Gianna Simone

This Week's Update

2012-02-19T09:05:00.000-05:00

A lot's happened in the last few weeks, much of itwriting-related, some of it not. The timing couldn't be better either, as myday job has a shutdown this coming week, and the best part of that is my kidswill be in school most days! So I get to work on various writing-related tasks,as well as catch up on a couple things around here I just haven't been able tosqueeze in, despite the fast-reaching-desperate need to get them done. But Imade progress on some cleanups for Warrior's Vengeance, and I got a lot of newstuff written for the current Marchand book I'm working on.

But the biggest news of the week is that Prince of the Universe,my first stab at a sci-fi, has been contracted by Renaissance Ebooks Sizzler Editions!I am super excited about this, because as much as I love this story, and thesecharacters, I really don't know a lot about sci-fi. Seriously. I never even sawthe first three episodes of Star Wars (which, BTW, I can't help thinking of asthe second three, since the others I saw in the 70's and 80's were the FIRSTTHREE I saw. Still come first in my head). That's how bad it is.

Here's the thing – one of my favorite TV shows EVER is "TheUniverse" on the History Channel, followed closely (really, reallyclosely) by "Through the Wormhole" on the Science Channel. The ideaof other worlds out there fascinates me, and I do find it hard to believe thatwe are truly alone in this vast universe. So I watch those shows as much as Ican (marathons are like a drug overdose! lol), and my writer's imagination goesto work after that.

I was able to incorporate some of what I've learned into thisbook, the rest - I kind of just winged it. Prince Vega, of the Planet Aldarra, isa human-like person who lands in Fair Ridge, PA, home of Meredith (Merry)Alexander, who just so happens to have had a really bad previous encounter withanother Aldarran. There are a lot of reasons Merry fears Vega, but hercompassionate heart can't completely abandon him. Even though she wants anddecides to let him fend for himself, she can't cut him off, and once she makesher first move to help him, she's doomed. But Vega isn't like the other, andproves it, sometimes in a very arrogant andI'm-better-than-you-cause-I'm-royalty kind of way.

These two were fun to write – Merry, while she possesses avery legitimate fear of Vega, still has backbone and won't completely backdown. She's funny, not afraid to speak her mind, and that compassionate heartof hers makes her a sucker for someone in need of help. Vega was a bit morecomplicated. He's a prince, in line to a throne, he's a warrior, and he has thecapability of transforming into a hybrid man/feline creature with incredibleamounts of strength and power. Yet, hejust wants to share his life with someone, just like anyone else. His goal tobe king requires he have heirs. The Earth woman confounds him, but he can’t resisther. His perception of too many softer feelings for her is that it could weakenhim, make him vulnerable. But he also discovers the motivation such feelingsgive him. Not that he ever loses that arrogant edge – he wouldn't be one of myheroes if he did!

Anyway, as I get more details, I will share them – such as arelease date, a cover, and all the fun stuff. This week – getting down toediting. Part of me is dreading it a bit, the process is sure to induce quite afew groans and head-shakes, with thoughts of "What was I thinking?"but it'll be fun to work with these two again.

I've Been a Bad Blogger

2012-01-30T10:56:00.000-05:00

I'm a terrible blogger. If you even half attempt to follow me here, you know, I am a HORRENDOUS blogger!

The thing is, time is at a premium for me – I work full-time outside the home, I have two children in school – one in high school, one in elementary. My day job requires me to travel 3 to 4 times a year. I don't really mind (a week in a hotel room all to myself is still one of my favorite travel perks! lol). One of the best things about the job is that I get to be online through Twitter and other places during the day (but Twitter is best, I can get in and out quick, and still keep up with my friends and such and it's not a huge timesuck on my job hours).

At home, it is a very different story. With the exception of Friday evenings, most of my time at home is spent preparing dinner, picking up or dropping someone off, overseeing homework, bathing and various other tasks and chores, so by the time I'm done, it's nearly 10:00, I'm beat, but everyone's in bed, and the house is quiet.

For the last several months, I have made a deliberate point to spend my evening computer time devoted to writing. Well, except for Fridays. I am OFF from Everything on Friday nights! But for the most part, that's exactly what I've been doing at night, writing and editing. To the point where I missed the last couple of new Criminal Minds eps, and I'm kicking myself over it!!! I'll catch up on Youtube one of these weeks (months, years, etc.)

Anyway, I think many of my writing goals have been attained, though perhaps at the expense of being more promo-oriented and interactive than I am. But I have another full-length novel due out this spring or summer, and a lead short story in the very-soon-to-be-released Sizzler Editions anthology, Bound for Love (edited by the fantastic Sascha Illyvich). I'm on the verge of wrapping up edits on my sci-fi romance ms, have another lined up for editing, and am halfway through the next new Marchand book. And I keep telling myself the readers would rather have more books from me, instead of listening to me blabbing about the current hot topic of the day.

Although, again, on Fridays, it might not be a bad thing to steer clear of me – on many Fridays, I quote lots of song lyrics. And I'm a huge Bruce Springsteen fan – he shows up a LOT! Lol

So forgive me for being such an infrequent blogger, and while I intend to work on getting better at it, in the meantime, here's a snippet from my upcoming short story, Fantasy Unbound:

This could not be happening! Emily blinked back tears, and prayed she would wake up from this horrible dream. But the cold metal cuffs around her wrists assured her this was no dream.

"Okay, Ms. Valerian, come this way." The female officer motioned Emily to follow.

Finally. Emily stood, her shoulders aching and numb from the length of time she'd been handcuffed. "When are you going to tell me what's going on? You haven't explained the charges. I'm a police dispatcher in Tyrrell Gardens. I know you have to tell me why I've been arrested."

"Yeah, right. Nice try, lady. Come on."

She'd been kept cuffed and on the bench for far too long. She tried to insist further, but the officer merely told her to shut up. The uniformed woman was no better than the male officers, with their frightening sneers and muttered comments, such as "it's about time," and "it's all over now." Clearly they thought her to be someone else. But who? And what the hell had this person done to warrant such loathing? When she got out of this mess…

The female officer stepped behind her and unfastened the cuffs. Emily dropped her arms to her sides and they exploded into pins and needles. She dully obeyed the officer's orders and was fingerprinted, photographed, all on equipment so old, she'd never even seen the like in photos. And then, finally they allowed her to make her call.

She dialed the only person she could think of.

***

Devon slammed the car door shut and started the engine in one motion. He could still hear Emily's frantic cries, her sobbing voice rasping over the line as she tearfully explained her predicament.

"Devon, they arrested me! I think they think I'm someone else!"

The words echoed in an ominous loop, and his heart wrenched to think of his Princess being mistreated. Not that she knew he thought of her that way - they worked together on the small police force a few towns away from where she'd been booked. Any relationship between them was impossible. He was a detective, she was a dispatcher. They'd worked together for two years now. A grim smile curved his mouth as he recalled anxiously awaiting any and all communication from her while in his car. But he'd never acted on his longing, for several solid reasons.

First and foremost, the department could fire them both. He wouldn't risk her job for his own selfish wants. So he'd spent the last couple of years being Emily's friend, though he wanted so much more from her. Hell, even if he had the balls to risk a relationship, once she found out about his sexual tastes, she'd run screaming from him as fast as she could.

Still, the notion that tonight's events could be used to his advantage wouldn't go away. He made a left at the next light and headed toward the highway that would take him to her. His gut twisted to think of how afraid she must be. Once he spoke to the idiots at Fair Valley PD, her ordeal would end. Or maybe not. He recalled his last encounter a few years back with the police force in this ultra-conservative, rural area. They had made their disdain for updated technology clear, and even then, they'd still been using equipment that had to have dated back to the Forties. Didn't matter, he'd get her out of this mess, and put an end to her anguish.

Why did he have the feeling his ordeal was only beginning?

Keep an eye out for the release date for the Bound for Love Anthology. I'll be sure to post the info here, as well as out on Twitter. Here's the sizzling hot cover. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-20T11:14:00.001-05:00

The holidays are upon us! Really – if you aren't already celebrating, you will be in a few days. The Christmas Spirit is alive and well in my house – how can it not be with a 15 year old and a 7 year old bouncing off the walls?

Personally, I do like this time of year – everyone is happy, generous, smiling. People say thank you and wish you a happy holiday. Most of my shopping is done, so I haven't had to deal with too many irritated shoppers – I take a day or two off every year in early December to do marathon trips, and this year, I was extremely successful on both trips and knocked just about everyone off my list. Everything else was purchased online.

The tree and Christmas City are set up, the cookies are baked, presents are in the process of being wrapped. Christmas songs, both traditional and modern, are being played most of the time. The Chipmunks are heavy in the rotation – with kids, what do you expect?

I haven't been this organized in several years. It feels weird. I'm used to having to run around for days for the one person who I can't figure out what to get. Scrambling to assemble plates of cookies to give, ship or bring. Making sure the kids have holiday clothes that fit for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We celebrate both days equally – and the festivities begin after church on Christmas Eve.

With my husband's family, we do the traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Although, since certain people who were the only ones to eat certain dishes are no longer with us, a few of the fishes have fallen by the wayside – like the octopus cooked in its own ink. I still remember that first Christmas Eve with his family, when DH, who was only my boyfriend at the time, brought me into the kitchen to show me. His grandfather was the only one who ate that. I couldn't even look at it - and I'm a daring eater. I'll try/eat just about anything. Except spinach. And peas. But oddly, I love pea soup. Anyway….

After dinner, we all gather around and open our presents, then go back for dessert and packing up the mountains of toys the kids have accumulated. Get home around midnight, spend a few hours playing Santa and setting up, then fall asleep before we are awakened before dawn to see what Santa left.

After breakfast, we head out to spend the day with my family. My mother, being Irish, has her own take on the Feast. We call it the Feast of the Seven Potatoes. She makes mashed, candied sweets (though that has now become my responsibility), au gratin, and boiled. It's not really seven, but it's become a running joke in our little corner of the world. We could add fries, and maybe has browns, I suppose, but that would be overkill. Or maybe not. I'll have to bring that up and see how it's received. Of course, Mom serves lots of other things too – her Merlot sauce to accompany the filet roast is to die for, and she makes really awesome stuffing (to go with the turkey breast – there's a lot of us).

When it's all done, and we're crashing back at home, it's hard to believe that for all the weeks of prep, it's over in two short days. You think back, and realize what a blur the month of December has been. The kids' excitement level lowers considerably, and the week between Christmas and New Year's is spent in a fairly calm manner. I especially like the fact my company shuts down every year for that week, so it's easy to recharge the batteries then.

In honor of this giving season, my gift to you is a copy of one of my titles - tell me about your traditions and you could win one of your choice.

I wish you all a joyous holiday season and I hope you enjoy every moment with lots of love and laughter! And I hope the upcoming New Year brings lots of success and happiness!

Warrior's Vengeance

2011-12-07T10:03:00.001-05:00

As we near the end of another year, I've found that I've made significant progress on wrapping up two manuscripts, starting a third and writing a couple of short stories. Not as bad as I thought when I consider how much valuable writing time was sacrificed over the year. One of the books I finished this year is a medieval-set erotic romance, Warrior's Vengeance. This story was a tricky one to write, and to be honest, at times it left me drained. Involving the kidnapping and forced seduction of the heroine, Marissa Langley, the tale skates along, and sometimes seems to cross, the lines of consent.

To be honest, the hero, Ian McCallum, does not treat Marissa nicely. Yet, to be fair, he harbors one hell of a grudge – she is the daughter of his enemy, a man whose warriors raped and murdered Ian's wife, murdered his small son, and basically decimated his village and clan. Kidnapping Marissa and forcing her to be his slave is justified, in his mind. Marissa, on the other hand, cannot believe her father could do such things. Truth is, back in 1307, that's exactly what men like her father did. They were ruthless, murdering and raping innocents, and generally not caring who got caught in the crossfire of their wars. Kind of similar to how things work in various parts of the world today. Certainly there were honorable men who sought to protect those who could not protect themselves, but even those men were merciless when it came to meting out the justice they felt was deserved. Ian is a man much like Marissa's father. One who employs brutal justice, and seeks revenge. Those goals held powerful sway on the men of that time, just as much as their lust for power and money.

But there is a difference in Ian. He feels guilt, true remorse over some of his ill-treatment of Marissa. Not that his guilt will turn him from his avowed path of vengeance - he will still do what he believes he needs to – but he does have regrets. Marissa, after learning what Ian's suffered, understands what drives him, what compels him to behave as he does toward her. She is, after all, a woman of the time. She happens to have been raised alongside one of her brothers, can handle a sword as well as any man, and knows what drives the men in her life, even if she believes them to be more honorable than is claimed by their enemies.

I've had very mixed reactions to this story from the various places it's been sent. Contests, editors, and some critique partners. There is no middle ground with this story – it's either loved, or reviled. I consider it to be forced seduction, and there were those who agreed. Then there were those who disagreed. Strongly, in some cases. I had an absolutely lovely rejection from an editor who explained exactly why she had issues with the content. One of the nicest rejections I ever received. And I understood her point, and why she felt the way she did. In the contests I entered, overwhelmingly, the story was received very well. I did have an angry judge harshly reprimand me for the content, but others were salivating for more. Perhaps because it was historical, and set in that brutal era, they were able to put aside the requirements of today's society for complete, clear-as-day consent. Perhaps it's just a fantasy they like to read about. Either way, they wanted more. With those reactions, I was torn as to what I wanted to do with the book. I could make drastic changes, but I wasn't sure I was up to that. Or I could see if I could find a publisher who wanted edgier, more raw stories. I decided I'd start with the latter option, and go from there.

Well, Warrior's Vengeance has found a home, and a bit quicker than I anticipated. Pink Flamingo Publications has accepted it for release sometime in the spring or summer of 2012. I have no other details at this point, but I'm just thrilled that Ian and Marissa's story will be available for readers who like a good, old-fashioned "bodice ripper." Stay tuned – as I get more information, I'll share it here.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:45:00.000-04:00

Once again, this year the unusual is more unusual than ever. Last year, we missed the regular "school-parade-and-party-neighborhood-trick-or-treating" because we were in Disney. If you ever have the chance to go during the fall, I strongly recommend you buy tickets for the "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party." Everyone goes in costumes, the characters are all over hosting special events, the parades and fireworks are awesome, and they do have trick-or-treating. I saved the bags they give you, they were one of the best things of the night! To me anyway.

This year, the Northeast got pounded by a very early nor'easter that left power lines and trees down all over the place, worse than during Irene in the late summer. Basically, because the leaves are still on the trees, the wet, heavy snow on top made things worse than they'd usually be. I heard and saw several large tree branches, and in some cases actual trees, snap under the weight. Schools are closed, and all celebrations are, at the moment, cancelled. We will trick-or-treat, but we'll be done way before dusk because it's more dangerous than usual at night this year. Can't see those dratted power lines, never mind the melting snow will ice up over the roads and sidewalks.

Nevertheless, this is a particularly fun time for me anyway. I love all sorts of creatures of the night, and this is their season! The creepier and scarier something is, the more I like it. Not the gory, in-your-face, blood & guts scary, but the sort that leaves everything a bit blurred, letting your imagination take over. Nothing can be more frightening than what you imagine it to be. Like the creaking of your house, the heat flaring on. Normal sounds, unless you're alone, at night, and you can't quite make out what that shadow is in the corner. A wisp of wind outside suddenly becomes ominous, and you find yourself huddled in a comfy chair, with every damn light in the house blazing!

I remember having Halloween sleepovers with my friends in grade school, and we'd always turn out the lights, tell scary stories, make each other do things like "Bloody Mary" in the darkened bathroom, or playing with a Ouija board, where nothing would happen, but we'd end up scaring ourselves silly despite the fact we'd imagined all of it. Or had we? Needless to say, the reason we didn't sleep all night wasn't because we were chatting.

What are some of your favorite Halloween traditions? Do you carve pumpkins, go to a costume party, sit around telling scary stories? Let me know, and you can win a copy of any one of my books. With vampires and magic, they're perfect kinky reading for the season. And in the same spirit, here's a couple of my favorite scariest magic folk, in pumpkin form:

Who's Your Favorite Vampire?

2011-10-04T10:49:00.001-04:00

So, it's October. The time of year when all ghosts and ghouls and witches and monsters come out to play. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the fall, the weather turning colder always bums me out. Hey, what can I say? I'm a summer baby, born on the summer solstice, as a matter of fact, so I like my weather warm and my sun endless.

But I digress. This time of year is actually pretty cool, for one big reason. It's vampire season! As you've probably guessed, I'm a fan of all things vampires. Even as a kid, I was drawn to the bloodsuckers. Of course, growing up in the Twentieth Century, when vampires first started to become sexy to the population in general, helps with that. Prior to Bram Stoker's Dracula, vampires were pretty much reviled and feared. No one wanted to be seduced into an immortal life of darkness by one of the creatures. The perceptions of vampires back then were also very different – they were filthy, evil monsters whose only intent was to kill. People went to all sorts of crazy rituals to ensure dead bodies didn't come back to stalk the living. The natural effects of a body's decomposition also lent to the belief in vampires. Modern science has debunked a lot of the cultural beliefs about vampires by explaining this very process. Sort of takes the fun out of it, if you ask me!

Through the years there were several vamps who caught my eye. I do remember watching Dark Shadows with my grandmother, and though I didn't particularly find the Barnabas Collins of the 60's very sexy to my child's perception, I most definitely rooted for him to come out on top.

