2015 in Review & What I Learned

Wow, what a 2015! 

It's weird to have a year that's seemingly flashed before my eyes, while still containing the most powerful/heartbreaking/enriching moments of my entire existence (up to this point).

I figured the best way to approach this post is to impart the wisdom I've gained from the year. You don't need my chronological breakdown, because well, it'd bore you I'm sure.

Below are personal life lessons I've learned and I hope they help me (and you) move through the next year with just as much enthusiasm as I (we) had for 2015

Me and my Grandma, Maria Nilda Rosa 

• Sometimes your best of friends will actually come around and surprise you. They will learn to support your crazy dreams, even if it takes a transition period and they still get pissy on occasion, but I learned it's because they love you. Sure, cut the fat in your life, but don't cut the friends who matter most because you need to focus on YOU. There's a balance (it's tough to find, I know), and practice makes perfect. No one said it would be easy, but it's also incredibly worth it. They're worth it. 
• That being said, don't let poisonous people infect your life. Whether this means cutting the people who put you down, or merely growing a thick skin (know the difference). The negativity doesn't matter. I know it stings, but it doesn't change how you do you. As long as you do what makes you happy, that's all that matters. Fuck the haters, the nay-sayers, the bitch-faces, and the people who don't understand the importance of your journey. They don't need to.
• Family is everything. It took losing one of the most important people in my life that made me realize my discomfort with hugging people is incredibly stupid. What I would give to hug my grandma one more time, or hold her hand for no apparent reason, or tell her I love her. Something inside me broke the day I lost my grandma. This unfathomable disbelief that I could lose her washed over my like a cold sweat. She always felt immortal to me. This unmoving pillar in my life. A staple of kindness and endless love. When I watched the heart monitor dip and spike as her heart literally gave out while I held her hand, and I had to stand by literally helpless to stop it until the line on the screen flatlined was excruciating. Mortality never felt more real, and has never made me so angry. Now ... please go hug the people you love; friends, family, etc. Even though your annoying cousins are going to be at that one family get together, or you fear for your life when it comes to awkward life questions, do me a favor: grin and fucking bear it, and spend it with the people who you call family. You just never know how much time you'll have. Call your grandma, or your aunt, hell, call your Mom just to say Hi. These little gestures move mountains for them. I called my grandma the day before her heart surgery while sitting in the Dallas airport ready to head home to San Diego just to wish her goodnight before she slept, telling her i was thinking of her and that she's the strongest woman I know. She cried. She laughed. She said she'd see me when I got back. I had no idea after that night that the next three months would be a ticking time bomb of precious moments. I know you're a busy person, but just put down the Starbucks and make sure you go to the next family dinner even though you had planned on binge watching Netflix. There are simply more important things and people who you should never take for granted and fill your time with. 
• Have fun. I spent the first half of my year as a hermit. My life was purely online and i wrote all the time. However, when my grandma passed away, I had this moment where I was looking around and wondering how to pull myself back together, and realized I had made myself more distant than I'd like. I needed my friends, and luckily my friends are like family, and they welcomed me back with open arms. I have been focusing on fun and friends since October and although my productivity has been slim to none, my brain feels better. Friends and family enrich our lives. They teach us things, listen, and sometimes just existing next to you is enough. I felt more whole when I finally allowed my brain to focus on fun rather than deadlines. I needed it to recover from mourning my grandma, and finally I feel mentally healthy, and it's because I made a solid choice to put aside one priority to address another. Balance is key, and not everything has the best timing, but working at it is all that matters. 
• Always be honest and kind. It doesn't pay to lie. Once you lie you're living a fantasy world and that just seems crazy. You should want a rich reality. Make good choices, not selfish ones. Smile more. Tell the truth even though it hurts, because I think the alternative can easily be worse.
• Jump out of your comfort zone. Be fearless. This was me about attending book events by myself since my writer friends live far away. Best thing I ever did was get in my car and drive to LA by myself to attend the Los Angeles Book Fest. It was liberating. I had no restrictions, talked to strangers, enjoyed book talks, and felt alive. Throughout the year I attended events and forced myself to talk to strangers and my author hero's. I might've drunkenly overwhelmed Cora Carmack at RT Booklovers convention in order to thank her for blurbing my book, but awkwardness aside, I'm glad I did it. (I think I tend to generally overwhelm people anyways. haha). Just don't put limits on yourself. You're very capable and awesome. 
• It's okay to say No. Sometimes saying no to fun is for the best. I've realized that organizing your life and prioritizing has it's long term benefits that override the hangovers I might've had if I chose Friday night partying with friends rather than finishing my books.
• Keep in touch. Life moves fast and even though we're so connected it seems it's harder to keep tabs on friends near and far. Maybe it's because we are constantly bombarded with information that it can be tough to remember to reply to a text, send an email, or call a friend. But it's worth it. Growing apart can be hard to fight, but take the time to keep up with friendships. 
• Read out of your favorite genre every once in awhile. Even though I love romance I can't tell you how much I fell in love with sci-fi, suspense and young adult this year. Being a well-rounded reader made me feel like a better human.

