Lyssa Layne's Blog, page 7

My Favorite What If by ME!!!

TITLE: My Favorite What IfAUTHOR: Lyssa LayneGENRE: Contemporary RomancePUBLICATION DATE: April 7, 2015COVER DESIGN: Kage Cover Designs LENGTH: 54,000+
Synopsis 
One year after Jacob "Smitty" Smith is stood up at the altar, his good friend Jules encourages him to redeem his honeymoon package before it expires. Reluctantly, he agrees, and finds himself sitting beside free spirit Sloan Talbott, who is attending her sister's destination wedding at the same resort. Both have been hurt. Neither is looking for love. Will one week in paradise be a fling to remember or could it possibly lead to something more?
Book Links Amazon USAmazon CANAmazon AUSAmazon UKBarnes & NobleKoboGoodreads
Excerpt Carrying my cup of coffee, I walk back to my bedroom and look into the suitcase. So far everything looks alright—swimsuit, shorts, t-shirts, dress slacks, and dress shirt. Jules came through on her other promise to go to the store for the trip—deodorant, soap, toothpaste, condoms. Wait, condoms?!
“Jules, what the hell is this?” I ask, holding up the box of Trojans.
Not missing a beat, she grabs the box from me and throws it back in the suitcase, zipping it up. “I got everything you could possible need. Soap, toothpaste, Pepto, Pedialyte—”
“And condoms?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had another preferred method of safe sex,” she quips as she pulls my suitcase off the bed and drags it to my front door.
“And just who do you think I’ll be having sex with?”

She shrugs as she walks back to the bedroom and shoves a pile of clothes in my arms. “I don’t know, I don’t care, but you need to get laid. So go to paradise, find some lucky woman, and get some.”

Other Books by Lyssa Layne Love is a FireBurst Into FlameThe Right PitchFear of Striking Out
If you want to find out more about Smitty's friend, Jules, check out Everybody's After Love. 
Boxed Sets Heroes to Swoon ForSpring Into Love
Next Release Lyssa's next release Until You Fall In Love and will debut June 9 Single mom Jordan Glastetter doesn't know how she'd survive without her best friend, Abram Tomko. He's the father her son never knew and he's the rock she's always leaned on. When Abram's father suffers a heart attack, it's Abram's turn to depend on Jordan, finally seeing her as the woman she's become and not the little girl he grew up with. Will they risk their friendship for a chance at love?
Get your copy now for only 99 cents!
About the Author
Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor. Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa’s own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional. Contact HerBlog:          http://www.authorlyssalayne.blogspot.comFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lyssalayneTwitter:       https://twitter.com/layne_lyssaPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/authorlyssalayn/Amazon:     http://www.amazon.com/Lyssa-Layne/e/B00KP1Y5BYGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8280977.Lyssa_LayneBarnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/lyssa-layne
Facebook Party & Takeover Friday, April 10 Lyssa will be taking over the One-Click Addict Support GroupAlso, join the My Favorite What If Gossip Fest one week after it's release so that we can chat about Smitty & Sloan, discuss their future, and share other spoilers. The party will be April 14 at 8PM CT. Join the fun here!
Giveaway/Rafflecopter Enter to win a Lyssa Layne ebook of your choice, this pair of Love earrings, or a piece of surprise jewelry from La Jolie Fille Boutique. Rafflecopter will close April 14.
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Keeping It Real: Writing a Series

When I first started Love is a Fire, I had no intentions of making it a series. Then I wrote "The End", hit publish, and started being threatened by readers so I quickly wrote Burst Into Flame. I had this grand idea that I'd give Jeremiah and Patrick their own stories too... then I got sidetracked and now I've published four books since Burst Into Flame (#4 releasing tomorrow!). I have readers begging and requesting me to finish the series and I really want to... except that I'm sucked into other projects right now that excite me more. Obviously, I jumped into this series not knowing WTH I was doing... and I still don't really! So instead of calling my books series, I prefer to say I have "crossover characters." That works, right??? One day, I promise, ONE DAY, I will write books 3 and 4 in the Burning Lovesick series.

Fallen Idol by Nikki Lynn Barrett

 Title of book: Fallen IdolName of Editor: Robert BarrettName of cover designer: Robert BarrettPage # or word count: 100kOfficial genre of book: contemporary romantic suspenseContent warning: Adult content- sex scene


What goes up must come down... 
Kyra Sanders had a promising career in country music in her teen years. She gained popularity and fame, riding high atop the the charts. Then one deadly accident changed things, sending her spiraling downward to the point she went into a hiatus from music. 
Six years later, Kyra's making her return to the music scene. With an album in the works and a new song on the radio, her career is back on track, until a call from Texas with news of an accident forces her to halt her plans. 
Matt Greer is working through the aftermath of his ex-wife's abandonment when she chose to leave him and their fourteen year old son to pursue her own musical dreams. He's had enough of troubled musicians and the havoc they bring to his life. Kyra surprises him in a good way, but it doesn't mean he wants anything to do with a singer who comes to town with trouble on her trail. 
It's hard to avoid each other in a small town, especially when their families are close. Matt should stay away from the woman who could lead danger right to their town, and it's possible she already has, but he can't help how drawn he becomes to her. 
The sparks ignite, but danger lurks in the distance, only getting closer as time goes on. For two people who want different things out of life, it's possible to find healing together...


"I know it's a far cry from the parties you're used to." Matt leaned close to talk near her ear.
"That's a good thing," Kyra snapped, immediately regretting it. Was he going on his judgmental kick again?
"Kyra-" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I misjudge you once, and you always think that's what I'm doing?"
She was about to apologize when the song changed from an upbeat one to a slow country ballad. Kyra laughed. This was her song! "Seriously? Did you put them up to this?"
Matt shook his head. "Nope. I never suggested the music. But since this is your song, literally, I think we should dance." He held out a hand.
She stared down at it. "Are we supposed to dance?" So he knew her song. It surprised her, but made her feel good, too.
"Dancing is permitted. We're here to help out, and there's nothing that says we can't dance. Hey look, Blaine and Randy are out on the floor, too." He gestured. "Come on."
She stepped into his embrace and swayed to the music. Her music. This was a first. Kyra had never danced with a sexy man to her own song before. His arms tightened around her waist.
"So how old were you when this song came out?" Matt whispered in her ear.
"Sixteen," she replied, glancing around the room as they moved. A few yards away from them were Andrew and Daisy. So far, she'd handled the crowd pretty well. Good.
"Just two years older than Andrew is now, and you had multiple number ones already." Matt mused. 
"What's that like?"
She tensed, not sure how to answer.
"Does it bother you that I'm asking? It's out of curiosity. I'm not judging or anything. I really want to know. It's interesting. Here I am, dancing with you during my son's first date. At the age he is now, you broke out in the business. He wasn't even in kindergarten when you had your biggest hits on the radio."
She looked up at Matt. Kyra was tall at 5'8, and Matt had a good four or five inches on her. "It's a feeling I can't explain. I never expected to take off the way I did. I was different as a child. I always had a melody playing in my mind. I couldn't sit still. I'd tap out a beat, or I'd hum. I had song lyrics pop up in my mind that needed to be put to music."
"I know all about that. I remember the first time I met you." There was a twinkle in his eye.
"Yeah, I annoyed you because I tapped out a beat on your dashboard."
"Then you hummed." Matt laughed, then his grin faded. "It wasn't so much annoying as I was nervous about the storm. Adding sounds I'm not used to didn't help."
"And you didn't like me." Kyra wished she'd never said that.
Matt lowered his gaze. "It wasn't quite that."
"No?" Did she really have to ruin the good night by bringing up their awkward first meeting? Why, why, why?
Matt pulled her closer. "Okay, fine. Maybe a little, and I regret it. Let's just say there's a history with me and musicians, and I took it out on the wrong girl."

Amazon US ~ Amazon CAGoodreads


The Secret Santa Wishing Well ~ Baby StetsonThe Melody In My Head ~ On the 12th Date of ChristmasA Masterpiece Of Our Love ~ The Key To My HeartA Masterpiece Unraveled ~ 'Tis The Season For Forgiving

I'm an avid lover of books. I've been writing as far back as I can remember, completing my first "book" by fifth grade in one of those one subject spiral notebooks. I have a passion for music, photography, jewelry and all things creative. I live in Arizona with my husband and son, but dream of being somewhere much colder and stormier. For now, I'll have to live that life through my characters and stick it out with the summer heat.

FaceBookFacebook: Nikki's Book NookFacebook: Nikki's Book StormersTwitterGoodreadsWebsite

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Keeping It Real: I've Improved

When I first entered the world of indie writing, I chatted with many seasoned authors. I was trying to learn the world of self-publishing, find the secrets, get to know more people in the community, and just generally trying to figure out WTH I was doing! I don't recall who told me this but I remember someone saying, "Your first piece of work is always your worst and everyone after will only improve." Honestly, that thought made me sad because I loved Katy and Nick. I didn't want them to be the worst part of me, I wanted them to be the best! Then I created Jules & Bentley, Colie & Grant, Mia and Tate, Sloan & Smitty and I fell in love with all of them until Katy and Nick were just a faint memory. You know kind of like your best friend from eighth grade that you swore you'd be BFF with for life and she'd be one of your bridesmaids in your wedding and then high school hits, you go your separate ways, meet Mr. Dreamy, get married, don't even invite her, and occasionally see her FB status updated in your newsfeed. Yeah, that's Katy and Nick. :-/

I'm going to be putting Love is a Fire in a boxed set at the start of 2016. I knew the book needed some more editing so as I sat down to read the story again, I one-fell in love and two-cringed at every page. I'd missed them just like I miss that bestie from eighth grade! I smiled as I remembered the good times they had, the ups, the downs, and most importantly all the love they shared. But then I cringed at some of the head hopping and typos-definitely NOT my best work!

My writing style has changed so much since I started and I think that's part of the reason I'm really struggling with Jeremiah's book because I have to get back in that mindset. Oh well, eventually I'll get his book done and just think, it'll be better than Katy and Nick's!

Frozen Afflictions (Afflictions #2) by Racquel Reck

Frozen Afflictions (Afflictions #2) by Racquel Reck
Release Date: June 2015Cover Design: Amanda Simpson at Pixel Mischief Designs
GoodReads TBR: http://bit.ly/19A05E6

 Blurb:

Frozen emotions of the afflicted...
Tryst Kelly's parents made him want for nothing growing up, except their love. It turned him into an emotionally closed off man. But it's not just their lack of care that's made him this way. He did something in his past. Something unforgivable. Nothing can banish the hallucinations that plague him. Not his band. Not his new found friends. 

When the dead start to rise, can Tryst protect himself, and the woman he loves, from the truth?

A burning desire for love...
Bebe Wiseler parties her way through life. From one bed to the next she's completely content with being alone. Until an old crush awakens a need in her she didn't know she had. She's prepared to put her heart on the line to obtain her shot at happiness.

When a past lover resurfaces and his sole intent is revenge, will Bebe break through Tryst's frozen exterior in time?

Bebe is the only one who can make him feel.

Tryst is the only man who truly cares.

The past isn't done with either of them...and it's about annihilate everything.
Already available in the series - Razor’s Edge (Afflictions Book One):
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1GvAN40 Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Oan8EU Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1BD3yaC Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1xk6yO7 B&N: http://bit.ly/1rxi9zt Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FKJY2h 
About the Author:
Always a fan of books, Racquel began reading at the age of six.  Yes, she started early.  It fueled her imagination and she began writing her own stories at the age of ten.  Then her writing took a backseat when she discovered drama class in high school.
Becoming an actor was what she wanted to do with her life, but she changed her mind.  “I felt like I needed to do something more meaningful and planned on becoming a nurse’s assistant.”  She went to college for her CNA, but again not the career choice for her. 
When she turned twenty she met her husband, and shortly after, their daughter came.  All the while she had these voices in her head, these characters begging her to tell their stories.  “I put the mute button on them until I became pregnant with my son, now I can’t get them to shut up.”  She wrote five unpublished novels before her son turned three.  She hopes that her stories will be inspirational for people going through the same problems as her characters.
Instead of going the traditional route, sending out querys and receiving rejection letters, she decided to take on the world of indie publishing.  She writes contemporary and paranormal romances and hopes to one day step out side her genre and write a horror novel.
She resides just outside Detroit, Michigan with her husband, two children, two cats and a dog.  Summer days are spent at the race track and when night time falls, her secret worlds come alive.  
Connect with Racquel:
Website: http://rreck27.wix.com/raquel-reckFacebook: http://on.fb.me/1CBj4dU Twitter: https://twitter.com/rreck29Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/racquelreck/boards/

Keeping It Real: Poor, Misunderstood Colie

Oh Colie Adger! Some people love her while others hate her. In fact, some thing she's TSTL! It broke my heart when I heard that readers couldn't stand her, thought she was self-absorbed, and of course, was TSTL. Let me tell you how I picture Colie, who seems to be misunderstood!

Colie is the younger, single sister. Meg seems to have it all, the perfect supportive man who she is about to marry. Colie on the other hand can't find a man so instead she chooses to focus on her work. Nothing that she's working in a man's world, she has to give more than most other trainers in the field. She doesn't want anyone thinking she was "given" anything along the way because of her friends.

When Jace comes into her life, she's beyond thrilled. A lot of readers HATE Jace (I wrote him that way) and said Colie let him control her and to a point, he did. Has no one out there ever wondered or thought about the crush that never happened? You've put him on a pedestal and honestly, if you came face to face with him again, hell he wanted to date, I think most of you would react the same way Colie did. Here's this gorgeous "perfect" man that wants her undivided attention, the man she wanted so many years ago. Yeah, he's a scoundrel but she eventually learn. Sometimes when things involve your heart, you don't really think with your mind, do you? And then there's Grant, one of her best guy friends. I know we all love Grant, I sure do, but Colie had to see what it was like with Jace. She couldn't just turn away from him without giving it a go.

Life isn't a straight road from start to finish. I don't know about you but I've deviated off the "obvious" choice a few times, I've done stupid stuff because of a man, and I've overlooked the good guy more than I care to admit. Did you know that I met my husband in May 2006 and we didn't have our first date until December 2006? Yeah, there may have been a Jace-type guy in that gap. So the point of this post is that Colie is just like you and me. She may not have been your typical heroine but she had to give love a chance. It bit her in the ass but hey, in the end, she got the good guy which is all that matters, right?

Intercepted by Love #1 by Rachelle Ayala

What would you do if you threw away the Super Bowl on a last minute end-zone interception? Meet Cade Prescott: backup quarterback for the Los Angeles Flash in their new Hollywood Stadium. He alone is responsible for his team losing the Super Bowl, so he escapes to a small college town in upstate New York to hide and lick his wounds. Meet Andie Wales: Research librarian. She and her archaeologist family share a vivid interest in King David. In addition to his official history, she's also an expert on his love lives [plural, because of his multiple wives]. She works in a library in a small college town in upstate New York.
“… enchanting story of two people from completely different worlds” – Keli Morgan ~ Description ~Pro quarterback Cade Prescott’s last play was to lose the Super Bowl for his team. To escape the bad press and recover from the disastrous season, he changes his appearance and hides away at a sleepy university town. Andie Wales’s first love is researching ancient bad boy kings. She is blissfully unaware of the Super Bowl and modern day bad boys. When her dog meets and mates with Cade’s dog, Andie’s first concern is to get her dog to a vet. She gets waylaid by Cade and his hunky good looks and has no idea just how out of her league Cade is. Despite his secrets, Cade feels differently about Andie and thinks he might be falling in love. Unfortunately, his past catches up with him, and he is forced to make a difficult decision. Can a professional athlete and a research librarian truly prove the axiom that opposites not just attract, but were meant for each other?

Intercepted by Love #1 is available at Amazon, Read FREE if on KindleUnlimited or buy for 99centsIntercepted by Love #2 is available for Pre-orderand #3 is in the works. :) ~About Rachelle ~ 

Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope.Subscribe to her mailing list for upcoming books and giveaways: http://bit.ly/RachAyala and find her books at online retailers Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBookstore, and Smashwords.Books by Rachelle AyalaMichal’s WindowRoaring Hot!A Father for ChristmasChristmas FlirtChristmas Stray Chance for Love Broken BuildHidden Under Her HeartKnowing VeraSánchez SistersTaming RomeoClaiming CarlosJewells in LoveWhole Latte LoveSports RomancesPlayed by LovePlaying the RookiePlaying Without RulesIntercepted by Love, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Want to Contact Rachelle?Facebook Reader’s Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClubRachelleAyala/Mailing List: http://bit.ly/RachAyalaWebsite: http://rachelleayala.meBlog: http://rachelleayala.com

White Swans by Annamaria Bazzi

Cover designer: Natasha BrownEditor: Wizards in PublishingPage Count: 258 pagesGenre: Sci-Fi FantasyPublished: January 15, 2015 


Kendíka’s second chance at life begins as a nightmare.Will the eerie eyes always looking down from the sky reveal themselves?Kendíka challenges the aliens no one has ever seen to bring about a better life for the humans trapped in the surreal Regency world she wakes up in.While getting to know her alien owner, she discovers the aliens aren’t so perfect and have much to learn about humans.Will Kendíka survive or perish, attempting to make life better for the people living on Regency?

Startled by the lack of movement, Kendíka sat up in bed, scanning the shadows in the moonlit room. Perspiration beaded her forehead while her heart pounded against her ribs. The last thing she remembered was sitting in the limousine next to Mr. Vetrano, arguing about her future. He insisted the will mandated her future, not him. Did the pill knock her out? How dare he drug me!
She blinked and, holding her breath, glanced around the unfamiliar room. When her lungs screamed for air, she exhaled then took another deep inhale. What the hell? What happened to the limousine?Butterflies unsettled her stomach. Her back stiffened. Her heart drummed. Oh, my God! When did I get out of the car or come to this room? Why would Mr. Vetrano bring me to such a freaky place? Fear and the thought of her parents’ death brought fresh tears to her eyes.She slid out of bed and shuffled her bare feet along the stone floor, hands held out to make sure she didn’t bump into anything hidden by the shadows.At the opposite end of the room, she could make out a dark blob, which she hoped might be the door. Somewhere along the wall near it, she would find a light switch.
Amazon US ~ Amazon CAAmazon AU ~ Amazon UKGoodreads

Amazon US


Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the States, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish.Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.
Future Projects
"In September I have a sweet Christmas romance coming out in box set with other authors. Working on a young adult fantasy, science fiction with romance called Dragons in the Resistance. If interested readers can take a look at the few chapters I've posted on wattpad."
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Keeping It Real: My Head Shot

I hate having my picture taken. What can I say? I'm a woman. Tell me one woman who likes to have their photo taken. One of my motivations for losing weight, especially around AR's birthday, is that I want to be in some photos to create memories for her down the road. Then I published a book and SOB, I had to have a headshot. Well, no way was I going out to get a professional headshot done, so I cropped myself out of our family picture from October 2013. I actually kind of love it and it's worked well! Then in November 2014, we had our annual family pictures and I asked the photog to snap a pic of me for my headshot. Eh, it's okay, I'm not in love with it, but I do think I used it in the back of Fear of Striking Out. However, it's the current, real me. By real I mean, it's not a photo from a couple years ago when I was skinny, it's how I actually look!
Then the other day I was perusing old photos and came across this gem. It's from February 2014. As you can tell, I'm always BEHIND the camera but we were at a Valentine's Playdate and one of the other moms hiding behind the camera snapped this pic of me. I.LOVE.IT!!!  It's totally me, cheesy smile (rarely do I just smile normally, ask any of my friends, family, co-workers) and camera in hand. It's not posed, it's just me chillin' with my friends and their kiddos and being a mom. I've never been a fan of posed pics, I'd much prefer photo journalistic style pics (hey, I was in the "in" with our wedding photos before that was really "in"). I mean I'd prefer a photo to tell a story about what's really happening, not what the photographer/models want you to think. You know like life is hunky dory while I plaster this fake smile on my face although I'm about to rip my husband's head off because he won't stop complaining about the tag in his shirt... just an example, not that it's ever happened. ;-). So although it's a year old, watch out for this beauty as my new headshot.

Keeping It Real: Covers in Hand

Back at Christmas, Carey from Safari Heat was having a cover sale and I ended up buying six covers!!! So far, I've only used one for Loved by the Linebacker and another matching cover (kind of, thank god Erney can work some magic!). Anyway, I still have five covers that I need to write stories for, here they go...
I think this one is going to be Oliver Pennington's cover, you'll read a wee bit about him in My Favorite What If.  I bought this one because I'm wanting to do a military story but have no real concept. I have a good idea for a military AND Christmas story but it doesn't really fit this cover or the next one...any ideas???
How could I NOT pass this one up? But again, no story idea...
I bought this one with my steamy Christmas story in mind but the story I'm leaning toward doesn't really fit this one either. :-/
And lastly, I wanted to write a cowboy story and I'm thinking this just might be Abe Tomko's story (that's Mia's brother!).
So, I'm one for six with a possible second idea and then four book covers and no stories!!! Feel free to pass on suggestions and help me brainstorm!