Vixenwriter

Undercover releases from Berkley heat in a little over two weeks on December 2! So to celebrate, I’m going to throw a huge contest from tomorrow, November 15, until Tuesday December 2!

Amazon, barnes and noble and BAMM have it up for pre-order!

Blurb: A sexy debut exploring an erotic future universe of passion, danger, and deceit . . .

On the battleground or in the bedroom, one woman and two men fight for dominance in a bold, new, and excitingly different direction in erotica . . .

As a lieutenant of the Federation military, Sera Ayers is accustomed to giving orders, not taking them. Now she must obey the one man she can’t stand-and can’t stop thinking about.

With the enemy Imperialists gaining ground, a covert team is assembled by Ash Walker. Ten years before, Sera had lovingly submitted to Ash’s dominance in the bedroom. But when he was forced into a political marriage, she refused to play mistress. His marriage now over, Ash wants Sera on his team-and back in his bed.

The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission.

The grand prize winner, chosen November 30 will receive:

This tote containing a signed copy of Undercover, an Undercover tee shirt (size large), a Lauren Dane tote bag with zipper enclosure and nifty flat bottom, a Lauren Dane water bottle, assorted swag like pens and bookmarks and your choice of any of my other available titles either in print (Enforcer used as an example here) or in digital – and lastly, a $30 gift certificate to Amazon.com

In addition, every day between November 15 and December 2, I’m going to give away books! Other people’s books in addition to my own!

These are some of the titles but I’m also tossing in a copy of Cynthia Eden’s Midnight Sins, Ann Aguirre’s Wanderlust, Anya Bast’s The Chosen Sin and Megan Hart’s Dirty – sent directly from Amazon.

THE RULES: Each day I’ll do a contest entry with a question you need to answer to enter to win that particular book. I’ve got a lot of books so I may give away more than one a day or more than one at a time so keep your eye out. I’ll announce winners at noon the following day! I’m not going to email the winner so you’ll need to check back. YOu’ll have a week to claim your prize before I re-draw.

FOR THE GRAND PRIZE: I will draw from ALL THE ENTRIES in all the contest posts from November 15 until the 30th at noon. I’ll go by number (so if there are 200 entries I’ll go to the randomizer and have it choose a number between 1 and 200 – you can enter every contest or a few or one, whatever you like). Again, you’l have to check back to see who won because you’ll have one week to claim or I will re-draw.

For non US residents – I can send you the books I don’t order from Amazon and the grand prize minus the amazon GC since it’s not transferrable! You are not barred from entering just because you’re not a US resident! My readers live all over the world so I’m quite happy to have you all enter wherever you live.

Clear as mud? Good luck everyone!

I just got copy edits on RELENTLESS yesterday so that’s my big project for the upcoming week! Otherwise, I’m reading Larissa Ione’s first Demonica novel (WOW!) and hanging with the kids, one of whom is puky today (sigh)

A new review of UNDERCOVER from Romance Junkies - Chrissy Dionne gives it five blue ribbons and says in part: Wow! This book rocks! Lauren Dane pulls out all the stops with this soul searing, awe-inspiring read. Sera is a ballsy kick-ass character whom I absolutely love. Ash and Brandt are dominant men and each is a member of a ruling Family, which adds an extra complication and emotional aspect to the storyline. Sera’s feistiness really cracked me up but she also has an emotional vulnerability to Ash and Brandt that drew me into the relationship so that I felt like I was there watching as each scene between them played out (and believe me there are some scenes that heated my face and left me tingly all over). UNDERCOVER may very well be Lauren Dane’s best work to date. Definitely a must read and deserving of a special spot on the keeper shelf.

Victoria at Two Lips Reviews gives it 4 1/2 lips and says in part: The D/s scenes in Undercover have a lyrical quality about them, which displays Lauren Dane’s ability to craft sexual situations that make sense matched with her characters’ psyches. I rooted for all three of these characters, hoping that, by the book’s end, they would make their joining a permanent reality. Don’t miss Undercover, a saucy blend of D/s elements within a sci-fi setting.

With an Excerpt of Undercover and this fabulous news!

Undercover is an RT Top Pick For December! Thanks to Jaci who congratulated me in an email. I haven’t received my magazine yet and the website isn’t updated. And thanks to Jaci who sent me the review as well!

Dane has written a sizzling, delicious tale of love lost, found and expanded. The M/F/M triad is as endearing as it is molten hot. The friction between Sera and Ash as they resolve their past is intense, and with Brandt added to the mix, it’s nothing short of explosive. An adrenaline-filled, suspenseful subplot keeps the reader engaged.

Reviewed by Bella March.

I’ve been working on my Undercover page at the website. I’ve added a new excerpt, some new reviews and all the book videos I’ve created over the last months.

(THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED – WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL – Thanks to everyone who entered here, at LJ, myspace and Maverick authors too!)

So today what should appear on my doorstep but bound ARCS of Undercover! Yay!! So verra pretty and I do love the cover so much.

A sexy debut exploring an erotic future universe of passion, danger, and deceit…

On the battleground or in the bedroom, one woman and two men fight for dominance in a bold, new, and excitingly different direction in erotica…

As a lieutenant of the Federation military, Sera Ayers is accustomed to giving orders, not taking them. Now she must obey the one man she can’t stand—and can’t stop thinking about.

With the enemy Imperialists gaining ground, a covert team is assembled by Ash Walker. Ten years before, Sera had lovingly submitted to Ash’s dominance in the bedroom. But when he was forced into a political marriage, she refused to play mistress. His marriage now over, Ash wants Sera on his team—and back in his bed.

The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission.

(You can read an excerpt at my website as well)

Anyhoodle – I’m going to be doing some contests to win them and I’ll do it in two contests so you’ll have more than one chance to win!

It’s relatively easy – This is an ARC contest for my first big NY release – my first single title and the intent of an ARC is to get readers and reviewers talking about the book – so essentially what I’m asking people to do is talk about the book – review it at your blog or at your reader group or review site between mid October up until December 2 when the book releases (not that you have to talk about it every day, LOL, but you’d have that window to find a time to pop your review up). I’d like for the winners to send me the link with their review and agree let me quote it here and at my website (with proper attribution, natch)

Anyone who’s entered one of my contests of his sort knows it’s not a requirement that you love the book! (although of course I’d prefer that, LOL).

THE RULES (please read carefully) All you need to do to enter is reply to this post and tell me where you’d be talking about the book if you win (urls are always helpful if you mean your blog!). I’ve got a limited amount of ARCS so I’ll choose winners based on my supply.

I’ll announce the winners by Noon September 24 – please include an email so I can notify you and get your mailing address!

Good luck!!

Summer has given pretty much her last gasp in my neighborhood. The weather has turned cooler, it’s getting dark earlier and the leaves are already starting to turn. School started last week although it was a typical first week so they’re not actually on a real schedule until this week. My oldest will be doing fifth grade orchestra, the middle kiddo seems to be settling into first grade nicely (knock wood) and the wee monster is in preschool a few hours a day. Suddenly I went from a chaotic, insanely noisy house to actual silence for two hours a day. Two hours. Like many moms, I haven’t had time to myself in over a decade. I’m not quite sure how to handle it, LOL.

It’s bliss but at the same time, it ends up getting filled with all the tasks better done without children around like grocery shopping and going to the post office. I’m hoping that in a few weeks I’ll be used to the new schedule too and I can zealously guard those two free hours for writing at least three days a week. Tough talk I know, LOL.

Anyway, let’s see, otherwise life continues apace. I’m done with Laid Bare, a contemporary erotic romance for Berkley Heat, and I’ll be sending it to my editor today or tomorrow. I’m now busily working on Sweet Charity, a contemporary follow up to last year’s To Do List – this one features Raphael’s brother Gabriel and releases from Samhain in December.

I finished a partial for something I’ve wanted to write for two years. I can’t wait to hear what Laura Bradford thinks about it!

I’m planning promo and contests for Undercover, which holy moley, releases in 85 days! Wow, okay so December 2 is way closer than I thought. Anyway, keep an eye out for contests to win ARCS (right now until noon pacific I’m running a contest at my blog to win an electronic ARC). I’m excited and right now I’m so busy I don’t have much time to be nervous but that’ll come, LOL.

I’m promising myself to finish all holiday shopping by mid-November. When I do this, my life is way easier at the end of the year! And with so much stuff going on in December through May, it’s a good thing if I work ahead. Gah!

Release wise: If you live in Britain, my and Megan’s Taking Care of Business releases in the UK in October. Yes, in a month OMG. Stateside, it comes out March 31.

Holiday Seduction – a print anthology with my To Do List and Jaci Burton’s Unwrapped, comes out November 25. The cover is pretty scorching!

Undercover – futuristic erotic romance, menage with BDSM elements releases from Berkley Heat December 2

Sweet Charity – contemporary red hot romance comes out in digital from Samhain in December at some point, I don’t know the date yet.

January and February – Cascadia Wolves: Wolf Unbound and Standoff come out in trade print

March – Taking Care of Business from Black Lace – contemporary erotic romance co-written with Megan Hart

April – Always – a contemporary romance will come out in digital from Samhain

May – Relentless – futuristic erotic romance set in the same world as Undercover but not a sequel, comes out from Berkley Heat and the second Vegas anthology releases from Spice as well.

Anyway, that’s just a glimpse into my next whatever many months. You can check out covers and excerpts as well as other release dates and all that jazz at my website.

Have a great Monday!!!

Lauren

BUMPING THIS TO TOP!

Releasing December 2, 2008 from Berkley Heat

A sexy debut exploring an erotic future universe of passion, danger, and deceit…

On the battleground or in the bedroom, one woman and two men fight for dominance in a bold, new, and excitingly different direction in erotica…

The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission.

So here’s the deal – I’ve got some electronic ARCS and I’d like to get them out there to folks who’d be willing to review it on blogs and whatnot. These are ELECTRONIC ARCS in PDF. I’ll be receiving some hard copy ARCS and will be doing some contests for them in mid-October going into mid-November as well.

If you’d like to win an E-ARC, just reply here in the comments with your name and where you’d be able to review it. Obviously, if you’ve done contests with me in the past you know I don’t expect you to write good reviews unless you mean them (although I sure hope you do!) but I’m trying to get the word out for this one ’cause it’s my first big NY release!

I’ll choose some winners Monday September 8 at noon pacific. Good luck! (and for those who don’t have blogs or can’t guest review elsewhere, never fear, I’ll be doing contests later on for you all too)

92,685 / 90,000 (103.0%)

RELENTLESS – FINAL

I have just finished Relentless. Happy sigh. It’s off to beta and when I get it back and read it over, it’ll be off to Berkley. Thank you soooo much to Anya Bast, Megan Hart and my third little crit birdie – you have helped so much! I’m relieved and happy and now I’m moving on to Outshined.

So to celebrate, how about a snippet from Undercover – coming December 2 from Berkley Heat

UNDERCOVER BY LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2008, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, The Penguin Group

Her entire life as she knew it had been upended in such a short time! But the truth was, she’d felt dead inside in so many ways. When she’d walked away, she expected Ash to follow. And when he didn’t and she saw he meant to go on, she’d been devastated to see the marriage every time she turned around.

For a time, she sought a replacement for him. Fucking rough men who didn’t know the difference between mastery and abuse. No one had topped her and she’d never been able to let go enough to submit. It was self abuse, she knew that as she looked back. But at the time, she wallowed and became another person. It wasn’t something she liked to dwell on overmuch because it was weak and she didn’t condone what happened. It filled her with shame but in the end, she’d risen above it and had found something better than an empty life. She’d found a calling.

Work became her salvation. She didn’t become the best at everything she tried. Instead, she worked to be the best she could be at those things she excelled at. Once she focused on languages and culture and martial arts, they took over her existence. The military became her everything and over time, she’d stopped dating and even seeing herself as a sexual being except for when the need hit every year or so. She’d engaged in brief relationships for sex only and when she’d been sated, she’d moved on. She’d been a finely honed tool in the war against the Imperialists.

And now she felt it all. So much rage, fear, pain and loss that she would have crumpled to knees and wept but the hope burning deep in her stomach saved her. Hope that no matter the outcome with these men, she’d found herself again, the part of her that was more than just a soldier.