Loving Luke - available now

Now available - Loving Luke by Rayne Forrest

I'd have blogged sooner but I didn't know until after the fact Loving Luke had gone live. That's what a day job will do to you :) Anyway, finally, Loving Luke is on sale. Yea!!

Here's the first excerpt from Loving Luke.

EXCERPT

Climbing into the Mustang, Luke dropped the seat back and settled in to call the tow truck and maybe snap a nap until it arrived. At least he could run the engine and create a cool breeze with the air conditioning system and avoid the humid night air, not to mention outwitting the mosquitoes. He picked up his cell phone and 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 greeted him. 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 f*ck?

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 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 saw 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 jumped then turned to face him fully. Even across twelve dark parking spaces he saw 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 on the hood of his car and waved at her. “Hi. I’m Luke.”

She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers at him. “Hi. I’m Chere.”

***
Loving Luke - first excerpt
Available now at New Concepts Publishing
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/lovingluke.htm


LOVING LUKE
Contemporary romance by Rayne Forrest.


A wrong number leads Chere Palmer to the biggest surprise of her life – Luke Fisher. Trusting Luke isn’t easy as his past catches up with him and one confession leads to several. Chere has to decide - walk away now or spend her life Loving Luke.

Look for a hot excerpt - coming soon at www.rayneforrest.com/LovingLuke.html

Rayne Forrest
Website: http://www.rayneforrest.com
Rayne’s Ramblings: http://rayneforrest.wordpress.com
Through a Glass Brightly: http://rayneforrestsblog.blogspot.com
Forrest Whispers (newsletter) http://forrestwhispers.blogspot.com
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/authorrayneforrest
w/a KC Kendricks
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rayneforrest

Sexual Deceptions - Coming Soon!

Hubba! Yowzah! O-RAH!!!

And that is all I need to say about this cover.

Rayne

Website
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Kickin' and screamin' but goin'

iPod? Check.
Laptop? Check.
Digital camera? Check.
Batteries? Check.
Battery charger? Check.

Why is it the top five items on my packing list have nothing whatsoever to do with writing? I mean, I’m going to a writer’s convention. You’d think something to do with BOOKS would top my list, but nooooooo.

Let me amend something before we go further. I am reluctantly going to a writer’s convention. It sounded like fun in the beginning, but the closer to departure I get, the more little tidbits of information come my way.

The hotel is under construction. AT HOW MUCH A NIGHT????

There is no parking at the hotel itself. AT HOW MUCH A NIGHT????

Parking is at a local parking lot/deck and the cost is $35.00 a day. Well, bend me over and don’t bother kissing me first. (Yes - $35.00 because I have an SUV. Show me compact car that can push through eighteen inch deep snow with the front bumper uphill for 975 feet to the main road and I’ll buy it.)

I can’t help but think the powers that be running the show are attempting to separate the chaff from the wheat.

I can’t help but feel I’m contributing to something I perceive as having discriminatory undertones.

Nonetheless, I’m going to Romantic Times 2008. They’ll likely never review me since I don’t buy their ad space, but I’m not really bothered by that notion. I want to earn reviews based on the quality of the story, something very hard to do in such a money-driven industry.

If you’re wondering why I would bother with this convention since I’m obviously not convinced it’s my cup of tea, trust me, I’m wondering, too. Probably the biggest reason is I think I need to experience a convention of this nature once in my life. Pittsburgh is a hop, skip and a jump from home so driving up is not a problem. Plus, I do look forward to the opportunity to meet people I know only buy their Internet moniker.

My packing list does contain more than toys, honest. Going to a convention with fancy balls gave me the opportunity to buy a dressy outfit. My inner Southern Belle trampled all over my Yankee thrift when I saw the beads and sequins. Where else I’ll ever wear it is beyond me, but buy it I did. Thankfully, I have outfits for the other events. If nothing else, this convention spurred me to go through my closet and pass along what I no longer wear.

Upon my return from what will likely be my one and only writer’s convention, I hope to be re-energized and finish up a few projects. And with two new releases coming up – finally! – I need to be out and about a bit. Another project is coming to fruition, but that’s a blog for another morning.

Right now, the sun is about to pop over the mountain and the day beckons. Today is laundry day for the trip. Later, if I want to spend any time with my honey, I’ll watch part of The Masters tournament. Okay, maybe I’ll take the dog for a walk instead.

I may even pack my briefcase with all my electronic gizmos.

Rayne

Website: http://www.rayneforrest.com
Rayne’s Ramblings: http://rayneforrest.wordpress.com
Through a Glass Brightly: http://rayneforrestsblog.blogspot.com
Forrest Whispers (newsletter) http://forrestwhispers.blogspot.com
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/authorrayneforrest
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rayneforrest

Cover art obsessions - we all have them

For those who follow along, and for those new to all this romance fiction hoopla, we writers can be a strange bunch. For example, I woke up in the middle of the night and realized I’d not yet added the Loving Luke cover to my wall of shame, er, fame. So, at 2:36 a.m., I hopped out of bed and remedied that. My beloved slept on, but the dog acted like I was nuts.

The cover printed, I dug around in the closet until I found the last of my stash of picture frames and mats. I got the frames for my cover art wall gallery several years ago when a local craft store had them on sale. I wanted my wall to have a gallery quality with matching frames and mats. I call it my wall of shame – it’s an “in” joke with my honey, so just go with it. I never dreamed I’d run out of frames and need to pick what covers to “retire,” but now I have.

Is a wall of cover art a bit tacky? I don’t care. Each cover represents achievement. It’s my office, my “space,” so I please myself. I'd like to please myself with laminate flooring, but that's another blog sometime.

On the whole, we writers tend to obsess over our covers. It is the reader’s first impression of the book. As important as that is, it’s also good to keep the old adage, “you can’t judge a book by its cover” in mind. Talent in cover artists vary just as talent in writers vary. The two don’t always come together.

For example, my book that was an EPPIE finalist didn’t have a cover that reflected the story very well. It was a well done cover by an immensely talented cover artist that I’d accept to do any of my covers on any given day, but cover and book didn’t mesh. Not her fault at all. Please also remember the person in charge of covers for the publisher, who probably didn’t read the book, has the last say on the cover. If the person in charge likes it, then it’s done. End of discussion.

That’s not sour grapes, you understand. It’s the way it is. Talent for choosing a good cover to represent any given book can also fall flat on any given day. So don’t necessarily judge a book by its cover. A lot of variables go into it.

Now the Loving Luke cover is on my wall and I’m a happy little writer. It’s a great cover done by Eliza Black. I love red so it follows I love the cover. It’s very red, with some yellow, like flames. Not only that, it does reflect the ‘flavor’ of the story.

Can you judge Loving Luke by its cover? You know, I think you can.

***

In my January 2008 newsletter I mentioned that I’d like to surpass 500 friends on MySpace. Less than two months later I’m at 660. Thanks to all who rallied to the call. I have so much fun at MySpace – and to think I took so long to get there. I’ve now set a loftier goal for the remainder of 2008. I’d like to hit 1000. Come and help me achieve the goal! The link is below. Thanks!

Rayne

Website: http://www.rayneforrest.com
Rayne’s Ramblings: http://rayneforrest.wordpress.com
Through a Glass Brightly: http://rayneforrestsblog.blogspot.com
Forrest Whispers (newsletter) http://forrestwhispers.blogspot.com
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/authorrayneforrest
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rayneforrest

My Life Flows On in Endless Song

The past few weeks have been hectic. Wonderfully hectic. Blessedly hectic! Yes, I’ve been working hard, but isn’t that the way it goes sometimes? A seemingly wise person first coined the phrase, “no pain, no gain,” and that can occasionally mean no hard work, no gain. What he or she forgot to mention is that sometimes the gain is immediate and sometimes a person has to be patient in order to see those gains. If you write, you certainly must be patient because everything happens at the speed of a snail race.

Yesterday, I did an author day at one of those endless Yahoo groups we all seem to be on. I don’t mind doing author days from time to time. It gives me the chance to post my information without feeling as though I’m butting in or annoying several hundred people. It was lonely since the group I did this in isn’t a chat group, but the easy format afforded me the opportunity to post and clean my house simultaneously.

The down side of an author day is that the results are not readily apparent. There simply isn’t any way to track how many books were purchased on any given day during a royalty cycle. Publishers have that information, but I understand how impossible it would be to send out a daily report to everyone. It’s a shame because if the author knew what venue was most effective for him/her, they could concentrate their efforts there.

After I finished up my author day, I took a soak in the tub and pondered my next move, past going to bed early and watching the new episode of Torchwood. Have you seen Torchwood? Oh, you should. Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) is a fox. Does one still use the term “fox” in the new millennium? He’s quite attractive. You should go check him out.

This morning I’m up early, well rested and content with what I accomplished over the last few weeks. I still have to make the last pass over the galley of Mischief at Midnight, my half of the Sexual Deceptions anthology, and I’d like to get some writing done, but mostly today I want to rest and reflect on this day, and the week ahead.

Regardless of what’s on my “to do” list, I’ve earned a day off. It’s time to walk around my yard, through the woods, and see what green sprouts have broken through the ground in anticipation of spring. I heard the peeper frogs the other night, a sure sign the season of rebirth is upon us. My life flows on, in endless song, and today I celebrate that, and give thanks for all the blessings bestowed upon me. How can I keep from singing?

Rayne

Website: http://www.rayneforrest.com
Rayne’s Ramblings: http://rayneforrest.wordpress.com
Through a Glass Brightly: http://rayneforrestsblog.blogspot.com
Forrest Whispers (newsletter) http://forrestwhispers.blogspot.com
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/authorrayneforrest
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rayneforrest

A special moment

This past week found my little house in the woods blanketed in snow and ice. That’s not surprising since it is the middle of February. We’ve come to expect ‘bad’ weather during this month. We watch the Weather Channel and are warned when driving to work could be an adventure and it’s best to stay home. Unfortunately, our ‘bad’ weather wasn’t bad enough and I reported to the day on schedule.

I would have much rather stayed home, believe me. The first edit is back on Mischief at Midnight, my half of the Sexual Deceptions anthology I’m doing with Brenda Williamson. Whiskey Creek Press Torrid has a few new guidelines for their print books and my intention is to make sure Sexual Deceptions meet them. An extra day at home would be a big help. Didn’t happen. Mother Nature can only create what did happen.

The snow fell and the world turned white and silent. My office at work has an easterly window and occasionally the morning sun forces me to close my drapes. Not so on snowy days. I open the drapes and gaze out to watch the snow fall over a city vista. I tell myself it’s pretty enough but I’m a country girl through and through and snow in town isn’t up to par with snow in the woods. But I still watch it fall – in case it gets bad and I need to head home.

Fast on the heels of the snow came the cold, freezing rain. It dressed the mountain in a crystal coat and proved to me again that the best thing about a four-wheel drive vehicle is the ability to spin all four tires at the same time. Quite a handy feature when climbing a mountain to get home.

And then the clouds parted, the sunlight struck the trees, and my woods became a glistening crystal cathedral. Prisms danced on the tips of the branches against an incredibly clear blue sky. A joyous cacophony of sound began as the world warmed and the ice loosened its grip on the trees and completed its journey to the earth. A crackling and snapping that swelled into a primitive song as precious moisture nourished a forest floor preparing for spring. I stood in awe and listened, giving thanks to witness such beauty.

It’s been said it’s not the days we remember, but the moments. I suspect that’s mostly true and hope those moments in the crystal cathedral will remain with me for a long time.

I wish for you the blessing of many special moments.

Rayne

Website: http://www.rayneforrest.com
Rayne’s Ramblings: http://rayneforrest.wordpress.com
Through a Glass Brightly: http://rayneforrestsblog.blogspot.com
Forrest Whispers (newsletter) http://forrestwhispers.blogspot.com
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/authorrayneforrest
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rayneforrest

A New Author on my Reading List

Late last year I popped into a live chat and found myself among strangers. I’d written the chat I wanted to attend on the wrong day in my calendar, something easily done. This definitely worked out in my favor as I won an autographed copy of Diana Holquist’s Sexiest Man Alive.

Like many of my author friends, my To Be Read (TBR) pile never seems to shrink. I’ve got about a dozen books stacked beside the bed and four more ebooks purchased last year I’ve not read yet. And of course while my best friend and I were shopping this evening, I had to get three new Blazes. Had. To. I justify this to myself by calling it research, and besides, I just finished Diana’s book.

Dropping into that chat was my introduction to Diana Holquist. Sexiest Man Alive is only her second novel, and she’s done an excellent job with it. I suppose I could bore you with observations about plot (good, funny, twists in the right places) and characters (funny, charming, altruistic) and pacing (not to fast, not too slow – kept me reading without the urge to put it down or skip to the end) but I don’t think I will. What I will say is I enjoyed this story from the beginning to the end. I kept seeing Gerry Butler as the hero, but if you read my blog you know I’ve got this monkey on my back where Gerry is concerned.

When you write, it’s sometimes hard to pick up a book and read it without noticing “this” or “that” or something else. The Rules of Writing have become so ingrained that reading for pleasure becomes difficult. Well, not so with this book. It read simply as a pleasure read for me and my hat’s off to Diana for penning a work that can give that gift to another author.

Will I go back and look for her debut novel, Make Me a Match? Yes. Just as soon as I read at least two books in my TBR pile. One must try to apply some discipline to one’s life, after all.

Rayne

Website: http://www.rayneforrest.com
Rayne’s Ramblings: http://rayneforrest.wordpress.com
Through a Glass Brightly: http://rayneforrestsblog.blogspot.com
Forrest Whispers (newsletter) http://forrestwhispers.blogspot.com
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/authorrayneforrest
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rayneforrest