October 16th is approaching FAST and I am jumping out of my skin (and eating so much candy) while waiting to share Asher's story.
Gritty, hard, tough – a roller coaster ride - this story is different from Sienna & Carson's in Electrified.
A first person account of two childhood friends who cannot find peace or happiness separate or together.
And it is now avail for preorder!
As I get ready for release day and I'm not so patiently awaiting my formatted books to start uploading, my Kindle is FULL.
I get to spend a few days catching up on reading. Lucky me.
So, I'm going to be quick because I want to get back to reading...
BUT here is another edition of what is on my Kindle:
Keep You From Harm by Debra Doxer is everything and nothing what it seems. It is a YA/NA, coming of age paranormal story full of mystery, suspense and young love. I am hooked. Doxer is an incredibly talented writer, transporting the reader to Main Street U.S.A. in rural New York to follow Raielle and Lucas on their journey of finding themselves, each other and the powers they hold.
AYE! There is a Pirate aboard my iPad and from what I hear––he is SMOKING HOT!. When the Perfect Comes by Susan Ward is a historical romance, an often forgotten but amazing genre. If I know Ward, and I do...this will be nothing bu the best and I will be hooked for the rest of the series. I happened to be obsessed with Ward's rocker, Alan Manzone, in The Girl on the Half Shell.
I had the pleasure of reading Here With Me while it was being written, and people...it made my toes curl. Heidi Mclaughlin brings us a story of deep love and passion between twin brothers, Navy SEALS, Evan and Nate Archer, and Ryley, the girl of both their dreams. Beautiful, romantic and suspenseful, this book details Ryley being Evan's until he goes MIA and then Nate steps in to take over his brother's life. It is a one sitting read, so make sure to get comfortable.
Okay, I haven't read Take a Bow by CJ Wells yet, but A. the cover is magnificent and B. I am not so patiently awaiting the return of Alex Tate after meeting him in Perfect Plans. It is available for pre-order and I have it on very good authority, we are not going to be disappointed.
And of course, I am reading Smoldered. I CANNOT wait to release Asher's story on 10/16/14. Saying goodbye to Asher and Natalie was hard, but I am excited for you all to hear their story. *sigh* It is a painful one, but oh-so good, I am told.
Over the last few months, I've had a lot of inquiries about what it takes to publish a book.
LIKE, "Oh, so you just slapped that puppy up on Amazon?"
NOT QUITE.
A lot of work goes into publishing a book other than having a marvelously, fabulous, original idea that you purge from your brain.
Its not all glamorous and exciting.
The whole process starts with eeking out a little of your story and sending a small chunk to a beta reader or two or three. Not your neighbor or good friend or aunt to sister, but someone you trust to give you solid feedback that your story is shit or not.
Then, you wait to hear from your betas and sit on your ass, eating, telling yourself that they will hate your story and so you start dreaming up new ideas.
The process is repeated any number of infinite times: you write, you share, you wait on pins and needles, you gain five pounds while waiting OR drop five depending whether you eat or lose your appetite under stress.
ALL the while, you waste spend countless hours on social media, pimping, chatting, stopping to look at pictures of your college roommate's bull dog (she is soooo freaking cute, I want one!), pimping some more, retweeting, hitting like a billion times, trying to engage with other successful authors for tips and advice, signing up for rafflecopter, looking at pictures of half-clothed men (inspiration, people), and obsessing over previews for SOA or the Bachelor or whatever show you love.
You sneak off to your "cave," which could be your kitchen table, closet, or the dingy coffee place around the corner every so often to write, rewrite, despise what you wrote and start all over. You write AH-mazing bathroom sex scenes that you then share with your other author friends (where is it? Christy...).
You incorporate feedback and thank your betas profusely, sending them emojis and x's and o's and hoping and praying they don't ever leave you like your ninth grade boyfriend did. THAT was devastating.
During all this, there is hunting for editors and cover designers and formatters and book trailer makers and blog tour peeps. HOLY shit! ALL of those people have FULL schedules and are booked until 2017! What the fuck? But I have to have a cover from so and so...You beg, plead, give up your dog and son for a slot. Just take them...I need my cover.
After securing your team, you are SO not done! NO way. There are first and second and third rounds of revisions and then you totally offend the cover person you gave up your child for because you want just a "tad more purple" in your cover.
AND, the worst is yet to happen. There is a never-ending pile of virtual forms, where you enter your tax information and electronic signature after you are unsure what you even just agreed to do so you can upload your book (after it is edited and goes through another round of "clean" beta reading).
Don't even get me started on the uploading because I need twelve or thirteen more degrees to be able to figure that shit out.
Finally, your book is up on the shelves and your mom buys a copy and it is the best feeling that someone wants to read you.
Until, you get your first bad review.
YET, somehow... we love it all so much, we do it again and again (like childbirth, you must forget all the steps of the process).
So, that is basically what I have been up to and although this post is funny, borderline hysterical, I could not do what I do without the help of many, many people. You know who you are. Don't make me call you out.
And, my fellow author babes, who have graciously entwined their success with mine. Love you.
AND, yes, I am releasing a second book soon.
Until then ... R
So, I've been largely MIA for two weeks. No, I didn't go to Bora Bora.
No, I didn't quit doing what I do.
No, I wasn't captured by aliens.
Definitely, NO, I've Not been having 24/7 sex and unable to come up for air.
All that being said, I've been consumed with catching up with family and being a mom for the last 14 days.
Packing, unpacking, rinsing and repeating, and ending it all with a destination wedding.
Now, I'm back in the saddle (and ouch, it hurts after being gone for so long), but I am in it, thankfully.
Today, marked back to school for my kids, so I guess, summer is officially over in my house, and it is only appropriate that I share the top TEN pieces of shit I learned this summer:
1. Summer is no fun as a responsible adult. There are no midnight rides to nowhere or make out sessions on the 18th hole.
2. Two things come from hanging in a hammock in the garden of a posh hotel in South Florida with lights flickering above and the ocean crashing in the background: great ideas and bug bites.
3. Indies write amazing freaking books with the freedom to create the best characters, and all of a sudden I lust cowboys like Mason in MoonDance in Red by Salem Archer and Grayson in Perfectly Imperfect by Fabiola Francisco.
4. Couch sex is so not what I remember...
5. My twenties were all they were damn well cracked up to be, and books like Fifteen Weekends by Christy Pastore remind me of just that...and, deep inside, I am an "Emily."
6. When the characters in your head star playing out a scene on a big extended family vacation, pretend you have to pee and go write that shit down.
7. There are advantages to being a morning person, such as getting to know people on the other side of the Atlantic.
8. Speaking of rockers, I fell head over heels with one over the summer. Alan Manzone from Girl on the Half Shell by Susan Ward.
9. I also happened to begin to carry a flame for moviestar playboy, Alex Tate in Perfect Plans by CJ Wells.
10. I love fall and being back in the saddle...
So, get ready to Smolder Soon.
~RB
I know, its all I've been talking about, but seriously, I've been doing nothing but editing and re-reading Smoldered.. and, I'm pretty f$@*ing excited.
I've been in love with Asher since day one, but I never expected to adore Natalie as much as I have grown to ––
She is sometimes sweet, most of the time rough, definitely broken, and her life is blown to bits. And, one would think Asher rescues her, but honestly....
WELL, you will have to read the book to find out.
In the meantime, I am doing a little giveaway in anticipation of the Cover Reveal (9/9/14) and Smoldered's Release (10/16/14)....
For the first official teaser -- head here.
To enter and get some goodies -- SEE below.
One random winner will be picked at noon on Tuesday, 8/12/2014
*Signed books - U.S. only (otherwise ebook)
Over on FB, I've been promising & promising a tiny sneak peek of Smoldered - Book 2 in The Electric Tunnel Series. Releasing October, 2014 - Smoldered is Asher and Natalie's story. Its a bit grittier than Electrified, considering both the main characters' grew up on and around Vegas nightlife.
It was a gut-wrenching story to write, and I can't wait to share it with all of you...I will be somewhat sad to put it to print, though. Saying goodbye to Asher &Nat will be hard for me, but as they say: "All good things must come to an end." But, not really because there will be another book in the series, Mike's story.
So, here you go --> your first glimpse at Smoldered.
…Right before me was my boss, still wearing his dress pants from the night, his shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest, showing off a light smattering of blond chest hair and the very edge of his tattoo.
It was a dark navy blue electricity bolt over his chest for his one and only baby, the Electric Tunnel. But, it was a sight to see, and I did enjoy licking it from top to bottom.
In the privacy of his office.
His hair and goatee were equally mussed up from him running his hands through them. Sadly, a behavior I knew all too well, and there was nothing I wanted to do more than dive in and make it even messier.
And, he was wearing motorcycle boots with his suit pants. He was a hot mess of a man––nothing else remotely like him. Even with a layer of expensive, designer clothing on top, he was pure bad boy underneath. He’d never ditch his boots. They were as ingrained in him as his past, which is why I should have been high-tailing it right out of the place. Instead, I stood planted like a palm tree blowing in the wind, waiting for the storm to arrive, stuck in the ground as if there was nothing I could do to stop the blustery weather heading my way, threatening to topple me over.
The guy was a god, and I was nothing more than a stripper, who was smitten with him. Running my hands through my own long hair, I’d left it down with big waves running through it. I had set it in hot rollers on my break for a bachelor party I ran earlier. Yet, now it didn’t seem like enough for Asher. He should get more than the after-effects of my evening at work.
He deserved fresh curls and perfume not mixed with another man’s cologne.
I wanted to be more in his eyes. Hadn’t I always?
In my dreams, I was the prettiest, sexiest, and most darling of his girls. The one he would keep, but I knew that to be a fantasy, which is why I kept firm boundaries when it came to him. Most of the time, at least. This evening, not one of these occasions.
He approached with his usual control and command, wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me tight against him. Running his nose along my collar, he breathed in my scent, and whispered, “Fuck, Nat, you smell real good. Look so damn beautiful. I want you. Never can get enough.”
©Rachel Blaufeld, Natalie & Asher, unedited teaser-subject to change-Smoldered
*Add it to GoodReads
I have been hiding in my cave, otherwise known as my backyard or the local coffee shop––writing book 2 of The Electric Tunnel Series. Why?
Smoldered is coming, October, 2014
Asher Peterson is a self-made man, owner of the Electric Tunnel, Sin City’s hottest adult entertainment spot. Brazen and formidable in designer T-shirts and motorcycle boots, he seems unflappable whether he’s making his rounds through the decadent decor of the Tunnel, or whipping through the desert heat on his bike. But inside he is a shattered man, desperate to understand what unconditional love from a woman feels like.
Hiding the effects of his emotionally stunted youth behind a gritty persona, and keeping his fractured soul buried deep while seeking out his baser instincts, Asher is convinced he is man enough to leave the past in the past. The only clue to his broken soul is his deep-seated need to provide safety and a good life for emotionally damaged women within the glamorous walls of his strip club.
Fooling himself that he deserves little in life, Asher keeps his big heart tightly guarded with everyone but Sienna Flower, his friend, business partner, and headliner. Until, that is, the night he runs into his childhood friend, Natalie Parker. While trolling a rival strip club, perusing their offerings for his own personal pleasure, he collides with his past. Coming face-to-face with a woman he only knew as a girl, he’s shaken when he finds the dark-haired beauty in a precarious position. Now all grown up, she’s a hardened soul who reminds him of where he came from, and stirs within him the need to protect yet another woman.
