Ranae Rose's Blog, page 8
February 11, 2014
I'm on Instagram!
I just opened an account on Instagram. If you'd like to connect with me there, here I am: ranae_rose
:)
February 5, 2014
Delay Resolved - Serious Ink is Now Available Everywhere
After a brief delay (which again, was completely my fault - sorry), Serious Ink is now available at a variety of retailers, not just Amazon. Now that I've got experience with how my new distribution choice works (and okay, it also helps that I won't be having a baby next time too LOL), delays like this should not be a problem with the next book. Thank you to those who've been so patient. Serious Ink can now be found at...
Amazon B&N Apple ARe
Coming soon to Kobo!
February 3, 2014
Today is Serious Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #5) Release Day!
Today is official release day for Serious Ink, the fifth book in the Inked in the Steel City Series.
Hard times mean hard choices, but falling for Noah Wilder is easy. Beneath his suit and tie, he's seriously inked and seriously irresistible. When he walks into the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio, the attraction between him and studio receptionist Zoe is mutual - and fierce. And after the opportunity to ditch her demeaning second job to work for him instead arises, suddenly he's her boss ... and much more. With lines blurred in every way imaginable, can she balance passion and professionalism with doing what's best for her struggling family?
Attraction is a powerful thing. So is former fighter Noah's drive to make his growing mixed martial arts promotion company succeed, and if business happens to coincide with pleasure, so much the better. Tattooed beauty Zoe Ramsey is all his when she's not working at Hot Ink - for twenty hours a week, anyway. When circumstances bring them close faster than they ever imagined, can he make her see that he's just as serious about her as he is about the business he's poured his heart and soul into?
Available now at...
Amazon (ebook) Amazon (print)
Note: There is a slight delay in availability at other retailers. This has nothing to do with the retailers themselves and is my fault. My distributor recently changed their distribution packages and Serious Ink is the first book I've published with a new option for formatting and distribution. I didn't fully understand the new option and underestimated how long it would take for my book to be formatted. Ideally I would've submitted the book for formatting before checking into the hospital to have Baby R. Unfortunately, I didn't do that until I was home again. I hope that Serious Ink will be available everywhere later this week and apologize for the inconvenience.
Thank you to all who read the Inked in the Steel City Series. Book 6 is in the works. ;)
Hard times mean hard choices, but falling for Noah Wilder is easy. Beneath his suit and tie, he's seriously inked and seriously irresistible. When he walks into the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio, the attraction between him and studio receptionist Zoe is mutual - and fierce. And after the opportunity to ditch her demeaning second job to work for him instead arises, suddenly he's her boss ... and much more. With lines blurred in every way imaginable, can she balance passion and professionalism with doing what's best for her struggling family?
Attraction is a powerful thing. So is former fighter Noah's drive to make his growing mixed martial arts promotion company succeed, and if business happens to coincide with pleasure, so much the better. Tattooed beauty Zoe Ramsey is all his when she's not working at Hot Ink - for twenty hours a week, anyway. When circumstances bring them close faster than they ever imagined, can he make her see that he's just as serious about her as he is about the business he's poured his heart and soul into?
Available now at...
Amazon (ebook) Amazon (print)
Note: There is a slight delay in availability at other retailers. This has nothing to do with the retailers themselves and is my fault. My distributor recently changed their distribution packages and Serious Ink is the first book I've published with a new option for formatting and distribution. I didn't fully understand the new option and underestimated how long it would take for my book to be formatted. Ideally I would've submitted the book for formatting before checking into the hospital to have Baby R. Unfortunately, I didn't do that until I was home again. I hope that Serious Ink will be available everywhere later this week and apologize for the inconvenience.
Thank you to all who read the Inked in the Steel City Series. Book 6 is in the works. ;)
January 30, 2014
January Newsletter Contest Winner Announcement
Thank you to all who participated in my January 'pick three from 2013' newsletter contest. The winner is...
Sharon E.
