Freebies for Christmas!

Happy Christmas from my family to yours!

I'm ending this year with lots of freebies and a fun interactive game to win my newest urban fantasy, Of Gods and Sorrow on Twitter with #IndieFeature. Starting tomorrow and going through January 2nd, @IndieFeature will be posting a question a day with a teaser from my novel. They're easy questions like sharing a memory or your favorite something. It's participation that gets you points! #IndieFeature is a fantastic way to find great indie authors and gain a chance to win their books.

And here are the free books!

The Untethered Realms Yuletide Spectacular is still going on. Of Blood and Sorrow is free along with five other amazing stories. Plus there's a giveaway!

Today through the 29th, my sexy paranormal romance trilogy, The Paramours is free.

(Click the image to go to the Amazon page.)

On the 28th through January 1st, my hilarious and geeky erotic series, Dice & Debauchery is free.

Three geeky freebies!

The first day of school is in five days. I'm super excited. I finally get back my writing time!

This weekend is also one of the biggest gaming conventions in the world, Gen Con. Have you ever been to a huge convention? It's a phenomenal experience. So much to do!

I won't get a chance to go this year, but at least I'll get to play with my gaming group next Friday. It's one of the highlights of my week to be creative, scheme, and laugh with friends.

In celebration of geeks everywhere, my hilarious and steamy trilogy, Dice & Debauchery is free for five days!

Loose Corset (Book #1)

Layers of Lace (Book #2)

Masked Kiss (Book #3)

Starting off the summer with free geeky romance!

It's the first day of summer break in my household. While I'm excited about getting in some family time, I'll be losing a lot of a writer time.

To help my sanity, once a week, a group of gamer buddies come over to our house and we play for hours. We scheme, roll dice, and laugh like madmen.

 I'm sharing all that fun with you. Plus a little extra bit on the naughty side! Laughs, nerd talk, and steamy scenes.

The Dice & Debauchery series is FREE for five days!

Loose Corset (Book #1)

Layers of Lace (Book #2)

Masked Kiss (Book #3)

Friday Five for August 7, 2015

1. I had a pleasant surprise when I found a new review for my most recent Dice & Debauchery book from a reviewer I hadn't submitted to myself! It's not a five star review, but sometimes that doesn't matter when the reviewer says she wants to read more from you. Check it out on Exquisite Reviews.

2. With my son in school full time, I've had a productive week. My house is clean, the lawn is mowed, and all the laundry folded. Oh yes, I did some writing too. I finished the first draft of a novelette. Another one of those stories that suddenly came to me with a rush of vivid persistence. There are two more stories to go with it, and I have them already done in my head.

3. I'm going to be starting my regular blogging schedule again next week. Monday will be promo day: guest posts from other authors, cover reveals, and reviews. Wednesday: the first Wednesday of each month will be IWSG, and the remaining ones will be Wicked Wednesday. I talk about all aspects of being a writer, give tips, and ask questions. Fridays will continue to be my Friday Five. Just a quick update of what's going on in my life.

4. I received one short story rejection this week. I'm working on a flash piece today for my local critique group. That will complete my 2015 short story goal of writing six pieces this year. If I can, I want to keep pushing on and do one a month.

5. My little guy has been loving kindergarten. I watch him get on the bus in the mornings and get the warm fuzzies. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Friday Five for July 17, 2015

1. I've managed to catch up on my sleep and some online things. I think I have to realize that I'm not going to catch up on it all and just let it go. Sometimes that's difficult for me. I'm still learning to be easier on myself.

2. I wrote a flash horror piece for my local critique group tomorrow. A Christmas story with a monster in the closet. Perfect for July! And no, it's not a Fearless story. I wanted to write another Christmas tale because right now is the time of year to submit them to magazines and other venues. I still have six stories out there under consideration, and hopefully after this weekend, I can send out a seventh.

3. I've been sending out my Dice & Debauchery series to reviewers. It's hard to find people that review erotica. I sent out a batch of queries in December and didn't receive one reply. I've only received one reply from the dozen I sent out this week. One of my dream reviewers would be Felicia Day. She and three other geeky women have a book club called Vaginal Fantasy. It's absolutely hilarious and fun.

4. Only two weeks until Gen Con! Will any of you be attending this year? I'll be going on Sunday for Family Day. Their writer guest of honor this year is Terry Brooks.

5. A reminder for two fantastic giveaways: Win 5 awesome ebooks and an Amazon gift card from T.B. Markinson, and celebrate Tara Tyler's book birthday with an incredible giveaway that includes prizes of a signed print copy of her book, an ecopy of my book, Of Blood and Sorrow, and an Amazon gift card.

Don't forget about the Smashwords Summer Sale!

What's behind Masked Kiss

Blurb:

Video game geek Josh Hanson never gets noticed by women until a gorgeous booth babe drags him into a dark room for a quickie.

She doesn't give him her name, and her face is covered by a silver mask. Josh is determined to find the dark-haired beauty again, but communication isn't easy in a huge hall filled with nerds. When they end up playing in a tournament later, the games extend into her hotel room. Josh wants more than just a con fling, but she's not easy to catch. Can he figure out how to beat her games and become her champion?

Buy the book:

Ellora's Cave * Amazon * B&N * Kobo

Add it to read on Goodreads.

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped promote the Dice & Debauchery series. Your support and encouragement means a lot to me.

This is the final book in my geeky trilogy. It was also the most difficult one to write because it's from the guy's point of view. I asked my male friends a lot of questions and received many weird looks. You'd think they'd be use to me doing so by now!

Book tidbit: I used the Konami Code in one scene!

Friday Five for June 19, 2015

1. One week until the release of Masked Kiss, the final book of the Dice & Debauchery series! It's available for pre-order everywhere right now. I'm excited that the whole series will be out. The trilogy is like the 13th Floor in that all the books link together and happen over the same space of time. It's fun to write and read the same scene from different points of view.

2. While next Friday will be a big day, I won't be around to promote it. I hope to do a tour in August for the series. Just not a three month tour this time! That was far too long and tiring. Two weeks seems to be the best time period for a tour.

3. I'll be taking a blogging break for the next three weeks. I do have some pre-scheduled posts during that time, so please stop by for a fabulous guest post about surviving a horror story by Cherie Reich on Wednesday and some tidbits about Masked Kiss next Friday.

4. I've gotten a little writing done this week. My WIP is still moving slow. It's at 15k and there's only one dead body! I've written a lot of novellas in the past few years, so this pace feels odd, and the story is challenging me. But that's a good thing.

5. Don't forget the T.B. Markinson's June Giveaway is still going on. You could win five awesome books and an Amazon gift card. One of those books is Of Blood and Sorrow by me!

Have a wonderful rest of the month. I'll see you in July!

My little guy swimming in the lake!

Friday Five for June 5, 2015

1. I received some great reviews for my newest release, Layers of Lace (Dice & Debauchery #2). The first book in the series, Loose Corset, won a position in the top five of the Easychair Competition for novellas. Yay! It was a good week for geeky romances.

2. I haven't had much of a chance to do any writing this week. It's a little frustrating, but I know this is how summer is going to go. A little writing here and there until August. Time is already flying by!

3. I've been reading non-fiction this week. I love Mary Roach! She fills my need for odd tidbits of information.

4. Don't forget to head over to T.B. Markinson's blog and enter to win five awesome books plus an Amazon gift card. My urban fantasy, Of Blood and Sorrow is included in the giveaway.

5. I'm over at the Untethered Realms blog today with a review for Nick Wilford's new book. If you haven't checked it out yet, do it. Plus he's holding a giveaway too, and there's still a bit of time left to enter to win his awesome collection!

Have a great weekend!

Layers of Lace revealed!

Amateur cosplayer Emily Solis is determined to win the costume contest and the heart of her biggest competition.

It isn't the first time Emily has shed her costume with the gorgeous Russell Morrison. Not even her best friend knows she's been having wild convention sex with him for over a year. It was supposed to remain physical, but Emily couldn't help falling for him and his kinky ways. In a moment of passion, she rolls the dice and tells Russell she loves him. He doesn't say it back. Can she convince him they're perfect together or will she roll another critical failure?

Buy the book:

Ellora's Cave * Amazon * B&N * Kobo

Add it to read on Goodreads.

Get Loose Corset, the first book in the Dice & Debauchery series:

Ellora's Cave * Amazon * B&N * Kobo

This is my favorite book in the series. While Morgan in the first book is emotionally reserved, Emily and Russell have explosive feelings. They revel in their costume geekery and love drama. It made them so much fun to write.

Thank you to everyone helping me shout-out about my new release. You guys are awesome!

Friday Five for May 22, 2015

1. I have all three covers for my Dice & Debauchery series now. The final cover is my favorite! They make quite the attractive set too. One week until Layers of Lace is released! I won't be touring until August, but if you'd like to do a shout-out for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Email me or leave a comment, and I'll send the info your way.

2. Today is my son's last day of preschool. I'm excited and a little sad. We were so lucky to have a super preschool. Small classes, play based program, and the best teachers ever! They'll have a graduation tonight. The kids will wear caps and gowns. It'll be amazingly cute! Plus we'll get cake. Mmmm... cake.

3. So with the last day of school is my last day of morning writing time for the next few months. I'm already mourning it. Yet when August comes around, my little guy will be in school for full day kindergarten. Full days every weekday to write. It's like this shiny, golden treasure just beyond my reach. Summer will go quickly, I know, and I'll enjoy it, but oh, that beautiful, shiny writing time. I can't stop thinking about it!

4. I'll be posting on my blog less in June and July, but you'll still see me lurking about at night. Not the creepy kind of lurking. Though, after long, hot days, I might look a little scary!

5. It's the long weekend. Yay! In my schedule: a renaissance birthday party, Dungeons & Dragons, and maybe we'll get to see Avengers 2. Have a fantastic weekend, folks!

Friday Five for May 15, 2015

1. Prepare for another dose of sexy geeks! Things are moving along with Ellora's Cave at a fast pace. I have a cover for Layers of Lace (Dice & Debauchery #2) and a release date for the third book, Masked Kiss. It's due out on June 26th.

2. I thought about doing a tour when the third book was released, but it's at the most inconvenient time of the year for me. So will it be bad to wait to do a tour until August? I don't know, but if I want to properly devote my time to it, that's what I'll have to do.

3. I'm also re-evaluating my writing goals for this year. I hoped to revise and publish my superhero novel, Super Famous, by October, but it doesn't look like I'll have the time to get to it until the fall. My new WIP is a great and slow beast. I'd hoped to finish the first draft by next week, but it is just beginning. Maybe I'll have it done in September.

4. One more week until school is out for the summer. Are there any other parents counting down and prepping themselves? I've got a visit with my family in Canada, day trips, YMCA day camp, and weekly park meet-ups with school friends all planned. Here's to an awesome summer!

5. Finally I wanted to give a huge thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh for the You Rock Award. I love blogging because of our great community and Alex is a big part of it. Cheers to Alex and to all of you! Have a marvelous weekend.

Friday Five for May 8, 2015

1. Great news! I finally have a new editor with Ellora's Cave. She's quick, hilarious, and a geek. We get along wonderfully. She's enthusiastic about the next two books in my Dice & Debauchery series, and we have a release date for the second one called Layers of Lace. May 29th! Yeah, I know. It's not that far away! That date is also my wedding anniversary. So I'll have double the reason to celebrate!

2. Will I be doing a tour for the newest book? No. I'm still exhausted from the previous ones. I'll wait until the final book is released and then find a fun way to promote the whole D&D series.

3. With being sick and doing the revisions, I haven't had a chance to do any new writing or catch up on everything online. Next week should be quieter for me, and then I'll get everything in order before my son is on summer break. Wait. It's almost summer already?!

4. Today I'm helping my son's preschool set up for a big rummage sale. I was happy to purge more than I expected from our house. Funny how getting rid of physical things can make us feel lighter on every level. Do you like to go to rummage sales? Have you ever found a hidden treasure at one?

5. Happy Mother's Day this Sunday to all the wonderful moms and like-moms out there!

Friday Five for March 6, 2015

1. One week until the official release of my first urban fantasy novel, Of Blood and Sorrow. I'm nervous, excited, and flipping out a little. I will be doing a blog tour celebrating my book's release. A Character Meet & Greet. Of Blood and Sorrow has a great cast. I'm eager for you all to meet them.

2. And just for you lucky blog readers, my novel is already available on all purchase sites. I had to make sure it looked good! Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

3. I had a long day yesterday. I helped paint classrooms at my son's new preschool location. (He won't be going there next year as he'll be in kindergarten.) It gave me a not-so-gentle reminder me of my age. Once I used to think painting was relaxing. Now it's hard work! My arms haven't forgiven me yet.

4. The winter storms have passed, and the weather is warming up. We might be able to get out to a Maple Syrup Festival this weekend. I have great memories visiting maple syrup farms as a kid. I hope my little guy has as much fun! What are your plans for the weekend?

5. Don't forget to enter my final Dice & Debauchery giveaway.

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The Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour finishes February with an interview

It's the last tour date of February. How can this be? We need more geeky stuff. Thankfully there's still one more month left of the Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour. Yup, I'm crazy, I know.

Today I'm going to be grilled by the marvelous Tara Tyler. Find out if I would ever do a vlog. Would you? Do you know what it is?

There are still a few days left to win a fantastic game called Zombie Dice. There will be a new giveaway next month, but it won't have brain-eating powers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour wants braaaaiiins!

Writing geeky romance is tricky business. Click on over to the amazing TB Markinson's blog for some tips.

Today is the last day to get TB's book, Claudia Must Die for free! It's a fantastic thriller. Quirky characters in a dire situation.

Braaaiiiiiiiins! Enter for a chance to win Zombie Dice and a unique Christine Rains die.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour teases you some more and Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Geek girl problem #432: All the new books you want to read come out on Tuesdays and you don't get paid until Fridays!

I'm over at the awesome Shannon Lawrence's blog today to hook you in with another excerpt.

 A BIG thank you to Jeff Chapman for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! He's a talented speculative fiction author, and I'm so happy that recently he became a part of Untethered Realms.

The rules for accepting this award are as follows:
1. Thank the person who nominated you, and link to their blog.
2. Display the award logo.
3. Nominate at least 15 other blogs (more or less) and provide a link where they may be found.
4. Then, go to their blog, leave a comment to let them know they have been nominated, and where to find the information they need to accept (rules).
5. Mention three things that inspired you the most during the past few weeks. 

Here are three things that inspired me:

1. My son's bravery. He recently had surgery on his eyes to correct an eye turn. A scary thing for a small child. Scary for anyone to have an operation on their eyes! But he didn't complain, whine, or cry. He was sweet, well-mannered, and incredibly brave even after two and a half hours of waiting at the surgery center before he was taken into the OR. What an amazing and wonderful person he's grown to be.

2. Heather Von St. James and her victory over asbestos cancer. Read my blog post here.

3. The tree in my front yard has little buds on it. I feel that excitement every year when I see it budding and know that it will soon be in full flower. It's a Cleveland Pear, and when the flowers are in full blossom, it's so pretty. My next novel will be set in early spring so I can have a tree just like it in it.

I'm not going to nominate anyone in particular. Every one of you is an inspiration. Do not doubt it.

Zombie Dice. You know you want them!

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The Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour Reverse Interview!

Today I'm sitting down with geek girl Clare Dugmore and interviewing her about Loose Corset. Yes, you read that correctly. Clare is not only one of my critique partners but a talented romance writer herself. We have dubbed this The Reverse Interview!

Roll the dice and enter for a chance to win dice!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Geeky Dice & Debauchery celebrates loving geeks

 Geek girl problem #86: Your boyfriend can't give you what you want for Valentine's Day because no one makes dice shaped as hearts.

Getting in the mood for some romance, I'm over at the awesome Chrys Fey's today talking about whey geeks make better girlfriends and boyfriends. Click on over and read my reasons. Then tell us one or two of your own!

Do you have your copy of Loose Corset yet?

Ellora's Cave * Amazon * B&N * Kobo

And don't forget about this month's geeky giveaway.

Enter to win a treat for the nerd you love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Five for February 6, 2015

1. Today my number one concern is my son. He's having surgery to correct an eye turn. It's a simple surgery which takes 20 minutes. He doesn't need to stay overnight or even have a bandage over his eye. It's a routine operation, and his doctor is very good at his job. Still, I'm freaking out a little. It's surgery on an eye! Think good thoughts for my little guy. With any luck, we'll be having ice cream before the afternoon is out.

2. I've been busy with touring, but I've also been doing some work. Last month, I rewrote a short story and resubmitted it to the editors who were interested in it. It was rejected, and so I submitted it to another venue. I also wrote a silly Easter story for my local critique group. I'm starting off the year good for short pieces this year.

3. I finished the last revisions for my urban fantasy novel, Of Blood and Sorrow. It's currently being proofread and formatted. I'll be releasing it to the world on March 13th. Yay! You can add it to read on Goodreads. I'll be doing a character themed tour as the book has a large cast of characters. There are a few slots left open if you would like to host me the last few weeks of March. Please email me or leave a comment below if you're interested.

4. I'm working on a short story for the next Untethered Realms anthology. I'm playing around with sci-fi horror this time. Once I finish it, I'll be diving into my next paranormal romance novel. The characters have been nagging at me for months now. It's been a while since I started a big new project and I'm really excited about it.

5. My Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour will continue next week. Don't forget to enter to win Zombie Dice and my unique Christine Rains die. Good luck and have a great weekend!

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This World Bites Blog Tour - Review and the next stop on the Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour

Blurb:
It's her first day on a new world and Cera's already found trouble. Michael, her guardian, has been bitten by a zombie and will soon join the undead ranks.

Everyone tells her there's no cure, but Cera isn't one to be deterred. She's willing to face off with zombie hordes, demon slavers, and black market informants if it means she'll find a cure for Michael. But she's not the only one hunting for something.

Something is hunting her.

My review:
Cera and her strange crew are searching for a cure for her comatose father. They've had their share of troubles, but none like that which faces them now on this new planet. Cera's guardian is bitten by a zombie, and as she searches for a way to save him, something is trying to capture her. Good thing she's a powerful elemental. Wait. Her powers don't work against demons? Oh oh.

What a wonderfully quirky and fun speculative fiction tale. It's over the top and it works so well. The reader is thrust right in to the story, joining a cast of odd characters with a colorful history. It's a new world with zombies and other supernaturals. It paints a fantastic urban fantasy-like setting where even the zombies have restaurants they can go to eat.

The plot is twisted with surprises ready to jump out at you, but for me, it's the characters that shine brightest. Cera has a powerful young voice, but she's been around for a while. She's a strong leader and I admire her dedication to her friends and purpose. I just want to pinch Michael's cute dimpled cheeks and hug him, but I suppose he'd like that a little too much. I'm also a big fan of Duke, a sexy vampire that owns a vegan restaurant. Each character has a rich history and will make you laugh. I laughed a lot while reading this book!

This World Bites is zany and unusual. Be prepared for a wild ride when you read it. And read it you must! I highly recommend it. Good thing this is the first in the series. That means there's more coming!

Buy the book now!

Amazon * B&N * Kobo

Loni Townsend
Wife. Mother. Writer. Ninja. Squirrel.

By day, she writes code. By predawn darkness, she writes fantasies. All other times, she writes in her head.

People call her peculiar with a twisted sense of fashion, but don't let those understatements fool you. Her behavior is perfectly normal for a squirrel disguised as a human. That's part of being a ninja—blending in.

She makes her home in Idaho with her sadistically clever—yet often thwarted—husband, two frighteningly brilliant children, and three sneaky little shibas.

Find her on her blog or social media.

Contact info:
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads

* * * * *

The Geeky D&D Tour continues with new awesome hosts and another nerdy giveaway!

Today I'm explaining con slang over at my wonderfully geeky critique partner's site, T.F. Walsh!

This month's giveaway grand prize is Zombie Dice. It's an awesome dice game. I'm a big fan of Steve Jackson Games, especially Munchkin.
The second prize for 3 winners is a unique Christine Rains die and some swag.

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