Laura Kaye's Blog, page 49

Check out the Brazen Birthday Celebration! #BrazenBash #99cents #OneNightwithaHero

  It's a birthday celebration! For Entangled Publishing's Brazen books line to be precise! One year ago this week, the first Brazen books released. Since then, eleven of the titles have hit the New York Times or USA Today bestseller lists!
To celebrate, Entangled has a ton of fun events planned, including:
Brazen Bash - Don’t miss the Brazen Bash on Thursday, July 25th from 7 to 10 pm EST where you can chat with the ladies behind Brazen - not to mention all the awesome authors - to win a $50 prize pack, $75 prize pack, or $125 prize pack. Prize packs will be a combination of gift cards to Amazon/B&N, Adam & Eve, and Sephora! Join here: https://www.facebook.com/events/173847339463075/Q&A’s with NYT Bestselling Authors - Twitter Chat with Laura Kaye(@laurakayeauthor) Tuesday, July 23rd from 9 to 10 pm EST. Twitter Chat with Katee Robert (@katee_robert) Wednesday, July 24th from 6 to 7 pm PST. We'll be using the hashtag #BrazenBash so you can easily join in the conversation.Man Candy Photo Contest - Be sure to check out Brazen’s Tumblr page to share your favorite pictures of swoon-worthy men that remind you of the heroes in Brazen books! Either post your picture to your own tumblr using the tag “brazenbash” Or you can submit your photo directly to the Brazen tumblr page here http://brazenbooks.tumblr.com/submit. Make sure to tweet your tumblr posts as well using #BrazenBash. We've got an awesome giveaway for one lucky winner!Surprise! It's a 99 cent sale! Eight of the Brazen titles are on sale for 99 cents, including ONE NIGHT WITH A HERO! (For the other titles, click here!)Buy One Night at Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes
And if all that wasn't fun enough, this morning I got the awesome French cover for ONE NIGHT WITH A HERO, too. Take a look:


Releases August 21 in France - Buy here!Hope to see you around the event! And thanks for reading!

Laura

Paranormal Romance #99cent Event! 7/20-21 #ForeverFreed is on sale!

Over twenty paranormal romance authors are putting their books on sale this weekend, including me! Get great reads by authors like Gabrielle Bissett, Carrie Ann Ryan, C.J. Ellisson, and more! And, I'm excited to offer my award-winning vampire romance Forever Freed for 99 cents, too! Check it out and don't miss this short-time event!

Buy Forever Freed at Amazon Kindle | iTunes | Kobo | B&N

For all the authors participating in the event, click here:

Thanks to Tim Flanagan for hosting the event! And thanks to you for reading!
Laura

A Taylor-Made Life Book Blitz!

         They lived the life they were given; they loved the life they made.

Cheerleader Taylor Smith doesn’t want to die a virgin. Unfortunately, if the terminally-ill leukemia patient doesn't find a lover or a stem-cell match within months, her fear will become reality. When her cancer mentor is revealed to be a hottie entrepreneur from California, it seems fate might finally be on her side.

Tech-geek Gavin Taylor has everything he ever wanted, except someone to grieve for him when he's gone. With his melanoma cancer beyond the help of his riches, he agrees to participate in a cancer patient mentoring program where he's matched with a dying teen from Texas. Despite his immediate attraction, the Silicon Valley whiz intends only to provide friendship and happy memories to the beautiful, young woman who is determined to win his love.

When it's discovered that his frozen sperm and her harvested eggs could lead to a cure, Taylor's mother offers to be a surrogate. And Gavin must decide if he can risk the heart he has never given and a child he'll never know to a girl he just met.
Excerpt:My blood rushed hot through my veins like a West Texas brush fire as Gavin pulled into the driveway and parked.

We were perfect together. Couldn’t he see that? When I’d asked about the matchmaker, I thought for sure he would sweep me off my feet and carry me away. He hadn’t.

He turned off the ignition and twisted in his seat to face me. “I had a great time the last three days.”

“Me, too.” I lifted my gaze to look at him, to really look at him. God, he was gorgeous, smart, fun, but also sweet and kind. Panic made me want to latch on to him and not let go. I’d rather get an IV in my eyeball than let him leave. I loved him. I always would.

He stared at back at me, his eyes misting with some emotion I couldn’t name. He was breathing heavily, too heavily. I didn’t move. I knew this game—the first one to blink loses.

Kiss me. Please kiss me.

