Blurb Blitz & Giveaway - Stop the Clock by Cassie Swindon

 

Stop the Clock

by Cassie Swindon 

GENRE: Romantic suspense 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

Stop the Clock is the finale in the Golden Chains trilogy.

 

Raelyn Bell has already experienced death and loss. Her family is falling apart at the seams. Despite her fears that Zohaib will hurt the few people she has left, Raelyn is still determined to prove him guilty. But this villain’s hunger for more power threatens to rip her and Kody apart.

 

To save Raelyn from being captured, Kody Walsh makes a deal with the devil and is dragged across the border to the middle of a rainforest by Zohaib’s hostile force. Commanded to complete unimaginable tasks for the sake of the enemy, Kody’s stakes couldn’t be higher.

 

Raelyn desperately seeks for any way to rescue Kody and has to decide if she can trust her mother for help after all they have been through. Can they see this journey through without losing their lives—and each other? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt: 

Kody swallowed hard and patted the side of his pants where he stored the engagement ring and pocket watch. When he had proposed to Raelyn for the seventh time, her face fogged over, and he wondered what was holding her back. Kody would still stand by her side if the baby was Phoenix's, so why was she so hesitant? 

I know how much she loves me. 

Kody walked to the back room and dug in the bottom of his emergency pack, a bag he kept full of supplies in case they needed to escape in a hurry. At the bottom, he felt the phone and pulled it out, pocketing the device before Raelyn or Liam spotted it. 

“I need to go skin the deer.” He charged past them without meeting Raelyn’s eye.  If she caught his gaze, she’d know in an instant that he had been hiding something from her for five months. 

Usually, he thrived in the woods, yet tonight, the natural sounds under the brilliant, blue-mooned night turned unsettling. Squinting and shielding his eyes from the wind, Kody snuck through the frigid darkness. An owl hooted, and strong wings flapped, making him look up for the source, but he only saw stars freckling the night sky. Halfway down a hill, he tried to mask his footsteps but slipped and skidded to a spot he knew had cell reception. His body shivered, and muscles tightened together as if trying to cluster up into a ball. 

The phone’s screen lit up. Kody rubbed his temple, then quickly dialed Dabbott’s number before changing his mind. 

She picked up on the first ring. “Walsh?” 

It was so good to hear someone from his team. “Yes. Are we clear to talk?” 

“Roger, that. Are you safe?” 

“Yes. I need info on Zohaib.” 

“He’s two hours from your location.” 

A giant knot formed in his throat. “Is he in custody?” 

“No.” She paused. “We think Zohaib’s looking for Raelyn.” 

Suddenly, visions swarmed the wintery scene like he was drowning in a drug of dreams. Agonizing memories jabbed his mind like the point of a spear. Raelyn laid in a pool of blood with a piece of metal sticking out of her stomach. The nightmare that had ripped him to pieces every single night for months returned, refusing to subside. 

Kody shook his head. 

It’s not real. It’s not real. 

He clenched his jaw tightly. “That won’t happen. I won’t let Zohaib near Raelyn.”  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Instead of the boring bio info, here’s some interesting tidbits about the author:

•           Tackled her father for a pair of Michael Phelps’ personal goggles

•           Cried when the Cubs won the World Series

•           Met husband freshman year of college- a blizzard & tequila may have been involved

•           Moved cross-country by the flip of a coin

•           Mutated into a zombie when daughter was born in 2013, then again 17 months later when her son was born

•           Evacuated from a boat crash in the Atlantic during a whale watching tour

•           Witnessed a wild horse pack galloping through the Rockies

•           Cofounded a three-person Beanie Baby Club in the 90s- in a treehouse

•           Snorkeled in The Great Barrier Reef

•           Broke her foot when pretending to be a Baywatch lifeguard

•           Stranded in a Cancun lagoon while jet skiing

•           Crunched the back of a Dodge Neon against a wall while transporting a Medieval knight to a pub

