Barbara Elsborg's Blog: https://www.barbaraelsborg.com/blog, page 17

I'm buying this TODAY!!!!

Pam Godwin is a friend of mine and a damn good author and beta reader!! I can't wait to read this one. I thought it wasn't out until Halloween - I know that's soon, but I found it's on Amazon now. Yippee!! 
DEAD OF EVE by Pam Goodwin

A virus devastates humanity. Few men survive. The rest are monsters. The women are dead, except Evie.
Through a quirk in her genetics, she survives. When her physiology begins to evolve, she must come to terms with what she is and accept her role in finding a cure.
The mutated hunt her. The men brutalize her…except three. Cryptic warrior, contrite lover, caring enemy; they are fiercely protective of the last living woman, but divided in their own agendas. Can they come together to protect the only hope for humanity?
Evie must survive.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009V3V2X6

Distraction

I'm really easily distracted. Particularly when it comes to writing. I can only concentrate on one thing at a time - which is a nuisance when I've a few ideas I want to follow through on. More than a nuisance when the sun is shining and I'd like to swim and read and relax. I love going on holiday but I know I don't write as well when the weather is hot. I'm much more focused when it's cold outside.
I've temporarily given up on my Walmart story - yet again. I don't know why this one won't fly but until it feels right - it's back in limbo.
I need to write a story that follows up on two characters in 'Jumping in Puddles' - out in January with Loose-ID - but I'm not in the mood for that yet.
I need to write a little Fae story to go in an anthology with some friends - started that and ground to a halt. The problem is - can I write a 5,000 word short? I've done it before but that is very short.....
Plus I had an idea for a story like Strangers, started it, liked it,  but it's morphed into a MM instead of an MF.
I'm not going to mention the handful of others that I've begun and stopped for one reason or another.
So now I have a load of part-started stories on my laptop and I can't decide what to do next. I suspect until I'm back in the cold - and that's going to be very soon, I'm not going to be focused enough to concentrate on anything.
Ooh the sun is shining. I'm off outside.

Spookily early for halloween

My Paranormal series - The Trueblood books - they all stand alone and are only connected in that the main characters are siblings. But the last one does finish the series off so best not to read that first. The Consolation Prize has sold more than any other of my books - I don't think it's my best - it was my first ever attempt at a vampire story but I did get better - I hope!
For a lucky commentator - the choice of any of these ebooks!

The Consolation PrizeChloe wins four days at a spa but arrives to find the other guests who have unusual eating habits don't come out in daylight, and who is that naked guy chained in the basement?
http://www.loose-id.com/the-consolation-prize.html

 



Falling For YouEvery month when the moon is full, Jo has an uncontrollable urge to jump every man she sees but she runs from temptation only to find herself as dinner when she falls into a hole and lands on a vampire.http://www.loose-id.com/falling-for-you.html
Lightning in a Bottle Erin's fun, exciting and a bright flash of light in Felix's life, but there's a snag, she won't stop biting his neck.http://www.loose-id.com/lightning-in-a-bottle.html















The MisfitsHolly is a hopeless faerie whose uncooperative wings land her in the arms of a vampire and a werewolf but instead of running away, she doesn't want to leave.
http://www.loose-id.com/the-misfits.html
Fight To RememberA vampire trapped in a rocky grave, a girl who for the past eleven years can't remember who she is when she wakes and a werepuma bound to a demon and forced to fight in her deadly club - the world of three collides but for three to live, one of them must die.


http://www.loose-id.com/fight-to-remember.html

Lies, damn lies and statistics

Brits are thought of as fairly straitlaced, stiff upper lip and all that. Until the arrival of 50 Shades which has shown us to be as obsessed with eroticism as the rest of the world, marital aids were confined to cups of tea and hot water bottles, but research has shown Brits lead the world in our interest in spanking. Whether that dates back to the outdated view of seeing corporal punishment as a way to build character, I don’t know, but I’m intrigued. (Not enough to try, husband, unless you want to volunteer?)Apparently Brits also score highly in online searches for CFNM. (I’m not one of the searchers. I had no idea what that was.) It’s Clothed Female Naked Man sites where submissive men are ordered to strip by pretty women who then make fun of their tackle. How appealing does that sound? (Not to me, says husband) Women in New Zealand are top of the list for sexual partners in a lifetime at 20.4. I do wonder what the point 4 looks like. Austrian men are the most promiscuous with 29.3 partners over a lifetime. That’s a lot! Sex in Thailand lasts the shortest at 10 minutes. (Must tell husband, he’ll feel so much better ) Longest in Brazil at 30 minutes. (Are you listening, husband?) Biggest breasts in Australia. (No, we’re not emigrating, dear heart) 41% of French people have participated in an orgy. (France sounds appealing!! Sshh – don’t tell him I said that)Worst lovers – worst at the topGermany (too smelly)
England (too lazy)
Sweden (too quick)
Holland (too dominating)
America (too rough)
World's Best Lovers
Spain
Brazil
Italy
France
Ireland
Which goes to prove nothing at all! How many people do they ask when they do these surveys? How many lie? Though clearly those in Thailand haven’t learned how to lie! I’m thinking of moving to France though – oh unless they’re lying too. Darn it.

Winnie does Dallas

Never been to Dallas - well only the airport and the outskirts but just went on the DART - their super efficient transport system that took us right into the heart of the city. Us meaning - me, husband and son's dog, Winnie - full name Winston Kennedy. We wandered the city streets not sure what we were looking for because American cities are NOTHING like British cities and then we realised where we were standing - the grassy knoll, the place Winnie's namesake was gunned down. Very poignant.

 Then we found the fantastic sculpture of the longhorn cattle - except were the cows really as big as that or was it Texan exaggeration? Winnie soon rounded them up. Miniature dachshund - aka - cow dog.




We endured a day of torrential rain, a 3.4 earthquake and having to share one bathroom and our bed with the dog - actually, the latter wasn't a hardship. Winnie is such a sweetie. Doesn't snore - unlike husband.

Just What She Wants

A 1NS story coming soon from Decadent Publishing!!!



With a name like hers, Indiana Jones knows she ought to be adventurous and daring but when she’s tricked into taking a vacation on her own, and discovers she’s staying at a swinging resort, she wants to spend the week in her room. But the place is run by two of the most tempting men she’s ever seen. She could have just what she wants and no one would ever know.Marc finds it hard to see his partner Kyle in physical and mental anguish but if the guy won’t talk about it, what can he do? Finding a third might be the answer and he has just the woman in mind, unless she runs off before he can make her smile.Crippled and depressed, Kyle can’t even kiss his partner and wonders why the guy puts up with him. If only he could let the past go and move on. Maybe, just maybe, an intriguing guest will show him the way.

I forgot to duck

Caught in a blog hop net- I'm required to answer several questions.


1. WHAT IS THE WORKING TITLE OF YOUR BOOK?  Jumping in Puddles

2. WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM FOR YOUR BOOK?  A series on British TV called Country House Rescue - where a guy goes round to crumbling stately homes and comes up with plans to save them.

3. WHAT GENRE DOES YOUR BOOK FALL UNDER? Erotic romance with humor!

4. WHICH ACTORS WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO PLAY YOUR CHARACTERS IN A MOVIE RENDITION? 
Jago - Gaspard Ulliel



Ellie - Emilie Deravin





5. WHAT IS THE ONE-SENTENCE SYNOPSIS OF YOUR BOOK? A selfless rain-dancing faery wants to make a tormented dark lord of manor smile again - oh and clear her family's name for a theft they didn't commit.

6. WILL YOUR BOOK BE SELF-PUBLISHED OR REPRESENTED BY AN AGENCY? Will be published by Loose-Id, though I don't know when.

7. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT? 4 months

8. WHAT OTHER BOOKS WOULD YOU COMPARE THIS STORY TO WITHIN YOUR GENRE?
It's like all my others! LOL

9. WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK? A vision of the hero.

10. WHAT ELSE ABOUT YOUR BOOK MIGHT PIQUE THE READER’S INTEREST? Humor. Sex. A plot!

Choose the next 5 victims? They might duck in time or they might not
Arlene Webb
http://www.arlenewebb.blogspot.co.uk/
D.L.Jackson http://backwardmomentum.blogspot.co.uk/?zx=1276914d8853634b
Chrystalla Toma http://chrystallathoma.wordpress.com/
Jessica Subject http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/
Penny Brandonhttp://pennybrandon.blogspot.co.uk/?zx=da6412a08d246f43

Competitions and awards

I don't enter so I don't win - ha! Well, that's not quite true. I did win third place in a short story competition with ARe books but I felt it turned out to be a 'how many friends do I have' and I wish I hadn't bothered. I also entered my book Strangers into a competition and came nowhere so now I've taken my bat well and truly home. No more. Ever. Unless someone twists my arm very hard.

I'm reconciled to not bothering entering my stories into anything but I do want to shout about my favourite cover that has not been in any competitions, not won anything but had some nice comments all the same. I see there is a contest going round with a whole load of covers for gay books - mine is not among them which I find a bit disappointing as I think it's better than a whole lot of them that are on there. There, I've done it, I've boasted, bragged and waved a red flag - not for my book, though of course I do love that, but for the cover which is just simply brill! Thank you Scott Carpenter! You should have a prize for this cover, so I send you a virtual hug.

Give Gargoyles a break?

Now I have to be honest, I don't much like this cover. I've had plenty of covers I've not been keen on but I've kept my mouth shut about them. Mostly. This one - well - it just misses the mark for my story. I don't mean any disrespect to the artist, it must be very difficult to come up with covers that match author's expectations, BUT - this woman isn't Pepper. The guy isn't Alessandro. The gargoyle - well yep, he could just about be Eli. The artist has managed to get a building in the background that could be the supernatural museum - so that's a plus but it's the expressions on the models' faces that I dislike. 
Nothing I can do. I'm stuck with it.But I can't help but wonder if the cover puts people off trying the story. The story is quite funny. That doesn't come over in this cover. Is the blurb not attracting readers?
The Rock  Desired by men and women, Eli’s good looks make sexual conquest easy until he attends a party at the Supernatural Museum, where they land him in deep trouble. He says no to the wrong women, and his punishment is to learn the ultimate meaning of loneliness.
The Stone MaidenMuch to her family’s disappointment, not only is Pepper single but she works a hard and dirty job as an apprentice stonemason. Pepper loves bringing stone to life with her chisel but struggles with the isolation that comes with being different. Then there’s her attraction to her boss, Alessandro, who appears to prefer men. When Eli materializes out of nowhere, Pepper can hardly believe her eyes. Now she’s caught between a rock and a hard place. 
The Hard PlaceHis hands hardened by years training to become a master stonemason, Alessandro is an expert at his craft, but not in matters of the heart. A daily frustration when he’s in hopelessly in love with Pepper and the man of his dreams has disappeared. As Alessandro’s team begins to restore the Supernatural Museum, he, Pepper and Eli are drawn into the building’s secrets and risk losing everything they hold dear.
Maybe people don't want to read MMF stories with a gargoyle! LOLI need more reviews. I need people who have read it to spread the word. I need to know if this story didn't work so that I can see where I went wrong. 
I can offer two ecopies of Rocked to people who leave a comment. If you haven't read it and you'd like to, leave your email - disguised - and I'll send copies to two people. I can't offer more because of my contract but I'd love to hear why this one didn't succeed. 

Where I write

Probably of no interest to anyone - but - I'm trying to think of something to write about that I haven't covered before. I write in the room  amusingly referred to as 'the music room'. It used to be where the kids kept their instruments - violins, saxophone, piano, recorders, trumpet, guitars - all of which have now gone apart from the piano which I play very badly. It's on my left. Behind me are shelves of books, hundreds and hundreds of them, anally arranged in groups according to genre and author but not alphabetical - though I would if I could! On my right are doors to the garden. But what's most interesting is that in front of me is a completely blank wall. I'm so easily distracted, if there was anything on it, I'd never write a thing. My desk is a cluttered mess, bits of paper with notes, lots of books, the phone - oh
and glass of wine. That's not usual but I've had a long day