Category: Loveswept

Confessions of a Debut Romance Author + Giveaway!

Confessions of a Debut Romance Author

My first book comes out today, and let me tell you, I am excited.

I am the sort of excited that is possibly a little bit unhealthy, at least over an extended period of time, which is the only period of time in which book publishing takes place. I was excited when I sold the book to Loveswept, excited when I signed the contract, excited when I did all three rounds of editing. I’ve been excited about getting promotional quotes, excited about going on my blog tour, excited about reading my first reviews.

You get the idea. Excited.

But I am other things, too. One of those other things is terrified, which I am told is normal, so I’m not too worried about it. And still another one of those things that I am is cringing.

Only a little, quietly, on the inside. But yes. There is just a tiny, wee smidgen of cringing going on, because . . . well . . . there is sex in my book. Rather a lot of sex. Sex in tents, sex in expensive hotel rooms, sex in seedy dives. Come to think of it, my characters have sex in, like, six separate states. They have transcontinental sex.

And my mother-in-law is almost certainly going to read it.

So . . . yeah.

The good news is that my parents have already read it—I bit that bullet long ago—and I guess maybe they didn’t notice the sex? I couldn’t say, because we didn’t speak of it, which is precisely how I prefer to handle this sort of thing. I’m the original confessional girl in writing—look at me, confessing on the Internet—but in person? Thanks, but no. If I could’ve figured out a way to tell my mother I was pregnant without actually telling her, I totally would have. But I had to say something. I couldn’t just present her with a baby out of the blue and say, Look! Grandchild! So I told her, and she cried at a restaurant, and people looked at us, and I thought, Okay, good thing you’re not planning to have any more babies, or you’d have to figure out another, much quieter way to do this.

I don’t like to make a scene, is my point. In fact, when I say I’m “excited” about my book coming out, you shouldn’t imagine me bouncing up and down with glee, since the way I do excited looks and sounds an awful lot like not excited at all. It’s just how I roll. My mom says it’s because I’m German, or perhaps because I’m repressed. But not too repressed.*

*See: book full of sex.

The thing is, I like reading sex scenes in romance, and I like writing them, too. I think they’re important. Sex is an essential aspect of any romantic relationship, and because I have a tendency to write about characters with trust issues and healthy libidos, they end up working out a lot of their issues, um, horizontally. The sex scenes aren’t just there to warm readerly loins—they serve a purpose. They bring the characters closer together, knock down walls between them, force them to acknowledge feelings they’re not ready to talk about.

I don’t write interchangeable sex scenes. Every one has a purpose, a place in the development of the relationship I’m writing about. I swear.

But of course, if I’m doing my job as an author well, the reader might not notice that. She might just be noticing the loin-warming. That’s okay, too. That’s how it’s supposed to work. You read, I’ll cringe. It’ll all work out for the best.

And at any rate, I’ll have to get used to it. My second book is due out in June, and it has, like, twice as much sex in it as this first one.

So what about you — do you like your romances super-steamy, or do you prefer the closed bedroom door? And if you do like the steamy ones, here’s the more important question: Do you or don’t you talk to your mother-in-law about them? Comment today & be eligible to win one of 5 paper copies of this book – winners announced by end of day in this post – or, buy your digital copy now for just $2.99 – click here

WE HAVE WINNERS!

“Ride With Me has it all: it’s sexy, smart and fun. Ruthie Knox is a name to watch for in contemporary romance.”
Samantha Hunter, Harlequin Blaze

RIDE WITH ME by Ruthie Knox, A Loveswept eOriginal Excerpt

SEE HOW THEY RUN + Giveaway!

SEE HOW THEY RUN and the Owl in the Attic (Bethany Campbell)

For me, stories evolve in different ways. Sometimes one arrives complete, as if the Muse special-ordered it, monogrammed and gift-wrapped. Other stories start with one idea that just won’t go away. The trouble is, it won’t go anywhere else either. It may just hang around and hang around, inhabiting the head like a reclusive owl brooding in the attic rafters.

The basis for SEE HOW THEY RUN crouched in the rafters a long, long time. The idea came from a piece written by neurologist Oliver Sacks. He described adult twins diagnosed as possibly autistic and institutionalized since childhood. Although they could not grasp much of what most of us call reality, they had two unusual gifts: astonishing powers of personal recollection and a genius with numbers.

I couldn’t get the story out of my mind. What fascinated me was their twinship. Maybe nobody else could grasp the world as they saw it, but they understood each other perfectly. This paired aloneness made them seem both cursed and charmed, almost mystical creatures.

A few years later I read an unrelated book, THE UNDERGROUND EMPIRE, a chilling description of international drug trafficking and its power to insinuate its influence almost any place it wished. It described a world of incredible corruption and violence. This was scary stuff with scary people–so scary, it made the owl’s eyes open wide as saucers.

I suddenly imagined Sacks’s institutionalized twins as boys of eight. One day on the playground, they see the driveby shooting of an elderly man. With them is the heroine, their teacher, Laura Stoner, who calls the police because the boys have noticed important details that may help identify the killers.

But when the police discover the victim is a Mafioso kingpin and drug lord, they know the boys will be in danger, for they can identify the men making the first strike in a long-simmering drug war between the Mafia and a South American cartel. They order Laura and the twins put into protective custody.

The hero, assistant district attorney and former detective, Mick Montana, is one of the guards assigned to conduct her and the twins to a safe house. They’re ambushed, however, making it clear the cartel has informants inside the drug task force. Laura and Mick can no longer trust the system to protect them and the boys. They must go on the run with no backup and no plan.

The boys are difficult, enigmatic, yet as vulnerable and defenseless as children can be. The killers in pursuit are predators, ruthless, expert, and with almost unlimited resources. To get the twins to safety will take all Mick’s smarts and daring. But just as much depends on Laura’s unwavering devotion to two puzzling boys unloved by anyone else in the world.

When I finished the book, I missed working on it, but that was okay. There was another owl up in the attic by then, sulking, solitary, and waiting. Do you like suspense books? What intrigues you most about suspense stories? Comment below, 5 winners are randomly chosen to win random books every week, winners announced on Sunday – good luck!

See How They Run by Bethany Campbell, a Loveswept Classic

In this harrowing, pulse-pounding story of romance and danger by Bethany Campbell, two strangers race to save innocent children from a crime lord’s hit men.

A gifted teacher for special-needs children, Laura Stoner loves her charges, especially eight-year-old autistic twins Rickie and Trace Fletcher. An ordinary day on the school playground turns into a nightmare when shots ring out and an old man lies dead. By witnessing the drive-by shooting, the boys become innocent targets of a dangerous syndicate. Now U.S. Attorney Mike Montana is tasked with getting the boys and their beautiful, determined teacher out of harm’s way.

But it’s getting harder by the minute. There’s a leak inside the Witness Protection Program and no matter how fast or far they run, the bad guys spot their every move. Part of Mike wants to deny the fierce possessive attraction growing for Laura. But desire wins, and soon he’s in over his heart, aware that nothing means more to him than getting them all out of this one alive.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: In the Arms of the Law, Ivy Secrets, and The Rose of Blacksword.

Order your copy here

FREE Excerpt – Ride With Me – Ruthie Knox, see what people are saying -

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Here’s what readers are saying . . .

“A sweet yet sultry, honest and heart-tugging ride. Everything a love story should be!” Carly Phillips, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Sexy, hilarious, poignant and just plain fun, RIDE WITH ME is a fantastic debut!” – Bestselling author Leslie Kelly

“A fantastic, sexy, and fun story! Ruthie Knox’s, RIDE WITH ME, was a delight to read.”
Jill Shalvis, NYT Best Selling Author

“Ride With Me, is a unique kind of road trip with the best kind of bumps and curves!”
Sandra Hill, New York Times Best Selling Author

“Smart, sexy, and downright fun–I loved every moment of the ride!”
Julie James, National Bestselling Author

“Ruthie Knox writes a devil of a good book! Ride With Me is one wild and fun ride you’ll enjoy from the first page to the last!”
Christie Craig, award winning author of romances with heart, humor and suspense.

“Debut author, Ruthie Knox’s, RIDE WITH ME, is a great mix of steamy passion and non-stop wit. Get ready to laugh out loud. One HOT read!”
Christina Skye
New York Times Best Selling Author of A HOME BY THE SEA

“Ride With Me is smart, sexy and funny, and once I picked it up I could not put it down. Can’t wait for more from Ruthie Knox. ”
Sarah Mayberry, Harlequin Super Romance

“Ride With Me has it all: it’s sexy, smart and fun. Ruthie Knox is a name to watch for in contemporary romance.”
Samantha Hunter, Harlequin Blaze

“A charming, off-beat romance romance debut, with a fresh new voice to keep the rest of us on our toes. Discover Ruthie Knox now, so you can say, ‘I read her when…’” —Meg Maguire, author of The Reluctant Nude

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“Crackling with realism, sizzling with sexual tension, and pulsing with emotion, Jessica Scott has penned an unforgettable military romance that delivers heartache and hope on every page.”
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