Lucy Felthouse's Blog, page 310

Halloween Blog Hop – Mega Prizes to be Won!

Well, it's that time of year again, folks! The time you can be anything you want to be, when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest… you know the drill – Halloween is fun!

And to celebrate this particular holiday, the awesome Drea Becraft has organised a blog hop, which is basically an opportunity for YOU to win lots of cool prizes and discover lots of cool new authors and their latest releases. So get your TBR list at the ready to start adding some super new stuff!

*****

I'd also like to share a spooky excerpt from one of the books I'm giving away, just to get you in the mood… (if you want to see the giveaway details, scroll to the bottom. But you're missing out on a spooky treat, if you do!)

 

Excerpt from Weekend at Wilderhope Manor

The hedge which lined the right-hand side of their path had come to an end now, and off to that side was another lawn. Beyond that, a much higher hedge with a purpose designed gap to admit entry. It had to be the maze. The girls walked across the lawn in the direction of the maze's entrance. Once they reached it, they looked at each other in awe. The maze's walls were even higher than they'd first thought.

Jenny said, "I think I'd rather we went in together. Wouldn't you? It's all a bit Alice in Wonderland, and I don't want to come a cropper with the Queen of Hearts while you're drinking tea with the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit."

Stephanie laughed out loud, jabbing Jenny playfully with an elbow. "Where do you come up with these ideas?! It's just a maze, sweetheart. But if it'll make you feel better, we'll go through together. I guess it could get a little creepy as we get inside."

That decided, the girls walked in. Stephanie, the more logical of the two, led the way through the narrow corridors in search of the elusive centre. She felt confident at first, but as the twists and turns continued, she felt less so. That and the fact that she'd been right about the creep factor. It was a clear but not particularly bright day, resulting in very little natural light penetrating the hedges that made up the maze. It was navigable but incredibly gloomy, and Stephanie sensed that Jenny was staying as close behind her as possible without treading on the backs of her shoes. Honestly, she didn't blame her. Even Stephanie was starting to feel a little spooked. The silence wasn't helping. From their sheltered position, they could see glimpses of the sky, but they couldn't hear anything other than the sound of their own footsteps and breathing.

Stephanie picked up the pace, albeit subtly. She didn't want to worry Jenny, but she wasn't quite sure where they were and she was feeling really quite nervous. Despite the silence and the fact they hadn't seen another soul since they'd left the house, Stephanie suddenly had the oddest feeling that they weren't alone. It was a silly notion, because the walls of the maze were so thick that you couldn't see through them, so it wasn't like anyone could be secretly spying on them. But Stephanie simply could not shake her apprehension. She desperately wanted to get out of the maze, but saw no way of doing it quickly. Even turning back wouldn't guarantee a swift exit because they wouldn't remember each twist and turn they'd taken. They could just end up stuck in here even longer.

Suddenly, Jenny's Alice in Wonderland comment didn't seem so stupid after all. Refusing to let Jenny sense her fear, she looked steadfastly in front of her and carried on walking. Then she heard the crack of a twig which sounded like it came from up ahead. Unfortunately, Jenny heard it too.

"Wh – what was that?!" Jenny said, clutching onto the back of Stephanie's coat.

In spite of all her layers, Stephanie felt a shiver run down her spine but forced herself to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Trying – and failing – to inject some normalcy into her voice, she replied, "Pr – probably just someone else from the house. You can enter from either side of the maze, remember. They could have come in the opposite end. I expect we'll bump into them shortly."

They didn't bump into anyone, but the path started to broaden and they soon emerged into the centre of the maze, much to Stephanie's relief. She knew they were far from home and dry, but at least she wasn't feeling like the walls were closing in on her anymore. They took a few minutes to stop and Stephanie looked into each of the paths leading off the centre to see if she could see anyone lurking there. She was reminded of the incident in the corridor outside the library the previous evening, and wondered if the same person was trying to scare them here, too. She decided not to say anything to the other girl. There was no point; with Jenny's imagination she'd be conjuring up ghosts and ghouls left, right and centre and getting her out of the maze would be even more of a chore than it was already.

"Come on," Stephanie said loudly, as if trying to prove how perfectly fine she was feeling, "let's get going."

Stephanie walked towards the potential exit paths and chose one, hoping against hope that it was the right one. She didn't know how much longer her nerve would hold out. Jenny followed close behind, seemingly calmer now as the single broken twig hadn't been followed up by anything else. Walking steadily onwards, Stephanie made quick decisions on their turns, thinking that even if she got it wrong, keeping this pace would mean she could correct quickly and get them the hell out of the maze.

Neither girl spoke. After a while, Stephanie wasn't sure how close they were to the exit, but she sensed they were almost there. They hadn't hit a dead end in a while. Then she heard a noise from behind Jenny. Spinning, she grabbed Jenny and pushed in front of her, ready to face their foe head on. She was terrified, but she sure wasn't going to show it.

"Who's there?"

Nothing. Stephanie waited, her upper arms starting to hurt where Jenny was gripping them tightly.

"Hello? Are you lost?"

Still no response. If there was a genuine patron in the maze, they'd have replied.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Stephanie yelled. "What are you, some kind of creepy pervert that likes scaring women? Well it's not working!"

She was lying through her teeth, of course, but she wasn't going to let their stalker know that.

"We're going now, anyway. So you'll have to find someone else to try and scare, all right?"

This time, the response was the sudden approach of heavy footsteps. As one, both girls spun round and ran in the direction they'd been heading as fast as they could. The noise they were now making masked out any their assailant might have been producing, but Stephanie didn't care. She wanted out – now. She ran close behind Jenny, thanking their lucky stars when she finally saw an opening in the hedge which would lead them back out of this godforsaken hole.

Jenny had obviously spotted it too, as she had a sudden burst of speed which took her right to the exit. She was almost on the grass when she suddenly tripped – over nothing. Stephanie had no time to react and she ended up tripping over Jenny and they both sprawled on the grass in a heap. They hurriedly disentangled, aware they were being followed and about to come face-to-face with their attacker.

Only, they weren't. Whoever had been pursuing them in the maze didn't emerge.

*****



So, without further ado, here's my giveaway (click the book titles to find out more about them):

One copy of Weekend at Wilderhope Manor, my Halloween themed f/f erotica tale from Summerhouse Publishing
One copy of Love Through Time, my romantic erotic tale with spooky elements from Noble Romance Publishing

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know how you'll be spending your Halloween this year. I'll pick two winners at random at 9am on the 1st November (it makes it fairer due to time differences) and contact them ASAP. So PLEASE make sure you leave your email address in the body of the comment. No email = no entry.



What now? Hit the button below to visit the event page on Drea's site and discover which other authors are taking part, and increase your chances of bagging some excellent prizes. Good luck – and Happy Halloween!

Weekend Dirty Dozen No. 2 #WD12

It's week two of Weekend Dirty Dozen, which I found via their Facebook page, here. Peeps seemed to enjoy last week's twelve from Weekend at Wilderhope Manor, which is a Halloween themed lesbian erotic story. So, without further ado I'm going to share the next twelve, to get you in the mood for Monday!

Stephanie shoved her playfully, laughing. "Come on, you silly cow. It's a murder mystery weekend, not a monster hunt. There will be no ghosts, ghouls or vampires involved."



Stephanie got out of the car and closed the door. She'd already popped open the boot and started unloading their bags before Jenny appeared alongside her, pouting petulantly.



"But it's Halloween tomorrow," Jenny insisted. "Anything could happen. The veil between the living and dead will be at its thinnest, and this place is meant to be swarming with ghosts."



"If you say so, sweetheart," she replied, rolling her eyes. She was used to Jenny's crazy beliefs by now. "Grab your bags and let's get inside."

 

Click the graphic below to see the other fab authors taking part! 

Sponsored Advertisements:

Guest Blog: Emlyn Chand

This is a guest post by Emlyn Chand, author of Farsighted

When did you have enough confidence in your abilities to officially call yourself a writer?

For me, it was when I first received money for my work as a freelance columnist. For you, it may have been when you finished the first chapter of your first novel or won a prize for a short story. Maybe you never had any qualms about saddling yourself with this label. Maybe you still don't consider yourself a "real writer."

Me? Now I know enough to see that I was a writer long before someone handed me that first paycheck. It's kind of something you're born with—like it or not.

But being an author, that's different.

The term writer focuses more on the craft—engaging in the actual activity of writing. The term author encompasses not only the craft but also the business aspect of it.

So when are you worthy of the label author? Why, when you publish your first book of course!

I write this post just days before I make the transition from writer to author. My first novel Farsighted releases on October 24, which means my 26-year-long (AKA life-long) dream is finally coming true. When I look back at the journey that brought me to the peak of this beautiful achievement, I can't help but think of what I wish I'd have known before starting on my path.

I've identified 10 lessons I've learned along the way. Maybe you already know these things. Maybe you don't. I'm gonna share 'em anyway…

1. Something's gotta give. Writing is not something you can do with just a little bit of effort. To get through the first draft, editing, what-have-you, you'll have to work hard! Yes, you could space it out over several years, but if you want to finish anytime this year, you're going to have to make sacrifices. For me, this was less time with friends and family, less television, and less attention to my health (eating right and exercising). Oops.

2. Write what you want to write—not what you think you should be writing. Boy, this was a hard one to learn. I've always fallen back on being "that smart girl." When things didn't go right in my personal life or when I was picked last in gym class, I took pride in my intellect. Therefore, I've always done what I can to improve my wit and make my best trait the best it can be. That being said, I spent a long time forcing myself to read classic literature. I did enjoy it, and I still do, but it's definitely not what I find most entertaining (YA is). Still I kept at the classic literature because it was important to me that others respect my intelligence (damaged by high school much? [image error] ). Naturally when I decided to write a novel, it came out as literary fiction. That's the me I wanted to portray to the world. I wanted people to salivate over my talent and proclaim my literary merit… Except the novel wasn't that good, because it wasn't a piece of who I really am. Now that I've cozied into YA, I couldn't be happier. And the larger facade of who I once pretended to be has lifted. I. AM. FREE. Now this lesson doesn't just mean: don't put on a false front. It also means: don't chase trends. Write what your heart wants to write, and it'll all be good in the end.

3. You're going to make mistakes. LOTS of mistakes. Practice makes perfect. Well, it makes it better than before. You may be an excellent writer, but if you've never written a novel before, you're a newbie. That's okay too! When writing that all-important first novel, you're pretty much going to make every mistake in the book. In my first novel, I really struggled with keeping a consistent point-of-view and writing authentic dialogue. The POV problem was very difficult to fix, but in trying, I learned an important lesson—one I couldn't have learned if I hadn't made such huge blunders. Now that I do know how to correct and avoid these problems, dialogue and POV are two of my strongest areas (at least that's what readers tell me).

4. Writer's detour is a bigger problem than writer's block. Writer's block gets all the PR, but it's not as dangerous as writer's detour. When you're blocked you're not moving forward. When you take a detour, you're moving in the wrong direction. Will you get to California quicker by taking a small rest in Boise, or will you get there quicker by following a pretty red car to Ontario first? (My advice, drive straight-on through to Cali if you can). Don't get so caught up with a minor character (or a theme you want to convey) that you stray all over the place. Which brings me to my next point…

5. Structure is important. We writers fall into two camps: pantsers and plotters. Some pantsers consider themselves superior, because their writing leads their plots—not the other way around. I used to think like that too. Even if you want to keep your plotline fluid, you need some form of structure. Shudder at the thought of outlining? Then mapping your characters is crucial. You need to know where you're going and/or who's taking you there. Otherwise you're just groping about in the dark. Yes, writing is absolutely a creative process, but don't under-estimate the value of good planning.

6. Novel #1 may never leave the drawer. Or it may leave the drawer, journey around the query circuit, and then come right back to where it started. My first novel DID get me an agent, but 9 drafts later, it still wasn't good enough to publish. When my agent suggested I change 2/3 of it for draft 10, I decided to move onto my next project. I just wasn't enjoying the process anymore. I'm so glad I finally called it quits on novel #1, because novel #2 is so much better, and now I get to put it out there into the world. If I would've kept agonizing over the inferior manuscript, novel #2 may have never happened!

7. When you're done, you're not done. I'm just a big ball of sunshine today, aren't I? But it's important to understand just how much work follows being "done." Anne Lamott said it best in Bird by Bird, you're going to write "shitty first drafts." I can guarantee it! Don't let that stop you, just be prepared for it.

8. Writing is a business just as much as it's an art. Getting a novel published and promoting it once it's out there is infinitely more work than writing a novel in the first place. That's not to under-value the writing process, but it's true. Sure, you can finish your novel, self-publish it, and then do virtually nothing to promote it. Fine. But if you actually want to sell copies of your book, you've gotta handle the business side of things. Finding an agent is an extremely formal business interaction—you even have to write fancy business (AKA query) letters. Marketing your book is a TON of work. It's pretty fun (at least, I think so, but I moonlight as a book publicist, so I realize I might not be normal). However, being fun is not equivalent to being easy. Not even close. Expect lots of work and lots of stress and not very much sleep. The good news: you get out what you put in, so give it all you can!

9. Querying will destroy your soul. My unhappy place is remembering query letter Hell. I honestly can't remember anything harder in my life. Ever. Make sure you have a good support system in place. Because even if you're brilliant, you can pretty much expect a slew of rejections. I ultimately got an agent but had to suffer through 60 "not for us"s first. Of course, it hurts. As writers, we pour our hearts and souls into our manuscript. Our words are a part of who we are. Having a faceless stranger tell you it's not good enough is pure torture. End of argument.

10. You will sustain injuries. Gosh, my neck is killing me while I'm writing this post. You're probably going to get neck and back pain too. Headaches from staring at the computer too long. Possible eye problems. Definite poor posture. Maybe even carpal tunnel syndrome. That's just the way it goes, so be prepared.

Seems pretty cynical, doesn't it? I

 

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still "see" things others can't. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com's Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author's birthday).

THE CASH PRIZES: Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That's right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you'll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.

THE GIVEAWAYS: Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you'd like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.

THE AUTHOR: Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!

 

 

eBook Review: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Alex Kosmitoras is no ordinary teenager. He's blind, so life is tough enough for him as it is, but then just to add insult to injury, he starts to have visions. He thinks they're of the future, and they're not good – it appears that a girl he really likes, Simmi, is in danger. As much as he struggles with the idea that he's some kind of psychic, the threat that's hanging over him and his friend spurs him to take action. At around the same time his visions started, a new shop opened up in town, next to his mom's flower shop. It's a psychic shop, and despite Alex's dad's disgust of the place, Alex knows he can't fight this future alone. So he teams up with Miss Teak, the owner of the shop and begins to practise with his "gifts" so he can fully utilise them to find out as much about the unknown guy who's going to hurt Simmi. Then he has to find a way to stop it.

I don't read much YA stuff, not because I dislike it, but because I have other genres I'm usually stuck into. However, despite its label of YA, Farsighted is a perfectly entertaining and engaging novel for anyone of any age – providing they're old enough to understand what's going on, of course. I found it enthralling, and couldn't wait to see how it would all turn out. There were lots of surprising twists and turns in the plot which I really enjoyed, and I got to the end of the book with raised eyebrows because, yet again, Emlyn Chand threw in another twist. Farsighted is a fabulously unpredictable, engaging, well-written and researched book. As I mentioned, YA isn't my top genre of choice, but I'd still recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique and exciting read.

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

 

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK:  Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still "see" things others can't.  When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com's Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author's birthday).

THE CASH PRIZES:  Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That's right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you'll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.

THE GIVEAWAYS:  Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you'd like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.

THE AUTHOR:  Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!

 

 

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Unforgiven (Packing Heat #1) by Sarah Ballance

Riley Beckett's past just came back to haunt her . . . and this time, he's got a gun.

When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot dead on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage's former lover, Riley. He and she didn't part ways on good terms, and he's not planning to rekindle anything now–not when he's got a revolver pointed at her head and a finger on the trigger.

A year after Riley swore she and Gage were over, he returns in a hail of gunfire. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes and she knows how wrong she was to let him go, but now far more than their heated past stands in the way. A twist of fate puts them in the crosshairs of a killer, leaving Riley with two slim options: trust her greatest betrayer or face a murderer on her own.

EXCERPT:

Something was wrong. Was the dark playing tricks on her? Riley Beckett froze, arm outstretched, hand poised to toss her keys on the table just inside her front door. But she didn't let go. Instead of dropping them in their usual spot, instinct whispered for her to feather pieces of the makeshift weapon between her knuckles. Heart pounding, she pressed the keys in a silent, white-knuckle grip and prayed her concerns were her imagination, that the paranoia of coming home alone to a dark house was getting the better of her.

One, two steps in. Wood planks echoed underfoot. She fought to breathe in air that grew thinner with every tense second.

Three steps.

Then it hit her. The scent. His scent. And with it a flush of memories. The burn of hot grass on her bare skin. Rough hands, a tender touch. Love so sweet she ached for it, her dreams raging, and her body drenched with need.

Their first time.

Her last.

"Gage?" Her voice broke on the single syllable. Riley's grip on the keys tightened, her blood raging hot and cold all at once.

A creak sounded from the corner chair. Her eyes refused to adjust in the darkness, but not even the faint light kept the blond streaks in his russet hair from giving him away. Like rays of sunshine, she used to tease, and her words never failed to draw a scowl across his rugged face.

"Riley."

God help her, her name on his lips sounded as it always had. Coarse. Dangerous. Forbidden. Even before . . . The memory surged, hot and vivid, leaving a metallic taste in her mouth. White heat assaulted her from every corner of the room.

The keys fell to the floor with a clink.

"An eye for an eye, is it?" His voice sounded unpracticed, as if he hadn't spoken in a long while.

She couldn't see his face, but she knew his expression. Flat and humorless. Broken. She remembered the day he stopped smiling. Every part of her wanted to flee, but she stood frozen to the spot.

"What do you mean?" Riley wondered if the words, whispered and weak, had the strength to make it across the room. Hadn't she always known she'd shatter the next time she saw him? Hadn't she dreamed of it anyway?

"You have to ask?" Gage laughed, cold and hollow. "Billy's dead. Hell of a thing to come home to, Riley. My brother blown to bits on my back porch."

"Oh, God." Riley swayed, bile rising in her throat. The room filled with a distant buzzing. She took one unsteady step to the side and stumbled.

When she found his gaze, it was over the business end of a revolver.

He leveled the gun in her direction. Everything else in her world trembled, but his aim held rock steady. Unyielding.

His eyes burned blue and bright. "What I want to know, sweetheart, is why you did it."

He worked his finger over the trigger, and a veil of blackness threatened her last discerning thought.

*****

BUY LINKS:

Noble Romance- https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/325/Unforgiven

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Unforgiven-ebook/dp/B005NGKBN2/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sarah and her husband of over fourteen years live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they're asleep. She often jokes that she writes to be around people who will listen to her, but her characters aren't much better than her kids. Fortunately, her husband is quite supportive, having generously offered to help her research "the good parts." She's never had to ask twice.

Website – http://www.sarahballance.com/

Blog – http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003WKYEJI

Twitter – http://twitter.com/#!/SarahBallance

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/sarah.ballance.author.news

My Day at The Festival of Romance

Last weekend was the inaugural Festival of Romance, at Hunton Park near Watford in the UK (a very posh venue). I attended on the Saturday to see what it was all about, appear on a panel, attend some panels and generally mingle, meet and chat with some like-minded people. I knew other erotica and erotic romance authors were going to be in attendance too, so I wasn't going to be the lone smutter in the room!

To avoid rambling on forever, I'm going to break the day down into the panels/debates I attended and give my little commentary.

I got there in one piece, in plenty of time, despite my horrendously early start and having to drive through mile upon mile of 50mph restrictions on the M1. Luckily I had my music to keep me awake!

Registration was a whizz, and I quickly bumped into some people I knew and started chatting and checking out the venue. Soon, though, it was time for the first panel… and I was on it!

Panel: For Her Eyes Only

I was a tad nervous as this was the first panel I'd appeared on, but luckily I had Xcite editors Elizabeth Coldwell and Antonia Adams there to be all informative and interesting if I failed. The audience were gentle with me, however, and I had fun answering questions about the difference between erotica and erotic romance, pen names, how writing short stories and longer pieces differs, how I got into erotica, and much more. I emerged from the panel immensely glad I'd taken part, and much more comfortable about doing it again in the future, which is just as well really, as I'm doing one at Erotica in November. Details here.

The Big Debate: Men and Romantic Fiction

I went into this debate with the intention of sitting there quietly, rather than debating, which I managed very successfully. It was a great fun debate about whether men read romantic fiction in secret, whether they're fans of romantic fiction, whether they should write it, and much more. The fact that there was a guy on the panel made it all the more interesting – Roger Sanderson, who actually writes as Gill Sanderson commented (this isn't word for word, just my memory and hastily scribbled notes!) that men can write romantic fiction just as well as women, and that he doesn't care what the press or other people think – he's laughing all the way to the bank.

There was discussion on labelling, i.e. are the terms "chick lit" and "rom com" what put men off? Some members of the audience said that in some cases, if guys are told what the book is about then they'd be much more likely to read it, than if they were just told it was a romance. Girly pink and flowery covers were a big issue – raising the question about men reading romantic fiction on their eReaders because a) there's no visible cover and b) nobody knows what they're reading.

Overall, this was a good fun debate and raised some interesting questions about romantic fiction and the way it's marketed, as well as the wonder – do men really read it in secret? I'd love to know, please leave me a comment if you have something to say about this!

Panel: From Chick Lit to Hen Lit

This was another good fun panel. It raised some similar questions to the debate about men and romantic fiction, about marketing, covers and more. But, most importantly, it discussed the label "chick lit" itself and how it came about. I don't remember who said this, but apparently the term was originally "chic lit" but the press twisted into "chick lit" to be derogatory. Many people commented that the press still tend to be very down on the genre (whatever its label!), but the readers don't care what it's called – they're buying and reading it in their droves. It was also commented that the term "chick lit" actually encompasses a huge amount of books. Many people's conceptions of the genre are that it is light and fluffy reading – but this isn't always the case. Many books deal with darker and more difficult issues, but are still packaged in those same girly, flowery covers, and they're still purchased.

A majority of people disagreed with a recently made comment that "chick lit is dead." People are still buying masses of these types of books, whether they're dealing with darker themes or not – so the label should be reclaimed and twisted back to a positive slant. Love live chick lit, whatever you want to call it!

Keynote Interview: Mills and Boon

This is down on the programme as an interview, but was actually a presentation from Mills and Boon. It basically had tons of background on the company and the various lines of books it publishes. There were handy hints and tips on how you can get your work noticed and published by Mills and Boon, including a useful handout. It definitely changed my perception of the Mills and Boon brand – they know what works and they're sticking to it, but they're modern and constantly evolving. If I ever decide to try my hand at romance without the naughty elements, I certainly wouldn't say no to them!

Keynote Interview: Carole Matthews

This was an interview, and a very good one at that. The microphone was playing silly buggers, but as I was sat within a couple of feet of Carole and the interviewer, I could still hear everything. The interview covered a lot of ground, from Carole's personal experiences with writing, research, agents, publishers, titles, cover design and much more. It also touched on more general elements which would be useful to any other, irrespective of genre. Carole regaled us with a couple of very amusing anecdotes and was happy to answer questions and give out advice – even going so far as to say that she'd be around for the rest of the day and evening if anyone wanted to ask her any questions or have any more advice, which spoke volumes about her personality. No wonder she's such a popular author! I'm amazed I haven't read any of her stuff before, but I definitely will.

Indulge with Loveswept – cupcakes and gifts served by your favourite Loveswept hero

I've skipped meals out of the programme because they're… well… meals. But this was a snack with a difference. A scantily clad young man had the pleasure of wandering around the room dishing out yummy cupcakes. He got less than half way before his open shirt was removed altogether, much to the appreciation of the women in the room. He was quickly surrounded by women who were just as interested in him as his cupcakes. I, for one, appreciated both. He was no Jared Padalecki or Philip Winchester, but he was offering me cake, so I was nice to him. He also came round and gave out bundles of postcards tied together, which included details for a free romance eBook download, which naturally I took advantage of.

Dotted in between these various events were chances to chat – hurrah! So I had the opportunity to catch up with some people I knew, talk writing, business, books, new projects and much more. Overall I came away from the day with some fab information, cemented relationships, some cool freebies and a few extra pounds (in weight – from the cake ). If I can get to the festival next year, I'll definitely go and would recommend anyone else to, too.

Reading at Sh! Hoxton, 18th November

Look out London –  the Northern Birds are coming!

On Friday 18th November at 7pm, my buddy Victoria Blisse and special guest yours truly are appearing at Sh! Hoxton for an exclusive erotic reading.

Victoria Blisse will be reading from her newly-launched book, Tempting Rendezvous. In true Blisse style, it's a naughty tale about a sexy curvaceous chick, with BDSM elements. The print book will be on hand so you can grab yourself a copy and have Victoria sign it for you.

Victoria is also attending Erotica at Olympia on Saturday 19th, where she'll be available for more signings and doing further readings – so if you're going, keep your eye out for her!

[image error]I will be reading snippets from a selection of my latest releases (titles to be decided), and will also be on hand to sign books and postcards.

I'm also be reading at Erotica on Saturday 19th, as well as appearing on a panel, so be sure to stop by, if you're attending the show!

Victoria and I are also planning some nice surprises, fun and games with a distinct Northern theme for attendees of the Sh! Hoxton reading, so don't miss out! Contact the Girlz at Sh! to reserve your place now! Be there or be square!

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New Release: Love Through Time

[image error]Yesterday saw the release of my erotic romance novella, Love Through Time, from Noble Romance. It has quite a few elements mixed in; ghostly and historical and well as sexy. It is a contemporary piece, with much of the action taking place in a gorgeous library (which is based on a real place).

It's also part of the Timeless Desire line from Noble Romance – which is a group of novellas based on the theme 'timeless desire,' and let me tell you, the different ways the authors have interpreted that phrase are really cool! And as from November, we're all going on tour together… virtual tour that is. There are going to be interviews, guest blogs, excerpts and tons and tons of chances to win prizes, including a Kindle, gift cards and some uber cool sex toys, sponsored by SexToys.co.uk. To make sure you keep up with the tour, be sure to join our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NobleRomanceAuthorsBlogTour

For more information and an excerpt from Love Through Time, check out the book page. It's available from the Noble Romance site, and will be coming to third party retailers soon.

A Few Reviews

After a busy weekend (more on that tomorrow), I'm catching up with my emails and am happy to share a few new reviews with you (I'm a terrible poet, and don't you know it!).

Loose Ends, my erotic romance about a University reunion received a lovely review:

"…Felthouse steamed up the pages for me. This fast-paced novella had me wanting more for Johnathan and Lauren. I would recommend this erotic romance novella to anyone looking for a quickie and pleasurable needs met." 5 out of 5, CBLS Reviews















Weekend at Wilderhope Manor, my Halloween themed erotic tale, received a fab review, and also popped the reviewer's f/f cherry!

"WaWM is really a fun read, with super hot smexin', humor and mystery. WaWM gave me an hour of laughs and trying to guess what exactly was going down at the Manor (no pun intended, lol). If you are open minded and want a quick read that will keep you entertained and a little steamed up, give this little mystery a try. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did." 4 out of 5, Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews









My erotic short story collection, The Best of Lucy Felthouse got an awesome review, too!

"The Best Of Lucy Felthouse is a collection of five hot scorching tales of erotic romance where the reader is treated to everything from love to passion and the true strength of lust! This book is not for the faint at heart and is a must read for every lover of this hot genre! And Lucy Felthouse has become just that – a Must-Read for me!" Night Owl Reviews













Happy dancing over here! Not least because my erotic romance novella, Love Through Time will be released later today by Noble Romance. Watch this space for buy links, etc. It's already on Goodreads, so be sure to add it to your bookshelves!

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Myth Mondays: Behind the Scenes with Andi in Chains by Fulani

Please welcome Fulani to Myth Mondays for his post on Andi in Chains, which is featured in Seducing the Myth. Take it away, Fulani….

*****

Andromeda is a Greek myth, a story of a young woman who was sacrificed to a sea monster but saved by a warrior. It first appeared in written form in Ovid's collection Metamorphoses, around 8AD, but is probably far, far older. Ovid was a Roman poet and Metamorphoses is a collection of mythical and semi-mythical stories in the form of a long narrative poem that describes the history of the world from its creation through to the reign of Julius Ceasar. It was an instant success and remained one of the most popular literary works for centuries. The story remained well-known, possibly because every schoolboy who has to learn Latin would have been introduced to the text. There are many paintings of Andromeda chained to a rock – for example those by Titian (1553-59), Vasari (1570), Rembrandt (1630), Chasseriau (1840), Dore (1869) and Poynter (also 1869).

There is some historical background to the legend. Andromeda's parents, Cephus and Cassiopeia were the kind and queen of Ethiopia – not necessarily the same place as the modern-day country, because in Greek times the word was used to refer both to an area that extended south from modern-day Aswan, in Egypt, and from the east of the Nile into what we now call the Middle East. Tradition has it that the rock to which Andromeda was chained as a sacrifice is located by the harbour of Jaffa, Israel.

The story has a lot of detail and quite a few characters.

In addition to Andromeda's parents, King Cephus and Queen Cassiopeia, the dramatis personae include Phineus, the brother of Cephus, to whom Andomeda was to have been married. Then there were the Nereids, daughters of the sea god Nereus. The story really started with Cassiopeia boasting Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, and they were offended. They complained to their father in a 'What are you going to do about this insult?' way. He talked to Poseidon about it. Nereus was the eldest son of the Titans Pontus and Gaia, making him a powerful deity in his own right, though it's unclear what his relationship with Poseidon was – Poseidon was specifically a god of the seas with the Mediterranean as his sphere of influence. Some sources suggest they're different aspects of the same deity, so the conversation between them may have been a little strange.

In any event, Poseideon sent Cetus, a sea monster, to ravage the coastline of Ethiopia.

Amid the storms and floods that followed, Cephus consulted the Oracle of Apollo which told him to sacrifice his daughter to Cetus to save his kingdom. Hence, Andromeda chained naked to a rock on the shoreline awaiting her fate.

What about Perseus? Well, he has quite a backstory. He was Mycenean. His mother was the daughter of the King of Argos, a powerful city state that's now part of Greece and one of the oldest continuously-inhabited places in the world. The king had, however, received an omen that he'd be killed by a male grandchild – hence he kept his daughter in a bronze prison, where she was impregnated by Zeus. Unwilling to actually kill his daughter or grandson, the king set them adrift on the seas in a wooden chest.

They pitched up on the Greek island of Serifos and were taken in by a fisherman (who happened to be the brother of the local king). In time, the King of Serifos, Polydectes, proposed to marry Perseus' mother. To protect her from Polydectes – and this is again a long and involved story – Perseus promised to undertake a quest, which turned out to be finding and killing the Gorgon Medusa. He had to 'borrow' – well, strong-arm the use of – various magical implements to do this. And it was on his way back from that quest that he came across Andromeda, rescued her and married her.

What follows is even more complicated. Perseus has a stand-off with Phineus (remember him? Andromeda had been promised to him in marriage). He would up killing Phineus by showing him the head of Medusa – handily hacked from her body and carried in Perseus' knapsack. Well, it was the proof that he'd finished the quest. The sight of the head turned Phineus to stone. Perseus then returned home, killing Polydectes the same way and rescuing his mother (who remained there as consort of the fisherman who'd rescued them both, and who was installed as the new king).

He had to trek around the area returning magical items he'd 'borrowed' for his quest to kill Medusa. After that he went to the Olympic Games then under way in Larissa, where versions of the story differ. He may have accidentally killed his grandfather with a rogue quoit hit or discus throw, or his father may have been living in exile by that time. In any event, rather than return to Argos and claim the throne, Perseus became king of Tyrins, another Mycenean city state close by.

Andromeda joined him there, they lived happily ever after and had seven sons and two daughters – a busy sex life, then, and there was no contraception in those days…

I originally came to the story through art – I particularly like the Chasseriau, Dore and Poynter paintings of the myth, all of which I've known for a while. But having decided to take Andromeda as the starting point for the story, I wanted to do a contemporary re-telling. Who could take the role of the various kings? Who would be prepared to settle scores with murder, imprison others on the basis of susperstition, chain their own daughter to a rock as a sacrifice? Well… I guess I could have set the re-telling in some tiny backwater state with a powerful dictator, or in the context of unscrupulous multinational companies. But the idea of the kings as gangsters and drug dealers, ruling their own mini-territories around the docks of an old industrial city, appealed.

So who was Perseus? These days, the nearest we have to a warrior of his personality type is probably a mercenary of some sort, used to pulling off operations with a mixture of high-tech equipment and low-tech violence.

And the thing about chains… Perseus freed Andromeda from her chains and they went on to have a lifelong, loving relationship. But a 'what if' thought struck me. What if she actually liked the whole experience of being chained up? What if that had been the secret fantasy keeping her warm on long dark nights? You don't have to read much to discover that empirically, fantasies of bondage, rescue, and the rescuer not releasing the captive but taking advantage of them are quite common among women (and among some men, actually).

So that gave me the plot outline.

One question left – who was telling the story? Well, it needed to be someone who was there. I imagined it as story told maybe in a bar, by someone who knew the background, and told to a journalist who'd heard about the whole episode and wanted to write it up in a sensational and hard-boiled way.

Find out more about Fulani on his blog, http://fulanismut.blogspot.com/.

Find out how to bag your copy of Seducing the Myth here.

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