Maggie Nash's Blog, page 3
March 13, 2013
When writing isn't simple anymore - Cynnara Tregarth
Today I have the great pleasure to welcome one of my first people to encourage me in my writing. I can honestly say I wouldn't have finished my first book without the help and support of this lovely lady. This is a very personal and inspiring post and we are priviledged to have her share with us.
WHEN WRITING ISN'T SIMPLE ANYMORE
When I started writing a decade ago, the words used to pour from my fingertips onto the page. It was
simply amazing to me on how simple the writing process seemed to be. Looking back now, I laugh and I miss that easiness. When you’re unpublished, you write simply to write. It’s the most wonderful thing in the world. You have these stories, these ideas that you just know will sell and that will get you a contract. So, you write, then you write some more, then you keep writing. If you’re very, very lucky, a professional writer in your field will warn you against burnout and how to pace yourself when things get too much. I had that, but then I had real life crash down around me.
With each book I wrote, I tried to write better. It’s every writer’s goal. But I also wanted to entice new readers into my stories. Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t like editing—it’s not that I don’t like the process—I just have this thing—once I’m done with a story, I’m OVER it. I don’t want to go back for a while, and I’d like to do something else. Edits do not allow for that. *sigh* But I slog on and learn more from those evil things. In my career, I learned from other authors to watch for burnout and to learn to protect myself when it came to contracts and other things. In many ways, I did, but health wise—I hadn’t. When my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, I was just coming back from a minor bout of depression. Since we writers write alone, but talk online a lot, it sometimes is hard to talk about things like depression, or loneliness. Then with the day job too, it made things harder as well. For six months, I was on a precipice with my mom—hoping she wouldn’t die, but knowing inside that she would. You have to understand that she was my first cheerleader in my writing. When I told her I was writing romance novels and trying to get them published, my mom was so excited that she bought me Word for my computer. My mom wanted me to be in Harlequin, LoveSwept and the like. Why? She loved reading her romances and mysteries—and so did I. It was where she and I bonded through the years—our love of reading.
When mom passed away that January, I felt something snap in my writing. I became better at putting things together, but I was missing something. Plus, my focus was shot. You have to understand, I could be online with friends in IM talking and write over 4k in 5 hours, no problem. Suddenly, I could barely put out 1k in the same amount of time. Something was wrong. I was grieving, or so I thought. Finally, I got professional help. I’m grateful. Yes, I was grieving, but moreover, there was more to it than that. Seems that my past had caught up with me and my mom’s death was the breaking point. It also seemed that my coping techniques through the years helped me to cover up something important—I was diagnosed with ADD, attention deficit disorder. Talk about a shocker. More importantly, talk about something I didn’t want to admit to having or believing could affect my writing. But there it was, looming over me, mocking my ability to put down a paragraph. It laughed at me as I struggled with edits on my next book. It giggled and told me I sucked as I took one year to finish a novella. One year! I never took that long to write a story before!
Welcome to my new world of writing. It took me years of therapy, classes on dealing with my ADD, and medication to get a
grip on myself. Plus, technology has become my friend in this writing world. The world of writing went from simple to the hardest thing I could ever do. Now, I’ve made it so it’s not as hard as it once was. It will never be as simple as the past, but I’m okay with that now. This time last year, I’d be wishing for the old me still. But the new me has a voice recognition program that she paid out good money for and loves. It helps to transcribe things—and it does work a lot better than I thought it would. I do need a better digital recorder, but that will come in time. I can use a wireless headset with it and it’s fantastic! I can use my smart phone to dictate and then transfer it to the computer. *grins* I also learned it is easier for me to edit things on a page
then to start with a fresh, blank page. The only things that are easy for me write are blog posts. Silly, right? But for some reason, blog posts are able to roll off my fingertips now when I used to really struggle with them. I can’t do five of them a week, but I can write two to three of them and feel happy with myself.
So why do I point this out? Because all writers will face a crisis in their writing career—published or not. It’s what you do when it hits that will either bring you to the next level or you might give up and quit. I faced that demon a few times. I really did. But, I realized there were still stories to be told and characters who still talked to me. They need their stories told and I needed to get better so I could tell their stories. I can’t tell you that my way will be your way of dealing with a breakdown or with hitting that wall, but you have to realize—there is always another way around that evil stoppage. Write by hand, dictate to your computer and then type it up as you listen to yourself talk, or even ask if someone can type it up for you. If you can afford voice recognition software like Dragon Naturally Speaking, try it! If you think you need something else—try it! I bought Scrivener and Write Way Pro. Both are fantastic programs and I like them both. Plus, I found I can dictate into either of them. *chuckles* Which means it makes my life even better! More importantly, if you find yourself sluggish, pulling away from everyone, hiding from family and friends—get help. Go to the doctor and tell them you’re not feeling normal. That possibly you’re depressed or something else is wrong with you. Sometimes the wall isn’t a writer’s block—sometimes it’s a physical thing that can be taken care of with medication and some therapy. I’m one of those who had both. In some ways, it’s lucky and unlucky. I’ve had to relearn how to write—which means I had to throw away how I thought I should be, of who I used to be when I wrote before. I wasn’t that person anymore. I had to really embrace the author I am now- someone who has deeper skills, a better grasp of humanity, and knows what she wants to accomplish. I’m not afraid of hitting the wall anymore. I know if I hit it, there are tools all around me to help me get around it, under it or to blast it from here to eternity.
Writing may be simple when you first start.
It wouldn’t be fun if it weren’t. It gets more complex the better you get at it. It might slow you down, but it will never stop you. Keep pushing forward. Use new and varied techniques to help you continue that forward pace. Sometimes, you might be surprised what will happen at the end of that first road—a new
contract, new friends who push you even more, or even realizing it’s been a decade since your first book has come out. It’s simply amazing what you’ll discover on that journey. Keep writing. <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Book Antiqua"; panose-1:2 4 6 2 5 3 5 3 3 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-unhide:no; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.cynnara.com/">http... class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cynnara... FB author page</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/cynnara"&... Twitter Account</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kc5cD4LA4NE..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></div>
WHEN WRITING ISN'T SIMPLE ANYMORE
When I started writing a decade ago, the words used to pour from my fingertips onto the page. It was
simply amazing to me on how simple the writing process seemed to be. Looking back now, I laugh and I miss that easiness. When you’re unpublished, you write simply to write. It’s the most wonderful thing in the world. You have these stories, these ideas that you just know will sell and that will get you a contract. So, you write, then you write some more, then you keep writing. If you’re very, very lucky, a professional writer in your field will warn you against burnout and how to pace yourself when things get too much. I had that, but then I had real life crash down around me.
With each book I wrote, I tried to write better. It’s every writer’s goal. But I also wanted to entice new readers into my stories. Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t like editing—it’s not that I don’t like the process—I just have this thing—once I’m done with a story, I’m OVER it. I don’t want to go back for a while, and I’d like to do something else. Edits do not allow for that. *sigh* But I slog on and learn more from those evil things. In my career, I learned from other authors to watch for burnout and to learn to protect myself when it came to contracts and other things. In many ways, I did, but health wise—I hadn’t. When my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, I was just coming back from a minor bout of depression. Since we writers write alone, but talk online a lot, it sometimes is hard to talk about things like depression, or loneliness. Then with the day job too, it made things harder as well. For six months, I was on a precipice with my mom—hoping she wouldn’t die, but knowing inside that she would. You have to understand that she was my first cheerleader in my writing. When I told her I was writing romance novels and trying to get them published, my mom was so excited that she bought me Word for my computer. My mom wanted me to be in Harlequin, LoveSwept and the like. Why? She loved reading her romances and mysteries—and so did I. It was where she and I bonded through the years—our love of reading.
When mom passed away that January, I felt something snap in my writing. I became better at putting things together, but I was missing something. Plus, my focus was shot. You have to understand, I could be online with friends in IM talking and write over 4k in 5 hours, no problem. Suddenly, I could barely put out 1k in the same amount of time. Something was wrong. I was grieving, or so I thought. Finally, I got professional help. I’m grateful. Yes, I was grieving, but moreover, there was more to it than that. Seems that my past had caught up with me and my mom’s death was the breaking point. It also seemed that my coping techniques through the years helped me to cover up something important—I was diagnosed with ADD, attention deficit disorder. Talk about a shocker. More importantly, talk about something I didn’t want to admit to having or believing could affect my writing. But there it was, looming over me, mocking my ability to put down a paragraph. It laughed at me as I struggled with edits on my next book. It giggled and told me I sucked as I took one year to finish a novella. One year! I never took that long to write a story before!
Welcome to my new world of writing. It took me years of therapy, classes on dealing with my ADD, and medication to get a
grip on myself. Plus, technology has become my friend in this writing world. The world of writing went from simple to the hardest thing I could ever do. Now, I’ve made it so it’s not as hard as it once was. It will never be as simple as the past, but I’m okay with that now. This time last year, I’d be wishing for the old me still. But the new me has a voice recognition program that she paid out good money for and loves. It helps to transcribe things—and it does work a lot better than I thought it would. I do need a better digital recorder, but that will come in time. I can use a wireless headset with it and it’s fantastic! I can use my smart phone to dictate and then transfer it to the computer. *grins* I also learned it is easier for me to edit things on a page
then to start with a fresh, blank page. The only things that are easy for me write are blog posts. Silly, right? But for some reason, blog posts are able to roll off my fingertips now when I used to really struggle with them. I can’t do five of them a week, but I can write two to three of them and feel happy with myself.
So why do I point this out? Because all writers will face a crisis in their writing career—published or not. It’s what you do when it hits that will either bring you to the next level or you might give up and quit. I faced that demon a few times. I really did. But, I realized there were still stories to be told and characters who still talked to me. They need their stories told and I needed to get better so I could tell their stories. I can’t tell you that my way will be your way of dealing with a breakdown or with hitting that wall, but you have to realize—there is always another way around that evil stoppage. Write by hand, dictate to your computer and then type it up as you listen to yourself talk, or even ask if someone can type it up for you. If you can afford voice recognition software like Dragon Naturally Speaking, try it! If you think you need something else—try it! I bought Scrivener and Write Way Pro. Both are fantastic programs and I like them both. Plus, I found I can dictate into either of them. *chuckles* Which means it makes my life even better! More importantly, if you find yourself sluggish, pulling away from everyone, hiding from family and friends—get help. Go to the doctor and tell them you’re not feeling normal. That possibly you’re depressed or something else is wrong with you. Sometimes the wall isn’t a writer’s block—sometimes it’s a physical thing that can be taken care of with medication and some therapy. I’m one of those who had both. In some ways, it’s lucky and unlucky. I’ve had to relearn how to write—which means I had to throw away how I thought I should be, of who I used to be when I wrote before. I wasn’t that person anymore. I had to really embrace the author I am now- someone who has deeper skills, a better grasp of humanity, and knows what she wants to accomplish. I’m not afraid of hitting the wall anymore. I know if I hit it, there are tools all around me to help me get around it, under it or to blast it from here to eternity.
Writing may be simple when you first start.
It wouldn’t be fun if it weren’t. It gets more complex the better you get at it. It might slow you down, but it will never stop you. Keep pushing forward. Use new and varied techniques to help you continue that forward pace. Sometimes, you might be surprised what will happen at the end of that first road—a new
contract, new friends who push you even more, or even realizing it’s been a decade since your first book has come out. It’s simply amazing what you’ll discover on that journey. Keep writing. <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Book Antiqua"; panose-1:2 4 6 2 5 3 5 3 3 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-unhide:no; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.cynnara.com/">http... class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cynnara... FB author page</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/cynnara"&... Twitter Account</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kc5cD4LA4NE..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></div>
March 8, 2013
Victoria Adams - CIRCLES DIVIDED
Today I have a special treat...the lovely Victoria Adams is letting me interview her!
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Is Julie willing to sacrifice her childhood dream of becoming a professional dancer for the man she loves? Is Robert willing to lay down his ties to the gang in order to hold onto his new found love? </span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">Sacrifices must be made, but will they be enough?</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81_PayMou1Y..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81_PayMou1Y..." width="266" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Where did you come up with the idea for this book? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Two of my students complained that there was nothing for them to read. This was pre-Twilght. So I wrote them a story which ballooned out of control and is now Circles Trilogy. </span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">How do you research your stories? <span> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-US">I'm a retired high school teacher – research happened every day!</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Is this book part of a series?<span> </span>Any plans for other stories based on these characters?</span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">The series is complete – Dancing in Circles, Circles Divided and Circles Interlocked.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">What was the hardest part about writing this book? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">I don't think there was a hard part. It was a joy to write.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">What was the easiest part? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Writing Robert's dialogue – didn't have to worry about grammar rules.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Favorite Scene? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">The final scene in the book. That's all I can say without giving it away.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Where can readers find out more about your new release?</span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BBKNDAC&q... style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://victoriaadams.blogspot.com/&qu... style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">What are you working on now? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">Another NA romance about a hockey player and a dancer and a stalker.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">And now for the very very personal questions- </span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite toy? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">ummmmm</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite food? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">chocolate</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite position? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">Whatever works</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span>f you could have anyone, famous or not – which 3 people would you invite to dinner? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">Queen Elizabeth, Agatha Christie and Matt Damon.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">I think the conversation would be quite fascinating.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"> ****</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">Thanks fo<span style="font-size: small;">r being<span style="font-size: small;"> he<span style="font-size: small;">re today Victoria, and as a confirmed cover whore - I <span style="font-size: small;">ado<span style="font-size: small;">re that cover!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Mangal; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:8192 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Mangal; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:8192 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Arial Narrow"; panose-1:2 11 5 6 2 2 2 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Bookman Old Style"; panose-1:2 5 6 4 5 5 5 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-font-alt:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 134217746 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:SimSun; mso-font-alt:宋体; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;} p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-link:"Body Text Char"; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:none; mso-hyphenate:none; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-bidi-font-family:Mangal; mso-font-kerning:.5pt; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:HI; mso-bidi-language:HI;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.BodyTextChar {mso-style-name:"Body Text Char"; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Body Text"; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:SimSun; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-bidi-font-family:Mangal; mso-font-kerning:.5pt; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:HI; mso-bidi-language:HI;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";} @page WordSection1 {size:595.0pt 842.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} -</style><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Tell us about your new release. </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Circles Divided is a NA romance and is the middle book in the Circles Trilogy.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><span> </span></span><span lang="EN-CA">Is the love of a girl from wealthy Westland and a street punk from the slums of the Shore strong enough to surpass all that life will throw at them and forge a life together? Is Julie willing to sacrifice her childhood dream of becoming a professional dancer for the man she loves? Is Robert willing to lay down his ties to the gang in order to hold onto his new found love? </span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA">Sacrifices must be made, but will they be enough?</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81_PayMou1Y..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81_PayMou1Y..." width="266" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Where did you come up with the idea for this book? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Two of my students complained that there was nothing for them to read. This was pre-Twilght. So I wrote them a story which ballooned out of control and is now Circles Trilogy. </span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">How do you research your stories? <span> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-US">I'm a retired high school teacher – research happened every day!</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Is this book part of a series?<span> </span>Any plans for other stories based on these characters?</span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">The series is complete – Dancing in Circles, Circles Divided and Circles Interlocked.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">What was the hardest part about writing this book? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">I don't think there was a hard part. It was a joy to write.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">What was the easiest part? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Writing Robert's dialogue – didn't have to worry about grammar rules.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Favorite Scene? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">The final scene in the book. That's all I can say without giving it away.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Where can readers find out more about your new release?</span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BBKNDAC&q... style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://victoriaadams.blogspot.com/&qu... style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">What are you working on now? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">Another NA romance about a hockey player and a dancer and a stalker.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">And now for the very very personal questions- </span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite toy? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">ummmmm</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite food? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">chocolate</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite position? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">Whatever works</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span>f you could have anyone, famous or not – which 3 people would you invite to dinner? </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">Queen Elizabeth, Agatha Christie and Matt Damon.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">I think the conversation would be quite fascinating.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"> ****</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">Thanks fo<span style="font-size: small;">r being<span style="font-size: small;"> he<span style="font-size: small;">re today Victoria, and as a confirmed cover whore - I <span style="font-size: small;">ado<span style="font-size: small;">re that cover!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
March 5, 2013
Wednesday Wisdom with debut author Celeste Rupert!
Today I have the pleasure of welcoming debut author Celeste Rupert to my blog. I've asked her the tough questions and boy did she follow through!
The first book is always the most special...so congratulations Celeste!
Take it away...
Tell us about your new release.
Rose is definitely NOT a damsel in distress. She may be in a tough spot, but she’ll do whatever it takes to get what she wants, and what she wants is the gold.
Tucker wants the gold too, but it isn’t long before he decides he wants Rose too. Rose isn’t usually one to share, but maybe these two lawbreakers can work together.
Where did you come up with the idea for this book?
I love a bad boy – and I thought, why not a bad girl too! Rose is great fun to write.
How do you research your stories?
I am a western history buff, especially local, Alberta history. I have shelves of history books – but to be honest, when a question comes up that I’m not sure of, I likely turn to Google first of all!
Is this book part of a series? Any plans for other stories based on these characters?
It wasn’t planned as part of a series, but I’m currently working on a (free!) short story featuring Rose and Tucker called THE DIAMOND HEIST.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
Getting brave enough to send it out in the world – OUTLAW ROSE is my first foray into erotic romance.
What was the easiest part?
Rose was one of those rare characters that walks in fully realized and takes over the story.
Favorite Scene?
Definitely the one where Rose has Tucker tied to the tree. ;-) I hope readers enjoy it too!
Where can readers find out more about your new release?The Total-E-Bound link is: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2010
And my website is: http://www.celesterupert.wordpress.com
What are you working on now?
My second story, COLD COCKED, is due for release from Total-E-Bound this summer. I’ve just (today!) submitted another, working titled HOLDING COURT and I’ve got my fingers crossed! I’m working on writing a companion story for OUTLAW ROSE, and I’m enjoying spending time with Rose again – she’s a lot of fun.
And now for the very very personal questions-
Favourite toy?
My little netbook computer. Or did you mean something else … ?
Snort!
Favourite food?
Fresh baked bread.
Favourite position?
Forward. In the slot area. We’re talking about hockey, right?
Hahahaha...if you say so!
If you could have anyone, famous or not - who do you want to get hot and heavy with in a ménage?
Ryan Gosling and Nathan Fillion. Two very hot Canadians!
Oh yeah...with you there!
Bio:Celeste Rupert lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains and (other than the lack of indoor plumbing) would love to live in the Old West. As time travel hasn’t yet been invented, she lives in the era through her characters.
Blurb:Rose would do whatever was necessary to get the gold back from the bank robbers. Enjoying it was an unexpected bonus.
Rose had a plan.
After all her planning and hard work, she was about to hit the payoff—until the bank was robbed, the gold stolen right out from under her nose. Rose wasn’t about to give up without a fight, but catching up with the outlaws was the easy part.
When Tucker finds the little bank teller tailing them, he needs to keep her from running to the posse, and her proposal sounds like way more fun than what he had in mind. But in this band of outlaws, they split everything three ways—he’s going to have to learn to share.
What Rose had thought was a straightforward plan quickly becomes more complicated. Maybe these law breakers can work together…in more ways than one.
Buy Links:Total-E-Bound: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2010Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Outlaw-Rose-ebook/dp/B00BOST1CK/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1_TE7FKobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Outlaw-Rose/book-NuaaA4RmjUuj3HkD5FWhPw/page1.html
Personal Links:http://www.celesterupert.wordpress.comhttp://www.twitter.com/CelesteRuperthttp://www.goodreads.com/celesterupert
The first book is always the most special...so congratulations Celeste!
Take it away...
Tell us about your new release.Rose is definitely NOT a damsel in distress. She may be in a tough spot, but she’ll do whatever it takes to get what she wants, and what she wants is the gold.
Tucker wants the gold too, but it isn’t long before he decides he wants Rose too. Rose isn’t usually one to share, but maybe these two lawbreakers can work together.
Where did you come up with the idea for this book?
I love a bad boy – and I thought, why not a bad girl too! Rose is great fun to write.
How do you research your stories?
I am a western history buff, especially local, Alberta history. I have shelves of history books – but to be honest, when a question comes up that I’m not sure of, I likely turn to Google first of all!
Is this book part of a series? Any plans for other stories based on these characters?
It wasn’t planned as part of a series, but I’m currently working on a (free!) short story featuring Rose and Tucker called THE DIAMOND HEIST.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
Getting brave enough to send it out in the world – OUTLAW ROSE is my first foray into erotic romance.
What was the easiest part?
Rose was one of those rare characters that walks in fully realized and takes over the story.
Favorite Scene?
Definitely the one where Rose has Tucker tied to the tree. ;-) I hope readers enjoy it too!
Where can readers find out more about your new release?The Total-E-Bound link is: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2010
And my website is: http://www.celesterupert.wordpress.com
What are you working on now?
My second story, COLD COCKED, is due for release from Total-E-Bound this summer. I’ve just (today!) submitted another, working titled HOLDING COURT and I’ve got my fingers crossed! I’m working on writing a companion story for OUTLAW ROSE, and I’m enjoying spending time with Rose again – she’s a lot of fun.
And now for the very very personal questions-
Favourite toy?
My little netbook computer. Or did you mean something else … ?
Snort!
Favourite food?
Fresh baked bread.
Favourite position?
Forward. In the slot area. We’re talking about hockey, right?
Hahahaha...if you say so!
If you could have anyone, famous or not - who do you want to get hot and heavy with in a ménage?Ryan Gosling and Nathan Fillion. Two very hot Canadians!
Oh yeah...with you there!
Bio:Celeste Rupert lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains and (other than the lack of indoor plumbing) would love to live in the Old West. As time travel hasn’t yet been invented, she lives in the era through her characters.
Blurb:Rose would do whatever was necessary to get the gold back from the bank robbers. Enjoying it was an unexpected bonus.
Rose had a plan.
After all her planning and hard work, she was about to hit the payoff—until the bank was robbed, the gold stolen right out from under her nose. Rose wasn’t about to give up without a fight, but catching up with the outlaws was the easy part.
When Tucker finds the little bank teller tailing them, he needs to keep her from running to the posse, and her proposal sounds like way more fun than what he had in mind. But in this band of outlaws, they split everything three ways—he’s going to have to learn to share.
What Rose had thought was a straightforward plan quickly becomes more complicated. Maybe these law breakers can work together…in more ways than one.
Buy Links:Total-E-Bound: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2010Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Outlaw-Rose-ebook/dp/B00BOST1CK/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1_TE7FKobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Outlaw-Rose/book-NuaaA4RmjUuj3HkD5FWhPw/page1.html
Personal Links:http://www.celesterupert.wordpress.comhttp://www.twitter.com/CelesteRuperthttp://www.goodreads.com/celesterupert
February 19, 2013
Wednesday Wisdom with Donna Gallagher - a footy fan!
Today I have fellow Aussie, and Total-e-bound author Donna Gallagher visiting...and I ask the tough questions!
Take it away Donna!
Tell us about your new release.
All my releases are quite new. Laura’s Light is book three in my league of Love series. It is the story of single mother Laura who, now that her son is grown, decides to start dating again. She accepts an invitation to dinner from ex rugby league player now commentator Trevor Hughes, a sexy younger man that has a few of his own demons to deal with.
How about telling us a little about your road to publication.
I wrote the first two books a few years ago but submitted Mandy’s He-man, the second book, to Total E Bound publishers last year. I was completely taken by surprise when my book was offered a contract. I really was expecting a rejection letter, but hoped that I would get some advice along the way. My editor, the wonderful Amy, requested I send her Caitlin’s Hero, which was also contracted and it went from there.
I love that there is a reader advisory warning for Caitlin’s book from my UK based publisher.
“Please note ‘footy’ in Australia refers to rugby league, not soccer.”
Where did you come up with the idea for this book? This book is part of a series. Have you always been interested in Rugby League?
It really was a case of waking up one morning and Brodie was in my head telling me his and Caitlin’s story. Half way through JT started on about Mandy. Laura’s Light is a little different because it was from Laura’s voice.
As for, how long have I been interested in rugby league? – Well my answer would have to be from my very first breath. I have many memories of accompanying my family to The Sydney Cricket Ground to watch the game of the day. The men in my family were members of the SCG - women were not allowed. My aunt would buy me cartons of flavoured milk and we would share vegemite sandwiches, crusts cut off, made by my grandfather - Pa captained Western Suburbs in 1928.
How many more stories in the League of Love series?
That’s hard to answer Maggie, I’ve started book seven and book eight is also waiting to be told. I guess I will have to see what the voices have to say about it all.
How did you research for your story? Was it fun?
No research, I just wrote what I was told ;)
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The writing part! Leaving school early may not have been the best idea, my grammar and punctuation skills are atrocious.
What was the easiest part?
Listening to the voices. I loved what was unfolding before me and fell in love with each new character.
Favorite Scene?
Hard question, I love so many. Obviously the sexy ones are great but maybe the scene where Laura’s grown son, Rookie the new star of the Jets rugby league team, realises that his mother is dating an ex footballer.
Where can readers find out more about your new release?
Well, my website would be a good place to start all the information, release dates, buy links and blurbs are there.
http://www.donnagallagherromance.com
What are you working on now?
Riley’s story, Caitlin’s brother all grown up.
And now for the personal questions-
Favourite toy? Umm! *blushes*
Favourite food? Champagne…Oh wait! That’s not a food, Pasta.
Favourite author/s? N.j Walters hands down.
Favourite season? Winter of course, footy season.
If you could invite any two people, famous or not – who would you invite to menage with you?
David Boreanaz (Angel) and Steve Price (retired player)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Bio:
Sydney-born Donna Gallagher decided at age 15 that life needed to be tackled head on and left home.
In her twenties she married a professional sportsman, her love of sport -especially rugby league - probably overriding her good sense. The seven-year marriage was an adventure filled with the emotional ups and downs of having a husband with a public profile in a sometimes glamorous but always high-pressure field.
In what could be called a mid-life crisis, Donna woke one morning to the sound of voices in her head - and her League of Love series was born.
Blurb: Laura’s Light
Forty-two- year- old single mother Laura Harris devoted more than half her life to raising her son. She remembered the concept of having sex but it had been aeons since she’s actually been a participant - especially with a real flesh-and-blood partner. But it’s time to reclaim her life. Her son is a man now. And the rising star of the Jets rugby league team. Their future is brighter than ever and, for the first time, financially secure. But Laura is starting to think agreeing to have dinner with Trevor Hughes could be biting off more than she can chew. Not that she can’t see herself taking a nice big chunk from the absolutely gorgeous thirty-four-year-old sports commentator’s rump, he’s one prime piece of masculinity! She just isn’t sure how or when the whole sex thing will become an issue. She can’t even get past the what-to-wear step. Let alone the when-to-take-it-off stage…
Trevor Hughes usually avoids the woman with substance - he has enough of his own demons to deal without trying to care for anyone else. But there’s something about the upbeat, sexy, one-woman-dynamo Laura Harris. The woman is pure sunshine and happiness. And that’s surprising when you look at what life has handed her. Nothing seemed to dampen Laura’s spirits and she quickly becomes someone Trevor needs in his life…Until misunderstandings come between them. Can Trevor put things right?
Buy link:
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2001
http://www.total-e-bound.com/authordetail.asp?A_ID=251
Personal links:
http://www.donnagallagherromance.com
http://facebook.com/donnagallagher63
https://twitter.com/donnag63
http://donnagallagherromance.wordpress.com/
Take it away Donna!
Tell us about your new release.
All my releases are quite new. Laura’s Light is book three in my league of Love series. It is the story of single mother Laura who, now that her son is grown, decides to start dating again. She accepts an invitation to dinner from ex rugby league player now commentator Trevor Hughes, a sexy younger man that has a few of his own demons to deal with.
How about telling us a little about your road to publication.
I wrote the first two books a few years ago but submitted Mandy’s He-man, the second book, to Total E Bound publishers last year. I was completely taken by surprise when my book was offered a contract. I really was expecting a rejection letter, but hoped that I would get some advice along the way. My editor, the wonderful Amy, requested I send her Caitlin’s Hero, which was also contracted and it went from there.
I love that there is a reader advisory warning for Caitlin’s book from my UK based publisher.
“Please note ‘footy’ in Australia refers to rugby league, not soccer.”
Where did you come up with the idea for this book? This book is part of a series. Have you always been interested in Rugby League?
It really was a case of waking up one morning and Brodie was in my head telling me his and Caitlin’s story. Half way through JT started on about Mandy. Laura’s Light is a little different because it was from Laura’s voice.
As for, how long have I been interested in rugby league? – Well my answer would have to be from my very first breath. I have many memories of accompanying my family to The Sydney Cricket Ground to watch the game of the day. The men in my family were members of the SCG - women were not allowed. My aunt would buy me cartons of flavoured milk and we would share vegemite sandwiches, crusts cut off, made by my grandfather - Pa captained Western Suburbs in 1928.
How many more stories in the League of Love series?
That’s hard to answer Maggie, I’ve started book seven and book eight is also waiting to be told. I guess I will have to see what the voices have to say about it all.
How did you research for your story? Was it fun?
No research, I just wrote what I was told ;)
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The writing part! Leaving school early may not have been the best idea, my grammar and punctuation skills are atrocious.
What was the easiest part?
Listening to the voices. I loved what was unfolding before me and fell in love with each new character.
Favorite Scene?
Hard question, I love so many. Obviously the sexy ones are great but maybe the scene where Laura’s grown son, Rookie the new star of the Jets rugby league team, realises that his mother is dating an ex footballer.
Where can readers find out more about your new release?
Well, my website would be a good place to start all the information, release dates, buy links and blurbs are there.
http://www.donnagallagherromance.com
What are you working on now?
Riley’s story, Caitlin’s brother all grown up.
And now for the personal questions-
Favourite toy? Umm! *blushes*
Favourite food? Champagne…Oh wait! That’s not a food, Pasta.
Favourite author/s? N.j Walters hands down.
Favourite season? Winter of course, footy season.
If you could invite any two people, famous or not – who would you invite to menage with you?
David Boreanaz (Angel) and Steve Price (retired player)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Bio:
Sydney-born Donna Gallagher decided at age 15 that life needed to be tackled head on and left home.
In her twenties she married a professional sportsman, her love of sport -especially rugby league - probably overriding her good sense. The seven-year marriage was an adventure filled with the emotional ups and downs of having a husband with a public profile in a sometimes glamorous but always high-pressure field.
In what could be called a mid-life crisis, Donna woke one morning to the sound of voices in her head - and her League of Love series was born.
Blurb: Laura’s Light
Forty-two- year- old single mother Laura Harris devoted more than half her life to raising her son. She remembered the concept of having sex but it had been aeons since she’s actually been a participant - especially with a real flesh-and-blood partner. But it’s time to reclaim her life. Her son is a man now. And the rising star of the Jets rugby league team. Their future is brighter than ever and, for the first time, financially secure. But Laura is starting to think agreeing to have dinner with Trevor Hughes could be biting off more than she can chew. Not that she can’t see herself taking a nice big chunk from the absolutely gorgeous thirty-four-year-old sports commentator’s rump, he’s one prime piece of masculinity! She just isn’t sure how or when the whole sex thing will become an issue. She can’t even get past the what-to-wear step. Let alone the when-to-take-it-off stage…
Trevor Hughes usually avoids the woman with substance - he has enough of his own demons to deal without trying to care for anyone else. But there’s something about the upbeat, sexy, one-woman-dynamo Laura Harris. The woman is pure sunshine and happiness. And that’s surprising when you look at what life has handed her. Nothing seemed to dampen Laura’s spirits and she quickly becomes someone Trevor needs in his life…Until misunderstandings come between them. Can Trevor put things right?
Buy link:
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2001
http://www.total-e-bound.com/authordetail.asp?A_ID=251
Personal links:
http://www.donnagallagherromance.com
http://facebook.com/donnagallagher63
https://twitter.com/donnag63
http://donnagallagherromance.wordpress.com/
February 13, 2013
So what's with this Valentine's Day thing?
You know it's really weird how some years the media makes a bigger deal out of this than others. I swear today here in Oz, I've heard and seen at least double the normal stories and competitions for Valentine's Day, or as my son calls it...rip off the bloke day ! LOL And it's only breakfast time!
There is a lot of confusion and contention surrounding the origins of St Valentine's Day.
Some say the original St Valentine was a priest who was jailed for secretly marrying couples when marriage was illegal...he was apparently beheaded. Yuck!
However, the roots of St. Valentine's Day lie in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on Feb. 15. For 800 years the Romans had dedicated this day to the god Lupercus. On Lupercalia, a young man would draw the name of a young woman in a lottery and would then keep the woman as a sexual companion for the year.
Pope Gelasius I was, understandably, less than thrilled with this custom. So he changed the lottery to have both young men and women draw the names of saints whom they would then emulate for the year (a change that no doubt disappointed a few young men). Instead of Lupercus, the patron of the feast became Valentine. For Roman men, the day continued to be an occasion to seek the affections of women, and it became a tradition to give out handwritten messages of admiration that included Valentine's name.
This was probably the real story...but hey, I think that Festival of Lupercalia sounds kinda fun don't you?
So back to what we think it is all about...spending time with someone you love...letting that special someone know how much they mean to you..all good things!
So Enjoy the day and may many St. Valentine's Blessings be upon you!
I got a Happy Valentine's Kiss this morning and will be having champagne tonight!
Tell us what you did or are going to do to celebrate!
February 12, 2013
Wednesday Wisdom - Writing Sex Scenes with Nicole Murphy
Writing sex scenes – when you should, and when you shouldn’t.
We all know that we romance writers are tarred with the brush of being all about the raunch. Our books are cover-to-cover sex, with those poor little housewives getting all hot and bothered.
And what the hell is wrong with a housewife – any woman, for that matter – enjoying something that she finds arousing?
But that isn’t the topic of today’s discussion. No, today’s is about the sex scene.
A big problem with the above statement is that sometimes they are absolutely right. Sometimes, romance books are full of sex scenes that just shouldn’t be there. It seems that writers think that in order to be sexy, to show sexual arousal between a couple, that they have to write a sex scene. Not the case. One of my favourite sexy scenes is written by Keri Arthur in her book ‘The Darkest Kiss’. The moment Riley and Quinn see each other is electrifying, and the next couple of pages hot enough to make you fan yourself and yet they never even touch.
So if you don’t HAVE to write a sex scene to show passion, arousal, heat between a couple, when should you write it?
I have a theory and that is that a sex scene needs to follow the same rules of any other scene. In order to hold its place in the story, it needs to achieve at LEAST one of these three things:
Reveal characterDevelop setting/world buildingMove the plot along
If it’s not going to do at least one of those, I put it to you that it shouldn’t be in the book. A good scene does two. A truly great scene – for example the first sex scene in Jennifer Cruisie’s ‘Welcome to Temptation’ – does all three.
For me a great example of this was Patricia Briggs’ ‘River Marked’ (part of the Mercy Thompson series). In the books preceding, there had been some hot, hot sex. In ‘River Marked’ however, there was none – not detailed anyway. Sure, the characters were having HEAPS of sex but we saw none of it. And why? Because it would have done nothing for the story in terms of character, plot or setting. It just would have been superfluous.
Sure, it would have been GOOD – Patricia Briggs is very good at writing sex scenes. But the scenes in this book would have felt not as hot as in the previous books, because they didn’t belong here.
Knowing it worked for Patricia Briggs meant it would work for me, so in my latest release ‘Arranged to Love’ (Escape Publishing), my h/h have sex three times but I only wrote two sex scenes.
Interestingly, the one I skipped was the very first one. I thought about it, but then discarded it. It wasn’t necessary – the first time they make love is part of the a flashback that sets up the rest of the story and spending pages showing that passion wouldn’t have made the story any better and in fact would have delayed getting to the real action.
I did, however, put a lot of effort into ensuring the passion between them was obvious from the start and that the sex scenes I did write were smoking. So far, readers are happy.
Hope you will be too.
Nicole Murphy has been a primary school teacher, bookstore owner, journalist and checkout chick. She grew up reading Tolkien, Lewis and Le Guin; spent her twenties discovering Quick, Lindsey and Deveraux and lives her love of science fiction and fantasy through her involvement with the Conflux science fiction conventions. As Nicoel Murphy (speculative fiction) she’s had more than two dozen short stories published and her urban fantasy trilogy Dream of Asarlai is published by HarperVoyager.
As Elizabeth Dunk (contemporary romance), she’s had two short stories published and her debut contemporary romance ‘Arranged to Love’ is out now via Escape Publishing. She lives with her husband in Queanbeyan, NSW. Visit her website http://nicolermurphy.com
February 3, 2013
MONDAY MAGIC with Sage Marlowe - Romeo and Julian!
Today I welcome the incredibly talented Sage Marlowe - who's telling us all about the new Romeo and Julian series!
Welcome Sage!
***
Romeo and Julian (series) by Sage Marlowe
Hello and welcome,
My name is Sage Marlowe, I’m a multi-published MM erotic romance author and today I’m here to introduce you to my new, sexy Romeo and Julian series.
And you? You’re an FBI agent. No, really, you are. Trust me on this.
Your name is Julian Harris and you’ve recently been promoted to the head of the newly implemented Division for Art-Related Crimes. You’ve spent the best part of the past three years chasing a notorious art thief and cat burglar. You don’t know what the guy looks like, even though you’ve been studying his every move. You’ve even given him a name. Romeo. Because you know he’s charming from what little witnesses have told you. You also know that, as far as crimes go, he’s brilliant. But you have a clever mind, too, and you have figured out how to catch him.
And that’s why you spend Christmas Eve in a lonely house in the mountains, the place of his next heist. You’re waiting for him. It’s freezing cold outside, with a snow storm approaching but inside it’s warm and snug.
You’ve been there for hours, sitting and listening to every noise of the wind outside, every cracking of the wood panels around you until at last, you hear someone enter. You know it’s him; it must be him. Your heart hammers in your chest, but you force yourself to sit still and wait.
A shadowy figure crosses the room. He walks to the safe, kneels in front of it, reaches out and—
“FBI. Freeze.”
The man didn’t even startle at the sudden sharp order. Crouching in front of the safe, one hand on the lock, he obediently paused mid-motion.
“Now raise your hands.”
Julian didn’t need to repeat the order. The burglar raised his hands but kept the rest of his body perfectly still. Controlled. Tense and ready to move, not the resigned slackness of someone who had given up.
“Don’t think you can try anything now. It’s over for you. I’ve got a loaded gun in my hand that is currently pointed at your right shoulder. If you make a sudden move, I’ll pull the trigger. The bullet will smash the bone and your arm will be useless for a couple of months, maybe forever depending on what it is that you want to use it for. Now turn around. Slowly,” Julian warned and flicked on the light.
Obedient, the man turned to face him, hands still raised above his head, and for the first time ever, Julian had the chance to really see the phantom he’d been chasing all these months.
“You’re younger than I thought.”
“Disappointed?”
“No, just surprised. Good for you, though. It means that if you’re lucky, you’ll have enough years left for a chance to build yourself a life worth living by the time you get out of prison.”
The man was indeed quite a bit younger than Julian had expected him to be. He was probably somewhere in his mid-twenties rather than the late thirties or even forties that would have been more likely considering the trail he’d left and the time he must have spent to train his—admittedly admirable—set of skills to perfection.
There was a curious, almost amused expression on his face as he met Julian’s gaze levelly with a pair of striking blue eyes. Julian couldn’t help but notice that yes, he was just as attractive as the reports on him claimed, maybe even more so. The few reports they had were witness descriptions and, although the man had robbed each and every one of them, they all agreed that he was incredibly handsome and delightfully charming. Most of the females involved seemed to think that being relieved of a part of their fortune was well worth the pleasure of a flirt with him. And yet, none of those delighted ladies had been able to sit down and give a description of him that was worth wasting a drawer’s time on.
“I’m Special Agent Julian Harris, FBI. Any preference which one of your names you’d like me to use for this?”
“Pick one—I answer to all of them,” the man answered with a sly grin. The trace of an accent tinted his voice. It was hard to place, but Julian assumed it to be British. Interesting.
“Hmm, let’s see...We’ve got Brian Crandell, Greg Anderson, Richard Stavell, and Robert Dunn. Oh, and then there’s Curtis Halden of course.” Julian looked across the room into those mesmerizing blue eyes that openly mocked him. “You could always tell me your real name, you know. We’ll find out sooner or later anyway.”
“Nice try but—no. If you don’t like my aliases you can use the nickname you got for me.”
“Nickname?”
“Sure. You guys always have one.”
“Is that so?”
“I know you have. Come on, what’s mine?”
Julian gave in with a sigh. “Romeo.”
“Romeo?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hmm, not quite what I expected, but I like it. Maybe I should create an alias using it. Mmm, Romeo Escalus perhaps. What do you think?”
“I think you won’t need another alias for quite a while. In fact, chances are you’re going to be identified by a set of figures for the years to come.”
“
Ah, good answer.” The thief nodded appreciatively. “I thought you would say something like that. Anyway, why Romeo?”
Julian grinned in spite of himself. Either the man didn’t realize what situation he was in or he had a rather warped sense of humor.
“You used a plain old ladder to enter through a window the first time we heard about you. You go for pretty things and never leave a woman you meet uncharmed.”
“Oh, okay. I guess I get your drift. And where does your first name being Julian fit into this?”
Julian suppressed the urge to shift his weight, knowing that it would only make him look nervous. Which he wasn’t. Much. “Just a coincidence.”
“Ah. Who came up with it?”
“That would’ve been me.”
“I’m sure the guys in your division love you for offering them that one on a silver tray.” The guy was sharp, that much was clear. Disturbingly so. Easily picking up on Julian’s embarrassment, he offered what looked like a sincere enough smile. Julian ignored it and abandoned the topic with a swift “Sure you don’t want to tell me your real name?”
“Yep.”
“Well then, we’ll just have to do it without the name for now, but just so we’re clear—you are under arrest,” Julian said sternly, forcing himself to ignore just how inviting those sinfully lush lips were that curled just a little more in a half-smile.
“I know.”
“Good. I’m going to cuff you now.”
“Oh. Just like that? Is that your idea of foreplay?”
Julian refused to pursue the image that reference created in his head and almost succeeded. At least his voice was still firm and professional as he said, “No point cracking jokes. Hands behind your back.”
This excerpt is the beginning of A Thief on Christmas Eve, the first book in the series, and here’s the blurb
When it comes to slick art thief Romeo, FBI agent Julian Harris has to realize that sometimes, to catch a thief is just the beginning.
When FBI special agent Julian Harris finally corners art thief and cat-burglar Romeo he's planning to put the man first in handcuffs and then behind bars. Instead, he finds himself first trapped in a house in the mountains by a blizzard and then captivated by Romeo's irresistible charm. One thing leads to another and after a night spent together, Julian wakes up alone with his pride bruised and his heart stolen.
Almost a year later, a twist of fate brings them back together and their mutual attraction sparks up again instantly but events take on a dynamic that could have at least one of them wind up dead. Blackmailed into a precarious break-in, Romeo has to choose between Julian's life and his own safety while all the time, there are two questions on Julian's mind: Who is this slick and sexy thief really and where does his true loyalty lie?
Buy links:
Bookstrand Amazon US Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
Romeo and Julian’s exciting story continues in A Talent in Your Lies. Here’s what happens:
Blurb
FBI agent Julian Harris realizes that when it comes to his new consultant Romeo, being close to someone and knowing them are two entirely different things.
Two weeks into their new work relationship, Romeo and Julian have the first real case on their sheet. A stolen painting not only requires former art thief Romeo's expertise, it also gives Julian the chance to find out more about the man who shares his bed but has yet to tell him his real name. As they unravel the solution to the crime, Julian realizes that Romeo has more secrets than he thought and might even be using his new status as FBI team member to pursue his own agenda.
Once again, Julian follows a path full of unexpected twists and turns on his quest to unveil Romeo's true identity—and what does it mean that just as he gets close, his own life is in danger?
Buy links
Bookstrand Amazon US Amazon UK
About the author:
Sage is a multi-published author of gay erotic romance and loves taking romance to the edge. The edge of passion, the edge of pleasure, the edge of propriety.
Hopelessly in love with books from a very early age on, Sage has dreamt of writing one for years while working on the day job instead. It took a very persistent character in the company of a much-adored Muse to finally get the first novel going. The fact that this gorgeous guy was gay came as a bit of a surprise, but it explained a lot.
Ever since, Sage has been the willing slave to all the fascinating guys who just keep queuing up and want their stories told. This has resulted in several published books and countless manuscripts at various stages of completion, so there's always something to work on—preferably at night when the rest of the house is asleep.
Sage's characters often have a dramatic and sometimes traumatic past and need to battle some demons to be with the one they love. But don’t worry, they get quite a lot of naughty action along the way to keep them happy and there will always be a happy end!
Contact and buy links
Explore Sage’s world on www.sage-marlowe.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sage.marlowe0
e-mail: marlowe.sage@yahoo.co.uk
Twitter: @SageMarlowe
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/SageMarlowe
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/sagemarlowe
For all books published with Total-E-Bound, go to: http://www.total-e-bound.com/authordetail.asp?A_ID=224
For all books published with Siren-BookStrand, go to: www.bookstrand.com/sage-marlowe
Thanks so much for being my guest today Sage! And can I say you - you write the BEST dialogue!
I'm looking forward to reading this series :-)
***
Romeo and Julian (series) by Sage Marlowe
Hello and welcome,
My name is Sage Marlowe, I’m a multi-published MM erotic romance author and today I’m here to introduce you to my new, sexy Romeo and Julian series.
And you? You’re an FBI agent. No, really, you are. Trust me on this. Your name is Julian Harris and you’ve recently been promoted to the head of the newly implemented Division for Art-Related Crimes. You’ve spent the best part of the past three years chasing a notorious art thief and cat burglar. You don’t know what the guy looks like, even though you’ve been studying his every move. You’ve even given him a name. Romeo. Because you know he’s charming from what little witnesses have told you. You also know that, as far as crimes go, he’s brilliant. But you have a clever mind, too, and you have figured out how to catch him.
And that’s why you spend Christmas Eve in a lonely house in the mountains, the place of his next heist. You’re waiting for him. It’s freezing cold outside, with a snow storm approaching but inside it’s warm and snug.
You’ve been there for hours, sitting and listening to every noise of the wind outside, every cracking of the wood panels around you until at last, you hear someone enter. You know it’s him; it must be him. Your heart hammers in your chest, but you force yourself to sit still and wait.
A shadowy figure crosses the room. He walks to the safe, kneels in front of it, reaches out and—
“FBI. Freeze.”
The man didn’t even startle at the sudden sharp order. Crouching in front of the safe, one hand on the lock, he obediently paused mid-motion.
“Now raise your hands.”
Julian didn’t need to repeat the order. The burglar raised his hands but kept the rest of his body perfectly still. Controlled. Tense and ready to move, not the resigned slackness of someone who had given up.
“Don’t think you can try anything now. It’s over for you. I’ve got a loaded gun in my hand that is currently pointed at your right shoulder. If you make a sudden move, I’ll pull the trigger. The bullet will smash the bone and your arm will be useless for a couple of months, maybe forever depending on what it is that you want to use it for. Now turn around. Slowly,” Julian warned and flicked on the light.
Obedient, the man turned to face him, hands still raised above his head, and for the first time ever, Julian had the chance to really see the phantom he’d been chasing all these months.
“You’re younger than I thought.”
“Disappointed?”
“No, just surprised. Good for you, though. It means that if you’re lucky, you’ll have enough years left for a chance to build yourself a life worth living by the time you get out of prison.”
The man was indeed quite a bit younger than Julian had expected him to be. He was probably somewhere in his mid-twenties rather than the late thirties or even forties that would have been more likely considering the trail he’d left and the time he must have spent to train his—admittedly admirable—set of skills to perfection.
There was a curious, almost amused expression on his face as he met Julian’s gaze levelly with a pair of striking blue eyes. Julian couldn’t help but notice that yes, he was just as attractive as the reports on him claimed, maybe even more so. The few reports they had were witness descriptions and, although the man had robbed each and every one of them, they all agreed that he was incredibly handsome and delightfully charming. Most of the females involved seemed to think that being relieved of a part of their fortune was well worth the pleasure of a flirt with him. And yet, none of those delighted ladies had been able to sit down and give a description of him that was worth wasting a drawer’s time on.
“I’m Special Agent Julian Harris, FBI. Any preference which one of your names you’d like me to use for this?”
“Pick one—I answer to all of them,” the man answered with a sly grin. The trace of an accent tinted his voice. It was hard to place, but Julian assumed it to be British. Interesting.
“Hmm, let’s see...We’ve got Brian Crandell, Greg Anderson, Richard Stavell, and Robert Dunn. Oh, and then there’s Curtis Halden of course.” Julian looked across the room into those mesmerizing blue eyes that openly mocked him. “You could always tell me your real name, you know. We’ll find out sooner or later anyway.”
“Nice try but—no. If you don’t like my aliases you can use the nickname you got for me.”
“Nickname?”
“Sure. You guys always have one.”
“Is that so?”
“I know you have. Come on, what’s mine?”
Julian gave in with a sigh. “Romeo.”
“Romeo?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Hmm, not quite what I expected, but I like it. Maybe I should create an alias using it. Mmm, Romeo Escalus perhaps. What do you think?”
“I think you won’t need another alias for quite a while. In fact, chances are you’re going to be identified by a set of figures for the years to come.”
“
Ah, good answer.” The thief nodded appreciatively. “I thought you would say something like that. Anyway, why Romeo?”
Julian grinned in spite of himself. Either the man didn’t realize what situation he was in or he had a rather warped sense of humor.
“You used a plain old ladder to enter through a window the first time we heard about you. You go for pretty things and never leave a woman you meet uncharmed.”
“Oh, okay. I guess I get your drift. And where does your first name being Julian fit into this?”
Julian suppressed the urge to shift his weight, knowing that it would only make him look nervous. Which he wasn’t. Much. “Just a coincidence.”
“Ah. Who came up with it?”
“That would’ve been me.”
“I’m sure the guys in your division love you for offering them that one on a silver tray.” The guy was sharp, that much was clear. Disturbingly so. Easily picking up on Julian’s embarrassment, he offered what looked like a sincere enough smile. Julian ignored it and abandoned the topic with a swift “Sure you don’t want to tell me your real name?”
“Yep.”
“Well then, we’ll just have to do it without the name for now, but just so we’re clear—you are under arrest,” Julian said sternly, forcing himself to ignore just how inviting those sinfully lush lips were that curled just a little more in a half-smile.
“I know.”
“Good. I’m going to cuff you now.”
“Oh. Just like that? Is that your idea of foreplay?”
Julian refused to pursue the image that reference created in his head and almost succeeded. At least his voice was still firm and professional as he said, “No point cracking jokes. Hands behind your back.”
This excerpt is the beginning of A Thief on Christmas Eve, the first book in the series, and here’s the blurb
When it comes to slick art thief Romeo, FBI agent Julian Harris has to realize that sometimes, to catch a thief is just the beginning.
When FBI special agent Julian Harris finally corners art thief and cat-burglar Romeo he's planning to put the man first in handcuffs and then behind bars. Instead, he finds himself first trapped in a house in the mountains by a blizzard and then captivated by Romeo's irresistible charm. One thing leads to another and after a night spent together, Julian wakes up alone with his pride bruised and his heart stolen.
Almost a year later, a twist of fate brings them back together and their mutual attraction sparks up again instantly but events take on a dynamic that could have at least one of them wind up dead. Blackmailed into a precarious break-in, Romeo has to choose between Julian's life and his own safety while all the time, there are two questions on Julian's mind: Who is this slick and sexy thief really and where does his true loyalty lie?
Buy links:
Bookstrand Amazon US Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
Romeo and Julian’s exciting story continues in A Talent in Your Lies. Here’s what happens:
BlurbFBI agent Julian Harris realizes that when it comes to his new consultant Romeo, being close to someone and knowing them are two entirely different things.
Two weeks into their new work relationship, Romeo and Julian have the first real case on their sheet. A stolen painting not only requires former art thief Romeo's expertise, it also gives Julian the chance to find out more about the man who shares his bed but has yet to tell him his real name. As they unravel the solution to the crime, Julian realizes that Romeo has more secrets than he thought and might even be using his new status as FBI team member to pursue his own agenda.
Once again, Julian follows a path full of unexpected twists and turns on his quest to unveil Romeo's true identity—and what does it mean that just as he gets close, his own life is in danger?
Buy links
Bookstrand Amazon US Amazon UK
About the author:
Sage is a multi-published author of gay erotic romance and loves taking romance to the edge. The edge of passion, the edge of pleasure, the edge of propriety.
Hopelessly in love with books from a very early age on, Sage has dreamt of writing one for years while working on the day job instead. It took a very persistent character in the company of a much-adored Muse to finally get the first novel going. The fact that this gorgeous guy was gay came as a bit of a surprise, but it explained a lot.
Ever since, Sage has been the willing slave to all the fascinating guys who just keep queuing up and want their stories told. This has resulted in several published books and countless manuscripts at various stages of completion, so there's always something to work on—preferably at night when the rest of the house is asleep.
Sage's characters often have a dramatic and sometimes traumatic past and need to battle some demons to be with the one they love. But don’t worry, they get quite a lot of naughty action along the way to keep them happy and there will always be a happy end!
Contact and buy links
Explore Sage’s world on www.sage-marlowe.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sage.marlowe0
e-mail: marlowe.sage@yahoo.co.uk
Twitter: @SageMarlowe
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/SageMarlowe
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/sagemarlowe
For all books published with Total-E-Bound, go to: http://www.total-e-bound.com/authordetail.asp?A_ID=224
For all books published with Siren-BookStrand, go to: www.bookstrand.com/sage-marlowe
Thanks so much for being my guest today Sage! And can I say you - you write the BEST dialogue!
I'm looking forward to reading this series :-)
January 30, 2013
Wednesday Wisdom with Suz De Mello
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Tell us a little about your writing journey.</b> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had always sensed a creative wellspring inside me but didn’t know how to express myself, even though I’d majored in art and sung in concert choirs and rock bands. Then in 1996 I started writing with the encouragement of a friend, who taught a class at a local college called “Writing for Publication.” I learned about the business of writing, including about “writer’s guidelines.” Until then, I had thought that people simply wrote a manuscript and sent off their work, or perhaps magazine writers went to work, sat in cubicles and turned out articles. I hadn’t known that each book and magazine publisher puts out a list of exactly what they want, and freelancers read those lists and write to suit the publisher.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Moreover, I learned that romance novels were (and are) the largest fiction genre. At that point romance publishers put out nearly 2000 books annually, and though I hadn’t read much romance, I found myself saying, “Hey, I bet I can write a romance and get it published.”</span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It turned out that I was right. I was inspired enough to write four complete manuscripts by early 1999, and sold one by the middle of that year, a historical to Zebra Books. After selling two more books to Silhouette, I quit practicing law and started to write full-time.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’ve had my ups and downs. After churning out six manuscripts in a few months while my father was dying, I hit a wall built out of writers’ block pretty hard. It’s been a struggle ever since, but I’ve sold sixteen complete novels, plus a number of short stories and articles on writing.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In an effort to inject some life into the writing, I started writing erotica about eight years ago. It’s gone well, but not as well as I’d hoped. These days I feel lucky if I manage to put out one novel and one short story annually, which is a pretty pathetic output compared to a lot of authors. But I struggle on.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>You write under two author names with different sub genres. That sounds tricky. What are the benefits of going this way? Do you ever get them mixed up? (I’m starting to do this now, so I’m curious!)</b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I never get the Sue Swift and Suz deMello personae mixed up, though since my line at Silhouette folded, Sue Swift has become much more racy. The dubious benefit is that readers know to expect a very explicit story with a Suz deMello book. </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If I had it to do over again I would not use a pen name. It’s double the promotional annoyance. I have mitigated it somewhat by being pretty open about the fact that Sue=Suz, so I cross-promote most of the time.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, if I lived in a conservative community I’d have to use a pen name, so i certainly understand why others need one. As it is, I live in California, where most of us don’t judge others on superficial stuff.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9xjg-fwmb8..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9xjg-fwmb8..." width="194" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><b>Tell us about your latest release.</b></span></span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the time of this writing, I anticipate the release of the second novel in my “Clan Kilburn’s Vampires” series for Ellora’s Cave—these books are historical vampire erotica set in the eighteenth century. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blog..." name="GoBack"></a>I don’t yet have a pub date for <i>Desire in Tartan</i>, which is the story of an innocent English governess who takes a job tutoring the four children of a Highland laird in a remote castle. She finds herself in a nest of vampires, in love with one of them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Where did you come up with the idea for this book?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s a sequel, so I simply thought a lot about what would happen after <i>Temptation in Tartan </i>ended<i><span lang="EN-US">.</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span>I surmised that after Kieran and Lydia, the H&H in<i> Temptation</i>, settle their differences and got their HEA, they’d start having children—and that someone would need to educate them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">How did you research for your story? Was it fun?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OMG I love historical research! It’s one of the main reasons why I prefer to write historicals. I’m fascinated by the way people used to live, when they ate, how they dressed...everything. </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I often set my books in Britain, and have traveled there a number of times. Not merely to do research, but to visit family and “refill the well.” I have amassed a lot of material over the years, but still do some online research when I get stuck. I also know a few experts on the place and time in which I generally write.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Is this part of a series? Any plans for other stories based on these characters?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, as I stated, it’s the second novel in what will be a four-book series. I also have written and put out a couple of short stories, and plan at least one more.</span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">What was the hardest part about writing this book?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dealing with my persistent writers’ block, and if anyone has any hints on how to deal with that, do please send them along.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">What was the easiest part?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">...sigh...right now I feel as though nothing is easy about writing! Here’s one of my fave quotes about writing from Paul Gallico:<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">"It is only when you open your veins and bleed onto the page a little that you establish contact with your reader."</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Favorite Scene?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There’s a fantastic scene in which the formerly shy heroine. Alice, rescues the hero and his compadres from a bloodthirsty band of <i>baobhan-sith.</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I especially enjoy stories in which a shy, weak heroine finds her female power and strength. I write them a lot.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Where can readers find out more about you?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><h3 style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.4pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">I’m highly accessible. <span style="color: black;">Find my books at <a href="http://www.suzdemello.com/">h... class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> For editing services, email me at suzswift@yahoo.com</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.4pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sueswift</... style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.4pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Twitter feed for fave reading: @ReadThis4fun</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 14.4pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My blog is at http://www.fearlessfastpacedfiction.c... class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">What are you working on now?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next book in the series, <i>Two Rakes in Tartan</i>, set in Regency-era London. It’s a kick! I’m already loving it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">And now for the very very personal questions- </span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite toy?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My lover’s cock. No, take it back. His mind. No, take it back. His flogger. No, take it back...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite food?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now , this is a <i>really</i> hard question. I could be up all night thinking about this. I’m a vegetarian, but my favorite food is probably corned beef on rye with cole slaw. No, take it back. Szechwan eggplant. No, take it back. Broiled halibut. No, take it back...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Aha! This is it: dark chocolate and good red wine—an unbeatable combo, especially with a few nuts and a little cheese. This is my midnight snack practically every night, and I love it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Favourite position?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Woof.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">If you could have anyone, famous or not - who do you want to get hot and heavy with in a ménage?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;">Hm. Well, one of my ex-Doms is pretty great sexually, but he’s such a crap human being that I hesitate to allow him anywhere near my life. My current lover is wonderful. I’ll do anything with him, anytime.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;">Of celebrities—well, my interests aren’t much different than anyone else’s. Viggo Mortensen is a special favorite, as is Johnny Depp. (Duh. Who doesn’t lust after Johnny Depp?) The vamps in <i>True Blood,</i> but especially Alex Skarsgard. David Beckham. The star of <i>Grimm</i>, David Giuntoli. Major eye candy!</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;">BIO:</span></span></span></b></div><h3 style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.4pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written over sixteen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s worked for Total-E-Bound, Ai Press, Liquid Silver Books and Etopia Press. She also takes private clients.</span></span></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.4pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Her books have been favorably reviewed in <i>Publishers Weekly, Kirkus</i> and<i> Booklist,</i> attained the finals of the RITA, won a contest here and there, and hit several bestseller lists.</span></span></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.4pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.</span></span></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.4pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Here’s where readers can find the latest Clan Kilburn Vampires tale:</span></span></span></span></h3><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ellorascave.com/temptation... class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here’s the blurb to <i>Temptation in Tarta<span style="font-size: small;">n</span></i> </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She had to marry a monster…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rumors had followed the chieftains of Clan Kilborn for centuries. Said to be descended from the Viking Berserkers, they were ferocious in battle, known for tearing off the heads of their enemies and drinking their blood.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But English noblewoman Lydia Swann Williston would marry Kieran, Laird Kilborn, to bring peace to the Kilborn lands after the horror of Culloden and the brutal pacification. A widow, she also brought needed wealth to Clan Kilborn. For her part, eighteen-year-old Lydia wanted children. With her husband killed at Culloden, she would make a new life in the Highlands.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The old chieftain of Clan Kilborn also died in battle, and she hoped that the new young Laird would lack his ancestors' ferocity.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She was wrong.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">****</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Published by Ellora’s Cave in June 2012, <i>Temptation in Tartan</i> reached #1 on the All Romance Ebooks bestseller list for historical (other) romance and spent a full week in the top five. Its sequel, <i>Desire in Tartan,</i> will be released early in 2013. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>
January 22, 2013
Wednesday Wisdom with Normandie Alleman
It's my great pleasure today to welcome fellow Total-e-bound author Normandie Alleman (Love your name!) Her first book comes out very soon, and you can pre-order it now! And being the cover whore that I am - I have to say that is one beautiful cover!
Tell us about your new release
My new novella, Venetian Love Knots, is a story about a girl, Allison, who travels to Venice to be in her best friend’s wedding. Her ex-boyfriend, Cole, will be there too, which makes her nervous. Along the way she meets a handsome Italian gentleman who makes her heart beat a little faster.
Allison falls into the arms of both men, but she’s uncertain which man to choose. The story involves a ménage and some BDSM, specifically some delicious rope bondage and spanking.
Oh that's my kind of story!
How about telling us a little about your road to publication.
I actually wrote this story for a special call and it got lost in cyberspace when it was first submitted. Later I re-wrote it with no parameters about word count or anything else, telling the story on my terms. When I finally submitted it again a year later, it was accepted.
Obviously it was meant to be! Great story!
Where did you come up with the idea for Venetian Love Knots?
Hmm. I had the idea for the story of a girl who doesn’t understand her darker desires. Allison needs her bad boy, Cole because he allows her to be the bad girl that is deep inside of her. But their relationship is fraught with problems. She’s torn between her passion for him and what she feels is “right.” That internal struggle was the jumping off point for me to write this story.
I think a lot of us can relate to Allison's needs :-)
How did you research for your story? Was it fun?
I wish I could say I went to Venice to research this story. In fact, if I could do that, I’d write a sequel tomorrow! About ten years ago I had the opportunity to visit Venice, and it was one of the best vacations of my life. With all its unique charm and history, Venice sings to my heart. A city built on water…what could be more romantic?
*Sigh*. I've always wanted to visit Venice...
Is this part of a series? Any plans for other stories based on these characters?
For the moment it’s a single title, though I don’t think I’m finished telling Cole’s story.
By all means keep telling it! He sounds hot!
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The re-writes. Originally some of the twists in the book were more unexpected. The first version read more like a mainstream fiction book than a romance novel. I’m new to this genre so I had to learn some of the “rules” as I edited it for this market.
I think all writing is "rewriting". A necessary evil :-)
What was the easiest part?
Writing about Venice was a complete joy, and I knew these characters intimately. They all remind me of people I’ve known.
Favorite Scene?
My favorite scene is probably the one where Allison and Cole go up to his room after the wedding. He convinces her to do some things that are out of her comfort zone. I love the dynamics and the power exchange between them. This couple doesn’t have a traditional BDSM relationship. They’re more like people who have kinky tendencies, but who aren’t actively getting involved with kink on the internet or going to dungeons on Friday nights. To me, it reflects what more people might experience “in real life.”
I don't think there is any such thing as a "typical" BDSM relationship....so it sounds like you got it right to me :-)
Where can readers find out more about your new release?
Click here to find read more at the TEB website
What are you working on now?
Oooh! Right now I’m working on a FILTHY BDSM novel that involves a wickedly creative Dom and a debutante divorcee. It’s a wild ride, and super fun to write.
Oh yes! Sounds wonderful. Hurry up!
And now for the personal questions-
Favourite toy? (Well, it is erotic romance after all!)
Oh my. I do appreciate a good flogger. (Me too :-))
Favourite food? Macaroni and cheese.
Favourite author? Jack London
Favourite season? Autumn, without a doubt.
Which two people, famous or not – who would you be up for a ménage with?
Haha! I don’t think I could ever do a ménage. I’m too lazy, it sounds like a lot of work...
*Snort* I'd be getting them to do all the work LOL
Bio: A former psychologist, Normandie has always been fascinated by human behavior. She loves writing quirky characters that are all too human. “I’m interested in the kind of relationships people have in real life. So I write about my characters’ messy, unpredictable, and inexplicable journeys to love.”
If there were another 5 hours in the day, Normandie would spend more time needle-pointing and playing with photography. Instead, she’s a Pinterest addict and sports junkie who’s crazy for Twitter and the color pink.
Blurb:
In Venice, Allison Fox will find love in the arms of two men. Her past collides with her future in a battle for her heart. Which one will win?
Travelling to Venice to be the maid of honour in her best friend’s wedding sounds like a great vacation, and a romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day. But when Allison Fox discovers who the best man is, she is torn between duty and self-preservation.
It has taken Allison four years to put her tumultuous relationship with the rodeo cowboy behind her after a violent incident ripped them apart. Now Allison must find a way to face her past and find closure with her old flame. But will she be able to put the past behind her?
Cole is the Texas cowboy who has never got over his love for Allison. But when he declares his love for her after all this time, is she strong enough to walk away from the intense passion they share?
For years Nico, a handsome Italian, was committed to nothing but his work. Nico never expected he would meet an American beauty who would awaken in him a desire to love again. Once he finds her, Nico vows to never let Allison go.
It will be a Valentine’s Day to remember, but who will win Allison’s heart?
Buy Link:
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2003
Personal links:
Follow Normandie Here:
Twitter - @NormandieA
Pinterest "http://pinterest.com/NormandieA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Normandie-Alleman/192377744242197
Website www.normandiealleman.com
Tell us about your new release
My new novella, Venetian Love Knots, is a story about a girl, Allison, who travels to Venice to be in her best friend’s wedding. Her ex-boyfriend, Cole, will be there too, which makes her nervous. Along the way she meets a handsome Italian gentleman who makes her heart beat a little faster.
Allison falls into the arms of both men, but she’s uncertain which man to choose. The story involves a ménage and some BDSM, specifically some delicious rope bondage and spanking.
Oh that's my kind of story!
How about telling us a little about your road to publication.
I actually wrote this story for a special call and it got lost in cyberspace when it was first submitted. Later I re-wrote it with no parameters about word count or anything else, telling the story on my terms. When I finally submitted it again a year later, it was accepted.
Obviously it was meant to be! Great story!
Where did you come up with the idea for Venetian Love Knots?
Hmm. I had the idea for the story of a girl who doesn’t understand her darker desires. Allison needs her bad boy, Cole because he allows her to be the bad girl that is deep inside of her. But their relationship is fraught with problems. She’s torn between her passion for him and what she feels is “right.” That internal struggle was the jumping off point for me to write this story.
I think a lot of us can relate to Allison's needs :-)
How did you research for your story? Was it fun?
I wish I could say I went to Venice to research this story. In fact, if I could do that, I’d write a sequel tomorrow! About ten years ago I had the opportunity to visit Venice, and it was one of the best vacations of my life. With all its unique charm and history, Venice sings to my heart. A city built on water…what could be more romantic?
*Sigh*. I've always wanted to visit Venice...
Is this part of a series? Any plans for other stories based on these characters?
For the moment it’s a single title, though I don’t think I’m finished telling Cole’s story.
By all means keep telling it! He sounds hot!
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The re-writes. Originally some of the twists in the book were more unexpected. The first version read more like a mainstream fiction book than a romance novel. I’m new to this genre so I had to learn some of the “rules” as I edited it for this market.
I think all writing is "rewriting". A necessary evil :-)
What was the easiest part?
Writing about Venice was a complete joy, and I knew these characters intimately. They all remind me of people I’ve known.
Favorite Scene?
My favorite scene is probably the one where Allison and Cole go up to his room after the wedding. He convinces her to do some things that are out of her comfort zone. I love the dynamics and the power exchange between them. This couple doesn’t have a traditional BDSM relationship. They’re more like people who have kinky tendencies, but who aren’t actively getting involved with kink on the internet or going to dungeons on Friday nights. To me, it reflects what more people might experience “in real life.”
I don't think there is any such thing as a "typical" BDSM relationship....so it sounds like you got it right to me :-)
Where can readers find out more about your new release?
Click here to find read more at the TEB website
What are you working on now?
Oooh! Right now I’m working on a FILTHY BDSM novel that involves a wickedly creative Dom and a debutante divorcee. It’s a wild ride, and super fun to write.
Oh yes! Sounds wonderful. Hurry up!
And now for the personal questions-
Favourite toy? (Well, it is erotic romance after all!)
Oh my. I do appreciate a good flogger. (Me too :-))
Favourite food? Macaroni and cheese.
Favourite author? Jack London
Favourite season? Autumn, without a doubt.
Which two people, famous or not – who would you be up for a ménage with?
Haha! I don’t think I could ever do a ménage. I’m too lazy, it sounds like a lot of work...
*Snort* I'd be getting them to do all the work LOL
Bio: A former psychologist, Normandie has always been fascinated by human behavior. She loves writing quirky characters that are all too human. “I’m interested in the kind of relationships people have in real life. So I write about my characters’ messy, unpredictable, and inexplicable journeys to love.”
If there were another 5 hours in the day, Normandie would spend more time needle-pointing and playing with photography. Instead, she’s a Pinterest addict and sports junkie who’s crazy for Twitter and the color pink.
Blurb:In Venice, Allison Fox will find love in the arms of two men. Her past collides with her future in a battle for her heart. Which one will win?
Travelling to Venice to be the maid of honour in her best friend’s wedding sounds like a great vacation, and a romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day. But when Allison Fox discovers who the best man is, she is torn between duty and self-preservation.
It has taken Allison four years to put her tumultuous relationship with the rodeo cowboy behind her after a violent incident ripped them apart. Now Allison must find a way to face her past and find closure with her old flame. But will she be able to put the past behind her?
Cole is the Texas cowboy who has never got over his love for Allison. But when he declares his love for her after all this time, is she strong enough to walk away from the intense passion they share?
For years Nico, a handsome Italian, was committed to nothing but his work. Nico never expected he would meet an American beauty who would awaken in him a desire to love again. Once he finds her, Nico vows to never let Allison go.
It will be a Valentine’s Day to remember, but who will win Allison’s heart?
Buy Link:
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2003
Personal links:
Follow Normandie Here:
Twitter - @NormandieA
Pinterest "http://pinterest.com/NormandieA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Normandie-Alleman/192377744242197
Website www.normandiealleman.com
January 15, 2013
Wednesday Wisdom with Stephanie Campisi - Does size matter?
Does size matter? On short men in romance novels
It seems that more than any other genre romance is, ahem, big on measurements. I am, of course, talking about height. (What did you think I was talking about?)
In every romance novel I've read of late the hero's height has been explicitly described, and curiously, I haven't yet come across a hero shorter than 6'2”. This got me thinking about the way that masculinity is represented in romance novels, and of the relatively narrow way that male attractiveness is defined.
While romance heroines are afforded a little more variability in terms of height and body shape (although they tend to cluster around very petite and very tall and at lithe or curvy, without much in between), heroes have far less flexibility afforded them. From my romance reading, the prototypical hero is, well, basically a giant.
One possibility is that men don't tend to receive the descriptive nuance that women do: where a writer might describe a woman's dress sense, her hair, makeup, comportment and so on, fewer descriptive phrases tend to be applied to men. And of those, hair and eye colour and overall physique are probably the most salient.
I do wonder, however, whether it's because heroes tend to fall into the brooding alpha male category, and having a powerful physique complements the other elements of the alpha male personality. After all, size can readily be correlated with perceived strength and power: we've all probably read the research showing that taller men tend to earn more than their shorter counterparts.
Still, what's interesting here is not just that heroes tend to be so tall, but that this height has to be explicitly stated. As noted above, heroines tend to be described in terms of petite or tall rather than a specific height, and yet, male heroes are very rarely described in comparative terms. Height, then, seems in romance novels to be a sort of attractiveness currency: it's almost as though height is the new salary. (“You must be this tall to ride”, perhaps?).
There's definitely a perception that a hero who doesn't meet a particular height threshold is somehow unmasculine, and I wonder whether that height threshold is increasing in line with the independence and equality of heroines. In a world where women are closing the gap in terms of education and career success, and where gender roles are being rewritten, perhaps writers are using physicality as a proxy for masculinity.
What do you think? Why do you think that romance heroes are so tall, and has this changed over time?
__
Stephanie Campisi is a middle grade author and book reviewer (http://www.readinasinglesitting.com).
Her novel Spatterbaum and Zitherbother is currently on submission.
You can sign up here (http://www.spatterbaumandzitherbother.com) to be alerted when it's published.
Stephanie is extremely petite, and is married to a man who by romance novel standards would also be considered petite. She doesn't mind at all.
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It seems that more than any other genre romance is, ahem, big on measurements. I am, of course, talking about height. (What did you think I was talking about?)
In every romance novel I've read of late the hero's height has been explicitly described, and curiously, I haven't yet come across a hero shorter than 6'2”. This got me thinking about the way that masculinity is represented in romance novels, and of the relatively narrow way that male attractiveness is defined.
While romance heroines are afforded a little more variability in terms of height and body shape (although they tend to cluster around very petite and very tall and at lithe or curvy, without much in between), heroes have far less flexibility afforded them. From my romance reading, the prototypical hero is, well, basically a giant.
One possibility is that men don't tend to receive the descriptive nuance that women do: where a writer might describe a woman's dress sense, her hair, makeup, comportment and so on, fewer descriptive phrases tend to be applied to men. And of those, hair and eye colour and overall physique are probably the most salient.
I do wonder, however, whether it's because heroes tend to fall into the brooding alpha male category, and having a powerful physique complements the other elements of the alpha male personality. After all, size can readily be correlated with perceived strength and power: we've all probably read the research showing that taller men tend to earn more than their shorter counterparts.
Still, what's interesting here is not just that heroes tend to be so tall, but that this height has to be explicitly stated. As noted above, heroines tend to be described in terms of petite or tall rather than a specific height, and yet, male heroes are very rarely described in comparative terms. Height, then, seems in romance novels to be a sort of attractiveness currency: it's almost as though height is the new salary. (“You must be this tall to ride”, perhaps?).
There's definitely a perception that a hero who doesn't meet a particular height threshold is somehow unmasculine, and I wonder whether that height threshold is increasing in line with the independence and equality of heroines. In a world where women are closing the gap in terms of education and career success, and where gender roles are being rewritten, perhaps writers are using physicality as a proxy for masculinity.
What do you think? Why do you think that romance heroes are so tall, and has this changed over time?__
Stephanie Campisi is a middle grade author and book reviewer (http://www.readinasinglesitting.com).
Her novel Spatterbaum and Zitherbother is currently on submission.
You can sign up here (http://www.spatterbaumandzitherbother.com) to be alerted when it's published.
Stephanie is extremely petite, and is married to a man who by romance novel standards would also be considered petite. She doesn't mind at all.
Read in a Single Sitting
Subscribe via Google Reader
Twitter | Facebook
