)
Diamond in the Rough (Interracial)
Ebony Angel (Interracial)
For Keeps
If You Only Knew (Second Chances)
Love’s Desire (Free Read)
Journey’s End (Interracial)
Santa’s Helper (Write Brothers Series Book II)
Silk Scarves and Apples (Second Chances)
Tease (Write Brothers Series Book IV)
Tell Her How You Feel (Write Brothers Series Book I)
The Drama The Street and the Seduction (Free Read)
The Impossible Possible (Interracial)
The Only Option
The Other Realm
Third Time’s A Charm (Write Brothers Series Book III)
Trapped In Paradise (Free Read)
Whisper Something Sweet

Women’s Fiction
Caught Up
Jodie’s Choice
Operation White Rose
Picture Perfect
Suspense (as L. L. Reaper)
Black Widow and the Sandman
Birth of the Black Widow (Free Read)
The Sandman Cometh (Free Read)
Hell Hath No Fury

Nonfiction
Become A Successful Author

4. What's your latest release and what is it about?

In my new romantic suspense, For Keeps, Gina Guy’s daughter witnessed a murder. Now the murderer is after the little girl. Child Protective Services is manipulated into the picture, and Jarvis Martin, a manager within the agency, steps in to protect the Guys’ rights. From the moment Gina meets Jarvis, she feels she can depend on him, but life has proven to her that the only person she can count on is Gina. Will they be able to stop the murderer? Can Jarvis earn her trust and love?

5. What genres have you written in? Why do you like those genres?

I am published in Romance, Women’s Fiction and Suspense. I also write historical fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, and science fiction, but haven’t been published in those genres yet. I read across genres and my writing reflects that.

6. Are there any genres you haven't tackled yet that you would like to? If so, what are they?

I love writing in other genres. Historical fiction is the hardest for me. I need a lot more practice at it and to continue researching. I’m learning so much. It’s fun.

7. What was the hardest thing to write about in For Keeps?

The backdrop in For Keeps is Child Protective Services coming in and taking a child out of a home wrongfully. This type of thing happens all the time (sad but true). BUT there are also good case managers in the organization who protect children who desperately need protecting. Keeping the balance was the most difficult.

8. Do you write under any other name? If so, what is it? What style of writing do you do under that name?

I write dangerously sexy suspense as L. L. Reaper with a writing partner, Curtis Alcutt. We are currently writing book three of the Black Widow and the Sandman series.

9. What else do you have coming in 2014 or what do you have planned for 2015?

There were numerous secondary characters introduced in my Write Brothers Series that readers have been asking about. So I’ve started writing their stories. I also have a Second Chances line that features heroines 40 years and older that I’m working on.

10. Now for something silly. Favorite cartoon as a kid.

Scooby Doo. I even have a dog named after him.

Please post all links where readers can find you. http://www.DeatriKingBey.com

Thank you for having me on today and allowing me to share a little about my self and For Keeps. Readers can Pre-order For Keeps in Kindle format from Amazon (Release date 28 Aug. Kindle, Nook, epub (via Barnes & Noble), Print). While you wait, enjoy CHAPTER ONE.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Deatri

Cover Reveal: Rumor Has It Coming in May

She’s got something to talk about…
RUMOR HAS IT
CHERIS HODGES
Liza Palmer couldn’t be happier when her best friend and sorority sister, Chante Britt, and her closest guy friend, Robert Montgomery, hit it off. And she’s beyond thrilled when they announce their engagement. Robert is an up-and-comer running for the North Carolina senate. Chante is a partner at a prestigious law firm. They’re a power couple made in heaven—until Liza discovers Robert in a compromising position—with another woman…

Liza can’t possibly continue to support Robert’s campaign, much less let him marry Chante. But when she tries to reveal the truth, Robert pulls out every corrupt trick in the book—including turning Chante against her. Her only choice is to seek out his opponent, Jackson Franklin, and help him take Robert down. But to Liza’s great surprise, Jackson won’t play dirty—and Liza finds him irresistible. As sparks fly, personally and politically, Liza and Jackson may become a winning team in more ways than one…
Pre Order now!

Supporting the Dream.