His hand twitched. My lips parted, and I quietly gasped.

Finally, he closed his eyes, whistled out a long breath, and got out of the car.

Crud!

I wasn’t about to give up yet.
He walked around and opened my door, offering his hand. I clasped it and yanked myself from the seat so quickly that I collided with his chest. He dropped my hand and jumped back like I’d burnt him.
I slapped my palm against my thigh. “What is your problem? Am I so repulsive you can’t stand to accidentally touch me?”
His face paled, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “No. Of course not. It’s late. I’m sorry.”
It’s late? What kind of lame excuse was that? My shoulders sagged as he swiftly ushered me to the door. I tried to smile hopefully. “You wanna come in?”
He eyed me up and down then shook his head like he was trying to remove a bug clinging to his ear. “I better go. I have an early flight.”
“So that’s it, then? You’re just gonna leave?” Everything inside me fell to my toes.
He smiled sympathetically. My hands fisted. Slapping the pacifying expression off his face crossed my mind.
“Hey. It won’t be that bad.” He reached out to brush my arm but let his fingers fall short. 

“We’ll talk on the phone, and maybe you and your Mom can come for a visit in a few weeks.”
He leaned to kiss my cheek, but I stuck my fingers over his lips. His mouth was soft and warm. Heat spread from my fingers into my arm and through my body. I pulled my hand away so I could concentrate. I was not about to let this end here. “I don’t want a kiss on the cheek, Gavin.”
“I understand.” He held out his hand for me to shake. Captain Oblivious.
I crinkled my nose and frowned. “No. You don’t understand. I want a kiss, but not on the cheek.”
He rubbed a palm across his forehead. “Taylor, we’ve gone over this.”
“No, we haven’t. You’re leaving and—let’s face it—I’ll never see you again. You know it, and I know it.” My voice broke. I stood tall and continued, “You came here to mentor me, take me on a few outings, and give me happy memories. You’ve done that. But I’m asking for one last thing.” I twirled my hair and met his gaze. “I want a real kiss.”
He started shaking his head before I’d even finished. “No.”
Crud-ola! “Why not?”
“Taylor, you know the answer. I told you from the beginning. It’s not appropriate.”
He hadn’t said he didn’t want to. I glared at him and decided to pull out the big guns. “It’s one harmless kiss, Gavin, and it’s a dying girl’s wish.”
His jaw twitched. “That’s not fair, and you know it.”
“Fair? Are we talking about fair now? What’s not fair is that I’ll never get married or have children or even be in love. You’re all I get.” I waved my hand between us. “This is all I get.”
He set his jaw stubbornly, but his eyes betrayed him. “I’ve offered you what I’m willing to give.”
Tears stung my eyes. Damn it. I hated crying, but I couldn’t help it. He’d hit the nail. “You’re no better than those doctors offering me another round of chemo, knowing it won’t do any good and would only make me weaker, sicker.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Well, I won’t settle for less. I’m settling for too little as it is.” I swiped at my stupid tears. My pulse pounded. I was fighting with everything I had. “How many women have you been with?”
He squinted in apparent disbelief. “What kind of question is that?”
I stamped my foot. “How many?”
He almost yelled it at me. “A few.”
“Do you remember how it felt to be with them? To love them? Would you trade those memories because a few people said it wasn’t okay?”
He darted his gaze around the front yard, shifting his weight from side to side. Even in the dim light of the porch I could see his mind working through possibilities, making him uncomfortable.
“There’s no one out there in the dark to tell you it’s okay. You have to decide.” I pressed on. 

“What memory do you want to leave me with? What memory do you want to take? Is it really such a sickening thought? Just one kiss.”
He stared back at me with a wildness that scared me. My heart drummed a xylophone chord across my ribs.
“Taylor.…”
I locked in on his gaze and stepped toward him. “Tonight you get to decide what you can live with—or without. I’m asking for one moment.”
Stopping inches from him, I absorbed the tension like a thirsty towel. Electric sparks flew between us. The only sounds were our shallow breaths.
Softly, I went in for the kill. “A kiss goodnight. Is it really too much, Gavin?”

You can buy A Taylor-Made Life here!Amazon | Smashwords | Add to Goodreads
Giveaway Rules:Giveaway begins July 18th and will end July 23rd 11:59 EST. The winner will be announced on June 24th on Kary Rader's Facebook page. Open to U.S. residents only. We are not responsible for items lost in the mail & have the right to disqualify anyone, at any time. Personal information given by the applicant in the giveaway will never be shared. All information is deleted once the giveaway ends.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Interested in A Taylor-Made Life? Sign up to participate in the A Taylor-Made Life blog tour! Contact PublicistChristineMarie@gmail.com for more information or visit www.publicistchristinemarie.wordpress.com
Kary Rader is a part-time Twitter sage, stay-at-home mother of three, and slave to the characters and worlds inside her head. Always creative, she's drawn to stories with fantastical worlds and creatures. With a little bit of magic and divine guidance, there isn't anything that can't be accomplished with words. It's the power of words that creates and destroys. Vanquishing evil and injustice while finding eternal love in the process is all in a day's work. With the help of her critique partners and master cartographer imaginary places come to life.
Author Links:
Website/Blog:  www.karyrader.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/KaryRaderFB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/KaryRaderauthorGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6998567.Kary_Rader
Thanks for reading! Leave Kary some new release love!
Laura

The Cover Quote That Made Me Cry #HardAsItGets

Get at Amazon | B&N | iTunesHave you ever received such amazingly good news that for a moment your brain stopped functioning? And, then, as the news you never seriously expected to receive sinks in, you are utterly incapable of doing anything but bursting out crying no matter the fact that you're in a room packed full of authors, editors, and staff from your publishing company in the middle of a workshop presentation? And, then, the efforts to restrain the crying erupt into sorta grunty-sob-like noises that are utterly embarrassing but you can't even care because YOU JUST GOT FREAKING AMAZING NEWS?

Yeah. That's what just happened to me.

And why?

Because I just got a cover quote for my contemporary romance Hard As It Gets (Hard Ink #1) that releases November 26. From my absolute favorite author. Ever. Like, ever and ever.


J.R. Ward.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yup. Gasp! Flail! Twitch! Sob!

Here it is:


“Edgy, sexy and full of suspense!  A great read from a great new author!”
Holy. Freaking. Dream-Come-True. Crap!

You guys!

I mean, you all KNOW my BDB craziness. And now the Warden has not only read but liked my book. THUD. Stick a fork in me I. Am. Done.

So, yeah. That's all I got!

Thanks for stopping by for my meltdown! LOL

Laura

Find Me at #RWA13 #Signings #Workshops

I'm very excited for the 2013 Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta, Georgia! Here's where you can find me over the course of the week:

Wednesday, 7/17

5:30 - 7:30pm - Literacy Autographing - I will have South of Surrender and One Night with a Hero on hand to sign! Also look for Hard As It Gets swag!





Thursday, 7/18

5:30 - 8:00pm - FF&P Party and Awards Ceremony - I'm up for two PRISM Awards for In the Service of the King and Seduced by the Vampire King - fingers crossed!

 
8:00 - 10:00pm - Contemporary Romance Chapter Party and Ice Cream Social - I'm moderating an awesome panel on contemporary romance featuring NYT Bestselling Authors Carly Phillips, Bella Andrew, Beth Kery, agent Laura Bradford, and HarperCollins editor Amanda Bergeron

Friday, 7/19

9:45 - 11:15am - Avon Publishing Booksigning - I'll be signing ARCs of Hard As It Gets!

Saturday, 7/20

12:45 - 1:45pm - Writing Contemporary Romance Readers Will Love workshop with me, Jennifer Probst, and Katee Roberts

3:15 - 4:15pm - How to Tackle Taboos in Erotic Romance workshop with me, Stephanie Draven, and Eliza Knight

Hope to see many old friends and meet new ones, too! See you soon, Atlanta!

Laura

Welcome Debut Author Lisa M. Owens! #IfOnly

Welcome Guest AuthorLisa M. Owensto the blog!

See below for her giveaway!

Welcome!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Hi Laura and thank you so much for having me! I am a new author, writing under the name Lisa M. Owens and I write contemporary romance. Hopefully, this is the first book of many!
Of course it will be! *grins* Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
My current release is about a woman who gets the second chance that most of us could only dream of. She gets the chance to go back and correct her greatest mistake. I think we all have that one mistake, that one choice we made that we can never take back.
But what if you could?
Would you risk changing your past to build a better future?
Awesome! Which character is your favorite and why?
Without a doubt, Bree. She makes an amazing transformation over the course of this book. To me, she is like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. When she was with her abusive ex-husband, she was kept under his thumb, she was completely at his mercy and she was a timid, indecisive woman who had never known the world outside her husband’s control.
The Bree in Scott’s arms is a warm, vibrant woman who is confident enough to tell her husband where to stick it when needed. She slowly begins to lose her fear of men and is awakened both emotionally and sexually in her former fiance’s arms. She learns what the true meaning of love really is.
As the author, what surprised you about this story?
It was a surprise to me that it was ever completed. It started out by being just a few random thoughts printed onto a pad of paper. Before I knew it, I had over two pages of notes. That night, I started hashing out the first chapter. I never expected to complete it, much less get it published. But now looking back, I realize that for me, it was a story that desperately needed to be told.
That’s wonderful! Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
I am currently working on the second novel of this series. I plan on there being five books in my If Only series, all about women who get the second chances they have always wished for. My current book in the series is about a woman who married for love instead of for money. Fourteen years later, she wonders if she made the right decision.
That’s a great idea for a series! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?
The brief flashes of domestic abuse. I am a former victim of domestic violence myself, so what I wrote triggered memories that I had long ago tried to bury. But in the long run, I am hoping that this book will help to give someone the courage they need to leave an abusive relationship. And it was a therapeutic experience for me, as well.
That’s amazing, Lisa, truly. What are you working on right now?
I currently have two works in progress. One is the book that I mentioned above, the second in this series. And the other is the story about a Marine who returns home wounded after fighting in Afghanistan to realize that his wife has left him. He soon finds love in the most unlikely of places.
What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
I still have it, although it isn’t completed. I started it over ten years ago and although the storyline is good, it needs some serious work. I would like to eventually finish it and try to get it published.
Good luck! What do you find easiest and hardest to write?
The easiest for me would have to be the playful interaction between my hero and heroine. The love, the affection, the teasing, the bantering. Scenes like that seemed to flow easily for me. The hardest for me are the angry, physical scenes. Scenes were the men are violent or the hero gets physical with another man. For some reason, it is difficult for me as a writer to get the anger I need for those scenes. As a woman, it is challenging to know what goes through a man’s mind and the anger he feels when he is punching someone or invading another man’s space.
Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
That love isn’t supposed to make you weak, it isn’t about someone else overpowering you or controlling you. Real love is about two people who are stronger when they are together than they are when they’re apart.
I like to write about strong, stubbornly independent women and the strong, even more stubborn men who love them.
That’s wonderful! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
I collect angels. And teddy bears. Weird combination, I know!
Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate?  Milk chocolate
Salty or sweet? Sweet…preferably chocolate!! My name is Lisa and I am a chocoholic…
Bed or kitchen table? (Clears throat) Dare I ask for what? If you are asking where I would rather sleep, I would say in a bed. If you are asking where I would like to try having sex, I would say the kitchen table. (Blushes crimson)
Beach or mountains? Beach…the sound of waves lapping against the shore. A margarita in my hand. Grains of sand between my toes. Sorry, I forgot where I was there for a minute.
Give or receive? Give.

What would you do if you had the opportunity to go back and relive your greatest mistake?

 Five years ago, Bree Sexton walked out on her fiancé and into the arms of a charming and handsome stranger. She has regretted her decision ever since. Instead of a fairy-tale marriage, her "prince" shattered her dreams and her spirit with physical violence and emotional cruelty she barely escaped.

 She then mysteriously wakes up in bed with the fiancé she loved and left, the life she's dreamed of now a reality, until her cruel ex-husband reappears to destroy her new life. But what is real, and what is make-believe? Is she really getting the chance she has always dreamed of? And when it is all said and done, will she finally end up with the man she has always regretted leaving? Or will she wake up to discover herself alone?

Excerpt:
Bree stood there for a minute, watching as he walked out of her life. She couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if she had married Scott instead of Bryan. How would her life have been different? Would she have had children by now? Would she and Scott still be together, after all this time? Those thoughts and more weighed heavily on her mind as she headed out of the bar. It had begun to snow, and she wrapped her coat even tighter around her slender frame. She looked around, but there was no one to be found. She couldn’t help herself; she stuck out her tongue, a childish impulse she couldn’t ignore, and then laughed out loud in spite of herself.
She looked both ways before attempting to cross the street. Not seeing any cars, she began to make her way across. Bree was walking cautiously when one of her high heels slipped on a patch of ice. She could feel herself falling, and her breathing quickened as she began to panic, wishing she had waited for her friends before venturing off on her own. One shoe flew off as she landed, her head striking the curb. A sharp pain racked through the back of her skull, causing her to cry out. The last thing she saw was Scott’s face swimming before her eyes, and then her world went black.
Bree awoke to a man nipping gently on her earlobe, his tongue stroking the delicate curves. His hot breath blew into her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine. She slowly opened her eyes as a man’s hand stroked her upper thigh, and she sighed happily. Ooh, I must be dreaming. And it was such a delicious dream, too.
The man’s hand traveled up her thigh and then encircled her flat stomach. Out of the corner of her eyes, Bree could see a dark head pressing against her abdomen. Then she shivered as a tongue laved her belly button, going in and out erotically, making her feel as though her body was on fire. Bryan had never made her feel like this, and she hadn’t even looked yet to see who this stranger was! But she was only dreaming, so what difference did it make?
His hand continued traveling north, lovingly caressing her skin. He reached for her aching breasts, pressing her nipples roughly before he lowered his mouth to suckle them, first one, and then the other. Bree arched in anxious response to his touch. She longed to see his face, but she feared one look would make his magical touch disappear.
She ached all over, wanted his hands to caress her everywhere, and she longed to touch him. She opened her legs as he straddled her. His hair brushed her naked chest as he began kissing her. His tongue was driving her crazy with desire as he placed tender kisses along her neckline. He brushed her hair aside.
His morning stubble stung her delicate skin, but she hungered for more. Just one more touch, just one more taste, and she would awaken from this wonderful dream and find herself in bed, all alone.
“Oh, Bree, baby. What you do to me,” he whispered, his voice husky.
That voice jerked her back to the present. The voice had haunted her dreams for years. The voice of the man she just couldn’t seem to get over. “Scott,” she whispered.
Where can we find you on the web?
Website | Facebook| Twitter | GoodreadsBuy If Only at Amazon| B&N| Publisher Website

Giveaway!
Did you have a favorite line from the excerpt? Two commenters who leave their email address will win an ebook of If Only. Contest goes through midnight EST Sunday, 7/21. Open to international. Good luck!

Thanks for reading! Now leave Lisa some debut release comment love!Laura

Check out my new cover for #ForeverFreed! #vampires

Hey guys! I'm very excited to share my brand new cover for my vampire romance Forever Freed. This was the first novel I wrote and remains very special to me! Take a look:

A heart can break, even one that no longer beats.

I stalk my new neighbors, a single mother and her child, drawn by the irresistible scent of their joy and love. I crave their blood, starved for some healing respite from my ancient guilt and grief. Now to lure them into my grasp.

But they surprise me. Little Olivia accepts me without fear--talking, smiling, offering innocent affection that tugs at my long-lost humanity. Her mother, Samantha, seeks me out when she should stay away, offering sweet friendship, and tempting the forgotten man within me. They lure me instead.

Dio, Lucien, run and spare them while you can...

NJRW GOLDEN LEAF WINNER FOR BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE OF 2011
NJRW GOLDEN LEAF FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST BOOK OF 2011
GDRWA BOOKSELLERS' BEST CONTEST FINALIST FOR BEST PARANORMAL 2012
GDRWA BOOKSELLERS' BEST CONTEST FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST BOOK OF 2012
Buy Forever Freed at Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | B&N (soon!)
What do you think? Thanks so much for visiting!
Laura

Get #Ignited with Kaylea Cross!

Welcome Guest AuthorKaylea Crossto the blog!

See below for her giveaway!

Very happy to have my friend Kaylea Cross on the blog today sharing her new super hot Titanium Security romantic suspense series. I'm turning the place over to Kaylea today, so take it away...
A big thank you to Laura for hosting me here today! I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my new Titanium Security romantic suspense series with the release of Ignited and Singed . The series will have at least four books, each featuring a hero with a different military background. Because hello, you know I love my military heroes!
Ignited features former Navy SEAL Hunter Phillips, and came about because of the story of teenage Taliban shooting victim Malala Youssef and her courageous fight for girls’ education in the tribal region of Pakistan. Since I’m a Board and committee member of a non-profit post-secondary scholarship foundation, her story really touched me and I knew I had to write a book highlighting the issue.
Singed just released this past week and features ex Army Special Forces master sergeant (AKA the Team Daddy) Gage Wallace. It’s a reunion/second chance story which I’m a total sucker for, but it also highlights the very serious epidemic of PTSD and suicide cases among our military vets today.
Book three, Burned (coming out later this year), focuses on an ex FORECON Marine, and the fourth book will showcase a former Marine Scout/Sniper. I love showcasing little tidbits about my military characters’ backgrounds, so I hope you’ll learn something new and interesting with each story.
Ignited Blurb:  

When her father is murdered by a Taliban cell in the tribal regions of Pakistan, Khalia Patterson reluctantly steps into his shoes to carry on the legacy of Fair Start Foundation, a non-profit group dedicated to furthering the education of girls. There she meets Hunter Phillips, the ex-SEAL and head of her Titanium security team, and quickly learns that coming to Pakistan might prove to be a deadly decision.

