#WriteTip - Have a Media Kit by Nancy Fraser (@nfraserauthor), spotlighting her @DecadentPub '20s #Romance

Fellow Decadent Publishing author Nancy Fraser has a brand new romance out. It's set in the 20s, which is something you don't see every day. In addition to snagging an excerpt from The Mysterious Mrs. Pennybaker (which has a stunning cover, by the by), I also convinced her to give me a writing tip. As a promo-phobe, I really needed this kick in the butt.  

Have a Media Kit

by Nancy Fraser

Every author should have a standard media kit which includes the information that doesn't change (e.g., bio, media links). Once a book is contracted or, in the case of self-published, in the final stages, you can customize the kit for the individual book by adding a "fun fact", the blurb, an excerpt, and the buy links. Save the enhanced media kit to the specific book's folder on your computer. That way, no matter how many book tours you do, the information is ready to go at a click of the "attach" button. Other suggestions for the media kit: a tag line, more than one excerpt, a sample tweet, a reference recommendation.

[p.s. As the recipient of one of Nancy's media kits, I can attest to its thoroughness...]

Available Now!

Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | Google

Fun book fact

Nancy’s grandmother was the inspiration for this book. Of French nationality, she married a U.S. businessman and moved to Detroit Michigan. Prior to settling into motherhood, she worked for Michigan Bell and was recruited into the military during WWI as a “Hello Girl”. To the best of the author’s knowledge, she did NOT moonlight as a spy!

The Mysterious Mrs. Pennybaker

by Nancy Fraser

In the Roaring Twenties…

A former Hello Girl during WWI, widowed Ariel Pennybaker served her country proudly. She now carries on her late husband’s legacy…a home for the many returning, injured soldiers.

With her year of mourning nearly at an end, she’s had enough of her self-imposed celibacy. It’s time to get back in the game.

A chance meeting with a handsome WWI aviator has her imagining thoroughly naughty thoughts. When a second man walks into her life, her naughty thoughts turn downright decadent. What better way to fulfil her fantasies than by sharing both men’s beds.

As tempting as the idea is, Ariel has a huge secret, one she must protect at all costs. And, it’s possible one or both of her lovers is not what he seems.

Excerpt

“Retired or not, I see you still possess that infamous flyboy charm.”

He shrugged, the lift of his shoulders drawing her attention to their width and the way he held himself.

“Charming beautiful women was part of basic training,” he quipped. “Right up there with learning how to fly an airplane.”

His cheeky answer set her senses on alert. “I would think the flight instruction to be far more important than lessons on charm and seduction.”

“When you get right down to it, they’re very similar. It takes finesse to handle the throttle of a plane. You have to know exactly how much pressure to put on the stick, how to maneuver the knobs, and when to let the plane go on its own.”

The smooth tenor of his voice ratcheted her heart rate up yet another notch. “Really?” she said, her breath catching in her throat.

“There’s that one moment…when the plane is hanging there in the sky. You’ve given her all the encouragement she can take, urged her as far as she can go without breaking. Then, at just the right moment, she bursts forth with a second wind, lurches forward, and bounds unfettered across the bright blue sky.”

The sudden urge to fan herself had her clenching her hands into fists and pressing them to her sides. “It must be exciting…the flying, I mean.”

“As I said, not that different from seducing a woman. Both take a light touch at first—a gentle stroke until they’re primed. Followed by a more commanding hold, just before they reach the pinnacle of their endurance.”

A low groan escaped her throat, drawing his outright laugh.

“You make flying sound a lot like copulation, Major. Surely, when you were up in the air defeating our enemies, your attention was on something other than carnal activities.”

He leaned forward until his mouth hovered scant millimeters from her ear. His warm breath fanned over her cheek. “It’s all about a successful ending, Mrs. Pennybaker. Nothing prepares you for the climax of a good dogfight or the climax of a purely sexual encounter. They should both take your breath away.”

About Nancy Fraser

Like most authors, Nancy began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet, which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.