Believe me, this is not the topic I intended to blog about. I have a very uplifting, inspiration blog title "Reaching Your Full Potential" with video and everything. See I'm into reinventing myself mode and wanted to begin with overcoming my "shyness with the public." So I am doing a series of self-help video's and thought I would share them with you. HOWEVER.......events of the last few days hit my spirit and I had to speak out. If the ladies of HOT MAMA's do not put me out the group after this blog, I'll post it next time. 
In 2011 I wrote a blog titled African-Americas supporting African-American authors. I feel the need to bring this topic to the forefront again.This touch my heart in many ways for I believe we have the power to do anything we want to do. Even prove to the powers to be, who finance and produce our entertainment, to take our community seriously. We have authors, with a HUGE RANGE  of material, from romance, Sci-fy, paranormal, erotic, suspense, mysteries, thrillers and all points in between. Yet, whenever we see a book turned into a film, such as 50 Shades of Grey and The Help, we as African-Americans gripe, because it's not one of our books. We use a lot of energy asking, why? Why? Why? The answer is simple. The books in question have the numbers. It's about the PRESIDENTS, guys. If they see the number of book sales for our books as they do for the books mentioned above they would finance movie deals for us too. I just looked at Kickstarter, a program to assist with funding of movies or television shows. A movie titled Reap What You Sow, is listed. A little over $200 has been pledged towards the  goal of $3,000. Now, I can tell you from experience, that the amount they are seeking is nothing compared to what it takes to complete a production. However, there are less than 10 contributors. What was written a few years ago still holds true. We have the power to support each other and make a difference, but for some reason, unknown to me, we don't. I don't understand. I really do not understand. Written in 2011 still true in 2014Today I want to talk about African-Americans supporting African-American authors. The movie The Help will be released soon. A lot of us got a little up in arms because this book by a Caucasian author about African-Americans was picked up for a movie. The book sold millions because it was supported, not just by Caucasian readers, but by a lot of us too. Here’s the thing, African-American authors produce wonderful stories that we know should be told on the big screen. But putting a book to film cost $. The film industry is no different from any other business. The bottom line is ‘the bottom line’. If you can’t show numbers in the book stores (online included) then how do you expect to show numbers in the movie theater? Its simple economics—demand and supply. James Patterson or Nora Roberts will have a book release and thousands will purchase that book. There is a demand; therefore, the supply is met.
If we want to see more our favorite African-American author placed on a demand list we truly need to step up our game. Many of us will go into a book store to purchase that James Patterson or Nora Roberts novel, but will borrow the African-American author from a friend. If you enjoyed that novel, why not purchased the next release by that author? Let’s face it, we don’t’ support each other the way other communities do. Yet, we complain when we see others succeed at what we fail to do. If you want to see your favorite African American author’s story about African Americans on the big screen, support them in the bookstores. Let the money people in HOLLYWOOD or wherever know what your demand is…Let’s stop complaining about who got what. Turn that negative energy into a win-win for you and the authors you love. SUPPY AND DEMAND people! I’m just saying.
To Keep Eboni from shooting me, here's a sneak peek into the HOT MAMA Luncheon in Raleigh/Durham, NC on Saturday September 13, 2014 
Until the next time,
Iris 

Sharing Ideas

Readers always ask where I get ideas for my stories. That’s easy. Everyday life! It’s funny how things
we do as part of a normal routine generates story ideas. Walking down the street. People I meet. Things I hear and see. All of those things trigger ideas for my books. I even have a bad habit of people watching and eavesdropping. You’d be surprised at the things I’ve overheard and seen. But lately I've been forced to step outside my comfort zone to do something spontaneous and different, write stories my readers requested.
The biggest suggestions I hear is for more stories about regular, everyday folks with blue collar jobs. After all… they need love too! And the second, to create more stories in my favorite location, Sheraton Beach, DE, an oceanfront town in Delaware only minutes from Rehoboth Beach and the home of the Beaumont family. Since then I have written several spinoff stories where readers can revisit the town again and again. And as requested, this will be the location of my newest release, Time for Pleasure. The idea for this novella was quite interesting. I bought a refrigerator and the deliveryman sounded so sexy on the phone I shared my peaked curiosity with my facebook family. Friends and Readers asked for details… and a story was born.Life has truly been an open book. I can't wait to see how the next chapter unfolds.