Comicpalooza!

What's fun, involves gaming, comics, movies, sci-fi, fantasy, literature, art, and all kinds of unique people? That's right, Comicpalooza in Houston, TX. Today is the start of this three day convention that has seriously grown over the past couple of years. This will be my first year attending and I can't wait!

I know it's not easy to see on the above diagram, however I'm sure this will be available on site as well. I'll be just above the "Artist Alley" on the left side of the first floor. I'll be at booth #1831 alongside authors J.D. Faver and Mina Khan.

Aside from signing books and meeting our readers, all three of us will also be on panels throughout the event. I will be on two Saturday: No Right Way to Write at 1pm, and Vampires and Shifters: Why Do We Love Them? at 6pm. On Sunday I'll be on: Prose: The Art and Science of Choosing the Right Words at 12pm, and Kick Ass Heroes and Heroines at 3pm. As far as I can tell most if not all of my panels will be in room 3.

So whether you're a Trekkie, Star Wars fan, Whovian, or none of the above, you should come out to Comicpalooza for a unique and interesting weekend.

Update for the Masses

It's almost the end of the school year! I'm always happy to see the summer months because that means a little less hectic schedule with the kids. However, this year I'm absolutely ecstatic because I'll have a high school graduate also! So hopefully when school starts again I won't be stretched quite as thin.

On the writing front I've got a few things going on. I'm currently working on edits for Heather's Redemption. For those of you who have read Resignation, this book is about that Heather. Yes, I know she wasn't shown in a very good light in the first book. Hence the name of this one. I promise she is redeemed and with a sexy hero to boot. Once I finish the edits I'll get a release date. Hopefully very soon.

Also on the writing front, if you'll be in the Houston area this weekend you can meet me in person! I'll be attending Comicpalooza for the first time ever and am super-duper excited about it. I get to hang with other dorky, freaky people just like me. I can't wait! It's not too late to get one, two or three day passes. There will also be a whole ton of famous people to ogle once you're done talking to me. ;-)

And last but not least I need to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me by buying my books these past two months. I had a new release in April (Lunchtime Sex) and in May (Too Much to Lose). Though I won't have the numbers in for a couple of months I've already had some positive feedback. So I know at least one person bought each of them. Thanks to everyone who did!

New Release! Too Much to Lose

Available from Ellora’s Cave on May 15^th! The final book in the Love Beyond Barriers series by Missy Jane, Too Much to Lose.

Blurb:

Shayla loves her life in New York. She loves her job, her freedom and her friends. What she doesn’t love is going home to an empty bed every night. There’s definitely a solution for that in Texas…Ben. The only problem is she’s not certain she’s ready for another serious relationship.

Ben fell head over heels for Shayla almost from the moment they met and it was obvious the attraction was mutual. However, great sex is all she’s willing to give. She tests his patience at every turn and his endurance whenever they’re alone together. He doesn’t know what more to offer.

It might take a force of nature and the emotional past coming back to haunt her before Shayla realizes what they have is definitely Too Much to Lose.

A Romantica® erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy it here: http://www.ellorascave.com/too-much-to-lose.html

Getting Lost in the Shuffle

When I first started writing to get published there was still a stigma against self-publishing. Any "vanity press" caused warning signs to flash in my head. Skip ahead just a few short years and now publishing your own work is the new black. I have absolutely nothing against it and know many authors who have been very successful at it. However, I've decided it's not for me at this time. 

So, what does that mean for me as a small press author? I'm not published through the big six but I do have contracts with three different publishers. All three are well known in the Romance industry and have NY Times Best Selling author's in their lists. I'm very happy being a part of all three but what does that mean for me? Not much lately it seems. Even though I've been more successful on having new releases this year than any previous year, my sales are down. Is it because of my writing? I've no idea.

To be honest I feel I'm getting lost in the shuffle. There are so many authors and books to choose from. I know I'm just one of millions. I don't get many reviews so don't know if my writing just sucks. The few reviews I've had and some reader feedback leads me to believe it doesn't. What I do feel is there is such a push to support "Indie" authors, and so many readers stuck on buying paperbacks from the big six that authors like me are falling through the cracks. The biggest problem is I don't know how to fix this.

Like most authors I do a lot of online promotion for my books. I've got a site and blog (duh) and I'm on Facebook nearly all day every day. I know I'm often preaching to the choir though, as a lot of my interaction is with other authors. I don't really mind. Authors are readers too, right? I know I am. But there comes a point where I have to draw the line on self-promotion. I have to spend time writing too, plus I don't want to spam anyone. So, I'm just going to keep doing my thing and hope my writing speaks for itself.

New Release! Body Butter by Renee Luke

If the above book cover doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will! How about the blurb?

Because of non-refundable tickets and a loser, would-be groom caught with his pants around his ankles just before the wedding, Jade Palmer finds herself all alone on an exotic island, in a resort world renowned for its specialty creams. After a year of depriving herself to fit into the designer gown, she plans on flaunting her new slim body in a bikini on the beach, indulging in some of the resorts special creams, and taking care of her needs for a change. Her main need, a man to live out the sexual fantasy this trip was meant to be.

This resort gig was his mother’s thing, so how Ty Zamir got suckered into caretaking her business for the summer is beyond him. Worse yet, because of a scheduling mix-up, he’s left delivering breakfast to their newest guest.  She’s naked when he arrives--and dreaming--mumbling about fantasies and creams. Ty’s supposed to leave the tray of breakfast creams, and quietly leave her room, but he pauses and she awakes before he can.  She tells him he’s why she came--what she needs--and offers herself in exchange for being shown how to use all of the island’s exotic, edible creams.

Wow! Very hot. How about a little more with the blurb from book 1?

To prepare him for an upcoming feature role, chef and TV show hostess, Ellie Brown, is charged with teaching special guest, soap star, Derek Allen, how to create incredible desserts. Her Friday nights heat up during the live segment on summer desserts, where together they’re supposed to make scrumptious treats from scratch. The problem is, Derek doesn’t know a Dutch oven from a French kiss, and the only recipe Ellie can think of involves a certain hunk covered in sweet creams, who tastes as good as he looks. Not that she’s been licking...the spatula.

With her career and reputation on the line, she attempts to focus on her task, getting Derek familiar with cakes, whipped cream, and frostings. Enough so that he can fool the camera.  But Derek isn’t making it easy for her, not when his real talents seem to be charm and passion, and his prowess has her thinking of some off-camera action where the all those desserts can be taken to a whole new level. Determined to get him proficient in the kitchen so he can land his role, she spends extra time practicing creating each dessert with him, only to come to the conclusion, nothing’s better than mixing desserts and hunks-- If only she didn’t spend so much time thinking about how to keep one off her thighs, the other between.

Want more? Check out Renee Luke online:

Her books: on Amazon

Her Twitter: @reneelukenovels

Her site: www.reneeluke.net

Her social: www.facebook.com/reneelukenovels