Lori Perkins's Blog, page 14

Half Price Sale on RAB Titles for Snow Day

If you're snowed in, or just not going out for a few days, we picked five of our hottest books to warm you up and put them on sale at 50% OFF. Sale prices can be found on Kobo, Nook and the RAB website, riverdaleavebooks.com (use codes in brackets below). Sale ends midnight Thursday, so stock up!

Trinity Blacio always writes blazing hot paranormal menage, so we put two of her seasonal classics, HOT FOR WINTER( WINTERHOT1) and HOT FOR XMAS (WINTERHOT2) at half price on Nook, Kobo and the RAB website.

Cecilia Tan, Romantic Times Pioneer and erotic romance author of the year (2015) just loves baseball, so she wrote a wicked hot erotic romance that should get you in the mood for Opening Day, THE HOT STREAK (WINTERHOT3).

Rory NiCoiliean's M/M Celtic fairy soulmate series, SOULSHARES, will burn your fingers as you turn the pages, so we put the fourth book in the series, FIRESTORM (WINTERHOT4), on sale (but read them all - USA Today choose the most recent novel in the series, UNDERTOW, as one of it's top M/M titles of 2016).

And Ana Lee Kennedy's THE SORCERER KING AND THE FIRE QUEEN (WINTERHOT5) should leave you needing to throw some cold water all over yourself.

ENJOY!

What I Really Want for International Women's Day

So, it's International Women's Day and we women are supposed to go on strike (unless, of course, we work for ourselves) to show the world just how much they need us and how much we do.

With the international spotlight on women and work today (and the global lack of pay equity, let along lack of respect), I spent some extra time reading newspapers and blogs about how various companies were covering and celebrating the day. Although it was charming to see that some female-centric websites (such as Jezebel) were leaving reporting to their male colleagues for the day, or repurposing already-written material, I found myself asking, "what would I want for International Women's Day?" Now besides real world peace, and affordable health care (thank you for leading, Justin Trudeau), what I'd really like from all the places that make their fortunes off of my work, is something for wonderful for FREE. Just a little bit of what comes, round goes around, a spin on the karma wheel. I'd like an extra issue of O Magazine as a loyal subscriber (if I wrote in today), or free shipping from the places I order from, or maybe some free dessert or even fruit from the supermarket where I shop most often.

Ideally, though, it would be super awesome if I could get something that was affirming and empowering for FREE on International Women's Day.

In light of this personal revelation, I decided that I had the power, as the Publisher of Riverdale Avenue Books, to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, so we are giving away a down-loadable copy of the ebook to SMOKE DRINK F*#K by Esme Oliver all day through midnight, PST. (It's the riveting story of a 40-something year old who goes to Italy to SMOKE DRINK F*#K after a break-up, and finds herself!) Right now, you can download it on our website at riverdaleavebooks.com, and it should soon be free on nook, kobo, and hopefully, Amazon.

Enjoy!

RAB Launches New Hera Imprint

The innovative, hybrid book publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books just launched Hera Books, a new imprint featuring both the true and fictional lives and loves of women aged 35 and up.
The new imprint is named after Hera, the Greek goddess of goddesses, and the goddess of marriage (also Zeus’ jealous wife).

Said Publisher Lori Perkins. “We want to re-frame Hera in the 21st century because we believe she has been portrayed unjustly. She’s the Hilary Clinton of mythology. I like to think that Hera is just female for hero.”

The first book from the imprint will be Smoke, Drink, F*#k by Esme Oliver, described by the author as “the antithesis of Eat, Pray Love,” about a woman on the verge of 40 who goes to Italy to smoke, drink f*#k and ends up finding herself. “I wrote the book to reach women my age who were dating and not having a lot of success,” explained Oliver. “I thought this might help them. I also wrote it to show how despite heartbreaking pain, there is always light on the other side and at least for me, the pleasure was worth the pain.”
“Romance novels usually have protagonists aged 27 years old, but the average age of a romance reader is 42,” said Publisher Lori Perkins. “We want to make these books more relatable to the real romance reader. I find that the older women get, the wiser they get. “
One book a month will be published to the new imprint. To learn more about Hera Books, please visit riverdaleavebooks.com.

Smoke Drink F*#K for Galentine's Day

The innovative, hybrid book publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books will be launching the publication of Smoke Drink F*#k by Esme Oliver at The Daisy NYC, 1641 2nd Ave, New York, NY from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. to celebrate Galentine’s Day. This is the first book from their new Hera imprint featuring women over 35 defining who they are.

Esme Oliver, the author of Smoke Drink F*#k, will read an excerpt from the book along with Judi Fennell, author of Beefcake and Cupcakes. The first 50 people will receive a bag of only the best Galentine’s Day goodies from Clipa handbag hangers, bookmarks from Integrative Health & Nutrition Coach Marissa Vicario, Burju Shoes gift certificates and more. Pink cocktails will be served at a special price.

Galentine's Day is a holiday created by Amy Poehler on Parks & Rec. In the words of her character Leslie Knope, what is Galentine’s Day? “Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.”

“Smoke Drink F*#k is a novel that showcases the spirit of strong driven women who go after what they want and know who they are,” said Publisher Lori Perkins. “It’s the perfect book to launch our new Hera imprint featuring heroines over 35.”

One book a month will be published to the new imprint. To learn more about Hera Books, please visit riverdaleavebooks.com.

About Esme Oliver
Esme Oliver has worked as an attorney, a health-care lobbyist, and a legislative director for two US Senators; work which sharpened her left brain but just didn't quite fulfill her soul. Esme eventually left DC for her native Midwest, where she now writes grants (for money) and stories (for fun). She enjoys lots of travel and a long list of other activities that pair well with a nice Pinot.

About Judi Fennell
JUDI FENNELL, is the best-selling author and Prism Award and Golden Leaf winner of romantic comedies and paranormal romance. Her series include The Tritone Trilogy, Bottled Magic, Manley Maids, Once-Upon-A-Time Romance and BeefCake, Inc. Under the pseudonym, Raven Morris, she writes the erotic romance series, Tied With a Bow and Flirting With Thirty. She is the owner/operator of www.formatting4U.com, a service to help authors self-publish their books. Judi lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two-legged and four-legged “menagerie,” and her very supportive fiancé. Check out Judi’s books at www.JudiFennell.com.


About Riverdale Avenue Books
Riverdale Avenue Books is an award winning, innovative hybrid publisher at the leading edge of the changes in the publishing industry. We publish e-books, print, and audio books under 10 imprints: Desire, an erotica/erotic romance imprint; Riverdale/Magnus the award-winning imprint of LGBT titles; Pop featuring pop culture titles; Afraid, a horror line; SFF, a science fiction fantasy line; Truth, an erotic memoir line; Dagger, a mystery thriller imprint; Sports and Gaming featuring sports and gaming titles; and VerVe featuring lifestyle titles. Started in 2012 by industry veteran Lori Perkins, Riverdale is a full service publisher, with a foreign rights and film agency department. Visit us at www.RiverdaleAveBooks.com.

Call for Essays for 1984 Anthology

Innovative hybrid publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books has announced a call for essays to be included in a new anthology on how George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984 still resonates nearly seven decades after it was published.

Riverdale Avenue Books’ call for submissions reaches out to a wide array of readers and writers requesting popular non-fiction essays, both personal and political, from high school English teachers and students, academics, science fiction/fantasy authors (adult and YA), scientists, politicians (liberal, conservative or otherwise), political theorists, government and factory workers, union members, linguists, librarians, news people, intelligence community, and social workers, feminists, LGBTQ individuals, people of all religious and irreligious persuasions and beliefs. Anyone who has read and been deeply influenced by Orwell’s greatest work and desires to share its impact.

“With the current political climate, it’s no wonder that 1984 is now #1 on the best-seller lists,” said Publisher Lori Perkins. “Readers and writers relate to the political zeitgeist in the novel in current events right now. We want to let the people be heard!”

The essays should be a minimum of 500 words, and a maximum of 2,500. Please include a brief autobiography with your submission by March 6, 2017 and send to submissions@riverdaleavebooks.com. The anthology will be published on April 4th, 2017, exactly 33 years after Winston Smith’s story begins in the classic dystopian novel.

Demon with a Comb-Over Pubbed in Time for Inauguration Day

“Louis CK meets Supernatural…an excellently crafted tale that will also have you keeping the lights on!"
-Meradeth Houston, author of the Sary Society series.


New York, NY: (January 20, 2017)--The innovative, hybrid book publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books is re-releasing the comedic horror novel, Demon With A Comb-Over by Stuart R. West. This book launches Riverdale Avenue Books’ Afraid horror imprint and upcoming podcast.

In this humorous horror novel described as “Seinfeld meets Paradise Lost,” Charlie Broadmoor, a struggling stand-up comedian, decides to single out someone in the audience with a particularly bad hair-do–who turns out to actually be a demon who makes his life a living hell. Charlie has a hard time coming up with new material while terrorized at every waking moment by a poorly-coiffed, thin-skilled eldritch evil whose appreciation of humor is dwarfed by his monumental pettiness. Charlie quickly learns that making light of the supernatural is no joke.

The new edition will feature The Book of Kobal, which will give previous fans of the book a new glimpse into the origin of the short-tempered demon.

“We are thrilled to be publishing this in sync with the presidential inauguration. It’s a funny look at the consequences of pissing off the very powerful wrong person,” said Publisher, Lori Perkins. “The timing couldn’t be better.”

About the Author
Stuart R. West writes thrillers, horror and mysteries usually tinged with humor. Demon with a Comb-Over/The Book of Kobal is his fifteenth title. Stuart spent 25 years in the corporate sector and now writes full time.

Bringing Back Running in Fear

When I published the first Running in Fear title in 2009, I was a little surprised at how popular it was, even among all the bad reviews. Why did women love it so much (and why did others hate it so passionately)

The Running in Fear series features an intergalactic crisis to save humans as told through the adventures of a variety of different kinds of shifters who are all multiply mated to human women, who it turns out have all survived some kind of abuse, which makes them stronger.

To my knowledge, this is the only romance series that gives that empowerment to abused women. The series does have BDSM elements, which some of the readers felt were awkward in light of the female characters having survived abuse, but the author sees that as finding men who are strong enough to give pleasure in the adrenaline rush of a good spanking and take care of business.

I became aware of Trinity Blacio’s work after a rabid batch of mean girls eviscerated her writing in 2009. I wrote to her and asked her to send me something because after 20 years as both a newspaper and fiction editor, I felt that I could edit anything. It turns out that her publisher had published her writing without any editing, which is just plain wrong. I edited a short story of her’s (just republished today as Searching for the Prefect Mate: Remi’s Story) and was impressed by the sex. It was my first exposure to werewolf ménage (I was so innocent once!).

I then met Trinity at Lori Foster’s annual romance conference in Ohio where I learned that this short story was just the tip of the iceberg in a series about shifters and their multiple partner romances (every human woman has at least two, but more often three, hot male shifters in Trinity’s universe). I was beginning to see the appeal.

The author’s eyes glowed as she talked about her series and I could see that she was in another world when she told me about her books. It reminded me of the time two decades earlier when I had stayed over Anne’s Rice’s house in New Orleans and she had walked through the streets of that city (and the churches) and told me that the Mayfair witches and her vampires had been part of her world from the time she was a kid. I could see that Trinity had the same kind of inter-connected characters and universe. I decided to acquire the entire series, and am so glad I did. Each volume surprised and amazed me.

Looking back (because we were all knee deep in the exciting explosion of female-centered erotic romance on the web then), I didn’t realize how unique the series was to feature abused survivors who overcame their personal histories to find sex positive soul mates (of other species, no less) and become the warrior queens that save us all. Yes, I know it’s fantasy, but how awesome is that story line? It's only with a little hindsight that I can see just how progressive (and creative) this series was.

Holiday Classics and Republishing Favorites

I've been creating book in epublishing for close to a decade now, and as an editor and publisher, I''ve published a lot of Christmas titles. It always amazes me that the Christmas zeitgeist can be re-interpreted (and recycled, if you will) so consistently and enthusiastically every year.

Every once in a while, something stands out and a new Christmas classic is born. We see this most often in the movies we watch every year. When I was growing up it was just A Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street. Then A Christmas Story came along and that became a TBS annual classic. The 90's brought us Home Alone and The Santa Clause, and the 2000's Elf. My son and I are also partial to Die Hard on Christmas Eve and The Nightmare Before Christmas, but we know that they are not on everybody's must-see list. We rotate through the list every year but each time we re-watch one, it brings back all the old joy (we always say how well-written The Santa Clause and Elf are) and we find new things we missed or didn't appreciate the first or second time around.

Well that also happens with re-reading old Christmas tales. I published a few when I was the Editorial Director of Ravenous Romance, but they faded into the past. This year, I was fortunate enough to be able to republish four of my RR titles, and it is such a joy to reacquaint myself with the characters and situations, and remember how charmed I was by their innovation.

I had been working with Trinity Blacio on her Running in Fear series (which we will be reprinting starting January 2017 - all nine books, plus the last one in the series), and she shocked me by sending in a rather long Christmas book I wasn't expecting. I had NO idea what it was about, and it started with some bizarre reference to an old Christmas legend. As I read and edited on, I chuckled at how Trinity managed to bring her love of supernatural hotties to the Christmas story - two single women were going on an Xmas vacation to an island owned by vampires. And I laughed a little more when it turned out that the main character's boss just happened to be a vampire, with a hot twin brother, whose family owned vampire island. But as I read further into the novel, Trinity blew me away with her creative interpretation of the Christmas mythos. Let's just say this is the kitchen sink of Christmas stories with every supernatural twist you could imagine, plus kink. You will never read anything quite like The Naughty Angel and Her Three Very Wise Men (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...), unless you count the sequel, Naughty Mommy and Santa's Helpers (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...) and the all new, The Naughty Stepbrothers (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...).

I had also been working with Ryan Field at Ravenous with his M/M retelling of straight classics. He had paid homage to A Christmas Carol with A Christmas Carl (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod....) Set in contemporary New York instead of London of the 1840's, Ryan introduces us to Carl Smite, a miserly antiques dealer in Greenwich Village who gets visits from Christmas ghosts, including Quentin Crisp! It's both funny and heart-warming. I am just so glad to give this book a second chance.

Also republished this year is Forever Bound with Tinsel (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/stor...) by Chloe Stowe. Chloe has a very hot M/M series set during Don't Ask, Don't Tell featuring a military doctor and an Air Force pilot. This was a novella set in that universe that took place over the holidays. It had been part of a three novella collection, but I remembered it being charmingly steamy and wanted to bring it back, before we re-released Chloe's entire Bound series, which we will do this year.

In addition to the books I mentioned, I have to suggest that everyone read DL King's A Scarlet Christmas (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/stor...), which is a Femme Domme retelling of A Christmas Carol. Let's face it - everyone knows Scrooge needs a spanking - and DL King really gives him one, and more. This is a unique treasure (and there's also some Hanukah erotic in Festival of Lights).

Christmas comes to Magic University (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...), Cecilia Tan's breath-taking paranormal tale set in a college of supernatural learning, in Christmas Magic (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...). This amazing series is a box set. Imagine Harry Potter goes to college and they all study sex magic. A must-read!

I am also quite taken with Rachel Kenely's Her Stepbrother's Christmas Gift (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...), which is a charming retelling of The Nutcracker with the added naughty bonus of stepbrother intrigue. It's part of Rachel's whole Once Upon a Stepbrother series, which is fabulously romantic.

And I love our new Scoring with Santa (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...) by Theresa Roemer and Renee Rose. It's a Hallmark quality contemporary Christmas romance, but with the expected amount of Riverdale Avenue Books eroticism. This Santa is hot!

All these titles are 50% Off on Allromance ebooks through the holidays, so please indulge yourself.

Hey Joe: The Unauthorized Biography of a Rock Classic Just Pubbed

The innovative, hybrid book publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books is pleased to announce the release of their new pop culture title based on the iconic rock song Hey Joe. The new book Hey Joe: The Unauthorized Biography of a Rock Classic is by New York Times best-selling author, Marc Shapiro, chronicles the history and origins of the song.
Legend goes that Hey Joe was a momentary blip on the pop music scene in 1965 courtesy of a Southern California band named The Leaves. It would be their only hit. But over the next 50-plus years, the quirky song about premediated murder went on to become something special, a musical rite of passage for legends like Jimi Hendrix, Patti Smith, Led Zeppelin, and countless others. Nearly 3,000 versions of Hey Joe have been recorded and release, which range from familiar, obscure and, in many cases, downright impossible to find.
“Marc’s deep research answers the questions listeners are dying to know such as who are the authors of the song and which musicians actually recorded it first,” said Publisher Lori Perkins. “Plus aren’t we all are curious to know where Joe goes with that gun in his hand?”
“Hey Joe was a rite of passage for me in the 60’s,” said Shapiro. “When I discovered the song it was literally on and off the radio in a matter of weeks and had gone on to have such a profound impact on the world of music on such a massive level. I knew it was a story that had to be told.”
The book is part, history, part mystery and part memoir. Hey Joe includes the memories of countless well known musicians who were part of the Hey Joe odyssey, a detailed look at the history of Hey Joe, the song that few have ever thought to think deeply about and the rumors, legends and outlandish tales surrounding the song that ultimately culminate in the ultimate question.

RAB and Morris-Jumel Mansion to Host FREE Paranormal Victorian Event TOMORROW

The Morris-Jumel Mansion, in collaboration with Riverdale Avenue Books, will hold a Paranormal Victorian Holiday Event celebrating the publication of The Morris-Jumel Mansion Anthology of Fantasy and Paranormal Fiction on Tuesday, December 20th from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Address: Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace, 10032. C train to 163rd Street in Washington Heights.

The evening will include readings from the anthology by award-winning fantasy writer Leanna Renee Heiber, author Gina Marie Guadagnino, and the radio play “Eliza’s House.” Guests will be given an overview of paranormal activity at the Mansion, served hot spiced wine and cider, and holiday singing will close the evening’s festivities. Victorian attire is encouraged, but not required. Digital copies of the book are available for review, and books will be for sale at the event.

The anthology features 14 tales set in the Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan’s oldest house, which quartered General George Washington during the Battle of Harlem Heights, and was subsequently the home of the infamous Aaron Burr and his wife, Eliza Jumel, who reputedly still haunts the grounds. The Anthology's tales are ghost stories, science fiction, mystery, romance, erotica, time travel, visions of the afterlife, and paranormal fantasy. https://www.amazon.com/Morris-Jumel-M...

“What is particularly gratifying about this collection of stories is its diversity,” said Camilla Saly-Monzingo, editor of the anthology. “The contributing writers are Latino, African-American, white, gay, straight, bisexual. They are millenials, in mid-life, and older adults. They are parents, childfree, single and partnered.”

The Morris Jumel Mansion Anthology of Paranormal and Fantasy Fiction, edited by Camilla Saly-Monzingo, is available at Riverdale Avenue Books, Amazon, iTunes, and wherever books are sold. Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/10671...