Complicated by You Blog Tour

Published on September 4, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle5 Comments

Thought I’d share another NEW ADULT love story by Kenya Wright with an interesting twist.

Synopsis: COMPLICATED BY YOU is a sexy New Adult love story about a girl who loves so deeply that it may cost her everything.

Evie’s childhood friend Jay has always had her back. But college complicates things as Jay starts dating Evie’s roommate Cynthia. Now, Evie spends her nights trying to sleep while Jay and Cynthia go at it like rabbits a few feet away!

Evie hates feeling like a third wheel and hates wishing it was her in Jay’s arms even more. It doesn’t help that Jay won’t let Evie date or even hook up without interfering and making sure everyone on campus knows that she’s off limits.

Something has to give. Evie can’t continue pining away for Jay, and Jay can’t continue to act like he owns her when he won’t so much as touch her. And worse of all, Evie can barely look Cynthia in the eye for fear she will know just how she feels about Jay.

Then one night shifts Evie, Jay and Cynthia into an web of love and deceit, tangling their hearts and forcing one of them to come to a compromise that will change all their lives.

How far should someone go for love?

Until it’s no longer convenient, or until it’s tearing apart their soul? Evie soon realizes that love isn’t always easy and loving someone isn’t as simple as it seems. Sometimes, it’s COMPLICATED.

Look for Evie and Jay’s story to continue in December 2013!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KynbSr9Jv9o

Author Bio: Dark fantasy bestselling author Kenya Wright always knew she would be famous since the ripe old age of six when she sang the Michael Jackson thriller song in her bathroom mirror. She has tried her hand at many things from enlisting in the Navy for six years as a Persian-Farsi linguist to being a nude model at an art university.

However, writing has been the only constant love in her life.

Kenya Wright currently resides in Miami with her three amazing, overactive children, a supportive, gorgeous husband, and three cool black cats that refuse to stop sleeping on Kenya’s head at night.

Find Kenya on:

Facebook Goodreads

How far would you go for love?

Indie Block Party – Post 4 – Interview my Neighbor

Published on August 22, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle11 Comments

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor. Join us for the Indie Block Party to meet your writing “neighbors.”

Participants will have the opportunity to share a little about themselves and their writing, while getting to know the other like-minded crazies that make up the Indie Writing World.

Week 1
Day 1: Introduce Yourself
Day 2: Introduce your WIP
Day 3: Interview one of your Characters
Day 4: Interview one of your Neighbors (not your real neighbor…the one who signed up on the linkey after you 😉 )

Week 2
Day 5: What are you reading?
Day 6: Top 5 books
Day 7: Share your most helpful writing tips
Day 8: Share your most helpful social media & networking tips

Full instructions are available at The Peasants Revolt or Dawna Raver’s blog.

Give me a brief synopsis of the first story you ever wrote (in school, published or just for yourself)?Reporter Merah Slavings is stalking Business Tycoon Nicolas Masters. She wants to know all his dirty little secrets and not just because he is the man of her dreams. Merah doesn’t stumble into his deep dark past but into his arms… mortally wounded. To save her life Nicolas, a vampire, turns Merah and wants her to be his loving companion for all eternity. Merah’s life has turned upside down and eternity is a long time.

Nicholas has many secrets one is that he has been watching Merah Slavings for quite some time. He is hoping she is the one that he can trust with his deepest darkest secret, but first he is going to intrigue and romance her to sweep her off her feet. He has learned that taking your time to get what you want is part of the fun. Time he has plenty of. Fate intervenes and he runs out of time to woo her having to decide to turn her or let her die. Has Nicolas bitten off more than he can chew?

What books have most influenced your writing? Kim Harrisons the Hollows series, and Laurel K Hamilton’s Anita Blake and Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson. I’d love to roll all three up into my work!

What is the best writing advice you were given? Above all else write.

What are your top five favorite movies? That’s a tough one. Best friend’s Wedding, Sweet home Alabama, Van Helzing, Avatar and any western! I have a thing for cowboys.

Do movies influence your writing? No not really.

What is your favorite romantic moment in a film or a book? Gosh there’s too many to mention. I’m such a mushy romantic at heart. I loved when Jack Nicholas told Helen hunt you make me want to be a better man in as Good as it Gets.

Any tattoos? Nope

Pick one of your published works and give me a list of the steps involved in that project from idea to publication? I don’t have one completely polished yet. I just sent my first rounds of edits back to my editor on Love Bites. It has been quite a learning experience. I sure hope it’s polished soon!

For more information on Cathy Brockman, visit her blog cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com.

Writing Habits and Success: An Interview with Bella Andre

Published on January 15, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle3 Comments

Please enjoy this interview with Bella Andre, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the contemporary romance series, The Sullivans. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards!

Interview with Bella Andre

about her writing habits and success

1. Tell us about writing and publishing your very first novel. What were your expectations when you first waded into the self-publishing pond? Is there anything you would do differently if given another chance?

I honestly had no expectations other than some of my loyal readers would finally get a chance to read my book – and that was enough for me. Meeting so many new readers and fans has been icing on a cake I had no idea was being served.

