Christin Lovell's Blog, page 3

Contest Winners!

Hello All,

I hope y’all are enjoying your weekend so far! I’ve been staying busy with admin work, when the kids allow me. Anyone with kids, or a needy sibling, knows what I’m talking about. There is no such thing as finding a groove without being interrupted.

I loved reading all of your entries! I seriously couldn’t stop smiling as I did. Then, all of your names were put into a pot and randomly drawn. However, reading a few of your entries has moved me to do a little more. The number of entries combined with the amount of swag I have, allows me to do more.

1. Anyone who mentioned they wanted to read a title (that is currently available) will be receiving a copy. If your name is on the list below, please e-mail me and I will send over a copy of the title(s) in your chosen format.

Tena Barnes – Controlled by Two

Sabrina Cole – Allure

Teran – One Letter & One E-mail

Michaela Sterling – Allure

Trisha Batley – Two Times the Charm

Stacy Stenum – Allure

Rebecca Harvey – Karley’s Surrender (You will receive a heavily edited and expanded edition when it releases; it will contain multiple brand new scenes!)

2. Everyone who entered the Young Adult Contest will be receiving a prize! Please e-mail me your name and complete mailing address so that your prize may be shipped out by the end of the month.

First Place: Madi K.

Kobo bag full of author swag, some signed, *plus* a signed bookmark from me, a young adult title keychain, *and* an e-book copy of any 2 young adult titles currently available (as of 9/2/2014).

Second Place: Tabitha Ponder

Kobo bag full of author swag, some signed, *plus* a young adult title keychain, a signed bookmark from me, *and* an e-book copy of any young adult title of mine currently available (as of 9/2/2014).

Third – Twelfth Place: If your name is on the list below, you will be receiving the final prize(s) of:

A young adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Dulce

SugarPaws81 (Jill)

Julia

Daytona Reed

Katya

Precious

Rachel Baird

Sara

Shelby

Emilia

3. Most of the adult entries gave reasons for loving a book that I agreed with, the reasons you gave were some of the very reasons why I cherish a title and the characters involved. I loved them all for that reason. You gave a reason I already had or offered me a new reason to adore a title. Thank you!

Unfortunately, so many entered the Adult Contest that I don’t have enough prizes to go around, but I did expand the list to offer 11 Winners now. If your name is on the list below, please e-mail me your name and complete mailing address so that your prize may be shipped out by the end of the month.

First Place: Angela Franklin

Kobo bag full of author swag, some signed, *plus* a signed bookmark from me, an adult title keychain, an e-book copy of any adult title of mine currently available (as of 9/2/2014), *and* a signed print copy of the book ‘Two Times the Charm.’

Second Place: Roisin

Kobo bag full of author swag, some signed, *plus* an adult title keychain, an e-book copy of any adult title of mine currently available (as of 9/2/2014), *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Third Place: Hillary

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Fourth Place: Connie

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Fifth Place: Sarah

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Sixth Place: Sarah Riley

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Seventh Place: Sherry

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Eighth Place: Rebecca Taylor

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Ninth Place: Teresa Martin

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Tenth Place: Andrea

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

Eleventh Place: CTCurvy

An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.

TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE:

Please send an e-mail to christinlovell@gmail.com with the subject ‘Prize Winner – Adult‘ OR ‘Prize Winner – Young Adult.’ Please include your first and last name and your full mailing address. As a reminder, all prizes will be mailed by September 30th, 2014. Please be sure to send your contact information as soon as possible. The sooner I receive everyone’s information, the sooner the prizes will be shipped out.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!

BONUS: To all Adult Contest Participants, please pick up a *FREE* copy of the first title in the Alpha Doms series, Controlled Curves, at All Romance E-books (ARe) OR at the Kobo E-book Store. – ENJOY!

I hope you all enjoy the last of your weekend. Make the most of every day that you are given. – Christin

Contest Alert…and more.

Hello Readers,

Patience is a virtue, and I’m a pretty patient person. We all have exceptions, though. For instance, I have horrible road rage. I’m the woman who yells at the other drivers through her car windows, expecting them to hear her. I’m also super impatient when I’m waiting on a new title from an author that I love. *cough* Christa Wick *cough*

I feel so incredibly blessed to have readers continually asking for the final book in the Vamp Chronicles. I feel so incredibly blessed to have readers asking about Cade’s story. I feel blessed period. No matter how stressed I am, I have to be grateful for what I have. And I’m grateful to have all of you.

What we often don’t see is the behind the scenes stuff, the other factors, the reasons. I don’t know if the person I’m yelling at is a new driver, if they are lost or perhaps recently had a scary crash and want to avoid another. Likewise, I don’t know all that Christa Wick is going through personally. I don’t know if she is secretly writing up a storm to bulk release or if she is going through a hard time. (Okay, so I might know that last one, but still…) I think impatience can be a result of selfishness sometimes. I want to get where I’m going and I want to get there now. I want to read the next book in that series and I want to read it now. It’s an ‘I want‘ and ‘I deserve‘ mentality that I am so guilty of.

