Maggie Nash's Blog, page 15

MONDAY MAGIC - Jaime Samms

It's Halloween and I'm losing my mind.
 I'm not kidding.

Well. It isn't Halloween quite yet. There are about twenty four hours to go, but as the time draws closer, the decibel level of every word my kids speak goes up. Their attention spans shrink. My nerve endings become hyper-sensitive. My patience dwindles at an alarming rate. And I'm not even the primary parent! I cannot understand how my husband keeps his cool as well as he does.

I would be stark, raving lunatic mad by now. In fact, I might be...

All I can be certain of this minute is that I am desperately glad I have to work all day tomorrow. I have no idea how my poor man is going to get through the day with his sanity intact and both kids complete with all their limbs.

This kind of situation is why I write fiction: No kids, no dirty laundry (unless there's a really good reason to have a scene in a laundry mat) no bathrooms need scrubbing. In fact, my characters don't even use bathrooms, unless they need to puke due to a migraine or hangover (or both). Not even very many dirty dishes, unless ambiance calls for a scattering of empty take away containers. (I do write gay romance, after all. Not all gay guys cook.)

Is this a sanitized version of reality? Hells, yes. Do I feel bad about it? Well. No. If we all wanted to read about the insanity of our every day, fiction would be irrelevant. So in order to make it work, we write things both larger and smaller than life. We distill the act of living down to its bare essentials and expand on the emotions exponentially.

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One of my very favorite quotes of all movidome is uttered by Paul Bettany when he plays Chaucer in A Knight's Tale. When Will accuses him of lying, he spreads his arms wide and cries "I'm a writer! I give the truth...scope!"

So right. Someone once said something along the lines of writers being the best liars. After all, we make a living out of stretching, bending, and otherwise torturing the truth to within an inch of bending reality back on itself. And then sell it. There was a time some little part of me thought I should feel bad about that. Then the rent came due, the girl needed ballet pointe shoes and the boy wanted breakfast. And second breakfast. And elvenses. And lunch. And Tea...

You see? Life doesn't end or stop or give us a break. That's what fiction is for, and we all need it: a window that shows reality as it's stretched-out, backwards-bent, crazy truth that finally makes some sort of sense.

"I'll be here all week." (That's Chaucer again)

If you want to find more about me, come check out my website: www.jaime-samms.net, my blog: http://dontkickmycane.livejournal.com/ or look for me on FaceBook

MONDAY MAGIC - Keziah Hill

Changing genres

Thanks Maggie for letting me visit!

Lots of writers change genres in their careers or write different genres under different
names. That's what I'm doing. Keziah Hill has been writing erotica for a few years but
Deborah Tait wants to come out and play. Specifically she wants to write mystery and
crime.

The crime genre with all its sub-genres (romantic suspense, thrillers, cozy mysteries,
hardboiled, police procedurals etc, etc.) have always been my first love. Many years ago
(more than I care to remember), I devoured Dorothy L Sayers novels when I was first at
university. I was lonely, struggling with new found independence and if memory serves me
correctly, in a state of unrequited love (a typical state for me in my early adulthood).

DLS and later Margery Allingham, both the Grand Dames of the Golden Years of women's
crime writing, provided me with an escape. I loved the 1920s and 1930s settings and the
touch of romance in each series (more so in DLS. Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.
Sigh.)

I went on to read widely in the genre starting with the other greats like Raymond Chandler
and Dashiell Hammett, to some of our Aussie homegrown greats like Peter Corris and
Marele Day.

When I started writing seriously, I couldn't get away from writing romance and erotica. But
in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to write mystery and crime. After a career working
in the criminal justice system, I had lots of stories bubbling around in my brain. Finally, a
woman just out of jail wandered into my mental landscape and I've been dancing with her
for a few months now.

I haven't stopped writing erotica, in fact I'm working on a series called the Children of
Aphrodite, but the story of my heroine the train of events she starts by just getting out of
jail have occupied my girls in the basement. They want her story told. So, lots of computer
time ahead.

If you want to read some Australian women crimes writers (makes a break from the
Swedes and the Norwegians) you could start with this year's Davitt Award winners,
recently presented at SheKilda, the Sisters in Crime Australia conference.
http://fairdinkumcrime.com/2011/10/09/the-2011-davitt-award-winners-are/

I have a story up at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association website that is a light
hearted combination of erotica and crime, "Laying Down the Law." http://erotica-readers.com/GD/TC-EF/Laying.htm

You can buy my erotic duo "Friends and Lovers: Two Erotic Tales" from Amazon and other
online bookshops. http://tinyurl.com/3hpz358

Keziah Hill is here http://www.keziahhill.com and Deborah Tait is here.

MONDAY MAGIC - Dominique Eastwick

Maggie thank you so much for hosting me today,

I am thrilled to announce that my first novel HUNTING JC will be re-released at Musa Publishing this Friday. Not only has it been reedited but it's also been rework into a Novel I am truly proud to sell. It will be followed the next week but the Sequel TONY'S HAVEN, Book 2 in the Sherman Family Series. Then I will be settling in for NaNo to write the third book in the series Killing Lucas. Where I will find the time I am not really sure.

The Sherman's are a well to do family in Boston consisting of four over protective brothers and one head strong sister.

Jacinda Sherman: Feisty JC is the heroine of Hunting J.C. She has wanted Hunter for years and nothing is going to stop her now.

She is the youngest of the Sherman clan.

Hunter Brooks: Hunter is the Hero of Hunting JC. Best friends with Tony Sherman. He came from nothing to get everything, now he just has to hold on to it.

Anthony Sherman: Tony is older brother to J.C. and Hunters best friend. They met in college playing on the school Rugby team together and later became roommates. Too handsome for his own good, Tony has developed a reputation as a jokester and ladies man. Under Tony's carefree playboy appearance lies a complex and strong individual. It would take a strong heroine to plow beneath that armor. Tony'story will be told in TONY's HAVEN.



Haven Pelletier (Tony's Haven) Haven is a strong Rubensesce woman who isn't bowled over by Tony's Handsome face and charms. She sees the man underneath flaws and all.

Spencer Sherman: Oldest of the Sherman siblings, Spencer is kind and strong. He believes in protecting his family at all cost but has yet to find the woman of his dreams. Spencers Books will be Spencers Chance

Lucas Sherman: Luc is the most bitter Sherman, his broken engagement has left him a pessimist and angry at the world. Lucas's Story will be told in Killing Lucas

Trenton Sherman: Is the youngest of the Sherman brothers. He is freeloving and optimistic. He finds joy in everything he does. He is the most down to earth Sherman.

Joseph Sherman: Patriarch of the Sherman Clan.

Michelle Sherman: Matriarch of the Sherman Clan.

HUNTING JC

What JC wants JC gets, and she wants Hunter no matter what.
Hunter Brooks has spent the last decade staying as far away from the Sherman family and Jacinda Sherman as possible. No matter how much Hunter might want Jacinda, honor dictates a man doesn't go near a best friend's baby sister. But now, she is safely married so all should be safe. Can Hunter pay J.C.'s price and still come out on top?

Her whole life, Jacinda Sherman let everyone tell her what she can and cannot have. That includes Hunter. Now she's grown up, divorced, and what J.C. wants J.C. gets. This time, Hunter won't be leaving without J.C. getting what she desires.

Can these two lovers find a way to live happily ever after? Or will life throw a wrench in their carefully laid plans?

[image error] Excerpt

As Hunter cleared the doorframe, he was attacked—not by a mugger or drunken man, but by J.C. Her hand twined through his hair and brought his mouth down to hers. Her lips moved under his, begging him to open to her, begging him to give her a try. She took his hand and placed it on her full breast. Her nipples immediately pearled in his hand.

His mind screamed to stop this now, but his body didn't seem to be listening. From the moment her soft, full lips touched his, he was putty in her hand. His only hope of survival was that she had not yet become aware of it.

"J.C.—" He moaned into her mouth and said unconvincingly, "We can't do this."
"Shh." She pressed her breast further into his hand. "Just feel me; let me feel you."
"Jacinda, will you listen to me?"
"Not if your words have anything to do with 'this isn't right' or 'Jacinda, this can't happen between us."
"Exactly, that is..."

"Shh." Jacinda put her fingers against his mouth. Electrical vibrations hummed through her fingertips into his lips. "Please let me do this for you. I want to taste you."

Five words were his undoing. I want to taste you

Hunter didn't care anymore; honor be damned! He wanted her. She knew that. She could feel his arousal against her stomach. His cock was straining against his jeans now, begging to be set free. He was on the edge, wanting so much for her to touch him, to help release the agony he had felt ever since she got out of the pool this morning, soaked to the skin.

He kissed her with an urgency born out of need and desire. Somewhere in the last few minutes, his body and brain stopped communicating. His body just took over. He no longer cared that this could jeopardize his long-standing relationship with Tony. Never mind the rest of the Sherman clan. He no longer cared that this was something he had promised himself wouldn't happen. He only cared that he couldn't get enough of her. He drank from her and was still thirsty.

I am giving away one copy of HUNTING JC to a lucky winner. All I need from you is to Friend me on facebook,  http://facebook.com/dominique.eastwick


And leave a comment here on this blog and tell me which of the Sherman brothers you most want to read about :)

More about Dominique at the following sites
Dominique Blog http://dominiqueeastwick.blogspot.com/
Dominique Web www.DominiqueEastwick.com
Buy links Hunting JC http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=28
Buy Links Tony's Haven http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=68

MONDAY MAGIC- Tarah Scott

Thanks so much, Maggie, for having me on your blog today. It's great to be here on this
Autumn day.  

A Knight of Passion is my most recent release with Total E-Bound.

Lady Riana Ellis will risk the fires of Hell for those she loves. Can she let a man do the
same for her?

I really love writing Scottish medieval romances. I once had a reviewer refuse to review
one of my Medievals after having read the book. I was a little taken aback, and asked
why. I don't expect everyone to love my work, but her refusal was rather firm. Her
response "…the characters didn't seem to like each other very much."

I was never more relieved to hear a reason why a reader didn't care for one of my books.

I was even a little pleased. This reader had never read a Medieval, so the subgenre was a
complete unknown to her. While I might disagree about the characters not liking one
another, she did hit upon what is one of the underlying elements of Medievals, and one
very big difference from other historical romances such as Regencies: Medieval life was
a hard no nonsense era.

People lived much shorter lives than we do today. They died of all sorts of diseases.
Money wasn't plentiful. The average woman, while industrious and canny as ever, had to
operate through the men in her life. Women of later periods certainly didn't enjoy the
same opportunities we do today, but they were emancipated compared to Medieval
women. All this and more equates to a straightforward way of thinking and acting.
During the Regency period, gentility and manners were the way of life. One did not insult
someone by being too honest. Constraint was a must. Medieval people, however, were
openly fierce. War was a way of life, which meant warriors and knights were very tough
individuals.

It's not surprising then, that the tone and emphasis of these two subgenres would be so
different. Honor was at the heart of both these eras, so the same human impulses drove
them, but the expression was polar opposites. Regency people were understated and quiet
in their unspoken honor. Medieval people warred for honor.

A knight in shining armor slaying the dragon for his lady fair is still one of the most
popular romantic notions today. Just what is it that makes the noble knight so interesting?
Men have been willing to fight for their women throughout the ages. (That is, after all,
one of their more endearing qualities. Heh heh.) So, are you a fan of Medieval times
when men were tough and, yes, women were even tougher?


A Knight of Passion

As whore for the Duchess of Arundel, Lady Riana Ellis keeps her sister safe from the
duke's lascivious desires. But the duchess now demands that Riana murder the man
already sent to her bed.

Sir Bryant Cullen determines to have the duchess' whore. Her land is a prize, but it's her
secrets he wants. Once he knows what she knows, he will control one of the most
powerful houses in Scotland. And she will be his.

      Here's a bit from Sir Bryant Cullen—

      Bryant had had his share of whores, but never one who was owned, and
certainly not one who should be sitting before her own hearth, awaiting the
return of her husband. When he'd seen her earlier, he'd decided he would seek
her out, taste of her sweet body, but only if she was willing.
      Her fingers tightened on his arm. Dark eyes pleaded with him.
      "All is well, Lady," he whispered. "You need not fear that I will complain.
You are free to go."
      She tugged the sheet from their bodies, and he thought she was going to
leave. Instead, she spread her thighs, and he couldn't halt the downward slide of
his eyes along delectable curves that led to dark curls, stark against creamy flesh.
He glimpsed moist folds and his cock jerked. His mouth went dry. He had
imagined tasting of her sweet juices, but to have her so close now, ready,
willing—he jarred from the thought. She was not willing. She was only here at
the command of her mistress.
      She reached between them and he remained frozen when she wrapped
her fingers around his cock. She squeezed. He gritted his teeth against the
intense pleasure. Her slim, white fingers gripping his girth sent the blood
pounding through his veins. He wanted her from the moment he'd laid eyes on
her in the great hall, even knowing what she was. Dark hair that hung nearly to
her waist, dark eyes, and breasts so full they begged for a man's touch…his
mouth. He took in a ragged breath, desperate for control. His cock hardened
more. Lust swamped him.
      She tightened her hand on his neck and pulled his head downwards.
Bryant felt himself stepping over the edge, then he plummeted when her full
breasts crushed beneath his chest. She threw a leg over his hip and arched
against his rod. Soft curls tickled his flesh.
      "Lady," he rasped as her soft mouth melted beneath his.
      He thrust his tongue against her lips. As before, she opened without
hesitation. He swept inside. Her hand fell away from his cock, but she pressed
her mound against the hard length. He groaned and thrust against her. She
rocked, and his shaft slid through her curls. If he pulled back, he could thrust
inside her in one easy move. She was surely wet and ready.
      He pulled back, breathing hard. "I will not force you."
      "I am yours to do with as you please."
      "You offer yourself only because—"
      She pulled him close, his ear against her lips again. "I beg you, do not
leave until the sun rises."
      She emphasised the plea by rubbing her sex against him. He groaned at
feel of her slick folds gliding down his thigh, but forced himself to pull away. She
flattened a palm on her belly and his gaze followed the downward skim of her
fingers until they brushed her curls then dipped into the glistening folds. Slowly,
she opened her cunt lips, baring herself to him. She shifted and his breath caught
when she cupped a full breast and brought the hardened nipple to her mouth.
He watched, unable to move, as she suckled the tip.
The breast slipped from her mouth and he jarred from the trance. She cupped the
back of his neck and brought his mouth down to the stiff, rosy peak. He greedily
sucked it into his mouth, hungry for the taste of her, all of her. He was a fool to
have thought he could walk away from this woman.

Thanks for visiting with me today.

A Knight of Passion is available at Total E-Bound

For more about me and my books, stop by my website www.tarahscott.com

Take care, all.

****

Oh thank you Tarah for being my special guest today. I have to say I LOVE medieval romances and your book looks so hot! Not only that but I notice it has some excellent reviews! Congratulations!

MONDAY MAGIC - Nichelle Gregory

Please welcome the fabulous Nichelle Gregory - yes, I know it's Tuesday LOL...but hey stuff happens! I'm so happy to have Nichelle here...she writes HOT books!  Next week I'll be reviewing one of her great stories, so stay tuned for my new segment - Thursday Thoughts :-) Watch this space!


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Maggie, thanks for having me on your fabulous blog today! It's always fun sharing secrets about how an idea or past experience blossoms into a full-fledged story!

Diamonds, danger and desire take my heroine and hero by storm in Hearts & Diamonds, my latest contemporary release with Total E-Bound! As an author, there's nothing more exciting than writing a story that simply flows...no creative blocks, no wild detours taken by the characters or plot...just a great tale that unfolds like magic!

This doesn't happen with every book written, so when it does, it's pretty special. Hearts & Diamonds will always be one of my favourite stories for that very reason. The premise for the story was inspired by my own life experience. When I was in college, I worked for a jewelry store and I can honestly say I loved the job! I enjoyed learning about all the precious stones, gold, platinum and of course diamonds!

I especially loved the fact that anyone who stepped up to the counter was either there to celebrate a happy occasion- newlywed couples were my absolute fave...or something sparkly had caught their eye in the window. I liked the challenge of finding a piece of jewelry that those window shoppers just simply had to have.

I also learned how to protect myself against would be jewel thieves. Did you know the jewelry industry loses more than 100 million dollars a year in stolen goods?

I know...pretty crazy! Anyway, those memories of my former job sparked my muse and thus the storyline for Hearts & Diamonds unfolded - A jewelry heist that brings two people together and changes the course of their lives forever!

I love my heroine, Nia, she's placed in a terrifying situation, but she's not a weak, helpless female. When her routine life intersects with Quin, she's not afraid to go after what she wants...namely him!

And Quin! He's totally alpha...closed off and about business...government business. He's a federal agent, you see, and he's all about his job...well, at least until Nia rips through his red tape.

So, tell me, what is your favourite gemstone besides the obvious choice – diamonds? I love moonstone, aquamarine, peridot and sapphire gemstones. My wedding ring is a beautiful natural yellow sapphire! 

Enjoy the rest of your week! And if you're in the mood for sexy read with scorching hot sex, dangerous thrills and a heart-warming ending, Hearts & Diamonds awaits your reading pleasure!

Here's the blurb:

Passion sparks the moment Nia Sanders unknowingly meets federal agent Quin Rios.
Nia Sanders knows diamonds. She appreciates and envies the heart-felt emotions of her customers buying them. When federal agent, Quin Rios saves her life in the middle of a violent jewel heist, she finds herself attracted to the sensual possibilities beneath his uber professional, self-contained persona.

Determined to keep her safe as he solves the case, Quin can't let his attraction to Nia distract him. The heat of their fiery passion consumes them as they both struggle to control their emotions...neither are prepared to lose their heart.

Excerpt:
Nia gasped as her mouse slipper slipped beneath her and she stumbled towards Quin. The water hit him seconds before she fell to her knees in front of him. "I am so sorry." She blinked in sheer mortification as the liquid seeped into the dark fabric on his thighs. Her gaze drifted further up his leg to see the unmistakable bulge inches away from her.

"It's okay."

Nia dragged her eyes up from his pants to meet his heated gaze. "No, it's not."

Quin ran his finger down the tip of her nose. "It is. I needed to cool off anyway."

A ribbon of desire coursed along every nerve ending in her body as he stood up and offered both hands. "Let me help you up."

She took them, visualising an actual spark of electricity from his touch as he yanked her up from the ground. "Thanks, Quin." She lifted her chin, saw the same longing in his eyes and something twisted in her stomach as they stared at one another. She laced her fingers with his as time stood still. "Kiss me."

The whispered request shocked her. She waited with baited breath for him to move, her words, her heart lay before him. Just when she would've pulled away, he groaned and pulled her against his chest.
His hands skimmed up her arms, into her hair as he kissed her. She melted into him, wrapped her arms around his neck and welcomed his fierce kiss. He took over and she wanted him to. Her moan of pleasure only encouraged him to delve deeper, tasting and stroking her tongue as he backed her up against the dining room wall. She could barely breathe, lost in the rhythm of his masterful kisses. One hand left her hair to cup her ass, kneading the soft curve beneath her dress. She ran her hands through his hair, loving the feel of the thick texture between her fingers as he pressed his hard cock against her belly.

"You're so sexy," Quin said, breaking away to look down at her.

"Ditto." She closed her eyes as he claimed her lips again, this time in a soft, sensual caress that left her boneless. He ended the kiss and her body craved more.

"Quin…" She sighed as his lips brushed her temple.

"Nia—"

The shrill sound of her phone ringing broke the moment, stopped her from making another brazen request of his body. She pulled away from his embrace to reach for the handheld laying on the dining room table. "Hello?"

"I needed those diamonds."


Nia froze.

The cold voice on the other end of the line was unmistakable.

"Tess?" She whipped around to look at Quin already on alert as he tapped his watch and indicated for her to keep on talking. "Where are you?"

"Closer than you think."

The line went dead as Nia stared at Quin. She handed him the phone in a daze.

"What did she say?"

"She said she 'needed' those diamonds. I think she threatened me."

"Tell me exactly what she said." He took out his cell as she repeated the conversation. She watched him for a second, noting how easy it was for him to shift gears. Could he really have just given her the best damn kisses of her life? One wouldn't think it'd happened now as he relayed what had happened and gave out orders to whoever was on the other line.

Click HERE to buy the book!

Author Bio:

Nichelle Gregory has been in love with books and writing since middle school. A lover of the arts, she enjoys anything that embraces the creative nature within us all. Bringing believable characters to life that thrill and excite her readers is a challenge that continues to push Nichelle. She loves creating stories involving super sexy alpha heroes with divine heroines in magical, exotic, and fantastic scenarios. So, gone on . . . Indulge your secret fetishes and desires!

Visit her website http://www.nichellegregory.com and blog http://www.simplysexystories.blogspot.com

MONDAY MAGIC - Nell Dixon

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog.

I'd thought I'd chat about writing what you don't know. Yes, you read that right. The stuff I know is pretty dull – well, to sustain my interest through a 90,000 word book, it is. I'd rather write what I don't know. Every book for me is a learning experience, a step into the unknown, new and exciting. Hopefully that sense of excitement is transferred to my readers.

I'm also a real stickler for making sure I do things properly, so lots of research into my subjects, site visits, and talking to experts. I hate it when an inaccuracy pulls me out of a story so I try really hard to get things right.

In Renovation, Renovation, Renovation, I had to research the contemporary details, where Myrtle Cottage would be, planning laws, boy bands, financial stuff and listed building consents. I had to research the historical stuff too, costumes for my ghosts, their way of life, speech patterns, politics and food. Then there were the paranormal elements. I visited a haunted cottage with two mediums, watched a séance and took part in a cleansing of the cottage.

I went to an English Civil War re-enactment, handled weapons, cook pots, clothing from the period. I talked to the archaeologists who were excavating Shakespeare's garden at Stratford-Upon-Avon and visited the dig.

I learned a lot, much, much more than you'll see in the book but I know I've done my best to get the details right so hopefully when you read Renovation, Renovation, Renovation that sense of excitement and adventure will be there waiting.




Renovation, Renovation, Renovation releasing September 30th from Myrmidon and in paperback March 5th 2012

After renovating twelve houses in seven years Kate wanted a ring on her finger and the forever house.
Instead of her dream home and her dream man, she lands house number thirteen, Myrtle Cottage. A crumbling seventeenth century money pit.

Trapped by the credit crunch on yet another renovation project with her now very ex boyfriend, Steve, will she ever find the forever love she's after or will it just be more renovation, renovation, renovation?

Nell Dixon is a Black Country author, married to the same man for over twenty-five years she has three daughters, a tank of tropical fish and a cactus called Spike. Winner of the RNA's prestigious Romance Prize in 2007 and 2010, she writes warm-hearted contemporary romance for a number of publishers in the US and the UK including Myrmidon Press, Samhain Publishing, Little Black Dress, Astraea Press, E-Scape Press and Freya's Bower. Her latest titles include Just Look at Me Now, Making Waves and September Song.

Visit her website at http://www.nelldixon.com or follow her on Twitter or Facebook

MONDAY MAGIC - Emma Lane

For Monday Magic today we have Emma Lane, aka Janis Lane...thanks so much for dropping by Emma!   
*** 
Hello. Thanks for having me here today. 
I've been thinking of how important it is to develop personality traits for my characters. Character driven books are some of my most favorite. (How about JD Robb with Eve and you-know-who?) Romeo/Juliet represent for all times the intensity and folly of young love.       Once you fall deeply in love with the characters in a novel, your appetite for more is insatiable. Or at least mine is. So character development is a very important part of the work in writing a novel. How about Elizabeth and Jane? Well-rounded ladies with firm, albeit somewhat prejudicial, characteristics. Well, Eliza at least. Jane is too good, almost insipid for most of us--definitely white bread to Eliza's wheat.        This task is also a source of amusement to me as well. A new character I'm working on is almost finished and now she keeps following me around. Talk, talk, talking all the time to me in the back of my mind. Never shuts up. The only way to get rid of her is—you guessed it--to write her story. Her name is Felicity Malsturripson and she is a dark-haired beauty with a wicked tongue. She was a minor character in my series of Regencies about the vicar's three daughters, one published and two more about to be. I'd never given her a thought until recently when she popped into my head and demanded her own story.     Probably two thirds of the information I'll put together about Felicity will never get into the novel. Nethertheless, it's important for me to know everything I can about her character. Who she is, how old is she, where she came from, rich or poor, number of siblings, her space in time. Were her parents mean or nice? Once I know this character, I'll pretty much understand what her actions/reactions are to be.      Okay, you argue, what about that place where they all decide to do as they please and never you mind what you want them to? Have you never heard of a surprise ending?
It makes writing an interesting task, for sure. I'm usually as surprised as the reader.        I do find it useful to keep a 3x5 card handy with all the personality traits listed.
Who are some of your favorite characters? Do they ever make you gasp with shock? Are they predictable and placid? Which do you like better? 
Felicity is a fiery young women with a bad temper. I'll try to keep her in line.
Find Felicity with her own story soon.Find her walk-on debut in A SCANDALOUS DESIGN—Emma Lane—coming soon @ MUSA PUBLISHING PRESS.  
Can Melanie Robinson give up her dreams to wed a respectable, very desirable, not to mention handsome,  peer of the realm in a love match or will she hold fast to her personal ambitions by saying yes to a handsome, devilish rogue who becomes her friend and accepts her as she is?
My contemporary SANDPIPER AFFAIR—Janis Lane, available right now @ DESERT BREEZE PRESS and other popular downloadable sites.  
Wild life photographer Abby Neycomb never dreamed her camera would frame a giant blond, total hunk of eye candy when she trespassed in the State Park. Did the Ranger uniform he was wearing have serious meaning? She certainly hoped so!
While the urge to create can be a powerful drive, Emma aka Janis Lane often wants to chase her muse away for disturbing her peace. When not writing her own novels, she enjoys reading what others write, preferably sitting in the shade with a pitcher of ice tea. Nature is a favorite subject and is tucked into most of  her stories. Lane is an experienced bird watcher.  She is also part owner of a small "Herbtique" and can be found in Western NY in summer assisting in the creation and design of beautiful gardens. She belongs to WNYRWA and RWA. Check for Emma J. Lane on Facebook.

Thanks again for coming Emma!  Hey everyone - don't forget to let us know who your favourite characters are!

MONDAY MAGIC - Victoria Blisse

I am so happy to welcome fellow TEB stable mate and smokin' author Victoria Blisse!   Thanks so much for stopping by today Victoria!

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Fantasy and Fairy Tales. First of all let me Thank Maggie for hosting me here today and now on with my blog! I have to thank my Mum and Dad for giving me my love of books at an early age.  My Dad read to me every bedtime, my mum took me to the library once a month and they both encouraged me to read all I wanted. If Hadn't have read so much in childhood, through the trails of teenagedom (Just made that one up) and into my adult life I am sure I wouldn't ever have become an author. I know that my love of certain kinds of stories shows up in my books now and then. I've always loved fairy tales, the classics like Cinderella and Red Riding Hood that everyone knows and I had a big volume of Hans Christian Anderson stories that I remember digging into time and again. I fell in love with Narnia and Prydain and in my early teens discovered the Discworld. I've always loved to escape into a world of fantasy. So it comes as no surprise that I've written about an invisibility potion , werewolves, and now a Djinn .  Not a Genie, no, he'll kill you for calling him that. He came around quite randomly. I was asked to write a Bollywood themed story for Total-E-Bound and I said yes. I think I answered a bit before I'd really thought it through as then I was quite stuck for a story idea.  I thought and I thought, I googled and got books from the library and chatted to some people and Boom the idea struck.Johnny the Djinn was born. I needed something over the top, wild and fantastical to go in with the Bollywood genre and so I decided I wanted a supernatural/paranormal element to the story. I looked into a few different ideas but then I found the Djinn and the idea developed from there.  I am sure if I didn't love fantasy and fairy tales I wouldn't have gone down the same kind of magical route at all, so thank God for my childhood reading matter!
Let me introduce you to Silver Screen Dream   Click HERE to buy the bookHere's the Blurb: Book one in the Djinn's Amulet Series

When true love conquers all, what is a djinn to do?Johnny is a djinn, and he has a hard life. His master, Rahul, is a massive Bollywood star who's run off to England to avoid an arranged marriage, a marriage Johnny has to make happen. It's his job.Rahul further complicates matters by falling for a British Bollywood fan, Laura, whom he meets at a film premiere. How can Johnny get his master back to Mumbai to marry the woman to whom he is pledged and away from the English hussy who is steadily taking more and more of his attention?Johnny will use revenge and jealousy, but how will he cope when true love is thrown into the mix?And a short excerpt from the book from Johnny's perspective. He tells half the tale, Laura tells the other half because she didn't trust Johnny to do a good job of it! She may well have been right.

Before we go any farther, I should introduce myself. You can call me Johnny. It's not my name, but you can call me by it. I'm a Djinn and we don't give out our real names willy-nilly like you daft humans. We know the power of a name and are very cagey when it comes to introductions. Occasionally, though, we get tricked, and that's what happened to me many moons ago, and now I look after a young human called Rahul. He's not the man who tricked me, that was his father's father's father's father's father or something like that. Some Djinns get let off easy with only a generation or two of service before a kind human wishes them free, but somehow I managed to get stuck with a family full of selfish bastards. I just get handed down from Khan to Khan and do their bidding. It's not a thrilling life. I don't interfere in the affairs of mortals unless I am explicitly ordered to. Well, usually. It's not a hard and fast rule. If Rahul were to trip up and fall in the Ganges, for example, I'd leap to his rescue because he would be in mortal danger, no explicit order needed. I'm bound to the dark-haired, blue-eyed fool, and so I have to keep him alive and well until it's time for his natural demise. Rahul doesn't mistreat me, he doesn't call on me at all hours to make him magic beverages or massage his calloused feet like his father did. I do very little for him, truth be told. He's asked me to grant him one wish in all his life so far, and that was to make him famous. So we hit Mumbai and he became an overnight Bollywood sensation. He's a good-looking lad, for a human, with russet-toned skin and eyes that shine like hidden sapphires, and so he fell into the acting life with ease. I barely had to use any magical influence at all. I accompany him on set, but I tend to ignore the whole rigmarole myself. I prefer filling in the Mumbai Times            Rahul was just finishing up work on the latest Bollywood blockbuster, Benazir, which means Incomparable to all you English-speaking folks. I can't remember what it was about, but it was the typical Bollywood love story and I mostly ignored it during filming. "Johnny," my master summoned me. I put down my needlework—what, even Djinn need a hobby—and I did the impressive poof thing complete with smoke, lightning and glowing, red eyes. "Oh, stop messing," he snapped. "This is important.""Yes, Master." I bowed and changed into Rahul's preferred envisagement. I find it to be rather constricting to be in human form, but I have to do his bidding whether I want to or not. "I've just spoken to Uncle Rajeesh, and he's spouting some nonsense about marriage.""Well, you're getting on now, Rahul. You're in your late twenties. It's time you settled down.""Oh, shut up, Johnny. They have that horrible, simpering woman Malati all lined up for me. Apparently, all this was decided years ago when my father went into business with hers. It explains why they kept making us play together as kids even though we hated each other.""Well, yes. It makes the wedding go much smoother if you know your future wife beforehand.""I'm not ready for marriage, and I will not have one arranged for me," Rahul snapped. "I command you to stop it.""Ah, Master, I'm afraid I can't do that.""Why not? I am your Master, correct?""Yes, Sir,""Then you do whatever I command you to do.""Technically, Sir, yes.""What do you mean 'technically'?" He raised a questioning brow. "Well, I accepted an order from your father, and as he was my master first, his command came before your command." "And what was it?" Rahul snapped. "I was instructed by your father at the time of Malati's birth to ensure that you married her for the good of the family, so I'm bound by that command.""Bullshit," Rahul snarled. "My father is dead. I'm your master now.""Yes, Master, I know, but your father was very specific when he made that particular wish. He told me it should supersede your wishes and should be my number one priority after his death.""So you won't help me avoid the wedding, then?""No, Sir, I'm afraid I can't.""Well, then I command you to go back into your stupid little kettle and stay there. What's the use of having a damn Djinn if he won't do as he's told?" I disappeared with less pomp than I'd arrived and settled back to my crossword. I didn't care whom he married, I just had to do what I was commanded to do.
  Click HERE to buy the book

Guest blogger: Lexxie Couper!

Today I am fortunate to have my good friend Lexxie Couper joining me here at the blog.  She's talking about her latest release from Samhain - TROPICAL SIN!

Have a read and see what you think.  I know I'm heading out to buy it right now!

Just what is going on at Bandicoot Cove, the all new luxury resort on Bilby Island, just off the beautiful tropical Australian coastline? Why are famous people, rich people and beautiful people flocking there? Is it true Nick Blackthorne, the world's sexiest and biggest rock star, last seen at a German sex clinic is going to perform there, his first performance in two years? And just who is the sexy couple assuring everyone they are only friends when they seem so much more? These are the questions answered with delicious, cheeky, sarcastic wit in the cheeky, sarcastic Lexxie Couper's latest release,Tropical Sin.

What can you accept when you take a trip to Bandicoot Cove? And just who will you meet there?

McKenzie Wood is Australia's star gossip mag journalist, and she's just spied the story of a lifetime: rumor-shrouded rock star, Nick Blackthorne—who thinks he's incognito at Bandicoot Cove resort. The word is Nick's a sex addict about to come out of the closet, and who better to lure Nick out than her BFF, Aiden Rogers—a pulse-poundingly gorgeous firefighter who is always there when she needs him, no matter the challenge.

Aiden admits it's pretty damned pathetic that he can rush into burning buildings, but not have the guts to tell McKenzie he's in love with her. No way can he tell his best friend he'd like to do some seriously sinful things to her, especially since she's never shown one iota of sexual interest.

Nick looks forward to some "unfamous" downtime in his home country. He's surprised to find his creative muse stirred—more like brought to rigid attention—by a couple so sexy that all he can think about is the three of them. Together.

When three bodies move together as one, the rhythm becomes a smoldering beat that rivals the island's heat. But when the truth inevitably comes out, will the heat be enough to save three souls…or end up just another sinner's lament?

It should be noted that this tale is not for the conservative or prudish. Sex is aplenty during its sinful narrative, with the warning "One plus one plus one equals OMG sex, are-you-freaking-kidding-me orgasms and some serious mind-blowing climaxes"  attached to it.

So…are you up for a visit to the exotic beauty, breathtaking luxury and smoldering passion of Bandicoot Cove? If so, make sure you don't miss Tropical Sin. (And be sure to catch other installments of the Bandicoot Cove series. Each tale will leave you gasping for more).

Click HERE to buy the book!

Thanks for stopping by Lexxie! I want to see the "OMG are you freaking kidding me" orgasms!

MONDAY MAGIC - Tanith Davenport

Writing as a man
When I write, I tend to stick to one POV, which is generally female for ease of identification. However, the story and themes I was using in The Hand He Dealt meant a second POV was needed - that of Astra's boyfriend Harry, who unsurprisingly is a man.

This was a challenge for me. Not being a man, I have no idea what a cock or a prostate feels like from the other end. Researching this issue is also tricky. I tried asking the fella about it and got "Uh... it feels good?" Although, having read part of the book (I don't think I'll ever get him to finish the thing) he told me that a comment I'd made about how "he couldn't feel it, not really" - in reference to my heroine tonguing her boyfriend through his boxers - was probably unrealistic since, once hard, every nerve ending in the body is directed into the penis, or something to that effect.
My other source of information was slash fiction, which I used to read a lot of online. Depending on the story, it can be very mild or extremely graphic, and since I don't read femmeslash my reading was focussed entirely on men. It was certainly helpful and gave me plenty of ideas for prostate-related moments, but for the most part it does have one potential flaw - the vast majority of what I read was written by women.
Which can result in that character I call the Girly Man.
To quote Minotaur's Sex Tips for Slash Writers:
One thing to be wary of is writing one partner as the "wife". Men, even gay men, are trained to be less emotionally open, less demonstrative. Yes, we do feel, and even occasionally cry, but gay men are every bit as emotionally closeted as their straight counterparts. Think of all the troubles you have in your relationships with men, and then double them. Instead of just one partner being distant, uncommunicative and emotionally stunted, both are.
Obviously in my case I wasn't writing about a gay relationship, but my concern was Harry losing his masculinity. Harry is a fairly emotional man, in comparison with Ash who is much more the "emotionally closeted" type noted by Minotaur, but it was still important that he remain true to character and not become tainted by my own female perspective.
Is this a challenge for other writers? How does everyone else write as a man while keeping an authentic voice? 

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Thanks so much for joining us today Tanith!
I have to agree it is a challenge writing from the male POV. I am lucky to have 5 males in my house to draw on. I often will run a thought or dialogue phrase passed them to check if a guy would think or say that. It's quite helpful..I mean, they are so very different to us in the way they think. I also think that sometimes we want to read about how we WANT a man to be rather than how they are...sure it's unrealistic , but it's a nice fantasy LOL
You can buy Tanith's fabulous book by clicking on the cover!