C. Margery Kempe's Blog: Lady Smut, page 215

4th Desire of This Vampire–Comics

Dear Readers,

In answering my paranormal advice column, I completely forgot the 4th desire particular to this vampire here:  comic books!

Today is National Free Comic Book Day.  Comic Book stories across America are giving away free comic books today!  So go out and have fun.

Yes, I know you wouldn't expect a vampire to love comic books, but I admit I do.  I will be out there dressed in protective black searching out my favorites.  Got to run now.

–David Hilliard

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Dear David, romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley, vampire books, vampires

Dear Vampire David: What Do Vampires Desire?

You are welcome to submit emails requesting paranormal advice to Vampire David Hilliard at NightsofPassionblog@gmail.com  Please, put Dear David in the Subject line.

Dear David,

What do vampires desire?  I need to know.

Eager Ellie

Dear Eager Ellie,

I found your letter disturbing.  Why do you need to know?

I caution you in the company you might be keeping.  No matter what a vampire says, be sure of this–what a vampire desires is blood.  For those that have chosen the civilized way, it takes a lot of restraint to be in the company of humans.  The scent of blood is intoxicating.  If a vampire is hungry, it's like a dull ache.  If he or she have been blood deprived, they become blind to everything except getting blood.  If a vampire has been without blood until their body burns on the inside, then any human in their proximity is in danger.

The second desire which at time overrides blood is sex.  Vampires have a need for the sexual and that keeps us attracted to the human race.  If we didn't have this need, we could survive indefinitely in seclusion living off animal blood.  We can go for years until the craving for sex arises and we must satisfy it.   Getting sex and blood is easily done when you mesmerize your victim.  Sometimes human willingly donate just to be close to a vampire.

The third desire has been until a few years ago a futile wish for many vampires.  Finding your lifemate usually creates a change in the vampire.  All others fade from sight, when you're in the presence of your lifemate.  She or he is everything to you.  They bring joy to your dark existence.  You are warm to each other's touch, can read each other's minds even over a great distance, share dreams, heal each other.  There's more but I won't expand on it here.  Needless to say, the finding and securing of one's lifemate  overwhelms any other desire.  A vampire will use any means to protect a lifemate.  It's been said that it's only through a lifemate can a vampire know love. 

These are the things that vampires desire most.  All I can say to you, Ellie, is be careful.

David

–Vampire David Hilliard

–Susan Hanniford Crowley

THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS

Filed under: Dear David, romance, romance novels, Susan Hanniford Crowley, vampire books, vampires

5 Ways to Keep Yourself Going

So Wednesday's blog covered my determination to exercise (notice how I didn't refer to it in a temporary sense) and be a healthy person as well as the will of a writer.  Basically, I argued that writing is very much like the permanent aspects of our lives: health, wealth and love. I say these 3 things because most of us want to be healthy, financially sound and to find our life companion. And we want these things in a permanent aspect (eventually) as they tend to make our lives more enjoyable.

Writing in a way is very similar. How many long-term writers do you know who hate writing but do it because they have to? I'm willing to bet that not many because the truth of the matter is that writing rarely pays enough to hold the attention of those who don't truly enjoy it. For those of you who truly love writing but get stuck in the grind of it, this list is meant to put you back on track:

1)      Go back to the basics. Sometimes life becomes so convoluted with the writing, the rewriting, and the critiquing. And it only gets more complicated when you get an agent and/or get published. Go back and remember why you write, why you started to enjoy it.

2)      Be true to you. Writing is more than being published. For some, it is just an outlet or hobbie. For others, it is a career. If you find you don't like what you're doing, figure out what is missing or messing up your grove and toss it (ex: the panster who plots).

3)      Have fun. Writing is work, no ands, ifs or buts about it. Still, many writers do it because they love to tell a story or share a piece of a world. Enjoy what you do and find your rhythm. If you can have fun with it, the "work" portion tends to blend into the background noise.