•           Invented a symbol language to pass notes to her best friend in high school

•           Swung off a rope swing of pirate ship in Aruba

•           Backpacked through Italy

•           Stole plaques showing what swim records she broke

 

https://www.CassieSwindon.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cassie-Swindon-Official-Author-117026993483422

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassie_swindon_author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CassieSwindon 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Buy Link

Amazon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GIVEAWAY 

Cassie Swindon will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour & Giveaway - Blind Secrets by Lynn Chantale

 

Blind Secrets

VIBE a Steamy Romance Book 2

by Lynn Chantale

Genre: Steamy Romance 

When one is blind trust is important, but who can you trust when someone is trying to kill you?

Wealthy, blind and grieving, Amelia Hastings-Bedford would gladly give away her fortune if it would bring back her beloved, Joshua. Knowing her money can’t, she forges into a marriage of convenience with Gareth, family friend and law partner.

Gareth Bedford knows two things; someone is trying to kill Amelia and someone is embezzling company funds. Gareth does all he can to protect Amelia from her enemies., but doing so places him in the crosshairs.

When a family member’s action creates tragic consequences only one thing can save Amelia. Joshua.

Goodreads * Amazon

*******************************************************

The Baker's Touch

VIBE a Steamy Romance Book 1

Valentine’s is always a busy time of year for PB and J Bakery.

With love fueling the need for sweet confections, there’s always room for romance. Even the anonymous gifts left for Penelope, by a secret admirer, are a welcome distraction from the chaos of chocolate and spongecake.

Penelope Bishop has an idea who’s sending the gifts, or at least she hopes it’s her sexy mystery man who stole a kiss on New Year’s Eve. The trouble is, she’s never seen him. Her only clues are dancing skills, a great pair of lips, and a sensual voice that haunts her dreams and every waking fantasy. All that pales when her assistant, Avery, inspires those same lustful thoughts.

Avery has loved Penelope from afar, but with her recent breakup, he doubts she’ll view him beyond the current role he has in her life...seeing eye person. He has one chance to woo a woman who defines her world through touch, scent, sound, and taste--think outside the dating box. When an old flame comes courting and makes Penelope an offer she just may accept, Avery has one last opportunity to make her his Valentine...he’ll have to bare all.

Goodreads * Amazon

******************************************************

Lynn Chantale resides in Southwest Florida and she is determined to enjoy all that life has to offer. She has a mad affinity for milk chocolate, preferably Dove chocolate truffles or the caramel-filled squares (Godiva is acceptable), and plays the bass guitar when the Muse begs for a bit of distraction.  

She’s a multi-published author in ebooks and has recently stepped into the self-publishing world. So far both experiences have been rewarding.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview & Giveaway - Mars Wars Series by John Andrew Karr

 

Mars Wars Series:

Detonation Event (Mars Wars Book 1)

by John Andrew Karr 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE: Science Fiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB: 

For decades the Space Consortium of America has searched for new ways to harvest resources beyond an increasingly depleted Earth. The ultimate plan is about to be ignited. So is the ultimate threat to humankind . . .

 

DETONATION EVENT

 

Battle-hardened Captain Ry Devans and his crew of the Mars Orbiter Station One (MOS-1) are part of a bold plan: resurrect the active molten cores of the Red Planet with synchronized thermonuclear explosions, and terraform the hell out of that iron-oxide rock for future generations. It’ll change history. So will the strands of carbon-based Martian cells that have hitched a ride on the ship.

 

Dr. Karen Wagner knows the microbes’ resistance to virus is incredible. It’s the unknowable that’s dicey. Her orders: blow them into space. But orders can be undermined. Two vials have been stolen and sent hurtling toward the biosphere. For Devans and Wagner, ferreting out the saboteurs on board is only the beginning. Because there are more of them back on Earth—an army of radical eco-terrorists anxious to create a New World Order with a catastrophic gift from Mars.

