Coming up Blank...

Well, as I sit here, trying to find something to blog about, I realize, I'm just plane stumped. Everything I start, I erase, then I'm left staring at the same blank page I started with. And why? Perhaps it's the lack of sleep, or the fact my brain seems to have taken a vacation and left a far inferior replacement at the helm. Or maybe it's just a sign of the times...I mean, if spring can't decide whether or not it should actually make an appearance, is it any surprise many of us are suffering from prolonged crappy weather syndrome?

Now, I live out on the West Coast, so I'm lucky. We aren't having freak snow storms or killer tornados (watched some very scary footage on that tonight and thankful the mountains out here make it virtually impossible for tornadoes to form), but we still don't have spring. I mean, I get up early to run or bike with the dog and there's still frost? WTF? Really, the flowers out here are at least a month behind and it doesn't look as if there's any relief in sight. Everyday the forecast looks like wind and more rain... there's a new tree blocking the path every time I go out.

It makes me wonder... is this just the way of the world or are we really screwing this planet up? Thanks to Netflix, I've had the opportunity to watch a large volume of discovery shows on the planet earth. I know that our home is a volatile one... if it's been changing for four billion years, it doesn't make any sense to think it'll suddenly be stable just because humans cover the earth instead of dinosaurs... but are the changes just part of the planet's continual evolution or are we solely to blame?

I'd like to think we're only a small part of the equation and that nature, in all her glory, is also savage and wild, and we just need to realize that the world is in a constant state of flux, and we're merely along for the ride... then I see the long-lasting affects of the oil spills and the coal plants, and I can't help but question just what kind of legacy we're leaving. I have kids.. and I want them to have the same opportunities I had... clean water, air that isn't filled with cancer causing agents... you get the picture. But is that realistic?

Despite the prophecies.. the 2012's of the world, I think it is. Seeing disasters strike like they have these past few months just reminds us we're all part of the same planet, and it's our responsibility to keep it safe. A butterfly flapping its wings in japan really can have an affect out here, and I think we're all finally starting to get the picture. Too bad many have had to suffer for us to see our responsibilities don't end at our borders.

So here's to the world and all who do their part to pass it on to the next generation. I wish those still searching for loved ones the best and hope that the sun finally shines on us all.

cheers,

Kris

Good vs. Evil

Nice girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere else.

The decoration on a cushion that, alas, doesn’t belong to me, but I once saw somewhere. If profound wisdom could be found in the embroidery of cushions, I know which path I would take.

I know that nice guys—apparently—finish last, but I wonder whether this also relates to women, or whether it is solely a statement on our desire for the proverbial bad boy.

Not only has it been said that no good deed goes unpunished (and I have first hand experience of that being true), but also that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If that’s the case, what’s the point of being good?

All over the world, there are examples of evil people getting ahead, and they usually get there by stepping on the good. There is something very wrong with the picture when bankers, politicians, dictators and similar corrupt, evil types are running the world when good folk remain powerless. All a bit contradictory really.

I took this idea and ran with it to write my latest Lust Bite, Twisted Angel. Heroine, Bella, is pure evil and uses her particular brand of mischief to get what she wants, which includes Charles. There are some experiences in life that offer excitement, but are seen as bad by other members of society—so maybe she’s just a bit misunderstood...

The following excerpt will help you to make up your own mind...

“Who the hell are you?”

Only reading articles containing bad news, Bella got through seven pages within a few minutes, before she was rudely interrupted.

“Charlie!” she trilled, smiling cheerfully and folding the newspaper. “I’m glad you’re awake. I’m getting bored of this newspaper, have you got any porn?”

Getting to his feet, displaying his impressive height in all its glory, he confirmed that simply falling asleep on the sofa was sufficient to leave him dishevelled.

“What?” he demanded, his eyes blazing with restrained anger. “Did you hear what I said? Who are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house?”

“Ooh, lots of big talk from the big man.” Holding his gaze, she slowly crossed her legs. “Do I take it you’re trying to scare me?”

Withdrawing his PDA from his inside pocket, he gave it a puzzled look before tightly gripping it in his fist, taking a tentative step toward her. “Is this some sort of prank?”

Hiding her amusement, Bella curled her lip in a contemptuous sneer. “Silly rabbit—tricks are for kids.” Pursing her lips, Bella let her eyes trail up and down, slowly and deliberately drinking him in. “And you’re certainly no kid.”

Bella could see the confusion controlling him prevented recognition of the compliment.

“Did Roger set this up?” he demanded, looking around the room.

“Who?”

“Oh, shit! This is a dream. I’m dreaming.” Relief softened his voice, lowering the volume.

“You are quite the arse, aren’t you?”

His bemused look returned. “What? You’re in my dream—you can’t call me an arse.”

Standing to look him in the eye, Bella plucked an imaginary piece of fluff from his lopsided lapel.

“I think I just did. Where are we with the porn? I know you’ve got some magazines around here somewhere—you’re old school.”

“What sort of weird dream is this?” he mused.

“You’re not asleep. Do you want me to prove it?”

“How?”

Her arm moved like a streak of light, cracking her palm against his cheek in a powerful slap.

Tickled by the reflexive grunt that came with the shock on his face, Bella smiled as he looked back at her after the blow turned his face. “Am I still here?” Tossing back her hair, she glared at him defiantly.

Twisted Angel available now at Total-E-Bound

Characters Are People, Too!

One of the mistakes some of us writers make is making our characters one-dimensional. For example, our heroes and heroines are very good people, virtually flawless even. And then we craft villains that are all but twirling their mustaches they’re so over-the-top bad.

In real life, almost none of us are all good or all bad. We (presumably the good guys) say things that hurt feelings, do careless or even reckless things, nurse grudges, have tempers, or worse, stay quiet when others say those hurtful things to us.

In fiction, our heroines kick butt and take names (well, my favorite kinds do!). They have no fears, no phobias, they don’t question their decisions. We show no weaknesses that allow them to be less than perfect.

Then we move onto the villains and we create them as if they’re cut from a pattern on a burlap sack. They’re so flawed as to be unredeemable. Even in life, people we see as dastardly can have some redeeming characteristics. Maybe they like dogs, or cats, or children, or have a soft spot for their mother.

The people in my own life are that way, the people I see as heroes (cue white hats and cheering), aren’t perfect. One speeds through town while talking about peace and tolerance.

One is lovely to everyone, even at the expense of getting her own feelings hurt. Another bravely sends a husband off to war and waves a sword to protect this community’s children yet has a genuine panic attack at the sight of a worm. (I’m probably the exception, a good guy with no flaws—okay—that was a joke. I’m more flawed than most!)

A person I see as being the type to tie a heroine to a railroad track prepares dinner for his wife.

The bottom line is this: no one is perfect. Even in fiction, if we can create complex, multidimensional characters, we can enrich our writing.

I’ll bet if you look at your life, you’ll find examples of this. And in our reading, people who give us something we don’t expect can make for a refreshing read.

48 Hours of Nothing But Pleasure...What Would You Do?

Meet Rena. She's single, gorgeous and enjoys pushing herself to the limit in all aspects of her life. You might say she's quite the adventurous type! You see, she's part of an elite group of women who've willing chosen to give themselves over to pleasure in whatever form it may come.

She's chosen to become a Doll.

What is a Doll?

A strong, tenacious female whose sole purpose is to give and receive pleasure. Dolls are trained by women and men, depending on what lessons need to be learned. They are known by the golden stilettos that don their feet and the regal, graceful, sexy elegance demanded from them all.

Not every woman who desires the title earns the name.

Rena's learned her best lessons under the tutelage of Raiden. His demanding requests never cease to push her to do her very best. She seeks his approval, his admiration...his unadulterated passion. He makes her wet and wanting with a single look.

Raiden's the one she wants...

She's only allowed to say, 'yes' and 'please'...

Rena Venoy has finally become a sex doll. For the next forty-eight hours, giving and receiving pleasure is her only purpose, fulfilling sexual fantasies her primary goal. That's until she sets her heart on becoming Raiden's one and only doll. To get her wish, he must bestow the ultimate honour she seeks and claim her as his. When she breaks a rule, Rena is devastated. Will Raiden chose her after all?

Excerpt:

"Congratulations, Rena. You've graduated, earning the coveted title of sex doll in a remarkably short span of time. You've been a delight to teach."

Rena bowed her head. "Thank you, Mistress Belle." She met the blue gaze fixed on her and blushed as feelings of pride and excitement rushed through her.

"Although this may seem redundant, it's still necessary for me to go over the rules. You do understand you will not be physically harmed at any time during your forty-eight-hour session?" She tapped a lacquered fingernail against her full ruby lips.

"Yes." Rena swallowed hard, her gaze dropping to the strawberry-hued nipples in full display as the half-naked blonde wrote on her clipboard. She admired everything about the woman's effortless sensual poise. A sliver of anticipation and nervousness skittered down her spine as she stiffened her own posture beneath the blonde's hard scrutiny.

"You understand the use of your safe word?" She pivoted in golden stilettos and walked back to her desk.

"Yes." Rena's gaze dipped to the glimpses of Mistress Belle's rounded, naked ass visible beneath the black latex micro-mini skirt hugging her hips. The woman's confidence and beauty took her breath away.

"You understand if you choose to use your safe word all activities cease and you will be free to go?" She lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow as she turned around.

Rena shifted her weight in her three-inch stilettos. "I understand." But I don't intend to use it. Her heart hammered in her chest at the unknown possibilities of what such 'activities' she'd be taking part in she'd be tempted to change her mind about.

"Finally, you understand the only words you'll be allowed to say are 'yes' and 'please'."

Rena nodded.

"You must verbalise your agreement, Ms Venoy."

"I agree."

Mistress Belle placed her hands on her hips and smiled. "Good. Take off your robe."

This is it, my last moment to walk away…

A moment passed as both women studied the other.

This was her gift to herself. She wasn't backing out now.

Doll will be available April 25th with
Total E-Bound!

One lucky commenter here on

Hitting the Hot-Spot

will

WIN

Doll!

Simply leave a comment and your email addy!

www.nichellegregory.com

Pics: Sellita Ebanks and Lee Byung

A Spark to Light a Fire

A spark. An idea. The germ of creation.

I've recently been involved in some discussion with a few authors about this. What to do when the ideas dry up, when fear of failure, and even fear of success, interferes in the creative process.

It's all too easy to fall into a pool of negativity, which perpetuates itself. The only way to escape the cycle is to pull yourself out, ignore all outside influences, and listen to that voice inside you and write.

Whenever I get down about something, I have a friend who doles out the tough love. She'll tell me to suck it up and write. Oddly enough, this simple, obvious advice works for me.

But what do you do if all that fear makes it impossible to trust yourself? When you look at your work (as an artist, painter, insert creative job) and overdo your edits, trying to make it more right, when really you're making it more wrong? When the fear of not succeeding causes your ideas to dry up like the Sahara?

I feel for artists having these issues, because it's all too easy to fall into a trap. And let's face it; we've all been there at some point in our lives. I've gone through depressing phases, or spurts when I just can't get myself to type. But then my muse kicks my butt and won't leave me alone until I write something. Even if it's crap, it's something.

And wham. This post has started my muse. Fear makes wonderful conflict. Suddenly I envision new stories. A hero who's afraid to trust his instincts. A heroine who refuses to live her life, mired in past mistakes. A painter who fears he's lost his muse gets sucked into a world in which his private demons come alive.

My point is it's possible to take something stifling or bad and turn it into something that works. But talking about it or wishing it to happen isn't the answer. It's putting pen to paper and writing. Or fingers to keyboard, paintbrush to canvas--take your pick.

A little something to stir your creativity on a Friday. Take the bad and turn it into something good. Like the rain outside today. It's watering my flowers and giving me the perfect excuse to sit inside and write. :)

Marie
website | blog

When Will It be Spring?

When will it be Spring?

I keep asking myself that question. Living two and a half hours north of Toronto puts us right in the “snow belt” and this past winter has once again proven the truth of that moniker. Our initial snowfall came December 1^st and that was it. The ground was white long into March. When April came, we hoped there was no more of this. (See below) That’s our cars parked in front of the barn.

Last week, the temperature shot up, winter coats were put to the back of the closet and clothes went out on the line. I was hoping it was the harbinger of better weather that was going to stay around and my mind started thinking about things like this.

Instead, we had more of this.

I decided that if Spring was going to be so slow to make a permanent appearance, I would make a list of some things I want to do when it finally arrives. So here’s my list. Hope you like the photos.

When the warmer weather comes, I just might…

Rent a boat and spend a lazy afternoon on the water.

Do my annual “think” about getting a new tattoo.

Go out and “tie one on”.

Try out a new recipe for chocolate fondue.

Organize a costume party. Especially if he’s going to be there.

Head to Toronto to buy some new shoes.

Back to Toronto and check out my favourite leather store.

Sleep in occasionally. With the right inspiration.

Get the shower fixed. Oops, how did he get in there?

Spend a day at the beach.

Go horseback riding. Save a horse… Ride a … You know the rest.