4)      Share what you know. There are no set rules for writing. You need to do what works for you and most importantly, give back. We are all struggling to get better (even those on the NY Times Bestseller list) because times and readers change. In teaching others, you grow stronger and help fellow writers in the process. This can be really good if you're stuck in a rut or having trouble brainstorming.

5)      Surround yourself with positivity. This goes for any job/workplace. Have you ever known a writer who complains all the time and just seems to suck away all your energy? This industry is hard enough and there are a lot of obstacles out there (no matter what your goal). The "Negative Nancys/Neds" out there will only pull you down. The key is to be your own cheerleader and push your own limits. If you're the "Negative Nancy/Ned" in your group of writers, these words are for you: Believe in yourself. That's all you need as your writing is only as good as you believe it can be. If it's not there yet, keep writing and it will happen.

That's all for today, folks! Happy Friday and good luck writing!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Contests, Interview, Conference, Booksigning

So many things are happening. It's wild here. And yes, while I'm typing the kitties Bella and Buffy have just run over my body.

Anyway I'm having contest and a fun interview over at Vampires Anonymous. Visit http://nisykitty.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/the-stormy-love-life-of-laura-cordelais-by-susan-hanniford-crowley-interviewcontest/comment-page-1/#comment-53 and follow the directions. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only and ends midnight on May 9th. You can only enter at Vampires Anonymous.

I'm writing like a mad woman—steam roller—kitties gone wild and crazy. I think you get picture. I'm having a great time.

I'm going to Fiction Fest at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in North Haven, Connecticut, on Saturday, May 14th. http://toniandrews.com/FictionFest.htm There's still time to register for the most amazing one day writer's conference famous for its practical education. It's fun too. I'm doing a booksigning from 4:30-6 p.m.

May 22nd, I will be having a contest on my website http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com Remember to drop by if you love vampires.

I'm sure I'm doing more. I just can't think of it right now! I'm wild. Oh, oh! The vampires are getting restless.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: romance, Romance News, romance novels, RWA, Susan Hanniford Crowley, vampire books, vampires, Writers Conferences

The Drive of a Writer

A while ago, my husband and I bought the P90X DVDs with the full determination to get in amazing shape. Without a doubt, they are an intense and comprehensive program but like many users, we went in with a temporary mindset to get in shape. The real question is "what's next?"

Needless to say, the DVDs were used at first and then soon forgotten. Only recently have I pulled them out, dusted them off and starting working out to them again. Truly, I am amazed at how pitifully out-of-shape I am. I caught myself feeling quite embarrassed this week as I leaned over and grabbed my knees, gasping for breath after only twenty minutes of the plyometrics DVD in the series. But (there's always a but), it will pass.

So where am I going with this? Simply put, I meet tons of writers who get out there with the pure intention of getting published. They sit down, start typing away, give their work to a few family members or friends to read and start writing an action plan for their big destiny. Then it happens. They send the manuscript out to some agents, join a critique group and in come the red X's and track changes. In comes the rejection.

In this case, I think of writing like any difficult endeavor out there (even exercise). To do it well, takes time, patience and a strong will. It's easy to say you're going go on a diet but as our society knows, actually losing weight and becoming healthy means changing your life and habits. It's also easy to say you want to write a book and get published. With enough hard work and dedication, I'm sure you will, but then what? That's the question many writers forget to ask themselves. Just like an exercise routine and a good nutrition plan are needed to lead a healthy life, continually writing and study of the craft is needed to grow a great writing career.  Publishing is just the start of a new chapter and with it come more complexities.

 Do you have the drive to hit the finish line and keep going? If not, why are you writing?

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Technology

How dependant are we on technology? A simple question with a complex answer. This past week I have been moving. I realized that I needed the internet to communicate with my students and to do my own online course work. I realized that if you download school books to a Kindle and then don't realize your spouse leaves it turned on and the battery drains, it is impossible to charge until you find the cord!

I clung to my phone as my only connection to the technological world. I was able to e-mail my instructor and my students to let them know I would have to find a place with interent access or wait until I got to work to post anything.