 

Now, one-hundred-and-forty-million miles away from home, Devans is feeling expendable, betrayed, a little adrift, and a lot wild-eyed. But space madness could be his salvation—and Earth’s. He has a plan. And he’ll have to be crazy to make it work.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt: 

From Destination Event, Mars Wars, Book 1 

 

The barren red face of Mars grew before them. 

The space shuttles of two centuries earlier had orbited Earth at roughly five miles a second. Doubling that speed, even tripling it—and in a hurry—was within easy capability of the PS-class shuttles.

 Devans threw in a series of mild doglegs to make it a little interesting for Wagner. He had to admit, the youth had staying power. An hour later and Wagner hadn’t even taken a bathroom break. Two blips showed up on the main hologram of the planet below. They marked tunnel locations T1 and T2 as yellow-highlighted lines that shot straight down. Both had tiny right angles at the ends where the bombs were housed. 

As they approached the space over T1, the surface camera feeds showed nothing but a mass of gray-and-red dust. Very little wind speed. It was thick but gentle, like a snow globe after its been shaken. 

“Raise shields, Nuro,” Devans said. “Shannon, how about splashing our entry on the big monitor here and the feed to the crew?” 

The shuttle’s shields warded off the entry heat and they entered the anemic Martian atmosphere. 

“Withdraw shields, Nuro.” 

“Withdrawing.”

 “Nice sandstorm,” Devans said, gazing at the roiling wall hundreds of feet high. 

“Dust storm!” Trent Wagner said over his shoulder as he leaned back and forth on the table as if shredding the galaxy’s longest wave. “This is the tail end of it!” 

“How long until cleared?” 

“Two or three.” 

“Couple, three hours, not so bad.” 

“Weeks,” Wagner said. 

“And here I just had this thing washed. Let’s go to the dark side for now.” 

The sun cut a divide on the red planet’s surface. PS-9 easily outdistanced the storm and raced over the desert surface to the dark side. The second blip beckoned them on the navigation screens. Near total darkness pushed against their vessel lights.

 This was the eve of the moment they all had labored for…One last manual check and they would attempt to resurrect Mars with synchronized thermonuclear explosions at the core. 

At least, that was the plan. 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Talking with author John Andrew Karr

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

               Any with cookie dough mixed in. 

      

First book you remember making an indelible impression on you.

               Conan the Barbarian.

 

How do you develop your plot and characters?

               Basically by asking  What If.  I'll get an idea of what genre to write in while finishing the rough draft of my current tale, then start asking What If xxx took place? What if xxx happens? What if there were these characters trying to do xxx.

               plot and characters usually develop from there.

 

Describe your writing space.

               One room of the house is set aside for office work. My writing desk has my laptop, an external monitor, and several pictures, figurines of pirates of Edgar Poe, sea shells and an hour glass adorned with gargoyles. The other desk in the room is for family finances, and the writing desk is solely for writing. I have a six shelf bookshelf, and the walls have art of van Gogh and Frazetta, my daughter and The Fisherman by Winslow Homer.

               Beside the writing desk is a two foot Greek or Roman column, supporting a concrete gargoyle of a beast dog with wings.  

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

From his home in Wilmington, North Carolina, John Andrew Karr (also John A. Karr) writes of the strange and spectacular. He is the author of a handful of independent and small press novels and novellas, and also leaves in his wake a trail of short stories.

 https://www.johnandrewkarr.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/John-A-Karr/e/B003DVNQ8G%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Twitter: @johnandrewkarr1

Instagram/Tumblr: johnandrewkarr

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgMXLJ0MK2Q

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Detonation Event: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D6BDQBC  

Rogue Planet: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XFMCD21 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GIVEAWAY 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour & Giveaway - The Cowboy's Christmas Star by Vickie Phelps

 

The Cowboy's Christmas Star

by Vickie Phelps

Genre: Holiday Romance 

When a good looking stranger wanders into Shelley Morrison's gift shop, she's immediately attracted to him. But he's more than just a handsome cowboy. She finds out his mother died during the summer and he wants to honor her by carrying on her Christmas traditions. He's looking for a star just like his mother had for the top of his Christmas tree. Shelley is determined to help him find that star, but there's someone else just as determined to stop Shelley from becoming involved with the handsome cowboy.

