Jude Mason

Free for 2 days!

2012-05-23T10:48:00.002-07:00

Two days, today the 23rd and tomorrow the 24th, Of Death and Desire by Jude Mason can be yours free from Amazon. Yup, free! Whoo hooo!

The url is: http://www.amazon.com/Of-Death-and-Desire-ebook/dp/B004T51VFU/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7

While you're there, you could always check out my other titles and see if there's something else you'd like to read. (hint, hint!)

Want a teaser? Course you do!

Here's how the book opens:

Of Death and Desire

by Jude Mason

ISBN: 9781926965697

Genre: historical, m/m, mild BDSM, romance

Publisher: Books We Love

To read an excerpt and buy, go HERE

Dear Diary,

That's how you're supposed to begin these things, or so I've been told by the few women I
know who keep such journals. I never thought, in a million years, I'd write in one, let alone
under these circumstances. This was Jonathan's doing. When he asked me to make this entry, it
was something I had to do, for him. He's given up so much for us—for me.

The beginning. Yes, that's where I should begin, and then let his accounting tell the tale.

Jonathan Strand—artist, author, wealthy due to an inheritance from his parents who'd
died years ago. My Jonathan—tall, slender, dark-haired, and dark-eyed—has a Mediterranean
look about him that drives me wild. Yes, we're lovers, and have been since I turned twenty-four.

Two years old than I, Jonathan was twenty-seven, and I, well into my twenty-fifth year,
when I became ill. At first, we thought it was just a passing ailment that would take its toll and
then fade, as so many disorders do. Unfortunately, that's not what happened. Consumption
doesn't simply go away. There's little treatment for it, and what there is does little good.

Before I became too ill, we traveled to New Orleans—a final vacation together, arranged
by him, of course. Friends, good ones, owned a property there, and offered it to us for as long as
we wanted to stay. We jumped at the opportunity to get away together, and what better place to
spend the last days of one's life.

Little did we know what would transpire while we were there. But, that's for Jonathan to
tell.

Got you interested? I hope so. Check it out HERE

Hugs
Jude

Hop Against Homophobia

2012-05-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

May 17th is

I received an email the other day asking me if I'd like to participate in this years Day Against Homophobia. At first, I cringed. Really! Are there still people so intolerant, so sure gays aren't like the rest of the population? Are there still people who think it's all right to pick on gay kids, to humiliate them, tease them, call them abominations? My God, and we call ourselves civilized.

After thinking all that, which took about 3 seconds, I leaped at the chance to say my piece, and here I am. A proud believer in 'it's all right to be gay, straight, bisexual, transexual, trisexual, pansexual and any other variant you can dream up, as long as everyone's in agreement who's taking part in the pairing. Okay, there may be more than a pair. LOL

In all honesty, what difference does it make to you, or anyone else, who the fellow or woman down the street falls in love with and wants to marry? Or not marry, for that matter. We seem to have grown into a civilization who find it perfectly acceptable to raise our children watching television where all manner of killing is thought of as just fine and dandy. We can teach them how to make bombs, how to mutilate each other, destroy the environment, humiliate a fellow student for not looking the same as they do. Yet, if something sexual is involved all Hell breaks loose. When a school wants to teach children about birth control or how to enjoy safe sex, the neighborhood militia emerge. How dare we, whoever 'we' is, teach our children to be sexually active?

Say what?

We all become sexually active, or the vast majority of us do. Don't these idiots remember?

And what about those feelings most of us had for a girlfriend, if you're a woman. Or, what about the guys, remember getting those funny feelings when you were watching the hunk getting into his gym gear? We all have those feelings. Some of us still do. Most of us learned to be ashamed of those perfectly natural feelings. Some of us hid how much we yearned for those same sex partners to notice us and feel the same as we did/do.

What makes it right to throw a son or daughter onto the streets for loving someone?

How can a parent believe they have the right to dictate the sexuality of their child?

How can a loving parent suddenly turn on their child, denying them love, food, shelter even a future?

How heartbreaking! How utterly tragic for all concerned. How horrendous for the child. I weep for those children and the struggles they have to make just to reach adulthood.

Love is love. We all have a right to be loved and to love who we wish, in my opinion. There is nothing more beautiful than to see the eyes of two lovers, male or female, as they gaze into the eyes of the one they love. I don't care what gender! And, neither should you.

It's Chat time!!

2012-05-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Dear friends/readers/fans and foes,

It's chat day and you won't want to miss it.

Saturday, May 12, NOON EST.

eXtasy and Devine Destinies Chat

(the latter is the mainstream imprint of eXtasy books)

Location: http://extasychat.com/.

You can log in as a guest without a password. It's a good idea to test it out beforehand if you have time, which you don't, so get on over and join us. You can pick the avatar you like too. There's some very cool ones there.

Don't miss out on any surprises/prizes and the chance to meet some of your favorite authors.

Authors attending:

Storm Savage Ali Atwood

Celia Jade Marc Jarrod

Celine Chatillon Cynthianna

AJ Matthews Jolene Beauchamp

Melody Lane Valerie Herme

Astrid Cooper Tim Smith

Starfox Howl Amy Romine

Natalie Hancock Charlie Richards
Jude Mason

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Chat on Saturday May 12th with me

2012-05-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

Dear friends/readers/fans and foes,

I'll be attending a chat you won't want to miss.

Saturday, May 12, NOON EST.

eXtasy and Devine Destinies Chat

(the latter is the mainstream imprint of eXtasy books)

Location: http://extasychat.com/.

You can log in as a guest without a password. It's a good idea to test it out a few days before if you have time. It takes a couple of minutes and I'm sure you'll have no problem. You can pick the avatar you like too. There's some very cool ones there.

Don't miss out on any surprises/prizes and the chance to meet some of your favorite authors.

Authors attending:

Storm Savage Ali Atwood

Celia Jade Marc Jarrod

Celine Chatillon Cynthianna

AJ Matthews Jolene Beauchamp

Melody Lane Valerie Herme

Astrid Cooper Tim Smith

Starfox Howl Amy Romine

Natalie Hancock Charlie Richards
Jude Mason

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Free, April 23rd and 24th on Amazon

2012-04-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Of Death and Desire

ISBN: 9781926965697
Publisher: Books We Love

Genre: historical, m/m, mild BDSM, romance

Dear diary, that's how you're supposed to begin these things, or so I assume. I never in a million years thought I'd write in one, let alone under these circumstances. This was Jonathan's doing. When he asked me to make this entry, it was something I had to do, for him. He's given up so much.

The beginning. Yes, that's where I should begin and then let his accounting tell the tale.

To get your copy, go HERE

"From Serious Reviews: The opening diary entry and the final pages are like perfect bookends to a devastatingly beautiful love affair.

From Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews: Although this is a short read, it packs a powerful emotional punch. If you want a story to stay with you and make you think, then you need to read Of Death and Desire

eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies Virtual Book Tour

2012-04-18T19:13:00.004-07:00

Pump Up Your Book
Presents
eXtasy Books & Devine Destinies
Virtual Publisher Tour 2012
+
Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Click on the graphics for more information!

Jude's April Newsletter, available now

2012-04-17T15:14:00.002-07:00

Author Jude Mason's

April 2012 Edition

I hope you've had a spectacular month. Mine has been busy, which is good, and productive, which is very good. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and I'll tell you all about it.

What's in this issue:

What Jude's been up to

New Releases

Contest Information

Where to find Jude

Website updates

Hot excerpt

What Jude's up to:

Before I get started, I need to apologize for being late with this newsletter. Life is definitely tossing curve balls this way. LOL But, as the old saying goes, better late than never!

As many of you no doubt know, I'm not writing at the moment and that hasn't changed. Sigh. How sad is that? The good news is, I'm now editing for one of my publishers, eXtasy, and feel very good about staying involved in the business as well as hopefully helping authors polish up their work. So far, it's been a lot of fun and I've read some really awesome stuff! Not sure how I'll handle deadlines, but we'll cross our fingers and see what happens.

All of my work is still available, so don't be shy, run out...errr...you can actually forget the running and simply slide your fingers around the keyboard, and go buy any or all of my work. Simply check my website for URL's and off you go.

Health-wise, well, I'm still kicking. Seems I've got to see a new specialist soon, that'd be after a laser surgery and an MRI scheduled for next month. Boy, do I know how to have fun, huh? LOL

My animals are all doing well. Spring is finally here and we haven't lost anyone, so it's been a very good year for us. Three last year fawns are showing up nearly every evening for a free meal and my buck has taken to coming for a handful of peanuts, as well as his apple. He likes his head rubbed. Seems the nubs where his antlers are starting itch and he likes me to rub them. Who'd have ever dreamed I'd be out there rubbing a buck's head?

New Releases:

In Print: Daybreak 2525, both Doc and Jazz
Publisher: Total E-Bound
Genre: Gay MM/ Futuristic/ Ménage à Trios
ISBN: 978-0-85715-782-9

Doc: The son of a healer and a warrior, Doc is forced to take on both roles when his village is destroyed and his lover...gone.

Jazz: A city of death where Jazz must find Doc's sister, or die trying.

To find out more, or order, go HERE

Erotica, Volume 1
4 Tales of S&M / Dildo / Submission / Group Sex
edited by Barbara Cardy
ISBN: 978-1-78033-239-0
Publisher: Robinson

THE MORNING AFTER by Jude Mason
FLYING SOLO by Elizabeth Coldwell
THE COWBOY WAY by Ralph Greco Jr
PARTY FAVOURS by Lynn Lake

To read an excerpt and by, go HERE

Contest Info

In January, I asked a slightly different kind of question. Because I'm sending out a newsletter every three months, that took us passed both Valentine's Day and April Fool's Day. So, the question was:

Have you ever done something both funny and sexy for either of these dates?

I got some really cool, funny and sexy answers, thank you all. Without any further babblings on my part, the winner is:

Connie N.
elektrarawks@gmail.com

Congratulations Connie, and thank you so much. Would you please email me at Jude_Mason@my-haven2001.com and let me know which of my backlist of ebooks you'd like. If you're not sure what's on my backlist, check

http://www.my-haven2001.com/Backlist/JudeMasonbacklist.pdf

Where to find Jude

Website:
http://www.my-haven2001.com/

My Blog:
http://jude-mason.blogspot.com/

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/MasonJude

GLBT Bookshelf:
http://bookworld.editme.com/JudeMason

Infinite Possibilities:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Infinite_Possibilities/

Books We Love Spice:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BWL_Spice_Readers/

The Romance Studio:
http://theromancestudio.com/fm/jmason.htm

The Romance Studio Blue Blog:
http://trsblue.blogspot.com/

The Rainbow Studio Blog:
http://therainbowstudio.blogspot.com/

Total E-Bound blog:
http://totalebound.blogspot.com/ (14th of every month)

I also attend publisher organized chats and will let you know about those as they happen.

Website updates:

Oh yeah! I've done the complete redesign and it looks spectacular! I'd love your thoughts on the new site, so drop me a line when you visit. I've also added to my backlist. And don't forget to check the cover art gallery, I've added a couple of new covers that are simply awesome..

Hot Excerpt
Fertile Domain
Available from eXtasy
HERE
© Jude Mason

For the full version of the newsletter, please join my mailing list or newsletter. Both links are on the right side panel.

Hugs

Jude

Daybreak 2525 Volume One, coming March 12.2012

2012-03-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

PRINT
Daybreak 2525 Volume One
by Jude Mason
ISBN: 978-0-85715-782-9
Publisher: Total E-Bound
Release date: March 12, 2012

LINK TO BUY

Doc
The son of a healer and a warrior, Doc is forced to take on both roles when his village is destroyed and his lover...gone.
Returning from a visit to one of the outland farms, Doc finds his village destroyed, his family either gone or dead and his lover vanished without a trace. The few survivors hidden among the ruins tell a tale of ruthless, sadistic marauders taking what they want and burning the rest. Doc finds too many dead and his heart breaks for those he finds alive. Mothers whose children are gone, husbands who have lost everything and everyone.

Pulling as many people as he can together and tending their wounds, Doc vows to find the rest of his people. His father is among the dead, but his mother, his sister and lover are not.

The hunt is on.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of hot m/m and m/f intimacy.

Jazz
A city of death where Jazz must find Doc’s sister, or die trying.
Jazz and Doc are on a rescue mission. This time it’s personal, really personal. Robin, Doc’s sister, was taken to the nearby city and enslaved. Jazz lived in the city for years and although he dreads the return, he can’t refuse to guide Doc in. What they find there is worse than any memory.
City peeps who barely survive and a Warlord gone berserk are just the beginning. Can Jazz find Robin? Will the two men survive themselves? And what of Zoe, the lady love they left behind?

Reader Advisory: This book contains some violence and lots of swearing and sexual assault.
Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of hot m/m, m/m/m and m/m/f intimacy.

The Deal: Free at Amazon Wednesday March 7

2012-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Deal by Jude Mason

Publisher BWLPP

ASIN: B004MME026 Link to Amazon HERE

The Dealing Trilogy, Book 1. Crime in the city usually had the cops chasing bad guys for doing harm to decent citizens. But, what happens when suddenly, the crooks become the victims? Homicide detective Matt Gordon sees what the other cops miss, and is soon on the trail of the luscious vampire, Sabrina, for questioning.

Matt finds her, but first he's got to rescue her from the clutches of a pair of a dead crime lords’ body guards. When Sabrina catches him coming out of the shower, things heat up rapidly. The unlikely couple winds up working together, fighting side by side, to clean up the criminal population.

All goes well, for a while. When things start to go wrong, it's Sabrina’s turn to come to Matt's rescue. Can she get to him in time? (m/f, paranormal)

"The plot is unique and intriguing. Both characters are compassionate. When Matt and Sabrina make a deal that will benefit both of them, they did not realize that it would be more than a professional arrangement. The passion that explodes between them is hot and tantalizing. Both Sabrina and Matt will have to make a decision independently that will effect each of them. Jude Mason has done a good job at earning 4 Angels!" ~ Shayley, Fallen Angel Reviews

"THE DEAL is steamy, suspenseful, and emotional. Sabrina lives and breathes death every day, and to her mind, her victims are well-deserving of death. Matt is a cop through and through, but he's getting tired of arresting the bad guys and then finding them released and back on the streets. Together, Matt and Sabrina will take care of the bad guys, find the boss man and deal with him, then go home for some wild monkey sex. The story is fast paced, exciting, and certainly gets the juices flowing. But, danger surrounds Matt and Sabrina. If they aren't careful, it could get them killed." ~ Sinclair Reid, Romance Reviews Today

~ Link to Amazon HERE

~ Find Jude's titles here

Free today only: Of Death and Desire

2012-02-28T10:41:00.000-08:00

Of Death and Desire by Jude Mason

ISBN: 9781926965697

Genre: historical, m/m, mild BDSM, romance

Get it HERE

October 15, 1898

From Serious Reviews: "The opening diary entry and the final pages are like perfect bookends to a devastatingly beautiful love affair."

From Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews: "Although this is a short read, it packs a powerful emotional punch. If you want a story to stay with you and make you think, then you need to read Of Death and Desire."

~ Find Jude's titles here

Free today, Willing and Able

2012-02-20T17:42:00.000-08:00

Free at Amazon Monday Feb. 20

Willing and Able

Co-authored by Jenna Byrnes and Jude Mason

Colt Willing never expected to be a key player in a drug-running operation. Before he can get out, he's determined to release the hold the organization has on Jonathan, the man he's grown to love. Jonathan has ties that bind him to drug-lord Nigel Caprice, and breaking the bonds may prove too difficult for Willing to tackle alone.

Detective D.J. Able is determined to bring Caprice to his knees. Backed by his partner, Bryan Stokes, Able and his team are out for justice, and retribution for the loss of one of their own. When push comes to shove, Able discovers that even the best laid plans sometimes go astray, and the men end up in a fight for their very lives.

"Willing is a great story that sucked me in, held me tight and wouldn't let me go. The action is fast and the characters interesting. The sex is hot and passionate. This story was an adventure until the end. As for Able’s story, the action was just as fast and exciting. The plot thickens and stakes for all the characters are higher. . .entertaining, sexy, and full of hot cops! It’s was seriously good and a story I didn’t want to put down. " ~ Romance Reader, Seriously Reviewed.

"These are two awesome writers that have combined their skills together. Colt Willing is a man bent on protecting those he loves, no matter what side of the law they are on. But what side of the law is Colt on? Ms. Jenna's story is very riveting. The drama builds with each paragraph you read. Wanting to know what happens will drive you to the end. Jude's story ties to Jenna's. These two authors play very well together. Able is the story of Willing's ex-partner Detective D.J. Able. With a fallen officer and the clock ticking, how does one man try to make it all balance? Able is a determined man and you will see just how determined he is. . .Jude keeps the momentum rolling in this story. You will see how all sides of the law collide and how things get done. I commend these ladies for a job well done. The stories complimented each other very well." ~ Cecile, Night Owl Reviews, Reviewer's Top Pick

~ Find Jenna's titles here

~ Find Jude's titles here

Total E-Bound: Win an eReader!

2012-02-15T10:40:00.002-08:00

To celebrate the new look of our website, we are giving away 5 new eReaders to the top 5 ebook downloaders this week.
Simply buy your eBooks from our shop and if you are one of our top 5 downloaders at the end of the week you WIN!!
Each lucky winner will receive their choice of a state of the art eReader from the following superb selection.
Here's the link to Total E-Bound.

Any information you share with Total-E-Bound Publishing will be in strictest confidence; we will NOT share ANY of your information with third parties.
Choice of eReader is limited to availability at time of ordering.
For a complete list of our terms and conditions please click here

Total E-Bound...brand new website and more!

2012-02-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

COMING SOON-NEW WEBSITE! Help us celebrate the release of our New Website. Click here for more details!
Total-E-Bound Publishing All Rights Reserved

We are launching our new website next week on Valentine's Day and are so excited to be able to shout about it! We are going to be giving away 5 eReaders to the top downloaders to celebrate the launch!
Please shout about this new website as much as you can - we have been working on it for months behind the scenes and hope that the new and improved website will provide better functionality and a total re-design of the site providing a cleaner, more stylish and contemporary look.

Jazz, is HERE!

2012-01-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

Jazz Book 2 in the Daybreak 2525 Series

Publisher: Total E-Bound

ISBN: 978-0-85715-870-3

Genre: Futuristic - post apocalypse/ Sci-Fi/MM/MMM

A city of death where Jazz must find Doc’s sister, or die trying.

Jazz and Doc are on a rescue mission. This time it’s personal, really personal. Robin, Doc’s sister, was taken to the nearby city and enslaved. Jazz lived in the city for years and although he dreads the return, he can’t refuse to guide Doc in. What they find there is worse than any memory.

City peeps who barely survive and a Warlord gone berserk are just the beginning. Can Jazz find Robin? Will the two men survive themselves? And what of Zoe, the lady love they left behind?

To read an excerpt and order, go HERE

Excerpt:

But, I want to go with you two,” Zoe whispered into Jazz’s ear.

Jazz rolled over, taking the sexy, dark-haired woman into his arms. Doc’s warm butt pressed against his and he shuddered. Having two lovers, one male and the other a lovely femme, was about all the excitement one man could ask for—or take. He ran his nose along the soft curve of Zoe’s neck and whispered, “I know you want to come with us. But we all know the people in the village still need guidance. Doc trusts you to be able to handle them all. And he—”

“Yes, yes, I know. He needs you because you’ve been to the city before. You lived there. You know where to go, who to ask and all the rest of it.” A breath of frustration followed her small rant.

“You got it.” Jazz ran his hand down her back and kissed her upper chest. He continued to slip lower, taking a nipple between his lips and flicking his tongue across the puckered nubbin. Covering his teeth with his lips, he tugged at the turgid bit of flesh until she shuddered. He cupped her arse cheeks and pulled her closer, the slick wetness of her pussy anointing his newly roused erection with her juices as it slid between her thighs.

“It’s not fair,” she murmured, then kissed the top of his head.

He nodded but didn’t speak, too busy kissing his way across her chest to the other nipple. He tugged at it, knowing from their times together how much she loved nipple play. Only too willing to give her that pleasure, he’d added it to his repertoire and began many of their sessions toying with those taut morsels.

“I could help.” Her hips jerked against him, as if a shock had gone through her.

Behind Jazz, Doc shifted. A moment later, a warm gust of air wafted across Jazz’s arse. Hands—his lover’s—pried Jazz’s cheeks apart. A warm wet tongue slithered down the crack of his buttocks, zeroing in on his hole in record time. The soft tip flicked across the crinkled opening, quickly easing its way inside.

While his lover’s tongue drove him crazy with desire, Jazz increased his onslaught of nibbling and tugging on Zoe’s nipples. His cock pulsed and he pushed a little harder, seeking a refuge deeper between her thighs.

Buy HERE

Valentine's Day Contest at Books We Love Ltd

2012-01-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

Books We Love's Valentine's Day Contest
Drawings will be February 14 - Valentine's Day
(You must be a newsletter subscriber to enter our contests.)

Books We Love will send one lucky winner a gift certificate to a local Spa where they may choose a manicure and pedicure or a 60 minute massage

One lucky winner will win a print copy of Erin Quinn's new romantic suspense 'Web of Smoke'

One lucky winner will win a box of chocolates from Godiva's Valentine assortment

Two lucky winners will win their choice of any Books We Love or Books We Love Spice ebook

Find the entry form here

Good Luck!

Coming Jan.30th, Jazz, by Jude Mason

2012-01-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

JAZZ

Book #2 in the Daybreak 2525 Series
by Jude Mason
ISBN: 978-0-85715-870-3
Publisher: Total E-Bound
Coming in January 30. 2012

to Pre-Order, go HERE

A city of death where Jazz must find Doc’s sister, or die trying.

City peeps who barely survive and a Warlord gone berserk are just the beginning. Can Jazz find Robin? Will the two men survive themselves? And what of Zoe, the lady love they left behind?

Excerpt:

Chapter One

“But, I want to go with you two,” Zoe whispered into Jazz’s ear.

Jazz rolled over, taking the sexy, dark-haired woman into his arms. Doc’s warm butt pressed against his and he shuddered. Having two lovers, one male and the other a lovely femme, was about all the excitement one man could ask for—or take. He ran his nose along the soft curve of Zoe’s neck and whispered, “I know you want to come with us. But we all know the people in the village still need guidance. Doc trusts you to be able to handle them all. And, he—“

“Yes, yes, I know. He needs you because you’ve been to the city before. You lived there. You know where to go, who to ask and all the rest of it.” A breath of frustration followed her small rant.

“You got it.” Jazz ran his hand down her back and kissed her upper chest. He continued to slip lower, taking a nipple between his lips and flicking his tongue across the puckered nubbin. Covering his teeth with his lips, he tugged at the turgid bit of flesh until she shuddered. He cupped her arse cheeks and pulled her closer, the slick wetness of her pussy anointing his newly roused erection with her juices as it slid between her thighs.

“It’s not fair,” she murmured, then kissed the top of his head.

He nodded but didn’t speak, too busy kissing his way across her chest to the other nipple. He tugged at it, knowing from their times together how much she loved nipple play. Only too willing to give her that pleasure, he’d added it to his repertoire and began many of their session toying with those taut morsels.

“I could help.” Her hips jerked against him, as if a shock had gone through her.

Behind Jazz, Doc shifted. A moment later, a warm gust of air wafted across Jazz’s arse.

to Pre-Order, go HERE

Welcome Derek Adams

2012-01-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week, I have the great pleasure of sharing my blog with a very interesting man who happens to also be an author. I'm sure you're going to love getting to know, Derek Adams much better.

Jude, first of all, just let me thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed. Exposure is everything in this business and it is very generous of you to give me a chance to be heard by your readers.

(Derek, thank you for joining me here. It's a real pleasure to expose you...errr your book, to everyone who stops by. *G*)

1. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

My first short story was published October, 1987, which is – what? – twenty-five years ago. Yikes! It was called ‘An Accident of Love’ and was published in ‘Mandate’ magazine, a now defunct men’s magazine that published nude male photos and short fiction. A number of these mags thrived in the 1980’s, before the proliferation of still photos and dvd clips on the internet.

I was inspired to write when I bought one of these magazines and read a story. “I can do better than that,” I told myself, and so I set out to prove that I was right. I was working with an Amstrad word processor at the time, which is approximately the equivalent of a stylus and a wax tablet. Still and all, it was a notch above my portable typewriter.

My first attempt was titled ‘Fantasy Man’ which I sent to Jerry Douglas at ‘FirstHand’ magazine. He sent it back to me with a very kind letter to the effect that I had written a very good sex scene. What it needed was a story to go with it. I took this to heart, went back to the Amstrad, and had another go at it. This time the story was accepted and I was hooked. I’ve always had an active imagination and this gave me the opportunity to put it to a profitable – well, slightly profitable – use. Actually, I was able to make a living writing short stories and novels for about ten years. I was very fortunate – and perhaps just a little talented – because I actually wrote and sold almost four hundred short stories, won a number of erotic fiction contests and had the opportunity to have my works translated into Spanish, Dutch and German. Then I got tired of the irregular pay and the uncertainty. I also felt that it would only be fair to my partner to add some more cash to the community funds. So, I put away my pen for a few years and returned to my former job of waiting tables.

I actually gave up writing for almost ten years, except for a few contributions to anthologies and a collaboration with Bruno Gmunder, a German publishing house. Friends kept asking over the years why I quit writing and since I couldn’t come up with a good reason, I figured I should get back into the game. Things had changed, of course. The erotic magazines are a thing of the past. Fortunately, however, the e-publishing business stepped in to fill the gap. I did a bit of research, got busy writing and sent manuscripts to the good folks at Extasy Books, MLR Books and Amber Quill Press and – Voila! – I currently have two full-length novels, two novellas and over a dozen short stories available online. I’m back and I couldn’t be happier.

2. Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?

Glamorous, huh? I’m not too sure about that. After all, we’re writing these stories, not living them. Although, in truth, I do live them in my mind, so I suppose that counts. This past week, I spent long hours with my partner decorating our home for Christmas. Schlepping all those boxes of ornaments, lights, garland, etc, down from the attic, to the living room, to temporary storage in the basement wasn’t very glamorous, but the result is pretty spectacular.

3. Plotter or pantzer?

I guess I’m a bit of both. I almost always have a germ of an idea when I begin to write, but when the creative juices begin to flow, the characters have a tendency to take off and go their own way. Even when I’m writing a tale to go with a particular illustration – which I often did for the editors of ‘Advocate Men’ when they were seeking a tale to go with artwork they had purchased on spec – the characters frequently just get up and take off with the story in ways I hadn’t anticipated. They occasionally take the story over a cliff or up against a stone wall, but I’m usually able to reverse course and have another go at it. Those, of course, are the times I drag out an outline and do my best to enforce some discipline. Even with the outline, my characters often tend to push me around. Entire characters and plot threads sometimes just appear on the scene, demanding to be noticed. Just last night, while I was writing a scene set at a political fundraiser, Veronica grabbed me, almost literally by the arm, did a star turn for about a page and a half, then meandered off the stage. I hadn’t even considered her presence until she was there. She let me get an important plot point into the mix in a much more natural way than a paragraph of mere description. Maybe she’ll be back, maybe she won’t. Is this normal – or do I need some serious help?

4. What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?

On those occasions when writers block becomes a problem, I turn to my garden. Pulling weeds and pruning hedges can be very soothing. I also find that power-washing the moss off the bricks on the patio to be very empowering. When the plants turn on me, I retreat to the house and play the piano. The great composers may lead you into a technical thicket, but they won’t take you down a dead end road, then leave you high and dry.

5. What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?

If I could offer a word of advice to new writers, it would be to be very open to criticism. You may think you have written the Great American Novel, but a good editor generally has a much clearer view of the reality of the situation. It is tough to gain distance from something you are so intimately involved with, so you damn well better listen to the person who is telling you to cut this, revise this, add that, and quit changing the point of view every three lines!!! Seriously, I will never forget Jerry Douglas or the wise words he offered to my virgin effort. I read his advice, I took his advice, and I’ve been selling stories ever since.

6. If you could be a character in any of your books who would it be and why?

It would have to be my good buddy Miles Diamond, the hapless hero of a series of detective novels bearing his name. Miles is befuddled and generally behind the eight ball, but he is devilishly handsome, a true sexual athlete and he has oodles of the hottest sex imaginable with gorgeous guys in dozens of exotic settings. Miles may not always get the point, but he inevitably gets the guys. He also has a fairly hilarious relationship with Rudy Vale and Jackson, his often unwilling cohorts in detection. I must admit that I have been almost everywhere Miles has been in his world travels, including that hash farm in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. That, however, is Miles’ tale to tell in The Case of The Missing Twin, available at Extasy Books. (Is that a plug? Is that appropriate? Do I have any shame? Guess not.)

7. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

The best moment in the past year has definitely been a comment from my Amber Quill Press editor (also an author). Catherine Snodgrass praised Safe Harbor as: “A wonderful story, wonderfully written.” Quite simply the best review ever, in my opinion. I fell in love with the story and characters when I was writing and to have my feelings confirmed in such simple, generous terms by a fellow author really got to me.

8. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time?

Spare time is filled with gardening, music—including symphonies, chamber music and opera—travel, long gourmet meals prepared by my partner of 28 years – and then there’s that waiter guy who still logs 30 hours a week to keep body and soul together. All in all, that pretty much wrings the ‘spare’ out of my time.

9. If you could choose one vice, what would it be and why?

Smoking – because I loved it so much and because I always thought Bogart and other forties movie stars looked so cool doing it. Still, I’m glad I shook that habit years ago. I can now breathe easy and I’ve saved a whole bunch of money. Also, smokers are now viewed in pretty much the same light as dogs that aren’t house-trained.

10. If you found that, for one reason or another, you couldn’t write anymore, what would you like to do instead?

I couldn’t manage to do either of these things at this late date, but if I couldn’t write in my next life, I would want to be a concert pianist or an opera singer. These displays of physical dexterity and the ability to channel the genius of a composer through your brain and body to bring pleasure to a large audience would be incredible. In live performance, it’s just you and the music, right there, right now, no editor, no chance for revision, plenty of chances for human error. Terrifying! And exhilarating. What a rush.

11. What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

‘Retreat to Island County’ is the tentative title of my current project. It is a novella/novel – the length keeps changing. Two guys from very different backgrounds meet, but fail to connect. They are continually thrown together and begin to bond, but their relationship is thwarted time and again by painful memories from their pasts. Love may or may not triumph. So far the mix includes a faithless lover, a dead lover, a lesbian couple with a six-year-old boy, and a nest of white supremacists. Weaving all the strands together will be challenging, but it is a challenge I love.

12. Are you in love? Have you ever been?

Twenty-eight years and counting. Life is good.

13. You often write about sex in a humorous light. What’s that all about?

Well, Jude, sex is funny. If you don’t believe me, just log in and check out one or another of the hundreds of sites that show us humans coupling. Even with physically perfect specimens, the mechanics of it all are a bit goofy. Sex is a very emotionally charged topic, weighted with incredible expectations that it often can’t sustain. Putting it all in a humorous light takes away some of that baggage and helps you to relax. Laughter during sex helps break the tension – as long as you aren’t actually laughing at your partner in an unkind way. Reading about humorous sex can be very erotic, because it breaks down some of the pompous, overwrought situations that erotic stories sometimes fall victim to. Besides, laughter is good for you. People who laugh have more fun during sex that those who continually growl and scowl. Besides, the growlers and scowlers are usually among the funniest performers, so why shouldn’t they be in on the joke as well?

14. Safe sex and erotic literature – pro or con?

I’ve been chided by some of my readers for not always observing safe sex guidelines in my work. Let’s face it, sex has always been potentially deadly. Long before the advent of AIDS, humans were faced with a host of sexually transmitted diseases with fatal consequences, none of which did much to deter sexual activity. In the past, erotic authors didn’t spend much time warning against the dangers of syphilis or gonorrhea, even though the consequences were well-understood. Of course, in real life, you should definitely do all you can to protect against STDs and, for women, unwanted pregnancies. In fantasy, however, I think it is a relief to both writer and reader to escape for a while from the real world to a realm where every sex act is white hot and risk free. I tend to employ condoms in most of my stories, but in cases where it is purely over-the-top erotic fantasy, my characters exist in an ideal world where no harm can come to them. Erotic romance is a realm where every sex act brings perfect pleasure. Nothing is messy, nothing smells bad and there is no pain that isn’t accompanied by a little frisson of pleasure. I think that is one reason the genre is so perennially popular. We get plenty of reality in our daily lives.

We all know about the trauma and waste brought about by murder, but sending all potential murderers in our books to counseling and anger management sessions would severely undermine a very popular genre of fiction.

Derek has chosen to show off his book, Safe Harbor:

Safe Harbor

by Derek Adams

ISBN: 13: 978-1-61124-223-2

Publisher: Amber Allure

URL: http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SafeHarbor.html

Blurb:

‘Safe Harbor’ is the erotically charged, highly romantic story of a young love sidelined by harsh realities and then dashed by a shocking act of betrayal on the part of one of the protagonists. When the men meet again a decade later they immediately realize that their mutual attraction is undiminished. However, their priorities have changed over the years and it is unclear whether they can rekindle their love, or whether it is fated to be merely a memory of happiness lost.

Excerpt: (and here you all got lucky. Derek sent me two and I couldn't decide on just one)

“I’m Mike.”

“Eric. Pleased to meet you.” He stuck out his hand. I shook it. His grip was firm, but his hand was as soft as a girl’s. It was pretty clear he hadn’t been putting in a lot of hours doing manual labor to help his family out financially.

“Okay, Eric. Let’s have a look.” He patted the smooth stone next to where he was sitting. I scooted over. He held the sketch pad between us. Our bare shoulders touched. His skin was warm...“Hey, man, that’s me.” It was a drawing of me, standing with the water at my back. The detail was pretty amazing, almost like a photograph. It sure as hell looked like the face and body I saw when I looked in the mirror on my bedroom door every morning. He had even included the long scar on my right shoulder, souvenir of a set-to with a grappling hook last year at the marina. The hairs on my chest were there, in detail, and the fine line of fuzz that trickled down my belly.

“Do I really look that mean?”

“That’s not supposed to be a mean look. That’s a pissed-off look.” He chuckled softly. “You were pretty pissed when you first saw me here the other day.”

“Okay, okay. I admit it. Guilty as charged.” I looked over at him and grinned. “Do I still look pissed?”

He stared at me intently for a moment. “Nope. Goofy, maybe, but not pissed.”

“Goofy?” I reached over and grabbed him in a mock headlock. “You’re gonna have to take that back, Eric.”

“Never!” He laughed as he struggled in my grasp. I pulled him closer. His face pressed against my chest. He slipped his left arm around my waist and splayed his right hand against my belly.

“I am not goofy!”

“You are, too!” His breath ruffled the hairs on my chest, tickling me. “Okay. Okay. I give up,” he gasped after several moments had passed. I let him go, but he didn’t jump away. Instead he put his hands on my shoulders, his face only inches from mine. He was flushed and he had a loopy grin on his face.

“Glad you finally saw it my way.” I was intensely aware of the pressure of his hands.

“You may not be goofy, Mike, but you sure are se…uh, crazy.” Eric’s face got even redder.

I stood, then turned my back on him abruptly. I’d sprung a rod for some reason. I tugged at the crotch of my pants, but it didn’t help much. I grabbed my T-shirt and held it in front of me. “I gotta be getting back. If I don’t show up to work I’ll catch holy hell from Mr. Peterson.”

I loped across the sand. I turned around once and saw that Eric was still looking at me. He raised his hand and waved. I waved back and kept on going. When I reached down a couple of minutes later to scratch my balls, I realized that my cock was still hard.

#2:

“I don’t know, Eric. It all sounds pretty queer to me.”

“Jerking off sounds queer?”

“No, not exactly. It’s just that I’ve never jerked off except when I’m all alone. I’ve sure as hell never jerked off with another guy.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone. Hell, I don’t know anyone around here except you.”

“I don’t know, man.”

“Trust me, you’ll never be able to corral that beast back into your shorts until you relieve some of the tension. You could hurt yourself.”

“Yeah, maybe.” It was true. I’d never get my cock under wraps while it was like this. The damned thing was harder now than when we’d started this dumb conversation. I looked down. It jutted up at a jaunty angle, and clear drool was already starting to ooze out of my pisshole.

“So, what are you going to do?” I looked over at Eric. He was standing only a couple of feet away from me.

“I’m going to join you.” I took a step back. “Relax, Mike. I’m not going to touch you, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

“I’m not afraid.” I didn’t know exactly what the hell I was feeling, but it wasn’t fear.

“Good. Neither am I.” He gripped his stiffer in his left hand and started to stroke it.

I followed suit and soon we were both really going at it. I had my eyes closed at first, figuring I should fantasize about some hot chick, but I soon gave up on that. Instead I watched my fist pump up and down on my cock while I sneaked occasional glances at Eric. Every time I looked at him, he was looking back at me. It didn’t slow me down at all.

I gasped softly when he took a step closer, but I didn’t stop stroking. He leaned forward slightly and our foreheads touched. I looked down and so did he. Our hips were just far enough apart to make room for our pistoning fists. Clear cock honey drooled out of me and splashed on Eric’s knuckles. He groaned as he rubbed it on the shaft of his dick.

I opened my eyes when I felt Eric’s hand on my chest. His fingers slipped slowly down over the curve of my right pec, grazing my nipple. I shuddered and my balls drew up tighter between my legs. His fingers continued down against my abs, going lower and lower till they tangled in my pubes. He didn’t touch my cock, but he did cup my balls in the palm of his hand.

I hunched my shoulders forward and rose up on my toes, crying out as the first blast of jism shot out of me. It hit Eric in the hollow of his throat and slid down his heaving torso. His cry echoed mine as I felt his cum splash my belly. Our knuckles rubbed together as he leaned heavily against me. His breath was hot against my chest.

My hand dropped away from my shaft as Eric’s fingers curled around it, holding our slowly deflating hard-ons tight together. My hands wandered over the contours of his back and shoulders, down to his waist and then farther down. His lips touched my throat, my chin, the skin beneath my lower lip. I turned my head away from him.

Phew, nice huh? Here's a little more about Derek:

Derek Adams is the award-winning author of a popular series of novels featuring the spectacularly inept detective, Miles Diamond. In addition, he has written several hundred short stories which he insists are ongoing chapters in his autobiography. His stories have been translated into Dutch, Spanish and German, and have been widely anthologized. His fiction won the first prize from Mavety Media’s ‘Torso’ magazine fiction contest four times. When not chronicling his amorous adventures, Adams writes about gay history and travel. He currently lives in Seattle.

And here's where you can find Derek online:

My website is www.derekadams47.com I’m on facebook, look for Derek Adams

A Christmas gift from TEB

2011-12-28T11:11:00.002-08:00

Merry Christmas from Total-E-Bound!

A very Merry Christmas from all of us here at Total-E-Bound publishing!

As a gift we have taken 10% off the price of ALL our eBooks until New Year's Day!

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, fill your stockings (and your eReader) with our fantastic selection of eBooks.

(Titles on pre-order are not part of this promotion.)

Welcome K M Mahoney

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week, I have the pleasure of hosting the lovely K.M. Mahoney, a fellow Total E-Bound author I'm sure you'll find interesting. Please join me in welcoming K.M..

1. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

I've been writing since, like, grade school. Even before that, I was one of those kids always playing dress up (and dragging my sister with me). I've always had characters bouncing around in my head. I had a teacher, though, who was big on creative writing. I credit her with giving me the idea of writing things down (although I'm sure I would have gotten there eventually). I actually still have some of that early stuff...somewhere...in the chaos of my house. Except for the story with talking horses. I think I burned that one in my fireplace :)

2. Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?

Oh God...glamorous? Me? Hardly. You should see the state of my office. I sit there surrounded by clutter (and usually with at least one light bulb out somewhere), buried in papers, quite often muttering to myself. I'm doing good if I remember to clean out the litter box.

3. Plotter or pantzer?

Oh, pantzer, most definitely :). Half the time I don't even stop to figure out character names in the beginning. I just get an idea and run with it. I might take a break a chapter or so in and do a quick outline, to get an idea of where I want the story to go, but it's generally extremely bare-bones. And most of the time, the characters disregard my input entirely and go where they want :)

4. What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?

Usually, I force myself to push through it. I sit down and make myself write, even if the sentences don't make sense, and even if I know what's coming out is utter crap that will hopefully never see the light of day. If that doesn't work? I know it's time to switch projects until the muse decides to cooperate.

5. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

Hmm...well, I'd have to say anytime I get an email from one of my editors, saying they want one of my books :) It's that first moment of validation, you know? That someone else actually likes what you've written (friends don't count, lol).

6. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time?

I read. A lot. Fiction, mostly, although lately I've been bogged down in research. I'm working on a degree in Medieval Studies, and that's taking up pretty much every non-writing second of my life right now.

7. If you could choose one vice, what would it be and why?

Oh, I'm pure as the driven snow :) Seriously, I have a bit of a filthy mouth sometimes. I figure at least with that one, it's not causing any permanent harm, lol. That and the occasional drink...or two...and I'm covered in the vice department!

8. What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

Currently, I'm working on a couple projects. I try to settle on one story and finish it, but that never seems to work out so well! I keep getting inspired (which, I suppose, is a good thing). At the top of my list are two: Tristan and Boys Will Be Boys. Tristan is a sequel to my novel released this summer, Lucky, a paranormal/shifter tale. For those who've read it, Tristan is the brother of Michael, one of my main characters. He's a tough guy, a private investigator. And he's about to be brought down by a bouncy werewolf :) Boys Will Be Boys is something I've been working on for quite a while, off and on. It originally started out as a heterosexual romance, until I started actually listening to the Mitch, my main character. I couldn't get the love interests to click because Mitch is, apparently, gay, and the whole girl thing really wasn't working for him. So I'm redoing it, and so far, I'm extremely pleased with how it's coming.

9. Are you in love? Have you ever been?

Um, I'd have to say no. I'm currently single; I've had a few relationships, but no one that really 'clicked', you know? Personally, I'm pretty happy on my own. I get enough romance through my characters to fill any gaps :)

10. What kind of comfort food do you like best?

Chocolate. Chocolate. Coffee. Chocolate. I won't turn down cookies, either :) If it's got cocoa or caffeine, I'm there.

And now a bit from her brand new release!

In Teddy's Arms

by K.M. Mahoney

Publisher: Total E-Bound

ISBN: 978-0-85715-840-6

Genre: Contemporary

BUY HERE

Teddy should really know better than to agree to one of Pierce’s “great ideas,” but he’s never found it easy to say no to his best friend. Which is why he finds himself on the middle of a snow-covered road, heading into the mountains to spend the Christmas holiday in a rental cabin. And, like always, Pierce’s great plan backfires. The cabin is a dump, it’s freezing outside – and then comes the snowstorm.

Pierce isn’t sure how he’s going to handle an entire weekend trapped with Teddy. Sure, the guy is his best friend, but tell that to Pierce’s body. It’s getting harder and hard to keep his hands to himself.

Teddy doesn’t think Pierce is interested in his nerdy best friend. Pierce doesn’t think he’s good enough for Teddy. Everything Teddy has ever wanted is right in front of him, if only he can find the courage to reach out and take it.

Excerpt:

“Are you sure about this?”

“Teddy, ask me that again, and I’m going to pull this car over and toss you into a snow drift.”

Teddy sat back, crossed his arms over his chest, and huffed. “Sheesh, cranky much?”

Pierce rolled his eyes. For a second, he entertained the lovely image that the steering wheel he was gripping so tightly was, in fact, Teddy’s neck. “The first three times you asked that question, I answered. The next six times, I ignored you. You’ve now moved beyond that and are into obnoxiously irritating. Stow it.”

Silence enveloped the interior of the car for several long moments. Then Teddy mumbled, “Sorry.”

Pierce grinned. That was his Teddy. He never could stay at odds with anyone for very long.

“Turn right in one-point-two miles,” the GPS system stated in a dull, broken monotone.

“Thank God.” Pierce nearly whooped. “I think we’re getting close.” He turned where the small navigation map on his dashboard indicated. The bottom of their battered sedan scraped ominously over the snow-covered gravel.

All right, so maybe Teddy had a point. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea Pierce had ever had. But it was a little bit too late to back out now. No way in hell was Pierce driving back down this mountain in the dark.

“I don’t see anything,” Teddy said, sounding doubtful. He chewed on his fingernail, expression nervous, eyes fastened on the darkening woods surrounding the small road.

“It’s up here. Somewhere.” Damn. That hadn’t come out as reassuring as Pierce had hoped.

The GPS remained unhelpfully silent as the car bumped its way along. Twilight was quickly turning into night. The looming pines closing in on all sides didn’t help, deepening the gloom. They were truly in the middle of nowhere, no streetlights, no sidewalks, the roads rough. Hell, there wasn’t even a McDonald’s. Civilisation was most definitely far behind them.

At the moment, Pierce would have gladly traded his stupid GPS system for just one tacky strand of twinkling Christmas lights. Anything to suggest they weren’t lost in the mountains. And why the hell was it so dark out here?

The cabin practically jumped out at them. Pierce rounded a curve and slammed on the brakes. His heart thumped madly as he studied the battered porch steps, dangerously close to his front bumper. Beside him, Teddy let out a belated squeak of alarm.

“Destination in five hundred feet,” the GPS chimed.

BUY HERE

K.M. Mahoney's Bio:

K.M. lives in the Midwest surrounded by cornfields. To compensate for the lack of scenery at home, she spends her time visiting exotic locations with gorgeous men.

All right, so the men are mostly fictional. So are the locations. Everyone needs a hobby.

In reality, K.M. lives a fairly unexciting life with her cat. She writes mainly m/m romance, usually with paranormal or fantasy elements. K.M. loves to follow her characters wherever they decide to go. She maintains that any naughty behavior is all their doing. Honest.

Contact information:

Website: www.authorkmmahoney.com

Twitter: authorkmmahoney

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorkmmahoney

Win a Kindle eReader Contest

2011-12-08T14:26:00.001-08:00

Win a Kindle eReader!

Total-E-Bound
Yuletide Yearnings Contest

We're giving away a Kindle eReader for the release
of our new
'Yuletide Yearnings' collection.
Simply enter your name and
email address at our coompetition page and
we'll enter you into our contest to win!

http://www.total-e-bound.com/yuletideyearnings.asp

GOOD LUCK!

Welcome Naomi Bellina

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week, I'm thrilled to have the adorable, and very sexy author, Naomi Bellina with me here on my blog. Some of her answers to my interview questions made me smile and wish I was right there with her. Please give Naomi a warm welcome!

1. What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?

I love to read mysteries, but the thought of writing a full-length one is daunting. I'm afraid I would give away the ending, or leave out some vital part of the plot. Most of my stories have some sort of surprise ending, because I think life should be full of surprises, but I admire anyone who can put together an intricate mystery.

2. Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?

Oh, the life of glamour! Yes, let's see, this week I had to rearrange my schedule to let the termite inspector inside the house. When you're the half of the partnership that works from home during the day, you get to be the one who takes care of household chores and maintenance. Oh, and I cleaned up a gigantic hairball the cat yakked up, because, yes, I was the one home. Now that was a real glitzy event! Would it be considered more glamorous if I did it in a negligee wearing high heels?

3. What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?

Start moving! Much as I hate to do house cleaning, some of my best ideas come when my body is moving and my mind is going La-la-la, this is such a bore, where did all these dust bunnies come from, why can't he hit the toilet bowl…Eureka! There's a great idea!

4. What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?

Just keep going! I sent my first erotic story to eight publishers over a course of twelve months before it found the perfect home. Don't be afraid. The worst that's going to happen is they will say no. I've received polite rejections, helpful rejections, snooty rejections, but never once has anyone come to my doorstep, slammed my manuscript at my feet and slapped me with their glove. Persevere! Also, stay organized. Have a good system so you can keep track of what you send. When it's time to send a follow-up inquiry, be ready. Digging through files and emails is a colossal waste of time. Be patient. While you're waiting to hear from one publisher, start writing the next story, and the next. Then you won't be sitting at your computer hitting that Send/Receive button on your email over and over, waiting for good news.

5. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

It's so hard to pick a best. Each one seems better than the last. Every time I get an acceptance email, I feel that little jolt of joy run through me and I do the happy dance. I try not to check my email in church for that very reason. I love the thrill of seeing my name on the Internet or in print, and I'm always delighted when I get feedback from readers.

6. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time?

Safe to say, it's not housework. Right now I’m learning to hula hoop dance, I love to drum on my hand drum, I try to get out and attend unusual events and festivals whenever possible, and my inner art child comes out to play every so often. My current project-in-waiting is to paint several electrical outlet wall plates for my office. Plain white ones are so dull.

7. If you could change one thing that you have written, what would it be?

My signature on that marriage certificate. Just kidding! Even though the marriage ended, it was a good learning experience. I learned not to do THAT again! Okay, I'm still kidding. I'm actually joyfully engaged and ready to tie the knot soon.

8. If you found that, for one reason or another, you couldn’t write anymore, what would you like to do instead?

Let's also assume, just for fun, that I have a lot of money. I would open a huge animal shelter, something like Best Friends in Utah. We would work hard to put an end to animal suffering by finding ways to reduce the number of homeless animals. Then, with my hefty income, I would hire someone else to write about animals for me!

9. When you wake up in the morning, what celebrity do you most resemble?

Sarah Jessica Parker. Then I put my glasses on, and it's more like a cross between Scooby Doo and the Tasmanian Devil. Regardless, there's a light in my true love's eyes when he sees me emerge from the bedroom on Sunday morning, so I know I'm a hottie.

10. What kind of comfort food do you like best?

Depends on why I need to be comforted. Dove chocolate will usually do the trick, but sometimes, if the problem is especially gruesome, I need birthday cake with butter cream icing. I've been known to order one from the bakery and have them put "Happy Birthday Naomi" on it, just to make me feel special.

Thank you very much, Jude, for letting me talk to you and your readers. For those celebrating holidays this winter, I wish you peace, joy, and remember to take time for yourself with a lovely story or two from your favorite romance authors.

Now, on to the sneak peek of Naomi's book and here there's a new adventure. Total E-Bound has given Naomi the cover suited for what they call a Lust Bite. It's a lovely cover, but it is generic:

When Irish Eyes Are Evil

by Naomi Bellina

ISBN: 978-0-85715-719-5

Genre: Vampire, paranormal, action/adventure

Published: October 2011

Publisher: Total-E-Bound

Word count: 10,576

Buy Link:

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1378

The adventure? Well, Ms Bellina has come up with a lovely cover for the book herself. She thinks it fits, gasp! What do you think?

Blurb:

A sexy vampire with evil on his mind has Rachael playing detective to find a way to subdue him before he can destroy her. Sent to the space station in lieu of prison, Rachel longs to escape and return to Earth. An encounter with a charming bartender, Brody, makes her reconsider, until she realizes that he is not what he seems. Racing against time, Rachel must find a way to permanently eliminate Brody before she falls prey to his evil plot and is killed in the process. With the help of a sexy crew member, a friend back home and another of Brody’s victims, Rachel devises a dangerous plan to kill the fiend and save herself and other potential victims.

Excerpt:

Shawn held very still and looked into Rachel’s eyes. She licked her lips seductively and gently bit the bottom one, a sexy technique that looked oh-so-good on the late movies—but when he suddenly pulled away, she wondered if she had gone too far. It had been a while since she’d used her feminine wiles to seduce a man and who knew what type of behavior was considered normal out here. Maybe there was some kind of unspoken protocol for these things. Hell, maybe weird golden light and strange-tasting post-coital drinks were the standard.

Shawn strode across the room and locked the door, then turned to face Rachel again. She sneaked a glance at the front of his pants and hid a triumphant smile. Her seduction technique appeared to have worked. Shawn’s cock was hard against the front of his pants and his breath was coming fast.

Well, no need to waste any more time, Rachel decided, and peeled off her shirt to reveal her firm little breasts and already hard nipples.

“Wait, let me unwrap you,” he said, his voice ragged

He slowly undid her jeans, slid the zipper down and pulled her pants to her ankles. For a moment, he rested his cheek against her stomach.

“So soft and warm,” he murmured, then gently slid the lacy panties down and buried his face between her legs.

“Your scent is driving me wild,” he groaned, and began to lick her pussy, his tongue first teasing her clit, then moving deeper. Rachel felt her legs begin to buckle and nearly fell. She hadn’t felt these sensations for far too long.

She pulled away slightly, kicked off her jeans and panties, and pulled out a nearby chair. Taking Shawn’s hand, she led him to it and he sat. She spread her legs wide and straddled him, then, looking into his dark eyes gone almost black with desire, she lowered her wet, eager pussy onto his hard cock. Ah…a perfect fit. Sitting still for a moment she caressed Shawn’s face, then ran her hands down his firm chest. He reached up to stroke her breasts, squeezing and pulling her hard nipples. His gentle yet firm touch aroused a deep passion in Rachel. She felt need and desire coming from Shawn but tenderness and warmth as well. He wanted to make love, not just engage in a quick fuck. Holding the back of the chair and standing on her toes she began to tilt her pelvis, slowly at first, enjoying the feel of his cock sliding in and out, then faster and faster until he groaned loudly with pleasure and grabbed her hips tightly, calling our her name as he shot his cum inside her. He bent to kiss her neck, nuzzling it and murmuring sweet nothings.

She lowered herself onto her the flats of her feet, leaned in to him and rubbed her clit against his mound of pubic hair, his cock still hard inside her. The feel of his coarse hair on her sensitive bud soon sent her over the edge.

BuyLink:
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1378

And here's a little bit more about Naomi!

Naomi lives in beautiful sunny Florida with the love of her life and a magical black cat. She writes for various fiction and non-fiction markets, but finds she is drawn to erotic romance because her characters insist on canoodling, and sometimes even falling madly in love. So she lets them. Occasionally, however, they go to dark and strange places. She lets them do this also. Most of her stories will surprise readers with unexpected twists and turns, because isn't that what makes life exciting?

Her interests include dancing, hula-hooping, drumming, and creating healthy meals. She takes the opportunity to play, have fun, and indulge in the pursuit of passion whenever possible. She hopes you enjoy her stories and would love to hear from you at naomibellina(at)live(dot)com.

Her motto: Never pass up the opportunity to have an adventure!

Visit Naomi's website at: www.naomibellina.com

Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/naomibellina

Twitter: TheGoddessNaomi

Welcome Shannan Albright

2011-11-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

I've got the lovely and very talented author, Shannan Albright, with me today. I'm sure you're going to love learning more about her. Shannon and I share a love for cheesecake, which I bet she didn't know. Read on and enjoy

1. What influenced you to get published? How long did it take? Can you tell us the name of your first published work?

I have written on and off since 1980. Always an avid reader I read something about the RWA and one of my fave authors was a recipient of the Rita Awards. Curious I pulled up the RWA website and got hooked. Here was where I could get all the help I needed. With tons of workshops and incredible articles I really got into writing as a business. I joined in 2008, became a member of my local chapter and after several years answered a submission call. I figured what the heck do I have to lose? I’ve had enough rejections to wallpaper the world twice over so what would one more rejection cost me? Well, the didn’t reject me and I found myself in a whole new world when on December 3, 2010 my short story was published in an anthology called ‘Twas a Dark and Delicious Christmas. Laura’s Wish got tons of great reviews and well, I haven’t stopped writing since.

2. What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?

Paranormal Historical is something I would like to try my hand in. I toyed with the idea of becoming a History teacher in college. I’m especially drawn to the English and Italian Renaissance periods. I also worked for years as an improv. actor at Renn. Fairs and theater and learned tons of useless knowledge in regards to those time periods. So I am playing with an idea for a time traveling romance historical at the moment.

3. Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?

Lol! Unglamorous IS the life of an author. By our very nature are a lot of writers are, at worse antisocial and at best shy. I prefer the company of only few friends at a time and enjoy my time alone in my cave. So you can imagine when I’m not at my other job, I’m huddled over my computer with no make-up, in sweats or my PJ’s and my hair, (which is very, very curly.) Sticking out of my head like a crazy woman. Anyone seeing me would run for the door screaming bloody murder I’m sure. Lol!

4. Plotter or pantzer?

I used to be a plotter all the way to the smallest of details. Now I’m a mixture of both. I have the basics and then go with it. I like giving my muse some control as long as it doesn’t go off on a tangent that is.

5. What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?

I Oil paint when I get blocked or just have too many stories and voices going on in my head. I have to do something creative since it runs in my family it was a natural course of progression that I became an artist too. My becoming a writer though, that threw them since I’m the first author in my family. My claim to family fame Lol!

6. What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?

Look, everyone knows that writing is a tough business to get into. If you are truly serious about it make up a 5 year business plan of where you want to be and the steps you need to take in order to get there. Don’t give up and don’t take prisoners. Keep your focus on what you want to see happen and for goodness sake take what people tell you with a grain of salt. Good and bad feedback, though can be constructive, can also hinder you. No everyone will like your style of writing and that’s fine, write for yourself, but keep in mind what is trending in the publishing world. Get with RWA or some other writing chapter, put together a critique group and never stop writing! Remember this is a solitary business. You won’t get much encouragement for a good long time so be prepared for self-doubts and frustrations. It’s alright, learn what your gut tells you is important and rely on your fellow writers as a support group. It helps since they are all in the same boat you’re in.

7. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

I went to Arizona Dreamin’ last year and was blessed to meet one of my favorite authors I never dreamed I would meet. Erin Quinn who is the most gracious and talented woman I have ever met. Her road to publication wasn’t easy and when I get down I remember her and it helps me get though my demons. I’ve decided when I grow up I want to be just like her, and maybe a bit of Xena Warrior Princess thrown in too. Just love a female who can kick behind and take names. Lol!

8. If you could invite any famous person, dead or alive, for dinner, who would it be and what would you eat?

Easy, I would have Queen Elizabeth the First at my table any day. I would love to have roasted Quail and try blood pudding. Sounds gross I know but hey, never know until you try it right?

9. If you had one wish, would you give away? Why or why not and to whom would you give it?

This is going to sound corny I know, but I live in Las Vegas and it’s been hit hard with the country’s economic downturn. Construction and housing are at rock bottom and jobs are few and far between. So many of our kids that go to school have no home, no place to get a good meal or anywhere to sleep. In a lot of cases the whole family is on the streets. Not a good place to be in Vegas I assure you. My wish would be for all of these kids have a place to call home, food on the table and a chance at a good education.

10. If you found that, for one reason or another, you couldn’t write anymore, what would you like to do instead?

I would most likely see where my painting and illustrations go. I would probably lean towards doing graphic novels and book covers.

11. When you wake up in the morning, what celebrity do you most resemble?

Quasimoto, the hunchback of Notre Dame LOL!!!

12. What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

I’ve just finished the second book in the Dark Breeds series and submitted it to Evernight just a few days ago. I am also working on two novellas in the Knight’s of Excalibur series for Extasy. And I am finishing up a novel to submit to a midline publishing house that goes paperback then eBook. Fingers crossed on this since it would be sweet to walk into a book store and find my book there.

13. What kind of comfort food do you like best?

Cheesecake, semi-sweet chocolate, Cheesecake and semi-sweet chocolate together and oh, did I mention Cheesecake???

The book Shannan is sharing with us sounds like a real winner. I know you're going to enjoy this:

Beloved Wizard

by Shannan Albright

Paranormal Fantasy

Beloved Wizard: Knights of Excalibur One

ISBN # : 978-1-77111-020-4

Available at:

http://www.extasybooks.com/beloved-wizard/

http://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Wizard-Knights-Excalibur-ebook/dp/B0064HD7PS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321309846&sr=1-1

Blurb:

Arthur and his Knights are back and ready to kick ass!

Merci Tramaine is not happy to be called back into service by her old boss Arthur, especially when she is charged to find her missing ex lover. Drake Monroe is Merlin reincarnated, with his powers bound by the Goddess Nimue he has become a skilled fighter, but no match for Nimue who kidnapped him determined to destroy him forever.

The bloodline of Morgan Le Fey taints Merci keeping her on the edge between light and dark, the Goddess’s wicked trap springs shut leaving both Drake and Merci racing against the clock. Passions ignite once again, but are they too late to plan a future or will they be torn from each other?

This time for eternity.

Excerpt:

Suck it up. He dumped you, remember? Yeah, she remembered he broke it off without a backward glance. Leaving her bleeding inside, leaving a hole in her that beat a constant reminder, no matter how far she ran, how hard she tried to escape the pain. Weak, that’s what she was and she hated herself for it.

She kept him in her peripherals, quelling her relief when he rose unsteadily to his feet, not giving Nimue any warning of Drake’s unsteady progress, his closing the distance between them. If he could move, he could fight. She had to come up with something to keep Nimue distracted and she knew the best way to accomplish this would be to feed her ego.

Have to keep her talking, she chanted to herself. “Well, you see that’s the problem, Blondie. I have no wish to be the next greatest anything. I like me just the way I am. I mind my own business and no one gets into my shit. Nice, quiet and uncomplicated.”

Color rose on Nimue’s fair complexion. She’d just crossed the line, but couldn’t seem to care, even if the goddess could squash her like a bug. The only thing that mattered to her was Drake’s tall form moving ever closer toward them.

Merci’s focus on Drake’s approach slipped to full on attentiveness for a split second. In the next,

Nimue grabbed her upper arm in a punishing grip, whirled her around to face Drake. Nimue flung her hand out and Drake flew back like a puppet on a string, crashing into the far wall of the warehouse with a sickening flesh-meet-cinderblock thud. He lay crumpled amidst the debris like a puppet with its strings cut.

Something snapped within Merci. Her blood scalded her veins. The taste of ash filled the back of her throat. Rage, cold and biting, filled her, coloring her vision in a red haze. Drawing energy from the earth, she channeled it up through her body, willing it to form. Her hands glowed, magic as hot as a stream of lava engulfed her. Her skin stung like the bite of a thousand fire ants as a small burst of electricity arched over her arms, snapping with pent up energy. The stench of ozone, hanging like a heavy cloud in the still air, filled the area. The force arched into Nimue, dropped her to the floor. Merci offered a feral smile while Nimue wreathed in pain against her magic. She bent down close enough for Nimue to hear her. “Since you don’t know me, I will explain this to you. You don’t fuck with what is mine. Drake, is mine.”

Oh my, does that sound scorching or what? Here's a little more about this amazing author:

Bio:

Shannan Albright lives in Las Vegas, NV with her husband, two dogs and one cat. When not writing she spends her time between oil painting and reading. She loves writing paranormal romances because of the world building and rich characters she finds. She loves dark, edgy heroes and heroines overcoming impossible odds internal and external. I am a "hopeful" Romantic and believe healthy relationships and strong partnerships are key to a happy ever after.

Here are a few places you'll find Shannan online:

Website: www.shannanalbright.weebly.com

Blogger: www.shannanalbright.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Shannan-Albright/100001442663522

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4484637.Shannan_Albright/blog

Follow Shannon on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/nae0309

Welcome Tonya Kinzer

2011-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week, I've got the luscious and sexy, Tonya Kinzer with me. Make sure you read it all here, she's got a contest for you all! Whoo hooo! Thank you, Tonya!!

1. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

I’ve been writing for over ten years. Characters have been in my head for as long as I can remember. I started out as a huge historical romance reader and so many assumed the reader couldn’t follow more than one plot or there were holes in the plots, whatever and I thought….if this can get published, then so can I!

2. What influenced you to get published? How long did it take? Can you tell us the name of your first published work?

I’d submitted to the big houses for probably five years under another name in another romance genre and the rejections were hard to accept but I didn’t give up. After an issue with a bad online publisher I decided then and there to self publish. I know they aren’t all bad and one day I may submit to one of them again. So I do write under another name that I keep separate from Tonya for obvious reason…as Tonya, I have more freedom in what I can write, bondage, Dom/sub relationships, BDSM parties, and so self publish here also. I learned how to do the formatting and uploading to Smashwords and Kindle so that is getting easier. I started with a series, The Boss’s Pet, to build a reader following and that’s going well. Book four is set to be released by the end of the year so keep an eye on my website and newsletters for more info! The cover is already up on my sites…please take a peek.

4. Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?

Unglamorous? Pulling my hair into a ponytail and writing is sweats? LOL That happens on most days! Although I do have a day job, I set my own hours since hubby and I own our own business…yes, I AM the Boss’s pet!! LOL He would prefer I’m there more often and when I am, I have all my writing stuff on my computer there, too! So if he asks if I’m working, I can always tell him “Of course I’m working!” Then he has to come around to peek at my monitor to see exactly WHAT I’m working on! LOL But seriously, first thing is coffee, kiss the boss and head to my home office for email, FB, Twitter, website updates and hopefully some writing.

5. Plotter or pantzer?

I’m a pantzer! I don’t do outline or synopsis, which is another reason I don’t submit to publishers…the dreaded synopsis and outline. I just start writing and my characters take over pretty well. They show me movies in my head of what they want to happen and I write it out. Most times it’s that easy for me.

6. What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?

I love working in my yard…trimming bushes, pulling weeds, planting flowers or just going for a walk and it clears my head to allow my characters to come back through and chat with me.

7. What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?

Learn how to use Point of View. If you head hop among your characters, you will make your reader dizzy. Has that ever happened to you while you read…that you have to go back and re-read paragraphs because you lost track of who was doing what? That’s because the author didn’t stay in one character’s head. When you do, that character doesn’t see or smell what the other characters do so you can’t go there. You can only write what your character is experiencing. That’s my biggest pet peeve.

8. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

September was awesome for me! I have to thank my readers here first and second, the wonderful authors who hosted me in interviews on their blogs! September hit top sales for me and I’m looking forward to more of that. My readers are who got me there and they’re looking forward to book four so I know I need to buckle down and get that done.

9. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time?

LOL I don’t have non-writing time. Very seldom do I slow down. I’m either on my laptop or at the office. Hubby is a workaholic, too, so we work well together. We do take time out for us though and will watch a few DVR’d shows like NCIS, CSI, Ghost Hunters, Paranormal Society, Dead Files, etc with a huge bowl of popcorn! LOL

10 If you could choose one vice, what would it be and why?

I do love my Jack Daniels - all THREE varieties, and Pendleton! On the rocks, thank you!

11. When you wake up in the morning, what celebrity do you most resemble?

OMG! LOL…..I would have to say Phyllis Diller but The Boss always disagrees….he’s smitten so he doesn’t count! LOL

12. What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

I’m working on book four in The Boss’s Pet series. The cover is done but I do need to change the lighting on it…a tiny tweak…and the title is ‘Their Submissive Switch’. In book four, Sondra is put through a few more lessons for submissives but she is learning quickly. She pays attention and has a few plans of her own when the opportunity arrives… and it does! *wink* I can’t say more other than Sondra and Nick go back to Palm Springs! One of my favorite places, too!

13. Are you in love? Have you ever been?

Yes I am!! I’m living what feels like a fairy tale and my husband and I are extremely happy! Our employees will vouch for that….they’re always rolling their eyes at us!

14. What kind of comfort food do you like best?

Popcorn is at the top of my list and yes I use butter! Next would have to be Sour Cabbage Patch Kids! LOL oh, I have to include my dark chocolate!! That’s more than one food item!

15. What do you hope to achieve in life and when will you know that you have been a success?

I will always strive to write more books but to already see them out and selling…..I consider that a success in itself. Thank you to all my readers for making that a possibility for me!! Hugs to all of you! My future readers are also included in that! Jude, thank you so much for having me today! I look forward to chatting with your readers so leave a question or comment for me!

~*~

Tonya has chosen to do this next bit a little differently, which is very cool with me. Instead of excerpts, she's sent me covers from several of her books. Yum.

Check these lovely covers out!

Tonya’s Bio

Tonya Kinzer is a self-published romance author whose books are quickly climbing the charts at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you’re looking for a romance with a little more spice than the average hot read, you won’t want to miss taking a look at her work. She writes erotic romance for readers who love to become a silent character within the story!

You will be pulled into scenes to partake of the activities along the lines of soft bondage and Dom/sub relationships, to feel what her characters feel and taste what they taste...strong sexual desires much like your own! Be prepared to enter a world you'll not want to leave and can't wait to get back to…worlds where new submissives and demanding Doms entice you to read more!

Her series, The Boss's Pet, will take you on a journey alongside Nick and Sondra as they venture into a lifestyle that pulls them deeper into a world of sensuality and submission. You'll not want to miss any of the books in this series so stay locked on her website to know when the next books get released.

When she isn’t writing, she’s the pet for her own Boss, where she works a few days a week. Her day job is seasonal so this allows her to write during the off season as well as design covers, websites, and promo items. She also enjoys helping other authors where she can with their editing and being a critique partner when time allows.

Buy Links

B & N: http://tinyurl.com/6cgprjf

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/3fetwfq

All Romance & OmniLit: http://www.omnilit.com/category237.html

SmashWords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tonyakinzer

Tonya Kinzer's Site Links

Website: http://tonyakinzer.com

Blog Site: http://tonyakinzer.blogspot.com

FB Fan Page: http://tinyurl.com/4sh37tk

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_163160073732655&ap=1

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/tonyakinzer

BookBuzzr: http://www.freado.com/users/26001/tonya-kinzer

IAN: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/tonya-kinzer.html

Author’s Den: http://www.authorsden.com/tonyakinzer

Manic Readers: http://www.manicreaders.com/TonyaKinzer/

Book Trailer

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HykMSl9FYvY

CONTEST:

I will pick one lucky reader on SUNDAY NOV 27TH to win a $15 gift card to Amazon, B & N or All Romance ebook bucks!

Welcome Regan Taylor

2011-11-16T10:26:00.001-08:00

The lovely and amazing Regan Taylor joins us today, and she's got a wonderful story to tell you all. Please make her feel welcome.

1 How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

Hmmm, about 20 years – yikes! That’s a surprise!

My first two books were non-fictions. The first was in response to my own experience with carpal tunnel and coming close to losing everything – literally everything. The second was a textbook for college students with disabilities, primarily learning disabilities and to be used in a class teaching skills to help those students make it through university. I began writing fiction in 2005 as a way of dealing with my job as a police dispatcher.

2. What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?

I write primarily time travel and what is so great about that, for me, is that I can “go” anywhere I want, meet anyone I want and experience anything I want through that story. With time travels you can pretty much experience any other genre within the travel itself.

3. Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?

LOL. THAT is an excellent question. It reminds me of the early days of the movies based on Danielle Steele’s books. She would introduce the movie wearing this gorgeous gowns while sitting in an elegant room in her Pacific Heights home.

Unglamorous for me would be calling the plumber because a fixture in my bathroom was blocked up.

4. Plotter or pantzer?

Definitely a pantzer although once the story is written I do plot, usually by talking with a good friend about what I feel are bumps in the story.

5. What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?

You know, for almost a year I thought I had it because I was just so drained, so tired but I kept getting ideas. I just couldn’t get myself to sit down and write what was going through my mind. Then I realized it coincided with the tenant who moved out in mid-September moving in. She’s one of those extremely needy co-dependent type people who always has to have some sort of personal drama going on. She refused to accept any personal boundaries and was constantly trying to push past them. She’s what we call a psychic vampire. Once I realized what was going on, stories started to flow again and I got in gear. Before her I never had an issue. My solution – steer clear of drama-queen-victims!

6. If you could be a character in any of your books who would it be and why?

I ascribe to the theory that our characters are all parts of our own Id. They are factions of us and can do the things we wish we could do if we were younger, more daring, lived in a different time or place. Of all my characters Sami from Traveling Bride is the one who I would love to be. You won’t be meeting her for awhile though. The first draft of her story is done but I have some commitments before I can do her justice.

7. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

The release of Mistaken Bride, book 2 of my Bride series. Kendrick, the hero, is my favorite one. There is something just so vulnerable and endearing about him. I wish he could come to life and be a part of mine. I love that story and the date of its release was one of my pinnacles.

8. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time?

I read. Anything and everything.

9. If you could invite any famous person, dead or alive, for dinner, who would it be and what would you eat?

Oh! Alexandre Dumas! And we’d have lobster, baked potatoes, creamed spinach and baked Alaska for desert!

10. What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

I’m currently working on a book tentatively called The World. It started from a simple discussion at work one day when one of the attorneys had a meeting with a senator about something one of the senator’s constituents didn’t like. The hero has elements of one of my close friends who happens to be a police officer.

11. Are you in love? Have you ever been?

Oh yes. Our story is, I think, a tad different. When we met we were both engaged to other people. We met at a welcome home parade I had gone to with a friend. She was busy ogling a sailor in his dress whites and I told her he may be a cutie, but there was nothing like a Marine in his dress blues. Unbeknownst to me, a Marine who happened to be in his dress blues heard me. When my friend, Kecia, nudged me I turned and looked at him and we had one of those really long moments of gazing into each other’s eyes. She finally tugged on my arm and asked me what was going on. I told her that that was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with. She pointed out I was engaged. I’m still with my Marine.

Now on to the excerpt of Regan's book:

Mistaken Bride, book 2 of the Bride Series

Western Historical Romance

Awe-struck

AISN B004MDLSPW

Buy HERE

I think most authors fall in love with either their hero, heroine or both while they are writing their stories. For me, I fell in love with Kendrick in Mistaken Bride, book 2 of my Bride Series, when I wrote Brett’s story, stayed in love for his story and even months later and new heroes written, he still holds a special place in my heart.

Hastening west with the information that will clear his brother's wife of murder, the last thing Deputy U.S. Marshal Kendrick Parker expects when he arrives in St. Louis is to come face to face with the notorious Black Bette Barclay. Knowing the San Francisco Marshal's office has a warrant for her arrest, Kendrick arranges to bring the dastardly woman as far as his brother's home in Adler Creek, Wyoming where he will turn Bette over to fellow lawmen. To avoid bringing undue concern to his fellow wagon train travelers, Kendrick concocts the story that Bette is his wife, Mandy.

Journeying to St. Louis to take a position as a school teacher the last Amanda Davis expected was to be arrested for crimes she did not commit. Well almost the last thing. The absolute last thing she expected was to be loaded on to a wagon in a train heading west and told she must pose as the wife of the too good looking Marshal. Prim, proper and a tad prickly she quickly learns nothing irritates the Marshal more than using her extensive vocabulary. While her verbal jabs tend to mostly irritate Kendrick, he cannot help but notice how Amanda is with the children on the wagon train, taking time each night to give them lessons.

After nearly drowning in an icy river, Kendrick takes ill and is forced to stop at a homestead to heal. He soon realizes he has the wrong woman...or is it the right one?

Buy at any of the following links:

http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=Awe-Struck&cart_id=16396.29761&product=Mistaken+Bride&return_page=&user-id=&password=&exchange=&exact_match=exact

http://www.amazon.com/Mistaken-Bride-ebook/dp/B004MDLSPW/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311213060&sr=1-3

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

http://www.mundania.com/author.php?author=Regan+Taylor

And finally, here are a few places you'll be able to find Regan:

www.ReganTaylor.com

http://twitter.com/MsReganTaylor

https://www.facebook.com/regan.taylor2#!/regan.taylor2

http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com/

——

Welcome Imari Jade

2011-11-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm welcoming the amazing author, Imari Jade. Please make her feel welcome and say hi.

1. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?
I’ve been writing a little over twenty-two years. Inspiration came out of desperation. I was a single parent raising three kids and needed a part-time job to supplement my full-time job. I couldn’t drive and I didn’t have a baby-sitter so I knew I had to find something I could do that didn’t involve leaving the home. So I began writing fillers and articles for magazines. Then I advanced up to short stories and finally I took the big step and wrote a novel.

2. What influenced you to get published? How long did it take? Can you tell us the name of your first published work?
In 2006, a new romance publisher named Stardust Press held a Christmas novel writing contest. I wrote ‘A Christmas to Remember’ in fifteen days. The prize was a publishing contract. ‘A Christmas to Remember’ was published in December 2006.

3. What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?
Wow, that’s a good one since I think I’ve written books in just about every genre. But I think it would be a suspense novel.

4. Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?
Glamorous? Well in my head I think that writers like Anne Rice or J. K. Rowling might live a glamorous life, but not me. The most unglamorous thing I did within the last week was clean the mud from my tennis shoes. My house is under construction. I have to have it elevated, so the contractors have dug these big holes around the house. Well, along came Tropical Storm Lee and the dirt turned to mud and I had to trudge through it just to get up the driveway. Then I had to jump over big muddy holes. So now I had mud all over my clothes and my tennis shoes were so gross, but I scrubbed them and then tossed them into the washing machine. After that I had to mop the house because now all of us had tracked mud inside. About a half hour after I mopped the grandchildren came by for a visit. About ten minutes after that one of my grandsons spilled cereal and milk all over my newly mopped floor. I could go on, but I think I’ve proven my point.

5. What do you do when you’re suffering from writer’s block?
I don’t normally get writers block. I usually get characters that refuse to speak to me. I’ve written them into brick walls, I’ve created cliff-hanger that I can’t humanly get them out of and I’ve also paired them with mates so completely opposite that they can’t get into a normal healthy relationship. When this happens I usually put the manuscript aside and read a romance novel or watch a movie. I wait a couple of days and then go back and re-read what I’ve written and revisit the character workup for something I can use to get the characters to take over and continue writing the story for me. Every now and then I have to abandon a manuscript because it’s just not doing anything. I never throw it away, I just put it aside until my muse feels like being bothered with it and then I start writing on it again.

6. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?
Creating the manuscript ‘In Deep Kimchi’ and receiving email from fans who just love the book. It is by far the most unorthodox novel I’ve written to date, and it’s the one nearest and dearest to my heart. It’s about a middle aged African American woman who is going through the forty year itch. Her kids are grown, her husband is dead and then she meets a 25 year old Japanese pop singer who doesn’t care about the vast age difference or what society will think of their relationship. I hadn’t planned on turning this into a series, but the fans just couldn’t get enough of it. ‘In Deep Kimchi’ was followed by ‘Saranghae (I Love You),’ and book three in the series ‘Passion Fruit.’ has just passed the final edits with the publisher. I’m working on book four as we speak.

7. What do you enjoy doing with our spare time, your non-writing time?
Believe it or not I spend my spare time watching Japanese anime, Asian movies and dramas and reading manga. I’m hooked. I often joke about having Amazon.com on speed dial. I now have a very extensive collection of DVDs. This not only helps me relax but also helps me gain a working knowledge about this culture.

8. If you found, that for some reason or another, you couldn’t write anymore, what would you like to do instead?
Probably travel. My original answer was die. There’s nothing else I like better than writing, but if that happens, I would like to travel and see the world. I’ve lived in Louisiana all my life and it took a powerful hurricane to get me to leave and to discover that there is life outside the Deep South.

9. What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?
I’m working on a paranormal romance about a young woman who witnesses the murder of the mayor of her town and is put into the witness protection program because the murderer knows who she is and is trying to kill her. The FBI has assigned a bodyguard to watch over and protect her until she testifies against the man, but then she begins to notice him performing superhuman fetes and wonders if just maybe he’s not exactly who he appears to be.

10. Are you in love? Have you ever been?
No, I’m not in love at the moment. I think I might have thought I was in love a couple of times, but as I look back now I’d probably have to answer no. I am in lust with a South Korean pop singer. Unfortunately a sea and a twenty-five year age difference separate us.

And here a little more information on the woman behind the sexy stories:

Imari Jade hails from Marrero, Louisiana, where she works as a financial analyst. She collects anime and Asian drama and considers herself a multi-genre author. She is the mother of three sons and does the bulk of her writing riding on a bus to and from work five days a week. Currently she writes for Sugar and Spice Press, Siren-Bookstrand, Melange Books, Moongypsy Press, Phaze Books, Wild Horse Press, Carnal Desire Publishing, Eternal Press and Total E-Bound.

And now, that sexy excerpt I know you've all been waiting for:

Just Released

From

Sugar and Spice Press

http://sugarnspicepress.com/

TWISTED

Imari Jade

(Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.)

Release Date: September 3, 2011

$4.99

BUY HERE

Billionaire inventor and entrepreneur, Ballentina Ferrari accidently discovers that her live-in boyfriend, Erik Masters is cheating on her. And despite the fact that her friends have been telling her this for years, sweet and innocent Tina doesn’t believe them until she sees it with her own eyes.

The only thing that has been keeping her sane is her weekly martial arts lessons with the quiet and reserve Kevin Chen, who has now become her business partner. Kevin likes Tina but would never think of interfering in her relationship until one day he too sees Erik cheating and right in front of Tina. Will he just stand idly by and watch the girl of his dreams suffer, or will Tina finally wise up?

Excerpt

Kevin came back in carrying a tray of oils and sat it down on the cabinet next to the table. “I’m just going to adjust the music and the lights,” he told her.

“Okay,” Tina said feeling a little self-conscious now about being nude in a small room with Kevin. The music changed to rhythm and blues and the lights dimmed.

“I think you will be more comfortable now,” he explained.

No, in fact it had the opposite effect. Tina smiled weakly, thinking now how romantic music and dimmed lighting took on a whole new meaning.

Kevin adjusted the sheet, lowering it around her shoulders and tucking it just below her shoulder-blades. She heard him move the little bottles around on the tray, and then she felt his hands on her shoulders.

“Just relax,” he told her. “Close your eyes and enjoy the music.”

Oh, that feels so good, Tina thought. Kevin had big hands and nimble fingers and after a few minutes he had her so relaxed she didn’t care about her state of nakedness beneath the sheet.

She felt a draft on her back as he adjusted the sheet again, and then his fingers moved down her back. Kevin didn’t say a word as he worked his way down her spine.

“Ooh,” Tina said as he worked her lower lumbar area and her sides. His hands went down to her hips and his fingers gripped both sides and squeezed. His fingers were dangerously close to her behind but he didn’t lift the sheet. His fingers kneaded the side of each cheek near the hip to work out the stiffness.

“Your glutes are phenomenal,” he replied.

This is so embarrassing, Tina thought as he gripped her hips again and pressed his fingers into them.

Kevin worked his way down the left leg to her feet and then continued on to her right side. Her body took on a new meaning of tense as he massaged her toes.

“You can turn over now,” Kevin said, adjusting the sheet back up to her neck.

Tina rolled over and sat up and watched Kevin as he poured her a glass of iced tea. She tucked the sheet around her breasts and held it so it wouldn’t slip. Kevin walked back over to the table and handed her the iced tea. She kept one hand on the sheet.

“I hope you like oolong.”

“Never tried it,” Tina said. She sipped the tea. “This is good.”

“And it’s good for you,” Kevin told her like a doctor. He paused. “How do you feel so far?”

“Your hands are magical,” she said looking at him. He lifted a glass of tea and saluted her.

“Thank you. I hope I’m not massaging too roughly.”

“No, you’re doing an excellent job.” She sipped the tea again, very aware that he was staring at her. “I didn’t realize I was so tense.”

“It’s from sitting all day behind a computer,” he told her. “I recommend that you get a massage at least once or twice a month.”

“Most of the massage parlors are closed by the time I get off of work,” Tina replied.

“Then I’ll do it. I can fit you in whenever you need it.”

“You know I was a little embarrassed at first to be naked under this sheet, but you’re very professional.”

Kevin put down his glass of iced tea. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You are a beautiful woman.”

Tina sipped the tea, not out of thirst but for the rush of heat in her loins.

“Why are you blushing?” Kevin asked. “I’m sure men have complimented you on your looks before.”

“Not lately,” Tina said. She took a big sip of the tea, suddenly aware that the rest of her body was responding to the conversation. She handed Kevin the glass and lay back on the table.

“May I?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Kevin adjusted the sheet to the top of her breasts, pausing slightly and then smiling.

Tina blushed, sure that he got a glimpse of her erect nipples even though the sheet covered them. “Your cologne is nice,” she told him to change the subject.

Kevin began massaging her clavicle.

“Thanks, it’s a special blend I’ve created.”

He didn’t have to brag. The man was a genius. “You should market it.”

“I’m way ahead of you,” Kevin said working down her arms. His hands dipped under the sheet rubbing her sternum. “That’s one of the reasons I’m going to San Francisco. I have a meeting with a cosmetic company.”

Tina’s nipples hardened and budded as he neared them. He brought the sheet down to her waist, exposing her breasts and working the sides of her rib cage.

“You have beautiful breasts,” he said, still massaging.

“Thank you,” Tina said, in full blush.

No more conversation. Kevin just continued down to her hips, moving the sheet up to cover her breasts and working his way down her legs. She didn’t know her knees were so sensitive. Hell, she didn’t know why her entire body felt like it was in tune with his fingers.

Kevin massaged her left leg and then moved over to the right. Finally he made it down to her feet, taking care of each little toe and stroking the soft padding beneath her feet. “You don’t have any corns or calluses,” he said.

Buy Link: http://www.sugarnspicepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=138&zenid=q4tjk36cbvjgdlhj50dsc7r4q4

Also available at:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-ebook/dp/B005LIB4WY/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1315352764&sr=8-16

Barnes and Noble.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1033318854

Want to know where you can find Imari? Check these links out:

Website: http://imarijade.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/imarijade

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/imarijade

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Imari-Jade/100000077341527