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Meet the heroine of Battlesong, a Medieval Romance @historicalAllie #RLFblog #historicalromance
First I have to thank Kayelle for
the opportunity to talk about my heroines. Authors love to write heroes who are
sexy, handsome, rich, real dream material and describe them in word and picture.
Heroines kinda get lost. So I want to spend some time talking about the women who
people my books.First though, let me tell you a bit
about me. Yesterday, my DH and I celebrated our 54 years together as a married couple.
So, I think you can say I’m definitely a romantic. I married my best friend, so
that may be why we are still together. Poor guy as had a lot to put up with over
the years, but since I think we both classify as Alpha individuals (yes, Alpha’s
can be romantic too) it’s a miracle we are still together and more in love today
than on the day I walked down the aisle on my father’s arm to say “I will”.With that kind of background how could
I not write romance novels. But, why on earth would I want to do something like
that. After all, I was living a romance. For one thing, I’ve always liked to be
busy. For another, like so many other authors, I read a book I didn’t like, a romance,
and decided then and there I could do better. I had never thought about writing
a novel, but why not? I’d already tried a whole lot of other things over the years.
But why write a historical romance. I loved to read them, I liked history and I
loved research. It all went together.I told Kayelle I wanted to offer a
sketch of my current heroine but the more I thought about it, I realized out of
all twenty-one of my heroines, I have a few favorites but top of the list might
be Laren. so let me tell you about her.With each of my heroines I tried to
give them a strong backbone. That’s got to be the Alpha in me. I don’t think any
of them are whippy, they don’t cry much if at all, and they all make mistakes, but
then don’t we all.As I looked back over my heroines,
a couple do stand out. Sara from ‘A Treasure for Sara’ is one I really liked. However,
I still think Laren of ‘Battlesong’ might be my favorite. With Laren I tried to
write a heroine with a miserable childhood, but a woman who develops into the kind
of woman I hope every woman can become, although my Laren sometimes acts before
she thinks. She learns to stand on her own two feet and uses her intelligence to
get her out of one tight situation after another, she is a woman of great compassion,
a woman willing to do what has to be done, no matter the consequences. She also
has a lot of fire and at times wants to pound the hero on the head. Not that I blame
her. I wanted to pound him in the head a few time too.Laren is the heroine of the second
of the song series, four medieval romances about one family, although each is a
stand alone book. Laren lives in the 13th century, even though she behaves much
like a 21st century gal.However, now that I have finished
the last song book, I just may have to add Catherine, the heroine in the book coming
in July, to my list of favorites. Catherine, now a widow, had a wonderful childhood,
a rotten marriage, and is fighting a father who wants her married again. My hero
has a real battle on his hands with this woman. She doesn’t trust men and has become
one bossy babe. If you decide to see for yourself which of my heroines you like,
I’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, I’m working with a young woman who had
a happy childhood but has been discarded by her titled husband. (I moved back to
the 19th century in this one.) She’s a real fighter, this one. I just may have to
add her to my favorite list, too.About the Book
Title BattlesongGenre Medieval RomanceAuthor Name Allison KnightBook heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13Their marriage begins with a lie. Tricked into wedding young
Laren Blair, the daughter of a Scottish laird, Arthur ap Brynn Ffrydd, an English
baron, abandons her at his keep. When he finally returns six years later she has
won the affection of his people but all he sees are the changes she has made. Their
battles begin.She fears her life will be as miserable with Arthur as it was
with her cruel father. He envisions losing his property to her Scottish clan. As
they learn to tolerate each other, desire draws them together. When Laren is kidnaped
and Arthur is wounded in battle they realize they love each other. Reunited, can
their love withstand the strain of another lie?Buy This Book
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Battlesong-Allison-Knight-ebook/dp/B0040GJADS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401482811&sr=8-1&keywords=Battlesong+Allison+KnightAuthor Social Media
Website http://www.allisonknight.com/ -
Grace Marshall’s Executive Decision Tour @GM_Romance #RLFblog #erotic
An Executive Decision Thanks so much for having me over on Romance Lives Forever for
day 4 of The Executive Decisions Blog Tour.An Executive Decision, Because It’s Complicated
Instead of thinking of erotica and
romance as genres, I prefer to think of them as psychology in story form. The longer
