Liz Crowe's Blog, page 32

Sara Bites....Jack Listens....Six more from Floor Time

Greetings and welcome to six more from my newest release "Floor Time, The Realtors: Book One" available from Tri Destiny Publishing now.


Jack and Sara....what can we say?



"Ow! Son of a…" he stepped away holding a hand over his mouth. Sara's body shook and she had to sink to her heels. She could taste blood and knew she'd bitten hard, and meant it. But her brain had shut down, leaving her alone with raw regret and a sharp kernel of unmet need.  She knew at that moment she'd do whatever he wanted although part of her tried to fight it. He pulled her to her feet, his midnight blue eyes gentle and concerned.




Read More blurbs and such here.


And yet MORE from amazing talented writers at  www.sixsunday.com




thanks for your time and comments.
Liz

Chatting and Signing and Selling, OH MY!

I'll bet anything that when you wrote That Novel, be it romance, mystery, crime, sci fi, western, chick lit, mainstream whatever you never thought you'd be a salesman.


Nope. 


You are an Artist. You Create. You are Above the Fray. Not inclined to Enter the Yammering Hoards. 


Let someone else handle that, slightly unpleasant task.  The Selling.


For those of who have cut our professional teeth on selling, this part is pretty easy.  I sold "warm fuzzy feelings" as a United Way acolyte for several years right out of college, armed with my English degree and a "anything but teach" mentality as relates to my career.  Then, I worked in non profit fund raising, event planning, donor schmoozing--the real hard sales of sales.


THEN I sold myself as a marketing consultant a few years until the golden moment when one of my architect clients said to me: "You are really good at this. You should get your real estate license." I did. And I did it well.


As many of you really good followers know, I was approached about applying my aforementioned sales skills to a new venture. A craft microbrewery in a sea of same.  So I jumped, about the same time I leapt into writing erotic romance.  


I've been clamoring to be heard above the fray ever since.


Figures I would take the leap into 2 highly (newly) popular venues at the same time.


But I slog on, relentlessly seeking opportunity for book promotion, beer promotion and otherwise shameless self promotion.  To that end I did a fun thing today: a "Spreecast" for a "virtual book signing thanks to my INCREDIBLY CREATIVE NEW PUBLISHER 
Tri Destiny.....Click here for submission guidelines.


All you newbs and rooks and folks with manuscripts floundering on slush piles: you owe it to yourselves to polish up your subs and send them in to these folks. They are bound and determined to find all the tricks, use all the tools, work all the angles so that you are not left to flounder around in your new role as "book salesman."  Because like it or not, that is what you are.


That brings me to the gist of my post here. To Agent, or not to Agent?  


I have had a fair bit of success and 2012 promises to be pretty sweet in terms of releases (and yet more book selling on my part).  But is it time to step up? Do I NEED the assistance of an agent? Are the "big 6" still the only legitimate path to success?   Can an agent take me the next step or is it a waste of time?




I know, I know, it all depends on what I want. On my goals. On my dreams.


I will tell you flat out: I want to write a book, or a series of books that gets optioned for either a premium cable series or a movie. And within all the loud, clamoring, yowling throng of "romance/chick lit/semi-mainstream sexy novels" out here, is the only way to be truly heard via the mouthpiece of Another?


I wanna know. 
have a good night chickens.
Liz

Across the Beer Bar with Doris O'Connor

Welcome to my Tap Room Doris! What can I pour you to start?
Hi Liz, so great to be here.  A beer would be wonderful, even better if you have anything German!Okay, BEER SCHOOL MOMENT: the word "lager" means "to store"….in German. Germans invented lagers. I ONLY make lagers.  So, yeah, you're good. Here, try this one. Wolverine Dark Lager---roasty, rich, but with a clean finish characteristic of lagers in general.
I'm just gonna say now, I love your book covers....that fireman one? Too Hot To Handle---whew. awesome...
Yeah, Alex is pretty sexy. Well, fire fighter and half Italian, what more can a girl want! Kitty and he have some awesome chemistry ;-)
Tell us about the first book you got accepted. How long did it take? How did you handle getting those first edits?
The first book I ever had accepted was Scandinavian Scandal. The day will be edged in my memory forever. I was heavily pregnant at the time and when I got the e-mail I screeched so much hubby and the kids thought I'd gone into labour. Lol. Still amuses me that I didn't!
My sexy Swede was first born in September 2010. Mills and Boon were running their New Voices competition so I fired off a first chapter and submitted. I didn't get anywhere with it, but I finished that first version of Scandinavian Scandal, submitted and again didn't get far. I put it to one side for a bit, wrote other things and after I'd written Awakening, which was my first erotic piece, I decided I was going to turn into an Erotic Romance. I completely re-wrote it and Noble picked it up J That same week Breathless picked up Awakening. The rest is history as they say.
My first edits were actually for Awakening and I did them all with a two week old baby either attached or on my lap. Now that was an experience, lol. I clearly remember, opening the word doc, hyperventilating at the amount of comments and shutting it again, thinking Oh God, I can't do this. Then I told myself I was a big girl and just got on with it. I learned tons, during those edits and Mason, my editor, was and is fabulous. She was incredibly encouraging and really helped me to make the story shine. I re-wrote the ending and it's soooo much better now than it was.
You have paranormals and contemporaries published it seems. Which do you like writing best?
If I had to pick, then probably paranormals. I love paranormals because you can torture your characters so much more and I do love to torture them, my heroes in particular, lol. And the whole world building that goes with them is pretty cool.  Lure Of The Blood started off as an Erotic, shortie contemporary, actually, but my characters had other ideas and it took on a life of its own, like my stories always do, it seems.
Contemporaries are fun to write for other reasons. At the moment my stories are pretty evenly split between contemporary and paranormal. Time will tell. I just do as I'm told and write what they tell me to. Resistance is futile, it seems, so I don't even try anymore, lol.
If you had to name one writer for inspiration who would it be?
Just one? Man that's tough. Probably Charlaine Harris. I fell utterly in love with her Sookie Stackhouse Series and still re-read it often. Eric, mmmm, lol.  Of course she is paranormal. Hmm I'm sensing a theme here…
Though to be honest any book that I've read and liked inspires me in some way. Heck, even the ones I didn't like, inspired me, in a 'I can do better than that' kinda way. And my list of favourite authors grows daily. I'm a voracious reader and will read all sorts.
Yeah I read them but frankly I like how HBO sexed it up and changed some of the hokier aspects of the story. One of the few successful translations book to screen I've seen. Mmmmmmm……Erik……Oops, glass is empty, what can I get you next?
Another one of these will do, it's very nice!
Okay, speaking of GREAT COVERS, your Breathless Press release, Awakening is totally eye catching and gorgeous.  What's it about?
Isn't it just! Between you and me, it is my favourite cover. It's just so WOW worthy. And him, that stare. Heck I wrote the story and I must say the art dept got him so well.
Astrid is a straight laced school teacher, who is sent to a sexual fantasy island by her best friend as a birthday treat. She goes kicking and screaming, cause she doesn't do fantasies. Famous last words and all that.  The few sexual encounters she's had have not been satisfying, shall we say.
She wakes up in her very own Arabian fantasy and is ordered to pleasure Prince Rashid. He's a hard man to resist and she discovers that submission is the key to ultimate pleasure. You have to read the story to find out how it all ends ;-)
What are you working on now?  
I'm almost done with Lucas' story. Readers will have met him in Lure Of The Blood. So many people have said to me that Lucas needs his own story, so being the obliging girl that I am, I thought I best pen it.  Ion and Marnie and a few of the other characters make a re-appearance too J
I also have two Anthologies and a naughty nursery rhyme coming out soon and numerous story ideas flitting around in my murky mind ;-)
nightcap time--what's your poison?
Make it a large Baileys or two or three…Aiyeeeeeee and we were doing SO WELL.Beer dear, that's it.  I like you so I'll share some of our just released Faustian Stout Baltic Porter you lucky girl you.


Thanks so much for having me. Whoops, shouldn't have worn those heels and errr why is the floor spinning?Oh Lord, after 3 beers? You people are lightweights….or cheap dates.I gotta train you up!
Links
Website http://www.dorisoconnor.com/Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/mamaD8Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Doris-OConnor-Romance-Author/241366635885432

Buy links
https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/363/Scandanavian-Scandal
http://www.breathlesspress.com/awakening-0
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/lure-of-the-blood-by-doris-oconnor/

Got ebook? Get it e-signed! Plus Hot Soccer men video.....

We've come a long way haven't we?


I mean, I guess all those "big time writers" can still jet set around places like Cincinnati (No, I'll read my Lover, Reborn book without whatshername's signature on it, thanks), Milwaukee, New York, wherever and sit in boring book stores and actually sign books with ink.  


Not us! No siree! We have high faultin' technology at our grubby fingertips and will use it...THIS WEEK!


Thanks to the smart folks at AUTOGRAHPY LLC and my shiny new publisher TRI-DESTINY and their new line of erotic romance: SIZZLIN BOOKS I am gonna meet my fans (yes, mom I see you) all around the world (yes, dear brother I see you too) virtually. We are gonna chat about all manner of stuff including but not limited to 
My Writing Process
I made him put on a shirt---only I get to be inspired by his six-pack.

Hans, my lederhosen-wearing yet shirtless 6'5" blond haired blue eyed muse who is currently pouting in a thoroughly adorable fashion 'cause I won't let him whisper any more details of our 2 new projects in my eager ear....






My life as a realtor that inspired the epic series 
Why I like poodles






Craft Beer (yeah, I own a brewery)



Soccer men and their torsos, ah, talent






Floor Time, and why you will LOVE Jack Gordon and his nemesis/love of his life Sara Thornton
Sweat Equity and Closing Costs and what you can expect from the continuing saga






Why Turkish men are the hottest on the planet


Upcoming projects (see Hans? I'll let you whisper a little but only if you massage my shoulders at the same time)
And more


PLUS I'll give away a few signed copies of Floor Time, The Realtors: Book One


all details and how to login, join me are here:


http://www.sizzlinbooks.com/





it's a cool, fun, new thing.
Join me!
I promise a lively conversation!
Liz

Realtor Banter....six more from Jack and Sara

Welcome back to The Realtors:  Life in the House Lane Book OneFloor Time.Jack Gordon is a bit of a know it all, but has he met his match in Sara? He's interrupted her open house, where she'd been sitting and fantasizing about him anyway...


"Fuck off Jack, I don't need your help--why are you here anyway?" "Easy, tiger, easy," he leaned on the counter top.  "I know you know what to do--I can't help it. It's second nature for me to say something about the house first." Sara caught herself clenching and unclenching her fists, and stopped. Damn the man anyway--she couldn't even stay mad at him. 

Thanks for stopping by and for your comments. Floor Time is NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON, ARe, and on the Sizzlin' Books Website!
Be sure and check out all the amazing talent at the Six Sentence Sunday site today!

The Good. The Bad. The Utterly Horrific.

Boy has it been One Of Those Weeks...I suppose it's a sign of how busy and interesting one's life is when so many events of magnitude occur in a 10 day span but that whole "may you lead an interesting life" thing is not meant as a blessing.






Here is some good stuff:


Hey! I sold a novel to ELLORA'S CAVE!  Yep, Jasmine the Queen of the erotic novel has deemed one of my scribblings worthy and after a fall spent in the doldrums of rejection I did it!  For those of you who know damn good and well how hard that was, I accept your kudos. For those of you still trying, don't give up! For those (few I'm sure) of you who think "well, anyone can do that" I say---nothing.  


"Lust on Tap" is a brewery-based, menage love story.  That's all I'll say for now. I have a revision project in my inbox blinking in neon that precludes me even giving a blurb yet!  


I'm psyched.


Also, the City of Ann Arbor in its infinite wisdom and in support of a successful small business (or whatever) has given me the green light to expand my brewery!  AND I don't have to pay a "tap in" fee for a bigger water service.  It's a long, boring story of "capacities per square inch" and "fire rated doors"  I could recite in my sleep but I'll spare you.  All you need to know is by getting creative, and having an equally creative architect in my corner I saved my company $100,000 and will be moving forward ASAP to add another 100 to my Tap Room capacity and another 270 barrels of fermentation space to my brewery plus a bunch of other fun "toys" and projects that will keep my brewers leaping about in happiness for days.


AND....my latest and most heartfelt series of novels: The Realtors is on the verge of release.  We will be hosting a "virtual book signing" party at the Tri Destiny site for Floor Time, the first of the series on February 1st. Details to emerge but you can buy a signed version that day....


Blurb:

Love is an easy word to use, a hard one to demonstrate, and sometimes impossible to trust.                    The Realtors is a sweeping epic, encompassing over ten years in the lives of two people who know how to love with their bodies, how to please and get pleasure, to control and be controlled.  When it comes to the deeper meaning of the one word they both need, backgrounds and personalities get in the way and while their physical connection sizzles they continue to disappoint one another emotionally.                   Jack Gordon has it all--money, success, a string of women--but with a deep longing for something more. When he thinks he finds it with Sara Jane Thornton, his world is never the same again.  Sara releases his natural Dom, a side of him he'd thought buried out of frustration and unhappiness. Sara knows a true submissive must trust implicitly, something she cannot associate with him, no matter how many times she tries, and he fails.                   With a rich cast of secondary characters, including a young man who presents a near-perfect foil to Jack's intensity, and who falls hard for Sara; The Realtors series is a romantic saga with an emphasis contemporary life and love, with a healthy dose of white-hot eroticism. Modern, busy, driven characters living lives of purpose and real-time stress, seek the ever-elusive and highly coveted combination --a friend, lover and trusted advisor who will be there for the long haul.
Now for the Bad:I have effed up my upper back somehow, likely slinging cases of beer combined with long stretches sitting at a computer. I can barely move it! Chiropractor time, I guess. Ick.
And, my aunt died over the weekend. My mom's older sister, she had moved to Florida a few years ago, but continued to live an unhealthy lifestyle as a heavy smoker and by the time she had a stroke between Xmas and New Years probably weighed 80 pounds and was five foot eight.   We were not close. But I have been talking with my cousins a lot, and it's given a bit of a window into how hard it will be in the coming years.
Plus: I have had to fire my cable in internet provider AT&T Uverse after 4 years of fabulous reliability they've obviously cut the budget or there is a gremlin in their lines or something as I have had spotty AT BEST and completely useless AT WORST coverage since November.  Comcast has been re-hired with the caveat: Don't Fuck This Up or it's Direct TV for me.
And the utterly horrific:My teenage daughter has been suffering from chronic UTIs for months. She has lived with pain "down there" more or less non stop since late September. We've done ER visits, had ultra sounds, xrays, invasive gynecologist exams, endless visits with pediatricians, urologists, said gynecologists. She's taken four different types of antibiotics, we've tried aggressive supplement therapies, laxatives, relaxation, nothing is working.  We have 2 very invasive diagnostic tests yet to go, one today, one on Feb. 6 for which she has to go under general anesthesia. But I am very much afraid that the diagnosis will be: Interstitial Cystitis. Or: "We have no idea what this is but you will be in pain the rest of your life so deal with it thanks, see ya later."
No lie.  Of course she already thinks that is what we will be told and is beside herself, trying to have final exams, take ACT/SAT prep classes, consider college.  How can you consider college, or any sort of life beyond the "right now" or incredible pain? I am at a loss and it's killing me.
It is at best a life of constant pain, without any hope of a sex life at worst, completely debilitating. but maybe that's redundant.
I would never in a million years compare this to a diagnosis of cancer but I can tell you she is facing the rest of her life as someone who looks well on the outside but is suffering unbelieably on the inside. And there is absolutely no "cure" merely "pain management" which has its own scary pitfalls.  Being the aggressive individual that I am I have already researched holistic therapies, practitioners, acupuncturists, talk therapists and more and will launch THAT wave of attack once we have the cytoscopy and hydrodistention in February.
But what do you say to a formerly completely healthy teenager when she cries when she reads things like "you have to alter your idea of what a sex life will be."  Not that that is her major concern. But wouldn't it be, for you?  Children are likely out of the question as well, much less anything resembling a normal relationship.
Life.  What doesn't kill you....drives you to drink.
thanks for listening.Liz

Across the Beer Bar with Berengaria Brown

Welcome to my Tap Room Berengaria!What can I pour you to start?I'll let you choose the beer since you're the expert, as long as it's a big glass, and ice-cold.well, they are lagers so they are supposed to be ice cold (as opposed to ales which, if you receive one served by cold by a stupid waiter or bartender, you should let warm up a little before you drink it in order to fully appreciate its complexity).  Here, try my Wolverine Amber, it's a traditional Vienna style amber with a great balance of malt and hops. 
I hear you've been dabbling in self publishing...tell us about that journey.I've been writing for a while now, and some of my earliest books are now finishing their contracts. Self publishing definitely seems to be the path of the future, and some of my author friends encouraged me to begin Indi publishing. So I decided to try it on two books for which I have the rights back, "Noticing Nigel", and "Sappho's Sisters".I had them re-edited, and new cover art designed, then formatted them, and now they're on the virtual shelves at All Romance ebooks and Smashwords.


"Noticing Nigel" blurb: Matthew is singing in a choir for a special Christmas presentation of the oratorio, "Messiah" by Handel. He's a tenor soloist. But his eyes are on one of the basses, Nigel, a deliciously muscular and well-built man with sparkling eyes and golden-brown hair.Matthew takes his courage in both hands at the full-dress rehearsal, and invites Nigel out to lunch, then to dinner.But can this be more than a one-night stand?Buy Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-noticingnigel-667901-144.html oooooooo-I love the concept of a romance about a singer who's NOT a rock star.  My father was an opera singer and regionally famous choral director. One of the toughest men I've ever sung my soprano part of the Messiah for...


Blurb "Sappho's Sisters": Lady Eustacia Lumley is the only child of the Earl of Wentworth. It's her duty to marry well and ensure the succession.Margaret Durrell is the fourth daughter of a gently born, but near penniless Vicar. She has no option but to marry a man who can provide for her and possibly for some of her sisters as well.Both young women are very interested in Sappho's poetry and ideas. One evening, Margaret has a headache and Eustacia offers to massage her scalp. This leads to sex, and Margaret's very first orgasm.They fall deeply in love, but is there any hope for them? Or will they both have to conform to the rigid rules of Regency society?Buy Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sappho039ssisters-667905-144.html
Okay I'm the first to admit I am horrifically jealous of all you LRC nominees!  And you nabbed not one but 2 categories! Way to go! Seriously I will attempt not to claw your eyes out. Tell us about those books.Hell, yes! I was stunned to be nominated for Best Ménage ("Untamable") and Best Futuristic ("Raw Want".

"Untamable" blurb: Jewel, Donovan, and Oscar live together, but the excitement has gone out of their relationship. She makes holiday plans to spice things up, using the theme of a "White Christmas". Jewel has thought of everything, but will Donovan and Oscar rise to the challenge? Buy link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/untamable-ebook-p-677



"Raw Want" blurb: Yuri, Jed, and Lucas claim Ruth as their woman after rescuing her. The men demonstrate their love for her by helping her to prepare herself for the dangers and stress of their journey. Can the foursome learn to become a unit, while searching for more survivors? Weeks of searching reveal no survivors and no clean water either. How can people live under such conditions? Mind-blowing orgasms form a contrast to days of fear and tension. Will their travels cement their relationship or drive them farther apart than ever? Is shared danger and awesome sex enough of a foundation on which to build a long-term relationship? Buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/raw-want
Yeah, "Untamable" by the way? the most beautiful man cover I've seen in a while, well, since my own Turkish Delights which I have as my computer desk top.  Oh yes, very pretty *wipes drool from corner of mouth*
Oops glass is empty! What's next to drink?That was awesome, thank you. I will have another!
Speaking of next, will you continue to self pub now that you've done it? I mean I have very seriously considered it as I have the marketing headset for it already. Why not keep all the proceeds?  Give some insight into how you plan to go forth from here.I'll definitely self publish my books as they come out of contract. Regarding writing something specifically to self publish, I'll wait to see how the sales go. If these previously published books get a new lease of life, I'll try something brand new. If not, I'll need to think more about it. I do like the concept of choosing exactly when to have a book release. Ideally, I'll like to have a book out every month, and because I write shorter length books, that is (mostly) achievable. But publishers have to fit editing and release dates around their own considerations, which means there can be long gaps between books in a series, or even worse, two books out in the same week, and then I'm left scrambling to try to promote them while working at the day job!
What is your favorite book you ever wrote?
"Shared Possession". I put a lot of effort into the world-building for this ménage series, and it's the first book in the series. Shared Possession" blurb: Chevaunne is abducted by three brothers who take her to a new world where brothers share one wife, who is their treasured possession. Jim, Sam, and Paul have waited years to find the perfect woman, and when they see Chevaunne, they know immediately she is the one for them.After a mind-blowing night with the three men, Chevaunne marries them the next day in front of the entire community. Now she has to learn a totally new life—a new culture, new ways of doing everything. But the sex is amazing, her men are considerate and loving, and Chevaunne is making friends and settling in.Soon, though, she begins to wonder if she's losing her mind. No matter how happy she is, she was kidnapped, after all! What was she thinking when she agreed to stay? Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/shared-poss...
Okay, a nightcap--what's your poison?Anything that comes with chocolate!Okay, you'll like our Neapolitan Porter I'm guessing.
Thanks for stopping by!Thank you for having me. *hic!*Berengaria Brownhttp://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/http://berengariabrown.webs.com/

Pasta Anyone? Jessica Subject says "yes please!"

What I have in common with Flavia (V) Many readers ask if any of my characters are like me. The answer is always yes and no. Take Flavia from Unknown Futures, for instance:Flavia lives on a space station found at the edge of our galaxy. She speaks five different Earth languages and several more interstellar ones. Not only does she live in the space station, but she works at the hotel located inside as a concierge. She is blonde, very tall, and outspoken. We couldn't be more different.But we do have one thing in common, our love for pasta. When the guests from Earth arrive, Flavia is asked to escort them around the space station, and she also receives a care package from home, including all of the ingredients to make spaghetti. Along with a glass of Canadian Ice Wine, this is the meal she shares with Jewel.

Here's an excerpt:V grabbed the tote full of Earth food, which had come up through the cargo tube with Jewel's luggage. Inside she found pasta, bread, cheese, garlic, red sauce and—oh yeah!—strawberries. Her stomach growled already. She hadn't had anything besides replicator food in months, the portal being too expensive to start up for only Terran food.A beautiful woman and delicious food? Perfect. No! She couldn't have lustful feelings for her charge. She'd make dinner—anything to distract her from slipping into the bedroom and crawling into bed with her houseguest.It had been so long since she'd been with anyone. Gar, a Phantie she worked with at the hotel, had asked her several times to be one of his bedmates, but she'd turned him down. He didn't understand monogamy. When she chose a partner, whether male or female, she didn't want to share them with anyone else. Gar's current collection of bedmates consisted of five females, each from a different planet.She started a pot of water boiling for the pasta then opened her last bottle of Canadian Ice Wine and poured herself a glass. She had found a reason to drink it. Now, if only she could figure out a way to get Jewel to the club without making her turn green again.
Unknown Futures Blurb Attacked as a young adult, Jewel is left scarred and alone. She applies to the 1Night Stand service, believing no one can see past her appearance to love her. But she doesn't expect to be sent to a space station where her date could be any number of unusual alien species.
Flavia left everything behind to be one of five humans working for the Space Service space station. Extremely homesick, she is excited to learn she will be a guide to a woman from Earth visiting the station for a couple days. She is immediately drawn to the petite woman, seeing past her scars to her true inner beauty, stirring unforeseen desires.
Unfortunately, Jewel is there for a date which Flavia hasn't been told about. Can she contain her lust and simply show her a good time? Or will she let her desire lead them into an unknown future?
Book trailer: http://youtu.be/HOBmZ9vKwYE
Available from Decadent Publishing and other ebook retailers.Buy Links here: http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=7671 Bio: Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.Website/Blog: http://www.markofthestars.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jsubjectFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370

Who's Controlling Who??

A new snippet from FLOOR TIME, first of The Realtors Series, releasing from Tri Destiny Publishing to launch their "Sizzlin'" Line of erotic fiction:



"Sorry I went off, baby." He turned her chair around quickly before she could react, so that they sat like passengers on a bus. He rubbed her shoulders as her brain started its usual "resist Jack" mantra. She hated the game he had played with her this morning, hated his easy use of the word "baby" around her, and absolutely despised how much she wanted to hear it again. She had to get this thing under control.   But maybe you shouldn't?

More from some great authors at www.sixsunday.com

 

Covers 'n Blurbs 'n Excerpts OH MY!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

I am bouncing around like a sleep-deprived whack job today, after spending the past 5 straight days finalizing the 3rd of The Realtors Trilogy: Closing Costs. Not only did I polish the 2nd one last week (Sweat Equity) I got edits for the first one (Floor Time) back to editing and did a MAJOR REWRITE--yeah, essentially I took what I'd fleshed out back in the days before I understood "head hop" or "passive voice" and wrote the sonofabitch completely from scratch.  Nearly 40,000 words, started Friday morning, finished Tuesday night.

This series is deeply emotional, you get way into the lives of my H/h and that of their families (yes, there are some side stories that beg telling--I'll let you guess which ones). Here are the OFFICIAL thingies:
SERIES BLURB:


The Realtors:  Life in the House Lane

FLOOR TIME. BOOK ONE:



Jack Gordon is Ann Arbor's most delectable bachelor.  At age thirty-five, he's made millions as a top-selling Ann Arbor real estate broker and has the right connections to close a deal by any means necessary. With his rugged good looks and compelling personality, he has a virtual black book most men would kill for and he uses it often, never settling for one woman for very long.

While his D/s past remains buried, exactly where he wants it, an undercurrent of boredom and dissatisfaction runs through his life now.  Disastrous experience years earlier made him swear off the whole scene, but the more Jack suppresses his natural Dom, the more his frustration grows.   Sara Thornton, just a rookie in the field, has fast-tracked herself to the top of the Ann Arbor real estate market. Her life evolves into a disciplined and focused routine, exactly what she wants.  However, as her career takes off, the fulfillment she seeks remains inexplicably out of reach.  The one thing she knows for sure, she will not join the Jack Gordon groupies in her company, no matter how tempting that might seem.A chance encounter, then a difficult transaction, throw Jack and Sara together and the sparks fly high and hot and often. Forced to confront the compulsions that gain momentum with each sizzling encounter, their relationship seems to spiral out of control until Jack finally admits what he needs, and shows Sara what she's been missing.



SWEAT EQUITY. Book 2:
Jack Gordon thought he'd finally made it.  He had a wildly successful career, money in the bank and even returned to his life as Dom, putting an end to a string of unfulfilling sexual encounters. Now that he's made the ultimate commitment to Sara Thornton, he believes all is right in their world. However, a series of misunderstandings and a dose of self-fulfilling prophesy bring his perfectly crafted house of cards tumbling down around him, forcing him to confront lingering misgivings about marriage and trust.  Could those be the only two things he can never achieve? Sara struggles with her intense need for Jack and her desire for less volatility in her busy life, two goals which appear to be mutually exclusive. Although willing to put in the time and emotional effort to make their relationship work, she finds it futile and frustrating, littered with clashes thanks to near-identical personalities and temperaments. Given Sara's history, easing back into the comfortable status quo becomes easier than fighting a war with the one person who should be her safe haven. But will the easier choice satisfy her the way only Jack can? Is her "war" one that comes from without or within?Buffeted by circumstance, temptation and distraction, Jack and Sara's tenuous relationship crumbles, sparking a continuous quest for the ever elusive: trust, love and acceptance. By the time they rebuild a foundation for renewal, fate has other plans. This leaves them both reeling, once again questioning their destiny.


CLOSING COSTS.  Book 3:
Love conquers all? Not likely, according to Sara Thornton. She's spent eight years coming to terms with the new parameters of her life while resigning herself to the idea that "happily ever afters" are best left to fairytales.  Sales manager for her successful real estate office and juggling an added element of responsibility she never thought she'd face, Sara continues to struggle with the men in her life.  Love, for her, has only meant hurt, broken trust and anger; all of which she's completely banished from her life, so she claims.                   Jack Gordon has come a long way since his earlier days of obsession with Sara.  As the general manager of Stewart Realty, his own level of responsibility for the well-being of others has ramped up. He's even honed his caretaking skills, now that he has someone who loves him unconditionally.                    Continuing to invest effort and rebuild their relationship, he and Sara grow close as friends. Despite this, his ultimate question remains unanswered; the one he keeps asking, no matter how many times she says no. Sara isn't prepared for the keen focus of his need--to have her back, once and for all. Her stubborn resistance nearly rips both lives apartThe epic conclusion to The Realtors series, Closing Costs brings Jack and Sara truly full circle. Proving that the heat of lust and obsession; the need for control and to be mastered in many areas of life can lead to love —surprising you when you least expect it – if you will only allow it.                  



A PG EXCERPT FROM FLOOR TIME, releasing January 30. 2012 from Tri-Destiny Publishing:"Ok, we finished the inspection and there are some issues, as you might expect." Sara closed her eyes prepared for an earful.              "I don't doubt it."
Jack seemed quieter than usual, not filling the phone line with his usual poor me, why can't you control your people bullshit. Her suspicions grew, wondering if he was messing with her, trying to catch her off guard somehow.              "Well, um, I'll get back with you, probably tonight, with our conditions for contingency removal."            "That's fine. By now I'm used to getting screamed at by her anyway." A deep sigh filled Sara's ears. "Let's hold this one together, shall we," he finally asked. "I can't take much more of this seller."              "Fine, talk soon.  She hung up without letting him respond.              Sara put her hands on the steering wheel before starting her car, trying to control her shakes. Why did she let him get to her anyway? Hell, he was just a guy for crying out loud. All guys were complete assholes as far as she was concerned. 
Focus, Sara, focus.  You've been fine since Adam, no need to fall back into this game with anyone now, much less a guy like Jack.                                                                                                              Jack leaned back in his chair after she hung up on him once again. He stared up at the familiar ceiling of his office, sighed, and stretched his arms over his head. His mind drifted back, as it had so many times, to the moment he'd first laid eyes on Sara Jane Thornton. 
His assistant Jason stuck his head in the door, nearly making Jack dump himself backward onto the floor. His eyes sprung open erasing the image of Sara's deep green gaze—and gorgeous tight ass—from his mind.                "Jack," Jason fiddled with his earpiece. "She's calling again—where are you this time?"            He groaned. "Fucking-A, why can't the woman take a hint?"
He'd had gone a lot of years able to escape serious commitment. The one time he'd allowed himself that luxury he had got bitten on the ass so hard he'd been reluctant to sit much since. The fact that the ass-biter had been his first foray into a Dom/sub relationship had made her betrayal that much worse for his ego. Now, he'd miscalculated once again; had severely misread the blonde woman's motives.            Jason shrugged, already taking the next call. He'd been Jack's assistant for ten years, and was used to his boss' love life. He'd proven himself invaluable more than once, deflecting one woman or another. Plus, he was a spot-on, licensed assistant when it came to the business of real estate. Jack leaned into his keyboard, ignoring Jason again.  The young man waved a hand in front of his face.              "Dude, what the hell am I supposed to tell her?"            "Tell her I joined the Peace Corps, moved to Outer Mongolia and am unavailable for the next ten years. Christ, I don't know. That's why I hired you; make some shit up."            "I'm on it," Jason turned and moved down the hallway towards his office, already making Now, in the most perfect of ironies, thanks to Sara, he got to deal with her daily. Jack looked back at his computer screen. Images of Sara covered the monitor—from her real estate website and blog mostly. She had a real handle on using social networking, a pro at keeping fresh photos and testimonials from happy clients.
 Jack ran a hand through his hair. Never in his adult life had he felt so attracted to a woman who had no apparent interest in him beyond professional. Now he got stuck dealing with a crazed bitch of a seller he'd been trying to ditch, just so he could stay in contact with the woman he'd give anything to get the time of day from. An alien state of affairs for Jack—not one he liked much. His phone buzzed. 
Sara. He smiled and answered, already planning his next move.

AN NC17 EXCERPT from FLOOR TIME:She turned away from him, hoping to marshal her strength and tell him to leave. As she made her way down the office hallway she knew by heart even in the darkness, she could smell him on her and knew at that moment, without a doubt, she would fuck him, right then in that office. 
They had been building towards it for too long.  Her brain knew to keep quiet; it would not be heard over her body's clamor. Her baser need for him took over, and when he put a hand on her shirt and firmly tugged her back to him, she let him, shutting her eyes and praying she wasn't making a huge mistake.
She started to turn but he grabbed her from behind. 
"Don't turn around," he whispered.  "Let me show you what happens next. Just leave it all to me." 
She relented and leaned back into his body. His lips claimed her neck. His hands rubbed both nipples at once. She bent her knees and moaned, raised her arms and put them behind her, around his head. He managed at some point to lose his expensive cufflinks and roll up his sleeves exposing tanned, strong forearms. He released each breast from their cup; caressed, rubbed, and pinched the aching, hard nubs of sensitive flesh. His lips and teeth remained on her damp skin. 
She began to move, rubbing against the heat of his erection pressed against her back. He groaned, and increased attention to her nipples, continued to use his lips to caress the back of her neck. A small fire burned wherever he touched her. She imagined she could come against the seam of her jeans, the pressure of his straining zipper against her, both of his hands on her nipples and his mouth in her ear and on her neck.
"Mmm… I have been dreaming of doing this to you for weeks."  The words caused every nerve in her body to tingle. She closed her eyes.
He turned her around to face him, his hands on her upper arms. Before she could whimper about her poor lonely nipples he crushed his mouth on hers, pushing her up against the wall. Her left leg lifted and encircled his waist as her engorged clit begged for contact. 
Oh my God, I am dry humping this grown man in my office.
He reached down and slowly unzipped her shorts, never removing his lips from the skin of her neck. He was muttering, something about "You smell exactly like I thought you would," but she couldn't be certain as her brain started fogging up like the inside of a car window, obscuring all rational thought. 
 Jack reached a hand down, brushed the outside of her panties. She moaned and leaned her head back against the wall. Sweat dripped slowly between her breasts as her breath caught in her throat. She sensed him grin against her skin as he leaned down to find the moisture and lap at it, his fingers lightly teasing her clit. 
"Somebody is really happy to see me." His voice had an edge to it she loved.
 Sara realized that she was moving her hips, thrusting toward him as though drawn by a magnet. She started to reach down, needing to feel his flesh, but he grabbed her hands, lifted them up over her head, pinned her wrists against the wall. 
"No, baby, let me. Just lean back and relax. I'm in charge."
Everything in her struggled against him, tried to resist, but the firm grasp he kept on her wrists was one of the most erotic sensations she'd ever experienced. She bit her lip as Jack slid her shorts down. He reached inside her panties, forming two of his fingers and thumb into a delicious double stimulator.  Slowly, he moved against her swollen nub and slipped into her pussy as his lips traveled from her mouth, to her neck. 
 He manipulated her and maintained his control, seemingly without much effort, still holding her wrists captive over her head.  She started lifting off, becoming as light as air, reaching the edge of extreme pleasure, while part of her tried to maintain her control. The man she'd been dreaming about for months was there, touching her, holding her captive against her office wall, and his lips, dear God...  Eyes closed, head and arms up against the wall, she finally gave in to the pure, shuddering pleasure of it. Ignoring how much further she'd be willing to go with him; her usual reservations abandoned in his arms.
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