Showing posts with label new author. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new author. Show all posts

Monday, November 3, 2014

Cover Reveal ~ The Sweetest Taboo by Harper Miller

It is my pleasure to present to you Author Harper Miller. She is witty, intelligent, and gorgeous. I'm itching to get my hands on her upcoming BDSM featuring an interracial couple.



**Aren't you just as excited about the novel as I am? Let's learn a little more about Miss Miller's hero and heroine. **


Synopsis:
© Harper Miller 2014

New York City, Late Summer 2009

Like many single women who reside in the city that never sleeps, Micah Foster has had numerous encounters with undesirable men that make her want to renounce love. Just when she’s on the verge of calling it quits in her quest to find love and a sustainable relationship with a Dominant man, her friend Kisa requests her company for a girl’s night out at Spanxxx, a local fetish club. Both Kisa and Micah are seasoned submissive players in the BDSM lifestyle. Micah has been involved in the scene since her early twenties, but she has yet to meet a Dominant she meshes with and takes seriously. Now, at age thirty, she continues to search for a connection that repeatedly eludes her. Under duress, she crosses paths with Dominant Rick Thomas. Unusual and dire circumstances bring the pair together, and he’s exactly what Micah has been searching for.

The Sweetest Taboo is aptly titled. It’s an unconventional erotic love story that provides a different perspective of a relationship involving D/s and BDSM. The reader will follow Micah and Rick’s journey from beginning to end. You’ll laugh, you'll be turned on, and most of all, you’ll find yourself cheering for their love.

Disclaimer - If rough sex, an interracial pairing (Black woman/White man), D/s, and BDSM are of no interest to you, you should bypass this story. Intended for a mature and kinky audience. Recommended for adults 18+.


Excerpt:

“Afternoon.” I shoved My hands down into the pockets of My lab coat before I did something unprofessional. “Are you all ready to go?”

she nodded. “Yes, Dr. Thomas. The nurse brought my discharge papers a few hours ago. i was just packing my stuff before heading out, but i’m glad You stopped by. i wanted to thank You for Your help.

“i can’t tell You how humbled i am by Your act of kindness. You saved my life, and i will be forever grateful,” she said as her eyes darted around the room, looking everywhere but at Me. she shoved a sweater into her bag with less care than she took with her other clothing.

her words were sincere, but for whatever reason, I must have made her nervous, although I wasn’t sure why. she gathered the plastic bag and her purse before quickly brushing past Me and exiting the room.

This was not how I envisioned things going. I increased My pace and caught up with micah at the nurse’s station. It was all or nothing; I only had a few moments to make an impression.

“ms. foster? micah?” I called out. I composed Myself as I approached her.

she slowed her pace, bid farewell to the nurses, then turned in My direction. I jumped at the opportunity, unable to wait a moment longer. “ms. foster, I was hoping to speak with you before you left. Once you signed the discharge papers, the doctor-patient relationship ended. That means I’m no longer your treating physician and you’re no longer My patient. With that said, I have a question I’d like to ask.  Please hear Me out. Don’t take this the wrong way . . .”

her facial expression was unreadable, so I continued.

“I’m not trying to be a creep, but I would regret letting you leave today without at least giving this a fair shot. I sincerely apologize if you feel this is inappropriate or too forward, but ms. foster, I’d love your company for a drink or dinner . . . whichever you’d prefer. Will you allow Me to take you out?”

Waiting for her answer seemed to take an eternity. she didn't look at My face; instead her gaze landed somewhere around the name embroidered on the left breast pocket of My lab coat. her lower lip found its way between her teeth as she stared, apparently deep in thought. In what seemed to be a delayed reaction, she gawked up at My face, clearly surprised by My question.

Was she put off by the entire idea or just caught off guard by My request? Either way, her answer would let Me know which way she was leaning. I just hoped to God she wasn’t leaning toward no.

she finally provided Me a small reprieve. “You want to take me out?”

“Yes.”

“Like on a date?”

“Yes,” I replied again.

“i’m sorry, Dr. Thomas, but i don’t date,” she said, dismissing Me as she continued toward the elevators.

Oh, she was going to make this interesting. her flippant attitude bothered the hell out of Me, but I was going to see this through. I quickly followed in an attempt to catch her before the elevator doors opened and she walked out of My life.

Coming to select e-book retailers on 11/27 Thanksgiving Day!

**I can't be the only person looking forward to turkey, stuffing, and The Sweetest Taboo, can I?**










Bio:

Harper Miller is a thirty-something native New Yorker. She’s traveled the world and lived in a variety of places but always finds her way back to the Big Apple.

