Bare Necessities

Hello all,

Well today's blog is inspired by the letter S.

Its a few weeks before the end of my master's degree and I'm down to the wire. To those who understand and don't we all the feeling. You need to get that work in and then suddenly something popped up. And out of no where you have to figure out how your going to get all in. But somehow you do that.

Usually during these times, its the little things, the bare necessities of life that seem to get you through times such as that. My little bares are a good cup of coffee and a egg sandwich. Those most people may frown at that, most people don't realize how something so small can actually set the day to a right mood.

So I wanted to offer you guys some tips on dealing with the big S and a very cute little video. Now before you get bored, remember I don't do things normally, so of course I found some "special" ways to deal with stress. And to those who roll their eyes and laugh at the video, you know me quintessential Mila.

I would highly recommend it. *evil grin*

Great Ways to Deal with Stress.

• Specify that your drive-through order is "to go".

• As often as possible, skip rather than walk.

• Put mosquito netting around your work area. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.

• Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.

• Have your coworkers address me by your wrestling name, Rock Hard Kim.

• When the money comes out the ATM, scream "I won!", "I won!" "Third time this week!!!!!"

• Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.

• Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.

• Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

• When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot, yelling "run for your lives, they're loose!!"

See you guys later and have a rocking stress free week!!!

Mila Ramos, Paranormal & Contemporary Romance

Blog: http://jademystique.blogspot.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jademystique
Website: http://www.milaramos.net

Slash!

I have a confession to make: I am one of many women who didn't understand the appeal of slash for a very, very long time. Comprehending what was hot about watching two men go at it was beyond me.

It actually was not until my favorite fandom pairing arose that I "got" it: it's really about two men whom you find to be hot and whose chemistry you find to be hot that makes it work. It's also about that lovely, perhaps-only-slightly-subconscious desire to be the filling in that sandwich.

Readers and writers! Do you enjoy slash? If so, do you have any favorite pairings or types of pairings? What is it about slash that gets you going? Are you a yaoi fan too?

Sound off!



Love & Magic,
Adrianne
http://www.adriannebrennan.com

7 Pounds and 2 Good Cries

My husband and I watched the Will Smith movie, 7 Pounds, last night. Have you seen this?

While, Will Smith did a fabulous job in the role, my hat goes off to the writer. Wow. What a story. It's one of those that resonates and stays with you long after you've walked away from it. It's the kind of story I yearn to write.

In a weird twist of coincidence, I also read THE BEACH HOUSE by Georgia Bockoven yesterday. It was a coincidence only because it was set in the same area, one of the same landmarks played a role in the plot, and it was a tearjerker. Isn't it funny how you can stumble upon so many similarities without even trying. Hmmm...maybe there's a sign in that somewhere. LOL

So, yes, on a day I had set aside to ignore all my work and just relax, I had two good cries. Not exactly what I had in mind, but I'm not complaining. Have you had a book or movie really reach into your soul lately? Please, tell me. I love book and movie recommendations.

I'm up to my ears in work, but I'm forcing myself to make time for the pleasures of summer too. For me, that's spending time with my family, reading, and ending nights curled up on the couch watching a movie with my husband. What are you making time for this summer?

Wendi Darlin
www.wendidarlin.com

Special Needs

AJ Llewellyn

A friend of mine recently booked a well-known celebrity for an event and received a ten page rider of outlandish requests. We chuckled over some of the items, most of which her bookstore had to nix since they don't have the budget for lobsters and oysters. The celeb author will have to make do with oyster crackers.
I've had a few outrageous requests myself from authors I have booked for various speaking engagements - my favorite was the writer who wanted my local library to provide dinner for six before his speaker event.
But I digress.
I was intrigued to find in this unhappy week of passing icons that a few of those still living have an inflated view of their own importance and what is essential in life, especially when you're doing time.
My friend Roban says we could all stand to have a few more drops of the Vanity Gene but I dunno...Phil Spector finally got his due, and I am sure, from the painful images I see in his mug shots, that it was mortifying for him to have to pose for them without one of his crazy wigs.
Holy moly, he looks like a loony old man! What am I saying! It's Phil Spector. He IS a loony old man.
And now that he's a resident of the big house - in the Special Needs unit, no less, he is finding he has plenty of Special Needs apparently.
He wants his iPod, his computer oh, and a TV.
From what I've read, he'll get 'em.
iPods come under the category of Special Needs, it seems and I'm confused. I've done nothing wrong and I see nobody presenting me with electronic goodies.
And by the way, this is punishment like most inmates don't get. Isn't doing time supposed to be just a little bit inconvenient? Aren't you supposed to be be deprived of fun things?
Whatever happened to Gideon bibles and cold gruel and unpleasant visits from prison chaplains?
Aren't there some license plates that have Special Needs?
Don't they need his personalized attention?
It's like he's being whipped with lettuce leaves.
I too have needs, very special ones actually, but I don't see anybody rushing to provide me with them. I broke my DVD player (don't ask) and a new one would be swell. Any make will do, just deliver it with all speed.
Also, I can't remember the last time I ate a cup cake (I'm trying to be good). Do I need to get arrested to get these things?
I sure hope not. In the meantime, I'll make do. And I hope, I am sorry but I do hope, that not all of Spector's requests will be met. I hope he gets to really experience what it means to be deprived of certain Special Needs. I mean, you would have to and so would I.
But heck, what am I saying? He's Phil Spector and we're not.
His needs are just so much more special than mine - and yours.

Aloha oe,
A. J.

Public Appearances

I've been published since 2004 but in that time I haven't gotten to do a lot of public appearances. I think that is one part of the writing and publishing process I'd like to do more of. I chat online with readers and writers all the time but there is just something so personal about meeting face to face. It's a great feeling to put a picture to an email addy or an IM ID. Marscon this past year was my first real con and signing event. It made a huge difference for me, not just in sales numbers, but also with the way I approach promotions now. Readers want books that interest them on topics that grab their attention. I spoke to so many people who were looking for new or different story ideas. I came away with more than just a great feeling and some new reading material. I had an entire list of ideas for stories and I made some valuable new contacts both in the reading and the publishing world as well as a new stack of books to read and quite a few other great sci fi goodies. The economy is still bad but that means that as an author we need to work even harder to get out and grab the readers and give them a story worth spending their money on. I'm always excited to chat with readers and find out what they'd love to see next in a new book.
Beth
And speaking of new books you can come join my yahoo group right now for the ongoing Pride celebration that will continue through July 13th.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bethwylde/

Books and Movies

I have to admit, I love a good movie. One that makes you think and wonder about this or that. Or a good shoot 'em up, save the day Bruce Willis 'Die Hard' action flick when I'm in one of those moods. I've even used movies as inspiration for a particular scene or piece of character development when I was stuck.

What I hadn't really thought about doing was deconstructing a film to identify how the film reflected the parts of a book. Emilie Rose, a prolific and wonderful author for Silhouette Desire, is a member of my local RWA chapter and she's a fantastic resource for up and coming writers. Every once in a while, she'll send out an email to a research movie and have coffee or tea afterwards to discuss how the film would be broken down into a book.

How does this all help for writing? The movie is a great example of pacing for a book.

You have the beginning which identifies the characters, setting and relationship between the main characters, then the problem surfaces.

The reason for a change, the motivation behind the steps to be taken.

Then there's the shift from the expected roles of the characters to the 'new world' that their situation has created, which means the old ways and roles are no longer valid.

Finally, the story comes to it's conclusion and the world and lives of the characters has changed, hopefully for the better.

Seeing the steps on the screen in many ways makes it easier to put those movements onto the page. Ironically, the movie the group went to see was Sandra Bullock's new one, 'The Proposal'. Considering the movie took on the tried-and-true formula of 'a marriage of convenience for business purposes', it was the perfect film for me to see (Hint: Diablo Blanco Club: Unfair Advantage is a marriage of convenience story--it just has a bit of BDSM kink to it, LOL.)

Added bonus of the film--Sandra Bullock's character is a big New York book editor and according to Emilie from what the editors she knows have told her, the opening scenes of the movie are pretty accurate (reading while exercising, eating, walking, etc.)

So next time you get stuck on a scene (if you're a writer) go check out your local films. Or if you're out at the movies, stop and think what that show would look like in book form. (The movies made from books don't count--they were a book before they became a movie.)

Have a great summer!
Qwillia

Reading in the Bathtub and the Future of Publishing

Lately, there’s been a lot of speculation about the future of traditional publishing vs. electronic publishing. RWA (Romance Writers of America) has ventured forth with a statement that the traditional print publisher’s business model is the viable business model. I'm not going to discuss how short-sighted that is in this blog. There's been plenty of discussion about that already.

I'd like to discuss the possible future of publishing on the whole. Are we seeing the end of centuries of print-dominated publishing? Can eBook readers accomplish the same things that

As an author published by a primarily eBook publisher and an IT professional in my day job, you’d think I’d be reading eBooks myself.

Here’s my dilemma. I do the majority of my reading in the bath tub or hot tub. Try reading an electronic book in either of those places. Even if I did own an eBook reader, my propensity for dropping things would get me into big trouble. I’ve already drowned two cordless phones and a cell phone in the past couple years. I need a waterproof ereader. Until that happens, I don’t read very many eBooks because the opportunity just doesn't exist, nor are they convenient for me to read.

I remember a time when I hand-wrote all my stories. My creative juices just wouldn’t flow through a typewriter or a computer. Now I can’t imagine using anything but a computer. Times change. People adapt or get left behind. Think also of photography and how much it’s changed? Does anyone use 35mm film anymore? I know I don’t. I do still print pictures so that they can be placed in albums for people to look at, but I take them on a CD to Wal-Mart or Costco or somewhere else.

Traditional publishing operates from a business model that is slow, cumbersome, and wasteful. It takes a long time for a print book to go through the process from editing to the bookshelf. An average of half of each book’s print run is not sold and destroyed. An author may wait two to three years to earn any money beyond the initial advance. Even a portion of an advance might be held back to account for returns. How many jobs do you know of that the “employee” waits 2-3 years to see their wages?

EBooks are more “green.” They’re available indefinitely in electronic format and often in print-on-demand. The author rarely gets an advance but does get a larger percentage of the book sales. They also get paid once a month or once a quarter. There’s more opportunity for an author to find a niche with a non-mainstream book, as opposed to a large publisher who relies on appealing to the masses. In some cases, an author may make more money off of an eBook than a traditional print book.

So where is all this leading? My theory for the future is that traditional bookstores will become a thing of the past. If you want a print book, you’ll go to a much smaller version of a bookstore, peruse a catalog, read excerpts, then order your book. Come back in a ½ hour or so and pick it up after it’s printed on-site. Maybe this bookstore will carry sample books so a person can pick one up, read the blurb, and scan the pages. To me, except for the initial expense of a fancy printer, this model would be more advantageous to the author and publisher. The profit margin should be larger, the turnaround time greater, and the author’s share of the profit better.

What do you think? How do you see the future of publishing?

It's a Hot Time!!!

Whew!!!  Down here in Orlando it's HOT!  Heat Index rising fast and people dropping from heat exhaustion at Downtown Disney.  Scary, and I wonder if it's a sign of things to come.

But I think I've got just the thing to cool you down.  Check out this recipe for one of my favorite cool and fruity drinks.

Enjoy!!!

FROZEN KISS ON THE LIPS

1.25 oz Peach Schnapps
4 oz Mango Mix
Grenadine
Put schnapps and mango mix in blender with crushed ice, Blend until smooth.  In hurricane glass, coat the bottom and side with splash of grenadine.  Add blended mixture and cut with straw so grenadine is swirled
through drink. Garnish w/ cherry.

Present to that special someone, with your own kiss on the lips!
Enjoy!


And after you've got that cool drink...why not heat back up again with a great fantasy/sci-fi story?  Check this out...

More Than A Warrior

By CJ England

What are my readers saying about this great new story???

More than a Warrior is a wonderfully written tale that everyone needs to read.
MORE THAN A WARRIOR will cause your heart to ache during one scene and then soar to greatest heights on the next page as its emotional impact is ever changing.
One of the best books I've read all year!  Keep it up CJ!

When a dark warrior prince breaks tradition to mind-mate with a beautiful, innocent empath, passions flare and centuries of beliefs are challenged.  Will their two societies be brought to the brink of war?

While visiting a neighboring country, Prince Jhoral is invited to watch a special Empathic Melding Ceremony, something he doesn’t even believe in.  But his whole world is turned upside down when a stubborn empath chooses him to be her receptor, and their minds meld together in an exquisite mating of tenderness and passion.

Lanai has waited her whole life for the one person to complete her.  But, unlike other empaths, she’s always wanted more.  Adventure, excitement...even love.  However, her dreams couldn’t prepare her for the shock of mating with a handsome prince whose life was filled with so much violence and battle.

Will their melding of minds bring their peoples to the brink of war, or will an empath’s search for her perfect mate teach a warrior’s heart the power of true love.

Check out more about the story and the author by visiting... http://cjengland.com/

Buy this book at http://www.loose-id.com/prod-More_than_a_Warrior-920.aspx

See ya next month!!! Stay cool!!!

CJ England

Sensual touch and sexuality

Hello Midnight Seductions Readers,

I thought in light of some shit that came up recently we'd discuss the topic of sensuality as it relates to the human body and when it can and isn't sexual.

For me, and a few of my close friends, I'm very fond of them sitting between my legs and leaning against me while I play with their hair.

In turn, they like doing the same to mine, which works cause I have GREAT hair! Soft touches, caresses, a hug, a gentle massage that stimulates the senses feels good, right?

I have a friend in Texas who plans to simply let me lie on her bed while she brusehs my hair and touches me. Nothing dirty or sexual, just two adults enjoying the feel of each other without expectation of sex. Especially since the friend is married to another Alpha. (In case you didn't know Alphas are actually all the same, stubborn and overbearing LOL!)

My S.O. isn't so sure that I should let others play with my hair. So I'm not telling her about this. There's no harm and as long as expectations are understood from the outset, what's the problem?

I'll tell you.

It's that society has tried so hard to use the Sex Sells attitude that it's become pushed on ALL of us so that we expect to get some after siimple touches. I admit it, I do become aroused hugging my female friends. I have good looking friends, what? I'm not DEAD! But damn, does that mean I have to proposition them for sex?

No. It means I have to give and take and learn and teach the exploration of feelings, touches. BDSM confuses a LOT of people for this reason.

HOw can you enjoy the taste of a whip without getting some afterwards?

It's not about the sex.

Chances are, it never was. It's about the feeings, the emotions. I can heal with touch. I can comfort with touch. I can shock with touch.

And now, I'm gonna go get touched...

Happy Father's Day!

To all of the fathers, in all of their many different forms, I would like to wish a Happy Father's Day.

The happy dad in the picture is my father with my eldest brother. I was another 17 years down the road... lol.

Fatherhood comes with many different faces. Tall, short, large, small, funny, staid, step, biological, donated, adopted, or however it works for you. Whichever way it has affected you, we all have, had, or know some type of father.

So honor a good father today. Most of the year they tend to get harassed, embarassed, frustrated, mooched off of (Dad, can I have some money/keys/car/computer/college/whatever). While that's what they signed up for when they made their deposit or however fatherhood happened for them, it's always nice to have a day that is special. If they're lucky, someone who loves them will make them feel honored and special all year long.

Dads, this one is for you!

Midnight Muse

For the writers and aspiring writers does your muse ever wake you up in the middle of the night with some great story line, you search in vain for a writing utensil and paper but by the time you find it she or he has already gone back to bed?
This scenario happens to me all the time. I've come to the conclusion my muse is a night owl I, unfortunately, am not. She likes to wake me up in the middle of the night ideas racing through my half asleep brain. When all I want to do is sleep, so I try to ignore her, hoping that maybe I'll remember some small scrap when I get up. Some times if I get up early enough I can catch her before she goes to bed, but that's not very often.
I know I'm talking about my muse as if she's a real person, I know she isn't. These are just the times I'm more relaxed and can actually work on my writing. The rest of the time I'm just to tense and have other things running through my head.
So to writers and aspiring writers when is your muse most active?

What is reality?

One can't help but stumble onto one or another reality show when they turn on the television.

I remember when Survivor first hit the air, it was huge and the show that started the whole reality TV craze.

Now you see way too many of these so called reality TV shows and I think it has put a damper on how much people watch them. Some shows are just weird and it makes you think people were bored when they came up with the whole idea.

More and more people are opening the doors to their private lives and family just to make money. Is there a point when one can say this is too much.

A part of me thinks it is like a sideshow or something. Peoples lives are getting ruined and families and marriages are falling apart because fame gets to the people involved.

Reality TV use to be shows are competition, fun and entertainment. Now it has turned into a way to make fast cash.

What do you think about all of the reality TV shows out there? Is the fame worth breaking up families and ruining lives?

Savannah
http://www.savannahchase.com/

Digitial Books in an Analog World...

By now you may have read the fabulous post by Deidre Knight of the The Knight Agency and her spot on blog about RWA and their views on e-publishing. If not, I strongly encourage you to check it out. http://espan-rwa.com/the-digital-age-and-rwa-a-call-for-change/

When I decided to seriously pursue publication, one of the first things I did was seek out a local chapter of RWA. They welcomed me like family and helped me hone my craft. I joined RWA National as it is required to be a member of the local chapters. I learned so much from both my local chapter and RWA. I know I'd never be published now if it weren't for the things RWA has taught me.

That's why it tears me up to see RWA drive this poisonous wedge between its membership. They are taking a hard stance on e-publishing, their latest issue stating an e-publisher isn't a legitimate publisher unless they offer at least a $1,000 advance. Why, I ask? Why in the world would an advance make them any more or any less legitimate? What will they attack next?

Every time an e-publisher jumps through the ridiculous hoops RWA keeps creating, RWA turns around and creates more. An e-published author can not participate in the RITA awards (Academy Awards for romance books) as their books are not mass marketed (and shouldn't be. Think about the carbon footprint left when 8,000 out of 10,000 books end up in a land fill). However, they can not participate in the Golden Heart (same thing as the RITAs, but for unpublished authors) as they have a signed contract for the work. So RWA slammed e-published authors out of receiving either award. Thanks for the support, RWA.

Now they are saying they will not acknowledge e-publishers unless said e-publisher pays that arbitrary advance. I say in return, why not attack other publishers on the percentage they pay on royalties? If the publisher doesn't pay at least 35% royalties on e-published work, and at least 6% on all print books; if the publisher holds ANY percentage of royalties for returns; if the publisher doesn't pay quarterly; if the publisher can't get a book out within 18 months of the contract being signed, then they are not a legitimate publishing house. Throw out whether there are print runs, advances, NY vs epubs, etc. Hell, take the names of the publishing houses out of the mix and just judge the publisher on the above criteria. How many publishers would actually pass the test?

Are there any fans of labor unions out there? The Americal Federation of Labor (AFL) was the largest and more powerful labor union from the 1880s through the 1920s. After WWI, industrialization gained ground and manufacturing no longer dominated the industry. I liken this to ebooks moving to the forefront and print books no longer dominating the industry. The AFL fought this, kicking and screaming, and eventually lost over half of their members when a good portion of its members created the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) and broke away from the AFL. These two competing labor unions tore up the nation, creating national disharmony and brothers fighting brothers. Neither union had the strength to fight the other. The old saying holds true: "United they stand. Divided they fall." Both unions fell from power when they split. They finally rejoined forces as the AFL-CIO after realizing together they had the power to make a difference and ultimately best protect its members. Afterall, that's the reason the AFL was created back in the 1880s.

I hope RWA doesn't want to end up like the AFL-CIO, where RWA loses a good portion of its membership as we break off to create our own national organization that represents authors as a whole and not just those being published under RWA's arbitrary guidelines. Will RWA see this for what it is? We live in a democracy, where the people have the power. RWA has turned into a dictatorship. Move into the digital world, RWA. If you don't, this poisonous wedge you've driven into the membership will eventually split us all.

Allie K. Adams writes hot romantic suspense, and even hotter menages as Eve Adams. Please visit her at http://www.alliekadams.com for more information.

Every Girl Wants a Guy Who's an Animal in Bed!

I'm so excited! Animal Instinct, the sequel to my bestselling 2009 EPPIE Finalist paranormal erotic romance Animal Attraction, is now available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid!

When I wrote the first book in the series, Animal Attraction, it was originally going to be a stand-alone book. As I was writing, I slipped a little background material in there about Hunter, the hero in Animal Attraction, having a twin brother. I didn't think that much about it at the time, but when my editor read it, she said, "Hey, it would be cool to do a story about the hero's twin brother!"

That got me thinking, which can be a little dangerous, I know. LOL! But after Animal Attraction came out, I heard from my readers and they were all saying the same thing - we want a book about Hunter's twin brother, Luke!

I was like, "I can totally do that!" LOL!

Since the sequel is also part of the Men of Alaska Series, it's still based in Alaska, of course. But it's set in Anchorage instead of Fairbanks this time. I wanted Animal Instinct to be different than the first book in the series, though. So this time. instead of focusing on the heroine falling for a guy she doesn't know is a werewolf, I wanted to concentrate on what it would be like for a person, in this case the heroine in the story, to be bitten by a werewolf, then follow her through the process of turning into one for the first time.

While hiking in the forest, Heidi is attacked and bitten by a wolf. She's rescued by Luke, who calmly tells her that she's been bitten by a werewolf and will turn into one during the next full moon. She thinks he's crazy, of course, and can't get away from him fast enough. But then strange things start to happen to her, things she can't explain or understand. As a writer it was fun to get into Heidi's head and imagine what she was thinking when all these strange things started happening to her. Ultimately,Heidi has no choice but to turn to Luke for answers - and that is where the story really starts to heat up!

One thing that hasn't changed from the first book is the smokin' hot romance between the hero and heroine! Even though Heidi tries not to allow herself to fall for Luke, especially since she's only going to be up in Anchorage for the summer, she can't help but be drawn to his hotness!

Of course, no story would be complete without a little danger. You didn't think the werewolf who bit Heidi would just go away quietly, did you? It wouldn't be a Paige Tyler romance without a healthy dose of action and adventure along with all that hot sex!

So, I hope you love reading the story - I know I loved writing it.

And BTW, while I was writing Animal Instinct, two more story lines for the series just popped into my head! So, stay tuned because more hot, Alaskan hunks are coming your way!

Every Girl Wants a Guy Who's an Animal in Bed!

Artist Heidi Gibson is spending the summer up in Anchorage doing some painting when she gets attacked by a crazed wolf. She is rescued by golden-eyed wildlife biologist Luke McCall, who calmly informs she has been bitten by a werewolf and will turn into one during the next full moon. Thinking he’s obviously out of his mind, she can’t get away from him fast enough.

When strange things start happening to her, however, she begins to think the ruggedly handsome biologist could be right. Not knowing what else to do, she goes to Luke and is stunned to discover that he knows so much about werewolves because he’s one himself.

As Luke teaches her what she needs to know about being a werewolf, Heidi finds herself falling hard for the Alaskan hunk. But while they’re intent on each other, the werewolf that attacked her comes back into the picture, and he’s not exactly happy that another of his kind is trying to take the woman he believes is his rightful mate. Can Luke and Heidi's attraction overpower the jealousy of the rogue werewolf?

WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANIMAL INSTINCT!

Romance Junkies Gives Animal Instinct 5 Blue Ribbons!
"ANIMAL INSTINCT was incredible! I loved the setting; Ms. Tyler did a fantastic job describing it, she really makes the reader feel as if they are in the story. The attraction between Heidi and Luke was great, and the way they came together was just fantastic. The romantic scenes were all very well written, and the chemistry between the two of them was phenomenal. The villain of the story was a real twist, you never would guess that he was the bad guy! All in all, ANIMAL INSTINCT was an excellent story. Ms. Tyler just keeps getting better and better!"

ParaNormal Romance Calls Animal Instinct an Excellent Read!
"This story was excellent! I loved the setting, it totally made me want to go visit Alaska, just to see it for myself, and maybe pick up a sexy Alaskan werewolf like Luke. Heidi's character was also very well developed, and I loved that she was not some wilting flower, she was capable of solving her own problems, but she was also woman enough to realize when she was over her head, and needed help. Luke's character was perfect-strong, able to take care of his woman, but not overbearing about it. He was alpha, but not to any extreme. He was able to control himself to let her go, and hope that she would come back to him. All in all, this was an amazing story, with some very hot scenes between Luke and Heidi. Excellent job!"

The Romance Studio Calls Animal Instinct Searingly Hot!
"This is a searingly hot, yet sweet paranormal romance that I just loved. I had been anxiously awaiting this book and was not disappointed. How could I be when it had my two favorite elements: mystery and lycanthropy? I read straight through, I just couldn't put it down. Overall the book was properly thought out and the story flows well. As in the first book of the series, the hero and heroine are wonderfully developed. I enjoyed the love scenes when, even at the most erotic, they remained romantic. The secondary characters are well written, Sukie is adorable. I can't wait to read more from this author. I'm really looking forward to more Men of Alaska."

Read Chapter One!

Watch the Trailer!

Buy it at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid!

To read an excerpt from the first book in the series, Animal Attraction, visit my website at http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/ And for a sneak peek at my upcoming release Valuable Cargo, click on "Coming Soon!"


*hugs*
Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!"

What's your favorite musical decade?

It's no secret that I love 80's music. In the past few weeks I've seen a couple of really fun 80's cover bands--one called That 80's Band and another called Metal Studz. (Yes, Metal Studz. With a "z"). I had a lot of fun going back to the 80's for a night with some friends.

Something about the overdramatic lyrics, music, and clothing makes the 80's an especially fun era of music for me. All those hair band ballads go perfectly with writing romance.

I'm also a fan of 50's and 60's rock. Really, I've been able to find something to like in every musical decade. Some are more emotional, others are more about fun.

What are your favorite musical decades? Do you prefer music from when you were growing up, or another decade?

50's?


60's?

70's?

80's?

90's?
What about favorite bands?

Is there any particular type of music you listen to for a certain activity (like driving, cleaning, etc.)?

Cassandra
www.cassandragold.com

About Those Dreams...

What are your dreams these days?

Friends of mine have kept this cartoon posted on their fridge for years, ever since one of them received a life-threatening diagnosis and faced sudden major surgery. They made a copy of it for me and my own copy is tattered and frayed from long years of exposure – as true for me now as it was then.

I caught the tail end of Legends and Lyrics on public television last week in time to hear songwriter Gordon Kennedy talk about his acute disappointment when a joint songwriting project didn’t immediately get picked up the way he thought it should. That song – Change the World – was later covered by Eric Clapton and went on to win three Grammy awards in 1997.

Sometimes our dreams are a matter of life and death. I'm happy to say my friend is still alive and healthy, fifteen years later. Sometimes our dreams are crucial to the quality of our lives - to living fully, each day, and being who we truly are. Gordon Kennedy kept on pursuing his dream and writing songs from his heart in spite of disappointments.

Victim of a teenage trauma, Chicago Prosecutor Traci Steele has given up on ever having a love of her own and devotes herself instead to keeping rapists off the street so others won't suffer what she's endured. Her journey towards hope and healing has received rave reviews at Night Owl Romance and You Gotta Read.

Detour Ahead is available at Awe-Struck, Amazon, and Fictionwise.

Booty Calls Anyone???

Aloha!

So sorry I am posting so late. I wasn't home all day, and when I walked in I dropped everything to catch the first episode of the 2nd seasons of True Blood. Anyone saw it? What did ya'll think?

The other day I was talking with my dear, lovely, and talented friend Mila Ramos. And somehow we ended up talking about “Booty Calls.” Don’t ask me why? I honestly don’t remember how our conversation lead there LOL! That normally happens when we chat it up; we end up talking about something random LOL

Any who she wanted to “Booty Call” her fiancé, and of course I laughed at her because you can’t really BC someone you are A: In a relationship with. B: Love or care for. Of course she didn’t like that idea so I had to look the BC rules for her and well here I am sharing them with you. Enjoy! LOL

Aloha,
Dee
--
http://deeshore.net/

Reviews and Genre

Private Dancer M/M available @ www.romancedivine.com, http://www.allromanceebooks.com and Amazon.com Kindle Books


Recently, the discussion on Midnight Seduction centered on reviews and the genre of what is hot on the market now.

To me, a good review is a boost to book sales. I always read a review to see what someone else thought about the story line and contents. I don’t always base buying a book on a review, though. The cover and blurb will seal the deal for me.

In the past, I wrote erotic contemporary romance stories and even tried a sweet romance. Some of the time I’d have sales and other times it would be months between sales. Since changing the genre I write, I’ve sold hundreds of copies. I now write M/M and ménage, but still dabble in erotic contemporary romance.

I’m not sure if the m/m or the ménage craze is a new fantasy for readers and will last, but for now, both are profitable.
Mary Suzanne
http://www.Mary-Suzanne.blogspot.com
http://www.webspawner.com/users/romancewriter/index.html

Label Your Sexuality and Your Books?

I did a blog this week on my website that dealt with bisexuality. Did you know that a doctor developed a scale to rate your sexuality? I certainly didn't until I found this:

Dr. Alfred Kinsey developed a sexuality scale that rated people on experiences and psychological reactions. Here is the scale:
0: Entirely heterosexual.
1: Predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual.
2: Predominantly heterosexual, but with a distinct homosexual history.
3: Equally heterosexual and homosexual.
4: Predominantly homosexual, but with a distinct heterosexual history.
5: Predominantly homosexual, only incidentally heterosexual.
6: Entirely homosexual.
Presumably, if one were to use this scale, everything above 0 and below 6 would label one as ‘bisexual’.

A lot of people responded to this and most said they don't like labels. I can relate to that- labels suck a lot of the time. On the other hand labels can be useful in some situations. We label containers to know quick and easily what's inside. We label movies and cd's for the same reason. We label babies with armbands at birth. At work most of us have labels or titles as they're called. It makes things easier for those we work with or for.

Let's turn our minds toward books. Most publishers use labels- m/f, f/f, m/m, f/f/m, m/m/f, BDSM, Mengage, GLBTQ, etc. As a reader I often check out one certain 'label' and that is usually determined by my mood. I know some that won't read a book listed as erotic romance and others who shy away from sweet romance regardless of the story or how well written it is.

Sexual attraction and book attraction have a lot in common. You're can't always control what you're attracted to and what turns you on. So I ask- Would you buy a book with no labels?

Kissa Starling
www.kissastarling.com

The smallest things...

So yesterday my daughter gave my laptop a drink, split water on the key board. I clean it up then it turns off, sudden shut down. I figure the whole thing fried, like and egg on a hot sidewalk. Of course I’m about 3 months past warranty. So I start looking for a way to fix it, if it can be fixed. When the hubs gets home, I tell him what happen, and he tears the thing apart trying this and that checking stuff. No neither of us are computer specialist, but we can tell the ram from the motherboard. After an hour of testing, we’ll call it, the laptop still won’t power on. I’m ready to give up, when hubs says lets try one more thing. He pulls the CD/DVD drive out removes the SIMS2 CD, I forgot I had in there. Tried it again and I’ll be damned if the laptop didn’t start right up. Best we can figure the CD got jammed and as a fail safe the laptop wouldn’t start because that couldn’t spin.
So what I learned-
1) Take CD/ DVDs out when done with them.
2)The smallest things can royally f*** up technology.

A Month Of Firsts - First Novel, First New Sex Writing Job

It's a month of firsts for me. My first novel has come out June 1, and it is the paranormal erotic romance "The Haunting Of The Sandpiper Inn". With this novel, I delve into my lifelong love of ghost legends. Click here to read a blurb, review snippet, and sample chapter of my book. There are also buy links if you are so intrigued you'll want to know more. Trust me, you will.

I also started writing sex articles for the online magazine, Sex Is. My old sex column ended when the UK pop culture e-zine Nuts4chic closed its doors about a month ago.

Writing a sex article is not much different from writing a novel or my other love, the short story. I do lots of research for my topic, and I write several drafts before my article goes live. There are marked differences, however. In my column I am much more personal than I am in my fiction. The articles frequently include my personal experiences. While my fiction is based in part on my personal experience, I create characters that jump from the personal to the fantastic. In other words, I make shit up.



My first article for Sex Is Magazine is live now, and it's about erectile dysfunction. Here's a link to the article, and here's a sample for your reading pleasure:

When lovers are already communicating well, good sex follows. Some men and women focus too much on the goal—the orgasm. They don’t take time to enjoy one another’s bodies as they make love. Learn to enjoy giving pleasure to your lover. One of life’s biggest turn-ons is seeing your lover aroused. As you explore your lover’s body to learn new ways to arouse him or her, you too will become aroused.

Be very aware of the here and now. Don’t allow your mind to become distracted by job woes, car problems, the phone ringing, the cats hissing at each other, or other stressors. Banish such erotic-killing thoughts from your mind, and focus on your own body’s sensations as well as your lover’s.

My next article will be about how food affects your sex drive, your stamina, and even how you taste. Did you know that eating red meat, garlic, and onions can make you semen and pussy juices taste bitter? To sweeten up, add fruits to your diet, especially pineapple and pineapple juice. There are other foods that improve your taste, but you'll have to wait until the article comes out to find out what they are.

My newest assignment is about "sexercise", as in what exercises you can do to enhance your sex life. I'll chat about Kegel exercises and how to use Ben Wa balls. I own my own set so I have plenty to talk about. I'll also look into yoga and tantric to see how they improve your strength. That article will come out in about two weeks.

So, I've had a busy month! Everyone knows I review sex toys, so I wanted readers to learn more about my other type of writing – my sex writing. Combining erotic fiction writing with sex writing makes me very happy.

Romance Novels and Your Sex Drive

Today I’m going to talk about one of my favorite subjects—SEX! And what should be one of your favorite subjects—your SEX life!

Do you consider your sex life normal? What is normal? Who knows, but studies have shown that woman who read romance novels have up to seventy-four percent (74%) more sex than women who don’t read such novels. Whether that translates into actual time or number of couplings is unclear, but I think you’ll agree that is a significant number.

According to Bonnie Williams in a 2006 Ezine article, experts acknowledge that reading romance novels sets the stage, so to speak, for sex, by getting the reader in the mood. From an article in Psychology Today, women who read romance novels have sex 74% more often than women who don’t.

In another study posted in the The Journal of Sex Research and Psychological Bulletin, when women fantasize frequently (as they do when they read romance novels), they have sex more often, have more fun in bed, and engage in a wider variety of erotic activities. According to the article “Women´s sex lives and the level of intimacy they have with their husbands, boyfriends or partners will show a noticeable improvement after reading a romance novel because it simply puts them in a more romantic state of mind.”

The article goes on to say that, “many therapists now go so far as to recommend reading steamy romance stories to boost a woman´s sex drive. Their reasoning: reading romance novels along with enjoyable activities such as walking with a partner, listening to music, having a glass of wine, taking a bath, can help put women in the mood for sex. These activities can help women shift into their ‘sex self’ from their role as mother, wife, employer, or employee.”

In a study from Boise State University titled Romance Novels and Female Sexuality: Vicarious Participation the author Huei-Hsia Wu reports findings from the group of 436 college students from 18 to 47. The study was broken into readers and non-readers. She (unsure of gender) reports that readers have a twenty percent greater sex drive, have over a two to one obsession with sex, experience twice as many orgasms and have taken 25% less partners up to and through the time of the study.

“By imagining being a heroine in a sexual fantasy, female readers find a refugee or asylum to escape from the burdens of preserving female subordinated status. Reading romance novels also provide a hope for the idea of modern sexuality that is plastic, autonomous, respectful, equal and pleasurable between participants.”

I’m sure as a romance reader this is less like news than a validation of what you already knew or suspected. Romance novels be they sweet or erotic, make you feel sexy and seductive and I’m sure if you have a receptive partner, you probably have and enjoy more sex. If not, there are other ways to have sex. In any event reading romance novels seem to provide an additional benefit that the publisher hadn’t intended. Or did they?

Have fun Girls!

Since I happen to write erotic romance, I would be remiss if I didn’t offer some suggested books for your consumption. Curiously, all the books were penned by me. :)

Love and Seduction in Las Vegas

Fortune Cookies

Getting Naked at the Hilton

By the Book

LEGS

Hollywood Wtches

Going Deep

Bananaz

Tattoos

Forbidden Passion

On the Heels of Evil*

* Sorry this one is not a romance novel

When you finish reading all of these, I suggest you start on the plethora of stories from other MSA authors that are guaranteed to stoke your fires. LOL

Shut the Eff Up!

Has your muse ever taken you some place you thought you should not go? Forced you to journey down a road that you'd never traveled before? Scary stuff.

Basically, it's when your muse tells you to take a walk on the wild side. Now, uh, I know you're thinking, "don't you already walk on the wild side with all this sexy stuff you write?" Well, yeah, but the wild side I'm talking about is where you step outside your comfort zone.

I write mostly contemporary erotic romance. I've indulged in straight erotica. You know, where sex is the driving force, not the characters or their romance. But a couple of weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night with a storyline. Said story isn't in my comfort zone.

It's historical. YIKES!! Historical is what I started out reading when I was about fifteen. I didn't read anything but historical until I was in my twenties. Well, except for what I had to read for college and round out my knowledge in general.

So, after all this time, my first love is calling to me. I admire those who write it well. Those who get it right. What do I mean by "get it right"? Being able to give you snippets of history, the feeling of that period of time. AND...doing it with accuracy. It takes a lot of research no doubt.

I've already started some research on the book. Right now I've got a couple more things ahead of this book, so all I've got right now are several pages of notes. The funny thing about this story is that it's only the second time I've ever written an outline. Once before I forced myself and it didn't work. This time, the outline came to me in the wee morning hours and I had no choice but to get out of bed and tap away at the keys until my muse had poured out all her thoughts.

Damn, she was kicking ass too. Character names, characterization, plot, sub-plot. You name it. She had it going on. But still...

I'm terrified. Makes me want to tell my muse to SHUT THE EFF UP!!

The world ended, and I was still in bed!

An amazing thing happened the other night...

Where I live, there were over 4,500 lightning strikes within just a few hours. Seriously! The night sky was lit up every second with huge blades of lightning slicing their way through the purple and pewter clouds. It was an amazing sight to watch while driving back up from the valley floor to the mountains where we live.

Unfortunately, being a geeky family, our first thought was for all of the electronics sitting unaware in our home. Plugged in. Just waiting for the strike they never saw coming.

We were lucky! My eldest son got home before us, and unplugged everything from the walls, even the televisions!

*proud mama moment*

The storm passed on over the mountain, so I plugged my computer back in and geeked to my heart's content that night, shutting my computer down as usual. Lo and behold, in the deep dark of the night, the evil storm returned -- determined to wreak havoc on my life. I know there was malicious intent behind that storm.

I unplugged my computer yet again, and hunkered down beneath the covers to ride out the scariest storm I've ever seen. The lighting hovered directly over us for at least 30 minutes, strikes hitting right and left, and the thunder crashing at the same time. I heard a huge pop (I swear it sounded right next to me in the room), and the power died. It was out for eight hours. I was sure happy that I'd unplugged my computer.

So eventually, the power is restored, but I wait another hour just to make sure it is going to stay on and not kill the computer with surges. Playing it safe. I'd be lost without my computer.

I'm safe now, right? The danger is gone, everything is right in my world. Until I hit the power button on my computer.

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Checked all the plugs again, still nothing. The power was unplugged, it should be safe, right? What's going on?

Well, my computer is dead. Hard drive fried. No worky. The only thing I can figure out that was different for my computer than the others was that the phone line was still coming into it from when we had dial up. The other computer in the house didn't. Now, we don't have phone service any longer, but all of the wires are still hooked up.

So I've spent the last week without a computer, desperately hoping my data on the hard drive was still there and that I could just plug it into a replacement computer. Nope. Murphy's Law lives at my house... I've lost all my e-mails (I know I had a couple of people I was supposed to send pens out to from a chat--if that was you, please let me know, I have no way of recovering that info). At least my works in progress were backed up. Lost my huge cache of e-books I wanted to read, as well as all of my purchased music on itunes.

Starting over sucks sometimes.

The hero’s job—does it make a difference?

Now that I'm on summer break from the day job, I’ve been reading a lot more than usual, and it’s gotten me thinking. Romanceland seems to have an inordinate number of heroes who are policemen, doctors, firemen, sheiks, princes, or billionaire tycoons of some sort.

Of course, it’s easy to see why this is the case. Jobs like policeman, doctor, and fireman are professions that help society and can be heroic in their own right. Plus, hello?

Sheiks, billionaire tycoons, and princes all have an air of mystery and fantasy about them. I mean, how many hot young billionaires are actually running around looking for wives? Probably not too many, but it’s fun to fantasize.

Recently, I’ve read quite a few books featuring men with jobs that were a bit more ordinary—chef, bookstore owner, accountant, teacher…I personally enjoyed the touch of realism that came from the hero having a more mundane job.

What do you think? Do you prefer an exciting job for romance heroes (Navy SEAL, anyone)? Are some jobs hotter than others?

Are there any jobs that you would see as a turnoff?

Cassandra

www.cassandragold.com

Saving Ciaran--Coming June 12 from Cobblestone Press!