Eden Winters's Blog, page 49
February 16, 2013
First Review of Duet, 2nd Edition!
It never fails. Whenever a new novel publishes, I'm very anxious about how it will be received. Then the reviews come in.
I'm happy to say that the first review for Duet, 2nd Edition has been posted, by none other than reviewer extraordinaire, Amos Lassen. Here's a bit of what Mr. Lassen has to say about Duet:
Read his entire review at his site:
Find Duet at Dreamspinner Press, now available for preorder. The story publishes on Monday, February 18.
I'm happy to say that the first review for Duet, 2nd Edition has been posted, by none other than reviewer extraordinaire, Amos Lassen. Here's a bit of what Mr. Lassen has to say about Duet:
"It is with skill that Winters has created the characters of Aillil and Malcolm and she presents two wonderfully drawn characters in them. Here is a story that shows that fate is just that, fate and it cannot be fought against."
And
"Here is a wonderful love story that spans time and place and that contains history and contemporary living."
Read his entire review at his site:
Find Duet at Dreamspinner Press, now available for preorder. The story publishes on Monday, February 18.
February 14, 2013
And the first post is....
Hey y'all! I'm guest blogging at the fabulous Elisa Rolle's, talking about where the ideas came from for Diversion and Collusion.
Come on over!
Also, don't forget to enter for a chance to win an ebook copy of Collusion, or a signed print copy of Diversion and Collusion here:
Come on over!
Also, don't forget to enter for a chance to win an ebook copy of Collusion, or a signed print copy of Diversion and Collusion here:
Collusion Release Party
In honor of the upcoming release of Collusion, I'm doing a blog tour. If you've found this post through a participating site, welcome! (Actually, however you found this post, welcome!)
This is a central location for readers at the various sites to enter to win copies of the book. Just leave your name and email contact information. On February 24 I'll pick two winners to receive an ebook copy of Collusion, and an additional winner will receive signed copies of both Diversion and Collusion, once the print book becomes available.
As each post goes online, I'll provide links to the articles. Good luck!
This contest is open only for those over eighteen who can legally possess such material in their area.
This is a central location for readers at the various sites to enter to win copies of the book. Just leave your name and email contact information. On February 24 I'll pick two winners to receive an ebook copy of Collusion, and an additional winner will receive signed copies of both Diversion and Collusion, once the print book becomes available.
As each post goes online, I'll provide links to the articles. Good luck!
This contest is open only for those over eighteen who can legally possess such material in their area.
February 12, 2013
Giveaway for Collusion
Coming February 24th from Amber Allure--Collusion, sequel to Diversion. Bo and Lucky are back.
Head on over to Stumbling Over Chaos and enter to win an ebook copy.
Dead men can’t love.
Former drug trafficker Richmond “Lucky” Lucklighter “died” in the line of duty while working off a ten-year sentence in service to the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, only to be reborn as Simon “Lucky” Harrison. The newbie he trained, former Marine Bo Schollenberger, is now his partner on (and maybe off) the job. It’s hard to tell when Lucky doesn’t understand relationships or have a clue what any sane human is doing in his bed. Bo’s nice to have around, sure, but there’s none of that picking-out-china-together crap for Lucky.
While fighting PTSD, memories of a horrid childhood, and a prescription drug addiction, Bo is paying for his mistakes. Using his pharmacy license for the good guys provides the sort of education he never got in school. Undercover with his hard-headed partner, Bo learns that not everything is as it seems in the world of pharmaceuticals.
When a prescription drug shortage jeopardizes the patients at Rosario Children’s Cancer Center, it not only pits Bo and Lucky against predatory opportunists, but also each other. How can they tell who the villains are? The bad guys don’t wear black hats, but they might wear white coats.
Just click on the black kitty to head to Stumbling Over Chaos, home of adorable kitties Chaos and Mayhem, and their human mom, Chris.
Head on over to Stumbling Over Chaos and enter to win an ebook copy.
Dead men can’t love.
Former drug trafficker Richmond “Lucky” Lucklighter “died” in the line of duty while working off a ten-year sentence in service to the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, only to be reborn as Simon “Lucky” Harrison. The newbie he trained, former Marine Bo Schollenberger, is now his partner on (and maybe off) the job. It’s hard to tell when Lucky doesn’t understand relationships or have a clue what any sane human is doing in his bed. Bo’s nice to have around, sure, but there’s none of that picking-out-china-together crap for Lucky.
While fighting PTSD, memories of a horrid childhood, and a prescription drug addiction, Bo is paying for his mistakes. Using his pharmacy license for the good guys provides the sort of education he never got in school. Undercover with his hard-headed partner, Bo learns that not everything is as it seems in the world of pharmaceuticals.
When a prescription drug shortage jeopardizes the patients at Rosario Children’s Cancer Center, it not only pits Bo and Lucky against predatory opportunists, but also each other. How can they tell who the villains are? The bad guys don’t wear black hats, but they might wear white coats.
Just click on the black kitty to head to Stumbling Over Chaos, home of adorable kitties Chaos and Mayhem, and their human mom, Chris.
February 9, 2013
What's old has been made new again...
Several of my short titles have recently been unavailable, as their publisher contracts expired. I'm taking what I've learned in the past few years to improve on the original stories. I've got several reprints that will soon be back on the market:
Summer Boys
When I first wrote this short story, it was for Torquere Press's It's Gets Better fund raiser, and featured a story of "getting better." The word limit was 8,000, and I had to do a lot of trimming to meet that goal. Now that the story is mine again, it's over 12,000 and shows a lot more interaction between protagonists Ferris and Miko. I'll post links to the new, improved Summer Boys once it's published. And check out the lovely new cover by Zathyn Priest of Scarlet Tie Designs.
Ferris Stuart has two missions to accomplish while on vacation on Oahu: research for a new Hawaiian Islands themed hotel and have a little fun, something he hasn't had much of since his partner died two years ago. So far he's managed to halfheartedly accomplish the first task; however, he's failing miserably at the second. That is, until a charming islander shows him both the locale and how to start living again.
***
Another story that has returned to me, contact-wise, is The Match Before Christmas, featuring a man's misadventures with Internet dating, and his desire to find someone special before the Christmas Holidays. The stunning cover was created by my dear friend, Jared Rackler, of Jared Rackler Designs. Isn't it lovely?
Candlelight, mistletoe, gaily wrapped packages beneath a trimmed tree, and someone to share it with. That's all Barry Richards wants for Christmas. Desperate for a traditional holiday, he takes drastic measures. Creating a profile on "GetaDate.com," he hopes to find the perfect man in a matter of weeks. One date after another goes sour, while all around him friends are falling in love, and Barry starts to lose faith.The first snow falls and the world is filled with seasonal cheer, all except for Barry, for whom time is running out. Facing the prospect of a lonely holiday, he tries just once more to make The Match Before Christmas.
***
Look for both stories to make a reappearance in late February or early March.
Summer Boys
When I first wrote this short story, it was for Torquere Press's It's Gets Better fund raiser, and featured a story of "getting better." The word limit was 8,000, and I had to do a lot of trimming to meet that goal. Now that the story is mine again, it's over 12,000 and shows a lot more interaction between protagonists Ferris and Miko. I'll post links to the new, improved Summer Boys once it's published. And check out the lovely new cover by Zathyn Priest of Scarlet Tie Designs.
Ferris Stuart has two missions to accomplish while on vacation on Oahu: research for a new Hawaiian Islands themed hotel and have a little fun, something he hasn't had much of since his partner died two years ago. So far he's managed to halfheartedly accomplish the first task; however, he's failing miserably at the second. That is, until a charming islander shows him both the locale and how to start living again.
***
Another story that has returned to me, contact-wise, is The Match Before Christmas, featuring a man's misadventures with Internet dating, and his desire to find someone special before the Christmas Holidays. The stunning cover was created by my dear friend, Jared Rackler, of Jared Rackler Designs. Isn't it lovely?
Candlelight, mistletoe, gaily wrapped packages beneath a trimmed tree, and someone to share it with. That's all Barry Richards wants for Christmas. Desperate for a traditional holiday, he takes drastic measures. Creating a profile on "GetaDate.com," he hopes to find the perfect man in a matter of weeks. One date after another goes sour, while all around him friends are falling in love, and Barry starts to lose faith.The first snow falls and the world is filled with seasonal cheer, all except for Barry, for whom time is running out. Facing the prospect of a lonely holiday, he tries just once more to make The Match Before Christmas.
***
Look for both stories to make a reappearance in late February or early March.
February 8, 2013
We Have a Blurb!
I've not received the cover art yet, but Amber Allure has sent me the official blurb for Collusion.
Sequel to the Amber Allure best-seller Diversion…
Dead men can’t love.
Former drug trafficker Richmond “Lucky” Lucklighter “died” in the line of duty while working off a ten-year sentence in service to the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, only to be reborn as Simon “Lucky” Harrison. The newbie he trained, former Marine Bo Schollenberger, is now his partner on (and maybe off) the job. It’s hard to tell when Lucky doesn’t understand relationships or have a clue what any sane human is doing in his bed. Bo’s nice to have around, sure, but there’s none of that picking-out-china-together crap for Lucky.
While fighting PTSD, memories of a horrid childhood, and a prescription drug addiction, Bo is paying for his mistakes. Using his pharmacy license for the good guys provides the sort of education he never got in school. Undercover with his hard-headed partner, Bo learns that not everything is as it seems in the world of pharmaceuticals.
When a prescription drug shortage jeopardizes the patients at Rosario Children’s Cancer Center, it not only pits Bo and Lucky against predatory opportunists, but also each other. How can they tell who the villains are? The bad guys don’t wear black hats, but they might wear white coats.
Look for Collusion to publish the weekend of February 23 from Amber Allure.
Sequel to the Amber Allure best-seller Diversion…
Dead men can’t love.
Former drug trafficker Richmond “Lucky” Lucklighter “died” in the line of duty while working off a ten-year sentence in service to the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, only to be reborn as Simon “Lucky” Harrison. The newbie he trained, former Marine Bo Schollenberger, is now his partner on (and maybe off) the job. It’s hard to tell when Lucky doesn’t understand relationships or have a clue what any sane human is doing in his bed. Bo’s nice to have around, sure, but there’s none of that picking-out-china-together crap for Lucky.
While fighting PTSD, memories of a horrid childhood, and a prescription drug addiction, Bo is paying for his mistakes. Using his pharmacy license for the good guys provides the sort of education he never got in school. Undercover with his hard-headed partner, Bo learns that not everything is as it seems in the world of pharmaceuticals.
When a prescription drug shortage jeopardizes the patients at Rosario Children’s Cancer Center, it not only pits Bo and Lucky against predatory opportunists, but also each other. How can they tell who the villains are? The bad guys don’t wear black hats, but they might wear white coats.
Look for Collusion to publish the weekend of February 23 from Amber Allure.
February 7, 2013
Enter to Win a Copy of Duet
In less than two weeks Dreamspinner Press will release the second edition of Duet, an enhanced version of the original story. In honor of the occasion, the wonderful Chris from Stumbling Over Chaos is hosting a giveaway for an ebook copy. All you have to do is go to her site and leave a comment on the post saying you'd like to enter
And while you're there, be sure to pay homage to Choas and Mayhem, two adorably photogenic kitties. Also, check out the Linkity, and my favorite, "Misadventures in Stock Photography."
Just click on the black cat to be magically swept away to the land of Chaos, Mayhem, and ebook givewaways.
And while you're there, be sure to pay homage to Choas and Mayhem, two adorably photogenic kitties. Also, check out the Linkity, and my favorite, "Misadventures in Stock Photography."
Just click on the black cat to be magically swept away to the land of Chaos, Mayhem, and ebook givewaways.
February 2, 2013
Eden Winters and the Great Car Caper
There once was a m/m writer named Eden, who worked hard at her evil day job and saved her pennies in order to fulfill her dreams of purchasing a new car.
It seems she'd promised her granddaughter, "When you're able to drive, I'll give you my car, and I'll get another." You see, Eden loved her nine year old Hyundai Sonata so well, that the only way she could part with it was to give it to someone who'd continue the love.
Then came the matter of choosing a new car. What to get? What to get? Having loved her Sonata so very much, Eden didn't even seriously consider any other car. Her goal was to have a shiny new vehicle in her driveway by May, enabling her to hand over the keys to the old car on her grandchild's birthday.
One day Eden was having lunch before going to the grocery store, for she never liked to go to the store hungry, when the idea occurred to her, "If I'm considering a new car, I should go look at one on the lot."
Long story short, an hour later Eden signed papers on her brand new 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The only problem at the moment was the car was very sophisticated, and our heroine, alas, was not. Furthermore, the voice activated navigation system believed Eden had an accent, a fact Eden firmly denies. When asking the car to dial "Sarah" the car dialed "Eileen" instead. But I digress.
So, Eden drove away in the very first car she'd ever picked out for herself, extremely pleased. She shopped for groceries, as originally planned, then, because the car didn't understand her, she used her phone navigation to find the nearest route back home.
Wow! The car handled great at high speeds out on the interstate! And got great gas mileage. She grinned as the odometer rolled from seven miles to eight, to nine. She stopped by the mailbox on the way to her house, and as she was backing up, heard an ominous clunk!
Oh noes! Eden leapt from her car, terrified she'd somehow wrecked her new car. The fender hung off the vehicle. She searched everywhere, but couldn't find a thing she might have hit. She called the salesman, who insisted he'd never heard of such, and he told her to call roadside assistance. Cold, alone in the dark only 1/8 mile from home, Eden waited, doing what any red-blooded American would do in such circumstance --she bitched and moaned via Facebook, comforting herself with the well wishes of friends. She'd just driven 65 mph on the Interstate, and at 2 mph the car falls apart?
A tow-truck arrived, driven by a patented SC good-ole-boy, who simply snapped the fender back on, saying, "Somebody at the factory just didn't install it right."
Very grateful, Eden thanked the man and went home.
The next day she stared out the window frequently at her new car, too afraid to drive it.
Monday came and she left home early in the morning for work. Flap, flap, flap. What the hell? Flap, flap, flap, scraaaaaappppppe. In the cold and dark, Eden pulled over to the side of a lonely country road to discover that the fender well around the tire was broken, flapping, and dragging. She continued on to work driving 30 mph, with emergency flashers on. As soon as the dealership opened she called, only to be told once again, "We've never heard of that. Are you sure you didn't hit something?" They also instructed her to call roadside assistance again.
She rode with the tow truck driver to the dealership, declined a loaner car, and reclaimed her nine year old vehicle, which sat in the parking lot pending a willing friend to drive it home.
The last Eden heard, the maintenance manager ordered a new fender. She wasn't pleased, for she'd bought a new car, not a repaired one. Many phone calls followed, until the dealership agreed to give Eden a brand new car.
Eden was scared of design flaws and worried the new car would shed parts too. As it turned out, after examining the car from underneath, the maintenance department determined that the car had been damaged in transit on a car hauler and that the driver had clipped the bumper back in place and failed to report the damage to the car's undercarriage.
Wow! What a relief to know the car probably won't fall apart. It's been twenty-four hours since Eden got her new car, and the fenders are still on. She counts that as a win.
January 28, 2013
Wonderful News!
If you follow my blog you've probably heard me speak of dear friend and talented cover artist, Jared Rackler, who created the covers for The Telling, Night Watch, Tinself and Frost, What You Can't Live Without, Boy Under the Bridge, Flame, and In Dreams. Since creating those lovely works, he's signed a contract with a publisher as an artist. Whoo-hoo! Go, Jared! And as if that wasn't news enough, he's had a short story accepted for publication with Torquere Press, The Celestine Room. I'll post more when he has a publish date.
Congratulations, Jared Rackler!
Congratulations, Jared Rackler!
January 24, 2013
Weekend With D.H. Starr and Ally Blue
This past weekend I had the distinct priviledge of hanging out with D.H. Starr and Ally Blue in Asheville, N.C. We wined, dined, relaxed at a spa, enjoyed incredible sweets and coffee at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, and talked a lot of shop.
Ally and I arrived a few hours before Doug, had dinner, and went to a wine shop to stock up for the weekend. Back at the hotel, we discovered neither of us had brought a corkscrew, so we wound up with a cheap plastic one from the front desk. Then... well... Ally and I did our darnedest, but couldn't get the cork to budge.
Authors are nothing if not creative, and I remembered having seen a gym on our floor. I figured, if we needed someone strong, we'd find them there. So away Ally and I went, traipsing down to the gym and nearly scaring a poor young man out of his wits when he turned around to find two grinning women holding a bottle of wine. It made us both feel better than he had some difficulty removing the cork, too. But... we got our wine! And we also recorded our first "dirty slip of the tongue" for the weekend. The first of many. Ally, Doug, and I decided that we all had to work that line into our current WIPs. The line? "Would you uncork my bottle?" The line must be full of innuendo, and fluttering lashes are a plus. Hee. Can you imagine Lucky from Diversion using that line on Bo? Of course, Lucky would be more like, "Shut up and uncork my fucking bottle already!"
Several more noteable lines followed. Remember, all these were said in perfect innocence:
"Your little thing doesn't squirt very well" (room deodorizer)
"And it shoots up in there?" (no idea)
"I like it to be done fast" and "They make 'em loose here" I will tell you that the second quote is in regard to scrambled eggs.
"This is too hard" (butter) and "I like a dollop of butter in every single crevice" (waffles)
"Were they originally detachable?" (I forgot the context)
"Yeah, that's what I was looking at too!"
"I can't be over him because I was never under him."
"Everything gets harder" (getting older)
"I don't have the patience to not use my teeth" (opening pill packets)
"Y'all don't mind if I take off my pants, do you?" (taking off pants)
"I don't know what I did that got me up there."
"Ok, I've got. It's in."
"It just comes out all over the place!"
"Did you put it in?"
"Was he as good as last time?" (massage therapist)
"That one protrudes more" (wine cork)
"The expensive ones are bigger" (wine cork)
"We're not giving nothing away for free!" (on leaving things behind in the hotel room.)
"The guy who does me in New York" (referring to massage therapist)
"I don't like huge stacks of meat" (Carnegie Deli sandwiches)
"It got stuck and I broke it" (a piece of chewing gum stuck in the pack)
My goal is to write a PWP, incorporating all those sayings from this weekend. Wish me luck!
We had an incredible time, and decided to make our Martin Luther King, Jr. weekends an annual event.
Here's a link to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, where they make their own chocolate. I had a mint brownie, and molasses ice cream. Yummy! If you're even in Asheville, I highly recommend stopping by.
Next up, Shoji Spa! Ahhh... what a way to relax! One hour in a hot tub, and a fifty minute massage!
Thank you, Doug and Ally, for an awesome weekend. My muse has now returned and I'm ready to work on Corruption, the sequel to Diversion and Collusion.
While I was there I got sneak peeks at Doug and Ally's upcoming releases. Watch closely, you're in for a real treat! I hope to post more about their novels a bit closer to release day.
Ally and I arrived a few hours before Doug, had dinner, and went to a wine shop to stock up for the weekend. Back at the hotel, we discovered neither of us had brought a corkscrew, so we wound up with a cheap plastic one from the front desk. Then... well... Ally and I did our darnedest, but couldn't get the cork to budge.
Authors are nothing if not creative, and I remembered having seen a gym on our floor. I figured, if we needed someone strong, we'd find them there. So away Ally and I went, traipsing down to the gym and nearly scaring a poor young man out of his wits when he turned around to find two grinning women holding a bottle of wine. It made us both feel better than he had some difficulty removing the cork, too. But... we got our wine! And we also recorded our first "dirty slip of the tongue" for the weekend. The first of many. Ally, Doug, and I decided that we all had to work that line into our current WIPs. The line? "Would you uncork my bottle?" The line must be full of innuendo, and fluttering lashes are a plus. Hee. Can you imagine Lucky from Diversion using that line on Bo? Of course, Lucky would be more like, "Shut up and uncork my fucking bottle already!"
Several more noteable lines followed. Remember, all these were said in perfect innocence:
"Your little thing doesn't squirt very well" (room deodorizer)
"And it shoots up in there?" (no idea)
"I like it to be done fast" and "They make 'em loose here" I will tell you that the second quote is in regard to scrambled eggs.
"This is too hard" (butter) and "I like a dollop of butter in every single crevice" (waffles)
"Were they originally detachable?" (I forgot the context)
"Yeah, that's what I was looking at too!"
"I can't be over him because I was never under him."
"Everything gets harder" (getting older)
"I don't have the patience to not use my teeth" (opening pill packets)
"Y'all don't mind if I take off my pants, do you?" (taking off pants)
"I don't know what I did that got me up there."
"Ok, I've got. It's in."
"It just comes out all over the place!"
"Did you put it in?"
"Was he as good as last time?" (massage therapist)
"That one protrudes more" (wine cork)
"The expensive ones are bigger" (wine cork)
"We're not giving nothing away for free!" (on leaving things behind in the hotel room.)
"The guy who does me in New York" (referring to massage therapist)
"I don't like huge stacks of meat" (Carnegie Deli sandwiches)
"It got stuck and I broke it" (a piece of chewing gum stuck in the pack)
My goal is to write a PWP, incorporating all those sayings from this weekend. Wish me luck!
We had an incredible time, and decided to make our Martin Luther King, Jr. weekends an annual event.
Here's a link to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, where they make their own chocolate. I had a mint brownie, and molasses ice cream. Yummy! If you're even in Asheville, I highly recommend stopping by.
Next up, Shoji Spa! Ahhh... what a way to relax! One hour in a hot tub, and a fifty minute massage!
Thank you, Doug and Ally, for an awesome weekend. My muse has now returned and I'm ready to work on Corruption, the sequel to Diversion and Collusion.
While I was there I got sneak peeks at Doug and Ally's upcoming releases. Watch closely, you're in for a real treat! I hope to post more about their novels a bit closer to release day.
