Book signing

It's been a busy, busy few weeks! But I wanted to pop in and let you know that I'll be at my first book signing on Sunday, March 17 in Santa Ana, Calif. It's a multi-author book signing being held in conjunction with the first SoCal RWA conference.

Here's a link to more info and I hope to see you there!

http://socalrwa.org/book-signing/

Tortured romance

“I want painful, difficult, devastating, life-changing, extraordinary love.”

—Olivia Pope, SCANDAL

Happy day after Valentine’s day!

So yesterday was about pink hearts, flowers and candy. For most people, it was a day to celebrate love and romance -- sweet and nice romance.

But there are others out there who prefer their romance a little harder. Even tortured.

You know, the kind of romance that pushes you to the brink, pulls you back and then kicks you over the edge. And you take it because you can’t get enough of that heart-stopping, soul-crushing adrenaline. So when you crash (and you always crash), you dust yourself off and climb back to the top, ready and exhilarated to do it all over again.

In romance novels, movies and television, tortured couples burn up the pages or the screens with their fiery chemistry and searing passion. And just like they can’t get enough of each other, we can’t get enough of them.

My favorite tortured couple of the moment is Olivia and Fitz from the TV show SCANDAL. My, oh, my, these two lovers really know how to do the dance of “I want you, I don’t want you.” It is devastating to watch sometimes. But also very, very fun. (OMG…last night’s episode!!!).

I want them together, but deep down I know it probably would never work. After all, he’s married and he’s the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! But even if he wasn’t the fictional leader of our nation, I think part of the attraction on everyone’s part  is that there’s something forbidden and wrong about them as a couple.

What do you think? Can tortured couples ever find a happily ever after? Or more importantly, do we want them to?

Comment below and you will be entered into my Blog Tour giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card. Not only that, but because this is the final stop in the REUNITED Blog Tour, every commenter here will get entered into the drawing TWICE! So you are doubling your chances to win!

Finally, I want to take this moment to thank all of my gracious hosts on the tour. I had fun visiting and hopefully I will make it back to each of those blogs again soon!

Besos!

P.S. Don't forget to come visit me and other Decadent Publishing authors on February 27 at Lady Jane's Salon in San Diego. See below for info!

REUNITED Blog Tour!

Did you miss me?

Aye, it's been so long since I've been able to post here. Been keeping busy, busy with so many wonderful things. But now I'm back and I promise to visit with you more!

First, though, I hope you will join me for the official Blog Tour for REUNITED! There's interviews and guest posts and, of course, giveaways! The Tour will end right back here and I got a special surprise all ready for you, my friends.

February is going to be a busy month for this chica! Besides the blog tour, I'll be traveling to San Diego for a reading event hosted by Lady Jane's Salon. (more info below)

And I can't forget my most favorite holiday of all is this month -- Valentine's Day! As you know, I love LOVE and so I celebrate the holiday by doing special little things for my family and friends. Speaking of, I better get started on some of those little things....

Besos!

Sabrina

Don't forget to visit me during the Tour at the following blogs:

February 4                  Mark Of The Stars
February 6                  Imagine A World
February 7                 You Gotta Read
February 8                 Book Amour
February 11               Reading on the Wild Side
February 12              Where's My Muse?
February 13               Erotica For All
February 15               The Romance Chica

DECADENT PUBLISHING READING EVENT

February 27

It's sure to be a sexy night when I join a few of my fellow Decadent Publishing authors for a special reading event at Lady Jane's Salon in San Diego, CA
Cick here for more info

"The number of times I have fallen down is the number of times I have gotten up." -- Jenni Rivera

When I signed up for this Decadent Publishing "Give A Reader A Reader" giveaway a few months ago, I knew I was going to write a blog post about why I think there should be more Latinas as heroines in contemporary and erotic romance novels.

I even started jotting down some notes. First, I'd cite numerous examples of famous Latina role models in business and entertainment. I'd talk about this past U.S. presidential election and the role of Latina activists in the outcome. Another justification I'd use would be the recent explosion of Latina blogueras (bloggers) and the growing LATISM (Latinos In Social Media) movement.

Yes, I had my blog post practically written.

Then Jenni Rivera died.

Suddenly, I decided I didn't need facts and figures. All I needed to do was tell her story. Because if there was ever one example of why Latinas deserved to be heroines in romance novels (and other genres), it was this woman.

In case you don't know, Jenni Rivera was a Mexican-American superstar who died this past Sunday when her plane crashed into a Mexican field.

But Jenni Rivera was more than just a singer who sold millions of records. She was the embodiment of triumph and tragedy, success and struggle. She came from very little and worked her butt off to build an empire that expanded into fashion, real estate and television.

Yes, despite all of her achievements and wealth, there was still one thing she just couldn't get quite right: love.

She was a mother at the age of 15 and later went on to divorce three husbands. Her fans across the world could relate to her songs filled with lyrics about heartbreak and overcoming obstacles. They adored the fact that she was just like them and she gave them hope. Jenni Rivera was someone to admire and root for. To millions of Latinas, she was their beloved heroine. They wanted to see her get her happily ever after. And now they mourn the fact that she never will.

I guess when it comes down to it, Latinas deserve to be heroines in romance novels simply because they are women. They have issues with their mothers and their boyfriends. They try to juggle their careers and family committments. They can be CEOs or princesses or both. And whether these heorines are superstars like Jenni Rivera or former geeks like Magdelena, from my book REUNITED, I know there will be a woman out there who will read their story and think, "If she can do it, so can I."

***
Thanks for visiting me today. Don't forget to comment below with your email address in order to be eligible for the big Nook giveaway! And for a second opportunity to enter the giveaway, please go visit my friend Louisa Bacio who's discussing fantasy 1Night Stands!

ABOUT REUNITED...

What would you do if you had the chance to sleep with your unrequited high school crush?

If you’re former geek Magdelena Cruz, you’d do him in a heartbeat. But you’d lie about your true identity first and hope your new sexy persona is enough to create a night neither of you will forget.

Workaholic assistant DA Will Hudson doesn’t have time for a love life. Expecting to scratch an itch with a willing stranger, he signs up for Madame Evangeline’s 1Night Stand experience. He has no idea that his date is no stranger.

A reunion between two classmates will be hotter than the scorching Las Vegas sun. But will the heat be enough to spark something deeper, or will they both end up getting burned by Magdelena’s charade?

 EXCERPT

Standing in front of the door to the suite, she let the magnitude of the moment sink in. All logic and practicality fled. She’d left both back at home with her pocket protector and sensible shoes. The situation called for her to be impulsive, daring and confident.

If you are, then he will finally be yours….

She smoothed her dress, adjusted her bra, and blew into her hand for a breath check. Satisfied, she slid her key card into the slot and pushed the door open.

A blaring TV welcomed her. Not that she expected a violin serenade, but she hadn’t planned on competing with a basketball game for her date’s attention. She frowned.

“Pass the ball, you idiot!” Will shouted.

Tingling from head to toe at the sound of his voice, she released a slow breath.

It’s now or never, Magdelena.

“Hello?” she called.

The TV turned off instantly. A second later, he walked into her view.

Her throat tightened.

The years had been good to him. No, they’d been great to him. Although she’d seen pictures on the alumni website, they didn’t do him justice. Every visible inch of his body appeared chiseled from stone. A dark gray shirt and black slacks perfectly accentuated every muscle. He wore his dark hair shorter than she’d seen in the photos, but his blue eyes were more piercing than ever. He looked her over, settling on her cleavage and her nipples that had come to attention the minute she saw him. Then he raised his eyes to meet hers.

“Hello, Elena.” His deep voice lit her soul on fire.

He doesn’t recognize me. This plan might work after all.

 

AVAILABLE NOW!

Decadent Publishing

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

 

 

Giving it away!

It's been a whirlwind of promoting this past week and I have some prizes to award! First, I just want to say thank you to everyone who entered the giveaways and commented on my friends' blogs. I really do appreciate all of the support!

Okay, now on to the winners:

Cassandra Dean blog - Commenter "lindarb49@hotmail.com"

DP 1Night Stand - Commenter "Carin"

AND the winner of my big release contest is..."SusieQ"

Hey winners, if you didn't leave your e-mail when you entered, please send me your info including a postal address to 2sabrinasol@gmail.com.

The giveaway fun continues this coming Friday as I participate in Decadent Publishing's "Give A Reader A Reader" holiday contest.

There are still a couple of days left, so make sure to visit these other blogs before December 15!

http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/p/giveaways.html

Release day! This one's for you Mr. Hughes...

Well, it’s finally here! REUNITED is finally published!

It went live first on Amazon late Wednesday night, then by Thursday it had hit Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and, of course, the Decadent Publishing website.

I celebrated by working in the cold rain at an event for my day job. LOL! Well, I guess the real celebrating came later when I got home and my husband presented me with a bouquet of roses. Awww. As a family, we toasted the release with sparkling grape juice for the kids, Pepsi for my husband and Moscato for me.

And the whole day, I just couldn’t stop smiling.

Although there are so many people to thank, I’d like to dedicate this post to one man in particular – iconic movie director Mr. John Hughes.

If you were a teen-ager of the 80s, like me, John Hughes was your Ghandi. Especially, if you were a girl. He knew your deepest secrets and what you and your friends talked about during slumber parties. His movies imparted a wisdom about high school love that truly astounded me.

I am not embarrassed to say that everything I need to know about love and relationships I learned from a John Hughes’ movie.

In fact, my most favorite movie of all time is 16 Candles and, in a way, it was the inspiration behind REUNITED. Magdelena Cruz wishes she could get her secret crush from high school to notice her – just like the character of Samantha Baker from 16 Candles. But unlike Samantha, she doesn’t end up giving her chonies away to Anthony Michael Hall. Instead, she engineers a blind date with her crush through Madame Evangeline’s 1Night Stand agency. There are some other little winks and nods to the movie in REUNITED, but I’ll let you discover those on your own.

So back to Mr. Hughes and his expertise on life and love. I guess the most important lesson I learned from 16 Candles is that sometimes the boy you think doesn’t know you exist will one day end up waiting for you on the other side of the church parking lot.

Translation: If you love someone, there’s always a chance they love you too. So go find out.

I’ve included a few quotes from some John Hughes’ classics. Each of them, I think, really packs a punch when it comes to love.

SIXTEEN CANDLES

"That's why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they'd call them something else."

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

"Well, if you say you haven't, you're a prude. If you say you have you're a slut. It's a trap. You want to but you can't, and when you do, you wish you didn't, right?"

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL

"I'd rather be with someone for the wrong reasons then alone for the right."

PRETTY IN PINK

"Love's a bitch, Duck. Love's a bitch."

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

 Let’s take just a moment and reflect, shall we?

Okay, now to celebrate the release of REUNITED I’ve got an extra special, super-sized giveaway! The prizes – PLURAL – are a free copy of REUNITED, a couple of “Talk Nerdy To Me” post-it pads, a $25 iTunes gift card, the 16 Candles movie on DVD and a second DVD of your choice of one of the other John Hughes’ movies quoted above.

To enter the giveaway, tell me which one of these John Hughes’ movies do you love and why. If you’ve never seen any of them, tell me which quote you love best and why. Then go to my Facebook page and like it (if you don’t already). SEE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW

The contest ends at 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Saturday, December 8, 2012.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has been a part of my journey to become a published author. Your support and encouragement has been a true blessing.

¡Gracias por todo!

Besos,

Sabrina

Want to know more about REUNITED? Here is the blurb, an excerpt and the buy links!

What would you do if you had the chance to sleep with your unrequited high school crush?

If you’re former geek Magdelena Cruz, you’d do him in a heartbeat. But you’d lie about your true identity first and hope your new sexy persona is enough to create a night neither of you will forget.

Workaholic assistant DA Will Hudson doesn’t have time for a love life. Expecting to scratch an itch with a willing stranger, he signs up for Madame Evangeline’s 1Night Stand experience. He has no idea that his date is no stranger.

A reunion between two classmates will be hotter than the scorching Las Vegas sun. But will the heat be enough to spark something deeper, or will they both end up getting burned by Magdelena’s charade?

EXCERPT:   Standing in front of the door to the suite, she let the magnitude of the moment sink in. All logic and practicality fled. She’d left both back at home with her pocket protector and sensible shoes. The situation called for her to be impulsive, daring and confident.

   If you are, then he will finally be yours….

   She smoothed her dress, adjusted her bra, and blew into her hand for a breath check. Satisfied, she slid her key card into the slot and pushed the door open.

   A blaring TV welcomed her. Not that she expected a violin serenade, but she hadn’t planned on competing with a basketball game for her date’s attention. She frowned.

   “Pass the ball, you idiot!” Will shouted.

   Tingling from head to toe at the sound of his voice, she released a slow breath.

   It’s now or never, Magdelena.

   “Hello?” she called.

   The TV turned off instantly. A second later, he walked into her view.

   Her throat tightened.

   The years had been good to him. No, they’d been great to him. Although she’d seen pictures on the alumni website, they didn’t do him justice. Every visible inch of his body appeared chiseled from stone. A dark gray shirt and black slacks perfectly accentuated every muscle. He wore his dark hair shorter than she’d seen in the photos, but his blue eyes were more piercing than ever. He looked her over, settling on her cleavage and her nipples that had come to attention the minute she saw him. Then he raised his eyes to meet hers.

   “Hello, Elena.” His deep voice lit her soul on fire.

   He doesn’t recognize me. This plan might work after all.

BUY LINKS:

Decadent Publishing

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords


 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tag, I'm it!

Special thanks to Louisa Bacio for tagging me to participate in the “Next Big Thing” Blog Hop. I’m excited to give you a little peek at what I’m working on next…..

·        What is the working title of your book?

The Games People Play

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I love reading stories about “forbidden” or “taboo” romances. In this book, the main heroine is pursued by her ex-boyfriend’s brother which opens the door to all kinds of complications. So much fun to write!

What genre does your book fall under?

Erotic Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?

Hmmm, that’s a good question. I’d say for the heroine it could be Mexican actress Maite Perroni and for the hero I could live with Colin Egglesfield. ;-)

What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?

Can a jaded public relations executive forget about past heartbreak and allow herself to be seduced by her ex’s brother?

Will your book be self published or represented by an agency/publisher?

Hopefully by a publisher!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

One month, but the revises are taking quite a bit longer!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

It’s so hard to compare it to other books. For heat level and the "forbidden" romance angle, I'll go with "Seducing Cinderella" by Gina Maxwell

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

It actually came from a submission call for a special anthology from a publisher. The anthology never happened, so it will now be a stand-alone novella.

What else about your book might interest the reader?

The main character is a feisty Latina who is used to being in control. I think many of us can relate to that!

Make sure to keep on hopping next Wednesday. Visit these authors below on December 5 to check out their Next Big Things!

 

Mahalia Levey

http://mahalia2010.wordpress.com/blog/

Krista Ames

http://www.kristaames.com