Kit Tunstall's Blog
January 31, 2015
I'm Coming Out
Nope, I'm not gay, and I'm not Diana Ross, but I am coming out. I was dragged out of the pseudonym closet somewhat kicking and screaming, but I'm out now. :)
Hello, my name is Kit Tunstall, and I'm an author. That means I have multiple personalities that have varying interests. At least most authors do. We tend to use a pen name for one type of writing vs. another. For example, I write horror under T.K. Reilly. Well, I wrote it. It didn't sell, so I stopped and moved on. Most people know my author name as someone who writes erotic romances. They might fit in various subgenres, but they're all erotic and romances.
Once upon a time, way before I started writing eroms, I wanted to write for Harlequin. Many romance authors can tell you that was the best game in town before publishers like Ellora's Cave started, and way before indie publishing. I wasn't successful (ironically, I did get contracts years later, but for erotic romance titles *LOL*), but I kept trying. That meant I had several manuscripts that were Harlequinesque (especially Presents), but without a market. Rather than sex them up for publication with EC, I left them on my hard drive as I moved on to erom.
And then came 2011. It was an amazing year for me, because I discovered self-publishing. I found out I could earn just as much (and eventually significantly more) publishing my own works than I could with a publisher. Better yet, I could choose what content to write.
That made me evaluate some of the projects I had from years before. They didn't fit with my erom brand, so I decided to create a pen name. Lilly LaRue was born--though not in Victoria, B.C. as her bio claims (which would be a dream of mine)--and her contemporary sensual romances hit the market. They did okay. Nothing stellar, and I mostly moved on. Sometimes, when I feel the urge to write a sensual contemporary, I add to Lilly's catalog, but she's not my main focus.
Fast forward to the end of 2014, when a wonderful author/businesswoman gave me some excellent advice about clarifying my brand. It's too late for me to focus on just one niche, like paranormal eroms, so I used templates to label my different works. The AFTER THE END series went into "speculative," etc. At the end of the restructuring and rebranding, there was a sore thumb sticking out. "Losing Leah" was my last semi-Harlequin attempt targeted at Carina Press. When I first started indie publishing, I just put it up under KT without thinking about it. It didn't fit with my other erom titles, so I decided to move it to Lilly's catalog. For some reason, after languishing under KT, the book took off and has been selling like water in the desert for Lilly.
I included the information that it had been previously published under a pseudonym, but I guess I wasn't explicit enough, because I was still trying to keep the two names separate. One of the five people (sales were really terrible when it was a KT title, though maybe not that bad) who actually read "Losing Leah" also picked up its new incarnation ("Greek's Marriage Bargain"--doesn't that sound like a HP title?). She recognized it and outed my pen name in a one-star review.
My first reaction was to bawl like a baby--not to the one star, but the forced outing. My dad died earlier this month, and I've just been an emotional wreck. To put it in perspective, I also almost cried about dropping a fork on the same day. A little time calmed me down, and I realized it was no big deal. LL doesn't write anything shameful or horrendous, like serial killer clown billionaire porn, so I should just relax. I thought I'd better 'fess up though, to avoid more angry readers and one-star reviews (which, unfortunately, wasn't actually about the book or the reader's impression of it :( ).
So, I'm now out of the closet. I write eroms under Kit Tunstall, and I occasionally add to my older library of sensual contemporary romances under the pen name of Lilly LaRue. I hope my readers can forgive me for not coming out in the beginning. :-)
Hello, my name is Kit Tunstall, and I'm an author. That means I have multiple personalities that have varying interests. At least most authors do. We tend to use a pen name for one type of writing vs. another. For example, I write horror under T.K. Reilly. Well, I wrote it. It didn't sell, so I stopped and moved on. Most people know my author name as someone who writes erotic romances. They might fit in various subgenres, but they're all erotic and romances.
Once upon a time, way before I started writing eroms, I wanted to write for Harlequin. Many romance authors can tell you that was the best game in town before publishers like Ellora's Cave started, and way before indie publishing. I wasn't successful (ironically, I did get contracts years later, but for erotic romance titles *LOL*), but I kept trying. That meant I had several manuscripts that were Harlequinesque (especially Presents), but without a market. Rather than sex them up for publication with EC, I left them on my hard drive as I moved on to erom.
And then came 2011. It was an amazing year for me, because I discovered self-publishing. I found out I could earn just as much (and eventually significantly more) publishing my own works than I could with a publisher. Better yet, I could choose what content to write.
That made me evaluate some of the projects I had from years before. They didn't fit with my erom brand, so I decided to create a pen name. Lilly LaRue was born--though not in Victoria, B.C. as her bio claims (which would be a dream of mine)--and her contemporary sensual romances hit the market. They did okay. Nothing stellar, and I mostly moved on. Sometimes, when I feel the urge to write a sensual contemporary, I add to Lilly's catalog, but she's not my main focus.
Fast forward to the end of 2014, when a wonderful author/businesswoman gave me some excellent advice about clarifying my brand. It's too late for me to focus on just one niche, like paranormal eroms, so I used templates to label my different works. The AFTER THE END series went into "speculative," etc. At the end of the restructuring and rebranding, there was a sore thumb sticking out. "Losing Leah" was my last semi-Harlequin attempt targeted at Carina Press. When I first started indie publishing, I just put it up under KT without thinking about it. It didn't fit with my other erom titles, so I decided to move it to Lilly's catalog. For some reason, after languishing under KT, the book took off and has been selling like water in the desert for Lilly.
I included the information that it had been previously published under a pseudonym, but I guess I wasn't explicit enough, because I was still trying to keep the two names separate. One of the five people (sales were really terrible when it was a KT title, though maybe not that bad) who actually read "Losing Leah" also picked up its new incarnation ("Greek's Marriage Bargain"--doesn't that sound like a HP title?). She recognized it and outed my pen name in a one-star review.
My first reaction was to bawl like a baby--not to the one star, but the forced outing. My dad died earlier this month, and I've just been an emotional wreck. To put it in perspective, I also almost cried about dropping a fork on the same day. A little time calmed me down, and I realized it was no big deal. LL doesn't write anything shameful or horrendous, like serial killer clown billionaire porn, so I should just relax. I thought I'd better 'fess up though, to avoid more angry readers and one-star reviews (which, unfortunately, wasn't actually about the book or the reader's impression of it :( ).
So, I'm now out of the closet. I write eroms under Kit Tunstall, and I occasionally add to my older library of sensual contemporary romances under the pen name of Lilly LaRue. I hope my readers can forgive me for not coming out in the beginning. :-)
December 24, 2014
Have a hot Xmas
Pick up a collection of nine sizzling erotic romances for $0.99. "" is now live to buy exclusively on Amazon or borrow with Kindle Unlimited.
December 11, 2014
Playing Favorites
I'm really excited to announce the upcoming release of "Playing Favorites," a nine-author erotic romance collection. The book is available to buy or borrow with Kindle Unlimited on Xmas Eve, but you can preorder your copy today for just $0.99. There are almost 500 pages of the authors' favorite stories, with a mix of everything--contemporary, paranormal, SF, BBW, suspense, and western.
Grab this collection from nine bestselling and popular authors, featuring a selection of their favorites. Get it before it's gone!
CURVOSITY by Christin Lovell
When plus-size Lucy decides to move on, her werewolf boss decides to move in, and both are surprised in the end.
RESURRECTION by Jodi Lynn Copeland
Gill’s mission is simple: Escape his lovely lying ex-wife via a solo voyage on his buddy’s boat. Capsizing that boat and landing in the arms of another beautiful liar never figures into his plans.
BUCKAROO by Kit Tunstall
After hurting her so badly nine years ago, will Chloe ever believe Dawson is more than a buckaroo just passing through?
INVICTUS by Lani Aames
Serena Blackstone’s enchanted robe reveals all to the dark and dangerous man of magick, Invictus Cross.
FLY YOU TO THE MOON by Jocelyn Han
Ten months on the Moon seem like an eternity if you know you're not supposed to fall for the man taking care of you—but you just can't help yourself.
MORE THAN FRIENDS by Keira Kohl
Tired of the friend zone, Corinna forms a plan to get her best friend into her bed.
PRESCRIBED by D.D. Parker
Will Dr. Matthews still be able to prescribe Emma just what she needs or will Emma’s own demons come to threaten more than just their relationship?
QUIVER: ENTICED BY SHADOWS by Livia Rook
A devilishly handsome stranger threatens to turn Kate's world upside down, expose her, and use her unexplored fantasies to his advantage.
SMOLDER (AFTER HOURS VOL. 1) by C.C. Sinclair
On the eve of his sexy co-worker's going away party, a workaholic journalist takes advantage of the building's power outage to capture her mind and body as his before she slips through his fingers.
Grab this collection from nine bestselling and popular authors, featuring a selection of their favorites. Get it before it's gone!
CURVOSITY by Christin Lovell
When plus-size Lucy decides to move on, her werewolf boss decides to move in, and both are surprised in the end.
RESURRECTION by Jodi Lynn Copeland
Gill’s mission is simple: Escape his lovely lying ex-wife via a solo voyage on his buddy’s boat. Capsizing that boat and landing in the arms of another beautiful liar never figures into his plans.
BUCKAROO by Kit Tunstall
After hurting her so badly nine years ago, will Chloe ever believe Dawson is more than a buckaroo just passing through?
INVICTUS by Lani Aames
Serena Blackstone’s enchanted robe reveals all to the dark and dangerous man of magick, Invictus Cross.
FLY YOU TO THE MOON by Jocelyn Han
Ten months on the Moon seem like an eternity if you know you're not supposed to fall for the man taking care of you—but you just can't help yourself.
MORE THAN FRIENDS by Keira Kohl
Tired of the friend zone, Corinna forms a plan to get her best friend into her bed.
PRESCRIBED by D.D. Parker
Will Dr. Matthews still be able to prescribe Emma just what she needs or will Emma’s own demons come to threaten more than just their relationship?
QUIVER: ENTICED BY SHADOWS by Livia Rook
A devilishly handsome stranger threatens to turn Kate's world upside down, expose her, and use her unexplored fantasies to his advantage.
SMOLDER (AFTER HOURS VOL. 1) by C.C. Sinclair
On the eve of his sexy co-worker's going away party, a workaholic journalist takes advantage of the building's power outage to capture her mind and body as his before she slips through his fingers.
November 24, 2014
WTRAFSOG bundle
What's better than a Kit Tunstall book for $0.99? How about a book with 10 other top authors for $0.99? Here's your chance to discover a new author or reread an old favorite (like "Undercover Mother").
Kindle US -
Kindle UK -
iTunes -
Nook -
Kobo -
Kindle US -
Kindle UK -
iTunes -
Nook -
Kobo -
October 27, 2014
New Cover "All Grown Up"
"" has a new cover. It turns out, Amazon doesn't like a tiny hint of buttocks. Even a peek will get you an "Adult" tag, which basically makes your book disappear from the general search. After realizing AGU had been tagged, it was time for a new cover. It should appear on the Amazon product page in a few days, but here is the unveiling:
Blake feels coerced to take out his best friend’s sister while she’s in town. He remembers her as a chubby, awkward teenager with a crush on him. When Erin shows up at his door, he’s blown away. She’s all grown up now and a lush, curvy beauty. He’s never gone for Rubenesque women before, but he wants her desperately. To his consternation, Erin doesn’t seem to like him at all. He needs to figure out if he’s too bad-boy for the good girl, or if her apparent dislike hides something else—like a mutual desire she’s fighting to control, due to her own self-esteem issues and a refusal to be another one of Blake’s conquests.
(Don't forget you can read this title for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited membership.)
Blake feels coerced to take out his best friend’s sister while she’s in town. He remembers her as a chubby, awkward teenager with a crush on him. When Erin shows up at his door, he’s blown away. She’s all grown up now and a lush, curvy beauty. He’s never gone for Rubenesque women before, but he wants her desperately. To his consternation, Erin doesn’t seem to like him at all. He needs to figure out if he’s too bad-boy for the good girl, or if her apparent dislike hides something else—like a mutual desire she’s fighting to control, due to her own self-esteem issues and a refusal to be another one of Blake’s conquests.
(Don't forget you can read this title for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited membership.)
October 16, 2014
That awkward moment...
When you feel compelled to defend yourself as a serious writer, even though you write romances (but they have WORTHY!!! themes and none of that erotic trash), while simultaneously denigrating people who write erotic romances and erotica, and you don't realize how hypocritical you're being. The person who did this made me want to snort with amusement. The irony.
My view is if your writing entertains someone, it's as valid as anyone else's. My personal preference is I would rather read a well-crafted romance, erom, or erotica than one of the bastions of literature, such as Hemingway. (Have you read "The Old Man and The Sea"? He takes a long boat ride, catches a fish, loses fish to other fish, and that's about it. The End) For me, there is more value in a smutty (I mean that in a good way) romance novel by Marysol James than John Steinbeck. That doesn't mean I don't think the great writers were great. They worked hard, I'm sure, and some people love them. I'm just not their target.
So, authors, don't get so defensive, regardless of your genre. The people who want to read you will find you. The people who aren't your demographic will steer clear. They might mock you too, but develop a thick skin. You're going to need it in the publishing biz.
My view is if your writing entertains someone, it's as valid as anyone else's. My personal preference is I would rather read a well-crafted romance, erom, or erotica than one of the bastions of literature, such as Hemingway. (Have you read "The Old Man and The Sea"? He takes a long boat ride, catches a fish, loses fish to other fish, and that's about it. The End) For me, there is more value in a smutty (I mean that in a good way) romance novel by Marysol James than John Steinbeck. That doesn't mean I don't think the great writers were great. They worked hard, I'm sure, and some people love them. I'm just not their target.
So, authors, don't get so defensive, regardless of your genre. The people who want to read you will find you. The people who aren't your demographic will steer clear. They might mock you too, but develop a thick skin. You're going to need it in the publishing biz.
October 14, 2014
New Assistant
I've hired a new assistant, and she'll be doing most of the social media and PR things for me. You'll probably see Alexis posting for me on various places, like Twitter. She's my go-to person for interviews, review requests, etc. too. If she posts for me, she'll identify herself (maybe with initials or her first name). She'll find a way. I have complete faith in her. Thanks for the help, Alexis.
October 10, 2014
New Cover "Island Seduction"
"" has a new cover, though it will be a few days before it updates on Amazon. This is for the print and ebook editions. The print cover kept printing blurrily, no matter what we tried, so we finally said it just needs an entirely new cover.
Lanie accepts an invitation to spend vacation with her roommate and his father on their private island. The sparks fly between Lanie and Jason as soon as they meet. She wants him, and he wants the younger woman out of his son's life. The solution is simple--seduce her away from Josh to force her to show her true intentions. Once she has ended her engagement to Josh, he'll dump her brutally to teach the little gold-digger a lesson. Josh will forgive him once he realizes what she is. It seems so easy, until she becomes his lover, leaving Jason confused about her, his plans, and their future.
Lanie covers for Josh when he announces their engagement, though they have never been more than friends. She agrees to pretend to be engaged as long as he tells his dad the truth quickly. When Josh is called away for a summer internship, she and Jason have the island to themselves. She starts to fall in love with him and knows she'll have to tell him the truth for the sake of their future, even if it means exposing Josh's secret.
Warning: Contains multiple hot, romantic love scenes between two consenting adults that include erotic food usage, oral pleasure, and anal exploration.
Lanie accepts an invitation to spend vacation with her roommate and his father on their private island. The sparks fly between Lanie and Jason as soon as they meet. She wants him, and he wants the younger woman out of his son's life. The solution is simple--seduce her away from Josh to force her to show her true intentions. Once she has ended her engagement to Josh, he'll dump her brutally to teach the little gold-digger a lesson. Josh will forgive him once he realizes what she is. It seems so easy, until she becomes his lover, leaving Jason confused about her, his plans, and their future.
Lanie covers for Josh when he announces their engagement, though they have never been more than friends. She agrees to pretend to be engaged as long as he tells his dad the truth quickly. When Josh is called away for a summer internship, she and Jason have the island to themselves. She starts to fall in love with him and knows she'll have to tell him the truth for the sake of their future, even if it means exposing Josh's secret.
Warning: Contains multiple hot, romantic love scenes between two consenting adults that include erotic food usage, oral pleasure, and anal exploration.
October 2, 2014
Amazed
I'm frankly amazed at the success of "." It was fun to write, but I didn't expect so many people to actually want to read it. On Oct. 1, 2014, around 11 p.m., MDT, the story was #3 on the paranormal best sellers list on Amazon, just below books by Evangeline Anderson and Laurann Dohner. That is a nice accomplishment that I have never achieved before. I didn't think it would end up being with an erom about a Scottish tentacle alien hybrid. Thanks, Angus, for sharing your story with me (and a lot of people who apparently never knew they needed romantic tentacle monsters before), and for bringing Sasha along for the ride.
Still not planning a sequel or anymore dabbling with tentacles though!
Still not planning a sequel or anymore dabbling with tentacles though!
September 29, 2014
New Cover for "Winter Thaw"
"Winter Thaw" also has a new cover that is much better than the old one. It will take Amazon a few days to update the covers, of course, so if you want it with the new one, you should wait to buy it. (Or you can borrow it for free with your Kindle Unlimited membership.)
Kane Winter is cold and unemotional, two assets that make him an excellent assassin. Danika Rich, widow of a murdered senator, inspires unaccustomed emotions, making him want to protect her. The passion he feels for Danika began to un-thaw his frozen heart, but he knows she can never love him when she learns he was the one who assassinated her husband.
Kane Winter is cold and unemotional, two assets that make him an excellent assassin. Danika Rich, widow of a murdered senator, inspires unaccustomed emotions, making him want to protect her. The passion he feels for Danika began to un-thaw his frozen heart, but he knows she can never love him when she learns he was the one who assassinated her husband.
