I’ve been a very busy bee lately. Sleepless nights have been filled with caffeine productivity. I’m sorry to say this post will be more like a business update than a fun and fancy free buzz-fest, but it does have some great points though!

First and foremost, Summer Nights is AVAILABLE NOW! I’ve just posted the purchase links for it. Initially, there was an issue with Amazon, however that has, thankfully, been resolved. Feel free to click BUY NOW *wink, wink*

Next, I’ve FINALLY made a print version available for almost all of my books. (The exceptions are Hot Flashes and Allure, which is through a publisher.) For all you ravenous Vamp Chronicles fans out there (I love you all!), I’ve already posted the purchase links on the page. I was initially hesitant to offer a print version of my books because print is so expensive. Given the length of my books, particularly the Vamp Chronicles series, they’re not cheap. I’ve made the prices as low as possible. This is merely an offer of gratitude to the many wonderful readers who have enjoyed my books and requested a print copy for their shelves. In the future though, all of my books will have a print copy made available immediately upon publication. As a reader and author who loves the feel of a book between her fingers and the lingering scent of an ancient library full of hidden treasures, it’s something that I should have caved on long before. So, in advance, I apologize about the prices, but hope you enjoy the product.
***NOTE: If you purchase the books before June 30th, receive 20% off your purchase by using coupon code: JUNEBOOKS12 at checkout ***

Next item on my agenda is exciting for me. All of my books are now available on ARe! All Romance Ebooks is an excellent distributor of romance titles from young adult on up. For my younger readers out there, I would recommend that you do not stray into any other section aside from the Young Adult/Juvenile section. They have some excellent titles in that section! Every time I browse I find a gazillion new books to add to my to-be-read list. I don’t know about all of you, but I could seriously go bankrupt in a bookstore of any kind: online or not.

That brings me to my final bulletpoint for today’s meeting: I’ve finally corrected my issues with the distributor and distribution of all of my books will resume to Sony, Kobo, Diesel, and a few other odd e-bookstores over the next 3-6 weeks. I don’t have many readers using those platforms, but I’ve still received e-mails asking, in particular, about Hit the Road Jack and my adult books not being available there. So for those of you using those e-reader platforms, be on the lookout for distribution to resume and all my titles to be made available there in the next month or so. I wish it was sooner, but I’m having to go through a third party to access their stores.

Well, if you’ve read until this point, congratulations, you get the cookie at the end! lol Sorry, bad Corporate America reference. (Usually, they bribe you to pay attention in meetings by promising sweets at the end.) I’m including a new excerpt of book 4, Vamp Versus Vamp for you. ENJOY!

~Christin

P.S. Don’t forget about the Pencil Me In contest!

~Excerpt~

I took a step back at his attitude. Was this really the same man I was with upstairs? “What am I missing?”

Kellan’s face was hard as a rock. His hands were fisted at his sides and his eyes were shooting darts in Gabi’s direction. “My business is my business,” he stated through clenched teeth.

“Yeah, well, when it affects my friend, then it’s no longer just your business,” she growled, throwing her fingers up to create mock quotation marks.

He took a step towards her. “You don’t get to decide that.” Ice was cooler than his tone.

Jack was in front of Gabi, his chest puffed out and a snarl on his face in half a second. “Back up off the lady. You created the problem for yourself by keeping secrets. She hasn’t betrayed you, only hinted at your own betrayal.” In his anger, his island accent curled each word, emphasizing his demand.

Hints of the Jack I remembered from Puerto Rico came through. His eyes were dancing with amusement despite the set of his jaw. He enjoyed watching others sit in fire. It was unnerving. The entire scene made me nauseous.

Sorry for being so quietly lately everyone. I’ve been throwing myself into writing. I’m excited to say that book 4 of the Vamp Chronicles, Vamp Versus Vamp, is coming along well. My goal is to have it out before the end of July.

My most recent focus though, and the biggest headache my editor has received from me to date, (Sorry Susie!), was Summer Nights. I don’t talk much about my adult books, but I am IN LOVE WITH THIS STORY! (Please click here to read the blurb.) This, by far, is my favorite plus-size erotic romance I’ve written! (I have a couple that I haven’t published because I’m unhappy with them. I refuse to put anything out there unless I love every aspect of the story.)

