Sunday, 22 September 2013

Fall Fires Cover Reveal

Well I cant believe its finally here, well close anyway, the release of the Fall Fires Anthology by the Renaissance Romance Publishing Authors is just around the corner and I'm in it!!! The actual books will be available from 22nd October and you can purchase the whole anthology, or just one of the individual books. 
With the release being so close, below are the cover reveals along with little details on each book. I have tried to lay out each one the way they run in the actual anthology.

Enjoy x


The Fall Fires Anthology.








Winter's Love, By N. L. Leeks.




Summary;

A past relationship has left Jared Winter broken. When Eric Healey runs into him, Jared finds a reason to learn to trust again. The two men begin to fall for one another, but the prejudice around them threatens to tear them apart. Can their love survive in the real world?






Author Biography;

N.L. Leeks lives in England with her fiancé, whom she has been with since the age of eighteen. She first began writing when she was a child. Her friends, Matt and Lou, helped her reignite that passion as an adult, and her journey into writing began once more.


Links To Author;




Wonderland, By Jude Ouvrard.






Summary;


Lucas Colton is far too young to go through all this pain but meeting poetry teacher, Preston Davidson, changed everything. His life went from heartbreak to joyful and then, from friendship to love. The impact Preston had on Lucas’ life was mesmerising.  What would you do if you knew you may not have a tomorrow?






Author Biography;


Jude was born and raised in a small village named Lacolle. She now lives in Montreal, Canada. She is the proud mother of a beautiful four year old son, and has spent the last twelve years with her partner, Cedric.
French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English.
Besides working full time for a Title Insurance Company and being a mother, Jude has a passion for books, both reading and writing them.
She is currently working on a novel called Body, Ink, and Soul. Coming soon!


Also by Jude Ouvrard;

Under the Sun, Heat Wave: Volume Two 

Links To Author;





If This Is Wrong, by K.L. Platt.





Summary;

As children, Thomas and Caleb formed an unlikely friendship, which has continued through tragedies and celebrations and into manhood. They have grown together over the years, but now their relationship is changing into something more. Can their bond survive the challenges that life will bring them? Is it wrong to risk everything for the chance of something more?





Summary;

K. L. Platt lives with her family in the Devonshire countryside in the UK. She is a nanny, but her dream is to be a full time author. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a pencil, pen, or book in her hand. It was, however, the likes of J K Rowling and Stephenie Meyer that gave her the fire to drive herself to where she is today.
Always encouraged to follow her dream as a child by her own parents and grandparents, her grandma told her, “If you believe you can do it, then you can.” Her uncle was also a writer but sadly never got to have any of his stories published.

Links To Author;





Our Walk To Remember by M. C. Rayne (cough . . . me!)





Summary;


For the Robinson-Shae family, an annual charity walk means more to them than any expensive holiday abroad. After all, it’s where Elisha’s fathers met, and this year it’s even more important to her. Sammy couldn't make it this time, so she asks Charlie to share memories of how they met, and fell in love.






Author Biography;


M. C. Rayne got into writing after the passing of his mother, and used it as an outlet to get through the difficult time. He never really thought about becoming an author, but since putting pen to paper he has never looked back

Currently he lives in Leeds with his two best friends Dae and Pete, and his guinea pig, Bean. He spends a lot of time reading and writing, and far too much time procrastination online.


Links To Author;





Love, Unexpected, by C. W. Stevens.




Summary;

As Michael and Chuck's loving union comes to pass, two, gay members of the wedding party discover the sweet bonds of a comfortable companionship. Attraction becomes more as they recognize their true soul mate in each other, which fills the romantic void in their solitary lives. It seems only one, small obstacle stands in their way.






Author Biography;


C.W. Stevens lives in the United States, in the Midwest, where the winters are cold and icy, and the summers are disgustingly hot and humid. Spring and fall are her favorite times of the year. Reading is one of her favorite pastimes.

She enjoys writing and loves meeting new people along the way. Music and Abstract are a couple of her favorite Arts. She enjoys the challenge of trying to unlock the meaning of what the artist is trying to express. She enjoys solitude and hates crowds.

C. W. has two, grown sons, and loves spending time with her three grandchildren. Life is good!


Links To Author;

Goodreads



Woodshed Wishes, by N. Wood.





Summary;


Ben, a young gay romance author, loses his way in the forest one stormy evening and is found by a ranger. When Ben pitches in to help his new friend Peter in the woodshed, he discovers that he may have met his match. Will Peter make Ben's woodshed wishes come true?





Author Biography;


N. Wood is a budding young author living in Cornwall, United Kingdom. She developed an interest in writing when her poetry was first published at the age of nine. Since then, she has moved onto writing both short stories and novels focusing on gay romantic themes.


Also by N. Wood;

La Cala
Waves Of Healing

Coming Soon from Renaissance Romance Publishing:
Take A Gamble, Second Edition, on November 12, 2013.


Links To Author;






Remember guys, not long now so start finishing your current reads to make room for us :-)








Tuesday, 3 September 2013

Guest Post - Jennifer Garcia

I love a good blog tour, and today I have the lovely Jennifer Garcia joining me with a guest post, and details of her new book. My Mr Manny is available at the moment, so please pop along and collect your copy.




Summary:

Mia Balducci misses her childhood days and yearns for the big, Italian family that she left behind in small town Massachusetts. At the tender age of sixteen, Mia moves with her bachelor father to Los Angeles, but no matter how many years pass, it never becomes home to her. The years spent living with her father aren’t easy, especially since she can’t stop thinking about what she once had. Her enrollment in the University of Southern California promises to bring exciting changes to her life, but Mia winds up with big problems instead. When she runs into an old friend from her old hometown of Winthrop, she gets swept up in nostalgia, and she soon loses herself in a quickly-progressing romance. When the fantasy falls apart, she is left to raise her precious little girl, Lucia, on her own. The demands of Mia’s work schedule and Lucia’s needs increase, and their lives become increasingly hectic. It is soon clear to Mia that she needs help. Luckily, her life-saving cousin saves the day and brings the mother and daughter a male nanny – their new “manny.”

After losing his high-pressure job on Wall Street, Dominic Roberts wants to follow his dreams to have a family. He’s already one fiancĂ©e down, and there are no likely prospects for another. In order to find the family he so desperately wants, he finds himself getting into the manny business. Since he is fully qualified to provide child care and is eager to leave New York City behind, his sister-in-law is able to land him a job in California working for his first client – the beautiful and intriguing Mia Balducci.


Will Lucia like the new man in her mother's life? Will Mia? And will this new trio discover the happily ever after they all so desperately seek?





Excerpt:

I rolled over to face Dominic and he began to stir. I watched him breathe and took inventory of his precious face. His lashes were thick and short against his cheek. The stubble on his face had thickened a bit more and his lips stuck out in a pout. I pecked them and his eyes opened.
“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” I said as he stretched and yawned. He scratched at his stubble and rubbed his eyes. He was adorable in the morning.
“Mhmmm, it is a good morning,” he said with a sleep-coated voice. He wrapped and tightened his arms around me and then squeezed. “A very good morning.”
“I need to get up and get ready for work. Lucia will be up in a bit. But ...” I began to say.
“What’s wrong?”
I exhaled a deep breath. “No, nothing’s wrong, but ... well I really want you to move into my room now. Too soon?” I wasn’t afraid he’d say no, but for some reason I felt strange asking him that.
He scoffed. “Did you think I was going to sleep in my room after last night? I had the best night of my life” he said while peppering soft, slow kisses on my face.
“It was my best night, too, baby.” I kissed him one more time and got up. “So, it’s official then. You’re moving in here and we’re a real couple.” I jerked my head in a nod to emphasize my statement.
He rolled on top of me, pinning me down on the bed. “I thought it was a given, Mia. You’re stuck with me forever now. I hope you can handle me.” He laughed.
“Mhmmm, I can handle you all right. I just hope you can handle me.” I kissed his lips.


Guest Post - What inspired me to write this book?


The initial inspiration to write about a manny (male-nanny) came from a writing prompt someone sent me. Somehow reading it sparked an idea in my mind. See, I needed a background for this to occur. Why would a woman need a manny? Then it just hit me, the idea of starting from childhood of a girl playing on her street with other kids. How growing up and moving on could call back the memories of those times. The nostalgia. Until one day she runs into one of those boys from her street and she feels more connected to her past. 

I did not marry a kid from my block, but I did move away from my mother’s house at sixteen to live with my father. Those feelings of missing my friends, family, and the things that were familiar to me were familiar to me. From there I was able to weave a story of Mia marrying him and mistaking nostalgia for love. She made a huge mistake but one that gave her the best thing in her life, her daughter, Lucia. And after that marriage did its time, Mia was left in need of some help. Here comes the Manny. 

I enjoy taking one feeling or one scene from my life and allowing it to blow up and expand into a story of its own. The amazing feelings of watching it grow into this wonderful world. And at the end of the creative process, it all feels so much more special because it has a piece of me in it. 







Author Bio:

Jennifer Garcia’s (aka Forbes Arnone) love of travel began when she went to the West Coast to visit her father at the age of three. Her home until she was sixteen was a small coastal town near Boston. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
Her lifelong love for reading and writing was put aside for many years while she made her way in the world and nurtured her young family. Even though she is older, and life never seems to settle, she’s finding her way while attending college full-time in pursuit of a B.A. in English Literature. She also runs a business, and is still caring for her family. Believing she can do it all, with the help of her family, she worked on her first novel during the late hours of the night while balancing the rest of her life during the day. Her hard work paid off, as her first novel, My Mr. Manny, will be published August 2013.







Saturday, 17 August 2013

Cover Reveal - Tormented, Book Two Of The Gates Legacy By Lorenz Font

I love a good cover reveal, and this one by Renaissance Romance Publishing author, Lorenz Font is brilliant. Check it out, and pick up a copy of the first book in The Gates Legacy before Tormented is out.



Summary:

Tor Burns is a non-infected vampire who has taken refuge in the Tack Enterprises underground facility. Having survived a vicious attack with his fellow vampire Harrow, he now has a new purpose. Vampires afflicted with Gates Syndrome are still being hunted, and Tor is committed to saving them from the clutches of the Vampire Council. With a semi-cure within their grasp, Tor is reluctant to accept his new assignment: bodyguard to Allison Tack, the daughter of their fallen leader. Armed with an abrasive personality and fierce loyalty, Tor approaches this new responsibility with serious determination despite his reservations. 

Vampire Allison Tack is the beautiful and timid co-heir of the Tack fortune. Infected and hunted by the Council, those lucky enough to have known her father are determined to keep her safe.  A walking target wherever she goes, Allison wants to learn how to protect herself, but no one is listening. Sick of being the helpless one in the company of trained fighters around her, Allison vows to prove that she can fight alongside the best of them. 

Meanwhile, the harem leader, Melissa, is hell-bent on unraveling any clue about her son Demetrius’s fate. He disappeared without a word, and time has made her desperate. Stepping up her efforts, she seeks the help of Demetrius’s son, Zane. With the additional manpower, Melissa finds the lair of the suspected vampires and wages war against them. 

Thrown together by necessity, Tor and Allison can’t continue to deny their attraction to each other. Tor wants to give in to his feelings for her, but old demons resurface. He must confront the past to prevent losing the best thing that ever happened to him. 

A life must be given for a life taken. Will Tor have to sacrifice himself before Allison pays the price?




Author Bio;

Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. She is currently enjoying the buzz from her debut novel Hunted, the first installment of The Gates Legacy trilogy. 

Writing is therapeutic for Lorenz, and a perfect day consists of writing and playing with her characters while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She enjoys dabbling in different genres, with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories. 

Lorenz currently lives in California with her husband, children, and two demanding dogs. She divides her time between a full-time job as a Business Office Manager for a hospital and her busy writing schedule. 














Thursday, 8 August 2013

Cover Reveal - The Journey To A New Life


Renaissance Romance Author and big boss lady at the house (one of) has the final instalment in her Journey series coming out, and below is the cover reveal - drum roll please.





Summary;

Travis McCoy’s journey has led him down a road of changes where he found the love of his life and their child. Travis, Penelope, and Max have struggled during their time apart, found their way back home, and finally tied their lives together as a family. Now, Penelope and Travis find themselves on a new journey, one that leads them to the greatest journey of all.




Authors Bio;


Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. 
Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller. 

In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley. 




For more details on this author, and links where you can purchase this book and the series, check out below.






Guest Post From Author R.E. Hargrave



A Divine Life


On my blog today I have a guest post from Renaissance Romance Publishing author, R. E. Hargrave. Currently on sale is her second instalment from her Divine Trilogy, A Divine Life.

 

Summary;


Over the past year of being Jayden Masterson’s collared submissive, Catherine O’Chancey has worked through the mental terrors left behind by her old Dom — she thinks. To celebrate their collar-ing anniversary, Jayden organizes a special day, during which her final limits and fantasies will be realized. Will it prove to be more than she can handle? Can she endure the erotic onslaught her mind and body will experience and survive unscathed?

While Catherine faces dark shadows and pleasurable highs, Jayden finds his own inner strength being tested. He has come to realize that, somewhere along the way, Catherine has taken possession of his heart, mind, and body. Now he faces his biggest challenge ever; he must let go of all his submissives but one: his jewel, Catherine. Can he leave his philandering ways behind? Has he made the ultimate mistake by putting his jewel into the hands of others?