Published in multiple genres, Nancy currently writes for four publishers. She has published twenty-two books in both full-length and novella format. Nancy is currently working on a Valentine’s story for 2016, her next Rock and Roll novella, the third McCade Legacy book and a second fairy tale for Decadent Publishing.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five beautiful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads

#WriteTip - Commit 1 Hour by @KaLynCooperbook (spotlighting her #Military #Contemporary #Romance Conquered in Cancun)

Having just started a new nob, I've fallen a bit behind on the blogging front. Luckily, I have enough author friends from whom I can request writing tips. Here's a quick and dirty one from Kalyn Cooper

Commit to write for one hour, sit yourself down and start the first sentence by typing one word: The.

~ KaLyn Cooper

Conquered in Cancun

by KaLyn Cooper

After a deployment romance ends disastrously, Lieutenant Commander Caroline Hodges vows never to trust another man. Joining her roommates for some fun in the Cancun sun, she runs into Luke Thorstad, the lover who dumped her in Navy flight school. Could her luck get any worse?  But the more time she spends with Luke the more old feelings resurface. A fling could be just what she needs to ease her heartache. 

Luke Thorstad had been thrown into the limelight, and the arms of dozens of willing women, in flight school when he’d become an unintentional hero. His biggest regret, ever, was leaving Caroline Hodges in the shadows. Finding her in a Cancun night club was his chance at redemption, and maybe the future they’d been denied years ago. But he’ll have to break down the walls she’s built around her heart.

Excerpt 

Luke stood on the dance floor and watched Caroline’s short, black hair blend into the crowd. The white dress clung to her feminine curves and made him want to kiss every inch of her light brown skin as he peeled it off her. It wouldn’t take long either. There wasn’t much to the sparkling sheath. Her stiffly straight back was naked except for a small piece at the neck and another around her slight waist. Then there was that barely covered, oh-so-fine ass of hers.

Six years ago she’d never have worn such a revealing dress. Tonight, she rocked it.

And his world.

To think he’d almost turned down the invitation to join the BACats crew tonight. They were regulars at Mayan Nites because it was owned by his friend and Jack’s cousin, Kukulcan. When Luke hadn’t found the guys at their reserved table in the back corner, he’d scanned the dance floor. They hung together like a pack on the prowl until they found their prey. Tonight, though, he’d instantly recognized the women first and then seen their dancing partners.

Suddenly, he’d felt her presence. His whole body had honed in on Caroline across the club jammed with hundreds of gyrating people. She’d been staring at her green-tinged drink all alone, projecting an invisible wall of don’t-even-think-about-approaching-me, fenced into a prison of her own making. But that’s not what she really wanted. He knew her better. She wanted to belong, to fit in. She just didn’t know how.

Growing up on military bases, surrounded by thousands of horny guys who were in their prime in every way imaginable, she’d learned to emanate an air that warned them off. It was now second nature for her. 

He’d smashed through that fortress before, and he’d do it again to get to her. Caroline was worth it.

Luke wove his way through the bodies bobbing to the faster beat of the new song, ignoring the smiles and come-hither looks from several of the women, and even a few men.

He had just assigned himself a mission—break through Caroline’s defenses. Again.

Finding her at the club tonight had been a long-time wish come true. Years ago they’d started something that was nice. Special. He’d been able to easily talk to her, and she had listened. They’d been good friends. Eventually, they’d taken it to the intimate level, with clearly defined parameters. The pressures of flight school had been severe, and they had both been driven to not just succeed but excel. The sex helped a lot to release that anxiety. She had been as attentive in bed as out. It had been the best sex he’d ever had.

Then that fucking bird had hit his plane.

His world had suddenly been filled with gorgeous women who previously wouldn’t give him a second glance. He’d been laid every night after that by beauties who wanted to please him, and they’d gotten very creative.

He’d had a lot of women since those early days in flight school. But none ever compared to Caroline and what they’d shared. Ever.

And, hot damn, their attraction was still there. He’d sensed it the moment he’d drawn her into his arms. Her shiver had shaken him to his core and was unmistakably sexual. It certainly wasn’t cold in the club. When her nipples hardened, he’d been unable to resist kissing her. She tasted even better than he’d remembered, and when it came to Caroline, he remembered everything.

