Between Despair and Ecstasy by Daryl Devoré #hot #romance

The finale of Erika and Darien's epic rollercoaster romance.

Tag - How can Erika prove to herself and Darien that she loves and trusts him? Simple. All she has to do is jump out of a plane.

Concerned for his fiancée, Erika Bailey’s safety, rock star Darien Scott races to Bangkok to protect her, only to discover his brother is missing. Fearing the worse, he contacts his nemesis, Gan, and makes a repulsive deal that will free his brother and protect Erika’s club, The Pink Flamingo. Or so he thought. When a python and Gan are involved, things go sour, and Darien sinks into a deep depression.

Erika is disheartened by the betrayal of her parents. Her father's destruction of her club, and the humiliation of her mother’s drunken behavior have her feeling down, but those are the least of her worries. She has a wedding to plan, but won’t. Having been betrayed too often, she’s scared to trust Darien.

How can Erika prove to herself and Darien that she loves and trusts him? Simple. All she has to do is jump out of a plane.

At - eXtasybooks

Excerpt 

Sweat streamed off Darien’s brow. Some dripped into his eyes. It stung. His heart throbbed against his ribs. Fire inched down his throat. Every muscle in his body ached. His head pounded from the pandemonium. The explosions. The screams. The pain threatening to split his skull. Dropping his head back, he closed his eyes. His chest heaved as he gulped air. He needed a moment. Get some strength back.

The screams grew louder.

Damn.

He inhaled and released a long breath.

They wanted him. He had to continue. To perform. Like a trained monkey. Do people even do that anymore? Train monkeys? He peeled his eyes open. The glare of the overhead lights blazed down at him. He lifted his head. The screams grew louder.

“Oh. So, you want more?”

But what if I don’t have any more? What if I just can’t continue? Twelve weeks. Four shows a week. I’m beat.

The roar from eighty thousand Parisians was tumultuous. Fans yelled at the top of their lungs. They pounded their feet on the floor, raising their hands in the air, clapping. Glow sticks, cell phones, and lighters swayed like flowers in a breeze.

He grinned. Eighty thousand Parisians and one fiancée. He glanced to his left. Seated on the top stage step was Erika. She’d arrived just minutes before the show started. Just enough time for a passionate, but quick, hello kiss. He needed more. He needed her, and he knew it. She smiled at him. He loved that smile. He could stare at it all day. The way her soft lips curved up. A hint of sassiness in her expression.

Just finish the show. Grab Erika and run. Dodge the fans. Just get out of here.

He looked out over the crowd. “But what if I’m too tired to continue?”

“No,” the crowd wailed.

He grinned. “Well, maybe I could go on if you told me you loved me.”

The cacophony of sounds was deafening. “Je t’aime. Love you.”

He lifted his hands. “Do you love me?”

“Oui. Yes.”

He ripped his black t-shirt over his head and threw it into the fans. “Do. You. Love. Me?” He yelled out as he glanced at Erika.

She jumped up and down, screaming with the crowd.

“I can’t hear you.”

The building shook with the fans’ frenzy.

“Five. Six. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.”

Fireworks exploded. Lasers shot around the stadium. Cass, the drummer, crashed the symbols as Darien spun, posed then inhaled a deep breath and opened his mouth to sing.

About the Author

Daryl Devoré lives in an old farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband, a black cat named Licorice and some house ghosts. Daryl loves to take long walks up her quiet country road or snowshoe across the back acres, and in the summer, kayak along the St. Lawrence River. She's touched a moon rock, a mammoth and a meteorite. She's been deep in the ocean in a submarine, flown high over Niagara Falls in a helicopter and used the ladies room in a royal palace. Life's an adventure and Daryl's having fun living it.

Where to find Daryl Devoré

Blog - Romance Sweet to Heat

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

An Inspirational Thought

Friendships are important. How do they start? CS Lewis knows

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself…"

Thanks for sharing Daryl,

Tina

Conference, Clothes and Speech - #TinaTidings #ECWC2017 #RWA

Hi everyone,

As I said last week, I'm gearing up for the Emerald City Writers conference in October.
http://gsrwa.org/ecwc/conference/

So I've been  thinking about what to wear and the speech I plan to give with Dee Owens.

Real Marketing for Organic Growth doesn't only apply to authors. It also includes anyone who does business. As the old saying goes if no one knows you have built a better mouse trap who is going to buy it.

That's why I'm excited to expand authors knowledge on what can help them discover new readers and help with any other business adventure they might be engaged.

One of the things, I've been having the most fun with is what to wear. As you can see, I have another hat that I've debating as to how to wear it and what outfit would look best with it.

I'm also playing with different hair styles. 

I've found three that are super easy to do.

Check them out on my pinterest page.

https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorTinaGayle/hats-and-hair/

I plan to work on what I will be wearing with each this weekend so I should have lots of pictures to share here and on my facebook page in the next few weeks.  Love to for you to comment on which ones you like best.

Have an awesome weekend and all the best to you and yours,

Tina

A #BookHugs Romance Novel #ALoveRestrained by Beck Flade #FemaleCop

#BookHugs #ALoveRestrained

Philadelphia police officer Kylee Parker is dedicated to protecting and serving. She sees the work in absolutes: right and wrong, black and white, good guys and bad guys. That is, until she chases a drug dealer into a dead-end alley and finds the bad boy she had a painful crush on throughout her teen years has turned into a more dangerous and more attractive man.

Jayson Donovan knows he doesn’t deserve someone as good as Kylee Parker. As the right hand man to a local drug-pushing mobster, he’s solidly on the wrong side of Kylee’s moral compass. But he can’t help reaching for her time and again when he knows he shouldn’t.

Even when his secrets threaten them both.

Where to purchase A Love Restrained

Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | iBooks | Kobo

Enjoy the following excerpt from A Love Restrained:

Spring in the city brought people out of winter hibernation like a siren song, but as the temperature rose, so in turn, did the crime rate. Cops had to be sharp as they walked the streets of Philadelphia. In her ten years on the force, on these streets, she’d seen a lot of crazy and often stupid criminals do a lot of crazy and often stupid things. But to be so brazen, or so plain dumb, as to do a hand-to-hand drug buy right in front of two uniformed officers rode high on her list of top ten.

“Tell me you saw that?”

“Saw what?” Hunks of half chewed soft pretzel fell from Sherman’s mouth.

Pete Sherman’s not a bad cop, just not an observant one whose paunch portrayed his love of all things fried and his reupholstered recliner. He hadn’t seen a thing in the last six months. But he took direction well, despite the fact he had seniority.

“There, across the street.” She pointed. “The junkie walking east just scored off the guy in the leather bomber heading west. I swear the dealer looked right at us before the exchange. Call it in, Pete, and grab the junkie. I’m going after the dealer.”

Sherman didn’t argue. She took off into a quick lope, kept her footsteps light so as to not alert the man she pursued. The spring day had drawn people out and the complaints of the pedestrians she weaved through grew loud. The guy glanced over his shoulder, and the edge of his mouth tipped into a grin before he sprinted around the corner.

“Cocky jerk.” She turned the corner, and shouted, “Stop! Police.”

She ran clean and fast, closing the distance between them with little effort. The dealer ducked into an alley she knew to be a dead end. She slowed and put one hand on the butt of her service pistol as she approached. He had his back to her, his hands on his hips as he stared at the brick wall in front of him.

“Philly PD, you’re under arrest. Slowly put your hands above your head and against the wall to your left.” She closed the few feet between them, using her free hand to release the handcuffs from her belt, the other remaining on her weapon. She cuffed him, with practiced efficiency, and then read him his rights before leading him out of the alley, preferring to do the pat down with her partner present.

“Kylee Parker, I’ll admit I daydreamed a time or two about you cuffing me, but it was never in this context.”

