Wednesday 11 July 2012

Guest Post & Giveaway: Melt Into You by Roni Loren

Original Title: Melt Into You
Series: Loving on the Edge #2
Author: Roni Loren
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Release Date: July 3rd 2012
Genre: Erotica, Contemporary Romance


Her first love has returned, and he's brought a friend...

After running away from home and the boy who broke her heart, Evan Kennedy has kick-started the perfect new life with her celebrity fiancé. So what if said fiancé prefers guys? She knew the deal. And with her ticket to The Ranch, an exclusive resort where any fantasy can be satisfied, she knows she can find someone to fulfill her less-than-traditional desires on the side.

She just never expected that man to be Jace Austin, her old heart-breaker—all grown up, hard-bodied, and holding out a collar. She knows it’s probably a world-class bad idea—especially since Jace has brought along his buddy Andre, who’s every bit as irresistible. But if they can stick to the no-strings rules, so can she.

Too bad Jace has never been so good with rules. Evan is convinced “forever” is a word used only in greeting cards, but Jace and Andre have one last fantasy of hers left to fulfill. It’s time to go big or go home. And neither man has ever been a fan of going home.

EXCERPT

“Thanks.” She took her shirt and towel from him, pulled the first over her head, then got to her feet and knotted the beach towel around her hips. She tilted her head up to smile at him. “So, Mr. Humble Hero, you have a name?”

He stuck out his hand. “It’s Jace.”

Her body froze, the world seeming to tip off balance for a moment. Had she heard right? She stared at him for a moment, taking in every nuance of his face, the earlier whispers of déjà vu now becoming shouts.

Was it really him? His hair was longer, his body harder and more mature, the green in his eyes more wary, but the resemblance was there. It’d been years—twelve actually. The nineteen-year-old boy she’d known had become a man. “Jace Austin?”

***

Oh, shit. The recognition that flashed in the woman’s blue eyes had Jace dropping his hand. This chick knew him? He frantically flipped through his mental Rolodex, starting with the girls-I’ve-slept-with file.

When they’d locked gazes earlier, he’d felt a nudge of familiarity but had dismissed it. Surely, he’d remember this dark-haired beauty, especially if he had gotten the privilege of touching that lush little body. But something about her was poking at the recesses of his mind.

He rubbed the back of his neck and offered an apologetic smile. “Uh, yeah. Jace Austin. I’m sorry, have we met?”

She flinched a bit—the move subtle, but not lost on him. Damn, well now he felt like a jackass. Had they slept together?

She recovered quickly, the corner of her mouth tilting up. “Don’t worry. I’m sure I look a little different than I did at sixteen. Especially without that god-awful bottle red hair and eyebrow piercing.”

Sixteen? Red hair? The flashing list of names in his head suddenly flipped back over a decade and landed on one he hadn’t thought about in years. One he’d purposely tried to block out. No, couldn’t be. “Evangeline?”

She shrugged and looked out at the water, the wind whipping her hair around and disguising her expression. “It’s Evan now. I stopped using my full name a long time ago.”

“Wow, I don’t even know what to say,” he said, shaking his head. “You look great. I’m so glad to see that you’re . . .” Okay. Alive. “Here.”

She turned back toward him and smiled, though it didn’t light her face the way the earlier smiles had. “It’s good to see you, too. But, if you don’t mind, before we go down memory lane, how ’bout that vinegar?”

“Oh, right,” he said, his mind still whirling. “Follow me.”

And she needn’t worry. The last thing he was going to do was initiate any reminiscing. No, some things were better left buried. And how he’d destroyed the girl he’d sworn to look out for was A-number-one on that list. 

My Top 5 Technology and Online Tools for an Author

 - GUEST POST BY RONI LOREN

So admittedly, I’m a bit of an online junkie. If there is a new social networking site or a new program to be had, I’m probably trying it out. Some turn out to be uber useful and some flop, but here are some of the best I’ve found.

1.  Scrivener

What is it? A word processing and organizing program for writing your book.

Why it rocks: I used to be a traditionalist. Give me a blank word document and let me loose. But then I got a Macbook and wasn’t in love with the Pages program, so I decided to give Scrivener a try. And I’m so glad I did. It does WAY more than I use it for and I’m always discovering new ways to use it, but what I like best is...
a)   Having a way to write each chapter in a separate file, yet the chapters also are part of one larger document. So I can easily click on Chapter Such and Such without having to scroll through an entire document.
b)   It allows you to set word goals for a long-term project. So I can put in a due date and the total number of words for the whole novel (usually 90k). I can even add in which days are “work” days in the week. And then it will break it down. So every day I can open my progress bar and see what my goal is for that day. Then it keeps track and I can watch the little bar go up. It’s amazing how motivating that can be.
c)   It lets me keep a separate file for research.
d)   It lets me mark the stage of each chapter - first draft, revised, final, etc.
e)   You have a virtual corkboard where you can type on index cards and rearrange your scenes.


