Laura Kaye's Blog, page 61

West of Want in the Wild Contest Winners! Woot!

Thank you SO MUCH to the fifteen of you who sent me pictures of West of Want in the wild. It was so fun seeing proof that the book is on shelves around the country. :)

The winners of the two $50 bookstore gift cards are...

By random.org: Joy from Joyfulled Reviewed!

By me, as the cutest picture submitted: Kassie and Jean inexplicably abusing one another with my book! LOL

Congratulations, Joy, Jean and Kassie!
See all the pictures here, and thanks so much for taking the time to share them with me!

Thanks for reading!
Laura[image error]

Come out to the Baltimore Book Festival!! 9/28-30 #bmorebookfest

The countdown is on! The Baltimore Book Festival opens  THIS FRIDAY!!!
Come see me and forty of your other favorite romance authors at the Maryland Romance Writers stage located just off Mt. Vernon Square near the Washington Monument. I'll be there all three days. We have so many fun things planned for you! Check out the full schedule here!

I hope to see you there! Thanks for reading!

Laura

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Welcome Guest Author Tamara Hoffa! #Debut

Welcome Guest AuthorTamara Hoffato the Blog!
Welcome, Tamara!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
I love all genres of romance. My first release, Heart of a Soldier, is a contemporary romance, but I am currently working on a paranormal romance with my best friend of over 30 years, Beverly Ovalle. Bev also has a lunchbox romance release, Dragon’s Mate, due to release in October 2012
Great! So, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
Heart of a Soldieris a second chance at love story. As a mature (cough, old) woman, I love stories that feature couples lucky enough to find love a little later in life.
Which character is your favorite and why?
I love the H/h both. But I have to say my favorite character is Charlie’s best friend Bethany. She is everything a best friend should be. Supportive, pushy, nudgy and a hoot to boot.
How fun! As the author, what surprised you about this story?
I probably shouldn’t say this, because I’ll make all the authors reading this mad at me, but what surprised me was how easy the story was to write. I had the idea and bam! The characters just took over and took off.
That’s the way it is sometimes! *grins* Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
No, Heart of a Soldierwon’t be part of a series… but the paranormal I am working on will be… I hope.
Tell me more about that paranormal!
As I mentioned I am working on a paranormal romance, tentatively titled Windy City Dragons. I am really excited about this one. It is the story of the two dragon shifters that started the Chicago fire. They have become firefighters in an attempt to make up for their past, but are haunted by guilt. One of the lucky pair will find his mate in WCD, but… it won’t be an easy pairing.
What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
Again people, don’t hate me, but Heart of a Soldier IS the first book I’ve ever written.
Congrats! What do you find easiest and hardest to write?
Easiest for me was Charlie’s perspective as a mother. I have three children and two grandchildren,. And I was, and still am, “Momma Tammie” to a slew of children of my heart. So I know how a mother feels.
Hardest? The conflict between Charlie and Jamie. I am a very non-confrontational person, the quintessential peacemaker, so that was hard for me.
Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
I’m sad to say that I based the death of Charlie’s husband on the death of my sister, Samantha Wyatt. She was killed in a car accident on Highway 70 just as Phillip was in the book. Heart of a Soldier is dedicated to her.
It also takes place very near where I live. In fact Jamison’s parents live in my hometown of McEwen, Tennessee.
Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
That attraction is easy, but BEING in love takes effort. I once read a quote that said, “Love is like a garden, if you plant it and don’t tend it, it will never grow” I love that!
So agree! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
I am hopelessly addicted to coffee and flavored creamers. I think there are currently four different kinds of creamers in my refrigerator.
Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Definitely Dark
Salty or sweet? Both
Bed or kitchen table? Bed, I’m all about the comfort
Beach or mountains? Mountains! I lived in Florida for over twenty years, so I’ve had all the beach I could ever want.
Give or receive? I’m a giver! I would much rather see someone open a gift I bought or made, than get anything myself. I start shopping for Christmas in July, and I start making Christmas stockings in September, want one?