For more information, including cover art, trailer and buy links, see:

http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Flade_Becky/a-love-restrained.htm

About the Author:

Home is where the heart is and Becky makes hers with her very own knight in slightly tarnished armor, their three daughters, son-in-law, two grandsons, and their psychotic cat Jaxon. When she's not busy living her own happily ever after, she's writing about someone else’s.

Contact Details:

http://www.beckyfladeauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BeckyFlade

https://twitter.com/beckyflade

http://www.amazon.com/Becky-Flade/

http://www.goodreads.com/Becky_Flade

#BookHugs

Jim Henson once said, “My hope is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here.” I live my life by that same ideal; it’s posted in my office, on my media stand in fact, so that I never forget to be kind, thoughtful and considerate in every interaction. May your every dream be a reality and every day a poem.

Thanks for the inspirational message. Words to live by,

Tina 

Melanie Robertson-King #BookHugs in Yesterday, Today, Always #Romance #Haunted

Will a reckless moment from her past come back to haunt her?

Devastated by the death of her husband, Colin, in the London bombings on July 7, 2005, Katherine Murphy-Whithorn builds a wall around her heart determined to never let anyone in again. Settling in to a comfortable routine, her life becomes mundane, until five years later when someone from her rebellious past returns to the city and begins stalking her.

As the curtain falls on 2010 her first love, Jared Martin, walks back into Katherine´s life. Despite him being her first love, he must tear down the barrier she´s created to protect herself. Finally seeing a second chance of a life with him, Katherine couldn´t be happier until another cruel twist of fate strikes. The helicopter returning from the Alpha Ecosse platform, on which Jared is a passenger, ditches in the North Sea. Can he survive the ordeal? Will they get their chance for happiness? Or is fate still not done its dirty deeds? Katherine’s stalker may have his own agenda.

Prologue

1st December 2010

The ScotRail service to Aberdeen pulled away from the platform at Stonehaven. The next stop would be his destination. As the train accelerated, the carriage swayed from side to side. The action reminded him of his mum rocking him after a bad dream. He drifted into a light slumber. When the compartment he was in crossed through a switch, it lurched waking him.

Less than thirty minutes to go. He settled back but was too excited to relax. When the Girdle Ness Lighthouse came into view, he knew he was almost back to the place he was born.

New, to him, construction dotted the landscape. Fresh graffiti adorned the stone parapets of the bridge over the River Dee. The Mitchell Tower at Marischal College, the clock tower of the Aberdeen Town House and the Salvation Army Citadel, vied for attention over the tops of the cluster of newer buildings.

He fooled the medical staff at the secure forensic unit in the south of England. After feigning rehabilitation, they released him into the community but he didn’t stay there long. He did a runner. He had unfinished business in the north east of Scotland.

Adrenalin coursed through him. Giddy with excitement, it was hard for him to remain calm. He shook his hands to try to stem some of the fidgetiness. Now, he was back in Aberdeen where it all began. How much of the city would he recognize? What changed since his departure?

Were the authorities looking for him yet? He would have to act normal so as not to attract attention. Stepping off, he adjusted his Fedora and strode across the concourse to the exit. Diesel fumes hung in the air and caught in the back of his throat. He coughed.

With the exception of the Union Square shopping complex adjacent to the railway station, Guild Street stayed more or less unchanged. Some of the storefronts in the granite buildings transformed, but overall, not a huge difference since he left.

The pavement ended at Market Street forcing him to cross over the road. He continued eastward. The location he sought should be nearby. He stopped for a breather – pressed his back against the building. The ships that supplied and supported the offshore oil industry occupied the available berths on this side of the harbour. Through a gap, the ferry to Lerwick and the terminal were visible on the far side.

The familiar Maritime Museum dominated the head of Shore Brae. Beyond that, the artery curved and became Shiprow. The cobbled road surface and pavement were difficult to traverse. Even the larger stones nearer the buildings were uneven. When he rounded the corner at Provost Ross’s House, another well-known building peeked out. He had come so far now, he couldn’t go back. He strode with purpose up the hill.

The Aberdeen Town House clock tower stretched above the roofline but that was the place he sought. Nestled between Henry’s Bar and the pedestrianized portion of Shiprow stood the As the Pages Turn bookshop.

When a customer exited holding a carrier bag emblazoned with the same signage as over the door, his heart skipped a beat. He hoped the establishment’s ownership hadn’t changed. That would defeat the purpose of his returning to Aberdeen.

The voices in his head only told him to come back. He had unfinished business with the woman with ginger hair – the one with no soul – who ran the retail outlet in front of him.

Now, to find a suitable place to wait and watch and bide his time until the moment was right.

YESTERDAY TODAY ALWAYS is available at amazon for pre-order for the kindle at myBook.to/yesterday-today-always

“Don’t let the fear of success hold you back...”

MELANIE ROBERTSON-KING

www.melanierobertson-king.com

www.melanierobertson-king.ca

Melanie Robertson-King has always been a fan of the written word. Growing up as an only child, her face was almost always buried in a book from the time she could read. Her father was one of the thousands of Home Children sent to Canada through the auspices of The Orphan Homes of Scotland, and she has been fortunate to be able to visit her father’s homeland many times and even met the Princess Royal (Princess Anne) at the orphanage where he was raised.

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest

Thanks for sharing, Melanie,

Tina

Creating a hero—alpha, beta, or gamma? #amwriting #authortips #Marketing

#amwriting #Tirgearr romance author #authortips Creating a hero—alpha, beta, or gamma?

Writers of any genre of romance need readers (who are mostly women) to fall in love with the hero. The hero we choose depends upon the needs of the heroine. Let’s delve into the types.

What is it about the alpha hero women find attractive? The alpha is brooding, domineering, and possessive. In a romantic suspense novel, he is also protective. He goes way overboard when he cares to the point of physical pain. Should he see a psychiatrist or medical doctor? A werewolf is alpha. Most romance heroes are alpha because he’s the guy who will come out fighting. An alpha comes on strong with his arrogant persona.

What is the appeal of the beta hero? He’s mind-mannered, confident, comfortable in his own skin, and controls jealousy (unlike the alpha). His relationship with the heroine is more complementary instead of built on constant conflict. A heroine who wants a considerate guy will go for him, but maybe she doesn’t think she’s good enough. He respects her can isn’t the kind of guy who pushes himself on a woman. An alpha comes on strong with his arrogant persona.

The gamma hero is a combination of alpha and beta. An alpha can evolve into a more sensitive beta and become a gamma. A beta can be tough if the situation calls for it. In other words the gamma is a combo of both the alpha and beta. He’s got all the mad, bad alpha characteristics like being super strong and aggressive and being the guy you turn to if hell is at your door, but he’s not super arrogant. His sensitivity allows him to care about others. Besides the heroine, he has strong friend and family ties.

What heroes do you prefer writing—alpha, beta, or gamma?

Examples of my choices:

In Deadly Alliance the hero is ex-military and is a CEO of his company when terrorists invade their town. He’s an emotionally damaged alpha when the heroine meets him and needs his protection.

In Unholy Alliance my lawyer hero is a single dad. His career and son are foremost in his life, and he struggles with visitation constrictions. He doesn’t have crippling emotional baggage. The heroine is a mobster’s daughter who is done with bad boys wants a good stable man.

Find both book descriptions here: www.tirpub.com/krowland

Award-winning author Kathleen Rowland is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes suspense with a sizzling love story sure to melt their hearts. Writing a romantic suspense series for Tirgearr Publishing, Deadly Alliance is followed by Unholy Alliance. Bittersweet Alliance in the works. Keep an icy drink handy while reading these sizzling romantic thrillers.

Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels. She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji. Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.