From there, my next big recollection was seeing the play Dracula on Broadway in the late 70's. I think I was 14. Raul Julia had just taken over for Frank Langella who had originated the role and then gone on to act in the movie. Can I just say, from that moment on, vampires had me hooked, and I was ready to be bitten! When they staked him at the end (my aunt still laughs about this), the entire audience heard me yell, "NO!" But who can blame me? I mean, really! Look at this guy! Is he one of the hottest vamps you’ve ever seen?

As soon as the movie version came out, I was there. And fell in love with The Count all over again:

Again, I ask, how can you resist? Seriously? To this day, I still find Frank Langella incredibly sexy. He’s one of the ones who I think has aged well over the years.

As time went on, and I watched/read lots of vampire tales, I found many really sexy ones, some others who made my skin crawl.

Of the ones I like, and always recall with fondness (and likely some drooling) there was this guy:

Yes, the remake of Dark Shadows, where I fell in love with Barnabas for real this time, and discovered Adrian Paul, yes, the Adrian Paul of Highlander fame and my obsession for most of the 90's and a good part of the early 2000's. And now, still, to be honest!

But Ben Cross made a fantastic Barnabas, right amount of tortured hero/vindictive villain and for all the right reasons! Sexy, yet unconventionally in a lot of ways.

But my true favorite vampire is this one:

Few people remember this show, which cast Geordie Johnson as The Count in a campy little TV series called, what else? Dracula: The Series. It was silly and sexy, at times solidly spooky, but always good fun. I thought the idea of Dracula living as a modern day businessman was a hoot. Then I thought, if he could do it, how many other vampires were there throughout Europe who had made a success of themselves as seemingly ordinary businessmen? Turns out, more than you’d think! At least in my twisted little mind. One of them in particular sprang to life and demanded I write his story - Adrian duLac. He is much older than Drac, nearly 2,000 years old, and though he may physically resemble this early 90's portrayal of The Count in some ways, he is not as much of a parody, and as Katerina Romanov finds out, quite capable of love. Not to mention, the man possesses some serious sexual prowess. After all, what kind of vampire would he be if he couldn’t kiss a woman senseless, among other things?

Anyway, in honor of Halloween and the recent release of The Taste of Magic, I'm giving away a copy. Tell me – are you a fan of vampires and the various desires they supposedly represent? Who is your favorite vampire and why? Comment here, and be eligible to win!

The Taste of Magic Release Day

2011-09-23T13:11:00.000-04:00

The Taste of Magic is now available again! I'm very excited - it was one of my favorite books to write, and I still take a lot of pride in being an EPIC Ebook Award finalist with it. The best part is that it has that beautiful new cover. Books We Love Publishing has been a pleasure to work with in re-releasing it.

Like many of my stories, this one was inspired by a character on a TV show, and the "What if" game played a huge part in coming up with the idea. And that game continued through probably almost all of the writing of the book, as well. And of course, since I'm a sucker for super-human men, and this was my first work in the paranormal genre, I really had a hell of a lot of fun writing it. I hope you'll have fun reading it. Kat and Adrian are both very stubborn people, but when it comes to matters of the heart, few can withstand the power! :-)

Here's the blurb:

Adrian du Lac is not your average vampire. Nearly two-thousand years old, he uses immortality to his advantage. Though he lives the life of a successful European businessman, what he really wants is to rule the world.

Originally, he sought Katerina Romanov for her latent powers of witchcraft, but now that she’s come of age, his desires have changed. When Katerina succumbs to Adrian’s charms, some fear the vampire will become invincible. As du Lac’s enemies set out to destroy him once and for all, he and Katerina run the risk of losing each other forever.

You can get your hands on a copy at this link: http://bwlpp.com/rosavin.php And I'll be giving a couple of copies away - here and on Twitter. Stay tuned!

The Taste of Magic

2011-09-15T10:26:00.000-04:00

I’m very excited to share this news – though many of you may already know. My very first book, published under the name Gina Rosavin, is being re-released. The Taste of Magic will be out in October from Books We Love Publishing (http://bwlpp.com/rosavin.php)

This book is very dear to my heart, for obvious reasons. It was my first paranormal, a vampire tale, and was one of my favorite books to write. Adrian du Lac is a 2,000 year old vampire with an oversize ego and plans for world domination. Katerina Romanov is a witch who is unaware she has any magical ability. Adrian wants her powers, want to utilize them to his own advantage, but Katerina is just as determined to free her family from his control. Neither of them counted on the fiery attraction, one that quickly escalates into so much more.

The Taste of Magic was a 2007 EPIC E-book Award finalist – they were still called the EPPIES at that time. I didn’t win the category, but knowing that my book stood with some of the best of the year was a thrilling experience. I do have other stories planned in this world, there are secondary characters who have been crying out for their story to be told, and now that Magic is coming back, it’s a good time to get that next book finished up. At the Gina Rosavin website, www.ginarosavin.com, you can find an excerpt of Betrayed.

In the meantime, here’s the new cover and "a bite" of The Taste of Magic. :) It will be released next month, and I’ll be sure to share when it’s available to purchase.

Adrian responded to the buzz of the intercom. “What is it now?” “Katerina Romanov is here to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment.” Adrian tossed the file onto the desk. “Send her in.” He smiled. Just the distraction he needed from the morning’s work. He glanced down at his tie and straightened it. Just because he had no reflection didn’t mean he would settle for his appearance as less than perfect.

The double doors of his office opened. She stepped into the room. Amazed at how easily she could leave him speechless, he rose. Her sheer beauty was like nothing he had ever seen before, even dressed in the severe gray suit which hid her charms. Her dark eyes hinted at a limitless fire. He wanted to taste those full lips. At that moment, he knew the longing he’d felt the other night was more than a fleeting notion, and he had to have her.

Not as a vampire, but as a man. He wanted her in his bed.

“Katerina, what a pleasant surprise.”

She tore her gaze from his for a moment, a heartbeat, but enough to reveal her nervousness. “We have some business to discuss.”

Adrian shrugged. “We do? I was not aware…”

“I owe you for my education. And I intend to see the money returned, with interest.”

Adrian waved toward a chair. “Please, I thought we’d settled this.” Once she had taken her seat, he sat.

She shook her head. He wished her hair was unbound, as it had been the other night. What had gotten into him? He was not comfortable with the way these strange thoughts came upon him so suddenly, and at any time.

The lack of control was unfamiliar. And unwelcome.

“We settled nothing, du Lac. I will not have my family used by you any longer.”

He shrugged. Anticipating what was coming, he played along. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“I know what you are.”

That knowledge would make her seduction more difficult, but he was up for the extra challenge. “Really? And what would that be, Kat?”

He felt a twinge of satisfaction at the way she flinched. She leaned forward. “No one calls me Kat. My name is Katerina.”

He decided then and there he wouldn’t call her anything else. “You were saying…Kat?” A sense of triumph swept over him when she didn’t respond to the deliberate taunt. Her eyes flashed with annoyance before she once again composed herself. Subduing her fiery nature was clearly a struggle. Perhaps here was a way to get to her. He forced himself to focus on her words. “Mr. du Lac, I’m determined to see every penny you spent on me is repaid. Then you will release my father from your service. Though he receives a substantial salary from du Lac Enterprises, I know his actual duties are not managing your Financial Advisory department.”

“You believe so? Your father has contributed to much of du Lac Enterprises’ profits in the last fifteen years. His particular…skills are greatly needed, and appreciated, by the company.”

“Skills? Don’t you mean his magic, his ability to cast good fortune your way?” “Your father is a valuable asset. I assure you, should he choose to…depart his position, I would not oppose him.” He knew Dimitri would never retire, would always remain loyal, despite whatever arrangements Adrian might make with Katerina.

She arched an eyebrow, her lips pursed in annoyance. “Really? Then you deny you use him for…unethical dealings.”

He smiled, but let no emotion show. She was smart. He wouldn’t be able to outwit her as easily as he’d anticipated, not without taking her blood. How much did she know about her father’s responsibilities? “Kat, I am shocked you would accuse me of such things. Your father chooses to work for me. If you object, I’m afraid you’re talking to the wrong man. You should speak with him.”

“I already have.” She opened her briefcase and took out a large envelope. Disappointed, he realized he’d half‐hoped she would pull out a stake or a bottle of holy water. Such a confrontation would have been exhilarating. Instead, she placed the envelope in front of him.

“Since you wouldn’t accept my check the other night, consider this a down payment on my father’s freedom.”

He opened the envelope and peered inside. Three folders. He removed them and glanced at the names of several major international corporations before tossing them to the desk.

“Really, Kat, what am I supposed to do with these?”

She stiffened at his continued use of the nickname, but again did not protest. “I scrimped and saved any extra money not used on living expenses the past few years. What I saved, I invested. And made some wise choices, as you’ll see. I’d say it’s enough to cover boarding school through the high school years.”

He arched an eyebrow and nodded. “I’m impressed. But really, you should share this with your family.”

“No, it’s for you. You’ll have the rest by the end of the year. You can suggest to my father he take an early retirement. Then, I want your word you’ll leave my family alone.”

He stood and walked around the desk, stopping beside her chair. He leaned over her. “You are very brave to make such demands. Now, I have a demand of my own.”

Katerina stared at him, hoping she still maintained her outward bravado. Truth be told, she was terrified. She had no magic like her parents to protect her. He could destroy her in an instant for her boldness, but it was a risk she had to take.

At the same time, the man was devilishly handsome, and she couldn’t deny his sensual appeal. Even long ago, when she’d barely been past her twelfth birthday, she’d noticed. The memories were clear, etched in her mind as if it had happened yesterday. He’d come to her parents’ home, and soon afterward, she’d been sent off to school.

Now, after years of adolescent recollections and imaginings about what it would be like to face him, she was in his office, and he leaned over her, his mouth beside her ear. The spice in his cologne intoxicated her. How could she act like a cold‐hearted businesswoman when he was so near? No man

had ever affected her like this before. But he was no ordinary man. What was he going to ask of her?

“You will have dinner with me tonight.”

No, she couldn’t! Even as she shook her head, her mind screamed to accept. His fingers slid along her jaw and turned her to face him. His touch was cool, but ignited sparks of fire within her. She met his crystal blue gaze, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard.

“Yes, Kat. We will dine together at my castle.”

She couldn’t resist. His hypnotic voice echoed in her mind, his words laced with a hint of some strange accent, and an almost medieval manner of speaking. How old was he, anyway? Even as the thought fluttered through, she found herself nodding in response. All rational thought had fled. The only thing she wanted was to hear him speak again in his silky voice, which caused delightful vibrations in her belly.

“I’ll send a car for you. Be ready at seven.”

She nodded again and stood, her gaze still locked with his. “I’ll be ready.” He turned away, and she felt as though she’d been suddenly released from some sort of restraint. With his hand at the small of her back, he guided her to the door. Her legs felt strangely unsteady. She prayed she wouldn’t trip in front of him as they made their way to the door. She paused and turned back to him, her mind jumbled with confusion. What had just happened?

“I…”

He placed a finger on her lips. The touch made her knees weaken. “I’ll see you tonight. We’ll discuss my other terms then.” Then she stood outside his office, aware his assistant watched her with curiosity. She cleared her throat and strode to the elevator, conscious of the fact she had not gotten him to agree to anything.

E-Readers

2011-09-07T16:52:00.001-04:00

So everyone loves their Kindle, or Nook. I get that. I've never had one. People might think that odd, eh, since I write primarily e-books, but it's just that I am loyal. I am a huge fan of my Sony E-Reader. There are a few reasons for that, and my friends know why, and it probably won’t be too hard for anyone else to figure out why. J It’s a fact, and it won’t change. I love my little pink Pocket Reader, it’s worked phenomenally for over two years, and I can’t imagine ever being without it.

Since it is a couple years old, I’ve been thinking about replacing it. The newer models are fantastic, with great features, but the price/timing hasn’t been right. Until now! Sony is coming out with a brand new Reader WiFi, the lightest ever, coming in at under 6 ounces, with a 6” touchscreen. It has the finger swiping, to mimic turning a page in a paper book, WiFi (of course!) and the capability to notate with a stylus or your finger. The best part? It’s going to be priced somewhere around $150.

The model’s not going to be available until October. The release is coinciding with the launch of Pottermore, the new Harry Potter site that Sony is partnering in. To commemorate that, they are going to have a special limited edition Harry Potter version, which I simply must have. The thinking was to pass my older unit down to my daughter, since she wants one so desperately, but at that price, I think I’ll have to buy two. She’s almost as much of an HP fan as I am, though she prefers those ginger Weasley twins, while I am a Malfoy girl through and through, which makes her absolutely want to tear her hair out! I should expect that though – she is a teenager and I am her mother. Something would be wrong otherwise! lol

Anyway, here's a link with some more details: http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=8885981816719876906 Now if October would just hurry up and get here already!

All I ask for is a Little Respect

2011-07-31T08:49:00.000-04:00

I've been a terrible blogger. It's over a month since my last post, and to be honest, there hasn't been a lot to talk about. I have a recap for the RWA conference, which I keep adding to, and will eventually post that here. The thing is, the evil day job has consumed tons of my time during the day, and I've been working furiously on my revisions for my medieval capture/forced seduction book. And, I was just on vacation with the family. I did manage to get some serious editing time in, and I added about 3K words to the ms, but there's still a little more to go. I am "thisclose" to wrapping that up.

Part of my problem is that I am not one of those lucky writers who has unconditional support from my DH. My kids think my writing career is awesome (though, to be fair, my 14 yo daughter is a bit embarrassed, despite her own sudden interest in writing), but DH just keeps insisting it's nothing more than a very expensive hobby. For the last several weeks, I've had that consistently brought up, to the point where I am ready to commit violence. Even my in-laws (who I just spent a lovely week with) think he's being a bit harsh.

It's not easy to constantly have him tell me I shouldn't be writing, I should be cleaning or doing laundry, doing something the kids need. Writing is not important enough to warrant the attention I give it. I'm not going anywhere, and until I make some serious money, it's not worth the investment I put into it. Some of you may have noticed I've been very light on promo and advertising in the last few months. I'm trying to curb expenses as much as I can, just so he'll STFU already! Especially since all my writing time lately comes after 10pm on the weeknights and early weekend mornings. It's all I can do (other than the rare day when I have nothing going on at work, or am at home), and that time is sacred to me. I will ignore everything and everyone (including the internet) until I get my 2K in words, or 50 or so pages edited. So yeah, when he comes down and starts in with the "What are you doing now? Don't you have something better to do?" crap, I tend to get downright nasty.

I suppose I should be a little more understanding - he's not much of a reader, doesn't get the allure of a great story, so I shouldn't expect him to understand what it feels like to craft a great story. Writers are basically readers at heart, and without his being a reader, he'll never get it. I should be used to this by now, we've been together 27 years, married for 19 of those years. I guess he always thought I'd get tired or bored by it, or give in after so many years of rejection (I almost did, I think he was really pissed when my friends pulled me off the ledge!). And now that I'm starting to achieve my dreams, he's starting to realize this isn't going away. Which is why I am working so hard to get my next books completed, polished and ready for submission. There is the medieval, and the sci-fi two-fer, and hopefully, all three will contracted this year sometime, so I can start on the next book in my Magiste series. I actually have two more planned for that world, with a ton of notes for more.

Then maybe, finally, I might get a little respect around here.

Getting Close Now - RWA11

2011-06-23T10:55:00.000-04:00

Another crazy week gone by, but this one is filled with excitement! Next week, RWA is holding its National Conference in New York City. I've been to National a couple of times – whenever it's in New York. Going any other time has been difficult to justify, due to the high costs involved, conference fee, airfare, hotel. Not to mention, the conference usually takes place the week of my annual family vacation (that warrants its own separate post). So logistically, I can rarely make it work. This year helps as well because it's early this year. However, that had a glitch of its own – we hold an annual July 4^th bash, usually the weekend of. But that is being cancelled for the first time in 19 years because I'm going to National!

This is my first time as a published author. The last time I went, in 2003, I was shopping my vampire book, The Taste of Magic. It had done well on the contest circuit, finaling in contests several times, and I pitched it to Dorchester. Sadly, that book didn't go anywhere at the time, it took another three years before I finally contracted it in 2006. But I remember having a great time at the conference, seeing friends I hadn't seen in a while, some I'd only ever met online. I networked, I partied, I learned.

Now, I'm going to experience it from the other side. I'm looking forward to my "First Sale" ribbon on my badge, I'm looking forward to participating in the literacy autographing, and I am very excited to see and meet old and new friends. There are a few parties I'll be attending, which I love, because they serve a dual purpose. You can have fun and network at the same time. I find it much easier to chat without the constraints of a set time-limited pitch. I'm less nervous, and I get to drink at the parties! lol And there are some really great workshops I'm eagerly anticipating. I volunteered to moderate one, and they assigned me to the Time Management one. Perfect for me! I'm looking forward to learning from some of my colleagues and authors who I am a fan of. And yes, I can guarantee, the fangirly moments will occur. I can't help myself. One of my all time favorite fangirl encounters was when Carly Phillips and I stalked Catherine Coulter in NYC in 1993 (or 1994 – somewhere back in the early 90's). There'll be more moments like that this year, I am sure.

I've even signed up for editor and agent pitches. I'm not sure I really need or want an agent at this point, but there were a couple who interested me with their views and experience in the publishing world, so I thought I'd take a chance and take advantage of all my options. As for an editor appointment, I'll admit part of that was because I am looking forward to meeting the editor I signed up with, but the book I'll be pitching is a tricky one. The set-up for the story is a bit unconventional and while I certainly am free to submit at anytime without a prior pitch, I wanted the opportunity to actually discuss the possibilities with said editor. I do much better talking about my books than I do trying to condense it into a 2-page or less synopsis. Any one of my critique partners can tell you I suck at writing synopses, and like many, many authors I know, I despise having to do them.

So who else will be there? If you're going to be there, I'd love to say hi face-to-face, so let me know.

See you there!

RIP Clarence "Big Man" Clemons

2011-06-19T09:22:00.000-04:00

So about 12 hours after hearing the news, I can finally start to articulate the profound sense of loss I feel at the passing of Clarence "Big Man" Clemons. As anyone who knows me can tell you, from the time I was about 13, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are my all-time, one true love, musically. And Bruce was the man I'd one day insisted "I" was going to marry, just like countless other Jersey Girls.

Part of why I loved Bruce was the magic he created with music and lyrics. And the one thing that really made it such a unique and compelling sound was the Big Man's sax. How many hours I would sit and listen to Born to Run or Darkness on the Edge of Town and just wait for the sax solos. They transported you into the world of Bruce's lyrics like nothing else ever could or ever will. And the love and affection Bruce and Clarence shared for each other was so obvious. I always had a big smile on my face watching them interact. You couldn't help it, they complimented each other with a deep friendship that not all of us are lucky to experience for ourselves in our lifetimes.

I've seen Bruce and Co. (even during the time when he had broken up the E Street Band) countless times - at least once, often times more, on every tour. And what always had me mesmerized, no matter how close or how far I sat from the stage, was the way Bruce and Clarence played off each other, fed off each other. And don't forget Miami Steve (I don't care what he does, he'll ALWAYS be Miami Steve to me). Those three created an incredible musical magic, that when they unleashed it onstage, everyone was caught in the spell. It always amazed me how quiet and enthralled everyone in a 70,000+ filled arena would get when the Big Man took the spotlight.There is no high like a Bruce Springsteen concert – but it was the Big Man who pulled it altogether and gave it such power, an ability to grab your soul and never let it go.

I don't even think I can accurately describe the emotions it draws from you when you listen to him play. Maybe because, though I'm starting to accept that his death is a reality, I haven't begun to fully register the loss, consider all of the implications and the little things that will be affected, the stuff you don't even recognize at first. As many people know, on Friday nights, I get a little silly while playing music, and I tweet Bruce's lyrics. A lot! One entire playlist on my ipod is exclusively Bruce and it's got all several hundreds of songs. And listening the other night, DH and I discussed Clarence's stroke, and the implications, and as the songs played, each one having some special meaning, we took even more note of the sax, and it was sad to think of that being silenced. Of course, we insisted that could never happen. But it did.

RIP Big Man. You will be missed more than anyone can put into words. The only consolation I take in this is that when I finally cross over, the music to greet me will be incredible!

Music and Mayhem (sort of)

2011-05-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

Last night was my daughter's Spring Concert at the High School. She's actually in the Junior High School, but the music program merged the singing groups and various bands with the Senior High School's musical program, since the 8^th grade is the only "Junior High" class.

Anyway (there I go, rambling again!), the concert was last night and showcased some really talented students. There was a fantastic jazz band, they just blew me away. The drummer was incredible, I really hope some of those kids have a successful future in music. They certainly have the talent. If I had only been listening outside, and not known the band was comprised of students, I would have thought they were pros.

There was also a wind ensemble performance. They were also very good, though not as good as the jazz band. A lot of the kids played in both, as well as the 95 member school concert band. The school really does have a lot of opportunities for musicians.

The chamber singers were good, though to be honest, I'm not much of a fan of chamber music. It's an audition only group, and the kids were great singers. I wonder if we'll see any of them on AI in the future.

But the newly formed a capella group, calling themselves Fermata Nowhere (the music teacher is very clever), was phenomenal. They performed Adele's Rolling in the Deep and the girl who sang lead, while not as talented as Adele, still did a great job. Then they did Stacy's Mom. Several of the parents and probably all of the grandparents in attendance were not familiar with the song. The kid who sang lead was really good, I've seen him perform before in other things, and he is quite talented. He's one of the ones I hope gets to make a career with music. He had stage presence, and really had a great time up there, he had that "spark." Anyway, the lyrics drew quite a few laughs, but some were also offended. One older woman near me, when she realized what the song was about, said,. "That's disgusting." She was promptly shushed quite loudly!

My daughter's choir was also good. I wasn't familiar with some of the songs, but they did a medley from Les Mis that left me crying. The soloists were incredible, the emotion in their voices touched everyone in the auditorium. And from there, they went into Bohemian Rhapsody. They cut chunks of it, since it's such a long song. I'm not a big fan of that song myself, to be honest, but they did a good job with it, After that, we had yet another set by the concert band. The whole thing lasted about 3 hours! By the time I picked up my little guy from his friend's house, it was after 10:00pm.

There was a brief intermission, and two idiot dads almost came to blows over someone coming in late. I mean, really, why do you have to be an ass and ruin what's supposed to be a great night for your kids? Morons. Thankfully, someone stepped in between them, or it would have turned into a fistfight. Similar thing happened at my daughter's dance recital a few years ago and they had to call the cops to break it up and keep it from becoming a free-for-all. I don't understand why people have to be such jackasses.

In any case, the concert was a nice way to wrap up the music program for the year, and the kids worked really really hard. The talent and discipline they showed impressed me so much, I could use some of that discipline, to be honest! Lol

On another note, Kathryn at The Romance Review gave 4 Stars to Healing the Mage. You can read the entire review here: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2170 This review was especially sweet, since she really liked the characters. As my critique partners know, the editing process was difficult with Healing the Mage. My hero had some serious flaws, as pointed out by my editor at Noble. Flaws I didn't see until she brought them to my attention. Lily had some problems too, but not as bad as Aidan. I took every one of my editor's suggestions and made significant changes. If I hadn't, I seriously doubt this book would have gotten such good reviews. So a big thanks goes to Jill Noble for not only her comments, but her patience in working with me as I made the changes. I appreciated (and apparently needed to hear) her honest opinion, and it made all the difference, as evidenced by the latest review.

What Genre is This Anyway?

2011-05-11T11:46:00.000-04:00

As I've probably mentioned before, my current WIP is a sci-fi themed story. However, in the last couple of weeks, I'm thinking maybe it's not necessarily sci-fi, but fantasy. Here's the thing, I'm not a big fan of sci-fi in general - my knowledge of the genre is sorely lacking. I had several male cousins who were, so I always sort of knew a bit about it, just from listening to them, - Michael in particular, was a huge Trekkie, still is, and can go on and on until your eyes glaze over. I know, it's happened to me many times! LOL But I did love the Star Wars movies, which I always thought of as episodes 1 through 3, but are now really episodes 4 through 6. But that was about the extent of it. I've really not read the genre, romance or other fiction, and certainly didn't watch any of the TV shows or movies that so many of my friends did. As for the shows, I understand there are some really good ones, but I'm afraid I may find another obsession that I simply don't have the time to indulge. So I'm not daring to get involved there. My time is limited enough now as it is.

Anyway, as I was saying before I started rambling, I'm not necessarily sure that Prince of the Universe is true sci-fi. The hero comes from another planet, and inter-galaxy travel is common to him, though not to my Earthling heroine. But here's what's got me wondering – just because it does involve other planets and space travel, does that make it sci-fi? Eventually, Vega will take Merry back to his home planet of Aldarra, but the civilization, while certainly technologically advanced in many ways, also involves magic, and the manipulation of energy and minerals to increase one's power. Plus, Aldarra has a very different climate from ours, and the culture and customs could, in some ways, be described as medieval.

I've heard it said that if your scientific facts are wrong, it's generally not acceptable to those who know and love the sci-fi genre. Is that true? I'm not much with technical or engineering knowledge (as my recent disasters with computers will attest to), so anything as far as warp speed and wormholes and the like will most definitely be "wrong." How far can I push the envelope without someone crying foul? I've got spaceships, and high tech weapons, and races similar to and different from humans, but also magic and other paranormal elements. As I'm world-building, I'm wondering if I'm doing too much. I'm likely to piss off readers of both genres by doing things I'm not supposed to.

So, sci-fi fans, what am I not supposed to do, and what do I have to do to fit the genre? Or can I get away with twisting it all up?

April Showers bring May... showers?

2011-05-04T10:54:00.002-04:00

It's May. It's supposed to be sunny and warm now, yet, we've still got more than our fair share of clouds and rain before it finally clears the way for some of those flowers the nursery rhyme talks about.

But I'm very excited about May this year - because with it comes something new and exciting. Started by my friend and fellow author, Shoshanna Evers, I'm participating in the May 50K. Basically, it's the same thing as NANO, but for May. I'm really excited about participating – I tend to do really well when I just sit and write, at least as far as getting a first draft completed. For NANO, I completed a draft at about 53K total, but would have done more if I hadn't gotten such a late start and missed the entire first week of the month. This time, I don't have any huge plans to interfere, and if the first couple of days are any indication, I am off to a decent start.

There are two WIP's that I am focusing on, actually. My medieval, which is complete - as far as a first draft, anyway. I am currently revising that one, and have been adding scenes here and there. But my main project will be the first of my sci-fi themed books, as I may have mentioned before. I did very well on Sunday , adding over another 2K to that ms, another 1K early in the week and I have the entire plot outlined - very basic, no details yet. Literally just a list of events that need to occur. If all goes well, and I have my computer back this week, as they have assured me I will, I'll really be able to get cracking and make some serious headway into that manuscript. I'm having fun discovering the kinds of powers Vega has, and I've even surprised myself with how he interacts with elements native to our planet. Plus, his race does have the ability to use mind-bending control over others. Odd thing is, I've learned it can also be done unintentionally, if the feelings and desires are strong enough. Merry is finding that out, and boy, is she pissed. A confrontation is a-brewing! Lol For now, I'm calling it Prince of the Universe – a nod to my love of all things Highlander (movies, TV series, etc.)

I really am having a blast with this story, yet, at the same time, I am also having a blast reworking Marissa and Ian's story, so he doesn't come off as such a cold-hearted brute. He never really was, but it's time to make his conflicting emotions more clear. The poor man's gonna be run through the wringer before I get done with him. Nothing like bringing an arrogant alpha male to his knees, though, he'll never totally lose his arrogance and need to control. Does any man, really, fictional or otherwise? Besides, to me, that edge is what I love most about my heroes. They may be laid low by their soul mate, willing to do whatever it takes to keep and protect her, but they'll never give up the part of them that makes them, IMO, so hot. The confidence of a man who knows what he wants, how to get it, knows how damn good he is at it, and won't take no for an answer, just leaves me weak in the knees.

So stay tuned as the month progresses – you'll get some glimpses into my upcoming work, as well as get to see some serious moments of insanity. First example, I've begun sketching out the next book in Prince's world – nuts, I know! This will be about Vega's brother Reygar, who is possibly even more arrogant and controlling than his brother. He won't admit why, but what sends him off on his own private mission is an appealing Earth woman. I know it's because he can't resist her, despite her initial terror on meeting him and general shyness. Plus, she's a real klutz, and has managed to drop a heavy box on his foot, smack her head into his, and knock him down the stairs. Even after all the battles he's fought, poor Reygar has more bruises now.

Late Winners Announcement

2011-05-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

So last week we wrapped up the Noble Authors Blog Tour. We also have our grand prize winner of the Eden Fantasy $100 gift voucher. To recap, here are the winners of copies of Healing the Mage:

From Bianca Sommerland's Blog: Mara

From Mindy MacKay's Blog: TraceyD

And the grand prize winner of the Eden Fantasy $100 gift voucher is: Mara J Brandon! Congratulations, Mara – you had a great week!

And congratulations to all the winners on the tour and a huge, heartfelt thanks for everyone who participated. It truly was a successful and fun event, and I so enjoyed meeting readers and other authors along the way. I look forward to doing this again.

I'm behind on getting emails and the like to everyone, so be patient with me as I catch up. I'm still missing my computer, and stuck doing everything on my work laptop, which has been starting to subtly protest my overwork of it. In fact, as I type this, I have a backup going on this hard drive to ensure if this one dies, at least I won't lose all of my files.

Have a great week everyone!

For our final day - Bianca Sommerland

2011-04-28T00:01:00.005-04:00

For our final day of the tour, I'm delighted to welcome Bianca Sommerland. Her latest release, Deadly Captive is a really intense read.

You can get Deadly Captive here: https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=269

Bianca Sommerland was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. When not reading neurotically or writing as though the fate of the world rests on her keyboard, she is either watching hockey or teaching her daughters the beauty of a classic, steel pony while reminiscing about her days in Auto Body Mechanics.

Her time is balanced with utmost care between normal family life, and the internal paranormal realm where her characters reside. For the most part, she succeeds. You can find her at http://imnoangelauthorsblog.wordpress.com/

Okay, Bianca, I'm turning it over to you!

Magic and the Great ‘What if?’

When I’m writing, the question at the forefront of my mind is ‘What if?’ What if the prince is the bad guy? What if the heroine likes the ‘hero’s’ best friend…or whole <insert sport> team? What if the fate of the universe rest on the balance of the ultimate orgasm?

Okay, I’ve never tried that one, but you get where I’m going. Sorta.

Anyway, when you’re writing contemporary, your mind has to stick with logical ‘what ifs’. Your human male cannot have the tongue of a snake unless he is Gene Simmons (not but enough for my tastes, but I do have wet dreams about that tongue. Um…yeah, you don’t wanna know). He cannot hump you while simultaneously undressing you both. And condoms are a good idea unless the couple have exchanged shackles.

Add a dash of magic and the possibilities…*evil grin* there are things a character can survive with a spoonful of enchanted sugar that would leave lesser men hamburger meat. In Deadly Captive, the only reason there’s any kind of Happily Ever After (I’m quite liberal with that term, so don’t get your hopes up) is because I tore him apart and used the paranormal elements in the story to…ah, must spoil the ending. All I will tell you is the heroine is not left alone.

So the hero doesn’t die?

Now, I didn’t say that, did I?

Real life fiction is fun to read because part of you let your mind be fooled—let’s your mind believe that the events could happen. Probably won’t. But could. Fantasy, paranormal, Sci fi—these are all ways to escape. You don’t believe it could happen in your world, because you’re not in your world, you’re in another. And it’s either a real nice, or real scary place to be.

Here’s a short excerpt from Deadly Captive to give you an idea of what I mean:

With a slow nod, Cyrus lifted his hand and curved his fingers inwards. "Come here, Lydia."

His eyes were beautiful, the blue of a cloudless summer sky. My fear dwindled. It was ridiculous to be afraid, really. He wouldn't hurt me; he would give me everything I'd ever wanted. I climbed over Joe, craving Cyrus' touch so bad my skin crawled with desire. I would go mad if he didn't take me. I would die.

Joe wrapped his arms around my waist and jerked me back. "Start with me, Cyrus. Have your fun with me."

"And make her first time easy, Joe?" Cyrus smiled, and my heart melted. He had lovely, luscious lips. "In return for what? Your cooperation?"

"No! Please—" I pitched forward. Joe hauled me up and dropped me on the mattress. I bit my tongue and swore as blood filled my mouth. Pain shattered the urge to rush into the arms of the man who'd used my suffering as entertainment.

Fun, right? Imagine all the things someone could do to you with some kind of otherworldly power at their disposal. All the things they could make you do…

Thanks so much for having me, Gianna! Enjoy the last days of the tour, lovely people!

Thanks for coming by, Bianca. The lure of different worlds, with characters who have all sorts of ways to manipulate situations and people using powers beyond our own frail humanity is hard to resist. I'm sure many of us agree with that!

Okay folks, don't forget to comment to be eligible to win - including that $100 voucher to Eden Fantasy!

Click here for the next blog on the tour:

And don't forget to check out the Red Roses & Shattered Glass Anthology.

You can get it here: http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=260

Noble Authors Blog Tour - Please Welcome Justine Elyot!

2011-04-27T00:01:00.017-04:00

I am thrilled to host today's guest - Justine Elyot. If you've stopped by the tour previously, you probably know that Justine and I know each other from other parts of the online world, so this feels like a reunion of sorts. Thanks for coming by Justine – I'm delighted to have you here today. Our two worlds crossing is a really cool thing – I'm loving this, and so glad we've had such a great year with Noble so far! I'll turn it over to you and let you scare us silly now! :)

"I'd like to start by saying hi to Gianna and her readers and thanks for the opportunity to be here. It's funny, but Gianna and I knew each other from 'another place' long before we both became Noble authors, and I couldn't be more thrilled to share a publisher with her!"

Introducing myself, I should mention that I'm Justine Elyot, a UK-based writer of erotica and erotic romance. My first novel, On Demand, was the last title to be published by iconic British label Black Lace and, while their withdrawal from the market was disappointing, I took some comfort from reaching the number one spot in the erotica chart at Amazon UK. I've written for a plethora of publishers and editors including Cleis Press, Xcite Books, Total E-Bound and Carina Press. My Noble book is called The Choirmaster and it's romantic BDSM. Check out the gorgeous cover:

The theme on Gianna's blog tour stop is magic and mysticism. I have to admit, I don't know much about either - my tastes tend more to the contemporary/historical than fantasy/paranormal - but I have spent a lot of time in one of the most haunted villages in England, so I thought I might tell you a little bit about that.

One summer when my mother was five years old, she was playing in the cornfields at the back of her house when she noticed the figure of a man rising up from the golden ears of wheat. This wasn't such an amazing sight in itself, but the fact that he was shirtless and his chest was green attracted her attention, as did the coronet of leaves in his hair. She raced off to tell her sisters, but by the time they came back, the man was gone.

Years later, she was reminded of her experience when she came across a picture of the man in a book about mythology. The caption identified him as Robin Goodfellow - a spirit whose appearance portended a good harvest. And, as it happened, they had a very good harvest in 1952.

The village where my mother grew up, in a fertile vale in the middle of England, famous for its lush fruit and vegetables, has more than its fair share of ghosts. A spectral horse and carriage are said to thunder over the crossroads just outside the village, while the manor house has its own 'white lady'.

As children, our absolute favourite story was of the local ghost, or 'spot loggin', a man who was allegedly hanged, or murdered (nobody seems to really know which). Great Uncle Fred reported being chased by the ghostly figure as he bicycled past the church one foggy night, and we could never resist the temptation to go to the old well, near the tithe barn, and walk around it three times anticlockwise and three times clockwise before uttering the magic words that would call up the spot loggin.

The problem was, we didn't know what the magic words were. My aunty Mary claimed to know them, but she wouldn't tell us.

So he stayed in the well and we eventually grew out of our fascination.

When I visit the village now, the thing that haunts me the most is the distant view of Long Lartin maximum security prison, where the terrorists are held. I wonder if any of their ghosts will ever drift across to join the spot loggin.

Now that I've spooked you, I must ask you to hurry along to say boo! to Indigo Skye who is gracing my own blog with her presence - http://justineelyot.wordpress.com/

Enjoy!"

Yeah, you certainly spooked me! But I love that village picture. I'm a bit of an Anglophile and long to visit England again someday. That pic just makes me more anxious! I'm a sucker for an old stone church, they call to me almost as much as the castles!

Thanks again for coming by Justine. The Choirmaster is a super hot read, I sucked it all down in just about one sitting, I couldn't put it down. And I agree with you 100% - that cover is gorgeous!

Here's where you can pick up a copy of The Choirmaster: http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=224

And don't forget, Justine also has a story in the Red Roses & Shattered Glass anthology.

You can get your hot little hands on it here: http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=260

Don't forget to leave comments and be eligible to win some super prizes. Make sure to stop by Justine's blog as well and talk to Indigo Skye, the next stop on the tour. Clickety-click on the button below:

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T08:32:00.000-04:00

Another week gone by, and Easter is here. Passover is about over – hope my friends who celebrate had an enjoyable one. It feels like it was Christmas just yesterday, the months are flying by at breakneck speed.

This was the third week of the Noble Authors Blog Tour. For those of you who have been following the tour, thank you for your support and excitement over this super fun event. I've had a wonderful time hosting and guesting and meeting new readers and fellow writers. Thank you to JS Wayne and Indigo Skye for being here at my blog this week, and thanks also to Justine Elyot and Cherie De Sues for hosting me. There's still another week of the tour left, so don't forget to stop be again and visit with next week's guests.

Here is a recap of the winners this week of a copy of Healing the Mage:

From Justine Elyot's Blog: Anne

From Cherie De Sues' Blog: Dawn

And the winner of the $20 All Romance Gift Certificate is Tracey D.

Congratulations ladies!

In other news, my computer has a defective motherboard. And they want more to fix it than it cost me to begin with two years ago! However, in looking back, I realize that this board has been slowly dying for some time, since right around Christmas (wow, that came up twice in one post!). Anyway, the sluggishness, hanging up for seconds or minutes at a time, failure to recognize USB connected devices, all this has been going on for months. I would shut down programs, log off other users, run virus scans, and restart the machine, and it would be fine for a couple of weeks. Then it would start again, and I would go through the whole process again, and it would be fine again. The last incident resulted in the machine not powering up again.

The way I see it, this is covered under the two year extended service plan, since the failure began in December. So now I am in the middle of wrangling to get them to pay for this repair. I just want my computer back – I cannot get into a solid writing groove using my work laptop, and it's killing me. Especially since I am fired up to work on my medieval. Tuesday's critique group was very productive for me, and I have some major re-arranging to do. I'm going to attempt to hook up a real keyboard to the laptop and see if that helps, but I don't have my lovely 20" screen to view, since my PC is an all-in-one. I'm going to have to increase my view to 150% to be able to see my words properly. Especially since my eyes are rapidly getting worse – the OTC magnifiers are getting to the point they don't work much anymore.

Update – since I did not document any symptoms prior to the failure and contract expiration, it won't be covered. I am supposed to get a hefty discount on the service, I'm still waiting for that. Some employee consideration, eh?

I'm hoping this week starts out well – much like today. Sunny (for now) and warm and all kinds of fun. It finally, actually feels like Spring today. Though they are calling for the chance of rain later on – what a surprise. My little guy has been up, much earlier than usual for a Sunday, of course, anxiously awaiting his older sister to join him so he can hunt for Easter eggs. He's hopping around more than any rabbit! Lol I need to tell him to conserve his energy, it's going to be a long and hectic day!

I am just grateful I don't have to attend this month's trade show – everyone's leaving today for Florida for the week. I'm more than content to avoid airplanes and airports for the next few months. It'll be October before I fly again – to Orlando. Though I will admit, several nights with a hotel room (and bed) all to myself is a luxury I do savor! I will get to enjoy that little delight again at the end of June, when I attend the RWA National conference in NYC. But I'm driving in, since I live so close, no planes this time around. I'm very much looking forward to that – it's been a while since I attended National, and I always have so much fun. This year will be extra special, since I now have two titles and the anthology to promote. I hope to get to meet face-to-face some of my fellow authors whom I've gotten to know online. And that bed all to myself! lol

One last reminder – the Noble Authors Blog Tour picks up again this week, on WEDNESDAY. So be sure to stop by, we have more prizes and fun. And the grand prize, a voucher to Eden Fantasy, is up for grabs. So be sure to comment so you can be eligible to win!

Happy Easter and I'll see you on the tour this week!

Noble Authors Blog Tour - Indigo Skye

2011-04-20T06:22:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Indigo Skye to my blog. Indigo is a writer and photographer living in the American Southwest. Her first novel, Her Captive Muse, was released by Noble Romance Publishers in January. Her work has been widely published online. Last fall, her short story “True Confession” was published in the anthology Uniform Behavior. A full list of her published works is available on her blog, Indigo Skye: Ink and Art- http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com.

Here's the blurb for Her Captive Muse. It sounds terrific – right up my alley, and on my TBR list!

When Brendan Delaney answered an ad for an artist's model, he was looking for an easy way to earn some extra cash. But Morgan Roan wanted more than just a model. Soon, Brendan finds himself caught in a web of deception and desire, lust and betrayal—her captive muse. What price pleasure?

And in keeping with the magical theme for my portion of the tour, here's a tasty snippet from Indigo's book:

Chapter Three

The Magician's Folly

"You don't believe me, do you?" Morgan asked. She toked hard on the joint and passed it back to him.

"No. I don't." His voice sounded flat. No one had ever called him beautiful before. She's just shining me on.

"I'll show you. I'll prove it." She looked excited. An attractive flush of color bloomed on her pale cheeks. She rummaged through a huge, roll-top desk in the corner, muttering to herself. "Where the hell did I—oh, there it is." She pulled out a small sketchpad and a box of oil pastels and brought them back to her chair near the hearth.

Brendan groaned. "Not this shit again. I'm off duty."

"This is different. You don't have to pose. I can work from memory." The artist began to sketch without looking at him. Her talented fingers worked fast.

He squirmed in the chair as Morgan studied his face. A perfectionist—trying to get it just right. Brendan watched her as she sketched. He drank his Scotch and smoked the last of the roach. He stood to toss the butt into the fire.

"There. Done." She ripped the page from her sketchpad and handed it over.

Brendan examined the drawing. He didn't recognize himself at first. It's not me—or is it? She's drawn me just as I am, and yet . . . .

Something about the sketch made him look twice. The way she portrayed his compact, wiry strength lent beauty and nobility to his features. He looked like a young man with a bright future ahead, rather than an aging fuckup with a past. He glanced up at her. Did she mean for him to keep the drawing? He'd been kicked out of his apartment—he didn't even have a wall to hang it on. He tried to hand the drawing back, but Morgan waved it away.

"It's yours. Keep it."

"This is how you see me?" His hands shook as he studied the picture.

"It's one of the ways I see you," she said. "It's the way I see you right now—in this light—after a few glasses of wine. The next time I look, I might see someone else entirely."

Brendan couldn't stop looking at the sketch. Instead of a tumbler of Scotch, she'd drawn him with a crystal ball in his left hand. She'd scrawled a title below her signature: "The Magician's Folly."

"A magician? I wish." He laughed.

"You're more powerful than you know, Brendan." Her indigo eyes stared straight into his soul. He shifted in his chair and tore his gaze away to look down at his hands.

"I should get going. I'm late." He stood up and got a head rush. Too hot. Shit. I think I'm gonna puke. His head spun and his stomach roiled. God, I need a fix. Could he shoot up in the bathroom? He wanted to get off—but he couldn't nod out here. Gotta stay sober enough to drive over to Chad's and score some more skank. A river of sweat ran down between his shoulder blades. I have to get out of here. Can't let Morgan see me like this. He struggled to navigate the stuffy room on unsteady feet.

"Wait—you shouldn't be driving. You've had a lot to drink." Morgan put a hand on his arm.

"I'm fine. I'll be all righ'." Brendan said, slurring his words a little.

"No, you won't." She touched his face and framed it in her fingers. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you. You can sleep here. There's plenty of room."

Brendan hesitated at the doorway. "You don't mind if I crash here? I don't want to put you out." He didn't want to seem too eager—but he was almighty sick of couch-surfing and sleeping on park benches.

"Of course I don't mind. Stay."

The thought of sleeping in a real bed tempted him, but he tried one last time to refuse her hospitality. "No. It's too much trouble. You got better things to do than babysit a drunk."

"It's no trouble at all." She waved away his polite words as if she were like a cloud of mosquitoes. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I should go." He turned to leave and stumbled over his own feet.

"You can't drive—you're wasted. You're staying here tonight."

He knew it was useless to argue. Morgan was a woman who'd grown accustomed to getting what she wanted. Brendan guessed the challenge of the hunt was half the pleasure of any conquest for a woman like her. He resolved to play hard to get.

"Since you're staying, would you like another drink?"

He shook his head. "Could I just have a glass of water? Please? I got cotton mouth." He felt woozy from all the booze, and Morgan's skunky pot.

"Strong stuff?" She smiled and laid a cool hand on his arm.

"Dy-no-mite."

"Lie down." She led him to a loveseat beneath an open window. "I'll be right back with some water."

The cold air felt good on his face and revived him a little. Brendan took off his leather jacket and dug through the pockets until he found the last little bit of his smack in its bindle. Could he shoot up? No time. Shit. He tipped a pile onto the coffee table and snorted it. The glitter-gold aura of poppy-bliss embraced him. Smack, for fast, fast relief. Brendan laughed under his breath. He bundled up his jacket, folding it into a pillow of sorts. The first warm wave of his buzz washed over him like a benediction.

Morgan returned with a glass of water. She sat beside him and stroked his hair back from his face. Her fingers felt like cool water against his fevered skin. She fussed over him, replacing his lumpy jacket with a soft pillow. He sipped the cool water with a grateful sigh and turned his head to catch the breeze. He could smell wood smoke and darkness. The north wind foretold winter's coming chill.

"Thank you—feels good." He closed his eyes. He was almost asleep when Morgan leaned over and kissed him goodnight.

"My room's at the end of the hall if you need anything." She nibbled on his earlobe, then pulled away. He reached for her, but she ignored him. She stood and crossed to the door. "Sweet dreams." Her pale form dissolved into the darkness, leaving Brendan to wonder if he'd imagined the whole thing.

I cannot wait to read this, I've got chills, in a good way, and am salivating to see what comes next. Thanks for that taste, Indigo!

You can find Indigo on the web here:

Blog: http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com

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

Email: indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com

And here's where you can get your hands on Her Captive Muse- https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=235

Here's a link to Uniform Behavior-

http://www.amazon.com/Uniform-Behaviour-ebook/dp/B004DI7PQM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1299693197&sr=8-6

In addition, the Red Roses & Shattered Glass Anthology features a fantasic story by Indigo.

You can get your copy here: https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=260

Remember, we're giving away some great prizes, so leave a comment for Indigo, or a question, or anything else!

You can meet up with Bianca Sommerland over at JS Wayne's blog. Click the button to continue along the tour route!

Noble Authors Blog Tour - Word Wizardry with JS Wayne

2011-04-19T00:01:00.022-04:00

Today, I'm delighted to welcome JS Wayne, my guest for this day of the Noble Authors Blog Tour. Check out the awesome poem he wrote, I'm seriously impressed. Talk about multi-genre talent! And don't forget to leave a comment for JS to be eligible to win some awesome prizes!

Born in Amarillo, Texas, J.S. Wayne has lived, worked, or traveled in approximately two thirds of the North American continent and has amassed a resume that could kindly be described as “eclectic.” He currently resides in the Texas Panhandle with his wife, a vicious attack cat, and a terrier puppy who believes socks are a threat to national security. In his laughably sparse spare time, he enjoys reading, scary movies, strategy games, and collecting obsolete weapons. His professional writing credits include two current novels, Shadowphoenix: Requiem and Wail; a short story, “Angels Would Fall,” which has been contracted by Noble Romance Publishing and was just released April 18; and a host of poetry and work-in-progress novels and short stories, including a nascent graphic novel with artist extraordinaire Bill Fish, who created the covers for J.S.’s first two novels, his website, and took the photos J.S. uses for various publicity needs. He maintains a home page at www.wix.com/jswaynesite/herebemonsters and a blog at www.jswayne.wordpress.com.

Word Wizardry

Sorcerer

Dreams and visions are my stock in trade

Cryptic runes and sigils flung into the cold blue fire

Of the magick mirror through which I see and am seen

Building dreams of romance and nightmares of horror

Erotic meetings in shaded places and lust in broad daylight

Lover and warrior, I mix phials and filters

With the mortar of language and the pestle of my mind

Every phrase, word, and letter fraught with meaning

Text, context, subtext, and back again

To form the picture in the mind

Denying sleep, laughing, as I create that

Which will stir the heart...or freeze the very marrow

Flinging my magick webs and spells

To make you laugh, weep, shiver, or tremble

With these bizarre little squiggles I force your reaction

A game of chess as foreplay and your emotions the prize

A modern-day Merlin, robed in black

Sending new imaginings to produce a new idea

A new view of the world.

If I succeed only one time, with only one person

And my words reverberate with that soul

Long after the grimoire, the tome is closed

Then I have succeeded to my satisfaction

At the sorcery I weave for your entertainment and edification.

Seems a little over the top, doesn't it? But it's true, in its own, admittedly melodramatic way.

Writers create magic. From the basic building blocks of language, we create entire universes and destroy them just as readily. We give these universes Gods, people, laws, and form. The people that we engender in these worlds of the mind live, love, grow, suffer and die as we see fit. And in doing so, we have the potential to wreak very real changes in the people, and hence the world, around us.

Take as a basic, cookbook example the stressed-out banker who goes out after work and picks up the bloodsoaked horror novel he’s heard so much about. The next day, he might have gone smooth out of his mind, purchased a rifle, and gone into work the day after that shooting. But because he found catharsis in the horror novel and the demented little fantasies worked out there, he feels a little bit better. He doesn’t beat his wife or kids or drink himself into cirrhosis and a coma at thirty-five. Instead, he lets fictional characters bear the brunt of his frustration and irritation. Maybe he even experiences a sea change in his perspective. Would anyone argue that the seven, fifteen, or thirty dollars he spent on that novel was money wasted, given the potential outcome if he hadn’t found that outlet?

Another example is the woman in a position of power, who finds that all her subordinates, and even people on her level, find her offputting simply because of the title she holds. She may be as hot-blooded and passionate as any woman, but she feels like she can never let on because she’s afraid that by doing so, she may compromise the power she wields. So she goes home and in the privacy of her own office/living room/bedroom downloads that hot new erotic romance novel she overheard a couple of the girls talking about by the water cooler. Losing herself in the imagery and the tacit permission to be sensual that such a work offers, she allows the passionate side of herself to surface. She might even place a phone call to someone who reminds her of the hero and who she would never have dared to approach without the catalyst of the feelings the book stirs in her. A good time is had by all, a new love blossoms, it is hoped, and she goes to work the next day glowing and a little easier to be around.

These may be somewhat extreme examples, but the reality is that a million stories like these are acted out daily. Stories, fantasies, and books that they read change them. They learn something new. They consider a different point of view. Maybe they even go so far as to make a fundamental change in their life.

What all of these have in common is that somewhere, at some time, someone sat down and put together words in a certain manner to convey a specific mood, concept, idea, or emotion. The way they did it resonated with these particular people in such a way as to force a conscious change in their thought process, mood, or feelings.

Okay, you may ask, this is all very intriguing, but what’s so magical about it? After all, people write things all the time. I write out a grocery list every week, but it has never inspired any life-altering event for me. What’s the difference?

The difference is very simple, but to explain it, we must first set a working definition of magic to properly place these events in context.

Donald Michael Kraig, the author of Modern Magick: 11 Lessons in the High Magickal Arts, defines magic as any change in a person or their environment which is occasioned by will, using means not currently understood by Western science.

But wait! Science tells us about brain chemistry and function and how these affect our thought processes. So we already know and understand why we feel what we feel at a certain time. No need for some half-baked Gandalf wanna-be to wave his wand and make us feel something different.

Perhaps. But the point is that the writer's creation stimulates the reader's brain, oftentimes without their even being aware of it. We literally create the world we desire, and in doing so, in a very real way, we change lives. And if that isn't magic, then I don't know what is.

I want to extend a very warm thanks to Gianna for letting me take the stage here today. I can't wait for next time!

Until then,

J.S. Wayne

Thanks JS! I can’t wait either! :) Here's the cover of JS's latest release, Angels Would Fall:

Isn't that a gorgeous cover? Definitely drool-worthy! lol You can get Angels Would Fall at Noble Romance Publishing: https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=270

JS also has a short story in the Red Roses & Shattered Glass Anthology:

You can purchase the anthology here: https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=260 There are some seriously hot stories - you don't want to miss a single one!

Check out what Cherie De Sues is up to over at Bianca Sommerland's blog. Click the button below to continue on the tour!

Winners - and other chit-chat

2011-04-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

If you're here, then you know about the exciting Noble Authors Blog Tour that's been underway for the last couple of weeks. I'm having a hell of a time visiting all the other blogs and meeting readers and fellow authors. I've also added a few books to my wish-list myself! lol And I want to thank everyone who came by to visit with my guests and leave comments. I'm very happy to see you all and make some new friends!

I thought I'd recap here the winners of copies of Healing the Mage and some swag to accompany it, so here goes:

From my guest post at Indigo Skye's blog: Jean P
From my guest post at Sarah Ballance's blog: Andrea I
From my guest post at JS Wayne's blog: Lucy Felthouse
From my guest post at HC Brown's blog: The Pick Pack

Congratulations ladies, I'll be emailing you today or tomorrow with a copy of Healing the Mage.

On to other updates. On the writing front, not much has been going on - last week was an absolutely horrendous week for me and technology. First, my main home computer died. *sob* Actually, it's not as bad as I first thought, it appears to be a pwoer problem, rather than anything else, so with fingers crossed, I am awaiting results on diagnostics. The stupid thing was acting sluggish so I shut it down, It never powered up again, and no matter where I took it, there was no power reaching the machine. So back to Sony it goes. The killer - this happened exactly ONE MONTH after my extended service contract expired - to the very day! So I have to pay - even though I've worked for Sony for 22 years, there's no way to get it back under service contract, no assistance at all for me other than paying $150 just to send it in and get a diagnostic. Figures.

The morning after this happened, I get to work and the copy machine is down, so no copying, scanning or sending outside docs electronically through the network. Not five minutes later, the fax machine runs out of toner, though that was an easy fix. The next morning, my boss's hard drive crashes, and that same day, my blog reset some settings. (I swear the blog did it all on its own!). To say I was nervous about getting on a plane last week was an understatement. I get nervous enough on my own, I didn't need this adding to it.

Obviously, there were no issues with the flight. Had a wonderful time in Vegas, even though it was for work, I did manage to get some fun time in. Walked the strip and won enough money to keep playing for a few hours. And I managed to talk up my books to anyone and everyone who would listen - I played my author role rather than my Sony role whenever possible. Handed out a few cards and maybe I'll get some new readers out of it.

Needless to say, my writing has stalled a bit. I can't get comfortable writing on my work laptop, and it's very distracting and aggravating. On the bright side, we've purchased a new laptop for the house, and it's gorgeous. I may try my hand at using that this weekend, but again, we have another crazy busy schedule, so we'll see how much actual time I have at my disposal. But I'm anxious to get my medieval finished - it needs lots of editing and revision, and I've been moving at a snail's pace. Especially after I got scores back on a contest I entered with it.

Now to be totally honest, I only entered because the category was in danger of being eliminated for being short entries, and I would hate for that to have happened. So I didn't expect anything, really. When I received the scores, I was floored to see I had scored so high with the first two judges: 109 and 104! Wow, I truly didn't expect that. I was brought quickly down to earth by the third score - a 36! Obviously, I offended that judge - the story does contain plot threads that border on non-consensual activities. Then again, I tend to write heroes who overpower the heroine, and I know some people don't like that. But 36? I have NEVER, EVER received such a low score, even when I was getting trashed by the judge. I really *really* must have offended her terribly. At least the other two scores told me I was doing something right.

So, in light of that, I thought I'd turn my attention to the other trouble I've been having with this manuscript - the title. Right now, I'm calling it Warrior's Vengeance, but I really don't like it. So, I'm going to hold another contest - I'll give away a copy of either Healing the Mage or In The Devil's Arms - winner's choice. I'll give a brief synopsis here, and whoever comes up with the best title, wins. Simple, eh? Sounds like it, though I'll bet I'll get some great titles and won't be able to choose! lol

Here's the summary of the story - as it's written now.

Scotsman Ian MacCallum lost his wife and young son to a brutal attack by English soldiers two years earlier. Swearing revenge against the man who led the attack, The Earl of Montchester, called the Panther, Ian plans an attack on Montchester. During the final scouting mission, one of his men kidnaps a young woman. Ian saves the girl from a brutal rape, only to realize he holds captive the daughter of his enemy.

Marissa Langley determines to free herself from her captors, but unarmed and helpless, she cannot fight against the man who saved her from the rest of his men. When Ian sets out to seduce her, Marissa finds she doesn't want to resist him, despite her determination to free herself. Ian keeps her bound, treats her badly, yet gives her pleasure she's never known before. She realizes that she must sacrifice herself to save her family, but when Ian brings her back to his village and collars her as a slave, she vows to destroy him for what he's done to her. Yet, little by little, Ian's seduction wears away her resistance, until all she wants is to remain in his arms. And Ian finds he cannot bring himself to harm the daughter of his enemy; instead, she worms her way into his heart, forcing him to rethink his plans of revenge.

So there it is, as it stands now. Of course, not everything is known to either Marissa or Ian, but then again, that's a big part of the story. For my critique partners familiar with The Panther, they'll know what I mean! ;) Okay, everyone, get those thinking caps on and help me come up with a title! :p

Day Four - Noble Authors Blog Tour - Cherie De Sues

2011-04-13T00:02:00.004-04:00

Today, I am delighted to host Chérie De Sues here at my blog. As you can see from her bio, she's quite accomplished and extremely talented! And her books are red hot!

Chérie De Sues is a "critically acclaimed" and "award winning" author of thrillers, paranormal and contemporary suspense romances from sensual to sizzling heat levels. When Chérie takes a break from writing novels, you can find her at book signings, online, or traveling to research her next novel. She shares her home in San Diego, California, with her Irish terrier, Reilly.

Welcome, Chérie! I'm so excited to hear about "The Seduction of Simone." I've got it loaded on my Reader as a matter of fact, and I'm looking forward to reading it!

"Merry meet Gianna,

I'm thrilled to be on tour with a stopover on your fabulous website! Although I write contemporary suspense and thrillers on occasion, my focus has been on paranormal suspense and pagan paranormal stories for the last year. Many of my pagan friends wanted stories with believable characters and situations that might face a Wiccan, Gypsy, Wizard, Druid, Witch or Fae. Since I'm a witch, I jumped right in with both feet!

In the highly erotic novel, "The Seduction of Simone", readers will find paranormal and pagan elements throughout the book. Here's a blurb:

Simone Devereaux has inherited an estate on the Northern California coast after her Aunt Celeste meets with a sudden, mysterious death. The hot neighbor, Trent Grayson, insists Celeste was murdered, and wants to be more than the man-next-door.

When clients arrive to pose for their nude portraits over the weekend, Simone realizes she's inherited more than an estate. Two randy poltergeists enter her dreams for a lusty ménage, and a budding serial killer threatens her sanity.

Now her Wiccan mother and gypsy father are coming for a visit, just in time to watch Simone lose her heart . . . and possibly her life.

I really enjoyed writing this novel so much, I started, "West Salem" and have just finished editing this novel that will start a trilogy of stand-alone novels. I wanted to represent each pagan in the village as a real person, with erotic romance, ritual and a relentless enemy.

I have an alter ego and pen name for my nonfiction book, "Spellcaster: Book of Magic" by Rose Embyrs. For all your pagan or interested readers, they may enjoy the website at http://www.roseembyrs.com/ where they can read a portion of this book and enter "Irish Gypsy's Parlor". I've actually seen people enter the parlor and never come out. LOL The parlor is a fabulous world of the Fae, Gypsy lore, witchcraft and the supernatural. Enter at your own risk."

I have to say, that sounds like a lot of fun! You can bet I'll be stopping by for sure! I'm getting chills already – good chills! J

"I write a column in the Pagan Pages Magazine under Rose Embyrs and the HUB under the same name, filled with spells and witchcraft magick. I belong to a circle and practice solo too, I love hearing from other pagans on my facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/roseembyrs"

Wow, Cherie! I'm impressed with all that you do – how do you find the time? I'm not a pagan, but I do love learning about it.

I've really enjoyed spending ti"me with you and hope your readers will stop by my author website at http://www.cheriedesues2.com and read the first chapters of my novels, sign up for a contest and watch some book videos! Speaking of book video trailers, here's "The Seduction of Simone". Many blessings, Cherie De Sues )0(

Thank you so much for stopping by Cherie, it was a delight to have you today - I am looking forward to getting lost in Simone's story, it looks absolutely riveting!

Here's where you can find Cherie on the web:

Website: http://www.cheriedesues2.com

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

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

Noble Author Link to all books: https://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=75

For the next stop on the tour, click the button. Justine Elyot is hosting Mindy MacKay today, so hop on over!

Noble Authors Blog Tour - Mindy MacKay

2011-04-12T00:02:00.025-04:00

Today, I'm hosting Mindy McKay. Thanks for coming by, Mindy. I'm so happy you could be here today! I'll let you take it away and share your magical tale!

First, I'd like to thank Gianna for having me here on her blog. I'm really psyched to be here today, and to be part of this tour!

Now, for a more detailed definition of "I". I'm Mindy MacKay, student, writer, and occasional TVTroper. To date, I've had three novels and three short stories published in the genres of scifi/fantasy, horror, and romantic suspense. In my spare time I enjoy watching obscure movies, playing the piano, and meeting with the local poetry club at an indie coffee shop. That's me.

Most of my recent work has been realistic and free of paranormal elements, as I like to keep my writing thick with a "try this at home" element. I like writing about things that I (or readers) could plausibly do, and woodland warfare doesn't rank highly on that list. However, I am in the middle of an ongoing series, namely Puppetmasters, that draws from a number of paranormal influences.

The most obvious speculative elements are the mutants and their powers, though this is a much more sci-fi thing. I won't lie, I'm a complete nerd. I've been a Trekkie since I was eleven and grew up on a steady diet of Justice League, so a lot of the character abilities and fight sequences I use are drawn off of pulpy superhero stuff.

Then there's the death lore I use. The grim reaper, who in my series appears as female, makes her first official entrance in the third installment, Bulletproof (release date TBA) and in book four, her surprising connection to the hero will come to light. I've modeled her after Santa Muerte, literally "Saint Death," who is venerated in Mexico among certain circles. I wanted to portray Death as an all-accepting figure rather than all ominous gloom-and-doom, so naturally, she turned out a little like the Dia de los Muertos death goddess.

So, there you have it. A combination of hard sci-fi and goddess worship. Not the most likely combination, but it's certainly fun mixing things up.

Thanks again to Gianna for having me, and don't forget to swing by the other stops on the tour! <3 Mindy.

Here's the lowdown on the latest from Mindy, Fallen from Disgrace:

Rosella Cartwright wakes up in the hospital after a yearlong coma with no recollection of who she used to be. Her only clue is that everyone around her despises and avoids her. Then, she discovers the truth: before she was hospitalized, she was the most wanted maniac of New York's criminal underbelly.

Disgusted by reports of her own heinous crimes, she attempts to reform herself, but her efforts are in vain as society continues to cast her out in hatred and fear. All the world seems against her until she is offered a job by Daniel Ryan, a rising executive and self-made success who hides a lifetime of inner turmoil behind a façade of cool indifference. Drawn to his mystery as he is by her irrepressible darkness, Rosella starts falling for Daniel, but love can't save her from her past. A former victim of hers wants revenge, and will stop at nothing to get it. Her partners in crime want her back by their side, though she wants nothing more to do with them. And a sinister plot of her own design, buried beneath her amnesia, is, unbeknownst to her, still very much in progress. These are the monsters she will have to fight off alone, and if she doesn't watch her step, she might not make it out alive.

You can find Mindy's latest release, Fallen from Disgrace, at Noble Romance Publishing, here: https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=201

That book sounds awesome, Mindy. I can't wait to read it! Mindy's giving away a copy of Fallen from Disgrace, so be sure to leave a comment, and don't forget to also leave your email address.

To continue on the tour – today you can meet Justine Elyot over at Indigo Skye's place - click here:

Sarah Ballance - Encounters with the Unexplained

2011-04-06T03:00:00.001-04:00

Today, I welcome Sarah Ballance, author of Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense. Sarah wrote her first novel a couple of years ago just to prove she could do it. DOWN IN FLAMES was published in 2010, spurring the initial "told ya so" into a fledging career for the stay-at-home mom of six kids, all homeschooled. She'll be quick to tell you she writes to visit a world where people actually listen to her, but her characters didn't get the memo—on a good day, they give her about as much trouble as the real kids do. Married for nearly 14 years, her incredibly supportive husband spends his not-at-work hours bonding with the kids so Sarah can write. He's also a selfless volunteer when it comes to researching "the good parts."

Encounters with the Unexplained

I must like being scared, because it takes very little to leave me quaking. But it's not the vampires or werewolves or other cultural phenomena that gets to me … it's the events I truly can't explain.

My earliest memory of the unexplained takes me back to my grandparents' old barn. There, from the attic, drifted the steady clack-clack tempo of a typewriter keypad—the sort resonating from an old-fashioned manual machine. As a child, the noise terrified me. It avoided rhyme or reason. It defied typecasting, appearing instead in whatever random fashion it chose. I seldom ventured into the barn on anything less than a sunny day, but when us kids bundled enough nerve into a dare, we'd creep in there at night and wait. The Noise never demanded we wait long.

My adult mind looks for reason behind the mysterious noise in my grandparents' barn, but with maturity came the knowledge that, before they bought the place, a woman was murdered on the property in a cruel, gruesome matter. This revelation left me no desire to venture into the attic, nor does the fact that neither of my sensible, level-minded grandparents would step foot in there—their property, to this day, abandoned upstairs to the tempo of keystrokes. As for me, I try to chalk the unsettled memory up to animals, but the steady, unfailing pattern is one only the most talented of rodents could muster.

If the unexplained experiences stopped in my childhood, I might be tempted to write them off. But there are two things I've witnessed I simply cannot explain away, and both happened right in my own home, both within the last couple of years.

One afternoon, my kitchen table was in a rare state of clean. It's an oak table. The surface is level, as is the floor beneath it. The kids put toys on it all the time, and I'll even set down the occasional egg without it careening across the top. So needless to say, when my untouched water glass walked itself several inches across the surface in a single smooth motion, I did more than a double take. To be fair, condensation can cause a mini-phenomenon, but the distance was more like six or eight inches than it was millimeters. Two of my kids witnessed this, and I don't know that I'll ever forget the wide-eyed looks we traded.

The other incident happened as I gathered laundry in the bathroom. With the door and window closed and no air blowing from the vents (believe me, I checked), the entire roll of toilet paper unrolled itself into a heap on the floor. I can assume it finished due to momentum, but as to what got it started, I'm clueless—I know I hadn't touched it in a while. I was home alone with an infant, my back to the roll when it started unwinding.

All I do know is after a long, dumbfounded look, I backed from the room, grateful for the daylight and really wishing we had another bathroom.

When it comes to believing in the unknown, having that feeling resonating in your gut adds a whole new level to a good story, one that makes it great. I'm working that uneasiness into a story, but it's in line behind a few deadlines. Still, I can't wait to see how those long-held emotions resent themselves into the plot.

In a world full of the unexplained—of witchcraft and debauchery, of myths and legends galore—that, perhaps, will be the greatest spell of them all.

Man, I'm getting shivers, Sarah!

Sarah's latest, a Romantic Suspense titled Run To You, is a real intense read. Here's the blurb and the drool-worthy cover:

Mattie James can't pinpoint exactly when she lost control of her life, but the moment she decided to take it back made the front page of the local paper. Desperate to dodge the fallout— and the tabloids—she jumps at the chance to spend an off-season week in a tiny resort community by the sea. Making the trip with her ex-lover is a complication she can live with; coming face to face with a dead woman is not.

The last thing Sheriff Wyatt Reed expected to find on the storm-ravaged beach was a beautiful blonde with a jealous sidekick, but one look at Mattie left him wanting more. Their first date takes an ominous turn when he gets the call that a woman was found murdered. With a killer on the loose and a troubling lack of suspects or motive, Wyatt has to put his feelings aside to focus on the case. But his vow not to become personally involved is shattered when he discovers Mattie's life is on the line, and this time the truth leaves her with a deadly choice . . . and nowhere to run.

I have this on my Reader, and it's moved way up on the TBR list, I'll tell you that!

To continue on the Noble Author's Blog Tour, head over to see what I'm up to on Sarah's blog by clicking the button:

Blog Tour - First Guest HC Brown

2011-04-05T02:00:00.001-04:00

To kick off this exciting tour, I am thrilled to welcome H.C. Brown, a multi published, award winning, highly credited author of Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Historical and Contemporary Romance. Having read several of her books, I can attest that H.C. is the author of some amazing, and super hot, tales. She has a real gift for weaving deep emotions into her stories, I can vouch for that! J

H.C. currently lives in Australia and she believes every story should have a happy ending. I agree with that 100%.

On that note, I'm going to turn it over to H.C., and she will talk about writing fantasy romance, and we've got a really nice excerpt of her latest release as well.

Why Do I Write Fantasy?

I enjoy living in a fantasy world deep inside my stories. In truth, I believe in faeries . . I wish I could tell you why. J I love magyck and having the fortune to be born into in a family of gypsies with exceptional psychic powers; my mind is open to all possibilities. The day of my birth, my father held me up to the stars and asked all the good spirits to watch over me.

Many people make claims to be of the gypsies. We are a secretive people not prone to publicity. I may tell you a little about my true self. My mother's family goes back to the Bunni tribe in England. My father can trace his lines back to the Norman Conquest. We females still carry the distinctive royal blue eye color of the originals, not the brown of the invaders from Europe. One female in each generation inherits the gift.

I have seen true magyck, witnessed, experienced and created the thrill of many things too strange to tell. There is no evil in pure magyck. I feel sorry for the unbelievers, those who live in a world without seeing the magyck flowing around them; although it is not my place explain such things.

Magyck does not bring great wealth or success but it does bring happiness. There are many charlatans who extract money from people claiming they are Gifted. Those of the truly Gifted, give their knowledge freely—for it is in the giving that we gain true happiness.

Shifters & Demons by H.C. Brown

Paranormal Erotic Romance

Blurb: When bad boy alpha, Prince Dallin and his lover, Stryker, go 2000 years into the past to rescue Lailii, a Spellweaver, they didn't plan on being captivated by the petite, delicate female.

Strong willed and determined to survive, Lailii has no option but to go with the two stunningly handsome men. Within hours, she finds herself in a world of big cat shifters and sizzling, uninhibited sex. Betrayed by a king to whom she owes no loyalty, she struggles to survive and acclimate herself in a strange, new land. And when a demon follows Lailii into the future, Dallin and Stryker must work together to keep their new lover safe.

Stryker followed Dallin from the great hall. His stomach unclenched. Lady's blood, he had met King Leopold. The leader of all the Prides within the lands of the Twelve Gates had accepted him into his home. The days of sneaking from the barracks to meet Dallin were over. Gods, be praised.

With a grin, he took in the man walking beside him. The crown prince was the epitome of a Vane, the ruling Pride of white tiger shifters. Massive in build, he walked with authority. Black hair fell like water to brush his shoulders The silken mass framed a face only a god could have created, to hold amethyst eyes flecked with green and silver opalescence. Stryker's gaze dropped from Dallin's broad shoulders to his trim waist, and then down to strong thighs cased in a skintight material, woven by the Fae to resemble leather. He knew the feel of those strong thighs pressing against him. One whiff of his lover's unique scent sent him into rapture. He touched his lips at the memory of Dallin's demanding kiss. The taste of the prince lingered on his tongue.

"Do you mind if I see her alone?" Dallin stopped at the top of a flight of stairs. "I have some crawling to do."

Drawn from his thoughts, Stryker blinked. He cleared his throat and met Dallin's gaze. "Sure. I'll hang around and wait. What do you think the king has planned for us at the waterfall?"

"I'm guessing hot, pride females and a ménage ceremony." Dallin winked. "My father may be old but he does encourage us to have frequent sex with a variety of females. How else would a male learn to cope with a female in Moonfire? One needs experience. It's the same in most Prides."

Stryker nodded in agreement. "I agree, but it's after the mating that troubles me. My father insists all will be well, but do you honestly believe one female will satisfy us both?"

"After we bite our chosen mate and she us, all desire for another will fade." Dallin placed a hand on Stryker's shoulder. "It is the Lady's way. Once our childseed is released we are bound to one female for life."

They moved along a passageway with windows down one side. At the end, two guards stood to attention. The open door to the king's solar revealed a large, opulent room. The queen sat beside a massive, marble fireplace, her feet encased in red slippers supported by a large, blue silk cushion. She glanced toward the door, and her face creased in a wide smile. Dallin threw a mischievous grin at Stryker and strode into the room, closing the door behind him.

The guards' stony expressions remained neutral; only their eyes flicked toward Stryker. He turned and rested his head on the windowpane. His breath clouded the view of the spectacular rose garden below. With a sigh, he straightened his shoulders and looked out on the familiar landscape. So much had happened since his father sent him to train as a warrior in the king's army. Well, in truth, the king offered him the chance to ride with the elite Vane Patrol after he defeated six of his warriors in a mock battle. Stryker grinned. At eighteen, he thought he was invincible—until he met Dallin.

Friendship followed the long training sessions at Vane Castle. Stryker's heart missed a beat. The memory of becoming Dallin's lover was still fresh in his mind. He grew hard, and turned away from the guards. Hell, that night had branded his lust meter for all time. Okay, like most Pride males of their age, they liked to share females, rolling off one and then onto the other. That night, only one female came to Dallin's bedchamber. The thrill of them taking her, both at the same time, had blown his mind. The first brush of thighs, the touch of cock against cock, and then the first hot, wet kiss had sealed their fate.

1100 After Arious

Dragon's Gate

"I will not allow the Butcher of Anwyn to capture my bride." Prince Darik gathered up the reins of his prancing horse and glared at Lailii. "Do something, Spellweaver."

Lailii gathered her magyck about her and gazed intently at the cloud of dust surrounding the oncoming, mutant warriors. Heat shimmered across the desert sands, turning the approaching army into ethereal beings. She turned to her prince. "Yes, your majesty. Have no fear. I will ensure you have a safe journey to Mulway."

"See that you do." The prince nodded curtly, turned his horse, and motioned to his small contingent of men to retreat.

In the distance, the Butcher of Anwyn rode proudly before a battalion of the undead. With each second, the Army of Lost Souls moved closer. Even now, Lailii could see the red and yellow colors of the Butcher's standard. The ground trembled. Above, the sky darkened. Swirling sand had turned the twin, midday suns to blood red. A bad omen that heralded death and terror. Lailii's heart raced. Her magyck would hold the Butcher less than an hour. She took one last glance over her shoulder at the prince she had vowed to protect. He and his princess would be safe, but she would make the ultimate sacrifice.

With a toss of her head, Lailii opened her arms. Goddess, give me strength. Magyck crackled in the air. Dark Light shot from her fingertips. The smoky streamers fell over the soldiers, snuffing out all sense of direction, sight, and sound. The Army of Lost Souls ground to a confused halt.

As each long minute dragged by, Lailii knew the prince moved closer to the safe haven of Mulway. She bit her bottom lip and held her ground. With her nightscape, she gazed into the black void. The Butcher's men walked in circles or crawled in terror, mouths open in silent screams. Just a little longer and my prince will be out of harm's way. Her arms ached and her concentration waned. The constant flow of magyck drained her life force.

Without warning, the dark light collapsed, and the roar of the Army of Lost Souls beat down on her. The beasts would kill her and feast on her remains. Praying the intense spell would take her life, she gazed into the twisted faces growing closer by the second. The desert folded in on her, and she collapsed over the neck of her horse.

"You will not die today, Lailii of the Tark." The Butcher of Anwyn grabbed a handful Lailii's hair, dragged her from the horse, and threw her to the ground. "Lord Passio will grant me passage into the Underworld in exchange for you, Spellweaver."

In terror, Lailii kicked out at the man. She gagged at the smell pouring from his putrid mouth. Mutants surrounded her, blocking escape. The Butcher moved closer. An extra eye protruded from his cheek, flitting from side to side. She lifted her face to the twin suns to absorb a fraction of their power. Just a little magyck would gain her an advantage. The Butcher reached out one gnarled finger. Lailii scrambled to her feet. "Take your hands off me. I belong to Prince Darik."

"Oh, we are going to have so much fun with you. It will be some time before Lord Passio arrives." The Butcher pushed Lailii toward his men. "Hold her."

Lailii screamed. Strong hands tore at her clothes. She fought to find the power for one small spell to use against the disgusting beasts. The Butcher approached, stroking a huge, twin-headed cock, the massive, purple tips dripping with pre-cum. The mutants' misshapen hands dragged her legs apart and cheered encouragement to their leader.

The Butcher moved his twisted body between her legs. Lailii bucked to avoid the stream of drool leaking from the leader's mouth. The man grinned and bent to lick her exposed nipple, his long, pointed tongue circling the tip. Goddess, help me. Lailii drew on her diminished powers to send a sting of magyck to her captors. The mutants reacted in shocked surprise and dropped her onto the hot sand. She snarled and met the Butcher's gaze. "Any male who dares to rape me is cursed. His cock will turn black, shrivel, and fall off. As so I will, so mote it be."

Chapter One

3,000 years later—4100 After Arious

Lightening Falls Gate

Dallin inhaled the female's arousal and winked at Stryker. His lover lay on his back across the wide, black silk-covered bed. The sweetest Elfin female straddled his massive cock. They had hit gold this time. The willing female wanted both of them. After watching Stryker drive into her wet pussy for five long minutes, Dallin's balls ached. He reached for the tube of lube and approached the bed. He ran his tongue over his fangs. "May I have your ass, sweet thing?"

The female shot him a smile over her shoulder and pressed her small tits into Stryker's chest. Her sweet, white ass cheeks opened in invitation. Dallin groaned and applied lube to her inviting star. The female mewed her approval. Without hesitation, Dallin climbed onto the bed. He grasped his heavy cock and guided it into her tight hole with one thrust of his hips.

Taking a firm hold of her small waist, he drove into her. So damn hot, so deliciously tight. He gasped his thanks. With each plunge, he brushed Stryker's cock through the thin barrier of skin. What bliss. He met Stryker's hot gaze and knew they shared the same erotic experience. The touch, the slide of cock against cock, was intoxicating and one they both enjoyed.

Dallin's climax built quickly. The shivery sensations started in his belly, and the heat deep in his balls intensified with each delightful thrust. The room filled with the slap of bodies and the warm scent of sex. The female began to tremble, and then cried out her climax. She fell forward, spilling chestnut hair across Stryker's chest.

"Now, Dal." Stryker squeezed Dallin's thigh. "I'm gonna come."

With short, hard thrusts of his hips, Dallin drove into the female. Erotic sensations blurred his vision; white spots danced before his eyes. He gave into the bliss and spilled in delicious, hot spurts. Collapsing forward, he reached for Stryker and crushed the man's lips in a long, hot kiss. Gods, he loved the taste of the man.

"Oh, that is so sweet." The female rested her head on Striker's shoulder. "Can you get up now? You're crushing me."

After a long moment, Dallin broke the kiss. He glanced toward the digital readout flashing on the wall and swore. He rolled off the girl. "My father wants to see me." He looked down at the female. "How much, sweetheart?"

"For a new customer, the price is just one gold strip." The girl climbed off the bed and took a thumb scanner from her purse. "Each."

Dallin pressed his thumb on the device and grinned. "We'll call you again real soon. What was your name?"

"Rose. I work at the Freak Show most days." She licked her lips and smiled. "I can always bring a friend—male or female."

"I'll think on it." Dallin inclined his head toward the door. "You should leave now."

"What do you think the king wants?" Stryker slid off the bed and headed for the shower.

Dallin watched the girl pull on a long dress and leave. He closed the door behind her, and then followed Stryker into the shower. Turning to face his friend, he stared at the control panel sending a spike of magyck into the system. "I have no idea."

"Do you think he wants you to move back into the castle?" Stryker rubbed the back of his neck.

A blast of hot magyck swirled around them, and Dallin sighed. The fresh and clean glass cubicle did not compare to the satisfying experience of a hot shower. He turned around and grinned at his lover. "Well, it has been two years. He might—if he's forgiven me. To be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing my brothers again."

"I'll miss you." Stryker touched Dallin's arm. "You know I can't gain entrance to Vane Castle; will you come and visit me?"

With a chuckle, Dallin stepped from the cubicle and strode back into the bedroom. He went straight to the wardrobe and pulled out clean clothes. "You don't really think I could live without you, after three years of being together, do you? You are as close to me as any mate; we care for each other." He turned and smiled at Stryker. "I won't move anywhere without you."

"Good. Do you want me to come to the castle with you?" Stryker stood naked, his fists balled on his hips. "Or do you think the king will disapprove?"

"He knows about you already. We hardly hid the fact we were lovers. We were practically living together in my rooms at the castle." Dallin pulled on his clothes. "As long he knows I seek a female for my future queen, all will be well. My father had a lover, a Fae male named Sash, who died in the Mirra Uprising not long after I was born."

"Do you believe the Lady intends to find a mate for us to share?" Stryker pulled clothes from the chest of drawers and proceeded to dress.

Dallin pulled on his soft leather boots. He lifted his head to meet Stryker's deep, emerald gaze. The Talynx Pride male had the hard, muscular body of a seasoned warrior. Long, golden brown hair tumbled down his back in a waterfall of curls. Dallin loved his full lips, high cheekbones, and long, straight nose. As tall as Dallin, Stryker stood a good head and shoulders above most Pride males.

At the sight of his lover naked, Dallin grew hard again. Gods, I can still taste him. He could never have enough of the man. Dallin cleared his throat. "I have no doubt we were paired by the Lady. We have to trust She will guide us to the female of our dreams."

Here's where you can get Shifters & Demons. I know I'm adding that to my Reader, pronto!

www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=223

Here are some other links where you can find H.C. on the web:

http://www.hcbrownauthoroferoticromance.blogspot.com

http://www.heathercbrown.bravehost.com/

http://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=40

http://www.jasminejade.com/m-709-hc-brown.aspx

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3251580.H_C_Brown

http://www.amazon.com/H.C.-Brown/e/B003P0BCZE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

http://www.manicreaders.com/HCBrown/

Thanks for coming by H.C. Commenters will be eligible to win some really cool prizes, so anyone have any questions or comments for H.C.?

For the next stop on the blog tour – click here:

Updates and Catching Up

2011-03-30T12:26:00.000-04:00

So as usual, I've fallen behind in posting – it's been a very crazy, busy month. Between the day job escalating, not to mention a tradeshow in Chicago, and the kids' spring sports schedules heating up, my days and weekends have been jam packed. We also have the start of dance competition season, one down, two to go (one this weekend) before Nationals this summer. And to top it all off, another day job business to Vegas next weekend. I'm hoping things will settle down a bit for April, because there are some very big things happening that month.

To start off, the Noble Romance Authors Blog Tour kicks off next week, April 5, 2011, to be exact. It's going to be a blast – nine of the hottest Noble Romance authors will be spending time visiting each other blogs, talking about our books, writing, and all sorts of fun things. There will be excerpts from recent releases, as well as some really awesome prizes.

In conjunction with the tour, Noble Romance is releasing an anthology comprised of six short stories by the authors on the tour. Entitled Red Roses & Shattered Glass, the anthology will b e released on April 4, 2011, just in time for the tour kick-off. My story, titled Bound for Love, involves the reunion of Nina and her master, Zane. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here's the cover, another amazing job by Fiona Jayde. She just keeps blowing me away with every cover I see.

Of course, now I have some ideas for other patrons of Nina and Zane's exclusive BDSM club, so I may revisit Secrets in the future. I'm looking forward to that, but not just yet.

First, I need to finish the revisions on my medieval capture story, first and foremost, a title! I've been on a pretty good streak in that area lately, but my usual lack of skill in coming up with catchy titles has kicked in and I'm at a loss for this one. After that's done, my two-part "mini" sci-fi series will command my attention. Actually it already has, Vega and Merry have been quite vocal about being left in the dust for my other works, so I've been trying to work on that a little. And Vega's brother Reygar is getting impatient for his story to be told as well. He's a rather grumpy guy to begin with, so this is not sitting well with him. J

Anyway, keep an eye on this spot – starting next week, we're going to have some fun around here. Then, when the tour has completed, look for some new regular posts for me. I have been preparing for a new series for the blog, at the moment, tentatively called "Focus On…" My hope is to feature a different author/friend each week or so and talk about various things, not only writing and books, but other topics as well.

And join me in hoping spring will truly kick in very very soon!

Excerpt from Healing the Mage

2011-03-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

It's been a crazy week - with the release of Healing the Mage and my prep for an upcoming business trip, I feel like I haven't slept in about two weeks. But things have quieted down a little - as they usually do on Friday afternoon.

I thought I'd share an excerpt from Healing the Mage - in this scene, Lily has brought Aidan to her home, and the situation just keeps getting more complicated.

"What are you doing?" Devlin Marchand shouted.

Lily stood, stepping out of Aidan’s reach. She folded her arms, trying not to wince under the elder Marchand’s anger. The rolling pain curled through her, and she fought to keep from collapsing. Mon Dieu, how could he bear it?

"I am not trained to help him. And I will not be forced into it. I could make things worse."

She kept her face expressionless, but the relief at the steadiness of her voice left her feeling weak. How the hell she managed to hold herself stiffly upright, she’d never know. Probably adrenaline, even as the rolling waves of discomfort grew. She used every ounce of her strength not to go to Aidan and hold him, to attempt to ease his agony.
Devlin sat beside Aidan and examined him. Lily glared at her brother as he stepped to her side. Anger overrode the worst of the phantom knives in her gut.

"What?" she asked.

"How can you turn your back on him? It’s obvious you can help him."

She clenched her fists, both the fire and her aggravation growing, mixing together, feeding off each other. She latched onto the irritation, letting it overpower the churning of her stomach. She should have known better than to call Greg. He was too much like their parents, trying to force her into their preconceived ideas of what her life should be. What had she been thinking to summon him here?

"Oh, no, you don’t. I can’t help him. I gave up magic, remember? I don’t know the first thing about healing. It’s too dangerous for me to be involved."

Greg lowered his voice. "You don’t always get to choose, Lily. Sometimes, you have to follow your destined path."
Her head ached, and she rubbed her temples briefly. "This is not my destiny; it never was."

"You have a gift and you’re wasting it. Here’s your chance to fix things. It’s clear to me you need to use your power; your empathy is very strong. You won’t be able to resist."

"No. I won’t be used like this."

"If you don’t give in, Lil, things could get worse. You have no idea what—"

"You’re right, I don’t. And I don’t want to know."

"Enough!" Devlin’s shout silenced them "I need your help."

"Can’t you take him to the hospital?" Lily asked. She didn’t want to look at Aidan, to see him suffering. She also couldn’t bear it if he touched her again. The things he made her feel scared her more than her healing abilities.

Devlin shook his head. "I can’t move him like this. And his condition is not . . . widely known."

"So what are you saying?"

"Until I get someone to help, he needs to remain here."

"Here? No, he can’t!"

"Ms. Prentiss, please. He can’t . . . look at him." Devlin waved a hand at Aidan, who sat doubled over, groaning in pain. "I understand, believe me. If there were any other way . . . . You can help him."

Lily twisted her hands together. The desperation in Devlin Marchand’s expression tugged at her. Combined with the echo of Aidan’s agony, her resolve crumbled further.

"I don’t know. I could hurt him worse than he already is."

Devlin shook his head. "Nothing could be worse than it is now." Another groan from Aidan drew his father’s attention. The older man tried to soothe his son.

"Hang on; she’ll be able to help you. Can you fight it at all?"

Aidan groaned again. "Do you . . . have . . . anymore . . . potions?"

"Nothing." Devlin turned back to Lily. "Ms. Prentiss?"

Lily sighed. "How long will it take you to find someone to help him?"

"I can have him out of here first thing tomorrow morning."

He had to spend the rest of the night? "How am I supposed to get any sleep? I have to work in the morning."

"On Sunday?" Greg taunted.

If only she could direct the fire roaring through her to him. She may not have trained in Healing, but she could still land a nasty hex. Only the presence of Aidan’s father prevented her from singeing her brother’s eyebrows.

"Fine. He can stay. On the couch. I’ll be right in my bedroom, where I can hear him if he needs me."

Marchand shook his head. "You need to sit with him. He needs your touch."

"I can’t do that. I—"

Aidan’s harsh groan cut her off. Despite her resolve, she stepped closer, needing to stop the gnawing teeth ripping her apart. As soon as she moved within reach, he reached out and grabbed her again. She narrowed her eyes, wondering at his supposed weakness.

"Stay with me." Did a hint of a smile play on his lips?

"This is ridiculous. I can’t sit up with you all night."

"Then I’ll sleep in your bed with you."

Aware of her brother stepping toward them, she continued to stare at Aidan as his eyes cleared, and he sat up straighter.

"You most certainly will not! You will sleep here. I’ll knock you out so you won’t feel anything."

He grinned. The brilliant smile stole her breath. "We’ll both be more comfortable, and that way, you’ll be able to get some sleep too."

No, she couldn’t let this happen. Even as she tried to deny his suggestion, the idea aroused an urgent excitement. And a healthy dose of dread. This time, her stomach twisted for a very different reason. "I don’t think so."

"It really would be best. For your comfort, as well," said Devlin. Before she could argue further, he took control of the situation. "Come on, I’ll help you move him."

"Wait a minute!" Greg shouted. "They can’t sleep in the same bed."

"He’s not in any shape to be a danger to her," Devlin said.

"He’s in pain. Wounded animals are dangerous."

"Are you calling my son an animal?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Hold it!" She waited until she had the men's full attention. "I can see there isn’t much choice right now. Look at him."

"Lily, I absolutely forbid you to do this."

Lily narrowed her eyes. Her brother couldn’t have picked a worse thing to say. "Do you, now? Well, it can’t be helped. The man is simply too weak to move, and we can’t exactly call an ambulance. I guess he’ll have to stay."

Mon Dieu, what had she done? Before she could back out of her decision, Devlin helped Aidan down the hall. With Aidan’s vise-like grip on her arm, she had no choice but to follow. It didn’t take long before he reclined in her bed. She sat beside him. Seeing him there ignited a burning she knew would not be easily doused. His father and her brother watched them both, albeit with very different expressions, and her face flamed. While Devlin only seemed worried and exhausted, Greg’s gleaming gaze broadcast his suspicion. She scowled and turned to Aidan.

"You stay on your side, on top of the blankets, I’ll stay on mine. Underneath. You can hold my hand; that should be enough."

Aidan nodded. She looked pointedly at Greg and Devlin. "You two can see yourselves out. Greg, deactivate the Portal when you’re done."

"No, I’m staying," he said. "I’ll sleep on the couch."

The last thing she needed was her brother snooping around her home. While she appreciated his help, she knew it wouldn’t be long before he reported this whole disaster to their parents. The fewer details he had about her life, the better.

"Greg, it’s all right. You go ahead."

"You sure? It’s not a problem for me to stay."

"I’m sure. Just go."

"All right. I’ll check in with you first thing in the morning."

"As will I," said Devlin. "I’ll see if I can get a trainer lined up, as well. Perhaps Tauzin."

The two men left, and Lily listened carefully to hear the Portal deactivate, sealing off the possibility of unwanted visitors. The house grew quiet, and she turned to Aidan. The way he looked at her ignited fluttering in her gut. At the same time, a bolt of heat flared through her, settling with startling intensity in her core.

"Might as well get comfortable," Aidan said.

Lily glared at him. He seemed to be enjoying this too much. But she couldn’t deny the way his intense stare made her heart pound.

"You’re going to have to let go of me so I can get in the bed. I’ll take your hand once I’ve settled."
The hint of smile disappeared. He sucked in a deep breath, his jaw clenched, and he released his grip on her arm. A shudder passed over him, and he put his hand to his head. Lily’s heart thumped unevenly; she didn’t know what to make of the maelstrom of emotions slamming her like waves of a nor’easter on the shore. The gut twisting grew, and she quickly got into the bed, not caring she would have to sleep in her clothes. Her tank dress would be a wreck by morning. As soon as she settled under the blankets, she reached for Aidan’s hand. He stilled immediately, his fingers twining with hers. She met his gaze.

Something about lying here beside him seemed right. She swallowed the jagged lump in her throat and turned away. It was going to be a very long night.

Remember, I'm giving away copies this week, so be sure to leave a comment.

Release Monday!

2011-03-07T15:56:00.000-05:00

Healing the Mage is here! I'm very excited about the release – I had so much fun writing Lily and Aidan's story. It's available at Noble Romance Publishing now!

When I first started writing this book, the words poured out of me, I finished the first draft in a little over a month. Of course, as always is the case, the story changed drastically from that first draft.

Both Lily and Aidan were mentioned in passing in In The Devil's Arms. I didn't have any specific plans for taking them any further, until the day Aidan's predicament with becoming a Mage revealed itself to me. I had no clear idea for the story, but starting writing anyway. Before I knew it, I had the poor guy in excruciating, insanity-causing pain with no idea how to get him out of it. Thankfully, Lily tapped me on the shoulder and the rest fell into place. Not that she was happy about it, but Aidan finally convinced her magic doesn't have to be bad.

There's a lot of magic in Healing the Mage – the magic the characters use in their daily lives, and the magic of two people falling in love. Which is the core of all of my books – who can resist the miraculous feeling of falling in love with the one person who completes you? Of course, when you have a stubborn, demanding dom and a reluctant sub, sometimes the magic can seem like a curse.

Here's a little more about the story:

Lily Prentiss wishes she could ignore her inborn healing magic so she can live life on her terms, not follow the path her Magiste family chose for her. But when she stumbles across Aidan Marchand in the excruciating throes of evolving into a Mage, her touch is all that stops his pain and she can no longer deny her powers. When the sexy Dom seduces her into willing submission, she finds she doesn’t want to resist and actually enjoys giving up control.

Aidan has more to worry about than just his rapidly maturing powers – his business partner is blackmailing him into funding a venture that involves kidnapping young girls both magical and mortal, and selling them as sex slaves. Even as Lily’s touch eases Aidan's pain, he knows staying with her puts her in danger from his enemies. But the gift of her sexual submission helps him even more than her healing magic...so how can he let her go?

I hope you'll enjoy reading Healing the Mage as much as I enjoyed writing it. To celebrate its release, I'm giving away two copies this week. Leave a comment and share the magical moment when you realized your true love was The One. My moment occurred at a Bruce Springsteen concert in 1984. I still have not met anyone who can match my passion for Bruce's music, it's magical on its own. The way the man writes lyrics always amazes me, even when my DH and I are singing along to a song we've already sung a thousand times before. Twenty-six years later, we're still going to Bruce concerts and blasting The Boss' music throughout the house, much to the dismay of our children!

New Cover

2011-02-23T16:39:00.000-05:00

Release day for Healing the Mage is rapidly approaching. I thought I'd share the cover - another amazing job by Fiona Jayde.

I really think it captures Lily and Aidan so beautifully, and it's hot as hell, isn't it? For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Healing the Mage is the next book set in the Magiste world of New Orleans. You may recognize his name from In the Devil's Arms, though he didn't make an appearance, he is Devlin's son. The same with Lily - she is Helene's goddaughter, and only mentioned in passing, But these two had been wrangling for their own story since they came into existence, and now it's here. Here's the blurb (a special thanks to Shoshanna Evers for your help with this!)

Healing the Mage will be available from Noble Romance Publishing on February 28, 2011. Stop back here - I'll be posting a couple of excerpts and giving away a copy or two!

Winners!

2011-02-15T12:08:00.000-05:00

I put the kids to work this morning – my son was so excited – until he realized the prizes weren’t for him! Once I explained it all to him, though, he thought it was pretty cool. And we have two winners!

Congratulations to Caffey – you’ve won the Amazon gift card. Keep an eye on your email – not sure how long it takes, but it should show up today.

And Congratulations to Caridad Pineiro – you’ve won the Bath & Body Works Spa Basket. I’ll need an address to send it to, you can email me at giannasimone @ optonline.net (No spaces)

Enjoy ladies!

And I hope you all had an enjoyable Valentine’s Day.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-10T12:04:00.000-05:00

The day to celebrate love and lovers is almost upon us once again! Amid the candy hearts and cards being exchanged and given to show our love for another, is a man who was beheaded for his beliefs and his aid to young martyred Christians. Being a student of Catholic school, while we did celebrate V-Day amongst ourselves, technically, the day was not officially recognized, and the nuns who taught us went out of their way to remind us of who the man behind the holiday was.

There are conflicting reports to his origin, but most agree he was a priest who was martyred in 269 AD. His crimes consisted of marrying Christian couples in the Roman Empire, and aiding other young Christians being persecuted during Claudius II’s reign. He was jailed and condemned to death. Supposedly, at first, they tried to stone and beat him to death, when it didn’t work as expected, he was beheaded. The date of his execution – you guessed it! February 14. It wasn’t until 496 that the date of his death was marked as the celebration of his martyrdom by the Pope at the time (I should know that, Sr. Maureen would be so disappointed in me). There is some dispute as to when his day of remembrance became associated with romantic love, but I tend to believe it was the Middle Ages when the day to celebrate romantic love truly became forever linked with him. Perhaps because he did marry Christian couples, although I also recall learning at some point that the origins of the rituals of Valentine’s Day come from cultures such as Ancient Greek and Roman societies. But I could be wrong, it was a long time ago when I heard that.

In any case, oddly, Valentine’s Day is not a big day for me. I know, I write romance novels, that day should be a highlight of my year. But it just isn’t. Way back when I was still a starry eyed young girl who thought a handsome knight would sweep me off to a life of pampering, luxury and utter adoration, I exchanged Valentines with my boyfriends, and swore undying love. Of course, I know better now, and looking back on some of those boyfriends, I am extremely glad that undying love only lasted a few weeks, or months, at best! And some of those special Valentine’s Days turned out to be pretty lousy no matter what plans I made. But these days, it’s usually just like any other day, it’s very rare to have anything special planned in our house. Priorities are making sure the kids have a fun day – usually includes a gift of some sort, making sure they wear red for their class parties, and of course, preparing their Valentines to share with their classes and friends. But after a full day of working outside my home, then coming home and working several more hours at my real (read: Mom) job, I’m just happy to get an hour or so to myself. Alone. With no kids, or a husband, needing me for something - which usually turns out to be something they can generally handle themselves – no laundry or dirty dishes to tend to, no toys to be picked up and the like. Though a box of chocolates would be nice. But I don’t need a holiday to indulge in that!

What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day tradition? Do you have special plans this year? Was there a particular Valentine’s Day that was especially memorable for you – either good or bad? Share it here – two lucky commenters will win either a $25 Amazon gift certificate or a gift basket from Bath & Body Works! I’ll announce the winners next Tuesday.

What A Difference A Year Makes

2011-02-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

Literally. At this time last year, I was in the throes of a very emotional roller-coaster ride in my pursuit of publication. For close to twenty years, I’ve been a member of RWA and my local chapter, as well as other organizations and chapters. I’ve taken classes, attended conferences, pitched my manuscripts in various venues, and done all I could to improve my craft. I wrote at least seven 100K+ word manuscripts. My writing improved, I developed some wonderful friendships, and I basically enjoyed the process, as frustrating as it could be at times. I’ve always prided myself on a thick skin, and welcomed comments, both good and bad, with eagerness. After all, every suggestion or comment to my work could only improve it, right?

Last year, it all came crashing down. Many of my critique partners know that last summer, when it all came to a head, was probably the very worst time for me, in all my years of writing for publication. Suddenly, there were no good things to hear, only bad, and some of it was truly scathing or harsh. Even after pitches and requests for partials and sometimes full manuscripts, my submissions either vanished into the ether, and my follow-up emails went ignored, or I was dismissed with haste. I was at the point where I almost gave up writing altogether, for other reasons as well as the rejections. I took steps to make a clean break – big steps. I disengaged from various writers’ loops, unfollowed a lot of people on Twitter, and cut myself off from the writing world. When Healing the Mage placed dead last in Passionate Ink’s Stroke of Midnight contest, it seemed to be the final confirmation of the new path I was about to embark upon – one without writing in my life. Two very dear friends, and fantastic critique partners, Janet Walters and Kathy Attalla, were critical in talking me back from the ledge, and encouraged me not to give up. I had publishers on my list I really wanted to submit to, but after the beating I had taken up to that point, I was really afraid to chance it again at that time. After all, when more than one editor sends you standard one-line form rejections (this happened several times after glowing comments and very eager requests for the full), and another tells you not to submit to them again, and still others just ignore you outright, it kind of throws you off course and tarnishes the dream. And I guess I’d hit my limit for how much rejection I could take.

Of course, that all changed when Noble Romance Publishing contracted In The Devil’s Arms. I’d long had Noble on my list of targeted publishers, but my ego and confidence in my writing skills had taken such a blow, I almost didn’t submit. Obviously, I am glad Janet and Kathy were there for the push I needed, and we all know how it turned out! :)

So here I am after a rough year, and as eager to write as I was way back when I first started. As my critique partners know, I cut my teeth on historicals, particularly medieval. And last November, I decided to go back to that time period and wrote the first draft of an erotic medieval tale, one that involves capture-fantasy, and features BDSM and ménage elements. Now I am in the middle of revising and polishing, and enjoying the tale as I do so. After I finished it, I pretty much put it aside to get through the holidays and finish up my revisions on Healing the Mage, so the story is feeling rather new to me again, Of course, there are some plot holes to fix, and plenty of typos to correct, and as I am working to fix those, I am realizing that I don’t think I could ever not write. Somehow, some way, whether it be fan fiction, or my own little fantasies, I would write.

I’m not sure what brought all of this to my head in the last few days. But I’ve been thinking the last few days about how close I came to throwing it all away and how very glad I am that I didn’t. Thanks to some friends who knew better than I did, even if at that particular moment, I didn't want to listen. Thanks guys!

Inspiration

2011-01-18T14:24:00.000-05:00

Another week, another snow storm. This one’s ice and freezing rain as well. Ugh! Despite having grown up in the Northeast, I am not a fan of snow, or cold weather in general, yet there are some good things about it – the holidays, and hockey (read: NY Rangers) season. That’s really about it, as far as I’m concerned.

But today’s post is not about the weather. It’s about inspiration. Writers live for inspiration, and when it strikes, it’s a truly fantastic feeling. It often pops up in unexpected places at unexpected times. Sometimes at really bad times, too. That’s happened to me more times than I can count. Nothing worse than driving the kids to school (or dance class, or sports, or parties) when an idea for a really hot story pops into my head.

Sometimes, I get my inspiration from various fiction genres, whether it’s a TV show, a movie, or even another book. Sometimes a bit of dialogue will trigger something, and the next thing I know, I’m off and running in a new world with new characters. I wrote a whole book based on one line of dialogue from a character in a campy 90’s TV show called Dracula: The Series. There are also times real events and real people will also spark my creativity. I think all writers are the same in that their inspiration comes from many different sources.

Lately, my inspiration has been coming from two of my favorite animated shows, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Dragonball Z. Both shows have recently come back into my regular viewing orbit, thanks to my son, who adores both of them in their current rerunning on Nicktoons. (YAY! Someone to share them with!) As my friends know, I tend to get obsessive about my fandoms. Highlander and Harry Potter are my two favorites by far, but I have many many others, as well.

In rediscovering Avatar and Dragonball, I’m reminded of the incredible talent of their creators. The rich world of Avatar is steeped in Eastern philosophy and culture. Yet at the same time, it is vastly different in so many ways. The characters are complex and conflicted in various ways, and the mythology of the series, while at its core is a basic struggle of good vs. evil, is deep and multi-layered. Many things that seem unimportant in one episode turn out to be of major importance in another, as Aang’s saga progresses. There are many dramatic moments, just as many comedic ones, and yes, even romance. Characters act heroically, yet they also act un-heroically or childish (the core characters are all under 18 so that is to be expected), but they are REAL. In many cases, I find their reactions or behavior to be more realistic than some of the current prime-time drama shows. In addition to the core good and evil battles, it is also a story of redemption, for several of the characters. The way they grow and change, yet remain true to themselves, simply draws me in.

Dragonball Z is another example of a world where good must defeat evil. Goku, the Saiyan warrior who vows to defend Earth, is always fighting off some threat to his family and friends, and the general population of our dear planet - when he isn’t stuffing his face, that is! I love Goku, but I do find him a little “too” good for me. He’s at his best when he’s angry and fighting, in my opinion. As I tend to prefer the villains in general, Raditz, Goku’s brother, and Vegeta, the Prince of the Saiyan race, are two of my favorite characters from the show, and both are most definitely on the side of evil, at least at the beginning of the saga. Raditz, sadly, ends up dead very early on, which irks me to no end. He is one of my all time favorite villains. Oh, if he had lived… And that hair - he simply has the most gorgeous hair, and for an animated character, he is one of the hottest males I've ever encountered. I love to imagine just what he could do with that tail of his!

Vegeta, also superbly evil with apparently no conscience, also dies, but thankfully, he is wished back to life using the Dragonballs. Vegeta’s story is one of redemption as well, at least, I interpret it that way. Sadly, as he is not our noble heroic Goku, we don’t get to see as much of his journey to the “good” side. He still retains his gruff exterior, even though he goes from being selfishly focused only on himself and his needs and wants, to showing concern for others and even proves his love for his family in a most dramatic way. Yet, always lurking deep inside is his embrace of the dark side. He fights against it, but it’s still there, lending a dangerous edge to his personality.

Both of these shows have given me some ideas for books. While I currently have my Magiste series at the forefront of my work, I have been working out various scenarios for other worlds in which to play. Magic and other superhuman skills play a big part in my characters, which may be why I am so drawn to these shows. Yet at the same time, I realize I must find something lacking in them as well. While they may inspire me, I build my own worlds and characters with my own sets of rules, tweaking and reworking them until I get them right where I want. Right now, I am learning the planet Aldarra is in turmoil, and citizens of the Aldarran race are going to have a big effect on a few people right here on Earth. An entire race is in jeopardy and needs the help of us lowly humans to restore the balance – and so good will triumph over evil. Yet, good is a relative term in my worlds, maybe it’s more appropriate to say the lesser of two evils? Currently, I have the beginning of the first book written, but as more characters have come to life in my head, I can see at least three total for the saga. My spreadsheets are getting bigger every day.

So what inspires you? What sort of things trigger an idea, a character, or a whole new world? Do you like to repeatedly write in that world, or is one time enough? I’m always fascinated by others’ world-building techniques, and love to hear about them.

Some News and A Pain in the Neck

2011-01-09T07:35:00.003-05:00

So once again, I’ve let too much time pass between posts. I’m sitting propped up with pillows and a neck pillow to try and ease this really, really painful stiff neck. I can barely move at all. Spent entire day yesterday nursing my little guy, thankfully he seems to be much better. Never a dull moment.

But I woke to a wonderful surprise this morning. Noble Romance Publishing has offered me a contract for Healing the Mage, the sequel to In The Devil’s Arms. Some of you may remember the snippet I posted a couple of months back, and my critique partners are very familiar with Lily and Aidan. As you can imagine, I am thrilled! I will have more details as they become available. At this moment, I have two other books planned in this series, characters and plotlines on my spreadsheets, and I have a glimmer of an idea for another. For now, though, those are on hold as I work on revisions for two others, The Night Club, my next vampire story, and the medieval Scottish tale I wrote during NaNo. It doesn't really have a title, been calling it Passion's Vengeance, but I really need to come up with another. Hmm, just got an idea. Stay tuned. :)

To celebrate this good news, here’s another little snippet from Healing the Mage:

The crack of leather against flesh, followed immediately by a muffled grunt from the submissive bound to the bench, cut through the hushed murmurs of the spectators. The spotlight bore down on the couple in the center of the room, the viewing area shrouded with dark shadows.

Ignoring the scene before them, Aidan Marchand stared at his soon-to-be former business partner. The man had finally cracked. Another strike of the submissive’s flesh, and the scene ended as she writhed on the bench, clearly reaching the desired climax, her cries filled with heat and tears. Aidan turned again to the pair being observed by many eager eyes, but he barely noticed the way the Dom unbound his submissive and drew her into his arms.

"Think about it, Marchand," Eddie Orvano said, his own beady gaze focused on the pair scening before them. "The money we can make — "

Aidan held up a hand. "Not here." He glanced around, though no one paid them any attention.

Eddie led Aidan to a somewhat secluded corner. The party wasn’t as crowded as earlier, many of the single attendees having left or found a partner to play with. Aidan closed his eyes against the throbbing in his head. It only grew worse, intensifying with every passing hour. As soon as he let Eddie know he planned on ending their partnership, he would head home to his comfortable bed and a long night’s sleep. He had too many other issues to focus on, and getting caught up in Orvano’s depraved scheme would ruin everything.

"Look at all these girls. They’re playing," Eddie said. He waved a hand about, indicating several single women perched at various places near the doorway, all subs based on the ribbons pinned to the right side of their outfits. The one in the middle, a striking Creole enchantress. Aidan had seen before. He and Eddie had had a three-way with her several weeks ago.

"That’s what these parties are for. To play." Aidan emphasized the word. What the fuck had he been thinking to come tonight? He’d had no inclination to scene with anyone, but Eddie had lured him with the hint of a new business venture. At first intrigued, now he wanted nothing more than to get away from the man who had finally let his fascination with the dark arts overcome him. This wasn’t just playing with mind control and pushing the limits with magic and sex, what Orvano planned crossed so many lines, at the least unethical, at worst, illegal. And insane.

"That’s not what I mean. How many of these women really have any idea what it’s like to be a true slave? No rights, no say in their lives. Merely a possession." The eagerness in Eddie’s voice, the unholy light gleaming in his tiny eyes, sent another flash of fiery pain through the center of Aidan’s brain.

He shook his head, then stopped when the pain worsened. "You’re a sick fuck. That’s not what this is about. What the hell happened to you?"

"Nothing happened to me except a need to make money. Do you know how much some of those rich foreign dignitaries will pay for American women? I’d prefer non-Magiste women, but think about it. All these lovely enchantresses and low-level witches are easy enough to subdue. You bind their magic, they’re the same as mortal women. I’m telling you, Marchand, we’d make fucking boatloads of money! I’ve got a business plan all laid out, the equipment and locations selected. Now it’s time to put the plan into play. That’s where you come in."

"No way. You’re not getting me involved!"

"You’re involved Marchand. I need your money to secure everything and get this operation running. I’m this close to hiring a manager to oversee the daily workload. I've got a few trainers lined up, too. It’ll be slow at first, but once we pick up a few girls, things are gonna get real busy real fast."

How Aidan possessed the strength not to lose his dinner right here on the floor, he'd never know. "You’re not getting one dime out of me. I’m having my lawyer draw up papers to dissolve our partnership."

Aidan turned to leave, but Eddie’s grip on his arm stopped him. He turned and stared into Orvano’s twisted face, thin lips curled with rage, eyes darkened with menace.

"You’ll stake me, Marchand. That pretty Creole over there? She told me she wasn’t really willing with you. She’ll testify before the Tribunal if it comes to that."

"What are you talking about? She was more than willing with both of us and everything we did." Aidan remembered the night. While the evening had at first started out as enjoyable, he’d quickly grown tired of her attempts to top from the bottom. His annoyance had led him to perhaps be harsher with her than he intended, but he knew she’d loved every minute of the way he whipped her.

Eddie shrugged, the skin-tight black shirt pulling over his shoulders. "You should see the video I got of you with that whip. Left some nice marks. She’s got photos of every one you put on her."

Aidan clenched his fingers, trying to force back the thumping in his head, which continued to increase with each passing second. He needed to get out of here. Now.

"Eddie, leave me out of this," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"You’re in. Until I say otherwise."

He scowled at the triumphant gleam in Orvano’s eyes and turned, his head near exploding. If he didn’t get some air, he would pass out. He finally made his way outside to the street, gulping in deep breaths. The pain in his head spread down through his shoulders and along his back. More than a headache bothered him. Il Relache. Why had the damn process chosen now to kick in?

He needed to get home, before the process rendered him weak with the pain of his growing powers. Where the hell was the nearest Portal? He didn’t see any signs of the magical glowing arch used for travel by the Magiste. Damn! The closest one was through the park. He straightened, forcing himself to concentrate on reaching the Portal.
* * * * *

Lily walked along the deserted street, wishing she'd left the bar earlier with her friends. Why did the wrong sort of man always attract her? Each time she let one get close, he hurt her in some way, proving her judgment had not gotten any better. No more. She was done with men.

Now, long after midnight, she found herself alone again, even Chartres Street dead silent and empty, unusual in this party town on a Saturday night. The faint sounds of Bourbon Street bars, the odd mix of jazz, blues and rock and roll, punctuated by drunken shouts and catcalls, faded as she approached Jackson Square.

The park, a favorite place to hang out during her teenage years, seemed eerily deserted. She’d timed this perfectly, so no one would see her tear-streaked makeup.

For a moment, Lily longed to go home to her parents and cry to her mother, to listen to the older woman’s advice and comfort as she had during her horrific teenage years. She shook her head. She’d cut those ties but good a long time ago. Her mother no longer offered the haven of reassurance she’d once been. Regret still burned in Lily’s gut, but she would prove to all of them she could survive without magic. Her job skills served her well, and she didn’t need magic to achieve what she’d accomplished in the last three years. If only her family could be proud of her. Why couldn't they ever see her as worthy? Her parents’ success had always been an impossible goal to strive for. Lily sighed and kicked the air, wishing she had something more satisfactory as a target. Her doubts in herself always came back to her parents' unreasonable expectations, always when she –

Something stabbed into her side, like a knife burning into her body, twisting, ripping her apart. What the hell? She looked down, expecting to see spurting blood, but the pain stopped. And slammed into her again. She doubled over, her stomach heaving.

An agony-filled groan sliced through the humid night. She looked around. No one. No wounds appeared on her body. Could this all be in her mind? Mon Dieu, what could it be? She wanted to scream against the rising volume resonating in her head, each throb and pound like crashing cymbals inside her brain. She couldn’t be imagining this agony, it hurt too much.

Another twist of fire along her spine and she cried out, falling to her knees. She pressed her hand against her mouth to prevent the scream from escaping. What was happening? She could barely see through the suffocating distress.

More cries, moans. She looked around again. There. Behind the statue of Jackson. She sucked in air and forced herself to stand on shaky legs. Each halting step jarred, each rasping breath scorched as she inched closer to the statue. She leaned heavily against the stone and panted. The soreness in her side receded a little and she crept around the monument.

A man lay huddled on the ground, curled into a fetal position. She forced her concentration on him, forced herself to ignore the pain still pulsing throughout her, though different now. The hoarse whimpers continued to increase. Lily crawled closer, each movement slow and careful, so as not to startle him. Another rough shout pierced the night and Lily froze momentarily before continuing to approach. The man clutched his head and gave a violent shudder, another deep cry torn from him.

Hesitating but a second, Lily knelt beside him, reaching out. He writhed with pain, but the instant her hand touched his shoulder, he calmed. Her fingers burned where they came in contact with him, but surprisingly, it didn’t hurt. Instead, a burst of energy coursed through her, flowing from her fingers and into the man.

His violent movements slowly stilled. He turned to her and opened his eyes. She froze, pinned by his silvery gaze. She should have known, should have recognized the pale blonde hair plastered to his head with sweat.

Aidan Marchand.

It had been years since she’d seen him, even longer since she’d exchanged more than a word or two with him. Her godmother Helene’s stepson. She’d barely known him, he'd been a few years ahead of her in school. She’d never given him more than a passing thought. What was wrong with him? Had he been cursed? She needed to get him some help.

She drew her hand away, and he immediately cried out, his body wracked once more with shudders. The sharp stabbing started again in her side, fiercer than before. She bent over, seeking some way to ease it. He reached for her and before she could back away, had grabbed her wrist. Even in the throes of whatever madness held him, his grip remained strong, too strong to break. But he calmed once more.

"Don’t let go." She barely understood his slurred words.

"Wh-what?"

"You’re a Healer. Don’t let go."

"I . . . but . . . . " She couldn’t break free if she tried. He was right. She possessed the gift of healing. And she could deny it no longer.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2010-12-27T22:10:00.000-05:00

So we survived the blizzard. Not that there was really any doubt, the only concern was if the wind would knock out power. It didn't. But events like this conspire to keep you from your goals. It's a regular block party on our street, with everyone out shoveling and plowing and snow-blowing. I did get a lot of laundry done, organized and put away the bulk of the Christmas presents and in general got the house together. Which it needed.

The kids enjoyed it - they played for a few hours, had snowball fights and the like, came in for soup and hot cocoa and played with their Christmas toys. Nice life, eh? lol

Overall, we were lucky. There are horror stories of people stranded in their cars, on trains, in the airport, for hours. People literally abandoned their cars, as it became clear it was the only way they'd get home. Haven't heard of any injuries or deaths in our area, thankfully, but part of me has to wonder. Some of these people admitted getting on the road at 6:00pm or later, when the storm was at one of its worst points. I mean, really? Come on, have you not listened to the radio or watched TV in the last few hours? Didn't they tell you to STAY AT HOME?

I will give some people who had no choice the benefit of the doubt. There were those that definitely had to at least try to get to work. But the others, who decided let's go see how bad it really is, or maybe we can get over to cousin Joey's house and spend the storm with them, just boggle my mind. When the state declares a State of Emergency, usually that means the roads and other travelways are impassible. Technically, you're supposed to stay off the roads so the emergency crews can clear and get through as needed. If you venture out in such conditions, you're only going to get stuck, so why not just stay where you are? It's warm, you have food, and if anything dire should happen, emergency services know how to get to you.

But it's all over, save the mountains of snow all over the place which make driving a delight. I really am not a big fan of snow, it annoys me. I'd like a few inches, enough to cause a snow day, then have it all melt completely away by the next day. Oh well, the price you pay for living in NJ, I suppose.

So for now, I'll dream of May, which leads to summer, and beach vacations, and pool parties and barbecues. It'll be here fast enough!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2010-12-13T19:27:00.000-05:00

I both love and loathe this time of year. I love it because for the most part, people act human, and it’s such a joy to enjoy all the sights of the season. Plus my kids’ excitement is infectious, so you can’t help smiling or laughing with them. I loathe it because it also brings out the worst in people – rudeness, stupidity and a total lack of all human decency. I spent an entire day on a marathon shopping spree, and for the most part, people were nice and helpful. But there were a few I would have loved to have clocked with my armloads of shopping bags.

The other reason the season grates is that there’s so much to do. Between all the pageants and concerts and plays, I feel like I spend a huge chunk of time in churches and school auditoriums. Not to mention the shopping – though with online shopping it is much easier than it used to be. But then there’s the tree to put up, my Christmas in the City houses that need to be put out, lights to put on the house, cookies to bake, and endless presents to wrap. Another dilemma facing me is hiding the kids’ gifts. My daughter is 14, so she knows who Santa is, but my 6 year old son is still a believer, and had quite a list to present to Santa when we visited this year. And my hiding places are growing more and more limited each year.

But the tree is up (not without some drama from above-mentioned 14 year old), the houses are out (with some heart-stopping moments from the 6 year old who insists on playing with the people!), lights are bright and cheery on the house, and the cookie ingredients are ready (I’ll be bringing some to my critique group holiday gathering, so get ready ladies). So I guess I’m ahead of things this year, which is unusual. Of course, my house looks like a few dozen bombs went off since yesterday, so there’s the downside. There’s always a downside, isn’t there? Overall, though, we had a lot of fun

But the point is, I really am feeling the season this year. Definitely more love than loathe. Last year, I had foot surgery, so everything was rushed and then I was disabled and couldn’t do much of anything, making it a "loathing" year. So I’m really enjoying even the maddening moments this year. The Ipod is loaded up with holiday songs that I’ve been playing every chance I get. And walking the malls was a lot less painful too.

What about everyone else? Are you ready? Close? What fun traditions do you have for the season, that really make it feel like holiday-time? Anyone expecting any lumps of coal this year? ;) Hard to believe that a month-plus worth of prep is all over in a day!