New Romance Release: "This Side of the Sun" by Blythe Santiago

Check out This Side of the Sun by Blythe Santiago. The New Adult romance is currently .99 at Amazon.

Summary

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When tragedy strikes her small hometown of Fidalgo Bay, Hattie Leonardo's life is forever changed. The events of that one day haunt her both day and night. Can she find peace in the arms of the same man who saved her?

This Side of the Sun is a New Adult Romance intended for mature audiences due to language and explicit sexual scenes.

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"Damaged and the Outlaw" Now Available

Damaged and the Outlaw by Bijou Hunter is now available at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. In the fourth book in the Damaged series, Vaughn and Raven find their HEA. 

Book Summary
After turning against his former MC, Vaughn Majors found refuge in Ellsberg. Years later, he remains a dead man walking, avoiding commitments and hiding his loneliness.

 

Raven Hancock refuses to fall in love again. Men are her poison and Vaughn is all kinds of bad news. He’s also the hottest, funniest, sweetest bastard she’s ever met.

 

Can Outlaw free himself from the dangers of his past and build a home with a girl able to see more than the blood on his hands?

 

*****

 

Follow Bijou at Twitter, Facebook, and her blog.

Interview with NA Romance Author Chantal Fernando

Chantal Fernando is the sassy indie author behind the sexy New Adult romance series Resisting Love. The first book Chase had readers hungry for more. Kade, Ryder & James soon followed. Now, she's working on a hot new novel titled Spin My Love. Let's learn more about this cool young author and her tantalizing books...

Q: How long have you been writing and when did you decide to indie publish? What was the biggest hurdle in going it alone?

A: I have been writing my whole life. I always loved English in school and would write short stories. In high school I wrote a lot of poetry, and after school I started to write a few novels but didn’t end up finishing them. Chase is the first one I ever actually finished.

I decided to indie publish about a month before Chase was published. There was a lot of hurdles I faced, and I wouldn’t have made it without help from a lot of amazing people. I knew what I wanted to write, but I had no idea about the ins and outs of the self-publishing world. I asked a lot of questions.

Q: Starting with Chase, you wrote the Resisting Love series. Can you explain the idea behind the books? Where did the inspiration come from?

A: I was inspired by my baby sister, who moved to the city looking for a place to rent on short notice. She came home telling me how she found a place to stay with two hot guys. I took that idea and turned it into my own story.

Q: Do you plan to write more in the series? If so, how many books do you envision in the series?

A: I will be working on a spin-off series, starting with Saxon. I’m not sure how many I will write just yet :P

Q: You’re currently working on Spin My Love. Can you tell us about the book? When do you hope to share it with fans?

A: Spin My Love is a contemporary romance about two childhood friends. The idea came to me in a dream, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. I’m hoping to release in November this year.

***Add Spin My Love to your "to read" shelf on Goodreads.

Q: What drew you to contemporary romance as a genre? Do you plan to branch out to other genres as your career progresses?

A: I love reading and writing contemporary romance. I have written some paranormal romance in the past, which I may consider finishing and publishing in the future, but right now I am happy writing this genre.

Q: How do you come up with the names for your characters?

A: Names off my baby name list that I never got to use, or just random names that come to me.

Q: Chicken or the egg question. Do you create a character and build around him/her? Or do you imagine a concept and create characters which fit the idea?

A: Good question! I’ve actually done both in different books. But usually I create the character and build around him or her.

Q: Do you use anything to inspire you while you’re writing? Music, visual aids, etc? Also have you found ideas come to you more freely in particular places or at certain times of the day?

A: Music definitely. I wake up in the middle of the night a lot with new ideas. Also while I’m in the shower lol.

Q: When an idea hits you, do you start writing immediately or plot it out first?

A: I jot notes down, even if it’s just on my phone.

Q: When you read less than fawning reviews, how do you know when to use the critique to improve your future writing and when do you chalk up the criticism as different strokes for different folks?

A: I try to take from reviews what I can. I’m always looking to improve, to get better, and to work harder.

Q: I’ve read criticism from particular bloggers (Fangs for the Fantasy being one) about the lack of people of color and different sexual orientations in fiction. Do you take this lack of diversity into consideration when creating plots and characters?

A: My heroine in Chase is half Sri Lankan. I myself am Sri Lankan, so I found it fun to add because I could add small pieces of my culture in.

Q: Do word counts mean anything to you? Do you find your books top out at around the same lengths?

A: I just write until it stops flowing. They usually end up being around the same length.

