Laura Kaye's Blog, page 92

Welcome Author Lucy Felthouse!

I'm really excited to have as a guest to the blog today author Lucy Felthouse!
Welcome, Lucy! Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
I've been writing since University, where I was dared to write an erotic story. It went down a storm and I've never looked back. Since then, I've had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance and Xcite Books.
I write under my own name and primarily pen contemporary, F/F and paranormal erotica.
Ooh, great beginnings! Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
My latest release is my first from Noble Romance, and is called A Bit of Rough. It's a long short story about a woman who meets a guy in a pub and despite the fact he's a bit of a bad boy and clearly no good, she's drawn to him. The story tells the tale of what happens when they go back to his place…
That title is SOOOOO promising! One for the TBR pile, for sure! Which character is your favorite and why?
I really like the character of Andrew, or Drew, as he prefers to be called. He is a bit of an idiot, but he's gorgeous, dangerous and very good in bed!
That's not a bad set of characteristics! LOL As the author, what surprised you about this story?
How much fun it was to write! The idea was a fairly basic one, but it developed into quite a long piece (as short stories go, anyway!) with plenty of hot sex!
Truth in advertising, then! Excellent! *grins* Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
I'd say it's fairly unlikely. This story is very much a one-off.
My next release from Noble Romance, Bite with Height, is an erotic romance which is absolutely crying out for a sequel. That one's being released in early June – so watch this space!
Congrats on another release! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?
Making Drew a character people love to hate, rather than just plain dislike! I hope I succeeded.
An interesting balance to strike. What are you working on right now?
I'm currently putting together my second anthology. Late last year, I edited an anthology called Uniform Behaviour . It was so much fun and is receiving such good reviews that I decided to do it all again! The as yet untitled anthology has an erotic mythology theme.
Wow, congratulations on that. I've been seeing Uniform Behaviour everywhere. And, woo, that cover is insanely hawt! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
I honestly couldn't tell you. I was forever writing as a child and was always surrounded by reams of paper. My demented scrawls have probably decomposed by now.
LOL What do you find easiest and hardest to write?
I find contemporary stories the easiest to write as there's little to no research necessary. I just take an idea and run with it.
I find BDSM very difficult to write. Having said that, I do get good responses about those types of stories so I must be doing something right!
I agree with you on contemporaries, and what you said about BDSM stories is precisely why I haven't tried to tackle one yet. I so enjoy reading them, though! Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
Oh, of course! I think most writers take elements from real life, even if it's just a place, a name, or what someone looks like. I haven't ever written anything that happened word for word as my life just isn't exciting enough to make good fiction. But that's where my imagination comes in!
Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
No, I wouldn't say so. I don't really write 'deep' pieces of work. The only theme in my work is what you see is what you get!
What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
I'm only 25. Lots of people seem to think I'm much older, I don't know why!
Because you've already accomplished so much, which is awesome! Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don't write romance) do you wish you had written?
That's easy. I wish I'd thought of Harry Potter! Money worries would be a thing of the past!
LOL, true! Of all the characters you've ever written, who is your favorite and why?
Ooh, this is a good one. I actually really like the vampire, Meg, who's one of the main characters in my next Noble Romance release, Bite with Height. She's strong, smart and lives in the beautiful city of Paris. She also has a very interesting lifestyle. I'm not telling you what, though, because it'll give the whole plot away!
Okay, now, just for fun: Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Milk.
Salty or sweet? Sweet.
Bed or kitchen table? Heh. Depends on what you're doing.
Beach or mountains? Mountains.
Give or receive? Depends what we're talking about!
Thanks for being coming on the blog! Where can we find you on the web? Website: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucyfelthousewriter Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cw1985 Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cw1985 Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003ZA5I5E Other: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk – my business.Thanks so much for having me Laura, it's been a pleasure!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING MY GUEST!
And thanks for reading, Laura & Lucy

IT'S RELEASE DAY!

