Allison M. Cosgrove's Blog, page 30

COVER REVEAL! Sacrifice of Innocence

Alright folks! Its my turn to share with the world the brand spanking new cover for the second edition of Sacrifice of Innocence. The new re-edited edition will be available early in January 2013.

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A cult has been killing children for its rituals and only one cop knows who they are. Detective Stan Brookshire knows but his past keeps people from believing in him. Can he rise above the stigma that shrouds his past and stop a cult from taking yet another innocent child from her mother’s arms before its too late?

Excerpt:

Prologue

The man in the corner listened in the darkness, the wind whistling through the crack in the window frame, billowing his hair around him. The child in the room with him was invisible in the darkness. Even the power of the sun, let alone the light from the full moon, could not dampen the gloom hidden behind the boarded windows.

 Hearing a sound, the man stiffened. It was the child; the sweet, young child.

 ”Very soon, my precious, very soon,” Joseph whispered, his breath coming in short gasps. Excitement filled his belly; time was drawing closer for the boy.

Footsteps in the hallway caused the boy to whimper in fear, lighting the man’s loins on fire. Desperately wanting the forbidden, to touch and play with the boy, he tried to force the urge back down. He wasn’t allowed that pleasure, yet. The priests would come soon and the boy would have to be pure. The man’s needs would have to wait. The boy would have to wait.

Dreaming of the day he would finally be able to have his way with the boy, the man fixed the delicious whimpers in his memory. The boy would no longer be able to cry and plea.

 It was coming soon. So close now.

 On the other side of the room, he heard the ominous creak of the door opening. Blinding light silhouetted a figure dressed in long robes.

 He hurried over and retrieved his boy-child, his breath coming in gasps so ragged that he thought his lungs would cease to function.

 A whimper was all that escaped the gag when the boy tried to scream. Cringing at the man’s touch, he fought against the bonds, causing the man’s groin to harden once more.

 The man smiled. He tightened his grip upon the boy as he tried to wiggle free. The door stood open, waiting for him and the boy.

 Suddenly, the door swung closed behind him, plunging the room into darkness once again.

*****

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Many thanks to all the people who made this possible! Many thanks to my covers designer Miranda Stork. Please stay tuned for more details for the exact release date for the second edition!

Lindsay Avalon Guest Post

I have Ms. Lindsay Avalon here with me today with to talk about her experience on becoming and Indie Author. Take it away Lindsay!

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One year ago, my sister had someone convinced me to participate in NaNoWriMo. I really didn’t have much of an idea of what the hell I was going to write but I decided to do it anyway. I had attempted NaNoWriMo in 2010 and failed because I tried to write a pure fantasy novel and ended up getting lost halfway through the plot. I wanted 2011 to be different. You see, I love to read and my house is covered in paperbacks. Don’t even get me started on how many Kindle books I have. Despite this, I’d still look around the bookstore and complain to my husband that I had nothing to read. He’d tend to reply, “Why don’t you write your own books then?”  My husband provided me with the answer: write what I know. This time around I decided to write a paranormal romance during NaNo, and Breaking the Nexus was born.

 Writing what I know was the best advice ever, and I ended up winning 2011. Best feeling ever at the time. I didn’t actually finish the story though but I shelved it for a while. It stayed in the back of my mind, prodding me so I started putting out feelers to indie authors I liked reading trying to figure out how they’d become popular. I figured it wasn’t as simple as publishing on Amazon and magically gaining readers, but I had no idea how to go about the process.

 Fast forward to summer time. I’d had a few friends read my book and they’d told me how fabulous it was so it helped me gain confidence to keep trying to finish it. I had learned the importance of social networking so decided to take the plunge. Within a couple of weeks I’d started meeting a few people who were willing to read my story and that’s when I learned a very hard truth…my story wasn’t as fabulous as I thought it was. Don’t get me wrong, everyone loved the premise, but the execution wasn’t the greatest. Stylistically I did some strange things that may or may not have been designed to help me win NaNo *cough cough, no contractions, cough* I can neither confirm nor deny this though There were other issues I just didn’t know about and all of a sudden I realized, holy crap I have a lot of work to do. I was devastated at first until I realized there was merit to what they said. They weren’t criticizing my work, they genuinely wanted to help me.

 I have Miranda Stork and Tara S. Wood to thank for pushing me. They gave me the hard truth that my writing wasn’t perfect. They saw potential in me though and encouraged me to listen to their suggestions even when I didn’t necessarily agree with everything they said. When the prospect of writing an anthology came up, I jumped on it because I wasn’t ready to tackle the daunting task of revising Breaking the Nexus. This was without a doubt the best decision I ever could have made. I discovered the entire time I wrote BTN, I’d held myself back. Writing Song of the Abyss was amazing. I found my true writer’s voice and it was liberating. When I finished it and sent it to Tara and Miranda, they returned it with minor cosmetic issues (I have a tendency to skip words lol) rather than the massacre that had been Breaking the Nexus.

 Throughout all of this I’d been working to build an online presence. What started as something geared purely towards getting my name out there so people would buy my books, morphed into a genuine passion. I realized writing wasn’t merely a hobby; it was my true career path. I made tons of friends and no longer was I focused on getting my book published…I wanted to build the friendships and become a better writer. Indie writing is hard as hell because you have the responsibility of promoting yourself, but I love this challenge. I’m busier now that I’ve ever been in my life and I’m thriving. Rather than just being a passing interest like so many other things I’ve latched onto over the years, I have found what I want to do with my life.

 Being an indie writer is so much more than just putting words onto paper. It’s making friends that will last you a life time, constantly honing your craft, learning to take criticism, and accepting you may not be as awesome as you’ve always thought you were. These past few months have been insane, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world. My hard work is paying off and on 12/12/12 my baby, Breaking the Nexus will finally be released into the wild. Thank you to all of the people who have made this possible and I can’t wait to share it with all of you

*****

Thanks so much Lindsay for taking the time out to talk to us a bit about how NaNoWriMo became your inspiration and your drive to write Breaking the Nexus!

Come back and visit us on November 11, 2012 for the cover reveal!

WIP Mondays ~ Dragon Twins

**NB: I Moved the WIP Mondays over to Tuesday this week to make room for the Giveaway of Mr. Joel Mark Harris’ book “A Thousand Bayonets”  Be sure to check out that post if you havent done so already and make sure you get your chance to win a copy of that amazing book!***

A bit of back history and back talk … Stan is at it again!

Enjoy!

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“So what do you want us to do? Check out all of his business associates and find out which one of them might have a grudge against him? A big enough grudge that they would kidnap his daughter and kill his house keeper?”

“That would generally be the whole long and short of it.”

“Yes sir. I have kind thought that was what you were going to say, but we are homicide detectives, not hostage negotiators. Wouldn’t this be better handled by those guys?”

“You Stan have proven to me on more than one occasion that homicide detectives are not just about catching killers. Instead they are trying to save lives in the process.”

Stan knew he was more than likely referring to the Lily Macklin case during which he had almost single-handedly brought down an entire cult and the cop that was covering for it. And in the process he saved Lily Macklin’s life.

“Yes sir, but in those instances we didn’t know that there was a hostage. Now we do-”

“I don’t want to hear it Stan, you and Jane are more than equipped to handle this case. I have already told the mayor that you will be making it your highest priority. He has assured me that you will be able to have all the help that you need in solving this case.”

“Well that is a comforting thought.” Stan said looking over at Jane to see what she was thinking. She was lost in her own world, reading her notes from the night before.

“Not only that but apparently when the mayor called over this morning to offer his condolences and his support, he was told that the Chu’s specifically requested that you two remain responsible for this case.”

“Really?” Stan said long shocked. They hadn’t really done anything out of the ordinary to warrant such a request.

“Yes. Apparently you made a good impression on them. They think very highly of you both, said something about good hearts or something like that. The mayor wasn’t exactly sure what they meant and he only gave me the translation.”

“The probably said that they felt that we had good chi. And it doesn’t mean heart but rather something akin to soul, essence, you get my point.” Jane said without looking up from her notes.

Stan chuckled softly. That was Jane for you little miss know it all.

“Anyway, the fact of the matter is there is no way that you guys can turn the case down, even if I would let you.”

“Ok so you want us to go through all of Chu’s business associates, and then what? There has got to be more than a few, that are less than pleased with our prominent business man. We can’t put tails on them all.”

“I fully am aware of the fact that all I am asking you to do is find the ones that might have the capabilities of doing such a thing and tailing-”

The phone on the chief’s desk rang.

“Chief Di Organza?” Tony said picking it up.

Tony listened for a moment and then said “Alright I’ll send then right over.”

Stan looked at Jane as Tony hung up the phone.

“Alright here’s the deal. There apparently was an attempted kidnapping last night about a few hours later. Same basic circumstances. Only thing that is different is that this was a foster parent and a ward of the state.

There is no immediate connections we can make with this family to Chu’s. I need you guys to go figure it out. The kid, a Julian Chan, is down at number two precinct. Go down and talk to him see what you can dig up.”

Stan rose up and turned to leave, with Jane right behind him.

“Oh and Stan? Try not to scare the poor boy away. Be nice to him.” Tony said as they were leaving his office

“I am always nice.”

“Not to me you aren’t.”

“That’s because it’s you chief.” and Stan flashed him a big grin before he slid out the door.

Stan and Jane headed back down to the parking garage where they took his car to the precinct where Julian Chan awaited them.

GIVE AWAY MONDAY!

Hey everyone! As you all know I am a HUGE supporter of Indie Authors, and even more so if they are Canadian like myself! (Gotta support the home town boys and all that!) That said when a good friend, Indie Author and Canuck approached me about doing a giveaway on my blog of 20 copies of his book I jumped at the chance!

So allow me to once again welcome Mr. Joel Mark Harris to my blog

About Joel:

Joel Mark Harris is an award-winning British-Canadian journalist, novelist, screenwriter and producer. Born in Vancouver, he  graduated from Langara Journalism School in 2007 and worked for the Squamish Chief newspaper before freelancing. At Langara, Joel got the idea to write a series of books about a journalist, the first of which is called A Thousand Bayonets. In the novel, a former war correspondent named John Webster manoeuvres through the seedy underworld of Vancouver, trying to bring a vicious drug lord to justice. A Thousand Bayonets won an Editor’s Choice Award from Author Solutions and won the Pinnacle Achievement Award for Best Thriller. It also was nominated for 2012 Giller Prize Reader’s Choice Award.

In 2008, Joel went to British Columbia Institute of Technology for a public relations degree. After doing various jobs in the PR field, Joel wrote and produced Neutral Territory, a film about Henry Huge, who must return to his crazy Swiss family after falling into money troubles. Neutral Territory won best foreign film in the New York Long Island Film Festival and best feature film at the Interrobang Film Festival. It is also an official selection of the Beijing International Film Festival and the New York International  Film Festival. Joel was nominated for best  screenplay for Neutral Territory in the World Music & Independent Film Festival. In total, Neutral Territory has won ten awards and had fifteen nominations in twenty-three different film festivals.

Joel is currently writing a screenplay called Shots, a coming-of-age story about Carter, a teenager, who gets his first job at a coffee shop. He is also working on a sequel to his novel called Shame the Devil.

About “A Thousand Bayonets”:

John Webster, an experienced war correspondent, just back from the battlefields of Afghanistan, is seeking redemption from the hell he has witnessed. But when he is suddenly caught between two criminal gangs and finds he has nowhere to turn. With a price on his head, he must unravel who is behind the brutal bloodshed, and when the police slap a subpoena on him, Webster finds he doesn’t have much time to solve the mystery before he is thrown in jail. As Webster navigates the dangerous underworld, he struggles against the haunting memories and the terrible destruction he left behind in Afghanistan, which threaten to destroy him. But, as it turns out, pursuing the merciless drug lords may be his dangerous assignment yet.

*****

Now you ask how do you win? Simple! 20 randoms followers of this blog will receive a copy. So make sure to follow this blog and I will announce the winners on a special post on Wednesday. Contest will run from Monday December 3 to midnight Tuesday December 4. 2012  to give everyone time to invite as many friends as they can!

 

Q & A with Joel Mark Harris

This week I get the privilege of interviewing another Canadian Indie like myself! Please welcome Joel Mark Harris!

 What would your bio say?

Joel Mark Harris is an award winning novelist, journalist, and producer. His debut novel A Thousand Bayonets is the winner of the Pinnacle Achievement Award and nominated for the Giller Prize Reader’s Choice Award. He produced and wrote the film Neutral Territory which has won over fifteen awards including best feature film and best cinematography. Joel is currently working on turning A Thousand Bayonets into a feature film.

 

 When did you start writing and why?

I started writing when I was very young for the simple reason I love stories. I find stories more interesting than reality. And no, I’m not crazy. In the movie Shadowlands C.S. Lewis, played by Anthony Hopkins, said we read to know we are not alone. I believe the same goes for writing.

 

Who is your favorite author and why?

I always find that is such a loaded question. I have many favorite authors. It’s hard to pick just one. My all-time favourite book is Lolita by Vladmir Nobokov, and to answer the inevitable next question it’s not because of kinky. My favorite all-time writer has to be Dostoevsky for his insight into the human condition.

 

What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

I hope my readers realize the importance of journalism and how important reporters are, especially in today’s complex world. In North America we take freedom of the press for granted and we shouldn’t. I believe it is vitally important to establish freedom of the press in Afghanistan and Iraq so those people can live in a true democracy and not be afraid to voice their opinions for a better society. If the countries we invade fail to establish freedom of the press then we have failed and all those lives lost and all the billions of dollars we have spent have all been in vain. I don’t believe I’m exaggerating because democracy can’t function without true journalism.

 

Traditional or Self publishing? Why?

I am self-published with Author Solutions and I’ve had nothing but great experiences with them. I believe in the end it doesn’t matter if you go traditional or are self-published in today’s market so as long as you create a great product. Traditional publishes are less likely to take chances on new and experimental novels and if they do they probably won’t put the necessary marketing dollars behind your novel in order to really give it a fair run in the market place.

Adding to all that is the fact people are buying more ebooks and the books they do buy aren’t being bought in bookstores. The new J.K. Rowling novel is being pushed in places like Safeway, Walmart and convenience stores. As much as it pains me to say it, bookstores are become less relevant than they used to.

 

Tell us about your book (s)

A Thousand Bayonets is about a war correspondent who comes home after spending much of his life covering wars and living in war-torn countries. He is exhausted and is looking for some peace and quiet but in his next assignment he witnesses a murder that is gang related and as he tries to solve the murder he must use the skills he learned in Afghanistan and Iraq to outmaneuver the criminals while staying alive.

 

What inspired you to write these books (or in this genre)?

When I was in journalism school I was inspired by my teachers and some guest speakers to write about a war correspondent. I was fascinated by how a journalist is supposed to be neutral in war, especially when he or she is faced with the horrors and the atrocities of war and how they would effect a person and his or her perception of the world.

Tell us why we should love or hate your main character?

John Webster is a very troubled character. He has just come back home from Afghanistan after seeing terrible things and he is thrown into a situation where witnesses a murder and he must face his demons or be destroyed by them. He has a strong belief in what is right and what is wrong and he haunted when he fails to uphold his moral code.

Do(es) your book(s) have a soundtrack?

Great question. I’ve always loved music and it invariably seeps into my writing in one way or another. While I was writing the novel I was really into Fleetwood Mac and listened to them a lot. I love their dynamic sound. In A Thousand Bayonets there is an East Indian taxi driver who listens to Fleetwood Mac on the radio. One of my friends phoned me up and said an East Indian taxi driver would never listen to Fleetwood Mac. I would respectfully beg to differ.

*****

Thanks Joel for hanging out with us today!  To keep up with Joel and his book visit his website!

His book can be found where

Alivia Anders Guest Post: On Being An Indie Author

Today I have the pleasure of having a wonderful Indie author fresh in from her Riven Blog Tour to talk to us about her experiences of being an Indie Author

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Being An Indie Author

Today I’m going to go against the grain. Instead of singing praises of how lovely and simple and laid-back being an indie author can be, I’m going to describe how it really is in one, easy word. 

Back-breaking. 

Synonyms might include; nerve-wracking, high-anxiety, frustrating, debilitating, mind-boggling, insulting, demanding, and my favorite, exhausting. 

Why would I come sounding so… rotten, you might ask? I might want to clear the air here- I’m definitely not being rotten about being an indie author. I love it. Absolutely, heartbreakingly love it. I wouldn’t trade anything, nothing in the world, for this. Everything I do, from the writing to the covers, the promo materials, it all comes from me. I get to control price and royalties. I get to say if I don’t like something and want it out, and want to keep a certain part in. That’s the beauty of being an indie author; it’s all you, baby. No one is looming over your shoulder, whining about deadlines and ‘meeting the market’ or anything maddening like that. Some of us, namely myself, can’t work with someone barking at you. After all, if you don’t do the work, why are you in this business to begin with? 

So then why the glum opening? Easy- being your boss as an indie author is a double- edged sword. Sure, you get to decide when you want to finish that novel, work on that cover, and factor in some fun time on Facebook. But if you don’t put your heart and soul into your work, people know. It can stand out like a sore thumb from the crowd in the worst way possible. You can always tell the difference between an indie author who gave thought to their work, and poured their heart and bits of themselves into the writing, versus an author who strung together some lines and tried to ride on the coattails of a famous trend. Being an indie author is 50% business, 50% soul-revealing. 

But I’ll tell you one thing; when you get it right, and you hit the nail on the head, it’s gold. The magic an indie author can create, when no one is pressuring them to write a special genre for a market, or follow a certain plot to satisfy the generic public, it’s amazing. 

When I started writing ILLUMINE, I wasn’t reading the angel and demon books to see what sold and what hadn’t. I wasn’t looking to make money- I was looking to tell a story. The minute I sat back and said, “Tell me how this plays out,” the characters sprang to life as if they had been merely inches from me. If I went off track, they let me know, as creepy as that sounds. Guess it’s too late to say I’m not crazy, huh? 

What’s back-breaking as an indie author is that you walk this delicate, rapidly unwinding tightrope, and either you risk saving yourself by running across it as fast you can, or fall down into the pit below. That’s why it’s back-breaking; so many are waiting for you to fall, to fail. 

But what’s nice about being an indie is that back-breaking is a double-edged word. Sure, you can look at it negative, but when you do back-breaking things and succeed where others waited for you to fail, the payoff is bigger than anything you can dream of. 

So go on, if you’re an indie, be proud to be a back-breaker. Someday you’ll be showing them all. 

*****

Alivia Anders was thirteen when she fell headfirst into the world of internet fanfic and RPG-forum board sites that showed her the ‘back door’ into the world of writing. Four years and many hours spent glued to a computer screen later she found her true calling in writing.

Alivia currently lives with her family in her hometown of Coopersburg, PA. She frequently admits that if she wasn’t so intolerant to dairy she’d live at her local ice cream shop called The Inside Scoop.

About Alivia’s Latest Book RIVEN;

Captured, imprisoned, and left to burn.

You know what they say- where there’s smoke there’s fire…

For the last two weeks, Essallie Hanley has been a prisoner, in more ways than one. Held hostage by the Queen, she is forced to endure the mind-numbing pain tearing her body- and soul -apart, killing her with every tick of the clock. It seems all hope is lost, until one chance moment gives Essallie a name, Rinae Decante, the final person needed for the Queen to unveil her master plan to end Essallie. Armed with this name, and with the help of Ari and Kayden, Essallie breaks free from her captivity and launches in a search for this mystery girl.

But their search doesn’t go as smoothly as planned, and the three soon find themselves fighting against an impenetrable course of fate aimed to destroy them all from the inside out. When Essallie falls victim to her altering soul, they all begin to wonder of there’s any chance at all to save themselves from the burning effects of their actions.

Love, lies, and betrayal.

No one is safe from the undoing of secrets surrounding Essallie.

*****

You can say hi to Alivia on her Facebook Fan Page- http://facebook.com/aliviaanders

Other Awesome Links;

Alivia Anders Author Page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Alivia-Anders/e/B006W0Y1C0
Twitter (@aliviaanders): https://twitter.com/AliviaAnders
RIVEN Official Blog Tour + RELEASE DAY PARTY Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/events/381073831961610/406625919406401
Alivia Anders Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/aliviaanders
The Illumine Series Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/TheIllumineSeries
The Illumine Series Official Website: http://www.theillumineseries.com
Author Blog: aliviaanders.blogspot.com

WIP Mondays ~ Dragon Twins

Back over to Jade who is … somewhere…

Enjoy!

*****

Jade woke up again and this time she found herself sitting up bound to a chair in the middle of a comfortably decorated living room. There was a couch and a love seat along two of the walls. There was a large arm chair against the wall that she was facing. The coffee table, solid hardwood by the look of it, was between her chair and the arm chair.

She tried to look out the window, but all she could see was a bleak bit of daylight oozing in between the heavy dark curtains. It was the only amount of light that shined in the room.

She looked down to see what it was that she held to the chair with, now that her eyes had grown accustomed to the dim light. She found that she was tied to the chair by a thick braided rope. Try as she might she found that she could not loosen it even in the slightest.

As she struggled she almost gagged on the rag they had stuffed in her mouth.

The sounds of her retching must have gained the attention of her captors as a man suddenly appeared at the doorway. He was an Asian man short, certainly shorter than she was, maybe five foot six at most. His hair was neatly trimmed and he was pleated dress pants with a crisp white button down shirt.

“Ahh…So you are awake now.” The man had a quiet and soothing voice, unlike the harsh barking the other men had spat at her. Who was this guy anyway?

“I am sure you have a lot of questions. From what I have heard you are a very bright girl and bright girls always have questions.”

Jade just stared not daring to move even when the man approached her.

He was close enough now that she could smell the cologne he was wearing.

“If I remove this awful rag from your mouth will you promise not to scream?”

Jade nodded.

He reached out and took the gag out of her mouth. She just sat there not moving a muscle.

“There that’s better. Now we can have a quiet conversation, you and I.”

Jade still said nothing, just watched as he walked back around the coffee table and sat down in the big arm chair across from her.

“Now what questions do you have for me, bright child?”

Jane still remained silent, not fully trusting her voice. She did not want to show this man how afraid she was. She was afraid for her life and for the lives of her parents. She could almost imagine what her mother was doing right at that moment.

And her father would be enraging at anyone who would listen and even to those who wouldn’t. Hong Chu had a way of making people listen to him even no matter what.

“Oh come now child surely you are not a mute. You must have some questions for me.”

“Who are you? And why have you brought me here? What have I ever done to you?” she demanded, hoping her voice would not betray the knot of fear resting in the pit of her stomach.

The man laughed.

“Oh good so you do have a voice! And some very intelligent questions to go with it! Very good. I will make you a deal I will answer your questions one at a time, but for every question of yours I answer you will answer three of mine.

As I have many more questions for you than you have for me. Although I think that my answers will create more questions from you, but for now that is the way it will be, fair enough?”

Jade stared at him for a moment. Was this guy crazy or something? Was this all he wanted to play twenty questions with her? If that was the case then he could have just asked her out for coffee. No she decided.

There was something else. She also knew that the longer she played along with him the less of a chance there was for him to do something to hurt her. That meant there was a better chance that she would be found and rescued.

She nodded her agreement.

“Good shall we start with one of yours first? Or one of mine?”

“Who are you?” she demanded again.

“I am Ling Chong. A Chinese business man. Now my turn. I want to know about-”

“How do I know that you are telling me the truth? You could be lying to me for all I know.”

“That is another question but, for the sake of putting your mind at ease I will answer it. The simple answer is there is no way to know if I am telling you the truth or not. I could very well be lying to you as you say, but the only solution to this is that you will just have to trust me.”

Q & A with Shiralyn Lee

Here with some tales from the “naughtier” side of life is my next victim…. Ms. Shiralyn Lee! Big huge welcome to you darlin! 



What would your bio say?

I have a dirty mind!!! LOL. I write lesbian erotica and BDSM. My work varies from Victorian romance with light erotic scenes through to the dirtier darker side of sex with hardcore scenes and explicit language and BDSM with little boundaries.

When did you start writing and why?

I began writing a few years ago and it all started when my wife challenged me to write my lesbian drama because I was so frustrated at the lack of lesbian productions on the TV.

 If you are a parent how does being a parent affect your writing and writing habits? Or does it?

I am pleased to say that this does not affect me. My children have now flown the coop. But my cat is very persuasive when she wants my attention.

Who is your favorite author and why?

Pat Califia, Suzie Bright. Both in the lesbian genre they are not afraid to write about the C (female anatomy) word. They are forward with their sexual input and basically know how to turn their audience on. Me included.  :)

What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

I want my audience to enjoy the work that comes from me. I have an imagination that is wild and sometimes (possibly) pushing the boundaries. There are like minded lesbians out there and I know personally that I have reached a few. I want to say that it’s alright to write/read this genre without feeling guilty. I’ve even made straight ladies blush.

 

Traditional or Self publishing? Why?

Self publishing. I feel that the indie author world is filled with writers who have a talent. The Traditional companies have gates so thick you’re lucky if your manuscript even reaches the desk of someone willing to open the envelope and read it. I have control over what I write, where I publish it and even my covers. I work for myself at my own pace. Who doesn’t want that.

 Talk about your journey into the wide world of publishing

I published my first book Loving the Pink Kiss with a vanity publisher. $500 later I felt as though they were ripping customers off. I was an unknown author and they were pricing my books at a ridiculous price. So after the contract finished I claimed my book back and published it myself and offer it at a fraction of the price. I now have two full length novels and around ten shorts.

 Tell us about your book (s)

I have my Pink collection, I class these as my romantic drama stories with erotic scenes. Then there is my Sex collection, these are the BDSM and hardcore sex with explicit language. Then there are my various stories. Vampires, ghosts and soon to be published detective themed.

 What inspired you to write these books (or in this genre)?

Being a lesbian I wouldn’t write about anything else. It’s hard to get your mits on such raunchy books. My inspiration came from my wife. She encourages me to write.

Tell us why we should love or hate your main character?

My leading ladies start off raw, usually single, and not ready for a relationship but then that one girl seems to cross their path and almost instantly they are drawn into thinking about why they are attracted. They go through different scenarios but I take them to levels that they would have never experienced.

Do(es) your book(s) have a soundtrack?

No there are no soundtracks but I do have a few songs on my iPod…they would have to be played in private though as way to naughty for public.

*****

Thanks so much Shiralyn for spending time with us today! You can catch Shiralyn on her blog!

You can also get your hands on her hot books on Amazon and Smashwords!

National Novel Writing Month: One More Week To Go…

Well folks we are into the home stretch. Basically one more solid week left before the last day. Its been a rough ride for me Ill admit. I have been playing catch up almost the entire time. I know it is possible to make the come back that I need to and I think that is why I am so lax this year aside from the millions of things that I have had to deal with this month on top of the normal stuff.

But in the end it really isnt the word count that truly matters it is the journey to get there. The triumph despite the odds. This month started with Sandy knocking out our servers at work (US based), then the internet being disrupted by a foolish carrier, a flood at one of the stores, a duel with my publisher which ended in the dissolution of our relationship, and a bunch of stuff started to get the second edition up, and then throw in the kids having me running every which way. Im not generally up for writing as of late.

I will prevail though. I have never not finished NaNo yet and I dont intend on making this year my first. So trudge on I shall and so shall you fellow writers!

How are you all doing by the way? How do you cope when life throws you a fastball? Leave me a message and let me know! Im sure Im not alone!

 

WIP Mondays ~ Dragon Twins

Julians in trouble in this weeks snippet!

Enjoy!

*****

CRASH!

Julian opened his eyes laying there disorientated for a moment, what was that?

“Hellllllllpppppp m—!!!!” The cry for help was cut abruptly short.

Julian sat up and looked around for a moment. Was he still dreaming or did he really hear those noises?

He heard a shuffle in the hallway. He quickly rolled out of bed and into a crouch on the floor just as the door swung open and someone stepped into the room. His heart was pounding in his chest. He looked under the bed, in the darkness he could just make out the outline of a pair heavy black boots standing just inside his door.

“Come on out Julian, I don’t want to make this any harder on you than it has to be.” The voice was quiet with an accent that Julian couldn’t quite recognize. This person certainly wasn’t some one who wanted to pay them a polite social call. And how did this guy know his name?

Julian grabbed the baseball bat that he had stuffed left under his bed just as the fee wearing the boots started to move and walk around the edge of the bed. He waited for a moment, took a deep breath, and rose with a shout and swung his bat will all his might.

He caught the guy standing in the middle of his room by complete surprise. His bat’s arc hit the man square on his shoulder.

The man in the ski mask howled in pain and cursed in a Chinese dialect he didn’t understand. Then he dropped down on his knees. Another man wearing an identical ski mask as the first soon appeared at the door and started towards Julian.

Julian still held his bat aloft and used it to ward off any further attacks coming from the men. The other man stopped his beside his fallen comrade, who was still on the floor writhing in pain.

Who are these guys? Julian thought. And what in the hell were they doing in his house?

Julian tried to think of what he was going to do next when the man that had just entered spoke to him.

“Julian, you are coming with us one way or another, my dear boy.” The man’s accent was clearer that the others and Julian realized that they were both Chinese.

What in the hell was going on here?

“I am not going with you anywhere.” He said with as much of a threatening tone as he could muster.

“Oh but I think you are. And that bat you hold is not going to be able to protect you forever you know. You will get tired of fending us off soon and that is when you, my dear boy, will make a mistake and then we will have you.” His partner was already rising to his feet and shaking off the pain in his shoulder. So much for it being broken.

“Oh I don’t think so.” He was trying to sound confident. He thought maybe these guys would decide that they might be at a slight disadvantage and leave him be.

Where is Martha? Is she alright? The thoughts stuck him as he remembered the crash and the cry for help that had been cut short.