Romance Books "R" Us

Cover Model Interview: Billy Hentz

2012-02-20T00:01:00.037-05:00

Today's feature interview comes to us from New Jersey. He's a body builder, entertainer, and cover model. Please make welcome, Billy Hentz

Q: Did you begin posing for photo shoots after you became a dancer? Or was it more tied into fitness and training? If neither how did you land in the jobs you’re currently at?
A: It was from dancing. I have to get professional pics done and the Cave sent me to their guy. He liked me so much that he had me come back for 5 more shoots.

Q: How many book covers have you been on and have you ever signed copies for authors and or authors and their fans?

A:7 and no

Q: Will you ever attend author conferences?

A: Not sure. Guess I need to know what’s in it for me….

Q: Do you have an educational background in fitness? College degree in Health and Nutrition or was it learn by personal interest?
A:Yes. I'm an AAAI/IMSI certified personal trainer

Q: What’s the difference between performing in Atlantic City and doing private parties? How long have you been an entertainer?
A: Dancing at a club is guaranteed money plus having a stage and professional sound system and lighting makes for a better show than on someone's living room carpet and a boom box.

Q: In five years, where do you wish to be professionally and personally?
A: The same things I’m doing now if possible.

Q: What are your hobbies, your likes?
A: Work…lol. Modeling,dancing and going to the gym.

Q: Dislikes?
A: needy clingy people

Q: Do have a famous quote you live by?
A: “all things are possible through Him”

Q: What is your dream job and are you living it right now?
A: This and yes...just wish there was more money in it.

Q: How hard is it to stay in shape? Do you follow a specific routine daily, weekly?
A: Of coarse, all bodybuilders do.

Q: Can you tell us about your car shop and what all you do there?
A: It's called Audio Pleasurez. Stereos, remote starts, tint, rims and all the other usual toys for your car.

Q: How did you hear you were gracing the cover of a romance novel? What was your reaction?
A: My photographer sent me and email with the pic. It felt nice. Finally some notoriety for my work.

Q: Muscle Car or Custom bike?

A: Car

Q: What’s your fav music genre?

A: Metal

Q. Book Genre?
A: Educational

Q: Favorite food?
A. Seafood…any.

Q: Favorite drink?
A: Sailor Jerry and coke…

Q: Where do you consider to be the most romantic place in the world?
A: Hmm…any hilltop at night with a clear sky and moonlight

Q: There are so many romance genres. As a cover model, is there one genre in particular that you’d like to be asked to do?
A: Not really. I’m open to anything.

Q: What are your social links where fans can find out more about you?

A: I have a Facebook account and a model mayhem page.

Thank you so much Billy for being with us today at ROMANCE BOOKS R US. We look forward to seeing you on more romance covers.

Sex, Sex, And More Sex!

2012-02-19T03:30:00.000-05:00

Have I got your attention now? Or totally turned you off?

"Oh God....not another essay on sex, please..."

"Sex? (Heavy panting) Bring it on, baby!"

"Kenzie...what are you up to now...?"

Face it people; sex is all around us, even if when TV debuted, married couples had to be shown in separate beds. So how did Lucy end up 'in the family way'?? And did you know that Fred and Wilma Flintstone were the first married couple to share a bed on TV? Trust cartoons to shatter the tabboo...

In older romance novels and movies, what happens in the bedroom is behind closed doors. The music swells, the camera fades to black or pans upward toward the stars...and the next day the couple is shown with blissful, sappy smiles and holding hands. In books, the act is described in pretty vague terms, and certainly not until 'I love you' or even 'I do' has been uttered.

The first romance book I ever read was The Flame and the Flower, and the first sex scene is pretty much a rape, because the hero has mistaken his virginal visitor for a prostitute. And when she escaped the next day, he looked all over for her, finding her about the same time her family realized she was pregnant. Eventually they learned to love each other, but the sex scenes were more sensual; no mention of certain slang terms.

First Love by Judy Blume came along, and while body parts and the eventual act itself was described, it was all very loving and girls my age couldn't wait until we fell in love enough to give ourselves to our one true love.

Valley of the Horses by Jean M Aul really opened the bedroom door for me. This is what I wanted; several pages of what went on between two consenting adults in the bedroom, er, cave.

And so I started writing.

The first book my alter ego submitted to an agent, he admitted he blushed several times, and labelled it Erotic Romance. I was surprised; I hadn't been introduced to the erotic romance genre yet, and thought erotic meant it belonged in Men's Magazines! Two years later, I learned about the online publisher Ellora's Cave and read some of their excerpts. I blushed; I wasn't raised with some of the language used, but kept returning to the site. And finally, bought my first two books.

I was instantly hooked.

As I said in earlier posts, my first attempt was written in longhand, while locked in my bedroom. I didn't want the kids, or even my husband to know what I was writing. But in 2007, I'd read enough books to become slightly more comfortable with the terminology, and now have no problem writing it on the computer, at my desk, where anyone can view it. (Although, if the kids are near, I'll use discretion if I'm writing the sex scenes. S snuck up on me once and yelled, 'Oh my gawd...Mom's writing porn!')

Speaking it, I have more issues. I was on a friend's blogtalk radio show in April, and when I chose the excerpt to read, I'd forgotten it contained both 'pussy' and 'cock'. I sort of exhaled when I said those words, and rushed through that paragraph, but thankfully they were only mentioned once; I was alone in my house and was recovering from laryngitis. Later, T told me he heard his producer, rather startled, in his ear, 'Pussy and Cock at almost 3 in the afternoon...Okay!' And in later shows, featured guests whose frequent use of the word 'Fuck' jolted me out of the top 'shocker' spot and I'm actually one of his tamer shows! I've since told him that if he ever has me on again, to put me in a 10pm slot, lol:)

But the point I'm trying to make is this: Whether you like your written sex sweet and fifties' style, sensual and mainstreamy-like, or in-your-face-bedroom-wide-open-use-oven-mitts-while-reading-or-at-least-have-the-air-conditioning-on, it's out there.

And I'm on the tamer side of the burning-up-the-pages-scenes. Yes, I've written six books which my mother will NEVER read (or if she does, she'll blush profusely, call me up and yell at me for the language, and then smile when I tell her about reviews or sales), and I AM capable of keeping the heat level up. But I've noticed this comes in cycles. Sometimes I don't want to read about every time my hero and heroine copulate; the first two times are fine, unless they decide to go at it in a differnt location, or play around with sex toys.

But other times, yeah...bring it on!

And now for my steamy Valentine's day scene:

Kevin trailed his fingers across Tammy’s skin and down to the hollow of her soft breasts pressed against his side. He lifted the closest one and rolled the nipple between his fingers. In response, she reached down and ran her fingers over his limp dick, enjoying the texture of his penis in her own palm. She caressed his balls, and it wasn’t long before he was rising to the occasion again. His manipulations on her breast grew rough. Kevin’s breath was soon labored, and a slight bead of moisture trickled from the tip of his penis. He rolled her to her back, and she guided him into her once more, welcoming his weight. Her legs shook when she spread them wide. Kevin repositioned them over his shoulder and stroked.

Deeper he went, his balls slapping her ass. Tammy winced with pain, and Kevin stopped and lowered her legs. He rubbed her inner thighs and suggested turning over. She complied and lifted her ass in the air, her head on her arms, waiting for his invasion. Soon, his tongue lapped at her.

“Ohhh.” She giggled when he hit a sensitive spot. “Oh, Kevin…”

“Lie on your side.” He presented her with his drooping penis. “Stroke me.”

She grasped him with both hands and rubbed, played with his balls, and sucked him into her throat, feeling him harden with each swipe of the tongue and lips.

“Let go,” he rasped. “I want to come in your pussy, not in your mouth.” He reversed positions again and slammed himself inside her. Three hard thrusts, and he was finished.

“Happy Valentine’s Day. Damn, girl…your body’s going to kill me one day, but oh, what a way to go.”

Teacher's Pet available now at Freya's Bower, Amazon, and ARE:)

Guest Blog: Larion Wills: I'll Try Not to Bore You!

2012-02-18T00:01:00.006-05:00

Do you ever reach a point in you blogging chores where you think, what am I going to write about? I do, with every blog. I ask myself who wants to hear what I think about anything. How much good does posting a picture of a book cover, blurb and excerpt do? Is it boring and something most people just skip over or don’t even bother to go look? What catches attention? What makes them read a short little thing and want them to read your book? If you think I’m going to answer any of these questions, you’re wrong. I don’t know. I just keep writing and hoping. I keep reading other people’s advice also. The amount of conflicting advice is almost as bad as politics. Everyone has a different opinion. Do loops, do conventions, do book fairs, join organizations, buy promo items, do book signings, social networking, do, do, do, and drive yourself crazy. I know. When I first started publishing, I tried doing it all and did nearly drive myself crazy. I belong to so many sites I don’t even remember all of them. At one time I was a member of nearly 100 yahoo groups and received hundreds of emails a day. I spend so many hours keeping up with them I never had time for writing even after I switched them to digests. I don’t believe I had time to do justice to any one site either. My advice, and admittedly this is from someone who doesn’t know all the answers, limit yourself to those pertaining the most to what you write. Several of the groups I belonged to were romance, but aimed at an erotic audience. Though some of mine are spicy, some are sweet, and I don’t write erotic. Now granted, there would be a few members interested in a spicy romance, maybe even sweet, but concentrating my efforts on a site geared for sweet or spicy romances was going to reach more. Among the things I write are ghost and witch stories, paranormal, but if a paranormal site is primarily werewolves, vamps, and shapeshifters, again, I’m not reaching a membership looking for ghost or witches to entertain them. This site, bless their hearts, are romance in any genre. Don’t think you’re going to get away without a promo.

In ‘Tarbet’ I mixed romance with historical western: Some men who carry a badge are no better than those they hunt. Words enough to frighten Susan into letting Tarbet die?

BLURB:

Forced to run the ranch like a man after her father’s death, whispers ran wild that Susan was less than a lady. William coming to call caused tongues to wag more. Taking care of a wounded man with only Blazer to help would totally ruin her reputation, but she couldn’t leave a dying man in the hands of delicate Angela or her bungling father no matter what the gossips said about him. How was she to know how much more was behind the attempt on his life? How was she to know she would have to take up a gun, as less than a lady, and fight to save herself and the man she loved?

You’ll notice a sub-theme of the inequality of men and women. Getting into that subject of then and now would be a whole other blog.

BIO:
Larion Wills, a multi-genre author, also writes under the name of Larriane Wills. From science fiction to western romances she holds up to her tag of ‘two names, one author, thousands of stories.’

Born in Oklahoma, but raised in Arizona she feels a native to the state and has settled in the high desert country. In a quiet, rural area with a family who tolerates her writer’s single-mindedness, she presents us with a series of unique westerns while still steadily producing contemporary romances, many laced with paranormal settings, all with strong characterizations and suspenseful plots, capable of dragging you into a story in a genre you thought before you didn’t care for.

You can read more about Tarbet and my other books at my website: http://www.larriane.com. Stop by, I love visitors.

Larriane AKA Larion Wills, two names one author, thousands of stories

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2 White Savage, Chase, Tarbet
http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com Mourning Meadow

My links:
http://www.larriane.com
http://www.facebook.com/people/Larriane-Wills/1535007230
https://twitter.com/#%21/LarrianeWills

New book and giveway!!!

2012-02-17T01:00:00.004-05:00

My birthday was two days ago and don’t even ask which one it was! Hopefully, only my children know. My latest book, Fiery Pursuit from Ellora’s Cave came out last week, and it’s my first venture into erotica. I found writing erotica quite different from my usual sensual, mostly in the language used. Much more graphic vocabulary. But fun to have a new challenge. And speaking of precise vocabulary, here’s two wonderful quotes from my favorite Mark Twain.

“If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.”

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”

Good thoughts, aren’t they?

To celebrate the book’s release I’m giving away a copy to a commenter on my blog. Picked at random, so everybody gets an equal chance. And just to entice you here’s an excerpt from Fiery Pursuit. These are the opening lines in the book. Please go comment. Anything you want to say is welcome. I love to give away a book…

"Stephen Mallory stood staring at his downed rivals, his face contorted with triumph. One on the floor in an ungainly sprawl of death, the other on the floor, her tantalizing breasts moving in shallow breaths. Not only had he managed to kill his most formidable academic rival, but he’d overcome and chloroformed the desirable daughter. The girl he’d lusted after for months. He’d never planned on Sophia hearing their argument, let alone come barging into the room to protect her father. She’d doubtless seen him plunge the dagger into his rival. Well, he’d planned to subdue her sooner or later, but hopefully after she was his wife.
Damn this added complication. Perhaps a forced marriage? His groin tightened at the thought of holding her down by any means necessary. It would a pleasure to conquer her any way he could. His cock swelled at the thought of plunging into her again and again while she fought to hold him off. But she was feisty and he wouldn’t want to mar her beauty. He’d probably need another man to still her while he took his delight in that gorgeous body. He leaned over, caressing the delightful curves, now totally at his pleasure. He took the cap and snood from her hair, and drew a deep breath as the most glorious blonde hair he’d ever seen spilled down around her shoulders.
Fingering the silky mass, he felt his penis swell even larger. He forced himself to step back. He needed to think now, decide what to do on the basis of his mind, not his cock.
There were many complications to the fact she’d seen him murder her father. He opened her blouse and ran his hands along her body, thinking furiously even as he fingered her firm breasts and nipples, his breathing coming ever more quickly.
Then his mind started functioning, slowing his groping hands.
Even if she agreed to marry him, which was doubtful since she’d seen him strike the killing blow, she’d never give him the information he wanted. That brilliant mind of her would rebel against helping her father’s murderer unless he somehow forced her. He could tie her down and plunder her body, but he wasn’t sure he could control her mind. Rape might not be enough to get her under his complete control. The damned bitch would likely hie herself off to the authorities unless he somehow imprisoned her for life.
Staring at her seductive beauty, Mallory decided he didn’t want to kill her. It would be such a damn shame. He fondled her almost absently, wondering what to do, his erection diminishing as he pondered .
Pacing the room, he considered his options. Marriage wasn’t the answer, then. Torture, of course, but even he balked at deforming that perfect face and body. She’d defy him to the end, and he’d be forced to take measures that might spoil her even for him. Not that he’d hesitate if that were the answer, but he needed her bright mind also. Still, her knowledge of the murder was a menace and must be dealt with.
Regrettably, he couldn’t afford to let her live."

Comments, please.....

Guest Blog: Toni Noel: Kiss Me Once...

2012-02-16T00:01:00.003-05:00

When I'm writing a love scene, I fall back on memories of the first kiss my husband of sixty years and I shared on our first date, a blind date, some would say.

He picked me out of a class of freshman girls taking swimming lessons in the indoor campus pool and asked my swimming instructor, a friend of his, to introduce us. Minutes later, this handsome, recent college graduate asked me out on a double date.

We went to a roadside inn with a backroom for dancing. A noisy, crowded dance floor might not sound like the best place for two strangers to get acquainted, but I managed to learn a great deal about him while we slow-danced and he sang love songs in my ear. I'd never before been sung to in a heart-melting tenor voice.

Later that evening, as we sat in his car on a shadowy street while his friend escorted his date to her door, my date put his arm around me and snuggled me close, cheek to cheek. After a moment his cheek left mine and he kissed my ear, sending unexpected tingles racing along my arms. Slowly, with thoughtfully planned nips and nibbles, he began tracing a hypnotic line across my cheekbone with his lips.

I'm not sure whether his determined lips tempted me to turn my head so our lips would meet, or I longed for him to halt the torturous trail of his lips across my cheek and kiss me, really kiss me, and turned my head, ending his sensual assault, and hastening the inevitable. I only know his lips finally settled on met mine in a tender kiss and the rest, as they say, is history.

Above all the many kisses that followed, the first is the one I'll always remember, a kiss unlike any I'd ever shared, a kiss filled with promise and wonder. No wet lips. No impassioned fondling, just a gentle, I'm so glad I met you, touching of two soft, expectant mouths.

In the dark front seat of his new 1951 Ford, my date's sensual wooing stole my heart. We went out on six of the next seven days. On the missing evening I went out on a previously agreed upon date I'd made with someone else. On the seventh evening, as we thumbed through a magazine while waiting for friends to join us in their living room, my date paused at an engagement ring ad and said, "Let's do that." I readily agreed, certain I couldn't go wrong marrying such a sensitive man.

Our stars were either aligned perfectly the night we shared our first kiss, or my future husband, who'd just landed his first teaching job, was ready to settle down. Whatever the reason, at eighty-three he is still good looking, still knows how to make my day or ease my pain with his tender kiss.

Anytime I need to write a scene with squirm factor, I sit at my computer and recall our first kiss. When uncontrolled tingles race up my arms, I know I've set the right mood for writing a love scene.

Here's the first kiss scene from my latest eBook release, Restored Dreams: Buck is teaching Treasure to refinish her stair rail.

He smelled of mint when he asked, "You watching?" and gave her shoulder a nudge as he held the brush perpendicular to the can. "Squeeze the extra paint off the bristles like this, against the mouth of the can to prevent runs. Make light strokes, keeping the brush upright.

"After all your hard work sanding, you want the wood to feel smooth, not bumpy, so you use a dry brush and wipe off any runs with the rag." He turned, looking into her eyes.

She nodded that she understood.

She understood, all right. She was in big trouble if Buck didn't remove his arms.

Sheltered. Protected. Both were great feelings to experience, but not when her far-too-close instructor expected her to paint and not leave bumps.

"Is this shade all right?"

The shade of his eyes? M-mm, yes. Light flecks of gold floated on a sea of rich chocolate brown.

"Treasure?" Buck asked, those eyes squinting at her.

His minty fragrance teased her nostrils, now only inches from his. "Yes?" she whispered, imperceptibly leaning toward him as she returned his gaze.

Buck closed the distance between them with a movement so restrained Treasure sighed. His breath fanned her lips just as they touched his. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut.

*****

Buck stilled. He couldn't hug Treasure, couldn't even hold her, with the paint and the brush still in his hand. Didn't mean he didn't want to.

He wanted every inch of her sweet body touching his. Wanted to never move away.

He hadn't intended to kiss her, but she'd glanced at his lips with such longing he couldn't resist, and instead of drawing away, she pressed her mouth firm against his, her lips soft and sweet on his the instant before she leaned back.

And here's the first kiss scene from another DBP release, Law Breakers and Love Makers.

Coming back inside, Jon looked around. "That about does it. Everything's locked up tight. Where's Stalker tonight?"

"Out. He's discovered the canyon. Last night he didn't ask to come in until after one."

"Don't you worry about coyotes?"

"They come into my yard, too, but Stalker's fast."

He laughed. "Well, carefully lock up and reset the alarm when your wandering boy finally shows up."

"I promise." Zoe rubbed her hands up her arms. "You're making me nervous with all this talk about locks and alarms."

Jon’s warm hands replaced hers on her bare arms. "I didn't mean to frighten you," he whispered, then cupped her chin in his hand and locked his gaze with hers. "I just want to make you more aware of your surroundings. Understand?"

Mesmerized, she nodded, barely breathing, unwilling to break the sensual spell he'd cast. She was awash in awareness. Going down for the last time.

"Good," he murmured, his gaze locked with hers.

He's going to kiss me. Zoe's eyes fluttered shut. A long moment passed, a tense moment broken only by the warmth of his breath fanning her lips.

Why, she wondered, hadn't he kissed her? Their lips mere inches apart.

She slowly opened her eyes. "Jon? Is something wrong?"

"Everything's perfect, now. I wanted you looking at me so you wouldn't be startled when I do this." He stepped closer, so that their lips were only a breath apart.

Smiling up at him, she closed the narrow gap.

Their lips met. Bass cello and sweet violin music started playing in her head, the quiet notes becoming a joyful melody that crescendoed in her ears. Wave after wave of the symphony begun when her lips met Jon's washed over her like gentle rain.

Then, to her utter consternation, he stepped aside. The music ended on a discordant note, leaving Zoe with only the drumming of her heart.

And intense regret.

"Night, Zoe," he murmured. "Sweet dreams."

Restored Dreams and Toni's other novels are available for download at:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/StoreFront.bok
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Toni+Noel&x=13&y=20
or wherever eBooks are sold.

BIO:
Toni Noel's love of books started in childhood, when her mother first read The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew to her. She helped start church libraries in two rural Tennessee towns and appeared before the City Planning Commission and the San Diego City Council to urge a site be purchased. As the neighborhood spokesman for the new library the City Councilman for her district invited her to turn the second shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking for the new library. It is Toni's fondest dream that one of her safe-haven-for-the-heart novels will be available for checkout there.

