RITA ® Award-Winning Author of Fantasy Romance
//Should you throw out the first 30 pages of your manuscript? Um, no. Bad advice. BUT, figuring out where to start a story is an ongoing challenge, craftwise, and also because the marketplace changes rapidly.
//
Last week I attended SFWA’s Nebula Conference and got to meet our 2018 Grandmaster, Peter S. Beagle. I legit teared up when we talked and he signed my battered old copy I received forever and a day ago. I felt like a teenager again and all those feelings that led into my early love of fantasy rose up and swamped me.
The conference in 2019 will be at the Marriott Warner Center in Los Angeles. I highly recommend it! It’s become my absolute favorite gathering of SFF writers and industry professionals.
Our topic this week at the SFF Seven is “Where do you get your ideas – the least popular question ever.” Come on over for three avenues I rely on for ideas.
//
New releases today from two of my favorite people!
Katie Lane, member of my local RWA chapter, LERA, and a lovely person in every way, is kicking off a new series today. When she was first cooking up this idea, she talked about it to me as Duck Dynasty meets Victoria’s Secret.
I was all, yes, yes, yes!
Now A BILLIONAIRE BETWEEN THE SHEETS out in the world!
Overnight billionaires, the Beaumont brothers are thrust into life in the fast lane with exotic cars, private jets . . . and sex and success on their minds.
A commanding presence in the boardroom and the bedroom, Deacon Beaumont has come to save the failing company French Kiss. He was born to be boss in this glamorous new world of lacy lingerie and stunning supermodels. But one bold and beautiful woman dares to question his authority.
Olivia Harrington has dedicated her life to the company’s success. Just because Deacon is sexy as hell doesn’t mean he’ll make a better CEO. With a limitless supply of push-up bras and garter belts, Olivia turns her considerable feminine charms on Deacon to discover what makes him tick . . . and reveals instead the billion reasons why she wants him to stay.
And the other release comes from online buddy and amazing author, Megan Hart. Seriously, Megan keeps me sane on instant messaging, even if she does bring out the all caps in me. I also love her stories and this is no exception. With a damaged heroine fighting to find a normal life, HOLD ME CLOSE will take your heartstrings in a fist and yank hard.
Apart, they are broken, but together, they are whole
Effie and Heath are famous. Not for anything they did, but for what happened to them as teenagers. Abducted and abused by the same man, they turned to each other for comfort until they were finally able to make their escape.
Now adults, their relationship is fraught with guilt and despair. Whether fighting or making love, their passion is strong enough to destroy them both—and Effie’s not about to let that happen. She knows it’s time for her to have a “normal” relationship, and Heath is nothing but a constant reminder of the dark past they share. Heath, on the other hand, knows Effie is the only woman he can ever love. She may want to forget what happened, but he’s convinced that they must face their past together in order to move forward. So while Effie continues to bring new men into her life, Heath becomes obsessed with proving he’s the one she needs.
Then a new crisis arises and Effie begins to lose every scrap of self-control she ever had. As she struggles against her desire to return to the one man who understands her, she discovers that sometimes the only safety you find is with the person who is the most dangerous for you.
Also, I should mention that my UNDER CONTRACT is on sale this week for only 99 cents! This is a great opportunity to pick up this most recent of my novel-length erotic romances.
The kinkier the sex, the higher the price tag…
Ryan Black has admired Celestina Sala from afar for years, her lush body and sensual nature calling to the dominant in him. For just as many years, Celestina was off-limits—married, proud and self-sufficient. But all that has changed, and now Celestina is in debt and in need…and available. Ryan proposes a contract: he’ll pay off her debt if she gives herself to him in bed, yielding control in exchange for the pain and pleasure he’ll bring them both.
There are words for women who take money for sex, and none of them are nice ones. Celestina never thought she’d have to sink this low, but giving up control sounds more enticing than ever before. And suddenly it’s not about having to give in to Ryan. It’s about wanting to.
But when Ryan’s dark past comes to light, they may both be in over their heads. The terms of his contract say her body is his…but her heart may be another story.
One thing is for sure—now that Ryan has Celestina, he can never let her go.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
//
UNDER CONTRACT is on sale this week for only 99 cents!! Great time to pick up a copy. 🙂
//
MASTER OF THE OPERA, my erotic retelling of The Phantom of the Opera set in modern day at the Santa Fe Opera House, originally published as a serial ebook, is now available in print! Exclusively from Books A Million for the time being. You can read a snippet from the book at That’s What I’m Talking About today. Also, if you like my contemporary erotic stuff, you can vote for a scene from UNDER CONTRACT here for six more hours! Finally, over at Here Be Magic, we’re celebrating August with Beach Week. I’ve got an excerpt of Ursula at the beach – a scene I really love.
This week at Word Whores, we’re talking about whether topical or contemporary references should be avoided in fiction.
//
I’m over at the Carina blog today, with some naughty pictures. In UNDER CONTRACT, my hero and heroine share linked tablets, with a special app that lets them plan their next session of kinky sex. Sometimes he sends her images. Go there to see!
//
The kinkier the sex, the higher the price tag…
Ryan Black has admired Celestina Sala from afar for years, her lush body and sensual nature calling to the dominant in him. For just as many years, Celestina was off-limits—married, proud and self-sufficient. But all that has changed, and now Celestina is in debt and in need…and available. Ryan proposes a contract: he’ll pay off her debt if she gives herself to him in bed, yielding control in exchange for the pain and pleasure he’ll bring them both.