Goodreads * Amazon

Vickie Phelps writes to encourage, inspire, and influence. She writes both fiction and nonfiction. "Forgive the Trespassers" is her tenth book, her fifth novel. Vickie worked as a bookseller and buyer for an independent bookstore for eighteen years and loves to talk about books and share stories with other readers.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Extra Myles by Melanie Munton

The Extra Myles
(A Southern Hearts Club Novella)

Melanie Munton

Publication date: December 21st 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

NOW HIRING… Fake boyfriend for 27-year-old desperate female. Must be able to deal with pretentious, New York City socialites. Attendance at family Christmas events required. Seasonal work only. Applicants not named Myles Colson need not apply.

The position has been filled. Granted, Myles is the only man in Blair McCauley’s life capable of looking her dragon mother in the eyes and not bursting into tears. Blair will need that steel whenever her mother helpfully reminds her over a glass of eggnog that a career is pointless when she could just marry rich. Thankfully, the barbecuing, beer swilling, football watching guy’s guy doesn’t even sort of fit in with her flashy New York lifestyle.

Which is exactly the point.

Although Myles is a lot more than a former jock with a pension for frosted mugs and Sweatpants Sundays. He also happens to be a gifted artist, and Blair is helping him carve out his space in the art world. Lucky for her, she’s the only one who gets to see the man behind the pottery wheel. Sans shirt.

But when Blair and Myles both come to the realization that they’ve just been pretending at pretending, they never see what’s coming for them next.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Blair McCauley.

Every time she’s around, I get all antsy and excited for some reason. Like when my Clemson Tigers complete a sixty-three-yard pass and run it in for the touchdown to win the game.

I snicker.

Little Miss Blair here has probably never even watched a football game in her life.

The woman breezes into the back room with all the air of a European queen. And from what I’ve read, she practically is that up in NYC. Or at least, a princess. Either way, Blair McCauley is American royalty.

And I might as well be the guy who cleans horse shit out of her family’s stables.

“Are you ever going to fix that door?” she asks in the exasperated tone I recognize.

She sounds that exact same level of annoyed every time she stumbles through my studio door that, even I’ll admit is a bitch to open.

Damn, but she’s beautiful.

Like, the breathtaking kind of beautiful. The kind of woman who deserves to have a sultry theme song play every time she enters a room. My favorite is when she gets all huffy like this. Blowing her Marilyn Monroe-styled blond hair off her forehead, planting her dainty hands and manicured nails on her slim hips, and cocking said hip out. The whole move pushes out her full, rounded breasts beneath her silk top, her tight skirt stretching across those svelte legs.

Stunning she may be, but the woman is also the prissiest, most high-maintenance, spoiled city girl I’ve ever met.

Expensive.

And I don’t do that type. Sure, I’ve fantasized about having this woman beneath me—a shameful number of times—but I prefer my women to be a little more kickback. Someone who’s content to sit around with you on a Sunday afternoon in nothing but ratty sweatpants, watching football without complaint. A woman who’s okay with going out in public without makeup. Someone who doesn’t turn her nose up when I don’t wipe my mouth between each chicken wing and just wait until I’m done eating them altogether.

If Blair has never watched football, then she’s damn sure never eaten a chicken wing.

I don’t know jack shit about hair, makeup, or clothes, but I know that all of hers are top-of-the-line. The material of her blouse is high-quality. Every pair of shoes I’ve ever seen her in are high heels that you just know cost a small fortune. Her purses are all designer names I’ve at least heard of—Prada, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana. I even caught a glimpse of one of her lace bras one day when she bent over, a move that about gave me a fucking aneurysm, and I definitely know that item was high-priced.

