The Journey to Debut Authorhood by Jamie Wesley (plus WIN a Kindle!)

I have a very special guest for y'all today. When I decided to start writing again for real back in 2008-2009, one of my big get-over-my-shyness-and-take-this-seriously steps was to go to a local RWA (Romance Writers of America) meeting for the first time. I remember I was so nervous because I'd never really said out loud to anyone besides my immediate family that I wanted to be a writer.

But when I walked in, I took a spot next to someone who seemed to be on her own and not in one of the already established groups of women. Somehow (despite us both being quiet people) we struck up a conversation and I found out it was her very first meeting as well. Sometimes, you just click with people and that's how it was with Jamie.

Since that first meeting, Jamie and I have been friends, each other's writing cheerleaders, and roommates at every national RWA conference. She's cheered me on as I went from unpublished newbie to agented to multi-published. And I've shaken my pom-poms for her as she went from unpublished newbie to Golden Heart nominee to now *drumroll*...debut author!!! She has worked so damn hard to get to this point in her career, and I'm almost as excited for her debut as I was for my own, lol. So without further ado, I'll turn it over to Jamie.

Read it. Enter her contest. And buy her book. (It's only 99 cents for debut week!) You won't be disappointed.

GUEST AUTHOR: Jamie Wesley

A few years ago, Roni asked if I’d be interested in writing a guest post for her blog while she was on vacation. Before finally agreeing to do it, I hemmed and hawed (and got on her nerves, I’m sure) because I was unpublished and I knew she had all these blog followers. What could I, in my unpubbed glory, offer them?

Fast forward to today. I’m still not sure I have anything of substance to offer, but, as of today, I’m no longer unpublished. The dream I’ve been pursuing for the past five years has come true. After many close calls and frustrating setbacks, I am finally a published author with TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD. And I couldn’t be happier. Or more nervous.

To be perfectly honest, it’s all a bit surreal. To dream and work hard while never quite knowing when you’ll achieve your goal is the name of the publishing game. You work and work for it and then it happens and it’s like “Crap. What have I gotten myself into?”

I write stories that I want to read. I’ve always assumed that if I’m interested in the storyline, then surely someone else will be, too. So I wrote. And now I have to put that theory to the test. It’s scary, but I wouldn’t change anything about the experience. Because this is what I’ve always wanted. I’m living my dream and I’m so grateful. I firmly believe that life is about pursuing your dreams and not having (many) regrets. In 2006, I decided I wanted to work in sports, so I quit my job, moved to a new city, and went to grad school to get a degree in sport management. Now, I work in the sport/entertainment industry.

Following your dreams is a lesson my characters, Noelle and Tate, take to heart. For Noelle, helping people as a psychologist is her dream come true. For Tate, things aren’t so clear, but things don’t stay that way for long. J  

Am I done dreaming? Heck no. I have to visit Spain, a dream I’ve had for twenty years ever since I visited Europe after my eighth grade and we went everywhere but Spain. I was so upset I couldn’t use my two years of Spanish. Just a few days ago, I decided that Spain will happen in 2015. I also want to attend Wimbledon. And the Olympics.  

And yes, I want to publish more books. I can’t wait to get started in making these dreams and more come true. :)

To celebrate the release of TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD, I’m giving away a Kindle. To enter, please answer the following question and fill out the Rafflecopter:

What’s your dream? What did you do or plan on doing to make it happen?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD, the first chapter is posted on my website. 

Book Blurb:

Two radio show hosts. One show. Who will come out on top?

In a moment of restlessness, Tate Grayson sold his multimillion-dollar company and spun his love of sports into a radio talk show. Life, and love, is too short to take seriously—a fact he enjoys rubbing in uptight radio host Noelle Butler’s face.

After the death of her parents, a tragedy she blamed on herself, Noelle vowed to live a controlled, focused life. Now a psychologist, she channels her need for connection into her radio show. But when the arrogant sportscaster next door tells listeners men shouldn’t get married, she’s all too happy to yank the silver spoon out of his overprivileged mouth.

Their heated on-air arguments are a hit, but when the station director forces them to do a joint show for two weeks, Tate and Noelle object. They can’t stand each other, despite the attraction sizzling beneath every interaction. But if they can’t pull the struggling radio station back from the brink, they’ll lose their jobs. Or worse, their hearts.