I can only speak for myself. I am *only* speaking for myself. Admittedly, sometimes I can be selfish. Admittedly, sometimes I can be impatient. Admittedly, I can be disorganized, needy, overzealous, unprepared, etc. I am human, and I am full of flaws, flaws that I could list for anyone. However, sometimes, it isn’t about the flaws, but rather the heart. It’s about what is at the core. And, at the core, I want to give you what you’re asking for. I want to be what you expect. I want to defy possibilities at times and blow you all out of the water. I want more than I say and more than you see.
 
But that’s the tricky part. Sometimes, I can’t tell you what’s going on behind the scenes. Sometimes, you can’t see what I’m doing, what I’ve done or what I’m working on. Sometimes, you can’t see the amazing that I am anxious to share with you.
 
I never liked the phrase ‘Good things come to those who wait,’ probably because I knew it was true. In a world fueled by instant gratification, who would want to wait? I don’t!
 
But, alas, it is true, most of the time. All of you Vamp Chronicles readers and fans, please hold on. Good things are coming for this series! I can’t say now, and I can’t show you right now, but it is coming. I’m not evading your questions, I’m not avoiding you, I am working behind the scenes *for you.* Because I want to give you more. Because I want to be what you expect in some capacity. You’ve got to hang tight, though.
 
Part of the greatness of being a writer is having the freedom to grow in any direction. I love the opportunities writing has provided me. I love that I can decide what I’m going to write next, even if it’s in a genre I’ve never touched. I love that I have flexibility in my schedule. I love that I get to spend the holidays with my kids. I love and appreciate what all of you have afforded me. I’m not rich, by any means, and there are fancy private schools and therapies I would like to be able to afford for my sons, but, alas, I have what is important: enough. I have enough to live and do. And that’s because of you! You’ve given me a gift I could never repay, but I am trying. I am working for all of you. Because I want to give you more. Because I want to be what you expect in some capacity.
 
So, for now, I can’t tell you what’s to come just yet. But I can assure something is coming, and that good things come to those who wait.
 
And…I *can* do a contest! I haven’t done one of these in a hot minute. If you don’t like to win FREE stuff, then exit this page now. (This is a judgment free zone. I won’t hate on you for leaving.)
 
*****
CONTEST ALERT!
I have a brand, spanking new contest for all of you, and all of the details are below!
 
Contest Basics:
There are 2 separate contests: one for those 18 & older, and one for those 18 & younger. So, essentially, an ADULT contest and a YOUNG ADULT contest. The contest will run through Saturday, September 6th, 2014 @ 12am, midnight, EST. 
 
Prizes:
YOUNG ADULT Winner:
Kobo bag full of author swag, some signed, *plus* a signed bookmark from me, a young adult title keychain, *and* an e-book copy of any 2 young adult titles currently available (as of 9/2/2014).
YOUNG ADULT Runner Up:
Kobo bag full of author swag, some signed, *plus* a young adult title keychain, a signed bookmark from me, *and* an e-book copy of any young adult title of mine currently available (as of 9/2/2014).
YOUNG ADULT Places 3rd-5th:
A young adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.
 
ADULT Winner:
Kobo bag full of author swag, some signed, *plus* a signed bookmark from me, an adult title keychain, an e-book copy of any adult title of mine currently available (as of 9/2/2014), *and* a signed print copy of the book ‘Two Times the Charm.’
ADULT Runner Up:
Kobo bag full of author swag, some signed, *plus* an adult title keychain, an e-book copy of any adult title of mine currently available (as of 9/2/2014), *and* a signed bookmark from me.

ADULT Places 3rd-5th:
An adult title keychain *and* a signed bookmark from me.
 
Contest Fine Print:
ONE entry per person. Contest Winners will be chosen at random and announced on Sunday, September 7th, 2014, at or before 2pm EST. All prizes will be shipped out on or before September 30th, 2014. This contest *IS* open to International readers. (Woohoo!)
 
How to Enter:
This is, of course, the most important part of it all. Comment on this website post (and this post *only* – social media comments will * not * be counted) with the following:
1. – Whether you are entering the ADULT or YOUNG ADULT contest.
2. – Which of my books is your favorite? OR Which of my titles would you like to read (that you haven’t already)?
3. – Why (is it your favorite)? OR Why (would you like to read this book in particular)?
(Example 1: YOUNG ADULT – Diary of a Vampeen – Because I can relate to Lexi, and that doesn’t happen with every heroine I read about.)
(Example 2: ADULT – One Letter – Because Daniel sounds like a sexy hero I would enjoy reading about.)
*****
 
HAPPY COMMENTING! – Christin

Update: Body Love

It’s been a long summer, and not the kind full of happy memories by the lake or long weekends at the beach. I contemplated for some time what to share with you all and how much to share; while I am open, there is quite a bit that I hold back and barricade with me.

I haven’t written or worked on anything in two weeks now. For anyone that knows me, they know that I’ve always strived to write something every day, even if it was just a few lines. Progress is progress, no matter how small.

1. My daughter was in summer school, and whether she will progress to the next grade is still unknown. Any parent knows the anxiety this might cause. We are waiting on a single reply that will determine much of my child’s future.

2. My youngest son, Roman, has full-blown autism. (My oldest son has Aspergers.) I drove down to South Florida on June 20th to discover this. We have a lot of follow-up appointments and more assessments to complete, which, without insurance, are financially taxing. There are moments I feel like a failure because I can’t afford anything close to what I need to be able to, yet I’m above the poverty line and don’t qualify for government aid. Social Security Disability takes a while, and even once approved – if we’re approved – nothing will be in effect immediately. This runs through my head every single night.

3. Most recently, my children’s grandmother passed away. Three weeks prior, the doctors told us there was nothing more they could do and called in Hospice. Wednesday, she dropped my oldest son off to me with her husband and seemed fine, if a bit drowsy from the medicine she had been taking. Thursday, she was okay, but sounded closer to loopy. She was present, but struggled with cognizance at times. Friday was the day she dropped off drastically. She could no longer walk, could hardly move, and had so few moments of clarity I feared no one would be able to say a proper good-bye. For the next three days, I was with her every minute I could be for over 15 hours a day…until she passed away on Monday. It was time though. I laid in bed with her all day Monday, singing to her, rubbing her head and talking to her about the kids, assuring her everyone would be okay. She moaned in pain all day though, despite my efforts. It wasn’t until about an hour before she passed away, after they had pumped an extremely high amount of meds into her, that she finally calmed down. I saw her take her last breath and I was the last to kiss her cold head for a final good-bye.

Friday to Monday was all the time we were given to process this, to get everyone there to say good-bye. It happened so fast. She was given a 6-month timeframe by the doctors, and it ended up being 3-weeks from start to finish. What they don’t tell you, though, is, once they pass, there is a ton of stuff to do. You aren’t given the proper chance to grieve for a while. There are closets and drawers to clean out, funeral arrangements to make, a massive stack of paperwork to do all while you’re attempting to console everyone around you, all while your phone continuously goes off because concerned friends want to check on you, all while you’re still in shock, merely going through the tiresome motions.

At her service, a video of photos was displayed. I saw her so often and spent so much time with her, I didn’t notice how much she had changed physically. I saw her losing weight, and found myself buying her smaller sized clothes, and of course she lost her hair, but I didn’t realize how much life had been zapped from her figure, from her features, until I looked back. And that had me thinking hard about:

We spend so much time hating our bodies, trying to hide it, feeling ashamed of it, picking out its flaws and comparing it to worldly standards…until one day, it’s ravaged with disease, and the body we once loathed becomes the one we are fighting to reclaim. I don’t care whether you are 98 lbs, 198 lbs, 298 lbs or 398 lbs, I don’t care whether you are boyish and flat or extra curvy and wider than most chairs accommodate, we are all beautifully and wonderfully made, and we need to spend less time focusing on what’s wrong with our bodies and more time doing all that we can, in the time that we’re given, with our bodies. Do you realize how many memories we miss out on, how much of our life, of our happiness, we give up because we’re afraid of what someone else thinks, because we’re worried about how we’ll look doing something rather than just doing it?

My children’s grandmother never liked pictures of herself. Thankfully, she still took them, but when she saw them, she usually made a negative comment. She never wore a bathing suit, never showed her legs because they were “pins” and she was always fussing with her hair. Looking back at it all though, I saw nothing but beauty. With age, she became a little thicker in the middle, but she was never considered plus size. Those skinny legs she hated (oddly because they weren’t fuller and more shapely like mine) are the legs of Jessica Simpson, the legs celebrities bust their tails to have and display in short shorts. Her round face kept her youthful and young, even though she was in her late forties at the time. She struggled to see her beauty, to appreciate her own beauty for what is was, until it was too late.

It happens all the time though. We miss out on so much because we have this fear about our bodies that literally keeps us frozen in place. We’re afraid of what others will say or think, until we realize anyone with anything negative to say isn’t a friend and isn’t anyone we should allow to govern the joy in our life. We’re afraid of how bad we’ll look in photos, until one day, we find ourselves looking back on those photos with longing. We’re afraid of being happy, until we reflect and realize that we closed the door on a slew of opportunities. We hold ourselves back. It’s easy to blame life, to blame our situations, to blame circumstances, and when it comes to the larger things, like finances, that is true to a degree, but for the smaller things like emotion, we are the gatekeepers, we are the supervisors, we are the responsible ones.

Stop being afraid of your body. Stop being ashamed of a body that is probably working close to perfect today. Stop robbing yourself and your family of memories that they will need later, that you all will cherish later. Disease doesn’t discriminate. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. (Blunt moments ahead!) You could develop it tomorrow, and then the body you were hating on today would be the very body you would have to fight hard to reclaim, with no guarantee of ever reclaiming it. There are no exclusions when it comes to this disease. Children get it. High school students get it. Young adults get it. New parents get it. Aging parents get it. Senior citizens get it. You can’t protect yourself from it the way you can many other diseases. It’s one of the few diseases that both carnivores and vegans get in kind, that both health nuts and lazy Janes get in kind, that both the overly conscious and the naively unaware get in kind.

Embrace the body you have today. Appreciate the body you have today. It may not be perfect when checked against society’s standards, but if you’re healthy enough to read this, then your body is doing better than you’re probably giving it credit for. She couldn’t read at the end. She could barely eat, could barely take her medicine and I had to hoist, support, and move every pound of her. You don’t know shame until your body can no longer do what it was designed to do. You don’t know fear until death is knocking at your door and no matter how hard you fight, you can’t elude it. You don’t know opportunity until you consider chemo and radiation as opportunities to regain a portion of the life you once lived. You don’t know figure flaws until you have a breast hacked off, until you have ports protruding in various locations, until your flesh is discolored from treatment after treatment.

