Sunday, November 15, 2015

Do Psychopaths wait thirty years?




Do psychopaths wait thirty years to commit another or other murders?

In my book, 'Murder by Midnight', the trail had gone cold until a new spate of murders occur in the same valley town...

'The Cinderella Murders'

When an elderly man turns up at her police station, D.S. Ruth Carter, does not immediately recognise him. However, when she does, she is immediately transported back in time to 1980 when her best friend Jenny was murdered.

Now though there’s a killer on the loose who calls himself, ‘Prince Charming’, his modus operandi is to leave just one shoe on his victims. The murderer’s style is similar to the person who killed Jenny back in the eighties, but is this the same man?

Whilst the killer plays a ‘Cat and Mouse’ game with the detectives, Ruth’s personal life begins to unravel. What has her partner Pete been up to while she’s been at work? He’s been staying out over night and making excuses for his absences. Can she trust him? Particularly as he went missing the night of one of the murders.

Who is the killer is he a stranger or is he someone that she thought she knew so well?

Available from Amazon Kindle:
UK readers here: http://tinyurl.com/pbt3qsf
US readers here: http://tinyurl.com/nghpcpj

Sunday, October 11, 2015

The Story Behind 'Murder by Midnight'



My crime fiction novel, Murder by Midnight, is now available in Kindle format. It's currently number 9 on the Welsh Crime Fiction Amazon Kindle Chart.

I began writing this novel back in 2008 for the Nanowrimo Challenge and was pleased I managed to get past the required 50,000 word count. The idea behind the challenge, if you don't already know, is to write a 50k word novel during the month of November! I hadn't finished writing the novel itself and for some reason put it aside and got on with writing and publishing several other novels at the time.

A couple of years ago, I started up a Facebook creative writing group called, 'Merthyr Writes'. It no longer exists but helped me tremendously. I posted chapters of the novel, which was then entitled, 'The Clock Strikes Twelve', to the group and the members loved it. This gave me all the encouragement I needed to finish the book. It only required a few more chapters to complete it.
I wrote those and it went down very well. People were telling me to get it published. It was accepted by a British publisher at the end of last year, which thrilled me.

I think writing the first draft fast and furiously is what works best for me as people tell me my books are page turners. Quite often they'll say my book kept them up at night. That makes me very happy as then I feel I've done my job as an author.

The book is set in my locality of Merthyr Tydfil, so I know the area very well, all the settings and where the action takes place. I'm also fortunate to have good contacts about police procedure, so I can make my stories as authentic as possible.

Serial killers have always fascinated me, what makes them tick? The psychology of it all. I wanted this book to be about a trophy killer and wondered what he might take from his victims. Once I'd established it was a shoe, I made the connection with Cinderella in my mind and named him, 'Prince Charming'.

For the protagonist, Detective Sergeant, Ruth Carter, this is more than just a serial killer she's dealing with as it dredges up her past.

Hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I did writing it! :)

MURDER BY MIDNIGHT

'The Cinderella Murders'

When an elderly man turns up at her police station, D.S. Ruth Carter, does not immediately recognise him. However, when she does, she is immediately transported back in time to 1980 when her best friend Jenny was murdered.

Now though there’s a killer on the loose who calls himself, ‘Prince Charming’, his modus operandi is to leave just one shoe on his victims. The murderer’s style is similar to the person who killed Jenny back in the eighties, but is this the same man?

Whilst the killer plays a ‘Cat and Mouse’ game with the detectives, Ruth’s personal life begins to unravel. What has her partner Pete been up to while she’s been at work? He’s been staying out over night and making excuses for his absences. Can she trust him? Particularly as he went missing the night of one of the murders.

Who is the killer is he a stranger or is he someone that she thought she knew so well?

Available from Amazon Kindle:
UK readers here: http://tinyurl.com/pbt3qsf
US readers here: http://tinyurl.com/nghpcpj



Thursday, October 08, 2015

Murder by Midnight



My new novel, Murder by Midnight was released this week. I'm writing crime fiction under the name of 'Lyn Harman'. It's already been doing well and has ranked as # 9 in the Amazon Kindle Welsh Crime Fiction chart. Here's a little about the plot. 

'The Cinderella Murders'


When an elderly man turns up at her police station, D.S. Ruth Carter, does not immediately recognise him. However, when she does, she is immediately transported back in time to 1980 when her best friend Jenny was murdered.
Now though there’s a killer on the loose who calls himself, ‘Prince Charming’, his modus operandi is to leave just one shoe on his victims. The murderer’s style is similar to the person who killed Jenny back in the eighties, but is this the same man?
Whilst the killer plays a ‘Cat and Mouse’ game with the detectives, Ruth’s personal life begins to unravel. What has her partner Pete been up to while she’s been at work? He’s been staying out over night and making excuses for his absences. Can she trust him? Particularly as he went missing the night of one of the murders.
Who is the killer is he a stranger or is he someone that she thought she knew so well?

Available from Amazon Kindle:
US readers here: http://tinyurl.com/nghpcpj




Sunday, August 16, 2015

White Roses [Historical Romance] now available on Amazon Kindle!



White Roses, the follow up to Black Diamonds is now available on Amazon Kindle!

Blurb

Merthyr Tydfil 1867 

There’s a new emerging star of the stage, called, ‘Kathleen O’Hara’. 

Unfortunately for Irish-born, Kathleen, although she’s described as having the ‘Voice of an Angel’, as she successfully performs on the stage at The Temperance Hall, Merthyr Tydfil, it’s not plain sailing. She has the wrath and jealousy of operatic diva, Bella Montovani, to contend with. Up until now, Bella, has had top-billing at the theatre, but she views Kathleen as competition. The young Irish woman is better looking and her voice draws an appreciative audience, whilst Bella’s popularity wanes. 

Newly-married Kathleen, also has opposition from her own husband to contend with. He’s just landed a job with the Glamorgan Constabulary, whilst she has the chance to head for the London stage, causing conflict between the pair. 

Will Kathleen pursue her dream and head for London without her husband or stay put on the Merthyr stage?

Available here now:

UK Readers: Amazon.co.uk!

US Readers: Amazon.com!


Monday, July 20, 2015

Crafting the Historical Novel



Any well written novel needs to be researched, particularly an historical novel. If you get the details wrong, your readers are never going to let you forget about it. If cholera arrived in a particular year in a town, and you're just a year or two out with the date, believe me, someone will know about it. So you need to do your research.

Here are some points worth remembering when writing historical fiction.

1. Write what you know, but also write what you don't know... research it!

Some writers get so bogged down in research that they don't get to actually write their novel in the first place, or if they do, the research impedes their progress. I met a journalist once at a writer's luncheon. After we exchanged some background details about one another, she turned to me and said, "You know I envy you?"

Puzzled, I asked her why. She said it was because I could write both non fiction and fiction. Something she had difficulty doing herself. As she came from a newspaper background, it was difficult for her to write fiction as she was constantly researching and fact checking, as a result, she couldn't seem to write her book.

I think that just about sums it up. Research is great, but too much research can bog down both the reader and the author. After all, it's enough to mention a few details about a particular historical item, rather than the reader knowing its total history, that would bore them to death.

For me, what works well, is writing and researching as I go along. For example, I might spend an hour or two reading a local history book and it then gives me ideas to later slot into my novel in progress. I read one book last year which contained details of people's misdemeanours and sentences. I read about one washer woman who hit the bottle when her husband left her, she then turned to prostitution as she fell upon hard times. I used that idea for a character in my novel. The Wash House became a character in and of itself as further characters and plot ideas sprang to mind.

2. Don't rely on the Internet alone.

There's a lot of misinformation online. If you find some valuable information on one website, double-check it on at least another couple of sites. Better still, visit the library and check there too. Whilst it can be helpful to include dates, you don't want your novel to read like a school history book. The Battle of Hastings might have taken place in 1066, but the reader doesn't need a day and date on every page of your story to make it interesting, in fact, doing so would make it most dis interesting!

3. Use correct language for the time period.

Many modern words, particularly slang ones have slipped into our vocabulary. You wouldn't get a Victorian or an Elizabethan 'twerking' or yelling, 'OMG!'. It can be helpful to ask one or two people to proofread for you, as sometimes modern words can slip through into your work without you even realising it. For me, it kills an historical story stone dead, if the wrong words are used, ones that didn't exist back then. It makes for a highly improbable story and makes me wonder what else the author has got wrong.

4. Know the type of dress worn at the time.

Study the mode of dress for that time period. It can be helpful to watch historical TV dramas and visit museums to see how women and men dressed during the time your novel is set. Afterall, the way the characters dressed would have impacted on how they walked and acted. A Victorian woman who had to wear a corset would have been far more confined than a nineteen twenties flapper girl, for instance.

5. Join historical societies, genealogical groups and other groups of interest in your area and also online. 

What you don't know, you can always ask others about. Also, mixing online with other historical authors is helpful as what some of them know is amazing. You might ask a question about the Victorian nurse, for example, and within the hour, receive several replies from various people.

6. Make a friend of your librarian.

Not only can a librarian help you with research by pointing you in the right direction regarding appropriate books, but often libraries have reference rooms which contain old censuses, access to old newspapers on microfilm, etc. A library holds a wealth of information.

7. Understand the importance of faith and religion during the particular time period you're writing about.

For example, following genealogical research, I discovered some of my ancestors were Mormons. A book had been written about Mormons in my town and after further research, I realised what conflict there was for people of that denomination in my town. They were stoned in the streets when they tried to preach and called 'Saints of Satan'. Many who took up the faith emigrated to Utah. These facts later became woven into my latest historical novel, 'Black Diamonds' to make it as authentic as possible. Although my novel isn't about my own Mormon relatives, it's about characters who are a lot like my ancestors were.

'Black Diamonds' is the first in a series of historical novels which begin in the year 1865, on the day of the Gethin Pit Explosion in Abercanaid, Wales. Further titles include, White Roses, Blue Skies and Red Poppies.

Writing ladies with their copies of Black Diamonds!



My lovely writing friends with copies of my book, 'Black Diamonds'. I gave them the books as a gift as they've been very good and supportive friends to me this past few years.


Rose and Pearl are the knitters of the group and over the past couple of years have made some beautiful jumpers, jackets and bonnets for my two-year-old granddaughter.

Rose, on the left loves to bake and often presents us with Welsh cakes to take home.

Pearl, on the right, has a great spirit of adventure and will soon take a helicopter ride, which was a present from her grandson for her 75th birthday.



This is Marion and Rita.  I've known Marion [on the left] for several years. She's very wise and spiritual. Rita, [on the right] I've known more recently as she started to come out for meals with us. She's a friend of Rose and Pearl.

Another member of the group is Wendy, unfortunately for us, she was away when the pics were taken, but not unfortunate for her though as she was on a cruise! I've kept a book for Wendy which I'll give her this week when we meet up. Wendy always has us in stitches with tales of her antics.

The group has now been meeting for five years, but before that I used to run a writing therapy group at a local cancer centre, which is how I met some of the ladies in the first place. The group was very successful and popular and was once filmed for the TV show, 'Secret Millionaire'.

We now meet up every fortnight for lunch and a natter. To be honest, I call them the writing ladies as that's how the group started off, but nowadays we just lunch and eat, share one another's joys and sorrows and have formed a close bond with one another.  I always look forward to those days we meet for lunch, it's a couple of hours of light hearted banter and friendship.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Black Diamonds excerpt 1



The mining disaster was reported in The Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian on Friday the 22nd of December.

Mr. Morgan placed his newspaper down on the kitchen table, “It says here,” he said, addressing his wife and Lily, “that six men burnt to death and maybe as many as twenty suffocated.”

“Oh, you are sending shivers down my spine, William.” Mrs Morgan grimaced. “Those poor men.”

“Not to forget the boys too,” he said, peering over his glasses.

“Christmas won’t be the same again for the people of Abercanaid...”

'Black Diamonds' Historical Romance

[Seasons of Change Book 1]

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Black Diamonds [Historical Romance] now on Kindle!



My historical romance, 'Black Diamonds' has now been published on Amazon Kindle!

Available for UK readers here: 

US readers here: 

A tale of passion and compassion and most of all, one woman's brave heart. 

Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, 1865. When Lily Jenkin begins her first day working for the Morgans at their corner shop in the little village of Abercanaid, she has no idea of the calamity that lies ahead of that fateful day. It is a day of tragedy at the Gethin Coal Pit that brings her into contact with the new handsome, chapel minister, Evan Davies, for the first time. 

Although a dark cloud of death passes over the village, Lily and Evan draw close to one another as they help the villagers deal with the tragedy, forming a bond which could lead to love. However, there is a gossiping old crone in the village who will do her best to cause trouble for the pair by hook or by crook. 

Lily has the opportunity to escape the valley of the shadow of death to make a new home for herself in Great Salt Lake, America. Will she take the chance to go to ‘Zion’, following her Mormon relatives, and more importantly, will Evan, a Welsh Baptist minister, go with her?

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

FREE on Kindle for next few days!



My Kindle book is being offered as a FREE download for the next few days.

I decided to write this 'in a nutshell' guide to writing romance after wishing I'd had something like this to read myself when I started out 'trying to write romance'. It took me many years to get to where I am now as an author. I've split the book into various sections/chapters for you to get this most from this guide. I also include interviews with three well known romance writers: 


~ Chapters ~ 

1. The Hero 
2. The Heroine 
3. Complimentary Characters 
4. Where can I get my ideas from? 
5. Conflict/Obstacles 
6. Dialogue 
7. Plot 
8. Crafting the Love Scene 
9. Beginnings, Middles and Endings 
10. The Black Moment 
11. Happily Ever After? 
12. Marketing Your Submission 
13. Useful Books and Websites 


Download Links:

US: UK:

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Self Publishing: A better option?




I've never had much luck with publishers which is why I've now decided to republish some of my novels on Amazon Kindle, and in paperback [via Create Space].

When I say I haven't had much luck, I don't mean with getting books accepted for publication but with the publisher practices.

My first novel, 'It Happened One Summer', was originally released to help raise funds for a cancer charity I worked for at that time.  Imagine my excitement when the first shipment of books arrived from the U.S...the postman struggled to hoist the humongous sacks down my front steps!  However, my euphoria was short lived when my son, who was a teen then, opened one of the books and looked inside.  "How come they've spelled your name wrong inside?" he asked.

"What?"  I took the book from his grasp and noticed he was absolutely right.  My name was spelled correctly on the cover but inside my surname was spelled 'Reese' instead of 'Rees'.  Not only that but my name was printed at the top of every page, you just couldn't miss it!

I picked up book after book, checking, hoping it was just that one, but they were all the same.

How could the publisher make a mistake like that?  The only thing I can think of is that 'Reese's Cups', a chocolate and peanut butter sweet treat, are very popular in the U.S. and maybe it was imprinted on the editor's or printer's brain!

The publisher concerned had some sort of alliance with a small printing firm.  The person who owned it was also one of their authors.  Not only that but authors had to pay a so-called 'set up fee' to have their books put into print.  So all of this was a costly mistake, not of my making!

Imagine my annoyance.

I contacted the publisher but they refused to replace the books or even give me a discount. They didn't even apologise for their mistake!  The charity book launch was already set up, so I had no choice other than to go ahead with it or wait another six weeks for a shipment of books.  A second lot of books were sent to me following the launch, this time with the correct spelling, but it was already too late for me, the sparkle of my first published novel was tarnished.

I was so fed up of the way this publisher was treating me...communication was poor, emails went unanswered... that I asked to be released from my contract.  I'd also signed a contract for a second book that would also be published to raise funds for the charity and asked to be released from that too.

I finally found another publisher who was much better to work with, I didn't have to pay a set up fee and I was also given some free books.  The books had new cover art too [which was far superior to the first book's cover].  I was relieved when these arrived to find no errors and they continued to be sold for the charity.

***

My next strange experience with a publisher was a more recent one.  I submitted my romance novel to them and was thrilled when it was accepted.  I'd worked hard on it and worked even harder on the publisher edits when they arrived.  The first editor sent me six rounds of edits which I found strange as usually there are only a couple of rounds.  I also found some of the things she said most odd and slightly offensive.  


She made a comment about the heroine drinking vodka and lemonade with ice as if it was an unusual thing to do. She tried to get me to delete the word ice!  "When I was in England I had a hard time finding ice in any bar!" she scoffed.  I wrote back saying that I've never had any problems getting served ice with my drinks and it's true I never have.  I had to really dig my heels in to let the drink I wanted my heroine to have to remain in the book.  I really felt that editor had some sort of personal issues related to England.  Of course she called it England but we are really the United Kingdom.  The heroine was Welsh anyhow not English!

Then there were the songs in the book.  I had mentioned one or two Frank Sinatra songs being played as the couple danced on the balcony, also a Mario Lanzo song the hero's mother loved, but the publisher refused to allow me to use the titles.  Instead I had to explain the type of songs playing like, 'a swing song' or 'Italian love ballad', which I found totally ridiculous. The publisher said it was because if the real titles and artists were mentioned, they could be sued.  Really?  My next publisher allowed me to use titles of songs and the artists.  She wasn't afraid of being sued.

The book then had to go through another couple of rounds of edits with another editor who contradicted the first editor. So there were eight rounds of edits in all!

This publisher did no promotion for my book at all. I applied to review sites myself and did all sorts of promo: Interviews, Twitter, Cover Reveal Sites etc.

Now, you would think after all the hours of work from their editors, it would pay them to promote their books, but they only seemed to promote certain authors, mainly those who wrote paranormal shift-shaper type stories. The publishing company then changed their name and set up a new web site and didn't even add me to it!

Worse was to come.  I was really upset when I received the cover art for my book.  The characters looked like how I imagined them to, except for one thing...the hero had 'man boobs', he had bigger breasts than the heroine!!  I emailed the publisher, who just laughed it off and said she could see what I meant.  The man boobs were supposedly trimmed down by the cover artist, but they looked the same to me.  The publisher then said we'd go with it as it was. In other words, no more discussion.  She wasn't concerned at all.  I felt so embarrassed about that cover that I hated using it as promotion.

Then there was the title.  I won't name it here not to identify the publisher but they didn't like my original title and made me choose something bland.  Their reason being that they thought my original title 'The Sicilian's Proposition', sounded too crime oriented.  Now pardon me, but a proposition doesn't have to be something sinister, does it?

The dictionary definition is:  something (such as a plan or offer) that is presented to a person or group of people to consider
: a statement to be proved, explained, or discussed
: something that someone intends to do or deal with

Merriam Webster.

I think the publisher thought as the book was set mainly in Sicily that a proposition had to have a Mafia connection, but in this case, it was an offer that could be refused!

I decided to take action and asked for new cover art and a new title, which the publisher complied with. She immediately sent a new cover which was acceptable to me, which made me ask the question, Why couldn't she have done that to begin with when I first complained?

She said she'd see how sales went with the new title and cover and then try it with a 99 cent promotion, but that never happened.  She also said that ** Linda [Not her real name] would work her magic on promoting the book.  Linda never did.  In fact, all I ever saw Linda do was post about some selected books [mainly shape-shifter romances again] on their Facebook page.  The page had few subscribers, all of whom seemed to be other authors from that publisher.

So what was the point of that?

After a year of not receiving any royalty payments for this book after all the work I'd put into it, I decided to call it quits and asked to be released from my contract. I finally got sent some money and guess how much it was?  A couple of hundred? A couple of thousand dollars?

Nope.  A measly two dollars!  


Two dollars for all that effort!  Less than the price of a cup of coffee!

I knew my novel hadn't sold many copies, it might have been due to the odd cover art, but two dollars was taking the proverbial!

It's the least I've ever earned from a publisher.  

Yet that same publisher claimed that some of their authors had regular earnings of $3,000 a month!

Once released from my contract, I immediately changed the cover art for my book and gave it back its original title, 'The Sicilian's Proposition'.  Then uploaded it to Kindle and created a paper back version at Create Space.  I've earned more from selling it myself via Amazon Kindle than I ever did from the publisher.  My novel has also been nominated for a RONE Award this year in the Contemporary Steamy category.  So it's proof that someone loves it!

***

My third bad experience with a publisher, was with an historical fiction one.  Almost two years ago I signed a contract for my Welsh Historical Romance novel.  The publisher in question had big ideas and said we had to have book launches at Waterstones etc, instructing me not to invite family and friends!  She was a total control freak.  She used to bark orders at us and didn't allow us to communicate on an author loop.  She once sent the following email:

Dear authors,

Please do not use the word 'Strode' in your novels or it's derivatives as I detest that word! Remove all forms of that word before publication!

She wouldn't accept the author photograph I sent her for the website either, even though other publishers had, telling me I had to have one professionally taken, which I did.  I complied with all her requests of creating an Author Press Release booklet, etc.

The contract I signed was long and complicated.  She owned some sort of movie making company and wanted to make movies of some of the books and claimed to be 'in talks with Hollywood agents'.  She wanted the television and movie rights too.  I think to be honest it was all bull about the movies and she had delusions of grandeur.

When it came to the time I should have been working on publisher edits, she kept putting me off, so much so, I had to cancel a planned book launch and talk.  I then discovered someone had recently taken her on in court for non payment of translation rights and they won.  She'd been successfully sued! Other authors had complained too and left her publishing company. I then asked to be released from my contract.  

It was so disappointing as people had been waiting for that particular novel as it's about my home town.  I knew I couldn't work with her any longer though when she'd put off edits three times, finally asking me to choose a date.

This publisher claims to have offices in London and New York which sounds really impressive.  In reality though, the addresses when traced, are just postal addresses and she herself, lives in South Carolina.

I'm getting to think these days, if you're a reasonably good author who can sort out your own manuscript, get a couple of people to proofread and edit, format correctly, and can upload to Kindle and Create Space, you might as well do it yourself.

Authors like Rachel Abbot have done this and made a name for themselves and gone on to become best selling authors.  Gone are the days when you had to have a traditional publisher in order to do this.

The great thing about self publishing is you the author can have complete control over everything.  




Friday, May 22, 2015

It Happened One Summer [Celtic Heart Book 1]


It Happened One Summer, is a Romantic Suspense novel that's very close to my heart as it was the first book I ever wrote and it was originally released in paperback to raise funds for a local cancer charity.  I have such lovely memories attached to that book.

The good news is that nine years later, I've republished it in Kindle and paperback!

For a flavour here's the back cover blurb:

When Sandy Perkins encounters an awkward customer, sparks fly. Making matters worse, the 'customer' later reveals himself to her as new boss, Matt Walker. Can Matt heal the rift with Sandy to help thwart the evil stalker threatening her life? Will Sandy finally allow herself to fall in love again?

Previous Reviews:

"This is a comforting book, and I sensed that from the first page. Reading it is like curling up in a window seat on a cold gloomy day, with a fire crackling on the hearth, and a good book in your lap! The reader just instinctively knows that there will be a happily-ever-after conclusion, and instinctively that propels one forward through the book, with trust and optimism. Top recommendations for this one, and I anticipate future stories from this wonderful author!"

Reviewer: Annie Euro-Reviews 5 star excellent!

"Ms. Rees instills characters that leave a lasting impression with wonderful dialogue that enhances the story. The secondary characters are a welcome addition to the storyline. Ms. Rees knows how to hook the reader and fascinate in this compelling page-turner. It Happened One Summer is a phenomenal read that should not be missed."

~ The Romance Studio 5 hearts ~

"Ms. Rees fashions a tender romance with quick conversation that keeps everything flowing smoothly. The secondary characters are well-rounded and lend dimension to the story. She weaves a compelling story mixed with jealously, greed and betrayal that grabs the reader. This most refreshing read makes one feel good all the way down to the toes. This is one book that is truly a recommended read."

~ Fallen Angel Reviews, 5 Angels, Recommended Read ~

Purchase book here:




RETURN TO WINTER is the second book in The Celtic Heart Series.



Friday, May 08, 2015

Watching You available now!




The man hid behind a tree, watching the funeral guests as they left the big house, his heart beating a tattoo beneath his shirt. He extracted a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and patted his brow. Must be all the adrenaline flowing around his body, he surmised. This was such an exciting day for him, better than winning any lottery. Ah, yes, revenge is sweet...
'Watching You' by Lynette Rees [available now in Kindle format.]

Monday, May 04, 2015

The Rise to Success: E. L. James



Oh my...E.L. James knocks Jackie Collins down the wealthy author list!

I know Ms. Collins doesn't rate E. L. James at all! I'd rather Jackie Collins books myself, but not totally against E. L. James.

Best of luck to her, she released a series of books at the right time that appealed to a mass audience. Probably got herself a great agent too.

Even people I never thought would read that sort of book, did. And when I went to see the movie, [this was in the afternoon of the second week], most of the audience seemed to be women in their sixties and seventies!

Before Fifty Shades of Grey was published, people weren't too keen to admit they read erotic literature. She made it cool to like the Cliterati and somehow that book crossed over into mainstream publishing. You could pop into Tesco for a sandwich on your lunch hour or while doing the weekly shop, and toss a copy into your basket or trolley, take the escalator upstairs and add a Mr Grey 'Laters Baby' Camisole, oh and I forgot at one time Tesco were selling riding crops for a fiver!! Tally ho!!

Still think there's far better erotica and Romantica [a trademarked term used by the publisher 'Ellora's Cave'] out there. but for some reason, this woman hit on a formula. Not only was there a movie produced but now a follow up too, lines of lingerie, sex toys etc, there's probably even a Fifty Shades of Grey Tea Towel and matching Oven Glove on sale somewhere.

I bought all three books when they first came out, but have to admit I only read the first one, it was too repetitive for me and I lost the will to carry on after that. Though I do know of some women who have loved all three novels.

So, what's your take? Are you a Fifty Shades fan? Or is it a lot of tripe, er I mean...hype?

Saturday, April 25, 2015

FREE Kindle Promo of 'It Happened One Summer!!



From the 26th of April I'll be offering the Kindle version of 'It Happened One Summer' absolutely free for five days.

It's a Romantic Suspense novel that's very close to my heart as it was originally released in paperback to raise funds for a local charity.  I have such lovely memories of that first book.

Here's the back cover blurb:

When Sandy Perkins encounters an awkward customer, sparks fly. Making matters worse, the 'customer' later reveals himself to her as new boss, Matt Walker. Can Matt heal the rift with Sandy to help thwart the evil stalker threatening her life? Will Sandy finally allow herself to fall in love again?

Previous Reviews:

"This is a comforting book, and I sensed that from the first page. Reading it is like curling up in a window seat on a cold gloomy day, with a fire crackling on the hearth, and a good book in your lap! The reader just instinctively knows that there will be a happily-ever-after conclusion, and instinctively that propels one forward through the book, with trust and optimism. Top recommendations for this one, and I anticipate future stories from this wonderful author!"

Reviewer: Annie Euro-Reviews 5 star excellent!

"Ms. Rees instills characters that leave a lasting impression with wonderful dialogue that enhances the story. The secondary characters are a welcome addition to the storyline. Ms. Rees knows how to hook the reader and fascinate in this compelling page-turner. It Happened One Summer is a phenomenal read that should not be missed."

~ The Romance Studio 5 hearts ~

"Ms. Rees fashions a tender romance with quick conversation that keeps everything flowing smoothly. The secondary characters are well-rounded and lend dimension to the story. She weaves a compelling story mixed with jealously, greed and betrayal that grabs the reader. This most refreshing read makes one feel good all the way down to the toes. This is one book that is truly a recommended read."

~ Fallen Angel Reviews, 5 Angels, Recommended Read ~

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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Excerpt from 'The Sicilian's Proposition'




She wrapped her large beach towel around herself and came above deck to find Dante had already changed into a pair of white swimming trunks. She held her breath when she saw his tanned, trim body. He had a smattering of black hair on his chest and looked very muscular. His chest was broad, and she longed to run her fingers over its contours and lay her head on it. She inhaled, exhaled, and tried to keep her composure.

“Come on, Joanne,” he teased.“Drop the towel.” His chocolate brown eyes glinted devilishly.

She let her towel fall to the floor and watched as his eyes widened with desire.

“Mamma Mia. Why do you fear showing your body to me? You are beautiful…and that gold chain around your stomach, it makes you look very sexy…”

No one had ever called her sexy before, ever. Her mouth dry, she licked her lips.
“I haven’t let a man see me in a bikini for years, Dante. I’m not as slim as I used to be.”

“No, no, Joanne. To me you look fabulous. I love your curves. They suit you. A man needs somewhere comfortable to land.” He laughed, making her laugh too, and it helped to ease her heightened nerves. He pecked her on the cheek and then, much to her astonishment, he turned, walked to the side of the boat, climbed on the edge, and dived into the water, sending up a huge splash of sea spray.
She stood and peered overboard but couldn’t see him for a few seconds; her heart thudded. Where had he gone? Then there was a splash as he emerged and wiped the water out of his eyes, laughing and bobbing up and down in the water. 

“Come on in here, join me please, Joanne,” he urged. She hadn’t been expecting this at all.
Gingerly she sat on the side of the boat. “Will you help me into the water?” She bit her lip.
“Of course, amore mio. Jump to me, I will catch you.”
She closed her eyes and with blind faith threw herself into his arms. For a moment the combined weight made them dip under water and she began to panic a little. Then they were fully submerged, and eventually returned to the surface, bobbing up and down. There was a small ladder at the side of the boat she could cling to if she wanted to and that reassured her somehow. Who could fail to feel safe with Dante around?
“But…but…where are we?” she spluttered.
“Joanne, we are only just off the coastline of Sicily. Over there are the Aeolian Islands.” He pointed and she made out some dark shapes in the distance. “We shall have a little swim here, rest later, and eat too. Then I am going to sail the boat over to one of them. It’s called Lipari and it’s the largest island, it’s volcanic. The food there is out of this world.”
“You are full of surprises, Dante.”
“I know.” He smiled and drew her close to him, stroked her face, and then pressed his lips down on hers, stealing her breath away as his tongue danced with hers. “Like that you mean?” he asked, drawing away.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“And like this?” He wrapped his arms around her and untied her bikini top. She gasped at his cheek and watched as he spun it around his head and tossed it aboard the boat.
“What did you do that for?” She blinked several times.
“Because you have a beauty, Joanne, that needs to be admired.” He cupped a breast in his hand and lowered his head to suckle. She groaned as a tingle of desire coursed around her body. “Please do not worry, there is no one to see us here like this.”
He pushed her up against the boat; the water was so clear, so aquamarine and warmer than she thought, though that might have been because he had switched on her button of desire. There were some fish swimming down below in among the fronds and rocks. She gazed in awe.
“Yes, this is a good place to catch fish, Joanne. I have been scuba diving here. You should join me sometime.”

She laughed. “I think this is as much of the ocean I can stand, Dante. I’m not a strong swimmer.”
He ran a wet finger along her cheek. “Ah, you are frightened, I can see that, but you need not be when you are with me. I can teach you about so many things.”
She shivered; without a doubt, there were many things Dante Alphonso could teach her, not least of all love-making. He was her tutor and she was about to become a very willing student...

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