Eleni Konstantine's Blog: Eleni's Taverna, page 11

Wenchy Monday: Sara Daniel and her new book 'Love Him or Leave Him'

To celebrate Sara Daniel's new release, Love Him Or Leave Him, Entangled Bliss are having a launch day giveaway. Check out the rafflecopter below.


Release day launchRafflecopter code:a Rafflecopter giveaway




Book Info:
Sometimes dreams are where you least expect them.
Connor O’Malley and Becca Sanders were once high school sweethearts, ripped apart by rumors in the small town of Kortville, Illinois. Connor left to join the military, and Becca stayed, waiting for her younger brother to graduate so she could live her dreams of traveling the world. But now that Connor's back as the town sheriff, Becca finds herself struggling to resist the too-handsome man who once broke her heart.
Connor loves Kortville—its quaintness keeps at bay the painful memories of Afghanistan he’s sure make him unworthy of any woman, particularly the beautiful brunette he’s always secretly dreamed of a future with. But when a scandal rocks the town, suddenly Connor and Becca must trust in each other if they want to weather this storm…and come out on the other side of it together.



Buy links:
Amazon| B&N | iBookstore| Kobo

About Sara:I write what I love—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. On the personal side, I'm a frazzled maid, chauffeur, and slave to my children. I was once a landlord of two uninvited squirrels. (The children's book The Bravest Squirrel Ever by my alter-ego Sara Shafer is the squirrel's fictionalized version of that experience!) I'm crazy about country music and the drama of NASCAR. And I have my very own happily-ever-after romance with my hero husband.



Follow my blog, like me on Facebook or email me for the latest updates on my books and writing projects or to debate the best race car drivers!
Sara online:
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
~~~
Happy Launch day, Sara!

~yia~

Fantabulous Friday - It's a 4th July Feast with Sloane Taylor!

I couldn't resist having fellow Musan Sloane Taylor as my guest with her 4th of July feast. Not only fantabulous but yum yum! Take it away, Sloane!


Friends are coming over on the 4thof July and Studs wanted a cookout with all his favorites. Since I never could refuse a good-looking man, I agreed. Here’s our menu with the recipes I created. I hope you like them. 
Barbecued Pork RibsHamburgers Sloane StyleMy Mom’s Potato SaladBaked Beans Sweet Corn on the GrillSnazzy Sliced Tomatoes Ice cold lemonadeCold beer
Barbecued Pork RibsPork ribs plan 1 slab for 2 people if you make all this foodBeer Chicken stockBarbeque sauce – Sweet Baby Ray’s is my favorite
Preheat oven to 325°F
Place ribs in a pan and in a single layer. Pour in about a half inch of stock and the same amount of beer. Cover tight and bake 1 – 1½ hours.  You want the meat tender but not falling off the bone.
Carefully remove ribs from pan to a cookie sheet. Discard cooking liquid. Spread barbeque sauce over ribs.
Heat grill to medium. Carefully rub vegetable or olive oil onto the grates. Lay ribs on grate and grill 10-15 minutes turning at least once and basting with sauce.
Hamburgers Sloane StyleGround chuck about ¼ pound per adult Ground sirloin about ¼ per two adultsWorcestershire Sauce 1 dash per adult1 egg per 1 ½ pounds meatchives snipped, fresh or jarred
Beat egg lightly in a small bowl. Combine the meat, Worcestershire Sauce, and handful of chives into a mixing bowl. When the mixture is well combined, break off clumps of the meat and form balls. Set them onto waxed paper, then cover with another sheet of waxed paper.  Use a cake plate or large soup bowl to press the meat into a patty the thickness you like. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
On medium heat, cook patties until they are done to your preference. Be sure to turn only once.
Use any type roll that suits your fancy. Dress the burgers with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onion, and tomato. You can also add cheese for the topping. If you do, then lay it over the burger a minute or two before the end of the cooking time.
My Mom’s Potato Salad 1 red potato per person1 hardboiled egg for every 2-3 potatoesone stalk celery for every 5 potatoes chopped small½ med onion for every 5 potatoes chopped smallPepperMayonnaise – NO substitutes
Boil the potatoes in their jackets until just fork tender. Remove from pot as they are done and allow to cool. Scrape the skins off. Slice in half widthwise then lengthwise. Slice into the bite size pieces.
While the potatoes are cooking, lay the eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, and place a lid on the pan. Bring to a boil, then shut off the heat and allow to sit on the burner for 7 minutes. Cut into quarters, then slice. Set aside covered with plastic wrap or a paper towel to eliminate drying out.
Combine celery and onion in a large bowl. Grind in a healthy amount of fresh pepper. Stir in several large spoonfuls of mayonnaise. You have to gauge by the number of potatoes you use. Mix well.
Add the potatoes, two at a time and mix well. Continue until all the potatoes are added. Check the salad for dryness. It should be moist but not swimming in mayo. Add mayo as needed. Add the sliced eggs and stir again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Baked Beans 1 small can Bush’s Honey Baked Beans1 small can Bush’s Homestyle Baked Beans2 tbsp. dried mustard2 tbsp. maple syrup - optional2 strips bacon
Preheat oven to 325°.
Pour beans into a metal loaf pan or oven safe dish. Stir in mustard and syrup. Lay bacon strips on top. Bake in the center of the oven uncovered for 45 minutes or until desired consistency.
To cook on the grill:
Heat grill to medium. Prepare as above, then place pan on top rack. Cook about 45 minutes or until desired consistency.
To serve – discard bacon.
Sweet Corn on the Grill1 ear fresh corn per person – do not remove huskWaterButter or margarineSalt
Pour cool water into a container large enough to hold the sweet corn. Soak corn still in its husk at least 1 hour, but no more than 2 hours.
Set grill on medium high. Remove corn from the water and lay the ears on the grill. Roast until the husk is brown on that side, then turn and repeat the process. Total cooking time is about 20 – 25 minutes.
To serve - peel back the husks. Roll the ears in butter or margarine, then sprinkle on a touch of salt, and enjoy!
Snazzy Sliced Tomatoes1 tomato per two peopleRed wine vinegarGarlic powder or fresh garlic mincedFresh or dried chives
Prepare this dish about an hour or so before serving.
Slice tomatoes ½” thick and arrange on a serving plate.
Drizzle vinegar over the tomatoes, then dust with garlic powder or fresh garlic. Sprinkle plenty of chives across the top.
Set on the counter away from sun or heat to flavor through.
Now after teasing your taste buds how about a quick trip to the balmy French Riviera to tempt some of your other senses with my new five book series? Naughty Ladies of Nice is a deliciously steamy erotic series with a touch of humor and intrigue.
Pour yourself a cool glass of your favorite beverage, perhaps a tall Perrier or a crisp Chardonnay, and let your summer sizzle with French Tart, French Delight, French Twist, French Kiss, and French Tickler.
Here’s a little about FRENCH Tart, Book One. For a spicy excerpt, please click HERE .
Bon Appétit...
Satisfy all your cravings at cooking school.
Determined to prove herself and shed her party girl image, Donatienne Dubois pins her hopes on the exclusive cooking school in Nice, France. One by one her expectations are shattered by a foul-mouthed parrot, a bogus Michelin chef, and a headmistress with a heart of tungsten steel. Doni's lifesaver is a bad boy hunk too hot not to handle.
Mark Anderson is incognito and hating every minute. To pose as a student while keeping tabs on a rich wild child is his version of hell, until he partners with the dish of Crème Brule good enough to eat.
Class takes on a whole new meaning as Doni and Mark heat up the kitchen when they discover honey has better uses than sweetening tea.
Sloane Taylor believes humor and sex are healthy aspects of our everyday lives and carries that philosophy into her books. All her stories are set in Europe where the men are all male and the North American women they encounter are both feminine and strong. They also bring more than lust to their men’s lives.

Learn more about Sloane Taylor on her website , and of course her blog for easy recipes. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .

Writing Buddy Wednesday: Carolyn Wren

Welcome to the latest installment of WRiting Buddy Wednesday. Today, I have the vivaciously funny Carolyn Wren. I have gotten to know Carolyn from the DarkSiders but more so from the Riding the Waves Conference Committee. Each of us is running a social event, so you many emails go back and forth between us working things out. 


Your most recent release is The Hostage. Can you describe this book for us?
My latest release is The Hostage (The Protectors Book 4) It’s the story of a secret and enigmatic covert operative known only as Omega. After she rescues a businessman held for ransom, he turns the tables and is determined to track her down and thank her. Of course there is a nasty villain in the piece, equally determined to locate the elusive agent.


Please tell us a little about your road to publication. 
I’m pretty sure I didn’t follow any of the rules. I woke up one day and just started typing. Three years later I had sixteen stories on my desktop. It wasn’t until I joined the RWA that I began to learn. You know, just a few essentials, like how to set a margin, what the term head hopping meant, and how I shouldn’t be doing it! I bit the bullet and submitted an entry to my very first contest, the Emerald. 
After I got through to the second round I began to toy with the idea of being published. My seven part romantic suspense series varied in length from 19k to 50k, I wondered if getting it published in its current form was even possible. Secret Cravings Publishing kept coming up on my radar. They’re not the biggest kid on the block but something about them felt right, it’s the only way I can describe it. I wrote my very first submission letter for part one in the series, Diplomat’s Daughter . They said yes!  When I won the Emerald, I wrote again, asking if they would be interested in the entire series. They said yes again. I’ve never regretted that decision. They’re a wonderful company to work with. Now I’m on this really crazy learning curve, which isn’t so much a curve as a high speed rocket. And I’m loving every minute of it. 

What attracted you to the romantic suspense genre?
Bad boys and danger, what’s not to love? I grew up reading books combining romance and suspense, my mum adored them. Daphne Du Maurier, Mary Stewart, Tami Hoag, Iris Johansen. The elements of danger made the story so intriguing, the romance so tantalising. I didn’t set out specifically to write romantic suspense. My damn heroines and heroes kept getting themselves into trouble and needed rescuing. And I quickly discovered how much fun it is to write a really nasty villain.


Congratulations on being a finalist in the Ella Award (new published novella award by RWAus)? How does it feel to be nominated with your first ever publication?

I kept bursting into giggles for three days. Pretty embarrassing, because on the second day I was on a train at the time. It’s impossible to say how much this means to me. I loved the idea of a novella contest (well done RWA) but Diplomat’s Daughter was my first published work, how could I possibly enter? For weeks I procrastinated, printing out the entry form and staring at it. In the end I figured what’s the very worst that can happen? I’ll come last, and that’s okay. I’ll have supported a wonderful new contest. 
When Raewyn emailed me with the finals news she asked me not to tell anyone except my family until the official announcement. I told her my family could wait, can I tell my publisher? I emailed Secret Cravings before I emailed anyone else. I loved sharing the joy with them. They’ve always been so supportive of me. I did tell my husband shortly afterwards, he was thrilled too. At the Fremantle conference I’ll receive my Ella finalist pin and my first sale ribbon. That’s pretty awesome.



Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in between?

I tell myself I’m a plotter. It isn’t true. I have a nice clear concise plan in my head which goes out the window when my fingers hit the keys. When I get a story idea, I need a beginning, and end, and a love scene. Everything else comes as I type.



What are you working on now? And what’s in the near future for Carolyn Wren?

Book 5 of The Protectors, The Widowers Child , is scheduled for release on the 13th August. I’m waiting on edits for that one. Book 6, The Undercover Agents , need to be with my editor by 1st August for a release on the 18th October. I’m doing some revisions for that.

Last week I submitted a ghost story novella to a publisher. That’s exciting for me as it’s the first of my spec fic stories I’ve ever submitted. And I’m pitching a full length paranormal story at the Fremantle conference.

In my spare time, pause for laughter, I’m trying to finish a mammoth vampire trilogy I began writing for a friend for her birthday. It started as a novella and currently stands at around 550k. Not quite sure what happened there…

I also have a regency romance I’m keen to get back to, I love the opening chapter. Historical romance is another genre I really love, and it’s great fun trying one of my own. I wrote an erotic piece last month when I was bored with editing, I’d like to finish that.

The future? I have no idea. As long as I can keep writing, I don’t mind. 
 
What is your favourite part of the process of writing? 
It sounds cliché, but all of it! I love the initial idea that pops into my head, usually at 3am. Apparently my muse is an insomniac. I love the thrill of opening a new folder on my desk top, because that means I’m committing to a story. I even love edits! Because every time my editor picks me up on an error, or a bad habit, it’s something else I learn, and I take that knowledge into the next story.


What are you currently reading?

Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh, and its great! I’m only up to chapter 2, as writing deadlines, and planning duties for the Fremantle conference are keeping me crazy busy. I might take a day off, curl up on the sofa and read the whole thing in one sitting. Sounds like a great way to spend a rainy winter’s day, don’t you think?



~~~Thanks, Carolyn!
You can find Carolyn at carolynwren.com, her blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

~yia~

Fantabulous Friday: Aussie Author Giveaway

Unfortunately this had been stuck in my drafts, so I'm sorry for those in Victoria but at least I'm getting it out now...



Enjoy paranormal romance? Fantasy romance? Urban fantasy? Post-apocalyptic romance? Steampunk romance?
Would you jump at a chance or three to win a box full of these sorts of books?
Who, what, where, when and how can I win? - I hear you cry!
Well, 9 Aussie paranormal romance authors have banded together and each have donated books and swag from their latest series to go into the Aussie Author Giveaway - two huge giveaway packages which will be on display at some of the specialty romance bookstores here in Australia.





Rendezvous Books (Victoria) will host the first box of goodies and the giveaway will run the entire month of June 2013.

The second box of authorly-goodness will reside at Rosemary's Romance Bookstore (Queensland) right through July 2013.

The third box of giveaway-fun will be with Galaxy Books (Sydney) over August 2013.

All readers have to do is order a book (or books) from these stores in the designated giveaway month - either in person or online. You'll earn one entry per purchase in the Giveaway . The prize winner will be drawn at the end of the month and the Aussie Author Giveaway box of goodies will be posted to you.

NB. Due to postage costs, entry is restricted to Australian readers.

So, come on Aussies, come on! Support your specialty romance bookstores, get to know some local Aussie authors - and you could find a huge parcel of books in your mailbox at the end of June or July or August!

Participating authors:

Bec McMaster Christina Ashcroft Erica Hayes Keri Arthur Kylie Griffin Kylie Scott Shona Husk  






M.J.Scott Rowena Cory Daniells































~yia~ 

Release Date for SNOOP

I now have a release date for SNOOP .

It'll be out with Musa Publishing on the 6th December 2013.


SNOOP's rule of investigating: Never take the paranormal at face value.

Daisy Luck is a SNOOP - Sanctioned Nationalized Officer Of the Paranormal. Her latest case involving a vampire and a gremlin has her private eye senses in a spin. 
Throw in yummy Detective Maroney and her life couldn't get more complicated - or could it?

~yia~

Musa Monday: Marci Boudreaux and The Messenger

Today, I have the stunning Marci Boudreaux talking about her book, The Messenger.


I wrote The Messenger just over ten years ago. I was still riding high on winning third place for unpublished manuscript in a Texas Writers’ League contest. Unfortunately, the world didn’t love the book as much as I did. After numerous rejections, I put it on the shelf and only recently pulled it off to give it another go.

It needed lots of work. Let me say that again: It needed A LOT of work!! Head hopping, telling not showing, repetitive writing…just to name a few.

But I was determined, so I cleaned it up, offered it up and it was accepted by Secret Cravings Publishing. I knew it still needed more polishing and scrubbing, so I turned to some great author friends—Vonnie Hughes, Sloane Taylor, and Parker Kincade all had a peek at it—to help me get my head on straight and attack this as an editor instead of a sentimental writer. I also had two nurses take a look just to make sure the medical records bit was in line with what goes on inside a hospital today.

With their help I was able to rework this story that I’ve loved for so long into something that I hope you will love too! 

Blurb:

Evelyn Thomas is tired of being treated like a little girl playing dress-up. Just because she is working at her father’s newspaper doesn’t mean she isn’t a good journalist. All she needs is a chance to prove it.

Unfortunately for seasoned reporter Wes Reilly, that chance turns out to be the exact same story he’s working on.

When the journalists get separate leads on the same insurance scam, they butt heads over who gets to expose it. However, when Eve’s source ends up in ICU she has no choice but to turn to Wes for help.

Every step they take brings them closer towards the truth and each other. But the path to vindication is filled with danger and leaves Wes and Eve struggling to get out of sticky situations and fighting for their lives.


Excerpt:

Eve ran her hand along one of the many rows and skimmed the file tags until she got close to the numerical prefix she was looking for. She pushed the files as far apart as the overstuffed shelf allowed and tilted her head down to get a closer look. She went over each name, not finding any files which corresponded with names on the list Jerry had given her.

This was impossible, like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. She pulled a piece of paper from her shirt pocket to verify the spelling of the name before she pushed the folders apart again in case she had missed what she was looking for the first time.

Suddenly a hand roughly grabbed her shoulder. She spun around, her heart racing and her lungs tight with the gulp of air she had involuntarily inhaled. As soon as she met the angry gaze of the man who had startled her, she let her breath out with a rush and sank against the wall of folders.

Wes pressed his lips together and flexed his jaw muscles as he stared at her. “What are you doing here?”

She looked at the white coat he was wearing with a badge which identified him as Dr. Henderson. “What are you doing here?”

Wes leaned down to get eye-to-eye with her. “Answer me, Thomas.”

“I’m following a lead.”

“What lead?”

“I don’t have to share my stories with you.”

“Your story?”

“Yes.”

He snorted as he leaned back. “Exactly what story would that be? How to properly file medical records?”

She felt the sting of his words go straight to her heart. Defiance set in and she stood a little straighter. “Insurance fraud.”

Wes stared at her for several seconds. He may have been trying to intimidate her, but his glare had nothing on her father’s. She simply cocked her brow in return.

“That’s my story,” he said.

Eve shook her head. “No. I got this tip on my own, Reilly, and if you think you’re going to steal it away from me—”

“Steal it away from you? I’d like to know where you got your tip ’cause I’ve been on this story since last week. You are so unbelievably—”

Eve raised her brows when he stopped mid-sentence and turned his head away. “I’m so unbelievably what?”

“Shut up,” he breathed. Her mouth opened and Wes put his hand over her lips. “Hush.”

Eve gasped when she was quiet long enough to hear footsteps. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away. “What do we do?”


Available now at Sweet Cravings Publishing (direct buy link)

Author Bio:

Marci Boudreaux lives with her husband, two children, and their numerous pets. She is a freelance writer and video producer for a variety of local monthly magazines as well as a content editor for several small publishing houses.

Romance is her preferred reading and writing genre because nothing feels better than falling in love with someone new and her husband doesn’t like when she does that in real life.

Marci is currently working on her Masters in Publishing and has plans to eventually take over the world.


Website | Blog | Publisher: sweetcravingspublishing.com

Facebook | Twitter: @MarciBoudreaux



~~~
Thanks, Marci!I'm sure with your drive and determination, you will take over the world. 

~yia~

ARRA Book Signing Event

ARRA are holding another book signing this year. This time in conjunction with RWAus.




Yep, that's where it'll be at the Esplanade Hotel, where the conference is as well.


and I'll be signing!




For details on registration for this event, go to the ARRA book signing page.

Hope to see you there!


~yia~

Where am I?

You may have noticed my lack of posting recently. Why is that?



This pretty much captures how I'm feeling at the moment.
I've been finding it a struggle to keep up with everything lately and so instead of trying to, I've been taking the rest I need while keeping up with some things that have to get by certain times like my assignments. 
That means my writing has been pretty non-existant as well. Poor writing. I'm jotting down my ideas for when I'm feeling better to do the ideas justice.

I hope not too be as long between posts, but please bear with me during this time. Oh, dear, that was an unintended pun :)

~yia~

Musa Monday: Eva Scott

Eva Scott is a Musa author who is also an Romance of Australia member. Great to see fellow Aussies with Musa! 





Your most recent release is The Marriage Makeover (out with Musa Publishing on the 24th May). Can you describe this book for us?

A Marriage Makeover is a bit of a departure for me. It deals with the serious issue of SIDs and marriage breakdown between childhood sweethearts. The story isn’t all gloom and doom. There is some lightness and humour in the form of Talia’s best friend Davan and little dog with attitude.


Please tell us a little about your road to publication.

It all began with an entry into the RWA Emerald Awards. I came fourth and that really encouraged me to send my manuscript out to publishers. Of course I had rejections but I had some really great feedback too which changed my writing for the better. I’ll always be grateful for those rejection emails! Then I landed a contract with Musa Publishing and the rest is history.


You write both contemporary romance and ancient historical romance. What has attracted you to these genres?

I’ve always read both avidly. I began in contemporary before dipping into historical as a result of a call out for a short story anthology. I hadn’t meant to write historical before that! I liked the story so much I kept it and lengthened it. I couldn’t leave my characters – I needed to know more about them.


Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in between?

I’m half and half. I’ll spend some time plotting things out. I like to peg out the characters, the main plot point and the outline for the story chapter by chapter for example. Then I get writing and let the characters take me where they will. Sometimes it’s in a completely different direction to the one I planned for them.


What are you working on now? And what’s in the near future for Eva Scott?

I’m half way through my second historical called The Barbarian Bride. It’s about one of the minor characters who appears in The Last Gladiatrix . My editor was curious as to what happened to her so we get to find out. After that, who knows? I think I might write something more contemporary for a change of pace.


What is your favourite part of the process of writing?

That first rush when a storyline comes to you. It’s a magical moment in time (before the reality of writer’s block and plot tangles get in the way).


What are you currently reading?

Cassandra Clare’s City of Fallen Angels. It’s the fourth book in the series and I’m off to the library to pick up number five. I’m addicted. 


What would be your ultimate research trip?

To Central America where I want to set a steam punk story I’ve been tinkering with. And really just because I’ve never been to Central American and I’d like to go.... 

~~~Thanks, Eva!You can visit Eva on her website, blog, and Twitter. 
Check out  A Marriage Makeover's blurb

Nick and Talia Carmichael were childhood sweethearts. Grief over the death of their baby daughter from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome crushed their marriage.

Talia moved to a new city, with a new career and life. Now it’s time to close the door on the past and ask Nick for a divorce.

Nick has other ideas. Once his wife, always his wife. He has no intention of letting Talia off so lightly and proposes terms and conditions to his agreement. It will mean moving back into their marital home, and force her to face long buried grief. Can she do as he asks?

Being with Nick causes her to question everything she thought was true. Has she made a mistake thinking her love for Nick is dead? Can he still love her? More importantly, can he again trust after everything they’ve been through?

Writing Buddy Wednesday: Kate Belle

Today in the Taverna, I have Kate Belle. I met Kate via FB being another member of RWAus and met her in person at ARRA. She spoke at the same Meet The Author session as me and was a great speaker. 
Take it away, Kate.



Confessions of obsessions by Kate Belle

All writers have obsessions and I’m no exception. Mine comes in the form of a dark handsome man. Nope, not my dearly beloved. Not an ex-boyfriend either. He’s imaginary. And I’m completely, utterly, bone-shakingly in love with him. It’s weird, but it’s the twisted truth.

How did a relatively sane (?) middle aged woman allow this bizarre, secret love affair begin? 


I think it has something to do with all the fairy stories I read as a child, or one story in particular, Snow White. There’s a scene in my new book, The Yearning, where the protagonist as a little girl settles into her grandmother’s comfy side while she is read that very story. The little girl becomes excited as the pages turn ever closer to her favourite picture – the darkly handsome Prince Charming standing by his strong horse and preparing to bend down to kiss Snow White’s cold lips.

This little scene comes straight from my childhood. I got excited about exactly that picture in my Grandmother’s copy of Snow White. I remember gazing at it longingly, then going out to play in the castle out the back (an abandoned and very stinky old chook shed) pretending I was the one marrying that delightful Prince.

Something about that vision of man-hood must have struck a chord in my subconscious because I’ve been writing out my secret, imaginary lover ever since. Ask me to write about a hero who’s a fair-skinned blonde with blue eyes – (go on, I dare you) – and watch me crumble into clichés and crap. There are no blue eyed blonde heroes in my head. Nor do I think there ever will be.

The truly sad thing is when I’m not writing about this imaginary lover of mine, I’m still thinking about him. Yep, I treat him just like a real boyfriend. I catch myself smiling as I’m hanging out the washing because I’m imagining him coming home to a candle lit dinner. Or I almost miss my stop on the train because I’m imagining him sitting next to me fondly fondling my fingers. I hear him talk to me while I make a cup of tea. And when I close my eyes at night...

Am I alone? Judging by the many ‘Fictional boyfriend’ facebook pages and blogs, I think not. Their existence only emboldens me to admit to my peculiar proclivity for a pretend boyfriend. And while it might be weird to imagine he’s really interacting with me, it’s essential for my writing. While he is vibrant with life in my mind, he is vibrant with life on the page. He steams into my female character’s lives, bursting with charisma and sensuality. He seduces them, as he seduces me. I feel him leaning over my shoulder as I write, instructing me as to what he says and does next. I sense his smug satisfaction as he sees himself spilling onto the page, ready to take an unsuspecting reader in ambush. He is my devil, my god, my muse all rolled into one and I can’t do without him.

Do you have an obsession you can’t do without? 
~~~ Thanks, Kate!
Check out Kate's info below. 

Kate Belle Bio

Kate lives, writes and loves in Melbourne, juggling her strange, secret affairs with her male characters with her much loved partner and daughter, and a menagerie of neurotic pets. She holds a tertiary qualification in chemistry, half a diploma in naturopathy and a diploma in psychological astrology. Kate believes in living a passionate life and has ridden a camel through the Australian desert, fraternised with hippies in Nimbin, had a near birth experience and lived on nothing but porridge and a carrot for 3 days.

Blog/website

Facebook

Twitter: @ecstasyfiles


Books by Kate Belle

The Yearning – First love. Forbidden love. An obsession that should not be fulfilled.

It’s 1978 in a country town and a dreamy fifteen year old girl’s world is turned upside down by the arrival of the substitute English teacher. Solomon Andrews is beautiful, inspiring and she wants him like nothing else she’s wanted in her short life.

Charismatic and unconventional, Solomon notices the attention of one student, his new neighbour, who has taken to watching him from her upstairs window. He assumes it a harmless teenage crush, until the erotic love notes begin to arrive.

Solomon knows he must resist, but her sensual words stir him. One afternoon, as he stands reading her latest offering in his driveway, she turns up unannounced. And what happens next will torment them forever – in ways neither can imagine.

The Yearning is already attracting 5 star reviews. Buy links:

Amazon | iTunes | Local independent bookshops, including Eltham Bookshop.

Master of Love series featuring the charismatic lover of women, Ramon Mendez.

Breaking the Rules: Grace is a beautiful woman in complete control of her world. A long time ago she chose a career over children and marriage, and has never regretted it. Then Ramon Mendez, her new PhD student, walks into her office. Aware of the need to maintain her professional reputation, she rejects his advances, but he persists. And during their intimate supervision sessions, her defences start to crumble, for Ramon’s work is exposing desires within Grace she never knew existed.

Follow this link for a sample chapter.

Breaking the Rules: iTunes & Amazon 


Bloom: Thirty-six-year-old Emma’s life looks as perfect, but something is missing. Her husband, Gary, hardly notices her anymore and she feels frumpy and invisible. When she joins a social boot camp class at the local gym, Emma immediately recognises their instructor as the gorgeous runner she sees each evening in the park. In spite of herself Emma is besotted. One evening, when things at home have become too much to bear, she bumps into him and an opportunity presents itself. Ramon promises and delivers everything that’s missing from her marriage – passion, romance and excitement – but Emma must discover if they are the things she really wants.

Follow this link for a sample chapter:

Bloom: iTunes & Amazon





~yia~