Tag Archives: Etopia Press

Guest Post by Shehanne Moore: Land lubberz ahoy!

Posted on by
4

You’re in for a real treat today–Shehanne Moore is here to talk about pirates and her new release The Unraveling of Lady Fury!

Bosley Crowther wrote in the New York Times of 10 August 1940 about The Sea Hawk, ‘Of course, the film is all historically cockeyed, and the amazing exploits of Mr. Flynn, accomplished by him in the most casual and expressionless manner, are quite as incredible as the adventures of Dick Tracy. But Flora Robson makes an interesting Queen Elizabeth.’

Talk about damning the whole sorry thing by faint praise. The Sea Hawk is after all,  a pirate movie, although it’s not set during the golden age of piracy.

Pirates as you’ve guessed, or rather the depiction of them in books and onscreen, is what I’m going to blog about today, after I’ve firstly thanked the lovely Charley for so kindly asking me along.  Except my hero being an ex-privateer and me being me, do you seriously think, in your dreams that will happen?  Don’t be silly. The door’s there as well as the google/goggle search button if  ou want out of here. Now is a good a time as any. What we are talking today is the shaggability of the average pirate as depicted onscreen. Move over Long John and that wooden leg. To create my own privateer Flint I had to first find him.

I started  here.

Sexy. Hot incarnate. No disrespect but does Fury like his mascara getting in her eyes, ever mind his own when they….get to it? Those dreadlocks also might prove tricky. Is that why she has that little rule about kissing as in none, cos she doesn’t want a mouthful of them?

As for her next rule.

Never mind Flint and Fury together on deck, looking like a prize pair of Spanish gypsies, ze bandana might just make Fury Zethink rule two. The one about being fully clothed at all times. As we say in Zcotland. Get it aff noo mate.

As for that rule four–forget rule three and no touching when pirates

have hooks and things—could it just be pirates  open their mouths in moments of great intimacy to say  ‘Ooooh Arrrrr, Jim laaaahd’.

to their parrot, a woman would wish for silence?

Actually that’s not why she sets these rules at all.

Now available from Etopia Press. Cover by Amber Shah Designs.  Click the gorgeous cover to get your copy.

But to find out more you may have  to find out for yourself.

The Unraveling of Lady Fury by Shehanne Moore

Genoa 1820

Rule one… There will be no kissing

Widowed Lady Fury Shelton hasn’t lost everything yet. So long as she produces the heir to the Beaumont dukedom, she might keep her position and her secrets. But when the callously irresistible man she’d rather rot in everlasting hell, than bed, threatens to expose her, she invents bedroom rules to stop herself wanting the one thing she knows he can never give her.

Rule two… There will be no touching

Only when it comes to rules, ex-privateer James Flint Blackmoore is a master at making his own. Soon he’s playing with fire.  Both know future happiness can only lie in keeping each other at arm’s length. Yet  they’re torn by old hurts and the promise of new passion.

 But some rules are made to be broken…

Why is she so determined to hate him? Will her secret truth make it easier or harder for him to abide by the rules?  Or will Flint finally convince her he can give her the one thing he never has?

Excerpt:

She knew exactly why he scratched his head. Their love-making had been torrid. It had been sensual. It had been shaming. And it had been absent of any affection. Certainly on his part. Why would a kiss be a sign of anything? To him anyway. She was the damn fool who had thought it had. Who even now was forced to concede the pleasure it would be to take her hand across his face to assist his understanding of her feelings. The impertinence of the damn man, the stinging ignorance.

“It just is.” She eased the distance between them a whisper. “So there will be none. Not now. Not at all.”

“All right then. Saves time. It means—”

“Rule two.” She saw his eyes freeze as he readied himself to yank off his shirt. She persisted anyway. Why not? In many ways she walked a tightrope here. If she paused it might be to her detriment. “You will be fully dressed at all times.”

“What? How the hell am I meant to—”

“I am sure you will manage. You managed plenty before. But I do not desire to look at your body before, during, or after. Nor in any shape or form wandering about this house in just your breeches. Is that understood?”

He dropped his  hands from his shirt and glared, so he must have. “You wanted to look at it plenty before. In fact, it makes my head spin, just how often you—”

True. But that was then. “Rule three.” Clasping her fingers around the cool edge of the dressing table to create another inch of distance, she continued.

“Rule three? You mean there’s more?”

“I will not touch you in any place, intimate or otherwise. I will lie. You will perform.”

Thanks so much for coming, Shey, it’s always fun when you’re around!

Don’t forget to click some of the links below & get to know Shey and Lady Fury a little better!

Contact Shehanne and Lady Fury:

Fury’s blog, Furious Unravelings

Web site

Shehanne’s blog

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube Trailer

 

This post appeared on the Love Scenes & Wet Dreams blog on 3/31/2013.

Guest Author: Ally Shields!

Posted on by
2

Today I’m happy to be a part of a book blitz for fellow Etopian Ally Shields!  The second book in her Guardian Witch series has just been released, and it sounds amazing!

What a pleasure to visit your blog! Thank you! I am really thrilled to be introducing my new book in the Guardian Witch urban fantasy series!

FireWithin_ByAllySheilds_453x680Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) takes place eight months after the events that occurred in Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1), and there’s a new menace in town.

A hidden evil stalks the city..

Fire witch cop Ari Calin refuses to believe her human friend Eddie murdered a vampire—in spite of his confession. When a second vampire dies, Andreas, the sexy, charismatic vampire she dated and split from eight months ago, joins her in the hunt for the real killer.

But Riverdale may have a special kind of serial killer who’s looking for its next vampire victim. The roles of hunter and hunted become murky. And while unterHunAri might feel like killing Andreas sometimes, she doesn’t want anyone else to do it…

Excerpt:

(Ari and Andreas parted eight months ago after a terrible incident and harsh words. This is their first meeting since.)

If she had to have this awkward conversation, she preferred to do it without witnesses. As they stepped outside, she was aware of the speculation following them. Ari started up the street toward home. Andreas fell into step beside her. His magical energy seeped along her skin, making her jittery. She wasn’t sure if it was deliberate or a sign that he was nervous, too.

“My presence is not comfortable for you. Nor yours for me. Regardless, we must find a way to work together.” Andreas’s voice was controlled, easing but not eliminating the flow of magic between them.

“Not if you’d let Ryan and me handle this.” Ari tried not to sound bitchy, but she wasn’t good at hiding her moods. He’d forced this situation on her. She didn’t want to be around him, didn’t want to have this or any other conversation with him—and definitely didn’t want to feel the way he made her feel

“You know I cannot back off from this. Prince Daron is responsible for what happens to his people. To ignore these murders would cost him their respect. The vampire court is making an effort to cooperate with local authorities. If you refuse, we will be forced to proceed on our own.

“How? By ripping someone’s head off?” The blurted words were harsher than intended. And unfair. Ari heard his sharp intake of breath.

Buy links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks

Author Bio:

Ally Shields was born and raised in the Midwest, along the Mississippi River, the setting for her urban fantasy series. After  a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time writing in 2009, and Awakening the Fire, the debut novel in her Guardian Witch series, was released in September 2012.  Ally still lives close to the Mighty Mississippi with her Miniature Pinscher, Ranger. When not writing or reading, she loves to travel in the US and abroad. Way too often she can be found on Twitter.

Contact links:

Website: http://allyshields.com

Blog: http://allyshields.com/blog.html

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShieldsAlly

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AllyShieldsAuthor

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527209.Ally_Shields

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allyshields

Thanks again, Charley, for allowing me to promo my book! If anyone has questions, I hope they’ll leave a comment or visit my website.

Anytime, Ally!  Happy Blitzing!

Guest Author: Elin Gregory!

Posted on by
11

Today you’re in for a real treat if you like pirates.  And who doesn’t?  I know I do, especially sexy gay pirates.  That’s why I’m thrilled to have the lovely Elin Gregory commandeer my blog today.  She’s brought some history and sandy beaches with her — and, of course, the pirates!

Many thanks to Charley for allowing me to take over her blog today.

One of the more interesting things about writing an adventure that takes a character on a long journey is choosing where the character goes, how he makes the trip and what the scene is when he arrives. I would have hated to sail with Kit in the cramped smelly fo’c’sle of a small sailing vessel but I have enjoyed looking at pictures of the places he visited on his travels.

Since the winter is getting me down a bit I thought I would share some images of the places in “On a Lee Shore”.

The story starts at a coffee house in London, at that point one of the largest cities in the world. Tea and coffee was too expensive for the ordinary man and the water was unsafe to drink. Alcohol killed many germs so if you wanted to stay healthy beer was the drink of choice, for young and old alike. As this print by Hogarth shows, the English took a great pride in their brew.

Beer Street by William Hogarth

 

From London Kit travelled to Portsmouth, the great naval port on the south coast.  From there the ships of the Royal Navy departed to cruise the seas defending England and her colonies. This picture shows a bunch of sailors having a last roister before setting off on their travels.

 Kit’s ship travelled south and west to the Canary Islands, a regular stopping off point to fill water casks and buy fresh fruit, vegetables and meat before the long and dangerous crossing of the Atlantic.

 Navigation in those days was purely on latitude. One could establish exactly how far north or south one had travelled, but how far east or west they were was still a matter of guesswork. It was with great relief that they arrived in Barbuda

 Tortuga is well known to people who are interested in pirates. The little island off the north coast of Haiti had become a buccaneer stronghold in the 17th century.

This beach on Carriacou was well visited by pirates because it was ideal for dragging their ships ashore to careen them.  This was necessary to rid the ships of weed that would slow her and the parasitical worms that if allowed to grow could riddle the timbers of a ship until she fell apart.

The final picture is of the coast near Kit’s home in Cornwall, with a sea almost as blue as the Caribbean though I know that the sea is terribly cold. Even so, while Carriacou is out of reach, a few hours driving would get me to Cornwall so I’m quite happy to settle for that as long as the sun shines.

 

~~~

18th century shenanigans on the high seas

On A Lee Shore

“Give me a reason to let you live…”

Beached after losing his ship and crew, and with England finally at peace, Lt Christopher Penrose will take whatever work he can get. A valet? Why not? Escorting an elderly diplomat to the Leeward Islands seems like an easy job, but when their ship is boarded by pirates, Kit’s world is turned upside down. Forced aboard the pirate ship, Kit finds himself juggling his honor with his desire to stay alive, not to mention his desire for the alarming–yet enticing–captain, known as La Griffe.

Kit has always obeyed the rules, but as the pirates plunder their way across the Caribbean, he finds much to admire in their freedom. He deplores their lawlessness but is drawn to their way of life, and begins to think he might just have found a purpose. Dare he dream of finding love too? Or would loving a pirate take him too far down the road to ruin?

Excerpt:

There was no question of standing to fight. Outgunned and outnumbered, the only thing the Hypatia could do was run. So run they did, the crew hurling themselves in all directions in response to the master’s shrieked orders.

Kit joined them, kicking off his shoes to scamper up the rigging. The wind tossed his hair across his face and plastered his shirt to his back as he raced Forrest to the top. A quick glance back made his breath catch. The two ships were coming apace, a brigantine much larger than Hypatia and the other, closer, sloop rigged with a huge spread of white sails. The black flags were more apparent now, and Kit’s heart raced as he edged along the footrope.

“Have a care, Mr. Penrose, sir,” Forrest said as he too reached the yard. “Go back down, sir, do!”

“I know what I’m about, thank you, Forrest,” Kit said, and when he leaned to reach the reef lines with as much agility as any of them, the man grinned and left him to it.

The sails filled with a crack, and the Hypatia met the next wave head on. Kit looked back at the pursuing sails, calculating distances and speeds. As he watched, the tan sails of the brigantine were obscured by a puff of white smoke. A relieved curse ripped from Forrest’s lips as a spout went up well astern.

“That’s it,” he said. “Them devils’ll not catch us now.”

They both whooped their approval, and Forrest shook a fist. “You’ve no fancy to be a pirate then, Forrest?” Kit said with a laugh.

“Me, sir? No fear, sir,” Forrest said. “There’s only one way that can end, and I’ve no desire to be turned off—God a’ mercy!”

A gun had boomed again, this time from the sloop. Forrest and Kit stared in horror at the wreckage of blood, flesh, and splinters that had exploded from where the master had been standing at the tiller. Hypatia shuddered and lurched, shaking Kit loose. For a sickening moment his legs swung free over the chaotic deck, before he hooked a toe into the footrope and clung to the yard to get his breath back. Below he could see Captain Dorling wringing his hands while Uttley hung over the stern, either retching or trying to see the damage.

Forrest cursed again. “He’s going to strike,” he muttered. “The captain’s going to strike.”

Kit envied Forrest the ease with which he swung hand over hand down the shroud. He followed, muscles protesting at the effort, jumped the last six feet, and ran aft.

The sloop and brigantine were approaching fast.

“Black flag,” Dorling shouted as Kit reached him, “so we have a chance. Strike the flag, strike it, I say. It’s La Griffe—once he flies the red flag there’s no mercy. Get the colors down, damn you.”

There was a shout from one of the hands as the tattered rag of black flapping from the brigantine’s main mast dipped and began to lower. On deck Kit could see a flash of red and gold, but Dorling was already scrambling to lower the ensign himself.

Buy Links:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
B&N
Kobo
All Romance eBooks

If you wish to follow Elin, she can be found on Facebook, Twitter and her blog.

Happy Valentine’s Day Sale!

Posted on by
Reply

All Romance eBooks is having a 50% off sale in honor of the holiday!

Look for the crown icon and get some hot reads for half price, including my debut novella!

CharleyDescoteaux_ComfortandJoy_200x300

Comfort and Joy by Charley Descoteaux

How much love does it take to heal the wounds of hate?

Sam and Charlie have been together over a decade, and their commitment to each other has only grown stronger through the years. But love is not always easy, and eighteen months after a violent assault, their fairy-tale relationship is still struggling. Charlie can’t shake the lingering fear of attracting more violence by displaying affection, and is angry at himself for not getting past it. Sam would do anything to help Charlie feel better—if only he knew what that was.

The century-old farmhouse in Northwest Oregon is the perfect place to spend the holidays with Sam’s family, but it was their refuge after the attack, and it still holds painful memories of those difficult first months. Christmas should be a joyful time, but even being surrounded by people who love him isn’t enough to make Charlie feel safe. He could try to keep to himself, but even if Sam agreed to give him the space he needs, Sam’s warm and loving family might not. And even though they agreed not to exchange gifts, Sam has a surprise up his sleeve that he hopes will make everything merry and bright. But he may end up more surprised than Charlie before the week is out…

My book cover links to ARe, and a steamy excerpt!

Don’t forget, half price means you can buy twice as many books.  That’s what I did!

Valentine’s Day Blog Hop!

Posted on by
55

Heartbreaker Button

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and to celebrate, over 300 bloggers are going to be talking about hot men and why we love them.  But that’s not all!  We’ll be hosting giveaways, because what would Valentine’s Day be without gifts?

Because Romance fans like to do things up big, we have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH and EVERY blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

 My giveaway is a $5 Amazon gift card and a chocolate bar from the wonderful Portland company, Moonstruck Chocolates! 

Their candy is To Die For, so I know you’ll love it!

Be sure to answer the question at the end of my post and leave your e-mail address to be entered for my prize and the Grand Prizes!  The first two Grand Prizes are International, but the Swag Pack and my giveaway are US only.

I had so much fun on the holiday hops, I’m back for Valentine’s Day.  Even though I love love (and chocolate!), V-Day isn’t a holiday I usually celebrate.  Maybe because I’m single, but that’s beside the point.  😉

Heartbreakers.  I have a fragile heart for a tough old broad, so it’s not easy for me to gauge what makes a heartbreaker in general terms.  Personally, I love a bad boy—they’re unpredictable and reckless and if you follow one you’re sure to get something you didn’t see coming.  I followed one for a while, he helped me misspend most of my youth and I still appreciate a surprise, as rare as they are.  As long as the thing you get isn’t a motorcycle crash at 75mph or a doctor with a serious expression saying “please sit down” when you already are—you’ll probably make it through your association with the bad boy-heartbreaker okay.

Even with my very breakable heart, I love heart -wrenching fiction.  My absolute favorites are stories that wring my heart out like a soggy kitchen sponge and leave me breathless.  Like true surprises in life, these books are rare.  Any author who can make me feel this way becomes an instant auto-buy; I’ll even pre-order if possible, so I can savor the anticipation of falling in love with characters I’m practically begging to break my heart.  So I guess it’s not a surprise that many of my stories deal with heart-wrenching themes.  Do I cry when I write?  Sometimes.  Not all of my stories are this intense, but I do hope at least once to make a reader feel the same way I do right before I add a new author to my auto-buy list.

My debut novella, Comfort and Joy, takes-on a heavy theme—recovering from violence—but I hope it’s as uplifting as it is heart-wrenching.

Which do you, as a reader, like better:  books that make you cry or books that make you laugh?

Leave me an answer in the comments, along with your e-mail address, for an entry in both drawings!

CharleyDescoteaux_ComfortandJoy_200x300I don’t know if Comfort and Joy will make you laugh or cry or both, but there’s only one way to find out!

Comfort and Joy by Charley Descoteaux

How much love does it take to heal the wounds of hate?

Sam and Charlie have been together over a decade, and their commitment to each other has only grown stronger through the years. But love isn’t always easy, and eighteen months after a violent assault, their fairy-tale relationship is still struggling. Charlie can’t shake the lingering fear of attracting more violence by displaying affection, and he’s angry at himself for not getting past it. Sam would do anything to help Charlie feel better—if only he knew what that was.

The century-old farmhouse in Northwest Oregon is the perfect place to spend the holidays with Sam’s family, but it was their refuge after the attack, and it still holds painful memories of those difficult first months. Christmas should be a joyful time, but even being surrounded by people who love him isn’t enough to make Charlie feel safe. He could try to keep to himself, but even if Sam agreed to give him the space he needs, Sam’s warm and loving family might not. And even though they agreed not to exchange gifts, Sam has a surprise up his sleeve that he hopes will make everything merry and bright. But he may end up more surprised than Charlie before the week is out…

Buy Links:  Amazon US, All Romance eBooks, Kobo

Don’t forget to hop on back to Carrie Ann’s site to visit another blogger, for more giveaways and more entries for the Grand Prizes!

Guest Author: Anne Lange!

Posted on by
2

Today fellow Etopian Ann Lange and I are trading blog spots!  She has a hot new book out–beware of the cover, once you see it you’ll want to jump in and spend the rest of the winter there.  Take it away, Anne!

Please talk to me.

I was wondering what to blog about when I got a text from my son who’s away at university.  My son isn’t a huge conversationalist, but I expect, as do most moms, that I deserve relatively intelligent responses to my quests for information, confirmation or assurance that all is well in his life while he’s out from under my watchful eye.

But what kind of response do I receive from my first born?  Here’s a few: yup, nope, alrighty, ya, sure , haha, and my absolute favourite (not) …. k.

Now, I’m quite certain he had ability to string a sentence together when he left home.  On the extremely rare occasion where he actually does it now, it will look something like this.

no problem and alrighty I hope it was 2 essays and I prepped them well and wrote them so I we’ll see depends on how hard he marks he emphasized quality and that’s not my strongest suit how ru

Apparently my kid never learned the basics of grammar or how to punctuate a sentence.  And ok, I tacked on that last question because one day I’m hoping he’ll actually text me first just to ask how I’m faring.  I will admit, I happened to see an email he prepared for a professor, and low and behold, he actually can write.  Phew.  I was worried I’d wasted the cost of a trip-around-the-world vacation on an education.

In all seriousness though, I sometimes wonder if technology today is helping or hurting our kids.  They’re on computers before they even start school. They rely on spell check, calculators, short forms and smiley face icons to complete their sentences. They can type faster with two thumbs than with all their fingers.   They talk to their friends via text messaging or through headsets attached to their X-box rather than picking up the phone.  And, sometimes the person they’re texting is actually sitting next to them. They communicate through social media or hand-held devices. Their dialogue is short and choppy. And they can’t do simple math in their head.  I actually remember standing in the check-out line one day and watched a young cashier struggle to make change from a $9.85 sale.  I gave her a $10 bill.

Thank God I can throw complete sentences together.  Check out my book Worth the Risk.  Below is the blurb, excerpt and the links to find my book and me. Hope you enjoy.  Thanks for having me Charley!  It’s been a blast…talk to you soon, k.

WorthTheRisk_ByAnneLange-200x300Worth the Risk by Anne Lange

Even the hottest sex might not be enough to ease the pain of the past…

Molly Simpson arrives at a beautiful provincial park, ready to spend the May Two-Four holiday camping with friends. This weekend is the highlight of her year—or it was, until Tanner Daivies showed up. Her high school crush is all grown up, sexy as sin, and he’s demanding answers—answers Molly isn’t sure she can give him. She had her reasons for leaving him all those years ago, but now, sex with Tanner is scorching, and when they’re together, it’s clear they were never meant to be apart. But the past doesn’t want to stay buried, and Molly isn’t sure reliving it is worth the risk…

Excerpt:

It was really him. Curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced back over her shoulder. Memories assaulted her as he removed his six-foot-plus frame from the car to stand in the center of the welcome circle. Her friends were all talking at him, their voices filled with excitement. Judging by his glazed expression, their reaction left him a little overwhelmed.

Ten years. She rubbed her chest, thinking back to the invisible ache that had bothered her earlier on the drive here. She’d struggled the entire two hours to keep her focus on the road and not on painful memories from her past.

She flexed her fingers. Maybe the cause of her earlier distress was the fact that this year served as a milestone. Ten years since graduation, ten years since she last saw Tanner, and ten years since…fuck. When did she start counting? Molly searched the area for possible escape routes.

Colleen’s gentle shake brought her back to the moment. “Brad texted me earlier and said he took the afternoon off. He also said he was bringing a surprise with him. He’s been dating somebody new. I just assumed—”

“Um…yeah. I wouldn’t have expected Brad’s surprise to be Tanner either. It…ah…caught me off guard. That’s—” Oh, crap. “I just need a few minutes.”

“You’ve got no color in your face. I’m sure it will be OK. Awkward, yes, but probably fine.”

Molly’s heart palpitated. Colleen’s mouth moved, but the buzz in her ears drowned out the words. She swallowed hard. Air, she needed air.

“Besides, the others won’t let him cause a scene. You’re the one we’ve stayed close to over the years, not him. Our allegiance is to you, honey.”

Molly swung her gaze to where her childhood friends had gathered around the car, effectively pinning Tanner against it. Sam and Olivia, a couple since they were in diapers, were married now, and both glowed like beacons.

Violet, a transplant from Toronto when her parents divorced, hovered close, waiting for her turn to say hi.

Brad and Tanner had been best friends through grade school and high school. Brad had been pissed when Tanner left town without a word to anyone. Looked as though he got over it.

Molly had never told anybody why she and Tanner broke up. She’d stressed over it at the time, deflecting comments from friends about him disappearing days before graduation. She hated the thought of being subjected to the pity she’d see on their faces if they knew the truth. Everybody just assumed the breakup had been his doing. She never corrected them, just implied she’d agreed with his decision.

Colleen’s words began to cut through the insistent noise. Molly nodded. “Thank you. That means more to me than you know.” Unshed tears burned her eyes. She opened her mouth and sucked in a shaky breath, but at least she had oxygen in her lungs now. “You’re right. It will be…fine.” She gulped. “Why don’t you go over and say hi?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m going to wait here for a few more minutes.” She began calculating the odds of sneaking past her friends and making a quick getaway before any of them noticed. She made a mental note to back her car in next time.

“OK.” Colleen gave her a final squeeze and walked over to join the others.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Molly closed her eyes, wishing for a paper bag. A really big one. She so did not need this in her life right now.

BIO:

Anne Lange grew up with a love of reading. In fact, if you take a close look, she’s got a book with her where ever she goes, and will usually sneak in at least a chapter or ten whenever she can spare a few minutes. She reads many genres of fiction, but prefers to write sexy romance with attractive men, strong females, and always a happily ever after.

While embarking on a career as a romance author, Anne juggles a full time job and a family. She grew up in Southern Ontario (Canada), but now makes her home in Eastern Ontario where she lives with her husband, three children, and Rocky, the bearded dragon.

Buy Worth the Risk here:
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance Ebooks

Kobo

Find Anne here:

Web Page/Blog: http://authorannelange.com/

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneLange

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Anne_Lange

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Anne_Lange

e-mail: anne_lange66@yahoo.ca

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/anne_lange

 

Check out my post on Anne’s blog here.

 

 

A moment to reflect

Posted on by
4

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bkdc/908991914/

Last year I worked up the courage to submit a story in a new genre – M/M Erotic Romance.  My debut M/M Erotic Romance novella was released on December 17 so I thought, it being January and all, I’d take a moment to reflect.  It’s a good habit to get into – taking a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come, even (especially?) when we’re still not quite where we’d like to be.

Last August I volunteered my way into a writer’s conference and found the kick in the pants I’d been looking for to get serious about writing again.  I’d been unemployed for almost two months and a lot had happened in that relatively short time (but I won’t bore you with that here).  So I wrote Comfort and Joy, and after only one rejection signed a contract with Etopia Press!  That was super exciting, and prompted me to venture into the wild world of social media.  I never thought I’d do that, but a few months later I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and seven (yes, 7!) Yahoo groups!  I’m not the most talkative gal out there, but I’m there.

Strangely enough, I owe a lot of this new activity to one of my favorite characters, Charlie Price.  He’s one of the main characters in Comfort and Joy and we’ve worked through our pain together to a good end.  A large part of the inspiration for him was my recovery from an accident which, over the course of about two years, involved a lot of trips to many different specialists and all the emotions that go along with daily physical pain.  The experience changed the way I see the world, and myself.  Not the least of which seems to be expecting more and more, and more quickly to boot!

I’ll keep myself from going on to goals for the coming year.  I’m having too much fun basking in my successes just now, and the sweet feeling that we can never really know where we’ll end up when we take that first step.

What highlights from 2012 are you taking the time to appreciate?

xphoto credit: bkdc via photopin cc

Six more sentences from Comfort and Joy!

Posted on by
8

6SentenceSundayIt’s been a few weeks so it’s time Sam and Charlie made another appearance on 6SS.

 

We’re in Charlie’s head here, the morning after the boys arrive at Sam’s family home.  Sam’s oldest sister, Frannie, surprises them in the bathroom and snaps a picture while they’re shaving.  She directs another pose or two, and the line below is hers.

“Do I have to do all the work here? You know the shot I want.”

Sam put his razor down and took Charlie in his arms. Normally Charlie loved it when he did that: whisked him into his arms, bent him backward at just the right angle and planted a Hollywood ending kiss on his lips. So why did he feel like pushing away and running into a dark room for a good cry? Sam had made it to the “going in for the kiss” part when he stopped and let Charlie up, giving him a quick peck on the lips instead.

Thanks for dropping in!  Click the banner above to return to the list and zip on to the next Six.

Find out what happens next in Comfort and Joy, available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and All Romance eBooks!

New Year’s Blog Hop!!

Posted on by
92

Another year is over! Can you believe it? Well we authors, readers, and bloggers sure can’t. And to celebrate the New Year with bang, we’re going crazy and sending out so many prizes, fun parties, experiences, and other goodies, that it’s a bit scary. Each author has a favorite New Year memory, book, idea, or way to party and we’re going to show you! Can’t wait to see you January 1st – 6th!

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways, each hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that’s not all….

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

 Now what are those prizes?

 1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

 I’ll be giving away two $5 gift cards to Amazon or All Romance eBooks – winner’s choice! Just answer my question and leave your e-mail address for entries to my contest and for chances at the Grand Prizes! All prizes except the swag pack are International!  🙂

Happy New Year!

The holidays are a time to get together with family and friends, to celebrate the ties that bind us all together.  I don’t have a large family, and we’re spread out far and wide, but the branch I’ve always identified with the most has an origin story, so I thought I’d share some of it with you.

My grandmother’s grandmother was born in Quebec in the mid-nineteenth century, and to protect the guilty (me) I’ll call her Marie.  For reasons I doubt anyone really knows (although many have speculated), Marie didn’t want to stay in Quebec.  So, strong French Canadian woman that she was, she walked away from it.  Literally.  She ended up in village in Upstate New York, where some of her descendants still live (which is the only reason I’m not naming it—to spare them the knowledge that another of her descendants is a shameless smut-pusher ;)).  She ended up working for a Mohawk family—which, if she was anything at all like me, amused her greatly—and married one of the sons.

By the time my Grammie was raising my mom and her siblings, speaking French in this village meant you were from the wrong side of the tracks.  Since she’d descended from Marie, Grammie’s only choices were to keep her children from learning French or personally smack down everyone who called them trash.  Even though I’m sure she could’ve managed it quite well (as a few Catholic school nuns could attest) she just didn’t have the time, so they were only allowed to speak English.

One of the main characters in my novella Comfort and Joy, Sam, is part Mohawk, but he and much of his family actually look it.  I’m pretty sure the only place I show any of my Mohawk blood is on my face—my nose to be precise—so I didn’t write much about Sam’s family for a long time, except through the eyes of his blond and blue-eyed mother.  But the older I get the less I care whether someone thinks I have the right to tell a particular story.  It also took me many years to accept my Mohawk nose but now I dig it, partly because my Grammie had one just like it but also because it ties me to Marie.  I love my badass ancestor—she could’ve stayed where she was and made the best of whatever situation she found herself in, but she made her own way.  And so, with ever-changing levels of success, am I.

That’s my origin story, what’s yours?

This isn’t Sam’s origin story, but it’s shorter and much sexier.

CharleyDescoteaux_ComfortandJoy_200x300Comfort and Joy by Charley Descoteaux

How much love does it take to heal the wounds of hate?

Sam and Charlie have been together over a decade, and their commitment to each other has only grown stronger through the years. But love isn’t always easy, and eighteen months after a violent assault, their fairy-tale relationship is still struggling. Charlie can’t shake the lingering fear of attracting more violence by displaying affection, and he’s angry at himself for not getting past it. Sam would do anything to help Charlie feel better—if only he knew what that was.

The century-old farmhouse in Northwest Oregon is the perfect place to spend the holidays with Sam’s family, but it was their refuge after the attack, and it still holds painful memories of those difficult first months. Christmas should be a joyful time, but even being surrounded by people who love him isn’t enough to make Charlie feel safe. He could try to keep to himself, but even if Sam agreed to give him the space he needs, Sam’s warm and loving family might not. And even though they agreed not to exchange gifts, Sam has a surprise up his sleeve that he hopes will make everything merry and bright. But he may end up more surprised than Charlie before the week is out…

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure and comment for a chance at all the fabulous prizes and the click the pic below to keep hopping! #2013Hop

Happy New Year!

Floral Background in Black and Gold Colors