Wicked Thorn and Roses

How a Hermit Left her Cabin for a Life in the WILD!

2012-01-03T08:43:00.002-06:00

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Discover the Wild! Escape Today...

One reader reviewer said, "The perfect blend of erotica and horror for readers who crave darker stories with a sexy storyline!"

Happy Tuesday!
~Alisha Paige

My Top Ten Favorite Christmas CD's of all Time

2011-12-18T13:22:00.002-06:00

Whether you enjoy more serious, standard inspirational holiday music or the fun more contemporary end of the music spectrum, I'm sure there is something on this list everyone will enjoy.

10. Handel's Messiah by the Bulgarian National Choir - Love this. If you've ever stood inside a choir while belting out the Hallelujah Chorus, you'd understand my love for this song. We preformed it when I was in high school and let me tell you, for a HS choir, we brought the goods. I've loved it ever since. Just brings me to tears every time.

9. Twisted Christmas by The Bob Rivers Group - I know, most of the songs are offensive, but all so freakin' funny. Come on, The Twelve Pains of Christmas is a classic.

8. More Twisted Christmas by The Bob Rivers Group - more of the same, but still on his game.

7. Christmas Island by Jimmy Buffet - It's Jimmy Buffet, enough said.

6. Christmas with the Rat Pack - That ultra cool trio of Frankie, Dino and Sammy. Come on, it doesn't get any smoother or better than that.

5. CBS Radio Christmas by Various Artists - These are just some really solid renditions of some holiday favorites along with some standard Christmas carols by some of the most beloved artists of the 50's and 60's. There are several CD's or downloads in the CBS collection. Check them out, you won't be sorry you did.

4. Boogie Woogie Christmas by The Brian Setzer Orchestra - The man is just so damn cool and talented beyond belief. The arrangements in this collection (there are two different CD's by the orchestra to choose from) are snappy, spirited and just plain fun.

3. Soundtrack from The Muppets Christmas Carol - Music and lyrics by Paul Williams - So clever and sweet and just all things muppety good.

2. Soundtrack from Nightmare Before Christmas by Danny Elfman - Anytime you put Danny Elfman on a project it's going to be awesome. Pair him with Tim Burton and it's a classic.

1. We Wish You a Merry Christmas by The Ray Coniff Singers - all right I went back a long way for this one. Back to my childhood. This was one of the few Christmas albums we had (yes, on vinyl - cause we really had nothing else back then) growing up. To me, this is Christmas. The arrangements are amazing. There is something very dire in recording on such songs as Ring Christmas Bells, O Holy Night and We Three Kings.

* bonus*

Anything by Sinatra. We have several of his Christmas CDs. Anything with his rendition of Jingle Bells is happening. I swear he was the first man to "scratch" on a record. When you hear the song, you'll understand why I say that. Also, The Christmas Waltz is one of my most favorite songs for the holiday season.

So may your season be filled with love, laughter and most of all music.

'Til next week!

-Kate

Dec-or-ation Time-- Come on!!

2011-12-11T07:34:00.002-06:00

All right, so I borrowed the music from Cool & the Gang and changed the words. 'Tis the season and all that jazz.

This is going to be a pretty short-short posting today since I have several I want to get done on my other blogs before I clean the kitchen and we go out to find our tree. Yes, folks this year the hubster and I decided to get a live tree - or well, chop our own down. (I know, sounds horrible doesn't it?) Now, I'm thinking about it, I'm not sure I really like the idea. I love trees and don't like the thought of hurting them. (all right, sad moment now.)

So, it's always been a tradition in my house to put up the tree on the 11th. Two weeks out from Christmas it a good time. Not too early, not too late. We generally keep it up until New Years, so three weeks total is enough. I know when I first moved to NJ and did a lot of home care, I noticed people leaving their trees up until mid-Jan or so. I was like..."Really, people...what are you going to do, take off the Christmas decorations and hang hearts on it for Valentine's Day? Lazy asses." -- Then I was told that up here there is a large Greek Orthodox population and they leave their decorations up until the Greek New Year. (I think it was the New Year anyhow, but don't quote me on that.) - Then the Seventh Day Adventists leave theirs up until Three Kings Day. (Not sure the date of that either.) Living in the small town I did in Florida, I wasn't really exposed to much more than Southern Baptists and the occasional Catholic. So, what did I know from Greek Orthodox? Then it made sense to me. Oh, all right so all these lights on the houses and stuff isn't because they just decided to extend the season well past its best by date, they haven't finished their celebrating yet. Got it.

So, we lost a lot of our outdoor decorations in the Great Flood of 2011. Those will have to be replaced in order to deck the outside of the house, but luckily the inside is set, all we have to do is drag the decorations down from the crawl space in the loft and sort through them. Now, here is where I insert a bit of a story from last year...

Dave went up into the crawl space to get our decorations. We had this huge St. Nicholas - very old world looking. Gorgeous deep red coat and fur trim (not real fur) and looked very Victorian. It was made out of a resin and molded. Anyhoo, the face had been eaten off by mice, so he had to get thrown away. I was pretty upset because I loved that version of Santa. So, Dave goes to unpack the Nativity scene and noticed the mice had been into the wise men. Yes, folks the mice had eaten the wise men. Not a smart move on their parts. I'm at work and talking to him on the phone as he's going through piece by piece and he says..."If the baby Jesus is eaten, it's war." - I got to laughing so hard I thought I'd rupture a gut.

Moral of the story - apparently wise men are fair game, but the gloves come off if you mess with the baby Jesus.

Wishing you and yours a joyous and blessed holiday season,

-Kate

Christmas Grocery Shopping with Rebecca Rose

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Wendy! Thank you for having me here.

Who doesn’t like the holidays? Most people will say, “I love the holidays!” Then in the next breath complain about the lines while shopping, the money you have to spend. What bothers me the most? Not what you’d think. While I have three children 7, 11, and 16, the hardest part is the grocery store. Aaagggg!

Now, I’m not one to complain, but does everyone develop bio-polar disorder, or what?

I try to keep thinking positive. And, while it very hard when you get hit with a grocery cart and are told to, “Move” from some stranger, I remind myself to count to ten. Fore, they might have a very good reason for being nasty. Here’s a little story about how just the other day, I had to rein myself in to not ruin someone’s day. (Including mine)

I was going to the grocery store with the three kids. Now, if I was a sane woman, I would have left them home. But, nooooo. So we’re getting out of the car when the 7 yr old, Jack, slams the door into the car next to us! Now no one out there can tell me they haven’t thought of inspecting the car and deciding its okay and not to leave a note. I was hoping for this scenario. What I got was a dent and paint scratch. So, I reached into my purse, pulled out a business card, because that’s all I had, and wrote a note with my name and number. Little did I know a man was watching me from his vehicle. When we turned to go, he gave us a thumbs-up. Awesome, that brightened me up a little about the problem.

The grocery shopping started as usual. I sent the older two on ‘missions’ to find things, while Jack and I went to the deli. This is where he proceeded to topple the carriage when I ordered our meat. The older two ones came back, I sent them out again, grabbed my sandwich meat and turned to find Jack gone. Panic hit me until I noticed he was under the carriage. Upon exiting his hiding place, I caught the carriage before it did a full-on dump, AGAIN. Now people are watching me and me vibrating son who can’t seem to sit or stand. I tried talking to Jack about Santa, Christmas parties, anything to distract him from getting in trouble. But it was as if some alien had taken over my son and left me with a jittering, chattering, nutcase! When my additional sandwich meat was ready, I kept him next to me but then found him on the floor.

“What happened?” I couldn’t help but laugh. He’d tripped on his own feet.

So Jack went into the back of the carriage and my 11 yr old, Leah, was in charge of helping me watch him. As we walked away a man said, “Mine was the same way around this time of year.” Very comforting words and what I needed to hear so I didn’t run from the store pulling my hair out. It was a ‘bi-polar’ moment.

After getting home we decorated the tree and Jack broke a few ornaments. And, while my head was splitting in two from holding my temper and trying not to ruin the excitement he has toward Christmas, I had to wonder…Who the heck is this kid?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS. May they be as sane as possible!

Rebecca Rose

Blurb: Sometimes Redemption Is The Only Salvation Needed To Forgive Yourself.

In his first ever selfless act Donald Write takes a bullet for a man
he just met, Daniel Allen. Now he's changed his name and moved across
the country to live with Daniel’s family whose welcoming home
reception wasn't very warm.

Jacqueline is Daniel’s daughter. This soft spoken, well dressed lady
soon teaches Donald that looks can be deceiving and her heart can be
his if he’s willing to open up and except her gift of love.
Donald hadn't counted on the intense and immediate attraction to
Jacqueline. She’s the boss’s daughter and off limits; that is until he
finds himself with an irresistible primal need to be with her. She
shows him love in a way he's never felt before and gives him the
strength to become the better man he's always wanted to be. But how
can Donald touch and care for someone so pure of heart when their
future can be destroyed by his past? A future built on redemption and
second chances.

WARNING: This novel contains M/F romance, action, and explicit sex.

To buy her books: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=103&zenid=dpgmkge3q608tnhhb0avsg0kh1

Echoes in Stone pre-order at TWRP.com

2011-12-04T08:46:00.004-06:00

It makes a great holiday gift, though I have to say at 376 pages, it's a little big for a stocking stuffer, so it had better go under the tree.

I know I say this about all my books, but I really loved writing this one. Noah, the hero, is sooo sexy, yummy and good. He's kindhearted but far from a pushover. Lilly, the heroine, has some baggage in her past, but it willing to try again...with Noah. (Well, of course she is...it's a romance.) But it's also a ghost story. Ohhh,scary, scary.

Here's a blurb:

Echoes of tragedy fill the walls of Campbell’s Folly.

Contractor Noah Chase heard mournful cries inside the castle when he was a boy. Now he’s returned to Sussex-On-Delaware to restore the castle and set the spirits free. To succeed, he must face his past, gain the town's cooperation, and come to terms with the emotions the sexy photographer he hires inspires inside his heart.

Lilly Briton has ghosts of her own. After a bitter divorce and estrangement from her family, the last thing she wants is to return to Sussex-On-Delaware. Hired as a photographer to chronicle the castle's restoration, she unwillingly finds herself falling for Noah.

Together they attempt to uncover the mystery surrounding Campbell's Folly and its curse. Yet before they can help the spirits of star-crossed lovers, they must deal with the past and the presence of an evil entity set on destroying them all.

****

Teaser:

What was there about Noah Chase that made her feel as if she’d just stepped to the edge of a deep ravine? There was no way of telling what lay in wait at the bottom until she took the plunge.

The castle walls seemed to close in around her.

The eerie sensation from the day before wound around her legs, traveling up her body like cold disembodied hands. “Lilly?”

She tried to take a step back, but her feet remained planted to the floor. Noah moved closer and held onto her as she started to fall over.

Panic attacks had never taken on such odd symptoms. Or was it panic? Surely she only imagined things. Noah didn’t appear disturbed at all.

“Does it seem cold to you?”

He searched her face for a moment then moved his hand in the space between them.The tips of his fingers brushed her stomach. Heat exploded in her belly on contact, chasing away the lingering cold.

“No. It’s very warm.” Color filled his cheeks and he stepped back. “I need to get back to work.”

****

Releases in ebook Dec. 16th. Available now in print.

Enjoy!!

-Kat

African SF Romantic Adventure anyone?

2011-12-02T22:49:00.001-06:00

“Rich with astonishing sights and sounds, primal fears and advanced technology, the simplicity of love and faith and the ugly faces of envy, greed and mistrust - this book is a magical tale that will have you hanging on right to the end.” – Amazon Review by DJP

Now Available

A Senseless Act of Beauty

John Rosenman

Crossroads Press

Buy link: Amazon, Crossroads Press

Blurb:

Aaron Okonkwo, a Nigerian scientist, travels with a crew in the 24th century to evaluate Viridis, which proves to be a beautiful and fabulous world. There, Aaron discovers a strange, alien species and amazing machines and technology left in a vast underground complex by a mysterious race called the Creators.
Aaron soon falls under the irresistible, seductive spell of Nightsong, a green alien female with ominous and bewitching powers. However, an even greater danger rises. He will be forced to fight for the planet’s survival against a ruthless invasion of many ships to conquer and enslave the planet – just as Africa itself was once enslaved. Aaron knows it’s A Senseless Act of Beauty to try to reclaim his ancient warrior heritage and fight back against such overwhelming odds, but he knows he must try.

Excerpt:

Peering through the shining leaves of a sarberry bush, Aaron Okonkwo watched the naked alien girl dive into the pond. Her green body lithe, and breasts full and firm in the sun. He wet his lips, feeling his blood course as her delicate, sinuous form glided through the water faster than any human could swim. She moved smoothly, with barely a ripple, her webbed hands flowing with graceful precision. Watching the water caress her long, slender limbs, he felt his body respond.
Aaron rubbed a muscular arm and took out his recorder. He tried to focus on dictating some field notes concerning the sixty species of moss he had so far catalogued, but soon found himself watching the girl again. This, of course, was not right. Their survey team had come to Viridis for a month to evaluate the planet for possible colonization and commercial exploitation. Indigenous, sentient life forms were officially off-limits to Confederation—’Fed—personnel because of the danger of cultural and biological contamination. Since they had landed two weeks ago and first met the gentle, humanoid creatures, he had constantly reminded himself of this fact.
Still, he desired her.
He knew it was more than just the exquisite molding of her form or her quick, light animal movements no human female could match. The clear, liquid trill of her laughter, seemingly so innocent, had ensnared his senses too. Then there was the strange way she would suddenly freeze and stand motionless. At such times, he felt as if she had not only caught his scent, but was listening to his heartbeat.

Check out John’s website: Http://johnrosenman.com

The Mountain City Bronzes by Madeleine McLaughlin

2011-12-02T22:22:00.001-06:00

“If you like dark fiction, you will surely enjoy Madeleine’s The Mountain City Bronzes.”

Now Available

The Mountain City Bronzes

Madeleine McLaughlin

Museitup Publishing

How far will a community go to protect its children when they start to disappear?

When Kevin learns of his mountain town’s evil past, he must struggle to understand his father’s part in it and how it affects himself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T05:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I know this year I have a lot to be thankful for. Last year things looked pretty bleak for the kids and me. Things are so much better now and I plan on this year's dinner being great and just enjoying each other's company. Also, my 'kind of' boyfriend will be having Thanksgiving dinner with us. Last year he lived out of town so we didn't celebrate the holiday together.

The kids usually help cook dinner... my son makes the mashed potatoes and my daughter makes the dessert. So we have a blast cooking and trashing the kitchen as we go! Our apartment is filled with laughs and lots of fun. By the time we are ready to eat, we are all wiped out. Dishes and the mess is cleaned up waaaaay later in the evening and that is okay.

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Do you have any special traditions?

Wendy Ely

If I had a Nickel

2011-11-20T08:16:00.002-06:00

...for every story idea I have that I can't seem to write on at the moment, I'd be a very rich woman.

Have you ever had "the story from Hell?" The manuscript that just kept going and going...like the Energizer Bunny on crack? You only need to add a few more scenes, but getting them on paper is like pulling teeth on a chicken? Yep, that's me. And instead of writing the last few scenes of my stock car racing book, I'm playing with wordpress and blogging on blogger. Anything not to have to open that freaking book that doesn't seem to want to do what I want it to do. Which is not very encouraging since it's been a requested full for months now. Granted, I was very up front with the publisher at the time I pitched it and said it was not completed. I believe in full disclosure in all things. I'm nothing if not honest. No matter how far behind I might get.

I originally said I'd have it in by Sept. (This is in my own self-imposed deadline.) Then with the hurricanes and floods in my area, concentration wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. So, now...yes, I've pushed it back. Now if I have it in by Christmas I'll consider myself golden. But at what cost? What if the pub thinks it took me too long to finish the book? What if they decide to reject on pure slowness. It would be a blow, but I'd send it elsewhere. Why not? Most of my rejected books get sent on to another place. I'm not one to sit on my laurels or even let the moss grow. I need to know that my books are out there earning their keep.

I really need to finish some sequels too. Oh, yes. This is the time of year when I lament about how much time has flown and how little I've gotten done. All in all though, I've had just as many releases this year as I have in previous ones. Though in all honesty, it doesn't feel that way.

I need better organization. So, if any of you have any ideas, please send them my way.

-Kate

Wrimo Wednesday!

2011-11-16T05:00:00.000-06:00

Actually, its Nanowrimo for the whole month! My mom called me last week. She asked if I watched some recent television show. "Nope," I said to her, "I really don't have a lot of time for tv." She then told me that she noticed (thanks to Facebook!) that I have more than enough time for Nanowrimo. I had to explain the reality of it to her. Just because I say I am doing Nanowrimo doesn't mean I am succeeding at it. What it really means is that when I have a few minutes I will jot some words down in my nanowrimo novel.

To prove my point:

Word count to date: 3,276.

According to the Nanowrimo website I will finish this nano-novel by May 31st, 2012. Do I need to remind you that this program only goes until the end of November of THIS YEAR?!?!

So my aunt (also an author) emailed me over the weekend. She said she was interested in this Nanowrimo thing but couldn't really find much information on it. I gave her the details of the program and explained that you didn't win anything. People call it a contest but its more like a program.

Her email to me: So what is the point of doing it then??

The point for me is what I wrote in the paragraph above. I do a lot of technical writing. I don't give my brain the creative pleasure it needs for balance. To me, nanowrimo is fun. It provides me with the motivation and push to get me writing again. Yes, I will admit, that I shouldn't need such a program to get me to write. I should make the time to do this because it is my passion, it is part of who I am. I need to relearn how to write every single day no matter what. Nanowrimo helps me do that... for the month of November anyway! Besides, I've met some really cool people who also do the program!

So... I will keep doing the program no matter if I complete the projects each year or not. No matter if I have the time or not. No matter if other people see the point of it... or not.

Write (and read!) on my friends!

Wendy Ely

Condoms in Romances?

2011-10-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

Let's talk about sex for a few. Okay, the condoms involved (or not!) with the sex.

The couple has been through all of their drama stuff: sexual tension between the two, outside issues, internal issues (its a romance, of course!) and finally decided to come together. It might be rip-my-clothes-off-and-take-me-now

kind of sex that is filled with so much fire and passion it could burn the building down. Or might be the take-your-time-and-discover-every-part-of-me kind of sex. Both are great and work well in romances. So we get the characters to this scene. They are kissing, touching, yearning for each other. One character pulls out a condom or mentions the use of one. Do you think it ruins the scene? Takes away from the fantasy and sensuality that romance novels bring?

I don't remember adding condom use in any of my books, but I've read some of my favorite author's books that have included condoms. The scenes were done with class and only a few words were added to show that the sex was protected. I didn't mind a bit because it fit with the character's personality. I do think the action of pulling out a condom or denying the other sex would throw me off if the character had been some careless risk taker unless he/she were paranoid of having kids.

So what do you think? Condoms or no condoms? I think I might want to add one in a book somewhere to mix things up a bit. Hm, something to think about for sure.

Wendy Ely

Writing Prompt!

2011-10-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

I love writing prompts so I thought I would post one in favor of Halloween! If you'd like to share what you have written feel free to do it in the comments section or email me at authorwendyely@gmail.com. I'd love to read them!

Talk to you soon,

Wendy Ely

Dreaming of Him Excerpts!!

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hiya, friends! I have the excerpts for Dreaming of Him. Can you tell I'm excited?!? Anyway, enjoy the reads....

Dreaming of Him blurb:

The dark brings romance…and death.

Loneliness has clouded Amber Addaire's life, but now she's ready for a change. After a complete makeover still leaves her unhappy, it's only when she starts dreaming of an oddly familiar - and extremely handsome - man that she begins to feel happiness.

Trace Elkson is a spirit stuck on earth long enough to let his childhood friend, Amber Addaire, know how much she meant to him before he died. He can't tell her what he is, or that he's watching over her. He can only communicate with her through her dreams and hopes she will eventually realize who he is.

In the dream realm, Amber falls in love with Trace but can she figure out who he is and join him before his spirit is forced to move on?

WARNING: A deep friendship, impending death, and a life saved.

Excerpt 1:

The man of my dreams stood there, his back to me this time, giving me the opportunity to look at him for any hint of memory. His straight brown hair had recently been cut. Despite the cool temperature, he wore an old t-shirt that seemed to fit over his broad back. The jeans he wore were faded and cupped his ass as if that style of denim had been invented only for him. My stomach fluttered as he turned around, offering a large grin. Had he been waiting for me?

“I’m so glad to find you here,” I said, walking over to him.

He held his arms out and I eagerly stepped into his embrace. It had been so long since I’d experienced this warmth from another person. “I was waiting for you.”

“Can you tell me your name now?”

He shook his head and stepped back. I wanted to stay against his chest. Having him against me washed all of the negativity from my life. “Remember what I asked of you?”

“Yes. You want time.” I turned my back to him. “I never feel this sensation with anyone else.”

****

Excerpt 2:

The sun had begun to sink behind the rippling water of the lake. My favorite time of the night had arrived, along with my favorite season--fall. The cool breeze made me snuggle deeper in my coat. I sat on the large rock, watching the moon glitter over the inky water. This place had been my favorite spot. Always the place I had gone when a problem chewed at my brain, since about age seven.

I felt him approach the rock, but didn’t turn toward him. My gaze stayed fixed on the grooves over the water’s surface. Even his sliding over the rock to sit next to me didn’t steal my attention. At that moment, he didn’t matter to me.

“Amber?”

“Mm hm?” My gaze remained on the lake before me. I had the sense that I had been in this exact situation before. But I didn’t know this man. I was certain of it, even though he felt familiar in a way I couldn’t put my finger on.

“What is bothering you?” He slid his arm around my shoulders and hugged me close, and I rested my head against his shoulder without hesitation.

“How do you know something is bothering me?” Tears of frustration threatened to spill.

“I know you, Amber.” He slid his fingers through my hair. “I can tell when you’re upset about something. What is it?”

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Was he someone I could trust? He must be. Being in his arms felt so right, even without knowing his name. “I’m trying to be someone I’m not.”

“I see.” He really didn’t. He couldn’t possibly understand what a fake life I lived outside of this dream. But he washed away the tension that had been bundling my nerves into tight bands.

“I don’t know what to do about it. That’s why I came here.”

“Because this is your favorite spot to think. Right?”

I pulled from the comfort of his arms. “How do you know that?”

“Because I know you, Amber Michelle Addaire.” He turned to me and clasped my hands in his. “I wish you would realize that.”

“But do I know you? What’s your name?”

His eyes. In each dream, those rich chocolate brown eyes drew me in as though I had once looked into them. Not in the dreams, either. In real life. Had I? Would he tell me this time?

“You’ll know soon enough. Sometimes rushing things ruins the situation. Time, my dear, is everything in this case. Give it all the time warranted.” He stood. “And Amber?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry about trying to be someone you’re not. Everyone does that once in awhile. It helps us discover who we really are.” A piece of hair fell down against his tanned forehead as it had the first time he’d joined me at the lake.

The man of my dreams disappeared then, leaving me sitting alone on the rock.

I woke up with a start. Why had he just left willingly this time? It wasn’t as if I had somewhere to go. Saturday morning had arrived, meaning I could sleep in all day. And be with him in my dreams. But nope. He had to disappear, leaving me to wake up in the dreary bedroom, dreading the day ahead.

There really wasn’t any reason to dread the day, either. Things weren’t so bad in my life. Many people in the world had it a lot worse than me, so why couldn’t I see it like that? I tried, damn it, but couldn’t.

***

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for this novella to be released (1-23-12)!!

Talk to you soon,

Wendy Ely

Tis the Month for Ghouls, Ghosts and Wickedly Witches

2011-10-02T12:56:00.002-05:00

I love, love, love October!

As a child, no month on the calendar could quite compare to the crisp, fallen maple leaf smell of October. Growing up in Michigan, the fall really was the most wonderful time of the year. Only a month into the new school year and the Halloween decoration were up on the bulletin boards, recess talk was about costumes. Weekends were devoted to apple picking at orchards and watching the mills make cider in the press. Fires in the fireplace were usually the norm as the days grew colder. Huge piles of leaves in the front yard that were perfect for jumping in. With memories like those, is it any wonder that I grew up to love this month of changing colors?

But it's more than that. I've always loved a good ghost story. I can't seem to help myself. The mere thought that people can come back from the other side and communicate with the living is one that has been with me all my life. See, I grew up in a haunted house. My mother, who really isn't a firm believer in anything paranormal--a stark contrast from my father who believed in everything paranormal--saw shades of people who may have once lived on our property. Not the house itself since from the way she described the clothing of the man she saw leaning against a mantle that wasn't like ours, it was a spill over from another era. But something about that man, saw into our world, our time and he looked directly at my mother and smiled then faded away.

Ghosts have followed me all my life. I don't think I've ever not lived in a haunted place, though in all fairness they are benign spirits who make more noise than nuisance of themselves. I'm fine with that. And given recent theories of time-space, whose to say that time isn't curled in on itself and the past and present, along with the future do not touch along some great cosmic helix. If that's the case, they have as much right to be in my house as I do--though I wished they'd do a little more around the house and perhaps help pay the mortgage.

At this time of year, I like to curl up with a scary book and read about ghosts, ghouls and wickedly witches. It's that same little kid in me wanting to relive my childhood and drink mulled apple cider with cinnamon sticks and sit in front of a fire. I do love scary movies, but sometimes nothing beats a great scary book on a cold autumn night.

By the way, I am looking for recommendations. Let me know if you have any. I'm about ready to get my Halloween TBR pile together. Oh, and the story doesn't necessarily have to be set around Halloween, but it does help.

Until next week,

-Kate

Interview with Lux Zakari!!

2011-09-28T04:00:00.002-05:00

What made you decide to write in this genre?

It was never so much a decision as it was a natural draw. I find it impossible not to write about relationships, with all the good and the bad, and for the most part relationships concern sex in some capacity. I choose to be graphic with all the sexy details because I’m being graphic about everything else everyone is feeling or doing. It wouldn’t feel right for me to skimp there. Plus, it’s hot and fun!

Which character did you like writing the most? Why? Which character was the hardest?

Finale’s protagonist, Olivia Gray, was the most fun to write. I loved the opportunity to be so sarcastic and describe the world in such a dry, ridiculous, over-the-top way. Her growth was also really satisfying to chart, as was the decline of her secret paramour, the musician Jonathan Levant. Their relationship and dialogue felt very natural and easy to write. The children were definitely most difficult to write, as I don’t currently have kids of my own. Hopefully I succeeded in lending them a semblance of realism!

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Tell us a little about your writing process.

I definitely start out with a synopsis to get me going, but I don’t write in any specific order. Actually, I write in no order at all; I’ll start in the middle and sometimes write the end before the beginning. I just go with whatever idea is most vivid in my head—that ensures that at least something gets done!

Where did you get the idea for this book?

The inspiration for Finale may strike some readers as obvious, but it goes beyond the bare-bones concept of a music legend dying under sudden circumstances and leaving his three children behind. This isn’t the music legend’s story. I wanted to explore the idea of what the aftermath of his death would be like for all the parties involved, and I wanted to intersperse the story with a complicated love story providing evidence behind the decision to leave the children under the guardianship of a person who never thought of anyone but herself.

Did it require a lot of research? What was your favorite part of research?

My friend cracked me up recently; I was telling him how on some occasions, I try to be an unobservant as possible, and he was like, “You try to be unobservant? How are you a writer, man? ...Maybe that’s why you’re prolific; you’re just making shit up!” Generally, that’s what I do; I definitely just wing it if I have no idea what I’m talking about, and for the most part, I have little experience with some major themes of the story, such as fame and parenting. But the story did have to be grounded in realism, so whenever I would reach a point where I needed a fact or some realistic inspiration (i.e., when the Grammies took place, what kind of car was popular in 1985), I’d just type “XXXX” and go back later to fill those spots in.

Is there anything you'd like to share with readers?

In the near future, look for some happy endings – but know they won’t come easy!

# # #

Purchase link for Finale: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=601&zenid=6682f72a0e56c6d5ef87b6d88e427d51

Purchase link for Coercion: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_12&products_id=315

www.luxzakari.com

Into the Home Stretch

2011-09-25T11:58:00.002-05:00

Well, here it is. The last fourth of the year. Autumn. The time of year when I take stock at what I've done and what I have coming up and realize I'm waaaaay behind.

Don't get me wrong, I love the fall. This crisp air, the comfy clothes. Fires in the fireplaces. Geez, it's enough to make me want to curl up in my favorite spot on the sofa with a good book. Oh, wait...I already do that. Except the book is mine and I'm trying like hell to finish it and get it sent into a publisher.

For some reason, I feel I haven't gotten as much done this year. However, when I look at the amount of releases I've had this year as opposed to former years, it's exactly the same. So, why does it seem that production is down if it's really stayed the same. Why do I feel as if the wheels are spinning and there is no traction? I know you've read me complain about this in the past...and I'll no doubt do it in the future. But how do I increase productivity when I'm already writing 5 books at a time?

The answer: I haven't the slightest idea in the heaven or earth how to do it. Granted, some of the books I've written this year are full lengths and not actually at pubs at the moment. I may not see a return on them for a few months. It takes a bit longer to write 2 90K novels than a few smaller ones and to get the ball rolling on them. That's fine. It's part of the job. Yet, I haven't had surgery this year like I did last, so there wasn't any real downtime...Oh, unless you count the four days my hubby and I spent bailing out our basement after the Great Flood of 2011 followed immediately by The Great Barbie Rescue of 2011. Trust me when I say it was a disaster of collectible proportions.

With any luck, now that I'm winding down on my second full length book and about to get that out the door within the next few weeks, I will be able to finish all the other ones on my plate and move on. I'd like to have a couple things go out the door in December or January. You know, end the yeat/start the year with something sitting on an editor's desk.

I will say this much for my 2012 plans-- I'm going to be cranking me out some hotter titles and while I'm at it, revist some worlds that aren't as hot, but sure sold like they were.

Until next week...keep those cards and letter coming.

-Kate

The Long Hood of the Law

2011-09-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

Synopsis:
Good must do whatever it takes

Casey and Bruce are assigned to investigate a paedophile ring in operation around Jadebrook. The victims are young, athletic teenage boys. Not only are these young men being photographed for the rings’ disturbed enjoyment, they are then murdered, their bodies dumped in the forest.

The paedophile ring must be stopped at all costs.

It’s up to Casey to find the leaders of the ring and all who they associate with before they strike for the eighth time. A major undertaking for all concerned, especially for Casey. He’s volunteered to go undercover, pose as a high school football jock. Thankfully, he’ll be backed up by the only man he trusts, his work partner Bruce.

But will that be enough?

Can Casey pull off his first undercover operation and stop the ring from grooming their next target? Or will he become a victim himself?

Excerpt:

“What you laughing at, baby?” Casey offered casually, not taking his eyes off the TV.

“Some newbie twerp on this sports chat forum I’m on, that’s what. I mean, get a load of him, talk about desperate. He’s trying to crack onto whoever will reply to him.”

Casey sat up, bringing the recliner part of his chair back into its housing, disappointed he’d been distracted from the game, but at the same time, concerned about what Jason was seeing. “You mean there’s a bloke trying to score in there? On a Jadebrook Tigers fan forum?”

“Yeah, I mean, look at this.” Jason pointed to a line of text on his screen. “He’s plainly got no fuckin’ clue.”

Casey got up out of his chair, setting his beer down. He couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, chat room talk all looked the same to him. “Where?”

“Can’t you see?”

“No. Now show me before I take you into the bedroom and start spanking that sexy hide of yours, baby.”

Jason looked up, his expression lit with his obvious excitement at Casey’s little tease. “You can do that any time you like, Case. My arse is yours.”

Casey embraced him, and lavished kisses all over his face, concentrating on his plump lips. “Now you’d better show me before I miss the first half of the game.”

“Only if you promise to take complete advantage of me at half time.”

“You got yourself a deal.”

Jason smiled, victorious and alluring, before turning his attention back to the computer. “Well, for a start, look at the way he’s typing the words, it’s all proper and so obvious. It’s like he’s never texted a message in his life.”

Casey could see what Jason was talking about, and now that he had, he was surprised he missed it before. Even in chat rooms, most of the time everything was abbreviated to text speak or shortened forms of words at the very least. Sure, there were emoticons added, but most of the time it was straight to the point. People typed in such phrases as, see u 2mro or Ur hawt. Not so with the person who referred to himself as terryboi69. He typed in stuff like, I’m free for drinkz later. No wonder Jason laughed. When Casey thought about it, replacing S’s with Z’s didn’t make for very good internet forum speak.

“I have to say, he’s gaining a lot of attention.”

Jason snorted. “Yeah, probably from all the dudes who feel sorry for him.”

Casey could see at least three blokes this man was conversing with. Was that all part of his plan? To act dumb in the hope of catching himself a date. One lad in particular, referring to himself as, TigerFanRuben seemed to be taking more interest than the other two.

Then again, it was a sports forum, not the usual haunt for gay blokes wanting to get themselves a fuck. Casey would bet the man Jason laughed at was only trying to be social, especially as the game was on right now. Most of the talk in the chat room was about how the game was playing out, them cheering over the goals kicked and anything else football related, including substitutions and injuries.

“Seems harmless though,” Casey said, returning back to his chair, flicking the lever to recline it. “Looks like blokes sharing a common interest to me. I’m all for that.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Jason began typing. “But if you want some free drinks, let me know. I can get this terryboi dude to buy us some. He’s organised a piss up at his house over in lower Jadebrook at five o’clock, everyone’s welcome.”

Casey sipped on his beer. “He sure is generous then. But just so you know, at about that time I’m planning to fuck you good and hard.”

Jason let out a guffaw. “Wow, the game must be going well for the Tigers. I’ve never had an offer of a half time and full time session in the sack from you on a Sunday. How lucky am I?”

Before Casey could answer, to let his boyfriend know how dangerously close he was to getting his clothes ripped off, his cock sucked dry and his arse pounded with all the affection he could muster, the phone rang. He leant over and picked up the receiver. “Hello, Casey speaking,” he droned in his usual manner when answering the phone which rang in the middle of a football game and right when a goal was kicked to bring his team forty points into the lead.

“Hey, buddy, you busy?” Bruce asked.

“Other than watching the Tigers game and getting into my boyfriend later because he’s too damn sexy, not really. Why?”

“Well, keep your cock in your pants, buddy. Sarge has called an emergency meeting for tomorrow morning. We’re to report to him plain clothes…no uniforms.”

“No uniform? Damn, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know the details, but there was another young man found dead out in the Jadebrook forest this morning.”

Purchase here:

http://www.extasybooks.com/the-long-hood-of-the-law-3-2/

Just Plain Five!

2011-09-21T04:52:00.000-05:00

I borrowed this from another blog and am adding my own spin on it. Here are some of my favorite things that start with the letter A.

Like:

1. Alexis- she is my daughter.

2. Ash- he is "the guy" I talk about occasionally.

3. A happily-ever-after - to a love story of course!

4. ARe Newsletter- I read it every time it hits my inbox!

5. Assisting the teacher- I work as a teacher's assistant for a 1st grade classroom and I loooove my job!

Don't Like:

1. Ant bites- I ride the bus and I won't even notice this little nasty bugs crawling over my feet until they start biting. It sucks bad.

2. Assignments- I'm so tired of being in school. I have 5 months left until I get my degree in paralegal studies.

3. Argumentative people- I had a big issue with that today. Why can't people just let others believe what they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone? I just don't get it.

4. Adult Swim channel- my son just discovered the shows on this channel which I don't approve of.

5. Arizona summers- its in the middle of September and its still warm. I swear we have two seasons "Too damn hot" and "Not hot".

I'd love to hear about your favorite things! Feel free to share so I can have a chance to get to know you!

Wendy Ely

Deadly R&R is NOW AVAILABLE for .99!!!

2011-09-19T23:54:00.001-05:00

Check out my new book trailer for Ruby Vines' debut novel, Deadly R&R! Available now for .99 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble Worldwide!

~Spread Love,
Ruby Vines

What are you watching, Wendy?

2011-09-14T06:13:00.000-05:00

I love tv. My kids love tv. If you come into our apartment at most any time during the day or evening, our tv will be on. The television serves as background noise for me and I can actually concentrate better with the extra sound. I watch it when I write, read, do school work, and housework. When I get up in the a.m I have to watch (or listen to) the news while I drink my coffee or my morning doesn't feel complete.

My last movie date conversation when something like this: "I'm really sorry for taking you to a guy movie, Wendy". I told him it was fine. "No really. I shoulda brought you to see a chick flick instead of the action movie."

Okay so I admit I'm a girlie-girl. I love pink and all that jazz. Obviously I'm a romance author so I enjoy a happy ending. But really? If I had a choice of movie genres I would have to pick action or a good mystery. I don't watch tv shows like American Idol or Jersey Shore. No way. I loooove crime stuff and I don't mean the fake crime shows like CSI. I want the gritty true life shows from the ID channel or the biography channel. That stuff keeps me interested from beginning to end and never ever gets old. There are so many ideas I scribble down from watching that stuff and then twist into a love story.

So, my friends, what do you like to watch?

Interview with Elise Hepner

2011-09-11T07:24:00.003-05:00

Today, I'm talking with my good friend Elise Hepner, whose Ellora's Cave Exotica Roped Emotions is about to release.

1) When you read a book, what draws you in to certain characters? What turns you off?

I really enjoy heroines with a huge self-deprecation problem, women who can admit they aren't perfect while still having a sense of humor about it. Sometimes the more cynical and sarcastic, the better. I gravitate towards strong attitudes on either side of the spectrum either through "screw you" attitudes or Meg Cabot's Size 14 Isn't Fat, sarcastic, chick-lit humor.

What can really turn me off about a character is an overly whiny attitude or when either hero or heroine are way to self-confidant. Heroes that order the heroine about because clearly they know everything--that drives me insane. I'm okay with a confidant, alpha hero but one who's pushy and super domineering makes me want to throw a book at the wall.

2) Have you ever been so struck by an idea that you had to sit down and write the story immediately?

That happens with almost every book idea I have. Luckily, I can write my idea on a scrap of paper and that keeps the creative knocking at bay until I can finish my current project and get to the new project. I think my favorite instance of this was when I sat down to write my Steampunk Novel a few months ago and I wrote 26k in a week. The story came really easily and it was a nice change to get so into it, all the time. Normally, my writing just flows naturally without me having to think about it, but this book really took me by storm until I couldn't eat or sleep because the words might leave me while I was otherwise engaged by an action that wasn't writing the book.

A lot of my short anthology submissions are written in a day, often in one sitting, from thought to final draft.

3) In retropspect are there any characters you wish you'd have written differently and why?

I find it's best not to think about past books in terms of what I could change only because it winds up getting me frustrated because making changes isn't possible until I get the rights back to that work. My writing has a really steep learning curve and I'm always picking up new ways of twisting words and building dialogue which means my books evolve all the time. If I thought about how I could have incorporated a cool idea that I learned this week in a manuscript that got turned in two months ago I think I would go crazy with insecurities.

4) Ever see a man or woman in public and thought, "Holy shit! They are so hot, I have to write about them?"

All the time! I am such a people watcher. I like to go to the mall near my house and just watch people outside the local Starbucks while I drink my caffeinated deliciousness. I try to be covert about it but I'm sure some people think I'm a weird stalker. But people are so unique and fun. I've never really had to make up a character's look from just the images in my head because I can find some feature to tack on there to make it yummy.

Blurb:
Rapunzel is trapped by the harsh, inescapable reality of her prison, so she builds vivid sexual fantasies where she has full control and no one can take it away. If nothing else, at least she has command over her thoughts.

When Prince Samuel climbs into her tower it’s a small, satisfying excuse to break the rules—until his gentle touch coaxes out her trust. But it’s not enough. No longer can she keep her dark, sexual secrets inside. Rapunzel yearns for rough, passionate sex—a way to unlock her sensual freedom for good.

Vulnerable but unable to turn back, Rapunzel leads Prince Samuel on an intimate journey to define their sexual limits while twisting their definitions of control forever.

Excerpt:

“What in Christ’s name…”

I must be hearing echoes from the town nearby, where Mother sells her herbs and braided goods. No one ventures this far toward my tower because Mother’s gone to great lengths to see that they don’t—bear traps are her new favorite method of discouragement. Once one life is claimed, I imagine word spreads fairly quickly to stay away from the area. Why then are there hoof beats that make my head pulse with a slight pain?

There’s no understandable excuse I can delude myself with any longer. Before I can focus on the consequences, I swing my head out the window into the oppressive, humid summer air. Just the very top of his head is visible, his hair brushing past his cheekbones, glowing from the sunshine and shot through with gold. Never have I seen a color so close to my own before—not that I see many people.

For a few moments I can’t quite come to terms with his presence and it’s not for a lack of staring that my pulse inevitably echoes inside my head like an overbeaten drum. This is my chance. Mother won’t be back for quite some time with her wares. He’s circling the tower, slouched over a horse who looks a bit like a nag. Certainly not a proper horse for a man with such fine clothes in gorgeous colors and sumptuous fabrics.

There’s no going back from this moment. It’s a certainty that makes my teeth chatter in a wash of cold fear, despite the heat, and my hands clasp around my middle as I try to hold myself together. He hasn’t looked up yet, more intent on studying the free-standing structure than noticing my shadow plastered across the grass. My mind is desperately working out what I’ll cry out to him. Even as my throat closes with an infusion of happiness that makes me rock on my feet.

“Excuse me?” A tentative question I’m not sure he will hear because it can’t be any louder than a frightened whisper. “Sir, you’re really not supposed to be here.”

Somehow, I’ve managed to make this part louder because he glances up—and his slack-jawed expression is a blow to my chest. He possesses the most gorgeous cobalt blue eyes. Underneath my ribs, the pain grows until taking a full breath is hard. Mother is right, he hasn’t even overcome his shock as my heavy plait of hair rests down the stone side of my prison. He’s not to be trusted.

What am I thinking? He won’t even come near me to aid my escape and his eyes are swamped in confusion—and there’s a flash of unreadable emotion that I refuse to question. He must leave here now and I must somehow convince him to bring no one back with him. I won’t be paraded around for anyone’s amusement. This man has made a mistake coming here.

Yet, there’s still a part of me that grips the windowsill until my palms are numb and that clings to the hope that he will at least acknowledge me. So long since I’ve had any kind of normal conversation. One that didn’t revolve around my hair, my rules or my mother’s day. Won’t he say anything? I’m as trapped by his thick silence as I am by the beauty of his face.

“Please, you must go and tell no one about what you’ve seen. You shouldn’t have ignored the traps. They are there for a reason.”

I don’t know how I’ve gotten that all out because my main focus lies on the foreign stirrings of heat in my cheeks as the pulsing sensation twists lower in my abdomen. What is happening to me? With a certainty that surprises me, I find myself clenching my thighs together, only to have the subtle touch of flesh-on-flesh be more than I can bear. He has yet to take his gaze from mine and a shudder slips up my spine.

“How long have you been here?” His voice carries the strain I hold back and I’m slightly put at ease that at least we are on similar ground. “Who did this to you?”

“For a man who is about to leave, I don’t believe it matters.”

The words barely tumble out of my mouth before I clamp my hand over my lips. I hadn’t meant to be so harsh and instantly regret it. He is so handsome—and these sudden urges, they are overwhelming and confusing to the point where I wish to completely remove the problem. My lips part in an apology and I watch a jovial grin span from ear to ear as he laughs at me until I can’t hear anything but the frantic beat of my heart.

Who is this man? Now he stares at me with a playfulness that washes a wave of goose bumps across my flesh. He doesn’t seem offended, merely amused at my suggestion that he leave. To further that fact, he quickly dismounts and ties his horse to a nearby tree branch. While I can only stare at the way his tight riding boots and breeches hug his muscular body from his calves all the way up to his perfectly rounded buttocks.

Though I’d learned of desire from my mother—and all its wicked principles—I never expected it to rear its head in my lonely, simple world.

However, now my life spirals out of control quickly enough that I tilt back against the wall to my left and watch with trembling hands. This mysterious man climbs the wall of my tower as if it had been built to be climbed so easily—without any aid from my hair. One strong, sun-kissed hand and booted foot at a time. When he offers up his hand to me to pull him over the side, what choice do I have? Even a man that strong would eventually grow tired and plummet to his death—and I want him tucked close to my body, not on the ground.

“I was beginning to wonder what it took to get some assistance.”

He softly grunts and clasps my hand hard enough that I gasp as I shift my weight to pull him over the side. Muscles I didn’t know existed inside me burn with sharp pain from disuse because of my isolation. His touch radiates heat all along my arm. If it wasn’t for his precarious situation, I would fight to pull away on instinct—but as it is, he manages to throw himself into my home with as much grace as a charging boar—and he trips, falling on top of me and sending us to the hard, stone floor.
His surprisingly soft hand brushes the hair out of my face and lingers, gently stroking, down my cheek. Should I be frightened? Probably. At the moment I can’t bear the thought that my first sincerely gentle touch from a man would be anything but special. His sharp leather scent surrounds my tingling skin.

“Isn’t this a day for surprises?” His gaze cuts through all the fear inside me and his mouth holds the subtle curve of a half smile. “I should move myself off you, this isn’t proper at all when we’ve barely been introduced.”

Yet he doesn’t move an inch.

A realization whips through my mind and would have left me on the floor if I wasn’t already pinned there by a gorgeous man who touches me with such reverence I might weep. When will this happen again? After this twisted, meandering path of fate, there is no doubt I will be alone again—and I want a loving memory to cling to at night when my old fears tighten my chest until I can’t breathe. This is a choice I can make for myself. And I won’t live the rest of my ordinary, sheltered life not knowing true passion when it burns across my skin.

“They call me Rapunzel.”

“Samuel.”

His inviting smile lights up my whole world.

Buy Links:
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9567-roped-emotions.aspx
Author Links:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elise-Hepner-Writing/311925106401

Thank you, Elise for stopping by and sharing this fun and sexy twist on a fairytale.

-Kate

WIN a copy of Deep-seated Passion

2011-09-08T13:55:00.002-05:00

AJ of BlackRaven's Erotic Cafe is giving away a copy of my latest book, Deep-seated Passion. Winning is easy. Just leave your comment and you'll have a chance to read my book for free.

Deep-seated Passion
Tierney O'Malley
eXtasy Books

See you all at BlackRaven's Erotic Cafe!

Tierney O'Malley

Mean People

2011-09-07T18:16:00.004-05:00

So my birthday was on my Monday and I had planned on blogging (with pictures included!), but my camera didn't work so no pictures were taken. Besides the camera issues, I scrapped the blog idea for a topic much more important: Mean People!

One of my author friends called me recently. She was terribly upset because someone had bashed both her and her books on the Internet. During a Google search, she had found the post that ripped her apart.

"Why are people mean?" she asked me over the phone. I wanted to sit there and call the author of the blog nasty names to defend my friend. I wanted to sooth her hurt feelings and make her feel better. I didn't call anyone names but I did try to ease her hurt. While doing so, I thought about why people don't like certain books or whatever.

Have you ever watched a movie and the main character reminded you of someone you know? I did. I love the movie The Waitress. I love the story line, most of the characters, even the main actress is one of my faves, but I cringe every single time the main character's husband appears on the screen. You see, the husband in the movie looks exactly like a guy who used to beat on my relative. It hits to close to home for me. If I was more sensitive, I'd probably hate the movie just because that one actor.

Back to books... I once had a new critique partner. She started reading Confessions and couldn't get past the first chapter. She sent back a nasty note with my manuscript that went something like: Wendy, it is impossible for people to sell their babies. It just doesn't happen. You won't ever sell this book to a publisher and I'm not going to critique it for you. I was pissed and wanted to ask her if she ever watched Lifetime because damn it, people do sell their babies. It isn't legal but since when do laws stop some people? Never. Just so you know, my mom was sold as a toddler and Confessions is #1 bestseller for romantic suspense on my publishers site! Anyway, I later found out that my new critique partner couldn't stand my story because it hit way too close to her own life. The stuff going on in my book reopened issues she had in her life.

I explained all that to my friend. Sure, the person didn't like her book and we don't know why since it is taboo to comment to negative posts. Something in my friend's novel might have struck a nerve with the poster of the blog. Maybe one of the characters reminded her of someone she once knew. My friend needed to just brush off the fact that the blogger didn't like her book.

What wasn't acceptable is the crap she talked about my friend. We never know when someone we talk about is going to read our blog so why should we make comments like "I would rather die than read anything from that author again" (that wasn't what was said. I made that statement up). I think that is a lot worse than saying, "I didn't like such and such in the book because..."

There is a difference between stating your opinion in a respectful way and being mean. So, my friends, that is all for this Wednesday! Have a great evening and I will talk to you soon.

Wendy Ely

Hot Damn....Men

2011-09-04T12:05:00.002-05:00

I've been on a tear lately. For some reason, I've had multiple m/m storylines come to me. Being the writer I am who let's the story dictate the romance...I'm going with it. This is a unique challenge for me since I've only had a few m/m romances in the background or as secondary characters in other books. (One of which was very sexy-hot but I haven't finished the book yet so it is still on my hard drive.)It was that heat generated by the simple act of the characters' mere touches or how the related to each other that made me realize I might be able to pull this off. After all, love does change no matter who the participants are - the emotions are still the same. The choreography of the love scenes will just be slightly different. Oh, and perhaps the whole pronoun confusion aspect, but I've not had a hard time with that on menages, so I'm thinking I'll be all right. (Keeping positive always helps, I find.) And if I can't seem to get something right, I always have several friends who write m/m who can direct me. So it's all good.

So, for my fans who are wondering...is she taking this new turn and staying in that sub-genre? The answer is no. These are very specific projects where the characters determined the gender configuration and it was completely out of my hands. Also, for two of the books, I just don't think m/f would work right.

I'm so excited by these projects that I can't wait to work on them. One is a 20K contemporary set on an island off the coast of Brazil. So hot!!! The other two are fantasies; one a novella and the other a novel length. I'm hoping to have the two novellas done and out the door by Christmas. (One is for a special call at one of my pubs so it has a deadline and must be out...I have no choice in the matter.) So far, both books are coming along very nicely and I'm pleased with the results.

That is my "pushing my writing boundaries" project for this year. Do you have any? If you do, what are they?

-Kate

Deep, hot, sizzling, true...it's love, baby!

2011-09-01T10:00:00.004-05:00

DEEP-SEATED PASSION

AVAILABLE NOW

EXTASY BOOKS

Aaron Hawke is a successful engineer, an overachiever, fiercely independent and cautious man. After eight years of being away, he comes home only to learn that his ex-fiancée who stabs his heart and left love’s bitter taste in his mouth is living and working in his grandfather’s mansion. Aaron quickly decided that she must leave. However, his grandfather’s will has made things complicated—Bronwyn can only leave when she has paid her debt.

Bronwyn Flaherty, a down-to-earth, honest, faithful chatelaine and utterly broke, is miserable. Aaron wants her to pay her debt or start packing. With her hands tied behind her back, she comes up with a solution—sex.

Bronwyn’s bold offer shocks Aaron, but he accepts it. He will use her whenever he gets a chance. Payback time. But two weeks into their agreed one month contract, he’s become entangled in his own seductive game.

Magolescence available now from All Romance eBooks!

2011-09-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

That's right, you can get Magolescence at All Romance eBooks right now! Begin the magical adventure of Shane, Joel and Will today here!

Dreaming of Him blurb is here!

2011-08-31T08:08:00.002-05:00

The dark brings romance…and death.

In the dream realm, Amber falls in love with Trace but can she figure out who he is and join him before his spirit is forced to move on?

WARNING: A deep friendship, impending death, and a life saved.

Deadly R&R....Coming This Week!

2011-08-30T12:27:00.002-05:00

For all my Texas readers who are still dealing with this HEAT WAVE from Hell...hang in there...there is a cold front coming! Next week it will be in the 90's and we will have lows in the evening in the 70's! Can I get a hell yeah? HELL YEAH!!! Woot! I need to go get some firewood..lol!

Ruby's debut novel, Deadly R&R, will release this week!!! Here's the blurb! Have a fantastic day and don't forget to spread love!

Blurb for Deadly R&R

Shay Reynolds was raised solely by her father and abandoned by her mother at an early age. Old enough now to take the reigns of her father's business, R&R Advertisting in Palm Springs, Florida, she's about as happy and as successful as a modern woman can get without a mother. Engaged to handsome Chase McMillan, an anchor on the popular national morning television show in New York City with her ads regularly nominated for the prestigious Clio Awards, she's a woman accustomed to life handing her roses. Her good fortune takes a nose dive when her fiance dies mysteriously. Falling into a deep depression, Shay confides in her chauffeur, Tommy Smith and agrees to hire his father's private eye service to investigate. Afraid to be alone, Shay shares her thoughts and broken dreams with Tommy. A serial killer is on the loose. Bad timing for Tommy who has always had it bad for his boss. Hot on the trail of a sicko who enjoys the shock factor of cryptic messages sent to the object of his affection, Tommy fights to shield the only woman who has never treated him like a hired hand.

An Eventful Vacation

2011-08-28T08:44:00.002-05:00

For the last ten days I've been on vacation from my night job (I say night, because I work shift-work and am on duty from 7p-7a). It was a real working vacation because I had much ado about writing to get accomplished in this wonderful end of the summer stretch.

So the week started out awesome. I managed to get my steampunk tweaked, the synopsis written and the packet off to the agent who requested it at RWA nationals. During this time, I experienced a phenomenon that is somewhat uncommon in my neck of the woods - yes, I'm speaking of the Great Northeast Earthquake of 2011.

As it happened, I was sitting in front of my computer, writing, when one of the ladies in the writing chatroom I'm always in, typed in EARTHQUAKE. Now, she lives in the DC area, I'm in NJ. About that time, it dawned on me that the swaying I felt at my desk wasn't from construction vehicles passing by on my street, or even the fact my inner ear was acting up and I was a bit dizzy. Simultaneously, the shaking increased and seemed to envelope my house so I actually saw it moving over my head. Needless to say I grabbed my dog and ran. Now, before you get all crazy and say, "Never run outside during an earthquake" let me reassure you that I live in a very rural area. I was in more danger inside my house with a possible roof collapse, then outside in my backyard where there is nothing. I can jump a crack in the ground or move out of the way of a tree, but I failed to see the safety in becoming the Wicked Witch of the East and letting the house fall on me.

By this time I'm shaking and needing information. I turned on the television and watched the news. Yes, it was confirmed. An earthquake. In my area. That big! Unheard of. We get small ones once or twice a year. 3 something on the scale, just enough to feel the ground tremble as it would during a thunderstorm or when they're blasting from doing road construction. Nothing major. This...well, this shook me a bit. I think it was more the WTF moment then anything else.

So, as I'm watching coverage I get my first glimpse of Hurricane Irene. What? Are you kidding me? No, Sheppard Smith was not kidding me. He was in earnest. And her she comes up the coast. But at this point she's a few days away so I am still hopeful she'll spin out.

Yeah, right.

I start working diligently on the contemporary romance I've promised Sourcebooks (from another pitch at RWA nationals). I'm almost to the finish line and am listening intently to the morning forecasts as Irene takes a stroll up the eastern seaboard.