There are words for women who take money for sex, and none of them are nice ones. Celestina never thought she’d have to sink this low, but giving up control sounds more enticing than ever before. And suddenly it’s not about having to give in to Ryan. It’s about wanting to.
But when Ryan’s dark past comes to light, they may both be in over their heads. The terms of his contract say her body is his…but her heart may be another story.
One thing is for sure—now that Ryan has Celestina, he can never let her go.
“Recommended for fans of the 50 Shades trilogy.“… “Kennedy handles her subject matter with authority (if you can forgive the pun) and makes the premise and choices of her characters entirely believable, all while grabbing her readers by their hearts.“
//
Did you know today is Collector Car Appreciation Day?
Come on – yes, you did! No? HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW THIS??
Apparently it’s a moveable feast, too, as in not *always* on July 10. Last year it was July 11. In 2016 – it’s unknown.
Okay, okay. I didn’t know this either. To celebrate the release of UNDER CONTRACT, my publisher, Carina Press, asked me to choose a celebration from the month of July on this site. You’ll no doubt be pleased to note that you can also register your own National Day through them! The possibilities are endless!
So, this is a bit of a cheat, because I don’t really collect cars. I just have the one Precious. It’s a 1996 Jaguar XJS convertible. It’s actually my second XJS. I had an ’88 one that was totaled when the engine caught fire. As I was pulling into the garage. *cough* Lucas wiring anyone? I didn’t set out to get a fancy, older car, necessarily. I wanted a convertible. I love fresh air and sunshine. I saved up my money. And I researched convertibles.
I test-drove A LOT of convertibles. The things we suffer for research! See, not all convertibles are created equal. They vary considerably in what I think of as the “blowiness factor.” You know what I mean – how much the wind buffets the people inside while driving. Jaguars were the best by far in low BF. As for buying older cars… well, I hadn’t saved THAT much money.
Yes, I love my Precious.
It’s a super fun car to drive – like flying an airplane. Smooth. Tremendous torque. WAY too easy to exceed the speed limit in, as 95 mph feels the same as 55. Gotta keep an eye on that speedometer. Cruise control is my friend.
What I didn’t expect about having this car is how it kind of admitted me to a secret society. Other Jag lovers stop me to talk cars. It snags peoples’ attention like crazy. Everywhere I go in it, someone comments on what a pretty car it is. We took the pic above on the 4th of July, after I drove it in our community parade, which is just a kick to do.
So that’s my car. She’s much happier living in New Mexico than in Wyoming, as she gets out much more. If you see me driving by – wave!
For a fun spinoff story from Under Contract, check out Literary Escapism’s fun MIDNIGHT GAMES series!
//
I’m over at the Contemporary Romance Cafe, talking about unusual anniversaries – the imminent release of my tenth Carina book! – and how we observe them.
What unusual anniversaries do you all celebrate – and what’s your favorite way to do it?
Ryan Black has admired Celestina Sala from afar for years, her lush body and sensual nature calling to the dominant in him. For just as many years, Celestina was off-limits—married, proud and self-sufficient. But all that has changed, and now Celestina is in debt and in need…and available. Ryan proposes a contract: he’ll pay off her debt if she gives herself to him in bed, yielding control in exchange for the pain and pleasure he’ll bring them both.
There are words for women who take money for sex, and none of them are nice ones. Celestina never thought she’d have to sink this low, but giving up control sounds more enticing than ever before. And suddenly it’s not about having to give in to Ryan. It’s about wanting to.
But when Ryan’s dark past comes to light, they may both be in over their heads. The terms of his contract say her body is his…but her heart may be another story.
One thing is for sure—now that Ryan has Celestina, he can never let her go.
//
Yesterday I revealed the cover for UNDER CONTRACT, the third book in my FALLING UNDER series. I’m really loving this one – particularly because this is exactly how I picture my Los Angeles heroine, Celestina Sala. I had the idea/fantasy of this book a long time ago, but when it came to writing it, the execution was not easy. Early reader reports are that I got the power balance and compliance questions just right. Such a relief!
The kinkier the sex, the higher the price tag…
Ryan Black has admired Celestina Sala from afar for years, her lush body and sensual nature calling to the dominant in him. For just as many years, Celestina was off-limits—married, proud and self-sufficient. But all that has changed, and now Celestina is in debt and in need…and available. Ryan proposes a contract: he’ll pay off her debt if she gives herself to him in bed, yielding control in exchange for the pain and pleasure he’ll bring them both.
There are words for women who take money for sex, and none of them are nice ones. Celestina never thought she’d have to sink this low, but giving up control sounds more enticing than ever before. And suddenly it’s not about having to give in to Ryan. It’s about wanting to.
But when Ryan’s dark past comes to light, they may both be in over their heads. The terms of his contract say her body is his…but her heart may be another story.
One thing is for sure—now that Ryan has Celestina, he can never let her go.
This week I’m prepping to leave for the RT Booklovers Convention and, speaking of delicate execution of consent issues, one of the many, many (oh, so many!) things I’ll be doing there is giving a craft workshop on Walking the Line of Consent. I’ve given that workshop online before, but it should be very interesting to do in person.
You can see all of my appearances here. Not on that list is the Giant Book Fair on Saturday, May 16. It runs from 11 to 2 and is open to the public! So, even if you’re not going to the convention, you can still come by the fair! There will be TONS of authors signing both your keeper books and ones for sale. There will be maps, so you can find specific authors easily – including me! If you’re in the Dallas area, come on by and visit. I’ll have prezzies to give away. 🙂
See you in Dallas, I hope!