No. Blair McCauley definitely isn’t my type.

I could never afford her. The best I could do is a hot night between the sheets because a man’s bank account doesn’t matter then. When she saw my place in the daylight, that’s when she would surely saunter all the way back up to New York in her five-inch stiletto heels.

I lift an eyebrow. “Why do you presume I know how to fix it?”

She tilts her head to the side. “Don’t you work in a factory?”

I would be pissed off by the question if I knew she didn’t mean it condescendingly. For all of Blair’s quirks, she’s not a mean person. Perhaps a little naïve at times, but not rude.

I lean back on my stool, crossing my arms over my chest. Her eyes briefly flick down to my biceps before quickly averting to stare at the wall.

Now that’s something.

In all the months I’ve known this woman, in all the phone calls made and trips from New York to Charleston she’s taken, I haven’t seen much in the way of…awareness…from her. At least, not in the sexual sense. God knows I think she’s hot as hell, in the not-so-much-as-a-hair-out-of-place kind of way. But if she felt any attraction toward me whatsoever, you’d never know it.

“We don’t produce doors at a steel manufacturing plant.”

Her apple-shaped cheeks tinge pink. “I realize that. I just pegged you as a jack-of-all-trades type.”

“Because of the uniform? The dirt under the nails?”

She frowns and somehow looks cuter like that. “No. Because you don’t seem like the useless type.”

My ears perk up at something in her voice. Something almost…self-deprecating. Has someone actually told her that she’s useless?

Why does that piss me the fuck off?

She bites her lip in uncertainty, as if afraid she said something wrong. “Or maybe, you know, you can just buy a new door or something? They have those at Home Depot stores, right? I’ve personally never been inside one, but I hear they’ve got them around here.”

I chuckle because I think she’s being funny on purpose, but I can’t always tell with her. It’s almost as if she doesn’t recognize her own sense of humor and doesn’t understand why people might laugh at one of her jokes. Or sardonic quips. Either way, I aim to wipe that look of uncertainty off her face.

“No, you’re right. I can fix the door. I just haven’t had the time lately.”

Truthfully, I haven’t messed with the door because I like how it announces her entrance. And how it makes her angrily curse under her breath. And how she’s slightly out of sorts by the time she reaches me in the back room. I like seeing her hair falling across her forehead before she shoves it back into place. Like seeing the flush on her cheeks, rather than the porcelain doll look they usually have. In those brief seconds, I think I’m seeing the real Blair, rather than the polished, prim illusion she projects.

“I see.” She smooths her hands down her skirt, pushing her shoulders back. “So, how are the final pieces coming along?”

I take another swig of my beer to avoid staring at her legs in those tights that I know have that fucking seam up the back. “Firing up now. Should have them done by tomorrow afternoon.”

She excitedly starts tapping around on her phone. “Excellent. I can have them shipped up to New York before my flight back, and everything will still be on schedule for the exhibition on the twenty-ninth.”

“You don’t even want to look them over for approval before you ship them off?” I question. “You’re so sure these final pieces will be good?”

She peeks up at me through long, lowered lashes. “Not necessary. There’s no way I won’t like them.”

Scout’s honor, my dick turns to a full-blown erection at her compliment.

She actually likes my work.

Her eyes widen as her words finally sink in. “I-I mean, the others are all so fantastic, I doubt these will pale in comparison.”

If she’s trying to backtrack her apparent admiration for my work, she’s doing a piss-poor job, at least from my perspective.

And now my dick is hard as a fucking icicle.

Granted, if you stuck an icicle in my pants right now, it would melt in about two and half seconds. Even in December, it’s a scorcher down here in the South.

“Thank you,” I rasp, fighting to get all my bodily functions under control. “I hope they meet your expectations, then.”

