Elizabeth M. Lawrence's Blog, page 26
July 5, 2013
Cover Reveal: R.E. Hargrave's A Divine Life
On August 6th, Renaissance Romance Publishing will be releasing A Divine Life, the sequel to R.E. Hargrave's To Serve is Divine.Summary
Over the past year of being Jayden Masterson’s collared submissive, Catherine O’Chancey has worked through the mental terrors left behind by her old Dom — or at least she thinks she has. To celebrate their collaring anniversary, Jayden organizes a special day, during which her final fantasies will be realized and her limits tested. Will it prove to be more than she can handle? Can she endure the erotic onslaught her mind and body will experience and survive unscathed? While Catherine faces these dark shadows and pleasurable highs, Jayden will find his own inner strength being tested, too. He has come to realize that, somewhere along the way, Catherine has taken possession of his heart, mind, and body. Now, he faces his biggest challenge ever; he must let go of all his submissives but one: his jewel, Catherine. Can he leave his philandering ways behind? Has he made the ultimate mistake by putting his jewel into the hands of others? Will his gift to Catherine wind up costing him the one thing that has ever meant something real to him? Jayden has helped Catherine heal from past wrongs and chase away the nightmares. In return, Catherine has shown him what it means to care for someone beyond mere sexual gratification. Their strengthening bond as Master and submissive has paved the way for deeper emotions — if they can find the courage to open up to each other. Join Catherine and Jayden for an emotion packed weekend that could forever change the future of their relationship. This could be their best chance at love, but first both Dom and sub must gain control over the one thing they can’t put in a collar: their deepest doubts and fears. For this kind of healing, the necessary treatment must be mutually given. Is it too late to erase some old scars?
Author Bio
R.E. Hargrave is a fledgling author who has always been a lover of books and now looks forward to the chance to give something back to the literary community. She lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX with her husband and three children.
Find R.E. Hargrave at:
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June 30, 2013
So I've started doing flash fiction...
Flash fiction is one of those things that makes me feel like the hopeless old lady trying to understand how the Internet works. It's a new thing for me, and I have approached it with a certain measure of wariness. However, my hipper colleagues have encouraged me to give it a shot. I've now done a couple of these, and I thought I'd share them with the five people who read my blog.
#1) Photograph
When she walked through the empty house, ghosts walked with her and whispered to her of happy days and perseverance and that subtle untouchable quality of moments only imagined. You could never know whether the lives within these old walls were good ones. Did they love each other? Was there music? And who picked out this linoleum and said: This is what I want my children’s feet to walk across. Because she knew there had been children. There, in a dusty corner, a forgotten shoe lay like an abandoned daydream. The child who had fumbled to tie the sodden laces was long gone. He might be all grown up by now, with a home and a child and linoleum of his own. Perhaps his memories of life in this house were nothing but faded blurs, like photographs left in the sun. Or perhaps he chose not to remember because sometimes the past hurts too much. She was here now in his place, and although the rooms were empty and echoing, she felt like an intruder. The sounds of her progress through these forgotten spaces were loud in the stillness, making her intrusion as harsh and unnatural as a barrage from invading cannons. It felt wrong to be here, but this place was hers. She could either claim it and erase the dim echoes with curtains and carpets, or she could surrender it to the hours and years, this place would molder and rot and crumble until, forgotten by the world – even forgotten by its ghosts – it was erased from the world entirely. Maudlin thoughts on such a day. A stranger had died, and now she stood in a home that was not hers. The ghosts within this space were not her own. She left the child’s shoe on the ground. (14 June 2013)
#2) "Smile like you mean it" - The Killers
“You don’t have to buy it. You just have to sell it,” the director reminded us. It should have been so simple to imbue a feeling of heartache and remorse to the piece he’d selected. It was a requiem – a general gnashing of teeth before a divine entity that I neither believed in nor wanted to envision. Wasn’t death enough heartache without comforting the bereaved with assurances of heavenly judgment and retribution? I just couldn’t understand the appeal. Still, there was something attractive about the wild despair of the music. I couldn’t deny it. It was appealing in a disturbing way, that self-indulgent breast-beating and keening spectacle. A requiem. Such power, and such helplessness. The staggering fear that accompanies our inevitable ends and the unknown chasm that awaits us. That was not a difficult emotion to capture or communicate. The faith was the problem. That trembling, fervent belief that Jehovah would ride a flaming chariot over the souls of the departed and somehow cast them down even more. Eternal damnation and eternal salvation were too strange for me to grasp. Did fear of death translate automatically to fear of all that was unknown about the afterwards? Could any choir sing of salvation in such terrible octaves of joy and terror and somehow mean it? The requiem ended with a benevolent whisper – a promise of release from care and pain. This was the hardest part. More than kettle drum booming and trembling soprano cries, it was the message of forgiveness and love that tripped me up most. This was where faith was hardest. Could I believe that death brought such ecstatic bliss? Could I bring that quiet assurance to an audience with any real feeling? “Smile like you mean it,” the director commanded. So I did.(30 June 2013)
#1) Photograph
When she walked through the empty house, ghosts walked with her and whispered to her of happy days and perseverance and that subtle untouchable quality of moments only imagined. You could never know whether the lives within these old walls were good ones. Did they love each other? Was there music? And who picked out this linoleum and said: This is what I want my children’s feet to walk across. Because she knew there had been children. There, in a dusty corner, a forgotten shoe lay like an abandoned daydream. The child who had fumbled to tie the sodden laces was long gone. He might be all grown up by now, with a home and a child and linoleum of his own. Perhaps his memories of life in this house were nothing but faded blurs, like photographs left in the sun. Or perhaps he chose not to remember because sometimes the past hurts too much. She was here now in his place, and although the rooms were empty and echoing, she felt like an intruder. The sounds of her progress through these forgotten spaces were loud in the stillness, making her intrusion as harsh and unnatural as a barrage from invading cannons. It felt wrong to be here, but this place was hers. She could either claim it and erase the dim echoes with curtains and carpets, or she could surrender it to the hours and years, this place would molder and rot and crumble until, forgotten by the world – even forgotten by its ghosts – it was erased from the world entirely. Maudlin thoughts on such a day. A stranger had died, and now she stood in a home that was not hers. The ghosts within this space were not her own. She left the child’s shoe on the ground. (14 June 2013)
#2) "Smile like you mean it" - The Killers
“You don’t have to buy it. You just have to sell it,” the director reminded us. It should have been so simple to imbue a feeling of heartache and remorse to the piece he’d selected. It was a requiem – a general gnashing of teeth before a divine entity that I neither believed in nor wanted to envision. Wasn’t death enough heartache without comforting the bereaved with assurances of heavenly judgment and retribution? I just couldn’t understand the appeal. Still, there was something attractive about the wild despair of the music. I couldn’t deny it. It was appealing in a disturbing way, that self-indulgent breast-beating and keening spectacle. A requiem. Such power, and such helplessness. The staggering fear that accompanies our inevitable ends and the unknown chasm that awaits us. That was not a difficult emotion to capture or communicate. The faith was the problem. That trembling, fervent belief that Jehovah would ride a flaming chariot over the souls of the departed and somehow cast them down even more. Eternal damnation and eternal salvation were too strange for me to grasp. Did fear of death translate automatically to fear of all that was unknown about the afterwards? Could any choir sing of salvation in such terrible octaves of joy and terror and somehow mean it? The requiem ended with a benevolent whisper – a promise of release from care and pain. This was the hardest part. More than kettle drum booming and trembling soprano cries, it was the message of forgiveness and love that tripped me up most. This was where faith was hardest. Could I believe that death brought such ecstatic bliss? Could I bring that quiet assurance to an audience with any real feeling? “Smile like you mean it,” the director commanded. So I did.(30 June 2013)
June 22, 2013
Cover Reveal for Heat Wave, Book Two in the Beach Reads Anthologies!
On July 23rd, Renaissance Romance Publishing will be releasing the second of two Beach Reads anthologies. Heat WAve includes stories from two lovely new authors: Jane Reinhart and Jude Ouvrard. It also includes a story from me!
Heat Wave will be available in both print and ebook formats. Each of these stories will also be released as individual ebooks. Keep reading to learn more about the stories and their authors!
"Wishing Cotton" by Elizabeth M. Lawrence
Throw a penny in a well, wish on a star, find a four-leaf clover . . . No matter which rituals people follow, none ever seem to work. But what if there were a way to make wishes come true? For best friends Olive Alexander and Blair Adams, a beach holiday provides the perfect opportunity to see if they can find the secret. Could fellow vacationer Peter Keyes hold the key to solving this puzzle?
Author Bio
Elizabeth M. Lawrence is the author of both contemporary and period romances. Each book incorporates its own unique blend of humor and reverence, the paranormal and the mundane, innocence and insanity. In addition to her novels, Elizabeth serves as Editor-in-Chief for Renaissance Romance Publishing. A lifelong writer and former paralegal, Elizabeth divides her free time between her husband and two sons, her three cats, her collection of cozy murder mysteries, her slight Doctor Who obsession, and her mildly severe caffeine addiction. A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Elizabeth now works from her home in Cleveland, Ohio.
Links
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"Under the Sun" by Jude Ourvard
Tracey Howard has put her life on hold for years to care for her grandmother. Now that her grandmother is gone, Tracey decides to spend summer at the beach and reflect on where she wants life to take her next. Jackson Phillips is her new neighbor, and he dazzles her from the first moment they meet. Will Jackson be able to show Tracey how to let go of old pain and embrace future happiness?
Author Bio
Jude lives in Montreal, Canada. She is the proud mother of a beautiful four year old son, and has spent the last twelve years with her partner, Cedric. French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English. Besides working full time for a title insurance company and being a mother, Jude has a passion for books, both reading and writing them.
Links
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"Peeking Through Wooden Blinds" by Jane Reinhart
Paige Henderson and Joey Novak are planning their wedding. But a devastating and mysterious phone call leads Paige onto a path of self-destruction and into the arms of the wrong man. Her ensuing marriage to Nick Bruska becomes a nightmare and she struggles to regain self-worth. Joey has never for
Author Bio
Jane Reinhart, author and poet, resides in Westchester County, New York, with her husband and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and cooking.
Links
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June 16, 2013
Interview with Lisa Bilbrey, Author of the Journey Collection and Angel's Heart
The third installment in the Journey Collection by Lisa Bilbrey will be released on June 18th. Lisa stopped by to talk with me about The Journey to Forever and her future projects. And her cheese preferences.
Q: Your new release is The Journey to Forever. In romance novels, the theme of “happily ever after” is a common one. Why do you think it’s so important to give the reader a sense of the characters’ future happiness together?
A: Because reading is our escape from real life, where our happily ever after rarely feels like the fairytale outcome that we wish it could be. We fall in love with books that draw us in and make us feel like we’re a part of the story. It’s about the power of love, and the hope that in the end, we’ll find ourselves feeling a sense of contentment in our lives.
Q: If you were going to explore the story of a secondary character in more detail, which character would you choose, and why?
A: I’d love to dig into Russ’ life and find out more about him, Loralie, how he dealt with her illness and passing. Russ is one of my favorite characters, and I think that he’s one of the strongest, too.
Q: If you had to live on only one type of cheese for a year, which cheese would you choose?
A: Um, cheddar? I’m not generally a cheese person, but I’ll go with cheddar.
Q: In the Journey collection of stories, you are clearly exploring a local culture that is very familiar to you. What elements of life in that small Texas town were you particularly interested in bringing to life for your readers?
