Rebel Ink Press' Earth Day Blog Hop

Today Rebel Ink Press is celebrating Earth Day with a lovely hop around their authors' blogs and they are even giving away some lovely prizes!

The e-book has revolutionized how the world reads. It makes purchasing books quick, easy and less expensive. But most importantly it is Eco-friendly. Though we all love the feel of a book in our hands, it's time we realize the impact print books have on our environment. E-books don't hurt a single tree! So today on Earth Day consider switching to an e-reader for the majority of your reading!


And now a little bit about my Rebel Ink Press title, The Low Notes...

When a chance meeting between high school teacher Kevin Reed and singer Nina Jordan ignites an instant spark, they must decide if it's more important to follow your heart or follow the rules.

After caring for his dying father, Kevin Reed, returns to his hometown of Wexley Falls, bereaved, unemployed and exhausted at the thought of starting a new life. After a failed blind date, Kevin meets young singer Nina Jordan who takes his breath away with the sound of her voice. The connection is instantaneous and mutual on their first date, but both are crestfallen when they discover days later, to their horror, Nina is Kevin's student at the local high school.

Deciphering between notions of love and lust, fate and coincidence, Kevin and Nina find themselves unable to turn their backs on what they can't deny is a once in a lifetime feeling. Told from both perspectives, The Low Notes explores a love that feels right even though it seems wrong.

You can purchase The Low Notes in e-book format for Kindle, Nook or other devices.

Be sure to follow the rest of the Rebel Hop here and enter to win lots of awesome prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Anniversary Tears in the Rubble!

Today I'm welcoming my dear friend and fellow author, Britni Hill, to share with you her novel Tears in the Rubble which is one year old today! Congratulations Britni!

Dreams really do come true…

April 17, 2013 marks a year of one of my dreams coming true.  I became a published author.  To celebrate I’m sharing my first novel, Tears in the Rubble, with you for 99 cents.  It and its follow up, From the Rubble will be on sale for three days (April 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th).

Can your first love be true unconditional love?

Layla Swanson grew up in the lazy, small town of Hollow Oaks and can’t wait to get out.  She has big dreams and big plans in the big city.  Layla has worked hard and her senior year is nearly at its end.  She can’t wait to go away to college.  And she’s one step closer to getting what she wants. Layla isn’t letting anyone get in her way. 

Taylor Scott may not be your typical country boy, but he doesn’t mind Hollow Oaks.  His dreams may not be marked on paper and set in stone, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have them. 

A chance meeting between the two childhood friends may have Layla second guessing her longtime plan. Their rekindled friendship is leading them down a path neither one could have foreseen.  But with Layla leaving for college, many challenges face them, especially when she so stubbornly sticks to her solo plan.

Is Taylor’s love enough to convince Layla to let him in?  Or when everything falls apart, will Layla run away?    

You can buy Tears in the Rubble and From the Rubble on Amazon.

To find out more about me visit my blog or like my Facebook fan page.  You can also follow me on Twitter

Thanks to Kate for having me today and helping me celebrate!!

Release Day & Author Interview : Lisa J. Hobman

Meet Lisa! She's got a new contemporary romance releasing today! 

Author, Lisa J. Hobman

 
Tell us a little about yourself...

Okay, where to start?  Well, I am a 40 year old mum of one.  I relocated to Scotland last year with my family and our two dogs.  I adore books and have a new found passion for reading since relocating!  I am crazy about music (I used to be a singer) and I love crafts too. 

Tell us about your debut novel (yay!)...

Bridge Over the Atlantic is a contemporary romance novel for readers of adult age and is set between Yorkshire and the Scottish Highlands mainly.  It tells the story of Mallory, a curvy girl who is quite unlucky in love.  The only serious relationship she's had was with a guy who loved his car more than her!  Not a great romance :-)  Things change rapidly for her as you will discover.

What was the querying/agent/publisher search process like for you?

