Author Genre: Romance, Mystery & Thrillers, Young Adult
Website: Lorhainne Eckhart
Twitter: @Leckhart
E-Mail: Lorhainne@LorhainneEckhart.com
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Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Author Description:
2012 was an amazing year in the publishing world for me, and it started with The Forgotten Child, which landed on the Amazon bestseller list for western romance and romance series. 2013 has seen me posted in the top 100 authors on Amazon for romantic suspense, mystery/thrillers, and police procedural.
Where did it all begin? In 2008, I published my first novel, The Captain’s Lady, a contemporary military romance, through The Wild Rose Press. I've since received the rights back from my publisher and I rewrote the book and republished it with a brand new title, SAVED.
I write edgy romantic suspense (Walk the Right Road Series), western romance (Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series), and young adult mystery, and I warn my readers to expect the unexpected. I’m a mother of three children and we live on a small Island in the Pacific Northwest. I encourage you to contact me by email; I do answer every email I receive.
Stay tuned. There is more to come from the Walk the Right Road Series and Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series, as well as a brand new western romance series coming later this fall, THE ONE.
And to my readers and all of you who have shared my stories with your family and friends, a big heartfelt thank you.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: Blown Away, The Final Chapter. What do you have on the drawing board next? Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called Friendly Fire. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
Actually, I have two books coming out this month, one of them is Friendly Fire which is the second book in a new Western series, The Wilde Brothers. It is the story of Logan Wilde, the oldest of the five Wilde Brothers, a former Marine who takes a job as a small town sheriff where he meets Julia, a single mother and owner of the local coffee shop. But Julia isn’t interested in dating anyone like Logan Wilde, even though this man is every girls dream. No, she’s already decided she’s going to meet someone whose average, works in an office, and has never handled a gun. She doesn’t want that kind of danger anywhere in her life or near her daughters.
When Julia starts dating Brent, just an average guy in the corporate world, she believes everything is going to be perfect. After all, he’s everything she’s been looking for: He’s never been in the army, he doesn’t seek out danger, and he’s never carried a gun. She’s convinced he’s perfect, even though there is no chemistry, no butterflies, and none of the off-the-charts fireworks that always sizzle between her and Logan.
But Logan doesn’t trust Brent, and believes he is far from the safe, dependable guy Julia believes him to be. And when one of Julia’s daughters goes missing, it’s Logan, who sets out to find her, and what he uncovers about her daughter's disappearance will completely rock Julia’s world.
What’s next on the horizon…
The Deadline, will be available March 13, and is the first book in a brand new spinoff series, The Friessen’s a brand new beginning. I was flooded with emails from my fans who did not want to see the end of The Friessen’s from The Outsider Series, so I listened, and The Deadline is the first book, featuring Andy and Laura and their brand new beginning in Montana.
You have a good following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? How did you build your following in your niche? Did you use forums, newsletters and methods like that?
Social media is a process that I started building back when I first published in 2007, and then seriously focused on building in 2011. It is not a process that happens overnight, but I have focused on Twitter, Facebook, building my newsletter along with writing two blogs, The Choice of Giving and Illusion. One of the most important pieces, is making sure that my contact information is in the back of every book, on my website and on my blogs, which includes a link to sign up for my newsletter, and follow me on Facebook and Twitter.
You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. 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?
Creating a strong book cover is so essential to the success of your book. I work exclusively with one professional designer, who understands what I’m looking for. And it took a while to find the right cover designer. I’ve used several where there wasn’t a match, my current designer and I work very well together, I provide the theme and idea of what I’m looking for, information about the book, but I am able to hand over the creative process entirely to him. What he creates is truly amazing. Sometimes he gets exactly what I’m looking for the first time around. When you have a good working relationship with your designer it makes the creative process that much easier.
You have written several short stories. Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work?
Many of my readers enjoy the bridge short stories, and these short stories have contributed to the sales of my novels. I do enjoy writing short stories within a series, taking my characters on a side trip. And it does give new readers a sample of your writing style. For myself, I enjoy reading short stories from other Authors and I’ve discovered many new authors this way.
I like the idea of bundling a series of novels. You have put together a set of your novels called The Outsider Series: The Complete Collection. What was the impact on your other sales? What was your main objective in bundling your novels?
When I wrote the first book in The Outsider Series, The Forgotten Child, I never intended to write a series. But when The Forgotten Child landed on the Amazon Bestseller list for Westerns and Western Romance and stayed there for over two years, well, I took advice from a successful author friend and created the brothers and cousin, and all the books in this series. The Outsider Series, is the complete collection for this family, and has been wildly successful, and did in fact boost sales of my other titles, and other series. What I found was that readers started searching out all my other titles. When I wrote the last book, The Wedding, I was flooded with emails by fans who asked for the series not to end as they had fallen in love with these difficult Friessen men and the women they love. So next week, the first book of a brand new spinoff series of The Friessen’s will be released on Amazon.
Bundling Novels and short stories in a complete series is a great way for readers to read the entire series at a great price. Collections have been extremely popular and quite often readers will opt to buy the entire collection rather than the individual books.
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 never considered giving books away free until I joined up with a group of successful authors and we began working together to cross promote on the Amazon platform. Giving books away on the same day and working together has contributed and been a major factor in my success for each of my books, and thus boosting my sales when coming off free. I continued every month for the last few years, giving books away free using the KDP select free days. For me this has not only been a great way to find new readers, but has boosted sales to my other novels in a series that are not free. I personally haven’t run into any obstacles, this type of promotion with KDP has continued to work well for me.
I do offer giveaways on my blogs periodically when I participate in blog hops and book tours. But by far working with the group of authors in Indie Book Blowout and Free Partay, without a doubt has been a huge part of my success.
How do you start your book launch process for a new book? Give a brief outline of the steps you go through to get your book to market. What methods were the most successful?
The week before a book launch I announce on Facebook and Twitter and post the new cover too, which is followed by a newsletter that I send out to all my subscribers. After my editor is finished performing her magic, and my book has been formatted, I upload it to Amazon. After the book is live I send out another announcement to my followers on Facebook and Twitter along with the link to the book, and of course, I send out my newsletter to all my subscribers letting them know where they can buy my new book. I always provide a direct link for readers. In addition to this, I follow up with ads on many of the online sites, and I will introduce my new book at a bargain price for my fans. And from this successful approach my books end up in the hot new releases for its genre on Amazon. Then I get to work on my next book.
You publish several genres plus novels and short stories. Does changing hats create any problems? Any tricks you can share with us? Which genre did you enjoy writing the most? Does moving from one to the other give you some breathing room?
Changing hats to each of these genre’s has not been a problem for me. There are three categories I write, Western Romance, Romantic Suspense and Military Romantic Suspense. I have a story to write for each of these, and I love it. I don’t know if everyone can pull this off, but when I start writing a story in a genre, my heart and my head go into that genre until I’ve finished the story. Honestly the reason I write all three is because I enjoy all three. When I wrote Vanished, a Military Suspense from The Saved Series, I told myself, this my favorite. But I do that after each one I write. I write the kind of books that I want to read.
You are publishing one of your books, Der vergessene Junge (German Edition), in March. Do you plan on translating any of your other novels to a foreign language? How is your audience abroad?
On March 18 the German version of The Forgotten Child, one of my bestselling books which I sold over 150,000 copies of this ebook alone was picked up by a German Publisher. It is available as a pre-release now, and so far the German sales have been surprisingly strong. I do plan on selling my foreign rights on other novels, in fact, I will be travelling to London for the International Book Fair with fellow Indie Authors with plans to sell international rights to my other novels.
What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?
I do not seek out professional reviews. I rely primarily on my readers for all reviews. I am fortunate to have so many loyal fans who always come through. I know this can make many authors nervous. But I just don’t worry about it anymore, there will always be negative reviewers and those who want to bring you down. But my readers know the type of books I write, and I have been fortunate now to have over 1200 reviews combined for all my books.
Author's Book List
Blown Away, The Final Chapter
- Book 5, Walk the Right Road, A Romantic SuspenseImagine that the man who’s been the source of all your misery shows up on your doorstep. Imagine this man wants your forgiveness for every bad thing he’s done to you and your friends. Would you believe him?
Marcie, Maggie, and Diane all have one thing in common: Dan McKenzie, an unscrupulous man who uses women. His motto in life is “Lie, cheat, and steal.” He faked his death and tried to frame Maggie’s husband with his murder. He blackmailed Marcie to run drugs for him. And Diane, a cop, had to stand by, knowing he was responsible for planting drugs in her partner’s locker. He’s always walked away scot free. Until now.
As the friends move on with their lives, Maggie and her husband plan for another child after surviving the loss of their daughter. Zac asks Diane to marry him, though he hides a secret from his past that could destroy the future they have planned. And though Marcie and Sam are expecting their second child, their relationship teeters on the brink of disaster.
What these three friends don’t expect is that sometimes, life has a way of evening the score.
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Bounty
- Book 4, Walk the Right Road Series: A Romantic Suspense, Danger ~ Deception ~ DevotionMost cops have a past.
•A past they can speak of.
•A past they can share.
•But not Diane....
That is until one night a body is discovered on the highway close to her home. But when she meets Zac the mysterious and sexy new forensics guy, who not only discovers all she's been hiding, he's the one man who can find a way into her heart.
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Lost and Found
- Walk the Right Road Series, Book 2From the bestselling author in Mystery Series and Police Procedural comes LOST AND FOUND "2013 Readers' Favorite Award Finalist" and sequel to THE CHOICE.
*Warning* This series is filled with sexual tension, rough language and steamy romantic suspense.
"There was not a human emotion I did not go through while reading this book. I will forewarn you, you will need a box of tissues and a punching bag while reading this dynamic tale." - Romance Junkies
Overview•A hit and run on a deserted country road.
•A woman over the edge, a husband with secrets.
•And a 911 caller with a murder no one saw coming.
More Praise for LOST AND FOUND...
Lost and Found is a gritty family drama of love, loss, and danger. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading stories with strong family values prevailing against tough odds.
Dorothy Johnson
Absolutely 5 stars! This book kept me awake far too late so I could find out how this poor woman survives…
Mimi Barbour Author, His Devious Angel
If you love the steamy murder mysteries of Lisa Jackson and couldn't get enough of the irresistible crime thriller Gone Girl, then you'll love LOST AND FOUND, Book 2 in this sizzling new suspense series.
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The One
- Book 1, of The Wilde Brothers, A Contemporary Western RomanceMargaret Gordon was a prominent Seattle surgeon until a slip of her knife left a young boy without a future. After being fired, she returns to her family ranch, the perfect spot to hide out from everyone and lick her wounds, with no one around but her horse.
Margaret has never considered herself a horse person. In truth, though, she understands horses better than people. When Joe Wilde, a widower, drives up one morning with a teenage boy and a horse with a problem, Margaret turns into the klutzy misfit she used to be, and the torch she silently carried for Joe all through school is rekindled. However, when smooth-talking Joe convinces Margaret to work with the temperamental horse, she grows closer to Joe's son, Ryan, and soon learns the horse's issues are rooted in problems between the two--especially Ryan's anxiety over the fact that his father is now dating a woman who's only interested in the sexy Joe Wilde, not his misfit of a son.
Ryan wants Margaret to be his mother, so he takes matters into his own hands, setting Margaret in his father's path every chance he gets. Even though sparks fly and sizzle between them, Joe believes Margaret has despised him all his life, and he decides all his rebellious son needs is a mother. When Joe proposes marriage to the wrong woman, his son takes off into the wilderness with only a backpack and a feisty horse.
To Joe's surprise, it's Margaret who saddles up her horse and heads off alone with him over a hundred miles of wilderness in a race against time and the elements to find his son. With Ryan's life in jeopardy, will Margaret be able to put aside her differences with Joe and realize that he's The One?
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The Choice
- Book 1, Walk the Right Road SeriesThe suspense of an action thriller and chemistry of a romance novel.
Overview:
One Woman...
Marcie is crazy in love with Dan who has been using her and promising his love in return. And she'll do anything for him, which is fast becoming a one way ticket to trouble. But in a freak accident she loses her memory landing in the path of sexy DEA Agent Sam Carre.
Two Men...
For DEA Agent Sam Carre when this attractive stranger lands in his path he just can't resist helping her, even though he's haunted by a past that gives him no peace. But as the sparks fly so do questions of what she's really involved in.
And a choice that could kill her…
This complex case pushes them both to explain the unexplainable bringing them face to face with generations-old evil and a haunting question. Sam's forced to make a choice: walk away from the attraction connecting them or risk losing everything.
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VANISHED
- The Saved Series, A Military RomanceAbby has married the man of her dreams. He rescued her, and he's the father of her child. Everything should be perfect, but she begins to relive her nightmare from when she was taken... and one night she disappears, leaving her children alone in the dead of night, her husband on a military ship halfway around the world. But when Eric arrives home and the search begins, there are two disturbing questions: Was someone in the house? And how is it possible for Abby to simply vanish?
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Saved
- Book 1 of The Saved Series, A Military RomanceGrowing up I had dreams that one day I'd fall in love, get married and start a family. Then one night I was taken. But I survived, I escaped and I was saved. Eric didn't see me as damaged. He didn't see my baby as a monster. He protected me, he kept me safe ... he saved me.
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The Wedding
- #7 in Finding Love~The Outsider Series: The Friessens, A Contemporary Western RomanceCandy McCrae has everything she could ever want, and she's about to marry the one man she's always loved. He has money, he's powerful, he's drop-dead gorgeous, and he has a very close, attentive family with babies, nieces, and nephews running everywhere. For the first time, Candy has someone making decisions for her. So why is she so nervous?
Candy is the one woman Neil has always wanted, a woman who doesn't care about flash and glitter and status, and he can't get her to the altar fast enough. He has plans for his bride-to-be. He wants a family, lots of children, and for her to be a part of his world, with all its money, power, and million-dollar deals. He'll look after her so she'll never have to struggle again, and he's planned and organized everything.
She goes along with it until the wedding, when she takes Neil's hand to be his wife, and what she's refused to share will change their lives forever....
Candy McCrae has everything she could ever want, and she's about to marry the one man she's always loved. He has money, he's powerful, he's drop-dead gorgeous, and he has a very close, attentive family with babies, nieces, and nephews running everywhere. For the first time, Candy has someone making decisions for her. So why is she so nervous?
Candy is the one woman Neil has always wanted, a woman who doesn't care about flash and glitter and status, and he can't get her to the altar fast enough. He has plans for his bride-to-be. He wants a family, lots of children, and for her to be a part of his world, with all its money, power, and million-dollar deals. He'll look after her so she'll never have to struggle again, and he's planned and organized everything.
She goes along with it until the wedding, when she takes Neil's hand to be his wife, and what she's refused to share will change their lives forever….
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The Unexpected Storm
- #6 in Finding Love~THE OUTSIDER SERIES, A Contemporary Western RomanceCandy McRae is barely making ends meet. She's heartbroken and alone with her horses, living hand to mouth on the most sought after oceanfront property. Everyone wants it, including the wealthy hunk who owns the estate next door. And when he offers to buy it she refuses. His first mistake was asking her out. His second was not meaning it. Even though he could solve all her problems, she'd rather sell to the devil himself.
Smart and sexy Neil Friessen is quite the catch. He's not only drop dead gorgeous with a body women dream of. He's wealthy, stubborn, arrogant and thoughtful. He attracts women, and million dollar deals, and plans to build a resort on the property next to his. He has the plans, the money, and the resources. The only thing standing between him and his sweet deal is the dark haired beauty who owns the property he wants.
When a storm forces everyone to evacuate Candy refuses to leave her animals, and her property. But it's Neil who shows up, Neil who rescues her. Except by the time he finds her, vulnerable and hurt, they can't get out. Neil is alone with the one woman he's always wanted. And he'll have to choose between this dark haired beauty that fills his dreams every night, and building his million dollar resort.
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Runaway
- #5 of Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES, A Contemporary Western Romance"Where's my wife..."
Andy Friessen has been looking for Laura for six months. After she walked out with her son, no goodbye, with no money and leaving everything he bought her, behind. But he knew she'd come crawling back, she needed him. After all he married her to protect her. And any woman would give their right arm to be his wife.
And then for six months his conscience poked at what an ass he'd been: ?Until he's served...for divorce.
?Even though Andy is the first man she's every truly loved, and the first to break her heart, Laura plans to never see him again. After all to him she was nothing but a nuisance, someone he could order around, just another woman to warm his bed at night.
?But Laura is hurt and she's thought nothing through including the fact she's keeping the biggest surprise from him yet.
?She's pregnant.
And when Andy finds out … all hell will break loose.
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Secrets
- #4 in Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES, A Contemporary Western RomanceFor Diana, Jed was the first man she trusted. He was the first man to show her what true love was. He was the father of her child, the one man she could always count on. Until one spring day Jed falls from the roof of the barn and Diana's world as she knows it begins to unravel.
Diana is forced to face two things, her husband's secrets, and what if... there was no Jed.
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The Awakening
- #3 of Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES, A Holiday Western RomanceLaura, a young single mother is barely making ends meet working as a maid at the Friessen mansion. Until one day she is fired, the next day she is evicted, and two days later her son is taken away.
Wealthy rancher Andy Friessen can have any woman he wants, but when Laura is fired by his mother over something he was responsible for, well his conscience gets the better of him and he steps in to help. The problem is when he goes looking for Laura he not only discovers she's been living in her car, but the state took her child away.
With Andy standing beside her through a courtroom fiasco, they must fight together to regain custody of her son.
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Fallen Hero
- #2 in Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES, A Contemporary Western RomanceA cowboy who walked away from his family's fortune.
A woman who returned for justice.
What they didn't expect was to find love.
Praise for FALLEN HERO (Jed & Diana) ....
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The Forgotten Child
- Book 1 of Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES, A Contemporary Western RomanceHe wasn't looking to love again. But what he got was a woman who shook his lonely bitter world upside down, and touched him in a way no other woman could.
Emily Nelson, a courageous young mother, ends a loveless, bitter marriage and strikes out on her own. She answers an ad as a cook and live-in caregiver to a three-year-old boy on a local ranch. Ranch owner Brad Friessen hires and moves in Emily and her daughter. But Emily soon discovers something's seriously wrong with the boy, and the reclusive, difficult man who hired her can't see the behavior and how delayed his son is. So Emily researches until she stumbles across what she suspects are the soft signs of autism. Now she must tell him, give him hope, and help him come to terms with this neurological disorder--to take the necessary steps to get his child the help he needs.
As their lives become intertwined, their attraction is unavoidable--a connection sparks between them. But just as they're getting close, Brad's estranged wife, Crystal, returns after abandoning the family two years earlier. Among the shock and confusion is one disturbing question Brad can't shake: How does Crystal know so much of his personal business, the inner working of the ranch, and Emily's relationship with his son?
Crystal must've had a plan, as she somehow gains the upper hand, driving a wedge in the emotional bond forged between Brad, Emily, and the children. The primary focus for care and therapy of three-year-old Trevor is diverted. The lengths to which Crystal will go, the lies, the greed, just to keep what's hers, are nothing short of cold and calculating. Emily's forced out of the house. Brad fights to save his boy, to protect what's his, and struggles over his greatest sacrifice--Emily, and the haunting question: Has he lost her forever?
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
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