Guest Post: Samanthe Beck

Hello lovely readers! Today I am featuring Samanthe Beck, the author of 11 books, her most current one being Hard Compromise! I asked her what she finds inspiring to write so many great books! 

Massive thanks to Samantha for having me on Paper Cuts! I’m always thrilled to meet another “Sam.” Especially one who loves books!

My eleventh(!) book, called Hard Compromise, releases this month. It’s the second book in my Compromise Me series. What most people don’t know is when I wrote book one, Compromising Her Position, I never planned it as a series. But sometimes a secondary character—a stubborn, smart-mouthed, guarding-her-heart secondary character—inspires me, and I have to write her story. It’s happened more than once, actually, but the opportunity to mess with a complacent bystander isn’t the only thing that inspires me. Here, in no particular order, are other things I find inspiring:

Reading

Yeah, I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but I’m so in love with my latest read, I had to give it a shout out for sheer writing inspiration. I just finished Robin Bielman’s “Once Upon a Royal Christmas.” She crafts her characters so perfectly, reading the story feels like I’m eavesdropping on their conversations. The book is a sweet, sexy holiday treat. If you’re in need of writing inspiration, or holiday inspiration, or just a freaking great read, you should check it out!

Research

Some people might argue Googling stuff like “Hot guy at the gym selfie” isn’t legit research, but I call it character development and I do it proudly. Maybe too proudly, considering I’ve been tossed into Facebook prison more than once for cutting things a little too close to the line. Judge for yourself, and let me know if you’re inspired! (https://www.facebook.com/SamantheBeckWriter/). 

Drinking

Okay, yes, this might be considered a given. I live in California, and hey…turns out they make wine here! Can I help it if I find them inspiring? A good vino commands all your senses—the pop of the cork, the lush color, the scent you can practically
taste. And if it’s really doing its job, it grabs your imagination too. A donut just can’t do that. I don’t care how many sprinkles you pile on. Here’s a picture of me, getting inspired.

Music

It’s a little known fact, but my first choice career wasn’t romance writer, it was rock star. Were it not for my complete lack of talent and bone-deep stage fright, I might have made it. Nonetheless, I have always loved music. 80’s music trivia? Ask me anything! I listen to lots of different styles and genres, but I’m definitely one of those writers who need to have the tunes flowing through her ear buds before the words flow onto the page. I had a lot of songs on the playlist while I wrote Hard Compromise, but this is one of my favorites. It perfectly captured my heroine, Laurie’s, attitude at the start of the story.

Fellow Authors, Bloggers & Readers

I was a lawyer for thirteen years. Some of my best friends are lawyers, but I’m sorry…it is not a congenial profession. Being part of the romance community, on the other hand, is like jumping into a foam pit of positivity every day. It is full of joyful, supportive, enthusiastic people. I appreciate it so much, and I never take it for granted. It is waaaay better than being a lawyer, people. Trust me on this. ;)

Thanks again to Samantha for having me on the blog today! Drop a comment and let me know what YOU turn to for inspiration!

xoxo
Samanthe

About Hard Compromise

Laurie Peterson assumes her impulsive one-night stand with sinfully sexy Sheriff Ethan Booker is the biggest surprise of the year…until her bakery burns down while she’s basking in the afterglow. It looks like her dreams are up in smoke, but then Ethan proposes a deal too tempting to resist.

Ethan has no intention of settling for a one-night stand with Laurie. Nor does he want anything to do with the women his wealthy family wants him to meet. Not when he’s waited ten years for his chance to make his move. His deal might have strings—and Laurie may not know the stakes—but nothing will stop this sexy cop from staking a real claim on her body and her heart.

Book Links
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About Samanthe Beck 

Wine lover, sleep fanatic, and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy contemporary romance novels, Samanthe Beck lives in Malibu, California, with her long-suffering but extremely adorable husband and their turbo-son. Throw in a furry ninja named Kitty and Bebe the trash talking Chihuahua and you get the whole, chaotic picture.

When not dreaming up fun, fan-your-cheeks sexy ways to get her characters to happily-ever-after, she searches for the perfect cabernet to pair with Ambien.

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Book Blitz: Decisive Moments

Decisive Moments
Trinity Hanrahan
(In Time, #2)
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: September 6th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

High School is over. Aislinn Munroe is ready to face the challenge of college and her new relationship…
Aislinn has overcome her high school insecurities and embraced her relationship with reformed bad boy, Teagan Aldridge. Her life as a college student at the University of Florida is filled with new experiences and people, including the shining football star, Ryan Caldwell. Aislinn isn’t interested in Ryan’s attention or charm. She only wants to figure out what’s next for her and Teagan.
Aislinn wants to take the next step in their relationship, but Teagan isn’t ready…
Old insecurities sneak back in as Aislinn worries that their physical relationship has stalled. Teagan convinces Aislinn he just wants to wait for the right time, but his sweet gesture falls short when his ex-girlfriend Lauren shows up. Teagan’s past has finally caught up with him, and now they all have to face it.
Every choice has a consequence, and Aislinn must make a decision…
Teagan tries to take responsibility for his past, but Lauren only wants to monopolize his time and push Aislinn out of the picture. Aislinn has to choose. Trust Teagan and stand by her boyfriend, or let Lauren succeed in ripping them apart? College wasn’t supposed to be this hard.
Some decisions have far-reaching effects, and this one could cost Aislinn her heart. It’s time to make up her mind and face her…
Decisive Moments.

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EXCERPT:

I’d just closed the door to the dishwasher and was still bent over when I felt a warm, hard body press against my backside. I stood up as strong arms slipped around my waist and pulled me tight back against a well-muscled chest and stomach. My belly started doing little flip-flops as the man behind me nudged my hair out of his way and buried his face in my neck. I closed my eyes, leaning into him and enjoying the close quiet this moment held.

“I love you,” he murmured into my neck.
I smiled at the words. I never got tired of hearing him say it. I turned around and looped my arms around his neck, answering his smile with my own. My fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck, running casually through the short, silken strands. His eyes began to darken to the color of stormy skies and a shiver worked through me.
When his eyes changed like that, it always meant things were about to get interesting.
I bit my lip to hold back a gasp when the hands he’d clasped at the small of my back loosened and slid down until they rested at the top of the swell of my backside. We hadn’t spent much time alone over the summer, so the whole intimate making out thing was something I was still learning along the way. But the feelings he could evoke with a touch even this simple made me wonder what more would feel like. I shivered again at that thought, and I bit my lip harder to keep quiet.
“Christ, Aislinn,” he groaned. “I told you not to do that,” he muttered, bringing a hand around and using a thumb to gently pry my lip from between my teeth. I blushed as he watched his thumb stroke my abused flesh before he licked his lips, and suddenly his lips were molded to mine.
Any ability to think flew out the window. The firm smoothness of his mouth on mine and his arms pulling me tight against his hard body rendered me less intelligent than primordial ooze. I felt something against the small of my back and realized he’d backed me up to the counter. He broke away for a moment, my breath catching when he lifted me up to sit on the edge, stepping close between my legs and crashing his mouth back onto mine.
The kiss was hot and wet. Our breaths came out in loud pants when we separated long enough to suck in a lungful of air. My legs were as tight around his lean waist and I could manage, arms and hands clutching his hair and shoulders with frantic need. His grip on me was just as desperate.

Author Bio:
Trinity lives with her husband and four children in Virginia. She grew up overseas in Turkey and Japan, where her love of reading developed due to a lack of English-speaking television. As her need for written works grew, so did her desire to create worlds for others to enjoy. By the time she was in middle school she had started writing short stories. She endeavors to break the mold where modern stereo-types are concerned and create engaging characters.
When she’s not writing or working, Trinity still enjoys settling down to read a book or doing graphic art in her spare time.

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WOW: 11/16/16

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine! It showcases books that we can't wait on to come out!

The Continent

By: Keira Drake

Release Date: January 3, 2017

For her sixteenth birthday, Vaela Sun receives the most coveted gift in all the Spire—a trip to the Continent. It seems an unlikely destination for a holiday: a cold, desolate land where two “uncivilized” nations remain perpetually at war. Most citizens tour the Continent to see the spectacle and violence of battle—a thing long vanished in the Spire. For Vaela—a smart and talented apprentice cartographer—it is an opportunity to improve upon the maps she’s drawn of this vast, frozen land.
But an idyllic aerial exploration is not to be had: the realities of war are made clear in a bloody battle seen from the heli-plane during the tour, leaving Vaela forever changed. And when a tragic accident leaves her stranded on the Continent, she has no illusions about the true nature of the danger she faces. Starving, alone, and lost in the middle of a war zone, Vaela must try to find a way home—but first, she must survive.

Why I am waiting on it!

This book sounds amazing! I cannot wait to find out what happens to Vaela! 

What are you waiting on this week?

Cover Reveal: This Piece of My Soul

This Piece of My Soul
Robyn M. Ryan
(Clearing the Ice #2)
Publication date: January 3rd 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports

They believe love conquers all.
One of pro-hockey’s golden couples, Andrew and Caryn Chadwick live in the limelight reserved for elite professional athletes. On their second anniversary, Andrew receives an unexpected contract offer to join the Tampa Suns. As they look forward to a new adventure, neither foresees an event that challenges their love and threatens their marriage.
Until the day it doesn’t.
A sudden and senseless accident threatens Andrew’s life and inexplicably drives a wedge between the couple. Shattered by the incident, paralyzed by fear that it could happen again, Caryn finds herself at odds with her husband and unable to provide the support he needs—at the time he is most vulnerable.
As their perfect world crumbles, each makes choices that take Andrew and Caryn further apart. Distrust, fears, and secrets construct walls. This Piece of My Soul follows the joint and separate paths the couple navigate as each hopes to rediscover the love that can conquer all.
**Although This Piece of My Soul is the second book in the Clearing the Ice Series, it can be read as a standalone novel.**

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Sequel to:

Author Bio:
By the time she was an eight-year-old tomboy growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Robyn M. Ryan definitely knew what she wanted to do when she grew up—play major league baseball or write. This goal grew throughout elementary and high school, first composing novels featuring favorite TV and music personalities, then venturing into sports writing.
Attending UGA’s journalism school launched her career in public relations, which included an internship with the Atlanta Flames NHL hockey team. At that time Robyn wrote books she and her friends wanted to read. With the encouragement of a writers group on twitter—WritersThatChat—This Piece of My Heart, a hockey romance, and the first book in Robyn’s series Clearing the Ice was published May 2016. The second book in the series, This Piece of My Soul, introduces the Tampa Suns professional hockey team. This Piece of My Soul is set for release January 2017.
Besides writing, Robyn’s passions include following NASCAR and the New York Rangers, reading all the great books in the sports romance genre, and splitting time between homes in Atlanta and Palm Coast, with two brilliant Westies who definitely rule both homes.
As do many writers, Robyn chooses to write using a pseudonym—hers is a combination of her sons’ names, a contribution from her youngest nephew.

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Cover Reveal: Wild Poppy

Wild Poppy
Vivian Winslow
(Wildflowers, #4)
Publication date: December 6th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

The daughter of a renown media mogul, Poppy Koslowski has her life turned upside down overnight when her father is indicted for a massive fraud that leads to the loss of her family’s fortune. In the wake of the scandal, Poppy moves to Paris at the behest of her aunt, the Countess Domel, who, unbeknownst to Poppy, intends to find a wealthy husband for her niece in order to ensure her future. Poppy, however, has her own dreams of finishing school and realizing her goal of becoming an award-winning journalist. When she meets Henri Olin, the passionate and seductive illegitimate son of one of France’s most powerful politicians, his political and social ideology introduces Poppy to a world very different from her own. Yet, Poppy ultimately learns that everything comes at a price, even love. After suffering a devastating loss, Poppy finds herself alone and virtually penniless, and is forced to make her way back to America to piece together the remnants of her life in New York City. There, she rediscovers her passion once again, only to be confronted with yet another life choice, one that will forever shape her destiny.
Wild Poppy, the final installment of Wildflowers, is due out December 2016.

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Previous books in the series:

Author Bio:
Vivian Winslow was born and raised in Southern California. Before becoming a writer, she made a career out of moving around the world every couple of years thanks to her husband's job and her incurable wanderlust. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two elementary school age children, and is grateful to finally have a place to call home for more than two years.
New York is the perfect city to indulge her love of fashion, the arts and especially food. If she's not at home writing or running around the city with her kids, you'll most likely find her eating at the newest restaurant in her beloved Lower East Side or having a cocktail at her favorite bar in Alphabet City. That said, she's still a California girl at heart and would gladly trade in her heels for a pair of flip-flops to catch a sunset on the beach.

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