As his rioting pulse quieted, Hunter made no move to release Jodi. Though he felt numb in body and soul, he’d had the forethought to turn to his back, but he’d taken her with him. She was a small, warm weight resting on his heart, one slender thigh draping his, her fingers idly toying with his chest hair. When she spoke, he forced himself to focus. “Big men used to unsettle me.” She turned her face up to his. “I know my own ability, and against someone twice my size, I’m outgunned on muscle alone.” He was twice her size—but he would use that advantage to protect her, to shield her from ugliness, as much as she would allow him to. Letting his hand drift to her ass, he cuddled a bare cheek and waited. Jodi squirmed against him. “When I met the McKenzies, I realized how overbearing big guys can be. They would never hurt me, but they always wanted to stand in my way.” “To keep you safe,” Hunter rumbled, amazed that he could find his voice when every bone, muscle and bit of sinew in his body was currently lax. “Yup,” she said. “Even when it’s not…
In RILEY, your heroine Regina is threatened by some unknown creep. In some romantic suspense books I’ve read, the author gives the perspective of the unknown villain, in addition to the hero and heroine’s. Do you do that in your book? In most of them, yes. RILEY was written as a category romances ages ago, and back then, we were only allowed two perspectives. Once I left category, I had more freedom, and I love exploring the “bad guys” in depth. Additionally, sometimes the bad guys aren’t so bad. Sometimes they redeem themselves, or they soften – and occasionally those changes happen without my input. I’m very much guided by my characters. The way I create a story is that I sit down and start writing and the characters do what they want. shrug So far, it’s worked for me, thank goodness. When things happen, I’m often as surprised as the reader. Is it difficult maintaining the tension or threat of danger throughout the book? Do you try to evenly balance the action and suspense with the romance and one or two lighter moments? Again, honestly, I don’t know how any of it works. I don’t deliberately set up…
Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Lori! Please tell us a little bit about the Road to Love series, and the latest book, ALL FIRED UP. Thank you for allowing me to visit. The Road to Love series is about a courier service, Mustang Transport, with the task of moving some very unusual – and often dangerous – items. The business is run by brothers Brodie (DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION, book 1) and Jack (SLOW RIDE, book 2) with help from their mother, Rosalyn and a young lady they think of as a sister, Charlotte. In ALL FIRED UP, Mitch enters the scene. He’s an unknown half-brother to Brodie & Jack (thanks to their oft absentee father) and after a rough upbringing, he wants to meet his brothers, but he ends up meeting Charlotte first, and that throws off all his plans. Nothing is as he expected it to be, and everything is better than he’d ever dared to hope – except that a deadly problem from his past has followed him and now his new family is in danger. Mitch will do anything necessary to protect Charlotte, and the brothers he’s quickly learning to love. Charlotte Parish has been a part of…
Every day from now through the end of the year, we’ll be sharing our reviewers’ favorite reads of 2018. A different genre will be featured every day! We’ll share why these books were some of our favorites and what made them so special. We hope you’ll share yours in the comments, too! Today, we have our favorite contemporary romances of the year. Let us know what you think of our picks… HOME ON HUCKLEBERRY HILL by Jennifer Beckstrand Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill #9 Reviewer: Clare O’Beara I enjoyed this lighthearted Amish romance greatly, with its points about what a wife can expect from her husband and how she can support herself even in traditional households. Romance | Christian | Amish [Zebra, On Sale: June 26, 2018, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781420144154 / eISBN: 9781420144161] When a marriage breakup is imminent, the matchmakers get to work Buy HOME ON HUCKLEBERRY HILL: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR *** JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING by Christina Lauren Reviewer: Svetlana…
As part of our countdown to Readers & ‘ritas 2018, our Meet the Author interviews help you get to know the authors joining us in Texas on November 9-11. Read on to get acquainted with Guest of Honor and New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster, and purchase your ticket to meet her in person at Readers & ‘ritas! Pitch us your newest book in one sentence. DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION: Alpha man and take-charge woman work together while danger looms and sexual chemistry explodes. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, who would you choose and what would you do? Brodie, from DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION, because he’s my new fave alpha who’s also crazy sexy, loves his family and animals, and is cocky to the extreme. I’d sit in the local bar, Freddie’s, and chat him up about life and his no-holds-barred perspectives on what’s right and wrong. What gets your creative juices flowing when you’re brainstorming a new story? My favorite part of any of my stories is the hero. I love, respect, and admire good men and enjoy “listening” as they tell me their stories so I can get them written. Which part of Readers…
It can’t be denied that men who are athletes, in such good shape, surrounded by all of that testosterone, appeal to women. Rough good looks, six-pack abs and bad boy reputations seem to have a universal appeal. So it only follows that readers are going to love sports-themed romance, especially when you add in the magic of an author’s voice, be it humor, suspense, or small town charm! Anyone who reads me knows that I write alpha males. They also know I write nice guys who are independent, smart, capable, and motivated. In a great many cases, that definition fits athletes to a tee. The competitors aren’t just incredible athletes – some of them are truly incredible men. That’s why I enjoy writing them as lead characters in my books. Sure, I fictionalize the fighters, taking them out of the ring and into relationships where an edge of danger allows them to showcase their confidence and athleticism. But then that’s what female readers want – character-driven entertainment! That’s why I’m so happy to be returning to my MMA fighters with a new Ultimate series. Hard Knocks Ultimate August 2014 No Limits Ultimate #1 September 2014 First out is an ePrequel…
Every author is different in how he/she writes a book, but most fall into one of two main categories – either a plotter or a pantster. I’m a pantster, meaning I write by the seat of my pants. Or in my case it’s more precise to say my characters tell a story – in their own sweet time – and I just get it typed up. It’s a tough way to do business because in the real world of publishing, editors want to know what a book will be about long before I’ve written it. There’s a lot of overlap in publishing. For instance, right now DASH OF PERIL is out, BACK TO BUCKHORN, HARD KNOCKS, and NO LIMITS are turned in, and I’ve just gotten started on writing HOLDING STRONG. Busy, busy! There’s plenty of promo to do on DASH OF PERIL. (Yay, thank you!) I just wrapped up page proofs on the other three. At the same time my editor wants a summary of what HOLDING STRONG will be about, along with character descriptions, so they can start conferring on covers. All I can tell her about the plot is that it’ll end happy. ::grin:: I know what…
So You’re the Writer I get asked that a lot. By everyone. My doctor. My dentist. Neighbors. Friends to my extended family. I’m not “a” writer. I’m “the” writer. Like there’s only one. Or it’s so odd, it deserves special definition. Most times I keep the writerly part of myself private. Only with other writers and among readers who know I’m published do I relax about my profession. But somehow, everyone finds out. And it’s always embarrassing. I’M not embarrassed to be a writer. No, never that. I LOVE being a writer. But some people have these interpretations, or just things they say, or maybe WHEN they say them, or HOW they say them, that can make it very uncomfortable. I recently attended a neighborhood block party, and lo and behold, the topic of my books came up. I’m NOT the one who raised the subject. A woman said, “You’re the writer!” And a male neighbor – a nice guy, but still… told me that, given what his wife reads of my work, he expected me to be a hottie. I’m positive that I disappointed him. 🙂 Not too long ago, I was sitting at a high school sporting event…