I've contacted Sharon via e-mail, so if that's you, you should have a message from me in your inbox.
Sharon won her choice of three of my titles (signed paperbacks) that released in print in 2013.
Ready for a fresh contest for February? My newsletter will be going out in a few days, and as always, the new edition will include a new giveaway. If you're not a subscriber but would like to be, you can sign up via the form below. Insert your e-mail address and hit 'enter' to subscribe:Subscribe
Sharon E.
I've contacted Sharon via e-mail, so if that's you, you should have a message from me in your inbox.
Sharon won her choice of three of my titles (signed paperbacks) that released in print in 2013.
Ready for a fresh contest for February? My newsletter will be going out in a few days, and as always, the new edition will include a new giveaway. If you're not a subscriber but would like to be, you can sign up via the form below. Insert your e-mail address and hit 'enter' to subscribe:Subscribe
January 27, 2014
Baby R is Here
Thank you to those who sent me positive wishes via Facebook, e-mail, etc, during the last (prolonged!) period of my pregnancy. I'm happy to announce that Baby R finally arrived last week. She is healthy and perhaps unsurprisingly (I was 42 weeks when I delivered), she was a big newborn - 8 pounds 12 oz.
Everything is still on track for the release of Serious Ink a week from today (February 3rd), although it will be a low-key release as I take time to enjoy having a new baby. I don't have any special events planned for next Monday, but I'll be blogging again then with all the pertinent info on the fifth installment in the Inked in the Steel City Series. See you back here then!
January 9, 2014
Remember When I Vowed to Write a Gluten-Free Character?
If I remember correctly, I said that one day on Facebook, in the wake of an epic cupcake-related disappointment.
Photo by Stacey_Newman / iStock.
Obviously, I have a hard time letting cupcake-related disappointments go.
Well, in case there’s anyone out there who’s been looking forward to reading that (probably someone like me who’s gluten-free and knows the pain of epic cupcake-related disappointments), I feel like I should mention that I’ve fulfilled my vow. Zoe in Serious Ink (releasing Feb. 3rd) is gluten-free.
I’ve been wanting to write a gluten-free character for a while; the cupcake thing was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. LOL As someone who’s gluten-free, I have to admit, every time I read about a character doing something as ordinary as eating a slice of bread or pizza, I experience a stabbing little jolt of jealousy. (And yeah, I drive myself crazy writing meal scenes in my books. Why must I always send my characters on dates to Italian restaurants? Why?) As a reader I know I’d think it was cool if the hero or heroine in a book I was reading was gluten-free, even if it was just a small detail in the story.
With that being said, Zoe is gluten-free because she has celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten). It is a part of the story, of course, but it’s not the story. So if you’re thinking "who cares about gluten?", don’t worry: Serious Ink isn’t a story about food, some sort of weird cookbook or a thinly-veiled food lecture. Promise. The fifth installment in the Inked in the Steel City Series is, of course, a tattoo love story, with the elements of romance, family and sensuality those who follow the series have come to expect. And of course an incredibly hot, very inked hero. ;)
If you happen to be gluten-free and a reader of the series, I hope you’ll enjoy reading a heroine who could easily relate to all your cupcake-related frustrations. LOL
Inked in the Steel City, #5 - Releasing February 3rd!
Hard times mean hard choices, but falling for Noah Wilder is easy. Beneath his suit and tie, he’s seriously inked and seriously irresistible. When he walks into the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio, the attraction between him and studio receptionist Zoe is mutual – and fierce. And after the opportunity to ditch her demeaning second job to work for him instead arises, suddenly he’s her boss … and much more. With lines blurred in every way imaginable, can she balance passion and professionalism with doing what’s best for her struggling family?Attraction is a powerful thing. So is former fighter Noah’s drive to make his growing mixed martial arts promotion company succeed, and if business happens to coincide with pleasure, so much the better. Tattooed beauty Zoe Ramsey is all his when she’s not working at Hot Ink – for twenty hours a week, anyway. When circumstances bring them close faster than they ever imagined, can he make her see that he’s just as serious about her as he is about the business he’s poured his heart and soul into?Want to be the first to know as soon as Serious Ink releases?Sign up for the Inked in the Steel City new release notification list (form below) and you'll receive a single e-mail notification each time a new Inked in the Steel City book is released. (Your e-mail address is kept completely private and you will not receive any other communications from this list.)Subscribe to the Inked in the Steel City new release notification list
Photo by Stacey_Newman / iStock.Obviously, I have a hard time letting cupcake-related disappointments go.
