August 28, 2023
Holy smoke. This book makes the sixth one Alana Lorens has dropped in to tell us about. Sixth! I don’t know about you, but I’m in awe of that sort of prolific output. (She must keep her editors busy and I approve of that, knowing the trouble I get into when I am not busy.)
Today’s book is called Remnants of Fire, which is such a provocative title. That can mean so much!
So let’s get to it. Alana Lorens, what song makes you think of your new book, Remnants of Fire?
Newspaper reporters are driven to dig deep for their stories, even when the subjects of their investigations don’t want people to see what’s buried there. This is true for Sara in her new position at the paper, as well a her friends.
“Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera would be it. Not only did I discover Phantom during the period I first wrote this, but there are comparable themes in the stories. Heroine Sara Woods is swayed by her teacher into certain beliefs that could save her life–or end it.
Comparable themes? Yikes! But at the same time, you’ve got to read the official book description of Remnants of Fire… Ready? I am!
Looking for a fresh start, Sara Woods takes a job as a news reporter in a small town. Her first assignment for the Ralston Courier is to investigate of a string of deaths, all young women, all her age.
To deal with chronic back pain, she seeks help at a local healing center. She soon becomes convinced that there is something strange about the Goldstone Clinic. Its doctors and nurses are all the picture of perfect beauty and health, while their patients at first seem to improve and then mysteriously deteriorate.
Dr. Rick Paulsen, a physician at the local hospital, offers to teach Sara how to access her internal power, enhancing hidden skills and revealing secrets from her past.
Police officer Brendon Zale also takes an interest in Sara, watching her every move and trying to get close to her.
The deeper she digs into the Goldstone, the harder it is to deny links to the paranormal. Can she figure out what is going on and who to trust before it’s too late?
NB: This story was previously released as Love Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. It has been rewritten and new material added.
That is NOT the comparison to Phantom that I was expecting — and I am glad of it! (This actually sounds way better and the paranormal twist has me certainly extremely curious.)
Get your copy!
Smashwords
And hey, before you connect with Alana Lorens, check out her past time in the bright light of the Featured New Book Spotlight!
Second Chances
Tender Misdemeanors
Encounter
A Rose by Any Other Name
Prophecies and Promises
Okay, now it’s time to connect with Alana so you can talk to her about Remnants of Fire
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Bookbub
Twitter
Instagram
Book Trailer
And remember! The best way to say thanks to an author for a good book is to buy it for a friend. But other really good ways include telling friends about it — and strangers, too, via a review. Be sure to leave a review online; it helps make a book more visible to the buying public. And we don’t want to keep these gems all to ourselves, do we?
No, no we do not.
May 23, 2022
It’s another visit from our friend Alana Lorens! This is her FIFTH visit here, which might be a new West of Mars record, and one I encourage all my author friends to try to take on and exceed. And the author friends of my author friends, as well!
If you’ve missed her earlier visits, here they are:
Second Chances (in 2013!!!)
Tender Misdemeanors
Encounter
A Rose by Any Other Name
Wow! And you ask why she’s one of my favorite people! Here’s only one example of why. Well, two. She’s prolific AND likes to drop in to visit. Plus, she’s really super, but we’ll talk about that part in a minute.
First, let’s find out what song makes Alana Lorens think of her NEW book, Prophecies and Promises. Alana, take it away!
Who doesn’t like pirates? Well, I suppose those enforcing the letter of the law may not be thrilled with them, but many ladies I know swoon over the romantic notion of a man who lives at sea and experiences the wild, free life! The mystery, the wicked pleasures …the sea shanties. Yes, the sea shanties, and there are several in PROPHECIES AND PROMISES, as sailors used the songs to set the timing for their tasks, pulling lines and setting sails, even swabbing the decks. When I was polishing this story, the pandemic was in full swing, and the sea shanty craze hit. I was inspired, of course, but this one hits my funny bone. I hope you enjoy it too.
Not only did I turn off TIDAL’s list of heavy metal to give it a watch and a listen, it summoned both my cats! Okay, maybe that’s only coincidence, but it happened. I swear.
So other than sea shanties and cats — although probably not cats — what’s Prophecies and Promises about? Alana Lorens, let’s hear it!
Tamsyn McKiernan thinks her dreams have come true. She’s engaged to a dashing Key West bachelor and finally in her widowed father’s good graces. But in her heart, she knows something’s wrong. She loves the ocean and the quiet pleasures of nature—so what does the aristocratic life she’ll lead truly hold for her?
Mercenary captain Drake Ashton is neck deep in preparations for the Spanish-American War, running guns and other supplies to Cuban natives who want out from under their Spanish masters. He and his brother Freddie risk their lives daily, focused on saving his friends on the island. Nothing else matters but his mission.
A chance encounter with a spiny sea urchin brings the two together, and neither of their lives will ever be the same again.
This might be the most intriguing Alana Lorens plotline yet, and I know I say that every time. I don’t know how she manages to top herself, but… she does. Also, the idea of shrugging off a life of propriety sounds mighty appealing. Maybe I just need a grand adventure, though. It’s possible. And this book just might be grand adventure enough!
Be sure to grab your copy! It’s not releasing for another week, but c’mon. You know how important preorders are, and you know that there’s no better gift to yourself than to wake up one day and find hey! A new book on your device!
Remember, the best way you can show your appreciation for an author’s book is to buy a copy for a friend or two. Or seven. But the second best way is to leave an online review, and I heartily encourage all readers to get in the habit of leaving reviews.
So. Ready to connect with Alana Lorens? Like I said, she’s pretty awesome.
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Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Bookbub
Twitter
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As always, if you’ve got author friends who’d like a turn in the spotlight, or if you’re an author wondering how to get in on the fun, follow this link to the handy-dandy form. Even if we’ve not met yet, I’d love to fix that and host you for the day!
January 24, 2022
Let’s welcome Alana Lorens back to West of Mars! Woot!
Alana is one of my favorite people and if you catch us at the right moment, you’ll see us chatting on Twitter. Come join the conversation, of course!
But today, the focus is on business, which means Alana Lorens’ new book, A Rose by Any Other Name. If you’re on social media at all, you’ve seen this making the rounds, but only I have the scoop on what song makes Alana think of this new book baby. Ready for the answer? I am!
Marisol and Russell, known as Rusty, dated in high school, but he broke off their relationship to chase the popular homecoming queen. When they get together at their 20-year high school reunion, Rusty is importuned by the committee to reprise his famous interpretation of Pee Wee Herman’s “Tequila” big shoe dance. It may not be as ubiquitous as the Chicken Dance or the Macarena, but it’s definitely a performance number.
HOW CAN YOU NOT WANT TO READ A BOOK THAT WILL MAKE YOU THINK OF THIS SONG???
This might be a new height of perfection.
So.
Ready for the description? I sure am. I mean, after THAT, how can you not be?
Up-and-coming mommyblogger and single mom Marisol Herrera Slade returns to her old hometown in Western Pennsylvania for her 20th high school reunion in 2005, reluctant and yet compelled to see her high school sweetheart, Russell Asher, who dumped her for the homecoming queen.
Russell’s marriage to the golden girl, however, ended in a nasty divorce, and he has been systematically excluded from his sons’ lives. In his Internet wanderings, he’s found a feminist blogger named Jerrika Jones, who glorifies single motherhood, essentially putting a stamp of approval on what’s happened to him. His group of single dad advocates have vowed to take this woman down.
What Russell doesn’t know, when he thinks to rekindle what he had with Marisol, is that Marisol and Jerrika are one and the same. When his group discovers the truth, will their drive for revenge derail any chance the couple have to reunite? Or will they find they have more in common than they ever expected?
Oh, my. Russell, Russell, Russell… Maybe you need better single dad advocates, my man.
Or does he? Gotta read it to see!
Before you grab a copy, check out the book trailer.
Grab your copy:
Kindle
And like I said, feel free to connect with Alana Lorens! She’s fun.
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
And remember, the best way to say thanks to an author for their hard work is to leave a review. Even a few words, or a bulleted list of what you like is super!
As always, if you’re an author, have a friend who’s an author, or want to help promote a book you love, here’s the link so you or your author friend can step into the spotlight themselves. All are welcome!
August 16, 2021
Let’s welcome Alana Lorens back to West of Mars and the spotlight!
By now, Alana’s a veteran, so let’s get right to it. Alana Lorens, what song makes you think of your book, Encounter?
The various characters in ENCOUNTER are disparate, so finding one song to symbolize the entire story is not so easy.
Teo and the lawyers obviously come from an upper-class cut, and they can hardly be able to empathize with the have-not illegals like Inez, running from a bad economy in Mexico, or Davi, who has made it in America, but is still tied down to his Mexican roots.
Jake is perhaps an Everyman, a man who’s struggling to maintain his sobriety on the best of days— and these are not his best days.
Maybe the song that will sum it up the best is Mad World by Michael Andrews (I love the Pentatonix version tho) Each step people take in this story brings them closer to a life-and-death struggle none will ever forget and some will not survive.
Lots of cultural stuff going on here… I like it!
But.. what’s the book about?
Teo Haroun and the other lawyers in his firm look forward in varying degrees to the retreat at the Sherman Ranch in northern New Mexico. The boss has laid down some rules — no phones, no computers, no communication with the outside world — that makes them uneasy. But the corporate team-building exercises are necessary for this firm to survive its inner sniping and turmoil — and to protect the secrets they hold.
Inez Suela and thirty other Mexicans have paid a coyote hundreds of pesos to take them across the border into the United States, where they hope to make a better life. The crowded truck heads north into New Mexico to meet their local driver, the occupants unaware that a freak March snowstorm is waiting in its path.
Jake Patrin, the caretaker of the Ranch, fights demons of his own as he struggles daily with addiction. Working far from the city on the lonely Ranch, hosting those who rent the facility, is his protection and solace. But he’s about to lose the only peace he’s been able to grasp.
Davi Pilar needs to make some fast money to appease a couple of St. Louis loan sharks, so he agrees to pick up a truckload of illegals and take them to St. Louis. He drives to New Mexico, not knowing that Inez, the woman who rejected him years before, is one of those on that truck.
The intersection of these people, the collision of their cultures, the revelation of their secrets—all these things lead to violence, death, and even redemption in their New Mexico ENCOUNTER.
Border issues are hot topics right now, no? This book was originally published in 2014, according to GoodReads, although I don’t know if the version I’m going to link to has been updated to reflect what all we’ve learned in the past six years. And really, we’re talking seven years since the original publication. So hmm…
Pick up your copy and when you leave your review (always leave a review!), let us know.
Amazon
Smashwords (Affiliate link)
Kobo
Apple
B&N
Be sure to connect with Alana Lorens, too!
Alana Lorens has been a published writer for more than forty years, after working as a
pizza maker, a floral designer, a journalist and a family law attorney. Currently a resident of
Asheville, North Carolina, the aging hippie loves her time in the smoky blue mountains. She
writes romance and suspense as Alana Lorens, and sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal mystery as
Lyndi Alexander. One of her novellas, THAT GIRL’S THE ONE I LOVE, is set in the city of
Asheville during the old Bele Chere festival. She lives with her daughter on the autism spectrum,
who is the youngest of her seven children, and she is ruled by two crotchety old cats, and six
kittens of various ages.
Website
https://www.facebook.com/AlanaLorens/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Facebook Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
As always, send your writer friends — even if that’s yourself! — to me for their own chance to stand in the spotlight. I’d love to host anyone (well, within reason) who’s got a book that’s new to my audience.
March 19, 2020
WOOT! We are BACK, featuring books that are (hopefully) new to you guys. Check ’em out, pick ’em up, leave even a brief review when you’re done. Yes, even negative reviews are helpful reviews, so long as your negativity is constructive.
Today, we’ve got our friend Alana Lorens here with her brand-new, released-yesterday book, Tender Misdemeanors. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Alana, what song makes you think of your book?
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH by John Denver. Both the hero and heroine in this book love their Montana locale, the old forests, the beauty of the mountain ranges, and they want to protect it–they just come at it from very different angles. One of the trips I did research on for this book, friends and I rode ski lifts in summer to the top of the Rockies outside Whitefish, MT– 70 degrees below, snow on top!!!
I am a sucker for anything Montana… although I have to admit that “Rocky Mountain High” makes me think of West Virginia… and this is why I ask this question! Songs have such a powerful hold over us.
Here’s the book description:
Caryn Orlane has law enforcement in her blood; her father was a cop, and his father, too. She’s a federal agent in northwest Montana, protecting the old forests and keeping the peace.
Levi Bradshaw also believes in protecting the forests, but has a very different MO. He’s the leader of a group of eco-warriors, determined to save the trees of the Bitterroot by legal—and illegal—means.
When they meet in the woods at gunpoint, their encounter ignites a spark of interest, despite operating on opposite sides of the law. When their worlds turn on them, they only grow closer. If they don’t work together, can either survive?
Mmm. I love the name Levi. I’ll read this book for that alone!
You, too? Ready to get a copy? Here are your buy links:
Amazon
And be sure to connect with Alana Lorens! She’s a gem of a human, and we can all use some of those right now.
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Email
Bookbub
Got a book of your own? I’d love to feature it! Here’s the quickest route to the submission page.
April 22, 2013
I belong to a couple of writers’ organizations. Big ones, that have been around a long time. I belong to some newer ones, too, but right now, we’re focusing on Pennwriters, an awesome group of mostly (but not entirely) Pennsylvania writers.
I’m happy to host Alana Lorens today. Her new book, Second Chances, is set here in Da Burgh — that’s Pittsburgh for you not hip enough to know the name of the beloved major city I live near. Second Chances is the second in the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers series. But I bet you can read this one before picking up the first.
So… Alana, what song makes you think of your book?
Recipe For Love— by Harry Connick, Jr. My 40-something heroine Inessa Regan finally allows herself to give in to her feelings for her much younger Iraq veteran honey Kurt Lowdon, while sitting in the office they share late one night, reviewing secretary resumes, drinking wine and listening to old Harry sing as only he can. She wakes up the next morning singing this song and blushing like a much younger woman, happy in love.
Harry Connick, Junior! Been awhile since I’ve heard his name!
On to the book blurb:
This women’s fiction story begins the day attorney Inessa Regan receives a pink slip after ten years of faithful service. She’s been a mid-level associate her whole career, partners telling her what to do, providing her with an office and everything she needs. Thrown out into the legal world on her own, she doesn’t know how she’ll survive.
Her neighbor brings her first client, Kurt Lowdon, a young Iraq veteran with cancer, who’s looking just to have a will made. Inessa struggles to give Kurt what he needs, and he helps make it easy for her.
Once his immediate needs are met, he takes her under his wing and brings her more clients as well as a place to open an office to see them. Things begin to fall together for her, including a very special friendship with Kurt that becomes something more.
But his past military service, and the friends he’s made there, begin to cause problems for them both, as well as issues his drug-addicted sister delivers to his doorstep. He still hasn’t kicked his cancer, either, and Inessa wonders if falling in love with him is a blessing or a curse.
Here’s the book trailer for SECOND CHANCES
Buy at Amazon
Barnes and Noble
4. Please provide any personal links you’d like to include: your website, your blog, Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads… and/or anything else I may have forgotten
