Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Guest Blogger: Alex Sinclair ~ Five Days Notice


Alisha: Please welcome Alex Sinclair to Wicked Thorn and Roses. I'm thrilled to have him here! Alex, please tell us about Five Days Notice.

Alex: I originally wrote, Five Days Notice, a few years ago, but when it was due to come out the world went into financial meltdown. Due to the nature of the story I thought it would be far too depressing to put out at that moment in time. Five Days Notice is set in a world where the global economy has collapsed and the third world war has left the planet a dark and dangerous place. I decided to allow the novel to wait for its fifteen minutes of fame and I believe that was the right choice.

The reason I created such a harsh reality was because I wanted to stress how important a low paid dead end job actually was. Due to the economy there are no new jobs, which split society in two. You have the poor and the damned. The poor are the ones that work long hour for nearly nothing, but the job is the lifeline for their family. So the horrible world was created to cement the fact that this tedious job really was a matter of life and death.

The novel follows the lives of seven characters. They are told at the start of the book that by the end of the working week three of the members of staff will be let go. Malcolm, the manager, has five days to decide who he will keep on and who he will fire. I worked as a Christmas temp in a big superstore and after Christmas the manager came to us and said that three of us would be kept on, but the other seventeen temps would be let go. I was one of the people kept on, but it was horrible. People were gossiping, back stabbing and just being rude and nasty. It really made me wonder what lengths they would go to if their lives depended on that job. So, like reality, the character relationships start off nice and friendly, but when the pressure and the realization of losing their jobs sink, things turn bad!

Five Days Notice is a romantic suspense. The story follows the main relationship of Ariel and River. Ariel was the best friend to River’s mother. She has watched out for him and guided him these last few years, but when the boy turned into a man his feelings for her turned into something beyond friendship. She is nearly twice his age, but in a world without hope the two of them found their own little private piece of happiness. River knows that he must keep his job so that he doesn’t mirror his father. His father sponged off of his hard working mother for so many years. If he lost his job he would have to leave Ariel, which is the fuel for the fire that drives him forward.

All of the characters have justification for what they do. Hope is a depressive that needs the job to survive. It is the only reason she continues to exist. Kerry is a single mother that will do what is necessary to ensure she keeps her job for her daughter, no matter how low she must go. Alan is the victim of domestic abuse and is manipulated by his own wife. Michael is a man filled with hatred and anger for the manager, Malcolm. Bad blood between means that Michael knows he will be the first to go, but how far will he go to make sure he doesn’t lose his job?

There are no “Bad Guys” in, Five Days Notice; every character has a reason for the things they do. It is a battle of survive where friends become enemies, strangers become lovers, lovers become deceivers and it is every man or woman for themselves. The story is filled with love, passion, corrupt, betrayal and deceit. Due to the amazing reviews and fantastic sales I have already started work on a sequel. The sequel is titled, Five Days Notice: Hand of God, the story follows the characters that keep their job at the end of, Five Days Notice, but takes the story in a new direction that no one could expect.


Book Title: Five Days Notice

Author: Alex Sinclair

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Price: $0.99

Links

AMAZON LINK

Sinclair Books

Facebook


Blurb


The global economy has collapsed and third world war has left the planet a dark and deadly place. Having a job is like winning the lottery. It is a rare and cherished thing. Society is split into two classes, the poor and the damned. Only one superstore remains in the city. The seven staff members work long hours for hardly any pay, but they are considered the lucky ones.

River is in love. He is in love with the woman of his dreams. Only she doesn’t know it. Ariel lights up his dark and lonely world. She is the reason he wakes up every single morning. Her friendship and company give meaning to his existence, but when job cuts are announced his world is turned upside down. The staff are given five days notice. By the end of the week three members of staff will be fired, but how far is River willing to go to ensure that the love of his life keeps her job?