Now, folks, I grew up in Florida. I know me some hurricanes, and I know me some preparedness. I had everything done and ready to go on Friday. It was just a matter of hurry up and wait as she took her own sweet time getting here. (I think she might have been sight-seeing, but I'm not sure.)

So, yesterday I finished the contemporary and started working on other things. (I have a m/m due to an editor in Nov.) So, I'm working and the storm is getting closer, but I kept working.

Then it hits me. (The idea for my blog today, not the storm, though as I write this, she's still shaking her tail feathers at NJ.) I'll write about my very eventful vacation. When I sum it up, it looks like this.

2 books, 1 synopsis, 1 earthquake, 1 hurricane. I sound like the weather/writing equivalent of a George Thorogood tune.

-Kate

A Busy Beaver!

2011-08-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, time to announce that I have been busy and not just sitting on my laurels :-) Us writers lead strange lives, don't we? When we're writing, everyone says...Where are you? When we're around on blogs and forums, the response is...why aren't you writing? LOL

Anyway, I have a new release, Away Team! I'm so excited about this one as Ely is one of my all time fav characters.

Here's the linkage thingy AWAY TEAM

PLUS!!!! I did a video for it, too! Check it out by going here:

AWAY TEAM BOOOK VIDEO

I also have a lovely new cover out! I blogged about it. Want to see? It's smexy...you have been warned

SMEXY NEW COVER!

ALSO!!!! I have another video done for my September release, a story about a transferrer named Rava! What's a transferrer, I hear you ask? Well, it's a class of human (in the future) who stores information within him--in his storage banks (testicles) to be used later by the Oracles or End Users. It's a cybernetic love story, too!

RAVA'S BOOK VIDEO

A new cover!!!

2011-08-24T21:33:00.001-05:00

I just got this recently so I had to share. Sorry, no blurbs yet.

Telling secrets with Confessions!

2011-08-17T07:23:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite current releases so I thought I would share it with you since it has been awhile!

Excerpt: (www.lyricalpress.com/confessions

Jordan sat down on the couch and patted the floor in front of him. “Sit down. Let me get those knots out.”

She took a few steps in his direction, stopping out of his reach, afraid to let him touch her. If he touched her, then she’d fall madly in love with him all over again. That couldn’t happen.

She watched as he leaned forward far enough to grab her by the hand. He pulled her to him.

“Are you sure you want to?”

“Yes,” he said. He guided her down to the floor between his legs. Before leaning back, she slipped her t-shirt off, revealing the navy tank top. His strong hands slid over her skin and she sunk back against him. She’d forgotten how strong he was, how needy she felt when he touched her. As if by magic, her body slowly began to relax underneath his touch. He kneaded her skin with the palms of his hands. The more he touched her, the more she felt at ease. She leaned forward a bit, making his legs embrace the rest of her body. His hands trailed down the length of her back toward the top of her jeans. A small moan escaped her lips. If only he would go lower.

“Feel good?” The words floated through the air like music from a past dream.

“Mm hm.”

He rubbed the small of her back, his hands working every muscle imaginable. “Remember when I would rub your feet each night after work?”

“The best part of the whole day.” His hands. His voice. He had cast a spell over her.

“I loved those times with you, Chels.”

Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, breaking up her intoxicated sensation. Chels? He used to call her that when they were teenagers. He was the only person who’d ever had a pet name for her.

“Me, too,” she mumbled.

“That’s what has gotten me through until now. Those memories of us from before you disappeared.” His hands stilled, but she could feel their heat against her.

Damn it! Tears welled in her eyes. He couldn’t see them, she wouldn’t allow him to. She scooted away him his touch, far enough away so she could stand up on her own without using his assistance.

“I’m sorry, Jordan. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“What are you talking about, Chelsea?” He tried to grab her by the hand again but this time she walked away from him. She went over to the windows, dried her eyes and then turned around.

“I told you everything, so now I should go.” She walked past him toward the stairs.

“No, you won’t.” The words were ice cold. It seemed like his massage had been some sort of dream.

She froze. “What do you mean, I won’t?”

“Let’s get something clear. Okay?”

She slowly turned around. She had never heard this tone from Jordan in the whole time she had known him. It scared her.

“What?”

He stood up from the couch and walked over to her. His hands jammed into his jean pockets. “There’s a choice to be made here,” he said. “You either stay here to help me locate my daughter or I contact the authorities.”

www.lyricalpress.com/confessions

Teaser....Wolfgang...Coming October 2011!

2011-08-16T14:44:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all my fans in the UK who have made me a best seller! Circle City is now #46 in the UK at Amazon! Wow! I appreciate and love all your fan mail! Soon to release in August is Deadly R&R and my young adult novel, Tusk. Stay tuned for Tusk's upcoming cover art!

Here's a teaser from Wolfgang, a tale of religion and vampirism! Happy Reading!

“I ate half the dust those last hundred miles.” Wolfgang Stone stepped off his shiny black Harley. “I’m getting a beer, want one?”
“Hell, yes.” Rage Stone had talked his brother into riding cross country on a whim. “God, this place is out in the middle of no man’s land.”
“I’ll pay for the gas. You get it next time.”
“Okay.”
Wolfgang wiped his sunglasses clean with the tail of his tailored Armani shirt. He kicked the beat up screen door open with the steel toe of his boot. The place looked like it was stuck in a time warp. The ancient gas station was smack dab in the heart of the 70’s. The scent of bacon and country eggs wafted through the dusty service station. Wolfgang noticed a bell on the counter. How many years had it been since he’d rang one of those? He scratched his jaw and frowned. Movement caught his eye. He saw a woman dressed in a short silk nightie. She hadn’t noticed him and he didn’t want to startle her by calling out. He glanced at his watch. No wonder. It was a quarter to eight. The brothers had driven through the night. They’d have stopped earlier but the oncoming storm provided sufficient cloud coverage for travel without injury. They could continue onward if the rains came.
“Darla! Where are my fucking eggs?”
Wolfgang removed his sunglasses and peered down the hallway. The gas station was connected to a home. The woman walked past again. He watched her fumbling in the cabinets. She cried out when the bacon grease spat her on the arm.
“Make sure you burn them to a crisp.”
The woman looked up when Wolfgang placed two bottles of beer on the counter. He nodded in her direction and she gasped, rushing down another hall. He thought he heard her mumble something to the man. There was no mistaking what the man said next.
“You let him see you dressed like that? You fucking slut! Go get some god damned clothes on and then get me my fucking eggs.”
“I have to cook the bacon first,” she hollered from the hallway.
Both of them had been out of his line of vision but within seconds, the woman was airborne. Without even realizing it, he was entering this couple’s private Sunday morning routine. He stormed down the hall, just in time to see her land against the gas stove. The impact knocked over the pan of sizzling bacon. It splashed onto her backside and she screamed in agony. Wolfgang kneeled over her and placed his palm on her back. The burns disappeared. The damaged skin was left looking pink and new. She raised her head to speak but the man spoke instead.
“Who the fuck are you?”
Wolfgang stood and met the bald man, eye to eye. He smiled, showing off his fangs. The man’s eyes bulged.
“I’m your worst fucking nightmare.” He grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him into the sky like wedding day rice. Baldy landed on the antlers of a large buck.
The woman screamed, scrambled to her feet and ran to the back door. Wolfgang moved like lightning and landed in front of the door, facing her. She screamed again, pushing against his chest but this time he took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him.

Their eyes locked and her arms fell to her side. She took one shuddering breath, closed her eyes and fell into his arms. He tucked her honey colored hair behind one ear and sniffed her long neck. His crotch tightened. A groan escaped his throat. His fangs grew as he picked her up. He would enjoy her more lying down and right now he couldn’t decide if he wanted to fuck her or suck her.
“Wolfgang! Put her down!”
The elder vamp hissed at his brother. Rage was at his side in a flash, his fangs withdrawn.
“I will not. Let’s share her.”
“Fuck that. You promised not to kill. That’s why we’re on this trip.”
Wolfgang’s blue eyes dilated to tiny pin points. His fangs shortened a bit. “She smells so good.” He sniffed her again. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“Gorgeous. But she’s not ours.”
One last grunt came from the hanging corpse. Rage turned to see. “Holy shit! What have you done?”
“He threw her across the room. She’s abused.”
Rage dug his fingertips into his eye sockets. “You can’t just kill him.”
“I just did.”
“So I see. Put her down.”
“I will. When I’m finished.”
“I won’t let you kill her.”
“Then I’ll just be her maker. She’ll make for good company on the road. I just saved her from a lifetime of abuse.”
“Are you insane?”
“I’m sure of it.”
The girl moaned. Her eyelashes fluttered.
“Let’s get out of here. She’s waking up.”
“I’m in no hurry.”
A car door slammed. Rage peered down the hall. “Fuck, it’s a state trooper!”
“Shit!”
“Shit is right! We have a dead man hanging on the wall.”
There was a knock at the back door. Rage peered through the peep hole. “It’s him. Let’s get out of here.”
“I’m not leaving her here to take the fall for this.”
“How many women can throw their husbands onto a pair of antlers? Leave her.”
Wolfgang ran down the hall and busted through the screen door. Rage flashed himself outside but his brother was gone. He heard footsteps coming from the side of the house.
"Damn! I’ll come back for the bike."
A bolt of lightning shot across the dusty parking lot. A tumble weed rolled over his boot. Rain slammed into the hot asphalt as Rage disappeared like the wind.

Dylan Band--Handsome, sexy, delicious, and full of secrets...

2011-08-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

ABLAZE
EXTASY BOOKS
AVAILABLE AUGUST 15, 2011
TIERNEY O'MALLEY

A visit with Jesse's Brother

2011-08-10T07:17:00.000-05:00

I revisited my current releases and thought I would share. I hope you enjoy the excerpt of Jesse's Brother!

Excerpt: (www.lyricalpress.com/jesses_brother)

Noah stabbed the pitchfork into the hay, trying to get a head start on tomorrow's chores and Samantha out of his thoughts.

He always returned to his trailer once the sun went down. He'd had the same routine every night for the last year: work until dark, then home for dinner and a shower. Blue and a good book made great company as far as he was concerned.

Martin didn't care when Noah ended work for the day as long as he met the day's goals and took care of the animals. Any night of the week, he could have hung around town meeting new people and scored a date or two. There was even talk about a few of the local women being interested in him. He, for sure, noticed the attention, sometimes even heard the whispers amongst the women as he walked by. Most men liked having their egos stroked, but it actually did the opposite for him. As a result, he stayed away from town as much as possible. It gave him an incentive to follow the same routine he'd stuck to for the past three hundred sixty-five nights.

Not tonight, however. Tonight he had met Samantha Johns, and needed to work off the impact she had made on him.

When he'd just finished feeding the animals earlier, he'd spotted her sitting up against the fence. Her tears had done him in when she raised her pretty blonde head to reveal the sadness in her beautiful blue eyes. She'd tried to push the tears away before he spotted them but it had been too late. Her tear-streaked face had been a spear to his heart. He wasn't sure why, but he had to help rid her of the pain she'd carried around.

After walking out of his family's life, he'd avoided relationships of any kind. He'd loosened up a bit, working on the ranch. Martin had become a role model to him, but Noah didn't want to care about anyone else. Not even Samantha. Now he knew her story and wanted to be in her life. It was terrible to be totally alone and Samantha didn't deserve to be.

"Damn it!" He threw a bale of hay onto the barn floor. "Why did she have to come here?"

Frances, Samantha's mother, had shown up in the barn a few days before to give him a subtle warning to stay away from her daughter. He didn't pay any mind to the idea of Samantha being around the farm and hadn't even asked any questions about her. He'd shrugged and turned back to his work. He was surprised she hadn't been more like queen bee Frances, ready to sting anyone within arm's length. Even though he'd heard stories about her childhood from Martin, he'd never once fathomed the idea that Samantha Johns would indeed be beautiful with those freckled cheeks and dimples. And the added bonus? She was equally sweet.

Samantha's presence could become a complication in his well maintained life. He didn't need any extra hurdles. Lord knew he'd had enough of those along the way. Getting involved with someone was complicated enough, but with the boss's daughter? Probably not a good idea. The fact that Frances hated the very air he breathed made the situation worse.

"I never take the easy road," he grumbled as he wiped the sweat trickling down his cheek. What was Samantha doing now? His eyes switched over to the door. It would be nice if she'd come down to the barn.

www.lyricalpress.com/jesses_brother

Meet a Band in ABLAZE

2011-08-04T02:19:00.001-05:00

ABLAZE—The story of Dylan Band

AVAILABLE AUGUST 15, 2011

EXTASY BOOKS

TIERNEY O’MALLEY

Dylan Band loves women, but after his ex-fiancée cheated on him, he has decided to create rules to avoid getting hurt again. He plans to stay commitment and pain-free. If he can have a wondrous one night with a woman, that’s good enough.

When Frappuccino-addict Angel McCready comes to stay in the condo he shares with her grandpa, he knows how to keep his heart well-guarded from her charm and still flirt with her.

Coming to Seattle, Angel expects to find a relaxing down time. To get away, to forget that she nearly married a man with horrible secrets. What she doesn’t expect is to find that’s she’ll be sharing the condo with a delicious tour guide who must have majored in flirtation, who reads to her to help her sleep and has made her forget about everything with a simple smile.

Their flirtation escalates to a mind-blowing erotic sex. In two short weeks, their time together becomes an addiction. Night and day, they share wondrous times together. Angel is an aphrodisiac Dylan begins to fall in love with. They’re perfect. But there is one problem. Dylan is not what he presents himself to be.

Tierney O’Malley

Romance Author

http://tierneyomalley.com

Making it all fit!

2011-08-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was scanning through the cable channels Saturday morning looking for a something good to watch. After reading the description of The Crush, I decided to give the movie a shot. The movie was described as a suspense (my kind of genre!) about a college student who had sex with a woman. The woman then became obsessive. I started watching the movie and things that didn't make sense started jumping out at me.

If you are an author you know what I'm about to talk about. If you are a reader only, you might find it interesting to know about this part of the writing process. When we are writing a book we have to make sure that the actions fit well with the plot. Everything has to run smoothly together or we get our edits back with comments like "Why is she doing this? It makes no sense at all," or that the details don't fit with the plot, or that something similar. Our books are like puzzles, every single piece must fit perfectly or the picture is not complete.

So back to the movie. One of the key points is that the college student is house-sitting for a rich stranger. As the owner of the house leaves, he mentions his niece stopping by occasionally for a swim. I had an issue with this. Why would the owner have a stranger live in the house while his niece (an adult) lives close by and can do it? Did not make sense to me. I kept watching. So the college student met the "niece" who happens to be there all the time! He has sex with the niece even though he has a girlfriend and the niece becomes obsessive over the college student. At one point she wraps her hands around his neck and makes him tell her that he loves her. The college student becomes so scared of this chick that he can't sleep at night. It effects his schooling and the sport he plays. So why doesn't he leave? I don't know and that fact alone bothered me. The owner calls the college student who mentions that he had met the owner's niece. Guess what? The owner told him that meeting his niece wasn't possible since his niece had taken a trip out of town. Did the college student leave yet? Heck no. I would have packed up my crap and hit the road. He later finds out that she is a ghost and is in love with the college student.

There wasn't any ghost stuff through 3/4 of the movie. There wasn't any hint of the movie turning paranormal or even close. I kept watching though just to see how it ended. The ghost woman transformed from being a beautiful woman to an evil entity which the sudden change scared the crap out of me. I couldn't look at her half the time. Even after the change, the actions didn't make sense. She told the college student (now locked in the house so he couldn't leave) that she was the one who would end all of this stuff but then she went into the water with slit wrists. Made no sense. Then she was back in the bedroom telling him he needed to die so he could be with her forever. She did manage to kill him as his girlfriend (who had been ignoring him all through the movie) suddenly appears to save him.

I love watching movies that reminds me of the "right way" to write a story. By showing me everything wrong, reinforced the desire to make everything fit smoothly together. I don't want a single reader to ask why the heck I threw another puzzle's piece in the center of the one the reader is enjoying. Thanks, crappy movie writers, for reminding me of this!

Happy Wednesday!

Wendy Ely

www.lyricalpress.com/wendy_ely

Bunnies of Destiny

2011-07-31T06:50:00.004-05:00

The plot bunny.

We all have them. Those furry little creatures who invade our dreams and sometimes waking hours, begging us to pick them up and squeeze their soft little bodies next to our cheeks and nurture them.

Beware the plot bunny.

It can suck you down into the rabbit hole of despair and take you on a trek that even Alice couldn't survive. Taking you away from stories you need to finish and ensuring that you've blown every possible deadline you can imagine. That's its job. To twitch its little nose at you in that oh so cutesie way until you can't ignore it a second longer, but go chasing after it as it races down the cabbage patch of scenes and chapters.

But wait. What is that in between rows of characters? Oh, My God...it's another one!

And then you look, but one bunny has gone the way of the lake and the other has taken off toward the forest. At this point the bunnies can't even be married together. They have taken divergent paths and must be kept separate for all eternity. Damn bunnies. Selfish, mean-spirited....awww look at this baby one right over here. It's just a tiny one. He won't eat much or take up much time. He's probably only good for a novella anyhow.

Beware that cute little bunny most of all. For even the ones who are small and unassuming can grow to the size of War and Peace...or even a series as long as The Wheel of Time.

If a friend offers to give you a bunny, or send one your way- are they really a friend? You might want to ask yourself this question and contemplate it carefully. Once you have a plot bunny infestation, it is very hard to get rid of. Only time hunched over a keyboard and staring at screen will rid you of their multiplying numbers. It's true. I've seen it happen. I've also been a victim. I still am...for I hear one rustling in the corner behind me as I type.

Oh, please merciful God in heaven, let it only be passing through. I have enough of you in my hutch already.

-Kate

Where have you been, Wendy?

2011-07-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hi. I haven't actually been asked where I have been, but I am sure people have been wondering. Writing used to be a giant part of my life. After I decided to take writing seriously, I started promoting myself as an author which meant my name was everywhere. Not so much anymore. I haven't even been posting on Facebook, talking to my author friends, or blogging lately.

Why not? If you read my posts you probably already know that I'm in college and work. I also have an internship at a law firm. Besides that, I'm a single mom. So when I'm not doing all of the stuff required for college or work, I'm hanging out with my teenagers. Writing has taken a backseat in my life.

To add to all of the craziness going on, my power cord to my laptop died. My son's computer didn't have any word programs so I had to track one down. Money is limited these days so I had to come up with either a new cord or a word program without forking out the money. And nope... I didn't steal the program off the Internet either. A very good friend offered me a copy to put on my son's computer even though I prefer having my power cord replaced. All my books are on there.

Anyway, back to the writing issue. It has always annoyed me when writers would complain and whine that they didn't have enough time to write. I used to be busier then than I am now and managed to write 5 books in a year. "How do you do it?" writers often asked me. I always explained to them my 5 minute rule. Sit your butt down (or stand at a counter and type between stirring dinner if that's what it takes) for 5 minutes. I made myself do that every single day no matter what. It forced me in the habit of writing. When I didn't write, I felt like my day wasn't complete. More often than not, I ended up writing for more than 5 minutes.

So why aren't I writing now? During the week I'm exhausted. My job has my physically drained Monday through Friday. My school has me mentally drained during the week as well. When I have time to sit down and write during the week, I can't. The weekends are another issue. I have the time to write. And I just don't. I have turned into one of those whiny writers. Every Saturday and Sunday I can come up with other things I should be doing besides writing! Here, my friends, is where I am declaring my goal. I will not be one of those writers who irritate me because I will write for at least 5 minutes every single Saturday and Sunday!

Talk to you soon,

Wendy Ely

www.lyricalpress.com/wendy_ely

Come on In, Boys...the Water's Fine!

2011-07-26T17:17:00.001-05:00

I made a very cool discovery recently. My books are appealing to men! As my paranormal romance novels have turned darker, my audience has widened and that is a very good thing!

Welcome to my world, all you Testosterone filled readers! Seems I'm tapping into new territory...horror readers, dark fantasy, dark paranormal readers...and as one male reader said, "I go for your fiction that is a little farther out there." Best compliment I've received in a long time! So nice for him to write me and give me feedback. I truly appreciate it when I hear from readers. He also gave me some great advice:

"As long as you are writing what makes yourself happy, it will show through your work. That's what makes people so talented, they are just doing what makes themselves happy, and the end product is usually amazing, and other people dig it."

Thank you, Mike! You go down in my book as my first male reader. Anyone else out there?

Genre blending has always been something I'm inclined to do and now I'm experiencing some growing pains with it. Some good stretching pains and some not so good from readers who feel my writing has turned a little too dark. While I'm gaining new readers, I'm also losing a few but that is how we as writers find our true audience.

I can't feel bad about it. I just sold my 1848th book since Circle City released in late March. I could get used to this new audience.

Spread love,
Alisha

Magolescence Out Now!

2011-07-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

Magolescence is out now from eXtasy books! Click here to get your copy. Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:

Shane swallowed hard. Was he going to be a man and tell Joel how he really felt or was he going to back out like he always did? They had cock played plenty of times, so asking Joel to be with him while naked was nothing new. It's just that they had never held hands or kissed or hugged, stuff real lovers did. Joel knew this. Shane had made it clear that friends could be naked but couldn't be intimate together. That was the golden rule, wasn't it? Friends were there for mutual jack-offs and slaps on the arse. In truth, Shane wanted to be intimate…he was just scared.

While Shane was contemplating any course of action, they both went into the bathroom proper. In that moment, Joel reached out and grabbed Shane by his hand, clasping him tight.

Shane was taken aback. "Joel?" he whispered.

The bathroom was small and he began to feel claustrophobic. Or was that because he was so stunned by what had just transpired it felt like the walls were closing in all around him? Then again, his cock stirred into action and he could feel the silk of his boxers rise up to reveal the fact that his body deceived his words.

"I've got a confession to make, mate. And seeing as it's your birthday, I've decided it's time to let you know how I really feel about you."

Joel came closer, grabbing both of Shane's hands. "What? This isn't like you…I mean, you've never been so forward with me before, even when we've mucked around." But Shane didn't pull away. He enjoyed Joel's touch, the feel of his hands in his. It was…intimate.

"That's where you're wrong. This is exactly like me." Joel smiled, revealing his eyeteeth. Fuck, he was cute when he did that. Shane's stomach tingled with flitters of anxiety and nerves. His cock hardened. "I--I want to be with you, Shane. I mean. Oh, fucking hell, you'd think this would be easy seeing as I've known you so long. I mean…I want you to be my boyfriend."

Shane felt a wave of emotion wash over him. Confusion, doubt and curiosity among them, all vying for supremacy within. Yet, he was happy. "You're having me on. Stop it. You know how I feel about you so why toy with me like this? I don't care if we touch each other, but no intimacy, remember."

"You remember the night we kissed?" Joel came even closer to him. So close he could feel his breath tickle his lips. Shane's hands trembled, and in that moment he knew Joel could feel that, too. He couldn't hide his emotions any longer.

"Sort of. I was kind of plastered," Shane admitted.

"I wasn't." Joel bought his lips closer, brushing Shane's.

Mixed emotions once more rose up like the butterflies in his stomach. "What do you mean? Didn't you…drink?"

"No. I wanted you, Shane. Then and now."

"I don't understand. Why tell me this today?"

"Why? 'Cause I'm a pillow biter and I want you and I don't know how much longer I can stand it. I love guys, Shane. I'm a boy lover, a mother fucking gay boy, you hear?"

Shane didn't know what to say. He wanted to be the one to come out to Joel, not the other way around. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be the man. There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the drip of water from the shower rose.

After a long moment, Shane offered a quivering smile, looking into Joel's eyes. He saw conviction, but above all, he saw both love and a desire he understood.

He hadn't let Joel go. They were still holding hands, their fingers locked in a wonderful yet sweaty grip. "So what's changed?" Shane said slowly.

Joel lowered his gaze. "I want more than just cheap thrills. I want…I want to, oh fuck me, I want to be with you always, Shane."

Another Milestone! 1732 Books Sold!!!!!!

2011-07-19T13:25:00.003-05:00

Today I'm celebrating another milestone! I crossed over the 1700 mark! Thank you to all my wonderful readers and all my very supportive author friends and family! I am reading and enjoying all of my fan mail and promise to write to every single one of you.

Thank you to our kind mailman for dropping off the mail bag with all the reader fan mail. I can't believe he had to make a special trip. I'll be sure to do something special for him this Christmas with all his trips to my house delivering books, mail and promotional items.

To keep everyone updated....I'm still waiting to hear back on the agent interested in pitching Circle City as an HBO series. I will let you know as soon as I hear back.

Spread love,
Alisha

Almost 1600 Ebooks Sold!!!!

2011-07-05T18:17:00.003-05:00

In four short months, I've sold close to 1600 ebooks at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords!

My paranormal romance, Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen is currently a bestseller in the UK!!! As of this writing, it is #22 across the pond! It has hit the bestseller's list several times in the US as well. The Hour Glass Witch has also hit the bestseller's list in the US and the UK!

The best thing about living the Indie Dream is that I have total control over creativity, cover art, release dates and price! And the second best thing is that the Gatekeepers are MY WONDERFUL READERS. Not agents. Not editors who give us what they think we want to read. Readers. Readers decide what they want to read. They spread the word.

Indie = Freedom for both author and reader! The best of two worlds!!!!

A big thank you to all my readers in the US, the UK and my one lonely reader in Germany!! Where are you? I'd love to hear from you! I answer each and every fan letter! Write me at alishapaigewilson@yahoo.com.

I hope all my friends in the US had a wonderful 4th of July!

~Spread Love,
Alisha

A stuffed animal and the accident!

2011-06-29T18:36:00.003-05:00

Something weird happened to me. This morning I was on the sidewalk in front of my job (an elementary school) when some guys sitting on a curb tried to talk to me. I ignored them and continued walking. One of the guys got up and ran after.

"Excuse me!" he said behind me.

I turned toward him. "I don't have any money," I said since I always get asked for money in that neighborhood.

"No. I don't want money. I just want to give you this." He held out the cutest pink fluffy stuffed animal. The tag says it is a Love Bug.

"I said I don't have money," I said instead of taking the stuffed animal from his outstretched hand. He held the Love Bug closer to me.

He smiled. "I don't want your money. Here."

I thanked him as I took the Love Bug and turned toward my work again.

A few hours later my coworker came into the office and mentioned the same guys outside. I showed her the Love Bug because it made my morning.

Well, a short time later the area where the guys had been was blocked up with crime scene tape. The intersection was blocked by police. My boss had watched a guy get hit by a car. The car had hit him so hard that he practically bounced off the car's windshield. The description fit that of the guy who gave me the stuffed animal.

It might not have been the same man but I have a feeling it was the same man. When I left work the man's friends were still there but he wasn't.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my story. Talk you later,

Wendy Ely

Madison's Life Lessons on the Road to Hell: Pandora's Box T-Shirt Contest

2011-06-25T10:14:00.001-05:00

COME JOIN us for a fun contest that YOU get to participate in for a chance to win a Pandora's Box T-shirt! Click on the link below for the T-Shirt Contest...

Madison's Life Lessons on the Road to Hell: Pandora's Box T-Shirt Contest: "I want to turn YOU into the author for this contest. I'll give you the scene, you just need to finish it out with a sentence or two, a parag..."

Mouse in the Wainscoting now at Fictionwise

2011-06-22T22:44:00.003-05:00

Mouse in the Wainscoting is now available at Fictionwise! Go grab your copy. Click here to start the adventures that will form the Schism Universe.

Who Wants to Win a Kindle?

2011-06-21T11:48:00.001-05:00

The June issue of eFiction is now out!!! Subscribe to the best eFiction Magazine in the Milky Way!

HELP TO PROMOTE eFICTION MAGAZINE VIA TWITTER AND YOU'LL BE ENTERED TO WIN A KINDLE!!!!

Retweet this: @Alishawriter #RT to win a #kindle from #eFiction http://www.efictionmag.com/ #kindle #amazon #indieauthors #webfic #Read #amreading #story

I'm a proud contributor of eFiction Magazine! Check out my ad in the June issue!
Let's help this wonderful magazine grow and grow and grow!

Spread Love!
~Alisha

Sarge's Angel is out now!

2011-06-16T02:54:00.002-05:00

Sarge's Angel is out now! Click here to get your copy! You won't be disappointed! Also, I will announce the winner of the 'Sarge's Angel' competition tomorrow. So stay tuned :-) Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite for the adorable Hayden...

Sarge dropped his pants, pulling his feet out of them as quick as he could without tripping over. He was in the bath within a blink of an eye. His cock hard, his foreskin retracted enough so that Hayden could get at his bulging head if he so wished. Pre-cum dribbled out from his piss slit like spider silk saturated in morning dew. Sarge groaned some more as he sank into the warm water. His stomach was filled with those delightful butterflies he always got when he knew he was about to get some action. What a way to start the weekend. Hayden threw off his gauze tunic. He was hard. His foreskin, even though it still clung to his head, had also retracted so that the sight of his beautiful pink glans could be feasted upon. A tear of pre-cum also completed the look along with that delicious smile of his. He stepped into the water.

Sarge grabbed Hayden around his waist, pulling him closer. “You're going to get yourself into trouble if you keep going like this.”

“My intentions all along.” Hayden squirted more oil from the bottle. “Now let me rub your worries away some more.”

Happy Birthday, Trevor!

2011-06-15T07:50:00.004-05:00

My son turned 13 last weekend. I can't believe that my youngest child is now a teenager! Anyway, we celebrated his birthday by watching the new pirate movie and made sure it was in 3D. He loooved it! We also went to his favorite restaurant for lunch. At home we had yummy cake (white chocolate raspberry!) and ice cream. he had such a great day. The day after his birthday he came up to me to give me a hug. He said, "Mom, thanks for making yesterday so awesome!".

He deserved an awesome day because he is such an awesome son!

Sorry for making this so short. I have to get to work! Have a great Wednesday and I will chat with you next week.

Wendy Ely

Sarge's Angel Cover Revealed!

2011-06-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Sarge's Angel has a cover and what a beauty it is! Thank you this time to eXtasys cover artist, Martine for doing such a wonderful job. Sarge's Angel is released on the 15th of June. I can't wait for you all to read it.

Guest Blogger: Alex Sinclair ~ Five Days Notice

2011-05-31T09:50:00.001-05:00

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.

Going to Nationals: The Short List

2011-05-29T08:31:00.003-05:00

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

What is Pyrogasm?

2011-05-26T00:02:00.001-05:00

What is Pyrogasm? Click here to find out.

Writer Mini-retreats!

2011-05-25T12:08:00.003-05:00

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

Tornado Disaster Relief

2011-05-24T11:24:00.001-05:00

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

Win a copy of Mouse in the Wainscoting

2011-05-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

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

What is sexy?

2011-05-18T11:03:00.008-05:00

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

HAPPY SATURDAY the 14TH

2011-05-14T00:00:00.003-05:00

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

Single Titles 2010 Award and a new cover!

2011-05-13T13:01:00.001-05:00

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.

Ablaze will be released soon by eXtasy Books.

Tierney O’Malley

http://tierneyomalley.com

Happy Birthday to my daughter!

2011-05-11T10:06:00.006-05:00

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

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

2011-05-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

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!

Mouse in the Wainscoting

2011-05-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

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.

The Questions People Ask Me...

2011-05-04T10:09:00.007-05:00

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

May 1st ~ Historical Day!

2011-05-03T07:43:00.001-05:00

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

I wanna change my name!

2011-04-27T13:44:00.005-05:00

One of the first things writers usually try to figure out is if they want to write under a pen name. I thought about this too right in the beginning. I decided against it when I got my first book contract and pride swelled my head a bit. Write under a pen name? Hell no! I want the world to know that book came from me. That book was released... then another... then the third. Finally I got the contract for my "different" book.

I sat in Starbucks having coffee with my author friends. Do I publish this book under a pen name, I wondered again. We went over the pros and cons of it. In the end, I decided to publish the "different" book under my own name. As I reread this book through edits, some of the scenes made me blush. You see, the book is a lot naughtier than I usually write and that is saying a lot because I normally write some pretty steamy stuff! Even though parts of the book made me blush, I still am not embarrassed for writing the content inside those pages. No way! I'm proud of the book.

But I wish I had put it under a pen name. You see, authors have a regular fan base, that group of people who insist on buying every single book from the author as soon as the book releases. I think that the group of people are drawn to us because of the way we write. My group of people knows what to expect when they buy one of my books. Then here comes Cross the Line. Something totally new and ten times as sexual. It threw my readers off I'm sure. If I could do it over I would have a different name on the cover so that that style of writing could get its own fan base. Know what I mean?

I'm including a scene from Cross the Line. Its the tamest one I could find and I hope you enjoy it. If you're ready for a really smokin' hot read, you can pick it up at www.lyricalpress.com/wendy_ely

****

I dropped the last box on the brown tiles and worried whether I’d packed anything breakable inside. With my luck, I had. Relieved to be done moving, I was already tired of the new city I called home even though I’d only been in it for a few hours. If I didn’t find something appealing about the place soon, I would be looking into moving again like when I’d wanted to get out of Billings, Montana. Nothing had been wrong with the old place, I get bored easy and like to move around is all.

My new best friend roared to life, blowing cool air from the vents. Ignoring the open front door, I sat down on the box I’d dropped. I did my best to rub the knots out of my lower back, but with achy arms, I wasn’t doing so well. Sweat trickled down my forehead, requiring me to stop my half-attempt at a massage, grab a washcloth from a nearby bag and mop at the sweat. How did people live like this? Why I’d decided to accept the job offer in Phoenix was beyond me. But moving in the middle of the Phoenix summer? Even worse. Now I could understand why Arizona had earned the nickname “the devil’s playground.”

Playground? Not sure that would be the right word choice because I was convinced I’d arrived in hell itself.

A knock on the door made me jump up from the box, making every strain in my muscles and joints become more prominent. The pain quickly faded as a luscious vision in denim leaned against my doorframe, looking sexy as sin.

A shot of heat spread through my body. I had no idea why he instantly turned me on. I didn’t find goatees attractive, wasn’t into the whole tattoo bit, or the almost too tight t-shirt style, but it all looked perfect on this man. This man definitely had the talent to pull off the bad boy look that made women drop to their knees. Me included.

I quickly ran my fingers through my hair. It had once been in a complete ponytail, but was only partially bound by a hairband at this point. I looked like a mess and knew it. What a great way to start out meeting someone so handsome. But that’s my luck and I had accepted it long ago. To make the best of the situation, I wiped my sweaty palm down my jean shorts before holding it out to him. “Hi. My name’s Leslie Teague.”

“Chris Matthews.” He barely touched my hand before dropping it, as if scorched. He cocked his head toward the front of my apartment. “Need help with that truck out front?”

“I would’ve taken you up on your offer a little earlier, but I’m done now.” The lie floated from my lips as if the act came as a second nature to me. I never lied to people and never, ever asked anyone for help. So why did I find myself holding my hands out toward the room full of boxes as if presenting a prize? “Unless you want to assist in moving the mattress to my bedroom?” A few suggestions as to what we could do on that mattress came to mind, but I did my best to keep my mouth shut.

~~~~

If you're reading this, take a moment to say hello! I'd love to hear from you.

Wendy Ely

Deadly R&R......Coming Soon!

2011-04-26T10:13:00.001-05:00

Happy Tuesday to all you wicked bloggers!

All my contemporary titles will release under the pen name, Ruby Vines! She writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy! I want my readers to have a clear distinction between the different genres. Alisha Paige writes paranormal, fantasy, time travel and vintage romance.

A big thank you to all my readers for picking up Circle City! You've made Circle City a Bestseller at Amazon. Hotter than Hell, Sam Bond on my cover is now a best selling cover model as well as the world's sexiest bodybuilder in the world!

I'm working on Circle City: Book II.

Ruby's debut novel, Deadly R&R, will release this week!!! Here's the blurb! Have a fantastic day and don't forget to spread love!

Blurb for Deadly R&R

Shay Reynolds was raised solely by her father and abandoned by her mother at an early age. Old enough now to take the reigns of her father's business, R&R Advertisting in Palm Springs, Florida, she's about as happy and as successful as a modern woman can get without a mother. Engaged to handsome Chase McMillan, an anchor on the popular national morning television show in New York City with her ads regularly nominated for the prestigious Clio Awards, she's a woman accustomed to life handing her roses. Her good fortune takes a nose dive when her fiance dies mysteriously. Falling into a deep depression, Shay confides in her chauffeur, Tommy Smith and agrees to hire his father's private eye service to investigate. Afraid to be alone, Shay shares her thoughts and broken dreams with Tommy. A serial killer is on the loose. Bad timing for Tommy who has always had it bad for his boss. Hot on the trail of a sicko who enjoys the shock factor of cryptic messages sent to the object of his affection, Tommy fights to shield the only woman who has never treated him like a hired hand.

Stephanie Williams is in the House!!

2011-04-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

Author Stephanie Williams has a new release!!! Stephanie is an interesting gal and lists her likes as classical music, opera and calls herself a history buff. Reading is her passion and she reads at least a book a week. She's even celebrated Christmas with shrimp on the Barbie Down Under! On top of all of that, she's a writer, a full-time business owner and a medical facility Purchasing Agent. Wow! How does she find the time to write too?

So, take a peek at her releases...For Research Purposes Only releases TODAY!!
BUY LINK: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=255&osCsid=7ad549c26be2767c309d9d0a315a69a0

(Stephanie Williams at an E-book signing)

HOUSE ARREST BLURB:

Janet Harrison is the number-one reporter at Channel Ten News. She is also the go-to woman for every mobster in Chicago. She’s their mouthpiece. When they’re ready to snitch, they come to her and she is more than willing to listen—anything to put the big fish behind bars.

And she got a big fish: Salvatore “The Lip” Valinci. She also got herself in a whole lot of trouble. She stands before Judge Fernando Gonzales, in contempt of court for not revealing her sources. But that’s not the only trouble she’s in.

Judge Gonzales has had his eye on the beautiful, defiant reporter for some time. Contempt of court is small potatoes: Judge Gonzales wants to punish her in more ways than one.
Soon, “The Lip” is released on a technicality, and wants to even the score. If they work together, Janet and Fernando may survive the threat of death, but can they survive their unconventional relationship?

HOUSE ARREST EXCERPT:

“Does your client refuse to talk?” he asked Mr. McCaffy.

Tom McCaffy, the latest big-shot attorney from Riechchile, Williams, Reese, Johnson and Smith, claimed the title of mob lawyer with pride. Gonzales could tell by the look on his face that Janet Harrison was making him work harder than any mobster could.

“Oh, come on, Your Honor. You know the drill. She can’t rev—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But you and I have an obligation to this court, as you well know. And I know, you know, she knows who squealed, so it’s up to me to find out.”

“You’re wasting your time,” she huffed, talking out of turn. She then made a show of staring at her watch. “Look, I have a hair appointment. Can I go?”

Oh no she didn’t! She’d just looked straight at him as if talking to one of her girlfriends.

“Uh…Your Honor, what my client is trying to say is that it’s late, and if we can continue this at a later date, maybe by then—”

“I know what I meant!” she snapped at McCaffy.

“Please!’ McCaffy said, hitting her side.

Janet Harrison: Hellcat. And Fernando loved it. But her mouth just got her into more trouble than any mob boss ever could.

He held his breath and counted to ten in Spanish. When he looked back over the courtroom, she stood there grinning at him. She knew what she was doing. Or did she?

FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY BLURB:

Lacy Cunningham prides herself on being a prolific writer in the romance and erotica industry. However, for the first time, she’s stumped by her latest project—a ménage à trois. She’s doing everything to help get her creative juices flowing, from reading others works, buying non-fiction books on the subject to renting DVDs—everything short of participating in the act itself.

Her boyfriend, Marty and Jerry, her first crush from college, are more than willing to help her with her research. With Jerry arriving in town for vacation, Marty mentions the possibility of a ménage à trois, and Lacy mulls over taking her studies a bit further. But it’s going to take a lot of prodding on the guys’ part before she actually indulges in that kind of research.

FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY EXCERPT:

The teakettle went off just as Marty spoke. Maybe the sound of the whistle confused her, but she must have heard him correctly.

“You better tend to that.” She pointed toward the stove.

“Of course.” He got up and removed the kettle from the burner.

She watched him pour water into their cups. The smell of raspberry scented the air. He brought the cups over to the nook and sat back down.

“Now, where were we?” he asked.

“You said you meant to make the connection between my story and Jerry, in so many words.”

“Yeah. How do you feel about that?”

“You mean an actual threesome. Marty, I thought you and I had something.”

“We do. I love you. Would this question be a problem if the threesome included Jerry?”

Good question. Jerry had to be the sexist man on the planet, next to Marty, of course. When Jerry walked into a room, women and some men’s jaws dropped. Tall like Marty, his presence took one’s breath away. Where Marty had long, dark hair, Jerry’s was medium length and a deep golden honey color. She’d never seen anything like it.

His gray, soulful eyes made you melt. His lips begged for you to touch, kiss, and even lick them. When he smiled, his cheekbones became even more prominent. And he had a voice like a sultry caress. He could be talking about the weather and it made her panties wet.

Oh, God. She realized that she’d been paying way too much attention to Jerry. But she couldn’t still be attracted to him like that. Could she? She just found him attractive, two different things. Right?

“Well?”

Marty’s voice snapped her to attention. “Huh?”

“You were thinking about Jerry, weren’t you?” He smirked.

Damn! There he goes again. “Um…just thinking about this book.”

“The hell you were.” Marty took a gulp of tea. “Come on, Lacy, we’ve never kept secrets from each other. It’s okay if you find Jerry attractive. It’s okay if you feel a little something for him still. It’s okay if you think about both him and me—with you.”

Lacy had her cup to her lips, about to take a sip, when she stopped. “You’re kidding?”

“No. It’s only natural. Look, you’re writing a book on threesomes. I tell you that our mutual friend is coming by, a mutual friend who happens to be attractive to every straight woman on earth according to your friend Edith.”

Lacy had to snicker at that. Edith did make it a point to let Jerry know the sun rose and set with him.

“I’m not upset, if that’s what’s worrying you,” Marty continued.

“I’m not worried…anymore. I’m more confused now.” Confused? What an understatement.

“Understandable. The man you’ve been dating for some time just told you he’s not ticked you’re thinking of another dude, a mutual friend at that.”

“Duh!”

Marty reached over and took her hand, sending an electrical pulse to her soul. Pair that with his mesmerizing glare and she’d have sex with him in Times Square with the CNN news cameras going. Did adding Jerry to the mix make it any different?

“We can talk about this later. Jerry won’t be here for a couple of days.”

“You’re serious.” She couldn’t believe it.

“I didn’t actually offer Jerry to you, or agree to anything. I’m just letting you know I understand if you have, let’s say, unconventional thoughts about the three of us.” Marty got up with his tea and left the room.

BUY LINK: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=255&osCsid=7ad549c26be2767c309d9d0a315a69a0

The Incurbator is Released!

2011-04-21T01:05:00.003-05:00

The third and final part of the Borders of Worlds Saga is out now. Click here to get your copy of The Incubator.

Excerpt:

He came over me. His lips now wet with his efforts. His smile matched the wonder he had given me. “I will take you now.”

I growled. “It wasn’t a request, it’s a fucking order!”

“Patience.”

“I’ll give you—”

But I didn’t get to finish my words. Vernon’t cock pierced my warmth, and I shuddered like someone who had been electrocuted. I don’t know how, but I managed to grapple him, bring him closer, my nails scratching the skin on his back. In an instant I became overwhelmed. He pushed himself in deeper and all I could manage was a muffled “fuuuucking heeellll” before he pressed his warm lips onto mine.

My prostate burned with the sudden stimulation it received. I couldn’t gasp or call out into the heated night to let him know he had hit the spot I needed him to touch. Vernon’s tongue was too busy dancing with my own, our lips sealed. I didn’t care. My rim stretched, my hole filled, and my body soaked in both pleasure and pain.

I did it!

2011-04-20T11:02:00.004-05:00

Guess what? I sent out two submissions this month. Dang, it has been forever since I've been focused on writing and it feels great! Okay, so the first book needs some stuff added for it to fit into the publisher's line. I'm working on that part of it. The other book is a paranormal romance novella titled Dreaming of Him. Lyrical Press contracted it! I, my friends, are on cloud 9.

Here is a secret for only you (wink): I don't read paranormal. I don't write paranormal. I only watch paranormal movies when my daughter forces me to. So how the heck did a write a paranormal? You see, my daughter came up with a great idea. We'd write the book together. We got as far as plotting the thing when she decided she couldn't let me read her writing. "You're an author," she said that day, "and I'm not." I decided then that I would write the book for her.

The scheduled release date is January 2012. This one means more to me than any other because my daughter hasn't read any of it yet. I will let her read it when the book is totally finished with the edits.

Anyway, talk to you soon!

Wendy Ely

Excerpt from Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen (On Sale for .99!)

2011-04-19T13:08:00.002-05:00

Excerpt

Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen - Book I by Alisha Paige

A lone dog walked the streets of Circle City. He had no fear of being captured or seen by the Wolfen. Tonight was the night of the first full moon after the historical Feral Consummation, a time of great celebration. All of Circle City was invited to the “human” wedding of Axl and Zoe. Though it was all for show, the traditional fanfare usually followed the real deal. Since the ancient ceremony was attended by only males, this wedding had been planned by Sakti and would be attended by all Wolfen and Circle City humans. Rumors were swirling, even as far away as Anchorage where the Kontar lived among the humans. The dog had caught wind of the party weeks ago even though he lived in hiding from his own kind. He had to see if it was true but first, he had to find something else.

The gangly, tortoise shell colored canine snorted, his hot breath forming puffs of smoke above his head as he walked through the gates of the Circle City Cemetery, passing ancient headstones, some now broken from ages of snow and ice. He made his way to the center of the graveyard, leaping over broken stones and fallen frozen branches. His gait slowed as he neared the Wolfen tomb, keeping his head low, ever watching, glancing behind him and moving onward, his belly grazing the ground as he slid beneath the fence and scampered up the stone steps. He lifted his thin muzzle in the moonlight and took a deep breath. The word Wolfdorn, the human surname for the Wolfen clan was etched in giant block letters. He cocked his ears, listening for noise. Organ music drifted from the church. Soon the ceremony would be over. He’d conceal himself here until the people had moved on to the reception.

He sniffed. Nothing.

It was safe to enter. He walked inside the giant tomb, impressed at its enormity. The Kontar tomb was only a fourth the size of this monstrosity. Shadows now concealed him but his night vision could see everything in perfect detail. There were dozens and dozens of slender glass coffins lined in rows. Fresh flowers decorated every single casket. The stench of formaldehyde and stale death clogged his nostrils and he grunted, pointing his nose to the ground, keeping his eyes focused on the wall, reading the etched names as he strode past ancient ancestors of the Wolfen. When he came to the last aisle, he stopped, closed his tired eyes and sniffed. A yelp escaped as he collapsed onto his haunches, then laid flat on his belly.

He could smell her.

Tisa.

He lay there for several minutes before rising. With shaking legs, he stood and walked forward. Lifting with his hind legs, he rested his front paws on the edge of the glass casket, peering inside. A great, mournful whine escaped as he gazed down at her; his wife, his love. His tail shook at a flurry of violent sparkles. Feet flew beneath his hind legs and he grew taller, unable to keep from shifting to a human in all his grief. Now leaning over his dead wife was a gaunt man with short, brown hair and wide brown eyes, conveying all the sadness in the world as tears dripped onto glass as cold as ice. His breath fogged up the coffin and her face disappeared beneath, only the color of her shining ruby red hair shown through. He rubbed it away with a shaking palm and sobbed out loud.

“Tisa, my love! I never abandoned you! I was banished for marrying you. The king wanted you for himself. They took me away and told you lies.”

He collapsed on top of the glass and screamed her name again and again, hoping and praying the Wolfen would hear and end his misery. No one heard his cries. The only sound was the echo of his sobs on the cold, stone walls. He raised his eyes to her name etched on the wall and whispered it again.

“Tisa.”

It had been so long since he’d said it out loud. He kissed his wedding ring and plucked a dead white rose from her funerary flowers. The dog man sat beside her in silence, sniffing, thinking of her and the love they once shared. And suddenly the reality of his nightmare slammed into full focus. Surrounding her were seven miniscule coffins. He gasped, ran a rugged hand through his hair and stood again, rushing forward. Within each coffin lay a body wrapped entirely in white, the customary burial garb for children of the Wolfen. The souls of the innocent were considered so pure their bodies were not allowed to be viewed in death. He walked from casket to casket, touching every one, praying in Kontar tongue between the soft sobs of a broken man. And then he returned to Tisa ’s coffin, opened the latch and raised the lid. He touched her face and smiled through his tears. Blackest grief gripped his heart, squeezing it so that he could scarcely breathe. A tear dropped onto her lips and he kissed it away ever so softly.

“We will meet in the next life, my love.”

With shaking hands, he closed the casket and fastened the latch before shifting back into a dog and darting back into the night, bounding down the tomb steps, running straight down the center of the cemetery, leaping over a giant angel with icicles hanging from her wings and past the gates. He ran down the middle of the road, harboring no fear as he sprinted to the church and walked around to the side stained glass windows. He pressed his nose against the glass and sniffed. It wasn’t his imagination. He thought he had caught the scent when he’d walked into town.

His eyes flashed open, changing from brown to burning red. He sniffed again, whining softly.

He was sure of it. He sniffed and closed his eyes. Now he wondered why his sister, Magna had never told him. He knew she was working for the Wolfen and had cut ties with the Kontar though he knew how to get in touch with her if he needed to.

The scent flooded his nostrils.

The Scraffen. He was sure of it.

It was all he could do to restrain a growl. Inside was one of his own. Ivan panted, pacing back and forth, his mind reeling. One pup had survived.

Available Now for .99!

Amazon Link To Buy

Barnes and Noble Link To Buy

Alisha Paige Website

Errand Insanity!

2011-04-16T00:09:00.001-05:00

Errands yesterday became interesting. A rainy day that ended in severe weather, but as I dashed into the post office Friday morning a twenty-something year old guy dashed in ahead of me. He held the door open for me, greeted me with something along the lines of “good morning” and then an inane comment about the severe weather we’re supposed to have later that day. He insisted I go ahead of him in line even though he arrived before me. I thanked him and proceeded to wait my turn. Standing in line, I’m growing frustrated by the post office’s clerk’s hateful attitude over a girl who was attempting to conduct business and quiet her crying infant. Anyone that has a wee bit of sense realizes parents cannot control their crying infants.

The young man that held the door for me leans in and says, “You smell good.”

Me: “Thanks.”

*I’m mentally running through my morning shower and whether I used my Bath & Body scent or plain ole soap* For the record, it was plain soap.

Young Man: “What perfume are you wearing?”

Me: “None.”

Young Man: “Well, rain just makes you smell good then.”

Me: *double take while thinking he cannot be serious* I realize he’s smiling, I avoid eye contact and mutter an awkward, “Thanks”, while wishing I’d hit the grocery store first.

Young Man: “You married?”

Me: *still avoiding eye contact* “Yep, twenty years this year. I really didn’t expect the line to be this long with the weather the way it is.”

At this point I’m praying the line picks up speed so I can get out of there or he takes the hint and changes the topic! Rudely, I didn’t think to ask him if he was married and frankly I don’t care if he was or wasn’t. I finally got out of there without too much personal information shared.

Now, off to the grocery store. I push my buggy up the coffee isle and it’s really narrow. In order for two buggies to pass side-by-side, you’ve gotta maneuver them carefully and then you’re probably going to scrap handlebars. I’m in a hurry because I want to beat the rain home and I wheel into this narrow isle. Twenty something young man tugs his cart back like he thinks he’s in my way and I tell him, “You're okay”. Young Man chuckles and when I glance at him, he says, “Why thank you, you’re not so bad yourself.” I died laughing.

Grocery young man was teasing and obviously has a great sense of humor, while post office young man was a little creepy! LOL On the drive home I got to thinking about the two of them and how friendly they were with a total stranger, nothing at all like the guys I knew back in my twenties. What will the next generation be like? I worry about them with all their technology, especially after my 13 year old son sent and received over 7,000 text messages in the month of March alone. Insanity!! I guess in 50 years, we’ll be a silent society and conduct all conversations telepathically. ;-)

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Huggles,
Gracen

Coming soon sneak peek!

2011-04-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Hood of Justice.

Synopsis:

Mild, mannered rookie police officer, Casey Watson is dedicated to his job, works long hours and tries to make a difference within his district fighting crime, dodging bullets and leaping tall buildings with a single...well okay, he doesn’t leap buildings, but the rest of it, no worries. Casey is a can-do man, keen and eager to keep the city safe at night. Together, with his rough and tough work partner and good buddy, Bruce O’Connell, they make a great team, always looking out for each other.

But Casey is different...very different.

Underneath the uniform, behind the badge he proudly wears, he has something on his body which is quite, quite special. You could say, he has a super ability, one which Casey himself is just coming to grips with.

He has a magical foreskin.

When he cock docks with any perpetrator, when his foreskin tingles to let him know the criminal he has apprehended is guilty, the magic within his amazing foreskin makes any man tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. What’s more, they forget everything as soon as Casey comes to climax, too. They never stand a chance.

All is peachy until Bruce and Casey are given the job of investigating and interrogating super criminal, Randy Piper. All of a sudden, Casey’s fears come to fruition. Sure, he now has a reputation of being a master interrogator, but not even his partner on the beat knows of his secret. No one must know. Cock docking with criminals isn’t exactly in the manual for standard police procedure, now is it?

If anyone finds out about his foreskin’s abilities, Bruce, the Sarge, anyone, he could be suspended, kicked off the force at the worst. Not something career minded Casey would ever want. But the worst thing of all, the stuff of nightmares for him, is if the criminals themselves found out. A dirty no good for nothing criminal like Randy Piper for instance, the very guy they have been assigned to question. Casey can’t even imagine what would happen to him if a psychopath like Randy ever found out? He’d be in the unemployment line before he even zipped up his trousers.

Can Casey continue to perform his duties while using his foreskins abilities? Or will he have to reveal his secret to not only protect himself, but Bruce as well? Or does Bruce already know? However the night they have to apprehend Randy Piper will go down, Casey will never be the same again. His foreskin is going to do a lot more than tingle, that’s for sure!

The cover is my own creation:-) It will not be used once the publishers cover is issued.

For more information, click the link http://www.markalders.com/the-hood-of-justice.php

A Tiny Taste

2011-04-12T13:55:00.001-05:00

(Photo courtesy of photo bucket)

Today I thought I'd give you a tiny taste of my full length paranormal romance, Circle City:Lord of the Wolfen ~ Book I. Wow! Could you imagine feeding a kitty cat like this? Yikes!!!

You can still purchase Circle City for .99 at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The Hour Glass Witch is also on sale for .99 for your Kindle or Nook. If you read either book, drop me a line. I love to hear from readers and promise to write back!

All of my contact information can be found HERE as can information for ordering autographed copies of my books. Click the banner below to go to the Kindle Profile Page for Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen and more links to purchase.

Excerpt for Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen ~ Book I
Zoe stacked frozen venison steaks into the oversized freezer on the back porch while the puppy relieved himself near a frozen boulder. She heard a twig snap then the sound of crunching snow. The puppy didn’t weigh enough to crunch snow and wasn’t near the woods. A chill snaked down her spine. She felt eyes on her. Someone was watching. In a rush of panic, she reached for her rifle leaning against the cabin. A gray blur flew past her. She grabbed the rifle and raised it, blinking, scanning.
Nothing.
And then the puppy was yelping, held in the jaws of an enormous gray wolf. Zoe took a step forward, cocked the rifle. The wolf growled, baring his fangs while the puppy dangled helplessly, kicking like a frenzied jack rabbit. She took another step forward and from out of the woods and rushing from the sides of her cabin, a circle of wolves emerged, all of them growling, approaching with canines flashing.
Huge wolves.
Like the one she’d killed by the creek. Like Jack’s mother.
She blinked and realized in a split second that she’d never kill them all. She took a step backward onto the porch, reaching blindly for the door behind her while she struggled to hold the rifle up with one arm. And then one of them from the left pounced on her and both of them fell into her open doorway. She screamed and fought as the wolf snapped at her throat, spilling blood, nicking her with one sharp canine. Her world swam before her. The panic and fear was all too much. She knew she’d soon die and though it would end her pain, she realized in that final moment of consciousness that she wanted to live.
More than anything.
Jacob’s face flitted through her mind and she felt the sensation of her husband holding her close, breathing into her ear.
Another wolf bounded into the cabin and changed into a man when his feet hit the worn wooden floors. He grabbed the wolf by the scruff of his neck and slammed him against a wall. “I want her alive!”
Lord of the Wolfen turned and growled at the lesser wolf now shaking his head in the corner. “Take her to the caverns,” he ordered.
The wolf nodded in answer and was changed in two steps, now a bulky man with black, spiky hair. He grabbed a quilt off the bed and wrapped the woman carefully. Blood oozed from her neck. He licked it clean and then hauled her over one shoulder. When the three stepped outside, the wolves were now all standing in human form. All of them were men except for the young woman who carried the whining puppy.
Dacien withdrew a wooden flute from his coat pocket and blew three silent notes. From both sides of the cabin came four dog sleds, led by a fleet of rambunctious, glorious, white Alaskan huskies, blue eyed smiling creatures of servitude. Kory took the puppy in his hands and hugged him, breathing in his scent. “We’re going home, grandson.”
The Wolfen boarded elaborate sleds with red velvet covered seats and fastened fur lined hats over their heads. This part of the woods was secluded with only a few homes between Zoe’s cabin and the caverns, but they could not risk being seen as wolves, particularly during hunting season. The few times they’d actually come across people, Kory used his Russian accent and had said they were vacationing in the area. He’d remembered to erase the person’s memory on all but one occasion. And it had been a grave error. The local sheriff had stopped them, looking for some hunters who had reportedly killed two polar bears. And it had been true.
Lord of the Wolfen had killed two of the creatures for the waxing ceremony, celebrating the young males coming of age in the clan. The bears had been the main course for the feast. The sheriff had let Kory go, bidding him a safe trip but the wolf had smelled the man’s disbelief, a scent akin to dry earth. The Wolfen were now being watched and Kory continued to curse himself for failing to hypnotize the man and erase his memory when he’d had the chance.
A fierce north wind blew the snow into their faces, but the dogs knew the way. Night had fallen when they reached the caverns. Dacien leapt from his sled, turning into a wolf in mid air, springing into the cave and down the narrow, freezing pathway that led to the secret snow covered entrance. Upon arrival, he shifted back and unlocked the circular roof, allowing the clan passage into their home underground.
The caverns of the Wolfen were fifteen hundred years old. A mansion beneath the earth with two dozen rooms, housing Lord of the Wolfen, his family, his brothers and their families. It was their loyalty to one another that had kept them alive and thriving for so long.
Tisa’s banishment had been hard on all of them and now her death had plunged them all into darkest mourning. But there was much to celebrate tonight. One of the pups had survived. The woman’s sacrifice to the Holy Trinity would at least now be delayed. She would die for killing Tisa.
But not tonight.
Kory would allow his grandson the grand honor, but first he had to grow into a man.
A Wolfen man.
The Kontar and Ivan would be dealt with soon. And Kory knew just how to punish them all for his daughter’s death.

~Have a Terrific Tuesday!
****Spread Love,
Alisha ****

5 Star Review from NOR and a Reader's Pick, too!

2011-04-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

I have just got this email and can't believe it! I got reader top pick and a 5 star review for The Nourisher from Night Owl Reviews! Here is the link to read the review in full. I have to say, I don't get reviewed much because of what I write, but this one has made my day. Thank you to NOR!

No longer an author!

2011-04-06T20:43:00.002-05:00

My first book (Jesse's Brother) came out 1 year and 10 months ago! It has been a magnificant journey as an author but I've known that my writing career has been slowly slipping away. I haven't done much author stuff in the past 10 months. It tears me apart. My miss the life of being an author... you know... fan mail requesting your next book, edits, getting the new cover, and the great reviews. I feel like it is all over for me because I just don't have any time to write, edit, and submit new material. I've known this was coming, but it really hit me last night when I opened up my royalty statement for March. The day had finally come.... I had reached the month where I didn't sell one single book. It took 1 year and 10 months to get there but it hurts, dang it! I need to write. I need to sell books. I need this life back. So if you're up to a new read feel free to stop by here www.lyricalpress.com/wendy_ely and grab one of my books! Talk to you soon, Wendy Ely

Recharging the Writer's Soul

2011-04-05T00:16:00.004-05:00

One thing is for sure about writers. We sit on our bums all day or all night, depending on when you write. And that's just not good for the bones or the soul. We all need to recharge and I'm sure you all have your various methods. What are yours? Share yours today and I'll pick the most original and give the winner his or her choice of any of my books in virtual format.

One of my favorite ways to recharge is gardening. I did plenty of that yesterday. I love digging the earth with my giant cooking spoon. Do you think I should invest in some gardening tools? I have and they aren't as good as my spoons. I go nuts in the kitchen aisle and I'm shopping for garden stuff. My mother doesn't have a green thumb. She has a green body, a green soul, green hair. She looks like freaking Oscar the Grouch. No kidding. The woman's house is like one giant African violet. She's constantly bringing over cuttings, bulbs, baskets and flats of whatever plant is overtaking her garden. I have news for you mom...uh, it's a lost cause. And get this, I'm not kidding either. When my parents go out of town, I take care of their kitties..no problem, a couple of cans of Fancy Feast, fresh water and rubbing behind the ears. No joke here...it takes me nearly 2 freaking hours to water her stuff. Groannnnnnnnnnn....so there I am lugging a baby on my hip for two hours while I talk to the garden hose about my latest WIP. I complain a lot but really I love it. This recharges my battery as much as working in my own garden. Nothing more soothing then being outside, listening to the birds chirping, giving the earth and the flowers a nice, long drink. I once saw a psychic that told me if I'm ever stuck on a book, to run water. She said it makes everything flow. I thought she was nuts until I realized I do my best plotting in the shower. Watering plants works too. Try it.

Okay, many of my wicked blogger friends know that I adore wine, particularly red wine. Well, last year I planted a grapevine. Well, I affectionately call it my winevine. Cause that's what it is really. It's gorgeous this year. Last year it was a stick with one leaf. Check it out.

I love watching my plants start out as tiny little things in the spring and grow to full bodied beauties in the summer and this baby is just getting started. This really recharges my battery. And I love the sunshine on my skin and face. You know, sunshine is prescribed for people in dreary climates. Sunshine is rich in Vitamin D and helps with depression. I think many writers fall into depression needlessly because we are shut inside like mad scientists, working furiously on a deadline. Stop it! Go outside! Thankfully, many of us have laptops.

I love to take my kids to the park or get a glass of wine and hang out in the backyard while they play. Pack a picnic lunch and head to the ole swimming hole. We have a great creek nearby. My honey and I have had some wonderful days there too. The kids love to catch turtles, watch minnows, dig in the mud and collect rocks and shells. Take the dogs on a walk, take the kids out in the stroller or mix it up and do both! Venture outdoors and recharge that battery!

Another thing that we often do to ourselves as writers is deprive ourselves of precious sleep. This is a big fat no-no! We need our sleep! And if you're like me and you're forced to write at night because of the rugrats, then take a nap with the baby. Your body and mind will thank you for it later and your brain will be recharged, refreshed and wired, ready to go for several hours of good writing that same night. If you don't, you might end up like Tiny down below.

Okay, now my ultimate favorite way to unwind, relax and recharge is...I bet it's yours too....snicker. Hmmmm....I wonder...what could it be...that's right....some good ole fashioned kissing, face sucking, lip hugging, neck licking, you name it. I love to kiss, as most women do and many men generally like to skip this MOST important bit of foreplay. For me, it IS the foreplay and the very best way to revel in your lover's scent and special brand of love. *Sigh* Kissing is oh so intimate and seductive and then of course, it leads to the really good shit so let's all recharge our batteries with this baby. Put this at the top of your list at RECHARGE LESSON #1....WE MUST MAKE LOVE AND LOTS OF IT!!!! And hey, it's a fabulous reason to post more hot as hell eye candy pics!

Now Wicked Bloggers....UNITE, GO FORTH, RECHARGE THOSE BATTERIES!!! I double dog dare you to seduce your lover the second he or she walks through your door today. Say it was an assignment. Report back with the details. All of them. The more vivid the better. Now, DO IT! Then you can garden.

Spread Love!
~Alisha
Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen ~ Book I is NOW AVAILABLE for .99 for Kindle and Nook!
The Hour Glass Witch is NOW AVAILABLE for .99 for Kindle and Nook!

Click Here to Go to Alisha Paige's Website for More Info. On Books and Buy Links!

SPICY SATURDAY

2011-04-02T10:43:00.006-05:00

I've been MIA lately, and I apologize for that. With family life and working on edits, I failed to devote the time needed to my Saturday blogs. :-( I thought I'd share a spicy snippet with you today from my soon to be released short story, Fairy Casanova. It's a short story in Decadent Publishing's 1NightStand series. Hope you enjoy!

Jace stopped in front of her and stared at her mouth. He knew many places he wanted those lips, but mostly he wanted them rounded on an orgasmic scream.

"I'm Jace."

She swallowed and cleared her throat, but her voice came out low and raspy. "Sadie."
He dipped his finger into the crystal glass she held poised below her chin. A fat droplet of liquor clung to his forefinger, and he spread it across her pouty bottom lip. Her eyes widened, and her breathing noticeably accelerated. As if prompted, her tongue swiped away the moisture, and his cock twitched in reaction.

"You're perfect. Stunning."
She laughed, a charming sound, as a blush crept across her cheeks. For the first time since beginning his adventure, he considered the horrible ramifications of falling hard for a human. Impossible! There wouldn't be enough time to grow attached to a one-night stand

. I sat for my first ink job...getting inked wasn't bad, nothing like I expected. It took about 3 hours to ink the entire tattoo and I could've sat longer, so definitely not bad. Here's the photo...the three skulls represent my 3 books (either published or soon-to-be published), the 3 roses represent my three guys (husband and two sons), the fairy represents the paranormal genre I love, and the words "Written from the Soul" is how I feel about my writing. Everything I write comes from my soul. Tell me what you think!

To SPICE things up a bit more, here's my spicy Saturday photo...Enjoy!

Hope everyone has a spicy Saturday!

Huggles,
Gracen

Let's talk about books!

2011-03-30T10:02:00.003-05:00

I love this picture for the simple fact that I wish I take a break from my busy life to lounge in a hammock next to the ocean and read a really good. I live in Arizona so there isn't any oceans nearby to provide me this luxury for even an hour. A vacation is also out of the question at the moment. So let's focus on the second part of my wish... the good book part of it all.

I've been reading a lot of James Patterson lately. I know that many people groan when hearing his name. Bad writing? Too many books published in such a short amount of time? I dunno, but I love his books. The dialogue and action are so snappy that once I pick a book up, I can't put it back down. Anyway, I finished another James Patterson novel and decided I needed something by another author for a little bit.

As I strolled through the library I wondered what I wanted to read. I'm usually drawn to the suspense section but stayed away from it that day. I needed something light. Something funny. Something with love but it didn't really have to be a romance. I stayed in in the fiction section. I pulled books out, looked at the cover, read the back, and put them back. Nothing seemed to catch my eye that day. Okay, I thought, I would do one more aisle and if I didn't find anything there then I would leave empty handed.

The book was pink and titled Good in Bed. Good in Bed? Of course I had to take a look at this book. I had never read a book from Jennifer Weiner. I had always wanted to read something from her but hadn't yet. This was my chance. I checked it out and started reading the book on the ride home (I take the bus). Three pages in and I was hooked. This book is exactly what I was looking for at the moment.

How do you choose the book you read?

Talk to you soon,

Wendy Ely

Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen: Book I (Axl's Story) IS NOW AVAILABLE!!!!

2011-03-29T04:43:00.002-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm super excited! Today I get to share Axl and Zoe with the world! Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen - Book I is NOW AVAILABLE in ebook format for .99! It will release in print next month!

For Your Kindle

For Your Nook

Circle City Blurb
On the edge of civilization, there is a place called Circle City, Alaska. The last town before the Yukon Flats gives way to frigid desolation. When Zoe O'Brien, a secluded widow, kills a crazed mother wolf and saves the only cub from sure death, she ignites a war between the Wolfen Clan and the Kontar Clan. The wolf people have been enemies of the dog people for centuries and the cub she takes in is heir to the Wolfen throne. Taken prisoner by the Wolfen for murder and kidnapping, Zoe is forced to see and do things with creatures she never knew existed, held against her will in a world she both desires and fears. Axl Wolfdorn is coming of age, ready for his Unleashing and on the hunt for his Moonswan, the female he will choose for the Chase and the royal Feral Consummation. But how can he consider bonding with a mate when the only scent deep within his nose is the tangy scent of the woman who saved his life, the very woman who forced his clan into war, the woman he must now kill to avenge his mother's death?

Spread Love,
Alisha

Shadows of the Mind for ninety-bloody-nine cents!

2011-03-24T00:34:00.003-05:00

Yes, that's right, I have gone mad (but some of you already knew that)! I have authorised my publisher to put out Shadows of the Mind for a crazy .99 c over there at Amazon in Kindle format right here...or here...or here? Yes, that's right, ninety--bloody--nine cents! Why, because, not only will you get a story about aliens, tentacles, spaceships, weird happenings, sexy young men and Zane (with his wonderfully dry sense of humour and his really big....), you will then be compelled to buy the next part in the series, Light of the Body.

See?

There is a method to my complete and utter madness...but only just. So why not pick up a really CHEAP copy of Shadows of the Mind. Then, when you've enjoyed it and laughed how you got it so cheap, think of me and my constant need for chocolate and buy the next part in the series...then the next...and so on and so on until you are so hooked into Mark Alders' universe that you will be emailing me to find out when my next release is...

Go on...you deserve it...Get Shadows of the Mind and never look back!

Dedications are like tattoos!

2011-03-23T16:56:00.002-05:00

I'm getting ready to release a new book book and have been thinking about who to dedicate the book to. I haven't posted in awhile but I have the most amazing boyfriend who I've fallen in love with. I told my daughter that I would like to dedicate "A Final Kiss" to him. She said: Mom, I'm not saying anything bad is going to happen with him, but what if it does? Book dedications are like tattoos. If you dedicate this book to him it will always be out there in the universe."

She's right with that point. I have dedicated a previous book to someone and wish I could take it back but can't now. It will always and forever be in the universe somewhere. But does this change my mind about dedicating "A Final Kiss" to Reggie? It doesn't.

So I'm wondering how you choose the people you dedicate your books to?

On another note: I haven't been around for awhile because I started my internship for a criminal defense attorney. Working in criminal law is so fascinating! Now I'm going to school in the mornings and heading straight over to the law firm in the afternoon. At night I go to the gym with the kids and then I see Reggie. On most nights I am gone until 8:30 at night! I also have been chosen to be a student ambassador for my college. This requires me to maintain a 4.0 GPA and 90% attendance. Can you say exhausted?

Talk to you soon,
Wendy Ely

Axl is HERE! Can you say YUMMY?

2011-03-22T11:43:00.002-05:00

I'm super thrilled and excited this week! I just received my cover art from my very talented cover artist, Tamra Westberry! BTW, Tamra does freelance covers for sixty bucks. She will also design the print version of your cover, which includes the spine and the back for no additional charge! See the clickable banner at your right. It will take you directly to her cover artist site. And if you're looking for another great author, check out her books as well! She writes as Tara West.

Tamra has designed five of my covers. See Canyon Wolf Bride and The Wooden Nickel covers on the right hand side of this blog. Two of my very favorite covers! She will make changes on your cover until you are absolutely happy with the final design. A total professional.

Let me give you some examples of her creativity. I told her my book was set in Alaska. She sent me a background photo of the aurora borealis with a moon. She had the foresight to think of the Alaskan skies and to incorporate a moon since my book is about werewolves! Wow! She also came up with the cool design around the title which I didn't even mention to her because I had no way to describe what I wanted, which was some sort of cool design to offset the title and stress the word "circle", which has more meaning to the reader than you realize at first glance. Somehow her artist instinct picked up on it and came up with the very cool design! And she also knows which font will perfectly convey the tone of any book.

Do you notice anything unique about my hero's eyes? She even pays attention to tiny details like that. Pretty awesome, huh?

My cover model is gladiator, Sam Bond. I think he is just about the sexiest man alive!

Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen - Book I ~ Axl's Story will release this week! Available in ebook at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for all ereaders, Kindle, Nook, iPad, and Sony readers for .99! This is a full length paranormal erotic romance of 106,000 words.

Blurb
On the edge of civilization, there is a place called Circle City, Alaska. The last town before the Yukon Flats gives way to frigid desolation. When Zoe O'Brien, a secluded widow, kills a crazed mother wolf and saves the only cub from sure death, she ignites a war between the Wolfen Clan and the Kontar Clan. The wolf people have been enemies of the dog people for centuries and the cub she takes in is heir to the Wolfen throne. Taken prisoner by the Wolfen for murder and kidnapping, Zoe is forced to see and do things with creatures she never knew existed, held against her will in a world she both desires and fears. Axl Wolfdorn is coming of age, ready for his Unleashing and on the hunt for his Moonswan, the female he will choose for the Chase and the royal Feral Consummation. But how can he consider bonding with a mate when the only scent deep within his nose is the tangy scent of the woman who saved his life, the very woman who forced his clan into war, the woman he must now kill to avenge his mother's death?

Have a great Tuesday!

Spread Love ~ Alisha

Biting the Bullet

2011-03-20T09:31:00.002-05:00

You heard it here first. I've got my first idea for a m/m story. I've had m/m secondary characters in some of my books, but they never took the center stage, regardless of being almost stronger in emotion and plot as the main story. (Still have yet to finish that book, by the way).

At first, I'll admit, I was resistant to the idea because for so many years I'd written and read m/f and didn't really understand how to navigate through a plot line using two male leads. Do I make them both strong? Or one the softer of the two? Do I make them a clash of opposing forces, or brothers-in-arms facing a common enemy?

Oh, it was a tangle to be sure. I wanted the right mix of both. I wanted characters who would resonate with me while I wrote them--like my guys in the secondary storyline of The Host: Bloodlust. For some reason, writing the tender or hot moments between those two came really easy. The artist, Biazzio, rich, famous, pseudo-vampire is not the aggressor in the relationship. That comes from his human lover, Nix. I liked that flip on expected. I think that's why it works for me. Nix also has an agenda of his own that stems from his parents' swinger lifestyle when he was growing up - a lifestyle that included Biazzio's late lover, Achilles. It's a tangled web and you'd really have to read The Host: Shadows first to understand Benito Achilles a bit better, but suffice it to say he was a lover of beauty no matter what form it took. Biazzio's gentle soul is what I love most about him. What I find most fascinating about the characters of Biazzio and Nix is that I never set out to write m/m in that book. Not really. It just sort of happened and I went with it. Letting the characters guide me through. Which I'm glad for. So, it was natural that when I decided to do a book with two heroes I would want to wait until the right project came along and not force the issue with characters I didn't feel up to the task.

And no, I'm not going to reveal what my idea is...not just yet anyways. I will say that I'm very excited about it and it is set in a fantasy world. I don't yet know the heat level, as I'll let the characters decide that as well. I'll see how it goes as the plot unfolds. I haven't even decided what name I'm going to write it under. Fantasy fic usually goes to my MK Mancos persona, so I'll have to wait and see what the characters do first. However, I'm pretty sure I'm going to shoot for a shorter length as in under 40K. I will continue to write my m/f stories as I always have - this isn't a departure from that only an addition to.

I am hoping to start the story, tentatively titled, Men of Shards, later this year and will keep you all updated on my progress. Wish me luck as I branch out into this new writing experience for me.

Until next week,

-Kat

New Cover:Magolescence

2011-03-16T21:10:00.002-05:00

Here is the cover for Magolescence! Wow! How fantastic is it or what? The cover captures Shane, my hero, perfectly. Thank you to Angela Waters for creating such a beautiful design!

Magolescence follows Shane as he becomes a magician (the ones who can use real magic not just pull rabbits from hats). It shows him going through a magical puberty known as Magolescence! Yes, there will be a snake...and not how you imagine either...From there, his best friends Joel and Will join him to form his coven. A coven that helps give Shane his powers through their love! Be warned, this is m/m/m all the way!

Tears for Japan

2011-03-15T18:18:00.001-05:00

In one moment disaster struck.
Precious lives lost.
Washed out to sea.
An enormous moving tear drop.
The world weeps.
Beautiful Japan.
Land of color, perfection and art.
Our hearts are with you.
The dragon will dance again.
And Japan will thrive.
Beautiful Japan.
Hold On.
Hold On.
Soon the darkness will fade.
The red lanterns will sway again.

~ My heart goes out to beautiful Japan. The death toll is believed to be around 10,000, the homeless have reached 500,000 and many are missing. Now radiation levels are rising. Click here. HELP in this time of need.

I will leave you with some beautiful images of Japan and Japanese art. (Photos courtesy of Photobucket.com)

~ God Bless Japan

Please Welcome Guest, Paige Tyler

2011-03-14T01:00:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited to announce I have a new book out with Ellora's Cave! It's a paranormal romance called GHOST HUNTER, and it's got a hunky hero, a kick-ass heroine and a serial killing ghost that's scary as hell! Not to mention a smokin' hot cover!

I love when I come up with an idea for a book out of the blue, which is what happened with GHOST HUNTER. When I heard my local RWA chapter set up a lecture with a team of paranormal investigators, it got me thinking right away about writing a book about a ghost hunter. Because the chapter is far from where we live, though, we didn't actually go to the lecture. I was a little bummed about that, especially since they were giving out EMF detectors. On second thought, maybe it was better we didn't go. Ghosts freak me out, so having something that can detect them probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Enough about me, back to the story behind the story. While I knew the hero was a ghost hunter named Trace, I wasn't quite sure how the heroine fit into the story, or even who she was. So, my hubby and I played around with a few ideas at our local PF Chang's (we come up with a lot of story ideas there!) We both decided that having the heroine Cassidy need the hero's help because her house was haunted or something like that didn't seem original enough, so we made her a budding romance writer who tags along with the hero and his team to do some research. Like any good story, though, it had to have some conflict, which is why Trace and Cassidy completely rub each other the wrong way right from the beginning. Actually, he thinks he's a jerk. But don't worry, Cassidy discovers underneath that rough ghost hunter exterior, Trace is just the man she's been looking for. It doesn't hurt that he's hot!

Okay, so we had our hero and heroine. Now we needed a bad guy. That's where the ghost comes in. He's not your standard, everyday ghost, though. He's a serial killer who attacked Cassidy that comes back from the grrave to continue his string of grisly murders, and she's at the top of his list. To make things even more interesting, not only can he do all the regualar ghostly stuff like walk through walls and materialize out of thin air, he can also take solid form.

I'm not going to tell you any more than that, though. Don't want to give too much away, you know. I will add that my editor at Ellora's Cave told me she got so caught up in the story, she completely forgot she was reading a submission!

Now that you know the story behind the story, I think I'll tease you with an excerpt. Enjoy!

BLURB:

Almost getting murdered by a serial killer gives Cassidy Kincaide a new lease on life and convinces her to go ahead and tackle that ghost-hunter novel she's always wanted to write. So, she hooks up with a gorgeous paranormal investigator named Trace McCord to do some research.

Cassidy and Trace rub each other the wrong way right from the beginning, but they have to put aside their differences when the serial killer who attacked her comes back from the grave to continue his string of grisly murders, with her at the top of his list.

Trace has to keep Cassidy close to keep her safe, and as they try to stay one step ahead of the ghost while figuring out how to stop it, he and Cassidy end up in each other’s arms. While Trace has a whole list of reasons why he shouldn’t get involved with her, he finds himself falling in love with the beautiful blonde anyway. And even though Cassidy started out thinking he was a jerk, she learns that underneath the rough ghost hunter exterior, he’s just the man she’s always been looking for. Now, all they have to do, is live long enough to be together.

EXCERPT:

Trace was only a few miles from the address Robert had given him for Cassidy when his cell phone rang. At first he wasn’t going to answer it, but some sixth sense made him change his mind. Now he was glad he had.

He was about to disconnect the call when he heard a muffled scream on the other end of the line. It was quickly followed by a loud clatter, then nothing.

“Cassidy!”

No answer.

Trace felt his chest tighten. Swearing under his breath, he shoved his cell phone in the pocket of his jeans and floored the pedal on the Hummer, running a red light to get through the intersection. The other drivers honked their horns as they squealed to a stop, but he ignored them. There was no way he was going to let Cassidy die.

Five minutes later, he slid into the parking lot outside her apartment, running over an ornamental fence and a flower bed to come to a screeching halt a few feet from the front door. Jumping out of the Hummer, he ran around to the back and grabbed his duffel bag full of gear. Throwing it over his shoulder, he raced up the steps and charged through the door into the building, scaring the hell out of two women carrying laundry baskets.

“Where the hell are the stairs?” he demanded, not wanting to waste time with the elevator.

The women timidly pointed around the corner.

Trace didn’t thank them as he ran in that direction. He hit the steps hard, taking them hree at a time. Once on the fourth floor, he ran down the hall, checking the room numbers on he doors. When he came to the right one, he didn’t even bother to slow down. Instead, he icked the door in as hard as he could, reaching into his bag for his shotgun as the frame plintered and the door flew open.

He looked left and right as he entered the apartment, but there was no sign of Cassidy or el Vecchio. Trace’s blood ran cold at the scene that met his eyes. The living room looked s if a cyclone hit it. The couch and throw pillows were sliced to shreds, stuffing still floating hrough the air. The coffee table was lying on its side, as were the two end tables, and the amps that had been on them were smashed to pieces along with practically everything ele in the place. Even the walls had been slashed.

“Cassidy?” Trace called.

“In here.”

Trace followed the sound of her voice until he came to the kitchen. Cassidy was standing in the center of the room inside a wobbly drawn circle of salt, ready to throw a handful of something in his face. She sagged with relief at the sight of him, letting the stuff in her hand trickle out onto the floor. That was when he realized she was holding a big container of oregano.

“Is he gone?” she whispered.

Trace nodded. “Yeah, he’s gone. But I’m getting you the hell out of here anyway.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, but simply slung the shotgun over his shoulder by the strap, then walked into the kitchen and swung Cassidy up in his arms.

She put one of her own around his neck. “Is it safe for me to leave the circle?”

“Yes. I’ll keep you safe. Trust me.”

Apparently she must have believed him because she didn’t resist. She cuddled the container of oregano close to her body and leaned against his chest.

He frowned. “Cassidy, you did great with the salt circle. It saved your life without a doubt. But what are you doing with the oregano?”

She looked up at him with big, blue eyes. “Isn’t it what you used to get rid of ghosts?”

His mouth twitched. “That’s sage and garlic. You can ditch the spaghetti spice.”

“Oh,” was all she said. Resting her head on his shoulder, she let the container of oregano tumble to the floor, then put that arm around his neck, too.

Giving the place one more look to make sure Del Vecchio hadn’t come back, Trace carried her out of the apartment and right passed the alarmed neighbors who had come out into the hallway to see what the ruckus was all about. Trace imagined they got their money’s worth seeing a big guy with a shotgun and a duffel bag slung over his shoulder carrying a beautiful half-naked woman in his arms. He abruptly realized he probably should have taken a few minutes to let Cassidy grab some clothes. But then the lights in the hallway flickered and he decided he could get her clothes later. They were getting the hell out of there.

“Is she being kidnapped?” one elderly woman asked another in a low voice as he and Cassidy passed them.

“If she is,” said the other old woman, “then I want to want to be kidnapped next.”

Any other time, Trace would have laughed, but right now all he wanted to do was get Cassidy someplace safe. Fortunately, he knew exactly where to take her.

Watch the Trailer Here!

Get your copy of GHOST HUNTER at Ellora's Cave!

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*hugs*
Paige

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

The Soldier...Coming on March 15th from eXtasy Books!

2011-03-09T22:43:00.004-06:00

The Soldier, coming on the 15th of March from eXtasy books!

Drake Glauco, now a successful nourisher and happily joined to Vernon, comes to realise it's time for a Priaxian/human alliance to come to fruition. The joy he had experienced too great for it to not be used to benefit mankind. The mutual need too important. With each passing day, Drake and Vernon's symbiotic relationship grows just as much as the hatchlings inside the egg the Priaxian carries as the hope of his species.

But trouble stirs in the dark places of the galaxy. A once sleeping giant, an enigmatic race known as the Herdsmen, stirs. Their awakening brought about by many events, including trespassing into their territory. The result of them becoming known is devastating for all the sentient species, especially for humans. The Herdsmen have developed a taste for mankind's flesh.

Can Drake and Vernon negotiate an agreement with the Herdsmen before it's too late? Offer some alternative to the slaughter that will result if they enter human space. Or will their plans to dominate the galaxy obliterate all in their path, including their allies?

All hope once more falls on Drake...and a mysterious Priaxian soldier who communicates to him in his dreams.

An Interview with Barb, Owner of Risque Reviews

2011-03-08T16:38:00.003-06:00

Hi, Alisha! Thanks for letting me join you today. It's weird being on the other side of an interview. Not as easy as it looks, huh?

1.How did you get the idea for Risqué Reviews?
I had just left another review site, but didn’t want to give up doing reviews or interviewing authors. For me reading is not just a hobby, it’s what keeps me sane. Besides, getting the opportunity to interview authors is just the greatest thrill. To me authors are the stars, they create world with words only. No special effects, no help, but from the reader’s imagination and that is the best special effect there is. So for an author to be able to bring a world to life with no one else’s help, well for me that makes a super star. This also gives me the opportunity to have my own blog and I love it! I’m looking into also exploring a forum. I have a small one on my site, but I’m looking to expand to an outside one and outlet apart from Risqué Reviews. To start group discussions and have an open page for authors to come introduce themselves and their work.

2. What is your favorite genre?
I like anything that isn’t reality, all I have to do is open my computer or front door and I have enough of that right there. So give me the world of paranormal, fantasy, shapeshifter and I’m in heaven. I will admit there are a few authors that can give me a contemporary hero and rock my world, but usually I like the paranormal genres. I like the strong alpha hero. I wrote an article, “Why do we love the strong alpha hero only in our books”?

That should give you an idea.

3. What do you really not like in a hero?
I don’t like a hero that is human; well let’s say not all human. I want there to be something there that gives him an edge, a bit of mystery. 007 would have rocked my world if he had a bit of the dark side, maybe some fangs. I don’t like a sappy hero; no he has to be a man’s man. No metro anything, thank you very much. Oh yeah, please no tights or capes. Leather all the way.

4. What do you really like in a hero?
That he has to be a larger than life, or why read it? No what I mean is there has to be more than just the 9-5 going on. I think my love of the “Superhero” started back when I’d sneak in my brother’s room to read his Marvel and DC comics, as I mentioned without the tights and capes. Leather and motorcycles are a nice touch. A bit flawed, maybe even slightly jaded. I may like him immortal and handsome, but too perfect is too hard to live up to. Maybe some scars to show he’s not a pretty boy.

5. What do you love about your favorite heroines?
They have to have strength, in character, and body. She has to be aware of her own needs and be willing to do what it takes to get what she wants, even if it goes against the norm. I don’t just mean sexually, I mean in all things. She has to be willing to take risks, and she has to be loyal in her convictions. Even if the hero is physically stronger in body, doesn’t mean she can’t think for herself and speak up when she needs to be heard. She must be willing to see both sides and come to her own conclusions.

6. What ruins a good book for you?

When it’s predictable. I mean there are just times I’m not even a chapter in and I could tell you the outline from start to finish and never, never give me a sad ending. I’m sorry. Yes, I need a happy ending. Life throws enough crap our way every day. I don’t need it in my books. There can be moments where the author is giving you the details and history that can tear at your heart, but never kill off the hero or heroine.

I don’t mind if an author goes the same route others have used. For example the Immortal warrior saving humanity and all, but the book and characters have to follow their own agenda if I feel like I’m reading another authors take I’m done and give me some bite, (no pun intended, ok maybe a little pun intended ). Like in my blog about the immortal hero I go into detail and ask the question, are there too many of these heroes and how does an author keep them fresh? Again it all stems to the author and their talent. Here’s the link to that blog if you want to see what I wrote.

Immortal Warrior

7. What makes a good book one you will come back to time and time again?
Oh my. Good question, now how to answer it. The story. I like when there is sexual chemistry…well I like when there’s sexual everything, but the story is what will bring me back to the book. Everything has to click. Everything has to bring meaning to the story. If the chemistry is just there to sell and really doesn’t give character to the story or the characters then it may keep my interest while I’m reading, but when it ends it ends. The characters/books that I will remember long past the last chapter is over are the stories that radiate to me. Somehow those are the keepers.

8. What are your future plans for Risqué Reviews?
To make it the one to read, the one that brings authors and readers alike to my door, because they know they are going to get more than the run of the mill, “wow great book”. They know that when they read a review at my site, it’s going to go beyond, or when I interview them I AM NOT GOING TO ASK THEM WHAT TO NAME THEIR FAVORITE COLOR….oh God, who cares? No spoilers. But after reading my review, whether it’s “your type” of book or not you may just ask yourself ‘why haven’t I read this author before” or genre, etc. So maybe it’s not the site that has a ton of books that you get lost in, but it will be a review like none other out there.

You’ll know that when Barb reviews a book it’s coming from the heart. No guarantee that I will love every book, but it will be honest. I won’t rip out the author’s heart if I found it lacking for whatever reason. There is a person behind that book and I never forget that.

9. Tell us about yourself. Besides reading and reviewing, what does Barb do with her time?
I love to box. Yep. Taking lessons right now. (Well, not at this minute…. would be hard to punch and write at the same time.) Great workout, but also a good confidence builder. I also like to go target shooting; it’s a sport that you compete against yourself. There is nothing more thrilling then shooting my Kimber 45 and the army elite is shooting next to you and they stop and watch as you hit a group so tight it makes their jaws drop.

10. Name ten authors you have on your bookshelf and tell us why you love them.
Oh sure no pressure there right…mmm only ten???
I love you; I can say that with honesty because I read your work before becoming your friend. You are a true romantic and it’s reflected in your stories. You’re a dream weaver and spin tales that draw your reader’s right to the end. I love that!
Joey W. Hill because she take her characters beyond and gets into their souls. She opens up the genre BDSM and goes beyond the slap and tickle. She isn’t afraid to take it all the way.
Kresley Coles, she just doesn't know how to write a bad book, but she does know how to write about some tastefully delicious bad boys…yum.
Sunny Chen; I don’t think her Children of the Moon series has received the recognition it deserves. I love it.
Nalini Singh, come on her Psy-Changelings series just rocks (she even has a few stories about just humans and yes I still loved them *grin*)
Sherrilyn Kenyon no matter what name she’s writing under.
J.R. Ward her Black Dagger Brotherhood series is outstanding, but has anyone read her new series Fallen Angels series? Takes a new direction then anything I’ve seen so far.
Meagan Hatfield is a new author on the scene and has shown great promise with her vampires and dragons.
Michelle Rowen, her demons are mouth watering and devilishly bad…oh so very bad. This series is also unique in its approach. Love it.
Alyssa Day, I can’t get enough of her Atlantis series. Now those are some immortal warriors my dears…

I hope I gave you what you were looking for and I want to thank you again for this opportunity to brag a bit on myself. Girl I do love what I do. Love you too!!

I’d like to leave you with this Chinese proverb; A book is like a magic garden you can carry in your pocket…

Risqué Reviews