Toni Noel's Novels... Safe havens for the heart.

Restored Dreams BLURB:
Her roof leaks, the plumbing, too, but on a teacher's salary Treasure Montgomery can barely pay the taxes on her property, so the list of needed repairs to the grand Victorian house she inherited from the aunt who raised her continues to grow.

Treasure surrounds herself with other people's children, seeking some fulfillment in an otherwise empty life until she meets Buck. A retired rodeo rider turned philanthropist, Buck willingly donates his labor to anyone who needs a helping hand, spending his father's ill-gotten fortune to make amends for his father's bad deeds, but Treasure wants no part of his charity.

Buck persists. Treasure resists, and he turns to subterfuge to get around the obstacles she throws in his path. She learns the truth and fears she might lose her house to Buck. How wrong can a woman be about the man with whom she's fallen in love?

Have you "Liked" our new Facebook page yet?

2012-02-15T00:01:00.005-05:00

Hey...I spent the past couple of days working the page, and have got us a couple hundred friends and a few "fans"...

But we haven't seen very many of our Yahoo Loop fans or our RBRUS members over there yet. Could be you don't have a Facebook persona...but if you DO, please come over and friend us...and LIKE our fan page. Here are the URLs for both pages:

Our FAN Page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RomanceBooksRUs/329270363783392

Our Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003566648252

And especially if you are a GOLD or Silver author or a RED VIP over on our RBRUS website, please make sure you go over and friend us and LIKE our fan page.

Social media is the life blood of public name recognition these days. Hey...even Ashton Kutcher has a Facebook page...not to mention Hugh Jackman and loads more.

So please jump on our little bandwagon and make it into a HUGE bandwagon? And if you go over an "like" our fan page, and e-mail us at RomanceBooksRUs@gmail.com, your name goes into a drawing for a great prize!

So what's to lose here? Jump on! Have fun!

Hugs to all!

Fran Lee

http://www.franleeromance.com

Hearts and Flowers and Cupid, Oh My

2012-02-13T03:39:00.070-05:00

Valentine's Day is a major event in the romance world, and wherever you find romance readers and authors, you're going to find all those standard symbols of the holiday that have also become symbols of the genre. Hearts. Flowers. Cupid. Chocolate.

Absolutely none of which seem to have any connection to a day supposedly devoted to a martyred Roman saint, yet St. Valentine's Day originally derives from the medieval liturgical calendar. Even worse, the Catholic historians don't know much about the first St. Valentine, (or the other 13 or so saints of the same name) other than that he was buried on Feb. 14 and marked as martyred. So why is he the patron of lovers?

Chaucer seems to be the one who put the pieces together. It's not that Valentine, or any of the miscellaneous saints named Valentine, were particularly involved with romantic love. (Awkward, it might have been, seeing as most of them were priests.) No, it's just the fact that mid-February was when things started happening in the natural world--or at least that of England and France. In Parliament of Foules, Chaucer wrote:

For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.

Ah, now, it begins to make sense. Valentine is just the lucky saint whose day coincides with the natural occurrence Disney's Bambi called "Twitterpated." Got it. Now about that symbolism...

Cupid or Eros, as the god of love, is a pretty obvious choice: he stands for romance, and all that mushy goodness. And, boy, some of the Renaissance and Regency images of Cupid and Psyche are SMOKING hot! (This one by Benjamin West is dated 1808.) Despite our modern ideas about the purity of our ancestors, Valentine's Day, historically at least, is about the more physical aspects of love, as well as the ever-after side.

So we've got Mr. Bad-Boy Cupid. Why hearts? (And why do we use a symbol for a heart that bears almost no resemblance to the real thing?) Why flowers, particularly roses? And what about chocolate...never mind, I get that one. Sweets for the sweet, and all that. And let's not forget that it's been considered an aphrodisiac from ancient times in South America.

The symbol we use for the heart is so familiar, we use it as an ideogram to replace the word love. In fact, it's been around at least since the middle ages. Some researchers claim it's a combination of early symbols for fire and togetherness. Others have a far more graphic idea--it does kind of look like the tip of a penis, or possibly a woman's backside. So we'll probably never know exactly where the symbol came from, but possibly from a very earthy expression of love--not the Platonic kind. Hmm. Valentine's day has a dark side, doesn't it? As far as using the heart to represent love, that idea is probably for the same reason we say things like "the heart of the matter." It was simply the most obvious vital organ in the body, the strongest muscle, and located at the core. Therefore, to the medieval mind, the heart, and not the brain symbolized the very essence of a living being. Not to mention, it pumps blood and blood is what allows all those naughty bits to plump up when we want them. It also beats a lot faster when we're aroused. See? More symbolic sex.

Well, how about flowers? Those are sweet, right? Sorry. Flowers, quite simply, epitomize spring and the renewal of life. So more biology here! All that pollination going on. It was our Victorian ancestors who imbued a variety of flowers with special meanings. The following list and the rose images on this post are from a very cool site called Love of Roses. This orange one is nice and steamy.

Red: Red is the symbol of love. To give red roses says "I love you still"
White: Shows purity and innocence. They also represent humility, youthfulness and charm.
Blue: Unobtainable, impossible love.
Pink: To give pink roses shows grace, joy, and gratitude. Pale pink also has the meaning of fun attached to it.
Orange: Desire and enthusiasm. These would be a great choice to give to someone if you want the relationship to develop further.
Yellow: Joy and friendship - yellow roses don't specifically show love. They can also represent starting over,or a new beginning. Yellow tipped with red shows friendship falling in love.
Brown: Earth or wood. They can also mean friendship or appreciation.
Purple: Enchantment, mystery, or royalty.

The number of roses also matters. And so many other flowers have special meanings as well. Have some fun and give someone a bouquet that says something special!

Oh, and by the way, the whole innundate-your-loved ones with cards thing? NOT an invention of Hallmark. No, this one again, goes back at least to the Victorians. Some of the valentines created in that era are pretty amazing. A few of them are even a little risque.

So there you go. Some sexy Valentine's Trivia to tuck away and amaze your friends. And if you're in the mood for a little something steamy, don't forget to check out Valentine's Heart, one of my Holiday Heart series out now from Ellora's Cave. Just as my Valentine to you, I'm offering a free download of Val and Cora's story to one random commenter. Winner will be drawn some time Feb. 14. (Leave me a way to contact you, please!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Teams, Tribes, Twitter, Oh My.

2012-02-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the month again.

No, not THAT time. Sheesh.

Time to consider your social media platform.

Yes, all that time spent on Facebook and Twitter --- that's you, marketing yourself. So, um, can it with the LOL Catz.

Or not, whatever.

But seriously, I read an amazing list of "stuff I oughtta be doing like right about now online to promote myself" and sort of got twitchy.
Facebook (check)
FAN page NOT profile (oh, um, okay)
Twitter (check)
"professional twitter account" (oh, um, okay)

Professional blog (Yeah yeah I got that, whew)
Professional website (under construction, but yeah)
tagline for your brand (Brewing Up Serious Passion--check)

Professional author headshot (I have WAY too many "fun" headshots that I like to use so I'm good there)
Google alerts (done)

Goodreads author page (yep)
Google+ account (did it--don't use it much though I thought "circles" were sort of "Dante-esque")
LinkedIn (yeah but wow it is annoying)
You Tube Channel (kinda--I'm of several minds about "cheesy book trailers" vs. "useful marketing tool")
Kindleboards something (oh, okay)
Amazon forums (huh?)
RWA stuff (nope, I'm a lowly e-pubbed author and hence do not feel welcome)

Good blog poster (religiously I love to hear myself talk)
Good blog commenter (I make a point to spend several hours a week on this BUT if I comment more than twice on yours and you never darken the door of mine? You're off my list)
Amazon Likes and Tags and other similar annoyances (yeah)
Myriad "pages" on endless author and review sites (sort of)
Tribrr (JUST JOINED)

and
my personal favorite today:
Assemble a Street Team.

Yeah....I rubbed my hands together. That sounded like something I could really sink my teeth into. I have one for the brewery, they get monthly Constant Contact email from me (Oh, I neglected the one about "have a professional newsletter"as I have grown up with the "professional newsletter" meme and have done and distributed zillions of them for various organizations and truly believe that they are going they way of the 8-track tape but I digress).

Why NOT do one for "Liz Crowe?"
I noodled around on some of my favorite writing craft and marketing blogs and discovered that many of us have already latched onto this device invented by small label recording company's to use their meager resources to rally viral fan groups around new bands. Yeah. Bloody Brilliant!

So, I hit the "start a group" button on Yahoo and I did it!
Wrote up the basics (yeah this is a "promote Liz" group BUT I do trades AND I'm giving out prizes EVERY MONTH to top tweeters/sharers/promoters AND every member gets some way cool swag from me PLUS I will reciprocate (within reason and time allowances) with your stuff too.
I uploaded all my book covers, all my author pages, blogs and what not, sent out a few initial invites and posted it in FB and Twitter. We'll see where it takes me if anywhere.

My concern is that it NOT turn into yet another place to cut and paste the latest and greatest from a bunch of authors sorta promoting to each other but becomes a truly interactive way to learn more about great ways to promote ourselves (read: Liz but I share, remember?).

I am trying to stay away from the EXTREME temptation to only use Facebook as a "here's my latest release/review/blogpost/interview/rant/rave/spew on writing so go read and comment and let me move on the the next one, thanks."

It's mighty tempting but every day I get on there and feel like EVERYBODY is using it that way and it gets all over my nerves. I'm trying to limit it in a sort of lame, back-to-facebook purity basics kind of way. Unless I have a KILLER blog post...or a release...nevermind.

So that said, My Next Big Step in My Social Networking Plan is to create that "fan page" on Facebook separate from my "profile" although the double work involved in it makes me twitchy all over again.

Tell us ONE THING you've done in the last year or so that made a huge difference to your marketing and promotions success. And spare me the "oh I just write another book" one because we all KNOW we have to do that!
cheers
Liz

Guest Blog: Jannine Corti Petska: I Used to Be Superwoman

2012-02-11T00:01:00.004-05:00

There’s a time in every woman’s life that she feels invincible. You know her. She can multi-task like a demon heading for hell. She has a full-time job, kids and their lessons, shopping and cooking, laundry, a house to clean, and so on. I’m sure we all know a woman like her. In fact, you were probably that woman at one time in your life. I was.

In my twenties, I had so much energy that I only needed 4-6 hours of sleep a night. Granted, I worked outside the home for only 5 years when my three daughters were very young. But my husband wanted a stay-at-home mom for our girls. He was a latch-key kid, so his request made sense.

So what did I do with all that extra energy? I sewed clothes for my daughters, work shirts for my husband, clothes for me, did cutsie craft stuff, and read romances like a maniac. I cooked lasagna, meatballs, sausage, stuffed pasta shells, peppers both stuffed and fried with potatoes and, well, you get the picture. Being Italian, I cooked a single meal that could have fed an army. Of course, I cooked much more than just Italian food. By 28, I had begun my journey as a romance writer. So, I was back in that cycle of “work” as well as everything being married and having kids entails.

But then life has a way of knocking you back a few steps. At 32, I found out I had a very serious illness. It took years for me to recover, most of it mentally and emotionally. It also sapped my energy because the depression I was able to hide in my twenties could no longer be suppressed. After physically recovering from that ordeal, my creativity battled with my depression. I honestly don’t know how I wrote two 100,000+ word historical romances a year, which included extensive researching.

I think as women, we are born survivors. We were made to multi-task. The world doesn’t revolve around us. We adapt. As writers, we also adapt. Many women have jobs outside the home and families and a writing career. We have a knack for time management. And that’s a good thing. Without it, we’d be men and would have difficulty balancing life and work.
Now as I’m heading for the big 6-0, I wonder what life would be like if I still had all that energy from my twenties. Oh, I’m no slouch. I have more energy now than I did in my 30s, 40s and most of my 50s thanks to a lifestyles change. Can I write two 100,000+ word novels in a year? Nope. Do I want to? Yep.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I cannot compete with my much younger self. Those days are long gone, and my priorities have changed. I’m still focused on a writing career. But somewhere along the way, my mind-set went down a different road. Some things aren’t as important as they used to be. There’s one thing I know for certain: I will write as long as my brain functions and my fingers work because there’s nothing more I’d rather be doing that creating stories for others to enjoy.

BIO:
Jannine Corti Petska was born in New York but raised in Southern California. Her parents' first language was Italian, and Jannine was raised in an Old World environment. She began writing romance novels when her three daughters were young and she was a stay-at-home mom. In-between writing and caring for her family, she tutored Italian, Spanish, German, and English as a Second Language at a local college. Although she loves placing her stories in medieval Italy, she has also written romantic tales of the cowboy in the American West. To find out more about Jannine, please visit her website. http://www.jcortipetska.com

BLURB:
Prima Ranieri seeks retribution for her family's death and loss of home and land. Her plans go awry when the heir to the powerful Massaro family returns home. After only one glance, Prima's attraction to him undermines her furor toward those she blames for her plight.

After a fifteen year absence, Antonio Massaro returns to Palermo to find a war raging between his family and the evil Falcone. His refusal to accept his rightful position as the head of the Honored Society carries serious consequences. The welfare of the people of Palermo is at stake. But one look at the beautiful woman Prima has become costs him his heart. She's a deadly distraction...one that jeopardizes her life as well as his own.

Time Management

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

We all complain about not having enough time to do what needs to be done. Yet, some people seem to “do it all.” And those people have only twenty-four hours a day, just like the rest of us. How do they do it?

The key to gaining control over your life is “working smarter rather than working harder” and managing your time.

The Pareto Principle

The Pareto Principle states that “20 percent of a person's effort generates 80 percent of the results.” Although developed as an economic concept, studies prove this principle applies to everything, and it has become the Golden Rule of Time Management. To manage your time, you need to shift your focus to those activities that produce results compared to activities which do not. And you need to know what kind of results you want to produce.

This is your life

Think of your life as a circle with 360º representing 24 hours per day, 168 hours per week, 8,832 hours per year. That is your entire life – the most you get. You use those hours in various ways, but you can’t add any.

Draw a circle representing your life for, let’s say, the coming year. How would you like to use your hours? You’re going to draw segments (i.e. cut slices of the pie) based on what percentage of your life you wish (realistically) to dedicate to the various aspects of living. If you need to spent 50% of your time and effort on family, half your pie will be one segment marked Family.
You can call the segments whatever categories fit your life, but the following are basics. Delete, rename, and add others as they apply to you.

●Family
●Religion
●Profession
●Education
●Social
●Health
●Education
●Rest/Sleep
●Community Service
●Your Passion (whatever that is if you dedicate a good portion of your life to it)
●Love Life (time you spend with your significant other, dating, nurturing a relationship)

What percentage of your life over the next year do you choose to dedicate to the various segments? How much time (percentage of your day, week, month, year) do you intend to spent on each? Which are the most important?

This is another tool for setting priorities. Be realistic. If you sleep an average of five hours/night, you’ve already used 1,825 or 21% of your yearly hours. If it’s important to get through your last year of college and graduate, you may choose to dedicate more time to this segment of your life until you accomplish that goal.

It’s important to put this into a longer time frame, in part because of day-to-day / month-to-month variations and, in part, because you are using it to bring yourself into focus and set goals. You’re going to say to yourself, “This year I really need to focus on getting more involved in my community.” Or Education. Or whatever.

That doesn’t mean you don’t do the other things, but you can manage your life to focus on what you need to do. If you have small children, then you may choose to focus on family. If you have an elderly parent, you may have to focus on care giving (I’d put that under health or family).
Use your time effectively to produce results

● Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is a time stealer that can be eliminated. People tend to procrastinate for two reasons.

▪ First, because the task is considered to be unpleasant. To overcome a reluctance to engage in less pleasant tasks, tackle the difficult ones first and get them over with. Otherwise, you will fret about it and not do anything and it still needs to be done.

▪ Second, because the entire task looks so overwhelming a person doesn’t know where to begin. Break the task down into smaller tasks based on sequence and priority, and tackle them one at a time.

● Learn to work Efficiently and Effectively

There is a difference between effective and efficient. We all should strive to use our time both effectively and efficiently.

▪ Effective (adj.): Adequate to accomplish a purpose; producing the intended or expected result. Being effective is all about doing the right things (to produce the results, achieve the goals, etc.)

▪ Efficient (adj.) Performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort. Being efficient is all about doing things in the right/correct manner.

How do we figure out what are “the right things”? Those are the activities that produce the results we want. Tim Ferriss, in his 2007 bestseller The 4-Hour Work Week suggests we learn to focus our attention on the 20% of our activities that contribute to 80% of the results.

● Learn the difference between Urgent and Important

Having goals and setting priorities is critical, but you’ll still have to change your focus from staying busy to producing results. To do that, you must be able to distinguish between activities are Urgent and those that are Important. They’re not the same thing.

▪ Important activities have an outcome that leads to the achievement of your goals.

▪ Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are often associated with the achievement of someone else's goals. We concentrate on these because they are the "squeaky wheels that get the grease." They demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate.

And we tend to set aside the important tasks until later “when I have time.”

Right. And that “time” never comes. Those back-burner items never seem to get done. Here are three examples of "The Urgent":

▪ Pressing or burning imperatives that must be completed immediately.
▪ Critical or vital tasks that someone else insists be performed without delay.
▪ Unrelenting and persistent routine demands on your time.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn't address the Urgent. But instead of dropping what you’re doing, ask yourself the following and then decide if you are going to stop working on the important activity for the urgent one.

▪ Is it a priority? Will it produce a longer time, important result?
▪ Does the task need to be done right at this moment, or is there something else on your list that should come first?
▪ Is it going to take your focus off of more important tasks with long-term results?
▪ Does the task need immediate attention, though it has only small and short-term results?
▪ If left undone, is the problem likely to grow into something important as well as urgent? What are the consequences of not doing it right now?

● Ask Yourself “What is the best use of my time right now?”

This was the most valuable technique I learned from all the courses I took in Time Management. It’s easy to waste little bits of “down time” by doing nothing and by not being prepared to use those smaller segments of time. Waiting in the Doctor’s office, waiting for a meeting to start, or watching your child’s soccer game. Always have things you can work on in small increments of time.

Back to the Pie Chart

Obviously, in real life there are mundane day-to-day activities we must do—laundry, washing dished, feeding the kids, and so on—but aren’t going to help us achieve our career goals. Those things need to be accounted for in your distribution of time (your pie chart) and done as quickly and efficiently as possible.

After figuring out how much time and effort you intend to put toward your writing career by using the pie chart exercise, the important thing is going through the same process for the Career/Profession/Writing segment of the pie.
□

Resources:
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm
http://www.ehow.com/list_7431792_time-management-skills-techniques.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Time-Management----Urgent-vs.-Important&id=57952
http://designm.ag/freelance/principles-time-management/
http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/2009/04/urgent-versus-important-time-m.html
Time Management Skills & Techniques | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7431792_time-management-skills-techniques.html#ixzz1S0PbYABq

Romance is Only Respectable this Month?

2012-02-09T01:20:00.006-05:00

I'm going to admit that I haven't done many things that are "typical". I didn't pretend not to be smart just to impress a boy. I didn't sneak makeup in my book bag and put it on at school. And I never pilfered romance novels from my mother's nightstand.

The first one no doubt had to do with being a middle child and always trying to prove myself to my older siblings. There was no way I was ever going to look dumb in front of them. And the second two things on the list were definitely influenced by Mom herself. My mom's really pretty and I don't remember her wearing makeup. So the whole thing was a non-issue in my house.There was no one saying I could or I couldn't, so why rebel? The whole makeup thing seemed like a huge hassle in my opinion. And then there are the books. My mom was a reader. She took 4 and 5 books out of our little library every week and carried them home. She was pleased as punch when we picked one up and thumbed through it. I can't say for sure when my love of reading began, but by the time I hit middle school I was reading adult books ... including romances.

Of course I'm old enough to admit they weren't half as hot as they are now. But then again, it was scandalous when I was a teenager watching a movie at the theater and the F-bomb was dropped. Everything's changed, especially acceptable heat levels of our entertainment.

Anyway, reading was reading in our house. I didn't know it was considered taboo to read romance novels. I blissfully carried my Danielle Steel books around high school, happily reading in English class or at recess. (Yes, I was one of those geeks.) But the next week I'd be just as likely to be reading an Isaac Asimov novel during my down time. I wasn't really picky ... I just wanted an engaging story.

Now let's fast forward to middle age. Now I'm writing. And I'm writing romance. *GASP* Oh, the intellectual horror! NOW I find out that romance is looked down upon? NOW I find out that only old maids with no love prospects or a sex life read romance? NOW I discover that my GPA in school is supposed to determine what genre I read? Where the hell have I been?

Well, let me tell you ... in my life time, only one jerky writing professor told me that romance was garbage. (And since I took his class after I'd been teaching for nearly 20 years, I have the right to call this guy an asshat! He wasted our money with that class. Not bothering to teach novel writing fundamentals in a "Fiction Writing" class. So I don't really give him any credibility anyway. Ah, but I digress ...) The point is, I never heard what a bad rep romance had until I started writing it. By then ... I was too old to give two hoots what anyone thought of my genre choice.

And I guess you wonder why I mention this on my February post. Well, the fact is, many of my fellow cohorts have been interviewed or asked to write pieces about love and romance for Valentine's Day. This is the day to celebrate what we write. But I ask ... shouldn't the romance genre be appreciated every day of the year? Shouldn't romance writers, like writers of other genres, be viewed as talented artists and not formulaic cutouts of tired story lines? Shouldn't we be celebrated every day of the year? Well, of course we should. We bleed words on to the page like every horror, mystery, science fiction or young adult author out there. We push through writer's block to make deadlines just like other professional writers.

Please don't just look to our skills and insights on this day because it's meant for lovers. Seek us out in November when you're sick of turkey and need some ways to spice up your cooking (LOTS of romance chapters on that subject.) Call upon us in January when you need a passage or two to warm a cold winter night. Seek us out in July and we'll help you discover the real fireworks.

Trust me when I say romance is a year-round genre. Who doesn't want to be in love 24/7/365?

Interview of Author Liz Jasper

2012-02-08T00:01:00.006-05:00

Today I'm pleased to present an interview of romance author Liz Jasper.

Latest Book: Underdead In Denial
Buy Link: http://lizjasper.com/buy/

BIO:
Liz Jasper is a former teacher turned analyst and the award-winning author of the UNDERDEAD mysteries. She lives in California near hiking trails, great public libraries, in a house where the resident cat gets fatter and lazier every year. Perhaps because she and Liz have a small Cheetos addiction.

Q: What part of the book is the easiest for you to write? Why?
A: The easiest scenes for me to write are the big climactic scenes, the sort when my protagonist's world is dropped out from under her. Actually, no, I take that back. It's not when her world is dropped out from under her--it's when she finally realizes it. Big difference.

I like to write the sort of book that you can curl up with on the couch after a lousy day--and then forget about the day and giggle. Cozy, romantic mysteries, young adult adventures, that sort of thing. Except I add a paranormal twist which throws my character for a loop. For me that's the hook, the exciting pull that makes me as a writer want to keep working out what comes next.

And yet the funny thing is that I get a lot of really great fan mail from readers who wouldn't normally reach for a book with, say, vampires in it. They had a friend shove the Underdead books at them and quickly they are sucked in and cracking up. But then I suppose I've found a ton of great books that way--from friends recommending them.

Q: What part of the book is the hardest for you? Why?
A: The beginning. Everything hinges on it. And plot set-up aside, I want readers to get a clear feel for who my characters are and where they are in life. That way when the bomb drops, they care and want to know what happens next. In the UNDERDEAD books it's important to know that Jo yearns for the sort of nice, fun life she feels she was promised after growing up watching FRIENDS reruns. But she doesn't have it. She's working her tail off teaching and in her free time she's wiped out and sleeps. And then she has that dream dangled in front of her. The gorgeous, genuinely charming man. The romance. The fun life every twenty-something should have. But does she get that? No! She gets vampires and detective and bodies and she still has to deal with her annoying colleagues.

Q: Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
A: Oooh, hard to say. Jo's mother always cracks me up because she is so opposite to my own. Jo's mother is the sort who dresses up for the supermarket. You know, always put together and salon perfect. My mother could give a rat's patoot what she wears when she buys milk. I based Jo's mother very loosely on one of my friends mom's whom I adore. Between the two inherent wins here--knowing my mother is going to look on in horror when she get asked if I based the character on her, and thinking of my friend's mom--I always write those parts with a grin.

Q: Do you eat comfort food when writing? If so, what food inspires your imagination?
A: I don't eat when I write as I'd never write. But I do write a LOT about chocolate in the UNDERDEAD books. And as a former science teacher, do not doubt that I feel very strongly about the importance of testing out chocolate for the good of my writing. And, showing my honor and dedication to science, I do my testing with rigor: large sample sizes and long time frames. Drat it, now I need to go to the store and stock up. This was a mean question. ;)

Q: What is your favorite romance book that you’ve read?
A: I've read a ton of romance books. I have a hard time reading mysteries when I'm writing them and I read enough non-fiction for work. There are a lot of wonderful romances out there. I tend to be partial to the ones that hit you from the side and knock you over, which means I'm a sucker for a mystery series with a good, ongoing romance. I like poignant. I like a bit of yearning in there. Oh great. Now I'm going to the bookstore AND to the store to get chocolate.

Q: You’re on a remote island with a handsome man, a computer, and a “mysterious” source of electricity to power your computer. What do you do?
A: Ditch the computer immediately! Finally, an easy question.

Tell us where to find you: website(s), publisher’s page(s), blog(s), Facebook page(s), etc. List them all!
Both Underdead and Underdead In Denial are available in eBook pretty much everywhere and in trade paperback at Amazon and B & N. You can easily find links to the way you want to read the books on the buy page on my http://lizjasper.com/buy/website.
My main website and blog: http://lizjasper.com
Facebook main page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/authorLizJasper
You can fan me at facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/LizJasperAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/AuthorLizJasper

BLURB:
In the sequel to award-winning UNDERDEAD, eighth grade science teacher Jo Gartner is back after a deceptively quiet summer.

Apart from the hormonal teens she has to deal with everyday and her sensitivity to sunlight everything seems, well, almost normal.

She probably shouldn’t have volunteered to help the hot new teacher on campus with his Haunted House fundraiser.

Because that’s just asking for the real vampires to show up…

And the next thing she knows there’s a dead body.

And the cops are back.

And Jo is forced to decide which side she’s on, once and for all.

EXCERPT:
“What do you want, Will?”

He stepped forward and touched his lips to mine in a light kiss that sent traitorous quivers along my nerve endings.

“I thought that was obvious.”

“I see. Absence makes the heart grow fonder? A little trite for someone of your age. How old are you, anyway?”

His face lit with a sudden grin. “I have missed you, Josephine Gartner.”

A bittersweet pang beat against my chest. I ignored it. “You didn’t come to see the play? The drama kids will be disappointed. They worked so hard littering the town with posters.”

“I came to see you. You decided to live in this world.” A wave of his hand took in the administration building, the academic quad, and the gym hulking in the distance. His gaze remained fixed on me, suddenly serious. “There’s a place for you in…mine, when you want it.”

“Is that what you want? To be my boyfriend?”

“Are you offering?”

A rusty Toyota idling at the gate pulled out onto the street and I realized with a start that the teacher’s parking lot was deserted.

So did Will. The air crackled with the awareness between us. He shifted closer. Only a fraction of an inch separated his hard, lithe body and mine.

He said, “‘You meet your destiny on the road you take to avoid it.’ Carl Jung.”

“Better than sitting and doing nothing. Jo Gartner.”

He pulled me hard against him and kissed me. I had forgotten how good he was at that. I forgot that I was supposed to be scared…

Chattering voices pealed like warning bells from the path around the side of the administration building. I shoved Will away.

By the time the group rounded the corner into the parking lot, Will was leaning casually against the SUV parked next to me, gorgeously unruffled, appearing every inch the chivalrous male. He wasn’t looking at the group. His midnight gaze was fixed on me. He watched and waited as I somehow fit my key in the lock, got in, started up my car and drove out of the parking lot.

When I gathered the courage to look back, he was gone. Another black shadow in the night.

Anything else you’d like to add? Yes! Look for CRIMSON IN THE VERY WRONG FAIRY TALE this Winter/Spring.

Guest Blog: Raine Delight: I Popped My Cherry...Writing MM Stories

2012-02-07T00:01:00.006-05:00

I got my cherry popped. Wait get that look off your face and mind out of the gutter. I mean I wrote my first M/M Story that totally took me by surprise since it started out as an M/F story. Somehow, it turned itself around and my hero balked at being with the heroine I picked out for him. He wanted someone else…the new man in town-NOT this barmaid who I thought was perfect for him. Call me crazy but changing it to a MM story worked…better than I even expected.

Yes, I know what you are thinking (ha never knew I was psychic did you?), how could you write a MM when you write MF stories? Easy because that was what my characters and muse told me to do.

I am a slave to the muse and story ideas so when a story doesn’t work no matter how many times I try to pound it in a square hole when in fact it’s a round hole it needs to go in, I listen…after I bang my head against the wall and curse my characters for a few days. *laughs*

Writing my first MM story has me on pins and needles…mainly because I know so many GBLT authors and admire them that for myself, writing this one felt like I was being initiated in a club of sorts. I love reading MM stories…heck I am practically addicted to them. *grins* But writing one? Oh man, I get the shakes and the butterflies flew in my stomach like they were in the damn grand prix. So finally after much second guessing, hemming and hawing, I finally took the leap and wrote Betrayed by Destiny, the second book in my upcoming trilogy Destined Mates. What came out was something I never anticipated. At times, so sad that it made my beta reader cry to so hot, she jumped her husband. *laughs*

I can’t say I will write primarily MM stories now but I like switching back and forth if the story calls for it. Listening to my characters had me almost missing the magic of this one and I am glad I took that leap of faith.

I am currently getting ready to self-publish my MMF sci-fi Ménage and find that as I write more scenes with male heroes, it does get easier. Though I have to admit, I still get the butterfly grand prix each time I start writing a MM story. *grins*
So there you have it…I had my MM cherry popped and it was quite enjoyable too.

BIO:
Raine Delight loves to be pampered by her harem of men that exist solely for her pleasure. Wait…that was in a movie she saw. Hey, she can dream. Raine loves to fight with her muse, attack her manuscripts and find a way to silence the many voices in her head. Inspiration hits at odd times and for Raine, a blank word document page gives her many possibilities on story ideas. Living with her two kids, a significant other who supports her every move in writing and doesn’t seem to mind she gets up at 2 am to type away on the computer. With a love for Johnny Depp, movies and 80’s hair bands, Raine finds a way to bring all her chaotic thoughts into a story that tells her readers about love and romance.

Fantasies Unbound
Available NOW from Secret Cravings Publishing
Fantasy Erotic Romance
Buy at: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=21&products_id=246

BLURB:
Can destiny lead a Fae Prince to the one woman who can complete him mind, body and soul?

Skye Andrews has had it with men and romance. But when a favorite aunt gives her a magic love spell, she figures she has nothing to lose…until a mysterious face haunts her days and a magical Faberge egg brings her dream man into her life. Can she believe that love is something she can believe in again?

Website: http://authorrainedelight.com
Raine’s Blog: http://authorrainedelight.wordpress.com
Author/Reader Loop: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Author_Raine_Delight
Email me: rainedelight@yahoo.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRaine-Delight
Secret Cravings Publishing: http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com
Haunting Magic book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8G5qDzyllY
Red Hot Magic Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLZcr8ubIr8

What we do for love

2012-02-06T02:00:00.001-05:00

As a writer of erotic romance, I suppose it's natural that most individuals feel that sex is the end all and be all in my stories. I know nothing could be further from the truth and that to me the most important part of any relationship - even fictional ones - is the emotional connection we have with people.

With Valentine's Day nearing, I got to thinking about love and the power it has to make us so damned awesome as a race. The first time I realized how powerful love could truly be was when I was in college. Not through a romantic relationship, but from knowing a very special woman named Louise.

At the time, I worked behind the counter at a bakery that was within a grocery store so I could afford to go to college. One of my co-workers was Louise, a middle-aged married lady. She was the nicest, most accepting person I had ever met. Because I had a dicey history with my own mother, because I never measured up to what she wanted me to be, I bonded with Louise. I often joked with her that if she was up for adopting another kid, I'd be willing.

Louise had several boys and the youngest one became ill. I can't recall what exactly was the matter with him, could be she never told me, but he needed an operation badly. He also needed a bone graft so he'd be able to walk again. Louise and her husband Joe (a truly nice guy - my God they were a sweet couple), both volunteered to be tested. Louise was chosen by the doctors to be the donor.

They weren't a rich couple, in fact, they were just barely scraping by, but that didn't seem to bother them in the least even though Louise was going to be out of work for months recuperating. Their child was in peril and they would have done anything to help him.

When we heard that the operation was a success, all of us at the bakery cheered and couldn't wait for Louise to return. She did finally, but not as we expected. She had a really bad limp from having given the bone graft. A limp that made it difficult for her to be on her feet all day and work, but work she did.

Not once did she complain. Not once did she show any of the pain she was clearly in. She was simply grateful that her boy was on the way to a full recovery. That he'd be whole even if she was not.

I'd never seen love like that in the home I grew up in. I never knew love like that existed - that someone could matter to another person so much.

When I write my characters and try to convey what they'd do for each other because of their love, I often think of Louise - how she looked at Joe, the respect and affection they had for one another, the love they had for their children. She is the finest person I've ever known. Her children are very lucky. I hope they show it to her everyday.

Now for the promo part - yeah, I know, know - I'm the promo ho, but hey, stay with me, will ya, I gotta sell books! In my latest release SiNN, I wanted to show the love between Lea, Jake and Toby, all of whom had their own sad childhoods. Here's the cover and a blurb just in case the story's new to you. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Blurb:

She’s every man’s carnal fantasy…and the target of one’s revenge

At a Phoenix gentleman’s club, Lea dances as SiNN, her body bared and vulnerable to her male partner, her features hidden behind a feathered mask. To the men watching, she’s a sensual enigma, submissive and seductive with no face, name or history. Not even Lea knows her real origins.

A man from the past does and wants her dead.

Not on the watch of U.S. Marshals Jake Gabriel and Toby Quinn. Commanding and decisive, Jake not only wants Lea’s safety but to have her naked and yielding beneath him. To Toby, she’s all he should resist but cannot.

Protected by them at a secluded estate, Lea’s drawn to their potent masculinity and the raw male lust in their eyes. Inviting desire and an emotional connection, she submits to both at once, surrendering to their most shameless hunger along with her own wanton needs.

All while a killer edges closer…

More info: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9642-sinn.aspx

The Middle-Aged Virgin...Hero?

2012-02-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

No, you aren’t having a flashback nor did I mistakenly re-post my January blog.

Last month while examining reader expectations for the shorter stories I used the movie, “The Naked Jungle” as an example and as so often happens was sorely tempted to veer off onto a completely different subject and explore the movie’s very interesting alpha hero.

At nineteen, Christopher Leiningen traveled to South America and spent the next twenty or so years hacking a cocoa plantation out of the jungle. And that’s all he did, day in, day out. He did not go into the jungle in the dark of night and take advantage of the local indigenous females as was the custom of some of his neighbors.

When the movie opens, he’s built an empire and now he wants someone to share his life but he doesn’t want anyone to realize that he’s…a virgin. He has his brother, who knows his predicament, arrange a marriage for him but when his proxy bride arrives she isn’t the biddable female he’s expecting. And she’s a widow.

Leiningen is brash, he’s arrogant and for the first time in a long while he is afraid. He is the Beast who longs to be good enough for Beauty but his fear keeps him trapped within the confines of his own brutish behavior.

There’s a lot of simmering, civilized conflict that’s absolutely delicious because you want this self-made man to realize that this experienced woman is just what he needs. And that’s before the horde of ants (Marabunta!) arrive and cause all kinds of mayhem, including stopping his wife from reluctantly going back to her very civilized life.

The motivation for his being a virgin is very believable because of the time period involved and the ridged code of ethics that Leiningen follows. Yet there is a vulnerability displayed by him that resonates, in my opinion, even better than the virginal heroines of early romance novels.

In this day and age of alpha heroes that can practically make a woman orgasm with a smoldering glance, what believable situation/motivation would make a middle-aged alpha hero sexually inexperienced?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Paris Brandon

http://parisbrandon.com

http://www.romancebooksrus.com/Paris%20Brandon.html

parisbrandon.author@parisbrandon.com

http://www.jasminejade.com/m-524-paris-brandon.aspx

http://twitter.com/#!/ParisBrandon

LET'S ALL REV! by Adele Dubois

2012-02-04T02:00:00.043-05:00

To celebrate the print release of REV ME, the trade paperback issue of my full-length novel REV ME UP and its stand alone sequel REV ME TWICE from Ellora's Cave Publishing, I'm giving away prizes!

--CONTEST ALERT!--

All my life I’ve been fascinated by motorcycles and convertibles. The sensations of wind and speed against the body thrills like nothing else. I love to ride in my convertible with the top down, as do the heroines in almost all of my books. In winter, I miss the warm, sunny days that allow me to indulge this innocent pleasure. On those rare, wonderful February afternoons when the temperature hits sixty, I put on a jacket and take a ride around town with the wind in my hair.

Though I don’t own a motorcycle and never have, my law-enforcement heroes do. They ride hard and fast when they have to solve a crime or sport the heroine away from danger.

I live vicariously through my sexy, fearless characters in REV ME TWICE and it’s stand-alone first REV ME UP. Where better to indulge our fantasies than with fiction?

--CONTEST--

What innocent or guilty pleasure makes your life more fun, and why?

The READERS (not authors, sorry) who provide the most interesting answers will be automatically entered to win a fanciful motorcycle keyring. USA residents only, please. The keyring will be sent first class USPS mail. If enough readers enter the contest to warrant additional prizes, I'll choose two winners!

REV ME TWICE Summary:

Crystal is a bad, bad girl in the most delicious ways. She tries to be good and is tempted to commit to her Navy MP boyfriend, Tomas, but has no experience with an exclusive relationship or healthy family structure. She likes her life as a cable TV stripping weather girl and sex party host, and resists conforming to the traditional lifestyle Tomas craves. Without her weekly ménages and wild orgies, can she become the partner Tomas wants?

When Crystal receives death threats, a media frenzy erupts. During a break-in, the threatening letters are stolen, erasing evidence that thwarts an arrest. Tomas sports Crystal away on his Harley to protect her, but a deadly crash changes everything. Faced with the choice between self-interest and self-sacrifice, Crystal must decide if she will embrace a new life with Tomas or walk away.

Buy The eBook REV ME UP from Ellora's Cave! http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7639-rev-me-up.aspx

Buy The eBook REV ME TWICE from Ellora's Cave! http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8865-50-rev-me-twice.aspx

Buy The Print Book REV ME from Ellora's Cave! http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9910-rev-me.aspx

REV ME TWICE: Excerpt

Tomas’ deliberations came to a halt as he and Crystal approached the television station. Goddamned press was stuck to the front of the building like slugs on wet rock. He revved the throttle to get their attention, making as much noise as possible. Tomas watched while the paparazzo turned toward the motorcycle. “Hang on, baby!” he shouted. Tomas aimed the Harley straight at the crowd.

At first the press corps showed interest in the bike heading for the front door of the building. Tomas watched as curiosity changed to consternation, then fear. A female reporter ran out of the way and a male jumped to the side. A dozen pairs of eyes went wide and people scattered as the Harley drew close enough to skin knees and elbows, blowing heat and fumes in its path.

“You crazy bastard!” A paparazzi screamed. Tomas only laughed in return, aiming the Harley directly at the front door. When they reached the glass entryway, he slid to a halt and Crystal hopped off the bike. She ran inside before anyone could get to her. Though most of the journalists had moved out of the way, one cameraman caught the entire event on film. A reporter spoke into her microphone.

Tomas turned the Harley around and headed for the parking lot. “Adios!” He waved a hand and disappeared around the side of the building.

*****

Visit Adele Dubois on her Website: www.adeledubois.com/
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Interview of Author Adelle Laudan

2012-02-03T00:01:00.061-05:00

Today I'm pleased to present an interview of romance author Adelle Laudan.

Latest Book: In Your Eyes
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Eyes-Adelle-Laudan/dp/0986541338

BIO:
Adelle is a mom first before anything. She has four wonderful kids, two of which (my girls) are still under her wing. Adelle lives in Southern Ontario and her passions are writing, reading, sewing and motorcycles. Adelle invites you to ride the many twists and turns of being a published author. Be sure to hang on tight, it proves to be a ride you won't soon forget.

Q: What inspires you?
A: If I'm in a slump, music can inspire me, or sometimes I will surf travel sites and research the setting of the book I'm writing. Something I see or read usually clicks and off I go again...

Q: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?
A: I'm a pretty good sewer, but I have to be in the right mood for it. I can sit and sew three nightgowns from scratch in one evening. Of course... reading is something I love to do, but sometimes there simply isn't enough hours in the day.

Q: Do you eat comfort food when writing?
A: Doesn't everybody? My biggest food addiction is chocolate bars, and it doesn't help that the store is kitty corner from my house. My favs are Wunderbar & Toblerone Fruit & Nut.

Q: Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
A: That’s such a tough questions. How about the character I love to hate the most?
That would be Ben in In Your Eyes. Here’s an excerpt and you’ll see why.

BLURB:
Lizzy would give it all back just to hear her mother's voice one more time... the house, the furniture...even the money. Regardless,her heartless stepfather is determined to take what he feels is rightfully his. Handyman, Adam Woodward rides into Lizzy's life and vows to keep her safe, but is it enough to stop the cold, callous determination of Ben Stokes?

EXCERPT:
She hung up without saying goodbye and headed straight for the closet in her mother's room. At one end of the over-filled pole hung half a dozen black dresses from which she picked a simple one with a square neckline. The last time she'd seen this dress her mother had worn it to her birth father's funeral.

Lizzy pressed her hand against the doorjamb to stop from toppling over. Her breath came in short, rapid bursts, and the room spun around her. Is this what it feels like to have a broken heart?

She made a concerted effort to calm her breathing, taking long, deep breaths and letting them out nice and slow while making her way downstairs. Her guitar sat on the chair by the door offering comfort in her time of need. She reached out, picked it up with the familiarity of shaking an old friend's hand, and walked outside. Lizzy settled on the swing and ran one hand over the smooth mahogany finish, fingering the mother-of pearl inlays. With her eyes closed, she played her mother's favorite Gaelic song. She pictured her sitting next to her, smiling her approval.

Her heart ached, and tears ran down her face unchecked. Lizzy's fingers flitted across the strings to precisely the right place on the guitar's body. Up and down the neck, effortlessly gliding from one fret to another.

It wasn't until she smelled cigarette smoke that she realized she wasn't alone. Lizzy opened her eyes. Ben leaned against the porch column, a cigarette in his mouth; the smoke curled up and floated toward her. His steel-gray eyes were void of any emotion. It looked like he hadn't shaved in days, his clothes wrinkled and stained.

"Your aunt says you have something you want to say to me?"

She frowned at the stench of stale whiskey that wafted toward her as he spoke.

"I was just wondering what happens now," stammered Lizzy.

"How the hell should I know?" He slammed his fist down on the wooden rail. "What the hell was she doing with Steven in the car in the middle of the day?"

She didn't know how to tell him that Steven had been in a fight at school. She couldn't imagine how he'd react.

"I suppose," Ben said, his voice filled with disgust, "that you expect me to take care of you now, don't you? I'm telling you right here and now I don't owe you a damn thing!"

His face contorted, echoing the anger in his eyes.

"If you think I can look at you every day and be reminded of the bitch who killed my son, you got another thing coming."

Ben might as well have stabbed her in the heart. His words hurt as much, if not more. She couldn't believe the hate spewing from his mouth. He actually blames Mother for the accident?

He spun on his heel and stomped off to his truck, stopping abruptly before he opened the door. "You better take everything of yours and your mother's from my house. I got no use for it now. I'm selling the whole thing. I don't want no part of it—that includes you."

Lizzy pulled her knees up to her chest. She watched his tires spin in the gravel as he sped off. She sat in silence and tried to grasp the reality of what had just happened. Here she sat, eighteen years old, she'd just lost her mother, and now she was being forced to fend for herself. Where would she go?

Surprise Gift Giveaway!

Valentine's Day

Yes, I am the Scrooge of Valentine's Day. I think your love for one another should be celebrated whenever the mood strikes. So often we get all psyched for the big day, only to be let down... I'd much rather have that special someone pick a bouquet of wild flowers, just because he loves me. It means o much more than those over priced roses on Valentine's Day that usually only last a few days.

Share your thoughts on Valentine's Day and I'll draw a winner at the end of the day for a surprise gift!

http://adellelaudan.com
http://adellelaudan.blogspot.com
http://facebook.com/AdelleLaudan
http://twitter.com/AdelleLaudan
Tween Mystery Series by Lora Richards:
http://lora-richards.com
Adult Fiction:
http://adellelaudan.com/ElleLaudan

The Month of Love

2012-02-02T00:01:00.004-05:00

Want to remind everyone about our VALENTINE'S DAY CONTEST on our "Romance Books R Us" website: http://www.romancebooksrus.com Prizes: $75 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and some RBRU stuff! Go to the website for details!

Happy Groundhog Day! Yep, it’s that day again when we all look to that rodent in the ground to come out of his burrow and check to see if he sees his shadow, or not. The folklore, as celebrated in the United States and Canada, is if the skies are overcast when the famous Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his burrow on this day, February 2^nd, it will leave his burrow and signifies winter-like weather will soon end. If the clouds are gone and the sun is out, Phil will supposedly see his shadow and retreat back into the ground, and we’ll have six more weeks of winter.

Or so says the popular tradition.

But, I’ve never been one to believe in the prediction since I heard the tale when I was a young child. Six weeks is six weeks. Unless you live in the South and the temperatures are temperate for winter, then six weeks is a nice reprieve from the heat.

February to me is more than worrying about a little rodent seeing his shadow or not. The second month of the year is the month of Love, and other significant events. One of which is Leap Year. Every four years, there is an extra day added to the month, making the year longer because our modern Gregorian Calendar has to “catch up” to the Earth’s rotation. Leap Years were first introduced over 2000 years ago when there was a transition from the Roman Calendar to the Julian Calendar in 45 B.C.E. Then, we switched again to the Gregorian.

The folklore is fun. Does everyone know about “Sadie Hawkins Day” made famous by ‘Lil Abner? The day allows women to propose to men and not the other way around every four years. Of course, now that’s a tradition that isn’t necessary to happen only every four years. Women are independent enough to ask anytime.

Bad luck is also attributed to the 29^th of February. In Scotland, it used to be considered unlucky for someone to be born on Leap Day, just like Friday 13th is considered an unlucky day by many. In Greece it’s said to be unlucky for couples to marry during a Leap Year, and especially on Leap Day.

February is also the month of the Super Bowl, which is this Sunday for anyone who hasn’t heard. Now, this is a relatively new celebration for the month. I remember many years ago, Super Bowl Sunday happened in January, but with the addition of more teams, that event has been pushed into February.

How about racing fans? There’s the Indy 500 and Daytona 500. Or dog lovers? The Westminster Dog Show happens this month too. For three nights, you can watch the best of the best pedigreed dogs flaunt their stuff before millions. Watching is a tradition with my daughter and I. We love the pups.

The official government holiday—the third Monday in February is Washington’s Birthday, but some call the day Presidents’ Day because Lincoln is celebrated as well because he was born in February.

Or how about the Motion Picture Academy Awards, or Oscars as they are fondly called, on February 26 at 8 pm EST on ABC? (A shameless plug for them, sorry.) I didn’t go see one movie last year and have no idea what to expect. If I were to tell the truth, I only watch the pre-show to watch the Hollywood types get another night out to sashay on the Red Carpet in their beautiful designer dresses and drool over the hunky men.

For me, February is all about the month of love! How could I forget Valentine’s Day? All of us romance authors and readers wouldn’t do what we do if we didn’t believe in love, right? For me the day has more special meaning, actually the 15^th because that is the day my husband and I celebrate our first date. Remembering that day probably has more meaning sometimes than our actually wedding anniversary. That was the day that started our love affair of thirty plus years.

Maybe that’s why I write romance and this month I have three, count them three, releases centering around Valentine’s Day. I guess I’m not only a glutton for punishment, but a real romantic at heart.

I hope everyone has a wonderful heart-loving month.

Cynthia Arsuaga

Erotic Romance Author

http://romanticwordsbycynthia.blogspot.com

http://cynthiaarsuaga.weebly.com

http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com

http://noboundariespublishing.com
Photos: total wallpapers.com, hog heaven.com, oscars.org/poster

Should Heroes/Heroines Have Bucket Lists?

2012-02-01T00:01:00.012-05:00

Before I post my blog, don't forget about our VALENTINE'S DAY CONTEST on our "Romance Books R Us" website: http://www.romancebooksrus.com
Prizes: $75 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and some RBRU stuff! Go to the website for details!

Our romance heroes and heroines all have goals, but those are different than what you might put on a bucket list. Goals: be successful, solve a problem/crisis, find love, etc. Bucket List: travel to Hawaii, skydive, go to a Superbowl game, etc. Definitely different.

In "Street of Dreams", Eileen has a goal to prove her worth in her department. But, a bucket list item would be to actually use "Street of Dreams" time travel capability and visit a time period (the 1960s) that she's an expert in and has longed to see for herself.

In her case, she gets to combine both...her goal and scratch off one item on her bucket list. Traveling through time to 1965 satisfies both, and gives her that chance to help solve a case.

Should our heroes/heroines talk about bucket lists? Mine usually don't since they concentrate on the here and now...and ways to reach their goals. Maybe as they would "age", they'd take more time to consider creating a bucket list!

Me? It's time to think about my Bucket List and forget about New Year's Resolutions (since they're the same things year after year):
Lose weight and get in good shape
Make more money - be more successful
Healthy life for family and friends
World Peace

I've done the weight loss and gotten into shape, only to have those extra pounds find me again. My name is Marianne and I'm a chocoholic. And, I love to cook which translates into a love for eating. I haven't seen size 10 since high school and don't think it's in my future again.

How do you rate success? Make more money? Sell more books? Find the magical formula for stock market trading? Win the lottery? Tried all, none work. I do what I can to sell books, but I'll never replace Nora as "Queen of Romance Authors". I had luck with one stock...until the company was sold. Spent more money on lottery tickets than any "wins" I've had.

I can't control the health of others. I can help, make suggestions, but there's nothing else I can do. People get sick, have surgeries (don't I know), ignore doctor's orders. While I can have some control over children's healthy choices, I can't control nature...just pray.

World Peace - yeah, right. Like I have ANY control over that. I can continue to love my neighbors, but can't control the fanatics of the world. Again, I can pray.

So...I decided to list three things here from my Bucket List instead of New Year's Resolutions:

1. Visit all the baseball stadiums. Yes, I'm a baseball fan. Have been since I can remember. Grew up in a baseball-loving home and that enthusiasm still exists. I've been to six stadiums. Not enough, considering how many teams there are here in the United States. So, I've got lots of traveling to do during baseball season. I won't get to all of them in one year, but my plan is to GET to them all eventually.

2. Visit Mount Rushmore. Yes. I know that's not the most exotic place people think of visiting. But I've been to/traveled through most states already, and never got to South Dakota. The image of those faces carved in stone and the story behind how it was done fascinates me. It's here in the US. And, I want to see it...but not during the winter.

3. Get all my grandkids together at one time for one GOOD photo. I don't know about you, but getting everyone together is a problem. Some families don't talk to each other. I'm lucky to get 3/4 of them here at any given time, therefore miss having them all together. Of course, even taking photos of the ones I have visiting always contain eyes closed, fingers up noses, heads turned, crying, etc. Sigh. Even taking a few photos doesn't guarantee a GOOD photo outcome. This, I realize, will be harder to accomplish than my first two Bucket List items. (No...this is not a photo of my grandkids...but you get the idea)

When my kids were little, I used to take 12 photos of them together for Christmas cards...and that didn't always guarantee one GOOD photo. I guess my grandkids have learned photo phobia from their parents!

So, what are three things on your bucket list?
http://www.mariannestephens.net
Marianne Stephens book buy links
Photos: Flickr: VerismoVita, Nia (so let's go!), wallyg, and cakeyhamburger's photostreams.

Guest Blog: Jo Beverley: Let's Talk About Conflict in a Romance Novel.

2012-01-30T00:01:00.014-05:00

People say that conflict is what makes a good read, and it's true, but sometimes people, including inexperienced authors, get the idea that conflict = war, fighting, and head-butting, and that isn't usually the case. I don't know about you, but I get bored of romances in which the main problem is that the hero and heroine just can't get along. I'm particularly irritated if the completely unreasonable one is the hero because I won't be far into the book before I'm muttering, "Just walk, lady. He's a thick-headed jerk and always will be."

Do you ever find yourself thinking that, or do you enjoy seeing the snarly duckling eventually turned into an amiable swan? That's another classic storyline, of course, so it's valid.

To flip the above comment about her walking, my husband has similar advice to most romance heroes. He sometimes helps me with my plot dilemmas, and as I lay out the situation he often says, "He needs to walk. That woman's nothing but trouble."

LOL! He's usually right, whether the wounds be mental, emotional, or physical, the guy would have had a quieter life if he'd never met her. "But," I say, "the rewards in the end make it all worth it."

He's not convinced. "You don't want to meet any of these men in a dark alley," he warns.

But back to conflict. Sometimes the hero and heroine will have strongly opposing views on an important subject, so there will be arguments, but arguments alone don't take a novel very far. Sometimes they're on opposite sides in a fight, be it a family feud or intergalactic war, and that makes for powerful barriers to their happiness. The novel usually works because they are both working to overcome those barriers rather than just shooting at each other.

And that is the key term -- barriers. Conflict in a novel is the stuff that gets between the character and his or her goal. In a romance some of the barriers will be between the couple and their future happiness, and for me as a reader it better not just be head-butting, but that could be because my idea of a wonderful relationships is one mostly of agreement.

We readers don't all love and hate the same books, thank heavens, and so it's good there's something for everyone in romance novels.

There's hardly any fighting between my hero and heroine in A Scandalous Countess, but they have all kinds of barriers to overcome.

Superficially, they're a bad match.

Lord Dracy was until recently in the navy and he has no experience with or interest in fashionable, courtly London society. Now he's inherited an impoverished barony he's duty bound to put all his efforts into restoring his country estate to prosperity.

Georgia, dowager Countess of Maybury (and she hates that "dowager", being only 20) has lived three years as a wealthy, fashionable London lady, a darling of society. It's her world. Her husband's death and the scandal surrounding it have taking that life from her and her chief goal is to get it back. The obvious way is to marry a rich, highly-titled, Town-loving gentleman. She positively dislikes country living.

A horse race brings them together -- and they like each other. They spar a bit, but both recognize that unexpectedly and undesirably, they've found a friend.

Perhaps you can see how that is a new barrier. Dracy wants the best for his friend, and he's not it. Georgia values this new friend, but she sees the danger that he might fall in love with her and she can't break a friend's heart.

The reviving scandal and the machinations of an enemy both push them closer and challenge their plans, and thus a novel grows. You can read their first encounter on my web site here.
http://www.jobev.com/ascancexc.html

The reviews thus far are excellent, and A Scandalous Countess is a top pick from Romantic Times. I hope you enjoy it. I'll give a signed copy of the previous countess book, An Unlikely Countess, to a random pick from comments here about conflict and barriers in romance novels. I'll choose someone at midnight EST, 1 February.

Oh, and lastly, my publisher has produced a short video of me talking about the book. Americans seem to enjoy my English accent. http://youtu.be/V149m0JXGck

Happy reading always!

Jo

Jo Beverley has an Author's page at: http://www.romancebooksrus.com. Come and visit the website!

BLURB:
Georgia, Countess of Maybury has it all, but then her husband is killed in a duel and she loses her homes, most of her possessions, and her reputation as well. Innocent of all charges, she returns to the beau monde determined to regain all through a second brilliant marriage, but a scarred ex-naval officer threatens to tempt her in a different direction.

BIO:
Jo Beverley is one the few authors writing English-set historical romance who is English. She was born and raised in England, and has a degree in English history from Keele University in Staffordshire. She and her husband emigrated to Canada, but have now returned to England. They have two sons.

Though Jo started to write as a young child, it was only in the eighties that she began to think that it was something ordinary people could do, and after a talk at a local library, she settled to seriously writing her first historical romance.

Now, she is the author of over thirty romance novels and many novellas -- see Jo Beverley's booklist which have brought her many awards, including five RITA awards from the Romance Writers of America and awards from Romantic Times including two Career Achievement awards. She is a member of the RWA Honor Roll, and the RWA Hall of Fame.

In Search of the Perfect Heroine

2012-01-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

Good Morning,

This is tough, I have no ideawhat men look for in a heroine, but they don't read romances so who cares. Well, we must care because she has to beattractive to our hero. We need to knowwhat men look for in their ladies.

I told a lie in my very firstparagraph. Can you guess what itis? Men don't read a romance is alie. On one of my loops, several readerssaid they and their husbands often read a romantic adventure together. I bet you are just dying to know why. Well, guess what, they are learning newtechniques for making love. They wantthe sex between them and their spouses to be more satisfying, more interestingto their respective partners.

Okay, I've digressed abit. My personal opinion of the idealprotagonist is that she may be us. Ofcourse, I'm not saying I'm perfect (just close to it--grin), but neither is ourcharacter. We can make her the way wewould like to look or act, but she still has to have ordinary flaws like allwomen have.

There are physical attributesthat most guys look for in a woman when they are on the prowl. Almost all males pant over boobs, the ass andlegs, but in the end those features won't hold their interest forever. No, your heroine better have a personality,be intelligent and strong. No man wantsa stick character, a dummy or someone who can't take care of themselves whenhe's not there.

A man wants to take care ofhis woman, (yeah, the caveman) but not to the extent she is reliant on him allthe time. Gentlemen, you wish for apartner that you can lean on when the need arises. This means the perfect heroine needs to knowwhen to be strong and when not to be.

Appearance is only importantas far as description of the female protagonist is necessary in my story, andalso, because everyone wants to read about a hot looking female. The old saying that beauty is in the eye ofthe beholder is true between a man and a woman. What one man or woman finds lovely or handsome may not be anotherperson's idea of either.

A heroine may be made up of acomposite of many people or maybe just someone you might like to meet in yourdreams. Take the best from all women andmake her your idol. Just remember no oneis perfect so give her a flaw.

Have a wonderful week.

Sandra K. Marshall

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1496954556
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/SandraKMarshall
http://www.skaymarshall.com
http://www.sandramarshallblog.blogspot.com
http://www.eirelander-publishing.com

Guest Blog: Maggie Berkley: My Great Romantic Lead

2012-01-28T00:01:00.004-05:00

My vast amount of research on love is limited to one man and twenty-one years of marriage. Not enough for someone who writes urban fantasy romance books. But then again, I do write it with a twist. Happy endings? Not always. True love at first sight? Call it lust. The hero is strong and true? Sometimes you have to shove him into that position. Do romance book characters always have to be sappy sweet or cause vast amounts of heart ache before 'true love' wins over all? Why don't ogres ever get their time in the spotlight?

I've been asked before if I base my main characters attributes on my own relationship. After wiping tears of laughter off my cheeks and catching my breath I finally answer and of course, it's a resounding 'NO'. It's not that my husband wouldn't make a good romantic lead, but seriously, most women would run screaming from him. He's not disfigured, nor is he hygienically challenged but his gruff attitude and dominate demeanor is enough for most ladies to scratch their heads and wonder why I would put myself in that kind of eternal tortuous position. Call me a sucker for punishment. One older lady at my church even called me a saint. Me? I just smile and know there's an off button for my husband's tirades and it's the ever precious, magically wonderful earplugs. Believe me, I use them a lot, for my hubby has an opinion about everything. Don't get me wrong, this is not a slam blog on domineering husbands (mine in particular) nor is a venting outlet. It's more of a love letter. More than once I have to remind myself, 'I do love this man' and in a way, his little spiels of 'this is how it should be' and 'I know best' keeps up that love for without it I would have a hard time remembering why I locked myself a way with him for the rest of my life.

I've been asked many times over my marriage why I married my husband. One lady in particular even thanked me for taking him off the market and saving the rest of womankind. His nature is quite abrasive at times and his opinions about himself quite high. And when he starts on a roll about things he thinks 'could be better if...' I just snort and roll my eyes as I pull my earplugs out, knowing he'll continue rambling on for a full thirty minutes after I stopped listening, sometimes to make a point, sometimes, I feel, just to hear himself talk. But the big secret about him, that all those other women didn't know, is that he's a good man. An honest, tried and true, good man. Those creatures are rare these days, with TV/movies, music, sports and the news telling males that in order for a man to be 'A MAN' he must earn a ton of cash (not always legally), must call a woman a 'bitch' and a 'ho' (treating them like dirt to be abused and walked on), must have some kind of crisis which always involves another woman (because after all, boys will be boys and after a dozen roses and sweet promises all will be forgiven) and always put himself first in everything.

Now my hubby is no movie star nor great white rapper (though he tries at times) and if he called me a 'ho' or 'bitch' I'll smack him a new one. The thought of him cheating, let's say we've had this conversation before and it always ended with me redecorating the room in red, blood red...it will never happen. He does at times put himself first then I have to kick him out of gear and remind him there are two other people living in the house (we have a son, almost as bad as his father). He mumbles and grumbles about being unappreciated then picks up the Playstation controller to do a little kickass Fallout style.

Truth be told, my good man... my unappreciated, gruff, domineering, good man works hard to provide for us. This man whom others have labeled and at times scorned would bend over backward to help someone in need. And though he does complain about things he puts his money/actions when his mouth is. He has a heart for the unsavory, ignored and disadvantaged. He comes to the aid of those in need and has a convection for what's right and just. Where most would just walk past, he would stop and talk to the homeless. He visits the old and incarcerated, letting them know they are remembered and not forgotten. He would, and has, defended me and my honor for the ump degree.

When I'm sad and upset, with fears at times misbegotten, he gives me comfort and warmth. He forgives and forgets ( forgets a little too much at times. Wondering if he has a memory problem. I've been after him to finish remodeling the bathroom for years). Romance is not his forte, but he surprises me at times and keeps his promises. And his sense of humor...let's just say I'll be laughing long after I've grown old and senile, forgetting who that strange man sitting next to me is.

Let's face it, I've married an ogre: big, gruff, opinionated, domineering and at times not so nice, but underneath all those layers is a heart of gold (you just have to dust it off every once in a while to see it shine). Those polished Princes, the ones the world views as great...eh, you can have them. I'll stick with my man. The one no one else wants. In my opinion he's worth the price of a few ear plugs.

BIO:
A long time fan of dark fantasy with a touch of romance and horror, Maggie Berkley grew up in a world all her own, one she created as a teenager during her long times of parental lock down due to a rebellious nature. As a youth she created stories and plays for her friends to act out for anyone willing (and at times unwilling) to watch and as time went by drew upon her love of fantasy and horror to write longer stories and fan fiction. Due to the encouragement of friends and family she decided rather than keep her stories for herself she would publish and in doing so created different worlds to feature her vast imagination.

Maggie lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband of many, many years, an extremely tall teen-age son, one rowdy puppy and two cats that rule their lives with an iron claw.

Maggie currently has two novels out published by Red Rose Publishing. Enter the Night and Behind the Throne, part of the Morgan Crowe Trilogy, as well as a short novelette, Diary of a Vampire. She is currently working on the conclusion of the Morgan Crowe Trilogy entitled Out of the ShadowedLands.

Her website is http://maggieberkley.jigsy.com and readers can also find her on http://www.facebook.com/maggieberkley and http://www.twitter.com/maggieberkley. You can find my books at Red Rose Publishing, on Amazon Kindle, Bookstrand and Fictionwise. If anyone wants to drop her a line they can do it at maggieberkley@yahoo.com.

BLURB: Book Two in the Morgan Crowe Trilogy: Behind the Throne

Alone, pregnant and cranky, Morgan Crowe finds herself surrounded by enemies and with no one to trust when luck finds her on the doorstep of a friend long forgotten. Taken in by the daughter of a powerful King who would rather see her dead, Morgan relies on her instincts for survival and hopes she could live through the next few months in order to give birth, and then she would be up to her normal strength and skill.

As her rotten luck would have it an enemy has found itself in her safe haven and has taken revenge, by taking her only surviving friend and causing her to come face to face with her past. Court intrigue and danger rears its ugly head as the grip on her tightens, causing her to reach out for help and learn that to trust may not be as bad as she thought. Especially when that trust comes in the form a young Werewolf met once on a rainy night that seems so long ago.

But attractions are not that simple are they? Especially when an old rival shows up and the heat between them flares. But Morgan has no time for macho games, especially when her friend’s life is in her grasp.

Action Before Reaction by Janice Seagraves

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

Action before reaction

By Janice Seagraves

Going through edits for the first time was an eye opening experience to my own mistakes.

Have you ever written anything like this?

Example: Megan screamed as a big, ugly boar stuck its head in the tent opening.

Do you see what's wrong here?

I didn’t.

My editor pointed out that Megan reacts by screaming, before the action. The boar’s head is even in the tent yet, before she's screaming her head off.

Always, she told me, remember action before reaction.

Correct: A big, ugly boar stuck its head through the tent opening. Megan screamed.

Always put the action first.

Whether you follow up with action, emotion or internal thought, the action (boar) that provoked the reaction (scream) has to come first.

Ah, I got it.

Here’s the scene with the corrections:

Correct: Just as the sky started to lighten, Megan woke to a grunt and a rustling noise just outside her tent. “Who’s there?” She quickly unzipped her tent.

A big, ugly boar stuck its head through the opening. Megan screamed.

“Huh?” grunted the scarred boar. It tried to hook her with its tusk.

“Get out! Get out!” Megan shrieked, scrambling back to reach under her pillow. She heard something ripping as she jerked her head back to the tent opening.

The pig had gotten a tusk stuck in the tent’s door flap. It whipped its head back and forth, trying to get loose.

“Damn wanker,” she yelled. “You’re tearing my tent.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Windswept Shores: http://pinkpetalbooks.com/Windswept-Shores-Janice-Seagraves.html

Also available at Smashwords, Diesel, All Romance andfor the kindle at Amazon.

My website: http://janiceseagraves.org/

Book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XUAMBhl76k

Now That's a Mystery

2012-01-26T00:03:00.001-05:00

I read a review the other day that said most fantasies don’t have a mystery in them, and I began to wonder about that. I’m not sure that’s true, because to me it seems most fantasies have the hero/heroine searching for something. If they don’t know what it is, isn’t that a mystery? Even in my romantic comedies, the main characters are searching for a fundamental truth.

But, I have noticed as I write more straight mystery novels and turn to higher adventure fantasies, that the two become inexplicably combined in my fantasies (maybe a touch of magic even shows up in my mysteries).

In a recent new series that I have, strange things start to happen and even the earth angels involved can’t figure out how they’re occurring. For instance, what’s going on when a car appears to have driven by itself, no driver, or when lions suddenly appear in the back yard? What’s with the huge buzzard that keeps crashing into windshields? Then there’s the mysterious question of why the main character’s mother-in-law is being guarded by an archangel.

In my latest co-written work, This Magic Moment, released in December, the hero and heroine are searching for a love that has evaded them their whole lives. More importantly, they are searching for that one thing that will make them truly happy in their own skin. At the beginning, neither person is filled with wonder but beaten down by everyday life. To make matters even more interesting, mysterious things begin to happen, like everyone seemingly knowing what they’re doing all the time. How? Photos show up they didn’t know were taken. It appears someone is manipulating them so they’ll stay in the same rooms at night. Who could be behind all the mysterious occurrences they are now experiencing?

Piqued your interest? This Magic Moment is available now exclusively at Amazon. The print copy is also available. The other series I mentioned, Walk Right In, is out now in e-book and print, released by L&L Dreamspell, and the sequel, Walk Right Back, will be out any time now. You can read more these and others on my website, www.DarynCross.com . For now, just remember that if someone says there’s no mystery in fantasy, you can ask them if they know how it will end when they begin. Not that’s a mystery.

Interview of Author B.C. Brown

2012-01-25T00:01:00.128-05:00

Today I'm presenting an interview of romance author B.C. Brown.

Latest Book: A Touch of Darkness
Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/83uyucw

BIO:
My name is B.C. Brown, or B.B., or that weirdo who writes, whichever one works best for you. I grew up in southern Indiana, in a rural town where local sports dominate, small town history is ever-important, and where everyone is under the delusion that the town is larger than it really is. I've been writing since a young age; my mother kept many of my first attempts and, let me tell you, those are humbling, to say the least. My first novel, a fantasy adventure entitled Sister Light, Book One: Of Shadows and published under the pen name B.B. Walter, came out in 2007. I've subsequently published a paranormal romance, A Touch of Darkness (Winter 2010), and have participated in a transgressive fiction anthology, Fracas: A Collection of Short Friction (Fall 2011).

Q: What's the first thing you did when you received word that you sold a book?

A: *grinning* I danced around the living room with my dog. Actually, I do that every time I see I've sold a book. My dog is beginning to wish I'd give up this particular vocation, I'm sure.

Q: What part of a book is hardest to write:
A: Particularly, transition scenes between plotlines are most difficult for me. Segues from primary plot to secondary plot require a certain finesse that I am continually trying to learn how to do better. There is nothing that draws me up shorter when I am reading someone else's work (except, perhaps, for clunky dialogue) like poorly transitioned plotlines.

Q: If one of your books were to be made into a movie, who would you like to play your hero/heroine? Tell us about your hero/heroine.

A: Jada Pinkett-Smith would be my first choice to play Abigail St. Michael. The actress has a wonderful range, a statuesque physical appearance and demeanor (despite her lack of physical height- which would mean she'd need to be filmed specially since the character is supposed to a very tall woman), that would be well-suited for Abbey's particular personality. As far as an actor to play a character from one of my stories, I would have to choose Leonardo DiCaprio to play David Constantine from my fantasy novel, Sister Light, due to his range and ability to emote better than most actors twice his age and with twice the experience.

Q: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?
A: I am active in my community theater; we put on 3 plays/musicals a year. And I am a HUGE karaoke fiend. Despite not being able to sing very well (due to my limited deafness) I enjoy music and thrill in performing live in front of people, strangers and familiar faces alike.

Q: What is your strongest point as a writer?
A: I like to think my strongest point is my verbal and internal dialogue and how I use them to interact with and shape the current scene they're in. Most comments I receive from fans, critique partners, and from editors and beta readers are on the way I use internal and external dialogue in conjunction with my scenes, often using both to shape or alter a scene in rapid-fire manor.

Q: You're on a remote island with a handsome man, a computer, and a "mysterious" source of electricity to power your computer. What do you do?
A: My question really is: is the man both handsome and a strong communicator with good conversational skills? If he is, I'd have to...um...work with him to stir up a few good ideas for writing. If he's not a good conversationalist, well, I'd have to sit on the other side of the island with the computer and write myself some better company! The best thing about being a writer is the limitless supply of adventure, company and excitement one can conjure in one's life.

Tell us where to find you!
www.bcbrownbooks.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/bcbrown
www.twitter.com/bcbrownbooks

BLURB:

Abigail St. Michael, a former cop, has joined the recently growing ranks of metaphysicals, individuals with abilities outside that of normal human nature. When a murderer stalks her town killing children, Abbey uses her ability of touch clairvoyancy to hunt him down. Her only roadblock is that her murderer seems to have his own unique talent, the ability to 'wipe' his victims and their surroundings of any metaphysical energy. With little physical evidence and no supernatural evidence, Abbey is forced to rely on instinct and luck to solve the case. However both Abbey's luck and instinct seem to have taken a permanent vacation as the victims keep piling up with the killer's escalating bloodlust.

EXCERPT: WARNING - Language
Lieutenant Jason Davis was a tall man with thinning auburn hair and a mustache that reminded me of a squirrel in desperate need of Rogaine. You might mistake him for merely being tall, but trust me I know tall since I myself am well over six feet; Lieutenant Davis was freakishly tall. If I had to gauge a guess-

Don't ask; don't tell.

I'd estimate him around the seven feet mark.I'd once heard he had been offered a basketball scholarship to some prestigious university because of his height, but he'd turned it down to go to community college to become a cop. Davis said he liked police work.

Bullshit!

Nobody likes police work.We're good at it, and nobody else wants the fucking job.

I'd said as much to him at one point, and he'd only shrugged and ambled away. If Davis didn't answer a question or comment I'd make, I'd learned throughout the years, it was because he agreed with me but couldn't say it outright. I'd never had that problem; I said everything outright - even when I should just keep my fucking mouth shut.

I watched Davis as he blew on his fingers, flexing them in the chill late night/early morning air, as I strolled up to him, smiling despite the ridiculous hour.

Really, why couldn't criminals be more considerate and only commit crimes between the hours of nine to five, Monday through Friday? I mean, jeez, don't they want a nice, normal routine like the rest of mankind?

"Good to see we haven't ruined your amusement, Abbey," he growled.

All right, growled was probably too strong a word for Davis's voice. For such an incredibly tall man, he had a high-pitched and soft voice, but I knew the tone he implied; it was an ability I'd picked up over the years.

FYI: Always know your boss's tone.

I stared at the man and brought my croissant up for a big bite. I tore at the buttery, flaky bread with gusto noticing how the golden yellow of the crust contrasted with the chocolate creaminess of my fingertips, the crumbs dusting the dark mocha of my palm like graham cracker crumbs atop hot chocolate. I'd taken off my glove to eat my croissant. The damned thing dripped buttery goodness and I didn't want to get the butter all over my glove as I chowed down.

I knew this great little bakery down on 19th street that had the best breads and pastries.

Oh, to die for, I tell you!

This sweet little German lady named Helga owned it. Yeah, I know Helga is a bit typical a name for a German woman but, hand-to-God, it was true. I'd met the woman a few years back prior to entering her baking establishment when I'd helped bag her husband's murderer.

Du-du-du-du: You are now entering a place, another dimension, known as the Twilight Zone...

The police had speculated that Irving Schleck had been mugged and then shoved down a flight of subway stairs not far from his home. These brilliant deductions by our fine men and women in uniform were made based on the fact that Mr. Schleck was located at the bottom of the stairwell and his wallet was missing.

Astonishing.

Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary.

It helped that, while the Schleck neighborhood was generally pretty tame, some unsavory elements had begun to creep into the once nice neighborhood a little more every year.

If it walks like a duck...

Davis didn't think it was a duck, and he called me in. Of course, the quote-end-quote real police work had led the fine detectives to a dead end in the case. Davis only had permission to call me in on the case when all the real leads were exhausted.

No, that's not sarcasm in my voice or anything?!

I'd gotten the call on my work cell. I actually have a second that I carried for just police work. For a while, my advisory jobs had become so hectic that the calls began to outnumber my personal ones. Davis had spoken to the police chief and gotten the force to foot the bill for a company phone.

Everyone referred to it as the "Bat Signal."

I digress.

Davis called me in and, almost a week after the incident, I walked the crime scene for the first time. I was more than a little pissed. I was even more pissed when I arrived on the crime scene amidst a light drizzle.

Rain is a problem for people with my unique talents. Water washed away metaphysical evidence as quickly as it washes away physical evidence. A violent event can get trapped for longer but eventually time and the elements fade the energy no matter how violent the event. I mean, I'm not still picking up shit from the Manson murders or anything.

Once I arrived on the scene, I was really doubtful I'd pick up anything left over. I told the lieutenant my doubts. He encouraged me to try, regardless; he always encouraged me to try. It was his special talent, I guess. So I slipped off my special-made gloves.

Clothing doesn't always protect me from seeing impressions, but the gloves were a damned sight better than me walking around bare-skinned. That would land me back in the funny farm in no time. Trust me, I know, I'd been there once already. I had once brushed up against a woman who beat her two children on a twice-daily basis. I felt her glee as she did it; her happiness as she felt their little bones crunch under her/my hands...

Oh, God...

I digress.

Davis knew my doubts, but I did my job. I slipped off my sweet Italian, designer gloves and touched everything in sight. The railing, the stairs, the curb where he'd busted his damned head, and...nothing. Nada, zip, nein - no pun intended, Mr. Schleck. There was nothing left to see. I told the lieutenant as much, but I was wrong.

There was a cat.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Many people ask how I come up with my ideas. Whenever I'm asked this question I usually have one reply only - just dream. If you can and really want to make your life better, you need to look no farther than your dreams to do so. Take what you're given, the wonders of the world and people around you and turn them into whatever you need/want them to be to make your life more interesting. The perk of being a writer is that not only is writing a way for personal fulfillment and enjoyment, it is also a way to make those around you happy. So, go ahead! Don't worry about what you're going to write, just write it! Deal with the fall-out and work out the kinks later. And if it makes you happy, all the better!

I LOVE MY KINDLE

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have loved books for as long as I can remember. Some of my fondest memories are of going to the library with my mother when I was a toddler. She'd check out books and we’d go home and she’d read them to me. I particularly loved one series, about a duck and a Scottie dog. My mother instilled a love of reading in me, an amazing feat considering she never finished high school and I never saw her read a book, except the ones she read to me.

I love the smell of books. When I walk into a bookstore or a library and inhale that book scent, I feel warm and calm all over. You book lovers out there know what I mean.

When I was a young teen I'd take the bus into the city to go to the library. We had only one library in the area, a large, elegant building stuffed to the high ceilings with books. I loved that place and I knew every inch of it. I visited my old library a few years ago when I worked in the city. As soon as I walked through the ornate doors, the rush I’d felt decades ago whenever I inhaled the familiar scent of books hit me as if time had stood still.

Are any of you familiar with the classic Twilight Zone episode where a bookworm is locked in a library after a nuclear attack? He's thrilled that he's surrounded by all those books with time to read them. Then he drops his eyeglasses and crushes them accidentally and can't see to read. That story still haunts me. I know exactly how he felt.

Why am I telling you how much I love books? Because I've found a new love - my Kindle. I resisted getting an ereader because I felt disloyal to paper books and I couldn't imagine an electronic device could take the place of a book. I finally broke down and ordered a Kindle in August 2010. I love it so much the date it came in the mail, September 18, 2010, is engraved in my memory.

Am I a traitor to "real" books? Like a dangerous lover, the Kindle is so seductive, so addictive. In my office I'm surrounded by bookcases filled to overflowing with books, most of which I haven't read yet. I sometimes feel those books are staring at me and thinking, "How could you abandon us?"

I plan to read all those books someday, yet when I want to read something, I reach for my Kindle. I love pressing that button to go to the next page. I love how I can change the font so it's easier to read. I love the feel of it in my hands, the weight and the compactness. I have a beautiful bright green cover on my white Kindle and I think it looks so stylish. A lot of people don’t cover their Kindles, but I want to protect my baby.

The Kindle works really well at the gym. I prop it on my exercise bike and I read away. Sometimes I'm so engrossed in a book that I go way over my usual miles. The Kindle as weight-loss program. Um. I can see the ads now, complete with celebrity endorsements. Marie Osmond riding an exercise bike while reading her Kindle.

Another benefit of the Kindle over print books is its ease when traveling. Now I can take my slim Kindle when I travel and not have to pack several large paperbacks. I have found one problem when traveling with the Kindle. I have to keep it in a secure place, like the in-room safe. Some hotels charge a small daily rate to use the in-room safe. I’ve paid the fee to protect my Kindle from theft. You can leave a print book in your hotel room and not worry about it. Maybe I’m too security conscious when I travel, but I won’t leave my Kindle out in the open.

There are other drawbacks to the Kindle. I don’t get a warning when the battery is low, as I do with my iPhone. At the gym the other day a woman was reading her Kindle on the bike next to me. Her battery died and she was left with nothing to read.

As much as I love my Kindle and love reading ebooks, I'm a bit cheap. I love free books. Who doesn't? Before I download a free book, I read the description. If it's a book that interests me I'll download it. I won't download a book I'm not interested in reading just because it's free. I have a price point beyond which I won't go. I won't pay more than $6.00 for an ebook. Many publishers price their ebooks at $9.99, more than a print book. That makes no sense and in my opinion does a disservice to the authors. Do I value ebooks as less important than print because I refuse to pay the publishers' high prices? I don't know. But that doesn't mean I love my Kindle less.

How about you? Do you have an ereader or are you holding out in loyalty to print books? If you have an ereader, do you love it and is there a price point beyond which you refuse to go?

TEN Things to Make You Feel SEXY!

2012-01-23T01:30:00.000-05:00

TEN things to do/buy/wear for sagging self-images and to make you feel sexy:

1. Buy fancy lingerie...and wear whatever you buy! Don't keep these items hidden in a drawer. Wear them everyday to confirm that "I am sexy" feeling!

2. Buy dresses, top, sweaters, that cling to show off your curves...lower cuts show off your cleavage! Stand tall and strut your stuff!

3. Wear high-heeled shoes to give you that long-legged look to capture a man's attention as your hips wiggle with your confident, feminine walk.

4.Hair styles. Treat yourself to a session at a hair salon. Try a new look; maybe wear your hair long, presenting that "Hollywood" celebrity sexy look, creating a alluring image.

5. Use make-up. Emphasize your best facial feature...perhaps your eyes or full lips.

6. Polish your nails. Toenails, too, can make you feel feminine.

7. Use sweet, wonderful smelling perfumes. Find a scent that you like and mixes well with your body temperature to give off that wonderful aroma a man will recognize as yours.

8. Use satin sheets. That wonderful feeling of satin running along your skin will tingle and spark your sensitive areas.

9. Get all dressed up and have some professional photos taken.

10. Love yourself, believe that you're sexy and attractive, light candles, sprinkle rose petals on those satin sheets, and tease or flirt outrageously with the man of your dreams! Your ultimate goal: a passionately satisfying rendezvous/relationship that affirms your sexual charisma.

Sometimes women in romance books question their sexual attractiveness. In "Gone to the Dogs" by Marianne Stephens, Katie had been dumped by her ex-boyfriend, and that was a blow to her sexual confidence level. In "Anything You Can Do", also by Marianne Stephens, Allison had been betrayed by a man she thought she loved, and was never made to feel sexually attractive. Both women gained strength in their new relationships with men whose passion flamed their own desires. Ultimately, they found true love.

Photos: Photostream, Flickr: p22earl, Tiago Riberio, gabriel.georgina, indiewench, Kylie Balough, and

"Gone to the Dogs" is available in ebook and print versions
"Anything You Can Do" is available as an ebook and will be in print form in April/May 2012.

For more information about my books, visit:
http://www.mariannestephens.net
http://www.aprilash.net

Now available in print—Finding Julia. A story to tug at your heat strings.

2012-01-22T15:55:00.000-05:00

What tugs at your heartstrings? Leave a comment to enter the drawing for a signed copy of finding Julie and a set of my Romance Trading Cards.

I was on a loop the other day where there was a big discussion of the old, old hook–the secret baby. The majority of the people posting felt that the mother should definitely tell the father about the child. Give him the chance to step up to the plate. And by

all means, don’t have this fatherless child always be the perfect offspring despite the secrets in his or her life.

But what if there was a real reason for keeping the child secret? What if a disastrous situation kept the other separated from the father of her child for a long time in a situation that could destroy everyone if the truth was known? And what if real circumstances prevented the mother from even contacting her lover, a man who had show her what real love and hot sex could be?

This was the premise in the plot of Finding Julia. Who is finding Julia Patterson? Her lover who she was forced to walk away from? Or Julia herself, finding who she really is before it’s too late.

Where can you buy it?

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-findingjulia-482421-144.html

http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Julia-ebook/dp/B004NSVICO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1307451960&sr=1-1

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b117245/?si=0

Here’s the blurb for Finding Julia:

Sometimes life is not fair. For Julia Patterson meeting Luke Buchanan opened the door to a new life and brought her to life as a woman. In his arms she learns for the first time how real passion and emotion can enrich your life. He claims her body with the pleasure of erotic sex and his heart with unrestricted love. But Fate was laughing at Julia, just as she is about to step over the threshold into a wonderful new life. When her almost-ex-husband Charles is diagnosed with a fatal heart condition her divorce is put on hold along with the rest of her life. Turning her back on Luke and the intense passion and emotion they shared is the most difficult thing she’s ever done. But Julia has a secret, one that Charles has discovered and uses like a club. Thirteen years later when Luke walks back into her life the passion and emotion are just as explosive as ever. Will they finally have their chance at happiness or will her secret destroy her last chance at happiness?

And a really hot excerpt:

The kiss went on and on. He explored the inner recesses of her mouth, licked at it, his lips moving against hers as he slanted his mouth first one way and then another. His large hands, with their long fingers, cupped her head with a touch that was both gentle and commanding. She could feel the imprint of each finger against her skull. His seduction on the dance floor was nothing compared to the impact of this kiss. Now Julia knew what it meant to be kissed breathless.

With a mind of their own, her arms crept up his back, pulling him closer, sliding her hands against the soft fabric of his shirt. She operated purely on instinct. Her sole sexual experience had been with Charles, and she began to realize she might as well have had nothing after all. Her breasts ached even more, silently begging to be touched and held. Her nipples tingled, fire built between her legs, and she didn’t know what to do with it. This was all so new to her.

Without releasing her mouth, Luke slid his hands under her sweater, caressing the soft flesh with featherlight touches on her ribs and her spine, tracing lines and drawing patterns as he learned the curves and angles of her body. His fingers branded her every place he touched her. With an easy deftness, he slipped the hooks on her lacy bra, releasing her breasts and cupping them at last in his hands.

At last! She nearly groaned with relief.

When his thumbs rasped against her nipples, she felt them harden—a delicious shiver ran through her body.

The entire time his hands roamed over her upper body, his mouth never left hers. He kept her welded to him as he fed on her taste, stealing her breath. He tasted pleasantly of whiskey and male, a heady combination. An aphrodisiac that made her head spin and her senses riot.

His finger drew patterns on her spine, caressing each bump and space. They came to rest for a moment on the upper swell of her ass, then walked their way up her ribs to her breasts.

Aroused by Luke’s stimulating touch and desperate to feel his naked skin, she brought her hands around to open the buttons on his shirt. Yanking the tails from his trousers, she frantically pushed the garment from his shoulders and down his arms until it fell to the floor. She ran her hands over him, exploring his upper body, wanting to touch him everywhere at once. She skimmed his chest with her fingertips, relishing in the feel of the crisp hair curling on his chest and the hard buttons of his nipples.

The thickness of his cock pressed against her stomach, increasing her own heat. Her legs were suddenly weak and shaky, and she clung to his lean body for balance. His hands dropped to her waist and slowly unfastened the button on her slacks. The rasp of the zipper being lowered was loud in the room. As he pushed her slacks down her hips and thighs, he lifted his mouth from hers at last. Lowering his head, he closed his mouth over one taut nipple.

“Ohhh.” The tiny cry of pleasure rippled from her throat as his lips tugged and pulled on the hardened flesh.

Come check me out at www.desireeholt.com

Pinterest: The New Craze

2012-01-21T00:01:00.002-05:00

Among all the social networking options we have available on the world wide web, I've discovered a new one that is fun, addicting, and organizational. It's called Pinterest.

It's basically like Bing (a search engine using pictures) but better because you can save a picture, an idea, a book, a recipe, a cool haircut, a sexy dress, and all kinds of other things and organize them. When you find something you like and want to save it, you "pin" it to a bulletin board that you've created. You get to name your board whatever you like and believe me, it's so much fun to think of these titles.

Some of my boards are:

Books Worth Reading

He'd Make a Great Hero In My Next Book

Food Creations

Craft Ideas

For The Home

Tricks and Tips

Favorite Places & Spaces

My Style

The One and Only: GB

Favorite Bands

Getting started is free and fast. Go to Pinterest.com and create your account. You can sign in using your Facebook or Twitter account. After that, you'll need to install the "Pin it" button in your browser. Just click and drag the "Pin It" button to your bookmarks bar. At this point, you can now grab any image from any website and add it to any one of your boards.

You can even search the Pinterest site itself and "repin" what others have already pinned, adding them to your boards. You can follow other people you know and see what they've added to their boards. You can share what you've pinned with others, similar to sharing pics on Facebook.

Like every other social networking site, you are able to create a profile page, add a profile pic, and a short bio. You can even create a "Pin It Button" for your website, allowing visitors to pin an image (or more importantly, your book with its direct link) to their board. The possibilities are numerous. You can go here to see more options for promoting your Pinterest boards with others.

My cousin keyed me into this new craze and I'm hooked. I invite you to get hooked with me so we can start pinning together!

*Warning: As with any social networking site, there is a risk of being completely addicted and wasting hours upon hours pinning and repinning.
But gosh darn it's fun!

Visit Renee Vincent at:
http://www.reneevincent.com/
http://www.pasttheprint.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/reneevincentauthor
http://www.twitter.com/ReneeVincent

Interview of Author *lizzie starr

2012-01-20T00:01:00.009-05:00

Today it gives me great pleasure to present an interview of romance author *lizzie starr!

Latest Book: Keltic Flight

Buy Links:
http://amzn.com/B0062E5XZA
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keltic-flight-lizzie-starr/1008083795?ean=2940032841715&itm=1&usri=lizzie+starr
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101141
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Keltic-Flight/book-guWkfLHDBEC0nzZyJWpc0A/page1.html

CONTEST ALERT! Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment for a chance to win a $10.00 Amazon gift card. Hey, that’s enough to buy a copy of my first three books.

BIO:
*lizzie made up games and stories to keep her company as a child. So, a witch lived in Grampa's weather research station and was only held at bay by a certain weed. An ancient road grader became a boat carrying wild adventurers to islands filled with sheep that turned into lions and cannibals.

Now, the stories of her imagination have found their way to paper and pixels. Still filled with fantasy and love, these tales take her and her readers far from the mundane world.

When *lizzie has to return to that mundane life, she's the kitchen manager for a small school. Author and Lunch Lady--what a combination! Happily, family and friends have become accustomed to her writer's ways and just shake their heads when she goes off on some fantastical tangent, asks strange what if questions, or just has to find a piece of paper and a pen that actually writes. One of her greatest delights is to watch the joys of creativity fill a friend, and she'll do anything to help them achieve their dream.

Q: What part of a book is the easiest to write?
A: Probably the beginning. Most of my writing is taking an idea and running with it. I do a bit more work on my characters and ideas before starting than I used to, but not much. I learn about my story folks along with my readers. I know where I want the story to start. Perhaps a few things along the way, and the end. Hey, I write romances, the happy ever after ending is a forgone conclusion. But I often have an idea for the moment when everything seems lost—for at least one of the characters.

A beginning is filled with a wealth of oooo, shiny excitement, so it’s easy to write. Now, whether the story ends up with that particular beginning is the real question.

Oh, but I do love writing those moments when my villains get what’s coming to them!

Q: Conversely, which is the most difficult?
A: The blurb. It doesn’t matter if I write it before the book or after, it’s difficult for me to summarize in a way to make a book sound interesting. Guess I could never work for TV Guide.

Q: Who is your favorite character in Keltic Flight?
A: You know, I gotta love my heroes. But, I introduced a minor character in Flight that became a major player in the rest of the series. Yes, Keltic Flight is part of a series—The Double Keltic Triad. Flight is the third book, although the books can be read individually.

Oh, sorry, back to my characters. In Keltic Flight, Nightshade makes an appearance as the flamboyant manager of an exotic dancer (who is the heroine of my next indie book—Wild Keltic Carousel—coming soon). I never thought much about him, until he showed an interesting side in the next book. And continued to do so through the series—and into the next. Someday soon, hopefully Nightshade will get his own happy ever after.

Q: Tell us a little about the Double Keltic Triad series.
A: I never considered writing a series when I wrote my first book (By Keltic Design). But as my hero’s family grew, so did the ideas. The Double Keltic Triad is fantasy romance. Multiple worlds connect to this human world we all know, often through portals that are everywhere, when you know how to look.

I had great fun with Keltic Flight, which takes place in the human world, the Faerie Otherworld, and the world occupied by the fairy folk. I wasn’t the only one risking confusion with faerie and fairy--even some of my fay characters had trouble believing. Characters in Keltic tales come from a variety of other worlds, times, and races. The possibilities are as wide as my imagination--and I’m going to visit as many of these worlds as I can. And bring readers along with me!

Q: What do you enjoy when not writing?
A: I love movies, and there aren’t too many weekends that go past without spending too much to go to the theatre. Really? Popcorn costs that much? Uh huh, I work in food. I know. But I can’t resist that bad for you treat. I like all kinds of movies--except scary. Or too stupid. One of my favorite, watch over and over movies--Galaxy Quest!

Never give up! Never surrender! Great words for writers, too!

Here’s where you can find *lizzie:
http://www.lizziestarr.com (ah, I’m currently in the process of changing up the website, but I’m still me)
http://starrwords.blogspot.com
http://creativityforhappyendings.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/lizziestarr
http://www.facebook.com/pages/lizzie-starr
amazon author page
http://www.amazon.com/*lizzie-starr/e/B003F33Y0W
Google plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/?tab=XX#

BLURB:
Ebook Short Description
To the Faerie Gentry of the Otherworld, the fairy wee folk are but a myth and legend. Until the fairy Korin falls in love with a hal-Gentry maid. Forced to bargain with an evil king to woo her, he risks discovery, and his life, to fulfill the conditions. Book Three of the Double Keltic Triad.

Extended Description
Korin Goodfellow loves the Gentry maid, Nanceen. In order to woo her, Korin bargains with his evil king, who sets seemingly impossible tasks. The first? She must believe in him.

But the folk of Faerie, the Gentry, don't believe in the odd assortment of beings who make up the wee folk. And definitely not in fairies.

Nanceen doesn't know what she believes. Until Korin calls to her, then makes his way into her world, becoming a wingless man she can see, touch, believe in.

Will the rat king's conditions drive a wedge between them, or force Korin to confrontation, to battle, risking his life?

EXCERPT:
Nanceen reached toward the ever-present bowl of chocolate, fished out a piece, and unwrapped the tiny drop. How was she supposed to describe her feelings to another when she had no idea about them herself? She stared at the light brown sweet. Where to begin?

When she looked up, Lara grinned at her. “I think I know exactly how you feel. You’re restless, like you’re looking for something, but you don’t have any idea what that something is.”

Nanceen’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “How... how did you know?”

Lara sighed and snagged her own piece of chocolate. “When I looked in the mirror before I traveled to Iain’s time and found him...” She popped the candy into her mouth and continued around it. “... I looked just about like you do now. It’s your eyes, Nance.”

::Yes. Eyes.::

A gasp passed Nanceen’s lips. “Did you hear that?”

Lara’s light brows drew together, and a thick line of concern formed over the bridge of her nose. She leaned forward. “Is it the kids?”

“No, no. It was another voice. It was...” The drop of chocolate fell to the smooth tabletop, and Nanceen rested her head in her hands. “I think I’m going crazy.”

Lara grasped both of her aunt’s hands, pulled them away, and waited for Nanceen to lift her gaze. “No, you’re not. Though, I do remember it feeling that way. You’ll be fine. Be patient and you, and the one you wait for, will find each other.”

::Find me.::

“You’re a romantic, Lara. I’ve been in both worlds and found no one who even begins to interest me. Perhaps I’m not meant for love.”

Lara eased from her chair, circled the table, and crouched before Nanceen. She rested her hands lightly on her aunt’s shoulders. “Oh, but you are. I know it.”

::Love.::

Nanceen returned the kind embrace and leaned back. “Are you sure you don’t hear the voice?”

“Could it be one of the kids? Belle loves to play tricks.”

“No. Oh, never mind. It must be my imagination. I should go.”

Concern still hovered in Lara’s eyes. “Come back whenever you need to, Nance. I mean it, now. Whenever.”

“Thank you, Lara. That means much to me.”

Lara’s gaze burned into her back as she left the clearing and passed under the thick overhang of tree branches. She wandered aimlessly, following patches of sunlight that appeared on the dimmer forest floor. With her thoughts on the memory of the voice, and the few unsettling words she’d heard, she paid no attention to her path.

A faint haze separated a strange, brightly lit glade from the surrounding trees. When she stepped into the clearing, Nanceen’s skin tingled. Gazing in wonder at the tiny, grassy area, she was surprised she’d never discovered this place. Then, she shrugged and sank to the ground with her feet tucked under her. Her clan’s part of Faerie was no small land, there were bound to be places left for her to discover.

She plucked a tiny purple flower from a plant with yellow- green leaves. The rise of scent from the bloom made her close her eyes and inhale deeply. It was a mix of Otherworldly scents such as she’d never encountered. Her lips stretched into a dreamy smile.

“I’m gratified you like my flowers.”

It was the same voice--only not inside her head. Afraid to open her eyes, Nanceen paused before answering. What if it was just a figment of her imagination, her unknown desires becoming manifest?

“Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not,” she whispered.

“Open your eyes.”

The voice was a clear tenor that rang with the power of magic. Had one of Faerie found her? Someone from another clan? Was this for whom she waited? Tremors chased each other down her spine. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around cautiously. There was no one in the glade.

“What foolishness is this? Where are you?”

“I’m here.”

“Where?”

“Find me.”

She rose and followed the soft echoes of the voice to the far side of the glade. A blurry haze hovered a few inches above the grass and flowers. She lifted one of her hands toward the pale golden glow, reaching to touch, to discover what magic created such a small disruption in the clear air.

“What will I find?”

“Love.”

Scenic View

2012-01-19T03:42:00.000-05:00

How do I set the scene? I look at it through my characters' eyes. Lately they've all been in small towns, but as is the case of Wild At Heart, they ended up in Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado. I hadn't intended on traveling to another state; Brad just decided to go on his own. And while he was there, he met Emma.

Since I had been to RMNP as recently as 2002, I had a clear idea of what the place looked like. And it only took a few phone calls to my mother and a call to our favorite steak restaurant in Estes Park to get a few details straight.

But usually as I'm writing, the scenery will set itself; all I have to do is describe it.

Now when it comes to describing clothing or home furnishings...that's a different matter. I was not blessed with the fashion-conscious gene, nor the decorating one. If I get bogged down, I'll turn to either a magazine or remember a friend's color scheme that I admired. And once in a while, the character will tell me what she has in her home, if she favors modern glass or antiques.

When it came to my Arbor University series, I modeled it after three universities in Indiana, so I already 'knew' what the buildings and dormitory rooms looked like.

Hopefully by now you've read enough snippets of books #1&2, or even the entire books, so I won't bore you with another. So here's a snippet of Forbidden Love, which is due to be released some time in the next few weeks. And let me know if you can 'see' the room?

Blurb:

Keri Patterson meets an older man, and is instantly transported into her first adult relationship. But is Kyle Sampson really telling her the truth about his ex-wife? Is Keri's ambition to someday be a part of an Indianapolis 500 racing crew interfering with her love life?

Excerpt:

"My new year's resolution is tomove to the number one slot," Keri announced one snowy, January afternoon."And spend more quality time with Kyle."

"Mine is to study harder."Stephanie munched pretzels and changed the TV channel. "Gretch?"

A groan came from the other side ofthe suite. "No more 'Blue Whale' parties. I'm sticking with rum andcoke."

"What's a 'Blue Whale'?"

"It's like a Hairy Buffalo, onlywith Kool-Aid and the clear liquors...vodka, schnapps, everclear, rum. It'slethal. I think I had eight cups."

"No wonder you're hungover." Keri heard Caitlyn open the refrigerator. "My resolution is toget Bryan topop the question." Amy Callahan had called the night before with the newsof her engagement to Matt Slagal and talked to all four girls.

"So have they set a date yet? Iforgot to ask her.” Stephanie found a movie and settled back on her bed.

"She wants a June wedding butafter she graduates, so sometime in June of '89 or '90. I am so envious."Caty joined Keri and Stephanie, holding a Mountain Dew can. “Is that theAfrican Queen?”

“It’s the best thing on for themoment. Sit down.” Steph scooted over to make room.

"I'm glad everything's workingout for her," mumbled Gretchen from her bed.

"Yeah...isn't that romantic howhe proposed? I wish someone would throw me a surprise party." Keri shiftedto a more comfortable position.

"It's only a surprise when youdon't expect it." Stephanie got up during the commercial break and went tothe tiny refrigerator. "Why is it that all our birthdays are aroundholidays? Gretchen and Amy's are at Christmas; yours is around Easter; mine andCaty's are at the end of the school year. There's no surprise." Shereturned with a Mountain Dew can and flopped down on her bed again.

"Big surprise, hmph. Matt hadalready asked her about three times. That episode was strictly to give her thering. Anyway, at least Matt's behaving himself." Caitlyn put a pillowbehind her back. "I guess it’s true, if you want to know how your man reallyfeels about you, catch a cold, and see how he treats you. I couldn't believeMatt was so caring, so worried back in September. Who would have thought?"

"Stranger things havehappened." Keri yawned.

"Well I don't care."Stephanie wadded up the empty pretzel bag and tossed it into the trash. "Isaw the way he treated her at the party last year, and until I see it with myown eyes, I don't think he'll marry her." She took a drink of her MountainDew. "He'll find some way of getting out of it."

"Well...there's still threeyears to go. You're right there. Anything could happen." Caty changed thesubject. "So Keri, things back on track with Kyle?"

"Seems to be."

Coming soon from Secret Cravings Publishing:)

Guest Blog: Melodie Campbell: Like Screwball Romantic Comedy? - It's All About Conflict!

2012-01-18T00:01:00.002-05:00

Is there anything more fun than screwball comedy? I’m thinking of the old days of Rock Hudson and Debbie Reynolds, Hepburn and Tracy. Boy meets girl. Boy is attracted to girl but something crazy happens that makes girl so mad at him, they spend the entire novel or movie getting revenge…until the last scene, when they get each other. A well-written romantic comedy is delightful and makes you feel good all over.

Behind all novels, there is conflict. In Romance, we are looking to get a man and a woman together. But there must be conflict, there must be a reason why they can’t get together or there is no story. Otherwise two people meet and their relationship grows smoothly. A nice happy life for them, but not much for a reader to get excited about.

So how does one sustain a romance plot that will last 60,000 words? Somehow, you have to come up with conflict. There has to be a reason why the man and woman can’t be together, or refuse to be together, even when everyone else knows they belong with each other.

When writing historical fiction, it’s easy to find sources of conflict. The man is the wrong religion, or the woman is not the same class…the father can refuse to allow it…lots of reasons. Shakespeare made an industry of it. But today, anything goes. It’s enough to make a grown writer cry. Drat that sexual revolution. Drat that our earlier taboos are now so much history.

How can a romance writer find enough plot to make the romance conflict fresh?

I use comedy. Here’s how I do it: I call it my law of the ‘worst thing’. Take a situation, and ask ‘what’s the worst thing that could happen now’? Or the most embarrassing thing? Example: A seventeen year old girl moves to a new town and is the new girl. First day of school, very nervous, she drives her mother’s car into the school parking lot. What’s the most embarrassing thing that could happen? She hits another car in the lot with everyone watching. And the worst thing? It’s the prize car of the most popular boy in school. Instant disaster. Later, she’s driving home on a country road, and her car breaks down. Who comes by in the next car, and stops to help? The same guy. He can’t believe it’s her. She wants to die of embarrassment. They never stand a chance as a couple, right?

Move it to an adult romance novel. The new girl at the advertising agency drives into the company parking lot on the very first day and hits the gorgeous eligible bachelor’s new car…you get the drift.

In Rowena Through the Wall, I followed the ‘worst thing’ rule to the maximum. What’s the worst thing that could happen to Rowena when she walks through that wall? Or the wackiest? Rowena goes through lots of ‘worst things’ until she finally gets the man she wants in the last chapter. But even then, I couldn’t resist a twist on the last page. After all, there is a sequel coming.

ROWENA THROUGH THE WALL (No. 2 on Amazon.ca bestseller list, Aug 2011!) (Romance fantasy, futuristic)

BLURB:
“Is that a broadsword on your belt, or are you just glad to see me?”

When Rowena falls through her classroom wall into a medieval world, she doesn’t count on being kidnapped – not once, but twice, dammit. Unwanted husbands keep piling up; not only that, she has eighteen-year-old Kendra to look out for, and a war to prevent. Good thing she can go back through the wall when she needs to…or can she?

“Hot and Hilarious!”- Midwest Book Review
“Jack Sparrow meets Stephanie Plum.” - Former editor, Distant Suns Fantasy Magazine

Melodie Campbell’s comic novel Rowena Through the Wall (Imajin Books) is available at Amazon.com and Smashwords.
http://www.amazon.com/Rowena-Through-the-Wall-ebook/dp/B00557Z2QU

Follow Melodie at
http://funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

View trailer and read opening scene at
http://www.melodiecampbell.com

Follow Melodie’s comic blog at http://www.funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.com

BIO:
Melodie Campbell got her start as a comedy writer, so it’s no surprise that editors have called her work ‘wacky’ and ‘laugh out loud funny’. She has over 200 publications, including 100 humour columns, 30 short stories and one novel (two more coming in 2012). She has received five awards for fiction, and is the General Manager of Crime Writers of Canada.

The seventeenth is a great day!!!!!!

2012-01-17T01:10:00.006-05:00

/My daughter was born on this day, and she'd disown me if I told you how many years ago. She was as michievous as a child could be and her teen years were not always what parents brag about, but she's now the most loving and caring daughter one could want. My son is also great, but since he lives across the continent can't be the help to me he'd like. The point of all this she was born on the 17th, and he was born on the 15th, and juggling birthdays parties when they were kids and we lived in Schenectady was a mess. Little monsters, over-filled with energy because of the horrible winters when being out too long wasn't alway possible. I finally decided two parties in two days was impossible. So I laid down the edict, one party for one and the other got a sleepover for one friend. At least that way I survived with a little sanity.

I also have a book coming out today at Passion in Print. Seducing Simon is the seventh of my mage series. Hope you like the following excerpt!!!

“They kissed frantically for so long that Simon feared he’d climax before he’d even begun to show her pleasure. He slowed the kissing down and gradually changed to caressing her with a patience he hadn’t known he possessed. He began to take off her clothes, wanting nothing so much as to hold her naked body against his.
She quickly realized what he wanted and helped, ripping her blouse off over her head with enthusiasm and stepping out of her skirt. Clad only in her undergarments, she kicked off her shoes and rolled down her hose. Breathtakingly lovely in only a brassiere and panties, she stood before him, so beautiful he froze as if immobile.
And simply stared.
She gave him a little shake. “Simon, what’s the matter with you? Are you going to make love with all your clothes on?” Her tone was so impatient he leaned to kiss her navel and lick her a bit before he answered.
“Your beauty mesmerizes me, my lady. I assure you I’ll be more naked than you in one second.”
It might have been more than one second, but not by much, as he threw his shirt one direction and his pants the other. Stripping off his shoes and socks took little longer, and he quickly stood before her in only his undershorts which did nothing to hide his rampaging erection. Stepping out them, his penis sprang free, large and pulsing, pointing at her as she stared and gasped.
“Blessed Merlin, I didn’t see that clearly when we were in the pool,” she whispered.
He took her in his arms and whispered back.
“Merlin has nothing to do with it. Only you. But your body took me in then and you’ll take me now. It’s the way of nature, my love.”
“Maybe,” she muttered, and he smiled and began to kiss his way down her face to her breasts. He took his time at first, savoring her soft skin in every spot he could reach, her forehead, her nose, her cheeks and her chin. Troy kept trying to twist so he’d kiss her lips, but he held her face steady with his long, strong fingers and smiled when she began to pout at not having her own way.
“Be patient, love,” he murmured.
Her neck and shoulders received equally loving attention until he could feel himself losing control. He took a deep breath, resting his forehead on her flat stomach while he mastered his raging desire to plunge into her. She’d not found true satisfaction when they were in the pool, and he determined she’d experience the ultimate joy now. After a few seconds he took one breast in his mouth. He teased the left nipple by gently dragging the pebbled tip with the links of his gold bracelet, as she gasped and pushed her breasts up for more. All while he nuzzled and sucked on the right nipple. The teasing touch of metal plus his lips seemed to drive her crazy and Troy moaned and twitched as he stimulated both nipples at once. Then his hands and mouth held her steady while he worked his sensual way lower.
She tried to keep his face on her breasts, but Simon had other plans.
When he kissed her navel she seemed to stop breathing."

Interview of Author Karen Cote

2012-01-16T00:01:00.015-05:00

Today I'd like to present an interview of romance author Karen Cote.

Latest Book: Erotic Deception
Buy Link: http://www.karencote.tv/newsbooks

Thank you so much for the fun questions as well as the opportunity to talk about my recent release of Erotic Deception. This is all surreal and I’m grateful for this time in my life and for being here.

BIO:
Karen lives in a California Castle with Prince Charming and a Magnificent Black Stallion. Okay, it’s a bungalow, a corporate husband and a small black pug who totes a sense of humor and lotsa attitude. But it is her dream. A real life dream to inspire the romantic suspense novels she writes.

Q: What part of the book is the hardest for you? Why?
A: Final galley. When your publisher is asking you to scrutinize your novel one final time before going to print to make sure there are no errors, my mind freaks. Even though there are a couple of editors who have gone through it and you’ve already fine-tooth-combed every aspect, the fear of missing something unnerves me to pieces. Excruciating.

Q: If one of your books became a movie, which celebrity would you like to star as one of your heroes? Tell us about your hero.
A: Aaron Hotchner aka Thomas Gibson from Criminal Minds. Hypothetically speaking my hero comes in the form of law enforcement. To me, there is something special ingrained in those who will put their life out there for someone else’s. The best cops are strangely unique in this aspect. John Douglas who wrote Mindhunter is one such person.

Q: Do all your heroes and all heroines look the same in your mind as you “head write”?
A: Absolutely not. Variety and all that.

Q: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?
A: Reading, behavioral analysis research, horseback riding.

Q: What’s your strongest point as a writer?
A: My Muse. I love him (yes, my Muse is a him). He is so fascinating and feeds me the most fabulous scenes and ideas.

Q: You’re on a remote island with a handsome man, a computer, and a “mysterious” source of electricity to power your computer. What do you do?
A: Do a background check on the handsome man and then put him through a behavioral analysis test to determine why he’s there, what does he want, why didn’t he bring his own computer, and what skills does he have to get me off this island where I can ultimately be alone and not be the one source of someone else’s entertainment.

Tell us where to find you: website(s), publisher’s page(s), blog(s), Facebook page(s), etc. List them all!
http://www.karencote.tv
Twitter: @KarensRomance
https://www.facebook.com/KarensRomance

BLURB:
Her brother was dead. He’d practically raised her and stood by her during a miscarriage that left her barren. He’d been the sole person she’d had left in this world. How had Dr. Lily Delaney with a PhD in Psychology missed the psychotic signs of Anthony Capriccio, the Kansas City District Attorney and her ex-fiancé? Now at twenty-nine she was on the run to hide from the impending threats to her own life. But on the road to a safe secluded lake community, Lily crashes into the path of a new dangerous element, literally. One with deep blue eyes who totes a badge and carries a gun. And would their budding relationship be threatened when Lily finds out her own doctor had lied and discovers she really can have children? How would the sheriff take knowing she’d gotten pregnant when she’d already heartily assured him she wasn’t?

After his experience as a detective in Kansas City, Missouri, Jet Walker enjoyed his life as sheriff of the quiet lake community, Windom Hills. However, when Lily Delaney literally crashes into his car and life, his world disrupts into chaos. Couldn’t the woman do anything normal? Between fighting to protect her and fighting against his growing attraction for her, the previous peace Jet had found was now falling apart. And how could he possibly trust another woman after the trick his ex-wife played in trying to pass off another man’s child as his?

EXCERPT:
As suspected, it showed positive. Suddenly the cabin seemed claustrophobic and the need for air was overwhelming. Deciding exercise would fuel her need, Lily went out through the French doors. She crossed the yard to the trees where it was cooler. She was glad to be wearing a ventilated halter-top while her jeans protected her legs from wayward branches and weeds. Deeper into the trees, she came across a small creek. As she crossed over, her flip-flops caught on a hidden tree root and she lost her balance and fell to her knees. She extended a hand to prevent pitching forward while her other cradled her midsection in a protective gesture. This time, her womb wasn’t empty. She smiled.

Lily got up and brushed off her jeans. With melancholy appreciation, she noticed how green everything was as if she were viewing it all for the first time. She breathed in the fresh scent of the growing plant life, smiling at the rabbits and squirrels ducking away as she approached.

Wading through the foliage, the covering of trees lessened as she neared the other side. A road running parallel to her property was a few yards ahead and she was crossing out of the trees to it when a sensation of being watched tingled along the back of her neck. She stopped and scanned the area behind her. Seeing nothing amiss, Lily still hastened her step until she reached the dirt-paved road. It was dusty and it would take her longer to get home, but it was flat and the air had cooled.

Despite the cooler air and without the protective cover of the trees, Lily felt the sun beating down on her head. She tightened her ponytail, wrapping the long ends into a makeshift bun to get it off her neck. She wasn’t far from the main street that ran into town when a vehicle turned onto the dirt road. Great! She just prayed it wasn’t the sheriff at the wheel of the blazer. The vehicle made short work of the distance and her stomach plummeted. It was him. He stopped beside her.

“Why haven’t you called me back?” He glowered.

Lily stiffened her shoulders and ignored him by continuing her pace. Some interesting variations of curses came from his direction, but her steps didn’t falter. She had no desire to speak to him. A message she intended to make clear...a message he obviously intended to ignore. The door slammed and seconds later, a vice-like grip grabbed her arm.

“I asked you a question,” he gritted between his teeth. “And what are you doing out here anyway.”

“What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m walking. That’s Detective 101, Sheriff.” She wrenched her arm out of his grasp and took off again.

Chanting a few more obscenities, he reached for her again. She spun around, her temper blazing.

“How many times do I have to flush before you go away?” she yelled.

Fire shot from his eyes before in a sudden fierce movement he scooped her up and carried her to the blazer. She beat at the tight grasp around her waist. When that didn’t work, she resorted to scratching and kicking, but her wedge-heeled flip-flops were ineffectual as he easily held off her attacks. In desperation, she reached for his gun. He didn’t guess her intentions until she’d unsecured the latch on the holster. Realization made him bark out an incredulous laugh and he checked her hand.

“You little she-cat!” He countered. “What are you going to do, shoot me?” He shook his head in exasperation. “Don’t you know reaching for an officer’s gun is an automatic jail sentence?”

“Then arrest me, Sheriff!” She spat, breathless from her exertions.

“What’s wrong with you?”

He swung her down and used his body to brace her against the blazer.

“Nothing. I told you I felt like a walk so I’m walking. What’s the mystery?” Her voice was heavy in sarcasm.

“Why didn’t you return my calls?” he asked unmoved by her ire.

“Maybe I didn’t want to,” she said childishly.

“Well maybe I was worried,” he returned.

“Well maybe you should’ve called your wife. No wait,” she said, pausing in mock perplexity. “Maybe you should call Rachel instead.”

His gaze flashed angrily. “Did my deputy tell you about Rachel too?”

“No your deputy didn’t tell me about Rachel,” Lily mimicked jealously. “Your sister did. Enlighten me Jet, how many women do you need to feed your ego?”

His heated blue eyes searched her face before settling on her mouth.

“Get in the truck,” he said softly.

“Are you taking me to jail?” She tilted her head in defiance. “Because that’s the only way I’m going anywhere with you.”

He gave her an exasperated look and before she could protest, opened the door and lifted her in. He followed and clamped a hand on her arm to prevent her escape from the passenger side.

Deftly starting the blazer with his left hand, Jet slammed it into gear and performed a U-turn. Lily sat beside him, her lips mutinous; attention straight ahead. She couldn’t stop him from manhandling her, but he couldn’t force her to converse with him. She’d combat him with her silence and see how he liked that.

A flash in the trees near where they’d been standing caught in the corner of her eye. She searched along the area to capture it again, but it was gone. She encountered Jet’s raised brows. Discounting the fact that she wasn’t speaking to him, she definitely wasn’t going to tell him she was seeing things again. She jerked her attention back toward the front.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Once again, I am excited to be here. Thank you so much for hosting me.

Baby, it's cold outside...brrrrr....

2012-01-15T00:01:00.038-05:00

So here is something to help you break into a sweat...

January is one of the coldest months of the year (unless you happen to live in the southern hemisphere), and I am always trying to find things to heat the world up a bit. I am currently working on a wip that started out almost too hot too fast. Now that it has exploded all over the place, I have to flesh it out so that readers won't think it is ALL sex. There must be romance. There must be a great plot. But my muse just jumped right in with both dainty size nines and started heating things up instantly.

I love a sexy hot romance, but dayam...I like to put in a bit of foreplay to make it more enjoyable. So I poured ice water over my muse and demanded that she cool it a bit. Sigh. Once you rush into the heat, it's hard to cool it down and stretch out the plot. LOL!

Ever had one that caught you up instantly and you had to go back and revise so that you didn't burn your reader up in the first three chapters? Maybe I will simply set it aside and let it simmer while I work on something else. Maybe it will be cool enough to handle once I let it rest a bit.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. I am still recovering from Thanksgiving!

Hugs to all....

Fran Lee

http://www.franleeromance.com

Reviewer's Choice Best Read 2011 - Warrior's Rise

2012-01-14T00:01:00.004-05:00

WARRIOR’S RISE, by LJ DeLeon, has been selected as the Reviewer’s Choice Best Read 2011 by the Paranormal Romance Guild. In celebration WARRIOR’S RISE is only 99¢.

Below is the 5 Star review by Charleen Bailey, Reviewer for the Paranormal Romance Guild

Deva Morgan is a 30 year old bartender half-breed, a Fae-human. After her parents were killed when she was 12 years old, she was raised by family friends, Steve a leopard were, Marissa a witch and Fritz a Gargoyle, and has been trained to be a soldier. Deva doesn’t know why, but she follows her father’s instructions to Steve. Steve, Marissa and Fritz, along with Mark and Jamie, twin weres, Nate, Eric and Luc, all Magi’s are her family. She is a sister to all of them, and knows that they would do anything for her.

Padraig O’Neal, Crown Prince of the Fae, has been sent as the protector of Deva, who is the Cáidh Arm (Kah-dith Arm), the Holy Weapon of the Goddess. The Cáidh Arm is the leader of the army of the light, against the Dark Lord. Padraig is surprised to find that Deva is not the cold, distant person he expected, the previous Cáidh Arm didn’t need or want help from anyone. She kept herself separate from the armies and only trusted her personal guards. Deva is definitely not a loner and Padraig is equally surprised to find out that what he feels for Deva is way more than what a protector should feel.

The last battle was 1,000 years ago. The last Cáidh Arm, Grace, was the commander of the combined forces of Human, Were, Vampire and Fae. The battle lasted for 100 years. When the Dark Lord was defeated, he was sealed in the Abyss with the remainder of the daemon horde. Grace cast the Veil that sealed Otherworld, the land of the Fae from the rest of the world. Grace was taken away by the Goddess to live with her.

Now the Dark Lord was planning another attack and Deva is the new Cáidh Arm, she has to lead and plan strategy with the combined armies but first, she has to convince normal humans that there is a danger and they need to take action; all while fighting the daemons that have been sent to kill her and her team.

This book has it all, daemons, fae, harpies, hellhounds, vampires and weres. Traitors, moles, spies and daemons who have taken over the bodies of normals. The governments of all countries have been compromised, as have the military. No one knows who they can trust. The dark forces have been planning this battle for the past 1,000 years. The coming battle will be monumental and will probably last longer than 100 years.

In addition, while Deva has been trained as a warrior, she has no idea of what powers the Cáidh Arm has. The Goddess leads and trains Deva. She has to gain her powers in steps, and each step is a test. The Goddess made mistakes with the last Cáidh Arm and she doesn’t want to make the same mistake with Deva. Deva is not your ‘stand in the corner and wait for the big string man to save her’ type. She is a take-charge woman! Her fighting skills are increasing by leaps and bounds. She is learning how to be a leader and to make hard decisions. Some of those decisions involve the people she loves and she knows she may lose some or all of them.

I could not put this book down. I feel it was very well written. I have seen other comments about it having too many characters. There are a lot of daemons who are fighting, but I think not having a variety of opponents would take away from the story. Deva and her friends have to devise a way to defeat each type of enemy and each type has different strengths and vulnerabilities. I don’t see how this could have been written without a huge cast of characters.

The action is non-stop, from first page to last! Romance is mostly closed door but it definitely does not take away from the story. The background is extensive and the author has described the landscape and background of important characters extremely well. Since this is the first book of the series, I expect the second book will retain a lot of the same background and will not require such detailed explanations.

I look forward to reading the sequels. Dragon Child – Book 2, Absolution – Book 3.

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Rise-Light-Book-ebook/dp/B004T39Y88
Barnes & Noble
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Warriors-Rise/LJ-DeLeon/e/2940012338020
http://tiny.cc/rd0x6
Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48517

Make 2012 the Best it Can Be

2012-01-13T03:49:00.005-05:00

2012 is the year of the dragon. How can it NOT rock?

January is a month of infinite possibilities. A whole new year stretches out before us, and we make promises to ourselves about how we’re going to make it the best it can be.

What happens, of course, is the same every year. We do or don’t keep our resolutions based on our personality type, or on the feasibility or necessity of those goals. Regardless of our personal efforts, life spins on, ever-changing and some of it will be good, some bad. The world will lose good people. More will arise when they’re needed. Villains will show their stripes, and someone, somewhere, will be at war. People will get hurt and others will have moments that seem to outshine the sun. And pretty much all of this will happen no matter what any one of us tries to do.

That doesn’t mean we can’t, or shouldn’t, do our best to make it a year with more good than bad—in our home, our work, our neighborhood, our nation or our world. The little things add up and our efforts can and do make a difference in the lives of ourselves, and others. So I’m not proposing that we just sit back and do nothing in 2012, but rather than make sweeping resolutions I may not be able to keep, I have a few little goals I bring out every year—then do my best to achieve as many of them as possible, as often as possible.

1) Try new things. New physical activities, new styles of food, new music, new places to see, new authors to read, new types of stories to write. Get out of that rut and enjoy all of what the world has to offer.

2) Make new friends and reconnect with old ones who have fallen by the wayside. Let the people you care about know it, often and well. This is my very favorite thing about social networking, btw. It lets me stay connected so easily with friends and relations all over the world.

3) Take care of yourself. Rather than swear to exercise this long, this many days, look at the big picture and just remind yourself that your health, mental and physical, is important to the people who love you. Then do whatever you need to do to get there and stay there.

4) Cut yourself some slack. Focus on the important stuff, and don’t let the little, day-to-day annoyances overshadow the beauty all around you. Bad things, big and small, will happen in our lives. Don’t let those blind us to the good stuff because they seem overwhelming.

5) Do good things. As small as holding a door for the grumpy person behind you. As big as massive charitable projects. Whatever opportunity you have to make someone else smile, take it. You’ll be the one who benefits most.

So there you have it. Cindy’s five goals to a better world. Does this mean you won’t see me on-line whining about deadlines or offspring? Not a chance. I’m as human as the rest of you, and I know without a doubt that some days, I won’t come close to a single one of these goals. I’ll be curled in a corner with a bag of Dove squares whinging about my life. But that’s kind of the point. None of us is perfect. (Wouldn’t it be scary if we were?) But little by little, day by day, we can all muddle through together, and come out happier for it.

Everyone have a fantastic 2012!

Okay, now here’s a bit of happy 2012 to me: Wrong Side of Town, my contemporary romance from Resplendence Publishing, is now in paperback. Come meet Zach, Laney, and the whole town of Hawthorne, Texas, available at Amazon.com.

Comment below to win a free copy of Wrong Side of Town. Entrants in the US or Canada will get to choose between a digital copy and a paperback, while those outside those countries will have their chose of digital download formats.

Thoughts From a Casino

2012-01-12T00:20:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Sin City!

I'm on one of the very few vacations I take, but one I love. Every year about this time I use the bright lights, no holds barred vibe of Las Vegas rip the residual holiday tension from around my psyche in a blur of money lost, alcohol consumed and sometimes bad choices made.

Yep, I go full Vegas while here, taking in strip clubs, shows, over priced dinners and resort massage therapies, you name it. I don't gamble much but when I do I typically manage to lose a butt load of money in the process.

Yep, full-bore Vegas.

I love it so much I wrote a novel more or less based there: Vegas Miracle, using my love of the fancier, understated new resorts like the Aria and Cosmopolitan to tickle my muse's fancy.

It's a buzz this place, and the strange sensation of staying at a resort this time with a dang roller coaster running through it brings and added edge of crazy to the whole thing.

So forgive a girl a short, mostly useless blog post.

banner for the series--isn't it awesome??

I'm on vacation, at least for another day. But of course have used the time in between debauchery wisely, working through edits on my Realtors Series, finalizing cover art for it AND my upcoming brewery based novella "Cheeky Blonde".

yeah, that says "book 3" we are struggling with book 2...

No rest for the wicked.

cheers
Liz

Interview of Author Michele Hart

2012-01-11T00:01:00.010-05:00

Today it's my pleasure to present an interview of romance author Michele Hart.

Latest Book: Gangbusters
Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/gangbusters
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqWXOGiThJk

CONTEST

One lucky commenter will receive an e-book copy of my Paranormal/Sci-Fi Romance Vigilant, a prequel to Gangbusters. Here's a link to a page about Vigilant:

http://www.MicheleHart.com/b27-book.htm

BIO:
Greetings, Romance Books R Us and all the readers out there! Is 2012 treating you right so far? Are you watching the skies for alien spacecrafts, deadly solar flares, World War III? Yeah, me too. ***Wink!***

A latch-key kid raised in Brandon, Florida, Michele found the world outside her house boring, so she lived for shows about futuristic worlds, fantastic places. Star Trek, Bewitched, Night Stalker, Logan’s Run. Naturally, she found her future in alternate realities. She’s keeping it unreal.

Michele writes fast-paced Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romantic Adventure, seared with a little erotic suspense. Sizzling daredevil heroes, smart heroines, creepy-as-Hell villains doing awful things on foreign worlds. Mind control, shape-shifters, prison breaks. Doomsday machines. Discover passion and adventure under all-new moons and stars. Investigate Michele Hart. http://www.iloveshape-shifters.com

Q: What’s the first thing you’d done when you’d received word you’d sold a book?
A: My family had taken me out for prime rib and strawberry daiquiris. Will Write For Food. It’s on the sign I hold up at my day job as a street performer/pan-handler. Not many want to pay the roadside writer, but I’m hoping to change that.

Q: What part of the book is the easiest for you to write? Why?
A: I’m a pantser, so I ride by the seat of my pants when it comes to visualizing the story. I can’t say any part is harder than the rest. There are times when the story doesn’t come to me, but that’s a demand from my muse to rest. Otherwise, I’d write in a frenzy until I collapsed.

Q: Tell us about Faith, the heroine of Gangbusters. If Gangbusters was made into a movie, what celebrity would you like to play her?
A: Faith is an energetic truth-seeker delving into the roots of a new black-market drug when she’s dropped into the hands of a gangland hit man working for the monsters that orchestrate a criminal empire. And she falls for a demon-slayer she’ll never forget. Or can ever write about. I think Bryce Howard could nail it.

Q: Tell us about your hero Danny. Which celebrity would you like to play him?
A: An anti-hero, Danny is a composite of many different gang members and hit men about whom I’d read, so he is several real people. Danny battles evil on the outside with a badge and a blade, but he’s fatalistic on the value of his shadowy soul. I’d like to be in the room when he tells on-the-job stories. Colin Farrell would be dark enough.

Q: Is Gangbusters a sequel?
A: Yes! Gangbusters is part of I-Marshal Stories, a sci-fi universe where an underworld of spiritual war exists, and mortal demon-hunters look to angelic influences to guide them in destroying evil. Check my website for more I-Marshal Stories.

Q: Do all your heroes and all heroines look the same in your mind as you “head write”?
A: No. To me, they’re unique people living different stories. I don’t imagine generic mannequins living out deeply constructed stories until I decide to “dress” them into people. I’m guessing that would be a tool of a plotter who does a lot planning. I doubt if any of my characters are like one another in many ways. That wouldn’t entertain me long.

Q: Do you eat comfort food when writing? If so, what food inspires your imagination?
A: When I write, I have to be reminded to eat, but when I do reward myself with food, it’s an incarnation of chocolate or some sweet thing.

Q: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?
A: I give my time to an action group in which I’m involved. We’ll soon assist people in keeping their homes from foreclosure and bank fraud. Feels good.

Q: What are your strongest points as a writer?
A: My reviews most mention that I’m a good world-builder and I surprise the reader. That’s the mission in my books, to take the reader to a new world and surprise her. That’s what adventure is about.

BLURB:
Daniel Tierney and his fellow I-Marshals take down the organizations producing the most dangerous substance in the Alliance. But reporter Faith Vedder turns up at the worst times, including Danny’s near-assassination. He’s had enough of her interference and requires her source of information.

Faith won’t tell him anything that compromises her Pulitzer-worthy story, not even under the magic of hot attraction. She doesn’t know she’s surrounded by fallen angels at war. Danny’s not finished making demands. She doesn’t understand until a giant, snorting, winged monster slobbers down her back, threatening to flay her.

The gangbusters can’t delay in their mission to shut down gangs until Danny learns the new criminal kingpin of their world is a man who once held Faith’s heart. In the guise of a gangland executioner named Heretic, Danny will destroy him. Even if it destroys Faith.

Angels are watching. Demons are plotting. Faith is the key.

EXCERPT:
“Stand over here, in the candlelight.”

Faith went to the spot where Danny pointed, and she stood in her Pulitzer gown for his inspection. He gained his feet, produced a thornless red vine rose from the side table, and he twisted it around the dress strap, then he returned to the bed and took in the sight of her. A rose was a gift of love, not a gift of acquaintance or friendship. The flowery fragrance enhanced her longing for him. The candlelight silvered his gray sight in a tactile way, but she always did feel his eyes when they were fixed on her.

“Do you like the gown?” she couldn’t help asking. His concentrated attention through overlong salt-and-pepper bangs caused her nipples to rise and brush against the soft cloth, quickening her for his capture.

“Very much. You look stunning in the dress, Faith,” his baritone voice murmured. His lips pressed together, revealing the tension it gave him. “The threads of the lace shimmer in the flame glow.”

Oh… Soft, flickering light seemed to cling to him instead of illuminating much else in the room. His breathing livened. His study of her lasted so long, she began to shy from his devoted gaze. “Have you had enough yet?”

“No. You aren’t enforcing a time limit, are you?”

She broke into an embarrassed smile, and his sly gaze said he enjoyed his torture of her.

“I’m divided. I want you to eat, but I want to take that dress off you.”

“Some people think they have problems.”

Rising from the bed again, he collected the covered plate and eating utensil, and set them in her hands held out before her. Then he removed the cover to present a dish in the meatball family. His smile bordering on the diabolical, he loaded the utensil and put it to her mouth. Her sharp eye on him, she accepted a flavor she’d never encountered before, savory, mysterious, delectable. So was Danny.

Stalking, he roved around until he was behind her, and he leaned, pressing his nose to her exposed neck, inhaling her freshly bathed scent as she chewed. The act carried such an animal-feel to it. The alpha-male predator had brought his chosen a meal...and he savored his upcoming reward for that.

Having already been beneath him, arrested and detained by him, she chewed quicker. Was she sweating yet? She soon would be. Oh, gawd, she already throbbed, her body programmed now and eager for his possession. Did he know he owned her? She bet he knew.

His hair danced over her bare shoulder. “You smell like delicious dinner.”

Every word he uttered with that deep voice was verbal chocolate, making her ache all the more for him. “You always have an invitation to feast upon me, Danny.”

She felt his lips thin into another secret smile against the sensitive flesh as he pressed sizzling kisses up her neck to her ear. “Every night I’ll figure out a way to put you in my bed.”

Should she tell him how easy that will be?

Weakened, she scooped up a forkful of dinner and fed him over her shoulder. He groaned his approval, and he sent his big hands to span and stroke her figure in the silky gown, a sensuous experience that blotted out everything for the moment but his contact and body heat. She would memorize a list of the things that made him groan. Hearing it launched cascades of thrill through her. His exploration slipped downward from behind her and onto her belly, pressing her against his long, hard physique and sliding downward to the heat between her thighs. She almost dropped the plate.

Mm…Danny and good food together. That was total pleasure.

Again, he commandeered the fork and sent a bite to her mouth. As she chewed, he placed a sucking kiss below her ear. Then she forgot to chew, taken by the fantastic shower of ecstasy he inflicted, and she had to remind herself again to chew. His breath on her body enticed her to a new level of want.

Another bite administered, he drew the zipper of the dress all the way down her back, and he slipped his hands into the dress, around her, and cupped her breasts.

"Oh…” The rough surfaces of his palms and fingers abrading her tender flesh played with her nipples, stoking the fire.

“Take another bite.” His whispers rushed lightning through her.

Hands slid from her dress, and she turned to watch him pull his T-shirt from his torso, all iron-worked muscle, pale flesh, a thin scatter of body hair she wished to feel scrubbed against her. Again. His lion’s mane skimmed broad shoulders. His silvery sight never left her. Before, they’d made love in shadows, and she hadn’t seen him wholly nude. Just shirtless, he was beautiful, blessed with a holy kind of glamour that activated her soul.

Oh...

He fed her another bite of dinner, then he released the clip holding back her freshly dried hair, and his long, tapered fingers caught her tumbling tresses. Stirred to a corrupt snicker, he took in the scent of her hair as though it told him everything about her, as if it fed every hungry part of him.

“How can your T-shirt say you’re faster than light when you’re so torturously slow with me?”

“I know, the longer I take with you, the more you’ll moan in my ear. And I like that a lot. It’s a triumph to feel you under my power, Faith.”

That just made her moan.

He took the empty plate from her hands and set it aside on the table, then he put her in his arms. He’d said he wouldn’t let her go to Max’s without making love to her. The intent in Danny’s eye revealed his plot to ruin her freshly bathed scent.

“Are you enjoying the moment of marking me for the demons to detect?”

“Enormously. I’ll kick them in their heads if they touch you.” His demon-slaying grin gave away his entertainment. She knew he meant for Max to get that message, as well.

“This is like unwrapping the most fun present.”

She loved being explored by him, adored it, and she noticed each lithe movement of his heavenly warrior-body, marveled at how well he’d been put together for hunting criminals and hellish merchants of misery. She’d never discourage him from doing that duty. Those monsters better run and hide.

Danny wasn’t a monster. Was he?

She reached for his jeans and unbuttoned them, feeling him hard beneath the metal teeth of the zipper. He pushed the jeans to the floor for the unwelcome interference they were. Her mouth went dry at the unveiled sight of him, worthy of an artist’s sketch, all muscle, brains, instinct, skill, action.

Danny was better than perfect. He was physically superior.

But what was he on the inside? The progeny of an angel, the breed of a demon. She recalled her brief study of the heavenly races. If Danny turned out to be more angel, what would that mean? Angels did many benevolent things, but they also struck down populations with disease, disaster, and genocide. A single angel wielded the power to destroy cities, cause famine, flood a planet.

Angels were heaven’s hit men.

Danny snatched her up by the waist, capturing her, pressing her against him, and snickering over his plans for her.

Oh... She could barely wait.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Don’t stop. Read more of Gangbusters. Discover hot, peril-packed excerpts, read a tense first chapter, watch a mysterious book trailer here: http://www.michelehart.com/b28-book.htm

Thanks, "Romance Books R Us" and all your dedicated readers! Explore my website: http://www.iloveshape-shifters.com. You’ll find my Twitter, Facebook, and blog links there. Happy 2012! Live as if it’s your last year on Earth!

ARE YOU AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT?

2012-01-10T15:35:00.005-05:00

Many authors characterize themselves as introverts. They dislike book signings and find themselves uncomfortable at speaking engagements. On Rebecca Clark's “Once Written Twice Shy” blog in June of 2010, author J.A. Saare wrote, “The truth is, as often as I think of myself as shy, I’ve been told I’m quite the opposite.”

How often has that happened to you or someone you know? It makes you wonder what being shy is really all about.

I’ve come to the conclusion that many of us may suffer from confusion in terminology. I’m not sure that makes a difference in how one handles marketing, selling yourself to editors and agents, making public presentations, handling book signings, and the like. But I do believe the more we understands about ourselves, the easier it is to address our problems and make informed choices. Besides, as authors, we are word crafters and should be masters of that craft. Words do make a difference.

Instead of being shy, you may be an extrovert who is shy. Well, that sounds crazy. Shy people are introverts. The words mean the same thing. Everyone knows that. I thought so, too, but not according to psychologists and experts in the field.

SHYNESS
Shyness can be defined as feelings of apprehension, discomfort, anxiety, dread, lack of confidence, or awkwardness experienced when a person is in proximity to, approaching, or being approached by other people, particularly in new situations or with unfamiliar people. In biology, the word “shy” generally means "tends to avoid human beings."

While most experts generally agree on the definition, I found in my research numerous opinions about the reasons for shyness. Most sources indicated shyness as a learned behavior which can occur in certain stages of development in children, is learned in a certain cultural environments, or is a cultural norm. And not only that, but it’s a learned behavior which is fueled by a concern that one will be (or is being) judged negatively by other people, regardless of whether this is actually the case.

As a result, many shy people never overcome this feeling of discomfort in social situations because they limit social interactions to reduce their anxiety.

But, hey! If it’s learned behavior, it can be “unlearned,” right? Yes, it can.

INTROVERSION
Introversion is another matter. Introvert and Extrovert are defined as personality types and all people seem to be categorized as being one or the other, although a few experts acknowledged there are people in the middle although they may have a tendency toward one type or the other. Not one article I read stated or implied that this is learned behavior.

By most definitions, introverts tend to be people who are reserved, less outgoing and less sociable. They aren’t necessarily loners, but tend to have smaller circles of friends and find it easier to solve things inside their heads without help. Introversion doesn’t mean social discomfort but rather social preference. An introvert may not be shy at all but may merely prefer non social or less social activities. Another expert described introverts as needing more down time. This natural preference is found in the animal kingdom where some species prefer to live and travel in groups or herds and others tend to be solitary.

Sophia Dembling, in her post “Introversion vs. Shyness” on her Psychology Today blog The Introvert’s Corner, draws the distinction clearly:

▪ Shy is the fear of socializing.
▪ Introversion is a lack of interest in socializing.

She also writes, “Someone who is introverted and shy will behave differently from someone who is introverted and not shy, who will behave differently from someone who is extroverted and shy, who will behave differently from someone who is extroverted and not shy.” And, by the way, this is good information for developing fictional characters.

The bottom line: Both introverts and extroverts may suffer anxiety in social situations. Presumably, based on Dembling’s statement, they would handle it quite differently.

A COMPARISON
Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D., a researcher, educator, author, psychotherapist and authority on introversion, compares introverts and extroverts on her site The Introvert Advantage:

Introverts:
▪ Enjoy time alone
▪ Good listeners
▪ Appear calm and self-contained
▪ Consider only deep relationships as friends
▪ Feel drained after outside activities, even if they were fun
▪ Think, then speaks or act

Extroverts:
▪ Like to be in the thick of things
▪ Relish variety
▪ Know lots of people, considers lots of people friends
▪ Enjoy chit-chatting, even to strangers
▪ Feel stoked after activity
▪ Speak or act then think or think while speaking

According to several articles, people who are in between who don't mind being in a big crowd or alone. These people may have a large group of friends but don't mind spending time alone. One expert wrote, “Being an introvert doesn't necessarily mean shy. It means your energy drains when you're in group situations while extroverts baths in the energy.”

According to the article “Introversion: The Often Forgotten Factor Impacting the Gifted,” by Jill D. Burruss and Lisa Kaenzig, introverts belong to two distinct groups:

▪ “Group A: Self-sufficient, confident, hardworking, with firm goals, self-actualizing, reserved, preferring activities that involve inner experience and introspection; and

▪ “Group B: Shy, timid, withdrawn with low self-concept, lacking in communication skills, demonstrating fear of people, dread of doing things in front of others, who prefer being left alone.

HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSONS (HSP)

To complicate things, throw into the mix the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) who has often been labeled as shy or introverted but isn’t necessarily. I’d heard the term but never read up on it. A highly sensitive person is a one who is very easily affected by things. They are said to have a “high sensitivity,” but this isn’t learned behavior or personality type. People falling into this category, which represents about a fifth of the population, are biologically wired so they process sensory data much more deeply and thoroughly due to a biological difference in their nervous systems. People who are HSP are more aware of and responsive to other people's moods and judgments, and to their own inner feelings. They can be either introverts or extroverts, shy or not shy.

The key point: In the past, HSP was often confused with innate shyness, inhibitedness, innate fearfulness, introversion, and so on. People who think of themselves as shy may actually be HSP.

WHO ARE YOU?
Knowing who you are and why you react the way you do makes a difference when you’re trying to find your personal path in the world of writing and publishing. There are many choices to make. Some may be right for you, others wrong. You may be willing to work at overcoming your shyness, you may not. That’s a decision the individual has to make. Behavior modification is possible, but it’s hard work and requires commitment. Some writers may choose to work around shyness rather than attempt to overcome it.

I overcame shyness in relation to making public presentations before large audiences, TV cameras, and political bodies (such as City Councils) simply because I had to. It was a requirement of my job as a Planning Director, and the more experience I had under my belt, the less anxious I became. I also found that I was less nervous when I knew my topic cold. In some positions, I had to present the work and reports prepared by my staff, and that was much more difficult for me. But I’m still shy about talking to strangers and meeting new people.

After doing this research, I thought about all the writers who I, personally, have heard say, “I’m shy.” Not necessarily as an excuse, but an explanation…even a confession. Then I thought about what my editor would say if I wrote, “She was shy.” She would tag me with the note “Lazy. How does she feel? What is she thinking? How is she reacting? Show it.”

If we, as writers, take apart our own feelings and reactions in the same way as we deal with our fictional characters, perhaps it will be easier to find what works best for each of us. Be true to yourself.

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New Year New Goals

2012-01-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

*Nina slides in breathless, dusting off the remnants of her crazy life*

Sorry I'm late folks. I knew I had to post on the 9th, but somewhere in my crazy, scrambled brain I thought that day was Thursday. LOL! That'll sort of explain the state of my life at the moment. I can't seem to get it to settle down long enough for me to feel grounded and wrap my head around all the things I'd like 2012 to be.

I've never been one to make resolutions. I'm like my own worst enemy when I do. Sort of "hey, you can't do that" and then I don't. But this year I've really been reassessing and looking at all the things I've accomplished as opposed to all the things I wanted to accomplish and realized the latter had become a very long list of writing goals that had yet to be fulfillied.

So this year I've deceided to stop trying to do all the things that others have done that have made them successful and just focus on the things that make me happy in my writing. I want to find the joy I used to have in sitting down at my computer and letting my characters play. Just following them as they journeyed through life bringing the bad guys to justice and falling in love.

I intend to find that again this year. Of course the insanity of my personal life will have to step aside to make room for my muse. But she's pretty tough and I think she'll manage on make herself heard over the chaos.

What about you? Do you make resolutions? How's your 2012 going so far?