Tag: Valentine’s Day Reads

Writer’s Block, a New Release, Valentine’s Day, and a Thousand Other Things…

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I have a husband and a new book release, and all I can focus on is this stupid writer’s block that’s been plaguing me.

Pretty pathetic, eh?

But it’s a vampire novel, and my first one was so well received, I really want to give readers another. Plus, the characters in this one are secondary characters from the first one (It’s called RESIST, if you’re interested. Click the name to check it out, if you want), and I have a terrible tendency to fall so much for my characters that I want to write a happily ever after for every single one.

Wait a minute, I suppose I should tell you about the book that’s releasing tomorrow. On Valentine’s Day. Appropriate, as it’s titled CLAIMING MY VALENTINE (yep, click the name to check out the book). Yeah, it’s an anthology. Fourteen short stories (get it – fourteen??). Shapeshifter stories. Shifter love stories that have something to do with Valentine’s Day. All with a happy ending.

Promo Pic

To top it all off, every penny earned will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Yep. Just for the heck of it. No, not really. It’s because it’s a good cause. Helping every little bit we can, for an incredibly important cause.

So back to my vampire writer’s block. I’m a hundred pages in, the hero and heroine haven’t yet done the nasty (although hot damn, there’s been lots of tension), and now I’ve reached the climactic moment. Not that one; the do or die one. The one where the bad guys discover whatever it is the good guys didn’t want them to know, and now it seems utterly impossible that the good guys will make it out alive (and finally get it on!!), and…

And I’ve rewritten this scene three times in the last three weeks. Three. Times. I should probably go back to the original. It’s probably the best. Except I have the other two fighting for dominance in my head–oh, and let’s talk Valentine’s Day.

I haven’t even bought a card for my husband, let alone acknowledged the day in any way whatsoever. He, on the other hand, has already given me flowers. Yeah, he had them delivered to the day job last Friday. Why? Well, funny story, that. See, I work with a lot of women, most under the age of thirty. It’s a rather young work environment. Anyway, a few years ago on Valentine’s Day, the flower deliveries reached such ridiculous heights, somebody started tracking the number. At the time there were probably 120 people in the office, and I believe we surpassed 50 deliveries. Those poor delivery guys, because the traffic out by where I work suuuuuuuuux.

Yes, before you ask, I was one of those 50. And I went home and told the hubs about the crazy number, how everyone couldn’t stop talking about it. So the next year, I got flowers on Feb 13, with a card that read, “Wanted you to be the first.”

Yeah, yeah, he’s a romantic. On occasion. But take it with a grain of salt: When I got home and thanked him for the flowers, he said, “It was cheaper, too!”

That’s my man. Because he knew damn well I’d fall a little more in love with him for saying that.

Ugh, see now I’m thinking about sweet, sappy happy endings, when I need to work out this dramatic, exciting, death-defying climax, so I can edit this damn thing and get it into readers’ hands!

Oh yeah, and I should probably spread the word about my Valentine’s Day shifter release, too. Because my contribution to CLAIMING MY VALENTINE (yep, click the name – click it!) is called Broken Light, and if you’re a Lightbearer fan, you’ll want to grab it.

Broken Light LB Prequel #2

It’s Xander’s story, FYI. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you clearly haven’t read FIRST LIGHT (yes, click the name), which you should, because it’s free, and it’s the prequel to the entire Lightbearer series.

Wait, where was I again? What day is it? And most important: Where’s the wine???

PS – Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate. Happy almost-not-Monday-anymore for those who don’t.

 

 

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Claiming My Valentine Shifter Antho – Coming Soon!

Curious about the inner workings, the ‘stuff’ that goes on in authors’ heads as they create stories such as the 14 included in this sexy shifter anthology? A few of my fellow authors in this anthology have been blogging about the stories contained within, on the authors themselves, even featuring characters from the books.

Check out the blogs below, and don’t forget to grab your copy of CLAIMING MY VALENTINE. Remember, all proceeds will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital!

Savannah’s Though Garden

Josette Reuel’s Blog

Promo Pic

PS – Here’s how to snag your copy:

Amazon Global link: getBook.at/CMValentine

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/claiming-my-val…/1125171460…

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/claiming-my-valentine

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/…/claiming-my-valent…/id1178023003…

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/682329

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/…/…/33024537-claiming-my-valentine

P.P.S.
You should join our release event! 2/12-2/14 Claiming My Valentine RELEASE PARTY:
https://www.facebook.com/events/330561933995962/

 

 

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I Suck at this Valentine’s Shit

“I suck at this Valentine’s shit.”

