Annie Seaton - Dangerous Desire is featured on the HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on award-winning Author Annie Seaton. She writes Contemporary, Paranormal and Historical Fiction novels.

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Today's Featured Book is

Dangerous Desire

Author: Annie Seaton


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A desperate search…

Schoolteacher Gracie James has never seen more danger than her kindergarten classroom, but when she goes searching for her missing sister, she’s thrown into a world of sex, crime…and passion. Following a hot lead, she sneaks onto a stranger’s boat—and gets caught. Their one-sided conversation convinces her of two things. One: the guy is seriously sexy. Two: he knows something about her sister. Oh, yeah. And did she mention he’s sexy?

And a sizzling attraction…

Jake Alexander, former cop, is staking out a yacht brimming with criminal activity, for an insurance company, when a woman, dressed to kill and totally irresistible, stumbles into his dangerous undercover op. If he hadn’t tackled her, she’d have tottered straight onto the questionable yacht in those ridiculous high heels. Then she’d be dead. Or worse. As much as he’d like to kick her off his boat, he can’t risk her going off on some hare-brained scheme—but he can’t keep her around to muck up his job. Oh, yeah. And did he mention she’s distracting as hell?

Lead to dangerous desire…

Unfortunately, she has a keen mind of her own. And a body any man would die for. Jake’s attempt to keep Gracie safe quickly morphs into a reluctant alliance. And a whole lot more… But Gracie finds herself knee deep in more trouble than she bargained for, with secrets revealed and the criminals coming after her. Unless they find a way to trust each other, they’re finished. Oh, yeah. And did they mention they’re in love?

Excerpt

Turning her head slowly, Gracie strained to see her surroundings in the dim light and her gaze fixed on the shadowy shapes of equipment above her. Three cameras and a variety of telescopic lens sat on the shelf near the hatch.

“Oh my God, you’re sitting in here in the dark taking photos of those people? What are you a pervert…or paparazzi or something?” Before he could answer, a glimmer of hope filled her chest and she turned to him.

“How long have you been here? Taking photos, I mean.”

He looked at her strangely and an idea flashed into her mind. Before she could think about the consequences, she seized the opportunity. She slid slowly back over the seat toward him, curled her fingers and reached up to his face, lightly brushing the rough stubble on his cheek with the back of her hand. His jaw was set rock hard and he didn’t move. She leaned in closer to him and dropped her voice to a whisper.

“So…you’ve got some photos of the…er…action on the Midas? Maybe we could look at them together?” She opened her mouth a little and ran the tip of her tongue across her top lip. “We might be able to make our own fun here?”

“Why?” he asked. “You think looking at the photos will turn me on?” A look of boredom crossed his face in the dim light. “Sweetheart, I’ve seen it all, but it you want to play, I’m happy to oblige.”

Gracie’s heart lodged in her throat when he lifted his hand and placed it at the side of her neck and she held her breath, waiting for his fingers to circle her throat. He curled his fingers and imitated the way she had caressed his cheek. His touch was warm and he trailed them down her neck and continued until they rested on the swell of her breast above the low cut neckline. “I’ll show you the photos…and then…”

She drew in a quick breath as his eyes narrowed and he slowly lowered his mouth toward hers. Time seemed to stand still as she tipped her head back on the seat and his lips came closer—inch by inch until his warm breath fanned her lips. His hand slid down to her bare thigh and the hair lifted on the back of her neck and her arms. The heat of his touch penetrated her skin and her heart raced with a dizzying mix of fear and excitement.

It was like a game of cat and mouse as though each was teasing the other to see how far the other would go before they pulled back. Slowly his lips touched hers and she opened her mouth as heat flooded her. His fingers crept up her thigh and ripples of pleasure shot through her. Gracie was the first to break—she reached down and grabbed his hand to still it on its journey up her thigh. For a couple more seconds the hardness of his mouth claimed hers until he pulled back and spoke coldly.

“You like to play dangerous games, but this is not a game. Now I want the truth.”

Author Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Historical Fiction

Website: Annie Seaton
Author's Blog: Annie Seaton-Romance Author
Blog: Google +
Twitter: @annieseaton26
E-Mail: annieseaton26@gmail.com
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Author Description: Annie Seaton lives with her husband, and ‘Bob’ the dog and two white cats in a house next to the beach on the east coast of Australia. She sits in her writing chair, gazing at the ocean and writing stories. Their two children are grown and married and she loves spending time gardening, walking on the beach and spoiling her two grandchildren. She has always been fascinated by all things romantic and has found her niche in life writing romance novels, ranging through contemporary, historical, suspense and paranormal…but all with romance of course.

Her love of reading and history began at an early age and she was a child who always carried a book (or two) no matter what she was doing. Several of her favourite books were confiscated from beneath her desk by teachers who had no understanding of her capacity to read while she was doing her schoolwork!

Her working life has seen her through several major career changes and Annie has now retired from the world of full time work and has fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a published author.

Annie’s debut full length novel, Holiday Affair, a contemporary romance set in the South Pacific was released as part of Entangled Publishing’s Indulgence line in March 2012 and has been a best seller on both Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. The sequel Italian Affair was released in June 2013, and will be followed shortly by Outback Affair. Annie has more books being released in 2013 and 2014 with Entangled Publishing in the Bliss, Entangled Ignite and Covet imprints.

In appreciation of the supportive author community, Annie has written a book on promotion to share the secrets of her success: Promotional Tips and Tricks for Aspiring Authors in the Digital Landscape.

SHOWCASE Questions and Answers with the Author

Congratulations on your book: Dangerous Desire. Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called Outback Affair. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

Thank you, James. I am very excited because I actually have three books about to be released. After Dangerous Desire, Outback Affair will make its appearance on 10th of October and then Tangling with the CEO in mid-November. I love all of my books but my harshest critic (my husband!) loves Outback Affair the most. A little teaser for you from Outback Affair...

Water splashed as a black pick-up truck, loaded with blue crates, sped down the road past her cabin and slowed when it got to her car.

“And sweetheart, you can see right through the front of your suit. Nice view, though. Like the lace G-string.” He laughed, gunned the engine, and took off. Mud splashed the front of her skirt and legs before she had a chance to reply.

Jess stepped out onto the road and gave him the finger.

Not the best reply, but satisfying.

You have a good following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?

The most important factor in succeeding in your writing is to write a good story, of course.

Following a close second in these days of social media, it is critical to reach the reading mass on a daily basis through the use of social media. I focus on Facebook and Twitter for my networking and spend at least two hours every day creating and maintaining relationships. It is very hard to measure whether it impacts on sales but it certainly creates relationships with readers.

Do you do book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?

I live in a regional area of Australia a long way away from major centres so most of my ‘appearances’ are virtual. I have spoken locally at service clubs, and I connect with readers and fellow authors at conferences a couple of times each year.

You have great covers. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

My publisher (Entangled Publishing) is wonderfully receptive when designing covers. They source detailed information from me about what I envisage on the cover, similar covers that.

I like and what I definitely don’t want to see. I have been blessed with amazing covers. Wait until you see Outback Affair— a cover reveal soon— I love it! For my three self-published books, the de Vargas family series and my promotional book for authors, I designed the covers myself.

What writer support groups do you belong to? Do they help with the writing, marketing and the publishing process?

I am a member of the Romance Writers Association of Australia and Romance Writers of New Zealand. To be absolutely honest, I could not have achieved success without belonging to organisations like this. The information on the craft of writing, the latest information on publishers and the networking with fellow authors is invaluable.

Has the advent of ebooks changed anything in your writing, your marketing and the relationship with your readers and fans?

I have only been involved in ebook publication having come to writing in the last two years. I was immersed immediately in the digital world and was quite comfortable there as I have a very strong technology background from my days in the career world.

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

I have offered all of my self-published books for free at one stage or another and believe it is beneficial as it further increases the exposure of my name and my books. I have also given away free print copies of my books for promotion and to my local library. I also gift many copies of my books as giveaways on blog tours and it has always been a positive experience for me.

Along with that, when do you start the marketing process for a new book? Give a brief outline of the steps you go through to get your book to market. (You can promo your industry book: Promotional Tips and Tricks for Aspiring Authors in the Digital Landscape here.)

The marketing process is an ongoing and continual process. For individual books it begins when I am writing each book (or as soon as it is contracted) I talk to my readers about what I am doing, what I am researching and share my writing life on a daily basis on social media. As far as marketing, I believe it is essential that I maintain my personal brand as a writer and continue to keep a high profile. This is outlined in detail in my book for aspiring authors: Promotional Tips and Tricks for Aspiring Authors in the Digital Landscape. For individual book promotion, I have a personal publicist with Entangled Publishing who works with me to devise the step by step marketing plan.

Living in Australia creates a unique selling and marketing situation. Where is your biggest audience? Does marketing online help in this situation?

That’s an interesting question. My biggest audience up until recently was the United States where the population is much greater than that of my home country, Australia. Over the past few weeks my rankings for Italian Affair have picked up in India which is very exciting.

Marketing online gives you a global market at your fingertips.

What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?

My publisher sends out Advance Review Copies to readers and then I simply rely on my reading audience to supply them.



Author's Book List
Italian Affair - An Affair Series Book - Entangled Indulgence
Free-spirited sex therapist Brianna Ballantine has four days to find a fiancé so she can inherit her birth mother’s Italian villa. Commitment is not on the agenda. Writing her sex therapy book and signing legal papers are. And once all is said and done, she’ll return home to Scotland.

For finance guru Tomas Richards, relationships have been a bad investment—give him stocks and shares any day. When Tomas offers a marriage of convenience to help Brianna secure her inheritance, the sizzle between the sheets promises an affair to remember, despite family complications at every turn.

But Tom must convince Brianna to stay, and make this Italian affair a lifelong commitment.


Order the Book From: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Winter of the Passion Flower - The de Vargas Family
Sexy heroine seeks captain for time-traveling submarine.

Indigo de Vargas is determined to exhibit her products at the Great Exhibition in Crystal Palace. Her opponents have thwarted her preparation at every turn. Her only hope is the brooding captain who appears on her doorstep in the midst of a fierce snowstorm offering to navigate her submarine to the Amazon so she can collect the passionflowers for her pharmacologicals and cosmecuticals.

Steam powers more than the submarine on this voyage. Sparks flying between Indigo and her captain may ignite a passion neither can avoid. Ably assisted by quirky servants, brass goggles and inappropriate accoutrements, they must fight those out to foil her mission.


Order the Book From: Amazon
Summer of the Moon Flower - The de Vargas Family
Sofia de Vargas’ research into the Alpine Moon flower and its elixir of immortality will threaten the very existence of an ancient Scottish order. Dougal, the Earl of Rothmore must prove his loyalty to his masters, the Knights Templar, and bring her body back to Kilmarnock.

Sofia is kidnapped and imprisoned on the isolated Isle of Rothmore. Is Dougal her sworn enemy…or her saviour?


Order the Book From: Amazon
Blind Lust
When Venus has a wager with Cupid, that prudish librarian, Lizzy Sweet cannot be enticed to love, she neglects to tell her son that Lizzy is a three hundred year old witch. The first man Lizzy sees after Cupid shoots his arrow is Josh Deegan, a famous country and western singer who has come to town to rediscover his muse, in an old farmhouse haunted by a culinary ghost. Local warlock, Wesley Gordon, who has been hitting on Lizzy to no avail for over one hundred years, is not impressed. The quirky old folk of Silver Valley watch fondly as the battle between love and lust plays out. Leaden and golden arrows


Order the Book From: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Holiday Affair - An Affair Series Book - Entangled Indulgence
Staid professor Lissy McIntyre believes that choosing a mate should be based on common sense, not runaway passion. And she would certainly never pick a rolling stone like Nick Richards for long-term love. But a red-hot, tropical romance? Oh, yeah. He’s got a body just made for sinning and his sizzling kisses leave her senseless.When Nick blows into town, he’s stunned to discover that his no-nonsense new neighbor and co-worker is the same sultry creature he seduced for one night of forbidden island pleasure. He’s unaccustomed to staying in one place for long, but he just can’t seem to keep his hands off the multi-faceted woman. Will Nick break loyal Lissy’s heart or will she be the one woman he simply can’t walk away from?


Order the Book From: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Check Annie's Media Page.
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