2. You’re an icon in the indie publishing community. Your success is something we all aspire to. What do you believe has been the greatest contributing factor to the success of your novels?

Thank you, that’s lovely to hear. I’ve so enjoyed self-publishing these past couple of years, and I’ve been lucky to have the most wonderful fans with me every step of the way. There are so many things that go into success, but I think my focus and determination – along with the best readers in the world – have been the biggest factors.

3. What was your reaction when you first found out you broke onto the New York Times and USA Today best-sellers’ lists? How did you celebrate?

Actually, it’s kind of a funny story. I was on my way to the RWA National conference last summer and was sitting in the airport in Albany, New York when I found out I had three books on the USA Today bestsellers list. I called my husband and we had a mini celebration on the phone. I flew into Atlanta where I was switching planes for Anaheim, and when we landed I turned on my phone and checked my email. An agent (not mine, I was agentless at the time) had emailed me with the title “CONGRATULATIONS, New York Times!” That was when I found out I also had three books on the New York Times bestseller list…and I started crying. On the airplane. With a very conservative woman sitting next to me. She must have thought I was losing it, because she promptly turned her back on me. 🙂 Of course I called my husband and cried happy tears some more. That night when I got into Anaheim, all of my closest writing friends came up to my room and we celebrated. It was AWESOME!

4. You’ve recently shared some very exciting news—Harlequin MIRA has optioned the print rights for The Sullivans in a record-breaking seven-figure deal. Congratulations! How did this transpire? And how does it affect your writing and publishing plans?

Thank you, I’m beyond thrilled about it and Harlequin have been a dream to work with. They are so incredibly enthusiastic about putting The Sullivans out in paperback in English all over the world, with a simultaneous launch in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia starting this June and going back-to-back each month with the first eight books through April 2014.

My ebook sales numbers for the self-published Sullivan series had been growing bigger and bigger in the year since I’d started publishing the series, and I knew a print-only deal was going to happen soon. When so many Sullivans hit the New York Times and USA Today all at once, that was when the publishers started calling and making offers. I truly feel that Harlequin is the *perfect* publisher for my sexy, emotional contemporary romance Sullivan series.

Because I retained all of my ebook, audiobook, foreign translation and film/TV rights, I am continuing to put out my Sullivans, and other future books, as self-published ebooks and audio books. I have released seven Sullivan ebooks so far and the eighth (ALWAYS ON MY MIND, Lori Sullivan’s story) will be out this spring…and I have a great idea for a brand new series that I hope to start writing this year as well. I have licensed the series in Brazil, France and Portugal so far, and the first two books are already big bestsellers in Brazil, which is very exciting.

5. You write fast! Not only do you produce several novels per year, you produce several well written, polished novels per year. What is your writing process like? Do you have any advice for other wordsmiths struggling with productivity?

Thanks for the great compliment. I work so hard on my stories to make sure they’re emotional and fun and sexy and that they take my readers out of their lives for a little while. I write every day, everywhere, no matter what. I don’t wait for inspiration or a muse to come calling. Fortunately, my favorite thing is writing. In fact, today as I was sniffling over my keyboard during a really emotional scene between my hero and heroine, I was thinking how very happy it made me to be able to write books all day…and to know that I have the best fans in the world waiting to read them!

6. In the early days, what did you do to market your books? Would you recommend these strategies to writers in today’s market?

I took a really personal approach. Because I had started digital publishing in response to my readers who had emailed asking me for books, whenever I released a book, I individually emailed each and every single reader to let them know about it. Now, thanks to Facebook and Twitter, I can interact with my readers in other ways that let me spend more time on actually writing, and I recommend doing anything that puts you in touch with your readers.

7. How has making it big changed your approach to writing and marketing your work? Has it changed your approach?

I truly believe that my fans want me to spend more time writing and less time gabbing. 🙂 So I always err on the side of writing…and then once I’ve met my page count goals for the day, I go onto twitter and Facebook and answer emails.

8. You’ve connected with a large international fan base. Do readers abroad respond differently to your novels than those in the USA? Which countries in particular have fallen in love with your work?

I’m having a love affair with my Brazilian readers, and I also love love love my Australia/New Zealand, UK and Canadian readers as well! They’re so passionate and supportive of The Sullivans – but I’ve been really fortunate to find readers everywhere have been kind and amazing.

9. You attend a lot of conferences. Recently, you delivered the keynote address at the 2012 Book Expo America. How have conferences contributed to your writing career?

Conferences are an amazing opportunity to stay abreast of what’s happening in the business. I get incredible value out of networking in the lounge and hearing what people are up to and what ideas they have. The thing is, I truly love this business and everyone I’ve met had been wonderful…so it’s really not work at all for me. In fact, going to a conference and meeting with people is always such fun.

10. My, you are a busy bee! How do you find balance between writing, publishing, and promoting your books and the rest of your life? Any tips for the rest of us?

