Cerise DeLand's Blog, page 64

What's YOUR BRAND? Concept or Caricature? Cherry or Art?

An author is known by her Voice. But promo is often the tool that gets you recognized.
And branding is an interpretation of the artist's Voice.
Yet many authors think Branding is a slogan. It can be. But I submit to you that is not the main crux of the author's problem in defining their Brand.
The bigger challenges are that:
1. Every new product has a different packaging look.
2. Every new product can be different from the previous one in type (sub-genre) and in focus (ex: changing the voice, the pov, the length).
3. If the author is multi-pubbed by many publishers, the look will vary wildly.
4. The release timing does too.
5. Promotion for each product will most likely be different, of necessity because a person cannot advertise/promote in exactly the same places to the same critical mass or velocity.
So. What is an author to do to nail down the look, the verbiage, the trajectory that will propel them to a definition of a Brand?
First: Listen to others tell them what it is.
I have heard so many speak of Brand. Few in publishing have defined it well for me. The speakers have included editors, authors and agents. Everyone thinks they know.
I submit FEW REALLY DO!
Second: Ask themselves which products are the most successful and discern why.
This is no easy task. In fact, it requires a hard look at past works, what worked, why, who liked them, why and when.
Third: Sit down and doodle about what you world view is. This the Germans call your Weltanshauung. What is yours?
Mine? I believe that creative, caring sexual relations are a vital and necessary component of any fulfilling love affair.
To me, the unique words here are: creative, caring sexual relations plus vital, necessary, fulfilling and love.
I endeavor to show that graphically in any romance I write.
If I have done that for myself before I send it to my editor, then I figure I have satisfied myself.
So what is a brand? Your brand?
Branding is not only a feel, but a statement, an attitude and a concept.
Combing all that into one visual is a huge challenge. As one who worked in advertising and PR for decades, I know this from the very practical end, wherein a client would yearn for a Brand. And every business owner needs one. But could he put his finger on not only what he was, but what distinguished him from others in his industry?
Few could.
I had to dig deep into their business plan and model and, yes, into their psyche to get it defined for each one. The process to get their brand realized and then articulated was long and involved, requiring them to think often for the first time about their business in specific ways.  Some didn't think they could ever find the right words or look or marketing focus.  But eventually, we did.
How do I know?
Many of them are still in business and using the same look and slogans we originally created. Some use the exact same advertising we designed. Even though I have closed my PR business, I still get calls from them for different projects and I get referrals from them. Having owned my own business for 21 years, I can say I understand Branding.
But now to consider a Branding change for myself is another turn!
What is it?
This pix of the blonde was one that Nicole Austin (www.nicoleaustin.com) chose for me when she designed the Sassy Seven website. http://sassyseven.com
Now I wonder, do you like caricatures as expressions of authors or do you like something else, like my cherry as a substitute?
I think the cherry is me. It is bright. Upright. Perky. But not too smart that it hits you in the face. It says, Cerise, red, cherry, succulent, tasty. All those things I think my books are!
The blonde up there? She says, sophisticated. Okay. I will say that's me. So is my writing. I take my readers to real places like Paris and Mexico, London and Tuscany where I myself have been often. I do not write See Spot, run, but write for the woman who wants to think and wants a man with a brain as well as a bod. So, I'd say this blonde looks like she is assertive but not a b*$ch. Okay, me too!
But is she CERISE? More than the cherry?
Tell me. And talk to me about your definition of BRANDING, too!
One person who posts and give me food for thought gets to choose one book from my backlist:
MIA DOLCE
CARRIED AWAY

I get a kick out of sheriffs, ranchers, cowboys and big bold Texas men!

When you think of a cowboy, do you see a lean hipped, swaggering kind of man? Tough from the saddle? Hard in the desert? (snort.) Quick on the draw?
I see him as BIG, as in muscular and BEEFY. yum.
I see him as gruff-voiced, dark stubble on his square jaw. Kind of like this man:
I see him as deft with his gun.
Like this man:
And tender like these brothers most surely are:
And fiercely funny, like this Texas Ranger in STRONG ARMS OF THE LAW:
And a serious business man who runs the local rodeo, like this man in FALLING FAST:
See all my men, cowboys or city-slickers, here:  www.jasminejade.com/m-560-cerise-deland.aspx
What does your western man look like?

Sabrina York says Temptation is the Spice of Life!

Welcome to my guest, Sabrina! Temptation is the Spice of LifeMy debut novel, Adam’s Obsession, exploded into the world to rave reviews.  

A Different Kind of Love by R.A. Padmos

http://www.manifoldpress.co.uk/2012/04/unspoken/ Thanks so much, Cerise, for your formidable hospitality.
Sometimes love is welcomed with open arms and a big smile, and sometimes… not so much.Meet Stefan Doffer, a man who unexpectedly falls head over heels in love with another man.  There’s just this minor detail of being married and having a family of three small children.If Unspoken had been situated in modern times, it would be possible to deal with this complicated situation in a nice and civilised manner. It happens often enough individuals discover their true sexual nature at a later age and many gay or bi men are fine parents who stay good friends with their ex-wives. But, Unspoken is situated in the nineteen-thirties in a Dutch town and Stefan is a jobless working class man. Society isn’t exactly accepting of same-sex attraction and with little money, the possibility of creating a nice little alternative beside the official marriage is also extremely limited. Staying loyal to both a promise made and to a love that hardly dares to whisper its name isn’t easy…If you give a reaction to this post, you make a chance to a copy of Unspoken. I do need your e-mail address, however, to send you the e-book. A short excerpt of Unspoken: (Copyright 2012, R.A. Padmos, All rights reserved.) Adri put the money into the outstretched hand of the woman. Stefan wanted to snatch the coins back from the pocket of her apron and run away; there was too much unsafe distance between this place and the marital bed he called his own. She looked sharply at them before she ushered them up the stairs, opened the bedroom door and showed them in. "I want you out within the hour. Your kind doesn't need half that time, so I'm not buying any excuses."The room had nothing about it worth noticing or mentioning. There was a bed, a chair, a small table with a water jug and bowl. It all looked reasonably clean, although Stefan doubted Marije would agree with him on that. She certainly would have told him to whitewash the ceiling, find some cheap wallpaper, and what could a bit of paint for the door and skirting boards possibly cost if he asked for leftovers? "I found this place via an acquaintance. One of us, of course. A good address, I promise you." Adri didn't seem to notice Stefan's doubts, but perhaps it was a good address in comparison with a stairwell or a public urinal. "She can get into serious trouble with the police for this; she must really need the money. Or perhaps she's a tough one, who pretends to have no idea what's going on.""I can't do this. Can we please leave?" Stefan sat on the bed. There was something undeniably dirty about the room, though he doubted it had anything to do with washing soda and soft soap. The thought of undressing to surrender to his lover's caresses seemed unbearable in this environment. "I know this isn't the bridal suite of a luxury hotel, but they wouldn't accept us anyway. It's this and not much else, if we want to do it laying down from time to time." Adri knelt down and loosened the laces of Stefan's shoes. Stefan didn't stop him, accepting the facts for what they were. Adri told him to lay down and started to explore his body as if it was the very first time he had seen Stefan naked. His hands travelled over shoulders, chest, belly, arms and legs like a blind man discovering the reality of a body not his own. He spread his fingers wide to touch as much skin as possible at the same time, kneaded muscles, weighed the scrotum in the palm of his hand, pulled the foreskin down, pressed on the skin between penis and anus, pulled the cheeks apart, pressed a finger inside."What are you doing, man?""I'm scared as hell I'll forget you," Adri explained, but what was that supposed to mean?"Forget?"Adri's hands kept on moving and touching. "Don't think about it, redhead."
Unspoken is available at Manifold Press. http://www.manifoldpress.co.uk/2012/04/unspoken/My blog: http://rapadmos.wordpress.com/

DECADENT SALE to honor Military at Smashwords!

Decadent Publishing this weekend honors our military heroes and heroines with a sale!
YES! A Military romance sale! 
Decadent Publishing is saying THANKS to our military by making our military-inspired books 30% off today through May 31 at Smashwords! (use coupon codes below)

The Golden Haired Boy--Scarlet Blackwell
Coupon code is AC58L

All or Nothing-- Barbara Sheridan
Coupon code is LV48P

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots--DL Jackson
Coupon code is RL36G