So, in an effort not to toot my own horn or to twist your arm into clicking the BUY NOW button upon release, I’ll just leave it at this: As a reader, this would be the perfect book to lay out with beside the pool or at the beach. If those locals were unavailable, I wouldn’t be above buying an infant size blow-up pool to lounge in with a frosty Margarita and a cardboard palm tree in the middle of the desert so I could pretend dream I was on some tropical island getaway. What I’m basically trying to say is: this is the perfect erotic summer beach read, but like I warned in the blurb, be sure you have some refreshing water nearby to cool off in!

Beyond Summer Nights, I also quietly released Hot Flashes. It’s a fun and quirky short story that *hopefully* does some justice to the (older) plus-size crowd. I wrote the story in one night, and have re-read it many times since just for a quick pick-me-up. I’ve included the blurb and BUY links here!

Additionally, Karley’s Surrender was released on June 10th. It’s a plus-size erotic romance that touches on some very dark issues. I’m warning you now: it’s not for the faint of heart. Days after Karley’s Surrender was originally released, I received a publishing contract option. I chose to keep it indie in an effort to make it more accessible. Karley has a powerful journey. This book doesn’t lack in quality or emotion, but it’s difficult not easy for many to wrap their minds around the depths of her scars. If you have the strength heart to read about perseverance and the open-mindedness to read about a plus-size woman being seduced by TWO sexy were-panthers who make it their mission to restore happiness to her life, then by all means, feel free to click the BUY NOW button. (If not, it’s okay. I plan to continue putting out many more books, one of which I’m sure will appeal to you… hopefully.) If it does sound like something you’re interested in reading, the blurb and purchase links are here.

Okay, so the breakdown is:
SUMMER NIGHTS: Releasing JUNE 24, 2012
KARLEY’S SURRENDER: Available Now!
HOT FLASHES: A Myrtle Brigade Short: Available Now!
Vamp Versus Vamp: GOAL Release: before the end of July 2012

Until then peeps, happy reading! I know I have a to-be-read list a mile long. There are so many great (new) authors with enticing books popping up every day that I can’t keep up! Maybe I’ll try to squeeze a few in between stringing together scenes of Vamp Versus Vamp.

Have a great day!
~Christin

P.S. I plan to post BUY links once they’re available for Summer Nights!

P.S.S. DON’T FORGET about the Pencil Me In contest. Click HERE for more details!

I’m a book addict. There, I said it. I love books! But like with movies, it’s a tad depressing sometimes to never discover a character who looks just like me. My life is also a tiny bit lackluster in comparison to most books, and with 3 children, don’t even get me started on the romance section. I’m also disappointed to say that the only vacation I’ve taken in my entire life has been in books. (I’ve never traveled to relax; it’s always been to visit family.) I think that’s why I enjoy books so much though. Because, regardless of how an author describes a heroine, I’m still able to insert myself into her place as I read along. It’s not as easy to do with movies and TV shows since you’re stuck staring at the character you wish you could trade lives with.

I have such a diverse cast (of characters) in my books because I want to offer a little something for everyone. When I read books, not only am I diving into a different world, I’m seeking out characters I can relate to in that place. To me, the best way to relate is through similarities; whether it be in physical description, circumstances, characters or morals, I’m seeking something to draw me in deeper, someone to cling on to. I think that’s why I give my MCs common issues and my supporting cast an array of ethnicities and attitudes.

Which brings me to my reason for the post. I have an exciting NEW CONTEST! You will have the chance to become a character in book 5 of the Vamp Chronicles series. There will be only ONE winner, but that winner will receive a character position in book 5 with their name, age (if desired), physical image and similar characterizations. (i.e. favorite phrase(s) used) The winner will also receive a signed print copy of book 5 upon release as proof that they are indeed a (famous) book character.

So what do you have to do to enter? There are 2 steps.

Step 1: ON THIS POST ONLY, submit a comment with the description of what your dream character would encompass. Be sure to describe every element: their setting (i.e. sci-fi: new planet in 3030 or contemporary: midwest ranch with a ton of sexy males around), their physical description, fashion sense, attitude, outlook, background etc. It could be about you or a fictitious character you made up in your head two seconds ago. That’s the beauty of the imagination; it’s also the beauty of books.

Step 2: I’ve created a new page titled VOTE, and I want you to do just that. You may be under 18, but you still have a voice. So go to that page and tell me who you would vote for Lexi to end up with: Kai or Kellan. You can choose to tell me why or merely leave a name. Either way, I’d love to see where the divide aligns. Are readers for Team Kellan or Team Kai?

This contest will be running until July 20^th, 2012. Upfront, in the act of fairness, I will NOT be replying to any submissions or votes. I will be reading every single one of them though!

*Disclaimer:: The inclusion of the character is guaranteed however the magnitude of role one plays is not. The fate of the character will be at the sole discretion of the author as will be the involvement of the character with other (main) characters. The winner will receive no compensation for their character reference nor will they be entitled to any earnings or own legal rights surrounding the title or character.*

Growing up, I always dreamed of hitting the big time as a writer: magazine interviews in big store mags, a NY office with a view as I read the NY Times, which listed my name on its bestsellers list, all while big publishers duked it out with my hot shot agent for my next manuscript by offering me more money; basically the furthest thing from reality. I think so often we get caught up in achieving the image rather than the dream. My dream was to become a writer and do what I love every day for the rest of my life, not live and breath a celebutant lifestyle.

It’s taken me a while to accept that I don’t need a publisher to be on the NY Times Bestsellers list; that I don’t need to walk around with a contract stapled to my chest for other authors and readers to respect me. Allure is through a publisher, but I’m going to stop there. I’m not here to present the image I think will impress people; I’m here to write amazing books, to play in a fairyland on paper every day. As long as I never lose my passion and quality, then I’ll never lose my dream. For my dream is not an impression; it’s an expression of happiness every day I get to live out a dreamlike existence. (Who else gets to go to work in their pajamas while sipping the coffee brand of their choice all day? I don’t miss the coffee from corporate America at all.) … (For those who are interested, here’s an article showcasing that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. Click Here to Read It.)

I want to give a BIG thank you to every single one of you for taking a chance on me and letting me do what I love. I promise to continue putting out the best I have in me with all my indie e-titles remaining at a reasonable $5 or less per copy.

Now go after your own dream(s)! Just remember, dreaming, believing and achieving are all actions, not images.

~Christin

P.S. The book cover for Summer Nights is officially on the adult books page. I hope you like it. I’ll be posting the blurb as well as the release date soon.

Lately it seems like I’ve gotten very little sleep, not drifting off until after 5am most days and (lazily) waking around 9am. For a mother with 3 children, that’s being lazy and productive at the same time.

I tend to accomplish the most at night when the house is quiet and everyone is tucked asleep in bed. The down side is I never truly catch up on the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep per night. It’s all worth it though since I’ve made excellent strides lately in completing two projects while also working on site pages.

Since I’ve been extremely backed up in responding to website and e-mail comments and questions, I have (finally) created a FAQs page to answer the most common questions I receive. As time goes on, if I start to see another trend, I will add more. Additionally, I have added a Publishing page. Many people have contacted me with questions on publishing, my story and other related items. Rather than create a long blog post that wouldn’t be helpful to many of this sites’ visitors, and after time get lost in the back log of posts, I decided to post this information on a separate page on the website. If you need it, great; if not, it’s as if it doesn’t even exist for you.

In staying up all these crazy hours of the night, I have been pleased with my writing progress. I am a day or two away from finishing Summer Nights (bbw adult romance) and have made fantastic progress on Vamp Versus Vamp (book 4 of Vamp Chronicles.) I will try to update everyone as I rotate projects. Upon finishing Summer Nights, my sole focus will be book 4 until its completion.

And, speaking of. Here is a new snippet from Vamp Versus Vamp. It reveals an exciting and unexpected aspect of the next chapter in the Vamp Chronicles: Auggy’s POV! Enjoy!

*EXCERPT*

AUGGY

Every bit of military instinct said this was a trap. It was too damn easy to access this house, especially considering the level of command behind those doors. No guards roamed the perimeter, scanning or listening for trespassers. Given that they had sound-proof walls capping this place, they would have that, at the very least.

I’d checked the outer shingles of the home, every roofline, every slope and crevice, and no cameras were present either. I couldn’t bring myself to warn the women, especially after hearing Lexi’s cry to Kellan. After all these years, I guess I still had a bit of coward hiding beneath my hard heart.