Without television, cable, internet, and x-box my hubby and I moved an entire house in three days by ourselves and cleaned two houses. I am sore, I am tired, and I am grateful to have my internet back!

Cara North: Check out Temporary One at Passion in Print and Cali Kent: Fire Mountain at Amber Quill Publishing

Filed under: Cara North, Recommended Books, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Interview with a.c. Mason – Chocolate Damsel Release and Contest

I have to tell you that interviewing Mason for Chocolate Damsel is a real special treat. One, because I was fortunate enough to read this story as a beta reader and two, because it is simply a great story. So seeing as I have had exposure to this story *rubbing hands together mischievously*, here goes…

Help! Save me. Psst, visit my site Wednesday for your Paranormal-Scope.

Okay, I'm fine I've regained most of my mental faculties. I really appreciate you taking time away from your own schedule to interview me. I meant it. Cross my heart and hope to have great sex. She was a wonderful critique partner on this book and isn't giving herself enough credit for helping me push the emotional side of the story.

We'll start with an easy one.

Don't believe that. She's trying to put me in the hot seat. I can tell by the spark in those eyes of hers. She's up to something.

You don't often see WWII mixed with paranormal romance and interracial relationships (welcome to the complex mind of Mason). What inspired this work and made you want to tackle such a complex combination of settings, characters and plot?

See!!

 I told you she wasn't going to start off easy. I write books that are reflective of me. Growing up not many characters (heroines) in books looked like me. I write books with women of diverse cultural backgrounds so that we may see ourselves reflected in fiction.

I'd been wanting to write a shapeshifter story for some time.

Let me give you the time line to connect it for you.

2006-I travel to Belgium to visit the country my mother's family spoke so much about and visited where they lived during the occupation.

2007- Harlequin is running a contest where they give you the first line of a book and you build a story from there. During research for a possible story for the contest, I discover Lake Baikal , the indigenous people of the area and their belief system including the  Shunu.   Put the research away to focus on other writing.

2008- Working on other projects but revisit and think of world building around the Shunu mythology.

2009 I'm mentoring someone who's taking an English class and is reading a book about the invasion of Paris France.  I also came across a historical time line for African American singers in Paris pre civil rights movement. 

Are you starting to see where I'm going with this? I see possibilities of how I can weave in parts of my family history with the subject matter. My great grandfather fought in the Belgian underground and his sister hid Jewish people in the walls of her house. If I had shapeshifters what would they be doing in France. It snowballed from there. Voila. The Wolf-Spirit Series is born.

I write the novella in a weekend. Toni loves the story. I spend some time tweaking.

Feb 2010 it's offered a contract by Lyrical Press Inc.

I've read several works of yours now and have to admit that I am a complete glutton for your male characters. In Chocolate Damsel, you have two that really stand out, Cathen and VanWolf. How do these characters form for you and how do you work to keep their personalities so distinct?

Again with an "easy" question. For those that may not have read my last interview I'm a panster and proud of it. I do some plotting type activities but it's all in my head.

Einstein would be most disappointed. I create a personality key in my head.  When they do something, I check it against the personality profile. If the character doesn't have the something in their background for a characteristic to work I'll decide to add it in or not. If I add it in, I now have to go through everything and taint the scenes with the new part of the character's personality. Toni has laughed once or twice when I've said, "Well you know how such and such is" and I'm talking about a character. It's like they are people I know. I use traits from people I know, friends of friends and people I meet on the street.  No one is safe. 

What about your female characters? One of the characteristics of your writing that I truly enjoy is that you have dynamic characters. Alexia, for instance, seems to go through a growth and transition throughout this work. Is there a reason you choose to have your characters evolve?

Change is the one constant that I know. My parents moved me around from placed to place. I learned a lot by opening myself up to the new places. One of those things was that much of my beliefs were influenced by where I had lived. There are negatives and positives to that. When I'm told people don't change, I know that the person isn't open to change. I'll give you an example from my own life. I grew up in the Francophone province in Canada. Nearly all my beliefs have been influenced by the French culture. I didn't particularly want to learn English. Don't hate me yet. Let me finish the story. I learned English in my early teens and move to a bilingual part of the country, the capital region. I sounded like Inspector Clouseau. I developed a stutter when reading aloud in English. Eventually the accent went away, but not the stutter or the anxiousness I get from reading English in front of others. I now live in an area where I am a linguistic minority and so are my children. I've dealt with more prejudice from being a linguistic minority than I have for the color of my skin. It's hard to even understand for me and I'm aware of the history. I believe the right circumstances/necessity changes people. I hope it evolves us as humans. I want to write about those things that leave us better as humans than before we experienced them. I'll take my characters on a journey through hell if that's the only way I can force them to evolve. I sometime give them characteristics I struggle to accept in others so that I can learn tolerance. I wonder what event in life could have grown them to be more self-aware. That is why I write the characters I do.

You've got an incredible amount of tension that you sustain throughout this work (even in scenes that aren't sexual in nature). Any recommendations for our writers as to how they can infuse even the simplest of scenes with tension? Any examples of this from Chocolate Damsel?

Read Donald Maass. If possible, attend his workshops. I went to RWA National's in 2009 and attended the Fire in Fiction Part One workshop. The room was packed. I was taking notes veraciously and I started to draw what I felt he was explaining (see the links below).

Simple_Plotting

Complex_Plotting

I created a visual for my mind by drawing the images you see above. It just clicked for me on how I was going to create tension. I'm sure you are all on the same page too.

Part of the short Excerpt from Chocolate Damsel:

Hadn't he just rescued her? (POV character believes he's done something noble)

"You're a monster." Stepping on uneven stone, Alexia flopped to one side. (The reaction of the other character puts the previous internal monologue in question.)

"How true your words are." VanWolf lifted her. "So don't make this anymore difficult on yourself." (Maybe the POV character hadn't been noble and he's inserting doubt into the other characters mind.)

Where had the werewolf vanished to? Did he pick up the scent of another predator and go for reinforcements, or was it only his job to watch? (Insertion of the danger. POV character further admits not being noble by referring to himself as a predator.)

Each line is raising the stakes until I provide the reader with an answer as to if he is good or bad. You can't go to quickly back and forth otherwise it reads untrue false like an as though you are simply miss leading the reader. You build an idea in the readers head, check it against more information and then even additional proof. But it's different for each type of tension you are attempting to create.

I hope that gives you an example of tension building.

Okay, so I've made you work pretty hard with these last few questions. Any parting thoughts for your readers as to what you hope they take from Chocolate Damsel?

Parting thoughts? Are you putting me out to pasture? It's never goodbye only safe journeys.

I'd like each reader to take away what affects them from the story. I can't define that journey for them. I hope they will join the Wolf-Spirits on their adventures.

Thank you Mason for your time. 

Thank you for the brain drain, Toni. But this is going into the red file.

Before you go, would you mind sharing a blurb and excerpt from Chocolate Damsel with us?

I'd be honored.

Blurb:

Will her love break through his armor so he can be whole again?

In June of 1940, Nazis march into Paris, France. Brutality haunts the streets.

 Engel VanWolf, the Alpha of a Shunu pack – immortals, who shift into wolf-spirit – has a painful past and the patch on his eyes serves as a reminder of human cruelty. No stranger to injustice, he poses as a Nazi officer to smuggle Jewish orphans from the city. Drawn to a seductive fragrance, chocolate skin, and velvet voice, VanWolf comes upon a human beauty, Alexia, in danger. A hunger long forgotten burns anew inside him.

 Alexia Pane is taken in by the shunu pack, and finds communal living isn't the only thing they share. When danger comes knocking, she's sent to warn VanWolf, who has been discovered but needs rescuing of her own. As he whisks her to safety, he awakens her dormant passion. It's not the flames of the city she fears, but the fire he invokes inside her. The closer she gets, the more he pushes her away. And then, she falls into enemy hands.

 Can VanWolf save the woman he loves from a ruthless enemy and mend the pain he has caused?

 Warning; This book contains a hot Alpha with an eye patch. A chocolate damsel in need of saving. A pack that shares more than communal living. F/M/F/M. A pack with no lack of hot betas to follow.

 Excerpt

 Alexia's stomach twisted. Soldiers marched up the pathway to the chateau. Her legs hurt from the pace Griselda kept directing her to the river's edge. She couldn't remember the last hour. Griselda had put her to sleep to hide a message for her brother that no one but he could retrieve on her body.

  A large wolf with white fur, the hairs black tipped, watched from a distance. Cathen.

 "Where are you going?" Griselda probed her for the fourth time.

 "The core of Paris to see Engel VanWolf on rue Saint Antoine." Over the past few days, the pack had become family to her. Any one of them would lay down their life for her. Now this was her chance to show them she too would do the same for them. Being caught meant death and failure. Not an option.

"Good. Do your best to stay out of sight. Cathen will watch over you as long as he can." Griselda hugged her tight, nearly crushing her.

 A kiss to each cheek was all Alexia would allow before she turned. "Your brother and I will meet up with you shortly." She said those words as much for Griselda as herself, then took off jogging.

 Dusk fell. At least the night would provide her cover. Water splashed on her boots, but she wouldn't leave the banks of the riverbed. Down there, she could mask her scent from the werewolves the pack had warned her about.

 She sensed Cathen stop. A howl carried on the breeze as though he told her to stay low and out of sight. His strong energy moved away, paused.

 "I'll be fine," she whispered under her breath, in hopes it would ease his conscience and act as a silent prayer for her.

 The male presence vanished.

 Dark puffs of smoke rose into the sky. Red from the explosions reflected off the grayish clouds. The world had gone insane, and she was trapped deep in the belly of madness.

 If she died tonight, she'd fail the pack. She refused to.

 Male voices above her startled her. She pressed her body to the dirt and rock, trying to remain out of sight. An engine rumbled. Please God, spare her so she could help the pack. The vehicle slowed down. Thunder pounded inside her chest. Her hands trembled and breathing grew labored.

 They sped off, casting dirt. She tucked in close to avoid the spray.

 As she drew closer to the city, she picked up her pace. Daylight faded in the distance. A few stars managed to shine through the thick covering of smoke in the sky.

 At this very moment, she'd have made a deal with the devil himself to make it through the night, but it seemed he had no interest in her. Would she die? If she did, would her life be considered a waste? Her accomplishments were little to nothing. She needed to make a difference in the world.

 At least the darkness provided her a veil.

 The outer streets of the city were vacant but for the patrolling soldiers. Back home, most would be barely old enough to vote, or enlist. Children fought at the front lines of wars.

 How she longed for the suffering to end. Somehow, this only felt like the beginning. Death driven by the desire for a pure race. She was the furthest thing from being untainted. If caught, she too would be cleansed from the earth.

Now for the Contest:  One lucky commenter will win an ecopy of Chocolate Damsel. Answer in the comment box with what your favorite classic Jazz musician is? The contest ends on Wednesday May 4, 2011 at Midnight EST. Contest is worldwide and void where prohibited by law.

Good luck!

Mason

Filed under: a.c. Mason, CHOCOLATE DAMSEL, romance, Toni Kelly, Writing Topics

Return of the Melange Authors Giveaway!

C. Margery Kempe here! Let's welcome Melange Books, LLC once again and to all their writers and readers.  How about we get to know a few of their authors today? And yes, there will be a giveaway.

Ruth J. Hartman is a published author/dental hygienist. She lives in rural Indiana with her husband and two very spoiled cats.

Flossophy of Grace

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Trade Paperback, HTML, Adobe PDF

What happens when a dental hygienist falls in love with her patient? That's what Grace

Hart discovers when she meets Bruce Gardener. The problem? Grace's boss has a strict policy against relationships with patients. Can Grace and Bruce find a way to be together without her employer finding out?

Website

I first became a writer when a publisher published my memoirs, in 2008. For fun and relaxation I like to read, write, hang out with my husband and our cats at home. My hope for the future is to continue writing and publish many books. I'm loving these dental themed books Currently, I'm working on two books. One is an expansion of a short story that was previously published in an anthology. The other is also a romance novel. One of my works in progress is about male and female dentists who compete for patients in their small town, but still seem to be attracted to each other. The other one tells the story of a woman who runs a no-kill cat shelter, and falls in love with the father of a boy she's helping. I have several dental-related romances already published or in the editing stage. But I'd like to write several more. There don't seem to be many books like that available right now.

Bobbi Groover

Raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, her family then moved to a remote rural farmhouse with an in-ground spring and a twenty-two person party line telephone. Wandering through fields of corn, climbing to the tops of fifty feet pine trees, hanging in the branches of an apple orchard, milking cows, churning butter, driving tractors, haying fields, and shattering nineteen out of twenty clay pigeons with a .410 shotgun provided the fodder for the imagination and numerous scenarios that enrich the scenes of her stories. As a third generation equestrian, Ms. Groover rides, trains and hunts her three beloved horses.  At home, Ms. Groover shares her life with her husband, two boys and a menagerie of animals. Dividing her time between the stable and the studio, she spends her days doing what she loves best—writing and riding!

The Inn at Little Bend

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Trade Paperback, HTML, Adobe PDF

In antebellum America, life for an abandoned woman was difficult at best. But when young Grayson escapes her sadistic guardian, she finds freedom just as hostile. The lonesome, starving wanderer flees straight into the path of vicious marauders. Only one thing keeps the rustlers from violating the curvaceous, dark-haired beauty but the punishment they intend to mete out for her crimes borders on insanity. Grayson Ridge struggles to survive her fated trials and conceal the secrets that plague her. Her exploits collide with the life of Drake Somerset, a scraggly yet oddly dashing drifter besieged by dark shadows. Neither realizes their chance encounter could free them both. Their wrangling ignites a turbulent journey and sets their worlds on fire.

Website

I have two hobbies, riding and writing. Horses play a major part in the peace of my life. When I'm not riding I'm writing and, of course, horses are named characters in my stories. In fact, my first novel FUN IN THE YELLOW PAGES is dedicated to my first horse. I hope to have several more novels in the bookstores, with fans emailing that each is considered to be my best. Also, a screenplay might be in the works with the goal toward a production for television. Currently, I'm working on a third Historical Romance set in my favorite time frame—1855-1865 Virginia. I am researching the American history years 1861-1865 and discovering many nuances missed when the period was taught in school. However, just for fun, the characters from my second romance novel (THE INN AT LITTLE BEND) actually interact with the hero and heroine of the first (SEASON OF THE SHADOW). In my current romance, I've taken the hero and heroine from the first two novels, introduced them to two new characters and involved all of them in the tangled passions of the American Civil War. This time frame led to the new working title, INTO THE GRAY.

Rie Sheridan Rose has been writing professionally for the last ten years or so — though she has just added the "Rose" on the end. Prior to last year, her work appeared under "Rie Sheridan." In that decade, she has published 4 novels, 1 short story collection, 2 chapbooks of collected stories, and five poetry collections as well as contributing to several anthologies.  Her most popular stories to date are the Adventures of Bruce and Roxanne, humorous horror shorts several of which have been collected into two print chapbooks. She has also written the lyrics to several songs for Marc Gunn. Rie lives in Texas with her husband Newell and several cats, all spoiled rotten.



Sidhe Moved through the Faire

Genre: Fantasy-Fairy Romance

Format: Trade Paperback, HTML, Adobe PDF

Under the hill and far away is the land of the Fae—world of magic and mystery. But what happens when a pair of curious Sidhe twins from beyond the hill decides to visit a human market faire and lose their hearts? Can true love triumph and find happiness when Sidhe Moved Through the Faire?

Facebook

I started writing when I was a kid. I still have scraps here and there from about the third grade.Professionally, I have been published since I won a place in a Half-Price Books "Say Good-night to Illiteracy" anthology in 1998. My first novel was published in 2001. For fun and relaxation I enjoy playing games Video games by myself or with my husband, pen-and-pencil RPG with friends. I also take a lot of photographs. I am currently waiting on the galley of my latest novel to proof, greatly anticipating some lyrics I wrote being recorded, and about to start some revisions on an old project. I tend to juggle many projects at a time. I have many simmering, in several genres, and haven't decided which to focus on at this time. My upcoming book is a fantasy from Zumaya Otherworlds, The Luckless Prince.

Tit Elingtin is a warrior by nature, ready to argue or fight for the disenfranchised at a moment's notice. He takes no prisoners, crushes his enemies and loves deep and hard. Tit expects his friends to be loyal to the truth above all. He describes his philosophical views like this: "As the river flows, it is as one. We are as the mist of the water fall, joining others and separating as we fall to be one with the river once again."

Erin O'Riordan lives in the Midwestern United States with her husband and co-author Tit Elingtin. Her short stories, essays, and film reviews have been published in numerous magazines and websites. Readers can view more of her work at www.aeess.com.

The Smell of Gas

Genre: Contemporary Fiction – Drama

Format: Trade Paperback, HTML, Adobe PDF

Love pulp fiction? Just try putting down The Smell of Gas. TSOG is full of saints and sinners you'll love to hate. There's Brigid, the high school basketball player and secret heroin addict. Fred, a Catholic lesbian teen, loves Brigid, but doesn't know about her affair with Edward, a married Evangelical preacher. Sex, ethics, religions and mythologies clash as you dig deeper into their connection to the death of a young couple.

Blog

The Smell of Gas Excerpt

In Fred's bright white room, she'd stacked three rows of votive candles in red jars on her dresser.Fred's roommate, Leander, said they reminded him of the cemetery, but Fred used them as a meditation point when she prayed.

She liked the deep blue sheets on her bed. The white-and-blue color scheme matched the dress and  cape of the woman in the poster above Fred's bed. The print of Murillo's Immaculate Conception of the Escorial, painted in 1678, portrayed the Virgin, eyes looking up to heaven, surrounded by cherubim and standing on a crescent moon. Behind the Virgin's head, the cherubim dissolved into an orange haze. In the light of the burning votives, the whole room seemed to glow orange.

Three rows of seven candles before her, she said one Hail Mary for each.

Fred finished saying her twenty-first Hail Mary and got off her knees. She blew out all of the candles except one. The cheap candles smoked, filling Fred's small bedroom with a grayness that reminded her of an underwater scene. She walked over to the bed and lifted the corner of the mattress. She had to grope for a moment to find it, tucked inside the elastic of the blue fitted sheet's corner. She held up the razor to the candlelight. The blood left on it from the last time didn't bother her. It was clean blood, her own.

She was tired of cutting her arms. She'd covered her upper arms in intersecting highways of hardened scars, and fresher wounds decorated her arms from the elbow to the wrist. She'd scared herself the other night, cutting a bit too deeply at the wrists. She'd bled until she felt like passing out. The blood had soaked into the pillow; she could still smell its stale odor. She would be more careful this time.

She took off one of her boots and her torn black stockings. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she reached back and turned on the stereo, tuned to the local Catholic station. The music, a choir of voices singing the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, lifted her soul. It brought her mind back to her purpose. She would feel pain, not because she got some pleasure from it (though she did), but because needed it to save her soul. If heroin took away all pain, except that nagging longing for more of itself, then the pain must

come from somewhere.

She made the first cut just above her knee, curving her wrist to angle the razor down toward the floor. She felt the acute sting over the thin skin there. She made another cut higher up her leg, deep into the flesh of her thigh. Fred grimaced as the blood began to flow freely. She wondered if she'd struck muscle.

The Immaculate Conception of the Escorial looked up to the heavens and pretended not to notice. The choir sang: "Lord make me a means of your peace…"

She sat there, dazed, before she realized that the sharp percussion in her ears was not from the radio station. She dropped the razor, unlocked her bedroom door. Leander stood outside.

She could see the beads of sweat on his forehead, under his gently curling black hair. His wide eyes shone. He smelled like gasoline.

Lewis Levite

Former Danville, Illinois resident Levite has been writing for over thirty years in various formats including newspapers, online outlets, and his own website, TheMediaDesk.com . Levite has released several other books, however, this is his first major release through a publishing house. Now living in Dover, Delaware his day job is in communications technology for the State. His hobbies include camping, fishing, and traveling with his wife Teresa and their dog Jack.

The Power at the Mall

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Fiction

Format: Trade Paperback, HTML, Adobe PDF

Even if "Absolute Power" doesn't corrupt, can somebody with the Power remain true to themselves, their job, and most of all, to the woman he loves? Mike tries to remain an average security guard, when he is everything but average and "a little ESP" is just the beginning.

Website

And good news! Melange will be giving away one book from each of the 5 authors for the first 5 readers who comment on the site, so comment and win!

Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, contemporary romance, erotic romance, fantasy romance, Guest Blog, inspiration, Kit Marlowe, Melange Books, paranormal, paranormal romance, Recommended Books, romance, Romance News, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Depth: Part 3 – Plot

As a last part to my blog trilogy on depth, I'm going to cover plot. So what is depth in plot? In my opinion, depth in plot means pushing the envelope with the events and situations in your work. I'm not talking about Sarah who loves John who loves Nicole who is pregnant with Nate's baby and Nate is married to Sarah…you know the drill as I used something similar in part one. Confusion does not equal depth nor does it equal tension.

Take your typical "good girl versus bad boy" type of book. You know the ones I mean; the scandalous rake and the innocent, the heiress and the guy from the wrong side of the tracks, or the rich CEO and the struggling mom. Why do they work? Because the hero and heroine are like two magnets pushing against each other. That adds a layer to the book and depending on the situations you create within your book, the reader can get pulled in.

Now what if your innocent was not so innocent or your heiress a fraud? Or maybe your struggling mother has put herself in a compromising position.  Now we have another layer and this is where you begin to add to your depth.

I'll use the fraud heiress example. What if the heiress is actually one of two heiresses, a missing twin for instance? And what if she wasn't so sweet or put together because living in near poverty is never easy. Wouldn't it be interesting if the guy from the wrong side of the tracks had to redeem her? By the end of the story, both the hero and heroine would have done a complete turnaround. You've created an arc of growth for them and a situation which would naturally contain tension.

The truth is that we writers will often have all the elements to create depth in our characters, setting and plot but we don't always know how to arrange it or make it work to the best interest of the work. Sometimes that requires stepping back or having a critique partner read it. And many times it is simply practice makes perfect.

What about you all? What works to create depth in your works?

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writing Topics

Girls Afternoon Out

Photo Courtesy of Anne Barriere

I love getting together with my gal pals. We catch up. We cook. Actually they cook and I help where I can.

Last time I shared our chicken recipe on Girls Night Out. Here I'm sharing the recipe for a side dish.

Baked Asparagus by Kerry

1 bundle of asparagus (in the photo there are two bundles)-spread your asparagus in a thin row on a baking sheet

Drizzle olive oil over it

Add sea salt to taste

Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20-30 minutes (30 minutes if you like it crispy)

After baking let it cool — now you can also add things

Add the juice of a full to half lemon

Add finely chopped prosciutto.

Toss and serve. 

(One bundle of asparagus serves 3, two bundles serves 6)

It's very yummy either way. Enjoy.

- Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Recipes, romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley