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Vote For A Romance Cover!
Vote for UYL and DoH here!
Hi, readers! I just wanted to stop in and announce that two of my books were entered in the big cover contest on Authors Database. Yay! When you get a chance, you can check it out and vote for the one you like.
Upon Your Love, book three of the Heiresses in Love Series, which is also a historical romance/family saga novel, is in there. As you can tell, Adrienne’s eyes were fixed recently, to honor their unique violet hue.
This is the voting page for UYL:
https://authorsdb.com/2018-cover-contest-results/25047-cover-contest-2018-upon-your-love
Additionally, the cover for Directions of the Heart, a modern romantic drama collection, was nominated for the contest. Woo hoo! 🙂 Many thanks to Sherry Soule at SwoonWorthy Book Covers for her awesome work on the romance cover! ♥
Here’s the voting page for that book:
https://authorsdb.com/2018-cover-contest-results/25046-cover-contest-2018-directions-of-the-heart
Also, check out my author page over at AuthorsDB here.
This…
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Mega Cool Review for UYL — 5 Stars!
So, I am bursting to give you this news! I just stumbled across this awesome five star review for Upon Your Love, a historical romance/family saga novel and book three of the Heiresses in Love Series.
This is what the reviewer said on Amazon:
“I always thought historical romances were boring, but I was wrong!!!, June 13, 2017
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Upon Your Love by Marie Lavender
A spotlight on my latest release!
I have added some pics her of Marie Lavender’s cool new book titled Upon Your Love.
Sales links here; pick one up!
Amazon Universal link: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B06XBPVS7D
Publisher: http://solsticepublishing.com/upon-your-love/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/upon-your-love-marie-lavender/1125931721
Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Upon-Your-Love/Marie-Lavender/9781625265401?id=6842447479054
CreateSpace link: https://www.createspace.com/6969887
OUTSIDE THE LINES: MARIE LAVENDER
Please welcome back to the blog, crowd-pleaser Marie Lavender. With a shiny new release out, Marie takes a pause to answer some questions about multi-genre writing and staying outside the box. Oh! And she has a WIP on the go too. Hey, Marie.
1.
With so many sub-genres to choose from, romance fans are truly fortunate. How do you define your work? Are you a traditional romance writer?
I actually prefer to define myself as a multi-genre author because I’m truly all over the place when it comes to the type of books I write. After releasing a children’s fantasy in 2015, I took a hard look at my works-in-progress, and then realized I needed to make a change instead of just calling myself a romance author. Some of the stories I have planned are dystopian or have time travel themes. I’ve even tried my hand at horror. Compared to…
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New Release: Upon Your Love!
I am happy to announce that the final book of the Heiresses in Love Series, Upon Your Love, is officially out! Woo hoo! 🙂
This full-length, historical romance/family saga novel is available on Amazon, through my publisher and CreateSpace. Usually, sites like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million are added later.
I’m very excited to show this book to readers! ♥
Here is the blurb:
The Hill family saga concludes as loyalties are questioned, faiths will be tested and undying love may come at a terrible cost…
Fara Hill, mother and faithful wife, is torn between her family at home and her urge to be at sea. Soon, she learns some disturbing truths. Was the past a fairy tale instead of reality?
Chloe Hill, loving wife and young mother, questions her faith when her husband sets an ultimatum she cannot meet. Will she be able to keep her marriage from falling apart?
Adrienne Bellamont Hill, born of a valiant captain and a fiery redhead, is untamed to her core and will bow to no man. Then Christian du Plessis enters her life with an offer she can’t refuse. Discovering the man behind the polished gentleman, she is drawn to him in many ways. Holding out for love is a family tradition, but can she resist the temptation of passion?
Christian finds this young woman to be a fascinating challenge, and is torn between keeping his distance from her and succumbing to her charms. A fierce battle of wills ensues as he sees she is much more than he ever imagined.
But danger lurks, threatening to destroy everything…
Can these two strong-willed individuals unite in the cause before time runs out?
And here’s a brief excerpt:
“Then, it’s settled. Shall we pick you both up at eight o’clock?”
Adrienne nodded. “That is fine.” Her mother sent her another warning glance, which she couldn’t interpret this time.
After the gentlemen said their goodbyes and left, the ladies went their separate ways, but not before Adrienne’s mother grasped her arm, staying her. She groaned inwardly as she realized she was in for a lecture.
“Tell me what is wrong. You were quite rude to Monsieur du Plessis.”
“Was I? I don’t remember.”
When her mother narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, she felt a sense of unease. Fara Hill could be formidable when she wanted to be.
“What has transpired? Did he offend you in any way at the Broussard’s party? Are you pretending for Elena’s sake? I saw the way she looked at his friend, Monsieur Laroque.”
That her mother struck a little too close to home made her stomach reel. She sighed and mimicked her Maman’s move, her arms over her breasts.
“No, of course not. I suppose I did behave poorly. That was never my intention.”
“You can tell me anything, chére,” her mother claimed, softly.
She was grateful, but she had the feeling she shouldn’t tell anyone about the matchmaking scheme. Only Eric knew at this point. No one else would understand, and she couldn’t guarantee that Elena wouldn’t find out somehow. There was, however, a deeper concern at the moment.
“He… unsettles me.”
“You don’t trust him?” her mother’s brow furrowed.
“I believe I can. That’s not the disturbing part.” She felt the heat settle on her cheekbones as she blurted, “I feel different around him. Maman, I couldn’t stop staring at the man the other night. And today, I felt jealous. Jealous! How ridiculous!” she cried. “Something is certainly wrong with me.”
Fara pried Adrienne’s hand loose from her clasp on her upper arms, and then led her back to the settee. “There is nothing at all wrong with you. It seems you’ve developed a tendre for this man.”
For a moment, it seemed she had no breath in her lungs. “What? That’s mad. For Christian? No! I can’t… not after Robert.”
Her mother squeezed her hand. “It is perfectly all right to move on; it is natural even. You are allowed to love again, chére.”
“I have to stop this now,” she muttered, appalled that her mother thought she might be infatuated with Christian. “I can be a reasonable woman. I will be around him for Elena’s benefit, oui? But, I can’t have feelings for someone I just met.”
Her Maman’s quiet reply was disturbing. “You’d be surprised.”
“We are only friends,” she protested. And were they even that? Beyond their matchmaking plans, what were they exactly? Business partners perhaps, but even that seemed a trivial way to define it. Still, it was too disconcerting to entertain.
“Some of the best unions begin in friendship.”
“No,” she said, with a scowl. “We can only be friends.” She just had to keep telling herself that. And perhaps her body would listen as well, as she’d noticed the strange magnetism which drew her to him. She burst to her feet. “I can’t think about this right now. I must go.”
“Chére—”
“No, Maman. I… I need some air. Pardon me.” She fled from the room.
Here’s the trailer!
Purchase links:
Amazon Universal link: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B06XBPVS7D
Publisher: http://solsticepublishing.com/upon-your-love/
CreateSpace link: https://www.createspace.com/6969887
I hope you all get a chance to check it out! Enjoy! 🙂
Here is my interview with Marie Lavender
Name: Marie Lavender
Age: 36
Where are you from
I’m actually from the Midwest. I was raised in a family of five, with many extended relatives as well. In college, I majored in Creative Writing, and well, here I am.
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
My latest news is that I have two books coming out in February. One is a story that will be featured in the Valentine’s first kiss anthology, Cupid’s Arrow, and then subsequently released on its own. The story is called The Missing Piece, and it’s a new adult romance. The second is Upon Your Love, a historical romance/family saga and full-length novel, as well as book three of the Heiresses in Love Series. I am very excited for readers to discover both of these books!
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing at the age of nine…
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Author Newsletter!
This month’s issue of my author newsletter just went out last night. Here is the full link. Don’t miss the exciting news! ♥
MARIE’S NOVEMBER 2016 TO
JANUARY 2017 FLASHBACK NEWSLETTER
Here’s a guest post that I had to include below because the owner of the blog decided to shut her site down this year.
A Labor of Love
by Marie Lavender
It all started with my love of literature. I recall my mother reading me bedtime stories. I got so lost in those fictional worlds that I didn’t want to find a way out.
My own stories began to formulate in my head whenever I’d play with dolls as a child. As soon as I learned to write, I finally had an outlet. They found their way onto the page. Throughout my childhood, I knew I wanted to be an author. As I grew a little older, I’d stalk the reference section of the library, finding how-to books on writing, as well as writer’s market books, exhibiting lists of publishers I could submit my work to.
This was my dream. I pursued it steadily, did anything I could to accomplish that aim – I kept writing, entered young writer’s contests, I familiarized myself with the industry as well as possible, and took creative writing classes whenever they were available.
In college, I made a goal of finally finishing a novel. In 2002, I had the idea for a historical romance book, which would be set in France. Of course, I didn’t know it would take nearly nine years of organization, writing and perfecting to complete the novel. I was aware of the growing popularity of self-publishing. With this one, however, I wanted to find a traditional publisher.
Still, I was reluctant to let the trend pass me by. I selected some works-in-progress and set to completing them. Between the years of 2010 and 2012, I’d released twelve books in various genres. Yet I maintained my dream of getting published traditionally.
After numerous rejections I finally found a home when Solstice Publishing offered me a book contract for Upon Your Return, book one of the Heiresses in Love Series. In February of 2013, the novel was released. Since then, I’ve submitted six other novels and stories to the same publisher, and they’ve accepted every one. I now have four series published, and many others planned for the future.
Just before UYR was published, however, I quickly realized I’d have to jump on the ‘public presence’ bandwagon. I began to develop my social media accounts. I wrote guest posts for book blogs or writing blogs. I learned how to participate in author interviews, radio spots, author timeslots during Facebook events, placed book ads whenever necessary, and, well…I also launched two blogs (which actually became three later on). I struggled with them at first (i.e. What did I have to say, to offer?). But I eventually figured it all out. By the time Upon Your Return was published for a while, I had official book reviews on blogs as well as sites where the book was sold.
Now? I know I’m never finished learning about this industry, but I can say I’ve made quite a bit of progress. With 5,000 friends on Facebook, 1400 followers on my profile and 2500 likes on my author page, over 3500 Google+ followers and almost 15,000 Twitter followers, I haven’t done too bad.
Additionally, I’ve evolved from a romance author to a true multi-genre author, covering literary fiction, poetry, various types of romance, mystery/thriller, fantasy, science fiction, to wherever this crazy muse will take me. I no longer try to box myself in.
I am also proud to call the Heiresses in Love Series completed, as the final book, Upon Your Love, a full-length historical romance/family saga, comes out on February 28th. The series has been nearly fifteen years in the making, and it quickly became an empire of Victorian maritime drama, suspense and passion. I couldn’t be happier that the series pleasantly surprised me with its twists in development, all the characters coming alive on the page. I am beyond grateful to the wonderful people at Solstice for giving me a chance. I look forward to many more years with them, as they’ve taken me under their wing, and helped me to soar on my own. With my two books coming out soon, that makes a total of 25 published books to date.
And the muse, as always, is tireless, a true blessing for a writer. I just love writing, learning all about my characters, and experiencing their stories.
It’s been quite a journey, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Today’s Featured Author: Marie Lavender
Today I have with romance author Marie Lavender on my blog. Her latest book, Upon Your Return, is a historical romance.
Interview
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a romance author. I have published 16 books. I have been writing since I was a kid.
Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was raised in a small town in Indiana, so small they actually consider it “Small Town U.S.A.”. At the moment, I still live in Indiana, though I have plans to move eventually.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I feel like I’ve been writing forever. So I pretty much always considered myself a writer. I never considered myself an “author” until I published a book in 2010.
How much of yourself, your personality or your experiences, is in your books?
Oh, I think quite a lot is. Sometimes when I…
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Solstice Rocks!
Just wanted to pop in here and tell you that my publisher rocks!
Why? Well, because they accepted two more manuscripts from yours truly.
So, that’s a historical romance/family saga, Upon Your Love, coming to booksellers soon, as well as a sci-fi romance, Blue Vision! Woo hoo! It’s all very exciting, don’t you think? 🙂
Upon Your Love is the third and final book of the Heiresses in Love Series.
Here’s a sneak peek of the blurb:
The Hill family saga concludes as loyalties are questioned, faiths will be tested and undying love may come at a terrible cost…
Fara Hill, mother and faithful wife, is torn between her family at home and her urge to be at sea. Soon, she learns some disturbing truths. Was the past a fairy tale instead of reality?
Chloe Hill, loving wife and young mother, questions her faith when her husband sets an ultimatum she cannot meet. Will she be able to keep her marriage from falling apart?
Adrienne Bellamont Hill, born of a valiant captain and a fiery redhead, is untamed to her core and will bow to no man. Then Christian du Plessis enters her life with an offer she can’t refuse. Discovering the man behind the polished gentleman, she is drawn to him in many ways. Holding out for love is a family tradition, but can she resist the temptation of passion?
Christian finds this young woman to be a fascinating challenge, and is torn between keeping his distance from her and succumbing to her charms. A fierce battle of wills ensues as he sees she is much more than he ever imagined.
But danger lurks, threatening to destroy everything…
Can these two strong-willed individuals unite in the cause before time runs out?
Blue Vision is the first book of the Code of Endhivar Series. Yeah, that’s right! A new series is just beginning…
Here’s the blurb:
Brooke Sanders just wants to get away from her life for awhile. A remote cabin in Montana fits the bill. She doesn’t expect to encounter a mysterious stranger with unusual blue eyes, or events that cannot be explained…
Colin Fielding is on a mission – scout a planet and return home to Endhivar. Simple really. What he doesn’t anticipate is that fate has a pretty twisted sense of humor. Suddenly, this human calls to him, every part of him, like the call of a true mate, and he can’t deny the connection as he gets closer to her.
Little do they know, someone is out to do them harm, as well as the world Brooke holds so dear. Can they stop what’s coming before it’s too late? Or will the universe lose a perfect gem?
So, that’s what is going on these days. I just got assigned my editor for UYL. That should keep me out of trouble, right? 😉 AND I have plans for two more books this year, fate willing. I am so excited for you to read these titles!
I’ll check back with everyone soon. Take care and have a wonderful week! ♥
A Short and Sweet Review for UYR!
Hi, readers! Just wanted to pop in and let you know about this cool review I discovered on Amazon for Upon Your Return, book one of the Heiresses in Love Series. Thank you, Crystal, for your kind words! 🙂
 A Fiery Adventure., July 9, 2015This review is from: Upon Your Return (Kindle Edition) A fiery adventure of unmistaken love. Never have I read such poignant literature. This author is my idol. I myself write historical romance, I can never hope to be as wonderful as she. This book will hold you captive and take you on a whirlwind of romance from the very first intriguing page to the very last. Well written and well executed. I cannot brag enough about this book. |
Marie Lavender- Multigenre Author 