The Carny by Brooke Moss Release Day Celebration!

Hey friends! Things are busy as always around here, but I couldn't let this slip by without sharing it with you all.

I know you're always looking for something new, something out of the ordinary, something that will knock your socks off. I am so excited to introduce you to this awesome new book The Carny by Brooke Moss.

Two people from opposite worlds, one unforgettable kiss.
You can't judge a carny by its cover.

At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored.

                  Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to--reluctantly--take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago.

                  As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He's back to run his father's carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival? After all, you can’t judge a carny by its cover.

Here's the cover. Isn't it mysterious and lovely? *sigh* I've even got a special teaser quote for you! I know, how lucky are we?

"“If you think for a second that this man, this Vin—what kind of a name is that, anyway—is really in it because he loves you, you’re headed for another heartache.” She reached over and ran a hand across my bedspread. “This bed set is getting awfully worn out. We should buy a new one.” My mouth hung open. “That was the worst segue-way I’ve ever heard. You just insulted my boyfriend and suggested we redecorate my bedroom all in one sentence.”"


The reviews for The Carny have been spectacular. 

"Sweet, subtle, heart-warming romance." --USA Today Bestselling Author, Nicola Marsh

"Brooke Moss is a gifted storyteller. With a compelling plot and characters who will steal your heart, The Carny is a winner." -- Cate Lord, author of Lucky Girl.

The best part is right now, at Inkspell Publishing  you can get a special EXCLUSIVE 30% discount! (Offer valid until 14^th July) 

If you want to learn even more about Charlotte, you can get the awesome short story  “Charlotte’s Wedding” for free! Only till 10^th July!

If for some reason you miss the chance to get this fantastic new book at the discounted price, you can get a copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and The Book Depository .

Happy Reading! 

Author Spotlight: Tiffany Reisz

Today, I have an interview with the amazing Tiffany Reizs for you. We are celebrating the digital release of her book The Siren (in paperback July 2012). Trust me, you do not want to miss this one. This is BDSM done right and done well. Besides being extremely talented, she's also really cool, so don't sleep on this one! Don't worry, I've provided links to get your dirty little self a copy of this delicious book at the end of the interview.

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With a reputation almost as wild as the truth about her, Nora Sutherlin is the most infamous writer in New York.

With black hair, ice blue eyes, and a British accent, Zachary Easton is the sexiest editor in all of publishing…and the stuffiest.

And now they have to work together.

This might not be a good idea…

What was the first romance novel you read? How did that book influence your future as a writer?

I not only remember the first romance novel I ever read, I still have a copy of it. It’s THE SHIEK’S REVENGE by Emma Darcy, a Harlequin Presents. I read and re-read it. The opening scene involves the hot sheik discussing a sexy painting with the heroine. Later I would steal this idea for THE SIREN.

When or how did you decide to write erotica? Did you or do you plan to write in any another genre?

I’m not a huge fan of genre labels. They tend to fence in a writer. But there’s something about the word “erotica” that stirs the blood. It’s the most ancient genre and the most infamous. I love sex and find it fascinating so it’s only natural that’s the genre I gravitated too. I have another book in the works that would be urban fantasy but urban fantasy with my trademark goofiness and eroticism.

We all have pitfalls in our writing process. What is yours and how do you combat it or work around it?

Twitter is an addiction. I’m a social butterfly online. I love to talk and interact with all my cool online friends so it’s hard for me to tear myself away to get real writing done. But then I remember 90% of my followers are following me because of my writing. I don’t want to let them down so I get back to the typing. Sigh…

You’re known for being very open about that fact that you enjoy BDSM. I know many ER authors who shy away from being overtly sexual because they fear how they will be viewed given their profession. As a person who also lives a good portion of her sex life publicly (writing The Bombshell Mommy), I’m intrigued that you decided to cross into the territory of full disclosure. What was it that made you take the leap and “tell all”?

I don’t know where my openness came from. I’ve just never been shy about my personal life. I suppose I don’t think my personal life is interesting enough to keep a secret. To me, being into BDSM is like being gay. It’s simply me. How could I hide that? It breaks my heart that so many women writers feel like they have to hide behind pen names. We’re just perpetuating the cycle of shame and embarrassment. Liking sex should be as neutral as enjoying food. It’s natural, it’s healthy, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. There’s nothing wrong with keeping your private life private or writing under a pen name. But there is something wrong when women writers feel like they have to.

Given the success of Fifty Shades of Grey, what are your thoughts on so-called “BDSM-lite” hitting mainstream American readers?

One person’s BDSM-lite is another person’s hardcore. I’m always happy when any book gets non-readers reading and starts intelligent discourse about formerly taboo subjects. If people now feel safe to read BDSM erotica, that can only help a dirty little writer like me.


Quick Three:
Favorite book: The Keep by Jennifer Egan
Favorite drink: A spiked Shirley Temple
Favorite article of clothing: My Batman shirt as my boyfriend likes it so much. Good memories.

Tiffany Reisz lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her boyfriend (a reformed book reviewer) and two cats (one good, one evil). She graduated with a B.A. in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and is making both her parents and her professors proud by writing BDSM erotica under her real name. She has five piercings, one tattoo, and has been arrested twice. 

When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. Her first full-length novel THE SIREN was inspired by a desire to tie up actor Jason Isaacs (on paper). She hopes someday life will imitate art (in bed). 
If she couldn’t write, she would die.

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A huge thank you to Tiffany Reisz for taking time to be interviewed. For more on Reisz and her books, visit her website or follow her on twitter @tiffanyreisz

Read THE SIREN May 1st on your NOOK or KINDLE.

Author Spotlight: Cyndi Tefft

I'm a blogging failure, I know. My most sincere apologies. In my defense, I'm still learning how to juggle my freelance jobs, The Bombshell Mommy, and the publishing of Frozen Heart. Not to mention trying to squeak in work on my new WIP. 


Meanwhile, I'd like to introduce you all to Cyndi Tefft, the author of Between and the newly released sequel Hell Transporter.  Her YA books come with a heavy dose of skillfully written sexual tension. They are not to be missed. Plus, a grim reaper with a Scottish accent, how can you resist? Cyndi recently took time away from working on the last installment of Aiden and Linsey's journey together to chit chat with me about her books and her writing process.  


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Between 
It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.


What inspired you to write such a unique version of a grim reaper? And how did you decide on the delicious idea to make him Scottish? 

I wanted to write a good versus evil story, but I felt angels and demons had been done pretty extensively. Having always been fascinated with near death experiences, I thought it would be fun to create a world in between earth and heaven with a guide from one to the other.

Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series made me a Scot fanatic and I had just finished her sixth book when I started writing mine. Her seventh was not yet out at that time and I was hungry for some more Scottish Highlander hunkiness, so I decided to make one of my own!

Did you plan to write a romance novel with a strong religious theme or did it develop as the story evolved? 

Because the story is set in the afterlife, I knew God and heaven would play a strong role in the book, but things definitely evolved as I wrote. I am much more of a pantser than a plotter (I just start writing and see how things develop, rather than outlining ahead of time). 

The faith themes in the book are an integral part of the story, as I would imagine that in death, most everyone would wonder how the God thing comes into play.

You write fantastic sexual tension. What advice do you have for other authors *cough*me*cough* when it comes to writing the tension that comes before the actual sex? 

Thanks! *grin* Writing love scenes is one of my favorite things to do. It’s much easier for me than writing fight scenes! Between was actually an adult book when I finished the first draft. It went through countless revisions and finally ended up a YA novel. There are three *deleted* sex scenes from the book that I’ve made available upon request to readers who want to know the characters a bit more... intimately. hehe

As for writing sexual tension, I believe the key is making the reader want it to happen as much as the main characters do. We all want to fall in love with the characters and when we do, their longings become our own, and the ultimate satisfaction of that longing is all the sweeter.

Every writer comes across pitfalls in the writing process. What is your biggest challenge and how did you learn to overcome it?

When I finished the first draft of the story, which was actually one big HUGE book that I later split into Between and Hell Transporter, I thought it was done. *shakes head* Little did I know that I would spend years revising those books and that they would bear little resemblance to the first draft once they were finished.

