• Vampire

    Paranormal: An Interview with Dracula by @traceyhkitts #RLFblog #vampires

    Dracula In the Flesh 
    An Interview with Dracula
    By Tracey H. Kitts
    As he walks into the room, I feel
    my heart flutter and my breath catches in my throat. For a moment I am unable to
    speak. I simply stare at him, taking in his beauty. He is everything I always imagined
    he would be. He fills both the room and my senses. As he sits in the chair facing
    me, I take a deep breath and try to steady my nerves.
    “Good evening, Vlad. I’ve waited
    a long time to meet you, face to face.”
    “Good evening, Tracey.”
    My name sounds strange falling from
    his lips. His accent gives it an exotic sound.
    “Are you ready for our interview?”
    I ask.
    “Please, proceed.”
    I clear my throat, unsure of how exactly
    I should go about this. Finally, I decide to just go for it.
    “What is it like to be immortal?”
    I ask.
    He sighs, as if he carries the weight
    of the world. “I once thought it was a curse. To be immortal is to watch all
    that you love fade away while you remain, unchanged.” He pauses. “No,
    that is not true. You are changed, you only look the same.”
    “You mentioned looking the same.
    Do you have a reflection?”
    His smile is sad. “Until I am
    reunited with the other half of my soul, I shall have to take your word for how
    I look.”
    He looks magnificent, but I don’t
    say that. “Do you have any vulnerabilities?” I ask.
    “Sunlight weakens me, but it
    does not kill me. All of my kind can be harmed by silver in particular.” He
    moves forward in his chair. “Does it surprise you to know that I can be injured
    by most any weapon?”
    “Actually, yes. So, you can be killed then?”
    “Not easily, but yes. It is possible.”
    “How did you become … what you
    are?”
    He looks at the floor and for a moment
    I regret my question.
    “My love was stolen from me.
    I became cursed while trying to bring her back from the dead.”
    “I’m sorry. If you had known
    the consequences of your actions, would you have made the same choice?”
    Once again his smile is bittersweet.
    “There was never any other choice,” he says softly.
    “There are so many rumors and
    legends about you. Do you have any special powers or abilities?”
    “I have power over the storm
    and the beasts of the field. I can run with the wolves, float on the mists, and
    soar into the night sky.”
    “That’s amazing. Why do you drink
    blood?”
    “Because I gave every last drop
    of mine in a ritual designed to bring my love back to me.”
    “You mean Mina? You gave all
    your blood for her?”
    “Yes. There is nothing I would
    not give for her. I seek in death that which was taken from me in life.”
    “Have you ever considered walking
    away and letting Mina have a normal life?” I ask, wondering if my final question
    is too personal.
    He runs a hand through his dark hair
    and sits back. “I have. I have wondered if I am being selfish, if she would
    be better off not knowing. But then I remember what it felt like to hold her and
    I cannot accept that this is true. I gave my blood and part of my immortal soul
    so that she might live again. I plan to see this through, no matter the cost.”
    Before I can apologize (because I’m
    afraid I hurt him somehow) a shadow passes over the room. The candles flicker and
    in an instant, he is gone. 

    Blurb:

    Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, is traveling to Castle
    Dracula in order to finalize a real estate transaction. He has been personally requested
    by Count Dracula. What Jonathan doesn’t realize is that Dracula’s interests do not
    lie with him, but with his beautiful fiancée, Mina.
    As soon as he saw her face, Dracula knew the ritual was a success.
    After all these long years, his love has returned to him. However, many things (such
    as Van Helsing and Jonathan Harker) stand in the way of their happiness. Sure, he
    could kill them all and take what he wants. However, his greatest desire is not
    to possess Mina, but to love her and have her return his love.
    Therefore, Dracula’s fate and the fate of those closest to her
    lie in Mina’s hands. She has dreamed of him all her life. But what will she do when
    she learns her dark prince is real? What will happen when she knows him, not as
    a dream, but in the flesh?
    WARNING: This book contains graphic violence, and graphic sex.
    This is NOT a romance novel, although there is a romance involved. This is Erotic
    Horror and might offend some readers.

