Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Melt Into You Blog Tour with Roni Loren



Hello to All of My Lovely Tasty Readers,

Today we have a special Guest Blogger, the very talented, Roni Loren.  We are hosting Roni as a part of her blog tour promoting her New Release, Melt Into You, the second book in her Loving on the Edge series.  This series is all about relationships that are All Tied Up, hee hee, in emotions and heartbreak, trust and kinky seduction.  I wanted to know more about what type of research Ms. Loren had to do, or how she came up with the idea of "The Ranch".

So I am going to let Roni take the floor for a bit, but I will be back with my review of Melt Into You at the end of her post.

As a special gift, Roni will award an eBook copy of "Still Into You" to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop and a Book Grab Bag - Autographed copy of CRASH INTO YOU along with these books: Raziel by Kristina Douglas, Blood Stains by Sharon Sala, The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons, and Deadly Valentine by Justine Davis and Cindy Dees to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US/Canada only).  So make sure to follow the rest of her tour and comment each day for more chances to win.

The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/05/virtual-book-tour-melt-into-you-by-roni.html

Without further ado, here is Roni:


How I Built “The Ranch”

So happy to be here at A Tasty Read today! Today I’ve been asked to explain how the heck I did research for The Ranch, the BDSM resort that my Loving on the Edge series centers around. First, lets get the obvious out of the way, I didn’t find some fantasy ranch and go take a tour--unfortunately, lol. But I can tell you where I got the inspiration.

I live in Texas so there is a lot of open land around once you get outside the big cities. And a few years ago, my husband and I went to a rock concert out in nowhere, TX on the grounds of a ranch. As I was standing out there and looking around at the endless space and the occasional barn or ranch house, I had the thought--if you wanted to have secrets, this would be a good place to hide them.

So add that thought, mix it in with the fact that Dirty Dancing is my favorite movie of all time (think cabins, lake, romance, etc. from the movie), and The Ranch was born.

As for what to put at the resort, BDSM wise, I did a lot of reading (both fiction and non-fiction) and equipment research. But really, what it comes down to is imagination. That’s the beauty of fiction. It’s MY ranch to build, so I can add what I want. I had a chuckle when one reader reviewed my first book and said something to the effect of “that wouldn’t be allowed at The Ranch.” I was thinking--um, yes it would ‘cause I make the place and the rules. ; ) That’s the fun of it.

Here’s an excerpt from MELT INTO YOU when Evan, the heroine, first goes to The Ranch:

Evan’s palms were damp against the arms of the overstuffed chair as she waited for the owner of The Ranch to meet with her. The limo drive to the place had been long, and as the minutes had slipped away, so had her resolve.

She glanced around the well-appointed sitting room, trying to focus on anything but her reasons for being here. Dark, rustic furniture, wood floors, artwork displaying Texas’s varied landscapes, and a large stone fireplace, which she was sure was more for show than practicality in this climate. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve guessed she was in some high-end ski resort and not a retreat specializing in kink.

She tilted her head back and groaned. This was stupid. Ridiculous. She wasn’t the type of person to go to a sex resort. Was she really that desperate? She’d lived without sex for over a year. Why was it suddenly such a big deal?

There could only be one reason.

Goddamn Jace. He’d always been able to stir up that part of her without trying. Even when she’d first met him and hadn’t totally recognized the feeling as desire, she’d been drawn to him, wanted to be in his sphere of attention as much as possible. He had a way of making her feel like she was the only one in the room, and after years of being invisible to everyone around her that feeling had been heady, addictive. She should’ve been immune to it by now. But after a few seemingly harmless touches on that stage, Jace had flipped the switch and had her engines firing on all cylinders again. Man, she was screwed.

A massive wooden door on the opposite side of the room eased open, and an impossibly tall man with wavy dark hair stepped inside. He gave her a smile that seemed to warm the whole room. “You must be Ms. Kennedy.”

The deep twang in his voice matched the cowboy boots peeking out of the bottom of his faded jeans. The image totally didn’t fit with what Evan had imagined the owner of this type of resort to look like. She hadn’t expected head-to-toe leather or anything, but a handsome cowboy hadn’t been on her radar of possibilities either.
***

So if you had the chance to build your own fantasy resort where would it be and what would it look like?



Melt Into You
Loving on the Edge #2
Roni Loren
Released July 3rd, 2012
368 Pages
Berkley Heat
Source: Goddess Fish



BLURB:

Her first love has returned, and he's brought a friend...
After running away from home and the boy who broke her heart, Evan Kennedy has kick-started the perfect new life with her celebrity fiancé. So what if said fiancé prefers guys? She knew the deal. And with her ticket to The Ranch, an exclusive resort where any fantasy can be satisfied, she knows she can find someone to fulfill her less-than-traditional desires on the side.
She just never expected that man to be Jace Austin, her old heart-breaker—all grown up, hard-bodied, and holding out a collar. She knows it’s probably a world-class bad idea—especially since Jace has brought along his buddy Andre, who’s every bit as irresistible. But if they can stick to the no-strings rules, so can she.
Too bad Jace has never been so good with rules. Evan is convinced “forever” is a word used only in greeting cards, but Jace and Andre have one last fantasy of hers left to fulfill. It’s time to go big or go home. And neither man has ever been a fan of going home.

The concept of Melt Into You was not so much a "new" one to me, but not one that I read too often. 

As a reviewer, we read all sorts of romances, men with women, women with two men, men with men and maybe a woman thrown in the mix, so a story about a Ranch where people go to make their fantasies come true didn't scare me off.  The nice thing about Ms. Loren's romances, they are more than just ropes and chains, they have characters with real flaws and issues with their pasts or present that they are trying to get away from. 


Melt Into You is the second book of the Loving on the Edge series, which I haven't read the first of yet, but I will have to catch up before reading book three.  I enjoyed the dynamic between Evan and Jace, who themselves had a past together before finding themselves together at the ranch, but one thing is different from the past, Andre.

Evan is not only trying to forget her past, but she is trying to prepare herself for the future that she has gotten herself mixed up with, so she decides on a last hurrah before her new "lie" of a life begins.  Jace wasn't a kid that had his head on straight, but as an adult he thought he had things all figured out until Evan walks into his life again knocking him off balance once again. 

Between drama within her life that she is trying to keep hidden, and Jace "the protector" always wanting to do right by Evan, but never getting it right, this romance is doomed from the start, except for in the bedroom, when Jace plays master and brings a friend along to fulfill all of Evan's hidden fantasies, and a few of his own. 

This story wasn't just sexual fluff, it had a great balance between the bedroom and the real world, with a little mix in between.

I will say that I enjoy this read, and I recommend to any of my Tasty Readers looking for a taste of the other side.

Enjoy and Happy Reading, and PLEASE don't forget to leave a comment to be entered to win an e-copy of Still Into You.



20 comments:

Goddess Fish Promotions said...

Thank you for hosting Roni today.

Catherine Lee said...

Happy 4th of July! If I built such a ranch, I would imagine it to be in Wyoming or Nevada...but, wouldn't it be nice to have it with some beautiful, rugged coastline with lovely sea views?

Jen said...

This sure sounds like an exciting series. Thanks again, Tasty, for introducing us to a variety of authors!

luv2readrom (at) yahoo (dot) com

Jen said...

Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you about my dream resort -- somewhere with lots of land for exploring (either forests and meadows or tropical, it doesn't matter).

Karen A Wyle said...

It'd have great views through one-way glass, and good soundproofing :-).

Joanne said...

I think my resort would be in Colorado, Montana, or Wyoming surrounded by the mountains, some forests. There also has to be flowers, horses, and of course, hot guys.

e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

Handy Man, Crafty Woman said...

You could have a secluded place like that up here, we have a lot of secluded woodsy areas, with great views of mountains, or the ocean. or, in certain spots, both!

Unknown said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I would love to read this book. It sounds very good. I would love to be in the mountains. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Anonymous said...

Happy Fourth of July! I don't know if I'd pick a foresty area or a seaside one for my resort, but there would be some body of water nearby (lake or waterfall), beautiful plant life, lots of privacy, and maybe an outdoor shower.

vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

bn100 said...

Nice post. It'd probably be on a tropical island with sunny weather and modern conveniences.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Juli Page Morgan said...

I'm SO happy Melt Into You is out! I own both Crash Into You and Still Into You and Jace has been my favorite character from the beginning. Can't wait to read his story! I'd put my own resort somewhere warm because I wouldn't want the hindrance of excess clothing. ;) Lots of trees are a must as well as a lake or two. And caves. I'm not sure why caves are a big deal, but I'd bet they'd be fun!

Carrie said...

I can't wait to pick up a copy of Melt Into You. I loved Crash and Still :)

For a fantasy resort it would have to be somewhere hot with white sand beaches and crystal clear water. There would be endless days of just lazing around. No worries, no responsibilities...most important: no kids ;)

StacieD said...

I would build a resort in the mountains. It would me rustic and isolated. It would have a great view of the mountains.

geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

Roni Loren said...

Catherine, Happy 4th to you too! And a coastline view would be lovely. :)

Jen, thanks! And yes, lots of space is a must. Can't have any neighbors getting in the way. :)

Karen, Lol, agreed. I do use some of that in The Ranch. :) Voyeur paradise.

Joanne, well hot guys are a given, of course. ;)

Crafty, sounds lovely!

Tore, I would want mountains too.

vitajex, sounds like a great resort! :)

bn, Yes, I don't want to rough it too much either. Modern conveniences are a must.

Juli, Thanks! Hope you enjoy Jace's story! And lol on the caves.

Carrie, Thanks so much! :D And yes, a break from the kids is always welcome.

Stacie, I agree. I've always preferred the mountains to the beach. Probably because I get tired of the hot weather here in TX.

And thanks for having me here at A Tasty Read! :D Happy fourth everyone!

AsianCocoa said...

I would want a fantasy resort in a forest with lakes & lots of hiking trails that lead to secluded places. Whete couples or menages could get "lost" and explore nature & each other .
asiancocoa94 at aol dot com

Jaye Shields said...

I think my fantasy resort would be someplace very secluded...and perhaps cold so I'd have an excuse to drink lots of rum and let someone with a sixpack take advantage of me...Colorado? Tee-hee.

Roni Loren, are you with S. Megibow? I met her and Tiffany at a conference and they threw out your name. They seem like the tag-team of coolnessherouga 10

Roni Loren said...

AsianCocoa, Ability to get lost is definitely a good feature. :)

Jaye, Yes, Sara M. is my agent. And her and Tiffany are both made of awesome. :)

Christina said...

my dream resort would probably be somewhere in the mountains where it's cooler in the summer and snowy in the winter =)
mhay@panhandle.rr.com

Natasha said...

Sounds really good!! Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

Na said...

I want to visit Texas one day. The open spaces appeal to me and I can see why it would inspire you. An ideal resort for me would be someplace quiet with mountains and lakes nearby.

Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com