William glanced up from reading the newspaper on his iPad. Gavin Rowan, that incorrigible, cursed Rakshasa who happened to be in love with William’s Chala, towered over him, a scowl on his unshaven face, his pale blue eyes glaring at the Fate as if it were his fault the man was lousy at being romantic.

“You suck at a great many things,” William obligingly pointed out. He was stuck with the often surly shifter because Sydney loved him, but that didn’t mean he had to play nice. Besides, playing nice rarely worked for Gavin. He tended to speak one language: asshole.

“Not nearly as good as you do, I bet,” Gavin shot back, a typical derogatory comment about William’s sexual preference.

“I will never understand what Sydney sees in you.” William dropped his iPad onto his lap and brushed a bit of lint off the lacy lapel of his red wrap blouse. A recent find and his current favorite shirt. He’d been thrilled when he discovered they made it in his size. It was often a challenge to buy women’s clothing in sizes large enough to fit a six and a half foot tall, two hundred and sixty pound man built like a linebacker. And don’t even get him started on shoes.

“I think you understand quite well,” Gavin replied with a leer. “Now, help a guy out. What should I get her?”

“You to realize it’s four o’clock in the afternoon on Valentine’s Day, right?”

“Yeah, so hurry up about it. I haven’t even acknowledged the day yet. I’m sure she thinks I have some kind of surprise up my sleeve. So tell me what to do.”

William would like to tell the man to jump off the highest cliff he could find. But that would devastate Sydney, and William hated it when his Chala was upset. He sighed and said, “You seriously can’t think of anything? You have no idea what she wants, what she likes? Her favorite pastime? Her favorite restaurant?”

“I don’t want to take her out to dinner. Everybody does that. It’s boring. I want… something different. Better. Something she’ll remember, and tell all her friends about.”

“How does the asshole in you manage to live with that giant ego? Seems like they’d be fighting for dominance all the damn time.”

“You’re a funny Fate,” Gavin replied with a smirk that said he thought William was anything but.

“Not nearly as funny as the comedians at the Comedy Castle.”

Gavin gave him a blank look and then shook his head. “Whatever, dude. You gonna help me or not?”

“I’m trying,” William grumbled. “She does like to laugh, you know.”

“So you think I should just tell her jokes all night?”

“You really are an idiot, you know that?”

“And you’re a fruitcake. We all have our burdens to bear. So about that Valentine’s Day idea?”

With a long-suffering sigh, William reached into the V on the neck of his blouse and pulled out an envelope. He offered it to Gavin, who looked at it as if it might bite him.

“Did you seriously just pull that out of your cleavage? What the fuck is wrong with you? And what is it, anyway?”

“Tickets, you dolt. To the comedy show. Seven-thirty seating. A lovely wine bar recently opened down the street from the comedy club. I think she’d like it.” He made a show of looking at his watch. “So I’d get a move on, if I were you.”

He watched realization dawn on Gavin’s face. If he weren’t such a repulsive creature, William might even go so far as to say it lightened his face, made him almost attractive.

Gavin snatched the envelope. “Sweet.” He bolted from the room without so much as a thank you, but William had expected no less. A moment later, Sydney stepped out from where she’d been hovering in the kitchen. Unlike her mate, her enthusiasm and appreciation was clear as day, as she pulled William to his feet and squeezed him until he couldn’t breathe.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, William. You’re a doll. I’m so excited for tonight.” She clapped her hands like a three year old.

“You’re welcome, but tell me, why didn’t you just tell him that’s what you wanted?”

Sydney thinned her pink rosebud lips and crossed her arms over her chest. “Gavin probably would have refused to do it, if I’d suggested it. You know how he likes to think things are his idea. And I knew he’d come to you, because he wouldn’t be able to think of anything. And whatever you suggested is what he’d do, because despite your odd relationship, he highly respects your opinion. This worked perfectly. Now, I have to go track him down so he can tell me about our plans, so I can get ready for my hot date. Thanks again, William. I owe you one.”

