What Would You Ask?

Recently I was discussing ways to better understand your characters with another author. There are tons of worksheets and questionnaires out there. Methods and processes for authors to develop motivation and backstory for their characters. Step-by-step lists and inventories to identify turning points and triggers.

These are all great things, but they don't work so well when you have stubborn characters who don't want to give away secrets. You would think as the author I would have some control over my characters. You'd be wrong. The few times I've tried to "control" my characters, they've laughed at me. They sat back to watch me flounder about until I admitted defeat and then let them tell me what their stories were.

So, when I was talking to my friend, I wanted to know what kinds of questions she'd ask if she were to get an opportunity to chat with a character. By the time we got finished, I had a good 30+ questions -- some geared toward my current characters' story, others were more generic.
Examples of the kinds of questions we came up with:
It's your night to pick a video, which do you choose? Something you know your significant other will want to see, something you would like, or a combination of both?
What's the most romantic thing you've ever done or had done for you by your significant other?
Do you want a big family?
Celebrity crushes?
Favorite authors?
Career goals?
What's the one thing your significant other does that irritates the crap out of you?
Favorite foods?
Favorite drink?
Morning/waking routine?
Favorite time of day?
What was the first thing you noticed about one another?

All of those are good questions, I thought. And, being that I tend to like to get more than one person's opinion, I just happened to be chatting on the phone with another author friend while I was "instant messaging" the first one about interview questions.

She asked me when do I interview my characters. That was when it hit me: the interviews I've conducted so far have all been significantly after the time of the book. Which -- if I keep in mind the fact that I'm trying to get to know my characters with these interviews -- means an interview is not my way to gain insight into my characters before I write the book. LOL

Can you say bummed? Imagine my surprise when my friend (the one on the phone) went a step farther and asked me, "What about your next book? Or the other books in the series? What do you see when you sit down with the characters?" And the first thing that came to mind was -- I only see the characters up to a few months after Santa's Elf. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing? But, like I said earlier, it makes it clear that interviewing my characters isn't going to work in the pre-writing stage of my books.

So, since I know interviews won't work for preparing the book, but I still like chatting with my characters after the fact, I'm not discounting interviews as a means of introducing them to new readers. With that in mind, what are some of the questions you'd like to see answers to? Keep in mind, I write contemporary erotic romance with Dominant/submissive and BDSM elements.

I'd love to read your suggestions. Have a great day!!

Banpaia

By A.J. Llewellyn

Ever since I was a kid, I loved being told stories. My mother became very ill when I was five and spent most of her time in and out of hospital. She died when I was six and my dad, God bless him, was not the kind of guy to open the big book of fairy tales on my shelf and read me one of my favorite stories. I used to hold the book and look at the pictures, picking out favorite lines, but I began to re-imagine the stories and of course, I was always the hero in them.
I got into tons of trouble, but no matter how tough things got, I had a happy ending. I always lived happily ever after.
I guess this constant fantasy world was the genesis of my writing. I still love and believe in fairy tales. Several months ago, I went to LA's Chinatown for the New Year celebration. I spotted a guy who was very handsome. A tall, slim, sexy Asian guy dressed in black, I wondered if he was a priest, a cop...or even a vampire.
It was an unusual evening. Unusually chilly. I decided he was a vampire since he was acting so mysterious. I followed him through the strange mist that swirled over Hill Street.
There were people all around, but it seemed to me, it was just me and him.
The red lanterns that hang high over the old Chinatown community cast an eerie red glow over everything.
Chinatown in LA is a melting pot of Asian cultures. Japanese, Chinese and Korean communities fuse, with not always the greatest of ease.
I followed the handsome man and started constructing my own fairytale.
Soon, I'd given up the physical chase and I went home to write. I called my partner and frequent co-author D.J. Manly and told him my idea for a story I wanted to call Banpaia - Japanese for vampire.
I went to work, feverishly, and quickly sent a note to our Art Director and frequent cover artist, Angela Waters, at eXtasy books. I told her what I wanted.
Like the idea for the story, my cover art request was unorthodox.
Angie slipped right into my dreamworld and gave us one of my favorite covers of all time - with the red Chinatown lanterns in there too.
When it came time for D.J. to write his sections of the book, I couldn't have been more pleased and also, more intrigued. He too, had somehow stepped into the dream and followed the handsome Asian man. What he wrote was more exquisite than usual.
We spent a long time talking about Banpaia and the haunting man who dominates it. It was unusual for us, because we have such a strong symbiosis we don;t often have to talk about the work. It's there on the page, but then, this whole experience has been beyond magical.
I wish every book was like this.
D.J.'s input was invaluable. In fact, thanks to him, the ending begs a sequel. Though the first book comes out in three days and was finished several weeks ago, in dreams, the vampire beckons me to follow.
And I will, once again, turning the pages of the big book in my mind...following the lanterns, the swirl of mist...haunted by the stranger's smile. Hunted by the man they call Banpaia.

Aloha oe,
A.J.

HEA, HFN or NHAA?

I was talking to a friend yesterday about reading and what I like to see when I pick up a book. Besides being a writer, I was a reader first. A voracious reader with a costly book habit.
We got onto the topic of Happily Ever After, Happy For Now or Not Happy At All. When you pick up a book or a story what type of ending do you want? For me I have to have my HEA or at least a HFN. If I want to read something with a depressing ending I can stick to the news or pick up a newspaper or just look around me. Books are an escape for me and I need the happy ending to feel satisfied. Is it just me or who else has a Disney way of looking at things?
Beth
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bethwylde/

I'm Up! I'm Up!

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late. Wayyyy late. And I'm sorry, but edits came first and fortunately they just went off to my editor and I can breathe a sigh of relief -- at least for a week or so. LOL

Much as I'd like to continue writing more, I'm wiped. Mentally gone. And I'm ready to sleep. I'll post a better blog on the 28th.

Have a great day!

Qwillia

Guest blogger -- PD Singer

Please welcome guest blogger PD Singer!

Three Little Words, or None

Hello! I’m PD Singer, reader, writer, romantic.

I love stories where everyone ends up happy, or as happy as they can be, given the situation. (The facet of my personality that wants to write everyone dead on the floor is one we won't explore today, 'kay?) I want to follow their journey, and I want that journey to make sense. I want that journey to have some kind of endpoint, where they look around and know that for them, something important is different and good. Quite often, the marker is telling each other, "I love you." But sometimes the words don't even have a place in the story.

This came up recently, over a book I'd read and really enjoyed, and I'd found a review on it. (Duet, by Eden Winters; you'll like it.) The reviewer and I had quite a bit of common ground, and then she pointed out something that I hadn't even noticed. Hadn't even missed, or wondered about.

The protagonists never said, "I love you." Not once in over sixty thousand words.

I read the entire novel, enjoying the evolving relationship between the main characters, knowing beyond doubt that the two men felt deeply for one another, that they loved each other in a way that they couldn't express openly in their time and place. One character's love for his family also shone off the page, again without any direct declaration needed, and the other character came to love them, too. The author showed us how that unfolded, rather than using words to tell us, and it was all setting appropriate. I loved it.

You didn't need to read those last three words to know, did you?

Those three words spoken for the first time can be the emotional high for the entire story, and millions of words have been written to bring lovers to the point where they declare themselves openly, and I've enjoyed those stories, too. I've even written an entire novel where one of the subplots was getting two men, who started the story loving each other deeply, to say the words out loud. Those two kept stuttering and veering sideways, but did finally manage. And I've also written a story where the narrator got smacked down for saying it too soon, according to his lover.

Maybe this springs from my disbelief in love at first sight. Lust at first sight, that I have no trouble with, and loathing at first sight that turns to love, sure, but not love. "I love you" can be easily said, but with no clear foundation, the words are cheap, and very often translate to "I want something from you." Sex, money, shelter, escape. Forgiveness. A story sorting out the real meaning behind the words can be rich and complex, and perhaps readers here will offer examples to add to my TBR pile.

Bitter experience has taught some of us that "I love you" from certain mouths means "something really awful is about to happen." Reading romance becomes a way to restore some faith that declaring love can mean exactly what it claims to be, that to be loved is to be cherished and treated kindly, even in the face of calamity. Better yet, some of us have seen love in action from an early age, without the words involved. "Do you love me?" my mother would tease my father, knowing that the only reply he'd ever give in public was "I married you, didn't I?" Their lives, their actions, said it all.

That's harder to write in a story, and sometimes it's nice to have the extra power of the characters speaking the words aloud. Sometimes "I love you" is the only possible response they can make.

But the words don't always have to be there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd like to claim a background as an international spy and computer hacker, but the reality is that I'm a forty something pharmacist, married and mother of two, living in Colorado, with a bug for writing. My Mountain novels and shorts, On Call stories, and assorted short stories can all be found at Torquere Press. http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=275&main_page=index

Guest blogger --- Marie Beau

Please welcome guest blogger and debut author Marie Beau!

FIRST BOOK FOR AUTHOR MARIE BEAU!

Thanks for having me on your blog today, Cassandra!

I’m still having a hard time truly believing I’m finally published. It’s been a short ten years. The funny part is that I started by writing children’s stories (actually making them up each night for my daughter – and she still remembers them). But I never got anywhere with them, not that I tried very hard. I submitted them once to a couple publishers and when I got my rejections I just tucked them away, along with the stories.

Then I wrote my great novel. The one that was going to be a best seller. Hmmm…does dust collect on files in the computer? If it does then someone get a vacuum ‘cause there’s about eight years of dust on that one. I submitted that one to several agents before tucking away the rejections. Actually, after some more polish, I still plan on finding a home for it (and all of the others that I’ve set aside). Because one of the big lessons I’ve learned is that when I finish writing a story it isn’t done. That’s when the work begins, but I only learned that in the last couple years.

Writing is such a fabulous trip into the unknown. I am constantly amazed that I can laugh and cry at my own writing. It’s as if someone else is putting the words down. I really don’t know what’s going to come out until I see it. Other than knowing the beginning and the ending of a story when I start, the details just appear, sort of. Yeah, sometimes I sit at my computer and ponder where I’m going, but when the words start flowing, I just let them fill up the screen (no pen and paper for me – that would literally cramp my style).

So I thought I’d give you a peek at Wolf!, my first published story. Oh, and if you check out my blog there have been a number of other blog spots and I’m giving away a copy to the person who leaves comments in the most places (including my blog).

Enjoy!

Marie Beau

Lyssa Merrick has no intention of ever being involved with a wolf, but when Wolfe Reardon seeks her wildlife services she realizes choosing a mate is not always a conscious decision.

The jingle of the bells over the door announced his arrival. Lyssa sighed and dropped the tea ball into the cup of water.

I can do this.

She stepped into the front of the store and looked toward the door. Where is he? I know it was him. She frowned, turned back toward the kitchen, and screamed when a hand landed on her shoulder.

Without thinking, she gripped the hand, stepped into his side, and flipped him. Her eyes widened when she realized what she had done. I guess it’s not all about size after all. She practically giggled until she looked down at him, lying there so still. Perhaps he got the breath knocked out of him when he landed.

She shifted from foot to foot, staring at him, waiting for him to move, to open his eyes.

“Wolfe. Wolfe, I‟m sorry. You scared me.” She ran a hand through her hair setting it all askew she was sure. “Come on Wolfe, you didn‟t land that hard,” she whispered. She knelt down to check his pulse only to have her hand snared and drawn to his chest. His eyes popped open, a grin spreading across his face.

Lyssa jerked back, trying to get free. “Okay, joke‟s over. You can let me go now.” She struggled to straighten and pull her hand out of his grasp but instead found herself sprawled on top of him when he tugged her down.

“Easy kitty, no claws…”

Marie Beau

Wolf!

New release 10/1/2010 from Whispers Publishing.

http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/wolf.html

Visit me at: http://www.authormariebeau.blogspot.com/

New Call for Submissions

Sizzler/Intoxication, Our New Erotic Romance Line

Sizzler/Intoxication is actively seeking erotic romance stories from established and aspiring authors!

Sizzler/Intoxication wants your hottest and strongest heroines and most fascinating heroes. scorching sinful. Stories should be clearly defined as romance with conflict or circumstances keeping the heroine and hero apart until a happily ever after at the end.

Sizzler/Intoxication is not afraid to push boundaries in the erotic, as our only limitations are your imaginations.

At this time Sizzler/Intoxication is open to all categories of erotic romance, including suspense, historical, science fiction, paranormal, multicultural, gay/lesbian, bondage, and fantasy.

Stories should be limited to no shorter than 20,000 words and no longer than 60,000, and strongly plot and character driven.

Sizzler/Intoxication does not currently offer advances, but pays generous royalties. For contract terms and formatting guidelines visit http://shop.renebooks.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=183/

Since 1999, Sizzler Editions has been a pioneer in ebook publishing, presenting exciting new works from talented, contemporary authors of erotic fiction as well as classic works from the masters of the past. Sizzler Editions is the erotic imprint of Renaissance E-Books, Inc.

Send synopsis and first ten pages to WolfPrinceEditor@gmail.com

Sascha Illyvich
Co-Editor

Guest interview -- Berengaria Brown

Midnight Seductions Guest Interview
Berengaria Brown

1. Tell us about your most recent release.

Actually I had two books out in September. “Complexity”, is an MMF menage. An asthmatic unwilling to relax enough to enjoy life, two men hell-bent on putting their stamp on her, an embezzler who wants to keep what he has stolen, and the ghost of a murdered girl. Will an endless night of passion with Finn and Simeon be pure pleasure, or only make Tia’s life more complex and messy than it already is?

Tia agrees to a night of unbelievably hot sex with Finn and Simeon, and is beginning to think she may have a future with them. Especially when the ghost makes her realize that her asthma is not nearly as bad as it used to be.

But the two men are so protective they don’t want her to help the ghost. And Tia never breaks her promises. Will frequent acrobatic sex be a solution or just add to the complexity?

Complexity buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/complexity

The second book that came out in September is my first erotic lesbian story, “Loving Lydia”. Tammy's sights are set and goals targeted. With one thing on her mind - Lydia - she will stop at nothing to satisfy every craving her body has for the seductive female, including showing up at the same gym for a chance encounter.

Lydia's career is in her pocket. Successful, motivated, and driven, Lydia realizes she wants more out of life than just her job. Aware of Tammy's intentions, Lydia decides to play along, at least until a cup of steaming hot coffee turns into a passionate night. Can she split her life between her career and Tammy?

Will Tammy be able to quench her thirst for Lydia with one night of hot sex, or will she be left wanting more?

http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/loving-lydia.html

2. What genre do you prefer to write? Is there a genre you’d like to write in that you haven’t tried yet?

I read widely across genres so that is the way I tend to write. I have contemporaries, paranormals (ghosts, a werewolf and vampires) and several Regency-set historicals. I have one male/female story, and one MMM, some FF, some MM, and the rest are MMF ménages. So, who knows what might happen next!

3. What do you like to read?

Anything. Everything. Romance from sweet to kinky. Suspense, cozy mysteries, paranormal. Signs in store windows…

4. What do you feel is your strength as an author? For instance: characterization, dialogue,
sexual tension, sex scenes????

I take research very seriously. All my sex scenes are role played, my historical details are cross-checked, and all the usual writing things are researched thoroughly: weapons, vehicles, geography, weather, everything.

I find the sex scenes the easiest part to write. They just flow. Plotting is harder for me. I need to make notes and concentrate to avoid plot holes.

5. How did you choose your pen name? Does it hold some significance special to
you?

Berengaria is my name. I was named after Berengaria of Navarre, the wife of Richard the Lionheart. She was ahead of her time in many ways, caring for her people, so it’s a good name to have.

6. Where do you see your writing career taking you? Goals for two, four, six
years.

On the New York Times Bestseller List of course!!

Seriously, it would be nice to write full-time instead of having a day job, but that will likely remain a dream.

7. Do you ever use people you know as characters in your book, or composites?

Not the people themselves, but characteristics or things that happen to them. I have a family member who is an asthmatic, which gave me the idea for the heroine of “Complexity”. Why shouldn’t an asthmatic have her own HEA.

8. Do you find that your creativity is more active mornings, afternoon, or
evenings?

It just seems to happen. I still work a day job so writing has to fit around that. The characters appear in my head and talk to me for a while, then the plot falls into place, and then I start writing. Once I put fingers to keyboard the book takes shape quite quickly.

9. What well-known author would you compare your work to or hope that you've
achieved the same level of excitement?

I would like to have world-building as good as Anny Cook, characters as engaging as Amarinda Jones, and sales as good as JK Rowling.

10. What’s your favorite leisure activity? Why?

I started out as a reader and I still love to read. I also enjoy spending time relaxing with friends.

Berengaria Brown Bio:

Berengaria is a multi-published author of erotic romance: contemporary, paranormal (ghosts, vampires and werewolves) and Regency-set historical. She loves to read all different kinds of romance so that is what she writes: one man/one woman; two women; two men, two men/one woman, three men…. Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily-ever-after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.

http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/

http://berengariabrown.webs.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Berengaria-Brown/100000055736290/

http://twitter.com/BerengariaBrown

Book Bloggers good or bad?

I read some blogs recently on skeevy book bloggers and I'm wondering how do we tell? How does an author tell a skeevy blogger from a book blogger who's legit? You want your book read, reviewed. Many bloggers offer spotlights, and interviews they're great ways to get your name out to the masses on the internet. The only problem is there are so many out there. It takes very little effort to throw up a blog and offer these things. Some one who doesn't really care and is just in it for the books can do this very quickly. You send them your work and how do you know they'll actually do what they say? If they do how do we know they won't try to resell or  pirate our books once their done?
We really don't. If they're established blogs, they have a following, post regularly, maybe review for a legit site. I'd be more likely to send my work to a blog who already does reviews for a site than some random one. Yet thoughts like these run through my head when I see book blogs. I'm not saying all book blogs are run by pirates or people just out for free books. Many are doing it out of the love they have for books. But when your writing is your livelihood you need to protect yourself. Yet you also need to get your books and name out there, so chances must be made.
Perhaps I'm being to wary, but then again... What do you think am I being overprotective of my work? How can we tell a good blogger from a bad one?

Jade
http://jadedvixen.blogspot.com

UNMASKED - New from Paige Tyler!

I'm so excited to announce that I have a hot new erotic romance out with Ellora's Cave just in time for Halloween called UNMASKED!

I always love writing holiday-themed romances, so when my editor at Ellora's Cave put out the word that her authors needed to get Halloween stories in by a certain date so she could get to them in time for the holiday, I immediately started throwing around ideas for a Halloween-themed erotic romance.

I came up with a few storylines, but kept coming back to one that takes place at a costume party. I think there's just something inherently sexy about them - you know, no one knows who you are underneath the mask, so you can do anything you want.

So, I ran with the idea about a girl going to a costume party and hooking up with a hot masked man. I had a pretty good storyline going if I do say so myself, but I wanted to make it even more intriguing, so I thought, what if the heroine goes to the costume party looking for this hot, hunky coworker she's been lusting after? Of course, she'd have to know what he's going to be dressed up as for it to work, so I settled on the phantom of Venice. Just sounds mysterious, doesn't it? To make it more fun, though, I decided to have more than one guy dressed up in the same costume, so the heroine would have to come up with some ingenious way to figure out which guy was the one she was looking for. Admittedly, that was a good idea. Really good. But I didn't stop there. I wanted the heroine to have even more fun, so instead of making the costume party a regular old Halloween party, I made it a spanking party! For some reason, that always seems to be a big theme in my books! LOL! So, what does the heroine do, you're wondering? Let every phantom of Venice she comes across spank her until she find the right one? I don't want to give too much of the story away, but trust me when I say that the heroine has a LOT of fun trying to figure out which guy is the one she's looking for!

To whet your appetite for more, I've included a sexy excerpt. Hope you enjoy it! And if you pick up UNMASKED, let me know how you like it!


Blurb:

When Tabitha Buckley gets a chance to go to the hottest Halloween costume party in LA, she can’t turn it down, especially since the coworker she’s been lusting after is going to be there. And since she knows he’ll be dressed as the phantom of Venice, he should be easy to find. What Tabitha doesn’t know is that this isn’t the average costume party, but a spanking party. Having gotten spanked by a few boyfriends before, that doesn’t bother her as much as the fact that there’s more than one phantom of Venice on the guest list.

Not to be deterred, she decides the best way to figure out which masked
hunk is her coworker is to let each phantom spank her until she find the
man she’s looking for. And when she finds him, the night is going to end
exactly like she’s always fantasized - in bed having hot, sweaty sex!


Excerpt:


She turned her head to see a man standing just outside the French doors there. Although he was half hidden in the shadows, the tricorn hat and cape of his costume were unmistakable. He was one of the elusive phantoms she had been looking for.

Even though she’d decided she wasn’t going to waste another minute looking for Robert, she found herself walking toward the man as if drawn to him. He was
tall with broad shoulders and dark hair, just like Robert. Though she didn’t remember her coworker being quite so tall or well built. Then again, he didn’t
often wear a cape and a tricorn hat to Sultry Records, so it was hard to tell. The costume could make him look bigger than he really was.

His sensuous lips curved into a smile. “I was wondering when you’d get around to me.”

Her breath hitched. Was this Robert? More importantly, did he know who she was? She gazed into his eyes, looking for a hint of recognition, but it was impossible to see his expression with a mask on.

“Get around to you?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seem to have a thing for the phantom of Venice.”

Her face colored at that. Had he been watching her? “There is something rather sexy about being spanked by a tall, dark, mysterious man in a cape and mask.”

He let out a soft chuckle. The deep, husky sound felt like a caress on her skin and she shivered. Was that Robert’s voice? She wasn’t sure. It definitely sounded as sexy as she remembered from the few times they’d talked.

“So do you want me to give you a spanking?” he asked softly.

Heat pooled between her thighs at the thought of him putting her over his knee. She gave him a flirtatious smile. “That is why I’m here.”

He grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Tabitha’s pulse raced as he took her hand and led her outside to the ornate stone bench on the terrace. Even though she’d gotten two spankings already that night, the possibility that this time she was actually going to have her bottom warmed by the man she’d been dreaming of, fantasizing about and lusting after forever made her pussy tingle with anticipation. God, if she got any hotter, she was going to orgasm just from thinking about it.

Sitting down on the bench, he slowly guided her over his knee, then placed a hand on her back like the other two phantoms who had spanked her. When he lightly cupped her ass through her short dress with his other hand and gave it a squeeze, Tabitha knew this spanking wasn’t going to be like the ones the others had given her.


Watch the Trailer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lbfgXqvfY4


Buy it at Ellora's Cave!
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8827-unmasked.aspx


For more of my sexy erotic fiction and a sneak peek at my upcoming releases, visit my website at http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/

*hugs*
Paige

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

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

UNMASKED - New from Paige Tyler!

I'm so excited to announce that I have a hot new erotic romance out with Ellora's Cave just in time for Halloween called UNMASKED!

I always love writing holiday-themed romances, so when my editor at Ellora's Cave put out the word that her authors needed to get Halloween stories in by a certain date so she could get to them in time for the holiday, I immediately started throwing around ideas for a Halloween-themed erotic romance.

I came up with a few storylines, but kept coming back to one that takes place at a costume party. I think there's just something inherently sexy about them - you know, no one knows who you are underneath the mask, so you can do anything you want.

So, I ran with the idea about a girl going to a costume party and hooking up with a hot masked man. I had a pretty good storyline going if I do say so myself, but I wanted to make it even more intriguing, so I thought, what if the heroine goes to the costume party looking for this hot, hunky coworker she's been lusting after? Of course, she'd have to know what he's going to be dressed up as for it to work, so I settled on the phantom of Venice. Just sounds mysterious, doesn't it? To make it more fun, though, I decided to have more than one guy dressed up in the same costume, so the heroine would have to come up with some ingenious way to figure out which guy was the one she was looking for. Admittedly, that was a good idea. Really good. But I didn't stop there. I wanted the heroine to have even more fun, so instead of making the costume party a regular old Halloween party, I made it a spanking party! For some reason, that always seems to be a big theme in my books! LOL! So, what does the heroine do, you're wondering? Let every phantom of Venice she comes across spank her until she find the right one? I don't want to give too much of the story away, but trust me when I say that the heroine has a LOT of fun trying to figure out which guy is the one she's looking for!

To whet your appetite for more, I've included a sexy excerpt. Hope you enjoy it! And if you pick up UNMASKED, let me know how you like it!


Blurb:

When Tabitha Buckley gets a chance to go to the hottest Halloween costume party in LA, she can’t turn it down, especially since the coworker she’s been lusting after is going to be there. And since she knows he’ll be dressed as the phantom of Venice, he should be easy to find. What Tabitha doesn’t know is that this isn’t the average costume party, but a spanking party. Having gotten spanked by a few boyfriends before, that doesn’t bother her as much as the fact that there’s more than one phantom of Venice on the guest list.

Not to be deterred, she decides the best way to figure out which masked
hunk is her coworker is to let each phantom spank her until she find the
man she’s looking for. And when she finds him, the night is going to end
exactly like she’s always fantasized - in bed having hot, sweaty sex!


Excerpt:


She turned her head to see a man standing just outside the French doors there. Although he was half hidden in the shadows, the tricorn hat and cape of his costume were unmistakable. He was one of the elusive phantoms she had been looking for.

Even though she’d decided she wasn’t going to waste another minute looking for Robert, she found herself walking toward the man as if drawn to him. He was
tall with broad shoulders and dark hair, just like Robert. Though she didn’t remember her coworker being quite so tall or well built. Then again, he didn’t
often wear a cape and a tricorn hat to Sultry Records, so it was hard to tell. The costume could make him look bigger than he really was.

His sensuous lips curved into a smile. “I was wondering when you’d get around to me.”

Her breath hitched. Was this Robert? More importantly, did he know who she was? She gazed into his eyes, looking for a hint of recognition, but it was impossible to see his expression with a mask on.

“Get around to you?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seem to have a thing for the phantom of Venice.”

Her face colored at that. Had he been watching her? “There is something rather sexy about being spanked by a tall, dark, mysterious man in a cape and mask.”

He let out a soft chuckle. The deep, husky sound felt like a caress on her skin and she shivered. Was that Robert’s voice? She wasn’t sure. It definitely sounded as sexy as she remembered from the few times they’d talked.

“So do you want me to give you a spanking?” he asked softly.

Heat pooled between her thighs at the thought of him putting her over his knee. She gave him a flirtatious smile. “That is why I’m here.”

He grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Tabitha’s pulse raced as he took her hand and led her outside to the ornate stone bench on the terrace. Even though she’d gotten two spankings already that night, the possibility that this time she was actually going to have her bottom warmed by the man she’d been dreaming of, fantasizing about and lusting after forever made her pussy tingle with anticipation. God, if she got any hotter, she was going to orgasm just from thinking about it.

Sitting down on the bench, he slowly guided her over his knee, then placed a hand on her back like the other two phantoms who had spanked her. When he lightly cupped her ass through her short dress with his other hand and gave it a squeeze, Tabitha knew this spanking wasn’t going to be like the ones the others had given her.


Watch the Trailer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lbfgXqvfY4


Buy it at Ellora's Cave!
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8827-unmasked.aspx


For more of my sexy erotic fiction and a sneak peek at my upcoming releases, visit my website at http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/

*hugs*
Paige

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

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

Today I Climbed a Mountain

Hey all,

How's it going this month?  It's been a great one for me.  I've got a new release--just out yesterday.  More about that in a bit, but we've passed hurtles with the governmental red tape here in Macau, I've finished two, count them, two different manuscripts, and this last week I signed five contracts.  So I guess I'm back in the flow of things but good!

Obviously, being over here is stimulating my creative juices, (and being around my sweet baboo with no kids is stimulating some other juices).  Ooops.  Did I say that aloud?  Ahem.  Moving on...

There are so many things to see and do over here.  My newest FREE READ will take place here in Macau at one of the casinos--an idea I got when Jonathon and I were wandering through some of the bigger places.

I've got an unlimited amount of blog fodder, from crazy bus drivers to food I can't imagine eating to the basic differences between the two cultures.  And then there are the festivals.

Which brings me to today's blog.  Today I climbed a mountain.  And why you may ask???  No...not because it was there  *rolls eyes*  Because today is a most auspicious day. (the Chinese use that word a lot)

As we were sitting having our coffee this morning (Jonathon's off, so we were just relaxing) he noticed a bunch of cars parked on the mountain road below us.  Remember, our apartment looks over the Macau harbor, a beautiful mountain and this amazing Chinese graveyard.

Now, some people might think that overlooking a graveyard is creepy, but Jonathon and I love it.  We've traveled all over the world and we always go visit cemeteries and old churches with tombs and burial chambers.  You may have heard me lament that livestock and dead people always had the best views when we looked around the countryside.

So, we were pleased to share our amazing view with the dead people buried below.  But the graveyard is usually very quiet, so we couldn't figure out what the cars were doing out there and why, after a while, the graveyard was crawling with live people.  Was there a funeral?  If so, the person that died had A LOT of friends. Or had we missed another festival?  There are quite a few of them over here.  You trip over one every time you turn around.

So I jumped on LUCAS (my trusty laptop, not a hot guy--sigh) and looked it up.  Gotta love google.  It can tell you all sorts of things.  And this is what I found.

Today is the Double Nine (yang) Festival, thus called because--according to Wikepedia--it is believed in Chinese culture the number nine has too much yang and is a dangerous number.  So the ninth day of the ninth month is...you guessed it...doubly dangerous.  But today is the 16th, I thought to myself, before remembering it was the Chinese calendar we needed to go by, not the Gregorian one.

And on this day, we've found out, many people visit their anscestors.  They have a bit of a chat with Grandma and Grandpa, give them some gifts, like fruit or wine and pray whatever danger may be coming can be turned away.

Now we like to celebrate these festivals in whatever small way we can.  I mean, we are not believers in their religions, but we do respect them.  And in learning about these beliefs, we find we learn a little about ourselves in the process.  But we have no anscestors to visit, so heading down to the graveyard would be intrusive to those already there, so how can we celebrate Double Nine Festival day?

The answer came from another google search and a glance outside our window.  Jonathon caught sight of this guy hiking up the steep side of the mountain next to our apartment.  We scratched our heads because the only trail there is made by lizards, so we weren't sure why he was struggling along.  Another click of the laptop and I got our answer.

Another thing you can do for this Double Nine Festival is to climb a mountain.  Yep...you heard me right.  You find the highest mountain you can climb, drink chrysanthemum wine, and decorate yourself with the zhuyu plant.  Doing this is supposed to cleanse your spirit, mind and body and get rid of whatever danger may be threatening you.

So we did.  We grabbed some wine and the plant and headed to the top of the hill next door.  And once there we meditated on our lives and what God was doing for us.  The view was lovely and the weather comfortable, so when we finally walked back down the mountain, we were at peace.

Double Nine Festival or not...it was a very nice way to spend a Saturday.  And...*warning...promo ahead  LOL*...another great way is to curl up with a good book. 

As I mentioned earlier, yesterday was the day of my October release, Luck Be A Lady from Aspen Mountain Press.  It's a hot romantic Halloween ghost story that will make you want to take a gamble on love.  I've got a contest going on my website and anyone who purchases a book will get entered twice!!!!

So head on over and BUY a copy.  If you like hot romance, a good ghost story, fun and unique character and of course my usual HEA complete with fire extinguisher and Kleenex moments, you'll adore this story!

Good to see you all.  Have a safe and happy Halloween and may all your October dreams come true!

PS...  Don't forget to check out my brand new FREE READ starting up on Monday, October 18th.  There will be games, prizes and lots of fun things to kick it off!  Bring a friend and win even more!!!!

Blessings,

CJ England

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com/secondchances
http://cjengland.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams

Best Places to Have Sex!

Do you follow @danandjennifer on Twitter? Definitely worth your time if you have any interest in sex! They’re a young couple with a fabulous sex advice blog and website at http://www.askdanandjennifer.com/ packed with short Q&A videos on hundreds of sex topics plus links and resources for anything you can think of.

One of my favorites is their “1001 best places to have sex.” Each time they tweet a new one it sparks discussion at our house – have we ever thought of that one? Can we top it? Have we written it into a book? Best, of course, is “ooh, been there, did that!”

So here are a few of theirs, and some you can find in our books.

From Dan and Jennifer:
At an Open Bus Stop Already tried the enclosed bus stop? Well, having sex at any open bus stop is guaranteed to attract attention – wanted or unwanted. The challenge here is to have sex without anyone knowing you’re having sex. Wearing a loosefitting skirt is always a good option to avoid getting caught.

In the Sleeper of a Semi Truck Sleepers in these big trucks can be quite plush, albeit small. Cuddle up for some kinky sex at the truck stop!

In the Family Room Behind the Sofa Remember what we did under the bed? Pull the sofa out just enough for you both to fit behind it. It should be very tight – that’s the whole idea.

You can find their whole list at http://www.askdanandjennifer.com/best-sex-places/ - or you can buy Jennifer's book by the same title at http://www.amazon.com/001-Best-Places-Have-America/dp/1605500534

Favorites we’ve written:

On a crisp fall day in the north woods in a solidly built secluded deer stand – from Return to Purgatory Point ~ excerpt:

Natalie stood and brushed her lips across his. “Don’t look so dumbfounded. Haven’t you ever done it outdoors?”

“Of course I have. But a deer stand, in the middle of the day?”

“Works for me,” she said with a grin. She reached for the snap on her jeans and laughed at his wideninging eyes.

“What if someone comes by?”

She yanked on her zipper. “You expecting company out here?”

“Could happen. Maybe some one is exploring sign for the upcoming hunt.”

“They better not do it on my property unless they have permission.” She kicked aside her jeans. “You have permission to explore any and all my property. If you care too.”

On an oak kitchen table at a secluded guest cottage in Stratford-Upon-Avon – from The Diary.

"I'm glad you liked it." Kate lifted her glass to her lips, but it never quite got there. Wine poured down between her breasts in rivulets.

"Oh, goodness!" she exclaimed, leaping to her feet and unsnapping her skirt. "How clumsy I am."

Spellbound, Grayson watched the tiny river of wine make its way down to her belly button and over her belly. It became lost in her pussy curls.

"Now I'm sticky again," she complained. "I can clean my breasts, but I may need your help. Do you think this table will hold me?"

"The table is solid oak. It'll hold you. Hell, I'll buy them a new one if it doesn't."

Up against the wall in the foyer of her house – from The Merry Widow

On top of the pool table – from Swinging Games: Who’s the Coach?

In front of a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Central Park – from Smoldering Passion

Leaning out the stone window of a restored cloister overlooking the gardens below – from Colors of the Night

In a gazebo – from Writing Skin

On a wooded hillside overlooking Walden Pond – from Through the Mirror

We’d love to hear some of your favorites!