Shonna Brannon is a fellow author, mother of four children and a wonderful friend. I'd like to introduce you to her writing if you aren't familiar. She's wonderful!

Shonna has been writing since she was a teenager, but really took it seriously in 2004 when a personal tragedy showed her how short life really is. She finished her first book just short of a year later. You can find out more about Shonna at www.shonnabrannon.com

Check out more of these stories, and read wonderful excerpts, at http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/author/shonnabrannon.htm

I've been an e-published author for about a year and a half now and I have to say, the shift between aspiring author and published one, was hugely disorienting and confusing for me. Without the help of other authors like Karen Erickson, Lara Santiago and Emma Wildes, I would have been completely lost.

So it's time to give back. :)

I'm offering to anyone interested, some inside help. I'll answer questions about publishers, web design, myspace, sales, promotions, I can share some time saving promo ideas I've worked up over the past year, help out with Yahoo chat questions, whatever you want or need.

If you're at all interested in this, just e-mail me through the interact page(or "contact", it's about to change) on my site and let me know if you are a new author or aspiring. I'll accept e-mails through May, (primarily because I don't have a lot of free time in May and I want to be able to give the winner focused attention) then depending on the response, pick both a new author and aspiring author and we'll have cyber lunch, or something similar, and you can pick my measly little brain all you want. lol

I'm not saying I know it all, but I have 17 books out, been a fictionwise best seller multiple times, I get plenty of five star reviews, and I was a CAPA nominee for favorite author last year, and I've been paying attention. :) It's a gift of my time for what it's worth. Like I said, I just want to give back, so I hope I hear from you and in general my inbox is always open for quick questions or an exchange of ideas ~ Samantha

Labels: aspiring writers, contest, writers

OMG, I am officially, off the charts thrilled!

Friday, April 26th 9pm CBS. Don't miss it!!

Watch out! You could be in a vulnerable area...

Friday was crazy busy, with several stints in club RT (where if you have no clue what I'm talking about, you sit at a table and hope someone comes by and asks you about your books)...a little scary, but it went well. I also went to two fantastic workshops that has me so charged up to get writing. I met fascinating people in the industry, I hadn't expected or planned on and people were incredibly gracious to me.

I want to give a special thanks to Cathy Maxwell, Anna DeStefano and Randall Toye. Together, they've changed my outlook on writing as a career and have me terribly excited about the future.

Then the fabulous Tina Burns took us all out to lunch. What a fantastic time! Thanks again for that, Tina. And what fun to meet my fellow Liquid Silver authors!

Friday night was the vampire ball, but I'm really not much of a party girl, so I cut out early for some R & R and some private time that I'm not willing to share just yet...but there may be news later. ;-)

OK, Saturday, the bookfair was NUTS!

I can't remember the last time I've seen so many people. I wasn't going to sign, because I thought I didn't have any books left, but as I was prowling through the tables, I found my spot, with about ten of my books sitting at it. OMG I had no idea what to do, it was a spot in the middle of one of those long banquet tables. Authors were sitting back to back and the only way I could see getting in was to climb under the table! =O

Thank God for the fabulous Tilly Green. I ran into her and she had an empty spot behind her, that she knew the author wasn't coming, so she convinced me to go get my books and sit. I finally gave in and did and what a wonderful time I had. I not only ended up signing books, but people brought in t-shirts and canvas bags and post cards and all manner of things to sign.

I think it just hit me today...OH. MY. GOD! People wanted my autograph!!!!!

Over my shoulder were two of my favorite authors, Galen Folley and Lori Foster, I started thinking up a pen name that would get me seated between the two of them next year. lol

We left soon after the book fair on Saturday, but all in all, what a fabulous experience. I think in many ways, I'm a different person now then when I went in and I'm so incredibly excited about the rest of this year. :)

RT…the shy, virgin’s perspective

Contrary to popular belief (my own) I am not the dazed blonde hiding in the corner!

I have to admit, I was extremely anxious going into this event. I’m incredibly shy in social situations and overwhelm easily. However, thanks to my very good friends, Lila Dubois and Lara Santiago, I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into and ended up being a lot more involved in the convention then I had intended to be. The best part is, I’m not only surviving it, I’m having a wonderful time.

I arrived Wednesday and met my fellow author, friend and roommate Karen Erickson for the first time and let me say, she’s wonderful, and we have a fabulous room. The hotel is completely torn apart and you have to wait a half hour at times for an available elevator and I’ve not once been able to get internet connection in my room, but outside of that, I have no complaints.