Today is the official release day for FOREVER FREED, the first novel I ever wrote and the first I sold! This story and these characters are so near and dear to my heart, and it's thrilling and totally scary to have it out there in the world! *grins*
It's very exciting that the book is available everywhere right away this time, so I'm hitting you up with some linkage: ;)
The Wild Rose Press Benefits of buying here are 1) variety of eformats, 2) 25% off coupon good thru 5/31 on all formats/titles! use code 18b632d0b0 (those are zeroes), 3) er, I get the biggest royalties from the pub, jus' sayin' ;)!Available from TWRP in PRINT or EBOOK!
Amazon Where the ebook has been on a Kindle bestseller chart since it went live on the 18th! Woohoo! See Kindle Books >Romance>Gothic. It's been bouncing around a bit and now sits at #66 on the list! *smiles* Available from Amazon in PRINT or KINDLE/EBOOK!
Barnes & Noble Only available in print there so far! Fellow Nook owners can download epub format from The Wild Rose Press, though!
So, go forth and, er, buy? Or at least look. Maybe tweet?
Thanks for reading,Laura

FOREVER FREED's Amazon Release!

Well, surprise, surprise! Amazon went and snuck a fast one on me and released Forever Freed two days early!!!
Woohoo!
So, here's what ya need to know *grins*:
1) Forever Freed is already racking up excellent reviews!  Check out the 4.5 / 5-star reviews at Words That Sparkle and MyVampFiction that released previously, and the 5-star review that Sizzling Hot Book Reviews is debuting today!
2) In the late hours of May 18 when Forever Freed released, it hit the Kindle bestseller list under Book > Romance > Gothic.  It started at #99, then steadily worked its way up the list to #81, #72, then #55 (where it sits as I force myself off to bed!)
Forever Freed is available now in Paperback and Kindle ebook.
And, perchance, if you find yourself moseying on over to Amazon, would you consider helping me out by liking and tagging the print and ebook editions?  The like button is at the top of the listing; to tag, scroll down the page to where it says 'Tags Customers Associate With This Product' and click 'Agree with these tags?' - that should put a little check in the box by each tag.
3) The print edition is also available to order through The Wild Rose Press and Barnes and Noble (bn.com).  The ebook hasn't yet become available at either site yet, but will probably some time on Thursday afternoon, so just check back.
I truly appreciate all of your support for this book - Forever Freed is my baby, the first novel I ever wrote and the first one I sold.  It's scary and fantastic to see it out there in the world!
Thanks for reading,Laura

Rosalie Lario on That Magical First Meet!

[image error] I'm so excited to welcome a guest to the blog today! Welcome Rosalie Lario! ~~~~~~~~ That Magical First Meet
Thanks to Laura for letting me take over her site today. I promise I'll behave (*cue maniacal laughter*).
So I'm here to talk about that oh so magical "first meet". You know, that moment in a romance novel when the hero and heroine first come face-to-face. I have to admit, this is one of my favorite parts of a romance novel. Whether it's automatic out-of-control desire (pretty much any romance written by Karen Marie Moning) or simply recognition that someone they don't think they like is hot (Jeaniene Frost's Halfway to the Grave), for a first meet to rock my socks off, I need to get some hint of the attraction between the characters. This will set the scene for the sexual tension building as the story continues.
I kept all this in mind when writing my recent release, For Love of an Angel. It's set in an alternate reality where angels have taken over Earth after the wall between our world and theirs collapsed. Here's their first meet:

An angel. A freaking angel had flown in through her open window. What the hell?The angel grinned as if he'd guessed her train of thought. He nodded toward the window. "You never know what you'll attract."Holy crap! It was a good thing she was rooted in place, because she didn't know if her legs would support her right now. What was going on here? Why would an angel pick her apartment, of all places, to fly in to?"If I release your vocal chords, do you promise not to scream?"Scream? Right now she thought she might faint. She made a strangled sound that came out as a cross between a croak and a squeak."I'll take that a yes," he said in a dry voice. One flick of his hand and her vocal chords loosened.Eva took a deep breath, keeping her gaze focused on the angel. A million questions crossed her mind. What was he doing here? Why had he chosen her apartment to invade? How did he manage to hide his wings so completely that it would be impossible to tell he was an angel just by looking at him? What came out of her mouth instead was, "Where's your shirt?"The angel laughed, a low, rolling sound that practically electrified her nerve endings. "Tends to get in the way of the wings. Besides, I don't feel the cold the same way that you do." He stepped forward so his face was out of the shadows. Eva involuntarily sucked in her breath. With dark hair and perfectly arched brows, a long, straight nose framed by an inhumanly symmetrical face, and bright topaz eyes that seemed to blaze right through her, he was easily the most perfect being she'd ever laid eyes on. Suddenly, she could begin to understand why humans worshipped angels as gods. Why so many of them would give anything just for a glimpse of one.

[Laura's editorial note: OMG that was awesome!!!!!!!! Go buy this, people!!!]  Blurb:
In a world where angels rule over humans, twelve outcasts dare to defy expectation, warring with their angel brethren to prevent the extinction of humankind.
They are The Fallen...
Michael is one of twelve angels who have been outcast due to their determination to protect humankind. In order to preserve his immortality and strength, he must find a mate with angel blood. Eva Smyth has never believed the propaganda spouted by the Consortium—the elite system of guards put into place once angels took over reign of Earth—but she never expected to learn the angels' plan to eradicate all of humankind, or that she herself is part angel. Joining Michael means living a life on the run, at war against the angels and hunted by the Consortium. Eva must decide whether to risk it all...for love of an angel.
You can read the first chapter of For Love of an Angel here:
http://rosalielario.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/for-love-of-an-angel-chapter-one.pdf
Please Visit me at:
Website: www.rosalielario.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/rosalielarioFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000710051624
Buy Links:
Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/For-Love-of-an-Angel/Rosalie-Lario/e/2940012464378
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Angel-Fallen-Warriors-ebook/dp/B00500796I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1305054233&sr=8-1
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/58033
I'd love to know what your favorite first meet ever is! It can be from a book, television show or movie. Come on, spill. :-)
Thanks for reading, Rosalie & Laura

FOREVER FREED Book Trailer!

 In celebration of FOREVER FREED releasing in just THREE days (OMG, how is that possible already???), I wanted to share my book trailer!



So, what d'ya think? I especially love 1) that there were so many images available of the same male model who's on the book cover, and 2) that the music includes that yearning violin towards the end, since Lucien's a violin player. Aw, be still my heart! :)


Thanks for watching and reading!
Laura

Six Sentence Sunday #14

This is an exciting Six Sentence Sunday for me because I'm about to celebrate my second release in a month, this time for my debut novel-length paranormal romance, Forever Freed!  This story is about a reclusive vampire who falls in love with the woman he planned to kill and her young daughter.  In this scene, something bad has just happened, and 5-year-old Ollie reveals to hero Lucien Demarco that she knows something's up with him:

"Ollie, we need to talk.""I won't tell anyone, I promise," she said, her voice guileless and blue eyes serious.I frowned. "You won't tell anyone what?""About what you are.""What…"—I gently pulled her arm so she was facing me, then knelt down in front of her—"Ollie, what do you think I am?"

My, my, my, what do you think she says??? You know, there's one way to find out!  Forever Freed officially releases on May 20, but the print edition is already available to order… *grins*
If you need further encouragement, check out this incredible review Forever Freed already received!
So, thanks for stopping in again and for commenting (hint, hint!). Be sure to check out the other Sixers' comments and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on twitter!

Thanks for reading,Laura
PS--Consider entering my Bag of Hearts giveaway over at Sizzling Hot Book Reviews! Winner will be announced May 31!

Introducing My New Book!

