Guest Author: COME AWAY WITH ME by Ruth Cardello

One of my favorite authors, Ruth Cardello, is launching a new series. Book 1 has just released so I wanted to feature it on my blog for those of you who love Ruthie's books too. It looks really good. Isn't the cover sexy? The excerpt made me laugh which is my favorite lure into a book's story.

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Book 1 of The Andrades

Gio Andrade:  Rich, powerful, sexy. A man who thinks he has everything . . . until he meets Julia.

Julia Bennett:  Sweet, spontaneous, and desperate to sell her jewelry line in New York City. She takes a job as a night security guard to pay the rent.

Sparks fly when she mistakes her boss for an intruder.

He can’t get her out of his head. She can’t find the strength to deny him.

Will lies bring them together or tear them apart forever?

Fun at IRC 2013

IRC was my 7th conference/convention this year. My energy tank was running close to empty when I went but--WOW--did I get filled up. The attendees were awesome. Conference coordinator Laurie Garrison did incredibly well in keeping the convention on track, especially since popularity and growth had forced us into multiple locations. I averaged 20 plus attendees for every panel and discussion. As an author, it felt very worthwhile. As a fan girl, I loved meeting new authors and seeing some I had been looking forward to meeting for ages.

Next year's convention is already looking incredible. Now that I've sampled the fun, IRC 2014 is going to be a primo reader-author get together that I'll be looking forward to attending again. For those of you interested in possibly attending IRC 2014, here is the mega cool website. Bookmark it for future reference and watch for tickets to go on sale. Laurie is growing the capacity, but I expect it will fill up quickly.

Winner #1

Winner #2

This year I had a contest and two of my readers got to attend. It was so much fun getting to meet them in person and talk to them directly. 

I hope to get to do this sort of giveaway again so watch my sites for information. I'm going to be running this during next summer sometime. That will give winners time to make plans.

Robyn Peterman wonders HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

From time to to time, I feature the books of author friends on my blog. I especially enjoy this when they are releasing their first ever books. Today it's my pleasure to feature Robyn Peterman, author of HOW HARD CAN IT BE? 

Robyn's website

I was lucky enough to beta read an early version of this title, but I've also pre-ordered my finished copy. The book is hilarious, and maybe a little too realistic for me because it's about a woman who decides to write a romance. 

Another blogger commented that the hot cop in the book makes you want to get arrested. I'll second that sentiment for sure. I especially liked the initial kissing scene between Rena and Jack. . . anyway--where was I? Oh yeah. . .

Let's just say I'm never revealing which one of Robyn's romance writer characters I most relate to or fear being, but since you all know my work best, you're free to comment if you want. 

WARNING: future romance authors beware. There are OMG moments galore in this book and multiple bathroom trips in your future from laughing so hard while reading it. 

Look at you, Robyn. You're a published author now! I'm so proud of you!

What reviewers are saying

"How Hard Can it Be? is outrageous, profane, hilarious, sexy, and all kinds of wacky. For a good time, read Robyn Peterman!"   ~ MICHELLE ROWEN, national bestselling author

"A zany over-the-top rompfest."   ~ LEXI GEORGE, author of Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar

Buy it at Amazon!

Book description

What happens when an accountant decides to grab life by the horns and try something new? Apparently a pirate named Dave, a lot of pastel fleece, and blackmail—just to start with... Visualize and succeed, Oprah said. I was sure as hell trying, even if my campaign to score a job as the local weather girl had ended in a restraining order. Okay, TV was not my strength. But a lack of talent has never stopped me before. Which is why I’ve embarked on a writing career. I mean, how hard can it be to come up with a sexy romance?
     
Leave it to me to wind up in a group of porno writing grannies who discuss sex toys and apple cobbler in the same breath. Also leave it to me to leak an outlandish plot idea to a bestselling author with the morals of a rabid squirrel. And only I could get arrested for a jewelry heist I didn’t commit—by a hunky cop whose handcuffs just might tempt me to sign up for a life of crime. Maybe I’ve found my calling after all...
 
Mini-interview with the author 
(I asked Robyn to answer just a couple of questions for me)

Donna:  So Robyn, how hard was it writing a romance? Come on, tell us the truth. 

Robyn:  Actually, since romance novels are what I’m obsessed with, it wasn’t all that hard. . .it was kind of soft. Kidding. I adore happily ever afters, a hot hero, a strong heroine, a viciously evil bad guy and a gaggle of porno writing grannies. Soooo, in my warped mind it made sense for me to spew out a romance. You’ll probably have to read the book to figure out what in the hell I’m talking about!!

