Canadian Bestselling Author Vanessa Kelly

by Vanessa Kelly

 Hi, everyone, and my sincere thanks to the wonderful Romancing The Genres for hosting me. I’m delighted to be with you as part of the Canadian contingent!

Okay, confession time: I’m both Canadian AND American. I was born and raised in New Jersey (cue the NJ jokes!), but I’m now a proud Canadian living in the Great White North since 1986.

My sojourns since moving to Canada have taken me through grad school in Toronto, wanderings about the province of Ontario, winters in Florida, with a final touchdown in Ottawa where I now live with my hubby—who also happens to be my writing partner.

Confusing? Let me back up a bit and give you the formal introduction. I’m Vanessa Kelly, and I write award-winning, Regency-set historical romance (with a sidebar in Scottish romance).

My books include the bestselling Renegade Royals Series, which feature the dashing, intriguing, and illegitimate sons of England’s royal dukes, and The Improper Princesses Series, which feature the equally intriguing illegitimate daughters of the previously aforementioned dukes.

Although my heroes and heroines are all fictional, the idea informing both series is based on fact. The sons of George III, including the notorious Prince Regent, had LOTS of illegitimate children, some of them lost to the historical record. I thought it would be fun to create an entire family of half-siblings and cousins, royals born on the wrong side of the blanket but all determined to find romance and adventure.

And you know what? It WAS fun! You can find more about the books, including a ton of excerpts, from the Book Page on my website. From there, click on each cover for the description and where to buy links.

As much as I love Regency England, though, my next series takes place in Regency Scotland and stars Scottish heroes. I mean, who doesn’t love a handsome Highlander in a manly kilt?

My latest book, THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE, is the third and final book in the Improper Princesses Series, but it’s also a spin-off to the new series featuring the brothers of the Kendrick clan.

Victoria Knight, illegitimate daughter of royalty and a very proper governess, travels to Scotland to tutor the wild Scottish brothers of Nicholas Kendrick, Laird of Arnprior. Think Seven Brides for Seven Brothers meets The Sound of Music (set in Scotland), and you’ve got it!

THE HIGHLANDER WHO PROTECTED ME, the first Clan Kendrick book, will be released at the end of October. You can find more info on the book and read an excerpt on my website.

Oh, and the books I write with my hubby? Those are under my V.K. Sykes pen name. Together, we write award-winning contemporary romance and also romantic suspense.

Our USA Today Bestselling sports romance series is called The Philadelphia Patriots, and it features a fictional MLB baseball team with some VERY hunky heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

We also have a small town romance series called Seashell Bay, and a romantic suspense series based in the sunny but sinister climes of Palm Beach, with more of those on the way. 

You can read about our sexy contemporary romance books on our V.K.Sykes website.

And, of course, you can find lots of blurbs, excerpts, and bonus content on my Vanessa Kelly website. If you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll receive a free short story, too.

Hope to see you there, and happy reading!

Vanessa

Social Media links:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Countdown to Seduced by the Screenwriter

by Madelle Morgan

This month I wrap up the rewrite of Seduced by the Screenwriter, Book 2 in the Hollywood in Muskoka series. Then it will be sent off to beta readers in September and my editor in October. If all goes well, the book will be published on Amazon in November!

Seduced by the Screenwriter is the most roller-coaster-emotional and hottest romance I've ever written. It's fun—the heroine gets to dress up in movie costumes—as well as serious. Catrina has PTSD and Chett is afraid of dogs. The theme is "love conquers fear."

Description

Beautiful police diver Catrina Turner abandoned her career after a traumatic underwater dive and moved to Muskoka, Canada's upscale vacation destination for the rich and famous. She and her retired police service dog Titan provide security services to wealthy celebrities.

When Hollywood screenwriter Chett de Groot invites Catrina to role-play love scenes in costumes from old movies, she discovers how satisfying acting can be. Soon she's ad libbing passionate lines in scorching "performances." But then Chett returns to Hollywood, and Catrina realizes the emotional pain from her past is nothing compared to the agony of a broken heart.



Excerpt

Here's a taste from the chapter entitled The Seduction of Miss Prudence Maxwell.
Set up: Catrina is dressed in the demure floor-length skirt and jacket, hat and gloves that Chett sent over to her place earlier. She has arrived at the luxurious lake house for dinner on a frigid January evening.

Catrina followed Chett into the Great Room. Drafts ruffled flames of stubby white candles in glass holders on the fireplace mantle, on the round table in the dining nook set for two, and on every flat surface in the room. Green-tipped flames leaped in the wood-burning fireplace. Enchanting flattering light gilded the space, not quite reaching shadowed corners.

“There was no electricity in Virginia City, California in the 1880s,” Chett explained as he handed her a glass of chilled chardonnay.

“Virginia City. The setting for tonight, I presume.” She sipped the wine and held the cool glass to one cheek. “My, it’s warm in here.”

“Your comfort means everything to me.” He lifted her free hand and pressed the back to his lips. Her heartbeat quickened as cocky blue eyes met hers. “Big Joe Grifter, ma’am, at your service. Itinerant gambler, rustler, and all around rake.”

She pressed a hand to her heart in a decorous pretend swoon. Deep within, her blood heated in anticipation. Ohhhh, a bad boy. “And I am—?”

“Until today your name was Miss Prudence Maxwell, innocent daughter of an impecunious gentleman who regrettably fares poorly at poker.”

“My father’s broke.”

“Not only that, in his most recent game he bet his daughter’s hand in marriage. And lost. Or rather, it was my lucky night at the card table.”

Catrina tossed her curls. “Ahhh. I expect I am not terribly keen on becoming the wife of a stranger who is patently a blackguard.”

“Precisely, my dear Prudence. However you no longer have the option to refuse me. Despite tears and protestations on your part, your papa dragged you to the preacher this afternoon and we were married to pay his considerable debt. Tonight is our, ah, wedding night.”

He raised his glass to her in salute. A self-satisfied grin curled the corners of his mouth. It was the smile of a man who’d won the girl and was primed to enjoy the spoils. The arrogant confidence he wore like royalty had nothing to do with the part he was supposedly playing.

“Prudence” sipped her wine to moisten a suddenly dry throat. Assuredly, she’d have a difficult time pretending to resist the advances of this handsome new husband of hers. She’d have to rely on her lines. “May I read the script?”

“Naturally.” He handed her a few sheets of paper and returned to the kitchen to check on the meal. She placed her wine glass and script on the coffee table and arranged the bulky skirt to sit gracefully on the white leather sofa.

While he gathered dinner plates and cutlery, she scanned the typed pages. It only took a minute. She turned them over. Blank. A seduction scene was nowhere to be found. “The dialogue ends right after dessert.” She tried and failed to keep disappointment out of her tone.

“You taught me to believe in improvisation,” Chett called from behind the granite counter. “If at any time you draw a blank, the words ‘more’ and ‘again’ are useful.”

Her lips twitched and she lay the script down. Delightful anticipation squelched hunger.  The tight corset left little room in her stomach for food anyway. The sooner Big Joe and Prudence dispensed with the preliminaries, the better.

Subscribe to Madelle's blog to be alerted to the release of Seduced by the Screenwriter. If you're interested in being an ARC reviewer, please message Madelle via her website!

About Madelle

Madelle Morgan is a Canadian author who writes romance with heat, heart and humor. Her 2016 release, Caught on Camera, is a Hollywood wedding romance set in Muskoka, Canada—summer playground of the rich and famous. Diamond Hunter, a romantic suspense, is currently in Kindle Unlimited.

Follow Madelle on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. 

Writing Productivity, NOT

by Madelle Morgan

Some authors publish a new book every month or so. Apparently volume is the freeway to success. Write fast, get them online, and sales will roll in.

Well, I'm stuck on a back road, having taken too many detours...

I've indie-published a book a year, for a grand total of two. 

Not twenty. 

Two. 

And, I'm behind schedule to revise and publish the next in the Hollywood in Muskoka series this fall.

What's new with me is that I decided to find out if I could write faster. I signed up for a course called, what else, Write Better Faster, taught by Becca Syme at MargieLawson.com. It started May 1. 

Meanwhile, I've been analyzing why I don't seem to have a block of time to write. The answer?

"My brain has too many tabs open."

Source: Business2Community.com

I saw that quote online. And I'm online a lot. 

There's so much valuable information about writing, publishing, marketing, what's going on with my friends, those funny memes... you get the gist. What if I miss something important?

For example, Sunday morning, prime writing time, I was browsing through a favorite Facebook writers' group posts, and discovered a link to a Myebook.co.za article on how to create 3D book covers.



Of course I had to try it. Marketing is so important for indie authors, right?

Then I went to Canva.ca, a free design site, and created this.

And this:

The end result? All my books have 3D images. Writing word count on Sunday? Zero.

You already know what I need to do in order to carve out time to write.

Disconnect

Ah, easy to say, not so easy to do. Social media is like a box of chocolates--difficult to resist.

I discovered, online of course, that there are applications to force a person to disconnect from those time-suck distractions. Efty Konick published a list in a Linkedin post entitled 5 applications to disconnect from the Internet and be more productive.

The post is three years old, so there are probably many more apps available today. I'd search for them, except for the fact I'm trying to limit my time online. 

As of now.

Seriously.

After I play my Scrabble turn on Facebook...

Happy spring!

Madelle

Madelle has written and published Diamond Hunter, a romantic suspense, and Caught on Camera, a Hollywood wedding romance.

Subscribe to her blog at MadelleMorgan.com and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. 

True Love Stories Never Have Endings

by Madelle Morgan

The title is a beautiful quote from Richard Bach. Even if sweet love sours and we move on to new partners, I believe that the experience of loving someone expands our hearts' ability to love and appreciate love.

February 14 is the day couples traditionally express their love with flowers, cards, chocolate, jewelry, and/or a romantic dinner.

Why Chocolate?

The tradition of giving a sweetheart chocolate on Valentine's Day originated with Richard Cadbury in the 1840s.

In 1861, Richard Cadbury created the first ever heart-shaped box for Valentine's Day. The chemical phenylethylamine in chocolate (stimulates) feelings of excitement, attraction, and even pleasure. (Source: The Happy Chocolatier)

Why February 14th?

I gleaned these facts from History.com:

The Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day.

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February should be a day for romance. - Hey, we should be eating egg-shaped chocolates for Valentine's Day instead of at Easter!

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Marry Me, Sweetheart

Many proposals occur on the most romantic day of the year, as do winter weddings. 

Hmmm.... Do you think men might have an ulterior motive for choosing February 14 for their wedding day?

Here's an excerpt from my romantic comedy Caught on Camera that eavesdrops on the groomsmen's conversation as they wait for the bride to appear.

Halden and the groomsmen wore dark formal tailcoats, striped gray trousers, white shirts, and lavender cravats and waistcoats.

At intervals during the interminable delay, they bemoaned the wedding planner’s order for traditional English attire. Who knew it’d be as hot as hell in June in the Great White North? Apparently not the wedding planner or Candy. Or more likely they didn’t care. To them, it was all about appearances.

“She’s twenty minutes late.” Garth inserted one finger inside his collar and tugged at the garment constricting his neck. “If I ever get married, it’ll be in January.”

“Make it February fourteenth,” Mickey muttered out the side of his mouth. “Then you’ll never forget your wedding anniversary.”

“Good tip. You always think ahead, Mick.” Garth fist-bumped him behind Wade’s back.

Did you receive a proposal or get married on Valentine's Day?

Madelle

Madelle is the Canadian author of two novels, Diamond Hunter, a romantic suspense, and Caught on Camera, Hollywood in Muskoka series, Book 1, a New Adult romantic comedy.

She tweets and posts on the topics of writing & publishing, filmmaking, dogs, and the settings for her stories.

Subscribe to her blog at MadelleMorgan.com and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. 

Editing Your Book, Part 2 Polishing

by Madelle Morgan

You've finished the second or third draft after the developmental edit (see Part 1), you've sent the manuscript out to beta readers and received their comments, and now it's time to polish the story.

At this stage, the scene structure is locked in. You will now go through the story paragraph by paragraph to:

• improve the flow;
• rewrite for clarity;
• strengthen plot and romantic tension;
• heighten emotion; and
• add details such as what each character is feeling, thinking, smelling, seeing, and hearing.

Here's an example of the difference between the draft and polished versions of a Caught on Camera scene snippet. Rachel, dressed in an oversized white bathrobe, is taking the little Maltese dog for her evening walk.

DRAFT
Blurry movement in the deep gloom under the pines beyond the terrace caught Mickey's eye. A ghostly wraith drifted between trees beyond the corner of the building. A white ball appeared to roll at lawn level. He inhaled sharply.

Holy Hotel California. Twenty feet from the terrace, at the limits of the flickering torchlight, the creepy forms halted.

"Mickey," the taller phantom hissed, beckoning with an undulating wave of an unearthly arm. "Over here."

Mickey cautiously stepped off the flagstones onto the grass. "Who are you?"

FINAL: I punched up Mickey's reaction, added a movie reference, and hopefully made the exchange more amusing.

Blurry movement in the deep gloom under the pines beyond the terrace caught Mickey's eye. A ghostly wraith drifted between trees. A white ball appeared to roll at lawn level.

Mickey inhaled sharply. Holy Hotel California. He held his breath as the creepy forms advanced to twenty feet from the terrace and halted at the limits of the flickering torchlight. Where are the Ghostbusters when you need them?

"Mickey," the taller phantom hissed, beckoning with an undulating wave of an unearthly arm. "Over here."

"No thanks," he demurred. "It's not my time yet."

"Mickey!"

He cautiously stepped off the flagstones onto the grass. "Who or what in hell are you?"

Read the Story Aloud

By this stage in the book crafting process, you've read the manuscript so many times that it's impossible to notice the problems. Listening engages another part of the brain, helping to identify what needs to be fixed. While reading your story aloud, or having someone else read it aloud, you'll be taking notes on these issues:

1. Does the dialogue sound like something a man, woman, teen or child of that age would naturally say?

I have to remember that I'm writing for ages from "Does your mother know you're reading this?" to "My granddaughter recommended this book and I love it too!"

2. Is the vocabulary suited to the target readers? Are you using a sophisticated or old-fashioned word when a simple, more current word would do?

A young Wattpad.com reader commented that the draft's language was "so 19th century." It compelled me to revisit my word choices in the entire manuscript. For example, the hotel general manager has a staff policy against "fraternizing" with the guests. The prim and proper GM might say "fraternize" but the young staff would use the term "hook-up". I made many similar changes to update the vocabulary.

3. Are the pauses in the right place for reading aloud at a public reading or in an audiobook?

Even if long sentences are grammatically correct, they can be problematic if and when your book is made into an audiobook. 

4. Are you using certain words over and over and over?

Replace words that occur frequently. For example, I tend to use "sprang", "wildly", and "dragged" repeatedly. An online dictionary and thesaurus is a writer's friend. Use the software's "Find" function to search your document for specific words. You'll be amazed at how frequently—oops, I mean—often you used them on the same page or even in a single paragraph without noticing.

5. Is the meaning what you intended? Can it be misinterpreted?

A beta reader saved me from considerable embarrassment. Micky and Halden, the groom, are discussing Halden's sister Asta, who is a stuntwoman.

DRAFT
Mickey said only, "Speed is Asta's drug of choice."
"She's a daredevil, all right. Keeps Mom up at night worrying."

FINAL
Mickey said only, "Adrenaline is Asta's drug of choice."
"She's a daredevil, all right. Keeps Mom up at night worrying."

I totally missed the fact that "speed" is the street name for amphetamine!

After you've spent a week or longer polishing the story, it's time to send it off to the copy editor. In Part 3 I'll describe the copy-editing of Caught on Camera.

Goodreads Giveaway!

Enter a Goodreads Giveaway starting October 13 to win one of two paperback copies of Caught on Camera (Hollywood in Muskoka, Book 1). This giveaway ends October 20, and is open to residents of the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as the United States.

Caught on Camera is available for $0.99 and £0.99 on Amazon, Kobo, and iBooks, and is now available in paperback on Amazon for $9.99 and £5.99. See the description, playlist and buy links at MadelleMorgan.com . 

Subscribe at MadelleMorgan.com for news of the October 26 Five Secrets about Caught on Camera guest post, November blog tour, ebook giveaways and grand prize giveaway.

Madelle tweets and posts about Hollywood, filmmaking, the settings for her stories and of course, writing.

Follow Madelle on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. 

Editing Your Book, Part 1

By Madelle Morgan

The editing of Caught on Camera, a New Adult romantic comedy, is complete. In a series of posts I'll describe the three stages of editing that made this book the best it can be before it's indie published in September 2016.

Stage 1: Developmental Editing

I submitted the first draft of the 58,000 word contemporary romance to my story editor, Lillian Chow. Lillian studied romance writing before she focused on screenwriting, so she has an excellent understanding of the conventions of the genre.

Lillian's advanced screenwriting training developed expertise in story structure and visual storytelling. I asked Lillian two key questions on today's topic.

1. What is developmental editing, and how is it different from line editing and copy editing?

Developmental editing, also known as story editing, structural editing, or content editing, analyzes story elements to develop a great story well told. Line editing is what I call "wordsmithing" paragraphs, sentence structure and word choice to improve clarity and flow. Copy editing corrects problematic grammar, spelling and punctuation.

As a developmental editor, I care that your characters' arcs, conflicts and relationship evolution are engaging and believable. I dig deep into your plot, subplots and conflicts to elevate your story. My questions and suggestions are aimed at making your story even more emotionally and intellectually satisfying.

Specifically, I analyse these elements:

• Story structure and intertwining of the "A" Plot and the Romance Plot (client provides the scene chart)
• Goals and motivations of each main character
• Intertwining of plots and character arcs
• Rising stakes and consequences of not achieving goals
• Theme(s) and subtext
• Clarity, connectivity and consistency
• Story questions and hanging threads
• Opportunities for motifs, symbolism and subtext
• and more...

2. How does your screenwriting training contribute to developmental edits?

Screenwriters write a concise, amazing story in 90 - 120 pages, so each story element must be pared to its essential power and tracked to ensure it performs to the max. Furthermore, movies emphasize visuals over dialogue—SHOW rather than TELL. Sound familiar?

Developmental Edit of Caught on Camera

Lillian provided a summary of her story analysis as well as comments within the manuscript. She pointed out where the motivations of the characters were weak or unexplained, where their behavior was not in character, or where the stakes were too low for the character's reaction to be believable.

Lillian identified the story's tensions, such as the HOPE that Rachel will pull this off versus the FEAR she'll ruin the wedding, and marked sections where the emotional conflict needed to be heightened.

Continuity errors creep in when time elapses between writing sessions. Lillian noted that Rachel's poor eyesight magically improved in certain scenes. She brought to my attention unanswered story questions; e.g., What did Rachel do with the gift certificate?

My working theme was Deception Leads to Heartbreak. Lillian identified another theme of How far would you compromise your ethics to achieve your dream/goal? I subsequently shaped the hero and heroine's internal dialogue, dilemmas and decisions to reflect that theme.

I intended the bouquet to be a motif (it's on the cover!) Lillian pointed out that cameras were also a recurring motif. Duh, the word camera is on the cover too! Lillian commented that a cracked smartphone screen symbolized the break in the relationship. What do ya know? It never occurred to me. Apparently my subconscious is pretty smart about motifs!

Lillian's notes triggered my fine tuning of the character arcs of the protagonists. In the rocky transition to becoming the best person she can be, Rachel often regresses to acting like the star struck chambermaid she was at the beginning of the story. I needed to illuminate the internal character changes underway. Lillian suggested a screenwriting technique: Show that Rachel is willing to take risks that she wasn't willing to take at the beginning.

Summary

A developmental edit will identify story elements that are missing or need work, but it will not rewrite the story for you. Not all suggestions will fit your author vision, but they will focus your attention and spark ideas.

An objective analysis of your story is priceless, even if the report sends you into a dark room to curl up with a box of chocolates and a handful of tissues. Then it's time to get to work. Swallow your pride and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. A professional analysis of your story is a roadmap for writing the second, improved draft.

Think of it this way. Ask a friend or partner to tell you how you look before a big event, and he's going to say you're perfect. Ask a stranger, and she'll tell you that, while your dress is nice, your teeth are stained with lipstick, your panty line is showing, and your heels are scuffed. You'd be grateful to know the truth before stepping out in public, right?

Developmental editor Lillian Chow can be reached at lilliananeditor@gmail.com.

In the next post I'll describe how I polished the second draft before turning the manuscript over to a professional copyeditor.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Madelle

Subscribe to MadelleMorgan.com and receive a free copy of her sexy short story, The Next Big Thing.

Madelle tweets and posts about Hollywood, filmmaking, the settings for her stories, and of course, writing. 

Follow Madelle on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. 

Caught on Camera - Free Summer Read on Wattpad

by Madelle Morgan

Caught on Camera, my 55,000 word New Adult romantic comedy, was discovered by thousands of readers worldwide pre-publication. 

Wattpad.com, the social media site for aspiring and published writers, is the reason.

An unknown indie romance author has a very difficult time getting her books noticed in this new age of self-publishing. 

Building an e-mail list and followers can be a difficult, time-consuming and often expensive process. 

In this post, I'll describe how I went from four followers to over a hundred thousand followers on Wattpad, and why my awesome free read experience is one I will repeat with the second book in the Hollywood in Muskoka series.

I signed up on Wattpad.com in August, 2015 and started posting pre-copyedited scenes of Caught on Camera. Five months later, I had a grand total of four Wattpad followers. My book was ranked so low among thousands of stories it didn't even merit a number. No one could find it. 

Sound familiar?

Wattpad has three curated lists under each Discover/category tab: Hot, Featured, and Undiscovered. In January I submitted an on-line application to have Caught on Camera featured in the Discover/Romance category. It was featured starting mid-February, after I had posted approximately half the book.

As a condition of having my book featured, I agreed to leave the complete novel on the site for six months. "What do I have to lose?" I thought. My debut romantic suspense, Diamond Hunter, was never discovered despite good reviews, promo via KDP Select, deal sites, and Facebook ads, and eventually a permanent price of $0.99 USD. I crossed my fingers that I might gain a few readers via the Wattpad feature. Maybe a hundred followers. Optimistically two hundred.

Well, to my amazement, as of July I have more than 112,000 Wattpad followers from around the world! 

Granted, most followers wait until a story is complete to start reading. Over two thousand did read my chapters as they were posted weekly this spring, briefly pushing the book to #19 in Romance. Many readers commented with much appreciated feedback that made Caught on Camera a better story. I even added a sex scene due to popular demand!

Will many of those 112,000 followers buy the book when it's published, given that they had the opportunity to read it for free? That remains to be seen. I will advertise a special feature that is not in the final draft posted on Wattpad. However, having thousands of readers who can't wait to read Sex and the Screenwriter, Book 2 in the series, is a long way from four followers status!

I'll begin posting Book 2 scenes on Wattpad in the fall.


Caught on Camera Back Cover Copy

To achieve her dream of working on Hollywood film sets, star struck chambermaid Rachel Lehmann needs $35,000 for film school tuition by the end of the summer. When she's asked to fill in for a missing bridesmaid at a movie star's wedding, it's her big chance to secretly take candid photos of celebrities and sell them to the entertainment media. Then groomsman Mickey McNichol, agent to the stars, sweeps her off her feet.

Mickey cynically believes everyone in show business is out for what they can get. When he falls hard for the stand-in bridesmaid, he thinks he's finally met a beautiful woman he can trust. But if Rachel betrays the wedding party's privacy, Mickey will ensure she never works in Hollywood.

Caught on Camera is complete on Wattpad.com. I sent it to a copy editor last week, and it will be available on Amazon, Kobo, and iBooks in September. Meanwhile, treat yourself to a fun, sexy summer read. Sign up on Wattpad.com, follow Madelle Morgan, and read Caught on Camera for free.

Have a wonderful summer!

Madelle

Subscribe to MadelleMorgan.com and receive a free copy of her sexy short story, The Next Big Thing.

Madelle tweets and posts about Hollywood, filmmaking, the settings for her stories, and of course, writing. 

Follow Madelle on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. 

Cold Feet Fever - Launch Day!

by Madelle Morgan

Secrets and crime have never been so much fun—or so romantic!

I have the pleasure of announcing the publication today of Maureen Fisher's sexy summer read Cold Feet Fever, Book 2 of the Fever series—the perfect blend of romance, comedy and mystery.

It's a standalone novel, but Fur Ball Fever, Book 1, will be on your to-buy list after reading Cold Feet Fever! The description had me at "paranormal nightclub".

Description

A deadbeat gambler with a lazy streak and commitment issues, Sam Jackson discovers owning Kinki, Atlantic City's first paranormal nightclub, isn't as easy—or as much fun—as he anticipated. Someone's trying to shut him down before he opens, he's on the verge of bankruptcy, and his matchmaking granddaddy has hired a sexy event planner with a mysterious background, bossy disposition and criminal ties.

A mortician-turned-event-planner with big secrets, Katie Deluca has one last chance to escape her past. Turns out between a criminal stalker and vandalism, party planning is more difficult than organizing funerals. Plus, the nightclub owner, although perfect for awakening her sensuality, couldn't be more wrong for the stability she craves.

Katie is the one person who can salvage Kinki and heal Sam's emotional wounds. Forced to collaborate, they tangle with a goofy dog, exploding trucks, homicidal thugs, a corrupt building inspector, disappearing corpses, a kidnapping, and the threat of live cremation, all to deliver Kinki's kick-ass grand opening.

Excerpt

Her breath hitched. "I'm afraid I might disappoint you."

His fingers stilled. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"I... um... may not have the skill you expect in a date."

After a long pause, he said, "Excuse me?" The two soft words reverberated in the quiet kitchen.

She chewed her lip, then said, "I've only done it twice, well, two and a half times to be precise, and it didn't work out so well." She clamped her mouth shut. Luckily she'd caught herself before divulging her partner's jackrabbit performance.

Sam remained utterly still.

Afraid to turn around, she nodded. "I was too young to realize it wasn't normal. I thought it was my fault. There's no need to worry though. I'm sure I can satisfy your needs. I'm a self-trained expert on sexual gratification."

Warm breath stirred her hair. "Self-trained?"

Had she said something wrong? "Yes, I'm a voracious reader. I've read tons of how-to books on sexual intercourse, everything from The Joy of Sex to Kama Sutra." She hoped her sincerity would reassure him.

"Katie—" 

"I also studied the Fifty Shades Trilogy and other erotic novels. I have a subscription to Cosmo too. There's a huge amount of educational help available, so I'm certain I'm competent." Was it her imagination, or did his fingers fumble?

"That's commendable, and, uh, extremely proactive of you," he said in a choked voice, "but right now, I'm as far from worried as a man can get."

About Maureen Fisher

Maureen in Mexico

Maureen swam with sharks in the Galapagos, walked with Bushmen in the Serengeti, sampled lamb criadillas (don't ask!) in Iguazu falls, snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef, ridden an elephant in Thailand, and watched the sunrise over Machu Picchu. 

These adventures plus her Scottish heritage, a belief in reincarnation, and a hilarious take on life led to her first book, The Jaguar Legacy. Strands from past lives intertwine with the present, drawing the heroine and sexy Scottish hero into danger, murder, and betrayal. A reviewer called it "Page-turning romance as hot and steamy as the jungle setting."

Maureen says, "Contrary to popular belief about romance writers, I do NOT think about sex all the time. I often think about other things, for example, Speedos (pros and cons). Or manscaping. Dang, but that sounds like I really do think a lot about sex, doesn't it?"  Well, romance readers are glad she does!

Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Where to Buy Maureen's Books

Cold Feet Fever, Fur Ball Fever, and The Jaguar Legacy are available on Amazon and Smashwords. Maureen's website, BooksbyMaureen, has the buy links.