FALL INTO YOU Countdown - New Excerpt & Win My Backlist!

It's almost here! FALL INTO YOU will be out New Year's Eve! Woot! (Yes, I know my site says Jan. 1 but from all I've heard and seen, looks like it's going to be available a day early.)

So I thought to celebrate, I'd post a brand new excerpt AND have a giveaway. (See details at the bottom for contest.)

First, enjoy a little taste of Grant...

From FALL INTO YOU, Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved Berkley Publishing Group

After another round of questions from the other officer and a tour of the damage, the policemen left with a promise to follow up with her if they found anything. She watched them turn off her street and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to fight a chill that wouldn’t seem to go away.

Grant, who’d stayed leaning against his truck like some silent sentinel, pushed to a stand and stepped in front of her, his hat pulled low over his eyes. Apparently noticing her goose bumps, he rubbed his palms along her chilled arms.

Somehow the little gesture of comfort had tears that had built up from the last twenty-four hours ready to burst free. But she wouldn’t cry. She could handle this.

“You okay, freckles?” he asked.

“Freckles?” She looked up at him, trying to muster up some I’m-totally-fine façade, even though having his hands on her had her thoughts fracturing and emotion trying to leak through. “Are you trying to get me back for calling you cowboy?”

“Just trying to make you smile,” he said, concern underlying that twang.

She pushed a finger to his chest and tried to manage an intimidating expression. “I’d normally punch a guy for calling me that. You’re lucky I’m too tired. And that you’re so fucking big.”

“Lucky, indeed.” He smiled, but those blue eyes remained serious. He grabbed her hand before she could move it away from his chest. His palm closed over her fist, the hold firm. “Now are you going to tell me what really happened last night? You’re shaking. And I know it’s over more than stolen computer equipment.”

She blinked at the change in subject and his grip on her hand. She stepped back, and he quickly let go of her. “What?”

His mouth dipped at the corners, and he eyed her in that knowing way he seemed to be so good at. “Fine. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can go on pretending that everything is sugar and sparkles to try to get me to go away and leave you to whatever mess you’re in alone. Not going to happen, by the way. Or you can be honest with me so that maybe I can offer some help.”

She groaned. “Look, I appreciate everything you’ve done. But I don’t need help. I’m on a story that apparently has ruffled someone’s feathers. I can handle it. After all this, I’m going to be on guard now and more aware.”

The displeasure that crossed his face was strong enough to steal breath. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Someone ran you off the road last night. And don’t lie and say I’m off base. You were yelling at them in your sleep.”

She glanced away and took a sudden interest in a crack in her driveway. “It was probably just kids messing around.”

“You don’t strike me as a stupid woman, Charli. Don’t talk like one.”

She clenched her jaw, frustration building. Who was he to make demands on her? Being a Good Samaritan gave him the right to a thank-you but not some right to all her business. But before she could lash out and take out her stress from the last twenty-fours hours on the man in front of her, another truck pulled into her driveway. A very familiar one.

“Son. Of. A. Bitch.” Her simmering frustration boiled over into outright anger. She sent a fiery look Grant’s way, as a ginger-headed man climbed out of the truck’s cab.

Grant shrugged. “Sorry, darlin’. He would’ve done the same for me.”

Suddenly, all the warm and fuzzy feelings she’d been harboring toward Grant earlier that morning dissipated into a red haze.

Read the entire first chapter here. 

Or, even better, pre-order it so that you can have it next week! I will love you forever. ;)

Giveaway: I'm giving away signed print copies of CRASH INTO YOU and MELT INTO YOU to one lucky commenter (U.S. and Canada only). Leave a comment answering the question below and include your email address below. I'll pick a winner on Monday.

FALL INTO YOU Review Copies Available: If you are a book blogger and would like to review FALL INTO YOU, please email me at ronilorenbooks(at)gmail(dot)com with the subject REVIEW. There are NetGalley and print options. Please let me know which format you would prefer and include a link to the site where the review would be posted.

QUESTION: What book are you most looking forward to reading in 2013?

The Next Big Thing...And Boy Is He Big

Six-Seven, in fact. That's how tall Grant, the hero in FALL INTO YOU, is. What? You thought the title was referring to something else? ;)

So I've been tagged by both Leah Petersen and Paul Anthony Scott on the Next Big Thing blog hop, and I kept forgetting to do the post, lol. It's been a crazy few months. But anyway, I figured today would be a great day to do it--ya know, before the end of the world comes or whatever. So here goes...

The Next Big Thing Questions:

What is the title of your book?

FALL INTO YOU

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I’m a huge college football fan. So I watch lots of documentaries about the sport. (Yes, I’m a nerd.) So, the football scandal that Charli is investigating in the story is loosely inspired by the Southern Methodist University football cheating scandal in 1987. It rocked college football and landed the university with the “death penalty”–a cancelled season, no scholarships, no bowl games. If people ever doubted that football was a BIG deal in Texas, this proved how serious it could get. So I figured it wasn’t a far stretch to believe that Charli’s life could be in danger if she revealed a similar scandal.

What genre does your book fall under?

Erotic Romance with BDSM

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

He's not an actor but the visual inspiration for my very tall, very dominant cowboy hero is country singer Blake Shelton.

And Charli is a red-headed tomboy, so I think Emma Stone would be fantastic for it--awkward, sarcastic, and funny.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? 

I'm cheating and putting the blurb because I'm bad at the one sentence thing. :p

When tomboy sports reporter Charli Beaumonde loses a dream TV job because she’s not girly enough for primetime, she’s determined to land a big scoop and prove her boss made a mistake. But when she gets too close to a football scandal and finds her life threatened, Charli accepts an offer from family friend Grant Waters to hide out at his place—even if Grant predicts nothing but trouble from his buddy’s hard-headed, uncompromising, irrepressible, younger sister. There’s one more problem…

Grant’s “place” is The Ranch, a BDSM resort in Texas, and he’s used to being in charge —even if that means trying to keep Charli in line. But much to Grant’s surprise, she’s intrigued—even envious—of his trainees. They’re the epitome of what she’s never been: sexy, beguiling, and totally irresistible to a man. Still, Grant doesn’t believe for a minute that the sharp-tongued Charli has it in her to be anyone’s submissive. But Charli’s already on her knees vying for the chance to prove that even the Master can be wrong sometimes.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I've honestly forgotten since I've written two other books since. I believe 3-4 months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Just like the rest of my books in the series, if you like Shayla Black, Maya Banks, Cherise Sinclair, Sylvia Day, etc., this will probably be your kind of thing. :)  But I've also been known to convert those of you who *think* you won't like erotic romance. I'm like a gateway drug--just try a little and see. ;)

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I got the idea for the heroine, Charli, when I was in the crowd at ESPN’s College Game Day at the SEC Championship game and saw Erin Andrews reporting. It made me wonder if a girl who loved sports but was more tomboy than supermodel could get that job. Plus, I was a tomboy growing up, so I channeled a little bit of that. : )

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

This is probably my most personal story so far because I was a tomboy growing up, taller than most of the boys, and never felt "cute" or "girly". Just awkward. I still struggle with this at times because even now my idea of high fashion is wearing my good jeans and pair of cowboy boots. If I never had to wear heels again, it would be too soon. And I yell at the TV for football games like a dude. So I can relate a lot to Charli and how it feels to be seen as one of the guys. :)

So that's it! FALL INTO YOU is out January 1st. You can read the first chapter here.

Now, I'm not going to tag others but feel free to consider yourself tagged if you'd like to participate on your own blog! 

Want a Peek Inside Grant's Head? New Excerpt from FALL INTO YOU

First, I want to congratulate Kristi for winning the contest from last Monday. Congrats!

I'm busy-busy trying to organize myself for writing the e-serial. Good grief this is a whole new beast. Figuring out where to divide the parts and what to write where is interesting to say the least. As of right now, I'm planning five chapters for each section since that equates to about 50 pages for me. I want to make sure you get a good chunky read for each section. I'm really excited about how the first segment turned out, so today it's on to part 2. (Titles are coming soon btw!)

And now today, since we're about six weeks out from FALL INTO YOU's release (squee!), I thought I'd give you a brand new snippet of Grant and Charli.

From FALL INTO YOU:

Copyright 2012 Roni Loren | All Rights Reserved Berkley Publishing Group

“Are you meeting someone?” The hostess’s voice drifted across the room, pulling Grant’s attention toward the main door.

His glass thunked onto the table as the muscles in his forearm forgot to work. He stared at the redheaded beauty murmuring to the hostess. Well, I’ll be damned.

Charli peered into the dining room, her fingers worrying whatever she was holding in her hands. She looked lost. And unsure. And completely, jaw-hit-the-table gorgeous.

Grant rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling hot all over. Damn. He’d known without a doubt that Charli would clean up well. Not many women could still look beautiful in relaxed-fit jeans and a ponytail like she did. But he hadn’t expected her to channel a Hollywood starlet or something.

The hostess leaned over and pointed to Grant’s booth. Somehow he managed to raise his hand in greeting and not smile like some goofy teenager who’s realized he’s landed a date with the prom queen. He straightened his shoulders, trying to regain his mental balance. He was supposed to be the cool and in control one here. Since when did he get like this over a pretty woman? He had beautiful subs offering themselves to him on a regular basis and it barely registered on his radar. This should be no different. She should be no different.

As Charli got closer, Grant saw what she was holding in her hands. Shoes. A pair of sexy black heels he’d picked out for her earlier today. A perfect complement, Kelsey had assured him, to the dark green strapless dress he’d chosen for Charli. His gaze went to her stocking feet, then slid up her long legs, to the hem of her short dress, and not stopping until he reached the column of her bare neck.

Not bare for long. The collar tucked into the inner pocket of his suit coat seemed to warm against his ribs at the thought. Soon.

He stood as Charli walked over to the booth. She set the shoes on the seat, put her hands on her hips, and arched a newly manicured brow at him. “Broken ankles or bare feet. Those are your choices.”

He smiled down at her. “Already giving me orders, freckles? That’s not how this works.”

She released a breath and then leaned in, keeping her voice low. “Look, it’s been a long day. I’ve been through what I think may be considered cruel and unusual under my constitutional rights as an American citizen. I’ve been waxed and plucked and exfoliated and . . . ironed, I think. Some woman whose name I can’t pronounce has now seen more of me than my gynecologist ever has. And this dress is . . . drafty. You gotta give me something here.”

He stared at her for a moment, a bit stunned by her rapid-fire speech, then laughed, loud and open, not caring that it drew the attention of the other guests. He raised his palms. “Fine. Point taken. Sit down. We’ll save the shoes for later.”

“Thank you.” She took his offered hand and stepped up into the raised booth, obviously forgetting she had a dress on as she climbed in. He got a delicious glimpse of the bottom curve of her ass.

He palmed her waist and moved behind her to block anyone else’s view. “Lesson one, freckles. When wearing a dress, you need to be more aware of yourself. Giving half the restaurant a Basic Instinct moment is not that big a deal here. But back in town that may be a bit embarrassing.”

“Shit.” She grabbed her hem, clamped her thighs together and hurriedly sat. “You shouldn’t have made me wear such a short dress. I feel naked.”

“You look beautiful,” he corrected, then slid into the spot across from her. “And be thankful. As my sub, I could’ve requested you to come to dinner only wearing those shoes.”

Blurb:

He’ll do anything for you. But you’d better say please.

When tomboy sports reporter Charli Beaumonde loses a dream TV job because she’s not girly enough for primetime, she’s determined to land a big scoop and prove her boss made a mistake. But when she gets too close to a football scandal and finds her life threatened, Charli accepts an offer from family friend Grant Waters to hide out at his place—even if Grant predicts nothing but trouble from his buddy’s hard-headed, uncompromising, irrepressible, younger sister. There’s one more problem…

Grant’s “place” is The Ranch, a BDSM resort in Texas, and he’s used to being in charge —even if that means trying to keep Charli in line. But much to Grant’s surprise, she’s intrigued—even envious—of his trainees. They’re the epitome of what she’s never been: sexy, beguiling, and totally irresistible to a man. Still, Grant doesn’t believe for a minute that the sharp-tongued Charli has it in her to be anyone’s submissive. But Charli’s already on her knees vying for the chance to prove that even the Master can be wrong sometimes.

Out on New Year's Day! But it's now available for Pre-Order if you want it the day it's out. ; )

UK Readers: Crash Into You & Melt Into You Are Now Available In Ebook!

Just wanted to drop in and let all of my UK Readers that the UK version of Crash Into You and Melt Into You are now available in ebook! And they have pretty new covers! The print versions will be in UK bookstores on Jan. 3.

Highly-charged and intensely erotic, Crash into You is perfect for fans of Destined to Play and Fifty Shades of Grey.

Sometimes the past can bring you to your knees…

Brynn LeBreck has dedicated herself to helping women in crisis, but things get personal when her younger sister goes missing. Having strayed on to the wrong side of the tracks, she is suspected to be hiding at The Ranch, a secret retreat where the elite escape to play out their sexual fantasies.

To find her, Brynn must go undercover. Unfortunately, The Ranch is invitation only and the one person who can get her in is from the darkest corner of Brynn's past. Years ago, she opened herself up to attorney, Reid Jamison, only to have him break her heart.

Now she needs him again. But as their desires and old wounds are exposed, the sexual games escalate – and so does the danger. Their hearts aren't the only things at risk. Someone else is watching, playing by his own rules and his game could be very dangerous indeed.

Order on Kindle | Waterstone's (epub format)

The thrilling erotic sequel to Crash into You - perfect for fans of Destined to Play and Fifty Shades of Grey.

Will she run from the past - or is it time to take control?

After running away from home and the boy who broke her heart, Evan Kennedy has kick-started the perfect new life with her celebrity fiancé. So what if it’s a marriage of convenience? She knew the deal.

With her ticket to The Ranch, the exclusive retreat where any fantasy can be played out, she knows she can find someone to satisfy her unconventional desires.
She just never expected that man to be Jace Austin, her old heartbreaker – all grown up and ready to join her on a journey of erotic discovery.

She knows it's probably a world-class bad idea to get involved. But if he can stick to the no-strings rules, so can she. Trouble is, Jace has never believed in rules and Evan doesn’t believe in forever. Can Evan and Jace leave their old hurts behind? Because both of them know this is much more than just a game…

Order on Kindle | Waterstone's (epub format)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Losing Perspective on Your Writing: Does This Sing or Suck?

Photo via Marcus Vegas (flickr cc)First, before we get into today's topic, I want to let everyone know that I'm going to be on the Bring Back Desire After Dark radio show tonight online. So if you'd like to hear me talk about fun stuff like--how may parents feel about my writing, how I do my research, and what I think are secrets to a good marriage, I'd love for you to tune in. It will air at 10pm Central/11pm Eastern. If you can't be there tonight, the show will be archived and available in a day or two. : )

Okay, onto today's topic--losing perspective. This morning I discovered the good news that my next release in my series, FALL INTO YOU, has gotten a great review in RT Magazine--4 1/2 stars which is the highest you can get AND is the highest I've ever gotten on either of the previous books. Here are a few quotes from the review:

"Steamy, occasionally shocking, and relentlessly intense..."

"Loren's real triumph is the way the BDSM initiation and training reveal the nuances of each main character, from their darkest pleasures to their deepest fears."

"Heart-wrenching and blisteringly sexy..."

So why am I quoting this review (beyond the fact that I'm excited and want to share)? I'm sharing it because this proved to me that I have no valid perspective on my writing at this point. I think all writers swing back and forth between hating the book they're writing and thinking they're brilliant. It's a natural thing. We usually aren't right on either extreme. 

But I find the more books I write, the more insecurity creeps in. You'd think it'd be the opposite. But alas, it isn't. I was so nervous about seeing that review for FALL INTO YOU. It was the first book I ever had to write under a tight deadline, I struggled with the story, and I had to do a pretty major revision on my heroine (to the tune of 20k new words) in about a week. So I had all this anxiety that this book wasn't going to be received as well as the others. I couldn't even judge it anymore from my own perspective--is this great or does it suck? I just had to put trust in my editor that she wouldn't let me put out a bad book and would tell me if it sucked, lol.

So seeing that first review come out is a relief. And my anxiety hasn't just been about that book. When it was time to turn the first version of NOT UNTIL YOU to my editor, I sent it Sara (my agent) first with a note of--please read this before I send it to my editor because I'm not sure if it's any good and I don't want to send her crap and blah blah blah. Sara reads it and sends back: "This is my most favorite thing you've ever written."

0_0

Yes, I have apparently lost perspective and have been overtaken by writer insecurity. Luckily, right now it's in a good way--I think it sucks but it actually doesn't. Thank God.

But as a writer, you also have to be aware of the flipside. And for those out there feverishly typing away for NaNo or penning your first novel, this is one to keep in mind. Our writing can also look a lot better to us than it actually is. I remember writing my YA when I first began writing seriously and I thought that book rocked. I had confidence and queried it like mad. And though I did get a few requests here and there, it ultimately was rejected across the board.

Why? Because it wasn't good enough. I wasn't ready. But I didn't realize that yet. It took getting out into the writing community, picking up beta readers, learning craft, etc. before I could look back and think--Holy shit that book was bad! Thank God I didn't have self-pubbing available to me at the time because I would've freaking embarrassed myself.

So try to remember you're probably never as good or as bad as you think. And don't live on an island. Before you put your work out there, send it to quality beta readers (not your family who loves you and can't be unbiased), work with an editor if you can, get a little distance from it. And on the flipside, when you think you're writing complete junk, don't get discouraged. We all feel like we're writing junk at some point (or at lots of points) in any draft. I'm learning it's part of the process. We're an insecure bunch, we writers. ;)

Have you ever lost perspective on your own work? Do you have trouble judging what's good and bad in your own writing? What outside sources to you use to get feedback?