25 Words or Less – February 2014

February means hearts, flowers, love, and lots of romance. Here are more great titles — and quick little blurbs — to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day. Grab a book today. Indulge!

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Not the Marrying Kind by Christina Cole

The last thing Kat wanted was a husband…until Joshua came along. He wanted Kat for a wife, all right…for another man.

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Please check out these titles from your favorite romance authors!

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Tempting Clover by Decadent Kane

Breaking a goblin’s curse is more difficult than Clover thought. Especially when love and nightshade are crucial ingredients.

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Unearthed: Duty  Bound by J  S Marlo

Shaped by regrets. Bound by duty. Driven by secrets. Rowan’s future is jeopardized by the regrets she harbors and the deadly secrets she unearths.

 

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Return by Lynn Rae

When a small-town accountant volunteers to help a new neighbor with a leaky pipe he has no idea how she’ll balance his books.

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Heaven on Earth by Gioconda Lyss

Can a wronged woman believe in love again? Can a man who feels like his life is crumbling around him win this woman’s love?

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 Tuesday Nights by Linda Rae Sande

If every man is a master of time, then what of the man who loses track of it?

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 Pink Pucks and Power Plays by V L Locey

Will curvaceous reporter Viviana Land go through with her expose about Wildcats defense-man Alain Lessard, or will love give Viviana`s career plans a body check?

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Breaking the Cycle by Tricia Andersen

Max sacrifices everything to find an answer to Chloe’s illness. But is it enough to save their relationship – and save her?

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The Bullrider and the Bare Boycotter by Jeanine McAdam

Can an animal rights activist find love with a sexy bull rider while trying to save the bulls and his family at the same time?

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 Chasing Love by Tamara Hoffa

Christmas came early this year. Chase found the gift of his dreams… the girl next door. Will she make his Christmas dreams come true?

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Passionfruit and Poetry by Tea Cooper

When Sydney photographer Xander Fitzgerald takes a shot of Jeanie Baker, his ISO settings hit red alert and no one’s life is ever the same again.

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Coming Home by Ann B Harrison

Three very different siblings with their own dreams, forced to face reality, confronted at every turn by their past. Will there be time for love?

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Switching Mercedes by Jan Graham

How can two Dominant men and a Mistress have a successful BDSM relationship? It’s quite easy, providing one of them decides to submit.

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Mai Tais and Mayhem by M S Spencer

-So many romances, so many crooks. Can Tessa Diamond, turtle defender and amateur sleuth, keep them straight and still find true love?

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Wingspan by  Samantha Combs

Not every scientific breakthrough is a gift.

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Tantalized by Whitley Weston

Gunnar, a lawyer is Tall, Blond & Brutal and court reporter Elaine has him Tantalized. Think Fifty Shades flipped. The control freak becomes the submissive.

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Valentine Masquerade by Margaret Sutherland

In the game of masquerade, Caitlin and her prince are swept away by fantasy. In reality, can they ever overcome the obstacles to true love?

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Weathering Rock by Mae Clair

Drawn together across centuries, will their love be strong enough to defeat an ancient curse?

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Saved by a Maid by Lindsay  Downs

Can their love survive class differences…and murder and treachery?

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Complete Surrender by Ju  Ephraime

When his taxi stops to pick up the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, Raymond’s life is changed forever. Who is this gorgeous woman?

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Second Nature by Krista Ames

A secret forced them apart; could a wedding bring them together again? When they reunite, their love and desire are Second Nature.

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Readers, please check out these books and let your favorite authors know how much you’ve enjoyed these stories.  Let everyone know! Your emails, comments, and reviews are appreciated.

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SHOWCASE: Author Gioconda Lyss

SHOWCASE:

Author Gioconda Lyss

I became acquainted with Gioconda when she joined the Secret Cravings Publishing family. As a debut author, she accepted my invitation to write a few words about her journey into the world of romance writing.

Just Do It

Her message inspired many readers, I’m sure.

Published in September, her erotic novella,  Heaven on Earth, has already gained several 5-star reviews at Amazon.

Here’s a bit about the story:

Gwen McAllister and Desmond Blankenship have both had their share of disappointment in love and marriage. Gwen is a divorced woman who swears never to love again. Desmond is a businessman who finds his wife in bed with a friend.

The two meet at a party in Phoenix and soon begin a long-distance relationship. While Desmond knows Gwen is the woman he wants to be with, Gwen is reluctant about facing her feelings for Desmond.

Just when Desmond is ready to declare his true feelings for Gwen, Gwen’s life take an unexpected turn. Leticia Martinez, Gwen’s long- time friend and occasional lover, makes an unexpected visit. At first, Leticia and Desmond express an instant dislike for one another.

Will Gwen have to choose between the two people she loves the most, or will they make the relationship work for all three of them?

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Gioconda was born in Romania but now lives in the US along with her husband and two pets she describes as “the world’s most spoiled cat and dog.”

She blogs at “Romancing the Word” with features about your favorite writers of erotic romance.  She is also part of the “Passion Beyond Words” team, gathering love stories for a collection of works. The first volume was released in August, and a second volume is now in the works.

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From Christina: Readers, if you like hot, steamy stories, be sure to check out Gioconda’s novella, as well as the “Passion Beyond Words” story anthology. You can contact Gioconda at her blog, or on her Facebook page.

Debut Author: Gioconda Lyss

From Christina: Today I’d like to welcome a debut author whose first novella was recently released. Gioconda has an inspiring message for anyone who’s ever wanted to write.     🙂    

JUST DO IT

 My name is Gioconda Lyss and my erotic romance novella “Heaven on Earth” just came out at the end of September from Secret Cravings Publishing. I want to thank Christina for having me as a guest on her blog.

Today I would like to talk about fear. Why fear?

I believe that fear is the root cause for suffering in the world, and the one thing that stops people from going after their dreams and fulfilling their potential. I have had my battles with fear throughout the years, and only recently won. Despite being afraid of any conceivable negative outcome, I did write a book, and saw it published.

When I tell people that I am a writer of erotic romance I usually get one of these three reactions:

1. I always wanted to write, but…
2. What does your family think of you writing such (erotic) stores…and/or
3. Do you make any money with it?

At the base of all these questions always rests a layer of fear. From all art forms, writing is the one form of expression that many of us want to pursue. I believe that we, humans, as species, are naturally curious, and in love with stories; love to tell them and to listen to them. But if we all love stories so much and we all believe that we have a story in us that wants to be told, then why aren’t more of us doing it? Why don’t we write that story that burns inside us? (see #1)

I believe it is fear.

Fear comes in many forms: fear of failure, fear of success (which can co-exist simultaneously, by the way, they’re good friends), fear of not being good enough at telling stories (this goes back to the English teacher who told you that grammar wasn’t your strong suit), and fear that people might judge our character by what we are writing (see #2). This is particularly true if you, like me, write erotic romance.

The #3 fear is the one that stops people from writing (as a job) all the time. Can one make enough money to live by doing something that they love? There are a few successful names out there that everybody has heard of (J.K. Rowling, for instance, who at some point was richer than the Queen of England) but obviously, not everybody will enjoy that kind of success. Most people think that they will finally write when the children are in college, or when they retire from the job that they really hate, or when times will be better. They always reserve the pleasure of writing for a future time, but the truth is that all we have is this present time and there is no better time than the present to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and get the story out.

It took me a long time to get past all my fears (about five years, in fact) and really go after my dream. I decided that life was too short not to go after what I really wanted to do and I gave my all to my dream. I learned that when you do it, when you actually start writing and not listen to the small, nagging voices at the back of your mind, the little fears start to disappear and are replaced by an awesome, awesome feeling of accomplishment. So my advice to you, if you ever considered writing a book, in any genre, is to just do it. Do it because you have always wanted to, do it regardless of what anyone might think of you, say or do, do it regardless of how much money you might make with your book. There is a force in the Universe which, when you step into doing what you were meant to do, opens up the way for you and gives you all you need to make your dream become a reality. Just like it did with me.

Happy Writing!

Gioconda Lyss was born and raised in Romania. She now lives in Nevada with her husband, two wonderful children, and the world’s most spoiled cat and dog. Her debut novella, Heaven on Earth, is now available at Amazon and also through the publisher, Secret Cravings Publishing. You can find her on the web at Romancing the Word.