#WriteTip + $15 #Giveaway - Sprint to the Finish by @OliviaNightRead, spotlighting her @LSB_lsbooks #Romance

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I'm a day late wishing my Liquid Silver Books pub-buddy a happy book birthday, and I'm waaaay behind on my writing goals for this year. What can I say? The summer got the best of me. As such, this productivity tip from Olivia Night comes at the perfect time. While I loathe sprinting in real life (as everyone at our local gym can attest), the creative version is tons of fun. After our short writing tip break, don't forget to check out Olivia's newest release, as well as the $15 Rafflecopter at the very bottom. 

Sprint to the Finish

by Olivia Night

Do you ever wonder how authors can produce novel after novel? Me too! After a few years, I have found my “sweet spot” (double entendres are fun!) when it comes to novel writing.

Thanks to a fellow author, Marianne Rice, I discovered the awesomeness of write sprints.

What is a write sprint? Well, it’s exactly as it sounds. You sit and write, write, write without stopping. I did this for weeks this summer and churned out a 100k novel! Here are my tips to making your sprint productive:

  • Find the best space to concentrate. I have to have every bit of noise and distraction completely away from my space. But I do, on occasion, listen to specific music to get in the mind frame of the character or story beforehand.
  • Don’t worry about spelling and other types of errors. Go back later and fix it. Even if “Tom ate an apple” looks like “Tin out a pler”. If you go back and make the corrections as soon as your sprint is over you will know what you meant to say.
  • Start small and increase sprint times. I can sprint for two hours. After that, I’m done, done, done.
  • Don’t worry so much about the amount in the beginning. As you do more sprints get competitive with yourself!
  • Keep your negative thoughts to a minimum. You’re writing! Therefore what you are putting down is better than a blank page! 
  • Remember that writing at all is an amazing feat. At a brunch with my mother a while back she asked my plans afterward. I told her about sprinting and she shook her head and said, “I have no clue how you can sit there and just write down a world”!

Happy writing!

Seduction in Scotland

The Men of FTI Book 3

by Olivia Night

She never thought she’d see him again. Not after what she’d done to them… 

Sarah Cosgrove wakes from labor and emergency surgery to find her soul mate staring down at her. It’s been six years since she’s seen the face of the only man she’s ever loved. Since she broke Logan’s heart. 

Logan Harper, a skilled killing machine and top ranking member of Fairlane Trade International, entered a hostage situation, expecting the task to be quick and easy. It becomes anything but when he finds Sarah—the woman who broke his heart six years ago—giving birth to another man’s baby. When she tells him her life is in danger from the powerful and abusive father of her child, Logan has no choice but to protect the woman he once loved and her newborn baby, but he vows to never love her again. 

As they trek through Europe to get to safety, the mystery of the last six years begins to unfold, sparks fly, and emotions rise to the surface. Can Logan keep the love of his life safe without letting her back in his heart? Can Sarah learn to trust a man again after being abused? Will soulmates reunite? 

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Excerpt

He sighed with his hands on his hips as he stared at the items on the kitchen counter. And then noticed he hadn’t heard any movement above him. At all. The hair on the back of his neck rose as he quickly retrieved his side arm. Quietly, he moved through the kitchen and up the stairs two at time. And what he walked into was his worst nightmare realized.

Two men. One behind Sarah with a gun to her temple while Sarah clutched the sleeping Maddie to her chest, and another across the room, gun pointed at the doorway Logan walked through. He did a visual check of Sarah and Maddie for injuries. None. Tears were flowing down Sarah’s cheeks.

Logan ignored both men. “Are you both okay?” he asked.

She nodded, her gaze darting over to the man facing Logan.

The man behind her spoke. “Put the baby down. Gather what you need for her and you. You don’t want me to tell Aneli you didn’t obey orders.”

Sarah’s eyes closed in pain, and when she opened them, she looked at Logan with defeat. She thought it was over. Hardly. Logan shifted his eyes over to her. “It’s okay. Put her down.” He needed her out of his way.

“Drop your gun,” the man across the room said to Logan as he continued to aim his at him. That was fine, he didn’t need his gun. Not really.

Logan again spoke to Sarah, encouraging her. “Go ahead.” He nodded to the crib. Sarah bent over the crib, and as she did, Logan began to move as if he was placing his gun on the ground. As soon as Sarah was safely leaning over the crib, he directed one shot to the man behind Sarah…straight between the eyes.

About the Olivia Night

Olivia Night, a fictional character herself, has always been an avid reader and writer. She found the romance genre in college and has never been able to get enough. One sleepless night, the main characters of Book One in her Men of FTI  series sprang from her head fully formed. They demanded she tell their story; so she did. As they revealed themselves, so did two other intriguing characters. Those characters convinced her to give them their own books because their stories were worth telling too. And so Olivia suddenly became a romance author. When Olivia is not writing, she has the best job in the world, which, too, will remain a secret. In her free time, she reads, write, drinks wine, or is, most likely, out emulating Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Olivia lives in one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in the U.S.—Baltimore. She lives with her cat, who she is convinced was a gladiator in his past life. Olivia plans to continue being awesome at this thing called life. Really, that’s her only goal.

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#WriteTip - But… Do I Have To??? by @OliviaNightRead, spotlighting her @LSB_lsbooks #Romance

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I'm delighted to welcome fellow romantic suspense author Olivia Night back to my blog (Yes, I know I've taken a hiatus from suspense in favor of paranormals. The past counts!) She has a brand new release from Liquid Silver Books, which means I get to extort her for a writing tip. As someone who loathes research, I can't wait to hear what she has to say! 

(P.S. There's a giveaway at the bottom, so don't forget to scroll down.)

But… Do I Have To??? Making Research Less Painful

by Olivia Night

When I started my first novel, I knew immediately that I was going to need to do some a significant research. I knew nothing about the arms business, Sierra Leone or it’s vibrant customs and culture. Research was not something I had considered a necessity before I got serious about writing novels. But now it’s one of my favorite parts! (Dork Alert!)

My second novel required even more research. As a Type A person I had to be sure to that what I was writing was accurate. One research topic I was not quite prepared for was delving into the psychology of victims of abuse. The heroine in Seduction in Seville, Madison Lockwood, survived an horrific situation and it was important to me that I tell her story correctly. It felt like a balancing act at times when writing her and her growth through the novel.

Poorly researched novels stick out like sore thumbs and can sometimes communicate to the reader that the author just really didn’t care all that much to get things right, even if that isn’t the case.

Research can a dreaded task when writing, so I compiled list of research tips that I swear by. Enjoy!

Tip #1 - It is totally okay to type “(need information here)” in your manuscript as you are write instead of stopping at that moment and finding the answer you need. I do this quite frequently, especially if I am on a roll - so to speak. This leads naturally to the next tip.

Tip # 2 - Commit and then sit down and do the research. It’s much harder to get a clear picture of political environment of say, Tunisia, if you research five minutes here and ten minutes there.  Tell yourself you are going to research the hierarchy of wolf packs for thirty minutes and research not only what you need but as much as you can.

Tip # 3 - Notes, notes, notes.  Just doing a copy/paste into a new document isn’t going to actually give you the knowledge that you need to write. Or write well. Of course you want the information on hand when you need it but, you need to understand the information as well. At this point in our lives we are all pretty aware of how we best learn. Do that. Because it’s important to…

Tip # 4 - Do more than regurgitate information. It is pretty easy to spot information within a novel that is simply reworded or paraphrased from somewhere else. As the author of your book or series it’s important to have a real understanding of what you are writing about.

Tip # 5 - Google Earth! I have spent sooooo much time on google earth. I want to get even the smallest details correct. This includes street names, landmarks and restaurants. Recently I used it to chart my hero and heroine’s trip from Hungary to Scotland. I wanted to use the correct routes, with accurate time traveled as well as places they could stay that were off the beaten path (because people on the run need to be off the beaten path).

Tip # 6 -  Ask questions. When I was researching human trafficking laws within the European Union tons of questions came to mind. I spent the time and researched to find those answers. Then when I was writing about the human trafficking ring in my novel the words just flew off the tips of my fingers. Of course, a lot of what I learned was not included, but that didn’t matter. I felt confident in my knowledge as opposed to nervous that I may be getting something wrong.

Research may not be the most favorite past time for authors, but it’s a necessary evil to create a well written book. Plus, when you spend time on google earth tell the kids and hubby or wife to leave the room and you can pretend you’re taking a mini vacation!

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Reviews for Seduction in Seville are in!
"We are taken on a wild ride and I loved every minute of it. I like to read books that have action and move at a fast pace and this one was just what I wanted. I look forward to reading more from this author. " - Nerd Girl Official

Seduction in Seville

The Men of FTI, Book #2

by Olivia Night

In a hospital in Seville, Spain, Patrick Kane lies in a coma. Ambushed and shot while protecting someone important to him, he fights to survive.

She never thought she would see him again. Patrick, the man who’d brought her back.

Eight years ago, Patrick Kane, a joint partner in Fairlane Trade International, descended into a basement of horrors. That horrible day he rescued many women, but one he would always remember. Her beautiful doe eyes filled his dreams and haunted his nightmares.

Madison Lockwood, a nurse, has struggled to put her past behind her, trying to forget the time she spent in captivity. But she recognizes the man who rescued her and brought her out of that terrifying reality. She owes him her life. Patrick is gravely injured, and Madison vows to see him through.

When Patrick opens his eyes, he instantly knows that he made a mistake leaving Madison after freeing her from the clutches of a human trafficking ring. She is meant to be his. As Patrick tries to win over a wary Madison, the past they both thought was gone for good comes back with a vengeance. One by one, the survivors of the horrific ordeal are being murdered. Patrick knows that Madison will be next if he doesn’t protect her.

Together they must fight for their survival. Seduction In Seville, book two in the Men of FTI series, is a tale of redemption, murder, new beginnings, and love that takes the reader on a wild, exotic ride.

Excerpt

He was struggling internally, she could feel it. She knew why, and so did he.

“I’ve been on my own for a long time now.”

He tensed, his fingers flexing on her hips. Whoops, wrong thing to say.

“I know that, Madison.” She opened her mouth to speak. “You’re not anymore.”

She opened her mouth again.

“Not ever again,” he added.

He turned her then and looked down at her with determination in his eyes. Daring her to negate his statement. “Patrick—”                                                      

“I found you again. Or you found me. Whichever. But never again, Madison.”

She was silent for a beat, and then she felt her heart begin to thunder. Oh God, she was going to hyperventilate.                     

She shook her head and then asked the question that had been on her mind for a month. “What are you doing?” It came out a bit like an accusation. She looked up at him and watched him grind his jaw, his hands on her hips using the same rhythm.                     

“What am I doing?”

“Yes.”

“What I should have done eight years ago.”

She glanced over his shoulder, thinking back to those eight years. She had woken up to her parents, and as much as she’d hated it, she’d wanted him there, too “What do you mean?”  

He looked at her for more than a few seconds, his gaze searching hers, and then he just seemed to look into her. “I knew your eyes the second I opened mine,” he said as if it were some sort of explanation. Goosebumps erupted all over her arms. “I could never forget them. Ever.” Still, she said nothing. “I saw them all the time. Every day for eight years.”

She looked down. Their waists were almost touching. He had done that before. Careful not to connect them there. She leaned her lower half into him. Another first. And then he pulled her closer. She looked back up.

“I should have never walked out of that hospital, Madison.” He sounded so sure.

“Patrick...” She shook her head. “It’s okay that you did.”

“No. It’s not.” He said it with finality. “I knew it was wrong then. I just ignored what I knew or maybe thought that I couldn’t be right. That I was misidentifying the feeling. That it was inappropriate for me to have those feelings then.”                                                         

What was he talking about? “What feelings?” she asked.

But he ignored her and kept going. “You were so scared. I didn’t know you, and I wanted to take it all away. All the time you spent there. Clear it from your mind.” His gaze was now over her shoulder, staring out the window.

“And you needed me. You leaned on me, slept on me. Held my hand when we got to the hospital. I should have never left. At first, I told myself it was the right thing to do. You didn’t know me. You didn’t need me. I convinced myself that I was making it up. That what I was feeling was to make me feel better. I couldn’t save them all. I saved you. So, I told myself that this was all just me trying to take away my guilt...and that you really didn’t need me. But then, after time had passed and I saw your face more clearly...the way you had looked up at me in that basement. The way you looked at me in the Jeep. In the hospital. I knew leaving was a mistake. You did need me.”

Madison was silent through it all. His explanation, though disjointed, was perfectly clear. She continued to look up at him. She had no clue what to say, so she didn’t say anything.

“And then I realized it wasn’t just about what you needed. It was about what I needed. I needed you and to be there for you. To see you through it. And I could’ve found you, but...I didn’t. I stayed away.”

“Why?” she whispered.

He looked down at her then. “Because I knew Madison. I knew.” As if this were an entirely understandable explanation.

“You knew what, Patrick?”

He stared at her, unblinking, and then said, “That you were mine.”

About Olivia Night

Olivia Night, a fictional character herself, has always been an avid reader and writer. She found the romance genre in college and has never been able to get enough. One sleepless night, the main characters of Book One in her Men of FTI  series sprang from her head fully formed. They demanded she tell their story; so she did. As they revealed themselves, so did two other intriguing characters. Those characters convinced her to give them their own books because their stories were worth telling too. And so Olivia suddenly became a romance author. When Olivia is not writing, she has the best job in the world, which, too, will remain a secret. In her free time, she reads, write, drinks wine, or is, most likely, out emulating Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Olivia lives in one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in the U.S.—Baltimore. She lives with her cat, which she is convinced was a gladiator in his past life. Olivia plans to continue being awesome at this thing called life. Really, that’s her only goal.