Wednesday night was the expo, and OMG I sold several copies of my print books! The first lady who picked one up and handed it to me to sign, honestly, it took me a minute to realize she wasn’t kidding. lol It was a surreal moment. I sat beside Melissa Lopez, what a sweetheart, and Janice Lynn, who was so nice. I met several woman who came by to tell me they’d reviewed one of my books and met fellow authors I’ve been chatting and emailing with for over a year now and had no clue what they even looked like.

The event went a lot faster then I’d expected and again, I not only survived it, but loved it. The EC party was crazy, and actually I left a bit early to go have dinner with some friends I’d never met in person before, which was wonderful.

Yesterday’s luncheon was fun, I sat with the wonderful Marianne La Croix, who I just met in line and was very nice to me, insisting we eat together. Then one of the men running for Mr. Romance, Christopher Howell, came up and asked to sit with us. We exchanged business cards and talked on and off through lunch and by the end, I decided to ask him a very personal question I’d been wondering about all through lunch! =O

He has very short spiked hair, and my seventeen year old son has been trying to do that to his hair for months, so I asked him how he did it. lmao I’m such a mom! He was incredibly sweet and offered to give me a nearly empty bottle of the product he uses so I can find it when I get back home.

He is so getting my vote for Mr. Romance, I hadn’t originally intended to vote. lol

After lunch I met up with my wonderful boyfriend who I’m sickeningly in love with. I skipped last night’s events in favor of spending the evening with him checking out the city sights. This is really a fascinating city. We checked out the downtown area, just watching all the people, the river--OMG I love the bridges!--and we found a great little Mexican cantina (who’d have thought that, this far north?) and checked out some of the cutest neighborhoods. I’m an architect geek, and some of the houses here are simply beautiful and of course all the tulips are in bloom and I’m also a garden freak so it was a great combo for me. Then I spent the night with him at his hotel…sorry, you’re only getting explicit content from me in my books. ;-)

So today is set up to be extremely busy. I’ll be in club RT at the Samhain table from 9:30 until 10, then I have workshops all day, I’m going to be a good little author and attempt to learn something. I’m back in club RT from 11:30 until 12 with my friend Karen Erickson, then the awards luncheon and then more workshops.

I’m leaving early, soon after the book fair on Saturday, because I have the chance of driving back with my boyfriend and I don’t want to pass that up, but all in all, this has been a fabulous experience and if you’re even considering going to Orlando next year, as an author, aspiring author, or reader, I highly recommend it. Even for an incredibly shy newbie, I’m having a lot of fun.

Next up...the book expo! =O

This is my very first Romantic Times Booklovers convention so mostly I'll be the dazed blonde looking lost, I'm sure of it. lol

Outside of that, there are a few specific times you can track me down if you are so inclined to do so. ;-)

Wednesday night at the Expo. From 5-7pm, I'll be signing copies of my e-books Anything After Sunday? and Anything for Sasha, as well as Body, Heart and Soul, Love Lust and Deception and The Seduction of Cassidy Flint. Along with signing copies of my print books Torrid Seductions and Kiersen's Legacy.

I'm really looking forward to this event and I hope to meet a lot of new people. :)

Friday the 18th I'll be in club RT twice. Once at the Samhain table from 9:30 to 10 am for all you early risers, and then again with my good friend and roommate for the duration, Karen Erickson from 11:30 to 12pm. Come by and see us, there will be chocolate!

Also I will be participating in the club RT gift basket give away, so don't forget to sign up for that and the Liquid Silver Books author scavenger hunt!

I've also been told Ill be hanging out in the bar. lmao

So I hope to see you there at some point over the week. To all of you going, safe trip and a blessed time. To those of you not going, stay tuned to my blog, I'll post several updates over the week, plus I'll be at the Samhain blog Friday morning with an overview of my RT experience to that point.

Labels: karen erickson, liquid silver books, Romatic Times Booklovers Convention, Siren Publishing

Here's a great new release from a new author that I think you'll love!

Serena's Song

Finn "Riff" Logan's band blasted to the top of the rock charts fifteen years ago with the bittersweet single, Beautiful Girl, and has dominated the music scene ever since. Riff has it all–except the woman he left behind.

Widow Serena Jeffries isn't the same sweet young thing who lost her heart–and everything else–to the local bad boy. Her life is filled with family, friends and the satisfaction of knowing she's earned her success. And if her love life is less than sensational…well, something's gotta give.

When Celebrity magazine splashes an old photo of the young lovers on newsstands across the nation, revealing that Serena is the inspiration behind Beautiful Girl, Riff seizes his chance to win her back.

Can Serena get over the pain of the past to build a future with the man she never stopped loving?

