Under the Table and Into His Heart!

I've contracted a new work with Dreamspinner Press called Under the Table and Into His Heart. This short story will be released for their Valentine Rainbow Event, but it is not part of a compilation--it's a stand alone work! (Woo hoo!) Each of the titles in the event will have a different color of the rainbow for its cover... I jumped immediately on green. Don't think green has anything to do with Valentine's Day? At Under the Table host club, it's all about the green!

Here's my official blurb from DSP:

At the Under the Table host club, Valentine’s Day means one thing: cash. Neglected housewives, newly ex-girlfriends, and lovelorn thirtysomethings pay for the attention of handsome men. Shy bartender Jem has always wanted to be a host, and when the club’s owner, Miss Rye, accepts a contract from a MensLove Convention, Jem volunteers to flirt and make out with another host for the ladies’ entertainment. Bailey, an older man who’s had his eye on Jem, convinces Miss Rye to let him be Jem’s partner, and everyone gets more than they expected—especially Jem and Bailey.

I'm super pumped about this little 10K work because... it kicks off a BRAND NEW SERIES I'm writing called Dirty Business that follows the men of the Under the Table Host Club and their wickedly profit-minded proprietor.

Hope you will enjoy!

Sweet AND Spicy

I've been asked a lot lately, "How *spicy* are your stories?" And I get my confused face on because I'm not QUITE sure how to answer. Truth is, it depends from story to story.

For example: The novel I just submitted for consideration - all sweet, nothing graphic at all. The short I'm writing? Mom, I love you, but please don't read that story. Seriously. Don't. And then Sweet Giordan, Please Remember the novella Dreamspinner Press is publishing this Spring is somewhere between. Sensual scenes, not TOO descriptive.

For a while I really struggled with the expectations of others. Is she SWEET or is she SPICY? Because I write it ALL under the same name. There's almost a 50/50 split between the people in my life who want the Buffalo Wild Wings** (mmm... wings...) Blazin' level spicy and those who want strictly Cozy-Rom. Honestly, it all depends on my mood!

Last night as I was lamenting not being one or the other, my wise friend, Bacon-Editor, put it ALL in perspective.

"Raine, listen." she said, "Do you know Dickinson's? They makes lemon curd and jellies and snooty relishes and it's imported from England*. They are the best. So if they say something, then it's true. And Dickinson's says you can be sweet AND hot."

And then she plopped this jar down in front of me:

I'm Raine O'Tierney; my stories are ALWAYS the Sweetness, sometimes spicy too.

*We just learned Dickinson's was bought out by Smuckers, so it's no longer imported. This doesn't change the point though. :)
**I hella want some buffalo wings now.

Holy Wow-za, I have an estimated release date!

So... Sweet Giordan, Please Remember has an estimated release date of Mar-Apr 2014! A springtime release for a sweet, fresh story. I'm VERY pleased! (Though honestly, I would have been pleased with ANY release date. 2084? Yeah, I can work with that.)

I will say this... I've discovered that I actually ALWAYS had an estimated release date. Yes, going all the way back to the very first day I received the contract. It was actually IN the contract. Now you might be thinking, "Raine? Did you even read the contract?" Yes! I did! I uber-read it, if that's even possible. Out loud. Page by page. Stopping to re-read what I didn't understand.

But when I got to the last page, the release was down in the contact information and my eyes went... sliiiiiiiiide. It wasn't until a fellow Dreamspinner author pointed it out to me that I said, "Oh! There it is!" I'm a nerd.

Should I be so lucky as to be multi-published, I will not miss future release dates. I promise. :)

Welcome!

Welcome to my brand new website! If you found this by accident... that is awesome! What a strange internet journey you must have gone on to get here. I'd ask you about it, but you're probably tired. Take a load off! If you clicked here from my Facebook page, you rock! <3

So...

My goal is to fill this blog with passion, sweetness, love, and encouragement. And thoughts about writing, of course. Plus release dates. Can't forget the release dates.

As I have yet to receive my official release date, let me instead distract you with a cute picture of my doxie, Iron Klaus. (You'll recognize the name if you're a fan of From Eroica With Love) He's doing what he does best... Distracting me while I'm trying to type.

Many, many, many hours have been lost to this cute face.

- Raine O'Tierney