-
RLF Gems: Blog Stats for Jan 2013 #RLFblog
RLF Gems January on Romance Lives Forever had two ties, one for third
place and a three-way tie in fourth. We had 1 model interview, 16 author
interviews, 4 character interviews, 3 book releases, and 2 articles, and one new
feature article for 28 posts in a 31 day month.We introduced a new feature this month: Cover Love. This is a short intro to
a book and includes only a blurb, buy links, and social media contacts for the
author. We use it if one of our scheduled authors is unable to appear, and no
other material is on hand. If you would like to submit your book for this
feature, see the FAQ page for more information.The top posts are all interviews this month. Here are the top five posts (judging
by page hits).Of special notice: In the history of the blog, only eight
other people had more hits than our first place winner, John Steiner.1. John Steiner2. Charley Descoteaux3. Patricia Yager Delagrange3. EmKay Connor4. Synithia Williams4. Gemma K Murray4. John Quinlan (fitness model)5. Tara Lain
John Quinlan 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 Romance
Lives 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 new authors.Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
name are:Angela Plowman, Cheryl
Rhodes, Ciar Cullen, Coleen Kwan, Selena Illyria, Danica Winters,
Manisha Kumar, Elisabeth Silvers, Jane Wakely, Jerome Brooke, Kate
Hill, Kissa Starling, Kristina Knight, Krystal Shannan, Lillian Grant, Rosanna
Leo, Toni Noel, Xavier Axelson -
Urban Fantasy: Natural Born Enemies @GemmaKMurray #RLFblog
Natural Born Enemies Gemma K Murray,
welcome back to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about your book, Natural Born Enemies.Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal RomancePublisher: Leap of Faith PublishingCover artist: Regina
PaulLength: 55,679 wordsHeat rating: 4 flamesBlurb:Cedar River,
Michigan is a wonderful place to fall
in love. Some people see change as a good thing, but there are a few others who
can’t let go of the “old ways.” “Breeds should stay within their breeds,” they say.Adam Thomas is the deputy sheriff in Cedar
River. His black puma shifter side got him released from the military
and sent back home. His demons followed, but they are nothing compared to the ones
within his pride.Luna McIntyre is the only daughter and shaman to the McIntyre
pack. She is tired of being smothered and told what to do in regards to her life.
She’s opened a sweet shop and moved forward with her life. However, the love of
her teen years is back in town and her family is trying to rein her in again.Someone in this small town is so set in their beliefs that they
can’t see how love is sometimes simply love. Cats and canines may be natural born
enemies, but love may be enough to get past the differences.Buy links:Leap of Faith Publishing http://leapoffaithpublishing.com/#!/~/product/category=2613677&id=18412886Amazon http://amzn.com/B00ASHH9T0/What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?Adam Thomas is in his
late twenties/early thirties. He is one of the deputies to the sheriff, Bowie Golden,
in the Upper Peninsula town of Cedar River.
Adam is a black puma shifter.Luna McIntyre is the
only daughter of the Alpha of the McIntyre pack in Cedar River.
She is also in her late twenties/early thirties and owns Full Moon Sweets, a candy
shop full of tempations.Interview
Tell us about your story’s world. What is it like in this
period or place? Natural Born Enemies
is the second book in the Cedar River Series. Cedar River
is a small town of shifters in every shape and size. From the largest nest of dragons
to phoenix, wolves, pumas, and otters, if you are looking for a shifter, you will
probably be able to find it in this series. The town is set along the shores of
Lake Superior, one of the most beautiful places
on Earth. Cedar trees scent the air along with the crisp smell of the lake. Residents
are of different species, but they manage to pull together and help out as a community
should.What inspired you to write this book?When I finished writing
Keeper of the Golden Dragon’s Heart, I thought I was done. However, Adam stepped
forward and wanted his story told. The more I heard his story (in my mind) the more
I knew I had to tell it. He carries inside of him so much sorrow and pain and because
of that, he is so familiar to me.Why do you write?Honestly, I write because
if I didn’t, I would lose my mind. I have always had voices in my mind and I thought
I was crazy. Then, I began to sort them into groups or couples and I wrote. Once
I began to write, the voices in my head would slow down and my head was able to
clear. If I didn’t write, I don’t know what else I would do.When you write, what things do you want close at hand? (Coffee,
water, chocolate… pictures of gorgeous hunks for inspiration…?)In the morning, I have
French vanilla cappuccino, the afternoon, water. In my house, there is always a
dog or two underfoot. My earbuds are always close by as well. With the view I have
out my front window (where I write), that is all the inspiration I could possibly
need.When you’re not writing, what would we find you doing?At the age of 40, I decided
returning to school seemed like a brilliant idea. Therefore, if I’m not writing,
I’m studying. When I have time, I am a bookaholic. I love to read. I was a reader
long before I was a writer and I can while away an entire day between the pages
of a book.What aspect of your life do you write into your books?My real-life emotions
really come out in my writing. I’ve been married for almost 20 years so love is
a must have in my books. I don’t believe in the fairy tale, happily ever after love.
I want my characters to have “real” love. You know, the love where not everything
is perfect. Their relationships are organic and need to be tended. I love to laugh
so humor is a big part of my writing. My husband says my female characters resemble
me in many ways (stubborn, tough, strong).What other jobs have you held besides writing?I spent many years as
a babysitter/daycare worker. I waited tables, did dishes, and cooked at a truck
stop when I was in high school. I also worked in a vet clinic, which was so much
hard work, yet very much worth it. My favorite job (besides writing) has been being
a stay at home wife/canine mom for the last 20 years.Which of your books was the hardest to write and why?Keeper of the Golden
Dragon’s Heart was the hardest because I didn’t want to be a paranormal author.
There are so many amazing paranormal/urban fantasy authors out there and I never
imagined my imagination could compete with them. Once I shut off my inner critic
and let the story flow, I found myself in awe of what I was writing. My imagination
is really an awesome place to hang out.Personal Info
What’s the best gift you ever received?My first canine kid,
Kodiak. We had just found out we couldn’t have children when my husband brought
her home. She healed two broken hearts.What kind of music do you listen to while driving? Same question
when writing?When I’m driving, I usually
have country music on. I love the harder hitting music like Jason Aldean and Luke
Bryan.When I’m writing, it
depends on the characters. For Natural Born Enemies, I listened to A LOT of Celtic
Thunder. For Book 3 (which I’m working on now), I have a lot of Clapton, Heart,
Bob Seeger, Santana, and Pink on my playlist.What’s your favorite movie?Right now, I can’t get
enough of Catch and Release. It’s such a funny, yet wonderfully romantic movie.Please complete the sentence
I love pizza with pepperoni and green olives.I’m always ready for Duck Dynasty (reality television show).When I’m alone, I take time to
be girly.You’d never be able to tell, but I am a princess at heart.If I had a halo it would be held
up by a couple of horns and it would be more than a bit tarnished.If I could live anywhere in the world, I’d stay here
in the U.P.I can never give up because my dad taught me to fight
for the things that matter.Previous Books
Keeper of the Golden Dragon’s Heart- Cedar River Series: Book
1Contest
Find Me Here
Website: http://gemmakmurray.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/GemmaKMurrayFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/GemmaKMurraySeries Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CedarRiverSeriesPinterest: http://pinterest.com/GemmaKMurray -
RLF Gems: Blog Stats for Dec and 2012 #rlfblog
RLF Gems December on Romance Lives Forever saw eleven author
interviews, six character interviews, five book releases, and seven articles,
for twenty-nine posts in a thirty-one day month. Here are the top five posts (judging
by page hits). There were ties at fifth place. Two articles, four author
interviews, and a special, group book release are in the top posts.1. 2012 Booklover’s Guide for Romance Lives Forever2. Remembering Christmas (included a free download) –
Kayelle Allen3. Suspense: Green Eyed Doll – Jerrie Alexander4. New Year’s Eve Club Author Interview – Diana Saenger5. Four SciFi Romance Writers Throw Down – AM Griffin, Christine d’Abo, Cynthia
Sax, Ria Candro5. Character Interview: The Auction – Lyn AustinSpecial Mention this month for a unique post: Where Inspiration
Comes From, by Vicki Batman.Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
name are:Ann Montclair, Flame Arden,
Jackie Leigh Allen, Jennifer Thomas, Jill Limber, Jillian Leigh, Lia Davis, LM
Brown, Lyla Bardan, Shelly
Holt, Shirley Ann Wilder, Stacy Juba, Stan Hampton, Susan MacNicol, Tamara
Hoffa, Teresa Carpenter, Terry Irene Blaine, Tina Donahue, Victoria Blisse, Wendy
Soliman, Willa Blair2012 Best of the Best
Top five bloggers:- Elysa Hendricks – author
- Jason Aaron Baca – model and author
interview - Paul Bright – filmmaker
- Jerrie Alexander – author
- Susan Lodge – author
Top five articles (tie at 5th place)
1. Irene Preston – Bad, Bad, Bad, Writing the Wrong Kind of Bad Girl2. Kayelle Allen – Remembering Christmas3. Jerrie Alexander – Suspense: Green Eyed Doll4. LM Brown – Blogging – A new form of self-imposed torture5. Kharisma Rhayne – Test
Drive (Sex)5. Kayelle Allen – Booklover’s Guide to Romance Lives ForeverTop five author interviews
1. Diana Saenger2. Delaney Diamond3. Lyn Austin4. Denyse’ Bridger5. Shirley Ann WilderTop five character interviews (3 way tie at 5th place)
1. Susan Lodge – Hetty Avebury2. Charlie Cochrane – Ben Edwards3. Stephanie Burkhart – Lady Keira4. Kristina Knight – A Texas
Girl5. Xavier Axelson – Anson from Earthly Concerns5. Jackie Leigh Allen – New Year’s Eve Club5. Sharon Hamilton – SEAL Kyle LansdowneTop five book releases
1. Amy McCorkle / Kate Lynd – No Ordinary Love2. Kendall McKenna – Waves Break My Fall3. Gemma K Murray
– Keeper of the Golden Dragon’s Heart4. AM Griffin,
Christine d’Abo, Cynthia Sax, Ria Candro – Four SciFi Romance Writers Throw
Down5. Tina Donahue – Come Fill Me
Romance Lives Forever Button 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 created the Booklover’s Guide to Romance
Lives Forever with links to guest authors’ books and social media. It’s
available on the site now, and is 110 pages of information. The FAQ page provides updated downloads of optional interview questions, and a guide to the
blog. You can grab a button to promote your visit.My thanks to all who took part this year. You made Romance
Lives Forever a great place to discover new books and new authors.