Excerpt;


“So, how does that work? I mean, how does one draw the line between Master and husband?” Was such a complicated relationship possible? Could Jayden see her that way? Just thinking his name caused a funny feeling in Catherine’s chest. Her thoughts continued, now on overdrive . . .

No. Master didn’t do personal relationships. He’d said as much when they’d first signed their con-tract together. They’d both agreed to the understanding that this was nothing more than a sexual relationship. Hell, he was fucking two other people besides her that she knew of. If there were a chance that he wanted something more with her, he wouldn’t have handed her over to complete strangers today. Would he? Oh, God. Sir Jonathan’s offer to take Catherine on repeated itself in her memory, along with the knowledge that she had more sessions today with an unknown number of Doms. Was that what today was? Had the ‘inspection’ Sir Jonathan performed not been part of the scene? Was Sir Jonathan looking her over as a potential acquisition? What about Miss K offering to take her on back in February? Catherine’s stomach soured again.

“No. No, please, no. I — I can’t,” Catherine mumbled and began to shake.

“Erin?”

Her world began crumbling around her, and panic took root. Catherine gasped for air, wrapping her arms around her mid-section.

“Erin! What’s wrong?”

Paige’s shriek snapped Catherine to attention, and she raised her watery eyes to meet her new friend’s.

“Paige,” Catherine started to cry. “He figured it out. I tried to be so good, so careful. He knows, and he’s going to get rid of me!” She thought she’d done so well at hiding her secret over the months, protecting her heart.

Paige had wrapped her arm around Catherine and was rubbing slow circles on her back. With a wince, Catherine became quite aware of every lash mark from Sir Jonathan’s whip. They now burned to her core when Paige’s soft hands brushed over them. Catherine flinched away from her.

“Shh, Erin,” she said in a calming voice. “Who knows what, sweetie? What are you talking about?”

Turning wide eyes on her, Catherine choked out, “Jay . . . Master. He knows I’ve fallen in — in love with him. I wasn’t supposed to. He found out, and now he’s interviewing me with strange Doms to get rid of me. I broke the rules and he —” she swallowed a sob, “he doesn’t want me anymore!”




Author Guest Post;

I find myself obsessed with knowing what inspires all authors to write, and where they draw the ideas from. With this in mind I asked R. E. Hargrave to answer me the following;

Please tell us where you draw your inspiration from in your writing, and what you think is the foundation of a good author.

First, and foremost, thanks so much for hosting me today!

Now, for your question. Allow me to begin with what I personally feel makes a good foundation for an author. The answer, in one word: Life. 

A good writer gets out there and experiences all that life has to offer, from the great moments to the less than stellar. But it’s these experiences that give us—writers—a solid base to draw inspiration from.

In this fast-paced, high-tech age, people are more selective with their purchases, and their time is precious. When they spend their hard earned dollar on a book, hopefully that book will be a mini-vacation from real life; between those covers should be another world created from the written word.

How is it possible that an author can take you away in their stories? By writing with feeling; putting words down with deep-felt emotions that they’re able to bring to life because they Have. Lived. Them. Therefore, the writer knows, inside and out, what they are describing. First crush and first heartbreak; losing someone to death, whether it be gentle and natural, or a violent one; holding your baby for the first time, then watching that child grow—these are all things that are special, yet unique for each person. Familiar enough to relate, but when told from a new perspective, the reader gets to experience them all over again.

Shall I demonstrate? This excerpt is from book one of The Divine Trilogy, To Serve is Divine. Having been in Bass Hall, and having seen a live performance of The Phantom of the Opera, I was able to incorporate my personal experiences. Enjoy . . .

Catherine wasn’t fast enough to stop her escaping gasp when Master lowered his lips to tease across Micah’s. It was nothing more than a glancing touch, but the personal nature of the action unsettled Catherine.

Master’s eyes were dark when they turned back to her. 

“I’m not a puppet to be controlled, pet. It would do you well to remember that when you try to orchestrate an outcome.”

Embarrassment and shame crept into her. Without doubt, Master was right. Since she had tried to force his hand, she deserved whatever discipline he wanted to dole out. Catherine would be humble in accepting her punishment. She’d been disrespectful and rude, and that was uncalled for.

Punctuating the moment, the lights in the hall dimmed at the same time she lowered her eyes and slid from her chair to kneel at Master’s feet.

“Please accept this girl’s profound apologies. She is willing to receive any reprimand her Master desires to bestow upon her,” Catherine murmured, and the words were almost drowned out when the orchestra played their concert F.

