Kianna Alexander's Blog, page 14

Let The Summer Madness Begin!

Hi, Y'all,
We're back from summer hiatus, and as Founding Mama, it's my job to get this summer thing started with a bang. I hope you had a lovely Fourth of July. I enjoyed a very small cookout at my home in Middle of Nowhere, North Carolina, attended by a total of eight people, myself included. What can I say, I like my summer gatherings as laid back and low-key as possible.
I wish I could say I've eased into summer, with a cool lemonade in one hand, and a notebook and pen in the other. This, unfortunately, is not the case. My six year old is out of school, and even though I've been dealing with my three year old all school year, the two of them together is too much, honey! My son is now co-signing his little sister's foolishness. She can't reach something she's not supposed to have? He gets it for her. She can quite open the door to the room she's not allowed in? Her brother rips it open with his super strength. Lordy, lordy. They are really putting a damper on my summer writing mojo.
Still, I will have respite, in a way. In about a week, I'm leaving for the Romance Writer's of America national conference. It's being held in Atlanta this year, the closest it's been to me in years, so I coughed up the registration fee. I intend to do as much networking and learning as I can, without damaging my fragile sanity. I've scheduled daily "decompression" breaks into my trip, so I can sit myself down, take a breath, and chill before I start hyperventilating in that fancy hotel. I also plan to get with some other writers I don't get to see that often, including Wayne Jordan and Beverly Jenkins, and I'm pitching to an agent as well. It will be a busy week, but I need this time to get away from my darling little ragamuffins and focus on my writing. Writing is, after all, what keeps me from having an epic, nuclear level meltdown. When you realize your babies have painted your walls with craft paint, or spilled straight pins all over the floor, you need a little something to take the edge off.
Well, that's it for now. At the time of this writing, I'm in the process of making another deal with Ellora's Cave, but it's not finalized so I'll tell you about it in my next post. In the meantime, don't forget my next release, Freedom's Embrace , drops August 1, and it's already up for pre-order at Amazon and BN. Thanks for all the love, and I'll see you on the flip-side.

Until Next Time,
Kianna

Summer Hiatus, or Wearing the Capes

 
Hey, Y'all
As I'm sure you've noticed, things have been rather, um, quiet around Hot MAMA Land. Don't worry, the flames of our passion for bringing you great books have NOT been doused!
So, where have we been, you ask?

We've all been wearing the capes.
You know, the capes women have to wear to take care of everybody and every thing? Yeah, those capes. Here are some examples.
Altonya, Loretta, and I have been wearing the "Awesome Mom Cape"- our young kids who are now out of school and need supervision, entertainment, etc.
Loretta, Denise, and Bridget have been wearing the "Awesome Other Half" cape while taking care of their loves during various illnesses or injuries. (No worries, our heroes are all doing well.)
We've all been taking time away for various issues, or just to decompress and spend time with family and friends. We are all still writing, and we will be back. 
So, check us out when we return from our little break on July 9, 2013 .
Thanks for being our most awesome, patient readers.
What are you doing this summer? We'd love to hear about it. Tell us about it in the comment box for a chance to win a free eBook from one of the MAMA's!

Until Next Time, Kianna

I WANT CANDY!

Hey y'all,

In my last post, I alluded to a surprise from me and author Yvette Hines. Hopefully you saw our news on our Facebook pages or in our Yahoo groups. If you didn't, well, I'm thrilled to share the news here. On Saturday, November 9th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Yvette Hines and I will be putting on our very first BDSM/fiction event we're calling "Wrapped Up: A Corseted Event with Bridget Midway and Yvette Hines." The event will be at the Hampton Inn and Suites at 4449 Peek Trail in Chesapeake, Virginia. In the event, we'll have games, prizes, books, lunch, and because the event will focus on our candy-themed contemporary BDSM interracial erotic romances, we'll have candy, candy, and candy! If you need a hotel room, go to the Hampton Inn and Suites website at http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/groups/personalized/O/ORFCKHX-600-20131108/index.jhtml Rooms are $84 per night.

My novel is called Licorice Whips and will be published through Phaze Books, and Yvette's story will be called Red Hots. When you register for the event, in your registration bag, you will receive both books! As a matter of fact, the books will not even be released to the public until after the event. The books will be available in ebook format and in print.

Besides the books, we'll also have a very special guest. Domme and author of The ABC's of BDSM through Phaze Books, Dama de Noche. She will be demonstrating some BDSM play and showing off some toys commonly used in the Lifestyle. For those of you who have always wondered about what really goes on in a standard BDSM relationship, plus learn from the woman who taught me everything I know about BDSM, should definitely come to this event. She will work on both a male and female submissives.

