Romancing The Pen Today

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining for Red Hot Books Shameless Giveaway! Thanks for the hard work Jen, Brie, and Michelle. For a list of all participating authors here's the link http://www.redhotbooks.com/2011/11/shameless-giveaway-hop.html

Leave a comment with where you are (US or Intl) and an email to be entered into my drawings for a copy of Familiar Desires (open to all entrants) or Sweets &Swag (US only.) I'll have one winner for each prize and winners are chosen via RandomPicker.com :)

Good luck and have fun everyone!

Familiar Desires

Ashley Adams signed up with the 1NightStand service in hopes of stirring up some cougar passion in her lackluster life. When she meets tall, dark, and oh-so-sexy Justin, the sparks fly. But something deeper lies in their magical connection, something she isn’t prepared for. Will a casual one-night stand change her life forever?

Excerpt:

"You’re more beautiful than your picture.” He reached past her shoulder and hit the emergency stop. Her breath caught in her throat when the elevator jolted to a halt.

“What are you doing?” She darted a glance up at the security camera.

The way his mouth curved at the corners made her knees knock. “Your profile said you liked to be adventurous.” The tip of his tongue stroked over his bottom lip as he watched her through heavy-lidded eyes.

“I—I meant trekking through the wilds of Africa, sky diving, that sort of thing.” Her heart beat so loudly, surely he had to hear it. He stepped forward—his finger traced her jaw line before he tipped her chin up. She swallowed.

“Skydiving? Can’t say I’d have the guts to try that, though I’d love the chance to kiss a pretty girl in an elevator.”

A corny come-on line if she’d ever heard one, but spoken with a whiskey-smooth Kentucky drawl—damn, it works for me. That’s what she’d come for, to have an unforgettable night with a hot hunk to stir up her humdrum life. After all, she’d dished out the funds for the flight, half the price of the hotel room, and the 1NightStand fee.

He moved in close, and a wonderful, heady mix of musk and spice filled her nose. Her insides somersaulted in anticipation, wicked intent written all over his perfectly chiseled face. They could be kicked out of the hotel, or worse—arrested and appear on one of those dumbest criminals shows. The elevator wall pressed into her back, but when he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers, all the reasons they shouldn’t be doing this in the elevator evaporated.

50% Rebate Offered at All Romance Ebooks!

2011-12-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Look for the crown icon on my releases at All Romance for your rebate offered by AllRomance/OmniLit. Good for 12/25 & 12/26 only, so hurry to get yours!

Lc Dean

2011-12-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

Today, Lc Dean drops in to share some holiday goodies with us ;;)

Ho ho ho – Who Needs Snow!

As the holidays and New Year approach I am stunned at thelack of nature’s decorations. Normally, Minnesota is blanketed in lovely crispwhite snow. Admitted there are drawbacks to the fluffy white stuff, but forthose of us used to its sparkle, it does not feel like the holidays without it.So what can we do about it? I decided to find other ways to get in the spirit.

I strung lights

And hung some mistletoe

Invited over a few friends

Baked up some goodies and set out a buffet.

Took a few snapshots for my holiday cards

And checked out some holiday reads

Thanks for letting me drop by Olivia. I hope this bit ofadvice helped you and your readers get into the holiday spirit as well. Be sureto share your favorite way to deck the halls. One winner will get a copy ofGinger Snaps for Two.

2011-12-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

Synopsis Writing Workshop

January 2012

Workshop:
I used to hate writing a synopsis, but not anymore
Presenter: Susan Palmquist
Dates: January 2-27, 2012
Fee: $20 FRW member & $25 non FRW member

Learn why a good synopsis is similar to a great job interview
Learn why it’s a must have skill for every writer
Learn what makes a good synopsis
Learn what should always be included
Learn what tense a synopsis should be written in and how it should be formatted
Learn to write both a short and long synopsis

About SusanSusan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author of six novels, four of which are romances. She’s also a published short story writer who’s been published in both the US and UK and two of her stories have recently appeared in anthologies. Under her pen name, Vanessa Devereaux she writes erotic romances and erotica and has published six novels/novellas. Her next book One Night With You will be a June 2011 release. She also writes a weekly money saving blog at called The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to the Universe. Susan is also a writing tutor for Writers’ News School in the UK.

While she might not have sold everything she’s written, she’s never had an editor refuse to read her work after seeing one of her synopsis. Her secret, she really loves to write them and thinks it’s like creating a story in itself.

In her work as a tutor she sees synopsis that while formatted right lack the I want to read this story quality, necessary to make a sale. In this class she’ll show you how to add the ‘wow’ factor.

For more information about Susan, visit www.susanpalmquist.com, www.vanessadevereaux.com, and www.budgetsmartgirl.com

Contact information: skpalmquist@gmail.com

2011-12-06T17:46:00.001-08:00

Decadent Publishing has a submissions call for their new line Western Escape coming in February '12. If you're a fan of sweet to spicy western themed romances, feel free to check out their submission guidelines!

2011-12-03T01:30:00.000-08:00

Holiday Story Love

Every year in December, before the proliferation of e-books, I would inevitably find myself at the bookstore or stopping in the short paperback section at the grocery store. Here I would scour the shelves, looking for Christmas anthologies and holiday-themed romances. There have been many (many many) Harlequin 'Her Secret Christmas Baby' or 'The Holiday Hunk'-type stories in my collection-- light and fun fare in a busy season--alongside Christmas-themed novels by Kenyon, Deveraux, and Lindsey. My favorites, though, were the holiday anthologies. These collections introduced me to authors I'd not read before, while building my holiday buzz and leaving me feeling warm and homey as hot peppermint cocoa by a fire. I have a small mountain of them, collected over many years.

When we opened Decadent Publishing, we asked for holiday stories and were so pleased to get a wonderful and varied Christmas collection. Stories from sweet to hot, historical to Steampunk, each was unique and romantic in its own way. I read 'Melting Frost' on an unusually cold, cloudy and windy Southern California afternoon with a steamy cup of tea and cozy slippers. 'Unwrapping Scrooge' I read one evening after a marathon shopping session. It was the perfect story, perfect length to enjoy while unwinding from an elf-frenzy. 'The Ghost of Vampire Present' was a paranormal joy to partake after being so smitten with the author's voice in her first book in the series, 'Of Course I Try'. (TEAM MAX!) Then there was 'A Passionate Christmas'; each novella a separate sub-genre filled with hot and sexy heroes in a snowy small town atmosphere.

This year, Decadent has printed our 2010 stories into two paper holiday anthologies, 'Yule Be Mine' Volumes 1 and 2. One is a little sweet, one a little hot, both a lot romantic. We've added two new anthologies, 'Madame Eve's 1Night Stand Holiday Anthology'--stories in our best-selling 1Night Stand series--and 'The More The Merrier', a collection of holiday-themed menage tales that will heat up any blustery night. All are perfect stocking stuffers for the romance reader. These are available as individual short stories and novellas, as well. This shorter length is perfect for a little literary escape from the merry madness around you, but still manages to kindle the festive flames of the holiday hearth, extend the magic of Kris Kringle and company, and remind us that love and miracles do happen.

Available at our website, www.decadentpublishing.com, or almost anywhere ebooks are sold including Amazon, Smashwords, ARe and the iStore.

2011-12-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

Today we welcome back Ashlynn Monroe, a very talented and prolific writer. Her work is literally everywhere, so look for her at your favorite publisher!

I'm thankful to so many people this year. It's been a great year for me as an author. I've been very lucky to learnfrom wonderful editors who've improved my knowledge of the craft I adore. Writing is in my blood. I've had so many wonderful readers reach out tome. It's wonderful when someone tells you that your work has touchedthem. In thanks, I want to give away goodies during the holidayseason. I'm going to be giving away audio books, tote bags, t-shirts, andeBooks. Like me on facebook, Ashlynn Monroe Author, to keep up with thegiveaways.

I have three new releases in December. A Healer’s Touch from Wild Horse Press,Salvation book three in my Vengeance series from Decadent Publishing, and ADaddy for Christmas from Silver publishing will all be available throughoutDecember. I’m looking forward to readersenjoying these books.

A Daddy for Christmas:

When Charlie St.Claire became the caseworker for three, terrified little boys, she didn’t meanto let herself love them. But she did. The boys had unique issues, but with hertypical, positive attitude, she wanted to give them a better life.

Richmond Wolfehadn’t seen his sons in years. He couldn’t help what he’d become, but he’dtried to protect his children by leaving. Now some city girl do-gooder wantedhis kids. He wouldn't give them up, not to her or anyone. He loved them thatmuch.
Charlie soon discovers Richmond’s terrible secretand it puts her and the boys in danger. Her burgeoning feelings for the hunkyoutdoorsman fill her with confusion… and something more. Maybe her boys coulduse a daddy for Christmas.

A Healer’s Touch:

As if being a young single mother wasn't challengingenough, Phoebe is also the last adult descendant of the witch that cursedWillow Lake in response to her betrayal and murder. Phoebe inherited the familycurse, but with love and compassion, she uses her magic for healing.

Fabian Sterling likes money, he likes power, and helikes Phoebe. He's also the ancestor of the man who burned Phoebe's witchancestor at the stake. Can passion overcome a grudge that's lasted forcenturies? When he looks at Phoebe, hedoesn’t see a witch, only an angel. Howcan anyone so beautiful be reviled by an entire town? Fabian vows to protecther, whatever the cost.

Salvation:

AudraJacobs finds herself alone and uncertain. Her overwhelming power is keeping her from her family, and herlover. The mysterious Phoenix has toldher things that she can’t believe are true about her new power. She was brought back from the dead for a reason;she just doesn’t fully know what it is yet. How can she be a hero when her lifeis falling apart? Could she even acceptbeing normal again if she’s given the chance?

CainMaddox loves Audra; the demon living inside of him loves her too. The Phoenix living inside of her wants tokeep them apart, but he’s determined to save her—again. When a higher power gives him an ultimatum,he has to choose between Audra and his freedom. Their enemy is closing in, and hurting the innocent people who love her. Whom can a hero call when he needs ahero? How can Cain keep her safe when hecan’t even touch her?

Buy bookone Vengeance http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=66&products_id=239&osCsid=6c1232251c1e45744bd0b3ee7262f414

Buy booktwo Retribution

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=66&products_id=250&osCsid=6c1232251c1e45744bd0b3ee7262f414

I hope you’ll check out these books, and take partin the giveaways. Comment here to win a2012 calendar, emery boards, magnets and other fun swag today! I’ll contact the winner and request thephysical address to send the goodies. Ihope you have safe and happy holiday celebrations!

30% Off!

2011-11-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Hi All!
Got a reader on your holiday list? Get 30% off Familiar Desires until Nov. 27th (Decadent
Publishing) at Smashwords, a paranormal erotic romance. Use coupon code WB49L
for your savings!

Olivia Starke
www.authoroliviastarke.com
http://romancingthepentoday.blogspot.com

Familiar Desires-a 1NightStand story

Blurb: Ashley Adams signed up with the 1NightStand service in hopes of stirring
up some cougar passion in her lackluster life. When she meets tall, dark, and
oh-so-sexy Justin, the sparks fly. But something deeper lies in their magical
connection, something she isn't prepared for. Will a casual one-night stand
change her life forever?

Excerpt: "You're more beautiful than your picture." He reached past her shoulder
and hit the emergency stop. Her breath caught in her throat when the elevator
jolted to a halt.

"What are you doing?" She darted a glance up at the security camera.

The way his mouth curved at the corners made her knees knock. "Your profile said
you liked to be adventurous." The tip of his tongue stroked over his bottom lip
as he watched her through heavy-lidded eyes.

"I—I meant trekking through the wilds of Africa, sky diving, that sort of
thing." Her heart beat so loudly, surely he had to hear it. He stepped
forward—his finger traced her jaw line before he tipped her chin up. She
swallowed.

"Skydiving? Can't say I'd have the guts to try that, though I'd love the chance
to kiss a pretty girl in an elevator."

A corny come-on line if she'd ever heard one, but spoken with a whiskey-smooth
Kentucky drawl—damn, it works for me. That's what she'd come for, to have an
unforgettable night with a hot hunk to stir up her humdrum life. After all,
she'd dished out the funds for the flight, half the price of the hotel room, and
the 1NightStand fee.

He moved in close, and a wonderful, heady mix of musk and spice filled her nose.
Her insides somersaulted in anticipation, wicked intent written all over his
perfectly chiseled face. They could be kicked out of the hotel, or
worse—arrested and appear on one of those dumbest criminals shows. The elevator
wall pressed into her back, but when he leaned forward and touched his lips to
hers, all the reasons they shouldn't be doing this in the elevator evaporated.

Musa Publishing Launches!

2011-10-01T01:53:00.000-07:00

Ebooks,Penumbra eMag, and so much More

Musa Publishing Opens its Electronic Doors

After months of editing, designing, contracting, and formatting Musa Publishing launches on October 1, 2011. The E-publisher opens with a large catalogue including Penumbra Speculative Fiction eMag, new works by three bestselling authors, and the full backlist of Aurora Regency, featuring traditional Regency romances and historical fiction.

Penumbra eMag http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=12

Penumbra's inaugural issue is a collection of speculative fiction stories that encompass the arts--the arts we love and revere. Some of these stories deal with the arts we're familiar with. Some create arts we haven't thought of and some resurrect arts buried in the depths of the past. And yet, all of these offerings celebrate the creative process, which makes them a fitting theme to launch Penumbra--an enterprise that will showcase the creative work of speculative fiction authors each month with a new collection of works within the genre.

New Works by

Gini Koch

The Martian Alliance 1: The Royal Scam

http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=13

Things aren’t what they seem to be when Princess Olivia of Andromeda jumps aboard a spaceship to escape a loveless marriage.

Join the crew of the Hummingbird as they take on the rich, famous and sleazy of the galaxy. They're also on a long-term secret mission, so it's a good thing they're the best con artists, spacers, and roughnecks in the Milky Way, because they need all their skills to pull off this particular Royal Scam.

Cindi Myers

West with the Wind

http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=19

More than gold awaits two lovers at the end of the trail.

Mariah Tate and her dog, Worthy, persuade veteran guide Campbell Jefferson to let them join his expedition headed to California. Camp can't say no to the beautiful widow, but his need to protect her soon clashes with her need to keep secrets. Mariah left more than bad memories behind in Pennsylvania and her growing attraction to the stoic but surprisingly sensitive Camp forces her to face up to the consequences of the choices she's made. Camp doesn't know what Mariah's hiding, but he's determined not to let the only woman who ever made him want to settle down get away. He pursues her across the prairies, through stampedes, Indian raids, desert drought and mountain snows. In the gold camps of California, Camp will discover Mariah's secret, and prove the love she wants most isn't out of reach.

And the return to writing after five years for USA Today Bestselling Author

Sharon De Vita

The Estrogen Posse http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=20

"The Estrogen Posse is a hoot! I laughed, I cried, I couldn't put it down! For every woman who needs a pick me up, this is the book for you!"
Janet Evanovich, NYT bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum mystery series

Once upon a time Ellie Briotti had a quiet life as a suburban housewife.

Until…she confronts her wealthy husband Nicky about doing the pecker polka with another woman, and Nicky tosses Ellie out of his life like some misbehaved household pet.

Until…Gram Crackers, her dotty mother begins passing out house keys to homeless bums.

Until…Joey, her eleven-year old son starts on a new career path: breaking and entering.

Until…Rina, her best friend, a single, successful, entrepreneur learns she's about to become a mother.

Until…Candi, Nicky's 22-year-old mistress turns up murdered with traces of furniture polish on her bare backside!

A rip-roaring ribald mystery about a woman’s journey to discover what she really wants in life. Now, if Ellie can keep her son from becoming a second-story man, while trying to hide everything from the gorgeous cop who’s started sniffing around, Ellie might be able to get a new life.

That is—if she doesn’t go to jail for murder first!

Aurora Regency

Musa has acquired Aurora Regency and Aurora Regency Historicals. Within the next month over forty books in this line will be available to Regency and Historical Romance buffs to enjoy.

Stop by www.MusaPublishing.com check out the books already for sale as well as those coming soon. Over the next few weeks, Musa will offer literature geared for every reader's tastes. Musa aims to offer well writing, interesting stories, all at a price that doesn’t bite into your check book.

“Hearts set upon song, spirits free from care”~ Hesiod

# # #

If you'd like more information about Musa Publishing, please contact Elspeth McClanahan at Promotions@Musapublishing.com or go to our blog http://musapublishing.blogspot.com/

The Line Between Pleasure, Pain & Abuse

2011-08-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

(Warning: This blog is about BDSM and may be too much for some readers. Discretion is advised! )

The Line Between Pleasure, Pain and Abuse.

I recently received a comment from a so called BDSM fan protesting the level of pain in Erotic Healing was not intense enough. “The pain that you described barely made me tingle. If you’re going to hurt someone, then do it. Make ‘em bleed. It pisses me off when vanilla writers feel the need to write about things they don’t understand.”

Are you freaking kidding me? I have to say that the above statement is one of the less offensive comments, followed by promises to show me what real erotic healing feels like and fairly detailed descriptions of what that would entail. I stared at this email for nearly an hour. My stomach hurt and I wanted to puke. At first, I felt like perhaps he/she was right, I don’t know enough about the lifestyle or the genre, for that matter, to write about it with confidence. Then I slapped myself upside the head for even thinking that way. I did my research, talked to people who live/enjoy BDSM, and made friends with a Domme who was invaluable in making sure I didn’t sound like a fool. Erotic Healing wasn’t about hurting Brenna. It was about breaking down mental barriers and providing what she needed to get to a place of comfort and peace again. It was not ever intended to stimulate a jerk so I am happy I failed in that department.

After reading the letter I had to write a public response to it. First of all, Kostas never claims to be a professional Dom though he did take lessons to ensure he was effective without being abusive. There is a definite line between the erotic freedom of giving oneself over to the delicious pain of a spanking, sensory deprivation, or bondage and actual abuse. Even for a sub who likes it rough or 24/7, physical stimulation should not ever cross beyond what they want or what is safe. Breaking the skin, snapping a bone, or even repeated mental and physical humiliation do not fit the BDSM rules as I understand them.

Safe means that the risks are known and minimized: That people know what they are getting into and handle it responsibly.
Sane means that the individuals involved have self-control and will not betray their partners trust.
Consensual means that everyone involved agree without coercion, and also has a sufficiently high intellectual capacity so they understand the risks and consequences of their actions. Those who are drugged down with high doses of alcohol or similar may not be able to give meaningful consent because of the effects of those substances on inhibitions and mental faculties. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SafeSaneAndConsensual

Additionally, the very real fear of retaliation is a form of coercion beyond measure and negates any consent given or implied.

For those of you vanillas like me who enjoy a bit of erotic reading as an escape that you would never be brave enough to tackle in real life, if you read something that breaks the above rules, then it is not a story about titillation, voluntary submission, or responsible Domination. It is simply an excuse for an abusive bastard to get his jollies. While fiction is by nature, more/bigger/etc than real life and most readers are intelligent enough to know the difference between reality and fantasy, those who write the BDSM genre have a responsibility to promote the rules for the sake of impressionable readers. (The book covers shared today all deal with BDSM in a frank or yummy way.)

As for those in very real and dangerous situations, please remember that no one has a right to truly hurt you or make you feel less than a person. If you are in circumstances that have you on edge every day, then you are not in a Dom/sub bond; you are in an abusive relationship and need to seek help. Please.

A friend who is a Domme (Sorry, Lovey, I blush even to write this.) once told me that she has a responsibility to make her subbie content and comfortable. Not that she doesn’t make him beg now and again, or correct him when it is obvious that he needs the boundaries she provides, that’s her role in the relationship, but mostly she likes to know that he feels safe and loved in her embrace, that when she wields a cane or rubs lotion into the “gorgeous pink stripes,” he trusts her and understands that she will never go beyond what he needs or can handle even if he begs for it. Sane means all parties are in their right mind, and apparently, her sub is not always there when they play. (Yep, blushing really hard here.)

Thanks all for letting me vent and please expand or clarify if you feel I have missed the mark.

Erotic Healing Excerpt: (Warning Adult Situation/Language)

Caught up in the strange mixture of delight and agony, Brenna shuddered as his mouth left her and another clamp squeezed tight, closing over her tender nub with searing torture. She could no longer form real words, only moan and twist, begging him to stop.

Kostas tugged lightly on the chains connecting her breasts to her clit. “I need you to focus a moment, Brenna.”

“Fuck you.” Shivers escalated to tremors, tremors to shudders.

He pulled the chain again in a sharp reprimand that demanded her attention. “Do you want to stop this? Say your word and I’ll end it.”

She wanted the incessant throbbing to go away, but paradise hovered almost within reach. If she could capture it, maybe the rest would really end. What if he was wrong?

“I need an answer, little sparrow.” Kostas’s long fingers slid into her channel, stroking in and out, coaxing the pleasure to surmount the pain.

“Don’t.”

“Be specific.”

How had she fallen so low that the need for orgasmic release overshadowed everything else? “Don’t leave me like this, please.”

Links:

Erotic Healing

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=238&osCsid=2a90486df2ddd1225f0d4636a3734f74

Buffy Meets West Side Story meets Clash of The Titans

2011-06-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

Vampires…gods…angels and demons…who doesn’t love them, right? I sure as heck do! That is just one of the reasons why I wrote my debut novel entitled, The World Among Us, Prince of Darkness. The other reason, is because it was one of those stories that just had to be told.

I know, I know you’re thinking… “oh god! Not another young adult fantasy book!”

But yes, this is in fact another YA fantasy book. BUT…it’s not just a fantasy book. It’s an Urban Fantasy book.

So what makes my book different from Twilight and Vampire Academy? Well, I’ll tell you! In The World Among Us, it’s not just about vampires; it’s really about a lost prince who tries to find his way back “home.” My male MC, Damien Wicklen, is the son to the god of the underworld, Hades. In addition, Damien falls in love with the Titan moon goddess, Selene. But, here’s the twist; their love is forbidden. Why? Because demons are meant to hate, and gods are meant to love. How can two such opposite species be together? Needless to say, the power hungry Hades finds out about Damien’s forbidden love for Selene, plots to destroy his own son.

Love…power…corruption…family feuds…a prophecy. What more could you want in a book?

Still not convinced that this is the book for you? Well take a look at this AMAZING review I received from NY Times Best Selling author, Elizabeth Bevarly, who has published OVER 60 romance books!

“Epic! In PRINCE OF DARKNESS, Beth Ann Masarik has penned an engaging novel full of otherworldly hijinks and mayhem . It’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” meets “West Side Story,” with a little “Clash of the Titans” thrown in for good measure. Alternate reality may never be the same. Gods and demons. Forbidden love. Unfulfilled prophecy. Family feuds. And a valiant battle of good versus evil. Who could ask for more?”

Not only did she write that on my goodreads page, but she also gave it a 5 star rating! Let me tell you, I nearly shit my pants when I read that! For more information about my book and me, you can visit my publisher’s page for the full description of The World Among Us, Prince of Darkness, or you can visit my website to read my blogs, and check out my news and media pages 

Oh, and before I forget, if you like FREE stuff, I am hosting a giveaway on my facebook fanpage, where one lucky commentator will win a copy of the second to final draft of The World Among Us, Prince of Darkness. The drawing will take place on July 2nd. The finishing touches are being put on the novel as we speak.

If this sounds like a book that tickles your fancy or sparks your interest, you can pre-order it beginning on July 1st, but you won’t actually receive your copy until August 19. It will be sold through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor!

Excerpt: Beautiful, antique chandeliers hung over every table that was placed in the throne room for the party. Red and black rose centerpieces sat in the center of every table, and a sign that said CONGRATULATIONS DUVESSA hung in the center of the room where the thrones were. As the members of the Angels of Fire group arrived, the entrancing sound of soft, tribal drums playing in the background greeted them.

Sitting in the center of the room on one of the three gold colored thrones, was DuVessa, basking in the glory of being the center of attention. She wore a beautiful red ball gown that flowed down past her feet, with matching red shoes. DuVessa tied her hair back in an intricate braid, and she wore makeup that complimented her red eyes. One of the elf servants stood next to her, and took each gift that was given to her, and placed it in the gift basket beside her throne. Off to the side of the room, Hades was talking to a few of his followers about his plans to take over the world. When the last of the guests arrived, DuVessa frowned, as she had not seen Damien yet. Standing up, and signaling for the elf to go away, she walked over to Hades to complain.

“I thought you said Damien would be here,” DuVessa complained while folding her arms across her chest.

“If he knows what’s good for him, he will be DuVessa. Be patient,” Hades said dryly.

“But…”

“No butt’s DuVessa. Now, go mingle with your guests,” Hades said dismissively.

Disappointed with his answer, DuVessa strut off to talk with some of her guests, and placed an order for a drink. The servant had just left, when Damien entered the room. Several of the female guests gasped and stared as he approached DuVessa. They didn’t expect Damien to show up at all.

“You look lovely tonight DuVessa,” Damien said in a smooth voice that reminded her of honey.

“You’re late,” DuVessa said with a scowl on her face as she turned around to look at him.

“I am sorry about that ‘Vessa darling, but I had to make sure I looked perfect for you,” he said while offering her an award winning smile.

“Sure you did,” she replied while rolling her eyes

“It’s the gods’ honest truth,” he said while smacking his fist over his heart firmly to show how serious he was, and grinned.

“You still should have been here sooner,” she scolded him. “It isn’t polite to keep a woman waiting, especially when she is the guest of honor.”

“I am sorry my lady; shall I escort you to your seat,” he asked while offering her his arm.

She nodded once, giving him the okay to escort her. After escorting her to her seat, he pulled out DuVessa’s chair for her, and sat down next to her. Once DuVessa was seated, the chandeliers flickered, signaling the rest of the guests to take their seats. As Hades stood up, the room fell into a thick, anxious silence as they waited for their leader to speak.

“Tonight we celebrate the dawn of a new era. DuVessa Abana has completed the first task of my goal to gain universal conquest. Her mission was to kill Selene’s husband, Endymion, and has done so magnificently. Tonight we celebrate her honor and victory. Now, let the feast begin!”

Oh, and one last thing before I go, feel free to follow me on Twitter @theworldamongus

Thanks for having me Olivia!

Self-Pub'd Hits Million Mark

2011-06-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

An entrepreneur has turned the writing world upside down by becoming the first author to sell more than a million electronic books without a publishing deal. (quote courtesy of http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

Have you considered self-publishing, but haven't quite found the bullocks to do so? A Louisville, Kentucky gentleman by the name of John Locke has taken the literary self-publishing world by storm and is playing with the big hitters such as James Patterson--financially wise.

This successful businessman and investor found a gap in the ebook market, while top authors charge around $10 for an ebook, he decided to sell his for 99 cents. At a 35 cent royalty for each 99 cent book he viewed this as a "license to print money."

His western and crime shorts are huge business on Amazon with four in the top ten for Amazon/Kindle all at the same time! This included the coveted number one and two spots.

This goes to show that traditional paths aren't always the ones best traveled, so if you haven't considered striking out on your own maybe you should reconsider.

(For the full story visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/8589963/Self-publishing-writer-becomes-million-seller.html )

Wednesday Writing Prompt

2011-06-22T03:28:00.000-07:00

I thought we could have a little fun and get the creative juices flowing here at RTPT. Each Wednesday I'll post a writing prompt. I'll start and you'll fill in a few lines adding to the story. Don't be shy and have fun with it! We're here to play, not critique :)

I seriously couldn't believe it. My left shoe was long gone, rain pelted down streaming into my eyes, and the most gorgeous man I'd ever met ducked through the cabin door leaving me to wonder...

Understanding the Muse

2011-06-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

One would assume as authors we are free spirits. We follow the paths less traveled, answering to no one as we weave our fanciful tales to please our readers. It’s an easy job, right, to be your own boss?

Alas, that’s not the case. You see, we are merely slaves to a little voice in our head. Some misunderstanding folk would say this voice is the edge of mental illness, but we authors call it the Muse. A wonderful partner at times to guide us in the direction of amazing prose that will astound readers, and during these times how we love her! Unfortunately she can be just as spiteful if we’ve not fed her need for creative inspiration, remaining silent as we plead for just one line to guide us in the proper direction. Or worse, send us into dead end after dead end.

We struggle with our Muse, finding ways to feed her appetite for literary possibilities as we live our day to day lives. When her temper rises and we find ourselves staring at a blank page on the computer screen we wonder where we went wrong, what has displeased her? When our fingers fly over the keyboard, we offer our gratitude and revel in her genius. It’s never the author; it’s the Muse that writes the story.

Those outside the circle wouldn’t understand, maybe even scoff at the idea of the Muse. But she is truly a living breathing entity within us, and without her we are without imagination. My fellow authors take a moment to thank that wayward voice that you have so little control over, for she is the talent within you.

Say Hello to Rachel Leigh!

2011-06-16T02:00:00.000-07:00

What makes you buy a particular erotic romance?

This was the question I asked on my blog recently with the four options being:

1) The author

2) The publisher

3) The cover

4) The blurb

The response was a unanimous ‘the author’. I was surprised by this as most erotic romances are novellas and I was under the impression that most readers, like me, tend to visit their favorite publisher websites each week/month when they know their new releases are coming out and downloading the story that appeals to them the most – from the blurb.

So the next question that I nervously asked myself is how do I get readers to give my writing a whirl when so far I have only released one story (number two coming soon, yay!)?

The answer, of course is simple – promotion!

My favorite way to promote is appearances like this on other author’s websites, including interviews, sharing excerpts and asking erotic romance readers what they like to see in an erotic romance. The question is, does guest blogging work? Or am I missing out on alternative sure-fire promotion opportunities?

I’d love to know how other erotic romance writers promote and/or what makes readers buy new books. I have posted another poll on my blog giving four other options that I think will help me understand the erotic romance readership even better. I’d love you to cast your vote!

http://www.rachelleighromance.blogspot.com/

As a ‘newbie’ I am considering a blog tour to promote my upcoming release ‘Coming Back’ as other writers have told me these are great fun and with the added incentive of giveaways and writing advice, readers respond well.

What do you think of blog tours? Do you participate or enter the contests? Have you found authors that you now buy again and again? I certainly have. Promotion is such a hot-topic amongst authors trying to establish their name and their writing.

But in the meantime, here is a shameless plug for my current (and first!) release, Explicitly English which I am pleased to say has received some lovely four star reviews!

Blurb: Laura Markham needs to forget - just for awhile. Be someone else for change - live as her parents will never have the chance to. And for Laura, that means leaving the City for the English countryside and doing just what the hell she feels like…wherever she feels like doing it…

British stockbroker, Stephen Cambridge knows by going home to his country retreat two days early, he's likely to surprise his contracted interior designer. And when he finds out she's the woman who performed the solo masterbation show for him on the inward bound journey, Stephen will do anything to further convince her to miss the outward bound train and stay with him forever…

Thanks for listening to me ‘thinking aloud’, lol! I have regular erotic romance authors on my blog every Tuesday and Thursday and would love you to pop along. In the meantime, here are my other links where you can find me…

www.rachelleigh.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Leigh/266044849655

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

I'm Blogging At Decadent!

2011-06-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

Wanted to invite my blog followers to check out my blog for Wild Wednesday at Daily Dose of Decadence :) It's a brief history of toys of the grown-up variety, pretty interesting stuff if I do say so myself! http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/

Olivia

Meet Rachel Brimble!

2011-06-09T02:37:00.000-07:00

If you didn’t write…

I was asked a question in an interview recently that I thought was a great topic for a blog post – “If you didn’t write, what would you want to do for a career?”

And it’s not just the question itself that got me thinking, it’s theory that came to me along with the question. I’ve always wanted to write, ever since I was old enough to read which was very young. So this was a very difficult question for me as I knew deep down inside I would one day make my dream to be an author a reality – even if I did end up working in a bank for the first ten years after I left school, then had two kids…and then decided to write.

Hey, I got there in the end!

Anyway, the answer I gave the interviewer was - I’d want to work with animals. I love animals, and suspect that I would be just as happy working with lions, tigers, chimpanzees or elephants in a zoo as I would working in a dog rescue center. But the thing that struck me after I’d completed the interview was that surely writers live vicariously through their characters all the time? Isn’t that the joy of being a writer? To be able to write a character that works wherever we want them to, whenever we want, as well as having the power to sleep with whomever they want. Fantastic!

This is just another reason why I love writing. So far my heroines have varied from being a librarian, a singer, a financial adviser, a lady/maid and a beauty therapist. Have I any experience in any of these occupations? Absolutely not! Well, my husband’s a financial adviser but that doesn’t really count, he’s a man after all ; )

So the message here is keep writing and keep being whatever you want whenever you open that laptop or pick up that pen. Hmm…now then, my next book is written and the heroine is a nightclub owner (haven’t done that either), so I wonder what’s next?

In the meantime, here are the blurbs and buy links for my latest release contemporary and historical releases…

Getting It Right This Time – a contemporary romance from Lyrical Press (the heroine is the beauty therapist!)

She's back, but this time she’s a mother…intent on protecting her young.

Two years after her husband’s death, Kate Marshall returns home seeking security and stability for her three-year-old daughter. But when her path crosses with ‘the one who got away’…her husband’s best friend, she has to fight the desire to be with him for the sake of further heartbreak for her and her daughter.

A tough, straight talking theatrical agent, Mark Johnston is dangerously handsome, exceedingly rich, irresistibly charming – and branded by the tabloids as one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors. So even though Mark lost the girl of his dreams to his best friend, he finds no hardship in being single. Or so he thought.

Determined not to lose her a second time, Mark has to find a way to convince her they can work. But can Kate cope with the media interest and ruthless, money-hungry clients surrounding him, being anywhere near her daughter? Or accept that Mark Johnston is really the family man he claims to be?

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=296

The Arrival of Lily Curtis – a Victorian historical romance from The Wild Rose Press (the heroine is the lady masquerading as a maid!)

At the mention of an arranged marriage, Elizabeth Caughley feels her life is over at the age of three and twenty….so she hatches an escape plan. She will reinvent herself as a housemaid. Overnight, Elizabeth becomes Lily…

Viscount Westrop wants nothing more than his legacy to be passed to his own son one day. Even though he feels insurmountable pity for the unborn child already, he knows how much pain a broken promise can cause and will do what is right. But with the arrival of his new housemaid, his plans are thrown into disarray. Lily is funny, feisty and the most beautiful creature on earth – Andrew is thunderstruck. But if anyone suspects how much he wants to ravish her and endlessly love her, Andrew’s lineage will be in peril. And he cannot let that happen…

http://www.wildrosepress.us/maincatalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=4124

Thanks for having me here today, Olivia, I am so looking forward to the visitor comments!

Welcome Olivia Ventura!

2011-06-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

It’s a pleasure to be hosted today by my name-buddy Olivia. To all the Olivias out there: we rock!

Today’s topic has long been a pet peeve of mine: the perfect heroine. I’m sure every avid reader has, at some stage, read a book with a perfect heroine. The kind of perfect that makes your teeth hurt. Such books are rare these days, because that woman makes everybody else’s teeth hurt, too.

She’s beautiful, of course. And sexy, but virtuous. Genius level intelligent, but fun and popular. In high school, she was the head cheerleader with the 4.0 GPA. Got a scholarship to Harvard, is a doctor and a lawyer and a part time fashion designer. She has the voice of an angel and can play any sport you name. And she’s nice. Kind to children and animals, never been mean to anyone in her life.

She has fabulous taste in clothes, and always looks picture perfect. Her makeup doesn’t fade over the course of the evening, and her clothes never crease. And, of course, she’s wealthy.

And then she finds the man of her dreams and they ride off into the sunset together. She works full time, raises four kids, is president of the PTA and coaches her daughter’s soccer team while doing some extra consulting work for the Senate. And still looks like a postcard when hubby comes home to find dinner on the table.

Ugh. Don’t you just hate her? And what’s more hateful is that she’s so nice, you feel guilty for hating her.

I’m sorry to say that when I first created Veronica for Miss Fix-It, she was the perfect heroine. All of the above, and a handyman/woman/person (I can never quite work out how I want to say that word.) I loathed her. I used to dream myself into the story so I could break up her and Cole. Which is not good in a romance novel.

So I added imperfections. She has to go to the gym every week or risk turning into a blimp. She’s a blonde, but it’s not natural. There are pants that make her bum look big, and let’s not even talk about how awful she looks in that purple turtleneck.

She’s vain and spoiled, but she knows it. She has her nails done every week because they get chipped. She likes taking petty vengeance, believes in the evil eye, and loves to gossip. She adores her family, even if they drive her crazy.

Overall, Vee’s high maintenance, but she’s a good person. Most important, she’s not perfect!

Excerpt: I’d been working for about twenty minutes when she came out and told me she was going to see her mother. She gave me a check to cover the job, asked me to close the gate when I was done, and not to make too much noise, as her husband was making some “important business calls.”

Hah!

She was gone less than a minute when the front door opened and hubby came wandering down the driveway. He was unimpressive—mid height, mid build, with a bit of a doughnut building around his middle.

“You’re the handyman?” he asked.

Considering what I was in the middle of doing, it was a pretty stupid question, but hey—the customer is always right.

“Yep. Veronica Castelletti.” I hefted the side of the gate I’d been working on back up onto its hinges.

“Do you need a hand with that?” He came up behind me as I took a step back to check the clearance, and I bumped into him.

“No, I’m..." I broke off on a gasp.

The scumbag squeezed my ass!

I’m not talking about a casual brush or even a slightly more prolonged grope. He actually put his hand on my left cheek and squeezed!

It happens to me a lot in my profession, but it never fails to piss me off—especially when the offender is married. Still, I consider myself a classy woman, so I moved out of his reach and swung the gate. Hard.

He cursed and jumped out of the way, except he wasn’t really very coordinated, and nearly ended up sprawled on the driveway. It was a joy to see.

Miss Fix-It is up for giveaway at Goodreads until June 5th. Go to http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/10936-miss-fix-it to enter. And for news on my upcoming projects, go to http://www.oliviaventura.net/

Big thanks again to Olivia!

1NS: Familiar Desires Released Today!

2011-05-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Get your copy of my One Night Stand contribution Familiar Desires at Decadent Publishing. A super spicy erotic paranormal romance that's sure to please ;;) Plus, 100% of my first month's royalties will be donated to help Joplin, Mo tornado recovery efforts!

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=273&osCsid=ee41a95fcd2f61c970f1eb083e10c50a

Blurb: Ashley Adams signed up with the 1NightStand service in hopes of stirring up some cougar passion in her lackluster life. When she meets tall, dark, and oh-so-sexy Justin, the sparks fly. But something deeper lies in their magical connection, something she isn’t prepared for. Will a casual one-night stand change her life forever?

Excerpt: “You’re more beautiful than your picture.” He reached past her shoulder and hit the emergency stop. Her breath caught in her throat when the elevator jolted to a halt.

“What are you doing?” She darted a glance up at the security camera.

The way his mouth curved at the corners made her knees knock. “Your profile said you liked to be adventurous.” The tip of his tongue stroked over his bottom lip as he watched her through heavy-lidded eyes.

“I—I meant trekking through the wilds of Africa, sky diving, that sort of thing.” Her heart beat so loudly, surely he had to hear it. He stepped forward—his finger traced her jaw line before he tipped her chin up. She swallowed.

“Skydiving? Can’t say I’d have the guts to try that, though I’d love the chance to kiss a pretty girl in an elevator.”

A corny come-on line if she’d ever heard one, but spoken with a whiskey-smooth Kentucky drawl—damn, it works for me. That’s what she’d come for, to have an unforgettable night with a hot hunk to stir up her humdrum life. After all, she’d dished out the funds for the flight, half the price of the hotel room, and the 1NightStand fee.

He moved in close, and a wonderful, heady mix of musk and spice filled her nose. Her insides somersaulted in anticipation, wicked intent written all over his perfectly chiseled face. They could be kicked out of the hotel, or worse—arrested and appear on one of those dumbest criminals shows. The elevator wall pressed into her back, but when he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers, all the reasons they shouldn’t be doing this in the elevator evaporated.

Force Recon: Beacon Bayou

2011-03-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today I feature an exciting cast of authors who've together created Force Reacon: Beacon Bayou!

Force Recon, A Bit of History...

Last June four writers met on face book. After chatting for a few weeks and getting to know each other a bit better, those four writers exchanged phone numbers. Thus the Wicked Muses were born. As a team we got to collaborate in a shared writing experience with our "All I Want for Christmas is Redemption" anthology (Wild Horse Press, November 2010). Shortly after we turned in edits for Redemption, the Muses fell prey to growing pains and as we came out on the other side of that experience, we realized it was time to refocus.

Force Recon exists large in part to JL Oiler. During a late night chat between JL, Lila and I, JL asked if anyone was up for another joint project. We started brainstorming and the only parameters we set for ourselves was that we wanted something that would make a great spring break read featuring non-paranormal bad-asses (JL's favorite description of our guys). Within minutes, we decided on a group of black ops warriors that found their personal lives far more treacherous than anything the enemy could throw at them.

Wanting to add a fourth Muse back to the team, we girls strong armed Chris into joining us and after several months of planning and sharing our characters with one another, Gabe, Aaron, Regan and Brogan came to life.

If the team survives their vacation to Beacon Bayou, I think they'll be adding a couple of new members which also allows us the chance to welcome JA Lawson to our ranks.

BethAnn Buehler

And a look into the characters...

Lila: So, Chris--what did you find was the most enjoyable thing about writing the anthology?

Chris: The most enjoyable part of writing the anthology was learning about the marines and the role of black operatives in general. Until working with Lila, JL and BethAnn on this piece, I didn't have a clue how the USMC played such an integral part in military ops and just how extreme some men and women are willing to go to protect our freedoms. Jeanne-- did you learn anything new about yourself while writing Aaron's character?

Jeanne: I actually learned a good bit about my own way of thinking and communicating with others. Prior to writing Beacon Bayou, I had very limited experience really working so closely with others in story development. I was always able to allow my own ship to go where ever the water took it. With this story, however, we had a certain place we wanted to reach so my writing was much more guided and set. What I discovered is that the process taught me to organize my thoughts to produce a more cohesive piece of work. In the end I believe this project has allowed me to improve as a writer. It also netted me some great friends. BethAnn, what did you think was the most difficult part of doing the anthology?

BethAnn: In my opinion, the most difficult part of writing this anthology was making sure that every character got the chance to have his own voice. In Beacon Bayou, readers are going to meet four very close-knit but uniquely individual guys and readers will get to live life through each of their eyes. Given that the stories are so interwoven, I felt it was important that within their group life, each character had a chance to have his own story as well. Lila, what inspiration went into creating your main character?

Lila: For people that are just getting to know me and may not know it, I'm the wife of a US Marine. I've been living this life for fourteen years now and the inspiration to create realistic military characters is all around me, I only need look out my door. I usually use marines as my heroes, but this time I decided to deviate a bit and give tribute to the guys and gals that keep our marines healthy both at home and while deployed. Corpsmen and women are an integral part of operations on any Marine Corps base as the USMC doesn't have their own medical personnel so they tap the Navy for those jobs. In fact, my next door neighbor is a corpsman. I'm thankful that these people give their time so freely to help keep my husband and his brothers and sisters well while in harm's way. So, Chris how did you see your character Regan develop and grow while resting and relaxing at Beacon Bayou?

Chris: Being the Hollywood pretty boy that he used to be, Regan had to overcome several struggles in both the way he reinvented himself for the rigors of his job and the way he had to grow given his bent toward being rather emotional at times. I can't speak for the other guys, but for Regan, he had two opposite kinds of obstacles to leap--keeping his own sexual preferences a secret and his love for Brogan, a man who was curious about his sexuality while posing as a hetero guy all along to keep "cover." BethAnn, what was your favorite part about writing Brogan?

BethAnn: Without a doubt my favorite part of writing Brogan was setting his utter lack of self confidence in the bedroom against his bigger than life, take no prisoners attitude in every other facet of his life. For me, a character is only as strong as their biggest weakness so to see this hunk of a warrior hit his knees wondering what in the hell to do with his feelings, and better yet, trying to get his hands around the fact that he might actually be in love, kept me coming back to the keyboard night after night. Jeanne, will readers get to see more of the team if they survive their vacation to Beacon Bayou?

Jeanne: Force Recon is in no way done yet. There are still missions left to complete and lives to save, including their own! Readers will get to learn even more about these sexy strong men as they head off on their next mission. Lila, any idea what lies around the corner?

Lila: I heard from their command that the team were last seen on the border of Mexico headed to Somalia. I know as far as Gabe is concerned, he and Ros have a rough road ahead with some tough issues to face. I'm also pleased to announce that we'll be welcoming JA Lawson to our team in Force Recon book two. Jeanne did you have an prior experience with the military that helped you channel Aaron's character?

Jeanne: I'm blessed to have come from a family filled with vets. Both my father and father-in-law served though neither were Marines. And I've always had a thing for a man in uniform so researching the topic was like shopping in a candy store. Aaron is also a survivor of a different sort. He has a lot of self worth issues which he's forced to face while at Beacon Bayou. I called upon a good friend who had personal experience in that area to help me get better insight into Aaron's emotion and reactions. Chris, how did you feel about the final story?

Chris: I feel satisfied with the final story. For me, writing about a gay Marine was one of those controversial topics because of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" thing. But deep down, the story is more than just that. I felt as if we as a group utilized this anthology as a therapeutic technique of sorts. This was a story that needed to be told. Lila, when describing Roslyn in such detail, did you ever think it would be as emotionally "trying" as it turned out to be?

Lila: That's such a great question. I'm known for tackling tough issues head on. My characters always have a ton of problems and I'm never afraid to talk about controversial ideas that might otherwise seem over the line so to speak. Not since writing Madi Melbourne in Bound By Trust have I had such an emotionally trying character. I do live through and with my characters in a very intimate way, and while I knew that Ros would take a lot out of me, I must admit she was probably the hardest character emotionally I've written to date. Her issues stem from a health stand point and I think a lot writers might find crossing that bridge out of line and taboo. For me, it's important to share those real life experiences and I completely believe they can be dealt with with tact and compassion. At the same time, it's emotionally draining to get so inside someone's troubled thoughts and emotions. I found myself in tears more than once telling Ros' story, but I'd do it all again. And I'm sure the tears aren't left behind. There are more to come while Gabe's in Somalia. BethAnn, you're character Brogan is closest to Chris' character Regan--do you think they had a satisfactory ending to their story and can you give us some hint as to where their relationship might be going later on? Any women in Brogan's future?

BethAnn: Well, things were going pretty well until command interrupted the party, so to speak. As the team heads off in the middle of the night to God knows where, Brogan finds himself wondering how to keep his head in the game on the job and keep an eye on Regan. There's no question that the pair are committed to one another, but between the women who keep landing on Brogan's doorstep and the little lady that's trying to get to know Regan better, the boys have their hands full. And that's not to mention saving the world while trying to stay out of harm's way. Jeanne, care to share any final thoughts about the project with readers?

Jeanne: Sure, I think readers won't be able to miss falling for the guys of Force Recon. They're the injured knights in shining camo that we all want to save us. The story itself is so intertwined that instead of giving readers four separate pieces, Force Recon offers readers a single cohesive story with several points of view. We have drama, action, romance, and everything in between to help our readers step into the world of our recon team like they've never experienced before. Any final thoughts from you, Chris?

Chris: Final thoughts? Wow! I'd just like to share that I truly think readers will enjoy this captivating story that not only sweeps you off your feet with four hunky leading men, but offers a bit of suspense and shock straight to the chest when readers discover our guys have some extra baggage of sorts. Like the saying, "A house is not a home..." "A vacation isn't a vacation" either. Bring tissues and a Crown and Coke--you might find you read the entire book in one sitting. How about you, Lila? Any closing thoughts?

Lila: I'd like to toss out that I think readers will be pleasantly surprised to find so many sub-genres encompassed in Beacon Bayou--we have everything from a sensual m/f relationship between Ros and Gabe, to a more erotic encounter between Aaron and Scarlett, to a steaming m/m relationship between Brogan and Regan. I think there's something here for any lover of romance. It was a joy to work with such great talent and combine each of our "specialties" into one work. I can't wait to get the next installment finished. BethAnn, any final thoughts from you?

BethAnn: You know, this has been such an exciting project to work on, I'm just anxious to get Force Recon into readers hands and let the guys work their magic. Being able to share in the creation of such a dynamic story leaves me wanting more of the recon boys. I hope they all make it home safely...

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

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

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

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

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

You can get your copy of Beacon Bayou after February 21 at: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

Please visit each of us at our respective websites:

BethAnn Buehler: www.bethannbuehler.com

Chris Craven: www.cravenheat.blogspot.com

JL Oiler: www.joiler.weebly.com

Lila Munro: www.lilamunro.weebly.com

And check our publisher’s website for more Force Recon Anthologies coming in 2011:

Rebel Ink Press: www.rebelinkpress.com

Thanks so much for hosting us today and thanks to all the readers for stopping by and spending some time with us! We truly appreciate you all!

Meet Leslie Soule!

2011-02-22T03:06:00.000-08:00

(View from hostel)

Today author Leslie Soule dropped by to share her experience at a San Francisco hostel. It's a fascinating slife of life tale I'm sure you'll enjoy!

Writer’s Retreat

2/21/11

Well, when it rains, it pours. I had a rough couple of days in which it seemed like nothing was going right. My ex-boyfriend and his sister decided to start up drama over a relationship that ended a year ago. I led a class at my martial arts studio, after which, one of the new students immediately left. The next morning, I was rear-ended on my way to work. After all this, I felt emotionally and psychologically drained. I was desperately in need of relief of some kind.

My sister had showed me some gorgeous photos of the grounds of a hostel that she and her husband had stayed at. I had never stayed at a hostel before, but the idea of them had intrigued me for some time – sleeping quarters consisting of multiple beds in a shared dorm and communal areas in the facility for hanging out, plus low fares that would make staying in one much cheaper than reserving a room at a hotel. Would the experience be uncomfortable and jarring, or would it allow me to take part in the kind of dorm living I missed out on in college since I lived with my parents during my college days?

I set out from Sacramento, California, and headed for the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel, unsure of what exactly to expect. Before getting gas, I stopped at the store and bought some needed goods. I ended up getting buttermilk pancake mix (just add water!), syrup, Velveeta shells & cheese, socks (gotta have extra socks!) a thing of M&Ms (I love my chocolate), and a chess set. It had been a while since I’d played and I figured that with a hostel, I might find someone willing to play with me.

My two-hour route ran through the toll bridge into San Francisco and for my $5, I was compensated with stunning views of San Francisco Bay. It being Sunday and all, traffic was a bit heavy as I passed through the San Francisco area. I continued on, and came to a city called Pacifica. I’d never been there before, and was surprised to see the shoreline so close to the freeway. Thinking I’d gone too far, I stopped in at Taco Bell so I could check Mapquest on my phone. I’m glad I did, because this Taco Bell was the coolest one I’d ever seen. Located right on the shoreline, it had a deck in back, and inside there were windows all around, so that I was surrounded by an ocean view. Out on the deck in back, there was a window that people could order from so as not to track sand into the main restaurant. I walked the beach before ordering taco supremes, and was delighted and soothed by the sound of a lone guitar player, strumming along as he stood there on the beach. My frazzled nerves began to calm considerably.

It was check-in time, so I got back on the road and drove further south, toward another city I’d never been to before – Montara. The friendly office staff checked me in – one of the two staff members at the window was an incredibly friendly and very cute guy named Brian – and I paid my $28 for a bed for the night. “You’ll have to be back to the hostel by 11 o’ clock when we close the gate,” he informed me. “That’s when we close the gate. If you get locked out, you’ll have to jump it and all that, and that’ll be a hassle.” Good thing I realized he was joking. Knowing me, I might actually jump the fence.

After getting settled in and making my bed up with blankets, I hung around the communal activity center since I learned that this hostel had free Wi-Fi. I checked my e-mail and Facebook. I had seen a sign advertising the espresso bar on the premises, and went to the front counter to investigate.

“Umm…is there an espresso bar here?” I asked Brian.

“I AM the espresso bar,” he answered. I ordered a Tiger Chai Espresso thingy and settled back in for some Wi-Fi-ing.

Then I went back to my room to begin journaling the events of my stay so far.

When I heard the door’s keypad ring with the correct combination, I knew one of my roomies was coming in. I was delighted to meet a woman who seemed friendly and full of life, and I came to learn that her name was Bella and she was from Sacramento like me. After talking with her for a while, we decided to ride together and check out nearby Half Moon Bay and the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. We had both come to the hostel as a way to get away for a little while and recoup. So I had a glass of Maverick Amber Ale and she had a couple glasses of wine. We talked for a long while and listened to a band play hip, dancing music. The place was packed with couples. Then we went out to the back patio area, where huge fire pits warmed the chill night. We talked with three interesting strangers, one of them from Canada. They told me about the Mavericks competition, which is this international surfing competition where challengers take on massive waves. They informed me that I should watch a DVD called Riding Giants. Bella let me drive her BMW back to the hostel. It was a fun, interesting night.

The ocean view from the shared female dorm room was spectacular, and the sound of the waves breaking on the shore was incredibly soothing. My stay at the hostel was an unexpectedly fun adventure – but the point of all this is that it wouldn’t have happened if I’d stayed in my comfort zone. If I hadn’t branched out and tried something new, I never would have ended up having such amazing experiences. So I urge my readers to be daring! Try something you’ve never done before, even if you think it might be uncomfortable – you just might enjoy yourself.

Here's the blurb for Fallenwood:
Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 23-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Crystal—the catalyst for all the land’s magic. As the kingdoms prepare for war, Ash must look inside to find the power to save the world, and herself.

http://www.lesliesoule.com/

Dominique Eastwick Release Party!

2011-02-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

I am super excited to feature one of my favorite authors Dominique Eastwick. She is a wonderful author who writes about real life heroines--the girl (and guy) next door like you and me :) It's an honor to hold this release party for her, and one lucky commenter on this blog will win a copy of Hunting JC, the first in her Sherman Family series. (As soon as Dominique has the buy now link she'll post it in the comments section)

Dominique:

So Olivia asked me, and before I forget THANK YOU OLIVIA for hosting me today. I can not tell you how awesome this is. Okay so Olivia asked me what made this book and these characters so special. I could answer that all my characters are special to me and they are, but in truth what makes this too special is that Tony is like no hero I have ever written. (I know I only have one novel published but I have about 10 waiting to be edited lol) He has a vulnerability that no one else has. He is still strong and tough, always ready to protect. But there is something of a small boy in him that only Haven our heroine can see.

Then there is Haven, feisty, hardworking, single mother of a little girl...and a healthy size 18. She is a real woman in our real world. She isn't beautiful (except to Tony), she doesn't fit into the model mold, and she has her demons. She needs no man to complete her but Tony needs her and that what is the crux of the book.
I also got to revisit one of my favorite heroes Hunter in this book and his life is much changed from Hunting JC. I enjoyed working through the issues he and Tony have had to overcome. Tony still isn't all that keen on Hunter being married to his baby sister. Okay it’s the having sex with the baby sister that bothers him the most.

So for all you woman that don't fit into the mold weather you be a size 0 or a size 28 this book, I hope, touched a cord and makes you realize you are perfect just the way you are.

This is the 2nd in 5 books in the Sherman Family series, the next book in progress is Spencer's Story...Spencer's Chance. No release date as I am only on chapter 2 but maybe my muse will get back from her mini vacation soon and I can get typing on it.

Thanks for stopping by and I would love to here what you think about the book you can find me on Facebook facebook.com/dominique.eastwick

Website http://www.dominiqueeastwick.com/

Tony's Haven

Blurb: Tony Sherman may be a modern day Adonis and a well-know ladies man, but hiding beneath his carefree, playboy persona is a man who knows how to be discrete. He keeps his desire to protect all those he loves from being seen by anyone, particularly his family. Fate intervenes when he uses his charm to beg a favor from a co-worker, a women who is unaffected by his charisma as she is by his looks.

Haven Pelletier is anything but the kind of woman usually found on Tony's arm or in his bed. She's mousy and rubenesque, and unmoved by his Adonis appearance. But when circumstances bring them together, she sees right through his tarnished armor—to the true man underneath.

As Haven learns more about Tony, she discovers secrets hidden deep in his past and a Man who might just steal her heart if she lets him. When life throws obstacles in their way, can Tony be the Knight in Shining Armor Haven needs both in and out of the bedroom?

Excerpt:

Her breath caught as Tony pushed her forward toward the glass window. A full moon lit the snow white landscape giving it an angelic feel. The white mountain shimmered dreamlike as if waiting for the sun to crest over them to awaken the skiers and bring it once more the joyful life. But at the moment nothing moved. No wind, animal, or person disturbed the quiet slumber of the mountain.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I know. I come here, to this spot every time I come up here. My favorite time is now, like tonight, under a full moon. When a thousand crystals are sparkling at us. It's almost magical, isn’t it?”

“Magical,” she agreed.

“May I ask you something?”

“I guess so.”

“Would it be okay if … That is, may I…can I kiss you?”

Haven took a step back. “Why are you asking?”

“What do you mean, why am I asking?”

“Why ask? Would you have asked any other girl you were with?”

Tony looked at her stunned, here he was trying to be a gentlemen and she wanted to know why. “I don’t know, because maybe I didn’t want to get slapped or worse have you accuse me of sexual harassment when we got back to the office on Tuesday. Or perhaps I was just trying to treat you like a lady. How the hell do I know? I just thought…”

Whatever he thought to say was thrown to the wind. Her lips met his and he couldn’t have formed a complete sentence even if he tried. Snaking his arms around her waist, he pulled her into him, forcing her to rise up on tip toes. She was soft where a woman should be soft. She made him feel strong and masculine. His lips wanted to devour every full inch of her mouth. She tasted like the strawberries from her Daiquiri and smelled just as sweet.

His mouth demanded hers open, not that he was receiving any resistance. She opened for him and met his tongue eagerly welcoming and stroked him in. Her left hand moved over his shoulder, up his neck and now her long fingers intertwined into his locks. He didn’t know, didn’t care who was driving the kiss deeper. He just knew that he wanted it, needed it, like no other kiss in his life. He wanted this moment to last.

This moment of beauty, its purity and its fire.

Meet Author Leanne Dyck!

2011-02-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Today I'd like to introduce you to Leanne Dyck, fellow Decadent author. Her second release is a thriller called The Sweater Curse, and yes knitting is involved! Definitely a can't miss :) I've also included a link to a newspaper article where she's featured, be sure to check it out. http://islandsindependent.p2ionline.com/flip/sitebase/data/editions/134175/img/large/2247664.htm

Remember to leave your email in a comment and be a member of my blog for your chance to win some super author shwag from me, as well as a chance to win a grand prize at the end of the month!

January 10, 2011 was an ordinary day for most, but for me it was a day to celebrate. After five years of often interrupted writing, my thriller The Sweater Curse was published by Decadent Publishing (http://www.decadentpublishing.com/)

The Sweater Curse is a knitting-themed thriller.

And to you, from me, an excerpt from The Sweater Curse…
The host introduced him. “This is Jaron Cardew, novelist.”

We waited to judge his work. Was it worthy of our time, our effort to listen?

Jaron began his pitch with a joke. Something like, “Who still reads books? Guess you do, eh?”

The room thundered with laughter.

He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket, unfolded it and read.

Worlds Between

Who was he?

His hair needed a cut, and his face a shave. His clothes were worn. Regardless wealth surrounded him—kings and queens, mansions and castles.

What was he doing there? Was he a thief?

They observed him and realized, to their surprise, his focus wasn’t on their wealth.

His secret: he possessed a gift their riches could never buy. This gift made acquisition of their tangible wealth unworthy of him. Magic poured forth from his fingertips. He conjured prose, poetry, and verse. He transformed glass, paint, wood, clay and fibre into mystical visions. These creations were portals through which they could glimpse his exotic world. How they longed to remain there, forever. They, however, could only visit, and only if he guided them.

Thank you for listening!

Buy Link: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=203&osCsid=ep6jlbnir3bacfp9floeovjqt7

Published by Decadent Publishing. http://www.decadentpublishing.com/

Please visit the blog: http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com/

Valerie Mann & Run Devil Run

2011-02-08T03:15:00.000-08:00

Today we welcome Valerie Mann, one of my wonderful author friends. She's part of an exciting anthology for Decadent Publishing based on real life LA based rock band Run Devil Run. She has info on how you can win a free read! Plus, remember I'll be picking a random commenter on the blog (with an email) for either author shwag OR a grand prize at the end of February!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get inside the head of a rock star? Yeah, me too. Unfortunately, I still haven’t had the opportunity to quite that extent, but I did have the recent chance to write for Decadent Publishing’s Run Devil Run anthology!

Run Devil Run is a four-member, LA-based rock band, who agreed to cross-promote their music with romance fiction. While not stories about the band members themselves, they each inspired us and what good sports these guys are! Let’s face it, you know they probably don’t read much unless it’s on their smartphone screens or the back of the cereal box every morning. I’m guessing the last time they voluntarily read a romance was…well, never. So, when I was approached to write one of the five novellas for the anthology, my first thought was, what shall I write that will do these rockers justice? Second thought, OMG these guys are going to read this! The story title had to be the same as one of the band’s song titles. That’s easy enough. And fortunately, when one of the Decadent Publishing owners, Heather Bennett, told me the theme was paranormal, I was thrilled to say I’d already had a plot simmering in the back of my brain for about three years. Time to crack that egg and see what hatched!

The result was interesting. As each of the five authors began to listen to their respective song and write the story, they really got into it. I personally contacted the band member who was going to grace my cover, Jackie Joyride, and he graciously replied and encouraged me. Heather had the cover art photographer make a “hi and thank you” video from each adorable band member to the author writing their story, which was very cool, and yes, we’re all thinking major cougar thoughts now. Did I just say that (Olivia, please delete that before posting, thanks). Myself and the rest of the authors, Susan diPlacido, Rachel Carrington, Mari Freeman, Becca Dale (writing the fifth story to be included in the print book) are all thrilled to be a part of such an innovative and exciting anthology!

My novella, Hey You, is about Marek, a dreamweaving hellish demon (and so alpha hot, dark and delicious), who sacrifices his eternal soul to save the soul of the lovely mortal, Cara.

I’m happy to report they live happily ever after.

Hey You Excerpt:

The vine slithered around her ankles, squeezing tight, its woody surface biting into her skin. Tiny green shoots emerged, the curlicue tendrils creeping along her calves, inching upward with snake-like slowness. Horrified, she shrieked and bent her knees, digging her heels and elbows into the dank jungle floor beneath her in an effort to propel away from the evil rope imprisoning her. Her bare arms slipped in the rotting vegetation, the fetid scent filling her head, bile forcing its way toward the back of her throat. She ignored it and twisted around, curling her fingers in the slime but finding no purchase. Rolling to her back in terror, she froze.

Dead air surrounded her, pressing, weighting her chest. She clutched her throat in an unsuccessful bid for a breath while the vine, like delicate fingers, continued its terrifying twining around her knees and along her inner thighs.

Realization dawned—she couldn’t win. Her heart slowed, the time longer between each beat, her lungs no longer seeking a breath. Darkness encroached and she welcomed it, worshipping its promise of peace. Her eyelids fluttered shut. One final inhale, a single heartbeat, would complete the slide into oblivion.

It wasn’t meant to be.

The shadow slipped out of the jungle and knelt beside her, bending until it nearly touched her face.

Hello, Cara. Warm breath caressed her ear. I’m watching you.

Leave me a comment on my Facebook saying you read this blog and friend me on Twitter, with a message that you read this. I’ll pick one random poster and when my novella, Hey You, is released, I’ll send you a copy! If you’d like a Run Devil Run postcard with my cover, Hey You, I’ll send one to you if you private message me on Facebook.

~ Valerie Mann

www.valeriemann.com

Facebook: valerie.mann

Twitter: mannvalerie

Meet Stacey Kennedy!

2011-02-01T01:23:00.000-08:00

Today I want to introduce you to the talented Stacey Kennedy. You're sure to be pleased with her work! Be a member of RomancingThePenToday, leave a comment/email for Stacey, and you'll be entered into my February contest for all month long blog commenters. You could get some free shwag from yours truly (US residents) OR a Grand Prize (open to all 18+ years old.)

Hi Everyone!

Big thanks to Olivia for letting me stop by and share my new release with you all. My novels are light-hearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again.

My journey as a writer began as a way to keep my brain alive since being a stay at home mom can be a little let’s say numbing. It was an escape from screaming kids, dirty diapers and plain old mom duty.

It started as a hobby, but as the stories progressed it became a passion. Now, I indulge at nap time, especially the juicy bits! Every mom needs a good thrill!

FIRST AND LAST

The Magical Sword ~ Book Four

Liquid Silver Books ~ January 24, 2011

One woman, one bond, one final battle … can even Nexi Jones defeat the deepest darkness of evil?

Meet Nexi Jones—Witch, Guardian and now, Lady of the Underworld. Embracing her new role, Nexi begins the task of changing a world led by darkness. But not everyone is happy to see her rise to power. Before long, a resistance within the Underworld is forming.

As the darkness begins to close in around her, Nexi’s magical abilities flourish in response—forcing Nexi to dig down deeper into her past to discover this source and why she was gifted with such incredible strength.

With her Guardian, Kyden by her side, Nexi will meet her greatest challenge yet as she begins to discover that fate might have been a bitch, but she was a bitch with a plan.

Excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

Nothing could have prepared me for what faced me now–nothing at all.

Magnus, my destined mate, was dead, by my own hand. Since Magnus and I had completed the bonding ceremony, the role of Ruler over the Underworld had now landed in my lap.

Oh yes, it’s unbelievable. I’m now the Lady of the Underworld. Coming to terms with such insanity, my body reciprocated with full out laughter.

No one said a word. The demons, witches, and warlocks that filled the room all studied me. Some of them laughed a couple times. Others just looked royally pissed.

“Ahh…” I finally managed after my laughter ceased and my breath returned. “Wow, that’s funny.”

Kyden brushed the hair back from my face, his touch gentle and loving. I glanced up and saw my hunky Guardian–his typically strong features soft with relief and dazzling green eyes more than amused by my fit. As his gaze held strong with mine, the memory of all that had taken place hit quickly. For the first time since this whole bizarre situation started, all the emotions I should have felt slammed into me, and my breath caught in my throat.

You see, while Magnus was here and our bond held strong, all I could feel was anger, and my love for Kyden had vanished. Now that Magnus’ hold was gone, it took all of a second before those tears of laughter became ones of sadness.

I let out a scream that echoed the pain in my heart and did nothing to hold back the tears that began to fall.

Misa rushed forward, grasped my arm tight. “My Lady, are you all right?” Her all-American girl look was troubled indeed, but don’t be fooled–she’s a demon.

Kyden gathered me up into his arms as I sobbed heavier than I had in my entire life. Sobbed that I almost lost him and everything that mattered, but mainly because I’d betrayed him. Not only had I slept with Magnus in the dreaming, but Kyden had seen me want him. Had seen me kiss him and witnessed my undying love for Magnus.

I couldn’t even look him in the eye.

Zia, Master of Witches and one of the four master supernaturals who governed the Otherworld, knelt down beside me. Her long strawberry blond locks brushed against my arm. “You have nothing to be shameful of, Nexi. A soul bond is not one by choice.” She gave a firm look that I’d expect to see from someone who was as close to me as a mother. “Do I need to slap you to make you see reason?” She made it a habit to smack some sense into me if I couldn’t see it–regularly.

I glanced up at her, momentarily eased by the distraction of receiving a blow from her. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

Kyden let out a long deep breath, which I only heard, since I refused to look at him. How could I? After all that happened, how could he still love me? He stood with me in his arms, said nothing to the others and quickly left the auditorium.

When he reached a large Maple tree, he sat beneath it, cradled me in his arms, and took my chin in his hand to force my gaze to his. “We’re going to sort this out now. I won’t have you feeling shame or guilt. So, tell me, Álainn, what troubles you?”

Álainn, Gaelic for beautiful–normally hearing him use the pet name he gave to me sent waves of love straight to my soul, but now all I felt was empty. “I slept with him. We were bonded. Oh my God, Kyden, I’ve betrayed you.”

His grip on my chin tightened, his eyes bore into mine with such intensity it captured my already shallow breath. “You think I give a fuck about Magnus and his attempt to lure you?”

“How can you not?” My voice squeaked, tears streamed down my cheeks. “How can you forgive me?”

He brushed his fingers along my cheek to wipe away the tears. “There’s nothing to forgive you for.” His voice gentle and so unlike Kyden. “I don’t doubt for a moment where your heart lies. Besides, he took you in the dreaming–it wasn’t flesh on flesh. And what happened in there,” he nodded back to the auditorium, “is to be expected. His bond had taken you. The fact that you had the ability to deny it and destroy Magnus in life itself is enough. But I know you. The real you–the Nexi Jones that stole my heart would never have considered another.”

“But…I…”

He put his finger on my lips to quiet my words. “No. I told you, there’s nothing that needs to be forgiven.” He sighed again, even deeper. “All that matters is that I still have you.”

Tears still streamed down my face as I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him as tight as I could. “I love you, Kyden.”

“As I do you,” he whispered against my ear.

We stayed that way for a while, just holding onto each other. Sure, my heart still felt heavy, but something else filled my thoughts. I backed away to meet his gaze. “You almost died.” I could barely even say the words, unable to think of what could have been.

“But I didn’t.” His gaze was unwavering. “This is the last conversation you and I will have on this subject. We have been granted the right to be together again and we won’t waste it. We won’t worry about what has happened or took place, only focus on each other and our future. Am I understood?”

I nodded, understood his words perfectly and sank against his chest as he wrapped me in his strong protective hold. This was the last time we would ever talk of Magnus, and what took place, because he didn’t matter–what happened didn’t matter. All that mattered was us, our love and life–no matter how strange it was about to become.

We stayed like that for a while, hugging each other, never letting go. Never again would we be apart and I relished in the love I felt in his embrace.

After my tears finished, Kyden leaned back and smiled down at me. “We need to get back. You have a world to rule.”

His gaze was amused. It was a great restraint on his part that he wasn’t doing a serious belly laugh. I gave his arm a good smack. “It’s not funny. This is insane. What are they thinking? I can’t rule them.”

He stood with me still in his arms, then placed me on my feet, took my hand and squeezed it tight. “It’s a peculiar situation for sure, but one you can’t deny. So, best we just go face this and see what they want from you.”

“Just when I think I can’t take anymore, life only seems to get harder. You know, I’m thinking your whole idea about leaving the Otherworld doesn’t sound all that bad right now.”

He cupped my cheek, ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “I’m afraid, Álainn, that isn’t a choice anymore. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you. We’ll get through this together.”

I leaned into his hand and smiled. At least, I had that. He would be beside me through anything. With him, I had everything.

Hand in hand, he led me back toward the auditorium. When I entered, everyone stood and bowed. I snorted, thoroughly annoyed. “Oh, please.”

Kyden chuckled.

“Are you okay?” Zia inquired.

I loved the telepathic communication we shared as Spirit Witches, especially in times like these, when others didn’t need to hear.

“Better. But what the hell, is this for real? Do they really think I’m going to lead them?”

Her smile was more than amused, it bordered on hilarity. “I’m not sure what they expect of you, but it seems as though Azar and Misa must have a plan since they assisted you against Magnus. Be kind to them, Nexi. They gave you a great gift by helping you.”

“I know you’re right, but Zia, I can’t do this. I. Don’t. Want. To. Do. This.”

“There are steps for you to appoint a new leader, but right now, we need to learn more of this world. You cannot appoint someone who you know nothing about. Think of the consequences. Let’s just take this one step at a time, all right?”

Just then, Misa approached me and bowed. “My Lady…”

“Nexi,” I interjected before she continued. “My name is Nexi.”

“Okay then.” She smiled. “Lady Nexi.”

“No, drop the Lady, just plain old Nexi.”

Misa looked around completely confused. “You’re asking me to call you only Nexi?”

“That’s right.” I glanced around the room to all the Underworld creatures. “All of you. My name is Nexi. That’s it! Got it?” Everyone in the room exchanged a confused glance. The sight of it made me laugh. “And none of this bowing stuff. It’s quite ridiculous.” Their befuddled expressions shifted to complete bewilderment. I had the real feeling that I was asking for the impossible.

To hell with it, I had other matters to attend to. My gaze fell upon Azar. A warlock who looked just as one would expect–scruffy with long white hair and dark eyes that exuded power.

I released Kyden’s hand and stepped toward him. As I reached him, he bowed. I touched his arm, drawing his gaze back to mine. “Why did you help me?” He’d withdrawn the hold Magnus had on me. Without his help, it wouldn’t have turned out this way. I would have been lost to the darkness forever.

He held his hand out, an offering for me to read his thoughts. Just a neat trick the Spirit Element gives to me. I took his hand without hesitation and opened myself up to him so that I could get a grasp on what this was all about.

In an instant, visions flashed through my mind and I recognized the first one immediately. I’d seen this memory in Misa’s mind at the beginning of this mess. At the time, though, she’d pulled away so I couldn’t see more. Now, it became clear.

Azar and Misa wanted to change the path of their world, protect and make it different–better. But Magnus was set in his ways. Yes, they could have defeated him, but then Pye would have taken his place. This would have been worse. So, that’s where I came in.

Misa planted the idea into Magnus’ head to have Pye destroyed. Then, with him out of the way, they put the plan into motion to destroy Magnus. They believed I had all the qualities of a supreme leader and no longer wanted to live in the realm of evil. They would have stopped Magnus’ hold over me earlier if they hadn’t needed me to bond to him first. It guaranteed that I was next in line to rule.

The visions stopped and I released Azar’s hand. Stunned, shocked–I was speechless.

Kyden stroked my arm in a soft touch. “All right?”

I glanced at him. Still unable to speak. This was all very serious, but to be truthful, I had no idea what to say. Off all the things that I thought this might be about, this had never once crossed my mind.

They chose me to lead. Me.

“Nexi, you have to say something.” Zia’s voice filled my mind.

I glanced at her. She gave me a nod of encouragement, to say whatever needed to be said, but still I couldn’t. I seriously drew a blank. I’d never been without words before or so completely dumbfounded.

Misa cleared her throat, broke the silence. “Um…Lady…I mean to say, Nexi, needs some time to process. Let’s give it to her.”

Just like that, every warlock, demon, and witch stood in unison and left the auditorium. All that remained were Misa, Azar, Zia, Talon, and Kyden.

When the final Supe left the room and the door closed, Zia ran to me, hugged me with every ounce of her strength. “I didn’t think it was going to turn out this way.” Her voice hitched. “I love you, Sweetie.”

Still, I stood speechless.

Zia leaned back, then glanced worriedly at Talon. The Master of Guardians, and Kyden’s father, had just released his son from a tight embrace. He looked a lot like him–had the whole ‘slay my dragon’ thing going on. “I think she’s in shock,” she said.

“Help her.”

Zia glanced back to me, kept her hold tight on my arms, and released her magic. A rush of ease filled me.

I exhaled deeply, then gave my head a shake. It relaxed me enough to ground myself again, but I was still unbelievably shocked. Clearly, Zia didn’t want to take away the sense of what was going on here, knew I needed it to make good decisions, but took the edge off.

“So…” I hesitated. Everyone looked at me, waited for me to continue. “You do know that I’m a White Witch?”

Misa nodded, a sweet smile spread across her face. “Yes, we know.”

“And you do know I won’t accept Black Magic, right?”

“Why do you think I didn’t allow you to accept it after the bonding ceremony? We don’t want you to change.” Azar smiled.

Now it made sense. At the time, he suggested that Magnus and I wait until we were alone for me to accept Black Magic. With all types of sultry promise, Magnus had agreed. A deep shudder erupted within me as I remembered the way he looked at me then, the way I felt and wanted him. Just yuck!

I shifted my focus away from thoughts along that line and got back to business. “Why?”

“We like how you are,” Misa responded.

I gave my head a shake, tried to understand all this, but nothing seemed to make sense. “I’m so confused.” I gave my temples a good, hard rub.

Misa laughed. “What’s there to understand? I told you repeatedly that we’re not what you think we are. Yes, we’re demons and must siphon souls to feed our world and our magic, but we disagree with our past leaders. We don’t want innocent souls taken.”

I had to laugh at the idea of such insanity. “You’re good evil guys?”

“Makes you like us, right?”

I did remember when she’d told me this awhile back but I thought she was totally nuts. The truth was, now, I did like her. Demons are the pure essence of evil and she denied her very own soul to live in kindness. That definitely put her on the side of the good guys. Still, none of this made any sense.

“Honestly, why have you chosen me? There were lots of powerful witches and warlocks here tonight. You could have picked any of them.”

Misa’s smile was shrewd. “Not as powerful as you. With you leading, it puts us in a position of great safety. No one can go up against you, which will keep our world and our wants, protected.”

Before I could process that, Zia said, “She’s right, Nexi. You’ve grown undeniably strong. You shielded Kyden against Magic–used your shield on another. I still don’t believe it.”

My magic always did seem to be stronger with emotional motivation behind it so it really didn’t surprised me anymore that my powers exploded when I needed them most. Besides, my mind just couldn’t break away from how insane this all was. “But I have no experience with leading anything. I’m only twenty-four years old for gosh sakes. I can’t do this.”

Azar placed a hand on my shoulder, his smile kind. “You were born to do this and we’ll be here to guide you.”

I waited a good ten breaths as I let my mind process the situation. It wasn’t going to go away and would happen whether I liked it or not. So, as they say, better face the music and find out exactly what they wanted from me. “Lay it on me then, what do I have to do?”

“First, we need to establish rules that your minions must adhere to.” Misa informed.

Suddenly, a horrific thought came to mind. “I don’t have to live here, do I?”

“You are the Ruler of the Underworld. You can do whatever you like–the rules are yours to make.”

My gaze met Kyden’s, relief palpable in my tone. “Well, that’s a bit of good news.”

“Indeed.”

“You can assign yourself minions to handle your daily duties, and to look after the world for you, if you don’t wish to live among us.” Misa continued.

Okay, easy decision. “I appoint you.”

“Me?” Misa gasped.

“Well yeah, you seem to know lots. You’ll do fine.” Better than I could do, and oddly, I trusted her. Yeah, I trusted a demon, never thought I’d see the day.

She started to bow, but I grabbed her arm quickly. “Please don’t. That’s just too weird.”

“As you wish, my…” she stopped herself and smiled. “Nexi.”

I smiled in return. Whoever guessed that I’d find a friend in Misa? I would never have thought it possible. Friends come from unusual places, and I couldn’t deny that when I looked at Misa, all I saw was a friend.

“We’ll be in nightly contact with you about situations that arise and matters you must deal with. It’d be my pleasure to act as your Siren to assist you and deal with most of the trouble without you. The role is normally given to a witch, but times have changed now, haven’t they?” Azar cut in.

“Great.” Maybe my involvement wouldn’t be as much as I thought. These two seemed to know what the hell they were doing. “So, you’ll only come to me if something really serious comes up?”

“As Siren, I’ll deal with anyone who goes against the laws you put forth. We’ll detain them here. Then, weekly you’ll need to come so they can stand before you.”

I sighed loud and proud. There went my whole plan to let everyone else handle it thing for me. “All right, got all that, so what do we do now?”

“We need to bring everyone back in so you can set in place the new rules.” Misa stated.

My gaze hit on every face here. “Er…I hope you are all going to help me with this?” I was glad to get a nod from each of them in return.

Half an hour later, we had rules to set the Underworld to rights. The crowd piled back into the auditorium and took their seats. Misa gave me a quick nod to begin.

“Here goes.” I said to Kyden, who gave my hand a squeeze before letting go. Nerves rattled me. Public speaking was never my strong suit. So, I made it quick.

“Rule one: No more taking innocent souls. Anyone who does will face destruction. Understood?” Every head nodded so I continued. “Only humans who have done something wrong, murder, rape, you know that kind of stuff. Those souls you can drain, and do whatever you want with, but that’s it.”

When a Demon drained a soul, it didn’t actually kill them, just weakened their life force–took a few years off. If they ruined lives, who cared that they’d die a little early. I sure didn’t.

“Rule two: If a human asks for something in return for giving his soul,” Which was how the majority of the souls were taken–given freely in exchange for something. “You cannot do anything evil. Got it? No hurting others, stealing, murder, anything that falls into those categories.”

I continued for what seemed like hours, until my mouth ran dry from talking. The rules were simple ones, we weren’t able to change the way of the Underworld, but we could run it along the same lines of the Otherworld. With the only difference being, I was the Council. What a big joke, right?

“I have put Misa in charge. So, anything needs to go through her.” Everyone nodded again. “Azar will now be my Siren. If there is trouble, go to him, and he’ll sort it out.” With that all said and done, I looked toward Azar. “You need to choose your…” I hesitated, searched for the right word, “…guard.”

Azar leaned in, his voice low. “Sorry, that’s your job. We’ll arrange for a challenge for you to choose who defends you.”

“Oh. Well, okay. We can do that.” I had no idea what I was doing and really hoped I didn’t look as ridiculous as I felt.

“Is that all then, Lady…I mean to say, Nexi?” Misa asked.

“Yes, that’ll do.” I glanced around the room and looked upon a few faces before me. “I guess I should probably thank you all. If it wasn’t for your support, things would’ve turned out very different.”

When Magnus called out for help, no one had given him aid. A couple of firm nods acknowledged me, but that was about it. I glanced back at Misa who smiled at me. “I guess that’s it, so can I go now?”

“You do not need to ask my permission,” she replied softly.

“Okay.” I walked back to Kyden and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go then.”

Everyone in the auditorium stood and bowed as Kyden and I walked, Zia and Talon followed. “Stop doing that.”

No one listened.

* * *

Buy Links:

Liquid Silver Books - http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=linda018&category=Stacey+Kennedy

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004G9KR9A

Fictionwise - http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/a60492/Stacey-Kennedy/?

~ Stacey

Website - www.staceykennedy.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=100000956942180

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3473046.Stacey_Kennedy

Twitter - http://twitter.com/Stacey_Kennedy

Contest For February!

2011-01-31T18:50:00.000-08:00

Be a member of RomancingThePenToday, post a comment for one of my wonderful guest bloggers with an email address, and be entered to win free author shwag from yours truly (US residents due to snail mail issues) and a GRAND PRIZE to be announced later!

Olivia Starke
http://www.authoroliviastarke.com/

Today's Guest is Lila Munro!

2011-01-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

Today we have special guest Lila Munro, your new TBR author. She is here to introduce you to 'realmantica' her unique style of writing.

I’m so excited to be here today! Thank you, Olivia for having me over. Some of you may know me, I’m Lila Munro, realmantica writer. Yes, I did say realmantica. That’s my style and my own unique word I coined to describe it. You see, I’m a stickler for correct facts and real issues and problems. In fact, I’ve been dubbed a conflict queen (well, there have been other words used, but they aren’t entirely appropriate for all venues *wink*). I’m not afraid to tackle the tough problems and I weave them into romance with an erotic twist. And how did I happen to come about writing this realmantica? Well, it started many years ago….

Like I’ve talked about many times on my own blog, I remember developing a passion for the written word long before I could actually read it. When I was three, I memorized the entire book The Little Red Hen and could recite it verbatim. In fact, my mother and I convinced a relative that I could in fact read at age three. Mom sat me down in my little wooden rocker with the book and I recited it word for word, turned the pages at the appropriate times, and made quite a show of the whole affair. Now, reading at three today isn’t that big of a deal, but remember—forty years ago, there was none of this fancy dancy Your Baby Can Read business or Hooked on Phonics. So, our ruse was considered quite a feat. It wasn’t long after that, once I was in elementary school and actually could read that I decided I was the next John Girl Walton and wanted a typewriter for Christmas. Now tell me, what kid wants that at age eight? Well, Santa delivered in the form of a tiny, blue toy typewriter complete with a ream of paper. I wore that thing out pecking away for hours on end. My next source of inspiration came in the form of one Mr. Trokey. He was my sixth grade creative writing teacher and the one that really planted the seed that would eventually blossom into Lila. I remember him putting me before the entire class to explain that I had a knack for driving a story line forward and that when I was rich and famous I owed him the first autographed copy. I really doubt at that time he imagined it might someday come in the form of an erotic romance novel. I’m not in paperback yet, but Mr. Trokey, where ever you are, when the time comes, I owe you one.

All through high school I dabbled in writing. Everything from poetry to short stories to “novels” to pieces for the yearbook. I did in fact toss an entire manuscript in the trash as I thought it was the most terrible thing I’d ever read. Looking back, it probably was. The first major I declared in college was journalism. I thought I wanted to be the next Walter Cronkite. Well, after a few days in a class designed for on air news announcing—I decided I didn’t like it in front of the camera, dropped the class and re-declared as an English major, in secondary education no less. What was I thinking? After my first practicum class, my professor Dr. Ellis scared the beejeezuz out of me and I changed majors yet again, but not before tossing another manuscript in the trash, as it was the most terrible thing I’d ever read. Ultimately, I ended up with a double bachelor’s in psychology and sociology and a secondary in English.

Through the years I never used my bachelor’s degree. I ended up being a Jill of all trades. I worked in fast food, retail, housekeeping, newspaper writing, and telemarketing and as a seamstress in a factory. Then one day, my knight in tarnished cammies showed up. My very own Marine and a fine specimen at that. He swept me off my feet, married me and less than a year later we moved to Okinawa, Japan. Wow! Talk about culture shock. Now what was I supposed to do with myself? Well, after a few months of playing around on the beaches, I went to work in banking—Jill was at it again. And so was her muse—Arwen began to talk to me while we were there. Not six weeks before we were supposed to rotate back stateside, I tossed yet another manuscript in the incinerator. It was the most terrible thing I’d ever read.

Thirteen years later. Yet another duty station and a couple more “trades” under Jill’s belt and two more certificates—one in Children’s Literature and one in Pharmacy Technology. To my dismay, there were no jobs to be had. With so much time on my hands and an empty nest, I cleaned house until there was none to clean anymore then began to read. Those tawdry romance novels I loved so much in my younger days. Well, I discovered, and much to my pleasure, they were a lot racier than I remembered them being. I also discovered the story lines and actual writing was the most terrible thing I’d ever read. The seed Mr. Trokey planted some thirty years ago burst open and a tiny shoot sprang forth. I asked my very own Marine how he felt about me trying my hand at this writing thing, and a year later I landed my first contract for The Executive Officer’s Wife. Since March of 2010, I’ve seen the publication of another novel, Bound By Trust, a short story, Destiny’s Fire, and I participated in an anthology, All I Want for Christmas is Redemption.

It’s been a wonderful year. I’ve learned so much and met some of the most incredible people. And the new year is looking to shape up to be just as incredible. On January 18, my first release of the year, A Slower Lower Love went live courtesy of Rebel Ink Press, and I’d like to share a bit of it with you today.

When running isn’t the answer

Cait O’Kelley loved Bryce Delaney with all her heart. But loving him scared the hell out of her. She didn’t want to settle for being married to a cop and having his children. She wanted more. Unfortunately, more came with a price. After leaving her small home town for more glamorous life and working her way up the corporate ladder, a whirlwind affair with the boss’s son tears her world apart. On the brink of losing everything she’s worked for, she had to make a decision.

and going back seems impossible,

After eight years of living without her, Bryce finds himself tasked with the job of watching over Cait during her week long stay at her parent’s beach house in Bethany. She’s come there to sort her life out and while she’s contemplating her future, they discover the fireworks are still there. But can they ever go back to where they once were? As his secrets begin to surface, he sees only one way to save her. He disappears without a trace leaving Cait behind to pick up the pieces and deal with a whole host of new problems. One of which she can’t explain away or hide.

can you find middle ground?

With Bryce out of the picture, his brother, Kurt, finds what he’s wanted a lifetime handed to him on a silver platter. After watching Cait and Bryce toy with each other for fifteen years, he steps up to the plate. He’s always wanted her and now is his chance. But is he strong enough to ground Cait and keep her from making yet another mistake? Which brother will win her heart and show her that a slower lower love is enough?

Please enjoy an excerpt:

“You know, you’re beginning to burn.” Bryce looked at the half-moons of her firm ass peeking out from beneath her coral bikini bottom. “If you don’t put some sunscreen on soon, you may not be able to sit down for the rest of the week.”

“Why do you care if I can sit or not?” she retorted.

“Suit yourself. I see the big city life hasn’t broken down your will to do what you think is right, whether it is or not.”

Same old Bryce. Only one way, his.

Same old Cait. Stubborn as ever.

Although Bryce could see that her attitude hadn’t wavered, physically, Cait had evolved into someone even more attractive than he remembered. She wasn’t a gangly, boney girl anymore. Where angles used to meet and jut out, soft, feminine curves had sprouted. And damned if they weren’t in places where a man needed something to hang on to. Places he'd like to hang on. Maybe agreeing to their mothers’ plan wasn’t such a good idea after all. If Bryce were smart, he'd go next door, repack, get in his car, and drive away before Cait took off dragging half his heart through the gravel behind her again. But, he’d promised their mothers he would stay next door and do what he could to help her get through this latest roadblock in her life. They weren’t asking much were they? Especially since Cait still held him in her palm. Too bad she could close her hand and squeeze him to a pulp again at any minute.

They’d been an item once, dating off and on for three years before Bryce graduated from Seaford High School, and for two more years steadily after that. He was almost finished with college by the time she'd been out of school for a year and was still trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. Bryce had assumed after he graduated and got a decent job with one of the local police forces they would marry, settle down, and have a few kids. They were good together, at least in his assessment.

In between the summer and fall session of his senior year, they'd stayed at this same house for a week together talking about their future, which in his mind, meant making plans. Bryce planned on asking her to marry him the last day they'd spend here. The day he woke up and found her and her suitcase missing.

By the time Cait finally called everyone to let them know where she was, it was too late to stop her. She’d also informed him not to follow her and that if he did, she would disappear again and not call the next time. After repeated attempts to contact her without response or reply, he’d given up hoping that someday she would come to her senses and return. He tried to move on. He’d had a few flings over the years, but none of them satisfied him the way his relationship with Cait had. Tired of trying, Bryce eventually gave up. He just couldn’t commit to anyone else.

He tried to get her attention again. “Mom tells me you’re in between jobs.”

She let out an exasperated groan. “Bryce, why are you here?”

“I think you know the answer to that question.”

“No, I mean why are you really here? You’re a grown man.” One that could make me do things I haven’t thought about in a long time. “You could have easily told them both to beat the bushes. Why are you really here?”

“They both told me you’re going through a rough time. I thought maybe you could use a friend.”

“We haven’t been friends or anything else in a long time, Bryce. And how is it that after what I did you would want to help me anyway?”

The elephant in the room.

“Cait, I forgave you for that a long time ago. In fact, I should be the one to ask you to forgive me for not understanding you and for needing more than you could give,” he finally answered.

“There’s nothing to forgive. It had nothing to do with you or what you expected. I’d have ended up hurting you anyway at some point. And for the life of me I can't understand how you could have forgiven me when I wasn’t even sorry.” Liar. It had everything to do with him and his expectations.

“Are you sorry now?” he finally asked as she lay there quietly. “I still think you should put something on your back.” He didn’t push the issue that she’d introduced to begin with. “I wouldn’t be off to a good start at being the friend I think you need if I didn’t insist.”

“Well, if you aren’t going to let it go, fine.”

She rose up on her upper arms squeezing her breasts together and thrusting them nearly out of their thin coral confinement, producing cleavage that he couldn’t help but stare at. The rest of him noticed as well. Luckily he had on board shorts. If he were naked the beach patrol could have come by and hoisted a rip tide warning flag up him and swimmers as far as Fenwick could have seen it. For God's sake, Bryce didn’t know if he could make it seven days pretending that being friends was enough for him when his feral instincts sensed the presence of his life mate the minute Cait stepped foot on his turf.

She dug around in her beach bag and retrieved a tube of sunscreen and handed it to him. “Here, since it’s your idea, you put it on.”

“SPF 8? Like that’ll do you a bit of good.”

“Are you going to argue about it or put it on?” she snapped. “Quite personally, I don’t give a whit one way or the other.”

He shook his head, squirted the creamy, coconut lotion in his palm, and rubbed his hands together. She wasn’t going to make any of this easy at all. Apparently she still insisted on making everything much harder than it had to be. He wondered how she managed to build a clientele that way. He figured businesses wanted quick solutions to their problems, not a list of talking points outlining why everything was a bad idea.

Bryce heard Cait’s breath catch the minute his hands touched her back. He was pretty sure it wasn’t because the temperature of the lotion was several degrees lower than the temperature of her flesh. Could her body have recognized his familiar hands right away and responded? He noticed a tiny spot on her throat flutter as her pulse quickened. He smiled at the knowledge that after so long he still had this effect on her. But, they were two different people now. Was going back even possible?

Careful not to let proof of his arousal brush up against her leg, Bryce continued to smear the lotion. He didn’t want to piss her off and send her running again. If she even suspected he still had feelings for her other than the friendly sort, his plans for the week would be a complete wash. And he most definitely didn’t want that. He didn’t wish to experience round two of her taking off never to be seen or heard from again for another eight years. At that rate, they would both grow too old and gray to enjoy each other before he could convince her they were right for one another.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” He gave her shoulders a good work over as she clearly held a lot of tension there from whatever was going. His mom, Anne, and her mom, Margaret, had been sketchy about the details, but from the feel of the tension lodged between her shoulders, whatever it was weighed on her heavily.

“Why do you have to make me so hot?” she murmured. Did I say that out loud?

“What did you say?” He’d heard her perfectly clear but played it off. It was good to know he wasn’t the only one that felt the electricity that still popped between them.

Oh God, I did say it out loud. She cleared her throat loudly. “I wanted to know how hot it’s supposed to get today. I’m already rather warm.”

“I’m not sure.” He was sure about one thing, however. The heat between them easily surpassed whatever the forecast held. “But, I have a feeling it could get a lot hotter before the week is over.”

Cait rolled over abruptly, knocked Bryce back onto his own towel, and stood all in one fluid motion. “I think I hear Bella, I have to go.”

“Who’s Bella?” he shouted behind her.

“My baby,” she tossed over her shoulder as she ran up the steps to her parent’s house.

Baby? If Cait had a child, that was a part of her problem that Margaret and his mother failed to mention. When Bryce decided he was back in control of his emotions, he took a quick swim before bracing himself to go offer her help if she needed it. But still, they could have warned him. Not that he minded kids. In fact, he wanted a bunch of them, when the time came, with the right woman. He just liked to know ahead of time what he was getting himself into.

I’d like to say thanks again to Olivia and thanks to her readers for joining me. I hope you found your time well spent and enjoyable. For more information about me and my work please find me at http://www.lilamunro.weebly.com/ or at my second home with the Wicked Muses at http://www.wickedmuses.webs.com/ . Follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro . You can pick up your copy of A Slower Lower Love at: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

Have a great day everyone!

Familiar Desires by Olivia Starke

2011-01-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the cover for my first contract with Decadent Publishing, release date pending so stay tuned! Familiar Desires is part of a new series for Decadent titled 1NightStand!

Blurb: Ashley Adams is tired of being called Mom by her twenty-something year old coworkers so she decides to join a dating site headed by Madame Evangeline. When she is paired with a hot twenty-six year old named Justin, sparks fly as soon as they step into the elevator of the posh hotel.

There is something magical in the chemistry between the two of them, but there is something more to their physical union. A secret that Justin must wait for Ashley to discover for herself.

Special Announcement From Decadent Publishing

2011-01-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

Wanted to share this cool announcement from my new publisher Decadent who has my latest contracted release 'Familiar Desires.'

Decadent Publishing announces the release of a Paranormal-romance fiction anthology rooted in rock ‘n roll and ripped straight off the Sunset Strip.

Run Devil Run, an L.A.-based rock band well known locally for their dynamic live performances, diverse musical talent, and humorous video antics has lent their faces, titles and lyrics as inspiration for a five-book series with the publisher. The stories are penned by popular and award-nominated authors Rachel Carrington, Mari Freeman, Susan DiPlacido, Valerie Mann and Becca Dale, and will be released first in ebook format, then later in print.

“I’ve seen RDR play live several times and they are impressive. When this idea came to me, they were a natural fit. Paranormal romance lends itself easily to the Rock vibe,” says Heather Bennett, Co-owner of Decadent Publishing. “Customers who buy the series off our site will be treated to a free download of the coordinating song so they get the whole multi-media experience.”

Mari Freeman writes,” Music has always influenced my writing, but creating a story, characters and an entire world based on the lyrics of a song has been one of the most unique experiences. The collaboration between Decadent Publishing and Run Devil Run has found a creative way to take that musical influence and share it with readers. Read the book, get the song that inspired it. That rocks!”

Remarks Jackie Joyride of Run Devil Run, ”The fact that our music could inspire authors of this caliber to bring characters to life, I mean, it’s a thrill for us. It’s been great working with Decadent Publishing and to see these stories come together around our music…it’s an ego boost for sure!”

The Dreaded WB (or Writer's Block)

2011-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I'd share an article I wrote for Ezines on the dreaded phenomenon of writer's block. I hope this helps anyone who's stuck find inspiration for the new year!

As any author can tell you there's nothing more frustrating than writer's block. It's a phenomenon that will strike all writer's at one time or another. What's the best way of dealing? We all have our own methods and I've compiled a list I like to use to help me get the creative juices flowing once more.

1) Why do you love to write? Sometimes it's important to remember the whys. Is it bringing characters to life? Is it bringing joy and escapism to others? Those of us who make it our living love the writing first, the paycheck second. Sit down and write a list of the things that make writing important to you.

2) Try out freewriting! Imagine your dream vacation, close your eyes and really put yourself there. What are the sights, the sounds, and the smells? What did you have for dinner? Describe it in detail. Let your imagination run wild and don't worry about grammar, spelling, etc.

3) What are your other talents? Do you like to paint, take photographs of nature, or cook? Jump into something else for a bit, something that you have confidence in. It'll give your ego a boost!

4) Exercise! Go for a brisk walk or jog with your dog. Grab your kids and your bicycles and hit the road. It'll take you away from your worries and it'll increase blood flow to the brain which boosts clarity of thought.

5) Meditate, pray, or visit your religious service of choice. It's good for centering your yourself.

6) READ. Reading a good book by your favorite author will take you out of your world and put you into the created world of someone else--the reason we write.

7) Break out of your usual genre. Are you known for your vampire trilogies? Perhaps you should give historical romance a shot.

8) Go to your local park, throw a blanket under a tree, and people watch. Go to the mall, walk through the department stores and eavesdrop on conversations. It's great for getting character ideas.

9) Grab your journal (or start one) and write about things that may be getting in the way of your creativity. Are you under stress? In an unsupportive relationship? Write about your thoughts and feelings, and see if you can get an emotional break through.

10) Volunteer, if only for a day--it'll bring good karma your way! Walk the pups at the shelter, or bag food at a food drive. Find something that brings positivity to others and I have a gut feeling you'll find inspiration.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Olivia_Starke

Relay for Life/Tribute

2011-01-11T00:05:00.000-08:00

Today on Romancing The Pen Today we're going in a little different direction. For the next three days (01/11-01/13) we'll pay tribute to survivors of cancer as well as those that we have loved and lost. I want to invite everyone to post a comment in honor of themselves, loved ones, those who have beaten cancer, and those we will always carry in our hearts.

Kate Richards is the first to contribute in a guest blog in memory of her aunt. You can also follow her links on how to contribute directly to Relay for Life, or purchase her story which is offering part of the proceeds toward Relay for Life.

PANCREATIC CANCER

My Aunt Evelyn got that diagnosis in 1994 and I still cry when I think of it. The doctors said there was no chance, that she would die. She did kind of beat it back for a while, and managed to live two and a half years longer, but it wasn’t pleasant and the last few months were a round the clock nightmare for her and all of us as we cared for her at home, as she wished. I had to be ordered not to call 911 if she started to go, because they were all afraid I was not accepting the inevitable. But I understood by then. No hope…

This year, my cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. Chronic, which means apparently if she is lucky the medications now available may keep her going for a very long time. It won’t be cured, and she’ll be pretty sick from the meds, but another dear friend who has the same disease says it’s worth it, and she just hopes for a cure one day.

Decadent Publishing, it’s authors and staff, have adopted Relay for Life, a fundraising effort of the American Cancer Society as a charity we can all get behind. Some of us will be joining the Decadent team at the Relay for Life in Hemet, California in April of this year. But we all are taking turns donating a portion of our book sales to this cause we believe in. This month my book, One Night on the Beach is getting a turn. This means that for every copy of my book that is sold, money will go toward our team’s total donation to Relay for Life.

Aunt Evelyn took us, my brothers and I and countless neighborhood kids, to the beach nearly every day of the summer while we were growing up. These kids, now in their forties and fifties, still talk about all the good times. I dedicated One Night at the Beach to her, in fact. I think she would be pleased that the book can help raise funds to fight the deadly disease that took her life and threatens some near and dear to me even now.

If you would like to buy a copy of this book, here is the link: http://bit.ly/fs5BTJ

If you are not feeling bookish today but would like to make a contribution directly to Relay for Life and our team effort, please click here: http://bit.ly/fHGGNx

Thanks so much, and I hope that in 2011 we see great strides made toward a cure for cancer! May all you and yours be well and happy in this New Year.

Kate Richards

Katerichards09@gmail.com

http://katerichards.wordpress.com/

OLIVIA'S STORY

Cancer is an ugly little demon that has struck my family many times. I’ve had several cousins who were victims. One passed on in her twenties leaving behind a young daughter and grieving husband, while another fought the battle and won—at just four years old. The frightening thing is both of these cousins had a parent who came down with it as well. For the four year old, his father had just gone into remission when he was diagnosed, and for the twenty-six year old cousin, her mother was diagnosed a few years later with breast cancer (my cousin died of Lymphoma.)

Today I am writing a tribute to this woman, my mother’s closest sister and best friend, and my favorite aunt, who passed away last January '10. When cancer hits it’s always someone’s mom, dad, brother, sister, and best friend. Its indiscriminate, taking at random the ones we love and cherish the most. For my aunt, she was a cancer survivor, after being diagnosed with breast cancer she was given a double mastectomy and just months to live. With a strong faith and will to live, even though she’d just lost a child to the disease, she proved them all wrong and went on for fifteen more years. During that time she survived bone cancer, the loss of her husband, the loss of a close friend, yet she always kept a positive outlook on life. Leukemia is what took her from us last January 2nd ; despite horrific pain she had wanted to see the new year come in and she made it. The wound is still raw, I expect her daily calls still. I find myself reaching for the phone to share some exciting news, and my mother does the same.

It was difficult accepting that she was gone, especially after all that she’d survived. When the Leukemia had hit, she hadn’t seen it coming, none of us had. August of 2009, she had gone in for a routine doctor’s check-up only to find out something was wrong with her blood count. We all expected her to pull through as she always had, but with her age, it was simply too much for her this one last time.

I’m not really a religious soul, but I believe when she passed she was greeted by her daughter and her husband, because she passed with a smile on her face, despite days of agonizing pain that morphine couldn’t even touch.

Last spring, while Mom and I mourned, an odd thing happened. A cherry bush in the backyard, dead and brown for years, suddenly sprang to life with bright green leaves and tons of sweet little red cherries. It was really miraculous, as it had been dormant for years we simply hadn’t gotten around to removing it. How a dead tree, leafless and brittle year round, can come back to life is a mystery. Perhaps, it was Aunt Pauline’s farewell—and all’s well—to her favorite sister and niece.

Olivia Starke
http://www.authoroliviastarke.com/
http://romancingthepentoday.blogspot.com/

Adding Cupcakes by Stephanie Beck

2011-01-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today I am happy to feature erotic author Stephanie Beck. She has a unique and exciting voice in the romance genre. One lucky blog guest will receive a free copy of Slow and Sweet! Just leave a comment on this blog with your email address.

First thing, thanks for having me this fine morning, Olivia. I’m very happy to be back here.

The last time I blogged for Olivia was last year for Valentine’s Day. I had my shiny new contract for Poppy’s Passions and lots of excitement for wonderful things to come. Wonderful things did come and 2010 turned into one busy year in Steph Beck land. Oh the things one can learn in a year...punctuation, point of view, comma placement, matching grammar…the list is still growing. One of my favorite parts of writing has become characterization. I’m still learning and working on it, and that’s probably one of the reasons I like it so much—it’s challenging.

For some reason, one of my characters always starts out strongest. Their internal thoughts and motivations and personality are very clear and they are easy to write. Unfortunately, their counterpart or parts usually start out pretty flat. Sure there are some basic qualities going along with them, but nothing to make them stand on their own two feet. That’s when I break out my list of rounding agents (like cupcakes and éclairs for personalities instead of for butts). Here are a few ‘fattening’ tools I use to make a stick character more real.

-Where are they from? Does that lend to them having an accent? Food preferences?

-Hobbies-what do they like? If they have no hobbies at all, reasons and explanations for the lack could also work in bulking favor.

-Clothes-sometimes clothes can make or break a character. A super eclectic, artsy, spacey female (or male) just might wear something notable, just like a fussy guy might not like to wear jeans.

-Family-even if they aren’t introduced in the story line, a grandma here or a father there can add some history and depth to a character’s life.

These are just a few starting points. There are loads of different things to do with characters to show depth and change and every author seems to find what works for them eventually (I’m a food kind of girl when it comes to my characters, imagine that).

The little things aren’t going to be the ones that make or break a character, but they are the ones that will be tiny, but consistent reminders to the reader about what makes that particular character tick and those are invaluable. But remember, too much of a good thing (just like with cupcakes) will make any character bottom heavy and possibly overwhelm a reader. Try to pick a few pieces to expand on, stick with them and keep them consistent throughout the story. That combination will make for characters so yummy you’ll never want to put them down.

Sweet and Slow (A Love Story, With Zombies)

Stephanie Beck

www.stephaniebeck.net

http://silverpublishing.info/product_book_info/male-female-paranormal-c-82_52_67/slow-and-sweet-p-109

Blurb:

Abby's plan was to sell her father's home in South Dakota after his death, not take over his medical practice. Not that she's sure of the right name for the zombie clinic she ends up running in the small town full of reanimated, highly functional, non-brain eating zombies.

Dan, the strapping, sexy, non-zombie milkman is all too happy to lend a hand, and overwhelmed, Abby is grateful for his help. When that helping hand leads to something more, Abby is hopeful about where Dan's sweet and slow brand of courting might lead. The town's peaceful fall festival is interrupted when teenaged zombie hunters invade. Abby and Dan will have to work together to not only keep their secrets, but save their friends.

Excerpt:

Danny’s exploration moved lower, and she wished he'd moved around front to her relatively unprotected breasts, but his hands settled at her waist and then her bottom, tugging her until they were as close as possible and his impossibly hot hands squeezed her backside.

"Holy smokes, Danny," she gasped. His eyes were hooded, but from what she could see of them, lust and
happiness were close at hand.

"That was amazing." She was so glad he said it because she needed to know he was as affected as she was.

"Abby, that was… What the hell are we going to do about this?"

The sudden question, asked in near panic, wasn't what she'd expected after the kiss. She'd been thinking
more along the lines of asking him inside to continue where they'd left off, but he pushed her aside and hustled to the grill. He cursed as he flipped burgers, and while done, they didn't smell burnt. That was just Abby, slightly singed from first the heat of his kiss then of his rejection.

"What do you mean, Danny?"

"Just a sec," he muttered as he saw to the food. A minute later, he had the platter she'd set out full of burgers
and corn and had the buttered buns over the grill to toast. He closed the grill but stayed close to it, turning to face her with solemn eyes. "Honey, that was more than I've ever known. I don't know about you —okay, I do know what I think about you— and I don't think you usually jump into bed with men on your first date."

That was a sobering thought. It was only their first date, their first real one anyway. It sounded like he thought
things were moving too quickly, and they probably were. Abby felt deflated as she realized what she'd done. She'd let the townspeople's excitement cloud her judgment. Others had seen her and Dan as possibly the perfect couple, and she'd fallen into it. So had he for a moment. But that piece of time was gone, and they had to be reasonable.

"Don't get me wrong, Abby. Please don't misunderstand me. I want to kiss you more this second than when we were a minute ago, and I really don't think that's going to change. I just… Even though I believe this is right between us, I think we could still short-change ourselves if we rush this."

"Rush what?" she asked, wincing when she heard the slow tone of her voice. She wasn't sure if he was talking sex or not, but from the inflection of her words, he probably assumed she was.

His lips kicked up in a little grin, the half one that was so adorable and addicting to have pointed in her direction. "Falling in love, silly. That's always seemed like one of those things that should be done low and slow, savored and snuggled. That way, when we have late nights with little ones and whatever comes in the next few years, we'll have something to remind us of why we care. Now, do you like garlic on your bun or not?"

Abby had to swallow twice to get rid of the lump in her throat as the sweetness of his words settled in. Sex was nice, but it was sex and anyone could have it. Love, on the other hand, love with a man like Dan who was everything she'd ever dreamed of, was something she wanted to savor.

"Um, this falling in love business does include kissing and making out, right?" she asked and that kickedup
grin turned wide.

"Absolutely. On that note, let's just set this garlic aside for another night."

"You read my mind."

Welcome New Author Kienna Riley!

2010-12-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

Today I'd like to introduce to you Kienna Riley a wonderful new talent to erotic romance! Be sure to catch her release 'Up On The Roof Top' available now at Cobblestone Press. Kienna would also like to invite everyone to join her blog 'Inside the Mind of the Literary Blonde' http://kiennariley.blogspot.com/

Lessons from the Literary Blonde…

I’ve always believed that the best lessons we learn are those we learn ourselves. Being the baby in the family I remember sinking in my chair, rolling my eyes, and twisting a lock of long blonde hair around a finger when my parents began a sentence with, “when one of your sisters…”. Tune-out city, I never wanted to listen.

In my (uh hum) adult years, I spend countless hours reading trade rags (i.e. RWR ~ Romance Writers Report), online blogs and just about every book on writing I can get my desperately needing a manicure- nails on (Stephen Kings On Writing is my fav). Now that I’m a published author (it’s official, last Thursday, December 23 was my debut) one article I highlighted and scraggled notes across keeps haunting me.

The March 2010 edition of RWR sits folding neatly in half by my nightstand. The title, Beat the Promotion Learning Curve – Before the Call, is highlighted in bright yellow, as are several excerpts throughout the three page spread.

As an unpublished author at the time, I was enthusiastic as I read line by line ticking off the things I needed to do before I got the call. Among the list of must-dos were: get professional head-shots, create a blog, create a web-site, become a social butterfly, and start broadcasting your name if you’re really going to be a writer.

Well, I added it all up and discovered that I needed some serious start-up funds for my new business as a writer. After all, the article went on to state, we are our number one fans, our loudest voice, and executive officers of our own companies.

As time flew by, I continued to write and somehow convinced myself that once I received “the call” I would invest in all of these things. Sure, I’m a technically savvy gal (visit www.kiennariley.blogspot.com for Techno Tuesdays when I get geeky), I can whip up a website lickety-split, once I get the call. I can be a real card sometimes! Thankfully, my always thinking husband suggested I contact our local university to solicit a volunteer from the graphics design department. Presto! I sweet student stepped up and she did an absolutely fabulous job on the design. Far better than anything I was coming up with.

I’m already connected on a few social sites, so again, I figured, I can easily add my pen name to those sites and invite all my friends. Oops. Literary Blonde strikes again. It’s a little more challenging on some sites when you’re not really yourself. It’s even more challenging when your work comes with a warning label. My first novella, Up on the Rooftop, is tagged for explicit language and graphic sex. Try explaining that one at the Christmas dinner table when Aunt Millie asks, so, what’s your novel about? Um, pass the bread, please.

As for the headshot, well, I lucked out there. I have a girlfriend at work who moonlights as a photographer. After I swore her to secrecy and made her pinky swear that she’d keep my work life and active romance writing author life under wraps, she worked a miracle and snapped some pretty classy photos if I do say so myself.

I share this with you because had I heeded the advice of Ann Charles and Jacquie Rogers (authors of the RWR article) I would have saved myself a lot of time and scrambling these last couple of months after I officially got the “call”. I may have even saved a little moolah, had I planned it out a little better.

I’m still finding my way. With only four facebook followers, a handful of tweets and a newly created blog, I spend my time promoting where I can, leaving kind messages for fellow authors, and hoping that the good karma I’m spreading will someday find its way back to me.

So, whether you’re just beginning your journey, or looking for ways to hop on the self-promotion train, my message to you is this. Don’t delay. Take the time, spend some a little money, and step into the open arms of the writing community.

The world is waiting to hear from you.

Best of luck in the new year.

Kienna Riley

http://www.kiennariley.com/

http://www.kiennariley.blogspot.com/
Up on the Rooftop ~ Cobblestone Press
http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/upontherooftop.htm

Up on the Rooftop Blurb:

After eight years of separation due to a military enlistment, Caleb Gannon steps off a ship and right back into Sailor Walters life. The two meet at Senorita Lita’s, the Mexican restaurant Sailor inherited from her uncle, where Caleb pitches in and chisels away at Sailors bah humbug attitude.

Sailor grew up as a child of the military. When Sailor and Caleb were younger, they dreamt of a life together, until her father died in valor during a combat mission, altering their future plans indefinitely. After the break-up, Caleb did the one thing Sailor couldn’t forgive, he joined the military.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Sailor Walters nestled into her favorite wicker chair on the roof of her high-rise apartment with her morning cup of joe. After pulling a double shift the night before, she needed to relax in the peace and tranquility the rooftop observation area afforded.

This time of year it was the only quiet place in the city. The shopping malls were jammed with bargain hunters scooping up holiday sales. Traffic was dreadful, and Senorita Lita’s, the restaurant she’d inherited from her uncle, was a revolving door to both holiday patrons and families visiting the military base.

Sailor sipped her steaming black coffee before wisping her hair into a messy ponytail using the rubber band she’d had around her wrist. She removed her sunglasses and peered into her spotting scope. After making a few twists for focal adjustments, the ocean came into view. Brightly colored sailboats glided near the beach, and the marina was full of yachts and vessels coming and going. The parking decks nearby were stacked with police and rescue vehicles, as well as civilian cars and trucks.

The backdrop of the swirling white clouds and robin egg blue sky was welcome as she eased into her chair and enjoyed a serene moment. She thumbed through her smart phone, perusing the local headlines. A scrolling message interrupted her serenity. USS CURTIS Returns Home After Seven-Month Deployment.

“Fuck!” she exclaimed for no one to hear but the pigeons. She stood and tightened her grasp on the miniature telescope.

She switched directions to view the port she tried so hard to avoid. Curiosity won as she zeroed in on the tugboats circling several hundred yards offshore. Red, white, and blue striped flags waved majestically in the ocean breeze.

Onboard, sailors dressed crisply in white, manned the rails of a missile cruiser coming in from deployment. The sight had Sailor forgetting how to breathe, as she intently swept the lens down the length of the ship, witnessing an event that hundreds of families prayed for. The massive ship carried two hundred military men and women returning home to the waiting arms of their friends and families, just in time for Christmas.

Sailor grabbed her cell and dialed the restaurant. “Manuel…sí. I’ll be there in twenty. Make sure the patio is open, por favor. We’re gonna need it.”

Back in her apartment, there wasn’t a strand of white lights to be found. The entire place was void of any sign of Christmas. There were no neatly wrapped presents tied with pretty bows under a tree. Not even a sprig of mistletoe. A stack of unopened greeting cards lay upon the kitchen table. They had been piling up since just after Thanksgiving.

She padded from one room to the next, tossing items across the couch as she sifted through the clean, yet unfolded, basket of clothes. Discovering her black lacy bra, she frowned while adjusting it, remembering the last time she’d worn it was months ago when she and Gene broke up.

She had wanted to surprise him by wearing sexy new lingerie after a candlelit dinner on the roof. Instead of a nightcap and an evening of hot sex as they’d normally had, he tugged her shirt closed, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered that he’d found someone new. Suffice it to say, Sailor hadn’t taken the news well, but knowing her troubled past, he dropped the charges.

Shrugging that it was the only clean item, she tugged on her bright pink three-button polo with the Senorita Lita’s logo stitched above a breast and headed for the door.

* * * * *

José Feliciano’s voice greeted Sailor as the lyrics to Feliz Navidad filled the air from the overhead speakers. She walked through the back doors to the restaurant and headed for her office.

“Hola, Manuel,” she said to her head chef. “How bad are we hit?”

“We down three lady. All got amigos coming in from the ship.” Manuel paused from chopping onions and tomatoes for his famous Lita’s Loco Salsa. He and Sailor’s uncle, Sam, had opened Senorita Lita’s fifteen years ago as a joint business venture. The salsa was what made Lita’s stand out on the strip of Mexican restaurants that lined the freeway near the bay. Competition was fierce in this community located within spitting distance of the Mexican border.

Sam died last year of a heart attack and left the restaurant to Sailor, his only living relative. Although Sam had bought Manuel out a few years ago, the chef agreed to stick around on a part-time basis to help Sailor keep the restaurant going until she could handle it herself.

Sailor sighed. “It’s okay. We’ll manage.” She walked over and patted him on the shoulder, the pungent odor of fresh onions burning her eyes. “Do you have enough help back here? Looks like I’ll be serving again tonight.”

The fact that it was a Saturday before a major holiday, coupled with the arrival of a ship full of navy personnel, made Sailor’s predicament worse. After checking the schedule in her office, she noted that three of her best servers scheduled to work this evening had family or close friends coming into port. Sailor didn’t begrudge them at all; she encouraged the time off. Having grown up a military child herself, she knew exactly what it was like to breathe a sigh of relief when a loved one returned home. She also knew full well the looming of an invisible clock ticking away the seconds to another deployment.

Shortly after ten-thirty, a half hour before the restaurant was scheduled to open, Sailor rallied her staff in the rear of the kitchen for a pep talk. “Listen guys,” she said confidently as she scanned the crossed arms, multi-colored bandanas, and exposed shoulders of her kitchen crew. “We’re going to be twice as busy as we were last night. There’s a line of folks already mingling around the front waiting to get in.”

One of the cooks dabbed sweat beads from his neck with a kitchen towel he had slung over his shoulder. She smiled when he immediately washed his hands and grabbed a clean towel. Senorita Lita’s was top notch when it came to health department standards. Sailor didn’t take that reputation lightly, and her staff knew it.

“We’re down three servers, but that’s okay, I’m pitching in. If anyone asks to speak to the owner, I’ll be out there on the front lines buzzing around and available to whomever needs me.”

She turned her attention to her wait staff. “Ladies, I hope you’re wearing comfortable shoes because we’ll be on our feet all day. Take breaks when you can. Flag me down or come back here and grab Manuel if anyone gets rowdy.

The average age of her female servers was mid-twenties. The ladies were physically fit, with sun-kissed skin and hair, and curves that generously filled the uniform tank top that read, Dip your chip in Senorita Lita’s salsa! The slogan sometimes garnered remarks from patrons that made the women uncomfortable. Most of the servers were from out of state, attending the university, or somehow tied to the military, whether it be married to a military man or the daughter of one.

The staff dismissed, they busied themselves prepping their stations for the coming rush.

Shortly before eleven o’clock, Sailor opened the restaurant doors and rear patio to the crowd of hungry people milling around on the sidewalk. A sea of balloons, flowers, and sailors dressed in choker whites with duffle bags slung across their backs flowed in. Many of them juggled children in both arms. Some had kids hoisted upon a shoulder. Parents, grandparents, and women with puffy eyes and mascara smears mingled within the crowd of our nations heroes.

Sailor greeted her guests, holding back the tears and a sizeable lump in her throat as she witnessed the reunions. A little girl in a frilly pink dress hugged her father as he asked the hostess for a table for five. Her sandy blonde pigtails and rosy cheeks reminded Sailor of herself at that age. Her mother used to dress her up in her Sunday’s best to wait for her daddy to arrive home from a tour of duty at sea. Sailor remembered how her father used to scoop her into his arms and give her a princess twirl.

Her heart thundered in her ears, blocking the crowd chatter and Christmas music that played within the restaurant.

By mid afternoon the steady flow of customers eased enough for two of her servers to rest and eat their lunch. Sailor took over for the bartender and busied herself with wiping down countertops and washing beer mugs. Husky male voices and laughter warmed her as she stooped beneath the counter to assess the liquor inventory.

“Excuse me, Miss. Can I get a couple of longnecks for my buddies here?”

Sailor paused in her crouched position, grasping the shelf for balance. Is that…? It couldn’t be…

Hesitantly, she eased to counter level, reading the name on the pin on his breast just above a cluster of medals, before adjusting her gaze to meet a pair of whiskey-colored eyes.

“Caleb…” The sight of a man in uniform always had Sailor’s heart fluttering and typically tongue-tied. Caleb Gannon was no exception.

“Sailor girl.” He reached across the bar and tucked a curly strand of hair behind her ear. She squinted her eyes, wet with fresh tears of excitement, at the use of his endearment.

“Don’t call me that. You know I don’t like it. Never have.”

He jumped the bar and lifted her in a hug. Through the heavy camouflage jacket, she felt ripples of toned muscles tightening against her arms. He skimmed her cheek with a slight stubble that had grown back since the morning shave, and pecked her on the lips before setting her feet back on the floor.

“Welcome home. I didn’t know you were due back. How have you been?” she asked, more breathless than she wanted.

“What? You’re not keeping tabs on me?” He winked, daring her to differ.

“For your information, Caleb Gannon, I don’t. As you can see, I’m busy here. Welcome home all of you.” She quickly smiled at his companions. “And thank you for your service.” She adjusted her rumpled polo shirt and tightened her ponytail.

He removed his cap, his hair no longer than his facial stubble. “Why so formal, honey?” He strutted back around the bar to join the two chiefs who accompanied him. “Fellas, this is Sailor, my ex-girlfriend.”

Welcome Talented Author Kate Richards!

2010-12-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week we welcome a dear friend of mine and a rather talented author Kate Richards. With her work you are guaranteed a sizzling hot read that'll leave you wanting more...

I’ve had the best time this year, the first year of being published. I’ve had seven books released, mostly on the short side and I’ve learned one very important thing. I love writing for holiday releases. I’ve got Demons Love Cinnamon for Halloween, my little zombie short for Thanksgiving and Christmas Afternoon Delight and Pirate Lady Holiday for Christmas. Considering I’m pagan through and through, why the love of Christmas?

It’s the Magic!

There is nothing as magical as Christmas for opening the hearts of people far and wide. We buy gifts for people we don’t see from year to year, send cards with wonderful wishes and, bake goodies that the surgeon general would surely feel are bad for our health. My sis in law and I just spent three days mixing, baking packaging and carrying around baskets of at least twenty-five kinds of cookies and candies, along with homemade jams (sis in law’s habanero jam is fought over in some circles) and whatever other goodies we come up with …to many neighbors. They love it, we love it, and everyone is happy!

One neighbor had a caroling party Saturday night. We’re having the worst rains in memory…they tarped their patio and held the caroling there…magic! I love my neighborhood. My husband is like a small child, begging to give me my gift early!

And in a corner of my living room is the most beautiful evergreen, fully decorated, and the pets are taking turns posing under it while we run for the camera, only to miss them as they wander off. And we giggle and swear to catch them next time. Occasionally we do.
It’s the magic and I hope I find it in all my stories, but I’m certainly willing to love the warmth and excitement and starry-eyed wonder that are Christmas.

Here’s a little something about Pirate Lady Holiday

Aboard the Pirate Lady, Clara’s Christmas is not looking too merry. She tries to lift her spirits with a little holiday baking, but until tattooed rocker, Hot Jack Slick, traveling incognito, arrives on the scene, it looks like Clara’s not going to find any spirit in her holidays.

Jack is about to find out that this is one lady pirate who isn’t impressed by fame and fortune, and never dates guys in bands. It’s going to take Santa Claus and all his helpers to help Jack break the ice that surrounds this very lovely lady’s heart. And even then it will be a stretch to make it to her bedroom before Christmas morning dawns.

And Christmas Afternoon Delight

God, he’s heading this way.” She panicked for a second then forced herself to relax. He was probably coming to talk to Felicia, like everyone else. She was a goddess, beautiful, tall, and looked amazing in leather. Lily stepped back, taking her usual position in any group, slight shyness forcing her to avoid being in the center of things. He was nearly there, and, to her dismay, Felicia and Annie shifted away, placing her right in front of Barry as he stepped up to them.

Then they were gone, and she was looking up, and up… holy cow he was tall. She didn’t think they’d be doing any slow dancing anytime soon. Not that he’d asked her to dance. As she strove to meet his eyes, her cheeks heated.

“You just missed Felicia, but she’s around here somewhere.” She cringed at the wobble in her voice.

“I came to talk to you.” She hadn’t actually heard him speak before, his voice a deep baritone. How humiliating. I have a crush on a man I’ve only seen across a crowded room.

He watched her, his eyes questioning, and she had the awful feeling she’d missed something. Something important. “I beg your pardon, what did you say?”

“I said, would you like to get a drink?” He held out a hand and she stared at it before finally accepting it, watching her fingers disappear as his closed around them.

He led her to the bar.

Pirate Lady Holiday, Christmas Afternoon Delight, and all my books are available at Amazon.com. If you’d like to say hi, my email is katerichards09@gmail.com!

Welcome Vanessa Devereaux!

2010-12-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today we welcome an exciting new author Venessa Devereaux! She's decided to blog about the value of good critique partners, something I think is invaluable in the writing process. Vanessa is one of my crit partners and I have to say her insite is invaluable to me!

Does This Writing Make Me Look Awful?

I have two wonderful critique partners…Olivia being one of them. For years I tried to find a CP and didn’t have much luck with connecting anyone who didn’t go missing in action after a month or so. Then late last year I found one that was automatically a keeper, and a few months later, Olivia became my second CP.

I credit her for helping me turn my latest release, Mistaken Identity from a story with some rough edges to a contracted piece. She even recommended her publisher Cobblestone Press to me and I’m very happy I chose to submit to them. They not only contracted me for Mistaken Identity but now two stories for their Wicked Line and a Regency Trilogy will also be published by them in 2011.

If you don’t have a CP or think you can do without one, here are five reasons I wouldn’t be without mine-

Criticism Within a Friendly Circle

Writing’s a touch business. Some weeks, even days mean one rejection after another. A few of them might be accompanied by comments from an editor who makes you doubt your talent as a writer. Yes, we all like feedback but having a CP allows you to get someone else’s (friendly) opinion before a total stranger reads your story.

Does This Writing Make Me Look Awful?

Your CP is your first defense against writing that can actually make you look like a fool. They prevent you from sending out work that just isn’t your best. No matter how many times you read your own work or even if you’re Miss Eagle Eye, typos, spelling mistakes and grammar gaffes linger.

They Help You See The Bigger Picture

Our stories are like our offspring. We create them, love them…despite some of their faults and yes, the CP although they think the world of you, isn’t afraid to tell you that your child has problems and needs fixing. It might be an unbelievable story or a character readers won’t relate to but their honest with you and your offspring takes one step toward perfection.

They’re a Sounding Board

After one publisher rejected Mistaken Identity, I asked Olivia if she agreed with what the editor said and if so, should I change a few things before I sent it out again. Olivia gave me the soundest advice and the next submission turned into a contract. It’s not just about sending your manuscript to your CP, it’s someone to bounce ideas around with and brainstorm plot lines. Something only a fellow writer can do.

It’s s Shoulder to Cry On

It’s not only a rough business it can be lonely too. Your CP understands how you feel when you receive a rejection. They also know the joy you experience when a manuscript becomes a published story.

Vanessa Devereaux writes erotic romances, paranormal and romantic suspense and erotica. Her latest release is Mistaken Identity. In 2011, Who’s the Boss? and The Man Next Door will be published by Cobblestone Press for their Wicked line. Visit her Web site at http://www.vanessadevereaux.com/

You can buy a copy of Mistaken Identity here http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/mistakenidentity.htm

Mistaken Identity

Blurb:
Hannah Benson lost all confidence in herself when she found her fiancé with another women.

When she agrees to a fantasy night with a complete stranger, she doesn't bargain on Andy Bayes stepping in for his baby brother and stealing her heart. Andy's hot, gorgeous but Hannah is reluctant to risk falling in love again.

However, Andy has other plans for Hannah.

Excerpt: (Warning: This baby is HOT!!)

Chapter One

Hannah’s hands shook. She’d never done anything like this before and wasn’t sure if she had the nerve to go through with it. Her instructions were to enter the house, then walk up the stairs to the master bedroom. There would be a painting of a vase of flowers on the wall and behind it a safe that she’d need to open.

Then the game would begin.

She lifted the painting off the wall and sat it on the floor. Glancing at her palm, she checked the combination sequence. Twenty-three right, thirty-two left and then nineteen right. Taking a deep breath, she turned the dial to number twenty-three. How had her friends managed to talk her into doing something like this?

A bead of perspiration broke out on her forehead. She turned the lock right to nineteen, causing the safe door to spring open and almost hit her in the face. Inside sat a box of condoms, some DVDs and a pair of stockings and garters.

Yeah, she’d made a mistake, all right. She swallowed twice. Could she do this?

Her hand hovered near the button she’d been instructed to push when she was ready to move to level two of the game.

“Hold it right there,” a man’s voice said.

She jumped.

She hadn’t pressed the button yet, so how did he know she was ready?

Was she ready? No, she didn’t think she had the nerve for this.

“Okay, turn around very slowly. And keep your hands up in the air where I can see them at all times.”

Okay, this was it. She couldn’t get out of it now, could she?

“Looks like I’ve been caught red handed,” she said, turning around.

Her best friends had assured her he was cute, but they’d lied. This guy was drop-dead gorgeous. Six foot two, maybe even three, broad shoulders, light brown hair, green eyes…just the opposite of Brad.

Why had she thought of him immediately upon setting eyes on this man? He was out of the picture now. She had to keep reminding herself of that little fact. Brad was history and this was her night.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

They’d told her if she played along with everything this guy said and asked her to do, it would add to her enjoyment. Here was her first opportunity.

“I didn’t steal anything from the safe. You can search me if you want.”

He walked over to the safe, looked inside and then rummaged through its contents.

“Okay, turn around, put your hands up on the wall and spread your legs.”

He sounded so official, just like a real cop or even a security guard. This guy was good.

Hannah placed her palms on the wall while spreading her legs wide apart.

What was coming next?

Would she chicken out as soon as his hands touched her?

She felt his warm breath close to her ear as he patted her down. He tapped her breasts but didn’t linger on them like she’d expected. He then made his way over her stomach. Next each leg was patted down. She closed her eyes.

She’d been nervous for nothing. This was already fun.

“Slowly turn back around and face me.”

Hannah did as he asked.

“I guess I was worried about nothing. And my girlfriends were right. This is going to be a first for me.”

His cell phone rang.

“I’m going to take this call, but you’re not to move. I think we need to talk.”

He walked away, but she could hear his end of the conversation.

“Yes, I am. I got here about ten minutes ago.”

There was silence for a few minutes.

“Yes, yes, she is,” he said, turning to look straight at her. He eyed her from head to toe.

“You did what…what were you thinking…?”

There was silence again. He looked her up and down while he listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

“Okay, all right, I’ll take care of it for you.”

He turned off the phone, snapped it shut and threw it down on a chair.

“So this is going to be the first time you’ve done this sort of thing?”
She nodded.

“Well, I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

“I hope so too.”
“Your friends made a DVD for you to watch. It’s the one marked ‘Hannah’s Fantasy’ in the safe. You’re to watch it before we get started.”

Hannah walked to the safe and pulled out the disc.

“There’s a DVD player there,” he said, pointing to the machine under the TV in the cabinet.

He flicked on the TV as she slipped the DVD into the player. Within seconds her three best friends’ faces appeared on the screen.

“Hi, Hannah, you made it this far. Hope you’re not too nervous. Just relax,” said Becky.

“Hi, Hannah, this is your special night. We hope you have the best time of your life,” added Sarah.

Hi, Hannah. Happy fantasy. You’ve probably already seen all the great goodies we’ve left in the safe for you. Have fun, and let’s not forget, be creative with them. Oh, and you can now open your boxed gift. In fact, stop the DVD, open it and then press the play button again,” Leslie finished.

Hannah pressed the pause button as he handed her the box.

She tore off the paper and saw there was yet another box inside. She opened it up and saw a vibrator sitting within it. A pretty impressive one, if she was any judge.

She pressed the play button again.

“Pleased with your gift? I know you’ve been reluctant to use one, but try it once and you’ll never be without it again. We won’t take up any more of your valuable time. Enjoy your evening and forget all about the past.”

The screen went blank and Hannah hit the off button.

“Am I allowed to ask your name?” Hannah asked the man.

“Sure, it’s Andy.”

“Okay, Andy, I’m sure you’ve done this sort of thing more times than you care to remember, so maybe you can tell me where we start.”

He took off his jacket and threw it onto a nearby chair.

“This is your fantasy; you tell me where you’d like to begin?”
When he’d searched her, well, it had been sort of a turn-on.
“I don’t think you gave me a good enough search. I could be hiding something.”
“That’s very true. If you’re concealing something, I need to find it. Why don’t you walk over to the wall again, put your hands on it and spread your legs for me.”

Hannah did as he requested, turning her head to one side so she could rest her cheek against the wall. Within seconds his body pushed up close to her back. She caught a whiff of his aftershave. It had spicy undertones and filled the air around her, making her almost lightheaded. Closing her eyes, she swallowed. She was already enjoying this, and he hadn’t even laid a hand on her yet.

“Let’s see if you’re hiding anything dangerous,” he whispered in her ear.

He pushed his groin into her butt as his hands slipped inside the top of her dress, his fingers inching down her chest until they slipped inside her bra. His hands surrounded each of her breasts as the palms grazed her nipples. A zing of electricity shot through her stomach, traveling down her legs into the tips of her toes.

“These feel somewhat dangerous,” he whispered.

His fingers passed across her nipples, causing them to harden and stand erect. He then gave them a playful pinch as he licked her earlobe. She closed her eyes again. Just a simple act, but it seemed almost naughty.

Pulling his hands out from her bra, he turned his attention to her legs. She’d opted not to wear pantyhose, and what a wise decision that had been. It meant his hands were skimming her bare skin, causing more zings of electricity to pulse through her pussy. On the previous pat down he’d concentrated on the outside of her dress by just giving her quick taps as he made his way up her legs. This time his hands focused on the insides of her thighs and calves. His fingers trailed along them at a painfully slow pace.

She drew in her breath when he reached her thighs, just below where her pubic hair began. It was one of her favorite spots to be touched. One of his hands slipped inside her panties.

“What are you hiding in here?”

Prolific is Thy Name

2010-11-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

Today we welcome Ashlynn Monroe, an incredibly prolific and imaginative romance author.

If you use a pen name, how did you choose it?

Monroe was the maiden name of the grandmother who gave me bags and bags of romance when I was in my very early teens. Ashlynn would have been my son’s name if he’d been a girl.

What is your ideal location to write a book, if you had the money to live there or sequester yourself there?

I would love to live in a mountain cabin (as long as it had the internet and running water).

If you could have a book signing anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?

London, Ireland, and Scotland

What would you like to own/have that would make your writing faster or smoother? (Yes, you can name everything from computer programs to a personal maid here.)

I would love a maid to clean the house, a nanny to entertain the kids, and a chef to cook healthy gourmet meals. Sadly, I have lived in house, wild children who wait until I’m in the zone to ask for outlandish requests, and I microwave ninety percent of what I’ve been feeding the family lately.

What authors would you most like to meet, past or present? What would you ask them?

I would love to meet Emily Bronte. I’d love to know what it was like for her in a male dominated profession and what her inspirations were. I’d also love to meet Sherrilyn Kenyon. Her stories are amazing!

What's your writing process? (i.e. pantser/organic writer or plotter or mix? write on the computer? longhand? mix? how many passes? etc.)

I just come up with an idea or a scene and play around with it in my head during my long commute to and from the day job, or when I’m doing dishes, or when my husband is talk to me (just kidding on the last one). Then I decided on a beginning. As I write, I see the scenes roll through my mind like a movie and I furiously type what I’m seeing. I don’t have a problem pausing and restarting. Each time I’m hoping for a blockbuster not a “B” movie lol!

What are the strangest conditions you've written under? The strangest place and/or time you've written something?

When my hubby was, ill and I took him to the walk-in clinic I sat in the very noisy waiting room with my notebook computer. I received more than one strange look.

What genres do you write?

I write paranormal, urban fantasy, contemporary, dark romance, steam punk, and science fiction Romance

How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?

I’ve been writing since I was thirteen. I received my first contract in February of 2010 and my first eBook was available in June 4, 2010 from Wild Horse press. I currently have four available and contracts for releases through the fall of 2011.

How long did it take you to publish your first book, once you started looking for an agent or publisher?

I tried getting an agent in 2009 and I received some harsh rejections. My work tends to run short, and most agents said there is no money in short work and wouldn’t even consider novellas. My full-length novels didn’t appeal to them either. In the late fall of 2009 I decided that I’d look into self-publishing but I wasn’t happy with that route either. Shortly after the New Year, I started to “Google” publishers and I found a bunch of ePublishers. Wild Horse Press appealed to me because I liked the descriptions of their other books and I liked their website. They aren’t brand new, but they are small enough to care. I sent my submission and I heard back in less than a week. I was very impressed.

Ashlynn’s current list of available work and coming soon books:

Hidden Magic-June 2010-Wild Horse Press-Urban Fantasy Romance

The Mirage High series-August/September 2010 YA Paranormal-Wild Horse Press

Dark Miracle-August 2010-Wild Horse Press-Erotic Paranormal

Blood and Bondage-September 2010-Wild Horse Press-Erotic Paranormal

Wild Hearts-October 5, 2010-Wild Horse Press-Paranormal Romance

Christmas in Redemption-December 2010-Wild Horse press-Paranormal Romance

My Soul to Keep-March, 2011-Wild Horse Press-Urban Fantasy Romance

Kiss Me, Kill Me, Bite Me-July 2011-Wild Horse Press-Dark Paranormal Romance

Reality Stinks-2011-Wild Horse Press-Urban Fantasy Romantic comedy

The Mirage High Series 2010-Wild Horse Press-YA paranormal romance anthology of short stories.

Chemical Lust-July 2010-Cobblestone Press-Science Fiction Erotic

Passion's Escape-July 2010-Silver Publishing-Science Fiction Erotic

Lost Heart's-July 2010-Silver Publishing-Science Fiction Erotic

Wish-August 2010-Silver Publishing-Urban Fantasy Erotic

Just One Night-October 30, 2010-Silver Publishing-Paranormal Romance

Mistletoe and Vampires-December 15, 2010-Silver publishing-Paranormal Romance

Love Factory-August 2010-Wicked Nights-Science Fiction Erotic

In the Machine-September 24, 2010-Wicked Nights-Science Fiction Erotic

Dark Man-Fall 2010-Wicked Nights-Paranormal Romance

Eternal Gift-December 2010-Wicked Nights-Paranormal romance

Aloha Christmas-December 2010-Wicked Nights-Paranormal romance

Blood Kin-Fall 2010-Keith Publications-Paranormal Romance

The Templar Vampire Series-2011-Keith Publications-Paranormal Romance

Fallen Angels-October 2010-Evernight Publishing-Steam Punk Romance

Protector Mine-November 2010-Evernight Publishing-Paranormal Romance

Dream Mists-Fall 2010-Willow Moon Publishing-Paranormal Romance

Bio:

Ashlynn Monroe is a busy wife and mom. She’s been writing since she was a teenager for her own pleasure but in her thirties, she decided it was time to share her stories. She enjoys writing about anything and everything paranormal or fantasy related while maintaining a career as a full time customer service professional. When she is not lovingly raising her young family, she is dreaming up her next tale of romance. She’d love to hear from you at authorashlynnmonroe@gmail.com. Visit her website at http://ashlynnmonroe.com/ or for her YA books go to http://ashlynnmonroeya.webs.com/.

Larissa is on the verge of complete insanity. She has grown up feeling a connection to the rural woodlands near her home. She has never been able to find what or who has been calling to her.

Dante comes from an ancient line of shifters whose sole purpose is to keep their charges safe from vampires. Dante is Larissa’s Protector. There are only two rules- never talk to your charge and never let them know that you are watching. Dante breaks every rule when it comes to Larissa when they are swept into a torrent of desire that threatens to consume them.

Will the price of breaking the rules to follow their hearts be too great? Hunters lurk in the forest. Vampires are coming. Dante is all that stands between Larissa and the monsters who want to make her one of them.

Excerpt:

Her fingers lightly skimmed the rough stubble gracing his surprisingly soft skin, and she saw the need and longing in his exotically beautiful eyes. No one had ever looked at her like she was so important, so amazing. She felt his wonder and his love. How was it possible? It was like she had a view into his mind and soul and only the truth of their magical connection existed. When she saw the raw need in his eyes something twisted in her heart, and she knew that she would not run.

She pressed her lips to his chin. He bent down just enough so that their lips connected. It was gentle at first, testing, trusting. Then he pulled her against him, and it took the air from her lungs. Whimpering with joy and need, she returned his fervor with a desperation that was entirely her own. His rough hands caressed her cheek, and the moment of wonder brought the prickling of tears to her eyes.

“What have you done to me?” Her voice sounded breathless.

“I would never hurt you. I haven’t done anything to you, Larissa.”

“What is this?”

“This is chemistry.”

Standing there in the middle of a wild place with a complete, albeit sexy, stranger wasn’t a safe thing to do. She wanted him, wanted sex, for the first time in her life. She embraced the lust. No, this wasn’t exactly where she imagined losing her virginity. It gave her pause that she was giving something away so easily she had so carefully guarded. Yet it felt as if this gift had always been his, and she had just been keeping it safe for him. She pulled her shirt off and let it fall to the ground. He wore no shirt and when their skin touched, an electric current traveled through him and into her. She gasped and her back arched involuntarily. He kissed her throat and she shivered, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close.

His hands awkwardly battled with her bra, and he grunted with triumph as the bit of fabric joined her t-shirt on the damp ground. His calloused palms skimmed over her nipples, and she cried out with need. Larissa’s cheek pressed against his chest, and she felt enveloped in his primitive pheromones. His masculine growl made her smile softly against the hard wall of his chest. A sound, calling voices somewhere far away, registered in her mind. Her family was looking for her. She didn’t care; she was where she belonged, where she wanted to be. His chest began to heave, and his primal desperation against her belly was evident. He knew they were looking too.

When he swept her into his arms, she did not protest, her trust was complete. She reveled in the foreign knowledge that made no sense and yet seemed to answer all the mysteries of the universe in the same moment. Mushy and useless, she let her brain turn off and let her heart take over. Nothing made sense and she loved every moment of it. He moved through the growing darkness with her, and she clung to him, content to go anywhere he chose to take her. Closing her eyes against the blurring trees and leaves, it only nibbled at her mind that he moved with inhuman speed.

His voice sounded gruff and raw. Larissa wondered if he felt the pain of her leaving as horribly as she did. He spoke, and she clung tighter to him. “I have waited a lifetime for you.”

Her searchers were far from her mind as she found herself back in his dank wilderness dwelling. She had no idea what to say to his intense statement.

After a moment, she found her voice and spoke. “I think I’ve always been looking for you, too.”

How I Found My Romance Mojo & Got My Muse Back

2010-11-16T04:02:00.000-08:00

This week I want to welcome Dominique Eastwick, a wonderful author and an equally wonderful friend to have in the romance writers world. (Warning: Spicy snippet of Hunting JC included!)

For months I have been in an endless cycle of writer’s block I would get bursts of writing energy, and then nothing. I would feel sick to my stomach just at the thought of writing. And the longer it took to finish Tony’s Haven the more ill at ease about my writing I got until, Thalia my muse, I think just gave up on me. I joked about it but deep down I was beginning to really doubt myself as an artist and a writer.

Then I was at a friends wedding, acting as the Coordinator, a job I love, when it hit me. I had forgotten the most important thing about writing Romance, what Romance was all about. And as I watched two friends say vows of love and commitment to one another it hit me anew. Somewhere in the number counts and sex scenes, and thinking about what the review sites would think, readers would want and what my editor would cringe over…

I lost my Romance Mojo.

I am not saying I am not in love with my husband, I am, he is my partner, my lover and my best friend, but we have been together for twenty years and we are comfortable. So I forgot the spark, the thing that puts butterflies in a readers belly, that has them anxious over the conflict worrying that even though they are sure Tony and Haven will find their way back that maybe oh no maybe they wont. Then, the moment of Ahhhh, the elation when they find each other again and all is right with the world.

So while I looked through my camera lens, I saw it literally glowing on the faces of Lori and Mikes, LOVE, ROMANCE, the PROMISE of what tomorrow has in store. Those are the things I write about, and I need to write them my way. I can’t write for what the review sites think. I write romance because it makes me happy. I love it when my friends read it and it makes them smile. So even if I don’t sell another book (which I hope I do) I am content knowing that I am bringing smiles to my friends and to the people who read my books.

By the way Welcome back Thalia…and thanks for kicking me in the butt. Tony’s Haven is finished and now in the edits stage. And Lori and Mike may you continue to shine with happiness and find the romance for many many years to come.

Hey I think I could make a book about that.

"Hunting JC is a contemporary romance filled with suspense, great sex, heartache, healing, and best of all love...The drama that unfolds will keep you reading this story until the very end." Just Erotic Romance Reviews 5 stars

"There are moments that are touching beyond belief, lines youll read over and over because they are that darn sweet, and humor to keep it all running until JC and Hunter finally make up their darn minds! " Got Erotic Romance Reviews 4 Diamonds

Just a taste of Dominique Eastwick's

Hunting JC

www.DominiqueEastwick.com

As Hunter cleared the doorframe, he was attacked, not by a mugger or drunken man, but he was attacked by her, J.C. Her hand twined through his hair and brought his mouth down to hers. Her lips moved under his, begging him to open to her, begging him to give her a try. She took his hand and placed them on her full breast. Her nipples immediately pearled in his hand. His mind screamed to stop this now, but his body didn’t seem to be listening. From the moment her soft, full lips touched his, he was putty in her hand. He knew his only hope of survival was that she had not yet become aware of it.

"J.C..." he moaned into her mouth as he said unconvincingly, "We can’t do this."

"Shh," she hushed, pressing her breasts further into his hands. "Just feel me, let me feel you."

"Jacinda, will you listen to me?"

"Not if your words have anything to do with, this isn’t right. Or Jacinda, this can’t happen between us."

"Exactly, that is..."

"Shh," Jacinda pressed her fingers against his lips. He felt the electrical vibrations that were humming through her fingertips. "Please let me do this for you. I want to taste you."

Five words were his undoing. I want to taste you

BUY IT NOW

http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/contemporary/erotica/hunting-jc/prod_288.html

Welcome Evie Balos!

2010-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

I’d like to thank Olivia for inviting me to this lovely corner of her world. And I love reds!

A little about me. I’m a Montreal chickie, born and raised and yes, je parle francais. And of course I’ve been to Paris and stuffed myself with the world’s most delicious croissants. I’ve been writing sensual romance for several years, but my alter ego decided it was time to turn on the heat with steamier stories. I agreed. And whereas I’m a bit whimsical and sassy, my alter ego pushes the envelope further and thankfully makes life more interesting for both of us.

To introduce my new book, The Unnecessary Bodyguard, I’d like to say that I wanted to write a story with a vampire element, without a vampire hero, something that would stand out in the paranormal market. I was doing some unrelated research when I came across an online article about dhampirs. They are half-human, half-vampire beings in Balkan folklore. The ultimate vampire hunters. The idea of a dhampir hero and the entire storyline instantly took shape in my mind. I built a world where dhampirs and humans coexist, yet are challenged by the danger of hostile vampires.

This is the story of Jovan Markovic, a dhampir who owns a security company and works for an organization that monitors hostile vampire activity, and limits his sexual pleasure to dhampir women who can relate to his dark side...And Nina Bradley, a young woman who likes her independence and her uncomplicated life until Jovan unexpectedly becomes her bodyguard—a rugged dhampir she could do without.

Blurb:

Nina Bradley doesn't pay attention to her friend's premonition that she'll be attacked by a vampire. She discovers Daphne's assigned a dhampir bodyguard to her and clearly objects. Worse, she finds him terribly attractive, but he's half vampire. They don't suit. A good reason to stop fantasizing about him.

Jovan Markovic wants to keep things professional between him and his beautiful client, but his desire for her is spiralling out of control. He ought to assign someone else to the case, but he won't. He ought to use his lover to erase Nina from his mind, but he can't…

The Unnecessary Bodyguard is available at Cobblestone Press.

Link: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/bodyguard.htm

Website: http://eviebalos.com/

Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eviebalos/

The Blog Reopens in November!

2010-10-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm reanimating Romancing The Pen Today, starting with showcasing some wonderful authors' guest blogs starting November. Stay tuned, lots of fun stuff on the way for the blog!

First Review for A Sorcerer's Pleasure!

2010-06-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

Check out this great first review for A Sorcerer's Pleasure

http://michelenjeff-reviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/sorcerers-pleasure-by-olivia-starke.html

Chat Today!

2010-06-18T17:08:00.001-07:00

http://tinychat.com/00qik

Join Kate Richards and I for our co-release party from 8-9pm Central June 18! Great give-aways planned :)

Marathon Running & Novel Writing

2010-05-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Running a marathon and writing a novel--what could the two possibly have in common? Seemingly nothing. I mean one involves sitting in one place at the computer for hours on end using your brain as you work out scene after scene. The other involves running for hours on end, your lungs screaming for oxygen, sweat dripping from your pores, as you push for just one more mile.

Two completely unrelated activities right?

Not so much when we take a closer look, at least for this writer. I have put my energies to writing a full length fiction novel (90K words my goal.) As a published author with soon to be six short story releases of 17K words and under, the idea of such a long work is daunting.

Okay, it's a bit overwhelming. Some days it simply seems impossible! How does somebody drag a story on for such a long time and keep the reader enthralled? And, in my case, how do I keep my focus and not just throw in the hat?

Years ago I took up running. I've always loved running, and coveted the long lean runners' physiques of the folks I'd see pounding the pavement on my way to work in the mornings. I, on the other hand, am built like a sprinter. At 5'5 I have a long waist and shorter muscular legs. In high school I could out sprint most of the gals on the track team (and admittedly a couple of boys) in P.E. Being shy and non-competitive, I opted not to take out track.

One thing I'm not built to do is distance running. But that didn't mean that I wouldn't give my darnedest to try. Making it a mile in the beginning seemed impossible. I'd start out strong, passing everyone on the trail, as I worked to make the two mile loop at a local conservation area in the city I lived in.

Within a quarter of a mile I was done. My lungs burned and I was a bit dizzy for the lack of oxygen to my body. Day after day I went out there and just as quickly I was spent without gaining any ground. Finally one day I was feeling a bit tired, so I took a slower pace. I set small goals for myself--I'll just make it to that next tree--and before I knew it I had made it an entire mile! Imagine my excitement! Despite being passed by all the other leggy runners sharing the trail, I was on cloud nine.

The next day, then the day after that, I put in my mile. Soon it grew a mile and a quarter. Before long I tackled the second loop of the trail, three quarters of a mile that looped back and forth up a very steep hill. By setting those tiny little goals of just making it from tree to tree I soon tackled that hill and I had made it an entire two miles! Let me tell you, it was hard work. My first push up the worse of the incline, non-stop, I had to stop and got sick behind a tree. Maybe pushing myself that hard in the heat wasn't the wisest thing, but I felt tough--like a real runner. I picked up the pace right after and jogged the rest of the two miles.

Pretty soon I was running that two miles in less than thirty minutes. I decided I needed a bigger challenge. I found a five mile loop at another trail in the city. Five miles is a big challenge when you're coming off of just two. I struck out and using my knowledge of cadence--finding just the right speed for your body--and guess what...I did it without stopping! And just months before I had been unable to make it half a mile!

I got out of the habit of running, despite my addiction to the runner's high. Recently I made the decision to train for a half marathon that is Oct. 3rd of this year. At a little over 13 miles, it's going to be a challenge yet again. Today I took my first run since last summer and made it a mile before I had to stop to catch my breath. A mile is a long way from 13 I realize, but it's also a huge improvement over the quarter of a mile from long ago.

Well you may ask what does this all have to do with the price of tea in China? A lot my dear reader. When I wrote my first work, a short story just over 10K words, it seemed an impossible task to finish it. I struggled with it. I put it aside, picked it back up, then put it aside again in frustration. It was so difficult! How could I ever say 'The End' to this stupid story?

One day I made the decision to just put down 100 words. Phew, the pressure was off, so I finished that 100 words and another hundred flowed from my fingers to the keyboard. After several days the story got much easier on me as I allowed myself the slower pace and didn't just trying to sprint to the end. Suddenly writing the short stories was an easy task. I could knock one out from beginning to end within a week--including revisions before submission.

Then I decided I needed the challenge of a full length novel. I stared at the 90K word count ahead, put my fingers to laptop keys, and began the sprint. Apparently, I hadn't learned anything. I got extremely frustrated with the story and wanted to just quit and go back to the short stories which were easy. A few days ago I made the decision to try that marathon, the yearning to get to running was too strong. I knew I had a long road ahead, just making it from one landmark to another, but that was part of the joy.

I had the epiphany at that point that that was how I'd have to approach this novel. From word to word I'd have to write, not worrying about the many thousands of words that lay ahead me.

I'm paralleling my novel with my half marathon training. I'll take it from day to day, from tree to tree, and not worry about the distance that lays ahead of me. I'll find my own cadence and not fret when other runners/writers speed pass. This is what works for me, a natural born sprinter retraining my body for the distance. I'll never be as quick as my lean long legged counterparts, but that's okay.

I know what it takes to get me there, and I will make it.

New Review!

2010-05-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

$3.99

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/mindgames.htm

Here is a great review for my first Cobblestone release Mind Games :)

http://singletitles.com/?p=3281&cpage=1

Emily from Single Titles says,
"Olivia Starke casts a tale of romance, ghosts, spells, and a mystery as well in Mind Games..."

Can't ask for much better! That's three great reviews for Mind Games.

Here are what other reviewers had to say...

Kate at GotRomance! Reviews said
"I totally and completely loved this book. It was one of the very rare stories I can say that about..."
5 Diamonds
http://goteroticromance.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-12-01T00%3A12%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=34

Jillian at Mistress Bella's Paranormal Reviews said
"What a great story! Intrigue, sensual romance, witchcraft…I loved it!"
4.5 Flames
http://www.bellasparanormalreviews.blogspot.com/

To Write or Not To Write...

2010-05-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Do we leave the past behind us, or do we put it on page to share with others? This is the question I've asked myself the last couple of days as I contemplate ghostwriting a narrative nonfiction for a close family member. I went back and forth on sharing on this blog, as it seems kind of dark and I want this to be an open happy place to share. Yet this is such an intrigal part of my past, something that really helped shape my sense of right and wrong and my determination, I feel the need to open up. Despite my fear of being judged at one of the darkest times of my life.

It was a nightmare at the time--one of legal corruption and small town politics that is straight from a Hollywood studio. During the time we reached out to try to find answers--and help--from the outside world. We were only ignored, because things like this don't really happen in real life...right?

I am someone who hates drama, and my real self (not my author self) tries to ignore the spotlight whenever possible (and I'm an only child go figure.) In doing this not only am I re-opening old wounds, I'll be inviting the attention of the town I still live in and most likely in a negative way. But we are also sending the message that what happened was not ok, we are not victims, and we are now empowering ourselves by sharing our story. In doing this we also hope to help others who have suffered the same sort of miscarriage of justice.

We are two women breaking down the walls of the local 'good ol' boys club' and I feel a sense of excitement and freedom that I haven't felt in some time. We have all had our trials in life and this is our personal story.

I'll keep all updated and wish us godspeed on this journey :)

Olivia

New Contract!

2010-03-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

(Coming Soon to http://www.cobblestone-press.com/)

I am happy to announce I have a new contract at Cobblestone Press! This is my spiciest work to date-a true to form erotic romance ;;) Here's the blurb...

A Sorcerer's Pleasure

Evelyn Bowers has had it with dead end relationships. She is ready to swear off men, until she is rescued by a mysterious stranger who sets fire to her libido. Will she open her heart--and her mind--to what Savaric has to offer?

Savaric has carried a centuries old curse of celibacy when he meets a luscious damsel in distress. Evelyn makes Savaric realize it's not just sex that's he's missing in his life. Will he make the ultimate sacrifice to break his curse?

Olivia Starke
http://www.oliviastarke.webs.com/

Congrats To My Winner

2010-03-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

Stephanie B. was the winner of a free download of Blood Ties! Thanks to everyone who dropped by to check out my new release, and entered my contest :)

Warm Regards,

Olivia

Order of Terminus 4: Blood Ties Blurb/PG Excerpt

2010-03-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

$3.99

Here it is! The fourth release in my latest erotic vampire series at Cobblestone Press! (Leave a comment on March 23rd for my contest, AND sure to include your email address! Winner announced Weds. 03/24)

Buy Now Link: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/bloodties.htm

Olivia Starke
http://www.oliviastarke.webs.com/

Blurb: Hannah Evans had wanted to die human, yet her one time savior, Nicholas Black, came to her one last time stealing away her humanity. An opportunity of revenge against a Dissenter who robbed her of her family is too good to pass up--if only Nicholas wasn't on the same hunt.

Nicholas Black has always kept close tabs on the little girl he saved from a Dissenter attack. Now a beautiful woman, Hannah doesn't know the terrible secret he harbors. When she stubbornly refuses to back down from a hunt, will the truth destroy their fragile bond?

Excerpt: Hannah cowered in her hiding spot repeating the Lord’s Prayer inside her head, “Our Father, which art in Heaven…”

The screams of her family had died away some time ago, but she was still too terrified to leave the sanctuary she'd found in the dark cellar beneath the kitchen floor. Footsteps creaked above her. They were searching for her. She held her breath. Suddenly the door built into the floor above was thrown back and a tall figure, a giant in her ten year-old mind, filled the doorway.

She bit back a scream of terror, and fresh, hot tears spilled down her cheeks. One of the demons had found her. Within moments, strong arms encircled her waist. She let out a piercing scream. Hannah wouldn’t go down without a fight, and fight she did—much like a wildcat’s cub pulled from its’ mother’s den.

Damp cotton sheets twisted around Hannah Evans' body, and she kicked and thrashed against them. She cried out in frustration as her eyes flew open. The ceiling fan whirled above her in lazy circles, its blades drawing long-armed shadows across the ceiling. Its soft whine was drowned out by her ragged, shallow breaths. She blinked against the glare of the lamp she left on each night. Darkness frightened her. She brushed away the hair that had wrapped around her face and spat an errant lock from her mouth. Looking toward her nightstand, she read the red digital display of her alarm clock. Three-sixteen a.m. After flinging an arm across her face, she groaned.

The central air kicked on, and she stretched her arms over her head while yawning broadly. Her tense muscles relaxed some as she relished the cold air that washed over her skin. Vampires ran hot, even half-bloods. Reluctantly, she slid from the damp sheets and walked into her small bathroom, where she turned on the shower. After she adjusted the stream to cool, she stepped beneath the sharp spray of water.

She sighed. It was good to be home.

Hannah had spent the last week stalking a pocket of Dissenters, feral vampires that threatened to expose the existence of their species. She’d staked out an abandoned farmhouse the pocket had called home. A week spent crawling around in a dusty old cornfield in Iowa wasn’t her idea of a vacation, but she’d been in worse places. An article in the small town’s local newspaper told the story at the end of the hunt: Local Abandoned Farmhouse Destroyed by Homemade Explosive.

The article further read that there were no injuries, and authorities had no suspects. As a Hunter in the Order of Terminus, Hannah did her job above expectations despite having never taken human blood. She only possessed a portion of a vampire’s abilities as a half-blood, but she made up for it with smarts and stealth. She prided herself on the skills she’d perfected over the past hundred years.

Hannah leaned her face into the shower and allowed the water to wash away the final traces of sleep. The same nightmare had haunted her since before she’d been changed. It was a remnant from her childhood from when she’d lost her family. She scrubbed her skin with a bar of soap until the lavender scented suds did their job. She then lathered shampoo into her hair.

The doorbell chimed, and she knit her brows together.

Who the heck could be here at this hour?

She shut off the water and stepped from the shower, wrapping a towel around her body before cautiously approaching the front door.

“Who’s there?” she called out.

Silence answered her.

She brushed away the shampoo lather that threatened to spill into her eyes and listened intently. Nothing moved outside. She peered through the peephole at the empty front porch. Then she cracked open the door and peeked out.

A large manila envelope lay just past the door jamb. After searching the dark, deserted street, she stepped outside. Not a soul stirred at such an early hour. She picked up the envelope and carried it inside. Turning it over in her hands, she searched for some sort of identification or an address, but saw nothing. Her curiosity piqued, she tore open the envelope to find two black and white photos.

One was of a group of five individuals, none of whom looked familiar. Frowning, she flipped over the photograph. Dissenter pocket #105211 was scrawled across the back.

“What the heck?” She blinked. Davis, her Contact, hadn’t given her a heads up on any new assignment. And the writing was in a delicate calligraphy she didn’t recognize.

She pulled out the second photo, a close-up of one of the vampires in the first photograph. A young male in his late teens stared at her from the still shot. He was tall and youthfully lean, with features that would’ve filled out to be ruggedly masculine if he were capable of aging. He had a head full of black hair and a dark, piercing gaze that seemed oddly familiar. She turned on a nearby lamp and studied the boy more closely. Then she flipped the photo over. Case belonging to Nicholas Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was jotted across the back. Hannah’s breath caught in her throat. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.

Nicholas?

Her stomach did a flip flop. She hadn’t seen him since she’d turned twenty-eight, over a century before—and she'd had no intention of ever laying eyes on the man ever again, not after what he’d taken from her.

“What is this about? Who would’ve sent this to me?” Hannah asked aloud in the empty room.

She stared a hole through the photo of the young man. Something familiar in his features tickled the back of her mind—his slightly aquiline nose, full lips, and harsh, penetrating eyes. She ground her teeth together in concentration.

Then it clicked.

It was just after midnight on her tenth birthday. Her aunt, uncle, and two young cousins were visiting her parents' Nebraska homestead for her party later that day. A noise had disturbed her sleep and she sat up in bed, searching the darkness. Only her two little cousins, Freddy and Edith, were in the room sleeping soundly on a cot nearby.

The demons, savage and hellish, appeared from the shadows, attacking her family while they lay in their beds. Hannah managed to scramble, unhurt, through the blood and gore to the cellar under the kitchen floor. She hid beneath the canning shelves with her hands clamped over her ears trying to deafen the screams of her family and the growls of the demons. She stifled her own sobs, terrified that she’d be discovered.

Before her escape she’d seen one of the demon’s faces—a slightly aquiline nose with full lips drawn tight over sharp, bloodied teeth. Its hard black eyes had darkened to an awful red color in their sockets.

She sucked in a sharp breath. She was holding a photograph of one the Dissenters who had murdered her family. She'd searched over the years, but hadn’t been able to catch a solid lead on the pocket of feral vampires that had stolen them from her. Now only one man stood in the way of her revenge.

Hannah would have to make the trip to Oklahoma City and face the man who’d passed on this curse to her, tying himself to her in blood. Forever.

Order of Terminus 3: Blood Mercy (Erotic Contemporary Paranormal)

2010-02-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/bloodmercy.htm

$3.99

Here it is, the third release in my hot new vampire series at Cobblestone Press--Order of Terminus 3: Blood Mercy. Leave a comment with your email address for your chance to win a free PDF download of Blood Mercy (must be at least 18 to enter!) Winner will be chosen at random and announced March 3rd!

Blood Mercy is a follow up to my last release Blood Desires where we first meet the sexy identical twins Remann and Aiden. This can be read as a stand alone, though I recommend reading Blood Desires as well ;;)

Olivia Starke
Erotic Suspense With A Paranormal Twist
http://www.oliviastarke.webs.com/

Blurb
Valerie McIntyre lived a life of strict control, as a Hunter in the Order of Terminus it was a necessity. Life had left her hard and rough around the edges, which suited Valerie just fine until she meets an intriguing vampire during a hunt.

Remann is devastating in both looks and charm, and leaves Valerie feeling vulnerable and burning with lust. As their passion explodes Valerie learns something about Remann that leaves her with a difficult decision--does she trust her heart or turn against her incredibly sexy vampire with the mismatched eyes?

Excerpt
“F-- this.”

Her Source had said the abandoned warehouse was home to two Dissenters, feral vampires who threatened to expose the existence of vampires. As a Hunter in the Order of Terminus, it was Valerie McIntyre’s job to destroy Dissenters and evidence of their activities. Two bad guys were no problem for Valerie—she had highly honed fighting skills.

Now five rather rabid-looking vampires had her cornered and concerned, one of whom was her usually reliable Source.

“Come on now, Sam, what is this?” Valerie asked as her back came up against the dusty brick wall. Her hands out at her sides, she tried to reason with her Source.

“I got me some better friends, Val. That’s all, nothin’ personal to ya,” Sam said before drawing his lips back over sharp, extended canines. A low hiss escaped his throat, and the other four joined in. Reflexively, Valerie growled, baring her own sharp canines in a threat as the group closed in.

“F-- me,” Valerie muttered as she worked the situation over in her mind. Before she’d been changed she’d served in the Army infantry during Desert Storm. Of course she’d never seen real combat because of the fact she had a vagina, but she knew a thing or two about tight spots. Five large, male, feral vampires against her five foot ten toned physique couldn’t be too bad of odds.

Right?

A menacing growl escaped her throat as she sized up each of her opponents. All looked to be street thugs, though at one time they could’ve been accountants or the local mailman. They were the suspected culprits behind several vicious murders of humans in the area. And they had another murder planned for that evening—but Valerie had no intentions of being a helpless victim.

Fight to the death; it was what vampires did. The virus coursing within her blood demanded life, and it would drive her to battle until the bitter end. Valerie’s inherent nature expected the same.

“Okay, you Dissenter S.O.B.s, let’s play.”

Sam gave her a snarling smile just as a male flanking him lunged.
* * * * *
Remann decided to take a detour to the old warehouse he’d added to his collection of commercial investments. It was just after one in the morning, but vampires didn’t sleep, and he had nothing else planned for the evening. The old building was in an area of downtown Houston, Texas, that the city hoped to bring back to life. Remann and his brother Aiden often invested in such places and turned them into nightclubs. This was a solo venture, as he hadn’t spoken with his twin in nearly a year.

Remann’s cell phone began to buzz. Glancing down, he saw that it was Aiden. His brother’s calls came weekly now, but Remann couldn’t bring himself to speak to him. Remann had lost his heart to a woman who’d chosen Aiden instead of himself. It was a hard blow to both his heart and his ego. He’d always had a collection of women, particularly Feeders—humans who’d offer their blood to him in exchange for a tidy monetary compensation.

Aiden, on the other hand, had kept to himself for the most part. And now he had Kate. A bitter taste in his throat had Remann swallowing hard. After parking outside a small side door, he hopped out of his Mercedes SUV, cringing at the oppressive humidity of the May evening. He twirled the key between his fingers, but before he could slip it into the lock, he realized the door had been jimmied open. Frowning, he closed his eyes and listened. A muffled snarl drifted to him from somewhere inside the warehouse. Remann tensed.

“Damn it,” he said as he pushed the door open.
* * * * *
The male’s large frame came toward her in a flash of speed. Valerie whipped out the long steel spike she had tucked in her waistband. She shot out a leg, tripping the vampire as he sidestepped her weapon. She grabbed the male’s shirt and plunged the spike into the beast’s heart. Valerie jerked the weapon back as the vampire dropped before her. Sucking in hard breaths, she eyed the four remaining Dissenters, who now seemed undecided after her rapid takedown of their cohort.

She wiped the spike against the leg of her jeans as she gave the group her most malevolent smile. Cocking her head, she began twirling the deadly weapon nimbly in her hand.

“Well?”

The Dissenters looked amongst themselves as Valerie steadied her breathing, centering herself. In the movies bad guys always go after the hero one by one.

Of course, this was real life.

All four vampires rushed forward.

“Excuse the interruption, but you are trespassing on private property.”

The Dissenters threw on the brakes and whirled as a unit at the deep male voice. Valerie’s head snapped up, and she was rather startled by the man who stood across the dingy room. Her vampiric senses told her he was a fellow vampire, and a tall one at that. Broad shouldered and muscular beneath tan slacks and a tailored white shirt, he was rolling up his sleeves over large, sinewy forearms as he casually strode toward them. Valerie held her breath.

“Do tell me that the four of you were not about to attack that woman. I find that highly distasteful.”

The vampire beamed a broad white smile, and Valerie watched as his canines lengthened.

He had to be at least six foot four, Valerie decided as he came to a stop several feet from the group. He met her eyes, and Valerie’s mouth fell open. His right eye was a dark brown and the left a pale blue. Still beaming his open smile, he squared his shoulders and placed his hands on his hips.

“May I be of service?”

Though her life was hanging by a thread, a shiver of awareness rushed over her skin. He was all male, all powerful and commanding despite his relaxed air. Valerie swallowed, gripping her spike tighter.

A growl issued from one of the Dissenters.

“This is none of your business.”

The stranger’s eyes never left her face as he answered.

“I’m afraid you are wrong, my friend. I was born in an era of chivalry, and I simply cannot condone the abuse of a young woman.”

His odd, intense gaze moved to the vampire who’d spoken. His smile began fading as he drew his lips back in a more open threat. His white teeth gleamed in the dull light created by the moonlight streaming through the dirty barred windows.

“I sincerely hope you’ll understand.”

Valerie’s heartbeat was ringing in her ears. The stale, humid air seemed to be closing tighter around her, and sweat streamed down between her breasts.

Two of the feral vampires rushed the stranger. With little effort, he pitched them to the side like the bags of garbage they were. Wasting no time Valerie grabbed her Source, Sam, and before he could react she plunged the spike into his chest. Dropping him, she moved to a defensive position as the remaining Dissenter rushed her. A powerful arm came around the male’s throat, yanking him backward. Valerie jumped forward, thrusting her spike into the vampire’s heart. The two others, who had recovered from being tossed aside, were quick kills as well.

The smell of vampire and blood mingled with the musty odor of the deserted building. Valerie eyed her champion warily.

“My brother is a Hunter as well. My name is Remann.” The vampire bowed deeply before adjusting his shirt. Several buttons had popped off, leaving his broad, muscular chest exposed. The perfect amount of dark hair dusted over his dark olive skin.

“I’m Valerie. I had things in control.” Valerie cringed inwardly at the abruptness in her voice. She was still amped over the fight, and the virility of the man before her put her further on edge.

Remann laughed. It was a rich, throaty sound that bounced off the walls within the empty space.

“I have no doubt about that,” he said. His odd eyes were twinkling, and Valerie felt her face flush.

“Well, since you’re here, I guess I won’t burn the place down to cover my tracks,” she said, leaving a question in her voice.

Still smiling, Remann cocked his head to the side.

“I would rather you not, beautiful.”

Flushing to an even deeper shade, Valerie made for the door.

“Fine, I’ll be right back.” She let out a hard breath.

Congratulations!

2010-02-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Tracey D. the winner of a free download of Order of Terminus: Blood Desires. I also want to send a special thank you for all the wonderful authors who made my week long (okay nearly two weeks) Valentine's Week Blog Blast such a great event. I loved meeting all the new faces!

This Friday the next release in my exciting new erotic vampire series Order of Terminus will be available at Cobblestone Press! Stay tuned as I'm planning another give-away contest :)

Love and Warm Regards to Everyone...

Olivia

Kari Thomas (Contemporary)

2010-02-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

All Proceeds from the sale of this title through the month of February will benefit the American Heart Association

'Why do you write and what are your inspirations?'

I think I must have been born a writer. I wanted to read and write by the time I was able to hold a crayon. So my mother taught me before I even started school. And, I became an instant Book-a-holic by the time I realized what books were! There just wasn't another path for me to take; I HAD to be a writer. I wrote my first full length book of over 300 pages by age twelve, and then went on to write more. I love being in the world (s) of my characters, and can't think of another career that would bring me as much enjoyment as being a writer does. My Inspiration comes from Life itself: of all the possibilities that can be, simply by creating them on paper. To date, I have Six books and three Shorts published.

Blurb: One night of passion could cost her life…

A single night of unforgettably passionate sex with a stranger, comes back to haunt Caron Sainte weeks later when she finally realizes she can no longer run from her dangerous past.

Excerpt: Before she could stand, a large figure stopped at her booth, blocking the light from the bar. Caron held back her gasp. For one brief moment her scarred memories made her think it was Ben standing there, that just her thoughts alone had summoned him.

No. Ben was dead. She was alive. She had to remember that.

“May I join you?”
A sudden hard shiver of odd anticipation swamped all her senses at the man’s deep, husky voice. Instant erotic visions of hot silk, tangled sheets and bodies bombarded her mind and immediately pushed away the morbid thoughts of Ben. The ferocity of the thoughts and how quickly her body had responded shocked her. Was this what the beginning of a game of seduction felt like?

She cleared her throat. Let the game begin. She moved back into the middle of the booth and forced her screaming nerves to calm. She tried to sound sexy as she answered softly,

“Yes, please do.” This is it. There’s no turning back now.

The Buy Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-holdontothenight-402747-148.html

I would love to give away a Free PDF copy to one lucky winner! If you have purchased one of my other books, send me the title, and your opinion/review of it. Too, I will publish your comments if you give me permission. Visit my site: http://www.authorkari.com/

hugs,

Kari

HOT PARANORMAL ROMANCES!

Kari Thomas http://www.authorkari.com/ ; Wildest hearts reign among the Heroes and Heroines of these books! When THE PREY FOR THE WOLF falls into TEMPTATION UNLEASHED and tempts the HUNTED MATE into SEDUCING THE HERO all for HER HEART HIS SOUL, they all fall UNDER A SHIFTERS MOON!

Destiny Blaine (Contemporary Erotic)

2010-02-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

Why do you write? What are your inspirations?

Great questions Olivia. I’m not sure I can answer that in one paragraph but to sum it up—I love to take ideas and turn them into a novella or novel others can read and enjoy. It’s rewarding to do what I love and earn an income at the same time.

Music provides a lot of inspiration, but I find a lot of ideas for my books just by paying attention to everything around me. It helps that I’ve lived a full life and have some familiarity with the topics included in many of my plots.

Damaged Goods (Coming to Siren Publishing on Thursday, February 25, 2010)
http://www.sirenpublishing.com/destinyblaine/

Blurb:
Book 4 in the Sports Wives Series
Marco Giovanni is a rookie football player with a bright career. Suzy Illiani has a reputation for sleeping around with football superstars. Suzy's no-strings-attached relationships work well until she arranges a manipulated meeting with a young athlete set for evaluation of an open QB position in Dallas. But when Marco arrives at Suzy's home, he proves he isn't green in all areas of the playing field. In fact, he's prepared to show Suzy just how well he can play the player and win at any cost.

Would you like to win a free e-book today? If so, post a comment Sunday, February 21, 2010 between 12:01 PM and 6 PM EST. Then, drop a line to destinyblaine@yahoo.com with BLOG COMMENT in the subject line. I’ll send you a short list of free reading choices and after you choose your free selection, watch for the e-book you’ve chosen because it should arrive in your in-box later today!

Lakisha Spletzer (Sci-Fi Romance)

2010-02-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

'Why do you write and what are your inspirations?'

I write because the adventures and characters I hear inside my head would drive me crazy. I've always been creative, even as child, but I tended to do more oral storytelling than writing. After the age of 8, I started putting pencil to paper and I haven't looked back yet.

My inspirations come from my life experiences, my children, my family, the places I've worked, other people's stories, and music which often gives me some crazy characters and scenes.

Jewels

Blurb: Special Lieutenant Jewels Enbran, a human telepath unable to shield her mind from thoughts, uses telepathic anchors who protect her vulnerable mind. Her current anchor, Colonel Jeremy Lingley, is nearing burnout. An alien race is seeking an alliance with Earth and the pair are assigned the mission of discovering the aliens' secrets.

Crown Prince Dex LoudRoar is a Gatoan warrior and a royal with a terrible secret. His people wage a constant war against their enemy, the Lupinious empire. But the tide of battle is turning and his people seek help from a new source: the humans of Earth.

With an interstellar war looming, Jewels and Dex seek salvation for their planets and find their destinies changed forever.

Excerpt: Jewels laughed bitterly and choked down a sob. “Minimize stress? You sound so clinical! At this moment, I despise you, Colonel!”

“Jewels!” she heard him shout, but she ran from the med-center.

She tried to stop the tears of hurt from falling and failed. A tightness formed in Jewels' chest. Always before, her anchors had been eager to leave when the breakdown started. Jeremy knew what to expect, what signs to look for. Why did he wait so long?

“Stupid, Colonel,” she muttered and slowed to a walk. She angrily wiped away her tears. She had to get a grip. She had to be strong during the Choosing.

::Do you always have to be?::

Jewels froze. She knew that voice! She glanced about for Dex.

::Little human, do not fear me. I came to apologize.::

::Apologize?:: Jewels was confused. What did he need to apologize for? She felt his amused chuckle tickle her mind and it stirred her heart.

::You are indeed very fascinating. Look behind you, little human.::

Jewels heard his steps. Dare she turn and stare into those emerald green eyes? Eyes that promised her things that were denied her. Why him, why now?

His scent teased her nose and the air whooshed from her lungs. She had to see. She did a slow turn and stilled. Today Dex wore something similar to a Scottish kilt. It did nothing to calm her racing thoughts. His muscles were defined and powerful. His fur begged to be stroked and rubbed against.

“Oh,” Jewels whispered, embarrassed that she was ogling the Crown Prince of the Gatoan Empire. She couldn't seem to stop herself.

Dex's eyes glinted with mischief and other things. This female was different from any other. So fragile, yet he'd seen her soul and knew her purity. He was fixated on her.

“Am I pleasing to you?” He surprised himself, and her, by asking. But it was true. Dex had to know.

Jewels gulped and managed a breathy, “Yes.”

Dex grinned and moved closer. “I want to touch your...skin. So different from fur.”

“Yes,” Jewels agreed, her mouth dry. She wanted to touch him, too, and bury her face into his fur.