Kathleen exists happily with her witty CPA husband, Gerry, in their 70’s poolside retreat in Southern California where she adores time spent with visiting grandchildren, dogs, one bunny, and noisy neighbors. While proud of their five children who’ve flown the coop, she appreciates the luxury of time to write. If you’d enjoy secrets behind books, signup for Kathleen’s newsletter on her website:

http://www.kathleenrowland.com/

https://twitter.com/rowlandkathleen

https://kathleenrowland.wordpress.com/

http://www.kathleenrowland.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/romanticsuspense.kathleenrowland/

What a wonderful article!

Thanks for sharing,

Tina

Kris Bock Ghost #BookHug with Counterfeits #Romance #SuspenseNovel

Please welcome guest author Kris Bock!

People have mixed feelings about autumn – that "back to school" anxiety can last well into adulthood – but it's my favorite time of year in New Mexico. The temperatures are finally dropping, and the smell of roasting green chile fills the air. (Stop by my blog for information on the New Mexico chile and some Southwestern recipes.) It's the perfect time to curl up with a good book. Of course, ANY time is the right time for a good book! I hope you're staying safe, warm, and dry, with plenty of good books to read. ~ Kris

Counterfeits

Jenny returns to her grandparents’ art camp in a remote New Mexico town after her grandmother’s sudden death. That night she wakes to the noise of intruders. What do the strangers want? As more bizarre events unfold, Jenny realizes the people she thought she knew are not what they seem – least of all Rob, an old friend whose past may be coming back to haunt them all.

Counterfeits is romantic suspense in the Southwest that will interest fans of Mary Stewart, Lillian Stewart Carl, and Barbara Michaels.

“Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners…. 5 Stars” – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog

Chapter 1

Jenny’s rolling suitcase bumped up the porch steps. Once, twice, three times, like a knock that would never be answered. Tears stung her eyes in the cold night air. How many times had she rushed to this door with a sense of coming home? Growing up, she had spent every summer at her grandparents’ art camp. She hadn’t been back as often in the last ten years, but it still felt more like home than any place else in the world.

She took a shuddering breath and turned away to gaze up at the dark sky. Stars splashed across the moonless night, so many stars she could hardly pick out the constellations. The band of the Milky Way sparkled like a streak of glitter paint on velvet paper. She had gazed up at that sky a million times, and yet it filled her with awe. After a decade living among the lights of New York City, it was easy to forget that nature had her own Great White Way.

She shivered. During her summers in the northwestern New Mexico mountains, nights had typically been mild, even at over 6000 feet elevation. Now the temperature had to be dropping toward freezing. Maybe that was why the vast, chilled sky seemed so distant and lonely.

Jenny leaned back against the door and closed her eyes. She was so tired. Maybe she’d take a few extra days and rest. But she couldn’t bring herself to enter her grandparents’ house and go to bed, knowing she’d be alone. When her grandfather had died two years before, her heart had broken. Now her grandmother was gone as well.

Jenny tried not to imagine her grandmother’s last moments, when the car she was driving had skidded off the twisty mountain road two days before. She tried to blank out all thoughts, all grief. She took a ragged breath, the frigid air searing her lungs, and released it slowly, hoping to empty her mind as well.

Her thoughts refused to quiet, while her heart ached with emptiness, a dark hole as vast and cold as the night sky.

***

Jenny rose from sleep slowly, her body resisting. She could see nothing in the pitch black. Where was she? She blinked, trying to make sure her eyes were really open.

Memories broke through the fog. The phone call, the rush across country, the late arrival. Crawling into bed in her grandparents’ upstairs guest room. She groaned and pulled up the blanket. Morning must be hours away, given the darkness.

The old house creaked, but no sounds drifted in from outside. Maybe that’s what woke her; she was used to the murmur of city sounds all night long. Who’d have thought that would become normal?

Her head pounded. Probably dehydration from the high elevation and dry air. She should get up, drink a glass of water, take a couple of aspirin. Her head would thank her in the morning. If only she could make herself move.

The house creaked again, followed by a rhythmic sound – like footsteps. Jenny jerked upright, her ears straining. Had she heard a voice?

