Who doesn't love a sale?

Get Lost in a Story Readers, may I present Beth Cornelison.  And although she's not big on promo, has she got a deal for you!  Welcome, Beth ~ Donnell

 

 

I heard it explained recently in a workshop on promoting your books (Yes, writers have to take classes in this!) that on the Meyers-Briggs Test used to determine personality types, the type of person who is good at and comfortable with self-promotion and marketing is the exact OPPOSITE of the most common personality type for most authors, myself included. Introverts, people who draw energy from downtime and being alone, who expend energy and stress over being in groups and are less likely to call attention to themselves...that is the group that most writers I know fall into. I hate self-promotion. I can feel my blood pressure rising now as I write this blog. But in this new age of publishing and self-publishing, authors who don't let readers know where to find their books will get lost in the sea of new releases coming out every week. Oh, the dilemma!

 

It often takes a special event like a new release or sale promotion to drag me out of the shadows and promoting my books. Today is just such an occasion. For a limited time, two of my books are on sale for discounted prices. Got a long car or plane ride for Thanksgiving coming up? Something new on your e-reader is just the thing to start the holidays off right.

 

TRUST IN ME is a contemporary romance with a touch of humor.

 

Escaping the cheating fiancé and sheltered life her father has arranged for her, Claire Albritton wants nothing more than to take control of her life and learn to fight her own battles.

 

Kevin Fuller believes he must rescue damsels in distress and Claire is decidedly out of her element in small town South Carolina. When trouble inevitably finds Claire, Kevin's white knight protection and heroics are exactly what Claire doesn't want. But his kisses...that's another matter.

 

TRUST IN ME is on sale for 99 cents and you can find it at http://amzn.to/t2XHkr

 

CHASING A DREAM is an award-winning romantic suspense with both thrills and heart.

 

She's running from a nightmare...

Tess Sinclair must hide. Hunted by a powerful man who wants her dead, Tess flees her Texas home in search of anonymity, safety, and a new life. While a flat tire and stormy weather slow her escape, they prove the least of her worries. Just hours after her getaway, a hired gunman tracks her down. Grabbed in a parking lot, Tess is certain she'll be killed...until a handsome hitchhiker intervenes. But can she trust the blue-eyed cowboy who

appoints himself her guardian?

 

He's chasing a dream...

Nothing can stop Justin Boyd from his pursuit of a music career in Nashville--except a woman in peril. Haunted by his sister's murder, Justin can't walk away from Tess until he knows she's safe. Justin puts his dreams of the music spotlight on hold until he can make amends for mistakes from his past. Yet the stakes in this game of vengeance are higher than he ever imagined, and the price for freeing Tess might be his own life.

 

CHASING A DREAM is on sale for $1.99 and you can find it at http://tinyurl.com/6snewon

 

Leave a comment about what your personality type is or about one of these books and I'll pick a random winner to win a copy of one of my Harlequin backlist books. http://www.bethcornelison.com/book.html

Now I'm going to crawl back in my writer's cave for a while, where I feel safe! :-)

Happy reading!

 

Note: COMMENTERS are encouraged to leave a contact email address to speed the prize notification process. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

Don’t forget to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes.

 

 

Donnell talks about her November release, Betrayed

When I settled on an idea to write my third suspense for Bell Bridge Books, I wanted it to be different than the first two that I’d written.  Oh, it would still surround my theme of SUSPENSE TOO CLOSE TO HOME, it would still have a hunky cop hero and a strong female protagonist, but I wanted to stretch as a writer.  I wanted to write about something I had little experience with -- betrayal.

I’d never been betrayed.  Oh, maybe in grade school when a classmate decided she liked someone else better, or maybe later in life when a relationship didn't work out and I ended up with a broken heart.  But those were life lessons, right?   What did it mean to suffer the ultimate human disappointment? 

I would find out in writing BETRAYED.  

About the story: 

When Oklahoma City resident, Irene Turner learns the incomprehensible, that the stillborn baby she delivered 28-years earlier is alive, she takes the evidence to where her daughter now lives—Denver Colorado. 

Detective Nate Paxton can’t believe what Irene’s evidence shows him.  Kinsey Masters, a world-class athlete, raised by a prominent Denver family, an unattainable woman he’s known and loved for years, was stolen at birth. 

Irene Turner, Nate Paxton, and Kinsey Masters are united in a sordid conspiracy.  But, it’s who the conspirators turn out to be that will leave the trio shaken and in disbelief.  Irene’s foundation of trust will be ripped from its core, as kidnapping, murder, and a thirst for revenge lead her to learn she’s been betrayed.

A mother, told her baby's death was a lie.

A daughter, rocked by her true identity.

A detective, risking his life to protect them both.

All three of them . . . betrayed.

I love giving deserving characters their happily ever afters and the bad guys their comeuppance. To celebrate my release week, I'm giving away a digital copy or paperback of Betrayed.  (paperback U.S. residents only, please) for those who answer two questions:

Betrayed takes place in Denver, Colorado.  Have you ever been to Colorado, and, if so, did you take away any fond memories?


Donnell Ann Bell is the author of two e-book best sellers, The Past Came Hunting and Deadly Recall. Contact her via her web page at www.donnellannbell.com  or follow her on Twitter @donnellannbell   

OUR FAVORITE SCENES

PERINI ~ DIAZ ~ MORGAN

IT'S A CASE OF TAKEN IDENTITY IN LENA DIAZ'S UNDERCOVER TWIN!

DEA agent Nick Morgan had no choice but to break up with the love of his life, Heather Bannon. He knew that if he was seen anywhere near the gorgeous P.I., he could kiss his career goodbye. But when Heather's twin is abducted, Nick reconsiders his priorities.

As Nick leads Heather on a dangerous undercover mission to rescue her sister and topple an elusive drug lord, he knows he was wrong to end their relationship. Working side by side, Nick realizes his love for her is as strong as ever, and he'll risk his life to prove it. Having Heather pose as her twin—down to her tattoos—could be genius…or a fatal mistake.

“A fine plot line and lots of action.” ~Romantic Times

~ ~ ~

IN ROBIN PERINI'S THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY, TWO THINGS HAVE BEEN STOLEN FROM RAVEN: HER MEMORIES…AND HER BABY

CIA agent Daniel Adams, once a prisoner of war, is a loner out of necessity. But rescuing an amnesiac woman left buried alive bonds them in ways neither can resist. All "Raven" knows is that her baby is in danger. All Daniel can focus on is finding the missing child—and protecting Raven every step of the way.

Her memories are lost and his are scarred from the damages of war. But as they depend on each other for survival in the rugged west Texas mountains, the pieces of their broken pasts start to come together. Now all they have is the risky hope of a future together as they confront the threat that can destroy them both.

“Perini’s tale is a twisted trip into the lives of two scarred souls who are digging into the mind of a psychopath to survive…[It’s]…a suspenseful adventure that will keep readers guessing until the end.” ~Romantic Times, 4-1/2 Stars

~ ~ ~

TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, SABRINA WATKINS DOESN'T EXIST. BUT TO THIS COP, SHE IS VERY MUCH ALIVE IN ANGI MORGAN'S THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE.

After escaping a killer, playing dead was the only way Sabrina Watkins could get out of Amarillo alive. Now she's living in Dallas, where no one knows her true identity. Until homicide cop Jake Craig shows up. 

A half-frozen pup he finds at a crime scene brings Jake to Sabrina's doorstep. Suddenly, the former Marine is playing hero to a desperate woman on the run. Sworn to clear her name, Jake's already falling for the stunning brunette with the amethyst eyes. Can he keep her safe and turn a rescue mission into a last chance at love?

"Morgan launches the volley from the first pages so readers aren't left wondering whodunit, but they'll have to pay attention to the escalating action to keep up with the characters, who are in trouble from the get-go." ~Romantic Times, 4 STARS

~ ~ ~

UNDERCOVER TWIN

Lena Diaz, December Intrigue

One of my favorite scenes in UNDERCOVER TWIN is the heroine's first night in Key West, when Heather goes undercover to try to rescue her sister. Heather is a tough private investigator, but the felon-filled bar in Key West is way out of her league of experience. The patrons sport prison tats, knives, and guns barely concealed beneath their leather jackets. 

The heroine ends up running for her life down a dark, narrow side-street. And who should come to her rescue in his hot, red, Maserati GranTurismo convertible but our hero, Nick. What makes this scene so much fun is that in the midst of flying bullets and crazy race-car driver moves to save the heroine, Nick is having the time of his life, loving every single minute.

GLIAS: Is your favorite scene completely fictional or did you pull it from real life?

LENA: Definitely not a scene I pulled from any of my real-life experiences! Well, except for the hot hero in the fast car doing crazy race-car moves. Other than that, it's all fiction!

GLIAS: Um...who was the hot hero?
LENA: My boyfriend (and now husband) in his 1967 Mustang of course! :) I never could resist a guy in a Mustang.

 ~ ~ ~

 THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY

Robin Perini, December Intrigue

GLIAS: Is your favorite scene completely fictional or did you pull it from real life?

ROBIN: I didn’t really plan on Trouble, not at the beginning. The Chewbacca-resembled mutt came out of nowhere because my hero, Daniel was so damaged. In Christmas Conspiracy (October 2012), Daniel had been imprisoned on a mission. His captors brutalized him. Daniel survived by sheer guts, but flashbacks and claustrophobia haunted him after his rescue.

So did Trouble.

My favorite scene with the half-Irish-setter-half-Newfoundland is inspired by Search and Rescue dogs and the amazing work they do—with a little bit of Lassie thrown in for good measure. Early on, Trouble is walking ten feet away from Daniel (as close as Trouble ever gets to him). He darts off into the west Texas landscape. Daniel follows and the ‘troublesome’ canine leads Daniel into a crumbling, abandoned mine. Trouble runs in, disappearing into the inky blackness, then finally exits, barking constantly. He tugs on Daniel, trying to pull him into the mine. NOT something Daniel wants to do. AT ALL! Then Trouble brings out a woman’s high-heeled shoe. Daniel has to make a choice. Fight his demons or go back to hitching across a Texas road ala Forrest Gump. Which do you think he chooses?

You can find out what happens in my next Harlequin Intrigue®, The Cradle Conspiracy, Coming out in paperback on November 19 and in e-book on December 1.

~ ~ ~

 THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE

Angi Morgan, January Intrigue

GLIAS: Is your favorite scene completely fictional or did you pull it from real life?

ANGI: Wow, just one scene? It's so hard to choose. THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE was inspired by a lot of real things in my life and it was amazing to me how they all came together.  I think my favorite thing isn't a scene...it's the heroine's occupation. She's a pet sitter and it was all my husband's idea. We were discussing the book at dinner on vacation and our dog sitter called. Tim suggested that would be a good occupation for someone trying to hide. And just like that...the book was born.

The opening scene with my hero was inspired by a bike ride. I rode past a secluded area at Whiterock Lake and told Tim that I needed to write a couple of things down about a murder. (Yes, I always ride with a notebook.)

I didn't know how this book was going to end, so Tim and I took a road trip to Amarillo. My friend, Linda Castillo and her husband showed us the cattle feed lots and everything came together. I had my ending. 

~ ~ ~

LENA DIAZ writes the popular Romantic suspense "Nursery Rhyme" series for Avon as well as shorter stories for Harlequin Intrigue. Winner of the Daphne du Maurier award, finalist in the Romance Writer's of America's Golden Heart Awards, she stays true to her southern roots by setting most of her stories in the south, especially Florida. Since selling her first book in 2011, Lena has contracted 13 novels.

 Website  Facebook  Twitter @LenaDiaz     

Goodreads   KissAndThrill  

~ ~ ~

ANGI MORGAN writes “Intrigues where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi's published work has been a finalist in the Bookseller’s Best Award, Romantic Times Best First Series, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the Daphne du Maurier.

Website   Facebook   FB Fan Page   Twitter @AngiMorganAuthr

A Picture A Day   Goodreads   Pintrest  Book Trailers on YouTube

~ ~ ~

ROBIN PERINI is a RITA Finalist, award-winning and national bestselling author, devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes adventure with a love story sure to melt their hearts. Her mission's motto: "When danger and romance collide, no heart is safe." After seven prestigious Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finals, Robin has since sold fourteen novels. 

Website   FB Fan Page   Twitter @RobinPerini

   Goodreads   Pintrest  Book Trailers on YouTube

~ ~ ~

ENTER ANGI & ROBIN'S 'THANKS FANS contest': register at Rafflecopter through November 30th for a copy of THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY & THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE. 

Speaking of giveaways…WE EACH HAVE A BOOK TODAY for three Blog Commenters. (1 book for 3 people) LEAVE A BLOG COMMENT to be entered.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SCENE THAT'S JUST UNFORGETABLE?

Celebrate Fall with Lara Lacombe!

Happy Fall, everyone!  It's finally starting to cool off here in Texas, which makes me happy--I get to wear sweaters, eat soup, and curl up on the couch with a blanket.  I love most things about this season (with a few notable exceptions), and so I was especially thrilled when I found out my debut novel, DEADLY CONTACT, would be released in November.

A graphical representation of how I spend the holidays...

In my day job, I'm a college science professor.  I've reached the point in the semester where I'm counting the days until Thanksgiving break--not just because of my love of all things pie-related, but because I'm looking forward to having a couple of uninterrupted days to read. My TBR pile (well, okay--mountain) needs a little attention, and I can't wait to spend a day (or two) with a book in one hand and a fork in the other.  Bliss!

I should probably stretch before tackling this...

What about you?  What are you looking forward to this holiday season?

And before I go, I wanted to let you all know that I'm holding a contest to celebrate the release of DEADLY CONTACT!  Simply post a picture of you and the book (Tweet me or post it on my Facebook page) and you're entered to win a gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes & Noble!  The more pictures you submit, the better your chances of winning, so get out there and start snapping!

Welcome Mary Sullivan

Maureen, thank you for having me today on Get Lost in a Story!

I grew up in Toronto where exposure to multiculturalism started early with my Macedonian friends and Italian neighbors. I think that’s where my love of foods from varied cultures started. I studied photography before taking up darkroom printing as a career, which I loved. While I stayed home to start a family, that career disappeared with the advent of computers.

Writing novels seemed like a good fit—working alone in a small room on creative projects. Sounds a lot like darkroom printing ☺

My ninth Superromance, BECAUSE OF AUDREY, came out in October. It’s still available at all of the usual online venues in paperback and ebooks. For the first time, readers can find Superromances in ebook format bundled in groups of three at a great price. My October book shares space with the wonderful and talented Linda Warren and Stephanie Doyle.

Order from Harlequin

GET TO KNOW MARY SULLIVAN

MAUREEN:  What’s your favorite holiday?

MARY:  Oh, definitely Christmas. I’m barely holding myself back from playing Christmas music now, but I’ll force myself to wait until the first of December. My daughter and I have a Christmas Eve tradition that I love. We have our own mini wine and cheese party in the evening. Every year, we try three or four new-to-us cheeses. We live in Canada, so try to make two or three of those cheeses Canadian. Oh, and there’s chocolate for dessert, of course ☺

MAUREEN:  What’s your favorite hobby?

MARY:  I absolutely adore puzzles. I’m addicted to word puzzles, particularly cryptic crossword puzzles. I need to do them every day. I love doing them almost as much as I love reading good books!

MAUREEN:  What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on?

MARY:  My favorite vacation was a dogsledding course I took through Outward Bound a few years ago. I loved it! The dogs were amazing and the scenery in Algonquin Park in northern Ontario spectacular. When I was young I skied in Vermont, Utah, British Columbia and Quebec amid some of the most beautiful scenery on earth and yet, memories of that simple dogsledding course linger.

MAUREEN:  What’s the most romantic thing anyone ever did for you?

MARY:  I was sitting in my car in a far corner of a mall’s parking lot on the phone with a friend and crying my heart out because I had just received bad news. It was the summertime and there were no other cars around. The windows were all open. Suddenly, a man appeared beside my driver’s door. I screamed and dropped the phone, but then he handed me an ice cream cone. He said he had seen me when he’d driven into the mall and couldn’t stand how sad I looked. He parked, went into the mall, bought me the ice cream cone and then walked all the way to the far end of the parking lot to me. He told me to feel better soon and then walked away. I guess it wasn’t exactly romantic, but it was a sweet, spontaneous act of kindness that made me feel much better—you know, one of those positive, uplifting experiences that gives you faith in human nature, a small but kind gesture that I won’t ever forget.

MAUREEN:  What book would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

MARY:  MORNING GLORY by LaVyrle Spencer, the book that started me on my romance novel-writing journey. I’ve read it so many times, the last time I picked it up my copy fell apart in my hands.

GIVEAWAY!

Mary would like to give away a copy of her October Superromance, BECAUSE OF AUDREY, to someone who comments today.

QUESTION FROM MARY

My question to you is, what is your favorite romance novel of all time? Or, if you don’t read romance, your favorite book?

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MARY

I enjoy hearing from readers!
Website: www.marysullivanbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mary.sullivan.1460
Twitter: @MSullivanWrites

Meet Jennifer McQuiston and warm up with "Summer is for Lovers"

AUTHOR: Jennifer McQuiston

Title: Summer is For Lovers

Publisher: Avon/Harper Collins

Please say hi to another of my fellow Avon authors, Jennifer McQuiston. She has a fascinating life story as well as the most amazing (and popular!) new historical romances out there. And, she’s as delightful as she sounds. Welcome, Jennifer!

MEET JENNIFER

Jennifer McQuiston is an infectious disease researcher by training, but she also writes Different. Historical. Romance. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her family and the pony she promised her girls when Mommy got her first book deal. Visit her at www.jenmcquiston.com, or follow her on Twitter @jenmcqwrites and Facebook at www.facebook.com/jennifermcquistonauthor. 

SUMMER IS FOR LOVERS

His heart is unavailable. Luckily, her interest lies in the rest of him…

Though she was just a girl when they first met, Caroline Tolbertson’s infatuation with David Cameron remains undimmed. Now fate has brought the handsome Scotsman back to Brighton for what promises to be an unforgettable summer. Soon, Caroline will have to choose a husband, but for now she is free to indulge her curiosity in things of a passionate nature.

That is, if David will agree to teach her.

Past mistakes have convinced David he’ll make a terrible husband, though he’ll gladly help the unconventional Caroline find a suitor. Unfortunately, she has something more scandalous in mind.  As the contenders for her hand begin to line up, her future seems assured…provided David can do the honorable thing and let them have her.

  

SEE THE BOOK TRAILER HERE

Pre-order SUMMER IS FOR LOVERS 

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE   

BOOKS A MILLION

INDIE BOUND 

A Q&A FOR JEN McQUISTON

LIZ: What are the next five books on your ‘to be read’ pile?

JENNIFER: I am currently reading THE PAINTED VEIL by W. Somerset Maugham, published in 1925. I am finding it a staggeringly good book, with a decidedly modern feel to it. Next up is Julia Quinn’s WHEN HE WAS WICKED and a re-read of Sherry Thomas’s NOT QUITE A HUSBAND (which I am reading for research for an upcoming RT Book Reviews feature article on infectious diseases in historical romance—apparently both of these feature scenes where the hero has malaria!). My critique partner Romily Bernard’s new YA thriller called FIND ME came out September 24^th, and I am looking forward to reading it again after the editors had their hands all up in it. And my Critique Partner Kimberly Kincaid’s debut was also September 24^th, an anthology called the THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE SWEETHEART SWAP.  

LIZ: What one thing about your hero drives his heroine crazy? And what one thing about your heroine drives her hero nuts?

JENNIFER: In SUMMER IS FOR LOVERS, the hero, David Cameron, is convinced he would be a dangerous match for the innocent heroine because of a terrible mistake he made eleven years ago. He has lived with the guilt for over a decade, and my heroine has had enough of his self-flagellation!

I would say what is driving my hero crazy about my heroine is that she seems to know what she wants and is willing to do almost anything to have it… and unfortunately “it” is him!

LIZ: Name three things that are, at this moment, in your heroine’s purse, satchel, reticule, weapons belt or amulet bag (or whatever she carries).

JENNIFER: My heroine doesn’t carry a reticule, but she has pockets that are probably hiding any number of things. I feel sure she would have a comb and extra hair pins (her hair is always wet because of her secret penchant for swimming), and a seashell (she would collect this as a memento of the secret cove where she likes to swim).

LIZ: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and specifically why?

JENNIFER: This one is an easy one for me! I would travel to the Soho section of London during the infamous cholera outbreak that struck there in 1854. I am an epidemiologist by training, and that outbreak marked the start of my profession, as well as the ground-breaking discovery that cholera was actually transmitted by water. During that outbreak, Dr. John Snow, the father of epidemiology, mapped the cholera deaths in a community and showed they clustered around the Broad Street pump, a communal water pump where everyone in the area obtained their drinking water. He convinced health officials to take the handle off the pump and stopped the outbreak. There is a pub erected on the corner of Broad Street now, dedicated to his memory, and I raised a pint to toast him when I visited London over a decade ago.

But man, it would have been so much cooler to actually be there during the outbreak…

LIZ: What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?

JENNIFER: Definitely our family’s pony, Beaux Regard, who was promised my daughters if Mommy was ever able to get a book deal. I pretend he is for the girls, but I sometimes think I love him more than they do!

LIZ: What is your biggest vice?

JENNIFER: Gotta be Diet Coke. I have given it up no less than a dozen times, and am currently holding off the sauce strong since June…. But I want one. Every. Single. Day. Summertime is KILLER without Diet Coke.

LIZ: What’s your favorite kid joke?

JENNIFER: What’s the difference between broccoli and boogers?

Wait for it….

Wait for it….

Little kids don’t eat Broccoli.

LIZ: I adore that joke—it’s going to be one of my new favorite.  I love stupid kids jokes—hence the question, I guess!

LIZ: What do you hope for the future of romance publishing?

JENNIFER: I hope historicals aren’t “dead”, as the conversation recently went on a prominent blog site. Not only because I love to write historicals, but because I absolutely love to read them!

LIZ HAS GOTTA ASK: What’s the most personal thing you’ve ever put in one of your books?

JENNIFER HAS TO ANSWER: Holy cow, that is a loaded question!!!

Well…I will confess, in Summer is for Lovers, I have a scene that takes place in a secret ocean cove, under a full moon. I was trying to describe what the hero looked like in the moonlight, and how far the heroine could have reasonably seen if the moon was full and bright. So, I set my alarm one cloudless, full moon night and made my husband get up and walk around the back yard so I could get a better sense of it.

Then I went back to bed and he was not at all amused with me.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?

Oh, I definitely want to hear everyone’s best kid’s joke! Turnabout is fair play.

Jennifer will be giving away a copy of SUMMER IS FOR LOVERS, for North American readers.

CONTACT JENNIFER:

E-mail: jenmcq@live.com 

Website: www.jenmcquiston.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jennifermcquistonauthor   

Twitter: @jenmcqwrites

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17331380-summer-is-for-lovers

Blogs: www.dashingduchesses.com

UP NEXT: The third book in the series, MOONLIGHT ON MY MIND, will be released March 25, 2014.

PREVIOUS RELEASES: My first book, WHAT HAPPENS IN SCOTLAND, is available now.

 

Thank you so much, Jennifer, for visiting here on GLIAS -- what a treat to have you with us!