Finding new authors—how do you do it?

I usually buy books by the same authors over and over, until a story or two disappoints me and I cut them off. No, I won’t name names but it’s been happening a lot lately. Even with favorite autobuy authors, there are some days/weeks *gasp* when they have nothing new out. I’m a book slut, junkie, take your pick, I have to read. So what do I do? I head to All Romance ebooks—I love ARe because their site has nearly all the pubs I read and it’s easy to narrow my search.

My process

I search by category and sort by recently added. I scan the blurbs, and I do mean scan. Reading blurbs spoil the story for me so I don’t do it. In my scan, I’m looking for words like faerie, ghost, dragon so I can rule out a title—everyone has their likes and dislikes and things that scare the shit out of them. Then I read the first few lines of the excerpt and if it’s written in first person, I move on to the next title that caught my eye. There is nothing wrong stories written in first person, but I find I have to concentrate to read them and I’m sorry, but I don’t want to concentrate when I’m reading. Although, I have bought a few first person stories by mistake that I loved and some authors write in a way that I don’t even notice the pov so it’s all good.

New-to-me authors I love

I’ve been on a serious m/m kick for weeks, with no end in sight—normally I read anything romance, except historical and the stuff mentioned above. So in between waiting on my faves (K.A. Mitchell, J.L. Langley, etc.) to put out, I went hunting and found some absolute gems! To be fair, I found quite a few lumps of coal but the gems made up for it so my fave list is growing. Below are some of the stories by new-to-me authors that simply blew me away. The blurbs (everyone isn’t weird like me. lol) and covers are from the publishers’ sites and if you click on the covers, they will link you to the buy pages.

Miller Sutton, a by-the-book FBI agent, is starting to see some troubling shades of gray in his black-and-white world. He comes face-to-face with his doubts in the person of Danny Butler, a mid-level drug runner Miller hopes to use to catch a much larger fish: Roberto Hinestroza, a drug lord Miller has pursued for years. Danny has no interest in being a witness against his boss, both out of a sense of twisted loyalty and because he knows double-crossing Hinestroza is a sure death sentence. But he reluctantly agrees to cooperate, and as he suspects, it doesn’t take long for Hinestroza to figure out the betrayal. Miller is surprised to discover Danny’s not the career-criminal lowlife he expected; at the same time, Danny finds himself helplessly attracted to Miller’s innate goodness. They barely begin to explore the sparking attraction between them when Hinestroza’s hitman tracks them down, and then they’re on the run, both for their lives and for any kind of love.

After witnessing a mob hit, surgeon Jack Francisco is put into protective custody to keep him safe until he can testify. A hitman known only as D is blackmailed into killing Jack, but when he tracks him down, his weary conscience won’t allow him to murder an innocent man. Finding in each other an unlikely ally, Jack and D are soon on the run from shadowy enemies.

Forced to work together to survive, the two men forge a bond that ripens into unexpected passion. Jack sees the wounded soul beneath D’s cold, detached exterior, and D finds in Jack the person who can help him reclaim the man he once was. As the day of Jack’s testimony approaches, he and D find themselves not only fighting for their lives… but also fighting for their future. A future together.

Jake Taggart’s life was almost perfect–he’d worked hard to overcome his past, and he loved his job as foreman on a ranch in Arkansas. The only thorn in his side was a dark eyed cowboy named Tornado whose stubborn attitude brought frustration and confusion to Jake’s mostly happy existence.

A late spring rainstorm brings out hidden passions and unleashes a chain of events neither of them expected–and eventually brings about events that threaten to destroy them and what they worked to create. Strong wills and forceful personalities make for intense encounters….but is it enough to keep love alive?

New York City Vice Detective Evan Cerelli has lost his wife, the only person he ever loved and slept with. He’s trying to get on with his life, build a life for his children. Former Homicide Detective Matt Haight is a ladies’ man, all sex/no commitment. He’s depressed, having a midlife crisis, and not sure where his life is headed.

The two find friendship in the bottom of a shared bottle. When the friendship turns to love, it shakes two straight men to the core and flips their lives inside out. Kids, families, careers that are not gay-friendly — can all the love in the world overcome the obstacles to faith and fidelity?

What do I do after I’ve been thrilled to my toes? I hunt for the sequel and the author’s backlist, of course.

So how do you find new authors?

Assume the Positions

Several months ago I was invited to participate in my first multi-author anthology. I was thrilled by the company I would be keeping (Mari Freeman, Samantha Kane, Lynne Connolly, Desiree Holt, Ciana Stone and Dalton Diaz). Today my book, Assume the Positions, releases at Ellora’s Cave. It’s the fifth in the series and my first serious attempt at romantic comedy…well, erotic romantic comedy! It’s super hot too!

The Cougar Challenge is simple–stop dreaming about an affair with a younger man and have one!

Damn Cougar Challenge!

Rachel’s thankful for the new friends she met while attending an erotica-book convention. They instantly connected and began sharing the relationship woes unique to older single women on their Tempt the Cougar blog. Then Monica issues that challenge… How is Rachel going to convince a younger man to have sex with her? Hell, even she doesn’t want to look at herself naked. To control her growing angst, she makes a list of eligible men then… Nothing. It’s been too long and her divorce was too painful. She’ll never be able to do this.

Ethan, one of Rachel’s physical therapy patients, is pissed when he learns of the challenge. Not because he finds it silly—because he’s not on Rachel’s list! So he does what any self-assured young stud would do. The luscious police officer gives her a copy of the Kama Sutra then asks her to make a new list.

And assume the positions…

EXCERPT:

“Potential Younger Men for Cougar Challenge?”

Rachel prayed to God he didn’t know what “cougar” meant. She’d only learned of the term while reading her erotic romance novels. She’d been shocked to discover how much the idea of an older woman hooking up with a younger man turned her on, pushed her hot buttons.

“It’s just something silly…something stupid, really. Give me back my notebook and we’ll get started on your exercises.”

Ethan ignored her and she watched as he scanned the list of names. When he closed the book with a snap, she flinched at the unfamiliar look on his face. She’d never seen him look so serious or…angry. “What are you doing, Rachel? What the hell is this list about?”

She took a step back, confused by his reaction. Over the course of the past two months, she’d felt a friendship forming between her and the young cop. As a result, she now found her fears, her anxiety over the challenge falling from her lips uncontrolled.

Even though she was sure she was making a mistake, she told him everything—from meeting her friends at the conference to the blog to the dare to sleep with a younger man. She didn’t leave out a single detail and throughout her entire confession, Ethan was quiet. In the end, it was his silence that unnerved her more than his initial anger.

“So there,” she said at last. “That should keep you busy in the teasing department for months. I’m an insane, horny-as-hell woman who’s actually contemplating throwing herself at a younger man on a dare. And before you say anything, yes, I know…I’m old enough to know better.” She walked away from him as she said the last, too embarrassed to face him.

She’d only made it two steps when he reached out and gripped her forearm, turning her back around. “Old enough to know better?” he asked. “You think you couldn’t land a younger guy?”

“Maybe I could,” she said, surprised to find him taking this conversation so seriously. “I mean, I don’t think I’m unattractive, just sort of out of practice with the whole dating scene.”

Ethan grinned and she spied the usual mischievous sparkle in his gaze that she’d grown accustomed to over the past few weeks. “Wish you’d mentioned this horny problem of yours earlier, Rach.”

“It’s not something a polite woman advertises,” she said.

He continued pulling her toward him until they stood face-to-face, close enough that she could smell his skin, a pleasant combination of fresh shower, soap and—yummy—man. Rather than look up, she stared straight ahead, placing her line of vision at the top of his chest. There was no way she could look at his handsome face and not spend the rest of their session imagining him naked. He wore a tight T-shirt and she could just imagine what his bare pecs would look like. She swallowed heavily, her mouth watering at the thought.

“Isn’t that a shame,” Ethan added. “Advertisements like that sure would take a lot of the guess work out of dating.”

“I haven’t been doing a lot of dating since my divorce from Voldemort.”

“Mm hmm.” She felt certain if she hadn’t been standing so closely, she wouldn’t have heard the small, guttural sound—a growl?—that emanated from him. Did it make him angry to hear her mention her ex? “Look at me, Rachel,” he said as she felt his gaze bore through the top of her head.

“I am,” she said, her eyes remaining locked in place, several inches below his chin.

He reached down and gently forced her head back with firm fingers at her jaw. She took a deep breath and faced him. His head was cocked to the side, his lips painfully close to hers. An impractical woman would lean forward and initiate a kiss. A woman without any common sense would rise up on her tiptoes, close the gap separating them and take a nice, long taste of him. An adventurous woman—

Her mouth stroked his briefly and her mind struggled to understand how she’d gotten close enough for that touch. Had she moved?

Her lips brushed his again, but rather than move away, she continued to push closer.

Oh shit.

She was kissing Ethan. Her brain kicked into high gear.

Red alert! Abort! Abort!

Her practical side was practically screaming for her body to step away from the hot man. But apparently her body had its own agenda.