“Little human, you are unique.” He touched his paws to her face and felt a slight shock at the contact. He ignored it and enjoyed the smoothness of her skin.

His touch was electric, literally. She felt the jolt and then everything went quiet in her mind. An inner voice warned her that they needed to stop, but Jewels wasn't listening.

“Dex.” She raised a hand to touch him and paused, uncertain if he would welcome it or not.

To win a free autographed copy of my book please email me at author@kishazworld.com be sure to include Jewels-Contest in heading so it won't be deleted as spam! Thanks!

Sandra Cox (Young Adult)

2010-02-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

YouTube Trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALCRI5F_iaA&feature=email

Hi Olivia Thanks for having me.

As far as why I write and what are my aspirations.
Like most authors, I don't think there are any other options. Its part of us, something we have to do.
As far as my expections: to continue to develop as a writer and to grow my reader base.

Contest: To enter the random drawing for a PDF download of Vampire Island, please leave a comment and send an email to sandracox1@gmail.com with Drawing in the header.

Blurb:

My name is Zoe Tempest. Just let me say here, I never had any intention of becoming a vampire hunter. My world revolved around the trendiest clothes, the boy of the week, shopping, and texting.My life was as close to perfect as a seventeen year old can get. I had everything. Then my parents were murdered and my world came crashing down. After their funeral, I went to live with my uncle, Julian Kilmer. That is when everything changed in a manner more terrifying than anything I could have imagined.’

Exceprt:

Chapter One

“Don’t go out after dark.”

“You’re joking right?” I said the first thing that came into my head then heaved a sigh from deep in my flat, toned belly. In the short twenty-some odd hours I’d known him, the dark brooding man standing in front of me had never cracked a smile let alone joked. Too bad, for an older man—he’s thirty-seven if he’s a day—Uncle Julian is a bit of a hottie…in an intense sort of way. His olive-colored skin stretches tight across high cheek bones. His thin nose reminds me of a predatory hawk.

I really couldn’t say a thing about his eyes. I’d never seen them. He invariably wore dark glasses.

“I never joke.”

There’s a news flash.

We stood in the dark gloomy hall of his mansion. As thunder boomed, the lights flickered. Moment’s later a streak of white lightning, visible through the long narrow window, hit nearby. The floor shook. Outside something screamed in the night. Though the room felt hot and stuffy, goose bumps roughened my skin. I rubbed my arms.

He leaned toward me. His shadow loomed menacingly across the floor engulfing me in black.

Before I could stop myself, I took a hasty step back and bumped against the door. The cool knob pressed into my back. He might be my uncle, but he was a stranger and a scary one at that.

With his index finger, he pulled down the sunglasses and looked over them. I gasped. His eyes were the same distinctive cobalt as my own. But where my eyes only added to my Barbie doll appearance, his sucked you in like a vortex. As if he could suction every thought right out of your head just by looking at you.

Get a grip, Zoe.

A trace of unease flickered across his face. “You aren’t sick are you?”

“No. What makes you think that?”

“You’re white as a sheet. Goose bumps are standing up on your arms like a plucked turkey.”

Being a vegetarian, the mental image wasn’t exactly a pleasant one.

I gathered my courage and asked “Why can’t I go out?”

“Because I said so.”

I barely refrained from rolling my eyes.

He shifted his weight, his expression impatient.

The silence stretched between us.

Cold clammy beads of sweat trickled between my shoulder blades. I twitched my shoulders.

“Well?” I demanded fisting my hands on my hips.

“Because it’s dangerous,” he said curtly.

“What do you mean?”

He raised a black slashed eyebrow. “What about dangerous don’t you understand?”

I watched his gaze travel over my hot pink top and short white skirt. When his glance came to rest on my manicured toenails visible in my pink polka dot sandals with rhinestone bows, he shook his head his expression dismissive.

I shouldn’t have let it bother me. I was used to being looked at like an empty headed blonde who’s only thought was her wardrobe. I even encouraged it. But it hurt coming from family. If he’d been around while I was growing up, he’d have known better.
“This is the Bahamas . How dangerous can it be?” I challenged, straightening my shoulders and lifting my chin. Why should I care what this man thinks of me?

“This is a remote, unknown, island in the Bahamas .” He flicked an imaginary piece of lint off his black silk shirt.

“Does this remote island have a name?”

His cobalt gaze locked with mine. The deep black flecks in them flickered like crashing tidal waves.
“ Vampire Island .”

Buy now link: http://www.classactbooks.com/Vampire-Island-by-Sandra-Coxp156.html

All the best,

Sandra Cox
Flower Power, jupitergardens.com
http://www.sandracox1.com/
http://downtownya.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sandra1c
http://sandracox.blogspot.com/

Lyric James (Contemporary Erotic)

2010-02-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

“Why do you write and what are your inspirations?”

I don’t know if I can really answer that question. I just know that I have to. I don’t think I can say that I’ve “always” wanted to write…that it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid, but I do know it’s something that started brewing inside me as I matured and then I just couldn’t help myself. I had to do it. I enjoy it. It completes me…and I know that might sound corny but it’s truly how I feel. If I didn’t write…the stories in my head would drive me crazy for one. Second...a part of me wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t do it. What inspires me? Everything! Big things, little things, insignificant things. I find inspiration everywhere! The world is full of limitless possibilities to write about. 

Have you ever wished for a sensual massage…?

Blurb: Welcome to The Pleasure Club, where fantasy becomes reality.

Lynae Moore wants to open her own day spa, but before she does, she wants to add one more certification to her repertoire…becoming a massage therapist. Thanks to her sister, The Pleasure Club has found her the perfect Pleasure Master to introduce her to the sensual and erotic art only a masseuse's touch can bring. The moment his hands slide over her skin, Lynae is sucked into her fantasy. At once she realizes what better way to get a little hands on experience than under his erotic caress.

Excerpt:

Lynae looked down at the clock on her dashboard. Eight fifty-eight.

It was now or never.

She climbed out of the car, locked the door, and took a few tentative steps toward the front door.

What the hell am I doing?

She'd chastised her sister for doing exactly what she was about to do, but she couldn't stop the erotic tingle that spread up her spine with each step she took. Lynae reached the door and paused. Was she supposed to knock? Ring the doorbell? She turned around and walked back to the sidewalk, but stopped.

Don't be a chicken shit, she heard her sister say in her head.

She smiled and turned around. She could do this. She would do this.

Back at the door, she pulled the handle and found it was already open. She stepped inside. Soft music wafted over her as she took in her surroundings. Plush white chairs sat in several groupings around the huge lobby. She'd bet money that the rug she stood on was authentic Persian. Paintings of serene landscapes hung on the walls, and several plants were interspersed all throughout the area, as well as lit, white, taper-thin candles. A mahogany check-in desk with a white marble top sat against the back wall.

Moving forward, she saw a room off to the right with several manicurist chairs on one side and pedicure stations on the other. To the left on both sides of the room were stylist stations. Lynae was about to venture further down a hallway when the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen in her life walked out of the office behind the check-in desk.

She only saw him above the waist, but what she did see made her breath stall in her chest. Her breasts began to tingle, along with the rest of her.

He smiled. "Good evening, Ms. Moore. Welcome to Pamper You."

He had perfect, straight white teeth, an enigmatic smile, and expertly cut short, wavy blond hair. She couldn't tell what color his eyes were because of the dim candlelight. He wore a white jacket like the one she used to wear at her old salon, except he wore no shirt underneath.

Muscles.

Muscles on top of muscles rippled down his chest, disappearing behind the desk. Damn, she wanted to see the rest.

"My name is Jared, and I'll be your masseur for the evening."

Lynae sent a silent "thank you" to her sister and promised herself she would send her a dozen roses first thing Monday morning.

Jared stepped from around the corner, and she was rewarded with the sight of the rest of him.

My, my, my.

"Please follow me." He turned to walk down the hallway beside the desk, and she followed, enjoying the view. A pair of white pants encased his legs, matching his jacket. She couldn't wait to see what he looked like without any clothes.

Maybe this was a good idea after all.

************ ********

Available NOW from Cobblestone Press

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/masseur.htm

Lyric James

http://www.lyricjamesbooks.net/

Everyone who enters the contest will receive a free PDF copy of First Night - 10 sweet New Year's Eve stories spanning the world on one special night. One grand prize winner will receive a free PDF of The Masseur. Email me at... lyric_james@sbcglobal.net with RTB in the subject line to enter. I'll draw the winner on Friday morning.

Lara Zielinsky (F/F Contemporary)

2010-02-16T21:01:00.000-08:00

"Why do you write and what are your inspirations?"

I am such a huge romantic. I've been reading romances since I was a young teen. I discovered my own pen created stories at about the same time. back then they were sword-wielding fantasies with magic and gods and goddesses, a little romance in the guise of fanfic. After a while I grew up and the writing for pleasure fell away, as I studied to earn a living. I never thought I could earn a living with the ramblings I hid away under my pillow at night. Even a few years into my marriage, I was still scribbling, and still hiding it. But then my husband found some of it, even the f/f content. And instead of condemning it as many others did, he encouraged me.

So truthfully my inspirations for my writing come from my family. With their support, I find the time to keep trying to get what's in my head into the computer, or onto paper, and finally push it out for the rest of the world to see. What is family, how do we love, and the bonds we all create as we try to become the selves we are meant to be are themes that flow through all of my writing. I'm addicted to writing. I have to write. I find any outlet I can. I have actually done the writing on napkins at restaurants thing. I am also very passionate about GLBT causes, and am bisexual myself, so my writing reflects this outlook.

As I said, I wrote fantasy and science fiction as a young writer, but for now my muse seems happiest writing contemporary or near-contemporary historicals (1940s). I do intend to write whatever comes to me though so the fact that a recent story I summarized in a writing session featured a bisexual shape-shifter with a lion (male) mate and a female (human) love interest didn't even make me bat an eyelash. I'll eventually write it too. I've published ten stories, between shorts, novellas, and novels, and I have a file full of at least a dozen more fully fleshed summaries like this one. So I'll be writing for quite a while longer. I'll probably have to hop all over the markets to have them published though, simply because my muse, like my sexuality I suppose, refuses to be limited by arbitrary notions of what I "should" write.

My personal website is http://www.lzfiction.net/

I host a radio show "Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction"

My latest release is To Love and To Cherish from loveyoudivine, in which I have author, editor, and cover art credit. Sales directly benefit Marriage Equality USA because marriage matters.

Excerpt:

"Well we missed each other last night." Jean averted her gaze shyly.

Tugging Jean into her crook of her left arm, Kennedy stroked the planes of her lover's face. “I'm sorry about that.”

“Did you catch him?”

“The surveillance was successful.”

“I didn't get a call to go to the hospital so can I assume no scratches?”

“You've just been thoroughly reintroducing yourself to my body,” Kennedy chuckled. “Find anything wrong?”

Jean's eyes darkened. Kennedy recognized the hurt with contrition.

“No. Listen. I'm sorry.” Kennedy pulled up Jean's right hand and kissed the knuckles one at a time. “I don't have any new scratches. In fact it was an exceptionally boring collar. The fifteen-year old only had a cap gun.”

The vivid hurt in Jean's pale blue eyes diminished only marginally. Clearly Kennedy had a longer stretch of bridge to mend. She thought quickly. “Listen. We can go out on the boat for the whole weekend.”

“A whole weekend?”

“Four days. You, me, and the open Gulf.”

“What about --?” Kennedy laid her fingers across Jean's lips.

“What good's my promotion if I can't take time off to be with my family?”

That brought the forgiving tears. “Family?” Jean choked softly.

“Well? Wanna be a McMasters?”

“How?”

“Canada's legalized marriage. Or if you'd rather, Massachusetts is closer.”

“Now?”

“Well, we don't have to go up to the frozen north today, but...” Kennedy smiled. “Dad'll want to come along anyway.”

“You've talked to your father about this?”

Here's the giveaway details:

Email me at contest@lzfiction.net and I will draw one winner to get ONE of the three e-book volumes (your choice) of To Love and To Cherish. Deadline for entries is 11:59:59 pm, Sunday, February 21, 2010.

--

Lara Zielinsky

laraz@lzfiction.net
http://www.lzfiction.net/
Host of "Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction"
http://blogtalkradio.com/Lara-Zielinsky

Stephanie Beck (Contemporary Erotic)

2010-02-15T21:02:00.000-08:00

(Available April 19th from Lyrical Press http://www.lyricalpress.com/)

Blog: ”Because I want to”

First off, Happy Belated Valentine’s Day. Hope everyone is still recovering from chocolate and romance hangovers. Every Valentine’s Day since our five year old was born, my husband and I have made a family date to the Children’s Museum in Minneapolis. Now, we have two beautiful little girls we enjoy the day of romance with, topping it off with Happy Meals and ice cream cones.

With that loud, crazy event still fresh in my mind, I can answer Olivia’s first question: Why do you write? I write because I want to. I don’t give in to many other ‘wants’ I have for perfectly good reasons, most of those stemming from my two beautiful children. Writing is one indulgence I throw myself into without guilt. Before the past year, my stories have been a continuous habit in spiral notebooks. Then I figured, if I like them, someone else might as well, which is what led me to publication.

Olivia’s other question made me think. What inspires you? Lots of things inspire me, but my favorites are people watching and eves dropping. People are crazy, all of them. It doesn’t matter if they are in groups, alone, rich, poor, a thousand miles away or the lovely man or woman who has held your heart for years. Quirks and crazy are a binding factor in humanity and provide great ideas and jumping points in my writing. Another huge inspiration to me is the everyday sweetness the lovable crazies of the world perpetuate. It’s the itty bitty ways we celebrate love that really motivate me. The pleasure found in badly spelled love notes and burned pancakes can push me to write my next story. The possibility of creating one more ‘happily ever after’ is a driving force because a true romance ending leaves a smile on the readers face, and smiles and happy sighs are every romance writers true aspiration.

Stephanie Beck is a fulltime mom, part time writer and amateur speller. She loves knitting, reading, writing and baking when she isn’t busy with her two girls and husband. Her debut novel is a ménage romance about three naughty brothers and the woman they love. Poppy’s Passions is available April 19th, 2010 though Lyrical Press. Contact Steph at stephaniebeckauthor@gmail.com

Poppy’s Passions release date: April 19, 2010

Lyrical Press www.lyricalpress.com

BLURB:

Poppy Maguire is tired of being a loser. Emotionally neglected as a child, she wants to find the courage to leave her family and the job she hates. She desperately wants to make a change. Little does she realize how much of a change sexy brothers Cody, Michael and Trevor Paraby will bring to her life when the friendly shoulders they offer turn into so much more.

Comfort turns to passion and Poppy learns what life could be like in the arms of not one, but three men who love her. But what happens when the pink line on a pregnancy test doubles and

she’s expecting twins, courtesy of a Parabys?

The brothers blow her mind by offering her the family and love she’s always longed for. But do they realize what they’re in for? Cody is moving a little too fast, Michael may not be in for the long haul, and Trevor is a bit self-centered.

In order for Poppy to have the extraordinary love she fears she hasn't earned, everyone is going to have to do some growing. But can she break free from the bad seed of her abusive family and have the courage to bloom?

Excerpt:

Inside Cody, aggravation and desperation mixed to make anger bubble at her words. “Don’t tell me what I feel, Poppy. I’m a big boy, I know what you mean to me.”

“It might be love. I won’t say it’s not because I don’t really know what it’s supposed to feel like, but I need you to hold off saying it for at least a while longer.” She pulled out another cookie when his stomach growled loudly and offered it to him.

He took it hesitantly. “What do you mean, a while longer?”

“I mean it’s been thirteen days. We had an amazing week months ago but that’s not enough time. We’ve got a long way to go before the love stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I adore you and your brothers. Trevor made me feel bad yesterday but that wasn’t all him. I’m still learning to handle myself and the hormones—”

“You’re fine, darlin’. Put the blame where it’s supposed to be.”

“I don’t want to blame anyone.” She was getting louder as her aggravation grew.

“So, you don’t want any emotions?” He stopped himself. Anger wasn’t what he wanted and not what she needed. “Look. I don’t want to fight. You shouldn’t get worked up about anything right now. We can talk again tomorrow.”

She grabbed his arm when he tried to stand. He wished she wouldn’t. He needed to walk away before he said something stupid. Trevor had done enough, and Michael would kick both of their butts when he had to talk Poppy into staying. Again.

“Cody. I need to slow down. I don’t want to go backward or stop but I’m not ready for you to love me.” The tears in her eyes made him sit back down. “What if you do love me? What if I love you? Do I quit my job and move away from the only home I know? Do you really think I can do that after thirteen days? Even if I wanted to, it would be crazy.”

“Love makes people do crazy things.” He watched as she shook her head and wished he could change her mind, though he was beginning to understand they were expecting too much too fast.

“What you are offering is like…like eating too much chocolate. I love chocolate, but if I ate ten pounds I would probably vomit. I don’t want that to happen with us.”

“Love makes you vomit?”

“Love makes me nervous.”

He relaxed at her admission. He could understand needing some time and having nerves.

“I’ve never had it, Cody. My family requires something for the love and affection they pass my way. What have I done to deserve this wonderful gift you’re giving me? I’m still working on this crappy need I have to deserve your love. I’m trying and it’s getting better, but please, be patient.”

Her time with them had helped her gain weight, but he had no problem lifting her across the cushions to his lap. Relief flooded him. She didn’t want to leave. They kept screwing up, but she continued to forgive. She was better than she thought at the love thing, but time was something they had.

“Well, I don’t want you to throw up my good love.”

She snorted against his neck and looped her arms around his shoulders in a loose hug. “I would hate to do that to your good love. Seems wasteful.”

Stephanie Beck

http://www.stephaniebeck.net/ (Visit my website for free short reads from my popular Freak Sorority Series!)

Amber Skyze (M/M Contemporary)

2010-02-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

Why do you write?

I write because I have to! There are voices in my head, demanding to be heard. I’m not crazy, I promise. LOL

Seriously though, something triggers an idea for a story and I begin to hear either the hero or heroine dictating the storyline and I have to get it down on paper. I’d be lost if I couldn’t write.

What are your inspirations?

I have so many. My husband, my friends, family, and fellow authors. Authors I grew up reading and a high school teacher. The list is very long.

Blurb:

Sam has secretly loved Ethan for as long as he could remember. Ethan can’t see beyond his love for their Ice Cream Shoppe Wild Lickins. To escape his desires for his best friend and business partner, Sam takes off for an overdue vacation. Coral Reef, an all male resort, promises a week of sex, sun and relaxation. It’s the perfect combination to help Sam clear his mind. What it doesn’t prepare Sam for is Jim.

Can a stranger help Sam forget about his lust for Ethan? Or is there more to the distraction than meets the eye?

Excerpt:

They rode for a good half hour before coming to a stop near an open expanse of land. From this view, you could see down over the resort. The white sands, the rolling waves, the dazzling colors—it was all spectacular.

After dismounting their horses, Jim wrapped an arm around Sam’s shoulder.

“Incredible isn’t it?”

“It is. I’m in awe.”

“I love it up here. Not that I don’t love it down there, because what’s not to love. But up here, we’re really alone. The only sounds are some exotic birds in the distance maybe an animal or two rustling in the bushes, but aside from that it’s relatively quiet.”

Sam agreed. He hadn’t heard any sounds other than their horses snorting every so often. A butterfly fluttered in front of them.

“Come on. I want to show you something.” Sam allowed Jim to take his hand and lead him off the beaten path. They left the horses behind secured to a tree.

“Where are we going?” Sam asked curiously. The thick brush scraped at his legs as Jim dragged him further and further from the trial.

“Not far. You’re going to love it I swear.”

Jim’s enthusiasm was hard to ignore and Sam didn’t believe he’d lead him astray. Whatever it was Jim definitely loved the idea of sharing it with him. Sam couldn’t help but wonder what he wanted to show him.

They walked out of the dense brush and into an open area. Sam did a double take when he saw the waterfall. The water cascaded a hundred feet into a swimming hole.

“Wow,” he said, standing there mesmerized. “Is it safe to swim?”

Sam didn’t wait for a response. He shed his clothes, ready to jump in and explore this wonderful spectacle.

“I don’t think it matters if I say no. You’re ready to go.” Jim laughed, pointing to Sam’s naked body.

“First one in is a…” Sam dove into the water. He came up refreshed from the cool water. “It’s not as warm as the ocean, but it feels good after being in the hot sun.”

He splashed water towards Jim. “Come on. What are you waiting for?”

Jim shucked off his clothes and did a cannonball into the water. “Oooh, it is a bit colder.” He swam over to Sam. “Maybe you can warm me up?”

I'll be happy to give away a copy from my backlist. If the winner is interested in a copy of Wild Lickins they will have to wait until I get my author copies. Contact me at amberskyze@gmail.com for your chance to win!

Amber Skyze
http://amberskyze.blogspot.com
http://sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com
http://goddessesofstorytelling.blogspot.com

Order of Terminus: Blood Desires (Contemporary Vampire Erotic)

2010-02-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Diary,

…P.S. to my last entry

I just got the call that I’m in! I have a meeting tonight with Remann and I’ll be offering myself to him. He is very picky about his Feeders, but it turns out I’m perfectly his type…type AB negative that is...

Kate Andrews pitched the diary next to where she sat on the bed. A painful lump had lodged in her throat. Hot tears stung her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. She’d read this last entry of her half-sister, Melanie’s diary perhaps a dozen times. Each time she tried to find some hidden clue to her nineteen-year-old sister’s whereabouts.

“Oh, Melly, where are you?” she asked the empty room. She rose from the bed and walked into the living room and found a can of goldfish food. Sprinkling a pinch in the aquarium, she watched the hungry goldfish gobble up the multi-colored flakes. Their scales caught the aquarium light and reflected it back in a metallic glimmer that danced over their little bodies. Their reflections twinkled on the surface of the water as they darted from flake to flake of food. After she watered a couple of ferns in the tiny apartment, Kate took another walk through the apartment Melanie rented.

Melanie James had gone missing three days before, the night of the last entry in her sister’s journal. Kate brushed away the tears staining her cheeks, licking the salty taste from her lips. Melanie had been an aspiring fashion model in Chicago with the looks and attitude to carry her into the business. Yet within six months after she’d started her career, she’d fallen into a gothic underworld, according to the journal. At thirty years of age, Kate was level-headed and didn’t hold much stock in the paranormal or supernatural. Vampires were just silly teenage crap as far as she was concerned. Her sister had fallen for it full heartedly and somewhere out there was living some crazy fantasy…Kate hoped anyway. The alternative was unthinkable.

The police hadn’t taken much of an interest in Melanie’s disappearance. They had assured Kate that her sister had fallen in with the ‘wrong crowd’ and probably drugs. They’d promised to keep an eye out for her on street corners much to Kate’s disgust and frustration. Melanie wasn’t the type to do drugs and certainly wouldn’t sell her body, though Kate worried what offering herself to this Remann meant. Her sister had always been adamant about saving herself for marriage, a reflection of their Baptist upbringing.

Later that evening in her own apartment, Kate studied Melanie’s diary. Most of its contents were the names and details on various vampires and people who called themselves Feeders. It revolted Kate as she read that these so called Feeders offered their blood to people who thought themselves vampires. The idea of all the communicable diseases these crazy people were exposing themselves to made her stomach roll, and she feared for Melanie’s safety.

Kate shuddered. She hated the sight of blood.

The phone rang and Kate answered.

“Any news?”

“No, Mom, I’m sorry. The cops haven’t found anything new, but they tell me they’re investigating anything that comes their way.” Kate hated lying, but with her mother’s heart problems she wanted to lessen whatever stress she could.

“Well, Danny and I are having a prayer circle at church tomorrow night. We really wish you’d come,” her mother said. Her mom and stepdad lived in St. Louis, Missouri, a few hours away.

“No, Mom, it’s best if I stay here in case something should come up,” Kate said. She didn’t want to face a church full of pitying and judgmental faces. “I want to nose around on my own, too.”

“Kathryn, now be careful. We don’t know what we’d do if something happened to you.” Her mom’s tight voice broke into a sob.
“It’s okay, just got a couple of Melanie’s friends I’m going to question. I’m a newspaper reporter remember? I know what to do,” Kate said.

Her mother let out a sigh. “Okay, honey, be careful. We love you.”

“I love you, too. Give Danny my love.” Kate hung up the phone and paced her apartment. She felt trapped within its confines. She grabbed her running shoes from the bedroom floor and went out for a brisk run.

* * * * *

Aiden sat on the sidelines and watched his brother, Remann, bask in the attention of several human women. Aiden’s drink, blood from a donor agency mixed with an expensive scotch, twirled untouched in his hands. His leg bounced up and down as Remann lifted a wrist from a tall waifish girl to his lips. He bit into the pale delicate flesh, and the young woman went limp.

Feeders, Aiden thought in disgust, shaking his head. Humans are so naïve.
His twin brother’s habits had always been questionable to Aiden. They’d both succumbed to the ravages of the Black Death in the Middle Ages. A vampiress, taking advantage of the abundant prey plague victims offered, found the identical twin brothers a novelty. After changing them, she’d taken them under her wing for several centuries. Unfortunately, she’d found herself tied to a burning stake in the sixteen hundreds.

Remann lifted his mouth from the waif’s offered arm, his eyes deepening to a darkened red. He smiled at Aiden, his white teeth smeared with blood.
“You should try her, my brother,” Remann said. “She is still a virgin. A nineteen-year-old and a virgin in this century.” He shook his head in amusement as the young woman sank deeper into the cushions of the overstuffed couch. Her face was deathly pale, and Aiden wondered if Remann had feasted too much on the girl.

“Humans aren’t cattle, Remann.” Aiden rose from the recliner of soft black lambskin. He downed his drink in a single swallow and left his brother to his Feeders. Remann’s deep chuckle followed him out of the room of the old mansion outside of Chicago.

Standing in his private quarters, Aiden stared out across Lake Michigan and absorbed the tranquility the water offered. Moonlight danced over its rippling surface mirroring the full moon perfectly. He stroked his hand down the smooth planes of his freshly shaven jaw and listened as several rooms away a woman gasped then laughed at something his brother had said.

Aiden and his brother had taken to vampirism differently. While Remann enjoyed the power, and used it to his advantage when it came to women, Aiden viewed it as something to control and respect. He had joined the Order of Terminus, an organization that protected both vampires and humans. From time to time feral vampires, known as Dissenters, would take residence in Chicago and the surrounding areas. As a Hunter it was Aiden’s job to destroy Dissenters to prevent them from exposing the existence of vampires. Dissenters had a nasty reputation of leaving bloody carnage in their wake.

The darkness beckoned him as it did all vampires, an instinct inherent with the virus that coursed within his blood. It was easier for their kind to take prey that was tucked safely in their beds. A victim’s deep slumber saved them energy and kept their attacks concealed. His cell phone rang and his irritation flared over the rude sound.

“Hey, gorgeous, you want to come out tonight?” a sultry female voice asked.

“Depends, what do you have in mind?” Aiden asked. His annoyance evaporated as his voice matched her provocative tone. Deidre was a tempting vampiress he’d met many decades before. She provided him with detached female companionship that suited him perfectly.

“Well I just received several pints of AB negative from my supplier. Why don’t you come over and indulge with me.” Deidre’s voice ended in a near purr and several illicit thoughts passed through Aiden’s mind. He grinned wickedly as he checked his image in the huge gilded antique mirror that dominated his quarters.

“I’ll be right out, don’t start without me.”

Deidre chuckled in a positively obscene manner

Jude Liebermann

2010-02-07T14:52:00.001-08:00

This week my guest is fellow Cobblestone author Jude Liebermann. I'm happy to have her here and I hope everyone will enjoy this blurb/excerpt from her release Painful Reflections.
Buy now link: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/painfulreflections.htm

"Why do you write and what are your inspirations?"
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first romance as a happy ending to one of my failed teenage relationships. Back then I wrote a lot from my own experiences, but as my writing matured so did I. I'm not really sure what my inspirations are now. An idea just comes to me, and I feel almost possessed while I'm writing it. It might be something I read in a book or saw in a movie, and I might wonder how differently it could have turned out. It's nothing concrete. I sometimes surprise myself with the ideas I write about, as if my muse wrote the story through me.

Blurb: Meg Garrett loses her husband, Kyle, on their honeymoon but returns every year to the place she last saw him. There she meets Todd, a man who sets her blood on fire, but how can she move on when she can still feel her husband?

She then finds out Kyle is still alive, and that Todd isn’t who she thought he was. Where has her husband been for the past four years, and why doesn’t he remember her? Meg must trust a man who has betrayed her to find out the truth behind the deception.

Excerpt: Chapter One

Mexico was hotter that year than ever before. Sweat drenched her clothes as Meg Garrett walked through the stuffy airport. She took a shuttle to the resort and checked in. Once she got everything situated in her room, she put on her bathing suit and sarong and headed to the beach.

She stood on the shore and looked up and down the deserted coast. It always amazed her how few people knew about the private cove. To most tourists, it looked as if the beach ended, but she had been courageous that fateful day four years earlier and had investigated. She could only reach it by navigating through cracks in the very large boulders along the shore, and she’d wondered several times during those long years if Kyle would have died had they stayed on the regular beach. She shook her head in dismay, realizing the futility of wondering about such things.

Finally turning her head to stare out at the waves crashing upon the shore, Meg watched the sun shimmer on the water as it undulated its way toward her. She always thought the ocean beautiful and had once enjoyed swimming in its depths. She used to like to test how long she could swim underwater before having to surface for air. That was then. She now knew how the beauty hid the dangers. The day it had almost claimed her life would be forever emblazoned in her mind. The memory liked to intrude, but she usually forced it back. That had been a horrible day, and she only allowed herself to think of it one week a year. That week was now.

A familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Well, here we are again.”

Meg gasped as she turned to face him. “Todd.” His name floated on her breath as she sighed her relief at seeing his tanned face.

He smiled but appeared a bit puzzled. “You look happy to see me.”

She stared up at the sky for a moment, taking a deep breath before meeting his gaze with a smile. “That’s because I am. I felt so bad how I acted last time that I was hoping to see you again to apologize.”

Todd chuckled. “There’s no need for that. I could see that you were sorry. You have a very expressive face.”

“Well, I still should have said it as well.”

He placed a towel beside her and sat upon it, inviting her to do the same. Not having thought to bring her own towel, she sat next to him. They both stared at the ocean for a moment, and she enjoyed the sounds of the waves. She took a deep breath, taking in the salt air and feeling the ocean breeze across her skin. Her fingers sifted through the sand at her side as she tried to think of what to say. Even though she wanted to see him again, his nearness made her a little nervous.

“Do you vacation here every year?” she finally asked him.

Todd shook his head. “I live here.”

“Really? You must come to this beach a lot, then.”

He shrugged with a smile. “Not really.”

Meg frowned. “Then why did you come back?” His intense expression made her blush. “You came back to see me?”

“Isn’t that why you told me you come back here every year?” he asked, teasing her.

She was pleased he remembered, and her cheeks flushed. “Not exactly, but I’m glad you’re here.”

Order of Terminus: Blood Desires (Contemporary Erotic Paranormal)

2010-02-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

It's here! The second release in my new vampire series at Cobblestone Press. Email me at OliviaStarke@ymail.com for a chance to win a free pdf download--winner will be chosen at random and announced Feb. 22 :) Be sure to put Contest in the header so you're not deleted as spam! (You must be at least 18 to enter)

Olivia Starke
www.OliviaStarke.webs.com

Buy now link:

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/blooddesires.htm

Order of Terminus: Blood Desires

Blurb
Kate Andrews' discovers the diary of her nineteen year old missing sister. When the police offer little help she decides to try to find the girl on her own.

The diary leads her to incredibly sexy identical twin brothers, Aiden and Remann, Remann being her prime suspect in her sister's disappearance. As she investigates, Kate finds herself falling helplessly under

Aiden's seductive spell even as Remann hopes to weave a spell of his own.

Excerpt
Monday the 27th

Dear Diary,

…P.S. to my last entry

I just got the call that I’m in! I have a meeting tonight with Remann and I’ll be offering myself to him. He is very picky about his Feeders, but it turns out I’m perfectly his type…type AB negative that is...

Kate Andrews pitched the diary next to where she sat on the bed. A painful lump had lodged in her throat. Hot tears stung her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. She’d read this last entry of her half-sister, Melanie’s diary perhaps a dozen times. Each time she tried to find some hidden clue to her nineteen-year-old sister’s whereabouts.

“Oh, Melly, where are you?” she asked the empty room. She rose from the bed and walked into the living room and found a can of goldfish food. Sprinkling a pinch in the aquarium, she watched the hungry goldfish gobble up the multi-colored flakes. Their scales caught the aquarium light and reflected it back in a metallic glimmer that danced over their little bodies. Their reflections twinkled on the surface of the water as they darted from flake to flake of food. After she watered a couple of ferns in the tiny apartment, Kate took another walk through the apartment Melanie rented.

Melanie James had gone missing three days before, the night of the last entry in her sister’s journal. Kate brushed away the tears staining her cheeks, licking the salty taste from her lips. Melanie had been an aspiring fashion model in Chicago with the looks and attitude to carry her into the business. Yet within six months after she’d started her career, she’d fallen into a gothic underworld, according to the journal. At thirty years of age, Kate was level-headed and didn’t hold much stock in the paranormal or supernatural. Vampires were just silly teenage crap as far as she was concerned. Her sister had fallen for it full heartedly and somewhere out there was living some crazy fantasy…Kate hoped anyway. The alternative was unthinkable.

The police hadn’t taken much of an interest in Melanie’s disappearance. They had assured Kate that her sister had fallen in with the ‘wrong crowd’ and probably drugs. They’d promised to keep an eye out for her on street corners much to Kate’s disgust and frustration. Melanie wasn’t the type to do drugs and certainly wouldn’t sell her body, though Kate worried what offering herself to this Remann meant. Her sister had always been adamant about saving herself for marriage, a reflection of their Baptist upbringing.

Later that evening in her own apartment, Kate studied Melanie’s diary. Most of its contents were the names and details on various vampires and people who called themselves Feeders. It revolted Kate as she read that these so called Feeders offered their blood to people who thought themselves vampires. The idea of all the communicable diseases these crazy people were exposing themselves to made her stomach roll, and she feared for Melanie’s safety.

Kate shuddered. She hated the sight of blood.

The phone rang and Kate answered.

“Any news?”

“No, Mom, I’m sorry. The cops haven’t found anything new, but they tell me they’re investigating anything that comes their way.” Kate hated lying, but with her mother’s heart problems she wanted to lessen whatever stress she could.

“Well, Danny and I are having a prayer circle at church tomorrow night. We really wish you’d come,” her mother said. Her mom and stepdad lived in St. Louis, Missouri, a few hours away.

“No, Mom, it’s best if I stay here in case something should come up,” Kate said. She didn’t want to face a church full of pitying and judgmental faces. “I want to nose around on my own, too.”

“Kathryn, now be careful. We don’t know what we’d do if something happened to you.” Her mom’s tight voice broke into a sob.

“It’s okay, just got a couple of Melanie’s friends I’m going to question. I’m a newspaper reporter remember? I know what to do,” Kate said.

Her mother let out a sigh. “Okay, honey, be careful. We love you.”

“I love you, too. Give Danny my love.” Kate hung up the phone and paced her apartment. She felt trapped within its confines. She grabbed her running shoes from the bedroom floor and went out for a brisk run.

* * * * *

Aiden sat on the sidelines and watched his brother, Remann, bask in the attention of several human women. Aiden’s drink, blood from a donor agency mixed with an expensive scotch, twirled untouched in his hands. His leg bounced up and down as Remann lifted a wrist from a tall waifish girl to his lips. He bit into the pale delicate flesh, and the young woman went limp.

Feeders, Aiden thought in disgust, shaking his head. Humans are so naïve.

His twin brother’s habits had always been questionable to Aiden. They’d both succumbed to the ravages of the Black Death in the Middle Ages. A vampiress, taking advantage of the abundant prey plague victims offered, found the identical twin brothers a novelty. After changing them, she’d taken them under her wing for several centuries. Unfortunately, she’d found herself tied to a burning stake in the sixteen hundreds.

Remann lifted his mouth from the waif’s offered arm, his eyes deepening to a darkened red. He smiled at Aiden, his white teeth smeared with blood.

“You should try her, my brother,” Remann said. “She is still a virgin. A nineteen-year-old and a virgin in this century.” He shook his head in amusement as the young woman sank deeper into the cushions of the overstuffed couch. Her face was deathly pale, and Aiden wondered if Remann had feasted too much on the girl.

“Humans aren’t cattle, Remann.” Aiden rose from the recliner of soft black lambskin. He downed his drink in a single swallow and left his brother to his Feeders. Remann’s deep chuckle followed him out of the room of the old mansion outside of Chicago.

Standing in his private quarters, Aiden stared out across Lake Michigan and absorbed the tranquility the water offered. Moonlight danced over its rippling surface mirroring the full moon perfectly. He stroked his hand down the smooth planes of his freshly shaven jaw and listened as several rooms away a woman gasped then laughed at something his brother had said.

Aiden and his brother had taken to vampirism differently. While Remann enjoyed the power, and used it to his advantage when it came to women, Aiden viewed it as something to control and respect. He had joined the Order of Terminus, an organization that protected both vampires and humans. From time to time feral vampires, known as Dissenters, would take residence in Chicago and the surrounding areas. As a Hunter it was Aiden’s job to destroy Dissenters to prevent them from exposing the existence of vampires. Dissenters had a nasty reputation of leaving bloody carnage in their wake.

The darkness beckoned him as it did all vampires, an instinct inherent with the virus that coursed within his blood. It was easier for their kind to take prey that was tucked safely in their beds. A victim’s deep slumber saved them energy and kept their attacks concealed. His cell phone rang and his irritation flared over the rude sound.

“Hey, gorgeous, you want to come out tonight?” a sultry female voice asked.

“Depends, what do you have in mind?” Aiden asked. His annoyance evaporated as his voice matched her provocative tone. Deidre was a tempting vampiress he’d met many decades before. She provided him with detached female companionship that suited him perfectly.

“Well I just received several pints of AB negative from my supplier. Why don’t you come over and indulge with me.” Deidre’s voice ended in a near purr and several illicit thoughts passed through Aiden’s mind. He grinned wickedly as he checked his image in the huge gilded antique mirror that dominated his quarters.

“I’ll be right out, don’t start without me.”

Deidre chuckled in a positively obscene manner.

Dominique Eastwick

2010-01-24T19:08:00.000-08:00

This week I welcome the lovely Dominique Eastwick as our special guest at Romancing The Pen Today. She's a best selling author at Aspen Mountain Press and adds a good deal of spice to her works. Her world building is simply awesome! I guarantee you won't be disappointed ;) And as a side not, Aspen Mountain Press is donating 5% of total receipts to Haiti relief between now and Jan. 31st. Buy HuntingJC now to help donate to the Haiti cause.

Why do I write? That’s kind of like asking someone what is art. I don’t think I know the exact answer to that. I suppose I write because not too would make my head explode. There are so many stories begging to be told and so many characters wanting to be heard that to not write it all down would be detrimental to my health. But truthfully I write because I love to, I love figuring out how a story in my head will eventually end up when its on paper. Rarely does it end where I first thought it would.

I started writing years ago when I was a teenager. Friends would get together and we would write in round robin. But writing hasn’t always come easy. I was diagnosed as Dyslexic and was once told that it didn’t matter that my spelling was horrid and my grammar worse because it wasn’t as if I would ever be published. As I look at my book on the Aspen Mountain Press website I think how many others were told the same. I was lucky it didn’t hold me back, in fact it made me want to prove her wrong. And I hope to keep proving her wrong for years to come.

What Inspires me…sometimes it’s the smallest things that I find inspiration in. It can be a comment a friend makes that makes me think wow what would my hero or heroine say to that. Sometimes its just watching the rain hit the sidewalk, or the laughter of a stranger at a park.

Other times the larger items inspire me like a story on the news. Some quick story one that makes me sad or angry usually inspires my need to write. It usually from the most powerful emotions I find my inspiration for conflict.

Art galleries and museums have the biggest ability to inspire me. A painting at the Met which enables me to see the world through another’s eyes. I love to look at period paintings when writing historical stories and Monet I could sit and stair at for hours.

Inspiration can hit you at anytime as long as you open your eyes, ears, and mind to it.

Hunting JC

"THE HUNTER HAS BECOME THE HUNTED"

Hunter Brooks has been busy. When last he saw the Sherman family, he was still working his way up the corporate ladder. Now, he is the standard which all new climbers look to. There is one thing that eludes Hunter--FAMILY. Hunter is under attack from all angles. Someone is out for blood, putting his business at risk Someone else is after something far more personal and that could come at a higher price.

"THE MOUSE BECOMES THE LIONESS"

Jacinda Sherman has spent too much of her time letting everyone tell her what she can and cannot have. That includes Hunter. Now she's grown up and what J.C. Wants J.C. Gets. She wants Hunter anyway she can have him. This time, Hunter won't be leaving without J.C. getting what she desires.

Can Hunter pay J.C.'s price and still come out on top?

Excerpt

J.C. looked through the flames to see Hunter, her prey, standing on the other side of the fire. He resembled a panther, sleek, dark and highly dangerous. He too had changed clothes, now looking lethal in a pair of dark chinos and a black ribbed crew neck tee shirt that hugged his muscular chest to perfection.

“What are you doing all the way over there?”

Hunter came around the fire. Even his movements were sleek; his walk
smooth and silent. His eyes never wavering from hers as he skillfully
maneuvered around the crowd. Only when he accepted the proffered beer from
Spencer did his gaze leave hers. He exchanged a few words with Spence before
he looked at J.C. again. His gaze covertly took in her curves and when he finally
met her eyes he said, “Seemed safer over there.”
J.C. shook her head to clear her thoughts, uncertain what he meant.
Hunter leaned in, his breath touching her cheek as he answered her
unspoken question. “You asked what I was doing over there?” He gestured with
his beer to the other side of the fire. “My answer is, seemed safer over there.”

J.C.’s skin burned, but it wasn’t from the fire, it was from Hunter’s brazen
focus on her. His attention had never been solely on her before. Excitement
flowed through her veins, he was even more sensual than she imagined. Every
inch of her body hummed to life.

Spencer gave a questioning glance at the two of them before being drawn
away by a single lady looking for attention. J.C. watched her brother depart,
relieved to have one less pair of prying eyes. There was a definite spark between
them and she knew Spence noticed it too. They stood there, eyes locked for a
moment until someone asked her to hand them a beer.

Hunting JC by Dominique Eastwick Now Available at Aspen Mounting Press
www.DominiqueEastwick.Com

My Guest Blog Starts Again!

2010-01-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

Join me Monday, Jan. 18th, for another wonderful author guest blog. This time it will be Pat Brown (P.A. Brown,) a highly acclaimed and Rainbow Award winning author of M/M suspense and romance!

Pat Brown

2010-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

I want to thank Pat Brown (P.A. Brown) for joining us this week! Pat is a high selling author and Rainbow Award winner for M/M police drama and romance. It's wonderful to have such a highly acclaimed author as a guest!

Here Pat answered my question "Why do you write and what are your inspirations?" A blurb/excerpt for L.A. Boneyard follows.

When I'm asked why I write I often quip that it's to give the voices in my head an outlet and shut them up and kee them from making me do crazy things. I'm only half joking. I have a story telling mind. I can't help but hear something, read something or experience something and my mind starts turning it into a story. Writing can be great therapy. Whenever something bad happens, I find I can look at it and think how I can use it as an experience in future writing. I don't write books meant to teach anything, but I like to think I promote ideas that are important to me, things like respect and acceptance. I personally believe if we had a lot more respect for others, there would be far fewer problems in the world. Face it, it would be hard to hurt people you respect. If people read my books and come away with the realization that there really isn't that much difference between gays and straights, men and women, at least not where it counts, in our hearts. I'm always puzzled by people who invest so much energy into hating one group of people or another just because they're not like them. I love diversity, I celebrate it in my writing.

A couple of decades ago I stopped writing. Why I stopped I don't remember, but I do recall I already had several science fictin novels written though in all honesty I never did very much to sell them. I think I sent a story off a couple of times to SF publishers, was rejected and quit sending. At that time I really knew nothing about the publishing industry. I didn't know how to research publishers, I just found the two publishers who put out the sort of SF I liked and shipped the ms off. I'm sure they weren't very good, they certainly wouldn't have been well edited since I never let anyone see my work then, so there was no one to give me pointers.

Then for some reason I just put my pen down and stopped thinking about books, except to read them. But I don't think the bug really left me. I never threw away the books I had written, including a story that went through so many incarnations I can't remember its beginning. The only thing that remained in each rewrite were the two main characters -- the lead, Terik u Selhdun and his sidekick/co-pilot/partner in crime Pakal (whose last name kept changing) The only other thing that never changed was Selhdun's background as the son of a powerful man who he rebeled against and that Paka came from a very poor, harsh background and had a heavy Russian-like accent.

After a few years of not writing, I got the craving again. I picked up the SF book with Selhdun and reread it. And over a few weeks began to realize it wasn't a bad idea -- it just needed reworking. The what if itch started working on me and the next thing I knew I was rewriting in completely. And after that was done I wrote another science fiction, then another. In the end I had something like six or seven novels, not one of which I ever submitted to anyone. I still didn't see myself as a 'writer'. Those were these magical creatures that existed on another plain that I was not a part of. I could emulate them, but who was I kidding? I'd never be as good as them, so why try?

When my interest in SF faded, sometime in the 80s, I found myself reading more and more mysteries. When I first thought I'd love to try my hand at writing one I thought I was crazy. How could I ever plot something so complex as a mystery? What a joke. But I am nothing if not stubborn so the idea lingered back there, never quite leaving me.

Then I read Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series featuring the gay cop Milo Sturgis. Here was something I could understand. Whle I lived in L.A. I lived in a predominantly gay neighborhood and most of my friends were gay men. So I read Kellerman's work with interest and finally had that 'I can do that' moment. Out of those musings grew David Eric Laine. I thought I was being terribly original in making him an in the closet cop who hid his orientation until circumstances forced him out of the closet. If I had know how cliched that trope was I might never have done it. Good thing I was so ignorant. I wrote what became L.A. Heat first as a novella called The Witness, which was posted on a gay erotica site called Archerland. It was well recieved and I was encouraged to write a sequel. That's where the serial killer who grew into The Carpet Killer was born. I went on to write a few more stories, then went back and rewrote The Witness, combining it with the other story and Babylon Boneyard was born. Lots of rewrites later it evolved into something closely resembling L.A. Heat today. By this time I knew I had something good. It was good enough to get me an agent and my first publishing contract with Alyson Books. From then on, as the say, the rest is history. I was well and truly bitten, and now I can't NOT write. For what it's worth and even if no one wanted to publish me anymore, I'd still write. It's too much a part of who I am now.

BLURB:

Evil is pursued from a shallow grave in Griffith Park, to the streets of West Hollywood into the dark heart of the gang-infested streets of East L.A.

Detective David Eric Laine is no stranger to violence and brutality, but even he is taken back at the sheer viciousness of the murder of two pregnant Ukrainian women. This was just the beginning of a baffling case which would lead from their shallow grave to a bucolic bungalow community in West Hollywood, tree-lined and tranquil, to the heart of the gang-infested streets of East Los Angeles, and points in between.

EXCERPT:

Friday, 8:20 AM, Vista del Valle Drive, Griffith Park, Los Angeles

Something had done a number on the corpse.

The early morning call-out had been brief and to the point.
Griffith Park. Shallow grave. Mutilated arm. Probably wild
animals.

LAPD homicide detective David Eric Laine hoped it was
animals. He crouched beside the makeshift grave, behind the
screen of freshly broken branches and crushed vegetation,
studying the exposed arm with the manicured nails and winking
diamond ring; the animals had nearly worked off the bone.
Wondering what her final moments had been like. Knowing it
had been ugly. He looked beyond the grave, visualizing. Had he
raped her? Had that been the last indignity she had suffered,
before the ultimate one?

Overhead, dense black clouds roiled across the western sky,
a late Pineapple Express had roared in last night, straight from
Hawaii, promising more rain in an already wet spring. The
chaparral and Ceanothus had started their seasonal bloom, thin
green shoots emerging from what had once been desiccated
limbs. Under foot the moisture retaining hydro-mulch, spread
after the ravaging 2007 and 2008 fires, soaked his feet, chilling
his skin. The steady thump-thump of the LAPD airship called
in to do an aerial survey echoed his heartbeat, driving him
relentlessly, as unforgiving of failure as he was.

David scanned the ground, taking in the fresh horse tracks,
and the fading coyote spore. The animals had scattered when
the woman who found the body nearly rode her horse over
them. She stood with her shoulder touching her horse's neck,
the animal's reins still held in her gloved hand. Blindly she
touched the burnished chestnut coat, seeking comfort. David
turned away; he had nothing to give her. His promises were for
the dead. They didn't ask for guarantees. They didn't get angry
when he was called away in the middle of the night to do his
job.

"So what have we got?" he asked.

The first officer on the scene, Donald Lessing, pulled out his
notes, "I received a call at seven-fifty-six AM that a body had
been discovered in a shallow grave. My partner and I were
dispatched, and arrived about fifteen minutes later." He
indicated his partner, a paunchy, silver-haired Asian, who was
adding a second loop of barrier tape to keep out the curious,
then indicated the equestrienne, "We found Mrs. Rosenfield
right about where she is now. She was pretty upset."

"I'm sure the last thing she expected to find was a dead
body on her morning ride."

"Yes sir."

Nothing could be done to process the crime scene until the
photographers had taken their shots. Everything had to be kept
intact to preserve possible evidence. They had the time; the
body wasn't going anywhere. In the distance, thunder rumbled.
He amended that, maybe they didn't have so much time.

David studied the dark, crouching clouds, and wondered if
Chris would get over his snit long enough to close the windows
against the coming rain. Otherwise their newly refinished oak
floors were going to get a soaking. One more thing for Chris to
get pissed at. He retraced his steps and approached the horse
and rider.

He pulled out a notebook and twisted his arm around to
check the time, only to discover he wasn't wearing his watch.
Right, he'd stuffed it into his jacket pocket after he'd left an
angry Chris in bed this morning. Chris always seemed to be
angry these days. He got that way when he was between jobs.
He drew out the Rolex Chris had given him for his fortieth
birthday and wrote the exact time, the crime scene location, and
his own name and rank. David studied the watch ruefully. He
had told Chris a gift like that was too extravagant, but Chris
wouldn't listen. "You deserve it," he had said. "You put up with
me for four years, didn't you?" Still, David took it off when he
could; out of sight of Chris, who took it as a personal affront
when he didn't wear it all the time. David was a Timex kind of
guy. Even after four years he never got comfortable with the
easy wealth Chris displayed.

Mrs. Rosenfield looked young. David doubted she was more
than twenty-five. Under normal circumstances she would have
been attractive--large, doe eyes, soft hair flying loose from
under her riding helmet. But now her face was pale, and her
eyes were glassy with shock. David pushed aside his sympathy
and assembled his cop face; the one Chris hated so much,
claiming it made him look cold and robotic. Well, there were
times when cold and robotic was the right way.

She wore a tailored riding outfit and boots that gleamed,
even in the sunless light. A pulse beat in her throat, like a
wounded animal.

"Mrs. Rosenfield," he said. "I'm Detective David Eric Laine.
Could I have your full name, please?"

"Danielle," she said. "Just call me Danielle." Her gaze darted
toward the grave. "Who is it? Do you know--?"

"No, ma'am, Danielle, we don't know that yet. Can you take
me back to when you first spotted something out of the
ordinary?"

"S-sure." She visibly collected herself, her hand going out to
stroke her horse's neck. "Toby and I were on our morning ride,
when these coyotes came racing right out under our noses--I
thought they were attacking us at first. You hear about how
bold they've gotten over the years."

"Yes, ma'am." What coyotes could do was frightening. What
people could do to each other was so much worse. "What
then?"

"Once they ran away I realized they were just as scared as
we were. I was going to head back home. I'm supposed to be to
work at ten." She shook her head, a strand of hair falling over
her eyes. She swept it aside with a kidskin gloved hand. "I guess
I should call my boss. I don't think I'll be in today--" Her voice
broke.

"Yes, ma'am," David said gently. "What was the first thing
you noticed before the coyotes appeared?"

"Toby spooked." Rosenfield grimaced. "I guess when he got
wind of them. He nearly dumped me. That was when I saw the
arm. I screamed. That must have scared them away without
taking...taking it with them." The grimace deepened and the
flesh around her mouth whitened.

More thunder cracked, closer this time. She looked around
uneasily.

"Anything else you can recall about your ride?" David asked
even more gently, knowing she was very close to losing it.
"Before you noticed anything amiss?"

"We rode by the Roosevelt Municipal golf course," she said.
"I go that way all the time. Usually it's so peaceful..."

"You see anybody on the links?"

"Two players, and a caddie." Rosenfield squinted as she
recalled her morning. "I don't pay much attention to the
golfers, unless they're driving carts. Sometimes they spook
Toby."

"Would you recognize the golfers if you saw them again?"

"W-what? You don't think they had anything to do with
this, do you?"

"It's just standard procedure," David assured her. "Look, I
know this is tough. Even cops can have a hard time stumbling
across something like this. If you like, I can give you the
number of a victim's support group. They can help you with
this, if you want."

"T-thank you. I don't think that's necessary..."

David handed her the card anyway. "You might change your
mind. I hear they're good."

She slipped the card into her jacket pocket. He knew she
wouldn't call. He'd seen it before. Misplaced pride would keep
her from seeking help. "What did you see then?" he prompted.

"I didn't know what it was at first, then I thought it was a
mannequin." She gave a short bark of laughter, quickly stifled.
"That someone had stolen a storefront dummy and was playing
a gag. It was only after I saw the teeth marks that I knew." She
swallowed convulsively and David wondered if she was going to
be sick. The human arm had been heavily gnawed by strong
jaws. He distracted her as smoothly as he could.

"I need you to come down to the station, to make a formal
statement. I can send someone out to get you if you like--"

"No, that's okay. I'll drive myself. Will I have to go to
court?"

"I won't lie to you. It depends on the D.A., and whether a
suspect is found, and it all makes it to court. But I'm sure
someone from the prosecutor's office will be in touch with you
if it becomes necessary."

David watched her stiffly remount her horse and urge it
back onto the trail. They broke into a fast trot before they were
out of sight. He very much doubted she would ever ride this
peaceful trail again.

Out of the corner of his eye, David saw a white Pontiac
Firehawk, splattered with debris from the previous night's rain,
pull up beside the LAPD crime scene van. It was driven by a
lithe, dark-skinned Latino man, with that young urban scruffy
beard thing going on. Chris, always quick to adopt new fads,
had tried it once, until David complained that it was like kissing
five o'clock shadow, all day long, and he reluctantly shaved it
off.

The Latino climbed out of the low-slung car. He surveyed
the scene of controlled chaos with dark eyes, taking in
everything in a sweeping glance, before he shrouded them with
a pair of Ray Bans. He looked like he just stepped out of GQ,
sharp creases on his wool dress pants and sedate black and blue
tie. He wore his gold detective's badge on a chain around his
neck. David caught a glimpse of his Beretta nine under his
LAPD blue nylon wind breaker. Incongruously, he wore a pair
of hand-tooled black and blue Tony Lamas boots instead of the
usual military gear most new detectives favored. David wouldn't
be surprised if he had a closet full of Levis and Stetsons at
home. He was a tall man, though not as tall as David's six-four,
dark-skinned, with high cheek bones. His eyes were dark and
dangerous. Too dangerous for David's taste.

The guy was going to spell trouble.

Already the eyes of the two female SID criminologists kept
straying his way. David had heard rumors about the guy, even
before he was assigned to Northeast; he'd ignored them at the
time, like he ignored all the trash talk around the squad room.
In the stories the guy was a wannabe actor. David had heard--
and dismissed--the story about his involvement with a
producer's wife that had ended messily. The tabloid press had
been all over it. Maybe the guy had a problem keeping his dick
in his pants. Maybe he was only guilty of bad judgment. He
wouldn't be the first. Cops and badge bunnies went together
like chili and fries.

David extended his hand and introduced himself. Might as
well give the guy the benefit of a doubt, he didn't like it when
people jumped to conclusions about him. Being one of the few
openly gay detectives carried its own baggage. "Glad to have
you on board."

"Thank you, sir," the detective said. "Detective Jairo Garcia
Hernandez." He pronounced it Yairo. "Most gringos call me
Jerry." His smile was all teeth and David knew he was being
tested by the new D.

He'd nip that one in the bud before it went south. "I think I
can handle Jairo." He gave the word a Spanish lilt. The guy
wasn't going to catch this gringo ignorant of the language.
Good looking or not, he was just another rookie D.

Jairo saw the Rolex on his wrist and whistled. "Nice watch.
Your wife give you that?"

"No, I'm not married," David said. Deciding to make small
talk, he ventured, "You?"

"Yes."

"How's that going for you?" Cops loved marriage; so many
of them did it so often.

"Fine." Jairo grew defensive. "You gonna tell me that's
gonna change? Already got that from my smart-ass sergeant
first time I showed up for roll-call."

"It's hard," was all David said. "Marriage is a work in
progress."

"So you were married? She divorce you?"

David shrugged. He finally slipped the Rolex off and tucked
it back into his inner pocket, over his heart. It would be safer
there, away from nosy rookies. "It's complicated." Then he saw
Jairo had noticed the plain gold band he wore on his left ring
finger. The gold band Chris had given him following the first
year they had lived together. He closed his hands into fists, but
made no attempt to hide the thing. What was the use? He was
almost as notorious in the LAPD as Mark Fuhrman.

Jairo's disingenuous eyes widened. "You're the... you're
him."

David saw something glitter on the ground at the entrance
to the crime scene, and crouched down to study it. It was a
bottle cap. Still, he signaled a photographer over to take a
picture. Sometimes the littlest things proved useful. Sometimes
they were just litter. All around them crime scene techs were
placing evidence flags, and doing their best to catch everything,
before the skies opened up. He was glad to see that the victim's
hands had been bagged, covering the ring he had seen earlier.
"You can say it, you know." David stood up and brushed debris
off his pants. "I'm the gay cop."

Jairo flushed and looked away. "Yes, sir."

Now what was that all about? Surely as soon as he knew
who his latest senior partner was going to be, Jairo would have
known all about David's sordid "secret." He would have found
all kinds of officers eager to share the scuttlebutt about who
he'd been saddled with. "That's Detective, Hernandez." David
was already beginning to miss Martinez, his partner of ten years.
He had been reassigned to South-Central, for the next six
months, to work a gang detail. They had forged a tight
partnership; a partnership that even David's abrupt outing over
four years ago had not disrupted. David wasn't looking forward
to breaking in the new kid, even if he was, as rumor also
claimed, top of his graduating class. Good grades, like good
looks, weren't everything.

He moved around to stand beside the grave again. A tarp
had been laid over the torn earth to protect against the coming
storm. He thought he could still see the outline of the arm. He
glanced sideways when a flash of lightning illuminated the dense
brush. He almost felt sorry for the boots who was going to have
to guard this site all night.

He turned back to face the grave and its nameless victim.
Jairo came up to stand beside him. David kept his eyes on the
tarp, ignoring the man beside him.

"I'll find him," he promised.

Pat Brown
http://www.pabrown.ca

Twitter me: http://twitter.com/pabrown

New Yahoo Group

2010-01-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

I want to invite everyone to my new yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Olivia_Starke

It's a place for authors and readers to connect and each WEDNESDAY is author promo/contest day for members. Authors are invited to showcase their releases and let readers know of their contests.

Come join the fun~