Oh, and besides the books and the live BDSM tutorial, we'll be having a contest to see who shows up wearing the best corset (hence the subtitle "A Corseted Event with Bridget Midway and Yvette Hines.") Show off your best corset and win a tremendous gift basket.

To join in on the festivities, go to either my website at www.BridgetMidway.com or Yvette Hines' site at http://YvetteHines.com and register for the event. The event is only $45. For $45 you'll get 2 new books, a BDSM demo, prizes and more! Don't wait to register. Time is running out.

As much as I like to stay and chat, I have a novel to finish and more stories to write. Hope to see many of you at the event!

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

Persevere! You Will Get There...

Hey, y'all,
So, today I have what I consider to be a valuable word of wisdom to impart to you. As indicated in the post title, it's all about perserverance.

Going after you dreams isn't an easy undertakings. There are all kinds of obstacles that will get in your way, from self-doubt, to finances, to family and work obligations. For me, the things that could hamper my efforts are numerous- I have two young children, one with special needs; a husband in the military, a house to run, an another career as a freelance corporate writer. My days are hectic, filled with potty breaks, wiping noses, meal planning, cooking, cleaning, fielding what seems like hundreds of phone calls a day, attending to my freelance clients, and, somehow, writing fiction. When people ask me how I do it, I usually reply with this:

"I don't really know, but I don't sleep a lot."

Not  a glamourous or exciting response, but it's the truth. :)

Chasing the dream of writing fiction full-time is something I must do. In order for me to deal with the things I deal with on a daily basis, I have to believe it's a dream that really can come true. Otherwise I'd have a breakdown and just completely lose my sh*t. So I pull the early mornings, trying to wake up before the kids so I can write. As soon as I get used to getting up at a certain hour, they start waking up earlier. Crafty little scamps, aren't they?

So I stay up late and write. Or I escape to the library or a cafe on the weekends and write while my darling husband is with the children. I write in the therapy clinic waiting room on Monday when my son gets two and half hours of speech, occupational and physical therapy. I write in the hospitals and clinics I take him to for his never-ending string of doctor's appointments. I write in a Moleskin book I keep in my purse, on my cell phone's Writer App, on a scrap of paper laid against my steering wheel in the car. (Not while I'm driving, though.)

I have so many stories to tell, I can't stop. I must write. It is as much a part of who I am as my love of music, or the colors teal and purple, or my attraction to chocolate and Japanese animation. I must write, for me, there is no other option.

Recently, a dream of mine came true. I sold a book to a publisher that I've been trying to get in with for years. Not only did I sell to them, I sold the book no other house would touch. The heroine is a runaway slave and that seemed to really make folks uncomfortable. This was my  "impossible" to sell book, my one in a million shot, the story I could not just tuck away under the bed. I had seven rejections back to back before I sold it.

But I sold it.

Why? Because I am worthy, I am talented, I am good enough. And so are you.

You can grab Freedom's Embrace now on pre-order at Amazon, and it will hit your ereader on August 1st. Click the cover to get it.


You can also get it directly from Ellora's Cave. Add it to your wishlist here.

If you don't remember any of my ramblings today, remember this. No matter how hard and fast you have to run, a dream is always, always worth chasing.


Until Next Time,
Kianna

Biltmore Adventure

What's Biltmore? Located in Asheville, North Carolina among an unbelievable mountainous landscape sits a breathtaking mansion, estate, castle...all of the above? This is where I spent last Sunday. For those of you who know me, you know that I'm rarely at a loss for words especially when books are the topic. This past Sunday, I truly understood the meaning of the word speechless. Our first stop that morning was to enjoy brunch at the restaurant located on the estate. Restaurant? Seems a poor description of the place where we dined. The sun was barely peeking through that morning and there was a fantastic breeze in the air. We walk in through towering double doors across a dark cobblestone-like floor, to our right was an enormous ballroom. We were escorted through the diningroom and there wasn't a bad table in the place. From the wide windows lining the room, there was a view of a beautiful courtyard from every seat. Spaced among the windows, were tall doors opened to admit the most refreshing breeze. Speechless- I tell you my mouth was open in amazement the entire time. Such beauty-don't think I can ever recall being in the midst of such scenery. The brunch buffet was to die for and boasted everything from homemade oat bread with apple butter, chicken and waffles to Cajun rice croquettes, chilled shrimp and salmon. I could go on for hours about the food!

The place itself? Biltmore. Whatever you've heard, can't possible do justice to the actual sight of it. The place has over 200 rooms, I believe we saw 40 of them and we were there for well over 2 hours. Seemed shorter than that to me, it was such an incredible treat. Don't get me started on the library folks- first editions of every genre it seemed tucked in every nook and cranny of an expansive room with plush chairs, throw pillows and tapestries. As exquisite as the decor was, I think I was most in awe of what could not be made by man-the view. It's said that the estate's owner George Vanderbilt was so inspired by the mountain oasis that he decided to build his home there. The view is just that gorgeous and for me words can't aptly describe it. I know that I plan to make a return trip. I'd say that every author should visit at least once- you are bound to be filled with sooo many story ideas that you should probably carry a notebook to jot them down. You can visit just to enjoy the hiking trails or just find a place to sit and take in the scenery. Me? I plan to return with pen and pad in hand, claim a spot on the pristine grounds and create the day away.

BOOKS - BOOKS - BOOKS

How many books should an author release in a year?  Writing books are time consuming. There’s developing characters, researching careers, locations, times of the year and period of the story. Then you sit at your computer, or pick up pen and paper and began to write. For some the story simply flow. For others, you put some on paper now, come back a month from now to write a little more, and so on until the book is finished. Once the book is complete, here comes the test readers. You know those objective people you select to send your story to read. When you received their feed back you make adjustments, or not. Then you send the document to your editors. Please note, I said editors, at least three in all, Proofreaders, Line Editors, then Substantive Editing. Again, you make adjustments, or not. 

While all of that is happening, a book cover has to be designed and produced. Advanced Readers Copies (ARC) have to be sent to reviewers while you pray they have good things to say about your new baby. Then there’s the marketing, and networking to get the word out. This includes trade magazines, interviews and of course the ever evolving on-line presence.

Then comes the week before the release where you make the blog tours, interviews with internet radio, live radio and if you are very, very lucky, a few television appearances. Are you ready, now it’s release day. You sit with your fingers crossed waiting for that first review to appear. Holding your breath, another appears. You allow yourself a little smile. The readers like it, they really liked it. 

NOW, START ALL OVER - AGAIN.

I like to write stories where readers connect to each character in someway, love them or hate them. Therefore, I take my time introducing each character in a way to make readers react emotionally. Some say that slows a story down. I say it gives the story depth and is time well spent. 

Writing a novels takes months out of your life. They are months well spent. I love writing and if I could I would write a book every month. Hold on, clearing throat as I rethink that. Okay, If I could, I would write a book every other month....or so. But, you get my meaning. I think 2 to 4 books a year is a good place to be. Whew, I have to get to writing. I still have 3 books to go. 

I have to end this now, I have characters to develop, and story lines to conquer up. It's all in the effort of getting the stories out to you.  

Until the next time,
Iris
www.irisbolling.net 

Time: Where Does It All Go?

Time...time...time...
How does it get away from us so quickly? For most of us, our "mobile office" consists of either our cell phones or tablets to check Facebook statuses, tweets or reading the latest blog like this one on a timeline or news feed. Maintaining a structured schedule is not easy when one post turns into a thirty line thread. As an author, you cannot disregard your readers, right? They are the ones we cherish and write for. 
So, with that being said...where does our time go?
Since most of us work full-time jobs, have families to take care of and oh yeah, write stories, we have to be mindful of the time we spend on social media sites. Log off (Yes, as in not seeing it or hearing your phone buzz with a new notification) those sites! Try it for a couple of hours and see how much you can accomplish. In the time you devote to your craft, be it research, writing a steamy scene or a damaging sub-plot, those notifications will pile up and not mean a hill of beans. If you're really needed, those that know you will call or send a text. Complete your goals.
In the end, you'l have made progress and your readers will thank you for it.


Until next time...
Loretta R. Walls
Author of "The Majestic Dynasty" 

Feels like the first time. . .Release day of Forces of Nature

 Ten years ago, I was waiting like a kid at Christmas for the release of my first romance novel, Revelations. Finally, my book was going to be on the shelves of bookstores and people would get to read a story that kept me awake at night, that kept me from hanging out with my friends and family while I wrote it.

Back then, there were a lot of book stores around. Borders on every corner, Books A Million was the new hot spot and Waldenbooks was my favorite place to go in the mall.
 Fast forward 10 years and I have that same feeling today as Forces of Nature hits the shelves today. I still get in the car and drive around my city to look for my book on shelves. Seeing my book beside some of my favorite authors, like Brenda Jackson, Victoria Christopher Murray and Donna Hill sends a wave of excitement through my body. I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

Then I pull out my handy dandy Sharpie --pink of course -- and sign the books. Today, I'm carrying autographed copy stickers in my oversized purse. And yes, I'm sticking them on every book I sign. :)



So, now the real fun begins-- getting to hear what the readers think of my baby. Forces of Nature was a true labor of love. I started writing this book about four years ago. Douglas and Crystal hold a really special place in my heart. Truly fire and ice. Here's hoping that you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed telling it.



And join me and my sisters from HOT MAMA Land on May 18 as we celebrate the release of Forces of Nature.

Comfort Zone

    One thing I’ve noticed in my writing is... I create characters with attributes that reflect me and what I like. (Ooh, did I just admit that?)
   I don’t smoke, so you rarely see a character who does that, this, or anything else I don’t like (for instance, eating biscuits with gravy. YUCK!) I can admit my habit because I understand the reason. It's where I feel most comfortable. I can write what it’s like to wiggle my fat butt into a pair of skinny jeans, or swaying my hips while walking in a pair of stilettos, because it’s what this diva does.
    But what I’ve learned as an author is that sometimes we have to step outside our comfort zone. Now, I don’t recommend that for new authors because I’m always quick to preach, “Write what you know.” However, as a seasoned author, we have to continue to challenge ourselves as writers. Isn’t it all about growing and developing our craft? Well, of course it is.
   One of my challenges in this coming year is to create characters who aren’t anything like me (that’s hard). And especially, to create men other than the ones I find attractive (now that's even harder). LOL. But that’s what makes writing so fun.
     As an author I can escape to a tropical island and be made love to by the finest brotha, but the challenge is to create someone different, then step into that woman’s shoes (I'll try a pair of flats) and feel what it’s like to be her. Step two. I need to have an open mind so that the next time I see a man who isn’t chocolate with a beautiful smile, dark eyes, and a goatee (I’m pausing to pant), I need to identify some other attributes that another woman might find attractive.
     Hmmm, I think that’s going to be the challenge for my next book, or better yet, a novella. Remember, baby steps. I gotta master the technique first.
 LOL, Angie Daniels

Take it back to One

This year has had a lot of ups and downs for me so far. Strange considering it's only April. Yikes! The one thing that comforts me is the writing and my readers. You always pull me through when I start to doubt myself. For that, I can't thank you all enough.

So the bad. One of my publishers just sent out an e-mail to us readers that they're closing in June. :( So the homes of many of my novellas will be going away. The good news? I think I'm going to go with my strengths and rework the stories to make them BDSM (the stories that aren't already BDSM). I like the idea of pushing myself to kink up these stories. Stay tuned for that.

The REALLY good news. I've done a lot of in-person events this year: Linda Rae's Ladies Night Out, Desired Beauty Expo, Hot M.A.M.A.s Fly Hat Luncheon, and Stylelicious where the amazing Derek Hough from "Dancing With the Stars" made an appearance. Sigh. I might have to use him for inspiration for one of my heroes. Rawrrrr!

The bad news. Myself and fellow author and friend Yvette Hines had planned to write a two-author contemporary interracial BDSM erotic romance anthology for the publisher that's now closing. We had big plans for the release. The really great news: the stories are still going to come out, bigger and better than ever. Although I can't talk about what we're planning yet, you all will be very, VERY surprised and, hopefully, very happy! Can't wait to share the news.

I also have a lot of stuff going on personally. It's because of that that I've had to back out of not one but two in-person event. I was going to attend a group book signing event in Richmond with author Tina Glasneck. The one that hurts the most is I had to back out of this year's Romance Slam Jam happening in Milwaukee. I love doing Romance Slam Jam and I had planned on doing a workshop with Yvette Hines on writing with all the senses. The senses I was going to cover were sight and touch. And, yes, I was going to incorporate BDSM into my presentation. I've sent Yvette my notes and having something special mailed to her. If you're going to Romance Slam Jam this year, be sure to check out that workshop.

Other than that, I'm writing my behind off. I'm working on a contemporary, interracial BDSM erotic romance novel called Licorice Whips for Phaze Books that will be out in ebook and print in November. I'm working on another contemporary interracial BDSM erotic romance for another publisher. Be patient. I'm working on stuff for you readers. I promise.

Okay, I have to go. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement soon.

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com