Warning: Erotic Romance Alert!!! When Callie Davis stumbles upon two of her three roommates, Jack Fenton and Noah Ryder, in a surprising, molten-hot midnight tryst, desire to play with them grips her.  After a horny week fantasizing about multiple guys—particularly her guys, her three long-time best friends—Callie thrills to find herself home alone one night.
Threesome porno and sex toys in hand, Callie acts out her fantasy not knowing her roommates' plans changed.  Returning early, Jack, Noah, and Lucas Branson—who harbors an unspoken love for Callie—burst in on her.  She's mortified, until the men invite her to live the fantasy with them.  She wavers, but her crush on Lucas and the lure of his bed are too strong. The guys' words, her fantasies, and her body's unmet need convince Callie she's just gotta say, "what the fuck."
As three strong sets of hands caress and undress her, Callie can't help but wonder if she can really handle all of them, and whether being with the three of them will risk a future with the one she really wants.

So, whatd'ya think??? No release date yet, but I'll keep ya posted!
Thanks for reading!Laura

Blog on Fire!

Yay! A new award for my blog! This one comes courtesy of the lovely Tricia Pickyme Schmitt, the fantastic cover artist I hosted for an interview yesterday! If you didn't have a chance to read her explanation of the behind-the-scenes cover art process, go check out her post (from 5/11).
As always, these blog awards come with the expectation of recognizing other great bloggers, and I'm only too happy to do so!
Other Blogs on Fire:

1) First I have to recognize the Sizzling Hot Book Reviews blog site because Marissa does a tremendous job supporting the author community with reviews, giveaways, and contests! Plus, she's hosting a month-long giveaway contest for Hearts in Darkness, so stop on by and see how to enter if you haven't already!
2) Next, I have to give a shoutout to author Dee Carney's blog for always providing some of the best man candy of the whole Six Sentence Sunday enterprise!!! Fer realz you gonna wanna see!
3) Third, I'd like to recognize author Lisa Sanchez's blog. For a long time now, Lisa has been organizing the Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop, and she's a constant source of thoughtful blog posts!
4) My final shout-out goes to Kerri Nelson's The Book Boost blog site -- talk about author friendly! She's doing a stellar job on this blog supporting and promoting authors!

So, to all of the awardees, grab that awesome button up there and pay it forward! Everyone one, check out these great blogs!
Thanks for reading,Laura

Welcome Cover Artist Tricia Schmitt!!!

I'm so excited about today's guest!  Covers are so important for offering the first glimpse into a story and attracting readers.  So I thought it would be great to get some behind-the-scenes insight into the cover design process.  With us today is Tricia Schmitt, an uber-talented cover artist with St.Martin's Press, Sourcebooks, Carina Press, Decadent Publishing, Crescent Moon Press, and Phaze, as well as various publishers under Rae Monet, INC. She has also worked with many self-publishing authors. And, er, she is also the brilliant artist behind my cover for Hearts in Darkness! So, a huge welcome to Tricia!
So, Tricia, how did you get in to doing cover art? 
I have always loved reading. Books have been a huge part of my life. When I started playing around with Photoshop, at first it was all just learning. Yes, I have taught myself everything I know. This took a while, and I practiced every day. Then I was good enough to start re-touching models for photographers. You know, making them skinny and beautiful—BORING! I had joined Lara Adrian's Fan forum, and started playing with graphics for the fans, and it just hit me! Why not put my love of art and books together, still get to do something creative and really give back to all the wonderful authors that give to me. BINGO...Cover Art.  From there, I started contacting publishers, which brought me where I am today.
Doing what you love is so important! That's a great story. Okay, can you give us an overview of the start-to-finish cover art process from the artist's perspective?
Sure! I am assigned a cover by the art director. If it is an e-book cover, then I also receive the cover art form provided by the author that details what the book is about and what feeling the author would like to have portrayed on the cover. From there, I start looking for the images that will best suit. I normally do one to two drafts with different models and backgrounds. From there, the art director and I discuss the pros and cons. It is narrowed down and sent to the author for acceptance.
For the bigger print book, the process is a lot more labor and time intensive. Sometimes, I have to coordinate with photographers and models, set up a model shoot and work on specific image poses. Most of the time they require 3 to 6 different concepts. It can be quite difficult to come up with so many different takes on one cover, but most of the time my muse kicks them out for me! The print cover process takes as little as 2 weeks to as long as 2 or 3 months! Lots of back and forth. My covers get judged by all the art directors, the editor, sales and marketing people. Although the publisher has the final say. (This is when I bite my nails)
Totally cool behind-the-scenes look! And interesting differences between e-publishers and traditional. So, how do you create your art? On the computer? Sketches? Painting?
I use Adobe PhotoShop CS4 extended. My art is a mix between stock models and overlaid digital painting. I have a pen tablet that I use just like a paint brush. I couldn't do my job without it!