His fingers moved from her chin and along her cheek, taking up residence in her hair. His hand pulled her closer and he deepened the kiss, forcing her lips open with his, exploring her mouth with his tongue.

Holy crap. He was kissing her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and struggled not to moan when his other hand traveled up and down her back, rubbing delicious patterns through her shirt that made her want to purr like a kitten.

They continued to kiss, but Rachel’s racing mind kept fighting for the control her body had seized.

This is wrong. He’s so far out of your league I’m not sure you can consider yourselves inhabitants of the same planet. He’s a patient.

The last thought jarred her enough that she pushed away abruptly.

“Shit,” Ethan muttered when she struggled out of his embrace. “I was wondering when that head of yours was going to get in the way.”

“What?” she asked.

“You think too much,” he replied.

“That’s not true. I just don’t think it’s professional for me to be kissing you in the clinic.”

He grinned. “But it would be okay if you kissed me outside? The door’s right there. Let’s go.”

“It’s not professional, period. I shouldn’t have— It was wrong of me to—”

“Kiss me?” he supplied, and she could see he was enjoying her predicament far too much.

“Yes,” she hissed.

“Did that overactive brain of yours happen to notice that I was kissing you back?”

Oh, her brain noticed—it just didn’t want her to be happy. Meanwhile, every other major organ and nerve in her body was singing—big time. Her nipples were cutting through the satin material of her bra, her stomach was still doing happy flip-flops and she was noticing regions south of her waist reappearing after deserting her years ago.

She shrugged. Seemed like the easiest thing to do.

“Why wasn’t my name on your list?” he asked.

She burst into laughter.

“I’m serious,” he persisted when she continued to chuckle.

“You sound as if you’re hurt by the omission,” she said. “Is this some male ego switch I’ve triggered? I would think you’d be relieved. You don’t have to worry about some sex-starved divorcee setting her sights on you. Trying to lure you into her lair.” She raised her hands in a claw-like fashion and made a scary face.

He didn’t smile at her joke, so she lowered her hands and shook her head. “I like you, Ethan. You’ve become a good friend these past couple of months and I wouldn’t dream of annoying you like that.”

“Annoying me? You think I’m not attracted to you? Sexually?” he asked, setting off her laughter again.

“Oh damn, now that is funny,” she said between giggles. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to say it. You’re hot, Ethan. Super hot. And about a decade younger than me.”

“I thought that was the point of this challenge of yours,” he argued.

“Well, let’s just say there’re younger men and then there’re younger men. In the world of women like me, you fall into the untouchable category.”

He nodded, but she could see he didn’t like her answer. “I didn’t see that ‘untouchable’ thing holding you back a few minutes ago.”

She sobered up at his scowling face. “As I said, I shouldn’t have done that.”

He was silent for several uncomfortable moments and she wished she could read his mind. “I’ve screwed up everything tonight, Ethan,” she added, desperate to fill the void. “Can we just start this whole PT session over? I’ll even let you sneak in and scare me again.”

His face cleared suddenly and his cocky grin returned. She took a deep breath of relief—until his next words knocked it out of her again.

“Put my name on your list,” he demanded. “The top of your list. And then mark out every name under it. You’re going to follow through on that dare…with me.”

BUY HERE!

Friday Eve Snippet

Viv writes:

I’m moving along nicely in my current wip, Rocky Mountain High, maybe even reaching the end of the project by the time this post gets published. It’s a fun, yet demanding task to write the second book in a series–the background for the story is there but somehow you want to make sure that the new story stands alone. Not only that but you also want to let the characters people have come to enjoy make an appearance or two. Book two is about Daniel, and here’s a tease that introduces him from Rocky Mountain Heat, book one in the series, available from Liquid Silver Books.

As a hero, he’s turned out to be VERY hot.

—-

“Why are you asking?” Blake found a table leg that needed hand sanding and he sat to smooth the piece as he spoke.

“He’s asking because he and Jesse are hoping to sweet talk the girl into kissing them. I’m right, ain’t I?” Daniel asked, joining them in the workshop.

Joel grinned. “We want more than kisses, but I’d settle for starting there. She’s the sweetest kisser–”

“How do you know?” Blake demanded.

Daniel snorted. “You missed that one? The boys hogtied her back in high school, what was it, tenth grade? I heard about it for weeks, couldn’t get them to shut up about how much fun they’d had, how soft her lips were, how she fit between them so well.” Daniel shook a finger at Joel. “This habit you two have of going for the same girl at the same time isn’t very socially accepted around these parts, you know. You better step real careful around the girls’ daddies until you know for sure they don’t plan to shoot one of you.”

“You both kissed Jaxi? At the same time?” Blake reeled. “Was this before or after she went out with Travis?”

“Before. I still don’t understand why she ever dated him.” Joel plopped on the bench next to Blake. “I know he’s our brother and all but sometimes he’s an ass. Of all the guys she could have gone to the prom with, why’d she pick him?”

“I still don’t believe she kissed you and Jesse. Together.”

“Well, it wasn’t her idea, Blake. We were rather insistent. And she kissed us one at a time. It’s not like I want my lips right next to Jesse’s. I’m not into that.”

Daniel sat and joined in. “I kissed her once.” Blake barely stopped his jaw from hitting the floor. “Yup, only it was kiss her or kill her. She rode Thunder without permission and when she managed to get him back into the barn without getting killed I kind of lost my head.” Daniel winked at Joel. “You’re right, she is a sweet kisser.”

Joel poked at Blake. “You ever kiss her?”

“No! Course not. She’s just a little girl. I’m surprised at you, Daniel, she’s five years younger than you.”

“If I were fifteen and she were ten it would be a problem,” Daniel said. “She was old enough and she knew what we were doing. I didn’t give her much choice in the matter either. Looks like you’re the only Coleman boy she hasn’t kissed yet, Blake. Maybe we’d better set you up or something.”

——

Rocky Mountain Heat, available from Liquid Silver Books,

Thankful

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I have a home over my head, food on the table and a wonderful family. Can’t really ask for more, but I got it. My writing is going well and I have one, possibly two, releases set up for next year. So not only is the end of the year great for me, the next year is shaping up nicely.

And…my friends. I am so thankful to have all of you. One of the best things to happen to me was meeting the ladies of IH. They are a great support team. Of course they aren’t my only friends. I’ve met a lot of great people through yahoo groups. The romance community is so wonderful. Not only nice, but supportive.

So in thanks…enjoy the eye candy. heeheee

In the Heat Wave group, I did say I was thankful for the men who posed for our enjoyment. heehee

Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

 

This post is dedicated to…

…all of you reading it, of course!

With the volume of new releases flying around International Heat these days I was thinking about one of the best things about writing a book:  the dedication!

A few of my dedications have been silly, like the time I wondered how long it would take my husband to notice Picture Perfect was dedicated to him.  Answer:  More than a year before he mentioned it, though he later claimed to have read it and just not told me because he thought my dedication sucked.

Sometimes they’re serious like when I dedicated Dream Machine to the people who don’t know I write but who would be proud if they did (Hi mom!).  Or Phoenix Incantation, which was dedicated to Mari Carr because she’s a great friend and has helped me immensely in my writing career.  Then there are future dedications in books like Kate’s Crew that you’re just going to have to wait to read for yourself!

So… who is my latest release dedicated to you ask?

Night is Darkest will hit e-shelves today (11/24/09) with the following dedication:   For all the members of the Samhain reader café yahoo group. I enjoy the time we spend chatting about our favorite books and all the wonderful feedback you’ve given me. Special thanks to the moderators, both past and present, for keeping the party going!

In their honor, you might notice a few cameos by prominent members of the group.  It was so much fun to include them in the story.  I hope they don’t kill me for the things they say (Yes, I’m looking at you Valerie Tibbs).

If you want to check it out for yourself.  Here’s all the info on the new release!

“Night is Darkest” by Jayne Rylon

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Red Hots!

ISBN: 978-1-60504-800-0
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: November 24, 2009
Cover art by Natalie Winters

Some secrets refuse to stay hidden.

Lacey Daughtry’s perfect weekend is interrupted by tragic news of her brother’s murder in the line of duty. Plagued by a rash of mysterious phone calls, she turns to her brother’s best friends and fellow officers for protection…and comfort.

Spending time in close contact with Mason and Tyler, the two men she’s dreamed of since her first girlhood crush, seems like the answer to a prayer. Especially when they begin to explore the desire she’s harbored for so long.

But the partners are holding out on Lacey. Determined to suppress the most extreme facets of their lust, they agree to settle for sharing the woman they crave while concealing their desire for each other. Until Lacey cracks their resolve, unleashing a torrent of emotions that threatens to distract them when they can least afford it.

Their blossoming relationship is complicated by secrets. And the only way to evade the killer threatening their lives is to bare their souls in the darkest hours of the night. Or everything will come crashing down, just before the dawn.

Warning: After reading this book you’ll never look at a pair of hot cops, a cemetery or a can of Spaghetti-O’s the same way again.

Jayne
www.jaynerylon.com