Wicked Muses

Welcome Anna James

2011-09-01T19:09:00.000-04:00

Please welcome romance author Anna James. She’s here to talk about her book Isabella’s Dilemma and will give away a free ecopy to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with your email address and you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win. Contest runs from Thursday, September 1, 2011 until midnight September 7th.

Anna, please tell us a little about your book:

Isabella’s Dilemma is a contemporary romance novella. It is 93 pages long and is now available from Sugar and Spice Press. http://www.sugarnspicepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=81

You can also find it at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Isabellas-Dilemma-ebook/dp/B003X9573A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1314875124&sr=1-1

And Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/isabellas-dilemma-anna-james/1029827144?ean=2940013198470&itm=1&usri=isabella%2bs%2bdilemma

The story revolves around Isabella Sheridan. Isabella is twenty-four years old and has just lost her beloved father. On top of dealing with his death she has to deal with Jake McAllistar. Jake is now Isabella’s business partner. To make matters worse he owns more of the Sheridan Advertising Agency than she does. He is difficult to work with, has a hostile attitude toward her and makes business decisions without consulting her. So why does she respond with so much passion when he kisses her?
Jake McAllister does not like Isabella Sheridan. As far as he’s concerned she’s shallow and without moral values, both in her personal and professional life. So why is he so attracted to her? You’d think he’d know better based on past experience. And why, after just one passionate kiss, is he ready to give her the benefit of the doubt and become involved?

What inspired you to write this book?

The story is the result of an idea I had about a young woman who had been secretly attracted to one of her father’s business associates.

How did you choose the title for this book?

Actually, I didn’t. My mother did. I was having a really hard time coming up with a title for this story so I asked her what she thought the book should be called. Since the story deals with Isabella’s dilemma over Jake McAllistar, I thought it was a good title.

Can you share an excerpt from the book with us?

Absolutely! Here is a taste to whet your appetite:

Amy glared at her and she glared back, a mutinous look on her face. You wouldn’t look at me that way if you knew what he thought of me, she told her cousin silently. He’s a lousy rat! How dare he think so badly of her? And she never would have known if she hadn’t overheard a conversation he was having in his office one day. As a matter of fact, it was that conversation that had made her finally decide to leave the agency altogether. Well, it hadn’t been her only reason for leaving, she conceded wryly, but it was the final straw as far as she was concerned. He actually thought she was sleeping with their clients! She still couldn’t believe it. Had he always thought so little of her?

Her mind drifted back to the first time she’d met him. It had been at a Christmas party. Her father threw one every year for his employees. In addition to the advertising agency, her father had numerous other business interests. Jake had been there as a representative from one of them. She’d been eighteen on that occasion and had just started her first year of college. He’d been introduced to her as one of her father’s protégés; a financial wizard with a reputation of a man that got the job done—no matter what. He was the person her father was counting on to turn around his latest acquisition. There had been something about him, even back then, that had affected her on the most basic level, she admitted now. But, to him, she’d meant nothing. She had been merely someone to be polite to if he wanted to get ahead in her father’s organization. She hadn’t seen much of him since then, until recently, as he had never been involved with the advertising agency in the past. He was now, though, and she still didn’t know why. Compared to his responsibilities within the rest of Sheridan Industries, running the advertising agency was small peanuts.

But they were business partners now it seemed. It was a shock finding out that Jake not only worked for her father, but, was actually his business partner; owning a significant chunk of stock in the agency as well as the rest of the business empire. Which was why he was able to force me out in the first place, she thought angrily. He didn’t force you out, a little voice inside her taunted. You left of your own accord. “He’s an extraordinary man,” her father used to say. “Not only in the business sense but personally as well.” Maybe you thought so, Dad, but I certainly don’t!

“Care to dance?”

Isabella looked up with a start. She had been so preoccupied with her memories that she hadn’t realized anyone was talking to her. “I’m sorry. What was that?” She looked around her nervously. “And where are Amy and Nick?”

“On the dance floor,” Jake replied dryly, his eyes leading hers to where their figures were swaying together in time to the music.

“Which is why I asked if you’d like to dance.”

“With you?” she mocked. “Why don’t you ask your lady friend? I’m sure she’d be more than happy to join you.”

“Why Isabella, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were jealous.”

Her eyebrows arched. You’ve got to be kidding, she thought derisively, and was about to say just that when a thought occurred to her. Her lips curved mischievously. “Why, Jake, I’d love to dance. I thought you’d never ask,” she replied sweetly, and standing, led the way on to the dance floor.

If Jake was surprised he didn’t show it. He simply took her in his arms and they began to sway in time to the music. A tingling sensation ran down Isabella’s spine when his hand came in contact with her back. It felt—No! She dismissed that thought right from her head.

“Isabella, I’d like to talk to you about something,” he began. “It’s about Sheridans.”

The sensual sound of his voice washed over her and she leaned in closer to him. “I’m listening.”

If he noticed anything different about her behavior, he didn’t let on. “Yes, I’d like—”

She inhaled deeply and let her hand glide up his arm and come to rest on his shoulder, pressing her body against his lean frame. “What is that cologne you’re wearing?” she asked breathlessly. “It smells wonderful.” When her head came to rest on his chest, his whole body tightened in response.

“Isabella,” he grated through clenched teeth. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I’m warning you…”

She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and luminous, and her lips parted and kissably soft. “Jake,” she whispered breathlessly.

“Isabella,” he warned again.

This really is quite intoxicating, she acknowledged somewhere in the far reaches of her brain. She could easily… Don’t blow it now, she told herself sternly. In a few seconds you can toss him a dirty look and tell him exactly what you think of him!

Without warning his lips crushed hers in a passionate kiss. It took her totally by surprise and shocked her to her very core. Which is why she began kissing him back with a hunger that not only matched his—it surpassed it! My God! I’ve never been kissed like this in my whole life, she thought dazedly. Had never responded to a man like this, ever. She could feel the blood as it raced through her veins; hear it roaring in her ears. Her heart beat wildly. She was on fire. Helplessly she clung to him. She couldn’t think; didn’t want to think, only feel…

Reality set in. This isn’t supposed to be happening, she thought frantically. She’d just wanted to teach him a lesson, for goodness sakes. Yet here she was practically devouring the man. Oh God! She didn’t even like Jake McAllister. She couldn’t possibly want him…could she? No! She ripped herself free from his embrace. “What do you think you are doing?” she asked in an anguished voice. What had happened to her just now? She had lost complete control of the situation. Jake had kissed her, but her reaction to that kiss—to him— Panic set in and she turned and fled the dance floor without waiting for his response.

He raced after her and caught up with her on the street outside. Grasping her shoulder, he whirled her around to face him.

Now can you please tell us a little about yourself?

Sure. I am an author of contemporary romance stories that allow women to take a break from reality and get lost in a world filled with passion, drama and romance. I have been writing for about twelve years now but have only been recently published. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked in that field for a number of years before I went into Marketing, which is my day job these days. I have four books that have been published: Isabella’s Dilemma – Sugar and Spice Press, Guilty As Charged – Book 1 Bradford Sisters Trilogy – Sugar and Spice Press, Coming Home – Melange Books and Visions – Sugar and Spice Press. I also a short story entitled A Picture Perfect Christmas that was included in Christmas Collectibles – Melange Books.

What do you think is the most important to remember when writing romance?
For me a story has to have passion, drama and romance. When there are paranormal elements included I also love suspense. It’s that leap into the unknown that gets me interested as a reader. Lastly, and maybe the most important to me, there has to be a happy ending.
How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

I would say there is something from my life in every book I write. For example, in Isabella’s Dilemma, the hero and heroine visit San Francisco. My family and I first visited all of the places I mentioned in the book when I was 10. I also went back as an adult with my husband and children. A Picture Perfect Christmas - Christmas Collectibles (now available from Melange – Books) takes place mainly in New York City. It’s one of my favorite places to visit. My cousin, sister and I make an annual pilgrimage to the city around Christmas time to see all the decorations. To Love and Trust Again (Available January 2012 from Melange-Books) takes place in Buffalo, NY and Boston, MA. I lived in both places. Additionally, the heroine in that book is a mechanical engineer, which I am as well.

What were you doing when you received your first contract?

My husband and I had just gotten home from eating dinner at a local restaurant. I had been checking my email for a reply from the publisher obsessively for days by that point. I had checked before we went out and again when I got home but it was after 7 pm so I didn’t think I would hear anything more that evening. What I didn’t realize was that the publisher was in a different time zone so there was a response when I checked. To say I was ecstatic would be an understatement. I think I called practically every member of my family and close friends that night to tell them my good news.
What are you working on now?

I’m just about done with Shattered Dreams. This is book 2 in the Bradford Sisters Trilogy. I also have a couple of other works in process. They are currently untitled.

Where can readers learn more about your books?

On my blog: http://annajames1.wordpress.com/
Do you have any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Believe in yourself and in your writing. The road to publication is littered with rejection letters (or e-mails as the case may be). If you get rejected find another publisher and keep at it until you have a contract!

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

Thanks for having me as a guest on your blog. I enjoyed being featured here.
You can find me at my blog at: http://annajames1.wordpress.com/
or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001402819536
And remember to leave a comment with your email address to be entered for a chance to win a free ecopy of Isabella’s Dilemma.

Happy Reading,
Anna James

Welcome Carrie Pulkinen

2011-08-18T04:00:00.000-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.

I'm a single mom of two beautiful, little girls. They're both budding authors and love to make up their stories, just like mom. When I'm not writing or reading, I love photography and going to the beach.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

To Catch a Spirit was released April 15th (a happy tax day for me!). I'm in the process of editing another paranormal romance about guardian angels. The title is still in the works, so I'll keep you posted on that.

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

I have tons of support! My boyfriend Michel is my biggest fan, and my bff Jeana is my beta reader. I definitely couldn't do it all without them.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Lack of time. I get up at 4:30am, take my kids to school, work my day job, pick up my kids, help them with their homework, take them to dance and girls scouts, make dinner, get them ready for bed…. Whew! Then I have about an hour before I crash into my own bed. I need more hours in the day.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

I would love to have a set time to write every day. But as it is, I just write whenever I can. I carry a journal with me, so I can jot down ideas as they come. My ideas come at such random times. I've had to pull over while I was driving to write down part of a story before!

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

I love to read when I'm relaxing. Meditation helps recharge my batteries.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

Wow. That's a tough one. Do I have to choose just one? I'm currently reading Dean Koontz, and I’m enjoying it. I love the Sookie Stackhouse novels too.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

My favorite would have to be To Catch a Spirit. It was therapeutic to write about Logan's issues and how he overcomes them. He's probably my favorite hero. I put a lot of myself into him, so I'm closer to him than any of my other characters.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

The easiest was Sweet Release. That one just poured out of me. The idea came, and I couldn't stop until it was all written down. Writing becomes an obsession for me. I think about it constantly until I get the story out. The guardian angel story has been the hardest so far, though I'm not sure why. Reawakened, my first manuscript (still unpublished) was the most fun. I started it just to see if I could actually write an entire novel, and I did. It was so much fun, I decided to try to make a career out of writing.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

It's usually a scene from the story. A conversation between two people or an action scene. From there, the characters develop, and they tell the story to me.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

I love the emotional connection between the hero and heroine. I like to get inside their heads and feel their chemistry.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I wouldn't say that they control me, but they definitely tell the story to me. I don't make up the stories. The characters do. All I do is get it own on paper! The characters tell me who they are, and their personalities drive the story.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I'm a high school teacher by day, so that's what I'd be doing. But I can’t imagine not writing. I don't know how I lived without it for so long!

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Keep trying! I probably got about 60 rejections before I was published. When you send a query or submission, it's just one person's opinion that determines whether or not your story goes to print. You just have to keep sending it in until someone likes it. Never underestimate yourself. You have unlimited potential, so don't give up.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

All of them! *laughs* I think To Catch a Spirit would make a great movie. As for the actors, I try not to associate my characters with real people, so I have no idea.

Fill in the blank favorites –
Dessert. Chocolate, cheesecake, ice cream, chocolate, carrot cake, chocolate…. I have a bit of a sweet tooth!
City. Sydney is nice. I love Schagen in The Netherlands, too. And Chicago… I'm not good at choosing just one!
Season. Summer
Type of hero. Confident. Slightly cocky, but with a soft side that the heroine brings out
Type of heroine. A strong, independent woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it.

I've always been fascinated with the paranormal. Of course, when you grow up next door to a cemetery, the dead (and the undead) are hard to ignore. Pair that with my passion for writing and my father's insatiable love for monster movies, and you've got the perfect recipe for an exciting storyteller.
When I'm not writing stories of amazing sex with devilishly handsome men, I like to read, take pictures, and play with my kids. I also enjoy hearing from my readers, who can write to me at carrie.pulkinen@hotmail.com .

To Catch a Spirit

She sensed them as they drew closer to her—many different spirits, their energy buzzing on varying frequencies.
"One at a time, guys. Please." she said. But they didn’t listen. These were the spirits of the mentally ill, after all. Taking turns wasn’t their concern, and they all rushed her. She felt their presence closing in on her like an avalanche, and she was consumed. Every mental illness imaginable was thrown into her psyche as she tightened her grip on Gage’s hand and slumped down in her chair.
"Allison! Allison, are you okay?" Gage’s voice was a distant echo as she fought to hold on to herself. She was slipping. Sliding into the depths of despair and the spirits were pulling her down.
"It’s… No… There’s a light… You need to… You need to go to it." She tried to help the spirits cross over, but they wouldn’t listen. There were too many. Twenty at least, and they were so consumed by their own illnesses they thought of nothing else. Paranoia, depression, anxiety. Allison felt it all, and it was going to kill her. The pressure. So hard to breath. Her hands cradled her head as the migraine overtook her. Sharp, pounding pain had her crumpled on the floor as she drew her knees into her chest and rocked back and forth.
"Make it stop. Please, just make it stop." She was paralyzed. Frozen by the anguish of the tortured souls that forced themselves upon her. Hot tears streamed down her face and blood trickled from her nose. She gasped for air as she heard a faint voice call, "Get her out of here!"

Blog: http://www.carrie-pulkinen.blogspot.com/
Email: carrie.pulkinen@hotmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/Carrie.Pulkinen
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4569077.Carrie_Pulkinen
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004XSXTGW
Publisher: http://www.breathlesspress.com/

Purchase links:

To Catch a Spirit:
http://www.amazon.com/To-Catch-a-Spirit-ebook/dp/B004X6SDYM/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/to-catch-a-spirit.html

Sweet Release:
http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Release-ebook/dp/B004G08WXC/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2
http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/sweet-release.html

Welcome Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

2011-07-25T01:00:00.000-04:00

That cold December night, driving down a dark two-lane highway on the way to visit some Christmas lights at the lake, most of the other traffic consisted of big rigs, truckers hauling loads in both directions. I had one of those stray thoughts that become an epiphany when I pondered the notion that driving an eighteen wheeler would be a great cover occupation for a vampire. The more I thought about it, I more I liked it and so within a few days, I found myself writing about truck driving, Shakespeare quoting, cigarillo smoking Irish born vampire Will Brennan in the voice of Cara Riley, a sassy Texas gal singer who falls for him hard after a single kiss.

That start became Love Tattoo and when I finished the final edits, my Evernight editor (Caitlin Ray) suggested there was potential there for a series. In all my dreaming about writing fiction, I’d never considered doing a series. Until that moment, all my ideas were stand alone inspirations but I thought about it and soon found myself writing a slightly darker sequel, Love Scars. By the time that it debuted in June, I had another MS in Cara’s voice about her sexy vampire, Love Knots. At that point, the folks at Evernight decided we had a series going and they asked me to name it. I started brainstorming with the help of my two teenage, romance reading daughters and Megan came up with “Love Covenant”. I looked over our list of possible series titles and liked it so my “Love Covenant” series became official.

Love Knots debuts this week from Evernight and book four in the series is underway. For now, the tentative title (and this is the second so far) is Love Shadows. I have no idea how long Cara will keep talking or how far the series will go but I’m in for the ride. Readers for the most part seem to like Will and Cara. Some have sent me comments that they are in love with Will Brennan themselves and even some of the reviews mention a definite appreciation for Will.

So far, the Love Covenant series is probably my most sensual endeavor. Of my upcoming titles from both Rebel Ink Press (five at last count, I think) and Champagne Books, some have smoking hot sex and some don’t. Will and Cara, however, are always in the mood for love.

Now that their story is a series, it seems to be picking up new readers and attracting more attention….something that delights any author!

Love Tattoo

One kiss chars everything Cara Riley knows into ignorance but she's willing to learn. She detours from her planned shot at a Nashville singing career to see just where this wild fever with sexy Will Brennan may take her. They prowl Beale Street by night, ride the midnight trolley, and they're falling into love fast. He has his quirks - he sleeps days, plays at night, quotes Shakespeare and exudes sensual appeal - but when he takes Cara to his home, she learns the secret he's kept for over two hundred years. Whether or not they can find a future together is up to Cara.

Love Scars

After marrying her sexy undead husband Will Brennan, Cara Riley Brennan thought her happy ending would last forever but she soon learned that the course of true love doesn’t ever run quite that smooth. Just when she thought they were settling into eternal bliss, Sallie Hawkins, the woman who made Will into a vampire in the past, intrudes into their lives. She’s wicked, she’s jealous, and she won’t stop till either Will or Cara is dead.

Her psychic presence tortures them both in body and soul but when she arrives outside their home in the flesh things go from bad to worse. Cara and Will realize that confrontation is inevitable.

When the three meet for battle, they all may not survive and in the end, who lives and who dies is up to Cara who will do anything to keep her chance at a permanent happily ever after ending intact

Love Knots

After surviving the wrath of a wicked she-vampire bent on revenge, Will and Cara Brennan have a new task – finding Will’s brother that Sallie Hawkins made a vampire centuries ago. Both bear the scars of their battle but they’re glad to be alive and together.

Cara wants to find the only family Will has in this world and so they set out on a search for Seamus that takes them from Memphis to the rough bars of Oklahoma, Las Vegas casinos, to Hollywood Boulevard and to New Orleans. Along the way, their love deepens and the sensual connection they share heightens.

Whether or not they find Seamus isn’t the only issue – they have no way of knowing whether he has gone wicked or if he’s an average vamp like them. The journey defines their love as the story told in the Love Covenant series continues in Love Knots.

To purchase Lee Ann's work please go to:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Lee+Ann+Sontheimer+Murphy

Welcome Shiela Stewart

2011-07-22T01:00:00.000-04:00

Has our muse always known what genre you would eventually be published in?

My muse is a stubborn b—oops, PG 13. LOL Whenever I try to come up with a non-paranormal story she takes control and shifts it to her liking. There will come a day when I will control her but for now, I am at her mercy. LOL

Do you read your sub-genre consistently or do you prefer another?

I love paranormal, can’t get enough of it. All other books in the world should be remade into paranormals (Help me. My muse is taking over again).

If you weren’t writing, what would your fantasy occupation be?

Dragon tamer. After watching How To Train Your Dragon I felt a yearning to become a dragon tamer. I think Dragons get a bad rap.

Do you live near, or have you ever visited, the locations you use as settings in your works?

I wish I had visited half of the location I write about…wait, most of them are made up towns and cities. Wow, I need a life. LOL

Where do you see brick and mortar book stores in five years?

Unfortunately more and more are falling---metaphorically speaking. But I think there will always be a few sticking around because there is still a need for print. I can’t see universities and colleges going completely e-wise.

Do you put any stock in reviews or is reader feedback more important to you and why?

I love reviewers, good or bad, though when you get those bad ones where the reviewer obviously hasn’t read your book, those tick me off. I think they’re a learning tool as to what is good and what isn’t in your story. You can compare that to other reviews and see if there is a common denominator. Readers feedback is golden. There is nothing like hearing from a reader.

Where do you write? Home office, local Starbucks?

I have a cold dark cave where I do all my writing. It’s nice and dark, quiet and sometimes the spiders and ants like to help me when I’m stuck in a rut. The snakes however are always mocking me.

Doesn’t that sound more interesting than saying, I write in my living room or bedroom, wherever it’s quiet. LOL

Do you have mood music you write to? What are you top five picks?

The faster the better and no that’s not a metaphor. LOL I like to listen to dance and electric music. One of the albums I like to work to, believe it or not, is the soundtrack from the new Tron movie. Aside from that I like to listen to Ke$ha, Pink, LMFO, Katie Perry and Usher.

Bubble baths or long, hot steamy showers?

Bubble Bath. I like to pretend I am the goddess of all and rule over my rubber duckies. LOL

Beach or mountains?

Mountains. Love the mountains.

Chocolate, vanilla, or swirl cones?

Chocolate.

Four wheel drives or sports cars?

Neither. I’m not a car person.

Raised on a rural farm in Saskatchewan, Shiela Stewart relied on her vivid imagination to fill her days. Never did she realize that her need to tell a story would someday lead to becoming a published romance author. In the fall of two thousand and six, Shiela published her very first book and hasn’t stopped since.
When not writing, Shiela spends time with the love of her life, William and their three children. She has a strong affection for animals which is evident in the five cats, one dog, three turtles and ten fish she owns. Some of her passions aside from writing are drawing and painting and proudly displays her artwork in murals in her home. Her favorite time of day is sunset and loves to stargaze.

Running from an abusive Fiancé, changing her name, Missy Green is looking for a new life. Taking temporary refuge in a group called The StarrGazers, she does her best to blend in. Problem is, the owner, Draco Starr has put his sights on her.

Born and raised in the pits of hell, Draco was sent to earth to collect souls for Satan. Having served his time he starts his own business. When word gets out that a child born from demon and human is alive, he is determined to find her and make her his own.

Discovering who Draco really is terrifies Missy, but it’s nothing compared to finding out she too is a demon. Coming to terms with who she is, dealing with her attraction to Draco, Missy begins to embrace her new life. Until her fiancé enters the picture and changes her life forever.

Excerpt

“I wanted to ask you a few questions.”

She turned her head to face him and the room began to swim before her. “Questions, always questions with you. Let me ask you one for a change. Why are you looking for a mate?”

“To share my life with, of course.”

“Why me?” Her vision was beginning to blur. Was this what being drunk was like? She’d never been before.

He blinked several times before responding. “You’re the only one of your kind.”

“And that’s it? You want me because I’m rare?”
“I did. Before I knew you. Where is this going, Missy?”

“I’m just curious if love played any part in this search for a mate. See, when I accepted Ronald’s proposal, I believed I was in love. I figured we would have a long, happy life together, have a few children, grow old and die together.” She looked over at Draco. “Well, that didn’t exactly work out, so I was just curious what your idea of happily-ever-after is?”

“I’ve never really given it any thought.”

“Well, I would think that would be something to think about when choosing a mate. However, I really don’t know what you feel, being a direct descendent of Satan and all. Can you feel?” she slurred.
“How did you find that out?”

“I have my ways,” she responded slyly. “Can you?”

“I didn’t come here to be grilled by you.”

“I wasn’t grilling you. I was just asking questions. What’s the matter, Draco? You don’t like being questioned?”

He got to his feet. “I think I’ll come back when you’re in a better mood.”

“Oh, don't go. I’m in a perfectly fine mood now, Draco.” She swaggered toward him.

“You’re drunk.”

“Yep, yep I am. Why is it I get the strangest urge to rip those clothes from your body and see what's hidden beneath all that black?” She ran a finger along his lapel. “Yet, at the same time, I want to vomit at your feet.”

“What sort of response were you expecting from that question? Or was it a rhetorical one?”

“Yeah, the last one,” she slurred.

“This is all new to you. It will take time for you to adjust.”

“Oh, I’ve grasped it all. I’m now a demon who craves flesh and blood and my future is filled with uncertainty, but one thing remains.” The tears came up and flooded her eyes despite her fight to withhold them. “I can never go home again.”

“Missy.”

“No.” She waved him off. “Leave me be. I need some time alone.”

“You keep pushing me away, yet it’s me you need.”

“I don’t need you.” She stepped away and was shocked when he yanked her back toward him. Before she knew it, his mouth was covering hers. She felt the heat scorch her from the middle of her belly and down. Something inside of her beckoned her to surrender.

“I have never wanted a woman’s lips before.” He ran his thumb over her lips. “Yours tempt me beyond reason.” With that said, he vanished.

She slumped to the floor, her eyes flooded with tears.

Now why did he have to do that

Your contact information; http://www.shielasbooks.ca/

http://shielasmuseunleashed.blogspot.com/

Purchase links
http://www.decadentpublishing.com/
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/
http://www.facebook.com/shiela.stewart

Welcome Back Cassandre Dayne!

2011-07-11T01:00:00.000-04:00

WICKED GAMES AND A HOT MENAGE

Which do you think is hotter? What if you combined the concept and had a little of both? Have you ever tried a tasty ménage? Come on ladies, you know you want a naughty taste. And for a man – I don’t think I’ve ever talked to a man that didn’t admit even sheepishly that his greatest fantasy was to have two women. Now imagine being on an island where all men seem to be perfectly carved with sun kissed skin and nothing on their minds buts finding the fantasy of passion while they’re on vacation with their buddies. I am very lucky writing erotic romance because I have to do plenty of research. (my evil grin is growing) All kidding aside, for a loving relationship that is either completely monogamous or a kinkier couple that regularly enjoys a third, it can be a tremendously exciting experience and something that spices up your love life.
I enjoy allowing my characters to experiment with many aspects of eroticism including voyeurism, public displays and copious uses of toys. I also have them delve into steamy clubs that cater to sex and glorious bouts of BDSM, but my absolute favorite tasty treat is either a threesome or even a foursome. What is so exciting about it to me is the ability for a couple to trust in their relationship enough to bring someone else into their bedroom. Let’s face it, we all have fantasies and hungers that go beyond our everyday life and that’s completely okay in my book.

It’s not cheating even if you desire another man or woman. It’s simply exploring the notion that you want to try something highly erotic. Going further without your partner’s complete okay is another thing entirely here and we’re not going there. I am talking about developing a passionate evening or weekend in which you draw that third person into your life. Can you honestly tell me that there isn’t another man or woman you wouldn’t enjoy tasting if the opportunity magically appeared? Uh huh…be honest here. I’ll say it, hell yeah. And yes, when I was single I enjoyed experimenting and my special man trusted me enough to share me with…a couple others. I completely enjoyed several men pleasuring me everywhere and in every way.
Now what if you were trying desperately to get over a broken heart? Perhaps you were tossed to the curb or you found her fiancé in bed with perhaps a younger version of you? Instead of beating yourself up why not allow your best gal pal to drag you to a Caribbean island where you can enjoy the cabana boys as eyes candy as they bring you copious frothy drinks. Now imagine if the exclusive club you were staying at required that you have a health taste before you can check in? Isn’t that the perfect breeding ground (no pun intended) to create the sultry atmosphere for a wicked game shared between the two women and the possibility of a wanton affair. Just think about it, you don’t have to see the hunks again…unless you want to.
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a shimmering pool in the middle of nowhere. Warm air is wafting, the water is tepid, pulsing disco music is coming from the outdoor speaker system, the champagne is cracked and it’s just you and dozens of rough hewn men to choose from. Your girlfriend suggests a game that forces you to find at least two mysterious men and enjoy a taste. You find the right two and a decision is made. Slip into the pool and wade to the waterfall. Will they follow? Will they tease? They’ll suggest taking a walk into a private cove where the waves are gentle and their actions laced with passion. Throwing caution to the wind you toss away your clothes and slip into the surf where they follow, pressing kisses along the heat of your neck. Both give you soft caresses and promises of something incredible.

Finally one will slide their fingers into your wet heat as another feathers the tip of his finger down the crack of your ass, telling you in no uncertain terms that he will claim you there first. Feeling the heat? Hungering to taste a creamy French vanilla or a dark chocolate delight that might just rival Godiva? Mmmm… In Taming Paradise – my upcoming release from Rebel Ink Press – that’s exactly what happens to my little heroine and her best friend decides to turn the tide and suggest a game. Now as you can imagine, this isn’t JUST a story of kinky sex. There’s a twist here and one you might not expect. Ready to take a taste?

TAMING PARADISE
Would running away to a lush island soothe your broken heart?

Shannon Myers had it with men. Finding her fiancé, Randolph, in bed with a naughty blond vixen half her age did little for her self-esteem and despair settled in. Incensed, her best friend, Amy, whisked her way to a Caribbean island and a well known Hedonistic spot so that she could recover while convincing her to have a wicked fling of her own. Developing a naughty game titled Taming Paradise, the first one that bedded not one but two stunning hunks would win. Her spirit crushed, Shannon refused until she took one look at New Zealanders, Brandon and his rough-hewn friend Kyle and knew that two young studs just might be her ticket to a slice of happiness. Instantly the nights turned saucy as Brandon introduced her to a very kinky society, where all things scandalous were on the menu.

Shannon found herself falling hard, until she realized that he was none other than Randolph’s son and she was embroiled in a ruse that included releasing her inner most secret and very erotic cravings they had shared together years before. Racing back to the states, she was determined to put the experience behind her. However Brandon wasn’t playing a game. He had been in love with her for years and the moment he found out about his father’s behavior, he was determined to win her heart. It took nefarious planning, a surprise visit from Randolph and a series of truths to finally convince her to take a chance with a young man that stilled her heart and filled her every desire.

EXCERPT
Shannon fluffed her hair, grabbed her gauzy crimson cover up skirt and wrapped it around her waist, then threw her head back thrusting all caution and most of her sanity into the wind. As she crossed the pool area toward the other side, somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she hadn’t lost her touch with turning men on, although raw feelings of anguish still remained buried deep within her.

The outdoor restaurant fronted the edge of the cresting ocean allowing the soft sprays of misting salt to spill over the tile floor adding to the exotic atmosphere. Shannon breathed in the rich scent of coconut and sea air as she moved to the front of the bar and gazed at the crowd of uncoupled patrons relishing the warm breezes. There was no way she couldn’t notice the two scrumptious men from before staring at her intently as they spoke quietly together, their eyes remained stroking her body. There was also no way she could miss the Speedos they wore like skin tight gloves or the fact they both had raging hard-ons.

“Whew.” Shannon had to look away for fear of combusting into a molten puddle.

Licking her lips, she sauntered past the edge of the long mahogany counter and leaned over allowing her full breasts to peak from the lacy emerald top. Her nipples were dangerously close to being exposed.

“What will you have pretty lady?” The bartender smiled as he placed down a cocktail napkin.

“Top shelf margarita on ice.” Shannon glanced at her watch. How had six minutes been eaten up already? Oh, her nerves were on edge. How the hell could she do this? Amy was right. Every guest was required to go through a rigorous screening process before his or her reservation was confirmed. Disease wasn’t what was bothering her. Shannon’s fears were based on experiences in the past.

“Coming right up.”

She closed her eyes and allowed the dark strains of Def Leopard to flow through her tense muscles. Somehow Pour Some Sugar on Me would never be the same again.

“Kia Ora.”

The husky timbre raced down Shannon’ spine sending goose bumps up her back.

“Kei te pai,” Shannon answered. She was a sucker for a sultry man with an accent and the Maori dialect native to New Zealand had always intrigued her. The memories of learning and sharing came back to her easily. It was a language full of passion and reflected a people that gave reverence to all creatures. The moment she glanced into what could only be described as the most sensuous pair of sapphire blue eyes twinkling in the dim lighting she’d ever seen, Shannon knew she was in deep trouble.

“My, my beautiful lady. Kei te pehea koe?”

The man’s soft words alone sent electric pulses skating through her pussy and after a moment of calming her nerves, Shannon swallowed hard and turned to completely face the man with the tantalizing accent that had been watching her from afar. Randolph had taught her a few expressions in their years together and hearing the words brought back too many raw memories.

“I’m more than fine and unfortunately I know only a few other words of your beautiful language.” Shannon’s breath caught in her throat and a single bead of perspiration slid down the back of her neck. While his eyes were indeed an invitation into his soul, it was his shoulder length sun kissed hair that created vivid images of entwining her fingers around several locks while they made love in a hammock by the beach.

“I’d love to teach you, karihika. Sexy.” He took her hand into his, caressing her palm with just his thumb and eased toward her.

