Thursday, April 16, 2015

No Foolin'...I'm Self-Published!

This month has been a crazy whirlwind of events. I am a firm believer in the sink or swim method of learning. 

If there's something I want to do, I'll do my research. I'll work hard, and I'll agree to do something even if I have no idea what I'm doing.

So...following my usual method of madness...I decided to self publish my first story!

The April Fools For Love Collection came about because all of us at the Lust With a Laugh blog wanted to do something fun together. 

Now we've released our own version of April Fun on the world. For just 99¢ you can pick up a little prank-filled fun from all four of us.

When the Lights Go Out is my contribution. 

Check out what happens when pranks go so wrong, that something amazingly right happens.


BLURB:

Named after the date of her conception, April Prime was used to hiding away and avoiding the world on April Fools’ Day. Or at the very least, avoiding her parents who tended to celebrate the holiday very differently from the rest of the world.

This year would be different. This year she closed on a home, and was taking control of her life. A few hiccups had her headed to an office supply store in search of moving supplies. Crashing through a bathroom door, she stumbled on a bit more than she expected when mister tall, dark, and indisposed was already using the facilities.

Taylor James was stuck being the brunt of yet another round of April Fools’ pranks. One of them being a change of the bathroom door signs. He went to work knowing he’d have to navigate a mine field. What he didn’t expect was a woman bursting in on him only to send his head spinning.

Despite the scenery, April is ready to make a red-faced retreat. That’s when a car crash knocks out the power to everything inside the store, including the electronic locks.

By the glow of the emergency flood light the two realize they may be stuck for a long while. April and Taylor could wait out the inconvenience in silence, or they could capture a moment together, and just maybe find something special when the lights go out.

Warning: Sex in the dark may lead to orgasms and head injury. 

BUY IT HERE

I can't wait for next April Fools' Day!

~Roxy

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Coral-600: Release Day!

It's RELEASE DAY!

Those words have more than one meaning when you're talking about erotic romance, don't they?

I got some wine delivered to me by Club W . Because really....wine delivered to your door...is there any better way to celebrate?

The cold popped the cork for me!

Coral-600 is the story of a robotic virgin who realizes she has more than just magnetic charge turning her gears. I'm so happy to have her finally out in the world. I loved the idea of a woman embracing her sexuality with such excitement. I found a fun way to let that excitement out with Coral.

My hope is she makes you smile as much as she did me. 


BLURB:
Pleasure is not a malfunction.
The DMA Files, Book 1
Coral-600 is the first and only one of her kind. An artificial intelligence prototype with realistic skin over her metal frame, she was deemed too expensive for mass production and gifted to the royal family.
She cannot legally have a relationship with a human, and it never entered her electronic brain to want more—to break the law. Until she meets Quinn, and her DNA-enhanced skin tingles with a completely new sensation. Desire.
His body damaged beyond repair in the war, Quinn survived—barely—by agreeing to have much of it rebuilt. His royal relatives have taken him in, but it’s tough adjusting to a body that doesn’t come with instructions. 
As Coral helps Quinn cope with his new body, the connection between them reaches the melt-down point. But unless she can convince the authorities that humanity runs deeper than flesh and bone, she’ll have her CPU wiped clean—permanently.
Product Warnings
This book contains artificial and natural flavors, lubricant (lots and lots of lubricant), and fun with oh-so-hard drives.


Buy it NOW from all e-book retailers who know how to have a good time.

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

KOBO

ALL ROMANCE

SAMHAIN PUBLISHING


So while I am cuddling under my blankets with a glass of wine and hiding from the below zero temperatures outside, tell me what you think of my robobabe! She's got a little bit of heat to warm you up during the polar vortex.

~Roxy

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Coral-600...Pleasure is Not a Malfunction (#Robosex Excerpt!)


Coral-600 releases NEXT MONTH! (pardon me while I freak out)

I am so excited about this book. I fell in love with the characters the second I put them on paper. The story is told in first person POV from a robo-nonagenarian. Here's a taste of why I love my robobabe...

Coral-600 : The DMA Files Book 1

Pleasure is Not a Malfunction...


EXCERPT:


Sitting quietly in my room made me uncomfortable. I was programmed to constantly gather more information. I have the desire to learn new things. This drive kept me from being recycled as well.

“Coral. Could you please put on some clothes? Geez.” Paisley Compton shared my living space. She had volunteered to live with me because it gave her full access to the bathroom. Aside from the time I took to clean my skin and hair I didn’t need to use the other facilities as long as I didn’t consume human food or drink.

“I am in my room. You told me before that this was the only place for me to be without clothes that was acceptable. Has this changed?” I looked at Paisley and waited for her to answer. She threw my uniform into my lap. I caught it, of course. My reflexes were perfect.

“Normally I don’t care if you cavort around our room and flaunt that flawless skin. It gives me great motivation to skip dessert and makes me mildly question my sexuality, but…” Paisley stopped and waved her hands to hurry me up. I reluctantly replaced my uniform. I didn’t bother with the undergarments. My roommate smiled and continued to walk around the room in an agitated matter. “We have a visitor.”

I stopped buttoning my blouse halfway up to my neck. “We don’t have friends. Who is visiting us?”

“I have friends.” Paisley was upset that I pointed this out, but she didn’t socialize outside of her trips to the town tavern on the weekends. She shook herself and forced her mouth into a smile. “And you’re my friend, Coral.”

I found an odd warm sensation at that comment. I was a useful servant, and a maintenance-free appliance, but no one had ever called me a friend before.

“Then you are my best friend, Paisley.”

“Aww.” Paisley squeezed her arms around me, and I returned her greeting. “You’re so sweet, Coral.”

“You haven’t tasted me, how do you know my flavor?” I pulled from the embrace. “Besides, you are my only friend, therefore you will automatically be my best friend.”

“Coral, we really need to work on your people skills, but I don’t have time for a lesson. Quinn is going to be here in a couple minutes.”

“Why is Quinn coming to our room? Doesn’t he have his own? I refreshed the entire west wing for his visit.” The queen had wanted every room freshened before he came. He only used one room, but apparently the dust covers were creepy.

Quinn staying at the palace had doubled my workload, but I got a lot of help from the other mechanical staff. We worked through the night just as easily as through the day. Some of them did need recharge time, but give us a few extension cords and we were in business. My own body was powered by a perpetual motion mechanism, but magnetic recharge stations seemed to give me an extra jolt of energy. Paisley called it my mechanical coffee.

“Quinn pulled me aside after dinner and asked if he could talk with you. I think he likes you.” Paisley squealed. Her high pitch was grating on my gears, but even more so on my circuits. Once again I did not understand her excitement, but unlike everyone else over the decades, Paisley would explain.

“I don’t understand.”

Paisley sat down on the small bench at the foot of her bed. She patted the space next to her and I understood the signal as her wanting me to sit next to her.

“Coral, we’ve been roommates for a long time now.”

“You have only worked in the palace for six years.”

Paisley huffed her breath and the bangs she wore these days jumped off her forehead. She did this when she explained things to me. She became frustrated when I didn’t grasp certain concepts “Coral, that’s a long time for people. A lot of marriages don’t last this long. But that’s not my point. Before I arrange this I need to know how…er…lifelike you are.”

“My skin regenerates, and my motors are perpetual. I am very lifelike.”

“No…I mean, I know you have breasts, because you have them on display every night. You also obviously have all the outer lips that lend to the womanly look, but do you have a happy girl bean?” Paisley lowered her eyes and looked where my legs met my torso.

Oh. “Are you asking if I have a clitoris?”

“Unsexiest word ever. Who names our body parts? But, yes. Do you have the internal and external parts of our bodies that let us get horizontal with hotties? And more importantly, do you know how to enjoy having them? Even if you don’t, you still have breasts and a mouth, and most men can make due with those anyway.”

Saturday, January 3, 2015

The World Needs More #Robosex

Yes. I used a hashtag in my post title. I'm making this take off. It's a thing. (At least it will be if I keep using it.)

The finalized forms have come back in, and I officially have a contract in for 2016!

Yes, you read that right. Over a year from now.

One of the things that shocked me the most about the publishing world is how long everything takes. I am not published with one of the large houses, but I truly believe that I am published with one of the best small presses out there. Samhain Publishing put out books I was always chomping at the bit to get my hands on as a reader, and now they publish the ones I write. (I still am in awe of that...seriously.)

But...getting things done well takes time. There's paperwork, edits, cover art, edits, marketing plan, edits, blurb writing, and yes...more edits. And all that needs to be done well in advance of release day, because all of that beauty gets formatted into one glorious file by the magicians behind the scenes.

So, with that in mind, if I want something published with this quality, and through this publishing machine of awesomeness, I have to get things moving quickly.

I am excited to say, that thanks to the encouragement (read hard push from through the computer) from my editor, my little quirky #robosex novella, Coral-600, is turning into a series! This book takes my favorite secondary character from Coral-600 and lets her tell her story. Get to know Paisley in my novella next month, and you will see why she HAD to have a book of her own.

I am a reader too, so I understand that a year is a REALLY long time to wait, so while you are waiting, make sure to mark your TBR pile to include Coral-600.

Here are some links for your wishlist and pre-order pleasure.

Goodreads

Samhain Publishing

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

KOBO





I am working hard on getting myself organized for the new year, and I'll post up a bit about the system I am using later, because I am really excited about it.

2015 is going to be exciting with four releases, but I am working my hardest to make sure I keep writing more as well, because I know I need to plan ahead. Here's to hoping I get my schedule filled all the way into 2017!

Happy New Year, and happy reading.

~Roxy

Monday, November 3, 2014

Coral-600: Cover Reveal for #ROBOSEX

So. I've been talking about mechanical nookie for a long time. This is the first time I have traveled from idea to book in a public way. And I am really really glad it got picked up by Samhain Publishing.

My fabulous editor took on my little novella even though both of us were a bit unsure how to sell it to the market. A romance at heart, Coral-600 tells a sexy story from the point of view of a robot.

Without further ado...

Meet the Coral-600. #Robosex will be coming your way February 24th, 2015.


So what do you think? Killer cover, right? Kanaxa and the cover art team at Samhain Publishing are FANTASTIC.

Look for sneak peeks and links for buying this robotic beauty on this blog. I will also be updating details over at RoxyRocksMe.com and on my FB and Twitter pages as soon as they become available.

Pet the screen with me. *pets*

Roxy

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

My Job vs. My Career


I've seen some of my friends and some of my co-workers a bit discouraged lately. I thought I'd share how I changed my outlook by simply changing the labels I put on myself.

I have a writing "career". I have a "job" working in retail hell. Those two terms help me separate them in my brain. Let me explain how this keeps me mildly sane.

I have worked at the same place for over a decade. They pay me, and I have put in enough time there that I have accrued some perks. But I don't love it there. I don't feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

I am the type of person who firmly believes that we have a path we are destined to follow. I feel like I'm on that path when I'm writing. Don't get me wrong. I don't think I will ever feel like I'm an old pro at this writing gig. There are always changing trends, changing sales practices, and if anyone tells you they know exactly where the technology associated with the ebook revolution is going...well I will call them a liar to their face.

We are all trying to keep up as the publishing world changes and grows. I've been reading ebooks since 2009, and I know I was nowhere near being a part of the the initial wave of ereaders. Even in these past five years, I have seen so much change in the publishing world. I can't imagine where we will be in a decade. I'm just fastening my seatbelt and grabbing some popcorn as I go along for the ride.

I have only been a published author for a year, but I know in my heart that this is my career. This is my path. Unfortunately my mortgage company could give a rat's ass that my job that pays me money isn't where my heart is. And really, if I'm honest, even my heart wants WiFi.

Therefore I must endure the evil day job. I have had to turn on my "customer service smile" (anyone who has worked in retail knows this smile). I've gone to work the day after book release day. Feeling that new book high is sharply contrasted when someone talks down to you like you are dirt because you are in a service industry.

I was going a little nuts and losing heart, but then I decided I'm done labeling myself as a peon. I am a published author. No one can take that away from me. And next year I get to touch a real paper book with my name on it.

This is my career. This is how I define myself. I changed my social media to reflect that I'm an author. It felt awesome. It might not pay the bills yet, but that's what my job is for.

Whenever someone looks down their nose at me, I remind myself I am just doing a job. I am doing a job that lets me embrace my career.
If you work in Retail, you appreciate Retail Robin as much as I do.

Sometimes it gets to me. I'm not going to lie. BUT...I'm working towards a career that I have already taken the first steps towards.

This career is a roller coaster. The highs of a great review are definitely punctuated with the lows of the Library Journal hating your book. You'll get a reader contacting you and asking for more and the same day you'll find out that there is a twitter account dedicated to your undoing.

Roller coaster or not, I plan on pulling the safety bar across my lap and asking for another ride. Because this is my career. Maybe someday I'll be able to write those pesky mortgage checks from book sales. Maybe I'll be able to do more than that. Who knows.

Right now...I'm working towards the career I want. Right now I'm putting words on paper, because right now is pretty darn amazing.

I have a career as a published author. My job...eh...let's call that research.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

IT'S MY BIRTHDAYS! (Yes, that's meant to be plural)

My hubby. My heart. My support.
I am posting some random memories from my journey on here. Look at the pretty pictures while I get sentimental.

Let me tell you a story...

Once upon a time, I wanted to be a writer. I was thirteen. I was devouring a series that was about a teenage detective. I think her name began with a J. 

My editing t-shirt.
Following the story arc had me salivating to put my own spin on it. My VERY patient teacher (Thank you Mrs. Hinkleman) put up with me turning in chapters of my own middle grade book. 

This was before kids turned in projects from computers. I had to write it out longhand. I remember turning in dozens and dozens of pages. The story rambled, and probably made sense to no one but me. I loved every hand cramp I got.

I got distracted in high school by what I was supposed to do. By sophomore year I was expected to start thinking about college. At the age of sixteen, I decided that I needed to be responsible and pick a major based on marketability of skills, and I knew darn well that English majors tended to end up teaching. 

I should never teach. Trust me. I did the world a favor.

Aside from a few poems and random journaling, I left writing behind. I graduated, got married, and bought a home. I had bills to pay, and had to be responsible.

My Sexy, Spicy, Fun Roxy button.
If you ever want one, just send me
an email. I'll drop one in the USPS.
About five years ago, I was broke. (Student loans are scary things.) And I went to the library, because I didn't have money to do anything else. It was the best thing I ever did. I rediscovered my love for genre fiction. 

I read EVERYTHING. And then I found the kindle. *angels singing*

After the kindle, came Goodreads and the wonderful women (and a few brave men) of Kindle Smut. The words "This is the dirtiest book I've ever read" were uttered, and I never looked back.

Erotic romance invaded my life, and I found my home.

The next few years were a happy blur of kindred spirits, book conferences, and finally...my writing hand itching again.

October 1st 2013 was my birthday. I turned 33, and although I couldn't pay any bills with this new gig, I was never prouder of myself than getting to say the words, "I'm a published author." 

My very first book published at Samhain
I still can't pay my bills yet, but I'm doing something I love, and something tells me I've started the journey of my heart. I'm where I'm supposed to be.

Meeting Lexi Blake for the second time.
I'm pretty sure I actually formed words.
I would write "The End" to finish up this story, but my story's not over yet.  I'm just beginning, and to celebrate the joy I feel as I head out into this strange and wonderful world, I wanted to give something back. 

So your reward for listening to me be sentimental and cheesy on my birthday is a chance to win a $25 eGift Card (Samhain, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble). 

Just comment below. What is your dream? Are you following it?  Tell me what you're doing for your soul, tell me something happy, or tell me Happy Birthday. I'm easy today. (Just don't tell my hubby)

This giveaway will be open for comments until Oct 13th at midnight EST. I can't wait to talk happy things with all of you. 
Bringing Booty Back.
Happy Birthday to
Both Me's.
                                                                          ~Roxy