• RLF Gems

    Marilyn Baron: A Gem of a Blogger @MarilynBaron #RLFblog

    In preparation for the move from Blogspot to WordPress, I’m sharing the RLF Gem Bloggers of this site. Each Saturday for the next few weeks, I’ll showcase a different author.

    2014 Star Blogger: Marilyn Baron

    Marilyn has appeared on the Romance Lives Forever blog seven times. She has been an RLF Gem multiple times and was on the list of Bloggers of the Year in 2014. The position is chosen by the amount of visits the author’s post receives.
    I’m proud to present Marilyn with the 2014 RLF Gem Award.
    Others who won monthly top blogger awards in 2014 were Daisy Banks, Vicki Batman, E Ayers, and JD Faver.

    About Marilyn Baron

    Marilyn Baron is a public relations consultant in Atlanta. She’s a member of Marketing for Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America and
    Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) and the recipient of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award. She writes humorous women’s fiction, romantic thrillers/suspense, historicals and paranormal. She has won writing awards in Single Title, Suspense Romance and Paranormal/Fantasy Romance.
    Website www.marilynbaron.com
    Blog www.petitfoursandhottamales.com
    Twitter https://twitter.com/MarilynBaron
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilyn-Baron/286807714666748?fref=ts
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4722647.Marilyn_Baron
    Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Marilyn-Baron/e/B008PJFQPC/

    Marilyn Baron’s Latest Book

    Marilyn’s 20th work of fiction, The Vampire Next Door, a paranormal romance, is now available for pre-order. The worldwide release date for the novel is June 9, 2017. Aurora Dawn Hale, the ravishing daughter and granddaughter of psychics, wants to take a bite out of the boy next door, reformed vampire Lancelot “Lance” Lakeland, who repents his past and desperately desires to be good. Lance has given up immortality to be with the woman he craves. He must convince Aurora Dawn he is worthy of her trust. Will she love him for who he is and leave her fiancé at the altar? Or wake up from her spell in time to recognize the evil presence of the fiend who has terrorized her family for centuries?

    Preorder The Vampire Next Door https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071CSXPXM/

    Coming next Saturday…Top Blogger for 2015. Come back and see who it is! Visit the new blog – still under construction: RLFblog. Since the hashtag is #RLFblog, that’s the url for the new site. It will keep the name Romance Lives Forever.

    Kayelle Allen

  • Suspense

    Character Sketch: Big Mike from Bad Vibes @JDFaver_Author #RLFblog #Suspense

    This interview is designed to tell readers about your hero or heroine. Answer the questions as an author talking about the character.

    About the Character

    Name: Michael Thomas Burke (Mike/Big Mike)
    Age: 32
    Gender: Male
    Birthplace: Maine
    Profession: Federal agent on loan to ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement)
    Ethnicity/Species (if not human): White male human
    Describe his/her body build, skin tone, height and weight. Include any unique features such as dimples, freckles, or scars: 6’5″ muscular frame; Tanned from the sun; Mikes most startling feature are his silvery-blue eyes and his ability to appear emotionless, earning him the title> The Iceman
    Who is the significant other in your character’s life?
    Mike has been a complete loner, until his ICE assignment on the lower Texas coast throws him into close proximity with a petite, red-headed local deputy assigned to his team as liaison officer. Darla raises his blood pressure and his libido from the moment they meet. She rousts him in his undercover disguise as a waterfront bum, disarms him and takes him into custody, which first alerts local law enforcement that there is a federal investigation into human trafficking using the Intra-coastal Waterway.
    How does your hero dress?
    Mike is known for his love of Hawaiian shirts, the louder the better. A pair of cargo shorts and flip-flops complete his outfit.
    If you could only hear this character’s voice (but not see him) what characteristic would identify him?
    Mike has a deep, raspy voice. He doesn’t waste words, sometimes barking out clipped orders. He’s a man’s man and not a ladies man, so he isn’t skilled at “girlfriend-speak”. Fortunately, his lady love is the only girl among seven brothers, so she can decipher his sometimes brusque verbage, and is also able to give him a smack upside his head when he needs it.
    What special skills does your character rely on?
    Mike is a former SEAL and is skilled in diving and underwater demolition. He is very intelligent and able to think on his feet.
    What does he have a knack for doing?
    Mike is a great guy, but he has a knack of pissing people off. Before long, he has Darla’s brother and one of her fellow deputies ready to throw down with him.
    What is your character’s family like?
    Mike’s mother abandoned him at an early age to be brought up by his grandfather, who was a carpenter. He likes to work with his hands when not blowing up drug lords in Central America. He has no living family and immerses himself into his current assignment, whatever that might be. The ICE assignment, where he has to work with the local deputy, Darla Calhoun, shakes up his usual mode of operation. He tries to protect her, which just irks the daylights out of her, since she sees herself as a completely competent member of the team.
    Does this character see morality as black-and-white, or with shades of gray?
    Mike has a very definite sense of right and wrong. He sees himself as the defender of the weak and the one to apprehend the bad guys. There is no try. There is do or die.
    How do others perceive your character based upon looks? How true is this assumption?
    Darla’s brother, Calvin, a large, powerful man himself, describes Mike as “Big Mutha’.” Darla is very attracted to him, but also doesn’t want to get hurt when he moves on to his next assignment.
    What past event causes your character the most fear?
    Mike most definitely has abandonment issues, which he has dealt with in the past by not becoming too attached and by being the one to move on. However, for the first time, he sees himself settling down in this Texas coastal town and taking on a family, Darla and her twin sons.
    What is your hero’s biggest hopes and dreams?
    At the outset, his goal is to rescue the kidnapped women and destroy the human trafficking gang. As he works with Darla, he begins to dream about nesting with her and providing for her and her sons.
    What is your hero’s biggest personal flaw?
    Mike has absolutely horrible communication skills when it comes to romance.
    How does your character handle challenges?
    Head on! Fix it! Kill it! Move forward! Accomplish the objective!
    How emotionally expressive is your character to others?
    <rolls eyes!> Have I mentioned how totally inept he is at expressing his emotions?

    About Your Writer: Questions for your character to answer about you.

    Why do you think your writer chose to write about you?
    Hell if I know? I’m a man of action. I don’t have time to sit around writing pretty little stories.
    What do you wish your writer had not told others about you?
    She had no right to go prying into my life, especially when I found the love of my life while on assignment. I’m a very private guy.
    What do you wish your writer would write next?
    <snort!> I know her books about the Texas coastal area are evolving, and there are plenty of characters to write about. But, seriously. . . just write them as they happen. Chloe and Rafael have hired me to update an old Victorian house that comes with its own set of mysteries, like the skeletons I dredge up in the murky fish pond. Write about that.
    What other character from your book do you think your writer should write a book about? Care to tell us why?
    She’s written about my buds, Rafael, Javier and Zach, but our stories are unfolding, so I guess she should just keep telling our tales as they occur.
    Is there anything you’d like to say to your writer?
    Thanks for pairing me up with such a feisty and adorable love interest. <grins>

    Previous Books

    The Edge of Texas Series:
    • Book 1-Bad Medicine
    • Book 2-Bad Karma
    • Book 3-Bad Vibes
    • Book 4-Bad Dreams
    • Book 5-A Sandcastle Christmas

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13

    Darla came on deck clad in black body armor, her copper top hidden under a black Sheriff’s Department cap with the bill turned backwards. She had her M-14 slung over her shoulder and a pack of extra magazines.
    Damn! She looks so hot! Like Badass Barbie…
    5 star Review~ “J.D. creates two characters in Mike and Darla that you’ll be rooting for while simultaneously ratcheting up the suspense to the breaking point. The Texas Coast will *never* be the same by the time these two get done…”
    When government agent Mike “The Iceman” Burke invades her South Padre Island turf, Deputy Darla Calhoun is assigned as liaison officer to his team. Her skills as a sniper come in handy when a gang of human traffickers strikes close to home, kidnapping local women including her best friend.
    Darla is recovering from her husband’s suicide and trying to be a good parent to her twin sons. The ICE assignment takes her out of her misery and plunges her into a dangerous mission and a steamy affair.
    Mike and Darla tear up and down the Intracoastal Waterway in search of the kidnappers and the captive women while Rafael and Javier conduct their own investigation. Will they rescue the captive women or will the kidnappers slaughter them as they have done in the past? Two teams race to find the answers before it’s too late.

    Buy This Book

    Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LYM3ZQ
    Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009LYM3ZQ
    Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B009LYM3ZQ

    About the Author

    J.D. Faver lives near Houston, Texas. She writes steamy contemporary romance and romantic thrillers/mystery/suspense. She loves to kill people…on virtual paper, that is. Although she writes daily, she still finds time to enjoy family and friends. She is a foodie and an adventurous cook. Determined to preserve generations of family recipes, she is publishing a series of cookbooks entitled A Texan in the Kitchen.
    Gardening is another passion (and linked to the food thing) since she has an orchard of fruit trees and berry bushes/vines in her back yard. Tomatoes and other veggies round out her kitchen garden.
    All other interests (painting, drawing, sewing, quilting, crocheting, weaving, stained glass and pottery) have taken a back seat since they require hands-on participation which is difficult if your fingers are always on the keyboard.
    An active member of several Houston writer’s organizations, she belongs to National RWA and is a member of Houston chapters.
    She is owned by two cats and a small, yappy rescue dog. As a former educator and healthcare professional, she is an advocate for children, animals and elderly/disabled individuals.
    She would rather be sailing or on a beach somewhere, but if not, you can probably find her with her fingers on a keyboard, pouring word images onto the virtual films playing in her head.

    Author Social Media

    Blog http://www.jdfaver.com/blog.html

  • RLF Gems

    RLF Gem Award: Top Bloggers Jan 2014 Romance Lives Forever #RLFblog

    Last month, Romance Lives Forever had 30 posts in a 31 day month.
    This was the first month
    using new interviews for 2014.

    Top Five Bloggers for the Month

    RLF Gem Award 
    (judged by page views) There were four ties with each author
    gaining the same number of views. This many ties has not occurred before on
    RLF. Congratulations to each author!
    1. JD Faver
    2. Mary Marvella, Tina Donahue
    3. Charlie Cochrane, Danita Minnis
    4. Babette James, Starla Kaye
    5. Sydney Jane
    Baily, Saloni Quinby
    Honorable mention: Lucy Felthouse
    Romance Lives Forever features authors and new books. It has a
    blogger’s FAQ page with a downloadable guide and optional interviews. Readers
    can follow via Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, Bloglovin’, Linky
    Followers, email, an RSS feed, and there’s a blog button readers and authors
    can grab.. RLF takes up to three images per article, so authors can share
    previous books. The blog uses author or publisher names as SEO tags on posts,
    and author Twitter handles in the titles. The site is broadcast over Triberr
    with a potential reach of over a million readers via its Twitter-linked
    network. Twitter mentions are also gathered in several Paper.li ezines, giving
    the author an additional opportunity for promotion.
    The Romance Lives Forever
    Paper.li ezine
    features guest authors on its front page every day. The Yahoo Group Romance Lives Forever has
    nearly 1200 members, and is Kayelle’s private group. It is open once a month to
    authors who have been guests on the blog. Guests get one day to post info,
    share news, book releases, offer contests, and so on. For that day, the group
    is open and members are allowed to reply and take active part. It’s like an
    old-fashioned chat, where you can share and answer questions. Only authors who
    have reserved the day are allowed to post, so it’s exclusive. There is no
    charge. You can read more about it here: http://is.gd/rlfauthorday

    Share your book cover on Romance Lives Forever

    Limited spots to share book covers are available. Cost is $3
    per month, with discounts for covers posted for one quarter and up to one year.
    Covers can be changed monthly.