Known as Nat to most everyone, Natalie is a single mom to Quinn. But when she’s under the bright spotlights in a thong, she’s known as Natasha or Nataleigh Dallas. A girl who once had everything going for her, she’s now a jaded stripper with only room for her son in her life, and has erected impenetrable barriers around her heart. The strength of those walls is challenged the night a man she has known since childhood steamrolls his way back into her life, flashing those smoky-gray eyes that have always melted her. A man she has loved from afar since she was a young girl, one who set fire to her walls, burning deeper, setting everything ablaze––smoldering her.
Asher and Natalie, two people who are equally tormented by their own demons, set out to rescue each other as part-time lovers in a torrid, desperate workplace affair. Thinking they can remain friends while keeping their hearts at a safe distance, they find themselves at odds when their situation morphs into a messy, tangled mess.
Ripping free of each other proves impossible as they learn that the very web that connects them goes much deeper than they ever expected.
Official Cover Reveal coming on 9.9.14 (same day SOA & Charlie return to TV, gulp).
What can you do (while I go crazy)?
Add Smoldered to Goodreads
Haven't read Electrified, book one in the Electric Tunnel Series?
Grab it here:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K10F7JI
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1oBA7ne
Itunes: http://bit.ly/1nzCQ0k
RB
My Writing Process is an ongoing blog hop where a writer answers four [everyday] basic questions about their writing process... and then is asked to pass the baton to another author or two.
I was passed the proverbial baton by Terri Lyndie, debut author of Wolf Eye Sly. To see what she has been up to and working on, check out her blog. I think she is hard at work writing a sequel. Hurry up!
AS FOR MOI', I will sit down with a glass of wine (it is after 5 p.m. on Sunday as I write this) and tell you a bit [and a tad more] about myself:
What Am I Working On?
Right now, I'm finishing Smoldered, the second book in The Electric Tunnel Series. The story picks up somewhere in the middle of Electrified (Sienna and Carson); it is the story of Asher and Natalie, two equally shattered, fragmented souls, both who are trying desperately not to fall in love. Mostly set in Las Vegas, where the Tunnel is located and just as full of lust-filled, sex-hazed, pheromone-dosed scenes as its predecessor. But, this time, the reader gets to know a grittier, baser side of the industry in Smoldered.
Asher’s story is not one of hearts and flowers...there is a lot of pain, suffering and angst. Even I found I had to write in chunks because I would get so gut-wrenched after a while, tears would come.
YES, I cried while writing my own book.
I thought this would be my favorite tale to tell because I love Asher so much, but like most readers, I'm slowly getting sucked into the sordid stories behind the Tunnel bouncers and ideas for their books wake me in the middle of the night.
With cameos from ex-FBI detective, Carson, and bad boy bouncer, Petey, along with a beginning look into Big Mike’s affairs of the heart, there is a lot of alpha men to choose from in Smoldered.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
With a background in human development and clinical social work, I really need to delve into the minds of my characters. There is no wham, bam, thank you mam, when it comes to my stories. I need to be able to understand their mental processes, what they are thinking, and show how they arrive at their decisions. I believe in a slow-build, even though the reader wants to shoot me at some point.
Can they just hook up already?
So, I think personally, I spend a bit more time and emphasis on character development and background. I need it to all fall in place, for it to be a neat package.
In Electrified, I used the third person to do this, but Smoldered is a first person story. It will be interesting to see how readers react to the difference. I personally, loved writing the chapters in a man's POV while I was scripting Asher.
Why do I write what I do?
I guess you could say I've been reading some form of romance since I was twelve or thirteen years old. It all started with Judy Blume and her books––I couldn’t read them fast enough. Later on in college, I fell in love with Catherine Coulter, which must be why I love a good romantic suspense and FBI man. As an adult, I had an ongoing, huge love affair with Karen Marie Moning. Her Fever series kept me up for days on end. OMG, Jericho Barrons.
Don't know him, look him up!
After reading my romance in private, I put my big-girl panties on and decided to be brave and start putting my own stories down on paper. It took me a while to eek out which one to share first. I had so many characters swimming in my head. Now, even with great reviews and constructive criticism, I’m freaking glad I did share.
***I love IT when I get a text or an email from a woman who is spending her day reading my book and she can't put it down. We all need a few hours to unwind, relax and enjoy ourselves and if you can do it with my book, well, that’s amazing!
How does my writing process work?
Typically I am on a run when an idea or character comes to me, and I often record a voice memo to myself so I don’t forget! Then, I spend some time chewing on it, drinking coffee/eating junk donuts] elaborating in my mind before I sit down at my laptop. When I finally do start typing, I write a few chapters at a time and then let them sit and marinate before going back and reviewing––and then, onward.
So, now before I get back to writing and editing Smoldered, I need to pass the baton to my girl, Christy Pastore:
Writer Christy Pastore grew up in the lakeside community of Syracuse, Indiana USA writing short stories that usually involved characters who loved to travel, had a passion for fashion and were often times swept up in boy crazy crushes. Many of her first stores also dealt with coming of age situations with their best girlfriends.
Christy gave up reading books for several years, disillusioned with the annoying characters and predictable plot lines. Upon the recommendation of a friend, Christy picked up a much buzzed about popular romance novel which reminded her of why reading was such an enjoyable guilty pleasure.
Writing has been a constant in Christy’s life, leading her to create a popular fashion blog, Fashion Wrap Up. This endeavor allowed Christy to have the wonderful experience of working and collaborating with many talented models, designers, makeup artists and photographers in the Fashion Industry. While Pastore still writes about fashion and celebrity style in her spare time, her passion for story development, more specifically creative writing, publishing and content creation has taken her on a new journey and career path: Author.
Her debut novel, Fifteen Weekends was released in May of 2014. Her next novel, Unscripted is set to release in November 2014.
Additionally, Christy enjoys a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc, a warm cup of coffee, Gummi Bears, traveling and tweeting her thoughts on her favorite TV shows.
Christy and her husband Kevin currently reside in St. Louis, Missouri in the popular Italian Neighborhood, The Hill, with their two lovable dogs and cooler than cool cat.
AND, M.L. Ortega:
M.L. Ortega was raised in the North by Southerners and thus learned to embrace dichotomy, which shows in her writing. With humor at the wheel, dark subject matter rides 'shotgun'.
Moving frequently throughout her childhood, her family finally settled in California, where she eventually married and had four children. The children have grown and moved away, leaving her in the care of a very patient husband and two independent cats. She's just published her book, Turn Key Condition, on Amazon.
Excited to hear from Christy & M.L. next week....RB
I'm not going to lie: Being a first time, debut author is scary. Its downright, flat-out nail-biting, hide-in-your-closet or underneath a blanket frightening. As an author, you're putting your words, characters, and ideas out there for everyone and anyone to read or see, and that is intimidating enough. BUT, then there is the added fear of no one, other than your mom or sister or sister-in-law, even picking up your brand-new, shiny novel.
Which is why I have been on a mission to check out as many debut romance authors as I can. On my adventure to read, I discovered Susan Ward, Terri Lyndie, Salem Archer, and Elle Michaels––AND their books.
Each story so distinctly different in feel and style, yet all of them compelling, I am crazy, run around naked, excited to be able to giveaway an ebook copy of each one this holiday weekend. LOOKS like one lucky winner, will have a very busy weekend of reading by the pool, lake, beach, or locked away in your bedroom.
The giveaway will run from 8 a.m. EST on 7/1/2014 through 8 a.m. EST on 7/5/2014 through rafflecopter, and then each author listed above will gift one lucky reader a kindle copy of their book.
Best way to wake up! Amazon recommendations. To read about some way more humorous recos - go here.
Oh, and come back next week for a giveaway with Electrified and four other titles! Just in time for the holiday weekend.
OR, you can subscribe right over there to get it straight to your inbox ---->
Over the last two months, I've heard "What does your husband think?" more times than I care to count. If asked, he will tell you he is the inspiration behind all my alpha men, even the ones who dwell in my head, despite the fact that I tell him to say "Its fiction" in response.
But, it is a work of fiction. A world of make-believe that came to me a long time ago––on a trip to Las Vegas. The characters in my story are a result of my overactive imagination, a little bit of wine, and yes, my background in psychology/human development/social work. [And, maybe just maybe, my husband.]
I've spent the better part of my life studying people, so in a way––that has helped me build my characters. Each and every one is a labor of love and intensity and focus. Your reviews of them, kind words, even the not so kind words, mean the world to me because you chose to spend time with them.
My husband knows better than anyone how much time, effort, attention that building characters takes because he has heard from me, "Shhh. I'm writing right now" about as much as I have heard "What does your husband think?"
Ultimately, I think he's proud. He thinks its great.
[He thinks he's Carson.]
I admit...I'm a little behind in my reading since launching my first book, but I have been trying to catch up over the last few weeks. That and write and write, but it is my kindle that I find some escape at the end of the day. AND, I freaking love that time. Freaking.
Another indie author friend once said to me,
"I consider myself a reader first."
I could not agree more.
It is the stories I fell in love with that made me want to add my own to the mix.
So, without further ado, this is what is loaded on my kindle right now.
Very Bad Things & Very Wicked Things by Ilsa Madden Mills
Both with spunky, free-spirited heroines trying to break free from preconceived notions and stereotypes and steamy alpha heroes, I don't recommend picking either of these up unless you have time to read each one in its entirety because you will not be able to put them down.
*A personal thank you to Ilsa for both LEO and being so kind and helpful to me!
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
Ugh, this book is so good. So good. The story, full of pain, loss, and love flows from one to the other and captures the reader, pulling them in deeper and deeper. And, Archer. Oh. Archer.
The Education of Sebastian and The Education of Caroline (combined series) by Jane Harvey-Berrick
One of my all-time favorite reads has a new cover and BONUS scenes (yes, I am screaming in all caps, but they are that good). A heart-stopping, gut-wrenching story of forbidden love...and, then reacquainted love, Caro and Seb are another duo hard to put down.
What Happens Tomorrow by Elle Michaels
This is next on my TBR list. Elle, a debut author like me, is already getting great reviews on her book, and I cannot wait to open it. Apparently, I should have a box of tissues on hand. Who doesn't love a good cry?
AND, of course, my book is there residing next to all these greats, and I can't stand it!
Electrified
HAPPY, peaceful reading in bed, the bathtub, or the carpool lane.
no words needed:
Over at my other site, Back'nGrooveMom, I write pretty serious stuff. A blog mostly centered around the crazy lives of women, moms, and wives, and how we look for balance. Typically, we are unsuccessful.
Anyway, when I decided to release Electrified (The Electric Tunnel)
Recently, most of the conversations I've had start and end with "Aren't you so embarrassed to release such a steamy read with your name."
The answer is short: NO.
No way, nope.
Part of my mission over at Back'nGrooveMom or anywhere else I write––Huffington Post, Modern Mom, even StartUpNation––has always been at the core of whatever role we are holding is this: We are women, and part of being a woman is doing what makes us feel good. So, if you like romance, read it. Devour it in any way you like.
The best part of releasing the book has been the PM's and texts I have received. They have made me laugh, cry, smile and feel light in a time I don't think I normally would!
Can they have sex soon?
Love it. Ur a dirty wh#@$
I'm in love with Carson.
Shhh, I'm with Carson right now.
...and the best: [My college-aged daughter] said she can totally see how you write that stuff by looking at you.
OMG. So, maybe a little embarrassed by that last one, but honestly thanks to all of you who have messaged me nice things and reviewed the book. love, R
Today I had to get dressed. Actually GET dressed for a photo shoot and upcoming print interview. Now, you may be scratching your head and asking yourself why I would perhaps not be getting dressed daily. Let me explain.
Last week was the official release week of Electrified, and I'm not gonna lie. I spent a great majority of my time in what I consider to be one step up from jammies. In fact, a number of my well-coordinated outfits last week were in fact pajamas. Not even nice ones. No lace, frills, or ribbons. More like fleecy, bally, ugly, non-matching separates that keep me warm on a cold winter's night.
I'm also not going to lie when it comes to my lack of sleep and increased anxiety as I hit PUBLISH. Geez, waiting for the book to upload felt like forever, and then I sold 1 &1/2 copies and I swear it was if I climbed Mt. Everest, or scratch that and make it Charlie Hunnam.
There were a number of readers, friends and family that made me smile so hard during last week, and I cannot thank you enough. For the kind words, the silly PM's, the reviews on Amazon and GoodReads, and the texts. Oh, the texts kept me rolling. Luckily, no one FaceTimed because there was no way that I could show my GORGEOUS style on camera.
AND, Love N. Books. Omg, I adore those ladies. ADORE.
AND, Pam. The calm behind my force.
As I finally sit here showered and dressed, cleaned up from the days of watching the internet to see if my book was there to buy, Electrified is officially available in the Kindle Store at Amazon, Nook, and iBooks.
And an added bonus - THE Paperback is not far behind.
So, thank you. I will even FaceTime with you if you want.
My mom: Who is this Mara on Facebook and why is she making you cry?
Me: Mom, she’s a fellow blogger, writer who read my book and she liked it so much, she read it straight through in one sitting. It was a good cry.
My Mom: Well, how did she get the book? Is it out?
Me: No, not yet. She got an advanced copy for review purposes.
My Mom: What do you mean?
Me: Well, I have these advanced review copies for bloggers, avid readers/recommenders, and such to read early, help get the ball rolling, stir the media. You know, when you think I am just f-ing around on Facebook? I’m doing a little work.
My Mom: What about family? Do I get a copy?
I think: You don’t have a kindle, nook or the like. Plus, it is a bit dirty. Okay, a lot dirty.
I say: Definitely. Of course, mom. You can proof my paperback copy.
The truth of the matter is, I’ve been dragging my feet a little in putting up my debut novel. I’m fucking petrified. Scared to death. Not about the dirty part. Everyone knows I can be a bit naughty.
I’m afraid of the whole thing. The sum of parts…is greater…
Writing a fiction novel has been a lifelong goal of mine, and now I wrote one. I don’t know if anyone will like it (especially my mom), and it is frightening.
So, the few of you who have read advanced copies and sent me kind words, I can’t thank you enough.
I have studied the calendar to find the most perfect time to slap the book up on the internetz, and there are so many awesome, well-established, better-than-me authors releasing today, tomorrow, next week, but I have to bite the bullet.
Electrified will be live sometime in the next few days (4/30/14 or 5/1/14) –– mostly determined by my upload capabilities, and let me say this: Thanks in case I forget to say it later.
Thanks for everything, nothing, whatever.
To make sure you are alerted to when the links are live, you can like here.
See you on the other side.
It was his own damn fault he was so desperate for a female’s attention or touch. He was the one tied in knots over a stripper—a beautiful woman with supple curves, all the right moves, and bluer-than-blue eyes so deep they revealed she was actually much more than who she appeared to be onstage.
A woman who was completely inaccessible to him and untouchable to everyone. Yet he was so hung up on her, he was about to head up to his hotel room by his lonesome without any intention of trying to find another woman or even take care of himself.
Carson shook his head, annoyed at himself and confused by his current disinterest in pursuing anything female. He knew it bore some type of significance. A meaning, perhaps, that he shouldn’t ignore.
©Rachel Blaufeld, Electrified, 2014
Well, this makes the whole, "I'm publishing a book" very real. Unbelievably freaking real.
