My Book's on Audible & Why it's Weird!!

My latest release, RISE OF HOPE was just released on Audible. I knew they'd selected it for audio of course, but when that happens, the author really is given no idea when it might come out. Considering some of the specific words in my book, I thought they may reach out to me for pronunciations. I was told they might. I'd be waiting, wondering, thinking there'd been some mistake, that they'd changed their minds. Nope LOL. It's just suddenly out there. And it's totally weird. I listened to a sample yesterday. And I could only listen to about two minutes before I had to shut it off. Why? Well:

• I can't tell you how strange it is listening to another voice read my words back to me. I mean, up to this point, the only time I've heard my book is in my own head!
• The narrator is a woman and for the short part I listened to, did a really good job. BUT she reads it at a different pace than I do. And has a different accent to me. Double weird!
• It made me realize, there are people out there who have read my books. This may be a "duh" and I know this intellectually, but this is real, hard, solid evidence. This women obviously spent a LOT of time with my book and my words.
• It gave me goosebumps, in a "this is so cool and neat but weird and I'm sorta freaked out" way. Hey, I'm a writer. No better way to describe it LOL.

Perhaps it just me, but it's a rather surreal experience. I'm not sure how many people out there really buy and listen to audio books (I hope it's a lot), but it really is something freakin' COOL!

If you'd like to listen to a sample, it's up here at Amazon. I'm out of the country at the moment and for some reason, can't see it directly on Audible, but people have let me know it's there. Or here :). If you do listen or do buy it as an audio book, I'd love to hear what you think!

Embarrassing Moments. Oh…and it’s Release Day!

Ah, embarrassing moments. I’ve had my share of them, let me tell you. There was the time I got stuck in a restroom in India. Yeah, India. I could not for the life of me get the cubicle door open, there was no way to climb under or over it and every other woman who came in couldn’t speak a word of English LOL. There was the time I headed to an interview, running really late, only to realize I still had my slippers on O.o. Then there was the time I was in Toronto preparing for a big presentation, ironing my ONLY clean business blouse when I burned a huge iron pattern onto it. And that’s nothing compared to the time I— Wait, you probably don’t need to know that one J.

Did I disclose all this to make myself look like an idiot? Well, I hope not! Hopefully, it provides some examples of someone being human. Granted, ‘being human’ probably doesn’t happen to others as often as it happens to me, but it’s what makes us unique, individual, gives us our personality, our quirks, like building blocks to who we are today. As a writer, it’s critical to create characters readers can relate to and people relate to others they can really identify with. Someone who is gorgeous and perfect and rich and successful and never makes a fool of themselves isn’t necessarily a sympathetic character, isn’t necessarily one a reader will like. Characters need flaws, weaknesses, traits that set them apart. Sometimes they need to make mistakes, react the wrong way, do something foolish or unpredictable. It not only makes a character more relatable so a reader will want to root for their happily ever after, sometimes it provides a great opportunity for plot interest.

I’ve used embarrassing moments or characters behaving badly in some way in my books before. Not necessarily to create a funny or shocking scene in of itself, but to build a realistic character. In my latest release, RISE OF HOPE, my hero is a real gem. At first J. He’s moody, surly and downright rude. Of course, it’s part of who he is, a product of his upbringing, how he handles truths he might not be ready for, but underneath it all he has a core of integrity that’s unshakeable. In other words, he’s redeemable, but I had fun playing with how much of a jerk he could really be. Below is an excerpt from RISE OF HOPE and Seth being, well… Seth:

  “First… Tell me…who am I to you?” she demanded.

  His gaze flew back to hers, held, heated.

  Who are you? What are you? What am I? What does all this mean?

  Yeah, he might not have given her the answers she was looking for or done it well, but at least he could have tried to field those questions. But did she ask those? No. She was sharp, really sharp. It figured. She asked the one thing he couldn’t answer, didn’t want to think about and wasn’t ready to face himself.

  “You’re a job,” he bit out. “I’m helping you escape. I’ll deliver you somewhere safe and make no mistake, I’ll protect you with my life, but you’re a job.”

  Nothing more. He thought it, but couldn’t get the words out. For sure she’d know he was lying. And who the hell was he trying to convince anyway?

So, come on. I showed you mine, now you show me yours J. Share one of your own embarrassing moments, you know, to make sure I don’t look like an idiot here on my own. To celebrate the release of RISE OF HOPE TODAY one lucky reader who comments on my blog will be randomly selected to win...a $25 gift card to an online ebook store of choice. I'll keep it open through Wednesday 11:59 pm Eastern. Good luck!

Rise of Hope. A taste...

There'd be no dispute from anyone who has read any of my books that I like my heroes alpha. Also, a bit moody on occasion and a teensy bit tortured. The hero of my upcoming book, RISE OF HOPE is no exception. Actually, Seth is probably all of these and more rolled into one. Of course, he has some very good reasons and you all know the heroine (Devon) will eventually kiss it better and make everything bearable for him, right? In that vein, I thought I'd share one of Devon's first impressions of Seth. Yeah, they don't first meet in the best of circumstances.

The imposter glanced at the knife, unconcerned. She knew he carried no weapons, her bodyguards had searched him thoroughly, but he didn’t need one. He was weapon enough. She wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

 

Of course, does she really want to? ;)

 

Rise of Hope releases from Carina Press on August 27. You can find all the details on my website.

WIP it Wednesday

I'm back from RomantiCon and trying to get back into the swing of things. I'm suffering from extreme author withdrawal without all my writer friends around LOL. Extreme! I'm in the process of getting my pictures together and loading some video to share, but in the meantime thought you might enjoy a snippet from my WIP. It's Seth and Devon and he's having a 'hard' time. I feel so bad about torturing him so, but he'll thank me for it later. They both will :). ENJOY!

           “Have you ever even seen a naked man? Aroused?”

     “You mean hard?” Her eyes dropped to his hips. “Like you are?”

     Christ, the wide eyes were answer enough. He took a deep breath. He didn’t need her romanticizing this, him.

     “Devon, this is just sex. You want it—fine—but—”

     “Oh, gee, thanks.”

     “But understand going in, that’s all it is. And it’s…sex is hot and sweaty. It’s not soft and gentle. At least it’s not with me.”

WIP it Wednesday

I'm finally, finally getting back into my WIP. In the end I decided it's Nash & Lexi up first. This story is almost there and I'm going to be excited to finish it. I really love the heroine I've created in Lexi because she's a little different to the other heroines I've written. Lexi's had a rough upbringing. It's made her tough and somewhat cynical, but in many ways still very vulnerable, particularly to her own feelings when she's exeperiencing things she never has before or never thought she would. And Nash? Well, he's as alpha as they come and as unprepared as Lexi emotionally for what she makes him feel. He didn't think there was a woman out there with that kind of power or that he'd ever allow it. But he does and a whole lot more. Here's a little taste of their second meeting. Sparks anyone? ENJOY!

     Lexi swallowed. Okay, that had her imagination running overtime. Her wild, out of control, under-sexed, dirty imagination. Jeez, the guy could move, she had to give him that. He had a way of shifting his body with an economy of movement that might give the impression of laid back, but she knew better. He moved precisely and with purpose. And he was lightening fast.

     “I had it under control.” She muttered.
     “Yeah? Looked like you were taking care of it from where I was.”
     She took in a deep breath. The oaf had taken her unawares grabbing her like that and her heart was still pounding a mile a minute. And she wasn’t talking about the oaf laid out moaning on the floor.
     “Do I look like a damsel in distress? I didn’t need to be rescued, so—”
     “Like I said, that’s not what it looked like. In fact, I’d go so far as saying it looked like you needed some help.”
     “You think this makes up for you being an asshole earlier?”
     He probably expected she’d be all over him in gratitude. Yeah, like that’d ever happen. She didn’t do simpering well.
     He leaned down closer to her and frowned. He pointed to the figure rolling onto his side on the floor. “That guy had you trapped in a booth. You didn’t want to be there. I took care of it. Nothing more, nothing less. A polite thank you could have done it.”
     Polite? Coming from him? That was rich.

So...I have a book coming out. Soon!

POINT BLANK releases from Ellora's Cave on August 5. I hadn't really intended to write this book when I did. I was happily writing a different book when these characters started talking to me. I'd always had the seed of an idea in my mind for this, had always been intrigued by the idea of a high school crush that never did burn itself out, but I wasn't going to write it NOW LOL. These characters were just so insistent, I had to stop working on my other project and jump over to this. The result? A quick story about taking chances, hidden desires and not having regrets. I hope everyone will enjoy Rex and Lanie as much as I do.

I don't have the cover yet, but I thought I'd post the excerpt over here. Warning, it contains a hot guy intent on showing the woman he wants to be his just how good he can be. Oh, and it's got some bad words, some very bad words. ENJOY!!

He had her. Alone. Finally.

He stepped in closer to her. Even though the roaring in his head raged at him to crush her against the hard surface of the wall with his body, to imprint himself on her, he was careful not to touch her. Not yet. Even with the heels she was tiny. She barely reached his chin. He’d have to be careful, so very careful of her because he wanted her under him and soon. He was hard, had been since he’d seen her walk into the hall. That hadn’t changed at least. Things might have taken an unexpected turn, an amazing unexpected turn, but it wouldn’t help if he came on too strong, too fast.

She put her hands against his chest and everything in him went still at the contact. His heart slammed against his ribs and he felt as if he’d had the wind knocked out of him. He cupped her face with hands that shook, his fingertips sliding into the edge of her silky hair. His balls tightened in a rush when she opened her mouth a little, his cock a hot brand straining the front of his pants, aching, throbbing, wanting.

“Rex,” she breathed. “About what I said inside.”

He ran a thumb across her full, bottom lip. “Did you change your mind?”

“No.”

Oh yeah. She sounded so sure. Sure was good. He’d never kissed her before. Not even close, but as he leaned in, it felt familiar, she felt familiar and she still smelled incredible.

Although it just about killed him, he waited. “If you plan on stopping me, now’s the time,” he managed.

She moved her head slowly from side to side, all big, wide eyes and he was gone.

He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his. Her lips were soft, her mouth sweet. The roaring in his head became an inferno that licked through his body when she opened her mouth and her tongue pushed forward against his, hesitant at first and then more bold when he groaned his encouragement. He was rough, he knew he was, but couldn’t do a damn thing about it as he took control of the kiss. He wanted, needed inside her. He used his tongue to tell her, show her what he wanted to do to her body, in the only way he knew how.

“Rex,” she breathed when he lifted his head and sucked on her lower lip.

“Yeah. Again, just like that.”

“What?”

“My name.” He trailed his mouth along her jaw, down her throat and closed his teeth over the cord of her neck. She shuddered and clutched at him. He closed his eyes against the agony of pleasure that ripped through him as her taste hit him. He hissed when her hips jerked and she made contact with his cock. He wasn’t sure when he’d ever been as hard. He scraped his teeth over her skin again when she arched her neck. “Moan my name again.”

“God, Rex…”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

He grasped her hips in his hands. Jesus, he only had so much control. The small, jerking thrusts were going to drive him insane. Or cause him to do something he might regret later. Just when he thought he could rein it in, the silky fabric of her dress slid freely across her skin under hands that just couldn’t stay still on her curvy body.

Aw fuck.

WIP it Wednesday

I thought I'd do something a little different this time. Since I'm working on two WIPs at once, I thought I'd share a snippet from each of them LOL.

The first is from my book, tentatively titled PIN DOWN and it's coming along really well. I'm hoping to wrap it up really soon.

     A guy like Nash? He was probably used to women falling all over him, telling him how good looking he was, talking about how hard his muscles were, how hot he was and she’d be damned if she’d fall into that same groove. Even if she was thinking all of those things and more.

The second is from my 'secret project'. I started writing a paranormal story! This is a first for me, but I don't think it's that far removed from what I've already written. The hero is still mega alpha, the heroine has a problem only he can fix and it's still set in contemporary times. I think my voice is really suited to that. It is different from a paranormal perspective in that there's not a vampire or werewolf in sight! One of my favorite parts so far:

     He took a deep breath. He went as long as he could between women, until the needs of his body overrode his overpowering need for solitude, for privacy. But he’d needed this time, perhaps more than any of the rest. He’d held himself back with her, just like he always did during sex, always conscious of his size and his incredible strength, but it had been a near thing. He’d left it too damn long this time.
     "I mean it." She licked her lips. "It's been forever since a man has found me attractive, desirable, since a man has just...wanted me, really wanted me and I..."
     Seth clenched his jaw when her voice trailed off. That was all fine and good except...he wasn't exactly a man.

ENJOY!

A gift...for you

So...it's that time of year again. Everyone has their holiday wishes out on the blogosphere, so I'll be brief with mine :). Enjoy the time with family and friends, stuff yourself with good food (I plan to) and look favorably towards the coming year--may it bring you good health and much happiness.

To celebrate, I'll be giving away either a copy of PICTURE THIS or PAY UP (winner's choice) to a random commenter on this post through Sunday 9:00 pm (EST). Tell me what you like about the holiday season (or don't) or what's the best (or worst) present you ever received!

And now...I'd like to leave you with a never before shared excerpt from PAY UP. Warning: it's hot and steamy and adult! Enjoy!!!

    Carly felt odd being in his bedroom. She’d been in his place before, but never this room. This was the room he dressed and undressed in, the room he slept in, the room he…fucked in. Well jeez, she assumed he didn’t always have sex up against the wall of his entry.
     What did he sleep in anyway? He didn’t seem the pajama type. She quickly grabbed a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt and opened and closed a couple of drawers until she found his underwear.
     Oh God.
     They were all black, snug boxer-style briefs. Every single pair. She laughed. Not a lot of imagination, but hey, he so didn’t need any window dressing. They had to look incredible on him, so why would he mess with perfection, right?
     She felt depraved as she fingered the soft fabric, imagining what the material cupped when he had them on. She’d never much gotten into going down on a guy but the urge she had to look at, touch and taste Rio almost made her tremble. She wanted to lick his length, suck on him, cup and lick his balls until he trembled against her. She wanted to kneel in front of him in submission, his hands in her hair, urging her on until she brought him to the brink. And then she’d start all over again. She’d never let a guy come in her mouth before either, but she knew she’d let Rio. God, she’d insist. Just the thought of it and she was hot, wet and aching with need. What would he say if she won that dumb bet and claimed her prize as a blowjob for him?

It just occured to me ::bangs head on desk::

I've yet to give away any copies of PAY UP. Sheesh, how did that happen? Anyway, in an effort to rectify it, I'll be giving away 3 copies of PAY UP through Sunday at 8:00 pm EST. Comment here and tell me the most memorable thing your significant other ever did for you and I'll select 3 people randomly and announce on Sunday night. It could be something sweet, sexy, funny, thoughtful, cool or maybe just plain weird. Anything as long as it was memorable LOL! If you comment more than once, I'll add an entry for each comment.

And here's some brief new excerpts from the book I haven't shared before.

*** The first is pretty self-explanatory.

    What did he sleep in anyway? He didn’t seem the pajama type. She quickly grabbed a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt and opened and closed a couple of drawers until she found his underwear.

     Oh God.
     They were all black, snug boxer-style briefs. Every single pair. She laughed. Not a lot of imagination, but hey, he so didn’t need any window dressing. They had to look incredible on him, so why would he mess with perfection, right?

*** This one features an exasperated Rio, trying to come to terms with his attraction for Carly. He's very much a guy--a guy who's been trying to ignore the thoughts and feelings he's had for Carly for a long time. And it's not working out so well for him anymore. ENJOY!

     He should be shot. Carly was his friend, for fuck’s sake. She trusted him and here he was…ogling her body, imagining what he’d like to do with it and generally acting like a damn pervert. Jesus, she had a boyfriend. The guy was a prick, but still, Carly was with someone else. Someone who had the right to touch her, sleep with her, do whatever the hell he wanted to her, whenever the hell he wanted. And that someone wasn’t him. That was just reality and he needed to get with the program, because now he was fucking women because he was horny and they were available rather than being generally interested in them, and that made him feel like an asshole. He’d never been like that. He didn’t know what he was going to do about this fixation he’d developed, but he knew he had to do something. And fast.

For a longer, more comprehensive excerpt, go here.