Love Paranormal Romance?

To celebrate Halloween, I've joined up with 34 other authors to bring you a selection of paranormal stories for your perusal. Shifters, ghosts, demons. We've got something for everyone. 

My contribution is Lovers Entwined, a tale of reincarnation and the triumph of True Love. It will be reduced to $2.99 at Amazon for the duration. 

https://books.bookfunnel.com/para_fantasy/9b8q29i2te

"Surely, dreams are just dreams? Not an echo of the past."

Ewan Matthews is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey Capell is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life.

Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside.

Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past.

Check out all the books here https://books.bookfunnel.com/para_fantasy/9b8q29i2te

Participating authors 

A.D. Ellis, Annabelle Jacobs, Anne Barwell, BA Tortuga, Becca Seymour, Beth Laycock, BL Maxwell, Charley Descoteaux, Clare London, E.J. Russell, Edie Montreux, Elizabeth Noble, Emma Jaye, Garrett Leigh, H.L Day, Irene Preston & Liv Rancourt, Jackie Keswick, Jay Northcote, K-lee Klein, Kaje Harper, Kasia Bacon, Leta Blake, Lillian Francis, Meredith Spies, Minerva Howe, N.R. Walker, Nora Phoenix, Rebecca Cohen, Rhys Lawless, RJ Scott, Roan Parrish, Talia Carmichael, V.L. Locey, Victoria Sue

 

End of Year Sale

Smashwords are having an end of year sale from today until the 1st January 2018.

Most of my self-published books are 25% off during the sale. 

You can find a list of all my self-published titles here.

Lovers Entwined - 4 heart review

Lovers Entwined has received a 4 heart review over at Love Bytes.

Ewan Matthews is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey Capell is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life.

Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside. Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past.


Published by Finally Love Press

Buy Links: Amazon US // AmazonUK // All Romance eBooks


For other reviews check out the main post.

Blogging away from home

I'm blogging over at Amy Lane's today talking about what inspired Lovers Entwined and how that story could have been called something else.

St Patrick's Day

In honour of St Patrick's Day I've had Barmbrack for breakfast (try saying that after a couple of pints of Guinness). It's a fruit bread, similar in flavour to a Hot Cross Bun.

A couple of things happening today. 

Yes, ARe are having a blast with 25% off selected titles. Lovers Entwined is one of the books you can get at a reduced price for today only.


And I'm participating over at Diverse Reader's Luck of the Irish giveaway.

From the promo. 
"Each author will be sharing something St. Patty's day related. We have recipes, art, poems, limericks, and of course giveaways! It's a lot of fun! Here are the authors for this terrific giveaway: Kenzie Cade, Avon Gale,Raissa Phoenix, LE Franks, Mickie Ashling, BenMonopoli, Kate McMurray, Lillian Francis, J.r. Gray,Sloan Parker, Kelly Jensen, Bronwyn Heeley, Lane Hayes, Chris McHart, Joe Cosentino, Felice Stevens, S.c. Wynne Helena Stone, N.r. Walker and Carroll S Poe!!!! So be sure to check out my blog on St. Patrick's Day and see if you truly have the Luck of the Irish!!!"

Okay. That's the announcements for today. I'll raise a pint of Guinness to St Paddy later tonight. 
To the Irish saint that apparently hailed from Wales.

Featured Bargain - All Romance ebooks

Guess what book of mine is half price at ARe today?

"I loved this book. It has torrid, forbidden romance, ups and downs, triumph and grief, and it made me CRY." - Ink Rainbow Reads

"This is one of those books that you wish you could read over and over for the first time!" - Bike Book Reviews

"I was sobbing like mad several times in this story, even though I knew it was coming.  But the power of the descriptions and the emotional strength of those moments won through and I was lost." - Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

"...truly an exceptional book." - Nautical Book Reviews

M is for

Mistletoe

By Migula, Walter; Thomé, Otto W. 
[CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) 
or Public domain], 
via Wikimedia Commons

I'm sure that Rick, my gardener cum handyman from Resonance would love this botanical drawing of Mistletoe.

European mistletoe, Viscum album, is native to Europe and Great Britain. A parasitic plant with white berries that are toxic to humans. And a plant that we humans have decided that we need to kiss under it, but why?

Mistletoe remains green throughout the year, and just like holly and ivy, for this reason has been attributed with magical healing powers and associated with fertility: some cultures even viewed it as an aphrodisiac due to the suggestive arrangement of its berries. This association between mistletoe and fertility may be where the custom of kissing under mistletoe started. 
In Victorian England if a girl refused a kiss whilst standing under mistletoe, it was said that she wouldn't receive any marriage proposals during the following year.
In Norse legends there is the tale of Balder, son of the goddess Frigga, who was killed by an evil spirit with an arrow made of mistletoe. Saddened by her son's death, Frigga wept tears of white berries, which brought Balder back to life. Frigga was so overjoyed that she blessed the plant and promised a kiss to all who passed beneath it.

There is a proper etiquette for kissing under the mistletoe: first, the man can only kiss a woman or girl on the cheek and second, when he does so, he removes one berry from the mistletoe sprig. After all the berries are gone, the kissing ends.


and missed opportunities

I know I should have pimped Lovers Entwined in yesterday's L post but I didn't want to dilute the message with an obvious sales pitch. So I'm doing it today.


Ewan Matthews is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey Capell is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life.

Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside. Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past.


Published by Finally Love Press




Buy Links: Amazon US // AmazonUK // All Romance eBooks


Inked Rainbow Reads said "if you want a good Romance Novel, this one’s it."
Nautical Star Books said "Lovers Entwined by Lillian Francis is truly an exceptional book."

This link will take you to more reviews.

J is for...

Jingle Bells.

A popular Christmas song written by James Lord Pierpont, Jingle Bells was originally published under the title 'One Horse Open Sleigh' in 1857. It was originally written for Thanksgiving and it was said to be a drinking song. It had racy lyrics for the time, certainly unsuited to an audience of children. It implied that during a sleigh ride through the snowy woods an unchaperoned couple could get up to all sorts shenanigans.

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way

Bells on bobtail ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight!

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

(Although less well-known than the opening, the remaining verses depict high-speed youthful fun. In the second verse, the narrator takes a ride with a girl and loses control of the sleigh.)

A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon, Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot.*
|: chorus :|

*upset, as in capsized, but also slang for drunk.

(In the next verse he falls out of the sleigh and a rival laughs at him.)

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.
|: chorus :|

(In the last verse, after relating his experience, he gives equestrian advice to a friend to pick up some girls, find a faster horse, and take off at full speed.)

Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed bay
Two forty as his speed[b]
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you'll take the lead.
|: chorus :|

So Jingle Bells is a bawdy drinking song**. Who knew?

**This information was taken from wiki, so season to taste.


and judging a book by its cover. 

You know we've all done it. Come on, admit it. There's one publisher where I wait for the new release email, not to see what is coming next, but to see how bad the covers are. I try not let that influence whether I buy that book or not though. In that regard I'm more likely to be swayed by the author and my friend's recommendations.
 

I've been really lucky with my cover art over the last year. I've had one cover from Paul Richmond and one
from Garrett Leigh  

and two covers from Meredith Russell.

These covers are all brilliant in their own ways and I love them all for different reasons.






Don't ask me to pick one, but I can ask you.
Which one is your favourite?

How did I miss this

Somehow I managed to miss posting about this excellent review for Lovers Entwined from Nautical Star Books. I remember retweeting but for some reason it never made it to the blog. Time to rectify that.

A 4.5 star review from Nautical Star Books.

"Lovers Entwined by Lillian Francis is truly an exceptional book."

"I could not put this book down and there were tears in my eyes during a lot of it.  Reading about the historical characters was incredibly moving.  Seeing glimpses of these couples and learning how they were all entwined together was beautiful."

"The Epilogue of Lovers Entwined was creative and made me smile."

If you want to read the review in its entirety you can find it here.

5 Star Review for Lovers Entwined

Inked Rainbow Reads have given Lovers Entwined a 5 star review.

"It’s Ewan’s journey that’s most compelling, falling down a family tree that reveals that love is eternal, soulmates are real, and history, so often, is tragic."

"I loved this book. It has torrid, forbidden romance, ups and downs, triumph and grief, and it made me CRY."

"if you want a good Romance Novel, this one’s it."



If you want to read the review in full, the link is above.

Another excellent review for Lovers Entwined

A 5 'Victoria Cross Medal' rating review from Bike Book Reviews.

"This is one of those books that you wish you could read over and over for the first time!"

"...a beautiful love story that is timeless and beautiful in the telling!"

"This book is epic... you don't just get one love story, you get several, but get out your tissues, because you WILL cry!"

"Thank you Lillian, for a love story that is so big it spans centuries!"

Read the review in full here.

A 4.5 star review for Lovers Entwined

This time from Bayou Book Junkie.

Rating: 4.5 Stars.

"This was a really interesting read. I love how the author blended the past with the present in such an intriguing way."

"I adored Ewan"

"Very recommendable read"

Read the review in full here.

4 star review for Lovers Entwined

MelanieM over at scattered thoughts and rogue words has given Lovers Entwined a brilliant 4 star review.

"Lovers Entwined by Lillian Francis is a moving, romantic story, one that I loved."

"I was sobbing like mad several times in this story, even though I knew it was coming.  But the power of the descriptions and the emotional strength of those moments won through and I was lost."

"But (Ms) Francis handles each flashback and couple almost as a separate story, giving them the attention each is due.  She gives us a real connection to every reincarnation, and as that love is lost, all that affection and hope is transferred to the most recent couple…Ewan and Trey."

"Lillian Francis is quickly becoming a “must read” for me.  I loved her “Theory Unproven“, and now her “Lovers Entwined”.  I highly recommend both of these stories and author Lillian Francis!"

Read the review in full here.

Just in case you missed some

Here's a list of all the stops on the blog tour

August 3:
Hearts on Fire - Guest post (Jobs in m/m romance)
Man2ManTastic - Excerpt


August 4:
Sue Brown - Book Review (5 stars)
Diverse Reader - Excerpt


August 5:
Prism Book Alliance - Guest post (Film Noir)
Drops of Ink - An interview (including a mini excerpt from my WIP)


August 6:
BFD Book Blog - Excerpt
The Purple Rose Tea House - Excerpt


August 7:
Love Bytes Reviews - Guest post (History and cheesy TV theme songs)
Bayou Book Junkie - Book Review (4.5 stars)

Don't forget all these posts have a link to the giveaway. You've still got about 9 hours to have a chance to win.

What the hell has film noir got to do about anything

I've been chatting about Film Noir over at Prism Book Alliance as part of the blog tour for Lovers Entwined.

Film Noir, you say. What has that to do with anything? Read the post to find out. I ask a question at the end of the post and I'd be interested in any recs.

Another stop on the blog tour

I've been interviewed over at Drops of Ink. Find out if I'm a pantser or plotter, what my superpower would be, and much more. Plus there is a small excerpt from my current WIP.

Review for Lovers Entwined

A lovely review for Lovers Entwined over at Sue Browns Stories.

"Definitely a 5 star book. I adored Lovers Entwined and read it in one session. Normally I'm wary of the dream sequences but Lillian handled them skilfully and led us into their entwined lives down the generations. As the book progressed I wanted to kick Trey as he dangled on the hook of his relationship but that was handled so well. Lillian didn't make his fiancée the 'villain', so much as a woman whose focus has changed. Trey and Ewan's relationship is gloriously spiky and sweet at the same time. Well worth reading."

Release Day for Lovers Entwined

It's release day for Lovers Entwined. My first foray into self-publishing (even if it is a previously published work) and as such it fell to me to arrange the promo too. I had some ridiculous idea about doing it myself and then realised that I had neither the time, the contacts, nor the know-how. So I contact Sid Love over at Creative Minds Promotions and let him take all the stress (well, some of the stress) out of things.

So I'm going to put my feet up and... nope, I better let you know there is a blog tour going on all this week. Blog posts, interviews, reviews. It's all happening. And a giveaway, of course.

TITLE: Lovers Entwined



AUTHOR: Lillian Francis



PUBLISHER: Finally Love Press



COVER ARTIST: Meredith Russell



LENGTH: 98,950 words



RELEASE DATE: August 3, 2015

BLURB: Ewan Matthews is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey Capell is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life.

Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside. Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past.

Amazon US



AmazonUK



All Romance eBooks

August 3:

Hearts
on Fire

Man2ManTastic

August 4:

Sue
Brown

Diverse
Reader

August 5:

Prism
Book Alliance

Drops
of Ink

August 6:

BFD Book Blog

The Purple Rose Tea House

August 7:

Love
Bytes Reviews

Bayou
Book Junkie

Cover Models – The good, the bad, and the overused

One of the advantages of self publishing is that you have total control over your product and this is never more obvious than in the cover design.

While many publishers will attempt to accommodate your wishes, what happens when your vision and the publisher’s art department don’t mesh. It’s bad enough when the cover has little or nothing to do with the contents on the inside. But when they get the concept you’re trying for but compromise with carelessly picked cover models; that can be heart-breaking. So close and yet so far.

When you are self-publishing you can pick your own cover artist, someone whose style gels with your own and fits the tone of your story and who can create the image you have eagerly conjured up in your mind. That is why I decided to use Meredith Russell again after the stellar work she did on Theory Unproven. In contrast to TU, where I detailed exactly what I wanted on the cover, for Lovers Entwined I just gave Meredith the gentlest of nudges in the right direction and let her do the rest. Until it came to picking the cover models. Then it was great to be working with someone who was happy to cater to my every whim (whilst being far too professional to call me a fussy bitch).

Lovers Entwined is still available at the special pre-order price. 

Amazon US

Amazon UK

ARe 

So how do you turn characters from your imagination into flesh and blood renditions on a book cover?

You could go all Sleepy Hollow and have a pair of headless (or at the very least faceless) torsos.

You could go with something that features no people at all. Some of these covers are really effective. However, as a reader I like figures on my covers.  To me covers with two male figures imply m/m romance, and three figures prepare me for some type of ménage relationship.

If you are lucky enough to have something drawn for you then that will probably get you as close to your character as it is possible to get, just so long as you can communicate the vision in your head to the artist.

I know some people, having learnt from experience, have the cover model in mind before they start writing. I can actually see how that would be advantageous, having the model in front of you at all times as you’re writing.

Or you can trawl through model after model looking for the right combination of features to suit your character.  Hair can be trimmed, lengthened, or dyed. Eye colour can be changed. Clothes (or even bodies) can be swapped. But even when you find some possible examples it’s still not that simple. Do you want your book bearing the same model that graces hundreds of other covers? Do you want to appear on Chris’ Misadventures over at stumblingoverchaos? (Maybe you do, because any publicity is good publicity, isn’t it?) Personally, I would be inclined to reject models that are used too regularly elsewhere or that are already associated with popular characters within the genre.

Taking all that into account you can limit yourself to a small pool of candidates and then it’s just a matter of working out which best fits the character and, occasionally, whether the position/stance of the model fits the cover.

But no matter how much time you spend picking the models (and believe me when I say these guys took many hours and numerous emails, Meredith will back me up on that one) there will always be someone that tells you they don’t look like the characters.

How important are the cover models to you when imagining the characters?

Are there any cover models that you can think of that fit the characters perfectly?

When rights revert

What do you do when the rights to one of your stories revert back to you?

Of course, you could submit it to another publisher. I did this with When Love Flue In, sending it to Totally Bound and getting it released in time for the Christmas period. With that being a seasonal read, to all intents and purposes, readers would have barely noticed it had been unavailable for a period of six months or so. And having lost the whole of the second year’s sales due to unpaid royalties I was eager to get the story back out and selling copies as soon as possible.

So when the rights reversion email for Lovers Entwined landed in my inbox I had a decision to make. Under its previous publisher, who didn’t appear to know how to market it, this story died a death. I didn’t want that to happen again. If it dies on the quality of the story it tells so be it but to flounder because no one knows that it exists is another matter.

Did I want to self-publish?

I have to admit I was scared.

However, many of my author friends self-publish with excellent results. At first it seemed a daunting task, but thankfully the authors in this genre are some of the most generous people I have met (or not met at all in some cases). Most authors, if asked what super power they would want, would probably ask to be able to slow down time or have the ability to clone themselves. With time at a premium in this game, that people are willing to give some of those precious minutes to a virtual stranger (Jay and I could walk past each other in the street and not recognise each other) is the most generous gift of all.

So with Jay Northcote holding my hand, I took the bull by the horns and stepped into that den of confusion called self publishing. This book would not be here without her, it would be languishing in a slush pile somewhere, and for that, I dedicate this book to her.



Don't forget Lovers Entwined is still available at the special pre-order price. Pre-order links are below

Amazon US
Amazon UK
ARe 

The price should be $2.99 across the board until release (Amazon US seems to vary for some reason). On release it will go up to $3.99.