A: I live in the small town I used in The Journey Collection, and choose Clarendon because I could relate to how the character would be feeling. Starting in August, the boys from the high school gather on the football field in order to prepare for the start of a new season. My son is one of those boys. Every Friday night, the stands are packed with not just parents, but people from the community who support those boys. They cheer when they win, grieve when they lose, and encourage them to keep playing harder. There’s a lot of pressure on these boys to succeed, most of the pressure is self-inflicted.
When writing the first book in The Journey Collection, I wanted to show that mentality. I wanted to show how amazing it is when one of our own leaves this town and makes a name for themselves. The boys in small towns look up to these men.
Q: What do you think sets this story apart from the others in the Journey collection?
A: Well, I think it’s the fact that Travis has really grown up in this story. His concerns aren’t about the game, but how he can be a better father to his son, a good husband to Penelope. He strives to prove to himself that he deserves his family. Plus, there’s a lot more sappy romance in it.
Q: If a reader took just one message from this story, what would you want it to be? Is that a theme that you feel is present throughout the series, or is it unique to this installment?
A: That’s a hard question, but I think I would have to say that the one message I’d like people to come away with is that no matter how hard life gets, love and family will see you through. It won’t always be easy, but nobody ever said life was easy. Family is a theme that I tend to write in all of my books, even though they may not be related by blood.
Q: Will we be hearing more from Travis and Penelope in the future?
A: There is a fourth book in The Journey Collection that will come out in September. The Journey to a New Life is probably my favorite out of all four books. And you never know when Travis and Penelope will start talking to me again. Maybe I’ll keep writing them forever!
Q: Do you prefer chipmunks or squirrels?
A: Squirrels. Chipmunks have this look on their faces like they own the world. I’m not down with that.
Q: Every writer has words s/he hates. Give us one example of a word that makes you cringe every time you encounter it.
A: As—It’s the one word that I read too many times and is overused. There are so many other ways to write sentences without it.
Q: Do you have a sequel to Angel’s Heart planned? If so, what can you tell us about it?
A: I do! One that I really need to finish! The second book in The Angel’s Heart Series will pick up about six months after the first book ends. Sophie starts learning more about who she is, and about her power. In the process, she finds that things weren’t as they appeared in The Keeper. I’ve very excited about my plans for these characters, and only hope my readers don’t get too upset with what I do to them.
Q: Patsy Cline or Dolly Parton?
A: Patsy Cline. She has an amazingly soulful voice!
Q: In addition to writing, you’re also co-owner of Renaissance Romance Publishing. What are your professional goals for the coming year?
A: To sell more books. It’s not about making money, which is always a good thing, but about getting our authors out there and letting the world read their stories. We have some amazing storytellers, who create these worlds full of laughter, love, and sometimes pain. I feel blessed that I get to be a part of the process with them.
Q: Is there an upcoming project that you feel especially excited about?
A: Next year, Renaissance Romance Publishing is planning on releasing a Diabetes Themed Anthology. For me, this is a very personal cause. My daughter has had diabetes for more than two years and there are too many people out there who are ignorant when it comes to this disease. Education is the key to understanding, and I hope that by telling her story, I can make people more aware of her daily struggles.
Q: Which food is most disturbing: Vienna sausage or Spam?
A: Is it wrong that I like both of these? I mean, Vienna sausage is so good! Spam is okay if cooked with some fried potatoes.
There you have it! Thanks to Lisa for taking the time to talk to me -- I agree that chipmunks are insufferable. If you're interested in learning more about Lisa's books, check out the links below. Here is a summary and excerpt from Journey to Forever.
Summary
Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis, Penelope, and Max start a new journey, one that leads them to forever.
Excerpt
Travis McCoy stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, straightening his tie and trying in vain to get his hair to lay flat. His dark, curly locks didn’t want to cooperate, so he gave up. No point in fighting a losing battle, after all. “I don’t understand why I can’t go with you.” At the sound of his son’s voice, Travis shifted his eyes up and looked at Max. The boy was sitting on the edge of the bed, balancing his football in his lap and glaring at the floor.“I told you,” Travis said. “Mom and I are going on a date. You’ll have fun with Gramps. He’ll probably let you do whatever you want, like run with scissors and play with matches.”“Yeah, I know.” Max shrugged his shoulders. “Are you nervous?”Travis took a deep breath before he turned to face his son. “Yeah, I am.”“You shouldn’t be.” Hopping off the bed, Max smiled. “She’ll say yes.”“How can you be sure?” he asked. “It’s only been a few months.”“But she’s loved you for, like, ever,” Max scoffed, rolling his mocha-brown eyes. “Dad, trust me on this one. I know women.”“How do you know women?” It was Travis’s turn to scoff. “You’re not old enough to even like girls yet.”“That doesn’t mean they don’t like me. And that’s not the point,” Max stated. “Women like Mom don’t fall in and out of love. They’re in it till the end. Just woo her; make her feel pretty.”Travis stood there, staring at him. “Who are you, and what have you done with my son?” Max rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. “Yeah, real funny, Dad.”Travis laughed before sitting on the side of the bed and opening the drawer of his nightstand. Lifting the small, black velvet box out, he placed it in the palm of his trembling hand. Tonight, he planned to propose to the woman who had owned his heart since he was Max’s age: Penelope Stone.
Author Bio Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.
In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.
Lisa's BlogLisa's Amazon Author PageBarnes & NobleLisa's About.Me PageFacebookTwitter
Goodreads
Renaissance Romance Publishing
Tour Schedule June 17—Elizabeth M. LawrenceJune 18—Mandy Anderson, I Read IndieJune 19—Kim, Ready Your WritesJune 20—Cremona Cotovelea, Mystical BooksJune 21—Lindsey GrayJune 22—The HiveJune 23—N. WoodJune 24—Fandom FanaticJune 25—R. E. HargraveJune 26—Rose CaceresJune 27—Jude OuvrardJune 28—Tracy RivaJune 30—Ali, Ali’s Bookshelf
Q: Your new release is The Journey to Forever. In romance novels, the theme of “happily ever after” is a common one. Why do you think it’s so important to give the reader a sense of the characters’ future happiness together?
A: Because reading is our escape from real life, where our happily ever after rarely feels like the fairytale outcome that we wish it could be. We fall in love with books that draw us in and make us feel like we’re a part of the story. It’s about the power of love, and the hope that in the end, we’ll find ourselves feeling a sense of contentment in our lives.
Q: If you were going to explore the story of a secondary character in more detail, which character would you choose, and why?
A: I’d love to dig into Russ’ life and find out more about him, Loralie, how he dealt with her illness and passing. Russ is one of my favorite characters, and I think that he’s one of the strongest, too.
Q: If you had to live on only one type of cheese for a year, which cheese would you choose?
A: Um, cheddar? I’m not generally a cheese person, but I’ll go with cheddar.
Q: In the Journey collection of stories, you are clearly exploring a local culture that is very familiar to you. What elements of life in that small Texas town were you particularly interested in bringing to life for your readers?
A: I live in the small town I used in The Journey Collection, and choose Clarendon because I could relate to how the character would be feeling. Starting in August, the boys from the high school gather on the football field in order to prepare for the start of a new season. My son is one of those boys. Every Friday night, the stands are packed with not just parents, but people from the community who support those boys. They cheer when they win, grieve when they lose, and encourage them to keep playing harder. There’s a lot of pressure on these boys to succeed, most of the pressure is self-inflicted.
When writing the first book in The Journey Collection, I wanted to show that mentality. I wanted to show how amazing it is when one of our own leaves this town and makes a name for themselves. The boys in small towns look up to these men.
Q: What do you think sets this story apart from the others in the Journey collection?
A: Well, I think it’s the fact that Travis has really grown up in this story. His concerns aren’t about the game, but how he can be a better father to his son, a good husband to Penelope. He strives to prove to himself that he deserves his family. Plus, there’s a lot more sappy romance in it.
Q: If a reader took just one message from this story, what would you want it to be? Is that a theme that you feel is present throughout the series, or is it unique to this installment?
A: That’s a hard question, but I think I would have to say that the one message I’d like people to come away with is that no matter how hard life gets, love and family will see you through. It won’t always be easy, but nobody ever said life was easy. Family is a theme that I tend to write in all of my books, even though they may not be related by blood.
Q: Will we be hearing more from Travis and Penelope in the future?
A: There is a fourth book in The Journey Collection that will come out in September. The Journey to a New Life is probably my favorite out of all four books. And you never know when Travis and Penelope will start talking to me again. Maybe I’ll keep writing them forever!
Q: Do you prefer chipmunks or squirrels?
A: Squirrels. Chipmunks have this look on their faces like they own the world. I’m not down with that.
Q: Every writer has words s/he hates. Give us one example of a word that makes you cringe every time you encounter it.
A: As—It’s the one word that I read too many times and is overused. There are so many other ways to write sentences without it.
Q: Do you have a sequel to Angel’s Heart planned? If so, what can you tell us about it?
A: I do! One that I really need to finish! The second book in The Angel’s Heart Series will pick up about six months after the first book ends. Sophie starts learning more about who she is, and about her power. In the process, she finds that things weren’t as they appeared in The Keeper. I’ve very excited about my plans for these characters, and only hope my readers don’t get too upset with what I do to them.
Q: Patsy Cline or Dolly Parton?
A: Patsy Cline. She has an amazingly soulful voice!
Q: In addition to writing, you’re also co-owner of Renaissance Romance Publishing. What are your professional goals for the coming year?
A: To sell more books. It’s not about making money, which is always a good thing, but about getting our authors out there and letting the world read their stories. We have some amazing storytellers, who create these worlds full of laughter, love, and sometimes pain. I feel blessed that I get to be a part of the process with them.
Q: Is there an upcoming project that you feel especially excited about?
A: Next year, Renaissance Romance Publishing is planning on releasing a Diabetes Themed Anthology. For me, this is a very personal cause. My daughter has had diabetes for more than two years and there are too many people out there who are ignorant when it comes to this disease. Education is the key to understanding, and I hope that by telling her story, I can make people more aware of her daily struggles.
Q: Which food is most disturbing: Vienna sausage or Spam?
A: Is it wrong that I like both of these? I mean, Vienna sausage is so good! Spam is okay if cooked with some fried potatoes.
There you have it! Thanks to Lisa for taking the time to talk to me -- I agree that chipmunks are insufferable. If you're interested in learning more about Lisa's books, check out the links below. Here is a summary and excerpt from Journey to Forever.
Summary
Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis, Penelope, and Max start a new journey, one that leads them to forever.
Excerpt
Travis McCoy stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, straightening his tie and trying in vain to get his hair to lay flat. His dark, curly locks didn’t want to cooperate, so he gave up. No point in fighting a losing battle, after all. “I don’t understand why I can’t go with you.” At the sound of his son’s voice, Travis shifted his eyes up and looked at Max. The boy was sitting on the edge of the bed, balancing his football in his lap and glaring at the floor.“I told you,” Travis said. “Mom and I are going on a date. You’ll have fun with Gramps. He’ll probably let you do whatever you want, like run with scissors and play with matches.”“Yeah, I know.” Max shrugged his shoulders. “Are you nervous?”Travis took a deep breath before he turned to face his son. “Yeah, I am.”“You shouldn’t be.” Hopping off the bed, Max smiled. “She’ll say yes.”“How can you be sure?” he asked. “It’s only been a few months.”“But she’s loved you for, like, ever,” Max scoffed, rolling his mocha-brown eyes. “Dad, trust me on this one. I know women.”“How do you know women?” It was Travis’s turn to scoff. “You’re not old enough to even like girls yet.”“That doesn’t mean they don’t like me. And that’s not the point,” Max stated. “Women like Mom don’t fall in and out of love. They’re in it till the end. Just woo her; make her feel pretty.”Travis stood there, staring at him. “Who are you, and what have you done with my son?” Max rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. “Yeah, real funny, Dad.”Travis laughed before sitting on the side of the bed and opening the drawer of his nightstand. Lifting the small, black velvet box out, he placed it in the palm of his trembling hand. Tonight, he planned to propose to the woman who had owned his heart since he was Max’s age: Penelope Stone.
Author Bio Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.
In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.
Lisa's BlogLisa's Amazon Author PageBarnes & NobleLisa's About.Me PageFacebookTwitter
Goodreads
Renaissance Romance Publishing
Tour Schedule June 17—Elizabeth M. LawrenceJune 18—Mandy Anderson, I Read IndieJune 19—Kim, Ready Your WritesJune 20—Cremona Cotovelea, Mystical BooksJune 21—Lindsey GrayJune 22—The HiveJune 23—N. WoodJune 24—Fandom FanaticJune 25—R. E. HargraveJune 26—Rose CaceresJune 27—Jude OuvrardJune 28—Tracy RivaJune 30—Ali, Ali’s Bookshelf
June 14, 2013
Cover Reveal: Lorenz Font's Indivisible Line
On July 15th, Renaissance Romance Publishing will be releasing Indivisible Line, a new novel by Lorenz Font, author of The Gates Legacy series.
Summary
Pre-med student Sarah Jones is back in Beaver, Alaska, for summer vacation. A loyal member of the Gwich’in tribe, she accepts the rules set by her father, the leader of their small town. Raised in a strict household, she learned early on to do what is expected of her and has agreed to an arranged marriage. Despite her reluctance to marry without love, Sarah is unwilling to defy her father’s wishes. She hopes to help usher in an era of independence and stability for the town, but for now, her focus is finishing med school so she can become Beaver’s resident doctor.
Business owner Greg Andrews wants to escape his philandering wife and his life in general. Leaving New York City to join a hunting expedition in Alaska, Greg’s plans are turned upside down when he is shot on Gwich’in land and ends up on Sarah’s operating table. In the absence of a qualified doctor, Sarah must operate to save his life. She refuses to wait for the consent of their tribal leader, and her father banishes her from the tribal land in punishment.
Grateful for his life, Greg concocts a scheme to help. Plagued by the side effects of her unconventional operation, he convinces Sarah to become his live-in nurse. Without the means to support herself, Sarah agrees to the questionable arrangement, but she soon finds herself in even more trouble. Her new problem is that she is falling in love with this infuriating man, and the choices she now must make are must more difficult than the simple act of saving a man’s life.
Together, Sarah and Greg must both decide whether they can overcome the vast differences between them, or if the indivisible line that separates their worlds will ultimately pull them apart.
About the Author
Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. She is currently enjoying the buzz from her debut novel Hunted, the first installment of The Gates Legacy trilogy.
Writing is therapeutic for Lorenz, and a perfect day consists of writing and playing with her characters while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She enjoys dabbling in different genres, with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories.
Lorenz currently lives in California with her husband, children, and two demanding dogs. She divides her time between a full-time job as a Business Office Manager for a hospital and her busy writing schedule.
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June 2, 2013
Cover Reveal for Summer Heat, Book One in the Beach Reads Anthologies!
On July 2nd, Renaissance Romance Publishing will be releasing the first of two Beach Reads anthologies. Summer Heat includes stories from three lovely authors: returning authors M.B. Feeney and R.E. Hargrave, and new author Forbes Arnone.
Summer Heat will be available in both print and ebook formats. Each of these stories will also be released as individual ebooks. Keep reading to learn more about the stories and their authors!
"In My Mother’s Footsteps" by Forbes Arnone
Anela Alborn’s life is a lie. After growing up without the love of a father, her mother reveals his identity. Tragedy strikes and she sets off on an adventure that leads to more than she could ever imagine. Bumping into Christian Sivers distracts her from the real man of her dreams, her father. Will he live up to her dreams? And does she follow in her mother’s footsteps?
Author Bio
Jennifer Garcia’s (aka Forbes Arnone) love of travel began when she traveled to the West Coast to visit her father at the age of three. Her home until she was sixteen was a small coastal town near Boston. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
Her lifelong love for reading and writing was put aside for many years while she made her way in the world and nurtured her young family. Even though she is older, and life never seems to settle, she’s finding her way while attending college full-time in pursuit of a B.A. in English Literature. She also runs a business, and is still caring for her family. Believing she can do it all, with the help of her family, she worked on her first novel during the late hours of the night while balancing the rest of her life during the day. Her hard work paid off, as her first novel, My Mr. Manny, will be published August 2013.
Find Jennifer on:
FacebookGoodreads--Forbes Arnone
Just Like in the Movies by M.B. Feeney
Ava Jones has settled for a life that she’s not sure she wants anymore, but won’t admit it. Her best friend, Erica Davidson talks her into taking a break on the Isle of Wight. Her days on the island are spent thinking things through, and arguing with Morgan whom she hates on principal.
Is it so wrong for her to want a life that follows the script of a honest to God romance film?
Author Bio
M. B. Feeney is an army brat who finally settled down in Birmingham, UK with her other half, 2 kids and a dog. She's also a student teacher, a doodler and a chocoholic. Writing has been her one true love since she could spell, and publishing is the culmination of her hard work and ambition.
Find M.B. Feeney on:Her Blog
Amazon
B&N
Haunted Raine by R.E. Hargrave
Distracted by the everyday routine of raising children, being a wife, and keeping a home, Lorraine Morrissey let life pass her by. Her wakeup call comes when she realizes that with their children gone, her husband Richard is rarely home, and she’s filling her solitary days with trivial tasks. A crazy idea to save her marriage leads to a summer beach vacation unlike any she’s ever taken; one that involves unknowingly buying a haunted house.
Author BioR.E. Hargrave is a fledgling author who has always been a lover of books and now looks forward to the chance to give something back to the literary community. She lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX with her husband and three children.
Where to find R.E. Hargrave:
BlogFacebookGoodreadsTwitterAmazonAbout.meLibbooAuthorsdb
May 24, 2013
Deep Thoughts about Bread and Toothpaste
During the week, I am the designated school lunch preparer. I construct multiple peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches like a ninja, even before the coffee is done brewing. However, the weekends are a different matter. My sons tend to help themselves to the bread, making my ninja-like skills unnecessary. So it sometimes happens that on Friday I am left with a heel from the old loaf of bread. I know better than to expect two boys to voluntarily consume this universally-unappreciated portion of the loaf, and I cannot force it on them since it will be a fibrous rock by the time I make another sandwich. What we do in that case is break it up and put the crumbs in the birdfeeder.
I do have a point. Stay with me.
Today was one of those Fridays. I was sitting at the front window inhaling my first cup of coffee, and I watched the birds come and take small hunks of bread from the feeder. One little bird would land, take a piece, and then fly away home, leaving the rest for the others. And then (because it was my first cup of coffee, so I was feeling all broody), I started to reflect on Nature and honoring our blessings.
Today is also my seventeenth wedding anniversary, and this date always makes me think about the small quirks of my marriage that make my relationship with my husband so fun. One of our longest-standing battles is the toothpaste tube. He is firmly in the “squeeze that sucker from the middle like a boss” camp, whereas I, the daughter of a man who still acts like it’s the Depression, am a big believer in squeezing from the end and meticulously folding the end of the tube as you go. Someone once asked me why we were still having skirmishes over this admittedly minor philosophical point, particularly since I myself did not grow up during the Depression and have no compelling reason to care if some toothpaste was wasted through haphazard squeezage.
EXHIBIT AHere’s my point now.
Where do we draw the line on wastefulness? When we have an abundance of any particular thing, should we honor that blessing by taking care of it and using it responsibly and conscientiously, or does that sort of thinking only apply to big-ticket items? When I have clothing I cannot use anymore, I will donate what I can to charity or repurpose the fabric. When my kids have toys and books they no longer use, I pass them on to my friends’ children. When we have leftover dinner, I put it in the fridge to eat later. But all these things – clothes, toys, books, and food – cost a lot of money. It’s easy to be careful about waste when it takes some of the strain off your bank account. What happens when finances are not a consideration?
Whether it’s toothpaste or bread or love or family, I think we all tend to be irresponsible about the blessings in our lives. The birds outside take the bread they need today, but you won’t see one bird hoarding bread and keeping it from the other birds. There isn’t a nest filled with stale, sodden crusts that are no longer edible because the nest’s owner took more than it needed to sustain itself. Birds don’t waste their blessings that way. However, human beings do. We fill our homes with things we don’t need, “just in case,” while we waste necessary staples. We neglect our friendships and relatives but spend a ridiculous amount of energy on people who don’t deserve it. When we have an abundance of something, we become careless rather than generous.
The Depression might be just a page in history now, but I think that the lesson it taught about honoring every small blessing should not be forgotten. Don’t throw away things – or people – carelessly. The day may come when you need a friend but can’t find one. Someday you may need to brush your teeth, but the tube is too mangled to get any toothpaste out. Think about what you have and be grateful for it. And make sure to leave some bread for the other birds.
I have long since surrendered to my husband’s manly toothpaste squeezing. I never find the seat up in the middle of the night, so it’s a concession I’m willing to make. Besides, as blessings go, my husband is far more important to me than a neatly-rolled toothpaste tube.
May 22, 2013
Ten Ways to Make your Editor Insane
In my time as an editor, I have come across many common errors. By and large, these mistakes are understandable and don’t really ruffle my feathers. However, there are some that make me want to commit violence upon the unsuspecting writer. Having discussed pet peeves with some of my colleagues, I have compiled a list of ten things that are likely to make your editor bat-shit insane. (The examples aren’t meant to be fine literature or even well-written. They are provided as rough illustrations.)
This list isn’t exhaustive. There are a near-infinite number of things that make editors crazy. Really, being a bit crazy is a prerequisite for the job. Any editors reading this may wish to add to the list via the comments.
1) End a statement with a question mark.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
I don’t know what your name is?
Correct:
I don’t know what your name is. What is it?
2) Use “due to the fact that” — EVER.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
My editor killed me due to the fact thatI abused the English language.
Correct:
My editor killed me because I abused the English language.
3) Use “as” like it’s the most versatile word on the planet. (It’s not.)
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
As I walked down the street, I saw a man who ran away as soon as he caught my attention. My eyes widened in shock as I recognized him.
Correct:
WhileI walked down the street, I saw a man who ran away when he caught my attention. My eyes widened in shock once I recognized him.
4) Misuse simple words. (This becomes more and more common as our educational system continues to disintegrate.)
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
He invited me to come along, and I wanted too.
She pulled her nightgown out of her drawand went to draw a bath.
Maxwell drug her out of the house.
Correct:
He invited me to come along, and I wanted togo.
She pulled her nightgown out of her drawerand went to draw a bath.
Maxwell dragged her out of the house.
5) Enter the Prepositional Phrase Olympics.
WRONG WRONG WRONG: I went down the street through the sewer under the bridge over the river. Correct:
I went down the street. My path took me through the sewer, which ran under the bridge that spanned the river.
6) Use commas instead of periods, or use periods instead of question marks.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
She wanted to talk to him, he walked away before she could speak, why didn’t he wait.
Correct:
She wanted to talk to him. He walked away before she could speak. Why didn’t he wait?
7) Begin several sentences or paragraphs with the same word.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
Shewalked to the store. She was unhappy because it was raining. Sheknew that she should have taken her umbrella. She sighed and walked faster. She would be soaked by the time she got there.
Correct:
Margaretwalked to the store. It was raining, but she had forgotten her umbrella. Although she walked faster, she would be soaked by the time she got there.
8) Tell rather than show.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
Bernard was unhappy. He had wanted to hug Patricia, but he didn’t think she wanted to hug him. He decided to give up and walked away.
Correct:
Bernard watched Patricia from across the room. Her laughter rang out while she moved from guest to guest, giving out glad greetings and warm embraces. His own arms felt empty, but his feet pulled him away before he could reach out to her.
Use the wrong word because you think it sounds posh, particularly “I” and “myself.”
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
Would you care to accompany James and I to dinner? The gathering consisted of Buffy, Kikki, and myself.
Correct:
Would you care to accompany James and me to dinner? He and I would love to go in with you.
The gathering consisted of Buffy, Kikki, and me. I excused myself.
10) Exhibit an over-dependence on adverbs ending in “ly.”
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
Joe quickly walked up the stairs and loudlyknocked on the door.
Correct:
Joe hurried up the stairs and poundedon the door.
Everyone has his or her own list of pet peeves, and not all of those provided here are mine. Mistakes that send one editor into a towering rage will elicit no more than a shrug from another. What is most important is that the author put in the effort to learn from (and not repeat) past errors. Then, the editor can spend less time muttering obscenities and more time helping to craft the best manuscript possible.
This list isn’t exhaustive. There are a near-infinite number of things that make editors crazy. Really, being a bit crazy is a prerequisite for the job. Any editors reading this may wish to add to the list via the comments.
1) End a statement with a question mark.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
I don’t know what your name is?
Correct:
I don’t know what your name is. What is it?
2) Use “due to the fact that” — EVER.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
My editor killed me due to the fact thatI abused the English language.
Correct:
My editor killed me because I abused the English language.
3) Use “as” like it’s the most versatile word on the planet. (It’s not.)
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
As I walked down the street, I saw a man who ran away as soon as he caught my attention. My eyes widened in shock as I recognized him.
Correct:
WhileI walked down the street, I saw a man who ran away when he caught my attention. My eyes widened in shock once I recognized him.
4) Misuse simple words. (This becomes more and more common as our educational system continues to disintegrate.)
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
He invited me to come along, and I wanted too.
She pulled her nightgown out of her drawand went to draw a bath.
Maxwell drug her out of the house.
Correct:
He invited me to come along, and I wanted togo.
She pulled her nightgown out of her drawerand went to draw a bath.
Maxwell dragged her out of the house.
5) Enter the Prepositional Phrase Olympics.
WRONG WRONG WRONG: I went down the street through the sewer under the bridge over the river. Correct:
I went down the street. My path took me through the sewer, which ran under the bridge that spanned the river.
6) Use commas instead of periods, or use periods instead of question marks.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
She wanted to talk to him, he walked away before she could speak, why didn’t he wait.
Correct:
She wanted to talk to him. He walked away before she could speak. Why didn’t he wait?
7) Begin several sentences or paragraphs with the same word.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
Shewalked to the store. She was unhappy because it was raining. Sheknew that she should have taken her umbrella. She sighed and walked faster. She would be soaked by the time she got there.
Correct:
Margaretwalked to the store. It was raining, but she had forgotten her umbrella. Although she walked faster, she would be soaked by the time she got there.
8) Tell rather than show.
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
Bernard was unhappy. He had wanted to hug Patricia, but he didn’t think she wanted to hug him. He decided to give up and walked away.
Correct:
Bernard watched Patricia from across the room. Her laughter rang out while she moved from guest to guest, giving out glad greetings and warm embraces. His own arms felt empty, but his feet pulled him away before he could reach out to her.
Use the wrong word because you think it sounds posh, particularly “I” and “myself.”
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
Would you care to accompany James and I to dinner? The gathering consisted of Buffy, Kikki, and myself.
Correct:
Would you care to accompany James and me to dinner? He and I would love to go in with you.
The gathering consisted of Buffy, Kikki, and me. I excused myself.
10) Exhibit an over-dependence on adverbs ending in “ly.”
WRONG WRONG WRONG:
Joe quickly walked up the stairs and loudlyknocked on the door.
Correct:
Joe hurried up the stairs and poundedon the door.
Everyone has his or her own list of pet peeves, and not all of those provided here are mine. Mistakes that send one editor into a towering rage will elicit no more than a shrug from another. What is most important is that the author put in the effort to learn from (and not repeat) past errors. Then, the editor can spend less time muttering obscenities and more time helping to craft the best manuscript possible.
May 17, 2013
The Journey to Forever Cover Reveal!
Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996.
Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller
In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.
AUTHOR LINKS:GoodreadsFacebookTwitter Blog Amazon Barnes & NobleRenaissance Romance Publishing About.me
May 13, 2013
Reprint: Interview with Mich's Book Reviews Blog
I'm still shamelessly recycling while I finish up a couple of projects. This is an interview that was originally posted on September 20, 2012, on Mich's Book Reviews blog in support of my release of "My Apple Tree." I'm providing the link to the original posting below; I encourage you to check out her blog for other reviews and author interviews!
Firstly, tell me a little about yourself...
I was born (obviously) in a university town in Kansas, which is where much of my extended family still lives. After moving around a bit, my parents and I ended up in Cleveland, Ohio. I got married soon after college and brought my husband back with me. We now have two sons, three cats, one mortgage, two coffee makers, and enough dust bunnies to repopulate a planet.
1) How did you start writing?
I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t writing. I remember hiding under my bed and drawing the stories in my head since I didn’t know the alphabet yet. In college, I majored in English literature, but every adult around me insisted that there was no way I was going to be able to pursue a career as a professor or writer if I wanted to eat regularly. Eventually, I became a paralegal specializing in Intellectual Property law, but I left to stay at home shortly after my oldest child was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, which is on the Autism spectrum. While I was still working, I continued to write, but it wasn’t until I became a stay-at-home mom that I dared to consider pursuing writing as a career.
2) I know you also work with [Renaissance Romance Publishing] as editor in chief, how do you juggle this and being a freelance writer?
As with any job, there are times of frantic activity and periods of calm between the storms. I don’t know a single working mother who doesn’t struggle with balance to begin with, so I’ve become somewhat accustomed to being pulled in several different directions at once. I do try to avoid working on my own writing while in the middle of editing someone else’s manuscript. It’s important not to let the line between editing and rewriting get blurred. If I’m in “writing mode,” I will want to change someone else’s writing to match mine, and that’s not what I’m there to do. I do have plenty of support from RenRom itself – we have a wonderful team of people who are willing to jump in and help if things need to be juggled. I also disappear for the month of November to participate in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, which involves a worldwide challenge to write 50,000 words in thirty days. My longer works in progress came out of past years’ projects, and it certainly is my most prolific writing period. In a nutshell, if I’m not editing, I’m writing – but I’m always doing one or the other.
3) Where did the inspiration for My Apple Tree
My Apple Tree is a story I began several years ago, and it has evolved a lot since the original draft, much like an old house that has had wings and extensions added to it as the years pass. The story of young lovers torn apart is the earliest portion and was inspired by Sinead O’Connor’s version of the Celtic ballad “I am Stretched on Your Grave,” which appeared on her album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. It is a beautiful and haunting song, and it’s hard not to listen to it and not see the young lovers in your mind’s eye. At first, I had no plans to develop my story beyond that, but some other influences gradually mixed themselves in. Hope began to emerge, and what was once a story of heartbreak and despair became something more as the characters took on a mind of their own and sought out love and healing. When I went to visit family last May in Joplin, Missouri, and saw the damage from the tornado that had torn apart that community one year earlier, the last piece fell into place. Hopefully, the end product is an honest and faithful portrait of grief, healing, and the importance of the life-affirming influence of love in our lives.
4) Do you have any projects in the pipeline that you can speak about?
I have two novels currently at different stages of completion, which is a nice way of saying that I will be monkeying with them until someone from RenRom comes and forcibly drags the manuscripts away from me. One is an historical romance titled The Truth Seekers, which takes place at the turn of the century and deals with the friendship that springs up between a society daughter and a misanthropic, cynical gothic novelist. Because of its historical nature, working on it is a more delicate process, so I have a hard time anticipating when I’ll feel like it is fit for public consumption. Another novel, The Irrepressibles, is a contemporary mystery-romance with elements of the paranormal and comedy mixed in. It is more typical of my normal writing style, with wise-cracking lead characters and hilarity mixed in with the more serious feelings and dilemmas. At the moment, it’s in the stage known by professional writers as “a hot mess,” but I hope to finish work on it sometime in 2013.
5) Will you ever incorporate your love of Doctor Who with your writing?
Ooh, good question! Unfortunately, my answer has to be “yes and no.” Like the hopeless fangirl I am, I already know what is involved in writing an actual Doctor Who novel, and I’m not prepared to run that particular gauntlet. However, I have gotten flashes of inspiration from watching the show that exist now as random snippets and notes somewhere in the bowels of my laptop. David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston’s portrayals of the Doctor, in particular, are almost impossible NOT to be inspired by. In these days, it’s supremely important to avoid even a whisper of copyright infringement, so while I might get an idea that is triggered by a bit of one episode or another, you won’t be seeing any time-traveling aliens from me any time soon. I would love to write a novel that is good enough to get a film version starring David Tennant, but I’m not going to hold my breath for that one!
6) What's your least and most favourite aspects of the writing process?
I think my least favorite part of writing is the inner editor. The voice in the back of my mind that constantly pushes me to find better phrasing or improve characterizations won’t ever shut up long enough for me to just sit and relax and write. If my muse is the angel sitting on my shoulder, my inner editor is the devil perched on the other side. I think that’s why I tend to do my first-draft writing late at night or early in the morning when I’m not completely awake. When I’m totally alert, I’m second-guessing myself too much to get anything done.
My favorite part would have to be what goes on in my mind’s eye as I get a new idea. I love seeing a scene play out unexpectedly in my head. It’s by far the best part of being a creative person – that vivid imagination that lets you really see the world you’re trying to recreate for your audience. It’s like magic.
7) What's your advice to prospective writers?
One piece of advice that I got and didn’t want is “Don’t quit your day job.” It’s not the idyllic life that we might imagine, surrounded by leather, grandfather clocks, and old books as we craft exquisite prose, unmolested by bill collectors, piles of dirty laundry, and children who for some unknown reason expect us to feed them on a fairly regular basis. We must all live in the real world at least some of the time, and there are many writers out there working in jobs they hate while they throw their hearts into their craft during free hours. The good news is that you need those experiences for your stories anyway. You can’t write about the human experience if you’re living in a bubble.
Another piece of advice – and this really should be the most important – is that just because you love to write doesn’t mean you are naturally flawless. Learn about your art. READ STYLE BOOKS. Annie Dillard and Stephen King are two authors whose writing guides are particularly useful. Get a common English usage guide to answer your grammatical questions. Don’t wait for someone like me to take your baby away and cover it in red pen. Put the care and time into each manuscript that reflects your interest in telling the best possible story to your readers. The images live inside you –you must learn how to unlock them. As with any other creative endeavor like painting or music, writing is a craft that must be nurtured and honed and constantly improved. You’ll get a lot of advice you don’t want to hear, but you need to listen anyway.
Mich's Book Reviews: Harvest Treats Review & Author Interview
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