    Buy links:

    Find Me Here

  • Contemporary

    Naked Rebel @anitaphilmar #RLFblog

    Naked Rebel 
    Today’s featured book is Naked Rebel by Anita Philmar.
    A spy that prefers to work alone, Nick Royster’s assignment is
    turned upside down when his superiors send him a personal companion. Not appreciating
    the need to watch someone else’s back, he attends a dinner of Salsar’s inner group.
    Only to learn he has to sacrifice Rane to get the information he needs to end the
    war.
    Rane knows the important of winning. Her family was slaughtered
    by Salsar, this is her homeland and she plans to do whatever it takes to win her
    peoples’ freedom.
    With everything on the line, can these two have any future together
    or does love and war equal heartache?
    Want to feel more? Read
    Anita Philmar

    Buy links


    Amazon http://amzn.com/B00AHKJB0I  
    Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AuthorAnitaPhilmar

    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/naked-rebel-anita-philmar/1114043432?ean=2940045128131
    Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/naked-rebel

    Find Me Here

    Website: http//www.anitaphilmar.com
    Blog: http://anitaphilmar.blogspot.com

  • Contemporary

    Always Time for ‘Another Cup of Coffee’ @JennyKaneAuthor #RLFblog

    Another Cup of Coffee 
    It’s Always Time for ‘Another Cup of Coffee’- just ask Jenny
    Kane!
    Many thanks to Kayelle for inviting me to the brilliant Romance
    Lives Forever site today, to share a little of the background to my latest novel,
    Another Cup of Coffee (Accent Press, Sept 2013)- my very first novel under the name
    Jenny Kane.
    Okay- I admit it, I have a serious coffee shop habit! I am addicted-
    not just to the coffee itself- but to the cafes themselves. I just love them- all
    of them! I love to watch the people around me, to smile at strangers to see how
    they respond, to wrap my hands around a coffee mug and inhale the aroma of the drink
    within. For me, there is something very soothing about them, whether they are jammed
    packed and noisy, or as quiet as the proverbial grave, with myself being the only
    one in residence. I simply feel at home in coffee shops.
    It won’t surprise you to learn then, that every novel I have
    written took shape in various coffee shops. It seemed totally natural to me therefore,
    that when I came to creating my first non-erotic novel, to make coffee shops the
    main places of meeting and discussion for the main characters.

    Thirteen years ago Amy Crane ran away from everyone and everything
    she knew, ending up in an unfamiliar city with no obvious past and no idea of her
    future. Now, though, that past has just arrived on her doorstep, in the shape of
    an old music cassette that Amy hasn’t seen since she was at university.
    Digging out her long-neglected Walkman, Amy listens to the lyrics
    that soundtracked her student days. As long-buried memories are wrenched from the
    places in her mind where she’s kept them safely locked away for over a decade, Amy
    is suddenly tired of hiding.
    It’s time to confront everything about her life. Time to find
    all the friends she left behind in England, when her heart got broken and
    the life she was building for herself was shattered. Time to make sense of all the
    feelings she’s been bottling up for all this time. And most of all, it’s time to
    discover why Jack has sent her tape back to her now, after all these years…
    With her mantra, ‘New life, New job, New home’, playing on a
    continuous loop in her head, Amy gears herself up with yet another bucket-sized
    cup of coffee, as she goes forth to lay the ghost of first love to rest…
    The coffee shop that features most within Another Cup of Coffee
    is called Pickwicks, a tucked away cafe run by the ever bubbly Peggy, and her husband
    Scott. It is here that, newly arrived in London from Scotland, Amy is to find a
    refuge from her troubles, a temporary job, a possible future, and a potential friend
    in Kit- a woman who spends her days sat in the corner of Pickwicks writing erotic
    stories for an American Internet company…

    Buy links:

    Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EVYZC7M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EVYZC7M&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelt-20
    Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EVYZC7M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00EVYZC7M&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelthouse-21

    Find Me Here

    Find Jenny’s darker side, Kay Jaybee, on her erotica website
    http://kayjaybee.me.uk
  • Mystery

    Nautical Superstitions: Twelfth Sun @MaeClair1 #RLFblog #mystery

    Welcome to Romance Lives Forever, Mae Clair. Let’s talk about your book, Twelfth Sun. Tell us about the superstitions on which you based the concept of the story.
    Whether it’s ghost ships, sea lore, or whispered tales of phantom winds and water sprites, I’ve always been
    intrigued by the murky depths of the sea. From ancient times to present, the underwater
    world has harbored creatures serene and foul.
    But what of the brave men and women who attempt to tame the sea or exist within its dominion? Even today,
    sailors are a superstitious lot, many of their beliefs retained from an earlier
    age when water haunts and sea serpents were commonly recognized and feared.
    While writing Twelfth Sun, a novel which centers around the treasure hunt for a maritime artifact, I had
    the occasion to sort through a host of nautical superstitions. I reference a few in the book, but much of the research I did was strictly for fun.
    Here are some of my favorites:
    1. 1. Untying knots in a rope brings favorable winds.
      2. Knitting hair into the toe of a sailor’s sock will bring him back to you.
      3. If a sailor dreams of a horse, it is an omen of high seas.
      4. Disaster will follow if you step onboard a vessel with your left foot first.
      5. A ship’s bell will always ring when it is wrecked.
      6. If St. Elmo’s Fire appears around a sailor’s head, he will die within a day.
      7. Never rename a ship, for it is bad luck.
      8. A ship’s name ending in “a” is unlucky.
      9. The feather of a wren will protect a sailor from death by shipwreck.
      10. Death comes with an ebb tide and birth with a rising tide.
      11. Gulls harbor the souls of sailors lost at sea.
      12. Nail a shark’s tail to the bow of a ship and it will ward off other sharks.
      13. Black traveling bags are bad luck for a seaman.
      14. A silver coin placed under the masthead ensures a successful voyage. Pouring wine on the deck also brings good luck.

    If you enjoyed these, I invite you to read my romantic mystery, Twelfth Sun, involving an older woman and younger man caught up in a scavenger hunt staged by a reclusive billionaire at a lavish seaside mansion:

    Reagan Cassidy is settled in her life. She has a thriving interior design firm, an upscale condo, two cats, and a goldfish. As a favor to her uncle, she agrees to team up with his marine archeologist friend to validate and retrieve a nineteenth-century journal, reputedly that of a passenger aboard the doomed schooner Twelfth Sun. Finding a hunky twenty-five-year-old coming out of the shower in her hotel room wasn’t part of the deal, but it’s hard to complain…

    Dr. Elijah Cross is cocky and he knows it. He enjoys trading barbs with the lovely Reagan. Barbs, and some innuendo. He can tell she’d rather get back home to her business than stick around for the extended treasure hunt they’ve been talked into, but he’s fine with the situation. At least, until the “clues” start getting personal.

    Reagan finds Dr. Gorgeous is as skilled in matters of the heart as he is behind the lectern. Throw in a series of clues which mean more to Elijah than he’ll explain, several odd-ball competitors out to win the journal, a saboteur, and a lavish seaside mansion, and Reagan has enough trouble keeping her head straight, let alone her heart.

    WARNING: Younger man, older woman, nautical riddles and romance.

     

    Buy links:

    Amazon http://amzn.com/B00E5DNH9O
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twelfth-sun-mae-clair/1116214641?ean=2940148784593
    Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/twelfth-sun
    iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/twelfth-sun/id642809087?mt=11

    Author Bio

    Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a
    child and never looked back. Her father, an artist
    who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning
    tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars. She snagged the tail
    of a comet, hitched a ride, and discovered her writer’s Muse on the journey.Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that
    vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her
    stories with conflict, romance and elements of mystery. Married to her high school
    sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate
    about writing, old photographs, a good Maine
    lobster tail and cats.Mae is also the author of the time travel / paranormal novel,
    Weathering Rock.

    Find Me Here

    Website http://MaeClair.com
    Twitter https://twitter.com/MaeClair1
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mae-Clair/219356774828949?ref=hl
    Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6468716.Mae_Clair

  • Suspense

    Romantic Suspense: Last Straw @NiaSimone4 #RLFblog #NYC #giveaway

    The Last Straw 
    Nia Simone, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about
    your book, The Last Straw by Nia Simone.
    Genre: Romance
    Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
    Cover artist: Angela Anderson
    Length: 45 pages
    Heat rating: Spicy
    Tagline: He’s good at playing a part. She’s good at catching
    a fake. Can they trust enough to give love another chance?
    Blurb:
    Ally Tobin left New York after
    one too many bad dates, determined to rebuild a stable life and career as a private
    investigator in Silicon Valley. But when the man
    she knew as one name walks into her office with another, will her curiosity once
    again lead her to risk her heart?
    The last thing Special Agent Jared Green needs is “security
    risk” stamped on the resume of his latest undercover identity. Especially by
    the woman his job forced him to leave in New
    York without any explanation. She may threaten his cover,
    but it’s his heart on the line.
    He’s good at playing a part. She’s good at catching a fake. Can
    they trust enough to give love another chance?
    Buy links: FREE TODAY!
    What are your main characters’
    names, ages, and occupations?
    Ally Tobin, 32, private investigator
    Jared Green, 32, FBI special agent
    Buy links: FREE TODAY!
    What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?
    Ally Tobin, 32, private investigator
    Jared Green, 32, FBI special agent

    Interview

    What do you enjoy most about writing?
    Spending time with my characters in their world and lives.
    What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?
    Workaholic.
    How do you cope with stress as an author?
    I spend a lot of time on my Facebook profile and email commiserating
    with other writers, sharing goals, or just talking about the weather.
    Do things your family or friends do ever end up in a book?
    Yes. Then it gets cut, unless I get permission. If it’s recognizable.
    What are some jobs you’ve done before (or while) you were
    a writer?
    When I started writing fiction seriously, I was a technical writer.
    It was my second career and I did both for a long time.
    What kind of books do you read when taking a break from your
    own writing?
    Romance by other authors, all across the spectrum, from sweet
    to erotic to historical to fantasy/paranormal. Poetry, memoirs, and “mainstream”
    fiction.
    What was the proudest moment of your life so far?
    When a friend of mine who was dying told me that the letter I
    wrote to her meant so much to her she wanted to have it laminated on her desk for
    her children to inherit. I thought if I never wrote anything else that I had achieved
    something worthwhile because my words reached her and made her understand what she
    meant to me.
    Imagine you get to go on a dream vacation, but you have only
    one hour to pack and leave, and it starts as soon as you finish this interview.
    What will you take with you and where will you go?
    My husband, passport, jeans, sneakers, t-shirt, sweater, my Nook,
    purse (with money and credit cards!), phone, my laptop and my toiletries. Portugal.
    Where were you at midnight, on December 31st when the new
    century started?
    On the beach in Half Moon Bay with my husband, friends and dog.
    What do you like to do when you’re bored?
    Read!
    Please underline which statement is more like you:
    “I am a vacation spa because I am laid back and relaxed.”
    “I am a ten-countries in ten-days tour vacation, because
    I do things as fast as possible.”

    Please complete the sentences

    I love pizza with artichoke hearts, olives and tomatoes.
    I’m always ready for having lunch with a friend.
    When I’m alone, I am reading, writing and talking to people
    on the Internet.
    You’d never be able to tell, but I’m a good singer. *wink*
    If I had a halo it would be a
    hand-me down from someone better who loved me anyway.
    If I could heal I’d make everyone I love better.
    I can never be blonde because it doesn’t go with my
    coloring.

    Previous Books

    The Last Straw is my debut story.

    Find Me Here

    Website: http://niasimone.intuitwebsites.com/
    Blog: http://niasimoneauthor.com/

  • Author Interviews,  Regency

    Regency: Seduction of Lady Phoebe @EllaQuinnAuthor #RLFblog

    Seduction of Lady Phoebe
    Ella Quinn, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about
    your book, The Seduction of Lady Phoebe.
    Genre: Regency
    Publisher: Kensington Publishing
    Cover artist: Kensington
    Length: 101,623 words
    Heat rating: Spicy
    Tagline:
    Blurb: Polite
    society has its rules for marriage. But for Ella Quinn’s eligible bachelors, their
    brides will show them that rules are for the weak of heart…
    Phoebe Stanhope is not a typical Lady. As feisty as she is quick
    witted, no one can catch her, especially when she is driving her dashing phaeton
    with its perfectly matched horses. And unlike her peers, experience has guarded
    her against a growing list of would-be suitors. But when she encounters Marcus Finley,
    what she fears most burns deep within his blue-eyed gaze…
    For Lord Marcus, the spark of recognition is but a moment in
    the love he has held these many years. Now that he’s returned to England,
    all the happiness he desires rests on Lady Phoebe never finding out that he was
    the one who turned her heart so cold and distant. He must work fast to gain the
    advantage—to convince her what she wants is exactly what she denies—but in order
    to seduce her into his arms, he must be willing to give up more than he can control…

    Buy links:

    Amazon US
    ~ Amazon UK  ~ Amazon France ~ Amazon
    Germany ~ Amazon Canada ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kensington
    ~ iTunes ~ Kobo
    What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?
    Lady Phoebe Stanhope, three and twenty, lady
    Lord Marcus Finley, eight and twenty, gentleman

    Interview

    What is the most important thing you do for your career now,
    as compared to when you first started writing?
    I work on my social media platform. When I first started all
    I did was write. By the time it dawned on me that I needed to get involved in social
    media, I’d written four books. So during the time I was working with my agent’s
    assistant learning to edit, I took a class and began building my platform.
    What websites do you visit daily?
    I try to support other authors, and visit many websites on a
    daily basis. I regularly visit Writers in the Storm, for interesting writing tips
    and Rakes and Rascals, for new historical releases.
    If you could change something about your first book, what
    would it be?
    LOL. All the head-hopping I did when I first wrote it, and continuing
    to exercise. I gained a lot of weight that first year.
    What do you enjoy most about writing?
    Telling my characters’ stories and the research. I love learning
    new things.
    What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?
    Each morning, I catch up on email, Twitter and Facebook. Then
    in the afternoon I write. I would love to write first thing, but I can’t think until
    the other stuff is out of the way. Of course, that gives me an incentive to get
    off Facebook.
    What kind of books do you read when taking a break from your
    own writing?
    Mostly historical romance, though I still enjoy spy stories.
    Which of your books would you recommend to someone who doesn’t
    normally read your genre, and why?
    I actually have a couple of people who don’t read romance that
    are going to Read the Seduction of Lady Phoebe. I recommend the first one, because
    it’s the start of the series and introduces the characters.
    What is your favorite holiday and why?
    A ski holiday in Austria. I love being on the mountain,
    and we have very good friends in the area we frequent.
    What good book have you read recently?
    Miranda Neville’s The Ruin of a Rake.
    Where were you at midnight, on December 31st when the new
    century started?
    We were in London wishing we’d gone to Edinburgh instead.
    If you were a color, what color would you be?
    Apple green.
    Please underline which statement is more like you:
    “I am a vacation spa because I am laid back and relaxed.”
    “I am a ten-countries in ten-days tour vacation, because I do things as fast as possible.”

    Please complete the sentences

    I love pizza with Gorgonzola cheese, spinach and mushrooms.
    I’m always ready for time with my husband.
    When I’m alone, I write, read, and take walks.
    You’d never be able to tell, but I love riding on the back of my husband’s Harley.
    If I had a halo it would be just a bit crooked.
    If I could twitch my nose like Samantha I’d be the happiest person on earth.
    I can never jump out of a plane because no one will let me.

    Find Me HereWebsite: http://ellaquinnauthor.comBlog: http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpress.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/EllaQuinnAuthorFacebook: http://facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthorGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044274.Ella_Quinn