Showing posts with label Guest Post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guest Post. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Guest Post: Liliana Hart author of the Gravediggers Series



Guest Post Lilana Hart
Author of the Gravediggers Series



How did you come up with the idea for this story?

I always see my books like movie scenes, and I kept having this recurring scene pop into my head of these very sexy, built special ops guys, stripped to the waist in the pouring rain and mud, digging up a grave. I had no idea what the story or premise was at that time, but I knew that scene was going in the book.

I started talking it over with my husband (as I do for every book when it’s just forming in my mind) and we came up with The Gravediggers as a special ops group unlike any other. They were all exceptional with their own intelligence agencies, but for them to form the most elite group of agents, they had to “die” in their former life and be reborn with a new identity, leaving their family, friends, and past behind them.


Where do you find your inspiration?

I’m an observer of all things. I’d much prefer to sit back and listen to conversations and watch how people react and their body language than be part of the conversation. But I’m an introvert, so that has a lot to do with it too.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Love scenes are usually the most challenging thing for me to write. I’ll skip over them for the most part, and then go back and write them at the very end.

What are your current projects?
I’m actually taking a break for a little while, and I plan on enjoying the summer with my family. I wrote seven novels and two novellas in the last year, and I’m pooped. But I’ll start back up in the fall again. I’ve got another JJ Graves book coming in 2018, as well as another Addison Holmes, and more of The Gravediggers.

Tell us about your first book. What would readers find different about the first one and your most recent published work?

The first book I ever wrote was Kill Shot, though it had a different title in the early days. That version never saw the light of day, but after I’d written several books, I went back and rewrote the entire thing because I loved the premise so much. I’ve always been a character writer, so that hasn’t changed, but every book I write is better than the previous, which is as it should be.  

Does music play any type of role in your writing?

I’ll occasionally listen to movie soundtracks while I’m writing particular scenes, but for the most part I like to write in silence.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I said before I’m taking a bit of a break from fiction, but I am working on some non-fiction with my husband. We’re blessed to be a strong blended family, and we’ve found there just aren’t a lot of resources out there for blended families, so that’s what we’re working on.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

They can visit my website at www.lilianahart.com, or they can check out my author page at Amazon. I’m also very involved on social media, and I encourage all fans to join the Liliana’s SWEETharts group on Facebook. We do a lot of book discussions, and readers get the opportunity to get to know me on a more personal level.

Do you have a special time to write? How is your day structured writing-wise?

I do well in unstructured environments. I hate sitting at a desk and having set work hours. I usually work best first thing when I wake up, which is not early because I’m not a morning person. And then I’ll hit a lull mid-afternoon. I’ll get a second wind again about ten o’clock at night and work well into the early hours of the morning.

What is for you the perfect book hero?

I love flawed heroes. Especially flawed alpha heroes. They have issues, especially if they work special ops. There are things they see and deal with that the rest of us can’t understand, but with those things are psychological quirks that really make them a challenge in relationships. I love digging into my heroes a little deeper and discovering how to make the relationship between him and the heroine work.

When you start a book, do you already have the whole story in your head or is it built progressively?

Nope. I never have a clue what’s going to happen in the story until I sit down and start writing for the day. I like to be surprised.

Will you write more about these characters?

Yes, there are two Gravediggers who are begging for a story. More to come on that later.

The Darkest Corner (Gravediggers Book 1) by Liliana Hart

Date of Publication: May 23, 2017

Blurb


New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Liliana Hart's first book in her suspenseful Gravediggers series, featuring an elite group of mysterious men who might be dead to the world, but are also tasked with saving it—and no one can ever know.

The Gravediggers aren't exactly what they seem. They're the most elite of the world's fighting forces—and all they have in common is that they've been betrayed by the countries they've died for. Because they are dead. To their country, their military, and their families.

Sometimes the dead do rise...

Deacon Tucker is a dead man walking. A former black ops agent, he was disavowed and stripped of all honor before being recruited as a Gravedigger. But his honor and good name no longer matter, because no one knows he's alive, and he'll never get the recognition he deserves. His mission is simple: save the world or die trying. And for God's sake, don't ever fall in love. That's a rule punishable by death. The kind of death a man can't be brought back from.

Tess Sherman is the only mortician in Last Stop, Texas. She has no idea how Deacon Tucker ended up in her funeral home, but she'll eat her hat if he's only a funeral home assistant. Deacon is dangerous, deadly, and gorgeous. And she knows her attraction to him can only end in heartache.

Deacon is on a mission to stop the most fatal terror attack the world has ever known—what's known as The Day of Destiny—a terrorist's dream. But when he discovers Tess has skills he can use to stop them, he has to decide if he can trust her with secrets worth dying for. And, most important, he has to decide if he can trust her with his heart.