With uncertainty and doubt fuelling the fires of fear each member of staff sets out on a dangerous path of deception. The flesh of the weak is food for the strong. It is a dog eat dog world. Friends become enemies. Lovers become deceivers. You can trust no one. You can rely on no one. You must do what needs to be done to make sure you survive. You must steal, you must betray and you must kill. Betrayal, deception and corruption have never looked so sexy.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Going to Nationals: The Short List

Well, it happened. I told my dear hubby that I thought perhaps I should go to RWA in NYC this year (it being only about 45-60 minutes from our house depending on traffic) and he had not the reaction I thought. He turned to me and shrugged a bit and said. "Sure. If you want to." "Really?" says I. Oh, yeah...really. We moved some money around and switched things around and bammo slammo, I'm going. But not only will I be there, but despite all odds me and my friend (along with one other roommate) got booked into the conference hotel, and I rejoined the RWA (knowing my fees and membership form might not arrive in time for the early-bird sign up. It did by the way.) And I also got an appt. to pitch to my dream agent. (cue shrieks of joy, exciement and instant nervous nausea.)

So, what have I been doing the last few weeks while I haven't been blogging. Well, trying to finish up the book I'm pitching to said agent. And working on another book (this one contemporary) that I'm pitching to Sourcebooks. I thought I might as well make good use of my time since I'm there. Who knows.

I've also been in rather a shopping frenzy. Since I've boldly proclaimed this year is my time to shine, I have set about acquiring a conference wardrobe that reflects just that image. I have more squins, spangles and gem covered shirts than any one woman should be allowed in a closet. It's soooo cool. So, if you're going to conference look for me. I'll be the one sparkling.

To my American friends....Happy and Safe Memorial Weekend. I'll be working. Not on books, but at the hospital.

Love and other indoor sports,

Kate

Thursday, May 26, 2011

What is Pyrogasm?


What is Pyrogasm? Click here to find out.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Writer Mini-retreats!



One of my favorite things to do is attend a writer's retreat with my favorite author friends. All of the ladies I hang out with are so busy that we can't go somewhere over night for a real "retreat". We decided to have "mini retreats" where we escape our lives for a day and hang out with other authors.


I have been to big mini writer retreats where about a hundred people attended. The program was extremely detailed and I had to pay to attend. This was fun and I got to meet some great new authors. I learned a lot since the retreat had a well-known speaker.


My favorite kind though are the smaller retreats where we pick a house to meet at. We have somewhat of a plan for the day, we preplan our meals, and enjoy the day with our author friends while we work out writing issues. These types are great for brainstorming. I attended one of these last weekend.


Here are my top 4 tips for a successful mini-retreat:


1. Have a big lunch break! Food is important to replenish your energy. Also, by having a lunch break, we are able to talk about what's going on in our lives which lets us focus during the discussion times. The discussion rarely strays off task because we have this break. Also, we decide what type of food we are having. One time we had Mexican so everyone brought a dish that went well with the others. We also make sure everyone agrees on the food. This works well with our group because we always stay between 3-5 authors at the retreat.


2. Come prepared! This might seem stupid, but when you're in a hurry you just might forget pens and paper. That is exactly what I did last weekend. Luckily for me, everyone brings extra things so I ended up having the stuff I needed. Another thing you need to be prepared for is having material to work on. Everyone should feel like they've gotten something accomplished while they are there or they might not attend another one.


3. Time! We usually have our retreats from 9 am to 4 pm. This works great for us. Its also important to make sure everyone has time to go over what they need to talk about. Last weekend we were brainstorming. I had a very small idea (the characters weren't even named yet!) for a plot and it took a lot of time. Another author had very little time to go over her material and I felt bad. At another author retreat (it was much larger), I had to go last and they nearly forgot me!


4. Have fun!


Have any questions about retreats? Feel free to ask. Also, leave your tips as well! I just might try them at my next retreat!


Talk to you soon,

Wendy

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Tornado Disaster Relief



My heart goes out to all the victims and survivors of Joplin, Missouri after the monster tornado that ripped their world apart.



RED CROSS DONATIONS

I'll be giving a free ebook (Reader's Choice) to EVERY SINGLE READER who donates to the Red Cross today and EVERY PERSON who donates will also be entered into two drawings for a free autographed print copy of Nocturnally Vexed by Alisha Paige and a copy of Believe by Vicki Batman.

