Rebecca Zanetti's Blog, page 13

GIVEAWAY – Consumed and Shadowed – BAM

 Hi all!  I’m back from the Lyrical High Notes launching at the Books-A-Million store in York, and it was a wonderful signing!  Thank you to everyone who attended, especially my wonderful and wild Realm Runners.

I thought it’d be fun to celebrate the launching and my new website look (we’re still tweaking, but this is the look) with a giveaway.  Leave a comment below, and I’ll draw two names, one to win a signed print copy of CONSUMED, and the other a signed print copy of SHADOWED.  The contest is open world-wide.

If you don’t win, remember that you can buy either print book exclusively from Books-A-Million at the lower price point.

So, would you rather be a feline shifter or a vampire? 

You’re Invited to a Party in York, PA!

Hi All!  If you’re anywhere near York, PA today (Saturday, November 8th), please drop by the Books-A-Million: 3000 Whiteford Road from 2:00 to 4:00.  We are having a huge launching party for the BAM-Lyrical High Notes Program.  I’ll be signing CONSUMED and SHADOWED, and M.Q. Barber will be signing PLAYING THE GAME.

There will be Door Prizes!  Bookmarks!  SWAG!  And of course, baked goods!!!  I’m hoping for cookies, but anything baked gets my vote.  Please drop by and say hi. 

Win Books and have Fun with the Round-Robin Halloween Story!

So, a few weeks ago, the uber-talented Marissa from Grand Central Publishing (they publish the Sin Brothers), dropped me a line and asked if I’d want to be part of a Round Robin story with four other authors with a Halloween theme.  I said I’d love to (I love that kind of thing), and she asked me to write the ending. 

There are five parts to the story, and they’re posted at different blogs–it begins at Dear Author. There’s a Rafflecopter at the end of each entry, and you can enter to win a frightfully big box of books (it appears that a Blind Faith ARC is included).

The story is a quick one and is a lot of fun, I think.  Here are the authors, blogs, and the links:

Dear Author feat. Kristen Callihan: http://bit.ly/1pbejlq
Under The Covers Book Blog feat. Karina Halle: http://bit.ly/1yM9Up0
Paranormal Cravings feat. Angie Sandro: http://bit.ly/1G2jskx
Paranormal Book Club feat. Kate Brady: http://bit.ly/1G2jw3U
Shh! Mom’s Reading feat. Rebecca Zanetti: http://bit.ly/1pbaQTV

Enjoy the story, and good luck with the contest!  AND… HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

FaceBook Party and Prizes later today…

Hi all!  Just a quick note that I’m taking over the Twin Sisters Rockin’ Book Review site later today from 4-7 PST (7-10 EST).  We’ll be answering questions all about the Dark Protectors, the Montana Cowboys, and those hot Dean Brothers…as well as giving away some fun prizes.  If you get the chance, definitely drop by.  :)

Filed under: Guest blogging elsewhere

Wild Turkeys and More Random Thoughts

First, take a good look at the website, because it’s about to be updated and upgraded within the next couple of weeks. YAY!

Second, I feel like I should blog more, but I’m a writer usually caught in imaginary worlds that I’m not ready to share. Plus, the kids are incredibly busy with sports, Big Tone is busy, my extended family is busy…and I’ve got friends.  And I’m not one of those authors/bloggers who shares everything on the internet.  Especially stuff about real people.  I know many authors share a lot (all about people they know, people who aren’t nice to them, the slights they’ve received), but I kind of think those people are buttheads.  Yeah, I said it.  Talking about somebody else (in real life) just because one has a blog and avenue to reach people seems dickish to me.

By the way, nobody has talked badly about me on the net lately, and this isn’t personal. Just a general observation.  I read a blog lately from an author dissing on people she met in a new social group.  I mean, knock that off.  Those people are real, probably don’t have blogs to counter, and should be left alone.

(NOTE HERE that I’m fine talking about Big Tone, my sisters, and some close friends. They know the risk of me.  Plus, I’d never say anything bad about them publicly.  Not even Debbie, my youngest sister, who used to have garage sales every once in a while to sell the stuff she’d borrowed from us.  I wouldn’t say this publicly.  Plus, it was a long time ago.  LOL!)

I also do talk in generalizations once in a while. My kid’s football team plays another team every year where a couple of the moms ring cowbells through the whole damn game.  It takes a special woman to ring a cowbell, and I’ve been known to talk about it generally. 

But you know who I do like? Chuck Wendig.  That guy is freakin hilarious and I wish I could live in his brain for a little while.  Not a long while.  But maybe for an afternoon.  He also gives great advice to other writers.  I also like Jennie Crusie, who shares her interesting life and her writing style with us.  Although, as a fan, I wish she’d release another new book soon.