The lone note rose into the air until it reached its peak, and the orchestra held it steady and unwavering before letting it fade away. It was an exquisite display of the acoustics the room held.

If Catherine had dared to break form it would have been to cross her fingers in the hope’s that she could remain quiet with whatever was about to happen. Instead, she resigned herself to the excitement that traipsed across her skin at the delicious naughtiness of it all. There was no denying that her thighs were now sticky, or that she wanted to rub them together.

Down on the stage, the opening scene of Phantom of the Opera began with the loud rap of the auctioneer’s gavel reverberating throughout the hall.

Catherine and Micah stayed kneeling until the first song filled the great space. At which point, Master set his plans into motion.

The cool thing about building that creative foundation? When you open your eyes, ears, and heart, you'll find that inspiration is everywhere. A picture, a song lyric, an overheard conversation, even a stolen moment in a lover's arms—they are every day parts of our life. Don't be afraid of them; live life and embrace both the good with the bad, and only your imagination can fence you in.



Author Bio



R.E. Hargrave lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX where she prides herself on being a domestic engineer. Married to her high school sweetheart, together they are raising three children from elementary age to college age. She is an avid reader, a sometimes quilter and now, a writer for Renaissance Romance Publishing.


Author Links






Sunday, 4 August 2013

Jane Reinhart - Heat Wave Guest Post

Last, but by no means least, is Jane Reinhart and her guest post which is below. Jane's story for the Heat Wave Anthology is called Peeking Through Wooden Blinds.





Where do you draw your inspiration from, and what inspires you to write?
I draw inspiration from the people and places around me. It's true - there is a story in everything. Having lived in many parts of the world and also traveled extensively, I am fortunate to have acquired several friends from around the globe. As I listen to the personal experiences of others, the one interesting concept I find is that life can show you a piece of paradise - then in a flash, take it all away. Since love, life, and relationships are not perfect, I tend to write stories readers can relate to; where the main characters face difficult challenges, and I like to lighten the tone with a peppering of humor.
I am inspired by the splendor of life and the ability of mankind to rise above hardships with grace and dignity, and I strive to transfer that inspiration to my readers by infusing my books with messages of hope, self-reflection, and the importance of our decisions. While my stories are designed with suspense and a surprise twist at the end, I also want them to be meaningful.




Summary;

Paige Henderson and Joey Novak are planning their wedding. But a devastating and mysterious phone call leads Paige onto a path of self-destruction and into the arms of the wrong man. Her ensuing marriage to Nick Bruska becomes a nightmare and she struggles to regain self-worth. Joey has never forgotten Paige. Will he ever see her again? Only then could they discover the terrible mistake that changed the course of their lives.




Excerpt;

The invitation list included Bob and Maura, a couple who also grew up with Nick. While Paige was mingling with guests in the living room, Nick and Maura were in the basement playroom watching television. Bob walked downstairs to inform his wife it was time to go. All of a sudden, the irate husband came storming upstairs to confront Paige.

"Do you know what your husband is doing?" Bob screamed.

Paige was dazed and uncertain.

"He is lying on the couch with my wife, and he has his arms wrapped around her!"

While Paige was trying to create a suitable excuse for Nick's behavior, Maura ran upstairs to explain her innocence. After a brief scolding from her husband, she directed her comments to Paige.

"Don't listen to Bob," Maura said. "He has a bad temper. You know Nick and I have been close for a long time, and he wasn't doing anything wrong."

Bob and Maura left while the other guests were still trying to close their mouths.

Paige knew Maura spoke the truth. Nick took all aspects of his personality to the limit, especially his affectionate nature, but she gave him an impending warning.

"Nick," she started, "one day your over-friendless is going to get you into a lot of trouble."
 Nick agreed, but didn't absorb her warning.

Insisting that it was "nice to be nice," the sociable husband assured his wife that he knew where to draw the line. For instance, Nick confessed that, once, when a young woman offered him her phone number after an evening of pinball challenge, he declined and told the girl he was married. With a gallant air, he shared the story now to prove his fidelity. Paige reminded him that if he spent hours cavorting with female competitors, he was already straddling the fence. Furthermore, she argued that women on the prowl always checked a man's hand to see if he was sporting a wedding ring. That was something Nick refused to do; explaining that, since he was a tradesman, wearing one presented the dangerous risk of getting the ring caught in machinery. He added that when he retired, he would wear the band of gold with pride.

Trust regained its stronghold, and another obvious wave of the red flag was ignored.





Author Bio;

Jane Reinhart, author and poet, resides in Westchester County, New York, with her husband and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and cooking.