Prophecy

It's become more difficult to be an indie author. On the afternoon of December 28, 2016, Lori James, owner of All Romance eBooks, sent out emails that she is closing her storefront. She cited the reason as being the company would post its first financial loss for 2016. 

I have questions. Many, many questions. I'll let that go for now.

As always, it's the authors who end up with the real loss. We've lost a valued (and we thought trustworthy) source to market our books. We are now pushed even farther into Amazon's loving embrace. 

Amazon is not the author's friend no matter how benign it appears on the surface. 

There's been discussion for many years that sooner or later Amazon will be the only game in town. With the closing of ARE, it's one step closer to being a reality. 

Be careful what you give away for free. Free is not without cost, and that cost is the authors themselves. I know a handful who are dropping out, too exhausted to continue. Those voices have been silenced, and that's too high a cost to bear.  

Rayne

Money Back Guarantee

Available now at online book sellers: Money Back Guarantee

Slade Martin is under attack. An electronic thief absconded with all his liquid personal wealth and someone on his board of directors is plotting a hostile takeover. The obvious culprit isn’t the guilty party, and Slade gets help to find the real perpetrator from a surprise source – the lovely and capable Iris D’Vance.  

Iris D’Vance is determined to not repeat her mistakes with men – until she meets Slade Martin, and decides all bets are off. Accepting the invitation to sit on the board of Slade’s charitable foundation lands her in the middle corporate intrigue. Slade needs her help and makes her an offer she can’t turn down.

Slade and Iris join forces to unravel the plot to ruin Slade and discover their interest in each other runs deeper than sharing altruistic works. When the person behind Slade’s woes is found, it’s Iris who’s in danger. Slade has to act fast to bring her home safe and make good on his money back guarantee. 

INTRO:

Slade stalked off the elevator, his prey dead center in the crosshairs. Primed and loaded, one word from Ms. Iris D’Vance, and he’d let the hammer fall. Damn her. He sucked in a deep breath to replace the air that whooshed out of his lungs as her appearance burned onto his corneas.

Damn her for standing in front of the windows with the sunlight coming in behind her. Every luscious curve was visible through the backlit fabric of her dress. He’d not seen anything that amazing in…well, he’d never seen anything that amazing. His temper bled away, replaced by a surge of lust. Maybe he needed to rethink his approach, and fast, before she got away with old man Farnsmore.

Iris turned slightly and spotted him. Her eyes widened, she stiffened, then her composure slid back into place. It didn’t matter. Slade had seen the sudden interest in her eyes. He held out his hand to her for a friendly handshake.

“Ms. D’Vance, I apologize for getting off on the wrong foot upstairs. I get a little nervous before board meetings.”

Iris accepted his hand. Her lips parted. He closed his fingers around hers, noting how cold hers were as he lifted them to his lips.

“I’m sorry. That was forward of me. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Her chin lifted, and her lovely hazel eyes took on a new, hard glint.

“I’m sure that well-rehearsed and very tired line still works on some women, but I assure you, I’m not one of them, Mr. Martin.”

Slade very grudgingly gave her high marks for honesty. He’d asked for that, and she’d given it to him.

“No, it doesn’t work, obviously. I’ll have to practice it.”

“Not on me, Mr. Martin. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s my ride.”

Dismissed, for God’s sake. Torpedoed.

Slade grabbed her wrist. She shot him a cold look that would have sent a weaker man to his knees.

Well, she could glare at him all she wanted to. What he had to say was important.

“Whatever it is you and Farnsmore have schemed up, I warn you now, he’ll turn on you the minute you’ve outlived your usefulness.”

Her look turned wary. “What are you talking about, Mr. Martin?”

“Don’t play stupid. I know old Reggie worked his glib tongue with the other members to get you a seat on my board. Now you’d best remember it is my board. Drop Farnsmore before you get in over your head.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Have it your way, but don’t say I didn’t warn you about Reggie and his cronies.” Slade left her standing there, turning abruptly and calling for his car.

Curse the day Reginald Farnsmore managed to wrangle a seat on the CRM board! The man was nothing but trouble. Slade slid into the driver’s seat of his vintage Cadillac. Crap. He needed to pay the permit for the gasoline engine because in his current financial straits, he couldn’t afford the steep fine for a lapse.

