Day 25 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 25 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Ana Calin and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Ana and her book The Blacksmith.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

In a world of romance where boy meets girl and their cheeks turn red with a heavy crush, we forget to give a chance to fiery, passionate love to those who’ve known the hardships of a worn relationship. Ex-husbands and ex-wives tend to seek thrill in new partners because that’s what society seems to promote. “The Blacksmith” explores the psychological depths of forbidden desires that are eating at the core of family people, seeking to shatter the legend of ‘born virtue’ but also to give romance a new track: girl met boy long ago, got married, now both lost interest and guess what? She’s into a much younger guy. Now where to? “The Blacksmith” is the electrifying story of a woman who will rediscover the power of youth and the bliss of falling in love, challenging head on the principles of society and the very human condition. I would yet add this for my beloved readers: don’t think you got this figured out…

Biography

Ana Calin was born in 1984 in Constanta, Romania. Avid for fairy tales and stories as a child, her mother taught her to read at the age of four and, discovering the girl’s love for foreign languages, hired an English teacher when Ana was eight. By the age of ten she had read Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations in the original language. Ana studied English and German Language and Literature in high school and later on in university. In 2005 she received a scholarship for one year in Bielefeld, Germany, and met her husband, also Romanian, upon her return to her hometown in 2006. Following her wedding in 2009 she returned to Germany with her husband and has been working ever since as a translator and interpreter of English, German and Romanian. Her area of expertise covers not only fiction but also psychology and science, which inspires her writing and allowed her to craft her first novel, The Blacksmith, as a grounded fantasy relying on concepts that are feasible at least in theory. She currently lives in Berlin.

A dangerous love story with a twist. Romance and thriller merged in a fantasy that is actually possible.

Aurelia Novac’s life and marriage to Damian take an abrupt turn when she meets the unnaturally handsome Ivan Grabianko. Ivan is Aura’s student, a forbidden fruit who challenges her morals and casts her in a fight against guilty desires, but also the main suspect when teachers start dying violent deaths. Refusing to believe that Ivan is a cold blooded murderer and convinced the police is covering the real killer’s tracks, Aura starts an investigation of her own, seeking to save herself and those she cares for. Following the available threads – DNA traces and an alias, The Blacksmith – she will find herself drawn in a war between secret societies led by superior humans, in which the Blacksmith is a purpose in himself, a deadly demon born of man. Aura will go unveiling the meaning behind the Blacksmith’s alias and dark mysteries of the very human race, yet all at a heavy cost – she will become consumed with love for a dangerous man whose innate nature ist to kill…

So, go over and check out Ana at Amazon, you won’t be disappointed.

Don’t forget to check out Rosie’s side of the tour at http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/romancing-september-tour/

Day 24 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 24 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Kylie Sabra and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Kylie and her book The Singing Dagger.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

The world is fast-paced—people rushing to and fro with little free time. No one wants to slow down, or worse, they fear they can’t slow down or they will fall behind. Even as a professional writer and artist, I suffer from this same delusion. So. I understand it well. In this digital age where movies, news and scoops du jour are delivered to our televisions, PCs, pads and phones; I fear that people are put off at the thought of picking up a 300+ page novel. To propound this problem is the growing number of e-books that call themselves novels—many numbering less than 100 pages. I could not for the life of me figure out how people who were 20 years my junior had 30-50 books under their belts. That’s when I discovered that these were really stories—maybe novellas.

How do I react to this craving for instant literary gratification? I don’t.

Mastery of language is a magical gift. I would prefer to anguish over the exact choice of one word to achieve that perfect nuance than to bash out 20 pages, just for the sake of writing to appeal to the masses. I love to excite all of the senses when I write.

I talk about scents.

“The comforting smells of smoked sausages and boiled potatoes hooked their fingers beneath the sleeping Shadows’ noses and pulled them into consciousness. “

I try to bring imagery to something as simple as the sound of silence . . .

“Just as suddenly, quiet quilted the room.”

. . . or the pain of loss.

“The clear sky turned sickly green. Ominous clouds gathered over the ocean and fingers of lightning beckoned Finn to the cliff’s edge. The wind whipped his golden hair back from his contorted face. As thunder hammered the earth, Finn and the climaxing gale released their pent up fury in one rending wail after another.”

I don’t believe these are things achieved without careful consideration. So my greatest challenge is not to fall victim to the demand to proliferate words, but rather to stay my course and choose my path—and my words—carefully.

Biography

Kylie Addison Sabra was born in the middle of the U.S. in 1956. She grew up in Texas and has lived the last 19 years in the Seattle area, which she thinks of as her forever home. She is the mother of two grown sons, Jason and James, and is fiercely proud of them both. Her husband Scott is her best friend, love and chief supporter.
Ms. Sabra has been writing and creating art for most of her life in one capacity or another. Now, they are her full-time children to foster and grow. For the past three years she has served as curator for The Rose Theatre Galleries, a virtual gallery in the Second Life Grid. It was here that she found the courage to make art her living as well as her life.

Visited by tragedy and heart-wrenching deception, Erin retreats into self-imposed isolation. But the Fates are not finished with her and she is uprooted from her respite to face the dark forces that threaten to swallow her entirely. Aidan, fettered by his dark parentage and past, is drawn to Erin by the duties of his position and is held to her by the love she awakens in him. Bradach is powerful, beautiful, immortal and ever struggles with his all-too-human jealousy. Erin can’t understand his hatred for Aidan, nor can she shake the feeling that she has known him from some other time, but the feeling is fleeting and can’t be held to grasp. Brieanna, Erin’s life-long friend, wears wisdom like a comfortable old shawl, and her quiet confidence is just what Finn, Aidan’s brother, needs to escape the terrors that drive him. The four humans find themselves the central figures in a centuries-old prophecy and bind themselves together to fight the encroaching horrors from the south that threaten to cover the four kingdoms of Tara in shadow. Tara must now return to the magic that was such a rich part of their heritage, now reviled, in order to save the lands they love. Standing together with the four immortal Elders of Tara; Erin, Aidan, Brieanna and Finn take their predestined places as the Bearers of the Promise and the saviors of Tara.

Check out Kylie’s book, you won’t be disappointed.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2uU

Day 23 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 23 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Fay Cunningham and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Fay and her book Forgottten.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

There will always be a market for light romance. A feisty heroine, a gorgeous hero, a blossoming love affair and plenty of excitement. Pure escapism. The perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life.

In spite of the e-book revolution, I don’t think the challenges for writers of romantic fiction have changed all that much. We still have to provide a good story with lovely characters and (usually) a happy ending. There are a number of sub-genres in romantic fiction, from erotica to the supernatural and everything in between, but we still have to keep our readers entertained – and that will always be our biggest challenge.

Biography

Fay lives in a small town in Essex, England, with her husband. She is now retired, so she has more time for writing. She has been published by Robert Hale, has several books with Lindford Romance in large print, and two books with Harlequin Worldwide Mystery Library in the USA and Canada. Her books are available on Amazon for Kindle. Fay loves to travel, and has visited many European countries. She has also been to Hawaii where her husband’s sister lives.

Check out Forgotten

Publication Date: February 8, 2013

Driving home in the dark Serena stops to help an injured man lying in a ditch, but that is only the start of her problems. Someone is watching the apartment she shares with her brother, her mother is being particularly secretive, and police detective Jack Armstrong is convinced Serena is hiding something. Just when she thinks things can get no worse, her missing father turns up. This is definitely not the time to fall in love.

Go over to Amazon and check out Faye’s books.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2uf

Day 22 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 22 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Candace Knoebel and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Candace and her book Embracing Flames.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

The biggest challenge I’ve found with writing romance today is sticking true to my values. There are so many different categories of romance and they all sell equally well. For me, I am not comfortable with writing erotica or explicit scenes. I haven’t approached that road in my writing just yet. But I know there is a huge market for it and a lot of avid readers who enjoy reading the simplicity of a love story, sex and all. So I guess that leads to the question, do you try to go mainstream or stick with what you believe in?

