Karen Michelle Nutt's Blog, page 105

February 28, 2011

Laura Tolomei and the First Kiss

Karen: Laura Tolomei is the author who pens interesting, mind-boggling, erotic tales of the heart. Let's give her a warm welcome. Feel free to ask her questions or just say hi. She would love to hear from you.

Now for what you've been waiting for. A sneak peek into Prince Duncan Caldwell and Lord Christopher Templeton's life. Take it away Laura.

Laura: First kiss, first passion…the phase and the Virtus Saga

How about if, instead of a boring fact*filled blog, I told you a story, an intriguing one about first love, first awareness, first kiss?

Fans of my Virtus Saga know all about Prince Duncan Caldwell and Lord Christopher Templeton love, but they don't know how it started or when they exchanged the first kiss, so here's an exclusive sneak preview from my coming soon The Pledge.

PG M/M unedited excerpt

Childhood friend and neighbor of the Caldwell's, Carl Strepton belonged to one of the families Prince Charles had included while building a carefully selected network of nearby relations as if wanting to establish his son as the centerpiece of a strong frame of reference. But Duncan had never liked Carl, no matter how many times he had visited him and perhaps the fact he was a selfish, arrogant, disagreeable, egotistical bastard had something to do with it.

Carl was always right, the others always wrong, placed at the center of the world, everyone else good only to satisfy his needs, which of course had the predictable result of ostracizing neighbors and acquaintances. Apparently, only Duncan tolerated his swinging moods and pretensions without ever coming to an open confrontation, except for that one time he remembered still today with a mix of pleasure and dread.

The timing could not have been worse, not with the phase at its first stages and relations between Chris and Duncan strained, neither knowing exactly why, only feeling strangely ill at ease with each other for the first time. The prince still remembered the confused signals his body sent him, a yearning so deep to touch his blond angel, mixed with the fear to do so or of the consequences, and even more he could not or did not want to interpret. He fantasized about doing things to and with Chris, wild scenes playing in his mind every time he caught sight of the blond head, not daring to put his thoughts into actions and turning his eyes away before the blue-gray ones could read the truth in them.

Conflicting emotions raged like thunderstorms just waiting to unleash their fury on someone, anyone. On the one hand, he wanted to spend every single moment with the fiery angel, yet the same fierce attraction he felt for him, was also what kept him distant. And having guessed it was the beginning of the phase did not help either, especially since he had no one to talk with, no father to help him understand and certainly he could not ask his mother for advice.

As for Chris, he had later confessed he had felt equally confused if not more given the age difference, responding immediately to Duncan's moods and physical awakening, their connection much stronger than any age division. Yet, Duncan felt it as a barrier and Chris seemed unable to tell him it did not matter at all, so tension increased, making the prince more nervous each passing day spent in endless, pointless quarrels. It was probably that, more than anything else, to make the prince decide to take Chris along when Lady Strepton invited him to spend the rest of the summer at Belleview, believing a change of air could only do them good. Well, he had not taken Carl into account.

As soon as he arrived, Duncan knew it was a mistake. Carl, already in his phase with a servant's son, could not take his eyes off Chris literally, trying to seduce him at every turn, his goal obvious even to an inexperienced Duncan. Of course, he saw how flattered Chris was by the attention and sometimes looked at the prince as if expected the same treatment from him, but since he did not, having Carl providing it instead was a perfectly acceptable solution. Always vain at heart, now Chris seemed to take pride on the new conquest, parading it around Belleview, making the prince jealous for the first and only time of his life. He hated Carl, but more than that he felt betrayed by his blond angel.

The situation strained relations between them even further until the fateful night Duncan would ever forget. Dinner had been a sorrier affair than usual, Carl blatantly making love to Chris at the table, embarrassing the other guests, of which he could care less as always. Unable to take any more, Prince Caldwell had left the room, expecting Chris to follow, which he did not, furious with himself and his inadequacy to take some sort of decisive action that would keep the angel at his side. So he brooded in front of a blazing fire, alone, unable to fall asleep, torturing himself with pictures of Chris and Carl in various lascivious poses as he stirred the burning logs, trying to find some peace in the flames and ignore the scorching jealousy tearing him apart. And had Chris been present, he would have done something extreme like taking him in his arms and kissing, in spite of the fact his angel did not relish being touched. But he would have run the risk and the consequences be damned. And his only option now was to challenge Carl into returning what was his, had been his from the beginning, so he rose and was about to leave the room when he heard his door open. Turning around, there was Chris leaning at the door, an indefinable look in those blue-gray eyes daring him to take him.

Anger, jealousy, rage all mixed together in a painful jumble that risked to explode right there and then, Duncan took a step forward. He wanted to shout, to slap that arrogant stance, to punch out that challenging look, to grab him and shake him until…the prince was not sure what should happen, but tension inside was unbearable, so with one leap he was at the door. "Had fun?"

"Absolutely."

"Then why didn't you stay with him?"

Chris was at a loss and Duncan knew he had been lying. "I wanted to see how you'd take it." And though it was another lie, his lips curled in a cruel twist.

"You bastard!" Enraged, hurt, confused, Duncan's hand, as if provided with a will of its own, went to Chris's throat and the impulse to close on it was almost irresistible. Amazingly, Chris did not twitch or move away as if Duncan's touch was not fastidious, rather the contrary for his body begged for more, arching to meet Duncan's powerful frame pinning it to the door. Seeing the reaction, the prince changed his mind about the treatment to apply. Without being aware, the hand grabbed Chris's head and pushed it closer to Duncan, the prince's lips finding Chris's mouth and closing on them. And it was the beginning as his senses filled with Chris's, completely, totally drowning in the sweetest honey he had ever tasted, his tongue darting hesitantly to sweep what he already considered his, then getting more daring with more forceful sweeps to possess the whole of his belong angel, yielding to him without questions and pressing a hungry body against Duncan's to show how far his need for surrender went. So the prince took it all—body, heart and soul—in one blissful night, repeated over and over during the long summer ahead, sealing their destinies forever, the kiss opening the bottomless pit of feelings, the vortex of desire and longing.

And if this book is not available yet, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until later this year, you can start with the other three releases by eXtasy Books.

Virtus Saga RELEASES

The Sex Book 1

GENRE: GLBT, Gay, Fantasy, Paranormal, Ménage, m/m, m/m/f, m/f

HEAT LEVEL: 4 flames

BLURB

If Sendar stood a chance perhaps it would be thanks to the arbitrary twists and turns of a blind destiny. Or maybe someone would discover the truth about the ancient ways and compromise our peaceful existence forever. Either way, people needed a hero to shed new light on the age-old mysteries. And he was just about to answer their prayers.

EXCERPT LINKS

EROTIC - PG - FIRST CHAPTER

REVIEW LINKS

AR - Romance at Heart – TRR - Goodreads

BUY LINKS

eXtasy, Amazon, ARe, Fictionwise, Ebookwise, Mobipocket

February 21, 2011

Interview with Z.A. Maxfield

Z.A. Maxfield is a mother of four and still has time to write. She's here today to tell us about her new release, The Pharaoh's Concubine. Let's give Z.A. Maxfield a warm welcome.

Why don't your start by telling us about yourself.

I'm a suburban housewife and mom with four kids. I always wanted to write, but it wasn't until my kids challenged me to try it that I really gave it a shot. When your kids are watching you and you want to be a role mode there are no excuses. You have to practice what you preach. And I preach the philosophy that if you follow your heart and work hard, success is within your grasp.

What's funny is that since I picked gay erotic romance as a genre, and used a mix-up of my sons names as an pseudonym, I've become this odd neighborhood mom my kids are proud of in a way I doubt they would be if I wrote standard genre romance.

Your new release is The Pharaoh's Concubine. Without giving too much away, tell us about the story and the turf wars and the gangs involved.

The book begins with Dylan being kidnapped by a clique led by William Escobar's older brother on their father's behalf. Their father, who runs them from the penitentiary, is looking to start a full scale war with Mosko over the drug trade in Vegas.

Tell us about the pampered Dylan Anderson. How did he end up with Mosko? What kind of man is he? What does he look like? What's his first impression when he meets William? What does he like about William? What doesn't he like?

Dylan was raised in a Mormon household, and he's used to people having high expectations. He's used to doing what others want and seeing to their needs before his own, and he sees that kind of self-sacrifice as a truly worthwhile principle. When he meets William, he gets it in his head that if he can somehow change the path William is on, the suffering he's experienced at the hands of the kidnappers will be meaningful. He's reminded of the person he used to be before he allowed Mosko's money and the easy life he's got with the mobster to change him.

Tell us about William "Memo" Escobar. What kind of man is he? What does he look like? What is his first impression when he meets Dylan? What does he like about Dylan? What does he not like?

When William meets Dylan, his first impression is that he's soft. William is the product of a tough environment, and he sees Dylan as the type of guy who has everything handed to him. It isn't until they get to the resort and Dylan starts doing odd jobs to pay for their room and board that William realizes there's more to Dylan than meets the eye. He likes Dylan's work ethic, and how he relates to people. He's mistrustful because of Dylan's looks and his former lifestyle.

You write erotica romances between men. What inspired you to write for this genre?

I guess I just like writing male characters. I wanted to write romance and mystery featuring same sex couples and men were an obvious choice for me because I often find myself gravitating to romance novels where there's a particularly strong male pov. I think of Laura Kinsale's early novels, The Prince of Midnight and The Shadow And the Star. When I was reading those I didn't realize that what attracted me was the hero's POV… Of course, she's a damned good writer. I'd read anything of hers.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

Writing is such a personal thing. The reward is in the process. Finding a sentence that sings to me, or getting a contract. There are tough things as well, but I wouldn't give it up for anything.

What are your current projects and works in progress?

I have three projects in the works, St. Nacho's 4, All Stirred Up (the sequel to Stirring Up Trouble), and one I'm tentatively calling Fitz's Story (which has ghosts…)

Tell the readers where they can find you:

You can always find me at www.zamaxfield.com. My email addy is zamaxfield@yahoo.com. My books are available all fine booksellers everywhere (LOL, but you'll probably have to special order them in your local independent book store.)

Is there anything else you'd like to tell the readers?

I just want to say thanks again for the support you've given me as an author. I'm so grateful that people take the time to read the books. I'll keep writing as long as you want to read them! Thanks a bunch!

Find~ZAM~at:

zamaxfield@yahoo.com

http://zamaxfield.com

http://zamaxfield.livejournal.com/

(PG13)EXCERPT:

After fumbling in Lazlo's pockets for the key to the shed, Dylan opened it quickly, starting a count inside his head, thinking that if he'd timed this correctly, he'd get the boy out and both of them away, and if he didn't, he'd be joining Memo in that shed by morning.

He toggled the light switch. "Memo."

Not a sound.

"Memo, it's me." Dylan made his way to the cot and put a gentle hand on the boy's arm. "You have to come with me, there's no time to waste."

"William."

"What?"

"My name is William."

"Argue with me later. I figure we have about three minutes before neither of our names will matter except in the obituaries. Come with me."

"I can't, man. I can barely even move."

"You have to. I didn't do this to leave you here."

"I can't."

"If I pick you up, it's just going to hurt you more. Don't make me do that."

William tried to roll over and it was obviously agony for him. Dylan's heart sank. "Here, let me help."

"No."

William bit his lip. Dylan didn't ask this time, he just took William's arm, pulled it over his shoulder, gave him a moment to get used to that, then hauled him to his feet. "No time to be gentle. It's either this or a fireman's carry."

"This." William groaned. "You sadist."

"Yeah, well." Dylan didn't disagree. Once they left the shed behind he hugged the perimeter, scraping his arms on the rough bushes where the ambient lighting from the street and the moon didn't penetrate the shadows. "Next time kidnap a nicer guy."

They made it unseen to the row of cars belonging to the guards. Dylan ducked behind the last one, Andreas's nondescript Honda sedan. He held William steady, close and quiet, even though he stank like raw sewage. It took all of Dylan's concentration to keep William from falling over onto the ground while he unlocked the car with the key to avoid illuminating the headlights. He helped William in and made his way around to the driver's side, getting in quickly, praying the dome lights wouldn't give them away.

"Now, we wait," he told the boy.

"What are we waiting for?"

"Popcorn."

"Popcorn?"

Dylan chewed his fingernail. Did he set it high enough? He'd scorched and burned microwave popcorn before, filling the house with acrid smoke when he wasn't even trying. He'd been so sure that it would work, but as seconds ticked by he doubted himself, and his heart started to sink heavily. What if he just brought more suffering to the kid?

Nothing happened, and Dylan was ready to start the process of hauling the kid back when sirens filled the air and the front floodlights blinked to life, bathing the entire house in blinding white light.

In the commotion no one noticed that Andreas's car started. Smoke had already begun to fill the first floor as the two remaining guards pulled the front doors open. Protocol required that Yves's men search for him inside the house, while Andreas checked to make sure the fire department received the alarm. Andreas was supposed to open the gate for emergency vehicles when they arrived, but Dylan hoped he would be sleeping quietly, draped over his monitors, as blissfully unaware of everything as the three temazepam capsules Dylan had emptied into his coffee could make him.

His plan was for the two men inside the house to split up, one looking for him, and the other for Lazlo, to see why he hadn't responded. That left Dylan and William with only a brief window of time to make it to the guardhouse, open the gate, and then leave without being seen.

He approached the guardhouse cautiously, pulling up right alongside it. If Andreas hadn't drunk his coffee, or if the drugs hadn't taken effect yet, there'd be hell to pay. If one of the guards looked out front or found Lazlo too soon…

Sick dread covered Dylan with sweat.

A quick glance found Andreas slumped in his chair. Dylan put the Honda in park and jumped out to activate the remote.

It seemed like the massive wrought-iron gate took hours to open, sliding slowly on the track while Dylan's heart clattered in his throat. It wasn't hard to imagine what punishment Yves would mete out to a lover who betrayed him. If he were spotted now, it would be nearly impossible to get away.

A low groan came from William, reminding him why he had to try.

"Fasten your seat belt, Memo."

"William." Awkwardly, the kid did as he was told.

"Remind me when we're not about to die."

When the gate finally opened enough for them to slip out, Dylan glanced in the rearview mirror.

I'm leaving. I'm really leaving Yves. There was no time for grief. If he thought about what he was doing, he'd surely freeze in his tracks. He punched the accelerator and worked the manual transmission.

William shifted to look behind. "No pressure, but we should probably go faster."

"What?" Dylan sure felt pressured. He pelted out of his driveway and headed east. "What do you mean, no pressure?"

"I mean about my name. No pressure to remember."

Dylan shook his head. "I'm lucky to remember my name right now. Much less how to drive a manual transmission. It'll come back to me—like riding a bicycle." Dylan winced when the transmission gears made a telltale grinding sound, then tried to shift again.

"I hope that means you know how to ride a bicycle…"

"Yeah." Dylan made a sharp right turn and it threw Memo into him.

"What happens now?"

"I don't know. I only thought this far ahead."

William accepted this, or else he was in too much pain to argue.

Dylan's heart stopped racing when he'd driven several miles and as far as he could tell no one followed them. He wet his dry lips and slowed down. They'd made it. He didn't want to say it out loud, he didn't have the nerve to count on it, but it was entirely possible he'd gotten away with it.

While they were stopped at a red light, he glanced over at William and allowed himself to hope. The kid looked like he'd been hit by a train. Dylan cursed. The real work—the hard part—was just beginning. He had to keep William safe until he healed, and that meant they needed a place to hide where Yves couldn't find them.

If such a place existed.

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Published on February 21, 2011 10:18

February 14, 2011

All Things Romantic!

Importance of Valentine's Day Romance

Everyone likes a little romance in his or her lives. It gives us the feeling of togetherness. It makes the relationship stronger and gives us a possibility of experiencing our first breathtaking kiss all over again. Romance is warmth and understanding, a bond of trust and love. Valentine's Day gives us a chance to charm the one person we care most for.

Authors let's celebrate with our romances. How would our characters celebrate Valentine's Day? Share a scene of their first kiss. Share your blurbs or a short excerpt. Don't forget to supply links to your website or where to buy your book. Have fun! (Please let the readers know the rating of your story. I do ask you keep your posts PG13 so all may enjoy the day! Thank you so much!)

Readers celebrate today by telling us about your favorite Valentine's Day or what you think is romantic. Is it a stroll along the beach? Movie night? A nice bubble bath? If you want, share you favorite romantic couples of all time. I love Claire and Jamie in Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

http://www.kmnbooks.com

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Published on February 14, 2011 07:47

February 7, 2011

Rules of Engagement

Cynthi

a Vespia is the author of character driven suspense fiction. Her Demon Hunter series is a trilogy of terror. It was nominated Best Series of 2009.

Life, Death and Back is her new paranormal suspense novel where death isn't the end but only the beginning.

Let's give Cynthia a warm welcome as she shares her rules about writing. Feel free to ask question or just say hello. She'd love to hear from you.

RULES of ENGAGEMENT

by CYNTHIA VESPIA

It was recently brought up in a chat forum about what the rules are for writing. First thing that came to my mind was that there are no rules! What a blasphemic word that is for a writer. Then I got to thinking, there are certain "rules of engagement" that are expected from the reader.

For instance a thriller needs to be fast paced; a romance novel has to be heavy on the passion; fantasy is expected to be otherworldly; and erotica...well, you get the point.

There are just certain elements that go into different genres that make fans continue coming back for more. It has been that way since the dawn of time, or at least as long as novels have been around. So as a writer we may as well embrace them as facts. However, it can also be said that rules are meant to be broken. To quote Bruce Lee: "Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own."

In other words there are basic elements from which all stories springboard. But what gives each story and each author its own unique voice is taking those elements and making them your own. Don't be afraid to experiment. I've been known to compile almost every genre into one story...and y'know what, it works! It's called life. And whether that life is seen through the eyes of a Demon Hunter, or a guardian angel, or a female gladiator it is still life and it is painted with many different colors of emotion. Romance, suspense, comedy, horror, and yes even fantasy are all a part of our daily living so why wouldn't we include them in our writing? Readers are more apt to enjoy a story when it is relatable. Emotions are relatable.

Back to the rules. Half the fun of writing is that we get to create our own rules. We create different worlds, populate it with different characters, and watch like puppet masters as they all interact with each other. Maybe that's why I like The Sims so much.

Rules are there as a starting off point. If you're a writer just starting out I suggest you learn the rules of the genre you are writing in, but then as Bruce pointed out, add your own take on it. Whatever is uniquely you will shine off that page so don't be afraid of it. If everyone wrote in one certain style it would be a very boring universe in bookland.

Life itself has enough rules and I don't know about you but I'm tired of being regulated. In any event trust your instincts. When something is telling you to go down a different path than you may not have planned for just go with it. I remember following my character Bryan from LIFE DEATH and BACK down a weird and winding road all the while telling him to go back, that this was not the path I'd chosen for him. Fortunately I allowed him to take the lead and at the end of the road I wound up pleasantly surprised thinking "oh, that's why he did that!"

This is a metaphor, of course. I'm not that nuts. I don't see visions of my characters on random street corners. They only show up at odd hours to have a cup of coffee or maybe catch a movie.

So write what you are passionate about, kids. Don't censor yourselves too much. Have fun with it. Everyone is too damn serious these days and they forget to enjoy things. Writers and readers alike make sure you enjoy it. Enjoy the story for what it is, rules or not.

Since most readers inevitably become writers, and most writers started out as readers, let me pose this question to the group: Do you have a ritual...not necessarily a rule...that you have before beginning a new novel?

Cynthia is the author of character driven suspense fiction. Her new paranormal thriller

Life, Death, and Back is available now. Find out more at www.cynthiavespia.com

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Published on February 07, 2011 00:01

January 24, 2011

Interview with Devyn Quinn

Devyn Quinn has written a new mermaid series and she's offering to one lucky reader a chance to win a signed bundle of Siren's Call and Siren's Surrender. How cool is that! Read on and find out what you have to do. I promise, you won't have to grow a mermaid tail, go scuba diving and bring back a pearl or even fight off pirates. Though if you run into Jack Sparrow, no one here will mind if he joins us today. :)

So read on and enjoy!!

Devyn why don't you start out by telling us about yourself:

I live in the scenic Southwest, though I have also lived in Washington state and Arkansas, to name a few. I am a huge fan of dark gothic music & shoot-'em-up action movies. But reading is my first love and I spend too much time with history books, as well as feeding my addiction for celebrity biographies. I especially enjoy reading books on Hollywood before the 1960′s and is crazy about Marilyn Monroe, her legend and her myth.

I live with several cats, 11 ferrets, and one little single Shih Tzu doggie, Tess.

I am also the owner of several tattoos, including one based on my "Eternity" books.

As a child, I loved reading about the mythical legends of mermaids.

What inspired you to write the Dark Tides series about mermaids? Are your stories based off any of the ancient legends or have your created a completely new legend for your stories?

DQ: I was actually not so much inspired to write the Dark Tides series, as commissioned. Lindsay Nouis at NAL was looking for a dark mermaid series and I submitted a proposal, which she subsequently bought. I couldn't use established mythos, such as Atlantis, and had to create my own from scratch.

Your upcoming release (Feb. 1st) is Siren's Surrender. Without giving too much away, tell us what to expect.

DQ: This book picks up about a month after the events in Siren's Call. This is Gwen, the middle sister's book, and it deals with her feelings of alienation and the difficulty she has at being a mermaid. It also covers what it might feel like to be imprisoned for being different.

Gwen Lonike is the heroine of Siren's Surrender.

What does she look like? What are her strengths? Her weaknesses?

DQ: LOL, Gwen is a red head and I often get smacked for stealing from The Little Mermaid, as I understand that character, too, has red hair. I honestly didn't know, or I would have made the girls blondes! Gwen's strengths are that she is sensible and level-headed even in the most difficult of situations. Her weakness is that she doesn't want to be a mermaid at all.

Now that is a problem, isn't it? Poor Gwen.

Blake Whittaker is the hero of the story. Tell us about him. What does he look like? What are his strengths? Weaknesses?

DQ: Blake is one of those tall, dark hotties, LOL. He's got commitment issues that stem back to his early abuse as a child. He also has a fear of the water. I won't say why, but it will be hard for him to connect with a being who belongs in it!

Should we expect a romance between the hero and heroine?

DQ: Oh, definitely. The readers can expect a HEA.

Wonderful! I live for Happily-Ever-After Stories.

Do the readers need to read the Dark Tides series in order? How many books do you have planned for the series?

DQ: No, each book can stand on its own and readers can pick up what happened in previous books without having read one.

I love your books covers. They're beautiful. Who is the cover book artist? Are the covers how you imagined them to be?

DQ: I have no say over the covers. They are provided by the publisher and I don't know the name of the artist, though s/he is very talented!

You definitely lucked out!

What are you working on now?

DQ: I am working on Siren's Desire, the third Dark Tides book, to release Feb 2012.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

DQ: That readers should be on the lookout for Darkness Descending, the first book in my Vampire Armageddon series. It's due out August 2, and readers are in for one heck of a ride!

To find out more about Devyn Quinn and your wonderful stories, visit her at:

DQ: www.devynquinn.com To Buy links are available on her website.

Excerpt:

7 a.m. sharp.

Blake Whittaker stood in the lobby. At this point in the morning, sleepy-eyed people were beginning to wander through on their way to breakfast. Though small, the hotel offered a continental breakfast, complete with a smiling attendant who poured the coffee and helped patrons navigate the complexities of the waffle machine.

Considering the fact he was about to make a trip across the water, Blake had skipped eating. For one thing, he considered it an abomination to get up early and immediately begin shoveling down a meal. For the second thing, he hated boats almost as much as he did the water. During the few times he'd had the displeasure of riding in one, he'd never failed to get sick. The last thing he wanted to do was puke his guts up in front of Gwen Lonike.

It wouldn't look professional.

So even though he was dying for a cup or two of strong hot black coffee, he'd forgo the pleasure until after he'd returned to the mainland. He planned to grab a cup at some fast-food joint.

On my way out of this hellhole, came his dark thought.

"Port Rock," he mumbled under his breath. "Born here, raised here. Won't look back when I leave here."

He checked his watch again: 7:05. His tour guide was one late lady.

Blake glanced toward the front desk. A thin woman with frizzy blond hair and splotchy red skin was busy with customers. The elusive Gwen had vanished. She hadn't been behind the desk when he'd come down from his room, ten minutes before the hour she'd agreed to meet him.

He was just about to amble over and bother the clerk when the door to the manager's office opened.

Purse slung over one shoulder, Gwen Lonike hurried out to join him. She carried a large travel-capped coffee mug. "Sorry," she said, blurting out her apology. "I needed a minute to wash my face and comb my hair." She flicked a damp strand away with a distracted hand. "I'm ready when you are."

Trying not to stare, Blake gave her a quick once-over. Though her clothes were the same as she'd worn last night, she looked fresh and crisp. A fitted white blouse hugged her breasts and narrow waist. Black slacks accentuated her long, sleekly muscled legs. Lustrous red hair cut in a modern shoulder-brushing shag framed her pert face. She wore no cosmetics. Didn't need them, either. Nature had given her thick black lashes and full red lips, along with a smattering of cute freckles across her upturned nose. All together she looked absolutely adorable. Her only accessory was a small crystal pendant, which hung from a delicate gold chain around her neck.

A two-ton anvil could have landed on his head and he wouldn't have noticed. Last night he'd been too tired and distracted to give her a second glance. Now he was looking closer, and he liked what he saw.

His inner temperature rising, Blake felt a shiver clamor up his spine. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood up. His skin suddenly felt hot and too taut to stretch over his bones. There was a definite reaction going on, one he hadn't felt in a long time.

Wow. Just wow.

He caught a whiff of the light scent she'd recently spritzed her clothing with to freshen it. The smell of crisp fresh pears almost made his mouth water. Desire sped through his brain. Though he usually didn't get too worked up over a nice-looking female, there was something about this one that definitely set his male antennae to humming. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but Gwen seemed different from other women.

Special.

****Contest:

So are you hooked? Do you want a signed bundle of Siren's Call and Siren's Surrender for your very own? You do? Fantastic. All you need to do is tell Devyn why you like mermaid stories. That's it. So simple.

Please don't forget to leave your email so Devyn may contact you if you should win. Good Luck!

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Published on January 24, 2011 00:01

January 17, 2011

Skhye Moncrief and the Importance Numerology

Karen: Let's welcome the Skhye Moncrief. She's written a fascinating post. Read on and you see what I mean. Don't forget to ask questions or just hello. Skhye would love to hear from you.

Skye: Karen asked me to blog about numerology. And I wondered how in the world to approach the subject. So, I'll just begin with my own research journey. When I first began writing my Time Guardian time-travel series, I lost my mind and decided to have an unusual mode of time travel. First, my Time Guardians travel via fairy magic, energy along the same thread as electromagnetic radiation. But there needed to be more to it. Something like... a system of calculating destinations using astrofolklore and numerology. Now, I said I lost my mind. I did.

So, how does all this astrofolklore and numerology make a man determine where he's going to wind up traveling via fairy magic across time and space? Well, I had no idea they'd done something similar in the original Stargate movie. Or it just looks similar to me. But there's a circular portal with little symbols on the loop in the movie. And you choose the symbols that pinpoint a 3-D locality... You know what I mean. You've seen the movie. Well, my Time Guardians use Earth astrology (astronomy with stories) and the astrology from their planet of origin to determine the TIME when they will land. Then they use numerology (astrology boiled down to its basic units) to pinpoint that landing strip. Yep. It sounds a lot like what that circular portal does in Stargate. I hadn't seen that movie in years until 2010 and thought "Hell". Oh well, can't go back and do things differently. I have a series, you know. So, why did I choose numerology?

Numerology is a reflection of patterns in our world. The ancients saw the patterns and assigned them numbers. It's like hearing sounds and assigning them a symbol from the alphabet. But in numerology, every letter in the alphabet has a numerological value. So, names, birthdates, consonant sums in names, and days of the month all have values. These values give everything a certain form of resonance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resonance Okay, you think I'm a crackpot. Really, I studied hard science forever and am only reporting what I need to know here to make the time travel work for my time guardians. ;) Once you study anthropology ad nauseum, you can blame learning unusual things on a-need-to-know basis for your characters. *snort*

Now let's think about that movie/story Dune. What's that hero's name? Mawdibe? Remember when it's spoken there's a huge surge of energy that shoots out like a wall and knocks the bad guys on their arses? That's resonance. Every letter in the alphabet and number from 1-9 has a certain power associated with it. And that power is in your name, nickname, favorite color, the sign you're born under, even the value of all the vowels summed up in your name. You have a certain vibration. Yep. I'm nuts. Okay. My characters are because my goal is to get down to the bottom of everything they think--all their goals, motivations, and conflicts in my stories.

To put resonance in a visual form you can relate to... Check out this bridge failure from the wind blowing at just the right speed and making just the right sound. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zczJXSxnw
Wikipedia's explanation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galloping_Gertie

Now, resonance in my Time Guardian series is all about the energy that my time travelers use to cross time and space. See, a simple explanation. Throw in some poetic license, and it's not so nutty a process.

But how do you use numerology to make your characters real? First of all, each character has a birthdate just like in astrology and Tarot. Numerology is just the foundation of both of those. You can use numerology to predict the future exactly the way astrology and Tarot does. Tarot is more of a method to choose the best path to deal with imminent situations. The symbolism in all three is the same--based on the numbers between 1-9. Any numbers larger than 9 are reduced to 1-9. For example, 10 would be reduced by adding 1+0=1, and 1 would be the number used for whatever reason to deduce the issue at hand. Personalities are 1-9. Some numerology books allow you to leave the numbers in their original forms through 20 or 30. That's okay. Just stick with those books to deal with the meanings of the numbers. I don't feel I'm expert enough to just ditch one system for another. And to me, the pictures in Tarot require too much memorization of a story to keep me interested in a Tarot deck enough to use it. I just stick with the base numbers.

There are a few exceptions with numbers. These are called Master Numbers. Master numbers are the base numbers 1-9 that are the the "nth" power, i.e. 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, and 99. My given name at birth has two 11s and one 33. I don't fancy this good. 11 is Aries on steroids. 33 is the number of Christ--passion and obsession. So, oy! But females in a male-dominated society have the lovely perk of their given names changing upon marriage! Wahoo for me!!! Yes, as a woman in the West, your resonance changes upon marriage. And if you take on a new nickname (known name) at some point in your life, you might notice your luck changing. Seriously, my friend went from Beth to Elizabeth and her life went to Hell in a handbag. I kid you not. She lost her job. Her husband quit his job. She decided he was useless. She left him. And more... I'll stop there. I actually told her about this resonance thing. Mostly because she's the one who explained to me that she had always paid for Tarot readings with one expert but when she really wanted to get down and dirty with her near future, she went to her friend the numerology expert. She said that man could tell her more about her life than anyone on the planet, including her. ;) But she doesn't give a hoot about name resonance. *sigh* I guess you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

Numerology has been crunched for thousands of years and is still crunched in the Old World. When someone goes to an expert to determine if their marriage to someone will work, that expert looks at numerological charts. Remember, when combining two things they mix or they don't. ;) This is really good stuff for romance authors! Okay, enough of my insane rambling. If you'd like to play with numerology in a story, my favorite books are:

Norman Shine's NUMEROLOGY
Richard Craze's NUMEROLOGY DECODER
Korra Deaver's THE MASTER NUMBERS
Kathleen McCormack's TAROT DECODER

The last book is for Tarot spreads. I like it best because it explains card meaning by placement both right-side up and inverted in the 13-card Celtic Cross spread. A few other spreads are provided with basic meanings of each card's position.

My favorite Tarot deck, simply because it has no-nonsense symbolism and 1-2 words noting its most significant meaning on the front, is Lucy Cavendish's THE ORACLE TAROT. I tossed all the other decks I tried to use to understand what was going o

n with Tarot way back when... Why torture myself? And for anyone who wants to know what the purpose of Tarot cards is, read through page 7 of Rachel Pollack's THE FOREST OF SOULS. She brought everything together for this scientifically-inclined mind. :)

As for what I'm writing now, I jumped off the other side of my cliff and combined winter solstice 2012 legends with alien abduction stories, psychics, and werewolves & vampires to create my werewolf space opera. I never liked vanilla ice cream without chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, sprinkles, caramel sauce, and whipped topping! Oh, we mustn't forget the Dr. Pepper Cherry sauce... My FERAL series is with New Concepts Publishing. Book 1, FERAL FASCINATIONS, is available now in e-format or print. Book 2, FERAL FLAW, will be released Feb. 11th! And Book 3, FERAL FEVER, will be released March 18th!

Thanks for having me over, Karen. I so love to ramble. ;) ~Skhye

Available titles: http://skhyemoncrief.com/Page_5.html
Skhye's books on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=digital-text&field-author=Skhye%20Moncrief

Skhye's books at Fictionwise http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b115094/Feral-Fascinations/Skhye-Moncrief/?si=0

Skhye's books on Nook http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=skhye+moncrief&box=skhye%20moncrief&pos=-1

Skhye's books at All Romance E-books http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-swordsong-443310-141.html

Skhye online: www.timeguardians.com & www.skhyemoncrief.com
Newsletter Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skhyemoncrief/ Blog http://blog.skhyemoncrief.com

Karen: Thank yo so much for being with us today and sharing your behind the scenes of tales. It's been a real pleasure having you here again.

View more on Karen Michelle Nutt's website »

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Published on January 17, 2011 00:01

January 10, 2011

Join Us at My Blog and Meet an Author!

At KMN Books Blogspot: Interview with Susan Roebuck

We have today with us Susan Roebuck, author of the Perfect Score. Her story won the Nov. 2010 Reader’s Choice for Best Cover, Best First Line and Best Last Line! Please give Susan a warm welcome. Feel free to leave a comment or ask her a question. She’s offering two pdf copies of her book to two lucky winners, too. So come by KMN Books Blogpot and find out what you need to do.

http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com

Susan Roebuck

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Published on January 10, 2011 08:56 • Tags: books, interview, kmn-books-blogspot, perfect-score, prizes, sue-roebuck

Interview with Susan Roebuck

We have today with us Susan Roebuck, author of the Perfect Score. Her story won the Nov. 2010 Reader's Choice for Best Cover, Best First Line and Best Last Line! Please give Susan a warm welcome. Feel free to leave a comment or ask her a question. She's offering two pdf copies of her book to two lucky winners, too. So read on and find out what you need to do.

Tell us about yourself:

I was born and brought up in the UK, which is where I met my husband who's Portuguese. We came to Portugal and since then I've been teaching English as a Foreign Language, first of all for the British Council and latterly for the Portuguese Civil Service.

What inspired you to write Perfect Score? Why did you choose to set your story in the 1960s?

LOL, this is longer than my biography! I never set out to write Perfect Score – it wrote itself. I went on a holiday to Upstate New York and fell in love with the Catskills, and particularly with a small village not far from Woodstock. I adored the aged hippies who floated around, selling their wares in small incense (incense? ahem) scented gift-shops. Even the long-haired local golf-pro was into levitation. I adored it. So I first set Perfect Score in Woodstock (which explains the 1960s) and Alex was a singer at the Festival. Sam was a woman – yes a woman! But this character became so flawed that I just had to make him a man (sorry, gentlemen, I don't mean that as it sounds – but a woman would never have survived in the same way Sam did). So, without an operation, Sam changed sex. And he had to work – but at what? Outdoor work was the only choice, so I had him on a farm and relocated him to the other side of the country which is famous for agriculture. There. Does that answer your question? Probably not…

I think you answered the question perfectly. Funny, how our characters take on a life of their own and dictate who they want to be :)

Tell us about Alex Finch. What does he look like? What kind of man is he? What are his strengths? His weaknesses?

Oh Alex. I loved writing his voice. He is such a ditz to start out with, wearing his sexy leather pants and white Egyptian cotton shirts, but he's had a hard time of it too even though he lives at the other end of the economic spectrum to Sam. Alex is tall, but tends to hunch due to his insecurities. That's why he's got long, flowing raven black locks which he can use to cover his face. Apart from being a talented singer, song-writer, he's also very good looking and attractive to women. However, he's too scared, thanks to his controlling uncle, to realize his ambition and dreams. At the start he's selfish, spoilt and inward-looking. But that's because he's constructed this sphere around himself where he's safe and doesn't have to view the real world which has dealt him a few thumps. Sam's seemingly lack of interest in him is the last straw of disappointment that sends him spiraling towards alcoholism. Later you'll see he's really very observant, kind and generous but these traits only become apparent when he's around Sam who he never gives up on and who he's prepared to fight his worst enemy for.

Tell us about Sam Barowdale. What does he look like? What kind of man is he? What are his strengths? His weaknesses?

I had to write Sam's part of the book in third person because no-one, not even Sam, can get into his head which is, at the best of times, in chaos. He's shorter than Alex, probably only about five foot seven, skinny, he cuts his thick brown hair himself so that it resembles a mop. He's wiry, though, and has true strength both of body and mind. Alex's mother says that Sam has amber eyes and Alex says Sam's eyes can see right into the core of a person. He's so perceptive. He plays down his awful upbringing so it's only touched upon in the book but we do know he ended up at twelve years old on the streets. This has led to his toughness because, although he's small, he can take on the biggest ruffian and win. He's such a sweetie, though. He just lives and works to keep his disabled sister in good accommodation without relying on the State. And he has a wicked sense of humor – he is extremely bright and can memorize information that he's heard and spout it verbatim to the utter amazement of the listener who, until that moment, considered him to be a "retard".

You touch basis about dyslexia and stuttering. How much research went into learning about both disabilities?

As I mentioned, I trained as a teacher and I saw dyslexia in its mild form. A colleague, though, did specialize in it and she gave me some pointers. It's not certain that Sam does suffer from dyslexia because, if he does, his is a very severe form of it. If you have dyslexia, you don't necessarily stutter. I think Sam's stutter stems more from his caution about being with other people because he doesn't stutter with those he loves.

Do you have a favorite reference book?

The one that really struck me was written in something like 1932! It's "Becoming a Writer" by Dorothea Brande. It's more an inspirational guide and some of her advice is spot on today. I especially loved her suggestion to be two people: "let the unconscious run wild and the conscious weed out what is right and wrong".

Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers?

As soon as some people see that the story is about two men they immediately turn away, saying it's not for them. But the story is more suspense than romance and, unusual for an M/M book, there's no erotica at all. I wanted to portray their relationship as something entirely natural – there's no doubt in the main characters' minds that they're homosexual and so no awful crises of doubts or identity, or even denial. I also don't preach at all about it in the book. Their love is secondary to the story, however. I wanted to, as I say in the blurb, to show two men struggling to show their worth in a world that is full of corruption, cruelty and injustice.

Susan's blog: http://lauracea.blogspot.com

To buy link: http://www.awe-struck.net/books/perfect_score.html

Short Excerpt:

Chapter One: Sam

Spring 1968

The wind blew straight off the frozen prairie and rattled the ill-fitting window panes in his hut. Sam opened one eye. Five am. Don't ask him how he knew. It wasn't the owl hoot, or the coyote yip, or the creek ice splitting, or even the cattle coughing that gave it away because these noises were constant throughout the night. He just knew it was time to get up.

He rolled out from under the warmth of an old moth-eaten wolf pelt and, without bothering to light his paraffin lamp, pulled on jeans and a stiff-with-wear plaid work-shirt. He laced up scruffy, ancient leather boots before finishing it all off with a green wool jacket.

I'll block those holes with creek mud, he thought as the wind whistled through the gaps in the raw-wood plank walls. He put his shoulder to the door. Oil for that too--maybe Josh Pike had some in the barn.

He'd hardly put his left foot outside when snow seeped through a hole in the boot sole. Standing on one leg, he broke the ice in his ceramic sink, splashed the small amount of water pooled there on his face and drank a handful.

Six hours of shoveling hay and muck, he thought as his boots rang on the iced-up alkali path leading to the main yard. A Canadian goose hooted a teasing honk. Laugh all you want, birdie, Sam stuffed his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders. At least I'm not up to my butt in freezing water. Just my left foot. His hair blown horizontal, he bent into the biting wind and squinted through stinging hail as three yellow cow dogs rushed up the path, their tails whirling, breath white and freezing on their whiskers.

"Can't find a darn cow dog when I want one," he'd heard Josh Pike complain the previous day.

"That's because they're always with the boy," Mrs. Pike responded. "Sam."

"But I feed 'em."

"Animals love Sam because he has such a kind face, and everyone knows amber eyes make the animals feel lucky."

"Never heard such a load of horse poop in all my life," Josh Pike muttered, his eyes skimming his land.

The Pike place had pretensions to be a ranch, but Sam didn't think it quite made it. Divided into three sections: a creek, steep terrain and some disordered pastures lying in a flood plain, the property bordered the much larger Raw Pines ranch next door. Josh Pike told Sam he'd worked the land for twenty years but, as far as Sam could see, with little to show for it except the old man's love for the place which was as rigid as the winter weather: driving stinging snowstorms that stank of rusty nails. And a wind that could blow a calf over.

Three hours later, the range in the distance just visible across the frozen prairie, Sam removed his jacket, hung it on a gate post and pondered his next task.

He took a closer look at the steer lying on its side, kicking its legs and bellowing as if Sam was about to knife it. Can't have been easy forcing your darned head through the rails in the fence, he thought. He rolled his sleeves up, picked up an axe and got to work on the fence rail with several powerful swings, taking care not to jolt the animal's head.

"Cain't you smell that good air?" Josh Pike had clambered onto a section of the fence, unaware or uncaring that he was tossed up a few inches every time the axe hit the rail. He raised his weathered face to the watery sun with all the pleasure and leisure of a sunbather on a distant beach. "Have to punch the bastard to get him in the chute." He nodded at the struggling steer, his words jarring with each blow of the axe. "Yet he done put his head through the fence happy as a flea. Takes some beatin' huh?"

Sam had no breath for words, but Pike continued undeterred. "Betcha we could show them folks you worked with in Silver Creek a thing or two, eh boy? On how to run a cattle ranch. Betcha learned more up here in this month than you did in the three years you were down there. Eh?" He leaned closer to Sam, his face alight as he waited for Sam's affirmative. "Eh?"

"Near...nearly," Sam gasped, referring to the fence.

With one final massive blow, the axe-head wobbled as it finally split the fence rail. Sam kicked at the steer's rump to encourage it up and watched it skitter back to the herd, still bellowing its woes.

"You reckon you could slaughter beef?"

"If...if I have to."

The old man nodded as if satisfied with the answer. "Make some people weep. So pretty."

Sam rubbed his hand over his face. Like so many conversations in his life, this one made no sense at all. Why was the old man leaping from subject to subject like a demented grasshopper? And what was pretty? The back end of the rapidly retreating steer or a slaughtered cow?

"The view," Josh Pike explained although Sam hadn't voiced his question. The old man nodded at the distant range where the peaks were shining pink like his bald pate. "And you know little guys like us can."

Sam raised his eyes to the gun-metal grey sky above them. Can what? Sam was the first to admit that even on a good day his own mind was at best in total disarray, but it wasn't in the chaos Josh Pike's evidently was.

"Cry. Cry at the view." Josh spoke as if explaining to a first grader. "Little guys get away with it. Betcha bawled when you left your family in Silver Creek. Eh?"

Bawled? Cry? Sam stared at the farm owner in disbelief. Sure he'd been sorry to leave-Silver Creek held all he loved. But cry? Sam couldn't remember the last time he'd cried. When did he last cry? He wracked his brains.

Give away

Two PDF copies of Perfect Score will be given away to two lucky winners. Two people who give the best reasons why they want to read the the Perfect Score will win be the winners.

Thanks Karen for letting me guest-blog with you – you're a star.

It's been a pleasure having you here.

View more on Karen Michelle Nutt's website »

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Published on January 10, 2011 00:01

January 3, 2011

Interview with Angie Skelhorn

Angie Skelhorn, author of a heart-stopping novel of attraction and self discovery is here to tell us about her new release, No Reins.

Let's start by telling us about yourself.

I am the fifth child born into a farming family located in Canada. My days are spent surrounded by close friends and family. I live my year following the Celtic calendar by practising old rites, crafts and customs.

I groom horses for local owners/trainers at harness-racing tracks in the Toronto area.

Tell us about your latest release and where is it available?

Coming on the heels of my e-book On The Edge, is No Reins, a

serious coming-of-age theme and is available at http://Clublighthousepublishing.com

Tell us about the story without giving too much away.

Love at first sight shakes Angel to her core. No doubt her love is real she up and leaves her security for life at a harness-racing track. Tensions begin to rise in her new environment. Even though she is devoted to Stephen her insecurities creep in. She finds herself going in a new direction. A direction that wasn't her. She experiences a lot of dips and dives as she tries to sustain her sanity.

The times she feels pain, fear, frustration and anger Stephen comes through for her in a very big way.

Why do you write?

I hope to inspire others that the impossible is possible.

What has been the most rewarding aspects of being a full-time writer?

When I first submitted to agents and publishers everybody turned me down. Away from the nay sayers I kept writing and editing. I found for the hours I wrote became a heightened form of life. For that time I escaped from real life and created a world of my own. If I had struggles I'd write them out.

In the end I was ready when preparation met opportunity. Now I'm on the verge of having the life I dreamt. I am blessed to able to do what I enjoy doing immersed in country living and harness racing.

Where can you be found on the web?

You can reach me online directly via the comments section of my blog http://Witchskel.com or http://Witchskel.blogspot.com Also you can visit my writing life at http://AngieSkelhorn.com

I also can be found on Good Reads, Author Nation, Fiction Factor Form, The Witches Voice and Facebook.

Thank you for your time.
Blessings.

Thank you for being here today. I wish you the best of luck with your new release.

View more on Karen Michelle Nutt's website »

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Published on January 03, 2011 00:01