Night Mission--Desiree Holt
Coupon code is BA59M

Once Her Man, Always Her Man-- Heather Long
Coupon code is NM85Z

Heart Desires--Becca Dale
Coupon code is DQ57D

Absolution-- Diane Alberts
Coupon code is LB82T

Another Chance--Rebecca Royce
Coupon code is MB82Z

Hungry for Touch--Angelita Gill
Coupon code is LX38G

Second Chance-- Debbie Riker Gould
Coupon code is VJ57K

Loving Bliss--@Regina Regina Carlysle
Coupon code is VR93E

Fabulous Kate Hill talks Shifters in MYSTERY STALLION

Shifters in Control  Wouldn't it be cool to have the power to change your shape whenever you need or want to?
As a kid I remember loving characters like the Incredible Hulk, Jekyll and Hyde, and the Wolfman. They were both fascinating and tragic. While they had the power to change shape, they had little or no control over that power. Hyde and the Wolfman were especially dangerous.
What I like best about reading shapeshifter romances is that the main characters usually have control over their power. Sometimes they're able to change at will and retain their civility while in their non-human form. If they don't have that kind of control, then they rarely do anything in their beast form that's truly evil. Their heroic heart and soul usually comes through for them, even in their feral state.
In romance the shifters are not only the good guys, but they come in a variety of interesting creatures. Cat shifters, bird shifters, dragon shifters, some who change into any shape at all. Of course there's always the traditional werewolf and for those who loves shifters, who can resist the leader of the pack?
My latest release, Mystery Stallion, is about a shapeshifting winged Centaur. In the Horsemen series, normal humans share their world with shapeshifting allies. In this book, Grigori is an outcast among Horsemen because he has a rare striped coat. The heroine, Violeta, admires his uniqueness and his will to survive against the odds.
What kind of shapeshifters do you enjoy reading about? Let me know in the comments and you could be eligible for the chance to win a download of Mystery Stallion.
Thank you for reading my post and thanks, Cerise, for the chance to be a guest here today!
Kate 
Contest:  To enter the following contest you must be 18 or over.
To enter for the chance to win a download of one of the Horsemen books (winner's choice of title), post a comment telling me your favorite type or types of shifter (up to three). Tonight at 10 pm a winner will be chosen at random from the entries.
Thank you and good luck!

Horsemen 7: Mystery Stallionby Kate Hill Format(s): Ebook Heat Level: Erotic Pairing(s): M/F Genre/Themes: Shapeshifter Length: Novel Publisher: Ellora's Cave Cover Art: Mina Carter ISBN: 9781419939068 Purchase Links:http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10011-mystery-stallion.aspx
Related Books or Books Set in the Same Universe: Dream Stallion, Captive Stallion, Highland Stallion, Winter Stallion, Victory Stallion, Mountain Stallion
Related Free Stories: Holiday in Hornview http://www.kate-hill.com/horsemen/hol...

Blurb: Copyright 2012, Kate Hill. All rights reserved.
Long ago a striped Horseman lost his heart to the only Horsewoman ever born. Feared and rejected, he allowed his bitterness to destroy them both. Since then, no striped Horseman has ever known love. . .until now.
Sold into slavery by his father, Grigori de Forest arrives home twenty years later to reclaim his birthright. Now lord of a land where superstitious villagers despise and fear him because he bears "the marks", he intends to live alone in his family's ancestral castle.
Since childhood, Violeta has been fascinated by the mysterious Grigori, whose striped coat sets him apart from other Horsemen. Desperate for work and knowing he has run off all his servants, she requests he hire her to cook and clean. She doesn't realize that he remembers her for an act of kindness toward him years ago.
Lust spurred on by shared dreams hurls them into a storm of passion, but their love and lives are endangered by the villagers and a plague that threatens to destroy the mighty race of Horsemen.

The following excerpt from MYSTERY STALLION is for readers 18 and over.
Grigori reached for her hand and she tried to tug away but he held her fast.
"I have dirt on them," she said.
Still holding her gaze, he stroked her inner wrist with his thumb. "I apologize if I was abrupt this morning."
"It doesn't matter. Maybe I made too many demands of you too soon. However either we agree to act on the dreams or we don't. It's not in me to be a clinging female, but I won't be your plaything either."
He narrowed his eyes and a look of irritation, or perhaps guilt, flashed across his face. She thought he'd let go of her hand, but instead he continued stroking her, distracting her, making her wish he'd sweep her into his arms and carry her to bed, despite what she'd just told him.
"I don't consider you a plaything and I didn't mean to make you feel like one." He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. When he met her gaze again, his expression revealed an inner struggle that struck at her heart, yet she had to remain strong, to let him know that he needed to trust her before she surrendered to him. "Violeta, I've been alone most of my life. Until I went into slavery and met Jian, I belonged nowhere."
"Who's Jian?"
"My mentor. The healer and warrior I told you about."
"The man you visited today?"
"Yes. After we were freed, Jian and I along with several other slaves, both Horseman and human, settled in Salvation Valley. A few years ago it was an uninhabited section of land. Now it's a thriving village. Many of the gladiators have families--wives and children. I lived on the outskirts in a nearby forest."
"Of course." She sighed. "You would. Grigori, I know the villagers are ignorant and cruel and I can't imagine what you went through in slavery, but you have to give some people a chance."
"That's easy for you to say. You have no idea what it's like to be..." He shook his head again. "Violeta, I don't want to argue."
"All I'm trying to tell you is I'm not like them. You don't have to stay on the outskirts with me. Even if you don't want to be my lover, you may still be my friend."
His expression took her aback. She swore that for a few seconds his eyes misted over. The hand holding hers tightened a bit and he tugged her so close that her breasts pressed against his chest.
Cupping her face he said in a husky voice, "That means more to me than you can ever know, but I couldn't be simply your friend. Not when I want you this badly."
Violeta's heartbeat quickened and she resisted the urge to kiss him. The first move had to be his and she tried to tell him this with her eyes.
His head dipped toward hers and he covered her mouth in a possessive kiss.
About Kate:  Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, and researching vampires and Viking history.  You can visit her online at http://www.kate-hill.com

It's all about your Point of View! Welcome Declan Sands!s

It’s all About Your Point of View! Since I started reading Manlove romance, I’ve discovered that much of it is written in first person point of view. This surprises me because, as an author who loves reading and writing first person, I’m constantly told that first person limits your audience. But I have to wonder, since women are statistically the largest buying group of Manlove romance, if there isn’t a reason first person seems to dominate in this genre. Is it easier for a woman to put herself into the story this way?Manlove romance is arguably the hottest genre right now and has been for some time. Just look at the bestseller lists at any of the etailers and you’ll see that Manlove romance dominates. Women love the genre! At first glance this may seem strange. Why would women enjoy reading about love and sex between two men? Why not between two women?Maybe these fans love stretching the envelope a bit. Maybe it’s the tang of forbidden fruit that attracts them. Or perhaps they want some insight into how the male mind works. Whatever it is, a well-written Manlove story flies off the shelves, eagerly consumed by a rabid and adoring audience. But women (and men) who love reading fiction mostly read because they want to escape into someone else’s skin for a while. They like a hero/heroine they can understand as well as identify and commiserate with. So how can a woman climb into a man’s head? There’s no question the differences between the sexes is vast. Men don’t think the same way women do. But romance is romance. Love is love. And a woman reading a romance written in first person finds it easy to slide right into the narrator’s life and feel what he feels, while still enjoying these important differences. Maybe that’s why first person is so popular in Manlove romance. Maybe it’s just a fluke that 2 out of 3 M/M books I pick up are written in first person. Either way, I’m just glad there are so many great books representing Manlove out there and so many talented authors to keep writing them. Happy Reading everybody!~~*~~Sexy gay construction company owner, Adam Hoale, sometimes gets more than he bargained for when he flips a house!Blurb: Adam Hoale owns a construction company called, predictably, Hoale Construction. When he finds an eye opening surprise in the walls of a house he's flipping, and a libido flaring surprise standing on the lawn, he's willing to do the right thing with the surprise in the wall while entertaining dirty thoughts about the surprise on the lawn.But as the world finds out what he discovered, and his new boy toy seems to be keeping too many secrets to make a relationship a reality, Adam soon realizes he may just get flipped himself if he's not careful.~~*~~5 Stars from The Romance Studio: "This is a very good story from beginning to end and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. [Characters] are well drawn in a clever, solid plot that is very inviting. The romantic aspect is charming and realistically written with some mysterious elements also. I really loved this book. A Hoale Lot of Trouble is the first in a new mystery series. I can't wait to read what's coming next. I wholeheartedly recommend this delightful story. This one will leave you smiling."Excerpt:Bobby’s was an old style gym that smelled like sweat and focused on the basics. There was a pool, but there were no yoga classes at Bobby’s and no spin classes. The closest Bobby’s got to spin was when Zeke the personal trainer decided you weren’t pedaling fast enough on one of the gym’s scarred and ancient stationary bikes and started screaming into your face like a drill sergeant. Zeke was straight as the edge of an architect’s ruler but he treated Adam the same as everyone else. Brief and brusque. Zeke was even gruff when he smiled. The only softness he ever showed was directed at Walter. For his part, Walter adored Zeke, which was why Adam knew Zeke was a good guy. Dogs had a great sense of people—much better than their human friends.The gruff trainer was well over six feet tall and buff, with rock-hard abs and bulging biceps and thighs, and he wore his brown hair short and spiky. He ruled his roost with an iron fist and very little in the way of positive reinforcement. With Zeke you got negative reinforcement and nuclear level negative reinforcement. He even yelled at Maddy. Nobody yelled at Maddy.As soon as Adam opened the door Walter trotted past him and headed straight for Zeke. The big man was all the way across the large, main room, “explaining” to Maddy that she needed to use the incline controls on the treadmill or she was gonna have cellulite bubbles the size of deer shot on her thighs. According to him, the event could occur at any moment because of her general lack of motivation. Maddy’s pretty pixie face had turned the color of rich cream and she was so “inclined” by the time Adam hit the midway point of the room that she had to work to keep from sliding off the back of the treadmill. He wondered if he could use the cellulite threat to get her to fill out her design planning forms more completely.“Hey, Adam!”Adam glanced up, grinning at the man hailing him with a boxing-glove-covered hand from the ring that dominated the center of the gym. “Hey, Bobby! Lookin’ good. Nice ass.”Bobby laughed, his ruddy face mostly hidden behind a helmet and his short, sturdy body glistening with sweat. Bobby’s boxing partner glanced at Adam, looking nervous behind his helmet. Adam winked at the man and kept moving, grinning at Bobby’s deep laughter behind him. “He’s just tweakin’ ya, Peterson. Chill out.”Bobby and Adam had been friends for years and Adam liked to tease him. Bobby showed every indication of enjoying the playful flirting, though he wasn’t gay. He seemed to genuinely like Adam and knew that Adam couldn’t help trying to get a rise out of the homophobes in the gym. No pun intended. There weren’t a lot of them. Bobby’s was generally a laid back, anything goes, kind of place. But it was one of few old-style gyms left so it still drew its share of testosterone drenched Neanderthals. Adam had never been able to resist twisting the dicks of the cavemen types.  Zeke was bent over Walter, speaking softly to him to hide the fact that he was talking baby talk as he scratched his floppy ears. Walter’s thick fringe of a tail beat against Zeke’s massive thigh, his brown eyes narrowed in pleasure. Zeke looked up at Adam as he approached. “I hope you’re ready to work a little harder this week, Hoale.”Adam grinned. “You didn’t think an hour in the pool was a hard enough workout last time?”Zeke swore, the very core of his phenomenal work ethic cringing at the thought. “Pansy ass. If you don’t sweat through your clothes you haven’t worked out.” He jabbed Adam in the chest and Adam had to fight to keep from flinching. He was pretty sure he’d have a Zeke digit-sized bruise on his chest later. “I’m all yours today, Zeke. Do with me what you will.”A strange wheezing noise wafted over them and both men turned to Maddy. She’d attained a strange purple-puce color and Adam was pretty sure she was foaming at the mouth. She tried to lift a hand in greeting but when she did she skidded backward, almost sliding all the way off the treadmill before she grabbed the handle and saved herself at the last second. Zeke frowned. “Step it up, Rodgers. I’ve had Sunday afternoon strolls through the Arboretum that were faster than that.”Adam felt he had to intervene. Maddy was way too competitive for her own good. She wouldn’t push back as long as Zeke pushed her forward. “I’m thinking, from the color of her face, she might be about a wheeze away from 9-1-1, man.”Zeke snorted. “She’s fine. I’m tryin’ to put hair on her chest.” The poking digit found its way to Adam’s poor, bruised chest again, “Don’t infect her with your pansy-assed work-less ethic, Hoale.” Zeke headed toward the weight bench on the other side of the room. Adam turned a look of stark terror on Maddy and she wheezed out a laugh, almost falling off the treadmill as she saluted him. Adam slashed a hand across his throat and trudged after the big man. The last time he’d let Zeke guide him in a weight bench workout, he’d barely been able to lift his arms for a week. Behind him, the treadmill slowed and he heard the whir of the incline dropping back to level. Maddy’s wheezing lessened as she walked out her cool down. He hoped she appreciated what he’d done for her.
Contest: Tell me why you like reading M/M and I’ll add you to a drawing for a download of A Hoale Lot of Trouble! I’ll pick the winner in a couple of days to give you lots of time to comment! Don’t forget to leave your email so I can contact you if you win!Bonus prize: I’m new on Facebook and trying to grow my page. You can benefit from this! If you LIKE me on Facebook I’ll add you to a second drawing, for a chance at BOTH A Hoale Lot of Trouble AND a copy of Dusted, my fun and sexy shifter romance. 
Bio: Declan Sands writes erotic fantasy and romantic suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Declan has been writing for over a decade under several noms de plume. To learn more about Declan’s work, visit: www.DeclanSands.com.

Debra Glass talks about American Civil War Sesquicentennial

The American Civil War celebrates its sesquicentennial in 2012. Those turbulent years between 1862 and 1865 were a defining moment in our nation’s history. While the Revolutionary War created the United States, the Civil War determined what sort of nation the US would be. The Civil War answered two fundamental questions: Was the United States a confederation of sovereign states or an indivisible nation with a strong national government? And; Would a nation, founded on a declaration that all men were created equal continue to operate as the largest slaveholding country in the world?
Union victory in 1865, preserved the United States as one nation and abolished the institution of slavery. This win came at the cost of 625,000 lives.
In 1936, when Margaret Mitchell’s sweeping novel, Gone With the Wind, set during the American Civil War, was published, a worldwide love affair with historical, romantic fiction was born.

Visiting the Atlanta house where Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With the Wind
As a southerner, I grew up around the relics of those once grand plantation homes, amidst historic markers detailing skirmishes and Hood’s march toward the ill-fated battles of Franklin and Nashville. I heard stories from my great-grandparents about their parents who fought on both sides. I attended college in the South and graduated with an MAed with emphasis in – what else? – history!
My interest in history has always colored my writing. From my locally popular Skeletons in the Closet ghost story collections, to numerous articles for Fate Magazine, and varied Civil War history magazines, to my romantic fiction, the Civil War continues to inspire me.
When I began writing romance, it was no wonder I most often turned to the Civil War for my historical settings.
Here’s what reviewers are saying about my Civil War romances:
“Ms. Glass did an outstanding job of recreating the old South with heart-wrenching visual images of what was going on in and around war ravaged Georgia. Marietta is a perfect backdrop to represent the suffering endured by both soldiers and citizens. It is symbolic of the war torn states as well as the war torn hero and heroine.” ~ Long and Short Reviews
“The strength of Ms. Glass’s writing draws the reader into her deeply emotional and moving love stories time and time again. By intertwining passion and history overlaid with a great depth of emotion and laced with a relentless increasing level of sensuality between Greer, Molly and Hardin the reader is treated to dark and utterly seductive story that pulls-at-the-heartstrings!  Set during the Civil War, Scarlet Widow gives the reader a gripping, detailed and vividly descriptive look at the heartache, hardships and cruelties of war, Molly and the Barksdale brothers experienced that forever changed their lives.  The historically filled pages are brimming with tension, hope and courage, richly portrayed in such a way that the reader will have a difficult time putting this story down. ” ~ The Romance Studio
“Ms. Glass does a beautiful job of bringing the harshness of the Civil War to life in Florence, Alabama. I found this especially interesting since Alabama is seldom used as a plot setting for a civil war romance. The history … illustrated the awful external and internal conflicts Rose and Eric were facing.” ~ Long and Short Reviews
“I love Glass's erotic romances because they're magnificently written and they're often so much "more" than erotic romance. I love her Civil War/Reconstruction fiction because she loves her subject and loves her readers enough to tell them honest, gritty stories with characterizations and issues genuine to that time. Glass immerses readers into culture, society, and events with delectable word pictures and action. Sensory details and exquisite world-building transport willing readers to the realities of a lost time.” ~ MA Goodreads
Revisit the Civil War with one of my books!
Gatekeeper
Book one in the Phantom Lovers series.
Evil shadow ghosts known as soul collectors haunted her childhood nightmares, so Nashville PD criminal profiler Jillian Drew did everything possible to turn her back on her psychic abilities. But now her eccentric sister has been abducted and nothing in her criminology background has prepared Jillian for that tragedy — or for Benton Smith, the powerful and devastatingly attractive ghost of a Civil War officer and the only witness to Amy's abduction.
Fearful of the brazen specter, Jillian nevertheless needs him. Benton is her Gatekeeper, a spirit sworn to protect her from the soul collectors, who attack each time she unleashes her long-dormant psychic senses in an attempt to find her sister.
Yet she must somehow keep the devilishly seductive spirit at arm's length, for Benton's soul is at stake — and succumbing to his desires could have dangerous consequences for them both.


Bought and Paid For
Unable to support herself and her beloved servants, Widow Carrie Hatcher contemplates the unthinkable—offering her services for money. Forced to board wounded Colonel Wesley McEwen in her home, Carrie vows to make the striking Confederate soldier her first “client”.
But Carrie gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to comply with Wesley’s every illicit request for one week. Throughout long, sultry nights, Wesley tutors Carrie in every position, every skill, of her illicit new trade. From dark taboos to pleasurable punishments, Carrie becomes his willing pupil.Passions inflamed, the couple becomes more scandalously intimate but Carrie realizes she wants to give him far more than just her body. The colonel, however, may be too haunted by his past to risk accepting more than he’s bought and paid for.



Rebel Rose
They say she’s a Rebel spy…
Rosalie O’Kelley is not above using her feminine wiles to secure much-needed supplies for her fellow townspeople. But when Union Colonel Eric Skaarsberg is put in charge, Rose’s usual tactics fail miserably. In exchange for supplies, she comes to a scandalous arrangement with him. She agrees to become his willing plaything—to fulfill his every physical need, eagerly and without hesitation.Eric is duty-bound to ferret out the spy who has been leaking information to the Confederates. All evidence points to the passionate belle who readily responds to every touch and taste he metes out. One by one, he strips away Rose’s secrets, but Eric is not satisfied with owning the she-Rebel’s luscious body. He must uncover the truth of her past at any cost—even if it means the destruction of them both.

Scarlet Widow
Tough…or tender? If she follows her heart, she won’t have to choose.
Molly has forever lusted for all three Barksdale brothers, but could never choose. Instead, scandal chose for her, and she married the youngest of the three. Then the brothers go to war, and Molly finds herself a grieving widow when her husband is murdered by a merciless band of Union soldiers.Hardin Barksdale is hell-bent on avenging his brother. Greer Barksdale is honor-bound to protect his home. They both want Molly—and this time, they’re willing to share. The temptation is seductive, the passion sizzling. In harsh, post-war Tennessee, their nightly forbidden trysts wield the power to heal them all—if they can escape the twisted desires of a man bent on seeing all three of them dead.

Haunted
Can a heart still love once it stops beating?
My hopes of having a normal life died when I did. Especially since my near death experience turned me into a clairvoyant with a disfiguring scar. Not exactly most-popular material.Now, because of me, my whole family has been forced to move to some small town in Tennessee. My parents think a quiet new school and a new set of friends will heal me of the scars I carry both inside and out.There’s just one problem. I’m being haunted by Jeremiah Ransom, the charming ghost of a Civil War soldier who lived and died in my house. His presence makes me feel perfect. As if there’d never been a wound in the first place.But I’m afraid that loving him will result in my death all over again.

Skeletons of the Civil War
Ghostly legends abound wherever history has made its mark. Skeletons of the Civil War follows the ghosts of the Army of Tennessee from the bloody Battle of Shiloh to its decimation on the killing fields of Franklin. Combining the craft of a story-teller (Glass), with the expert knowledge of a military historian (Mathews), the stories in this book are packed with archival photographs and intriguing first-hand accounts. Read fresh, spine-tingling accounts of a headless horseman who gallops through the eerie cedar glades at Stones River, the tale of the regiment which earned the nickname The Bloody Ninth at Shiloh, the phantom regiment at Resaca, the spirit of Tennessee’s dashing Boy General, who followed a woman home, the mysterious empty graves near the Hazen monument, weirdness at The Dead Angle, true accounts of spirits who haunt the cavernous rooms of Tennessee’s grand plantation houses, the tragic tale of Captain Tod Carter who was shot down within sight of his home, and many more.
Haunted Mansions in the Heart of Dixie
There is something about an antebellum mansion that whispers ghost. From the rolling cotton fields of Colbert County, Alabama to the haunted hills of Tennessee, there is hardly a pre-Civil War dwelling that cannot boast of some resident spirit or similar unexplained phenomena.
Steeped in history, Haunted Mansions in the Heart of Dixie is a collection of true Southern haint tales set in the fertile Tennessee Valley. From the mysterious Bell Witch to the inexplicable events at Belle Mont Mansion, these tales recount some of the most infamous Southern hauntings of all time. Explore the dark history of Dixie with spirits who loved their homes so much that even in death they refuse to leave, and unearth other more diabolical specters hell-bent on the settling of old scores.

All the tales within are authentic. Proceed, therefore, into the haunted Heart of Dixie with caution. . .
WHO is Debra Glass?

Growing up in the south where the air is thick with stories steeped in legend and truth, Debra came by her love of romance novels honestly. Well…sort of. At an early age, she pilfered from her grandmother’s extensive library and has been a fan of the genre since. A full time freelance writer, Debra especially enjoys combining history, mystery and a touch of taboo to weave stories with unforgettable, haunted heroes. She lives in Alabama with her sexy real life hero, a couple of smart-aleck ghosts and a diabolical black cat.Website: http://debraglass.com
Contest!I’ll be glad to give away a copy of any of my Civil War related titles (your choice) to one lucky commenter – drawing to be held 1 week after the blog post appears. Formats: romances – e book format, your choice of file format, and Skeletons of the Civil War or Haunted Mansions in print and signed by the author.

Have you up for NAUGHTY SLEEPOVER?

http://sassyseven.com/naughty-sleepover/THIS little conference in San Antonio in February is going to become known for:

Hot TEXAS nights
GIRLS WEEKEND OUT
UNIQUE fun
Loads of giveaways (bring an extra suitcase!)
Dance classes you can use
Laughter 101
Educational items from Pure Romance (sex toy vendor)
AND:
No men allowed.
No children either.
Chocolate wine.
Sassy Seven FUN!

LOVE THE SINNER? Can you? You should!

LICK this cover? DO!
Big thanks to Cerise for offering up her blog for my pimpage. I‘d like to share the blurb and an excerpt from my M/M release with Ellora’s Cave, Love the Sinner, with you guys. Love the Sinner was a labor of love for me, one that wrecked me emotionally for a long while. It’s a story that took over my entire being and didn’t relax its death grip on my muse until I’d written ‘THE END’. Still and yet, I remain under its thrall.A line in a song sparked the idea for Love the Sinner, and now that the story has been written and published, I can’t listen to that song on my playlist without tearing up.I’m offering up a copy of Love the Sinner to one lucky commenter. Just remember to leave your email addy in the comments. All my books are available at Amazon, AllRomance, and Bookstrand. You can also read the first chapters of all my books on my website: http://avrilashton.webs.com
This, is Love the Sinner…
BLURB: A notorious gang leader and an NYPD cop. An unlikely couple, but is it true what they say? Could Gabe hate the sin but love the sinner?Detective Gabriel Ashby has never looked twice at another man, yet the criminal across from him, the man he’s interrogating, isn’t like any other. Gabe can’t deal with the sudden, intense need he has for one of NYPD’s Most Wanted. Everyone close to Angelo Pagan ends up dead, with the smug gang leader standing amid the rubble. Gabe would love nothing more than to bust Angelo’s ass and lock him up. SPG-13 EXCERPT“You put the people you claim to care about in jeopardy and here you are, burying your sister. How does it feel to be the reason your sister’s dead? The reason your mother is heartbroken?”Pagan just stared at Gabe, his lips curved, eyes mocking. Unmovable. Unreachable.Gabe ached to punch him in the jaw, knock some sense into him. Some morals. Most of all he ached to touch the man, test the texture of those lips, and wasn’t that the most fucked-up thing of all? Before he stepped into this room his most pressing concern was how to react if Trish brought up marriage again, and now this.Lusting over a criminal. Gabe pushed back his chair and got to his feet, spinning away in an attempt to hide the bulge in his jeans. He headed over to the door and opened it before turning to Pagan. “You can leave, but trust me when I tell you we will find the person responsible for this.”Pagan got up, grabbing his sunglasses. He walked past Gabe, brushing up against him, body heat reaching out to scald him. Gabe hissed in a breath, schooling his features into a blank slate. His fingers twitched, itching to fist in the thick luxury of Pagan’s hair.“I’d warn you not to take justice into your own hands, but I’m hoping you’ll try.”Pagan stopped and met his gaze with a raised eyebrow.“I want you to try something ’cause I’ll be there watching,” Gabe growled. “And I’ll get to lock your ass up. Take you off the streets finally.”A slow smile spread over Pagan’s features, genuine and real, catching Gabe completely off guard. He fisted his hands at his body’s hungry reaction, glancing away before Pagan caught any signs of his attraction in his eyes.“I’ll be seeing you, cop.”Gabe turned back to him, watching as Pagan allowed his mask to slip for a second. There. Written behind those flashing gold eyes was the same heat. The same attraction.Then he blinked and it was gone.Pagan sauntered off, leaving Gabe’s heart thumping and his body aching.  
BUY LINKS~ Ellora’s Cave: http://bit.ly/ImoN94Amazon: http://amzn.to/JPemMzAllRomance: http://bit.ly/IVX10l
AUTHOR BIO l always wanted to have a sexy bio, one to reflect who I am, but after drawing a blank, l could only come up with: I eat cake and I read books…ooh, and I write ‘em too. No one liked it and after massive peer-pressure and pouting, I managed something more…suitable? A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y with a tolerant Spousal Equivalent. Together they raise an eccentric daughter who loves reading and school (not so much school anymore). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing plot points of The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother   Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Av remains a believer of love in all its forms.
Visit: http://www.avrilashton.webs.comhttp://www.avril-ashton.blogspot.comFriend Avril on: http://www.facebook.com/writeravrilashtonhttp://www.twitter.com/#!/AvrilAsh