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Peek behind the cover of A Room in Blake’s Folly by J Arlene Culiner @JArleneCuliner #RLFblog #Western Historical to #Contemporary Romance
Back in 1889, when Blake’s Folly boasted three silver mines, many saloons and brothels, the adventurer, Westley Cranston, fell in love with Sookie Lacey a former prostitute. Their powerful romance was doomed but never forgotten, and the repercussions could be felt 130 years later. The six stories in A Room in Blake’s Folly tell the tale.
J Arlene Culiner, I’m happy to host you on Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Tell us about your book.
A Room in Blake’s Folly by J Arlene Culiner
Genre Historical to Contemporary Western Romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): sensualIn one hundred and fifty years, Blake’s Folly, a silver boomtown notorious for its brothels, scarlet ladies, silver barons, speakeasies, and divorce ranches, has become a semi-ghost town. Although the old Mizpah Saloon is still in business, its upper floor is sheathed in dust. But in a room at a long corridor’s end, an adventurer, a beautiful dance girl, and a rejected wife were once caught in a love triangle, and their secret has touched three generations.
Tell Us About Your Cover
What was your reaction when you first saw this cover?
I loved it!
How did you choose the artist?
Jennifer Greeff was the cover artist for one of my previous books, The Turkish Affair, and I think her design is wonderful. There’s the suggestion of hot sun and a bleached-out landscape—and those were perfect for a mystery set on an archaeological site in Turkey. For A Room in Blake’s Folly, a Western that begins in 1889, and ends in 2022, I wanted to see if she could evoke the past, desolation, and deep secrets.
What was it like to work with this artist?
A pleasure! So much so, that she has also done the covers for the two other books in this Blake’s Folly Romance trilogy that will be released this spring: All About Charming Alice and Desert Rose.
What do you like best about your cover?
The colors, the sense of loss, of a forgotten past mixed with the hint of green hope just outside the window. A Room in Blake’s Folly begins with a love story that goes wrong, but it still has the power to influence people one hundred and thirty years later.
A good cover conveys the genre at a glance. What are the genre clues on this cover?
There is an abandoned room, a window with torn curtains, and these both suggest a forgotten history and deep secrets. Such things belong to the past, to a historical novel, but we are seeing it now, after all the years have passed, thus it sets the story very much in the present.
What emotions do you hope your cover communicates?
Loss, secrets, and the desire to know more.
If your publisher chose your cover, how much say did you have in choosing your cover?
My publisher, The Wild Rose Press, presented me with another cover. It was a very nice cover, however, it really was too contemporary for this story (there was modern architecture in one corner and the suggestion of industry.) When I pointed out that most of the story takes place long before such things existed, my publisher immediately changed the cover, and I ended up with this one, which I love.
Does your publisher use a form to gather information regarding your preferences?
Yes, absolutely! How else could they get it so right?
Where to buy A Room in Blake’s Folly
Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/BlakesFollyRomance
Where to buy A Room in Blake’s Folly
Publisher The Wild Rose Press
Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/BlakesFollyRomanceJ Arlene Culiner Social Media
Writer, photographer, social critical artist, musician, and occasional actress, J Arlene Culiner, was born in New York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a Hungarian mud house, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave-dwelling, on a Dutch canal, and in a haunted house on the English moors. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest and, much to local dismay, protects all creatures, especially spiders and snakes. She particularly enjoys incorporating into short stories, mysteries, narrative non-fiction, and romances, her experiences in out-of-the-way communities, and her conversations with strange characters.
Website https://www.j-arleneculiner.com
Blog https://j-arleneculiner.over-blog.com
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7158064.J_Arlene_Culiner
Twitter https://twitter.com/JArleneCuliner
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/blakesfolly/
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/jarlene.culiner
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/jarleneculiner
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jarleneculiner/
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-arlene-culiner -
Read The Frontier (Colonial Expansion 2) by Laurel Richards @Laurel_R_books #RLFblog #SciFi #SFR
Alien predators turn deadly in Laurel Richards’ new sci-fi romance, The Frontier. Wildlife biologist Lilah and medical doctor Darren team up to save the human colonists.
Laurel, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about The Frontier (Colonial Expansion 2).
The Frontier (Colonial Expansion 2) by Laurel Richards
Genre Sci-Fi Romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): RThe planet of Silveira has been colonized by humans for over twenty years. When wildlife biologist Lilah Reiss is sent to hunt down a man-eater that is attacking her fellow colonists, she assumes she’s after one sick animal. Instead she discovers that something is very wrong with Silveira’s top predators. The animals are moving oddly, and they’ve begun to target humans. Her budding relationship with Darren Jayr, her outpost’s medical doctor, is put to the test when civilization and nature collide. As the number of attacks increases, she and Darren must find out what is causing the change in behavior…and how to stop it from spreading to the colonists.
Content: m/f romance, love scenes, animal attacks, medical drama, hunting alien animals, euthanasia of alien predators that have attacked humans, no cliffhangers, can be read as a standalone novel (set in the same universe as The Colony)
Where to buy The Frontier (Colonial Expansion 2)
Books2Read https://books2read.com/u/bzKDN2
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRK2T7C1/
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-frontier-laurel-richards/1142905584?ean=2940167120907
iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6445286851
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-frontier-26
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1308749Laurel Richards Social Media
Laurel Richards is a fiction author with a passion for shifters, space travelers, and other memorable characters. She has gathered inspiration from lots of different sources throughout her life and is here today to share her imagination through storytelling. Laurel writes sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal, and funny mysteries, with various degrees of romance mixed in.
Website http://author-laurelrichards.blogspot.com/
Blog https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6035139.Laurel_Richards/blog
Twitter https://twitter.com/Laurel_R_books
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/LaurelRichards
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/laurelrichards
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laurel-richards
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LaurelRichards
Manic Readers http://www.manicreaders.com/laurelrichards/ -
Read Cookie Cutter Cozy Mystery Series by Karen Cino @karencino #RLFblog #Cozy #Mystery #Romance
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Read the series: Nick and Jacklyn by Ann Raina #RLFblog #Romance #Thriller
The attempted murder of a famous hockey player sparks the FBI investigation in Ann Raina’s new thriller, Sudden Death. When two players are killed, Agent Hayes and his team are running
It’s the ninth book in the series, with more to come.
Ann, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your series.
Sudden Death in the series with Nick & Jacklyn
Genre thriller / erotic romance / BDSM
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
As the kidnapper pulled him forward again, Anderson feared he would stumble and break his neck. He tried to figure out the man’s motivation. Was he a fan gone mad? A total nutcase who had accidentally chosen Ginger and himself as his daily victims? Or was it no accident?
Anderson Wright just wants to play hockey, but a criminal kidnaps and tries to kill him while he’s vacationing with his girlfriend in the Monongahela Forest National Park. He survives due to FBI Agent Nicolas Hayes’s courageous actions that save his life. The motive and the resources of the attempted murder remain a mystery.
While the team of FBI agents investigate, three young and talented hockey players are brutally killed, just as they were on the cusp of starting great careers. Public pressure on the agents mounts as all hockey players and their crews fear that the killer will strike again. Still, the murderer leaves the crime scenes without tangible clues to his identity.
On a private level, Nicolas faces his mistress’s growing demands for their love life and has to decide whether to follow her kinky wishes or deny her desires.
Which book is this in the series?
It’s the ninth book in the series.
How many books do you plan for the series?
My muse asked me for at least twelve books, and I plan to fulfill her wishes.
How many books are completed?
I’ve just completed the eleventh story, introducing a new FBI agent and his family background.
What characters are the main stars in your series?
There’s FBI Agent Nicolas Hayes and his demanding lover, Jacklyn Hollander. They’re living in a loving D/s relationship so their playtime in part of the story. Then there are other agents on the FBI team, such as Jason Beckham, Nicolas’s partner and also his best friend. Another important character is the quite unusual Agent Matthew Montagna, who’s always good for a prank, a man with a very optimistic and humorous look at the world.
What is the overall theme in this series?
The FBI agents are working in the violent crime unit, which means they’re dealing with serial killers, brutal bank robbers, and other hardcore criminals. The team sets out to investigate and bring the criminals to justice. In their private lives, the agents try to make ends meet—may it be with Jacklyn’s bondage games to play or Matthew’s search for a new lover. Jason has just become a father and has completely different problems…
Please list the series titles below, in any order you prefer.
The books work best in the correct order of release. Though they’re standalone novels, they follow a timeline.
Twisted Mind
Famous Murders
Blind Trust
Chosen Brothers
Cold Rage
Barred Doors
Ruined Vacation
Clandestine Dealings
Sudden DeathWhat did you like best about writing this series?
Developing the characters. When my muse and I started out, we loved Nicolas and Jacklyn so much (and their interaction with the FBI buddies and other friends they share) that we continued with book #2 right away. There are many crime stories to tell, but there’s always room to let the characters grow, find their way, make friends or enemies… It’s fascinating to see their love deepen even though they live through stressful times.
What other books (not in this series, have you written?)
I wrote several Science Fiction stories and a second thriller / erotic romance series, that one dealing with Diplomatic Service bodyguard Ethan Mahoney, his wife, and his team that protects the Secretary of State both on domestic and international travels.
Where can we find links for all your books?
https://www.amazon.com/Ann-Raina/e/B004ZFFNAS
Where to buy Sudden Death
Publisher https://www.extasybooks.com/ann-raina/
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Sudden-Death-Nick-Jacklyn-Book-ebook/dp/B0BNH6QCFL
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sudden-death-ann-raina/1142771552
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sudden-death-38
Bookstrand https://www.bookstrand.com/book/sudden-deathAnn Raina Social Media
Ann Raina lives and works in Germany with cats and a horse (which has its own home). Riding and writing are her favorite hobbies without putting one above the other. Her latest series, starting with Twisted Mind, deals with FBI Agent Nicolas Hayes, his cases of capital crimes, and his demanding and commanding lover, Jacklyn Hollander. In all her books she combines romance, suspense, and humorous elements, for no thrilling story can stand without a comic relief.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ann.raina.7
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Ann-Raina/e/B004ZFFNAS -
Meet Maggie Blackbird @BlackbirdMaggie Author of His Proposition #RLFblog #ContemporaryRomance
Her biggest dream’s offered on a platter, but the clincher is, she has to marry a perfect stranger.
Maggie Blackbird, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about His Proposition.
His Proposition by Maggie Blackbird
Genre Interracial, contemporary romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13
When her employer offers the no-nonsense Shannon Nadjiwon the position of chauffeuring SĂ©amus Daugherty, she jumps at the chance. To work for one of Toronto’s most powerful families means she can make her biggest dream of owning a fleet of limos come true, something her female relations tooling away at her Ojibway community want badly for her, and she won’t let them down.
His reckless need for speed cost SĂ©amus Daugherty his license. If he doesn’t marry, as demanded by his overbearing father, he will lose not only his lucrative job with the family business—the only positive aspect in SĂ©amus’ gilded cage life—but everything Daugherty.
The unpretentious and gorgeous Shannon will make the perfect bride, and SĂ©amus is ready to strike a deal with her, one that will ensure he keeps everything he holds dear if she puts a wedding ring on her finger. However, they face three big obstacles: His family, her family, and a marriage neither truly wants, leaving both wondering if the sizzling sexual chemistry and cozy rapport they share is enough to create a happily ever after.
What is your favorite subject to talk about?
Golf. I’m a golf junkie
What is your favorite meal?
I’m a quirky sort of person and would rather eat burnt popcorn for a meal than steak or pizza LOL.
What are your favorite reference books?
Anything by Basil Johnston. I love his books.
Where to buy His Proposition
Publisher https://www.extasybooks.com/His-Proposition
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/His-Proposition-Maggie-Blackbird-ebook/dp/B0B9MB8FJL/
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-proposition-maggie-blackbird/1142010304
iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/his-proposition/id6443282683
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/his-proposition
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1160749Maggie Blackbird Social Media
An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes. When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.
Website https://maggieblackbird.com
Blog https://maggieblackbird.com/blog
Twitter https://twitter.com/BlackbirdMaggie/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/maggieblackbirdauthor/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maggieblackbirdauthor/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/maggieblackbird
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-blackbird
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Blackbird/e/B07KQP1FFG
Get to know Maggie Blackbird better by signing up for an email newsletter https://eepurl.com/gJu2VL -
Know the Heroine from The Master’s Mark by Lisabet Sarai @LisabetSarai #RLFblog #Steampunk #Romance
Victorian engineer Gillian Smith and her colleagues in Toymakers Guild take on a near-impossible challenge in Lisabet Sarai’s steampunk erotic romance The Master’s Mark – building a life-sized female automaton intended to replace a client’s deceased paramour. It’s fortunate that
Gillian is not one to give up—not even when events threaten the Guild’s very survival.
Lisabet, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! We’re excited to find out more about your heroine, but first, tell us about The Master’s Mark.
The Master’s Mark by Lisabet Sarai
Genre Steampunk erotic romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): Five flames
How do you train a steampunk sexbot?
Gillian Smith’s promotion to journeyman proves she’s ready to lead the Toymakers in producing astonishing new erotic artifacts. Creative, brilliant, and debauched, she’ll stretch her capabilities to the limit as she juggles a talent shortage and a pair of jealous rivals. Then there’s the challenge of their latest commission—a life-sized programmable sex doll intended to replace a client’s deceased paramour.
Normally she would consult the enigmatic Master Toymaker, but he seems preoccupied with his own concerns. Though her lusty crew of sexual renegades can offer technical and carnal assistance, Gillian is ultimately responsible for delivering the promised, near-impossible technology.
It’s fortunate she’s not one to give up—not even when events threaten the Guild’s very survival.
Know the Heroine from The Master’s Mark
Here are some fun questions to help us know your heroine.
Describe the kind of clothes she prefers to wear.
Gillian Smith is a no-nonsense young woman who has no interest in or patience with fashion. She wants practical clothing that isn’t likely to get damaged in the laboratory when she’s working on batteries or motors. Of course, in the Victorian period even “simple” clothes were complicated. Women wore long skirts and bodices with dozens of buttons, with several layers of undergarments. In polite society, hats were required. Going without a corset was considered scandalous.
Gillian really doesn’t care. With her slender figure, she doesn’t need a corset, and she certainly won’t agree to be uncomfortable for the sake of propriety. In fact, when she’s working, she prefers to don a sturdy, ankle-length, button-up-the-front lab coat – sometimes with nothing underneath!
Does she know how to fix things?
That is an understatement. It’s difficult to imagine something Gillian couldn’t fix. She is an engineering prodigy, a whiz with both mechanical and electrical systems. Her father and mother – deceased in an experimental balloon accident – were noted inventors who thoroughly schooled her in math and science as well as the use of tools and the fabrication of machines.
She tried to do something and it went badly. Tell us about it.
Even with her amazing talent, Gillian doesn’t always succeed in solving technical problems on the first try. For example, in The Master’s Mark, she tries to use an approach similar to modern machine learning to train the automaton they’re building. After multiple attempts, she concludes this isn’t possible, mostly because she can’t create sensors that are sufficiently precise.
Initially, this sort of setback will dampen her spirits. However, before long she will have come up with an alternative approach to solving her problems.
She’s quite involved with her work emotionally, so she takes failures to heart. On the other hand, she has an engineer’s typical optimism. Plus she’s extremely persistent.
What is she like first thing in the morning?
Gillian’s a morning person. She gets up early in order to get to work in the Toymakers Guild lab, and normally will be awake and alert the minute she opens her eyes.
Maid or takes care of herself?
Gillian’s family, like many entrepreneurs, never made much money from their inventions. So she’s quite used to taking care of herself. Given her casual approach to her appearance, this isn’t difficult.
After her parents’ death, she lived for several years with her wealthier aunt and uncle. Gillian treated their maid Leticia as her friend and confidante – not her servant.
Carriage or horseback?
Having grown up near London, Gillian didn’t have much equestrian experience until she moved to the Guild headquarters at Randerley Hall in Devon. However, her fellow journeyman Rafe Wystock persuaded her to go out riding on the moors. At first she was nervous about being on horseback, but she quickly discovered she loved riding – especially in Rafe’s company!
Thanks for helping us get to know your heroine!
Where to buy The Master’s Mark
Kinky Literature https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/976-the-masters-mark-the-toymakers-guild-book-3
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRHGN35L
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940165993299
iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6445290161
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-master-s-mark-the-toymaker-s-guild-book-3
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1306694
Add on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75611538-the-master-s-markLisabet Sarai Social Media
Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has penned plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
Website https://www.lisabetsarai.com
Blog https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com
Twitter https://www.twitter.com/LisabetSarai
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lisabetsarai/beyond-romance-blog-posts/
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/83387.Lisabet_Sarai
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lisabet-sarai
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/lisabetsarai
Get to know Lisabet Sarai better by signing up for her email list: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmghbsp;