Zoe York's Blog, page 8

Have you signed up for my newsletter? When They Weren’t Looking is in the publishing process at iTunes (the retailer that takes the longest, usually a week to ten days), and as soon as it goes live there, I’ll hit Publish at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play and All Romance eBooks. And THEN I’ll send an email blast to everyone on my newsletter, with the brand new release news, and a couple of fun surprises as well (including a giveaway)!

While we’re waiting for the Apple Gods to approve the book, how about an excerpt?

He wasn’t sure if she’d come back, and he was kicking himself for not gleaning more identifying information before she glided out of the bar. He was tossing up the idea of sending Jessica to flirt with the front desk clerks and find out Evie’s room number when she returned.

She’d changed, all right. Into tight jeans that left nothing to the imagination, a silky blouse, and fresh lip gloss.

It needed to be nibbled off, immediately, and he knew just the man for the task.

Karaoke was a terrible idea. He wanted to stalk across the bar, toss her over his shoulder, and carry her back to her room. He’d sing whatever she wanted while she shimmied out of those jeans. His dick agreed. A private strip tease was definitely the way to go.

But as she drew closer, her eyes wide and her breath shallow and rapid, he shut himself down. She was nervous, and he wasn’t a brute. Although she certainly brought out the cro-magnon tendencies, holy shit.

He stood and reached out his hand. When she took it, he tamped down the desire to tug her fingers to his lips, and instead gave her a reassuring squeeze. His voice, husky and raw, more than made up for his restraint. “You decided to join us.”

Her sharp intake of breath at his tone, coupled with a blush and a smile, promised that if he played his cards right he’d get a chance to show her his inner caveman. All in good time.

Another way to get a heads up about the new release is to follow me on Facebook. And if you add the book to your to-read list on Goodreads, you can help other people discover it as well!

~Zoe

The post Coming this week! appeared first on Zoe York.

 

Welcome to the FACEBOOK AUTHOR ROMANCE HOP!

Do you love discovering new authors? Well, this is a great way! Over 30 authors have come together and are each hosting a giveaway on their Facebook pages for readers!

Below you will find a linky list of author names. You can ENTER every contest!!!Good Choice Reading is hosting a special giveaway just because!

Please read the links carefully. Some giveaways are US ONLY, US/CANADA, and INTERNATIONAL (INT). Also, the ones that are young adult are labeled (YA). Some are New Adult, and some are strictly for the older crowd.


This is a romance giveaway, so no matter that genre each book has some form of romance in it.You can find each authors giveaway under the giveaway tab on their facebook pages. 



The giveaways are a mix of ebooks, paperbacks, ARCs, and gift cards.
Are you ready to have fun???
Get clicking!!!
Good luck!

The post Facebook Romance Giveaway Hop! appeared first on Zoe York.

Anyone who knows me well will find the title of this post interesting, because I went through a long phase in my life of not shopping at Walmart and not eating at McDonald’s. I never gave up entertaining books, though, not even while I was studying English Literature. Because there’s a place in my life for books of all stripes and colours, you see. Books that I tear through because they’ve grabbed me by the throat with raw emotion. Series that bring me comfort and familiarity. Novels that were crafted with delicate care and novellas that appear overnight as if Rumpelstiltskin himself had a hand in their creation.

So it’s from that perspective, of a die-hard genre book fan, that I want to challenge the idea of a certain “quality control” being required in publishing. The only quality control I need or want is the marketplace, and again, to anyone who knew me in college…that’s probably a surprising statement.

My husband and I have a debate at home. He wants our five year old to read fairy tales and Golden Readers. The five year old wants to read books featuring familiar characters and products like Transformers and Lego. I like to point out to my husband that he had the same argument in reverse with his mother, about comic books. And while I don’t read Transformers books or graphic novels, I’m not about to criticize my loved ones because they do. I’m not about to bash the publishing industry that creates those products, because at the end of the day, people are reading and that’s wonderful.

I think it misses the mark completely to pass judgement on what people choose to read, but Kelli Maine does just that when she compares self-published romance novels to Happy Meals and whatever evil lurks behind the bright blue doors of Walmart. The originally self-published NA author wrote a scathing blog post today on her YA (trade-published) alter-ego’s blog, then edited it and reposted it on her Kelli Maine blog. There’s some intense irony there, that the trade-published side of her posted a rough first draft and the SPed side polished it up and re-posted, but even in it’s newer version, the post is a vitriolic attack on both writers and readers.**

Kelli Maine on readers: “While it’s true that I’ve self published, my journey began and continues to be one of traditional publishing. My YA sold a LONG TIME before I self published my adult romance. Since doing so, I struggle with issues in the self-publishing world, namely, overall quality of literature, or what readers are, unfortunately, perceiving as literature.”

“BUT, when talking about quality, unfortunately, it’s subjective. It isn’t in the traditional publishing world, but in self-publishing, quality is determined by readers. Considering how popular McDonald’s and Wal-Mart are…”

The trailing ellipsis is hers. Maybe she realized that where she was heading was downright offensive. Maybe she couldn’t think of just the right word. Or maybe, she’s just a snob.

Because as I said, there once was a time when I didn’t shop at Walmart, and I didn’t eat at McDonald’s. Because I was a snob, full of righteous thoughts and principles. And as a consumer, that’s entirely my choice. But if I in turn sold my product through Walmart, or worked at McDonald’s…well, Kelli calls herself a hypocrite, and yep, I think that’s just about right.

All of Ms. Maine’s fans who loved her first two books? Apparently, she doesn’t think they were well written. On the second version of her blog post, she added this preface: “I realize this post reads as “all or nothing” in regards to quality and self-publishing, but it’s in reference to authors who, like me, took self-publishing as a “throw it against the wall and see if it sticks”  when they first publish to see what happens. I fully admit to doing that with Taken and No Take Backs – No Take Backs has tons of editing errors that make me cringe and should have been edited before it released. I can’t go back and do that now, because I don’t own the rights. That’s an example of a quality issue I’m referring to in this post.”

Not only have these books not been re-edited, which is something that is always an option for a self-published author, but they’ve been sold to a trade publisher, who Ms. Maine would try to say in another breath is a gatekeeper of quality, and that publisher continues to sell the poorly edited versions.

Her summation to this whole blog post? “Quality is tumbling downhill fast, but with direct-to-customer distribution, there’s no way to stop it. It’s a value menu book world now.”

(As an aside, that last bolding is hers, all others are mine).

Well. I’ve got some issues with this conclusion.

Despite my dalliances with being a snob, I’ve always loved romance novels. I’m not sure how Ms. Maine measures this quality tumble, since she freely admits she never used to read romance (and I’m not clear on whether she actually does not, or if she still prefers to stick to real literature).

But I’m pretty well read in the genre, because while I didn’t mind paying a few dollars more for a pack of socks, and I was happy to save my dining-out dollars for a fancy meal a bit less often, I’ve always liked to laugh. To cry. To hope and dream and gasp and sigh.

I’ve also read some fancy books that made my emotions soar. But at $20 for a hardback, I couldn’t do that every day, even if Ms. Maine thinks that’s a better investment. So are groceries, and the hydro bill. And I like to read every day. Authors who have figured out they get to keep more in their pocket and sell me a book directly for $2.99? They’re my heroes, because they keep my soul well nourished without expecting me to go broke.

I want my son to read every day, too, and if Transformers and Lego stories keep him turning the page, that’s brilliant. Because first come literacy, then comes discourse.

Don’t bash readers for liking what they like. Don’t categorize them as “McReaders*” and “Literature Lovers”. Celebrate that they are reading WORDS. Do you know how many people don’t do that? And words beget words. A good friend once said to me that she was shocked at how many people returned to reading with 50 Shades of Grey. I celebrate that, with fists pumping in the air. People are READING. We collectively don’t do that enough, and when we do, wonderful things happen.

Discourse happens. As we read, we review and compare. Maybe just in our heads. Maybe on Goodreads, or a book blog. With friends, strangers, librarians and booksellers. We read a book we hate, but then it lingers in our thoughts and we wonder about what it was that incited such a reaction. We read a book outside our genre, and tumble into an entirely new world. We discover John Green, and there’s so much laughing and crying it’s wonderful.

And then some of us, we pick up a pen. Or a keyboard, I suppose. Maybe both. And we write. A lot of us stop there, at the first chapter, or halfway through a manuscript that has no conflict. So when someone finishes a novel? I celebrate that, too. Because they’re already a rare breed, even if their words aren’t really my cup of tea. Not all of those books are ready for primetime, so to speak, but the market usually sorts that out. As I said in a comment on the original blog post, no one retires on a one-hit wonder. (Bring on the handful of examples that have, I accept the foolishness of making an absolutist statement)

Because that’s the thing about discourse. It’s not about being right, it’s about the conversation. Tone matters. Respect matters. Listening matters, to parse out the pieces of value.

Now: there are valid reasons to critique shopping at Walmart, eating at McDonald’s, and publishing…anything. A hastily written book (although I can think of a few that I loved). A pretentious blog post (although I hope you enjoyed this one). Anything that other people will profit off of more than you will…well, that’s part of the discussion. It’s an interesting one, because there are some benefits that publishers bring to the table that an individual can’t provide for themselves. Print distribution, for one.

But quality control? Well, the NY/Big 5 publishing industry does have narrower parameters of what they’ll present with their seal of approval, so sure, that’s a form of quality control.

But the truly unique, vibrant voices? Those are being indie-published first. And sometimes those bright voices are a bit rough, and their craft isn’t what you’d expect. You don’t need to read them, and if you buy their books on Amazon or Google, you’ve got an easy return option. But there’s no logic in saying that some books are bad therefore the whole industry is spiraling out of control. There have always been so-called bad books. Pulp fiction, pretentious navel-gazing snoozers, and everything in between. No genre or category, no publisher or publishing stream is exempt. Sometimes, words don’t go together as well as they should.

But don’t insult the readers for finding, and liking, the diamond in the rough.

As writers, we need to share what we know about craft with one another. We need to share what we know about the business with one another (including how to be professional).

I’m not sure I’m going to succeed at that today, but I promise, that intention was at the root of this post.

~Zoe

* On the original Jamie Blair post, the author used “McReader” and “McBookWorld” as tags; she dropped them when she re-posted

** The day after I wrote this, both blogs were taken down; not just the blog posts, but the websites in their entirety. That’s a shame. If any aspiring writers are reading this, my solemn advice to you is that if/when you say something stupid, just apologize sincerely. I’m still trying to get my husband to understand that!

The post In defense of Walmart, McDonald’s, and the book as entertainment appeared first on Zoe York.

Welcome to the inaugural Saturday Sexts post!

Molly O’Keefe had a great blog post last July about why the term “mommy porn” is offensive. She said, “And the words mommy porn seem to me to imply that our sexual desires are silly. Nearly trivial. Childish. Something to be brushed aside. Or perhaps, hidden away. Not at all to be prized…”. She goes on to point out just how important (and tenuous!) female desire can be: “The mother of your child – her desires will not be childish. They will be mysterious and fleeting and deep and explosive and mercurial. Because being a new mom is both out of body and extremely vividly of the body.”
And that has stuck with me ever since. I love modern romance novels because they celebrate healthy sexuality, an equal give and take between partners, where desires can be voiced without judgement and body language is read, understood and respected. But in that celebration, a fantasy is born. And I’m 100% okay with that. I want that fantasy! Like Molly, that fantasy helped me reconnect with my sexuality and renegotiate what it meant to be both a mother and a lover. But as a reader, and a writer, I know there’s a disconnect between my reality and what I read (and love) on the page.Reality can be…boring. But it’s also important, and precious, and rarely talked about.
So once a week, that’s what I’m going to do: talk about the reality of sex. I’m hardly the first person to do this, and I won’t be the last, and that’s great. The more information, the better, because honestly? I paid attention in health class, had pretty open and honest parents, studied sexuality at university, volunteered at a sexual assault centre, worked in women’s health and medical education, and I’ve been married for ten years. And there are still things that I’m shy about, I’m still finding information that is new and mind-blowing when I stumble across it. I know I’m not alone.
So bring on your questions. Email me at zoeyorkwrites AT gmail.com, and I’ll connect you with the information and experts that can set you on the right path, and share your query anonymously with all the other people who I promise are asking the same thing. You are not alone.

For our first Saturday Sexts question, I took to Twitter, and there was near unanimous agreement.

Q: “Talk about frequency!”

A: Okay, that’s more of a demand than a question, but yeah, that’s a good topic. Anything in particular you want to know?

Q: Is it okay if we have sex ____________ (insert quantity here)?

A: Yes.

Q: But my partner isn’t happy. Or I’m not happy. Or other people aren’t happy.

A: Ahhh. Yeah, that’s less okay. The last point is the easiest to deal with: your sex life is between you and your partner(s). Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. But if one or more of the people involved in an intimate relationship want something different than what they have, that needs to be addressed.

First things first. Accept that you can probably only change yourself, and your actions. You might not be able to interest your partner to have more sex with you right off the hop, but you can always have more sex with yourself. I’m a big fan of masturbation (and let’s all hope that my in-laws never find this corner of my blog, okay?). It’s the safest form of sex, and there’s no negotiating different interests.

Secondly, try to figure out what’s at the root of the conflict. I bet it’s not sex. Sex feels good, so without any other barrier, adults usually go for it. And by go for it, I mean, they have sex somewhat frequently. Not every day, but more than once a month.

Some of the barriers people face:

mismatched expectations

discomfort, particularly after childbirth

body image issues

medical issues

stress (about sex itself, or spill over from other parts of life)

change in attraction

relationship issues in general (socks on the floor, milk bag snips on the counter, quarrels with the in-laws…)

ETC.

The easy and yet crazy difficult answer to most of the above is communication. Talking about most issues reveals them to be not as insurmountable as they seem in one’s head, but since a lot of these topics are SENSITIVE and SCARY, on one or both sides, that’s easier said than done.

So another option, one that might ease you closer to being able to talk about it, is to look for what Dr. Lindsay Doe calls the third/fourth/five/sixth options in her video on how sex isn’t black or white. In it she mentions Want/Will/Won’t lists, which get back to that communication thing, and which she explains more fully in another video on her fantastic YouTube series, Sexplanations. You don’t need to do this with your partner, you can start with yourself, because that’s who you can control.

That barely scratches the surface of this topic, but we’ll pause there.  What do you want to talk about next week? Email me questions and suggestions, and we’ll dive in. ~ Zoe

The post Let’s Talk about Sex, Baby… appeared first on Zoe York.

I’m working on the last few scenes for When They Weren’t Looking, Wardham Book No. 3, which means that by the end of the month, Advance Review Copies will be available. You can request one by filling out the form linked at the top of the page, or by joining my mailing list (I send out an ARC invite to everyone on the list).

Check out the book page for an excerpt, YouTube soundtrack and Pinterest inspiration page.

The post ARCs available soon for When They Weren’t Looking appeared first on Zoe York.

I’ve been terribly neglectful of my blog, but this is a post that I’ve been quietly working on across the month of December, because before I was a writer, I was a romance reader, and that hasn’t changed in the last year.

Setting aside my own books, of course, and those of my critique partners (although seriously, go read Cora Seton’s cowboy romances!)…it was still hard to pick 10 standout books for the year. I killed my Goodreads Challenge this year, passing my goal of 100 books at the beginning of December (and I think there were a few that I never recorded on Goodreads, too). And I liked so many of them! And of course, a “best of” list is so arbitrary. Eloisa James decided to use a “backlist” frenzy as her arbiter this year. That’s a good measure of which books stand out. On my list, that would definitely apply to Ruthie Knox and Sarah MacLean (no surprise that they’re dueling for top of the list!). But Elle Casey’s Shine Not Burn didn’t make me want to read her other works so much as that same book, over and over again. And again. Seriously, it was really special. Same with Kit Rocha, who writes (awesomely well) as Moira Rogers for all other titles…but the Beyond series is what has captured my imagination.

So, without any further ado, Zoe’s Top 10 Favourite Romances of 2013!

1. Sarah MacLean, One Good Earl Deserves a Lover

Clever, sweet and sexy historical romance with a feminist bent; heroine (who wears glasses!) is eager to learn the mysteries of the marriage bed before she marries a friend and seeks out an instructor she trusts; Cross knows he should push Pippa away, but he can’t resist her…includes some of the sexiest non-touching scenes I’ve ever read! (Second in a wonderful series)

2. Ruthie Knox, Flirting with Disaster

Stuttering hero. Stuttering hero! Sean Owens is smart, strong, kind and successful, and Katie Clark brings him to his knees. This book went in so many delicious directions that I didn’t expect, and I loved every second of it. (Third book in a wonderful series)

3. Pamela Clare, Striking Distance

Hands down the best romantic suspense author I’ve ever read, Clare has outdone herself with Javier and Laura’s story. Brilliantly researched, wonderfully executed, this book is a story of recovery and reconnection. Clare wrote an erotic prequel that made their backstory that much more bittersweet. Highly recommend both. Some triggers for rape survivors, but Clare handles the subject with a lot of care. (Sixth in a series, but less interconnected than the others–very much a standalone novel, but go back and read the whole I-Team series if you haven’t yet!)

4. Elle Casey, Shine Not Burn

One of those books that grabs you and won’t let you sleep until you finish. Mack is the hero I fell hardest for this year, but he’s totally and utterly in love with someone else. The emotions leap off the page and wrap themselves around you, and Casey has a wonderful voice, funny and emotional in equal measure. (single title novel)

5. Kit Rocha, Beyond Control



This is the second novel in the remarkable Beyond series, set in an erotic dystopian world, beautifully crafted and instantly accessible to the reader. In some ways, the first novel felt like a prequel to this story, of Dallas O’Kane, leader of Sector Four, and Lex, his would-be queen, if only she’d submit…Definitely read Beyond Shame first, but set aside an entire weekend, because once you drink the O’Kane whiskey, you can’t stop.

6. Victoria Dahl, Too Hot to Handle



Merry was probably tied with Pippa as my favourite heroine of the year. Awkward and nerdy, strong and principled. Dahl has a wonderfully modern voice, sexy and real, and if I hadn’t already glommed her backlist, I would have after reading this. A small town romance series that will appeal to city girls everywhere.

7. Shiloh Walker, Wrecked



Zach has been in love with Abigale forever. Unrequited love is one of my favourite tropes, so I was pretty much sold right there, and Wrecked surpassed my expectations. Achingly yummy! It’s the single title book for now, but hopefully we’ll see more of Zach’s brothers in future books.

8. Inez Kelley, Take Me Home



Lumberjack! Maple syrup farm! I was super excited to read this book, because, PLAID, and I’m happy to report I loved every second of it. Matt Shaw is tortured by a secret past he’s outgrown but still can’t talk about. He knows he should, and yet…he compensates for this weakness by being good, painfully good, but he can’t duck history forever. First book in a series, can’t wait for the next one.

9. Robyn Carr, Virgin River



Technically not a new 2013 book, but Harlequin MIRA re-issued this series this year, and I’ve glommed onto them in a big way…and it’s my list, so there. Mel’s a midwife with second thoughts about her relocation to the tiny town that’s not quite as advertised; Jack’s a retired Marine who chops logs every morning behind his bar while he waits for Mel to come back for more kisses. The first book was good, and they’ve gotten better with each new title…I’m on book seven now, and I’m taking my time, because I never want this series to end.

10. Leah Raeder, Unteachable



Student/teacher romance. Needs to be named up front, because it’s not going to be for everyone. I alternated between loving and hating this book, but it’s stuck with me more than most stories this year, and Raeder has a gorgeous voice, lyrical but not pretentious, youthful and honest. I’m really looking forward to her next project, whatever it might be.

 

2013 Reading Challenge

Zoe has

completed her goal of reading 100 books in 2013!

hide

101 of 100 (100%)
view books

 

 

The post Top 10 Romances of 2013 appeared first on Zoe York.

I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Love for the Holidays Christmas box set with Noelle Adams and Samantha Chase!

Available Now for a limited time sale at 99 cents:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks

This bundle has a whopping 673 pages of holiday love for you to devour over the winter break. Five stories, from steamy to sweet (What Once Was Perfect proudly carries the steamy banner!), including two new, exclusive stories from Adams and Chase.

HOLIDAY HEAT by Noelle Adams – After being hit with heartbreaking tragedy, Carrie has thrown herself into a hot, secret relationship with Matt. With Christmas approaching, she realizes she might want even more from her sexy, damaged artist, but the boundaries around their relationship make anything deeper than sex impossible. A new, steamy romance.

MISTLETOE BETWEEN FRIENDS by Samantha Chase – Lily and Cam have been friends all their lives, and their relationship has never been romantic. But when they pretend to be dating so they can spend the holiday with their families in peace, they realize their fake romance might actually be real. A new, sweet romance.

THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE by Samantha Chase – Spending the night trapped by a blizzard in a romantic Christmas cottage with the man she’s loved for years has Lacey wondering if fairy tales really do come true. A sweet romance.

EIGHT CHRISTMAS EVES by Rachel Curtis – One Christmas Eve, Cyrus Owen, the over-indulged teenage son of a wealthy businessman, finds ten-year-old Helen on the side of the road. Eleven years later, he is desperately in love with her. This is how it happens… A mostly sweet romance.

WHAT ONCE WAS PERFECT by Zoe York – For Laney, the worst part of returning to her hometown for Christmas is confronting Kyle, the man who broke her heart twelve years ago. When they rediscover their perfect chemistry, Kyle has to convince Laney to let him back into her heart. A steamy romance.

The post Now only 99 cents! appeared first on Zoe York.

I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Love for the Holidays Christmas box set with Noelle Adams and Samantha Chase!

Available Now at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks

This bundle has a whopping 673 pages of holiday love for you to devour over the winter break. Five stories, from steamy to sweet (What Once Was Perfect proudly carries the steamy banner!), including two new, exclusive stories from Adams and Chase.

HOLIDAY HEAT by Noelle Adams – After being hit with heartbreaking tragedy, Carrie has thrown herself into a hot, secret relationship with Matt. With Christmas approaching, she realizes she might want even more from her sexy, damaged artist, but the boundaries around their relationship make anything deeper than sex impossible. A new, steamy romance.

MISTLETOE BETWEEN FRIENDS by Samantha Chase – Lily and Cam have been friends all their lives, and their relationship has never been romantic. But when they pretend to be dating so they can spend the holiday with their families in peace, they realize their fake romance might actually be real. A new, sweet romance.

THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE by Samantha Chase – Spending the night trapped by a blizzard in a romantic Christmas cottage with the man she’s loved for years has Lacey wondering if fairy tales really do come true. A sweet romance.

EIGHT CHRISTMAS EVES by Rachel Curtis – One Christmas Eve, Cyrus Owen, the over-indulged teenage son of a wealthy businessman, finds ten-year-old Helen on the side of the road. Eleven years later, he is desperately in love with her. This is how it happens… A mostly sweet romance.

WHAT ONCE WAS PERFECT by Zoe York – For Laney, the worst part of returning to her hometown for Christmas is confronting Kyle, the man who broke her heart twelve years ago. When they rediscover their perfect chemistry, Kyle has to convince Laney to let him back into her heart. A steamy romance.

The post Love for the Holidays appeared first on Zoe York.

From December 1-12, I’ll be posting a daily bit of fun to my 12 Days of Christmas Page (and a few extras on my Facebook page, too!)

The post 12 Days of Christmas Fun appeared first on Zoe York.

Isn’t it pretty??? I’ve uploaded it pretty much everywhere…some sites take longer than others to synch up.

Between Then and Now, a Wardham Novella, can be purchased at: KoboBooks | iBooks | Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

The post A new cover for Between Then and Now! appeared first on Zoe York.