You Gotta Read Guest

We Are Moving!

2012-01-31T01:39:00.000-06:00

We are Moving!

Please take a moment and change your bookmarks for us. We have moved to a new, and better, site.

Http://wwwyougottaread.com

We Look Forward to seeing you there.

There will no longer be posts on this site after January 31, 2012

Thank you and we cannot wait to see you at our new home

You Gotta Read Reviews Admin Team

Welcome H.C. Brown

2012-01-30T01:16:00.000-06:00

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

HC. I love on the glorious Gold Coast in Australia where the sun shines seven days out of ten. I love the beach and the peace and quiet.

* As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

HC. I wanted to be a teacher. I taught Physics . . . yuk but I studied English literature among other things and have always wanted to write.

* Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

HC. My latest book is Lord & Master, Historical M/M BDSM Erotic Romance.

Blurb:

Lord Reynold Wilton, fearing exposure after a public argument with his sex slave, Lord David Litchfield, leaves England for the Americas. On his return, he finds his delicious man in the hands of a brutal sadist. In a time when homosexuality is a hanging offense, Reynold must use every trick in the book to regain the possession and trust of his young lover.

* Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

HC. Yes, I wrote Burn after the bushfires here in Queensland about two firefighters risking their lives to help people.

* Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

HC. I am always trying to make my stories better. I am super critical of my work and I often doubt my abilities to convey what I mean. Every story is a challenge but one I love.

* What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

HC. Learn your craft. Write what you enjoy or know best. Join critique groups and listen to what people have to say about your work. Show don't tell and always remember ambiance.

Lord & Master

Excerpt:

Lord Reynold Wilton opened his pocketbook and paid the tailor's account, grateful to be finally out of uniform. He met the gaze of Mr. Joseph Brown. The man had produced every inch of clothing he had worn since a boy. "Have everything else sent over to Spencer Street. There's a good man."

Donning the new hat he'd purchased from Locks in Bond Street, Lord Reynold pulled on his gloves and turned to look in the mirror. The new, delightfully comfortable, clothes fit well. Soft and fresh against his skin, the linen provided a welcome change from his stagnant, uniform shirt and stiff smalls. At last, after three despicable years, he resembled a gentleman again. The new clothes, ordered by letter some three months prior, had surprised him with their elegance. Mr. Brown had tailored each garment in the height of fashion, right down to the fine, lawn ruffles and silver buttons. White silk stockings and a cloak of the finest, black wool lined in silk completed his dress. He rubbed his chin and smiled ruefully at his reflection. The breeches stretched tight about his thighs and bottom, and Mr. Brown had pinched the jacket in at the waist to enhance the width of Reynold's shoulders. The cravat lay in exquisite folds. Dressed as such, in blue velvet, with his hair tied in a neat queue, he knew how men of his predilection would react to his appearance. Christ, I look like a peacock. In truth, his body had changed from soft to hard and muscular, but a commission in the Americas did that to a man. His face had altered too, but not in a bad way. He had not suffered any serious injury during his time abroad, but the man with haunting eyes in his reflection had replaced the innocent expression of youth.

Although, relieved by the sale of his commission and consequent arrival in England, his thoughts were not on returning immediately to his country estate in Surrey. Rather, he had spent the last two days in his townhouse close to Hyde Park, not wanting to endure the immediate duties of lord of the manor.

Lord Reynold stepped from the shop and glanced down Oxford Street. Nothing of note had changed in London during his time abroad with exception of women's fashion and the volume of carriages barreling along the dusty roads. He drew a deep breath to enjoy the scents of normality after enduring an eternity of stinking jacks and sweat. The smell of gunpowder and the unforgettable stench of a military camp had combined with horrors a man could never forget.

For three long years, Reynold had remained abroad. Christ, he had little choice. His role as master had become impossible after another very-public argument with David had threatened to expose them both. To avoid the scandalmongers and the chance of prosecution for the act of sodomy, he made the heart-wrenching decision to leave his lover.

Reynold stood for a few seconds to enjoy his surroundings. There had been a meager amount of birds brave enough to negotiate the noisy camps, and his heart lifted to see an abundance of sparrows feasting on a discarded crust of bread on the footpath. Above a blue sky peeked briefly through a profusion of white fluffy clouds. A stream of sunlight bathed a rose bush sitting in a large, yellow glazed pot beside the milliners next door. The rich perfume from the red blooms mixed with the pungent odor of horse dung squashed on the road. The hay infused clumps thrown in all directions by the constant stream of carriage wheels. Everything is so normal, as if no one knows a war of great proportions is looming.

Moving toward the curb, Reynold called out to his driver to take him to Charters, a gentlemen's club in Vauxhall, and climbed into the carriage. He sighed, rested his head on the back of the seat, and closed his eyes. A familiar memory flooded his consciousness. The vision of a young man, exceptionally featured, with a soft gaze the color of a summer sky, hooded with long, tawny lashes. He groaned, recalling his sweet slave's sated expression from hours of glorious sex. The young body so deliciously secured, his skin damp and flushed from his master's cane. David.

Buy Link: https://www.nobleromance.com/Authors/40/H-C-Brown

Web: www.hcbrown-author.com

www.hcbrownauthoroferoticromance.blogspot.com

Blog Tour - Cassandra Carr

2012-01-27T01:51:00.005-06:00

· Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I am a proud Buffalonian. I truly love it here for so many reasons. First of all, let’s dispel the myth that it’s like Siberia. It’s totally not. Soooo many places get more snow than Buffalo, but for some reason they get all the attention. The summers here are GORGEOUS, too. But more than that, the people are so great. They help each other out and they’re very nice for the most part.

· Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

Well, *taking deep breath*, I’ve got more than one “latest book”. In November 2011 Siren Bookstrand released book 1 of the Buffalo Intimidators series, Head Games. It’s a ménage story with hockey and foodie themes. In December Loose Id released my holiday novella. That one has a heavy BDSM slant. Yes, I managed to work BDSM into a holiday-themed story! Woo-hoo!

As far as stuff in the works, there’s tons, but nothing I can talk about yet. Yes, I know I’m a tease. Watch Twitter, Facebook, and my website for news!

· Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Not really, but hockey fans who read Head Games may recognize one of the situations in it is an altered version of something that actually happened to the Sabres. *intrigue*

· What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Write, write, write. You’ll probably be long-winded, so be prepared to cut your precious words. Have someone who knows what they’re doing – a published author, a reviewer, a passionate reader – beta read your stuff and don’t be afraid to get honest opinions. Don’t expect your first work to be brilliant – you get better at writing the more you practice. One other thing – writing is a subjective business, and yes, it is a BUSINESS. It can be a hobby, but to many of us, it’s a business. Treat it as such.

· Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Sure, every writer does. For the most part I write through it. And you know what? Oftentimes what I write during that period ends up being okay and makes it into the final book.

· Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

I’m not sure I have one “favorite author”. I have many authors that I really enjoy. I think the books that really influenced me were the ones that made me a reader, not a writer. When I was growing up I read the Trixie Belden books, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, etc (totally dating myself here). My favorite book growing up one that I’ve held onto through probably a dozen moves? The Westing Game, by Sue Raskin. If you’ve got a kid between the ages of about ten and twenty, give it to them. Do it now.

· How did you deal with rejection letters?

Oh, sigh. Yes, we all get them. And what I’m about to tell you will make you want to slap me. Rejection hurts. It sucks. But I lived through cancer (I really did!), so when I get a rejection letter, it bums me out for a little while and then I move on. Sometimes I make somebody tell me I’m awesome. That helps too.

The thing about rejections is – as I said above, this is a subjective business. What one person hates, another may love. Don’t put too much heed into form rejections, but pay attention to personalized ones, especially if more than place sends one for the same book and they both say the same thing. In that case, make that change, because they’re probably right. ;-)

Also, rejection doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. There are a million reasons manuscripts get rejected, and only about 20% of them is because someone is a bad writer.

· What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

A laptop, Word, and Twitter. Hear me out on this Twitter thing. If you’re a writer, you spend most of your day inside your own head. Talking to people on Twitter, as long as it’s not cutting into your writing productivity, will help keep you sane. Plus it’s a great networking and promotion tool!

· Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I don’t do gore at all. For erotic stuff, I won’t use the “C-word” for a woman’s bits. It’s one of the only words I find offensive. I also won’t include anything I think is dangerous, like breath play (or autoerotic asphyxiation, if you prefer the technical term). Other than that, I don’t have many content restrictions.

· What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

Oh man, where do I start? I contacted a professional bull rider to get the skinny on the sport (and asked him to read my book!), I’ve contacted both Doms and subs to get the inside scoop on BDSM…there’s tons more, but I don’t want to bore you.

· Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr

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

Welcome Author Keta Diablo

2012-01-26T00:23:00.031-06:00

Dark Night of the Moon

Buy link to Kindle here: http://amzn.to/ADePKy
Keta Diablo

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

First off, thank you so much for having me on your lovely site again.

I live in the Midwest part of the US and have all my life. For the last five years I lived in a very busy tourist town-- busy only in the spring and summer months. Not long ago, I wanted to live closer to my children so I moved into a brand new town home and a suburban community. I thought I'd really miss living on a lake and all the critters that haunted my woods, but I'm really enjoying the town house.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

As a young child, I wanted to be a dancer and took years of lessons. By the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to do something with writing, but I wasn't thinking romance novels, more along the lines of being a journalist for a newspaper. I did write for several small town newspapers for a time and I also was a paralegal for many years.

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

Thanks so much for asking! I so enjoyed writing Dark Night of the Moon, a paranormal wolf shifter and the sequel to Holding On To Heaven. I'm drawn to Native American legend and lore, find it fascinating. So this is real bonus for me if I can include some in my novels.

Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Not contemporary events, but several of my historical books originated from true stories I discovered on the Internet. Land of Falling Stars sprang from a story about cousins who fought on opposites in the Civil War. Where The Rain Is Made came from true stories about the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. I don't write or read too much contemporary unless it's gay fiction.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

Keta laughs. Yes, all of it. I hear so many people say, "One day I'm going to write a book." And I think to myself, 'good luck with that.' Writing is lonely and it's very hard work. At least for me. I don't just sit down at the computer and start pounding out the words. Generally, I've thought about the story in my head for months before I wrote one word. It's a lonely profession because when it gets right down to it, there's you and the computer (not counting the characters). On the other hand, I love writing and can't imagine the day I close the computer forever. There's something very thrilling about bringing characters to live, getting to know them to the point you hate to say goodbye when you're done writing.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

The same they've heard from every writer. There's only one way to improve, to learn the craft and that's to write every day. And there's only one way to get your book out there to the public -- it's called, "Sit your butt down in the chair and write." Keep at it and one day lights will go on in your head because you grasped one of the skills. There are basic rules to writing and you should learn them if you want to make money at this thing they call writing, but you also should learn when you can break those rules. People always say write what you know about. I think that's good advice. If you love skiing, your book about two skiers falling in love will shine. And write for yourself. If you chase trends and write what you think is popular, but you don't know the subject at all, readers will be able to tell.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Gosh, no, at least not so far. I suffer from too many ideas in my head, way too many. I'll never live long enough to get those stories written. LOL.

Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

I won't name favorite authors, but I can tell you some of the books I read this year. I'm drawn to paranormal, of course, and not the standard, sparkly vampires. I like unusual creatures and plots. I read some urban fantasy but many of the plots are very similar. So here's some of the books I devoured this year:

Rage Against Heaven
The Spymaster's Lady
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Hunger Games
Speaks The Nightbird

I'm sure there are lots more, but those are the ones that come to mind right now.

How did you deal with rejection letters?

I don't write for the BIG publishers, have never submitted tp them, so I don't get rejection letters. I have written for many of the smaller house, Decadent, Amber Quill Press, New Concepts, and a half dozen more, but I don't think I was rejected. Right now, I'm publishing on my own. We'll so how it goes, but who knows what I'll be writing or for who in several years. The industry is always changing.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Perseverance
A command of the English language
A great dictionary
Several books on the craft of writing
A computer
And . . . a very vivid imagination

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

There are a few words I won't use for erotic writing. It's a personal choice. I don't object to anyone else using them though. When it comes to erotic content and gore/horror, this is an individual choice. What scares me might seem like a County Fair to another. Same with erotic. Some people love to read heavy bondage, menage, multiple partners, whatever, and some readers like to get their romance fix by reading about monogamous couples.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

I don't know that this is weird, but Where The Rain Is Made, the Cheyenne Dog Soldier book came about because my youngest son, the bookworm in our family, took a sudden, intense interest in American West history. We spent hours (and I do mean hours) at the local library so he could read everything available to him. He found history of the Native American tribes particularly fascinating. Several years later, his interests changed in reading and I was left with pages and pages of notes on the Cheyenne. I decided to put them to good use and wrote a book.

Thanks again for hosting me. You know I've always had a fondness for your site and the great reviews!

* * *

Keta is a multi-published author of paranormal and historical romance and gay fiction. In 2009, her erotic romance Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the RWA Molly contest. In 2010, Keta's entry Phoenix Rising finaled in the Scarlet Boa contest and in 2011 Keta's acclaimed paranormal shifter, Where The Rain is Made, was nominated by Authors After Dark for a Bookie Award and by Deep In The Heart of Romance for Best Romance of the Year.

Many of her books, including her gay fiction series CROSSROADS, have won numerous awards: Top Reviewer's Pick, Recommended Read and Best Book of the Month.

If you'd like to know more about Keta and her latest releases, she haunts the Net here:

Keta's Keep Blog, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.Author
Gay Fiction Blog: http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com

Don't forget to enter the contest for a FREE book by leaving a comment below. Be sure to leave your e-mail too in case you win. Blog host will select a winner at the end of the tour and notify you by e-mail. If you read Dark Night of the Moon or Holding On To Heaven, please leave a review on Amazon (here: http://amzn.to/ADePKy). A few short sentences would be great!

GOOD LUCK everyone!

FOLLOW KETA'S KEEP: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com

Blog Tour: Kasonndra Leigh

2012-01-25T11:30:00.000-06:00

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I’m from Charlotte, NC although I don’t really remember a whole ton about it. My family moved to Durham, NC when I was three-years-old so I don’t really remember much about my time there. Charlotte is the race car capital of the world. That being said, I’m pretty sure that’s why I have such a love of exotic race cars. Now I live with my two sons in Durham, North Carolina, the home of the Blue Devils and Tar Heels. Yay!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

This might sound a little cheeky, but I always knew I wanted to be a writer. I fell in love with books at a very early age and that obsession never released its hold on me. I mean, I’ve dibbled and dabbled in a lot of other things. I even sang, travelled with a popular jazz/rock band, recorded a couple of CDs. But it always came back to the writing. I majored in journalism when I was at UNC and then Radio, t.v., and motion picture editing. In the end, I discovered it was still about the writing for me.

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

The story follows Chela, a young girl who lives in a rebuilt society. She has recently learned that both she and her sick brother have certain powers. In Chela’s society, a place created from an apocalyptic war between good and bad nephilim, any type of supernatural power is illegal. Anyone thought to be related to a celestial creature will either be killed or exiled. So imagine Chela’s shock after she learned her father, a leader in the governing body, has been hiding his children’s secret. But in defense of Chela’s dad, I’ll say he had a reason for keeping them both in the dark. It’ll be up to Chela to save her brother without being discovered. Enter handsome, dashing demon slayer along with a best guy friend who’d walk the wire for her and Chela is all set!

Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Of course! I think every author done that at some point. In my paranormal suspense novel due out this May, I used a couple of recent contemporary events to flesh out the storyline. Mystery and suspense novels are probably the best contenders for using this technique.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

I find EVERYTHING about writing to be a challenge. From the first line to the words “The End”, you must have a plan. Readers these days have more choices than ever. As a writer, you have to deliver a well written, top-notch product to them. Or…they simply won’t buy your book. You have to find that fine line between maintaining excitement for the story you love and presenting something exciting for the reader. That’s why I say it’s all a challenge. But it’s all worth it when you start to see reviews from people you don’t know saying how much they love your book.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Write. Read. Read. Write. Read. Read. Read, etc. I think you get the point. LoL One makes the other a ton easier and they’re both connected.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I’m the world’s worst writer’s block sufferer ever. And these days when readers expect lightning fast production of sequels, I have to get rid of it super quick. How? Writing class? Exercise? Kicking something? LoL. Actually, the answer is gardening (don’t be laughing at me, now). It clears my head, and gives me something to NOT think about.

Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

I have so many that I can’t really nail it down to one. But I can tell you that Octavia Butler, Stephan King, Dean Koontz, and Elizabeth Kostova have all influenced my writing journey in some way.

How did you deal with rejection letters?

I used them as a learning tool, a morale booster so to speak. I saved them in a folder and go back to visit them every now and then. Big grin. The key is to keep writing and improving your skills until someone says yes. And eventually they will. Just be prepared for what to do when many of them say it at the same time.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

That’s easy for me to answer. I write YA which means, you can be edgy but not super gory or erotic. There can be a hint at it, or some kind of clever, fancy way of letting your reader know that it’s happened.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

This is definitely an interesting question. I would have to say my trip to Wilmington, NC was the weirdest. The Copper Suns series is based on a newly formed region in North Carolina. Wilmington is one of those regions. To get a feel for the eeriness you always hear about in that region, I took one of the haunted house tours. Was I terrified? A big old YES! But the experience helped me write my paranormal novel Hacienda Moon which takes place in a haunted plantation house.

Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

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Author Site: http://www.kasonndraleigh.com

Blog: http://kasonndraleigh.blog.com

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Welcome Author Veronica Scott

2012-01-23T01:06:00.014-06:00

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I lived in upstate New York until I was twelve, in the middle of a large game preserve, so I had a lot of room to play and dream and make up adventures! It was a bit isolated but beautiful. We lived next to an abandoned blueberry farm and close to a lake where my grandparents had a summer cabin so there were always a lot of fun things to do.

· As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

I used to want to be the first woman on Mars but I think that dream went away when I hit the high school trig and physics classes! I didn’t really want to be an astronaut, however, I wanted to find a way to travel to a wildly different place and have adventures, you know? I started writing when I was a little girl, because there weren’t enough movies and books about the kinds of things I wanted to experience. So I created my own. The day job is in the business world for a major aerospace research place, so I found a way to keep my hand in just a little bit with outer space. I never stopped writing fiction though and someday I have that dream of being a fulltime writer. Writing as the day job=heaven!

· Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

My latest book is also my first published work – Priestess of the Nile, a paranormal romance novella from Carina Press, released on January 23^rd as an e book. It will also be coming out as an audio book. Set in Ancient Egypt, around 1500 BC, the book tells the story of Sobek the Crocodile God. Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, he’s even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though he desires her greatly, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.

Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.

Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. When he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But of course in the world of paranormal romance nothing can be uncomplicated, the gods have rules about such romances, the goddess Isis is very unhappy and so the couple face many challenges along the way.

Priestess of the Nile is one in a connected series I’m doing, all set in the same general time frame. I’ve completed two more novels and a short story, which are in various states of editing and submission so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. And working on the next novel as well! I really enjoy the time period, especially with the paranormal twist.

· Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Not so much for the Egyptian paranormals, although I have picked up tips for the battle scenes from some of my ex-military friends. I also write science fiction romance and I have taken inspiration for some of the events in those books from modern times. Like many writers, I love research and will go far down the rabbit hole, one fascinating fact leading me to another, until before I know it, I’m notwriting anything, just immersing myself deeper and deeper in the reference books.

· Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

It’s hard to find enough time, with the day job and a long commute on California freeways! One of my bigger challenges as a writer was to teach myself to build in enough stage business and description to establish the scenes for the Readers, not to have talking heads for page after page. I also have a long list of what I call “bad words” - things like the lazy adjectives that end in “-ly” – which I go back and delete in one of my editing rounds, replacing them with more varied descriptors. And the word “that” must be imprinted on my brain, as many times as I use it! My number one offender to prune away from the rough draft!

· What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Write. You must write. Every day. Don’t give in to doubt, don’t edit every paragraph the minute you’ve finished it. It can be very useful to talk to other writers, read the blogs, go to conferences, network…but in the end it comes down to you and the writing. You’ll need and benefit from beta readers and critique partners and an editor but there have to be words first.

· Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Knock wood I’m not plagued by this often. When I am, I step away from the laptop and listen to music. Music really supports and refreshes my creativity. I also like to do plotting while I’m making the long commute to and from work. (But yes, CHP, I do pay attention to the traffic!)

· Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

This is a hard one to answer because I enjoy reading so many genres, BUT if I could only have one set of books on my kindle on a desert island, I’d take Nalini Singh’s backlist. I love her Psy Wars series and the Guild Hunter series, reread them often. And of course I could get her new releases for my kindle on that desert island by wireless, right? I’d be very sad to be left without all my other favorites though. I might have to swim back to the mainland!

Andre Norton and Anne McCaffrey were probably the strongest original influences on me, when I was younger, showing me the wonders you could create and then share with others. It helped that they were women and that their books were not “tech heavy”, like a lot of straight science fiction. Their writing “gave me permission” to spread my wings. I’ve always said that I hoped someday I’d find my Witch World or my Pern, as a writer.

As far as Priestess of the Nile goes, there were two terrific books I read many years ago – Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton and Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise McGraw – both set in Ancient Egypt, which stayed with me. I always wondered what happened next for those characters. My love of all things to do with the time period stems originally from those novels.

· How did you deal with rejection letters?

I must admit there’s a flash of sadness – authors are human. But publishing is a business and my manuscript won’t be right for every publisher or their readers, for a variety of reasons. If I was fortunate enough to receive feedback with the rejection, I give it careful consideration, try to incorporate the suggestions and I genuinely appreciate their having taken time to provide it. The sheer volume of submissions that editors and agents receive these days is astounding so they don’t have much time to comment on something being rejected. So if they do, it’s meaningful. Then I send the manuscript out again, somewhere else. You just have to believe in yourself, keep writing and keep submitting! One thing I’ve definitely learned is you should always have multiple manuscripts out on submission. Try not to have all your eggs in one basket. You can’t just have the one perfect manuscript and rest on your laurels, at least not in the romance genre.

I didn’t actually ever have a rejection letter for Priestess of the Nile. Carina Press was the first publisher I sent it to and they bought it!

· What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

I need a quiet place to work where I won’t be constantly interrupted and a computer because my longhand is scribbly. I can’t even read it! I’m pretty much a seat of the pants writer so I haven’t tried many of the tools that I’ve heard discussed. I’m almost superstitious about my writing process! I do swear by my copy of the J. I. Rodale Synonym Finder.

· Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I think each author has to decide what works for them and for the story they’re telling. I don’t naturally write gore so I’m pretty high level on that. You probably won’t find me describing wounds in any detail, if the evil minions tear off someone’s head I won’t be supplying too many sound effects or slo mo exposition. I’m kind of the “flesh wound in the arm” school of thought by nature. I have read books with pretty high levels of gore but the story and the characters carried me along and it was fine.

I definitely include erotic content in the Egyptian books – my hero and heroine won’t reach that Happily Ever After moment at the end without one or two hot sexual encounters. They have strong feelings for each other and they act upon those feelings in the course of the story.

· What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

· I can’t really think of anything too weird since I do most of my research in books or online. I love to go to museums to look at the actual artifacts from my Egyptian time period. I’d certainly be willing to go down inside an ancient Egyptian tomb if the opportunity ever arose though…!

· Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

· My blog: http://veronicascott.wordpress.com/

· My FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Veronica-Scott/177217415659637

· On twitter as @vscotttheauthor

Buy links Carina Amazon Barnes & Noble

Welcome Author Sarah Ballance

2012-01-20T00:24:00.008-06:00

· As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

As a kid, I wanted to be a teacher. When I got my first horse in my early teens, I shifted gears toward equine surgery and went on to double majored in biology and biochemistry with an eye on vet school. Then I met my husband, LOL. We quickly decided we wanted a lot of children and it was important to both of us that I be a stay-at-home mom, so I abandoned plans to be a vet and went into mommy mode. Married at nineteen, I had my first baby almost exactly a year later. We went on to have a total of six, and since we homeschool I guess I ended up being a teacher after all! LOL. But as for writing, it wasn't even on my radar until after my fifth baby was born.

· Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

My latest release is FAMILIAR LIGHT, a story about second chances and deadly obsession. It's a romantic thriller with a twist, and it leads straight to TIDE OF LIES, a novel-length romantic suspense with, ah . . . shall we say murderous consequences? *Grin* And coming this spring is LAST CALL, a story centered on deception and some mega thick attraction between two old adversaries thrown together by circumstance. I love that whole vibe where they can't decide if they want to kill one another or jump into bed (or both, LOL!)

· Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

For me, it's finding the time to really focus on it. My computer time is split between my own blog, prepping my blog tour appearances, and writing. The latter is the only flexible item among the bunch, and it's the first to get the shaft when time runs short. And time takes a beating with six kids and their school work, LOL.

· What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Find a crit group you trust and listen to them. It's really hard—especially for new authors, it seems—to accept the fact that our words aren't perfect, and even the best stories benefit from a fresh eye. There have been many times I've known exactly what I meant when I wrote something, but it's not necessarily clear to a reader. Learning to use criticism as a tool for improvement is invaluable to writers.

· Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I've found when I stall in a manuscript, it's usually because there's another part of the story nagging me. It may be I want to get details down before I forget them, or perhaps I just see another scene strongly. So when I find myself staring at the page, I just skip ahead and write whatever is on my mind. I don't fuss with it too much because I know I'll be able to smooth it over when I catch up to it in sequence, and in that sense it's proven to be twice as helpful. I can clear my mind and get back to where I left off, plus when I catch up to that part of the story things happen fast and that is pretty freaking motivating, LOL!

· Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I do not have it in me to write explicit sex. I don't know why—I don't have any other sexual qualms, LOL—but writing anything beyond sensual is so difficult for me. There are certain words I just can't use, so I guess that's certainly a limitation. As for gore, I've not yet been graphic, but I would like to try my hand at horror and there's no telling what I'll write then. (Personally, I can't wait to find out!)

· What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

Nothing really weird. But my husband works with a guy who knows how to do all sorts of stuff that really shouldn't be unleashed on the public. He's a great resource for "bad boy" behavior in my books, and I guess my husband asking one of the guys who works for him for advice on blowing things up or making folks disappear is just a little bit strange, LOL.

· Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

I have a gift card giveaway every week on my blog, and all email subscribers are automatically eligible for every drawing. The prize is a $10 gift card to Noble Romance or a $5 GC to Amazon, winner's choice. And by subscribing, you'll be among the first to find out about the giveaways my guests offer. We have a huge variety of genres—everything from YA to erotica—so there's truly something for everyone, and I'd love to see you all there!

WEBSITE http://www.sarahballance.com/

BLOG http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/

AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003WKYEJI

TWITTER http://twitter.com/#!/SarahBallance

FACEBOOK FAN http://www.facebook.com/sarah.ballance.author.news

FACEBOOK FRIEND http://www.facebook.com/author.sarah.ballance

GOODREADS http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4103362.Sarah_Ballance

Thank you so much for having me here today!

Tour wide giveaway. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEhfNnJ4bVNrTmdnalJZZnZOR29NcUE6MQ

Welcome Lisa G. Riley

2012-01-18T13:31:00.003-06:00

Lisa G. Riley

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?
I’m from Chicago, and there are so many things to love about the city that this is a hard question to answer. I’ll start with the beautiful lakefront, the Newberry Library, the museums and Millennium Park. Of course, Chicagoans can be quirky and have their own way of looking at things that the rest of the world would find peculiar. I kinda like that. A lot.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?
Right after I learned to read I remember excitedly telling my mother that I wanted to be a reader when I grew up. My second choice was ‘a woman.’ I was sooo very literal. It wasn’t until I was about 12 that I decided on writer/journalist. I still get such joy out of reading that I’d say the dream has affected my career in innumerable ways, chief among them is the desire to share the joy of a good story, which I always aim to write.

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?
My latest book is called “Dashing through the Snow,” and it’s due out January 23rd. For lack of a better term, this is my first truly who-dunnit. It’s also my first novel where the romance isn’t the main story. The book is about Lily and Smith, childhood friends who are now both private detectives – Lily a brand-spanking new one, and Smith, the more experienced one. As the only female born into her family in more than 30 years, Lily has been overprotected and treated like a delicate piece of china by everyone in the family for most of her life. It is because of this that everyone is shocked when she announces that she’s gotten her private eye license.

Everyone but Smith that is. He’s known the hellcat since “he was two and she was new” and delicate flower, she ain’t. He also knows her better than anyone and knows that the family’s attitude has always bothered her. However, as he’s been subjected to the same “propaganda” about Lily almost his entire life, he sometimes forgets that it isn’t true. That becomes easier not to do as he watches her try to solve the case of the missing millionaire – a case that they’ve each been hired separately to solve. Winner takes home a huge bonus. Deciding it’s best to work together and split the bonus, they follow the case as it takes them from their small hometown of Sheffield-Chatham to Chicago and back again as the millionaire’s trail leads them from the rarified homes of the wealthy to the fancy rooms of secret men’s clubs to the hushed halls of museums and finally to some of the less seemly parts of town. And in the process of all of this, rekindle a failed romance from several years before.

I’m holding a contest for this novel with my good friend and writing partner, Roslyn Hardy Holcomb. Ros also has a book releasing on the 23rd. It’s called Dark Star. Our contest, Dark and Dashing, will award two random winners who answer questions correctly, a Kindle Touch each and copies of each of the two historical paranormal romances Roslyn and I wrote together. Details of the contest will be put on our respective blogs and FB pages on the 23rd.

As for what I have in the works, I have several things, actually, but what I’ll put out next will be a short story that catches up with characters from a novella I wrote years ago called “Caught” for the Big Spankable Asses anthology.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?
The most challenging thing for me is usually finding the discipline to sit down for hours and just write. I’ve got the characters, the plot and everything else -- it’s that discipline angle that always gets me.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
I don’t imagine I have anything new to offer. The best advice I can give a writer just starting out is to keep writing and never throw any of your writing away. What seems horrible in the moment, might actually be redeemable when looked at later – sometimes much, much later, but still…

How did you deal with rejection letters?
Like any neurotic artist: with full-out, unwarranted, over-the-top angst! Actually, though, I’ve been fortunate not to have gotten very many.

Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.
http://lisagriley.wordpress.com/
http://www.lisagriley.com/

Thanks so much for having my on your blog!

Blog Tour - Thicker Than Water - Sharon K. Owen

2012-01-11T00:11:00.011-06:00

· Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I grew up in O'Donnell, Texas which is a small farm and ranch community near Lubbock, Texas. I value the close friends I made there and am still in touch with most of them. Yet, I always preferred the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex where I visited family members during summer vacation. I've lived in Fort Worth most of my adult life and always enjoyed the benefits of the larger city. Two years ago, I moved to a smaller lake-side community and am appreciating the small town experience.

· As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

As a kid, I was such a daydreamer--always making up stories where I was the heroine. I also loved reading and usually had my nose stuck in a book anytime I had a free moment. So, in college, I majored in English and became a college English professor. In my spare time, however, I continued to make up stories with characters that intrigued, inspired and entertainedme. Eventually, i wrote them down, hoping others would like them as much as I did.

· Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

My first published novel, Thicker Than Water (Brands Crossing Series) was published in July of 2011.As a child, KATE O'DONNELL spends summers at her grandparents' estate in Brands Crossing where she and her girl cousins battle make-believe monsters, rescue endangered victims and a save a mythical kingdom. At twenty-five Kate is a singer/songwriter living in Nashville and pursuing a promising relationship with computer game designer PHILLIP NORWOOD. There, her only battles are fought in Aidenne's Revenge, Phillip's online fantasy game based on her childhood adventures. With her grandfather's sudden death from injuries he sustained in a suspicious car crash, Kate is forced to make a choice. Will she remain in Nashville to focus on Phillip and her music career? Or will she move back to Brands Crossing and honor the promise she made to her grandfather that she would investigate the mystery surrounding his death? Family trumps career and romance and Kate heads back to Texas where the monsters, victims and endangered kingdoms are all too real. In an attempt to protect Kate from danger, Phillip joins her quest and helps her search for incriminating documents, investigate a centuries-old family feud and confront an anonymous rose-bearing admirer who stalks Kate in both real and virtual universes. Thicker Than Water is the first in a series of novels set in Brands Crossing, Texas. It chronicles the lives of the Kincaids, a prominent family in this mythical town, and focuses on a mystery that extends back to the mid-eighteenth century and the young Texas Republic.

My second novel, Whatever Goes Around (Brands Crossing Series) is scheduled for publication in March of 2012. CLAIRE KINCAID is the self-appointed fixer of all problems in her family. Despite her siblings' and cousins' beliefs that they are capable of managing their own lives, Claire knows they really need her guidance and offers it at every opportunity. When she discovers that sinister forces are disrupting her sister Madelaine's and her cousin Ann Marie's personal and professional lives, she doesn't hesitate to take steps to set things straight. Unfortuanately, she underestimates the enemies she confronts and unknowingly puts herself and her family in danger. Forced to rely on the help of family and friends, she has to reexamine her long-held belief that she always knows best.

· Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

I often bring in contemporary events and popular culture into my stories. I also add in real life events from my own experiences. I am always fascinated by the people I encounter and their conversations. Although, I consciously change the names, physical descriptions and circumstances, many of these encounters find their way into my books.

· Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

The blank page is always intimidating and it's hard to turn off my internal editor to get the first draft (which is always flawed) down on paper. So, I guess, overcoming my perfectionist tendencies is the hardest part of the process.

· What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Read, read, read. I don't believe anyone can become a successful writer without first being a reader. In my experience, it is better to write the kind of books you like to read. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, maybe you could create an amateur sleuth who outsmarts professional crime fighters. If you enjoy romantic comedies, you might create similar stories. The same would be true about action adventure, fantasy or science fiction. Next, I recommend taking creative writing classes from published writers. Finally, I suggest that they find a supportive writing-critique group. Writing is such a solo profession. We need to build support groups of like-minded individuals.

· Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I don't have writers' block so much as periods where I am creating the stories in my head before I put them on paper. I've learned to be patient with those periods when the story needs to "cook" a little longer before I know the direction it is going. Of course, there are also times when I'm just procrastinating instead of producing, allowing myself to be distracted by anything that puts off the process of writing. During those times, I take my laptop to McDonalds or Starbucks or some other friendly café that allows me to use their Wi-Fi and drink bottomless cups of coffee. Away from the distractions at home, I can focus on the writing and get back on track.

· Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

My favorite contemporary fiction writer is Nora Roberts. She is an amazing story teller and so prolific. Her greatest strength is the ability to create three-dimensional, interesting characters that remain in the readers' mind long after they've finished the latest novel. Other favorites are Georgette Heyer, Jane Austin and Janet Evanovich. All these authors write what I call novels of manners. These are clever, witty, character-driven novels that describe the culture as well as the history of a particular time and place. William Faulkner's books have greatly influenced my writing. He created a mythical place and populated it with people who come in and out of all his books. That's what I've tried to do with the Brands Crossing Series.

· How did you deal with rejection letters?

After the initial disappointment, I tried to find areas in which I could improve. This is difficult when it is a form letter. I find that the more submissions I make, the less disappointed I am with individual rejections.

· What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Books, for sure, both reference and fiction.A computer with internet connection and good word-processor software.Legal pads and pens.A writers' support group. Writing buddies.

· Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I don't make judgments on what other writers include in their books and in critique groups I focus more on the writing itself than the content. For myself, I'm not really comfortable with gratuitous violence, gore or sex. That's just a personal preference. If there is a murder, a sex scene, or any type of violence that is essential for my story, I, of course, include it. I don't, however, make those the prime focus of my books.

· What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

I played an online, multi-player, fantasy adventure game. Such a game and the dynamics of it were important components of my first novel and I had to play to be able to describe those elements in the book.

· Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

http://sharonkowensimplycreating.wordpress.com

http://sharonkowen.com

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/sharonkowen

https://twitter.com/#!/sharon_k_owen

My books are available at:

Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Thicker-Than-Water-Brands-Crossing/dp/1453772936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325034364&sr=8-1

Smashwords.com and barnesand noble.com http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/72883

Barnesandnoble.com http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thicker-than-water-sharon-k-owen/1104562615?ean=9781453772935&itm=1&usri=sharon+k+owen

Welcome Author Lila Munro

2012-01-10T00:23:00.007-06:00

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I come from the Show Me state. Specifically a teeny tiny town just outside of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.Laquey. I graduated with a whopping 52. The thing I love most about where I’m from is the sense of community. Since it was so rural, I had some very close relationships. And people there are down to earth, real. You never have to guess what you’re getting because it’s there at face value. In fact, my rural roots and upbringing are part of what inspired Three for Keeps. It’s set in Missouri, although a different county from where I grew up.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

Let’s see, the better question is what didn’t I want to be…and just so we’re clear, I’m not entirely certain I’m grown up yet. A nurse, a journalist, a wife and mother, psychologist, teacher, dental assistant, pharmacy technician…see a pattern here? However, I can tell you this much, I’ve achieved all those to some degree through the art of military wifing and what I don’t hit there, my characters get to experience.

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

My latest book debuted November 17 from Rebel Ink Press, Three for Keeps. It’s an erotic contemporary romance encompassing ménage and BDSM. It’s a story about a woman named Zoey who is a product of the social services system and the three men she’s known from childhood, whom she’s in love with. They have quite the struggle to find harmony.

As far as new stuff, I always have something going on. I’m finishing up books three from two different series: A Slower Lower Leap and Assumed Identity. I’ve also got a new series in the works for 2012, The Sergeants of Echo Co. I’m very excited about that one as it’s taking me back to my first love, military romance.

Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Most definitely. When we wrote Force Recon Somalia, book two in the Force Recon series, we used the premise of Somalia pirates as our driving theme. That’s as real as it gets, and since I’m married to the military it made research very interesting to say the least.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

Commas. I hate, hate, hate that piece of punctuation. You’d think someone with a degree in English could figure out where to put one of the blasted things, but it’s a constant source of hate and discontent with me.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Research your stories, as well as presses you’re thinking of sending to. Hone your craft and don’t stop writing. Also, write what you know.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Indeed I do, and it’s not easy that’s for sure, however, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I write anything—blog posts, poems, lists, anything that keeps words coming off my fingers. And, I read. Reading gets my mind back in the game and sometimes that means re-reading what I’m writing to find out why I’m stuck. If all else fails I refuse any fun time for Arwen or Bronwyn until they can behave. That includes no sleep-overs with my best friend’s muse, their partner in crime, Arje—a bi-sexual trouble maker, and of course, no cookies for anyone until the strike is over.J

Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

I always claim to not have a favorite. However, I currently have a healthy obsession with Kitty Thomas. Her ability to weave the dark psychological side of BDSM is unmatched right now for me. All books influence me as I don’t read just for surface content, I look for deeper meanings in everything.

How did you deal with rejection letters?

Honestly, I have to confess, I’ve never received one. The Executive Officer’s Wife was my very first work. I sent it out to one press and it was accepted right out of the gate. It worried me to be honest because I hear horror stories all the time about this rejection thing and I thought maybe it was a mistake. When I sent Bound by Trust to Whiskey Creek Press I sat on pins and needles waiting, and the wait turned out to be a short one—again I was accepted. Sometimes it’s actually embarrassing to admit I’ve never had a rejection letter. However, if I did receive one my first course of action would be to figure out what I did wrong and try again. Defeat isn’t in my vocabulary.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

A dictionary, a thesaurus, a grammar Bible, and a good support system. You also have to have a pretty thick skin.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I don’t do body waste. Yick! Besides, we as writers have a social responsibility to our readers and even with disclaimers people will try anything they read. That particular act is just a good way to end up sick. As for erotic description…I’m not sure I’ve reached my threshold yet. My BDSM scenes are pretty vivid and graphic. In fact, in True Identity I describe in detail a mindfuck scene which can be some pretty scary stuff.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

Oh, you’ve hit my sweet spot. I LOVE research and don’t really have a line in the sand when it comes to that. Weirdest thing? Yeah, well, I’ve been to what some would consider weird places and talked to what some would consider weird people. Kinky people…think that’s as far as I’ll go with that.

Thanks so much for having me over today!

Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

Bio:

Lila Munro pens contemporary erotic romance and currently resides on the coast of North Carolina. She is a military wife and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fifteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Her works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, Destiny’s Fire, A Slower Lower Love, A Slower Lower Life, Salvation, Force Recon: Beacon Bayou, Force Recon: Somalia, True Identity and Identity Crisis. Currently she’s working on sequels to several series to be released throughout 2011-2012. She’s a member in good standing with the RWA and Passionate Ink. Ms. Munro is also the Vice President of Business Affairs at Rebel Ink Press. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted via her website http://lilamunro.weebly.com , or through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro You can also contact her via email at lilasromance@gmail.com For more information about Rebel Ink Press please visit their website at www.rebelinkpress.com

Blurb:

Zoey Matthews is in love. She’s been in love since the day she was dropped off by a social worker at yet another foster home on a back country road miles from nowhere, Missouri. At age ten, she met the men of her dreams. Over the course of sixteen years, Dane Cardwell, Jack Devereux and Ryan Wilkins fell in love with her, too. They’ve each told her they love her, they’ve shown her and each man has gone so far as to ask her to marry him. But what they don’t know is Zoey loves them all.

Her game of kiss and not tell all comes crashing down around her the night of her graduation from veterinary school and Zoey runs for the mountains. Of Colorado. Hoping to outrun her obsession with three men and forget them all together, she stays gone for ten years. But the wound has never healed. In fact, it's done nothing but fester. Needing to clear the air, Zoey agrees to spend a few days back home with the boys never imagining it would turn into a week filled with comparison sex as Dane, Jack and Ryan each try to get Zoey to choose between them and their varied tastes.

When she finally tells the truth, a truth only one of them has known all along, Zoey fears the foursome will never be able to make a sharing relationship work. After all, aren't there just too many personalities and desires to sort through? Add in the kink factor and things get really complicated. Zoey’s not convinced the truth has any merit, but there's one thing she knows for sure…this time she's playing for keeps.

Short Excerpt:

Zoey pulled her cap off and tossed it on the sink then tugged her tank top up over her head before letting it fall to the floor. She glanced in the mirror at the artwork that Ryan hadn’t seen as she unsnapped her bra and tossed it on top of her shirt. After toeing off her ropers, she shed her jeans and stood there in nothing more than a pink G-string brushing out her hair.

“Zoey Matthews,” Ryan growled and sent her squealing and jumping a few inches off the floor. “Oh my God. That fuckin’ hummin’bird wasn’t all of it? What the fuck? Jesus Christ!”

Before Zoey could cover herself Ryan was in the bathroom with her, spinning her in a circle looking her over from head to toe. His eyes lingered a while on the wild stallions galloping across her lower back.

“Who the hell did you let do that?” he demanded, pointing at her nipple.

“None of your business,” she said. “I told you earlier, I’m grown.”

That piercing had come on the heels of a stint with a bull rider who liked to play rough. Zoey found she liked it a little rough, too, and after a few too many Patrons one night, she had one of the vendors administer a little gold ring through her right nipple. Of course what her next lover never knew was that the whole time he was flicking the little gold ring with his tongue, Zoey was imagining someone else’s tongue rattling her cage.

“And I told you I could see that,” he snarled.

Zoey opened her mouth to give him an earful but before one word escaped her, Ryan ran his hands up her nape and grabbed two handfuls of her hair, wrapping it around his fists before literally devouring her mouth. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move. Hell, she couldn’t even think. Desperate was the only way to describe how Ryan was acting. He bit, sucked, licked and inhaled her over and over again until they were both breathless, forehead to forehead, heaving for air.

“Ryan?” she gasped.

“Shut up, Zoey.”

That was all he had to say before feasting on her mouth again then moving down and grabbing the little gold ring with his teeth and tugging, sending a zip of pain out and across her breast which sent her heart into an irregular rhythm and her clit into a spasm.

“Oh, shit,” she squeaked.

“I’d have never guessed, Zoey. Why didn’t you tell me?” he breathed across her throat before taking her earlobe and grating it between his teeth.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know, Ryan,” she groaned.

“I want to know, baby. All of it.”

“No you don’t.” Zoey squirmed and pulled away. “Stop, Ryan. I can’t…”

“G*ddamn it, Zoey. Sh*t!” Ryan backed up and ran his hands over his head. “I’m sorry. I…that’s not what I came up here for. I was supposed to ask if you were hungry.”

Thanks to you and Jack, I’m starved.

“No, thanks anyway.”Zoey yanked her G-string down, threw it at him and got in the shower.

Purchase Link:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=rebel+ink+press&searchBy=publisher&qString=rebel+ink+press

Welcome Author Deena Remiel

2012-01-06T00:25:00.001-06:00

· Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. There are a few things I love about my hometown, and if you ever get a chance to visit, you MUST make sure to experience: the REAL soft pretzels; cheese steaks from Pat’s, Gino’s, and Steve’s (yes, all of them); Tastycake crimpets, coffee cake, Tandytakes, and chocolate cupcakes; drive on Roosevelt Boulevard, right by the Nabisco plant, and open your window to smell Oreos baking; drive along Boathouse row during the winter holidays to see all the boathouses lit up along the Schuylkill Expressway; shop along the Delaware River at Newmarket and experience our American history downtown. I can tell you, it was a great place to be when we reached our Bicentennial in 1976!

· As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

I wanted to be so many things, all of them mostly in the creative arts area. I loved art, drama, and music. But they all turned out to be hobbies. I think being steeped in the creative mindset for so many years, falling in love with love stories in books and on stage, I was unknowingly preparing myself for a career as a romance writer. I was meant for this life. I was meant to tell stories of love conquering all in the face of adversity.

· Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

Relic is the second book in my Brethren Series and picks up where Trinity leaves off. Trinity has a definite ending for some, but for Raphael, a Brethren Savior, his story is just beginning. He is shaken to the core by events that occurred during an apocalyptic battle with Evil, and still must go on and complete a mission of importance. He must notify a woman that her brother is dead. Although painful, this sounds easy enough to do. But no. He’s been riddled with guilt over the events of the past and his healing powers have all but shut down. He’s emotionally blocked and dreading delivering the news. Seems the woman he must locate has been having troubles of her own, as well. She’s assaulted and left for dead in Sedona, Arizona. Their paths will cross and neither will ever be the same again.

Elixxir is my latest work. It is the third book in the Brethren Series, and introduces Nathanael, a Brethren Warrior who has issues. Seems the line between Good and Evil is blurring a bit for him.

· Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

My favorite author is Sherrilyn Kenyon. She is a master at world-building and the tortured soul, and I’ve learned so much just from reading her books. Throughout my schooling I’ve enjoyed reading many classics that have shaped me as a person and a reader. One story sticks with me, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton. I’m sitting here shaking my head as I remember the story. The story has such depth of emotion- longing, repression, despair, and irony, all over love. It chokes me up every time.

· How did you deal with rejection letters?

This is the absolute truth… I ran around the house shouting and whooping it up, saying, “I got a rejection! I got a rejection! Woohoo!” The way I saw it, somebody was reading my work. I was submitting to agents at the time, and I got some great feedback from a few. It’s all good. I found the perfect fit!

· What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

First and foremost, writer must have stories to tell. That may sound funny, but honestly, I didn’t write novels most of my life because I didn’t have a story to tell. Until one day, I looked at the Superstition Mountains and BAM! There they were. My stories just waiting for me to arrive and acknowledge them. We must also have good command of the English language- the grammar, a vast vocabulary to pull from, and a sense of daring to play with sentence structure. We need people around us who are willing to read our work and give us honest critiques. Finally, we must have… CHOCOLATE!

· Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

If I’m not comfortable writing the words necessary for the genre, I won’t. Plain and simple. If gore is called for in a battle scene, I’ll write it. If it will enhance the reader’s experience and bring them deeper into the story, then that’s fine with me. As for sex, it is not the central theme of my writing. It is the natural by-product of the situations my heroes and heroines find themselves in. I prefer to write love scenes that are sensual and steamy rather than explicit, although I did get descriptive with Ghost of a Chance and I really enjoyed myself! I’m not ashamed to say that I’m uncomfortable using the terms expected in erotic writing. There’s enough latitude between my heat level and erotic to keep me happily writing without cringing or blushing.

· What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

What if I said I go out of my way to research important details of my story? What if I told you I’ve made love with an angel? Gotcha! But that would be amazing wouldn’t it?!

· Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

Websites and Blogs I write for:

www.deenaremiel.com
http://riseofthebrethren.wordpress.com
www.decadentpublishing.com
http://plotmamas.com
http://paraposse.blogspot.com

Links to my video trailers:

RELIC: http://youtu.be/7qJOXnCAnFk

TRINITY: http://youtu.be/aZza2Aeo4tw

Welcome Paul H. Magid

2012-01-05T00:22:00.012-06:00

1. Tell us about your latest book. LIFTING THE WHEEL OF KARMA is a profound spiritual journey of extraordinary healing and redemption set within a modern tale that harkens back to the myths of antiquity.

2. How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?For me, coming up with the right title was nearly harder than writing the book! If I told you some of the past titles I was considering, you probably wouldn’t believe me. Ultimately, I believe the title should express what the novel is about. In my case, that involved a long sleepless night high up in the Himalayas of India, writing and rewriting many different versions until finally, LIFTING THE WHEEL OF KARMA, just made sense.

3. How much of your work is real? How much is fantasy?The vast majority of my novel is real in the traditional sense. While there is most certainly an element of supernatural, I believe how much of that is supernatural would depend on whom you ask.

4. What advice would you give to writers just starting out?Never give up and never permit yourself to give less than everything you’ve got.

5. Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it? I think it would be safe to say that I have had more than my fair share of writer’s block –it took me 25 years to write my novel. I don’t obsess about writer’s block because I think it only makes it worse. I try to let the work flow organically and put myself in a working meditative place that allows the work to flow.

6. Who is your favorite author and why? My favorite author is Theodore Dreiser, who in 1925 wrote “An American Tragedy”. I love this book not only because it nearly single handedly taught me every word I needed to know for the SATs, but he so vividly captured the tortured restraint of the protagonist who, tragically, was not ultimately able to restrain his torment.

7. How did you deal with rejection letters?I think dealing with and processing rejection letters is probably a lot like dealing with the 5 Stages of grief. Ultimately, however, I simply realized that agents just didn’t get the work and that it was up to me to share it with the world. Fortunately for me, the world has been universally kind, receptive, and supportive.

8. What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?Passion, a refusal to give up, and an ability to connect with readers.

9. Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?The universal archetype of mythologies has been a major influence on the fabric of my story.

10. What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?Attempting snake charming up close and personal.

11. Where can we find out more about your books?You can find out more about my novel, LIFTING THE WHEEL OF KARMA, on my web site: www.PaulHMagid.comand Amazon.com

Paul H. Magid web site:

http://www.paulhmagid.com/
Paul H. Magid Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KarmaNovel#!/profile.php?id=100002979900843

Lifting the Wheel of Karma Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KarmaNovel
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Lifting the Wheel of Karma blog tour site:http://liftingthewheelofkarma.blogspot.com/

Lifting the Wheel of Karma Book Summary

A Profound Spiritual Journey of Extraordinary Healing and Redemption

Joseph Connell is a gifted high school athlete from Montana, loved deeply by his family, yet tormented by nightmarish visions he can neither explain nor escape.

He believes the answer to what threatens to crush him can be found in the knowledge possessed by a mystical old wise man, who lives deep within the remote Himalayas of India.

If Joseph is ever to find the peace he so desperately seeks, he must get this wise old man to reveal what he truly knows, but that will not be easy…for this sage knows far more than he admits.

A modern tale that harkens back to the myths of antiquity. It takes you on a remarkable journey, while exploring the themes of healing, redemption, forgiveness, sacrifice, and ultimately...peace within.

Paul H. Magid's Bio:

Paul H. Magid started writing his debut novel, Lifting the Wheel of Karma, twenty-five years ago while still in high school. It took him so long to complete because he tried repeatedly to abandon it, but the work refused to be forsaken. Eventually he realized that sharing this story with the world was, in fact, his Dharma.

Along the way he has worked as a Wall Street financial analyst, a waiter (not a very good one), a Hollywood Agent Trainee, a real estate developer, a summer day camp director, an award winning screenwriter, and independent filmmaker—including his autobiographical film, A Life Unfinished, which screened in The Hamptons International Film Festival.

Paperback
Price: $15.00
ISBN: 9780984016068
Pages: 192
Release: September 23, 2011

Amazon buy link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984016066?tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes&Noble.com buy link
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&offerid=229293.9780984016068&type=2&subid=0

eBookPrice: $9.99

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TJ3I4C?tag=tributebooks-20

Welcome Author Lizzy Ford

2011-12-29T00:21:00.011-06:00

· Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

We moved around a lot when I was growing up. I don’t really claim a hometown, though we lived in Southwest Ohio when I left the house. I think I loved autumn best of all in Ohio. I loved the clear air and the trees as they changed colors.

· As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

I wanted to be a writer. At first, it had no affect on my career, until this fall, when I left my line of work to focus fulltime on writing. I never felt a sense of personal satisfaction in my old work, because my heart is in writing. I had a heart-to-heart with my husband, and we decided this is what I need to do with my life so I could be happy.

· Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

I released “Damian’s Immortal” in early December. It’s the third book in the War of Gods series. It focuses on Jule, one of Damian’s brothers, and how he meets his mate, the mysterious Magician. The book also moves the series and their world forward to set the stage for a showdown in the final book of the series and the rise of a new god.

I have about ten books planned for next year, too, to include the fourth book in the War of Gods series and the third book in my other paranormal romance series, the Rhyn Trilogy.

As for this year: I’ll release my tenth book of 2011 next week. It’ll be my young adult fantasy debut, “Elle’s Journey” (Book 1, The Foretold Trilogy).

· Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Not yet!

· Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

Writing is as much a business as it is an art. The largest challenge is balancing the two.

· What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

No one will market your book for you and don’t be deviate from the alleged path to success. Success is defined differently by everyone, and there are many paths to your goal, even in the publishing industry.

· Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

No, not yet! (Knock on wood!)

· Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

· How did you deal with rejection letters?

Well, when someone bothered to send one, I usually just tossed it and went back to writing. Whether or not I got published, I’d be a writer. Don’t get me wrong – rejection letters are crushing. Most of the times, I never heard back, so it was always a bit of a surprise to receive one.

· What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

A plan. I guess it counts as a tool! You need a long term strategic plan to define where you want to be in all aspects of the business side of writing. Otherwise, all you need is some talent and the will to persevere and place your books in the hands of readers.

· Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I write sweet romances, meaning there are no graphic sex scenes. When I approach one, I fade to black. I’m not against erotic content, but I feel like a lot of mainstream books have ditched the story in favor of sex. It works for them, great, but there’s a market out there for sweet romances, too. As for gory content … I think there’s a place for great detail and a place where less detail will have more impact. I think it depends on the rhythm of the scene, as well. Writing is as much about rhythm as anything. There are times when a very stark, short sentence will hit like a brick, and times when the build-up of graphic content might be needed.

· What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

I don’t know if it’s research or just plain mischief (or maybe both!) I love flawed characters and testing them within my books to see if they’ll rise to the occasion or to try to make them more unique. Sometimes, I ask random people odd questions, just to hear their rationale or see their reactions, so I can try to convey it in my books.

· Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

Website: http://www.guerrillawordfare.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LizzyFord2010

Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/106728579413949863215/#106728579413949863215/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4558309.Lizzy_Ford

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lizzy-Ford/e/B004XTTYOC/

Bio:

Lizzy Ford is the hyper-prolific author of the paranormal romance series: "Rhyn Trilogy" and "War of Gods" series; and the YA fantasy trilogy, “The Foretold,” all of which launched in 2011. She has also authored multiple single title young adult fantasy and paranormal romances. Lizzy's books have reached the bestseller lists on both Amazon US and Amazon UK in multiple categories. Widely considered a freak of nature by her contemporaries for her ability to write and publish a new book every 30-45 days, Lizzy attributes her success to a team that consists of her editor, graphics artist, I.T. Sherpa, and her rabid readers. Lizzy’s books can be found on every major ereader library, to include: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Smashwords.

Book links:

Damian’s Oracle

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Damians-Oracle-War-Gods-ebook/dp/B004JN0KHM/

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damians-oracle-lizzy-ford/1029664032

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/damians-oracle/id416014301?mt=11

Book trailer- “Damian’s Oracle”

Link: http://youtu.be/4htnduhW46c

Welcome Author Stephanie Rowe

2011-12-27T01:38:00.011-06:00

* Admin note - Ms. Rowe has generously offered to one commentor a copy of any book from her Soul Fire series, winner's choice. To enter the giveaway, please leave your email address with your comment. The contest is is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only, except where prohibited by law. Contest ends January 4, 2012.

Without her passions, she has no magic…

It's unfortunate for Natalie that Nigel Aquarian is so compelling. With his inner demons, his unbridled heat, and his "I will conquer you" looks, he calls to her in exactly the way that nearly killed her.

But losing control means losing her life…

That he's an immortal warrior and that her powers rise from intense passions would seem to make them a match made in heaven, but unless they embrace their greatest fears, they'll play out their final match in hell.

Coming January 1, 2012

· As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

Hmm… as a child I had a lot of visions about what I wanted to be! I wanted to a professional horseback rider. I wanted to train dogs. Interestingly, in my high school year book, I picked psychiatrist as what I would be in ten years. The reason I selected that career was because I wanted to help people feel better. Although I never followed that career path specifically, I do still very compelled by a need to help bring relief into other people's lives. That's one of the reasons I write romance—because it has a happy ending and gives the message that even when times seems so bleak and so tough, that there always hope. I recently published a book called THE FEEL GOOD LIFE which is a collection of essays that I wrote when I was struggling through time times. The essays were my attempts to redirect my life and to feel better, and I compiled them into a book in hopes that other people would read them and find relief as well. I belief that we all deserve to feel good, and my hope is that through my writing, whether it's my romances or my non-fiction, that I can bring that into people's lives, even if it's only a brief respite from whatever it is that they are facing.

· Tell us about your books. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

My next release is the third book in my funny & sexy Soulfire paranormal series. It's called HOLD ME IF YOU CAN, and it's coming next week! I'm also re-releasing my Alaskan romantic suspense series as eBooks in January with the books ICE and CHILL. And, I'm really excited about a new dark paranormal series I have called The Order of the Blade, which is coming out in 2012. The first three books are a trilogy, and the first one will be released in February, with the next two coming shortly thereafter. So, lots of action coming soon!

· Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

I am always paying attention to everything that I see, hear, notice or experience, and tucking it away for inclusion in a book. You just never know when something will come up! My Alaska series was born one night while I was grocery shopping. I started chatting to the gal at the bakery, who told me how she had been living in Alaska training to be a bush pilot, but had to come home to take care of her ailing father. We started discussing Alaskan bush pilots (primarily a male occupation), and I became so interested in the kind of man who would risk his life every day to take care of others that my Alaskan bush pilot series soon came to life. You just never know where the ideas will come from!

· Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

Oh, it's all tough! It can be really difficult to pull a complex idea together so it works well. I usually spend about the same amount of time brainstorming a book and outlining it, as I do actually writing it. If I do my prep-work well, then often the book will be written in even less time than it took to prepare it. The other thing I think is challenging with writing is the emotional aspect. It can be really daunting to write a book, to field rejections and criticism, and to critique your own work without feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to give yourself freedom to do the best you can and then let it be. Perfection is not a goal. The best you can do in that moment is all you can ask for, and it's always enough.

· What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

My usual advice is to write a lot, start new books instead of revising old ones to death, join RWA and go to conferences to learn about writing. And, of course, continuing to read. But with the advent of self-publishing, I would add a caveat of DON'T SELF PUBLISH TOO SOON. I wrote 18 books before I sold my first book. Had self-publishing been an option back then, I'm sure I would have put up lots of those books, and it would have been a mistake. Why? Because the books weren't good enough. Recently, I decided to self-publish some of those old books, but when I went back to look at them, I realized that I would have had to completely rewrite them from scratch because they weren't high enough quality to put up. The truth is that we often think we are ready to be published when we aren't. Enter contests. Query agents. Write another book. And another. Eventually, when you start doing well in contests, and when you start getting good responses from agents, that will be a sign that you're writing well enough that maybe it's time for you to self-publish successfully. Until you can do well in those contests and get good responses from submissions, don't put your book up on Amazon. Putting up books that aren't ready will hurt you more than waiting a year will. Be patient. The opportunities aren't going away. They are simply getting better.

Author Bio: Four-time RITA® Award nominee and Golden Heart® Award winner Stephanie Rowe is the nationally bestselling author of more than twenty published books with major New York publishers, including HarperCollins, Grand Center and Harlequin. Stephanie has received starred reviews from Booklist and high praise from Publisher's Weekly. Stephanie writes romance (paranormal, contemporary and suspense), teen fiction, middle grade fiction and inspirational non-fiction. A former attorney, Stephanie lives in Boston where she is actively working on her next project, a dark paranormal series called The Order of the Blade, which will be launching in February. For more information on Stephanie, visit www.stephanierowe.com. She can also be found at http://twitter.com/stephanierowe2, https://www.facebook.com/StephanieRoweAuthor, and http://wickedauthors.blogspot.com/.

Welcome Author Terry Spear

2011-12-26T01:18:00.001-06:00

You Gotta Write to Tell the Story by Terry Spear

“Thinking about writing, talking about writing, or worrying about writing is not writing.” ~Author Unknown

I loved this! So many, when they learn I’m a published author, say they have a story to write too. We probably all do. But for me, I have millions of stories just intruding on my gray matter, pressing for me to write their stories first. Me, me, me. That’s all I hear.

So who gets my attention? Stories on deadline, of course. But when I’ve got free time? The characters that are doing their own thing in scenes in my head. If I write down the scene, and then another comes to me, and another, and another, they have won.

And that’s a good thing. Because their story is no longer vying for attention, wanting to be heard, wanting to be read. It’s written, and I can let go of them and their story and move onto the next.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Sometimes it is. Of course I spend hours and days and weeks and months editing so that the scenes come to life, so that the characters are as real as they can be, but when I can write a story like this, it just all falls into place. And the characters really write the story.

To Tempt the Wolf, book 3, was the closest book to writing itself that I have ever written. Sometimes it just happens.

In some books I struggle with how I’m going to end them. I never know the ending of a book before I write it. I never plot out a book. As I’m researching, I learn things that can make subtle changes in the storyline, or all of a sudden I’ll have a revelation, yes, one of those light-bulb moments, where I think of the perfect twist. But I can’t come up with stuff like that at the beginning of the story. It just happens as I’m writing along and come to a fork in the road. Which way do I go?

The characters sometimes decide. Sometimes I decide. Why? Because sometimes they want to take the path of least resistance.Boring. So I make it harder for them. But I have to remind them, if they get annoyed with me over it, that the obstacles they have to go through to end up with that happy ever after will make it all the more worthwhile.

Don’t you agree?

A writer I know says the story is all in her head, but she hasn’t written a word of it down. That’s great! Except no one else can enjoy it.

Sometimes I see entire scenes in my mind, the dialogue, the actions, where the characters are, but I really don’t visualize a scene as in what else is in the scene. It’s all about the characters. So when it’s on paper (or monitor screen), it really isn’t the entire scene. In my head, it’s a sketch, and then when I write it, I have to flesh out the scene. Add to the characterizations, the reactions and actions. The setting details. And then it’s really real. Even if it had seemed really real in my head.

Thinking about writing, or in thinking about where to go with a story, a plot idea, a first meeting, first kiss, is helpful in not writing a bunch of false starts. Although sometimes it helps me to write those false starts down and then use them later in the story. But sometimes I just have to mull over a way to go forward with a story, or how I’m going to end it. So thinking about it can be vital to writing it the way it needs to be.

Talking about writing helps me also. I brainstorm sometimes with others and that can help me think of new ways that I might not have come up with on my own.

Worrying about writing is never helpful. Deadline’s looming? Write. No matter what, just write. You can edit the written word. If it’s not written, you have nothing to show for it at all.

And that’s how I do it. I start out with a premise. (Dreaming of the Wolf, book 8) Boy wolf meets human girl bounty hunter and falls in love. Human girl falls in love right back, but she knows it can’t work because the Mob has killed those she loved. And Jake might be next on the agenda. And Jake knows he can’t keep a human girl for his own. So wolf loses girl. But girl gets into deeper trouble and this is where all those twists and turns come into play, along with sexual tension, wolf protectiveness, loyalty, and wolfish possessiveness…and well, wolf has to get girl back. It’s required for a happily ever after. I require it. My characters require it.

And that’s how it ends.

See how simple that was?

Yeah! (Highland Wolf Wedding) That’s why I’m still thinking about Cearnach’s story, and how he’s run off the road by an American female wolf while he’s on the way to a Highland wedding. You know he’s supposed to be really happy-go-lucky, but his pack leader, clan chief and older brother, Ian MacNeill, has already had words with him about going to the wedding, Cearnach’s late, and then an American has to run him off the road. So he’s not a happy Highlander.

Where does the story go from there? I don’t know. Really! Oh all right, I do, but that’s privileged information, until later.

Hope you all have enjoyed the holidays and are looking for a brand new year! One hunky SEAL is up next, trying to tame one wild wolfish Meara, Hunter’s sister, who is always looking for a mate. (A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing, March 2012) And the first of the jaguar stories. Not sure on title yet! It’s coming in September, at least last I heard! :)

Happy New Year!

www.facebook.com/terry.spear

www.terryspear.com

www.myspace.com/terryspear

http://terry-spear.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/TerrySpear

Author bio: Award-winning author Terry Spear is the author of urban fantasy romances and medieval Highland romances. She received Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year in 2008 for Heart of the Wolf. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry is a librarian by day. She lives in Crawford, Texas.

2011-12-25T00:06:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas

Season Greetings

From the Staff of You Gotta Read Reviews

2011-12-24T00:03:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas

Season Greetings

From the Staff of You Gotta Read Reviews

Welcome Dianne Hartsock

2011-12-23T01:20:00.000-06:00

My Plunge into the Erotic

I’ve been asked, why m/m erotic? What’s the attraction. In all honesty, it was the novel Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite that opened my eyes to the sensual side of male romance.

Ghost’s head had slipped onto Steve’s knee, and he eased out from under it. There was a little dark spot on the knee of Steve’s jeans. Ghost’s spit. Ghost’s drunken sleeping spit. Steve rubbed it into the cloth, then absently put his finger in his mouth. A faint taste of whiskey and molasses… and what was he doing sucking someone else’s spit off his finger?

Those few lines made me sit up and pay attention. Steve’s love for Ghost slowly unfolds throughout the book. But Ghost has always loved Steve, and sometimes his melancholy breaks my heart.

He bent, and instead of finding Steve’s eyes, his mouth met Steve’s mouth in a clumsy kiss.

They both grew tense. Ghost thought, No, oh no, that wasn’t what I meant to do, and Steve’s hands came up to push Ghost away.

But somehow his hands were treacherous; instead of shoving Ghost away they slid over Ghost’s shoulders and locked behind his back. Steve was pulling him closer. He nudged Steve’s mouth open just a little at first, then wide, and their tongues met like two beating hearts.

Molasses, he heard from somewhere. You still taste like molasses.

“Mmmm?” said Ghost. “What?” Their mouths untangled briefly, then met again.

Lost Souls was the first book I’d read where two men’s love was handled delicately and sweetly. I was moved by their friendship and the care they took of each other. I decided then that I wanted to write my own love story, using this same feeling of compassion and fondness.

I’ve fallen in love with Shelton and Nevil! Shelton is a gentle, loving man, with a beautiful, sensual nature. In contrast, Nevil is the flamboyant, fun loving playboy Shelton falls in love with. I enjoyed bringing these two very different personalities together, slowly reveling how Nevil comes to love my sweet Shelton.

But why did I make their romance an erotic? How else could I make love with two beautiful, hot men in the afternoon without my husband catching me? It was a challenge and joy to think of ways for my men to please each other. And of course I had to be there to guide them along!
And the research! My, my… I’ve read some deliciously hot books and talked to some pretty darn cute men to uncover the secrets of m/m erotic. It’s been great!

Dianne Hartsock

Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/

FB: http://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock

Shelton in Love

Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/shelton-love

Amazon: http://amzn.to/m3VJDe

Shelton is falling hard for his best friend and roommate, finding Nevil’s dark good looks and moments of gentleness almost impossible to resist. But Nevil is more interested in affairs of the body than the heart. As Shelton’s desire for the man grows, he wonders if he can change Nevil’s mind. But does he even want to? Nevil might not stay, once he learns Shelton’s secret, and then his loneliness would be complete.

Shelton’s Promise

Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/node/108

Amazon: http://amzn.to/nGt0xx

Shelton has a gift he’s eager to give to Nevil. At a party, Nevil flirts with one man after another, keeping Shelton on his toes. Then Percy, an ex, shows up to complicate things. Despite his best efforts, Shelton can’t find the right moment to give Nevil his gift. Will Nevil ever let Shelton get close to him, or will Shelton have to keep the gift in his pocket all evening?

Shelton’s Choice

Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/

After a year of bliss with Nevil, Shelton is offered the promotion at the bank he’s been working towards. Unfortunately, it’s in another state and Nevil doesn’t want to move. As tension mounts between them, Shelton is given another challenge in the form of a besotted co-worker. Torn between desires, Shelton has to choose his future. That is, until Nevil takes the decision out of his hands.

Excerpt:

"Have you told him yet?"

"Hmm?" Shelton murmured, reluctant to put down the book he was reading. Only a few pages remained to the thriller, and he still hadn't a clue as to who the killer would turn out to be.

"Have you told your tall, dark, and wickedly handsome boyfriend that you're leaving?"

Shelton shot the man at his elbow an irritated glance. "What do you want, Ted?" He noticed the coffee shop was filling up and hoped his coworker wouldn't take the vacant chair at his table. Ted Pringle was personable enough, even attractive in a light blond, pansy, blue-eyed way. He was also a gossip, though, and lived to stir up trouble in and out of the office.

Ted threw his hands up. "Hey, I was only asking! We go in a few months, and—"

"Leave me alone." Shelton turned back to the book and skimmed the page to find his place. Ted touched his arm, and Shelton spun on him but swallowed his angry words. Ted's attention wasn't on him. The man looked across the room, a smile of triumph on his lips.

Shelton followed his gaze, and his heart jumped then settled into a delighted patter. Nevil stood in the doorway of the coffee shop, scanning the tables with his beautiful turquoise eyes. Wickedly handsome? Damn right he was. Even after a year together, Nevil's smile still had the power to melt his bones and leave him weak with want.

He waved the book when Nevil spotted him. A curious look passed over Nevil's face as he approached the table, and Shelton remembered Ted's hand on his arm. He pulled free, and Ted chuckled, his breath warm in Shelton's ear when he bent down and whispered, "Don't forget to tell him."

Shelton growled, then forgot all about Ted as Nevil, his eyes dancing with mischief, stopped at the table.

"What are you doing here? Sit down," Shelton babbled, feeling the warmth of a blush on his cheeks as Nevil glanced at Ted's retreating back.

"Okay, but only for a minute. I have a surprise for you, and I've already wasted enough time finding you. Off work early?" Nevil took the empty chair at Shelton's nod and leaned across the table. A teasing smile covered his face. "I may have to blindfold you."

Heat swept through Shelton at the ardent look in Nevil's eyes. God, he wanted Nevil to take him right there at the table. He agonized under the constraint of public opinion that kept him from kissing Nevil's smiling lips.

Nevil settled back into his chair. "Who was that?" he asked, nodding toward the crowd at the coffee bar.

"Just that annoying prick from Accounts I told you about."

"Gossiping Ted? What did he say? I wanted to smack his pretty face for standing so close to you."

"I'm sure he wanted to make you jealous, as if he ever could. So, about this blindfold..."

Nevil smiled and licked his lips, his look provocative. "You'll see," he teased and rose to his feet. "Come on, love, before I change my mind."

Shelton hurried after him as Nevil wove his way through the boisterous lunch crowd to the front entrance. His heart fluttered when Nevil opened the door of the car for him and kissed his cheek as he climbed into the Prius at the curb. Nevil rarely displayed his affection in public, a sure sign he felt as aroused as Shelton did. He remained silent as Nevil drove through the afternoon traffic, his body tingling in anticipation of their lovemaking.

"What about this blindfold?" he asked, becoming slightly breathless at the thought. Nevil could be so creative.

"That's for later, my dear, when I have you alone and enthralled."

Shelton snorted and enjoyed Nevil's easy laughter. Grateful to be Nevil's friend as well as his lover, Shelton's spirits soared. His days were filled with laughter and comradeship. He thrust Ted's stinging reminder from his mind. He'd keep that discussion for another day and take this precious time with Nevil.

Welcome Author Jeanette Grey

2011-12-21T01:43:00.007-06:00

* Admin Note - Ms. Grey is offering a pdf copy of Unacceptable Risk to one commentor. Please leave an email address to be entered into the contest. Contest ends Wednesday 12/28/11

Know Your Punks: Cyberpunk vs. Steampunk

When I tell people my debut novella is a "cyberpunk" romance, I get one of about three reactions: 1) Excited squeals. 2) Dumbfounded looks. 3) Vague mumbling about, "Is that kinda like that steampunk thing?"

The confusion is reasonable. The names sure do sound similar, and both are niche genres that can be loosely identified as science fiction. Both involve alternate timelines to our own, unfamiliar technologies, and cool outfits.

But that's pretty much where the similarities end.

Cyberpunk is a futuristic kind of science fiction, but before you start think Star Trek, let me state outright: no aliens, no starships, no space operas. Think The Matrix or Blade Runner instead. Stories are typically set right here on earth in a not-so-distant future, where society is still recognizable. There's usually a vaguely dystopian feel to the world, with big, evil corporations calling the shots, and the heroes are typically just what the name of the genre would imply – punks. They're underdogs, rebelling against oppression and fighting evil.

The cyber part of cyberpunk is all about the high-tech world the characters inhabit. Hackers are heroes, and the action frequently takes place in virtual reality. Cybernetics – blendings of human and machine – are easily available, and allow mere mortals to become superheroes in their own right. The computer is king, the digital is dominant, and the result is a fantastic world where the sky is the limit for what characters can do.

Steampunk, on the other hand, is set in an alternate past. Stylistically, think the new Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey, Jr.. Stories tend to be set in either Victorian-era England or the old Wild West, so hoop skirts, bustles, parasols, driving/flying goggles, and dirigibles all tend to be common, and are a big part of the appeal for costume enthusiasts and movie art designers alike. There's usually a plucky, rebellious nature to the heroes, which contributes to the 'punk' part of the name.

As far as the 'steam' part, that's where we get into the alternate timeline aspect of the genre. Steampunk stories imagine what would have happened if steam power had taken off and technology had developed along a whole different track. Instead of computers, things run on steam power, with clockwork engines and lots of visible gears. The most fantastical contraptions often result, giving the worlds a magical feel, with high-tech intersecting with an old-world sensibility.

Both steampunk and cyberpunk are fast-growing genres, with new stories coming out all the time, and they've recently become fertile ground for romances in particular. Both present the reader with new and exciting worlds to explore, setting the stage for high action, high romance, and vivid, imaginative story-telling. I highly encourage you to give one of them a shot.

And then, with any luck, the next time someone tells you about a cyberpunk or steampunk romance, you'll be one of those people not shaking her head in confusion, but squealing in excitement, ready to get your hands on a great new book.

About Unacceptable Risk:

Plix spends her lonely, gritty life trying to solve the mysteries her father left behind. Armed with a variety of cybernetic enhancements and a talent for getting into places she shouldn’t be, she searches for clues to his murder—and who’s responsible for poisoning her city.

Waking up on a street corner with her brain wiring fried to a crisp, she figures she must have gotten close this time. There’s only one man she trusts to pull her back from the brink: a tuner who can retrieve the evidence hidden deep in the recesses of her mind. A man she dares not let too close to her heart.

When Edison downloads a secret SynDate schematic from Plix’s burnt-out circuitry, he knows with dreadful finality that nothing—not even the fiery kiss he’s been holding back for years—will stop her from pursuing her quest past the point of insanity.

All he can do, as he helps her plan her final mission, is ease her pain, watch her back…and hope one of them doesn’t pay with their lives.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Unacceptable-Risk-ebook/dp/B005OVZ7X0
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unacceptable-risk-jeanette-grey/1105946840
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-unacceptablerisk-657478-143.html
Samhain Store: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/unacceptable-risk-p-6566.html

About Jeanette Grey:

After brief, unsatisfying careers in advertising, teaching, computers, and homemaking, Jeanette Grey has returned to her two first loves: romance and writing.

When she isn’t writing, Jeanette enjoys making pottery, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and her pet frog. She lives, loves, and writes in North Carolina.

She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Carolina Romance Writers.

Website: http://www.jeanettegrey.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jeanettelgrey
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jeanettelgrey
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4507045.Jeanette_Grey

Book Tour - An Innocent Murdered

2011-12-19T00:12:00.010-06:00

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I was born and raised in Chicago, but my current hometown is Lawrence, Kansas. Actually, I love both locations and I think I’ve drawn different perspectives from each which were helpful in my writing. I used both Chicago and a fictions Kansas town named Rock Meadow, Kansas, as the settings for my novel, An Innocent Murdered. There’s obviously a brisker pace in a big city like Chicago compared to a smaller, somewhat laid- back Kansas town. I supposed if there were one thing I liked the best about Lawrence it would be the town’s preservation of the historical feel for the town, which was decimated by a raid in 1863 that killed 200 of its citizens.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

I was always fascinated by print, whether it be newspaper, magazine, or book. When I was a child, my parents gave me a toy printing press. It was rotary device where I had to set into place a rubber cut of each letter into a metal slot and these slots would then be inserted into the press drum. I tried to start my own neighborhood newspaper with it, and later when I was a teenager, I wrote a complete novel (which really wasn’t that great, but at least I finished it)—on a portable typewriter, with carbon paper in-between each page!!

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

An Innocent Murdered involves a priest murdered in the rectory and it appears to be an open-and-shut case against the prime suspect because of DNA evidence, blood evidence, a witness, a threatening phone call before the murder, and her fingerprints on a photo on the priest’s dead body. But the detective finds clues that suggest she didn’t do it and discovers a shocking surprise as to who the real murderer is. This novel is character-driven rather than plot driven, and it even gets the reader involved in the priest’s persona before his murder so that the reader feels distress over his murder because he is truly innocent of any wrongdoing. As far as new books in the works, I will just say this—one is a historical novel dealing with the 1865-1920 period in American culture and the other is a religious suspense novel that involves three desperate people in search of the greatest find in the history of Christianity.

Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “zipped from the headlines” in your work?

What I do is look at contemporary events and put a “twist” around them to make them more exciting. In today’s troubled world, Iran is becoming a threat to the world with its potential in developing nuclear missiles. In my short story “Frozen History” (which appears in my short story collection Stories To Enjoy) Iran is sending missiles to the U.S. but a twist in my story shows how they never strike our country.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

One of my major challenges is to be sure I have accuracy in any facts I add to the book. This is especially challenging when I write historical fiction because one slip up in historical accuracy can destroy the book. It’s also important in contemporary fiction as well. When I wrote An Innocent Murdered, I listened to the advice of a real detective so that my scenes, characters, and dialogue would be realistic. A number of non-writers feel that the challenge is in obtaining new ideas. Not so with me. I have more ideas for books than I can wrap my writing arms around.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

I would say three things. One, read the kind of books you think you’d like to write. Too often, writers feel they have to write a book in a genre that is doing well. Big mistake. I would love to write a romance novel, but I tried reading a Harlequin once and couldn’t get past the first chapter. Two, study about the craft of writing. Subscribe to writer magazines, read books on writing, attend a seminar or two. Third (and most important), sit down and WRITE. I am tired of hearing people tell me they would love to write but never have time to write. Well, if that’s the case, take some things out of your schedule (like watching TV) and use it instead to write. There are a lot of could-of, should-of writers out there who lack the courage to sit down and spill out their thoughts on paper.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I love this question. A number of years ago I actually wrote an article on writer’s block that made the front cover of Writer’s Digest. But I personally find that the only time I have writer’s block is when I haven’t thought my story through or that I’m writing a story that really doesn’t interest me. My problem is that once I start writing on something that grabs me, I find it hard to stop.

Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

I have a range of authors, so it’s difficult to say which one is my favorite. I do enjoy the classics, like novels by Hemmingway or Dostoevsky or Melville. I like the pacing of John Grisham and the literary ideas of John Updike. However, I would say Dostoevsky’s portrayal of his characters influenced me in getting into the hearts and minds of my own characters so that the reader either hates them with a passion or loves them with a passion.

How do you deal with rejection letters?

I don’t mind rejection letters if they offer me advice on how I can improve my writing. What upsets me are form rejection letters, sometime badly photocopied, that tell me nothing and make me wonder why they’re even sent out in the first place. To me, the letters or emails I receive from readers of my books give me the most satisfaction because they have taken the time to form their opinions—not because they had to (like professional reviewers)—but because they want to, and I love them.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

For me, the computer is indispensable. I find it very difficult to write with pen and paper and I admire those writers who do. Other essentials are a good thesaurus, dictionary, writers magazines, and books on drawing realistic characters.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

It’s interesting you should ask that. I’ve had to restrain myself from getting too detailed in writing passionate love-making, and I find myself having to rewrite those scenes over and over. I refuse to write erotica but I do want to write passionate scenes without going over the edge. For example, I struggled a bit in An Innocent Murdered where a former nun asks Matt for his help in getting her first sexual experience. I wrote that scene over about ten times because I wanted to get just descriptive enough to convey the scene without slipping into the erotica category. Hopefully, some reader will get back to me to let me know if I’ve done that successfully.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

I wouldn’t call it “weird,” but when I wrote two Civil War era novels (Sissy! and All Parts Together) I personally visited each Civil War battleground to see for myself what the area looked like. Maybe the other weird thing I did was to ask women if my scene of two women peeing in the woods while they were having a conversation was over the top. They all agreed that they weren’t offended by that scene.

Bio:

Tom Mach wrote two successful historical novels, Sissy! and All Parts Together, both of which have won rave reviews and were listed among the 150 best Kansas books in 2011.Sissy! won the J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award while All Parts Together was a viable entrant for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Award. He also wrote a collection of short stories entitled Stories To Enjoy which received positive reviews. Tom’s other novels include: An Innocent Murdered, Advent, and Homer the Roamer.

His poetry collection, The Uni Verse, won the Nelson Poetry Book Award. In addition to several awards for his poetry, Writer’s Digest awarded him ninth place in a field of 3,000 entrants. His website is: www.TomMach.com He also has a popular blog for writers of both prose and verse at http://tommach.tumblr.com

Book Blurb:

Father O'Fallon has been murdered, and police officer Jacinta Perez is arrested and charged. Detective Matt Gunnison, however, is not convinced and with the help of Susan, an ex-nun, he discovers a fascinating link between the priest's death and the death of a child 25 years ago. Will Matt be able to solve both murders? See video: http://t.co/H1siZOg

Excerpt: Still facing the wall, the priest began to sob. “Can’t we talk about this?”

She slipped the Smith & Wesson into her pocket and removed a knife from her bag. “There’s nothing to talk about, you son of a bitch.”

He dropped his hands for a moment. “Please let me at least say a prayer.”

“Go ahead and beg for God’s mercy, you pervert!”

He made the sign of the cross with his crucifix. “Oh my God,” he muttered, “I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee.”

As she slashed his throat he made a high-pitched squeal. His body slumped to the floor. She plunged the knife into his abdomen. He made a gagging sound from his throat as if he were drowning in his own blood. She plunged the knife into him again. And again. And again.

LINKS FOR VBT: AN INNOCENT MURDERED

http://www.tommach.com/

http://twitter.com/kansasauthor

http://www.facebook.com/kansasauthor

http://www.amazon.com/An-Innocent-Murdered

http://youtu.be/ndsPTht08EA

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/74459

Welcome Author Lisa Sanchez

2011-12-18T03:06:00.006-06:00

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?- I live in Tracy, California. I love that my city is centrally located. We're an hour away from three major cities, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose. There's always something to do!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?- I've always wanted to write. I wrote creatively as a child, and my mother, bless her, fostered that creative spark.
Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?- My latest work is an erotic suspense titled, Obsessed.It's the story of a broken hero who has lost everything, and the equally broken heroine who he rescues from the hands of a rapist. A string of unfortunate and seriously creep events continue to thrust them together and they form an unbreakable bond. It's very sexy, lol!
Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?-Well, my husband is a police officer, so while I don't necessarily use "real life" events, I do use some of the situations he's relayed to me in my work.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing? Finding the time to write, lol! This year has been particularly challenging. Seems like I'm always on the run with my girls, and it's work to find a few spare minutes to sit down and create.
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?- Be patient and persistent. You'll receive a lot of "no's" but you can't let that stop you. Even published authors receive rejections. I have!
Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it? I wouldn't call it writer's block. When real life gets in the way, I simply can't produce anything I'm happy with. Once I deal with whatever is going on, my muse kicks back in and all is well.
Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life? My favorite author is J.R. Ward. Hands down, she's the best, in my opinion. Her voice, her pacing, her amazing characterization...I could go on and on, lol.
How did you deal with rejection letters?- I cried. Still do, lol. But after a day or so, I get over it and let my determination fuel me. I'm often filled with an "I'll show them" type of attitude, and I write, and write, and write. Persistence, people. It pays off. Truly.
What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?- If, by tools you mean certain programs or computers, I don't have any to recommend. The only tool you need is your brain and a good attitude. You write because you love it. Doesn't matter how the words get on the page.
Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content? Hmm....lol! Well, I'm pretty squeamish, so you won't see anything too gross in my books as far as gore is concerned. As far as erotic elements...well, that's an entirely different story. I like my books hot. I definitely push the line from regular romance to more erotic romance. I want to know what happens behind closed doors!
Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.- You can find me at my website at- http://www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.comFacebook-https://www.facebook.com/LisaSanchezRomanceAuthor
Twitter-http://twitter.com/#!/LisaSanchez3
Goodreads-http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4028407.Lisa_Sanchez
I also recently started a Youtube channel where I talk about books and various other things. http://www.youtube.com/user/LisaSanchez3?feature=mhee

Thanks!

Welcome Author Rosalie Stanton

2011-12-17T02:29:00.006-06:00

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I am from a little town in Missouri that has delusions of being much larger than it actually is. While I am at times embarrassed by how much this region fits the stereotype, I do love the comfort of hailing from a smaller place. It has a “where everybody knows your name” feel, while at the same time boasting enough size and industry to help avoid the people you might not want to run into every day.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

When I was in the sixth grade, I fell in love with history—particularly ancient Egypt—and dreamt of becoming an archaeologist. Though I eventually relinquished the dream, I held onto my interest in history. That in accordance with my strict religious upbringing gave me an appreciation for learning about ancient cultures and belief systems, which eventually bled into a fascination with how those elements of superstition, folk stories, and urban legends established the paranormal genre we see today.

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

My latest release, Know Thine Enemy, is a dark paranormal erotic romance. I began working on this novel over two years ago. Izzie, the heroine, was exceptionally difficult to locate, and my hero, Ryker, wouldn’t take any substitute. Once I found my footing, though, and once Izzie made her presence known, it was easy to see where the characters were leading me. There were some enormously difficult scenes to write, but it is a labor of love. And easily the work of which I am the proudest.

I am sitting on two other completed manuscripts, though one has been submitted for publication consideration. In the meantime, I am attempting to catch up on my editing duties while simultaneously working on Book 3 in the Sinners and Saint Series, as well as tossing around a few other ideas.

Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

This happened recently, but wholly by mistake. And since the event itself is in a work that hasn’t yet been released and deals with a large spoiler, I can’t say much. Though perhaps that is a disingenuous example, as I had planned a particular plot twist, and then something similar occurred in early 2011 that captivated me as well as most everyone I know. It was large enough to make me second-guess whether or not continuing with my intended plot was in bad taste. However, with several months having lapsed and the novel not slated for release until sometime in 2012, I think my caution was more emotional reaction to the event and displaced guilt at having intended to write something and then watching it happen.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

I find sex scenes challenging, especially since the intention is to stimulate the readers while remaining realistic and original. There aren’t many original ways to write sex, and those remaining will be gone by the time you read this interview. If I struggle, I fear a reader will be able to see through it, therefore pulling them out of the scenes/story and diminishing their enjoyment. This is one of many examples where my inner perfectionist plays against me. I have started a new technique to write these scenes where I get the skeleton of a scene written, let it sit, then go back and try to add heat. Sometimes that’s the best thing you can do: give yourself a foundation before going back and adding the structure.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Patience is a virtue. Some new writers will get a slam-dunk right out of the starting gates. Others will not. A book’s sales don’t reflect on the book’s quality, and honestly, there’s a good measure of pure luck when it comes to the publishing side of things. You might have a manuscript turned down by every publisher you’ve ever heard of, and then receive a contract offer from a large pie-in-the-sky publisher to which you only submitted as wishful thinking. You might strike it rich with your first book, then watch your second flutter in the wind.

There are many things you can’t control about the industry, least of which onto whose lap your manuscript initially lands. Yet for as much as you can’t control, there are a number of things you can. Exposure is key. Get yourself a website, a blog, a Facebook account, and a Twitter name. Read other authors’ work and give them thoughtful feedback. No one here is egoless, and if you love someone’s book, do them a favor and let them know. Ease yourself into the community, and that karma will loop itself around.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Yes, I do, though someone once told me there was no such thing as writer’s block. I still have to refrain from tracking that person down and slapping them silly.

Writer’s block can stem from many things. The most recent bout I experienced came shortly after my debut novella was released. I thankfully had a healthy stock of work ready for submission, so I didn’t have to focus too much on writing at the time. For an author, being unable to write is a terrible feeling. I was depressed because I wasn’t writing and I wasn’t writing because I was depressed; also, at the time of this writer’s block I was holed into a job that drained all other aspects of joy from my life. I changed jobs, slowly emerged from my depression, and began writing Lost Wages of Sin.

The most important thing is don’t force it. Go for a walk, take a bath, target the source of unhappiness around you and do whatever you can to change it. Writer’s block is typically symptomatic of something else. For me, ultimately, it was a part of a large problem. Once I changed jobs and alleviated the stress I experienced during the day, I found myself able to focus on other matters during my free-time.

Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

Well, my favorite author would be Pamela Smith Hill, as she’s my auntie. Though our familial relations makes me a bit biased. She is an excellent author, though, and I heartily recommend all of her work.

Outside the family, I am partial to Stephen King, whose work is so commercially successful I think it is easy to overlook its literary value. I am also a huge fan of JA Saare and Sarah Ballance; these ladies have a way of weaving words and emotion, creating characters and world-building I envy. Any author who makes me want to write by reading their work is among my favorites.

I am also heavily influenced by Aaron Sorkin, best known as the screenwriter for The West Wing and The Social Network. He has a way with dialogue unlike any other writer I have encountered, and if mine is half as good, I’m over the moon.

How did you deal with rejection letters?

Usually with a bite of chocolate. Then it’s time to ask “what’s next?” So they didn’t take this manuscript. That doesn’t mean they won’t take the next one.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

A beta reader or crit partner you know, trust, and who will give it to you straight. You don’t need ass-kissing, you need structure and criticism. Someone who will read your manuscript and help you pinpoint the warts. Also, once your novel has been accepted by a publishing house, every writer needs an editor who takes away the delusions that every word typed is a gold nugget. Most importantly: writers need a sense of humility. Good writers evolve their style as they learn new things; bad writers tell themselves they already know everything. A real writer never stops growing.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

It all depends on context, since the line blurring just enough and too much is ever-changing depending on the situation. Most people know porn when they see it, yet it’s possible the story calls for a scene that isn’t erotic it all, rather blatantly pornographic. The question is: would the story be as powerful without this scene or without this scene as is? Would the level of violence be adequately portrayed with less description? If the scene can do without it, perhaps it can be toned down.

Granted, if you’re writing an erotic romance, you’re going to have erotic content. That’s just the way it is. To define the line between eroticism and pornography would, again, depend on the project and how that sex scene relates to the story.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

Hey, what happens in Vegas…you know the rest.

Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.
http://rosalie-stanton.com
http://rosaliestanton.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/rosaliestanton

Blurb: He’s a vampire with a story. She’s a woman with a past.

The second Ryker spots the girl with midnight hair, he knows there’s more to her than meets the eye. She boasts the title of vampire hunter, but something’s off, something’s missing, and that something pulls him close…until backing off isn’t an option.

For years, Izzie has lived for the night, outrunning ghosts from home that seem to find her wherever she lands. Alongside her friend and mentor, who rescued her when she was at her lowest, she destroys creatures she once thought couldn’t exist. But Izzie doesn’t have what she needs to be her best, and doesn’t know if she ever will...or if the life she has is the one she wants.

When a shadow from Ryker’s former life surfaces to collect a forgotten debt, vampire and hunter are thrust together in a strange world of eroticism and servitude. They must trust each other if they mean to escape, but when trust turns into something more, the real enemy becomes harder and harder to pick out.

Welcome Author Melinda Leigh

2011-12-16T01:50:00.009-06:00

I want to thank You Gotta Readfor hosting a stop on my blog tour to celebrate the recent release of my debut novel, SHE CAN RUN. It’s so exciting to share this experience with other book lovers.

1. How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?

The title “SHE CAN RUN” is obviously a play on “you can run but you can’t hide.” I wanted to convey Beth’s feeling of desperation from the very first page. No matter how long or how far she runs, Richard will eventually find her. The confrontation between them ispreordained.

2. Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Yes! I get a lot of ideas reading news headlines, but I try not to read the story. Once I get over my initial what-a-terrible-thing-to-happen reaction, my brain starts with, “what if..?”

3. How much of your work is real? How much is fantasy?

We all know there are more serial killers on TV and in fiction than in the real world (let’s hope so, anyway). I didn’t allow my killer an excuse of a terrible upbringing. I wanted him to be truly wicked because evil is fascinating, hence the popularity of crime shows on TV.

Beth’s situation is entirely too real. Domestic abuse is more common than most people would imagine, and a woman can’t just walk away from that type of relationship. Nearly a third of female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners. I teach women’s self-defense, so this reality is always fresh in the back of my mind.

4. Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I don’t know any writer who doesn’t occasionally suffer from the what-comes-next dilemma. Sometimes I can write my way through it, perhaps jumping to another scene that I know is going to occur later in the book. Other times, I need to step away and just think about the situation. I review my storyboard. I use notecards to keep track of plot lines and character arcs. How can I make these things intersect for maximum conflict? When all else fails, a phone call to a critique partner usually gets me back on track. I’ve worked with the same few people for several years. They know how my mind operates.

5. How did you deal with rejection letters?

You never really get used to your work being rejected, but rejection is a big part of the business. Initially, constructive rejections were useful in pin-pointing why the book wasn’t selling. Did it need more work? More suspense? More romance? Did the sex need to be hotter for today’s market? SHE CAN RUN went through multiple rewrites, and some of those changes were based on comments in rejection letters.

6. What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Notecards.Lots of notecards. I place the plot cards on a magnetic whiteboard. I used to write directly on the board but found that being able to shuffle the cards around is more flexible.

7. Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I love horror, so occasionally I have to dial back on the gore during revisions. But if my character is in a situation that needs to evoke terror, a certain level of description is needed to bring the reader along with her.

Ironically, I often need to increase the heat in a love scene in the revision process. Sex was very difficult to learn to write. I have certain words I refuse to use. For me, crude language often kills the mood. There must always be emotion and intimacy in the love scene.

8. Where can we find out more about your books?

My website, MelindaLeighAuthor.com, has all the information on my books and author events. Readers can also find me on my website, on Facebook&Twitter.

Thanks for joining me today!

Melinda Leigh web site:
http://melindaleighauthor.com
Melinda Leigh Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/melindaleighauthorpage
Melinda Leigh Twitter:
http://twitter.com//MelindaLeigh1
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

She Can Run blog tour site:
http://shecanrunblogtour.blogspot.com
She Can Run Book Summary

Elizabeth was a young widow with two small children when she met Congressman Richard Baker. Handsome and wealthy, with a sparkling public image, Richard seemed like the perfect man to provide the security that Beth and her kids were craving. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret about her new husband, Beth realizes he will go to any lengths—even murder—to keep it. After barely escaping with her life, she and her children flee. They eventually make their way to a secluded estate in the Pennsylvania countryside, where Beth dares to hope she has found a safe place at last…

Forced into retirement by an unexpected injury, Philadelphia homicide detective Jack O’Malley is mourning the loss of his career when his uncle abruptly dies, leaving Jack to dispose of his crumbling country house. Unbeknownst to him, his uncle engaged a caretaker just before his death, a mysterious woman with two children and a beautiful face that haunts his dreams. Determined to know her, Jack begins an investigation into Beth’s past. When he uncovers the shocking truth, and a local woman is viciously murdered, Jack puts his own life on the line to keep Beth and her children safe.

She Can Run is a sexy, satisfying debut from award-winning author Melinda Leigh, packed with enough suspense and romance to get even the tamest heart racing!

Melinda Leigh's Bio:

More than a decade ago, Melinda Leigh left a career in banking to raise her children and never looked back. She started writing when her youngest child entered first grade as a way to preserve her sanity. Her paranormal romance and romantic suspense fiction has won writing awards across the country, including The Gateway to the Best Contest, The Marlene Award, Where the Magic Begins, Put Your Heart in a Book, and The Golden Gateway 1st Round Grand Prize.

Melinda is also an avid martial artist. She holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate, studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and teaches women’s self-defense. She lives in a messy house in the suburbs with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs and one neurotic cat with an inexplicable fear of ceiling fans. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination.

Paperback
Price: $13.95
ISBN: 9781612181516
Pages: 326
Release: November 28, 2011

Amazon buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612181511/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes&Noble.com buy link
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/she-can-run-melinda-leigh/1106603768?ean=9781612181516&itm=1&usri=she%2bcan%2brun%2bmelinda%2bleigh

eBookPrice: $7.99

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053TIB6I/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20

Publisher's Weekly Review:“In her debut romantic suspense, Leigh carefully weaves the subplot of a serial killer with the main plot of an abused wife on the run and successfully ties the threads in a thrilling conclusion… Leigh’s tight, consistent plotting marks her as an author to watch.”

Welcome Author Robin Perini

2011-12-15T01:49:00.017-06:00

1. Where do you hail from? What do you love most about your hometown?

My family moved quite a lot until I was twelve, and we settled in Hobbs, New Mexico, afriendly, small town in the southeastern part of the state. Hobbs was a great place to grow up. Small enough that I could learn to drive without causing too much damage. Small enough I couldn't get into too much trouble without someone tattling to my folks. Large enough that we got a Wendy's when I was in high school.

Hobbs folks tend to be 'can-do' people. I made good friends there, and still keep in touch with some. As a place to grow up, I couldn't have asked for better.

Except maybe, for a few mountains and some green grass.

1. Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

In Her Sights is my debut novel, so it's a real dream come true for me to even be here. For a long time, I had to wonder if it would happen. Jazz's story has been with me a long time, and while I've written other manuscripts since she first came to life in my heart, this has always been a story I really wanted to tell. I'm so thankful that Jazz found a home at Amazon's Montlake Romance.

Jasmine “Jazz” Parker is the only female sniper on Jefferson County’s SWAT team. Always at the ready with calm nerves and steady hands, she never misses a shot. Strong, dedicated, and dependable, Jazz has committed her life to defending the helpless by exacting swift and uncompromising justice, all the while harboring dark, devastating secrets from her past. Secrets she thought she'd buried for good as a teenager.

To keep her past hidden, Jazz keeps a low profile and avoids getting too close to anyone, including the one man she thought she could love—ex-Army Ranger turned reporter Luke Montgomery. So when Luke runs a front page story about Jazz, calling her a hero for her recent victory—saving the life of the governor’s daughter—she feels uncomfortable with the exposure, and rightly so. A vicious enemy from her past takes notice of the article and sets out on a mission to reveal Jazz’s secrets and ruin her life in the process. At the same time, a corrupt cop is out to take Jazz down at any cost. As her world begins to unravel, Jazz is forced to rely on Luke for help—putting his life and the lives of those closest to him in danger.

You can view the In Her Sights book trailer, read excerpts, read reviews, sign up for my mailing list and even request trading cards or a Kindlegraph at my website at www.robinperini.com.

So much has already happened since I sold In Her Sights. Within months I sold three more novels to Harlequin Intrigue.

So, in 2012, three romantic suspense novels will be released from Harlequin. Finding Her Son, which won the 2011 Romance Writers of America ® Golden Heart® Award in Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure as Stolen Lullaby, will be released in March 2012. In the story, a woman determined to find her kidnapped son, and who is suspected in her husband's death, reluctantly teams with the embattled SWAT cop assigned to prove her guilt. Cowboy in the Crossfire, in which a woman desperate to protect her young son after he witnesses a murder, is forced into an alliance with the disgraced Texas Sheriff who her family framed, will come out in July, 2012. A third book will hit the shelves, Christmas, 2012.

I truly hope there are many more stories to tell!

2. How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?

In Her Sights really came from my heroine, Jasmine "Jazz" Parker. As a SWAT Team sniper, Jazz always has the bad guys 'in her sights', but she also has the hero, his family and a future she believes she can never have 'in her sights'. The play on words appealed to me, and it always seemed a perfect fit for Jazz's story.

3. Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work?

Usually I create my stories as I ask myself about the emotions connected to events. What kind of person would run a closed case set of fingerprints every year for fifteen years until they finally got a hit?

In one instance, however, I started researching a book before the headline event happened. This is the case with In Her Sights, which I began researching a number of years ago, I had decided to write a book about a female SWAT Team sniper. I read numerous books about snipers and SWAT teams.

Then shortly after I'd begun my research, on a very scary day, the beltway sniper attacks began. Over the next several weeks Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland were under siege. Ten people died and three were critically injured.

The news channels were full of speculation on who the snipers could be. They even showed the significant number of books available on snipers. I had almost every one of the books on my shelves.

4. Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

Revision. Hands down. Because once I complete my 'fast draft' and have the bare bones of the story on paper, then I go through an agonizingly iterative process where I hope I tease out the heart and soul of the story. I probably add another 30% to the word count after my fast-draft is completed over at least three to six iterations.

I think it was Jack Bickham, the noted writing instructor who said, “Good novels aren't written. They're rewritten and revised.” That may not be true for everyone, but it's definitely true for me!

5. Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

I have so many authors who have brought me incredible joy since I was a child. In fact, on my website (http://www.robinperini.com) I have included a listing many of my all-time favorite books and authors.

Those books typically evoke deep emotions within me. They are my window into pain, joy, insight, and wisdom. One of my favorite authors is Sharon Sala. This New York Times Bestselling Author has written novels that twist my heart through a painful journey, but end in hope. Her ability to touch my soul makes me go back to her stories again and again.

Even more than that, Sharon Sala is a mentor to me. She read In Her Sights several years ago. She believed in me and my book at a time when it was hard to believe in myself. I'm not sure I would be here today without her encouragement. She is an amazing writer, of course, but even a more amazing person.

I'd like to be her when I grow up.

As to what books most influenced me, there are so many, but because In Her Sights is my debut novel after a number of years of trying to sell, I think it appropriate to choose one.

One gave me my dream.

Let me explain. In 2008, I completed my Masters degree to advance my career in the technology field. I had also been writing for a number of years. I'd become a sought-after writing instructor, and taught numerous, time-intensive, but well-received online classes. A dear friend asked me what I really wanted to do with my life. And my writing. I had received many accolades as a teacher. I love teaching. I love inspiring. Many authors credited the classes for helping them sell their books. Nothing gave me more joy, but I had started writing to be a storyteller myself.

I pulled out a book by Hyrum W. Smith called The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management. I had read the book before, but this time, I had a question in my heart. How could I succeed in my chosen career, spend time with my family, teach, write, and everything else I was juggling.

This book focuses on prioritizing your life, but more importantly on making choices. I had a difficult decision to make. What mattered most to me? I made a choice. I took a hiatus from teaching online classes and limited my workshops to special events a few times a year. I backed away from volunteering in some organizations. I learned to say 'no' – at least a bit better. I restructured my life making time for those things I identified as the most important. About two years after that decision to focus a significant amount of energy on storytelling, I sold my very first book.

So, Hyrum Smith's book gave me my dream. I will be forever grateful.

6. What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

I'm not sure it's exactly weird, but when I was researching the SWAT Team sniper book, I learned a lot about ballistics and shooting from my dad, who is a competitive silhouette shooter (they have four metal targets: chickens, pigs, rams, and turkeys) and must stand to shoot without a rest. So, I decided to learn. I grew up in the west, so I was familiar with guns, but I hadn't done a lot of target shooting.

Let me just say that holding a rifle steady is tough! Hitting targets even tougher.

There are definitely a few scenes in In Her Sights that came from that research.

7. Where can we find out more about your books?

You can view the In Her Sights book trailer, read excerpts, read reviews, sign up for my mailing list and even request trading cards or a Kindlegraph on my website at www.robinperini.com. I'm also on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks again so much for having it. I had a great time.

Robin Perini web site:
http://www.robinperini.com
Robin Perini Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/RobinPeriniAuthor

Robin Perini Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/robinperini
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

In Her Sights blog tour site:
http://inhersights.blogspot.com
In Her Sights Book Summary

Jasmine “Jazz” Parker, Jefferson County SWAT's only female sniper, can thread the eye of a needle with a bullet. But she carries a secret from her past that she thought she buried for good at the age of fifteen. Two years ago she even drove away the one man she believed she could love—ex-Army Ranger turned reporter Luke Montgomery—to keep her past hidden. Now, in a fleeting second, the time it takes for one clean shot, one perfect hit, to save the life of the governor's daughter, Jazz's world begins to crumble around her.

Luke splashes her face and name across the front page of the newspaper, reawakening her past with a vengeance. A vicious enemy is now bent on destroying her life, forcing Jazz to turn to the one man she can never have in order to stop a killer before she and everyone she cares about pays the ultimate price. Full of explosive action and almost unbearable suspense, In Her Sights is a relentless, steamy thriller surprisingly infused with soul and poignancy.

Robin Perini Bio:

Award-winning author Robin Perini’s love of heart-stopping suspense and poignant romance, coupled with her adoration of high tech weaponry and covert ops, encouraged her secret inner commando to take on the challenge of writing romantic suspense novels. Her mission's motto: "when danger and romance collide, no heart is safe."

As a writer, Robin is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high stakes adventures with a love story sure to melt their hearts. Robin’s strong characters and tightly woven plots have garnered her seven prestigious Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® finals, and Golden Heart Winner in 2011. Stolen Lullaby, will be published by Harlequin Intrigue® in May, 2012 as Finding Her Son. Her other 2011 Golden Heart® Finalist, In Her Sights, will be published by Amazon's Montlake Romance November 29, 2011.

By day, she works for an advanced technology corporation, and in her spare time, you might find her giving one of her many nationally acclaimed writing workshops or find her training in competitive small-bore rifle silhouette shooting. She's a voracious reader and a die-hard fan of the T.V. series, BONES.

Paperback
Price: $13.95
ISBN: 9781612181523
Pages: 262
Release: November 29, 2011

Amazon buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161218152X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes&Noble.com buy link
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-her-sights-robin-perini/1106436852?ean=9781612181523&itm=1&usri=in%2bher%2bsights

eBookPrice: $7.99

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053TIBCM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20

Welcome Author Lesley Kagan

2011-12-14T01:49:00.010-06:00

Q. Where do you hail from? What do you love most about your hometown?

A. I was born and raised in Milwaukee, but have lived in Chicago, New York and LA. I moved back home twenty years ago because I missed it so much. The food is fantastic and the people, they're like none other. Also love the topography.

Q. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A. I grew up in the Fifties, so I wanted to be, alternately, either John Wayne or Doris Day.

Q.What do you do for fun?

A. I love to hike, play with my dogs, and hang out in barns. l love horses. I'm also pretty nuts about movies. And television. But most of all, I love goofing around with my kids, hubby and our 16 month old grandson, Charlie. Being a grandmother is crazy fun.

Q. How has you upbringing colored your writing?

A. Well, like they say, having a crappy childhood is just about the best thing that can happen to a writer. I use the traumas I experienced as a kid as fuel for my writing. I could create a bonfire.

Q. Tell us about your latest book.

A. Good Graces is a follow-up novel to my debut, Whistling in the Dark. It's the continuing story of two young sisters navigating through the late Fifties and early Sixties on the Westside of Milwaukee. It's a literary novel with a dash of mystery.

Q. Do you have anything in the works you can tell us about?

A. I'm just finishing up a mother/daughter story set in the horse world. Many of my tales have been told through the eyes of a child, but in this one, we get a mother's take. It's part morality play, part a redemption story. I'm having a ball with it.

Q. How much of your work is real? How much fantasy?

A. Much of my writing is based in reality interwoven with fiction. I find it impossible to write about people and places that I haven't experienced. But the plots are almost always imagined.

Q. Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

A. I love to write. The biggest challenge I face is not enough hours in the day.

Q.What advice would you give writers just starting out?

A. Don't think about your writing to much. Attempt to get in touch with your subconscious and let it do the work. And for godssake, don't be critical when you're in the creative stage. Just let 'er rip. There's time after you finish your first draft to dig in with a red pen.

Q.How do you deal with rejection letters?

A.Being an actress, I thought I had some skills dealing with rejection, but somebody rejecting my writing is so much more painful than somebody rejecting me for a part. Literary agents gave my first novel the cold shoulder over 150 times, so I had to develop stronger coping skills. These would be eating chocolate, hot baths, crying, but never, never giving up. (I eventually got an agent. Whistling in the Dark was eventually sold to Penguin and hit the NYT Bestseller list.)

Q. What is your favorite of the books you've written?

A. Just like your kids, you love certain aspects of them more than others. One book that never received the attention I hoped it would was, Land of a Hundred Wonders, so my heart goes out to it. I love the protaganist, Gibby McGraw. Her unsinkableness is truly admirable.

Q. Anything else you'd like to add?

A. I'd just like to wish everyone a wonderous holiday. And a great New Year!

***

Your posting date:
December 14
Lesley Kagen web site:
http://www.lesleykagen.com
Lesley Kagen Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LesleyKagenBooks?sk=app_4949752878
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Good Graces blog tour site:
http://goodgracesblogtour.blogspot.com
Book Summary

Lesley Kagen returns with the sequel to her national bestselling debut, Whistling in the Dark.

Whistling in the Dark captivated readers with the story of ten-year-old Sally O'Malley and her sister, Troo, during Milwaukee's summer of 1959. The novel became a New York Times bestseller and was named a Midwest Honor Award winner.

In Good Graces, it's one year later, and a heat wave has everyone in the close-knit Milwaukee neighborhood on edge. None more so than Sally O'Malley, who remains deeply traumatized by the sudden death of her daddy and her near escape from a murderer and molester the previous summer. Although outwardly she and her sister, Troo, are more secure, Sally's confidence in her own judgment and much of her faith have been whittled away. When a series of disquieting events unfold in the neighborhood-a string of home burglaries, the escape from reform school of a nemesis, and the mysterious disappearance of an orphan, crimes that may involve the increasingly rebellious Troo-Sally is called upon to rise above her inner demons. She made a deathbed promise to her daddy to keep Troo safe, a promise she can't break, even if her life depends on it. But when events reach a crisis point, will Sally have the courage and discernment to make the right choices? Or will her false assumptions lead her and those she loves into danger once again?

Lesley Kagen's gift for imbuing her child narrators with compelling authenticity shines as never before inGood Graces, a novel told with sensitivity, wit, and warmth.

Lesley Kagen's Bio:

I was born in Milwaukee and spent my early years in a great working class neighborhood, much like the one where Whistling in the Dark and Good Graces are set.

I attended Marquette University for one year, fell in love, and followed my boyfriend to New York City. I lasted about six months. I was so intimidated, I spent most of my time running from my apartment to the grocery store and back to my apartment, which was located above a 24 Hour Soul Record Store. Hence, I have the dubious ability to recite every lyric to every James Brown tune ever recorded.

After returning to Milwaukee, I enrolled in the University of Wisconsin where I majored in Radio and Television. I fell into a job as a morning drive DJ on one of the country's first alternative radio stations—WZMF. I got to interview lots of very cool rock n' rollers like Frank Zappa, Hendrix and John Lennon.

In 1976, I moved to Los Angeles, where I began a ten year career working for Licorice Pizza record chain where I produced, wrote and voiced thousands of commercials as Lesley from Licorice Pizza. When I set out to expand my career, I ended up doing on-camera commercials, a couple of Movies-Of-The-Week, and a Laverne and Shirley.

I met my husband, Peter aka Sushi Man, in Malibu, which is pretty funny considering he was from Milwaukee as well. While we both loved living in California, after the birth of our kids, Casey and Riley, we felt this overwhelming need to return to the roost, so we moved back home in 1990.

Well, that's about it. Oh, wait. The writing. I adore it. I crave it. But it wasn't until Casey went off to college, and teenage Riley made it clear that any form of communication between us was to be restricted to—"With or without pepperoni"—that I found the opportunity to sit down and let 'er rip. I hope you love readingWhistling in the Dark, Land of a Hundred Wonders, Tomorrow River and Good Graces as much as I loved writing them.

Hardcover
Price: $25.95
ISBN: 9780525952381
Pages: 352
Release: September 2011

Amazon buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525952381/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20

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Books-A-Million buy link
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eBookPrice: $12.99

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DIAUA4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20

Nook buy link

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/good-graces-lesley-kagen/1100483667?ean=9781101549063&itm=1&usri=good%2bgraces

Blog Tour - David Huffstellar

2011-12-13T01:47:00.031-06:00

1. How has your childhood, upbringing colored you writing?

My childhood was spent in a conservative home and during a time when Broderick Crawford was the model of manhood and citizenship. The sixties turned things a bit on its ear, and the seventies, well, what can you say? It was a great time, and still is, to watch the parade of life with all its dynamic variations. I watched the good and bad, as well as the good that turned bad, and found that people are incredibly interesting, and at times offer patterns for characters. The way we lead our lives so differently and yet so much the same, dealing with heartache, our occasional wanton desire for revenge, and those times when we forgive. Charles Manson, Mother Teresa, and people you never heard of painted a canvas of characters too vibrant for me to use them all in my books. But, they gave me the vehicle to escape the mundane and a basis for writing.

2. How did you come up with the titles for your books?

Each title needs to say something about the book. The premise of Blood on the Pen is an unpublished author who gets one rejection letter too many and starts killing literary agents. I thought it sounded better than Blood on the Keyboard. Dead in Utah comes from a statement Joe Hill made while in prison. He asked that his body be taken to Nebraska, because he didn’t want to be found dead in Utah. Disposable People deals with how some people view undocumented workers as being expendable. Blood on the Cards starts with a game of Texas Hold ‘em poker that goes bad. I don’t start with the title. I let the story tell me what it is.

3. Have you ever used contemporary stories “ripped from the headline” in your work?

Only to spark ideas. I don’t rewrite a newspaper story into a book. I used a story about a group of Congressmen, who lived together in Washington and appeared to have fallen under the spell of a self-proclaimed religious leader as the inspiration for Benjamin Lu in Blood on the Cards.

4. What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Understand what you want from writing from the outset. There is a dramatic difference in writing for pleasure, for the sake of the art, and in writing to be published. Publishing is a tough business, and it can be unkind, with enough rejection letters to fill your living room. Now, if you still want to pursue it, then pull your self esteem together and fasten your seatbelt. Of course, there’s nothing quite like signing that first contract and seeing your name on the cover.

5. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

Of course, I do, who doesn’t? Some say the book and movie, The Shining, was inspired by writer’s block. I take advice I’ve heard from experienced authors to put the manuscript away for a couple of weeks, read someone else’s book, anything to get yourself out of that locked room in your head. Elizabeth Cox told me to ask my characters, when I’m stuck on where to go next. They have personalities and backgrounds. Think about what that character would do at this point in the story, not what you would do, and that has helped me.

6. How did you deal with rejection letters?

Not well, especially at first. Once I understood that 98% of queries are rejected and that the publishing business has plenty of books without mine, it became a little easier not to take it so personally. I still hated them though. So, I turned my frustration into a book about an unpublished author who decided to kill literary agents. Ah, satisfaction.

David's Links
http://www.davidhuffstetler.com
http://davidhuffstetler.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1195650439

Blood on the Pen blog tour site:
http://bloodonthepen.blogspot.com

Book Summary
Jack Harden is a modern-day Texas Ranger haunted by his wife's death a year ago.

But when a murderer strikes, he is called into duty. Now he must battle the urge to kill the drunk driver responsible for her death and the hunger to kill himself as he hunts for a serial killer who wants him dead.

Elsie Rodriguez is assigned to report on the murders for her newspaper and ordered to stay with Jack Harden. He's old school, tough, and doesn't want her there, but, despite his gruff manner, the big Ranger triggers something inside her. Something more than just her Latin temper.

Can she pull him back from the edge of sanity? Or will death win again?

Bio: Educated in Dallas, North Carolina, David Huffstetler holds degrees in Engineering and Business Administration. He has worked in the area of human relations and spent fourteen years weaving through the maze of politics, including participating in a Federal Law suit as Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Commission, with a sitting governor over issues of separation of powers. David has served on Boards of Directors for numerous professional organizations including Crime Stoppers, SC Workers’ Compensation Educational Association, SC Safety Council, the SC Fire Academy, and the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Workers’ Compensation. He has advised governors and legislators on matters of public policy and legislation. His wealth of experience is broad and brings deep insight to his writing.

David’s work as a senior manager with a major industrial concern took him to international venues and exposures that helped feed his urge to write Disposable People, a dramatic expose of the working conditions and politics that engulf undocumented workers. Disposable People is a top-ten “Suggested Book” at Tufts University in Boston, MA.

He turned the frustrations and rejection that plagues thousands of yet-to-be-published authors into the heralded mystery/thriller Blood on the Pen, with a serial killer disposing of literary agents. David, an avid history buff, led him to write Dead in Utah, the story of Joe Hill, the controversial musician and union organizer accused of a double murder in 1914.

His books receive praise from mystery readers across the globe.

As an editor, David edited a treatise on the South Carolina workers’ compensation laws, as well as, Shannon Faulkner’s novel Fire and Ice. Shannon was the first female cadet at the Citadel. She received national publicity for her federal lawsuit and was a guest on Good Morning America.

As an editor, public speaker, and seasoned professional, David has appeared on television and radio, and has lectured on the East Coast, California, Canada and Mexico.

David currently lives in Lexington, South Carolina with his wife, Trudy.

eBook
Price: $5.95
Amazon ASIN: B0041G6JC2
BN ID: 2940012599278
Release: August 2010

Amazon buy link ($5.95)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041G6JC2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes & Noble.com buy link ($5.95)
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&offerid=229293.2940012599278&type=2&subid=0

Wild Child Publishing buy link ($5.95)
http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76&products_id=319

Blog Tour - Billi Jean

2011-12-12T01:46:00.006-06:00

· Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

Ohhh…I do. I am known – cough, cough – for my paranormal series, Sisters of the Moon, but this March, I'm releasing my first contemporary romance, Running Scared with Totally Ebound. I'm wicked excited about Russell and Lacey hitting the shelves. If anyone has read my work, I write some tough, alpha males who end up with some rather kick ass women as mates. Russell fits alpha to a T, or rrrrrr. For one, he's a retired Navy SEAL turned full time rancher with an occasional security job with his old team mates. Just when retired life settles in, Lacey, who he meets as Susan, moves to town. Lacey aka Susan is starting her life over after witnessing a Russian mob hit. She's tough, but after nearly dying from the mob's attempt to silence her, she's floundering. Well, the two meet and sparks fly. Needless to say, they have some issues, what love story doesn't? After several miscommunications, hurt feelings and trust issues on both sides, Russell may have blown his most vital mission: Susan.

· Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work? Sometimes, but I can't think of one right now. Well, sometimes news events. I've used what's occurring in the world around me, for instance, 'human trafficking' in a few books. Generally, I find my stories through songs, or by going to a movie and thinking, "man if they had just done this….or what if this had happened…." I like to think on an idea for a while, too. Let it mellow. If a song hits me, really moves me, I'll listen to it over and over and over and the story seems to flow with the song. It's a great feeling. I've written entire plot lines to one song. The story simply formed from that one melody and grew until all the different parts of the character, the setting and then other characters were filled in. Amazing, really.

· What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

My advice is to keep writing. Write every day, read, read books you like, and then some you don't. Read advice from authors you like, read style guides, join author support groups and lurk until you find one you feel like you can belong to and then participate. Talk. Ask questions. Authors are some warm and willing people. Just remember, try to find out some of the things you're interested in first, then ask an author. They are busy. Aren't we all? The internet is a great thing, but when you feel like banging your head against the wall, you can ask someone, even if you simply post to a yahoo group, for help.

· How did you deal with rejection letters?

Okay, rejection letters. One, you gotta look at these as an opportunity to learn. If you get a form letter, there's not much you can gain from the experience, but let's say you get in past the synopsis and three chapters doorway, and after subbing the entire story, you receive the dreaded rejection letter. Don't panic, instead, feel bad for a day, two tops, then pick yourself up and read what they wrote. Did they say why? Did they say re-write and re-submit? What did they give you? If they didn't give much, write back and THANK THEM. That's right. Thank them, and ask what you could do to improve your writing so it was 'name of publisher' material. Chances are, they will respond and give you some great feedback. Take it. Don't argue, don't use this as an opportunity to say you DON'T do what they point out you do, or argue that what they are pointing out is your style, listen to what they have to say and reply with another thank you. If you want to be a published author, and you've subbed to a publisher you want your work with, you want to take their advice and fix what they've taken the time to point out. Use each and every rejection as a learning experience. And, most of all, keep trying. Keep subbing work, keep on writing.

· What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Must haves. That's a tough one. I think that writing is very individual and there is no one size or 'thing' each writer has to have. For me, I have to have encouragement. It's just the way I work. I can write and write and write, but to get my work out there I need my critique partner, my editor and my buddies in my yahoo groups to encourage me. I'm a needy writer – well, not writer, but author. J There's a difference. I write a l

Welcome Ella Jade

2011-12-04T08:39:00.001-06:00

· Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I live in a southern NJ suburb about 25 minutes outside of Philadelphia. I love the neighborhood feel and the great school system, but it's also nice being so close to a major city, too. I have boys and they love the Phillies, so they get to go to lots of games.

· As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your career?

I've always wanted to be a writer. As a child, I constantly had a pen and notebook in my hand, jotting down ideas and characters. I went to college and got a degree in Journalism, but then got married and had kids. The writing took a back seat for a few years, but that time gave me a chance to work on some stories and strengthen my writing. I was always creating stories, but I never knew what to do with them. Luckily, I have the eBooks industry.

· Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

My newest release, The Lonely Dominant, is a BDSM Romance. It follows the journey of two people who never really considered themselves hardcore in the lifestyle, but as they grow as a couple, so do their desires and needs. It's ultimately a love story with a BDSM twist.

Here's a look at the blurb…

Successful businessman Alec Carter realizes his life is less than fulfilled when he meets beautiful Princeton University senior Clara Whittaker at a local coffee shop. Alec experiments in the BDSM lifestyle but doesn't consider himself hardcore until he crosses paths with the obviously submissive Clara. The more time Alec spends with young Clara, the more his dominant tendencies push to the surface. She could be what has been missing.

After her grandmother's death, Clara ends up a guest in Alec's home until she can finish school. She quickly learns she's a natural submissive and decides she wants to explore this new side of herself with the man of house. Alec shows her a life she never knew existed as they enter into a world of role playing, fantasy, and desire. Alec may be the Master, but Clara holds the key to his heart.

As the semester comes to an end, so does their arrangement. If Alec doesn't admit his true feelings for Clara, she could walk out of his life forever. But, Alec isn’t sure which she craves more . . . his dominance . . . or his love.

I do have something new releasing on December 19, 2011. It's my first contemporary M/M Romance, Embracing the Unexpected. I really enjoyed writing this one and I fell in love with my two main characters, Jace and Parker. If you're a fan of the M/M genre I hope you'll see why I adore these two so much.

Here's the blurb…

Sometimes love can be found where we least expect it.

Successful attorney Parker Phillips has always been straight, but he's having trouble finding the right woman. Failed relationship after failed relationship has proven that.

Brilliant and charismatic Dr. Jace Cross is comfortable in his sexuality, but has been single for some time. He throws himself into his work to fill the lonely void. He's drawn to Parker in ways he knows he shouldn't be.

When one bad decision lands Parker in Jace's court-appointed anger management course, sparks fly. Parker isn't willing to embrace his feelings. Can the sexy doctor help him discover who he truly is?

For more details…

http://beachwalkpress.com/embracing-the-unexpected/

· Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

This is going to sound crazy coming from an Erotic Romance author, but the steamy scenes often present the hardest part for me. I love setting the scene and writing dialogue, but the sex passages don't always flow as quickly as I'd like them to. I usually leave them for the end of the chapter and then go back in and insert (no pun intended) them. I find that's what works best for me.

· What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Be patient and write as much as you possibly can. The more work you put into your book, the more it shows. Don't get discourage if you don't get a contract right away. Keep trying. It will happen!

Also, start creating an on-line presence for yourself now. Get to know fellow authors by tweeting and Facebooking. I can't stress enough how important it is to get your name out there.

· Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I've been very fortunate. The ideas and words have been flowing for me for quite some time. I've been writing constantly (I have three releases this fall) because I've been trying to get it all down. I want to stockpile. Lol

If I do come to a point in the story where I'm stuck, I take a break. I could put in a load of laundry or wash dishes, and then I come back to it. I find creating some space seems to work for me.

· Who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

I have too many to mention! Let me think…I enjoy Nora Roberts and Stephen King. They're at the top of my list. As for books that have influenced my life. Well, that's easy. It would have to be the Twilight series. After I read those books, I ventured onto a fan fiction website where I started spinning alternate stories from the saga. That forum gave be the courage to begin submitting my original work to publishers, and here I am.

· How did you deal with rejection letters?

They always sting! But after I get over the rejection, I go back and read what the editor has said and why they rejected it. I've learned some valuable information and have used it to make the manuscript better. In a couple cases, I've taken the advice offered and resubmitted the story. I received a positive response the second time around.

Now that I'm published, I try not to take the rejection so personally. It's one person's opinion. Just because one editor couldn't use the story doesn't mean another won't. I just keep trying.

· What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

I can't live without my laptop. It follows me all over the house. I'm also in love with my netbook. I take that with me to my kids sporting events and write every chance I get. I get so much done while I'm waiting out the kids' practices.

· What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

This probably isn't weird, but I felt strange doing it. I needed to research for my upcoming m/m romance Embracing the Unexpected. I'd never written a m/m sex scene before and I had no idea where to begin, so I googled images and watched some boy porn. Hey, it was all in the name of research. Wow, I love my job!

· Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

Blog - http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com

FB - http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001950837414

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/ellajade1

Special Message from Author Karina Fabian

2011-12-04T00:41:00.000-06:00

Dear friends and readers,

This winter, I have two things in my heart and on my mind: caring for those less fortunate than me (or indeed, much of the world) and my DragonEye, PI stories. For Christmas, I’m combining them and would like to share them with you.

Those of you who are “Vern Fans,” know about my dragon who works in our world as a private investigator, and his partner, Sister Grace, a mage and nun in the Faerie Catholic Church. They’ve saved the worlds and their friends in numerous stories and novels. Last year, I wrote a story for Flagship about their first Christmas together. Not only is Grace struggling with the Mundane idea of Christmas, but their home is threatened by a land developer who wants to tear down the entire neighborhood and make a mall. When the Ghosts of Christmas come to visit him, however, Vern and Grace have to solve the mystery before the Christmas Spirits become Angels of Death.

I have revised and am publishing “Christmas Spirits” as a serial story to raise funds for Food for the Poor. This is a wonderful charity that helps people in impoverished nations help themselves. It allows donators to choose their gifts--whether rice for a family for a month, school supplies, livestock, tools or even houses.

I'm asking that you please check out the story, and, if you enjoy it and want to see more, that you donate even a dollar to the cause. Also, if you enjoy the story, let your friends know. I'll postevery Tuesday and Thursday as the donations come in. Right now, we have raised enough to send a family 20 baby chicks and are halfway to a fruit tree in addition. Vern would like to send them a cow (he is a dragon, after all), but Sister Grace and I are dreaming of raising enough to buy someone a home. Can you imagine giving a HOUSE for Christmas? Will you help?

Find the story at http://christmasspirits.karinafabian.com. You can also get to it via my website,http://fabianspace.com. Look under the Christmas dragon for the link. You can learn more about Food for the Poor at http://www.foodforthepoor.org.

Thanks for your attention!

Karina Fabian