Hey Loves, today I’d
like to introduce you to our Feature Author, Rene Folsom! She is an amazing
author of sexy Romance and Paranormal short stories and novels. Check out her
interview with us below for an exclusive excerpt out of her newest work in
progress!!
About Rene Folsom
As an award-winning web and graphic designer,
Rene Folsom has always grasped the ability to transform information into art.
After many years in the design industry, capturing the attention of the reader
with great graphics was no longer her only goal. While her artistic side will
always be her source of inspiration, Rene has found that branching out into the
literary world with her heartfelt, romantic, and rather steamy stories by
combining her love of art and reading, was just the next step in her journey.
Being a mother of three and wife of one, Rene has had to juggle career, kids,
family, grocery shopping, and stain removal. Years of experience has provided
her plenty of creative material to work with. Using both words and design,
taking these very different experiences and bringing them all to paper has
proven to be quite enjoyable for both writer and reader alike.
Obtaining her degree from Santa Fe State College in Gainesville, Florida, Rene
studied everything from fine arts to sculpture and vocals, but found her true
artistic inspiration when she took off to Italy after graduation.
Still residing on the beaches of sunny Central Florida, Rene Folsom now adds
the title of “author” to her belt, providing contemporary and paranormal
romance stories to her readers. If you like stories that ratchet up your heart
rate and make you lose your breath, then basque in the glow of your eReader and
let one of Rene’s books take your heart, body, and soul on a journey.
Check out her
Short Stories and Novels:
Roommate
Romance Review: These are stand-alone sexy short
stories and can be read in any order. I had the privilege of reading all 3 and
I absolutely loved them! They are quick easy reads that will get your motor
running! LOL Heart You and Share You
are both F/M/F situations and Bind Me
has a male dominant but it doesn’t get into any heavy BDSM or anything like
that, just a little tying up. ;) Each
short story is about one hot night, but you get a little bit of background as
to how these opportunities come about. Great reads, go get your copies now!
~Kendra
Check out our review
HERE
~Exposed Affections (Cornerstone #2) Releases
November 13, 2013! Add to GoodReads
 |
| COVER REVEAL!!! |
Exposed
Affections Synopsis:
Staring at the hands of two men greedily clutching her
legs, Julia is frozen in place—unsure of how she should react to their
dual-intimacy. It’s one thing to have her photography professor show an
interest in her, but to also have his identical twin making advances puts
Julia’s mind into a total state of chaotic confusion. Is she able to
handle the pressure of choosing between two men who both manage to take her
breath away?
In the last week, Julia Peterson’s
life has become an emotional roller coaster with breathtaking twists that include
breaking all the rules with a certain professor, to gut-wrenching horror as a
stalker from her past lurks behind the scenes and threatens her new happiness.
Despite her attempts to conceal her
secrets and keep her friends in the dark, she must learn to cope with the idea
that not all secrets are meant to stay hidden. When her haunting past comes at
her with a vengeance and life is determined to beat her down, Julia must
discover true strength within herself before she is able to open her heart,
find who she really is, and learn to love.
Exposed Affections is the second
novel in the Cornerstone series, contains mature content, and is meant for
adult readers ages 18 and up.
Author Interview:
1. Where
are you from?
Born in New Smyrna Beach, Florida (just south of
Daytona Beach) and currently living in Keystone Heights, Florida
2. Can you
tell us a little about your family?
Well, my husband and I will celebrate our 11th
wedding anniversary this December and we have three children. My husband is more than just my best friend
and lover—he completes me and I cherish each and every day we get to spend
together. I’m amazed my children are
still alive considering they enjoy pushing my buttons. All I have to say is, they’re lucky they’re
cute. LOL In reality, I have the best children and
wouldn’t trade them for the world.
3. Are you
dressing up for Halloween? If so, as what?
Yep. I plan to
dress up as a speed bump. :)
4. When
you aren’t writing, what do you like to do with your time?
Writing is actually not my full time job. I am also a graphic designer and enjoy
creating custom book covers for other authors. I also love anything involving
fine arts, especially pottery and clay sculpture. In my limited free time, I enjoy reading and
pretty much anything outdoors. I love to
fish, scallop, hunt, hike, swim—anything to enjoy the Florida sunshine.
5. When
and why did you begin writing?
I actually started writing as an outlet, a way to
relieve stress. When Cynthia Shepp
announced she would be doing another anthology, I decided to submit a short
story, Voices of the Soul, just for fun.
Not only did Cynthia love the story and pushed me to continue with the
fictional adventure, but many other people said I needed to pursue publishing
independently. So, long story short,
it’s all Cynthia’s fault!