    Sign Up for a Future Post

    Guest calendar http://is.gd/rlfdates
    My thanks to all who took part this month. You made Romance Lives
    Forever a great place to discover new books and authors.
    Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
    name are:

    Angela Smith, Aria
    Kane, Ashley York, Audra North, Brenda Sparks, Cassandra Carr, Chris Redding, D
    Renee Bagby, Diana Green, DP Denman, Heidi Lynn Anderson, Jana Richards, Kayelle
    Allen, Kent
    duFault, Kristina Knight, Nicole Morgan, Pippa Jay, Sherry Gloag, Wendi Zwaduk
  • Character Sketch,  Suspense

    Character Sketch: Big Mike from Bad Vibes @JDFaver_Author #RLFblog #Suspense

    Bad Vibes 
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13
    Darla came on deck clad in black body armor, her copper top hidden
    under a black Sheriff’s Department cap with the bill turned backwards. She had her
    M-14 slung over her shoulder and a pack of extra magazines.
    Damn! She looks so hot!
    Like Badass Barbie…
    5 star Review~ “J.D. creates two characters in Mike and
    Darla that you’ll be rooting for while simultaneously ratcheting up the suspense
    to the breaking point. The Texas
    Coast will *never* be the
    same by the time these two get done…”
    When government agent Mike “The Iceman” Burke invades
    her South Padre Island turf, Deputy Darla Calhoun
    is assigned as liaison officer to his team. Her skills as a sniper come in handy
    when a gang of human traffickers strikes close to home, kidnapping local women including
    her best friend.
    Darla is recovering from her husband’s suicide and trying to
    be a good parent to her twin sons. The ICE assignment takes her out of her misery
    and plunges her into a dangerous mission and a steamy affair.
    Mike and Darla tear up and down the Intracoastal
    Waterway in search of the kidnappers and the captive women while Rafael
    and Javier conduct their own investigation. Will they rescue the captive women or
    will the kidnappers slaughter them as they have done in the past? Two teams race
    to find the answers before it’s too late.

    About the Character

    Name: Michael Thomas Burke (Mike/Big Mike)
    Age: 32
    Gender: Male
    Birthplace: Maine
    Profession: Federal agent on loan to ICE (Immigration & Customs
    Enforcement)
    Ethnicity/Species (if not human): White male human
    Describe his/her body build, skin tone, height and weight. Include
    any unique features such as dimples, freckles, or scars: 6’5″ muscular frame;
    Tanned from the sun; Mikes most startling feature are his silvery-blue eyes and
    his ability to appear emotionless, earning him the title> The Iceman
    Who is the significant
    other in your character’s life?
    Mike has been a complete loner, until his ICE assignment on the
    lower Texas coast
    throws him into close proximity with a petite, red-headed local deputy assigned
    to his team as liaison officer. Darla raises his blood pressure and his libido from
    the moment they meet. She rousts him in his undercover disguise as a waterfront
    bum, disarms him and takes him into custody, which first alerts local law enforcement
    that there is a federal investigation into human trafficking using the Intra-coastal
    Waterway.
    How does your hero dress?
    Mike is known for his love of Hawaiian shirts, the louder the
    better. A pair of cargo shorts and flip-flops complete his outfit.
    If you could only hear
    this character’s voice (but not see him) what characteristic would identify him?
    Mike has a deep, raspy voice. He doesn’t waste words, sometimes
    barking out clipped orders. He’s a man’s man and not a ladies man, so he isn’t skilled
    at “girlfriend-speak”. Fortunately, his lady love is the only girl among
    seven brothers, so she can decipher his sometimes brusque verbage, and is also able
    to give him a smack upside his head when he needs it.
    What special skills does
    your character rely on?
    Mike is a former SEAL and is skilled in diving and underwater
    demolition. He is very intelligent and able to think on his feet.
    What does he have a knack
    for doing?
    Mike is a great guy, but he has a knack of pissing people off.
    Before long, he has Darla’s brother and one of her fellow deputies ready to throw
    down with him.
    What is your character’s
    family like?
    Mike’s mother abandoned him at an early age to be brought up
    by his grandfather, who was a carpenter. He likes to work with his hands when not
    blowing up drug lords in Central America. He has
    no living family and immerses himself into his current assignment, whatever that
    might be. The ICE assignment, where he has to work with the local deputy, Darla
    Calhoun, shakes up his usual mode of operation. He tries to protect her, which just
    irks the daylights out of her, since she sees herself as a completely competent
    member of the team.
    Does this character see
    morality as black-and-white, or with shades of gray?
    Mike has a very definite sense of right and wrong. He sees himself
    as the defender of the weak and the one to apprehend the bad guys. There is no try.
    There is do or die.
    How do others perceive
    your character based upon looks? How true is this assumption?
    Darla’s brother, Calvin, a large, powerful man himself, describes
    Mike as “Big Mutha’.” Darla is very attracted to him, but also doesn’t
    want to get hurt when he moves on to his next assignment.
    What past event causes
    your character the most fear?
    Mike most definitely has abandonment issues, which he has dealt
    with in the past by not becoming too attached and by being the one to move on. However,
    for the first time, he sees himself settling down in this Texas coastal town and taking on a family, Darla
    and her twin sons.
    What is your hero’s biggest
    hopes and dreams?
    At the outset, his goal is to rescue the kidnapped women and
    destroy the human trafficking gang. As he works with Darla, he begins to dream about
    nesting with her and providing for her and her sons.
    What is your hero’s biggest
    personal flaw?
    Mike has absolutely horrible communication skills when it comes
    to romance.
    How does your character
    handle challenges?
    Head on! Fix it! Kill it! Move forward! Accomplish the objective!
    How emotionally expressive
    is your character to others?
    Have I mentioned how totally inept he is
    at expressing his emotions?

