#WriteTip - Edit, edit, and edit some more! by Susan Behon (@suebeehny), spotlighting her @LSB_lsbooks #Romance

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This writing tip is sponsored by my Liquid Silver Books pub-buddy, Susan Behon, whose new contemporary romance dropped this week. As painful as the process might be, an editor is definitely an author's best friend. 

Write what you know and write every day. After that, edit, edit, and edit some more!
~ Susan Behon

One Last Call

Madison Falls Series, Book 4

by Susan Behon

Sarah Brandon is having the night from Hell.

Thanks to a deer playing chicken in the middle of the road, Sarah is forced to make a frantic ditch dive and gets stuck in her wrecked vehicle. Fiercely independent, the idea of being a damsel in distress chafes more than the seat belt holding her in at an odd angle.

Stranded and needing a rescue, the last person she expects to be her knight in shining armor is Josh Logan. Even with the sexy southern drawl and bad-boy charm, her long lost love could just as well stay lost as far as Sarah is concerned.

She’s had it with men. With a cheating ex-husband trying to win her back and a too sexy for his own good ex-boyfriend trying to make amends, she doesn’t need any more trouble. Trouble finds her anyway when it comes to light that the cause of her accident is no accident. Someone is out to hurt her, and Josh wants to protect her before it’s too late.

Josh considers it fate that he finally has a chance to explain to Sarah why he left town without a word the summer after graduation. It was years ago, but he never stopped loving her. Secrets from the past and threats from the present collide in a dangerous game that could cost Sarah her life. One kiss at a time, Josh is out to prove that he would slay dragons for her if she would only give a lost love found a second chance. 

Available on Amazon | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play

Excerpt

“Don’t scream, sunshine. You’ll wake up the neighbors.” Josh was reclined on top of her covers, bare feet crossed one over the other and his hands tucked behind his head. His black T-shirt stood out starkly against the pastel colors of her quilt. His faded blue jeans were slung low and outlined his lower half to perfection.

Sarah didn’t know what had her heart pumping faster, getting startled by seeing a man in her bed or the actual sight of that sexy man reclining on her bed like he belonged there.

“Josh?” Sarah hissed. “What the hell are you doing in here? How did you get in? You better hope my mom didn’t hear you!”

He sat up and ran his fingers through the short layers of his tawny brown hair before rubbing the back of his neck. “Am I the only one here havin’ déjà vu?”

“How did you get in here?”

His grin was anything but innocent. “You should lock your window, darlin’. Anyone could climb on in here.”

“What if my mom heard you? You could have woken her up!”

“Doubt it.”

“Why is that?”

“She’s not here.”

“She’s not?” So Sarah had been tiptoeing for nothing? “How do you know?”

“She’s still with my dad.”

“At this time of night?” Sarah felt ridiculous as soon as she asked the question.

“Yep. Guess they’re havin’ a slumber party.” He raised his eyebrows in innuendo. She ignored the images that volley brought forth.

“Then why didn’t you knock and come through the front door like a normal person?”

“I was feelin’ nostalgic.”

“You’ve never climbed in my bedroom window before.”

“I know. But I wanted to.”

ABOUT SUSAN BEHON

Susan Behon, author of the Madison Falls series, enjoys creating a world that brings readers romance, laughter, and a healthy dose of sexiness. Susan graduated summa cum laude with a B. A. in English from Norfolk State University. She currently lives in Ohio with her very own romance hero of a husband and their two wonderful daughters.

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#WriteTip - Get Your Butt in the Chair by Jennifer Kacey, spotlighting her @DecadentPub #Shifter #PNR

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I'm delighted to welcome my Decadent Publishing pub-buddy to my blog today. She's sort of a guru when it comes to erotic romances, and her new addition to the Black Hills Wolves series looks very tempting. As for her writing tip--it's one an author can never hear too many times. 

