Thursday, December 26, 2013

'Tis the Day After Christmas...

Happy Thursday!

Did everyone have a good Christmas?


Did you get what you wanted?



Did you get any of my books?




If so, and you got e-books, don't forget to check out authorgraph.com and have me "sign" them for you!


If not, fear not! I have a give away planned to kick off 2014 the right way!



Just stay tuned and you might just win a free, signed copy of Loving Her Volume 1!

Happy Holidays!!!!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Mom's Book Report for The Cop

Happy Thursday, gang!

This week, we're going back a bit. My mother's book report for The Cop is in.

Hope you like it! :)




Most heartfelt moment: "After a brief but scalding hot shower, she stared at herself through the steamed mirror. At first, her face was blurred by the condensation. As time progressed, her face became increasingly clearer. She was definitely a good cross section of her parents.
She had her mother’s curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her jaw line and tall, lean, muscular build were definitely from her father. She could see them both reflected back at her, almost as if they were standing right behind her.“Damn it!” Donna screamed at the mirror's reflection. Tears raced down Donna's cheeks. She couldn't escape it. The people she cherished and missed the most were staring right back at her."





Kindest description of an older woman: "Donna looked up and watched her sitting across the table. Beth was a sweet, middle aged woman. She wore a large, fluffy blue shirt which made her appear larger than she really was. Her hair was a combination of wheat and grey all curled and entangled. It was short in length, just barely reaching her ears. Thought clearly aged, her eyes were a soft shade of brown. Small wrinkles made their ways around her eyes, forehead and mouth. Her lips were too thin for lipstick, but her smile was grand."





Most tense moment: "Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another officer approaching one of the thieves from an alleyway behind them. She stood as still as she could, waiting for her moment.
For as hard as she was breathing, her body felt as though it could not get enough oxygen. She focused on her breathing pattern while still watching the other officer.
Inch by tiny inch, he moved his way closer. Slowly and silently he moved until he knew he was in the right place. He suddenly leaped forward, pushing the thief to the ground face down. He grabbed one of the thief’s arms and pulled it behind his back. As he did so, Donna raced forward with her gun aimed at one of the other thieves. Suddenly, Donna felt an incredible pain in her back. She felt as though a great force pushing her forward. All the air escaped her lungs. Her eyes rolled up towards the sky as she lost all control of her body. She felt her body slam against the concrete in a tremendous impact before blackness enveloped her."




Funnies Line: “An hour in the shower?! What the hell is wrong with you? Do you only bathe twice a year that you need to be in the shower that long?”



Happy reading!!!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Do you really want to read my books?

Happy Thursday gang! The weekend is almost within our grasp!


Today, I want to be brutally honest with you. I want to talk about why my books suck.


Actually, they don't. LOL. Comparatively speaking, the ORIGINAL Loving Her kind of sucks, but the new ones are some of my best writing to date. I have been told that they are good, and quite honestly, I think they're fairly good myself. Are they the greatest literature ever written? Probably not. I like them, but I'm not an ego-maniac.


But, you see, I suck. I suck at shameless self-promotion. Yes, I want to get my name out there. Yes, I want you to read my books. But...can't the work just speak for itself?


Unfortunately, the writing world is inundated with writers and books. Self-published, indie, small-press, big-press...there are a lot of us out there. It can be very difficult to sell yourself as an author when you are one small fish in a very large and very crowded ocean. I couldn't sell a furnace to an Eskimo if my life depended on it, let alone try to convince you that my books are the greatest thing you've ever read.


It doesn't help that my books don't involve any exploding cars or gratuitous sex. My stories are character driven. The are genuine, intimate, emotional, personal, touching stories. They are stories that stay with you long after you close the book. The characters, their relationships, their lives resonate with you because they are real.


So, how do I push these books? How do I sell myself and my work? Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. I do the best that I can. I know there are better ways for authors to promote their work, but I also don't want to come across as some pompous ass who thinks their work is the best thing since sliced bread.


So, if you could do me a favor and please just read my books. I'd really appreciate it! :)

Happy reading!!!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Stephania's Page 69 Trial

Howdy, partners!

Today I am teasing you with Stephania's equivalent to a page 69 trial.

Enjoy...




It was around ten in the morning, but both Maria and Stephania were still walking around the
house in their pajamas.

Maria had decided to work from home since the girls had been out so late.

Stephania was taking it easy since she had the shoot with Linda tomorrow. She had just leaned
back in her chair, propped her feet up on her desk and took a sip of her coffee when the business
phone line rang.

“Hello?” Stephania answered after hurriedly swallowing the very hot coffee. She tried not to
cough into the phone.

“Hi, is this Steph-ah-NEE-ya?” The woman’s voice on the other phone clearly struggled with the
pronunciation of Steph’s name.

“Steph-AHN-ya.” She corrected the other woman. “Yes, this is she.”

“Hi, this is Susan from Peter’s office.”

“Hi Susan, how are you?”

“I am doing well, thanks for asking. I’m calling for Peter. He’s home sick with the flu.” Susan
explained.

“Oh poor Peter! If you talk to him later, please tell him I hope he feels better.”

“I will,” Susan replied. “Anyway, we just got a call for a shoot for you that Peter thinks you’d be
very interested in.”

“Okay, go on.”

“Well, you were requested for a cover shoot of…Curve Magazine.”

“Are you kidding? You’re kidding, right? This is some kind of a prank, isn’t it? A belated April
Fool’s? Peter would do something like that…”

“No.”

“This is for real?!”

“This is for real.” Susan answered.

Stephania could not believe this. There was no way this was happening. “You’re sure they
wanted me?”

“Yes, they wanted you. They’ve seen your portfolio and your wonderful work for the gay
community. They would like to do a cover shoot and an article.”

Steph gently put the phone down on the desk and then proceeded to scream and jump around
the room.

Maria scurried in to come see what was wrong.

Steph waited a moment, took a deep breath, and picked up the phone again.

Maria just stood there, puzzled.

“I’m sorry, Susan. I just needed a moment,” Steph cleared her throat. “Peter was correct. I
would love to do this shoot.” She could hear laughter on the other end of the phone.

“Great! I’ll have one of the Curve reps call you and we can get you all set.”

“Thank you.” Stephania said, trying desperately to maintain her composure.

“Sure. We’ll talk again soon.” Susan hung up.

“Would you care to explain why you gave me a heart attack?” Maria demanded.

Stephania put the phone down. “Well…” She said slowly, playing this out. “I got an offer for a
shoot and…”

“And?” Maria cut her off.

“It’s for the cover of Curve! They want to do a shoot and an article!”

Now it was Maria’s turn to scream. She hugged Steph and the two began to dance around the
office.

Finally out of breath, Maria said, “This has been your dream for years! That’s great! I’m so
happy for you. Congratulations, baby. So when is the shoot?”

“One of the reps from Curve will call us. Knowing everyone at Peter’s office, they’ll call later
today.”

Maria squealed with excitement.

Stephania paused, and then her eyes lit up. “I’d better hit the gym! I have to look good. I’m
about to be on the cover of Curve!”

She slammed her coffee mug down, gave Maria a peck on the cheek and ran out the door.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

My Thanksgiving Gift to You!

Happy Wednesday, gang!

For those of you in the States, happy day before Thanksgiving! :)



Being the kind and generous person that I am, I am giving you guys a gift. This is my way of giving thanks to & for you all.


What is it, you ask?

Good question. Especially since I just surprised you on Sunday with Stephania's story! ;)

For Thanksgiving, I am giving you...









Volume 1 of the Loving Her series. Stories 1-4: The Ballerina, The Cop, The Mechanic and The Model!


IN PRINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One kick ass book with 4 kick ass stories!

Click here to get your Thanksgiving gift!



Happy Thanksgiving




...and happy reading!!! :)


BUY LINKS:
PRINT EDITION
http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Her-1-Lauren-Shiro/dp/0615926274

Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Her-Collection-ebook/dp/B00GVJ4L04

AllRomance Ebooks
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lovinghertheseriesvolume1-1360168-149.html

Smashwords for All Ereaders
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/381039

Loving Her Volume 1 Sneak Peek Video http://youtu.be/tszSFx8gkJM


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Sunday Surprise!!!!

Happy Sunday, guys!

Yes, I know. It's Sunday. I have a surprise for you today.

Why?

Why not?

Here is my Sunday Surprise...



Book # 4 in the Loving Her series...







Stephania!!!!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/379289


Yes! Earlier than expected, my surprise gift to all of you is Stephania's story!



I really had no idea what to write when I started her story. I was floored at the story that unfolded before me. It's amazing. Who and what she is was never what I would have thought initially. I really hope you like the gift and moreover, I really hope you like the story!



Go check it out! There's still some weekend left for your weekend reading! ;)

Enjoy!


Thursday, November 21, 2013

Linda's Page 69 Trial

Happy Thursday, gang!

For your reading pleasure, here is Linda's page 69 trial. Hope you like it! ;)



After their tasty, though somewhat comical dinner, Katie and Linda were walking through University City District. The night was curiously warm with a cool, gentle breeze that kicked up every so often. The night was clear and the stars seemed brighter than usual.

As nervous as Linda was, holding Katie’s hand somehow felt normal, comfortable, right. They strolled down the sidewalk. There was no world around them. Just a beautiful black sky with diamond stars…and each other.

As they walked in the crisp October night air, Katie’s watch beeped, signaling that it was midnight.
“I should get back. I have class early in the morning.”

“Ok,” Linda said softly.

At Katie’s building, they turned towards each other. They fidgeted awkwardly, waiting for the other to make the first move.
Finally, Linda leaned in, and gently kissed Katie. It was like nothing either one had ever experienced. It was soft and gentle. It was warm and intense. It sent a shock through both of their spines. It was an amazing feeling that neither wanted to end.




Happy reading! ;)

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

And then there was...

Hey gang! We're changing it up! A blog...ON A WEDNESDAY!!!

Why?

Well because, the ever amazing Vanilla Heart Publishing and I have big news! And who wins? YOU DO!!!!



Instead of waiting two whole months for book #3, we're giving it to you NOW!




Available NOW (officially released TODAY) is...

The Mechanic







This is Linda's story.





The characters of Linda and Katie are really what started this whole adventure in the first place.




I knew who Linda was and what I liked about her.

I will tell you, though, that writing her story surprised me. She survived things that I never thought would happen.




I love that about writing. Things just happen and the characters become so much more than you ever imagined!



As a writer, I want you to read my books. It's true. But as a person who has read this story, I want to share it with you. Not for my royalty check but for what a great story it is. For the surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. I think you will be amazed and also deeply touched by her story.



So go get your copy now! Tonight, you could be reading the next great Loving Her book, The Mechanic!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Donna

I have to say, Donna's story really surprised me.



Readers have loved her from day one. I never quite understood the love affair, but I respected it. They saw something I didn't. That's fine.



Writing her story was an interesting experience. A lot of her pain came from my own. Her behaviors were her own, but I could understand why she did what she did. The more I wrote, the more I got to like her.



When I sent the copy off to my publisher, I felt good about the manuscript. I felt it was a well polished piece and something we'd both be happy to stamp our names on. It was...it is.



Sending her out into the world proved to be surprising. Her story became available for pre-order, which I hadn't done before. Before her story was even truly available, the pre-orders had the book on Kindle's top 100 best seller list in two different categories. And it stayed there. For over two weeks it was on those lists.



I am honored and floored and excited and...satisfied. Not to say that the other stories in the series aren't near and dear to my heart. They are. But Donna's story is different. By writing her full story, I saw the Donna that my readers saw years ago. Now, I fell in love with her. And now, I am watching this love affair be appreciated by a greater audience than I could ever have imagined.



This is my dream come true, and I think it might be Donna's too.


Thank you all for making this possible and sharing in this amazing journey with me!


Happy reading! :)

Thursday, October 31, 2013

On Femininity

One thing that always fascinates me is femininity.


What is femininity?



How do we define what is or isn't feminine?



Each and every woman on the planet is similar, yet very different.



Are we feminine when we wear dresses and jewelry?



Are we feminine simply because we are female?



The characters in Loving Her are all women, and they are all very different. Liz and Stephania have "stereotypical" feminine jobs as a ballerina

and a model.



Linda is nearly androgynous and works a typically masculine job, but she's still a woman.


They all have different personalities, different likes and dislikes. They're all human. They're all women.



Personally, I think femininity is individual, just like us. I don't think it's a black and white issue. I think that there are variations. I don't think someone like Linda is in any way less of a woman than someone like Liz.



I love that these characters are as diverse as they are. I love that these characters are true to themselves. Mostly, I love that these characters are real women, just like us.



Come get to know each and every one of them in their own stories.


The women of the Loving Her series will be some of the greatest women you've ever met.

Happy reading!