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#WriteTip - Find Your Character's Tune by Olivia Night (@OliviaNightRead), spotlighting her #LSBooks #RomSuspense

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Those who've read my Safe Harbor series (like, the 3 of you...) know that I like to put my characters in dangerous situations at exotic locales. Fellow Liquid Silver Books author shares my odd predilection for torturing kickass damsels and knights in distress, as witnessed by her new romantic suspense Seduction in Sierra Leone. Before I allow her to pimp her book, I forced her to first give me a writing tip (I'm evil that way). As someone who needs complete silence in order to concoct nefarious plans, it's one I can't follow myself. However, I've heard it can work wonders for distinguishing points of view. 

Find Your Character's Tune

by Olivia Night

I always love when you read a book and while you read it a certain musical genre, or song or artists emerges. Being from the generation whose childhood was half tech free and half tech emergent I find it hard to focus with background noise. I do love, however, to listen to specific songs or genres prior to writing to give me some inspiration.

I find it fascinating that my characters all have their own sounds. Listening to music can help me when I have to make a shift in perspective, as my books do regularly. Otherwise, sometimes, I find it difficult to write from the perspective of a calm, loving woman to the perspective of the soulless man chasing her.

If one were to look at my Pandora account they would find that I have the maximum allowed stations (yep) and these stations range from Pearl Jam to Zac Brown to 2Pac to Muse to Sinatra to The National to Old Crow Medicine Show. It is all over the place! But it’s helpful because my characters, too, are all over the place.

My writing not only bounces from perspective to perspective but also book to book. I am currently working on four separate books and at times when an idea for one book pops into my head while I’m working on another I will turn on the station I think will help and viola! Inspiration.

My first book out, Seduction in Sierra Leone, was written with the help of many, many songs.  But now, that I have planted the seed I would love to hear what music comes to mind as the reader reads the novel rather than reveal it to them!

Seduction in Sierra Leone

by Olivia Night

In the mangroves of Sierra Leone, two strangers, raised a world apart, find themselves inextricably connected. They can run from their pasts, but they can’t run from each other. Passion erupts between a relief worker and an arms dealer as they play a deadly game of hide-and-seek with a man set on vengeance. Seduction in Sierra Leone is a fast-paced, action-filled novel of murder, lust, and revenge from romance author Olivia Night. 

Aislinn Salameh, an American relief worker, is searching for purpose in her self-imposed lonely world. The stranger who enters her village on a blistering hot day seems more animal than human. She knows she should stay far away but can’t stop herself from being drawn to the mysterious man. 

Brandt Fairlane is haunted by the sins of his past. Detached from others, Brandt has spent his life alone. His line of work is too dangerous for the luxuries of love and family. 

When Brandt sees Aislinn and her haunting eyes, he knows he must possess her. But when Brandt’s past comes back from the dead and Aislinn is caught in the crossfire, it is up to him to keep her safe. In order to survive, they must learn to rely on one another. As they run for their lives, the heat between them becomes undeniable. 

Now, Brandt must not only protect Aislinn from a madman committed to stealing her away, but he also must protect her from himself. Because if Brandt steals her body and her heart, he’ll never let her go. 

Teaser

He cleared his throat. “Are you hurt?” 

“No,” she said quietly.

He knew she could feel the charged current in the atmosphere. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I washed up. Thank you for putting the water out for—”

Brandt didn’t let her finish. He crossed the room in four short strides and pressed his mouth into hers. His hand came up to trail her thigh. His tongue was instantly invading her mouth, his teeth biting at her lips. She gasped. She was confused by the pain and pleasure of the sensation.

“I’m sorry...” he said into her mouth. 

His hands pulled at her head, forcing her face up to him. His tongue softly trailed the delicate skin to her collarbone. His right hand came down and grabbed her thigh, guiding it around his waist. He moved both hands to her round ass and lifted her up so that he could wrap both of her legs around him, his cock pushing against her intimately. He pushed her backward into the wall. A moan escaped from her mouth as she tilted her head back to give him better access. 

“That’s right. Let me have you,” he murmured. 

About Olivia Night

Olivia Night, a fictional character herself, has always been an avid read and writer. She found the romance genre in college and has never been able to get enough. One sleepless night, the main characters of Book One in her Seduction series sprang from her head fully formed. They demanded she tell their story; so she did. As they revealed themselves, so did two other intriguing characters. Those characters convinced her to give them their own books because their stories were worth telling too. And so Olivia suddenly became a romance author. When Olivia is not writing, she has the best job in the world, which, too, will remain a secret. In her free time, she reads, write, runs, or is, most likely, out emulating Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Olivia lives in one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in the U.S.—Baltimore. She lives with her cat, which she is convinced was a gladiator in his past life. Olivia plans to continue being awesome at this thing called life. Really, that’s her only goal.

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