How did Iris fit into Reggie’s grandiose scheme to take over the board? Maybe Farnsmore thought she’d be a proper distraction. If that were the case, Slade had to admit the man had picked a woman who could get his mind on other things. Too bad she didn’t have the balls, well, ovaries, to own up to it.

The look in her eyes swam in his memory, the look of shocked confusion that she’d not been able to hide as he’d delivered his warning.

Fucking hell. His chest tightened, constricting painfully around his heart. She’d not been faking. No one could act that well. Maybe she really didn’t know.

Great, now he’d have to save both D’Vance and CRM from Farnsmore.

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Mischief at Midnight - new cover up

I love Google calendars. I run several different ones because I share them with different people. It works well to have a shared calendar with my honey so I can "suggest" what he should prepare for dinner. Whether or not he actually cooks what I've suggested is fodder for another blog.

Anyway... Today marks the one year anniversary of Mischief at Midnight being out as an indie release. It's a little surprising it's been that long, but when they say time flies, they're not joking.

I've learned a lot in the last year and I decided it is perhaps time for Mischief at Midnight to get a cover do-over. It's not that I need more to do - trust me I don't - but MAM is a cute little story. You know, the tangled webs we weave and all that. What starts out as a harmless deception to help someone out with a dinner party quickly becomes an evening that's gotten out of hand. I thought it was great fun, but I confess to a bit of bias about the story.

Anyway... I decided to celebrate the success of the last year with an updated cover. Now I just have to go around to all the vendors and get it posted. That's that hard part.

Rayne
rayneforrest.blogspot.com

Loving Luke for MSS #110

It's another My Sexy Saturday blog hop day. Big thanks to Lynn Crain for organizing the blog hop and doing a massive amount of promo on it last week. Be sure and check out the My Sexy Saturday blogs by using the list at the bottom of this post.

Today I'm highlighting seven sexy paragraphs from Loving Luke. I'm really pleased to have this story available again. It's been out of print for seven or eight years, so it was time. Thanks to everyone who stops by Twenty-Six Keys!

- - - - - -

He stroked from her knee to her hip, stopping as his hand brushed over her pocket. Very slowly he dipped two fingers into her pocket and withdrew the foil package. His heart pounded under her palm. He looked at her and licked his lips.

“You know, pretty lady, this changes everything.” He slipped the condom into his jeans pocket.

Chere’s heart stuttered then struggled to catch up to his. The dam broke inside her, flooding her, readying her. Her throat went dry. She didn’t seem to have any saliva to swallow and restore the balance. Underneath the swell of wanting him was a humorous thought. No wonder he’d insisted he needed to move slowly and seemed intent on driving her crazy by wanting to wait. She coughed dryly and forced the words out.

“You didn’t have any with you, did you?”

His arms tightened around her. He laughed softly. “I really didn’t think I’d need one tonight.”

He sounded so sheepish she struggled not to laugh. “Luke. Let’s go to bed."

“Be gentle with me, Chere. It’s been a long time.”

_ _ _ _ _

LOVING LUKE

Available now at All Romance eBooks

About Loving Luke:

Chere Palmer has had enough of boys who only think they’re men, of blind dates and being polite to everyone’s cousins. She’s certainly had enough of the cell phone company that gave her an infamous phone number. She’s ready for a life of celibacy or an honest-to-goodness mature man, whichever way it works out. Right now, it’s late and she wants to go home – alone.

Luke Fisher has had a bad day.  The electric was off, he overslept, the computer network bombed and he had to stay at the office until midnight to restore it, and on a Friday, no less. Now, to top it all off, he’s got a flat tire. Luke calls the number on his roadside assistance card and instead of help, he gets an angry female. He tries to convince her he really needs a tow truck, but she’s convinced he’s out for some fun calling a phone number made famous in a rock song.

It doesn’t take long for Chere to realize Luke’s telling the truth. Taken with his sincerity, she agrees to go out with him and a romance quickly blooms. But Luke’s past is never far behind, and when it catches up to him Chere has to decide to walk away or spend her life Loving Luke.

