INSIDE OUT Contest Day Five
Oct
30
2010

Today’s winner will receive any book of their choice from my backlist! So how about an excerpt from INSIDE OUT? This time with Cope talking to Adrian about Ella…

INSIDE OUT by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2010, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, The Berkley Publishing Group
Releases November 2!

“Tell me what it is about her.” Adrian leaned back to grab a bottle of juice, tossing it to Cope.

“The very first time I went into the café, years and years ago, she made me a latte. It was her eyes that day. And then the freckles. She was different then. I don’t know if you remember or not. But she was more upbeat, vibrant, outgoing. And slowly over the years it dimmed until she kicked him out. Then I thought maybe it was possible to ask her out. And then there was the attack, and she had to have the time and space to get her shit together. To get her life back.”

“I’ve seen how you look at her. Watched you watching her for years now. To be totally honest with you, it’s one of the reasons I haven’t made a move myself. How long have you crushed on her?” Cope’s gaze sharpened, and Adrian snorted a laugh. “Surprise, dude, your girl is hot. Ella is something special. Do you think no one but you noticed?”

“As long as you know she’s taken now, I got no problems admitting that my girl is hella hot. As for crushing on her? God, years. Since before the assault. Since she started at the café and I didn’t know anything about her. I watched her fade into her relationship with that piece of shit, and then she got up the courage to leave, and I thought, hey, now’s the time! And then he nearly killed her, and she needed the space to rebuild her life.” He shrugged.

“You weren’t ready for her last year. Or the year before that either.” Adrian sipped his juice. “You are now, and so is she. I’m glad to see it.” Cope shrugged. “Just promise me we won’t have to bang a drum or
anything if we talk about our feelings.” Adrian rolled his eyes, shooting him the middle finger. “Just making sure. Anyway, it’s probably true about me not being ready before. Neither of us would have been. It seems like this is a huge transition in her life, and I hate to think I’m a rebound. But I have to believe what I feel when I’m with her. I believe our connection is real.”

“Don’t blow it.”

“Trying not to. What about you then? You’re the last single guy in the group now. You interested in forever and that stuff or still happy with lots of starlets in your bed?” Cope laughed for a second. “Okay put that way, how can you not be happy with starlets in your bed? What I mean is, are you looking for a relationship or happy playing the field?”

“God, listen to us talking about our feelings and shit. If I found the right woman, yeah, I’d like a relationship. But it’s hard, being on the road. Trust is always an issue. Then again, I’m not on the road like we were at the start. Karen the baker is a nice woman. I like her. But I don’t think she’s the one. And I begin to wonder if it’s worth the effort unless I feel that connection. Hell, I’m not sure I’d know that connection if it hit me in the face. There’s so much to dig through sometimes.”

“How do you know they’re with you for you instead of for the fame and money?”

“Fucking Andrew Copeland and his ability to ask questions most people just never say out loud.” Adrian groaned. “I don’t. Which is why I don’t have a hot redhead in my bed like you do.”

Today’s Question: Do you like series? Why or why not and do you have any favorites?

I’ll choose a winner tomorrow morning! Good luck

55 comments to “INSIDE OUT Contest Day Five”

  1. Babs
    October 30th, 2010 at 3:08 am · Link

    I love series! I like to touch base with previous characters…see how they are doing after their HEA. Gotta say I love the Chase bros…just re-read all the books actually.



  2. Caitlin U
    October 30th, 2010 at 4:39 am · Link

    I love series because you get to fall in love with characters and be apart of there lives for awhile, not just one book. I really enjoy J.D. Robb’s In Death series and Karen Chance’s Cassandra Palmer series and Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series.



  3. Tracey D
    October 30th, 2010 at 5:27 am · Link

    I enjoy reading series, especially when characters from previous books are involved.

    I like JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series and D.N Simmons’ Knights of the Darkness Chronicles….just to name two!



  4. steph j
    October 30th, 2010 at 5:33 am · Link

    I love series. They let you become involved in a characters world. I love JD Robb in death series and lets not forget Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum.



  5. Heather U
    October 30th, 2010 at 6:24 am · Link

    I. Love. Series. Some characters (and families) growth just can’t happen in the space of one book, and so it’s wonderful to get the opportunity to see their story line continue, and also, see them with these friends or family that played a role in their stories. It just gives it more plausibility. And when the next book in the series comes out, I go back and read from the beginning. My three favorite series are JD Robb, your “Brown” family, and the “Sweet” series by Maya Banks.



  6. Rory G
    October 30th, 2010 at 6:26 am · Link

    I never really cared for series until just recently. I always wanted a start, a middle and an ending with no strings left untied. I have since realized that there is so much more to tell with a series and it allows the reader to get invested in the characters in a way that a single book can’t. My only issue with series is the wait between books. It is excruciating when you are dying to know who is next or what is happening next. Like Brigg’s Mercy series, your Brown series, James Rough Riders series, Martin’s Ice and Fire series (which is stalled and is killing me), and Leigh’s Breed series. That is by no means all of them but enough for this comment I am sure. I love books – series or stand alone – if the story is right I will keep reading.



  7. Renee'
    October 30th, 2010 at 6:40 am · Link

    Ok I am answering part of this one LOL since I can’t pick just one series as my favorite. I love, love, love series. I love being able to go back and reconnect with characters I have already fallen in love and see how their lives are going. I get hooked on series and never miss a one in the series and then I reread them all the time.



  8. Jenny Muraski
    October 30th, 2010 at 6:52 am · Link

    At first I didn’t like series but now I adore them. I love being able to catch up with previous characters. I love seeing updates on their lives. It’s like visiting old friends. You may miss them but they are never forgotten.



  9. Jolene Allcock
    October 30th, 2010 at 7:13 am · Link

    I have a love hate relationship with series. I love them because the story continues and we get to see more sides to a character and see so much more about their life than we can in just one book. Series that centers on family’s or friends are fun because we get to see snippets of characters from past books and see where their lives are at since their own book ended. It feels like they never left 🙂 I also hate series because sometimes it’s hard to find a stand alone book. There are so many series out there that when I want to pick up a book, I now need to research it and see where it is in the series and how many books I need to go back to start at the beginning. It can get expensive. I have a bad habit of picking up in the middle or end of a series and I find myself getting frustrated because I’m missing important information. More often than not I read some series backwards. Depending on what type of series it is. If each book has it’s own character I can safely read them out of order, though I am always missing some small information. If it’s a series that is based on one character I usually have the book sitting on my bookcase waiting till I get ahold of the other books



  10. Laney4
    October 30th, 2010 at 7:14 am · Link

    I guess I’m the odd man out, so to speak, as I’m not a lover of series books. Yes, I realize they are great for catching up with characters and telling more of the story that didn’t fit in the previous book(s). However, I read SO MANY books (250+/year since 1974), I just can’t remember from one book to the next when I read several in-between!
    When I DID read a bunch of books in a series, I found myself going back and re-reading details from the previous books to see if the details were similar or different because they were from different perspectives in the new books. (Yes, I’m anal like that!) God help me if I don’t have my previous books on hand to check!
    Besides, because I read so many, I treat it like an assembly line around here: I buy them, I read them, I pass them on to one of several girlfriends (depending on the genre), and they pass them on to their other girlfriends or a seniors’ residence/nursing home (again, depending on the genre). I just can’t keep that many books on hand to constantly go back to check/re-read. My house isn’t big enough!



  11. Amy Kathryn
    October 30th, 2010 at 7:20 am · Link

    I like series when authors try to make each book individual. Then you have the best of both worlds, a discreet story and a glimpse into the lives of some favorite characters. I think your series do this well Lauren as does Maya and Nalini Singh’s Psy series. I think it is much harder to keep a series fresh when you are staying with one couple.



  12. Bet L
    October 30th, 2010 at 7:22 am · Link

    I love series books but I like them to be stand alones too. By that I mean that you don’t have to start with the first book to figure out what is going on.



  13. Collette
    October 30th, 2010 at 7:32 am · Link

    I can’t wait for this one. And I’m waiting til you get the back cover copy for Adrian’s story. 😉

    I do like series. I’m actually reading Jennifer Estep’s Gin Blanco series now. I like series with a single protagonist (like Gin Blanco) as well as what I think of more as related books in a series–like this series or your Petal books. I think I enjoy the latter more because it seems to be harder to keep single hero series fresh and interesting.

    There are a few series I automatically purchase–Nalini Singh, Kresley Cole, yours, I’m loving these Jennifer Estep books. Oh, I’m sure there are about a zillion more–Jennifer Ashley (LOVE Ian Mackenzie), Sarah McCarty. Okay, stopping by sheer force of will. 😉



  14. Kirsten C.
    October 30th, 2010 at 7:37 am · Link

    I love a good series! You invest so much time in these characters lives, you just want to know “the rest of the story”. LOL Some of my favs are Rough Riders (L. James), Primal Series (R. Byrd), Demon Hunters and Biker Series (J. Burton), Sweet Series (M. Banks) and of course your Federation Series!



  15. Jessica S
    October 30th, 2010 at 7:50 am · Link

    I love series!! I hate saying goodbye to characters I fall in love with. 😉
    my favs are BDB, and Night huntress.



  16. Kris
    October 30th, 2010 at 7:54 am · Link

    I love series! I love revisiting characters and seeing them as their relationships progress in later books. I love knowing the backstories without having to be told in the new book. I love meeting characters in one book and then seeing their POV and their stories play out later. I love the worldbuilding that the author is able to do more of in a series. All in all series are the best.



  17. Stacie
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:10 am · Link

    I love series! The only downside is that eventually the series has to come to an end. I have invested so much time and emotion into that particular family or world that it is that much harder to let go. I feel that way with your Brown Siblings books and the Federation Chronicles. At least I know you will be doing more of the latter after you finish the Phantom Corps miniseries.



  18. delitealex
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:19 am · Link

    I really enjoy reading series books I love being able to revisit or get glimpses of previous characters see if they have kids etc… It’s sometimes hard to see a series come to an end. I have many faves and the Brown series is one.



  19. Rachel Riddles
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:19 am · Link

    I love to read books that are part of a series. If the author is good you become emotionally invested in the characters, even if it isn’t their book. The hardest part for me is waiting for the next one to come out.

    I have lots of series I love. Of course the Brown Siblings, The Chase series, The Blackdagger Brotherhood, Wicked Lovers, The Nauti Series and The Wild Riders. The list could go on and on. I love them because the characters are written so well you start to care about them.



  20. Kelly Thrash
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:27 am · Link

    I LOVE series books! I can’t get enough of them. They are my favorite to read. I love getting to read all the connected stories and see the people grow throughout the books. I like it best when the previous people pop up in the later books so we know they are doing well too.

    I love Feehans Dark series and the Drake Sisters and her new spin off from the Drake Sisters. Geez there are so many more…I loved your Chase series as well. I don’t think I’ve ever read a series that I didn’t like. Oh the Black Dager Brotherhood and Meg Benjamins Konigsburg series. Dana Marie Bell, Maya Banks, Keri Arthur, R.G. ALexander, Eden Bradley, Dominique Adair. I’ve been reduced to listing the authors cause there are just too many. Anyway I’m sure you can tell that I love a good series. 🙂 I love your books and can’t wait to read more of them!! 🙂



  21. elaing8
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:42 am · Link

    I really enjoy this series. I love all the characters. I just got Inside Out on Thursday and can’t wait to dive in and read it.
    I love series books. It gives you a chance to get to know characters/secondary characters better,plus the world building is continued throughout.Some of my favorites is your of coarse and The Hollow’s Kim Harrison,Riley Jensen by Keri Arthur,Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld.Maya Banks,Chloe Neill,Rachel Caine,Richelle Mead. The majority of the books I read are from a series.



  22. JP
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:43 am · Link

    I adore series! I love reconnecting with characters again and again, and see how they’re doing. I love on-going series, like JD Robb’s In Death, Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld, and Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark. I also love series that are more finite, though I hate to say goodbye, like Lisa Kleypas’s Hathaways, Liz Carlyle’s tangle of interconnected families, Susan Andersen’s girlfriends trio, or your own Browns.



  23. kris
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:45 am · Link

    I love series. love the interconnectedness, love having story arcs (including secondary characters that don’t resolve their issues til the final book).



  24. Christine
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:54 am · Link

    Absolutely love a series. Love the opportunity to read about a group of characters throughout a group of books and get to revisit them periodically in all of the books. I don’t think I can name them all: The In death Series, by JD Robb, Definitely the name Angel Series by Nalini Singh, Maya Banks Series, the Night Hunters Series, the Breed Series by Lora Leigh, And I have to say any series by you are all favorites. Also several by Nora Roberts. Just to name a few



  25. Sheri
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:56 am · Link

    I love series, like other posters I like being able to see past couples after their HEA. What I don’t like is when the series is actually the same book with new character names. When the plot becomes so predictable, I think sometimes authors of longer series fall into that.



  26. Jennifer D.
    October 30th, 2010 at 9:00 am · Link

    Hello,

    I’m a huge fan of series. I really enjoy getting to know a group of characters and having each get their own stories. Plus, once the book is over you still get to see glimpses of the couple in the newer books. Some memorable series for me are: The Troubleshooters by Suz Brockmann, The BOI’s by Cindy Gerard, The Wallflowers by Lisa Kleypas, LCR by Christy Reece, I-Team by Pamela Clare, Steele Street by Tara Janzen, your Brown series and I could go on.



  27. Meg
    October 30th, 2010 at 9:08 am · Link

    I like series! I like to see the secondary caracters (what they are like) in their own relationships, with their one and with the previous central caracters! This for me adds layers to their personalities. Thanks for doing it so well!! Meg



  28. Michelle V.
    October 30th, 2010 at 9:26 am · Link

    I LOVE series. I think the favourite part about them is when I meet a secondary character and start to like them and then hope that one of the next books is about them. To know more about them. i.e. Alexandra Ivy’s Guardians of Eternity series. You meet Jagr in book 4. I immediately wanted to know if the next book was about him. I instantly wanted to know more about that character. I love your Cascadia Wolves series and like that you branched off with Jack Meyers.



  29. Terri H.
    October 30th, 2010 at 9:45 am · Link

    Series are wonderful! I love to get to follow up with characters I already love. I feel more invested in the story. 🙂



  30. pixchic
    October 30th, 2010 at 9:46 am · Link

    I love series because there is a sense of continuity in the lives of my favorite characters. Also they are very good when I reread my books because its as if I am visiting old friends and I get caught up in what they are doing.
    My favorite series are the Brown siblings from Laurne Dane, Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series from Nalini Singh, Paranormal series from Alexandra Ivy and Kresley Cole and In Death series from JD Robb.



  31. Emily L.
    October 30th, 2010 at 10:01 am · Link

    Personally, I’m a huge fan of series! I tend to get really emotionally invested in characters, and even after they get their HEAs I want to follow them and see what happens. Some of my favorite series are the Happy Ever After series by Nora Roberts, the Gin Blanco books by Jennifer Estep, the Sweet and KGI series by Maya Banks, the Chase brothers, the Brown family, and the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs. Love a good series!!!



  32. Mary G
    October 30th, 2010 at 10:01 am · Link

    LOVE series. I usually fall in love with secondary characters & want them to have their own book.
    Faves:
    Your Chase Brothers
    Jaci Burton’s Wild Riders
    Louisa Edwards Recipe for Love Series
    Christy Reece’s
    Jill Shalvis’
    Marie Force’s Fatal series just started



  33. Melody
    October 30th, 2010 at 10:04 am · Link

    Yes I do love series, thats because I like to know more and more about those I have read about. I tend to want more on them as if being a part of the story myself. If a book is one that you can feel a part of I dont want it to just end to wonder about what else is going on. My imagination does not stop just because the book does. I love to read and it even better when you feel like you are reading about family or friends. Well that how it is for me!



  34. becky jean
    October 30th, 2010 at 10:18 am · Link

    I love a great series because you can really grow with main and secondary characters. Plus you get to revisit couples and sort of relive their happily ever after!



  35. Angie Malone
    October 30th, 2010 at 10:19 am · Link

    I, like many others here, love a series! I do tend to get emotionally involved with characters and enjoy catching up with them as the series continues. Yet I like each book to stand alone on its own if I don’t connect with the characters. My favorite series are the Psy/Changeling books by Nalini Singh, the Breed series by Lora Leigh, the Dark series by Christine Feehan as well as your Cascadia Wolves, Chase Bros., and the Brown family.



  36. Lorenet
    October 30th, 2010 at 10:49 am · Link

    Love, Love, Love series. The only problem is waiting until all books in a series are written.



  37. Scorpio M.
    October 30th, 2010 at 11:27 am · Link

    I enjoy series. Like many others I am a fan of Nora’s In Death series. I also loved Elizabeth Hoyt’s, Princes Trilogy and Pamela Clare’s I-Team books.



  38. Jane
    October 30th, 2010 at 11:45 am · Link

    I do enjoy series. I like that we get to catch with the characters in the previous books. Some of my favorite series are Stephanie Laurens’ Bastion Club and Lisa Kleypas’ Bow Street series.



  39. Rebecca C
    October 30th, 2010 at 11:52 am · Link

    I LOVE a series. I like how the books build on each other and you can follow the deepening relationships between characters. Some of my favorite series are the Chase Brothers, the Browns, the Breeds by Lora Leigh, the Dark-Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward.



  40. Diane Sadler
    October 30th, 2010 at 12:34 pm · Link

    Yes I enjoy series, the growth of the characters and of the story, the rapport between the characters, the link of the past to the present. But sometimes a series can go on for too long; the plots become old and seem to repeat themselves and then it’s time to call it quits.



  41. Lindsey Ekland
    October 30th, 2010 at 12:47 pm · Link

    I like series and seeing secondary characters become the main hero/heroine. Getting to check in with previous couples or just seeing a familiar world are also reasons I read series.



  42. Chelsea B.
    October 30th, 2010 at 1:41 pm · Link

    Love series! It’s great to see your favoirte characters even after their book ends 🙂 A few of my favorites are: Kerrelyn Sparks’ Love at Stake series, Cindy Miles’ Highlander series, Gena Showalter’s Atlantis series, Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series….A a lot, lot more!



  43. Connie
    October 30th, 2010 at 2:13 pm · Link

    I love series books. I like that you get to see more than just the one book with the main characters. I love series about families and close friends. My favorite series beside the Brown family & The Chase Brother are Rough Riders by Lorelei James, the Sweet series and the KGI series by Maya Banks, The Bride Series by Catherine Coulter, The Courtship Wars by Nicole Jordan, The Duchess Series Eloise James and the Bound Hearts, Elite Ops and The Nauti Boys series all by Lora Leigh.



  44. Jeanette Juan
    October 30th, 2010 at 2:15 pm · Link

    I love reading a series because I love reading about the romance and HEA of different characters in a family or group of friends. It’s also great when a specific couple’s story continues as a series because you are able to watch them grow together.



  45. Cheryl McInnis
    October 30th, 2010 at 2:22 pm · Link

    Like just about everyone else here, lol, I love a series! All my favorites have been mentioned but I can tell you that the first romance series I ever read was Harlequin’s Tyler series, about a small town in Wisconsin, I think? I used to be on pins and needles waiting each month for the next book to release, that was what hooked me on reading a series- and small town romances 😉



  46. Sarah
    October 30th, 2010 at 4:47 pm · Link

    I love series because you can get to know the characters better and look forward to new releases 🙂



  47. Caroline
    October 30th, 2010 at 5:21 pm · Link

    I love series. For the same reasons already mentioned. I just finished C. L. Wilson”s Tairen Soul series and it was wonderful. My other favorite is The Chase Brothers. I just love them and have read their books so many times. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE THE Chase Brothers.



  48. Alisha
    October 30th, 2010 at 6:20 pm · Link

    I love a good series, if it’s a continuation of the main character/characters then you see the growth and changes they go through. When it’s a series that each new story centers around a character I saw glimpses of then I love finally being able to really get to know that character. A few of my favorite series are: Lora Leigh’s Breed series, Laurell K Hamilton Anita Blake & Meredith Gentry series, Maya Banks Sweet series, Larissa Ione’s Demonica series, Jory Strong’s Angelini series, and your Cascadia Wolves and Witches Knot series.



  49. Lissa
    October 30th, 2010 at 6:20 pm · Link

    I love series. I always like to know what happens after the big HEA moment – how do their lives go on? In Coming Undone, I like the brief glimpses of Erin, Todd and Ben. In Inside Out, I’m looking forward to hearing how the entire circle of family/friends are doing – and wondering if we are going to get an idea who is Adrian’s lady???



  50. Jessie
    October 30th, 2010 at 6:46 pm · Link

    I love series. Some of my favorites are the Breeds, Larissa Ione’s series, both of Nalini Singh’s series, love the Chase books, Kresley Cole’s series, Kerrilyn Spark’s and a ton of others.