Carrie Ann Ryan's Blog, page 174

Romancing the Blog Hop

What is it about romance that makes me love to read? I love reading and writing romance because I love happy endings. No matter how many books I read, I still sigh when they hero and heroine come together. I still giggle like a school kid when I figure out how much my characters love each other. I mean, I love writing the action scenes, the funny scenes, and even the sad ones, but it's the happy ending that makes it all worth it.


Dust of My Wings – Dante’s Circle Book 1 Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?Neat freak lab tech, Lily Banner lives her life as any ordinary human. She’s dedicated to her work and loves to hang out with her friends at Dante’s Circle, their local bar. When she discovers a strange blue dust at work she meets a handsome stranger holding secrets – and maybe her heart. But after a close call with a thunderstorm, she may not be as ordinary as she thinks.Shade Griffin is a warrior sent to Earth to protect the supernaturals’ secrets. One problem, he can’t stop leaving dust in odd places around town. Now he has to find every ounce of his dust and keep the presence of the supernatural a secret. But after a close encounter with a sexy lab tech and a lightning quick connection, his millennia old loyalties may shift and he could lose more than just his wings in the chaos.
Find it On:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ARe | Kobo

There will be over 100 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger so make sure you follow the hop! For my giveaway, I'm giving away a $15 Starbucks Gift Card, Chocolate Hearts for Romance, and a swag Pack! Follow the RaffleCopter at the end of this post to be entered in my prize and the grand prize!!

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 100 times!


Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!



a Rafflecopter giveaway
To find the other blogs to hop, please click here! Thank you!

Writer Wednesday: Christine Warner

How Dare She/He?
You know what one of the best parts about being an author is? That you can have your characters do or say things that you’d never dare do or say in your own personal life.
Have you wanted to try bungee jumping, but know your chest would explode on the way down from fear? Do you want to race a car at well over a 100 miles an hour, but know you couldn’t be forced behind the wheel even if someone offered you a million dollars? Or, have you ever wanted to tell your boss you quit and while you’re on your way out the door tell him where to go and who to take along?  Lol
In my latest release, Two-Timing the Boss I let my heroine Farah Smith do some daring things I would like to try but would never have the courage. For instance, there is a scene where Farah and our hero Keller Donovan are discussing fears. Farah admits she’s afraid of heights and Keller confesses he doesn’t want to even think about not being in control. (and on a side note your author here admits she’s scared of heights too) So, wah-la, what is the perfect scene for Ms. Author to write…one where Farah has to face her vertical fears and Keller has to give the reins of control to another.
How did I accomplish this hair rising feat? My characters were on a little down time in Las Vegasand I know that there just happens to be a ride on top of one of the buildings there called THE BIG SHOT. 
Yes, you are strapped into a ride atop a T A L L building that shoots you straight up into the air about 160 feet in a matter of about 2 seconds and then you come flying down—not to earth, mind you—but back to the roof top of a T A L L building.  The scene was fun to write because just imagining it had my palms sweaty and my heart pounding.
Okay, so now you’re thinking, ‘sure, she made Farah face her fear of heights, but how did Keller face his fear of losing control?’
Well, let me tell you. Keller was strapped in the seat right alongside Farah (for support *wink*) and just by him being there, not able to control when the operator would start the ride or how Farah would react, and wondering if he could keep her calm if she lost it—he’d given up his own control.
Of course Farah so effortlessly pointed this out to him as well, because you know how men sometimes don’t always get the big picture.  Lol
So, tell me, what’s a fear you have, or still have, but you’ve taken a chance and either conquered it or tried to conquer it?
While you’re thinking of an answer, here’s a short blurb and excerpt from Two-Timing the Boss, my sexy, contemporary romance.

