Love and Cowboys! Meet Romance Author, Lorraine Nelson

Today it’s great to welcome award-winning, bestselling romance writer, Lorraine Nelson!

Thank you for having me today, Katheryn.

First, could you tell us a bit about your great books?

Sure! I love to talk about books.

I write mostly contemporary romantic suspense. Those are the kind of books I enjoy reading, so it’s natural for me to gravitate toward that genre. Most of my books are westerns. I love my cowboys, such rough and rugged men. I’ve written two historical shorts, Hawk’s Woman (Virgins Behaving Badly anthology) and Riverboat Queen (HerStory antho). Those were a challenge for me, as I hate history, LOL, but I was truly surprised at the end result. I love Christmas and have four Christmas titles available. I’ve an ongoing series with Evernight Publishing, Thunder Creek Ranch, (6 books available and #7 coming) and a new series that I’m self-publishing, Hudson Ranch. (3 books available and the 4^th releasing soon.) In addition, I have several single titles, the latest being Suited to be a Cowboy from Sweet Cravings Publishing.

Sheikhs and Cowboys - A Review of 2013

2013 was quite a year for me. It started off with the publication of my second sheikh romance, The Desert Sheikh, which became a huge hit! Seeing the book reach Number 1 on Amazon and then staying there for 3 months was amazing.

I then went on to write two more sheikh romances, The Sheikh's Beloved and A Bride For The Sheikh, with the Bride romance hitting Number 1 on Amazon yesterday. What a way to end the year!

Talking About Cowboys

Today I'm very lucky to be chatting with bestselling romance author, Jan Romes, about cowboys, Texas and writing The Texas Cowboy. Please stop by and join us at Jan's Blog

http://jantheromancewriter.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-chat-with-katheryn-lane.html

Hope to see you there!

Meet USA Today Bestselling Romance Author, Donna Fasano

Today it's great to host bestselling romance author, Donna Fasano. Donna, what attracted you to writing in the first place?

I came to writing from my love of reading. While growing up, I lost myself in books in order to escape an unhappy childhood.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Romance. I wrote for Harlequin for 20 years, writing sweet romance (as Donna Clayton) and women's fiction (under my own name). I have self-published some of my books. The Merry-Go-Round was my first indie-published book. Reclaim My Heart is my very first Montlake publication. I am proud and excited to have been picked up by such a prestigious publisher.

Thank you for making A Bride For The Sheikh such a success!

Thank you to every one who has supported the release of my latest sheikh romance, A Bride For A Sheikh, and catapulting it into the bestseller lists on Amazon!

So far, I've been very fortunate to have my book featured on several fantastic sites, including:

Beauty Brite, where A Bride For The Sheikh received a great 5-star review

My Books and I, where I talk about the story behind the story and what inspires my sheikh novels

JJ Ellis Romance Author, which features an excerpt from A Bride For The Sheikh

Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Book Review, where A Bride For The Sheikh is a book Highlight of the Day

Book Vibe, which features tweets for A Bride For The Sheikh and gives it 5 stars!

Night Owl Reviews, which features A Bride For The Sheikh along with many of my other romances

The Romance Reviews, where A Bride For The Sheikh makes the headlines!

Liza O'Connor, where I'm having a giggle while talking about writing, publishing and hitting the bestseller lists

In addition, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads.

And most of all, thank you to all my wonderful readers who have made A Bride For The Sheikh such a huge success!

THE DESERT SHEIKH has won a top award!

Reviews can be nerve-wracking. Will the reader like it? Love it? Hate it? Everyone has different tastes and opinions, and that's good as it makes life more interesting; won't it be boring if we were all the same! However, I don't think any author likes to read a negative review, especially when it can have an impact on what a lot of other readers think. Therefore, when I received an email from the extremely popular site, The Romance Reviews, saying they had just posted a review of The Desert Sheikh, I was a bit nervous about clicking on the link to see it. Luckily, I needn't have worried.  Not only did the reviewer give it 5 stars, but The Desert Sheikh has also been awarded the site's Top Pick!

Here's an excerpt from the review:

This is a fast-paced and exotic tale of true love. I was instantly enraptured by the beautiful imagery and captivating characters. The story is full of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat in anticipation. 

For an exciting romance check out THE DESERT SHEIKH trilogy!

You can read the rest of it here.

Thank you Katie Codie, the reviewer from Curse of the Bibliophile, and thank you Romance Reviews!

Writing Romance by Bestselling Author, Alexandra Sellers

First Alexandra, can I say how great it is to interview another romance author, especially one that writes sheikh romances!

Great to meet you, Katheryn!  And thank you for having me on your blog.  As Jane Austen says, "If the heroine of one novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard?"  For "heroine" read "sheikh romance novelist"!

First, I believe you have been writing for quite a few years, including writing romance novels for Harlequin.  

Yes, my first book was published in 1980, by Dell. And my second was then commissioned by Harlequin, and after a few more books I went to Silhouette, which was then a Simon & Schuster imprint. Harlequin had to buy the whole imprint, I like to think, to get me back…

The Sheikh's Beloved, #1 Hot New Release on Amazon!

Amazon #1, #2 and #3!



The Sheikh's Beloved is now out and has become a Number 1 Hot New Release on Amazon, with Book 1 in the series, Treasured By The Sheikh hitting the Number 2 spot and Book1, Adored By The Sheikh, hitting Number 3! Naturally I am very excited and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has already bought them. I hope you enjoying reading The Sheikh's Beloved. For readers who haven't yet got their hands on a copy, here's what the series is about:
  

Book 1: Adored By The Sheikh

Two people.
Two cultures.
Two completely different sets of expectations.

A volcanic ash storm forces Tassie Fielding to prolong a scheduled stopover on her flight home from Australia and it’s not long before she’s being offered some local hospitality by a fabulously rich, handsome sheikh. However, what will Sheikh Najid expect from her in return for his lavish generosity?

The Desert Sheikh. Now a #1 Amazon Bestseller!

What an amazing week it's been! Just over a week ago I released The Desert Sheikh, a sheikh romance in three parts, and already it's reached a top spot on Amazon and is now a #1 Best Seller! As well as hitting number 1 in Hot New Releases in Eastern Drama, it has reached number 5 in Amazon's list for Short Story Romances.

The individual parts of the story, Kidnapped By The Sheikh, Married To The Sheikh and The Sheikh's Son are also doing well. They are in the top 4 in Hot New Releases in Eastern Drama and they are in the top 10 in Best Sellers in the same category.

I would like to thank everybody who has downloaded a copy of one of my sheikh books. It looks like a sheikh romance is just what's needed to escape the cold on a long, dark winter's night.

Hot New Release! The Desert Sheikh

This week I am super excited to see my latest romance novel, The Desert Sheikh, on the virtual bookshops where it is already selling fast!

What's it about?

The first book, Kidnapped By The Sheikh, is about a woman, Dr Sarah Greenwich, who is kidnapped on her way to the airport by a Bedouin warlord, Sheikh Akbar Al-Zafir, in the mistaken belief that she is the British Ambassador's wife. Eventually, the sheikh discovers that he has been tricked, but by then it is too late, he has already fallen in love with his captive. . .

However, in Book 2, Married To The Sheikh, Sarah quickly discovers that life in the desert is not as idyllic as it could be. Although the sheikh is a passionate, sensual lover, he is not the perfect husband. Also, there are other women who want to get into Sheikh Akbar's bed. Eventually, Sarah is forced to make a terrible choice. . .

In Book 3, The Sheikh's Son, Sarah and Akbar struggle to reconcile their completely different lifestyles and cultures: she's a doctor living in London, while he's a Bedouin ruler from the Arabian peninsula. However, the presence of Ali, their only child and the sheikh's heir, forces them into trying to find a solution. . .

Although each story stands on its own and can be bought separately as novellas, they are also published together as a complete book, The Desert Sheikh, so people can read them in order (and save money!!)

Find out about The Ups and Downs of Being Dead and win a bestselling book!

M. R. Cornelius

Today it’s great to welcome back Marsha Cornelius, the author of H10N1 and The Ups and Downs of Being Dead (see below, to find out how you can win a FREE signed copy of this bestselling book).

Marsha, since your last interview in January, your novel H10N1 has been very successful. Could you tell us a bit about this?

I owe most of the book’s success to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. KDP has a Select program that lets you post the book for free. And when all those free downloads start pouring in, your standing on Amazon goes way up. I’ve been in the Top Ten paid books in drama at Amazon a couple times, and the sales really pick up. But there’s always another book hot on your heels to knock you down a step or two. (Or ten)

So You Want To Be A Bestselling Author: What Should You Write About?

Thousands of people, like myself, have published on Amazon in the last few years and many thousands more are planning to. However, if you’re a first time author, you might be faced with the dilemma of what to write. You know that you want to publish a book, and hopefully become the next bestselling author, another E L James, Amanda Hocking or John Locke, but where do you start?

Meet Bestselling Romance Author, Bella Andre

I am thrilled to be interviewing the bestselling romance author, Bella Andre, on my blog! First, Bella, you have published many successful romance novels, including The Sullivans series. Can I ask you what inspires your great stories?

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Katheryn! My stories are character driven and I try to dig really deep into who my heroes and heroines are - what their fears are, why they're afraid to love, how close they are to other people, what their passions are, what they're hiding from other people. . . and themselves.

Meet Darcie Chan! An interview with the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Mill River Recluse

Darcie Chan

Today I am thrilled to welcome the amazing New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Darcie Chan! First of all Darcie, congratulations on the huge success of your novel, The Mill River Recluse!  For people who haven’t read it yet, could you tell us a bit about it without giving too much away?

Thanks very much, Katheryn.  The Mill River Recluse is the story of Mary McAllister, a woman who has suffered from severe social anxiety disorder her entire life.  As a result of certain events that occur in her youth, Mary’s condition worsens until she becomes a virtual prisoner in her marble mansion that overlooks the tiny town of Mill River, Vermont.  The townspeople are completely unaware that she keeps a secret, one which will change all of their lives.

Chasing Rainbows and Finding Success: Meet Bestselling Romance Author Kathleen Long

This weekend it is great to welcome another wonderful romance author, Kathleen Long. First of all Kathleen, congratulations on the huge success of your bestselling novel, Chasing Rainbows, an Amazon, USA Today and WSJ bestseller! Obviously you won’t want to give too much away, but for people who haven’t read it yet, could you tell us a bit about it?

Thank you, Katheryn! The past several weeks have been a humbling, exciting time in my life.

Chasing Rainbows is the story of Bernadette Murphy’s journey out of a life that’s stagnated into a life brimming with possibility.

Here’s the blurb:

What’s that saying about the devil you know? For Bernadette Murphy, it's the devil she never expected that changes everything. Her father’s sudden death leaves a gaping void in her life and is one in a series of events that rock her world. But with the discovery of her father’s book of cryptograms, Bernie realizes his encoded lessons in living may be exactly what she needs to survive.

When Bernie finds herself in trouble at home, out of work and banned from the mall after a confrontation at the cosmetic counter, she discovers what her father always knew. In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don’t.

For Bernie, the singing is about to begin.

Mystery and Suspense with New York Times Bestselling Author, Chris Culver

It's great to be able to welcome bestselling author, Chris Culver. First of all, congratulations on the huge success of your New York Times bestselling murder mystery, The Abbey! For readers who haven’t read it, could you tell us a little bit about the story?

Thanks for the congratulations! The Abbey is a story about a Midwestern detective's investigation into his niece's very bizarre death. The more he investigates, though, the stranger and more dangerous his case becomes. With a body count ratcheting up with every other chapter, Ash realizes that if he doesn't solve his case quickly, his niece might not be his only family that dies.

The story straddles the line between being a mystery and a thriller, which, hopefully, makes it fun to read.  It was a lot of fun to write.

Hope and Success: An Interview with Bestselling Romance Author, T. M. Souders

I’m so pleased to have T. M. Souders, another fantastic romance author on this blog.  First of all, congratulations on the success of your bestselling novel, Waiting On Hope. For people who haven’t read it yet, could you tell us a bit about it?

Waiting On Hope is about a woman who was raped by her best friend's husband and discovers she’s pregnant. Unable to stay in an apartment filled with the memories of what happened, she flees to her parent’s house in rural Ohio; however, when she arrives home, she discovers that healing is not easy because she has to deal with the past she left behind. Ten years earlier, she abruptly abandoned a heartbroken fiancé and devastated younger brother. Now she is forced to face not only the ghosts of her past, but also the reality of her pregnancy. Waiting On Hope is all about finding hope and the resiliency of the human spirit.

Want a Hot Summer? Meet Bestselling Romance Author, Judy Powell

Today, I’m so pleased to be able to welcome the fantastic romance author, Judy Powell.  First of all Judy, congratulations on the wonderful success of your bestselling romance, Hot Summer!  For people who haven’t read it yet, could you tell us a bit about it?

Thank you so much for having me, Katheryn! Hot Summer is the story of Summer Jones, a feisty graduate student who meets Lance Munroe, a big shot record producer who just rubs her the wrong way.  To Summer’s chagrin, circumstances drive her to accept a job working for him.  As hard as she tries, she can’t deny her growing attraction for him.  Lance, for his part, is intrigued by the petite hot-tempered woman who seems to feel she is a match for him.  But it is when they go on a business trip to Jamaica that he realizes that he’s lost the battle.  He’s lost his heart to the little tigress.  It’s a roller coaster romance full of conflict and passion.

Meet Catherine Bybee: Amazon, USA Today and WSJ Bestselling Romance Author

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be interviewing Catherine Bybee on this blog!  First of all Catherine, congratulations on the huge success of your number 1, bestselling romance, Wife by Wednesday.  Without giving too much away, could you tell us a little bit about it?

Wife by Wednesday combines a historical romance theme; dashing Duke needs a wife to inherit his father’s wealth, and meshes it with a modern setting of a contemporary romance. A sexy hero and snarky heroine with a ton of honesty and this romance takes off.

Great Book, Great Food! Author Shelli Johnson's Very Berry Coffee Cake Recipe

Shelli Johnson

I always love to combine books and food (for some examples on this blog see my interview with K. E. Saxon and Alle Wells' guest post) and today it is great to welcome author, Shelli Johnson.  She is not only sharing a fantastic coffee cake recipe with me, but is also explaining how the recipe connects to her brilliant, novel, Small as a Mustard Seed, which was the grand prize winner of the Writers Digest International Self-Published Book Awards!