Holy S#!t! I Won a RITA!!!!! (oh, and I have a book out tomorrow)

*insert all the curse words* I did it y'all!

This past week was the Romance Writers of America conference, and the big event that wraps up the conference is our version of of the Oscars--The RITAs. I was nominated for two this year, which was a huge honor in and of itself. But then this happened...

Okay, so I thought *maybe* I had a chance at the erotic category (where BREAK ME DOWN was nominated) because it only had five nominees and the odds were better. But the Best Novella category was first of the evening and had like ten nominees from all different genres. I was not prepared to say the least. The first words out my mouth as I heard the word "Nice" and my table erupted in screams were, "Oh SHIT!" Lol. Always so eloquent, right? Then I was shaking all over and in some weird out of body state as I walked up to the stage.

I had a speech prepared. I couldn't read it. I choked up on stage and announced that I was going to cry. I forgot to thank everybody I meant to except my husband, mom, editor, and agent. But despite me completely having a breakdown in front of a giant ballroom of people and the live stream on internet, it was the BEST THING EVER. I can't even tell you how amazing it is to bring one of these home. I don't do this for awards, but man, they sure are nice. :)

And so since I forgot to thank you, my readers, I'm saying it now. Thank you, thank you, thank you. For reading my books, for your enthusiasm, and for all the kind words you send me. I couldn't do this job if it weren't for you. So I share the lovely RITA with you. ;)

*hugs* (Oh, and if you want to watch the RITAs and see my complete freak out, I think they're going to upload it to YouTube at some point and will share the link.)

In other news, WANDERLUST will be out tomorrow! And it's only $3.99. So if you haven't already, go grab you a sexy rockstar. ;)

About the book:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Loving on the Edge series and Off the Clock, a story of sex, love, rock & roll, and a reporter who’s about to learn a new meaning for staying on top of her assignment... 

Restaurant critic Aubrey Bordelon is never at a loss for words to describe her meals in the fancy restaurants of New Orleans. But after her magazine’s high-profile music reporter falls ill, she finds herself out of her element and in a sea of screaming fans awaiting Wanderlust’s lead singer, Lex Logan. The sound of his voice gives her goosebumps, and the stage presence of the hard-bodied rock star takes her breath away. So when he pulls her onstage for a sexy stunt, she knows she’s in real trouble.

Lex doesn’t want to pretend that the sparks on stage between him and Aubrey never happened, but it certainly makes the fact that she’s writing a story on his band all the more dangerous. The last thing he needs is some nosy reporter revealing their problems to the world. But the sexy Southern belle doesn’t give up easily, and soon he’s wondering if the best way to chase her off the story is to coax her into his bed… 

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play 

That's all I've got for you today! Hope you have a great week!

Cover Reveal of WANDERLUST!

I love cover reveal days. :) And today is particularly special because this is a contemporary romance I wrote a long time ago (and revised 3000 times since, lol). If you followed me on Blogger way back when, you might remember me talking about WANDERLUST. But the point is, I have been imagining covers for a Very. Long. Time. (since 2008) And I have to say, I love what Berkley came up with. It's got the rockstar thing but is also sweet and sexy and romantic. And I love the summery tones.

Here it is!

About the book:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Loving on the Edge series and Off the Clock, a story of sex, love, rock & roll, and a reporter who’s about to learn a new meaning for staying on top of her assignment...  

Restaurant critic Aubrey Bordelon is never at a loss for words to describe her meals in the fancy restaurants of New Orleans. But after her magazine’s high-profile music reporter falls ill, she finds herself out of her element and in a sea of screaming fans awaiting Wanderlust’s lead singer, Lex Logan. The sound of his voice gives her goosebumps, and the stage presence of the hard-bodied rock star takes her breath away. So when he pulls her onstage for a sexy stunt, she knows she’s in real trouble.

Lex doesn’t want to pretend that the sparks on stage between him and Aubrey never happened, but it certainly makes the fact that she’s writing a story on his band all the more dangerous. The last thing he needs is some nosy reporter revealing their problems to the world. But the sexy Southern belle doesn’t give up easily, and soon he’s wondering if the best way to chase her off the story is to coax her into his bed… 

You can pre-order your copy for only $3.99! And this is not a novella, it's a 60k word novel. :)

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play 

So what do you think? :)

The SWEET SEDUCTION charity boxed set is here!

 

Make a difference while you read!

Have I told you about the new fundraising initiative I'm involved in this year? I've contributed a BRAND NEW story called WANDERLUST (a rockstar romance with a cameo from Pike!) to SWEET SEDUCTION, a limited edition digital-only boxed set curated by Brenda Novak for the benefit of diabetes research. It includes nine other never-before-published novels and novellas and costs only $9.99 (that's less than $1/story).  

Who else is in the set? Fellow New York Times Bestselling Authors Mari Carr, JS Cooper, Nicole Edwards, Karen Erickson, Megan Hart, Julia Kent, Lauren Hawkeye, Nina Lane, Lexi Blake, author J. Kenner, Elisabeth Grace and Avery Aster are all participating in this effort, too. And there's a foreword and free bonus story from New York Times Bestselling Author Lisa Renee Jones. SWEET SEDUCTION is on sale now, it'll only be available through June 30th. All proceeds will go to The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami (they are doing some amazing cure-focused work). Our goal is to raise $300,000 and, with your help, we should be able to do it.  

Please note that Brenda has also curated a thriller box set as well as a contemporary romance box set, so check those out, too. You can find more information at http://brendanovakforthecure.org  

Pick up your copy now!

Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Google

 

And here's a little about my story WANDERLUST:

Restaurant critic Aubrey Bordelon’s wild streak died ten years ago when a terrible accident changed everything. Since that moment, Aubrey hasn’t nudged a toe in an errant direction. She excels at her job with the local magazine, plays southern debutante for her politico parents, and keeps her dance card clear of messy relationships. So when Aubrey’s boss asks her to fill in for the magazine’s high-profile music reporter, she’s up for the challenge. Compared to egomaniacal chefs, handling a few self-indulgent rockstars should be cake—even if the wicked grin of Wanderlust's lead singer has her scruples sneaking toward the backstage door.

Lex Logan escapes to New Orleans as a last resort. His song-writing muse has disappeared on a bender. His band members are fighting like alcoholics over the last bottle of vodka. And everyone’s looking to him to play savior before the record label dumps them on their sorry asses. The last thing Lex needs is some haughty, albeit sexy, reporter documenting his downfall. He has to shake her off the story—fast. If she wants a peek into the rock ‘n’ roll life, then he’s going to give it to her. Unedited. But in his attempts to scare her away, Lex catches a glimpse of the passionate woman hiding behind the polished façade. And just one taste is enough to alter his plans from chasing her out of his life to coaxing her into his bed.

 

If you pick a copy up, be sure to let me know what you think or leave a review out there! : ) Have a great weekend!