Laura Roberts's Blog, page 65

Texting All Hearts: An excerpt + #giveaway

What do rodeos, otherworldly encounters, exotic dancers, bondage, hot sex, refound love, and time travel have in common? Besides romantic, edge of your seat fun and intrigue, they all evolve from a single text. The Texting All Hearts box set contains seven multi-genre novellas that promise to heat your nights and warm your hearts.

Her Cowboy Dom

Bliss

Tate Hardy’s best friend leaves him all his cattle if he spends thirty days on a ranch with a woman he wants but can’t have. Jess is a nice girl, and Tate doesn’t do nice. Jessica Campbell needs her brother’s cattle as collateral for a loan. To get rid of the sexy bull rider, she suggests he teach her about D/s. When he agrees, Jess gets more than she bargained for from her cowboy Dom.

Midnight Road

Lorelei Buckley

Drew Mathews cherishes her deceased husband’s lingering spirit. When his best friend, Dominic, reveals her late spouse’s dark secrets, Drew’s crushed. She turns to Dominic and neighbors for support and stumbles into a passionate love affair and a slew of bizarre commonalities restricted to the residents of Midnight Road. As mysteries unfold, inalterable conditions threaten her romantic relationship, her life, and possibly, the world.

A Lethal Affair

Debra Jupe

With a rumored serial killer targeting exotic dancers, Daisy Piper is more than a little worried when her co-worker goes missing. Her concern escalates when a guy she’s never met shows up claiming her friend stole his laptop. A mild-mannered computer whiz on the surface, Miles Garton is a total contrast from the streetwise Daisy. But he’s on a mission of his own, making the jaded stripper suspicious. Fighting each other, a mutual attraction, and the truth, they team up to find the missing woman.

Sexting Texas

Darah Lace

Texas Tallulah Taylor never thought she’d be turned on by a dirty text from a stranger, one that leads to a delicious sexting session with her best friend. Will Sanderson never thought the love of his life would see him as anything but a friend. Maybe sexting Texas will show her this cowboy aims to give her the ride of her life… for the rest of her life.

The Dom Delivers

Nese Lane

He’s a Dominant, and she’s as vanilla as they come…

Designer Jenna Jaynes enjoys the safe bubble of her creative world, until her delivery guy bursts through and steals her heart. CFO Aden Kelley’s regimented world is thrown into chaos when a spitfire dressmaker captures his soul. Will the Dom convince vanilla to swirl?

Wounded Hearts

Linda LaRoque

Sarah Lawson’s fiancé Logan Miller died in Afghanistan. She receives a text from Brandon Perdue, one of his war buddies, who wants to meet and deliver a message from Logan. Physically and emotionally scarred, Brandon values Sarah’s friendship. Sarah wants their relationship to deepen, but he fears she’s projecting her feelings for Logan on to him.

Pale With Color

Susan JP Owens

Cheyenne Clark doubts Captain Joseph Westerly’s beliefs about reincarnation, but a twenty-first century gal stuck in1862, during the Battle of Gettysburg, creates a new perception about philosophies and physics. After Joseph’s death, Cheyenne returns to her time period and anticipates his rebirth. Will Joseph find her?

An excerpt from Texting All Hearts

The Dom Delivers

Ayden threw his head back and laughed. “God, I love how honest you are about what you think and feel.”

The deep melodious sound of his amusement tightened things in Jenna’s core. She squeezed her thighs together and struggled not to squirm.

Kassie cleared her throat. “What can I get you two this morning?”

Ayden’s attention never left Jenna’s face and she chalked another brownie point in his favor. He raised an eyebrow in question. “I will leave the decision in the pretty lady’s hands.”

Jenna’s stomach growled. Her nerves had evaporated with Ayden’s appearance and her mouth watered at the thought of hot pancakes smothered in maple syrup with bacon. She giggled and placed two orders for exactly that, except she added a side of hash browns for Ayden.

When Kassie left to get their two glasses of orange juice, Jenna took in the smirk hovering around Ayden’s lips. “Okay, spill. What did I do now, to amuse you?”

His eyes flared with blistering heat for a second, and Jenna’s body trembled like he had a direct link to her erogenous zones. She pictured him tying her to the brass headboard of her bed, and watching her writhe under his talented hands with the same smirk gracing his handsome features. Where the heck had that thought come from?

Ayden’s intense gaze settled into a simmer, and he sighed. “Little one, I’m not sure amuse is the correct term. Intrigue, inspire, captivate, enchant… arouse. All of those things apply, but if I’m amused, it is with myself and how I feel like a hormone laden teenager hanging on your every word.”

Jenna’s face burned at the bald statement delivered in the sexy rasp of his deep voice. Her head spun, and she picked up a menu to fan away the flames. “Holy crap, Ayden. Are you for real? You don’t know me. How can you be so…”

He chuckled. “Sure? Let me let you in on a secret, little one. We have been getting to know each other over the past nine months. Now, I’ll tell you what I’ve managed to figure out. Would you like that?”

Buy Links

Amazon

About the Authors

Linda LaRoque is a Texas girl, but the first time she got on a horse, it tossed her in the road dislocating her right shoulder. Forty years passed before she got on another, but it was older, slower, and she was wiser. Plus, her students looked on and it was important to save face. A retired teacher who loves West Texas, its flora and fauna, and its people, Linda’s stories paint pictures of life, love, and learning set against the raw landscape of ranches and rural communities in Texas and the Midwest. She is a member of RWA, her local chapter of HOTRWA, NTRWA and Texas Mountain Trail Writers. Linda writes contemporary western romances, time travel romances and futuristic romances.

Visit Linda on Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, Blogspot, and her website, lindalaroque.com.

Learn more about the rest of the authors here:

Bliss: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Website / Blog

Lorelei Buckley: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Website

Debra Jupe: Facebook / Twitter/ Pinterest / Goodreads / Website

Darah Lace: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Blog

Nese Lane: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads / Instagram / Website

Susan JP Owens: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads / Website

Giveaway

The authors are giving away a $25 Amazon/B&N gift card via Rafflecopter. Don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! All tour dates can be found here.

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Year of Living Blonde: An excerpt + #giveaway

A funny and sizzling romp about discovering your inner pin-up girl…

Plain-Jane bakery owner Natalie Anderson has always followed the recipe for a safe life. When her husband dumps her for a seductive older woman, it’s time to throw out that recipe and start from scratch. She cooks up a plan to transform herself from mousy brown to sexy blonde. Meanwhile, she’s trying to expand her Seattle bakery, La Dolce Vita, but runs into an obstacle in the form of her irritatingly handsome landlord.

Astronomer Anthony Novello’s good looks and charm usually guarantees him a free pass with women, though that’s not the case with his new tenant, Natalie. Plain, plump, and persnickety—he’s never met a woman more annoying. But when Anthony returns from a telescope observing run, he makes a discovery of the non-celestial kind. Natalie has changed. He’s amazed to find himself attracted to her. Sparks fly as he tries to convince her there’s more to him than meets the eye.

However, when Natalie’s ex-husband decides to win her back, she’s forced to choose. Is her year of living blonde over? Or is this the start of a new and much sweeter life.…

An excerpt from Year of Living Blonde

Natalie glances at the clock. It’s almost ten. Kind of late for visitors. Pausing the television, she goes over and peeks cautiously through the front window.

A bolt of lightning streaks through her.

Anthony is standing on her front porch. He’s wearing his motorcycle jacket and holding his black helmet at his side. The big bad wolf at her door.

What’s he doing here?

She glances at herself in the hall mirror. No makeup and her hair a mess. Great.

He rings the bell again and she marches over, ready to take the offensive. Ready to tell him to go away. But when Natalie yanks open the door and sees the expression on his face, she hesitates.

“What’s wrong?” she asks finally.

He takes his time with his reply. “I needed to see you tonight.”

“Did something happen?”

“It’s a long story.” He smiles, but there isn’t much humor in it.

She’s never seen Anthony like this before. He never looks anything less than perfect, but there’s strain on his face and around his eyes, and she suspects this is the real man.

He takes a step toward her, lowering his voice. “Let me in, Natalie.”

Standing broad-shouldered and solemn in her doorway, he’s an imposing figure, but she isn’t afraid. Despite the fiasco with the bakery, she realizes she still trusts him.

Without a word, she steps out of the way to let him come inside.

The door closes and she walks back into the living room. There’s a sound and she sees that Anthony has dropped his motorcycle helmet on a chair.

“This is a bad idea,” Natalie tells him. “I don’t know why you came here. I shouldn’t even be talking to you.”

“I think you know exactly why I’m here.” His voice is low as it vibrates through the room.

There’s an erotic thrill at his words. “How can I be with you after what happened?”

“Because this isn’t about any of that.” For a moment, his eyes darken with regret, but then turn heated. “Whatever happens next is between you and me.”

Natalie shakes her head, but Anthony moves closer until he’s in right in front of her. She feels his hand on her cheek as the other cradles her head, gently holding her still. “Don’t,” he says, his tone imploring. “Don’t say no. Tell me to stay.”

Buy Links

Amazon

About the Author

Andrea Simonne grew up as an army brat and discovered she had a talent for creating personas at each new school. The most memorable was a surfer chick named “Ace” who never touched a surf board in her life, but had an impressive collection of puka shell necklaces. Eventually she turned her imagination towards writing. Andrea still enjoys creating personas, though these days they occupy her books. She currently makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.

You can find Andrea on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and her website, andreasimonne.com.

Giveaway

Andrea will be giving away a $20 Amazon/B&N gift card via the Rafflecopter form below. Don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! All tour dates can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Zen Lounge: An interview with A.C. Melody

Welcome to the Zen Lounge, twenty-one floors of customizable carnal pleasures to fulfill your wildest fantasies. Even in the year 2192, it shouldn’t exist but Voryk Kade simply couldn’t ignore the urge to take a closer look. What he finds is a woman bent on ruining everything he’d ever believed to be true. She holds the key to all of Voryk’s darkest, neediest desires and despite her silence, provides the proof behind his belief that there is something far seedier going on under the high-end gloss of professional eroticism.

Enlisting the help of his closest friends, Voryk’s only goal is to keep Nexlana safe, naked and his. Unfortunately, she was already someone’s favorite pet and when Master comes calling, it’s with a vengeance and the intent of never letting her slip away again. Haunted pasts continue to resurface, only Nexlana’s might be far deadlier than any of them could have guessed—connections between her, arson, an assassination and a cold case no one ever wanted to delve into again. To stop the worst case scenario from taking place, they must finally figure out just who in the hell the Master really is.

An interview with A.C. Melody

How long have you been writing erotica, and what inspired you to get into this genre?

I only started writing erotica about five or six years ago. I guess I was a little in the dark when it came to the genre, until I started reviewing e-books for a friend of mine’s business and it really opened my eyes to just how accepted and loved the entire genre was by readers. That was the start of my inspiration.

What gave you the idea for your latest book?

It was just a thought. A question I asked myself about laws and what if they didn’t exist. What if you could go out to a restaurant and sate all of your appetites at once? Would you? What if you wanted that, but still wanted privacy, or what if you didn’t want any privacy at all? How would a business be able to cater to such a variety of fantasies? The rest just kind of unraveled from there. Placing it in the future made it easier to construct, because of the advanced technology and changes in laws that would allow it to even exist. But it just started with the idea of one scene, in a restaurant, where a guy goes to get everything he’s craving all in one place.

Who are some of your favorite erotica writers or other literary inspirations?

Gena Showalter, Jacqueline Carey, Anne Rice (and as Anne Rampling), Nora Roberts (and as J.D. Robb), Mercedes Lackey, Kim Newman, L.J. Smith, V.C. Andrews, Ray Bradbury, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Marion Zimmer Bradley, J.K. Rowling, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Carly Phillips, Debbie Macomber… just to name a few. I tend to find an author I like and then spend all of my money and time gobbling up everything they’ve written until there’s no more and I’m forced to step out of my comfort zone and read someone new. As a writer, I’m my own worst kind of reader, isn’t that horrible?

Describe your typical writing routine. Where do you usually write? How many words/pages per day? Do you keep set hours? What does your workspace look like?

My laptop usually stays at my kitchen table, which doubles as my “desk,” even though I have one of those, too. I don’t always have the luck of writing every day. Some days my brain just refuses to work with me, but unless I’m sick, I do attempt it. I also keep a notebook by my bed at all times and will carry one with me if I’m in the middle of working on something and have to leave home.

Do you have any favorite foods or beverages that help keep your creativity flowing?

Coffee, coffee, coffee! Also, Greek yogurt, because it’s filling enough to hit the spot, without taking any time away from my writing to prepare. When I’m feeling frisky, I’ll couple it with a Nazook, which is an Armenian pastry that goes really well with coffee due to its mild, nutty-sweetness, but I have to be willing to spend the twenty seconds it takes to put it on a plate and warm it up in the microwave first, ha!

Do you have any writing superstitions or rituals when starting (or ending) a new book?

Not any superstitions or rituals, per se, but sometimes I won’t add a prologue until the book is finished. Also, once I’m done, I’m always super excited, because finishing a book is one of the hardest parts about writing them. So, I always call my best friend to tell her I finished one. That part’s a necessity. But, none of my Beta Readers get it until I’ve polished it at least a half dozen times.

What do you think makes for a good erotic story?

I love action-packed erotica, and am always drawn to the supernatural more than anything else, but honestly, it just depends on the characters. There has to be chemistry, of course, but more importantly, the characters have to stay true to their personality types no matter what. Nothing squelches a good book — erotic or otherwise — than when a character suddenly does something that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, or reacts in a way that no one with half a brain would react. Realism, true-to-self, common sense, consistency, those are the things that make a really great story and even better erotica.

What’s your favorite euphemism for genitalia?

I really and truly just like the basics. Cock, erection, sex, core, etc. I can’t bring myself to use excessively flamboyant euphemisms and when I read them, they completely kill the setting for me. I tend to laugh and put the book down. That can make it difficult to write erotic scenes, because no one likes to read the same boring descriptions over and over, but personally, I could never exchange “his cock” for “his enormous love rocket.”

What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked by a fan? And what was your response?

I haven’t been asked any questions by fans yet (so feel free to be the first)! One of my friends did ask: “So, is this from personal experience or just your imagination?” To which I replied, logically: “Well, I’ve never been in a holosuite before, so let’s go with imagination.”

If you were in charge of adapting a scorching summer romance for the big screen, what book would you like to see made into a movie, and who would you pick to star as the male and female leads?

Hands down, The Nymph King by Gena Showalter! There are so many good reasons for this choice. #1: It would be completely different from any other movie out there. #2: It has all of the necessary elements for a blockbuster hit; action, drama, comedy, supernatural/fantasy and romance (hot, scorching romance!). And #3: The actors: Chris Hemsworth for Valerian, because he’s the closest in size and appearance for the character and we’ve already seen his ability to play a god and a huntsman, so why not a king? And Emma Watson for Shaye (though with appearance changes), because she’s beautiful and young and could easily portray the innocence with subtle naivety and quick wit that Shaye has.

An excerpt from The Zen Lounge

Voryk simply studied her, so she studied him right back. His dark locks were mussed sexily against the sheets, wildly framing his beautiful, masculine face. His lithe, strong body was the perfect combination of sinewy muscles over the sexiest bones she’d ever seen on a man. She loved the way his shoulders were a little sharp, his collar bone defined. It appealed not only to her artistic eye, but to everything about her that was female.

His bare chest, so full of compact power and energy made Nex’s mouth water for a taste, made her fingers curl into her palms with an insatiable desire to feel. No matter how often she saw it, how many times her gaze drank in the vision he made, Nex could never get enough. Starting at that delicious collarbone, she trailed her fingertips down his torso ever so softly and watched him closely. Watched his eyes darken with renewed lust.

Then she felt her own cheeks flush. Her mouth fell open on a surprised breath when he started growing and hardening inside of her.

“Oh,” she exhaled with a burning rush of need. “Oh… yes, please.”

Buy a copy

Amazon / B&N / Red Sage Publishing

About the author

A.C. Melody lives in Washington State, is the proud mom of two amazing sons – okay, so they’re typical boys and always keep her on her toes! Stemming from a family of artists and musicians, she thrives in all things creative and would call a day without her MP3 player and coffee a day of reckoning. When she’s not writing, reading, drawing or cheering on the sidelines at football games, A.C. also enjoys gardening, which has honed her ability to dodge raindrops into an enviable skill.

Connect with A.C. on Facebook, Twitter or her blog, acmelodyblog.wordpress.com.

Giveaway

A.C. Melody will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B&N gift card, and a digital copy of The Zen Lounge, to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour. Be sure to to follow the rest of the tour and comment here; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Songs that have shaped my love life: Sarah McLachlan, Possession

Well all know the story of Sarah McLachlan’s song “Possession,” right?

No? Okay, check this out:

While it sounds like a pretty hot love song on the surface, it’s actually a series of increasingly disturbing “love notes” from McLachlan’s real-life stalker.

Yeah, how’s that for 50 shades of fucked up?

The first time I listened to this song, naturally I figured it was a hot love song. I listened to it a lot. It was on one of the first CDs I bought in high school, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. If FTE had been a vinyl record, I would’ve worn the damn thing out, that’s how many times I listened to it on repeat.

Let’s put it this way: I once had a professor who told me he listened to Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue so many times that his college roommate had instituted a 10-limit maximum for playing the album whenever he was in the apartment. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy was my Kind of Blue.

Anyway, I must have listened to this song at least a hundred times before I fell in with a real, live, honest-to-god Canadian who knew the story behind the song.

He told me about the stalker.

I thought that was creepy as hell. But at the same time, isn’t that what all great artists do? Turn shit into gold?

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is still a great fucking album. Possibly McLachlan’s finest. I still think “Possession” is creepy, and certainly not a song on which I’d like to base my relationships, but I still admire Sarah for turning something dangerous and damaging into something darkly beautiful. It was, perhaps, the musical equivalent of 50 Shades of Grey, in that it’s not the kind of fiction that should be turned into one’s reality, but that poses a lot of interesting questions about love relationships and the lines that people cross because of their attractions and addictions.

It also made me fall in love with Canadians. I guess I’ve been a Canadaphile (if that’s even a word) since the 1990s.

P.S. Wikipedia says the stalker tried to sue McLachlan for using his letters as lyrics. They were going to court in 1994 when he committed suicide. Case closed. But even if the asshole had gone through with it, I think it’s pretty fucking ballsy to sue the person you’re stalking for reappropriating the creepy shit you wrote to them. Only in Canada can an aggressor pose as a victim. Say what you will about Americans and their bloodthirstiness, but I personally think that if someone breaks into your house with the intent to do you harm, all bets are off. Similarly, if you’re sending threatening messages to me, and I turn them into a short story, your rights are null and void.

In the words of another infamous Sarah: “You have no power over me.”

Now it’s your turn

What pop songs make you think about love? How have pop songs influenced your relationships? Tell me a story, and you could be featured in the first volume of Everything I Need to Know About Love I Learned From Pop Songs. Click the link for details on how to submit.

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How to get your ebooks translated into 9 different languages for free

I’m a pretty devoted fan of the Sell More Books Show, so every Wednesday I brew up a cup of coffee and listen to their latest podcast, all the while taking notes on how to sell more books.

Last week’s show, episode #45, has proved quite useful thus far, with their link to 21 free resources for authors. I discovered the Babelcube website (#2 on the list), which offers authors a chance to have their books translated into foreign languages for free.

Yes, you read that right: free translations! Seriously, how cool is that?

I put my book, Confessions of a 3-Day Novelist, up on the site last Wednesday (February 11), and by this Monday I had a complete Spanish translation ready to roll. My translator, Denise Tarud, provided the text in Chilean Spanish, and then I got my original cover updated by my designer at PixelStudio. Here’s what it looks like en español:

After the cover was done, I was ready to submit the files to Babelcube, who distributes the translated book to all the major ebooksellers. I just pulled the trigger on that today, so now all I have to do is wait to see them start popping up at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Page Foundry, 3M, Baker & Taylor, Follet, Overdrive, Gardners and Chegg!

Overall, I’m impressed with the Babelcube setup. The process of adding your books is quite simple, as is the hiring process. Once a potential translator approaches you, you can read their profiles, check out their credentials, and decide whether or not to hire them for the job. They then have 5 days to submit the first 10 pages of the project, where you get a chance to accept or reject the work, and you also have another chance to accept or reject once the final version is completed.

Babelcube holds the distribution rights to the translations for 5 years, and you can choose to renew for an additional year thereafter.

Both the original author and the translator receive royalties from the book’s sales, with an interesting twist. In the contract, it states that the author receives 33% of the royalties for sales up to $2,000, whereas the translator receives 55%. This turns back to the author’s favor as sales increase, with a 45/40% royalty split (author/translator) from $2–5,000, 65/20% royalty from $5–8,000, and 75/10% royalty for sales of $8,000 and up.

Babelcube holds your payments until a threshold of $50 is reached, and all payments are made via Paypal.

All in all, I found the contract quite fair, especially given that I know of no other service currently available that can match their translation prices (i.e. free!). I like the way that the author and translator are in it together, with both required to do some marketing in order to help boost sales and accrue royalty payments. I also think it’s quite fair that the translator makes the lion’s share of royalties to start with, given that they’ve completed the upfront work for free.

Finally, I also love the fact that the site currently offers the following 10 languages for your translations:

Afrikaans
Dutch
English (yes, you can even take your book from another language into English!)
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Portuguese
Spanish

I’d love to see Russian and Chinese translations eventually added to the list as well, but for now that’s a great start. I’ve already got a second book headed to translation into Italian (Montreal from A to Z), and have an offer on the table from a second Spanish translator looking to take on the same title.

Now that’s a productive week’s work!

What about you? Have you ever tried translating any of your work into other languages? What was the process like, and what company or translator’s services did you use?

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Heart of Steel: An excerpt + #giveaway from Elizabeth Einspanier

When reclusive cyborg Alistair Mechanus meets his captive, ER doctor Julia Parker, it is love at first sight – for him. While he eagerly drops his plans for World Conquest to woo her, ten years of solitude have left his social skills badly rusted. When his misguided act of kindness spirals out of control, however, Julia is forced to trust the mad genius with her life, and she discovers the vulnerable side under his armored plating. She has the skills he needs to unlock his forgotten past, but learning who he used to be may come at the cost of his remaining sanity.

An excerpt from Heart of Steel

“I need you to keep talking,” he said quietly, and was surprised by the tremor he heard in his own voice. He cleared his throat. “I’m not used to being alone in my own head. It’s…” he shook his head. “It’s too quiet, without Arthur.”

She touched his shoulder, just below the ragged fabric where his sleeve had once been. Her fingers were warm and soothing against his bare skin.

“How’s your arm feeling?” she asked.

“I don’t expect it will fall off,” he said. “It still hurts, but I can manage.”

She was quiet for another interval, though two or three times he heard her inhale as if to speak.

“I… look,” she said, sounding uncertain. “You’ve… done a lot for me. You saved my life… you led me to safety… you even put your life on the line for me—and this is just today. I don’t… I don’t think I really thanked you for all that. I was hung up on the parts you didn’t do, or did wrong, and that isn’t right.”

“You tended to my injuries,” he pointed out. “Was that not gratitude?”

“That was me being a doctor,” she said. “That’s different.”

He wasn’t sure where she was going with this, and had no idea how to request that she get to the point already without sounding peevish. That absolutely wouldn’t do.

However, the silence between them stretched, a yawning void that he could not bear to leave empty. He turned his head to look at her again, and that was when she kissed him on the mouth.

About the Author

Elizabeth Einspanier is the self-published author of the Weird Western novella Sheep’s Clothing and the upcoming sci-fi romance novel Heart of Steel. Her short stories have been published in Down in the Dirt and Dark Fire Fiction. She is a member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild and an associate member of the Horror Writers of America. She lives in St. Louis, but frequently spends extended periods in worlds of her own creation.

Connect with Elizabeth on Twitter, Google+, her Amazon author page, blog or website, elizabetheinspanier.com.

Giveaway

Elizabeth is giving away a $20 gift certificate to Steampunk Emporium via Rafflecopter. Don’t forget to follow the rest of this tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! You can find all tour dates here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Songs that have shaped my love life: Metallica, Enter Sandman

If you’ve read my previous installment in the “P is for Pop Songs” series, you already know that most of the bands I plan to write about start with the letter P.

But this one’s different. Because this one’s METAL.

Let’s talk about Metallica.

My very first boyfriend was a guy from New York. The Bronx, in fact, which he claimed was a much maligned borough, mostly because despite news reports to the contrary, it was much less frequently on fire than, say, Staten Island. (Which is, in fact, true, but possibly only because Staten Island’s dump often spontaneously burst into flames. Then again, this is true for most garbage dumps. Little known facts like this were his bread and butter.)

This guy — whom I shall refer to as Mark Antony because of his delusions of grandeur, having once portrayed the man in a high-school production of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar — believed in education. And, as such, he believed in educating me, typically in the ways of Good Music.

Mark Antony was into Metallica. And thus, he made me a Metallica Educational Mix Tape.

I cannot say how many times I listened to said mix tape, but it was certainly in heavy rotation whenever he came to visit me, and thus became inextricably linked with my image of him.

Though rather a nerdy type, more given to studying than partying hearty, his love for Metallica perplexed me at first. I wasn’t sure why he liked this band, each of the members with long, stringy hair that they seemed to think made them “tough.” Indeed, the more I learned about Metallica (and, please remember, this was back in the early days of The Internet, where one couldn’t simply look up the band’s Wikipedia page to learn “the truth” — we teens had to rely on monthly issues of Rolling Stone for our musical knowledge), the more I was confused by his obsession with them. The lead singer had recently cut his hair, gone to rehab, and returned with a kind of religious zeal — singing covers of Irish drinking songs, rather than heavy metal. The rest of the band was following suit, chopping their locks, pouring their alcohol down the toilet, and angling for a comeback.

Or should I say “cumback”? They released an album with blood and cum mixed together, illustrating their idea of art. Then they collaborated with Marianne Faithfull, one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most notorious groupies. What the hell?

Mark Antony insisted that only the original Metallica songs were worthwhile, despite slipping a few onto the mix tape from Load and Reload.

My favorite is still “Enter Sandman,” from the band’s eponymous 1991 album.

As with Pearl Jam’s “Better Man,” “Enter Sandman” is not a love song. It’s about a child’s nightmares, and is basically the metal equivalent of a lullaby.

I imagine “Enter Sandman” is what drug-addicted, psychotic parents blast on their stereos at night, to send their equally horrid children off to bed.

It’s also one of the (many) songs that American interrogators have used to torture people in recent decades.

This is not to say that “Enter Sandman” is a frightening song, at least not for me. Far from it. I found the song amusing back in high school, particularly after my BFF pointed out the band’s childlike, sing-songy melodies and ridiculous lyrics. I still giggle whenever the opening riffs hit the airwaves, as I always think of the following alternative lyrics for the chorus:

Exit light

Drink Bud Light

Take a can

Back to party in your van

Insert jugga jigga wuggas.

In the end, it’s this kind of nonsense that made me turn against Mark Antony. He was good for a laugh, usually because of the pure bullshit that frequently flowed from his lips. I remember once going out to dinner with him and his parents, and after telling many absurd stories — which his parents summarily ignored — he finally put down his knife and fork and smashed a fist against the table, shouting “I don’t know why there isn’t a video camera recording me at all times, so as not to lose a single pearl of wisdom!”

I snickered. They continued to ignore his outburst and finish their dinner in silence.

We broke up soon afterward. I threw a shoe at his head in order to make him leave my apartment, as he didn’t think I was being serious, despite stamping my feet, shouting at him to leave, and telling him repeatedly I never wanted to see him again.

Ah, young love. Is it always this ridiculous? I guess so, especially when your boyfriend loves a particularly ridiculous band and can quote every song lyric they’ve ever penned — much to your dismay.

Word to the wise: never date a dude who’s into Metallica. They’re not even real metal, after all.

Now it’s your turn

What pop songs make you think about love? How have pop songs influenced your relationships? Tell me a story, and you could be featured in the first volume of Everything I Need to Know About Love I Learned From Pop Songs. Click the link for details on how to submit.

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Love Under Two Outcasts: An interview with Cara Covington

Charlotta Carmichael is mostly not ashamed of the way she paid for her college degree. Mostly. As an exotic dancer at a gentlemen’s club, she earned enough to get her degree in psychology.

But sometimes the scorn she’s suffered in the past comes back to haunt her. She fears a similar reaction from Jesse and Barry Benedict. Will they still think she’s good enough for them if she tells them the truth?

Jesse and Barry know all about past mistakes and regret. Feeling like outcasts, they left their Montana home and headed to Lusty, hoping to make a new start. Once they understand that Charlotta is their soul mate, they confess their sins of the past—because they want their relationship to have a solid foundation.

As Jesse and Barry rush to save Charlotta from a stalker, they all soon learn that moving on is easier said than done—and requires a bigger leap of faith than they’d ever imagined.

An excerpt from Love Under Two Outcasts

Once she reached her open office door, she stood back inviting the men to enter first. She’d originally planned for them to have their meeting in the more comfortable seating area comprised of a love seat and two chairs around a small table located against one wall. She reconsidered now.

Charlotta freely admitted to herself that the only thing that made her stick to her original plan was her own stubborn pride. It wasn’t Jesse and Barry Benedict’s fault that she seemed to be having an extremely physical reaction to them.

You are such a liar. That’s not the only reason. You want to sit as close to them as possible.

Charlotta hated that her inner voice was such a nag—and that it was almost always right. As the gentlemen made themselves comfortable on the love seat, she mentally sighed. She did want to sit as close to them as decently possible. She had never had this kind of a reaction before. It had been several months since she’d felt any kind of sensual stirrings, period. What was wrong with being open, at least a little, to the possibilities? These men were going to be volunteers in a program she helped oversee, not clients. In short, there was no moral reason she couldn’t… what?

You want to jump their bones.

She told her inner voice to shut the hell up. Who asked you anyway?

Buy Links

Amazon / Siren-Bookstrand

An interview with Cara Covington

How long have you been writing erotic romance, and what inspired you to get into this genre?

I’ve been writing erotic romance since 2005, when I first learned of the genre. Before that I wrote romance. The first erotic romance novel that I ever wrote was also the first one published: Made For Each Other, which was published by Siren in March of 2007.

What gave you the idea for your latest book?

The latest book is the next one in my Lusty, Texas series and is a cross-over novel (Crossing Heather Rainier’s Absentminded Angel). The heroes were introduced in a previous book, members of the Montana branch of the Benedict family; the heroine was a secondary character in Heather Rainier’s Divine Creek Ranch series. Heather gave me this heroine, as well as the challenge of redeeming my heroes, from the storyline of her book in December 2013, Awakening Veronica. The theme of both our cross-over novels is redemption.

Who are some of your favorite erotic romance writers or other literary inspirations?

I’m a huge Heather Rainier fan; I also love reading D. B. Reynolds (her Vampires In America series is fabulous), Emma Wildes, and Kelley Armstrong.

Describe your typical writing routine. Where do you usually write? How many words/pages per day? Do you keep set hours? What does your workspace look like?

I treat writing as a full time job. So everyday, after my devotionals, I get to work. I have an office, and my desk faces a window but I really can’t see around my monitor unless I wiggle. I do try to hit 1,000 words a day. Some days I go way beyond and inevitably some days I fall short. Set hours? Not really. Generally, I’m at my desk by 8 a.m., and my “writing” part of my day is done by 4. But sometimes, the muse moves me and I am working into the night.

Do you have any favorite foods or beverages that help keep your creativity flowing?

Not really. I do have to have my morning coffee, and it is full strength. The others are decaf but I truly need that first high-test one to get me going. I have to remember to break for meals. This is not an option as I am diabetic.

Do you have any writing superstitions or rituals when starting (or ending) a new book?

I have a few routine things I do. When beginning a story, I open a document and call it “basic concept.” This is a very loose outline. Mostly it is me just rambling about who these characters are, and what their history is, and that leads to what the need and want. I keep writing this document until I have the first sentence. I do that with every book. As to the ending, I do actually write those two words: The End.

What do you think makes for a good erotic erotic romance story?

Characters. The best stories revolve around characters. You need to make them real, and you need to make the reader fall in love with them and therefore care about what happens to them. This, by the way, is true with every kind of story that you would call fiction.

After characters, you need to give them challenges that are relatable, that the reader can say, “oh my goodness, I so know how that is!” I am so very blessed to hear from readers with every book who tell me that they really identified with what my characters were going through.

What’s your favorite euphemism for genitalia?

Favorites? I don’t have any favorites. I use no purple prose, I call things what they are. So if you want to know what those words are, for women: feminine folds, slit, pussy, and cunt. For men, I use cock and dick. Men have told me that while “penis” is correct, they never think of their man parts that way—so I try not to use that too often, unless of course it fits the situation.

About the Author

Morgan Ashbury, also writing as Cara Covington, has been a writer since she was first able to pick up a pen. In the beginning it was a hobby, a way to create a world of her own, and who could resist the allure of that? Then as she grew and matured, life got in the way, as life often does. She got married and had three children, and worked in the field of accounting, for that was the practical thing to do and the children did need to be fed. And all the time she was being practical, she would squirrel herself away on quiet Sunday afternoons, and write.

Most children are raised knowing the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. Morgan’s children also learned the Paper Rule: thou shalt not throw out any paper that has thy mother’s words upon it.

Believing in tradition, Morgan ensured that her children’s children learned this rule, too.

Life threw Morgan a curve when, in 2002, she underwent emergency triple bypass surgery. Second chances are to be cherished, and with the encouragement and support of her husband, Morgan decided to use hers to do what she’d always dreamed of doing–writing full time.

Morgan has always loved writing romance. It is the one genre that can incorporate every other genre within its pulsating heart. Romance showcases all that humankind can aspire to be. And, she admits, she’s a sucker for a happy ending.

Morgan’s favorite hobbies are reading, cooking, and traveling—though she would rather you didn’t mention that last one to her husband. She has too much fun teasing him about having become a “Traveling Fool” of late.

Morgan lives in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a mysterious cat, an eight pound Morkie dog who thinks he’s a German shepherd, and her husband of forty-two years, David.

You can find her online on Facebook, Siren-Bookstrand, and at her website, morganashbury.com.

Giveaway

Cara will be awarding a $25 Bookstrand gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! All tour dates can be found here.

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Right Here Waiting: An interview with K.E. Belledonne

In 1942, Ben Williams had it all – a fulfilling job, adoring friends and the love of his life, Pete Montgomery.

But World War II looms over them. When Pete follows his conscience and joins the Army Air Force as a bomber pilot, Ben must find the strength to stay behind without the love of his life, the dedication to stay true and the courage he never knew he’d need to discover his own place in the war effort. Good friends help keep him afloat, until a chance meeting on the home front brings him an unexpected ally—one who will accompany him from the stages of New York City to the hell of the European warfront in search of his love.

Written in the style of a 1940s film, Right Here Waiting pays homage to classic wartime romances from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

An excerpt from Right Here Waiting

They scrambled up to the cockpit, two chairs side-by-side with a small space between them. Pete motioned for Ben to sit in the left side, the captain’s chair, and sat in the co-pilot’s seat. The cockpit smelled of leather seats, hot metal baking in the sun and the pungent tang of engine oil. Ben delicately ran his fingertips over the controls, his hands over the stick.

Stuck in the bezel around one gauge was a small snapshot—Ben recognized it easily. He and Bets and Pete— their arms slung around each other, sitting on a couch at a party. Pete was kissing Bets on the cheek. Bets’ head was thrown back; her mouth was wide open, obviously cackling. Ben was looking straight at the camera, his eyes bright with laughter.

“It’s the first thing on my pre-flight checklist. I put it in in my flight jacket pocket, and every time we land, it comes back out and goes right here. It’s my good luck charm,” Pete said softly. “I told them it’s the best picture I have of my sweetheart back home. It’s the only one I carry of you. It’s what reminds me that I need to come home, every time.”

Buy Links

Amazon / Interlude Press: print / ebook

An interview with K.E. Belledonne

How long have you been writing romance, and what inspired you to get into this genre?

I’ve been writing romance for the past several years. This is my first book to be published, but I have others that are hidden away in notebooks and folders on my shelf. I was inspired to get into the genre because these are the kinds of stories I love to read – and I wanted to write a book that I would want to read.

What gave you the idea for your latest book?

I was thinking about how bleak many LGBTQ storylines in movies, tv and books can be. When I was a teenager, the gay people I saw on TV and in movies were always part of a terribly depressing and traumatizing storyline – there were no happy endings. It seemed the gay characters were always going to meet some horrible fate. Around the same time, I happened to be talking with a friend of mine about the old Hollywood movies we’d loved growing up – and how he said he’d always loved them, but as a gay man, he always thought that wouldn’t be the way his story ended, because they ″weren’t about people like me,″ as he put it. I realized I wanted to write a story as sweeping and romantic as those old movies wherein the drama and action of the story is not because of whom the characters love – but the situations they find themselves in. Their sexuality is not the crux of the story – they are two men who have some extraordinary adventures, who just happen to be in love with each other.

Who are some of your favorite romance writers or other literary inspirations?

I am a huge fan of Diana Gabaldon. Aside from WWII, one of my favorite historical periods is the 18th century and she just writes so beautifully and with such detail and ease about everything under the sun.

Describe your typical writing routine. Where do you usually write? How many words/pages per day? Do you keep set hours? What does your workspace look like?

My typical routine usually starts with pen and paper, as I scribble down ideas or flashes of scenes that I always seem to get at the most inconvenient moments. I have so many ideas noted on the backs of receipts, or in a corner of my day planner, or on shopping lists. Usually, I’ll head to my favorite café in the morning and try to write at least the bare bones of a scene before it slips away. Then when I have enough to go on, I park myself in my chair at home with my much-maligned and beloved laptop and start furiously typing. That’s when I can argue with myself about word choices and trawl my thesaurus for the ″right″ word. That’s also when dialogue gets set down – I can hear the characters talking as the scene plays out in my head, and I type faster than I can write.

I don’t keep set hours. I write when I can, and when I have inspiration. Generally, though, I write best early in the morning, or late at night. Some days I get 5,000 words. Some days, I get 200. It really varies, and I try not to sweat it, because it will all average out in the end.

My workspace is… cluttered! Always my notebooks are piled up within easy reach, with a glass of water, a mug of coffee, and a jar of various pens and pencils nearby. Any reference materials are stacked nearby, with Post-It notes in case I need to mark something or make a note for something in another section. Every once in a while, I try to clean it up and keep it clear, but somehow that makes me anxious. I need the chaos, I think. If it’s too tidy, I start to get antsy and easily distracted.

Do you have any favorite foods or beverages that help keep your creativity flowing?

Coffee and/or tea. And always water. And frequently, a nice glass of wine.

Do you have any writing superstitions or rituals when starting (or ending) a new book?

New book, new notebook and pen. Always. I don’t have to use the pen exclusively for that book, but I just have a ridiculous thing for pens.

What do you think makes for a good romance story?

I think a sense of humor in an romance story is what makes takes it beyond ″good.″ I mean, certainly, we all want to read the incredibly passionate and serious and game-changing love scenes, but for me, what elevates a story is when you’re shown a connection beyond the physical one – when you see the characters playing and laughing together and enjoying each other.

What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked by a fan? And what was your response?

I really can’t remember anything particularly strange, though I remember receiving several ″play by play″ messages from people written as they were reading. They’d start out something like ″oh, this part is nice. I’m really enjoying this section″ and progress to ″JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING PUTTING HIM IN DANGER LIKE THAT″ and wind up somewhere around the ubiquitous keysmash ″ASDLKJFDALKSDAIHGH.″ And responses like that are the ones that I just cherish. I always appreciate it when people take the time to tell me they’ve enjoyed something I’ve written, but it’s just extra special to see specifically what parts are affecting and provoking response in them.

If you were in charge of adapting a scorching summer romance for the big screen, what book would you like to see made into a movie, and who would you pick to star as the male and female leads?

You know, I would pick a book from a few years back: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig. It’s a really fun and entertaining read, and I am currently re-re-re-reading it for what seems like the millionth time.

If we’re going to be doing ″dream casting″ and defying the laws of time and space, I’d pick Jude Law for Colin Selwick, and Ewan McGregor for Richard Selwick. For Eloise Kelly, Anne Hathaway, and for Amy Balcourt, Anna Kendrick.

About the Author

K. E. Belledonne is a writer, editor and translator based in the French Alps. A native New-Englander, Kat spends her spare time listening to Glenn Miller records, reading history books and cheering on her beloved Red Sox.

Ms. Belledonne describes her story as “like an old friend—the book you curl up with when you’re not feeling well. You know how it goes. You know how it will end, but it just makes you feel better reading it.”

Right Here Waiting is her first novel.

Connect with the author on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, or her website, kebelledonne.com.

Giveaway

K.E. Belledonne will be awarding a $25 Interlude Press gift card, plus a digital copy of RIGHT HERE WAITING to 10 randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! All tour dates can be found here.

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Platinum Pleasures: An excerpt + #giveaway from Kate Deveaux

One night… one fantasy for hire… one sizzling case of mistaken identity.

Ainsley Simmons can hardly believe she’s ordered a fantasy lover online — a man to fulfill her deepest sexual desires for the entire evening. She’s in for a surprise when sexy young Mr. R shows up at her door in a classic case of mistaken identity.

Ainsley has the night of her life being pleasured by the much younger and demanding multi-millionaire — until she discovers he’s not her fantasy lover after all.

He’s even better than that…

An excerpt from Platinum Pleasures

Ainsley Simmons chewed on the end of her pencil, her fingers hovering over her laptop, wondering if she had the nerve. Staring at the screen, she tapped her foot nervously on the polished limestone floor. The rapid beat echoed through her sprawling penthouse. Pausing to pick up a business card, she flipped it over like a playing card, thumbing the linen card stock between her fingers.

All too aware that today was Valentine’s Day, the last thing Ainsley wanted to do was spend the evening alone. Not when her friends were being whisked off by their lovers and significant others to exotic locales, all while she sat in her vast Beverly Hills penthouse. Alone. At least Charles hadn’t taken her home from her when he’d cleaned her out and scampered off to Dubai with his newest flame.

Her gaze lingered on the business card and the elegant, embossed print.

Fantasies Inc. No fantasy will go unfulfilled.

That was all it said. Nothing else.

Her closest friend, Tara, had discreetly handed Ainsley the card at her annual posh cocktail party last weekend. The who’s who of Hollywood had been in attendance that night, not that Ainsley had noticed—she’d been too busy drowning her sorrows in her martini glass. Glasses plural was more like it. No wonder she’d had a wicked hangover the next day. The card didn’t specify the kind of fantasies they specialized in, but Tara had told her. Sexual.

Maybe Tara was right—Fantasies Inc. might just be the perfect diversion from her troubles, if just for one night. Drumming her manicured nail on her desk and scanning the elaborate website, Ainsley was more than intrigued by the promise of a fun-filled rendezvous in the privacy of her own home, with no questions asked.

The company assured anonymity, and even provided a short online questionnaire to assist in the creation of the client’s perfect evening of pleasure.

The list of questions alone thrilled her. Preferred age, race, hair and eye colour, build, sexual preferences, not to mention an impressive list of sexual specialities. Next to each choice there was a ‘surprise me’ option. Ainsley frowned. Not one for surprises, she knew just the type of lover that made her heart beat faster. The type of man she’d never had before. Mid-twenties, fair and muscular. Oh, and yes, one who wasn’t afraid to take control, to make her weak at the knees—at his command.

A flicker of desire wicked through her, right to her core. Deep down in her belly was an insistent need ached to be satisfied, tempted by blissful hours in the arms of her perfect fantasy lover.

Taking a long, slow swig of her champagne, the bubbles catching in her throat, she gathered her courage. Courage to do something rash, almost reckless—that was so unlike her, but then after Charles had left her, she’d been forced to be the new Ainsley. And the night of discreet pleasure might very well be her last five thousand dollars, but hours spent allowing herself—no, more like treating herself—to an evening all about her… Well, that was just what she craved.

She’d think of it as a Valentine’s present to herself.

Quickly ticking off a few preferences, she noted the Valentine’s special, an upgrade to a second night of pleasure for a few thousand more. Two nights of mysterious erotic pleasures was just too much for both her body and her bank account to imagine. She’d best stick with one night and see how it went. Gulping down the rest of her champagne, she pressed the send button.

She exhaled as her credit card was approved for the deposit. The rest would be put on her tab and could be settled at the end of the fantasy. Plus gratuity. Oh, how does one tip for that? Her cheeks flushed and her pulse raced with the thought of what she’d just done.

Buy Links

Totally Bound / Amazon / B&N

About the Author

Kate Deveaux is a contemporary, erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. It was after reading Jane Eyre in high school, that she became hooked on the idea of writing about romance, excitement and drama. Kate has been penning stories, from the sensual to the sinfully sexy, ever since!

A former wedding planner, Kate has always been “in love” with love! She was inspired to transition from writing racy short stories to full length manuscripts after meeting other authors in the romance world at industry workshops, conferences and events. Originally from England, now resides in the U.S. with her husband. When she’s not writing or reading, Kate can be found on the tennis court—yes, there’s even “love” in that game too!

You can find Kate on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, and her website, katedeveaux.com.

Giveaway

Kate will be giving away:

One $20 Amazon/B&N gift card
One $15 Amazon/B&N gift card
One $10 Amazon/B&N gift card

Don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. All tour dates can be found here.

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