The Women of the Risking Love Series by Callie Carmen

The woman of Risking Love by Callie CarmenRecently, I read an article by One Love Foundation titled, 5 Requirements for a Strong Friendship.

The first was “trust.” I had to agree wholeheartedly.
The six friends in my Risking Love series had that in spades. They have kept personal secrets for each other that one normally wouldn’t utter outside one’s family. From alcoholism to abuse. Being stalked or loving someone that belongs to another. And so much more.

The second was “equality.” While each of the friends in my stories are intelligent, kind women with strong personalities, they treat each other with respect. No one person in the group dominates the rest of the women. They may ask advice of each other, but no one ever demands that they should do it a certain way, their way.

The third was “compassion.” It doesn’t matter which one of the six friends they go to for help they are received with open arms. Sometimes they talk things out as a group and other times they seek the love and advice from just one of their friends. They have cried, laughed, and genuinely cared for each other’s precious hearts together.

The fourth was “honesty.” Sometimes honesty hurts, like what happens between Bella and Violet in the novel, Joseph. Or when one of them gets pregnant and the only one they can tell is their friend. The women of the Risking Love series have remained close even when honesty tugs at their friendship.

The fifth was “Independence.” Each of the Risking Love women is independent. They lean on each other, but they have other friends or family important to them too. Like when Violet was given a surprise party, and the room was full of friends that the girls were meeting for the first time. Or when Carlie got married, and the hall had an overflowing number of friends and family. It was important to me to keep these women’s independence of each other. They have a healthy and loving relationship with each other. But they also have a separate life that includes other friends and family.

These six women have a strong foundation of trust, equality, compassion, honesty, and independence with each other. Their friendship is healthy and should stand the test of time.

Anthony by Callie Carmen

ANTHONY (Risking Love book four)
By Callie Carmen
Published by Black Velvet Seductions
The ebook of Anthony is on pre-order sale for 99c until the publication date of April 1.

Anthony by Callie CarmenIn ANTHONY, my latest novel, Tessa would need all the help she could get from her friends to win the heart of Tony Telesco. And even they may not be enough to help convince him that Tessa is nothing like his selfish, demanding ex-wife. Tony wanted nothing to do with a rich, spoiled, daddy’s girl like Tessa. Would Tess and her friends be able to convince Anthony that she was not as she seemed?

RISKING LOVE NOVELS
Take a risk on the new Risking Love series. These steamy stories will have you laughing, crying, and your heart racing.
Read each one as a standalone or better yet as a series.

Book 1 PATRICK
Jaq had no interest in a serious relationship because life at an early age had taught her that men weren’t to be trusted. But she met Patrick who soon had her thinking about risking her heart. For Patrick the time for Jaq dating other men had ended. He wanted her all to himself. But would she stay if she knew the secrets of his past? Patrick wasn’t the only man who wanted Jaq, and the other man was willing to kill to have her.

Book 2 NICOLAS
Carlie planned to finish at the top of her class, get a corporate job, and work her way up the ladder. She refused to risk having a life of poverty ever again. Within her plans, there was no room for a relationship. So she had sworn off men; especially the good Dr. Nicolas Antonis.
Nicolas had other plans. They included her becoming his.
As if Nicolas wasn’t a big enough distraction; Carlie had to worry about her roommate’s, abusive ex-boyfriend, coming for her too.

Book 3 JOSEPH
Violet had experienced a lot of loss in her life. She wasn’t sure if she could ever trust love again. That was until she fell for Joseph. The problem was he belonged to her friend, Bella. Could Violet risk her friendship over a man? If she did break that friendship, would it destroy her relationship with her closest girlfriends forever?

If Violet risked her heart again and had a night of uncontrolled passion, would he abandon her like the others she had loved? Or would Joseph be her salvation?

Book 4 ANTHONY
Tessa seemed to have it all, her father’s fortune, men falling at her feet, and a fairly new but successful business. Secretly, all she longed for was her mother’s hug once more, her heartbroken widowed father acknowledging her existence, and the love of Tony.
Recently divorced, from a selfish, demanding ex-wife, Tony Telesco wanted nothing to do with a rich, spoiled, daddy’s girl like Tessa. Would she be able to convince him that she was not as she seemed?

Book Five JOSHUA: Coming Soon

Anthony by Callie Carmen

Callie also has two other romance stories. Her first published story is in the Craving Loyalty Anthology and is a mobster romance titled, The Enemy I Know published by Crave Publishing.

The other is the Mystic Desire Supernatural Anthology published by Black Velvet Seductions.  Her story is titled Dream Catcher.  The other stories shared in this wonderful paranormal novel are written by a group of talent authors that have all become friends.

Anthony by Callie Carmen

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Cool, creative Callie Carmen caught in a Dream Catcher

Dream Catcher by Callie Carmen in Mystic DesireI’m so anxious for the Black Velvet Seductions supernatural anthology, Mystic Desire, to come out (October 1)! One reason is, I want to read Callie’s story, Dream Catcher!

NA: Welcome Callie! What genre would you consider your books to be?
CC: First, I’d like to thank Dee for having me on her blog today. I appreciate it. [My pleasure!]
My name is Callie Carmen, and I write contemporary romance, suspense romance, and most recently supernatural romance novels.

NA: How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?
CC: Until 2015 I hadn’t read a romance novel. One day while traveling in my car listening to the Diane Rym show she had on a guest author of Fifty Shades of Grey. I found the conversation interesting, so I picked up a copy of the book and read it. While I didn’t go in that direction after reading it I enjoyed it enough to try Lora Leigh’s Nauti Boys series, Lori Foster’s Love Undercover series. her Visitation series, and the Maya Banks KGI series, and that was it, I was hooked on reading romance. From there, I sat at my kitchen table one day and started writing my first novel, Patrick from my Risking Love series. I enjoyed writing it so much that I kept on going.

NA: How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?
CC: I have to laugh at that question. I had used a few relative’s names in my first novel The Enemy I Know as part of the Crave Loyalty Anthology, all of which were already deceased. But in my Risking Love series, I started out using a few family female names, two of which were my sister’s daughter’s names. She was having none of that. She said there is no way I want my daughters in a sex book. I explained it was a love story, and she could have cared less. I ended up changing their names. Since then, I only use names that are family members that have passed away so they can’t complain. Lol. Or names that I enjoy, like Jake the hero in my latest novel, Dream Catcher, from the Mystic Desire Supernatural Anthology.

NA: Tell me about your latest book.
CC: Dream Catcher is the story of two lonely people that put work ahead of their personal needs like finding their true love. But when each of them purchases a magical dream catcher made by a shaman, they find themselves falling in love with their soul mate. Unfortunately, their soul mate is only in their dreams.

This is just one of fourteen wonderful stories by talented authors that have joined together in the Mystic Desire Supernatural Romance Anthology. I just know all who read this novel will thoroughly enjoy it. Below you’ll find the blurbs for each of the fourteen stories. Check them out, and you’ll see why I think you’ll love this book.

Join the authors of Mystic Desire on Halloween for a chat, fun, games, & Mystic Desire Halloween Takeover!maybe win prizes.
SIGN UP HERE.

NA: What is the hardest part of writing for you?
CC: Believe it or not, the blurb on the back cover of the novel is torture for me. Taking a 250-page book, and turning it into three short paragraphs is next to impossible for me.

NA: What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
CC: Finding my soul mate and having a loving, happy marriage for over thirty years. Having three caring children with him, that turned out to be good citizens and that work hard.

NA: What’s the best thing about being an author?
CC: All the friends you make in and out of the publishing world.

NA: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
CC: In a smaller home, on a lake, writing. I’ll be sitting in a screened-in front porch while listening to the waves lap up against my dock.

NA: If you didn’t like writing books or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?
CC: Well, that calls for two different answers. If I wasn’t any good at it, I’d take a few classes to learn how to do it right. Or I’d get a fantastic editor like Laurie Sanders to teach me what I needed to do to improve. But if I couldn’t write, I would want to be a book buyer for B&N. I used to work as a senior book buyer for the other large book chain that sadly is no longer in business. I loved that career.

NA: Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?
CC: I always read them, so that I can thank the writer for taking the time to read my book and to review it. Not that many of us are willing to write reviews so I appreciate them and feel the kind individual should be thanked.

I have skipped writing to two individuals that both gave me my only one ratings. One said she looked at the first page of Patrick and refused to read the book because there was a serial killer in the story. I had to laugh at the fact that she wrote the review stating that she hadn’t read it.

The other person read the first few pages which happened to be the serial killer’s point of view, and she decided she couldn’t continue reading the story because of the creepy serial killer. Even though she gave me a one rating, I took that as a compliment because he was supposed to be scary.

NA: Where did your love of books come from?
CC: Both my mother and father read every day. My father loved westerns and mystery novels. My mother loved fiction and took my siblings and me to the library often. She’d bring home a few novels for herself and piles of children’s books to read to us. I remember Barbar books being some of her favorite kid’s books. I enjoyed them too and read them to my own children. I loved that they were done in cursive writing. So many schools now don’t teach cursive, which is unfortunate because all of our original United States documents were written in cursive.

NA: Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite, and why?
CC: When I’m writing a novel, the main characters become my new favorites. So this is ever-changing.

At the moment, I’m crazy about Tony and Tessa from book four, Anthony. That man is the silent type except when it comes to the right woman. Then he has no problem letting her know exactly what he wants. He is also talented in the kitchen in more ways than one.

Tessa is a wealthy, but down to earth woman that would like nothing better than to play some football with all of her friends. She wants to be and independent, and a successful business owner to show her rich father she can do it on her own. And she loves making hot passionate love. The woman is hot to trot.

Dream Catcher by Callie Carmen in Mystic DesireNA: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
CC: It’s not a curse; I love writing. Especially when I’m writing about things that have happened to me in my past. I have put on a bit of weight from the long hours of sitting at the computer writing, editing, and marketing my books on social media. So that’s a bit of a negative. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

NA: What is your writing Kryptonite?
CC: My eyes get tired after looking at the computer screen for too long. I end up falling asleep with my hands on the keys and waking to something that looks like this:
On my way homeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

That also happens to Jake in my, Dream Catcher, supernatural romance. He’s a successful romance author and spends a good deal of time at the computer. Once in a while, he falls asleep while writing. But he doesn’t mind because it gives him more time with his dream soul mate Angelica.

NA: What one piece of writing advice do you have for an aspiring author?
CC: This might not be advice that newer writers want to hear, but it is essential for you to be as successful as possible. Set up your social media sites right away. That means do it before you even finish your first book. That is not to say that it is ever too late to do. It just has to be done. If you don’t advertise to let people know about your book, how will they know that it exists? Once they are set up, advertise your books on a regular basis. Set up social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Tumblr, Instagram, MeWe, Website, and Goodreads, to name a few. Pick three to start and master those before moving on to others, or you will be too overwhelmed.

Dream Catcher by Callie Carmen in Mystic Desire

Blurbs from all the author’s stories in the novel Mystic Desire.
The Sweetest Magic of All – Alice Renaud: When a sexy apprentice witch and a hot warlock go back in time to locate a magical amulet, they find more than they bargained for. It’s May Eve, the most magical night of the year, and normal rules don’t apply…
An Awareness of Evil – Dee S. Knight
Only two things stand between evil and a small girl: the visions of Amanda McMasters and Detective Brendan Gilchrist. Neither can afford to be wrong.
Bewitching the Wolf – Zia Westfield
The Witch, Alice Humphreys has poured her heart and soul into creating a magical B&B where guests experience the fantasy vacation of their dreams! Brodie MacEwan has been sent to investigate the mysterious death of his uncle. He never expected to discover his soul mate in his dreams. But is the illusion real? Alice knows that there is something all too predatory about the Scotsman and he makes her body tingle in places it shouldn’t!
Calling All Angels – Lora Logan
Elijah Baker, an immortal tasked with fighting against demons that exist on earth, finds peace when he meets his new neighbor, Celeste. But when he realizes that their love comes with a cost, he is faced with choosing between his calling and a chance at true love.
Dream Catcher – Callie Carmen
Long ago, a medicine man had made a matched set of dream catchers as a wedding gift to protect the Chief’s daughter and her warrior husband. He had called upon the benevolent spirits to keep the two soul mates safe and in a loving, healthy marriage. It was foretold that if the two dream catchers were ever divided the new owners would be drawn together as soul mates. Was that possible?
Life Saving – Anne Krist
Saving lives isn’t just for adults. Sometimes the innocent magic of a child can do the job better.
Love from the Mist – Patricia Elliott
When Jace Warden learns that his brother plans to announce his engagement at a family get together, he flees to the other side of the world to escape the joyous celebration.
Or at least attempts to… His plane never makes it, and he winds up trapped on an island. Little does he realize, he’s not alone; there’s a mischievous little entity milling about, and she wants to play.
Love Knows No Apocalypse – Patricia Elliott
Getting stranded in the middle of a storm was not Samantha Wheeler’s idea of an ideal situation, especially in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. But fighting zombies was the easy part; her heart, though, was a whole other matter. Thanks to a man named Steve Jones.
When they find themselves in danger, she has to decide what’s more important – dying for someone she loves or surviving.
Love that Binds – Carol Schoenig
On the outskirts of a small town where nothing grows, a young girl, Ianthee, is being bullied and accused of being a witch. Young Caleb, inexplicably drawn to Ianthee, comes to her rescue. Before they can explore their feelings, Caleb and his family disappear. What happened to him, and what part does a long-ago legend play in their lives?
Love’s Ghost – R.M. Olivia
“Sorry, babe. I know it hurts to hear.” John frowned. I’ll make this brief. I spoke to the man in charge and he is giving me one last chance.”
“Come again?”
“I’m allowed to make love to my wife one last time before I have to cross over. So, are you ready for your husband? Are you ready for me, Ingrid?” He lifted my chin up and ran his thumb along my lips. I felt a chill go down my spine. How could this be real? How could this be happening?
The Anniversary – Richard Savage
A cruel twist of fate wrenched Evelyn and Peter apart on their wedding anniversary. Evelyn’s life descends into darkness. James enters her life giving her a chance of happiness. Evelyn discovers a piece of jewelry, that has the power to grant her time with Peter on their anniversary. She adores James, but needs Peter. Can she ever really let Peter go, while there’s still a chance they can be together?
The Mortal Vampire – Suzanne Smith
Remy enjoys life as a vampire, never giving a thought to sucking every last drop of tasty blood out of his unfortunate victims and leaving them door nail dead. But his cold and carefree existence changes the day he crosses paths with the beautiful and mysterious mortal Angela.
Through the Veil – Jan Selbourne
A beautiful March day in 1875 ends in tragedy when the wagon carrying Helen and Marcus plunges down the mountainside. Generations pass before Rachel Finlay finds an old sepia photo of a man and woman. She knows them but she’s never met them and now, for the peace of mind she desperately craves, she goes back to where it began. In time, through the veil, knowing she may never return.
Unconditional Lust – Breanna Hayes
The massive, hideous merrow leader, Muruch, craves the taste of human flesh. Confined to the ocean, he feeds his horde with sailors from ships pulled into the maw of the Bermuda Triangle. When US Army Captain, Nurys Shaye, puts her life on the line to save him after being captured, his hunger for human flesh is shadowed by the desire for her body and her love. Will she be able to see past his appearance and trust him to break down her walls and teach her to feel?

Nicolas and Patrick: Risking Love series by Callie Carmen

Find out more about Callie Carmen’s books at:
PATRICK
NICOLAS
JOSEPH Coming Soon!
MYSTIC DESIRE
CRAVING LOYALTY

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ROMANCE!! Sweet or hotter than a firestorm, check out BVS

I’ve been very fortunate to be associated with wonderful publishers (like Liquid Silver Publishing (my first publisher), Siren-Bookstrand, and now, Black Velvet Seductions (aka BVS)). I think you would enjoy books from any of them, but right now I’d like to tell you more about BVS.

Black Velvet Seductions

Yes, this is a shameless plug, but I wouldn’t talk about BVS here if I didn’t The Brute and Ifeel strongly about the brand. I can vouch for the fact that BVS publishes all kinds of romance, from, well from me to my partner in crime, Jan Selbourne, who writes historical romance. Writers like Alice Renaud, Patricia Elliott, Callie Carmen (just finished Nicolas and you should try it!), K.L. Ramsey, SuzanneA Merman's Choice Smith, and many others whose books I’ve been enjoying in the last year will make your heart happy. BVS searches out some of the best writers and pairs them with some of the finest graphic artists around (Jessica Greeley is especially talented!) for covers. Ric Savage, the man who runs BVS, strives for excellence in every aspect of the publishing process. Honestly, I’ve never worked with a publishing house who does more to help authors present their books to the readers.

So how can you find out about BVS? New books and special deals are showcased in the newsletter. I chatted with Ric Savage who runs BVS and asked what his vision is for the publishing house. He told me, “In the 5 years I have managed BVS, it has been my goal to get the books of our talented authors in the hands of romance readers. We like to get to know our readers and what they think. We are constantly looking to get their views and reactions to the stories. I have always seen that as a two-way street, and I think it only right to offer readers a chance to read our books at favorable prices. We offer new books to preorder at 99 cents. We also offer freebies at times. A way of keeping in touch is through our newsletter. It is very simple to be an Insider, you just sign up to our newsletter, and we will keep you up to date with freebies, deals, and our latest news!”

I hope you do subscribe! It’s an honor to be among some of the best romance writers and to work with BVS. I know you will agree.

Dee

The doctor will see you now… Nicolas, the cover reveal

From Callie Carmen, Nicolas (Risking Love Book 2)

Nicolas--Callie Carmen

Carlie planned to finish at the top of her class, get a corporate job, and work her way up the ladder. She refused to risk having a life of poverty ever again. Within her plans, there was no room for a relationship. So she had sworn off men; especially the good Dr. Nicolas Antonis.

Nicolas had other plans. They included her becoming his.

As if Nicolas wasn’t a big enough distraction, Carlie had to worry about her roommate’s abusive ex-boyfriend coming for her too.

Nicolas is the second novel in the Risking Love series. The stories chart a group of friends through life and love. These steamy stories will have you laughing, crying, and have your heart racing.

Get Nicolas now for only 99 cents (Pre-Order SALE) until the release date of 3/14!! https://amzn.to/2GkldCD