Simply leave a comment with your book preference and an email address where to send the ebook. To view my backlist, go HERE. If you'd like to remain anonymous, send me an email at alishapaigewilson@yahoo.com.

ATTN AUTHORS: PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE A BOOK TO THE CAUSE AND I WILL DO A SEPARATE DRAWING FOR EVERY BOOK DONATED.

Please pray for the people of Joplin.

~God Bless,
Alisha

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Win a copy of Mouse in the Wainscoting



Get your copy of Mouse in the Wainscoting here. Here is the excerpt to get you all warmed up :-)

Hot water cascaded over David’s weary body. He immersed his face in the stream, letting himself become carried away by the sheer joy of being cleaned of the day’s grime. With soap lathered on a flannel, he washed himself. Careful and deliberate, he caressed his weary muscles, rubbed his skin, enjoyed having his own touch across his body.

He dropped the flannel and soap, favouring skin on skin contact.

Soon his hands were at his genitals. He smiled. The water added to the sensation, lubricated his actions, and again, as gentle as he dared, he touched himself, made himself stir. He placed a finger into the mouth of his foreskin, touching his head, sending shivers of delight up his spine and throughout his body. He moaned, working that finger in little circles over his piss slit and down to his coronal rim and frenulum, all the while keeping his foreskin unretracted. He loved the sensation of fingering himself in such a way, his long foreskin stretched right up to the second knuckle of the finger he used to pleasure himself. He knew how he liked it, and in no time at all, he had a full on raging boner. Veins bulging, head as engorged as it ever would be. He smiled. This was beautiful. This was perfect. A man could be his own best friend.

Good thing his foreskin was long, because even in his erect state and horny as hell, he was able to continue his fingering action. His own movement over his head gained in speed and intensity with each passing moment. He closed his eyes tight. His balls tightened and the pangs of ecstasy rose with that wonderful and familiar delight.

With his other hand, he jerked off, still careful not to retract. The inside of his foreskin was just as sensitive and pleasure giving as his ripe head. Both being stimulated in combination was mind blowing, and within several pleasurably heightened heartbeats, shudders of delight consumed him.

In the end, he had to pull his finger out, for his skin was too sensitive even for his own touch. He shuddered some more. His fingers and toes tingled, and nothing would stop him from climax. He was seconds away. His lips, moistened from the water that cascaded all over him, quivered.

David groaned as white, hot ribbons of cum spurted out from his bulging cock. His stomach quivered, his mind overwhelmed by the rush of everything that was an orgasm. Over and over the shower wall was sprayed with his own joy. He was unable to think of anything, do anything, but continue to revel in the rapture his own touch had created.

When spent, he sunk to the floor. .


Or, if you want to try and win a copy, just tell me which gentleman below is the top and which is the bottom :-) In other words, do you think the guy on the left is the pitcher or the catcher? Leave your answer in a comment and I will draw the winner when I have enough entries (winner chosen at random using randomizer software I was told about--thanks Juniper), probably next week.

Here are the two fine men ready for action:


So that's all there is to it :-) Have fun, and above all, BUY my book! LOL Kidding...kidding...okay, I'm serious, buy it. I need chocolate money after my Easter supply ran out too soon! LOL

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

What is sexy?






I was talking to my female friend the other night at the gym. My daughter had blabbed to her about how hot I think a certain guy who works out there is. So my friend and I were discussing his sexy factor. She decided that he was a turn-off to her no matter how good his body is because of his cocky attitude (this opinion comes up later on... keep reading).


I then went to work and had a similar conversation with a female friend there. I was descrbing this sexy man at the gym. My friend at work said, "Oh. I don't like those types of men. To me sexy men are are skinny, nerdy looking guys." She also likes the guy to have longer hair and the unshaven look. Not me.

Then I went swimming. Two women from my complex joined me at the pool. What came up? The subject of men! One of the women said she liked the guys with long hair and tattoos. The other woman said "Ew. No tattoos!" but she seemed to like the long hair.

The definition of sexy:


(from dictionary.com)

sex·y/ˈseksē/Adjective
1. Sexually attractive or exciting.
2. Sexually aroused



You can ask a million different people what sexy is and get a wide variety of answers. Apparently I don't need to worry about my friends stealing my man since they wouldn't even consider the same man I would find undeniably sexy (like the guy at the gym!).


