Friday, May 30, 2014

Cover Reveal: Bittersweet Catastrophe by Maureen Mayer

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Title: Bittersweet Catastrophe (Second Chances #2.5)

Author: Maureen Mayer

Genre: New Adult/Coming of Age

Release date: Summer 2014

Goodreads








For•ev•er (fɔːˈrɛvə; fə-): without end; everlasting; eternally


It might have taken twenty-two years to find Liberty, but now that Shayne has her, he’s not willing to let her go without a fight.


Shayne and Liberty finally found their forever, leaving Shayne’s past indiscretions behind and moving forward to start a life together. But what if forever wasn’t truly in the stars for them?


What should be one of the happiest times in their lives as newlyweds quickly turns into a race against time. Liberty must choose between accepting her fate and protecting her family, and taking a risk that could ultimately end in more heartache.


Liberty’s decision will test the strength of their trust, but is it enough to keep Shayne from breaking down altogether and losing the woman he loves?












Maureen Mayer was born, raised and currently resides in Buffalo, NY with her loving and supportive family and boyfriend of 9+ years. She’s always had a love for the outdoors, and when the city isn’t buried under snow, she can be found hiking, fishing, camping or lying on the beach. She’s a sucker for off-color humor, but holds a sweet spot for sick and twisted horror films. When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in bed with her kindle, diving into a steamy romance novel and falling in love with the latest book boyfriend.






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Trailer


















Relinquishing Liberty:









Unforeseen Heartbeat:
















Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Cover Reveal: Confessing Hearts by DJ Larkin




~ Synopsis ~

It’s been two weeks since Alexander broke things off with Sapphira. Realizing that he made the biggest mistake of his life, he concocts a desperate scheme to earn her forgiveness. Together again, it seems they are headed for a storybook romance.

But unknown to them, their pasts are about to converge in a way that could turn deadly. Will true love conquer all? Or will the past drive them apart for good?


Confessing Hearts is the second book in the Vacant Hearts trilogy.


~ Release Party! ~

Be sure to join us on June 1st for the Confessing Hearts Release Party!

We will have a few authors popping in for fun along with teasers and giveaways!

RSVP HERE!

~ Giveaway ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Confessing Hearts is book 2.

Be sure to pick up book 1, Vacant Hearts before Confessing Hearts releases on June 1st!


Vacant Hearts is FREE!

*For Mature Audiences

Sapphira Jones has never known love. Haunted by a past she has tried to forget, she remains distant from everyone except her best friend. Alexander Thomas, bestselling novelist, still mourns the loss of his beloved wife after nearly five years. He is incapable of love.

A series of chance encounters brings these two desolate hearts together. Desperate to remain in the life of the only man she’s ever wanted, Sapphira concocts a plan she hopes will fulfill his needs - and hers. Can she rescue him from his bleak despair? Or will the ghost of his wife prove too much for her to overcome?

Vacant Hearts is the first installment of the Vacant Hearts Trilogy, where two barren hearts collide in a tale of scorching sex and desire, love and romance.


~ About the Author ~



I'm an IT Worker living the dream of writing a book. I live in New England with my wife and two kids. We have a small menagerie of one dog, one cat, and two ferrets. My goal for writing is to write a book that my wife would be proud of. Anything after that is just icing on the cake. 



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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Blog Tour: Second On The Right by Elizabeth Los

Second On The Right

By

Elizabeth Los

Spawned from an ancient promise, treachery and intrigue follow the protagonists through our world and one lost to the waves. Bound by an invisible bond, they are thrust into a fantastical world of pirates and demons.

James Benedict is a just man haunted by evil. Pushed to the edge, everything stripped from him, a new man arises . . . a man whose name strikes fear into the hearts of all who hear it: "Captain Hook".

Eileen Davis was a timid woman. Through a fateful cruise she finds herself in the company of the Captain of the Mistral Thief. With his guidance, and the meddling of the local barista, she eventually finds her inner strength.

Will the two of them unite through time to fulfill the promise of their ancestors or will tempers ignite leading all to failure?




Second On The Right

Elizabeth Los

Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads

Purchase Links

Excerpt #1

 
The night grew its darkest, just before dawn, when every man aboard the Mistral Thief heard a strange triumphant crow. Benedict shot up with a start.  Recognizing the familiar sound, he grabbed hold of his sword and burst out onto the deck. He could make out the figure of the boy, Peter.  

He heard the sound of his crew, spooked by the noise of what shouldn’t be on board a ship. They scurried to light the deck lamps. As the light grew stronger, Benedict could see more clearly a petite figure on the mast, hands on hips, weapon at the side. Glancing back to the deck, he saw James coming from below. Benedict decided to hold off on approaching the figure, knowing of James' desire for revenge. He kept a watchful eye, fully aware of James' tendency to act on impulse.  

"Peter," James said in a low growl. "Show yourself!" he shouted.  

“That crow. I’ve heard that before,” Benedict commented.  

Peter alighted onto the railing with such ease and grace it irritated James. He gave a slight bow, as if observing the niceties. Pulling one of two bags from his belt, he held it up in his hand. James held the sheath of his sword with his hook, struggling only momentarily to hurriedly unsheathe it.  

Peter laughed and shook his bag, "Need a hand?" He laughed even more, causing chills to run through James.  

James advanced towards him, but stopped short. Peter had reached into the bag he had been holding and had removed a rotting hand, with fingers missing. It was all too familiar to James: his right hand. James and Benedict cringed, disgusted at the sight.  

Peter tossed it at James, who jumped back in disgusted. The splat of soft, wet flesh hit the wood, matching the feeling in the pit of their stomachs. Laughing, Peter spun up in flight, and landed back down on the deck, retrieving the hand. Pieces had been left behind from its initial fall.  

"No? Much happier with a hook, are we? You're welcome," he sneered. "There’s one who would appreciate a hand, yours, in fact." He floated to the railing to glance at the waters below. "Come, take a look. I promise I won't bite," he grinned, taking several steps away to allow James to draw near.  

James and Benedict cautiously took a glimpse. What they saw was the shadowy shape of an enormous crocodile.  

James said to him, “Impossible.  They can't grow that large, can they?”  

Benedict had no response. He had never seen one that large. In the water, the crocodile, nearly twenty meters long, ticked and hissed. The sounds were eerily similar to a clock.  

Benedict and James peered down again at the beast. The crocodile thrashed and clawed its way partially up the side of the Mistral Thief. Sweat dampened James’ brow. Benedict looked at Peter, who was now dangling the remaining portion of what he assumed was James' right hand over the side of the ship. The crocodile leapt from the water, greatly desiring either the hand of James or James himself. 

Both James and Benedict cringed, though it was James that moved away from the railing. The scratching of the crocodile's claws on the side of the ship seemed to make him tremble. Peter laughed maniacally, and tossed James’ hand to the crocodile.  

“You’ve been using it for bait?” James looked at Peter, horror and disgust evident on his face. “This is all a game to you.”  

Pan. He hasn’t aged. Should I tell James? Benedict thought. His eyes shifted in James’ direction. He needs to know.  

James pointed his sword at Peter. "What do you want?" He shouted.  

Peter unsheathed his knife, circling around the deck. James followed suit. Occasionally, Peter would tap the end of his sword. However, Benedict knew James was a man of indomitable courage. James held his sword steady, firmly in his left hand, his hook slightly hidden behind him. His eyes were cold as steel. At that moment, James appeared to be in complete control of his emotions and actions. Benedict couldn’t help but beam proudly at what he had done for James.  

"What do I want?" Peter asked himself thoughtfully. He looked back at James, his eyes glowing faintly red. "I want you to pay," but he stopped. "Then again, perhaps you are suffering a bit. After all, I'm finding your son to be a delicious addition to my lost boys." He ended this with a slight hiss.  

“I’ve done nothing to you,” James replied. “I believe you’re the one that will pay for taking my family.” 

Benedict subtly moved closer to James. He could see how the boy was manipulating James, using the loss of Eileen and Robbie to rile him to the point of pure rage. Benedict knew all too well how easy it was to make James angry.  

"Jas," he said in quiet warning, seeing James' shoulders rise and fall more frequently.  
James voice wavered, “What are you?"  

Benedict hesitated to offer his knowledge. What would it serve but to merely fan the flame the boy had started. Quietly he said to James, "Me thinks he's Pete, a boy I met years ago. Feeds off humans." 

"Explain, please," James murmured to Benedict, not taking his eyes off Peter.  

"Not quite o’ changeling. Thought ta be mere legend, but I’d seen it with me own eyes. A powerful creature, though from what world, I'm not sure. Feeds off tha young, slow and sure ta stay alive. No doubt, yer boy be one he's feedin' on," he explained.  

Peter held a penetrating gaze at Benedict. "Oooohh. You're a rather smart one, aren't you? But I am at a disadvantage. You seem to know me, but I do not recognize you." The boy’s face scrunched up in contemplation until he seemed to have an epiphany, “The one who set me free! You’re so…old!” 

James looked over at the captain. “You set him free?” he whispered angrily. “Why am I not surprised?” 

Benedict did his best to avoid eye contact. He knew he would have to explain all of this later. Perhaps he’ll forget. Not likely though.  

"It's true." Peter said with a grinned. "I did feed on her. The red hair had to go." He made a violent motion as he spoke.  

"Jas," Benedict warned, seeing James tense, the muscles in his jaw tightened.  

James waved him off, stepping forward.  

Peter continued. "Her white skin, so soft and supple. Her screams of terror and pain, delicious. Oh, she was wonderful!" He paused for a moment, then finished, "Particularly the chewy center within." With the last sentence, his wicked eyes fell on James.  

James screamed in anguish. He charged for Peter. Benedict reached out to stop him, but he was too slow. Peter flew up to the top of the mast. James, whose momentum had gotten the better of him, teetered at the rail. The crocodile waited eagerly below. James grunted in an effort to push himself back. 

Peter howled in laughter, pointing, mocking and pantomiming actions as if he were James falling over the railing. James ran to the ropes, set to climb. Benedict shouted, but James didn’t hear. Not being heeded, he and a few crewmen pounced on him, holding him down.  

"Take him ta me quarters!" he barked at the bo'sun. They held James, who thrashed violently. It took five men to drag James into the captain's quarters and slam the doors shut. Benedict addressed Peter, "Ye best be leavin' now, or ye be facin' my wrath."  

Peter shrugged off the threat. "I have no quarrel with you, old man." He jumped off the mast, floating high above. "Tell him I'll be waiting, in Neverland." And he flew off.  

Benedict rubbed his sore eyes. "I'm gettin' too old fer this."  

At his quarters, Benedict’s hand stopped at the door. James' screams of rage could be heard from within. Benedict opted to take his time. Making a course adjustment, he continued towards El Tiburón.

Audio Excerpt

Author Bio

 
Elizabeth uses writing as therapy, her release from everyday stress. At night, after work and once the children are finally tucked in bed, for the fifth time, she sits at her laptop and lets her imagination flow.

Elizabeth has produced short stories, one of which will be published in an anthology. She’s had fun writing a Sherlock Holmes fan fiction story, A Case of Need, based on the BBC’s Sherlock. By July 2011, her first novel, Second on the Right, had been completed. She spent several years polishing the story in order to provide a high quality product to the public. Second on the Right is her first professional novel.

Author Links

Giveaway



Sunday, May 25, 2014

Blog Tour: Imperfectly Bad by A.E. Woodward




I’m Rob Ziviani. Oh, you’ve heard of me? Wait, did we? Oh yeah, I remember.

No, that’s a lie, I don’t remember. I’ve had most of New York City and I don’t really remember any of them. There’s only ever been one. . .

This is my story. Read it, don’t read it. I really don’t give a damn. It’s not going to change my life, so why the hell should I care?

Because I don’t care about anything.

Not since her.

*Available May 26th*

 


      Three days, that was my average. Three days before my skin started crawling and I needed another hit. By hit I mean another girl. Girls were my drugs. They had been for a while now. At least they were safe, well, as long as I made sure to wrap it.The fact of the matter was that I had slept with a lot of girls. It wasn’t something I was particularly proud of, but there were worse things to be addicted to.

Tonight I’d chosen the grocery store as my hunting ground. The raven-haired firecracker from the other night had left me feeling dirty, so I was in the mood for something sweet. It was just a guess, but I figured women who spent their Friday evening grocery shopping were probably more innocent.

And I was totally in the mood for innocence.

Wandering the aisles I did some of my normal shopping, placing a few things I needed in one of those hand basket things then I took my spot by the cereals. Yes, the cereal aisle. You want to talk about innocence—it doesn’t get any more wholesome than cereal.

I picked up my box of Fruity Pebbles and stood there, pretending to study the nutritional information. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long before someone joined me. Someone up there must have been smiling down on me because the first girl to walk down the aisle was a solid “eight.”

With auburn hair and her nose and cheeks covered in freckles, she was definitely what I would call “cute.”

The clothes she wore put her at college-aged, or certainly fresh out, and her hand basket was empty. She was definitely here to pick up her dinner.

And the best student dinner?

Told you—I was a genius.

She was likely homesick too. Missing out on a good home-cooked meal. Poor thing. But never mind, her night was about to get a whole lot better.

She stopped next to me and grabbed some healthy bullshit. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at her and my lips tipped upward in a smile. When I spoke, I kept my eyes fixed on the shelves, but I knew she’d know I was talking to her. They always did.

“I’m trying to convince myself that Fruity Pebbles are healthy.”

She giggled. “Yeah, sorry to inform you but they’re not.”

She blushed, her face a shade comparable to her hair.

“Dinner?” I asked, turning to face her and gesturing to the lack of food in her basket.

“Am I that transparent?”

“No, I’m just a good guesser.” I stuck my hand out for her. “Rob,” I said as we shook hands. “And just in case you were wondering, I’m a fabulous cook.”


Be sure to check out the rest of the Series of Imperfections!

imperfectly perfect



Emma, Tyler and Shane have been best friends since they were kids. Along with their college addition, Rob, the four friends have an exciting life in NYC. In fact, Emma Sloan appears to have it all.

Despite being happy with her current situation, a big family announcement leaves Emma questioning whether she is truly content with her life. With her thirtieth birthday fast approaching she vows to find her 'perfect' man any way she can. But Emma will soon discover that the path of true love never runs smoothly and that sometimes, instead of chasing love, you have to wait for love to find you...


~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~  

imperfectly real

When nothing in your life goes right … go left.

Tyler Johnston has a life that would be the envy of most twenty-somethings. He lives in New York City, surrounded by his closest friends, has a job in a field he loves, and remains unattached—able to flit from one lady to the next without responsibility. Only problem is, Tyler isn’t in his twenties anymore…

Having watched two of his best friends fall in love and start a family, Tyler is left wondering what will become of his life. So when life hands Tyler his happy ever after, he struggles with his conscience. Can something be right when it’s so very, very wrong? Because everyone knows that two wrongs don’t make a right. In fact, most of the time, they just make things a whole lot worse.

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~








A.E. lives in Vacationland with her husband and two children. Between her real job and writing she finds little time to enjoy life’s finer things. However in the free time she does manage to steal, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and reading. A.E. is the author of Kismet and A Series of Imperfections: Imperfectly Perfect, Imperfectly Real, and Imperfectly Bad. She is currently writing her fifth book, Working Girl.


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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Cover Reveal: Time After Time by Melody Foster



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Synopsis


"On the night of her best friend's wedding, Becca Lawson is shocked to run into the man who once shattered her heart completely. One wild, passionate night is all it takes to stir up long-lost emotions. Becca knows her feelings for him cannot be real, and will not be reciprocated. Fearing the worst, she shuts herself off completely, denying herself the one true chance of love.

Young, handsome, and rich, Austin Blackstone is a man who seems to have it all. But inside, his heart yearns for the girl who left an unforgettable impression on him seven years ago. When a chance encounter brings him face-to-face with her on a tropical paradise, all the feelings hidden deep inside his heart threaten to spill over... and force him to forsake everything he has built.

Set on a beautiful, Caribbean island, Time After Time is a sweet love story of second chances and new opportunities. As old flames reignite and forgotten passions burn strong, can two people from very different walks of life forget their rules long enough to let love in?"

MeetTheAuthor


I’m Melody Foster. I'm a regular girl who loves long walks on the beach with my beloved Airedale terrier Oman. "Oh, man!" were the words I said when I first met my puppy. He is not a puppy anymore...

Chocolate and coffee are my life while I write. A good laugh at myself is my medicine for self-criticism.

I’m extremely thankful to all my readers for making a new author’s dreams come true.



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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Sharing Blogger Links to Facebook - Common Errors & Easy Fixes



First, I am NOT a tech genius and I know little about HTML so you may not want to ask me for any additional help, although you may want to check the resources at the bottom of this post. I have been scouring the internet looking for answers and thought that I would compile everything in one place. For 2 reasons:


  1. So that I can access it again if the helpful posts/pages where I found the information are ever removed.
  2. So that others may find what they need in less time.

This post includes easy to understand fixes for the following topics:
  • 'Wrong Image' Error
  • 'Wrong Description' Error
  • Google Analytics & Webmaster Tools
    • Web Property ID
    • Site Maps


Easy Fix #1: How to Fix the 'Wrong Image' Error.

If you have incorrect images attached to your Facebook posts when you share your links, you may need to specify the image in your post meta data. Follow the steps below.

Go to Template > Edit HTML and just above...
</head>
Copy/Paste the following code snippet...
<b:if cond='data:blog.postImageThumbnailUrl'>
<meta expr:content='"https://images1-focus-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?container=focus&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image&amp;resize_h=200&amp;resize_w=200&amp;url=" + data:blog.postImageThumbnailUrl' property='og:image'/>
<b:else/>
<meta content='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrpAFd0Ypt518Zky-m3QD-bNvHm-C0WEPURXQ7ej0HnUxdhOLQZNv0lClHqvOmwb248opa9vE_MCxrd1rZfvT5EyKjMOKdU25ZtXKkGdZWqiNSX6FDKMT94HKbvDo9qlhaDYgwHjCsn8/s200-c/default.png' property='og:image'/>
</b:if>

You can alter the image URL in the above snippet. That image will be used when no post thumbnail is present. I left the default image in case you forget to change it. Just keep in mind that it will disappear if the location is ever removed or changed. 

To retrieve an image URL from your Blogger, log in to Picasa (owned by Google, the albums will contain any photos you have uploaded - OR, upload a new photo), locate the image you want to use and click on it. This should take you to the 'photo view' of that image, then right click the image and copy the image URL. Then simply replace the current image URL with your new one. 

Now when you share posts to Facebook, your post thumbnail will be displayed. If the post doesn’t have images (or has images that haven't been directly uploaded to your blogger account), then the default image which you have specified in the snippet will be used. After updating the search description (or updating your post with paragraph tags), use the Facebook debugging tool and debug the post link to force a cache refresh.

Resource, Blogger Widgets - HOME PAGE - POST PAGE - Thank you for the help!



Easy Fix #2: How to Fix the 'Wrong Description' Error.


The wrong description will appear when Facebook cannot recognize the content and structure of your post. This can be corrected by adding a search description while creating your post (OR, you can update the search descriptions of your existing posts). This description will be added as meta data to your post so that Facebook can recognize the content. 

If you don't see a Search Description option on your post screen as shown below:

Go to Settings > Search Settings and Enable Meta Tags. You can include a default description here as well. 




When meta data is not found, Facebook typically uses the First paragraph in your post, but it isn't a bad idea to just include a description to be safe. After updating the search description (or updating your post with paragraph tags), use the Facebook debugging tool and debug the post link to force a cache refresh.

Resource, Blogger Widgets - HOME PAGE - POST PAGE - Thank you for the help!





Google Analytics & Webmaster Tools


Easy Fix #3: Google Analytics - Analytics Web Property ID

Have you set up a Google Analytics account? You may need to add your Analytics Web Property ID to your blogger settings (This will be needed for each blog you have on your account).

To find the Tracking Code, Tracking ID, or Property Number in your Google Analytics account:

  1. Sign in to your Google Analytics account, and go to the admin page.
  2. Select an account from the dropdown in the Account column.
  3. Select a property from the dropdown in the Property column.
  4. Click Tracking Info.
Here is an example of what you are looking for.

The complete string (UA-XXXXX-YY) is referred to interchangeably as your Web Property ID or UA Number.
  • the X's (UA-XXXXX-YY) represent your account number
  • the Y's (UA-XXXXXX-YY) represent view (profile) numbers within your account.


Now that you have located your Analytics Web Property ID, you need to add it to you Blogger settings.


You can track traffic to your Blogspot domain on Blogger with Google Analytics. Follow these steps to add the tracking code.
  1. Log in to your Blogger account.
  2. Navigate to your blog's Settings > Other tab.
  3. If you already have a Google Analytics account, simply enter your blog's Google Analytics tracking ID.
  4. Click Save to finish.

Once you complete the steps above, you should see data in your Analytics account within 24 hours. However, you can also check your account within a few hours to see if data has begun to appear. To do this, go to your report and change the date range to the current day (by default, the ending date range is set to the previous day). If you see pageviews appear in your reports, your property is collecting data. If you don't see any data after 24 hours, see Troubleshooting Common Mistakes.

Resource, Google Analytics Support - HOME PAGEPOST PAGE - Thank you for the help!





Easy Fix #4: Webmaster Tools - Submit Your Site Maps

Webmaster Tools is part of Google Analytics, so if you have one you have both. Site Maps are important because they help search engines find your blog. Google does not automatically 'crawl' all of your posts and pages, so setting up site maps tells them to do so. This will help people find you on search engines, but it also may contribute to the information that Facebook has access to when you choose to share your links.

On hosted websites, you need to create your site maps first, but luckily with Blogger, your blog feed is your sitemap. The below URLs are your site maps.

http://your-blog.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://your-blog.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default


How to submit a sitemap:

  1. Go to Google Webmasters Tools homepage and sign in with same Google account which you are using for your blogger blog.
  2. Click on your blog name to go to the blog’s Dashboard.
  3. Navigate to Crawl > Sitemaps and click on ADD/TEST SITEMAP button.
  4. One input box will appear, enter atom.xml, appending the necessary parameters and then click Submit Sitemap button.
  5. Click the refresh page link that appears.



Your work is done. Google will take few hours to approve your submission. 


Resource, Addicted Me - HOME PAGE - POST PAGE - Thank you for the help!


Blog Tour: Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin




Chocolate…the most irresistible temptation?
The Gingerbread Café is all a buzz! This Easter, Lily and the rest of the town of Ashford, Connecticut are planning a truly decadent Chocolate Festival. Cooking up a storm, CeeCee and Lily are not just baking a batch of their sinfully delicious chocolate-dipped gingerbread men, but an excess of chocolate truffles, squidgy, cinnamony hot cross buns and melt in your mouth chocolate eggs. The Gingerbread Café staff have definitely enjoyed the tasting process!
Add in Damon’s cute-as-a-button seven year old daughter, Charlie, up for a visit and Lily’s perfect Easter may just be around the corner. Until her ex-husband Joel turns up demanding twenty thousand dollars… Suddenly the future of the Gingerbread Café is not so clear…and Lily finds herself eating far more of The Gingerbread Café’s treats than her skinny jeans allow…
Can Lily concoct a brilliant plan to save her beloved café, convince Damon she has no feelings for Joel and still throw a Chocolate Festival the town will be talking about for years? There’s only one way to find out...
Welcome back to the warmth, cupcakes and hot

chocolate of The Gingerbread Café – your home away from home







This is the second novella in The
Gingerbread Café
series
Christmas
at the Gingerbread Café  
Chocolate Dreams
at the Gingerbread Café
Coming Christmas 2014 look out for
the next romantic instalment!



Christmas at the Gingerbread Café

Chocolate Dreams at  The Gingerbread Café  













Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She's been widely published in short story anthologies, and in fiction magazines. And now she is focusing on writing romance.

Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true love.






Find Rebecca here: