Juggling between Edits, Writing, Blog Tour, and Publishing…oh yeah, and Puppies

I spent hours yesterday getting Kissing the Highlander ready for preorders and it’s up now at Kobo and Smashwords. Amazon to follow.

Kissing the Highlander final (438x640)
Five new Highland novellas by Bestselling Authors of Highland romances that will delight with mystery, intrigue, romance, drama and much more! From the authors who have provided countless hours of reading pleasure so that fans can slip away to the past and live among all those hot Highlanders.

His Wild Highland Lass by Terry Spear
The Highlander’s Charm by Eliza Knight
Heart of Stone by Willa Blair
Kilts and Kisses by Victoria Roberts
My Captive Highlander by Vonda Sinclair

His Wild Highland Lass by Terry Spear

Lady Sorcha Barclay fled her brother-in-law’s castle because of his unwanted advances. An awe-inspiring circle of standing stones captures her attention and she captures the attention of the laird who owns the land.

Laird Ronan Daziel takes Sorcha to his castle to protect her and give her a home. Before long, he wants much more. He’s duty-bound to take a wife whose clan wishes an alliance with his. So why does he long to have something more? Everyone loves the lass as much as he does. But he has pledged his loyalty to his clan. Taking Sorcha to wife could lead to battle on several fronts. How can he wed another when she stole his heart from the first moment he laid eyes on her near the ancient standing stones on his lands?

The Highlander’s Charm by Eliza Knight

They should be enemies… But passion and love know no bounds.
Returning from battle to England, Samuel de Mowbray discovers that his two younger sisters have been stolen by Highlanders. Determined to save them from vicious warriors, he convinces the king to send him north. While there, he discovers that his loyalties are wavering and that a headstrong, feisty lass could destroy everything he believes.

Catriona Buchanan must travel north to ask for help in saving her brother and ridding her castle of brutal English knights. Unfortunately, to do so, she must trust in the thing she mistrusts the most—an Englishman. Minute by minute, the man who should be her enemy breaks down her defenses. There is something different about him and she can’t help but be captivated by Samuel, and his steamy kisses.

Heart of Stone by Willa Blair

Riding home after two years away, Gavan MacNabb encounters a lass and her deerhound in a moonlit circle of standing stones. Little does he know the garland of bluebells she weaves and the spell she sings will change the course of his life.

Marsali Murray doesn’t really believe the old wives’ tale that making a chain of bluebells by the standing stones under a waxing moon will bring true love, but she’s desperate to try anything to escape the boring, everlasting sameness of her life.

Gavan has already seen much of the world denied to Marsali. He’s ready to settle down. She is eager to spread her wings. Can they find what they need with each other?

Kilts and Kisses by Victoria Roberts

Since the deaths of her parents, Ceana Gunn has lived in the shadow of her uncle and his family. She wants nothing more than to see her clan the way it was when her father was still laird. But her uncle has other ideas. Ceana soon discovers that the only refuge to be found is in the last place she expects—the arms of her enemy.

Luthais MacKay wants to be left alone. His only interest is training his prized hawks. He certainly doesn’t have time to listen to the petty squabbling of his clan when his father travels to Edinburgh and leaves him in charge. But when Luthais discovers a mysterious woman on his lands, he’s determined to unravel her secrets…one layer at a time.

My Captive Highlander by Vonda Sinclair

Can unexpected passion and a little ancient magic turn enemies into lovers?

During a fierce storm on the west coast of Scotland, Shamus MacKenzie barely survives a galley wreck only to be captured and held for ransom by the enemy MacDonalds. Aided by the gift of second sight, Maili MacDonald, sister of the ruthless chief, senses the handsome, dark-haired stranger will somehow be important in her life. Compelled to help him, she insists on providing him food and a healer to see to his injuries. She knows she is daft to fall in love with this captivating warrior after one forbidden kiss but cannot help herself. With each visit from Maili, Shamus finds his thoughts consumed by the enchanting lass. Can he convince her to help him escape the dungeon and prevent the impending battle between the two clans?

BUY LINKS:
Kobo
Smashwords, which includes Barnes and Noble (because they don’t have preorders available except via Smashwords) and Apple/Ibooks

It will also be out in print!

But you know you have to have glitches. So for whatever reason when I tried to convert the docx in Jutoh to epub/etc, the chapter headings didn’t show up on two of the authors’ works. Have no idea why not. They are formatted exactly the same as all the other chapter headings. Anyway, so it’s a total pain and I’ll have to probably go in this morning and manually book mark the links. That’s why I love Jutoh so much. It does it automatically, no mistakes, normally and it’s done.

So Amazon’s will take a while longer.

Because: I got SEAL Wolf Hunting back for final copyedits. I’ll have one more final proof to go over after this. And I will be getting first edits on Silver Wolf Christmas next. And I received two more blog requests for Jaguar Pride’s release on Feb 3. And I only wrote 300 words of 2500 on SEAL Wolf Diving for Trouble. argh.

I really need to get 2500 done a day. With so much to do on the other stuff, Amazon formatting, finishing up SEAL Wolf Hunting, NEED to proof the audiobook on Call of the Cougar, which has been on the backburner now for about four days, bought another book cover (did I ever mention I’m a book cover hoarder, but it was so neat!) and that means figuring out a title, tagline, etc, etc, etc, write the 2 blogs, including this one and another this morning, and now write 4700 words today on SEAL Wolf Diving for Trouble.

And then there are the puppies. Well, they got me up at 4 am, so the routine is they go to sleep in my lap so I can write, for an hour or two. They don’t get to eat until 7 or 8, but that means as soon as they wake, it’s time to potty again. *sigh* The adventures of puppyhood. Luckily, they’re not having accidents, and they’re not chewing on things they shouldn’t, for the most part. I caught Tanner with two of my socks yesterday.

Max is wearing a cone to keep him from chewing on his stitches from being neutered. He’s been grouchy with Tanner, partly because Tanner keeps grabbing his Elizabethan collar and tugging. But I think he might just not feel well either. So I’ve been trying to keep them separate to chew on chewsticks so Max has more time to rest up.
Tanner and Max conehead 004 (640x427)

Okay, got to get to work.

Have a super wonderful and fun…Saturday?

Wow, the time is galloping away!

Do you ever feel that way? That when you want to do something, take a trip to the islands, or something great like finishing the week of work and you’re OFF, that it takes forever to get there? But if you have a deadline or multiple deadlines looming, the time flies? It’s like if I leave early for an appointment, I hit every green light and have no traffic and am there even earlier than planned, then have to sit and wait. But if I’m running late? Yep, you guessed it….I get behind the tractor trailer traveling 15 mph in the no passing zone, hit every red light and get stuck behind every Sunday driver.

Funny how life works that way. :)

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
http://www.terryspear.com
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website:
http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears
http://www.celticbears.com

Do You Believe In Past Lives?

As I got home from my weekly Tai Chi class yesterday, I had a strange thought. Why do I like this Chinese martial art so much? It’s meditative and centering, but is that the reason? I'm not Chinese, but when I lived in California, I took 10 years’ worth of Chinese Brush painting lessons, falling in love with the intricacies of its fine line style of painting with watercolor, and the stark black ink of calligraphy. Does my penchant for these two distinct disciplines possibly mean I was Chinese in a previous life?

Does the fact I will NEVER take a cruise mean that I drowned in a previous lifetime? I’m deathly afraid of water; I can’t even be out of my depth in a pool without freaking out. Heck, as a girl I never even wanted to learn how to swim! I once won a free cruise to the Bahamas and never even claimed the prize.

What makes one person like the color red better than the color blue? Or prefer the driving beat of rock music more than classical music or jazz? Or fall in love with one person and not another?

In the second book of my slightly-futuristic Tau Cetus Chronicles erotic romance series, Programmed To Protect, police agent Leith Wyatt falls in love with a Beautiful Doll sex robot named Ginger. Not for the incredible physical satisfaction she gives him, but for the person she is. You could say he loves her software, despite her hardware. She’s a woman, and he’s a man. End of discussion. Readers have given me wonderful feedback on the believability of Leith & Ginger’s unique relationship, and that’s the best compliment any author could hope for!

So… just exactly what is it inside of us that dictates our preferences? Do you believe in past lives influencing our current ones, or are today’s choices ours alone? It’s an interesting question. What do you think?

Jenna



My Wild Highlander Audio Book

The audio book for My Wild Highlander is almost ready to be released to Audible, Amazon and iTunes. Here is a five minute sample. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!!

 

Lady Angelique Drummagan, a half-Scottish, half-French countess, has suffered much pain and betrayal in her past. She wants nothing to do with the sensual Scottish warrior that the king has ordered her to marry because the rogue could never be a faithful husband, but she has little choice in the matter. Dangerous, greedy enemies threaten her from all sides and she’s in dire need of his protection.

Sir Lachlan MacGrath, known as Seducer of the Highlands, possesses a charming wickedness and canny wit which has earned him much popularity. After the king decrees that he wed the fiery hellion, Lachlan discovers there is one woman who can resist him—Angelique. Can he break through her icy façade and melt her heart, or will the dark secrets lurking in her past not only cost them their future together, but their very lives?

Vonda

Series it Is!

After last week's post, I realized that series is the way to go. I also realized that just because a book is a part of a series, doesn't mean it isn't an awesome, standalone book on it's own. So now that that's settled...did you know I have two series right now? One erotic romance series is complete. My contemporary royalty romance series is ongoing. So for those of you who like series...

Paolo's Playhouse - erotic romance











Her Royal Romance - contemporary romance







The Paolo's Payhouse series is complete, but there are more to come in Her Royal Romance. Next up is Her Royal Mistake, to be followed by more sexy royalty romances in the future. Along with other series I have planned. All contemporary. All sexy, emotional and romantic. Because that's the way I like it. How about you?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Savage Hunger FREE!!!

2194e-savagehunger
Savage Hunger (Book 1)

B&N
Amazon
Chapters Indigo
Kobo
IndieBound

Sourcebooks never gives away my books for free, so if you’re interested in romance, shifters, the paranormal, enjoy!

And Happy New Year!


Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
http://www.terryspear.com
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website:
http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears
http://www.celticbears.com

Cover Reveal for My Wild Highlander Audiobook


Here is the new audiobook cover for My Wild Highlander. What do you think? I wanted it to be another version of the original cover. The audiobook should be released in a week or two. It's finished and I really enjoyed listening to it. I hope you will too! It will be available at Audible, Amazon and iTunes.


Lady Angelique Drummagan, a half-Scottish, half-French countess, has suffered much pain and betrayal in her past. She wants nothing to do with the sensual Scottish warrior that the king has ordered her to marry because the rogue could never be a faithful husband, but she has little choice in the matter. Dangerous, greedy enemies threaten her from all sides and she’s in dire need of his protection. 

Sir Lachlan MacGrath, known as Seducer of the Highlands, possesses a charming wickedness and canny wit which has earned him much popularity. After the king decrees that he wed the fiery hellion, Lachlan discovers there is one woman who can resist him—Angelique. Can he break through her icy façade and melt her heart, or will the dark secrets lurking in her past not only cost them their future together, but their very lives?

Thanks!
Happy New Year!
Vonda


Are Stand Alone Romances Dead?

These days, it seems that all we hear about are series. Series. Series. And I love a good series, I really do, I follow more than I probably should, given the time I have to read. I love revisiting a favorite world and group of people. But what about those books that stand alone? Romances that tell a story fully in one book? (And yes, I know unless we're talking about an on-going serial, each book in a series should be able to be read as a stand alone, but I'm using that term here for a non-series book.)

Some of my favorite books are single title, stand alone romances. Non-series romances. They don't contain tons of extra characters the reader can tell are there just to set them up for their own story. They focus on the current characters and tell their story. Period.

If you listen to the "experts" (and as a romance author, I do) we should be only writing series, as quickly as we can. Don't bother writing any books that can't be connected to other books in the same world/small town/group of friends/band of brothers/etc.

But to me, it's sad to think that if LaVyrle Spencer had been given that advice there would be no MORNING GLORY. We'd have nothing by Jennifer Crusie or many of the books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and so many other great romance authors. How many wonderful romances might never be written now? Yeah, series are great but can't the romance market support those books that aren't as well?

I have written both series and non-series books. As we stand on the cusp of 2015, I'm sitting here trying to make my goals for the coming year. I have my royal romance series I will be continuing, but I need a new project. I want a new project. But are the experts right? Would I be wasting my time writing a single title romance with a plus-sized heroine coming home to heal after a bad relationship and the tattooed hero she was always a little bit afraid of back in high school - a don't-judge-a-book-by-it's-cover book that's been calling to me for a couple of years now?

Yeah, I know I could come up with friends who could have their own stories later on, but then, as the author, I have to be planning those from the beginning. I have to start thinking release schedules for future books and weaving in those secondary characters so they don't feel like they are there merely as a set-up, and I maybe I don't want to do that with this story.

But of course, I want to sell books. I want to write books the readers want to buy, and create characters the readers will fall in love with. Writing is my business and the reality of that business is that my practical side has to choose my projects with the bottom line in mind, while my creative side cries out to write the stories that call to me.

This is where I am now. Do I keep writing my current series and when I'm ready for a new project, start one of the other group-of-friends/band-of-brothers series I have planned out? Do I just suck it up and go with the current wisdom and just forget about that other book?

So what do you think? Are stand alone romances dead?

Natasha
The Cottage Next Door
Her Royal Masquerade
Her Royal Bodyguard
Her Royal Rendezvous
www.natashamoore.com