#WriteTip - A Character Directory by @SofiaGreyAuthor, spotlighting her sports #romance POLE POSITION

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My Sexy (To Go) cohort Sofia Grey (who is also sexy, and writes sexy stuff) has a new release today. It's priced at $0.99 until 18 February, after which the price goes back to the usual $3.99. Before we check out her sexy (yes, let's see if this tricks Google's search bots) contemporary sports romance Pole Position, take 5 seconds to absorb her writing tip (which is seriously useful for a series writer such as I).

P.S. Sofia's also giving away an eBook with a bunch of swag. Enter here.


I keep a directory for significant characters. Every new leading character gets added, with the following details: (a) name, age, birth date, appearance, (b) what book(s) they appear in, and (c) key dates of events in the book. This is REALLY useful when I have a couple of series that overlap, to help me keep track of who was where, and when. Jon and Anita also appear in the (unrelated) Talisman series, hence my concern to make sure their history all lines up :) - Sofia Grey

Tip absorbed? Okay then, onward to the sexy stuff. 

Pole Position

by Sofia Grey

Jon's glamorous life as a racecar driver is poles apart from Anita's job in a bookshop, and he's drawn to her in a way he never imagined. After one unfaithful, soon-to-be-ex-wife, and a revolving door of models and actresses, Jon finds Anita's innocence and vulnerability a breath of fresh air.

Anita's abusive ex-boyfriend left her running scared of any kind of relationship. Picking up the pieces of her life is hard, but her best friend since childhood, Danny Webster, is only too willing to help. And then she meets Jon. He completes her in a way Danny never could.

She doesn't expect the men to hate each other on sight. Losing Anita isn't an option for Jon or Danny, but only one man can take pole position for her heart.

Excerpt

I seethed in silence. Anita glanced up, saw the look on my face, and struggled to sit upright. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

I didn’t answer. I looked away as I tried to get my anger under control.

“It’s something to do with Danny, isn’t it?”

I wasn’t sure what to say. How about, I’d like to throttle your friend? No, perhaps not.

Anita tugged on my arm, and I turned back to face her. She had two spots of color in her cheeks. I’d not seen her annoyed before.

“You still have a problem with him don’t you? What is it with you?”

She galvanized me into being honest. “I don’t trust him, and I don’t like you spending so much time with him.” As soon as I’d said it, I could have kicked myself. It sounded sulky, and childish. And it infuriated her.

“He’s my best friend. Of course I spend time with him. And how can you not trust him?” Her voice rose in pitch. “What has he done to you?”

I was astonished she could have forgotten. “Well let me see. He hung up on me several times when I phoned for you. He’s warned me to keep away from you. He’s told me to fuck off in no uncertain terms. Then he picked a fight with me. You might recall it?”

“But he apologized. Shook your hand. He told me it was all a misunderstanding.”

“Yeah, right.” I couldn’t hide my contempt.

She jerked away and stood up, shivering, before wrapping her arms over her chest. “You’re jealous.”

There. The accusation was out in the open. It lay between us, challenging me to respond.

“I trust my instincts, Anita, and they tell me to keep the hell away from him.”

She stood there completely silent, staring at me with huge eyes. I sat sullenly. I could see she was close to tears, and I suddenly regretted my words. I held out a hand to her and tried a smile, but she ignored it.

“I’ve known Danny all my life.” She spoke slowly, as though she was working out what to say. “I’ve known you for less than a month. Are you asking me to choose between you?”

I just looked at her.

“You are. Jesus Christ.” She swung away, and walked to the doorway, her arms still wrapped across her body. The rain continued to hammer down; the thunder more distant now. She stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the lighter outside. It was ages before she turned back to me.

“Danny’s always had my back. Always. He rescued me when I quit at Uni. Danny encouraged me to train as an instructor. He spent months looking at horses for me, before finding Sam. He gave me a home. Rebuilt my life.”

Her voice was low. I struggled to hear her.

“Don’t make me choose, Jon.”

ABOUT SOFIA GREY

Romance author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for their happy endings.

Music is interwoven so tightly into my writing that I can’t untangle the two. Either I’m listening to a playlist on my iPod, have music seeping from my laptop speakers, or there’s a song playing in my head – sometimes on auto-repeat.

Check out my image collections on Pinterest and my music playlists on Spotify.

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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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#NewRelease from @LaynaPimentel and @LSB_lsbooks - Scandal at Vauxhall, a #historical #romance

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My Liquid Silver Books pub-buddy Layna Pimentel has hosted me many a time, so I'm stoked to finally be able to return the favor. Without further ado, check out this scorching cover for her historical romance, Scandal at Vauxhall.

Scandal at Vauxhall

Pleasure Garden Follies, Book 1

by Layna Pimentel

The love and happiness Isabel Salisbury expected in life when she accepted the proposal of the Marquess of Stoughton takes an unexpected turn, when he leaves on a mission for the war office. She is married off to the Duke of Brimley.

Nathaniel Thompson, the Marquess of Stoughton, is devastated to learn upon his return that Isabel has married the duke. When news of her husband’s death surfaces, Nathaniel sets out to make amends and will stop at nothing until she’s his marchioness.

But when London learns of a promiscuous tryst between them in the Daily, their credibility is at stake. They soon discover that nothing in life is simple, nor private, and all is fair in love and war.

Excerpt

On a night like tonight, however, she was thankful for the lack of her husband’s presence. These types of occasions always put him in a sour mood. He’d wind up playing whist and lose. Then, he’d drink himself into a stupor, drag her away from whatever conversation she was having, take her home and bed her roughly, only to fall asleep before giving her any pleasure in return.

Pfft. What is pleasure anyway? Yet, while she didn’t have much experience in the ways of lovemaking, it was highly unlikely most marriage beds were like hers. Especially during these moments, she wished she had the courage to run.

Is married life supposed to be like this? Leaving me feeling filthy, unworthy, and so lonely? She hadn’t the slightest clue about what she'd ever done wrong, but the pang of regret over not standing up to her husband made her frailer with each passing day.

Distracting her from such sad thoughts, Lady Balfour approached, fanning herself with expediency. “My dear, have you heard? The Marquess of Stoughton has just arrived. My word, he hasn’t aged one bit, and he’s looking quite fit.”

Nathaniel! He’s alive. Isabel’s heart pounded in her chest as her gaze settled on him.

She hadn’t seen him since he’d told her he was leaving on business for the war office. Her pulse kicked up furiously to the point that she felt light-headed and breathless. He was still a sight for sore eyes. His dark hair and piercing blue gaze stood out in the crowd. The sheer breadth of his shoulders framed his muscular size. She watched as he stopped and spoke with other gentlemen, his back now facing her and Lady Balfour.

My God! He really is here. Would he even recognize me? Hardly. He’s probably here to fetch his mistress for the evening. Why would he even pay me any mind? Besides, she was a duchess, very much married, and obliged to keep up appearances.

“My, would you look at the size of his thighs,” Lady Coxley announced as she approached the ladies, garnering a few giggles from prying ears.

Isabel smirked, knowing all too well in what direction this conversation was headed.

“They are wonderfully built, but I’m sure some other lady has laid claim on the marquess.”

“You haven’t heard, have you, Isabel?”

“What haven’t I heard?” she asked. Her breath hitched and her pulse raced. What could I have missed?

“Come away with me to the terrace. I wish to speak to you in private. We can’t have half of London listening in.”

She followed Lady Coxley outdoors, leaving behind the sounds of merriment to be embraced by the shrouded darkness of night and silence.

“They say the marquess will not marry until he’s found her.”

“Until he’s found who?”

“The one who broke his heart. But in all honesty, everyone knows it’s you. With any

luck, perchance some horrible fate will happen upon Henry.”

If I were only so lucky. “You shouldn’t talk like that! And for the record, the marquess and I were done long ago. Remember, he’s the one who left me.”

“Isabel, you cannot expect me to believe that you haven’t thought about that man— at least once or ever—during the course of this sham of a marriage of yours. The haute ton in its entirety knows where he is right now. And you’d be a fool to think Henry gives two ninnies about your welfare.”

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them.

“Excuse me, ladies, but I was wondering if perchance I could steal Her Grace for a dance.”

Good grief. Did he hear any of our discussion? I cannot believe he’s actually here.

Heat coursed through Isabel at the thought of holding him once again. She nodded and held out her gloved palm for him to take. “I’d be honored, My Lord.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Your Grace.”

Leaving behind Lady Coxley, she followed his lead inside for a waltz.

“It’s been too long, Isabel. I’ve missed you terribly,” he whispered as they took a turn about the dance floor. Nathaniel bowed and took her hand. His touch warmed her, and the gentle squeeze that followed reassured her that the flame they once had was still there.

She and Henry hadn’t danced since their wedding and even then, he quickly discarded her to dance with the Duchess of Downsbury. If she’d only known her dismissal that evening would be the first of many others. For the most part, her husband had two left feet, but Nathaniel whisked her away gracefully to the tune. She wished to kiss him again and remind herself of their time together. Good heavens, Isabel. You’re married. Enough of this foolishness!

Isabel felt him pulling her closer as his arm at the small of her back pushed her in. His head dipped down, and, naturally, she looked up at him, ignoring every stare and whisper as they moved together. She finally cringed and mustered the courage to ask him the one thing weighing heavily on her mind. “Why did you take so long? Why didn’t you come sooner? Nathaniel, there hasn’t been a day I haven’t thought of you.”

As the music wound down and the dancers departed, Isabel locked her eyes on his and felt a tear escape. “You’ve been missed greatly, My Lord.”

His thumb swiped away the drop. “My dear, there hasn’t been a day, hour, or dream you haven’t occupied.” 

About Layna Pimentel

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading at an early age. She’s a bestselling author at All Romance eBooks, and multi-published author of historical, paranormal and contemporary erotic romances. When she isn’t devouring salacious romance novels or writing, she enjoys losing herself in researching ancient history and mythology, weaponry, and hiking. She lives in Northern Ontario, with her husband and two daughters.

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