Empi Baryeh's Blog, page 40

With Love Valentine's Day Blog Hop

Valentine's Day is almost upon us. In Ghana, for the past three or four years, it's officially 'National Chocolate Day', and we're supposed to promote the country's cocoa industry (yes, Veronica, chocolate is made from cocoa). That hasn't stopped the media from going on and on about Valentine's Day or the hospitality industry from offering romantic packages for the occasion.

As for moi, I'm still celebrating the release of my debut novel, Most Eligible Bachelor, in which my hero and heroine meet on Valentine's Day. Very apropos, don't you think.

I reckon we all fall into one of three categories when if comes to Valentine's Day:

1. It's just another day – nothing special

2. I don't need one day in the year to show love to my significant other(s)

3. Valentine's Day is special, and everyone must go above and beyond the normal call of love

Whichever category you fall under this year, I believe love is always in season, and giving is never out of style.

Which is why I'm excited to be taking part in the With Love Valentine's Day Blog Hop,  running from 11th – 14th February, 2o12 (ends mid-night EST).

Up for grabs, as part of my participation, are 2 copies of Most Eligible Bachelor, as well as a $10 gift certificate for buying books (meaning it will be either an Amazon or Evernight gift certificate).

Here's how to take part in the contest:

Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on my Website.

Each registration counts, so if you follow me on all 3, you get 3 entries in the contest; also, if you have a page on Facebook and you follow me both as yourself and as your 'Page', each one will be counted separately (can someone say 'awesome.')

When you're done, please come back here and let me know you're following, where and what name you're following under (if different from what you use to post your comment). If you're already a follower, just leave me a comment telling me where and the name you follow under.

Let's have fun with this. Tell me which of the above categories you fall under, and then share with us your best or most memorable Valentine's Day. Mine will come soon.

You don't have to post your e-mail address just yet (I know many people aren't comfortable putting their emails in comments). I'll request winners to send me their email addresses using my blog's 'Contact Me' form.

Winners will be announced on 15th February, 2012.

[PS. This contest is separate from my 100 fan book giveaway contest and my blog tour book give-away]

And just in case you're wondering what Most Eligible Bachelor is about, read the blurb and excerpt:

Want more love this Valentine's Day? Hop over to the With Love Valentine's Day Blog Hop and check out the full list of 250+ participants.

Happy Valentine's–ahem, Chocolate–Day!

***

Wanna win a copy of my book?

Follow my blog tour: I'm featuring at Flavor Full Love for this whole week and guesting at Tory Michael's on Thursday.  
 Check out my contests.

Word Wednesday: Key, Quay, Cay, Qi, Ki

Hello and Happy Wednesday! I'm in two places at once today (and you thought that couldn't be done ) – I'm here sharing my 4-word homonym set, and I'm also at Lara Daniels' blog today talking about some ups and downs in my journey to publication. So please go over there too and leave me a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Most Eligible Bachelor.

That said, welcome to yet another Word Wednesday (*applause*). I'm sure most of you know at least two of the words today, but still, let's get to it:

KEY \pronounced KEE\ which functions as a noun, adjective and verb. Let's take it one at a time, shall we:

1. Metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

2. One of several labelled buttons on a typewriter, computer keyboard, or keypad, used to enter a particular character or invoke a particular function

3.Something crucial for explaining. "the key to development is economic integration"

4. Pitch of the voice. "he spoke in a low key"

5. Any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music

6. A kilogram of a narcotic drug. "they were carrying two keys of heroin"

7. A winged often one-seed indehiscent fruit as of the ash, elm or maple

8. A coral reef off the southern coast of Florida

9. (basketball) a space (including the foul line) in front of the basket at each end of a basketball court; usually painted a different colour from the rest of the court. "he hit a jump shot from the top of the key"

10. A list of answers to a test. "some students had stolen the key to the final exam"

11. A list of words or phrases that explain symbols or abbreviations

12. A generic term for any device whose possession entitles the holder to a means of access. "a safe-deposit box usually requires two keys to open it"