Her eyes stay on me for silent moments, baffling me. She never holds eye contact with me for this long. It’s like she makes a point not to.

“Trust me.” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “They’ll exceed them.”

Author Bio:

Melanie grew up in the Midwest, but she loves living in the Southeast (where the beaches are!) now with her husband and daughter.
Melanie's other passion is traveling and seeing the world. With anthropology degrees under their belts, she and her husband have made it their goal in life to see as many archaeological sites around the world as possible.
She has a horrible food addiction to pasta and candy (not together...ew). And she gets sad when her wine rack is empty.
At the end of the day, she is a true romantic at heart. She loves writing the cheesy and corny of romantic comedies, and the sassy and sexy of suspense. She aims to make her readers swoon, laugh out loud, maybe sweat a little, and above all, fall in love.
Go visit Melanie's website and sign up for her newsletter to stay updated on release dates, teasers, and other details for all of her projects!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Bookbub / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

Excerpt & Giveaway - Temptation by Bailey B

 

Temptation

by Bailey B.

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

I’ve sworn off men forever!

Okay, not forever but for a few months. After my last hook up, my vag needs a reset because the last man to touch me broke it in the worst of ways. Not a problem, until my new dance partner comes into the picture. He’s turning into my forbidden fruit, tempting me in ways I didn’t know possible.

I have three months of celibacy ahead of me and eight weeks to whip my new dance partner into shape.

Someone save me.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Books2Read

Carter drops his arms but takes my hand. The little squeeze he gives shoots a bolt of lightning straight to my vag. Forgive me, Grams! 

I cross my legs because I am not an uncivilized cavewoman. I can control the urge to rip his clothes off. I can! 

“Grams would probably die if she saw how hot you’ve gotten.”

Carter’s lips lift in the corners. He drops my hand and reaches for his beer. No more than five seconds pass between the time his skin leaves mine to when he opens his mouth to speak again, but I feel every pound of my heart and every ounce of nervous adrenaline pumping through my veins. 

Making my intent to fuck known to a stranger is easy. But telling Carter… the guy I never saw myself lusting for, the guy who dried my tears when Jimmy Dumont—my high school boyfriend—cheated on me, the guy who rode his bike to the CVS when I got my first period to get me tampons in the sixth-grade… This takes nerve racking to a new level.

“Avery Andrioli thinks I’m hot.” He smirks.

My cheeks flush an embarrassing shade of red, but I hold his gaze. I’m not the same meek girl in high school who shied away from life. New York hardened me, shaped me into the woman I am today, and this girl knows what she wants. 

I’m not leaving until I get it. 

I lean forward and slide my hand up Carter’s thigh. If he’s surprised by my advance, he hides it well, holding that irritatingly sexy smirk along with my gaze. “I think you and I could have some fun tonight, if you can handle me.”

Carter chuckles and shifts to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. He drops a fifty-dollar-bill on the counter, almost double what our drinks cost.  

He tangles his fingers with mine and leads me outside. Once we’re outside, Carter pins me up against the wall and presses his mouth mine, his tongue moving with expert precision, turning me into a wet mess. 

Carter grips my thighs and lifts me. I wrap my legs around him instinctively, the bulge I speculated about presses against my center through his jeans. I rock my hips, moaning into his mouth while his fingers pull at my roots. 

If I wasn’t so lost in his kiss, I’d be embarrassed at how close I am to coming from a little lap love and lip-locking. Dear God, I hope Carter is as good in bed as he is at kissing.

Bailey B is an up and coming New Adult author. She lives in Lehigh Acres Florida with her husband, twin girls, and two fur babies. She enjoys (but doesn't get to take part in because of her crazy daughters) the simple things like Disney+ binge watching, Netflix romcoms, reading and sleeping. She reads two to three books a week and thinks if narwhal's are real animals then unicorns might be too.