She shook her head. She must still be half asleep, dreaming. Imagining her grandparents were still here. Wishful thinking.

Downstairs, a door closed. Jenny clutched the blanket. Imagination be damned. She was not alone.

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

The Mad Monk's Treasure, “Smart romance with an 'Indiana Jones' feel,” is currently free at all e-book retailers.

Thanks for sharing, Kris,

Tina

Attending Emerald City #RWA Conference - #TinaTidings @ECWC_Seattle_WA #ASMSG

Hi everyone,

I have a number of Canadian pictures that I wanted to share but they are from the Jasper National Park Golf course so I decided to create a post for them on my wordpress blog.

So if you want to jump over there and see them here is the link.

http://www.tinagayle.com/wpress/golf-courses/smoky-round-of-golf-in-the-canadianrockies-jasper-national-park-travel/

I'm so excited about attending Emerald City #RWA Conference

on the second weekend of October.

http://gsrwa.org/ecwc/conference/

So of course, I had to have a new hat. 

But when I was shopping, I couldn't decide which one I liked best so I had to get more than one.

Now, I'm working on what to wear and the final notes for my speech.

I'm going hold a class on 

Real Marketing for Organic Growth.

with PMInc.

https://personalizedmarketing.info/real-marketing-organic-growth-pt-5-2/

Hope to see you there,

Tina

Shiny #MFRWHooks Fallen Leaves by @authorTinaGayle #MFRWauthor #Romance

http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com


Would you like to discover some new books?


Then you're in the right place.


Today I'm doing the Book Hooks Hop with #MFRWauthors


Here's mine and make sure to hop over to the other authors to discovers some great reads.

Fallen Leaves Blurb -

As autumn comes to the Winston estate in Ohio, Amber Harrison learns further lessons in her new position as keeper for the spirits and ghosts who haunt the estate--and further lessons in love, too. She and her love, Carter Miller, grapple with the fears and passions of new love, while caught up in the storm of ancient family drama.

This is the second book in the unfolding saga of the psychics and talents associated with the Winston estate, a sheltered place where past, present, and future are woven into a single dramatic tapestry of love and desire. The tale spans multiple generations, multiple eras, and offers something special for all ages of reader. A sexy winner, with an assortment of couples to appeal to most tastes.

Excerpt:

Driving down the rough gravel path, her car rocked and groaned at each pothole she encountered. Up ahead, she noticed the red brick of a stately house. The classic lines told her the age. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of sorrow brought tears to her eyes and her vision blurred, hindering her view of the grand estate.

Lilia blinked, and her gaze fell to a mournful fountain in front of the house. No water sprang from its center. She slowed the car. In the middle of the pool lay the shards of a statue.

A pull from the past gripped Lilia’s thoughts. A shadowy figure formed. Red stains marked the woman’s elegant body. Lilia recognized the pain inflicted by a needless death.

She fought the draw of the unresolved issues and reminded herself of the reason for her visit.

I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. She pushed aside the image in her head and turned off her car. I’m here to see a friend, not to solve a mystery.

Purchase links:


 Amazon | Smashwords | Apple  | Kobo |  B&N


Hope you enjoy,


Tina

Want to Know How to Create a #Bio? Kris Bock Makes it Easy for #Authors for #Promotion

Today, I have the Pleasure of Welcoming 

Kris Bock

and her awesome article on

Bios Made Easy

Writers need bios, for query letters, on websites, for conference brochures. Surely writers can write about ourselves. Yet while coordinating writing conferences, I discovered that even published authors often write poor bios, whether through modesty, carelessness or overwriting. Many bios are entertaining, but don’t do their job.

The job is selling yourself and your books. Keep that focus in mind and the rest will follow.

Content: List your publications. If you have many, mention the number but only go into detail on three or four – perhaps the most recent or popular. Specify the genre, as titles aren’t always clear by themselves. If you don’t have published books, mention your other credentials – “Cub Newshound’s articles appear in Slate,” for example.

Don’t get carried away listing awards. If each book has four or five minor awards, the reader bogs down in dull details. List the most prestigious, or combine them – “Ms. Inkslinger’s books have received five Readers’ Choice Awards from various states.”

Relevancy: If someone is considering buying your book or coming to hear you speak, they want to know your success as a writer or speaker, not the names of your pets. Put your professional information first. Don’t start with your hobbies or childhood, unless it directly relates to your book. (For example, you’re a nurse and you wrote a hospital drama.) Don’t thank your family for their support. Save that for your book dedications.

Style: You may need different bios for different uses – playful on a book flap; professional for a newspaper article; focused on teaching experience for a conference catalog; praising your writing success for a book signing. Regardless, focus on information. Humor and lively writing are fine, but don’t get too wrapped up in sounding “literary.”

In a large conference brochure, the designer probably wants consistent style. A touch of formality may be appropriate – you’re trying to portray yourself as a professional. Pretend you’re someone else writing about you in the third person. “Bard Wordsmith is an award-winning author….” For a query letter, use first person. A website could go either way.

Length: Keep it short and to the point. If your bio will stand alone, on an individual brochure or flyer, try 100-200 words. If your bio will appear along with others, 50-100 words is plenty (or whatever they request). Many people will skim anyway. Include your website for more information. An editor may cut to save space, so put the most important information up front.

I keep several versions and cut and paste as needed. A longer bio may have a sentence about each of my romantic adventure novels. A shorter one may have only a few words on each, or general info on the kind of books I write. If I’m promoting my critiquing/editing business, I would focus on my experience as a teacher and workshop leader, noting that people can get recommendations and rates on my web site. The details depend on what I’m trying to sell. (See examples below.)

So what about you? To get started, make a list of the facts that you want to share. Then write a simple, straightforward paragraph that includes them. Next, decide if it’s appropriate to dress it up, but as in all good writing, communication comes first.

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog says, “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.” Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Kris writes for children under the name Chris Eboch. Her book Advanced Plotting helps writers fine-tune their plots. Learn more at her website or Amazon page, or check out her writing tips at her Write Like a Pro! blog.

Thanks for the wonderful information about writing an author bio,

Tina

A #BookHugs #Romance of the #Unexpected by Valerie Ullmer

#BookHugs #Unexpected

On Sale for .99¢ - September 15^th – September 30th

Unexpected (A Unexpected Novel Book One)

Valerie Ullmer

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Blurb

A chance meeting will change their lives forever…

From the moment he entered the dark taproom, Caleb Hunt found himself drawn to the handsome man who sat alone at the end of the bar, away from the crowd. His interest in the dark-haired, muscled adonis took him by surprise, not remembering when he’d felt such hunger from a simple glimpse. Unable to stay away, he quickly found an open seat next to him and slid into it. When Ronan turned his ice-blue eyes to Caleb and introduced himself, his warm hand sent shivers of desire through his body and he was enthralled.

Ronan Scott’s boring Friday night had taken a turn for the better when Caleb took the seat next to him. Over the next few hours, he found Caleb easy to talk to and at the same time, he found that he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the beautiful man. Caleb captured his attention in a way that no other had for as long as he could remember. Taking a chance, he leaned forward and captured Caleb’s lips with his. And with the simple kiss, Ronan understood that Caleb would become an essential part of his life.  

As Ronan and Caleb explore their new relationship and integrate their lives together, they realize that not everything will be so seamless…

Buy Links:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon AU

Excerpt

That’s when he spotted him and everything stopped.

His breathing hitched in his chest and his heart thudded once, hard, and even the music seemed to fade as his gaze landed on a dark-haired man who sat by himself at the bar. As Caleb’s eyes slid down the man’s body of their own accord, he noted the fitted black tee that emphasized the muscles of his arms, back, and shoulders, before his gaze dropped lower to his legs encased in denim.

When he lifted a beer to his mouth and swallowed, Caleb felt his own throat tighten. A shiver of desire passed over him. Never had he felt this way about a man or woman in his life.

Before he could analyze his actions or talk himself out of his stupid plan, he walked toward the man. Part of him wanted to see if the man was as stunning as he believed from across the bar or if he’d been alone for so long that his mind had conjured the perfect man.

Before Caleb could reach the stool next to him, a beautiful blonde glided up to him, running her hand down his chest. Her smile flirty and sensual. Although Caleb had never been propositioned in any way close to resembling what he witnessed, he knew that she offered the man a brazen invitation to get to know her better.

Disappointment flooded Caleb’s chest.

In the next moment, however, she frowned and backed away from him as quickly as she arrived, leaving an empty chair.

Not questioning his good luck, Caleb hurried over and shed his coat, dropping it over the back. He flagged down the bartender and indicated the beer he wanted.

He sensed the man’s eyes on him, but for the moment, he wasn’t brave enough to turn and catch his gaze. Not when his breath had stuck in his throat, and he didn’t know if he could speak without sounding choked.

As soon as the bartender handed him his mug, the man turned his body toward him and leaned over to speak, close to his ear.

“Are you here alone?”

Caleb had to bite the inside of his lip in order not to moan out loud at the sexy, deep voice. Remembering the question, he shook his head and pointed toward Dylan and Garrett across the room. Dylan, of course, had a woman on his lap and was tracing a finger down her neck, before he leaned toward her and his mouth followed the same trail.

Garrett was looking down at his phone. The shy woman he’d been talking to had disappeared, much to Caleb’s disappointment, and another was trying, unsuccessfully, to get his attention. She looked drunk and very loud by the way he flinched every time she spoke.

“Dylan, the one on the right with a woman on his lap, is the biggest flirt in the world. He’s never serious about any woman he takes home. Garrett is his best friend, the complete opposite of Dylan, but he’s loyal.”

The man laughed and Caleb couldn’t help the lift of his lips at the sound. It was deep, rich, and addictive. But when the man turned his ice-blue eyes on him, something unidentifiable swelled in his chest. He could sense that he should speak, to keep this gorgeous man talking for as long as possible. “Are you here alone?”

Smart, Caleb. Just parrot the same question back.

The man smiled before he nodded over to his group of friends. Some were flirting, but others were enjoying the company of their friends on a Friday night.

“The ginger is Hawk; he’s a divorce lawyer who is handling Ryan’s divorce. That’s why they’re hunched over their beers. Ryan’s wife apparently hadn’t been faithful during their entire four-year marriage, and he found out when he came home early from a business trip. Jack is the one who is flirting with the group of women; he’s like Dylan in that way, never serious. He’s a CEO of a tech company and he could have any woman with his looks and the power he exudes, but he’s never been in a serious relationship. Sam is my second-in-command, the one who looks faintly sick, because Adam is a forensic scientist who loves talking about his work.”

Caleb found himself smiling at the group of friends. When he glanced at the man, who had turned back to Caleb after pointing out his friends, he snagged Caleb’s gaze. “So, do you have a girlfriend at home?”

“No. I can’t remember the last time I had a date, much less a successful one. You?”

Caleb breathed a sigh of relief when he shook his head.

“I’m Ronan Scott.” He held his hand out.

Even the man’s name is sexy.

He had to clear his throat before he reached out and grasped Ronan’s large, warm hand in his. “Caleb Hunt.”

Something inside Caleb warmed in increments until fireworks exploded behind his skin, all from a simple touch.

About Valerie

Valerie writes paranormal and contemporary romances with strong alpha males and brilliant, beautiful heroines. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her wonderfully supportive husband and their funny and wise black lab. She's addicted to coffee, crime shows, and reading and writing character driven romances.

Social Media

FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST ~ INSTAGRAM ~ GOODREADS ~ AMAZON

#BookHugs

I believe that Love is Love, no matter what race, religion, color, or gender. Love is Love.

Thanks for sharing, Valerie,

Tina