Give up sleep and sanity…and have an awesome husband who is happy to take care of absolutely everything non-book-related in your life! 🙂 But seriously – get a good team behind you. I have a team of beta readers, editors, proofers and digital file producers, I work with great bloggers, and I also have the love and support of my family. Everyone thinks “indie publishing” means being independent, but it’s not the case at all. While you get to be charge of your own career and your own vision, you also work with tons of great people to put your book out there!

The Sullivans are on tour with Novel Publicity. Follow along for your chance to win amazing prizes. We’ve got special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards. WOW!

You’ll also get introduced to this amazing contemporary romance series via excerpts as well as interviews with and guest posts from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Bella Andre. You’ll definitely want to learn more about the family that has captured the world’s heart.

All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To Win the Prizes:

Purchase any of the Sullivan ebooks by Bella Andre for just $4.99 (optional)
Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
Visit today’s featured social media event (that’s where the HUGE prizes are)

About The Sullivans: In this sexy, emotional and funny contemporary romance series, each member of the Sullivan family will eventually find true love…usually where he or she least expects it.

Get the eBooks via Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, the iBookStore, or the Kobo Store.

Audiobooks are also available for the first five in the series (with more coming soon). Plus, keep an eye out for paperback editions coming from Harlequin Romance starting Summer 2013.

All Sullivan Covers

About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she’d found her perfect career. Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they’ll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo.

Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

Sign up for Bella’s newsletter at www.eepurl.com/eXj22
Visit Bella’s website at www.BellaAndre.com
Follow Bella on twitter at www.twitter.com/bellaandre
Join Bella on Faceboook at www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans

My Road to Publication by Kathy Lynn Harris

Published on December 5, 2012December 5, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle3 Comments

Thank you, Sydney, for hosting me here during my blog tour for my new novel, A Good Kind of Knowing. I thought I’d give readers a quick timeline of my road to publication for the novel, since it’s not exactly a straight path! In fact, the story began a long time ago, and it includes my first novel, Blue Straggler. So here you go!

1999 – 2000 Completed the first full manuscript of A Good Kind of Knowing while living deep in the heart of Texas.

December 2000 – Summer 2001 Moved to Colorado to live in the mountains and write; began revising A Good Kind of Knowing like a crazy person

Fall 2001 Pitched it to NY lit agents; got picked up on my 10^th bite! Thought I was Hot Snot (not really!) Began writing Blue Straggler.

Spring 2002 Got close to a contract for A Good Kind of Knowing, but alas, ultimately rejected by the Powers That Be.

Spring 2003 – 2004 Completed Blue Straggler; decided to leave my NY agent and sign with one on the West Coast who was a better fit for me.

2005 – 2006 Revised Blue Straggler; agent held auction for publishers; got oh-so-close again, but no final takers. Drank lots of vodka. Licked literary wounds.

2006 – Spring 2011 Left novel-writing for a while and published essays and short stories and bad poetry. Adopted a beautiful baby boy.

August 2011 Discussed self-publishing Blue Straggler as an ebook with my agent; she was supportive and I had nothing to lose, so I went for it!

Fall 2011 Blue Straggler as an ebook went viral, and sales exceed expectations. Signed a five-year contract with 30 Day Books of Seattle to publish the novel as a trade paperback.

March 2012 Blue Straggler published in paperback. It becomes a #1 bestseller in two categories on Amazon.

May 2012 30 Day Books passes after reading A Good Kind of Knowing, but encourages me to publish it myself.

October 2012 A Good Kind of Knowing is published as an ebook. Paperback release planned for December 2012. Sales are rockin’ along! Just released a Music-to-Read-By playlist, too.

So there you have it. My steep, winding roads to the publication of two novels.

Good Kind of Knowing is a novel about the power of music and friendship, the relationship two-steps that go on in old Texas dancehalls, and the secret to finding just a little bit of common ground in a world full of distrust.

Sera Taylor’s store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas, where individuals from all walks of life share a universal love for music and a respect for the gypsy-like woman behind the antique glass counter. Readers get a taste of the unorthodox connection between Sera and Mack, a young local cowboy and musician, and Sera’s previously untested devotion to her husband Bill. They learn of her relationship with Ruby D., the vibrant but misguided mother of five; with Louie, the shy high school band director; with Beverly, the religious, upper-class socialite; with Antonio, a local bar owner striving to make a life for himself; with Tommy Lee, a rich and directionless gigolo; and with Wes, the only out-of-the closet gay man for miles. As Sera battles a serious illness, the characters must overcome long-held stereotypes to save Sera’s store, and in the end, large parts of themselves.

Buy Links:

agoodkindofknowingcover

Amazon | Barnes and Nobles

Author Bio:

Kathy Lynn Harris grew up in rural South Texas—and comes from people who work hard, love the land and know how to have a good time on a Saturday night. In 2001, Kathy made the move from Texas to the Colorado Rockies to focus on her writing and soak up All Things Mountain. She lives in a 1920s log cabin with her husband and son, plus two fairly untrainable golden retriever mixes. Kathy has written two novels, three children’s books, a lot of bad poetry, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, and personal essays. Kathy’s blog, You Can Take the Girl Out of Texas, but, can be found at kathylynnharris.com.