I write stories, the more I believe that it really is all about sex, just like Freud
said. We humans are designed to live in relationship with other humans, and that
gets messy and complicated. First there’s chemistry and romance and sex, then we’re
off and running with a story that has all the best things and all the worst things
and all the archetypal things that make us human. All those messy complicated, chemistry-riddled
human things may point us in the direction of that most convoluted of paths to the
much-coveted Happily Ever After we all long for, but there’s a lot more involved
in actually getting there. There’s all the neuroses, all the niggles, all the fears,
frustrations and personal baggage that we all have to overcome on the way. And the
more sexy and complicated and messy it gets on the route to that Happy Ever After,
the bigger the pay-off at the endI originally wrote An Executive Decision
as a very naughty novella called Learning the Business. The story was based on what
might happen if there really was an Executive Sex Clause between a CEO and his second
in command. The theory is that it would improve productivity, enhance creativity
and reduce stress if busy executives had a source of stress-free, no-strings attached
sex available when they needed it. But what began as just an erotic romp became
a much deeper look into the lives of two complicated, complex characters, Ellison
Thorne and his ambitious protégé, Dee Henning. Both Dee and Ellis are people so
into their work that they have no time for sex. Both are people who are a bit dense
where relationships are concerned. Both are people who feel safe keeping others
at arm’s length. And their story wasn’t played out in a vacuum. There are family
members, ex lovers, bumbling — if well-meaning – friends. There are disgruntled
colleagues, there is sabotage, and the threat of environmental crime.When a series of events drives the
two into each other’s arms, the fireworks begins, and the Executive Sex Clause,
which started out as a joke, ends up to be a whole lot more.As what started out to be a short
erotic tryst grew to be a full-length novel and then into a trilogy, I realized
that it wasn’t the kinky Sex Clause that drove the story, but rather Dee and Ellis
with all their quirks and foibles. They were so much more than just two people having
lots of sex in the work place, so much more that a man and a woman falling in love.
Throw in the comedy of errors that ends up letting the Sex Clause cat out of the
bag and that’s where things get messy and delicious.Though my alter-ego, K D Grace, writes very steamy erotica,
she’s a romantic at heart. And though I happily and unabashedly write romance, I
like my romance served hot – very hot. I never close the bedroom doors because I
think the pursuit of that relationship deserves to be rewarded in a very carnal
way. Whether I’m writing as K D Grace or Grace Marshall, there will always be lots
of sex because sex is as much a part of who we are as walking upright and having
big brains. In fact having big brains makes the sex a helluva lot more interesting.
It’s no longer just about procreation. It’s about magic and recreation and le Petit
Mort and rebirth and fireworks and blow your mind, feel-good, and break your heart
feel-terrible. Simply put, it’s complicated just like our big brains and our need
for relationship.An Executive Decision
Overworked CEO Ellison Thorne has no time for sex, let alone
romance. The only answer, at least where his retiring business partner Beverly is
concerned, is a no-strings sex clause in her replacement’s contract, designed to
make Ellis’ busy life easier – and hotter. But she’s joking, right?When Dee Henning takes over Beverly’s
job, sparks fly between her and Ellis, but work takes priority in driven Dee’s life too. Can one night of passion in a Paris hotel room prove Beverly’s Sex Clause is their secret to success
in the boardroom and the bedroom, and what will happen if that private clause becomes
public knowledge?Available from:http://gracemarshallromance.co.uk/books/an-executive-decision/
Executive Decision Tour About K D Grace/Grace Marshall
Grace and KD both believes Freud was right. In the end, it really
IS all about sex, well sex and love. And nobody’s happier about that than she is,
otherwise, what would she write about?When she’s not writing, Grace is veg gardening. When she’s not
gardening, she’s walking. She walks her stories, and she’s serious about it. She
and her husband have walked Coast to Coast across England, along with several other long-distance
routes. For her, inspiration is directly proportionate to how quickly she wears
out a pair of walking boots. She also enjoys martial arts, reading, watching the
birds and anything that gets her outdoors.Grace and KD have erotica published with SourceBooks, Xcite Books,
Harper Collins Mischief Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Black Lace, Erotic Review,
Ravenous Romance, Sweetmeats Press and others.
Writer Marketing Services K D’s critically acclaimed erotic romance novels include, The Initiation of
Ms Holly, Fulfilling
the Contract, The Pet Shop.