You could teach me anything including how to enjoy your delicious cock.

“Thank you. I would love that.” Shannon felt sexy. She gasped as he kissed her hand, his tongue darting out to traced a tiny circle across her fingers. While he assaulted her hand, Shannon drank in his dark companion. There was no way that two men were this good looking. The yin and yang of each other, the stunning blond was all carved surfer while the dark brooding man appeared rugged and dangerous. She could see them naked waiting for her hot moist mouth to consume every drop of their creamy goodness.

“I apologize for my inconsideration, karihika,” he said clearly noticing Shannon’s intrigue with his friend. “I’m Brandon and this is Kyle.”

“I’m Shannon.”

“Enchanted.” Kyle tipped his head at the same time the bartender slid the drink behind her and chuckled.
God, the man was like some Indian creature from the heavens. Whew! Shannon realized she was in so much trouble.

“This island is beautiful but no comparison to your stunning face, your voluptuous body,” Brandon purred.

Now I’ll allow your imagination to think about what else happens. Don’t you think you might enjoy a ménage or perhaps something even more wicked? I hope you enjoyed and I loved guest blogging here today. Please contact me any time and you can purchase all of my very saucy releases at Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Bookstrand and Coffee Time Romance.

Kisses xxx
Cassandre

CONTACT ME AT
http://www.cassandredayne.com/
https://cassandredayne.wordpress.com/

Email: cassandre@cassandredayne.com
https://twitter.com/bethanyhalle

ALL MY BOOKS AVAILABLE AT
BOOKS AVAILABLE AT Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Pubit It, Bookstrand and
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Boots and Burns--Oh my!

2011-07-09T14:27:00.000-04:00

From Burn Me Once by BethAnn Buehler Coming in September

“It hurts,” she moaned as Grier nearly carried her the full way up the walk and into the gorgeous structure. While he didn’t consider himself a slouch at the gym, Abigail was a lot of woman to contend with, something he’d never worried about with any of the blondes.

“What hurts, babe?” Grier heard himself say as he tried to settle Abigail on the sofa and take stock of the situation, shocked at the term of endearment coming from his mouth for this woman he didn’t even know. “How can I help you, Abigail?”

Unsure of herself around a man, this man, for the first time in her life, Abigail didn’t know what to do. She desperately wanted to tell Grier the truth. He was burning her alive with the slightest touch.

Abigail Bartlett hates being a witch. While she loves her grandmother, Margaret Bristol Bartlett, Abigail is frustrated that the older woman would bestow her with powers that Abigail has no plans of using. But Margaret knows the family secret. No Bartlett witch who has passed away can rest in peace until a centuries long feud between the Bartlett women and the Griggs men can be resolved, a feud that started in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.

Grier Griggs is trying to get home to Boston for Christmas but he's in no big hurry. Although he promised his mother, the last thing he wants to do is go hang out with the Griggs clan. Grier happens to be an accountant but outside of him, his whole family makes their living studying, teaching or talking about the Salem Witch Trials. Grier doesn't even believe in the Easter bunny, let alone witches.

When Grier stumbles into the small town of Lost Falls and into Abigail's office to ask for directions, Margaret senses his presence and sets a plan in action that puts her granddaughter on a collision course with love. The only problem is, one touch of Grier's hand on Abigail's skin sends the young woman writhing in pain.

Armed with gloves, antibiotic cream, bandages and love in his heart, Grier sets out to win Abigail to him. But when Margaret shares her secret, will love be enough to save them?

From Boot Scootin' Booty Call by Lila Munro

“I said, damn it, Sir.” You sadistic ass. She inhaled sharply when his palm met her flesh, moaning when he massaged the area he’d just assaulted. Before the burn subsided his hand came down again on the other cheek, sending her clit into a frenzy of pulses. With her pussy clenching, Kayla wiggled and pushed her ass up higher needing the next blow.

“Don’t you come, Kayla,” Jack said clearly aware of how close she was. “If you start to I’ll stop and wait until you can control yourself, then I’ll reach in the truck bed, find my flogger, and we’ll start all over again.”

A Few More From Force Recon: Somalia--WIP

2011-07-02T20:31:00.000-04:00

From Brogan's Story by BethAnn Buehler:

Hearing how lost she was in her own thoughts, in her own lack of self-confidence, it was all Brogan could do to stop himself from lifting her over his lap and turning her sweet little ass pink as she spoke. Sure the woman sitting in front of him couldn't have been so insecure that she gave herself over to the likes of Cord and Kyle without a strong set of rules and a plan in place. She was a marine for God sake. She wasn't a porcelain doll to be put on a shelf and played with only when someone approved. What the hell was Kyle thinking? Concentrating on steadying hsi hands as he lifted his water bottle to her lips, Brogan knew he had to pry before he could even start to go down any road with the likes of Alli Blaise.

From Alli's Story by Lila Munro:

“Not tonight, Alli. I’ll take what you’re giving me, but it will be on my terms,” Cord told her rolling a bright orange condom down his twitching cock then guiding it back over her lips, pushing her head down until she was forced to swallow to take any more of him. “Good,” he hissed, pulling her jaw down. “Wider, sweetness. Take it all.”

Alli did as she was told and sent her head down until her nose touched Cord’s rock hard stomach. He held her there until she couldn’t breathe then raised her up and plunged into her mouth again. For several thrusts this game went on until Cord pushed up and pulled her down at the same time and growled, shuddering in her mouth.

3 Times 6 From Force Recon: Somalia

2011-06-25T18:13:00.000-04:00

From Force Recon: Somalia, WIP by JA Lawson
Eric Ryan's Story

Eric Ryan slammed the metal door of his locker shut and managed to avoid interacting with any of the five other men that stood within four feet of him as he made his way to the door. The newest member of a fractured Recon team that had been together for several years before losing one man to a serious injury and one to unfortunate timing on their last mission, Chief Warrant Officer Eric Ryan, aka "Chaos," was also now the highest ranking man on the team. As if the fact he was replacing a dead man, a brother to the men that flanked him, wasn't bad enough, outranking the team leader didn't appear to be winning him any favor, either. Lifting his chin to acknowledge the man he now reported to before stepping from the room, Eric was certain he'd seen the man before. It wasn't until he was in his H2 pulling out the main gates of the base that Ryan put it all together. Brogan Baker used to frequent the same club Eric was a member of back in San Diego.

From Force Recon: Somalia, WIP by BethAnn Buehler
Brogan Baker's Story

Brogan stared into the mirror and barely managed to curb the desire he had to break the damned thing into a million pieces. Nothing in his life, not one fucking thing, was going right. Brogan's Recon team was grounded because some pencil pushing dumb ass in a suit somewhere sent them on a suicide mission. Brogan knew he could use the break. Hell, the whole could us the break. That wasn't the point. Brogan Baker didn't like being forced to fold his hand.

From Force Recon: Somalia, WIP by Lila Munro
Allison Blaise's Story

As afraid as Alli was of embracing who she was after what she’d been through, something inside her still bowed to her instinct to bend to command and right now Brogan’s voice was drawing that instinct out an ounce at a time. Alli recognized the natural authoritative tone for what it was. This was the voice of a man that could make her lose herself, and it went beyond him being a seasoned marine. And right now, she was ripe for the picking. She was a neat bundle of fear laced with want. A Dom’s wet dream come true.

After surviving the vacation from hell in Beacon Bayou, the Force Recon team finds themselves one relationship, one fiancé, one child, and one marriage more than when they left Camp Lejeune. But before they have a chance to process how a few days so completely changed their lives, they’re called away to Somalia, a hot bed of pirate activity. Their mission--rescue an embedded female marine taken prisoner.

Being a female marine isn’t easy for Allison Blaise. Choosing a life that's all about proving herself worthy of being one of the few and the proud right alongside her male counterparts, Alli volunteers for every special assignment that comes down the pipeline. This time that "go-to" attitude has landed her a stay as a prisoner to a few unsavory Somali pirates. After watching her four man extraction team be virtually destroyed before her eyes, Alli finds herself inexplicably drawn to the team leader, Brogan Baker. But she also finds herself competing with the newest member of the team, Eric Ryan, for Brogan's affection.

Eric Ryan, AKA Chaos, has only been with the team a few weeks when he realizes he's got a major problem on his hands, his attraction to the boss. And while he's pretty certain Brogan bats for his team, the woman attached to Brogan's side every waking minute is making it pretty hard to find out. To make matters worse, Eric has to admit he's got the slightest bit of feeling for the woman as well.

With their team in a constant state of change and under duress, Aaron finds himself struggling to accept the notion that he's worth being loved and unable to impress his soon to be grandfather -in-law. Worse, he can’t shake the feeling that he has to find some way to step up and take care of Scarlet in a manner she’s accustomed to or he's going to lose her. The thought of that school is nearly enough to choke him. But Aaron’s not the only one with problems. Gabe thought his life was under control until Ros reveals yet another secret, one he’s so distracted by he almost doesn’t survive the trip home from Somalia. A secret Ros may not survive either.

Just when they thought they were strong enough to make it through anything, the Force Recon team is once again faced with enough to either make them or break them.

Force Recon:Somalia Coming September 4 From Rebel Ink Press

To Purchase Our Other Rebel Titles Including Force Recon:Beacon Bayou--
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

Welcome Lila's Mom!

2011-06-23T01:00:00.000-04:00

The Wicked Muses had a chance to sit down with Lila’s mom recently and grill her a bit about her daughter…Welcome to Wicked Muses, Lila’s mom!

Thanks, Wicked Kids!

So, Lila’s mom…let’s get right to it…

Have you read any of your daughter’s books? If so what did you think? What’s your favorite and why?

Yes. Once you start a book, you don’t want to put it down. Lila writes as if she was talking to you. I love the Grandma in A Slower, Lower Love with her wild sex stories.

How do you feel about what Lila writes? Do you tell others, or do you find it embarrassing?

I think Lila writes what readers want to read. I tell other people, I just haven’t loaned my books to her grandmother yet. At 89 she still reads smut though. Might get her “want to” on.

**way to go Lila’s grandma!**

Did Lila get her creative gene from anyone in your family?

Her grandmother could write little poem ditties. But they weren’t naughty.

Any other talent hanging in the family tree? Artists, musicians, comedians?

Her sister has a good voice for singing, also some cousins that play string instruments.

Did you know Lila was talented, or did she keep it hidden?

We always knew Lila had talent just waiting to surface.

Do you own an e-reader? How many books do you read a month.

No. Approximately two.

Besides Lila, favorite authors?

Danielle Steele

How has romance changed since you were a teen?

Back then it was just sex, insinuated, now the romance is full detail, hot! Hot! Hot!

Anything you’d like us to know about Lila we might not know?

She says what she thinks, also has a real sense of humor.

Ever been on one of Lila’s little field trips?

No. But that’s something to look forward to.

Was Lila a well-behaved child? And be honest, inquiring minds want to know…

Well, she had her moments…

And last but not least, who do you think Lila’s characters are in real life?

Her husband for one.

Thanks, Lila’s mom for coming by and sharing a bit about your daughter with us! We enjoyed having you here...

Welcome Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

2011-06-20T01:00:00.000-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.

I’m married (17 years July 7), I have three children, fifteen year old twin daughters, a ten year old son. I come from a large extended family with various ethnic backgrounds and I’ve always been a little out of sync with my own generation because my grandparents (Granny and Pop) had my care and feeding in my early years. I have a BA degree from Missouri Southern State University in English/History. I don’t have much time for hobbies but I do some family history.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

My current WIP is a romance set in 1925 in my hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri. It’s about a young woman who defies convention because she wants to fly. When she meets former World War I ace, Guy Richter, she’s attracted and soon he teaches her many things. He’s haunted by Valkyries, however, and for him to survive, they need to find a way to defeat them so they can find a happily ever after.

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

My husband supports my writing and I have literally dozens of cousins that do, big time. Most of my friends, especially the long term friends (shout out to Diana here) are very supportive and have been for a long time.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

It would be time. I have so many ideas and not nearly enough time to write. Since editing, promotion, and more goes with the territory I have to struggle to balance my time so that I can write along with everything else.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

I have a very set schedule. I’ve written for years but when I really got serious and decided I was going to write novels that someone would read, I began treating writing like a job. I get up in the morning and write on a set schedule. And most of the time I’m writing or doing writing related things seven days a week.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

I sit out on my deck under the stars with my husband with a glass of wine or other beverage.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

I love so many authors and books that I can never narrow it down.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

My books are kind of like my kids – I love all but I really can’t pick a favorite.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

Kinfolk, which will be out in July from Champagne, was the hardest. It was my second effort at a novel and I rewrote it three times before I was satisfied that it might be saleable. The easiest? I think it would be my upcoming Rebel Ink Release, “Witness Protection Program” because that one just flowed from me, fast and quick. And the most fun would probably be a trippy one that won’t be out until May 2012 from Champagne called “Long Live The King” which is a time travel, alternate reality love story. The King is Elvis.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?
My muse is unpredictable – sometimes one element, sometimes another.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?
I like the love to be a major driving force, a powerful part of the story so that without that element, the story would not work.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I just think I’m in control – again, like my kids, my characters are prone to just do what they want.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I’ve worked in broadcasting, written for newspapers, played at teaching school so probably one of the above.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Don’t give up and grow a thick skin.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

I’d love to see any of my books become a movie – that’s kind of an ongoing fantasy that I like to entertain. I would have to say “Witness Protection Program” if I’m picking just one because it has the elements of danger, forbidden love, desire, drama, romance, and violence that make a good movie.

Fill in the blank favorites

Dessert – rich, sweet cinnamon rolls
Season – autumn on a glorious day with vivid fall colors everywhere
Type of hero: I love the bad boys!
Type of heroine: strong yet vulnerable

Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy is a full-time romance author. A native of the old historic city of St. Joseph, Missouri, one time home to both Jesse James and the Pony Express, she now lives and writes in the beautiful Missouri Ozark region. Her romance novels include Wolfe’s Lady (December 2010 Evernight Publishing), Love Tattoo, (March 2011, Evernight), Love Scars (June 2011, Evernight), Love Never Fails (May 2011, Rebel Ink Press), Kinfolk (July 2011, Champagne Books) Witness Protection Program (Rebel Ink Press), and The Marriage Cure (Astraea Press). Other works scheduled for upcoming publication include four other novels, short fiction in several anthologies and more. Her work also appears in nine anthologies to date. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Missouri Writers Guild, EPIC, The Ozark Writers League and Paranormal Authors Guild. She earned a BA degree in both English and History from Missouri Southern State University as well as an AA Degree in Journalism from Crowder College. She worked in broadcast media for a decade and has also worked in the education field. She is married to Roy W. Murphy and the couple has three children, Emily, Megan, and Patrick Murphy.

Contact:
@leeannwriter on Twitter
Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy on Facebook
http://leeannsontheimermurphywriterauthor.blogspot.com/ - my blog "A Page In The Life"
http://leeannwriter.weebly.com/ my website

Old love sometimes fades away...

When a late night phone call from the former love of her life interrupts
both her sleep and her otherwise quiet existence, Caroline Cunningham
finds she can’t refuse Reid Ramsay's request for help. As the call pulls
Caroline back to her small hometown and into the heart of the search for
Reid’s missing brother, Caroline finds the feelings she thought she'd
buried where Reid was concerned are indeed alive and well.

And sometimes it refuses to die...

Reid Ramsay is still in love with Caroline Cunningham. As they work
together searching for Reid's brother, Reid and Caro finding themselves
attempting to rebuild the life they once shared together. But their
future remains uncertain. Before they can find the happiness they seek,
each must work through the emotional baggage of the past and test the
theory they desperately hope rings true.

From Love Never Fails:

All she had to do was close her eyes and she could see it, that sleepy small town cuddled by the rugged Ozark hills, sprawling over the hills and down into the valley. Each tree-lined street, the town square, the high school football stadium, and the parks were all as vivid as if she'd just left last week instead of five years ago. In memory, Neosho had the frenetic quality of a dream or nightmare, a surreal mystique that didn't seem real. She seldom thought of it, just as she'd tried so hard to block Reid from memory. She couldn't think of him every day or the pain would devour her so she'd trained herself not to think, never to remember. Once he spoke to her again, however, all of her defense mechanisms vanished like rising smoke from a campfire.
His voice on the phone sounded the same, evoked a thousand memories, and twisted her heart with painful spasms. She wondered if he looked the same after five years seasoning and if he'd see the girl he remembered in her face or if she'd look like a stranger.

Whatever prompted him to call her was serious or he'd have never phoned. Caroline had no idea how he even got her number given that it was unlisted. She'd forbidden her few close friends to give it out to anyone and there was no one in Neosho now who would know it. She lost touch with her many of her friends long ago, in the early months of exile, afraid to hear from them because she knew they'd just want to talk about Reid. She had no family anymore, no one except Aunt Julia and the most she sent her was a card each Christmas. She said all she needed to say her aunt on the day she left Neosho forever, leaving behind a life in shambles, a reputation in tatters, and Reid.

Caroline stared at the clouds that wafted past the airliner windows as memories long denied flew at her like birds before an oncoming storm. Her best memories were with Reid, some of the bad featured Aunt Julia, and a few others were the worst; ones that focused on her loss and the secret even Reid didn’t know about. To return she would have to face them all, Reid first and then the others. To face her aunt, she'd have to confront old demons and she wasn’t sure if she had the strength. Although she wanted to, meeting Reid again would be hard enough.

Caroline closed her eyes and pushed all the thoughts away except the memories of Reid, as the plane soared through the sky. At the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, the closest destination she could book on short notice, she rented a car and began the hour drive north, back into Missouri, back into the Ozark hills where she grew up. With summer past, the first brilliant colors of fall painted the landscape with orange, yellow, and red.

Caroline was almost home and she was terrified.

She thought she knew the way but now that Highway 71 was four-lane, she felt lost so she meandered off onto the original highway, the old, two-lane road she remembered. She followed it through the neighboring small towns and on into Neosho, amazed at the new businesses that lined the highway on the southern edge of town. It wasn't quite noon when she reached her hometown, which looked both amazingly the same and yet so very different.

Now that she was here, her knees trembled and her hands shook. The faded blue jeans she pulled on for travel felt too casual and the old T-shirt, a favorite, seemed like a rummage sale reject. She hadn't bothered with make-up and the best she could do before she met Reid was brush her hair smooth. Caroline resisted the temptation to go buy a new outfit, to stop and have her hair done or have a full cosmetic makeover at the Merle Norman studio, and drove straight to the Big Spring Park, a tiny area just two blocks from the downtown Square.

She parked in the lot across the street and walked across, nervous now that she'd see Reid again in moments. As she traveled along the sidewalk that led through the park, her heart thumped so hard she could feel each beat. Caroline skirted around the Grecian pool and veered right to where wide cement steps led down to the spring inside the grotto. This had once been their special place, a refuge in times of trouble. Before she could see anything, she heard small stones pitched into the water, the rhythmic plunks familiar, and she knew Reid was near. He was nervous, too, or he wouldn't toss pebbles. When calm, he could sit as still as a statue for hours. With a long, deep breath, Caroline started down the steps toward where he sat, almost at the bottom.

If he heard her coming, which she thought he must have he gave no indication, sitting with his back to her. His broad shoulders were tight beneath the old chambray work shirt he wore and his black curly hair was longer than she remembered, touching the collar of the shirt. She sat down next to him and put her hand on his arm.
“I’m here.”

At her touch, he turned and she felt the energy surge between them, electric as ever. Reid’s eyes, the deep navy blue she remembered so well, met hers and her anxiety melted.

“Caroline.”

His voice made her name an endearment.

They stared at each other as if they could bridge five years distance in a few moments and then he put his arm around her.

“You got here quick. I thought you might keep me waiting half the night.”

“You knew I'd come.”

“Yeah, I did.” It appeared he hadn't doubted her, even after the years of silence and separation and something deep within her stirred and rejoiced at that. Even now, it seemed he knew her well.

“Why did you have me come here, to the grotto?”

“Don’t you remember?” His voice was very soft.

“I do. This was our secret place, somewhere we came when we were troubled.”

Reid nodded. “We came here the day after my mom died.”

Caroline leaned against his shoulder, savoring the feel of his strength behind her, inhaling the long remembered but never forgotten masculine scent of him. En route, she worried that he was injured or ill but even though he looked tense, he also looked well.

“Are you all right?” She needed to know.

“I’m okay,” Reid said. He put his hand in the center of his chest. “That is, except for this pain I’ve had right here for about five years now. A deep, burning pain that never went away. Today though, it feels just a little bit better.”

She inhaled sharply, panicked at the idea of him having chest pains and then realized his heart trouble was romantic, not medical. Without analyzing it or planning what she'd say, she leaned forward.
“Maybe this will help it heal.”

She touched her lips to his, a very light kiss, her mouth barely touching his.

“It helps if it’s real,” Reid said, taking her face into his hands and kissing her with thoroughness that ignited fire in her veins. “Did you mean what you said on the phone?”

Buy links:
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Never-Fails-ebook/dp/B0053CYRPO
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-never-fails-lee-ann-sontheimer-murphy/1031334544?ean=2940012876034&itm=4&usri=lee%2bann%2bsontheimer%2bmurphy
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loveneverfails-550136-149.html
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookStore/index.php?main_page=pubs_product_book_info&cPath=103&products_id=5310
http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=bookdetail&bookid=14802

We Present our Six...

2011-06-19T01:00:00.016-04:00

From Nick of Time by Christoper Craven, Coming Soon:

Gray removed himself from the table, breaking away from Joshua’s voracious gaze. Oh that sweet and subtle voice—how he'd missed it greatly from when he was a kid. Joshua’s voice, something about the sexiness of it, made Gray feel goose bumps and a warm heart. It took him back to the days they’d spent on his back porch trading Pogs and catching caterpillars. Then his memory took a leap and he remembered how during show choir practice in eighth grade, he started crushing on Josh and his debonair moves as they danced to the lyrics of “Thriller.” But the day came that Joshua’s grandfather passed away and he lost his best friend to distance and a different school when ninth grade began the next fall.

Overworked Grayson Wells wanted to share his life with a man he adored. A busy talent agent, Grayson longed to find someone he could cherish the way his star players loved their sports. Back home to attend his sister's wedding, it just so happens somebody forgot to mention that his long lost friend, Joshua O'Leary, was on the guest list.

Attending the wedding of his sister's best friend for a quick breath of fresh air before his upcoming hospital stay, Joshua is trying to make sense of his life. And seeing Grayson again certainly helps put a few things in perspective. In fact, just a glance at Grayson brings up feelings Josh thought were dead.

As a result of the thought of living happily ever after, Grayson's life changes overnight and it turns out the love he has to offer comes just in time to save Josh's life.
From Broken Identity by BethAnn Buehler, Coming Soon:

Rachel fell against the cool silk bedding, praying for the power to clear her mind. Oh God. She grimaced, thankful no-one could see just how pitiful she looked in her desperation. Please, not love. Rachel could handle sex. She could handle clamps and whips and ropes and any amount of pain a man wanted to throw her way, not that they ever did. But she absolutely, positively, one hundred percent beyond the shadow of a doubt could not handle love. She wouldn't do it. Anything else, Lord, Rachel heard herself whisper into the darkened room. Anything but this.

It's not about who you want to be...

Rachel Wallace is as cool as they come. With an impeccable education, high-powered friends and a prestigious career in the international courts, even Rachel's reputation as an accomplished Domme is flawless. Not to mention she's gorgeous. To anyone looking in from the outside, Rachel seems to have it all. And as the glue that holds her family and friends together, Rachel's time is in high demand. But if Rebel Canyon's favorite bad girl is so popular, why can't she keep a man around? Maybe that's what happens when a girl spends a lifetime playing rough with the boys.

Trying desperately to fulfill a promise, Brett Jackson has unfinished business to handle. When he puts his personal life on hold and walks away from his lucrative Los Angeles law practice to settle his deceased brother's estate, Brett isn't quite sure where the road is going to lead, but he certainly doesn't expect to hit the first detour so soon, especially not in the form of a beautiful blonde attorney. Talk about a roadblock.

It's about who you are...

Although she'd never admit it, Rachel is growing weary. As the stress from her job and the pressure of being the one whose always in control conspire to overtake her, Rachel's health begins to deteriorate, often leaving her bed ridden for a days at a time. Fearful for her future, Rachel doesn't know how much longer she can pull off being the woman whose always in charge.

As business and pleasure intersect, Brett Jackson finds himself needing far more from Rachel Wallace than just a deal. He needs her heart. But can the queen of control give it up and let a man care for her?

From True Identity by Lila Munro:

“You’re still thinking, Jill.”

With that he fell to his knees, ran his thumbs along the sides of her pulsing clit then set his lips over it, sucking then biting until Jill screamed and thrust into his mouth. He licked the remnants of her orgasm off her thighs then rose and kissed her.

“Taste that?” he whispered. “We have much further to go, sweetheart.”

“Oh no,” Jill whined.

“Oh yes, sub. Much, much further.”

You have to leave the city of your comfort…

Jillian Stewart was as straight laced as they came. Or was she? After one man tearing her down to her very foundation, she’s set out on a path of self-discovery. Pursuing a Master’s degree in sociology, Jill’s determined to wrap her mind around the complexities of the BDSM world. Getting into a good doctorate program won’t be easy so she’s pulling out all the stops. After disregarding her professor’s warning against subjecting herself to the lifestyle, Jill finds she’s drawn to her tutor. But this isn’t her world. Is it?

and go into the wilderness of your intuition…

A career Marine Corps officer, Stephan Sachelles has always chosen to keep his lifestyle choices to himself. He avoids the underground house parties on the base to frequent a club miles from home in an effort to protect his privacy. Steph’s been a Master at Steele Image for years and he's enjoyed the company of many of the subs there with no intention of ever settling on just one. How would he make that work…it wasn’t like he could convert his base house into the dungeon of his dreams. Then Jill walks through the door. Steph’s intuition tells him there’s wild abandon inside her fighting for a chance at life. In the depths of her eyes, far behind the over analysis of everything she encounters, Steph sees the heart of a true submissive. But the resistance Jill puts up is driving Steph crazy. While she’s a good student, she just won't let go. Fighting his own internal battle, Steph finds he wants nothing more than to be the only Master to help her find her true identity.

To purchase: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-trueidentity-560036-147.html

From Seeds of Oden by JL Oiler:

His dark hair hung loosely about his broad shoulders and his dark tanned face was set off by his golden eyes and perfectly formed lips. A small jagged scar, nearly hidden in the shadow of a beard, marred the curve of his jaw on the right side, but seemed to enhance his pure sexuality rather then take away from it. She walked toward him, her eyes never leaving his face. There was only one thing she wanted to know about her protector at the moment, and she knew exactly where the answer lay. Sol reached out as he stood perfectly still before her, taking in her every movement with silent curiosity. She unbuttoned his dark blue silk shirt and slid it down his muscular arms.

Blood Dance

The Crimson Erotica is Pittsburgh’s hottest nightclub and patron’s wait in line for hours to get through the door. No one would ever imagine, however, that it's something far different or that the shapely dancer who owns the club along with her two sisters is far from an ordinary human.

Named for the god of war, Ares has always lived up to the reputation. Born to be the bloodmate of Kaden, one of the leaders of an ancient race of vampire’s who've sworn to protect mankind from their predatory counterparts, Ares is torn between her promise to reunite her siblings and her desire for the one man who makes her pulse race.

Can Ares surrender to her destiny and help protect mankind from the evil that stalks them? Or will she just continue to sway in the denial of the Blood Dance...

Blood Dawn

Sol has always been different. Unlike the humans who surround her, Sol's nights are filled with meeting her craving for blood and protecting the residents of her small community from the evil vampires known as the Clage. Even to her own kind she's an anomaly. Her unique ability to walk in the sunlight sets her apart from any of her eleven missing siblings. Despite this, Sol builds herself a calm and relaxing home, moving about unnoticed, until the Clage and a breathtakingly gorgeous Nicaean male invade her world.

Forced to battle to reach the sisters she thought were lost and reunite her family, Sol also has an obligation to the humans she's sworn to protect. But worse, she has a growing love for the only man who can make her feel complete. Can Sol learn to except her differences and give herself completely over to the breaking of Blood Dawn?

Blood Denial

Loki knew the Nicaean that looked at her hungrily was trouble from the moment she laid eyes on him. What she never imagined, however, was that the condescending egomaniac would send her running for the hills or that she'd never be able to get the taste of him off her lips.

As the Clage move in with hopes of destroying Loki's world, can she let go and learn to live and love again and fight beside of the man who already owns her heart? Or is she bound to continue to run in a constant state of Blood Denial?

“I rage against the denial of what I do not wish to accept, all the while knowing that despite my defiance, the truth is always the truth and no means of rejection will make it otherwise.”
Loki

To Purchase: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-seedsofoden-562612-140.html

Welcome Cassandre Dayne

2011-06-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

GAME OVER – HOW COULD YOU CHOOSE?
Cassandre Dayne – by Rebel Ink Press – releasing June 27th

My hero in Game Over is a detective in a gritty policy department and has experienced times of discrimination with other fellow officers. It’s a don’t ask, don’t tell policy and one that stifles his relationship with his lover and the love of his life. He’s unsure what to do and in the end has to make the most difficult decision of his life. Fortunately the majority of us don’t have to worry about something of this nature. Of course the questions remains, what if you did and you were determined to win him back? How far would you go?

I tend to stretch the limits of passion and this piece is no exception. Sealed With a Kiss is a fantasy club catering to all moments of passion including bringing the audience’s secret temptations to the forefront. Imagine every wild and wooly moment played out on stage and one where you can not only enjoy being a voyeur but perhaps interact a bit? Hmmm….
Here’s a taste and tell me, what would you do if you were faced with the decision? Hmmm…something to think about.

Dark secrets and lies…could two lovers survive?

Tony Dartanion relished his life but he kept his private life hidden from the majority of the world. A decorated detective in the grittiest precinct in the Philadelphia police department, he was hungry to make Captain and willing to do almost anything. Unfortunately the old boy’s school had a don’t ask, don’t tell policy that enraged him and yet he kept his sexual appetites concealed. The boys in blue believed that he was a card-carrying man that desired all things in a skirt and stilettos. The truth was that he was in love with a man and one that he barely acknowledged outside of their bedroom. Caelen Tomlin was tired of being a dirty little secret.

In the beginning they had savored a highly erotic relationship and now, they were barely more than friends. Realizing he was going to lose the golden haired model if he didn’t change his ways, he planned a naughty event to entice Caelen and remind him of exactly why they were together. Sealed With a Kiss was a scandalous secluded club that catered to all things kinky and Tony was determined to fulfill every fantasy his lover craved and change his ridiculous ways. Unforgiving, Caelen refused to accept and Tony was forced to make an excruciating choice.

EXCERPT:

Tony grinned and eased back into his chair, grabbing his glass and taking a long sip.

A pulsing iridescent shimmer of blue light flashed across the stage in a sweeping pattern as the music became an erotic beat of Spanish guitar and piano. The sultry strains vibrated through the room exciting the crowd until they catcalled and whistled, famished for the show to start.

“Are you ready to experience your greatest fantasies fulfilled on this very stage?” The deep baritone voice echoed against the walls.

Inching forward, Caelen sighed as he sipped his drink.

Tony laid his hand on Caelen’s leg, stroking aimlessly as he grinned, barely able to contain himself. Unable to see in the dimly lit space, Tony guessed there wasn’t a single person in the large establishment that wasn’t sitting on the edge of their seat.

The darkened bar roared to life as the lights came up in the entire room, sending electric jolts of neon sparkling back and forth.

“Shit! This is incredible,” Caelen said, tapping his foot.

“What are you looking for tonight? Perhaps a tasty bite of bondage? The deep slice of a flogger?” the announcer cooed, his husky voice reverberating throughout the room.

“Dear God, I’m so fucking turned on right now…whew.” Caelen gulped his drink and inched forward.

“For our first lovely show tonight, may I present to you…her punishment.”

The lights went out completely, quieting the entire room. The music continued its eerie strains, the guitar licks become harder and faster, intensifying the anticipation. Emotions ran high as a single red light shined across the stage, illuminating a sexy blond wearing a mere slip of lace sitting on the edge of a bed, tied and gagged. As the lights lifted, she struggled with her tight bindings, moaning.

“What the…is that real?” Caelen whispered, gulping his drink.

Tony reclined against him. “It’s fantasy. Just watch.”

Caelen nodded and finished his drink, setting the glass down with a thud.

Just then two masked men entered the stage and sauntered to the girl, each swinging an instrument of discipline.

“Shit man, those are two hot hunks,” Caelen sighed.

Tony eyed the men wearing nothing more than tight leather pants that showcased the thick bulges between their legs and felt his own dick grow hard. Damn, he was horny. He eyed Drake and lifted his glass. This was a night for over indulgence of every proclivity.

“Tonight enjoy Taylor and Tyler as they take the lovely Miss Cassidy into a heightened stage of rapture. Taylor?”

The first man stepped forward, nodding to the crowd. Tipping his head back, he roared as he lifted the whip, swinging it around the room.

The crowd screamed as several customers jumped to their feet.

Taylor slammed the end of the leather strand down onto the stage.

“Shit!” Caelen yelled.

“Wouldn’t you enjoy a taste of the whip?” Tony asked, running his finger down the length of Caelen’s forearm.

“I…don’t know.”

“Tyler?” the announcer asked.

Tyler howled as he showed the audience the red and black cattails, groaning savagely as he tossed the weapon of discipline back and forth between each hand. Tossing his long hair up and down in a dramatic sweeping motion, he growled and eyed every single person in the front row giving each a lascivious grin.

“I think our boy may be looking for a volunteer,” the announcer’s voice was laced with danger.

“Fuck no,” Caelen hissed.

“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea,” Tony whispered.

The hulk of a man paced back and forth as the audience cheered.

“Pick me!”

“Beat me!”

“Whew, he’s nuts!” Caelen said loudly.

Grunting, Tyler heard the loud yell and turned, stalking toward their table. Catching Caelen’s famished gaze, Tyler grinned, sucked his lips for effect and moved forward, tipping his head as he bent to his knees.

“Fuck…me,” Caelen breathed.

“Seems like he’s found a willing participant,” the announcer rumbled.

“Spank him! Spank him! Spank him!”

Tony glanced around at the audience, taken aback. These people were serious. Whew!

Tyler toyed with Caelen, slicing the flogger down the length of his chest, tickling his groin as he licked his lips.
“I think he wants you,” Tony whispered in his ear, his breath catching.

Caelen shivered.

“Stand,” Tyler demanded.

“What?” Caelen blinked furiously.

“Yes! Do it!” the crowd roared.

“Stand. Now!”

Caelen swallowed hard and glanced at Tony.

“I’d follow his instructions if I were you,” Tony hissed, eyeing the stunning mocha skinned man.
The crowd seemed to be holding their breath and the instant Caelen stood, they erupted, chanting over and over.

“Go! Go! Go!”

Tyler jumped off the platform and stood over Caelen, gazing down from his face to his chest and finally settling on his crotch. Grazing the flogger to his balls, he pulsed the instrument of pain across Caelen’s growing bulge and breathed in his scent.

Every move highly exaggerated, Tyler growled like a caged animal and smiled, his eyes narrowing into mere slits. “Bend over the table.”

“What? What did he just say?” Caelen stood shivering, backing away slightly.

As Drake set the fresh drinks down, he nodded to Tyler. “Tyler has the hots for him I see. Careful, he likes to play with the new toys.”

Tony nodded. “I see that.”

“Bend over the table or I’ll strip you naked,” Tyler hissed, allowing his hot breath to shower over Caelen.
Tony grabbed the drink and grinned. “Seriously, I suggest you follow his orders completely.” Seeing Caelen visibly shaken, he second-guessed his decision…for about thirty seconds. Nothing on this glorious night would hurt his lover and yet, Tony wanted him to succumb in every way. There was no doubt in his mind he wanted to own Caelen, his hot body and his very soul. The thought startling, Tony savored the mixture of terror and intrigue shimmering across Caelen’s face. “Do it!” He pushed the drinks to the side allowing a smooth space directly in the middle of the table.

The forceful words startled Caelen. Turning slowly he lowered over the wooden surface, his body trembling.

ENJOY A WICKED VIDEO
http://youtu.be/XtPzvIHJijU

CONTACT ME:
http://www.cassandredayne.com/
http://cassandredayne.wordpress.com/

Email: cassandre@cassandredayne.com
http://twitter.com/bethanyhalle

FIND MY NAUGHTIES AT:
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Rebel Ink Announces the Re-release of Seeds of Oden by JL Oiler

2011-06-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

Blood Dance

The Crimson Erotica is Pittsburgh’s hottest nightclub and patron’s wait in line for hours to get through the door. No one would ever imagine, however, that it's something far different or that the shapely dancer who owns the club along with her two sisters is far from an ordinary human.

Named for the god of war, Ares has always lived up to the reputation. Born to be the bloodmate of Kaden, one of the leaders of an ancient race of vampire’s who've sworn to protect mankind from their predatory counterparts, Ares is torn between her promise to reunite her siblings and her desire for the one man who makes her pulse race.

Can Ares surrender to her destiny and help protect mankind from the evil that stalks them? Or will she just continue to sway in the denial of the Blood Dance...

Blood Dawn

Sol has always been different. Unlike the humans who surround her, Sol's nights are filled with meeting her craving for blood and protecting the residents of her small community from the evil vampires known as the Clage. Even to her own kind she's an anomaly. Her unique ability to walk in the sunlight sets her apart from any of her eleven missing siblings. Despite this, Sol builds herself a calm and relaxing home, moving about unnoticed, until the Clage and a breathtakingly gorgeous Nicaean male invade her world.

Forced to battle to reach the sisters she thought were lost and reunite her family, Sol also has an obligation to the humans she's sworn to protect. But worse, she has a growing love for only man who can make her feel complete. Can Sol learn to except her differences and give herself completely over to the breaking of Blood Dawn?

Blood Denial

Loki knew the Nicaean that looked at her hungrily was trouble from the moment she laid eyes on him. What she never imagined, however, was that the condescending egomaniac would send her running for the hills or that she'd never be able to get the taste of him off her lips.

As the Clage move in with hopes of destroying Loki's world, can she let go and learn to live and love again and fight beside of the man who already owns her heart? Or is she bound to continue to run in a constant state of Blood Denial?

“I rage against the denial of what I do not wish to accept, all the while knowing that
despite my defiance, the truth is always the truth and no means of rejection will make it otherwise.”

Loki

Excerpt:

"You suppose they know who we are?" Loki asked the others as she toyed with the Celtic pendent that hung around her neck. It belonged to her mother, a memento their father retrieved from the Asylum vault at her request. Normally such things were claimed by the patient’s family when their loved ones passed, but no-one had even known the woman’s name, let alone if she had any family.

"If we could find our blood mates then we wouldn’t be in such danger," Cere stared off dreamily and her sisters rolled their eyes. There may have only been twelve hours difference in their ages, but Ares would swear it was more. Not that any of them looked to be over the age of twenty five or anywhere close to their true age.

"Just what we all need, males telling us what and when we can do things," Ares added sarcastically. Their father may have intended his twelve daughters, each named for an ancient Norse, Greek or Roman god, to be the blood mates of the Nicaeans, but Ares had no intention of being anyone’s playmate. The women hadn't even been able to find their entire group of siblings, yet. They’d searched ever since that fateful night that left the daughters separated and as a result, Ares didn’t have time to cater to the needs of some overbearing male, predestined or otherwise. Ares had been the first born and Cere last, their DNA specially engineered to match and amplify the strength of their predestined mates, the Nicaean warriors who much like the sisters, were vampires for lack of a better term. The hybrid births of the sisters to human mothers had come at a cost, however.

While life of each mother had been forfeited upon the child’s birth, their father had seen to each of their needs right up to his own untimely death. Dr. Nash was a brilliant man, well beyond his time in the realm of science and technology. Some of his basic theories were just now considered to be on the threshold of innovation or invention.

The sisters spent the first twenty years of their lives housed in an ancient estate outside of Charleston, South Carolina. They were trained, schooled, and prepared for the role their father planned for them from the moment they were born. But all of that changed in a single night of death and destruction, a night that left the sisters scattered to all corners of the world and changed how they viewed themselves and their role in this war forever.

Someone in the inner workings of the estate had fallen under the influence of the Clage, a group of warring vampires whose entire existence was based on death, destruction, and world domination. In exchange for what the person must have thought was immortality, someone Dr. Nash trusted sold the location and security codes to the estate to their sworn enemy. The attack came at dusk as most of the estates occupants were waking. The Clage attacked mercilessly and from every possible direction. The dim minded minions were no stronger than ordinary humans but they didn’t fear death which made them reckless and highly dangerous. Since the attack, a death sentence was rendered to any Clage member stupid enough to wander into the Crimson Erotica.

Ares wasn’t certain whether the first objective of the raid had been to capture them or kill the sisters. She only knew that it destroyed everything she’d ever known. She, Cere and Loki had been the last to escape the raging inferno that erupted during the assault. How many others survived or where they were was still unknown. Ares recalled brief glimpses of some of them during the attack. She was certain she’d seen Chaos jump through one of the large picture windows. Ares had spoken briefly with Sol, but they’d been separated by falling debris and what happened to her after that was unknown. Ares, Loki, and Cere fled to the outskirts of Pittsburg and through some clever investing and a few favors from some of the cities paid officials, the girls managed to secure their club. They considered it their own sort of revenge and social service club. After all, as Ares always said, the only good sucker was a dead one.

Purchase Link:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

Welcome Jennifer Wilck

2011-06-15T01:00:00.001-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.
Well, I am an only child, and my only knowledge of siblings came from the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family. Now that I’m an adult and the mother of two girls, I’m seeing how skewed that perspective was! I’m married to a terrific man whom I met in college, (Washington University in St. Louis) and my girls (12 and almost 10) are the best and my biggest fans. My more productive hobbies include refinishing furniture and scrapbooking; my less productive hobby is playing on the computer. In my spare time, I volunteer at my girls’ schools and our Temple, where I’m newsletter editor and chair of the religious school committee.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

My very first book is being published June 15 by Whiskey Creek Press. It’s called A Heart of Little Faith and is a contemporary romance. Part of the money from the sale of the book is being donated to the Dana & Christopher Reeve Foundation. WCP is also publishing another contemporary romance I wrote, Skin Deep, in November. Currently, I’m working on something totally different, a contemporary romance with a Jewish theme. The story takes place around the holiday of Purim. That lends itself very well to the idea of hiding one’s identity, so the conflict is already built-in. There’s a single dad, with an adorable 6-year-old girl and a choir director with an amazing voice. I’m still playing around with it, but I hope to have it finished within a few months. Then the editing process starts!

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

Well, now that my family and friends actually know I’m writing books, they provide me with lots of support, which is great! They’re really good to bounce ideas off of and to keep me motivated to write. As far as the actual writing goes, I have a wonderful critique partner that I met through one of the RWA loops. She is really detail-oriented and we have a great critique system that seems to work well.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Well, with my current manuscript, I pressured myself into writing from an outline, which wasn’t one of my better ideas, because I’ve never been able to write from an outline. Actually, in school, when my teachers would ask for an outline, I’d write the paper first and then write the outline based on what I’d already written; it was the only way I could do that. So what possessed me to try an outline now is beyond me. It seems to be taking away all my inspiration and flow. So I find that really frustrating. However, once I get this first draft done, I’m going to go back and fix everything and I’m NEVER working from an outline again!

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

My time is very limited, so I find it easier to have a general schedule that I stick to. Usually that means reviewing my critique partner’s work on Mondays, as well as getting my blogs for the week done then. Tuesdays through Fridays are usually set aside for work on my own manuscripts and I tend to write in the afternoon. However, my schedule quite often blows up, or I’ll get inspired at weird times during the day, so I’m learning to be flexible and grab moments whenever I can.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Hang out with my family, watch TV, play games with my kids or just do general work around the house.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

Yes, I love Lynn Kurland. She writes time-travel romances and they’re wonderful! I also love Jane Eyre. And right now, I’m obsessed with Sherlock Holmes.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

Yes, I have to say the hero in A Heart of Little Faith, Gideon, is my favorite hero, and that book is my favorite. The manuscript I’m currently working on has potential, if I can fix it!

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

A Heart of Little Faith was the easiest to write. I sat down and the story just flowed well from the very beginning. I’m learning that I was lucky that time around! Obviously, as I said earlier, my current manuscript has been the hardest to write. And I’d have to say that Skin Deep was fun to write because it was the first time I’d ever had a critique partner, so getting her comments was exciting (and nerve-wracking). Plus, I got to interview makeup artists, since that’s what my heroine does for a living.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

Usually, a character or two and a scene will come first for me. I’ll hear a character talking to me in my head and when I write it down, the scene builds. He or she might be describing his or her life, or maybe having a conversation with another character. As I write it, that leads to the rest of the scene. If the characters and scene is strong enough, it will lead to the rest of the story.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

That’s a tough question. There are so many things that make up a great romance for me—the strength of the characters, the author’s voice, the plot. I like characters that are strong, yet show some vulnerability. I want them both to need each other and I like it be balanced—no wimpy chicks!  I want to love the author’s voice, but not be distracted from the story. I want the plot to be believable, yet take me away at the same time. Oh, and chemistry! There has to be chemistry between the hero and heroine. Even though I know they’re going to end up together, I want to worry that maybe they won’t.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

Hah! I’m in control of everything (or like to think I am) except my characters. I can try to mold them a certain way, or make them do a specific thing, and they let me think that I’m succeeding, but they don’t let me get away with much before steering me back in the direction that they wanted to be all along—I know, I sound a little crazy right about now.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I can’t even imagine not writing. I’ve been doing it forever and it’s like breathing. When I’m not writing, I’ll be dead.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Don’t give up and write what you like. Don’t worry about whether what you like is popular right now, and don’t try to mold yourself into something you’re not. Write what you like and your voice will shine through. Don’t write to be published; write because you love it. If you’re writing because it makes you happy, you’ve already succeeded; sometimes it just takes the rest of the world a little time to catch up!

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

Oh, other than the Harry Potter series, movies are never as good as the book (although if you listen to my 12-year-old daughter, the movies are WRONG!). I can’t imagine my books being turned into movies, but if they were, I’d probably do a happy dance and just be thrilled with the idea.

Fill in the blank favorites.

Yay, fun! Okay, here goes:

Dessert—my mom’s chocolate mousse
City—Paris, circa 1990
Season—autumn, because I love warm clothes, the chill in the air is a huge relief after the summer humidity, and the leaves are beautiful (I’d say spring, but it takes me a LONG time to finally warm up after winter, so by the time I can enjoy it, it’s just about summer!)
Type of hero—I’m borrowing/mangling this from someone else: an alpha/beta, one who is strong like and alpha, but caring and willing to show his vulnerable side
Type of heroine—spunky, a little snarky, intelligent, independent

Biography:

When I was a little girl and couldn’t fall asleep, my mother would tell me to make up a story. Pretty soon, my head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Each character had a specific personality, a list of likes and dislikes, and sometimes, even a specific accent or dialect. Even as an adult, I think about the characters and stories at night before I fall asleep, or in the car on my way to or from one of my daughters’ numerous activities (hey, anything that will drown out their music is a good thing).

One day, I started writing them down (it was either that or checking into the local mental hospital—the computer was way less scary) and five years later, I’ve gotten two book contracts from Whiskey Creek Press. A Heart of Little Faith is coming out in June; Skin Deep is coming out in November.

In the real world, I’m the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men I know. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, traveling and watching TV. In between chauffeuring my daughters to after-school activities that require an Excel spreadsheet to be kept straight, I run my Temple’s Religious School committee, train the dog we recently adopted from a local shelter, and cook dinners that fit the needs of four very different appetites. I also write freelance articles for magazines and newspapers, write two blogs and edit newsletters.
When all of that gets overwhelming, I retreat to my computer, where I write stories that let me escape from reality. In my made-up world, the heroines are always smart, sassy and independent. The heroes are handsome and strong with just a touch of vulnerability. If I don’t like a character, I can delete him or her; if something doesn’t work, I can rewrite it. It’s very satisfying to be in control of at least one part of my life. My inspiration comes from watching the people around me and fantasizing about how I’d do things differently.

Current & Upcoming Works:
A Heart of Little Faith, June 15, 2011, contemporary romance from Whiskey Creek Press
Skin Deep, November 2011, contemporary romance from Whiskey Creek Press

Gideon entered his sister’s crowded SoHo gallery in Manhattan and glanced at his watch. If he was lucky, he could make a quick appearance and leave. Garish paintings and semi-pornographic sculptures, coupled with snooty patrons and pseudo-intellectual artists, bored him. A mélange of overpowering perfumes blasted his olfactory nerves and he grimaced as he quickly tried to breathe through his mouth. He’d only come to support Samantha, and with any luck she’d be too busy with potential buyers to do anymore than register his presence, leaving him free to make a hasty exit. In the meantime, he needed to find something to eat before he starved to death.

Across the room he spied black-clad catering staff and made his way around half walls and columns to check out their offerings. At least he thought they were catering staff. With black continuing to be the customary dress code of New York art patrons, he could never be too sure. Still, silver platters were sure to give them away. Before he’d gotten halfway across the converted warehouse, a waitress materialized in front of him, offering champagne and scallops wrapped in bacon. Pendulum lights from above glinted on the crystal glasses, and the smoky scent made his mouth water. He snagged a glass of champagne and two scallops, and popped one immediately into his mouth. The ice cold glass chilled his fingers and provided a welcome relief from the warmth of the overcrowded room. The scallop melted in his mouth, leaving the taste of crisp bacon for him to savor. A little bit of heaven.

He saw Samantha and made his way over, past old gentlemen sitting on oversized ottomans comparing notes, willow-thin women chatting about the Hamptons and a few art students staring at the scene with longing. He waited until she noticed him. They said their hellos quickly, and she apologized as another group of people swept her away. He nodded his understanding and, with his duty complete, headed back the way he’d come.

He’d gone about twenty-five feet when something caught his attention. Surrounded by movement — the friction caused by the artist’s use of flashy, contrasting colors against stark white canvas, the undulating positions of the sculptures, or the constant swaying of people in the room — her stillness drew his eye. All other sights and sounds disappeared as he approached her. He no longer heard the chatter and laughter around him. His vision tunneled and all surrounding sights disappeared into a fog. His ears picked up only the sound of her fingernails tapping the crystal goblet and magnified it until her tapping became the beat of a song for him alone. The jasmine scent of her perfume floated toward him and made him think of summer vacations in a tropical paradise. Distracted by her, he didn’t notice those around him trying to get out of his way.

She stood motionless in front of a painting. The spotlight above illuminated her brown hair, turning it a fiery red tinged with gold, her skin a luminous peach. Her blouse, made of some gauzy material he couldn’t name, but longed to touch, draped gracefully over her shoulders and down her back. With the lights pouring down on her, he could just see the outline of her body. The barely there whisper of an outline attracted him more than any wet T-shirt ever could. Her black-flared pants hugged her hips the way he once had held a woman, gently but firmly.

He stared at her, bedazzled. He only intended to look for a moment, but she turned around and met his eyes. Caught red-handed he contemplated turning around, but that would be cowardly. He couldn’t continue to stare at her without appearing either moronic or rude, especially since he hated when people stared at him. He inhaled and tried to muster up a smile, when another man approached her. Breaking their gaze, she turned and smiled at him. Gideon inched closer. He heard her engage the other man in casual conversation before she gently excused herself. As the other man walked off, she turned back to Gideon and smiled. Her green cat eyes pierced his soul and made him believe she could see right through him. He continued to watch her, entranced.

“Hasn’t anyone taught you it’s impolite to stare?”

Struck by the irony of her question, he burst into warm laughter and shook her outstretched hand. Her soft cool hand fit completely within his hard, callused one and he closed his other hand over hers. He felt the delicate veins beneath her skin, her pulse beating in her wrist and wished to prolong the skin-on-skin contact for as long as possible. Reluctantly, he let it go.

“I’m Gideon.”

“Lily.”

“Are you a fan?”

Lily stared at him blankly for a moment and blinked quickly. “Oh, of the artist’s?” She turned once more to look at the painting, tilting her head to the right. “Not exactly. He’s a little too…”

“Much? Bright? Vulgar?”

Lily laughed. “I see you’re a huge fan. No, maybe, I don’t know. The colors are cheery, if only maybe there weren’t so many. But looking at it does brighten my mood.”

“Bad day at work?”

“Terrible. But why are you here if you don’t like the artist?”

Gideon turned and pointed to Samantha on the other side of the room. “She’s my sister.”

Lily raised her eyebrows as she looked over at the gallery owner.

“Oh, Samantha’s my best friend. I didn’t realize you were her brother. So I guess she roped you into this too?”

He sat back and gave her what he hoped was a relaxed grin. “Brotherly duty, or some such nonsense. Apparently I pulled one too many pigtails as a child and this is my penance.”

Lily laughed. She has a great laugh, he thought. It lit up her whole face. “Samantha had pigtails?”

The two of them turned to look at Samantha, currently sporting short and spiky jet-black hair, with small rhinestone barrettes scattered throughout. “You’ll have to fill me in more later,” Lily added, as she stifled a yawn.

“What, is it my stimulating conversation, or these garish paintings that bores you?” Gideon asked, one eyebrow raised.

Lily apologized. “I’m sorry. I had a long day at work and I’m exhausted. I wasn’t even going to come, but Samantha begged.”

“She tends to do that. I’ve told her it isn’t a pleasing trait, but why should she listen to me? I’m only her big brother.”

Find out more about Samantha’s big brother in A Heart of Little Faith, available from Whiskey Creek Press this month! Part of the proceeds from the sales of the book will be donated to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com/
Email: Jennifer@jennifewilck.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Wilck/201342863240160
Publisher website: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/
Blogs: http://www.jenniferwilck.wordpress.com/
http://www.heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com/

We Proudly Present Our Six Sentences...

2011-06-12T01:00:00.000-04:00

From Seed of Oden by JL Oiler

A shapely brunette swayed hypnotically in a cage, drawing a group of tall lanky males closer with each provocative twist of her lean, toned body. But it was more than their size that made the men stand out. Dressed in nearly all black with greasy hair and dead, black eyes transfixed on the female dancing before them, the men were a prime focal point for everyone around them. Each movement of the dancer's shapely hips and slide of her hands along the tight black pants that molded themselves like second skin to her perfect form was calculated. Ares intended to draw her prey deeper into the sensual web she'd devised to ensnare them.

Meet Zachary Dillinger, successful publicist, man about town and the number one go-to person for the rich and famous . Zach works hard at keeping his image in check with a fine tooth comb, including wearing the pants in his relationship with former soap opera actor, Derrek Ramsey. As a member of the prestigious West Moore community in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis, to many, Zach seems to be living the perfect life. But all that ends when Derrek dies as a result of a drunk driver.

Zach's life spirals after the death of his lover and he's stuck with Chloe, the toddler he didn't have a say in adopting. With friends and family not being as supportive as Zach hoped and without a nanny arranged for Chloe, Zach resorts to quitting his job and becomes stuck in a dead end retail store manager at the local Save-all.

When Zach leaves West Moore for a small apartment in downtown Nora, he doesn't even realize that the neighbor in 4F has eyes for him or that their constant bumping into one another is no accident. Thinking no-one's on his side, Zach turns to Chloe for emotional support and finds out that life may not be as bad as he once thought.

From Burn Me Once by BethAnn Buehler

“Are you a witch, Grandma?” Abigail would ask at their weekly sleepovers. At the tender age of twelve, she cherished the weekends when her parents took her to Margaret Bristol-Bartlett’s house. Abigail often felt misunderstood at home but never once had she felt anything close to that at her grandma’s.

“The kids at school say you’re a witch. That your mom was a witch and her mom, too.” Abigail pried.

"They have the right you know. It's still a free country," Margaret started before stopping short, not wanting to have to defend her life as she'd done so many times in the past, even if the answer was for the little girl who held her heart. "You'll grow up one day and then, my dear, you'll have all the facts and you'll be able to decide for yourself."

Abigail Bartlett hates being a witch. While she loves her grandmother, Margaret Bristol Bartlett, Abigail is frustrated that the older woman would bestow her with powers that Abigail has no plans of using. But Margaret knows the family secret. No Bartlett witch who has passed away can rest in peace until a centuries long feud between the Bartlett women and the Griggs men can be resolved, a feud that started in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.

Grier Griggs is trying to get home to Boston for Christmas but he's in no big hurry. Although he promised his mother, the last thing he wants to do is go hang out with the Griggs clan. Grier happens to be an accountant but outside of him, his whole family makes their living studying, teaching or talking about the Salem Witch Trials. Grier doesn't even believe in the Easter bunny, let alone witches.

When Grier stumbles into the small town of Lost Falls and into Abigail's office to ask for directions, Margaret senses his presence and sets a plan in action that puts her granddaughter on a collision course with love. The only problem is, one touch of Grier's hand on Abigail's skin sends the young woman writhing in pain.

Armed with gloves, antibiotic cream, bandages and love in his heart, Grier sets out to win Abigail to him. But when Margaret shares her secret, will love be enough to save them?

From True Identity by Lila Munro

The man that Steph stopped was dressed in chocolate leather pants and was shirtless. Tribal tattoos covered both arms and he had a gold ring in his left nipple. His look was as menacing as Steph’s and his hands were huge.

“Dillon what do you think of Miss Stewart? She’s our budding graduate student here to study us.” Steph turned her sideways on the bar, arranging her legs hip width apart and bent at the knees, and leaned her back on her elbows.

“Very nice,” Dillon answered. “May I touch her?”

Welcome Lisa Darling

2011-06-10T04:00:00.001-04:00

Please tell us about your current writing project.

Currently, I'm working on "Child of War" the sequel to "The Heart of War". I planned on three books in total for the 'Of War' series. "Child of War" is due to be released December 31, 2011. Ares and Alena are about to welcome their son Raven into the world but I have a feeling he's going to be quite the handful. Several interesting things regarding the rocky history of the Olympians and the Celts will be revealed.

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

My family tries to give me the time and space I need to write, they're very understanding and supportive. I don't belong to many formal groups and the ones I do belong to are loose and a lot of fun. I put all of my stories online in rough draft format free of charge just as they come out of my head and my friends/readers give me a lot of feedback on them.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Knowing I've gotten something 'wrong' somewhere along the line, being stuck, and having to go back and find it. Sometimes whatever 'it' is really doesn't belong and I have to take it out or I mull it over to see how 'it' is going to fit down the line. Usually 'it' will fit down the line I just didn't understand what the Muse was getting at when I was writing 'it'.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

I try to sit down and write every day after work from 1:30 to 4:30 or so. That's usually when the house is quietest and I have the time. After that, it's time to make dinner, do the laundry, the dishes, sit with my husband and catch up on our day. The weekends are a different story, I try to set aside either Saturday or Sunday just for writing.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

I have a favorite DVD collection that I tend to watch and every night the Muse and I get together in the bathtub to discuss whatever we did that day, if it's ok or not, where we're going, how we're getting there and what we'd like to see happen.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

There are many authors that I enjoy but they don't call Stephen King "The Master" for nothing, he's my idol. I just adore him. My favorite book is "The Stand".

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

I wrote a series of stories for the 'House, MD' fandom some time ago and I really enjoyed writing it. It was very different for me story wise. I usually do things very big with a lot of sex and with that I had to keep it low key to stay within the confines of the fandom and the board I happened to be posting it on. There's no real sex anywhere in the three stories. It's just a sweet and sometimes dark, little series about Greg House and his sister Hannah Rice (my original character). Hannah had many physical and mental challenges but with all the obstacles she had to overcome she never lost hope. I think of all the stories I've written (30+ shorts and 11 novels) Hannah Rice is my favorite heroine. Ares will always and forever be my favorite (reluctant) hero.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

Once I wrote a short story called "The Limikkin", it started out as a writing assignment in which the object was to write the story as if it's happening RIGHT NOW. No past tense…at all. It was very challenging from that respect because it's natural to want to write something like; "she walked over to the table and put down the vase as she sighed." but it had to be something more like "walking over to the table and placing the vase upon it she lets out a sigh."

The most fun was probably "Dream Weaver". It's extremely auto-biographical in a lot of respects and I just went wild writing it. It was at a time in my life when I was sick and tired of something and decided to leave it all behind but in a very big way.

The easiest to write, so far, was "The Heart of War". Ares just takes center stage and I type whatever he wants. Can you blame me? He's just so damn gorgeous how could I possibly say 'no' to him?

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

Usually a character comes to the fore of my mind and quietly whispers they have something they'd like to say. Then the story starts to form and we sit down to write.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

I love conflict and drama in a relationship. Love is nothing if it's never fully tested to see if it stands up. I don't like anything overly sweet or mooshy.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

While the Muse and I bicker, argue, and one-up each other all of the time…he is definitely the one in control. In the end, no matter what I do, how I fight or dig in my heels, he wins.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Hopefully I'd be more focused on my photography. I love taking pictures and showing my little corner of the world to people. Old abandoned buildings always call to me and I can never resist going into them in spite of the 'No Trespassing' signs. I also like to photograph lighthouses, the shore, and the flowers in my yard.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Don't let anyone get you down or get in your way. If this is what you really want to do just keep going down your own merry little road doing your own thing in your own way. Stay true to the story you're writing and to yourself. Don't try to fit into somebody else's mold it just isn't worth it.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

I'd like to see "The Heart of War" made into a movie I think it would transcribe well to the Silver Screen. I'd like to see Kevin Smith play 'Ares' but we all know that isn't possible so Hollywood would have to do its best to find someone who could fill the role as well. As for 'Alena' I'd like to see Diane Lane in the role. Brad Pitt would make a good 'Apollo' and Karl Urban could come in to reprise his role as 'Eros'. Oh my! What a big budget, huh? LOL

Fill in the blank favorites–
Dessert—anything chocolate
City—my hometown's pretty cool
Season—Autumn
Type of hero—alpha male
Type of heroine—sweet but ballsy when she needs to be

I'll be 45 in October and I've been married to my wonderful husband, Roy, the last 25 years. We have two daughters (25 and 19). When not at my computer writing I'm a legal secretary and a photographer. I love to photograph motorcycles and bikers as well as old abandoned places. In the nice weather I attempt to garden. I'm not always successful but I do give it a good try.

Currently I have three stories with a fourth due out in December, 2011
Dream Weaver—a contemporary romance/suspense/thriller novel
The Heart of War—a dark erotic paranormal romance novel (not for the faint of heart or those who like sticky-sweet stories)
The Limikkin—a short erotic/horror story and a little different take on the old werewolf theme
Child of War—the sequel to The Heart of War is due out December 31, 2011

"Please just take me off of this island." Maggie begged. "He'll find me here. When he does, you will be in the middle of it, you, and all of your people here. Just take me anywhere I can get on a plane or a train or a boat and…"

"Disappear." Ares finished for her. "That's why you were in Africa, at a refugee camp; you were hiding from him there. How long have you been running from him? Why? If this is your fate, why deny it?"

"Because I don't want it!" Maggie cried in a shrill voice. "This is my life, my fate is my own."

"Is it? Hmmm." Ares mused and began walking once more; he reached down and looped her hand through his arm. "I wouldn't want you wandering off in the dark and getting lost. Should Cernunnos come here looking for you, I will see what I can do for you. I protect all who live on my island. It appears that would now include you."

"What you can do?" Maggie said in almost a mocking tone. "What are you going to do, Ares? What choice will you have but to give me over to him before he lays waste to this island and your people? I have run a long time and he has chased me. If he ever finds me, Zeus himself won't be able to stand in the way."

Ares pursed his full lips and drew in a deep breath through his nostrils, letting it out he proclaimed, "A challenge, I like it. I haven't had one of those in a while, not one worth anything anyway." However, Ares was more concerned with his own kin and what the Olympians would do when they discovered she was here than he was with Cernunnos. Alena was right about one thing, those of his kind did tend to keep a silent eye on each other, and it would not take Zeus or Hera long to find out that Alena was here. They would be very interested in the Fey; they might even demand he turn her over to them. This information Ares decided to keep to himself for the time being.

Web: http://www.moonsmusings.com/lbdarling
Blog: http://lbdarling.wordpress.com/
Email: lisabethdarling@gmail.com
Publisher: Moon Mistress Publishing http://www.moonsmusings.com/

Purchase links:
Amazon.com-- http://www.amazon.com/Heart-War-Lisa-Beth-Darling/dp/0615424686/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293629750&sr=1-4
Kindle--http://www.amazon.com/The-Heart-of-War-ebook/dp/B004DCB3CA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1299078563&sr=1-1
Nook--http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Heart-of-War/Lisa-Beth-Darling/e/2940011870002/?itm=4

A Taste of True Identity

2011-06-09T04:00:00.000-04:00

You have to leave the city of your comfort…

Jillian Stewart was as straight laced as they came. Or was she? After one man tearing her down to her very foundation, she’s set out on a path of self-discovery. Pursuing a Master’s degree in sociology, Jill’s determined to wrap her mind around the complexities of the BDSM world. Getting into a good doctorate program won’t be easy so she’s pulling out all the stops. After disregarding her professor’s warning against subjecting herself to the lifestyle, Jill finds she’s drawn to her tutor. But this isn’t her world. Is it?

and go into the wilderness of your intuition…

A career Marine Corps officer, Stephan Sachelles has always chosen to keep his lifestyle choices to himself. He avoids the underground house parties on the base to frequent a club miles from home in an effort to protect his privacy. Steph’s been a Master at Steele Image for years and he's enjoyed the company of many of the subs there with no intention of ever settling on just one. How would he make that work…it wasn’t like he could convert his base house into the dungeon of his dreams. Then Jill walks through the door. Steph’s intuition tells him there’s wild abandon inside her fighting for a chance at life. In the depths of her eyes, far behind the over analysis of everything she encounters, Steph sees the heart of a true submissive. But the resistance Jill puts up is driving Steph crazy. While she’s a good student, she just won't let go. Fighting his own internal battle, Steph finds he wants nothing more than to be the only Master to help her find her true identity.

Excerpt:
“Where the hell are we going?” Jill asked sharply, fighting Steph’s grip and trying to pull free every step of the way. When Steph didn’t answer, she started to fear he might be on his way to toss her back out of the club on her ass. As determined as she had been an hour ago to get the hell out of here, she now knew she wasn’t quite done with her little field trip, and in the back of her mind she knew wanting to stay had nothing to do with her damn thesis. “You’re not kicking me out are you?” she gasped as they neared the narrow hallway leading back out to the bar area.

“No, I’m not.” Steph didn’t look at her and didn’t slow down. “But if you intend to stay, you’re going to learn to play by the rules that I give you and not continually mouth off. I realize you obviously can’t contain your curiosity, you get so wound up in picking things apart you forget who you’re talking to, but that’s no excuse for rude, and honey, I’m going to satisfy part of that curiosity right now.”

When Jill realized they were back at the spanking bench, icy fingers of dread clutched her heart and it sped up three-fold hammering her ribcage. He did not intend to spank her. No, a voice screamed in her head, while another one niggled its way in and whispered, yes. Oh God, what was she supposed to do? She didn’t even have one of those safe words she’d read about. Would he even listen to her if she did and used it?

Steph unlatched the red velvet rope behind which the bench and several scary looking paddles and straps of all sorts hung. He stepped through and pulled Jill in behind him refastening the barrier as a few other people started to collect. He was not only going to spank her, but other people were going to watch. Jill’s throat constricted and tears of regret at not being able to do one simple thing, be nice not rude, welled up in her eyes.

“What are the tears about already?” Steph asked, pulling her to the side of the bench. “We’re not even started.”

“I’m sorry, Master Steph,” Jill whispered. “I won’t do it again, Sir.” She glanced around at the people collected and mixed emotions swept over her. First she wanted to die and fall in a hole then she wanted to pull her panties down herself and give her ass willingly to Steph. Damn it! She wasn’t supposed to feel this way. Not here, not now.

“I’ve been watching you very closely, Jill,” Steph said in a less hardened voice. “I know you want more than to just watch. I also know you have limits. I’m quite certain spanking isn’t one of them. Is it?”

Jill shook her head like a puppet being mastered by a string.

“We’ll have a much more in depth discussion of those limits later, as long as you agree right now this isn’t on that list.” Steph waited a few seconds before prompting her. “Jill, answer me.”

“Spanking is not on the list, Sir.” Jill swallowed hard and forced out a few more words. “Please don’t make me take off my shirt.” Her voice audibly shook. The memory of Master Kyle’s fingers gliding over what lay beneath it swamped Jill. If Steph made her take off her shirt in here, in front of all these people, two Xanax wouldn’t enough to bring her back to Earth.

“I won’t,” Steph assured her, running his hands up and down her arms. “Now bend over and put your hands on the bench shoulder width apart. I won’t restrain you this time.”

Jill did what Steph commanded. Once she was bent over, he ran a knee between her thighs and forced them hip distance apart. For a moment he was gone and even though the room was filled with chatter and music, Jill heard the silence his absence caused buzzing in her ears. Then he was bent over with his hand on her shoulder and his face so close to hers she could feel his breath whispering across her throat.

“Look at me, Jill,” he said firmly. “This is important.”

Not wanting him to read her eyes again and see that she had figured out that she not only wanted a spanking but needed it, and from him, Jill stalled.

“Jill. Look. At. Me.”

Jill turned her head and was immediately lost in his eyes. They held her prisoner in that moment and she was quite sure she’d have let him do almost anything to her.

“Do you know what a safe word is?” Steph asked her.

“Yes, Sir.” A voice came out of Jill but she was certain it wasn’t her own. It was some slut’s voice from the past.

“Have you ever had one before?”

“No, Sir,” she squeaked.

“Jill, you’re safe word is red for the rest of the night. If you’re in too much pain physically or emotionally at any time, use it and I’ll stop. Do you understand?” Steph’s eyes never left hers.

“Yes, I understand, Sir.” Jill’s hands nearly slipped off the bench they were so damp with cold sweat.

“Does what I’m about to do trigger that physical danger fear?” Steph asked, running his fingers along her throat.

“No, Sir.” Jill didn’t even hesitate. For some reason, she didn’t feel threatened and she was pretty certain Steph already knew that before he asked. Damn him.

“What’s your safe word?”

“Red, Sir.”

“Good girl.”

Jill squeezed her eyes shut as Steph flipped the end of her skirt up her back and slid her emerald green thong over her hips and down her thighs to hang suspended between her ankles. Great. Now everyone behind them could see her fat ass. That knowledge was worse than knowing Steph would soon spank her. His palms ran over her ass checks and up her spine, then back again, the circles he traced getting smaller and smaller until he caressed only the center most part of her backside as of defining his territory. Just as Jill was caught in the lull of his feather light touch, his hands left her and one of them came down across her right cheek with a resounding pop. Jill surprised herself by staying rigid. The first swat was only a tap for as loud as it was. Steph ran his fingertips over the offended flesh for a few seconds then came down on her other cheek a bit harder.

Nothing. There was no fiery heat pooling anywhere, no electricity licking her insides…Pop! Steph slapped her on the first cheek once more and Jill surged forward. That one hurt and she bit back a grunt. It was then that Steph fell into a pattern. He would strike one cheek soothe it with a gentle stroke then assault the other cheek and repeat, all the while the heaviness of the swats getting more intense until Jill’s ass seared and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. And there was the heat. The blessed heat of arousal settled between her legs and her pussy throbbed and clenched. Steph continued the punishment until Jill was gasping and a steady stream of relief ran down her face, across her lips and down her chin to fall to the floor beneath her head with a sad plop. She hadn’t imagined it. It was quite possible for her to be turned on by pain, and quite real.
Then the spanking ceased. A solitary finger ran down the seam of Jill’s pussy and across her clit then Steph pulled away from her completely. Jill tilted her head to find him once again bent over staring at her. The finger that he’d run over her was under her nose glistening.

“You can’t possibly lie to me anymore, Jill. At least not about this,” Steph told her softly.

Steph smiled at her then slipped his forefinger between his lips and sucked her muskiness from it. Jill’s pussy palpitated with need.

Said Claudia Rhyes at Manic Readers about Identity Crisis, book one of the Identity series:

“Identity Crisis is a hot and fun read. I was a little confused at the beginning and how it started out, but the author cleared it up quickly. This is the first story I have read by this author and I am eager to read more. I loved the detail and description, especially when it came to the main characters and what they wanted. The author painted a tale of a rich, spoiled man who finds want he really wants at an unexpected place. I love the fire that Tori has inside of her. Again, the detail, conflict, and overall romance of the story gave you just enough without going overboard. There are also naughty little treats hidden within this tale that will make you need a cool glass of water and a fan.”

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

Welcome Paula Martin

2011-06-02T04:00:00.001-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.

I’ve always lived in North West England and I have two daughters and two grandsons.
I taught history in High Schools for 25 years, and I’ve also been very involved with Girl Guides. My other interest has been the local Musical Theatre group – backstage with wardrobe, props and as general stage crew. I also directed the junior group in two productions each year for about 10 years.
I had 4 romance novels published in the 1960’s and 1970’s by Mills and Boon/Harlequin, but then had a long break from fiction writing because of family and career demands, and came back to writing contemporary romance about four years ago.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

My ‘work in progress’ has the working title of ‘A Nile Romance’. It was inspired by a trip to Egypt last October when I went on a Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan and visited many amazing ancient sites. It’s about a cruise ship tour guide and an archaeologist working in the famous Valley of the Kings. Their blossoming romance is threatened by old feuds about which neither of them was aware (hmm, and neither was I when I first started to write it on the sun deck of the cruise ship).

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

I have two excellent critique partners who are totally honest with me which is I don’t want just positive feedback with a few ‘nice’ comments, although a comment of ‘Great, this really worked well’ does wonders for my confidence. But at the same time, I want a genuine opinion and, if necessary, hard-hitting comments from my critique partners, which they both give me. I learn from them and, in return, I try to help them.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

I think that’s my own urge to revise, tweak, revise and tweak again! I get frustrated by own inability to ‘let go’ sometimes!

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

That’s an interesting question! Now that I’m retired, I could write during the daytime on many days. But somehow my brain is geared up to writing in the evenings. Maybe it’s a throwback to when I was working full-time, and the evening, once my kids were in bed, was ‘my’ time to write. And maybe it’s also because I’ve always been a night-owl. I don’t do mornings! My work colleagues used to say ‘Don’t ask Paula anything before 10 a.m. if you want a sensible answer.’ My brain works better in the evenings (that’s my excuse, anyway!).

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Go out for a pub lunch with friend(s) and put the world to rights while we enjoy what we Brits call pub-grub.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

My favorite book is ‘The Sunne in Splendour’ by Sharon Penman. For me, it’s THE definitive historical novel about Richard III and the Wars of the Roses. It’s also the reason why, despite being an historian by profession, I’m reluctant to write an historical novel or romance. Sharon’s research is so meticulous that I could never hope to emulate that, so the historian in me would never be satisfied.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

My favorite is usually the one I’m working on at any time. I fall in love with my hero, and then proceed to fall in love with the next hero. So fickle! But I think Kyle Drummond in ‘His Leading Lady’ has held on to part of my heart. He’s strong, charismatic, maybe a shade arrogant, but behind the exterior is a caring and compassionate man.

I empathise with all my heroines, but especially with Abbey Seton in ‘Fragrance of Violets’ who finds it hard to forgive those who have hurt her but who gradually learns the meaning of forgiveness.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

Easiest – probably ‘His Leading Lady’ – loved, really loved, writing story and somehow it all came together relatively easily.

Hardest – not a book (yet!) but a story I’m still working on. I know it has the basics of a good story but it’s still giving me headaches while I try to work out the heroine’s motives.

The most fun? I think that has to be ‘Fragrance of Violets’. It’s set mainly in the English Lake District which I know and love. While I was writing it, I revisited the village where I set the story, and really enjoyed imagining my characters walking through the narrow streets there.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

It’s usually the characters, together with a very basic ‘scenario’. These things then tend to dictate the setting. Even with ‘A Nile Romance’, the characters came first when I visualized the hero vaulting the rails from one cruise ship to another which was moored alongside.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

A hero with whom you can fall in love, a heroine with whom you empathize and realistic conflicts which keep them apart but which they eventually overcome to reach their well-earned ‘happy ever after’ ending.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

A bit of both. Sometimes I’m in control, other times they can do or say things which surprise me. Actually, I love the times when they surprise me. I also love the times when I realise they’ve kept something hidden from me until I discover it.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Wondering what was missing from my life. I’ve always been a writer, from being about 8 or 9 so it’s an integral part of me.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Don’t be disheartened by rejections. Remember, J.K. Rowling had 20+ rejections before Harry Potter was eventually accepted. The key is to persevere.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

Being a fan of the 1996 BBC production of ‘Pride and Prejudice’, I’d like Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle (as they were back then i.e. 15 years younger than they are now) to play Kyle and Jess in ‘His Leading Lady’.

Fill in the blank favorites –

Dessert: Sticky Toffee Pudding with custard – mmm, yummy

City: Ooh, which to choose? Berlin because I love the evidence of so many different eras of its history? Paris because it’s so beautiful – and romantic too? New York because it’s so alive and vibrant? Cairo because it has so many contrasts? Maybe Berlin wins, but there are many other cities I love too.

Season: Definitely spring. Daffodils are my favorite flower because they’re the sign that winter is over.

Type of hero: The kind I call alpha minus/beta plus, who combines the best of both and loses the worst – the strong, charismatic alpha combined with the sensitive and caring beta.

Type of heroine: Strong, self-possessed and independent – no weak clinging vines who ‘need’ a man to feel complete, thank you!

Upcoming works:

‘His Leading Lady’ to be released in June by Whiskey Creek Press (http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com)
‘Fragrance of Violets’ to be published by Whiskey Creek Press early next year.

Jess Harper’s predictable life is turned upside down when she discovers that Lora, her twin sister, has disappeared. It’s just a week before rehearsals are due to start for a new West End musical in which Lora has the lead role. Jess decides to pose as her sister in order to save Lora's career. This brings her into close contact with arrogant theatre director Kyle Drummond. Attraction sparks between them but there’s also evidence that he had been dating Lora. So is Jess simply a substitute – in real life as well as in the show? And what will happen when Lora eventually returns?

Excerpt:
(Jess is posing as her sister, and she and Kyle have returned to Lora’s apartment after having dinner, the night before they are due to do a TV interview together)

He followed her across the landing and her nerves fluttered like a bird caught in a net. Her hand shook as she started to put the key in the lock, then Kyle’s hand on her arm stopped her. “I’ll pick you up at nine thirty tomorrow,” he said.

She looked at him, genuinely taken aback. “But – but aren’t you coming in?”

The instant she said it, she could have kicked herself. Amusement flashed across his face. “What man could resist such an invitation?” he said with a quick grin. “But no, tonight I really must resist. You need a good night’s sleep and I –” He stopped and gave a half-laugh. “Well, let’s just say that I have a few things to sort out before tomorrow. I’ll see you at nine thirty.”

Jess knew the feeling sweeping through her should be one of relief, knew she should say a casual goodnight to him and open the apartment door. But the look in his eyes sent waves of heat rising inside her. She couldn’t move, even when he put his hands on her arms and started to lower his head. A warning bell shrilled in her head but by then Kyle’s mouth was against hers and it was too late.

His mouth was soft at first but the feel of it, so warm and tantalising, sent her head into a spin. A small gasp escaped from her lips and parted them slightly. Kyle’s arms went round her, and he pulled her firmly against him. His lips hardened and his tongue slid into her mouth.

She’d been kissed passionately before but nothing had prepared her for Kyle’s kiss. His mouth took possession of her in a seductive demand for surrender. As his tongue gently fondled hers, sensations that she had never known before scorched through her, ignited every nerve and melted every bone. She gripped his shoulders, her head went back and involuntarily she arched towards him, thrilling exquisitely to the feel of his hard body against hers. The surrender he demanded was complete as she responded with the same fervour, wanting more, still more.

When he released her, her breathing was ragged and she looked up at him, dazed and disorientated.

For a couple of seconds, Kyle looked just as stunned. Then he took a deep breath and gave her a wry grin. “You certainly know how to make a man regret his decision!” He cupped her chin with his hand and even that burned through her and then gave her a tender smile. “I’d better go, otherwise I never will. Goodnight, beautiful lady. Sleep well. And don’t worry about tomorrow. You’ll do just fine.”

His lips brushed her mouth again in a brief parting kiss and then he turned to the lift. The doors were still open and Jess watched as he went in and pressed the ground floor button. Still totally numb, she raised her hand slightly. Kyle smiled and tilted his head in farewell.

Only when she was staring at the lift doors did she finally move. The key was still in the lock and she let herself into the apartment. She closed the door behind her, then caught sight of herself in the hallway mirror. Her face was flushed and her blue eyes stared back at her wildly.

“Oh God,” she whispered as she brought both her hands up to her cheeks. For a few moments she couldn’t think straight. All she could feel was Kyle’s mouth, his tongue, his whole body. A quiver ran down to somewhere deep inside her.

In the next moment her eyes widened with horror. How could she have let him kiss her like that?
She looked at herself again in the mirror and tried to calm her thudding heart. Lora’s clothes, Lora’s make-up, Lora’s hairstyle. Of course, he’d thought that he was kissing Lora, not her. And she’d responded as Lora. Hadn’t she?

So that was some damn good play-acting, Jess. Except that it didn’t explain her own response. Not just the way she’d responded to his kiss, but all those other feelings that she didn’t even want to think about.
Relief, she told herself firmly. All evening she’d been worrying about how the evening was going to end, and when he’d said that he wasn’t coming in, it was simply relief that swept through her Wasn’t it?

Underneath, she knew there had been far more than that, but already her mind frantically tried to deny what had happened to her emotions and to her body too. Instead, she diverted her thoughts to the TV interview. Once she got through that, this whole charade would be over. She could go back to Ashfield and forget that Kyle Drummond even existed.

Contact Information:
Website: http://paulamartinromances.webs.com/
Personal Blog: http://paulamartinpotpourri.blogspot.com/
Writers Blog (with 4 other writers): http://heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamartinromances
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulaRomances

The Wicked Muses' Six

2011-05-29T01:00:00.000-04:00

From Between 3 by JL Oiler:

Pulling the thin tank up and over her head, Celeste tossed it to the corner and continued to slide both hands along the curves of her breast teasingly. Licking her lips, she crossed the space that separated them and straddled Craig’s lap. Lifting his shirt up and off, she tossed it into the corner with her own. She enjoyed touching him, watching his muscles ripple as a result of the attention she showed him.

Craig slid his hands across her waist then up to massage her full breasts as she twisted and motioned with a finger for Justin to join them. He moved up behind her, sliding his body tight to her back.

When Celeste Drain attempted to make a break from an abusive relationship, she never dreamed she'd fall into an erotic ménage with two extremely hot strangers. Their one-night stand was the beginning of her new life, a life of self-reliance and inner strength. Now six months later, Celeste has a steady job at the same bar where she met her lovers, a home, and she's building a new existence.

Justin and Craig are part of the guard force known as the Keepers, men charged with protecting the human topside world from the violent monsters that live behind one of the gates to hell deep beneath Death Valley. Given little time topside to relax, Justin and Craig stumble into a one-night stand with a beautiful woman who challenges them not only physically, but also with her quick wit and intelligence. When a large breakout at the gate allows a group of vile Adze to escape to the topside world, Justin and Craig are mortified to discover the woman they thought was just a one-night stand may be a whole lot more and worse, she's smack dab in the middle of what might just become hell on earth.

You can purchase Between 3 at:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

From Burn Me Once, coming fall 2011 from BethAnn Buehler...

Completely spent, Grier fell into the woman he adored but didn't give himself a moment to rest. His only focus was Abigail. He had to help her. Carrying her up the stairs, Grier placed Abigail on the bed in a room he guessed was hers and noticed the small tray sitting on the bedside table. While she hadn't responded to him when he moved her, Grier tried not to panic. Although he'd made love to her with every piece of his heart, Grier knew this first time was truly more an exorcism than a romantic romp between the sheets.

From A Slower, Lower Life by Lila Munro:

“I’m not your average guy, Deidre Maloney,” Kurt said, speaking quietly near her ear. “I respect women. Their total being is sacred and beautiful to me and according to my grandmother, when the right one surfaces, I’ll know it. Believe me, when that happens, I intend to fully disclose that information to whomever she is with words as well as deeds.”
Deidre’s breath stopped and she swallowed hard attempting to dislodge the choking knot in her throat. Whomever the right one was, Deidre felt certain she was in for a real treat when this disclosure took place.

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

From Zach's Story an unedited WIP by Christopher Craven:

Springtime in Indianapolis was just like any other season. Rain poured endlessly from what appeared to be heavy puffs of black cotton and the streets drowned in mother nature’s rage. Looking out the window was an easy task for Zachary Dillinger-- how he’d ponder about his life and the many gifts that God had given him. His life was certainly in abundance of everything everyone would have hoped for him, but nobody could quite convince him to believe that for himself. Especially not in his house full of relatives and strangers wearing black, or while hoisting a toddler at his waist on the day of his partners funeral.

Welcome C.L. Kraemer

2011-05-23T04:00:00.000-04:00

C. L. Kraemer is a traveler, a way of life started when her father served in the US Marine Corp. She’s carried on the traditional seeing most of the continental United States as well as Hawaii and Alaska. She hopes to experience the world but is content to stay close to her family in the Northwest in Oregon—for the moment.

Current/upcoming works:
Just released-Dragons Among the Eagles
upcoming – Shattered Tomorrows- October 2011
Joker’s Wild – December 2011
Dragons Among the Ice – January 2012

Short excerpt from Dragons Among the Eagles:

Cinder, short for Cinderella, Simmons paced the floor.

“Come on, come on! Answer your phone!”

She threw her cell across the room to the divan.

“Ahhh! She’s been home for two days and hasn’t called me. Something is wrong!”

Throwing common sense to the wind, Cinder jumped in her car and sped through early morning Portland traffic to her friend, Aleda Sable’s, house. It wasn’t like Aleda not to call the minute she returned from a vacation and fill Cinder in on all the happenings. The most important question was, had Allie finally met a man?

At Aleda’s driveway, Cinder hopped out of her car. Running up the steps, she tried the handle of the front door. It was locked.

Cinder frowned. “Mistake, girlfriend. I know where you hide the key.”

She skipped down the steps and made her way to the side of the house, counting the stones lining the flowerbed. Lifting up the tenth rock, she was knocked back when the spare key wasn’t in place.
Running back to the front, Cinder pounded on the wooden entry, yelling. About the time she was pulling out her cell phone to call the police, the door opened an inch.

“What the heck is going on here?” Aleda’s hair stood in fifteen different directions, her eyes were half shut and she looked very unhappy.

“Oh, thank goodness! I was worried something had happened.” Cinder pushed past the groggy Aleda and flopped on the couch. “Do you know the key is missing from the rock?”

“Yes. I brought it inside so I could get some rest.”

“Oh?” Cinder sat forward on the seat. “Spill.”

Aleda shut the door. “Not until I’ve brushed my teeth and made some coffee. I can’t function without coffee.”

Cinder huffed a breath through her lips. “Make it snappy, girlfriend. You’ve a lot of sharing to do."

~ * ~

Aleda’s best friend, Cinder, was almost as tenacious as Warren her boss. How did she get these people in her life? Completing her bathroom routine, she changed into jeans and an Oxford-styled, button down, long sleeve shirt. Brown slip-ons kept her feet from being too cold as she went to the kitchen to create the fluid that would give her life--coffee, espresso, to be exact.

When both girls had settled in and sat cradling their cups, Aleda looked at Cinder.
“Why in the heck are you here? Shouldn’t you be working?”

“Oh, puleese! How do you think I could possibly work after you’ve just come home from ten days away? I want details, girlfriend, juicy-don’t-miss-a-single-thing details. Did you meet a man? Is he handsome? When do I get to meet him? Give.”

A small smile touched the corner of Aleda’s mouth. She could truthfully tell her best friend she’d not met a man.

“Sorry, Cinder, no man.”

“I don’t believe you.” The young café colored woman narrowed brown eyes at Aleda. “I think you met someone and you’re trying to hide him from me.”

If you only knew how true your statement was, you’d have a coronary.

Aleda sipped the bitter nectar from her cup. “Why would I lie to you? You’ll just hound me until I tell you every detail of my trip, making life miserable should I decide to keep any small smidgen of the story to myself.”

A smug expression stole over Cinder’s face. “You know me well.”

“Yeah, since grade school, Miss Thing. You’ll just have to trust my word I didn’t meet a man. I was clear up in some forsaken valley in who-knows-where-North China because Warren received a tip there were dragons sighted.”

Cinder dropped her feet to the floor. “Dragons! Has he absolutely lost his mind this time?”

Aleda shrugged her shoulders. “Heck, he paid for the trip. I saw part of the world where very few people have traveled.”

“Well, duh! It’s the middle of nowhere, Allie. Why can’t he send you to Hawaii to investigate the goddess Péle or the Caribbean to check out zombies? Why Northern China?”

Cinder shivered all over. Heading to the kitchen, she tossed over her shoulder. “More espresso?”

“Yeah. I have to put my notes together and come up with another story to send to the paper.”

Cinder emerged from the kitchen with the small coffee container in her hand and a mischievous grin covering her face.

“I have the most delicious idea.”

Aleda held her cup still as Cinder filled it with black liquid inspiration.

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“Let me help you write your story.” Cinder’s espresso-colored eyes twinkled wickedly.

Aleda rolled her orbs skyward.

“This could get me in deep trouble.”

“Or you could win a Pulitzer. Who knows?”

“Who knows indeed?”

Contact Information:
http://www.clkraemer.com/
clkraemer1@gmail.com
http://www.roguephoenixpress.blogspot.com/
www.RoguesAngels.blogspot.com/Sableangel
http://www.dragons,faeriesandothercreatures.blogspot.com/

Purchase links:
www.RoguePhoenixPress.com/clkraemer
www.Wingsepress.com/clkraemer

Wicked Muses Present their Six Sentences...

2011-05-22T04:00:00.000-04:00

From Force Recon: Beacon Bayou--BethAnn Buehler

“Hey babe.” The quiet voice that whispered into the receiver made Brogan’s heart sink to his feet. Kate. “I was just thinking about you and wanted to make sure that you’re safe.”

“I’m fine.” Brogan huffed. Or at least I was until you called.

“I didn’t ask if you were fine, I asked if you were safe.” While Brogan knew it wasn’t a new record, the conversation certainly made the top five list for words spoken before Kate turned into a controlling bitch.

“We’ve been over this, Kate. Just because I'm stateside again doesn't mean we're back on. If I’m not mistaken, I think I told you when you called the last time that we’re done.” Half wanting to hang up altogether and half wanting to throw his phone into the baby blue waters of the Galveston bay, Brogan sat captive on a busy stretch of highway, staring at the water and listened as his ex-girlfriend whined in his ear.

Looking for a splendid place to visit? Welcome to Beacon Bayou! Come wander Big Thicket National Preserve... For one four man Marine Force Recon team, a vacation was just what the doctor ordered. Or in their case, the team corpsman.

Fresh off a mission in the jungle of South America, rest and relaxation are Recon's number one priorities. But for Gunnery Sergeant Brogan Baker, Sergeant Aaron Wolf, Corporal Regan Maxwell, and Chief Gabriel Sanchez, this vacation will test their strength unlike any mission ever has.

After a string of failed relationships, Brogan Baker is questioning his sexuality. Surely Regan Maxwell can't be the answer to Brogan's problems, can he? Besides, Regan’s a former Hollywood pretty boy just trying to prove he has what it takes while keeping one foot firmly planted in the closet. Then Kelli comes along. Can the two men foster their growing relationship and survive the presence of one tiny female?

Aaron Wolf, the unit lost sheep, agreed to the Texas get away thinking he could finally overcome the short comings his father points out every chance he gets. Meeting Scarlet might be the way out Aaron's been looking for, but it’s the beauty Gabe's got his eye on that shows Aaron there’s hope where he thought none existed. After losing his first wife over fifteen years ago, Gabriel Sanchez has sworn off women. But somehow Roslyn Romero manages to capture his heart. The only problem is she's got a host of her own issues that will push Gabe to the brink.

If that which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, then the Force Recon team will either leave Texas in body bags or they'll have a new found resolve to live life to the fullest. Beacon Bayou beware. Recon never backs down.

Purchase at: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-forcereconbeaconbayou-517214-145.html

From A Slower, Lower Life by Lila Munro

“You okay?” he asked, pushing a wet strand of hair off her forehead.

“Yeah. I’m good,” she sighed and turned on her back, looking up at him. “I thought you said there hadn’t been many women.”

“There haven’t been,” Kurt answered, running his thumb along her bottom lip, wondering what her mouth would feel like wrapped around his dick.

“That wasn’t indicative of lack of experience,” Deidre told him seriously.

“Sweetheart, quantity is not always indicative of quality.”

When two worlds collide,

Being the oldest of eight has never been easy for Kurt Delaney, but the pressure he’s put on himself far exceeds anything anyone else inflicts on him. Known as the family stick in the mud, Kurt’s pushing forty and with the heirship to the family farm hanging in the balance, he finds his hopes of a married life with children swirling down the drain. Honor and family are everything to Kurt and a mate that doesn’t hold those same things as dear as he does is completely unacceptable.

Deidre Maloney is city born and bred. In the absence of her botanist parents, she was raised by a nanny and knows nothing of the love of a family or how being married works. Commitment isn’t a word in Deidre's vocabulary. Only concerned with finding a new job and having a fling, she embarks on a trip from Chicago to Seaford, Delaware to see her best friend Cait marry her high school sweetheart. Being attracted to a Delaney brother wasn’t on Deidre's carefully planned itinerary.

the aftermath is all that matters…

With so many differences between he and Deidre, Kurt can’t believe he’s let himself fall for such a woman. She’s looking for a prime rib guy and Kurt knows he’s just skirt steak. When they’re in close proximity, however, something undeniably amazing happens. How does he convince her that family isn’t something to fear and love doesn’t hurt? How does Kurt show Deidre that a slower, lower life is what she’s been looking for all along?

Purchase at: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-slowerlowerlife-548987-148.html

From Seeds of Oden: Blood Dance by JL Oiler

Releasing his wrist she slowly ran her tongue across her lips, removing the last traces of his blood from her mouth, a slow seductive smile across her face. She began to run her hands up his muscular chest feeling his body respond to her touch as she moved in to brush her lips gently across his. Kaden knew it was the heat of his blood that made her act as she was. He also knew he shouldn’t take advantage of the situation. But her touch and the overwhelming scent of her arousal had him hard. His pants felt as though they would burst at any moment and her need was now becoming his own.

Wicked Update From the Romance Front

2011-05-21T23:02:00.000-04:00

Today the muses spent a rousing day eating our asses off, decorating Lila's dungeon, book shopping in a favorite local haunt, and watching hot sweaty marines run down the beach. Heart palpitations much?

A Wicked Retreat

2011-05-19T21:53:00.000-04:00

As much as we're trying to behave ourselves on our four day mini-writers retreat that started this morning at 10:30 AM, Lyssa, Arje, Arwen and Bronwyn had ideas of their own at Adam and Eve this evening. Thanks to Lena and Rosemary for entertaining us, providing us with some very useful info that will make its way into our work at some point and for their wonderful photographers eye. Stay tuned for updates on our antics throughout the weekend.

BethAnn
JL
Lila

And the Saga Continues....

2011-05-17T06:08:00.000-04:00

When two worlds collide,

Being the oldest of eight has never been easy for Kurt Delaney, but the pressures he’s put on himself far exceed any anyone else inflicts on him. Known as the family stick in the mud, Kurt’s pushing forty and with the heirship to the family farm hanging in the balance, he finds his hopes of a married life and children swirling down the drain. Honor and family are everything to him and a mate that doesn’t hold those things as dear as he does is unacceptable.

Deidre Maloney is a city born and bred girl. In the absence of her botanist parents, she was raised by a nanny and knows nothing of a family’s love or how being married works. Commitment isn’t a word in her vocabulary. Only concerned with finding a new job and a fling, she embarks on a trip from Chicago to Seaford, Delaware to see her best friend Cait marry her high school sweetheart. Being attracted to a Delaney brother wasn’t on her carefully planned itinerary.

the aftermath is all that matters…

With so many differences between him and Deidre, Kurt can’t believe he’s let himself fall for her. She’s looking for a prime rib guy and he knows he’s just skirt steak. When they’re in close proximity, however, something undeniably amazing happens. How does he convince her that family isn’t something to fear and love doesn’t hurt? How does Kurt show Deidre that a slower, lower life is what she’s been looking for all along?

Please enjoy an excerpt:

Kurt wondered what the hell Deidre had been thinking booking a flight so early. Not only did he have to be on the road by six a.m., he’d make the outer loop just in time for Monday morning rush hour. Inconsiderate was the nicest word he could think of to call her under his breath as he climbed in his gold Ford F-250 with a cup of coffee in one hand. Cait was tickled pink that Deidre was within hours of arriving and had called him three times the previous day to remind him of her arrival time and flight number. On the third call, Bryce had taken the phone and sprang the rest of the joyous news on Kurt. It seemed Deidre didn’t want to impose on the soon to be newlyweds and was refusing to stay at their nice newly renovated big house on the river. Both sets of parents were full up with relatives flocking in, the beach houses were taken by still more relatives, and Deidre in all her infinite wisdom had failed to book a room in time and now every motel from Seaford to the beach was full with the holiday weekend coming up. Kurt lived in the two bedroom brick that had been his parents’ starter home, and guess who was now staying in the second bed. Great. Was there no end to this wedding day hell?

Two hours later, just as Kurt merged onto the 295, he was further annoyed when he hit a solid wall of commuters trying to get to work. Inconsiderate. Would a two hour delay have killed her? She hadn’t seen Cait in almost eight months and two more hours would have done her in? By the time he pulled into the parking garage at BWI, Kurt was ready to spit nails. He wondered how much it would take to bribe Kelly, the little gal that ran the local Ho-Jo, to rent out a broom closet for his guest. Snatching a ticket from the automated machine at the garage entrance, he glanced down at the clock in the dash. Nine. She was supposed to land at eight fifty-five. With any luck, they’d still be in a holding pattern and she’d never know he was late.

Finally after almost twenty minutes of circling, he located a spot big enough to accommodate his more than economy sized vehicle and parked, bailed out, and hurried into the terminal. Quickly scanning the incoming flights board he discovered that Southwest 665 had indeed landed on time, in fact, it had landed fifteen minutes early. Shit. Kurt walked as quickly as he dared without looking suspicious and getting stopped and frisked by security to baggage claim. Surely she’d be smart enough to stay there.

Kurt rounded the final corner to find the carousel area void of passengers. Not a single bag remained on the conveyor, not a single person waited to claim anything. Where the hell did she go? Okay, where would I go if I’d just landed and had already claimed my luggage? She’s a female, dumbass. The bathroom. Kurt turned on his heel and headed back toward the blue sign he’d seen hanging overhead indicating where the lavatories were. Standing just outside the ladies’ room, he waited a few minutes. If she was in there surely she’d have come back out by now. An elderly woman in a pair of green plaid golfing shorts and a white polo shirt with a pink ball cap on her gray head popped out of the swinging door nearly striking Kurt in the face he’d been standing so close.

“Oh, excuse me,” she said in a crackly voice. “You shouldn’t have been so close to the door.”

“Yes, ma’am, I realize that,” Kurt answered, touching the bill of his Soil Service cap with his fingertips. “Did you see a woman about this tall?” He held his hand to his chest. “With black hair and gray eyes in there? At least that’s what she looked like last time I saw her.”

“Well, she couldn’t have changed that much in, what? Ten minutes?” the old woman snapped and looked at Kurt like he’d sprouted a third eye.

“No, no. I’m picking her up. I haven’t seen her in a while…”

Before Kurt could finish his sentence, a woman that he was sure was Deidre came out of the restroom wearing a strapless white sundress that only fell to the middle of her thighs and was stretched so taut across her breasts her nipples strained against the fabric. And they were apparently uncomfortable with their hindrance. His eyes followed the lines of the fabric along the rest of her body and down her tan legs to find spike heel open toe white pumps on her feet. Ten tiny perfect toes with red tips peeked out. He scanned back up with his breath caught in his throat. Big, square framed black sunglasses hid her eyes so he couldn’t see the color, but that short black hair and big gold hoop earrings. That was Deidre.

“Deidre?” Kurt said, wiping his sweaty palms along his jeans. What was wrong with him? He’d seen her before. Of course that was last fall and she was covered up in a pair of chocolate corduroy pants and a burnt orange sweater, and a cream silk scarf had partially covered her head. It was funny to him that he actually remembered that. Now that he could actually see her. Wow. “Deidre is that you?”

The woman looked up and never so much as attempted a smile. It was then that he noticed she looked a bit pale and along with the carry on she held in her left hand she dragged three enormous suitcases stacked up behind her.

“My God, woman. You are just staying a few days right?” he asked, reaching around her and taking the telescopic handle she hung on to, relieving her of the melee of bags.

“Kurt? Long time no see.” Deidre tugged the purse handle on her shoulder a bit tighter and huffed. “You’re late.”

“Well, you should have thought of that possibility when you expected someone to get here before the chickens woke up. Do you know what traffic is like out there right now?” Kurt forgot the breathless feeling he’d experienced when he first looked at her.

“Of course I do. Did you forget I used to live here? I like to travel early and with some planning the traffic should never be a problem.” She fanned herself with one hand. “I’m ready to go.” With that she stomped off toward the double doors that would take them back to the parking garage in a quick march.

“I can understand why you haven’t seen her in a while,” the old woman said and laughed. “I wouldn’t want to either.”

This was going to be a treat, Kurt thought to himself. Not only was she a city girl, she thought her stuff didn’t stink. Did she think he was nothing more than her chauffer and concierge for the week? Well, she had another think coming. He watched her perfectly round butt swishing back and forth seductively and gave the heap of baggage a tug. How she managed to pull the mammoth mess as far as she had was beyond him. Before he made it ten feet past where he’d found her she disappeared out the doors. Taking his time, Kurt made his way through the terminal all the while muttering what he really thought about her behavior quietly and smiling at the other passers-by. He took a deep breath and went out the doors.

Purchase Link:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

Wicked Muses Presents Their Six Sentences

2011-05-15T04:00:00.000-04:00

Purchase any of the following at: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

From Boot Scootin’ Booty Call by Lila Munro:

“Aren’t you afraid someone might see us there?” Jack asked searching her eyes with a flicker of hunger swirling in his.

“No. In fact it turns me on the thought that they might,” Kayla tested the waters.

“I see. A bit of exhibitionism.” Jack tightened his grip on hair and tugged. “What else are you not afraid of, you little minx?”

“Getting what I need,” Kayla told him her throat constricted with desire.

“Just how deep does the bad girl in you run?” Jack growled.

“Pretty damn deep. Sir?” With that Kayla fell into her role. She’d hit pay dirt. The protective look of ownership in Jack’s eyes said it all.

It's not about living...

When Casey Owens runs away from Nevada bad boy Mark Whitlow, she's fleeing not only one of the most powerful families in the south, but the man who just happens to be the father of her newborn son. Tossing caution to the wind, Casey refuses to let her past get in the way of her future. Her only focus now is Tyler, the precious little boy her ex future in-laws consider "the bastard child." While the last thing Casey wants to do is start over, it's not about her anymore.

Jamie Wallace, Rebel Canyon's favorite cowboy, is sick of the bar scene. Who would imagine such a successful, good-natured hunk would have so much trouble getting a date? But when Jamie wanders off his ranch and takes one look at the helpless, waif of a woman he nearly kills with his truck, he wonders if the man upstairs has finally answered his prayers.

It's about love...

Jamie can't wait to explore every inch of Casey's body and he's just as intent on winning her heart as he is on undoing her zipper. There's just one catch. Jamie has no idea about Casey's past. Or the baby. And when he sees the scars that mark her body, he loses more than just his nerve in the bedroom. With unseen forces working against them, Casey's resolve will be tested by a man whose kind of love leaves bruises while Jamie's heart will been torn between bending Casey over the tailgate of his truck and changing dirty diapers.

Offering Casey nothing more than his heart, Jamie can only hope that one day Casey will grow to love him in return. But will she ever truly be free from the hold of another man?

From Between 3 by JL Oiler:

Celeste was uncertain how they moved from standing in the middle of the room to lying naked on the bed. Still, here they were, arms and legs tangled together as the men kissed and stroked her body. Justin was right about one thing, they definitely made her feel desired. Horny as hell was a better description. Her nipples and pussy throbbed so badly with need she actually hurt.

"Please," she managed breathlessly between Justin sucking one breast and Craig nibbling across the back of her neck and earlobe.

Boot Scootin' Booty Call Releases

2011-05-13T20:47:00.000-04:00

Meet Kayla Daniels, busy mom and student. Running on fumes and hungry for another’s touch, all she really wants is one night out. Wish granted. With her four children safely tucked away at grandma’s house, Kayla’s free to go on the prowl. Armed with a lethal length skirt, a pair of knee high leather boots and an abundance of sexual energy, Kayla’s determined to hunt down the one man that can see to her every perverted, submissive desire. Enter Jack. Tall, weathered, and definitely Dominant. He knows how to issue commands and just happens to carry a toy bag full of goodies. The only question is what happens when the night ends and the sun comes up?

Please enjoy an excerpt:

“Where would you like to go?” he rasped. “Your place? A hotel?”

“Neither,” Kayla answered opening her eyes to see his darkened with desire. “Outside.”

“Aren’t you afraid someone might see us there?” Jack asked searching her eyes with a flicker of hunger swirling in his.

“No. In fact it turns me on the thought that they might,” Kayla tested the waters.

“I see. A bit of exhibitionism.” Jack tightened his grip on hair and tugged. “What else are you not afraid of, you little minx?”

“Getting what I need,” Kayla told him her throat constricted with desire.

“Just how deep does the bad girl in you run?” Jack growled.

“Pretty damn deep. Sir?” With that Kayla fell into her role. She’d hit pay dirt. The protective look of ownership in Jack’s eyes said it all.

“That’s right, minx. Sir.” Jack’s free hand let go of her ass. His fingers skimmed the hem of her lethal length skirt then shot underneath the edge teasing the crease between her cheek and thigh. “Mmm. One sweet little ass, minx. My ass.” He tapped it with a sharp swat and Kayla thought she might melt right there. “I’m not the only one that noticed either.”

“I know, Sir,” she answered with her eyes averted. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I like for others to see how beautiful my woman is. Just so long as they do not touch.”

His woman. Kayla shuddered.

A wicked grin spread across Jack’s face as he unfurled his arms and took her hand in his. He led her from the floor, through the maze of tables, and out a side door. He paused and looked around. A midnight black Ford F-250 sat in the shadow of an oak tree at the back of the side lot. He headed in that direction Kayla’s heels keeping time with the sound of his boots thudding against the hard packed dirt.

Jack stopped short beside the back end of the truck and shoved Kayla into the cold metal, working his way between her legs, pushing into her. The rough material of his jeans teased her pulsing flesh further driving her need for fulfillment. He rested his hands above her on the side rail of the truck bed and descended on her lips, taking them under his, teasing, prying them apart and sending his tongue along hers.

He tasted of hops with a hint of the honeyed essence that was his alone. Moaning, Kayla gave over to his assault and ran her hands up his chest only to have him nip her bottom lip and take her wrists in one of his big hands.

“Did I tell you to touch me, minx?” Jack pulled the tiny handbag off her shoulder and tossed it over the side of the truck to land with a weak thump.

Disappointment and regret filled Kayla. She knew better but she needed to feel his skin, memorize its every ripple.

“No, Sir,” she whispered.

“Lace them behind your head,” Jack told her resuming the assault he’d started with his lips. When he moved from her mouth and found her throat, Kayla’s pulse raced.

“Do you have a safe word, minx?” he asked into her hair as he worked the buttons open on her shirt.

“Yes, Sir.”

“What is it?”

“Comet, Sir,” Kayla told him remembering the night she’d been given that word. The first time she’d submitted had been on a camping trip and there was a meteor shower. Just before her Dom had lashed her arms over her head to a low hanging branch beneath the fire storm in the sky, he’d provided her the word comet and she’d used it ever since.

“If anything we do becomes too much for you emotionally or physically, you may use Comet. If you’re overwhelmed but want to continue you may use yellow. I’ll slow down or change what we’re doing. Do you understand, Kayla?” Jack unsnapped the front of her bra setting her breasts free.

“Yes, I understand, Sir.”

“Good.” Jack set his hands over her breasts, palming them then taking her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. He twisted and pinched drawing a sharp gasp out of Kayla. He might as well have been twisting and pinching her clit because it was there that the burning pain settled driving her need. “Very pretty,” he told her after her nipples stood erect.

Purchase at:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bootscootinbootycall-547293-144.html

Welcome Editor, Sheri Knots

2011-05-11T04:00:00.000-04:00

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Rebel Ink Press' Senior Editor Sheri Knots. I hope you find her information and advice useful. Thanks, Sheri for allowing me your time and sharing with my readers!

Sheri Knotts is a business manager and math guru turned editor extraordinaire. An avid reader with a much needed critical eye, Sheri became an instant editor the minute one of her girlfriends begged her to read a very rough draft of a manuscript. Dozens of books later, Sheri's officially known as the timeline Queen. Sheri can be reached at submissions@rebelinkpress.com, Sheri Knotts subject line.

Have you always had an interest in books?
Yes!

Do you remember the first book you read?
The first book I remember vividly is Pet Cemetery by Stephen King.

Do you also write?
No way--I'm not that creative!

What is the most dreaded mistake a writer can make?
I'd have to say the biggest issue I see is that writers get so excited to finish their work that they don't go back and proof read it.

What is the best part of being an editor?
Reading so many different kinds of stories. I'd never pick out some of the books I've assigned to edit. Editing definitely broadens my genre range.

What is the worst part of being an editor?
Reading stories that I would never pick out for myself.

How important in your opinion is self-editing?
I believe self-editing is the most important step. I find too many simple mistakes in most manuscripts which tells me they haven't been self-edited well, if at all.

What is your favorite genre to edit?
I enjoy action (Forensics, Police) and I enjoy mysteries. Speaking of, I hear we have some ghost stories and sci-fi/steam punk coming soon at Rebel.

What is the most common mistake writers make?
Repeating the same words over and over again is #1 on my list. But not letting someone else read their story before they submit it rates as well.

How many books do you read a month strictly for pleasure?
Two a month now that I have three jobs.

Do you feel that the quality of writing has diminished over the past few years?
I really do.

To what do you attribute this?
I think the computer and text messaging have hurt written communication. People are in too big of a hurry to write letters, or even spell things correctly anymore. Sometimes I wonder if people even really care about what they say.

How do you feel about self-publishing?
I realize it's a trend that's on the rise, but as we often say at Rebel, spell check and a word processor doesn't make someone an author. I think self-pubbing is an option if the writer is committed to quality.

How do you feel about e-books and do you think print books will become extinct?
Don't laugh but I've never read an ebook! I certainly hope print books don't become extinct because I still like to hold a book and turn the pages. But sadly, I do believe the trend it leaning that way.

Do you have a full-time day job?
I do, and a second job where I work part-time six nights a week.

How many hours a week do you spend editing?
On a good week at least ten.

What is a writer’s most important tool or resource?
I think every writer needs someone to bounce ideas off of as they create.

Do you have an advice for aspiring writers?
Have someone read and proof read your story until they can almost recite it to you. Talk about the plot, the timeline. Does it make sense to someone other than the writer. Sometimes writers know their stories too well to be the best readers of them.

Welcome Kelli Lee Mosley

2011-05-09T04:00:00.000-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.

Oh wow, well my family is very important to me. My daughter is a diva, much like her mother and my husband; God love him, he puts up with us, all of our stuff and has let us live up to this point.
Hmm, my hobbies: of course I love to read, buy shoes, go to Disney World and watch football. If my beloved Dallas Cowboys are playing do not get between me and the TV, however you could bring me a drink. Preferably filled with frozen water with vodka poured over it in a pretty glass. A pretty glass makes everything taste better. And vodka always matches my outfit. 

And please tell us about your current writing project.

Well my writing partner Katie Alexander and I are working on Ali’s story. You will meet her in Another Chance and she deserves to have her story told. Or at least we think she does.

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

I have to say I have some of the best friends when it comes to writing. They have told me for years that I should write. As far as my family, I could not ask for anyone better than my husband he has been my rock and told me to follow my dream always.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Hmmm, well I guess the biggest thing would be trying to make sure that I do not jump point of views in a single scene. I have a real bad habit of that.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

Well I am more go with the flow kinda girl. Sometimes I have some inspiration hit me and I feel the need to go right then and write everything down that I possibly can.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

It depends, I live at that beach so I absolutely love the beach, but sometimes it’s great to just go sit on my front porch.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

Well my all time favorite author is Judith McNaught and my favorite book is Once and Always by her.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

Well I only have Another Chance right now, but I am pretty sure if Katie and I finish Ali’s story it will be my favorite. I love Ali and her hero. They are great together.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

Hands down at this moment Another Chance.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

The characters, always.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

A story I can get behind. If I can understand the heroine and hero then I am on board.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

A little of both, in the beginning I am in control. Once the character develops a personality then they are in control. I feel that as a writer you have to stay true to the traits you have developed in your character.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Photograghy, hands down. It’s my other passion. I love capturing emotions in pictures. I truly believe a picture is worth a thousand words if the right emotion has been captured.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Keep writing, write every day, even if it’s only a paragraph. Remember we were all unpublished at one time.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

Well as I only have Another Chance. I see Megan as a girl next-door type that everyone wants to be friends with Kate Hudson or Reese Witherspoon, maybe. Ali is kinda in your face, gotta have my way always, kinda girl. I think Isla Fisher could do her justice. The guys are harder, although I do see Grayson as Luke Wilson. Dylan has always with out a doubt in my mind been Josh Duhamel and Brian is a little harder but he lives for ladies so I see him as Bradley Cooper. Gabby is Maggie Gyllenhaal. Although Katie and I have not discussed this she may see them entirely different.

Fill in the blank favorites
Dessert: Red Velvet Cake, inside out reese P-nut butter cake, cheese cake… ok yes you are sensing a pattern here. I love, love Cake.
City: Any city I can buy great shoes and visit friends
Season: Fall, without a doubt the best time of year. It has football games and snuggling, although I do not rake leaves, ever.
Type of hero: Alpha
Type of heroine: In your face take care of herself kind of girl, but can be sweet, fun and flity when the time calls for it.

Coming June 1, 2011 through Rebel Ink Press

Megan Mason had a fabulous family, a wonderful husband, amazing friends, a great job and a beautiful home. All she needed was a baby to make her life complete. Little did she know, however, that asking her husband for a child would end her marriage. Suffering the ultimate betrayal, Megan returns to her childhood home to rebuild her life.

Grayson Burke had it all. His family’s construction company was financially sound business was booming. He loved his job and better yet, he worked with two of his best friends. To an outsider looking in, Grayson's life probably seemed perfect. But in reality, Grayson's dream woman wasn't only married to someone else, she was his buddies little sister which meant she was untouchable in every sense of the word.

When Grayson learns that Megan is headed home, everything in his world seems to flip upside down. There's no way he could ever approach a woman whose life has been destroyed. Right? And besides, his friends would kill him. Wouldn't they?

Welcome Miss Havana

2011-05-06T04:00:00.000-04:00

Who Threw Cold Water on the Dog?
Of course, any discerning person would ask, “What kind of stupid title is ‘Who Threw Cold Water on the Dog?’ for a respectable blog” And, of course, I have a legitimate answer. First, who said this is a respectable blog? This blog is for wicked muses, as I certainly am, so I try to avoid the appearance of too much respectability. Second, the title succinctly sums up the story of my life, so I thought I’d use it. But before we get to that, let me introduce myself. I am the one and only Miss Havana, beautiful former substitute teacher at Redmond High in Buck Township near Chicago.

No, I wasn’t fired, as the words “former substitute teacher” might imply. Almost everyone loved me there, some more than appropriate, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The problem was that not everyone did. Some, it’s sad to say, didn’t love me at all. In fact, there was such extreme resentment and jealousy that many were involved with my death. I know. I know. That got under my skin too, but I did get back at the bastards.

Being all male, Lucifer took to me like a lost pet when I arrived in hell with my gaggle of slayers. Using feminine wile, I weaseled the keys to his kingdom, and became the queen of judgment. The bastards who did me in paid dearly then, and will for eternity. But enough about them, we’re here to talk about me. My life looked good on the surface, but in truth, if I can use that phrase without choking on it, it wasn’t all that great. My childhood sucked. My mother was a drug addict, and males who should have protected me used me for their own pleasure.

I learned to survive at an early age, to exist using the attributes all beautiful women have, but my life was a series of painful events. If something good happened, the bad would soon follow. That’s what I mean by, “Who Threw Cold Water on the Dog?” In the old days people separated “joined” dogs by throwing cold water on them, but I don’t think they do that any more—dogs mate in private now. Anyway, I always knew the cold water was coming. And it did.

My teaching stint was short, and my death early. By age twenty-six I was already Lucifer’s toy. For once I hoped for the cold water, but no, they don’t have that in hell. There, it was hot coals, but I always knew they were coming, until the day I rebelled. I thought it over for twenty-one years, and then captured Lucifer and took over his horde. Finally, I had it made…for eternity. Or did I? Once again the hot coals came, but this time in the form of my daughter, who usurped my authority before I could become firmly entrenched. That sucked.

Only through treachery and cunning did I free myself to live in the spirit world between heaven and hell, but even then the cold water came…in the literal sense. I learned the hard way that inhabiting the living in the throes of passion, as they reach the pinnacle of erotic satisfaction…is considered stealing! Crap! Who knew? And again I was abruptly jerked from something that could have been pleasant into a litany of rules. Why must it always be the same? Just once I’d like something to go right for the long term.

I bided my time tormenting my guide in heaven’s probation, but he eventually left. I was alone. Forlorn. Woe is me. But soon I realized the spirit world could be fun. I could control the bodies I inhabit, so I took over an advice columnist named Jackie. Here’s a sample of her work under my direction as a wicked muse.

“Dear Miss Jackie: My neighbor squeals like a pig while having sex. I can hear this unsightly noise through the wall. How do I broach the subject with her? Sincerely, Itchy in Indiana.”

Oh, this is too easy. “Dear Itchy: Assuming I’ve read your signature block correctly, you need an invitation to her party. That could be tough because some women don’t like to share, despite the benefit of gaining some really good friends. Nevertheless, you should try to worm your way in. Be seductive and flirtatious with her, but always remember you must have her buy-in before getting his. Work your way into her heart and he’ll come along, if you get my drift. On the other hand, if I’ve misread your intent and you really want to stop the howling, try inviting your neighbor to dinner. Serve roast pork. Then, during dessert, casually bring up the pig slaughtering process. Throw in a few examples of those horrific squeals, and casually mention that those noises can penetrate apartment walls easily. Then ask if she's been killing pigs at night because it sounds like a damn slaughterhouse over there. You should have good sleep thereafter! Yours truly, Miss Jackie.”

Okay, being a literal ghost write turned out to be a side job. What the world really needed was a sense of justice, and without a guide, what was a girl to do. Yes, you guessed it, I assumed the role of The Angel of Death. Cool, huh? But even that was fraught with questions, as I thought through the tough situation in Juarez:

“I don’t know, maybe I’ve been brought here to settle a particular score, perhaps to avenge Alejandra Andrade, one of the girls individually listed in Tom’s thick file. The seventeen-year-old was kidnapped on Valentine’s Day, 2001, and six days later her nude body was found wrapped in a blanket and dumped in an empty lot in front of the plastics plant where she worked. She had been choked, her face savagely beaten, and parts of her breasts removed.

“Or perhaps I should investigate the dead fourteen-year-old discovered with her hands bound behind her back and tape covering her face. Little is known about some of the murders, except that the victims share the common fate of throwaways around the world. They are flushed from life with little regard for the poor and vulnerable, and their bones are dug up in fields outside town or hidden five feet under a warehouse, like the mutilated bodies of eight young women discarded in a cotton field.

“Or maybe I’m supposed to put a stop to the vicious turf battles between the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels. Clearly, the killing of young women began when the cartels took over, as did attendant violence and lawlessness. Gangster wars continue to bring daily double-digit body count, rendering the massacre of women a distant evil.”

The killing in Juarez was horrific, and my response equally so. Frankly, I enjoyed the retribution, and wielded the arm of death with enthusiasm – vengeance was mine! And therein lies the problem. I guess I wasn’t supposed to enjoy it so much because I ended up in God’s woodshed. I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say this…you haven’t seen the last of Miss Havana!

To follow my hilarious exploits, please check out the following novels from Solstice Publishing (http://www.solsticepublishing.com/ ):

The Substitute – Paranormal Comedy – Available Now. This novel offers a side-splitting romp through the final days of Miss Havana’s life, her trials in purgatory, and her afterlife with Lucifer.

Miss Havana’s public persona was far from the truth because, in her capacity as substitute teacher, the small community where she lived knew her as the breathtakingly beautiful young woman who demanded every student learn, but in her private life, ostensibly caring for aging parents in Chicago, she raced through the lives of powerful men, leaving a wake of destruction…and a deep desire for revenge. Little did she realize her conflicted life would end in a chaotic death at an early age, and to eternal conflict with the devil. Clever and witty, the reader will not guess the conclusion of this novel until the final paragraph.

Oh, Heavens, Miss Havana! – Paranormal Comedy – Coming Soon. The second in the comedy series, this novel follows Miss Havana’s struggle in heaven’s probation and her self-appointed stint as “The Angel of Death” … until God dictates the surprise of her afterlife.

An act of selflessness lands Miss Havana in heaven’s probation, where she torments ‘The Brazilian’, her guide. She has a lot to learn, but even as she makes incremental steps of progress, her evil nature wreaks havoc. Her spirit frequently visits the surface, inhabiting an advice columnist by day and various assassins by night. She is chaos, and eventually appoints herself as the Angel of Death. The issues she confronts in the spirit are horrific, and her solutions so extreme God is forced to intervene. He rues sending her back to hell, where she will join forces with her evil daughter, Lilith, but doesn’t want her disrupting probation either. God’s solution is unique, clever and totally unexpected. Miss Havana could not anticipate her fate; nor will the reader.

Domineering Asses Need Love, Too

2011-05-04T04:00:00.000-04:00

Some of you may have already caught on either by scanning my coming soon page, seeing the cover posted over in Facebooktown, or if you’re one of the few and the proud up at HQ my husband already warned you. I’ve crossed “that” line. Yes, I speak of Identity Crisis which debuted March 8 through Rebel Ink Press. While it is a true love story, still laced with realmantica, it’s also filled with what some consider taboo subjects. BDSM, ménage, and voyeuristic situations. The bug that initiated me exploring this subject today was planted by a good friend. He asked what I was writing and wanted to read a passage and I sent him the hottest sex scene in the story. In turn he turns seven shades of red, stammers, and then proceeds to tell me, “That Ren is a domineering ass.” Ignorance of the lifestyle and how it works was doing the talking. Yes, there are those that crawl around the fringes for all the wrong reasons. There are domineering asses, but for the most part, the men and women that live this life have complete understanding of how and why it works.
Yes, friends, my teeny muse named Bronwyn who showed up at my door armed to the teeth with all her tricks of the trade won and I wrote down one of her stories. Bronwyn’s first tale actually started through a series of events that unfolded last summer as I did my research for a series I’ve got simmering away on a back burner. One of the ladies in those novels lives the lifestyle, but unfortunately for her, she lives it for all the wrong reasons. It was through that research that I discovered my curiosity was more than I could contain any longer. I guess it’s the psychology and/or sociology major in me—I have to know how people tick, what drives them in certain directions, what draws them to certain ways of living, and what it is exactly they get out of living there that way.

Let’s face it, we all know that out there mostly living in the outskirts of the sexual revolution is a sub-culture known as the BDSM crowd. But how many of us know it, are fascinated by it, yet suppress the urge to even ask a question of it? I’d never really read much in the way of BDSM until I sat up and paid attention during Broken Together by BethAnn Buehler. Until then I was curious, but had never acted on it. Then a trip down “that” aisle in Adam and Eve during my research for Echo book 2 really got my gears spinning. I knew there had to be more to this and there had to be a real live flesh and bone body somewhere that would talk to me about it. Now at this point sweetie’s eyes are like saucers and he has that look on his face that tells me he will give me the world on a silver platter, but did I have to pick that world? The “oh God honey you can’t be serious look.” Well, I won out in the end and we spent the better part of a day riding around town trying to get someone to talk to me in places where I “assumed” these type of folk would hang out—what is it they say about assuming—it makes an ass of you and me? It also doesn’t get you what you want very often. My ignorance of this world sent me down the wrong road immediately—it seems it’s so taboo to speak of it, if you’re deemed obviously vanilla it’s hard to get someone to address you. And I don’t mean that in a bad way—I understand it is meant to protect the vanillas from wandering away with someone that might do them harm as a result of the vanillas ignorance. However, I am determined and I was going to get to the bottom of this. You see my curiosity was no longer centered around what was entailed in this life—you know the what’s done—I was immensely interested in the why. I had to understand this complicated relationship between a Dom and a sub. I was already starting to realize it had nothing to do with being mean, the sheer pleasure of inflicting pain, or a death wish. I knew it was something much more complicated.

I think for a good portion of the romance reading world there is a certain degree of “squeamish” factor when perusing the aisles at either brick and mortar stores or the online e-book purveyors. More often than not, this squeamish-ness comes from pure and utter ignorance. Ignorance to those around us that are considered different and who’s lifestyle may be considered to mainstream society to be taboo. Ignorance. Something I can’t tolerate from anyone and above all myself. Thus my quest. To abolish my own ignorance and with hope in the process help to abolish someone else’s. I did finally find someone that would talk to me. Sweetie and I went out with some friends and after a bit of bolstering up with the libation of my choice, I approached a guy that looked like he might be open-minded and willing to talk to me and might very well know of at least where I could go to ask some of my questions. I wasn’t trying to stereotype anyone. I don’t believe there is a “look” that screams “hey, look at me—I like to tie my partners up—you game?” He just simply seemed like an open type of guy, not shy, and quite frankly he had a look of authoritative knowledge about him. So, I figured, what would it hurt to ask? I did. The clouds parted and a ray of sunshine fell down between us, a beacon to the information I sought. He sent me to an online society for people either practicing the lifestyle, or interested in the lifestyle. Now, I know now that opinions vary on the use of “lifestyle.” For some it is degrading. They feel that it makes their way of life sound less than normal and does indeed stereotype. I apologize to that portion of the population. My intent is to in no way, shape or form degrade you choices. It’s from simple lack of knowing how to express this any other way that I use the term. For others, how their way of living and loving is labeled is irrelevant. As in all sub-cultures, there are many sides to one coin.
So, here I am now armed with a few tools and a few contacts and ready to tackle this issue I am ignorant of and find some answers. And answers are exactly what I got. I even discovered some things about myself I was unaware of, or at least was in denial of until now. After talking to a few people and freeing my mind of pre-conceived notions, the nature of BDSM relationships began to take root and understanding grew where the tree of ignorance once stood. You see, I am even now thoroughly convinced that these relationships may in some cases be more stable and loving that normal vanilla relationships. Note I said in some cases. I’m not saying everyone should run out and try this—it’s not for everyone, in fact it’s something you either are or aren’t. Why would I say they are in some cases more stable? Because of the degree of trust that must be exhibited and practiced between the two or more people involved.

In a normal vanilla relationship, yes, love is a dominating factor along with trust. Any time you give yourself completely to someone trust is paramount, but even more so I feel in the lifestyle. You’re not only entrusting your body to someone—in the case of the submissive partner you are giving complete control to another person and having faith that they will understand and respect your boundaries, possible even realize them before you do, and that they will in return for that trust take care of your every need, quite possibly without you the submissive even having to express what those needs are. Now you’re getting a glimpse as to just how complicated and complex these relationships can be. How strong love must be between these people to harbor that complete faith in another. It is a complete surrender of not only the body, but of the mind, soul and heart. What makes it even more complex is when multiple partners are involved and the hierarchy must be established. In the case of Identity Crisis, the story entails a m/f/m relationship between two Doms and their sub. The hierarchy established dictates that there be an alpha Dom and a beta Dom. As my characters soon discover, finding and accepting ones identity can often be a scary problem and requires giving up some degree of control even when you are the one that’s supposed to be in control. And sometimes that takes more strength than actually being the alpha.

The whys? Why does anyone do anything? Because it’s what makes them feel good, it’s where their pleasure is derived. And for some pain is the center of that pleasure and when given in a loving manner with boundaries it is just as sensuous as any vanilla act.

So, what was it I learned about myself? That I do indeed have a submissive personality and although I do not practice this lifestyle I like for my alpha mate to be in charge of things. I like to be tended to and made to feel safe and cherished. We all have tendencies toward either a dominate or submissive personality, they just manifest themselves differently according to each person’s limits. I’m still researching by the way. I’ve found that Maya Banks knows an awful lot about ménage relationships and how to write them and Cherise Sinclair can write BDSM like no one’s business and she gets the complexities of the relationships. Hers are not stories born of just the sex, the emotional aspects are explored quite thoroughly.

I hope this dispels some of the misconceptions about the BDSM lifestyle. I’m no renowned expert by any means, but I’m working on it. No, Ren is not heartless, and yes, domineering asses need love, too.

Welcome Gale Stanley

2011-04-30T04:00:00.000-04:00

Writing Across Gender

We all know that men are from Mars, and women are from Venus – or are they? I'm inclined to think we're all from planet Earth. Sure we're different in a lot of ways, but we share a lot of the same emotions too.

My family and friends were surprised when I wrote a MM romance, but it never occurred to me that there was anything strange about it. My first paranormal novels were written from two Points Of View, male and female, and I discovered I enjoyed writing from the man's POV much more than the woman's.

Maybe it's because I built a lot of friendships with men throughout my working life, twenty-six years in a construction office with surveyors and draftsmen. When I was hired, women were a rarity in the field. In an office of fifty, I was one of four women – a secretary, a payroll clerk, a drafter and me. I wore a hardhat and steel-toed boots and worked outside with the guys.

They weren’t thrilled to have me – at first. Once they figured out, I wasn’t going anywhere, I became one of the guys. I lectured them when they leaned out of the truck, leering at women and they didn't offer to carry my transit and tripod. Back in the day there were no GPS or and laser-based systems.

I learned a lot about men and I made some life-long friends. And when I went back to my writing it didn't feel like a stretch to write from their perspective. In fact, POINT OF BEGINNING, Book 1 of the Gentlemen's Club, takes place in an office much like the one I worked out of. But trust me; the men in my story are much more believable than my coworkers.

I've heard all the stereotypes: men are not as expressive as women, men want to connect physically while women want to connect emotionally, men use fewer words, are less descriptive.
Hmm, I know some men who are very emotional and descriptive - and some women who aren't. Writers are like actors; sometimes we need to portray or create people who are essentially different from us. I just try to stay true to my characters. They usually steer me right.

MM romances seem to be very popular with the ladies today. I know I love to read them as well as write them. For me, a large part of the appeal is the absence of the female. Personally, I have trouble identifying with the all too perfect heroine. Who could compete with superwoman? When I read a story about two men, I can concentrate on the romance – and the appeal of the male body – without jealousy. We’ve come a long way. Barriers have come down and writers can deal frankly with social and sexual mores and give readers a wide choice of genre. It's a great time for those who love to read and write.

HUNTER AND THE HAWK
SYMBIOTIC MATES: 1

When Aidan walks into the Wolf Den and asks to see the Alpha, he doesn’t get a warm welcome. He’s barely through the door before he’s attacked. The Vampire’s arm is broken and he fears his totem animal, a Hawk, will never fly again.

Hunter, a Lycan Enforcer, comes to his aid and takes him aside for questioning. Aidan claims to have information about the murder of Hunter’s mate and he’ll trade for Lycan blood. At first, Hunter thinks it's a trap, but Aidan convinces him that the answer to both species survival may lie in their blood. Hunter agrees to secretly help Aidan in exchange for the killer’s name. But he gets more than he bargained for when he finds himself falling for the seductive vampire. When the research goes awry, he’s sure he’s been used by the scheming bloodsuckers. But is Aidan the real enemy or is it someone closer to home?

Available at Silver Publishing:
http://silverpublishing.info/index/book_authors_id/48/typefilter/book_authors

Excerpt

Hunter centered his chin over the cue stick and concentrated on his aim. The game- winning ball sat just in front of his face, waiting to be dropped into the pocket. He studied it, imagining where the cue ball would need to hit in order to make his shot. Stick level, he took a few warm-up strokes.

Perfect. This wager is as good as won—

"Dogfight!"

Fuck! A perfectly aimed shot gone to hell.

Disgusted, he threw down his cue stick and made his way toward the bar where two men were arguing over a spilled beer. As he got closer the hackles rose on the back of his neck. Only midnight and a fight brewing already?

One of the two wolves spotted him approaching and nudged the other. They both stood and moved off toward the exit, taking their argument outside.

Good enough. Why ruin the night by turning a simple beef into a real brawl? If the men were smart enough to settle things between themselves, Hunter wouldn't get involved.

The Wolf Den always drew a rough crowd on Saturday night. Rafe, the pack Alpha, encouraged the males to visit the bar, enticing them with drugs and alcohol.

A lone wolf is a frustrated wolf and frustrated wolves cause trouble.

Hunter wished he had a nickel for every time he heard Rafe utter those words. He'd be a rich man. He didn't always agree with their pack leader but he gave him the respect he deserved, and kept his mouth shut.

Their Alpha believed every wolf needed a mate. And if he didn't have a mate, then he needed a fuck buddy. With so few women available, the club had become a place where unmated Lycans could find a sex partner. Relationships had been forged in the Den, but for the most part the club remained a haven for one-night stands.

The shifters, full of randy animal spirits, behaved as well as could be expected. Dogs fight. It's the nature of the beast. Anything could trigger it — a bump in passing, jealousy over one man's attention to another, or jockeying for dominance in the pack.

Prevention was always the best policy. Two or three pack enforcers, strategically stationed around the bar, usually managed to maintain a testosterone-friendly atmosphere, their mere presence a reminder that the Lycans were being scrutinized.

But tonight the air seemed super-charged with tension. Utilizing extra enforcers had been a good call.

Hunter took one of the vacated seats at the bar and the bartender slid a bottle of mineral water in front of him. Tyler winked as he leaned over and rested his elbows on the bar. He smiled at Hunter seductively. "What are you doing later, sweetheart?"

Heat traveled up his spine. Maybe he was crazy to turn down a sexy wolf like Tyler. He knew the bartender didn't have a regular partner, preferring serial flings to monogamy. Relieving his sexual frustration with a man like Tyler wouldn't be a hardship. Coward. Are you going to hide behind your grief forever?

When he was just a pup, a few inexperienced encounters had convinced him he preferred males. Then Rafe had paired him with a female mate and he'd put those urges to bed. He could have taken lovers on the side, but he'd chosen to remain faithful. He hadn't been with a man in twenty years. Hell, he wouldn't know what to do with him. Tyler would laugh him out of bed. He reached for the bottle. "I'm on overtime."

The bartender sighed regretfully. "You know what they say about all work and no play."

"No. What do they say?"

"That it sucks." Tyler took his hand and turned it over. "You're starting to grow hair on your palms." He rubbed a thumb over Hunter's palm.

Hunter pulled his hand away and looked at it. It wouldn't surprise him.

Tyler broke up laughing. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

Tyler's trim ass held his attention as he walked away. Shit! Hunter washed a few aspirin down with a healthy swallow of water and held the cold bottle against his head. His temples throbbed along with the hot, pulsing beat of the electronic dance music. Colored lights around the dance floor winked in the mirror over the bar, intensifying the pain in his head. He'd rather be on patrol outside any day of the week.
Now Available at SirenBookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/gale-stanley

BLACK WOLF GORGE: 1 CALL OF THE WILDS
BLACK WOLF GORGE: 2 MATING CALL
BLACK WOLF GORGE: 3 CAPTIVE

Available at Silver Publishing: http://silverpublishing.info/index/book_authors_id/48/typefilter/book_authors

SILENT KNIGHTS
SLEEPLESS KNIGHTS
POINT OF BEGINNING
SOME LIKE IT ROUGH
SYMBIOTIC MATES: 1 HUNTER AND THE HAWK released April 30
SYMBIOTIC MATES: 2 PETER AND THE WOLF coming May 28
ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK coming June 25
SYMBIOTIC MATES: 3 TALON AND THE FALCONER coming in July

Born and raised in the City of Brotherly Love, Gale cut her teeth on True Story magazines and Mickey Spillane paperbacks. These were swiped from her mother and read undercover by flashlight. Her weird choices in reading material —whatever she could get her hands on— inspired a love of romance and the desire to write her own stories. Life took a detour and she raised a family while working as a surveyor and a CAD manager. Now she has the best job in the world, one she can do in her pj's. Her books may be smokin' hot, but at the heart of each story is a romance and each one is written with love.

http://galestanley.net/
http://galestanley.blogspot.com/
http://booksblurbs.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/gale.stanley.author
http://twitter.com/galestanley
Email: gale@galestanley.net
Silver Publishing: http://silverpublishing.info/index/book_authors_id/48/typefilter/book_authors
SirenBookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/gale-stanley

Welcome Desiree Holt in Celebration of Her 100th Release, Downstroke

2011-04-22T04:00:00.000-04:00

Desiree Holt is flavored with the rich experiences of her life, including a long stretch in the music business representing every kind of artist from country singer to heavy metal rock bands. For several years she also ran her own public relations agency handling any client that interested her, many of whom might recognize themselves in the ages of her stories. She is twice a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award, a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award for best BDSM book of the year, winner of two Holt Medallion Awards of Merit, and is published by five different houses. Romance Junkies said of her work: “Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.”
You can find her at http://www.desireeholt.com/ and http://www.desireeholttellsall.com/

Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.).

I live in Texas, home state of my late husband, on six gorgeous rural acres with my three cats. I am an obsessed football nut, love pizza, hate working out (but I do it) and am an incurable romantic. When I’m not writing I’m reading.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

My latest release is Downstroke, my 100th title, a romantic suspense that came from my heart. I am currently working on a paranormal series, Night Seekers, and have just begun Book 4. I am also working on Book 6 of The Sentinels, another paranormal series (both are about shape shifters) and a four title series with Cerise Deland called Chasing Tail. On the list are two more books in my Turn Up the Heat series with Allie Standifer and a sequel to my roan tic suspense, Who Do You Trust.

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

Oh, most definitely. My late husband (who is the hero in all my books!) really encouraged me and my three adult children are my chief cheerleaders. My closest friends are other authors and we all provide friendship and support for each other.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Trying to write a synopsis. Part of the problem is that often I begin a book with then plot firmly in mind and as I get into the characters pull me in another direction.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

I write every day unless I am going out somewhere. Early mornings are set aside for promo and email, then I write for six hours. At night while I watch television I make notes on my current WIP for the next day. But I like to think of myself as a disciplined writer.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Hang out with friends, read, in the fall watch a lot of football, hang out with my younger daughter who lives very close to me.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

Too many to name! LOL!

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

Well, up until this year I would have said my favorite book is Rodeo Heat which released last year and my favorite hero was Connor McCall of Do You Trust me. But with the release of Downstroke my heart belongs to that book and its hero, Dallas Creed. I loved writing that book. My favorite heroine? Faith Wilding in Jungle Inferno.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

That’s hard to say. Downstroke was easy to write but took a long time. My first release for Samhain, Stark Naked, was probably the most fun. I loved every minute of it. The hardest? All of them at one point or another. But whatever book I’m writing I’m in love with.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

That depends. Usually the characters. My stories are very character driven. Next is the setting. Then I build the plot around it. Finally the setting. Although one book I wrote began with just one line of dialogue.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

Strong hero and heroine, great chemistry between them and a love that survives everything life can throw at it.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

Oh! (Laughing!) They definitely control me.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I have no idea. Writing is who I am. I’d hate to think of myself not doing it.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Never, ever, ever give up. Learn to accept rejection and move on from it. And soak up every bit of help others are willing to give. This is a tough business but if you love what you do and pay attention you can succeed.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

Hard choice. Either Jungle Inferno with Christian Bale and Gabrielle Anwar or Downstroke with Mark Harmon and Jennifer Beale.

Fill in the blank favorites –
Dessert – Tira misu
City – San Antonio
Season – Spring
Type of hero – the ultimate alpha male, of course, but capable of a strong emotional connection
Type of heroine – strong and self confident even when danger comes calling. Smart. A good sense of who she is.

Please enjoy an excerpt from Downstroke:

He wasn’t prepared for her effect on him. Privately he’d followed her career—the years at the FBI, then a long stint with the Hillcroft Group, and finally opening her own agency, Roper Protective Services In all these years they hadn’t spoken or seen each other, but the moment she stepped into the room his body reacted. His cock stiffened, his mouth went dry and his balls tingled as he experienced the familiar impact her body always had on him.

Great.

He shifted in his chair, making sure his dark t-shirt covered the growing bulge behind his fly.
He’d dreamed about this moment, fantasized about it. With every new hit tune, every sold-out concert appearance, he wanted her there so he could show her what she’d missed. Wanted to make her eat her words. Wanted her to see the success he’d become. The success they could have shared.

The accident had changed all that. Made him take a good hard look at his life, at what he wanted and where he’d been going. With death flirting with him, he’d finally had to admit to himself everything was hollow without her. Years ago he’d tried to make a point with her but who had he proven it to? Certainly not himself.

He studied her as she moved fluidly into the trailer and stood to the side, next to Morgan.
Charley Roper had aged much better than he had. Her body was still slim although rounded in all the appropriate places, but now it was highly toned. Jeans hugged her legs and the soft material of her blouse draped over high breasts. Her rich, thick brown hair was still the same rich sable color pulled back into a no-nonsense ponytail. Her face certainly didn’t show the wear that his did, but her clear blue eyes reflected a bitter wisdom that bothered him. And she still gave off the same go-to-hell attitude with her walk and the way she stood almost defiantly in front of him, hands stuffed into the front pockets of her jeans.

Her familiar scent teased at his nostrils, giving rise to a wealth of memories. He remembered how that body felt beneath his, all soft and pliant. How those full lips felt on his mouth or wrapped around his cock.
His hands curled as he fought the urge to reach out and touch her. After all these years she still had the power to steal his breath. He knew if the two of them were alone in this room he’d have her naked and under him in seconds. tightened, his cock hardened even more and he was back to that last defining night.

Desiree’s current and upcoming works:
April 8 Downstroke, Ellora’s Cave
June 1, Jungle Inferno, Ellora’s Cave
August 3: Delicious Danger

TBD: Crack the Whip
TBD: Slapping Leather
TBD: Stark Naked

You and find Desiree at:
Website: http://www.desireeheolt.com/
email,: http://www.desireeholt.com/
blogs:
http://www.desireeholttellsall.com/
http://www.hittingthehotspot.com/
http://www.wildandwickedcowboys.blogspot.com/
http://www.1-800-domhelp.com/
facebook address: http://www.blogger.com/goog_163480358

Publisher information:
http://www.jasminejade.com/
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
http://www.total-e-bound.com/
http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/
http://www.samhainpublishing.com/

Purchase links
http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-9087-50-downstroke.aspx
http://www.blogger.com/goog_163480373

Welcome Chris Garcia

2011-04-21T08:29:00.000-04:00

(This is an edited excerpt from an interview given by me to Ashley Lister at
ERWA a few years ago, which I think contains useful advice abut writing craft.)

To make this interview different, let’s talk about something you almost never
hear anybody talk about anymore – hard core rhetoric. Word craft. Rhetoric is
like this stern old school teacher looking to whack you on your knuckles with a
ruler. It’s the kind of thing that’s fallen out of fashion. But the best
writers are masters of rhetoric. I’ve read stories that were structurally weak
but were still a pleasure to read because the writer had such a sweet touch.
Learn to love words. Love the sound of words. When I’m getting close to my
final draft, I always take it off somewhere alone and I read it to myself out
loud. That’s how you weed out klutzy language. It’s amazing what that simple
thing can do for you, hearing your own words read out loud.

There’s this thing I learned from Stephen King’s book “On Writing”, it’s called
“Pastiche”. Practice pastiche. This was something they made kids do in school
a long time back to learn rhetoric, and it’s really good. Pastiche. Kids had
to hand copy out a sentence, and then play around with the sentence form,
writing it in different ways. For instance, an Inverted Sentence form is “Ovid
was immoral, but he had high standards in art.” (Gilbert Highet “Poets in a
Landscape”) You could rewrite that as “Nixie was a killer, but her
understanding of human nature ran deep.” That’s pastiche practice. One day you
read something amazing – and you stop. Get a notebook and hand copy that
sentence or paragraph word for word. Word for word, I’m telling you. With a
pen, not a keyboard. You write it word for word and try to feel in your head
how it feels to write those words, try to feel what the writer felt when he or
she was writing them. Try to feel the soul of those words, like music.

Writing craft exists on many levels. Beginner’s always think they need a style
or a voice. You acquire voice by writing a lot and learning rhetoric. Read
poetry. Study how poets use sound. Listen to the subtle way words knock
against each other to create an effect. Hand copy poems out in a notebook and
carry it around. Read poems out loud. Read the ways different writer’s use
language. Angela Carter uses language gorgeously, she writes beautiful,
startling sentences. Gabriel Garcia-Marquez writes enchanting ironical
sentences. Ray Bradbury, even though he gets carried away, uses language is
intense powerful ways. In “Fahrenheit 451” there’s this part I love, it’s
fantastic what he does with a series of simple punchy sentences. Look at this,
how he uses the second sentence to set up the third sentence:

They turned, their faces blanched meat, streaming sweat’ he beat their heads,
knocking off their helmets, and bringing them down on themselves. They fell and
lay without moving.

The blowing of a single autumn leaf.

He turned and the Mechanical Hound was there.

It's not much by itself here. But if you’ve been reading the whole novel up to
that point, and you get to those two lines “The blowing of a single autumn
leaf. He turned and the Mechanical Hound was there.” it knocks you right on
your silly. You’ll just jump out of your goddamn seat. Holy Shit, Boy Wonder!
The motherfucking Mechanical Hound! It’s there! Wow! It’s the Hound! And
then what happened??

And that my friend, is good story telling.

I totally stole that rhetoric style in “The Color of the Moon” in the big battle
scene when Lady Dainagon confronts Ichinori the exorcist. I studied Bradbury,
read him out loud, and then I wrote that whole scene starting with:

The lamplight quivered and rocked. A sad feeling, like a noxious wind, filled
the air, stirring forgotten memories in him.

He turned to look back at the oil lamp.

She was standing in the path.

That’s me doing Ray Bradbury. Simple, punchy, ominous sentences. That’s what
pastiche practice is about.

I always try to write everyday, and if there’s nothing going on I do writing
exercises, which are like Oh Get a Grip in miniature. You assign yourself
something, or you do a pastiche from somebody good, or you do free writing where
you let yourself ramble and exercise your imagination. Hemingway always carried
a pocket notebook everywhere he went and scribbled down anything useful that
came to him that he might want later. You don’t know when something interesting
will come to you, so you have to be ready to grab it out of the air before it
gets away. Sometimes I write “stubs” when I get an idea, a kind of bare bones
sketch to lay out the story before it gets away and then starting fleshing it
out later into scenes. I write asynchronously, out of order, and I write first
drafts that look like a gory road accident. But because I know I’ll re-write
everything many times I’m free to do that. Which is another thing.

Rewrite.

The falling of a single wooden pencil.

He turned, and the Second Draft was there.

You have to rewrite. Good writing is 90 percent rewriting. I really believe
that. It’s true for me at least. Rewriting is freedom. Rewriting will set you
free to write really badly, really awful stuff, and not feel depressed about it,
because you know as you keep going over it you’ll get to understand what it
really means and you’ll make it better. Dostoyevsky rewrote “The Idiot” five
times right from scratch, writing longhand in notebooks, and that was a whole
novel. The fifth draft didn’t look anything like the first draft. Hemingway
was known to rewrite a short story as often as 40 times using just a pencil.
That’s what you have to be willing to do if you want to get it good. I rewrote
"The Lady and the Unicorn" three times from scratch, lazy by Hemingway
standards, then showed it to Lisabet and rewrote the whole middle part from
scratch again after discussing it with her. That’s what you do. Also, find
yourself a First Reader. Somebody good. Somebody who knows how to read well
and knows story telling. When you find someone like that, that is so precious.

C Sanchez-Garcia
"The future is already here. It's just unevenly distrbuted."
William Gibson

Welcome Cassandra Carr

2011-04-18T04:00:00.000-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.

I live in Western New York with my hubby and young daughter. My background is in marketing, but I left Corporate America a few years ago to write and couldn’t be happier.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

My current release is called Talk to Me. Loose Id published it on March 22, 2011. It’s a m/f contemporary erotic romance about an ex-hockey player turned sports radio talk show host named Drew and his new producer, Jamie. Drew seduces Jamie with his voice, and when he catches her in a compromising position, all hell breaks loose!

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

Yes, I have tons of support! My wonderful husband encouraged me to stay home and write, and my mother, who is also a writer, has always supported me in my writing. I’m also a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as my local chapter and two online chapters.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Revising. The process of going back and back over the words frustrates me. By the time I submit something I’m often pretty sick of it!

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

Because I stay at home with my daughter I’m not able to have a set schedule for writing, but most of it gets done between 8pm and 2am, once she’s gone to sleep.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

I love hanging out on Twitter talking to other writers and people in the business. I’m also a huge hockey fan and the Buffalo Sabres are my team, so I watch their games and also have a hockey blog.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

I really like Lisa Kleypas. She writes historical romance and I have every book she’s written on my Keeper shelves. I don’t really have a favorite book – I doubt I could ever pick just one.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

I adore the very first hero I ever wrote, Sebastian. That book is still out on submittal and hopefully the world will someday be able to enjoy Sebastian the way I do. He’s smart, sexy, and strong – pretty much the ideal guy.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

The bull rider books (erotic romance series featuring bull rider heroes), the first of which is out on submission, have been the easiest to write. The most fun? That’s hard to say – I love my job and if I’m not having fun with a book I put it down. That doesn’t mean I won’t come back later, but I do have a book that I’m about halfway through writing that’s just sitting there waiting for me to figure out why I abandoned it.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

For me, the characters and then the setting. I build the story from there.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

I think the most important elements to a great romance are great characters. With an awesome hero and heroine I think almost anything is possible!

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

Both. Sometimes they try to write me into a corner but I always battle my way back out.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Probably my old Evil Day Job in marketing. I do actually like marketing – I teach other authors how to market and brand themselves, but I’d rather write about hot sex and people falling in love!

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Definitely! First thing – know when to put a manuscript down. So many new writers get so bogged down in revising and revising that they overwork their words. Learn everything you can about the craft and the business – there are tons of resources available online for that. Seek out other writers – they’re a great source of inspiration and help.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

Oh gosh, that’s a tough question! For Talk to Me, maybe Henry Cavill as Drew (with an American accent). Hey – why not aim high? For Jamie, the heroine, I’m honestly not sure. There’s no actress that jumps out in my mind.

Fill in the blank favorites.

Dessert: anything chocolate or caramel
City: I really liked San Diego when I was there
Season: summer – I live in Western New York so the other seasons aren’t quite as nice, but summer in this area is absolutely gorgeous and we wring every bit of pleasure out of it that we can.
Type of hero: I like Alpha males, but they have to be nice guys underneath it all.
Type of heroine: one with spunk – I hate doormats.

Cassandra Carr lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on Twitter. Her debut novel, Talk to Me, was released by Loose Id on March 22, 2011. For more information about Cassandra, check out her website at http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com/ , "like" her Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr or follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr .

By the time the show ended and Jamie thought about how long it would take her to shut everything down for the night, then hustle herself off to the subway station and take the three different trains to get to her apartment all the way out in Brooklyn, she was truly afraid she would self-combust.

Drew ran out of the place like a bomb scare had been called in, so at least she didn’t have to worry about him anymore. Nonetheless, Jamie waited a good ten minutes past when she was finished with her nightly duties, then made her way back to the small production room where she and Drew had recorded his promo earlier. She knew a copy of it would still be stored on the computer in the room, and after scooting in and shutting the door, she booted it up. She told herself she needed to check it one more time before giving it to the station manager tomorrow, but who was she kidding? She needed to hear him but in a safe environment. Where she couldn’t do anything stupid. She needed his voice to weave inside her, through her, like a drug.

The rough yet strangely melodic sounds of Drew’s voice drifted over Jamie as she leaned back in her chair. Closing her eyes, she pictured his face in her mind -- his to-die-for lips traveling down the length of her body, just as her hand was doing at the moment; his navy blue eyes, focused only on her as he brought her to orgasm… She reached the button of her jeans and eased them open, propping her feet up on the desk.
She couldn’t believe she was doing this at work, but no one was around, and if she didn’t do something to assuage this ache, she was likely to jump him the next time she saw him. Bad idea. Bad, bad idea. Fantasizing about the man was one thing; straddling his powerful, muscular thighs in the studio chair and offering herself to him was another. That thought brought another rush of heat to her pussy, and she moaned. She needed serious help.

At first she just teased herself a little, rubbing outside her panties, but it soon became too much. She needed relief too badly to continue to torment herself. As Drew’s voice continued to assail her from all directions in the small, windowless room, she pushed her hand down inside the waistband of her panties and through her curls until she found the damp center of her sex. The sweet smell of her musk wafted up to tickle her nose, arousing her even more.

Twirling her fingers as much as the constricting position allowed her to, she imagined they were Drew’s tongue instead. She let out a plaintive moan as the picture caused her juices to flow even more, soaking her fingers. Plunging two of them into her pussy, she pressed her thumb on her clit, craving the direct stimulation. Jamie gasped as shock waves of pleasure shot from her pussy through her clit and up her spine, her back arching. And through it all, Drew’s voice urged her to new heights.

BUY LINK:
http://www.loose-id.com/Talk-to-Me.aspx

Writer website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cassandra_carr
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CassandraCarr
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-Carr

Welcome Lindsay Buroker

2011-04-15T04:00:00.000-04:00

Perks of Being an Indie Ebook Author

The e-publishing revolution is here. Kindles, iPads, Nooks, and other e-readers are everywhere you look these days. Whether you’re a fan of ebooks or still prefer the dead-tree variety, you have to admit there’s a growing market for novels, novellas, short stories, and non-fiction that is digitally available.

This “revolution” offers a great opportunity for those who are interested in taking their destinies in their own hands (AKA busting their butts learning how to publish and promote online). Many authors are turning away from mainstream publishers in favor of going the independent route. I’m one of them.

Encrypted, a science-fiction and fantasy romance, probably would have been a hard sell to an agent. Readers and reviewers have said they’ve enjoyed it, but between the love story, the magic, the gun-toting marines, and the deadly alien artifacts, all existing in a made up world, it’s not the easiest story to categorize.

One of the fun things about being an independent author is you don’t have to worry about which genre your novel fits into, and you don’t have to memorize a pithy pitch to deliver to agents and editors at conventions. You just have to write a good story and an engaging blurb that interests your target audience (okay, those things aren’t all that easy, but you know what I mean).

Here’s the blurb for Encrypted:

Professor Tikaya Komitopis isn’t a great beauty, a fearless warrior, or even someone who can walk and chew chicle at the same time, but her cryptography skills earn her wartime notoriety. When enemy marines show up at her family’s plantation, she expects the worst. But they’re not there to kill her. They need her to decode mysterious runes, and they ask for help in the manner typical of a conquering empire: they kidnap her, threaten her family, and throw her in the brig of their fastest steamship.

Her only ally is a fellow prisoner who charms her with a passion for academics as great as her own. Together, they must decipher mind-altering alchemical artifacts, deadly poison rockets, and malevolent technological constructs, all while dodging assassination attempts from a rival power determined the expedition should fail. As if Tikaya didn’t have troubles enough, her new ally turns out to be exiled fleet admiral, Federias Starcrest, the man who recommended taking over her nation. To trust him could be a mistake; to fall in love with him would be a betrayal to her people, her family, and the fiancé she lost in the war. Those runes cloak more than mysteries, however, and he may be the only one who can help her unravel them before their secrets destroy the world.

For those wondering if people actually buy ebooks from indie authors (hey, “indie” is just a nice way of saying self-published, after all, right?), the answer is yes. I’m not a bestseller yet (one day, I hope!), but I’m doing pretty well for someone who started this adventure a few months ago.

It’s surprisingly easy to get your ebooks uploaded and into the major online stores. You can find Encrypted at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Apple, etc.

Another nice thing about e-publishing is that an independent author can price her work affordably, often less than ebooks published by traditional houses, and still take home a respectable amount. For example, Encrypted currently costs $2.99, and I keep about 70% of that. Ebooks listed by publishers cost more, and authors receive a much smaller cut.

Considering most us, indie or not, go into the publishing world without an established fan base, it’s advantageous to be able to set low prices to attract folks who might not otherwise try an unknown author. I’m grateful to all the readers who have given my work a look thus far.

If you’re interested, you can grab the first 50% of Encrypted at Smashwords—they offer the ebook in all formats.

Thanks for reading my post and taking a look!

Professor Tikaya Komitopis isn’t a great beauty, a fearless warrior, or even someone who can walk and chew chicle at the same time, but her cryptography skills earn her wartime notoriety. When enemy marines show up at her family’s plantation, she expects the worst. But they’re not there to kill her. They need her to decode mysterious runes, and they ask for help in the manner typical of a conquering empire: they kidnap her, threaten her family, and throw her in the brig of their fastest steamship.

Her only ally is a fellow prisoner who charms her with a passion for academics as great as her own. Together, they must decipher mind-altering alchemical artifacts, deadly poison rockets, and malevolent technological constructs, all while dodging assassination attempts from a rival power determined the expedition should fail. As if Tikaya didn’t have troubles enough, her new ally turns out to be exiled fleet admiral, Federias Starcrest, the man who recommended taking over her nation. To trust him could be a mistake; to fall in love with him would be a betrayal to her people, her family, and the fiancé she lost in the war. Those runes cloak more than mysteries, however, and he may be the only one who can help her unravel them before their secrets destroy the world.

Please enjoy an excerpt:

A man towered a few paces away, a dagger and cutlass at his belt, and a muzzle-loading rifle crooked in his arms. His bronze skin and dark hair would have marked him a foreigner even if the black military uniform with its fine factory weave did not. It was a uniform she had not seen in a year, not since the war ended, but she had not forgotten its significance: Turgonian marine.

Swallowing, she shifted her gaze left and right, hoping to spot a couple of the seasonal laborers her father hired to harvest the cane. But the day grew late, and she had worked herself into a private corner of the field. The house stood hundreds of meters away. No one would hear her yell.

The marine said nothing, though his dark eyes followed her darting gaze. Running would confirm she had a reason to hide; maybe she could trick him into thinking she was no one of consequence. Not that being an innocent would necessarily make her safe from a Turgonian.

“If you’re looking for rum,” she said, his language sliding off her tongue automatically, “my brother’s working in the distillery. He can sell you enough for your entire ship at a fair price.”

The marine’s eyes widened, and a satisfied—no, triumphant—smile stretched across his face.

Dread curled through her belly. They knew who she was, what her role had been in the war. Addressing him in his language had been a mistake, a confirmation that they had found the right person. She eyed the rifle, noticed it was loaded and cocked. A huge mistake.

The Art of Sensual Nurturing

2011-04-12T04:00:00.000-04:00

In an interview last year I was asked what I thought, aside from the bedroom, was the sexiest room in the house. For me the answer was quite simple. Hands down, it’s the kitchen. I know. All you dirty minds out there are now working overtime in the dessert section. Yoo-Hoo! Please put the chocolate sauce down for just a second. Once I explain my stance you may resume. **grins** Now, aside from the obvious images I'm sure I've conjured up, why on Earth would I be compelled to say that? Well, allow me to explain.

You see, when I think of sexy I don't just think of Mr. Webster's idea that it's something sexually suggestive or stimulating. My definition includes sensuality, which Mr. Webster tells us is relating to the gratification of the senses or something devoted to the pleasures of the senses. There are five to work with: taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound. And, they are all very important to our love scenes--which by my definition are not only sex driven, but sensual. You see, erotic romance isn't just down and dirty raunch. It's sensual. Sometimes I can write something so sensual it will set your toes to blazing and I never mention one single body part. Hhmm? Yeah? **wink** Sensuality can be sexy sans the actual sex.

Okay, back to the subject. The sensually, sexy kitchen. Now, in my mind, sensuality lends toward the connotation of nurturing. Just how many ways can we nurture? Through words, touches, and yes, through food. Thus the circle is complete. The kitchen can indeed be sexy, and not just in a dirty whipped cream kind of way. When I fix my husband a meal, I'm doing it from my heart. That makes it sexy and sensual, and it can feed all the senses. First and foremost people eat with their eyes, so the meal should be laid out in an aesthetic way—it should look tempting and beautiful. Touch. Through varying textures we address the touch factor. Is a food smooth, creamy, crisp? As in sex, variety is key. Smell is a huge factor. I can remember going to family dinners as a child and the wonderful smells meeting me at the door. It drew me in, it fed me as much as the actual food did. I like to dabble with a whole host of flavors and combinations thereof. Spicy, sweet, sour, salty. Each will elicit a different feeling. And the combination of all those can lead to the most pleasing sounds. Groans of pleasure, followed by “thank you.” Feeding someone is an act of love, nurturing love. It says I care about you and your well-being. You’re worth the time and effort it took to do this. By my definition, that’s sexy.

This idea of nurturing through food often times bleeds over into my novels. In A Slower Lower Life, Deidre catches on very quickly that in Kurt’s family, food is an essential bonding mechanism. Women are constantly in the kitchen fixing anything and everything, his family leaves them surprise goody baskets several times so that they never have to leave the bed if they don’t want to, and there are several family gatherings in which a huge part of the celebration is the preparing of food and nurturing of others. In the sub-genre I’ve been exploring lately, the world of BDSM, I’ve yet to meet a Master that doesn’t hand feed his pet. He yearns to nurture her, ensure she’s healthy and satisfied. In Identity Crisis, once Ren has been accepted as part of Tori and Chad’s relationship, Ren and Chad sit her at their feet and hand feed her breakfast denying themselves until she’s sated. That allowed her to know she was cherished.

So now you know what room, aside from the bedroom, I find sexiest. How do you feel about the kitchen? What do you consider the sexiest room aside from the bedroom?

Happy nurturing!

Welcome Gail Koger

2011-04-11T04:00:00.000-04:00

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for thirty-one years and to keep insanity at bay, I took up writing. Not to worry. The insanity isn’t catching – much. Other than the addiction to chocolate and the twitch in my left eye, I’m good. I’ve had my weird but true stories published in newspapers and magazines. My first book was The Ghost Wore Polyester, a murder mystery/comedy set in Sedona, Arizona. Just My Luck, a science fiction romance, was reviewed by Chris at Night Owl Romance and received four out of five hearts. Lisa at Joyfully Reviewed called it an incredibly fun read. The Warlord’s Comeuppance, is the second in the series about the Coletti Warlords. I just finished The Nasty Vamp, a fantasy. I'm currently working on I Hear Voices another paranormal romance with a sense of humor. I can be reached at http://www.gailkoger.com/ or my publisher's website at http://www.whispershome.com/ .

How NOT To Meet A Cop
By
Gail Koger

I was sitting at my computer working on my hot, melt your panties sex scene and suddenly I hear. Cheep. Cheep. Cheep. What the…?”

I looked down and there sat Sam, my demon dog, with a mouth full of feathers. So, silly me I asked him, “What’s in your mouth?” Sam barked, “Nuthin.”

Right. Does he think I’m stupid? The poor bird cheeped desperately. In my best mean mother voice I command, “Spit!” Sam does and the chicken, wings flapping madly and squawking pathetically took off like the Devil himself was after it.

Sam (the Devil in disguise) thinks this is great fun and chased the poor chicken all over the house. Right into my kinda messy kitchen (hey, I’m working here). Where I had left out a bowl of hot sauce on the counter and you guessed it – SPLAT! That stupid bird slammed into the sauce, wings still flapping like crazy, splattering the stuff all over the walls, ceiling, floor and me. Arrgh!

Okay, I lost it and started screaming blue bloody murder at the crazy chicken and my hyperactive pooch. Off they went, spreading mayhem and sauce all over the living room. Mad as hell, I grabbed my broom and tried to chase the damned chicken out the back door. “You’re dinner! Do ya hear me?”

Someone pounded on my front door. “Go away,” I shouted. They shouted back, “Police! Open up.”

Crap! I opened the door and smiled all friendly like at the hot cop on my front porch. “Can I help you officer?” His hand on his gun, the officer eyed my sauce-covered body, “Are you injured, ma’am?”

A slightly hysterical laugh escaped me. “No, sir. It’s hot sauce.” At his incredulous look, I invited him in. Sam ran by in hot pursuit of the chicken, splattering the unsuspecting officer’s immaculate uniform. “Sorry,” I whacked madly at the stupid chicken. “Bad chicken!”

The nice officer snagged the broom out of my hand and with one easy swing, batted the “bad chicken” right out the back door. Without another word, he gave me back my broom, turned and walked out. I yelled after him, “You like fried chicken?”

He got in his car and drove off. Guess not.

A short excerpt for The Nasty Vamp:

All I wanted was to be a normal teenage girl whose biggest worry was what to wear to her sixteenth birthday party. I needed for a few hours to forget about my mother’s murder and the monsters that inhabit the night. With all my heart I wished for a little romance, for a man who could make me forget the bloodshed and death. I longed for a prince charming who would sweep me off my feet and kiss me under the stars. Then fate kicked me in the teeth and granted my wish.

My perfect prince charming turned out to be a vampire. If I hadn’t been so blasted drunk I might have noticed his fangs a bit sooner. Not when they were buried in my neck and the super nova of orgasms was tearing through me

I had given my virginity to Ian McGregor, a master vampire who knew I would become a slayer on my sixteenth birthday. The bastard had deliberately lured me to his bed to take my powers. Only Uncle Fester’s timely intervention saved my life.

My dreams shattered and in a royal snit I tracked McGregor down and blew up a garage full of his expensive antique automobiles. Big mistake! Who knew a Highland warrior that had been turned way back in 1186 would be so rabid about his cars?

I certainly didn’t need Uncle Fester’s snarky comment that riling up a master vampire was about as smart as whacking on a hornet’s nest with a stick. You’re gonna get bit, repeatedly.

Uncle Fester dragged me to a creepy old witch and held me down while the bitch magically welded an Amalfi Medallion to my neck. I was now stuck with a freakin’ silver dog collar complete with spikes and weird carvings. The Amalfi would supposedly protect me from McGregor. What I really needed was something to protect me from Aunt Tessa.

After a two hour lecture on the stupidity of spreading my legs for a vampire, Aunt Tessa promptly shipped me off to Alfred school. Where I could put my talent for blowing stuff up to good use and the instructors would teach me some badly needed discipline.

Since I could no longer be a slayer, it was a good fit. Alfreds are weapons, explosives and surveillance experts.

My name is Ann Dragos but everyone calls me Bunny. I got stuck with this swell nickname because I look so cute and cuddly. Gag me. My psychic abilities are the only reason I’m still breathing. My mom was forced to drink from a vampire when she was pregnant with me and that transfusion has given me some pretty nifty powers.

Powers the nasty vamp couldn’t take away. I’m telepathic which lets me eavesdrop on all of McGregor’s dirty little plans and stay a step ahead of him. My ace in the hole is I can’t be mesmerized and forced to do their bidding. This allows me to get up close and personal with my Mister Pointy. Another gift is the ability to read auras and sense any supernatural beings within a mile of me. Since vampires are freakishly fast, it gives me enough time to set up my booby traps and fry their asses.

McGregor placed a million dollar bounty on my head and five years later still actively hunts me. I guess I should quit blowing up his cars.

Welcome Marie Treanor

2011-04-08T04:00:00.000-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.
Hello! And thanks for having me at Wicked Muses! I’m a Scottish writer with American publishers, and I write mainly sensual paranormal romance. I live in a village on the east coast of Scotland with my husband of nearly twenty years and my three kids aged 16, 14 and 7. When I’m not writing, I like reading, films, good food and wine, and hanging out with friends. Education-wise, I have a degree in history and I’ve worked as a researcher and a librarian in Glasgow, London, Edinburgh and Fife. I stopped working when my daughter was born seven years ago, and now I’m glad to say I write full time.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

I’m writing a new vampire romance which I hope will grow into a series – with a very different hero and heroine from the Awakened by Blood trilogy!

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

Well, I have the support of my husband in terms of finance and encouragement. But I’m a bit of a loner about the actual writing. I don’t belong to any groups and I don’t have any crit partners or beta readers. Which is probably a disadvantage! And I confess I do feel the benefit of the experience of co-writing with Bonnie Dee when we collaborate on our Fairytale Fantasies at Samhain.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Probably when my characters won’t do what they’re supposed to and make me re-think the whole story!

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

I try to write every day after the kids have gone to school, until I have to collect my daughter. Apart from that, I just grab whatever time I can. I often wake up early and write with the lap top in bed while drinking coffee 

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

I like to go on holiday to various places, both in the UK and abroad. I do love the sun (which is a problem when you live in Scotland!), so it’s always great to get away to somewhere really warm. This year we’re off to Turkey for three weeks, and I’m SO looking forward to it!

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

Lots! But I think my all time favourite author is the Scottish historical novelist Dorothy Dunnett, and my favourite book of her is probably King Hereafter, which is her version of the historical Macbeth. But I love everything she’s written.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

Like most writers, my favourite is always the one I’m writing at the time . At the moment, I’ve spent so much time with the Awakened by Blood books (Blood on Silk, Blood Sin and Blood Eternal), that they have to be my favourites! Favourite hero? Saloman (Awakened by Blood). Or maybe the Magician from Magic Man… Favourite heroine? Elizabeth Silk (Awakened by Blood). Or Jenny from Hunting Karoly (also in Seducing Scots)

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

Hmmm… As far as I can recall, the easiest was the first romance I ever wrote, Ghost Unlaid. It just seemed to flow from start to finish –although my memory may be faulty there! The hardest was probably Steamy Nights because I kept tangling myself up in the time-travelling plot  And the most fun has to be Hunting Karoly, my first and funniest (and possibly hottest!) vampire story.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

Usually, the hero or heroine, and then the story and the setting grow up around them. But each story is different, and sometimes the plot does give birth to the characters!

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

A heroine I can relate to, a hero I can fall in love with in a dangerous or intriguing situation, and a lot of chemistry. I also like a bit of wit and humour, but it doesn’t have to be laugh out loud 

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

They control me, damn them.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I’d probably have gone back to librarianship, or be working with books in some other way.

Excerpt from Blood Sin:

BLOOD SIN: Awakened by Blood 2 By MARIE TREANOR
Published by NAL Signet Eclipse
Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sin-Awakened-Novel/dp/0451232313/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_9

Even if you walk in the light, you can dwell in the dark.

Months after her dangerous encounter with vampire overlord Saloman, Scottish academic Elizabeth Silk is still trying to cope with both the demands of her ancestral bloodline—which marks her as a vampire hunter — and the overpowering desire she feels for the immortal she brought back from the grave. But she is not alone in her fascination with Saloman.

When Elizabeth tracks down a distant cousin from America, she learns he possesses an antique sword that has caught the interest of the Grand Master of the American hunters. It is the ancient and mystical sword of Saloman — a treasure of vast occult powers and a prize beyond measure to both vampires and humans. Now the race is on for possession of the sword.

Even as her enemies and allies shift their allegiances and battle for supremacy, Elizabeth must decide which will rule her own perilous fate: unwanted loyalty or unholy love.

*

“Josh! Darling!” interrupted a gushing voice. An instant later, Jerri Cusack embraced Josh, and everyone fell back to give her room. Her movements were all quick and dramatic, and she seemed to have released him almost before she’d grabbed him, reaching behind her in high excitement to exclaim, “I’ve just got to introduce you to Adam Simon!”

The name alone would have made Elizabeth turn in the direction of her grasping hand, but the speed of Josh’s spin to meet the man interested her far more. She stepped aside to get a better view, and almost dropped her glass.

He walked toward her, his black hair flowing loose over his shoulders. Alone of the men present, he wore no dinner jacket, just a black shirt that might have been velvet or crushed silk, with a matching tie that looked more like a cravat. He moved with all the grace and threat of a panther.

All this she absorbed in the first instant before his beauty blinded her, as it had always done. Yet it never even entered her head to doubt her own sanity, or to wonder whether her recognition was faulty. His mask had fallen.

He gazed only at her. She took a step toward him without meaning to, and he smiled, the rare, full smile that haunted her dreams. Shock overwhelmed the emotions struggling for release.

Then joy broke through like a tide, propelling her forward and into his arms, her face already raised for his kiss. Amber flames danced in his black eyes, burning her with the force of his desire. His mouth no longer smiled as it covered hers.

Elizabeth, he said silently. Elizabeth.

Saloman.

It was an instant, a very small instant of bliss. The powerful arms she’d never thought to feel again closed close around her, while his mouth, his incredible, wonderful mouth, moved over hers with tenderness, accepting all her need and all the uncomplicated happiness of her kiss.

But it wasn’t uncomplicated. And they weren’t alone. A fact that Saloman, clearly, had never lost sight of for a moment. Even as she gasped into his mouth, trying to force herself to draw back, to ask questions that had only half formed in her brain, he was already releasing her. Her stunned lips felt cold, her body rebellious as his arms fell away. Although the tips of his fingers trailed over her naked back and lingered, so that she stood in the circle of his arm, being inexorably turned as if to be shown off to friends.

She shivered, desperately reaching for what dignity or even sense she could muster. They were being watched by several people with varying degrees of surprise, interest, and disapproval.

As if from very far away, Josh’s voice said, “I didn’t realize you two were acquainted.”

“Neither did I!” Elizabeth hoped she didn’t sound as hysterical as she felt.

“We met in Eastern Europe,” Saloman said, and God, yes, his voice still sounded the same. A little more modern in its intonation, perhaps, but it still reached right inside her, turning her outside in. “I expect Elizabeth remembers the Hungarian form of my name.”

“Oh, yes,” Elizabeth agreed, fighting the urge to laugh.

“What would that be?” Jerri asked eagerly.

“You couldn’t pronounce it,” Saloman said blandly.

Elizabeth, who, incredibly enough, was still clutching her champagne glass, hoped she’d spilled some of its contents over his mocking, arrogant person. Lifting it to her lips with fingers she prayed didn’t shake too visibly, she took a sizable gulp and tried to think.

What the hell was he doing here? And why was he posing as Adam Simon? Shit, what had he done with the real businessman? Was he after Dante?

No, you blind, blithering fool! He’s after Josh! Josh, whom you came here to protect, remember? To warn him against this very vampire? Well, Silk, now’s your moment!

Biography:

Marie Treanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and three much-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, she resides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensual stories of paranormal romance and fantasy.
Website: http://www.marietreanor.com/ .
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Treanor-Paranormal-Romance/105866982782360

Join the party on her new blog, Marie Treanor’s Romantic Theme Party: http://romanticthemeparty.blogspot.com/

Read excerpts from Blood Sin: http://www.marietreanor.com/BloodSin.htm#excerpts

Buy Blood Sin (Awakened by Blood 2) at Amazon

Buy Blood on Silk (Awakened by Blood 1) at Amazon

Watch out for Blood Eternal (Awakened by Blood 3, coming October 2011).

Backlist:

Ellora's Cave:
HUNTING KAROLY
GUITAR MAN
FREEING AL
SEDUCING SCOTS (print): containing the above three titles)

Samhain Publishing:
KILLING JOE
GOTHIC DRAGON (ebook and print)
ARIADNE'S THREAD
THE DEVIL AND VIA (ebook and print)
QUEEN'S GAMBIT
REQUIEM FOR RAB
CINDERELLA UNMASKED (with Bonnie Dee - ebook and print)
DEMON LOVER (with Bonnie Dee)
AWAKENING BEAUTY (with Bonnie Dee)

Changeling Press:

Tales of the Damned:
CITY OF THE DAMNED (Ebook collection, comprising LOVING THE WOLF, LOVING THE VAMPIRE and LOVING THE MAN).
Christmas Cookie: CHRISTMAS OF THE DAMNED
DRAGUL RISING (Ebook collection, comprising DRAGUL DAWN, DRAGUL IN DAYLIGHT and DRAGUL IN DARKNESS)
ROGUE WARRIORS (Ebook collection comprising REBEL, SOLDIER and QUEEN)

Jack o' Lanterns: WITCH OF ALLOWAY
ESCAPE: Devilish Fantasy
Hot Flash: SWAN SONG
Big, Blooming and Wild! WILLOW THE WISP
Heat Stroke: COOL POOL
STEAMY NIGHTS (Montage)

WOLF HUNT (Ebook collection comprising URBAN WOLF, FOREST WOLF, GALACTIC WOLF and Holiday Howlz: CRY FOR THE MOON).

The Wild Rose Press:
MAGIC MAN (Scarlet Rose, Ebook and PRINT)
GHOST UNLAID (Faery Rose)

Welcome Alyssa Aaron

2011-04-06T04:00:00.000-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.

First of all, thank you for having me here at Wicked Muses. I’m delighted to be here.

I’m extremely lucky to have found my own personal soul mate in my husband Orville about fifteen years ago when I placed a personal ad on several websites and in several online groups. My husband responded to my ad even though he’d never responded to a personal ad before. We chatted through AOL messenger, on the phone and through email for about four months. (Yes, we had some horrendous bills because AOL was by the minute back then.) Finally he suggested that we meet in person. Since he was in Ohio and I was still in Iowa at that time I knew that meeting would require the planning of a trip, so I wasn’t worried. I figured that would take some time and so I would have some time to adjust to the idea. I agreed to meet. The next day he called and said he had the plane reservations made and he wanted to know which hotel to book…for the weekend. I was shocked! Stunned!

So much for long range planning!

We met that weekend at the airport and spent the weekend together. The next weekend I flew to Ohio for what was supposed to be a temporary visit, but I stayed.

When I write romances in which strangers marry I do draw a bit on the experiences involved in throwing caution to the wind and moving 680 miles to be with someone I’ve only just met in the flesh.

My husband has always been my staunchest supporter, no matter where I’ve turned my attentions. I’ve done a number of different things in the fifteen years we’ve been together. Most of my “jobs” have been of a volunteer nature. I did work for a while as a substitute pre-school and kindergarten teacher. Other than writing and editing and running Black Velvet Seductions that’s my favorite paying job of all time.

But I’ve done a lot of stuff. I volunteered at a no-kill animal shelter in Cincinnati, groomed police horses for the Cincinnati Police Department, I’ve been a court appointed special advocate for abused and neglected kids and have volunteered in two different Indianapolis inner-city schools. One year with the fourth grade and one year with the first grade.

When I’m not writing, editing, or volunteering somewhere I enjoy quilting, flower gardening, cooking and collecting recipes.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

Thank you for asking. I fell in love with the idea of Dominant’s Regret one morning while taking a shower. For some reason (crazy as it is) I do a lot of my best thinking in the shower. My mind was wandering and Trent and Lacey wandered in complete with all of their really heavy emotion. The part of the story I knew at that point was the emotion that each character had. Like a snapshot I knew where they were emotionally…but I didn’t really know how they got where I was envisioning them.

I’ve always been fascinated by what would happen if a Dom really screwed up…really made a bad decision or a series of bad decisions. In Dominant’s Regret I’m exploring that. I have the opening scene of Dominant’s Regret written. In that scene the hero Trent, gets rip-roarin’ drunk after he learns that his estranged wife Lacey is coming home to take care of her dad over the summer. Trent has never gotten over her (nor has he forgiven himself for his role in their estrangement). Even though they’ve been estranged for years he wants her back. She’s finally given up on happily ever after and wants a divorce so she can adopt a child (he doesn’t know that yet in the opening scene. He learns that in the next chapter.)

This book is different from His Perfect Submissive. Lacey had perfect parents, a happy childhood. I’m not 100% sure of Trent’s upbringing at this point. I have the sense that he got responsibility early…when his parents were killed and he had to struggle to save the ranch. But I don’t sense that either of them had the kind of heavy baggage that Kara had in His Perfect Submissive. Their baggage is all their own making. It is heavy. There is a lot of bitterness, hurt, broken trust between them. But there is a very strong connection and a lot of love too.

Both Trent and Lacey are really into the dominant/submissive lifestyle, though Lacey has been bit by it and is torn between wanting/needing it and fearing it since she blames the relationship style as much as she blames Trent for their break-up.

The book is really about a dominant recapturing his confidence (to be a dominant) after having made some decisions that were really selfish and hurtful. It’s also about the rebuilding of the level of trust necessary to enter into a dominance and submission relationship again after such a failure on the part of the Dom. Lacey desires that kind of relationship…hungers for it on a very deep level…but distrusts the very foundation of that kind of relationship…so she is in a great deal of conflict too. And Trent has broken her trust with his decisions during their marriage.

It’s complex. Deep. Emotional. There is a lot of story. It won’t be all sex though there will be a fair amount. The sex may actually be hotter, the BDSM elements stronger than they were in His Perfect Submissive. I have the sense that these characters are a whole lot kinkier than Kara and Slade ever thought about being. We’ll have to see how they evolve through the writing of the book though. My characters are ALWAYS surprising me.

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

My husband Orville is my staunchest supporter. But several members of the family have read the book and have enjoyed it. I’m involved a lot with writers through workshops and online chats and so on. There is a lot of support there. I do not at this point have a face to face critique group, though I do have an online one who is waiting for me to finish the next chapter. 

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

No, there really isn’t anything about writing that really frustrates me.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

No, I don’t have a schedule for writing and that’s probably the thing that slows me down the most in terms of writing. A great deal of my time is taken up running the publishing company Black Velvet Seductions which my husband and I own. There are days, sometimes whole weeks when there is not time to write anything at all. I tend to like to write every day when I am working on a book. I find that when I do write every day the characters and the story evolve much more easily than when my time is more scattered. My husband recently retired from his evil day job and we are moving to Iowa to be closer to my family. I’m hoping that once we get through that upheaval we will settle into a routine that will allow more time for writing on an daily basis.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Quilting is what I do to relax and recharge. So much in the world of running Black Velvet Seductions is fast and requires things to be done quickly and efficiently that it is nice to relax with something that is SUPPOSED to take time.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

I have a lot of favorite authors. Every book published by Black Velvet Seductions is a book that I personally enjoyed reading and editing by an author whose talent I believe in. Outside of Black Velvet Seductions I like Sarah McCarty. I particularly enjoyed her Promises Series and her Hell’s Eight Series. I have also been enjoying Cherise Sinclair Recently. I really enjoyed Dom’s Dungeon. In the sweeter realm I very much enjoy Catherine Anderson’s books.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

Well, my current favorite would have to be His Perfect Submissive because that’s still the book I know the best, still the characters that I know the best. However, I do believe that as I delve more into Dominant’s Regret it is going to be an equally strong story.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

His Perfect Submissive was the easiest to write. The scenes just sort of flowed together in a way that has not happened as easily with Dominant’s Regret. This probably has to do with the fact that I wrote every day when I was working on the early part of His Perfect Submissive and I have not been able to do that with Dominant’s Regret.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

Usually, for me it is kind of a combination. Usually what I have is a scene, with characters and setting, and all of the character’s emotion but I don’t know how the characters came to be or what led to the scene so I begin piecing together those aspects.

With His Perfect Submissive I knew the scene where Kara has her panic attack and Slade finally learns her secret. I saw the panic attack…knew the emotion on both sides…saw the characters acting…but at the outset I didn’t know how they got there.

With Dominant’s Regret what I had first was just the deep emotion that both characters felt…there is such loss…such a bleakness…and it wasn’t really in a scene…it was just hanging there. So I began to piece backwards…drawing out who was feeling the emotions, how they came to feel them.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

For me a great romance really has to have characters that are in some way admirable. I like the characters to be drawn to traits within each other…not just physical attraction based on appearance. I openly admit to being an emotion junkie. I want very strong emotion in any romance novel I read…whether the emotion is positive or negative…emotion must be there. The characters must feel. I like characters that are a bit vulnerable. I like the characters to have to work hard and overcome a lot for their happy ever after. I tend to like deeper, darker, more emotional stories as opposed to light and fluffy fare.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

There is a bit of negotiation involved. I tend to follow the characters but I do have veto power…as do they.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Well, I enjoyed the time I spent teaching pre-school and kindergarten and also the time I spent volunteering with the first and fourth grades. If I weren’t writing and publishing I would probably be teaching or volunteering.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

I have lots of words of encouragement and advice for unpublished writers. There is more than I can fit here available on the Black Velvet Seductions Writers Page at http://www.blackvelvetseductions.com/writers_stuff.html I would particularly encourage authors to study point of view and especially deep point of view. Most of what makes a writer’s work powerful stems from using deep point of view. Beyond that, keep writing, keep learning. Accept that your novel isn’t supposed to be perfect at the first draft level. Revising is part of the process. Expect to do it. A lot!

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

I don’t really think my books are well suited for the big screen. My books are very emotional and it’s exceedingly difficult to show internal emotion from outside using camera view. I don’t really have a big desire to see either His Perfect Submissive or Dominant’s Regret as a movie. Both are better as books than I can envision them being as movies.

Fill in the blank favorites
Favorite dessert – vanilla cake
Favorite city – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Favorite season – fall
Favorite type of hero – caring, understanding, Dominant.
Favorite type of heroine – emotionally strong but vulnerable in some way

Kara was the victim of a brutal rape that occurred when she was seven. The event destroyed her family and left her fearful and distrustful of men. When Kara's brother embezzles $30,000 from Slade's company, Kara goes to Slade’s office determined to talk him out of going to the police.

Slade wants a peaceful, obedient, submissive with whom to share his life and in Kara he glimpses what he wants. He seizes the opportunity and makes Kara an offer she can't afford to refuse. The only way she can save her brother from certain prison is to accept Slade's marriage proposal and become his submissive.

Kara faces her wedding with anxiety. She can't tell Slade she can't submit sexually without risking her brother's freedom, yet she doubts she'll be able to keep her promise to be a submissive, obedient wife.

This romance explores the role of trust in even the most mismatched of partnerships and explores the complex connections between dominance and submission while it demonstrates the power of real love to heal even the deepest wounds.

Please enjoy an excerpt:

She glanced up from her plate and caught his eyes resting on her. His expression was relaxed and intimate, like a gentle touch. It made her feel toasty and a little tipsy, sort of like the feeling she got at New Years when she drank champagne.She smiled self-consciously and glanced away from the intensity of his gaze.

“I know I’ve told you what I want from marriage, but I never slowed down enough to ask what you want. I’m sorry I didn’t ask sooner.” He cast her a half smile, just a twitch of his lips, and a softening of his features. “Are there things you want to be part of our marriage?”

She nearly choked on her turkey and had to take a drink of her Mountain Dew to wash it all down. “I’ve never really thought about it,” she said when she recovered. “I never planned to marry.”

The words reminded her how hopeless their marriage was and how dishonest she had been in not telling him about her past. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out again. Slade had managed to touch some sensual part of her without waking the demons inside her, but she couldn’t imagine she’d feel anything but claustrophobic desperation when his weight was on top of her pushing her into the bed.

“Even so, you are married. There must be things you want from marriage,” he coaxed, drawing her mind back to the conversation. “I can’t make you happy if I don’t know what you want or what you need.”

She looked across the table feeling lost in the question and in his unflinchingly steady gaze. The earnestness in his words and in his gaze made her believe he did want her to be happy. She struggled with what she needed, what she wanted and whether she wanted any part of the marriage at all.

She’d been forced into it in the first place. She never would have chosen to marry at all if it hadn’t been the only way to keep her brother out of jail. Yet, now that she was married…she couldn’t envision enjoying sex, with anyone, and yet she liked Slade.

She dipped her head, shying away from the power of his gaze and then stealing a glance at him as she started to speak. “Trust isn’t easy for me,” she said in a small voice.

Slade nodded.

“I need to be able to trust you Slade.” Her voice sounded pleading and she hated the weakness in it, the beseeching quality.

“You can Kara. Always.”

She sighed.

“What else do you need? Kara?” His voice was soft, a whisper of sensation that affected her almost like a touch.

Her tummy tightened as if he had touched her. She glanced at her hands knotted against the Formica table. “I would like to—” she swallowed hard and blinked back tears that rose in her eyes, hating the fact that she felt teary all of a sudden.

She looked at him through the glimmer of unshed tears and read in his expression only an honest desire to understand what she wanted. “I would like to feel at least cared for.” The admission left her feeling cold and alone, as if she was begging for scraps of affection that she was not entitled to. “I know that wasn’t part of our agreement but-—the idea of having—of—” She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes fighting
the tide of embarrassment that washed over her.

“The idea of making love with me—-I get that part of it-—now go on—”

She opened her eyes feeling utterly embarrassed. His knowing smile loosed a tingle of awareness that shot through her making her feel cared for and protected in spite of her embarrassment.

“The idea of doing—that—without you at least liking me a little bit makes me feel-—really empty.”

April Fools Day, 1983

2011-04-01T07:28:00.000-04:00

The year I turned thirteen, I thought it would be hilarious to play an April Fool's day trick on my parents. I got up early on that cool Saturday morning, a day when my family actually tried to connect over a home cooked meal rather than a trip to the Burger Chef (this is 1983 folks--yes, Burger Chef was the only fast food joint in my town back then). Although my mom can't cook a lick, my stepdad is a wizard in the kitchen and can still make a mean pancake breakfast to this day.

I get to the kitchen before anyone else in the house is stirring and I decide in my infinite thirteen year old wisdom that I'm gonna switch the salt and the sugar. Yes, this means I empty a canister full of sugar into a small salt shaker, dumping the balance in the trash, and empty a cardboard container of Morton's finest iodized into the sugar canister, all the while knowing my stepdad's homemade pancakes have real sugar in them. "Ha--I'm hilarious!" I think to myself, trying hard not to laugh and wake everyone else up.

The food is eventually prepared and we all sit down to eat, my looking everywhere except at the faces of my mom, stepdad and brother. Everyone takes the first bite, screws up their faces in disgust and spits their food out. Seriously, the pancakes tasted was more like the salt dough we used to make those cheesy little ornaments in grade school than food. So I wait a minute while everyone is scratching their head and then I yell "April Fools!" No-one laughs. I mean NO-ONE. Not even my stupid older brother, who's still absolutely no fun to this day.

Well, the trick was on me. I had to eat all the pancakes I took, which if memory serves me was plenty. I mean, I had to make it look good to pull off the prank, right? Sure I did.

I still do crazy stuff like this to my folks all the time but that's beside the point, right? And I have to admit, I don't really like pancakes anymore.

Happy April Fools Day!

2011-04-01T07:25:00.000-04:00

by Lila Munro

Twenty-one years ago today I got the most interesting April Fool’s gift ever. I had just turned twenty-one myself and was nice and round with child. An over-due child. He was stubborn before he even made his debut. In fact, I was so over-due everyone I encountered looked at me like I was diseased instead of pregnant. So, a bit of background on how this pregnancy was going up until that day. I was living at home with Mommy and Daddy. My sister was still at home as well, although she had a social life. She wasn’t nice and round with child. In preparation of the blessed big event, for three weeks prior to April 1 she would come home every night from her date, fix her hair and apply a fresh coat of make-up—it was just on the heels of the 80’s you know and the bigger the hair the better and the more eyeliner you could manage even more so. Then my dear sister would go to bed and lie stiff as a board in fear that she would get messed up and have to ride to the hospital with me looking bad. Ha! What did she think I was going to look like after that ride? After a grueling day of restless boredom I retired and tossed and turned and tossed and turned. I could not get comfortable to save myself, and eventually I heard my sister return from her date. She went into our bathroom, I heard water, briefly, then she went to bed. Hmmmph! Too short a time in my opinion for a re-apply job. Okay, whatever. I had bigger issues—this over-due baby. Uh-oh. What the hell was that? Nah…that was too easy and it didn’t hurt much. Probably a cramp. Three minutes later…uh-oh…I think I know what the hell that was. So, I roll like a June bug on its back a few times finally managing to spring free of the bed and waddle away to tell someone it’s time.
“Sister, get up…call you boyfriend, it’s time to go.”
“No, it’s not. This is the only night I’ve picked all the hairspray out and took off every ounce of make-up. I cannot go to the hospital looking like this.”
“Too bad. It’s time to go.”
“Oh, ha, ha. Very funny. April Fool’s to you, too.”
“Oh, ha, ha. Not funny. Let’s go.”
“Shit!”
Eight hours later we had a bouncing baby boy coming in at 9 pounds 1 ounce via a C-section. Yes, he’s still that stubborn. And I’m not fooling…

Anthology Call for Writers

2011-03-26T09:28:00.000-04:00

I am currently doing a bit of recruiting (scary I know). With all the great movies that have come out the past year or so revolving around fairy tales I thought it would be fun to put together one for Halloween. The title and publisher has been selected but I need writers to participate….

Title of Anthology: Once Upon an Orgasm
Genre: Erotic Fantasy (obviously)
Number of stories: 6-10
Word count each: 5000-10,000
Specifications: all a twist on a Fairy Tale

So how do you participate?
Simple drop me an email at jloiler@live.com
In the subject line put: Happily Ever After
Be certain in the body of the message to give me your Email and any particular story you would like to twist.

Story Selection is on a first come (no pun intended *grin*) basis.
JL

Welcome Lindsay Klug

2011-03-23T04:00:00.000-04:00

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Lindsay Klug. I’m happily married to my high school sweetheart and Army man and we have two kids, two cats, and one frisky pitbull mix. I’m a trained Pharmacy Technician, with additional training in medical billing and coding, enjoy hiking, nature in general, and fixing cars. I also have an avid interest in tattoos, with eleven currently on me, to include a sleeve, leg piece, back piece, both sides, and one dedicated to my mother in law who recently won her fight against breast cancer.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

Which one? ;) Right now, Sam is holding a knife to my throat. Not literally, but she’s spunky enough, I wouldn’t put it past her. She was inspired by a phrase, a song, and a secondary character: “I don’t have a foot to mouth filter”, Cherry Bomb, and a bad boy.

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

My husband and family are very supportive of my writing. I’ve been truly blessed to have such amazing people in my life.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

That hump. There’s a spot in every manuscript around 25k words where I just slump in my chair and say, “Gawd, this writing SUCKS.” But if I can just hit 25,001 words, it’s all better.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

My guaranteed writing time is while the kids are at school. However, once I land my day job I’ll have to just go with when I can.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Usually go for a walk or hike in the lovely desert mountains surrounding us, or lounge with my husband and kiddos.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

My favorite book is the Kite Runner. It was very powerful. Favorite author is Nora Roberts. Pretty much guaranteed that anything she writes, I’ll enjoy.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

It’s so hard to pick just one. Abby was a very resilient heroine, and so wonderful to write. Aidan, a hero in a different story, positively oozed sex appeal, so he was a lot of fun to craft.

Which of your books has been the asiest to write? The most fun?hardest? The

Is there such a thing as an easy book to write? All of my projects are fun and difficult. The characters become very dear to my heart and so I strive to create the perfect scenery, plot, etc. for them.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

A character percolates in my head for about two weeks before I actually begin writing their story. I need their personality, appearance, and back story first. The setting is secondary for me; once the character is in place I know where they’re located.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

There has to be a strong relationship and a strong voice.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I am always in control of my characters. Sometimes I have to reinforce that aspect to them by deleting a scene or two. Take that. *glances around furtively* I hope they didn’t hear that.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I would probably be in that corner over there, rocking back and forth and telling the voices in my head to shush.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Absolutely do not take the rejections to heart, because there will be many. Just remember, every major selling book was rejected before being picked, and in many cases the manuscripts were accidentally read.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

I think I’d like to see Delila or Abby onscreen. Both have strong voices. Delila would have to be played by someone who can be as sweet as they are dangerous. I have no idea who that would be. Abby’s actor needs to convey strength and bravery.

Fill in the blank favorites
Dessert: Cherry Pie.
City: Mannheim, Germany.
Season: Summer
Hero: Sexy, alluring, masculine.
Heroine: Sassy, smart, not needy, clingy, etc.

My current release is with Silver Publishing, called The Life And Times of Delila. It’s available in e-book format from my publisher, Amazon, B&N, and iBooks, as well as several other retail outlets across the internet! This is my first publishing venture, so I’m seriously excited about it.

http://silverpublishing.info/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/the-life-and-times-of-delila-p-217

Delila has roamed the Earth for over one thousand years with her maker, Alaric. She has everything a vampire could want: Beauty, brains, a booming business, and an ability to read human emotions.

When a werewolf makes an imprint in her life, Delila feels she may have finally found the soul mate she has been seeking. But when everything goes terribly wrong she finds herself burdened with a young half breed child to protect from the evil forces of her world.

My second release comes out with Rebel Ink Press this summer, titled What I’ve Learned. Abby is very near to my heart, since I cultured her story for almost three years.

Abigail Jones is a former prostitute who buys her freedom from a Mexican cartel boss and forges a new life. Secure in the knowledge that she's escaped her past, Abigail's world falls apart when her brother's head is delivered to her in a brown paper box. And when the cartel boss sends an assassin to take her life, Abigail can't deny the danger she faces.

Encumbered with her brother's infant son and gripped by fear, Abby shares her story and the evidence her brother accumulated about the cartel to the police and finds herself abruptly thrust into Witness Protection. Beginning a new life as Quinn, the recently divorced mother of little Paul and middle school guidance counselor, Abby is moved to a quiet neighborhood with quaint houses and white picket fences.

While Abby struggles to recreate herself and tries to focus on conforming to the rules of the program, not to mention life with a small child, the cartel continues their search for her. And although life seems to slowly return to some form of normalcy, little does Abby know that her past is slowly closing in on her.

Digging a Little Deeper

2011-03-22T04:00:00.000-04:00

I guess it's been a while since I hopped over here and posted anything good. I don't post often but when I do I usually have something to say. Like last week when I posted on by personal blog about guests stiffing their hostesses. I guess I caused quite a stir because my inbox was flooded with posts the next day from future guests and inquiries making sure I got the posts so they wouldn't be badged a bad guest. I had to smile at this because it was the good guests that were worried. The no-show guests still failed to take notice, as I expected. Thank you good guests for being you and being who you are, and no worries you've not been badged. In my haste to sit atop by soapbox however, I made the sorry mistake of stiffing a guest. Bad, bad, Lila. I was completey ashamed of myself--and once again, I am sorry, Maureen.

My plate has been quite full as of late and for anyone that isn't aware the hubs is away on, well, we'll call it "business." Although my nest is empty it seems I was able to keep up better when it was full than I am now. In fact, I've hired a summer "gardner" ie neighbor boy that wants to earn a few dollars weeding my flower beds and mowing my grass. Things I used to take great pleasure in but now find irritate me to no end. I can only manage to get one dog to the doggy beauty parlor at at time because they are both old and can't play nice in the car anymore. More time wasted. And I've considred hiring a merry maid. Trust me if she'd cleaned up what I did this morning she'd not have been merry long. I had to beat the house back into submission. Why the hell it can't clean itself is beyond me. As my friend said this morning, we have to clean up after ourselves why doesn't the house. Good question.

So, what does any of that have to do with digging. It seems I've dug far enough doesn't it? I mean I'm in a hole the size of Texas with projects and responsibilities, half of which I created for myself. And no matter how hard I try and discipline myself I just keep sticking my proverbial paw in the air and saying with glee..."Sure, I'll do it." Will I ever learn? Don't worry we'll get there soon enough...promise. Where were we? Ah yes, projects and responsibilities. You know it's tough being responsible. And it's exhausting. I lose sleep sometimes because I lay awake and worry if I got it all done and if I did, did I do it all to the best of my ability. Does anyone else have this problem? When I first started writing the only things I had to worry about keeping me up at night were my characters and my muse. But, the further along this path I walked the less they talked and the more the responsiblities nagged at me. Get up, Lila post another blog from atop your soapbox, you know you have a blog tour coming up--you should be filling out interviews, you're little list of finds for the week isn't quite long enough. Well we see what that blogging one more time got me last week, a dose of my own medicine.

Are you wondering what the point is yet? Me too really. Let's see. Okay so I'm bogged down, tired, worried, and losing sleep. Okay, up to speed again. Remember some weeks back, you may have seen a post at any number of places about a group of writers and how they'd lost their joy. Well, you know what? Joy doesn't get lost. We somehow manage to allow people to steal it. And I'll be truthful here, I am the world's worst at this. I will go belly up for others and completely give them my joy on a silver platter. Last week I managed to do it again. I gave my joy to someone, sobbing the whole while that I had done it again. And you know what happens when a writer's joy is gone--so are her muses and characters. Head to desk, head to desk. Damn it! Why? Why oh why did I do it again? Isn't there a special jail somewhere for joy theives? So, I had my hissy, I cried, I ripped up a few sheets of paper--with stuff on them, important stuff--a to-do list or two, or three. Things I promised to do for everyone but myself. Then I went to bed.

Did you know that there are not only joy theives lurking about but there are joy fairies waiting in the wings? They are elusive, but they are there and they will hop up on your door step when you least expect it with a basket full of joy and a muffin. Okay, so this fairy didn't arrive via the front door. She arrived via a review site. You see when I handed over my joy my character Kurt went with it as a consolation prize. He had nothing to do with the issue I had with the other person but when my joy disappeared, so did Kurt. He must have been frightened. Kurt's the oldest Delaney brother from the Slower Lower series and the hero in book two. No one understood poor Kurt, in fact, I think a few people thought he was an idiot. I love my misunderstood Kurt. He has a few tricks up his sleeve. He might be a stick in the mud in public, but he's a tiger in the sack. No one really cared if Kurt got his turn with the girl of his dreams until Brandi at The One Hundred Romances Project dug a little deeper. In fact she said she hopes Kurt does get his HEA. Well, thank you Brandi. This inspired me. Quite a lot actually. It gave me back my joy and it gave me the moxy to dig a little deeper. I've added over 10K to that work in progress since then and Kurt, well, let's just say he's well on his way to a happy ever after.

Joy thieves, you might get me down occassionally but you need to beware because the joy fairies are catching up. As for all the responsiblities, I'm cutting back and learning to say no. I need me time, too. So, if you stop by and I'm busy with me, you can stay, we can have joy tea and muffins, just don't expect an automatic yes for whatever that question was on the tip of your tongue. Bring you laptop? Good, let's write a while...forget that soap box, what appointments? Clean yourself house or else the merry maids are coming in full gear...ah, there's the gardner...more joy tea, dear?

For more on Brandi's review go to: http://onehundredromances.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-slower-lower-love.html

Welcome Laina Turner-Molaski

2011-03-21T04:00:00.000-04:00

Who am I? It kind of depends on the day. I am a human compendium of unrelated things. I used to think I was just weird, had shiny ball syndrome and couldn’t focus, scattered, you name it. Then I decided it was OK to be all over the place as long as each avenue I wanted to explore had meaning and purpose or was fun. So I embrace the fact I am a college professor (Go Capella), a writer of fiction and non-fiction, promoter of other authors, human resource professional, business consultant, and all around interesting person (according to my closest friends).

There is so much I want to accomplish before I die and it isn’t going to happen if I do things one at a time.

What Makes Us Who We Are

Do you remember back when you were young and it was all about Barbie dolls and Baby Alive? If you had brothers, or even if you didn’t, there might be a stretch Armstrong and some Hot Wheels thrown in. As young girls, we enjoyed playing house. Traditional play acting for girls and boys alike. Mimicking our parents and grandparents. Is this where we learned that we wanted to have that perfect life? Is it what all the people against Barbie and Ken were fearful of? I’m taking creative license here as I don’t know if anyone is actually against Barbie and Ken, but I think it sounds plausible. We played with the perfect Barbie, in her perfect clothes, her perfect corvette, and perfect Ken. Barbie and Ken never defaulted on their mortgage or had the corvette repossessed, and Barbie’s boobs never sagged, her butt didn’t droop. Did we feel this was how life was supposed to be? Perfect? How did you feel the first time you realized that life wasn’t going to be like Barbie and Ken living the life in the Dream House? Was it when you hit puberty and realized that you weren’t going to be 36-24-34? How did you feel? I felt cheated. Damn that fantasy. It set some high expectations that I felt I must reach or live disappointed. One of the things about the Barbie and Ken fantasy that I find interesting is it has lasted decades. There’s something that just attracts young girls no matter the generation. What does that say about society, about us women? Do we really want that ideal Barbie and Ken existence? Is that why they have stood the test of time? Or is it just an escape? A way of living in fantasy land and not in reality. Or are they just fun toys?

Chiczofrenia – crazy is an art form – released January 2011.

Chiczofrenic is the term for the woman who is purposeful and intentional in how crazy her life may be. The goal with this book is to recognize many women drive themselves crazy, intentionally, by trying to be all they can. I firmly believe we can have it all. A great relationship, being a great mom, keeping a good house (if that’s important to you), being a career woman, following your dreams, working out, eating right, and many more. Women seem to have the knack for how to manage it all and not go crazy. Women seem to always take on more and more…and are successful at it.

Women have tried forever to pretend they fit in the norm even when the norm wasn’t what they wanted. I want women to embrace that more - without caring what anyone thinks. Learn to laugh at your own craziness and be cool at the same time. Be the strong individual you want to be while looking like a million bucks.

Being a woman is difficult and is a constant evolution and journey of self discovery. It’s not always an easy journey and through the process you realize everyone has her own issues. Her own brand of crazy, which is my own kind of normal. Crazy but embracing it.

ISBN: 978-0-578-07034-6
Book: $14.95 Available on www.lainaturner.com
E-Book: $9.95 Available on Kindle and Smashwords

Excerpt:

We all know there’s crazy and there’s holy crap crazy. While we may all have our holy crap crazy moments, hopefully, most of us average out to moderately crazy. I like the phrase crazy is an art form because to me it’s about embracing individuality even if it’s outside the norm and others might think it’s nuts. Like everything else in life, you need to excel at your individuality. You need to feel confident. Look at women like Madonna and Cher. They’ve led colorful lives because they didn’t conform to “normal” by others’ definition. They embrace who they truly are, their “normal.” It has pissed people off or made others question their values or morality, but who cares? Cher and Madonna have the right to be how they want without others judging them. And so do we.

Also available from Laina, her fiction book Stilettos & Scoundrels and a non-fiction book for the small business owner called, But It’s my Business. Available at www.lainaturner.com/store or Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes, and most all other online bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders.

You can contact Laina at laina@lainaturner.com

Welcome Shiela Stewart

2011-03-18T04:00:00.000-04:00

Raised on a rural farm in Saskatchewan, Shiela Stewart relied on her vivid imagination to fill her days.Never did she realize that her need to tell a story would someday lead to becoming a published romance author. In the fall of two thousand and six, Shiela published her very first book and hasn’t stopped since. When not writing, Shiela spends time with the love of her life, William and their three children. She has a strong affection for animals which is evident in the five cats, one dog, three turtles and ten fish she owns. Some of her passions aside from writing are drawing and painting and proudly displays her artwork in murals in her home. Her favorite time of day is sunset and loves to stargaze.

Please tell us about yourself.

First off, thank you for having me here today.

I’m a Taurus, mildly bullheaded, and have been married for 25 years to a wonderful man who I could never live without. We have three children who are my joy and major stress-factors at the same time. LOL I love animals, which is evident in the five cats and two black labs that I call my babies. Aside from writing, I love to garden, draw, paint and crotchet. If I could fill my yard with flowers, I most definitely would. 

And please tell us about your current writing project.

Right now I’m working on book two in my demon series, Offer the Demon. Awaken the Demon is book 1 which should be out sometime later this spring. The Demon series is about three generations of demons trying to live as normal a life while trying to break free of Satan and the hold he has on all of them.

Awaken the Demon:

Running from an abusive Fiancé, changing her name, Missy Green is looking for a new life. Taking temporary refuge in a group called The StarrGazers, she does her best to blend in. Problem is, the owner, Draco Starr has put his sights on her.

Born and raised in the pits of hell, Draco was sent to earth to collect souls for Satan. Having served his time he starts his own business. When word gets out that a child born from demon and human is alive, he is determined to find her and make her his own.

Discovering who Draco really is terrifies Missy, but it’s nothing compared to finding out she too is a demon. Coming to terms with who she is, dealing with her attraction to Draco, Missy begins to embrace her new life. Until her fiancé enters the picture and changes her life forever.

Offer the Demon:

Born to serve Satan, Aurora Starr wishes she was human and tries desperately to pretend she is. Her parents, Draco and Missy Starr, bargained with Satan and now Aurora must pay the price. As a soul stealer, she’s forced by Satan to collect souls. Despite Lucifer’s control, Aurora rebels.

Scott Monroe is the son of a wealthy and famous rock star. Growing up as a rock stars son s tough enough, but dealing with a drug addict is even harder. Desperate to get clean, Scott’s father opens a shelter for those that wish to break the addiction. When his father suddenly dies, Scott takes over running the facility.

While taking a life, Aurora discovers Scott and his facility. Curios, she decides working for Scott is just what she needs to make her forget being a demon. Knowing mating with a human is taboo, Aurora throws caution to the wind and begins a relationship with Scott. Will love concur all when Satan finds out? Will Aurora chose to stay a demon, or give it all up for love?

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

My husband is my biggest supporter. He is the reason I started looking into the publishing world. His encouragement and belief I me gave me the courage to believe in myself. I belong to several groups of authors who are always willing to lend a hand, guide when needed and support is always a given. 

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Revising. Once I’ve written a story, I just want to get it sent off and published. But I’ve come to learn that it isn’t as simple as that. When I go through my manuscripts I always find errors, the problem is, stopping, knowing when enough is enough. I tend to rewrite a great deal then go back and second-guess myself. So once the story is written, I send it off to my critique partners to give me their input.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

Basically, whenever I have time I write. All my children are grow so I pretty much have the house to myself during the day. But there are times when everyone is home and the need to write is so great that I can’t ignore it. Those days I tend to stay up at night to get the book written.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Relax? What is that? LOL I like to sit with my hubby in the evening and watch some of our favorite shows. Aside from that I love taking long walks with him. Occasionally I’ll go out to watch him play pool or curling but have to do so sparingly since the florescent lights give me a horrible migraine that lasts nearly a week.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

I love Nora Robert/ J.D. Robb. She is my all time favorite author.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

Hopefully none of my characters are reading this. LOL I actually have two favorites. First would be Missy and Draco from Awaken the Demon. Form the moment they stepped into my mind, I was hooked. They’ve been with me for eight years and I never get tired of spending time with them.

The other would be Trinity Ford and Basil Hawthorne from Seducing the Darkness. They were my first step into creating a vampire story and they packed a huge punch. Trinity’s strength and determination is breath taking. Basil’s willingness to sacrifice his love to save her is any woman’s dream.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest?The most fun?

Awaken the Demon was the easiest. From the moment the idea spawned it flowed seamlessly.

The most fun would be Escape in Passion. Victor Davis was such a thrill to create. He’s the type of guy who thinks he’s god’s gift to women. I enjoyed putting him through the ringer and giving him a mate who set him in his place. 

Hardest by far would be Tempting the Darkness. It’s a story of one man’s desperation to keep his wife at any cost. When he learns she has cancer, he puts her in a cryogenic coma and searches for a cure. But as the years go by and no cure is found, he discovers he cannot live without her any longer. Going against her wishes, he wakes her and makes her a vampire.

The reason this was so difficult to write is that my father died of lung cancer in the middle of writing the book. I had no idea he was even sick when he died so it was quite a shock. I contemplated not writing the book, but decided to plug on. I dedicated it to my mother for her strength in dealing with his illness.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

All of the above. LOL I’ve created stories out a simple phrase stuck in my head. In other cases they’ve stemmed from dreams as was the case with Awaken the Demon.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

Strong believable characters, a gripping storyline and a conflict between the hero and heroine.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I am their slave. I do as they say all the time. (said with a gun to my head) LOL
I kid. For the most part, I control them. They are my creations after all. But there have been characters that have been so gripping that it almost feels as if I’m them, that they have me under control.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I can’t imagine not writing. I’ve been doing it for so long. It’s my life.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Stick with it! Perfect your manuscript before submitting it and don’t take no for an answer. Just because one publisher rejects you, doesn’t mean the next one will. Each editor is different and have different tastes.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

Awaken the Demon would be the first. I would love to have Robert Downey Jr. play Draco. He has the dark eyes, dark looks that are so alike to Draco. Not to mention the arrogance and attitude. LOL

For Missy I think Mila Kunis would be perfect.

For a series of movies I would love it if my Darkness series could be made into movies. There are too many characters for me to name the all right now, or who I would like to play them. LOL

Fill in the blank favorites
Dessert: Chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
City: The one I live in. it’s been home for so long.
Season: Fall. It’s not too hot and not too cold and who doesn’t love the beautiful colors of the leave.
Hero: Strong. Dependant. Sensitive.
Heroine: Strong. Dependant. Sensitive.

Shiela's latest release: Horsing Around is now available at http://www.breathlesspress.com/

Carnal Desire’s: We've got a match for all your sexual pleasures.
Sara Miller needs a real man. One who can give her what she desires in and out of the bed. So far, none have met her expectations. She’s hoping all that will change after submitting her application to Carnal Desire’s Web dating service.

The owner of several prize-winning horses, more money than he knows what to do with, Andy McDonald has it all. Except for the love a good woman. He’s sick of flighty bimbos wanting only his money and not satisfying his sexual desires. After a friend pressures him into looking on line for a woman, Andy gives in and submits his application.

Sex takes on a new twist when Sara and Andy get together and nothing is taboo.

Excerpt:

“Howdy, ladies."

Her heart calmed. His slight Southern drawl, with its deep resonance, was soothing and somewhat relaxing. And very arousing. She loved a man with an accent, and even though Andy’s was faint, it was still enough to turn her on. Between her legs, her flesh began to swell and moisten.

"Good afternoon, Andy. Looks like we caught you in the middle of your shower."

He stroked the damp sandy-blond hair from his face and Sara nearly swooned. "I just stepped out. I’m running a bit behind, I’m afraid." He turned his attention to Sara and her pulse pounded in her ears. "Pleasure to meet you in person, Sara."

She took the hand he held out to her; he completely surprised her when he turned her hand over and brushed his lips across her knuckles. "Pleasure’s mine." Like tiny electrical charges zapping every sensitive nerve in her body, he had her quivering with that one simple gesture.

"Well, come on in and make yourself comfortable while I go change."

He stepped aside to let them in and as Sara walked past him, the scent of the woods after a light rain shower wafted off him, like fresh, aromatic greenery touched by a kiss of sunlight. She was going to have no problem at all being with this man.

She and Bella headed to the sitting area of the suite while Andy headed to the bedroom. It was spacious, and came complete with a mini kitchen, sitting area, TV and plush sofa and chair. Almost identical to her own suite.

"Pretty easy on the eyes, isn’t he?"

Sara smiled at Bella’s comment, taking a seat on the sofa. "I’m not having any trouble looking at him."

"And what better first meeting than to see him practically naked." Bella winked and beamed a huge grin. "Well, I’ll leave the two of you to get acquainted now. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Thank you so much, Mistress Bella."

"I love making people happy. I’m heading out, Andy," she shouted at the bedroom door.

"Catch you later, sugar." He stepped out of the bedroom, dressed in jeans and a dark blue t-shirt just as Bella left the suite. "Looks like it’s just you and me now, doll."

God, he was going to make her come, just by speaking. "Looks like.” She got to her feet. “So…how should we start this?"

"Let’s start with this as an opener."

He swung his arm around her waist and she gasped when he yanked her against his chest.

Shiela Stewart website: http://www.shielasbooks.ca/
Email: shielas@shaw.ca
Blog: http://bsbhotromance.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shiela.stewart
Publishers: Breathless Press. http://www.breathlesspress.com/
Decadent Publishing. http://www.decadentpublishing.com/

Welcome Miriam Newman

2011-03-16T04:00:00.000-04:00

Fantasy poetry driven by myths and legends has been Miriam’s passion for as long as she can remember. She was published in poetry before catching the romance writing bug. She brings that background to her writing along with a lifelong addiction to horses, an 18 year career in various areas of psychiatric social services and many trips to Ireland, where she nurtures her muse. Her published works range from contemporary fantasy romance to fantasy historical, futuristic and science fiction romance. Currently she lives in rural Pennsylvania with a “motley crew” of rescue animals.

Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.).

I’m a widow and stepmother of five who never started to write in earnest until after my husband’s death. Even then, I expected to continue writing poetry as I had done for forty years. No one was more surprised than I was when two romance novels just popped out. I did not return to my work in psychiatric social services after my husband died; I was pretty burned out. And writing became a new career.

And please tell us about your current writing project.

The Comet, which just released 1/20, is historical romance set against the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Neel, an ambitious young Norman knight, carries a terrible secret that drives him in his quest for victory, land and Rowena. Rowena is the niece of a Saxon thane who is left in charge of her uncle’s lands when he departs for war, never to return. When Neel literally drops through her gate, seriously wounded, she saves his life as an act of Christian charity, then is dumbfounded and terrified when he repays her kindness with marriage. Her land is invaded, her birthright stolen. How can she love the enemy—her husband?

Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?

My family and friends all think this is great, though I suspect they don’t understand just how all-consuming it is. My writers’ group, Valley Forge Romance Writers, understands! They’re great.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Having to do so much promotion, which takes needed time away from writing.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

No, I have a very busy life, so I just have to put it where it fits in.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Travel. I have been to Ireland many times and that’s where I began my first book.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

I have always been entranced with the fantasy of T.H. White. My next true love is historicals, and my favorite book currently is Renee Vincent’s Raeliksen, an extraordinary work.

Among your own books, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

Hands down, the King’s Daughter and its main characters, Tia and Sergius.

Which of your books has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

The King’s Daughter was the easiest even though it’s the longest. It is a fantasy historical begun shortly after my husband died and perhaps because of the intense emotional pressure I was feeling, it came out like a geyser. I still regard it as my finest book—something which, in a way, exceeds my capabilities. The Comet was the hardest, because I was determined it would be historically accurate and that required huge amounts of research. My little novella Stupid Cupid, a story of Cupid and faeries in Ireland, was fun because it’s whimsical.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

The characters. Not infrequently, they come out in dreams and then a story weaves itself around them. Sometimes I feel I have very little to do with the process! It just presents itself when ready.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

Great characters, especially the hero. Setting influences me greatly, as well. Anything historical, especially Celtic or Romano-British, is a sure draw. I love novels of the Roman Empire. Viking settings are good, as well, though again I’m always looking for historical accuracy.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

They are totally in control. They do things and rewrite entire plots at their sole discretion. I just sit there and watch my fingers move on the keyboard.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Raising horses, which I did for many years. As I’m now in my sixties, physical (as well as financial) resources are not what they were and it’s no longer an option. But I bred them, raised them, trained them and showed and foxhunted horses sometimes to the exclusion of nearly everything else.

Are there any words of encouragement you have for unpublished writers?

Be your own best friend, critic and supporter. You can’t really depend on anyone else to do those jobs for you. No one else understands your books the way you do.

If one of your books became a movie, which one would you like to see up on screen and who do you see playing your characters?

The King’s Daughter would make an excellent fantasy movie. I haven’t seen anyone who matches my idea of the characters.

Fill in the blank favorites -
Dessert—cheesecake.
City—Killarney, Ireland. Not really a large city—I don’t like those—but charming.
Season—Fall.
Type of hero—In a word, strong.
Type of heroine—Determined. That’s strong, too, but in a different way.

My just-released novel, “The Comet,” is historical and based on the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This spring my short story “Deirdre” will appear in an anthology from Victory Tales Press. It’s a retalling of the ancient Irish story, Deirdre and the Sons of Usna. Next in line if the muse so permits is “The Legend of M’Rith,” the story of an Irish faerie who falls in love with a mortal man.

A short excerpt

This is from “The Comet,” the first maneuver in Neel’s campaign to win Rowena, his reluctant bride.

Fumbling at the gaudy tie, she drew out a necklace of stones like the eyes of a cat. Carefully drilled and strung on a fine wire, they slid through her fingers smoothly.

“They are called topaz,” Neel explained. Stunned, Rowena had neither moved nor spoken. “They are the color of your eyes. I have given Bryna a gown for you, too. And a head covering.” He smiled at her. “I think you will like ours better. All I ask is that you wear them for Christ’s Mass.”

She remained obdurately silent, but she could not…dared not…refuse. No doubt the gown was Norman. He called her “little Saxon,” yet did not wish her to appear to be one. And perhaps, if Ralf had spoken truly, he was correct and she wasn’t one at all.

“Here,” Neel said as if her acceptance was a given. “Sit beside me and I will put it on you.”

Still mute, she perched rigidly on the edge of the mattress she had shared with him in perfect comfort when he was unconscious. This time he was awake and aware and so was she-- jolted by every nuance as he touched her for the first time.

He was efficient, raising her wild hair with a hand holding its weight, parting it and dropping it forward over both shoulders so that he could fix the clasp of the necklace. She felt the cold, rich stones against her collarbones and heard the tiny snick of the clasp as he put his claim on her.

He lifted her hair back carefully, not catching it in the necklace. But he did not take his hands from her shoulders after he had done it.

She fell back upon manners, drilled into her by Bryna. “I have nothing for you,” she said faintly.
“Then give me a kiss.”

There it was--the trap she had sensed. She could wrest her body from beneath his hands and bolt for the door and he couldn’t stop her, but that was only postponing the inevitable. Slowly, she turned her head to the side, not moving towards him but not moving away.

“Come,” he said softly, inching closer. How was he doing that…hurt as he was?

“Be careful,” she said, ambiguously.

“It’s just a kiss.”

It would be capitulation…unspoken acknowledgement of his ownership. But just as the needs of the body had drawn her to offered food, other needs tempted her, too. Trapped not by his hands but by her own indecision, she made no move to resist as he turned her within their circle, now at her waist. It was an awkward position, though, leaving her in imminent danger of falling off the side of the bed.

“Better hold on,” he said, the devil incarnate. She did, twining her hands in his fine tunic as he spread his palm against her back to support her. The other hand cupped the back of her head. Infinitely gentle, he lowered his face to hers, teasing at her lips.

“Very sweet,” he murmured. It was nothing like she had thought a kiss would be. She had imagined Ralf plunging his tongue into her as Leofric had done…pictured him groping her breast, hurting her, gross and fetid.

It was not like that at all. Neel’s tongue traced the outline of hers lips, slow and enticing, not a bit revolting. When his lips nudged hers gently she opened her mouth, sighing. He kissed her slowly and deeply, a silken invasion that set her heart pounding. Her hold on him increased, involuntarily, and she felt his response in the strength of his hand on her back, fingers splayed, supporting her. Guiding her. He drew her against his chest until she could feel her breasts taut and aching against his warm flesh and started to resist. Immediately, his grip slackened and he lifted his face from hers.

“I’m only playing, little Saxon,” he whispered.

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