So, with that being said and with my new wisdom, I think I'm ready to tackle 2016. I've got the sequel to Tryst titled, Entangled, coming out June 2016, and hopefully another book too! Also, lots of books to write ... trips to plan, friends to make laugh, family to hug, and everything else in between.

Thanks everyone for making my 2015 so great, especially through the tough times. Thanks for buying my books and reviewing them. Thanks for liking or commenting on my posts. Thanks for getting my sense of humor. Thanks for just being my friend. 

2016, I'm coming for you, and it's going to be epic.

FAHRENHEIT IS LIVE! Enter the Giveaway!

I'm super excited to announce that FAHRENHEIT is live on all major ebook retails! And soon the paperback will be, too! I can't tell you how absolutely proud I am of this book. I'm so in love with these characters; their naughtiness, their wit. I hope you fall for them as hard as I did! Fahrenheit will be 99 cents for a limited time, so be sure to #OneClick asap! Eeek <3 Don't forget to leave a book review, too! By the way, this is so how I feel right now:

Lauren Michaels is exhausted with the push and pull of copy editing for Los Angeles’s woman’s magazine, Frenzy, which caters to pop culture, style, and above all, sex.

She wants to write for the magazine rather than edit, but her boss is convinced that Lauren’s conservative tendencies won’t fit in with the risqué nature of what Frenzy is about.

Convinced to make her mark, Lauren begs for the chance to prove her self. Her boss agrees, tasking her with the impossible, in hopes of failure, because although she doesn’t want her to become a journalist, she doesn’t want to lose her as Editor-in-Chief, either.

Her daunting mission? To investigate the growing popularity of sex clubs in Los Angeles, and figure out how the sensual underworld functions.

Out of her element, Lauren starts her search with pen and paper in hand at a local sex shop, hoping she’ll find a trail that leads to the dark lairs of sex and fetishes.

Trying to hide her inexperience, and pretending she’s a professional sex kitten, this trail instead leads her to one brooding, Nathan Sanders.

He’s daunting, charming, and a little too dark and mysterious for her taste, but Lauren knows he’s what she needs as her way in.

What she doesn’t see coming is that Nathan is all too willing to invite her to a nightclub she’s only ever heard stories about, and also the fact that Nathan know’s Lauren doesn’t have a clue what she’s getting herself into.

However, he can’t turn down the idea of helping her out with her research once she confesses the whole story.

This could be fun, they said. There’s no harm in it, they agreed.

Little do they know, a little research can serve up some unexpected results.

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo 

I continue on, in search of a more bearable aisle in this sex shop.

Frenzy Magazine isn’t shy of the phallic-shaped items that line the row I approach, and I note that the dildos on the shelves display all the colors of the rainbow. How quaint.