"Riff and Serena's story came to me while I was listening to Photograph by Nickelback about a musician reminiscing about where he grew up and how much things have changed. It made me wonder what would happen if a musician's closely held secret about his inspiration for the song that launched his career is suddenly revealed." ~ Raina ~

Find out more about Raina at www.rainajames.com

For more on Serena's Song visit Siren Publishing.

The Seduction of Cassidy Flint is a Siren and Fictionwise best seller! I'm thrilled with how well this book has done and how you all have taken Cassidy to your hearts. I worked very hard to make her real as she struggles with so many issues we all do, while at the same time discovering her sexy inner self she's denied for way too long.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed this book, and readers who have e-mailed me. I appreciate it more then I could ever say. ;-)


The Seduction of Cassidy Flint seduced me from beginning to end. Cassidy is an atypical heroine – on the other side of forty and single, in every sense of the word. The nervousness and doubts she had when discussing the attraction and potential affair with Aiden was so believable and heart-breaking. I was also touched by the issues Aiden had to deal with and how it affected him and how he reacts with Cassidy. If you are looking for a heart-felt story with hot sex, come get seduced by

~ Amy Winn E-cata Sensual four stars

Samantha Lucas is wonderful at bringing emotional and sexual heat together in a great story that will remain with the reader for a long time. I personally loved Cassie a lot. Aiden, though younger than Cassie, knows who he is. He is strong, and just needs to be convinced a little that he needs love too. The Seduction of Cassidy Flint warms the heart and soul and is a read you will not soon forget.

~Tina Two Lips Reviews Five lips

Ms. Lucas created an exceptional story using wonderful characters that seem real with real life flaws. I loved how the author penned the heroine to be natural, not a perfect size and perfect life, but a common ordinary woman with all the insecurities and flaws as all we women have. And Aiden is the perfect match; there was no age difference in their personalities and likes. This story is filled with emotions that any woman can relate to. Pulled together, this entire story gives you everything you want from a romance; wonderful characters, sizzling sex, thrilling plot, and steady interesting dialect. An incredible read.

~ Wateena Coffee Time Romance 4 cups

Samantha Lucas draws the reader right into the psyche of every woman who fears getting older. Gravity takes hold, self esteem hits a low and we are living in Cassidy's head. I was easily able to empathize with her fears of letting life pass her by while everyone else seems to be really libing and loving life to its fullest. Aiden is a sexy rogue who thinks love is not for him. He is in for a fall once he meets Cassidy and gets to know the warm and loving woman she is. His fall from lust to love is a wonderful thing to behold. A jaded soul gets pole axed by a passionate and unique woman...If you have not read Samantha Lucas, you are missing out on stories that are emotional as well as passionate. Not only can she write passion, but she makes it believable.

~ Scarlet Romance Junkies four ribbons

The sex between them is hot enough to scorch the page and there’s plenty of it. Aiden’s friend Garrison is the third party involved in the ménage and this scene is done with taste and skill that Ms. Lucas should be proud of. Although the ménage scene is on the mild side the overall feel is very erotic and satisfying. But it’s not just the sex that develops; Ms. Lucas hasn’t neglected the emotional. From beginning to end The Seduction Of Cassidy Flint is a beautiful story of discovery, lust and love. More than worth the money, put it on your to buy list.

~ Rachel C Fallen Angel Reviews Five Angels

If you haven't read it yet, you can buy it here.

If so, here's a few of my titles available now for your Kindle. :)

The Seduction of Cassidy Flint

Labels: kindle

Samantha Lucas Presents
Love, Lust and Deception
Kiersen's Legacy 2

Publisher: Siren Publishing Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance ISBN: 1-60601-038-7 Ashley Williams is the biggest name in Hollywood. Fresh from a recent tragedy, she's also a free woman finally in charge of her own life. The first big decision she makes? Fire her publicist and hire a new one. Who she wants is the dark and mysterious Darius Kiersen, but what Darius ultimately wants, goes way beyond PR. Together they walk through a maze of treachery and deceit where everyone has only their own interests at heart. Finding comfort in each other's bodies and touching one another's souls, but in a world steeped in lust and deception, can they possibly find love? Buy Here / Read the Excerpt

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Also Available
The Day They Met

Publisher: Cobblestone Press Genre: Contemporary ISBN: 978-1-60088-237-1 A whirlwind romance. A Vegas marriage. A love that stands the test of time? Jack and Emma quickly realize that a wedding band does not guarantee a fairytale ending. Adjusting to the real world and dealing with families, past relationships, and secrets, may be more then this budding relationship can bear. For love, second chances and the renewal of both life and soul, what would you give? What would you risk? Who would you betray? Jack and Emma are going to find out. Buy Here / Read the Excerpt