It was quite stressful simply because I am a complete newbie!  I did a lot of internet searches and found places to submit to that way.  It was a learning curve, too.  The rejections were hard but I persevered and finally got my dream...a contract!!

Is there another genre you would like to try at some point?

I have given this a great deal of thought and to be honest I am a romantic at heart so I think I may stick with contemporary romance.  Although who knows as things pr0gress...never say never!

Do you have a writing ritual or a certain way you like to get ready to write?

Do you know what?  I think I must write most of the day!  I have a break to read at bedtime but my day is usually taken up with writing, writing, writing (and a bit of house cleaning in between...although not as much as I should do!)
 

Tell us about one of your characters you loved writing and why you are attached to them:

My absolute favourite character is Mallory.  I wanted to write a story about a curvy girl (being one myself) and wanted to show her insecurities but also her beauty.  She is a little crazy but very sweet, too. I think she is the kind of girl I could be friends with.  She has had a rough time but still puts others first.  

Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? If so, what changed?

I never wanted to give up as such but I did go through phases of doubting my abilities when I got a couple of rejections through.  I think what I tried to bear in mind is that publishers/lit agents get so many manuscripts a week that they can really only take on so many at one time.  Getting my contract was a huge boost and fueled the fire for more writing.  I think I will only give up now if I run out of ideas!

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Stick with it.  Don't give up!  Get out there on social network sites and talk to people.  Listen to advice but most of all remember WHY you are writing.  For me writing is a passion - it's not about money - it's just about me doing something I love and hoping that others love what I write.  If that happens then you've achieved something amazing!

What are you working on now/what can we expect from you next?

Oooh, well my second novel goes off this week for consideration so I am very nervous right now!  I am hoping and praying that it's contracted.  I am working on two others right now also.  They are all stand alone novels and all contemporary romance.  I'm hoping to maybe try my hand at a series at some point too!  So hopefully I will have other books out there soon!

What is your current obsession (absolutely anything)?

Without a doubt it's writing!  I can't seem to stop!  And if I am not writing I usually have a book or my Kindle in my hand!

Readers can find more about Lisa on her website www.lisajhobman.co.uk , Twitter @LivingScottishD and Facebook 


And now a little bit about Bridge Over the Atlantic

Life can literally throw you off balance when you least expect it...

Mallory Westerman is a full-figured, successful, young business woman living in Yorkshire, England. Though very career minded, she is extremely self-conscious about her ample curves and so her love life tends to pay the price. Concentrating solely on her business, she has almost given up on finding someone to love.  That is until she literally trips into the arms of a stranger who becomes her Knight in shining armour.

The immediate sexual and romantic spark that blossoms into love and the events that follow, irrevocably change Mallory’s life-path and self-image forever, but only go to prove that the road to true love is never smooth and that things don’t always turn out how you expect…

Thanks for being here Lisa and congratulations on your release!!

What I've Been Reading

Recent Reads:
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

Fantastic book!! My warning would be don't read this book until you have time to devote to the entire series. I haven't yet indulged in More Tales of the City but I am dying to. This pesky TBR list is growing by the second. This book was an incredibly fast read and is a fun look at a group of misfits in 1970's San Fransisco.

In Flight and Mile High by RK Lilley

Books one of the three part series drew me in quick and had me clamoring for the second installment of this BDSM trilogy. But book two fell a little flat for me. I'm planning on finishing the series at some point but I am reading other books between now and then. These are quick reads for any erotic romance fan.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

No. Just...no.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I'm still in the middle of this one and it is beyond amazing! I cannot wait to finish and discuss with my book club! There isn't much you can say about this book without giving things away so I'll just say this...READ IT!


Next up:

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

It's been recommended to me time and time again and I finally need to get my hands on it!

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by JR Ward

I recently had the opportunity to go and see JR Ward speak in Ohio and it reminded my what a dummy I am for not staying caught up in the series. My plan is to go back and re-read the first six books and then get caught up to her newest release Lover at Last!