I nod, wondering why the hell I’m smiling at dildos.

Looking around the shop, I realize I’m alone, and the employee at the front has now busied himself with rearranging the nudie magazines on the wall. It gives me the comfort I need to snoop.

I lift my hand up to a large, purple penis-shaped silicon form. I am tempted to grab it, but I’m a bundle of nerves, so instead I poke at it. My hand knocks it to the floor with a cringe-worthy slap, igniting a loud buzzing sound.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I whisper, watching this wobbling dick bounce around on the linoleum. I’m hopping back and forth, because it’s rolling around as if it’s chasing me.

I have to stop it, right?

I bend down, forced to touch it completely, and the vibration is much stronger in my hands now that I’m holding it. I examine the thing, looking for an off switch to no avail.

“What the fuck?”

Finally, through deductive reasoning, I twist the bottom, and it stops shaking. I diligently place it back on the shelf, deciding I’m done with dildos for now, and turn around to face the other side. I’m more baffled by what I see than I was of the Technicolor vibrators.

I grab for what looks like a necklace my grandmother would have worn with her knitted sweaters. The wooden beads are larger than I would have expected. I lift it off the rack, and I realize it’s not really a necklace, but a string of wooden bobbles. I bring it closer to my face, wondering what the hell—

“So, do you like anal?”

I gasp, flinging myself back a step at the brash question, but nearly fall over when my vision collides with an electric, hazel-gold stare looming over me. The man who’s asked me this blunt question has a dazzling shit-eating grin on his face, and I want to smack it.

I can’t figure out how I didn’t see this monstrosity of a man among my scouring. I wouldn’t be able to miss him. His dark, 6’4” features beg to be noticed. His ruffled black hair and days of stubble on his jaw are hard to miss, but I can still see dimples under his scruff, which has me deciding against violence for the time being.

I remind myself of my purpose, and examine his penetrating gaze, wondering if he’s the fetish, underworld type.

That smile says maybe.

“Excuse me?” I gasp, going crimson in the process.

I pull in a deep breath when he takes two deliberate steps toward me, putting only twelve inches between us. I’m trying to fathom how I’m in this situation, because I’m positive people leave each other alone in Los Angeles. It’s like an unspoken rule. Heaven forbid we smile when we pass each other on the street.

However, maybe when you’re in a place like this, you invite these kinds of questions. Obviously, they might be into what you’re into. Like a bookstore. You see someone holding The Hobbit in the aisle, you could probably assume he or she likes fantasy, and you could potentially start a JRR Tolkien conversation that the person would appreciate.

When I put the argument together like that in my head, my eyes dart to what is sitting in my outstretched hand. I cringe.

The idea turns me red. I try to remember my assignment, and that this might be a good thing. If I like JRR Tolkien, he might like it too. If I’m in a sex shop, maybe that means I like secret societies of sex dungeons like him, right?

Good lawd.

“Well, you’re holding anal beads, so it felt like a fair question. A bold one, but a fair one.”

A cluck of laughter escapes me. Yup, like a chicken. Bakawk. I examine the round beads in my hand, noting that the idea of these large round balls entering through an exit is horrifying. I place them back on the rack.

I am so sorry, grandma.

“Um, no. I-I don’t like anal.” I lick my lips, feeling uncomfortable.

“Anything particular?”

I tilt my head to get a better look at him, and the twitch to the corner of his mouth matches the lift of his right eyebrow.

“Particular?”

“Yeah, that you’re into.”

I look around again, having a hard time holding back another cringe when I realize there’s an inflatable sex doll hanging feet above me.

“I just like sex, but I guess I’m curious, which is why I’m here.”

I shake my head, baffled by my words. When did I get so honest, and when did I decide to take this assignment seriously?

Maybe it’s the opening of this guy’s shirt, showing a little bit of chest hair, that convinces me, or it could be the fact that his eyes tell me he’s playful as much as he’s serious. It’s in the way his stare pulls me in, and then skips to a different surface of my body before pulling me back in again.

“Curious?” he repeats.

The way the word rolls off his tongue screams of possibility, and I don’t know how he’s done it.

“Yeah, I’m always curious.” I smile.

“Funny, because I’m always looking for an adventure.”

My brows pull together. I have half a mind to ask him if that means multiple sexual partners, or general life experiences. By the way he fills out his black Henley, I think it’s more like option one.

“I don’t understand how those two go together.”

The corners of his mouth reach from ear to ear, and I get this weird, sinking feeling I’ve just issued a dare.

[ ENTER HERE ] a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden

This cover reveal is near and dear to me because it's the makeover of my bestie, Alys Arden's book, THE CASQUETTE GIRLS. I loved this book when it first released, and I've never been more eager to reread a book! I can't wait to see the changes and epic storytelling that will ensue with this new version releasing November 17th! I loved the old cover, but this new illustrated one I can't take my eyes of. EEK. Congrats Alys on your epic cover reveal! I sense good things are on the horizon....

Don't forget to get your preorder in! Link below!

The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden 

Published by: Skyscape

Publication date: November 17th 2015

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

After the storm of the century rips apart New Orleans, sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne and her father are among the first to return. Adele wants nothing more than to resume her normal life, but with the silent city resembling a war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter, normal needs a new definition.

Strange events—even for New Orleans—lead Adele to an attic that has been sealed for three hundred years. The chaos she accidentally unleashes threatens not only her but also everyone she knows.

Caught in a hurricane of myths and monsters, Adele must untangle a web of magic that weaves the climbing murder rate back to her own ancestors. But who can you trust in a city where everyone has secrets and keeping them can mean life or death? Unless…you’re immortal.

Revised edition: This edition of The Casquette Girls includes editorial revisions.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25917801-casquette-girls-the

Purchase: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1503946541/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641

AUTHOR BIO:

ALYS ARDEN grew up in the Vieux Carré, cut her teeth on the streets of New York, and has worked all around the world since. She still plans to run away with the circus one day.

www.facebook.com/TheCasquetteGirls

www.thecasquettegirls.com

www.alysarden.com

Sale Blitz & Giveaway: Watching Fireflies by Jaycee Ford

I'm lucky enough to call this author one of my best friends, and I'm excited to share with you her 0.99¢ SALE for the first book in her Love Bug Series, WATCHING FIREFLIES, to jumpstart the epic pre-release of her fourth (and last) book in this series (Mosquito Chase). Once you start reading, Watching Fireflies, you won't be able to stop wanting to find out which cowboy is your favorite with each book in the series. Watching Fireflies has Tom McCloud, who has a special place in my cowboy reading heart. He's hot, a sweet talker, and a southern boy through-and-through. Read this romance and see what all the fuss is about <3 Plus, it's Jaycee Ford's birthday on the 19th (shsh, don't tell her I told you), and I think it would be epic to see how many want Tom McCloud next! It's only 0.99¢ for a limited time. Give her a present. Get it while you can :)

Want to see how I truly feel about this book? Read my five star review of Watching Fireflies [HERE]

Title: Watching Fireflies

Series: Love Bug #1

Author: Jaycee Ford

Genre: Romantic Suspense/New Adult

 Release Date: August 19, 2014

Jordan Hawthorne thought she had it all until a surprise for her fiancé turns into losing everything that she ever wanted. She flees her home in Charlotte, North Carolina to take a new job in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and make a new start where her ex-fiancé can’t find her. Jordan is just beginning to adjust to her new life in the middle of nowhere when a small town cowboy walks in and disrupts it all.

Tom McCloud never had time for a serious commitment, always too busy with running his grandparents’ farm. Everything changes when he stumbles upon a broken-hearted city girl and a steamy buzz ignites between them. But what happens when the city girl can’t stay hidden in the country for long? 

