Nominations for Love Romance Cafe's Best of Awards 2010

I’m so excited to share some news with you today. My books have been nominated in various categories for Love Romance Cafe’s Best of Awards for 2010. I’m honored to have been nominated. If you haven’t voted, would you please consider supporting my books? Below, you’ll find the books nominated. To vote, click on the LRC banner listed below each book.

Thank you for your consideration. I really appreciate you.

Destiny Blaine

Best Romantic Thriller

Breakfast by the Sea by Destiny Blaine (Siren)

Two Books Nominated for Best Vampire Book

Waking up the Arguably Dead by Destiny Blaine—Passion in Print

Winning Virgin Devotion by Destiny Blaine—Siren Publishing

Best Contemporary

Breakfast by the Sea by Destiny Blaine (Siren)

Two Nominations for Best Book Cover

Cowboys for Christmas by Destiny Blaine (Aspen Mountain Press)

Bewitching Bite by Destiny Blaine (Resplendence Publishing)

Best GBLTQ Book

I Kissed a Boy by Addison Avery (Aspen Mountain Press)

Best Book All Around

Cowboy Boots and Unfinished Business by Natalie Acres--Siren Publishing

Best BDSM Book

Cowboy Boots and Unfinished Business by Natalie Acres--Siren Publishing

Best Paranormal AuthorDestiny Blaine

If you’re voting in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll, please consider the following two nominations as well:

Sexy is Never Ignored, a Sports Wives title was nominated for Best Book Ever at P&E

I received a nomination here as well:

http://critters.org/bestpoll/erot_book.shtml

Thank you again for your support. You’re appreciated more than you know. I’m looking forward to spending time with you in 2011.

Destiny Blaine

Welcome Author Raine Delight!

I’m pleased to welcome Best Selling Author Raine Delight! A fellow author at Aspen Mountain Press, Raine writes scorching hot romance and is best known for her best selling series DEVON FALLS!

Come on out and leave a comment for Raine today. She’ll stop by later to say hello.

Series vs. non-series books

I got a question from a reader the other day asking why do I write series books. Well that question stopped me in my tracks a bit. I never thought I would write series books but somehow, someway, my muse decided to run with it and today, I have one series with another on the way.

What do I love about writing series books? The chance to revisit beloved characters, the chance to explore the world I created more and to see what else will come to the muse to write about. There is no one thing that draws me to series books but the chance to see what else I can explore is a certain draw in MHO. I love seeing where my imagination can take me-from shifters, dream walkers to demons and more. The sky is the limit in my eyes.

Devon Falls was my first series of novellas and one I am particularly proud of. Originally to be only two books, it morphed into more than ten books once I settled down and saw where the muse was going. I was flabbergasted-ten books! I almost fainted but with four founding families to cover, it added up. I currently have four of the books available at Aspen Mountain Press, with two more coming in 2010 (Moonlight & Magic and Yuletide Magic) then I am taking a break for the beginning of 2011 to concentrate on a new series I am creating then back to finish it off late 2011-early 2012. *wipes brow* that is a lot of books, if I say so myself.

Next up is a new series, one I am enjoying immensely. Club Fantasy is a paranormal BDSM club run by a half-demon of lust and his lover. I am aiming for this to be a trilogy at first but then we can see what happens after that. Who doesn’t love demons, romance, bdsm aspects? I know I do. *grins*

This isn’t to say I don’t enjoy writing non-series books. I currently have one out at Aspen Mountain Press called Fairy Kisses and Magical Dreams-about a Fae Prince searching for his mate except when he finds her, she is human and that is not allowed. Another is an upcoming paranormal romantic comedy called Falling to Pieces coming to The Wild Horse Press. A heroine finds herself saving the hero and in the process falling in love. Loads of laughs, fun and non-erotic as well. Something that I kicked around with a friend and it morphed into this one wild, zany ride.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for me. I have other ideas for books (Space pirates anyone?) and who knows, maybe they will morph into a series as well. In the meantime, I read some wonderful series from talented authors (Yasmine Galenorn, Deborah Cooke, Jenna Black, JD Robb, etc) and settle in for my own personal reading pleasure while I recharge the muse.

My questions to you- What series to do you enjoy reading and why? Are there any out there you want to recommend?

Check out Raine’s website (http://authorrainedelight.com) and blog (http://rainedelightbooknook.blogspot.com) for more information her books, contests and other fun stuff.

PG Excerpt

Devon Falls: Haunting Magic
Book 4 in series but can be read as a stand alone
Now available at Aspen Mountain Press
Buy here- http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/paranormal/romance/haunting-magic/prod_112.html

Paranormal/Shifter Erotic Romance

Can a werewolf find a way to tame his mate or will she turn the tables on him and tame him?