Her paranormal erotic novel, Body Temperature and
Rising, the first book of her Lakeland Heatwave trilogy, was listed as honorable
mention on Violet
Blue’s Top 12 Sex Books for 2011. Books two and three, Riding
the Ether, and Elemental
Fire, are now also available. She was nominated for ETO’s Best Erotic Author
2013 and 2014.Grace Marshall‘s
sizzling hot romance novels, An Executive
Decision, Identity
Crisis, The
Exhibition are published by Xcite Books.Grace Marshall Social Media
Twitter https://twitter.com/GM_RomanceKD Grace Social Media
Website http://kdgrace.co.uk/Twitter https://twitter.com/KD_GracePinterest http://www.pinterest.com/kdgraceauthor/You May Also Like
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Kryssie Fortune: Sex, Sacrifice, and Stupidity @KryssieFortune #RLFblog #paranormalromance
Giving
it Up for the GodsHave you ever thought some gods are
too stupid to live? Not all of them of course. Saturn’s not bad, and his close-lipped
friend, Jase, is a stunner.Sorry, I should introduce myself.
I’m Lindy Lou Majors, Country and Western singer and siren extraordinaire. You know
us sirens are the sexiest females on the planet, so I won’t bore you with that.
We have a bit of a history with self-seeking gods of course.First Juno cheated us out of our birthright,
and then Neptune demanded an annual virgin sacrifice.
I mean, some gods like yucky dead stuff and have animals sacrificed in their name.
Artimis, the Goddess of the Hunt, always wanted game killed in her honor. Me, I’d
hear the game birds sing, not have their innards spread out all over the place.The Greeks offered up pigs to their
Gods. Like to like I suppose, but they didn’t think of it like that. They even poured
water on the pigs head until it bowed, then they claimed it had nodded and agreed
to the sacrifice. Those poor pigs hadn’t a clue what they were in for.Once someone split piggy’s throat,
his killer spread his entrails–especially his liver–out to see if the Gods accepted
the sacrifice. It gets pretty hot in Greece, so I bet they made a quick decision.
Just imagine the stench of rotting liver, beside people were usually hungry. They
couldn’t wait to dig in to the post sacrifice feast.Each to their own I suppose, but us
sirens have this problem with Neptune. A few centuries
back, he got hit with a curse, and that wicked sorceress, Circe, saved him. Now
he’s the Greek-god version of the green man. He needs an annual sacrifice to renew
his youth. He doesn’t want meat. He wants virgin blood, and his sacrifice of choice
is a siren.Neptune’s a kinky old sod He has his
henchmen strip his victims then tether them–legs and arms wide open–across his
altar. I mean a little light bondage can be good, but Neptune
takes things too far.Each year the sirens draw lots to
see which unfortunate virgin he’ll screw that summer. That’s another reason why
sirens spread themselves around. Anything’s better than letting Neptune screw them. No way am I letting that stinky old man
touch me. I mean, would you?Now me, I’m the dumb virgin that dreamed
of giving up to her one perfect man. I really wanted to find my soul mate. Then
Neptune abandoned the ballot this year and named
me for his sacrifice. I’m the clock now. I’ve got forty-eight hours to give it up,
or Neptune will take me by force. Suddenly, I’ve
got a great deal of sympathy for all those ancient Greek pigs and game birds.So what with stupid Greeks killing
innocent animals, and stupid me keeping my legs crossed too long, you’d think we’d
cornered the all the stupid stuff. Only Neptune
wins the really big stupid prize. When he named me, he’s changed the ritual, and
that changes Circes spell. Apparently, if I’m still a virgin on midsummer’s day,
whoever screws me first gets a hit of supernatural powers. Not that it matters,
because I’m going to give it up before then.About the Book
Not only angels fall.Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, the warrior god Janus
plummeted from the heights of Olympus to the depths
of the Underworld. After centuries of pain and torment, he finally clawed his way
free. He’ll never forgive the gods who condemned him, or the sirens for their part
in his downfall.Each summer, to celebrate the Feast of Neptunealia, Neptune demands a virgin sacrifice. And his sacrifice of choice
is a siren.Sirens are strong, sassy, and sexy.Lindy’s siren heritage makes her fierce, lusty, and curious but
she dreams of loving one man forever. She won’t give her heart–or her virginity–to
a short lived mortal she might accidentally break in bed. When Neptune demands her as his sacrifice, she’s determined to
give her virginity to anybody except him.Janus, or Jase as he calls himself now, rescues Lindy from Neptune’s mermen. He’s the one man she’s eager to bed. The
clock’s ticking. Lindy has forty-eight hours to seduce the siren-hating Jase and
win his heart. That or Neptune will find her and
take her against her will.Buy This Book
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/ebook/dp/B00K0T1OISAuthor Social Media
Website http://kryssiefortune.wordpress.com/ -
Are you dreaming yet? Dreams and Nightmares Tour with @Danita_Minnis #RLFblog
Dreams and Nightmares Anthology Welcome to the Dreams and Nightmares Anthology Blog Hop! We are
celebrating the release of our anthology with fabulous gifts for you. Each author
featured in the anthology is giving away a copy of one of their
books. But that’s not all. The Grand Prize is a signed print copy of The Dreams
and Nightmares Anthology!Leave a comment with your email address for a chance to win and
hop along to the next blog for more chances to win!Publisher: CMVAbout the Anthology
Dreams and nightmares are like twilight; that misty place between
fantasy and reality.When your mind takes you on an adventure you didn’t sign up for
and you become someone or something else, it can be delectable, terrifying, or both.Dreaming of that sexy bad boy who seems out of reach? Be careful
what you wish for, sometimes dreams really do come true. If you have the time, we
have the past life to seduce you. Whether your fantasy is a lustful mermaid, an
irresistible incubus, a vampiric predator, or an insatiable ghost hold on tight.
You are on the most erotic ride of your life.When your desires blend so thoroughly with the truth that you
don’t know the difference, that’s when romance is but a dream.Adderley’s Bride, by Danita Minnis
Sofie is a singer, baker and a serious planner. When she finds
her rocker boyfriend up against the wall in a vocal booth with a back-up singer,
her five-year plan for a home and family is dubbed over like a bad music track.Gray, a lusty ghost who acts like she is his long-dead fiancée
invades her dreams and works her body over, night and after night. It isn’t long
before Sofie’s plans include her beguiling lover, a ghost man with a plan of his
own; be with me. Nice plan if you call that living…Author Social Media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Danita_MinnisPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/danitaminnis/Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/o1515015619Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Danita-Minnis/e/B008EAB4Q2/
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Character Sketch: Jake from Protection @linda_rettstatt #RLFblog #suspense
Protection About the Book
Title ProtectionGenre Romantic SuspenseAuthor Linda RettstattBook heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13Jake Garber is a new man after being placed in the witness protection
program pending a Federal child-trafficking case in which he’s a witness. Shannon
Chase is the identity stolen by a young woman escaping her past to protect her child.
A foggy night, a hairpin turn, and a car crash throw Jake and Shannon into one another’s
lives where each struggles to protect a secret.Buy This Book
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Protection-Linda-Rettstatt-ebook/dp/B00IXXBMSU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397319661&sr=8-1&keywords=Linda+RettstattAbout the Character
Name: Jake GarberAge: 30Gender: MaleBirthplace: New
York StateProfession: CarpenterEthnicity/Species (if not human):Describe his/her body
build, skin tone, height and weight. Include any unique features such as dimples,
freckles, or scars: Jake is tall and lean, with dark brown hair that creeps
over his shirt collar. He is tanned from working outdoors.Who is the significant
other in your character’s life?Shannon Chase – a woman who literally crashed into his life along
with her three month old daughter.What special skills does
your character rely on?Jake learned carpentry from his father and grandfather and relies
on those skills now to support himself.What does he have a knack
for doing?Taking care of other people.Does this character see
morality as black-and-white, or with shades of gray?His once well-defined views on morality are challenged and shift
because of his forced exile into witness protection and his growing attraction to
Shannon.If someone from your character’s
past showed up, who would he most want it to be, and why? OR who would he most NOT
want it to be, and why?He would not be happy to see Lou Crowley–the former priest who
is now trying to kill him.Can your hero keep a secret?
If not, why not? If yes, why?Jake is a walking secret. In his former life as Father Steve
Avery, he became a key witness in a child-trafficking case. With two of the suspects
still on the loose, Father Steve was placed in witness protection, living now as
Jake Garber in the Pacific Northwest.What inner doubt causes
your character the most difficulty?After having Shannon Chase and her baby come into his life, Jake
is seriously doubting his original call to the priesthood. He struggles with his
feelings of betrayal by the Church and his sense of belonging with Shannon and Bailey.What is your character’s
biggest need at the beginning of the story?Jake needs to protect his identity while trying to help Shannon
and her infant daughter, Bailey. He risks letting this woman into his home and his
heart.What is your hero’s biggest
hopes and dreams?He begins to realize a longing for his own family, something
he can never have if he returns to the priesthood when the Federal case is resolved.What is your hero’s breaking
point?When he begins to doubt that Shannon
has been honest with him.Who in his life has the
power to hurt this character the most? Why?Shannon. Because he has fallen
in love with her.Bonus: Questions for you to ask your character.
Jake, what is your favorite
meal?Give me a nice thick steak, medium rare and an ice cold beer
and I’m happy.When you went into the
Witness Protection Program, you had to take on a new line of work. You chose carpentry.
Why?My grandfather was a master carpenter. And woodworking is my
dad’s hobby. I learned from them and enjoy creating things that will mean something
to people for generations to come.What drives you in life?The desire to do something meaningful, something that makes a
difference.About Your Writer: Questions for your character to answer about you.
Why do you think your
writer chose to write about you?Well, it’s not every day you meet a priest in the witness protection
program. I guess my story intrigued her. That along with the varied possibilities
of how everything could turn out.What do you wish your
writer had not told others about you?That I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to weaponry. I rely on
my Louisville Slugger for self-defense.Was there anything your
writer discovered about you that was a surprise to one or both of you?Yep. We were both surprised by the intensity of my attraction
to Shannon.When your writer is writing about you, what do you think makes
your writer the most happy?She just loved digging into my emotions. Someone should tell
her us guys aren’t too fond of that. And she just couldn’t keep her nose out of
the relationship I have with Shannon. She
was gleefully determined to get the two of us together.What makes your writer
the most sad?Even though my story has a happy ending, I know Linda was sad
to write those last two words. I think she enjoyed being in my company. (Maybe I’ll
have to whisper another story line in her ear some day.)Why do you think your
writer loves to write?She’s a story teller, that’s for sure. She seemed to thoroughly
enjoy dragging the fine details of my life and my struggles out of me. If she weren’t
a writer, she’d make a pretty good therapist. Or a sadist, since she managed to
put me into a few heart-stopping situations.About the Author
Linda Rettstatt likes to know what makes people tick and she
loves a good story. This combination fuels her passion for creating stories that
capture your mind and touch your heart. Her writing garnered the 2012 EPIC eBook
Award in Mainstream Fiction for her novel Love, Sam. Linda grew up in SW Pennsylvania
and suffers a bout of homesickness every October when she thinks of the fall leaves
and trails at her beloved Ohiopyle
State Park. She now lives
in NW Mississippi with her cat, Binky, who only allows her to share the apartment
because she brings home the Fancy Feast.Author Social Media
Website http://www.lindarettstatt.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/linda_rettstattAmazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003589J3S -
Wolf in Gucci Loafers by Tara Lain @taralain #RLFblog #LGBT Romance
Hi everyone. Tara Lain here. I’m so delighted to be here at RLF
today! This is an exciting week, because my new release, Wolf in Gucci Loafers,
came out recently. One of the first things people tell me when they hear about the
book is that they love the title which delights me because I love creating titles.
Maybe it’s because my day job is in advertising and for years I’ve had to come up
with headlines. Headlines are a lot like titles. They have to encapsulate something
essential about the book while attracting readers and getting them to pay attention.
Wolf in Gucci Loafers is like that. Right off, you know that this book is probably
paranormal, right? My hero is a wealthy, aristocratic, half human/half werewolf
who is also gay and pretty flamboyant. He’s kind of a Zorro character in that he
pretends to be a lot more effete than he is. In truth, he’s a bit of a bad ass,
while maintaining his love of fashion and fast electric cars. I tried to create
a title that suggested a bit of this “mood” of the book. A bit playful
and a little mysterious. Below, I’ve posted a nibble from Wolf in Gucci Loafers.
I hope you enjoy it.Buy This Book
Dreamspinner Press http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4866Socialite Lindsey Vanessen wants someone to love who will love
him back—an impossibility for a gay, half-human, half-werewolf. Too aggressive for
humans, too gay for wolves, and needing to protect the pack from human discovery,
Lindsey tries to content himself with life as a successful businessman. But when
someone starts kidnapping members of wealthy families, Lindsey meets tough cop Seth
Zakowsy—the hunky embodiment of everything Lindsey wants but can’t have.Seth has never been attracted to flamboyant men. What would the
guys in the department think of Lindsey? But intrigue turns to lust when he discovers
Lindsey’s biting, snarling passion more than matches his dominant side. It might
mean a chance at love for a cop in black leather and a wolf in Gucci loafers.About the Author
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic
romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published
in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 21. Her best-selling novels
have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best
LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has
been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often
does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul-mate
husband and her soul-mate dog in Laguna
Beach, California, a pretty
seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice,
and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone
it will say “Yes”!Author Social Media
Website: http://www.taralain.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/taralainFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/taralain