Writing tip of the day!! Write the book. Seriously. Get your butt in your chair and write the book. If you don’t take the time and make it a priority then it’s never going to get done. So write the book!!  - Jennifer Kacey

Broken Silence

Black Hills Wolves #42

by Jennifer Kacey

More than a decade before, when Paul was nothing but a child, fate dealt him a hand he couldn’t win. Silenced him forever for speaking out against the former Alpha, stole his destiny, and robbed him of his place in the pack.

Presley Ginger, a tiny human female, couldn’t have been further from what he expected to walk into the bar and alter his future. But he couldn’t tell her anything about his wolf or his shift. Nothing. Bound by a direct order from the enforcer to keep her in the dark, his need for her would never see the light of day. Then the moon rose above him in the presence of his mate and changed everything.

For years, in the background is where he stayed, unable to find his voice. Until his rainbow-haired mate showed up in the Black Hills—with the answer in her hands.

Excerpt

Paul woke screaming.

Well. His version of screaming. A bit different with no tongue. He tried to strangle the noise in his throat by clenching his teeth and it finally worked.

Breath rushed in and out of his lungs and he wiped at his face.

Wet.

Wet with blood.

Panic gripped him as he fumbled for the light on his nightstand.

Several things hit the floor before he found the switch.

Wiping his face again, his heart stopped as he looked at his hand.

Sweat.

His head hit the headboard as he relaxed.

It was only sweat. Thank God.

He counted to a hundred to try to calm his erratic pulse. And then did it again until he could breathe normally.

His future was Hail Mary’d that day. His life was thrown as hard as possible into the wind with who knew what on the other end.

He could have died. If he were human, he probably would have.

Yet—he’d lived.

Some days he wondered if surviving was a good thing or a bad thing.

Things were better with Drew, the new Alpha—an immeasurable amount better. More than a decade after he was ostracized from the pack, Drew returned to take his rightful place at the head of it. Challenging his father, Drew killed Magnum in an alpha challenge.

It was quick. Decisive.

The fact someone had been poisoning Magnum for some time played little into the outcome of the fight. Paul had his suspicions, but he said nothing—warned no one. Magnum’s death proved far quicker than Paul had wanted.

The man who mutilated him should have suffered. He didn’t like having those feelings but they were there. They were there for Magnum and for the five wolves who’d stolen his future.

They were all dead—every one of them. Taken out because they couldn’t be trusted. Killed because they’d decided their hate was worth fighting for.

They’d been wrong.

Sometimes….

Sometimes Paul wouldn’t remember they were dead. Sometimes getting stuck in the past was as simple as slipping on an old coat full of holes. The illusion of warmth clung to his foggy brain but he was so cold. His faith in others? Fleeting, so he had a hard time putting his trust in anyone.

Or friendship.

Or love.

He shook his head and ran his fingers over his short blond hair, making sure it was still cropped close to his skull.

Short. He always kept his hair short now.

Short enough no one could grab it.

Never again would it be used against him.

Staring at his hands in front of him, he measured their width. Their size was the same as the other wolves in the pack, but his hands didn’t pull the same weight. He was damaged goods. Unable to speak to anyone, he looked at the nightstand to find his only method of communicating. Two things which hadn’t fallen were his notepad and pen he kept with him all the time. So he could write clipped messages to people when he had to communicate.

It got the job done, but the necessity left him even more disconnected. Relaxing his biceps, he let his hands fall to his lap then closed his eyes, as he tried to focus past the nightmare.

The pack had hope again—stronger than ever thanks to the deaths. They’d found unity and faith in their Alpha. Hell, they even found faith in each other, in their pack, first decimated by a madman then wounded by another.

The members of the Black Hills Wolves were coming home. He was happy to be a part of the growth. Happy to help welcome them back. He’d stayed for so many years with the hope of witnessing the resurrection of their pack.

Theirs.

Not his.

Never his, because he was separate from them. Lesser. He’d never be Alpha. Sure as hell wasn’t a dominant wolf by any stretch of the word. Barely even a beta with the females of the pack. He was relegated to being an omega. A weakling. Yes they all told him he was needed. Wanted even. They told him omegas made the pack stronger, they helped—but how? No, he didn’t see it.

