Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 135

Pinterest: Pins Draw Interest by author @DesireeHolt #buildingaudience #amwriting #GIVEAWAY

Pinterest – Pins draw Interest!
Guest Post by Author Desiree Holt

Note: Leave Desiree a comment (with your email)

and you might win a $10 GC.

So. You look at the vast pool of social media and say, What the heck is Pinterest? Do I need it or is it just another pain in the you-know-what? I don’t have all that much time to promote. Now they want me to do something else?

I thought the same thing, but let me tell you, Pinterest – pins+interest=Pinterest. And it’s so easy to set yourself up you won’t believe it. And for an unpublished authors, this is a fabulous way to reach out and create an audience that will be ready and waiting when that first book comes out. You know why?

Because it seems people troll Pinterest all the time. They search for topics that appeal to them. They look for photos and graphics that speak to their interests-pins that pique their interest!

Case in point. I am a huge football fan. I mean, HUGE! And more important, I am a University of Michigan grad and am obsessed about their football team. So I created a Football board. On it I pinned pictures of the Michigan Wolverines, the Houston Texans (my #1 pro team) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (#2 on my list). The college football season opened a week ago and in that time I have had more than 5,000 repins from that board.

No, that’s not a typo. MORE THAN 5,000 repins!

I also have a board for Appaloosas, for favorite male actors, for favorite TV shows, and…Well, you get the idea.

So when someone (hundreds of thousands of someones) gets on Pinterest and searches for their favorite topics, hello! It takes many of them to my site. And along with all those other boards which draw them I have boards with my book covers, boards for each of my series, all that good stuff. I mean, they are THERE to see something else but when they land on my site they see all my other boards.

With Pinterest boards you build a community of followers. And if you have a Facebook page? Talk about your Pinterest boards.

It’s so easy. You set up a site on Pinterest, and take the PinIt icon they give you and out it where it’s easily accessible. I keep mine in my bookmarks tool bar. When I come across a picture that I think belongs on one of my boards, I click on the icon, the picture opens in a new window, left click until PinIt appears on the picture, click again and there you go. It only takes seconds.

You won’t believe how easy it is to build a community this way and begin laying the groundwork for that first published work.

Go ahead. Look for me. I’m desiree02holt. You can see what I’m creating for myself. And all the boards get regular visitors.

Check out my cowboys. I love ‘em!

And here’s a taste of one in my latest Naked Cowboys series, Stripped Naked. Here’s what the Library Journal had to say about it:

Holt knows how to pace a story. There is a slow build to the first steamy sex scene. The murder that sets up the plot and brings the two lovers together also serves as the point of resolution. Well-written erotica filled with modern-day cowboys.—John Rodzilla, Emerson Univ., Boston.

Jinx Malone came home to lick her wounds-and found a hot cowboy to lick them for her.

Taking over as publisher of The Hill Country Herald was supposed to help Jinx Malone put her personal and professional disasters in New York behind her. Instead, she’s barely settled at her desk when news of a murder hits the police scanner.

Who knew Rowan County could be this exciting? And who knew her first story would bring her into head-butting, hormone-pumping contact with something that’s an even bigger pain in her ass than a cheating ex—a know-it-all cop?

Sheriff Dillon Cross thought retreating to Rowan Country would help him get over a bad case of burnout. But only a few weeks into his job, he’s standing over a dead body in a ditch, arguing with his least favorite thing: a sexy, in-your-face reporter.

Before they’re through buzzing around each other like angry hornets, the last thing either expected happens. They’re in bed, burning up the sheets. But is it a new beginning, or just a bad rerun of past mistakes?

Excerpt:

Just like two days ago and just like earlier tonight, he didn’t seem to be able to get anywhere near Jinx Malone let alone touch her without wanting to rip off her clothes and plunge himself inside her very sexy body. As he guided her up the steps to the porch, he wondered if she was having the same reaction.

When they stopped at the front door, Jinx slipped the narrow strap of her purse from her shoulder to fetch her keys. At the same time, she turned toward him and his hands automatically lifted to rest on her shoulders. She looked up at him, a quizzical expression on her face, and it seemed the most natural thing for him to lean down and brush his lips against hers. She quivered beneath his touch, her breath hitching.

Before he could change his mind or give her a chance to change hers, he deepened the kiss, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened and let him in. God, she tasted like everything sweet he’d ever had in his life. He licked every inner surface, wanting to swallow her whole. He tightened his grip on her, not wanting to give her the chance to pull away, but she surprised him by clutching at his arms. He slid his fingers up through the silk of her hair, cupping her head and tilting it one way then another to give the kiss a better angle. And when she opened her mouth, her own small tongue thrust forward to dance erotically with his.

