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Rae Lamar Book Signing @ DST Mad Hatters Fashion Show!
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YAY! I’m super excited to be a part of this wonderful day of fashion, food and fellowship!
This Saturday, I’ll be joining other awesome vendors and exhibitors to showcase our merchandise, services and works of art to a fierce and fabulous crowd.
That’s right! I will be selling and signing copies of my latest release, Dawn of Aris. Copies of 22, Open, Unlike Me and Somewhere In Between will be available for purchase as well.
Many thanks to the Atlanta Suburban Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated for having me… this is going to be so much fun! 😀
22 is now a NOOK book!
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Have you read 22 yet? You should. 🙂
Now Available on Barnes & Noble!
Download your copy TODAY @ http://bn.com/s/2940151323185.
22 by Rae Lamar
Having suffered the loss of her fiance, cushy job and luxury Midtown Atlanta condo at the height of the U.S. recession, Nina Drake packed up and left the ruins behind to start anew in sunny South Florida.
With no life and no friends, Nina settles in and resigns herself to the simple existence of a gift shop attendant where she passively observes the scores of colorful clientele living in the five-star resort where she works. After a few random run-ins with a peculiar resident, Nina’s boredom gives way to curiosity and she blindly steps out of her dull routine into someone else’s shoes…and the arms of an irresistible stranger. But it’s only a matter of days before Nina goes from dreaming of romantic possibilities to realizing that this tawdry hookup can never evolve into something real…
In spite of Nina’s aversion to his sordid past, Dean Whitmore is determined to make her believe that his intentions are as real as their instant connection. And the fact that he only has a few weeks to prove it to her before life leads them in different directions just makes the challenge that much more appealing…
#SampleSunday | An Excerpt From DAWN OF ARIS
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Aris was wide awake.
She rolled from her side to her back, willing herself to get out of bed and start the day. Minutes passed as she stared at the ceiling, rubbing circles around her navel. Over and over again.
She thought about Ralph. It would be easy to call him and continue their unique cycle of drama, but it was pointless. Their attempts to get back together never worked, no matter how many times they tried.
For weeks, she’d dismissed his twisted promises—to break up with her for good, to pursue other women, to report her to the police to reclaim his car. Blah, blah, blah. That’s what people in love did when they were hurt…talk shit. Especially, when the person they loved didn’t love them back the same way. So she had purposefully ignored it all. Ignored him. Never once believing that he’d actually make good on any of his threats, that he could ever leave her stranded with no means of transportation. Clearly, he’d had enough and was sending her a message that the days of him taking care of her—of taking her shit—were over.
She really couldn’t blame him though. Beyond her standard loyalty card, she really didn’t have much else to play in terms of their relationship…but at least she’d tried. If there was ever an award for Best Girlfriend in a Lackluster Rebound, it would bear her name.
She had done the best she could with what she had.
Didn’t that count?
A few minutes later, Aris grabbed the phone off the nightstand and tossed it back and forth in her hands.
Should she call him? Apologize and give it another shot?
Despite his demanding nature, she still believed that Ralph was a good guy. It was just his deep need for her world to revolve around him that annoyed her most. He had to come first in all things, and her ability to not get with that program was their turmoil. Somehow, Ralph believed that she had only chosen him out of desperation, once claiming that “fact” was the only logical explanation for her indifferent behavior and overall lack of energy for their relationship.
She didn’t call him enough.
She didn’t initiate sex enough.
She had never once asked him for anything…with the exception of his car, of course.
Aris never argued the point because there was a lot of truth in Ralph’s accusations, stretching across the last two years that they had been a couple. Sadly, she really didn’t want him, and he truly was her go-to resource when inconvenience surfaced or whenever loneliness struck…the latter being a whole other issue.
Fully aware that her fickle libido left much to be desired, Aris did her best to compensate in other ways but her unpredictable sexual temperament never failed to trigger the eventual demise of every romantic relationship she attempted.
At first, she believed that most men put up with her because she was nice to look at and a very good lay…when she was in the mood. Sex was typically an occasional but not quite frequent desire for her, always appearing suddenly and unexpectedly like a rip current. During the long lulls between her surges, she’d learned that very few had the patience to hold out for her next rush and not one owned the ability to provoke it. Even the best of them would ultimately see a hindrance where at first they perceived an ego-driven challenge. They all grew tired and unfulfilled in the end though, eventually taking off in search of the consistent tides of other women.
Hell…who wouldn’t?
Succumbing to a sudden yawn, Aris placed the phone back in its cradle and left her bed for the shower.
Ralph was her past. She had to move on.
They both deserved so much better.
AVAILABLE NOW ON KINDLE, NOOK & KOBO!
Download Your Copy Today: www.amzn.com/B00TC1K3J6
Aris Collier is chasing her dreams…at a snail’s pace. With little money and big talent, she works tirelessly to perfect her craft…even at the expense of her relationships. When Aris walks away from yet another dead-end entanglement with the hopes of finally getting her life on track, the last thing she expects is a fast friendship with her neighbor, Luke. They couldn’t be more different but soon the two become an inseparable pair, leaving Aris both surprised and disturbed that Luke understands her better than anyone else ever has…
Luke Donovan has it all—looks, career, money and status. Most importantly, he has the bold, brave and beautiful Jessica Knox, a woman he’s been building his impeccable life with since college. But as Luke continues his corporate climb, he soon realizes that the view from the top isn’t so great and the future laid out in front of him is very far from his true definition of happiness. For the first time in his life, Luke is unsure…until he meets his quirky neighbor, Aris, who just may help him discover what love and life are really all about…
Rae Lamar Book Signing @ Delta Marketplace in April!
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YES! I will be selling and signing copies of ALL five of my novels at the Delta Marketplace!
If you will be in or around Atlanta on Saturday, April 18th, stop by and hang out with me. I’d love to see you.
Many thanks to the East Point/College Park Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and the Economic Development Committee for having me again this year…I can’t wait! 😀
#SampleSunday | An Excerpt From DAWN OF ARIS
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“Damn, where’d you come from?” She jumped back, grabbing her chest. “Don’t you know it ain’t cool to roll up on people like that?”
Not waiting for an answer, she walked past him to try the ignition again. When she pulled out her phone to search for a towing service, Luke apologized for scaring her and offered to help. Aris finally looked up at him, her irritation dissipating as she realized this was now the second time that Luke found her stranded and cared enough to stop and help.
She laughed at herself. “I promise you I’m not this much of a train wreck…”
Grinning, Luke pulled his phone from the leather case secured to the waist of his pants. Aris climbed out of her car and stood next to him, openly admiring Luke’s dark suit, tailored to fit every square inch of him. Somehow, he seemed even taller than when she first met him, and his cologne was starting to affect her in the very best way.
She bit her bottom lip, thinking back over the past several months she’d been living in Cypress Lake.
How was it even possible not to have noticed him before?
“Aris?”
“Huh?”
“I asked where you bought the car.” Luke’s eyes were still glued to his phone as his thumbs tapped rapidly against the screen. He paused to stare at her, a grin on his face. “This is your car, right?”
She twisted her mouth. “Yes, it is my car.”
He brought the phone to his ear. “Where did you get it from?”
“AutoNation.” Reaching over to the passenger side, she opened the glove compartment and pulled out an envelope filled with sales paperwork and a business card. She handed him the card. “I just bought it.”
Taking the card from her, Luke dialed the number on the front of it before placing the phone against his ear and walking a few feet away. A few minutes later, she heard him giving directions to Cypress Lake along with a few of his own specific instructions before he turned and walked away with the phone still pressed against his ear. Making herself useful, Aris slid the metal prop rod back into its bracket and lowered the hood. The sun was coming up, and she noticed that Luke’s suit was actually navy, not black as she suspected. She began to wonder what he did for a living. Finance, maybe? No, too traditional. She could see him in sales though. Looking the way he did, she would most definitely buy whatever he was—
“Aris?”
She blinked. “Huh?”
“I said the tow truck should be here by nine.” His thumbs were active again. “They’re already pretty backed up with the current rush hour wreckage.”
“Thank you.” She activated the alarm on her car. “Well, so much for me getting an early start.”
“Where do you need to go?”
“I can do it later. No big deal.”
Aris watched Luke as he stared intently at his phone.
“Want to come up for breakfast?” she blurted.
Luke looked up from his phone with a skeptical expression on his face, and she laughed.
“How about I buy breakfast instead?” He smiled and slipped his phone back into its case. “I can wait until the truck gets here and take you wherever you need to go after that.”
Pausing suddenly, Luke released a short breath as he reached for his phone again. He said his name when he answered the incoming call, but this time he didn’t walk away.
Aris tried not to listen, but it was obvious that Luke was speaking to a woman because his voice was different and much more patient than when he was barking orders at the tow people. This conversation was more of an even exchange, and she noticed a hint of a smile on his face when it was his turn to listen. When Luke’s smile grew bigger and he suddenly laughed, Aris couldn’t stop herself from frowning. Turning away, she tuned him out and busied herself with an imaginary ding on her driver’s side door.
She was still inspecting her car when Luke ended his call. “If you need to go, I got it from here,” she said, running a hand over the tread of her front tire. “Thanks for everything.”
Clearing her throat, Aris turned away from his gaze. Her voice sounded uptight, and the bitter edge that laced her words probably hadn’t gone unnoticed on his end either. She turned to face him and sighed, once again feeling an urge to apologize for being so rude when all he was trying to do was help her. She opened her mouth, ready to speak…but nothing came out.
Luke observed her for a long while, a slight smile appearing on his lips. “I don’t need to go, Aris. Cheryl—my assistant—has me on a pretty tight schedule today, but it’s nothing that can’t be pushed to the afternoon.”
She looked away. “I was just saying.”
He chuckled. “Go on in. I’ll be back soon with food.”
Remembering his offer to buy breakfast, Aris bit her lip, feeling even worse about her earlier attitude and snippiness. “Thank you. Hey, wait…aren’t you going to ask me what I want?”
“No.” Luke replied easily, walking away. “I have a sneaky suspicion that you eat everything, too.”
AVAILABLE NOW ON KINDLE, NOOK & KOBO!
Download Your Copy Today: www.amzn.com/B00TC1K3J6
Aris Collier is chasing her dreams…at a snail’s pace. With little money and big talent, she works tirelessly to perfect her craft…even at the expense of her relationships. When Aris walks away from yet another dead-end entanglement with the hopes of finally getting her life on track, the last thing she expects is a fast friendship with her neighbor, Luke. They couldn’t be more different but soon the two become an inseparable pair, leaving Aris both surprised and disturbed that Luke understands her better than anyone else ever has…
Luke Donovan has it all—looks, career, money and status. Most importantly, he has the bold, brave and beautiful Jessica Knox, a woman he’s been building his impeccable life with since college. But as Luke continues his corporate climb, he soon realizes that the view from the top isn’t so great and the future laid out in front of him is very far from his true definition of happiness. For the first time in his life, Luke is unsure…until he meets his quirky neighbor, Aris, who just may help him discover what love and life are really all about…
RECAP | March Madness Event & Dawn of Aris Giveaway!
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Yesterday, I participated in a March Madness blog event with Author Chelle Ramsey and shared a little bit about the creation of Aris Collier and “the story behind the story.” When you get a chance, you can check out my post here. Comments are still welcome.
Thanks so much for having me, Chelle! Kudos to you for a cool event.
And congrats to Shay Roy for winning a signed paperback copy of Dawn of Aris…happy reading! 🙂
This event is happening all month long @ http://www.writingmydreams.com, so don’t miss your chance to win daily prizes and read excerpts from some great authors.
It’s Release Day!!!
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I’m excited to announce that Dawn of Aris is LIVE on Amazon! 😀
One-click to purchase the Kindle e-book or sample the beginning for free @ www.amzn.com/B00TC1K3J6.
For my paperback lovers, you can order a copy today and receive it as early as Thursday, March 5.
As always, I truly appreciate you…Happy Reading!
NOW AVAILABLE IN E-BOOK & PAPERBACK!
Read an Excerpt: raelamar.com/novels/dawn-of-aris/
Aris Collier is chasing her dreams…at a snail’s pace. With little money and big talent, she works tirelessly to perfect her craft…even at the expense of her relationships. When Aris walks away from yet another dead-end entanglement with the hopes of finally getting her life on track, the last thing she expects is a fast friendship with her neighbor, Luke. They couldn’t be more different but soon the two become an inseparable pair, leaving Aris both surprised and disturbed that Luke understands her better than anyone else ever has…
Luke Donovan has it all—looks, career, money and status. Most importantly, he has the bold, brave and beautiful Jessica Knox, a woman he’s been building his impeccable life with since college. But as Luke continues his corporate climb, he soon realizes that the view from the top isn’t so great and the future laid out in front of him is very far from his true definition of happiness. For the first time in his life, Luke is unsure…until he meets his quirky neighbor, Aris, who just may help him discover what love and life are really all about…
The Music Behind The Story . . .
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ONE MORE DAY until the release of Dawn of Aris!!! *celebratory booty dance*
So before the book drops tomorrow, I wanted to share the music behind the story.
Each song on this list spoke to me while writing…resulting in this unofficial soundtrack!
There were more songs than this on my writing playlist, of course; but I decided that these were the ones that influenced me most. So to all the musicians and songwriters — thank you for the inspiration!
The Sun Also Rises | An Excerpt From DAWN OF ARIS
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Shortly before dawn, Luke opened his eyes.
The bed was empty, a written note resting in the place where Aris’s head should have been.
Tossing the note, sheet and blanket aside, he grabbed a pair of cargo pants and a shirt from his suitcase before entering the bathroom to freshen up. After leaving the suite, he caught the elevator, rushed through the lobby and out to the patio and gardens that led to the beach where he spotted a lone figure standing in the distance near the water’s edge.
Luke quietly entered Aris’s space and sat in the sand a few feet away from her, watching as she took a step forward, the tide kissing her toes as it ebbed and flowed. He dropped his head and curbed his urge to chide her about leaving him early morning notes on pillows and wandering out onto the beach in the dark by herself, knowing that the danger of her decision wasn’t lost on her…just like she’d already known that he would read her message when he woke and eventually join her so she wouldn’t be alone.
He looked up to see her glancing over her shoulder at him, aware of his presence before he could say one word. Her grin revealed that he hadn’t startled her at all, that she had expected to turn and see him there.
That made him smile.
When she shifted her eyes back to the water, his chest tightened as he realized how much he wanted to always be there for her, wherever and whenever she needed him.
Minutes later, the sun peered over the water. He watched as she wrapped her arms around her body, taking in the magnificent blends of red, orange and yellow as the sun rose and cast its beauty over the ocean. Glancing over her shoulder again, she blessed him with a bright smile that reached her eyes. He nodded, acknowledging the beauty of the moment and how fortunate he felt to share it with her, to see the pure delight on her face as she lifted her gaze and looked at the sky.
Luke continued to stare, the melodic sound of Aris’s laughter lifting the weight of his worry. When she began to kick her feet and dance in the waves, he smiled again, relieved to know that—despite the fear and confusion he’d seen in her eyes as they further blurred the lines of their friendship just hours ago—at least for now, in this moment, she seemed…happy.
“I love this,” she finally said, looking out over the ocean to the horizon. “So beautiful.”
He nodded again, still watching her.
Marveling at how beautiful and fragile she truly was.
DAWN OF ARIS IS COMING MARCH 3!
Pre-Order Your Copy Today: www.amzn.com/B00TC1K3J6
Aris Collier is chasing her dreams…at a snail’s pace. With little money and big talent, she works tirelessly to perfect her craft…even at the expense of her relationships. When Aris walks away from yet another dead-end entanglement with the hopes of finally getting her life on track, the last thing she expects is a fast friendship with her neighbor, Luke. They couldn’t be more different but soon the two become an inseparable pair, leaving Aris both surprised and disturbed that Luke understands her better than anyone else ever has…
Luke Donovan has it all—looks, career, money and status. Most importantly, he has the bold, brave and beautiful Jessica Knox, a woman he’s been building his impeccable life with since college. But as Luke continues his corporate climb, he soon realizes that the view from the top isn’t so great and the future laid out in front of him is very far from his true definition of happiness. For the first time in his life, Luke is unsure…until he meets his quirky neighbor, Aris, who just may help him discover what love and life are really all about…
Just Friends | An Excerpt from DAWN OF ARIS
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“You know we don’t have to be out of here for another two weeks right?” Deena asked Aris, shutting the door behind her. “What’s the rush?”
“No rush. Getting it out of the way, that’s all.”
“Well, the slacker in me will be waiting until the eleventh hour…unless I get a call to jet to work on location somewhere, preferably tropical.”
Aris laughed. “From your mouth to God’s ears.”
Deena opened her shopping bags and showed Aris the results of her afternoon at the mall. They spent the next twenty minutes debating the best outfit for a blind date Deena had later in the evening. Once the decision was made, Deena helped fold the rest of Aris’s laundry.
“Have you given any more thought to where you’re going to end up?” Deena asked as they carried baskets of clothing down the hall and entered Aris’s bedroom.
Aris shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Bullshit, honey,” Deena replied, shaking her head as she sat her basket next to Aris’s bed. “I will never understand why you just won’t go back to Dallas…and when I say Dallas, I mean Luke.”
“We’re just friends,” Aris replied in a sing-song voice to mask her exhaustion for having to explain this to Deena again for the hundredth time.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…and he’s engaged to Black Barbie and all that. I got it.” Deena gave Aris a measured glance. “What I don’t get is how you can keep playing this game with him when the world can see that you’re both in love with each other.”
Aris stretched out on her bed. “Dee…don’t.”
“I’m just saying,” Deena replied, holding up her hands in surrender as she headed toward the door. “I love you girl, but you really need to get a clue before you lose what’s yours.”
“Mine?” Aris rolled her eyes. “For the last time, Luke and Jessica are to-ge-ther. Which means Luke and I should not be despite what the world sees. Besides, he already has a perfect life with a bright future all laid out for him…who am I to change that?”
Deena released another sigh, shaking her head again as she left the room. “Who are you, indeed?”
DAWN OF ARIS IS COMING MARCH 3!
Pre-Order Your Copy Today: www.amzn.com/B00TC1K3J6
Aris Collier is chasing her dreams…at a snail’s pace. With little money and big talent, she works tirelessly to perfect her craft…even at the expense of her relationships. When Aris walks away from yet another dead-end entanglement with the hopes of finally getting her life on track, the last thing she expects is a fast friendship with her neighbor, Luke. They couldn’t be more different but soon the two become an inseparable pair, leaving Aris both surprised and disturbed that Luke understands her better than anyone else ever has…
Luke Donovan has it all—looks, career, money and status. Most importantly, he has the bold, brave and beautiful Jessica Knox, a woman he’s been building his impeccable life with since college. But as Luke continues his corporate climb, he soon realizes that the view from the top isn’t so great and the future laid out in front of him is very far from his true definition of happiness. For the first time in his life, Luke is unsure…until he meets his quirky neighbor, Aris, who just may help him discover what love and life are really all about…
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Rae Lamar 