Soldier Jameson Hunter faces the battle of his life, winning the heart of Charlotte Mackenzie, widowed mother of a young recruit.
Tamara Hoffa lives in central Tennessee, with her husband of 30 years, her three grown children, two grandchildren, 3 dogs and 2 cats. Tamara started reading when she was four years old and has rarely been seen without a book at hand since. At home you will usually find her in “nana’s chair” with her kindle, her laptop or one of her precious, precocious grandson’s in her lap. Tamara is a reviewer, a professional reader and can now add author to her repertoire.  Tamara is proof positive that it’s never too late to reach for your dreams. Find Tamara on Facebook.
Thanks for being here, Tamara! Now, everyone, leave Tamara some comment love for her debut!
Laura

#SixSunday ~ A kiss to remember... #Caden #HeartsinDarkness #TWRP

Happy Sunday, everyone! I'm going old school with six from my first published book and my first contemporary romance, Hearts in Darkness. Enjoy!

The darkness combined with the intensity of their connection made her feel like nothing else existed in the world. She’d never experienced this kind of passion before—at least, not from a kiss alone.

From the minute he murmured those sweet words about how good it felt to be with her, she knew she was going to have to kiss him. She needed to taste the mouth of the man who’d survived such tragedy but managed to retain so much gentleness, so much sweetness. She thought they’d shared the most honest and enjoyable conversation of her life. She yearned for more, for a way to burn it into her memory for all time.

Available at Amazon | B&N
Don't forget to check out the Other Sixers' posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter! Thanks for reading and hopefully commenting, too!
Laura

Introducing Jennifer L. Armentrout's #Opal Cover! #Lux

I'm thrilled to participate in the cover reveal of my friend Jennifer L. Armentrout's latest Lux series book, Opal! Here it is:


No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Follow this link to an ~~~ EPIC CONTEST ~~~ Announcement. You will want to bookmark this page!

USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.


Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog
So, what do you think of the new cover? Leave Jen some new cover love! And thanks for reading!

Laura

Appreciation for Editors, by Kacey Hammell #EroticRomance

Welcome Guest AuthorKacey Hammellto the Blog Today!

See below for her giveaway!

Congratuations on your new releases!
I'm very pleased to welcome fellow Decadent Publishing author Kacey Hammell to the blog today. She's celebrating the releases of two new books. And she wanted to offer some thanks. Read on...
Thank you… when it’s rarely said …
Sometimes, authors, friends, colleagues, are so busy and multi-tasking that they forget to thank those around them.
In the publishing world it’s even more often that important folks can work tirelessly and endlessly for others and rarely hear thanks. Especially Publishers.
Of course, this is all my opinion and I don’t see what emails they receive *g*, but want to take the time to thank Decadent Publishing for releasing my 2ndand 3rd titles recently. The publishing process can be thrilling, fun and exhausting. However, when working with great individuals things can go smoothly and move quickly.  While I confess that I do have a tendency with the repetitious words, metaphors that sound right in my head but battle me on paper, thankfully it’s my editor who shows me the errors of my ways.
I had a different editor for Awakeningsthan I did with Tied Down, but both editors…my goodness…I cherish them both. Both ladies are professional, supportive and fun. I appreciate them so much. Mwah.
So overall, I want to thank, the owners of Decadent Publishing, the amazing cover artists, the editors, review coordinator and other authors who have all been wonderfully supportive. Even when doubts creep in, which can happen to even the bestselling authors, as I get my name out there and try to reach readers, I’ve gotten some great advice and hand-holding from all the aforementioned people. I’m definitely blessed.
And thanks to Laura Kaye, for hosting me today!
AWAKENINGSIn the Arms of the Law, Book 2Romantic Suspense/Contemporary Erotic RomanceAvailable at Decadent Publishing  With her old flame back in her life, and on the trail of a killer, Detective Alicia Knowles is forced to face the past as she tries to make decisions about her future…
Detective Alicia Knowles once believed there was good in everyone. Not anymore. After a harrowing experience, her life had changed and she was a very different woman. Now more dangerous, she moves through the darkness of her once sunny world, unsure what to do with her pent up feelings of fear and anger.
Even her new boss, Cole Douglass, makes her feel out of control. One night, years ago, he made her feel things she'd never felt with any other man. This time it can only be business between them.
With her latest case, however, temperatures flare.
Their passion is rekindled as the search is on for a missing child and a murderer on the run. Can Alicia protect her heart from the most dangerous power of all…love?
TIED DOWNAn “Edge” short storyConnected to In the Arms of the Law SeriesContemporary Erotic Romance/Light BDSMAvailable at Decadent Publishing
The time has come for Brady Jacobs to grab hold of the woman he loves and their future. But his lady, Isabella Knowles, is skittish. She’ll bolt at the mention of a future with him. He needs to handle her with precise planning, tools to seduce and never give her a moment to flee.

Brady will tie her down, pleasure her, push her farther than she’s ever experienced…then ask her to marry him. But no amount of planning can ensure Bella’s answer won’t include the business end of her Glock.
Visit Kacey’s Website for excerpts and more book info!!
About Kacey: The writer: Canadian author, Kacey Hammell is a multi-published erotic romance author who writes mainly in the Contemporary Erotic/Romantic Suspense genres.  She is a true romantic at heart.
The Wife and Mom: Born, raised and still living in her hometown in Ontario, Canada, Kacey found true love with her husband.  As a Mom of three, Kacey has made certain that each of her children know the value of the written word and the adventures they could escape on by becoming book-a-holics in their own right.
Readers can learn more about my books and contact me via …Website/BlogFacebookFacebook Author PageTwitterAmazonGoodreads
Giveaway!One commenter who leaves their email address will win an ebook of Illusions, Book 1 in the In the Arms of the Law Series! Closes midnight EST on 9/21! Open to international! Good luck!
Thanks for reading! Now, leave Kacey some new release love!Laura

Welcome Guest Author Aubrie Dionne! #SciFi #Haven6

Welcome Guest AuthorAubrie Dionneto the blog!

See below for her giveaway!

Aubrie is here celebrating her soon-to-release science fiction romance Haven 6. She's got a great post on character continuity within a series. Read on...

How the main characters in Haven 6 are related to the characters throughout the series?

I pondered how I was going to tie in Haven 6 and the rest of the series for a very long time. What I wanted to show was humanity surviving throughout the centuries. So, James Wilfred in A Hero Rising (the prequel) is the great great great grandfather of Striker in Paradise 21, and he’s the great great great grandfather of Striver, the main character in Haven 6. 
This lineage shows the progression from Old Earth, to the colony ships, to inhabiting the planets; the complete journey! In a way, it’s melancholy because the previous characters are long gone, but in another way, it’s hopeful, because their descendants live on in their name, even sporting some of their character traits. Life goes on, and it’s a big cycle in which a hero sometimes needs to rise. 
Striver is a very special character for me, because he has a lot of James and Striker in him. It’s like those characters combined to make someone who’s honest, hard-working, noble, and forgiving to a fault-much more forgiving than Striker ever was. He’s evolved from his ancestors, and from his situation, using the past to make sure their future is better then the one they left behind. 
Read more about Striver in Haven 6!

A product of an illegal pairing, Eridani is the only woman without a lifemate aboard the colonization ship, the Heritage, and she is determined her less than perfect DNA will not get in the way of finding love. As the ship nears it's final destination of Haven 6 after five hundred years of travel, images of the surface show evidence of intelligent life on a planet that's supposed to be uninhabited. Commander Grier assigns Eri to the exploratory team to spy on the alien society and return with information on how to defeat them.

When Eri's team lands, tribes of humans attack and Eri is saved by Striver, the descendant of a colonist and a pirate from Old Earth's colonization efforts in other parts of the galaxy. Striver helps Eri rescue her team and they are drawn to each other despite their different allegiances. While Striver battles with trusting Eri, Eri must decide whether to warn him and his people about the commander's intentions, or follow orders and complete her mission.

Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed, which will release in November 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity.


Find Aubrie on the Web!Website | Blog | Twitter
Aubrie's Amazon Author Page
Add Haven 6 on GoodreadsOrder on B&N (Amazon coming soon!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Okay, everyone, please leave Aubrie some new release love! And good luck with this gorgeous giveaway! Thanks for reading!

Laura[image error]

#SixSunday ~ Devastatingly dead, white silence... #WestofWant

Happy Sunday everyone! I've got six more from West of Want this week. I hope you enjoy!

There was nothing but devastatingly dead, white silence. The loudest thing he had ever heard, it shattered his ears and his heart.

Grief and rage flashed out of Zephyros, manifested in an instantaneous killer storm over the bay. Winds tore at the sky, rain and hail pummeled the earth. Waterspouts spiraled up from the surface, dancing, stalking, sucking up everything in their paths.

By one of the bridge's concrete footings, something bobbed on the surface.

Buy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Don't forget to check out the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter! Thanks for reading and hopefully commenting, too!

Laura

#SixSunday ~ The fate of his beloved... #WestofWant

Happy Sunday everyone! I have six more from West of Want for you. I hope you enjoy...

All at once, Zeph was free of the supernatural restraints that had held him. He bolted off the bed and whipped into the elements, already flying, already tracking.

Ella!

His soul screamed to the heavens, thunder rumbling across the night sky in a low, eerie lament. Some part of his consciousness sensed Chrysander's summons, but he couldn't stop, couldn't think about anything other than his beloved.

She was dying.

Buy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Be sure to visit the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter! Thanks for reading and hopefully commenting, too!

Laura

Mystical Press is Helping Authors Achieve their Dreams

Greetings and Salutations!
Many thanks to Laura for hosting us on her blog today! We’ve got some really exciting news to share with everyone so grab that cuppa and let the blogging begin!

September 1-15th marks the officialGrand Opening of Mystical Press Services!!!This means 50% Off all our classesand services through September 15th! http://mysticalpress.com
In case you haven’t yet heard about our website, allow me to introduce you to a place where you just might find the fulfillment of your dreams. That’s right! The talented folks at Mystical Press want to help you reach your publishing goals!
How do we do that? I’m glad you asked!
Mystical Press is the culmination of an idea that came from two authors and professionally trained editors—Arial Burnz and AJ Nuest—where we help authors bridge the gap between the form rejection letter and publication. In fact, we believe in this venture so passionately, our tagline is 

“Helping authors achieve their dreams.”
At Mystical Press our primary goal is to help writers. As authors, we understand the frustration of not receiving constructive and useful feedback, the aggravation of navigating the murky depths of the publishing industry and that, sometimes, authors just need a place to vent. Well, we’re here to tell you, the insanity can end!
Like-minded individuals can gather online at Mystical Press to work one-on-one with professional editors who help authors prepare their manuscripts for submission. Whether you are looking for a Manuscript Evaluation, Submission Evaluation, or a full story edit, we will give you honest, encouraging feedback and work diligently with you on your story to make sure it’s ready to land on an editor’s desk. No project is too big or too small and all receive the same precise attention to detail.
Perhaps your submission is ready but you need assistance with smaller editing projects like a query letter and synopsis? Have no fear! Mystical Press is here! We offer a full edit of query letters and synopses with comments and suggestions that come directly from AN EDITOR! TAH-DAH!
And don’t worry! If your goal is to write your very own dynamite synopsis, at Mystical Press we believe in “teaching a man to fish.” Our Power Class, How to Write a WINNING Synopsis, is designed to easily guide you through the process of crafting your very own synopsis! Yes, that’s right. I used “easily” and “synopsis” in the same sentence!
The self-paced course curriculum at Mystical Press can assist in tackling those pesky problem areas as well (e.g., show vs. tell, POV shifts, realistic character and story development, etc.). If you’ve read books, articles and/or taken workshops and are still in search of that elusive contract offer, perhaps Mystical Press can help. Take one class or take a whole series—our online classes are designed to meet each writer’s individual needs.
Is your next project of the self-publishing variety? Mystical Press has a selection of pre-made covers we guarantee will only be used once! No one will have the same cover! Or, if you’d like, we can design a cover specifically tailored to your vision—you will work one-on-one with our talented cover artists! We are also happy to edit your baby and can even format the document to meet the specifications of most popular self-publishing platforms.
Remember to mention Mystical Press to all your friends and fellow writing pals – here’s why. Mystical Press offers a free Referral Program. Just register on the site and we will assign you a Referral ID. If anyone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a referral fee! Whether you choose cash or a credit for products or services on the site, consider this our thank you for helping us spread the word. 
Oh! And before I forget…we offer a wide range of gift certificates designed specifically with the writer in mind. Tired of searching for the “write” present for your author pals? Maybe that next birthday calls for an eGift from Mystical Press!
So now that you know all about us, please tell us all about you! Head on over to Mystical Press and register free on the site. Everyone who does will be entered into our drawing for fabulous gifts and prizes! Join our celebration and together we will strive to get your voice heard! 

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Hey guys! If you try Mystical Press out, be sure to stop back by and let us know how you're enjoying it! Seems like such a great new venture!

Thanks for reading!
Laura[image error]