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links 99¢

AMAZON US / UK

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Also Available:

AMAZON US / UK

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

AMAZON US / UK

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Coming Soon

Mosquito Chase releases November 25

ADD TO GOODREADS

Author Bio

Jaycee Ford grew up chasing street cars around the city of New Orleans. After doing a four year stint at Louisiana State University, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and fled for the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. New Orleans beckoned her home again where she put her love of the foothills into a series of romance novels. In between writing, she’s found behind her desk at a top rated law firm … or still chasing street cars.

Author Links:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | 

PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Paper Hearts by Claire Contreras

I can't tell you how much I adore this series by Claire Contreras. I devoured Kaleidoscope Hearts (Book 1) in 2 days, and nothing made me giddier than hearing that she was coming out with Paper Hearts, and that we got a free novella to boot! If you haven't started these books yet, I totally reccommend them! Plus, the covers are gorgeous. Also, I had the pleasure of meeting Claire Contreras at RT Booklovers Convention this year and she was incredibly sweet!

Paper Hearts

By Claire Contreras

Add to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1TtXUBg

BLURB:
I lost her.

No, I didn't lose her. I threw her away.

She was my best friend.

I was never supposed to fall in love with her.

I was careless.

She was heartbroken.

I thought I was doing fine. But here she is, years later, forced to work with me, reminding me why I fell in love with her in the first place.

And this time I'm going to do everything in my power to never let her go.

Haven’t read this series yet?

Start Mia & Jensen’s Story for FREE  at the following retailers:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1LRDlye

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1I9jPby

iBooks: http://apple.co/1I2ldPy

Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/1DMjMnZ

Author Information

Claire Contreras graduated with her BA in Psychology from Florida International University. She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband, two little boys, and three dogs.

Her favorite past times are: daydreaming, writing, and reading.

She has been described as a random, sarcastic, crazy girl with no filter.

Life is short, and it’s more bitter than sweet, so she tries to smile as often as her face allows. She enjoys stories with happy endings, because life is full of way too many unhappy ones.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter

ARC GIVEAWAY

Want to win an ARC of Paper Hearts for you and a friend?
ENTER HERE:

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/09964f03721/

THANK YOU!

Book Review & Blog Tour: Three Little Mistakes by Nikki Sloane

I sell sex, sin, and pleasure, but it isn’t just my business, it’s my entire life. I get off on the power of controlling it all.

She’s the one woman I can’t have.

She threatens everything, and yet I can’t stay away. There’s a beautiful, sexual creature inside this timid girl that’s desperate to claw its way out. I’m going to set it free, even if it brings my empire tumbling down.

I have to believe she’ll be worth all the little mistakes I’ve made

Amazon US | Amazon UK  Amazon CA | Goodreads

MY REVIEW 

I love the Blindfold Club series by Nikki Sloane. Originally, it was recommended to me by a friend because not only were the storylines cohesive, but the books were so well written. Especially the sex scenes, which is in an art in it of itself, and Nikki Sloane slays at a well written sex scene. They’re always undeniably hot, adventurous, and usually I can’t stop reading, unless I have to pause to fan myself, or to go get a cold glass of water.

Three Little Mistakes wasn’t what I expected in the best way, and I loved how this story pulled itself along. It had a few twists I didn’t expect, and every time I though I was given a clue to what might unfold, I was proven wrong. I love books like this. They break the mold. The book kept me on the edge of my seat while having me fiending more for Noemi and Joseph.

I didn’t think I was going to like Joseph as much as I did, but I fricken love him. Is it possible for someone to be so endearing while being so controlling? Because he nails it! His dirty mouth and affinity for fetishes had me blushing and unsure how he was going to handle a relationship with Neomi, who was ever so willing, but not very experienced. They ended up being so perfect, and I was eager to see what they’d do next, not only in the bedroom, but how they’d find common ground.

I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but from secrets of sin, connections and power, to reputation and sexual fantasy’s, and even the appearance of a sexy tumblr to allow reblogging of your sexual fantasies, this book was such a win for me!

Easy five stars. I so enjoy each book in this series from start to finish. A must read for anyone who likes erotica with heart, and some freak-in-the-sheets action. Mmhm.

Joseph leaned back in his chair and his gaze drifted down slowly, taking in the uniform. The red button-down shirt and black necktie, which was tucked into the black waist apron, tied over my fitted black pants. Oh, no. Was I wearing something wrong? The gaze drifted back up to meet mine, and it was heated. No, better. It had a look I’d seen from him before, the look that made my knees go soft.

Lust. But it faded as quickly as it had appeared.

“As much fun as it is to see you,” he said casually, “I’m not up for another round of your wait game right now.”

I steeled my voice to sound strong. “I’m not here to play that. If wait comes from me, you should ignore it. I know what I want.”

“Oh, of course.” His patronizing tone was sharp, but it helped solidify my desire. “You think you’re really ready this time?”

“Yes.”

The conviction in my word gave him pause. “I’m sure you think so.”

This was the moment I’d been desperate for. I’d be damned if I was going to back down. “Tell me what you want me to do. I’ll do it.”

A small smile grew on his lips. How did he make something so innocent look sinful and dirty? “All right, little girl. Take off your apron.”

Easy. I fumbled with the strings in the small of my back and tugged the knot free, then tossed the black fabric onto a nearby table.

“Undo your belt.”

This command was slightly harder to follow. Sensible Noemi raised a warning, but I ignored her. This was a test. I slipped the end of the belt loose from the buckle, feeling Joseph’s dark eyes watching my every move.

“Good,” he said, when it was done. “Unzip.”

“Here?” I whispered. He nodded.

Maybe it wasn’t a test. I tried not to falter or think. Just follow his command. I unbuttoned and unzipped my pants, but my hands trembled.

Pleased surprise streaked his face. I was sure I’d already made it farther than he thought I would. Joseph relaxed in his seat, throwing an arm on the back of the empty chair beside him, as if watching a show.

“Okay so far?” There was an edge of teasing, which I probably deserved.

“Yeah,” I said between deep breaths.

“Pants down to your knees. Your shirt comes up, so when you lean over and put yourself facedown on this table, you’ll show me your perfect ass.”

My need to stay decent was swept away in a tidal wave of desire. You’re going to do it, Noemi. I glanced around the empty dining room. The rest of the staff would be in the kitchen for another twenty minutes. I shimmied the waist of my pants over my hips and down my thighs until they were bunched at my knees. Cold air wafted over my newly exposed legs. My lavender lace panties barely covered my backside and I couldn’t contain the shudder. I was nervous to be doing this where anyone could catch us, but the dark, bad part of me was excited. I was doing it.

I pushed the placemats and silverware out of my way, yanked up my shirttails, and did as ordered, lowering my upper body to rest on the veneer. I was bent over the end of the table, and Joseph shifted his seat to an angle to see me better.

The only sound was his clipped breathing.

“Goddamn. Pull those sexy panties down,” he said, his voice hushed but no less sexy. “I want to see your pussy.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered. His filthy commands set me on fire, and created a line that sensible Noemi couldn’t get across. My fingers clawed at the waistband and pushed my underwear down until it was around my thighs, leaving me naked and vulnerable. Showing Joseph a part of me that few men had ever seen. And I loved it.

“Look at you.” It rang out like he couldn’t believe it. “What would you do if someone walked in right now and saw this? With your ass bare, and your pussy waiting to be fucked?”

I had no thought in my mind, so I picked the only answer I could. “I’d . . . do whatever you told me to.”

Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads  Website

Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. For eight years she worked for a design firm in that extremely tall, black, and tiered building in Chicago that went through an unfortunate name change during her time there. Now she lives in Kentucky and manages a team of graphic artists. She is married and has two sons, writes dirty books, and couldn't be any happier.