Donna:  What's next for you creatively? Got another book coming out?

Robyn:  God, I hope so! Actually, I have a sexy, funny paranormal coming out in April called FASHIONABLY DEAD and the sequel to HOW HARD CAN IT BE? tentatively called SHE LIKES THEM BIG AND HAIRY! comes out in June.

Excerpt from HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

“If you handcuff a woman to a headboard, you need to use fur-covered cuffs. Otherwise you’ll rub all the skin off of her wrists during rough sex, and she’ll bleed like a motherf---er. Blood is just not sexy unless you’re writing paranormal.” The gal with the lesbian haircut delivered that little nugget with gusto.

What in the hell am I doing here? I’m going to kill Oprah. Does anybody actually listen to her ‘if you can visualize it you can do it’ crap other than me? Becoming a famous romance novel writer had sounded like such a good idea the other day. The simple fact that I couldn’t really write had seemed beside the point...
          
My best friend and roommate, Kristy, accused me of pulling a Sunshine Weather Girl again, referring to my embarrassing and very recent attempt to become a meteorologist. Kristy’s reminder was a low blow. I didn’t like to think about that. Clearly showing up at the news station for a month straight wasn’t the way to become the new weather girl. It had resulted in a restraining order, six hours in the pokey, and a feature story on the six o’clock news. My mother told all her friends I was adopted...I wasn’t.          

Follow Shoshanna LeHump on Twitter

So here I stood, in the poorly lit back meeting room of the downtown public library, with ten or so women who looked like seventy-year-old church ladies. Why do women in the Midwest think that really short hair shaved up at the back of the neck is a good look? I found out the bondage gal’s name was Sue, but she went by Shoshanna LeHump. Quite the little fireball, she was dressed entirely in lavender fleece. She explained her husband had threatened to divorce her if she continued to write that garbage under her real name. Her words, not mine. I didn’t know if I was more shocked by her pen name or the fact that she was married.
         
 I glanced around the room hoping to spot Evangeline O’Hara, the famous New York Times best-selling author. She wrote a mean bodice ripper and was the main reason I’d joined this group. I hoped she’d like my ideas and mentor me to stardom. Of course, ideas were a slight problem at this point, but I would continue visualizing like hell.
         
 I was looking forward to discussing Evangeline’s books with her, until Kristy, not unkindly, had reminded me I hadn’t read any of them.
         
 “Turkey Noodle Dooda Surprise served with Tater Tot Casserole can really get your amorous juices flowing,” the one who called herself Nancy gushed. Her floral caftan reminded me of Hawaii. The quintessential grandma had no last name. Apparently she had legally changed her name to Nancy...you know, like Cher or Beyoncé or Gaga.
          

Follow Rena Gunderschlict on Twitter

“I’m sorry,” I interrupted. “I thought this was a romance writers meeting.” My insides clenched. This couldn’t be right. I must be in the wrong room, or hopefully the wrong building.
         
 “It is,” Shoshanna LeHump said. “Nancy writes romantic cookbooks!”
         
 “Oh, aren’t you a lovely thing.” Nancy smiled and squeezed my hands. “Are you a cover model?”
         
 “Um, no. I’m actually a, um...writer,” I white lied. I do write things. I’m a CPA, for God’s sake. I just happen to write numbers instead of words.
         
 “Shoshanna,” Nancy called out to the handcuff-loving porno granny, “we have a new writer!”

Dave Thome talks about Fast Lane Trilogy (Guest Author)

UPDATE October 4, 2012:  Since this interview was first posted in 2011, Dave has decided to expand the original book "Fast Lane" into the Fast Lane Romance trilogy. He has renamed the book to "Palm Springs Heat" by DC Thome. It has been climbing the romantic suspense charts. I'm looking forward to Book 2 coming out and wondering what Dave, I mean DC Thome, has in mind...

Click on the new cover to see it in the Kindle Store.

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Like many other Man Writing A Romance blog fans, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this book, the romance novel Dave has been so diligently working on and blogging about since I have known him.

Having recently read the book myself, I would dub this "romantic suspense" because I was hanging on the edge of my seat through most of it. Oh, there's a romance in the story--a really good one--but there is a lot more. I kept getting interrupted with phone calls while I was reading it and told Dave I had to call people back and apologize for being rude when I was done.

In this post, I asked Dave to talk a bit more about Lara who is the heroine in Fast Lane.