He broke the kiss only when his breath ran out. Lifting his head, he stared at Jinx through lust-fogged eyes. She had a startled expression on her face and her gaze was locked with his. The pulse at the hollow of her throat beat furiously and he was sure the heat radiating from her body singed his skin.

“What…what was that?” Her voice was shaky.

“I don’t know, but I think I’m gonna do it again.”

This time he took her mouth with unrestrained hunger, plundering it with his tongue, sealing his lips to hers as if he’d never let her go. All rational thought left his mind as he pressed her close to him. It took a moment for him to realize that her hands were pushing at his chest and she was trying to twist away from him. Shaking the fog from his brain, he backed away a step.

“Sorry.” He cleared his throat and tried again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

But she was already opening the door and grabbing his hand to drag him inside.

“One of us is crazy,” she said in a husky voice. “I’m hoping it’s me. And that I’ll wake up in the morning and be able to pretend I didn’t make a fool of myself.”

“That’s for tomorrow.” His heart raced as he realized she didn’t mean to send him away after all. He tried to think of what to say, but all the blood in his head seemed to have headed south to his groin. Unwilling to give her a chance to have second thoughts, he swept her up in his arms and headed for the stairs. He halted at the top. “Which way?”

She pointed to a room at the end of the hallway. He nudged the door open with his foot, carried her inside and set her down beside the bed. Weaving his fingers through the strands of her hair again, he touched his mouth to hers and licked the outline. He wanted nothing more than to tear her clothes off and throw her on the bed.

Slow, asshole. Don’t give her a reason to change her mind. This is a woman to savor and worship, so don’t fuck it up.

Dillon couldn’t believe how impatient his body was or how ravenous he was for her. But tearing off her clothes in three seconds wasn’t his style, and he didn’t want to start now. Especially with this woman. He tasted her lips then trailed his tongue across the smoothness of her cheek to the tender spot behind her ear. With his teeth, he drew a faint line along the column of her neck, biting very gently where her neck and shoulder met. She shivered at his touch and a soft little moan drifted from her mouth.

Available From:

Amazon | Samhain | Barnes & Noble

You can find Desiree at:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Faceboook | Pinterest

Building An Audience Schedule:

August 9 -  Intro & Knowing Your Audience

August 16 -  Blogging

August 23 - Using Yahoo & Facebook Groups with author Liz Crowe

August 30 -  Twitter

September 6 - Facebook with Tawania from Wicked Readings by Tawania

September 13 - Pinterest with author Desiree Holt

September 20 - Google + with author Fierce Dolan

September 27 - Goodreads with author Cassandra Carr

The Making of Operation Earth by @MariaHammarblad #scifi #scifirom

The Making of Operation Earth
Guest Post by Maria Hammarblad

Operation Earth had a long way from idea to publishing. It started out as a short story. Aliens invaded the Earth. One girl got the opportunity to save it. The End.

Short stories are all fine and dandy, but unless a writer has many and can put them together into a compilation volume, there’s not much to do with them. I played around with it and added parts here and there, and ended up with a short novella.

It was a bit shorter than Desert Breeze Publishing’s minimum word count for a novella, but I sent it in anyway. The editor in chief wrote back that she liked the idea of the story, and if I could expand on it, we could publish.

I did a happy dance, and started worrying.

To be called a novel, a book should have at least 40,000 words. Preferably 50,000 or more. In my mind, Operation Earth was still a short story; it barely qualified to be a novella. Did I have enough substance to the story to expand it?

Only one thing to do: put on my big girl pants and start writing.

Once I typed away at the re-write, the story grew, and grew, and grew. All of a sudden there were more people and events, and portions that just had to be added. It ended up with 54,000 words, and that’s about average length for my books. To make things better, I’m happy with the story.

I thought I was happy with it in the short form, but that was an illusion. In this version the main characters get to tell everything they want to tell, and their story is complete.

Is Operation Earth a book for you? Maybe.

If you’re into hard-core science fiction, probably not. I can give a feasible theory for how stuff in the book works, but it’s not in the book. I can babble about scientific progress and more or less believable theories at great length, but I do my best to keep it out of the books.

If you’re into erotica, probably not. I tend to give my characters privacy in the bedroom. I made one attempt at writing a sexy action novel, and my editors cut out both the violent parts and the love making. Epic fail.

If you’re into lighter science fiction, you might enjoy my book. Aliens not only come to visit; they come to take over. Everything we had is gone, but we’re still human, and in the midst of chaos, love can prevail.

Operation Earth by Maria Hammarblad

Seven billion people on Earth go about their daily lives, and no one is prepared when a global EMP slows the world to a crawl. With all our technology incapacitated, everything changes. Within days alien soldiers line the streets, and life will never be the same. In the midst of chaos, Rachael Hill struggles to adapt to the new order, doing her best to keep herself and her cat alive.

On a ship far above the planet surface, Peter just got his new Earth name, and can’t even remember his identity from the last world he visited. It’s another day on the job, one more planet on a never-ending list. That is, until Rachael bumps into him, dropping exotic objects all around his feet. His culture taught him females should be obeyed and protected, but he never had an urge to leave himself at a woman’s mercy until now.

Available From:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Desert Breeze Publishing

Author Bio

Maria Hammarblad is a Swedish export to Florida who came to live in the US late 2008. She writes science fiction, contemporary novels, and award winning screenplays. Her biggest interest besides writing is playing the bass. Today, she lives in the Tampa Bay area with her husband Mike and their rescue dogs.

See more of Maria Hammarblad:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Hump Day Hook – Rebel plans are made in NEVER GONNA SAY GOODBYE #HDH #GLBT

Hello everyone! Welcome to another Hump Day Hook.

Today, I’m back to sharing from my upcoming release, Never Gonna Say Goodbye,

a futuristic sci-fi/dystopian MM romance.

This is the third (and last) story in The Underground series.

The speaker here is Will, and he’s talking to his lover, Tim.

“You’re just as much a part of this as I am.” Everything would go down the next day. All of their plans would be put into action at dawn, he and Tim each leading a different team. And by sundown, they’d make sure Benson Malock paid for all the lives he’d ruined and ended. Planet Core would no longer be under his control.

Available September 17, 2013 From:

Decadent Publishing and other ebook retailers

Be sure to visit the Hump Day Hook blog to see who else is participating this week.

Cover Reveal: Seal the Deal, a 1Night Stand story by @JoAnneKenrick #PNR #coverlove

Coming this OCTOBER
Contemporary bestselling author JoAnne Kenrick

Isle of myth and magic. Destined Mates. One extraordinary night.

SEAL THE DEAL
Isle of Man and Selkie book one

Click for more details

Finding the right spot to write by Christine Warner #BuytheBookTours #giveaway @ChristinesWords

Finding the right spot to write
Guest Post by Christine Warner

There are so many little quirks writers have. One of mine is where I write. To be creative I like to have quiet—which translates to no television or music in the background and definitely no family or friends to pull me out of my writing and into a conversation. That’s the toughest one of all because I really love those family/friend chats.

I am lucky enough to have an office where I can close the door if I need to, but it’s really not a space that inspires me to write. Although I painted it a cheery yellow and there is a window to let in the sunshine, I never get a lot accomplished within those four walls.

In the winter I enjoy writing in my large living room. There are a lot of windows with wonderful views. I can sink into my comfy chair and get to work. When I need a moment to find that perfect word, or to figure out how I’m going to weave a scene I can glance up and get inspired by so many things right outside one of my very own windows.

But…

My all time favorite writing spot is on my front porch. Now, since I live in Michigan I can’t use this wonderful spot all year. Winter wind and snow prevent that. Lol  But when the birds are chirping and the summer breeze tickles my toes this is my favorite spot to write. My dogs are usually roaming around in the yard or hanging out with me on the porch. The breeze is light and relaxing. A glass of iced water or tea is within arms reach. Hummingbirds visit to enjoy a sugary drink from their feeder, and I’m surrounded by awesomeness. Words flow as calmly as the birds glide by when I work from my Adirondack chair. As a matter of fact I wrote several chapters of Bachelor’s Special and this post from this very spot. Just looking at the picture I’ve included makes me instantly go into relaxation mode.

I have several places inside my home that I enjoy spending time, but during the summer there is no place like my front porch.

How about you? Do you have a spot that can totally relax you, or gets your creative juices flowing, or is the place you long to be most of all either with family or friends?

 

About Bachelor’s Special by Christine Warner

Saute, simmer, and flambé…

Jill Adgate wants three things from life: a successful catering business, the devoted love of an exceptional man, and a family. What she has is no job, a mounting pile of bills, and her outspoken best friend—who sets her up on a blind date with the man who inadvertently ruined Jill’s life.

