NaNo Day 16:
Viking-2—1958 words
TW—1045 words

I’m super excited about the release of my first lesbian historical romance, Beguiled. Although I’ve written a few contemporary girl on girl stories, this one was really a book from the heart. I’ve always been fascinated with women who summoned the courage to break out of society’s bonds in order to discover their true selves.

After seeing a segment on the news about the alarming number of women veterans who’d been wounded in the Middle East, I was inspired to write Beguiled. I was astounded by the vast number of women returning from war after losing limbs or being told they’d never walk again. Faced with such a situation, I expected most women would harbor resentment. I was surprised to see how many had risen above their circumstances to not only thrive, but to help others in their same situation.

I wondered what would happen if a woman had been wounded while fighting during the American Civil War. How would the men have treated her when they discovered she was a woman? How would other women view her? How could she ever go back to life as a normal woman after having fought alongside men?

Growing up in the South, Civil War history is just a part of the local scenery, and while authors are often told to write what they know, I also choose to write where I know. I’ve experienced the deafening sizzle of cicadas in the trees on a sultry summer night. I’ve smelled earthy red Georgia clay and felt the stifling humidity that hangs oppressively in air so thick you can hardly breathe. I grew up playing on acres of rolling farmland and wading through the cotton stalks when the cotton bolls were so white they’d blind you in the sunlight. So I couldn’t think of a better setting for Beguiled than war-torn Georgia. And no better time than the 1860s to write about two enemies—two women—who struggle to find the strength and the courage to be together no matter what it takes.

Here’s a taste of Beguiled ~

“I have something that might fit you.” I slid off the bed to rummage in the chest of drawers. When I pulled open the bottom drawer, Dalton’s scent filled my senses. I breathed it in, longing to feel his strong arms, yearning to feel safe and sheltered again.

Missing…

A lump welled in my throat as I withdrew one of his neatly folded nightshirts. “This was…is…is my husband’s,” I said. “It should fit you.”

Again, those stormy eyes collided with mine and held. The way she studied me with that deliberate stare unnerved me. She winced as she shifted in the bed to drag her shirt out from under her bottom. At once, I moved to help her, placing Dalton’s nightshirt on the bed as I gathered up Alice’s shirt and dragged it off over her head.

I easily saw how she passed herself off as a man now. Her broad, angular shoulders looked as strong as any man’s. Muscular biceps defined the shape of her long arms. But my gaze drew magnetically to her breasts. All peaches and cream, they were small and boasted dark, velvety nipples. I swallowed thickly, realizing I couldn’t stop staring — and also realizing Alice didn’t seem to care.

Instead, she leaned back slightly as if to give me a better view. Her nipples rose as she inhaled a deep breath. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought she intended her pose to be provocative. Was she that shameless?

A wave of heat settled in my neck, and, hands trembling, I unfolded Dalton’s nightshirt and slipped it over Alice’s head. At the same time, we both reached for the ties at the neck. Our hands clashed once and then twice, and I let out a nervous laugh. I swatted her hands away. “Let me.”

Her hands dropped to her lap, and she watched me as I looped the thin ties into a perfect little bow. I sat beside her once more. “What was it like?” I asked. “Fighting?”

I fell utterly in love with Alice while writing Beguiled. If you’d like to read more of Alice and Belle’s love story, you can purchase the book here: Buy the book

Thanks Delilah, for allowing me to introduce your readers to my characters!

Paisley Smith ~ https://paisley-smith.com ~ Aren’t you just a little curious?

NaNo Day 15:
Viking-2—2328 words
TW—1257 words

As you can tell, a very productive day yesterday, despite one very, very naughty little 23-month-old…

I live for her naps. They last at least a couple of hours every day. While she sleeps, I slam pages. Yesterday, she was taking an unusually long nap. I’d sneak by her door and listen—not a peep—and head back to work.

Finally, I knew I couldn’t leave her there longer, otherwise I’d never get her to bed that night. When I opened the door, I wanted to back right out and wait hours for her mother to come home. In her boredom, little princess had stripped off her clothes and her diaper. Then she’d pooped in the center of her bed.

That wasn’t enough. Apparently, warm poop feels really good between your toes because she couldn’t help herself. There wasn’t an inch of bed bottom that didn’t have little poopy footprints. Still not enough?

She’d decided she was an artist. Bright orangey-brown poop was smeared into the sides of the bed, over the top. And poop makes for a fabulous facial becasue she had in her nose, across her cheeks, in her hair…

Oh yes. One of those moments when I wonder why I didn’t tie my tubes after the son. At the time, I was too horrified to think, but now I wished I’d taken one picture as revenge. Someday she would have brought a date to the house and introduced him, and I would have pointed to the picture over the mantle and told him all about Princess Poop.

But y’all don’t want to hear about my adventure. You want to know who won yesterday’s prizes. I’ll wait to hear from Adele, but the winner of my Access Romance contest is…Tracey D! Tracey, congrats and be sure to email me!

NaNo Day 14:
Viking-2—2130 words
TW—574 words

While Adele is playing here, be sure to catch me at Access Romance for a chance to win a free book! ~DD

Fast Motorcycles, Hot Cars

by Adele Dubois

I like to write about fast motorcycles and hot cars. Most of my books include a Harley-Davidson motorcycle driven by a sexy, handsome hero. My REV ME TWICE hero, Tomas, personifies the hunk on a chopper and I hope that readers love him.

My heroines tend to drive convertibles, like I do in real life. For me, there’s nothing more exhilarating than driving fast on an open road with the ragtop down. My REV ME TWICE heroine, Crystal, likes to savor the feel of the wind in her hair, the sun shining on her face and the thrilling sensation of speed.

I live vicariously through my sexy, fearless characters in REV ME TWICE and it’s stand-alone first REV ME UP. I hope you will, too. If you think my REV books are for you, please leave a comment. One reader will win a motorcycle key ring in the mail to celebrate the release of REV ME TWICE. USA residents only, please. I’ll name the winner in the comments section with instructions on how to claim your prize.
Thank you for your support!

REV ME TWICE Summary:

Crystal is a bad, bad girl in the most delicious ways. She tries to be good and is tempted to commit to her Navy MP boyfriend, Tomas, but has no experience with an exclusive relationship or healthy family structure. She likes her life as a cable TV stripping weather girl and sex party host, and resists conforming to the traditional lifestyle Tomas craves. Without her weekly ménages and wild orgies, can she become the partner Tomas wants?

When Crystal receives death threats, a media frenzy erupts. During a break-in, the threatening letters are stolen, erasing evidence that thwarts an arrest. Tomas sports Crystal away on his Harley to protect her, but a deadly crash changes everything. Faced with the choice between self-interest and self-sacrifice, Crystal must decide if she will embrace a new life with Tomas or walk away.

REV ME TWICE: Excerpt

Rose petals washed down the shower drain in whirlpool wisps of pink. Crystal shampooed her hair and glided a soapy washcloth over her nude flesh to smooth away the body paint. Leaning back, she let the warm jets splash rivulets the length of her body. Moment by moment, the steam and moisture soothed her tense muscles and eased her worried mind.

“Crystal!” The bathroom door muffled the sound of her name, but Crystal would have recognized Tomas’ voice anywhere. Footsteps rushed up the stairs and down the hall. The bathroom door burst open. Heavy shoes plunked on the floor. Clothes ruffled. The shower stall opened.

Tomas stepped naked inside the oversized square of cool, amber tiles and wrapped his arms around Crystal’s waist from behind. He kissed the curve of her shoulder and trailed his lips up the length of her neck. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” he whispered into her ear. “The police told me what happened.” He took the washcloth from her hand and draped it above the shower nozzle. “Let me do that.”

After filling his hands with liquid body wash, he smoothed his palms over her torso and up over her chest. Her nipples grew tighter at the circular movements on the slippery skin of her breasts. Tension trickled from her neck and she relaxed her head against Tomas’ shoulder. His fingers pinched and pulled her nipples, shooting pleasant sensations down into her groin. The steel-like hardness of Tomas’ cock pressed against the tip of her tailbone and between the cheeks of her ass.

While she enjoyed the feel of Tomas against her and delighted in the magic of his hands, something she’d said to the police officers brought an inward smile. She’d called Tomas her boyfriend. That was the first time she’d described him that way.

She shivered lightly after he rinsed his hands and then slid fingers between her legs and into her passage. Was it possible? Could she be… falling in love? The concept both fascinated and terrified her. What did she know about healthy relationships?

Absolutely nothing.

“I’m going to make you come. Hard.” Tomas said against her hair. “Then I’m going to fix you something to eat and put you to bed.”

Buy The Book!

*****

Adele Dubois Website
Friend Adele on Facebook!
Find Adele on Twitter!

NaNo Day 13:
Viking-2—2062 words
TW—0 words 👿

Tomorrow’s the half-way point for NaNo, and I’m moving along nicely.

* Since this time last week, I’ve added 62 pages to Viking-2, and have thoroughly edited through ch 7. My goal was to finish through the rough draft of chapter 17, and I did that, so woohoo!
* I haven’t made as much progress with Girls Who Bite as I would like. I am up to page 93 with stories I like so far, but I still have a ton of reading to do.
* I have the first three pages of TW roughed out, but had hoped I’d have the whole first chapter done.
* I finished writing and editing my contribution to Girls Who Bite.

So a mixed bag, mostly good news.

This next week, I want to finish through chapter 20 of the Viking book, plus get through chapter 15 of edits. I want to write through chapter 3 of TW, and I want to done with weeding through the GWB entries. It’s a lot, but I can do it. I just have to knuckle down, spend my time wisely, and bribe Mr. Muse with tons of coffee and chocolate. I can diet in December. 🙂

NaNo Day 12:
Viking-2—0 words
TW—0 words 😕

While I’m busy making up for the words I didn’t write yesterday, enjoy this excerpt from Bad, Bad Girlfriend. Here’s what happens when a desperate woman goes a little too far to get her man’s attention (with the help of a magical pair of stilettos).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jolie heard the music, tried to catch the beat, but she’d never been so scared, so embarrassed in her life.

She knew she’d made a huge mistake the minute she’d entered the stripper’s dressing room. Lexie had ushered her in after Guppy, the skinny, bespectacled manager of the strip club, let them in the back door and showed them to the women’s dressing room. She already wore her costume under a tightly belted trench coat, but getting her first up-close look at the other women awaiting their turns on the stage made her lose her nerve.

She turned back toward the exit.

Lexie stood behind her, her arms crossed over her chest. “No you don’t. Not after I paid him a hundred dollars to let you do this!”

“You paid him?”

Lexie shrugged. “He prefers professionals, but he’s not above a bribe.”

“Great. You had to pay him to let me take off my clothes. Get out of my way.”

Lexie’s chin firmed, and her eyes narrowed into the meanest look her friend could manage. “You talked me into this. You convinced me this was a good idea. No way are you going to chicken out now.”

“They’ll laugh at me,” Jolie whispered furiously.

The other women, even the curvier ones, weren’t as well-padded.

One the women nearest them, eyed Jolie in the glass as she applied a wide streak of eyeliner. “We’ve had big girls before. Some of the men prefer ’em. Give it a go, hon.”

Jolie didn’t appreciate the advice and straightened her spine, ready to walk right through Lexie if she didn’t get the hell out of her way.

Lexie lifted her chin. “You want a ring, remember? A commitment. You want him to notice you, know you’re desirable for more than your cupcakes.”
Read the rest of this entry »

NaNo Day 11:
Viking-2—2283 words
TW—0 words 😕

Yesterday, I got word that two short stories I’d written for Cleis anthologies are going to be published! So, I’m sharing pictures of the covers. [Click on the covers to head to Amazon and order them!]

Carnal Machines won’t be out until May 1, 2011, but it’s never to early to place a great collection on pre-order (hint, hint). My own contribution is called Dr. Mullaley’s Cure. It was my first attempt at Steampunk and so enjoyable to write, I’m thinking about doing more.

Remember the award-winning Lesbian Cowboys? Lesbian Cops is another such offering from editor Sacchi Green. I write about two small-town female cops who come together. My female protagonist was hard-edged, but with a wicked edge of humor. I completely loved writing her. This one’s coming April 1, 2011.

NaNo Day 10:
Viking-2—1671 words
TW—462 words

A Reader’s Top Ten Guide for A Great Romance

by Marie Harte

Thanks, Delilah, for letting me blog here today. I wanted to write something different, so I switched hats from writer to reader. And I was off and running…

As a writer, I like to know what readers want. I’m not so much into trends. I don’t like jumping on the vampire bandwagon just because those books might be popular. If I have an actual vampire story in mind, that’s something else. I’m talking about common threads that appeal to readers. Strong heroines, alpha males, sexual tension, that kind of thing.

Then I had a thought. Hey, I’m a reader. Why not list what I’m looking for in a story? I can read a three to four hundred page book in one sitting in a few hours, easy. I can’t say how many books I read in a month or year, but during my crazy (book-obsessed) days that fluctuate from month to month in between deadlines, I can easily read two or three in a day, especially if the stories are shorter. Of course, a lot of that depends on time, too, because I do have a family and a day job writing.

From what I’ve read and seen over the years, I have a lot in common with the average Sally Reader. So here’s my top ten list of what constitutes a great romance, in no particular order.

1. Likeable characters. The hero and heroine (or hero and hero, whatever floats your boat) don’t have to be the nicest people on the planet, but at some point they have to be likeable, and not ten pages from the end. There’s nothing worse than trying to read a book about people that are either whiny, annoying, or TSTL (too stupid to live) for 350 pages.

2. Sexual tension. I write erotic romance, and I like to read it. But when the characters hop into bed on page 3, it kind of takes away my enjoyment to see them struggle for it. Now a few authors have made this work by throwing in the requisite plot problems and angst, but by and large the easy hookup doesn’t appeal to me.

3. Gratuitous sex. Yes, I feel awful for saying this. Especially since for so many years I read stories where the characters could barely hold hands before the author cut to a new scene. Erotic romance has “erotic” in the title for a reason. It involves sex. But sex for sex’s sake shows. When the physical builds the emotional, it works. You can tell when it doesn’t.

4. The right angst. I am drawn to tortured heroes and heroines. I think we all are. It’s normal to want to see people build themselves back up after being thrown down a peg or two. But when the characters suffer page after page after page, it takes away from the joy to be had in the story. And real or not, rape scenes do nothing for me. I don’t like reading about it, and I don’t even like references to it with the main characters. Then again, that’s a personal pet peeve, but we are talking fiction, a place where anything normally goes. And hey, this is my list.

5. Character growth. I find it common anymore to read a book where one of the two characters grows but the other remains stagnant. It’s like the author puts so much into making the heroine a strong woman, she forgets that the hero is more than a foil for the heroine, but an actual part of the story. Let him grow too, damn it!

6. Humor. Just because a book is dark doesn’t mean it can’t have funny moments. Fiction mirrors reality, right? Well, people do laugh at funerals. Life isn’t all one shade, but a rainbow of emotion. Throw it all in there, I say.

7. Believable conflict. There’s nothing worse than reading a story where the hero and heroine don’t get along because of a simple misunderstanding. One short conversation between the pair would eliminate all problems and make the whole story crumble. That’s not believable conflict. Layer stuff in there, make us, the readers, want to see how they solve their problems. A phone call where the heroine admits she threw out his favorite shirt, and she’s sorry, and why can’t they all just get along, doesn’t cut it.

8. Chemistry. The main characters have to have it, or the story won’t work. Just because an author creates the pair or threesome or group involved doesn’t mean they fit. And yeah, I’ve read romances where the hero seems better suited to a secondary character and the heroine should be lesbian. It’s like the author doesn’t know her characters.

9. If everyone’s special, no one’s special. One author I used to love and now can’t read anymore gives all her characters god powers. Yeah, all of them. They’re all immortal, so where’s the scare factor? Why should the characters worry when they can snap their fingers and have an HEA whenever they want? And seriously, is every character really that handsome, pretty, white, skinny-with-boobs or tall?

10. Don’t break the rules. Authors create worlds and a set of rules that go with them. So when I read about a hero who can’t do X, then thirty pages in does X, it annoys me, especially if there’s no explanation as to why he can do X. It’s like the author has forgotten her own rules. Sure there are exceptions to the rules, but if there are too many, why have the rules in the first place?

I love to read and always will. But as my budget gets tighter, my choices in what I read narrow. I might chance a new author when all my favorites have nothing out, but burn me once, and I probably won’t be back to read more. Even my favorites have only so much leeway before I’m moving on to someone new. And with the sheer breadth of choices out there, thanks to epublishing and our friend, the Internet, I don’t have to search far and wide for a new and temping read anymore.

Happy reading!

Marie
www.marieharte.com