L.A. Witt's Blog, page 5

It's L.A. Witt's Birthday, so you get to win books!

Well, okay, not like my actual birthday, but close enough. November 30, 2009 was the day I released my first book as L.A. Witt.  I should've done something for the 5-year mark, but it completely slipped my mind last year because I have the attention span of a cracked out squirrel.

But I didn't forget this year!

So here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna give away some signed paperbacks. To win, y'all are going to jump into the Thunderdome, grab some chainsaws and---

What? What do you mean there's no Thunderdome?

*sigh* Y'know, I'm really getting tired of all my cool stuff getting hung up in customs.

Fiiine.

Okay, so with no Thunderdome, we're going to play a game of:

L.A. Witt Fact or Crap
The rules, they are simple:
I will say ten things. Two of those things are crap.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify the LIES I've told below, and call me out in the comment section.

Prizes: A total of ten signed paperbacks, five ebooks, and two $25 Amazon gift cards.
So how the heck do you win? 
The first five commentators to get ONE answer correct will win an ebook of their choice from my backlist.
The first six commenters to get BOTH answers correct will win a signed paperback of their choice from my backlist. 

Out of everyone who gets BOTH answers correct, I will draw two winners who will receive TWO signed paperbacks of their choice plus a $25 Amazon gift card.

Contest closes on December 3rd at midnight GMT. Answers posted after that time will be disregarded.Additional rules are below.

Let the games begin!

THE FACTS & THE CRAP:
(note a couple of revisions have been made because Facebook has some slightly inaccurate details - if you commented prior to the revisions, you may resubmit your answers, and your original submission time will be used)  Though my career started in 2009, I didn't attend a convention or meet any other authors until 2012 because I had been living overseas. (for clarification: I started writing full-time in 2008, was published in 2009 - this part of the fact is not crap)Many of my books are set in my hometown, Seattle, but I haven't lived there since 2003. (for clarification: I just realized Facebook says I lived in Redmond, WA, in 2014 - I was staying there temporarily while moving to Spain, and changed my location so friends/family knew I was in town.)Prior to becoming an author, I sold jewelry, worked as a pro photographer, ran a medical equipment repair shop, and edited porn.Wilde's, the club at heart of the Distance Between Us/Wilde's series, is based on a real night club in Seattle.The Distance Between Us, Rules of Engagement, and The Given & The Taken were meant to be standalones, but ended up with sequels. With Aleksandr Voinov's permission and guidance, I am writing a sequel to his Dark Soul series.I have written two novels that contain no on-screen sex - The Left Hand of Calvus and Lead Me Not. Link and Zelda, the quirky Maine Coon cats from the Bluewater Bay series, are based on my own cats, Midget and Fluffy.The first time I ever saw one of my books in a brick & mortar bookstore was at Foyle's in London, and the book was Covet Thy Neighbor.I've started doing my own cover art, and made the covers for Wireless and Broken Blades. Well....which two "facts" are crap? Answer in the comments and win!



RULES:

To qualify, your comment must include your name, an e-mail address, and your guesses. I will contact winners after the contest closes. You have 72 hours to reply, or prizes are forfeit.

Contest is not restricted to the US.

Paperbacks are subject to availability. Please note that if I don't have the book on hand, it has to be shipped to me in Spain, which can add a delay of 1-2 weeks.

Amazon gift card winners may opt for iTunes gift cards as a substitute.

Winners chosen by random draw will be drawn by the author. Winners chosen by order of posting will be chosen based on the order comments appear on the blog.

2016 is Just Around the Corner - How Did That Happen?

Yet another year is whizzing by, and in a few days, it'll be December. Which means it's almost 2016. Holy Ned, am I right?

So, it's time for another "here's what's in the offing" post.


My SFF pen name Lori A. Witt and horror pen name Diana Fyre both have titles in the works for mid-late 2016, but those will be announced when they're more concrete.

Ann Gallagher will be expanding into Young Adult and asexual romances this year. There is another inspirational romance in the works as well, but those details will come later. Confirmed for mid-2016 from Riptide Publishing is the tentatively titled All The Wrong Places, an asexual romance set in Bluewater Bay.

As Lauren Gallagher, I'm making a few adjustments in 2016. Most notably, I probably won't be writing hetero romances anymore. If an idea comes along, I'll certainly run with it, but it has become clearer and clearer over the past year that my heart belongs to LGBT romances. So for all intents and purposes, I'm retiring from M/F romance, and as Lauren, focusing on lesbian and bisexual.

Lauren has two releases in the near future: 
December 14: Stuck Landing, Riptide Publishing (The first lesbian book in the Bluewater Bay series)February 16: The Best Laid Plans, Samhain Publishing (Bisexual menage)
 As always, L.A. Witt is and will continue to be my busiest name. There are loads of projects in the works, both on my own and with various co-writers/collaborators, so for the most part, those will be announced as they come.

Here are L.A. Witt's confirmed releases for 2015-2016 (dates subject to change):
December 15: Not Safe For Work, Samhain Publishing (BDSM office romance)January 3: If The Seas Catch Fire, self-published (Erotic suspense)February 15: Broken Blades, co-written with Aleksandr Voinov, self-published (WWII romance)April 12: To Live Again, Samhain Publishing (Wilde's series)July: Hiatus, Samhain Publishing (Contemporary menage)

There are definitely more books in the works for all five of my names, so stay tuned!

Guest Post: Alaina Drake

Today, debut author Alaina Drake is visiting my blog to talk about her new release, Forbidden Touch, available now from Cariad Romances.


Alaina, take it away!



If You Give a Writer a Plot Bunny…
I was knee-deep in the twentieth chapter of my first book. I knew I was getting close to the end, and I was praying to the God of Good Endings that she’d help me come up with a satisfying closure for Beckett and Hannah’s journey.
But no matter how much brainstorming I did, no matter how many candy bars I ate or Cokes I drank at one a.m., I couldn’t figure out what was supposed to happen. And that terrible panic set in.
So, I took a break from writing and started reading again. I read a book a night, consumed them really. I made notes in the margins and at the end of the books. Was the ending satisfying to me? Why or why not?
Then I perused my reading journal where I had reflected on over five hundred erotic novels I’d read over the last three years. I made a list of the top ten satisfying endings in erotic romance. I tried to find a common trend among my favorite endings, but it still eluded me.
Then one day I was sitting in a rocking chair eating crackers with my toddler while we read the famous series of books by Laura Numeroff that starts with “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” It’s known as a “circular tale,” because giving the mouse a cookie sets off a chain of events that ends in the mouse requesting….wait for it…a cookie.
My daughter laughed every time the story ended where it began, and I had to admit there was a sort of lovely satisfaction I had as a reader when the story rounded out on the final page. How else could that story have ended? I could list a dozen ways that wouldn’t be as satisfying.
And that’s when I had that choir-singing, bells-ringing, AHA! moment.
Some synapse in my brain combined my erotic romance investigation to this children’s book, which lead me to a crucial conclusion: the happily-ever-after wasn’t enough for my story.
Then I had to answer a difficult series of questions: If the happily-ever-after isn’t enough, what is enough? What is missing for it to be satisfying?
Almost all readers of romance know that the couple will most likely get their happy ending. We know they’ll overcome their troubled pasts. We know their love will heal their scars. We know the terrible car crash or the diagnosis of cancer will be wiped away, and they will ride off into the sunset, holding hands and smiling into each other’s glistening eyes.
Maybe I’m too cynical here, or maybe I’ve just read too many romances, but for whatever the reason, I realized that the whispered “I love you’s” on the final pages weren’t “doing it” for me anymore. I closed those books with a scowl and a sigh. “It had so much potential,” I’d write in my journal. Despite the characters getting their happy ending, I needed more, but what exactly I needed, I couldn’t articulate.
So, I returned to my list of top ten satisfying endings, and I noticed a trend: all of them had some sort of circular plot. In the end, there was a sense of returning to the beginning. The story was more of a reflection on the journey than it was preoccupied with tying the neat bows on the happily-ever-after.
In fact, there were more loose ends than neat bows.
Maybe an example will help. One of my favorite endings in erotic fiction is in Tiffany Reisz’s The Mistress. The last line has Soren, the male lead, laughing. An astute reader will remember that Nora, the female lead, made an earlier comment about a book ending in Soren laughing. The multiple textual layers come together to give it the extra “zing” that makes me feel satisfied despite the fact that a not-so-satisfying secret is hinted at in the final pages. Without that final line, I think I would have hated the ending. In fact, at first I really did. I felt like getting on Twitter and telling Ms. Reisz I was so furious with her. But, thankfully, it was somewhere between 2 am and sunrise, so I went to bed instead. In the coming days, I learned to love the ending, not only because of the final line but because it challenged me to get past the traditional happily-ever-after.
And, really, this idea of a circular storytelling is nothing new…at least to other cultures. In my experience as an English professor, I had many traditional and non-traditional students in my class. Inevitably, every semester, I had to assign that dreaded narrative essay where the students told a story about something that affected them. (Trust me, I’ve read more stories about dying grandmothers than I ever wanted.) Many of the traditional students scored high on the assignment because it met the college’s rubric that required a clear, chronological progression through the story. Yet, many of the other students from other cultures would score lower because many other culture’s story-telling techniques are circular rather than linear. I, ironically, often found their stories the most interesting, despite their “lower” scores.
So, the night after I had my moment of enlightenment on the rocking chair, I armed myself with this new knowledge. I wrote the final chapters so quickly they practically wrote themselves. I realized that the ending of my novel needed to be circular for me to be satisfied. The happily-ever-after, while emotionally satisfying on some level, simply wasn’t enough on its own.
Without even knowing it, I had left myself bread crumbs to follow throughout the book that allowed for the circular nature of the ending. I had started with a plot bunny.
Which made me want some compelling characters.
Which made me ask for some snappy dialogue to go with them.
And because I fell in love with them, I asked for a setting to put them in.
And because on that mountaintop setting they fell in love with each other, I needed to give them a satisfying ending…
Which, of course, required me to return to the little, hopping plot bunny that started it all.
What about you readers and writers? What makes for a satisfying ending for you? Is a happily-ever-after enough? What are some of your favorite endings? I would love to hear your thoughts! 



