Once Written, Twice Shy: June 2014

FABULOUS FIRSTS with... Allie Boniface

The first few sentences of...

BEACON OF LOVE

One of the 10 novels in the Passionate Kisses boxed set (see photo to left)

Just 99 cents and available now!

Sophie picked up her notepad and looked over the points she’d jotted earlier in the day. Her driver slowed the car to a crawl as rain poured down around them, dark and heavy, the thick, eggy kind of drops that thudded ominously against everything they hit and sounded as though they might turn to hail at any moment.

Reason for the murders?
Lights or voices or both?
Woman on the beach?

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT ALLIE

Tell me about the first novel you ever wrote? What ever happened to it?

Actually, the first novel I ever completed, back in 2007, was published by a small press under the title Lost in Paradise. It’s a story about a fresh Harvard grad whose family is embroiled in scandal, so she moves to the small town of Paradise, New Hampshire, for a summer and takes on an alias so she can escape the media circus. She moves into the upstairs apartment of a rental house…and our hero, the very sexy, single uber-bachelor of Paradise, moves in downstairs. First Ashton and Eddie become friends…they then become more…then Ashton’s secret is uncovered. Last year, I got the rights to this story back, added a couple of chapters, and re-released it as The Promise of Paradise – which also happens to be the prequel to the Hometown Heroes series! And the very sexy, single uber-bachelor Eddie is still my favorite hero to date.

Tell me about your very first kiss?

Oh, sigh. My first (real) kiss was with a guy I had an enormous crush on in high school. I was at a party and my date had deserted me to talk to his ex-girlfriend, so my crush took me home…only we didn’t go home first. We went parking. Enough said. I almost missed my curfew that night, but it was worth it!

If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d buy?

A plane ticket to London! I love to travel, and have been to some fantastic places both in the United States and abroad, but one place that’s still on my bucket list is London, England. I mean, when you’re an English teacher and a writer like I am, you practically have British roots in your blood. I’m dying to visit the home of Shakespeare, Dickens and Austen, among others.

More about Allie: Allie was born and raised in a tiny community in upstate New York, which probably explains her fascination with the magic of small town life. She earned her B.A. in English from the University of Rochester in New York and a M.A. in English Literature from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1997, she has enjoyed life in the northern NYC suburbs, where she lives with her husband and teaches English and Education to high school students. In her spare time, she and her husband love to travel.

Allie writes sensual contemporary romance, reads in all genres and loves chatting with other readers and writers about any topic under the sun. You can find her around the Web, at writers' conferences, giving workshops, swapping stories, and generally chatting about romance writing. Allie loves stories set in small towns and is a firm believer in the power of love and the emotions that connect us all!

You can find Allie online here:

Website: www.allieboniface.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorAllieBoniface
Twitter: @AllieBoniface1

FABULOUS FIRSTS with... Jessi Gage

The first few sentences of... RECKLESS

One of the 10 novels in the new boxed set,

PASSIONATE KISSES, just 99 cents! (see the cover to the left)

Cami rang Mr. Johansen’s doorbell for the third time. Through the screen door, she heard him turn up the TV. For the third time.

Stifling a chuckle, she squinted through the dusty screen. The angle of the August sun made it impossible to see much of anything in the shag-carpeted living room beyond.

Passionate Kisses boxed set is available now!

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT JESSI

Who was your first love?

Kirk Cameron. I mean look at that face! I was smitten with

him in Growing Pains. Thinking I was all sly, I even joined his sister Candace’s fan club, hoping that maybe, somehow it would result in a chance meeting with Kirk. I know, I know. Stupid. But that’s teenage logic for you!

What’s the first thing you do after you wake up in the morning (other than using the restroom LOL)?
Right now it’s summer vacation for my kindergartener, and I’m letting her and her 3yo brother go to bed a bit later than usual. Because I’m not setting the alarm to drive my girl to school, it’s usually one of my kids that wakes me up. I’m not going to lie; hugging my kids first thing in the morning is pretty sweet. Talk about starting the day off right!

What’s the first thing you do when you start reading a new book? (ie: read the back cover blurb again or the inside front cover, the acknowledgments, the last page, etc)

My Kindle always starts me out on the first page of the book, but I always, always go back to look at the cover. A great cover is just such an integral part of the reading experience

for me. Some of my favorite covers feature emotion. Whether it’s tenderness, passion, angst, trepidation… I love emotional covers. Here's one of my favorites right now:

More about Jessi: Jessi lives with her husband and children in the Seattle area. She’s a passionate reader of all genres of romance, especially anything involving the paranormal. Ghosts, demons, vampires, witches, weres, faeries...you name it, she’ll read it. As for writing, she's sticking to Highlanders and contemporaries with a paranormal twist (for now). The last time she imagined a world without romance novels, her husband found her crouched in the corner, rocking.

You can find her online here:

FABULOUS FIRSTS with...Kylie Gilmore

The first few sentences of...

THE OPPOSITE OF WILD

One of the 10 novels in the new boxed set,

PASSIONATE KISSES, just 99 cents! (see the cover to the left)

Ryan O’Hare sat at the swank bar of the Four Seasons Hotel New York, the beer in front of him untouched, as he kept an eye on his mark. The short, bald man in a suit at the other end of the bar hadn’t ordered yet, and his eyes nervously scanned the lobby. Ryan’s phone vibrated. He glanced at the number, his younger brother Travis. Not now. I’m waiting for the money shot.

Available now at the following ebook retailers:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1l3LMoZ
Nook: http://bit.ly/1lKhoUM
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1yDkj7y
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1pttGAT
All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/1sy5DpM
Google Play: http://bit.ly/TmEOoE

FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT KYLIE

What was the first romance you ever read?
Kathleen Woodiwiss’ The Flame and The Flower. I was 15 and it was eye-opening indeed! I still love that book and was lucky enough to get to meet Kathleen at a romance writers conference. She was so inspiring and happy to answer the newbie questions I asked. I swear I’ll return the favor someday to another newbie in need of direction!

What’s the first thing you do when you start writing a new story?

First I’m looking around for character pictures to inspire me. Next is a playlist matched to the mood of the story. And, finally, I make a storyboard blocking out the scenes on Post-It notes. Then comes the hard part…writing the first draft. Give me revisions any day.

What’s the first thing you do when you start reading a new book? (ie: read the back cover blurb again or the inside front cover, the acknowledgments, the last page, etc)
I’m all about the back cover blurb, then I read the first page. If those are good, I’ll read the whole thing. Note to self: make sure your cover blurb and first page grab the reader. Honestly, I can spend a week on that blurb and work the most on the first chapter. So, so important.

More about Kylie: Kylie Gilmore was lucky enough to discover romance novels at a young age as they were strewn all over the house (thanks, Mom!). She writes quirky, tender romance with a solid dose of humor. Her Clover Park series

features the O’Hare brothers, three guys you’d definitely have a drink with and maybe a little more.

Kylie lives in New York with her family, two cats, and a nutso dog. When she’s not writing, wrangling kids, or dutifully taking notes at writing conferences, you can find her flexing her muscles all the way to the high cabinet for her secret chocolate stash.

You can find her online here:

http://www.kyliegilmore.com
https://twitter.com/KylieGilmoreToo
https://www.facebook.com/KylieGilmoreToo
https://www.goodreads.com/KylieGilmore

FABULOUS FIRSTS with...Sydney Holmes

The first few lines of...AWAKENING

One of the 10 novels in the new boxed set,

PASSIONATE KISSES, just 99 cents! (see the cover to the left)

Jack London’s is crowded and we all squeeze into a table

near the back. We’re far from the bar, but close to the bathroom, so I guess it works out.

Carrie, Joanne, Willow, and I are here with Sophia to celebrate her 24th birthday. We all met at Stanford; Joanne, Sophia, and I were starry-eyed freshmen and Carrie and Willow were sophomore roommates giving us the lowdown on college life. Even back then, Sophia was a cute, whip smart, blonde with an athletic body. Not much has changed over the years.

Available now as part of the
Passionate Kisses boxed set, just 99 cents!!!

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1l3LMoZ
Nook: http://bit.ly/1lKhoUM
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1yDkj7y
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1pttGAT
All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/1sy5DpM
Google Play: http://bit.ly/TmEOoE

* * * * *

FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT SYDNEY

What was the first Rated R movie you ever saw?

The first movie I ever saw in a theater was actually an R rated movie called Silent Scream – a horror flick from back in the eighties. It was terrible. I don’t remember much, but girls in their underwear wandering around at night and then getting slashed to bits. Ugh, I couldn’t believe it , and it took years before I could go back to the theatre.

What’s the first thing you do after you wake up in the morning (other than using the restroom LOL)?

I usually wake up to a hot steamy cup of coffee that my husband brings me. Even though these days I’m off of caffeine, I still need that first cup to function. And yes, I’m that lucky; my husband is so awesome he brings me coffee in bed every morning!

What was the first meal you made for your significant other?

I had just moved into this tiny apartment, I think they called it a studio. I wanted to impress him with my domestic skills (Um, for the record I don’t have any of those.) Not wanting to over reach, I made burritos thinking that was safe enough, I mean what could go wrong with burritos? The cheese wasn’t melting fast enough and I was getting anxious so I put the oven on broil. The next thing I know flames are licking out the oven doors. He reached in – with an oven mitt - and pulled out the pan; both burritos had flames shooting out of them! Dinner’s ready honey!!

More about Sydney:

Sydney Holmes writes contemporary romance with an erotic flair, or as she likes to say, “Hot and spicy romance that keeps you up at night!” She believes there is nothing more exciting than reading a hot, sexy story about two people searching for themselves and getting lost in each other. Sydney found her HEA with her wonderful husband and they now have two amazing children. She graduated from The George Washington University with a BS in Political Science and holds a Master’s Degree in Education. She lives near the ocean in California and travels as often as she can.

You can find her online here:
www.SydneyHolmes.com

www.facebook.com/sydneyholmesauthor.com

FABULOUS FIRSTS with...Victoria Barbour

The first few sentences of...

21st CENTURY RAKE

One of the 10 novels in the new boxed set,

PASSIONATE KISSES, just 99 cents! (see the cover to the left)

Asher Corbin turned side on and sized himself up in the cheval mirror. This was a good look for him. The black jacket fit like a glove, as did the dove grey waistcoat. The cut of the pants was tight, even by today's skinny jeans standard. And the high boots were simply wicked.

Available now at Amazon!

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT VICTORIA

What was the first romance you ever read?

Wow. That’s hard. I was digging into my grandmother’s romance novels from a pretty early age. But I think the first one I can remember is “Forever Amber” by Kathleen Winsor. I loved that book. The grittiness. The plague. The desperation of Amber to become something. Her willful use of her sexuality to try and change her lot in life. Her heartbreak. The King and the court. His little King Charles Cavalier Spaniels. I remember so much of that book even though it’s been years since I’ve read it.

What was your first date with your significant other?

I love our first date. I met my husband at a party on campus. I was a mature student who was taking university very seriously. He came to the party with a friend. For about two weeks he tried to get me to go out with him but it was exam time so I wouldn’t. During that time I was working the night shift at my parent’s restaurant which doesn’t close until 3 am. He called me at work and asked me out that night. I told him I didn’t get off until 3. He didn’t care. “I’ll stay awake,” he said. As luck would have it, I got delayed and wasn’t able to meet him until closer to 4 am. We met at a local 24 hour coffee shop. He had hot chocolate and I had coffee, of course. We talked and talked and talked. When we left the coffee shop we talked more outside, sitting on a picnic table in the cold Newfoundland dark you can only feel in April. I still remember the neon green sign of the local hardward store shining down. Finally as it neared 7, I told him I had to go home. I was doing Easter bunny duty for my cousins who were staying with us. The entire drive home we chatting on our cell phones and I recall sitting in the driveway till almost 8, still talking. It was sweet and romantic and as I walked into the house, instead of feeling like I was doing the walk of shame (which I’d done plenty of in my life) I felt as if I’d met someone who was real, and kind, and totally worth talking to for hours on end for the rest of my life.

Who was your first grade teacher? Any funny/interesting memories?

My first grade teacher was a lovely woman named Rosemary Ryan. I remember being terrified of her at first. She had a very minor physical disability. But she was sweet and encouraging. My best memory of her was when she brought in a newspaper and asked how many kids knew what this was. (Oh, I should say for the record that I went to an all-girls school so there were no naughty boys around to hamper our intellectual development. But there were plenty of naughty girls!) Anyway, as she explains to the class what a news paper is –this was 1981- some kids admit to looking at the comics. Myself and my friend admit to reading the paper. Miss Ryan didn’t believe us and had us come up in front of the class and read a bit of the paper, thus proving that we could indeed read at a higher level than she gave us credit for. I think it was after that that my reading assignments also got more difficult.

More about Victoria: Victoria lives on the island of Newfoundland, and is fiercely proud of her home. She can imagine no better setting for her Heart’s Ease series of contemporary romances, and hopes that her readers will one day come to witness Newfoundland and Labrador's rustic beauty for themselves.

She was born in St. John's, and raised above her family's fish and chips restaurant. She has traveled and lived in other parts of Canada, but chose to make her home where her heart has long resided. Victoria has a degree in History from Memorial University of Newfoundland, with a minor in Newfoundland Studies. The only thing that stands between her and a Master's degree in History from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia is her thesis. She has a background in broadcast journalism, advertising, and marketing. She is a proud member of both the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and their affiliate chapter, Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada (RWAC).

Victoria counts herself lucky to be surrounded by an incredibly supportive family, and thanks her husband daily for his unerring faith in her, and for being a wonderful father to their infant son.

You can find Victoria online here:

http://victoriabarbour.com

https://www.facebook.com/victoriabarbourromance

Twitter: @vickibarabour

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7124216.Victoria_Barbour

FABULOUS FIRSTS with...Liz Kelly

The first few sentences of...GOOD COP

One of the 10 novels in the new boxed set,

PASSIONATE KISSES, just 99 cents! (see the cover to the left)

Brooks Bennett ran a hand through his short copper curls and blew out a long breath as he studied his surroundings. Their favorite college haunt seemed smaller and dingier,
though the same stale smells of cooking grease and spilled beer lingered. They’d celebrated their College World Series win right here almost seven years ago. Seven years. Fucking A.

Available now as part of the

PASSIONATE KISSES boxed set.

Just 99 cents for TEN full-length novels

All Romance eBooks

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT LIZ

Who was your first love? Jack Lynch. We were 13 and it was a summer romance. He walked me home. Slow danced with me. Held hands. So romantic. (Still great friends to this day.)

What was the first romance you ever read? The Flame and The Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was in 10th grade when Carla Christiansen leaned over during English class and whispered, “I’m reading a book. It has sex in it.” I went home that night and told my mother we need to get that book. She had heard of it too so she sent my father to the bookstore on his way home from work to get both The Flame and The Flower along with The Wolf and The Dove. And he did! (He’s also my biggest fan.) Ooooh, they were so good, I was hooked on romance for the rest of my life!

What was your first date with your significant other? “Disco Dance” party in college. Had to dress up and it was a sorority function so I had to ask him to it. Turned out well!

More about Liz

Growing up every summer in a place where dancing and romancing are literally part of its theme song, Liz Kelly can't help but be a romantic at heart. A graduate of Wake Forest University, where she met her golf-addicted

husband, (who is now sporting dark glasses everywhere he goes) Liz is a mother of two sons (also sporting dark glasses) and a miniature Labradoodle. They live in the Fountain of Youth, a.k.a. Naples, FL where dancing and romancing continues on ad infinitum.

You can learn even more about Liz on her website:

www.LizKellyBooks.com

Q & A with author Dominique Eastwick

Thanks for being here today, Dominique. Would you

please share a short bio about yourself?
First thank you so much for hosting me today. My name is Dominique Eastwick and I am a multi-genre romance writer whose books tend to be on the spicy side. But the love story has to be first and foremost for the story to work. I live in Raleigh NC with my husband two teenage boys, a lazy cat and a very crazy lab. When I am not writing, my favorite place to be is behind the lens of my camera. (Note: see some of her photos in this post.)

Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?

It all depends on the situation. I am shy in big groups where I know no one. But once I know you I am not what anyone would call shy. I don’t like to be the center of attention unless I am with friends or if I have to do a speech on something I am both passionate about or feel I am confident enough on the subject. I don’t think anyone would call me introverted though.

In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered

your writing career?

It hinders me in marketing. So many authors have no issue in jumping right in and saying Hi, I am a writer. This is my book, buy it. I tend to ease to the side of the room.

In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?

I listen and watch people. So I get ideas from those around me.

What’s the hardest part of this business for you?

I’m extremely dyslexic so writing is slow and editing is tedious for my editors. I am lucky that I have great ones.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?

I did my first author meet and greet. It’s always scary to sit there hoping someone will talk to you.

What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?

Take a deep breath and walk over to someone and talk. Go to cons with someone outgoing and let them know you need help meeting people.

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?

The Marquis and the Mistress (Book 2 in the House of Lords Series)--Lord Simon James Winston, seventh Marquis of Breckinridge, can have anything he wants, except the woman he loves. After Chandra, his lover of two years, spurns his marriage offer, he does his best to forget her. When friends discussed the services of Madame Eve one night over cards, it seems like just the thing to get him over his heartbreak.

Mrs. Chandra Mallory wants nothing more than to marry her lord, but deep-hidden secrets threaten to destroy that dream. On a whim, the widow calls on the services of Madame, hoping a night of passion can help her move on.

Can one evening heal past hurts and concerns and help a marquis and his mistress realize true love is always worth the chance?