Well, in case there’s anyone out there who’s been looking forward to reading that (probably someone like me who’s gluten-free and knows the pain of epic cupcake-related disappointments), I feel like I should mention that I’ve fulfilled my vow. Zoe in Serious Ink (releasing Feb. 3rd) is gluten-free.
I’ve been wanting to write a gluten-free character for a while; the cupcake thing was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. LOL As someone who’s gluten-free, I have to admit, every time I read about a character doing something as ordinary as eating a slice of bread or pizza, I experience a stabbing little jolt of jealousy. (And yeah, I drive myself crazy writing meal scenes in my books. Why must I always send my characters on dates to Italian restaurants? Why?) As a reader I know I’d think it was cool if the hero or heroine in a book I was reading was gluten-free, even if it was just a small detail in the story.
With that being said, Zoe is gluten-free because she has celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten). It is a part of the story, of course, but it’s not the story. So if you’re thinking "who cares about gluten?", don’t worry: Serious Ink isn’t a story about food, some sort of weird cookbook or a thinly-veiled food lecture. Promise. The fifth installment in the Inked in the Steel City Series is, of course, a tattoo love story, with the elements of romance, family and sensuality those who follow the series have come to expect. And of course an incredibly hot, very inked hero. ;)
If you happen to be gluten-free and a reader of the series, I hope you’ll enjoy reading a heroine who could easily relate to all your cupcake-related frustrations. LOL
Inked in the Steel City, #5 - Releasing February 3rd!
Hard times mean hard choices, but falling for Noah Wilder is easy. Beneath his suit and tie, he’s seriously inked and seriously irresistible. When he walks into the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio, the attraction between him and studio receptionist Zoe is mutual – and fierce. And after the opportunity to ditch her demeaning second job to work for him instead arises, suddenly he’s her boss … and much more. With lines blurred in every way imaginable, can she balance passion and professionalism with doing what’s best for her struggling family?Attraction is a powerful thing. So is former fighter Noah’s drive to make his growing mixed martial arts promotion company succeed, and if business happens to coincide with pleasure, so much the better. Tattooed beauty Zoe Ramsey is all his when she’s not working at Hot Ink – for twenty hours a week, anyway. When circumstances bring them close faster than they ever imagined, can he make her see that he’s just as serious about her as he is about the business he’s poured his heart and soul into?Want to be the first to know as soon as Serious Ink releases?Sign up for the Inked in the Steel City new release notification list (form below) and you'll receive a single e-mail notification each time a new Inked in the Steel City book is released. (Your e-mail address is kept completely private and you will not receive any other communications from this list.)Subscribe to the Inked in the Steel City new release notification list
December 31, 2013
Happy New Year!
*throws virtual confetti*To the readers, writers & other book lovers who've been a part of my 2013 - thank you. I can't wait to share 2014 with you. Happy new year!
December 29, 2013
Goodbye 2013: Highlights of My Year in Photos
Every year, when December ends I like to take time to look back on the past 12 months. Maybe it's because, as a writer, I'm always focused on dates and deadlines, but it feels like the perfect time to reflect.
If I had to describe my 2013 in one word, it would be "change". There have been a lot of surprises packed into the past year for me and things are a lot different now than they were when I rang in the last new year. One thing that hasn't changed though is that I spent the year doing what I love: writing romance, which is definitely something to be grateful for. With that being said, here are some highlights from my 2013, both work-related and personal...
