Samantha MacLeod's Blog, page 25

Mother’s Day is a Bummer

I’m not a Mother’s Day person.

And this isn’t because I’ve had bad mother experiences – my own mom, step-mom, and mother-in-law are all glorious people. My grandmother is so awesome I dedicated my erotica Loki novella to her.

It’s also not because I don’t adore my own loud, frequently irritating children.

Honestly, I tend to resent most holidays, because I tend to resent being told I need to be happy and/or spend money. I’ve written before about my struggles with perfectionism. Well, Mother’s Day, like Christmas, tends to kick that up a notch.

Did the children wake up to bake me French toast and serve it in bed, on a silver platter, with the good china?

No?!?

Dear God in heaven, perhaps it’s because I’m not a good enough mother!

Of course, Mother’s Day before I had kids kicked off an entirely different set of anxiety. So, if you’re childless by choice or circumstance, I’ve been there too.

But let’s all keep this in mind.

Mother’s Day is Commercial

It’s a huge profit generator for a lot of companies. Hallmark. Flower shops. Places that serve cutsey little brunches with mis-matched teacups.

And if we feel just the tinyest bit guilty about any aspect of our life-long relationship with mothers or children, we’re going to be that much more inclined to drop some bucks.

So, if Mother’s Day bums you out, you’re not alone, my virtual friend.

If your Mother’s Day kicked off with screaming toddlers and burnt eggs, you’re also not alone.

And if you’re not a mother, and you’re feeling left out, my friend, you are so not alone.

Let’s all take on the idea that women need to be mothers in order to be fulfilled – or that mothers need to be super-moms – and punch it right in the damn face!

[image error]

Happy Freaking Mother’s Day!

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, teasers, and free stories!

So It Begins…

I’ve heard back from all my fabulous beta readers (love you guys!!!), and I’ve added a lot of character development/backstory/exposition to Death & Beauty, my erotic fantasy romance inspired by Norse mythology.

Now it’s time to get serious.

[image error]Imma need more coffee in that Loki mug…

I’m publishing Death & Beauty independently, which means I get to make ALL THE DECISIONS! I write the blurb. I hired the cover designer.

And…I do the copy editing, too.

When I did this for The Trickster’s Lover, my contemporary romance with the Norse god Loki, I was a bit less than thrilled. But I learned a lot, and that final stage of pen-on-paper editing made for a much stronger story.

So time to saddle up, and do it again!

[image error]

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, teasers, and free stories!

Sneak Peek at Death & Beauty Cover

My fabulous designer Teresa Conner just shared this…

[image error]

Looks like the cover of Death & Beauty is going to be awesome!

What is Death & Beauty, you ask?

It’s my erotic fantasy romance based on the Norse myth of Baldr and Hel! Here’s the blurb:

Baldr the Beautiful is dead.

Desperate to get back to his privileged role as Óðinn’s favorite son, Baldr strikes a bargain with Hel, the terrifying half living and half skeletal queen of the realm of the dead. He offers her the only thing he’s got: knowledge from the living world. Hel gives him three days. If he can teach her something new, she will return him to the realms of the living.

But the icy Hel seems completely impervious to Baldr’s charms. What’s worse, she already knows everything. By the end of the third day, Baldr realizes he’s only got one chance left to impress her.

Returning to his former life looks like it’s going to depend on Baldr the Beautiful seducing the most formidable woman in the Nine Realms.

You can check out an excerpt here, and stay tuned for more news!

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, teasers, and free stories!

 

Hey, Spring Showed Up!

I’ll admit, it did seem like spring would never come to Maine.

But look! We’ve got daffodils, baby!

[image error]

And tulips!

 

[image error]

I planted these tulip bulbs the day after November’s election, when it really seemed like the future was uncertain.

Honestly, the future still seems pretty damn uncertain (and I’m still writing letters). But seeing the tulips sprout was encouraging.

And now, even the peas I planted next to a snowbank are sprouting!

(Yes, that’s my son helping plant peas in the snow.)

We’ve also got buds on the apple trees.

[image error]

Maybe it’s just because my Baldr and Hel romance has several scenes in an apple orchard, but don’t those buds seem just a bit…suggestive?

Coming this Summer: On Selkie Beach

My erotic short story, On Selkie Beach, has been accepted for publication in the first ever Sinful Press anthology, Sinful Pleasures!

[image error]

On Selkie Beach tells the story of a woman visiting Scotland’s outer Hebrides by herself…and meeting someone very interesting.

Hot & Hidden: Find Your Next Book Boyfriend or Girlfriend!

Hey virtual friends, let’s celebrate May with something fun!

I’m a part of the Paranormal Romance Lover’s Hot & Hidden spring giveaway. Check it out to visit some excellent author websites, find hidden hotties, and have a shot at a FREE Kindle packed with sexy stories!

Speaking of hidden hotties…

[image error]

To have a bit more fun, I’m hosting my own giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a FREE, signed paperback copy of The Trickster’s Lover, my sexy romance with Loki, the Norse god of lies.

[image error]It would look even better in your hands, baby…

You can find that giveaway right here, on Facebook.

And if you’re not on Facebook…then you’re probably my dad.

Hi, Dad!

[image error]

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, teasers, and free stories!

But What Do You Tell the Kids?

I really wondered about this when I started writing erotica.

During my first draft and early revisions of The Trickster’s Lover, I tried not to talk about my writing around my kids.

I quickly realized that’s basically impossible.

When one of my stories gets accepted, I want to celebrate with the family. When one gets rejected, my daughter wants to help me color in the rejection art.

Plus, most of my works are independently published. Indy publishing is a business, and my husband is my business partner, so the kids end up overhearing lots of un-sexy conversations about things like profit margins and attracting an audience. The kids know I’m a writer.

But do they know I’m an erotica writer?

Well. Here, in its entirety, is a recent conversation I had with my six-year-old about exactly this.

Context: My Very Proper Sister just told me she’d never let any of my smut novels through the door of her house.

Kid: What’s a smut novel?

Me: She means my books have sex in them.

Kid: What’s sex?

Me: It’s another word for making love. Remember that book we have about how babies are made?

Kid: Oh. Can I watch TV?

And that, my friends, is What I Told the Kid.

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, teasers, and free stories!

Gods & Monsters

I’m a bit slow on the uptake here… It’s the LAST DAY of the Gods & Monsters promo!

[image error]

The Trickster’s Lover is part of this collection of awesome fantasy novels with powerful pantheons, mythic beasts, and magical creatures.

And they’re all on SALE for just .99!

[image error]

Enjoy, my friends!

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, teasers, and free stories!

Sexy Vikings!

If you’ve ever fantasized about sexy Vikings – and let’s be honest, who hasn’t? – then have I got a promotion for you!

[image error]

From not until April 26, you can pick up Persephone Remembers the Pomegranates and 15 other hot Viking-themed stories for FREE!

That’s right – Viking erotica, just waiting to be plundered.

Find the Conquer Me promo here, and you can thank me later.

[image error]

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, teasers, and free stories!

March for Science!

Well, I’m currently in Washington DC with my sister, sister-in-law, mom, aunt, husband, and four small children (two are mine), painting signs for tomorrow’s March for Science.

[image error]My kid making her sign for the march

No, I’m not a scientist (although my husband is a PhD in organic chemistry).

But you don’t have to be a scientist to think science is a good idea.

Or that, perhaps, we should attempt to preserve the only planet that can sustain life…

[image error]Kids on the beach in literally the only habitable planet.

Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, teasers, and free stories!