He shook his head and rubbed it one more time.

The night was so silent all around him.

Where he always stayed. In the silence.

Most days it still felt as if he were free falling toward a black future with nothing to hold onto. Where he’d land, he didn’t know.

All he prayed for each night and every morning? To find when he landed—he wouldn’t be alone.

About Jennifer Kacey

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

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#WriteTip - Crafting Worlds by @jsubject, spotlighting her #military #scifi #romance MADE FOR HER

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It's always a pleasure to welcome Jessica Subject to may blog. Since she crafts such fantastical worlds, many of which contain sexy aliens, I often wonder how her ideas go from thought to print. Of course, the answer is book-specific, which means I can ask her this question whenever she releases a new book.

Ready to discover the origin of Made for Her?

Crafting Worlds

by Jessica Subject

With this story, I decided to get away from aliens in my sci-fi and try something different. I’ve always asked myself the “what-if” about Human cloning as soon as I knew what cloning was. And since many sci-fi romances deal with the military, I decided to try that aspect as well. I had a LOT of help from Karlene Petitt, who is a pilot, DL Jackson, who served in the US military, and my original editor, Rie Langdon, who also has military experience. They helped me to craft this story together, so that it worked and fit into the military romance subgenre.

Right now, I have started a new series called Galactic Defenders. It is about a group of beings from all over the universe, who travel to different planets to protect the citizens from the Erebus. The tagline for the series is They were trained to fight, not fall in love. The first book will be called Bryce, and will release later this year. And I hope to have the first draft of Jager finished by the end of 2016.

Made for Her

by Jessica E. Subject

After terrorists murder the love of her life, Colonel Mikayla Jones trains squadron after squadron of the clones he brought to life, to take to the skies. When she discovers a young clone of her husband in her newest class, her world spins out of control. How can she command the look-a-like when she can’t help but yearn for him to fill an ache in her heart?

Dare was created to be the best. As the first Daniel clone to leave Onatria labs, he needs to prove he is more than just a DNA copy. To do that, he must rely on the wife of the man who donated his genes. But when she refuses to train him, Dare faces discharge and returning to the labs. Can he convince Colonel Jones to finish his training and find a way into her bed? Or will long kept secrets unhinge the entire clone project?

Please note: Made For Her was previously published with another publisher. It has been revised and expanded from the original version. This version also includes the short story, Replicated Consequences, which takes place in the same world.

Excerpt (For Mature Audiences Only)

Colonel Jones eyed each one of her new cadets, examining the neatness of their uniforms, while inspecting for signs of stress or over-anxiousness. She’d never seen the telltale muscle twitches or sweats in any previous clones, only in human-borns, but she had to look for them anyway.

The first generation of clones didn’t live long enough to become cadets. Their hearts had given out within a year after incubation. But the scientists at Onatria had plowed on, utilizing more of Daniel’s research, speeding up the aging process with hormones to create the perfect generation she saw before her.

She’d had female clones in previous squadrons, but the government filled the one in front of her with testosterone-driven masculinity. If she’d been younger, she’d have a hard time concentrating. But her days of crushes and fantasies were long over. She was devoted to serving her country and planet, and nothing else.

That didn’t stop her from going out on the town for a stress-relieving fuck from time to time. But these young men in front of her appeared so virile, sure to last longer than any of her previous sexual partners.

No. As junior officers, and more importantly, as clones, they were off limits.

Inspecting them gave her the opportunity to check out more than their fatigues and tics, but if they knew her thoughts, they’d walk all over her. She’d be done.

They were of varying nationalities, builds, and heights, all fit to serve the planet. None of the cadets revealed any indication he would put the lives of others in jeopardy. It would be an easy squadron, every one of them ready to fly in a matter of weeks.

She reached the last cadet and froze. Her stomach clenched. No, they couldn’t have!

She pivoted on her heel and rushed off the tarmac, leaving the squad without an instructor.

ABOUT JESSICA SUBJECT

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk with her giant, hairy dog her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers.  You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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