The hostess with the most-est!

I want to hear your thoughts on what makes a cool party.
Pop over to visit RACHEL HARRIS to share your ideas for a chance to win a copy of NOT THE MARRYING KIND.

Though could you get any cooler than this rollerskating party at home for my 11th birthday?
(on second thoughts, don't answer that!)

Guest blogger: Soraya Lane

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Harlequin Romance author SORAYA LANE to my blog.


Soraya is one of my best writing buddies and our daily chats are invaluable!  I'm thrilled she has released her first YA novel, CHANGE. (Isn't the cover gorgeous?)
It's waiting for me on my kindle and I'm looking forward to reading.


Now, over to Soraya!

I’m so excited to be kick-starting my blog tour here today! Nicola is one of my absolute best writing buddies, and I don’t know what I’d do without her… despite the fact that we’ve never met in person, we email many times each day. So a huge thank you for inviting me to drop by J

 

My debut young adult novel, Change, is a story I’m so in love with, even after re-reading it countless times. As with all my books, it’s a romance, but it’s also setting the scene for a paranormal world that will be further explored in the sequel – unfortunately you’ll have to wait until next year for that though!

 

Change is currently available exclusively from Amazon as a kindle ebook, for the low price of only US$2.99. For more information about Change or my other books, I’d love you to swing past my website www.sorayalane.com or connect with me on twitter @Soraya_Lane.

 

Blurb:

 

“When her twin sister dies of a mysterious heart condition, Riley King is sent to her grandma’s ranch. But instead of the isolation she’s been aching for, she learns of a family secret that’s been deliberately kept from her, until now.

 

As if finding out she’s actually a leopard wasn't enough shock for one vacation, Riley meets Hunter Logan … the guy she’s promised to. For life. But Riley has no intention of being told what to do by anyone, certainly not some stubborn, dominant shifter. Even if he can make her purr, her claws are slicing out. Until Riley realizes that not fulfilling her destiny would commit her sister to a life on the other side without her.”    

Available from Amazon.

Six Sentence Sunday: NOT THE MARRYING KIND

Last Sunday I introduced you to Poppy Collins, the divorce party planning heroine in my new release, NOT THE MARRYING KIND ($2.99, Entangled Publishing's Indulgence series.)

In this snippet, she's discussing heading to Vegas to meet her first client, bad boy Beck Blackwood, with her BFF and assistant Ashlee.

“And here’s another tip. When in Vegas, always bet on black.”
“I’m not gambling—”
“Black silk, satin, lace, whatever. LBD, push-up bra, stockings, you’ll have him throwing the big bucks at you.”
“Dressed like that, it won’t be for my party planning skills,” Poppy muttered, earning a grin from Ashlee. 


Head here for more Six Sunday snippets.

Climbing the charts!

A huge THANK YOU to the lovely readers who've bought NOT THE MARRYING KIND from Barnes and Noble.

I woke today to the fab news that the nook book had climbed to 397 overall in the rankings. And right now, it sits at 274.

I'm so excited! (and trying not to compulsively check those rankings!)

Thanks again!

New book trailer!

I'm thrilled to reveal the book trailer for NOT THE MARRYING KIND

I absolutely love it!

Exactly how I pictured Poppy and Beck.

And Johnny Ray's "I'm Going to Vegas" is the perfect song!

(to discover more about NOT THE MARRYING KIND & to read an excerpt, head here.)

Six Sentence Sunday: NOT THE MARRYING KIND

My first Six Sentence Sunday in a while courtesy of life intruding but I'm excited to be back!


With NOT THE MARRING KIND releasing this week, I thought it fitting to introduce you to Poppy, the party planning heroine who's snarky and sassy and downright fun.


Here, she's chatting with her BFF and assistant Ashlee about launching Divorce Diva Daily, a blog promoting her divorce party idea that will save her sister's party planning business.
Ashlee isn't convinced.


“Hey, I’m mature.”
Ashlee raised an imperious eyebrow and pointed at her desk. “You’re saving a printed RPatz autographed Twilight flyer, your Gryffindor Forever stick-on tattoos are plastered everywhere, and you’ve been clubbing three times this week.”
“I like to bust a move.”
“And the rest?”
“Can never have enough sparkly vamps or Harry Potter around.”


Check out more SSS here

Not the Marrying Kind availability

I've had several people tweet/FB/email me from New Zealand, saying they couldn't buy NOT THE MARRYING KIND.

Well, I'm pleased to say, after emails flying back and forth to Amazon, it's now available!

So if you're in Asia or the Pacific, you can grab it now!

Not the Marrying Kind cracks Amazon Top 100 series romance bestsellers!

Apologising in advance because it's release week for NOT THE MARRYING KIND and I'm still hyped! (and you'll get sick of mentioning this book!)

Every review is cause for celebration.

As is hitting the Top 100 series romance bestsellers on Amazon!
Woo hoo!

Would love to see this baby keep climbing so please spread the word.
And if you review, please consider posting to Amazon & Barnes and Noble. Ta!

(Isn't this sell sheet from Entangled great?)

Reader review: Not the Marrying Kind

The first reader review for NOT THE MARRYING KIND landed less than a day after the book went live on Amazon...and it's a ripper!


*LE SIGH* Snarky and sassy with a whole heap of emotion that i ALMOST cried 3/4 through the story! EGADS! Blackmail, a marriage of convenience and some smoking HOT sexual tension all collide in the wonderful city of Vegas to make this story a 5 star read! If you like Ms. Marsh's Harlequin stories then you will LOVE Not The Marrying Kind! Just buy it already! And Ms. Marsh, i hope that this is the start of of a beautiful relationship with Entangled Publishings' Indulgence line :) (Sheryl Nash)


It's always wonderful when a reader connects with a book but there's something especially nerve-racking about a first review.


I'm very grateful for those lovely words and 5 stars!


Please keep them coming (the reviews.)  Not averse to those stars either...!

(and almost forgot, NOT THE MARRYING KIND is now live at Barnes & Noble as a Nook book!)

Release day: NOT THE MARRYING KIND

The day has finally arrived!

My first category romance for Entangled Publishing's Indulgence series, NOT THE MARRYING KIND, is now live on Amazon!

This is my 33rd book released overall and I've never been so nervous!

Yeah, I love this book THAT much!

And I'm hoping you will too.

Diva Las Vegas!

When investors tarnish the King of Construction’s reputation he’s forced to prove his respectability…by finding a wife!

Beck Blackwood, desert bad-boy made good, will do whatever it takes to expand his construction company nationwide. Including blackmail a woman guaranteed to drive him crazy, into marriage.

LA party planner Poppy Collins is a woman on a mission: save her sister’s sanity. Determined to keep business afloat, Poppy pitches for the divorce party of the century to Vegas hotshot Beck Blackwood, not expecting a proposal of a different kind.

Beck leaves Poppy no option. Marry him or her Divorce Diva Daily secret is out and her sister’s business implodes. He holds a winning hand. However, Beck hasn’t played the game with a defiant woman who has a few tricks of her own!

In the city of high stakes and high flyers, can the Divorce Diva and the construction king take a gamble on love and beat the odds?

I'd love it if you could spread the word about this book far and wide!

A mini-blog tour with giveaways will be coming shortly.

And I'm plotting a fun contest too...

In the meantime, you can buy the book HERE

And add it to your Goodreads list HERE

Thanks!

Cover reveal: WEDDING DATE WITH MR. WRONG

It's always exciting to glimpse a cover for the first time and I love the colours of this one!

Plus it encapsulates a scene from the book, a beachside wedding.

WEDDING DATE WITH MR. WRONG releases this October in the USA (or pre-order here at 25% off, only AU $3.62)

The Romance Reviews mega book giveaway!

And yes, another BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD giveaway!

This time over at The Romance Reviews, as part of their Sizzling Summer Reads.

The deets here (BinB giveaway is Question 8)

Books on the House

The fab folk at BOOKS ON THE HOUSE are giving away 3 copies of BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD right now!

Go enter here

Summer Romance Festival

The folks at FREADO are having a Summer Romance Festival and are giving away over 200 books!

BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD is one of them so head over here to check it out.

NOT THE MARRYING KIND: Heroine

In the countdown to the release of NOT THE MARRYING KIND ($2.99, Entangled Publishing Indulgence series) in 6 days, here's the heroine of the story.

Meet Poppy Collins.

Freelance movie marketer in LA, who will do anything for her sister, including being blackmailed into marriage with Vegas bad boy Beck Blackwood.

Poppy runs her sister's party planning business while Sara is being treated for depression.
But the business isn't doing so well, so Poppy latches onto a new idea, taking the party planning business into the 21st century...with divorce parties!

Poppy becomes Divorce Diva Daily and her recommendations for break-up songs, movies and cocktails hit the spot.

But will Poppy end up organising her own divorce party?

(This pic of Katherine Heigl is exactly how I pictured Poppy. Confident, bold with a healthy dash of sass.)

Can't wait for you all for read this book!

Not the Marrying Kind: Hero

I'm so excited about the impending release of my first category romance for Entangled Publishing's Indulgence series!

NOT THE MARRYING KIND ($2.99 e-book) releases July 15th (9 days, squee!) and in the lead up, I'm providing background snippets from the book.

So...who's the hero?

Beck Blackwood is a desert bad-boy-made-good.

He's a construction king in Vegas, but prefers his house in Red Rock Canyon outside Vegas to the glitz.

He'll do whatever it takes for the deal of a lifetime...including blackmailing a woman into marriage!

What does he look like?

Think Gerard Butler.
'Nuff said.

A screenwriter's review

Exciting times with the mass market release of BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD in the USA at the moment.

It's always lovely to read fab reviews for this book of my heart, and I'm rapt to share one from a screenwriter today.

Adite Banerjie was hired to write a screenplay, based on a true life story, for a Bollywood movie. How exciting is that!

Her full review and interview is here 

RIP Nan

Yesterday, my Nan died unexpectedly.

She was the sharpest, brightest, loveliest lady.

Her stories inspired me to write and she was my biggest fan, taking my books to her community group every week.

Her hugs and smiles brightened my days.
And she adored her great grandchildren.

The last words we said to each other were:
"I love you," and I responded with "I love you too."

I'm holding those words deep in my heart, along with the precious memories I have.

I loved my Nan very much and the emptiness is palpable.
The impulse to pick up the phone and chat with her is so strong, I've had to stop myself several times.

RIP Nan.
I'll love you forever.

Pinterest: Pros and Cons

Everywhere I turn these days, people are discussing Pinterest.
More to the point, there are divided opinions whether to be on it or not.
Author loops are rife with Pinterest discussions and I've been chatting about it on Twitter too.

My viewpoint?

I jumped on Pinterest with gusto. Within the first week I had beautiful storyboards for my books and WIPs. My BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD and HOT HEROES boards had over 500 followers within days. I was loving it. Having an absolute ball. And it really helped my creativity to see the stories I was writing unfolding before my eyes in pictures.

Then a lawyer wrote an article about the dangers of Pinterest and of being sued by photographers.
Then 2 authors I know had to pay huge sums of money for incorrectly using pictures, despite taking them down as soon as they were notified.

And I pulled my boards.
All of them, except my covers, and I haven't logged onto Pinterest since.

It soured my entire experience, the thought that pictures we pin, despite linking back to the original source, can cause so many problems.

And then I started thinking...as an author, it's the bane of my existence when people illegally pirate my books, posting them for free on the Internet.
How do the photographers feel, having the same done to their work?

So in all good conscience, unless Pinterest cleans up the legalities, it's something I won't be doing.

Where do you stand on the Pinterest debate?

Be Here Now

What is "BE HERE NOW?"

“Be Here Now” is an inspiring documentary about the actor Andy Whitfield, who put the same determination and dedication that he brought to his lead role in the hit television show, “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” into fighting life-threatening cancer.

It was Andy’s hope that by opening his story up to a documentary, he might help or inspire others facing similar challenges, while pushing to accelerate the pace of cancer research around the world.

“When Andy was told his lymphoma had returned and that without treatment he had 3 – 6 months to live, he was compelled to share his exploration into the unknown. He selflessly invited a film crew into our lives, who followed us through out the last year of Andy’s magnificent and courageous journey. We now need your support to finish the documentary and fulfill Andy’s legacy.”

~ Vashti Whitfield (www.maybemcqueen.com)

What are "BE HERE NOW" Critiques?

“Be Here Now” needs funding for additional filming and editing, else the documentary will not be completed.

As a writer/fan of Andy Whitfield/despiser of cancer, Kathy Bradey has rallied some wonderfully generous authors to offer various manuscript, chapter and query critiques in exchange for your pledge/donation to the “Be Here Now” Kickstarter campaign.

For more information, see Kathy’s blog.

• If you would like to pledge without partaking in the auction, do so here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/426354716/be-here-now-the-andy-whitfield-story

Thank you for your interest and support! Please retweet, blog, spread the word!