He wanted to sample that sweet spot between her legs that all but burned through his shorts every time they moved on the dance floor. Christ, she was hot. His cock pushed against his zipper like a heat-seeking missile, determined to thrust its way through anything to achieve its target.

The mental picture of Caroline—sun-darkened body, naked against white sheets—quickened his breath. Her unique musk had filled his senses. He remembered the taste of her saturating his mouth as he worked his magic licking and sucking her clit until she screamed his name and she came around his tongue. Then he’d slide into her soft heat as she gripped his cock with her inner muscles.Jesus, he wanted her. In bed. Tonight.

ABOUT KALYN COOPER

KaLyn Cooper’s romances blend fact and fiction with blazing heat and heart-pounding suspense. Twenty-two years as a military wife has shown KaLyn the world, and thirty years in PR taught her that fact can be stranger than fiction. She leaves it up to the reader to separate truth from imagination. She, her husband, and bird dog live in Tennessee on a micro-plantation filled with gardens, cattle, and quail. When she’s not writing, she’s at the shooting range or on the river. 

Website Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter: @KaLynCooperbook
Email: KaLyn@KaLynCooper.co

#WriteTip - Know the Enemy by @HaleyWhitehall (spotlighting her @LSB_lsbooks #Historical #PNR #Romance)

Fellow Liquid Silver Books author Haley Whitehall has a brand new paranormal historical romance out. In addition to snagging an excerpt from Alpha's Voodoo (which has a super interesting cover), I also convinced her to give me a writing tip. As we all know, heroes and heroines are the focus of most romances. But good stories also require a compelling conflict, which is why antagonists are often very important.  

Know the Enemy

by Haley Whitehall

I’m excited about my newest release Alpha’s Voodoo. It is my first historical paranormal romance. I come bearing a short writing tip: Know the Enemy. Of course, I’m not talking about the trolls on Goodreads. I’m talking about the antagonist in your story.

I knew the hero, Mark Afton, and the heroine, Violet Creed’s backstories early on when writing this story. However, I didn’t know Mark’s enemy very well. Mr. LeBlanc is introduced in Alpha’s Voodoo and readers will learn more about him as the Bayou Pack series continues. He is feuding with the Afton family which affects the entire Bayou Pack.

After four drafts I still didn’t know why Mr. LeBlanc was out to destroy Mark Afton. I just knew that he was. That wasn’t good enough so I had to dig deeper. The more I included about the issues the two men had with each other the stronger the story became, in my opinion.

Even when an antagonist doesn’t play a key role in a story it is important to get to know them. What your hero and heroine fear is part of their character. We all have dirty secrets. What are your characters hiding? What weakness does the enemy want to expose? It will help make the characters seem more real, help readers relate to them.

Available Now!

Amazon | ARe | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Alpha's Voodoo

Bayou Pack Book 1

by Haley Whitehall

Are curses real or merely imagined?

Violet Creed is a colored New Orleans debutante. She was brought up with servants and a strict set of rules regarding propriety, and her papa never approved of her interest in Voodoo. One night she sneaks out of the house and attends one of Marie Laveau’s gatherings—where she loses her virginity and her reputation. Turned out by her papa, Violet is destined for a life on the streets until Madam Dawn saves her.

Cursed to live as a wolf shifter, Mark Afton is a wealthy lawyer and heir to the Bayou Pack. Unfortunately, he can’t take over leadership from his uncle without a mate. Wanting to escape his mother’s endless matchmaking attempts, he accepts Madam Dawn’s invitation to sail on the maiden voyage of the Southern Rose and enjoy the pleasurable company of her ladies.

One of Madam Dawn’s recent hires catches his attention. He is drawn to Violet immediately. Could she be his mate or is their attraction merely Voodoo?

 

About Haley Whitehall

Haley Whitehall lives in Washington State where she enjoys all four seasons and the surrounding wildlife. She writes historical romance set in the 19th century U.S. When she is not researching or writing, she plays with her cats, watches the Western and History Channels, and goes antiquing. She is hoping to build a time machine so she can go in search of her prince charming. A good book, a cup of coffee, and a view of the mountains make her happy.

Website | Facebook  | Twitter | Goodreads | PinterestAmazon Author Profile