Just a few weeks away from officially hitting publish on my first fiction novel, I'm faced with an interesting dilemma.
What? You ask.
My novel is a bit naughty. Actually, not as much as book 2 (preview included), but dirty nonetheless, and for a while, I was thinking my mom may be the only person who buys my book. Except, do I want her to read it? Yesterday, someone asked her about the book and her thoughts, and she BLUSHED.
Let's just say this...my mom is not going to need to wear rouge for a while.
In the meantime, I cannot stop loving and looking at my cover thanks to Sarah over Okay. Yeah, she's ignoring my IM's and all because she is SICK of me, but I don't care. She did a bang out job on this one, and she's stuck with me. forever.
Who wants a teaser? Hit like, comment, raise your hand. Let me know.
....I've been holed up with edits, putting the finishing touches on Sienna and Carson's story, and I haven't been able to even dream about writing anything else. In celebration of my FIRST manuscript heading for FINAL edits, I wanted to share another little teaser (cover reveal and links coming soon).
Meet Sienna - "Her curves and long lashes tease and taunt from her very own billboard where the desert meets the Las Vegas Strip. She’s the hottest stripper in town, known for her sultry and indecent moves coupled with her virginal eyes."
Down to her bra and panties, Sienna strutted to the front of the platform. She tugged her hair loose from the elastic band that held it, while bending over to shake her locks loose. When she flipped back up, hand to hip, dancing suggestively, swaying her middle while letting her hair fall down her back, she saw him.
He was staring. Not gawking or watching awkwardly, but gazing possessively at her. A mysterious warmth flooded her body, seeping out from her veins to her muscles, skin, and most private parts, making her want to touch, feel, and gaze openly.
That was all she could handle. Sienna turned and went back up the pole to finish the song, avoiding looking at the floor. She couldn’t stand another second of the heat between their gazes.
Twisting and wrapping her lean body around the pole, never breaking a seductive smile, Sienna had the crowd twisted in lust. She could feel it in the air. It was heavy; blanketing the audience in a fever. Unable to cool down, the crowd’s only choice was to take in more sensuality.
At the end of the song, Sienna didn’t wait to see if the man she’d already spent too much time thinking about left. She did a quick spin around, giving the crowd one more long look at her butt, blew kisses to her fans, and sashayed off the stage.
Electrified - Copyright © 2014 Rachel Blaufeld
Photo Credit: Ryan Connolly, tapwatr, all rights reserved.
Carson Graham shifted into fourth gear as he hightailed it away from the club toward his hotel. Why did he keep coming back to Vegas? Who the hell knows. If there was one thing he didn't have any trouble finding or getting, it was willing women.
He knew women weren't really “things.” They were interesting, often complicated creatures, and he both appreciated and respected them. He just happened to like women in his bed who came with no strings. It was the twenty-first century, after all, and there were plenty of women who liked that kind of deal.
He had never settled down, and he sure as hell wasn't about to start now. At closer to forty years old than thirty-five, he was thinking the bachelor life suited him just fine. Or maybe it was that he only deserved the single life. His particular circumstances hadn't exactly set him up for success in the relationship department.Picking up a little speed, he changed course and steered toward the mountains, needing more time to clear his head.
It would be great to be on his motorcycle right now, to be able to lean into the steep and winding curves, but it was back in his garage on the East Coast, grounded—just like his life at the moment. The sports car he'd rented would have to do.
As he shifted the engine into fifth gear the car jetted forward, allowing the tension to bleed from him with the increased RPM. He was trying to drive away from the pull as fast he could…the pull coming from an insanely gorgeous stripper he was lusting after in a big way.
There was something magnetic about her, dragging him in deeper and deeper. More than her sleek, toned body and her sensual moves when she wrapped herself around the pole, there was a draw deeper than the physical. Carson wasn't a hard-up kind of guy. He never got like this over a woman. Ever.
Electrified - ©Rachel Blaufeld, 2014 Carson Graham (The Electric Tunnel #1)