Thursday teaser: Imperfect Harmony

Posted on April 11, 2019 Written by
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House of Archer Series book 1

By Raine Thomas

Archer’s smile faded when Trey opened the door and carried in a large vase full of red roses. He knew Lily found red roses incredibly clichéd, so he figured they couldn’t be for her.

“What’s that?” he asked as Trey placed the roses on the dressing room vanity.

“A delivery for Miss Lily.”

“What?”

Archer didn’t pause for a moment to consider Lily’s privacy. He strode over to the elaborate arrangement and yanked the card off the plastic stick. It read, “Here’s to launching your career, Montgomery. I love you and I hope you’ll say yes. XOXO, Wingerson.”

By the time Archer read the rather girly XOXO sign-off, his upper lip was curled in disdain. It was all he could do to jam the card back on the stick rather than tossing it into the trash.

He hadn’t considered the fact that Johnathan might do something romantic for Lily. What was up with using their last names in his message? It had to be some kind of inside joke or pet name. Archer didn’t like how that made him feel…like an outsider on the fringe of Lily’s life.

And what did Johnathan mean about Lily saying yes? Yes to what?

The unanswered question gave his already foul mood another punch to the face. Trey paused before going back out the door. He cleared his throat as if uncertain whether to speak. Archer waved at him to spit it out.

“Mr. Donovan asked when you intend to return to your green room, sir.”

Archer figured Christopher wanted to rehash the performance problems they’d had that evening. Not wanting to deal with it, he gave Trey a shrug. “Let him know I’ll get there once I’ve seen Lily.”

“Yes, sir.”

Trey gave him and the flowers a knowing look before stepping back out of the room. Archer followed his gaze to the roses and felt irrational anger building in his gut. He shook his head at himself and resumed his pacing. Why did the flowers piss him off so much?

You know why, he thought.

He knew it made him selfish, but he wanted Lily’s attention focused on him, damn it. He wasn’t prepared for serious competition for her affection. It hadn’t ever been an issue before. Encountering it now was throwing off his game.

He had to do something to get her attention, and he had to do it now.

The sound of laughter and voices reached him from the other side of the door. His heart started beating faster and he turned towards the door as it swung open. At least ten different greetings ran through his mind as he tried to decide what to say to Lily.

She walked in and her entire face brightened when she spotted him. All of the greetings faded from his thoughts. In their place rose a demanding need he’d never felt before, especially for Lily.

He met her halfway into the room and, as naturally as if they’d done it a hundred times, he pulled her against him and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss.

Imperfect Harmony

A rock band. A reality show. The opportunity of a lifetime.

As the front man for The Void, lead singer Dane Archer has yet to achieve the success he craves. He hopes that will change when he’s approached about filming a reality show called House of Archer. All he and the band have to do is get some juicy footage while on their upcoming tour.

The problem? Archer’s life is a snoozefest. His parents are happily married, he’s never done drugs or gotten arrested, and he doesn’t get into fights with his band mates. He knows the show will fizzle and die before it ever hits the air, taking his dreams of worldwide fame along with it.

Unless…

If Archer can convince his best friend Lily to be on the show, he’s sure they’ll get all the compelling footage they need. Her life is filled with drama. Hell, she’s practically a reality show in her own right.

Archer’s willing to do whatever it takes to get Lily on board, even if it means charming her into being more than just friends. But when he finds himself falling for her, his seemingly simple plan gets complicated. Soon the line between reality and Reality TV begins to blur, leaving him wondering if achieving his dreams is worth all it might cost him.

Book Links

The fourth book in the House of Archer series will be out soon. Sign up for book notifications on Raine’s website or follow her on Amazon to be the first to hear of Beautiful Finale’s availability.

Raine Thomas

is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction.

Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen.

She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Get to know Raine through:

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Thursday teaser: Meant for Her

Posted on December 13, 2018 Written by
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This week’s excerpt is from the New Adult romance

By Raine Thomas

“There’s something invigorating about autumn in Atlanta,” she said. “It represents promise.”

“Promise for what?”

She shrugged. “Endless possibilities.”

He frowned. What the hell did that mean?

Once again, she took his hand. “You looked lost in there, Evan Dorsey. I thought maybe I could do something to help guide you on your way.”

Pulling his hand from hers, he said, “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I don’t need to.” She tilted her head to the side and looked at him with her compelling eyes. “Have you been sick?”

The question made him glance away. He supposed she hadn’t done her research before making this approach. Still, she was closer to the truth than made him comfortable.

Her voice was quiet when she continued, “I ask because your suit looks tailored, but it’s loose on you right now, as though you’ve lost weight. There are dark circles under your eyes, making me think you aren’t sleeping well and probably haven’t been eating right. And your hair is short, like it’s just growing back. Since your scalp is pale, I assume you don’t normally wear your hair that way.”

Jesus, she was observant. Shaking his head, he turned to walk back into the reception.

“I see,” she said. Her tone made him hesitate. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Evan.”

When her slender arms went around him from behind, he didn’t know what to do. No one had ever offered him such a pure gesture of comfort. Everyone who attended the funeral had been too emotionally involved to do so, not that it would have been welcome.

But this hug from a stranger was about to undo him.

He stood frozen in place as she walked around him to face him again. His gaze moved down to her bare feet and noted that her nails were the same shade of purple as the streaks in her hair. Belatedly, he considered how cold she must be.

“I can see that you’re in a dark place,” she said, touching the side of his face. It was just the whisper of a caress, but it made his throat tighten. “It’s good that you honor the memory of this person you loved. But don’t be afraid to live now. What you’ve gone through, it will bring you where you need to be. Even the stars can’t shine without darkness.”

Mesmerized, he didn’t resist when she pulled him down. He closed his eyes when her lips touched his. She kissed him, an expression of comfort more than passion. The taste of sweet champagne lingered when they parted. She smiled again, her dimples teasing him, then turned and walked back inside.

After a moment, he followed her. This woman whose name he didn’t even know had given him more to think about in their few minutes together than anyone had in a long time. For someone who appeared no older than her early twenties, she had incredible insight.

She’d given him a glimpse of light that he hadn’t even known he craved. He supposed the least he could do was thank her.

Returning to the reception, he went looking for her. He figured she’d return to the dance floor, so he started there. After twenty minutes, he had to give up.

She was gone.

About Meant for Her

Photographer Sierra Stratton views the world through a lens all her own. She has an uncanny sense about people, something that often causes her trouble. When she meets the sexy and brooding Evan Dorsey, her intuition tells her he’s suffering, and she wants to be the one to help him.

Evan isn’t open to help from anyone, however. His focus is on his Major League career and making himself as marketable as possible for his upcoming free agency. He plans to ride out the season in Atlanta and then sign with another team, away from the painful memories that haunt him.

Someone’s eager to send him on his way, too. Between anonymous threats and equipment sabotage, it’s clear he’s earned himself an enemy along the way. To him, it’s one more sign that he’s right to move on.

But Sierra threatens his conviction. Her contagious smile proves hard to resist, as does her kiss. She tempts him in ways he never anticipated, making him question his plans for the first time. If he’s not careful, she might just convince him that he’s meant for her.

Where to get it

Raine Thomas

is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream.

When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Connect with Raine at her

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Life Imitating Fiction: I Married an Alien

Posted on September 4, 2018 Written by
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By Raine Thomas

When I found out that our group was tasked with writing posts about something we’ve experienced in our lives that imitated our books, I puzzled and puzzled over it. I’m a fiction writer, after all. I don’t generally write about things that happen in my real life or that I ever think I’ll personally experience. I write about fantasy and sci-fi worlds; in my contemporary fiction, I write about hunky baseball players and rock stars. None of which, I’m afraid to say, is my reality.

If I really stretch this blog concept, however, I can loosely relate my reality with the characters in my award-winning sci-fi romance Ascendant series. Kyr and Ty are aliens who travel great distances to be together. Similarly (although here on Earth), I married a man from another country who then became a permanent resident alien here in the U.S. And trust me, there was a lot of travel required before we ended up married and living together.

(Okay, I said it was a stretch. Work with me, people!)

I met my husband in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. We were both attending with friends and ended up staying in the same place. Rather like when Kyr sees Ty at the beginning of Return of the Ascendant, there was an immediate sense of awareness and familiarity between us when we first saw each other. I simply can’t explain it. I’ve read about moments like that one in romance novels…that instant spark between two people. To have it happen to me felt otherworldly.

So that’s the “life imitating fiction” moment that I decided to share with all of you. I’m happy to say that after that first meeting in New Orleans and a couple of years of long-distance dating, I married that “alien.” We just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary…and we couldn’t be happier!

I thought it would be a fun touch to include the scene from Return of the Ascendant where Kyr (or Kyra when she’s on Earth) first sees Ty. Enjoy!

Kyra wondered how he’d known what she was thinking. She shook her head, figuring he’d just made a lucky guess based on the circumstances.

They walked for several feet before her sanity kicked in. She tried to remove her arm from the man’s grasp, but he just held her tighter. While the action should have alarmed her, it didn’t. It sure as hell annoyed her, though.

Giving him a more careful study, she tried to place his face. What little of it she could see as he studied their surroundings seemed familiar. Had she met him at a party? Was he in one of her classes last year?

That didn’t seem likely. She’d surely have remembered someone as hot as he was.

His gaze moved sharply to hers. She found herself catching her breath as she looked into the most startling silver eyes she’d ever seen. No one could possibly have eyes that color.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

Grab your copy of Return of the Ascendant on any of these platforms:

Raine Thomas

is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream.

Raine is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning…two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and young adults with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create protagonists who overcome their own conflicts. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Where to find her

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Pinterest  |  Tumblr  |  Instagram  |  YouTube  |  Goodreads  |Linkedin  |  Tsu

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Thursday teaser: Becoming

Posted on July 19, 2018 Written by
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Read on to see how you could win a free e-copy of this week’s fantasy teaser, the first volume in the Daughters of Saraqael fantasy series.

By Raine Thomas

Becoming: Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy Book 1 - fantasy teaserThe surge grew stronger as her anger and stress escalated, and Amber knew she was in trouble. She felt the snaps of energy starting in her chest, pulsing with the strong beats of her heart. As her panic grew, the crackle of energy grew … an unstoppable spiral that she knew would result in something disastrous.

She had to get out of there. Had to. But she couldn’t move.

And then Gabriel was at her side. He didn’t acknowledge Michelle, but instead reached up and lowered Amber’s sunglasses enough to look at her eyes.

“Okay—we’re out of here,” he said, pushing her sunglasses back up.

Alicia and Cornelius approached as Gabriel took Amber’s arm and started for the back gate. Alicia asked with concern, “Is Amber okay?”

“She’s fine,” Gabriel lied as they hurried toward the gate. “Just a slight allergic reaction aggravated by stress. I’ve got her medication in the car. She does better away from crowds.”

“Gabriel.” Amber hardly recognized her own voice. It was croaky and panicked. The vibrations shaking her arms continued to increase in violence. This could not be happening.

“Hang on,” was his response.

They ignored everything and everyone around them as they burst out the back gate and hurried through the parking area. Their car was wedged in among other cars in the Brewers’ makeshift parking arrangement. They’d have to do this on foot. Fortunately, the only people out front were about twenty yards away and thus far had their backs turned.

Oh, God. They had to get away. Had to. Had. To. The pain was starting. God, it hurt.

“Gabriel?”

Her voice was an anguished question now, and would normally have embarrassed her. Only a few seconds had passed since they left the backyard, but the tremors now shook her entire body. Obviously sensing she was reaching a critical point, he bent over and slung her over his shoulder. Then he started running as fast as her added weight would allow.

“Hang on,” he instructed again, breathing harshly and dodging trees as he ran.

She couldn’t breathe. Her body was now outside of her control. She wanted to scream in agony as the surge threatened to overtake her. And even as she knew Gabriel was her only hope, she feared for him. Didn’t want him anywhere near her. She would kill him.

Just as her entire body started convulsing, he burst through a clearing leading to a pond. The sight flooded her with relief even as the pain burst through her chest.

Gabriel!

Her brutalized cry was nothing but a thought, but she somehow knew that he heard it as though it had ripped from her throat. Without pause, he plowed straight forward. They plunged unceremoniously into the pond, and she managed to take hold of her senses enough to wrap herself around him so that their combined weight would drag them further under the water as quickly as possible.

Then the world exploded.

About Becoming: this week’s fantasy teaser

Every three years, Amber Hopkins explodes. Okay, not a blown-to-smithereens explosion, but whatever it is always hurts like hell and leaves her life a shambles. She’s already worked her way through five foster placements, and she’s doing whatever she can to avoid getting blasted into a sixth.

As her eighteenth birthday approaches and she feels the strange and powerful energy building, disaster looms. When the inevitable explosion occurs, her life gets its biggest shakeup yet. She’ll not only learn how her fellow foster and best friend, Gabriel, really feels about her, but she’ll discover that she isn’t really without family.

To top it all off, she’ll finally find out why she’s having the power surges: she isn’t entirely human.

Amber must Become, transitioning to another plane of existence and risking the loss of the most important relationship she’s ever had. Her choice will impact the future of an entire race of beings, and will pit her against an enemy that will prey upon her doubt to try and take her very life.

Kind of makes the explosions now seem like a cakewalk.

Where to get it

Win a free e-copy of Becoming

Leave a comment below telling us about what elements of fantasy and paranormal books you like best. Raine Thomas will give a free e-copy to one lucky commenter.

Raine Thomas author of bestselling fantasyRaine Thomas

is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Find her at:

And follow her on Twitter @Raine_Thomas.

 

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Monday musings: Three under-appreciated indie authors I’d like to invite to dinner

Posted on July 9, 2018 Written by
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by Raine Thomas

The indie author community is both very large and very small. We pursue our passion from all over the world and find each other through author events and on social media. I’m happy to say that I’ve been a part of this community for almost seven years now and in that time I’ve met some incredible people, both virtually and in person.

If I could, I’d host a huge party and invite all of the wonderful indie authors I’ve gotten to know over the years. For the purposes of this post, however, we’re narrowing our invite list down to three. That’s a tough task, but here we go!

The first author I’d invite to dinner would be Amanda Jason. Her popular book Lucky Number Four was one of the first indie rom-cams I’ve ever read, and it had me laughing from the very first paragraph. I also happen to know that Amanda Jason is the pen name of a truly beautiful soul named Carol Kunz. Carol also co-writes with her son, Adam, as under-appreciated indie YA author C.A. Kunz. If I could count them together as one author, I’d for certain have them both to dinner!

My next invite would go to Michelle Cornwell-Jordan. Michelle is one of the kindest, most supportive people I’ve ever known. Michelle has numerous books, most of which are YA paranormal or steampunk and all of which are (in my opinion) under-appreciated. One of the things I love about Michelle is what she does to support the indie author community, from sharing posts across her blog and social media to reading and reviewing ARCs and even hosting her own podcast. She is a force to be reckoned with, and it would be an honor to have her over for dinner.

The last dinner invite I would extend to an indie author I haven’t yet met in person would go to South African author, Deborah Leigh. Deborah’s first book, a hard-hitting romance called Firebird, was intense and powerful, clearly written from the heart. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Deborah through social media and I have a sneaking suspicion we’d get into all kinds of trouble if we had dinner together!

There are many, many other indie authors out there who I’d love to meet in person. Hopefully one day that will happen! Until then, I can live in my fantasy world and think of what fun I’d have if I could sit the above three authors down to dinner.

Raine Thomas

is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream.

Raine is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning…two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and young adults with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create protagonists who overcome their own conflicts. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Where to find her

BestSelling Reads author page  |  Amazon Author page  |   Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Pinterest  |  Tumblr  |  Instagram  |  YouTube  |  Goodreads  |Linkedin  |  Tsu

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Six ways to choose your next read: Monday musings

Posted on May 7, 2018 Written by
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By Raine Thomas

Woman hoping her next read is worth the effort

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

I’ve seen a common complaint on social media lately, one I’ve experienced myself as an avid reader. The complaint is about finding a book to next read. It’s getting more and more difficult to find affordable, well-written e-books. I know you’ve been there: you download a book that has a great cover and blurb and hundreds of reviews, you dig into it, and you promptly realize it’s got a flimsy plot and tons of proofreading errors.

Frustrating, right?

With the market getting more saturated by uploaded e-books every day and some unscrupulous authors buying or farming reviews, how can we as readers choose books that we’re most likely to enjoy? Here are a six tips to choose your next read:

Ask your friends to help you choose your next read

There’s usually at least one person in your life with a reading passion similar to yours. Exchange feedback with him or her about books you’ve each read and take their advice on the best ones to add to your Must-Read list.

Join groups on social media

You’ve likely found that people tend to be quite opinionated and frank on social media, which makes it a potentially solid place to get honest feedback about books. Find groups with similar interests to yours and see which books get the best buzz. Don’t be shy about asking whether people in the group have read a book you’re considering downloading. Most people would be happy to answer!

Read the free excerpt

Most e-book retailers offer the option to take a peek inside the book before you buy it. Take a few minutes to read the free excerpt to get a gauge of the author’s writing style as well as how well edited it is.

Revisit authors you’ve enjoyed in the past

Most authors produce at least a book or two a year. Go back through your reading history and find authors whose books you enjoyed. Find them on book retailers or social media to see if they’ve released anything new. Better yet, sign up for their fan page and/or newsletter to make them tell you about your next read.

Follow reputable book bloggers

Book bloggers are wonderful sources of information about books. Seek out bloggers with an established reputation who point out elements in their reviews about things like storyline and grammar issues to help guide you on your purchasing decisions.

Check out the reviews

Before purchasing a book, read the reviews … both positive and negative. Be sure to read the reviews objectively to avoid being swayed by “trolls” who try and reduce an author’s sales by leaving unjustified negative remarks. You want to look for consistency in the content of multiple reviews to best judge the book’s content.

Do you have a method for choosing your next read? Let us know about it in the comments here or on social media!

Raine Thomas

Bestselling author Raine Thomas is careful about choosing her next readThe multiple award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction, Raine is known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination. She has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen.

She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites to find her next read, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Where to find her

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