Love the body you have today, no matter its weight, no matter its shape, no matter its size. Love the body that has gotten you to this point in life without failing, without being seized and overrun. Love this imperfectly perfect body while you can, every day that you can. In high school, I thought I was fat. I hid behind large clothes and shame. Looking back, I was far from. I was plus size at a size 14/16, but I wasn’t any of the things I thought I was. Neither was my children’s grandmother. The problem is, we can’t keep looking back in longing, only appreciating our bodies in reverse. We need to act now. We need to appreciate what we have now, not from a hospital bed weak and withered, not from your own bed frail and faint.

Never be afraid of your body. We are all beautifully and wonderfully made. Beyond that, you never know when disease may ravage that body. Love it while you can, every day that you can. You will never regret loving yourself. You will regret the opportunities you passed up because you were uncomfortable and ashamed of yourself. I really can’t impress this upon you enough.

You never know when you will go from this:

To this:

From this:

To this:

Love yourself while you can, every day that you can. Embrace every curve, every edge, every imperfection as perfection.

Love the body you have today, not the one you’ll have x amount of pounds from now. Love your body for all it is today, not x amount of years from now when you’re staring in disbelief at a photo you once loathed of yourself. Love your body unconditionally, because, for x amount of years, it’s done its job; it’s protected you from disease, it’s kept you going and it’s given you every minute you’ve wasted. It’s ensured you could take every breath, consume every meal, get out of bed every morning and climb into bed each night. And for all of that, for all its years of service, doesn’t it deserve your appreciation, your love?

Final thought.

How many of you would continue to give your very best to a company, to a boss, that didn’t appreciate you, that didn’t like you and that constantly diminished your worth every single day?

Now realize, you’re the boss of your own body. You can choose to love it or loathe it, to embrace it or rebuke it. But it will always be yours.

My advice? Love it while you can, every day that you can.

- Christin

Happy 4th!

Hi Everyone,

I hope ya’ll are enjoying your Fourth so far! I have been working most of the day, but plan to take some time to spend the evening with the kids and do normal family Fourth stuff, minus the fireworks. (Autistic children and fireworks do not mix.)

I did want to update all of you on a few things though, first being Karley’s Surrender. Unfortunately, my editor wasn’t able to get it back to me in time for the scheduled release date. I’ve been with this editor for nearly a year, and this is the first time this has happened. She has assured me that she will get it to me by Tuesday. I will need a day or two to go through everything and do a final read through. I would say a good estimate for release would be by next Friday, for sure. If she gets it to me earlier, than I will absolutely release it sooner. Don’t worry too much about seeking it out, though. I will post purchase links like crazy for you!

Next, and this one may be a big deal for a few of you, I am doing my first book signing slash meet the author event at Indie Book Fest here in Orlando, FL in August. The tickets for the convention are really affordable, and the author book signing is FREE. The signing is Saturday, August 9th, 2014 from 1-4pm. The event is being held at the Buena Vista Palace in Buena Vista, FL. (Basically, near Disney, just South of Orlando.)

I’m not certain at this time what I will have available, as my only title currently in print is Two Times the Charm. I am working on getting a few other items, but can’t give much in the way of specifics right now. More than anything, though, I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible! I love being able to put a face with a name, because, let’s be frank, pictures are rarely the same.

So, to attend and meet yours truly, or for more information on the event and other authors attending (there is a long list full of amazing authors), CLICK THIS LINK: HERE.

And, lastly, being that it’s the fourth of July, I thought I would leave you all with a super sexy list of Independence Day titles all at a super cheap price, because, moment of truth, it’s not the festivities or the food that I love on a holiday, it’s the book sales! I have been one-clicking like crazy! (No judging please.) So, if you’re looking for something sexy, fun and spirited to read this weekend, CLICK THIS LINK: HERE to see a list of goodies.

I hope you all have a safe and happy Fourth, with emphasis on the safe part. – Christin

Happy Release Day!

Hi all,

Anywhere is now live at most online retailers! As I said before, it’s a bit different from my typical writing style. Fingers crossed and prayers going up y’all like it!

Purchase links are below. Have a great Monday! – Christin

ANYWHERE

Plus size Aeren Haverwood is pushing thirty, yet she doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. She’s still figuring it all out. The only thing she’s certain of is that she loves the man who’s been her inconsistent constant the last five years of her life. 

Since the day Rahmi Çevik met Aeren, he’s made it his mission to protect her from the truth that haunts him. Sometimes, though, the best of intentions aren’t enough to keep your loved ones safe; he knew that first hand long before he met Ari. When he discovers his past came looking for him through his present, he realizes the wall he’d put between he and Ari to safe guard her had been useless all along, and his secrets were the very thing keeping her in harms way. It was time he told Ari the truth: that he loves her, that he’s been living a double life, and that he’s a murderer. 

Ari never expected to be driven from her home, she never expected to be shot at, and she never expected the man she’d welcomed into her home to have a dangerous side she’d never seen. And therein laid the problem. The Ram she knew was a world away from the man confessing his sins to her. 

Will Ari be able to look past Ram’s transgressions? What do you do when your heart belongs to a man you never truly knew? 

Lives and hearts are at stake in the newest title from USA Today Bestselling author, Christin Lovell.

BUY IT NOW:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

ALL ROMANCE E-BOOKS

Newness and Updates

Hello ladies (and gents),

I have a new release coming from my mind to your e-book readers on June 30th. It’s an adult (18 & older only) title that is a bit different than my norm. It’s more of an action slash suspense slash sexy thriller BBW (erotic) romance. The main character is a step back from what I typically write as well, and, in ways, I feel like more women can probably identify with her, as she’s a walking contradiction, which so many men claim we are.

Plus size Ari is capable of so much, yet she’s content with her less than stellar job. She’s confident, to a degree, but not knowing how the man she loves feels in return has her a tad uneasy. She’s smart and can be witty at times, but is quiet and can’t think of a comeback swift enough at other times. She’s a social loner. She enjoys going out and doing things, but spends more nights in than out. She’s pushing thirty, yet doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. She’s still figuring it all out. The only thing she’s certain of is that she loves the man who’s been her inconsistent constant the last five years of her life.

Since the day Rahmi, Ram, Çevik met Aeren, he’s made it his mission to protect her from the truth that haunts him. Sometimes, though, the best of intentions aren’t enough to keep your loved ones safe; he knew that first hand long before he met Ari. When he discovers his past came looking for him through his present, he realizes the wall he’d put between he and Ari to safe guard her had been useless all along, and his secrets were the very thing keeping her in harms way. It was time he told Ari the truth: that he loves her, that he’s been living a double life, and that he’s a murderer.

Ari never expected to be driven from her home. She never expected to be shot at. She never expected the man she’d welcomed into her home to have a dangerous side she’d never seen. And therein lied the problem. The Ram she knew was a world away from the man confessing his sins to her.

Will Ari be able to look past Ram’s transgressions? What do you do when your heart belongs to a man you never truly knew?

Lives and hearts are at stake in the newest title from USA Today Bestselling author, Christin Lovell.

Coming June 30th, 2014!

Also, I know some of you have asked about Karley’s Surrender. I actually took that title off sale a couple months ago due to some cover legality issues. It was something that I was happy happened in the end as I have actually re-written a good portion of the book and extended it. It also has a pretty (to me), brand spankin’ new cover to go along with the updates. The book is with my editor as I write this. It must be re-edited since so much was changed and expanded on. For those of you who already purchased this title before, you will receive an updated copy for free when it is re-published. (All you have to do is re-download the purchased title. If you have any issues doing that, you can contact customer support for your e-reader and they will be able to help you.) The re-release date for Karley’s Surrender is July 4th. (Happy Independence Day!)

Here is a look at the new cover for the title: Thoughts?

Coming July 4th, 2014!

Speaking of Fourth of July, in case you weren’t aware, I have a spicy adult title available with an Independence Day theme out now. It’s part of the Red Hot & BOOM! collective, a group of authors all offering you a red hot & sexy themed title for $0.99! Feel free to take a look…please.

Available Now!

Plus size journalist Shae Roberts was used to the fast pace of city life, dressing to the nine everywhere she went, and having more than one coffee shop to choose from. When the Atlanta-based newspaper she worked for cut their staff in half, she was forced to branch out. Four months later, she landed in Bear Valley, a small town a hundred-and-twenty-seven miles from familiar.

Barry “Bear” Jacobs has just returned from his final tour after six years in the Marines. He’s ready to move on, but finds his sleepy hometown hasn’t changed nearly as much as he has. With his military career now in the past, he has some hard decisions to make. He’s seen what the world has to offer, and it’s far more than he believes the familiar of home can…until he bumps into a certain sassy, overdressed reporter.

Two people in transition are attempting to find their new place in this world, but, sometimes, it’s not about finding a place, it’s about finding a person, and there’s nothing but stars and sparks between these two.

BUY IT NOW:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

ALL ROMANCE E-BOOKS

I am trying to make a conscious effort to post more on my site, and to do a better job of keeping all of you in the loop. I still have a lot going on in my personal life, which has slowed down my response time with most things. I am doing my best to make myself available, though. One day at a time, right?

Fingers crossed you enjoy all three titles above. And, in case I don’t get to post before then, HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! – Christin

Adult Goodies

I have two releases for you!

Some of you may have read the title already, some perhaps not. Either way, I’m super excited for this release as it has been over six months in the making, AND, Amazon has already discounted it! You can now order a copy of Two Times the Charm in print!

In warning, that title is not for everyone. It is a dark title that deals with the mental, emotional and physical repercussions of abuse. The heroine’s wounds are fresh, and therefore overwhelming for some readers. If you are looking for a light read, skip this title. If you are looking for an erotic romance with heavy substance, then consider giving this book a try. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it will open your eyes to the true inner demons anyone who has suffered abuse experiences. It may help you further understand them. Because the truth is, so many of us shake our heads and wonder why someone would put up with it, why they wouldn’t walk away the second it starts, and the haunting reality is: it’s not that easy.

Two Times the Charm was a grueling labor of love for me that hit awful close to home. Next to Darkness Falls, it’s my most intense title to date, but I hope the heroes, and Cade, help to lighten it a bit. As with all of my titles, it does have a happy ending. Because the truth is, we all want to believe in happy endings, even if we haven’t experienced one ourselves yet.

If Two Times the Charm is too heavy for you, then I’m pretty confident that you will enjoy the next new release: Stars and Sparks, A Red Hot and BOOM! Story. This is a hot, quick and sassy BBW Interracial Romance (bw/wm). I loved writing these characters; I loved their chemistry. If you’re looking for a fast, fun and flirty read before bed tonight, then I would absolutely recommend this title. As the title suggests, this is A Red Hot and BOOM! Story. It is part of an author collective, just one of many delicious titles available with a Fourth of July theme and a super cheap $0.99 price tag.

So, my dear, wonderful, patient readers, I hope you enjoy these fresh releases, and promise that more will be coming very soon. Covers, blurbs and purchase links for these titles are below.

HAPPY READING! – Christin

Blurb:

Max is a broken woman with secrets drowned in a rough past. She’s looking to start over in a new town several states away. Never did she expect her past to follow her. Neither did she expect to find not one, but two men, anxious to love her.

But they have a secret of their own, and it follows them everywhere.

Ayden is the alpha of the local werewolf pack. Josh is the alpha of the neighboring town’s pack. They grew up together; best friends. There’s little rivalry between these two…until their voluptuous, plus size mate walks into their lives.

Will a shared mate bring these two best friends closer, or tear them apart?

The decision is made for them when their mate turns to them for help. They will stop at nothing to protect Max, but how far are they willing to go?

Learning of their beastly dark side, will Max be able to face them without fear? After all, it’s a past full of fear she’s trying so hard to escape…

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AMAZON

Blurb:

Plus size journalist Shae Roberts was used to the fast pace of city life, dressing to the nine everywhere she went, and having more than one coffee shop to choose from. When the Atlanta-based newspaper she worked for cut their staff in half, she was forced to branch out. Four months later, she landed in Bear Valley, a small town a hundred-and-twenty-seven miles from familiar.

Barry “Bear” Jacobs has just returned from his final tour after six years in the Marines. He’s ready to move on, but finds his sleepy hometown hasn’t changed nearly as much as he has. With his military career now in the past, he has some hard decisions to make. He’s seen what the world has to offer, and it’s far more than he believes the familiar of home can…until he bumps into a certain sassy, overdressed reporter.

Two people in transition are attempting to find their new place in this world, but, sometimes, it’s not about finding a place, it’s about finding a person, and there’s nothing but stars and sparks between these two.

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AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
ALL ROMANCE E-BOOKS

Confession

I suck at juggling.

I’m horrible when it comes to balancing. I won’t make any excuses. The truth is, when something is in front of me, I focus on it. I handle things one problem at a time, one project at a time, one promo at a time, one everything at a time. Don’t get me wrong, I can multi-task, but my focus will be on the priority item.

Lately, I’ve been struggling more than normal with balance.

It’s funny because we’re supposed to be getting all these time savings. Tons of companies advertise that they make it fast and easy, saving you time and frustration. My question is always: where is the time that I saved? It feels like there are never enough hours in the day.

I’m behind on correspondence. I’m overwhelmed by the number of messages, e-mails, comments etc I receive. Don’t get me wrong, I feel so incredibly blessed that anyone would even take the time to contact me. I know I’m blessed to have you as readers, and I appreciate each and every one of you.

In skimming most of the notes, the majority of people want to know when the final book in the Vamp Chronicles series will be released. The irritating-to-most answer remains the same: I don’t know. All I can say is that I will let everyone know when the book is finished and announce a solid release date then. I’d rather leave the date up in the air than to disappoint anyone should I not make the deadline, as has happened before. I know some of you are getting angry and frustrated. I’m not pushing you away or not acknowledging the way you feel, however, please know that the way you feel doesn’t change anything. I’ve been fitting in this title by writing bits and pieces of scenes between my adult titles. I haven’t abandoned the series, I haven’t abandoned you as readers, and I haven’t given up on the characters. The final book will be written. It will be finished at some point; I just cannot give you an exact time of when.

Acknowledging that it won’t change anything doesn’t mean that I’m disregarding how you feel. I know. There is one author in particular that I’ve been waiting on a book for since 2011. She first didn’t have a release date, then she changed it to fall of 2012, then fall of 2013, and now her website reads: ‘COMING SOON’. I’ve contacted her before, but she hasn’t responded. From the limited I’ve seen on her site, she hasn’t responded to anyone. I know what it’s  like as a reader to anxiously wait for a title. The title I’m waiting on with the referenced author is part of a series; it would be the third title and first full-length book in her series. It’s hard, especially when the author is offering you nothing concrete. Perhaps it’s different because I understand both sides. As an author, I know the time it takes to write something, and the way life can interfere with that. As a reader, I know that I am anxious, I know there are twenty-four hours in a day, and if the average author pens 2 full-length books a year and it’s been three years (for the mentioned author – nearly a year for me with the VC), something isn’t adding up, which only adds to my frustration as a reader. I get it; I really do. But, again, it doesn’t change anything.

In the beginning, I regularly checked…okay, so stalked, that author’s website and trolled Amazon and B&N for the title. As the months passed, my excitement waned. Then, I saw the ‘Coming Fall 2012.’ I was ecstatic. Finally, I was going to get to finish these character’s story. (Admittedly, it was an indulgent read on my part.) 2012 came and went with nothing. I checked every so often, a tad disappointed. I wrote to the author in January of 2013, but she never responded. The comment isn’t even visible on her website anymore. I popped in again in summer of last year and my excitement was reignited when I saw ‘Coming Fall 2013.’ Again, though, fall came and went with nothing. In April of this year, when I checked, the notice was changed to: ‘COMING SOON.’ This author doesn’t have social media, that I know of, and does not offer an e-mail address. The only way to contact her is to sign the guestbook on her website. In ways, I’m to the point where I don’t think she will ever release the book, but a part of me holds tight to hope.

I think some of you have reached that point with me regarding the Vamp Chronicles. I’m not that other author though. I haven’t cut you off, I haven’t refused to reach out, and I’m not leaving you with nothing. This book will be completed, it will be released, and I swear on everything that is holy that I will announce a solid release date the moment I can across all of my social media outlets, on my website, and again on my social media outlets. I haven’t left you or Lexi behind. I haven’t forgotten. I am still working on it, line by line, scene by scene, bit by bit.

For now, this is all I can offer you. And I can only hope that it is enough.

- Christin

*MASSIVE SALE!*

Hi Y’all,

I know it’s been a little while since I’ve posted anything. Things have been really crazy. I’ve been doing a TON of admin stuff: behind the scenes sort of stuff that most readers don’t realize authors do. You will see a few things on your side though.

#1 – New Covers. I can’t explain the story, but I had to change my book covers. It started out as something I didn’t plan to do but was told I had to do, but turned out for the best because I love the new covers more than the old covers. (And if you followed that, kissed your brain. lol) So, you will see new covers for a lot of my adult titles popping up all over. The books are still the same, just different covers.

#2 – New Series. One Letter received a new, nicer cover and it’s been turned into a series. Each book will stand alone, focusing on a new set of characters, but will have the same military/soldier theme. The next book in the One Soldier Series released today. (Details and buy links are below.)

#3 – New Pricing. Most of my adult books and 1 or 2 of my young adult titles are on sale right now for $0.99, including One Letter. The pricing may not have hit everywhere yet, but it should soon. I would encourage you to grab it while you can!

#4 – New Release. The second book in the One Soldier Series, One E-mail, released TODAY! However, Barnes & Noble is having some technical difficulties on the back end, so, there will be a delay in One E-mail‘s release for Nook customers. As soon as they are back up and running, they will release the title.

#5 – New Info. Over the next week, you will continue to see things be updated on my website, Facebook page, on distributor sites etc. Everyone has different processing timeframes, which is why you will see it all hit at different times. Additionally, because I am having to update and upload with every single contact and social media source I have, I will be doing admin stuff for a little while longer before I’m able to catch up on communication with y’all and also before I’m able to pick up and start writing again. I’ve been working non-stop and still feel so far behind. I haven’t even stopped to eat or drink anything today. Yes! I haven’t had coffee today! I’m a ticking time bomb today. Approach with caution! Or, even better, approach with coffee. You want to make me a happy girl, give me coffee. And a sexy barista. I’d take one of those too.

So, recap, for me mainly: New covers, MASSIVE sale, and new release.

Yup. I think I covered it all.

So, without further delay, here is the 411 on the newest release: ONE E-MAIL

BLURB:

It started with one e-mail.

Madelyn Maxlyn sent one e-mail to the most feminine-sounding name on the list of soldier contacts her book club president managed to get. SFC Taylor Russell was the recipient.

They exchanged seventy-seven e-mails in five months, and somewhere among those seventy-seven, they stopped exchanging words and began sharing pieces of themselves.

Taylor is returning home from war, and it’s time that they meet and discover if a soldier with two years left on his contract with the army, and a plus size woman who has an entire life hundreds of miles away from his home, have a chance at a future together.

Love doesn’t care about obstacles and risks, but surviving them isn’t always easy.

Excerpt:

(18 & OLDER ONLY!!!)

“Anyone ever tell you not to tease a soldier? I’m a ticking time bomb, beautiful.” His voice held a mix of taunt and truth.

I bit my lower lip, my heart pumping evenly. “No more than some of my book boyfriends.”

His brows dipped inwards as his truck roared to life. He stared out the windshield for a long minute before he angled himself to take me in. “No more book boyfriends. I want to be your one and only.”

My chest compressed. My throat tightened even as my heart sprinted faster, eagerly, with abandon. My mind struggled to merge all he’d written with the man before me. In ways, he felt like another book boyfriend. I read his words and believed he was too good to be true, to be real.

But he was real. Taylor was handsome, wonderful, caring, protective, more than his words ever conveyed. He was more than I thought I would get. He was all I’d dreamed and never believed I would receive outside a fictional character.

And now, now he was asking to be my one and only. He was asking me to give up fiction for reality, as if it would be some hardship on my end.

I studied him. He held my gaze intently, waiting for my reply. He gripped the steering wheel snugly, his knuckles turning white. His breaths were deep, but hard. He seemed to hold it in just a little too long before he released each one. Like any well-trained soldier, he didn’t rush me. He was patient, and gave nothing beyond his words away. I knew he would wait for me to make the next move, and there was something irresistible about a man like that. In a book, that made him the perfect dominant without the BDSM. In reality, that made him better than fiction.

I smiled at him, nodding lightly. “Okay.”

He remained solemn, observing me. Suddenly, he faced forward, putting the truck into ‘Drive’ and pulling out. “You’re going to pay for that torture,” – he glanced directly at me, – “with torture.” His lips curled ever-so-slightly at the edges as he focused on the road.

I shuddered. My body delighted in his promise, warming with the images flickering through my imagination. Sweet cherry pie, I wanted his muscles throwing my excess sexiness into delicious ecstasy.

His gaze flickered to me briefly, but he didn’t say anything. Again, he knew the effect he had on me, but he didn’t rush to acknowledge it.

It seemed my torture had already begun.

BUY IT NOW:
AMAZON
ARe
ENJOY! - Christin

An Admission of Strength

This past year has been a battle for me mentally and emotionally. Some may know, some may not, but my birthday was January 13th. I turned twenty-eight this year. To most, that’s not a significant milestone. To me, it was the milestone.

My mother passed away when she was twenty-seven. I was eight. And now, twenty years later, I’ve struggled to comprehend the surreal reality that I’m older than my mom ever lived to be. My daughter just turned nine on February 8th. I turned twenty-eight on January 13th with a heavy heart as I looked my then eight-year-old in the eyes.

I couldn’t imagine. My heart ached just thinking about being ripped from her when she still had a lifetime of moments, of memories to make, ahead of her. She’s so young. Tears welled as I strolled down memory lane, of the times in my life when I missed my mother. When you don’t have someone for so long, you don’t realize what you’re missing out on until a pivotal moment arrives, until you witness others in the same moment sharing it joyfully. The ice cream binge after your first heartbreak, educational successes, prom dress shopping, wedding dress shopping, your first pregnancy, the delivery of that little bundle. Those are merely the high points; there are many low in between. All of my surgeries, the times I was sick, those bad days when all I longed for was a maternal caress… I didn’t have her for those. And looking at my daughter, I never want her to know the pain of not having me.

But I haven’t been able to protect her from loss at the same tender age I was. Her grandmother, a woman my daughter loves passionately with all of her little being, has taken her on the same cancerous roller coaster, a replica of the one I took with my mom. I see the pain, the worry in my daughter’s eyes when she watches her grandmother skip meals, when she finds her curled up in bed or on the sofa with tension twisting her features. I witness the white of fear piercing her big brown eyes every time her grandmother comes home with a new bandage, every time her hair starts to fall out again, every time she can’t be with her because she’s at the doctor or in the hospital yet again.

There are days that I feel like a failure because I wanted my children to never know the pain of my childhood, of being alone, feeling as though you’re missing out on so much because you don’t have a mother or father, yet they’re still facing those missed moments; they’re still facing gut-wrenching loss, and that’s difficult to accept.

Timing is everything, right? I can’t help but get lost in the timing of it all sometimes, the way our lives, despite my efforts, mirror each others so much. The enormous emotional pressure of that breaks me sometimes and makes me wish for one of those motherly hugs so many take for granted. Hugging my daughter as she cries, asking if her grandmother is going to die, rips me apart from the inside out, and has me wishing it all was different.

In some ways I’ve been blessed. I’m older than my mom every lived to be. I lived to see my daughter turn nine and got to hug her after. Even when she was alive, my mother was too sick, too weak to ever give me the hugs I give my daughter; the AIDS and cancer ravaged her body, stealing her strength over the years, robbing us both of those moments. I have the strength, the ability, to do what my mother couldn’t, didn’t, do for me, but that doesn’t erase the pain. There are days, years, that I’m hyper-aware of a loss from so long ago. And there are days, years, that I wished I could do it all again rather than have my daughter know a fraction of it.

Life is fleeting, so precious, but sometimes it takes a pivotal moment for us to remember that. Sometimes we have to lose in order to gain. I lost a mother, a father, and all of the moments I wished they were there, but it gave me unique insight, an understanding of my daughter’s pain, and has allowed me to be what I never had for her. And there are times where you have to be grateful for the pain, for the fact that you can experience it at all.

Many of my characters have experienced pain. That’s not a coincidence. As I share this with you now, know that my characters have been sharing fractions of my pain for years; not in an attempt to drag you down, to exhaust you emotional, but, rather, to repeat the message I longed to hear and know as a child: you are not alone. Every high and every low has been felt by someone else before.

The same way I can’t protect my daughter from the pain of life, I can’t protect you. But I can assure you the way I do her that everything will be okay, that you are not alone, that the hurt in your heart will never cease, but, with time, love, joy and laughter will override it. The quicker you embrace the positives, the faster they can drown out the negatives. And one day, when you look back, all you will see are the positives. You’ll recognize the strength it took to pull through, you’ll acknowledge the appreciation, the unnerving awareness, you have that others lack; you’ll embrace the change that time made in you and you’ll be grateful for it.

I tell my children I love them every time I see them, every time I talk to them when they’re away. I hug them, even my autistic son who prefers space to comfort, every chance I get. I appreciate every single day past eight years I get with them as if it is one of life’s greatest blessings. Because it is. Because I’m twenty-eight years old, and I’m older than my mother ever lived to be. And, looking back, I’m starting to see the positive in that.