Spend another day at the beach.

Go to the Church Street Fetish Fair

Isn’t it amazing how much better you feel after making a list? Now when Spring gets here, I’ll be ready.

Hope your weather is warm and sunny and your reading…hot.

Stay naughty and see you next month.

Kaenar

Kaenar Langford

Tales to seduce and entice…

www.kaenar.com

Me as a sex advice columnist!

I write vampires and sex, I write werewolves and sex, I write just about every paranormal creature you can think of and sex. I even write regular humans and sex. Can I write advice to real people about sex? I have given out sex advice to twitter followers plenty of times....does that count as experience?

The idea is a bit nerve wracking but I am not afraid of a challenge, especially a fun one. I am going to be a part of a local Ezine dedicated to men and men's health called Spokane Men's Journal. I am very excited because I am coming into this as the magazine is new and the column I am going to write is mine to create. Originally it was supposed to be a dating and sex advice column. I have not dated in years though, been with my husband since I was sixteen. So I offered myself as a sex advice and education columnist instead, something I am very comfortable writing and feel I have plenty of knowledge base in. As a romance and erotica writer I think this will be a new way to use my skill and I am definitely up for the challenge.

My vision for this article is a mostly question and answer sort of thing. I am hoping to gain a following and get plenty of questions from guys and girls to answer in the monthly column. It should also give me a great venue for advertising my writing. I will gain a lot of local publicity and hopefully lots of new readers for my books!

So this is exciting for me and so I had to share with all of you. Wish me luck and hopefully this turns into something great!

Check me out: http://www.courtneybreazile.com http://www.twitter.com/cbreazile http://www.facebook.com/pages/Courtney-Breazile/160551880339

Another Newbie on the Block

Hi all. I’m Gillian. Errr, Gillian Archer and I’m a new author to Total-e-Bound. Actually I’m a new author full stop. My first story will be coming out this summer with TEB as part of the Summer Spectacles collection.

I’ve been sweating over what I should post for my very first time here. Should I start straight in and talk about my writing? My life? Should I ask someone to do an intro for me? Actually that last one doesn’t sound too bad, but since this is the night before the post goes live, I think I should’ve asked someone sooner. Oops. But I thought none of that other stuff would mean much to you guys until you knew a little about me. So here are some basic facts about Gillian…

Zodiac sign: Aries. Yup, and all the characteristics of Aries are true for me. I’m ambitious, impulsive, enthusiastic and full of energy.

Day job: Writer. Heh, did I mention I’m impulsive?

Current location: Washington State about ten feet shy of the Canadian border.

Guilty Pleasures: Chocolate and t.v. Oh and if I could have both at the same time? Nirvana! I have discovered the best chocolate known to man and it’s a good thing there’s a whole ocean between me and Lily O’Brien’s. I think there for a while I was financially supporting the whole O’Brien clan.

Hobbies: Baking and walking my dogs. Mostly they walk me though! Oh and travelling. I love to go see new-to-me places, especially ancient ruins. The picture above is of me exploring some ruins in Scotland.

What I love to write: Stories with a happily ever after. Right now my wheelhouse appears to be contemporary erotic romance M/F stories but I’ve been known to venture out into the paranormal or ménage world. Sometimes both at the same time!

Where you can find me: Of course there’s my website: http://www.gillianarcher.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Gillian.Archer.Author

Twitter: http://twitter.com/gillianarcher

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4314865-gillian-archer

I’m often lurking at Divas: http://romancedivas.com/

And I post once or twice a month at my crit group's blog: http://somewriteithot2.blogspot.com/

Email: gilliarcher@gmail.com

Whew! I think that’s it for this post. I guess I'll see you all next month. Same time, same place :)

Roller coaster of Writing

Writing is a fun, wild and sometimes gravity-defying thing. When you write it encompasses so much. The thump of your heart as you open that blank page for the first time. The journey of twists and turns as you write the journey of your characters. Each step is a wild and exhilarating as you get to know the characters and they get to know you. When you go to the end of it your palms sweat, heart races and your unsure of where or how it will end. Then when it does the endorphins release and a sense of accomplishment fills you.

Writing is a roller coaster ride that I take often and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Taige Crenshaw
http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/
…increasing the sizzle factor

Blog: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/blog
Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crenshawcafe
Newsletter: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/newsletterandgroups.shtml
Free Reads Site: http://www.satinnotes.com/

Taiwan Photo Album

By Lisabet Sarai

If all goes according to plan, I should be in Taipei City, Taiwan, when you read this post. This will be the second time I've visited the lovely island of Formosa, as the Europeans first called it. This particular trip will be short and mostly devoted to business. However, last time my husband and I spent time there, we had a week's vacation, and we made the most of it.

So I thought that I'd share some of my photos from that trip, more than a decade ago. I'll be interested to see whether the country has changed much. And perhaps I'll post some of my new photos next month here at the Hot Spot.

Temple Gate

Old Tree in Taipei City

Taoist God

Street Vendor

The Marble Gorge

Mountain Monastery

Wait a minute! What's that doing there?

Tomorrow, Total-E-Bound is releasing my BDSM romance The Understudy as a stand-alone novella. The cover just makes me want to kneel and beg! Here's the blurb - you can read an excerpt on my website.

Is there a future in playing stand-in to a slave?

Sarah Gladstone was thrilled to be offered her first real acting job at the Berks Summer Playhouse. She never expected to be working with theatre legend Geoffrey Hart. The charismatic actor quickly brings her under his spell, not to mention his control, as he initiates her into the dark delights of BDSM. He offers her far more than physical pleasure; they share a level of intimacy and trust beyond anything Sarah could have imagined.

According to the rumours, though, Geoff's heart is taken. Renowned actress Anne Merrill, his long time partner and submissive lover, has severed their relationship and Hart has escaped to the Berkshires to lick his emotional wounds. With her youth, inexperience, and girl-next-door persona, Sarah knows that she can't compete with the glamorous theatre veteran. She fears that she's just a substitute for the real object of Geoff's affections. As he draws her deeper into his intoxicating games of dominance and submission, Sarah wonders if she's willing to settle for the role of understudy in this perverse passion play.

Have I piqued your interest? You can get your copy here!

Spring is Sprung.

I love spring even though it makes me sneeze and makes my eyes water. Winter has its highlights but by the time Christmas has been and gone I'm sick of it! I look eagerly for the signs of spring and feel happier the minute I spot a snow drop or the tell-tale shoots of green where daffodils are pushing up into the world. By the time they are pushing out their proud yellow trumpets I'm ecstatic because winter is over and although the temperature might drop from time to time the sun is out longer and the nights are shorter and the birds are singing.

I love spring.

So I write about it a fair bit. You can see that I love Spring in my latest release Artistic Sights, Heavenly Delights.

He paid her to paint his portrait but he really wanted to steal her heart.

Hermione is an independent, single mother who has caught the eye of Philip Haughtington, society high-flyer and well known heart breaker.

He wants to seduce her and she is determined to resist but how long will she be able to hold out against his looks, charm and firm, commanding hand?

So if you love, spanking, spring and rich, charming young men this is a story you shouldn't miss!

Now what do you love most about Spring?

You Are Here

In general, I'm a easy-going person. I have opinions on things, but as a Libra, it is easy for me to see the other person's point of view too.

Can you picture the goddess of justice holding the scales in balance?

Let me give you a visual.

That's me, always trying to find the balance - not liking when things get too heavy on one side or the other.

But there is one topic that always causes me to put down my foot on my side of the scale - the GPS in cars.

Oh, lordy! I can feel my tension increasing just thinking about these things.

So what do I find so offensive about GPS?

1. I fear that we are raising a new generation of people who will have lost all sense of direction and spacial thinking. They will have no ability to navigate without following a computer's instructions. As an educator, it horrifies me to watch a whole set of skills disappear with one generation. I realize not everyone is geographically gifted, but if we don't try to build or even retain what skills we have, where will that leave us in the future? I don't think there's a GPS that can answer that one.

2. I've watched friends drive so completely dependent on the little black box on their dash that they've missed the beauty around them. It takes them longer to learn the way around their new town because they rely on computer cues, rather than looking around for landmarks. How much less present in the moment are we when we train all our focus on the little machine in our car?

3. When we step off the path and get 'lost', we open ourselves to finding new discoveries and making new relationships. As a writer, I'm always looking for new connections and getting 'lost' lets me explore new places. In fact, when my hubby and I were new to Philadelphia, we used to take drives into the countryside and try to get lost. Both of us have a fairly healthy sense of direction, so it never took us very long to find a road that would lead us back home. (Maybe we should have blindfolded one of us - preferably the passenger.) ;D On those drives, we got to see 'what was out there' and get to know our neighborhood, community and region that we were living in. Will GPS kill that desire to explore? Will we lose our creativity and the ability to look outside of ourselves to ask 'what is out there'?

So what do you think? Are GPS good or bad? I'd love to hear your comments.

Oh! If you missed it, I was in the Author Spotlight last month. You can still read my interview and check out my kitty pictures here.

Have a great spring!

Suzanne

www.suzannegraham.blogspot.com

The other half of the coin

This topic came up on one of the many yahoo lists I belong to and it really touched me. How often has a reader told me they lurk because they don’t feel important enough to post a message or comment on something an author has shared?

Oh my god!

I could cry when I hear it, or even think it. In some distant tiny part of myself, I can identify with that feeling of uncertainty. I mean if Stephan King walked in the door I’d possibly faint. But, I can almost guarantee he’d say the same thing I do.

Horse pucky!

Without you, the readers, we’re just dumbass story tellers making up lies and writing them down. Yes, we create worlds and characters, and yes we do try to get them to sound beautiful or tragic or sexy, but we do it for you. I can’t say that without you, I’d stop telling my little lies. But I can tell you this, without you, it just seems so damn lonely and pointless.

Look, everyone has a gift. I believe everyone also has some form of deformity or handicap too, but that’s a whole nuther post. My gift is imagination. What’s yours? My husband has an amazing eye for wildlife photography. The pictures he shows me often take my breath. Like me, his gift isn’t something he worked for or deserves, it’s just there. He's worked to make his pictures more brilliant, or more in focus, but the eye, that just happened.

Now, if you, my reader, like a certain thing I’ve written, how will I know unless you tell me? If you despise something, the same is true. I continue to write, and do a lot of praying in the process that someone will like what I come up with.

The odd time, and I can count those times on my fingers, a reader will send me an email. It’s like a gift has been delivered. I’m almost afraid to respond to them for fear of scaring them off. I have heard that readers are afraid of us. It seems crazy that someone would be afraid, or feel less important than me. I mean, if you could see me now, scruffy sweats and slippers, my hair sticking out all over and me chewing on my lip, you’d laugh at the very idea that this woman could be ‘all that’.

I treasure those emails, few though they are. They are all I have to go on when it comes to what readers want. I’ve been told I write too short…I’m working on that all the time. Calls for submission often call for a certain length of story, so those times I don’t have a lot of say about the word count. But, when I get going on my own, I try very hard to take those words into account. Too short, readers like paranormal and they also seem to like series’. What other things, alpha males. I got that bit of info from my newsletter contest one month. Even when I’m writing m/m, one of the m’s should be more gung ho and bossy than the other. Yup, I can do that.

The yahoo groups I belong to are a perfect example of authors desperate for input. Take one of the publisher organized chats. Add a dozen authors eager to share their blurbs and excerpts for new releases and you’ve got the makings of some great fun. Some of those yahoo groups have thousands of members, others have hundreds. Yet, chances are, when there’s an organized chat, there will be possibly a dozen comments by non-authors. I’ve seen authors literally pounce on the poor person. A feeding frenzy of desire to please, and that scares the reader off. I know it does. The others do too. But, it’s such a hunger to know what this brave brazen soul likes that we just can’t help ourselves.

So, I'm trying a new thing. I belong to way too many yahoo groups, and there's no way on Earth I can participate fully in all of them. What I've decided to do, is concentrate my time on two or three.

My own, of course at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jude_Masons_Newsletter/

The chat group for Total E-Bound called Literagasm:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/literagasm/

The other authors of these publishing houses are right there with me, sharing all kinds of crazy fun. There's a little bit of promoting, but very little. This is more for yacking with us and getting to know us. And we get to know and learn about you. We'd love for you to join us.

That's my diatribe for this month. So, readers/fans/blog hoppers/drive bys please, you are the other half of our coin. We know you’re out there, someone’s buying those books, and we can hear you breathing…heavily! Do us, and yourselves a favor, honestly this would be sooo fantastic, when you read something you really like, gather your courage and let the author know. Whether you belong to the yahoo group or can find his or her email address, tell them what you liked so much. Tell them the name of your favorite book of theirs. Just let them know you’re there. And, if you hate something, let us know that too, or we’re liable to do it again and again, and that would just suck.

Thanks so much for listening. I’d love to get comments on this, from both other authors and yes, please, please, you readers.

Hot Lips

"Open your sensitive mouth," demanded Dave Gahan in the Depeche Mode song Rush, a line I've always found strangely sexy. Heroes must have sensitive mouths, mustn't they? Because of all the kissing they do.

I love a good kissing scene, me. I don't mind if a man has a Jagger pout or not, but he must be able to use those lips to devastating effect. Here are the hero and heroine of my latest TEB release, Honeytrapped, enjoying a good old smooch:

Tilly, lips parted, breathing rapidly, trembling in his arms, simply shook her head. "This is too much," she gasped. "It's too intense...oh God. You are too much. You scare me. You make me feel things. I'm sorry, I'm not making sense, I'm babbling, I'll shut up in a minute if you just..."

She shut up. Not because the words stopped coming, but because a pair of lips had sealed her mouth from above, quietening the stammered flow with the overpowering efficiency of a lightning strike. For a few seconds, Tilly's body went into panicked revolt, the trembling so violent it resembled seizure, and then, as Norman's sweet, hard heat flowed into her and his strong arms wrapped her tight, she began to loosen, letting him in, letting it all go, letting it happen.

Minutes of delicious, swoony kissing, all tongues and sighs and grabbing and rubbing passed before an inconvenient thought burst through all the sensuality to establish itself in Tilly's rational mind.

I'm not supposed to be enjoying myself. This is business! And Melinda, poor cow, is going to want to know about this.

A really great kiss can work wonders. Pucker up, hero boys! Open your sensitive mouths.

Let Them Read Cake - a guest blog by A.J. Llewellyn

The Internet is a superb place to meet new people and discover similar passions...such as writing. And cupcakes.

It's amazing how well these two pursuits go together and I have found many authors who share my passion for both these things.

British author Serena Yates is one of them. Some months ago, we emailed back and forth after we had both contributed to an anthology of short stories called Stealing My Heart.

Serena had read a few of my blogs and was intrigued by my obsession with cupcakes and with the explosion of cupcake stores across the US.

We began chatting back and forth and she mentioned an idea she had for a book about a cupcake store owner and bringing a paranormal element into it.

Somehow this morphed into the idea of us doing it together and one book became four, with each book focusing on a natural element.

The Cake, our first book in the Elemental Superpowers Series, which was released yesterday at Total-e-Bound, is a fire element story. We're almost done with our 'water' story, The Blancmange, and we have plans for the remaining titles...but first, let's talk about The Cake.

Our story has humor, passion, magic and yes, cake.

Our editor said we drove her crazy with our food descriptions and that's a good thing. In fact, thanks to our Serena, our book catalogue listing even warns readers:

Reader Advisory: This book contains mouth-watering descriptions of cupcakes and hot references to other foods.

In The Cake, Daine Paradis owns a successful bakery in San Francisco but soon learns that he is under scrutiny by a law firm that thinks he is misusing his magical powers to make his business boom.

Huh? Magical powers? Daine had no idea he had any...and anyway, is there such a thing?

The hunky lawyer, Phillip Sedgwick, who's been sent to investigate him seems more inclined to help him rather than hurt him.

Serena and I had a blast writing this. We loved creating the magical court system that puts people on trial for violating their super powers.

It's been a wonderful collaboration and now, we have a new one to look forward to: Serena and I have a new series of anthologies coming to Total-e-Bound starting in the late summer, August 25, with the divine and insanely gifted D. J. Manly.

The Sins of Summer focuses on the seven deadly sins, in which we each picked a sin and wrote super-hot stories about them.

I can't wait to uncover more sins for the remaining seasons...or to eat more cake!


For more information and for purchase, please click this link:

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1152

Aloha oe,
A.J.

The Joy of The Outdoors

When I sat down to start this blog, I'd just come back from a drive. We took the top off the Jeep. Talk about a blast! Wind in my hair...hair flying in my
face....actually it was a lot of fun. But it got me thinking...this could be the start of a great story. Ok. It could be the start of a fun story.

So I thought, hmmm....where can I run with this story?


That's how I come up with lots of my story ideas. Just living. It's not big secret. I have a Jeep. We took top off. Lots of backseat room....add a blanket, fire, and you've got a good time.

I've had a story about a guy in a band who just so happens to drive a Jeep, floating around in my head. I think it's about time to resurrect the oldie but unfinished and finish it.

Ah...finishing an unfinished.

Have fun reading. I've got stories to work on, edits to complete, and an idea running rampant through my head.

Here's a little bit from my most recent release, Careless Whisper:

He’s her kinkiest desire, if she’s willing to open her heart and believe in him.
The dead don’t always rest in peace. Some stick around to make the lives of the living hell on Earth. Ryan Black knows the frustration of dealing with the dead.
He’s a Ghost Explorer. He’s conquered houses filled with apparitions, abandoned school buildings that house angry vermin, and managed to woo the female population of Snake Falls, Ohio. But he’s about to face his toughest challenge, convincing sceptical Samara Jacobs she not only shares his gift, but holds his heart.

Women fall at Ryan Black’s feet and Samara’s determined not to be one of the many—that is until she’s forced to work with him. He’s certain ghosts exist and willing to prove it. The more she gets to know the man behind the television persona, she decides the handsome klutz who chases things that go bump in the night isn’t so silly after all. But is he worthy of her love?

This book contains anal sex and a little harmless domination.

“Look around at the scenery. Ohio girls are the stuff of legend. For example, Meredith has those legs a man fantasises having wrapped around his waist.”

“Engaged.”

“Well, then there’s Caren. She’s got a nice rack and she’s single.”

“Implants.”

“Pick nits.” Eddie snorted and shook his head. “You’ll shoot down all my ideas just to be right.” He scoped the cafeteria room once more. “What about Samara? She’s cute in a girl-next-door kinda way. All peaches and cream. I’ve caught her checking you out once or twice—a day for the last year.” He pointed to Ryan. “She’d make a perfect forever girl.”

“I had my forever girl. But I could be wrong.” Samara checked him out? Hmm… Kinda nice to know the attraction wasn’t a figment of his undersexed imagination. He’d spent many a night fantasising about her, holding her, making love to her, waking up in the morning and seeing her smile.

At her table across the room, Samara curled up in her chair, paperback book propped in one hand and concentration written on her face. From his position, he couldn’t read the title, but he’d passed her desk enough times to know she liked romance novels. In the two years he’d worked in the same building with her, he’d heard her speak a total of three times but he knew her voice like his own.

“Ryan?”

“What? I’m checking out the scenery. It’s—” he drew a breath, feeling more than the oxygen stirring something within his body. His sex drive? He shifted in his seat. Yeah, there was a definite tingle below the belt. “It’s intriguing.” When he closed his eyes, the vision of Samara astride his lap formed in crystal clarity. The tingle evolved into a damned hard-on and thank you God. Sexy, captivating…there weren’t enough words to describe the rush. He needed to make his way onto her radar, fast.

“You don’t listen for shit.” Eddie growled.

Ryan opened his eyes and glared at his friend. “Say something important.”

Soon to Be a Scarlet Woman

When I was first offered the chance to post on the blog, one side of me snapped it up (the side that held the mouse, presumably). The other side of me froze, quailed and whimpered something along the lines of "Thank God I have a pen name, then no-one will know it's me!"

And this is something I have often been asked about by my non-writer friends. Why do I insist on using a pen name? Why don't I want anyone to know it's me?

Over on this side of the fence, of course, pen names are nothing new, and reasons for and methods of choosing them I'm sure vary according to the writer. But for me, it all came down to that desire expressed by Charlotte Bronte: the power to walk invisible. The ability to write whatever I chose without being judged by all who crossed my path.

In fact, mu slightly pretentious young self even chose her first pen name based on her own initials, probably with the forlorn hope of achieving Currer Bell's fame. Well, if using my initials is a marker of success, I'm not sure what it says about me that my current pen name contains neither, thanks to the discovery of the name Tanith and the acquisition of a husband (alright, gorgeous husband - stop looking over my shoulder!)

My husband's family, incidentally, are privy to the secret of my pen name. This is what happens when you drink one too many Mojitos in their company. They're thrilled to bits about my contract and are keen to buy my first novel immediately on its release in June; all good, except for one thing.

See, my in-laws have this strange idea that, in personality terms, I'm whiter than white.

I have no idea where they got this from. My husband likes to tell me that I "act whiter than white" in front of them, which I can only assume means I neither swear nor discuss my favourite sexual positions, both things I think are quite reasonable to avoid doing in front of one's mother-in-law. Nevertheless, they have this opinion.

And they're planning to read "The Hand He Dealt". A novel which, among other things, includes f/f sex, threesomes and at least one rather graphically-described interlude involving a strap-on.

So I can't wait until June, when my novel will finally be released and my dream of being a published writer will finally come true.

But, at the same time, I'm waiting with trepidation for the day when the phone will ring and I will hear my mother-in-law's voice saying "Um... what's 'pegging'?"