My biggest challenge early on was underestimating how much I still had to learn about writing. Now I know much more about the craft, but more than that, I know I still have much to learn. That knowledge, rather than being depressing and defeating my spirit, actually provides me with grace for the present and excitement for the journey ahead.

I am a better writer than I was and not as good a writer as I will be.

Quick three:

Favorite Book: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Jamie Fraser- swoon!)

Favorite Drink: Diet Pepsi (followed closely by espresso)

Favorite Article of Clothing: My Sketchers tennies. I wear them every day!

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Thank you again to Cyndi Tefft for visiting the blog and sharing her insights. For more on Cyndi you can visit her website , her Twitter, and on Goodreads. Her books are available at her site, as well as Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. 

Author Spotlight: Brien Michaels

Hello my friends! I know I've been MIA. There are TONS of exciting things on the horizon, all of which I will tell you about so very soon. For now, I shall enthrall you with the fantastic writing of the wickedly talented Brien Michaels! His special brand of spine tingling horror mixed with flaming hot erotica will keep you on the edge of your seat. I was lucky enough to grab him for an interview in celebration of his newest release Last Friday Night. Please welcome, Brien Micheals!

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You have carved out a very particular niche for yourself in the erotic romance world. Scorching hot romance woven into the tapestry of unique and spine-tingling scary settings. How did you find your way into this genre? 

Well, I’ve been writing horror since about grade five. So just about everything I churned out between then and about age nineteen had something horrifying happening. But I started dabbling in writing more…er…erotic stories when I was maybe sixteen. Wrote a bunch of fan-fiction that I still sometimes get reviews on. It didn’t dawn on me until the end of 2010 to combine the two genres, and it was totally by accident. I wrote Sparks Fly while I was on this God-awful cruise to the Virgin Islands and never really thought about it as a horror story until people started telling me how much it scared them. I’ve been going ever since.

You’ve jumped into the world of published authors at a relatively young age. Do you feel that this has been an advantage or a hurdle to overcome in your writing career?  

An advantage, most definitely. I’ve wanted to do this since I was a kid. Granted, that was only about a decade ago, but still. I’ve met other authors who’ve told me they wish they knew they wanted this when they were my age. I mean, really think about it. How many twenty-one year olds do you know who can honestly say that they’re living their dream?

Though I will say, I apparently look younger than I am. When I was at Ellora’s Cave’s Romanticon last year, I was asked a great many times if I was old enough to be there/participate in the workshops. And I was asked a great many more times than that whose son I was. Imagine my surprise finding out I was the only male author there.

What is the biggest impetus in your writing? Do you draw more from life experience or the creepy things that haunt the recesses of your mind? 

It’s a little of both, actually. Emotionally, what my characters go through is from real-life experience because writing is my coping mechanism; it’s how I work through all the screwed up crap people my age go through. The horror, on the other hand, comes from the places I’m usually too afraid to think of. Believe me, I’m the biggest chicken you’ll ever meet, so a lot of the scenes in my scarier stories freak me out. Like literally I’ll sit in a dark room so I can be scared enough to write it, but then spend the entire time writing looking around me to make sure nothing is trying to sneak out of the shadows to get me. It’s a mess.

Is there any advice or experience you’d like to share with the other young writers out there who are looking at you and thinking, “Damn, how’d he do it?”  

Just don’t give up. It’s the most cliché thing in the world, I know, but it’s also the truest. As a writer, you’re going to get rejected. It’s almost an inevitability unless you’re like super author, or something. But just keep submitting and keep writing. It only takes one editor to love your book to get you a contract. But that applies to any dream you’re trying to achieve. Keep working at it cuz if it’s that much of a driving force in your mind, then it’s your duty to make it a reality.

Quick Three:

Favorite book: Str8te Boys by Evangeline Anderson

Favorite drink: Not sure I have a favorite drink, but I am partial to a good vodka cranberry.

Favorite article of clothing: Definitely the T-shirt I got from Romanticon last year. It just says, “Got Sex?” Yup. It’s awesome.


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Thank you again to Brien Michaels for sharing his twisted sexy stories with us. For more on Brien, you can visit his website
,  Goodreads , and find him on Twitter . Last Friday Night, as well as the rest of his titles, are available at Amazon , B&N , and All Romance Ebooks .