Saturday, July 25, 2020

Bejewelled in the shape of a diamond. Read a snippet from HIS OMEGA ON STAGE #8Sunday #romance #MLM #PNR #MPreg #omegaverse


Hello and welcome to another Weekend Writing Warriors post!

Thank you to all those who visited last weekend! I'm now sharing snippets from the fourth book in my Shifter Towers series, HIS OMEGA ON STAGE. Like all the other books in this series, it is an MM paranormal romance. This story is finished, but I'm waiting to hear what happens next with it.

Set-up: In last weekend's snippet, Jun was tasked with helping reps from Adan Records to set up for AI's signing the next day. I'm skipping ahead a bit to introduce another character. They may not seem important at first, but they are very important to this story. Kathie has left to be with her father, Felix arrived to work the store, and Jun helps to set up. That is, until Felix needs him back at the store.


I had just put the last barrier in place for the fan lineup when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to find a text from Felix.

Suspicious customer. Busy with others. Can you come deal?

Be right there, I replied.

I quickly excused myself from the room then rushed back to KMM. Felix was ringing through customers, but I could see him side-eying the person he’d texted me about. And for good reason. The figure, browsing through the pop CDs, wore baggy black jogging pants and a hoodie, with a black bucket hat and black face mask bejewelled with silver beads in the shape of a diamond. 

**That's ten, but I've included a little more so you can get a better sense of this customer.**

Obviously trying to keep their identity a secret, but that just made them even more suspicious in a record store. Though we had security stickers on most products, there were still too many items that could be easily pocketed.

I caught a whiff of their scent. Vanilla and brown sugar. An omega, which I hadn’t expected when I’d first seen him. Though I couldn’t tell what kind of shifter. “Can I help you with something?”

I don’t think he heard me approach, as he jumped a little before turning my direction. “I uh, yeah.... I’m looking for AI. His new album. For my sister.”

His deep voice caught me by surprise, too, but I didn’t believe his story at all. Why did he have to hide, in multiple ways, that he was a fan?

I sneaked a glimpse of his eyes under the rim of his hat. They appeared strangely familiar, as if I should know who the person was, but couldn’t seem to remember. Someone I’d seen in person before maybe? Why couldn’t I remember?


HIS OMEGA ON STAGE
Shifter Towers book four

Jun
For leopard cat shifter, Jun, being the rogue alpha in high school hadn’t helped him as an adult. Though he sometimes believed he was ready to find a mate, past experiences taught him that those he loves eventually leave him. So, he protects his heart by seeing omegas looking for nothing more than a one-night stand. Until he runs into someone from his past.

Ash
As the first omega signed to Adan Records, AI is anxious for the release of his debut album. Being a leopard cat shifter instead of an actual leopard like the rest of his family has always made him feel small and insignificant. But now he’s about to shine bright in front of the world, all on his own, without an alpha by his side. He doesn’t need one, and definitely doesn’t have time for one. Though when he runs into someone from his past who knows him as Ash, he wants to give this alpha all of his attention.

On Stage
But with all the problems that fame brings, will Ash be able to make a relationship work? Will Jun fight for the omega he’s sure is his fated mate? Or will they just let each other slip away, believing what they have just isn’t enough?.

COMING SOON!


The first book in the series,
BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN
is available in digital and print:

The second book in the series,
MINK OMEGA IN HIDING
is available in digital and print:

The third book in the series,
PIKA OMEGA PLUS ONE
is available in digital and print:


Be sure to visit the other Weekend Writing Participants!
Click on the button below to find this week's list...

Monday, July 20, 2020

A NEW Resource to Help You Choose the Right Job for Your Character + Giveaway #Writing #books #newrelease #authors



Hi everyone! Today I have something fun to share...a special chance to win some help with your writing bills. Awesome, right?

Some of you may know Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi of Writers Helping Writers. Well, today they are releasing a new book, and I'm part of their street team. I'm handing the blog over to them so they can tell you a bit about their Writer's Showcase event, new book, and a great freebie to check out. Read on!





Certain details can say a lot about who someone is, like a character's goals, desires, and backstory wound. But did you know there's another detail that can tie your character's arc to the plot, provide intense, multi-layered conflict, AND shorten the "get to know the character" curve for readers? 

It's true. Your character's occupation is a GOLD MINE of storytelling potential.


Think about it...how much time do you spend on the job? Does it fulfill you or frustrate you? Can you separate work from home? Is it causing you challenges, creating obstacles, or helping you live your truth?

Just like us, most characters will have a job, and the work they do will impact their life. The ups and downs can serve us well in the story.

Maybe you haven't thought much about jobs in the past and how they act as a window into your character's personality, interests, and skills. It's okay, you aren't alone. The good news is that The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers is going to do all the heavy lifting for you. You'll be able to pick the perfect job for them and discover how to weave it into the very fabric of the story. (Here's one of the jobs profiled in this book: FIREFIGHTER.)

GIVEAWAY ALERT: THE WRITER'S SHOWCASE IS WAITING

To celebrate the release of a new book, Writers Helping Writers has a giveaway happening July 20th & July 23rd. You can win some great prizes, including gift certificates that can be spent on writing services within our Writer’s Showcase. Stop by to enter!

Resource Alert: A List of Additional Jobs Profiles For Your Characters!


Some of the amazing writers in our community have put together additional career profiles for you, based on jobs they have done in the past.

What a great way to get accurate information so you can better describe the roles and responsibilities that go with a specific job, right?

To access this list, GO HERE

Happy writing to all!




Saturday, July 18, 2020

A new task for Jun. Read a snippet from HIS OMEGA ON STAGE #romance #MLM #PNR #MPreg #8Sunday


Hello and welcome to another Weekend Writing Warriors post!

Thank you to all those who visited last weekend! I'm now sharing snippets from the fourth book in my Shifter Towers series, HIS OMEGA ON STAGE. Like all the other books in this series, it is an MM paranormal romance. This story is finished, but I'm waiting to hear what happens next with it.

Set-up: In last weekend's snippet, I introduced Jun, the alpha of the book. He was heading to work for another boring night. Or, so he thought. I'm continuing from where I left off.


Or so I thought until I got there and saw my boss, Kathie, the owner of KMM—Kathie’s Music and Merch—at the back of the store, literally ready to pull out her dark-brown hair.

“Thank the stars you’re here.” She handed me a tall, yet thin cardboard box. “My father was rushed to the hospital a couple hours ago, and I need to get there.”

“Why didn’t you call me to come in earlier?” I felt bad for sleeping in and lazing around all morning while she was stressing the whole time. Sure, my job was boring, but Kathie treated me well, and we got along. “You know I would have.”

“I know.” She lightly touched my forearm. 

**That's ten, but I've included a little more so you can really get to know Jun.**

“But the doctor said he was stable, and I needed to discuss things with Sanjeet, the rep from Adan Records, before AI’s signing tomorrow.”

She nodded toward a stack of tall cardboard boxes like the one I held. “This is only some of the display for tomorrow’s signing. I need you to help those coming down from AR to set up. Felix is coming in to work the store so you can do that for me.”

“Okay.” I nudged her toward her office. “I’ll take care of it all. Now, get your stuff and go to your father.” She didn’t need to stress about anything else.

While Kathie gathered her belongings, I rang through a couple customers. The part of my job I was used to. Setting up the event room for the signing would be new for me. Usually Kathie did that herself. Sure, I’d retrieved items for her when the store wasn’t busy, but I’d never been left to complete the task on my own. Or even with support staff from AR. But I wasn’t worried. She wouldn’t trust me with the task if I couldn’t handle it.


HIS OMEGA ON STAGE
Shifter Towers book four

Jun
For leopard cat shifter, Jun, being the rogue alpha in high school hadn’t helped him as an adult. Though he sometimes believed he was ready to find a mate, past experiences taught him that those he loves eventually leave him. So, he protects his heart by seeing omegas looking for nothing more than a one-night stand. Until he runs into someone from his past.

Ash
As the first omega signed to Adan Records, AI is anxious for the release of his debut album. Being a leopard cat shifter instead of an actual leopard like the rest of his family has always made him feel small and insignificant. But now he’s about to shine bright in front of the world, all on his own, without an alpha by his side. He doesn’t need one, and definitely doesn’t have time for one. Though when he runs into someone from his past who knows him as Ash, he wants to give this alpha all of his attention.