 Find the book: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Goodreads   

Jamie Wesley has been reading romance novels since she was about 12 when her mother left a romance novel, which a friend had given her, on the nightstand. Jamie read it instead, and the rest is history.

She started her first manuscript, a contemporary romance, after she graduated from Northwestern University in 2002 and couldn't find a job. Life got in the way as it often does, i.e. she found a job, and she didn't finish the story. However, she never forgot about it and finally got serious about completing it in 2009. She’s been writing ever since.

Jamie holds a master’s degree in sport management (yes, that's a real thing :-) ) from the University of Texas at Austin, so it probably comes as no surprise that she loves sports and spends an inordinate amount of time rooting for her hometown Dallas’s pro sports teams and her alma maters.

She also adores Walt Disney World, shopping, and pop culture. Want to know if your favorite TV show is going to be canceled or what the newest Disney attraction is? Ask Jamie. She'll probably know the answer.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter

Must-Read Monday: A Sexy Pick from Guest Laurelin Paige

Hi y'all! I know it's been a little while since I popped in. I have a book due on July 1st so I'm in deadlne mode again. But I'll definitely be around in the next few weeks because NOT UNTIL YOU, my e-serial, releases next week! Whee! So more about that later this week.

But right now, I have a special guest taking over Must Read Monday. Laurelin Paige has got a book pick to share with us and a sexy story of her own. So, over to you, Laurelin...

 

Must-Read Monday with Laurelin Paige

First, let me say thank you so much, Roni for letting me be here today! This blog has been a favorite of mine for years and it’s truly an honor.

When I was thinking of what book I’d choose for Must Read Monday, I have to admit that I felt momentarily overwhelmed. Because, SO MANY MUST READ BOOKS! HOW WILL I CHOOSE ONE? But as I flipped through my Kindle, Picture Perfect by Alessandra Thomas jumped out at me.

Here’s the blurb:

 Fashion design major Cat Mitchell has a closet full of gorgeous clothes - and not a single thing fits. After two years of runway modeling for easy cash, an accident shattered her lower leg bone and her self-esteem in just one swift fall. Ten months of no exercise, prescription steroids, comfort eating and yoga pants meant returning to campus as a size twelve instead of her former size two. 

When her gorgeous long-time friend with benefits sees her for the first time after her accident and snubs her in front of all her friends, Cat’s self-image hits rock bottom. Her sorority sisters all insist that she looks gorgeous, but all Cat sees is the roll of her stomach when she sits down, or the dimpling at the back of her thighs that wasn't there last year. Cat’s therapist prescribes something radical to stop the downward spiral - nude modeling for a nearby college's human form drawing classes. 

When Cat faces her fears and bares it all for the class, she realizes that she's posing naked in front the most gorgeous, buffest guy she's ever seen in her life. He asks her out after the class, and after one steamy night and six weeks of perfect dates together, Cat's absolutely smitten.

But when Cat goes home with Nate for Thanksgiving, she discovers something shocking from his recent past that proves that he hasn’t always been so encouraging of women of all shapes and sizes. Cat has no idea what to think, but she does know one thing - this might destroy their relationship before it's even had a chance to get off the ground. 

Before Cat can figure out whether the real Nate is the sensitive, adoring guy she fell in love with, or an undercover asshole, she'll have to finally feel comfortable in her own skin - even if it means leaving him forever.

And my review:

Let me preface by saying I am a sexy times reader and writer. I like my books hot, hot, hot. Hence part of my adoration of Roni who pens some of the hottest books out there. Sweet and meaningful are not usually my first pick.

But Alessandra’s Picture Perfect blew me away. It is so beautifully sweet and has a message to boot. And it’s so relatable. Cat’s struggle with her weight and sexual self-identity is such a universal theme and there just aren’t that many books that address that issue. And tell me the truth – when’s the last time you read a romance book where the hero was a size 12? I read that Alessandra had to search long and hard to find a plus-size model for the cover. Isn’t that just sad? It’s the reason we need more books like this where we are told that a small size does not equal good sex.

Speaking of sex, the author does not skimp on the bedroom scenes. This book is steaming! I absolutely fell in love with Nate and the way he treated Cat. I’m lucky to have found a man like him in my husband, who adores me and my large size. I wish I had been able to overcome my self-consciousness about size in college as Cat does. Her character’s journey and transformation are believable and rewarding. I am delighted to recommend it as a must read.

Thanks again for having me, Roni, and for letting me share a book I was passionate about.

Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She is represented by Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency. Her debut novel, Fixed on You, is out June 24^th. 

The Romantic Build-Up by Justine Dell + a Giveaway!

Today I have a special treat for you--a guest blogger and a giveaway! Please welcome Justin Dell, author of All-American Girl.

I hope you'll give her a warm welcome and enter the contest below. Take it away, Justine...

Romance: What Makes those hot scenes so…HOT

by Justine Dell

I’ll be the first to tell you, it’s not the sex. I read all kinds of romance. Paranormal, contemporary, sweet, erotic, you name it, I engulf it. And one of the reasons I engulf romance is because of the build. And the build is what gets us to those oh-so-smexy scenes that makes us want to fan ourselves when we are done.  And it’s those scenes that I’m talking about. Sure, it’s nice two people who have been fawning over each other finally get it on, but it’s not the getting-it-on part that makes it so special. 

Nobody would read books where people just had sex for the purpose of having sex. There’s a name for that, and it’s a whole different type of subject matter. No, we are focusing on the romance, and the romance is what makes the love scenes so beautiful and heart-warming (and hot) for us gals. 

The magical moment is in a thought, a touch, a laugh, a feeling. A well-written and swoon-worthy love scene will not focus solely on the act itself, it will focus on the emotions and actions of the characters. What they are seeing in the other person, what they are feeling (inside and outside), introspection into what this moment means, and everything that has come before this moment. A good love scene is the build. The act is a bonus. 

What do you think? What is your favorite thing about romance love scenes? 

~JD 

BLURB: 

At the age of thirty, with two failed marriages and a tanking writing career, Samantha Moore deals with the world with the only tool she had left: anger. And she’s tired of it. When her grandmother's near-death sends her rushing back home to Vermont, she hopes for the chance to overcome the rage ruling her life.

Once she’s home, Lance Cummings becomes a constant source of indigestion. Lance is a single father who learned first-hand the devastating effects of a damaging relationship. He sees through Samantha’s nasty temper—straight to her cry for help. He wants to help her, but he also wants to know why Samantha ran from him—and their future—twelve years before.

Taking care of her Grams, dealing with an alcoholic brother, and getting Lance to remove his annoyingly attractive nose from her business is draining on Samantha. And she’s only got three weeks to finish her stagnated novel or her publisher will drop her. No pressure. To top it off, pretending to hate the man she actually loves makes each day in Vermont harder than the last. Especially when Lance turns up the heat. 

BIO: 

Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse-obsessed teenage daughter, four dogs, and a husband who is too good to be true. She's never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.

During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They've done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That's when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair.

She started writing four years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn't have stopped if she'd wanted. It's not a hobby for her; it's an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share. Her debut book, Recaptured Dreams and her newest release, All-American Girl, are available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever book are sold. 

BUY: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Omnific 

Book Trailer | Justine's Blog | Twitter | Facebook

GIVEAWAY: Justine is giving away one copy of the ebook today. She will also giveaway an AAG postcard and Vermont Maple Candy (together). To be entered, you must leave a comment with your email address included.

She is also hosting a giveaway on her blog that includes a copy of my e-novella STILL INTO YOU. Click here to enter that giveaway as well!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Must Read Monday - A YA Pick and a Giveaway via Julie Cross

So today is the inaugural Must Read Monday post. Yay! And though I'll normally be doing these book recommendations myself, there will be times where I'll be inviting other authors to pick some of their recent favorite reads (not their own book). And today I'm having my friend, YA Author Julie Cross, do the honors. Julie reads a ton of books, and she's my go to girl for YA and New Adult recommendations because she's always a few steps ahead of me on what's hot in those genres and I always trust her taste. She hasn't let me down yet with her recs, so she's the perfect person to have by today.

PLUS, I'm giving away not just one but TWO of Julie's books. Catch up on her whole series by getting a copy of TEMPEST and an ARC of her upcoming release, VORTEX! Details at the bottom on how to enter. But now, over to Julie...

Must Read Monday with Julie Cross

It’s been a while since I’ve done a guest post here and I’m super excited to be a part of Must Read Monday! Especially because Roni and I have taken this publishing journey virtually (actually virtually) along side each other. We debuted in the same month in January 2012 and it’s so nice to have someone who shares my book taste that I can chat and rant with about my latest reads AND about all things publishing related. 

Today, I’m recommending a YA title that released on New Years Day and a book that I had the pleasure of reading early last April. I actually wrote an official blurb for this book and it’s on the back cover, which made me squeal a little when I got it in the mail yesterday upon returning from vacation. Here’s the blurb I wrote:

“Jennifer Rush's ALTERED  is a thrilling, fast paced and romantic story. I read it almost entirely in one sitting. The twists and turns this plot takes will shock even the most proficient readers. Government conspiracies, special abilities, family, friendship, and love all melt together so beautifully to create an amazing debut novel.”

Blurb: 

They were made to forget. But they'll never forgive.

Everything about Anna's life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch, at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There's Nick, solemn and brooding; Cas, light-hearted and playful; Trev, smart and caring; and Sam . . . who's stolen Anna's heart.

When the Branch decides it's time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape. Anna's father pushes her to go with them, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs.

On the run, with her father's warning in her head, Anna begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about herself. She soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they're both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

I also wrote a little bit longer review for goodreads that will hopefully help you decide if this is your kind of book because that’s what it’s always about, finding the right read for you. 

“I loved this book from page one--the quirky premise in the opening....four mysterious boys in a basement with no one to talk to but a home-schooled girl, that alone is just freakin' awesome and totally my kinda story. And then four boys on the run with said home-schooled girl who turns out to be less damsel in distress with every page and more mystery and awesome.

The plot twists toward the end are just brilliant and completely unpredictable. I love the underlying debate of science vs human nature. Do the boys really care about Anna or is it just because they're programmed to listen to her. Where do those lines began and end? The whole concept and premise is so original and the book is fantastically written. I especially loved the way Anna doesn't explain much in the beginning. She's just going about her life and it took me a little bit to realize that the boys were behind a glass wall. I felt like Jennifer did such a great job of going so far into the head of the Main Character that she didn't bother with explaining things that are abnormal to the average person. Like having experimental, altered boys locked up in your basement. It's all Anna knows, why would she compare or explain her life? It makes something far-fetched seem almost realistic, like someone we know might have a whole Branch experiment in their basement and we just think they're the normal family down the street that likes to keep to themselves.

Even though this a sci-fi, it really stretches so much farther and could easily please a romance, or contemporary YA fan as well as a younger action loving reader. I also think both girls and boys would enjoy this book.”

I’m happy to answer questions and give more types of YA book suggestions if any of you are looking for more titles just ask away! Of course you can also read this book called Tempest, I heard the sequel comes out on January 15…

Thanks for having me, Roni and good luck to those of you who enter the giveaway!

--Julie Cross

---

Thanks, Julie! That sounds like an amazing book. : ) And speaking of amazing books, Julie has one of those coming out on the 15th--VORTEX, the second in her series. If you haven't read TEMPEST yet (YA time travel) you're missing out. Get to it! 

VORTEX Blurb:

Julie Cross's Vortex is the thrilling second installment of the Tempest series, in which the world hangs in the balance as a lovelorn Jackson must choose who to save

Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, after an accidental run in with Holly—the girl he altered history to save—Jackson is once again reminded of what he's lost. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents not only find themselves under attack, but Jackson begins to discover that the world around him has changed and someone knows about his erased relationship with Holly, putting both their lives at risk all over again.

GIVEAWAY: I'm giving away both TEMPEST and VORTEX to one lucky commenter (U.S./Canada only) today. Both are paperback ARCs. To enter the contest, you need to give us your MUST READ of the week in the comments and leave your EMAIL ADDRESS.

Debut Author Paul Anthony Shortt on Love Reborn

Today I have a special treat for you. Author Paul Anthony Shortt is here to taklk about the unique challenges he had in writing a reincarnation story and how it can affect the romantic plotlines. I can relate to this on some level, being that I love writing reunion stories. Having two people know each other already can be a challenge to write because takes away that first meeting, new feelings, all the fun song and dance that happens between strangers. But it also provides an immediate connection, a deeper understanding, an intensity that already exists.

However, I can't imagine how complicated that could get when the lovers are reunited in different bodies and time periods. : ) This is why I have a fantasy author here to talk about such things. 

So enjoy Paul's post and be sure to check out his book and congratulate him on his debut Locked Within ! (Which, btw, is FREE on Kindle right now. Go! Run! Get it!)

Love Reborn

Thanks for having me back, Roni! It’s been quite a while since I last did a guest post on this blog, talking about love scenes in fantasy. I’m back as part of my Locked Within Blog Tour, celebrating the release of my first novel. Again, I’m talking about love and romance, but with a particular spin.

