Mar 20, 2018 | Blog, Blog Tour, Lauren Blakely, March 2018
One fiery American woman and one hot British guy? The language of love knows no boundaries…
From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes the hot, new romance guaranteed to sweep you away while scorching the sheets, WANDERLUST! A brand new, sinfully sexy romance, WANDERLUST is now available on all retailers! Get your copy delivered now!
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From #1 NYT bestselling author Lauren Blakely comes a sexy new standalone romance!
The Whole Latte:
Paris is the city of love with magic cooked into the food, the art one-of-a-kind, and the buildings unique and breathtaking. Wanderlust by Lauren Blakely is a whirlwind adventure for Joy and Griffin in Paris with a delicious meet-cute that is both memorable and creative. So, order a croissant, a chocolat chaud and pull up a chair at the outdoor cafe to start your bookcation. .
Joy has left everything behind for an opportunity to live and work with the best in her field in Paris. Could you do that? In order to make her work transition easier, her employer hires a translator to help her ease into her new job. It’s amazing at how a slight shift in pronunciation can change the meaning of a word. Lauren has written realistic scenes that are witty, refreshing and full of zing. I’ve walked along the same sidewalks that Joy has, and I can see it in my mind with such accuracy that readers are going to enjoy the sensory experience of this book.
Griffin is ready to live life and do all the things he always dreamed of. A tragic event pushes him to live outside his comfort zone with a list that isn’t for the faint of heart. What will happen when his new client is beautiful, charming, and the one thing that isn’t on his list? Can he keep his professional and personal life separate or will he risk destroying the reason he moved to Paris? Are you ready to be charmed? Are you ready to be romanced? Griffin is here to show you Paris through his eyes and it’s anything but ordinary and predictable.
While it’s been years since I’ve walked along the landscape of Paris, the attention that Lauren gives to the tiny details bring me back to those days where I strolled the cobblestone streets with the man I love, holding hands breathing it all in. As Joy visits a cafe, I take a seat and sip my coffee. I’m transported to the my favorite cafe eating all the things. There are little nuggets in this book that made the journey even more enjoyable. I highly recommend a stop at Berthillion and stroll Paris for whatever you’re looking for, I’m sure you will find it ;).
I’ve read many of Lauren’s backlist and this one is my favorite. Perhaps because it’s in a city that I love, or with characters that we can all connect with, or the total sensory experience it brings. Whatever your reasons are for reading you will find a satisfying read. I received this ARC from Inkslinger PR and the author for a fair and honest review.
Scorchin – Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C.
Check it out with this excerpt:
~JOY~
Forget oysters. Screw candlelight and champagne. A sexy accent is the truest aphrodisiac. I’m talking a weak-in-the-knees, flutters-all-over, fast-track to euphoria.
I’ve tried to analyze precisely why the sound of a man’s words can elicit this reaction in, frankly, millions of women. But when I break down an accent and study it like a chemical reaction, it’s nearly impossible to draw a logical conclusion. The ingredients in and of themselves don’t seem swoontastic enough.
And yet, accents have been known to induce major swooning.
That’s why, in my professional opinion, the sounds aren’t the rocket fuel for the tingles. Instead, it’s the associations evoked. Italian is food, wine, and days drenched in the pleasures of the senses. Australian is the laid-back twang of a surfer. A Southern drawl says a man will take his sweet time. Oh, yes, darlin’, will he ever.
But British? Dear God. A delicious British accent to my oh-so-American ears triggers wave after wave of goose bumps across my skin. My knees wobble. My stomach swoops. My skin heats. All the turned-on centers in my body are cranked to high.
A British accent is James Bond in a bottle. It’s sex, it’s style, it’s sophistication, and it’s the man who’ll find his way out of any jam, save the damsel, and do it all with silver cuff links on.
Wait. Make that platinum.
Charmed, indeed.
That’s why I say it’s a damn good thing I’m moving to a country that won’t be chock full of my personal vocal kryptonite, since I don’t have the time or inclination for distractions in my life right now. Look, I don’t have a single problem with the French accent whatsoever. A hot French man canvoulez-vouscoucher avecmoi, if you know what I mean.
But it’s a British accent that turns me to Silly Putty, so in Paris I’ll be mighty fine.
Then, I meet him.
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✦ Kindle
✦The audiobook is narrated by Richard Armitage and Grace Grant! ✦
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About Lauren Blakely:
A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 90 times, and she’s sold more than 2.5 million books. In March she’ll release WANDERLUST, a sexy new standalone romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter
Jun 23, 2016 | Blog, June 2016, Roni Loren
Rae: First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte with Coconut Milk and a drizzle of caramel and chocolate 🙂What would you order?
Roni: Ooh, yours sounds delish. I’d be drinking a cold brew coffee with light vanilla almond milk and one Sweet ‘n’ Low.
Rae: Thanks so much for hanging out with me today.
Congratulations on your RITA nomination in the Erotic category for Break Me Down and Novella category for Nice Girls Don’t Ride. A DOUBLE nomination – OMG super exciting and what an honor. Where were you when you got the call?
Roni: Thank you! Yes, I’m beyond thrilled. I was at my desk trying to write (but completely distracted by people celebrating their nominations on Twitter, lol). When the call came in, I didn’t realize what it was because it was a New Orleans area code (where I grew up) and figured it was just some random family member. But it was author Farrah Rochon calling to tell me I was nominated! And she told me about one and didn’t tell me about the second nomination until halfway through the call—“Oh, you’ve got two!” Lol. So I was doubly excited.
Rae: For those who are not familiar with your work can you tell us a little bit about your books, there are so many to choose from! By the way – the covers are fab!
Roni: Aw, thanks. I’ve been very blessed by the cover gods (via the Berkley art department.) My work is primarily contemporary erotic romance. I have two series in that genre, and Break Me Down is a part of one of those, the Loving on the Edge series. So, super steamy romances with lots of emotion, some kink, and a dose of humor. But Nice Girls Don’t Ride is actually something a little different. It could be classified as New Adult because the characters are in college, but I think it falls more solidly in the contemporary romance category. So that one is lighter in tone and has more humor but still has the sexiness. : )
Rae: What was the inspiration for Break Me Down and Nice Girls Don’t Ride?
Roni: The inspiration for Break Me Down came from me wanting to write a heroine who was a female dominant (in BDSM terms) but still an every day kind of girl who was relatable. Someone who you could imagine being your BFF. And I wanted to write a submissive hero who was alpha and dominant in every other part of his life but secretly craved the submissive role in the bedroom. Basically, I wanted to upend the stereotypes. That’s always fun.
For Nice Girls Don’t Ride, it was completely a one off. An author friend suggested I write a biker story for a separate project, but I was a little on the fence because I have trouble connecting to those Sons of Anarchy type heroes who are typically in biker romances. I don’t mind reading them, but it’s not something I felt called to write. But then I started thinking—what if my biker hero was a nice guy? Sexy. Sarcastic. But not in your face with his macho, I’m-a-badass-biker attitude. And that’s when Monroe, the hero, was created. Now that I’m writing this, I realize that once again, it was about upending a stereotype, lol. I guess I have a thing for that. 😉
Rae: How many books can we expect from the Loving on the Edge series?
Roni: As for how many books in Loving on the Edge, that’s open ended. The next book, Loving You Easy, will be out in September. That will be the ninth full length book in the series, but the good news is that you can jump in wherever. They’re all connected through a place and group of friends, but each book is a standalone story for that couple or triad.
Rae: What can we expect from your next release(s)?
Roni: The next release is Wanderlust in July, which is a standalone story about Lex Logan, lead singer of a rock band, who’s trying to keep his band’s problems out of the public eye, and Aubrey Bordelon, the determined reporter trying to get the scoop.
Then, Loving You Easy in September, is a ménage romance. The heroine is a white hat computer hacker who has given up on the dating world and has restricted her love life to a sexy online game. But when her information is hacked and she tracks down the owners of the game (best friends Ren and Hayes), she finds out things are much better in person.
Rae: A quick little plug – readers should run to Amazon right now, many of your e-books are $1.99 on Amazon. A few perfectly priced books to start your collection dear readers or add to it! 🙂
Roni: Thanks! Yep, Nice Girls Don’t Ride is 1.99 and Break Me Down is 2.99 so both RITA nominated novellas can be bought for 5 bucks.
Rae: Love your website and how user friendly it is. For the reader who isn’t quite sure what he/she is in the mood for you make it super easy. Just select what your desire and suggestions pop up. By the way, fabulous web design!
Roni: Aw, thanks! I’m a little obsessive about my website and am constantly playing around with it. And yes, if you want to pick out a book by your favorite trope, I have them all divided up into categories like Friends-to-Lovers, Geek Hero, Fake Relationship, Hero in a Suit.
Rae: I enjoy reading your blog too – you have a lot of information that is helpful to readers. Great suggestions for organizers and helpful tips and tidbits!
Roni: Yay, thank you. I’m crazy about planners and office supplies and organization, so I end up talking about that a lot along with books I’ve read and loved. I like blogging and didn’t want to have a blog where it was just news about my own books all the time. Yawn. So it can be a bit of a mishmash over there.
Rae: Can you tell us when and where you will be in the upcoming months?
Roni: I’ll be at RWA in San Diego in July for the big book signing. And then next after that is Apollycon in Orlando, Florida in March of next year.
***** 8 Tantalizing Tidbits *****
1. What is a must read book and why?
That’s so tough! I guess it would depend on the genre someone prefers. If it’s erotic romance, I’d say you must read Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners series because the characters are so fascinating. If it’s historical romance, I’d say you must read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon because Jamie is one of my favorite heroes ever. If it’s horror/thriller, I’d say you must read Stephen King’s 11/22/63 because it’s such a great mix of intrigue, time travel, history, and suspense. If it’s children’s literature, I’d say you must read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle because that’s the book that made me want to be a writer.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown?
I live in Dallas now, but I consider New Orleans my hometown, so I’ll say you have to see the French Quarter. It’s the iconic, can’t-miss spot if you visit. Then, you need to eat your way through it. 🙂
3. Hard Rock or Classical? Favorite Band or Artist?
Hard Rock, hands down. I’m a concert junkie. Favorite Band: Foo Fighters (but the list is long).
4. What is your guilty pleasure?
I honestly try not to have “guilty” pleasures. If I like something and it’s not hurting anyone, why should I feel guilty about it? Life’s tough. The books/interests/TV shows/whatever that make you happy are gifts. Having said that, I have indulgences or treats. Almost always, that is some kind of dessert—cheesecake, fresh baked cookies, a great piece of pie.
5. Organized or Free Floating?
Well, you’ve seen my planner addiction, so in a lot of ways, I’m hyper organized. I have paper planners, I meal plan, the books on my shelves have a certain system. But when it comes to writing, I’m a pantser (fly by the seat of my pants.) I’ve tried and tried to outline or do a detailed plot ahead of time, but the creative part of my brain absolutely doesn’t work that way. So maybe I have to organize everything else in my life so that I have room to go creatively willy-nilly with my writing.
6. What’s your favorite TV show and why?
I actually don’t get to watch much TV. But since summer is about to start, I’ll say the show I look forward to the most in the summer is Big Brother. It’s a tradition with me and the hubs to watch it, and because it comes on so many times a week, you feel fully invested in it. Plus, it’s like the ultimate people watching—crack for a writer.
7. What’s your favorite movie of all time and why?
Dirty Dancing. I think that may be what made me fall in love with romantic stories early on because I saw it when I was young (age ten or so) and it imprinted on me. It has everything—sexy hero, dancing, first love, beautiful setting, angst. Love. It.
8. Do you love to cook or go out to eat?
I love both. I have a cookbook addiction and I cook throughout the week. But on weekends, we go out. Basically, I just love to eat!
Thanks again for hanging out! Time for another Latte 🙂
Happy Reading Dear Readers.
Happy Writing Roni!
Get your copy here of Roni’s RITA nominated books:
Break Me Down (Loving on the Edge Series)
-$2.99
Nice Girls Don’t Ride
$1.99
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To find out who wins the 2016 RITA in each category head over to Romance Writers of America on July 16 at 8PM PT. Winners will be announced and be sure to follow #RITAGH and #RWA16 for all the news that night!
Author Bio:
Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. After earning a master’s degree in social work from LSU, she worked in a mental health hospital, counseled birthmothers as an adoption coordinator, and did management recruiting in her PJs. But she always returned to writing.
Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her cooking, watching reality television, or picking up another hobby she doesn’t need–in other words, procrastinating like a boss. She is a three-time RITA award nominee and is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.
www.roniloren.com