 Battling demons of his own, Hunter grudgingly leads Khalia’s protective detail as a favor to his boss. From their first meeting it’s clear she’s going to be trouble, and that the cell that killed her father is hell bent on taking her out as well. Keeping her alive is one of the toughest assignments he’s ever faced, yet through one harrowing situation after another she continually impresses him with her strength and inner courage. Even though he fights his feelings for her, it’s a losing battle. And when the job is over, he doesn’t know how he’ll let her go.

 *word count: 83,000 (novel)* Available now for $2.99 at: AmazonBarnes & NobleKoboiTunes
Singed Blurb:  

She walked away from him once…

Struggling to live with her decision to walk away from the only man she ever loved and watching helplessly while her brother succumbs to his battle with severe PTSD, NSA analyst Claire Tierney’s life is at an all time low. The final hit comes when she accesses classified information at work that might get her fired. Instead, she’s assigned to a joint taskforce charged with hunting down a Taliban assassin planning an attack on American soil, and finally has something productive to focus on. Until she meets the rest of the team and learns she’ll be working with the last person on earth she wants further contact with; her ex. She knows letting him go was the biggest mistake of her life, but just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, new intel points to the assassin’s intended target. Her. 

This time he’s not letting her go…

As a former Special Forces Master Sergeant and second-in-command of his Titanium Security team, Gage Wallace can handle anything, except being forced to go through life without Claire. When she abruptly walked out on him six months ago, his whole world caved in. It’s clear she’s still determined to keep her distance, but when she’s named a possible target of the very cell they’re trying to dismantle, Gage will stop at nothing to ensure she’s safe. When tragedy destroys Claire’s defenses and the explosive desire between them ignites once more, this time he’s not letting her go. Too late they discover that the danger confronting them is far greater than anyone ever realized, and it’s a race against time to stop a terrorist from unleashing hell on them all.

 *word count: 57,000 (category)*
Available now for $2.99 at: AmazonBarnes & Noble (coming soon)Kobo (coming soon)iTunes (coming soon) 

Giveaway!
I’m giving away a digital copy of Ignited (or winner’s choice of my backlist) to a commenter here on the blog, contest ending Friday July 12th at 5 pm EST.

**I’m also hosting a Twitter party tomorrow (July 9th) from 7-8 pm EST. Follow #Ignited on Twitter or pre-register here for a chance to win more prizes! Would love to see you there.
Any questions for me? Would love to chat with you about the series.
Happy reading,Kaylea Cross

Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her family. You can find Kaylea through her website, Twitter, Facebook, and her blog. 

Join Us! Contemporary Romance Panel 7/18! #RWA13 #IceCream

Fun things are on the horizon for contemporary romance - namely, a NEW Contemporary Romance Chapter of the RWA. Amazing there wasn't one already, right? 

And, to kick things off, we're holding what is sure to be a super fun inaugural event at this year's RWA conference in Atlanta. On Thursday, July 18, from 8-10 p.m., we are hosting an ice cream social with ice cream (natch!), one free drink, raffle prizes, AND a totally awesome discussion panel about contemporary romance. Take a look at the details:


If you're going to this year's RWA conference and you're an author interested in or writing contemporary romance, please come out and join us for all or part of the event (sign up here) . If you're not going to RWA and write contemporary romance, please consider joining the new chapter, which is in the process of getting all its social media up and running.

And please feel free to share this post and/or the above image and help me spread the word!

Thanks for reading!
Laura

Welcome Guest Author Eliza Knight! #TheReboundPact

Welcome Guest AuthorEliza Knightto the blog!
I'm thrilled to welcome my good friend and chapter mate to the blog today so she can share her brand new contemporary romance, The Rebound Pact. Without further ado, take it away, Eliza...
Thank you, Laura, for featuring me on your blog today! I’m completely thrilled to have my first sexy contemporary release. After having written over two dozen historicals and time-travels, Gabrielle and Holden leaped into my mind, begging for their story to be told. I found I enjoyed spending time with them and diving into their world so much, that I have more contemporary novels in the works. Never fear, historical/time-travel fans, my hawt Highlanders aren’t disappearing either! I’m simply expanding my writing fingers :-)
Without further ado, let me introduce to you, Gabrielle and Holden…
THE REBOUND PACT  by Eliza Knight

Just one taste is never enough...

 The attraction between Gabrielle and Holden still sizzles on the surface even after all these years since their last encounter. Having just experienced serious relationship breakups neither one is ready to start again. Instead, they make a rebound pact. Casual sex, no strings attached—and rule #1? Don't fall in love. Problem is, with each scorching encounter, Gabrielle and Holden find themselves falling hard and fast.

 After college, Gabrielle Dane makes one terrific mistake. Thinking she's sneaking into her crush's bedroom at an all-night party, she ends up sleeping with her older brother's best friend. It’s only when the sun comes up that she recognizes Holden Bellamy. Mortified, Gabrielle leaves to train with a renowned chef in France, vowing never to return to her hometown and the awkwardness of her one night stand mix-up. But several years later, she finds herself doing just that, and she runs smack into the delicious man who makes her catch her breath.

 Holden Bellamy, owner of Belle Ami, a critically acclaimed vineyard, has always had a thing for his best friend's little sister...even if she was off limits. Waking up to her in the morning several years back was a remarkable surprise, one that crashed and burned when she left town without a word. Now he's face to face with the woman he never stopped wondering about.

EXCERPT:
As she neared the exit, a sign caught her eye with a picture of purple grapes inside a wine glass, below it said: Belle Ami Vineyards.“Perfect,” she muttered. A stop at the vineyard to purchase a couple bottles of wine and then she’d head to her Dad’s place. She wasn’t ready for the conversation he’d want to have regarding Len. She stared at her empty ring finger on the steering wheel, tears already stinging her eyes. Her finger still showed the lines of where her ring had been.Gabrielle followed the signs for the vineyard, pulling into a nearly empty parking lot, her tires crunching over the gravel. There were only three other cars parked.Damn. She hoped they hadn’t closed already. She’d forgotten how everything in the town of Mount Airy kept farmer’s hours.  She climbed out of the car and walked toward the entrance. The door opened easily when she pulled, but she didn’t see anyone. She walked up to the bar and picked up the tasting menu.Gabrielle loved wine. Had even volunteered at many a wine tasting event, pouring glasses, talking shop to wine enthusiasts, and even turning some non-winos into vino connoisseurs.The Belle Ami merlot looked right up her alley with a tangy bouquet of pomegranate and cocoa. She turned in a circle, her fingernails tapping against the “green” pressed bamboo counter. “Can I help you?” a smooth, sensual, very male voice said from behind.Oh. My. God.Gabrielle turned around slowly, unable to breathe. She came face to face with Holden Bellamy. His face itself was perfection in the flesh. Chiseled. A wide square jaw, cheek bones she’d kill for, kissable lips and a nose that spoke of good genes. Dark brown, nearly black hair cut short enough to be in style, but still rugged, a few strands falling over his forehead. Her entire body stilled as she gazed at him, wide-eyed.He was just as alluring, if not more so than he’d been before.A jolt of longing wracked her. Her belly fluttered. Goosebumps rose along her arms making her skin tingle. Memories came flooding back of their one night together. Her body hadn’t forgotten, even with the passing of time, and neither had her mind. But with those memories and the pull of her attraction came regret. For what she’d thrown away. For the hurt she’d caused him. For not telling him the truth. He wore a tight black t-shirt with the winery’s logo on his right pec. His jeans looked to be designer and if he turned around… She gulped, gazing at his flawless physique and then back up into his crystal blue eyes that seemed to delve right into the center of her soul. A light bulb sparked inside her mind. Bellamy… Was it possible this was his winery? A play on words?“Gabrielle?”He remembered her. Her stomach tightened. Of course he remembered her. She’d known him for years. Her body trilled a tune, as if her flesh remembered the way he’d touched her. He flashed her a smile, showing white, faintly imperfect teeth. Teeth that had skimmed naughtily over her flesh.“Yes, hi, it’s been so long…” She trailed off, feeling awkward at showing up here six years after walking out on him.

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Laura