In Locked Within, Nathan Shepherd learns that he is the reincarnation of a warrior who has fought evil for millennia. He discovers (or rediscovers) a supernatural society that exists alongside our own, and encounters people and creatures he has known in previous lifetimes. His past-life memories allow him to learn to fight or investigate murders faster and more effectively than he should ordinarily be able. But they also carry with them the emotions, good and bad, of whole lives he once lived.

As well as forcing Nathan to face the ghosts of the things he has experienced before, the fact of reincarnation presents a number of writing challenges. How to keep a sense of mystery. How to keep Nathan under enough threat that the reader’s interest is held. And how to handle romantic plotlines.

The story opens with Nathan in a committed, though struggling, relationship. His dreams and obsession with unsolved murders put a strain on his love life, and put his hopes for starting a family at risk. While it doesn’t come up in Locked Within, the idea that someone can be born again, having had whole lifetimes’ worth of friends, enemies and romantic partners buried away in a secret past does cast any relationships Nathan has in an interesting light.

If you were to meet a lover from a previous life, what does that mean for an existing relationship? Does it count as cheating on them, that you were with someone before you were reunited? Should you be expected to leave your current partner for your old lover? If you’re the one whose partner has found a past-life lover, how do you cope? Would there be jealousy? Would you feel like you would always be only second best? Or should reincarnated lovers do their best to forget their past lives and live in the present, ignoring old feelings and setting aside that relationship as being gone for good?

This potential storyline fits well with the model of the existing relationship, whether happy or ailing, which is interrupted by the arrival of the alluring love rival. A common trope, how this situation is portrayed generally depends on the gender of the person who is tempted to leave their current partner. If male, it is most often considered wrong and the spurned girlfriend or wife is the victim. If female, it is usually justified, and the husband or boyfriend is unforgivably boorish and insensitive, sometimes even abusive.

The important point where the storyline differs is that the attraction here would not be based on the temptation of something new or the smouldering charms of a mysterious stranger. Rather, the attraction would be based on an existing mutual love and connection. This is potentially more difficult to ignore than a new infatuation. 

Whether or not the reincarnated lovers are already in other relationships, any romance which now happens has to be treated differently to the standard format. Instead of nervous introductions, there is unexpected recognition. Where before there would have been the electricity of touching someone for the first time, here there is the comfort of familiarity. Nostalgic reminders in place of flirtatious banter. Sure, they have a new face, new smell. Their skin might be rough when before it was smooth. There may be jealousy to deal with over someone they were with before the characters found each other again. They may even be a different gender, which could open up all sorts of complications.

But at the heart of it, I think the story remains the same. Two characters, perhaps incomplete, Perhaps hurting or lost. They find each other, for the first, second, or hundredth time. The spark is still there. The bond they share. And as they face their challenges together, coming together again, they learn that even after a whole lifetime has passed, they make each other whole.

About Locked Within :

The supernatural realm and the mundane world have existed side by side since the dawn of time. Predators walk the streets, hidden by our own ignorance. Once, the city of New York was protected, but that was another age.

Now a creature emerges from the city's past to kill again, with no one to hear the screams of its victims. The lost and the weak, crushed under the heels of the city's supernatural masters, have given up hope.

But one man finds himself drawn to these deaths. Plagued by dreams of past lives, his obsession may cost him friends, loved ones, even his life. To stop this monster, he must unlock the strength he once had. He must remember the warrior he was, to become the hero he was born to be.

His name is Nathan Shepherd, and he remembers.

A child at heart who turned to writing and roleplaying games when there simply weren't enough action figures to play out the stories he wanted, Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing all his life.

Growing up surrounded by music, film and theatre gave him a deep love of all forms of storytelling, each teaching him something new he could use. When not playing with the people in his head, he enjoys cooking and regular meet-ups with his gaming group.

He lives in Ireland with his wife Jen and their dogs, Pepper and Jasper. Their first child, Conor William Henry Shortt, was born on July 11th, 2011. He passed away three days later, but brought love and joy into their lives and those of their friends. Jen is pregnant again and is expecting twins.

Website: http://paulanthonyshortt.blogspot.com

Thanks, Paul! So, what do you think of stories where the couple already has history What challenges have you faced in your own story because of a unique world or plot twist?

And did I mention Locked Within  is FREE on Kindle right now?