• RLF Gems

    RLF Gems: Blog Stats for Mar 2013 #RLFblog

    RLF Gems

    In March, Romance Lives Forever had 31 posts in a 31 day
    month. Here are the top posts (judging by page hits). There was a tie in fifth
    place.
    1. Susan Taylor
    2. Sharon Hamilton
    3. Savannah
    Chase
    4. DV Berkom
    5. Sascha Illyvich
    5. Rue Allyn
    Authors who guest with us are promoted on Facebook, via
    Triberr to over 549k potential readers, are featured front page in the daily Romance Lives Forever Paper.li ezine,
    and the blog has its own hashtag (#rlfblog) on Twitter. This year, we also
    created the Booklover’s Guide to RomanceLives Forever with links to guest authors’ books and social media. It is
    110 pages crammed full of who to follow and what to read. The FAQ page provides
    updated downloads of optional interview questions, and a guide to the blog. You
    can also grab our button to promote your visit.
    My thanks to all who took part this month. You made Romance
    Lives Forever a great place to discover new books and authors.
    Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
    name are:
    Anne Lange, Annette
    Gisby, Betty Carlton, Chris Karlsen, Dariel Raye, David Swykert, Elysa
    Hendricks, JM Stewart, Jocelyn Dex, Julie Kavanagh, Karen McCullough, KC
    Maguire, Lilly VanHorn, Lisa Day, Lorna Peel, Matthew Lang, Michael McDonald, MS
    Spencer, Pender Mackie, Robert Costelloe, Sarah Cass, Serena Clarke, Sharon
    Hamilton, Susan MacNicol, Tash Jones.

    Sister Blogs for Romance Lives
    Forever Launching Soon

    Pure Hearts Romance: Sweet
    Romance, Spunky Authors
    Books at Lunch: Your Lunchtime
    Hangout for Great Books
    Gay Romance Lit: Same
    Sex — Yes. Same Romance — No.
    (watch for details)
  • Suspense

    Romantic Suspense: Bad Traffick @dvberkom #RLFblog

    Bad Traffick

    DV Berkom, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about
    your book, Bad Traffick.
    Genre: Romantic Suspense
    Publisher: DV Berkom
    Cover artist: DV Berkom
    Length: 242 pages
    Heat rating: R
    Tagline: Dangerous obsessions abound when an ex-assassin and
    a homicide detective race against the clock to find a missing girl before she’s
    lost forever.
    Blurb:
    Bad Traffick was named a 2012 Top 5 Indie Pick by BloodWrites
    and a Top Pick by Night Owl Reviews.
    Although Bad Traffick is part of a series, it is a standalone
    novel and can be read by itself. That being said, if you like the characters, then
    be sure to pick up Serial Date, the critically-acclaimed first novel in the Leine
    Basso series.
    Identified as a person of interest in three cold case murders
    she didn’t commit and required to stay in L.A.,
    ex-assassin Leine Basso accepts a temporary position as a security specialist for
    A-list actor Miles Fournier, who believes he is the target of kidnappers. Leine
    finds she has her hands full trying to protect the head-strong celebrity, while
    at the same time fighting her desire for Detective Santiago Jensen; a game she knows
    she won’t win.
    Soon, a woman contacts Miles, claiming to be his long-lost sister.
    She confesses her twelve-year-old daughter, Mara, has been abducted by sex-traffickers
    and she’s desperate to get her back, hoping that Miles will use his considerable
    resources to find her.
    Leine learns from a contact at a rescue organization that Mara
    escaped and is alone on the streets in the sprawling city of Los Angeles. The traffickers are determined to
    track her down and deliver her to the powerful client who purchased her for his
    twisted ends. Running out of time, Leine must find Mara before they do, or she will
    be lost forever.
    Buy links:
    Amazon UK:
    http://amazon.co.uk/Traffick-Leine-Basso-Series-ebook/dp/B00AQ8WV5I
    What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?
    Madeleine (Leine) Basso
    – Occupation: ex-assassin and security specialist – Age: 37
    Santiago Jensen – Occupation: Detective, LAPD Robbery
    Homicide Division – Age: 42
    Mara Quigg – Age: 12
    Occupation: Running from traffickers intent on selling her to the highest bidder.
    Excerpt:
    The gentleman in the impeccable Armani
    suit watched the images flash by on the screen, a glass of Macallan single malt
    on the gold inlay table beside him. Two additional men, shrouded in darkness and
    unknown to each other, were also taking part in the video conference from different
    areas of the world, watching the same images. Several times one or the other would
    raise his hand, platinum or gold watch flashing in the darkened rooms, signaling
    for the Seller to pause the presentation so they could look more closely at the
    photographs.
    The Seller was visibly sweating in
    the air conditioned comfort of the massive hotel suite. If he didn’t make the sale
    this time, these clients would look elsewhere for their pleasures. His reputation
    as the go-to guy in the business was balancing on a knife’s edge. Ever since the
    fiasco with the televangelist two months prior, he’d kept a sharp eye on the operational
    side of things.
    One of the executives was fidgeting,
    apparently bored, and the Seller’s anxiety level skyrocketed. He didn’t have to
    find a mirror to know his appearance was giving his discomfort away. He could feel
    the cold sweat flowing down his back and armpits, running between his buttocks.
    What the hell do these guys want? Am I losing
    my touch?
    Usually it wasn’t this hard to match the client to the product.
    The Seller was down to his last two
    photographs when all three men simultaneously motioned for him to stop. The client
    in Saudi Arabia
    rose from his chair and walked to the screen, gazing at the delicate visage.
    The Seller’s shoulders relaxed. He
    shouldn’t have been worried, should’ve known the eyes would close the deal: jade
    green flecked with gold surrounding deep black pupils. Everyone who saw her stopped
    in their tracks. She’d reminded the Seller of a famous photo he’d seen years before
    in an issue of National Geographic. She
    wore the same enigmatic expression. The silence of the buyers signaled it was time
    for the hard sell.
    “Gentleman. I see you have exquisite
    taste. Mara is newly acquired and in pristine condition. I guarantee she will delight
    you with her generous charms. As I’m sure you’ll agree, she has no equal. I always
    save the best for last. Mustn’t trot out the most sublime too quickly, eh?”
    There were murmurs of agreement between
    the men. The Seller’s anxiety morphed to excitement as he prepared to set the hook.
    My God, look at them. They’re practically
    salivating
    . A bidding war would be a welcome relief.
    The client in the room waved him to
    his side. His unusual gold pinkie ring flashed, catching the Seller’s eye. He’d
    seen the symbol before, but was unaware of its significance.
    “Her age?” he asked.
    The Seller turned and glanced at the
    picture of the girl. Her expression still held a trace of innocence, although churning
    through the American foster care system for two years had taken its toll. The photographer
    had captured the picture before Mara realized she wasn’t going home.
    “Twelve years, sir.”
    “Pure?”
    “Most assuredly.”
    The man nodded his approval. He glanced
    back at the screen and steepled his fingers, bringing them to his lips to mask his
    words.
    “Make sure she’s mine,”
    he whispered.
    The quiet statement held the promise
    of a lucrative payday tinged with strong warning. The Seller’s mouth ran dry. He
    nodded as he straightened and walked to the front of the room. The cameraman panned
    with him, framing his head and shoulders with Mara’s photograph in the background.
    The other two clients would see only the Seller with the girl’s face behind him
    on screen. Taking a sip of water from a glass nearby, he cleared his throat.
    “Shall we start the bidding at
    fifty-thousand?”
    Download an extended excerpt here.

    Interview

    What inspired you to write this book?
    Bad Traffick deals
    with the pervasive issue of child sex-trafficking in the United States. I
    was inspired to write this book after watching a documentary shown at a local community
    college regarding the trafficking of children in the U.S. It’s not something that only happens
    “somewhere else” – children are forced into the sex trade every day, from
    California to Iowa
    to Alaska.
    The deeper I went into the research, the more I realized I needed
    to tell Mara’s story. Most people are aware human trafficking exists, but a large
    majority don’t realize it’s so prevalent in this country.
    Which character in your current book do you think readers
    will like the most? Why?
    I’ve gotten emails from
    readers telling me they love Leine and Santiago’s
    love story and want to see more. Mara, the twelve year old who is the subject of
    the search, is a close second.
    Why do you write?
    I’ve written since I
    was seven. Along with photography, it’s been my favorite way of making sense of
    the world.
    When you’re not writing, what would we find you doing?
    Other than reading, I
    love the outdoors, so hiking, camping, kayaking, gardening, traveling, etc. I am
    also an avid photographer and cook.
    Are you a plotter, or do you prefer to make it up on the spur
    of the moment?
    I started out as a ‘pantser’,
    or someone who makes up stories on the fly, but after I took a fabulous workshop
    on plotting, I now use a hybrid style that incorporates both when I write.
    Looking back at your first book, what do you wish you had
    done differently?
    Put it away and gone
    on to the next book sooner.
    What’s your writing schedule like?
    I like to get administrative
    stuff done in the morning, such as interviews, answering emails, blog posts, etc.,
    then sit down and write in the afternoon. If I’m really in the zone, I’ll continue
    into the evening.
    Serial Date
    Any advice for new authors?
    Show your writing to
    other people than your family and friends to get a more balanced sense of how well
    you write and what your strengths and weaknesses are. Your mother or best friend
    will not want to hurt your feelings (usually), so won’t be a lot of help. Join a
    critique group with writers of varying abilities. Learn, learn, learn and write,
    write, write. Until you learn to look forward to criticism, you won’t be detached
    enough from your writing to really excel at it.
    When an idea hits you, what do you do to capture it?
    Write it down on anything
    handy. If there’s nothing available, I repeat it to myself several times until I’m
    sure I won’t forget it, or tell it to whomever I’m with.
    What other jobs have you held besides writing?
    I’ve worked as a massage therapist, a certified Feng Shui consultant,
    managed the tasting room at a winery in California, fileted fish at a fish market
    on the coast, sold hot air balloon rides in Napa Valley (and worked as crew), and
    worked in the mud baths of Calistoga. All that, along with several 9-5 jobs in higher
    education, shipping and the banking industry. Obviously, I tend to get bored easily
    :-)
    What are you currently reading for fun? Anything for research?
    For fun: Harbor Nocturne by Joseph Wambaugh. For research:
    I just got back from a trip to the Yucatan
    and am currently deep into writing the next Kate Jones thriller (#6). I’ve been
    researching Mayan culture and jaguars.
    If you could time travel what era would be your first stop?
    Paris in the 1920s. I would love to be a part of the
    ex-pat crowd of artists who spent time there.
    Do you believe in luck?
    As a writer, you have
    to.
    What kind of music do you listen to while driving? Same question
    when writing?
    I’m partial to jazz and
    the Blues, but like alternative stuff, too.
    What’s your favorite movie?
    Out of Africa. It’s one of the
    best, heart-breaking love stories, and the cinematography is stunning.
    Are you the eldest, middle, baby, or only child?
    I’m the baby. I have
    an older sister.
    DV Berkom

    Please complete the sentence

    I love pizza with goat cheese.
    I’m always ready for new things.
    When I’m alone, I love to sing at the top of my lungs and
    totally off key while dancing to the radio
    .
    You’d never be able to tell, but I was once super shy.
    If I had a halo it would be in
    my back pocket. I hate hats
    .
    If I could fly under my own power I’d travel a LOT more.
    I can never go back to wearing big shoulder pads because
    they’re really ugly.

    Previous Books              

    The Kate Jones Thriller series:
    Bad Spirits Books 1-5
    Dead of Winter
    Death Rites
    Touring for Death
    Cruising for Death
    The Leine Basso Series:
    Serial Date
    Bad Traffick

    Books Coming Soon

    Untitled Kate Jones #6
    Untitled Leine Basso #3

    Contest

    I’m giving away one print copy (US only) and 3 ebook copies of Serial Date, the first in the Leine Basso
    series. Leave a comment to be entered. Please write out your email.

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