Teaser from Forbidden Touch:

Scurrying around the room, I stuffed my clothes and toiletries in my suitcase, slid on my flip-flops, and opened the door. When I looked back, Beckett silently watched me leave without an ounce of regret, no inkling to follow and make things right.The door slammed behind me, and the elevator dinged, ready to take me to the first floor. I bolted outside as fast as I could with my rolling luggage. My body registered the brisk fall air for an instant. Its coolness crystallized the beads of sweat on my skin. I found and started my car with tears rolling down my cheeks and dripping off my jaw.Although I couldn’t remember putting the car in drive or turning on my headlights, there was no question where my car was heading. There was only one place that could sew me back together. I retreated to my parents’ house to lick the wounds I got and grieve the ones I gave.

BLURB:

Hannah Black saunters into the bar in her four-inch stilettos, intent on breaking her recent streak of bad dates and even worse sex. What she finds instead is sizzling hot doctor Beckett Stanton - but she doesn’t realize that he is the last man she should have chosen for her one night fling. While their views of sex and love polarize them, the attraction between them doesn’t allow either to turn away. The two play a dangerous game that tests both of their resolves, and when Hannah is given the chance to satisfy her needs, she is forced to make a decision - because the man with whom she wanted a no-strings-attached fling tugs at her heart in ways she never anticipated.

Buy Link: Amazon

You can find Alaina on Twitter and Facebook.

The Forbidden Touch Blog Tour continues...





 BIO:
Alaina Drake discovered her love of writing in the fourth grade when she won her first young author writing contest. After attaining a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English Literature, she set out to write novels that combine her two loves: erotic romance and classical literature. She has taught literature and writing at both the high school and college levels, and when she’s not writing, you’ll find her watching sports, baking cookies, and, of course, reading way past midnight. She is an avid rock climber and former ballerina, and she finds a lot of connection between the two activities despite their obvious differences. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and daughter. She loves to interact with her fans on Twitter, Facebook, and on her website where she blogs about writing, reading, and the everyday joys of motherhood.

So...who's going to their first RT?

Well, it was a tough decision. I received some very inspirational essays from some very ambitious, dedicated, and talented authors. This was definitely not an easy decision.

But...the decision has been made! (Please note that since many of the essays received were deeply personal for the authors, I will not be posting them publicly.)

First, the two runners up who will receive $150 in swag/advertising for RT2016:

Chase PotterBrokerah Brumley
But who is getting their first RT paid?

Including registration...

$250 toward advertising...

$250 toward /swag...

Hotel...

...and a drink at the bar?

Plus personal guidance/assistance navigating the convention?

Congratulations to...

Cari Z
I will see you in Vegas! 
Congrats again to everyone, and thank you to all the authors who entered! I will be in touch with everyone who won as we get closer to registration opening up.

Available Now: LEAD ME NOT by Ann Gallagher

My first book written as Ann Gallagher is now available! Lead Me Not is a sweet gay Christian/inspirational romance, and is available from Riptide Publishing.

Riptide Publishing * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * AllRomance
Isaac Morris has devoted his life to preaching against the sin of homosexuality. But when his sister proposes a documentary to demonstrate once and for all that it’s a choice—with Isaac choosing to be gay as proof—he balks. Until he learns his nephew is headed down that perverted path. Isaac will do anything to convince the teenager he can choose to be straight . . . including his sister’s film.
When Isaac’s first foray into the gay lifestyle ends with a homophobic beating, he’s saved and cared for by Colton Roberts, a gentle, compassionate bartender with a cross around his neck. Colton challenges every one of Isaac’s deeply held beliefs about gay men. He was kicked out by homophobic parents, saved from the streets by a kind pastor, and is now a devout Christian. Colton’s sexuality has cost him dearly, but it also brought him to God.
As the two grow closer, everything Isaac knows about homosexuality, his faith, and himself is called into question. And if he’s been wrong all along, what does that mean for his ministry, his soul, his struggling nephew—and the man he never meant to love? 
- See more at: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/l... Isaac Morris has devoted his life to preaching against the sin of homosexuality. But when his sister proposes a documentary to demonstrate once and for all that it’s a choice—with Isaac choosing to be gay as proof—he balks. Until he learns his nephew is headed down that perverted path. Isaac will do anything to convince the teenager he can choose to be straight . . . including his sister’s film.
When Isaac’s first foray into the gay lifestyle ends with a homophobic beating, he’s saved and cared for by Colton Roberts, a gentle, compassionate bartender with a cross around his neck. Colton challenges every one of Isaac’s deeply held beliefs about gay men. He was kicked out by homophobic parents, saved from the streets by a kind pastor, and is now a devout Christian. Colton’s sexuality has cost him dearly, but it also brought him to God.
As the two grow closer, everything Isaac knows about homosexuality, his faith, and himself is called into question. And if he’s been wrong all along, what does that mean for his ministry, his soul, his struggling nephew—and the man he never meant to love? 
- See more at: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/l...

Isaac Morris has devoted his life to preaching against the sin of homosexuality. But when his sister proposes a documentary to demonstrate once and for all that it’s a choice—with Isaac choosing to be gay as proof—he balks. Until he learns his nephew is headed down that perverted path. Isaac will do anything to convince the teenager he can choose to be straight . . . including his sister’s film.
When Isaac’s first foray into the gay lifestyle ends with a homophobic beating, he’s saved and cared for by Colton Roberts, a gentle, compassionate bartender with a cross around his neck. Colton challenges every one of Isaac’s deeply held beliefs about gay men. He was kicked out by homophobic parents, saved from the streets by a kind pastor, and is now a devout Christian. Colton’s sexuality has cost him dearly, but it also brought him to God.
As the two grow closer, everything Isaac knows about homosexuality, his faith, and himself is called into question. And if he’s been wrong all along, what does that mean for his ministry, his soul, his struggling nephew—and the man he never meant to love?

  Isaac Morris has devoted his life to preaching against the sin of homosexuality. But when his sister proposes a documentary to demonstrate once and for all that it’s a choice—with Isaac choosing to be gay as proof—he balks. Until he learns his nephew is headed down that perverted path. Isaac will do anything to convince the teenager he can choose to be straight . . . including his sister’s film.
When Isaac’s first foray into the gay lifestyle ends with a homophobic beating, he’s saved and cared for by Colton Roberts, a gentle, compassionate bartender with a cross around his neck. Colton challenges every one of Isaac’s deeply held beliefs about gay men. He was kicked out by homophobic parents, saved from the streets by a kind pastor, and is now a devout Christian. Colton’s sexuality has cost him dearly, but it also brought him to God.
As the two grow closer, everything Isaac knows about homosexuality, his faith, and himself is called into question. And if he’s been wrong all along, what does that mean for his ministry, his soul, his struggling nephew—and the man he never meant to love? 
- See more at: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/l...

Available Now: WHAT HE LEFT BEHIND

Today's the day! What He Left Behind is available from Samhain Publishing!

Samhain * AllRomance * Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Can you ever have a second first time?

Josh Carver thinks it’s just another lunch with his best friend, Michael—until Michael confesses he just turned down a date with his hot veterinarian crush. It seems Michael’s abusive ex left him more scarred than Josh realized.

Josh and his husband, Ian, have done their best to help Michael leave his horrific past behind, but even Josh is stunned when Ian suggests that Josh help Michael with his fear of physical intimacy. After all, it isn’t like it would be the first time—Josh and Michael were once each other’s firsts.

A hesitant first kiss, and Josh and Michael’s natural attraction eases the way. But with Michael still balking at the prospect of sex with someone new, Ian steps into the breach.
Everything is fine and dandy until emotions become so entangled, their friendship—and a marriage—could be at risk.

Warning: Contains three guys who will do anything for each other, a hot tub that’s always the right temperature, and a cat with an attitude problem.

Available Now: WRITING FASTER, FTW

Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

Frustrated with your writing output? Looking for ways to get the words moving?

L.A. Witt has written and published over 70 romance novels and novellas since 2008, and in Writing Faster For The Win, she shares some techniques for getting the words out of your head and onto the screen faster than before. Whether it’s shaking off insecurities and self-doubt, streamlining the research process, or writing out of sequence, you may just find the advice you’ve been looking for.

Approx 20,000 words.

Free Ride to RT Contest -- Deadline Extended!

Just a quick announcement regarding the contest to have me pay for your first trip to RT -- I'm extending the deadline to September 1st!

So if you want to enter, there's still time!

Available Now: ON THE CLOCK

The wait is over! Market Garden #8, ON THE CLOCK (aka, Rolex's story) is now available from Riptide Publishing!

..



Riptide Publishing * AllRomance * Amazon 

When Blake Raleigh’s favorite rentboys retire from Market Garden, they’re sure their friend Jason will be a perfect replacement. Though Tristan and Jared are a tough act to follow, Blake returns to London to test out their recommendation.
Jason is right on the money. Negotiations turn him on. Getting paid turns him on. The higher the stakes, the hotter things get. Each trip to London is more expensive than the last, and the webcam sessions don’t run cheap, but Jason is well worth the sticker shock.
The more time they spend together, the more Blake wants, and not just sex and transactions. But Jason’s been burned before by men who thought they were in love with him, and he’s not making that mistake again. When the lines between personal and professional start to blur, it’s going to take more than money, jewelry, and sports cars to keep Jason from clocking out and walking away.
- See more at: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/o...

When Blake Raleigh’s favorite rentboys retire from Market Garden, they’re sure their friend Jason will be a perfect replacement. Though Tristan and Jared are a tough act to follow, Blake returns to London to test out their recommendation.

Jason is right on the money. Negotiations turn him on. Getting paid turns him on. The higher the stakes, the hotter things get. Each trip to London is more expensive than the last, and the webcam sessions don’t run cheap, but Jason is well worth the sticker shock.

The more time they spend together, the more Blake wants, and not just sex and transactions. But Jason’s been burned before by men who thought they were in love with him, and he’s not making that mistake again. When the lines between personal and professional start to blur, it’s going to take more than money, jewelry, and sports cars to keep Jason from clocking out and walking away.

When Blake Raleigh’s favorite rentboys retire from Market Garden, they’re sure their friend Jason will be a perfect replacement. Though Tristan and Jared are a tough act to follow, Blake returns to London to test out their recommendation.
Jason is right on the money. Negotiations turn him on. Getting paid turns him on. The higher the stakes, the hotter things get. Each trip to London is more expensive than the last, and the webcam sessions don’t run cheap, but Jason is well worth the sticker shock.
The more time they spend together, the more Blake wants, and not just sex and transactions. But Jason’s been burned before by men who thought they were in love with him, and he’s not making that mistake again. When the lines between personal and professional start to blur, it’s going to take more than money, jewelry, and sports cars to keep Jason from clocking out and walking away.
- See more at: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/o... Blake Raleigh’s favorite rentboys retire from Market Garden, they’re sure their friend Jason will be a perfect replacement. Though Tristan and Jared are a tough act to follow, Blake returns to London to test out their recommendation.
Jason is right on the money. Negotiations turn him on. Getting paid turns him on. The higher the stakes, the hotter things get. Each trip to London is more expensive than the last, and the webcam sessions don’t run cheap, but Jason is well worth the sticker shock.
The more time they spend together, the more Blake wants, and not just sex and transactions. But Jason’s been burned before by men who thought they were in love with him, and he’s not making that mistake again. When the lines between personal and professional start to blur, it’s going to take more than money, jewelry, and sports cars to keep Jason from clocking out and walking away.
- See more at: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/o...

SNEAKY PEEKY: On The Clock

Well, kids, we're a week and a half away from unleashing On The Clock , but you know, Aleks and I have been taunting you all for a long time with this one. Kinda seems like y'all deserve a little nibble, you know?


But just a little nibble. Because we're authors. And we're mean.

But not too mean...

Because here is your first ever sneaky peeky nibble at Blake and Jason at Market Garden, negotiating their first night together...

“So that brings us to the next question.” Jason drew swirls on the back of Blake’s hand because, hell, Blake wasn’t already losing his mind. “What are you looking for tonight?”
Blake swallowed. “Well, um . . .”
Get it together, Raleigh. This is a business negotiation. This is what you do. Close the fucking deal without getting screwed. Err, without getting fucked. Err . . . crap.
He took a deep breath and pushed his shoulders back, channeling the professional side of him that had earned the money that would be going into Jason’s wallet tonight. “You ever driven a Lamborghini?”
Jason squirmed. “Not yet.”
“I have one.” Blake grinned. “Had two for a while, but now I have one.”
“Yeah?” Jason held his gaze, and Blake wondered how close the guy was to licking his chops.
Blake turned his hand over, and with a single fingertip, teased the soft skin on the inside of Jason’s wrist. “Car like that fetches a lot of money. A lot.”
“Yeah, it does.” Jason shifted, as if he were trying not to squirm again, but failing miserably.
What’s that, Jason? Is that a button of yours?
Blake leaned closer, mirroring Jason’s advance from earlier. “So you can imagine that you’d want to be very careful where you invest your money with a car like that. Make sure it’s exactly the right model.” He drew his nail along the side Jason’s hand, and was rewarded with a subtle gasp and some goose bumps. “Make sure the seats are good and comfortable. High quality leather. Smooth transmission.” He grinned. “Right?”
Jason’s Adam’s apple jumped. He didn’t speak, but nodded slightly.
“So I’m sure you understand”—Blake slid his hand free and laid it over the top of Jason’s—“the necessity of a test drive.”

Okay. Yeah, you're right. We're mean. 
*cackles*
On The Clock is available July 13th from Riptide Publishing.