Loving Luke by Rayne Forrest - now available at All Romance eBooks

Contemporary romance
- - - 

Chere Palmer has had enough of boys who only think they’re men, of blind dates and being polite to everyone’s cousins. She’s certainly had enough of the cell phone company that gave her an infamous phone number. She’s ready for a life of celibacy or an honest-to-goodness mature man, whichever way it works out. Right now, it’s late and she wants to go home – alone.

Luke Fisher has had a bad day.  The electric was off, he overslept, the computer network bombed and he had to stay at the office until midnight to restore it, and on a Friday, no less. Now, to top it all off, he’s got a flat tire. Luke calls the number on his roadside assistance card and instead of help, he gets an angry female. He tries to convince her he really needs a tow truck, but she’s convinced he’s out for some fun calling a phone number made famous in a rock song.

It doesn’t take long for Chere to realize Luke’s telling the truth. Taken with his sincerity, she agrees to go out with him and a romance quickly blooms. But Luke’s past is never far behind, and when it catches up to him Chere has to decide to walk away or spend her life Loving Luke. 

EXCERPT

As to how the tire had gone flat, Luke didn’t want to give in to conjecture. It had been fine when he’d parked the car. Dwelling on it meant delving into his past and he didn’t have the energy for that right now. He’d worry tomorrow, in the daylight, when his speculations were more manageable.

Climbing into the Mustang, he dropped the seat back and settled in to call the tow truck and maybe snap a nap until they arrived. At least he could run the engine and create a cool breeze with the air conditioning system and avoid the humid night air and the mosquitoes. He keyed in the number on his roadside assistance card and waited for someone to answer.

A silky smooth voice, with just the barest whisper of the South said hello. He rattled off his name and roadside assistance insurance number and waited for her to ask all the usual questions for filling out her forms. There was silence on the other end of the connection.

“Did you get all that?” he asked her. Her reply startled him.

“I’m sure you think you’re funny, but you’re not. Don’t call this number again.”

The connection went dead with a click. What the fuck?

He dialed the number again and the same voice answered, only a little less pleasant this time. Well, he was feeling a bit less pleasant, too. He paid a lot of money for roadside service and he expected to get it when he called for it. He was too tired, too hot and sweaty waiting for the car’s air conditioning to get up to speed to tolerate games.

“Listen, whoever you are, I need roadside assistance. Just stop playing your little game and send the tow truck. You got that?”

“Me? I’m playing games? Listen, bucko, I don’t know who you think you’re calling, but I’m not a tow truck driver and you’re bloody well on your own.” The connection broke.

He looked at his phone, dismayed. Could he just have one thing go his way between now and dawn? He hit the redial. When she answered this time, she was hopping mad.

“Now you listen to me you smarmy son-of-a-bitch. You call me again and I’ll have the cops on you so fast you won’t know what the hell happened to you. Do you hear me?”

Well. Maybe he’d better try to be very nice and see where it got him. He felt more human since the air conditioning finally blew cool air at him. 

“Ma’am, I hear you. I need a tow truck and I dialed the number on my roadside assistance card. I’m really sorry to be bothering you if you’re not the agency listed.”

Nothing but complete silence. Had she disconnected again? “Hello?”

“Mister, are you telling me the truth?” Some of the anger left her voice.

“Lady, I don’t have the energy to be jerking your chain and I wouldn’t lie unless there was a sub-machine gun pointed at my head. I need a tow truck.” He gave her the name of his insurance company. “Are you someplace you could maybe look up that number for me?”

He looked over at the only other car left on the lot, parked under a bright pole light. A pretty woman with long dark hair sat behind the wheel talking on a cell phone. She turned her head just enough that he could see most of her face.

“I’m sorry but I don’t have a phonebook in my purse. Call information, why don’t you?”

His mouth dropped open. He snapped it closed.

“Ma’am, I’m sitting in the parking lot of O’Malley’s with a flat tire --”

The woman in the other car started then turned to face him fully. Even across twelve dark parking spaces he could see the surprise on her face. He got out of his car and walked around to the passenger side and pointed at his front tire.

“See? It’s really flat.”

“Um, I see that.”

Luke hopped up to sit on the hood of his car and waved at her. “Hi. I’m Luke.”