Rodrick Dracon is the twin heir to the Dragon Inn. When he finds himself longing for a mate after being footloose and fancy free, he finds himself drawn to the most obnoxious, brassy woman he has ever met: Jaxon Sinclair. She is the one woman who doesn't melt when he goes by or hangs on his every word. She is just aggravating and down right sexy as sin! Soon the sparks fly, passion goes into boiling and Halloween approaches. Can a wolf shifter get this woman to heel before the full moon? Or can Jax turn the tables on this ladies man and tame the wolf?


Excerpt:
Jax had no idea how long she stood there with her pulse racing until a gentle cough made her jump out of her skin. She turned and saw Jenna on the steps of the Inn, a smug look on her face like she knew what had just happened. Jax tried to ease the ache that seemed to center on her pussy with deep breaths.

“You certainly know how to make an evening more…let me say…entertaining,” Jenna said and smiled. “You look a little flushed. Not coming down with a cold are you? You seem to have a little dinner date with the local stud master. Don’t want to disappoint him, right Jax?”

Jax felt her body tense as the truth hit her. She had agreed to a dinner date and, if that wasn’t enough, she had kissed the damn man. She groaned in embarrassment. Oh my god, what the hell did I just do?

Jenna collapsed laughing on the steps.

“Don’t tell me the whole place heard us?” Jax said. All she needed was the gossip to fly that she was making a move on Rodrick.

“Jax, the whole town heard you. You both were yelling at each other like there wasn’t anyone else around. It was priceless. I have never seen you lost for words like that before.”

Jenna leaned over and squeezed her cousin’s arm. “Unless people were paying attention, all they saw were you guys talking, then him kissing you…senselessly. I was amazed this place didn’t catch on fire with at so many sparks flying between you. You had him so hot and bothered he’s walking around with a bulge in his jeans.” Jenna shook her head and reached over to lead Jax to the side of the building. “Come on, it’s not that bad.”

Jax looked at her favorite cousin and wanted to smack her. Didn’t she get that this was a really bad idea? Just because her hormones flared whenever Rod was around, that doesn’t mean there was anything between them.

“Not that bad? Do you have any idea what I was just goaded into? Dinner at my house with the resident lothario of Devon Falls! My god, Jenna, he has a different woman every freaking night. What makes me so different that he has to prove something to me?” With her head down, Jax tried to still the roiling in her stomach, though she didn’t know if it was with fear, desire, anger, or a combination of them all. She remembered the way it felt to be against his chest and the way she melted at his unexpected kiss.

http://aspenmountainpress.com/paranormal/romance/haunting-magic/prod_112.html

It's a Cruel Summer--I'm back to Working 17-Hour Days Again

It’s been a busy summer. I haven’t been online much and everything from the website to social networking sites could use a little TLC. Hopefully, when my darling children return to school, I can catch up with a little virtual living and send Patty the new updates for the websites.

I’ve had a slew of emails regarding the upcoming Siren Publishing title Winning Virgin Devotion, Book Five in the Winning Virgin series. It’s exciting to hear how many of you are anticipating the next installment of the Winning Virgin series. Right now, there isn’t a firm release date. As soon as I have some information for you, I’ll post more details right here.

Speaking of new submissions and upcoming releases, Breakfast by the Sea has been submitted for consideration. Once there’s news to share, I’ll let you know. I’m anxious to post a book blurb for this novel but I don’t want to put the cart before the horse. Watch the blog and social networking sites for more information.

Other news to share: I’m thrilled to be one of Passion in Print’s debut authors. Passion in Print is set to release Waking up the Arguably Dead later this summer and I think the book is well suited for their line-up and hope you will too. A dark paranormal, Waking up the Arguably Dead has a lot of humor as well as dark elements with plenty of spice. By the way, if you haven’t checked out Passion in Print, run over and take a look: www.passioninprint.com.

Aspen Mountain Press will release more of my books later this year. I’m very excited about the relationship I’ve formed with my editor and publisher at Aspen Mountain Press. I can’t say enough terrific things about the AMP crew.

Great things are happening at AMP and combined sales for Domination Plantation have long since exceeded the national average. If you’re out there in the World Wide Web today wondering where to submit your manuscript, I have a track record with AMP and it’s a mighty good one. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this publisher. Take a look at what they’re looking for by going to www.aspenmountainpress.com. You’ll be glad you did.

Moving on: A few of you have written in regards to the reader’s group at Yahoo. After proposed and promised manuscripts are submitted, we’ll get things kicking there again. I’ve been extremely busy with family matters and trying to catch up on writing. Until something changes, promo and chats must take a back seat. Authors, you are welcome to promote your books and readers, you can chat there anytime you like. However, I just haven’t had the opportunity to join in and participate like I’d hoped. For those of you interested in stopping by, feel free to visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/destinyblaine_romance/ whenever you can.

Let’s see, what else? Fourteen manuscripts have been promised or proposed under several different pseudonyms. My goal is to finish those by the end of the year and that will be a huge stretch. Half of these are full length novels and the other half are short stories or novellas so free time is pretty much a thing of the past.

Lots of you have asked about sequels! Domination Plantation and A Matter Among Four stayed in the best selling erotica category at Amazon for many, many months. I’m happy to say similar works are planned. A sequel for Domination Plantation will be sent off to Aspen Mountain Press next month and I’m working on another Lewisburg, Tennessee story to follow A Matter Among Four. The third installment will be sent to Siren Publishing this fall.

I love passing along links I find. For those of you with a keen eye on Amazon and the eBook industry, take a look at this: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/technology/20kindle.html?emc=eta1. Ebooks are outselling hardcover books. Are any of us surprised? I’m not. This, to me, is a reflection on all of us out there promoting e-books as well as our trade paperback and mass market titles. E-book authors are selling well because most of us are promoting well. It’s great to see the numbers supporting what all of us suspected anyway. Make sure you visit the link above!

Funny thing happened to me not long ago. Actually, I’ve had very similar scenarios throughout my career but I thought I’d share this story. Many e-book authors will probably enjoy this.

One of my son’s friends recently asked me if I was a ‘real author’. He said that his mom had told him that my books weren’t on the shelves in the bookstores so I wasn’t a real author but an e-book author. She also told him I self-published my books which is why I was an e-book author. None of this made sense to me but whatever. I don’t try to understand folks anymore. However, I did grasp something from the experience—most people don’t have a clue about the book business unless they’re working in the industry.

In any event, this kid gave me a little food for thought. First of all, let me just say, I don’t self-publish BUT I WOULD. I know how and I believe I could do it well. I choose not to. I’m not organized enough. I don’t have time. I don’t want to. But I could.

Secondly, my books are in the bookstores. My real estate titles are sold at places like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Wal-Mart, and even The University of California Berkeley Book Store (http://tinyurl.com/2ccezae).

And finally, it would not hurt my feelings if all my books stayed in e-book/digital format.

You might ask why. It’s simple—the money. It’s a known fact that right now, e-book authors are paid more per copy on their e-books than they are on their print books. Best of all, e-books are on the rise and Amazon’s numbers prove it. I’m thrilled to be part of such a wildly successful book movement.

So back to my son’s friend. Am I a 'real' author? Hell no. I live in a fantasy world. I don’t have to be a real author. What is a 'real' author anyway? I don’t have a real ego to inflate by calling myself a 'real' author, but let me tell ya what’s nice. The real checks I’m paid for all those books out there with my name on them, regardless of the format. Hmm… Yes, I like those. I like them well enough to call myself a working author. And that's good enough for me.

Until next time, much love!

Destiny Blaine

I'm Chatting with Raine Delight Today

Raine Delight invited me to join her chat today at Love Romances eBook Cafe: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveromancescafe/. The chat begins at 11 AM and ends at 1PM. I'll be there by 11: 30 and hope to see you there too!

Come on out and chat with Raine and make sure you ask her about DEVON FALLS!

Hugs,
Destiny

Westerns for Those of You Who Love a Cowboy--Or Two

Luke McGregor and Marcy Killian know they’re meant for one another. After years of avoiding a relationship waiting to happen, fate leads them to an inevitable surrender.

"A soldier may wave a white flag of surrender but a cowboy never concedes."
Available Now at Shadowfire Press: http://tinyurl.com/ylemcsj

Branded Book 1 - He wanted to brand her for a lifetime and proudly gave her his name…but his name was tainted with her family’s blood. http://tinyurl.com/yfv2xbp

Branded Book 2 - Sometimes secrets surface and when they do, they bring out all sorts of ugly characters. http://tinyurl.com/yzl7eow

Branded Book 3 - He wanted to love her, but instead he let her go. She wanted to honor him, but instead she made it nearly impossible for him to find his way home. http://tinyurl.com/ykjh85f

Every woman wants her cake and wants to eat it too. Jenna finds two sexy-hot cowboys willing to give her the spicy ingredients for a mighty sweet experience.

Available Now at Aspen Mountain Press: http://tinyurl.com/ygpyzss