6. What
inspired you to write your first book?
My first published book, a short story called Heart
You, was actually a Valentine’s Day challenge I decided to expand on after the
fact.
7. Do you
have a specific writing style?
I’m not really sure whether I have a specific
“style”, but I love a good tease. I want
to write about characters that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat,
eager to continue with the story while holding their breath with each turn of
the page.
8. What
are you reading right now?
I actually took a little break from reading to finish
my latest novel. Now I have to get back
into the reading groove.
9. Who are
some of your favorite authors?
This is a difficult question because I have so
many. Just some include Christin Lovell,
Laura Kaye, Maya Banks, etc. but there are some recent indies I’m really
looking forward to catching up on.
10. Is there a
particular movie that you preferred over the book version?
Not that I can recall. Book is always better.
11. Do you
prefer ebooks or paperbacks?
eBooks to read, paperbacks to cherish.
12. Where’s
your favorite place to write?
Out on my second story balcony, facing the lake in my
back yard.
13. What music
are you listening to at the moment?
Pandora Snow
Patrol channel.
14. What is
something you hate doing? Why?
Cleaning and doing housework. I mean, who likes doing housework? Dishes and matching socks are at the top of
my hate list. Oh, and making my kids
clean their room. I’d rather stab myself
in the eye with a rusty fork than fight with them about their rooms.
15. Where does
the inspiration for your characters come from?
Most of the time, my characters are completely
fabricated. Vary rarely do I have a
specific person who inspires my characters.
However, certain scenes, locations, and actions can be fabricated based
on certain experiences I’ve had in the past.
16. What are
your quirky habits?
The only quirky habit I can think of is I like to rub
the smooth part of my fingernail over my lips while I think.
17. Any advice
for other authors?
Editors are your friends. Editors are essential to the writing process
and, no matter what the cost, they’re worth every single penny. I’ve met several indie authors who insist on
self-editing. Self-editing is VERY hard. No matter how skilled someone is with editing
and proofing other works, editing your own writing is a whole different
ballgame. I rely on my editor to make my
stories as professional as possible so my readers aren’t distracted by
unnecessary typos. The last thing you
will want is a bad review because of poor editing.
18. Is there
anything you want to tell your readers?
Just that I adore them and can’t thank them enough
for giving my books a chance.
19. Can we
expect more short stories like Heart You, Bind Me, and Share You?
Yes! I already
have an idea for a fourth Roommate Romance short story that will be titled
“Flatter Me”. I just need to find time
to get the words down.
20. Can you
tell us a little bit about what you are currently working on?
I just finished the second book in the Cornerstone
Series and sent to my editor yesterday (10-28-13). So, after taking a little breather, I plan to
work on a new untitled novel I already have in progress about a fiery redhead
who works as a fashion photographer. The
story starts out in Berlin where she meets a cute guy she wants to have an
international fling with before she heads back to the states. In addition to this quick little fling, she
really has her eyes set on her boss, but never entertains the idea of moving in
due to their professional relationship.
She will struggle with the internal battles any woman does when she
lusts after two gorgeous guys. How about
a little teaser?
Unedited excerpt from an untitled
WIP (German snippets also unedited):
The
clicking of my camera’s shutter was all I could hear over the low rumble through
the crowded room. Several models
shuffled around my equipment in any attempt to navigate through the dilapidated
and cluttered quarters. We were crammed
tighter than sardines, but the opportunity to shoot in this abandoned building
was rare and we just couldn’t pass it up.
I heard
one of our Russian models curse as she managed to plow over the leg of my main
light stand, effectively screwing up my lighting.
“Of all
that is holy, could you please watch where you all are going? I know it’s cramped but kicking over the
equipment is just going to slow us down!” I yelled as one of the set minions
scrambled to fix the issue.
The
run-down building nestled in the trendy central Berlin district of Mitte was
once a swinging cabaret club. For
decades, it sat alone and forgotten, hidden inside the courtyard of another
property.
Fortunately,
we were the first publication to be granted access for a full-blown photo
shoot. Fashion photography in abandoned
or run-down buildings was becoming a huge trend. Even though the models were less than
thrilled to be ankle deep in eighty-year-old rubble, the scene was ingenious.
I could
hear a male model in the other room complaining about yet another issue with
his wardrobe. Honestly, the male models
were way more of a challenge than the females.
Framing
her in my viewfinder, my last female model of the day was wearing a white
wedding gown and sitting along what looked to be a small stage. With an idea suddenly popping into my head, I
grabbed the arm of one of our male models inching by and told him to go lay his
head in her lap. The scene was perfect
since he was only wearing a pair of slacks and dress shoes. No shirt was needed for a diamond-in-the-rough
shot like this one.
The
beautiful, leggy blonde with smoky eyes and silky curls looked elegant in
contrast to the ruin around her. The
small stage she sat on had a few wide, shallow steps leading down which allowed
her to drape the dress and prop her leg on the top step. The muscular and slightly scruffy looking
male model took a natural position on the next step below her, gently placing
his head in her lap and looking up at her as if she were his reason for
breathing.
“Can I
get some moisture over here, Jimmy?” I called out to the set do-boy. Knowing exactly what I wanted, he quickly
scuttled over to the male model with a spray bottle of water and proceeded to
spray his muscles, neck, and face, making it look like the man was glistening
with perspiration.
“Perfect,”
I whispered as I continued my triggered assault.
“Okay. Lean back on your right arm slightly and turn
your head away, keeping your gaze down, as if you’re avoiding his passionate
stare,” I instructed the blonde. She was
a natural and took it upon herself to continue with several more heartbreaker
poses.
I had a
dream about these two models last night.
I didn’t even notice they matched the faces until I pulled the male
model into the frame. Each time the
shutter closed then opened within my camera, I saw the visions—flashes of my
dream—tiny snapshots of their future together.
It was as if putting them together in those mere few seconds of chance
would break the ice and allow them to get to know one another. The premonition of last night’s dream made me
smile.
I was
such a sap. Even though fashion
photography wasn’t what I would have chosen for my career path, I enjoyed
working with these models… mostly. So,
when my visions saw them happy and healthy, I got all gooey inside. Of course, I would never admit my weaknesses
to anyone. No one needed to know my soft
side.
“That’s
a wrap!” I yelled as I stealthily stowed my camera and the few other items I
made sure to keep with me at all times.
I brought my camera bag closer to my face and sniffed the fresh leather. God, it smelled so much more wonderful than the
stuffy building and grime we were stirring up.
I
probably looked like a nutcase for sniffing my bag.
“What do
you mean it’s a wrap? Sofie, we still
have a few hours left in here,” the set manager wined as I slung my bag over my
shoulder.
“I don’t
need a few more hours, Meg. I’m
done. I got exactly what I needed,” I
assured her as I began making my way out of the rubble.
“Ty is
going to go bat-shit crazy if he gets wind you skipped out on this!” she
hollered behind me as I continued to walk away.
I could
have said something sarcastic and rather humorous, but Meg didn’t seem to get
along well with my smug sense of humor.
Without stopping, I turned and kindly said, “Just let me handle Ty.”
Tyson
Bond was extremely handsome, very full of himself, a little hotheaded, and
lucky me… he was my supervisor. Going to
school with the infuriating man was tolerable, mainly because I could avoid him
for the most part. But to have him as my
boss was just icing on the craptastic cake.
Even though he didn’t come with us to Berlin, he would’ve soon found out
I left the photo shoot early.
On my
way there from my hotel, I spotted a quaint little café and now that I was
free, I was dying to check it out, maybe grabbing a bite to eat and relaxing
while there. My boots began an upbeat
clopping rhythm along the wide stones of the sidewalk as I made my way back to
the main square.
Without
fail, my phone started buzzing in my pocket.
I had no doubt in my mind it was Ty.
My mouth began to salivate at the thought of having an intense man like
Ty in my pocket.
Really, Fie? Get a grip.
He’s a total asshat.
Still, I
couldn’t help the smirk that found its way to my face as I answered.
“Well,
hello, Chief. To what do I owe this
pleasure of hearing your masterly voice?” I chimed in an overly sarcastic tone
as I continued to pound the sidewalk with my boots.
“Don’t
be a smartass, Fie. Meghan just called
frantically babbling something about you leaving before the shoot was over?” he
questioned in a rather calm but authoritative tone. “I know I don’t need to remind you how much
we’re shelling out for this gig, right?”
“Slow
your roll, Ty. I nailed it. Not only did I work twice as fast as the
other photographers, but I’m telling you, I completely captured what I was
there to do. I’m heading for a bite to
eat and then will upload my images to the server as soon as I get back to the
hotel,” I paused as I listened to him breathe.
He really did make my mind swim with some rather explicit thoughts. I shook my head to clear the thoughts of him
lying in bed, naked, with mussed up hair, as I’m sure he was woken up by Meg’s
unnecessary phone call. “You won’t be
disappointed, Ty. I promise.”
“I know,
I know. You’ve never disappointed me,
Sofie. Honestly, I began laughing when I
heard you bailed, knowing you probably had the shot and just felt you were
finished. Although, it did earn me a few
curses from Meghan who mumbled something about unprofessionalism. She’s more PO’ed than anyone.”
“Then
why did you call to give me shit, Ty?
Got nothing better to do in the middle of the night?” I seethed.
“There’s
nothing better than hearing your stimulating voice, Fie. You’re even more sexy when you bring that
firecracker of an attitude,” he said with a seductive rumble to his voice.
He
always knew how to twist my stomach in knots.
I may not like working with the man, but damn, his words and his body
were always so alluring. Ty’s seductive
act was probably the reason I didn’t like working with him. How did he expect me to control myself in a professional
manner when he was making my stomach flip flop like a fish out of water?
“Fie?”
“Yeah,
I’m here,” I said with a huff as I picked up the pace. I could just see the small café peeking
around the traffic a few blocks ahead.
“I know
you think I’m sexy too. You’re just too
stubborn to admit it,” he coaxed with a sleepy drawl to his tone.
“I think
you need to stop smoking that shit and go back to bed, Tyson,” I joked, even
though I was attempting desperately to hide the smile in my voice.
“Ahh,
I’m only high on you, sweetness,” he hissed as he emphasized the double ‘S’
sound.
“Now I
know you’re full of shit,” I rasped as I deftly leaped over a small puddle
beyond the curb.
Just as
I began to cross the street towards the café, I suddenly bumped into something
hard. Very hard. It panged against my cheek and temple,
causing me to practically bounce back and my phone to go flying in the air,
clattering to the uneven concrete and just barely missing another puddle of
murky water. I knew my ass didn’t fare
as well when I felt the liquid seep into my jeans.
A slew
of incoherent words and expletives hurled out of my mouth as I winced from the
impact.
“Fluch!
Sind Sie gut?” I heard a voice say as a strong set of fingers wrapped behind my
neck. My German was anything but fluent,
however, I could understand more than I could say. I think he asked if I was all right.
“Yeah,
I’m… ahh,” then, as I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes, I remembered he
probably couldn’t understand me. So, I
tried my best in his native tongue. “Ich
bin gut.” Yeah, I butchered it.
A smile
crept its way across his face as he arched a brow, pronouncing his strong jaw
even more and making me forget I just made a complete fool of myself.
Damn. He is hotness personified. Germany has some serious meat.
“Either
you hit your head harder than I thought or your German sucks,” he said with a
light chuckle. The sound of his laugh
was even more captivating than his looks.
“Definitely
the latter, but maybe both?” I said as I touched my cheek and grimaced at the
pain. My breath hissed between my teeth
has I sucked in air and closed my eyes.
Yeah, that’ll leave a mark. Geez, Fie.
Such a fool.
I tried
to sit up and braced myself with my other arm, continuing to scowl at the
sudden ache in my hip.
“Damn. Here, let me help you up,” the handsome hero
said as he lightly grabbed my elbow to help me to my feet. When I staggered, he suddenly swept me off
the ground and carried me over to a nearby bench as if I were a feather-light
child with a scraped knee.
“Oh,
lord!” I squealed. “I can walk! I can walk!”
I clamped my arms around his thick neck, digging my fingers into his
skin. I don’t know why I was worried he
would drop me. He seemed to handle my
weight with ease. But I still buried my
face into his chest and the action actually calmed me. He smelled of a spicy men’s deodorant and—was
that fresh apple pie? I inhaled his
warm, intoxicating scent and cringed slightly at the feel of my cheek hitting
his hard muscles.
“No need
to make you walk when I can just as easily carry you. Here,” he said as he gently sat me down.
While
watching him walk back over to get my camera bag and phone, I realized what I
ran into—a damn streetlight post. The
metal pole was at least eight inches in diameter and, being the total klutz
that I was, my face decided to get intimate with the stationary object.
Handsome
walked back over to me and handed me my phone first. Through the speakers, I could hear Ty’s
frantic voice. I rolled my eyes at the
idea of explaining my graceful meeting with the pavement to Ty.
“Sofie! What the fuck? Tell me you’re okay!” His voice was somewhat muffled and distant
since I still didn’t have the phone to my ear.
Never taking my eye off the handsome stranger, I decided to quickly pacify
Ty and let him know I was fine.
“Yeah,
I’m okay. I just proved to all of Berlin
that I am now an international
walking disaster. I gotta go
though. I’ll call once the photos are
uploaded.” Without waiting for his
response, I pressed the red end button.
Thanks again Rene for
stopping by For the Love of Books!! We love supporting amazing authors like
you!