BLURB:
Farah Smith is on a mission: secure the funds for her twin sister’s surgery.  She’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.  Even if that means putting her values aside to work for a man she finds morally bankrupt.  But when the real Farah meets her new boss, she wonders if she’ll be able to resist his sexy advances long enough to help her sister.From the blonde wig, to the stilettos strapped around her ankles, Farah’s a clone of Keller Donovan’s harem of past assistants.  She can’t believe she’s let herself be talked into the disguise, let alone working for the man planning to demolish the hospital her sister so desperately needs, but the salary he offers is the only way she’ll be able to afford her sister’s surgery.  The moment Farah meets Keller she realizes her most daunting task isn’t typing, spreadsheets or organizing travel arrangements, but fighting the growing attraction toward a man whose ruthlessness is legendary in the boardroom as well as the bedroom.Determined not to end up in a disastrous marriage like his divorced parents, Keller believes all relationships should have a shelf life of sixth months or less.  But when he meets Farah, all bets are off.  He not only wants her to continue as his personal assistant, but his own private bed warmer.  Unfortunately, his offer of an affair doesn’t sit well with her fairytale dreams or the strangled hold gripping his heart.
EXCERPT:
These damn shoes would be the death of her.  She could read the headlines now:  Penniless P.A. Falls to her Death while on Job Interview.Almost to her destination, with no more mishaps, her confidence surfaced.  Okay, maybe mastering this heel thing wouldn’t be such a big deal.  Her steps became light, almost bouncy.  Although she sensed Keller Donovan behind her, she didn’t let it deter her feeling of success.  She stepped onto the large black and red area rug, less than ten feet from her target.  The leather chairs. “Oh!”  Farah’s spiky heel caught on the edge of the expensive rug.  Her legs shook and she shot her arms out from her sides, circling them like a bird about to take flight.  She fought to regain balance inside the ridiculous stilts strapped to her feet.  A brawl to the death.  Over when she looked down to see the rug coming up to kiss her face.  She threw out her hands, sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, scrunching her face as she prepared for impact.But nothing happened.  There were stars all right, and a blazing jolt of electricity shot from her toes, up her legs, through her body and exited with the small gasp which escaped her lips.  Somehow Keller Donovan had grabbed her around the waist before she met the floor.  Heat burned her cheeks.  He may have saved her body from bruises, but her ego, and whatever confidence she’d walked in with had shattered.“Let’s not have an accident before your health benefits kick in.”  His breath tickled her ear from behind.  Chills hugged her backbone.His touch released an unsettling flutter in her abdomen.  She sucked in her stomach from the pressure of his strong arms wrapped around her middle, afraid to breathe. 

Two-Timing the Boss is available in print and digital format at:http://thewildrosepress.com/http://www.barnesandnoble.com/http://www.amazon.com/
And you can find me at:My blog/website:  http://christine-warner.com/Twitter under ChristinesWords: https://twitter.com/#!/ChristinesWordsMy Facebook page…stop by and give it a LIKE to stay informed of what I have in the works: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Warner/143430882396013Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
I love to hear from readers and other authors J  And don’t forget to answer by question above….I’m curious J
And a HUGE THANK YOUfor having me on your blog today Carrie Ann J


Christine is giving away a copy of either Two Timing the Boss or Some Like it in Handcuffs to a lucky commenter. Please leave your email address!

Tasty Tuesday: Charmed Spirits

Hi! And welcome back to Tasty Tuesday!!! We've missed you guys! So, what do you think of him? Below is a snippet from my upcoming Charmed Spirits! (Holiday, Montana Book 1)





“Did you hear about last night?” A woman in her mid-fifties who Jordan didn’t recognize was talking to Mr. Clancy.The shop owner nodded, his eyes bright under bushy white eyebrows.  “Another sighting.”Jordan’s interest perked up, and she dragged her fingers over a bag of M&M’s, trying to look nonchalant. A spy she would never be, but she could try.


Thanks for coming to my Tasty Tuesday! Click the links below to find others!Carrie Ann Ryan | Lia Davis | Tempeste O’Riley | Divinities

Romancing the Hop is Coming!

What is your favorite thing about Romance? Well, we authors are ready to share our romantic tips and favorite romance reads! Starting on Friday and ending on Sept 3rd, over 100 Authors and Bloggers will share their favorite things about romance, reading romance, and dating.

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 100 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 100 times!

Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!


Yep. ALL of that! Whoot! Be sure to come back here on Friday and over the weekend to enjoy some stories and facts about our favorite Romance events and reads and enter to win!

Charmed Spirits: Six Sentence Sunday

Hi All! Welcome to my Six Sentences! Below is a snipped from my upcoming Charmed Spirits. Prescott is an ass and I hate him. Just saying. *wink*

A hand caught the doorframe before she could close the door, and Jordan inwardly cursed.“Now that you’re back, just know that I’m the mayor of this town,” Prescott sneered. “And we don’t need any of your kind here. So watch our step, and I’ll be sure to watch it as well. You aren’t welcome here, Jordan Cross. And if you cross me or my town, I’ll stick Sherriff Tyler Cooper on your ass so fast you won’t be able to hex anyone this time.”

What's in a Title?

I spent about three hours today going over titles with my writing partner Lia Davis and I'm worn out. I swear it took more effort to come up with those then write the dang book.
Okay, maybe not, but you get the drift.
Titles are very important for authors, readers, publishers...pretty much everyone in the writing community. They honesty can make or break a book.
Yes, I judge a book by it's title (and it's cover, but that's for another blog post). The title and the cover are the first two things that pull me in or catch my eye. If they're good enough, then I'll read the blurb. Then I'll ask a friend what they thought. I don't usually look at reviews because I don't know if those people have the same taste as me. But I do have a couple book addicts that know my taste that I talk about books with. Tamara Hoffa being one of them. If you ever need a book recommendation, as her!
But back to titles. Sometimes they come out of no where and are perfect. Other times you just want to pull out your eyelashes one by one.
There are a few ways people come up with titles but the way Lia and I do it is this:


First, we think about the hero and heroineWhat are their names?What are their goals?Do they have certain jobs or positions that could help with the title?Do they have inner conflict that could lead to a good title?Then we look at the outer conflictIs there a big event that could help with the title?Is there a theme?Then we look at the concept of the bookWhat tone are we looking for?Do we want the title to match the other series in some way?Then we mix and matchYes, honestly, sometimes it's me and Lia putting words together until they make sense.The words have to actually be cohesiveThey need to tell a storyThey can't spoil a key secret plot pointThen we search AmazonIs the title already in use? If it is, is it in the same genre?Then we sit back and read it aloud.Does it make us laugh?Does it sound like purple prose?Then, hopefully, that's our title...if we both like it. :-) 

After all of that, you see why sometimes we want to just say "The hell with it!" throw up our hands and call it 50 Shades of Werewolf Twilight.
But we don't.
I mean, we spend so much time being creative in the book, why would we want to blatantly steal another title. But alas, I think that's another blog post in itself, no?

More blogging less talking

I've come to realize that though I love talking to people on Facebook and Twitter, I need to pull back.Yes, I have time to do it, but I think it's pulling my focus. Plus, I'm not blogging as much. I have this whole platform where I can talk to people, write about things that are happening, and ask about things for my books, yet I'm not using it.

So from now on, I'll be blogging more about writing, my life, random things, and things I've read, and spend less time on Facebook and Twitter. I keep thinking that I need to be on those places all the time or you'll forget about me and not want to read me, but really, that's not the case. I don't flood you with links as it is, I just talk with y'all. So now we can do it here.

I have a lot of projects coming up and I need to focus on that and not my web presence. Don't worry, I'll be around. Just on my blog instead.

Fresh Friday Reads

Happy Friday!!! So tell me, what are y'all reading? Here's a list of what I've read this week. :-)

Softly at Sunrise - Maya Banks
Rachel Kelly has traveled a long, hard road in her journey back to her husband, Ethan, and the Kelly family. Now, as she and Ethan are poised to move into their new home, safe behind the walls of the Kelly compound, Rachel wonders if she’ll finally be free of the ghosts that have haunted her for so long and if she’ll step into the sun after a past steeped in darkness.

Hard Mated - Jennifer Ashley 
A short novel of the Shifters Unbound series. Spike, a wildcat Shifter and the champion fighter of Shiftertown, is stunned when Myka, the best friend of a dying human woman, announces that Spike has fathered a cub. What's more, the mother is giving the boy to Spike to protect and raise. 

Myka, who'd been raised by an abusive stepfather, is not sure that a wild fighter named Spike is the best man to bring up the cute little jaguar cub. She goes to Shiftertown to check out Spike, and finds that the man behind the name is a lonely Shifter who's lost most of his family and is a fierce caretaker to those he has left. 

Spike is torn between the cub and his duties as tracker to the Shiftertown leader, and begs Myka, the only person who understands, to help him. He starts to like the sassy Myka, a horse trainer who's not afraid of working with animals, even if they're wildcats who turn into humans. 

When Spike's job puts his cub and Myka in danger, Spike is forced to choose between those to whom he's pledged his loyalty and his need to protect the woman and cub he's come to love.

Silver Tongue - Marie Harte
Kitty Nelson works for the PowerUp! gym as the day manager. But the empath does a lot more than run the gym. She keeps the team in shape, tempering emotions in a high strung group of psychics. It's not easy, but Kitty keeps the peace, until one day she meets her match in a man who won't cave to her looks, her smiles, or her psychic skills. Who knew meddling with a couple in love would lead to man straight out of her fantasies...and nightmares? Because with Dane, she knows he won't accept less than total control.

Dane Hanson did his time for the Marine Corps. He also got shot and found himself medically retired, leaving him aching for the excitement of a job he loved. He found solace in his artwork, and it's that ability to create that has Kitty needing his help. He's back in the thick of things on an undercover assignment, but everything's different. Kitty is psychic, her skills don't work on him, and she's the hottest thing he's ever seen. Even better, the woman has submissive tendencies he's dying to explore. But when the mission turns deadly, Dane realizes he doesn't just want to play with Kitty, he wants to own the feisty redhead for a lot longer than this mission. That's if she'll let herself surrender, the bad guys don't shoot them, and the weird statue they're sent to retrieve doesn't curse them to death.

Note:Warning: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: anal play/intercourse, Domination/submission.

Thursday Tales: Jessica Lauryn

Thanks so much for having me, Carrie!  I’m very excited to be here today on Romance With a Bite and even more excited to be sharing some of my favorite character-dates with your readers!
So, what was the best date you’ve ever gone on?  Was it a romantic candlelit dinner?  A moonlight walk on the beach?  If you’re like me, perhaps your favorite date is yet to come, as in, it isn’t something you’ve experienced yet, but is something you fantasize about, maybe on a rather frequent basis.  If you’re a writer, perhaps you enjoy bringing your fantasies to life, finding ways to incorporate your dream dates into your works in progress.  Or maybe you’re a reader, and you simply find no greater escape than an afternoon with a great romance novel, which just happens to include the perfect date.  Whether the hero and heroine’s date is planned or spontaneous, there are few things I find more exciting than accompanying them on their big night out…and seeing where the turn of events will lead.  As the personalities of hero’s and heroines often clash (sometimes exploding in fireworks!) it is common in romance novels for a lot of suspense to build to that first date.  A first date can be one of the most anticipated (and appreciated) elements in a romance!
One of my favorite scenes to write in my debut novel, Dangerous Ally, was Lilah and Lucas’s candlelight dinner.  In fact, writing this scene was one of the initial reasons I wanted to write the story.  With just a few ideas under my belt, I set out to create an opportunity for a candlelight dinner in this story, something really romantic with a strong element of seduction in the air.  And of course, the hero would be the seducer.  This eventually lead to a whole “seduction” theme for Dangerous Ally in which Lucas, hero and diamond smuggling kingpin, sets out to stop New York Times Reporter Lilah Benson from exposing his crimes.  His plan?  Get Lilah Benson into his bed…and keep her there…
The first thing I decided I needed to create this perfect date was a historic mansion.  Setting is key in romantic fiction and I take the settings of my scenes—especially for dates—very seriously.  Next most critical element: costume decisions.  For this scene, Lucas and Lilah are dressed to the nines in a gown and tux, which I just happened to have the opportunity to do, as they’re dining in the upscale sophistication of the Ramone Mansion.  Sounds silly, but the right setting and mood can make all the difference in a date scene.  And I’m sure reader and writer alike can agree that a romantic setting wins every time!
But the most important element in this date scenario?  Seduction.  That’s right.  SEDUCTION!  As the reader knows Lucas’s plan to seduce Lilah into his bed, the element of seduction is already set into motion.  And if Lilah doesn’t come to dinner already knowing what her suave hero has in mind, surely she soon realizes as he…sets out a delicious five course meal, lots of candlelight, and finally, he takes her for a walk on the balcony, complete with all the right smooth talk, a subtle slip of the arm, and at last the first kiss.  The first date doesn’t always need to end in sex, though, a seductive first date can certainly build to it. 
Or perhaps the first date does end in sex…
In my latest release, Dangerous Proposal, heroine Lena Benson fleas to the remote town of North Conway, in efforts to escape from under the thumb of her maniacal fiancé.  All seems to be going according to plan, until she meets Alec Westwood, local doctor and town heartthrob, who just might be the man her fiancé hired to track her down.  A midnight walk in the woods accidentally brings Lena face-to-face with the dark-haired scoundrel, Alec.  She should be afraid.  But instead, she finds herself placing her hand into his, following him to what he vaguely refers to as a “surprise.”
Alec, terrified Lena may be working with a band of criminals who coerced him into accepting an assassin mission at the age of nineteen, doesn’t know who to trust.  But he does know that the attraction he feels for Lena is far stronger than his fear.  On a whim, he finds himself leading the young woman through the woods, to a lake he frequented as a child.  Lena is awe-struck at the breathtaking body of water before her, and Alec goes in for the kill.  They share a steamy kiss, which leads to a very passionate night of lovemaking beneath the stars.  Not bad for a date that was never planned, hmm?
As a romance novelist, I find creating the perfect date scenario to be one of my favorite things to do.  The ideas come easily when you’re fantasizing about something you’d really like to be doing yourself, and with the infinite possibilities the imagination offers, the possibilities are endless.  I really enjoyed writing the dates scenes in Dangerous Ally and Dangerous Proposal.  I look much forward to writing more date scenes, with just as much spice and pleasure as these two!       
For ten agonizing years, Alec Westwood has been keeping a secret from the world. At nineteen, he nearly committed the most horrific of crimes—murder in cold blood—and narrowly escaped the assigned task with his life. When a stunning young woman crosses his path wearing the insignia for the underground organization that recruited him, he vows not to let fate get a second chance. But when the enchantress gives him a kiss that leaves him spellbound, Alec realizes the power she holds is greater than all his strength and fortitude combined… 

On the run from her psychotic fiancé, Lena Benson vows to forge a new life, even if that means befriending a witch, and practicing the craft of the devil. But when her new friend Jack tells her to stay away from Alec Westwood, the man she believes her fiancé hired to track her down, and the handsome stranger she kissed in a tavern, Lena vows to take matters into her own hands. Alec may have the charm, but she’s calling the shots this time, even if that means resisting the man responsible for giving her the most intimate kiss of her life, a man who’s eyes and touch rob her, literally, of sense…    An author of Contemporary Romantic Suspsense, Jessica Lauryn is most intrigued by dark heroes, who have many demons to conquer…but little trouble enticing female companions into their beds! She feels that the best romances are those where the hero is already seducing the heroine from that first point of contact. 

Jessica’s latest release, Dangerous Proposal, showcases the steamy love affair that takes place when fugitive Lena Benson crosses paths with dark-haired-devil Alec Westwood. The second edition to The Pinnacles of Power Series, the story takes place a few years prior to Jessica's debut release, Dangerous Ally.

When she’s is not writing, Jessica enjoys listening to as much 80’s music as possible, watching the same re-runs of Smallville...

Why can't I like them?

You all know I'm an avid reader. I can't help it. I love reading, and when I start reading, sometimes, I don't like the characters. Again, I can't help it. I was reading one book and was so pissed off while reading it I wrote this on Facebook:
"This heroine spends the entire time psychoanalyzing the hero and being a complete bitch only worrying about calories so she doesn't get fat again. She's judgmental, rude, and has her nose up in the air. Why am I supposed to like her again? Oh, right, she's supposed to have an HEA. Yeah, I just want her to get fat then get hit by a bus. Gah. I hate it when I hate a character. And no, I will not tell you the name of the book."
Yes, it sounds harsh. Yes, I sound like a bitch while writing it. But, honestly, it's my opinion. I invest myself in the characters I read. I want them to have their HEA. Well...most of the time. This time? I really wanted the hero to run off and find another woman or realize he's gay and find a man. Anything to make him happy. This guy wasn't perfect, but at least he tried. This woman? Not so much.
Not everyone is going to like every book and every character. I get that. But I really hate it when I hate a character. It almost never happens, but this time, I wanted to run her over with a bus.
I recommend a lot of books to readers when they ask because I love reading. However, I will NEVER tell you what book NOT to read. Each person will have a different opinion. I'd rather you go in knowing at least ONE person liked it than that someone hated it. Reviews can jade a reading, I know this.
But honestly? This book left a bad taste in my mouth. I HATE when that happens.
Oh, and NO, I won't tell you the book. Just know that there ARE amazing books out there. :-)