Big Announcement: FIFTY FIRST TIMES - A New Adult Anthology!

So I've been sitting on this news for a while and today I can finally announce it. This December (release date tentative), I'm going to be contributing a story to a brand new New Adult Anthology of short stories called FIFTY FIRST TIMES, releasing from Avon Impulse! 

I'm super excited about this project not just because of the awesome theme but because the group of authors in this anthology is beyond awesome. Authors like J. Lynn, Molly McAdams, Lisa Desrochers, Sophie Jordan, Carrie Ryan...the list is long and totally kickass. You can see the full list here on Goodreads.  I can't wait to read their stories.

Here's the official Publisher's Marketplace Announcement:

Julie Cross's FIFTY FIRST TIMES: A NEW ADULT ANTHOLOGY, in which 19 favorite and bestselling authors, including J. Lynn, Carrie Ryan, and Sophie Jordan write fictional stories about their characters' first time, to Tessa Woodward at Avon Impulse, for publication in December 2013, by Nicole Resciniti at The Seymour Agency.

My story is one of two male/male stories in the anthology. "Two In the Morning" (title tentative) is about Malcolm and Bates, two college roommates and childhood best friends. Bates has realized he's in love with his best friend. And Malcolm has no clue Bates is gay. So when the two have to travel home together for Thanksgiving and share a bed at Malcolm's family's house, things are going to get complicated. I can't wait for y'all to read it. It was SO much fun to write. 

Here are the opening lines of my story (told from Bates' POV):

There were three things I knew for sure as I lay in the dark of my cinder-block cell of a dorm room.

One: I shouldn’t be awake.

Two: I definitely should not be listening to my roommate round second base with Cami/Cassie/Chloe, or whatever her C-name was.

And, three: I should not be sporting the monster of all hard-ons from all those deep, growly sounds Malcolm kept making.

Now, this anthology is the brainchild of my friend and fellow author, Julie Cross. She's the one who came up with the idea, gathered the authors, and is editing the stories. So, I'll share what she has to say about the project...

From Julie Cross:

FIFTY FIRST TIMES: A NEW ADULT ANTHOLOGY

Fifty First Times is a collection of fictional short stories from variety of published Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Romance authors aimed at a New Adult audience. Each story magnifies a moment in two characters’ lives that shows the reader their decision to take physical intimacy to a new level, the events leading up to this moment and in some cases, the events that follow.

MY VISION FOR THE BOOK

Despite the implications from the description, Fifty First Times is not a book about sex. It’s about trust. It’s about the difference between love and lust. It’s about responsibility and growing up. It’s about each character’s individual definition of virginity which varies considerably from story to story. It’s about the couple who decides not to go through with it, the two boys who finally aren’t ashamed, the eighteen year olds in WWII era who’s wedding night could very well be their last night together, the deaf pair who have no choice but to take body language to a new level, the boy grieving the death of a close relative who meets an unexpected stranger on a road trip, the girl who’s drunken one night stand helps her come to terms with her feelings for a guy she’s been too afraid to open up to, the couple trapped in a fallout shelter anxiously awaiting the end of the world in a dystopian future, the pair facing racial and culture barriers proving that love can exist underneath the external layers of humanity, and of course the two young people fumbling and laughing, getting everything wrong yet making a memory that will never fade.

Doesn't all of that sound so awesome? I mean, I'm in the thing and *I* can't wait to read the variety of stories. So what do you think? Are you ready to read something from the "New Adult" side of me? ;)

UPDATE: It's now up for pre-order on Kindle (even though the title needs to be fixed on this listing).

NEED YOU TONIGHT Cover Reveal!

Can you believe it? Two cover reveals in a week. I've been wanting to reveal this one for a while, but we changed the original version, so now that the retail sites are updated with the new one, I can share it!

I really love the purple (my fave color) and the locked door. Kade's story has a "behind closed doors" theme, so I'm happy that it fits with that. : )

And here's the blurb:

She’s making a wish list, and he wants to be on top.
 
From foster kid to trophy wife, Tessa McAllen is about to reinvent herself all over again—and defy every insult her cheating ex-husband ever used against her: Selfish? She’s championing a charity. Stupid? She’s getting her degree.
 
Boring in bed?
 
Kade Vandergriff can help her with that one. When they encounter each other at a singles event held at one of his restaurants, Tessa blurts out that kink is for girls who try too hard, and Kade instantly wants to show this sassy stranger how thrilling a night under his command can be...…but when he learns her name, the game changes for both of them.
 
In high school, Tessa was the popular girl who stuttering, awkward Kade fell for. But she chose another. Now, as she eagerly learns lesson after lesson, he’s going to make sure she never forgets him again.

