Author Spotlight - Romy Sommer

For the first time ever I get to appear in a Minxy Spotlight. After hosting so many other authors, I'm thrilled to be the one here talking up my own book!

Rather than answering the usual interview questions though, I'm going to take the liberty of doing something a little different. (I'm a Minx - I'm allowed!)
I'm going to give you a little eye candy instead....

The Trouble with Mojitos is set on the tropical Caribbean island of Los Pajaros, all lush vegetation, azure sea and sky, and balmy weather. (Not a hurricane or tradewind in sight to mar this idyll.) But as far as heroine Kenzie is concerned, Los Pajaros' greatest asset is...a pirate.

Rik is dark, dangerous and tattooed. Back in the days before his banishment from Westerwald, when he was still a serious and respectable prince, Rik's one and only form of rebellion was the tattoo hidden beneath his clothes. But what good is keeping it hidden? We want to see it, don't we?

A colleague of mine recently complained she was bored, so I set her the task of finding the perfect tattooed torso for this blog post. (Thanks Sarah. Yeah, I'm sure you hate me for it.) This is what Sarah found. What do you think - should she be allowed to choose eye candy again?

From www.PicsToPin.com

I'm celebrating the release of The Trouble with Mojitos with an All Day Happy Hour party over on Facebook today. Come on over and join the fun. There are virtual cocktails, games, give-aways - and loads more eye candy!

The Trouble with Mojitos

Turquoise blue waters. Sandy white beaches. Mojitos…

Film location scout Kenzie Cole has found herself in paradise. And working in the Caribbean for a week is just what she needs to escape the long line of exes in her closet.

Though the last thing she expects is to be picked up at the resort bar by a disgraced former Prince!

Luckily for Kenzie, exile is suiting the man formerly known as Prince Fredrik very well. And it’s not long before his rugged, pirate charm is proving hard to resist.

But Rik’s been spending his time in paradise exorcising demons of his own and he has danger written all over him. If Kenzie was sensible she’d run a mile instead of lose herself to her lust – although, they do say that sometimes you have to get lost before you can be found….

For a glimpse at the opening scene, visit I Heart... Chick Lit.

The Trouble with Mojitos is published by Harper Impulse, a division of Harper Collins, and is available from the following online retailers: Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes and All Romance eBooks.

You can chat with Romy in all the usual places: Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and on her blog.

October Releases

This month the Minxes are thrilled to announce two releases.

The first is the debut release of Minx Sri's A Hint of Scandal! We've been waiting with bated breath since Sri's fabulous call last year and we couldn't be more pleased to share it with our fabulous blog readers. So without further ado,

A HINT OF SCANDAL

Blurb:

Notorious socialite in over her head? Olivia Stanton's name has been synonymous with scandal—every bad choice scrutinized in the headlines—but she's finally getting herself together. That is, until her twin sister disappears right before her wedding and Olivia's needed to stand in—as the bride! 

Alexander King's ruthless determination for perfection is world renowned and he'll make Olivia pay for her latest stunt—by enforcing their marriage vows! He expects her to be the model wife in public. And in private? With her feisty attitude and his strong will, it won't be long before the tension between them reaches boiling point. 

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Barnes & Noble

Our second release is Maya's MARRIAGE MADE OF SECRETS.

Blurb:

After the confetti settles…

It takes an earthquake for billionaire businessman Cesare di Goia to realize what's important in life. His wife may have become a stranger, but he's determined to keep his young daughter close.

Returning to the luxurious Lake Como palazzo with her daughter, Ava di Goia feels like an outsider in what was once their home. Although the bond between them is still undeniable, the memories, tarnished rings and broken promises make it clear that the secrets that drove them apart are still unresolved….

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Barnes & Noble

Go get your copies now!

Author Spotlight - Rae Rivers

Since today's spotlight author has already been interviewed here fairly recently, we're going to do something a little different today: Rae Rivers has done a guest post instead of the usual interview. Welcome, Rae.

What Kind Of Writer Are You?

This December holiday will consist of an adventure trip of a lifetime as we join two other families to tackle an exciting 4x4 road trip through South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Three weeks of travelling across tricky terrain through three African countries, children in tow, to reach various lodges or campsites amidst the wild animals. It’s untamed and a bit unnerving because of my kiddies, but we’re so excited.

We recently had a casual dinner to plan our trip. Three couples around my dining room table, surrounded by wine, maps, and all our children which gave us a taste of what it would be like to travel with six children at once. Fun chaos!

Whilst discussing the trip and where we should book accommodation, the responses were varied. One couple suggested we book everything ahead of time. The other couple suggested we wing it and simply find accommodation as needed. I suggested we do a little of both – book main spots throughout the trip every few days and then wing it in between.

This got me thinking afterwards about the different approaches we had on planning this trip and I realized that my approach to it was a lot like the way I approach my writing:

Planning it
Many authors plan their story from the beginning to end, map everything out, and seldom deviate from that. Like the first couple headed through Africa, they plan their stops and work towards reaching each one. They have a blast, but they stick to their plan. It’s what works for these authors and makes them great storytellers.

Winging It
Other authors wing it, like the second couple planning our trip. They have a general idea where they’d headed, the route they need to take, and the places they want to stop. But nothing’s set in stone. If a place feels right, they stay, if not, they move on. They’re flexible and handle whatever comes their way. This writing style is sometimes the hardest but works very well for many authors.

Bit of both
For me, writing is a little of both. I have the entire Keepers series mapped out. I know how the final book is going to end and various plot points that need to be written in order to get me there. I’ve just written The Keepers: Sienna. I mapped out parts of the book and the ending. But that’s it. My editor and I discussed a brief outline of the plot but I warned her that she shouldn’t’ be surprised if I steered off track slightly. Once I start writing, I head for the markers that I’ve plotted but I get so wrapped up in the characters that they’re the ones that drive the story. Sometimes they head for these overnight stops without veering off course. Other times, they take a wrong turn and eventually get there. There are also times that they never do.

So yes, like travelling, I’m a planner when writing, but I also wing it according to the characters and the moment they’re in. Sometimes it works brilliantly, other times it’s frustrating because they take me to places I’d never considered – and this often requires a complete regrouping of the entire plot.

But in the end, my characters are exactly where they need to be.

So, what type of writer are you?

The Keepers: Sienna

A full moon in Rapid Falls.

Sienna Beckham is a powerful witch, and along with her four fiercely protective Keepers, it is her destiny to maintain the balance of nature in this world.

Tonight, it's the town carnival and everyone will be there: Sienna's family, her friends, her protectors. Archer.

Laughter and flirtation await.

But in a few hours, Sienna's life will have changed forever and her powers stretched to their very limits.

For something is lurking in the forest…

Murder. Sorcery. Revenge.

And no one sees it coming.

Find out how it all began…

The FREE PREQUEL to Rae Rivers' magical new series, The Keepers.

The Keepers: Sienna is available from Amazon, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble.

About Rae

I'm an avid reader and writer with a passion for writing romance novels. I live in Cape
Town, South Africa, with my gorgeous husband, two beautiful children and a zoo of house pets.
Besides writing, I love family time, the outdoors, travelling, watching TV series, reading and
chocolate. For more information about my books, or me, please visit www.raerivers.com

I can also be found here: Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, Twitter.

Riding the Rollercoaster

Anyone under the misconception that men don't cry have obviously never watched the X Factor. My initial response watching all the tears over the weekend was irritation, until I remembered how I'd cried myself when I'd received a publisher rejection. 
And cried when I failed to place in a writing competition. Not to mention the tears of frustration trying to overcome brain injury symptoms in order to write...
If you care that much about something tears are sometimes inevitable. And you have to care that much to withstand the inevitable lows of your journey as a writer. 
The highs are fantastic- getting your first full request, the call, your first five star review, the nice email from a reader, watching your rankings rise...
But whether you're published or unpublished you will know about the lows - the rejections, not placing in a competition, a horrible review, an annoying comment from an Internet troll that you have to ignore, watching your rankings fall...

When you're hurtling down that roller coaster you just have to grit your teeth, accept you're never going to please all the people all the time and know that as quickly as you're falling you'll be rising again soon.

I came across this fabulous list on Buzfeed. It lists the number of times famous authors have been knocked back: http://www.buzzfeed.com/stmartinspress/20-brilliant-authors-whose-work-was-initially-reje-7rut
Read it, hold your head high and ride that roller coaster 
:-)
And if you want an example of how quickly fortunes can be reversed read my call story: http://minxesofromance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/sub-to-sale-in-24-hours-my-call-story.html

Lorraine Wilson is currently completing her third Chalet Girl book for Harper Impulse.

http://smarturl.it/confessionskin

http://smarturl.it/secretchalet

Author Spotlight - Madeline Ash

We are delighted to have Madeline Ash here on the minxes today, telling us all about her debut novel, which was a finalist in the 2013 RUBY awards. Congratulations, Madeline! Now...the questions!

Tell us all about yourself.
I write contemporary romance and am published with Destiny Romance (a new imprint of Penguin Australia). I’ve always lived in Melbourne, and have so far set my stories within a stone’s throw of home.
My romances tend to be emotionally tender, although I don’t close the bedroom door. Strange fact: there are two sex scenes in my debut novel, yet it was a finalist in the 2013 Romantic Book of the Year (RUBY) ‘Sweet’ category. I’m still not sure how that happened.

What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th? (Nora only!)I won’t take Nora’s number, I promise!
It’s debut, for me. I’ve been writing romance for almost nine years and so was ecstatic when ‘Uncovered by Love’ was accepted for publication last October and released mid-December.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?Actually, I find it more difficult to do other things (like shoe shopping!) instead of write. I feel compelled almost constantly, to the point where I won’t read for weeks on end, because whenever I’d normally read, I pull out my notebook and plan for the next time I’m going to write. It’s destructive. I think I need help.
That’s not to say I haven’t escaped the dreaded YouTube curse. When it strikes, may my muse have mercy on my soul.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?As a new author, I’m afraid I haven’t nailed promo yet. But I’m following the advice to write my next book. I can promote the pants of my debut, but I’ll still only have one book for readers to buy. Books sell books – so I’m dedicating all my efforts to finishing book two and getting it in front of readers.

How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?I’m lucky in that I only work part-time. So I have two full days to write romance (as well as weekends, if I’m feeling anti-social). I ensure that I write 9-5pm, but it usually ends up running much closer to bedtime than that! I don’t write in terms of word count anymore – I used to, and became addicted to watching the word count grow, sacrificing the quality of the words. So now, it’s just about reaching a point where I feel satisfied. Sometimes, that means no new words, but a stronger reworked scene.

Any craft books you recommend?
Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon. This was the game changer for me. I read it and the next book I wrote got published. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
I get sooo restless sitting at a desk all day (my day job is also writing, so more sitting), so I walk at least half an hour daily to haul in some fresh air and move those legs. I also have a collection of exercise DVDs, which are brilliant for rainy days or extra-jittery muscles. Cardio, weights, gym ball…yoga is my favourite. Nothing beats a good stretch!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
I still doubt my writing. I’d imagined that I’d be confident, reassured that I could write publishable romance. But unfortunately, the ego-boost of selling one book doesn’t transfer to the writing of the next! Just because my editor liked my first book, doesn’t mean she’ll like the second. Just because a reviewer liked my first book, doesn’t mean she won’t use a gif of a woman shaking her head in disappointment to sum up her thoughts on the second. And just because – well, you get the point.
I also thought that as a published author, I’d write at an antique wooden desk, looking out over a quaint garden that flowered all year-round (without my assistance), while eating delicious little cakes and drinking tea that could make itself. This hasn’t seemed to have happened either.

Could you be friends with any of your heroines?
Interesting question. I could definitely be friends with Vera, the heroine in Uncovered by Love. They say writers put parts of themselves into their characters, and she scored aspects of myself that I actually like. I know we could chat over tea all day. But Frankie, one of my more kick-arse heroines – we wouldn’t get along. While I think she’s awesome, she wouldn’t give me the time of day.

Have you ever written a hero you'd be happy to run off with?
My immediate response to that question was ‘Hoh-boy, yes, all of them!’
But actually, I don’t think so. I love my heroes and yet they’re not made for me. I can’t really imagine them without my heroines – they’d be incomplete. I spend so much time match-making, it would be sabotaging my own work! But I’m sure that’s just a shortcoming in my imagination – I’d certainly be happy to run off with Roarke, without a thought to Eve (I know, I know, I’ll join the queue).

Uncovered by Love:
Vera Cole is a passionate sculptor whose dream is to study art in Spain.  But when wealthy investor Leeson Stone offers her work at his gallery, her dwindling bank balance forces her to agree.
Leeson is a man who measures himself by financial success, while Vera couldn't be less interested in material things. And both have secrets they are desperate to hide. Yet the more time they spend together, the more they struggle to resist the powerful attraction between them.
Knowing the truth would ruin him, Leeson avoids commitment. But when Vera works up the courage to reveal her past, Leeson falls hard for the bravest woman he has ever met. Can two people from very different worlds overcome their fears and learn to trust in love and one another?

A moving, contemporary romance novel about love against all the odds.

Uncovered by Love is available from Amazon Aus, Amazon UK, Amazon US and also from Destiny Romance. If you’re in Australia, you can also find it on iTunes, Google Play and Kobo.

Connect with Madeline on her website or Facebook.