Anyway, the thing on my mind right now is odd. We’ve moved to the top of a mountain (it’s not a big mountain or anything), and I’ve been taking a walk every day trying to get back into shape.  On a mountain, if you walk down, you have to walk up…so it’s been pretty handy.  We have a lot of wildlife up here, and there have been a bunch of wild turkeys that are now huge.  I mean, really big.

The other day as I walked, I heard a strange noise from them. There were about thirty of them, and they were trilling and encircling this cat.  I mean, they had this cat totally surrounded.  Are turkeys aggressive?  Do they eat cats?  I’m not sure, but they were definitely messing with this cat, and it was incredibly odd.

Yes, I was going to rescue the cat. But a biker sped by at about a 100 miles an hour, going downhill, and the turkeys scattered.  The cat escaped.  So all you cat lovers, no worries here!  The cat was fine.  (I have a cat named Buddy, so I, too, like cats).

But I’ve been pondering the situation since. What the heck is up with the turkeys?

Filed under: Random thoughts

I Can Finally Breathe

How is everybody doing?  I feel like I’ve been buried under deadlines for the last couple of months and can now finally breathe a little.  It’s fall where I live, the leaves are turning, and it’s not unusual to have rain, sun, and hail in the same day.  I’m hoping for an early snow, but I don’t think it’s going to happen this year.  I need to organize my thoughts, so I thought I’d do a quick update here to figure out where I am and what I should do now.  :)

MARKED, Janie’s story, is in the pipeline and is ready to go.  (Release date: 12-22-14). I’ve finished page proofs, which means I won’t see the book again until it releases.  As you might know, Marked is the tenth and final book in the main Dark Protector series.  It was both the most difficult and the easiest book to write so far.  It was the most difficult because so many questions had to be answered and so many threads completed.  It was the easiest for the same reason–I had tons to write and didn’t stop for a second to wonder what to add.  I have to admit, I’m very happy with how Janie’s story turned out, and I hope you like it, too.  I was also really nervous to write it initially because readers have known Janie since she was a child, and now she’s all grown up, so it was a little like watching your niece fall in love with a badass Alpha male.  But I think it worked out nicely.  :)

I hit send on TOTAL SURRENDER edits this morning, and it’s the longest book I’ve written at 102,000 words (approx. 400 pages).  (Releases 3/14).  This is Jory Dean’s story, and he was so much fun to write about.  My editor says it’s the best book yet, and of course, this makes me both nervous as hell and happy.  I hope you all like it.  This one choked me up a couple of times because those lost, dangerous, wounded soldiers can do that to you.

I’m finishing up Hawk and Dawn’s story (Maverick MT book 4) now, and I’m hoping it has a release date of early next year – but I probably won’t know the date until early next year.  The first scene is really fun with Dawn teaching Hawk a little lesson.  I hope you like it.  The last Maverick MT book hit the NY Times, so of course, I have high hopes for this one, too.

Did you know we contracted for a spin-off series for the Dark Protectors?  We did, and it’s called the Realm Enforcers.  The first book, WICKED RIDE, is already turned in and should have a release date soon.  I’m thinking it’ll be June of next year.  Wicked Ride is about Kellach Dunne (cousin to Moira and Brenna), badass witch enforcer and motorcycle club member.  The book takes place in Seattle, and a few of the Dark Protectors show up, including Dage and Garrett.

Also, I have a brand new series coming out.  We don’t have a name for the series yet, but it’s going to be something different for me.  Yes, it’s still a romance with some pretty hot Alpha males, and I’d tell you more, but I don’t really know more.  A novella will kick off the series, and it’ll be in an anthology with Alexandra Ivy to be released around next September.  Then the three books will be released January, February, and March of 2016.  These will be in mass market print and available at bookstores, online, etc.

Finally, if any of frequent BAM stores, keep an eye out for CONSUMED and SHADOWED from the Dark Protectors, would you?  (They should be available for preorder end of October).  Those books are part of a brand new program between Lyrical Press and Books-A-Million to be in print, with gifts for people who buy them.  I’d love to see those do well so the other DP books could be in bookstores. 

Also, there’s going to be a big party for the program in York, PA at the BAM store on November 8th starting at 2:00pm.  If you are anywhere near York on that day, I will be there, and I’d love to see you! 

Other than that, there’s a boxed set of the first four stories (Fated, Claimed, Tempted, Hunted) in the Dark Protector series releasing on October 13th, Blind Faith (Sin Bros 3) releases in print in January, and then Total Surrender releases in print and digital in March.

Whew.  Okay.  Now I feel organized. 

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you received a new contest to caption a funny picture for the chance to win $50 at Amazon.  If you don’t subscribe, the button is over to the right.  :)

Filed under: DARK PROTECTORS, Maverick Montana Series, New Release, Random thoughts, Sin Brothers Series Tagged: BAM, Consumed, Dark Protectors, Lyrical High Notes, Marked, maverick montana, Shadowed, Sin Brothers, Total Surrender

Guest Blog: Meet the Authors of the BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES Boxed Set

Hey, a few of my friends are in a steamy boxed collection, and they combined for a guest post here today.  Enjoy!

Meet the Authors

Welcome to the world of men brought to their knees by love! This STEAMY collection by acclaimed erotic romance authors will test their heroes to their limits! Read on for more about this steamy set by A.M. Griffin, Amy Ruttan, Anya Richards, Cynthia D’Alba, Danica Avet, Felice Fox, Jennifer Kacey, Lynne Silver, Sabrina York, Sayde Grace & Tina Donahue.

We sat down with the ladies and asked them one important question:

Where did you get the idea for your story?

A.M.: “I’ve been kicking around the idea for Dark Wolf Enterprises for a couple for a couple of years now. I actually started the book last year and had to put it down to finish other projects. When the opportunity came to write a story for this multi-author box-set, I brushed it off and picked it right back up. I think it’s a great story about a pack of wolf shifters who are putting pack life above everything else, even love. I’m actually excited to see how long takes each of them down.”

Dark Wolf Enterprises by A.M. Griffin—Murder, mayhem and imprinting with a hot wolf shifter… And they say being an accountant is boring.

Find Me Here

Website: http://www.amgriffinbooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amgriffinbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMGriffinbooks

 

Amy: “When I spent almost a month out west in Alberta in the summer of 2012. We saw a lot of the province and spent a lot of time on my sister-in-laws ranch. She was getting married and there were a lot of cowboys in their starched jeans at the reception, but it was also the landscape. Mountains, prairies, foothills and badlands. I could stay there permanently except the winters are brutal.”

Building Bridges by Amy Ruttan—A vet tech and a lone wolf rancher ride out a sudden storm, but can they weather the emotions they stir up in each other…

Find me here:

Website: www.amyruttan.com
Twitter: @ruttanamy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyRuttanAuthor

 

Anya: “I come from a country where gay men aren’t accepted and risk losing their families, and even their lives in extreme cases, if they’re honest about their sexuality. Despite that, the brave ones step forward, knowing they have to fight for change. On the other hand, Canada is known for its tolerance, yet there are still men, and women, who hesitate to come out. It’s that dichotomy that led to this story.”

Three Strikes by Anya Richards—Two lonely men. One secret affair. Irresistible passion that will push them both to the breaking point, and beyond.

Find me here:

Website: www.anyarichards.com
Twitter: @AnyaRwrites.

 

Cynthia: “It really a combining to my two favorite story settings, a ranch and a Caribbean resort, with the excitement and sexual tension that comes from a new relationship.

All my stories are character-driven much more than setting driven however. So my story came from Brock Wade (my hero) really needing to get away.”

A Cowboy’s Seduction by Cynthia D’Alba—One exhausted cowboy + One uptight account x A tropical resort = A hot seduction. But who is seducing whom?

Find me here:

Website: CynthiaDAlba.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorCynthiaDAlba
Twitter: @CynthiaDAlba

 

Danica: “I’ve been wanting to write a friendship turned hot relationship romance for a while now. I was always a bit of a tomboy growing up, and still am to an extent, so I thought we tomboys could use a little hot romance too. And Sin gave me the perfect opportunity for that.”

Born to Sin by Danica Avet—A tomboy in love makes a desperate attempt to seduce her best friend and succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. But this Alpha male isn’t easily tamed and has secrets that could very well tear them apart.

Find Me Here

Website: http://danicaavet.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Danica-Avet-Writer/108148517161
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaniaAvet

 

Felice: “I’m a big fan of the sport of bull riding, so I knew one of the Cameron brothers would end up riding bulls! Brody doesn’t have a typical bull rider’s body, but he’s cocky, sexy and has the fortitude to get on top of a 2,000 lb. beast and hang on! I wanted him to be forced to experience a woman’s body in a way he never had before—sex had always been about his own pleasure, but in The Sound of Your Name, Ellie’s sexual needs come first, out of necessity, and that changes Brody from within.”

The Sound of Your Name by Felice Fox—Their silent erotic encounters change his luck and awaken his soul, but secrets and cowboy superstitions can only keep them apart.

Find me here:

Website: http://www.felicefox.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felicefox Twitter: https://twitter.com/felicefox

 

Jennifer: “I actually don’t remember. Could have been from a dream. I know Kellan Lutz inspired Radigan. That’s all I remember. ***GRINS***”

Beneath the Pages by Jennifer Kacey—One wicked night with her did nothing but whet his appetite. Now he’ll settle for nothing less than her complete submission.

Find Me Here

Website: http://www.jenniferkacey.com/
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferkaceyauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey

 

Lynne: “It’s a reunion story at heart, and I’m always curious about what happens when you run into your first love, especially if you broke up for logistical reasons. Will the flame still be there?”

Cruising for Love by Lynne Silver—A vacation cruise comes with surprises—like the BDSM theme and her high school love, the one man she can’t resist.

Find me here:

Website: www.lynnesilver.com
Twitter: @LynneSilver FB Fanpage: www.facebook.com/LynneSilverAuthor

 

Sabrina: “The story was inspired by our Brought To His Knees Theme.”

Whipped by Sabrina York—A scalding attraction. An irresistible passion. A pity she’s the one woman he can never have…

Find me here:

Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/SabrinaYorkBooks
Twitter @sabrina_york https://twitter.com/sabrina_york

 

Sayde: “My genius brain of course!! Ha, I wish I was a genius. But really, I’ve always written about cowboys and strong women. I ended my last series of cowgirls and wanted to do a series with a set of cowboys as my main focus. I played around with some ideas but finally came down to the Sin Boys. I actually watch an old western TV show called The Big Valley and I love the brothers in that show. I always want them to find the perfect wife but they don’t so I kinda put them into this series, only modern and in Texas.”

Chief Sin by Sayde Grace—A taste of Sin isn’t enough. Instead she wants all of him, including the heart she once broke.

Find me here:

Website: HTTP://www.saydegrace.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/saydegrace
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/saydegrace

 

Tina: “I knew I wanted to do a menage for Brought to His Knees boxed set. As I started thinking about a romantic triangle, the characters just popped in my head. That’s usually the way things happen for me. I could be grocery shopping, enjoying dinner with friends, watching TV and suddenly I see a scene, sort of like a movie playing in my thoughts, and I think “What if…” After that, it’s off to the races, so to speak.”

Make Me Surrender by Tina Donahue—She has a proposition…to win their attention, passion, hearts.

Find me here:

Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue
FB Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/TinaDonahueBooks

Be sure to grab your copy of the entire set on August 19th for the unbeatable price of 99¢. And tell your friends!  BUY LINKS BELOW:

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brought-to-his-knees-am-griffin/1119993064?ean=2940045653121
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/brought-to-his-knees
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-broughttohisknees-1581282-362.html
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/459859
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQH71KW
Filed under: Guest Blogger

Consumed and Shadowed Are Hitting the Book Shelves!

I have fun and exciting news, and I’ll be in York, PA in November for a book launching!  I’ve never been to York, and I’m so excited to go!  Here’s the press release sent out yesterday:

KENSINGTON PUBLISHING PARTNERS WITH BOOKS-A-MILLION FOR LYRICAL HIGH NOTES, A NEW LINE OF EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL-TO-PRINT TRADE PAPERBACKS

August 19, 2014: Kensington Publishing Corp. has announced an exclusive partnership with retailer Books-A-Million to launch Lyrical High Notes, a new program through which select titles from the publisher’s digital imprint will be brought to print for the first time. These special editions will be made available for a limited period exclusively at Books-A-Million as trade paperbacks.

Steven Zacharius, President and CEO of Kensington Publishing Corp, said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Books-A-Million to extend the readership of these fresh and edgy books. Each of the titles chosen for the Lyrical High Notes program was highly successful in its e-only format, and these special printed editions will give our digital-first authors the retail presence that they deserve.”

The program will launch in November 2014 with the release of three USA Today bestselling romances previously available only as eBooks: Consumed by Rebecca Zanetti, Shadowed by Rebecca Zanetti and Playing the Game by M. Q. Barber. Following the release of two more trade paperbacks in January 2015, Crossing the Line by M.Q. Barber and Better than Perfect by Kristina Mathews, the program will continue with one new release per month for the remainder of the year. Books-A-Million will be the exclusive retailer for the Lyrical High Notes trade paperback editions for each title’s initial three months in print.

Margaret Terwey, Senior Buyer, Books-A-Million, commented, “I’m so excited to partner with Kensington for the opportunity to offer bestselling eBooks in print format exclusively for Books-A-Million customers.”

Kensington and Books-A-Million also have teamed up on a multi-channel campaign to promote the launch of the new program through online, social media, event and print marketing. In addition, a “Lyrical High Notes Welcome Committee” of bloggers will be tapped to support the arrival of the new books in print with online giveaways and virtual events.

These online initiatives will be coupled with an equally robust offline push that includes prominent in-store placement and a launch party on November 8, 2014 with Rebecca Zanetti and M.Q. Barber at the Books-A-Million store in York, PA. In advance of the release, each of the 260 Books-a-Million stores in the US will also receive a “Lyrical Launch Pack” containing promo items including branded notepads that will be given as free gifts to the first customers who purchase one of the line’s debut releases in November, personal thank you notes from the debut authors, and special gifts for the store employees.

Alexandra Nicolajsen, Associate Director of Social Media & Digital Sales at Kensington Publishing, said, “Kensington is a house where we pride ourselves on getting behind authors to help grow their careers—from their debuts to becoming bestsellers. This new Lyrical/Books-A-Million partnership will continue to build on that idea. Creating an in-store presence for Lyrical books along with additional marketing and promotion across all channels—in-person, in print, social media—will bring even more exposure to these successful titles.”

Rebecca Zanetti, Kensington’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Lyrical Press author, commented on her upcoming print release saying, “As a reader, I love wandering the aisles in a traditional book store, and thus I’m thrilled that Books-A-Million will be featuring Consumed and Shadowed on their shelves!”

Filed under: DARK PROTECTORS Tagged: BAM, book launching, Books a Million, Consumed, Kensington, launching, Lyrical High Notes, Lyrical Press, Shadowed, York PA

How to Make it as A Writer

I know a lot of authors, and like most writers, I study people.  At conferences, at book signings, at the grocery store…you name it.  And I’ve found a few similarities in behavior in authors that most of us agree are making it.

1. They work their asses off. Yeah, there might be some major talent there to start with…but every author I know who’s doing well is working hard. Really, really hard. No, they’re not digging ditches. But they’re upping the word count, they’re in the chair, they’re traveling to conferences, and they’re meeting deadlines. Self-imposed or contractual, they’re meeting those deadlines.

2.  They’re accepting fear and shoving past it. I think everybody in the creative field battles fear. Fear of rejection, fear of appearing foolish, maybe even fear of success. Fear can paralyze you, or you can use it. Take it, mold it, and put it in the current book. You know what’s worse than fear? REGRET. Don’t have that.

3. They use the NOW. There’s no waiting until Monday, or next week, or when the kids are back in school. They write now. While the kids are napping, in the line at school, in the doctor’s waiting room, during lunch break at work…they’re writing now.

4.  They’re kind and give back. I know I write romances and see the world as a happy place, but look around. The authors doing well are helping other authors with judging contests, giving workshops, even just giving encouraging words. There’s no competition here. If a reader likes a book, they’ll like another book, and the more readers, the better for all of us. Karma is out there, if you ask me.

5.  They never quit. I recently read a blog by a writer that said a couple of her critique partners didn’t understand her book a few years ago, so she stopped writing in disappointment for a while. How is that even possible? The only person who can make an author stop writing is…that author. Period. If somebody isn’t following their dreams…it’s on their shoulders, and their shoulders only. Either quitting is an option, or it isn’t.

IT Isn’t.

To quote Mary Janice Davidson, ““Never, EVER give up. Not ever. Not EVER. Ever EVER!”

And here’s the biggest thing I think successful authors do: They Write. The focus is on the next book, and everything else slides away for a while. If you’re an author, and you’re struggling, go back to the book. It’s all there.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C. S. Lewis

Filed under: On Writing

GIVEAWAY – Blind Faith ARC and dog tags

Hi all!  I’m back from New York, and it was an absolute ball!  I’ll have pictures and an update soon, but for now, I have a book due a week from Friday.  (TOTAL SURRENDER).   Here is one shot of Grand Central Station I took right before I met my agent for coffee.

Also, there’s a sale going on at Barnes and Noble – buy two books and get one free.  FORGOTTEN SINS is included in the promotion…HERE’s the LINK.

 So, for now, I realized I haven’t done a giveaway on the blog for a while.

Here’s a print ARC (Advanced Reader’s Copy) of BLIND FAITH, along with cool dog tags that I gave out at the BEA conference last weekend.  All you have to do to enter is comment below – on anything.  I’ll randomly draw a name by Friday at noon.  I am curious…what is your favorite television show right now…and why?

Filed under: Sin Brothers Series