READ THE PROLOGUE AND CHAPTER ONE

So whaddya think?

UK Cover Reveal for the Not Until You Serial!

Cover reveals are always fun, and they're especially fun when they are the foreign versions because it's interesting to see how different cover designers will take the same book and package it differently.

So here are the UK versions of the NOT UNTIL YOU serials, which starts August 29th in the UK.  Aaaaand, it looks like they're offering the first part for free, so run over there and pre-order it. : )

And here are the covers...

So whaddya think? I think they're very sexy. 

CAUGHT UP IN YOU is here! Geek heroes for the win! :)

I'm so beyond excited that the release for CAUGHT UP IN YOU is here. I love this hero so much. He was such fun to write. And he's Jace's brother, so there's that. :)  Also, for those who have read CRASH INTO YOU, the heroine in CAUGHT is Brynn's sister from that first book. So expect to see cameos from other characters! :)

This is the book my editor declared her favorite thing I've ever written. I also think it's the sweetest story I've written so far (even though, don't worry, there is lots of smexiness in this one, too.) I think I just channeled a bit of my inner John Hughes for parts of this one. :)

I hope y'all enjoy it!

And if you do, I'd love for you to tweet/facebook about the book and spread the word. Or leave a review on one of the book sites like Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, etc. Those reviews are HUGE and help so much. And since I'm not doing a blog tour, they're even more vital. *hugs to all of you*

Here's the blurb: (And you can read Chapter 1 here.)

The girl who has spent her life running is about to be caught . . . by love
 
After a shaky past, Kelsey LeBreck's future is looking good. She's been saving money for culinary school with her earnings from The Ranch, a private BDSM resort. Even better, she's landed a day job where she can practice baking and flirt with her favorite customer. However, having secret fantasies about Wyatt Austin is where it has to end. If there's one thing Kelsey knows can derail her, it's a relationship. But when a danger from her past threatens to steal her fresh start, the intense executive may be the only one who can help her.

Wyatt doesn't have room on his agenda for dating, but something about the pretty young waitress stirs desires he thought were long buried. So when he needs someone to pose as his girlfriend at an important business retreat and finds out Kelsey needs to go off the grid for a while, he can't resist making her an offer. Soon, Kelsey learns that Wyatt's power in the boardroom is no match for his power in the bedroom, and she wonders if her heart will survive. Because Wyatt Austin is a man who gets what he wants, and now he wants her.

Buy the paperback: Barnes and Noble | Amazon 

Or the ebook:  Kindle | Nook

Photos from RWA and a New Release!

Hi, everyone! Well, I'm back from my fourth RWA Nationals. It was a fantastic trip, and it was so much fun to meet so many people I only know through the Interwebs. First a quick reminder, NOT UNTIL YOU BELIEVE, Part 7 of my e-serial is out today. We're almost to the end! So for those of you waiting to get them when they're all out so you can read them back to back, next week is the week! :)

Here are some highlights from the trip...

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel with Darynda Jones, Eloisa James, Debra Holland, and Robin Convington at the Golden Network Retreat (a chapter of RWA for Golden Heart finalists). The lineup for teh retreat was fantastic. It kicked off with a great talk from Susan Elizabeth Phillips and then a lunchtime speech from, yes, the Nora Roberts. Here's Nora during her speech:

Then that evening was the HUGE booksigning for literacy. Thank you to all who stopped by and said hi to me or bought a book! :) The event raised over 50k for literacy charities, so it was a great success. Here was my view from my spot. (Isn't my RITA flag pretty? It's now sitting on my desk.)

On Friday, I did my BDSM 101 for Writers presentation with the lovely Tiffany Reisz (and her sock monkey). We had a full room and a great audience. It was a lot of fun even though we had too much info and ran out of time. Here's a picture courtesy of author Miranda Baker:

Then, of course, on Saturday night I was a nervous wreck because MELT INTO YOU was up for the RITA award in Single Title Contemporary Romance. For those who don't know, the RITAs are like the Oscars for romance writing, so it's a big, exciting thing to be nominated. 

Here I was before the ceremony when I still had hope, lol...

Alas, I didn't win, but I truly was just over the moon to be nominated. An erotic romance has NEVER been nominated in that cateogory so that was a huge deal for me. Here was my view from my spot in the audience. My one goal if I won was not to vomit standing up there on that stage in front of 2000 people. o.0

After that, it was time to fly back home with my big pile of new books:

And though I was sad to leave all my friends for another year, I did have a nice surprise waiting for me on my doorstep when I got home. Look at the pretties...

So now back to my normal life of no makeup, living barefoot, and typing away on my keyboard. : )