What is it? It’s a way to build your own website and blog (like wordpress.com).

Why it rocks: I’m a bit of a control freak and though I’m sometimes tempted to save up money so I can get a fancy website built (I may do that eventually), I LOVE having control over my website. If I need to tweak something or update something, I can easily do it on my own. I don’t have to wait for someone else to get to it. And Squarespace makes it super easy. There is a bit of a learning curve upfront because it’s different from Wordpress, but once their system “clicks” in your head, it’s very intuitive. And I love that it doesn’t look like a garden variety blog, it looks like a professional website. You can check out what mine looks like here.

3.  Twitter

What is it? A giant cocktail party of conversation and links.

Why it rocks: I can’t tell you how much I learn from my friends and peers on Twitter. And beyond all the fabulous tips and articles I come across, it makes the writing life less hermit-like. :)

4.  Spotify and/or Pandora
What are they? Internet radio options

Why they rock: I need music when I write. And though I have my own library of my favorite songs, there is something nice about being able to click on a radio station that plays songs in such a specific theme or mood. For instance, if I’m going to be writing a love scene, I can build a station that just plays love songs or a station based around one specific artist or one song that inspired that scene. Instead of a traditional radio station, it gives me a much more tailored soundtrack to my writing. And it’s free! (Well, I’ve sprung for the Spotify premium service, but you can get the radio stations without that.)

5.  Pinterest and Tumblr

What are they? Sites that are heavily focused on viewing and sharing visual images.

Why they rock: Even though these are very different sites, I’m lumping them together because they both serve as visual inspiration for me. I make no secret of my love for mancandy, so it’s nice to look through all the lovely photos of potential heroes. But I also love looking at other things that may pop up in my stream--beautiful nature photography, fun movie scenes, couples photos, and if nothing else, the occasional GIF is good for a laugh. Pinterest can also be awesome for creating inspiration boards for your books. However, I’m not super comfortable with the copyright issues Pinterest hasn’t addressed yet, so I took down my inspiration boards. I’m hoping one day soon they give the option of having private boards so that I can use them for that purpose again. But regardless, looking at pretty pictures can sometimes be just what a writer needs when they’re stuck.

So those are my top five. What are some of your favorites online or technology tools?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that's it. She is the author of The Loving on the Edge series from Berkley Heat.

AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Roni will award an eBook copy of "Still Into You" to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop and a Book Grab Bag - Autographed copy of CRASH INTO YOU along with these books: Raziel by Kristina Douglas, Blood Stains by Sharon Sala, The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons, and Deadly Valentine by Justine Davis and Cindy Dees to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US/Canada only).


The host with the most comments (US/Canada only) will win an Erotic Book Grab Bag - containing Explosive by Beth Kery, Tease Me by Tracy Wolff, Strip Search by Shayla Black, and Forbidden Heat by Opal Carew.

Giveaway ends July 13th 2012!


36 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great post and congrats on the newest release! It looks fabulous :)

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  2. Thanks for the tips Roni. I tried out Scrivener during NaNo last year and while I liked it I had a lot of issues importing documents into the program. My formatting would be weird, fonts messed up. I'm wondering if maybe I had a wonky download.

    Anyway, since I'm having a horrific time editing my novels in Word I'm thinking of giving it another go. Fingers crossed :)

    Good luck on the rest of the tour!

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    1. I haven't fooled a lot with the exporting. All I do is cut and paste the entire document into a Word file when I'm totally done. Haven't had any issues with it like that. :)

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  3. This is such a great list! I definitely will have to check out Squarespace. Sounds like a very good idea.

    Sarah Allen
    (my creative writing blog)

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    1. I've been really happy with Squarespace. It's a good alternative if you're not in love with Wordpress (or Blogger).

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  4. As Roni knows I am not tech savy so it was refreshing to read teh various tech and online tools I think I have mastered twitter lol or maybe its that nosy side of me that likes to read what peole are tweeting, seriously it has proven useful to me as well learning, networking and not feeling so isolated when I write.

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    Replies
    1. I think that's the best part about Twitter. It can get lonely typing away in an office all by yourself. :)

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  5. I'm really fond of two online things.

    1) Write or Die (writeordie.com), which has both an online version and a purchasable ($10) version for PC (which rocks).

    2) StoryToolz.com - gives you a place to track your progress, including providing code if you want to include it on your website.

    Still waffling over getting Scrivener. I downloaded a trial for PC before it went on sale, but never really got into it. One of these days......

    torymichaels(@)live(.)com

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    1. It took me a while to warm up to Scrivener because it's a little overwhelming at first. I know I'm still not using even half of it's features, but I'm hooked on it now. Much more organized than a word document for me.

      Write or Die scares me, lol.

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  6. Hi, I'm visiting from the Book Blog Hop. You have a great site here. So many great books and I LOVE that header - it's awesome!

    I'm following you through G+, FB, Twitter, Networked Blogs and GFC. Hope you get a chance to visit us! We currently have a Summer Reading Weekly Book Giveaway going on - week #2 is ON! Cheers, Renee

    http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/summer-reading-weekly-book-giveaways-week-2/

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  7. Great tips, Roni! I love Scrivener too. It especially helped me to see the structure of the novel. I can see if I'm hitting my plot points at the right place in the book. Since my current WIP had more than one POV, I was also able to color-code the index cards view to see whose head we're in and make sure I kept it balanced.

    I admit to being slow to jump on Pinterest, though. I'm not a visual person, but I admit to seeing some cool stuff there. Thanks! And congrats on the book.

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    Replies
    1. Pinterest is one of those things you have to be careful with because it can be good for inspiration and exposure to new people, but bad because it can be a time suck. :)

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  8. Twitter and Facebook only for now...when dishwasher/washer/dryer will learn how self load/unload and the fairy of the house will keep my kids fed and clean I'll explore other options. They are so time consuming!
    minadecaro@hotmail.com

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    1. LOL, yes, believe me, time is always an issue. That's why I kind of have to ignore Facebook. I just can't keep up with all those networks.

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  9. Congrats on the release. Thanks fir the informative post. I love Spotify, Write or Die, and Pintrest. Everything helps when you're trying to get thing done.
    This book sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it.

    e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

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  10. Great minds think alike! I'm blogging about tools for writers this week too (and last week). The only one that overlaps is Scrivener, though. =)

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  11. I didn't find out about Scrivener until I'd written 99% of my first novel. Darn! But I bought it, imported my book and now I'm doing rewrites. I love it!! Like you said, no more scrolling to find where I left off. And I love the corkboard.

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    1. Yes, it definitely makes things more organized and navigable. :)

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  12. Those are good to know! I heard JP Barnaby raving about OneNote on several sites lately, but I think it's only for Windows. I'm still kind of a Luddite, but I bet the online stuff is good for convenience.

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. I think OneNote is a Windows thing, but I've heard good things about Evernote too. I have it on my Mac but I haven't quite figured out how best to use it yet.

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  13. Hi Roni,

    Congrats on the new book release! It looks fabulous! Thanks for the writing tips. I've been considering Scrivener, but I'm worried I'll spend too much timing playing with it instead of writing.

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    1. Thanks! And Scrivener really isn't too tempting to waste time on. It's more an organizational tool and time saver than a time waster. But there is a bit of a learning curve because there are so many features.

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  14. Jace's reaction is so cute as he struggles to recall who she is! What a way to scare a guy. Congratulations on your release!

    Cambonified[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  15. I always thought of Pinterest as a Tumblr that was too public, which is why I hardly use it. I also sprang for the premium Spotify - now I can't live without it!

    LOOOOOOOVE Roni

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  16. Oooh - I like this list, but I just started working with Scrivener...now I'm off to see if I can find the word count goals thingy. Haven't stumbled upon that yet. Great thing to know. Thanks!

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  17. I enjoyed the excerpt. The book sounds good.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  18. Oh wow, very nice indeed. Thanks so much for sharing those sites, I'm trying to write my first book and I need all the help I can get.
    Loving on the Edge series sounds so good, I can't wait to read it.
    luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

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  19. Roni thanks for the tips and the excerpt. I have heard if Schrivener before but never tried. I am working on my next book while the editor reviews the first and maybe this will help me get the jump start I need.

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  20. Thank you for the tips and the excerpt. I love pinterest, I really need to do more there, you can find so much cool stuff (but it is a time suck, lol). No need to enter me for the eBook, I already bought it. But please do enter me for the book grab bag :)
    manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

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  21. Ooh, such a teaser excerpt! Can't wait to see what happens next.
    I love Scrivener and Pinterest and Tumblr, but I'm not on Twitter yet... and Spotify and Pandora don't work in Canada, unfortunately.
    Hope you're having a great blog tour, Roni!

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  22. A brand new app out right now that's a lot like Tumblr except private by default and great for distraction-free writing is Write.app. It's at http://writeapp.me and it's been getting great reviews lately.

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