FOREVER STARTS TONIGHT Blurb Reveal!

Photo via Clemens V. Vogelsang (Flickr cc)

Want to know what Jace, Evan, and Andre from MELT INTO YOU will be getting up to in their follow-up novella?

Here's the exclusive reveal of the back cover summary. Cover coming soon!

The wait is over. They fell in love in Melt Into You, but that was only the beginning. Now New York Times bestselling author Roni Loren dials up the passion as three lovers reinvent the meaning of togetherness and find out if love is truly enough…

Two dominant men, one beautiful woman. Jace Austin knows he doesn’t have what you’d call a conventional relationship with Evan and Andre, but it works. Boy, does it work—until Evan starts acting strangely and Andre’s ex-fiancée pops back into his life, unbalancing a perfectly happy threesome. Jace is forced to face the unthinkable: that the two people he cares most about in this world are in danger of slipping away from him.

So Jace plans a surprise getaway to a secluded mountain cabin for the three of them. And he knows exactly what he needs to do: give both his lovers a fantasy week they’ll never forget. And the possibilities for pleasure are endless.  But when they get snowed in and the heat between them reaches a fever pitch, secrets come out. And Evan has one that could change all their lives forever.  

Out September 16, 2014!

What do you think? Who's excited?

And it's up for pre-order, if you're like me and can't remember release dates: Kindle | Nook 

*CONTEST ALERT: Also, I'm over at Sinfully Sexy Reviews, talking about the logisitics of writing a menage romance. There's a chance to win any book from my backlist if you want to pop over there!  

Are We Losing Patience as Readers?

 Photo via Sean/Svadifari (Flickr cc)I love reading series. They're usually my go to. But I tend to gravitate toward series like mine where each book can standalone, but there's a connected world and recurring characters. That way, I get the benefit of visiting familiar characters and following them along the journey, but I also get a full satisfying story (and romance) in each book.

But that's only one kind of series. The other kind is the type that follows the same cast and has a overall arc through the whole series, where things, including the romance, aren't fully wrapped up until the last book. I used to read a lot of these, but have gotten away from them lately.

So a few weeks ago, looking to rectify this, I picked up a book I'd had on my shelf for a long time. It's the start of a spin-off series based on one of my all-time favorite YA series. I read the book and enjoyed it. There is a hero in it who I loved in the previous series, and I want to see him get the girl. All good, right? Sure. BUT when I looked ahead at all the books to come, I sort of got this feeling of facing down a marathon. I know that I'm not going to get the payoff on the romance until probably book seven, if it's anything like the previous series. And with SO many books in my TBR pile (over 500 at last count), it feels like a huge investment to go on that journey. 

BUT at the same time, I LOVED the last series and the romance is one of my favorites ever. So why am I so reluctant to invest when the payoff has been proven to me in the past?

I've been feeling the same way about trilogies lately, too. I get tempted to wait until all are out to start them, and that's not a good way to support a series. If the first doesn't sell, we may never see the last book because the publisher won't keep publishing them. (Same goes for new TV shows.)

So this got me to thinking if I've just lost patience as a reader. In a culture of instant everything and streaming video where we can binge watch TV series, have I just developed some sort of reader ADD? Or is it because my reading time is so limited that I want a complete story in one book? Or maybe I've expanded my reading tastes so much that it's increased my choices exponentially, and it's hard to spend too much time in one place? I'm guessing it's a combination of all of that for me.

But I don't want to be that way necessarily. I'm kind of annoyed by my lack of patience. In order for a romance or story to feel epic, there needs to be space and time to do it. This almost makes me wish for those 80s-90s romances that were 700 pages (like Judith McNaught) where the long-spanning journey is captured in one big book. And I got that sense of epicness a few months ago when I read Last Hour of Gann, which was something like 1200 pages. So I like having that long-developing romance and story on occasion. (Not all the time. That can be exhausting.)

And isn't there something to be said for patience and anticipation? Can that enhance the experience? Like those end of the season TV show cliffhangers. Would LOST have had the same feel for me if I had been able to binge watch the whole thing? And when I did the NOT UNTIL YOU serial, it was kind of fun to have everyone reading along at the same pace so that we could all discuss it/experience it together.  

So I know the benefits of investing in a continuing series or trilogy that will give me a big payoff in the end, but somehow I'm still finding it hard to commit lately.

So you tell me, am I alone in this? Have you found yourself struggling to invest in a long-simmering series or trilogy that take years to release? Or are you a reader who can dive in and give it 100% commitment to the journey?

NOT UNTIL YOU Cover Reveal & News!

I announced recently that the NOT UNTIL YOU e-serial was going to be released in a complete edition in November. Yay! But at that time, I wasn't able to tell you all of the news. So here it is. In addition to this being a complete edition, the PRINT version is going to have a bonus story in it!

I have been wanting to write the stories of a few side characters for a while now and didn't know exactly how I should go about getting those stories out in the world. But we've come up with a fun way to do it. In my next few print books, there will be a bonus story in the back about a previous character. 

Now, this is only for the print edition. I know many of you read on e-readers, so I'm sure you're asking the question--will the short stories be released in e-form? I don't have an answer for you at this point, but I imagine that eventually there may be an e-book bundling all the short stories together. For now, the print is going to be the special edition. And it will give those of you who've already read Not Until You in the serial form a little something extra. :) (And of course, you can still buy the complete e-version. It just won't have the short story in the back.)

So who is the first short story about? 

It's called "So Into You" and is about Bret--Foster's private investigator friend. If you've read Not Until You already, you'll know that Bret is a domme and she's kind of a badass. So this story is about her and her business partner at the PI agency. 

If you'd like to pre-order, you can grab it here: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

What do y'all think of the bright pink? : )

First Peek of FOREVER STARTS TONIGHT

 

Photo courtesy MadEmoiselle Sugar (flickr cc)

Want to see the very first peek of what Jace, Evan, and Andre are up to in their upcoming novella, FOREVER STARTS TONIGHT?

There's a glimpse below.

And if you want to make sure you don't miss it in September, you can pre-order it now. (It won't charge you until the day of release and it guarantees you the lowest price.) Pre-order is available on Nook and Kindle.

EXCERPT:

Jace smoothed her skirt back down. And that’s when she got confirmation they weren’t staying here at all. There’d be no need for any extra layers.

She wet her lips. “Can I ask where we’re going?” 

“You can, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to answer you,” Jace said.

“Smartass.”

Jace laughed. “Our captive isn’t very polite.”

“That’s okay,” Andre said, close enough for his breath to tickle her cheek. “I don’t mind her putting up a fight. We both know who’s going to win.”

She shivered at the threat. Because she knew exactly who always won when she let go of her reservations and put her trust in these two—she did.

But it still didn’t make it easy to let go of her natural need for control. “Two days, guys, seriously. I love you and you know I’m usually game for anything, but two days is all I can afford to take off. I have—“

A hand pressed over her lips again. “Enough, bella. You’re ours. Neither of us is asking permission to be penciled in on your schedule. You’re coming with us for as long as we require.” 

Part of her still wanted to protest more about this not being a good time, that she had things to do, that maybe she wasn’t in the right headspace for this anyway. But the other part of her trusted that they had her best interests in mind. They probably were taking her for a night or two at The Ranch. Work could wait for a couple of days. And this would be way more fun. 

Because another highly effective way to chase away melancholy feelings was a whole different kind of To Do list—one where she only had to follow instructions, one where she surrendered it all, where everything else fell away and she could settle into the sweet refuge of submission to these men.

There the worries couldn’t touch her. 

At least for a little while.

She lowered her head. “When do we leave?”

“Now. Wyatt said the jet would be ready to go by noon.”

Her head snapped up. “Jet?”

Jace stepped around her and kissed her nose. “Welcome to your kidnapping, love. Hope you enjoy the flight.”

Whaddya think? Ready for more of these three? :-)

Book Addiction Admissions: What I Bought This Week

I know this will come as a shocking surprise to you, but I have a bit of a problem when it comes to controlling my book buying impulses. I regularly inform hubs that it's a cheaper habit than loving shoes, handbags, or plastic surgery so he should be thankful.

But I thought it'd been fun to occasionally let you know what I've been clicking buy on. I talk about what I read and love on Must Read Mondays, so this won't be about books I've read but about books I've bought and added to my TBR pile.

Here goes:

The Haunting Season by Michelle Muto

Why: Because it's a Daily Deal and I can't resist a sale or a creepy-sounding book

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

 (Paranormal/Urban Fantasy)

Why: I've heard nothing but good things about this series. The first page hooked me. I met Darynda last year at RWA and she was lovely. And it was on sale.

The Submission Gift by Solace Ames

 (Erotic Romance)

Why: I think I saw this one reviewed somewhere, maybe RT magazine? And I love a story with a married couple because there aren't a lot out there in romancelandia. (Which is also why I wrote one with Still Into You)

Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

(New Adult)

Why: I went to Sophie's workshop at a conference this past weekend and then got to chat with her at dinner that night. I was intrigued by the premise of this one. 

Still Life With Strings by L.H. Cosway

Why: I liked her book Painted Faces and I saw a good review for this one on a book blog.

Control by Charlotte Stein

(Erotic Romance)

Why: I've been on a Charlotte Stein kick lately. 

Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner

(Historical Romance)

Why: I saw a few book bloggers chatting about this one on Twitter and the blurb caught my eye.

Third Degree by Julie Cross

New Adult

Why: I heart Julie's writing. I got to read this one early for a cover quote but I bought it because I know it was tweaked afterward and I want to read the final version.

Write Your Novel From the Middle by James Scott Bell

(Writing Craft)

Why: I pretty much love everything James Scott Bell has to say about writing, so I needed this one, too.

So that's my haul for the week. What did you buy?