          She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers at him, waving back. “Hi. I’m Chere."

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ 

Loving Luke is available at:

All Romance eBooks

OmniLit Books

Loving Luke - cover reveal

Tonight is a hit and run post. I'm working on getting Loving Luke uploaded and I wanted to quickly share the cover with you. I'll be back later in the week with more information about Loving Luke.

Rayne

It's Money Back Guarantee for My Sexy Saturday #107

Welcome to my corner of the My Sexy Saturday blog hop! Thanks for stopping by. This morning I'm highlighting seven sexy paragraphs from the new release Money Back Guarantee. Enjoy!

* * *

“Ah. So you were Slade the Slayer and your brother was Keiko?”

“Close. A friend was my sidekick. Beckett never got into graphic novels, but he was the one who started calling me Slade. Soon, even my parents called me Slade. I’ve been Slade ever since.”

Iris batted her eyelashes at him. “Do you have a cape?” She laughed as strong arms lifted her out of the water.

“That does it, wench!” Slade perched on the edge of the tub with Iris sprawled across his lap. She yelped as his hand descended on her wet, bare buttocks, twisting to sink her teeth in his side. He grunted.

“Slade, this is not a good course of action!”

He spanked her again.

“I’m warning you, Martin! You’ve got dangling body parts that are in danger!”

* * *

About Money Back Guarantee:

Slade Martin is under attack. An electronic thief absconded with all his liquid personal wealth and someone on his board of directors is plotting a hostile takeover. The obvious culprit isn’t the guilty party, and Slade gets help to find the real perpetrator from a surprise source – the lovely and capable Iris D’Vance.  

Iris D’Vance is determined to not repeat her mistakes with men – until she meets Slade Martin, and decides all bets are off. Accepting the invitation to sit on the board of Slade’s charitable foundation lands her in the middle corporate intrigue. Slade needs her help and makes her an offer she can’t turn down.

Slade and Iris join forces to unravel the plot to ruin Slade and discover their interest in each other runs deeper than sharing altruistic works. When the person behind Slade’s woes is found, it’s Iris who’s in danger. Slade has to act fast to bring her home safe and make good on his money back guarantee.

* * *

Money Back Guarantee is available now at All Romance eBooks 
www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moneybackguarantee-1874114-148.html

Rayne Forrest
www.rayneforrest.com
www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

Be sure and check out all the My Sexy Saturday blog on the list below.

When it rains... go indie

This has been an unusual winter. We expect cold - got it. We expect snow - got it. We expect many days to be breezy but yet sunny - nope. Didn’t happen.

It’s been the topic of conversation in the office for several months. No one remembers being without sunshine for so many days in a row. It’s, well, it’s depressing.

A few years ago a lot was written about the link between the lack of sunshine and depression. While I don’t think I get clinically depressed, I do sort of go into a hibernation mode during the winter. Sleep is preferable to just about anything else.

Somehow this year I survived both the gray, dreary days and the urge to hibernate. I’m not sure how, but I’m not looking this “gift horse” in the mouth. I’m taking it for what it is.

I’ve spent this winter going over manuscripts and learning new things about self-publishing. My account at All Romance eBooks was just approved and I hope to get Mischief at Midnight and To Bed a Spy uploaded with the next few days. After that, it’s time to move on to other outlets.

The ability to have control over my work is exhilarating. It’s not that I think publishers are dishonest, but I do think the writer, on whom this ENTIRE industry depends, is not treated equitably. Without the writer, the publishing industry collapses. Somehow it’s come to be believed the publisher makes the author’s career. Um, no. The ability to tell a good story makes the author. It should be a symbiotic relationship and it is with the really great publishers. 

It's been an eye-opener to discover I can do for myself everything a publisher does, but could I have done this without the experience of being with nine different publishers over the years? Nope. I still think a publisher is a good idea for someone new to the industry. 

Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from publishers and editors. Bite the bullet and commit to a few years of having your work under contract. Remember nothing in this business worth the effort happens overnight. There are no shortcuts. You're either in it for the long haul or you should stop now. And if you're in it for the long run, don't shut off any avenue of forward progress. 

Think about it. 

Rayne
www.rayneforrest.com