2016 BOOK SIGNINGS!

I'll be attending the following signings this year, covering east coast and west coast: GOLDEN GATE AUTHOR EVENT - (San Francisco, CA) - June 11 SASS STAR STUDDED EVENT - (Norfolk, VA) - July 9

Because I'm in the giving mood (it's my birthday), and I'd love to see you there, I've got tickets up for grabs!  Scroll down to find out how to enter!

Paperback copies of Ricochet AND Backfire will be available at both events as well!

That's not all ... Sexy Backfire cover model, Johnny Kane, will be at the Norfolk author event signing copies of the book!

(Photography by Mike Ruiz)

Lots of amazing authors will be attending and tickets are going fast.  Click on the links below to for more information!

I'll have limited copies of each book at the signings, so if you'd like to reserve a copy prior to the event, please fill out this preorder form:   KERI LAKE PREORDER FORM

Be sure to select the correct event on the preorder form or your books may be sent to the wrong location!

WANT TO WIN TICKETS TO EITHER EVENT?

Send me a message at keri (at) kerilake.com and be sure to tell me which event you'd like to attend.  I'll pick two winners from the messages!

CLICK BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION & JOIN THE FB GROUPS!

#RICOCHET Is LIVE!!!!

IT’S LIVE!!! Oh man, feels like I’ve waited an eternity to release this sucker!  After the exciting cover reveal back in September, it’s been absolute torture!

And now the day has FINALLY arrived!!

RICOCHET is my first contemporary romance, and though I was a bit nervous jumping into a whole new genre, I have to say, I enjoyed every minute of writing this book.  Definitely a dark and gritty read, so be sure to check out the warning at the front.

I cannot wait for you to meet Nick.  Of all the heroes I’ve written so far, he holds a very special place in my heart.  He's tortured and fierce, but smart and sexy at the same time.  I love writing complex MC's that walk the line of good and evil, and Nick definitely had me questioning what makes a character villainous.

I just want to say thank you to all of the bloggers and my kickass street team for helping me spread the word over the next couple of weeks.  Special thank you to the Goodreads community for giving me a very warm welcome into the contemporary genre ❤  Early reviews are up on Goodreads and some of the teasers that readers have created are gorgeous!  Stop by and check them out!

I’ve got a couple giveaways going on below, including a chance to win one of TEN SIGNED PAPERBACKS I'm giving away!

You’ll also find an excerpt from the book and my playlist, so as tempting as it is to stay on the cover, be sure to keep scrolling down!!

RICOCHET

By Keri Lake

Adult Contemporary Romance – Standalone

Image credit: SPECULAR

Cover Model:  CHRIS WILLIAMSON

WARNING:  **Not recommended for readers under the age of 18 due to graphic violence, sex and strong language.  Trigger warning for self harm.

BLURB:

The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.

Three years ago, I had everything.

A beautiful wife.

A son.

A reason for living.

Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.

They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I’m cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.

A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.

I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who’s seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.

Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.

An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.

If she doesn’t destroy me first.

Grab Your Copy!

************

 Excerpt

With my right hand, I pinned her flailing fist, then released her throat and seized the other. She stilled, flat against the wall, with my body pressed into hers.

“You had everything to do with it.” I pushed harder, my muscles steeled. “He didn’t just wrong me, he annihilated me. And there you were, stroking his cock, smiling beside him all the while.”

“All you saw was a smile, then. You should’ve looked deeper. So what? I’m your revenge? Your ticket to hurting him?” She sneered. “Guess what? He doesn’t give a shit about me. He never did. So, go ahead, Nick. Kill me.” She lifted her head away from the wall, only inches from my face. “Snap my fucking throat, if that’s what you plan to do. You’d be doing him and me a favor.”

Her body pulsed with tension, the tremble beating against me, through me, inside of me. Anger. Hate.

So much hate.

With one quick twist of my hands, I could’ve snapped her neck, been done with the whole plan and exited my miserable fucking existence on the wings of a bullet to my skull.

Instead, I slammed my lips against hers. Loving the struggle of her body trying to push me away. Hating the fact that her lips tasted like sweet salvation, beckoning me to whatever web of deception she’d been weaving since I’d taken her. Her delicious smell pervaded my senses—water on the flames burning inside of me, steaming up my mind.

Three years.

The last time I’d devoured a woman’s lips was three years ago, and that had been out of love. Kissing Aubree was something else entirely. Not gentle or tender. I kissed her violently, with all the fury locked inside of me, our frantic breaths clashing with one another.

Her moan vibrated inside my skull, as her hands clenched to fists, trying to break free from my grasp.

She opened her mouth wider, dragged my lip between her teeth, and bit me.

Aggression surged through my body and rattled the cage of something dark inside of me.

I wanted more. More pain. More rage. I wanted to tear into her while cursing her name. Purge myself of the hate until it was spent.

I broke the kiss, breaths heaving, as I glared down at her. “What do you know about Brightmoor?” I rasped.

“I don’t know anything about Brightmoor,” she gritted out.

Lies. “Yeah? Then, why did you have the fucking blueprints tucked in your purse? Devil’s Night plans safe and sound, beside your goddamn lipstick and compact.”

Her chest rose and fell as I kept her captive against the wall, her stare deadpan. “I didn’t—”

“Don’t lie to me.” I pressed harder, lips to her ear. “I fucking hate liars,” I whispered, inciting a shudder in her that brought a smile to my face. “Why did you have the chip?”

“I stole it.”

“You stole it.” I wanted to laugh at the stupidity of such a thought, but my voice lacked any ounce of humor or inflection. “I don’t think you did, Pistol Lips. I think he gave it to you. His little pet.”

“I fucking hate you.” Venom laced her words as she stared back at me, those golden eyes blazing with vehemence.

I licked my lips and glanced down at her pert breasts, and smiled. Squeezing her captured wrists with one hand, I reached up under her dress, only grazing the patch of lace that kept my finger from being inside of her, knowing everything she was too stubborn to admit.

Her lids turned heavy, as drunken eyes riveted on my lips.

“Tell me how much you hate me.”

“Don’t,” she warned, and I caught the scrape of her tongue across her teeth.

Grabbing a handful of hair, I tugged her head back until her neck stretched taut, and like a creature of night, I wanted to bite down into that supple flesh and rip her throat out. Dragging my tongue along her shoulder, I made my way to the base of her neck and bit her collarbone. She let out a gasp and I released her wrists. Lust blazed through my veins, when her fingers tangled in my hair and her leg curled around my hip, drawing me against her.

“You know what, Aubree? I fucking hate you, too, but goddamn … you taste so good.”

Hell was having her skin against mine and craving her so badly I wanted to crawl out of my own body.

************

 Playlist

Ricochet

Giveaway!!!

Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card AND a signed paperback copy of Ricochet!

IN ADDITION!

Long or brief, reviews are SO important to authors.  Leave an honest review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and enter the form below (SEE LINK) for a chance to win:

***SIGNED PAPERBACK COPY OF RICOCHET to the first 10 readers who submit a review ***SIGNED POST CARD to the first 50 people who submit a review

The first 50 submissions will receive an email containing a password for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!

NOTE: You MUST submit the link to your review in this form to be eligible. Winners will NOT be drawn from the various sites (they will be chosen based on this form):  REVIEW SUBMISSION FORM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ricochet Release Update!

I’m going to make this a quick update because the next few days are really about how many minutes I can stretch.  I have no idea what I was smokin’ when I scheduled these last two weeks in March, but I think I need another hit just to cope with the crazy. In case you missed it, I reached a major milestone for Ricochet over the weekend.  Finished the first draft!!

(click on image to enlarge)

I have the next 7 days to get a polished copy to my editor for it’s very first read-thru, and with all I’ve got going on this week (I’ll spare you the list), that means I’ll be locked away in my writing cave editing, but mostly looking for a portal that I can climb through, where time moves much slower.

This ain’t gonna be pretty.

Having spoken with my editor, I've decided that Ricochet’s release date will have to be pushed to June—and that’s assuming she likes what she’s about to read.  Should she call it absolute shit, I may need to push the date back a lil’ bit more (and stock up on some hard liquor).  I’d planned for a May release, but unfortunately, that’s just not possible.

In the meantime, I'll post some teasers, maybe an excerpt from the book, and you can always swing by the cover model's IG account for some eye candy to hold you over until you can stroke your very own copy.  Be careful - it's easy to get lost in all those muscly shirtless images.  You've been warned.

I'm gonna bust my ass to get this out as fast as I can.  I cannot wait for the paperback.  Not that I plan on stroking it.  Much.

Also ...

I’m gathering up some troops, looking for new recruits to sell their soul join my street team.

Members receive ARCs of all new titles, sneak peeks, and the chance to win some swag.

If you’d like to join, send me an email:   keri (at) kerilake (dot) com

Please add ‘street team’ in the subject.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!  Happy Frigarita!

My Mother, Troubled Youth And How I Came To Write Badass Characters

As you know, SOUL ENSLAVED releases on December 5^th and because it’s smack in the middle of the holidays, I decided to donate a percent of sales to charity. Sabelle happens to be one of my favorite characters in this book.  She’s a feisty succubus who works so hard to get by and tries to be a good mom. Her personality was inspired by my own mother, who worked 40 hours a week, AND put herself through a Master’s program in Social Work, all while raising 4 kids.

So I thought I’d tell you a little bit about my mom, why she’s the most amazing woman I know, and why I decided to let her choose where I make the donation this year.

My mother has spent a good part of her life working as a therapist with what most would label the ‘troubled youth’.  Neglected, abandoned, abused or ignored, every one of them come with heartbreaking stories of hopelessness.  The world has written them off as useless and many kids arrive at my mom's door desperate, leery and many times, resistant to getting help from anyone.  They're hardened.  Sometimes unreachable.  And in some cases, downright belligerent.

I’ve always admired my mother's patience and willingness to dig beyond the behaviors of kids, who were unknowingly desperate for someone to just give a damn.

She’s dedicated her career to providing some measure of hope to those deemed a lost cause—kids caught between living on the streets and in unstable homes.  She’s fought for parents who try to do the right thing but don’t know how. And there have been times when I’ve watched my mom sit at the kitchen table in tears when she found herself battling stereotypes and politics.

My mom is a firm believer in resiliency and while some look at a child who’s suffered horrific circumstances as ‘ruined’, she would call them survivors--‘fixable,’ if given the environment they need to repair and grow into thriving adults.  They say it takes a village to raise a child.  My mom has always said, when faced with the path of right and wrong, it only takes ONE person who gives a damn to make a difference in a child’s life and guide him/her toward success.

She’s worked in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Detroit, and faced a whole lot of opposition, all in the effort of making things better when she leaves.  And one thing I’ve grown up knowing about my mom – she doesn’t do anything half-ass.

It’s no surprise that I tend to write badass females in my stories.  I grew up with one.

I’ve always wanted to do something meaningful like that in my life, but I’m not exactly a role model and I’d surely screw up the first kid I tried to help, which is why I respect therapists and counselors—unsung heroes who’ve dedicated their lives to nurturing healthy minds.

I suppose it might seem natural that, as a writer, the most influential people in my life are other writers.  Yes, they do provide a source of inspiration and I certainly look up to them.  But no one has ever fostered an environment of chasing happiness, believing in myself and pursuing my dreams quite like my mom.  This is what she gives to others—kids who are NEVER told they have potential to be anything they want, anything more than the mistakes they've made—she helps them believe that they CAN and she gives them the tools to do it.

My mother is one of my biggest, most supportive fans.  Yes, she proudly reads my smut and has never judged me for what I choose to write.  However dark and twisted, she’s read every one of my stories and will always be a much better saleswoman when it comes to promoting my work.  So I’d like to give back by promoting her work.  I’m dedicating SOUL ENSLAVED to her and a percent of sales during its first month of release will be donated to two recognized programs that help outreach workers and therapists like her, who are trying to make a difference and guiding kids on the path toward success.

The first is Covenant House.

I recently donated a percent of sales from my Sons of Wrath series to Covenant House in Detroit on behalf of Keri Lake’s Caring Readers.  Here’s the letter I received from the Director of the program:

 

I want to thank you for your contribution in helping to provide the tools these kids need to turn their lives around.  It means so much to me.  The people working for this organization are absolute angels.  Check out this short video of the outreach workers who scour the streets in search of homeless kids:

For me, this was the most frightening fact presented in the video:

A young person who is on the street for more than 24 hours is 80% more likely to become a victim of human trafficking.

I’m so grateful for those who work every single day to keep these kids in a safe and nurturing environment.

The second program is The Connection.

My mother works with the lovely lady who runs this organization.  Funded by state and federal grants, The Connection helps teens and families in crisis by providing safe emergency housing, counseling, support groups, and community outreach programs.

How Can You Help?

I’m asking you to help me spread the word on release day.  For a limited time only, Soul Enslaved will be 99 cents.  Buy a copy and help kids living on the streets of Detroit.  You can also gift a copy of the book—the perfect holiday treat for the booklovers on your list!

Soul Enslaved releases DECEMBER 5^TH, so mark your calendars!

Thank you so much for all you do and for your continued interest in my writing ❤

Sons Of Wrath Contest!!

I mentioned a while back that for the release of Soul Enslaved, I’m not planning to do a major blog tour. This time, I’ve got something else in mind.   Something I hope will be a whole lotta fun!!

I WILL be doing a book blast with a rafflecopter giveaway and I’d LOVE your help spreading the word for a couple reasons:

1. Soul Enslaved will be 99 cents for a VERY VERY limited time.  I mean like … just a couple of days, limited.

BUT!  That brings me to reason #2:

1. I’m donating a percent of sales for Soul Enslaved to TWO charities that help neglected or abused kids stay off the streets of Detroit and the metro area.

I’ll tell you more about this in a future post.  But the more you help me spread the word, the greater the donation I can make!

In addition to the book blast …

When I first wrote Soul Avenged, aside from friends and family who'd read the book, I didn't have much of a following at all.  No one knew the Sons of Wrath and I found that, not only was I limited to a handful of PNR blogs to help me get the book out there, but of those, only a few were willing to read a book as thick as Soul Avenged.  Oh man, I thought I'd screwed up royally by writing such a long story.  But then, something REALLY unexpected happened.  Bloggers started signing up to join the tour.  Even though they had NO IDEA who I was as an author or who my characters were, they took a chance and read the book.

Then Soul Resurrected was written and more bloggers joined the tour.  Through (and including) them, I met some pretty amazing readers.

All of you have been instrumental in helping me get my books out there.  You take the time to read my books, post your reviews, shout about my crazy stories – you took a chance on me and I want to give back.

So I’m going to run a little contest during the book blast …

Every writer dreams of seeing a book hit the big screen.  I’ve always wondered how others see my characters. Therefore, I’m asking bloggers to cast the Sons of Wrath and I’m going to have YOU vote for the best collection of sexy mancandy!

The winning blog will get $50 Amazon gift card!  Readers get to enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win some awesome prizes!

Win win win!

The blogger picks are coming in and I L.O.V.E. the sexy faces they’re matching with each of these guys.

Damn they’re HAWT.  Think it's time to update my Eye Candy Pinterest board.

If you know of a blogger who loves PNR and might wanna get in on this, please don’t hesitate to share this post!

If you ARE a blogger and wanna get in on this, email me keri (at) kerilake.com.

In the meantime, I’ve been getting feedback from betas for Soul Enslaved and it’s been humbling.  I’ve said before, I have good days and bad days when it comes to my writing.  The responses have definitely kept me in a very positive and upbeat state of mind and I cannot wait to share this story with you!

Here are just a few of the beta comments:

"Your storytelling wraps me up & I forget to THINK beyond enjoyment."

“Do you have any idea how fucking awesome you are?”

“Good Gawd, woman! Done. And...and...and...Argh! What have you done to me? Again.”

“You are messing with my mind in all the best ways.”

“I know this book will be tidied up and I'm a bit sad to hear that because I enjoyed so many scenes (particularly in the latter quarter of the book).”

I’ll be giving another update soon so stay tuned!!

COVER REVEAL FOR RICOCHET!!

You know when you've got something incredibly exciting to share and you can't yet, so you kinda go a little crazy in the time you're forced to wait? I was there.  For the entire SUMMER that I had to sit on this reveal.

While writing The Fallen back in January, I was hit by a dark and gritty story, set in Detroit, but not part of the Sons of Wrath world.  I knew this one would be a contemporary romance from it's very beginnings and I kept it on the backburner, unsure of whether or not I wanted to jump into a whole new genre.  To me, it felt like starting over.

Then sometime in May, I was casually perusing Specular's portfolio on Facebook and my eyes immediately zeroed in on one helluva striking image.  The face fit the character for this story so freaking perfectly, I was mesmerized.  I decided I HAD to have him on the cover.  Long story short, I contacted the photographer and that was all it took - the MC in this story refuses to be ignored and the book is practically writing itself, now that I've got my muse.

Before I show this baby off, I have to thank the very talented Chris Davis (photographer) and the insanely gorgeous model.  Holy hella hotness!  He's a British model too, so you KNOW there's a sexy accent to go with dem looks.

I imagine something like this:

Also huge thanks to my brother Ryan (who happened to hog all of the design talent in the family), for taking the time to design the cover.  As one of the founders of a thriving business, he always has a lot on his plate, but never hesitates the many times I approach him with, "So I have this idea ..."  ❤

Thanks so so much to all the contemporary bloggers (I've never had so many bloggers participate in sharing the cover!) who are helping out with this reveal, and to the readers and bloggers (particularly my street team) who helped connect me to them.  Love yas!! ❤

Okay, I know, I know.  You didn't come here to read a story.

So without further delay, here is your first glimpse at Ricochet's cover and blurb! Add it to your Goodreads shelf and be sure to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win an ARC before it releases!

Screen-licking is encouraged ...

RICOCHET

By Keri Lake

Adult Contemporary Romance - Standalone

Expected Release Date: Spring 2015

Image credit: Specular

BLURB:

The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.

Three years ago, I had everything.

A beautiful wife.

A son.

A reason for living.

Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.

They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I'm cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.

A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.

I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who's seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.

Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.

An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.

If she doesn’t destroy me first.

************

Add it to your GOODREADS SHELF!

To be notified when the book goes live, join my VIP EMAIL LIST!!

RICOCHET PLAYLIST:

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Updates for Soul Enslaved and Ricochet!

Quick update … Gotta make this short and sweet, because this is my LAST day to finish my read through of Gavin’s book!

Soul Enslaved gets shipped off for its VERY first beta read tomorrow!  Holy hell, I’m excited and sick to my stomach at the same time.  Thought this one would be much smaller than the others, but is anyone opposed to 500 pages of Gavin???

Anyone???

There will NOT be the usual month-long blog tour for the release of Soul Enslaved!  I’ve got something much more fun planned PLUS some cool prizes to give away too!  Stay tuned for more details.  The release date is slated for November 6^th, so mark your calendars!!  As I mentioned on my FB page, a percent of sales from my books will be donated to local Detroit charities during the release.

Sign up to my VIP Email list and you could win an ARC of Soul Enslaved BEFORE it releases!

What else is going on this week …

The cover design for Ricochet will soon be underway!  I’m so excited to show off the sexy face of my next project, which will also be set in Detroit.  I’ve been patiently waiting to start this baby and tomorrow I’ll begin writing it.  As I mentioned before, this is NOT paranormal romance.  It’s a standalone with HEA.  It’ll have that same dark, edgy tone but with humans instead of demons.  Lol

I’ve put together an inspiration board for the story on Pinterest, in case you’re curious.  Check it out here:  http://www.pinterest.com/kerilake/ricochet/

The playlist is growing too!

You can also add it to your Goodreads shelf:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22046049-ricochet

Okay, that’s all for now.  More news coming soon!

My First Vlog

UPDATE:  VLOG POSTED ON JEAN BOOKNERD SITE.  CLICK HERE AND ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF SOUL AVENGED!

Okay I'm going to keep this post short this week.  Just wanted to take a moment to share a first experience for me:  vlogging.  I know for many, it's not a big deal--sitting in front of a camera with no one around and chatting is just a natural thing for some people.  For me though, it's absolutely frightening.

But I'm all about facing fears, so here goes ...

This is a vlog that I was asked to prepare and discuss the characters of Soul Avenged, but since there was a bit of a mix-up, I'm just gonna give you a sneak peek.  I can now cross vlogging off the list ...

Next up on that list of to-dos?  Jumping out of an airplane.