Shyla Colt's Blog, page 24

It’s my Anniversary!

I normally don’t do the double post thing, but I looked at the calendar and realized, today is the anniversary of my wedding renewal! The first time my husband I got married it had none of the frills, just him, I , and a hilarious justice of the peace. I wore a vintage cream and lace gown from the 1950’s and he wore khaki pants and a white shirt. To this day the personal aspects of that marriage ceremony rival the lavish one that followed six months later. Happy Anniversary to Richard…. Boy do I have running around to do today,lol. I think an ice cream cake is in order. :Nods: Oh yeah. For those who don’t know my husband was deployed for seven months right up until three months ago. So this is a huge celebration for so many reasons. I realized that I have no photo’s of myself on here really. So he’s a glimpse into my “real” life.

Mid-Week Inspiration: Lighten Up Buttercup

It’s no secret that we live in a “more” society. We always want things to be bigger, better, smarter. The images of women are perfect. Tiny, bodies, big, breasts, flawless skin, and luxurious hair; its an unnatural beauty that’s sometimes accomplished by air brushing. Yeap, even the celebrities can’t live up to the standards of “more”. You’ve heard the stories and seen the controversies. ( Look up the hoopla about Julia Roberts being airbrushed to name a recent occasion. Or the fact that some companies create computer generated models… they’re not even real people) Now take note, I didn’t’ say all are un natural I said some. I want to make sure I’m being understood. If you work hard, and eat right you can have a fabulous body. In this instance, however, that’s not what I’m talking about. Even knowing all of this we don’t’ realize how much the More Monster, affects us. Yeah I called it a monster, and I’ll tell you why.

It makes us lose focus of our accomplishments. It takes a dozen small steps to get to the large ones. Yet, when you get caught up in moving forward toward more, we miss those occasions for celebration. Most of you know I have a three month old. I’m pretty much back to my pre pregnancy size, hell, some of the clothes are too big. Instead of celebrating my success, I found myself saying, “Oh, but I’m a twelve, and my goal is to be a ten.” :Face palm: Really? It took a lot of hard work, schedule balancing, and eating healthy to make it here so soon after giving birth, I should’ve been jumping with joy. But I was so caught up in the move forward I almost missed the mile marker I’d reached.

We do it all the time in a dozen different ways we probably never even notice, especially, if you have children. I cleaned the house but I didn’t finish all the laundry. I managed to squeeze in a work out but it wasn’t the intensity it could’ve been. I’ve been a published author for a year, but I only have seven books out… okay so that one was me, lol. I say it’s time to take a stand. Actively celebrate those mini victories. It’s a personal challenge I’ve issued to myself, and I invite you to join me.

On that note I have a milestone I’ll be revealing tomorrow that I’d like you to celebrate as well… with a new contest. :Winks: Come on, you know you missed them. Thanks for tuning in for another installation of , Mid-week inspiration, I hope this add a boost to your hump day.

Indie Author Hop!

Readers! Eight award winners in the 2012 eFestival of Words “Best of the Independent eBook Awards” have grouped together to offer you an amazing opportunity. They’ve reduced the prices of their award-winning novels to 99 cents for August 27 and 28th!

Whether you like to read mysteries, romance, horror, young adult, women’s fiction, or fantasy, this group has it. Are you a writer yourself? Do you want to learn all about digitally publishing your next masterpiece? They’ve got you covered there too.

Get all eight award-winning ebooks for the price of one single paperback!

Award Winners

Best Mystery/Suspense: Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice

Best Non-Fiction: DIY/Self-Help: Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran

Best Horror: 61 A.D. by David McAfee

Best Romance: Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne

Best Young Adult: The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto

Best Fantasy/Urban Fantasy and Best Novel: The Black God’s War by Moses Siregar III

Best Chick Lit/Women’s Lit: Carpe Bead’em by Tonya Kappes

Award for Best Twist (“I’ve Been Shyamalaned”): The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan

Here’s a one-stop shopping link for your convenience: http://amzn.to/MO7qBY

Book Blurbs

Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice

Laura Carnegie gave up on the man of her dreams a long time ago. He’s fashion designer Jeremy St. James, and not only is he her boss, everyone knows he’s gay.

When the woman who holds the company purse strings is found dead in the office, and Jeremy’s arrested for the murder, everything changes. If Laura can just solve this crime, keep the cops off her tail, break up a counterfeiting ring, and get the show on the runway by Friday, she might stop being Seventh Avenue’s perpetual loser.

If you love Project Runway, or enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada, try Dead Is the New Black.

Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran

This guide contains over 60,000 words of essays, articles, and how-to guides, as well as contributions from 33 bestselling indie authors including J Carson Black, Bob Mayer, Victorine Lieske, Mark Edwards, and many more.

It covers everything from how the disruptive power of the internet has changed the publishing business forever to the opportunities this has created for writers. It gives you practical advice on editing, cover design, formatting, and pricing. And it reveals marketing tips from blogging and social networking right through to competitions, discounts, reviews, and giveaways.

If you are considering self-publishing, if you need to breathe life into your flagging sales, or if you want to understand why it’s a great time to be a writer, Let’s Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should will explain it all.

61 A.D. by David McAfee

61 A.D. For ten years, Taras has lived in the young city of Londinium, feeding off the city’s underbelly. But now Theron, his old enemy, has come looking for revenge, and Taras’ nights of living in relative peace are about to end.

Yet not even Theron can slip into town unnoticed, and the Council of Thirteen sends Ramah to deal with the two renegades once and for all. But unknown to the Council, a much older enemy is also in Londinium, and this time even the great Ramah might not be safe.

Set against the backdrop of the Iceni uprising in Roman-era Britannia, 61 A.D. continues the story of Taras, Theron, and Ramah, as they fight their way through history.

Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne

Nic Lamoureux’s perfect movie star life is shattered by a stalker who threatens any woman close to him. When he meets photographer Lauren James, the attraction is instant–and mutual. She’s exactly the sort of woman he craves, but the stalker makes deadly clear Lauren is the competition.

And the competition must be eliminated.

“Stock up on ice cubes because this is definitely one sizzling debut. Readers will be hooked from the first sentence- on the book and on Nic! As rich as a white chocolate cheesecake, Cayne’s entrance into the suspense genre is invigorating, explosive and simply intoxicating.” ~ RT Book Reviews Top Pick

The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Worse, someone has used an evil spell book to bring back two of history’s most nefarious killers.

Ivy’s got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But first, she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits: the school’s hotter-than-brimstone demon bad boy, Nick Marcelli. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and Ivy soon discovers it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end

The Black God’s War by Moses Siregar III

Against the backdrop of epic warfare and the powers of ten mysterious gods, Lucia struggles to understand The Black One.

Her father-king wants war.

Her messianic brother wants peace.

The black god wants his due.

She suffers all the consequences.

“Moses is a fine writer deserving of success, and I think that it will follow … I really enjoyed Moses’s work.” – David Farland, NYT Bestselling Author of The Runelords

Carpe Bead’em by Tonya Kappes

Hallie Mediate was raised by her (slightly) crazy Great Aunt Grace on the wrong side of the tracks in Cincinnati. Hallie escapes her hometown and never looks back.

That is, until she’s transferred back to the hometown. Not wanting her past to cross paths with her future, Hallie puts her life on hold.

Aunt Grace is still up to her old tricks, but Hallie finds some sanity at a local jewelry-making class where she uncovers a hidden talent for beading.

Will she keep searching for the happiness she may already have found?

The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan

Thomas Ford is the only survivor of the car crash which killed his wife. He is also the only witness who would be willing to identify the young, reckless driver who caused the crash. But the driver would sooner see Thomas Ford dead than ever let that happen.

Happy Reading!

Friday Free for All : Pantser or Plotter?

Hello my lovelies,

I’m going to make this post short. A blessed event has occurred in the house and I want to enjoy it. What you ask? Both of my girls down for a nap at the same time, lol. Today I’m going to answer one of the questions I’m asked the most.

Previously I would’ve always answered plotter. The first thing I did when an idea drifted into my head was sit down and plot it. I did it old school with a thought web and then a Roman Numeral outline. It helped keep me on track and avoid the gumming up of the gears that can happen when you lose focus and your mind and writing wanders. Then something amazing, amusing and frustrating as heck started to happen. My characters went rogue. No amount of planning, plotting, begging or refusing to write what “they” wanted would budge the stubborn buggers once they decided who they were and what was right for them. I know some of you are going, but their fictional characters, you tell them what to do. Not so my friends. :Shakes head: For me my characters are like a living entity with a personality , a past, a face, and sometimes a very strong opinion. It’s become such a normal occurrence, that I’ve changed the way I wrote all together.

I think a story is best when it comes from a real place and speaks to you in a “Soul” level. So I don’t want to resist the direction the muse and my characters aka minions want to send me in. So I became both a pantser and a plotter. Why have one or the other, when you can take some from column A and some from Column B? I do a brief outline, usually in my head now, but occasionally on paper. When the character reveals something to me I go with it. In the end my story is always better for their input. I take things one scene at a time. It’s always been my habit to view my story like movie in the sense that I “see” it scene by scene. So for me it’s scene 1, scene 2. Just like in a movie/show every scene moves my story in some way. This method really helped me tighten up my writing, add depth,, and make my characters come to life.

My number one goal writing, next to entertaining readers and making them feel something, is improving. I’d like to think when people read one of my stories from when I first started ( Yes I cringe a bit) and one of my latest there’s a huge amount of growth.

How do you write and why? What tips have you picked up along the way for development?

Thanks again for tuning in and reading my rambles. I’m off to enjoy the silence that rarely occurs in my home these days. 

“Don’t Dream it… be it.” ~ What my Cancer scare taught me

I promised I would go more in depth about my cancer scare the previous week and here it is. That moment where your life flashes before your eyes and you think of all the things you’ve done, haven’t done, and what you leave behind… that was me when I got the test results for abnormal cells. It’s something that happens from time to time with people occasionally yes, but what worried me was that My Dr. didn’t like these in particular. My stomach dropped into my flip flops and the next thing I knew, it was Biopsy time( That very same day, God bless Tri-care). All I could think about was what I’d leave behind for my children if that test came back positive and I lost my battle. Now I’m not a negative person, so I didn’t dwell on that thought, but I’m human so it occurred.

For the longest week of my life I thought about my legacy, my goals, my accomplishments, and my blessings, because really so many wonderful things have happened to me in my thirty-one years. It was sobering and inspiring at the same time. At the end of a week’s wait, I was blessed , yet again, with a negative test result. But that mindset remained. I had a fire lit under me and a clear path set ahead of me.

Sometimes you need to step back re assess, and go from there. In the words of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. “Don’t Dream it Be it.” After the scare I came back better, and ready to tackle my dreams head-on. I hit the ground running and started working toward where I want to be and who I want to be. It made me wonder why it takes a scare like that to give us a swift kick in the bum.

If you found out your time might be limited, what would you do? Now how can you work toward those goals now? Isn’t the perception a fresh pair of eyes brings, amazing? I now have a bunch of irons in the fire now. Some I can’t reveal just yet…though I am bursting at the seams with the secrecy. ( I promise I’ll be sharing it as soon as I can.) This I can share, myself published book will be titled Cursed. Here’s the blurb and because I really like y’all! Look for, Cursed, around Halloween, and keep your eyes peeled for excerpts next month!

Blurb

It’s common knowledge the Edgeworth men are unlucky in love. Great, great, grandpa bought them a one way ticket to heart break when he romanced the local witch’s daughter, took her money and disappeared off into the sunset. Ashamed the Voiles moved away, until now. As the eldest son, it’s up to him to persuade the Voiles women to remove the curse. He realizes quickly he wants to keep, Avalyn Voiles for himself. Now he just needs to make her believe his affections are real and overcome decades of bad blood…

Avalyn’s spent her whole life hearing her grandmother bad mouth the Edgeworth family. So, the last thing she expects when she returns to Baxter, was for the witty, charming, sexy Colton to be her perfect match. Should she take a chance on love and risk history repeating itself?

And the fantastic cover done by

I have to add this cover was done by the fantastic Staci perkins. I’m a very lucky gal that she agreed to this.

Ooh pish posh, did i mention I have an interview today?

http://www.inspirationforum.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=6268

Six Sentence Sunday

This is from my latest release, What the Heart Knows

Oliver clenched the steering wheel of his car tight as he sat on the side of the dirt path. This was the closest he’d come to her grave since they lowered her casket into the ground two years prior. He called himself a million different names: coward, asshole, bastard, murderer. Yet, none gave him the final push needed to stand in front of the marble slab that marked Hannah’s final resting place. It made him sick to his stomach to think of her six feet beneath the cold ground. Her golden skin must be rotted away by now.

I hope you enjoyed it

Shyla

Friday Free For All: Five Facts about Author Nikki Prince

First of all thank you Shyla for the chance to visit your lovely blog. I’m so pleased to be here.

Bio:Nikki Prince is a mother of two, whose always had a dream to be a published author in the romance genre. Her passion lies in raising her children as readers, gaming, cooking, reading and her writing. Her mother can now breathe easy about the child who used to get in trouble because she was hiding books everywhere and reading when it wasn’t appropriate. She loves to write Interracial romances in all genres, but wants to let everyone know to not box her in, because there is always room for growth.

Five little fact’s most people don’t know about me.

1. I am a gamer. I love to play World of Warcraft, Sims, FB games and on the Xbox. I am a mean shot on Call of Duty.

2. I used to want to go to fashion designing school and also culinary school.

3. I love electronics: Cell phones, computers, tablets etc.

4. I am terrified of scary movies but I will watch them and scare myself so bad I want to sleep with the light on.

5. I love to read books about serial killers.

My debut book came out on 7/16/2012 and is called Mocha Kisses, it’s a Contemporary Interracial Cougar Erotic Romance, here’s an excerpt:

Excerpt:

A shadow fell across the book Meredith was reading as she sat at the well-lit café table. She frowned, but soon smiled when she looked up to see her friend and fellow chocoholic, Ronan. The product of an Irish mother and a Greek father, Ronan was very easy on the eyes and the amazing thing about him was that he wasn’t the typical arrogant pretty boy. He was, in fact, a computer genius. A geek that made her panties wet just thinking about him.

Shit! Stop it Meredith he’s too damn young!

Meredith jumped up and was immediately enveloped in his strong arms. She uttered a soft sound of pleasure as he pulled her in closely. She loved how his arms felt around her and she lingered in his embrace a bit even after she felt his arms relax. He eased back from her with a smile. Gazing up at his ruggedly handsome face—youthful face—Meredith reminded herself that Ronan was ten years younger than her. He pressed his lips to each of her cheeks in turn, pulling back so fast that she didn’t have time to wonder whether it would spoil their friendship if she turned her head so their lips met. But she wanted to. Oh, god how she wanted to. Settling in her seat, she watched as he took the empty chair across from her.

“It’s good to see you.” He was so sexy in his glasses, dress shirt with red tie and black dress slacks—ever the computer programmer. She adored his smarts.

“It’s been too long, beautiful. I’m sorry I missed meeting you last month. Some things came up and I couldn’t get away.”

They’d met by accident. She’d signed up for a book club that was supposed to meet at the café and he’d signed up to meet others that same night, but for a different book club discussion. Thinking they were both from the same club, they’d sat at the same table. When it became apparent they were the only ones showing up for their respective meetings, they’d decided to continue to meet monthly. It just seemed a natural progression, with their mutual love for books, to continue meeting. Hell, it didn’t hurt he’d been good to look at. She’d be lying if that hadn’t been part of her attraction in staying.

She grinned and couldn’t help teasing him. “Did that have anything to do with that shapely redhead you were with when we met?”

He chuckled, “Jennifer and I are no longer seeing each other and haven’t been for quite a while, so, no. I had a few other matters that I had to take care of.” She knew she appeared surprised, but to learn that he was free was both exciting and worrisome. Exciting because, let’s face it, Jennifer had been a bitch of the first order. Worrisome because Ronan only saw Meredith as an older friend, so her attraction to him was going to go unrequited, and she’d have to watch him with some other female. At twenty-five, he was already a successful entrepreneur and had so much going for him. “Ah well, I’m sorry about that, Ronan.” Yikes. She hoped she hadn’t hit a sore spot. Her next thought was about the pact they’d made. It had been a joke of sorts; to be honest, she’d thought he’d been joking, but she hadn’t been.

“Don’t be. Things happen for a reason.” He gave her one of those charming smiles and she couldn’t help but smile back. His words made her feel better.

“Well, as long as you’re not heartbroken….”

“It allows me to pursue another avenue.” She knew her mouth fell open and she had to force herself to close it.

“Allows you to pursue another avenue?”

He grinned, “Yes, another avenue. I have someone else in my sights.”

She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “Oh. Well what a lucky girl she is.”

I hope you enjoyed this little snippet of Mocha Kisses. I have another book coming out October 2012 from Evernight Publishing called Demon Mine. It is an Interracial Paranormal and I absolutely love this story. I love to hear from my readers please feel free to contact me at any of the social site links below.

Blurb: Samael is a fallen angel doomed to repeat his life and love for Liliana Jackson over and over again. That’s until she finally remembers who she is and the reason for the curse that has befallen them both. For you see, Liliana was once Lilith the first wife of Adam and the lover of Samael. Are they doomed to keep repeating the past? Or will there be a new future for the reincarnated Liliana and fallen angel Samael?

Buylinks:

ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mochakisses-887854-149.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mocha-Kisses-Days-Steamy-ebook/dp/B008L1G3F6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345192676&sr=8-1&keywords=mocha+kisses

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mocha-kisses-nikki-prince/1112084472?ean=2940014607865

Website/blog: Http://www.nikkiprince.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorNikkiPrince.

Twitter: @authornprince

Dahlia DeWinters shared tips on how to Boost your Sex Life with Aromatherapy

The Delightful Delilah DeWinters is on today, letting her heroine, Issalia, from her latest release, The Wisest ,Maiden give a few pointers on Boosting your Sex Life with Aromatherapy.

Boost your Sex Life with Aromatherapy

Hi Shyla, and thanks for hosting me today – I’m going to let the heroine of my newest release, Issalia, take over for today. She’s going to clue the audience in on the practice of aromatherapy. I think she calls it something different tho….

Greetings….

My parents have owned a marketplace stall for as long as I can remember. They have been successful to earn enough to keep our small family sustained, but it has been a struggle to the point where it is necessary that it is open every day or else we lose precious income.

Though I do not tend the market stall, due to some…happenings around the province, my mother has instructed me in the fine use of herbs and oils to improve the human condition.

Let’s begin, shall we?

In my land, we use the term ‘aromatics’ but for simplicity’s sake I will use the term ‘aromatherapy’. Aromatherapy is the use of fragrance and scent to achieve a desired result in the user. The natural oils of a plant or flower are distilled and used.

The sense of smell affects our body systems in ways that we may not be aware of. When you breathe in a fragrance, the scent stimulates the nose. From there, your mind becomes engaged, which can ignite any number of reactions, depending on the scent. What we want to do in this case is…stimulate and awaken the libido.

There are some common aromatic oils that are noted for their aphrodisiac qualities. These oils can also be blended to achieve a custom scent that is pleasing to you and your partner(s).

They are:

Jasmine – One of our most coveted aphrodisiacs. When massaged into the skin, using a carrier oil such as coconut and/or olive, jasmine essential oil is both soothing and warming, evoking relaxed emotions and comfort. In addition, it can help in both impotence in men and frigidity in females, affecting both partners in a positive fashion. Though the cost is high, it is well worth the price. As Mama has told me, of course.

Ylang Ylang – This essential oil uplifts and calms, even as it rejuvenates the spirit and restores passion to the body. Ylang ylang increases blood circulation, quite the essential part of lovemaking.

Sandalwood – Sandalwood essential oil is derived from the sandal wood tree, and is in great demand for body oils, especially for men. The exotic woody scent works best for men as it enhances their physical sensuality and stamina. Above all, it calms your male partner, because nervousness can cause poor, ah, performance in the bed chamber.

Rose Oil – The scent of roses, distilled into rose oil, has been shown to decrease blood pressure and breathing rate. The lovely, sweet scent tends to calm and put a smile on the user’s face.

)&&&(

There you are, readers. And just in case you can’t make it to the Maolin market, where Issalia’s parents’ run their shop, all these oils can be purchased from your local health food store, or, ordered online. Be sure that you get the essential oil, and not the fragrance oil.

Love Massage Oil Recipe:

2 oz carrier oil (can be vegetable oil, grapeseed, coconut, olive)

8 drops ylang ylang

8 drops rose oil

4 drops jasmine oil

2 drops sandalwood

Use a dark glass bottle. Essential oils can degrade some types of plastic.

Shake gently before each use and enjoy!

Modify the recipe to your liking.

This information is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any illness or condition.

Photo courtesy of http://freedigitalphotos.net

)&&&(

Blurb:

The Wisest Maiden

After she is forced into marriage with a powerful ruler who deflowers and kills his brides, Issalia is compelled to use her wits to avoid the executioner’s axe. But can she avoid having her heart captured by the deeply wounded king?

Buy Links:

Liquid Silver Books: http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/thewisestmaiden.htm

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Wisest-Maiden-ebook/dp/B008XJAQR2

All Romance EBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewisestmaiden-910708-143.html

Author Bio and Links:

Never without her iPod, Dahlia is a secret fan of 80s music, digs classic rock, and enjoys post-grunge and alternative metal. A born and bred Jersey girl, it’s her obligation to also be a fan of both Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen, a charge she gladly accepts. The motto, “Do what you love and love what you do” is posted above her desk in her cluttered but somehow peaceful office. Most importantly, she is truly and madly in love with her partner of more than a decade, who indulges her fetish for lipstick and eyeliner pencils. She’s been writing erotic romance for the past five years.

Find Dahlia:

http://thesultryscribe.com

http://www.facebook.com/DahliaDeWinters

http://www.facebook.com/thesultryscribe

Mid week Inspiration: “There’s Nothing to fear but fear itself.”

“There’s Nothing to fear but fear itself.”

I never really got that phrase until I was older. Fear is all encompassing. It can make you doubt yourself, take the wind out of your sails, and kill your dreams. Truth is, most of the writers you love got where they are with a lot of hard work, passion, determination and a trail of failure and rejection. They had the strength to keep getting up every time life knocked them down. While original talent is out there, and some do just have an amazing skill, more of them have grit, determination, and a willingness to learn and improve.. I know you’re going “who?” so I’ll give you some examples.

Laurel K. Hamilton, was told more than once she needed to stop writing all together. She was one of the first in her field, before paranormal was hot, and no one knew what to do with her. Thank goodness she didn’t listen or the way wouldn’t have been paved for so many others like, J.R. Ward or Kresley Cole. Sherilynn Kenyon had many personal trials and tribulations to overcome before her writing. She’s been homeless, and even stopped writing for a time when the death of a loved one ,took her will to write. But the muse inside her, and a wonderfully supportive husband made sure that didn’t happen. Can you imagine the world with Dark Hunters? Umm I sure can’t. : Shakes head:

What I’m trying to say is, don’t let fear still your thunder of paralyze you. Put yourself out there, see what happens and keep moving forward. To steal one of my favorite comic verse lines “ Why do we fall? to get back up.”

I’ll admit, before I sent in my first manuscript I was terrified. What If they didn’t’ like it? It wasn’t up to par with the other fantastic authors out there. Maybe my writing would never be that good. My husband, logical man that he was turned to me and said,” What’s the worst they can do? Say no. If you don’t send it in you’ll never know.” Those words freed me. He was right. I sent it in, and got a positive response in under a week.

Had I never put on my big girl panties and pressed send, I wouldn’t be here. You never know what life has planned for you, and you won’t find out if you don’t participate. Show up, give it your best, and you’ll be amazed how far you’ll come. Now I’m not saying the path will be easy. There’s always pain and discomfort with growth. I look back on my first pieces and cringe, I didn’t always do things the right way, and my writing wasn’t as strong or solid as I’d have liked, and if I could go back now I’d change everything. You know what, that means I’ve grown, and that’s a good thing.

If you’re trying to make your manuscript perfect you’ll never submit it. There will always be “something” that you could tweak, a passage that doesn’t seem quite right, etc. Note, that I said “perfect” ,not well written , sound or filled with emotions. My advice, make it the very best you can. Polish it, love it , nature it, and send it off. Just like a parent with a child we have to let them go, and pray we’ve instilled everything it’ll need to succeed on its own. At the core my writing goal is this. To make each story I put out there better than the last, learn from my past mistakes, and keep moving forward. Well, along with properly representing my characters, they’re very opinionated, I’ll have you know.

Wow Chip Coffey whom I love just shared this as I was getting ready to hit send

Thought for the day: I will try not to dwell on things that have happened in the past and I will strive to be strong and brave as the future unfolds.

I hope I’ve given you some food for thought today, and a bit more hope. I challenge to take a step closer to living your dream this week.

Author Spotlight Elyzabeth VaLey

Today I have the electrifying, Elyzabeth VaLey here for an author spot light for her latest release, The

Mercenary Slave, due out Tuesday the 14th. Please give her a warm welcome, and show some love.

Blurb: Ambushed, captured and sold. After losing his best friend, Wybert is forced to give up his life as a mercenary and become a pleasure slave. The daunting task becomes harder than expected when the attraction to his slave master goes beyond the bedchamber.

Izz-Sarava was content with his life as the Zshanti’s slave master until the new serf appeared. Somehow, under his presence, his control slips and his heart becomes exposed.

As their feelings develop, will they be able to overcome a past that haunts them to pursue a future together?

Excerpt:

Without knocking, Melassar entered the darkened chamber. It was small, with barely enough space to stand and fully outstretch your arms. If you walked more than two paces in either direction, you’d meet a wall. It was the Sledövat, or Zshanti’s watching cell. Here she would sit and observe her pleasure slaves bathe whenever she pleased. Sometimes, if she so wished, they would be aware of her heavy stares. Other times, they were ignorant to her peering.

The beauty of the Sledövat lay in its splendid peeping panel, designed to trick the person bathing. From inside the water chamber all that was visible was an impressive painting of mermen and merwomen bathing and alluring a boat of sailors. However, small slits were cut across several places in the panel, allowing Zshanti to glance into the room, without hindrance.

She sat now on a low cushion, her chemise gathered at the waist and her long legs crossed before her. Her hands rested on her naked thighs, her nails digging into the soft skin. Zshanti turned to face him, her sky blue eyes sparkling in the dim light coming from the adjoining room.

“You took long enough, Izz-Sarava. Come here, you are missing quite a spectacle.”

Melassar hurried to his mistress’s side. Though she did not look up at him, he bowed low before taking a seat by her side.

“Look,” she whispered while leaning forward.

Melassar followed her lead. He gasped when he peered into the peephole. Zshanti chuckled softly at his side.

“I know.”

His mouth dried up as he watched the stunning figure of Wybert through the slit. The large man had not wasted any time in undressing after Melassar had left him in the room, instructing him to bathe and don clean clothes.

Melassar’s cock twitched in his breeches. Wybert stood in the center of the room in all his naked glory. Melassar gulped as Wybert approached the panel. Blood rushed to his cock, hardening it. Wybert was pure muscle, a man made out of stone. The muscles on his arms were defined, the plains of his chest undoubtedly solid, the ridges on his stomach unyielding.

Wybert observed the painted wall for a moment before losing interest. He yawned and stretched, the corded muscles of his biceps tensing as he raised his arms above his head. Melassar’s cock began to throb with need. Abruptly, Wybert stepped away from the wall and turned his back to them, giving them a view of his sculpted ass. Melassar discreetly massaged his cock through his trousers. Slowly, the giant eased himself into the hot tub. Letting out a satisfied sigh, he began to hum a popular ballad while bathing with the scented soap left at his disposal.

A low whimper forced Melassar to regain his bearings. Turning his head, he watched as his mistress dipped her fingers between her folds. She breathed laboriously, her breath coming out in slow pants as her left hand worked furiously at her pussy, drawing circles on her clit with hard strokes. Melassar shifted in his seat and she glanced up at him, a mixture of guilt and pleasure written on her face. Without a word, she removed her hand and they watched in silence for a few more minutes. Finally, Wybert stepped out of the tub.

“Do you think it will fit, Izz- Sarava?”

Melassar stared at Wybert’s organ. Even flaccid it seemed to be long and thick.

“It will take some getting used to, Zshanti, but I’m certain it will enter.”

His Zshanti nodded enthusiastically. “I can hardly wait for tonight. Come to me after dinner, Izz-Sarava.”

“As you command, Zshanti.” Melassar bowed his head.

Zshanti stood and left the room. Melassar took in a deep breath. The smell of her arousal coupled with his lingered in the air. He leaned towards the peeping slits, palming his cock through his breeches.

Droplets of water stuck to Wybert’s chocolate skin, mingling with the hair on his chest and running down his navel to the nest of hairs over which his marvelous cock rested. The thought of tasting that body, running his tongue across every plane and ridge made his mouth water. He licked his lips in anticipation. Tonight, but not now. With a regretful sigh, Melassar got on his feet. He squeezed his cock one last time.

“Duty first,” he chided. His pleasure could wait a little longer.

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