Trailer:

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About Liliana Hart



Liliana Hart is a New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly Bestselling Author of more than 40 titles. After starting her first novel her freshman year of college, she immediately became addicted to writing and knew she'd found what she was meant to do with her life. She has no idea why she majored in music.
Since self-publishing in June of 2011, Liliana has sold more than 3 million ebooks and been translated into eight languages. She's appeared at #1 on lists all over the world and all three of her series have appeared on the New York Times list. Liliana is a sought after speaker and she's given keynote speeches and self-publishing workshops to standing-room-only crowds from California to New York to London.
Liliana can almost always be found at her computer writing or on the road giving workshops for SilverHart International, a company she founded with her partner, Scott Silverii, where they provide law enforcement, military, and fire resources for writers so they can write it right. Liliana is a recent transplant to Southern Louisiana, where she's getting used to the humidity and hurricane season, and plotting murders (for her books, of course).

Find Liliana Hart Online

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Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Guest Post: Grace Goodwin author of Mating Fever



Guest Post Grace Goodwin 
Author of Mating Fever


I write sci-fi romance. So, do the math…yes, I’m a totally science geek – sci-fi nerd. I’ve been to Dragon Con (haven’t worked up the gumption to tackle Comic Con in San Diego yet!!!) and my Netflix “recommended” movie list looks like a salute to Monster B-Movies galore. If it’s in space, I’ll watch it. Needless to say, I’ve watched a LOT. So here, dear readers, is my top 5 favorite sci-fi movies list. (Feel free to disagree – but you’d be wrong. LOL)

Top 5 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
1 – The Matrix
2 – Star Wars (The entire universe just rocks)
3 – Avatar (Seriously, I want to be one of those blue people.)
4 – The Terminator
5 – The Fifth Element

If they’re on – I watch them. Doesn’t matter that I’ve seen them all many, many times. They’re like my personal kryptonite. Now, what do they ALL have in common (other than kick-ass female characters and wild imagination)? Romance. Oh, yes. Neo and Trinity. Han and Leia. Jake and Na’vi . Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor. Leeloo and Corbin Dallas. Love. Gadgets. Out space. Adventure.
I love it!!! And that’s why I write it. (Although, I DO get a little bit sexier than the above lists – but then, they probably couldn’t put what I write on screen. LOL.)
Hope you all give Mating Fever a try. Hot Atlan Beast on an alien world falls for sassy, sexy woman from Earth. Oh, yeah. It checks ALL my boxes. Hopefully, yours too.

Xoxo
~Grace

Mating Fever: (Interstellar Brides, Book 10) by Grace Goodwin

Date of Publication: April 6, 2017

Blurb


Megan Simmons followed her entire Army unit into space as volunteers to protect Earth as members of the Coalition Fleet. Eighteen months later, on a Hive controlled planet, she is separated from her unit and trapped. She is certain death will have its day until an Atlan Warlord appears from nowhere and risks his life to save her. Lost and alone behind enemy lines, Megan will do anything to keep her sexy savior alive until one problem arises, and this one she can't fight her way out of. Despite the danger, her Atlan Warlord's beast takes one look at her and decides she belongs to him.
Nyko of Atlan never hesitates to charge into battle against Hive scum. When he sees a human soldier in trouble, he follows routine, ripping his enemies to shreds to save a fellow warrior. But when that warrior turns out to be a beautiful and curvy human female, the beast he's been fighting suddenly breaks free with just one simple demand...MINE.

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About Grace Goodwin


Once upon a time, a young girl was born into an average, working class family. The wee little girl, convinced she was not an average child but was, in fact, a fairy princess, longed to leave the mundane world behind and live her dreams. She grew up, went to school, and when she'd grown too big to wear tutus and tiaras in public without drawing unwanted attention, turned to writing down her fantasies instead.
Now a bit older, her fantasies have grown to include sexually dominant men who know how to ensure a woman's pleasure. Grace believes all women should be treated like princesses, in the bedroom and out of it, and writes love stories where men know how to make their women feel pampered, protected and very well taken care of.
She currently lives in Oregon where she spends her days writing, and her nights in the arms of her very own Prince.

Find Grace Goodwin Online

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Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Guest Post: Vanessa Vale author of Ride Me Dirty



Guest Post Vanessa Vale
author of Ride Me Dirty




I’m excited to write about Bridgewater in the 21st century. Time marches on from 1885 and we discover in Ride Me Dirty that the customs and values from the Wild West still hold today. Two men claim a woman to be theirs. They’re possessive, protective and loving. Dominant and bold. Even in contemporary Bridgewater, one cowboy is never enough.

Here’s a sexy little taste of Katie and her men:

“Cara, hey, it's Jack Kane. Yeah, I've got Katie here with me. She'll be with us, so if you don't hear from her tomorrow, don't panic. She'll be sleeping off a night with the Kane boys.”

He pushed the button on the phone, slipped it back in his pocket.

I couldn't help but laugh at the man's audacity, holding my phone hostage. And mortified. “Oh my God. You did not just say that.”

Jack held out his hand. “Let's go, sweetness. We'll give you a night your friend Elaine won't believe.”

What did he have, better than perfect vision, to see my IM so clearly? “Then I'll get my phone back?”

Sam laughed, slowly shaking his head. “We're not f***ing you in exchange for your phone.”

I arched a brow. If I gave in, would they think me easy? God, after what I did in the back hallway, the answer was definitely a yes. “Oh yeah?”

“We're f***ing you because you need orgasms,” Sam replied.

Jack nodded once, eyed me from head to toe. “Lots of them.”


Ride Me Dirty (Bridgewater Ménage: Bridgewater County Book 1) by Vanessa Vale

Date of Publication: April 6, 2017

Blurb


They remember her as a pesky kid.
She doesn't remember them at all.
Her life's in New York. The property she's inherited is in Bridgewater, Montana. Going back to the town she visited every summer as a child stirs up long forgotten memories and a girlhood crush, on not one teen-turned-hot-cowboy, but two. Cousins Jack and Sam Kane. Fortunately for her, in Bridgewater, one cowboy's never enough.
In this contemporary version of Vanessa Vale's USA Today bestselling, Bridgewater Menage series, Catherine is forced to choose the life she really wants: the big-city lawyer or the small town cowgirl with two men who want to take her for a very dirty ride.

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About Vanessa Vale


Vanessa Vale is the USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books, sexy romance novels, including her popular Bridgewater historical romance series and hot contemporary romances featuring unapologetic bad boys who don't just fall in love, they fall hard. When she's not writing, Vanessa savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. While she's not as skilled at social media as her kids, she loves to interact with readers.
You can find out more about Vanessa at VanessaValeAuthor.com

Find Vanessa Vale Online

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Friday, March 31, 2017

Guest Post: Amy Jarecki author of The Highland Duke


Guest Post Amy Jarecki author of
The Highland Duke





Hello and thank you for inviting me to the EskieMama & Dragon Lady Reads blog! I am very excited to be here today and thought I might talk about my method of writing. I sit on panels at writing conferences from time to time and am often asked what entails my writing process. It’s not rocket science, but a fair bit of preparation goes into building a story before I even start writing:

What is your writing process like?

Writing a book is a multifaceted process that sometimes starts with a kernel of an idea:

I build a notebook for every book. It starts with research. I usually find an event in history, or someone who sparks my interest. I learn everything I can about them and use that as a framework for my outline.

Once I'm ready to write I start with a premise statement. It’s usually two or three sentences that explains what the story will be about.

Next I write a 2-3 page general outline of the book with a general sequence of events.

I spend a couple days on character development. I identify their personality types, then I use a character profile sheet that I developed to make them into a real person, explaining their likes, dislikes, physical features, beliefs, and their back stories.

I then use an Excel spreadsheet to plot each scene. I use a numbering system that allows me to insert scenes, because once I start writing, the gloves come off and my characters start taking over. Inevitably, the outline changes as the story comes alive.

Once all the preparation work is done, it takes me about two months to crank out the first draft.

After the knock-down, drag-out work is done I then edit the heck out of it...that has become my favorite part.

Do you listen to music to enhance your writing?

Yes, I listen to classical music. My favorite is the Celtic Harp.

What two songs best describe your overall body of work?

This is a tough one! I don’t think any two songs could describe my work, but I’ll give it a try. Beethoven’s 5th, because there’s always something going on and the hero and heroine get in into nerve wracking situations. Moonlight Sonata, because the story grows and grows until the big finish shatters everyone’s world. Yes. I guess I’m a Beethoven enthusiast…though JS Bach is my favorite composer. Love baroque.

Buy links for The Highland Duke:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Highland-Duke-Lords-Highlands-ebook/dp/B01HZFB2WM

B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-highland-duke-amy-jarecki/1124064212?ean=9781455597802

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/amy-jarecki/id487905020?mt=11\

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-highland-duke

Connect with me on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyjarecki/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyjarecki
Instagram: jareckiamy




The Highland Duke (Highland Lords Novel Book 1) by Amy Jarecki

Date of Publication: March 28, 2017

Blurb


She'll put her life on the line for him…
When Akira Ayres finds the brawny soldier with a musket ball in his thigh, she has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to save his life. Even if it means fleeing across the country to tend his wounds while the English redcoats are closing in. Though she's never been in battle, Akira is just as fierce and brave as any of her Scottish kinsman. But even she's intimidated by the fearsome, brutally handsome Highlander who won't reveal his clan name.
Yet she can never know his true identity…
Geordie knows if Akira ever finds out he's really the Duke of Gordon, both her life and his will be forfeit in a heartbeat. The only way to keep the lass safe while his enemies are on the hunt is to make sure she's by his side day and night. But the longer he's with her, the harder it becomes to think of ever letting her go. Despite their differences in class, despite the danger, he will face down death itself to make her his.