Website * Facebook * FB Group * Twitter * Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$5 Amazon

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour & Giveaway - The Romance Novel Formula by Alicia Leigh

The Romance Novel Formula

Alicia Leigh

Genre: Non-fiction

Publisher: A.K. Leigh

Date of Publication: 7th December 2021

ISBN: 9781973593553 (Amazon)

ASIN: B09J48ZHJF

Paperback – app. 200 pages 

Word Count: 24,000 words

Cover Artist: Sarah Paige (Opium House Creatives)

Is there a secret formula for writing a successful romance novel?

Book Description:

Backed by research and professional expertise, The Romance Novel Formula provides everything you need to take you from idea to first draft of your breakout romance novel.

Join best-selling romance author and academic researcher, Alicia Leigh, as you discover:

*How to take your love interests on the “lovers’ journey” – inclusive of ALL types of romantic relationships: ménage, alien, LGBTQI, polyamory, etc.

*A unique five-act structure to make your story easy to write and manage.

*The specific story “beats” exclusive to the romance genre (and which other books on writing typically exclude).

*The story and character arcs necessary to classify your book as romance.

*How to avoid stereotypes by focusing on archetypes.

*Popular romance tropes.

*Essential writing techniques.

*Advice on dialogue.

*The most common writing mistakes . . . and how to avoid them.

*Goal, motivation, and conflict.

*Fear, need, and flaw (what are they, and do you need them?).

*Much more!

Complete with checklists and over 30 writing exercises, The Romance Novel Formula is the new essential romance writing guide for aspiring and experienced writers, plotters and pantsers, and professional researchers.

Amazon       Amazon AU     Amazon UK       Amazon CA

Excerpt:

“Romance novels are written to a specific formula.” The number of times I’ve heard this insulting and patronizing phrase throughout my career as a romance writer would fill its own book! Yet, regardless of urban legends and popular culture tales, the simple fact is this: There is no romance novel formula.

Let me repeat that with emphasis: There is no romance novel formula.

Now, it might seem like I have contradicted the title of this book by saying that. However, there is more than one way to write a romance novel. This book is intended as a guide to assist you while giving you the freedom to find your own version of a formula.

While there is no set formula per se, there is a structure you can follow that will aid you in writing your breakout romance novel. This structure isn’t used solely by romance writers. Different forms are used by all novelists (see, for instance, books such as Story, Save The Cat! Writes a Novel, The Plot Whisperer, and Story Engineering, which have a variety of formulas, guides and suggestions). In that regard, writing a romance novel is almost the same as writing any other novel. I say almost because the romance genre has necessary inclusions that are applicable to it alone. This applies to every genre. These are called genre conventions.

Whether you are a novice or a seasoned writer, this book can lead you through the quagmire of structure and help you find the unique path for your characters to follow on what I call the lovers’ journey.

About the Author:

Alicia Leigh is a bestselling non-fiction author, international-selling romance author, identical triplet, writing coach, and hot chocolate addict.

She uses her postgraduate degrees in counseling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology and editing from Macquarie University to create believable, three-dimensional characters. Her certificates in forensic science and forensic anthropology from the University of Strathclyde add layers to the realistic crime elements in her stories. She has completed her master’s degree in writing at Swinburne University and is currently embarking upon her PhD in Creative Arts (writing) at Central Queensland University.

When not writing, reading, coaching, studying, or enjoying nature, she can be found having fun with her three gorgeous children (plus one laid-back dog and one hypersensitive guinea pig).

She is active on social media and encourages readers and writers to interact with her there. She writes romantic fiction novels under the pseudonyms A.K. Leigh and Leigh Hatchmann.

Fall in love … with Leigh

Website www.fallinlovewithleigh.com 

Amazon www.amazon.com/author/akleigh

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/akleighauthor 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/akleighauthor/

Goodreads www.goodreads.com/author/show/13496077.A_K_Leigh

3 paperback copies

 (for entrants who can have books delivered via Book Depository only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway