Hello, all you delicious Delilah D fans. Love her writing, and love the chance to chat with her readers. Waving—thanks for the invite, Ms D!

I’ve been having a blast this summer and fall, writing a hot, hot, hot new series for Samhain. Club 3 debuted October 1^st, which I love. October just seems like the month to get naughty, you know? With Halloween coming, my Bad Girl starts twitching her tail and wanting to get in T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

So what’s the worst kind of trouble a girl can get into? Well … does mouthing off to not one, not two, but three doms in her first night at a new club count? Yikes! Think that would do it. The only question will be how hard is that spanking gonna be?

I love reading BDSM and D/s. But for me, it’s not about the physical, it’s about the emotional. In real life I’m shy, and passed up a few guys in whom I was genuinely interested because I could not get my stupid tongue untangled long enough to chat with them.  God blessed me (and he was no doubt rolling his eyes by then) by plunking my handsome husband before me at a big dance club in Montana when I’d had just enough alcohol to loosen up and actually act out my extreme interest in this hunk. Through two handsome sons, several moves and life crises, we are still together. Love my alpha male!

Daisy Charles, the heroine of She’s All In is the girl I always wished I was, but wasn’t. She has the spunk to walk up to a big, handsome weightlifter that she knows is a dom, and ask him for a date.

He turns her down. Yeah, there’s a crusher. But Daisy, being a tough woman who’s gone through hell in her own way, jumps right back up and agrees to try things his way first. By accepting an invitation to his BDSM club.

Now, I’m going to slam on the brakes, and tell you WHY I wrote this series. I love BDSM, but  … many of the stories I read include elements that are not right for me. Isn’t that the way with erotic romance? When a story is intense, passionate, raw and delves into the darker side of the human psyche, there are bound to be scenes, or even just lines that make us uncomfortable.  Sometimes in a fun, squirm-in-our-seats way and sometimes in an I-can’t-handle-this way.

That’s how I am with the darker BDSM. I fully support those who love that. I don’t. What I do love about BDSM romance  is the emotional risk, the need to connect on a deep level, the trust that develops. The capacity for ecstasy when it works, and for stark emotional pain when that trust is broken, sometimes unwittingly.

So that’s what I write. Light BDSM. I tried the term ‘vanilla BDSM’, lol, but just confused the heck out of many readers. Yeah, I see you wrinkling your cute little nose at the computer. You too, huh?

If you’d love to try a romance with plenty of heat, a few chuckles and some heartbreak, leave a comment and let us know what you enjoy about reading D/s and BDSM. I’ll give away a copy of the ebook, SHE’S ALL IN here. PLEASE leave your email addy so I can find you!

For an excerpt, visit  Samhain Publishing. And stop by My Website for more chances to win. You might also win my Naughty Club 3 Halloween Basket!

Best,

Cathryn Cade

Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Samhain Author Page,

And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies!

Bondage Boot Camp Part 1 & Contest

When I decided to write my first BDSM novel, Together in Cyn, I thought I was so prepared to write it, because A) I’ve read the genre for years, B) I had what I thought was a great story, and C) I’ve watched porn.

Of course this, in my mind, meant I had all my bases covered and I was ready to write the story.

I wrote it, submitted it, it was accepted, I turned around and signed with the agency I’ve always wanted, and someone how or another that turned into a 10 book contract within 4 months. Thus the Members Only series was born. Haaaaaaa!! (Please picture sparkly lights coming down from pretty clouds here, because seriously it was that cool. **SMILE**)

Then my fabulous editor gave me my first round of edits. Holy shitballs, Batman!! I’m pretty sure a crayon box exploded on the MS. I organized it, made a spreadsheet of what I needed to do, did a major re-write on a few chapters, added more sex—‘cause I COULD, and then sent it back.

Between this round of edits and the second one – guess where I went?

You guessed it! Bondage Boot Camp.

Was it really called that? No, but that’s what it was. For me anyways. It was two and a half days of bondage, bondage, and more bondage. Chains, duct tape, and lots and lots of rope. Shibari bondage has a very special place in my heart. It’s wonderful and beautiful, and painful, and cleansing, and sexy, even if there’s no sex involved.

That brings me to the most important revelation of Boot Camp. Bondage does not equal sex. And bondage, at least the good bondage is better than porn even without the sex. It’s about a connection between a top and a bottom. Speaking to each other in complete silence. Their breathing coalescing in a symphony of not a single spoken word. Maybe a moan, or laughter. It’s so very different than what I had in my head. I am forever grateful for being exposed to this.

When I got the last round of edits for Together in Cyn my head was finally in the right place. In a space where bondage can coexist with the vanilla and blossom. Self-discovery is amazing and I hope each and every one of you has a chance to experience something that changes you, moves you, makes you look at the world from a different perspective to find something inside you never knew to look for.

Now you may notice that it says Part 1 in the title. As I write this, I am scheduled to go to another bondage convention in T-minus 4 days. Next month on Oct 20^th, right here on DD’s blog, I’ll let you know how this one went. I can’t wait!!

CONTEST – Bad Girls of Romance Trading Cards plus Swag and Trading cards from yours truly. Get them before anyone else!! They are so hot you might need gloves to open the package!

Tell me if you’ve had any revelations like mine in regards to kink? What did you discover is VERY different from a pre-conceived notion you had?

Members Only, Book One

She knows it’s wrong. Cyn shouldn’t have feelings for fraternal twins Jared and Chris, her best friends. She shouldn’t want them to tie her up or strap her down, to take her one at a time—or together. The only way to control her taboo desires is to write them down and lock them away in her diary. Guys like Jared and Chris could never be interested in someone like her, or in the kind of sex she craves.

But Jared and Chris have read her diary, and sweet little Cyn is in for the shock of her life. The brothers not only own a members-only BDSM club, they want her. Need her. And now, with their unlimited funds and an entire establishment devoted to fulfilling her darkest pleasures, they’re going to claim Cyn for their own.

Inside Scoop: If you have a kink, this book probably has it too. If you like your ménage romances extra hot with a side of male-male romance, spanking, voyeurism and girl-on-girl action, come and get it.

A Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy Links below and others on the TIC webpage along with an Excerpt and Video
Amazon | Ellora’s Cave | Barnes and Noble

Website – https://www.jenniferkacey.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6941549.Jennifer_Kacey
Pinterest – https://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

Jennifer Kacey is a wife, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

The Lure Of The Selkie

First, thanks to Delilah for having me on the blog today!  Glad to be here.

Second, I’m thrilled to talk about one of my favorite magical creatures.

My favorite stories are those made of myth and magic.  For me, a supernatural hero is the ultimate bad boy.  He usually struggles with the fact he’s trapped between the human and magical worlds and that can make for great conflict.  One such creature I’ve always been fond of is the Selkie. Below are some magical facts about the Selkie.

Selkies are magical, shapeshifting seal people born of myth from Celtic legend, especially Irish and Scottish legend.  But similar seal creatures exist in many cultures. They’re usually very good looking. And very sexy.  It’s been said male Selkies come ashore for the sole purpose of finding a mortal woman in need of a good romp.

If a Selkie comes ashore and sheds his/her skin, then he/she must remain in human form until the skin is found.  This also means they cannot return to the sea until their pelt is recovered.

According to legend, if a mortal woman wished to meet a male Selkie, she could do so by crying seven tears into the sea. Those tears would be answered by her Selkie who would then come ashore for an amorous encounter.

If a mortal male found a discarded female Selkie skin, and stole it, the Selkie woman would then remain land-bound and become his wife. In the latter, it is usually the children of the Selkie who eventually return the skin to their mother, who then leaves them for the call of the sea.  Selkie children often have webbed fingers or toes.

In my novella, IN THE SHADOW OF THE SELKIE, my Selkie hero is also part vampire.  His enemy comes from the Fin-folk—a darker, not-so-nice sea shifter from Celtic legend.  My heroine is part-human, part-Selkie.

I’d love to know what’s your favorite magical creature. And if you have a favorite myth or legend you like to read.

In the Shadow of the Selkie
ISBN: 1-59998-874-7
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Red Hots!
Length: Novella
Buy at: Samhain | Amazon | B&N | Kobo

In the dangerous world of the selkie underground, a selkie vampire king and a mortal woman join forces to fight the queen of darkness that would destroy them all.

Lady Theodosia Barrett is blackmailed by Dubheasa, Queen of the Dark Fin-Folk, and forced to stalk the Cu Maran crypts in search of a selkie king’s pelt. What she finds is the king himself—and he isn’t only a selkie, but also a vampire. Calling upon her skills as a vampire hunter, Theo stakes him. But she doesn’t complete the kill. A year later, King Roane comes back, demanding her hand in marriage.

Theo has no choice. To protect her family, she must accept.

Selkie vampire King Roane Cu Mara is determined to keep his people safe from the Dark Fin-Folk. To do so, he must first solve the puzzle as to why Theo, a soul born to protect the selkies, tried to kill him. Until he can figure out why she betrayed her own kind, Roane sets out to keep a close eye on her by making her his bride.

But even as Theo begins to warm Roane’s cold, vampyric heart, Queen Dubheasa plots to destroy selkie-kind in a twisted quest to make Roane her own. For she knows something that Roane doesn’t—Theo’s soul holds the key to keeping the selkie kingdom alive.

AUTHOR BIO:
M.A. duBarry is a native New Yorker who’s as zany as the city she grew up in. As a child her favorite toy was Emerald The Witch, a small doll with green eyes, green hair and purple skin.

Miss duBarry’s books and novellas have garnered numerous awards and nominations, including the Sapphire Award, P.E.A.R.L. Award & Word Weaving Award. Her books have also been featured on Midwest Book Review’s Book Watch TV. M.A.’s first novel, COME THE NIGHT (w/a Angelique Armae), made Fictionwise’s Best of the Best list, rounding out the top five best selling dark fantasy books of the year. Her most recent novel, SHADOWS OF THE SOUL (w/a Angelique Armae) made the Amazon Kindle and Books bestsellers lists.

When not working, Ms. duBarry enjoys traveling, learning about the ancient Celts, exploring history and learning new languages (she’s fluent in English and Italian and speaks some French). M.A. studied history and French literature at SkidmoreCollege.

Visit her website

Naughty Things Cowboys Do

 Howdy! In celebration of my latest release UNBROKEN, a hot new contemporary western ménage a trois, I’d like to share the top five naughty things cowboys do.

*clears throat* Okay, let’s see if I can think coherently.

1. Tip their hats and say “how’s it goin’ ma’am?” –just like the Jewel song Do You, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOVzkz9cLwI) these rugged shoot ‘em ups do that thing with their thumbs against the brims of their hats that make a woman’s knees turn to jelly .
2. Glare –Something about a piercing glare from beneath a hat brim sends out a warning to everyone in their vicinity. Although we ladies flock to that kind of alpha male, right?
3. Fistfight – who doesn’t love to watch a couple pissed-off cowboys taking a swing at each other? As one friend put it to me when I told him I was writing a fight scene between cowboys, “Go for the one-punch, Em. We cowboys do it right the first time!”
4. Hook their thumbs in their belt buckles – watching a man hook his thumb in that belt only draws attention to his hips swathed in denim, or denim with chaps. Who doesn’t want to ogle that?
5. Care for animals –Because their lives are spent around cattle and horses, they appreciate how to care for them. Does this mean they’re in tune with their softer sides? I’d like to think so. At least the cowboys in my story Outlaws of Love are!

What drives you crazy about a rough and tumble type? I’d love to hear from you. And please read on for an excerpt of my new release!

It’ll take more than rope to tie down the man they love.

Country Fever, Book 3

When Christian comes out of the bar to find a bat-wielding country girl beating the hell out of his best friend Tucker’s truck, he does the only thing he can—he flirts with her. Unfortunately, he knows her pain—he’s in love with Tucker too.

Claire plans to nurse her bruised heart alone, but inevitably Tucker draws her back in—along with Christian—and the three of them tumble headlong into delirious passion. Then she and Christian wake to find that Tucker has fled his horse ranch, leaving them to care for the animals and each other.

Still grieving the death of his fiancée, pressured to sign over mining rights to a coal company, Tucker is boots-deep in emotional turmoil. Running only sharpens his longing for what he truly wants—Christian and Claire in his bed, in the barn, and under the stars.

But roping themselves firmly inside the circle of love will take everything they have—bulldogged determination, flying fists and aching hearts.

Product Warnings: Wrangle one heartsick cowboy, and the man and woman who love him. Throw in weeks of working in close quarters, bales of pent-up lust, and feel the burn of prairie-fire-hot desire. Now just try to walk away with your heart unbranded.

EXCERPT–rated melting-hot ADULT

“That’s it, baby. Open to me. Let me make you cling to the ceiling while Christian watches you come apart.”

Claire pasted a hand over Tucker’s chest, absorbing the rumble of his words. She darted a glance at Christian to find his eyes hooded with longing, his hard jaw set and fists clenched as if struggling to keep from diving into the booth with them.

Tucker drove his finger deep into her pussy, plunging it in and out twice then smearing the juices over her distended button. Pleasure surged, rushed in her ears. He circled her clit once…twice.

Ground it against her body.

And she spasmed. Digging her fingers into Tucker’s nape, she drew his mouth to hers as her pussy contracted wildly.

All the time, she stared into Christian’s eyes.

Her head spun as she came back down to reality. Crash landed, actually, when the cook called her name from the back room.
Tucker pulled his hand free and his mouth free and slid out of the booth. “I’ll handle this, baby doll.”

A boneless lump still twitching with pleasure, Claire could do nothing more than watch her lover stride across the diner to intercept the cook.
Claire met Christian’s dark, excited gaze. “You’re beautiful, you know.”

Warmth shot to her heart, causing a blossom of sudden affection. She felt her smile spread. “So are you. So is he.” She jerked her jaw at the man that wicked up all of the life in the room.

Christian swung his gaze toward the cowboy who was persuading the cook to take over the operation of the whole diner tonight, since it was so slow.

“Yeah,” Christian said slowly, as if dumbstruck, “a man like that should have a warning label.”

Buy Unbroken: Samhain | Amazon | BN

Thanks for reading! I’m giving away 1 e-book to one lucky commenter! Winner’s choice from my backlist.

Em Petrova
~hardworking heroes–in bed and out~
www.empetrova.com

The Business of Writing

First, I want to thank Delilah for having me here today. I’m very excited to chat with all of you.

I’m not sure if many of us start out writing thinking we were starting our own business, right? We started writing because we had a story to tell. Or the voices in our heads wouldn’t leave us alone. It was most likely an artist venture or a personal journey. Not a business decision.

Then, once we had that lovely little story in hand, we thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could get it published.” The thought is much easier than the action, but the action starts a chain reaction which leads to a lot of work we probably never expected.

Writing may be artistic, but you need an MBA to deal with the business of publishing. Whether you contract with a publishing house or self-publish, technically we are all self-employed. What does that mean? A lot of work, planning and thinking.

My question to you today is do you treat your writing like a business?

Huh? What? (I know that’s what went through many of your minds.)

Here are some things you should think about as a business owner of (Your Name Here) Publishing.

• Do you have a business plan with both short and long-term strategies? – Why do you need a business plan? It is your business/career map. It keeps you focused on your writing career goals and measures the success of your business. Most business fail because they never understood what success looks like. And success doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. Understand where you want to go and map out the direction to get you there.
• Show me your short and long-term marketing plan. – Most of the time this is a part of your business plan. I tend to keep one outside of my business plan because I look at my marketing plan more frequently than my business plan. You need to track how much money marketing activities are costing you and whether you’re getting a return on your investment. Do you know which activities actually translate to sales? Most writer would say no. Why? Because they never track and measure the outcomes of a marketing activity. If you advertise at a site, what do you get from it? If you get no return on your investment, don’t keep advertising. How do you measure? Document your sales prior to the marketing activity going live, then check it for the week after it ends. How many sales did you get? What was your profit? Now subtract the cost of running the promotion. Did it make or cost you money? If it cost you money, did you get something else in return? (i.e. additional followers) Yes. All these things go into planning your marketing. I tend to look at my marketing plan each quarter, adding new items or removing items which no longer work.
• Where do you want to spend your time? – This is something that is hard for me. We are writers. As writers, we need to do what? WRITE! So, don’t try to be an expert at everything or sometimes there is value in outsourcing. I found myself, especially since I self-pub some of my books, spending more time doing things like building/administering my website or trying to create banners or book covers. Those things are not my expertise, even if I could figure out how to do them. They also took way too much time away from my actual writing. Yes. We all want to save money, especially since there is very little aggregate profit in each book. But as authors our job is to write the best book we can and keep pumping them out for our fans. Spend your time and energy where it matters.

Those are a few activities which will help you with the business side of your writing. I’ve learn to appreciate having a strong business component in my day job to help manage my writing business. You don’t need a business degree to do this. Just a little common sense and awareness.

Upcoming Release in November 2013 – Book 3 in the Dueling with the Devil Series

Stolen Innocence Blurb:

They say ignorance is bliss, but when it comes to love and mating, Charity Lovell wished someone had schooled her on the ins and outs. She fell hard when she saw the beautiful face of the fair-haired demon as he lay broken in Lucifer’s dungeon. Her body ached for him. Her heart cried for him. This had to be her mate, right? Who else could make her trade her soul to the Devil to save someone she didn’t know? Someone should’ve told her love wasn’t quite as straight forward as that.

Damon lived an uncomplicated life, even as the alpha of the Lake Charles pack and the son of Lucifer. He should’ve taken a mate years ago, but held on to the hope of love. Only one female came close to making him believe he still had a chance for happiness. Yet, her heart belonged to someone else. Once again, the feeling is back, stronger than ever. And again, his female has pledged herself to another. Damn demons were ruining his love life. This time Damon plans to fight for what is his and win his rightful mate.

Author Bio:

Although Vivi Dumas grew up an Army brat, she calls Louisiana home, but have endured the hot summers and cold winters of Maryland for the last 16 years. She is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University with an MBA in Finance and Marketing. Her analytical side has honed a career in the financial industry for almost twenty years. To balance her logical, numerical day job, she unleashes her creativity in her writing.

Vivi pens multicultural paranormal romance, mixing the two genres she loves. Her steamy paranormal romances indulge in worlds inhabited by demons, werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural beings. She has published works with Decadent Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and Breathless Press.

Website Address: www.vividumas.com
Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/vivi_dumas
Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/vividumasfanhub

Using Your Hometown As Setting

First, a big thank you to Delilah for having me here. I’m Lynn Crain and I love to talk about my hometown. Both of them.

I’m sure that has you curious but first a little background. My home is a small town in southern Nevada. It’s one of those artsy places that gets really hot in the summer. I’ve lived there since I was a kid and never thought I’d leave for any reason. Sure, I’d been begging my husband for years to take me to a place that had seasons. I was tired of just having two: hot and cold. I kid you not. There is very little time where the climate is beautiful where I live.

There are very hot southwest summers where temperature soars to over a hundred on any given day. In the winter the wind can chill you to your bones. It seems that there is a month where spring and fall should be when it’s absolutely beautiful but not much more than that. Yet in the winter it is a mecca for older folks who no longer like living in harsher climates.

Yet, it is a wonderful place to set a series. And I have but it’s on a back burner for the moment. Why? Because in May of 2011, I got my wish to move somewhere that has four seasons. Count them. Spring, summer, fall and winter. There’s snow on the ground at least some of the time. The place gets barren and I get to see the spring bringing forth life after the cold winter. The summer has rain and while it is hot, it’s a different hot. Fall is a congruence of color that I can watch outside my window. What girl could ask for more? It was what I wished for…right?

Well, sort of, as I really wanted to stay closer to home. We moved to the interesting city of Vienna, Austria. The move was hard on me to say the least. I had to get used to a different language, a different lifestyle and living in a flat. I had to get used to a husband who traveled a lot and being alone a lot.

At first, I sulked. I didn’t like it here and I would tell anyone who would listen. The people are stoic and sometimes rude here. I got a dog and people started noticing me suddenly. There was weirdness all around and I was flustered and frustrated by my new life. So I did what any red-blooded American writer would do…I started a series about my new hometown…as a way of self-preservation. I figured if I learned more about my new home, it would become easier to live here. And it has in many ways.

Still, there are some rules when using your own hometown as a place to set a novel or even a series. Here are a few guidelines to help you on your way:

Decide if you’re writing a stand-alone novel or a series of books.

This will help you in planning your strategy for plotting and writing. If it’s a stand-alone book, there’s usually no problem as you continue to work it like you would any other story. With a series, especially in romance, you need to have something that links them be it characters or place. In my case, I’ve chosen Vienna as the basis for a short series of romance books. Romance books are unique as far as series goes as they don’t necessarily follow the same characters throughout the series. Usually, the next book is about a new couple. Again, that couple or situation or setting needs to be linked to the first book in the series in a manner that will be repeated through the entire series. Also, decide on the series title if you can at this stage. Most of the time, I know what the series will be called before I finish the first book. The series set in Nevada is called the Nevada Night series whereas the books set here in Vienna are all part of the A Taste of Vienna series because all of them take place in or very close to the city.

One thing to note, science fiction and fantasy series are usually about the same characters with the addition of new characters to make the story fresh. Many involve a quest or a search for something that the characters need or want to make life pleasant. Many are called to the quest not because they want to be but because of circumstance. This is what makes these genres very different from romance as far as series goes.

Do your research even though you know about the place you live in.

There is nothing I hate worse than to see a series set in Las Vegas where they get nothing right. I’ve lived in that area for over 40 years and some things remain the same after all this time. If you are going to use real places and real historical people, make sure you get them correct. I remember reading a book about Vegas where the person was describing the Strip and they had every hotel on the wrong side of the road. I did this for Vienna as well. I did a lot of historical research and current research into customs, how people live and what they do. Yet, I wrote the first story from the perspective of an American experiencing it for the first time. Why? I wanted to get that awe and wonder factor in my character. Sure, some of it is opinion but a lot of it was based upon actual experiences from the first year of living in the city. I used the Christkindlemarkts and the Adventmarkts because they were some of the things I love about the city during the holiday season. I collaborated with native Austrians to get the feel and the setting right. There will always be something you don’t know about where you live. It’s those obscure little facts that readers love. Use them to your advantage.

Define your characters.

Whether doing a single book or a series, whether using your hometown as a setting or not, you have to know your characters. When I wrote the series about southern Nevada, I wrote about what I knew and have a very unique character. She is an off-road racer in a field dominated by men. I could do this because I had a brother and a son who were well-known in their class of off-road racing. They were willing to let me in on secrets and other aspects of racing that only insiders knew.

When I started my series in Vienna, I knew the setup was completely different. I knew I wanted at least one of the main characters in each book to be American, the others were up for grabs. In the first book, A Viennese Christmas, they are both Americans who work for the UN. In the second book, to be released in November, the heroine is American and the hero is Greek. This city has a plethora of foreigners who live and work here. I have to do my research very carefully because I don’t necessarily have an insider’s view but again, I have an American view of someone living here.

Find inspiration.

Sure, sometimes it’s hard to find inspiration if you’ve been in the same town for 40 years. But take a good look at where you live. Does it give off the small town vibe? Mine does. It’s a small town who touts the fact that gambling is illegal inside its city limits. Only town in Nevada to have that moniker. That in itself makes my hometown unique. It also has a renaissance faire, an art show called Art in the Park that has an estimated 50k a year visiting, is the town that built Hoover Dam and a host of other interesting tidbits. All this in a town of only fifteen thousand people.

In Vienna, all I have to do is to look out my office window and think about how it was here a couple hundred years ago. This place oozes history from Roman times to today. I love going to Carnuntum, the site of a Roman gladiator school to rival Rome. I love going to the palaces and the museums and all the other places close to this city of nearly two million. Yet, things happen here that don’t happen elsewhere in the world. It’s a UN city with lots of dignitaries running around, it’s a city known for music, has a palace to rival Versailles and has taken a pact of neutrality. It is prime fodder for a series, be it mine or someone else’s, but I plan on giving it a shot.

Brainstorm with your critique group or writing partner or even good friends.

Once you have some of the basics down like setting and characters, do some plot planning before you start to write. This is easiest done in a brainstorming session with your writing buddies or whoever supports you while you write. I usually put the basics down and maybe a chapter or two then present it to my group and ask if they think this will even work. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes a maybe and sometimes a no way. I get honest and great feedback from my group, which allows me to make a decision and move forward, no matter what the decision. After all, a writer needs to write.

Start writing.

This is above and beyond the general proposal mentioned in number six. This is where you plant your butt to the chair and put in the time to get out a good story. I say good because it’s rare that someone will have an excellent first draft. The idea is to get it down on paper, or in most of our cases, on-screen and then start the finessing part of making it great. I agree 100% with Nora Roberts when she says, and this is me paraphrasing it, to get your story down on paper first and worry about the rest later.

Submission.

Once your book is complete and you’ve dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s, check it one more time to make sure your setting is as correct as possible. Again, readers will let you know if something doesn’t sound right or if they know it to be absolutely wrong.

Whether this book is for submission to a traditional publishers, large or small, or even if you’re going to self-publish, you want it to be the best it can be. Either way, you will have one more chance to verify facts and again, do so just to be sure. It never hurts.

Then start writing that next book because the faster you get the next one out, the better.

Those are my basic guidelines for using your hometown as the setting for your next novel. Hopefully, I’ve helped some of you…and don’t hesitate to email if you have any questions…good luck with your story!

Lynn

A Viennese Christmas

A Taste of Vienna Book 1

Amanda Kranz, alone in Vienna, Austria at Christmas, meets sexy, historian Henry Jager, who convinces her true love is real and within her grasp. Read the rest of this entry »

The Hero Makes the Book

In my opinion the hero makes the book, maybe because I’m a chick (shrugs). I don’t think I’m alone when I say this, but when I read a story, I like to imagine myself in the heroine’s place and the hero is pining after me. Because of this, the hero has to be someone that I’m attracted too. Someone that I could see myself with given whatever situation the story is set in. It doesn’t matter, where the setting may be; outer space, a small town or a fictional city, I am there and he is all over me like white on rice.

This is the very reason that I like my hero’s to be strong willed, muscular and a little on the cocky side (snort). A little arrogance is always helpful. The more the female plays hard to get, the more he makes his intentions clear—he will have her and she can’t do a thing about it (shudders).

I’ve read stories where the hero is full of emotions and inner turmoil. Those stories really aren’t for me. A hero that cries at the drop of a hat or starts having all that chicky-inner dialogue “Does she like me?” and I put the book down. Now on the other hand if a hero can have the heroine wanting to drop her panties at the first hello, well, then we have a story worth reading.

In my science fiction series, Loving Dangerously, I created a race of humanoid aliens where the males are arrogant, cocky and used to getting what they want. They also have the warrior bodies to make any female melt—no matter how much she tries to resist (because as we all know, resistance is futile). I’m not saying my heroes are always perfect (what heroes are?), they are filled with imperfections and should learn to put their foot in their mouths sooner rather than later, in order to keep them from saying anything insensitive, but usually my heroines can forgive them (maybe because they’re drooling and going goo-goo-ga-ga over rippling muscles).

I love my heroes and hope you enjoy them too!

King Taio Xochis of Sonis ~ Taio is disgusted with the idea of owning a slave—until now. From the moment he sees her, he knows Eva is his for the taking. Torn between lust and duty, Taio knows nothing will stop him from protecting his little warrior.
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Dangerously-Mine-ebook/dp/B00AO5CWSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355511533&sr=1-1&keywords=dangerously+mine

Captain Kane Epps ~ Kane Epps divides his life into two distinct parts—before the alien invasion and after. Before the invasion, he had a pregnant wife and a high-powered job. After the invasion, he’s left with only himself and his hatred for all things alien. He channels his bitterness by captaining a vessel of renegade humans—space pirates who don’t think twice about taking what they  need.
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Dangerously-Yours-Loving-ebook/dp/B00CZBHA4Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369491547&sr=1-2&keywords=dangerously+Yours

And coming October 9^th, Rasha, Captain of the Sonis Royal Guards ~ Rasha, Captain of the Sonis Royal Guard, is a warrior through and through. He’s huge, sinfully sexy and could have any woman on Sonis—but the woman he wants is Jess. He’s very much an alien and Jess knows she should hate him or at least be wary, but whenever he’s around, she loses control. She tells herself it’s only sex—amazing, mind-blowing sex like nothing else she’s ever experienced—but there’s something about Rasha that shakes her soul. The feel of his skin against hers, the look in his eyes as he touches her—they make her want to believe it’s possible to find love and begin again.
Buy link: https://www.ellorascave.com/dangerously-hers.html

About me:
A. M. Griffin is a wife who rarely cooks, mother of three, dog owner (and sometimes dog owned), a daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She’s a hard worker whose two favorite outlets are reading and writing. She enjoys reading everything from mystery novels to historical romances and of course fantasy romance. She is a believer in the unbelievable, open to all possibilities from mermaids in our oceans and seas, angels in the skies and intelligent life forms in distant galaxies.

Now available from Ellora’s Cave

You can find out what else I’m working on by visiting my website: https://www.amgriffinbooks.com

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