She trotted away, happy as a lark, and William was once again reminded of the complexity and convolution—and sheer genius—of the female mind.

~~~~

Happy Valentine’s Day from William, Gavin, and Sydney, from Of Love and Darkness, the first book in the Twisted Fate Series. If you enjoyed this little interaction between the three of them, you’ll love the book. It’s on sale for 99 cents only until 2/15/2016. Grab it here:

OF LOVE AND DARKNESS

OfLoveandDarkness (400)

Happy Reading!

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Book Boyfriends to Get You Through the Weekend

Yep, love is in the air… Or at least on your e-reader. And ho boy, do we have a lot of love for you. I hope you have the jammies and wine ready to go, because there are lots of book boyfriends to fall in love with in this blog post. And some of ’em are on sale for only 99 cents – Including MY book, Of Love and Darkness! It’s the first time this book has ever been on sale – and by the way – the sequel comes out in May! Grab it and get your read on…

This one has never been on sale before! Grab it now, because it’s only on sale for the weekend!

In this first book of the Twisted Fate Series, there are two kinds of shapeshifters: Rakshasa and Light Ones.

The Rakshasa want to snack on human bones. The Light Ones want to protect the humans.

Unfortunately, the Rakshasa are currently winning the battle, as the Light Ones are not fertile. Only one type of Light One, exceedingly rare females called Chala, are able to produce children. The Rakshasa know this, and have managed to nearly decimate the population.

Enter Gavin Rowan, a cursed Rakshasa who believes he is a Light One. He feels all his Rakshasa urges to kill, but has been cursed to protect the Light Ones instead of kill them.

Throw Sydney Amataya into the mix. She is a Chala – except she doesn’t know it. At least not until Gavin saves her from a Rakshasa attack and then declares her as his mate.

But Sydney doesn’t play like that. If he wants to mate with her – once she gets over the shock of discovering this supernatural world, that is – he’s going to have to woo her, impress her, wine and dine her. Romance her. She deserves no less, end of the world be damned.

AMAZON
What does archaeology student Danielle Herring discover in the shadows of her family tree? Corruption, murder, sex, and a serial killer ring. She’s the only biological heir to an estate, things should be simple, right? She’s accompanied by the family attorney, Stephen Briggs, on what she thinks is a quick will-reading in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

She doesn’t count on one of the conditions of the will including a hot-blooded—make that a HOT!—veterinarian she has to share a home with in order to claim her inheritance. Things couldn’t get worse, could they? This pulse-racing, emotionally charged novel proves some deep-seeded secrets and desires are buried so deep in the soil that bringing them to the surface requires Truth or Consequences.
After years of living a boring and mundane existance, Jana is thrust into a life of danger, glamour and romance

Janna Morgan has dreams. Big dreams. But it’s 1935, and her desire to become a private investigator seems slim. After all, it’s a man’s world. At least, that’s what her mother keeps telling her.

Unfortunately, not much ever happens in the city of Alton, Illinois. That is, until the bodies of two women are discovered floating in the Mississippi River.

It appears a serial killer is on the loose in the booming river town.

When Collin Carothers requires her help, it’s her chance to prove that she has what it takes.
Jana is determined to catch the murderer at any cost, even if it means alienating the only man who understands her.
Three Novellas of Hidden Truths, Steamy Passions, and Triumphant Love.

SWEET EQUATION

The night before Cole Jacobs left town for college and a football scholarship, Emily gave him her innocence in the back seat of his Camaro. The hours of passion they shared resulted in heartbreak for Emily, and six years later she’s still recovering from the consequences of her actions.

Cole didn’t see what was right in front of him when he blew out of town after sleeping with the sweetest girl he’d ever met. Now a pro football star, returning to his hometown for a promo event at his old high school, he comes face to face with Emily Patterson . . . and soon realizes that in one reckless night, he’d ruined her life.

Can two people connected by tragedy overcome their past and find love?

SUBURBAN SPIES

Jennifer and Slade come from two different worlds. Slade’s a CIA agent. Jennifer is an ex-KGB super spy. Their lives revolve around espionage, subterfuge, and deception. When Slade catches Jennifer breaking into his suburban home, the gloves come off . . . and everything else as well. He knows what she’s looking for, and is hell-bent on keeping it from her. But mixing spies, lies, and bedroom eyes can lead to disaster, especially when the games they play don’t have any rules.

UNTIL ETERNITY

Jo Knight got pregnant after a one-night stand with the guy she believes is the lead singer of Midnight Hour. Unwilling to be labeled a groupie who’s only after a payday, she decides to keep the identity of the father to herself.

Until one day they meet again.

Lawson ‘LT’ Nottingham knew the moment he looked at Jo’s twins that they were his boys. He wants nothing more than to make them a complete family. Can he convince her what they shared that night was the real thing and he’s here to stay? Or will he once again lose the woman he’s spent years longing for?
Ana Davis has been given the promotion of the century—from secretary to television producer. But the new job is not without its problems. The network will do anything for ratings. In the executive’s scramble to come out on top, they reveal Ana’s newest show—one she’s forced to star in herself. She’ll have to survive in the Arctic Circle for twelve days. If she wins, she’ll get the prize money she desperately needs. But the stakes are high, she could lose her very life. Good thing she’s been paired with expert survivalist William “Redd” Redding, a mysterious, solitary and very sexy man. Too bad she thinks he doesn’t even want to talk to her.

William “Redd” Redding is a former Special Ops Marine in need of cash to help a cause near and dear to his heart. What he’s not in need of, however, is Ana Davis—his clueless but captivating partner. It’s up to Redd to ensure the two of them survive in the most dangerous, hostile environment of all. But worse than snowstorms, predators, and a scarcity of food is an even greater danger—Ana. Resisting her, when he wants her more than anything, is his hardest challenge yet. How does he go about protecting her when his ultimate goal is to protect his heart?

Although “Desire in the Arctic” is the sequel to “Desire in the Everglades,” it may be read as a stand-alone novel.
After running away, Bethany Littleton, alone in a forest, witnesses a man burying a roll large enough to hold a corpse. She thinks she has escaped undetected, but danger follows her.

Lord Rivton is in search of a spy and must investigate Bethany’s family, his closest neighbor.

Both at cross purposes, the sparks fly, and when he rescues her, he places her in a compromising position. They marry as expected, but their road is not smooth. She is still in mortal danger. He must find and capture the killer/spy while trying to save his wife. A tattered string weaves together this tale of murder, abduction, and espionage.
Carmella Sannarelli is a people pleaser. She can’t say no to anyone, even when it means putting off her own personal goals in the process. So, when her best friend, Sadie Miller, calls with the announcement that she’s broken up with one fiancé and eloping with another in St. Croix, Carmella can’t stop herself from dropping everything and accepting the invitation to stand as maid of honor.

Jilted fiancé Ryan Wutkowski has been the third member of the Carmella-Sadie trio for nine years. He fully supports Sadie’s new engagement and upcoming nuptials, knowing it’s the right decision and best for both of them. But when he boards a plane to San Juan for a business conference, Carmella is the last person he expects to find occupying the seat next to his.

Two days in San Juan, then a week in St. Croix–Carmella knows her two best friends are hiding something. But can she figure out what went wrong between them as she battles her own tingly, off-kilter feelings toward Ryan, while dodging advances from a womanizing best man, and confirming for herself that Sadie did make the right decision? When Ryan unexpectedly shows up at the rehearsal dinner and gets himself invited to the wedding, will Carmella finally uncover the secret he’s held since the day they first met?
Mike and Liz Keeny are newlyweds, new parents, and the proprietors of the Barrett Inn, an 1875 Victorian on Cape Cod, which just happens to be haunted— by their own ghosts from past lives. The Barrett Inn had become an annex of Purgatory, putting Liz and their infant son in danger. Selling the historic seaside bed and breakfast was the only answer, one that Liz and her own tortured specter refused to consider. Were Mike and Liz doomed to follow the same path that led to disaster in their previous lives? Was getting out, getting away, enough?
 

Lucas scours the street in need of a fix. He captures his enemy instead of kills. Spins lies instead of truth. Seeks darkness instead of light. So close to the edge with no concern for the fall.

The map was foretold. Its key long lost. 

Sent on a mission to find the key necessary to defeat Apollyon, Lucas meets Kate. Fiery, powerful, unable-to-touch-any-object Kate. As his feelings for her grow, the addiction inside him wanes.

Until he learns she is not meant for him.

Find the key. Find the way and triumph.

His future with Kate is bleak. The darkness, too hard to control. The key, still lost.

Can Lucas win the battle raging inside his body in order to win the war rising on the streets?

Olivia promises to fulfill her dying husband’s wish – to scatter his ashes around the world. After journeying to Africa, Olivia plans to follow through on this promise while working as a volunteer at an orphanage.

On a weekend trip to see the famed mountain gorillas, Olivia attempts an escape from an ambush by armed rebels. During her recovery, she falls in love with the man who saved her.

As her new love blossoms, Olivia is unaware that the director of the orphanage has fallen in love with her. His attempt to find her coincides with an event that will change Olivia’s world forever.
“Valentine’s Day Breakup” by Cheryl Yeko

Finding her fiancé in a clutch with the coat check girl sends Shelly straight into the arms of her Soul Mate.

“Inked Hearts” by Sage Spelling

One night. No boundaries. Uninhibited passion.

Boycotting Valentine’s Day had been Piper’s preferred way of protecting her heart until she collided with bad-boy sexy-tattoo artist Dex. Driven with lust, Piper has her first one-night stand, but dreads morning and saying goodbye to the man who stirs her innermost desires.

“The Twelve Days of Valentines” by Lynn Cahoon

As her home business grows, a specialty jam creator receives gifts from a secret admirer. When the news breaks, two men step up claiming to be the gifter. As the twelve days pass, can she figure out the clues and claim her Mr. Right?

“Valentine’s Day Canceled” by S.C. Mitchell

When Thor’s son Magni, the new King of Asgaard, cancels Valentine’s day, Astrid knows something is drastically wrong. Can she make things right again and save the fertility festival?

“The Valentine’s Proposal” by Tina Susedik

When a Valentine’s Day proposal doesn’t go the way she expected, librarian Janetta Simonson’s life changes in ways she’s never dreamed.

“I’ve Got A Heart-on For You” by Char Chaffin

How hard can it be to stash three kids with an overnight babysitter, slip into something ridiculously decadent and skimpy, and do naughty things to each other by candlelight on Valentine’s Day?

Sex-deprived spouses Sam and Dell might be finding out pretty soon, and not in the way they’d hoped.
Forced to wed to save her clan, Lady Rogan Cameron agrees to wed without love.
What her father doesn’t know is Lady Rogan has plans of her own—plans to keep her from a loveless marriage. Can she save the clan before she has to say “I do?”Ian Albright abolished all ties to Scotland after his family betrayed him and he is now nursing a wounded ego due to an unfaithful fiancée. He pledges never to return to his home until the fateful day he accepts an invitation to his dear cousin’s wedding. The minute he sees his cousin’s betrothed, his heart is captured. If only she didn’t belong to another . . .Lady Rogan and Ian have known each other since they were young and bent on vexing each other. Now, the only thing they find vexing is the fact Rogan is betrothed to another. Together they fight their growing attraction while investigating the forces bedeviling the clan. Yet at every turn their foe appears and wreaks havoc. When tragedy strikes, their hopes are dashed again.Can Lady Rogan and Ian’s love win when fate seems determined to keep them apart?
The impossible can be quite simple, actually. Just imagine….
With one stroke of her architect’s eraser, an heiress is chased through time by her father’s murderer and lands in the arms of a 19th century Wyoming rancher. The enduring lovers must find the killer before another life is taken—and the rift in time closes, separating them, forever.
JOIN TAMI’S REVIEW TEAM!
Do you love reading books? Do you love reviewing books? How would you like to be a book reviewer for Tami Lund? Contemporary or Paranormal Romance – or both! You choose. Sign up today, and you’ll get an email next time Tami has a book (in your preferred genre) due to release (because that’s when authors *really* need reviews). SIGNUP HERE
More V-day love! If you haven’t checked out this Facebook hop, I strongly suggest you do – and quick! Lots of authors, lots of books, lots of giveaways. Most will expire by V-day weekend, so check it out now by clicking the pic above!
Head on over to Facebook to join a readers’ group where authors just… hang out. No hard sells. Just chit chat. Oh, and wine. Once a month, an author is available for a Q&A session. Next one: Monday, February 15, 8pm Eastern. Pour a glass and join us!
How about a taste of Appetite for Love? Seven full-length foodie romance novels–including Delicious Deception by Tami Lund–are practically free – at less than a buck!

Got handcuffs? The Boys in Blue do. Ten hot cop romances, including Undercover Heat by Tami Lund, all for less than a buck.
Yeah, that’s not a typo.
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