13. Mechanical device used to wind another device that is driven by a spring (as a clock)

14. The central building block at the top of an arch or vault

Adjective

1. Serving as an essential component. "a key rule"

Verb

1. Classify or apply the appropriate name to, e.g. in botany or biology

2. Provide with a key. "We were keyed after the locks were changed in the building"

3. Vandalize a car by scratching the sides with a key. "His new Mercedes was keyed last night in the parking lot"

4. (music) regulate the musical pitch of. "key a guitar"

5. Harmonize with or adjust to

Okay, so it's abundantly clear that I'm not maximising my use of the word 'key'. Gotta change that.

***

QUAY  \pronounced KEE\ a noun referring to a wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline.

synonyms: dock, pier, wharf, wharfage

***

CAY \pronounced KEE; or KEY (like hey)\ can function as a noun, referring to grass mowed and cured for use as fodder or  a verb meaning to convert (plant material) into hay.

Synonyms: convert (v), fodder (n, v)

***

QI \pronounced KEE\ a noun referring to the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health.

Synonyms: ch'i, chi (also, chee), ki

***

Bonus: After doing Qi, I realised there was also KI, which apart from being synonymous with Qi, also refers to the Goddess personifying earth in Sumerian mythology, the consort of Akkadian Aruru.

Okay people, I'm fairly confident that I've given you more than a few morsels to chew on today. Don't forget to stop by my blog tour today and leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of Most Eligible Bachelor.

Six Sentence Sunday: Another snippet from Most Eligible Bachelor

Welcome to another Six Sentence Sunday! It's only my second, so I'm hardly a veteran, but I had a lot of fun with last week's snippet, so I'm doing it again. I chose another snippet from Most Eligible Bachelor. Last week I did a narrative; this week, it's dialogue. Here we go:

Chantelle sat back with a sigh. "I'm about to call his Lordship."

Dufie clutched her chest in a dramatic fashion. "Oh, I can just feel your pain."

"I swear. Randy's doing this just to punish me for the Celeb incident."

***

Wanna know what happens next? All you have to do is get your copy of Most Eligible Bachelor   (teeheehee  - I can say that now- *does the jiggle*). Here's where to go:

Evernight Publishing | Amazon | Amazon UK | All Romance eBooks | Bookstrand

(but remember that it's currently 15% off at Evernight)

To learn more about Six Sentence Sunday and find links to over a hundred other snippets, visit Six Sentence Sunday. Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic week!

Blog Tour Winners: Week 1

Hi everyone. I know I mentioned that I'll pick winners at the very end of the tour – i.e. on the 19th. However I realised that it would mean a very long wait for those who commented earlier. I've changed that, and would now be announcing winners weekly.

So without further ado, here are the week-1 blog tour winners of free copies of Most Eligible Bachelor:

BLOG DATE   
BLOG HOST
WINNER


30-Jan
Nana Awere Damoah   
Faisal


31-Jan
Ea Bloom
Celestine


01-Feb
Kiru Taye
Delaney


02-Feb
Lorraine Nelson
 London


03-Feb
Empi Baryeh
Zrinka

***

Congratulations to all winners! Please send me your emails through the 'Contact me' form on this blog or PM me on Facebook or Twitter. Want a chance to win a copy, too? Here's the rest of my blog tour schedule:

DATE
HOST
BLOG ADDRESS







04-Feb
Shyla Colt
http://shylacoltsstraightshot.wordpress.com/


05-Feb
Cassandra Roberts-Jones
http://cassandrajones.webs.com/apps/blog/


06-Feb
Ju Dimello
http://judimello.blogspot.com/


07-Feb
Joanne Stewart
http://jm-stewart.blogspot.com/


08-Feb
Lara Daniels
http://laradanielswrites.com/category/blog/


09-Feb
Georgia Fox
http://www.georgiafoxauthor.blogspot.com/


10-Feb
Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku 
http://flirtyandfeistyromance.blogspot.com/


11-18 Feb 
Kassana
http://www.flavorfullove.com/


16-Feb
Tory Michaels
http://torymichaels.blogspot.com/

Next round of winners will be announced on the 11th.

Have a wonderful weekend!

New Release! Most Eligible Bachelor

OUT NOW!

MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR

Series: Men of Distinction

Genre: Multicultural/Contemporary Romance

Magazine columnist Chantelle Sah doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day—not since her fiancé's betrayal three years ago—and after botching her first assignment as a feature writer, she's more than willing to put in a hard day's work this Valentine's Day; even if it means going on a date with gorgeous construction Tycoon, Lord McKenzie, and opening herself to an onslaught of all things love.

When Lord—his given name, not a title—sets his sights on Chantelle, it isn't just work he has on his mind. But even he couldn't have predicted the magnetic attraction between them when they meet, nor the evening ending with more than an interview. Now he has to convince Chantelle that their one-night stand wasn't a mistake. Can he win her love without revealing a secret from their night of passion, which could prove fatal for both their hearts?

Excerpt

Lord McKenzie knew he was in trouble the moment he reached for the door and found Chantelle's hand instead. She turned, her almond-shaped eyes widening. Their hazel intensity met his gaze, and he knew he was done for.

Energy passed between them, zapping his will to resist.

"Chantelle." His voice came out heavy, having forced its way out of the vise gripping his throat.

He pulled her, intending to have one more taste of her luscious full lips. He felt no resistance on her part as she stepped toward him. Her bag dropped to the floor just before her body slammed against his, every soft curve fitting perfectly into him as he laid claim on her lips.

She kissed him back with the same hunger with which he devoured her. Fire ignited, took over. She gripped his t-shirt, tugging it out of his trousers in the process. He became instantly hard. When her hands grazed his skin, he lost hold of any control he had tried to maintain. A kiss wouldn't be enough to douse the inferno of desire consuming them. Something it seemed she'd already realized, because she pushed the t-shirt up his torso.

Their breathing and moans mingled as they attended to the multiple tasks of kissing, shedding their clothes and finding a place to settle. Chantelle's top came off first, followed by his, then her jeans and his. Stumbling urgently to the loveseat, they continued their kissing and frantic groping.

With one snap, her bra came off, making Lord pause. He needed to take in the sight before him. In nothing but a flimsy pair of lacy white panties, she was a vision of perfection, her body a work of art. Her tall frame ordinarily projected an impression of slimness, but underneath her clothes were curves, lush and feminine, ample hips narrowing into a small waist and firm breasts proudly pouting at him, all wrapped in flawless milk-chocolate skin.

"You're incredibly beautiful," he whispered.

He couldn't wait to taste her. But first, he needed to touch.

Reverently he cupped her breasts and kneaded them gently, drawing a soft moan from her. His hands travelled down her flat stomach to her hips, enjoying the feel of her curves. His mouth followed with kisses, along the same path to her navel. Reaching for the hem of her panties, he paused, raising his eyes to meet her gaze.

She watched him with sultry eyes, her pupils dilated. Seeing the desire in their depths caused several ounces of restraint to slip from his grip, but he needed to know they were on the same page. He wasn't going any further if she had doubts.

"Tell me to take this off."

BUY
Evernight Publishing | Amazon | Amazon UK | All Romance eBooks | Bookstrand
[Psst! Remember folks, Most Eligible Bachelor is 15% off for the first 2 weeks of release through the Evernight website]

***

Release Day at last! I'm so happy to be able to share Most Eligible Bachelor with you, my friends and well-wishers who've rooted for me all this while  as I pursued my dream of becoming a published author. I'm especially proud of this novel, which started out as a short story for a Valentine's Day Writing prompt on FanStory. That became the original chapter 1 of the story. Another writing prompt spawned what became the original chapter 2 (now ch 4). I then had the brilliant idea of challenging myself to write a novel using writing prompts only. But then an editor pitch competition for a well-known publishing house came along. The prize? An editor for a year! That was an opportunity I couldn't resist, so I decided to take a chance.

The deadline was two months from the date I found out about it, so I had my work cut out for me. I'd never written a novel in two months, but after reading the writing guidelines, I felt my hero and heroine fitted the genre perfectly. I was already excited about my characters, so writing the novel turned out to be easy. I finished the first draft in a month, with enough time to let my Critique Partners read it and give me their input before submitting.

I didn't win the competition, but I did get a complete novel, which I was able to enter into the RWA Golden Heart Awards.  Once again,  my story didn't win, but the result sheet I received was very encouraging. At the very least, it told me that my story had a global appeal, and this made me more eager than ever to publish.

It hasn't been all fun and games, though. I've had my share of rejections. I'd like to say that all those Rs just made me strive harder, but that would be a lie. I got discouraged many times, yes, especially with form Rs because they don't tell you what you need to do to improve the story.

Most Eligible Bachelor went through many edits and is now a much stronger story than I started out with, thanks to my hard-working editor Karyn White at Evernight Publishing. I've learnt so much since I started pursuing publication, and I hope that means my next books will  have an easier time getting to you.

So whether you have you own personal hero, or you're still waiting for Mr. Right, I invite you to cosy up a copy of Most Eligible Bachelor. I'd love to hear from you, so be sure to write and let me know what you thought of the book. You can reach me right here on my blog, on my website, on Facebook, on Twitter or Goodreads.

In the spirit of my story's theme, I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day in advance and happy reading!

***Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, I will be giving away a free copy of Most Eligible Bachelor to one commenter on this post.*** 

Author Spotlight: Anna Keraleigh

Today, I'm happy to introduce to you, a fellow Evernight author, Anna Keraleigh, who's celebrating the release of her latest novel, Seven Days in Jade, from Whisky Creek Press.

Over to Anna!

Sex is more than just making love. It can be a wondrous game of all sorts of fun. In my new novel, Seven Days In Jade, I explore the fun aspect of sex. Part 4, Find Me Friday, our unhappily married Jade and her sexy devoted lover, Ryan make a new game that leads to a naked tryst. Below is an excerpt of this dazzling, erotic story.

Blurb:

Jade is an unhappily married woman.

Ryan is a sexy Private Investigator that loves her.

He brings her secret fantasies to life, ice cream covered flesh, dominance, handcuffs and the ultimate desire of another woman. However, their wild sexcapade ends when Jade's husband returns and their oasis returns to desert. Can they survive apart now that they have tasted true love?

These lovers have a one-week affair that will change their lives forever.

Excerpt

(Warning for sensitive readers: erotic content):

Dear Ryan,

He cradled the single sheet of paper as he shut the front door to her house. Her handwriting was pristine and her words carefully calculated. He prayed this wasn't an 'it's been fun but it's over' letter. That would split his heart in two.

Today is Friday. I have dubbed, yes I said dubbed, today Find Me Friday. You have to follow the clues to find me. When you do, your reward is a slow, tantalizing cock suck, followed by a world class orgasm in my pussy.

His jeans tented at the mere thought and he ran a hand through his black hair.

The first clue is in the house, it's in a pair of shoes, the boots you bought me. Love you, come and find me, Jade.

His eyes skimmed the last words over, three then four times. She loved him. She really loved him. The rarely used smile formed, it seemed brighter when he was with her. Now he was going to track her fine ass down and tell her the same. He really, truly loved her in return.

Up the stairs at a dead run he went, thankful for his daily jogs so his timing was rapid. He discovered the boots on the bedroom floor, the white paper folded and stuffed into one of them. He glanced around before retrieving the message.

My shoes are off; the next article of clothing is my shirt. You'll find it where we made love on Tuesday.

She was around here with her shirt off. His cock throbbed as he hauled ass down the stairs and into the kitchen. Tuesday was when he licked the ice cream off her pink flesh and on the counter was a shirt. The note this time was above it, pinned to the delicate fabric.

Take off your shirt, sexy man. Then you have to search for my pants. That's right, baby, I'm walking around now without pants! I'm only in a pink bra and pink thong, pinching my nipples and waiting for you to ravish me. Remember Wednesday?

He laughed aloud. "You little minx!"

***

BUY: Seven Days in Jade is only $3.99 and can be purchased here.

About Anna

Anna has two erotic fantasy novels published with Evernight Publishing and has stories in two erotic anthologies. She writes about fairies owing to her love for everything about Ireland including its unique folklore. She also fell in love with the erotica genre the moment she read her first naughty novel. She invites you into her fantasy world where muscle men with delicate wings fight for their kingdom (in loincloths). When she's not writing she enjoys swimming, reading on the deck or trying to save her fish from her cat. (They have a love/hate relationship.)

Where to find Anna online: Website | Facebook | Goodreads

***

Thanks for stopping by today, Anna. Good luck with your latest release and future projects.

PS. Don't forget to hop over to my friend Lorraine Nelson's blog where I'm giving away a free copy of Most Eligible Bachelor to one lucky commenter.

Word Wednesday: Discreet and Discrete

Welcome to another Word Wednesday! Last week I couldn't post one, but I'm making up for it with these two words that I hope you'll find interesting: discreet and discrete!

DISCREET \pronounced: dis-KREET\ a adjective meaning:

1.  Marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint

"his trusted discreet aide"; "a discreet, finely wrought gold necklace"
2. Unobtrusively perceptive and sympathetic. "a discreet silence"

3. Heedful of potential consequences. "a discreet investor"

Related Forms:

Discreetness (noun);
Indiscreet (adjective)
Discreetly (adverb);
Indiscreetly (adverb)

Synonyms:

Discerning (meaning 2)
Curcumspect (meaning 3)

***

DISCRETE: \pronounced dis-KREET\ also an adjective meaning:

1. Constituting a separate entity or part

"a government with three discrete divisions"

Related Forms:

Discreteness (noun);
Discretise; Discretize (verb)
Indiscrete (adjective)
Indiscretely (adverb)

Synonyms


Distinctness
Separateness
Severalty



***

I know, I know. These two can be confusing. To be honest, I didn't know of discrete until I typed discretely in place of discreetly and went like 'that's not right'. Word, however, hadn't highlighted it so I decided to check it out. You learn something new everyday.

PS. Don't forget to hop over to my friend Kiru Taye's blog where I'm giving away a free copy of Most Eligible Bachelor to one lucky commenter.

Blog Tour Kick-Off: Most Eligible Bachelor

With the release of Most Eligible Bachelor just four days away, I'm kick-starting a blog tour, which will take me to 14 online destinations in honour of the theme of my novel – Valentine's Day, 14th February. I'm over at Ghanaian author Nana Awere Damoah's today and will be back here on Friday to tell you a little more about the making of Most Eligible Bachelor. I'll be giving out a free copy of my book to one lucky commenter on each blog I visit. That's 14 blogs and 14 books, so get commenting!

Here's my full blog tour schedule, so you don't miss out:

DATE
HOST
BLOG ADDRESS


30-Jan
Nana Awere Damoah
http:// www.nanaaweredamoah.wordpress.com


31-Jan
Ea Bloom
http://eabloom.blogspot.com


01-Feb
Kiru Taye
http://kirutayewrites.blogspot.com/


02-Feb
Lorraine Nelson
 http://lorrainenelson.wordpress.com


03-Feb
Empi Baryeh
http://empibaryeh.wordpress.com/


04-Feb
Shyla Colt
http://shylacoltsstraightshot.wordpress.com/


05-Feb
Empi Baryeh (Six Sentence Sunday) 
http://empibaryeh.wordpress.com/


06-Feb
Ju Dimello
http://judimello.blogspot.com/


07-Feb
Joanne Stewart
http://jm-stewart.blogspot.com/


08-Feb
Lara Daniels
http://laradanielswrites.com/category/blog/


09-Feb
Georgia Fox
http://www.georgiafoxauthor.blogspot.com/


10-Feb
Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku 
http://flirtyandfeistyromance.blogspot.com/


11-18 Feb 
Kassana
http://www.flavorfullove.com/


16-Feb
Tory Michaels
http://torymichaels.blogspot.com/

***

Don't forget to come back to my blog on the 11th for the With Love on Valentine's Day blog Hop (11-14 Feb). I'll be doling out more goodies including $10 gift certificate!

Have a great week!

Six Sentence Sunday: A snippet from Most Eligible Bachelor

[Glossary: WIP – Work in Progress; SSS – Six Sentence Sunday]

Welcome to my first Six Sentence Sunday. The idea behind SSS is for an author to pick any 6 sentences from a work from any genre, whether WIP or published (you don't have to be published to participate) and post them on their blog on Sunday before 9 AM EST (i.e. 2PM GMT). There are no restrictions on genre, heat level or publisher.

To celebrate the release of Most Eligible Bachelor on Friday (03-Feb), and hopefully to whet your appetite a little, I'm going to share six sentences from it. I chose my snippet from a scene leading up to the first kiss. I hope you enjoy the read.

***

She hesitated. Slow music meant being in his arms, their bodies touching. She shouldn't do this. Yet for some ridiculous reason, she wanted – needed, even – the closeness, to feel like a woman again. Just for a moment. Even if she was certifiably insane for wanting all this in the arms of Lord McKenzie.

***

To find out what happened before and after this, drop by tomorrow. 

Back to Six Sentence Sunday. There are literally hundreds of authors taking part it each week. If you'd like to take part in SSS or just want to read more snippets, go here. Thanks for stopping by!

Versatile Blogger Award!

I have been nominated by fellow Black Opal author, Liv Rancourt, for the Versatile Blogger Award! Considering that I had no clue what I was going to blog about when I set up this blog way back in 2009, I'm completely chuffed that people enjoy reading my blog enough to nominate me for an award. Thanks, Liv.

Before I launch into the Terms & Conditions of this nomination, let me just say a few words about Liv. She writes speculative fiction and romance. Her debut novel, A Vampire's Deadly Delight, is for sale at Black Opal Books and other book retail websites. And if you're wondering what speculative fiction is or just want a sneak peek at her book, why don't you head over to her blog and find out more.

Now on to the rules:

1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award (check)

2. Add an image of the Versatile Blogger Award (check)

3. In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog (check)

4. In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself (check)

5. In the same post, include this set of rules (check)

6. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs (on-going)

Seven Completely Random Pieces of Information about me

1- I have more than one best friend

2- I am writing erotic  romance under a pseudonym (well, if I told you what name, then what's the point?)

3- I love salads and veggies (yes, including broccoli)

4- I find oranges too much work to eat

5- I'd like to visit Italy and have Italian pizza (yes, I really mean pizza, not Italian men, although…)

6- In 2005, I predicted accurately the winner of Miss Universe

7-  I can't wait for 3rd February (okay, may not so random )

Nominees for Award (in no particular order)

1- Lorraine Nelson at Lorraine Nelson

2- Katie  Ganshert at Katie Ganshert

3- Georgia Fox at Foxy Tales

4- Jami Gray at Jami Gray and 7 Evil Dwarves

5- Kiru Taye at Kiru Taye Writes

6- Rae Lori at A Writer's Dream

7- Holly Vance at Genres of my Life

8- Lara Daniels at Lara Daniels Writes

9- Nkem Ivara at The Wordsmythe

10- Lynnette Labelle at Genres of My Life

11- Sam Crescent at Sam Crescent

12- Ju Dimello at Ju Dimello

13- Romy Sommer at Romy Sommers and Minxes of Romance

14- Nana Awere Damoah at Nana A Damoah

15- Suzanne Purvis at Suzanne Purvis

This was fun. Now to inform each nominee of their nomination.