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About Amy Jarecki


A descendant of an ancient Lowland clan, Amazon Bestselling Author Amy Jarecki adores Scotland. Though she now resides in southwest Utah, she received her MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Winner of the prestigious RONE Award, she found her niche in the genre of Scottish historical romance. Amy loves hearing from her readers and can be contacted through her website at www.amyjarecki.com (where you can also sign up for her monthly newsletter).

Find Amy Jarecki Online

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Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Guest Post: Lise Arin author of Matilda Empress


Exclusive Excerpt from Lise Arin's 
Matilda Empress



My friendship with Adeliza and dependence on Gerta grow apace. We three often fritter away the cold autumn hours in my solar, plying our needles within while the men hunt for game without.
Today, we debated who among us was the Sanguine Woman, artful and cunning, inclined to fleshiness, with a healthy womb. We easily settled upon Maud, that warm and wet creature of the air. I was named the Phlegmatic Woman, cold and wet, belonging to the water, recognized by my severe physiognomy, unbridled vigor, masculine manners, and charismatic allure. The queen we labeled the Choleric Woman, warm and dry, born from fire, in keeping with her delicate pallor and her benevolent, prudent, chaste, and loyal nature. Gerta could be none other than the Melancholic Woman, cold and dry as the earth, gaunt of figure, gray, moody, impulsive, sterile.
At some point, I steered the conversation to the Count of Boulogne. Her Majesty does not encourage my infatuation. The queen’s youth and beauty ill reflect her opinions, which are those of an old woman, long past the days of romance. Her petite, rosy mouth puckered in concentration, as she stitched slowly at a complex pattern that she embroiders on the decorative bands of one of my father’s tunics. “Only after many an hour do two people gently meld their wills and minds as one. It was not a few months before I properly understood your father. Now I can truly offer him my heart.”
I regarded her seraphic coloring. “Your Majesty, you feel the reverence and affection due a husband, as I did for the emperor. In Germany, the duties of the conjugal bed seemed no especial burden to me, but I did not experience any of the incitements that the jongleurs ascribe to passion. Yet, when I dwell on the image of my cousin, I fall victim to irrefutable temptation.”
Adeliza chose her words as carefully as she drew out her silken threads. “Empress, forego this madness. Do you respect the man whom you covet? You cannot adore truly where you cannot admire fully. Only an irreproachable man deserves your acclaim and your attentions.”
I shrugged, as if to ward off embarrassment. “I must have inherited such a hazardous propensity, and it blinds my inner eye. I am incapable of measuring the true worth of my chosen hero, for all I feel is my need for him.”
“The minstrels sing of a bond that is pure and coupled with honorable service. Count Stephen cannot be both your knight and Maud’s.” My friend reached into her sleeve and brought forth a lustrous pearl, which she balanced precisely between two fingers.
The jewel glinted at me in the waning light. “The attraction is both carnal and spiritual. It is the union of both sorts of desire, the sacred and the profane. Looking at the Count of Boulogne, I soar upon the clouds, but I know that my sordid lusts are unworthy in the eyes of God.”


Mathilda Empress
Release Date March 14, 2017

Blurb:

A novel of the medieval queen who lost her empire and her heart versus woman who almost conquered England

Matilda, a twelfth-century Empress of the Holy Roman Empire and daughter of Henry I, is twenty-four years old and a widow. She returns to inherit her father's double realm of England and Normandy, but is promptly married against her will to Geoffrey, a minor continental nobleman. Absent from England at the time of her father's death, Matilda loses her throne to her cousin, Stephen, despite their ongoing and secret love affair.

For almost twenty years, anarchy reigns throughout the empire, and their illicit passion fluctuates between hatred and obsession. The only hope is the Empress' growing faith and their illegitimate son, whose rightful claim to the English throne could finally halt the bloody, endless war.

In the vein of Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, Matilda Empress illuminates the real history of the early English monarchs, while exploring what is at stake when a strong woman at the center of great upheaval refuses to play by the rules laid out for her.

Buy links:


About the Author:
Lise Arin has a BA from Harvard and a PhD from Columbia. She is thrilled to be publishing her first novel of historical fiction, MATILDA EMPRESS, on March 14, 2017. She lives in New York City with her husband and children.
Author Links: