Do Me Right, DO ME GOOD

DO ME GOOD by Adele Dubois
Coming April 14, 2010, from Ellora’s Cave!

While surfing the Web one day I discovered, quite by accident, that in Norse mythology tall, celestial elves so handsome they were “fairer to look upon than the sun” existed. They lived in Alfheim, “the place between heaven and earth,” and interacted with both gods and mortals. Their primary role was to work. In the middle of the night they’d appear in the homes of mortals to surreptitiously complete household tasks.

What would happen, I wondered, if one of these immortals made a mistake that got him caught? And what if the woman who found him was beautiful? Would he put his midnight chores aside to make passionate love to her?

That fantasy sparked the idea for an erotic tale. I created Gunnar, the immortal warrior hero of DO ME GOOD. I hope readers enjoy Gunnar’s story as much as I loved writing about him.

**

DO ME GOOD by Adele Dubois

Summary:

Penny throws her hot, but worthless mooch of a boyfriend out on her front lawn with his clothes, and vows never again to be a bum magnet. Exhausted by overwork and mountainous debt, Penny pleads for divine intervention.

Gunnar, a rebellious Nordic warrior cast into servitude by an angry god to learn humility, answers. While Penny sleeps, the celestial arrives to complete her chores, but she awakens and finds him. The handsome immortal kisses her, sparking a passionate, forbidden sexual encounter.

Dark forces seeking vengeance for Gunnar’s past misdeeds mark Penny as a target. To protect his lover, Gunnar tests immortality in a death battle using a god’s magical sword. But the strength of Penny’s love might be what saves them both.

Excerpt:

He smoothed the hair at her temple and then rubbed a thick tendril between his thumb and forefinger. “I am Gunnar.” He pronounced the name “Goo-nar”.

A coarse brand of the sun, surrounded by a circle on the back of his hand, and covering the areas between his thumb, index knuckle and wrist caught her eye. His hand looked muscular and powerful beneath her gaze.

She touched the scarred skin with the tips of her fingers while he held a length of her hair, recognizing Freyr’s sacred insignia from her textbooks. “The pain must have been excruciating.” Without thinking, she lifted the old wound to her mouth and laid four kisses against its perimeter before pressing a fifth to the emblem inside.

A low tremor vibrated across her lips as they touched the ancient symbol on the white, extended hand. The brand grew warm and then hot on her mouth, though it did not burn. Her lips tingled and her body hummed with the pleasant sensations. She ran her tongue over the thick scars to erase the heat and then licked the center with the tip of her tongue in a tiny swirl before lifting her head.

His gasp of surprise was the last thing she expected as he released her hair and leaned away.

“Have I offended you? I’m sorry.” She searched his face for clues as to what to do next. Behind his shocked expression she found desire and longing and something completely unexpected.

Thankfulness.

Penny waited for his reply without letting go of his disfigured hand. She could tell his next words didn’t come easily.

"Kindness isn’t something I’m used to finding. Perhaps you’d be less inclined toward compassion if you knew what I’d done to deserve this brand of servitude.”

She reached out and hooked her arm around his neck to bring his face closer to hers. “I am Penelope. And if you are from Alfheim, I know who and what you are. I just don’t understand why you’ve come.” How could she deserve his rare, benevolent gifts? She was just an ordinary woman, barely scraping by.

“Sometimes we get what we need, simply because we ask. That’s the beauty and power of the unexpected.” His warm breath grazed her cheek in shallow rushes, lifting goose bumps across her skin. His wide, firm mouth smelled of sweet ground parsley and fresh-picked mint.

Their gazes locked and held, assessing, appraising.

Searching.

Gunnar’s eyes were like pools of deep blue water speckled with light that pulled her in and down. Down. Her breathing slowed as the sound of her heartbeat intensified in her ears and the inside of her mouth moistened. She licked her lips and became intensely aware of every nerve ending shimmering along her body. Her muscles tensed as if waiting for something unexpected to happen.

As if meeting a Nordic Light Elf in the flesh wasn’t amazing enough.

Just when she wondered how his mouth would taste, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her. An explosion of kinetic energy shot vibrations through her body that prickled every fiber and muscle, held her taut and then released, leaving her breathless.
**

Who's Your Favorite Renegade?

I love renegades. In movies, in books, in songs. The underdog who goes against impossible odds to save the world, save the day, save the girl. Heck, I even like the renegade who isn’t saving anything but the high school prom, and that’s saying something since my prom experiences were just plain embarrassing.

To borrow the words of Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out For A Hero, "he's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast, and he's gotta be fresh from the fight." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f_HsjpSVaI

Whenever I hear that song, I think of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. (Yeah, I know it’s a Footloose song, but I’ll get to that in a minute.) Bigger than life characters with a heart of gold, giving everything they’ve got, even though they don’t stand a chance in Hades of beating the bad guys, or in his case demons. Love ’em. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXGhjQCIo2Q&feature=related

On the other end of the spectrum are the renegades like Kevin Bacon’s character Ren McCormack in Footloose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwBbMXYDsXw
He’s just your average guy – albeit he can dance like the devil – fighting against nothing more than the town’s ban on music and dancing. He takes on the town preacher and town council, causing his peers to rebel and getting himself into some nasty fights. Still in the end, if he fails, the worst that will happen is no dance. Fighting repression and standing up for freedom of expression, however, is something many of us relate to. We like to cheer for those who speak out against intolerance.

I like to write renegades too. Discovering what makes them tick is fun, but it can be tricky to write a renegade and still make him sympathetic. He’s breaking the rules and sometimes he’s an ass, plain and simple. How does an author make readers fall in love with a renegade? I always give my renegades a moral dilemma and base their going-against-the-system actions in an emotion that readers understand and feel like they would the same under the circumstances. Usually love or keeping someone safe. Like Bonnie mentioned in her Hero song, it’s gonna take a superman to sweep any of us off our feet. Creating a renegade who's bad just for the sake of being bad isn’t enough. He has to have some pretty convincing redeeming qualities for me to like him.

So tell me, is there a renegade you love, be it in books, movies or music? What makes him a superman in your opinion?

Misty Evans is an award-winning, multi-published author of CIA thrillers and paranormal comedy. She likes her heroes tough but with hearts of gold. Visit her at www.readmistyevans.com or chat with her on Twitter @readmistyevans.

Zombies? Seriously?

Yes, seriously. Zombies can have a place in romance and I'm here today to prove it.

I believe every good adventure romance needs a really good bad guy. Zombies can be GREAT bad guys! They're creepy. They're crawly. They're unstopable... well, mostly. They're hard to beat and easy to hate. The perfect bad guys. Along with those who made them, of course. ;-)

In my new series from Kensington Brava, the zombies have been created by a science experiment gone horribly wrong. A couple of the science team have gone rogue and want to sell the technology that created the zombies to the highest bidder. I'm sure there's a campy quality to this plot line that I don't try to hide. I know the "mad scientist" schtick has been done in countless books, movies and TV shows. I'm cool with that. I only hope I bring a new spin to it.

See, I was a mad scientist for much of my early working life. Well, maybe not "mad." But I definitely was a scientist. I ran a laboratory for the better part of a decade. So I've got the scientist part down. It's the "mad" part I hope to bring life to in the characters in this series.

The first novel is out now, called ONCE BITTEN, TWICE DEAD. Here's the blurb:

Thrills, chills and a smoldering sexy hero combine to unforgettable effect in Bianca D'Arc's irresistible new novel of paranormal romance...

When police officer Sarah Petit investigates a disturbance in an abandoned building, she expects to find a few underage drinkers. Instead, she's attacked by creature straight out of a horror movie. Waking a week later in a hospital, Sarah is visited by Special Forces soldier Captain Xavier Beauvoir. The zombies who attacked Sarah are the result of military research gone terrifyingly wrong, and Sarah's immunity to the virus makes her the perfect person to help Xavier eradicate them. But his smooth Cajun accent, whiskey-colored eyes, and dizzying kiss are risky to her in a very different way.

Sarah attracts danger like a magnet -- and the smart, fearless cop attracts Xavier too, instilling a bone-deep need that's undermining his steady facade. Enlisting her aid is a necessary gamble, but vicious undead creatures are not the only enemy they face. And the only way to keep each other safe is to trust in an instant connection that could be their greatest strength -- or the perfect way to destroy them both...

The second novel will be out in November, called A DARKER SHADE OF DEAD. There are two novellas in the series as well. The first is already out in the anthology titled HALF PAST DEAD. The other will be in the Brava Halloween anthology titled THE BEAST WITHIN, that releases in September of this year.

I'm currently working on the third, and perhaps final, novel in the series, which doesn't have a title yet. It will be out in late Summer of 2011, I believe. It's a fun, contemporary paranormal world to write in, peopled with lots of cool military men and strong, capable women. I hope you'll enjoy it if you get a chance to read it! You can find more information on my website and my blog. Happy reading!

What Inspired Me to Write The Return

Blurb:

Whilst on assignment in Iraq, English TV presenter and journalist Robert Tremayne is captured by the Islamic Jihad and held hostage. His soul mate, Marielle, can barely come to terms with her loss but tries to move on with her life.


Two years later Robert is discovered alive. Marielle is overjoyed, but her life has changed beyond all recognition, and the man she loved is now very different. His time in Iraq has left him cold, emotionless and detached. There's much to tell, and each wants desperately to return to the way things once were.


With the past always there to come between them, will they be able to recapture their lost love? Will they ever be happy again?
A note to the reader: The reason why I wrote the Return.

Being English, I vividly remember watching the news when journalist John McCarthy was released from captivity in 1991, after 5 years as a hostage in Lebanon. His girlfriend Jill Morrell was there to greet him, and it looked as though their emotional turmoil would soon be over. They could continue their lives together. Sadly John McCarthy and Jill Morrell split up unable to resume their relationship. The Return is based on the idea of this true heartbreaking event. I wondered how two people who loved each other so dearly, would get on after such a long period of separation.

May I ask you all a question. Imagine how you would cope, if you had been held captive in a foreign country in a small cell for two years? Imagine how you would cope emotionally and psychologically. Imagine how you would cope with The Return to normal life.

The Return focuses on the emotion and distress that both Marielle and Robert must have experienced upon being reunited after two years apart. Robert returns from Iraq a changed man. Cold and emotionless he seems unable to fit back in with normal society. All the good things he has relied on have now gone forever. How can he come to terms with his new life outside of captivity? Will Robert Tremayne and Merielle Stevens in The Return be able to find their love once more? Will the emotional scars finally heal.

I Hope you enjoy reading my book.

You can learn more about Jan and her books by going to her website.

Or visit Bookstrand for more information HERE

Fun With Character Names

The hubby and I haven't been lucky enough to have kids (for those of you with kids, give them a hug from us, they truly are a blessing not everyone receives). Before we came to the realization that hey, it may never happen, we spent hours, days, months dreaming about baby names. I'd research the meaning (in several languages) of each name, probing into the history, thinking about short forms and whether or not kids may tease them about that name (my niece is called Luna which is a very pretty name except people call her Loonie).

All that research has been useful now that I'm writing for publication (when I was writing just for me, all my heroines were named Kimber and my heroes had my hubby's name).

Some characters name themselves. I didn't even realize that Tavos (from Flawless) was a name until my character stood up and introduced himself. Then I quickly researched it and yes, someone somewhere in the world is named Tavos.

Some characters try on several names before they find one just right for them. Hagen (from Invisible) was originally named Hayden but he really didn't like it. It was a little too… well… sissy for him (characters, like real people, have some strange ideas about what is masculine and feminine). He would wince every time I called him that. Eventually (I'm not always quick on the pick up), I got the message and tried different names.

Some character names are derived from jokes. Marie teases Jack (in Indestructible – releasing in April) about doing… jack all. Jack may or may not (I'm voting for may not) be his real name.

With secondary characters and baddies, I often have fun with the names. If I'm writing a story about the Russian mafia (Nik's story – not yet published), I'll use the Russian words for bad man or stink breath or… as their names. If you know Russian, you'll get a chuckle out of it. If you don't know Russian, you'll wonder how Kimber comes up with her names.

Readers, what are some of the prettiest/nicest names you've heard? Authors, how do you decide on a great name for your character?




$

Every month, Kimber Chin gives away her fave romance eBook read the month before. For more details, go to http://businessromance.com/ .

Introvert or Extrovert?

One of my daughters mentioned being an introvert recently. I told her how I was too.

She said, "Mom, you are definitely not an introvert."

That bothered me because I have always thought of myself as one. I decided to pursue this with another daughter. Same response. This daughter told me, "No way. You're not an introvert. You're so friendly and talk to everyone."

Both daughters had to be wrong. Hey, I am a shy person. Also I think an introvert fits being a writer more than an extrovert does. Introverts are more mysterious because you don't know what they are really thinking. So when my sister-in-law stopped in to visit after these conversations, I told her how I disagreed with my daughters telling me that I'm an extrovert.

Guess what? She laughed at me. In an amused voice, she said, "You're an extrovert."

Okay, that's true what all three said about me. I am pretty outgoing and I'm energized when I'm around others. While growing up though I was more of an introvert. I came out of my shell when I carhopped at a root beer stand during high school. But I am still quiet when I feel uncomfortable in certain situations. I might be reflective when I'm out of my element and exhibit an introvert's personality traits. My small talk with new people is definitely a bonus to my writing because people seem to open up and reveal a great deal to me. Of course, I don't use what they say for my characters, but it gives me ideas to incorporate in my stories.

This extrovert and introvert topic got me to thinking about my characters. Are they extroverts or introverts? In my recent release, Marrying Mallory, there's no doubt that Mallory Harrington is an extrovert. She has no problem meeting new people. Mallory surprises Dr. Seth Whitman with her honesty when they first meet. Catherine Steel is an investigative reporter in my chick-lit mystery, A Fiery Secret. She does her best thinking while speaking to murder suspects, which is a characteristic of an extrovert. Whitney Benson in my contemporary romance, Whitney in Charge, is an extrovert but she has some introverted feelings when it comes to men.

My favorite part of writing is creating the dialogue for my books. I just can't escape my desire to speak to others whether it's in a real life or for my characters.

Are you an introvert or extrovert? Do you prefer to read romances where the heroine is an extrovert or an introvert?

Diane Craver
Newest Release: Marrying Mallory
http://www.dianecraver.com
http://www.dianecraver.com/blog

Roughing it

I went camping this weekend, tent camp training for Girl Scouts.

It was a lot of fun. We hiked, did crafts, compass games, other station games, had a campfire, retired a United States flag, cooked on grills, dutch ovens, box ovens, and the campire, made a box oven, covered knife safety.

I learned an awful lot.

I loved to camp as a kid, as a Girl Scout. My mother didn't like to but did because she was helping out the troop. Her idea of roughing it was a hotel without a pool. Yep, she loved me to go camping with me.

My husband doesn't care for camping so it's been a long time since I've been.

My girls sort of like it but I'm not sure it's in either one's blood. I know people who go camping a lot, some most every weekend during the summer. Don't know that will ever be me.

It's a fun place to visit but I was so glad to get home last night and sleep in my own bed.

What's your idea of roughing it?

Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen
www.mechelearmstrong.com
www.melanylogen.com

Gadget – MP3 Player

I enjoy music and love my MP3 player. It is filled with some of my favorite music. I have play lists for various moods I might be in. When I am happy I listen to love songs, country and some R&B. If I need a little pick me up it is some rock and alternative music. All on my MP3.
I have play list also according to what I am writing. Music creates such a variety of emotions. It helps my writing along. An my MP3 is an essential tool in my writing. I flip to my play list then put on my headphone and off I go with the writing.

My MP3 has seen me through many parts of my various books. The pivotal love scene. The black moment or those difficult to write scenes to write. I’ve been inspired to write when I feel like I can’t do anymore. All due to my MP3 player and the music it provides me.

McKenna Jeffries

http://www.mckennajeffries.com/

…. sensual, edgy, unexpected

Blog: http://www.mckennajeffries.com/blog

Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/McKennaJeffriesList

Free Reads Site: http:/ /www.satinnotes.com/

Conquering Jazz - What’s a woman to do when she unwittingly makes a tantalizing proposition to her best friend?

Be brazen, bold and set some ground rules. Her offer. One night of carnal bliss. No emotion allowed.

His counter offer. A continued affair to fulfill all their sexual cravings.

His hidden agenda. Conquer to make sure their affair never ends.

Buy here at Liquid Silver Book.

A Matter of Perspective

For the past few weeks I’ve been working on revisions for my upcoming release. Since said revisions consisted mainly of adding several love scenes and expanding on the ones already there, I did not really anticipate a whole lot of problems.

After all, with several really long books under my belt (really long books!) I figured adding length to a novella should be a piece of cake. I mean, it’s not like I was being asked to cut stuff out—now that could be a problem!

And as for writing about sex…well, I’ve always said it’s the next best thing to having sex. So, again, not a problem…right?

Yeah, well, maybe not. 

It’s under control now, but it was touch and go for a while there. My muse had apparently left the building (she’s touchy. I think she resented having her gifts returned for adjustments) and my characters were being no help at all.

I tried arguing with them—as per my usual MO—but they still refused to play. The exchange went something like this:

Me: “C’mon, guys, it’s just sex. It’s more sex. It’s hotter sex. You like sex, right? So help me out.”

Them: “You see that bedroom door over there? Close it on your way out, would you, babe?”

Me: “Okay, let me put it another way. You do realize who’s in charge around here don't you? You keep messing with me and, I promise, I’ll write so much angst and misery into your scenes that you'll be begging me for mercy."

Them: “No you won’t. Your editor likes the ‘fun’ tone of the story—remember? Look, it says so right there in that acceptance letter she sent you.”

Me: Sigh.

Anyway… It took me a while to figure out what was causing the problem. Yes, there were some unexpected family crises that were distracting me, but mostly it was a matter of perspective. See, this story is written in first person present tense. It’s a fun tense and I usually enjoy writing in first person POV, especially when the character turns out to have as quirky a voice as the main character in this story, does. But, even so, first person, present tense, m/m sex is…tricky.

It’s not always easy to capture the emotion necessary for a satisfying sex scene when you’re viewing everything through one person’s eyes and that one person is really in the moment. Factor in a character who’s spent his entire life repressing his emotions and denying he feels anything at all and it’s no wonder I felt a bit challenged.

However, we’ve mended our fences, come to an agreement and made a lot of progress in the last few days. I look forward to finishing up this round of edits by the end of the week. Woo-hoo.

I wish I could give you an excerpt, but I think that might be a little premature. So I’ll leave you with the (unedited) blurb for Edge of Heaven which will (hopefully) be released by Loose Id this summer.

Welcome to the afterlife, where men are men and the angels are fallen.

Edge is an unlikely angel. Unable to atone for the sins he committed while human, he's resigned to spending the rest of eternity in Limbo. Until he meets a miracle named Mattie.

It was a reckless act of passion that ended Edge’s life and left him in Limbo—literally. Now, he’s stuck here. While most of the other angels-in-training move quickly up the celestial ladder, Edge knows it can never be that simple for him. He’s dealing with issues that are a lot more complicated than a simple lack of closure.

While Edge doesn’t know for sure what it will take to get him into Heaven, there is one thing he’s certain won’t help—his latest assignment guiding angel-baby Matteo Matinucci while the newbie find his wings.

But twenty-something Mattie—sexy, beautiful, recently departed and openly gay—could turn out to be the answer to all of Edge’s prayers, as well as the fulfillment of all his fantasies, even the hot, sweaty, secret ones he’s never confided to anyone. And by helping to send Mattie to Heaven, Edge just might end up saving both their souls.

Warning: This book contains angels in the afterlife, a host of heavenly hotties worth falling for, and man on man angel sex—so good, you’ll be dying to get some.

PG Forte

www.PGForte.com

Love without Limits, Romance without Rules!

Blog:  www.rhymeswithforeplay.blogspot.com

Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pgforte/

Newsletter: www.openzine.com/oberon

Getting To Know you

I've been reading all of the doom and gloom in publishing recently. Part of it is to keep up with my industry, the other part is to report back to the newsletter for the Romance Writers United organization (check them out! They're a great group! /plug) and the other part is just to see where things are headed. It got so much that even I had to step back and rearrange my brain for writing itself. Sometimes it seems like there's so much around writing that writing itself gets pushed aside.

And then I took a mini break outside of it all. As I dove back into my ginormously huge reading pile, I started tackling some books from my pile and books that I've wanted to buy and read from this year. Big thanks to a few reading challenges that helped push me along. I also finally got a chance to catch up on my favorite book stomping grounds, Goodreads and Shelfari. In the process, I got to know new readers and it was really refreshing. Reading isn't celebrated as much as it used to be. With the advent of every other media outside of reading, books and reading seemed to have become passe. On the other hand, if you were to look at the amount of websites, blogs and discussion groups dedicated to the written word it would seem otherwise. I have to say, I love it. As a reader, I get to meet other book lovers and exchange ideas on books that I've read; not to mention grab some great titles I may never have heard of before. And let's face it, with most books not getting the push they deserve from publishers, this is an amazing advantage. As an author, I get to hear instant reader feedback both good and bad as I become a better writer.

For a long time, I've been saying how I can't wait for the future of publishing to get here but, honestly, I think it's here already. With online writing conferences growing with popularity (thanks SORMAG and Muse!), library and book themed webinars and critique/feedback groups from all around the world, discussions will only just get more sophisticated as the technology grows. From someone who can't make many conferences and get togethers due to her location, I'm immensely grateful and can't wait to get to know more book lovers and readers across the media spectrum.

Rae Lori

Rae's next release is 'Within the Shadows of Mortals' Book 2 in the Ashen Twilight series ~ Coming April 2010
http://www.raelori.com
http://raelori.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/RaeLori
http://www.facebook.com/RaeLori

Idea Spark – A phone

I’ve been having some nasty problems with my phone. A feedback that rings in my ear. Also being able to hear other people’s conversation. It has been driving me nuts but I’ve been so busy to have the time to call the phone company or make an appointment. The other day when I was once again talking on the phone I could hear someone else talking on the phone. Once again it was another person’s conversation. It wasn’t to clear but it was an annoying backdrop. When I hung up as I sat frustrated with the whole phone thing a thought came to me.

An idea for a story. A phone lines crossed idea. Ideas come from all over the place and my phone issues sparked one. It is interesting how that happened. An annoying phone issue becoming a future book. LOL.

I did call the phone company and have them come fix the issue but the phone gave me an idea that I might not have had. There is inspiration for ideas all around you. I’ve come up with ideas from various places. Many very unexpected. Any little thing can give you an idea spark.

Taige Crenshaw

http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/

…increasing the sizzle factor

Blog: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/blog

Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crenshawcafe

Newsletter: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/newsletterandgroups.shtml

Free Reads Site: http://www.satinnotes.com/

Wilde Seduction - What happens when a woman who doesn’t know how to relax meets a man whose lust for life will change her and make all her deepest desires come to life?

Buy here at Total-E-Bound.

Pearls of Wisdom - Networking

This month's writing tip is short, because I'm editing a manuscript and getting ready to go off to a writers' conference. Appropriately enough, my March tip to aspiring writers out there is this: network.

Yes, I know it's hateful. The sort of person who likes to sit alone in a room and make up conversations about pretend people is NOT the sort of person who likes to mingle and chit-chat and shake hands. Self- promotion can be the hardest aspect of the job for any writer, and networking is very similar. They both require you to take time away from your imaginary friends and go out and talk to real people. At least occasionally.

Networking is important because - let's face it - knowing the right people often leads to lucky breaks. I got my first journalism job because an editor liked my story ideas and my writing samples. But I got my second journalism job because the editor was a friend of a friend - thus I heard about this particular job opening before a lot of other people heard about it. And from what I've seen after a few years of writing fiction full-time, it works the same way. Your talent and your productivity are your most important assets. But having a few friends and acquaintances in the right places doesn't hurt either!

Networking with other fiction writers can be difficult, since by its very nature, the job tends to be isolating. Then there are the constraints of time and budget. Very few novelists are able to make a significant living from their fiction writing. Mostly, they squeeze that writing stuff into those tiny spaces in between their jobs and their families. So it can be hard to find time to get together with other writers. Still, it's an activity worth pursuing.

If, like me, you live in a rural area, you may not be near any major professional writing organizations. But lucky you, the Romance Writers of America sponsors chapters all over the country, and most of those chapters hold their meetings on Saturdays. Once in a while, you can make a day - or even overnight trip - out of one of those meetings. Ask at your local library or community college - they often host writers' critique groups or meeting groups. Sometimes, joining a book club can be a way to meet other writers, since most writers are also compulsive readers.

You can also join a lot of great writing groups online. These groups are great for writers in remote areas, writers with weird schedules, or writers with small children. One of my favorite online groups is Elements, a broad-based chapter of RWA that supports those who write non-romance novels that include elements of romance in their subplots. Another great group is Guppies, for Sisters in Crime members who are not yet published.

Many larger writers' groups also sponsor annual retreats or conferences, which can be fun ways to get away from real life for a few days and hang around with other people who talk about things like story arcs and inciting incidents and the hero's journey. Writer's Digest magazine is a good starting point for info on various types of writing conferences nationwide. For info on more genre specific get-togethers, you can check the websites for groups like Romance Writer's of America or Sisters in Crime.

Joining various writing groups and going off to conferences can get pricey and time-consuming. Do make sure you aren't using up the family's entire vacation fund for writing junkets. And be careful not to spend so much time "conferencing" that you forget to actually write your book! It's easy to let both things happen when you first discover all those wonderful writing organizations out there. Networking with other writers can help you brainstorm new story ideas and re-ignite your enthusiasm for writing, as long as you remember to balance it with your number one priority - writing your story.

Leisure Time

My life has changed since I started writing. I used to do a lot of crafts such as sewing, knitting, cross stitch and tapestry. I read lots of books, from fiction to craft and everything in between, but since I started on the path to publication, my spare time is taken up with all things writing.

Yes, the time I used to spend on crafts has disappeared. I now write full time and seem to be busier than I ever used to be when I worked outside the home. I think it’s important to lead a balanced life so in the leisure time I do have, I like to get outside. I walk and cycle most days, and I’m in love with our Nintendo Wii. My favorite game is tennis, and I have a love-hate relationship with the little balance board character. (Wii Fit) He’s always telling me off.

I’ve always enjoyed cooking and this year, I’m trying to make one new recipe each month. I still read, but these days a lot of my reading is research rather than for pleasure.

Part of me misses the carefree days when I used to pick up a book for pleasure or spend the evening knitting while watching television.

What do you do in your leisure time?

Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand and writes contemporary and paranormal romance for Samhain Publishing and Ellora’s Cave. Her next release is called The Bottom Line and is due for release on 27 April from Samhain Publishing. You can visit Shelley at www.shelleymunro.com

Macho Heroes

Some of you will probably know I’ve just made a massive change in my life. We’ve sold our business and I’m officially a full time writer again. It has been a battle but I’m finally establishing a writing routine. And I’m now only one scene away from finishing another story.

When I started this latest story, I wanted a macho hero. Someone who could stand up to the sometimes harsh conditions of living on the land in Australia. But also someone who was man enough to show what he was feeling when necessary. Hopefully I’ve managed to achieve that. I grew up in the Australian bush so I knew men like that from the time I was a little girl.

But it got me thinking about the whole macho thing.
The Compact Oxford English dictionary defines Macho as aggressively masculine.
The Encarta® World English Dictionary, North American Edition, lists it like this: stereotypically masculine: having or showing characteristics conventionally regarded as male, especially physical strength and courage, aggressiveness, and lack of emotional response

Huh? “aggressiveness…lack of emotional response” Ah, no, not my men! Okay, okay, so my heroes are aggressive if the situation warrants it, but I would have called it assertiveness coupled with a belief that what he’s doing is correct. And he’s always ready to back down and apologize if he’s proved wrong.

It was the lack of emotional response that really threw me. To me, a macho man is someone who can take control when necessary. Yes, he’s assertive and that often rubs the heroine up the wrong way. But there’s another side of the macho heroes I use in my stories. He does have an emotional response and he’s man enough to own up to it. It doesn’t make him less of a man to show his softer side on occasion.

No doubt everyone has differing opinions on what a macho male is, but a reader recently gave me three little words that I truly think defines the macho male. “Tough but tender.” I kind of like that. It’s simple but says so much. That’s the type of man I want to read about. Someone who can stand up and take it, but also show his feelings when necessary.

So what about you? What do you see as the traits of a macho male?



Alexis Fleming
http://www.alexisfleming.net/

Wild about series?

In the past, I’ve always written one book at a time, one story at a time. Sometimes after I finished a book, a natural sequel would present itself. After I wrote Sugar and Spice, I knew I wanted to write the story of Ginny’s sister, Allie, and voila! Everything Nice was born. However, until I wrote the first book, I hadn’t really considered the second.

Last summer, I decided I wanted to try my hand at a series. I mean, I LOVE to read them. I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter and Twilight books. I’ve devoured Gabaldon’s Outlander series and JD Robb’s In Death stories. So I proposed the Wild Irish series to my editor at Ellora’s Cave and she accepted it.

While the stories can be read independently, I have had to do some serious pre-planning to make sure things gel. I’ve drawn timelines, character sketches, and written seven synopses. Pretty organized for a girl who usually writes by the seat of her pants! I used the nursery rhyme, Monday’s Child as the seed around which these stories are sprouting. Each book tells about the life and romance of one of the Collins family—seven siblings who live and work together in their father’s pub in Baltimore.

The first two books, Come Monday and Ruby Tuesday, are available now. Book three, Waiting for Wednesday will hit the virtual shelves of Ellora’s Cave on St. Patrick’s Day. How cool is that? Sweet Thursday was just accepted. I’ve created a book trailer to showcase each book and it can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlEXd_F03rc

Waiting for Wednesday
Wild Irish, Book Three

Tristan Collins knows Lane Bryce is strictly hands-off. She’s smart, funny, kind…and married. But he still looks forward to her once-a-week visits to the family pub where he tends bar. When she fails to arrive one Wednesday, Tris is concerned. When he learns she’s in the hospital, brutally beaten after attempting to leave her unhappy marriage, he’s enraged. Tris vows to protect her, but doesn’t get the chance—Lane checks out of the hospital and disappears without a trace.

A year later, newly divorced Lane is back, and enjoying her independence too much to embark on a relationship. Tris intends to prove she can have freedom and love, and he’s not above using seduction to do it. The more she resists, the more he sets her body ablaze with pleasure the likes of which she’s never known.

After a lifetime of disappointment, trust doesn’t come easily for Lane. But when her ex-husband reenters her life, threatening her independence, her happiness, she could discover too late that Tristan is the one man worthy of not only her trust, but also her love.

Read an excerpt here.

Wild Irish books are available at Ellora's Cave.

Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month, the theme this year is “Writing Women Back into History” And it is true when you look through history books in our educational system there are kings, generals, presidents, explorers… that are for the most part men. Thinking back the only women's names that stand out to me from my school days were women such as Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, Marie Curie, Anne Frank and Helen Keller. There are so many more whose names and contributions should be acknowledged.

I am glad March has been named the month to highlight them. I have an 8 year old daughter. I want her to know how women have contributed to the human race. I found a few interesting ways to share with her what women have done and to hopefully inspire her to know there is so much she can do.

The poster above is available at DiversityStore.com and has some amazing women represented. Women who have made their mark in history and to many are heroes. The Women’s History Month Organization has been working hard to recognize women’s contribution to society, science, the arts, and many other categories over the past 30 years. At their web site they are offering a gazette that honors the women they have distinguished as heroes who’ve earned their place in history. It’s free, except for shipping and handling, I just ordered a bundle of 25 for the girls in my Girl Scout troop.

And Marvel Comics is jumping on the bandwagon this year by releasing the first-ever comic book written, penciled, inked, colored, and lettered entirely by women! So cool! (Yes, I am a geek) It’s a limited edition three issue mini-series. Just plug in your zip code at Marvel.com to find a store near you selling it. (Hmmm, The Easter bunny might have to leave that in my daughter’s basket.)

Leaving you with quotes from the women in the poster, I had to narrow it down to just them or I’d be listing quotes from many women!

“I stand on the shoulders of countless people, yet there is one extraordinary person who is my life aspiration - that person is my mother, Celina Sotomayor.” Judge Sonia Sotomayor

“I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” Rosa Parks

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” Mother Teresa

“I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.” Frida Kahlo

“It isn't where you came from, its where you're going that counts. Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.” Ella Fitzgerald
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” Audrey Hepburn

“The brain is wider than the sky.” Emily Dickinson

“All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.” Sally Ride

“When I first skated here, I definitely felt small out there because it is such a big surface." Kristi Yamaguchi

And

“I used to complain that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet” My Mom. I’m not sure who originally said this but it was a favorite of my mom’s. She instilled in me the ability to find blessings in my life no matter how rough it gets. I miss her but am making sure her grandchildren know her history and how much a hero she was to me.

I hope you all have women, in history, in books and/or in your lives who give you inspiration and the courage to forge your own special history!
Mari

Genre-Jumping: Or any way you slice it, it’s all about the romance

Let's start with the contest: visit my website (link shown at the bottom of this post) and take a look at my books. Then go to the "Contact Cindy" page and drop me a note with which book looks most interesting to you. I'll draw one lucky winner for a free download of their choice. Thanks for reading!

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I’ve been reading romance for pretty much my entire life. Seriously. One of the ways I learned to read was with these cool little book and 45 rpm record combos. My parents bought me dozens of the things, which I played like on my little suitcase record player until I’d memorized every single word. So what does that have to do with romance? Do the names Thumbelina, Cinderella, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty ring any bells? Face it. A lot of the old faery tales were about love, and every single one ended with the phrase “happily ever after.” I’ve been hooked ever since.

By fourth grade I was sneaking Harlequin Romances into my desk at school. My mom and her friends would pass them around, and I felt so grown up when I got to start adding my initials on the title page along with the adult ladies. Then there were the little historicals, too. Barbara Cartland, mainly, but then Georgette Heyer, and I eventually graduated to thicker and thicker books, some historical, some contemporary, some even with a mystery in it as well. In high school I discovered that some romances even had s-e-x in them, which was even cooler. I was hooked on Kathleen Woodiwiss, Roberta Gellis, and the absolutely incredible Elizabeth Peters aka Barbara Michaels, who wrote both contemporary and historical, romantic suspense and paranormal romance, before those subgenres even had names.

As much as I loved romance though, I was too much of a bookworm to subsist on romance alone. There just weren’t enough, not on my parents’ bookshelves, not in the local library, and darned sure not in the school’s very limited selection. So I read everything else as well. Mystery, fantasy, science fiction, biographies, and histories. I still do, to some extent—I have a lifelong love of Sherlock Holmes, Spenser, Sam Vimes and Arthur Dent. (courtesy of Conan Doyle, Robert Parker, Terry Pratchett, and Douglas Adams) Nonetheless, I like all of their stories better when there’s a happy couple involved. My first and deepest love remains—love.

So when people ask me what I write, I answer, “romance.” It’s simple and it’s true. Everything I write is about people finding the loves of their lives. Now, though, people who know anything about the genre ask, “What kind of romance?” That’s when things get a little dicier.

You see, to me, the romance is what it’s all about. That’s the single true thread in all of my work. Setting, and trappings of magic, science, mystery, or additional partners are all just variations on the theme. I’ve sold over thirty books now, and they honestly include: contemporary, historical, and futuristic time periods. Demons, djinnis, dragons, spaceships, selkies, sirens, werewolves, wizards and witches, not to mention cowboys, cops, and carpenters. Geeks, ghosts and gargoyles. Bondage and bounty hunters. Earls and elves. Some of my books are erotic, others aren’t. Check the publisher’s description if that sort of thing is important to you—I’m not out to confuse anybody, and if you email me to ask about a book, I’ll always be up front about the contents. But I do promise that every single one of them is really all about romance.

In January, I was lucky enough to release Awakening Augusta, an erotic regency romance with Ellora’s Cave. It’s a little novella, just a short, fun read, but TRS reviewer Theresa had this to say: “I loved this sensual quick read…This is definitely a keeper and I can't wait to read the author's future spicy regencies.” Click here for the complete review.

Awakening Augusta, out now from Ellora's Cave Publishing

Blurb: Regency Scotland can be a lonely place, but Augusta MacLeish has four mischievous younger siblings for company—now if she only had money to feed them! Colin Fordyce has recently inherited an earldom, along with five wards in a remote Scottish castle. When he travels to meet them, he discovers his predecessor was skimming their funds. He also learns the oldest Miss MacLeish is absolutely stunning. A knock to his head leaves him seeing two of the buxom beauty, just as one kiss from her tempting lips leaves him longing for more. A night spent together forces Colin and Augusta to marry, leaving them all the opportunity in the world to explore the sexual hunger between them. Colin delights in teaching Augusta all the pleasures of the flesh, awakening the wanton lover beneath her ladylike veneer. From Scotland to London, the flames burning between them refuse to be doused, and oh how they will set the Ton on fire.

Click here for an excerpt, and click here to purchase the book.

Happy Reading!

Cindy Spencer Pape

www.cindyspencerpape.com

www.cindyspencerpape.blogspot.com

EPICon and New Orleans

By Janet Quinn

I am on my way to New Orleans and EPICon. I have been waiting for two years for this trip. I have been to New Orleans once when I was 15. My mother and I drove through the city so I didn’t see much.

My writing friend Linda MacLaughlin is my traveling companion. We are doing a workshop on Friday afternoon on Writing and Researching the Historical Novel.

The conference doesn’t start until Thursday, so we are going sightseeing before hand. We are going on a plantation tour on Wednesday. I love seeing old houses. We are also planning on going on a swamp tour. My boss said it was great, so I hope she is right. We are going with a group from the conference on a river boat cruise Friday evening. Our workshop is over at 5 p.m. and the cruise starts at 6 p.m., so we will be stopping on time. Maybe a few minutes early. We also plan on going to the psychic tea room and I promised my daughter-in-law to bring her something from a voodoo shop.

So far our traveling is going well. I’ll be tired by the time we get to the hotel, but we don’t plan on doing anything but getting dinner after we are settled.

I am really looking forward to seeing New Orleans and to attending the conference. I always have fun at EPICon. It is small enough that I get a chance to meet nearly everyone, but big enough to offer great workshops and activities. I get to present an award Saturday night which is always fun.

Hungry Like the Spring Wolf

Pic from ~ http://quizilla.com/L/LY/LYC/LycosLittleWolf ~

March is my month, and my favorite month for many reasons. The best one, I’m a Spring baby and, yes, this is my birthday month.
Wow, is there an abundance of Spring Quotes and Poetry out there in webbie-landia. Here’s a few by some of my fave authors, poets and an unknown.

And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley

"In springtime, love is carried on the breeze. Watch out for flying passion or kisses whizzing by your head." ~Emma Racine deFleur

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

"Spring is a heart full of hope and a shoe full of rain." -- Unknown

Of course, there’s always that famous line lurking in the back of my mind... when a young man’s fancy turns to love... yes, hormones, male and female, human and animals, rise during the Springtime... so lust and love do happily abound, mate, and do make merry!

In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish'd dove;
In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.
~Alfred Lord Tennyson

Okay, Spring is not official until the 20th, or the Vernal Equinox... still its springing ever closer... those deep piles of snow will disappear as the sun shines more each day... and, yes, the current story I’m working on, THE BLACK WOLF’S PROPHETESS, is springing ever closer, and hungry like the Spring wolf for completion *I’m taking poetic license here* ...being of that writerly nature.
And, I’m using a bit of trivia I learned recently... that the full moon of January is known as the Wolf Moon because the wolves are hungry and howling in the midst of winter.

Or! I’m expressing how Duke, my wolf shifter hero, feels about the heroine, Sondra, the very moment he can use all his senses on her fully ~ hungry like the Spring wolf. This takes awhile after she rescues him because Duke has just been through a brutal chase in his wolf form, escaping from two men who are determined to shoot him as a trophy-kill.

Here’s a unedited snippet from that scene ~

Behind him, the bullet ripped apart the night air. Duke lunged for the great trunk of the tree, still several feet away. Smelling the rich astringent bark, he dropped on his belly and crawled toward the scent.

Desperate to survive, now blind from exhaustion, he pulled himself along with his front paws. Staying on his belly, he shoved himself forward with the remaining strength of his back legs. His head broke through the underbrush at the forest’s edge. With his body begging him to stop, he pushed with his hind legs until he felt the back side of great tree’s trunk.

Knowing he was still an endangered species, Duke crawled deeper. The hellish agony of his wounds, and the pain from his body’s total depletion, felt like the devil’s pitchfork plunging inside him, over and over again.

Despite the fiery sting of his muscles, he inched along through the thick underbrush. Only when he heard his two pursuers pivot their horses away, did he stop.
Duke panted as quietly as he could, listening to them string raw curses together. The force of their violent emotions whirled around him as savagely as a tornado.
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This is definitely a coming Wolf Spring. My friend and American Title IV buddy, Pat Cunningham has a new release tomorrow, March 2nd.

A LONDON WEREWOLF IN AMERICA
by Pat Cunningham

Blurb ~

British werewolf Roderick Chase has been sent to Philadelphia to get married. Instead he finds himself the target of werecoyote assassins. His only hope: Darinda Lowell, a witch with a low tolerance level for arrogant alpha males. She agrees to act as his bodyguard and use her magic to find out who’s trying to kill him.

There’s no way the pushy wolf and the vegetarian witch can get along, or so Darinda tells herself. However, love tends to work a spell even a witch can’t ignore. Can she claim the wolf who’s won her heart, or will she lose him to a murderer?

"I like comedies. I like murder mysteries. I like paranormals. I like an evenly-matched hero and heroine engaged in snappy dialogue. And I just love me an English accent spoken in a deep sexy voice. I had a blast writing this book. Hope you have as much fun reading it." ~Pat

A BookStrand Mainstream Romance

AVAILABLE: Tuesday, March 2nd

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If you haven’t already, take a look at COYOTE MOON by Pat Cunningham ~ Can a half-werewolf woman, unaware of her wolf nature, come to love the WereCoyote determined to free her wild side and make her his mate? ~ http://bookstrand.com/product-coyotemoon-14959-330.html ~

ALSO available: BEST OF BREED by Pat Cunningham ~ “Confidence breeds beauty, no airbrushing required” ~ http://bookstrand.com/authors/patcunningham ~
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HAPPY SPRING and ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

~ MAY YOUR BRIGHTEST, MOST ROMANTIC DREAMS COME TRUE ~

Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Author of ~

All Shades of Blue Paradise
Red Lioness Tamed
When a Good Angel Falls ~ In Print
Tangerine Carnal Dreams
Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis ~ In Print
Black Cat Beauty
Her Insatiable Dark Heroes ~ In Print
Stallion of Ash and Flame ~
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