Q: How big a deal is writer’s block for you and what do you do to shake it off?

A: If I find that ideas aren’t coming to me, I take a break. I concentrate on something else, I try not to get stressed. It’s worked for me so far.

Q: What books did you enjoy most in 2012?

A: I love books by Kristen Ashley. Motorcycle Man was a fave of mine.

Q: What are you plans for 2013 as an indie writer?

A: I’m going to write, write, write. I love it. I want to finish the projects I’m working on and produce work that my readers will love.

I actually just hit publish on James book three in the series. It’s an early surprise as its official release date was on the 31st!

***Add James to your "to-read" shelf at Goodreads.


Find Chantal's books at Amazon.

Follow Chantal on Twitter and Facebook.

Interview with author Anne Whitney

Anne Whitney is a new indie author who recently published The Art of Love. The New Adult romance has already enchanted readers. Let's learn more about Anne and her writing...

Q: How long have you been writing and when did you decide to indie publish? What was the biggest hurdle in going it alone?

A: I’ve been writing silly little stories for as long as I can remember. The only problem was I never really finished any of them. I’m a bit of a flake plus I had no idea how to actually write a book. You think it’s really easy when you start but suddenly you’re panicking and wondering why the hell you let yourself get into this mess. With this story, I just had an urge to give it a real ending and I pushed myself until it happened. I’ve been fascinated with the rise of self-publishing lately and how it’s opened up reading and writing for so many people. I wanted to get involved. Luckily, I have an amazing friend/publicist who steered me in the right direction and got me through this process. She deserves the Nobel Prize for Patience!

Q: In June, you published your first novel The Art of Love. Can you explain the idea behind the romance? Where did the inspiration come from?

A: I’m a huge geek for modern art and performance art. I’m totally fascinated by it. One night I was watching a documentary called “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present”, which is about one of my favourite artists, the grandmother of performance art. I was totally obsessed with the film and Abramovic’s relationship with her ex-partner and fellow artist Ulay. I wondered what kind of person you had to be to dedicate yourself to the kind of art she does (which includes slicing pentagrams onto her stomach, stabbing at her fingers with knives and standing naked in public). I also wondered what kind of person would fall in love with an artist like that, so I wrote one. I also wanted a romance that wasn’t instant love, one where the heroine had her own struggles to deal with and one where love and lust aren’t the same thing. They’re both awesome but different!

Q: Marina is the heroine in The Art of Love. Can you tell us about her?

A: Marina is messed up and shy, but stronger than she, or anyone else, thinks she is. After a lifetime of abuse and neglect from her dad, she decides one day that enough is enough and she runs away to the one city where she feels she can completely lose herself, New York. Of course, it doesn’t work that way.

Q: The hero is a playboy named Fitz. What makes his character tick?

A: Fitz is that classic artistic mix of internalized parental issues, creative angst, irresistible charm, genuine sweetness and just enough ego to pull off public nudity and call it art. He’s been described as a bad boy but I don’t think he really is. He’s a touch self-absorbed and doesn’t entirely understand how privileged he is, but he loves the people in his life and when he meets Marina, he senses a kindred spirit who he might have more in common with than he cares to admit. I wanted a hero who was charming and far from perfect, because that’s just boring.

Q: What drew you to romance as a genre? Do you plan to branch out to other genres as your career progresses?

A: I love romance and laugh in the face of anyone who sneers at it. It is ridiculously hard to write a great and believable romance novel. Human relationships are tough to capture and even though my book is kinda ridiculous at points with its jumps in plot, I wanted the evolution of Fitz & Marina’s romance to feel authentic. Marina has no idea if she’s even capable of loving someone, much less falling hard and fast after only a couple of weeks. I would love to write in other genres, especially sci-fi, which I’m a total nerd for. I also have a few ideas for other genres, including a psychological thriller in the vein of Gone Girl with a touch of Bond. But my lips are sealed on that front for now!

Q: How do you come up with the names for your characters?

A: Marina was named after Marina Abramovic so that one was pretty easy. For Fitz, I needed something that screamed “privilege” but wasn’t too ridiculous (his full name, however, is totally over the top posh boy because it was just too good to resist!) Names are hard for me. They’re like titles in that I always struggle to find something that fits. Sometimes I ask a friend for help. With Derek, I just stuck that name there as a place-filler until I could come up with something better and it stuck!

Q: Chicken or the egg question. Do you create a character and build around him/her? Or do you imagine a concept and create characters which fit the idea?

A: It depends on the story. For The Art of Love, the concept came first, but with other stuff, I get an image in my head of a certain character and I just have to know what happens to them. I think creating characters is my favourite part of writing.

Q: How do you avoid writing a Mary Sue or Marty Stu when most writers can’t help falling desperately in love with their creations?

A: Oh man, we all struggle with that one! I can safely say that, while the main four characters do share a couple of characteristics with me, I am nothing like my heroine. It’s all about making sure she’s a well-rounded human being, one who is relatable but imperfect and whose decisions make sense, even when they frustrate me or the reader. I’m attached to Marina and Fitz and all my characters, but they’re not my babies. If I can’t control my characters then I’m not doing my job properly.

Q: Do you use anything to inspire you while you’re writing? Music, visual aids, etc? Also have you found ideas come to you more freely in particular places or at certain times of the day?

A: I’m a total geek for research. It’s helpful to have such stuff nearby for certain scenes. Since modern art features prominently in the story, I had an opportunity to go nuts and fuel my art love! There are a few references to modern art pieces and artists in the book. If you spot them, I’ll give you a prize! I can’t write to silence. I need music and I’m obsessed with making playlists for each book (yep, I’m one of those writers!) I actually have a playlist for The Art of Love here, which is made up of music that fits the mood of the story, or stuff I could imagine the characters listening to. When your cast includes a nude performance artist and a drag queen, that list can get pretty eclectic!

Q: When an idea hits you, do you start writing immediately or plot it out first?

A: I like to have at least a vague plot in mind – I also need an ending set out, otherwise it’ll just drag on and go off the rails – but I do like to give myself some wriggle room in case the story spontaneously takes a new turn.

Q: When you read less than fawning reviews, how do you know when to use the critique to improve your future writing and when do you chalk up the criticism as different strokes for different folks?

A: I don’t read all my reviews because I just don’t have the time for it but I try to take something from every review, be it good or bad. Everyone has their own opinion but no one view renders another null and void. I’m keen to grow as a writer and need reviews to help me. Anyone who took the time to buy my book, read it and put their thoughts into a review deserves my respect, even if they loathed every word I wrote. I have no time for those writers who dismiss all forms of criticism as the words of “bitter haters”. No, not haters, just readers, and if they were respectful of you then you owe them your respect. There’s a world of difference between bad reviews and bullying.

Q: I’ve read criticism from particular bloggers (Fangs for the Fantasy being one) about the lack of people of color and different sexual orientations in fiction. Do you take this lack of diversity into consideration when creating plots and characters?

A: As a white author, I am very aware of how privileged I am, and I think it’s hugely important to diversify your fiction. I would be a terrible writer if I wrote a story set in New York and populated it with nothing but straight white people. Fitz’s brother is gay, their best friend is half-Cuban and half-black, and I tried to diversify the side characters as much as possible. I didn’t want their race or sexual orientation to be their sole characteristic, and I didn’t want to resort to tokenism. It’s something that’s always in my mind when I write. If your stories don’t reflect the world in which we live in, even if they’re high fantasy or sci-fi, then there’s a big problem there.

Q: Do word counts mean anything to you? Do you find your books top out at around the same lengths?

A: I try to avoid worrying about my overall word count – I’d rather have quality over quantity – but I do try to keep to a daily word target when writing. My contemporary stuff tends to all come in at roughly the same length. One day I would love to go all out Victor Hugo and write a brick of a novel that you could use to prop your door open on hot days, but for now, I’m just all about the story and not the length.

Q: How big a deal is writer’s block for you and what do you do to shake it off?

A: I’m just getting over a huge bout of block, right in the middle of two projects which I’m writing simultaneously. It sucks! I try not to let myself go too crazy when in the funk of block because then it just becomes a vicious circle. My usual tactic is to walk away from the manuscript and just immerse myself in something that makes me happy, usually DVD boxsets of TV shows (I’m currently going through Game of Thrones). I know in the back of my head that the block will eventually go away. Once it’s gone, I just get back in the saddle.

Q: What books did you enjoy most in 2012?

A: Gone Girl basically consumed my soul. Seriously, I forced about half of my family and co-workers to read that book just so I could have someone to talk about it with! I didn’t read it until this year but a 2012 release I also loved was Easy by Tammara Webber.

Q: What trends do you hope die in 2013? Are there any you hope take off?

A: I’d like to see more non-contemporary romance NA take off (yeah yeah, I know, rich coming from someone who writes contemporary romance NA). New Adult’s still so shiny and new, and we’re all excitedly keeping up with the trends. I think once this strange creature that came out of nowhere settles down a bit, we’ll see some more risks being taken. Everyone has trends, tropes and elements they dislike but if they work for other readers then I can’t judge much. As well as diversity in the work itself, I hope we see more diversity in the discussion of the work. We as authors should be listening to our readers, even the ones who hate our work, because sometimes one person will spot something a hundred others didn’t and their view is just as important.

Q: What are you plans for 2013 as an indie writer?

A: I’m hoping to publish some more stories, including a sequel to The Art of Love and a novella centred on Derek and his life as well as a new book, which I’m currently billing as a New Adult version of Abbi Glines meets Two Broke Girls (but without the tacky racism of the latter). I’m also hoping to write something sci-fi since that’s my real love. Fingers crossed!

Find The Art of Love at Amazon and Smashwords.

Follow Anne at her blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.
 

Interview with author Bijou Hunter

Bijou Hunter is a brand new indie author. I should know since I created her a few months ago. Her first novel is the New Adult romance titled Damaged and the Beast. Let’s get to know more about her and why she exists.

Q: Why romance?

 A: Why not? Stop being such an elitist, Ang.

Anyway, I had written books heavy on romance including Ain’t No Angel which is somewhere between PNR and UF. When I was writing Blue Sacrifice, the plot was pretty romance heavy and I wondered if I could create a contemporary romance. No paranormal elements at all, just boy meets girl with a HEA. I’d been trying to push myself as a writer in the last year so I wanted to take a stab at a straight romance. No hiding behind vampires, zombies, or angels.

Q: Why New Adult?

A: Most of my books feature MCs who fall into the age range of New Adult, but I just considered them adult. I know many people don’t even view New Adult as a real romance subgenre, but those two words have an appeal these days. Yeah, I sold out.

I do think the age range that falls within the New Adult designation is an exciting time in a person’s life. We change a lot during those years, allowing for angst that would seem stupid for thirty year olds.

Q: Why the pen name?

A: When I find an author I like, I run out and buy more of their books. I don’t think the audiences for my two writing names would mesh well though. Damaged and the Beast is so different from what I normally write and I worried readers who loved the book might think my Angela books would be similar. Same with readers of the Angela books not necessarily jiving with the Bijou stuff.

Q: Cooper isn’t your normal kind of love interest. Did you sell out again?

A: Sell out or stretch myself? Probably both. For my paranormal books, I rarely write the OTT alpha. I think only one guy could fall into that category and he had supernatural reasons for being a jerk. I wanted to see if I could write the bad boy/manslut that I usually avoid and make him likable. Did I manage it? Some readers would say, “Hell yeah!” Others likely think, “File a restraining order on that asshole!”

Q: So are you a romance slut now?

A: I honestly didn’t know if I would write more romance. I did hope to write a second Damaged book, but even that was in the air when I published the first one. Having received positive feedback, I started writing the second book following Farah’s sister. I’m also working on new ideas for more romance books and series.

Q: I thought you loved paranormal. How cold are you to just leave it behind?

A: Back off, Ang! You're not the boss of me!

Besides, I’m still a paranormal junkie and intend to finish the Blue Davison’s series as soon as the second Damaged book is complete. I’ll also finish my other paranormal series.

In the end, what I write long term will depend on the ideas I have and the feedback I get. Thinking as a professional author, rather than a hobby writer, means I can't write books simply for my pleasure. Yet, I do have a few paranormal ideas I’m dying to write even if no one ever buys them. For now, I’m leaving myself open to wherever my creativity takes me.

Get your copy of Damaged and the Beast at Amazon.

Follow Bijou on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog.

New Release: Damaged and the Beast

New Adult Romance by Bijou Hunter is now available at Amazon for 2.99!

Summary
Farah Smith dreams of attending college and becoming a teacher. After suffering through a rough childhood, she embraces a chance to start over at a small college in Kentucky. Her dream finally within reach, Farah plans to keep her head down, work hard, and live a safe dull life.

Until she meets Cooper Johansson, the gorgeous heir to a family business on the wrong side of legal. Sporting tattoos and a crude manner, he reminds Farah of a past she desperately wishes to forget. What begins as lust soon grows into something more powerful than either expects.

Can Farah tame the beast inside the bad boy she desires? And will Cooper heal the damage inside the girl of his dreams?

Warning: This novel contains scenes of a sexual nature, violent themes, and coarse language. It is intended for mature readers.