Thursday, July 26, 2012

Guest Author: L.K. Below


I'm so excited to have L.K. Below here talking about her newest release Beauty in His Bed. She's offering an e-copy of the book as a giveaway! Comment by Wednesday, August 1st for your chance to win!

Little Surprises  
by: L.K. Below

One of the things I'm constantly surprised at when I write is how much I fall in love with all my characters. The side characters, not just my hero and heroine. In fact, my favorite characters are often not in starring roles. Don't get me wrong, I adore my hero and heroine (otherwise, I wouldn't be writing their story!) but if I'm going to list my favorites... I love the side comic relief.

Such was the case for Never a Princess, Always a Frog. This book was my first attempt at a fun, flirty fairy-tale spun into modern day. But although Colleen is endearing, Hannah was my favorite in that book. She stood out as the daring, boisterous friend who wasn't afraid of anything. Well, except facing her ex. Although she and Rob only have one brief conversation, their obvious reluctance to be together always brings a smile to my face.

Rob isn't seen in the sequel, Beauty in His Bed, though Hannah is briefly. The heroine, Amy Somers, breaks my heart with all her hang-ups and I just had to write her a persistent, hot hero. But once again, they aren't my favorites. In this book, another side character is introduced. Although Monique's impish personality is only briefly shown, I think she deserve a little credit. After all, if it wasn't for her, Amy would never have met Seb...
 
BLURB:

Upon finding a gorgeous woman in his bed, Seb wakes her with a wicked kiss…and it just might lead to forever.

Devastated by a breakup, plus-sized Amy Somers retreats to New Orleans to visit her longtime friend. But when her friend delivers the key to her apartment and sends Amy on ahead, she doesn’t realize that the apartment belongs to someone else.

Upon coming home to find Amy asleep on his bed, Sebastien Babineaux entertains lusty thoughts. Bent on seducing her, he never expects to lose his heart -- or to work so hard to keep Amy by his side.

EXCERPT:

When she and Monique re-entered Sheer Passions, Amy pleaded, “Not to be rude, but I really am tired from my flight.” She hoped her friend wouldn’t catch her in the lie. After her tarot reading, she just wanted to be left alone for an hour or two, at least while her friend was still at work. She didn’t think she could force herself to be cheery to strangers. “Do you think I could crash at your place for a couple hours?”

“Sure thing, sugar,” Monique said. Producing a piece of paper, she scribbled down an address, an apartment number, and pulled out a keychain with two silver keys. “Make yourself right at home.”

After giving her friend a hug, Amy picked up her suitcase. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”

With a twinkle in her brown eyes, Monique said, “Oh, not for a while, I don’t think.”

Shrugging inwardly, Amy exited the shop and waited for a cab on the curb. Once she hailed one, she recited the address on the paper and sat back, trying to stave off the wave of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. This trip was supposed to make her feel better. In fact, before she’d been reminded of Tim, she had felt better. A thousand times better. But now, she just felt…alone.

Why did Colleen have to get engaged now? 
 
Beauty in His Bed is now available from Lyrical Press, Inc. Read more or buy it HERE

Visit L.K. Below online at www.lbelow.net.

Leave a comment with your email address for your chance to win a copy of Beauty in His Bed! Winner will be announced Thursday, August 2nd! 

Wasn't There a Picture Here?

As some of you may have noticed, but most of you probably have not, there've been some changes to the blog. Many of my posts that used to include pictures, are now without them, and others, like all of the "Hunks for Hump Day" posts, have been deleted entirely. If you go to my Pintrest profile, you also might notice a lot of the pictures have been removed, and some entire boards have disappeared. 


The reason for all of these changes is in response to an article I read on Roni Loren's blog, Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued for Using Pics on Your Blog - My Story


Now, let me clarify. I did not pull the pictures because I'm scared I'll get sued. Certainly I don't want to get sued, and it may have played a hand in my ultimate decision. But what really decided me on the issue were the comments on that post. Comments from photographers who pleaded their case with others. Photographers who are trying to make a living off of their photographs only to find them splashed across the web as if they were public property. One commenter even said that writers and photographers, and other artists, should stand together on the same side of piracy. And honestly, I agree. How can I gripe about the pirate sites posting downloads of my work when I'm posting someone else's work on my blog or Pintrest. Sure, I didn't mean any harm by it. But, in theory, neither did the people posting my work. So over the weekend, I went through all of my blog posts and my Pintrest board (and facebook, although all I post there are my own pictures), and took off anything that wasn't allowed - which, from my understanding, does not include book covers or movie posters, etc. which are allowed. 

I am keeping the "Me at a Glance" board on Pintrest, currently empty, but am planning on filling it with pictures of my own. Pictures I took with my camera, of my dogs, or my coffee in the morning. But I hope you'll all bear with me until I can get those pictures up and running. 

What are your thoughts on the issue? 

Also, come back tomorrow for a guest post and giveaway with the fabulous L.K. Below!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - 7/22

Happy Sunday everyone! I remembered again to sign up this week, so I'm once again participating in Six Sentence Sunday. This week, I've decided to post a six sentence snippet from the third book in my Alpine Woods Shifters series, The Wolf Within. Enjoy!


He couldn't help but smile as she blew out yet another exasperated breath and rolled her eyes.

"You are unbelievably stubborn!"

"I've learned that stubborn people tend to get what they want. And Julie--" Brendan leaned in until they were mere inches apart. "I want you." Flames of desire leapt into her eyes, pulling him forward as he leaned in for a kiss.  

The Wolf Within is available at Lyrical Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and digital bookstores everywhere! For More information about me or my books, check out my website at www.sondraebennett.com.


See all participating authors at:

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - 7/15


Welcome to another Six Sentence Sunday! Yes, I finally remembered to sign up in time, which means I get to participate in the fun this week!

Today's post is from my latest release, Worth Fighting For, available at Lyrical Press, Amazon, and digital bookstores everywhere. I chose a snippet with a bit of heat this time. Hope you enjoy!

From one moment to the next, the kiss changed. No longer was Misty the aggressor. Instead, she was hit by the full force of Cody's dominance. Without thought, she gave up control, closing her eyes and melting into his embrace. Releasing the material in her fists, Misty ran her hands up his chest, feeling the muscles ripple through his clothes wherever she caressed. God, she couldn't wait to get him naked.


To see all participants, head to the Six Sentence Sunday website by clicking on the image below.


Friday, July 6, 2012

And the winner is....

It's time to announce the winner of a digital copy of Rescuing Rapunzel by Candice Gilmer!

Congratulations

Lynn!

Someone will be in touch with you shortly regarding your prize. 

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Come Visit Me!

I'm guest blogging today over at the Romance Recipes blog. It's a really fun blog post, plus a new recipe you can try out on your significant other. So come on over and say hi!

http://romancerecipes.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/sondrae-bennettcappelini-with-rosemary/

Monday, July 2, 2012

Guess What I'm Doing This Week

I've decided to forgo Madly in Love Monday this week because there are a bunch announcements I want to make, and I figured one big announcement post was a good idea. 


First of all, don't forget that Candice Gilmer's contest for a copy of Rescuing Rapunzel is running through the fourth of July, so be sure to head HERE and comment for a chance to win!


Second, tonight I will be at Night Owl Reviews at a live web chat, and I'm so excited to talk to everyone! The chat starts at 8pm EST, 5pm Pacific, and I think I'm up first. So please please please stop by, ask questions, say hello, and chat for a bit! The chat will be held HERE. There will also be giveaways! 


Then, on Tuesday, my question will be featured at the Sizzling Summer Books party at The Romance Reviews. It's such a fun contest that will be running the whole month of July. So be sure to pop on over HERE and have some fun for your chance at the grand prize! Answer the questions below the matching game to earn more clicks. 


On Thursday, I'm heading over to Romance Recipe's blog with a post about romance and food. Keep your eyes peeled for a link once we get a bit closer! 


And last, but certainly not least, congratulations to Anna Dase who won my facebook contest and will be receiving a $5 gift card to the digital bookstore of her choice! Thank you to everyone who participated and keep your eyes peeled for more chances to win!