My new puppy!
Like I was going to miss out on a chance to show off some adorable puppy photos. This was last January ... he's nearly as big as I am now. No more sleeping on windowsills for him! Still as cute as ever, though.
New books, of course.
I had 6 releases in 2013. Those included 3 in my Inked in the Steel City Series, 1 new Half Moon Shifters Series book and two standalone novels:
Innocent Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #2)Dedicated Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #3)Abiding Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #4)Bright Blue Moon (Half Moon Shifters, #2.5) Rough Around the Edges Hell Without You
Obviously, continuing my Inked in the Steel City Series was a huge part of my focus in 2013. I really enjoy writing these books and am so grateful for the support and enthusiasm series readers have shared with me as I continue to tell the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio staff members' stories. Thank you! I'll be kicking off 2014 with Book 5.
I moved.
This may sound like a pain, and moving always is, but I couldn't be more glad. The neighborhood I was living in before was a real piece of shit (and that, by the way, is my biggest understatement of 2013) and living there was a constant source of misery and frustration. It was my biggest goal, period, to move.
Plus, now I finally have an office. Here it is looking very bare shortly after I moved in. :)
Meeting readers & writers!
Conventions, book signings and events - these are always guaranteed to be highlights of my year. I love spending time with other book lovers. It's so much fun to be around others who "get" what I'm so passionate about. My favorite events of the year were the RT Convention in Kansas City and Lora Leigh's RAW in Hagerstown, MD.
RT Convention
RT Convention
Lora Leigh's RAW
Lora Leigh's RAW
Learning that there is life after wheat.
I've always loved to cook. To eat, too, for that matter. LOL Early in 2013 I discovered that I needed to go gluten-free for medical reasons, which means, among other things, no wheat in my diet whatsoever. At first this was totally miserable. And hard! Turns out almost everything in the typical American diet includes wheat in some form. I immediately dropped 10 pounds and despaired ... how many salads can one possibly eat?
Just look at that authentic Creole gumbo. Who needs wheat?Well, since then I've revamped my cooking and even baking skills. I've still got more to learn, but I'm making more delicious food than ever. Plus, being rid of the health problems gluten was causing me is priceless. And oh yeah ... I gained that weight back. LOL Which brings me to...
I'm pregnant.
Even though this has been true throughout most of the year, I saved this one for last since I still haven't had the baby yet. I'm due at any time, so who knows, it could even happen before the end of 2013 and then I'll have left something big out of this post. LOL
Although pregnancy rarely feels like a highlight, I'm sure the arrival of Baby R will be, whether that falls in 2013 or 2014 (personally I think it'd be cool to have the New Years baby - we'll see if Baby R agrees). :)
To all my readers, writer friends and fellow book lovers I've met over the past 12 months...
Thank you for being a part of my 2013.
Most of these highlights never would have happened if it wasn't for the people who read my stories. Your support, and in many cases your friendship, have been definite highlights in both my professional and personal life and I can't wait to share 2014 with you. I hope 2013 treated you well and that this next year turns out to be your best yet.
What were the highlights of your year, and what are you looking forward to / hoping for in 2014?
If I had to describe my 2013 in one word, it would be "change". There have been a lot of surprises packed into the past year for me and things are a lot different now than they were when I rang in the last new year. One thing that hasn't changed though is that I spent the year doing what I love: writing romance, which is definitely something to be grateful for. With that being said, here are some highlights from my 2013, both work-related and personal...
My new puppy!
Like I was going to miss out on a chance to show off some adorable puppy photos. This was last January ... he's nearly as big as I am now. No more sleeping on windowsills for him! Still as cute as ever, though.
New books, of course.
I had 6 releases in 2013. Those included 3 in my Inked in the Steel City Series, 1 new Half Moon Shifters Series book and two standalone novels:
Innocent Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #2)Dedicated Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #3)Abiding Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #4)Bright Blue Moon (Half Moon Shifters, #2.5) Rough Around the Edges Hell Without You
Obviously, continuing my Inked in the Steel City Series was a huge part of my focus in 2013. I really enjoy writing these books and am so grateful for the support and enthusiasm series readers have shared with me as I continue to tell the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio staff members' stories. Thank you! I'll be kicking off 2014 with Book 5.
I moved.
This may sound like a pain, and moving always is, but I couldn't be more glad. The neighborhood I was living in before was a real piece of shit (and that, by the way, is my biggest understatement of 2013) and living there was a constant source of misery and frustration. It was my biggest goal, period, to move.
Plus, now I finally have an office. Here it is looking very bare shortly after I moved in. :)
Meeting readers & writers!
Conventions, book signings and events - these are always guaranteed to be highlights of my year. I love spending time with other book lovers. It's so much fun to be around others who "get" what I'm so passionate about. My favorite events of the year were the RT Convention in Kansas City and Lora Leigh's RAW in Hagerstown, MD.
RT Convention
RT Convention
Lora Leigh's RAW
Lora Leigh's RAWLearning that there is life after wheat.
I've always loved to cook. To eat, too, for that matter. LOL Early in 2013 I discovered that I needed to go gluten-free for medical reasons, which means, among other things, no wheat in my diet whatsoever. At first this was totally miserable. And hard! Turns out almost everything in the typical American diet includes wheat in some form. I immediately dropped 10 pounds and despaired ... how many salads can one possibly eat?
Just look at that authentic Creole gumbo. Who needs wheat?Well, since then I've revamped my cooking and even baking skills. I've still got more to learn, but I'm making more delicious food than ever. Plus, being rid of the health problems gluten was causing me is priceless. And oh yeah ... I gained that weight back. LOL Which brings me to...I'm pregnant.
Even though this has been true throughout most of the year, I saved this one for last since I still haven't had the baby yet. I'm due at any time, so who knows, it could even happen before the end of 2013 and then I'll have left something big out of this post. LOL
Although pregnancy rarely feels like a highlight, I'm sure the arrival of Baby R will be, whether that falls in 2013 or 2014 (personally I think it'd be cool to have the New Years baby - we'll see if Baby R agrees). :)To all my readers, writer friends and fellow book lovers I've met over the past 12 months...
Thank you for being a part of my 2013.
Most of these highlights never would have happened if it wasn't for the people who read my stories. Your support, and in many cases your friendship, have been definite highlights in both my professional and personal life and I can't wait to share 2014 with you. I hope 2013 treated you well and that this next year turns out to be your best yet.
What were the highlights of your year, and what are you looking forward to / hoping for in 2014?
December 24, 2013
Happy Holidays
Wishing you a merry Christmas Eve, Christmas & happy holiday season. I hope you're able to wrap up 2013 with some fun, relaxation and time spent with those you care about. :)
December 18, 2013
December Newsletter Contest Winner Announcement
I just drew the winner of my December newsletter contest. And the winner is...
Ginnie H.
Ginnie won the very first signed paperback copy of Serious Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #5). Congrats Ginnie, and thank you all who participated.
There will (of course) be a new contest in the next edition of my monthly author newsletter. If you're not a subscriber but would like to be, you can sign up using the form below. Just type your e-mail address in the box and hit 'enter':Subscribe
In related news, I plan to announce the official (early 2014) release date for Serious Ink in the near future. Can't wait to share. :)
Ginnie H.
Ginnie won the very first signed paperback copy of Serious Ink (Inked in the Steel City, #5). Congrats Ginnie, and thank you all who participated.
There will (of course) be a new contest in the next edition of my monthly author newsletter. If you're not a subscriber but would like to be, you can sign up using the form below. Just type your e-mail address in the box and hit 'enter':Subscribe
In related news, I plan to announce the official (early 2014) release date for Serious Ink in the near future. Can't wait to share. :)