Ah, so that explains all the cool hair and tattoo effects! Speaking of which, can you walk us through how you transform a "plain" image of a person into an out-of-this-world character?
This pretty much walks you through my process:

Okay, that is one of the coolest things ever, Trish! You are so talented! How long do you usually spend on a piece of cover art?
Well, I shouldn't say this, but…I am fast! Normally, I'd say 4 to 6 hours. Now, the more painting involved, it can be days. That is not typical, though. Thankfully! Now, the revisions...those could take weeks! Grrr…Don't like those!
You have created some amazing book covers - do you have any personal favorites among your creations? Hmmmmmmmmmm… They are all my favorite! Kinda like your book characters. You love them all in their own way. I really can't pick just one! (Very diplomatic of me, huh? )
(Okay, I'll show some off on Trish's behalf so she doesn't have to pick! These are just a handful of dozens of her covers):





Wow! Wow! Wow! What do you wish authors knew or understood about how cover art comes about?
Well, unfortunately, authors don't have very much say in cover art unless they are e-book authors. They get to have a lot more imput. As an artist, I am trying to make your cover marketable and pleasing to the eye. Sometimes, the authors want every element of the story incorporated on the cover. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate into a cover that will stand out and sell. Probably, my only advice to the authors:  trust the artist and publisher to make it marketable.
What makes a cover "marketable"? What considerations go into that? What things might detract from a cover's marketability?
Well, you have to make sure the cover will be eye catching and not too cluttered. I know that sometimes an author wants every element in the story, but that can really be bad. One example is an author who wanted a baby on the cover. While that was a big part of the story, it can really deter a reader looking for a romance, especially if you are an erotic romance reader! LOL! It is good to know who you are trying to market the book to. In my opinion, covers that have so much going on will cause readers to skim right over them and on to ones that have a central focus. The color scheme can also give hints of what the book is about and still keep some mystery, which readers like. I do, anyway.  
Is there any advice you could offer authors about completing publishers' cover information sheets?
Be as detailed as possible, but also realize the limitations that the artist may have. It is difficult to find a lot of period clothing and futuristic clothes, for example. So most of the time, you are going to have a shirtless man with the period elements in the background. If there is something that just HAS to be on there, state that. Twice! LOL Also, letting them know what you don't want to see is key, too. It helps give parameters.
Wow, Tricia, this has been so cool and informative! Thank you so much for sharing your process and art with us!
Where can we find you and your work on the web? Website:  www.pickymeartist.com | http://pickyscreativetouch.daportfolio.com/ Twitter:  TrishPickymeFacebook:  Pickyme 
Thanks for reading! Please leave Tricia some love and feel free to ask any questions!Laura & Tricia

LASR Book Video for HEARTS IN DARKNESS

As part of winning the LASR Book of the Week poll, HEARTS IN DARKNESS received a new book video that includes comments from the review.  What a fun treat!


Here, too, is the original trailer that I made for Hearts:

Take a gander and tell me what you think!!!
Thanks for reading/watching! ;)Laura