Lolita Lopez's Blog, page 9
October 30, 2011
Reviews and a Maze!
Two things! Real quick before I get back to work on this totally filthy short story of mine…
1) Mary from Naughty Whispers reviewed Between Friends. This was a review that really made me smile.
"Each time I open a book, I have no idea if I am going to like it or love it. Well Mrs Lolita Lopez I have only one thing to say: STUNNING! I did not like it. I did not love it. I adored it!!! This is exactly what a MMF is supposed to be ."
She loved the book and really enjoyed Eddie, Whitney and Mick. I was so thrilled she connected with the characters. It was my first novel-length menage and I worried whether I could carry the complex emotions through the entire book. I'm so excited to write more menages for Siren!
2) Dave-O and I took the kiddo to the P-6 Farms Corn Maze in Montgomery, Texas. So much fun and so affordable. I wondered if we'd get our money worth but the maze was the perfect mix of confusing and fun. It's 8 acres of mazes (one easy, one harder) plus a playground, water cannons, delicious food, hay rides and more. Kiddo is only 2 and had a blast. We saw people of all ages (even babies in strollers) so don't worry about age ranges. It's really a great family place. If you're in the Houston/Conroe/The Woodlands/College Station area, give this place a try!
October 25, 2011
D. Renee Bagby's First Chapters: Between Friends
The first chapter of Between Friends is up on D. Renee Bagby's First Chapters blog. It's a fab showcase of authors and a great way to check out interesting books. Head on over and give Between Friends a read. Click around when you're done. You never know what other gems you might find!
October 23, 2011
Interview at Mary's Naughty Whispers
Reviewer Mary from Mary's Naughty Whispers, a review blog catering to the menage genre, asked me some really great interview questions this weekend. I had a lot of fun with this review and even had to put on my thinking cap a few times!
She's a huge fan of menage and really "gets" the genre. If you're looking for a fab menage read, she's got the skinny on some wonderful books!
October 21, 2011
Weekend Dirty Dozen!
Welcome to my first Weekend Dirty Dozen! Every weekend, authors of various genres get together and post links to blog posts containing 12 sentences from their most current releases. This is a seriously fab opportunity for readers to get a taste of new books and new authors! Hope you enjoy this 12 sentence excerpt of Between Friends, an erotic menage from Siren.
"We're going to make love to you." Eddie's statement rocked her. Her first instinct was to put her hands up and tell them no. It was too much too soon. Or was it? She'd known these men a long time. She cared for and trusted them. And she'd wanted them, wanted this, for so very long.
"Please," she whispered, uncertain how to proceed. She didn't know what to say or do.
"Just let go," Mick said, his lips against her ear. "We'll show you pleasure unlike any you've ever felt."
For more great reads, visit the Weekend Dirty Dozen Facebook page. You won't be disappointed!
October 19, 2011
New Release: Between Friends & Excerpt
I have a sinfully sexy new menage tale out from Siren today. SWAT Sergeant. Trauma Surgeon. Fashionista. Add them all together and you get one ridiculously naughty book that delves into the heart of a menage relationship. Oh and there's lot of smutty sexy times too! Pages and pages and pages of deliciously dirty and mildly kinky sex.
For months, LA fashionista Whitney Montcrief has secretly lusted after her roommates, super sexy trauma surgeon Mick O'Loughlin and rough, tough and drop-dead gorgeous SWAT sergeant Eddie Dillon.
Eddie craves Whitney's touch. Her sweet smile tempts him like none other—and it terrifies him. He's been burned once before and has no desire to relive the pain of rejection. His heart walled off, Eddie denies himself the very thing he wants most.
But Mick is tired of tiptoeing around the obvious sexual attraction between the three of them. He wants Eddie and Whitney in his bed. He's ready to play with fire, even if that means dragging Eddie, kicking and screaming, right through the flames behind him.
Reader advisory: MMF, MFM, bondage, sex toys, spanking, anal (you know, all the good stuff!)
PG-13 EXCERPT:
Together they managed to finish painting the living room and were installing the new ceiling fan when Mick heard the unmistakable sound of an approaching car. Eddie's paint-stained hands went still. The screwdriver clamped between his teeth fell to the floor with a noisy clatter. Mick was certain he displayed the same oh-shit expression reflected on Eddie's face.
"Is that Whit?"
Mick hopped off the stepladder and rushed to the window. His stomach dropped like a runaway elevator. "Yeah. In a taxi."
"We weren't supposed to pick her up for hours."
Mick rushed back to the stepladder and snatched up the screwdriver. He climbed up to help Eddie rush the installation of the ceiling fan. Seconds sped by so quickly. Their fingers fumbled and slipped. Eddie cursed a few times before finally securing the base on the ceiling mount and getting the last screw in place. Mick stepped off the ladder a fraction of a moment before the front door swung open.
"What is all that crap in the front yard? It looks like Home Depot exploded on our sidewalk." Whitney's confused voice drifted in from the hallway. In a few seconds, she'd come around the corner.
Mick's knotted stomach ached fiercely. Eddie stood frozen on the stepladder. Luggage wheels thunked, and high heels clacked on the entryway tile. "I took an earlier flight from Miami. I couldn't wait to get home and relax with my two favorite—"
Whit's voice trailed off as she appeared in the arched doorway. A flirty white sundress contrasted the warmth of her sun-kissed skin. Her fingers slowly drew down the designer sunglasses perched on her nose. Those soft green eyes widened as she looked around the demolished living room and dining room. Shock filtered across her pretty face.
Mick shot a quick glance at Eddie, but his friend's gaze was fixed on Whitney. Mick silently prayed Whit wouldn't blow up on them. Eddie was the kind of guy who would race through hell with a cup of gasoline just for the thrill of it, but that roughened exterior hid an incredibly sensitive man. One cross word from Whitney and Mick just knew Eddie would be crushed.
Whitney shoved her sunglasses onto the crown of her head. She left her hot-pink suitcase standing in the doorway and took a slow tour of the mess. "Well"—she put her hands on her hips—"I've seen worse."
Mick exhaled with relief. She wasn't pissed. Annoyed? Hell yes. But she wasn't angry, and that's all that mattered.
"We wanted to surprise you." Eddie stepped off the ladder. "We just didn't figure on a number of setbacks throwing us off schedule."
"You've always got to account for Murphy." Whit spoke with the authority of a young woman responsible for coordinating some of the biggest fashion shows in New York and Los Angeles. "If something can go wrong, it absolutely will." She paused and flashed them a smile. "I appreciate the effort, though."
Mick's stress melted. He sensed Eddie was at ease now.
Whitney pointed to the stacks of hardwood flooring visible through the gaping hole. She wrinkled her cute little nose. "Those have to go back. They are way too dark for the dining room."
Mick laughed, not the least bit surprised she'd noticed. "We were planning to take them back later."
"So what's the story of the half-nakedness?" Whitney frowned and fanned her face. "Why the hell is it so hot in here?"
Mick cringed as Eddie chuckled and slapped him on the back. "Doctor Know-It-All fried the A/C. Too many plugs in one outlet."
Whitney shot him a knowing glance. "Imagine that."
Mick's face grew warm with embarrassment. He offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry."
Whit shook her head. "So we have no living room, no dining room, and no air conditioning."
"The kitchen is a mess. We have a lot of equipment and supplies stashed in there." Mick avoided her annoyed frown.
"And one bathroom," Eddie added reluctantly.
Her eyebrows lifted. "Excuse me?"
"Your bathroom is stuffed with extra furniture and lamps and stuff." Mick motioned toward Eddie. "The master bathroom between our rooms is open."
"I don't need to hear any more." She held up her hands. "For what it's worth, I can tell you put a lot of hard work into this, even if it didn't go exactly as planned. We can get this place whipped into shape in no time." She assumed her naturally bossy tone. "You two can throw those boxes of flooring in Eddie's truck, and I'll exchange them while I'm at the store."
"You're going to Home Depot?" Mick asked, not at all thrown by her take-charge attitude. If there was one thing Whit did well, it was boss other people around.
"Well, I sure as hell am not going to roast in my bedroom all night. And I've had enough of hotel rooms. I want to sleep in my own bed. So until we can get an HVAC guy out here, I'll enjoy the cold breeze of a window unit."
Mick and Eddie did as she'd instructed and carried the boxes of flooring out to Eddie's truck while Whitney impatiently tapped her foot.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Mick asked when they reconvened in the living room.
"No. You and Eddie get to stay here and clean up your mess because you've been very naughty boys." She sauntered over to Eddie and brazenly slipped her hand inside the front pocket of his board shorts. A flicker of lust licked at Mick's lower belly. His groin tightened at the sight of Whitney's hand buried in Eddie's pocket. An expression of shock and arousal flitted across Eddie's face.
With a teasing smirk, Whitney produced the keys to Eddie's truck. She took a step back and lowered her sunglasses into place. "Get a move on, boys. I expect to see this mess cleaned up by the time I get back—or else."
Why I Heart Menage At SS&S
Do you love menage and more books? I so totally love them! Can't get enough, actually. I'm blogging over at Silken Sheets and Seduction on this topic. Come on over and let me know what you think about these super sexy tales!
October 14, 2011
Aspen Mountain Press: A Cautionary Tale
I've been hearing lots of grumbling privately about Aspen Mountain Press for a while now. When you're plugged into the online romance scene, you start to network and make connections. It' a great way to get to "know" a publisher before sending your work. There are a lot of things I'll say privately about my experiences with certain publishers that I won't say publicly (for various reasons.)
(To any writer out there, please feel free to contact me via my contact form here on the website if you ever have a question about any of my publishers. I am more than happy to answer questions! )
All that said, the private and public grumblings about Aspen Mountain Press have been growing over the last few weeks. Some of the things I've heard from friends tangled up in this mess and read about on some of the bigger writer's forums are just jaw-dropping and awful. I mean, this is what-the-fuckery on a major scale.
The latest blog post comes from Celina Summers, a former editor at the press, who has come forward with very specific grievances and the proof to back it up–and, holy shit, is this stuff crazy! I don't know if any of the authors caught up in this nightmare will ever get paid what's owed to them or receive their rights reversion letters. (The owner is, apparently, pleading a case of mental illness.) From some of her more recent replies to authors, it's not looking good for authors suffering from breached contracts and just all-around piss poor treatment.
As an author who got into e-publishing fairly early in the game (2007,) I will freely admit that I never saw this coming with Aspen Mountain. It's not one of the biggest e-publishers but it was one of the smaller, well-respected houses where an author could do well. (I enjoyed their Aurora regency imprint quite a bit.) If you'd asked me to predict which of the smaller, boutique publishers would be circling the drain in 2011, Aspen Mountain would not have been on the list. And, yet, here they are.
There are some lessons to be learned here. One? Always start at the top of the pile and work your way down. You want to get your books in front of the big epublishers. Ellora's Cave, Samhain, Carina, Loose Id, Liquid Silver, Siren, Changeling, etc. These are the companies that have been successful for some time and have proven they have the business know-how and cash flow to keep the company going. It's not just a one-woman (or man) show.
Lesson Two? When you smell smoke, investigate. If you start hearing bad things, run. Don't wait. Pull out your contracts and send those rights reversion letters IMMEDIATELY. From my four years of watching other authors try to escape the clutches of drowning publishing houses, I've learned that the earlier you send in those reversions, the more likely it is that you will escape with your books.
Look, publishing is a business. I've had to make tough calls with certain publishers, and, no, it wasn't fun. I hated it. I felt weird and awkward and worried I'd hurt someone's feelings but that's life. This is my career and I'm not about to lose my hard work to a publisher who thinks it's okay to treat a business bank account like a personal account, to never send my royalties or statements, or to abuse me on private publisher loops. No, no, and no.
From the bottom of my heart, I hope this works out for the authors at Aspen Mountain. They deserve so much better than being jerked around like this.
You can read more about this hot mess here:
Celina Summers: Breaking My Silence On Aspen Mountain
Esther Mitchell: Dropping the Ball, A Publishing Nightmare Exposed
Celia Kyle: Beware–Aspen Mountain Press
Kimberly Nee: Well, Hello There!
Andy Dunn: You May Have Noticed Something
Writer Beware: Trouble At Aspen Mountain Press
October 5, 2011
Silken Sheets Post: Supernatural and Sexy!
I'm blogging over at Silken Sheets and Seduction today. The topic? Halloween sexiness and my love for all things paranormal in the fall. Scoot on over and take a peek!
October 3, 2011
Turn-Down Service & Between Friends at Excerpt Monday
Quick post today!
Two of my books, Turn-Down Service and Between Friends are up at Excerpt Monday. There's also a giveaway for a copy of Turn-Down Service so click away!
September 30, 2011
Silken Sheets Kindle Giveaway
All right, Folks! You've got, like, eight hours to enter the Kindle and ebook giveaway over at our group blog, Silken Sheets & Seduction.
Because Amazon rolled out some new Kindle models, we're giving the winner a choice of which Kindle they'd prefer! So hop on over here and comment to win!
