• Author Interviews

    13 Things I’m Thankful For #thanksgiving

    Blessings.

    As the owner of Romance Lives Forever, I’ve had the opportunity
    to interview about two hundred authors this year. I’ve learned some fun things about
    them, their books, and their characters. As I thought about what to write for Thanksgiving
    Day on the blog, I couldn’t help but be grateful for their friendship and the insights
    I’ve gained by knowing them. I decided that would be the best thing to share. There
    are more than thirteen things, but in the spirit of Thursday Thirteen, that’s all
    I’m listing. Besides, that gives me a good thing to write about on another day!

    13 Things I’m Thankful For

    1. I’m in
      good company. The authors who interview here are amazing men and and women.
      I’m privileged to make their acquaintance.
    2. My characters,
      with their idioms and quirks, are no stranger than anyone else’s. I’ve met
      characters here in interviews, and I can say mine are normal. (Okay, that’s
      a lie, but I’m still going to say it.)
    3. I appreciate
      the honest interviews that I get every week. They are a joy to read, and I
      love getting to know so many wonderful authors, characters, and books.
    4. I’ve discovered
      that no one else is balanced in their writing life either. Writers know the
      definition of balance, but seem to have no idea how to implement it. It’s nice
      not to be alone. ;)
    5. I’m thankful
      that with rare exception, writers who interview here turn in their material
      on time. Thank you more than you know.
    6. I’m grateful
      for macros that let me format documents in a snap. No two people use the same
      formats, and despite a nicely pre-formatted interview, I usually get back text
      that’s in a different font, size, or with indentions where I hadn’t planned
      them, so the macros help. A lot.
    7. Having
      to change all those things has shown me that there are easier ways to do things.
      I would never have discovered that if everyone did things the same way.
    8. I’m thankful
      for the idea to share blog stats and show the top bloggers. It began in January
      of this year, and I’ve kept it up every month. Now I can track trends and see
      what works. Wish I’d thought of it sooner!
    9. This blog
      has helped me meet some incredible people I’d never have met otherwise. The
      Romance Lives Forever Paper.li
      ezine
      that comes out because of the blog has also helped me meet
      many cool new friends.
    10. Can’t talk
      about things I’m thankful for related to this blog without mentioning Twitter
      and Triberr. That combination is powerful. I wouldn’t want to be without either
      one.
    11. I’m thankful
      for a family that supports me in what I do. I couldn’t help others if I had
      no help myself.
    12. Which brings
      me to friends again — because I could not run this blog, help other authors,
      interview so many people, and post so much if not for them. Thank you.
    13. Finally
      — and yet foremost — I’m thankful for my health. I was in the hospital earlier
      this year. Thought I was having a heart attack. Although it wasn’t, I did discover
      some issues with my heart that have made me be much more careful of my health.
      I joke about “balance” — but I do try to rest more, eat well, and
      take better care of myself.
    2012 has been the most successful year ever for Romance Lives
    Forever. It’s because of the people who post here, share their books, their lives,
    and the people who come to read about them. I look forward to another wonderful
    year in 2013. I hope to be back here next year, sharing a list of good things I’ve
    learned. Maybe I’ll even have figured out a little balance.

    About the Author

    Kayelle Allen is the owner of Marketing
    for Romance Writers
    , the Romance Lives Forever blog, and The Author’s Secret. She’s a writer of immortal role-playing gamers,
    warriors who purr, and agents who find the unfindable–or hide it forever.
    Blog http://kayelleallen.blogspot.com
  • Author Veterans

    Salute to Veteran Authors #VeteransDay

    Kayelle Allen here. Romance Lives Forever is dedicated to new
    authors and new books. As such, I rarely step in as a blogger — I prefer to interview
    guests and feature others. My personal blog, Unstoppable Heroes, is where I do my
    own “bragging” about new books and events. But today on RLF, I want to
    honor some special people: veterans.
    Folding the Flag.
    The first Veteran’s Day was called “Armistice Day”
    and was proclaimed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson on November 11, 1919. In proclaiming
    the holiday, he said, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will
    be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service
    and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has
    freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy
    with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.” Unlike Memorial Day,
    which celebrates those who died in service, Veterans Day celebrates the service
    itself. Wikipedia
    Today’s blog features fellow veterans who are authors. This is
    by no means an exhaustive list, but these folks are proud to stand and be counted. Please
    visit their sites, and get to know them and their books. I believe the highest honor
    one can pay an author is to buy his or her book.

    Authors Who Served

    Listed in alphabetical order by first name.
    Romance Tangled with Suspense
    CK Crouch — US Army
    Hot Romance
    Delilah Devlin – US Army
    Paranormal and Contemporary Romance
    Eliza Gayle — US Marine Corps
    Romance
    Ella Quinn – US Army
    Military Romance
    Geri Krotow — US Navy
    Love Is In The Air – And In The Fleet
    Heather McLachlan — US Navy
    http://HeatherMcLachlan.com
    Urban Fantasy Romance
    Isis Rushdan — US Air Force
    http://isisrushdan.blogspot.com/
    Historical Romance
    Jeane Westin — US Army
    Erotica Romance where the destiny is love ~ Let me take you on
    the journey
    Jennifer France — US Navy
    http://jenniferfrance.com
    Tapping into your Flights of Fancy
    Lacey Falcone — US Air Force
    Dark Heroes, Feisty Heroines, Scorching Stories
    Lisa Carlisle — US Marine Corps
    Military Memoirs – Parris Island — Journey of a Woman Marine
    Lisa Cordeiro — US Marine Corps
    http://lisacordeiro.com
    Let Fate guide you… One story at a time
    Loni Lynne — US Navy
    Mystery/Romance author
    Lori Avocato — US Air Force
    http://loriavocato.com
    Love … Laughter … Forever
    Joyce Adams — US Army
    http://joyceadamscounts.com
    Mystery
    Kathleen Toomey Jabs — US Navy
    Unstoppable heroes, Uncompromising love, Unforgettable passion
    Kayelle Allen — US Navy
    A Dash of Romance with a Dusting of Mystery
    Misty MacRae — US Navy
    http://mistymacrasblog.blogspot.com
    Where Romance is Always an Adventure
    Rogenna Brewer — US Navy
    Unexpected Romantic Fiction
    Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter — USAF
    Romantic Suspense, YA, Juvenile, SciFi, and Hard Boiled Detective
    Wayne Greenough — US Navy
    http://waynegreenough.com
    Scottish Medieval Romantic Suspense
    Diana Cosby — US Navy
    Dark heroes and heroines with bite…sink your teeth into a romance
    by
    Sapphire Phelan — US Army

    Escape to the past with a romantic adventure
    Terry Irene Blain — US Navy
    http://www.terryireneblain.com/

    Military Romance and Medical Drama
    Tracey Cramer-Kelly — Army National Guard

    Statistics on this list:

    US Navy – 11
    RomVets
    US Marines – 3
    US
    Army National Guard – 1
    US Army – 6
    US Air Force – 4
    Men – 1
    Women – 24
    One unusual Veterans group that is special to me is called RomVets. They are all women who served in the armed
    forces and who write Romance. I am proud to be a member. Click the link to visit
    the website and learn more about this organization and its members.
     img credit (flag): everystockphoto.com

  • RLF Gems

    RLF Gems: Blog Stats for Oct 2012

    October on Romance Lives Forever saw eleven author
    interviews, ten character interviews, and two articles.
    This month marks the first full month during which we used the author’s Twitter handle as part of our post titles.  The impact of hits mentioning the author on Twitter help show them how valuable a visit on this site can be. Does it help bring people to the blog? Consider this: 18 of the 24 bloggers this month placed in the top 33% of overall hits on the blog.
    Here are the top five posts for the month of October
    (judging by page hits).
    1. Susan Lodge — Character Interview with Hetty Avebury
    2. Charlie Cochrane — Character Interview with Ben Edwards
    3. Ally Shields — Author Interview “Awakening the Fire”
    4. AR Norris — Author Interview “All Female Planet?”
    5. Stephanie Burkhart — Character Interview with Lady Keira
    Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
    name are: Adriana Kraft, Andrew Grey, Barbara
    Bradley, Brenna Zinn, Casey Sheridan, Cynnara Tregarth, Dominique Eastwick, Elle
    Druskin, Holley Trent, Jennifer Stevenson, Kate Hill, Kendall McKenna, Keta
    Diablo, Kristina Knight, Rhea Rhodan, Sharon Kleve, Terry Spear, Tmonique
    Stephens
     
  • RLF Gems

    RLF Gems: Blog Stats for Sep 2012

    RLF Gems.

