Robin Badillo's Blog, page 25
February 7, 2012
"Sinful Writings" and author Mindi Ferrari
They say confession is good for the soul. If that's truly the case then I should be in great shape by the end of this post. My GUILTY by ASSOCIATION admissions are picking up steam and today's
Wickedly Sexy Writer
will sincerely make the ol' Sealed with a Kiss engine hum. Please help me welcome Mindi Ferrari! I met Mindi shortly after becoming published. She's not only an author of paranormal romance, she's a big fan, too. Mindi and I bumped into one another a few times on a couple of yahoo author/reader loops and I found her quite amusing and eager to help out other authors... a classy quality in my book!
I got to know her even better after she reviewed one of my books. Overwhelmed by her praise, I was beyond flattered by what she had to say. Not all authors review each other's work, but when we do, most are usually quite honest. And I'm not just saying that because she liked it. Had she hated it, I would have respected her opinion, just as I would any other reviewer. If you know me, then you know how I roll... (no not to the nearest buffet... though I am a little hungry.) :-) Mindi is a remarkable lady and her website and blog could make even an erotic author blush... I should know, I am one and I have blushed while visiting. I've learned much more about her in the last year and I'll share some of that with you now.
Raised in Las Vegas,Nevada Mindi Farrari always had a passion for reading and writing. Since shewas 10 years old, Mindi dreamed of writing horror novels. That dream quicklyended when she realized boys and girls were supposed to not only get along, butthey were so supposed to fall in love and live happily ever after.
Mindi has taken justabout every course college had to offer, majoring in criminal justice, and minoringin elementary education. She ended up opening her mind to a world with so muchdiversity that it enabled her to write about different genres, giving hercharacters a depth that only she could describe. For Mindi, writing Romancenovels is the one thing she enjoys more than life itself.Here are a couple of those novels now...
MIDNIGHT ASSASSINS:
Annie was definitelynot ready for the life that was about to be handed to her. She was dealing witha job she liked, but a boss she hated. She had no family and only one truefriend. One horrible day took her life by surprise. Beaten and almost dead shefinds her life in the arms of a handsome, over bearing vampire and wantsnothing more than to stay put there forever, but can't seem to let go of herpast. Nicholie was definitely on a mission in his life; to kill the huntersthat killed his sister Emma, and maintaining his life as an assassin which wasmore than time consuming. Closing in on a lead, he ends up finding Annieinstead, and falls head over heels with this breathtaking human that he wantsto make his own, testing his very belief system as a vampire.
Sorrow's reaping skillsgo above and beyond any other Reaper that has lived, yet she fights with thememory of her father's death and tries desperately to search for his killer.Signing over her soul to do the Heaven's dirty work she ends up running into aman who she remembers as trying to kill her and her family. The man she hatesjust might end up becoming the man she needs to fight this deadly war that'sbrewing. Vengeance is a trainedassassin that falls madly in love with the one woman he was supposed to killdecades ago. Searching for most of his life and traveling all over the world tofind her he ends up losing all hope. That is until the two meet from what theythought was a chance encounter but was really a set-up.Mindi can be found alongside me and all of our other Wickedly Sexy Writers anytime, or you may find her at home on her own website and blog. Here are her links:"Sinful Writings" http://www.mindiferrari.com
Wickedly Sexy Writers:http://wickedlysexywriters.wordpress.com/
February 5, 2012
Still waters really do run deep! Welcome Lucy Felthouse
I have an extra confession to make today regarding my never-ending GUILTY by ASSOCIATION proclamations! Though I am not ashamed in the least to declare how pleased I am to be part of the WICKEDLY SEXY WRITER'S BLOG along side my amazing cohort, Lucy Felthouse, I am mortified to admit that she has never been a guest on Sealed With a Kiss!! Say it ain't so!! A gross, though unintentional, over-site on my part, I assure you. I'll have lots of time to make up for that blunder now that we share a "child" together, a.k.a.
WSW
. Anyone who runs their own blog can attest to that comparison. We're fortunate that our 'village' is made up of some quite domineering authors. And domination is right up Lucy Felthouse's alley!! If you don't believe me, just check out one of her seriously hot titles,
Punish Me Good
...
Twohot tales of fem-dom and BDSM that you won't forget. Punish Me GoodGorgeous,sexually talented and above all, completely obedient, Malachi loves to pleasehis beautiful mistress. Humiliation, spanking, switching; he'll take it all andmore, for the heady taste of Avery is something he literally cannot livewithout. Trophy BoyfriendEthanis what most would call eye candy. He looks good, and is dynamite in the sack.Sadly, he's also as dumb as a box of rocks, a fact that his girlfriend can nolonger overlook. Deciding to end things with the minimum of fuss, she plans fortheir relationship to go out with a bang.
Trophy Boyfriend hasbeen previously published in Cleis Press anthology, Best Bondage Erotica 2012.
I've titled today's post, 'Still Waters Really Do Run Deep' for a reason. I mean, just look at that angelic face. Would you suspect her of telling such yummy tales? Probably not. This photo, with those cute little braids and unassuming smile, may exude the innocence of "Dorothy" from the "Wizard of Oz", but could it also hide something devilishly wicked? Judging by her résumé, one could argue, yes. No wonder she's a major player at the Wickedly Sexy Writer's blog. This lady has it goin' on! Even upon closer examination, you probably wouldn't be able to tell, that much like Dorothy, Miss Lucy Felthouse isn't in Kansas anymore, in fact, this darlin' lass hails from all the way across the pond, in England. An interesting fact for sure. There's even more to discover about this
Wickedly Sexy Writer
, indeed. Here's just a sliver of what I've learned.
LucyFelthouse is a self-proclaimed chocoholic, a writer, a marketer and a web geek.She dabbles in a bit of everything; but primarily does the following things:WriteeroticaReaderoticaCreatewebsitesDoPR & MarketingLucyhas been writing for as long as she can remember, and has been published since2006 in magazines, books and online.Whenshe graduated from University, Lucy started working in PR & Marketing. Inearly 2011 she decided to become self-employed; writing for part of the timeand doing web design, PR & Marketing for the rest of the time. You can findout all about the services she offers on her website, Writer Marketing.Lucygraduated from the University of Derby in June 2006. Her final yeardissertation was on erotic literature; and how women's roles in the genre haveincreased as social attitudes change.
Shehas written seriously since secondary school, but it wasn't until the secondyear of her A Levels that she decided to go to University and study Creative Writing.In her first year at University of Derby one of her friends persuaded her tohave a go at writing erotic literature. So Lucy wrote "Sam & Katie" which was based on her friend's fantasy of havingsex with his high school teacher. She took the completed piece into Universitywhere it went down incredibly well with her friends that read it and she's neverlooked back.Lucyhas written for various magazines and websites, and you can find a list ofbooks she's appeared in on her Published Works page.Herhobbies and interests include; reading and writing, watching films, checkingout other writers' websites and blogs, spending time with friends and family;walking and camping.Lucy's website has more information about how she began writing, whereshe's been published and so on.http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk
Youmay check out Lucy's blog to see what's happening with her latest projects, orhead on over and check out her book reviews (which aren't just of eroticbooks).Ifyou're looking for more general information on erotic writing and authors, shesuggests heading on over to Erotica For All. Yes, that's one of hers! http://eroticaforall.co.uk/
Here's a sample of some of Lucy's e-Books...trust me, she has enough titles under her belt to make your Kindle, Nook or other e-Reader happy for weeks!!
Links to these titles are all on her website, soooooo.... why are you still here? Go on, you know you wanna check them out!! I'll still be here when you get back!!
February 2, 2012
Wicked OCD's & Author Drea Becraft
If you didn't know OCD's could be used to your advantage, then you haven't met Drea Becraft! Continuing my GUILTY by ASSOCIATION confessions this week, I proudly admit to being connected to this
Wickedly Sexy Writer
, without hesitation. As I've said before, Drea is a phenomenal woman, period!! A wife and mother of three precious girls, this lady has her hands full enough without tossing in the stress that comes along with being an author. What? Did you think we have it easy just because we're romance authors? Hardly.
But somehow, Drea makes it look easy. So easy, in fact, that I told her once if I were in the market for a wife, she'd make the perfect one! I even affectionately dubbed her my "wifey"! We planned it all out. She and her girls would move from Ohio to Texas and we'd share parenting duties... meaning my older kids would keep an eye on her younger kids while we did the "writing" thing. Her OCD tendencies would allow her to do all the housework. Of course, I would cook meals and whatever else was needed, but knowing her, there wouldn't be much left to do. While I'm sure she'd rock an apron, I'm not sure my tiny house could handle six kids, two dogs, all of Drea's cats and that overgrown kid, Shane, a.k.a., "the husband".
Drea Becraft is much more than a mother, wife and friend. She's a Jackie-if-all-trades. She heads up a reader/author yahoo group, a Facebook group for WSW, her personal blog, JBP Reviews as well as that
Wickedly Sexy Writers
group we've been talking about this week. She certainly has used that self-diagnosed OCD quite nicely. Here's a little more about Drea: Growing upDrea Becraft wanted to save the world one dead body at a time as ahomicide detective. After high school her dreams turned to the waysidewhen she found out she was going to be a mother. Eight years later she isnow the mother of three beautiful girls, who are a handful, and married to herhigh school sweetheart. When she is not frantically getting two kids toand from school, to cheer practice, or cleaning up the after a full householdshe enjoys reading anything and everything she can get her hands on. After a few years of simply reading for enjoyment she began to get excellentideas for stories of her very own and began to write them as much as time willallow. Watching as her dreams and characters become solid on paper hasbeen exciting to say the least. Drea can't wait to share everydream one story at a time. Until then she enjoys tons ofconversation and laughs on twitter, Facebook, and yahoo loops and wouldlove to hear from you on any or all of them.
Speaking of stories, here's something you may enjoy... Forget The Yesterdays
Somesay the past defines us, others say to forget it and move forward. For JackMcCloud, the past plagues him with what could and should have been. After thedeath of the only woman he ever truly loved, Jack finds that forgetting theyesterdays is harder then he ever imagined. Impossible, until one woman comesinto his life and turns it upside down making him rethink where his futureleads, and whether he really wants to survive it on his own.SamanthaLarsh, a single mother, only wants what is best for her and her newborn son. Sowhen offered a job at ARC Management, she is elated at the opportunity toprovide the life they both desperately need. One day, one job, and one secretlater her life would be forever changed. Can the future handed to her by fatebe enough for her to look forward to tomorrow, or is she forever doomed to livein the shadow of yesterday's ghost? The awesomeness doesn't stop there. Check out a few of Drea's other titles and even one that will be coming in April. You can find all of her titles on her website and several other places she's been known to hang out!
Drea Becraft's Website: http://dreabecraft.com/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/DreaBecraftAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/dreabecraft
JBP Reviewshttp://jbpreviews.com/
Wickedly Sexy Writers http://wickedlysexywriters.wordpress.com/
Wicked OCD's & Drea Becraft
If you didn't know OCD's could be used to your advantage, then you haven't met Drea Becraft! Continuing my GUILTY by ASSOCIATION confessions this week, I proudly admit to being connected to this
Wickedly Sexy Writer
, without hesitation. As I've said before, Drea is a phenomenal woman, period!! A wife and mother of three precious girls, this lady has her hands full enough without tossing in the stress that comes along with being an author. What? Did you think we have it easy just because we're romance authors? Hardly.
But somehow, Drea makes it look easy. So easy, in fact, that I told her once if I were in the market for a wife, she'd make the perfect one! I even affectionately dubbed her my "wifey"! We planned it all out. She and her girls would move from Ohio to Texas and we'd share parenting duties... meaning my older kids would keep an eye on her younger kids while we did the "writing" thing. Her OCD tendencies would allow her to do all the housework. Of course, I would cook meals and whatever else was needed, but knowing her, there wouldn't be much left to do. While I'm sure she'd rock an apron, I'm not sure my tiny house could handle six kids, two dogs, all of Drea's cats and that overgrown kid, Shane, a.k.a., "the husband".
Drea Becraft is much more than a mother, wife and friend. She's a Jackie-if-all-trades. She heads up a reader/author yahoo group, a Facebook group for WSW, her personal blog, JBP Reviews as well as that
Wickedly Sexy Writers
group we've been talking about this week. She certainly has used that self-diagnosed OCD quite nicely. Here's a little more about Drea: Growing upDrea Becraft wanted to save the world one dead body at a time as ahomicide detective. After high school her dreams turned to the waysidewhen she found out she was going to be a mother. Eight years later she isnow the mother of three beautiful girls, who are a handful, and married to herhigh school sweetheart. When she is not frantically getting two kids toand from school, to cheer practice, or cleaning up the after a full householdshe enjoys reading anything and everything she can get her hands on. After a few years of simply reading for enjoyment she began to get excellentideas for stories of her very own and began to write them as much as time willallow. Watching as her dreams and characters become solid on paper hasbeen exciting to say the least. Drea can't wait to share everydream one story at a time. Until then she enjoys tons ofconversation and laughs on twitter, Facebook, and yahoo loops and wouldlove to hear from you on any or all of them.
Speaking of stories, here's something you may enjoy... Forget The Yesterdays
Somesay the past defines us, others say to forget it and move forward. For JackMcCloud, the past plagues him with what could and should have been. After thedeath of the only woman he ever truly loved, Jack finds that forgetting theyesterdays is harder then he ever imagined. Impossible, until one woman comesinto his life and turns it upside down making him rethink where his futureleads, and whether he really wants to survive it on his own.SamanthaLarsh, a single mother, only wants what is best for her and her newborn son. Sowhen offered a job at ARC Management, she is elated at the opportunity toprovide the life they both desperately need. One day, one job, and one secretlater her life would be forever changed. Can the future handed to her by fatebe enough for her to look forward to tomorrow, or is she forever doomed to livein the shadow of yesterday's ghost? The awesomeness doesn't stop there. Check out a few of Drea's other titles and even one that will be coming in April. You can find all of her titles on her website and several other places she's been known to hang out!
Drea Becraft's Website: http://dreabecraft.com/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/DreaBecraftAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/dreabecraft
JBP Reviewshttp://jbpreviews.com/
Wickedly Sexy Writers http://wickedlysexywriters.wordpress.com/
January 31, 2012
Different Degrees of Wicked- Cassandre Dayne
If there is one thing I have learned since joining the world of romance writers, it's that there are different degrees of wicked!! From the flirtatiously sweet to downright scorchers and Cassandre Dayne's novels top the list of stories that keep the heat blazing.
As we further explore confessions of my wicked deeds, I bring to you yet another reason of why I'm GUILTY by ASSOCIATION, and frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Cassandre is another of those phenomenal writers I've bragged about lately who share the Wickedly Sexy Writer's Spotlight over on our shared blog, Wickedly Sexy Writers!!
She's also a prime example of the variety our group offers when it comes to genre and level of heat available to our loyal readers.
Romance is also brought to us by authors from all walks of life.
And when it comes to walking, if I could spend a day in another author's shoes, they would have to be Cassandre Dayne's.
Allow me to tell you why:
Cassandre writes highly erotic romance stories and novels inthe contemporary, science fiction and paranormal flavors. Currently she hasthirteen erotic romance novels published with Rebel Ink Press and several moreunder contract. She's also had three releases with Naughty Nights Press and isunder contract to provide several novels and stories to be released in 2012.
In addition, as her alter ego Bethany Halle, she is the hostof two blog talk radio shows with Robin Falls Red River Radio. The Fire of Fantasy& Darkness airs every other month highlighting writers and other artists inthe fantasy, science fiction and paranormal genres. Dare to Take the Plungealso airs every other month featuring writers, publishers, cover artists andreviewers in the erotic romance genre. She also is a weekly/monthly contributorto Naughty Nights Press, Erotic Diaries, After Dark Online, Kinke Magazine andQueer Magazine Online.
As Bethany Halle she is also the Director of Communicationsfor Rebel Ink Press and currently serves on the Nominating Committee of theRWA's Passionate Ink. She will serve as President Elect for Passionate Ink in2012.She was a Passionate Ink finalist for their Passionate Plumecontest with Treats in a Plain Brown Wrapper andhas received several four and five star reviews for her work.Memberof: Virginia Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America, Passionate Ink, EPIC,ARRA – Australian Romance Readers Association.
Just relaying that information has worn me out!
I don't expect you to take my word for it about just how talented this author is. I'll let her work speak for itself!!
Take a look at Hearts Forged in Fire...
For rancher ZekeParker, every day was difficult. Not only was Rattlesnake Ranch falling on hardtimes but he couldn't get over the horrible grief plaguing him for over a year.The death of his lover, David, had nearly stripped away his soul. AsValentine's Day drew near his sister Sandi was determined to drag him out ofhis private hell. Agreeing to be a part of a charity auction for the humanesociety, Zeke figured one date with a wealthy woman wasn't going to kill him.But during dinner at Sandi's house, Zeke meets movie producer Drake Wilson,who's scouting locations for an upcoming movie, and sparks fly.
After an impetuousmoment of heat, both men are skittish and each have their reasons for pullingback. But Cupid has other ideas in mind. When a rouse brings the two mentogether, passion roars between them but damning secrets are too much foreither to deal with. Just as Zeke is determined to give up on love forever,Cupid intervenes again and this time, the arrow goes straight through Zeke'sheart.
I hope you will take a few moments to check out more of Cassandre Dayne's books! The variety will astound you. If you don't believe me, just take a look of the few samples I've included here today!!
You may find these yummy titles and more about Cassandre on her Blog & Website:Blog http://cassandredayne.wordpress.com/ Website: http://www.cassandredayne.com/
and you may find her books on the following sites:Book Strand: http://www.bookstrand.com/cassandre-dayne
All Romance Books: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Cassandre+Dayne
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cassandre-Dayne/e/B004U2K1YY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_2
January 29, 2012
Guilty By Association: Avril Ashton
Welcome, Everyone!!
I've been guilty of a lot of things in my life, most of which I may have even tried to deny, but lately I've been guilty of a lot of really wicked things... Uh, GUILTY by Association, that is!
Lucky for you, I'll be confessing all my wicked deeds over the next couple of weeks as Sealed with a Kiss introduces you to some very Wicked Sexy Writers.
As some of you may know, I'm part of a wonderful community of talented authors from all over the world.
This big ol' rock we call home offers a variety of people, places and things and I was fortunate to have found some of my favorites things all in one spot, when I met Avril Ashton . Otherwise known as my "sister from another mister."
She's not only one of my favorite people, she lives in Brooklyn, New York, a place I would happily give my left pinkie-toe to visit AND she writes one of my favorite genres... gritty, sexy, romance with heroines who kick ass and take names just as well, if not better, than the heroes!!
Avril has visited Sealed With a Kiss many times since she and I first became acquainted a while back through a mutual publisher. She keeps me on my toes and is quite proficient when it comes to threats if I've slacked off on writing.
Needless to say, when a phenomenal group of writers invited me to join forces for a blog Avril was also part of, nobody had to twist my arm, though I'm sure "Avi" would have gladly done so had she needed to.
Click Banner to visit Wickedly Sexy Writers Which brings me to the reason we're talking about her now.
Avril is really making her mark in the publishing world and her phenomenal books are popping up all over the place.
Let me tell you a little more about her, then we'll get to those tasty novels!!
Avril always wanted to have a sexy bio, one to reflect who she is, but after drawing a blank, she thought up this gem: I eat cake and I read books…ooh, and I write'em too. Though I thought it suited her, she claims no one liked it and after massive peer-pressure, she managed something much more extensive.
A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y with a Spousal Equivalent of eight years. Together they raise a 7 y/o daughter who loves reading and school (wonder how long that will last). Avril's earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing plot points of The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing thing in August of '09 and has never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril's stories, but there'll always be a happy ending; Avril remains a believer of love in all its forms.
Now for the BOOKS!!!
Everyone has secrets. Some people simply bury theirs deeper. Kingston Hughes is one of those. Painful childhood memories plague him, sending him spinning out of control and running from any kind of commitment. He pretends not to feel the pain and loneliness while indulging in sexual encounters with nameless, faceless women.With the twist of a doorknob, his carefully cultivated façade is shaken by the woman he'd forbidden himself to need.The daughter of a recently slain mobster, Elina Vicente has secrets, too. They weigh her down, stealing her strength and her dreams. She's developed an unhealthy crush on Kingston though he's never looked at her as anything but his sister's quiet friend. When she walks in on him in a compromising embrace, Elina seizes the chance to move Kingston from her dreams and into her arms.For only the second time in her life, Elina takes something just for her, but try as she and Kingston might, they can't prevent their pasts from intruding. Shadows of pain and bitterness rise with a vengeance and the lovers will have to decide whether to break free or remain bound…In Wicked Chains.
eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/in-wicked-chains/
Amazon http://tinyurl.com/823tm57
All Romance http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-inwickedchains-665437-144.html
Pretty hot, huh? Well it doesn't stop there. Avril Ashton has several novels under her belt! Take a look at her bookshelf...
These books can all be found on Amazon, eXtasy Books, All Romance, Evernight Publishing, Book Strand, TotalEBound, & Fictionwise. Links to all of these novels can be found on Avril's Website:
http://avrilashton.webs.com/ or visit her Blog:
http://avril-ashton.blogspot.com/
I've been guilty of a lot of things in my life, most of which I may have even tried to deny, but lately I've been guilty of a lot of really wicked things... Uh, GUILTY by Association, that is!
Lucky for you, I'll be confessing all my wicked deeds over the next couple of weeks as Sealed with a Kiss introduces you to some very Wicked Sexy Writers.
As some of you may know, I'm part of a wonderful community of talented authors from all over the world.This big ol' rock we call home offers a variety of people, places and things and I was fortunate to have found some of my favorites things all in one spot, when I met Avril Ashton . Otherwise known as my "sister from another mister."
She's not only one of my favorite people, she lives in Brooklyn, New York, a place I would happily give my left pinkie-toe to visit AND she writes one of my favorite genres... gritty, sexy, romance with heroines who kick ass and take names just as well, if not better, than the heroes!!
Avril has visited Sealed With a Kiss many times since she and I first became acquainted a while back through a mutual publisher. She keeps me on my toes and is quite proficient when it comes to threats if I've slacked off on writing.
Needless to say, when a phenomenal group of writers invited me to join forces for a blog Avril was also part of, nobody had to twist my arm, though I'm sure "Avi" would have gladly done so had she needed to.
Click Banner to visit Wickedly Sexy Writers Which brings me to the reason we're talking about her now.Avril is really making her mark in the publishing world and her phenomenal books are popping up all over the place.
Let me tell you a little more about her, then we'll get to those tasty novels!!
Avril always wanted to have a sexy bio, one to reflect who she is, but after drawing a blank, she thought up this gem: I eat cake and I read books…ooh, and I write'em too. Though I thought it suited her, she claims no one liked it and after massive peer-pressure, she managed something much more extensive.
A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y with a Spousal Equivalent of eight years. Together they raise a 7 y/o daughter who loves reading and school (wonder how long that will last). Avril's earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing plot points of The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing thing in August of '09 and has never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril's stories, but there'll always be a happy ending; Avril remains a believer of love in all its forms. Now for the BOOKS!!!
Everyone has secrets. Some people simply bury theirs deeper. Kingston Hughes is one of those. Painful childhood memories plague him, sending him spinning out of control and running from any kind of commitment. He pretends not to feel the pain and loneliness while indulging in sexual encounters with nameless, faceless women.With the twist of a doorknob, his carefully cultivated façade is shaken by the woman he'd forbidden himself to need.The daughter of a recently slain mobster, Elina Vicente has secrets, too. They weigh her down, stealing her strength and her dreams. She's developed an unhealthy crush on Kingston though he's never looked at her as anything but his sister's quiet friend. When she walks in on him in a compromising embrace, Elina seizes the chance to move Kingston from her dreams and into her arms.For only the second time in her life, Elina takes something just for her, but try as she and Kingston might, they can't prevent their pasts from intruding. Shadows of pain and bitterness rise with a vengeance and the lovers will have to decide whether to break free or remain bound…In Wicked Chains.eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/in-wicked-chains/
Amazon http://tinyurl.com/823tm57
All Romance http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-inwickedchains-665437-144.html
Pretty hot, huh? Well it doesn't stop there. Avril Ashton has several novels under her belt! Take a look at her bookshelf...
These books can all be found on Amazon, eXtasy Books, All Romance, Evernight Publishing, Book Strand, TotalEBound, & Fictionwise. Links to all of these novels can be found on Avril's Website:http://avrilashton.webs.com/ or visit her Blog:
http://avril-ashton.blogspot.com/
January 27, 2012
Real Romance Behind the Romance Novel...
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Earlier this week, I was given a link to a blog of a gentleman, and I use the term loosely, regarding his opinion of, and I quote, "The Problem with Romance Novels." Rarely am I offended by what bloggers or anyone sharing an opinion has to say. It's just an opinion, right? In fact, here on Sealed With a Kiss , we welcome it.
This guy, and a couple of his seven followers, said some pretty offensive things. Things that not only hurt, but really made me mad. Professionally and personally.
Without going into great detail, he stated that romance novels were, "purposefully meant to be a lesser work," and that included the skills of the authors who write them.
He went on to say that romance was "inexplicably" the best selling genre and that the nearly 50% illiteracy rate in the US was partially to blame, siting that, "Many people don't have the reading skills to rise much higher than children's books or romance novels."
Well, I beg to differ.
People don't read romance novels because they
can't
read Dickens or Jane Eyre, they read it because, often times, they're looking for that escape from reality and feel good, happily ever after stories give us that momentary reprieve from our everyday lives.They're stories we can relate to... even the fantasy or paranormal stories are, in most cases, more about the romance that the paranormal effects.
For me, it's more about the entertainment factor. And, by the way, I know for a fact that most of my readers HAVE read Dickens, Jane Eyre and other classic love stories.
I write romance novels as an outlet for the stories brewing in my head and as a way to deal with things that haven't always been so perfect in my life. Every story I write touches on real issues that real people suffer from everyday. I've said this until I'm blue in the face.
Let's be honest, the classics may deal with betrayal, greed, politics, death and similar problems, but are you going to find anything about dealing with drug addiction, alcoholism, autism, drunk driving, child abuse and the like? Maybe, but times are a lot different than they were a hundred years ago. Hell, things are different than they were twenty years ago. People want to connect with something they can relate to, something that at least looks and sounds familiar and current. Unless, of course, they're die-hard fans of Historical or Western Romance. But even then, the feel and tone is easier to understand and relate to.
Readers also want the "Happily Ever After" and the classics don't always offer that.I also write romance because that stuff really does happen and I can prove it.
I posed questions on Facebook regarding romance, in hopes that real people would open up about the romantic gestures they had experienced in their lives, either as the one perusing their intended or as the object of another's affection.
Guess what I discovered?
Romantic fiction isn't far from reality at all. In fact, in my opinion, a couple of people who shared their experiences may have even had it better than any book could ever get it. Long term, monogamous, mutually beneficial, gratifying relationships. The real deal.
If I wanted gloom and doom, I'd pick up Wuthering Heights, though reading it again won't change anything. Heathcliff and Catherine aren't going to get it right this time around anymore than Romeo and Juliet will ride off into the sunset together and fill Verona, Italy with further generations of beautiful children and grandchildren.
I want something with hope. Something that will make me laugh, cry and hopefully even blush. Which brings me to another point... romance leads to more than marriage, it leads to sex. Not that all romance novels have sex, a lot don't, and that's fine, too.
That's the beauty of today's romance novel. The degree of heat and sexual content spans from one end of the spectrum, as found in religious type romances, all the way across the board to full blown, no holds barred, bend me over the kitchen table, press me up against the bedroom wall, "fornication."
Is that wrong? Why should it be? Real people have sex and in the post women's liberation and equal civil rights world we live in today, we can do it without ridicule or dear of punishment.
Does sex take away from romance? You tell me. But the way I see it, religious or moral beliefs aside, how could it? As far as I'm concerned, throwing two unlikely characters together, add a little sexual tension, toss in some flirtatious banter and you have the beginning of a romance that's likely to pack a punch.
The blog post I mentioned before not only insulted the writing of romance novels, but even went so far as to suggest in later comments that the content was unbelievable because those types of romantic gestures and story-lines never happen. Maybe not in their world, but I've witnessed it and have even experienced some of those moments myself.
In a later post on the same blog-site, one of the comments said that romance novels glorified rape by creating alpha-male heroes who ravaged unwilling women, only to have the them fall in love with their attackers later. Okay, well anyone who has a brain and lives in this century, knows that yes, before the world stopped turning a blind eye to those kind of things, some authors did write those types of story lines. But no more.
In today's publishing world, I can assure that rape and other sexually deviant behavior, is not tolerated. Admittedly, there could very well be unscrupulous publishers in some third world country that may produce that kind of story or even people who manage to fly under the radar and self-publish, but they are held in the same regard, we as a society, place child pornographers. The genre is not only "frowned upon", it's downright unacceptable and unwanted in the legitimate publishing world. Don't worry, we'll have a much more in-depth discussion on that topic for another day.
For now, I just want to say before I close, that regardless of the sub-genre or heat level you prefer, the author who wrote it, did so with the intent of making you, as a reader, smile.
No matter what some ignorant blogger does to insult our intelligence or yours, Romance novels are here to stay!! You can count on it!
January 25, 2012
That's easy for you to say!! Wicked Word Wednesday!!
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"!!
If you grew up in my generation or are perhaps even as young as 30, you may know what that word is and where I first heard it.
Julie Andrews sang it to us in Walt Disney's wonderful musical, "Mary Poppins", alongside Dick Van Dyke's, "Chim Chim Cher-ee".
So many memories from my childhood are associated with music and of course, really cool words!
Today I thought I would look for some of those words and share them with you. I hope you enjoy them!
Superfluous: being beyond what is required or sufficient; serving no useful purpose. (probably a good word to describe this blog post by the time it's over)
Bowchikawowwow:
the sound made when foretelling something sexual in nature is about to or has just occurred. (It refers to the lame music often played in the background of cheezy porno movies! Not that I would know anything about that!!)
For me, it's the music that plays in my head every time Ian Somerhalder enters a scene on the WB's "Vampire Diaries". Yeah, I'm Team Damon! Love my bad boys!!
Grundfuttock: Large groups of naked angry dwarfs wielding oddly shaped hammers wearing cock-rings (I swear I didn't make this word up. I really found it while wandering around on the internet)
*shaking my head and heading off to find a very dark place to hide!
Floccinaucinihilipilification:
flok-suh-naw-suh-nahy-hil-uh-pil-uh-fi-key-shun:
Rare, the estimation of something as valueness (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language)
I don't know if you're sensing a theme here, but I sure am.
Fabulator: to tell invented stories; create fables or stories filled with fantasy (in other words... ME!)
MacGuffin: coined by Alfred Hitchcock; a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction, (ie., what every writer strives for and pretty much the complete and total opposite of this blog post today)
onomatopoeia: the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it; ie., buzz, hiss or the term hiccup (this was one of my children's favorite words they learned in Elementary school. I've always liked the sound of it myself)
Well that's about all I have the gumption for today, my friends. I hope you've enjoyed this break from whatever tedium may have infiltrated your lives this fine hump-day. Mine was wet and gloomy, so a little escape was just what the doctor ordered.
If you grew up in my generation or are perhaps even as young as 30, you may know what that word is and where I first heard it. Julie Andrews sang it to us in Walt Disney's wonderful musical, "Mary Poppins", alongside Dick Van Dyke's, "Chim Chim Cher-ee".
So many memories from my childhood are associated with music and of course, really cool words!
Today I thought I would look for some of those words and share them with you. I hope you enjoy them!
Superfluous: being beyond what is required or sufficient; serving no useful purpose. (probably a good word to describe this blog post by the time it's over)
Bowchikawowwow: the sound made when foretelling something sexual in nature is about to or has just occurred. (It refers to the lame music often played in the background of cheezy porno movies! Not that I would know anything about that!!)
For me, it's the music that plays in my head every time Ian Somerhalder enters a scene on the WB's "Vampire Diaries". Yeah, I'm Team Damon! Love my bad boys!!
Grundfuttock: Large groups of naked angry dwarfs wielding oddly shaped hammers wearing cock-rings (I swear I didn't make this word up. I really found it while wandering around on the internet)
*shaking my head and heading off to find a very dark place to hide!
Floccinaucinihilipilification:
flok-suh-naw-suh-nahy-hil-uh-pil-uh-fi-key-shun:
Rare, the estimation of something as valueness (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language)
I don't know if you're sensing a theme here, but I sure am.
Fabulator: to tell invented stories; create fables or stories filled with fantasy (in other words... ME!)
MacGuffin: coined by Alfred Hitchcock; a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction, (ie., what every writer strives for and pretty much the complete and total opposite of this blog post today)
onomatopoeia: the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it; ie., buzz, hiss or the term hiccup (this was one of my children's favorite words they learned in Elementary school. I've always liked the sound of it myself)
Well that's about all I have the gumption for today, my friends. I hope you've enjoyed this break from whatever tedium may have infiltrated your lives this fine hump-day. Mine was wet and gloomy, so a little escape was just what the doctor ordered.
January 21, 2012
Desperately Seeking a Sexy Muse!!!
People often ask how my stories come to me, or how I visualize a character. I've always explained that the character originates as a voice in my head, whether it be female or male. It's a rather peculiar process, but it usually leads to a little bit of daydreaming and mental scene weaving.
To help put a face to the voice requires a little bit of torturous research that can lead to time consuming distraction. Allow me to elaborate. Let's say I have a character already named and visualized in my head, but now I need him/her to come to life. To do this I must scour the internet searching for "that" guy/girl. Often, I Google a description like "sexy male model". WOAH!!! Can that be dangerous! Of course, it may depend more on what your search settings are. Since my kids don't ever use my laptop, I leave the "safe search" feature off. Hence the distraction! Once the shock wears off, and a cold shower or three, I then click though images until the one I'm looking for pops out at me. This can be frustrating, especially if I find more than one model appealing, and trust me, they are ALL appealing.
Take Jason Craft for instance, who just so happens to be my favorite character to date AND my muse. He came to life in my "Blood Hunter" Trilogy. First mentioned in book #1, The Beginning, then fully evolved, live and in person in Book #2, The Betrayal, and #3 The Return.
I found several models who could have easily embodied my vision of Jason. Choosing just one was hard, so to be fair to my muse, I've allowed him to change at will, thereby having all of those gorgeous models rolled into one. My own little sexy harem, if you will. When I began my next paranormal endeavor,
Midnight Beckoning
, I had another difficult task. I had to find the perfect models to embody two sexy guys, one Damphyr and one Vampire. And let's not forget a dynamic heroine I planned to toss in the middle.
Not only that, but I needed the perfect location where the story took place, which was a hidden lair inside a mountain. Okay, so that part wasn't so hard. But finding creatures to represent hell demons? Not so easy.
After turning a bunch of cyber-rocks, I finally found something close enough. Granted, it wasn't exactly necessary, but my muse must have what my muse wants and keeping him happy is my life's goal.
That being said, after getting the technical stuff out of the way, the fun part began. <--- Meet
Ford Lennox!!
This gorgeous creature is model, Bernardo Velasco. Yeah, his name is as sexy as he is! Imagining him in tight jeans, a long, black duster and a massive Glock shoved in the back of his waistband, wasn't so hard at all. Can you see this beefy hero/Damphyr King, tossing a damsel in distress over his shoulder and scaling the side of a building, to escape flying hell demons? It happens every day in my head. Destined to find the perfect mate, he had to be worthy of the queen he'd been seeking for 300 years.
Now, imagine the distressed damsel, just waiting to be saved, and I give to you, Lauren Neil!! The human meant to fulfill the prophecy, unaware that the Damphyr lurking inside of her is about to be awakened. Flaming red hair and looks to die for! Sounds easy, but red haired beauties aren't always easy to find. I lucked out though, and this darling girl suited Midnight Beckoning's lucky heroine to a "T".
So far so good, except for one thing...Temptation! Meet, vampire,
Evan
(a.k.a. model, Leonardo Corredor), the proverbial wrench thrown in to stir up confusion and possibly create a little dissension in the ranks. How can the Damphyrs unite with the Vampires when the Prince of the vamps wants your queen for himself? And Evan isn't even the eveil nemesis of them all... the Incubus behind the entire war!!
Yes, that IS Jason Momoa as Conan the Barbarian. Now before you get too excited, Drago , the evil incubus who sired Lauren, isn't described how Jason Momoa is depicted here, but finding a model for the character proved impossible. It happens sometimes, so I had to imagine the next best thing and Mr. Too Good to be True, worked for me. Of course, the book was written before Jason portrayed Conan the Barbarian or even Khal Drogo in The Game Of Thrones. My creative process isn't perfect, by any means, but it IS how I get things done. It's different for everyone and I find that intriguing.
I hope that when you read Midnight Beckoning, you will envision each character with your own unique interpretation, or perhaps my examples will satisfy your need to put faces to the story. I hope you enjoy these hot little excerpts... they may be short, but a little taste of this sexy triangle is called for.
****WARNING**** Adult Content
Lauren & Ford... Reaching up to touch his mouth, she allowed thevery tip of his fang to pierce her skin. Ford's tongue wrapped aroundher finger and he sucked the blood droplets trickling down."How long have you wanted to taste me?" shewhispered as he sucked harder. Her blood rushed to the surface of her skin. Ableto sense the path it took flowing down his throat when he swallowed, thethought of it engulfed her with a sensual burn. "Three hundred years," he hissed as he bit downharder on her finger, drawing more blood. "I'm inside of you." Laurenleaned back, pressing her head against the shower wall allowing warm water tosplash down her face and body. "As I am in you," he growled, lifting her uponto his waist, clutching her thighs. Lauren wrapped her legs around him,accommodating the girth of his hardened shaft as he gently slid inside. A loud gasp filled the room as he pulled herdown, plunging himself deeper. Ford lifted her as though she weighed next tonothing and worked himself withinher depths as they writhed together in the shower. Deep passionate growls vibrated in her chest increasing witheach passing second as she clung to his massive body and clenched her thighstightly around him. Reality far surpassed what she expected from the brieftimes they'd spent together in the stolen moments of her dreams. Lauren dropped her legs, forcing him out, and instantlyturned away, facing the shower wall. Leaning over her shoulder, Ford kissed theback of her neck, sending thousands of electrical currents across her flesh.She ran her hand behind her back and down to his crotch where she stroked him,urging him to enter her again. Ford took his cue and did as he was prompted. He slid hishand between her legs from the front and immersed his fingers deep into thewarmth of her slick folds.
Entering her from behind, he massaged her swollen clitrhythmically with his middle finger. Each stroke caused Laruen's body toshudder under his touch. A ball of electricity gathered between her legs andthe pressure built like a volatile volcano.
Lauren & Evan....Confusion whirled in her mind. What could they do? "I don'tknow." She meandered aroundthe furniture, suppressing thoughts of another need that built inside her. Asubtle burn began to grow in the back of her throat. Only this time it wasn't ahunger for blood. It was something else. Something she only dared to share withFord.As a damphyr, sensual desires came all too frequently, theone trait inherited from being sired by an incubus. Usually she could satisfythe craving by beckoning Ford to her bed in a dream, or even better, seduce himin the flesh. Now, she was alone in Drago's lair with Evan, and there was noway to scratch the itch gnawing at her. Betraying Ford wasn't an option nomatter how bad her body painfully ached for a man's passionate touch."Are you okay?" Evan came up behind her and lightly grazedher hand, capturing her attention.Turning to face him, she wasn't about to reveal what hissimple, innocent touch did to her insides. Heat radiated up her arm, across herchest, down her torso, finally settling between her thighs. "Yes, I'm onlyworried about you," she lied.Evan gently clutched her arms below her shoulders. "I alreadytold you that I'm fine."Lauren drew in a deep breath and stared into his piercingsilvery eyes as a determined thought took over her mind. "How loyal are you tome, really?"He tilted his head to the side, furrowing his brow as thoughconfused by the question. "I've pledged my undying allegiance to you, Lauren.Don't you believe me?""Yes, I believe you, but I want to know how far you'rewilling to go to please me," she leaned in, her heart racing so loud the sound of itboomed in her ears.Evan licked his parched lips as he stared at Lauren's mouth. "I think we covered this part a while ago. Iwould stop at nothing to please you," he breathlessly whispered.She cupped her hand around the back of his neck and leaned intohim, pressing her mouth against his ear, she whispered back, "Then feed."
I hope you enjoyed yourself today and if you have something to say, please share!! You can find Midnight Beckoning and all of my other books at eXtasy Books, Amazon and Fictionwise as well as many other third party retailers.Here are some of those links...eXtasy Books: http://www.extasybooks.com/index.php?route=product/author&author_id=442Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/78yb8yg Fictionwise: http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mwsearch
To help put a face to the voice requires a little bit of torturous research that can lead to time consuming distraction. Allow me to elaborate. Let's say I have a character already named and visualized in my head, but now I need him/her to come to life. To do this I must scour the internet searching for "that" guy/girl. Often, I Google a description like "sexy male model". WOAH!!! Can that be dangerous! Of course, it may depend more on what your search settings are. Since my kids don't ever use my laptop, I leave the "safe search" feature off. Hence the distraction! Once the shock wears off, and a cold shower or three, I then click though images until the one I'm looking for pops out at me. This can be frustrating, especially if I find more than one model appealing, and trust me, they are ALL appealing.
Take Jason Craft for instance, who just so happens to be my favorite character to date AND my muse. He came to life in my "Blood Hunter" Trilogy. First mentioned in book #1, The Beginning, then fully evolved, live and in person in Book #2, The Betrayal, and #3 The Return.
I found several models who could have easily embodied my vision of Jason. Choosing just one was hard, so to be fair to my muse, I've allowed him to change at will, thereby having all of those gorgeous models rolled into one. My own little sexy harem, if you will. When I began my next paranormal endeavor,
Midnight Beckoning
, I had another difficult task. I had to find the perfect models to embody two sexy guys, one Damphyr and one Vampire. And let's not forget a dynamic heroine I planned to toss in the middle.
Not only that, but I needed the perfect location where the story took place, which was a hidden lair inside a mountain. Okay, so that part wasn't so hard. But finding creatures to represent hell demons? Not so easy. 
After turning a bunch of cyber-rocks, I finally found something close enough. Granted, it wasn't exactly necessary, but my muse must have what my muse wants and keeping him happy is my life's goal. 
That being said, after getting the technical stuff out of the way, the fun part began. <--- Meet
Ford Lennox!!
This gorgeous creature is model, Bernardo Velasco. Yeah, his name is as sexy as he is! Imagining him in tight jeans, a long, black duster and a massive Glock shoved in the back of his waistband, wasn't so hard at all. Can you see this beefy hero/Damphyr King, tossing a damsel in distress over his shoulder and scaling the side of a building, to escape flying hell demons? It happens every day in my head. Destined to find the perfect mate, he had to be worthy of the queen he'd been seeking for 300 years. 
Now, imagine the distressed damsel, just waiting to be saved, and I give to you, Lauren Neil!! The human meant to fulfill the prophecy, unaware that the Damphyr lurking inside of her is about to be awakened. Flaming red hair and looks to die for! Sounds easy, but red haired beauties aren't always easy to find. I lucked out though, and this darling girl suited Midnight Beckoning's lucky heroine to a "T".
So far so good, except for one thing...Temptation! Meet, vampire,
Evan
(a.k.a. model, Leonardo Corredor), the proverbial wrench thrown in to stir up confusion and possibly create a little dissension in the ranks. How can the Damphyrs unite with the Vampires when the Prince of the vamps wants your queen for himself? And Evan isn't even the eveil nemesis of them all... the Incubus behind the entire war!!
Yes, that IS Jason Momoa as Conan the Barbarian. Now before you get too excited, Drago , the evil incubus who sired Lauren, isn't described how Jason Momoa is depicted here, but finding a model for the character proved impossible. It happens sometimes, so I had to imagine the next best thing and Mr. Too Good to be True, worked for me. Of course, the book was written before Jason portrayed Conan the Barbarian or even Khal Drogo in The Game Of Thrones. My creative process isn't perfect, by any means, but it IS how I get things done. It's different for everyone and I find that intriguing.
I hope that when you read Midnight Beckoning, you will envision each character with your own unique interpretation, or perhaps my examples will satisfy your need to put faces to the story. I hope you enjoy these hot little excerpts... they may be short, but a little taste of this sexy triangle is called for.****WARNING**** Adult Content
Lauren & Ford... Reaching up to touch his mouth, she allowed thevery tip of his fang to pierce her skin. Ford's tongue wrapped aroundher finger and he sucked the blood droplets trickling down."How long have you wanted to taste me?" shewhispered as he sucked harder. Her blood rushed to the surface of her skin. Ableto sense the path it took flowing down his throat when he swallowed, thethought of it engulfed her with a sensual burn. "Three hundred years," he hissed as he bit downharder on her finger, drawing more blood. "I'm inside of you." Laurenleaned back, pressing her head against the shower wall allowing warm water tosplash down her face and body. "As I am in you," he growled, lifting her uponto his waist, clutching her thighs. Lauren wrapped her legs around him,accommodating the girth of his hardened shaft as he gently slid inside. A loud gasp filled the room as he pulled herdown, plunging himself deeper. Ford lifted her as though she weighed next tonothing and worked himself withinher depths as they writhed together in the shower. Deep passionate growls vibrated in her chest increasing witheach passing second as she clung to his massive body and clenched her thighstightly around him. Reality far surpassed what she expected from the brieftimes they'd spent together in the stolen moments of her dreams. Lauren dropped her legs, forcing him out, and instantlyturned away, facing the shower wall. Leaning over her shoulder, Ford kissed theback of her neck, sending thousands of electrical currents across her flesh.She ran her hand behind her back and down to his crotch where she stroked him,urging him to enter her again. Ford took his cue and did as he was prompted. He slid hishand between her legs from the front and immersed his fingers deep into thewarmth of her slick folds.
Entering her from behind, he massaged her swollen clitrhythmically with his middle finger. Each stroke caused Laruen's body toshudder under his touch. A ball of electricity gathered between her legs andthe pressure built like a volatile volcano.
Lauren & Evan....Confusion whirled in her mind. What could they do? "I don'tknow." She meandered aroundthe furniture, suppressing thoughts of another need that built inside her. Asubtle burn began to grow in the back of her throat. Only this time it wasn't ahunger for blood. It was something else. Something she only dared to share withFord.As a damphyr, sensual desires came all too frequently, theone trait inherited from being sired by an incubus. Usually she could satisfythe craving by beckoning Ford to her bed in a dream, or even better, seduce himin the flesh. Now, she was alone in Drago's lair with Evan, and there was noway to scratch the itch gnawing at her. Betraying Ford wasn't an option nomatter how bad her body painfully ached for a man's passionate touch."Are you okay?" Evan came up behind her and lightly grazedher hand, capturing her attention.Turning to face him, she wasn't about to reveal what hissimple, innocent touch did to her insides. Heat radiated up her arm, across herchest, down her torso, finally settling between her thighs. "Yes, I'm onlyworried about you," she lied.Evan gently clutched her arms below her shoulders. "I alreadytold you that I'm fine."Lauren drew in a deep breath and stared into his piercingsilvery eyes as a determined thought took over her mind. "How loyal are you tome, really?"He tilted his head to the side, furrowing his brow as thoughconfused by the question. "I've pledged my undying allegiance to you, Lauren.Don't you believe me?""Yes, I believe you, but I want to know how far you'rewilling to go to please me," she leaned in, her heart racing so loud the sound of itboomed in her ears.Evan licked his parched lips as he stared at Lauren's mouth. "I think we covered this part a while ago. Iwould stop at nothing to please you," he breathlessly whispered.She cupped her hand around the back of his neck and leaned intohim, pressing her mouth against his ear, she whispered back, "Then feed."
I hope you enjoyed yourself today and if you have something to say, please share!! You can find Midnight Beckoning and all of my other books at eXtasy Books, Amazon and Fictionwise as well as many other third party retailers.Here are some of those links...eXtasy Books: http://www.extasybooks.com/index.php?route=product/author&author_id=442Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/78yb8yg Fictionwise: http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mwsearch
January 18, 2012
The Fine Line Between Protection and Censorship!!
Anyone who's turned on a television or surfed the web in recent days should have heard about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect-IP Act (PIPA). Both sides have weighed in and each have valid points.
Anyone who has a website, blog or produces a product sold online, has or will be affected by both the pros and cons of this Act.
If nothing is done, authors, musicians and any other individuals or groups dependent on the internet to survive, grow or maintain their businesses will be left defenseless against piracy. The flip side, is that too much Government involvement could potentially lead to disaster along the lines of censorship and limited right to information.
Now, I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon in favor or or against either side, because in all honesty, I've found myself torn.
As an author, just the word
censorship
makes me cringe.
As a citizen of a country based on the inalienable rights of a free-thinking society, I worry about government sanctions on something that is essentially "international space" (I think of it like that part of the ocean that eventually becomes International waters where nobody has the upper hand).
Of course, my business is romance and not politics, so I may be way off in my analogy of the internet. That being said, this entire post has more to do with how this issue effects me personally, more so than taking a stand for either side. At least that's my intention.
This is how my world works.
I am a single mother, raising my children on a VERY limited budget and we are like many Americans who live hand to mouth to survive. I know how to make a dollar stretch and doing so is the only way I'm able to keep a roof over our heads... a leaky roof, but a still a roof.
I'm also a writer and my books are what keeps the roof maintained and everything under it fed, and protected from the big bad world. I have put thousands of hours into each book I've written and 99% of the promotion to get my books seen and read by the public is payed for by me and only me. Essentially that means that my book sales basically pay for my promotion and trust me, even that is sparse.
If unscrupulous individuals download one of my $5 e-books then posts it on another website, giving it away for free.... my family loses everything and I do mean EVERYTHING. (Fortunately, nobody knows who I am yet, so I've dodged that bullet for now. Many of my peers haven't been as lucky)
I know the music and movie industry are the front-runners when it comes to fighting piracy, and I really understand how bad the problem is. Stealing is stealing and that's all there is to it.
That being said, I have to be blunt and say that I really don't shed many tears for those industries because I know they get their money from the $10- $15 movie ticket I pay when I splurge and go to a theater for a new movie release. (Don't even get me started on the $5 soda and the $10 bag of popcorn.)
Yes, bootleg music and movies cost them financially, but let's be real, they aren't going bankrupt by any means. Hollywood's A-lister's kids aren't going to have to settle for community college and Jay-Z and Beyance's beautiful new baby girl, Blue Ivy, isn't going to have a smaller silver spoon than other musician's kids. They'll all be just fine, I'm sure.
On the other hand, authors, especially independent authors and those signed with small publishers, like me, do lose the bulk of our very livelihood from pirated books. So while big business ie. Hollywood and the music industry, will get what they're asking for from having government involved protection, who's looking out for me? Or do they even care?
Will SOPA/PIPA really protect my rights and keep my books from being stolen and handed out to the world for free? I personally don't see how.
The internet is too complex and pirate sites go right back up with different IP addresses five minutes after they're shut down. It's a proven FACT! I'm sure nobody can or will dispute that. It happens!!
Will policing and eventually censoring the internet help? I don't know. In all honesty, I don't really see how, but what I do see is the potential for the internet I use for research to soon become limited in what I can see and learn.
It frightens me that there will be some government agency somewhere deciding what I have a right to see, say or research. Kind of sounds like China and North Korea, censoring what their citizens are allowed to see online.
Do I think there should be laws about pornography? Definitely when it comes to crimes against children or women, but should someone somewhere decide whether or not "Joe Citizen" living in "Wherever", USA has the right to watch willing adults participate in consensual "whatever"? My answer would be a resounding, NO.
Should I be limited in what I write about here on my blog or in any of my books? Not unless I'm hurting someone or unless what I write is in some crazy way, criminal.
What scares me the most is, what would stop the government from deciding that simply writing romance novels with sex in them is illegal? I could be arrested and that's NOT a world I want to live in.
Am I saying it will happen? No. But on that note, I can't say it wouldn't either.
All I know is that whatever entity is going to make the decision regarding SOPA/PIPA, do so with regard to everyone, including the little guys, like me.
Is it a far stretch to assume that this Act could lead to serious government censorship bordering on Communist type governing? Perhaps, but stranger things have happened.
Show me a plan that effectively stops or prevents pirating and you will have my support, but don't hide behind something we DO need, to slip in and pass something that could violate my rights as a US citizen. I'll throw a flag on the field every time, along with the rest of them.
Here's your chance to share what's on your mind, and please feel free to do so with the respect and decorum all of you have always maintained as a guest here at Sealed With a Kiss!!
Anyone who has a website, blog or produces a product sold online, has or will be affected by both the pros and cons of this Act.
If nothing is done, authors, musicians and any other individuals or groups dependent on the internet to survive, grow or maintain their businesses will be left defenseless against piracy. The flip side, is that too much Government involvement could potentially lead to disaster along the lines of censorship and limited right to information.Now, I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon in favor or or against either side, because in all honesty, I've found myself torn.
As an author, just the word
censorship
makes me cringe.As a citizen of a country based on the inalienable rights of a free-thinking society, I worry about government sanctions on something that is essentially "international space" (I think of it like that part of the ocean that eventually becomes International waters where nobody has the upper hand).
Of course, my business is romance and not politics, so I may be way off in my analogy of the internet. That being said, this entire post has more to do with how this issue effects me personally, more so than taking a stand for either side. At least that's my intention.
This is how my world works.
I am a single mother, raising my children on a VERY limited budget and we are like many Americans who live hand to mouth to survive. I know how to make a dollar stretch and doing so is the only way I'm able to keep a roof over our heads... a leaky roof, but a still a roof.
I'm also a writer and my books are what keeps the roof maintained and everything under it fed, and protected from the big bad world. I have put thousands of hours into each book I've written and 99% of the promotion to get my books seen and read by the public is payed for by me and only me. Essentially that means that my book sales basically pay for my promotion and trust me, even that is sparse.If unscrupulous individuals download one of my $5 e-books then posts it on another website, giving it away for free.... my family loses everything and I do mean EVERYTHING. (Fortunately, nobody knows who I am yet, so I've dodged that bullet for now. Many of my peers haven't been as lucky)
I know the music and movie industry are the front-runners when it comes to fighting piracy, and I really understand how bad the problem is. Stealing is stealing and that's all there is to it.That being said, I have to be blunt and say that I really don't shed many tears for those industries because I know they get their money from the $10- $15 movie ticket I pay when I splurge and go to a theater for a new movie release. (Don't even get me started on the $5 soda and the $10 bag of popcorn.)
Yes, bootleg music and movies cost them financially, but let's be real, they aren't going bankrupt by any means. Hollywood's A-lister's kids aren't going to have to settle for community college and Jay-Z and Beyance's beautiful new baby girl, Blue Ivy, isn't going to have a smaller silver spoon than other musician's kids. They'll all be just fine, I'm sure.
On the other hand, authors, especially independent authors and those signed with small publishers, like me, do lose the bulk of our very livelihood from pirated books. So while big business ie. Hollywood and the music industry, will get what they're asking for from having government involved protection, who's looking out for me? Or do they even care?Will SOPA/PIPA really protect my rights and keep my books from being stolen and handed out to the world for free? I personally don't see how.
The internet is too complex and pirate sites go right back up with different IP addresses five minutes after they're shut down. It's a proven FACT! I'm sure nobody can or will dispute that. It happens!!
Will policing and eventually censoring the internet help? I don't know. In all honesty, I don't really see how, but what I do see is the potential for the internet I use for research to soon become limited in what I can see and learn.It frightens me that there will be some government agency somewhere deciding what I have a right to see, say or research. Kind of sounds like China and North Korea, censoring what their citizens are allowed to see online.
Do I think there should be laws about pornography? Definitely when it comes to crimes against children or women, but should someone somewhere decide whether or not "Joe Citizen" living in "Wherever", USA has the right to watch willing adults participate in consensual "whatever"? My answer would be a resounding, NO.
Should I be limited in what I write about here on my blog or in any of my books? Not unless I'm hurting someone or unless what I write is in some crazy way, criminal.What scares me the most is, what would stop the government from deciding that simply writing romance novels with sex in them is illegal? I could be arrested and that's NOT a world I want to live in.
Am I saying it will happen? No. But on that note, I can't say it wouldn't either.
All I know is that whatever entity is going to make the decision regarding SOPA/PIPA, do so with regard to everyone, including the little guys, like me.
Is it a far stretch to assume that this Act could lead to serious government censorship bordering on Communist type governing? Perhaps, but stranger things have happened.
Show me a plan that effectively stops or prevents pirating and you will have my support, but don't hide behind something we DO need, to slip in and pass something that could violate my rights as a US citizen. I'll throw a flag on the field every time, along with the rest of them.Here's your chance to share what's on your mind, and please feel free to do so with the respect and decorum all of you have always maintained as a guest here at Sealed With a Kiss!!
