Thanks, Delilah, for allowing me to visit again, especially on a weekend. 🙂
People often ask authors how they juggle everything else in their lives and still manage to write. We all have things we have to do…work, school, family, extracurricular activities, whatever. If you toss writing into the mix, which is really a full-time job in itself, well, you’ve essentially got a circus. At least some days it feels like that to me. And I know I suck at juggling. I’m forever wondering how in the world I’m going to get everything done, and not let anyone down, myself included. So I thought I’d learn how to juggle. You can learn anything on the internet.
“Juggling is a challenging but rewarding hobby; studies show that people who learn to juggle increase their brains’ grey matter! While juggling may seem and be difficult to master at first, it becomes easier once you’ve learned the basics and practiced it.”
The statement above and the steps below come from https://www.wikihow.com/Juggle. (for those of you wanting to learn a new trick in time for your next family reunion.) The steps appear quite simple and strangely enough, relatable in so many ways to what anyone who has to manage multiple commitments face every day.
Choose suitable balls. I work full time; I have a family, and other commitments. Every day I need to decide what my priorities are for that day, what’s critical, what’s not. I need to plan. I need to know what’s realistic and achievable so I don’t set myself up for failure.
Choose a suitable place to work in. I need to be in the right environment for each of my tasks so I can concentrate appropriately. I can’t write sitting in the middle of a family birthday party. Now if it were on beach? Maybe J
Toss one ball from hand to hand to get the feel of juggling. To me, this is about learning what works. How many tasks can I “juggle” at one time and still feel like I’m accomplishing something?
Practice scooping. Simply scoop, or dip, your hand before tossing the ball. Keep the dip shallow though; it isn’t going to work if you scoop too deeply. I think one is knowing when to stop, maybe change tactics. When to step back and take a breath. I admit I have a difficult time with this one.
With a ball in each hand, toss ball A, and when it reaches the top it its arc, toss ball B. Practice until it becomes comfortable. At the top is key. This will give you the most time for your next catch. When you start working with 3, 4, and 5, this becomes especially important. Wow! It’s all about planning and scheduling, isn’t it?
So, what about adding more balls? What does wikihow say?
“Juggling three is a matter of understanding the ball’s trajectories and how they intertwine. Juggling five balls is just like juggling three, but you have to move your hands a lot faster and you need to throw the balls higher. Keep practicing –– it takes time and patience to master.”
Such sound advice. So, then I looked at a few of their tips and discovered some are very applicable to any of us who juggle more than one thing at a time.
Think of juggling as being less about catching and more about learning.
Find a pattern that works best for you.
Relax, breathe, and don’t get frustrated.
Start out slowly. If you fail do not worry. Take a break and try again.
Juggling is hard and sometimes depressing, annoying, repetitive or frustrating or all of these at once. But that is the same for any skill that is worth the time spent mastering it.
Do not attempt to juggle fire axes. Only professionals know how to do this. (Just thought I’d throw this one in to see if you’re actually reading this.J)
And, finally, the most useful, the most important piece of information I took away from this…
“Anybody who juggles knows that drops are common. Of course, you will practice your act and try to perfect it, but at some point, it’s not a question of whether you drop, but when. It’s not the end of the world, and if you’re prepared to recover quickly and well, it’s not the end of your act, either.”
Brand new release from Anne Lange
Can a summer of sexual exploration, lead to an unconventional forever.
When his best friend moves to the area, Tyler seizes an opportunity to fulfill his wife’s fantasies while, hopefully, leading her in the direction of his.
They shared women in the past, and Connor’s the only man Tyler trusts with this special summer assignment. But when neighbors start to gossip, and the actions of strangers threaten their already precarious threesome, he worries that Angela’s uncertainties and Connor’s ex will end what could be the perfect forever.
Anne Lange loves to read. In fact, if you take a close look, she’s got either a book, her Kindle or her Kobo with her where ever she goes, and will usually sneak in at least a chapter or ten whenever she can spare a few minutes. She reads many genres of fiction, but prefers to write sexy romance with attractive men, strong females, and always a happily ever after.
While embarking on a career as a romance author, Anne juggles a full time job and a family. She grew up in Southern Ontario (Canada), but now makes her home in Eastern Ontario where she lives with her husband and three children, and Rocky the bearded dragon.
I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth Rose and I am the author of 27 romance novels, including small town, medieval, paranormal and fantasy. I am mostly known for my medieval novels, and have loved castles, knights, dragons, swords, etc. for as long as I can remember. One of my all time favorite movies is the 1985 movie, Ladyhawke, which featured not only Michelle Pfeiffer but also Matthew Broderick. It is a wonderful romance and always makes me cry at the end – in a good way of course. And I also love the paranormal aspects as well.
My latest release is Onyx, Book 1 of my Scottish medieval, MadMan MacKeefe series. Onyx and his friends, Aidan – Book 2, and Ian – Book 3 are all madmen. The more dangerous or adventurous the task, the more it makes them feel alive. Onyx has two different colored eyes, and as a baby he was thought to be dead and put into a chest and was supposed to be thrown into the ocean.
Back then, people were very superstitious and also very religious. If you were left-handed, you were thought to be a devil, and the second born twin was also supposed to be evil. So someone with one orange eye and one of black, would be considered a demon for sure. Actually, Onyx is the brother to the four girls in my Daughters of the Dagger series. If you’d like to know more about how they were all named after gemstone daggers and the superstitions of their mother, you can read my FREE series prequel. And watch for Aidan and Ian’s stories coming up in the next few months.
I found it quite interesting to add my historical research to my novels, for instance in Ruby– Book 1 of the Daughters of the Dagger, the story deals with a child thought to be the king’s bastard. Kings back then almost always had illegitimate children and mistresses, so this was very common.
In Sapphire– Book 2, I take you on a journey with wool smugglers and the secret passageways that even today are still beneath some of the taverns of England. With Amber – Book 3, I pushed the envelope a little, as my heroine is a novice in an abbey, and I show some of the corruption as well as the power the church back then. And in Amethyst – Book 4, I take you on a journey of a woman put into a position of power in building a medieval castle.
Another of my medieval series is my Legacy of the Blade series. Watch video. In this series of four books, I include some special features such as a blind heroine who is the leader of a band of renegades in Lady Renegade and a female pirate heroine in Lady of the Mist.
I love dark, dangerous, tortured heroes, both physically and mentally/emotionally. Most of my heroes have issues they are dealing with from the past. And I also love to empower women, so my heroines usually know how to wield a sword, stand their ground, and are far from wimpy.
That brings me to some of my paranormal novels, which are my favorites to write. My Greek Myth Fantasy series has gods, goddesses, and even an amazon warrior princess. (Watch book trailer video.) Remember the old Xena and Hercules tv shows? That is what inspired those novels, years ago. And my Elemental Series, (watch video), has four powerful women who control the elements of fire, earth, air and water. And if you like shapeshifting, I have a warlock in denial along with a heroine who shapeshifts into a cat at night in Familiar. The guy on the cover is very sexy. Watch the video to see more about the book.
Or if medieval or paranormal is not your cup of tea, I have my small town contemporary Tarnished Saints series, about 12 brothers. These men are sons of a preacher, named after the twelve apostles. But they are far from saints. Matter of fact, they are nothing but trouble. Check out my new, sexy cover for Luring Levi,the second book of the series. And watch for Judging Judas, book three, coming in April, 2014.
Stop by my website at https://elizabethrosenovels.com to read excerpts of any of my novels, as well as to watch my book trailer videos. And if you sign up to be on my mailing list, you will get announcements as to my new books that come out nearly every month, as well as get sneak peeks at the upcoming covers.
I also do all my own book covers, as well as my own book trailer videos. And since there are other authors by the same name, my books can be identified by my trademark – my red rose by my name on every cover. Watch for new books monthly, as well as a few new series I have planned for this summer.
UPDATE! Pam Howell is the winner of The Pulse! Congrats, Pam!
* * * * *
So What Happened To That Other Chick?
Do you ever read a book, and it wraps up nicely and all, but you can’t help but wonder what happened to the heroine’s best friend? The one that kinda stole the show a bit?
That’s what happened to me after I wrote The Pulse, Book 1 in the Pulse Trilogy. I couldn’t stop thinking about Jenna, Emily’s roommate on the Tracks, where they lived together in the FEMA camp set up in Grand Central Terminal, selling their bodies to the soldiers for an extra ration.
Jenna was fun for me, because while Emily was able to accurately look at the horror going on around them in my dystopian, post-apocalyptic New York City, Jenna looked at the exact same situation as one big opportunity. She was an office manager before The Pulse hit— but she came into her own on the Tracks, quite enjoying her myriad of sexual adventures, thankyouverymuch.
So when, in The Escape, Book 2 in the Pulse Trilogy, the wool is pulled from Jenna’s eyes, and the truth closes in around her—that she’s in danger, and better run, fast—everything changes.
I loved having the opportunity to take a woman like Jenna out of her element (because, for her at least, she was very much in her element in the camp) and take everything from her. Put her on the run. Have her chased by the sexy soldier sent to capture her and bring her back to the Tracks.
Because, you know, I like to mess with my heroines. Getting them into trouble is half the fun. And when Jenna can’t manipulate Private Barker and must team up with him instead, well… smexytimes abound 😉
If you haven’t yet read The Pulse, Book 1 in the Pulse Trilogy, I’m gifting a digital copy to one commenter today.And if you haven’t read The Escape, Book 2, yet… take a look, because it just released from Simon & Schuster Pocket Star on Amazon, B&N,iBooks, Amazon UK and wherever ebooks are sold 🙂
Here’s the blurb for The Escape, Book 2 in the Pulse Trilogy:
In Book Two of the erotic dystopian Pulse Trilogy, Jenna escapes New York City only to be tracked down by a soldier who might be her only hope of survival.
Jenna doesn’t know if she believes what Emily and Mason told her—that America is rebuilding and a better life awaits her outside of Manhattan. But with the power grid down and no connection to the outside world, Jenna will die if she stays at Grand Central’s FEMA camp, selling her body to soldiers.
Private Ken Barker is sent to capture Jenna when she escapes—but Jenna knows he’s one of the good guys and tries to seduce him into joining her. Their passionate sex kindles something even stronger than lust between them, and when Barker goes back to Grand Central he sees the horrors there with new eyes.
Now it’s his turn to escape the city, and he knows he must take Jenna with him or she’ll die at the camp. On the road, they’ll start a new life together, hoping against hope that the electricity between them will prove more than just a spark—that together they might finally light up their dark nights.
****And now, an adults-only excerpt you won’t find in the sample pages!
Barker couldn’t tear his eyes away from her full breasts, naked and so beautiful. It had been too long. God, how he wanted to wrap her in his arms and forget everything, for just one night.
No. Don’t do it. You can’t do it.
“Put your shirt on, Jenna.” He turned his back to her, confident she wouldn’t escape in the pitch-blackness outside the room, not with the way she’d clung to him earlier.
He waited for her to tease him again, but she didn’t. He heard the sounds of her putting her shirt on. The bed creaked when she sat on it.
“I must really disgust you,” she said softly. “I’m sorry.”
“No,” he said, swallowing hard. “You do not disgust me. Not at all.” He knelt down on the carpet and looked up at her pretty face. “You’re incredibly beautiful, Jenna. I want you, I do. But I refuse to take advantage of you.”
“I’m offering myself to you.”
“Would you have done that back in the day? Before the Pulse?”
“Everything’s different now.”
Barker got up and sat beside her on the bed. “Everything’s different, but I’m not. At least, I’m trying not to be.”
“See?” Jenna wrapped her arms around him, surprising him with the ferocity of her embrace. “You’re a good guy, Barker. You don’t want me to die. Don’t take me back there.”
Her body felt so good pressed against his, so right. Here, unlike the Tracks, they’d have real privacy. A bed. They could lose themselves in each other’s arms and pretend everything was normal, if only for a few hours.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I have food, in my bag. Water.”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded so small, like a child.
He pulled his bag on the bed and opened it. “I have a sleeping bag. We’ll use that as a blanket, okay? On the bed.”
Jenna smiled. “That sounds lovely. I haven’t slept on a proper bed in a long time.”
Barker smiled back. “I have two weeks of rations, because they didn’t know how long it would take for me to find you. We can eat until we’re full, if we want.”
“I don’t even remember what that feels like,” Jenna laughed.
He handed her two thick pieces of bread, and several strips of dried meat. It was chewy, but it did the trick.
They ate in uneasy silence. What would happen when they were done eating, and it was time to go to sleep?
He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to resist her.
“Barker?” she asked, swallowing some water. “Do you miss your girlfriend? Is that why you don’t want to be with me?”
“I can’t even remember what she looks like anymore. Whenever I try to picture her face, it’s not quite right. So I don’t try anymore.”
“Why did you give me your ration that time?”
Barker shrugged. “Because I wanted to go to sleep that night, knowing you were sleeping too. Not—not being abused by one of the assholes who call themselves soldiers.”
“Sometimes I like it, though. A lot of times. Does that bother you? That I might like being a whore?”
Her long, unkempt blonde hair fell into her eyes, and he resisted the urge to touch her, to smooth it in place for her.
“I guess it’s better that way. Better than being like some of those other women. The ones who show up for morning rations with bruises. But don’t ever call yourself a whore again.”
His anger simmered within him. Fuck. He wished he could shoot the Colonel himself and take over, make everyone toe the fucking line and get their shit together.
Whoa. Where did that come from?
Something about this entire situation, being with Jenna, seeing her fear about being killed—it made him see everything he thought he knew about the camp in a different light.
Could he really trust the Colonel?
“Thank you for dinner, Barker.”
“I’m glad I got an opportunity to feed you,” he said.
“Let’s go to bed,” she whispered. “But . . . I sleep naked. Just thought I should warn you.”
Barker laughed, his mood considerably brightened now that his belly was full, and they were safe for the night. Alone. In a bedroom, with a bed.
And with a beautiful woman who was throwing herself at him.
“Fuck it,” he said, and set his rifle down on the dresser top.
He noticed her eyes follow his movements, but she quickly looked back at him, and grinned.
“Well, hello there. Glad we’re finally on the same page.”
She started to pull her own top off again, but Barker pulled her in close, and stripped it off for her, running his hands along her curves. Her hips flared out despite the lack of any extra meat on her, and he held her ass through her pants, his cock hardening.
“Fuck yeah, soldier,” she murmured against his lips. “Let’s do this.”
Critically-acclaimed author Shoshanna Evers has written dozens of sexy stories including Amazon Erotica Bestsellers Overheated, and Enslaved, Book 1 in the Enslaved Trilogy, as well as the post-apocalyptic dystopian Pulse Trilogy from Simon & Schuster Pocket Star. Her work has been featured in Best Bondage Erotica 2012 and Best Bondage Erotica 2013, the Penguin/Berkley Heat anthology Agony/Ecstasy, and numerous erotic BDSM novellas including Chastity Belt and Punishing the Art Thief from Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
The non-fiction anthology Shoshanna Evers edited and contributed to, How To Write Hot Sex: Tips from Multi-Published Erotic Romance Authors, is a #1 Bestseller in the Authorship, Erotica Writing Reference, and Romance Writing categories on Amazon.
Reviewers have called Shoshanna’s writing “fast paced, intense, and sexual…every naughty fantasy come to life for the reader” with stories where “the plot is fresh and the pacing excellent, the emotions…real and poignant.”
Shoshanna used to work as a syndicated advice columnist and a registered nurse, but now she’s a full-time smut writer and a home-schooling mom. She lives with her family and two big dogs in Northern Idaho.
Have you ever read a romance where the hero passes gas (my two-year-old daughter calls it “tooping” not to be confused with “twerking” thank you), belches or actually goes, um, number two? Ewww and gross. No way would any hot hunky hero in a romance novel do those things.
Thank God for fiction!
I was in my late twenties when I picked up my first romance. I instantly fell in love with the genre and would take a tote to the library and fill the bag with dozens of books. My mom was so funny. She went all serious on me and told me to be careful and realize that what I was reading was fiction. Romance doesn’t happen the way it’s portrayed in novels and I shouldn’t compare my husband (we were newly married at the time) to the heroes in romance books. She’d actually made me laugh over her “words of wisdom.” But I understood what she’d meant. Romances are fantasy, a break from reality and a way to escape into another world.
As a writer, I love making up stories, but I also can’t help putting a touch of my reality in them. No, I’ve never murdered anyone or had to worry about how to dispose of a body like my villains in my romantic suspense novels. But in each one of those books there are quick peeks into my reality. For example, in Shadow of Danger (Book 1 CORE Shadow Trilogy) my heroine could bake a mean chocolate chip cookie and she had a gnome fetish. Not to brag, but I’m kinda known for my chocolate chip cookies and have over two dozen gnomes in my yard and house. There’s also a scene with a cranberry bog. When I was on a business trip with my husband, I ended up seated at the bar next to a couple from Wisconsin. I was writing Shadow of Danger at the time and had the story set in Wisconsin. It turned out the couple was not only from the area my story took place, but the husband was a cranberry farmer. Okay, how many cranberry farmers have you met in your life? Me? He was my first, and because meeting them was so random I decided I had to do something with a cranberry bog. I’m not going to tell you what I did. Let’s just say it was…killer.
I also add touches of my reality in my contemporary romances. My latest release, Love Me or Leave Me is actually based on the HGTV reality show, Love It or List It. For those of you who haven’t seen the show, here’s a quick premise: Homeowners explain why their house no longer works for them (no space, layout, had more children, etc.). The show’s designer renovates the house hoping the homeowners will love it and want to stay. Meanwhile the real estate agent shows the homeowners houses they could purchase with the hope they’ll list their home.
I’ve seen just about every episode (what did we do before DVRs?). Every time I watch the show, I wonder what the designer would do with my house or what the real estate agent would say if he walked inside and took a look around. When my husband and I bought our home we had two babies. Now we have four kids. The bigger they grow, the smaller my house becomes. So when I came up with the idea for Love Me or Leave Me I decided to use my house as the home in question. As I started developing the story, I would walk through my house and imagine what my heroine would do with it. I had a lot of fun writing this story, making imaginary changes to my house and trying to decide whether or not I would want to stay if we ever had an opportunity to be on a show like this.
And while you’ll find some of my reality in Love Me or Leave Me, you’ll also find a whole lot of fiction. One of the best parts of being a romance author is being able to create romance and watch it bloom. My hero, Carter, and my heroine, Brynn, were a fun couple to write, especially when I had them turning up the heat (wink, wink). That being said, I’ll never forget what my mom had told me—romance novels, as a whole, are fantasy. But, I have to admit it sure is fun to play out those fantasies in my reality (great big wink).
Love Me or Leave Me
Carter James, real estate agent for the hit reality show, Renovate or Relocate, has been crazy about the show’s designer, Brynn Dawson, for years. He’s been aching to take their friendship to a new level and when he gets his chance to spend a hot, sensual night with her and fulfill his wildest fantasies, he falls hard for Brynn. When the director of the show reveals that Brynn could possibly be fired, Carter knows he has to act fast before she’s booted from the show. He’ll not only jeopardize his reputation, but he’ll go behind her back to help her keep her job. Knowing Brynn’s pride is also at stake, he hopes his deception doesn’t come back to haunt him in the end. He can’t imagine life without the woman he loves.
Brynn has been aware of Carter for years. How good he smells, his sexy smile, his lean, muscular body, his big, rough hands and what she’d like him to do with them. When she takes a chance by going from friends to lovers, she risks both her heart and their friendship, but discovers it’s the best decision she could have ever made. Despite having her job on the line, she also knows that as long as she has Carter by her side, she can get through anything. Until she finds out what Carter’s been up to. Hurt and betrayed, her emotions raw and her love for him tested, she’ll have to decide whether she can move past the deceit and love him or if his lack of faith in her will force her to leave him.
I didn’t pick up my first romance novel until I was in my late twenties. Immediately hooked, I read a bazillion books before deciding to write one of my own. After the birth of my first son I needed something to keep my mind from turning to mush, and Sesame Street wasn’t cutting it. While that first book will never see the light of day, something good came from writing it. I realized my passion, and found a career I love.
When I’m not writing contemporary romances and dark, romantic suspense novels (or reading them!) I’m chasing after my four kids and two neurotic dogs.
Thank you for hosting me today. I’m excited to talk about the spice RED PEPPER, and my latest release, Stripper With Spice, a contemporary erotic romance.
Raging Red Pepper
I’m one of those people who cook intuitively. Unless it’s dessert, I use a dash of this and a handful of that. With most spices, you can sprinkle liberally without worrying too much about overdoing it. Not so with red peppers. Put too much of that in the recipe and you’ll make people break out in a sweat, dash for the water glass, and maybe even experience pain for a while.
When I was in Texas last year, I stocked up on Texas food mixes, including chili. That turned out well since I could adjust the amount of pepper I put in there according to the handy instructions. Chili is kind of like a romance novel. It has various heat levels, and the highest is not usually for the faint of heart. Later, I ordered chili mix from a different company. Those instructions were the same deal. Adjust the heat level by how much habanero pepper you put in. But this kit also included a standard spice pack. It looked as if it had plenty of dried red pepper in there, but I figured it’s standard, right? So, I threw in the whole pack and chose the mild level for the habanero. After a couple mouthfuls of that chili, flames were blowing out of my ears and my husband couldn’t even eat it. Live and learn. I’ll never disrespect red pepper again, despite what the directions say.
When peppers are fresh, they can be hazardous to the cook as well. My family grew peppers for the first time and gave me some. As I’ve discovered, anything out of the garden is usually ten times more potent than the washed-out stuff you buy at the grocery store. I cut up the pepper along with the onion and threw it in. Not long after, my hands were on fire. When I got into a hot shower, I thought my skin was going to blister and fall off. I was in agony for hours! The next time my family offered me garden peppers, I said, “No thanks. I’ll stick to the dried stuff.”
Handling peppers can have serious implications for sex as well. These can be painful or titillating, depending on your point of view. And certain parts of the body (ahem) are more susceptible than others. When I write the first draft of a book, my sex scenes are sometimes a little rushed because I’m just trying to get the facts down. I add sensuality layers during my polishing phase.
One thing I learned from taking a class was to make the love scene uniquely belong to the characters. Because food was a big part of the plot of my story and Carlos’s family owns a Mexican restaurant, a hot pepper came to mind. That simple addition made the love scene take off. Janice and Carlos go from making fajitas together to sharing a peppery kiss and ending up on the couch in a scorching reunion. Throughout the book, Carlos is like a hot pepper, exciting but unknown and potentially painful. Janice learns to be a master chef, using just the right amount.
Getting back on her feet after unemployment, Janice treats herself to an erotic-romance convention. After winning a two-hour fantasy date with Carlos Aguilar, a young stripper, she decides to have a one-time fantasy fling.
When Carlos entices her back to the bedroom—and a few public places—for more sizzling sex, he unleashes her passions, including a secret desire to be a chef. Janice learns there’s more to this heartthrob than a hot body, but job security comes first.
To convince her he’s more than a fantasy, Carlos teaches her trust with his body. But when that trust is finally tested to the limit, she’ll be torn between clinging to safety and taking a chance on a whole new life.
He looks and sounds so serious and honest, how can I not be completely convinced? His words echo inside my head as he grips both sides of my face and lowers his mouth to mine in slow motion. The thrill bubbles return to my bloodstream as if the elevator cable has just snapped, dropping us to the basement.
Unlike last night’s, this kiss is slow and full of promise. He samples my mouth as if we have all the time in the world. A flash of mint-flavored tongue pierces my soul, tearing a moan from my throat. With one hand still on the button, I raise my other to his shoulder. Feeling the bare, hot skin there fuels my desire, pushing me dangerously close to the edge of self-control.
“Do you want this as much as I do, Janice?”
God, yes. I need more…all of you.
I reply by sliding my hand across the tiger-striped fabric over his back. The warm satin, with muscles moving under it, is just as sexy as bare skin. His hips dance against mine—rubbing, thrusting and teasing. My fingers move to the worn waistband of his jeans at his side, wanting to pull them off. My body throbs, needing him as I’ve never needed anything before.
When he pulls my finger off the close-door button, the door opens to reveal an annoyed looking family of five waiting to get on. The parents, obviously noticing Carlos’ wild vest and our heavy breathing, exchange a disgusted look.
Carlos takes my hand and leads me off the elevator. My heart races as we walk down the corridor. Luckily, the carpet absorbs the trembling in my legs so it doesn’t make a sound.
He stops at one of the doors. I fixate on the way he slides his keycard from his back pocket and inserts it into the door reader. It’s something I’ve done myself a million times without thinking, but this is different. This is foreplay.
The door responds with a little click and a flashing green light. I guess we just got the green light for wild, hot sex. My heart accelerates even more. If it goes any faster, he’ll have to call a paramedic. I can read the headline now.
Boring financial analyst dies from anticipating sex with a hot cover model.
I check my watch. Fifteen minutes have passed.
“We still have plenty of time.” He ushers me inside and closes the door behind me.
The room is completely dark because the drapes are drawn. It’s as if we’ve entered a private cave, hidden from the world. This is it, I think as Carlos flips on a dim lamp. We’re really going to do this. We’re going to have sex.
“Come in and make yourself comfortable,” he says.
I stay where I am but gaze around the room, noticing with approval how neat he is. His clothes hang in the closet and his toiletries are laid out on one corner of the sink. The smoky-brown bottle probably contains the mysterious mesquite scent. I wish he were a slob so I could tell myself it would never work between us.
It doesn’t take long for my attention to stumble across the centerpiece of the room, the large bed. Is it another stage? Is the perfectly pressed red cover the curtain? Unlike the platforms we shared for the photo shoot and lap dance, this one is completely private.
What if he doesn’t like my performance?
Coming Soon
Rock My Boat
Workaholic CEO Rhonda Simms embarks on a Caribbean cruise to create an ad campaign for a big maritime freight client. She finds it impossible to concentrate, however, when Simon Mann, a blue marlin shifter, sets his sights on her. From a private, hands-on safety briefing to a wild ride in the ocean, he rocks her ordered world.
Simon drowned years ago in a shipwreck caused by Rhonda’s client, and he’ll do anything to be a normal man again. As his mate, Rhonda is the only person who can help him.
Tired of being so responsible, Rhonda is ready to let loose with a shipboard fling. Mating with Simon could cost a lot more than her virginity, however. Will she stick to her present course or will she let this sexy alpha rock her boat?
This story will be part of the Tall, Dark & Alpha boxed set, which will release 10 March 2014.
This post is part of the Stripper With Spice Blog Tour.
The grand prize for the tour is the winner’s choice of a wall-mountable black scroll spice rack or The Spice Lover’s Guide to Herbs and Spices book (U.S. shipping address only).
To be eligible, COMMENT on this post. The comment MUST relate to the spice I’m posting about in at least ONE of these ways:
1) How you cook with it or use it in food OR
2) How you use it as a natural remedy OR
3) How it reminds you of a particular man or intimate encounter
One of my favorite philosophical discussions with my husband is “who is more worthy?” — the son that has always done the right thing in his life or the son after a life of indiscretions discovers his honor? Is one more deserving than the other? And, at what point would you consider the two sons equal, if at all?
Needless to say, it brings some lively discussions over our dinner table.
A certain level of jealousy would develop between brothers and maybe that’s what forces them to extremes. The righteous son may long for a life without expectations or use his honor as a weapon against the brother who has none. The other may want what his brother has, but cannot find the right path home.
At what point is the second son unredeemable? What is the tipping point of change?
I’m a sucker for a bad boy turned good and love to believe in second chances. The prodigal son returns. There is something to be said about testing a character’s virtue and knowing the limits. Turning your back on the easy road takes courage, let alone the level of determination needed never to return to old ways.
I happen to love this type of conflict, so much so, Soul Awakened, my second book in the Key to the Cursed series, is based on this theme. Two brothers could not be any different. One (Bomani) raised in the warrior camp, fighting for his life and elevating to the level of Legion Commander on courage and will alone. The other (Bakari) lived a life of luxury and wealth, using his power to feed his lust and greed, until one fateful day. After years of imprisonment and torture, Bakari claims to be a changed man.
Years of rivalry and hatred stand between them. One woman to love. Can Bakari rise from the ashes to claim her? Who will be the victor? Love for blood or honor.
I want to hear what you think. Who is more worthy of Kendra’s love?
Or who do you root for: Team Life of Honor or Team Bad Boy Turned Good?
Commenters will be entered to win a $10 Kindle Gift Card/or equivalent eBook.
Kendra, an Egyptologist and demi-god in waiting, is the key to unlocking Bakari, the Egyptian God of Death, from his cursed slumber. Desperate to free him, she inadvertently binds herself to the god with a spell that only death will undo. To save Bakari from himself, she may have to sacrifice her innocence, and possibly her soul, before he becomes his family’s worst enemy.
HAUNTED BY SINS OF THE PAST
Bakari awakens to a world at war and a beautiful woman who has tethered his soul to hers. In the wake of his self-destruction Kendra is his only hope of salvation, but another has vowed to keep Bakari from the one thing he craves most— his Parvana. His butterfly.
Reviews:
Night Owl Reviews:Reviewer’s Top PICK/ 5 Stars (Abigail, Feb2013) : “I know other readers are going to love this series as much as I do. Get settled in for a thrilling paranormal tale.”
“I don’t know where to begin to describe the absolutely marvelous job that the author does in not only creating a wonderful world with so much depth and detail, but a story line the has the mystery and intrigue that will keep you glued to the pages.”
Only the strongest love can unlock the souls of the Underworld
In her pursuit of a nursing degree, Jean Murray aspired to see the world and joined the Navy. At the end of 2011 she said a heart-breaking goodbye to her Navy family and retired after twenty years of military service. Although her dreams of writing full time have yet to come true, she continues her writing journey and draws inspiration from her travels abroad. She enjoys spending time with her family and of course, writing about the “Carrigan sisters and their mates, Gods of the Underworld,” to bring you the next installment of the Key to the Cursed series.
Author Jean Murray brings a wonderful new spin to the paranormal world with her Egyptian Underworld gods. She broke ground in the paranormal romance genre with Soul Reborn and now continues the Key to the Cursed journey with Soul Awakened.
Happy New Year everyone! I’m Dana Lorraine, writer of dirty words and sexy men. Thank you to the wonderfully talented Delilah Devlin for hosting me on her blog today. I’m thrilled to be here to celebrate the release of my paranormal erotic ménage, Dying to Love Her!
So I always liked to write. When I was in high school I wrote for the school paper and never shied away from an essay contest. In college I didn’t cringe (too much) when a lengthy term paper was assigned, but it wasn’t until I started writing book reviews that I realized what I wanted to do was write stories.
I’m an avid reader when I have the time. Sadly, there hasn’t been much reading as of late but I always find a spare moment for my favorite authors and series (J.R. Ward and R.G. Alexander…I’m waiting).
Before I started writing I would read four to five novels a month plus shorter stories. I used my check from Barnes & Noble to pay for my addiction and when they became popular I bought a Kindle (before the Nook was created) so I could feed my habit anywhere and anytime of the day.
Those books I loved I had to tell the world about so I started writing reviews. A few sentences were never enough for me. I had to pen witty paragraphs. I didn’t have an interest in leaving a review that wasn’t well written or anything but glowing…that is until I started writing romance myself.
It’s not that my reviews became negative but when I didn’t connect with a story I now knew why. If I got bored it was because there was too much passive voice. If the sex scenes fell flat it was because they were all tell and no show. So I started leaving reviews that were more like the critiques I would give to my critique partner.
Then I finished Dying to Love Her and it got published by Ellora’s Cave, *insert the most awesome booty-shaking happy dance here*and I stopped writing reviews—for the most part. If you’re one of my favorite authors I want to show the love and I’ll leave a review but otherwise I shy away.
Now I know how much work goes into writing a book and what a personal experience it is. I’m not as quick to judge an author’s choices unless asked to critique for them personally and then I’ll be brutal with my opinion. And I’d hope my critique partner would do the same for me because I’d much rather see those critical opinions before the book gets published. LOL!
I’m still a fan of reviews although I rarely use them as a way to select books. I’m a go with your gut kind of reader. If your blurb and cover catches my attention, I’m sold. I’m a little different—I like to read reviews after I’ve read the book to see if readers share the same opinions as me (kinda like a book club but without the food and wine).
Recently, I read a blog post by a very talented writer who said she didn’t read book reviews (really not one?) because they are meant for readers and not writers. I don’t think that’s true at all. Every time I wrote a review I wrote it with the author in mind. I think authors who don’t at least take a peek at their reviews every once in a while are missing out on an opportunity to receive some very constructive feedback and hopefully a few five stars. Because in the end, don’t we write the book for the reader and if we don’t take the reader’s experience into account aren’t we missing the whole point?
When Melanie Woodson joins Empriva Fitness she expects to lose weight, not gain two sexy vampire personal trainers. With an exercise regimen that includes passionate horizontal workouts, fat-burning orgasms and lusty words of encouragement, she’s in serious danger of forgetting their relationship is based on a business agreement and not mutual attraction.
Alec Kosta and Rook Abernathy, best friends and owners of Empriva, have waited over a century for the right lifemate to come along. Now that they’ve found Melanie, with her endless curves and quick wit, they’re ready to give up countless lifetimes to spend just one with her.
But time isn’t on their side—they’ve tasted her blood and now mere days are all they have to convince her their love is real or risk losing their chance to be with her forever.
A Romantica® paranormal ménage erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
People often ask authors how they juggle everything else in their lives and still manage to write. We all have things we have to do…work, school, family, extracurricular activities, whatever. If you toss writing into the mix, which is really a full-time job in itself, well, you’ve essentially got a circus. At least some days it feels like that to me. And I know I suck at juggling. I’m forever wondering how in the world I’m going to get everything done, and not let anyone down, myself included. So I thought I’d learn how to juggle. You can learn anything on the internet.
My latest release is 
In 
That brings me to some of my paranormal novels, which are my favorites to write. My Greek Myth Fantasy series has gods, goddesses, and even an amazon warrior princess. 
Stop by my website at 
Critically-acclaimed author Shoshanna Evers has written dozens of sexy stories including Amazon Erotica Bestsellers Overheated, and Enslaved, Book 1 in the Enslaved Trilogy, as well as the post-apocalyptic dystopian Pulse Trilogy from Simon & Schuster Pocket Star. Her work has been featured in Best Bondage Erotica 2012 and Best Bondage Erotica 2013, the Penguin/Berkley Heat anthology Agony/Ecstasy, and numerous erotic BDSM novellas including Chastity Belt and Punishing the Art Thief from Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
I didn’t pick up my first romance novel until I was in my late twenties. Immediately hooked, I read a bazillion books before deciding to write one of my own. After the birth of my first son I needed something to keep my mind from turning to mush, and Sesame Street wasn’t cutting it. While that first book will never see the light of day, something good came from writing it. I realized my passion, and found a career I love.
