• RLF Gems

    Saying goodbye to the Romance Lives Forever blog #RLFblog

    As of today, Dec 1, 2023, I am closing Romance Lives Forever. Why? I'm organized and efficient, but with as much as I want to do going forward, I can no longer maintain RLF. I used Triberr to amplify the blog on social media, especially Twitter. The new requirements and limits from Twitter cut exposure by a huge margin. Triberr brought 80%+ of all readers to the blog. Since it's no longer active, that cost another huge drop in traffic.

    It costs a bit to run the blog, register its domain name, pay for the signup/reminder service, and it takes time to chase down people who send things last minute (or not at all). Plus I have to let authors know the service is available. Then I format the material, resize the images, upload everything, and schedule its promotion. Alas, time and money won out.

    I started the blog in 2009, and went to daily posts in 2010. I've explored many ways to do all this and still find time to write and market for myself. I hired an assistant last year, but only I can write the stories in my heart. I am loath to give up, not being a quitter by nature.

    When it's Time to Quit

    Last month, I heard Becca Syme (one of my mentors) say that it's time to quit when you no longer love what you do. Becca is brilliant. I took her Strengths for Writers and Write Better-Faster courses in the last 12 months. Each came with 6 months of follow up calls and targeted counseling. Changed my life in so many ways. Here's the video I'm referring to if you're curious. https://youtu.be/GRG5UeFYihE

    Daily monitoring this blog is not what I love. What I love is supporting other authors, and the blog was how I did that. I will still support them but in ways that leave time for my own priorities. It took more than a year for me to decide to do this (or rather, stop doing this). I almost didn't commit to 2023, but felt guilty for quitting. It wasn't until I heard Becca's comment last month that I gave myself permission to do what I had to do. She wasn't talking about blogging, or anything even close to what I was doing. She was talking about writing in the golden age of publishing (the new era we've recently entered), and how to know what to do next (or stop doing).

    The video was from Ream, which is a new subscription platform for authors. I've just launched mine. I attended an accelerator class with a handful of other authors in a small-group setting for mentorship. Wonderful support and I learned things I never expected.


    Some of the Many Authors Who Made RLF a Success

    Adriana Kraft, Alexa Aston, Alina K Field, Amber Daulton, Anne Kane, Brenda Sparks, Daryl Devore, Dee S Knight, Effrosyni Moschoudi, Faye Hall, Iris Blobel, J Arlene Culiner, Jami Gray, Jana Richards, Karen Cino, Kate Hill, Kris Bock, Linda O'Connor, Lisabet Sarai, Livia Quinn, NJ Walters, Seelie Kay, Tena Stetler, Tina Donahue, Veronica Scott, Vicki Batman

    I'll miss the blog. It's been a part of my life during most of my career as an author. I look forward to what comes after this, and having the time and freedom to pursue the next steps.


    Thank you for being part of my journey. If you'd like to support me and keep up with what I'm doing next, here's how:

    Become an immortal via my newsletter and get a starter set plus other exclusive perks. You can unsubscribe at any time.
    Enter my Ever-Expanding Empire at reamstories.com/kayelleallen and follow (it's free) to discover a whole new universe of exciting tales.
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    Sign up for AuthorAlarms and the app will send you one email when I release a book. You can add and remove other authors on this app as well.
    Follow me on BookBub to receive a single email with each new book.


    Romance Lives Forever Blog (RLFblog) is closed as of Dec 1, 2023. Comments prior to 2021 have been deleted. This site will remain online until July 2025.


     
  • Paranormal

    Read the Paranormal novel Storm Crazy by Livia Quinn @liviaquinn #RLFblog #ParanormalRomance

    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 book.

    Storm Crazy by Livia Quinn

    Read the Paranormal novel Storm Crazy by Livia Quinn @liviaquinn #RLFblog #ParanormalRomanceGenre Paranormal
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13

    I’m Sheriff Jack Lang. After a career as a Navy pilot, Destiny seemed like the perfect place to settle down. I wanted a normal place to raise my daughter, like Mayberry. But after meeting Tempe, Destiny seems more like Middle Earth.

    Then I met Tempest Pomeroy, my sexy redheaded mail lady and trouble magnet. Tempe never fails to test the limits of my patience, or the law. Every time I think it’s the last straw, up pops another haystack.

    My name is Tempest Pomeroy, and my human job is delivering the mail. I’m also a Paramortal like my family, or I’m supposed to be. If I didn’t have a few little talents, I’d think I was adopted.

    But now my brother’s genie bottle is missing and the sheriff suspects yours truly. I’ve denied my heritage for most of my life but all this chaos is a sign of my quickening Tempestaerie power. Things better settle down soon, ’cause I’m about to go Storm Crazy.

    Mrs. Quinn has the potential to become another Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb & Gina Showalter. If you love paranormal romance with a twist of whodunit, this book is for you.”

    Here you’ll meet shifters, vampires, dragons, tempestaeries, djinn and fae with surprises at every turn. The Destiny Paramortals is a series with recurring characters on their Paramortal journey. They are not standalones.

    Everyone gets their HEA, just not in book 1. Read them in order:

    Destiny Paramortals (Paranormal Urban Fantasy /Romance)
    Storm Crazy
    Cry Me a River
    Eve of Chaos
    Blame it on the Moon
    Take these Broken Wings
    Blood Moon
    Bad Moon Rising (2021)

    Where to Buy Storm Crazy

    Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/u/38nlMO

    Livia Quinn’s Social Media

    Growing up in DC, Livia tagged along with her Daddy to Redskins games and explored the rich history of our country, then she moved to the bayous of Louisiana where the weather and culture of this region inspired her writing, including her storm faerie, Tempest and her military heroes. Livia’s many jobs as mail lady, salesperson, plant manager, business owner and professional singer are the conduit her characters have used to relate their stories to her. Think of her as her characters’ biographer! Down by the bayou she is protected from the alligators and bears by her husband and feisty Pomeranian, Dusty.
    Website: http://liviaquinn.com
    Blog: https://liviaquinnwrites.com/livias-ramblings
    Twitter http://twitter.com/liviaquinn
    Facebook http://www.facebook.com/liviaquinnauthor
    Pinterest http://pinterest.com/liviaquinn
    Google+ http://bit.ly/2guNZn9
    Instagram http://instagram.com/liviaquinnauthor
    Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/livia-quinn
    Goodreads http://bit.ly/22VXuev
    Amazon Author page amazon.com/author/liviaquinn
    Livia Quinn Readers Group http://bit.ly/2gBFQ12
    Newsletter http://eepurl.com/W94bb

     

  • Free Book Friday

    #PNR Storm Crazy by Livia Quinn @liviaquinn #FreeBookFriday #RLFblog

    #PNR Storm Crazy by Livia Quinn @liviaquinn #FreeBookFriday #RLFblog It’s #FreeBook Friday on RLFblog! Join us for a collection of free reads and downloads. All genres and heat levels. This week’s featured book is Storm Crazy by Livia Quinn. Bookmark this site so you don’t miss a thing.

    Welcome to FreeBook Friday

    Each week, you’ll find free books to download and read. Some are straight up giveaways, some Kindle Unlimited, others are Kindle Select, and some are free with newsletter sign up. Always a mix of genres and heat levels. These free deals may be limited in time, so please be sure to check prices before clicking the final buy button.

    When you sign up for a newsletter, you are signing up ONLY for that author’s newsletter, not a list of authors who will all then email you. You can unsubscribe at any time, however, please do not mark these emails as spam. When you sign up, you give your permission for the author to email you. Thank you, and enjoy the books!

    Storm Crazy, Destiny Paramortals #1 by Livia Quinn

    Welcome to Destiny, home to the Paramortals since…well, forever…where human neighbors and their new sheriff live alongside shifters, dragons, vampires and a family of djinn.
    Just don’t tell the humans.
    To former Navy pilot-turned-sheriff Jack Lang, the town of Destiny seemed the perfect place to settle down – safe, sane and secure. But his investigation into a perplexing death shatters the alleged calm and threatens the tranquil home life he hoped to provide for his daughter. Especially, when he catches his mail lady in the act of stealing an antique vase after stepping over said body. Soon, Jack discovers Tempest Pomeroy is an outright trouble magnet who never fails to test the limits of his patience or the law.
    For most of her life, Tempe’s denied her heritage, but as the sheriff’s investigation veers off into the bizarre and intrudes into the existence of the Paramortals, danger heads toward them like an F5 tornado… Look out, Tempest’s about to go Storm Crazy.
    A human sheriff, a storm witch, and the quirky, supernatural town of Destiny. What could go wrong?
    Download your free book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L02VHE0
    Free on KindleUnlimited

    Triple Burn by Holly BargoTriple Burn by Holly Bargo #FreeBookFriday #Read

    A lengthy and increasingly unnerving interview lands Ursula a job as the event planner at a foreign embassy. Not until the government hustles her off to a different planet does she realize just how foreign that embassy is. When the U.S. ambassador hands over one of her coworkers during her first event as collateral to seal a trade agreement, Ursula breaks out of the embassy, determined to find a way back home before she, too, can be used as a bargaining chip in this world desperate for females.
    What she doesn’t know as she navigates the unfamiliar streets of a totally alien culture and climate, is that she already caught the attention of a native warrior triad in a land where women are coddled and kept, yet prized above all else. They take her, elated to have obtained their collective heart’s desire.
    What they don’t know is how fiercely independent a woman from Earth can be. Disoriented, confused, and not a little angry at the way these three overbearing, dominant, sexy warriors take over her life, she wants to go home, but soon discovers this job was a one-way ticket courtesy of the United States government. If she can’t go back, she must go forward. Can she retain her identify and adapt to life on this new world with the three warriors who’ve claimed her as their mate? Is compromise possible between a woman used to controlling her own life and three warriors steeped in a culture that forbids it?
    Download your free book: https://www.amazon.com/Triple-Burn-Holly-Bargo-ebook/dp/B07Q4FV2ZK
    Free on KindleUnlimited

    At the Mercy of Her Pleasure by Kayelle AllenAt the Mercy of Her Pleasure by Kayelle Allen #FreeBookFriday #Read

    To free his enslaved brother from a cruel master, Senth, an all-party-fun-and-games thief, must take on the hardest assignment of his life: stealing from the Empress. To make matters worse, he has no choice but to work with the beautiful NarrAy, a by-the-book rebel captain whose addictive pheromones could jeopardize the mission and destroy Senth’s will.
    When the unthinkable happens and NarrAy professes her love for him, Senth must decide if what he feels is real. Can he trust this woman? If he loves her back, can he still save his brother? Or will Senth end up at the mercy of her pleasure forever…
    Download your free book: https://books2read.com/u/m2o9P1
    Free on KindleUnlimited

    A Formidable Foe by Kim McMahillA Formidable Foe by Kim McMahill #FreeBookFriday #Read

    University student Devyn Nash is frustrated. No one believes her theory that two unrelated off-campus student deaths are the product of a serial killer. Authorities disregard her concerns and dire predictions, but her gut tells her not to give up. Will she convince them to heed her warnings before the killer strikes again or will she be the next victim?
    Download your free book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q9YFTLH
    Free on KindleUnlimited

    Pride (Sin-Eaters Book 1) by Lynn Chantale

    Pride (Sin-Eaters Book 1) by Lynn Chantale #FreeBookFriday #ReadHuemac, a half-breed, covets ultimate power, but he needs two things—access to the royal family and an ancient artifact. He attains the former by seducing the Emperor’s sister, and then steals the latter.
    Moctezuma, the newly crowned Emperor, comes from a long line of powerful gods known as Sin-Eaters. He desires peace among his people, but an ancient prophecy warns of war.
    Huemac discovers the incantation to activate the fabled Athame of Souls, a mythical weapon capable of entrapping souls. His quest to rule is within his grasp. Only one thing stands in his way—Moctezuma.
    Download your free book: https://www.reamazon.com/Pride-Sin-Eaters-Book-Lynn-Chantale-ebook/dp/B07KY1N4NV/
    Free on KindleUnlimited

    Dangerous Heat by Sloan McBrideDangerous Heat by Sloan McBride #FreeBookFriday #Read

    The onset of fire season should be the hottest thing about interviewing smoke jumpers for Whitney Storm – until she sees Tom MacKenzie. He set her heart aflame 10 years ago, then disappeared. As an empath who doesn’t need emotional turmoil, this six-foot-tall dark and dangerous memory has no place in her life.
    As a smoke jumper, Tom’s job keeps him face-to-face with danger, and he thought he knew how to handle heat. But the uncontrolled burn whenever he’s near Whitney is hotter than he remembers. He’s ready to face the past and make amends. She’s made it clear she wants nothing to do with him.
    A life-threatening problem flares when a killer’s greedy obsession threatens everything. Can Tom and Whitney learn to trust each other again and protect all that they hold dear, or will their world turn to ashes around them?
    Download your free book: https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Heat-Fire-Trilogy-Book/dp/B07BGJ5DW3/
    Free for a limited time. Get your copy today.

    Bookmark this site and come back for more great books!

     

  • Contemporary

    #Romance Lives Forever on #RLFblog Meet the top bloggers @AM_Scottwrites @DeeSKnight @Brenda_Sparks @CynthiaSax @LiviaQuinn @KimMcMahill @JanaRichards_ @EsmeWild @JoGrafford

    #Romance Lives Forever on #RLFblog Meet the top bloggers @AM_Scottwrites @DeeSKnight @Brenda_Sparks @CynthiaSax @LiviaQuinn @KimMcMahill @JanaRichards_ @EsmeWild @JoGraffordBe sure to read What is RLF? Romance Lives Forever and discover great new opportunities for authors and readers.

    The Top Blogger of 2018 was Brenda Sparks, who won a year of free advertising and a featured spot each month. Her cover is on the front page of Romance Lives Forever every day.

    Top Bloggers

    The top bloggers are judged by page visits. Congratulations!
    AM Scott, Dee S Knight, Kim McMahill, Cynthia Sax, Esme Wild, Jana Richards, Jo Grafford, Livia Quinn, and Brenda Sparks.
    Honorable Mention: Linda Carroll-Bradd, Kryssie Fortune and Caroline Clemmons.

    #FreeBookFriday

    Readers bookmark the blog and come back every day for good books. On Fridays, every book we offer is free. Look for the #FreeBookFriday hashtag on Twitter and Facebook.

    Authors, do you offer subscribers a free book for signing up to your newsletter? Do you have a permafree book or a book on KindleUnlimited? Here’s your chance to reach new readers. Romance Lives Forever now offers a free book section. #FreeBookFriday will offer 5 books each week all year long. Each week, 4 spots will be free.

    How do you take part? It’s easy. All you need to send is the cover, a blurb, and a link to get your book. When you sign up, your confirmation form will have a link to add your book info.

    When someone clicks the link you provide, they’ll be taken directly to your site. You’ll have the double opt in that newsletter services require. No worrying about adding a list downloaded from another place. You’ll get subscribers directly. Easy peasy.

    Reserve a date for Free Book Friday http://bit.ly/rlf-free

    Find Good Books

    One good way to find good books is to subscribe to this blog. How? Easy! Enter your name and email in that box on the left and click Subscribe. You’ll get an email every time a new post comes out. The entire post will be available and you won’t have to go anywhere but your inbox to read it. Best part? Your email is not used for any other purpose. Ever.

    Please support our veterans

    Who among us doesn’t have a veteran in the family? Please support our veterans and their families personally and in your communications with Congress.

    Be a Guest Author

    Romance Lives Forever uses Signup Genius to schedule guests. The system also reminds authors of their visit. One post is available each day. Once you choose a date, no one else will be able to take it. You can sign up for more than one visit; however, each visit must be in a different month.

    Reserve a date between April – June 2019
    https://bit.ly/rlf2Q2019

     

    My thanks to all who took part this month. You made Romance Lives Forever a great place to discover new books and authors.

    Do you want to BLAST PIRATES?

    I recommend Blasty. When you use it, please mark Romance Lives Forever as a legal site. Thank you!

  • Urban Fantasy

    Destiny Paramortals #3: Eve of Chaos by Livia Quinn @liviaquinn #RLFblog #urbanfantasy

    Destiny Paramortals #3: Eve of Chaos by Livia Quinn @liviaquinn #RLFblog #urbanfantasy Livia Quinn, 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 book.

    Destiny Paramortals #3: Eve of Chaos by Livia Quinn

    “You vill meet a dahk dangerrous strangah…”
    …Aurora predicted at the Mardi Gras ball, and as if someone left their Swords of War videogame on “share” in a parallel universe, the Dark Knight walked in. Conor de Sept Flambe´ with the distinctive leathery tattoos spanning his muscular shoulders and magnificent flashing swords. “Where did he get those swords?” Montana drooled. She’d been unable to force her eyes away from him, then he parted the crowd like Moses through the Red Sea, and asked her to dance.
    He said he wanted to show her some of his moves. Right! Her Dinnshencha warrior wasn’t born yesterday… But there’s more to this Knight than meets the eye, and he’s quite an eyeful. Recognizing her diminishing strength, he offered to prepare her for the Chaos, twenty-four hours when many Paramortals would lose their power.
    With crazies coming out of the woodwork, Paramortals losing their abilities, personalities going AWOL, Sheriff Lang wants to know who will be left standing with him when the Para-moon begins. If Flambe´ is what Jack thinks he is, Destiny might have a chance. If not, they’ll be in deep… trouble. Where’s an F-18 when you need one?

    Genre Paranormal/ Urban Fantasy
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG-13
    Publisher Campbell Hill Publishing
    Amazon http://amzn.to/1Se2Qhu
    Barnes and Noble bit.ly/1OLrdAP
    CreateSpace (Print) bit.ly/1IZ9zJi
    Goodreads bit.ly/1K9Iq1l
    IBooks apple.co/1RH9ZVX
    Inktera bit.ly/EOC-In
    Scribd bit.ly/1JHZSPM
    Kobo bit.ly/1RiyJ8z

    Livia Quinn Social Media

    Livia Quinn is a DC native living on the bayou in Louisiana. She’s written thirteen books, both contemporary military romance and urban fantasy based around her fictional Storm Lake. In her jobs as plant manager, mail lady, computer instructor, professional singer and salesperson she’s collected many stories and quirky characters to share with her readers. She is a staunch supporter and advocate for our service men and women.
    Website http://liviaquinn.com
    Blog https://liviaquinnwrites.com/livias-ramblings
    Twitter http://twitter.com/liviaquinn
    Facebook http://www.facebook.com/liviaquinnwrites
    Pinterest http://pinterest.com/liviaquinn
    Goodreads http://bit.ly/22VXuev
    Amazon Author page http://amzn.to/1T5qmhN
    Google+ http://bit.ly/2guNZn9
    LinkedIn http://bit.ly/2dbYAP2
    Instagram http://instagram.com/liviaquinnauthor
    Independent Author Network http://bit.ly/2dlAr8L
    Livia Quinn’s Facebook Reader Group http://bit.ly/2gBFQ12

     

  • Contemporary,  Do It Write

    Do It Write: Where Livia Quinn writes @liviaquinn #RLFblog #MilitaryRomance

    Do It Write: Where Livia Quinn writes @liviiaquinn #RLFblog #MilitaryRomanceLivia Quinn, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Before we talk about your office, please tell us about your latest book.

    When the Right One Comes Along by Livia Quinn

    Genre Small town military romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG-13
    Love happens when you least expect it, even when it’s the last thing you’re looking for.
    Former Army Ranger, Ridge Romano lost his brother John to the war, but not on the battlefield. After returning home with PTSD and, like so many soldiers, experiencing the loss of his identity and purpose, he committed suicide leaving behind a grieving wife and child. Early on, Ridge was recruited by the Army for his work in bionics eventually putting them on the forefront of drone technology. Now, the CEO of MedBionics, Ridge is on a mission to ensure John’s death was not in vain. He’s in DC meeting with Congress about an revolutionary veterans’ project. With a “yes” vote on the big bill, his Consortium, MiliCare, will take over the care of his fellow soldiers and their families. But an impulsive act of folly and one night with one very special woman – complete with photographs – put the contract and his dreams in danger.
    At the DC convention, photographer and former fashion model, Buffy Calloway finds the “Face” of her new franchise, the Calloway Studio and Casting agency, which will provide models, marketing and photography to designers and movie studios. The tall, dark and intense man she finds is everything she’s been looking for. He’s “the one” but after discovering his noble goals, there seems to be no path to a meeting of the minds (or their hearts).
    Can two very different people whose goals are at odds find a way to have it all?
    How long have you been writing?Do It Write: Where Livia Quinn writes @liviiaquinn #RLFblog #MilitaryRomance
    I’ve had a pen in my hand since I was a kid waiting for a story to put on paper but didn’t start writing fiction toward publication until the summer of Katrina, the hurricane that nit the gulf coast in 2005.
    What was your first published book?
    Fire in my Blood in 2012 which has since been revised and renamed Undone.
    Tell us about your writing space or home office.
    A new neighbor moved in and offered me the portable building that was used as a “camp”. It sits by the bayou on the hill, decorated with my favorite things, my story boards, sculptures a friend made me. It’s not fancy but quiet and quaint and the scenery is soothing. I love it. This is my desk I recently fancied up to sooth my psyche a bit.
    If money was no object, what would your home office look like?
    Something like one of the gorgeous libraries with walls of books and intricately painted ceilings I saw in England last year that made me want to sit in them and write.
    What office equipment do you use most, other than your computer?
    My notebook and an Inkjoy pen, my Olympus recorder and Dragon Dictate. I handwrite the new scenes in the tub, record them onto the recorder, transcribe and copy into Scrivener. (That’s the VERY rough draft.)
    What’s the last book about writing that you read?
    Novel Shortcuts by Laura Whitcomb. It’s excellent, especially about writing back cover copy as a short synopsis when beginning a new book.
    Do you have an author newsletter?
    Yes. I’d love to hear from readers at either my email below or you can sign up for my occasional newsletter for new release alerts.

    Where to buy When the Right One Comes Along

    Books 2 Read https://books2read.com/whentheright1
    Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GMW5D6R
    Amazon CA. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07GMW5D6R
    Amazon UK https://www.amazon.com.uk/dp/B07GMW5D6R
    Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07GMW5D6R
    Apple Books https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1431549772
    Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1129351066
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/when-the-right-one-comes-along-6
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41796050
    Walmart www.walmart.com/ip/When-the-Right-One-Comes-Along-eBook/908125762

    Livia Quinn Social Media

    Livia moved from D.C. to Louisiana where the weather and culture of the region inspired her writing, including her storm faerie, Tempest, and her contemporary romance series, The Calloways of Rainbow Bayou. She’s stored up fodder from her jobs as mail lady, salesperson, plant manager, business owner and professional singer to share with readers. Think of her as her characters’ biographer! On the bayou, she is protected from the alligators and bears by her husband and feisty Pomeranian, Dusty.
    Books2read author page https://www.books2read.com/ap/x2gD7R/Livia-Quinn
    Website: http://liviaquinn.com
    Blog https:liviaquinnwrites.blogspot.com
    Facebook http://www.facebook.com/liviaquinnwrites
    Twitter http://twitter.com/liviaquinn
    Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/livia-quinn
    Pinterest http://pinterest.com/liviaquinn
    Goodreads http://bit.ly/22VXuev
    Amazon Author page http://amazon.com/author/liviaquinn
    Google+ http://bit.ly/2guNZn9
    Instagram http://instagram.com/liviaquinnauthor
    Livia Quinn Readers Group http://bit.ly/2gBFQ12
    Newsletter http://bit.ly/2J35skU