    About Your Writer: Questions for your character to answer about you.

    Why do you think your
    writer chose to write about you?
    Hell if I know? I’m a man of action. I don’t have time to sit
    around writing pretty little stories.
    What do you wish your
    writer had not told others about you?
    She had no right to go prying into my life, especially when I
    found the love of my life while on assignment. I’m a very private guy.
    What do you wish your
    writer would write next?
    I know her books about the Texas coastal area are evolving, and there are
    plenty of characters to write about. But, seriously. . . just write them as they
    happen. Chloe and Rafael have hired me to update an old Victorian house that comes
    with its own set of mysteries, like the skeletons I dredge up in the murky fish
    pond. Write about that.
    What other character from
    your book do you think your writer should write a book about? Care to tell us why?
    She’s written about my buds, Rafael, Javier and Zach, but our
    stories are unfolding, so I guess she should just keep telling our tales as they
    occur.
    Is there anything you’d
    like to say to your writer?
    Thanks for pairing me up with such a feisty and adorable love
    interest.

    Previous Books

    The Edge of Texas
    Series:
    • Book 1-Bad Medicine
    • Book 2-Bad Karma
    • Book 3-Bad Vibes
    • Book 4-Bad Dreams
    • Book 5-A Sandcastle Christmas

    Buy This Book

    Amazon US
    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LYM3ZQ
    Amazon UK
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009LYM3ZQ
    Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B009LYM3ZQ

    About the Author

    J.D. Faver lives near Houston,
    Texas. She writes steamy contemporary
    romance and romantic thrillers/mystery/suspense. She loves to kill people…on virtual
    paper, that is. Although she writes daily, she still finds time to enjoy family
    and friends. She is a foodie and an adventurous cook. Determined to preserve generations
    of family recipes, she is publishing a series of cookbooks entitled A Texan in the
    Kitchen.
    Gardening is another passion (and linked to the food thing) since
    she has an orchard of fruit trees and berry bushes/vines in her back yard. Tomatoes
    and other veggies round out her kitchen garden.
    All other interests (painting, drawing, sewing, quilting, crocheting,
    weaving, stained glass and pottery) have taken a back seat since they require hands-on
    participation which is difficult if your fingers are always on the keyboard.
    An active member of several Houston
    writer’s organizations, she belongs to National RWA and is a member of Houston chapters.
    She is owned by two cats and a small, yappy rescue dog. As a
    former educator and healthcare professional, she is an advocate for children, animals
    and elderly/disabled individuals.
    She would rather be sailing or on a beach somewhere, but if not,
    you can probably find her with her fingers on a keyboard, pouring word images onto
    the virtual films playing in her head.

    Author Social Media

    Blog http://www.jdfaver.com/blog.html