With Born in Flames, the focal point of the story was never meant to be about Aurora (the protagonist) and Fenn’s relationship. It was about her journey to self-discovery and self-belief. Don’t get me wrong, there is an element of romance in there and a hint of a relationship to come, but the story is so much more than that. However, I noticed in the feedback that a lot of people were missing the romance element. They wanted to see more of the gorgeous hero and how the feisty heroine would fall in love with him. Like most YA today. When I thought about it, I saw that the story would eventually come to be about their relationship. They were right. I myself always want to know more about the relationship than the actual story.

This in turn led me to struggle with how much romance I wanted to add in book two of the trilogy (Embracing the Flames) that was mostly epic fantasy.

When I wrote Embracing the Flames, I tried to incorporate a little more romance without selling out or jumping out of my comfort zone. Naturally, there would have been romance any how. Fenn and Aurora are drawn to each other (as they are soul mates), so in order for the story to progress, their relationship had to too. The next question would be: How far is too far in YA? Since my characters are between 18 and 20 (depending on which book you are reading), there would obviously be the conflict of the progression towards sex in the relationship.

I now found myself questioning how to broach that tastefully without jumping out of YA. I chose to leave subtle hints. While there is kissing and lots of flirting, I didn’t jump into the actual details of what transpires when they approach their ‘first’ time together. It was mentioned. I feel it rings true to who I am and to who my characters are and their values. If I went any further with it, I would have to move the genre into NA.

It has all been a learning experience. I have to remind myself how I feel when I read a good romance and then try to write from there. Stick to what you are comfortable with. I don’t think romance can be written wrong. There is an audience for everything. It’s just finding the right one for you.

Echelon out ♥

Biography

Candace Knoebel is the award-winning author of Born in Flames-a young adult fantasy trilogy. Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013.

Candace Knoebel dreamed of being a dancer ever since she could remember. With a love of all things art, she saw herself moving to New York and pursuing her passion as an artist. But all that changed on October 10th, 2002 when she met the love of her life. Her dreams diverged and after marrying her high school sweetheart and having two beautiful children, she realized she missed her creative side. Through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, she built a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. Since then, she crawled out of Purgatory and has devoted her time to writing and sometimes heelying.

Author Links:

Blog: http://candaceknoebel.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Knoebel/190993824332540?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/candaceknoebel

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6458922.Candace_Knoebel

Publication Date: June 15, 2013

The Stone of Immortality has always been kept under the watch of the Draconta. That is, until the betrayal of a Fate. Now, everything is about to change.
Aurora Megalos accepted her destiny without blinking-even if it meant succumbing to her dragon side. Deemed the Progeny, she left the ordinary life she knew and has done everything in her power to learn the ways of her new home and what it means to be part dragon. But when her mentor, Astral, suddenly disappears, she is forced to take the reins with war on the brink. She sets out on an epic journey to find what her arch enemy, Zordon, is after. What she discovers is far worse than she could’ve ever imagined. She will be tested and pushed to the limit. Lives will be lost, love will be found, and most importantly, a battle will begin.

Go on over and check out Candace’s books. Candace has been my guest a couple of times and I can tell you that you won’t be let down by her series of books.

Here’s a link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2w3

Day 21 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 21 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Sonya Loveday and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Sonya and her book Casted.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

That’s a really great question! For me, I’d have to say the biggest challenge is making sure there is enough romance to catch the readers’ attention but still hold true to what the story is about. Everyone loves a good romance brewing between your main characters and root for them all the way through to the end.

For me, I have to keep focused on the balance between romance and storyline, enough of both to keep the reader coming back for more. After all, my novel Casted has a lot of different aspects to it; magic, romance, mystery and action. Balancing them out gives the reader a little of everything, enough so, that I can only hope they look forward to the next book.

Another challenge is breaking into the genre. Being a new author there is a lot riding on your shoulders. Bringing attention to yourself in such a huge category like romance takes time. It’s time well spent, if you can get a following that really enjoys your books. It’s all a new author like me can hope for.

Biography

Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to the realization that this was the answer to the nagging persistent feeling that ‘there’s got to be something more’. The dream came alive in 2009 when she purchased her laptop and began the tedious step of becoming a published author. When she’s not reading, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. And when she’s not doing either of those things she’s sleeping, shuttling her children back and forth to school, letting the dogs and cats in and out of the house for the umpteenth time in the last hour and dreaming of a clean house. You can find Sonya Loveday on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and WordPress on the links below: http://www.facebook.com/sonyalovedayauthor?ref=hl http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11660396-sonya-loveday https://twitter.com/SonyaLoveday – @SonyaLoveday http://www.sonyaloveday@wordpress.com

Publication Date: July 29, 2013

Jade had spent the majority of her life running from the Triad. The Triad, are a powerful group, who would stop at nothing to obtain Jade and the missing spell book for leader, Lorenzo’s, nefarious plans. And now that she has absorbed the highly coveted magic contained inside the missing book, there is nowhere left for her to hide.
With the help of her friends, Jade steps out from the shadows and learns how to fight back. But no one is prepared for Elinor-the woman bound inside of the book that’s trapped in Jade’s mind. Now she not only needs to protect herself from the Triad, but from what’s hiding inside her mind as well.
Jade never expected the answer to it all would revolve around love.
Edge is dark, mysterious, and a sworn member of the Triad. He also hides a secret past that threatens the thin line he walks between good and evil. Lives are at stake when Jade and Edge’s two worlds collide. Can Jade learn to trust him when he says he is her pre-ordained and vows to do everything he can to protect her? But more importantly, can she trust herself and the woman in her mind?

Go on over and check out Sonya. She’s been featured on my blog before and I know you will not be disappointed with Casted.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2rZ

Day 20 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 20 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Hazel Osmond and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Hazel and her book Playing Grace.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

That’s a really good question and for a while I worried about that very thing – how could I, a woman of a certain age, get the tone spot on when writing about people younger than I was? Even more worrying – was romance itself a bit of an outdated concept? Isn’t the modern world a bit more cynical?

Then I stopped worrying. I mean, I don’t live in a cave – I’m out there in the world and as far as I can see, while people today might be more sharing with information about their lives, while they might employ different means to meet potential partners and perhaps be more open about their sexual needs – the big emotions are the same as those that powered people who actually did live in caves.

I still firmly believe that you can leave your house one morning thinking your life is going one way and then ‘zap’ you meet someone and everything changes. And while I don’t think people in today’s society expect love to solve everything in their lives, I do think that moment of attraction is one of the most powerful pieces of magic around. Finding someone to love, who loves you back in the same way, is still something millions of people wish for.

So now I don’t think the biggest challenge is to ensure you drop into your story the right buzz words and a suitable level of weary cynicism, it’s to make sure that you show how the fundamental emotions are still powering people and how that works in what is a more complex society. People have so many more choices these days – women aren’t like Cinderella waiting for their prince to come – and I suppose that’s why I write romances with humour. Trying to find love and make it last in the modern world calls for flexibility and a sense of humour and my books show that. Which, hopefully, will make them stand the test of time!!

Biography

I lived in a load of places when I was growing up, but I suppose Bath, in the West Country, UK, is my home town as far as being the place that shaped me the most when I was younger. Now though, I’ve lived in the North East of England for over thirty years, so my home town is Newcastle upon Tyne, UK – bold, vibrant, friendly. I love it.

Grace is pretending to be someone she isn’t to hide a big set of secrets from her past – so she’s playing a role. Tate, the American guy who explodes into her life senses that there is more to her than meets the eye and sets about trying to tease out the real Grace – so in a way, he’s playing her.

Go over to Amazon and check out Hazel’s books.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2vw

Day 19 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 19 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Jade Reyner and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Jade and her book 12 Days – The Beginning

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

Great question – what is my greatest challenge writing romance in today’s society? Okay, here goes…

“For me, I think the greatest challenge is finding an edge. I grew up in the Mills and Boon era when romance was written a certain way and many books were written in a similar vein. In recent years however, I think that romance has moved on massively and has expanded into much more risque areas which is kind of where my book sits. Whilst this is a popular and rapidly expanding arm of romance, it is also hugely competitive and for me, it is trying to give my book something slightly different so that it can hold its own in amongst the much bigger names in terms of reviews and ratings. This is what I mean when I talk about finding an edge and it is something that I find the hardest to achieve.

In ‘Twelve Days – The Beginning’ which is my debut novel, I have included a thriller element which builds throughout the book and is explored in further detail in the sequel, ‘Twelve Days – The Future’ which is due for release later this year. I have also added an unexpected ending and as many twists and turns as I can to keep the reader engaged and guessing, and I hope that by combining this with a fantastic cover design and competitive price, I can begin to reach readers who will enjoy and even maybe identify with my work. To have complete strangers reading something that you have written is mind blowing and if I succeed in doing this, then I will hopefully have found my edge and thus my tiny slice of this fantastic and wonderful genre.”

Biography

Jade Reyner is nearing her fortieth birthday.. and has finally got around to publishing the book she always promised herself she would! She’s had a varying career working in a number of different industries including hospitality and surveying, before finally becoming a full time Mum, ten years ago. Now that both of her boys are at school, she has found the time to sit down and write, and after starting a creative writing course, she has found the courage to publish her first novel, Twelve Days – The Beginning. This is the first in the Twelve Days series that Jade plans to write throughout 2013/2014.

Jade lives in the UK with her husband, two boys and a cat.

Publication Date: April 29, 2013

Elise Grayson lives a life that no one should have to. Beneath the professional exterior lies a troubled existence, one whose ugly truth is known only to her best friend. With his support she gets through her day to day existence – just.

When Elise crosses paths with Vaughn Granger twelve days before Christmas, nothing could have prepared her for the impact that this man and this meeting would have on her life. During those brief twelve days, her world is turned upside down and as she begins to find the courage to leave the ugliness behind, forces outside of her control relentlessly work against her as friends become enemies and fear, betrayal and addiction form part of everyday life.

Ultimately the repercussions of those twelve days have a shattering impact on the lives of everyone around them and before the past can be finally left behind, a decision has to be made which has consequences more far reaching and emotionally devastating than either Elise or Vaughn could ever have foreseen.

Twelve Days – The Beginning is a powerful book about love, desire, hope and betrayal and is the first in the brand new Twelve Days series from Jade Reyner.

Go over and check out Jade

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2rE

Day 18 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 18 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Layla Tarar (Pen Name is Tara Quan) and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Layla and her book More Than Strangers – Safe Harbor 1.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

When the Excitement Wears Off

The biggest challenge I’ve faced as a romance author is a time-honored one—finishing my book. In this respect, not much has changed since the days of yore.

Beginning a story is a period filled with promise and hope. Plot bunnies are vying for attention. I’m in love with my characters and entranced by the world I’ve pictured. I can hammer out thousands of words per day, and the manic writing rate makes me confident about being able to type “The End” in a short while.

But soon enough, continuing the story becomes a chore. There are so many details I need to get right. Fatigue sets in, and adding pages becomes painful. The final chapter is now a light at the end of the tunnel, not a finish line populated by cheering fans.

Completing the story means the hard work has just begun. I read my own words over and over again, all the while marveling at the gaping plot holes and missing pieces. I slash word count, rearrange story arcs, and add details that never made it to the page.

Then I give someone else my manuscript, only to discover I have a long way to go. By the time I make those changes, I’m not excited about my book anymore. I just want the process to be over. The roaring fire of creativity is gone, replaced by smoldering embers I have to nurse until the bitter end.

After writing query letters, going through the submissions process, and reading the form rejections that are part and parcel of an author’s life, I get to go back to my manuscript. During content edits, I end up adding even more words as my story gets reorganized and whipped into shape. By this time, it’s been so long I don’t remember why I started it. All I can do is focus on the comment bubbles threatening to crash my computer.

And on one sunny day, I accept the final line edits and the manuscript is out of my hands. I’m free to give my full attention to the next plot bunny. It’s done, and I never want to see it again.

On so many points along the way, the urge not to finish is overwhelming. The excitement wears off, and it’s an uphill battle to send my story out the door. Whether or not it sells, getting a book to market is an accomplishment every author should be proud of. But for most of us, we’re too busy working on the next book to appreciate all the hard work.

Biography

Tara Quan spent her college years daydreaming about becoming a romance author. After graduating with two degrees she never uses, she tried to pursue a traditional career at a law firm. But the stubborn characters in her head refused to be ignored. She now spends most of her time overseas, crafting fun quick reads heavy on fantasy, paranormal, and suspense. If you’re a fan of kick-ass heroines, alpha males, and a smidgen of kink, visit Tara at http://www.taraquan.com.

Her latest release More Than Strangers, a contemporary romantic suspense set in the Dubai, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major electronic book retailers.

Scorching desert heat, ice-cold champagne, and a world of opulence—the perfect setting for a one-night stand. Certain they will never meet again, two strangers agree to casual, no-strings sex that turns into something more.

Jason Reynolds has his life mapped out, and it doesn’t include a smart-mouthed redhead on a mission to save the world. A security specialist at the top of his game, he is on the cusp of wealth and power. Love is a distraction he simply can’t afford.

Struggling to bury memories of an unforgettable night, Nulli O’Hara chases her dream to a city fraught with violence and death. Six months later, she becomes a kidnapping target, and Jason is the man sent to keep her safe.

Content Notes: Spicy, Light BDSM, Descriptive Erotic Sex, Light Bondage, Spanking

Check out Layla’s work on her website http://www.taraquan.com.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2tB

“Victoria” is up for preorder!

My latest book will be officially released on September 30th, but you can preorder it for $1 cheaper right now at these links:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/victoria-stephanie-hurt/1116875133?ean=2940045251976 & https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/353698

The press release was also released yesterday at http://prlog.org/12211010

The preorder cost is only $3.99, but after September 30th the cost will be $4.99.

Here’s a little bit about Victoria:

“Victoria” is part of the “Women Of Magnolia Hill” Saga by Stephanie Payne Hurt. It starts before the Civil War and is based around Atlanta, Georgia. As the war talk escalates Miles Slaughter knows his daughter Victoria needs to find a husband. Victoria is not going to marry just anyone. Her heart is set on finding the love of her life. While Miles is in Boston on business he meets Zane Camden, a shipping company owner. He’s impressed with the young man.

When he brings him home to meet his daughter, sparks fly and her anger flares. Miles tries to gather support from his four sons, but they know their sister. Zane can’t believe how beautiful she is and her anger only makes his interest stronger. Will he be able to win her heart before war is declared?

This is a romance with suspense, family, and interesting characters.It’s hard not to fall in love with Victoria and her family. This is part one of the saga that will tell the stories of Magnolia Hill Plantation from before the Civil War and go through to present day. Find out through the books what happens to the Slaughter family and their descendents.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Day 17 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 17 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Marina de Nadous and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Marina and her book The Celestial Sea.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

The story, although a romance, was never planned. I faced no challenges apart from the huge ones interwoven through the tale—namely those of moral expectation and accepted codes of practice. My story is more of a personal discovery/quest and will resonate with readers interested in self-development, spirituality and mystery. I could speak about considered restraint versus overt sexuality; poetic nuance versus the currently popular BDSM, but I would rather readers read my books and decided for themselves.

Biography

For privacy Marina has kept her face in the dark. She is from Frome in Somerset, UK and has only been writing for 7 years.

Publication Date: June 20, 2012

A glorious, exciting and heart-wrenching tale, The Celestial Sea is the first book in a new series.

This is the story of an English housewife and mother and an artistic Kiwi man; musician, woodsman and teacher, who find themselves embracing life in the Southern Hemisphere in the most unexpected and extraordinary way. Plucked from the bosom of all she has ever known; she finds herself exploring the beautiful land of Aotearoa, New Zealand, in the company of a thrilling companion whose own settled, community life is challenged by her arrival.

Walking a fine line between blessing and disaster their creative liaison becomes a clandestine love affair of epic proportion, surprising them both with its spiritual truth. Dare they merge their growing affection into an everyday reality? Through the often hilarious adventures that make up their ‘ordinary’ routines they find themselves escaping to the tranquillity of their imaginary boat, The Celestial Sea; sailing for many months in uncharted waters and alighting upon shores of such passion and sensuality that they risk capsizing, causing an almighty scandal in the harbour.

The Celestial Sea culminates as the profundity of their connection leads to a tragic ending of thwarted love – but is it really the end…? Find out in the subsequent books planned for the series entitled Dry-Dock, Setting Sail, Calm Waters, No Horizon, Kookaburra on the Deck, Time is the Brake.

Go over to Amazon and check out Marina’s books.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2uM