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IRC 2014 has a new home! http://indieromancecon.com/
Hop on over for a peek and see what exciting events we have planned. What up and coming, and already awesome authors are attending. And, make sure to sign up before November 30th during the
Early Bird Special Registration.

 $145 Early Bird Special
 

Includes: Swag bags, Fun Events, Prizes, Reader and Author Panels, Book Signing, Dance and more!

IRC 2014 HAS MOVED TO A NEW SITE

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Attending author Holly Roberts guest post

Tied up in knots over Shibari verses Kinbaku

In Japanese, the word Shibari means “to tie” or “to bind,” the contemporary meaning of Shibari refers to Hojo-jutsu, an ancient Japanese form of rope bondage. Hojo-jutsu, was used by the Japanese from the 1400 to 1700’s to restrain captives. In the late 1800’s Hojo-jutsu took on a sensual aspect and became known as “Kinbaku,” the art of erotic bondage.

Truthfully, I’m fascinated with both Shibari and Kinbaku. Both require incredible artistic skill but I feel Shibari is the erotic spirituality of rope, artistically connecting with the human body, whereas, Kinbaku is the sexual aspect of bondage through the intricacies of rope. And yes, the two can merge, so I leave it to readers to decide their own interpretation.

Attending author Angela Brown guest post

Coming soon (October 1, 2013) from author Angela Brown

THEY ALL FALL DOWN, the sequel novella to Neverlove.

 

Book cover by McCorkle creations

Add to Goodreads

Summary:

No longer bound to their duties as Cleanser and Harvestor, Abby and Basil embrace their new lives, loving each other to the fullest, or so Abby believes. Secrets yet revealed could drive a wedge between them, while a plan to turn back the hands of time threatens to shred their love beyond all hope of repair.

A world in disrepair is our future state if Q, the Devourer, has anything to do with it. Not just to fulfill his promise to The Society, but to satisfy his deepest cravings.

True love is put to the test and salvation is only possible if Abby and Basil choose the right path. Or the world could be destined for, “ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”

Schedule 2013

Friday’s early bird special is for all authors and aspiring author joining us early. You’ll be meeting at Shoney’s at 1pm in the back dinning room,  just down from Holiday Express here is the address 814 S Cumberland St, Lebanon, TN 37087. This is just for authors who has arrived early that just wants to chat about writing etc.  This is not mandatory for anyone to attend.

Friday October 4th

Pricing Your Indie Book Correctly

Pricing Your Indie Book Correctly

Before you can set a price on your book, you need to know several things.

1.            What did it cost you to produce and publish it?

2.            What are the distributors’ and/or retailers’ fees for each book sold?

3.            What is your “valued” competition charging for like titles?

Let’s think outside the box for a minute. You are grilling out steaks tonight. Are you buying your steak at the dollar store, or are you going to the grocery store or wholesale club to get them? Why? The steak at the dollar store is only $1, and the grocery store, steak is probably a minimum of $5 or $6 for the lesser quality steaks. The same thing you are thinking about that dollar store steak, and yes, there is steak at a lot of dollar stores, is what people think about books sold at $0.99.

IRC Charity Swap

Tennessee state laws states the convention has to be non-profit for over 5 years before we can host a raffle, so we came up with Charity swap. This is how it goes down. You donate 20.00 for a ticket that money goes to our non-profit charity , in turn you'll have to play a fun game to get your basket, but you will get a basket for your donated money. Please do keep in mind this is for a good cause so, if you want to donate more then please do so.

The Hook: Purchase one $20.00 ticket and you are guaranteed to receive one donated Basket.

The Bait: Each Basket is valued over 20.00 most will be around 50.00 There are a limited number of tickets available on a "first come first serve" basis.

The Catch: The Basket you win will be determined by the luck of the draw!

The Fine Print:

▶All proceeds to benefit Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue | HELPING HIS HELPLESS

▶Must be present to win.

▶Tickets limited to 2 per person.

Character inteview with attending author Allie Boniface

Character interview by

Allie Bonfiace

Greetings, readers! I'm super-excited to be attending the Indie Romance Convention in October! I've published with traditional small presses in the past, but 2013 marked the very first time I waded into the indie publishing waters, with my contemporary romance novel The Promise of Paradise. Currently available in e-book, print, and audio, this is the story of Eddie and Ash, two people from completely different worlds who find themselves living in the same house for one long, hot summer:

Ashton Kirk, youngest daughter of a prestigious senator, fiancee of a hotshot attorney, and fresh Harvard graduate, is headed for a promising law career when scandal breaks apart her family. To escape, she rents an apartment in the sleepy town of Paradise, New Hampshire, where no one knows who she is.
Ashton hopes for solitude, but all bets are off when Eddie West, the town’s most eligible bachelor, moves in downstairs. Eddie likes his women and his cars shiny, sleek, and fast, and when he meets his new housemate, he wastes no time getting friendly. While he's looking for a no-strings romance, though, he gets more than he bargained for in Ash, who sees through his bravado to the pain of a loss too fresh to mention.
Can two people from different worlds find common ground, a place to fall in love and build a future? Is it possible to find your soul mate in the place you least expect?

Now, blurbs are great, and if you want to know what reviewers said about the book, you can visit my website (www.allieboniface.com) or any online e-book retailer.

But I thought you might really like to hear from the hero and heroine themselves today, so I'm turning the blog over to them. If you like what they have to say, don't forget, Eddie and Ash will be joining me at the Indie Romance Convention on October 4 and 5. Hope to see you there!

The Promise of Paradise

Allie: Okay, I know neither one of you is used to talking much about yourself, but today – 

Eddie: Hey, what do you mean? I love talking about myself. What do readers want to know? About my job? My Harley? The next tattoo I plan on getting?

Allie: I mean talking about the real you, Eddie, the complicated guy with the tender heart, not the super-macho tough guy you make yourself out to be.

Ash: Hang on. Eddie is a super-macho tough guy. Remember the time he told off those guys in the bar who were harassing me? Or the time he walked downtown in the middle of the night to make sure I was okay, after my car died? Or the way he fixed my car the next day without even –

Allie: Okay, okay, I'm sorry. You're right, he is pretty macho, now that I think about it.

Eddie: You had to think about it?

Allie: No, not really. I always knew you were going to be the kind of guy that women would swoon for: tall, good-looking, muscles to die for, and ready to save the world at a moment's notice. No big surprise that Ash fell for you. No big surprise that readers do, either! Did you hear that one reviewer called you "drool worthy"?

Eddie: Oh yeah. That's what I'm talkin' about. (winks)

Ash: Okay, lover boy. Don't give anyone any ideas. You're all mine, remember?

Eddie: How could I forget? I barely had a life before you moved in upstairs from me. Thought I did, 'course, but...

Ash: (blushing): Allie, I have a question. The first time you wrote this story, my ex-boyfriend didn't try to find me in Paradise, did he?

Allie: Well, no. I thought giving you a family scandal and a broken heart would be enough to deal with. You were the one who came up with the idea of changing your name, by the way. But then Colin – 

Ash: Ugh. Don't mention his name.

Allie: Sorry. But then your ex decided to complicate matters and reappear in your life. Yes, I know it was messy.

Ash: To say the least.

Eddie: And when I saw him with –

Allie: Shh! Don't ruin it for the readers! That part's a surprise.

Ash: Can we talk about Lucas for a minute?

Eddie: Oh, yeah. He wasn't even in the original story – and then he turns up in this one, all tall, dark, and handsome and lending a helping hand every time Ash needed one.

Ash: Is that jealousy I'm hearing?

Eddie: Nope.

Allie: You're right. Lucas was a late addition to this story. But I wanted him in The Promise of Paradise because he's such a great hero in my next book, Beacon of Love. I wanted readers to meet him early!

Ash: I like him.

Eddie: Of course you do. He can build anything, fix anything, he's six and a half feet tall, plus he's got that whole broken-heart-in-need-of-fixing thing going on. 

Ash: I know. Poor guy.

Allie: Don't worry! Lucas's heart gets the attention it needs in his own story. I had to make him suffer a little first, that's all. Kind of like I did with the two of you. 

Eddie: Thanks a lot.

Allie: Anything worth having is worth the work and worth the wait, right?

Ash: Absolutely!

Allie: Okay you two, thanks for piping up today and giving readers a break from my own voice! Remember, you can find out all about Eddie and Ash in The Promise of Paradise – or by chatting me up at the convention in October. See you soon!

Attending author Amy Kesler character interview

This interview takes place between In the Light of the Moon and Dance in the Moonlight.

 Interview by Amy Kessler

Name: Coran Hemming

Age: I’ve stopped counting years

Species: Werewolf of the Immortal flavor

Side in war: Lucius’, non-Circle supporting vampires, basically, it gets complicated.

1) What is your connection to Lucius?

            I work for him. Though, not in the same way Kassity does, but I do work for him. I’m not one of his killers and I have been with him for a long time. I owe him a debt and my life.

2) Do you have a mate?

            No. I did at one point, but she was killed by the Circle. She was my fated and the only one that I want.

3) Do you belong to the local wolf pack?

            I work with them, but I don’t actually belong with them. Even if we are all wolves we are different types. I will help them when they need, like in the case of Kassity’s control problem. Or security issues that come up, it never hurts to ally with a pack that large. They have a treaty with Lucius as well, in the city most people do.

4) How much do you know about this war that is going on?

            More than I want to admit. I’m old enough to remember when the feud blew up. Back when the Circle thought they ruled everyone and the Originals started to go into hiding or hibernation.

5) How do you feel about the other characters? Anyone you like? Hate?

            I didn’t like Kassity at first, but the cat kind of grows on you. I have a roommate Orion, we’re close like brothers. Lucius…well that’s a special kind of like-hate relationship. 

6) Where are you from?

            Originally? Ireland, but that was a long time ago. I still have a slight hint of an accent, especially when I’m upset.

7) Do you have any family?

            Living blood, no, but there are several people I consider family and mine. I would do anything to protect them. It’s a short list, but they are all I have. I had young siblings growing up, but none of them survived to teenage years. That was before my Immortal mark showed up.

8) Coffee or Tea?

            Coffee, always coffee. It’s a great comfort drink, but only good coffee. None of the cheep crap.

9) Pork Chops or Steak?

            Steak, rare, preferably done on the grill.

10) Alcoholic drink of choice?

            Dark ale, but it’s rare that I drink. Only The Corner and Tegan’s bar carry ones I’ll drink.

11) Do you have pets?

            Does Orion count? Pretty sure he can count as a pet…

12) What is your dream job?

            I love my job as a bartender, but if I could do anything. I would want to work with children, especially those with no families. Sadly, my life style doesn’t allow for it.

Attending author Jacqueline Rhoads guest post on the Variety is the Spice of Life

Variety is the Spice of Life

By Jacqueline Rhoades - Romance Author

And IndieRomCon Attendee

Nothing sets a romance reader’s temper flaring quicker than being told whatever romance novel they’re currently reading is nothing more than chick porn. While I have no statistical data to back me up, it seems that most of these comments come from men.

Now, those of us who read a wide variety of Romance novels will be the first to point out that there is a lot of sexual territory covered between what is commonly called sweet romance and the red-hot realm of erotica. So anyone making the claim about the entire romance genre obviously doesn’t know what they’re talking about, or do they?

According to Webster, my go-to guy for definitions, pornography can be defined as “a portrayal of erotic behavior designed to cause sexual excitement.” Hmmm. So what does this say about the reader who sighs deeply and lets her fantasies run wild over a passionate, fully clothed kiss under the proverbial apple tree? To me, it says she’s not a whole lot different from the reader who gets the same boost from an erotic BDSM novel. Eroticism is in the mind of the beholder, is it not?

We all have different thresholds and opinions about what we consider sensual or sexy and romance novels have always pushed the envelope for what is acceptable sexual behavior for women. Historically, that’s been the argument against them from the beginning. Romance novels make us think and dream about things conventional society is uncomfortable with. It allows us to fantasize about people and circumstances outside our everyday lives. Good for us!

There is a vast difference between reading and viewing. It is one of the reasons I’ve always enjoyed horror stories, but rarely watch horror movies. Watching movies, I’m at the mercy of the director. I can’t yell “Cut!” if the scene becomes too vivid. When reading, my mind’s eye has a filter on it that prevents me from ‘seeing’ more than I can handle.

I believe this is true for romance readers as well. We can filter those sex scenes into something we’re comfortable with by skipping, skimming or visualizing the scene with as much or as little detail as our personal preference dictates.

We buy the books written by authors who fulfill our romantic tastes in their writing. Depending on our age, our stage in life, our upbringing, our attitudes toward sex and even our hormonal predilections, those tastes may change from year to year, month to month or even day to day as the mood strikes us. How wonderful to have such a huge selection of authors and books to offer us such a variety.

We may argue amongst ourselves as to how much descriptive sex is necessary for our enjoyment, but I think we can all agree that romance is first and foremost a love story and that is where our ‘chick porn’ differs from the other kind. Sex, even mind-blowing sex is not enough to satisfy any true romance reader. There has to be something more, something emotionally deeper between our romance novel’s protagonists for us to get that romantic high and for many of us, that includes a Happily Ever After ending or at least a Happy For Now.

That’s the real turn-on for romance readers and for those who laugh about our chick porn, there’s some statistical data out there you might want to look up. Women who fulfill their fantasy lives through reading romance novels tend to engage in more frequent sex and enjoy it more!

So for those who make derisive comments about Romance readers, I say this: instead of ridiculing us for our chick porn, maybe you should go out and buy your significant other a romance novel. Better yet, read one yourself.