Chet Castle is a prosperous businessman who has everything, except the ability to trust. Burned by a money-hungry fiancée, he refuses to get involved with any relationship that has a shelf life longer than a head of lettuce.

Intrigued by her ambition—and determined to get her in bed—Chet offers Jill the chance of a lifetime: Work for him for the next eight weeks as his live-in chef and he’ll help her get her catering business off the ground. When sparks fly in the kitchen, Jill realizes what’s cooking with her commitment-phobic employer is a recipe for disaster…but it’s just too tasty to not take a bite.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: June 10, 2013

Published by Entangled Publishing - Indulgence Imprint

Bachelor’s Special is available from

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance e-Books | Kobo Books | iTunes

The Excerpt

Her body hummed as his smile wavered. Although he wore sunglasses, she’d bet her last dollar his gaze swept across her chest, lingering on the betrayal of her pert nipples pushing against the fabric of her suit.

Until this moment, shyness had never been a trait she possessed. Air stalled in her lungs, her palms grew sweaty, and she itched to cover herself with a towel. Even though her replica vintage swimsuit hid more than most sets of women’s underwear, she felt too exposed. She turned to the side slightly and folded her legs up. Not that it helped, but it made her feel a bit less exposed. Chet slid his feet from his sandals, brushing a hand through his hair. The heat from the sun wasn’t the only thing scorching her skin. She trickled several droplets of water over her arms, but she couldn’t drag her focus from his toned flesh.

Jill soaked in his ripped abs and the obvious package of goodies covered by his brown swimsuit—the same sexy brown as his hair. Damn, did a man have a right to fill out a pair of swimming trunks like that? Flecks of hair, just enough to give him a manly appeal, covered the etched muscles of his long, tan legs. She licked her lips, hoping she could still speak.

“Do you want some privacy?” Yes, say yes. She needed an excuse to make an escape without coming off like someone desperate to be making an exit.

* * * * *

Hell no, he didn’t want privacy. Through the shield of his sunglasses, he inspected her body from the tips of her pink-painted toenails to the top of her brightly flowered swimming cap. Did people still actually wear those things?

“No, you look comfortable. Stay and enjoy the day.”

“Oh…are you sure?”

“Sure.”

Amazed at his own ability to talk without his tongue hitting the cement, Chet turned to throw his towel and sunglasses on a nearby lounge chair. Damn.

The red and white polka-dot halter-style suit featured a tight bodice, but her slender hips and shapely thighs hiding beneath a matching skirt grabbed his attention until all oxygen left his blood. Even showing less skin than the average girl on the beach, she far exceeded sexy and alluring.

Get a grip, Castle. She’s off limits, no matter how delectable. He turned and stepped onto the diving board. He bounced along the surface as he made his way over the water. When he looked at Jill’s bathing cap covering her head, he held back his grin. The neon rubber flowers reminded him of something his grandmother would’ve worn, but there the similarity ended. Everything beneath that cap was far from making him think of Grandma.

 

About Christine Warner

Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends. Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmetic. A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines. A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on Facebook, Twitter and her Website.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Author Giveaway!!

Enter to WIN a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#MySexySaturday – Doing it Beneath the Starry Sky #eroticromance #1NS

Hi peeps! It’s the 15th week of My Sexy Saturday. Here are the details: every Saturday, published and unpublished authors will be sharing 7 words, sentences, or paragraphs from a work-in-progress or an already published story.

Here’s seven from Beneath the Starry Sky, a contemporary erotic 1Night Stand romance. Oh, and new daddy Josh Duhamel is the inspiration for the hero in this story.

He’d tried to resist her, but her sweet vulnerability made him crazy. He ached for her, had to feel her sweet juices around his hard cock. Adrenaline pumped through his body from chasing after her, and it would continue with every deep thrust inside of her. He yanked her pants down and tore off the thin scrap of material she used as underwear, now damp from her arousal.

“Oh, Josh.” She shuddered.

Could he get any harder? She’d stepped out of her pants already and he rushed to get out of his.

Her hand cupped his balls, squeezing, caressing until he was ready to come in her hand. God no, it’s way too soon.

He removed her hand and joined it with the other to hold them above her head. With his free hand, he slid a finger inside her wet pussy. Then two fingers.

Her moans encouraged him to plunge deeper, harder, until the need to have his aching shaft inside of her overcame him. He removed his fingers and sucked off her juices. “You taste so good. I’m going to fuck you now.”

He wanted to take his time with her, seduce her, and savor her, but not this time. Not when the need to feel her pulsing core around him was the only thing on his mind.

Available From:

Decadent Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks | more

Book Trailer:

http://youtu.be/nGoI3VJlijQ

For more My Sexy Saturday postings, check out the participants’ list here.

HUGE Giveaway for Romance Month at The Masquerade Crew! @MasqCrew

GIVEAWAY!!

As part of Romance Month at The Masquerade Crew blog, they are hosting a HUGE giveaway from now until October 4, 2013. And you can enter here, too.

I have donated a signed print copy of Intergalactic Heat (US/Canada) or an ebook of my Intergalactic Heat ebook BUNDLE (International).

So, be sure to enter! There are so many chances to WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Ins & Outs of making Facebook work for Unpublished Authors #buildingaudience #amwriting @Tawania_E

The Ins and Outs of making Facebook

work for the unpublished author
Guest post by Tawania Etheridge

Jessica asked me to tell how I’m making Facebook work for me. I haven’t really been trying all that hard. All I do is be myself. My name is everything, just like my word. I have respect for all the wonderful connections I have made, and as far as I can tell, they have respect for me too.

There are a few things that I strongly believe you shouldn’t do on FB when trying to make a name for yourself.



1. Do not discuss politics or religion. Everyone has their own views and beliefs. They may not be the same as yours, but that doesn’t matter because we’re all different. It’s rude to look down on or make negative remarks on what someone believes in.

2. Do not bad mouth authors, reviewers, or really anyone. Your opinions are your own, but you shouldn’t use them to bring someone down. You wouldn’t want someone to treat you that way, so don’t do it.

3. Don’t be dishonest about who you are. We live in a age where people can find out anything. It would be very embarrassing to present yourself as one way, and then be found out that you’re really not that person. Trust me when I tell you this. It’s very disappointing to find out that a person you really admire and look up to is not the person you thought they were.

This brings me to the things I believe as a upcoming author that you should do on FB.

1. SHARE. I share everything, or at least I try. When you share other authors book reviews, new releases, and contests, you are helping the author, and yourself. When you have a new release, or any of the things I named above, they won’t mind sharing for you.

2. COMMENT. You wouldn’t believe how many friendships I’ve made in a comment thread of a favorite author. Thats not including book recommendations, recipes, and advice I received. Also, it’s another way to have your name remembered.

3. TAG. If you write a review or read a book and loved it. Tag the author in your post. Again, you are making yourself known. When you do publish, and you’re posting promo about your book, these authors will remember you. They won’t mind sharing your stuff, because you shared theirs.

4. GROUPS. Join a group for unpublished and Indie authors. It’s a great support group. You meet other people with the same goal as you. You get advice, share promo, find critique partners, and gain many other valuable resources.

Lastly… The most important advice I can give you is to just BE YOURSELF.

That’s what I do, and it works for me. I have met many wonderful authors and industry professionals. I have made wonderful friends who don’t mind me asking for advice or opinions. I have also had several offers from authors to read my WIP when it’s finished. How awesome is that?

~Tawania

Wicked Readings By Tawania

You can follow Tawania here:

Blog | FB Page | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Building An Audience Schedule:

August 9 -  Intro & Knowing Your Audience

August 16 -  Blogging

August 23 - Using Yahoo & Facebook Groups with author Liz Crowe

August 30 -  Twitter

September 6 - Facebook with Tawania from Wicked Readings by Tawania

September 13 - Pinterest with author Desiree Holt

September 20 - Google + with author Fierce Dolan

September 27 - Goodreads with author Cassandra Carr

What’s up with the planet Mars? #space #musegonewild

What’s going on with that Red Planet? Stop by Backward Momentum, where I’m sharing some of the most recent news about the planet, which is making my muse go wild.

Hump Day Hook: Dessert Can Be Sexy #HDH #eroticromance

Hello everyone! One more excerpt from HEY, SANTA,

and next week, I’m going back to Never Gonna Say Goodbye.

He scooped a spoonful of the fried ice cream, dipping it in the chocolate sauce, and held it out to her. She wrapped her full lips around the spoon, her gaze locked on him. She moaned gently, and he shifted in his seat, his cock ready to burst from his pants. He pulled the spoon out with much hesitation, imagining his cock in its place. “Come back to my place after dinner.”

Available From:

Amazon US | Canada | UK | more

Be sure to visit the Hump Day Hook blog to see who else is participating this week.