Physically I drool over the lean or muscular guy. I prefer tanned skin with dark hair. I rarely would find a blonde sexy. The tattoos give the men a bad-boy edge, but I don't like long hair. Yep, I like the clean-cut guy with tattoos.


But sexy doesn't stop there.


Actions can give people sex appeal. Besides working out at the gym, I love watching the men work out. It is so hot to watch the tight t-shirt tighten across their backs while they are lifting a stack of heavy weights while their focus stays on the burn ripping through their muscles. Also, I man playing the guitar could make me melt right in my chair. Or swimming. Ever watch someone glide through the water, the sun glistening on their wet skin? Put suntan lotion over their legs or chest? What about working at their desk, sucking on the end of a pen while they focus on what they are reading?



Okay, so I mentioned what I find sexy. Would I only date the described men? Hell no I wouldn't. A man's confidence and intellegence is the sexiest thing of all. That doesn't mean that I like the don't-talk-to-me-I'm-better-than-you attitude either. The guy who can walk through the room, knowing he is a good catch, but doesn't rub it in other people's faces, and own's it! That is confidence and the biggest turn on of all. And the guy at the gym? He has that level of confidence. He knows he looks look, but doesn't hesitate to offer a smile to other people around him or answer questions about fitness. He is friendly, helpful, and sexy as hell. He own's the right to know it!




So the question today is: What do you think is sexy?





Photos from: freedigitalphotos.net

Saturday, May 14, 2011

HAPPY SATURDAY the 14TH

I'm sharing some unknown facts about myself today over at the Daily Dose of Decadence: Just the Facts with Gracen Miller!

I have a new release out too, a short erotic read, Fairy Casanova. If you read it, I'd love a review! My first book in the Road to Hell series, Pandora's Box, has been sent off to line edits! YAY! Progress...but I have no idea how long this process will take. *sad face*

Does anyone have any plans for today or this weekend? I hope to take my kids to see Thor today! I love to see Priest too. But the 9 year old says the commercials scare him and I would never dream of taking him anyway! Mighty Joe Young scared him and he called Mighty Joe Young a monster. My eldest watched that move so many times we could've repeated the lines right along with them.

I'd like to invite everyone to join my Road to Hell series fan page on Facebook...or even my prequel to Pandora's Box. Here are the links:

Facebook Fan Page
Madison's Life Lessons

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Huggles,
Gracen

Friday, May 13, 2011

Single Titles 2010 Award and a new cover!

Google Alert prompted me to check this link: http://singletitles.com/?page_id=5479  Boy, I was glad I did. My book, Passionate Bid won  Single Titles 2010 Reviewers’ Choice Award. So cool to see my name listed among the great authors out there.

st2010RCA 

 

ABLAZE Ablaze will be released soon by eXtasy Books.

 

Tierney O’Malley

http://tierneyomalley.com

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Happy Birthday to my daughter!







Sunday is my daughter's 14th birthday! I can't believe I've had such a wonderful child for so long. Not every moment has been easy, but I've always know what I gift she is. When she was little I used to tease and say that when she turned into a teen I'd run away until she reached 18. I have to say that I honestly love this phase of her life. she is such a fun, spunky girl! Some of our favorite things to do together are: grabbing a Starbucks coffee during a shopping trip (yep, she loves Starbucks, too!), having our all day movie fest where we curl up on the couch with our faves, and we go to the gym together every single night. She loves doing Zumba together.








I'd love for her to get tons of birthday messages! Please leave one.








Wendy Ely






Tuesday, May 10, 2011

5 Star Review for Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen ~ Book I


Reviewed by Evie Seo at Bookish Blog

Lord of the Wolfen by Alisha Paige is the first book in the wildly sexy series, Circle City. It's a delightful, spicy and very sensual read, with very likeable and well developed characters. It's a perfect book for chilly spring evenings, it will most definitely keep you warm! The heroin of this story, Zoe O'Brien, is a secluded and lonely widow, who, after loosing her husband and son in a car accident, decides to live far away from civilization. She lives alone in a worn log cabin built on snow covered Alaskan ground. The story starts with Zoe being yanked out of sleep by a wolf howl, followed by terrifying yelping. Convinced that local hunters trespassed on her property to kill a wolf, she pulls on her husband's jacket and runs out in hope to stop them. Instead of hunters, though, she finds a crazed mother wolf, who already killed seven of her pups and is now about to kill the last one. Zoe shoots the female wolf, just in time to save herself from being brutally ripped to pieces. She picks up the pup, cradles it against her chest and brings it home with her, intending to take care of the terrified poor thing. The pup she saved is not just any pup, though. As Zoe learns later, Axl (cause that's his real name) is a Wolfen, one of the People of Wolf, able to shift into a wolf form at will. As a matter of fact, he is the heir to the Wolfen throne. Accused of murdering the Wolfen Clan leader's daughter and kidnapping Axl, Zoe is taken captive by the Wolfen and she's imprisoned in the Circle City. She finds herself in the middle of the war between Wolfen Clan and the Kontar Clan, surrounded by creatures she never knew existed. Zoe's life is about to be changed forever and there's nothing she can do about it. Alisha Paige has written an unbelievably fascinating and captivating paranormal romance. She created an amazing, mesmerizing world, filled with beautiful, sexy creatures, burning desires and steamy fantasies. This book is erotic, fast paced and enthralling. Paige brings the reader into a fantasy world of Wolves and Dogs, a world of passion and eye-popping rituals. Erotica fans will love the sizzling heat of this story! It's one of those books you just can't put down until you've read it all in one setting! I really enjoyed the plot. Even though I am not at all a fan of Erotica genre, I had a lot of fun reading Lord of the Wolfen, it was perfectly balanced and not too overwhelming in it's sexiness. Whether you're a fan of Erotica, or you simply enjoy Paranormal/Fantasy novels, I think you should give this book a try, it really is a great read!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Mouse in the Wainscoting



Mouse in the Wainscoting is available NOW!

Here is the synopsis:

David Walker Craven hauls freight for Red Star Haulage. He had done so for five long, lonely years with only a sarcastic, sexually deprived computer as company. Her name is Miranda, the bane of his existence, but the one he depends on the most as well.

Everything seems to be going along swimmingly, David's plans of retiring on a desert island once he has saved up enough money looks to be in the bag. After each successful haul his dream moves one step closer to reality and all he left behind fades into memory.

Until Miranda detects a life form on board.

A stowaway.

David is soon embroiled in a series of events that involves a dead young man, a legendary being called a shifter and an alien race that scares the spit out of him. Can he survive the events that unravel? Or will his past, present and future catch up with him in ways he couldn't have expected? In ways that will change everything...forever.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Questions People Ask Me...

Good morning, everyone! When people find out I'm an author I usually get asked a bunch of questions. I thought I would share the most asked questions here! If you have some that I don't answer, feel free to leave a comment.



Oh yeah... the pictures are from a recent trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens here in Phoenix.



1. Do you base your books on moments in your life?



I don't! I have never based a book on my real life. There isn't a single scene from one of the books that came from my personal experiences. It is popular belief, however, that my feelings toward my mother (yep, someone even called my mom to tell her to read Jesse's Brother since Samantha's mom is really mine) is the same as Samantha's toward her mother. This isn't true. Even though my relationship with my family is rocky, my mom and I talk on the phone nearly every day.



2. Where do you get your ideas if you don't base anything of your personal life?



I get my ideas from life. Since I have a wide variety of interests and get bored with things very quickly, it seems like I'm always doing something new. Some snippets of stories will be taken from the news while others come from playing "what if" while I'm out at a festival or at the mall.



I people-watch a lot. If I see someone interesting I make up a story about them and jot it down in my idea notebook. This isn't only done for main characters but for secondary ones as well. It helps make up colorful characters for my book. I do not base a character on someone I know personally.





3. Do you plot your books?



For the most part I'm a pantser. That means that I have a general idea (which could be a really small one) of the plot and characters then start on chapter one. During the beginning stages of the book I will do a character interview for each major character so I can get to know them. It helps make the writing go smoother. If I get stuck along the way, I have several author friends who love to brainstorm with me. We either talk over the phone or meet for coffee.