    September on Romance Lives Forever produced many big hits
    with readers. Top with readers are articles, followed by author interviews,
    character interviews, and new book releases. Blog tours continue to do well. Here
    are the top five authors (judging by page hits) with a tie at number five
    1. Elysa Hendricks — Sword and the Pen (Article)
    2. Denyse’ Bridger — Vampire Erotic (Interview)
    3. Tiffinie Helmer — Dreamweaver: Paranormal Romance (Interview)
    4. Viki Lyn — Lover’s Trill (Interview)
    5. R Ann Siracusa — Game of Seduction (Interview)
    5. Candace Shaw — Suspense: A Fist Full of Ashes (Interview)
     I did not include myself in this list, but my article on alpha hero Luc Saint-Cyr would have been counted among the top three. Go, Luc! ^_^ He and I are sitting out this “hit parade” since I also blogged about him on my personal site, Unstoppable Heroes.
    Participants this month in alphabetical order by first name
    are: Candace Shaw, Danita Minnis, Denyse’
    Bridger, Elizabeth J Kolodziej, Elysa Hendricks, Justine Elyot, Karen Sue Burns,
    LM Brown, R Ann Siracusa, Tiffinie Helmer, Ute Carbone, Viki Lynn
  • RLF Gems

    RLF Gems – Blog Stats for Aug 2012

    RLF Gems.

    The month of August had some heavy hitters where interviews
    are concerned, and one article that blew away the group. Irene Preston’s
    article Bad, Bad, Bad, Writing the Wrong Kind of Bad Girl, wins top awards, far
    outdistancing any other article on the blog. However, one of the most popular types
    of articles on Romance Lives Forever continues to be interviews with authors,
    and with characters. Here are the top five with a tie at number five.
    1. Irene Preston, Bad, Bad, Bad, Writing the Wrong Kind of
    Bad Girl
    2. Lynda Bailey, Interview
    3. Synithia Williams, Interview
    4. Danita Minnis, Character Interview
    5. Kay Jaybee, Book Release
    5. Elise VanCise, Interview
    Participants this month in alphabetical order by first name
    are: Amber Kallyn, Ashlynne Laynne, Belinda
    McBride, Christi Barth, Danita Minnis, Elise VanCise, Irene Preston, Jan Graham,
    Jean Joachim, Kay Jaybee, Kaylin McFarren, Keira Kohl, Lillian Grant, Lynda
    Bailey, Malia Mallory, Melissa Keir, Paul Harry, Synithia Williams,
  • RLF Gems

    RLF Gems – Blog Stats for July 2012

    RLF Gems.

    I’m proud to present the top bloggers (by page load) for the month ofJuly 2012. There were two ties with the exact number of hits. I checked that twice – and it’s correct.

    We had huge hits this month for the articles on MFRW Summer Camp, and readers were enthralled by new releases from Gemma K Murray, Starla Kaye, Kendall McKenna, Elizabeth J Kolodziej, Maggie Brooke, and others. Here are the top five by page hit:

    1. MFRW Summer Camp (Kayelle Allen)
    2. Gemma K Murray
    3. Terri Molina
    4. Starla Kaye (TIE)
    4. Elizabeth J Kolodziej (TIE)
    5. W Lynn Chantale (TIE)
    5. Maggie Brooke (TIE)

    Participants this month in alphabetical order by first name are:  Casey Crow, Elizabeth J Kolodziej, Gemma K Murray, Jannine
    Corti-Petska, Kendall McKenna, Lisabet Sarai, Liz Borino, Maggie Brooke, MS
    Spencer, Ruby Duvall, Starla Kaye, Teri Molina, and W Lynn Chantale.