Elise Hepner's Blog, page 24

October 12, 2011

What I've Done in 2011

So far this year I've written:

84,602 words in Short Stories

46,196 words in Novella's

147,464 words in Novel's

278,262 words total--and that's not counting the word count that's still on my broken flash drive with Staples. I have over 30 finished and unfinished works on that drive. I'll do an updated count when I get the flash drive back. Apparently, they're rebuilding it from scratch and fixing the files sources. :( Not bad for 2011, eh? Didn't seem like much when I wrote it.

I still think I could do better next year, but that's because I'm a masochist and, who am I kidding? I love my job! Next year I think will have a lot less short stories and a lot more longer works. I'm going to be concentrating on some pretty streamlined goals in 2012 with a lot more focus on my backlist with various publishers. I have a basic outline I've where I'd like to take it, but there isn't much other than "work on WIP X" because I haven't figured out what WIP I'm going to work on next after the mythos one I'm writing right now.

I'd still really like to continue to write my fairytale novella's but one of them is on the flash drive and other stories are taking priority in my head. I guess it all depends on how much I get done for 2011. It's the beginning of Oct and I don't think I can write another book after my mythos one before the end of the year. So, unless I get my flash drive back soon and in order I won't be making my goal of five books out by 2012. But I can't do everything, got to remind myself of that sometimes, and that's no pithy word count up there.
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Published on October 12, 2011 04:58

October 10, 2011

Keta Diablo's Land of Falling Stars

I'd like to introduce to you a writing colleague of mine, Keta Diablo, who writes deliciously wonderful romantica. She's got a new historical erotic romance release set during the Civil War coming out today titled Land of Falling Stars!



About Land of Falling Stars
After her parents die in a fire, Sophia Whitfield struggles to save her beloved home, Arbor Rose. The Civil War has devastated the South, and another blue coat has come to steal her meager possessions. Before the hated enemy inflicts his destruction, she shoots him. And soon discovers the soldier is Gavin, the champion of her childhood.
Gavin's dark secret lurks in Sophia's future. When she discovers the truth, she's torn between a burning hunger for the man she truly loves and loyalty to Jesse, their childhood friend. The despicable acts of war have changed everything Sophia and Gavin once cherished. Yet somewhere deep in their hearts, the mystical Land of Falling Stars still exists.    Excerpt: * * *Sophia pressed her back against the rough-hewn planks of the stable wall and inched her way down to a bed of hay at her feet. With her heart thudding against her ribs, she closed her eyes and willed the brutal images to leave. Gavin could be dead, his life's blood seeping into the ground. How ironic that would be. Three years he'd been gone, fought in a hundred battles only to be killed after he'd come back . . . back to her. Oh, God, she couldn't think about it, couldn't stand to watch him die. She ran hard and fast the second Billy sliced through the soft, golden skin she longed to run her hands over. Sweet Mother of Jesus, what if he was dead and she would never . . . . "I found you."She lifted her head and looked into Gavin's eyes. A horse neighed several stalls over and the moon spun out from a patch of clouds shrouding his tall, lean frame. His bare chest oozed blood and trickled into his waistband.  Relief flooded her and then panic. "You're bleeding again.""Am I?" He glanced down at the wound and back to her face. "It looks worse than it is."She hesitated when he held his hand out to help her up. She couldn't be held accountable for what might happen should her skin come into contact with his. Beneath his bold perusal, she lifted her trembling hand.  "You're frightened," he said, his brow creasing. "Of me, Sophia?"She shook her head and hoped he didn't see through her lie. After witnessing his rage moments ago, she didn't know what to expect from him. "I would never," he said in a hoarse tone, "harm you." He moved in, forcing her back against the wooden planks. His warm breath fanned her cheeks. "I don't want you to fear me, ever." His chest rose and fell with rough pants and his mouth hovered over hers, mingling their breaths. "Kiss me, Sophia."  She looked into his eyes, transfixed by the depth of passion residing there. He placed his hands on the wall and bracketed her head. Their lips met. In the aftermath of the violence, she expected a harsh, demanding kiss, but it was anything but. Gentle and languorous, it shook her to the very core. His tongue caressed her lower lip seeking entry. She responded without thought, parting her lips with a small moan. The erotic dance against the tip of her tongue sent a stream of wild sensations coursing through her. Her hands sought the warm flesh of his chest, every inch hard, ridged muscle. He flinched when her fingers made contact with the fresh wound. Astounded by the emptiness she felt when he broke from the kiss, she gathered her battered senses and looked into his eyes.His voice rough, he whispered, "Is that how it felt when Jesse kissed you?"Trapped between the wall and his body, she looked away from those wicked eyes. Deliriously weak, shocking images of him crushing her beneath him stormed through her mind. Dear God, what's the matter with me? Promised to Jesse, bound to him heart and soul, she couldn't allow herself to think about Gavin's powerful limbs tangled in her bed sheets, his head thrashing in delirium, or his hot, feverish eyes. Ever since he had returned, her mind swam with carnal thoughts of this man pinning her to the wall. A hand came down and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Hmm, Sophia, is it?""I'm so befuddled." Tears pooled in her eyes. "What about Jesse? I promised I'd wait no matter what happened, but . . . ."  To speak her heart would be the epitome of betrayal to the person they had both loved since the day they sailed the Rappahannock dressed as pirates. He kissed her forehead. "And if he returned tomorrow, you'd fall into his arms; pretend you feel nothing for me, deny this passion between us?" "Gavin, don't . . . ." She averted her face.He tightened his grip on her chin, his tone harsh. "Would you, Sophia?" "Yes," she whispered. "I'd go to him, banish this from my mind." "It would be that easy?""Not easy, Gavin, but―" "You need to leave Arbor Rose!" His raised voice startled her. "There's nothing left for you here! Your parents are dead and Jesse isn't―"Without conscious thought, she slapped him. "Don't you say it! I can't leave Arbor Rose. Jesse will return and―""He's not coming back and you have to face it." He brought a hand to her cheek. "The entire country is about to explode, and if you had any god-given sense, you'd go to your mother's people in Illinois."She narrowed her eyes, her tone icy. "Let me go.. Jesse's coming back and when he does I'm going to keep my promise and marry him. Her voice softened. "We must forget this, whatever it is."She shivered at the volatile emotion in his eyes. The same feral snarl that came over him when he crushed Billy and his companions spewed from his lips. He grabbed her wrists, pinned them over her head, and took her mouth brutally. His tongue plundered her lips and forced them apart. She writhed to free herself from his lean, hard body, but he held her fast, imprisoning her in  their mutual desire. Erotic pleasure surged through her veins. Her fingers moved to his long, black hair and she seemed incapable of stopping the soft moans from the back of her throat.  Clinging to him like a child, she whimpered, "Gavin . . . please.""You want me, admit it," he whispered against her mouth.  He clutched a length of her skirt and shoved it over her hips, allowing his fingers to slide up the hot flesh of her thighs. A sound erupted from her throat again, no longer a moan of pleasure but a sob. He stopped abruptly, stepped back and dropped his hands to his sides. Their eyes locked. His shone with lust and anger. And hers? She wanted to draw back, knew she should flee, but something powerful held her immobilized. Warning bells rang in her head yet she longed to return to his kiss, feel every inch of his body against hers.  He drew a deep breath and said, "Leave, Sophia, now!"On shaky limbs, she inched her way along the wall, turned to look at him one last time and scurried through the door.
* * *Keta's Amazon page: http://amzn.to/p5yC9ETwitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiabloFacebook fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.AuthorKeta's Keep Romance blog: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
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Published on October 10, 2011 09:34

October 6, 2011

Talking about Switching Bodies

I'm over at SmexyBooks Blog today talking about body snatching...or the five authors I would want to live as for one day. Go see my choices and marvel at the weirdness...or the not weirdness. Just go read!
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Published on October 06, 2011 08:51

October 5, 2011

Book Winners

By random drawing I selected the winners of the book prizes, yay! I'll getting in touch with the winners soon to collect addresses for special delivery.
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Published on October 05, 2011 16:15

October 2, 2011

Giveaway: End of AAD Madness Book Bananza

I'm back from vacation and it's time for a little giveaway madness, me thinks. This was supposed to go up after AAD 2011 but I got slammed with a bunch of things and obviously, it didn't happen that way. Oh well, stuff happens. So, here's your opportunity to win a book. I'm giving away three books to three winners picked by random drawing.

You can win Larissa Ione's Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance Series Book 1):
They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.

Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't-or won't-understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.

Erin Kellison's Shadow Bound:
Adam Thorne founded the Segue Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run. There is something hauntingly different about Talia O'Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow. Twilight is the place between life and what comes after- a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery. And Talia is about to open the door.
And, last but not least, Carolyn Jewel My Dangerous Pleasure (My Immortal Series 4) :
TEMPT THE DARKNESS
Strong-willed and independent, Paisley Nichols is used to taking care of herself. But when an insane mage begins tracking her every move and threatening her at every turn, she has no choice but to put her life in the hands of a demon.

RISK THE PASSION
Burned by betrayal, demon assassin Iskander won't get too close to anyone. He spends his days serving his warlord and his nights indulging in carnal pleasures . . . and that's exactly how he likes it. But when a mage wages a wrenching psychic assault on his beautiful tenant Paisley, Iskander must defend her. Under his protection, she will be drawn irresistibly into his life and learn about her own mysterious powers. And not a moment too soon. The mage haunting her isn't acting alone-and he won't rest until he destroys both Paisley and Iskander.

Now the important part because I'm guessing you want to know how to get one of these awesome books delivered to your doorstep for free. In the comments section below tell me if someone held a gun to your head and forced you into a tattoo shop and made you get the name of an author inked on your body--who would that author be? Also provide your email address so I can further contact you on where I'm mailing this goodness.Thanks!
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Published on October 02, 2011 00:18

October 1, 2011

When in doubt, watch a movie

My theory when I just don't want to write or I really need to get inspired to "get in the mood" is to break out an old movie favorite. I did that today because my brain needed to work over a scene in a night club and how exactly I was going to go about it. So, in went Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly. I generally like feel good girly movies for my inspiration. Such as: Julie and Julia, The Devil Wears Prada, Enchanted, Gilmore Girls Seasons 4-7, Fool's Gold, and The Proposal.

That's my master list of cinema that keeps me sane. Or as close as I can get to it. A lot of those movies certainly aren't unique but I love them anyway. And I just came to the conclusion that I don't have a copy of Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon...Man, I got to get on that because that movie also makes my master list. Watch it whenever I catch it on TV.

That's it for now folks, stay tuned!
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Published on October 01, 2011 15:27

Rapunzel is Nook-ified

 Last night was a really good night with my girlfriend, although the movie we saw wasn't really worth the money at all. But the new winter coat I got at half price totally made my night--and the Olive Garden afterward--yeah, good night. There was pumpkin cheesecake had by all. Amazing! I'm working on editing a lesbian story today. And...drum-roll please...

My new release with Ellora's Cave is now available for Nook! Roped Emotions for the win! Yay! Now watching a Gilmore Girls marathon and drinking copious amounts of tea. Also, still trying to figure out my new hero, he's a puzzle and I'm writing in his perspective. Makes things a little difficult.

I'll hopefully only be waiting another week for the infamous flash drive recovery and I've got both fingers crossed that they could even retrieve anything from it. Because of this debacle I am now super obsessive about backing up my books EVERYWHERE. External hard drive, usb, actual hard drive, laptop hard drive, Homegroup...I have saving paranoia. Now the company apparently has to rebuild the control chip...yeah...that doesn't sound good.
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Published on October 01, 2011 06:51

September 28, 2011

Roped Emotions is Avaliable on Kindle and ARe

Good news, yay! My fairytale erotica novella Roped Emotions is available for Kindle on Amazon now as well as ARe (All Romance E-books). If you happen to pick up a copy at either source I would love a review!
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Published on September 28, 2011 03:34

September 27, 2011

What Vacation Did For My Brain

No sooner did I get back from vacation than my brain started working on overdrive. That lead to 1.5k on a new, very promising work in progress on a mythic scale. My hero hasn't come on the scene yet, but so far my heroine is wickedly snarky and so much fun to write. It's another first person, which, I know dear readers, you don't always love it--but humor me! This book is promising to be twisty, twindy, and full of plot that will make my brain die.

And the weird news? It's Romantica. Erotic Romance. Go figure. Though normally I'm very erotic centric in my writing lately I've been reading a lot more romance which must be spilling into my writing. Right now I'm reading Warrior by Zoe Archer right now and I picked up the whole series. It's a lot of fun and very unique. I feel like I'm reading an action movie every time I pick it up.

With more personal news, my flashdrive is still being looked at and apparently it's being rebuilt--something about the control chip? I have massive worry. But I have to cling to my hope that in two weeks I will get it back and it will have everything back. Because otherwise I'll cry about it. Again. Nothing beats having my plans dashed for the past two months and when you're an epic planner.
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Published on September 27, 2011 14:59

September 22, 2011

Ancient Romance and other Goodness

On vacation I happened to pick up ten or so used romances at a used bookstore and man did it make my whole week. I got a bunch of 80's bodice rippers that I have been in the mood to read for eons! Plus, they are loved books, read over and over, and that always gives me a little fuzzy, fluttery feeling inside my belly. Some of the highlights include a romance about the Australian outback and the wilderness of Colorado...Ooooo. I'm excited.

Other exciting news, while still on vacation (a trying to be tech-free vacation), is that Roped Emotions is now avaliable at ARe and Amazon Kindle as well as Ellora's Cave. Yay!!! My little fairytale BDSM novella is taking the world by storm! I'll be on top of things and let you know when it hits Nook as well.

I'm sure I'll have more vacation madness on Sunday when I return full blast to erotica land. I'll keep everyone posted until then. By the way, like the new layout of the blog? I like it :)
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Published on September 22, 2011 18:16