4. Do you write the book from beginning to end or skip around the book, doing random scenes?


I always start with chapter one but allow myself to write scenes as they come to me. Its like watching scenes from a movie so I want capture that when I have a chance. I wrote Jesse's Brother from beginning to end without skipping around. It took me forever (over a year) for the first draft. Skipping around with the scenes lets me write the rough draft faster and I don't force myself to wait until the particular part of the book to actually write it (I've lost scenes that way). When I think of a scene which happens several chapters away, I put it in a new file. When the time is right in the book, I copy and paste the scene where it goes.







5. Do you ever let your kids read your books?


They are teenagers so they can if they want with the condition that they skip over the sex parts. They both choose not to. My daughter writes as well so she is more interested in my writing career and tells all her friends. My son couldn't care less that I'm an author lol.







That's it for today. If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask! I will be around :)



Talk to you soon,

Wendy Ely

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

May 1st ~ Historical Day!


Who wants to talk about books when Enemy #1 is now dead????? I'm so proud to be an American. Hard to believe it has been almost ten years since our beautiful twin towers fell. One of America's darkest days. I'll never forget. I was working at a pediatric clinic the morning it happened and we all rushed into a conference room to watch on tv. I remember watching the towers fall. Total disbelief. I also remember that no one really knew what the hell was happening. Even driving home after work, I felt like we were at war, that even Dallas, Texas could be bombed at any moment. Planes were falling out of the freaking sky. How many planes? Bad news just kept coming on that fateful day. I remember the country being glued to the television for months. Everyone was in zombie mode. Our world was changed forever. I remember hearing comments on television by people living in the UK, strange comments, almost cruel....now Americans knew what it felt like to be attacked on their own soil. Like welcome to the club. Hello...what the hell was Pearl Harbor? Oh, not on the mainland. Wow. So now we know. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost.



I knew of one girl who died in the Twin Towers. She worked for a music magazine, a dream job. A beautiful girl with her entire future ahead of her. I met her once. She was my first husband's best man's wife. I remember sitting with her in a bar back in the 90's on a night out. We chatted about dieting, the same things women gab about all the time. This girl didn't look like she needed to lose a pound but her husband was a bean pole. She laughed and said she just wanted to weigh less than her husband. That's how I remember her, laughing and joking as a band played and our husbands talked. Normal American life on a double date. She died that day. She and her husband were separated at the time. He never heard from her again. No one knew for sure but she never went home. He had to take care of her apartment, her dog. Pick up the pieces. She was gone. Just vanished in thin air. No body. No burial.

Yet Osama bin Laden was given a sea burial. His death will never bring back those we lost on 9-11 but perhaps his demise will help give closure, help us on this eternal road to healing.

May 1st is also the day Hitler's death was announced to the world. Strange.

I loved seeing Americans rejoicing everywhere; ground zero, George Bush's home here in Dallas...on a New York subway, riders sang the National Anthem at midnight.

Our Navy Seals kicked ass!!!! My heart goes out to the poor wife of OBL who was killed during the raid. She was a victim too. Can you imagine being in her shoes? God be with her. But there were many other women and children in OBL's compound there during the raids. I'm glad they were not injured. Job well done, Navy Seals!!!




Some shudder at the logos now gracing t-shirts or even Facebook avatars, like the Statue of Liberty with OBL's head in her hand or shirts that say, "Ding Dong, the bin is Dead!" Remember, he brought terrible death and destruction to our world, killing close to 3,000 people. To those who say it is morbid..and you know who you are....think back to that day. A beautiful cloudless, sunny autumn day when the Grim Reaper ripped through the sky, bringing the country to its knees.

But guess what, we're standing proud today! God Bless America!!! God Bless that Navy Seals Team! God Bless the souls lost on that sad day!

~Spread Love,
Alisha
Wicked Thorn and Roses © 2008. Design by :Yanku Templates Sponsored by: Tutorial87 Commentcute
This template is brought to you by : allblogtools.com Blogger Templates