On Stage
But with all the problems that fame brings, will Ash be able to make a relationship work? Will Jun fight for the omega he’s sure is his fated mate? Or will they just let each other slip away, believing what they have just isn’t enough?.

COMING SOON!


The first book in the series,
BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN
is available in digital and print:

The second book in the series,
MINK OMEGA IN HIDING
is available in digital and print:

The third book in the series,
PIKA OMEGA PLUS ONE
is available in digital and print:


Be sure to visit the other Weekend Writing Participants!
Click on the button below to find this week's list...

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Meet Jun, the leopard cat alpha from HIS OMEGA ON STAGE #Romance #MLM #MPreg #PNR #Omegaverse #8Sunday


Hello and welcome to another Weekend Writing Warriors post!

I'm back, after a couple weekends off, to share a snippet from the fourth book in my Shifter Towers series, HIS OMEGA ON STAGE. Like all the other books in this series, it is an MM paranormal romance.

Set-up: This is from the beginning of the story. Meet Jun, the alpha of the book.


Another day, another dollar. Okay, so I made more than a dollar a day, but that’s how the saying went. I was on my way to work once again. All I seemed to do lately, with nothing to break the monotony of my week. I used to teach guitar lessons to a few high school kids on my days off, but they either went off to college, or had their own part-time job now with no time for lessons anymore. And I hadn’t bothered to look for more students. A boyfriend? Yeah right! Who wanted a leopard cat alpha who worked the evening shift at a record store? One who had a bad boy reputation in high school that hadn’t translated well into adulthood. 

**That's ten, but I've included a little more so you can really get to know Jun.**

I had the occasional lonely omega come into the store at night. But a hookup with them never led to another. At first, that’s exactly what I’d wanted, having been burned by those I’d loved in the past. But, that had quickly become a lonely life. Now, I was “too passionate,” or “an overgrown house cat,” and not at all the type of fun my bed warmers were looking for. I wasn’t the “bad boy” they expected.

So, I worked. And when I wasn’t working, I listened to music at home, sometimes strumming along. That was my life. Boring. And another boring night awaited me at work.


HIS OMEGA ON STAGE
Shifter Towers book four

Jun
For leopard cat shifter, Jun, being the rogue alpha in high school hadn’t helped him as an adult. Though he sometimes believed he was ready to find a mate, past experiences taught him that those he loves eventually leave him. So, he protects his heart by seeing omegas looking for nothing more than a one-night stand. Until he runs into someone from his past.

Ash
As the first omega signed to Adan Records, AI is anxious for the release of his debut album. Being a leopard cat shifter instead of an actual leopard like the rest of his family has always made him feel small and insignificant. But now he’s about to shine bright in front of the world, all on his own, without an alpha by his side. He doesn’t need one, and definitely doesn’t have time for one. Though when he runs into someone from his past who knows him as Ash, he wants to give this alpha all of his attention.

On Stage
But with all the problems that fame brings, will Ash be able to make a relationship work? Will Jun fight for the omega he’s sure is his fated mate? Or will they just let each other slip away, believing what they have just isn’t enough?.

COMING SOON!


The first book in the series,
BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN
is available in digital and print:

The second book in the series,
MINK OMEGA IN HIDING
is available in digital and print:

The third book in the series,
PIKA OMEGA PLUS ONE
is available in digital and print:


Be sure to visit the other Weekend Writing Participants!
Click on the button below to find this week's list...

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Sparks in the boardroom and the bedroom... A REUNION OF RIVALS by @ReeseRyanWrites #newrelease #romance #books #reading


A REUNION OF RIVALS 
BY REESE RYAN

Sparks in the boardroom
and the bedroom…

She can’t let anything derail her passion project,
Not even a second chance with the sexiest man alive…

The deal that could bring Quinn Bazemore’s career back from the brink has one catch: she must partner up with her ex-lover Max Abbott. Quinn can’t forget the pleasure-filled summer they shared. But now she’s butting heads over business strategy with the mouthwatering marketing VP, even as their reawakened desire threatens to expose her deepest secrets…

AVAILABLE ON




ENJOY AN EXCERPT:

As soon as the door closed behind his sister, Quinn turned to him and scowled. “Why would you give everyone the impression something is going on between us?” 

He tried not to take her words personally, but damn if it didn’t feel like she’d kicked him in the teeth wearing a pair of steel toe boots. 

There was a time when her greatest desire had been for them to go out on a proper date and let the world see them together. Rather than sneaking around and hooking up in his shabby little loft over the barn or in the bed of his truck, parked beneath the stars.

Heat stung his cheeks as he jammed his hands into his pockets. “They probably assume I want to talk about the project or catch up with an old friend.”

He pretended not to notice the way she pressed her lips together and furrowed her brows when he referred to them as friends.

Damn. Is there a draft in here?

The chilly vibe coming from his ex was all too real.

“And I really would love to catch up at some point. But first, I need to tell you just how sorry I am.”

“No.” She shook her head, her tousled beach waves swinging gently.

He curled the fingers still shoved into his pockets into tight fists. Max couldn’t help remembering how he’d sifted the soft strands through his fingers as she had lain in his arms. And the dreamy way she’d gazed up at him after they’d made love.

There was nothing remotely romantic about the frosty look Quinn cast in his direction from beneath her long, thick eyelashes.

“No, you won’t allow me to apologize to you, or no, you’re not willing to accept my sincere apology?” He sat on the edge of the conference table.

“Both.” Quinn folded her arms, her expression neutral. Despite the iciness that slid over his skin in response to her answer, her tone and expression betrayed no anger. “A—I don’t want your apology. B—There’s no need for it.”

Heat spanned his forehead. Max had imagined having this conversation with Quinn dozens of times. He’d envisioned anger, forgiveness and lots of incredibly hot makeup sex. What he hadn’t foreseen was Quinn standing here calm, callous and completely out of fucks to give.

Not that he didn’t deserve it.



ENTER TO WIN REESE RYAN SWAG INCLUDING:

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ABOUT REESE RYAN

Reese Ryan writes sexy, emotional romance with captivating family drama, surprising secrets, and a posse of complex, flawed characters. A Midwesterner with deep Southern roots, Reese currently resides in semi-small-town North Carolina where she’s an avid reader, a music junkie, and a self-declared connoisseur of cheesy grits.

CONNECT WITH REESE





Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Nine Years Published! Where did the time go? #romance #scifirom #PNR #aliens #shifters #books


It's hard to believe that nine years ago today, my first story, Celestial Seduction, was released. Since then, I've written many more that have gone to publishers and others I've self-published. I've received the rights back on a few, most of them I republished, and a couple that will never see the light of day again. I've learned a lot over the years, and I'm still constantly learning, and being inspired by other authors.

I've learned that I have to write in a notebook no matter how hard I've tried to make myself use Scrivner and even simply MS Word to get my thoughts down. So, I write in my current notebook then when I finish a chapter, I transfer my words to a document on my computer.

I've also gone from being a pantser (no detailed planning), to a plotter. My outlines may not be as detailed as those of other authors, but I use an outline by Stephanie Bond that she showed us in a course she taught through the RWA a few years ago.

I'm also usually plotting two books ahead of the one that I'm writing. 

Currently, I am writing the fourth book in my Shifter Towers series. It's my longest book yet, and it's not quite finished. Almost. I also have the next book plotted, which will be a one story spin-off of the Shifter Towers series. And I'm planning the next story after that, where I'll be returning to sci-fi romance.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I found it hard to write, as I was trying to figure out what would happen with my other job, and how the kids would be doing their school work from home. But, eventually I got a routine going, and it really helped. Hopefully I'll be announcing that I've finished HIS OMEGA ON STAGE soon.

Over the years, I've participated in many blog hops and tours, including some where authors share snippets from their published stories or works-in-progress. I started sharing through Six Sentence Sunday, and met so many wonderful author through participating in that. Since then, I've also participated in Mid-Week Tease, My Sexy Saturday, and Weekend Writing Warriors. Once I finish my current story, I'll be sharing snippets to tease you all through Weekend Writing Warriors. I've also been a contributor to posts on various blogs like Backwards Momentum, Paranormal Romantics, SFR Brigade, and Romance Eh? Canadian Style.

I've written multiple series, including The Underground, Alien Next Door, Galactic Defenders, and Shifter Towers. I've also written stories for various lines at Decadent Publishing, including their 1Night Stand line, and Beyond Fairytales.

It's been a ride, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. So, HAPPY READING!!