A lackluster love life leaves time to explore new interests, for Harper it is writing. The Sweetest Taboo is her debut novella. In her mind the perfect Alpha male possesses intellect, humor, and a kinky streak that rivals the size of California.

When she isn’t writing, Harper utilizes her graduate degree in the field of medical research. She enjoys fitness-related activities, drinking copious amounts of wine, and going on bad dates.

**All links below are click-able**


Social Media:



The giveaway is open for one week. It’s scheduled to run November 3, 2014 at 12:00 AM EST - November 11, 2014 at 12:00 AM EST


Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Problem with Stock Photos

Ugh!

Seriously, this will be a short post. Well, I hope it'll be short.

My trial subscription to a stock photo site ends soon. I'm scrambling to download some free pictures to use on my blog and for upcoming teasers for future novels. But my choices are limited. I mean really limited. Picture after picture reveals I know I've either seen the half-naked male model and hunky dude before. Either on a teaser or on a book cover. Picture after picture, I know I've seen that same female model before.

What is an author to do?

How can I, a newbie with a work-in-progress novel slated for release soon, enter the promotion market with the same pictures readers have seen before? It is super frustrating. Then, there's another head-scratcher (yeah, I made up that word). At least one that affects my first novel which will feature an interracial couple.



Where are my people of color?

Where are those men and women who are not cocked up seductively or in weird poses that I  (well, not me, but my hubby who's my Creative Director) can use in trailers or on teasers?

Maybe it's not the site I should yell at; maybe it's the photographers I need to scold. I don't know who's to blame but I know for sure romance, which is the genre I write, happens to all people of various shades, sizes, and genders. I just want the photo stock sites to realize this and offer a potential client, like myself, more to choose from.

I know that some of my contemporaries have contracted photographers and models to differentiate their book covers as well as teasers. That may be the option I go with next novel because seriously right now it's looking real bleak.

Your thoughts?

Monday, September 29, 2014

Juggling

Is this woman you?

(Photo courtesy of my bigstock.com subscription)


This afternoon I had an epiphany. It came in a flash as I was yelling at my two-year old. Yes, I already feel badly for the yelling, so no need to send me e-mails about it. I guess I should backtrack. 

I'm a wife, mom, part-time graduate student, full-time employee outside the home and a budding author. Oh, did I mention I am writing my first novel AND doing pre-promotional activities around said unfinished manuscript? Needless to say, my life is hectic and there aren't enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything I've envisioned.

Let's flash forward. I had a trying day at work. You know the type ... grueling work hours, incompetent co-workers and demanding supervisors. But it's my job and it's what I get paid to do. So, I must put up with the hours, the co-workers and my supervisors because let's face it without a job, healthcare coverage is a biyatch to pay for out of pocket. Anyhoo, I got home and the husband said, "dinner's handled." Those are music to an author's ears. I did a little shimmy dance because it meant I could sneak in a few hours of writing. 

But remember that mom hat I told you about two paragraphs up? Well, I have a sixth grader with mathematical problems that make my head scratch even though I hold two college-level degrees. And let's not even mention my two year old. But I am SuperWomanAllyn, right? So I whip out my laptop, open up a few Gdocs, have my sixth grader read aloud questions she needs help with while my two-year old watches Choo Choo Soul (don't ask) on Youtube via my cell phone. Everything is working. I'm adding words to my document, making virtual connections with bloggers and readers, helping my daughter with hard-to-understand questions, and keeping my two-year old occupied. Everything worked ... right until they didn't. As I type these words at 10:13 PM EST, I still can't tell when the ish hit the fan. But it sure as hell did.

And I felt like a huge failure.

I snapped my laptop closed. My sixth grader looked beyond stressed and my two-year old was screaming her head off. SuperWomanAllyn was about to come unglued but it was when my two-year old reached for me that helped me keep it together

"Mommy," she wailed. 

I paused, grabbing my kids and silently asked their forgiveness. Sure, I want to accomplish my personal goals such as complete my Masters in Special Education and see my name on a book. But I am and will always be a mom first. That is the role that matters and supersedes everything else. The other hats I wear will come a distant second to being the best mom to the two children I am fortunate to call mine. I'll squeeze in being an okay wife here because that matters to me as well.

For all my SuperWoman________ (place your name in the blank), relax, breathe and keep your priorities straight. The other goals you have, with a little patience and some time management skill, they can be accomplished. Drop me a line if this touched you or even if it's all hogwash!

allyn.