Donna: I know you were struggling with determining the optimal physical size of the ideal heroine. Did you decide if her size mattered?

Dave: I know that size can be important to women. I firmly believe it’s possible for everyone to find that someone who either doesn’t care about size--“too big” or “too small” or whatever. I guess that’s part of the romantic in me, but I see evidence of it every day. That in no way, however, diminishes the depth of feeling women have about their  bodies, height, weight, or whatever.

In this book, the size of the heroine, Lara, does matter. The central male character, Clay, is an international playboy-type whose trademark is “The Rotation,” three beautiful women who are with him 24/7. Every six months, one member of The Rotation is replaced with a new one. So Lara has to appeal to Clay on that level.

Or so she believes. Turns out, Lara’s not 100% typical of The Rotation. She’s older and less busty than previous members.

Buy from Amazon

Women’s clothing sizes have always perplexed me. I mostly know what my mom and my wife wear in terms of letters, not numbers. Plus, I’ve been told the numbers are notoriously unreliable, so that a woman who’s a 10 wears an M in one brand wears an L in another. But, as a man, I get that. Sometimes XLs are  too small and XXLs big. Or XXLs are just right on one part of the body, but too big on another.

Anyway, I had regular input from lots of women while I was writing Fast Lane--writer’s group members, people who read my Man Writing a Romance blog, my wife Mary Jo--and there is a point in the story when it becomes necessary to say Lara’s exact size. I had typed in 8 as a placeholder, but I asked all my audiences if that sounded right, or if 10 or some other size would be better. The responses were sometimes funny and always enlightening.

Some women said, “Why not 12 or 14 or 16?” I know some of those women. I believe they wear 12 or 14 or 16. One woman I know who’s very petite said, “Why not 4?” This demonstrates, I think, the complexity of the issue. Women who wear larger sizes are self-conscious about being “large,” while women who wear smaller sizes are self-conscious of being “small.” But I’ve know tall men and short men who experience similar emotions.

The third group of respondents I refer as the “story pragmatists.” Their answers were usually like, “Lara has to fit into that world, so she’d have to be an 8 or a 10, even a 6.” It was their answers that made me feel confident in making Lara a size 8.

Donna: What did walking in Lara's shoes creatively teach you?

Dave: Okay, here’s something I always knew, but didn’t really think about from day to day:  It’s  much harder in our society to be a woman than a man. I’m talking about things like clothing sizes, what clothes should be worn with which other clothes where and when, makeup, body hair, hair styles, shoes.

My wife almost never wears makeup. It was like that when we met 32 years ago, and it’s always been that way. I’m glad. I’m not convinced women who wear lots of makeup have to.

Here’s a funny story: My daughter decided when she was in college not to shave her arm pits or legs. I found myself not really caring about her legs--though I do love the way freshly shaved legs feel--but appalled by her pits. I’m not the kind of dad who would make a fuss about this--it’s her body, right? But I actually did say something, trying to be as discreet as possible and making it clear it was just my personal opinion. I realize there’s no reason for me to have this bias, but I do. (I felt okay mentioning this because my daughter was raised to be confident in herself and to stick by her guns.)

I think it again demonstrates how complicated these issues are. One time, the women in my writer’s group said they were glad they weren’t young and would therefore “have to” wax and spray tan and get nail extensions and do a bunch of other kinds of maintenance--and here I was, having experienced almost the opposite  philosophy. I guess what crowd you run with matters.

Donna: Now that you've finished your romance, what's next for you creatively?

Dave: I have a novel called Chick Flick that I wrote before this book. Like PSH, it’s funny. But unlike PSH, it’s pretty dark and puts its central characters through a truly hellish night of the soul. It also has a male protagonist, but one woman who’s read it said that for all its darkness, it’s romantic at its core. I’m having a couple people read it to see what they think.

In the meantime, I’ve written twenty screenplays, including six that have female protagonists. I’ve already started updating one, Metal Mom, which is about a woman who resumes her heavy metal singing career when her kids are in high school. It was optioned a couple times and even had Michelle Phillips signed to play the lead. It never got made, though, so I’m going to take it and a few other scripts directly to the people while I’m working on Chick Flick.

Donna: Just one more FYI about Dave, he's published his blog to a quick downloadable book that encapsulates his best posts for a year. This is also available for sale at Amazon. Click here to see the blog book. The cover on it is hysterical--I mean "amazing". Sorry Dave....You look great. Really.

New Release: Death by Bourbon by Abigail Keam

Along my indie journey, I have met an interesting variety of authors writing in many genres. One of the newest authors I've met is my guest author this week and a recent addition to my local writer's group. Abigail Keam is author of the Josiah Reynolds Mysteries. The book I'm featuring today is her fourth book in the series.

You can find purchase links on Abigail's website.

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Book Description

Life takes a dramatic turn for Josiah when she witnesses a death at an engagement party. Charming socialite Addison DeWitt falls into a fit after taking a sip of bourbon. That would be upsetting enough, but Josiah is sure it is murder. However, no one will believe her except for Lady Elsmere and Meriah Caldwell, the famous mystery writer. The three of them conspire to bring the murderer to justice. It turns out that the suspect is always three steps ahead of them.

To make matter worse, Josiah’s daughter, Asa, is decides to move to London, Franklin takes a powder and Jake starts singing a different tune. Josiah doubts her ability to meet the future alone. Maybe it’s time to sell the Butterfly and move to Florida with the rest of the old folks.

Excerpt from Chapter 1 "Death by Bourbon"

Doreen Doris Mayfield DeWitt tapped her tapered glossy ruby nails on the gleaming end table while watching the woman pace before her. Although she felt like swiping the woman with her claws, she remained passive, watching as her guest spewed forth countless words trying to explain her situation.

“You see, Doreen, I simply can’t go on like this. I mean . . . well, I didn’t mean to fall in love with Addison. It just happened. So I’m going to have to renege on our little agreement. It simply wouldn’t be right.”

“You mean the agreement where I paid you to seduce Addison and provide me evidence of adultery so I wouldn’t have to give him part of my fortune according to my prenuptial with him?”

Lacey Bridges batted her large blue eyes. “Well, I never asked you why you wanted me to seduce Addison.

Is that why? You want to divorce Addison? Well, that’s wonderful because I want to marry Addison. See – it works out for everyone.”

“Except for evidence of adultery or abuse, I would have to pay Addison a substantial sum of my money – my family’s money – if I initiate the divorce.”

“You could always say that he hit you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” snapped Doreen. “No one would believe that.”

“Well, I don’t know what to say. This is a pickle for you.”

“Let’s start with the money I’ve already paid you and the video you were supposed to make for me.”

Lacey laughed. “Well, the money is gone . . . for clothes, you know. And the tapes – well, I had to destroy those, you see.”

Doreen sighed. “Do you always have to start a sentence with ‘well’?”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

Lacey simpered. “It wouldn’t do to insult me, Doreen. I haven’t told Addison the truth yet, but I will . . . if you keep pushing me.”

“Afraid that he might recoil from such a gold digger as you?”

“He would forgive me but it would slow up the divorce, that’s for sure.” Lacey searched in her purse for lipstick. “Well, the way I look at it, we can all get what we want. You get rid of Addison and I get him with a little bit of money. Oh, come off it. I’m sure you can spare some

cash for Addison. Surely you want him to go out in style?” Lacey opened her compact and smeared on frosted pink lipstick. Dropping the compact and lipstick back into her purse, she stood satisfied with both her appearance and negotiation. “I’m sure we can work this out to our mutual satisfaction. All of this depends on just how badly you want to divorce Addison, doesn’t it?”

Lacey placed a card on Doreen’s antique end table. “Here’s where you can reach me. I’m sure you’ll see that I am right after thinking about it. Don’t rise, please. I’ll see myself out.” She air kissed Doreen and then pranced out of the room.

Upon hearing the front door slam shut, Doreen stared into the fireplace, losing herself to the dancing flames . . . thinking, thinking, thinking.

She’d be damned before she gave one red cent to that worthless English hustler she’d married. Absent-mindedly she fingered the heavy gold ring on her right hand until she finally felt its weight pull on her. Lifting her hand up to her face, she opened the ring’s secret compartment and smiled. Good thing she had always liked history or she never would have purchased a ring supposedly owned by Lucrezia Borgia.

Doreen laughed. “Now what would Lucrezia have done in my circumstance?”

It was very late when Doreen finally went to bed but not before she had concocted a plan. She would get rid of Addison and his obnoxious little bitch too. And no one would know that it was she who had pulled the strings of a perfect murder about to take place in the calm green rolling hills of the Bluegrass.

Kentucky is not called the dark and bloody ground for nothing.

New Release: "Breaking Through" by Teresa Reasor

It's always great to feature books in a series I read myself. Not long ago, Teresa Reasor visited my blog and did a guest post about 'alpha males' in her novels.

For those of you who bought and read "Breaking Free" Book 1 of Teresa Reasor's romantic suspense series, I have excellent news. "Breaking Through" Book 2 is now available for sale. I'm trying to help Teresa get the word out, so tell your friends, too.

"Breaking Through" is now on my Kindle and...sssshh...listen...is that it calling "read me"? I think it is. Enjoy this sneak peak while I'm gone. I have to go clear my calendar because I am way behind in my reading list.

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Blurb/Description

What happens when a Navy SEAL wakes from a month-long coma to discover he’s being investigated for murder?

When Ensign Brett Weaver is accused of murder, he knows he’s innocent, but how can he prove it with Naval Investigators breathing down his neck? A chance meeting with reporter Tess Kelly offers him an opportunity to get the press on his side. But can he trust her to keep his other secrets off the record?

Tess works hard to live up to her father's expectations. When Brett offers her information about SEAL training in exchange for an introduction to her award-winning journalist father, she jumps at the chance. The situation Brett lobs into her father's lap is a major scoop. But the secret she discovers about Brett is just as newsworthy. Will her feelings for this wounded warrior win out, or will she release a story guaranteed to destroy Brett’s SEAL career?

When Tess’s father is kidnapped, Brett’s team is deployed to find him. At the same time, a leak in the investigation puts Tess and Brett’s lives in danger. Will Brett be able to break through the lasting effects of his injuries and prove he’s once again a battle-ready SEAL? Or will he and Tess lose everything at the whim of a vengeful killer?

Excerpt from "Breaking Through"

Brett strode down the hall. With every step, he seesawed between excitement and anxiety. Reaching his destination, he paused outside the office door. Maybe they were going to allow him to return to full duty. Naw—Doc Stewart would have let him know. He was doing speech therapy one day a week, his psych therapy twice a month, and taking a language class. Goddamn. What else did they want him to do to prove his fitness for duty? How much longer was he going to have to wait?

Brett took a deep breath to offset the quick flash of anger tightening the muscles of his face. He tapped at the Captain’s door with a little more force than was necessary.

“Enter.” Jackson’s muffled tone carried through the barrier.

Brett opened the door, reached the desk in two strides, then snapped to attention. Jackson continued to look over some paperwork on a clipboard while Brett maintained his posture.

“At ease, Ensign. How do you feel about public speaking?”

Dread hit the pit of Brett’s stomach with the punch of a grenade launcher. Ah, shit. He spread his feet, folded his hands behind him, and focused his attention out the window just beyond Jackson’s shoulder. “I think it should be left to priests and politicians, sir.”

Jackson studied him, his expression impassive. “Our public information officer has developed a staph infection and has been hospitalized. He was scheduled to deliver a speech about SEAL team training to the San Diego Women’s Political League. You have been chosen to take his place this afternoon.”

Shit! “I’m not much of a public speaker, sir.”

Jackson eyed him. “It’s important for us to keep our best foot forward in the public eye, Ensign. Especially now.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll be attending as well, but the bulk of the information will be coming from you.”

“Yes, sir.” Another damned test. That’s what it was. “Permission to ask a question, sir.”

Jackson’s eyes narrowed. “Permission granted.”

“How many ladies will be attending, sir?”

“About two hundred.”

Two hundred women he could humiliate himself in front of by forgetting the word he wanted, or not being able to come up with a substitute. Great, just freaking great. “Where is this meeting to be held?”

“In the Crown Room at Hotel del Coronado. You have two hours to prepare, Ensign. You’re dismissed.”

Brett focused on Jackson’s face. The son-of-a-bitch had probably waited until the last minute to call him in. “Yes, sir.” He saluted, swiveled on his heel, and left Jackson’s office. He strode down the hallway to the elevator. The doors opened and he stepped in. Blessedly alone, he painted the air blue with a stream of swear words that would have had his schoolteacher mother slapping him upside the head. Why the hell didn’t he ever forget any of them?

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Bio:
I was born in Southeastern Kentucky, but grew up a Marine Corps brat. The love of reading was instilled in me when I first learned to read in Kindergarten at Paris Island, South Carolina. Books were the friends who traveled with me during the many transfers my father's military career entailed. When I grew older, it was a natural transition for the love of reading to become a love for writing. Though I've been an art teacher and an artist for over twenty years, writing has always been my first love and my passion. And I know that will be true for the rest of my life.  ~~ Teresa J. Reasor

Teresa Reasor is also the author of Highland Moonlight, Captive Hearts,Timeless, Breaking Free (Book 1 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers), and Breaking Through (Book 2 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers).

"Breaking Through" is currently available at:  Amazon   Barnes and Noble   Smashwords
It will also be available at Apple, Kobo, and other ebook retailers in a few days.
Available in print at Amazon.

New Release: "Tempt Me" by JM Madden

In July, I featured and reviewed JM Madden's book "The Awakening Society" for the INDIEpendence Day Blog Hop. JM is one of my favorite new authors and I'm happy to be able to share that "Tempt Me", Book Two in that series is now released. If you could see me, I'd be doing a happy dance. On second thought, maybe I'm glad you can't. Anyway....here is the description and an excerpt she sent me to share. Click photo for Amazon link. Look at bottom of post for a couple others.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Amazon link

Becoming pregnant when she ‘Awakens’ Harrison Walker for the Society, Tonya Hughes is in a serious predicament. She’s overjoyed about the pregnancy itself, especially since doctors told her it would be impossible for her to ever conceive. But Harrison is way too young to be a father, and his family is outraged by the possible social ramifications. So, they do what they think is best and hide the pregnancy from him.

Harrison Walker is in love with Tonya Hughes, and livid when he realizes he’s been deceived about the existence of his own child. Yes, he’s young, but he can’t do anything about that. What he can do is fight to prove to Tonya he can be part of a healthy, loving relationship even at his age.

But will Tonya be able to trust the man he’s determined to grow into?

EXCERPT from "TEMPT ME"

Harrison grinned and skimmed his hand up her calf, rubbing lightly.

“You’re very tense, and you don’t need to be.”

“I don’t mean to be,” she admitted. “But my body has other ideas.”

He was quiet for a good while, and Tonya wondered what he was thinking about.

“I would like to know how you’ve been with the pregnancy. Have you been sick or anything?”

She laughed. “Like you wouldn’t believe. It’s not so bad now, but when I first realized something was wrong, I couldn’t keep anything down. It’s better now, but the weight is really starting to add on. And my feet and legs are feeling it.”

He continued to rub her legs, looking thoughtful. “What else? I’m looking for details,” he admitted.

Tonya snorted. “Okay. I have this disgusting craving for mayonnaise right now, even though it gives me the worst gas in the world.”

She giggled, embarrassed that she’d told him, but he seemed to appreciate it.

“I can spend hours at the park, watching little kids run around and trying to imagine what mine will look like.” He sent her a sharp look. “Ours. Sorry. I’m just used to thinking about everything on my own.”

”It won’t be just you now. It’ll be both of us, and eventually the baby.”

It had been just her for so long that the reassurance caught her off guard and tightened her throat with emotion.

“Thank you Harrison.” She waved at her leaky eyes. “This is something else that’s changed. I’m pretty good at being a hard-ass, but my emotions are just out of control right now. I cried for an hour the other day because the parking meter downtown wouldn’t take my change.”

“From what I’ve heard, that sounds pretty normal though, right?” His blue eyes squinted in a smile.

“I think so. The doctor said so anyway. It’s just disconcerting being out of control of your own body.”

His glance flicked to her chest. “I have to say, there do seem to be some advantages.”

Tonya laughed, appreciating the masculine mentality of always reverting to looks. “Yes, there are. My boobs have never been this big before. And they’ve never been so…” her voice trailed off as she realized what she almost said.

Harrison leaned into her further, and she knew from the intent look in his eyes he wasn’t going to let her stop there. “They’ve never been so, what? Sensitive? Needy?”

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FREE at Amazon

Book One of the series is still free if you haven't read it. JM Madden's books are available at any of your favorite ebook retailers.

You can also find "Tempt Me" and other JM Madden books at the following ebook retailers:

Barnes and Noble

Apple (via iPhone, iPad, etc)

Kobo

For more information, see JM Madden's website.

INDIEpendence Day: A favorite Indie romance

In response to the Indelibles blog INDIEpendence Day event running July 2-5, I am choosing to feature an Indie romance book on my blog today. It was really challenging to pick just one Indie book when I have found so many independent authors that are very entertaining, and more often than not, in genres I might not have read. However, in this case I picked one in my own personal writing genre.

Click this for more INDIEpendence Day recommendations!

I'm a heavy reader of contemporary romance, but the one I've chosen is a more erotic romance than my normal reading selection. I think to date I have read almost everything J.M. Madden has written and published. I know her personally, but the primary reason I know her personally is because I have become an admirer of all her work (a similar relationship to the one my readers have with me). I buy her books the moment they announce and "save" them for the moment I need something like this to read.

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Set in the South, THE AWAKENING SOCIETY by J.M. Madden is the tale of an older, sexually experienced woman who provides a unique service to select young Savannah males by teaching them wise and wonderful ways to please the future women in their lives.

When the story opens, Tonya Hughes has been providing this service for twenty years and is ready to retire. She just has one more young, anxious male that she has promised to sexually awaken. There is poignancy from the beginning because she has chosen this young man to be her last one. But Harrison Walker proves to be an unusual case despite his relative innocence.

Amazon link

Now normally when I want to delve into a romance this steamy, I reach for a Paranormal or maybe a Fantasy. Hot alien humanoid or dragon-shifter sex for some reason doesn't seem to exceed my sensibilities quite as quickly as realistic people I might actually meet one day or already know. Yes, I know how this sounds given that I'm a writer, but hey. . .I'm writing this blog post as a READER.

The bottom line is that Madden changes that habit for me with her erotic contemporaries even though the raw sexuality still surprises me at times. I am willing to risk that for the glimpse she gives me of the raw emotion fueling the passion. She does not skimp on the emotional involvement of her characters nor spare me the language of erotic encounters.

I have to admit this is not the first contemporary book of Madden's I succumbed to in this manner. I first got hooked when I read WET DREAM, a wonderful story about an long, erotic weekend between two emotionally damaged and needy, but amazingly likable people. She made me care about them in first couple pages of the book. The first sexual encounter in WET DREAM was as emotional as the last one was poignant and wistful. The ones in between gave me reasons to take cold showers. She does that again in THE AWAKENING SOCIETY, even if in a different way. I'm coming to think of this emotional-but-erotic blend of sexuality as being one of my favorite traits of her writing.

So how "hot and steamy" is this particular book? Let me just say that if this book became a movie I was going to see, I would have to ask the concessionaire to put the popcorn in the soda cup and fill the popcorn bucket full of ice. And I would insist on having the right male company sitting beside me in the theater.

Madden tends to write shorter, but emotionally charged pieces. With this book though, she has committed to writing more about these characters which is why I chose THE AWAKENING SOCIETY for this feature. I even ended up participating in a poll for the follow-up book in which she gave readers options for the future direction of the relationship of these characters. Now I'm waiting to see which way she has chosen to go. So while THE AWAKENING SOCIETY was a book whose end was an HFN (happily for now) instead of an HEA (happily ever after), it was okay for me from the beginning because I knew I was going to get a Book 2.

What else was great about this book? You know how you always remember the first really great sex in your life? And how twenty years after it happens, the memory still plays in your mind, warming you when you think about it?

You do? Yeah. . .me too.

Well, that's what J.M. Madden has captured in this book.

Heather Peters talks about sex and sports (Guest Author)

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Today my guest author is Contemporary Romance writer, Heather Peters. Heather is with me today to talk about her new sports anthology which features heroes who are jocks extraordinaire.

Heather and I met through a mutual author friend and hit it off immediately. Lately, she and I have been talking hockey and comparing notes because I’m working on a hockey-playing hero for an upcoming book this fall.

Let’s get to the interview now so you get to know her too.

NOTE: Her answers should all be read while imagining a sexy New York accent. She sounds like that--I swear. LOL

Donna:   Hey Heather! Welcome! Tell my blog readers a little about yourself.

Heather:  Thanks so much for having me, Donna! Can you believe its been two months since we met in Salem, MA? Such a wonderful event and great fun meeting you for the first time.

I've been writing romance for over 20 years. I live in New York and this is my first "Indie" book. By day, I'm a receptionist for a chiropractor, but by night, I write, lol.

Reading and writing romance are my two favorite things, followed closely by classic romance movies, Italian cooking, gardening and spending time with my 2 incredibly gorgeous grandchildren.

Donna:   Why the fascination with sports heroes?

Heather:   I grew up an only child whose dad, uncles and boy cousins all were baseball fans. When I started dating, my first boyfriend (later my husband) took me to my first NHL hockey game, and I fell in love. I consider myself pretty well versed in both sports.

I deeply admire the manner in which athletes take care of themselves, their fitness regimens and their talent, not to mention, their respect and love of the game. And for me, of course, their fit, toned bodies certainly keep my mind fertile for writing about them!

Donna:   What should readers know about reading your books?

Heather:   My readers should know that I enjoy telling a simple, heartfelt love story between two adults who have a deep attraction for each other, and a healthy, hot, sex life. I love alpha heroes who have a tender spot for the women they love and I write strong heroines who are not afraid to cry.

Donna:   Was there a real life inspiration for the story line? If not, where did you get the idea for the stories?

Heather:   My first husband (now ex) actually played roller hockey when we were teens. I remember carrying his sports bag and stick to the rink (Okay, I was 15 and in love). Later he became a junior varsity coach for a local high school team. My son began playing hockey at the age of 9, and when he broke his wrist right in front of me and I survived, I knew I was an honest to goodness hockey mom! Now my 5 year old grandson plays, and no, I can't bear to watch him – yet.

As far as baseball is concerned, my late husband Mike was a baseball fanatic. Once I started asking him questions about the pitchers (how do they get that ball over the plate?), a story just evolved. I modeled Nick Dante (my pitcher) after a hunky, handsome pitcher for an American League MLB team. Quinn is based heavily after the GQ cover worthy, award winning goaltender for a major league NHL team.

It seemed now was the time to dust both stories off, update them, and try for an indie release. And here they are!

Donna:   Why an anthology? What other books do you have?

Heather:    I already had sequels in my mind when I wrote Playing for Keeps and Body Check, so I decided to label the series Rules of the Game. My sequels (due for release in September/October) are tentatively named Face-Off and Grand Slam. 

I also have six other e-books available: Toy with Me (Freya's Bower), Oz and With a Twist (Red Sage Publishing),
Best Laid Plans, Surrender, and Secret Dreams (Noble Romance Publishing).

Donna:   What’s next for you creatively? Are you working on something else?

Heather:   Besides the next 2 novellas in Book Two of the Rules of the Game series, I've just outlined a contemporary Phantom of the Opera romance  tentatively named Phantom Temptation. A cruise ship love affair called Sea Me is also in the works. I'm very excited about them.

Donna:   How can readers contact you?

Heather:   Readers can contact at the any or all of the following.

WEBSITE: www.heatherpetersauthor.yolasite.com

BLOG: wwwbodaciousbabesbookbuds@blogspot.com

EMAIL: heatherpetersauthor@yahoo.com

FACEBOOK: heatherpetersauthor@yahoo.com

(I'm on FaceBook the majority of the time, anyone can reach me there 24/7 -- lol)

Thanks Donna for having me. Just want to say kudos to you for your Never Too Late series. I absolutely love the older characters who share intense love for each other, and enjoy healthy sex lives. At my age (50+) I welcome the change from the younger characters.

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Excerpt from PLAYING FOR KEEPS

While thinking about which specials to list for the first night of their debut, Jenna was brought out of her musings by a couple of crew members.

Nearly choking on her wine, she nearly fell off the stool as she heard a name that rendered her breathless.

Nick Dante.

"Did you see that last inning?" one crew member exclaimed. "Dante pitches a three hitter, then strikes out the last guy to win the Series. Un-friggin-believable."

The other young man nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but see how he collapsed after he won the game? Ah, he's all done with that bum shoulder of his. How old is Dante, anyway, thirty- five, thirty- six?"

Jenna swallowed hard, and answered without thinking. "He's thirty-three."

The two crew members turned to her with eyebrows raised. "Hey Ms. Valentine, you a baseball fan?"

Jenna felt her cheeks blush. "In a manner of speaking."

The other man nodded. "Oh, then you must be a Nick Dante fan."

"Hardly." She frowned.

"Then how. . ."

Jenna needed to end this conversation, but didn’t want to be rude. "I knew him in college." She sighed and hoped she appeared disinterested.

Yeah, there's an understatement. You've known him longer than that. And have loved him all your life.

"You dated Nick Dante?" one of the guys asked wide-eyed, interest obvious now.

Jenna nodded weakly. Wouldn’t these two young men be interested to know that not only did she go to college with Nick, but that she also knew his family, the way he kissed, that his hair was thick and felt like silk when you drew your fingers through it.

Jenna knew his eyes were the color of espresso, and grew darker when he was aroused. He was six foot three inches, had a small scar on his chin from being hit with a baseball when he was in college.

His voice lowered when aroused, and she used to call him Nico.

And the way he made love as though his life depended on it.

It was all a long time ago. But she could still taste his bone melting kisses, his strong arms wrapped around her.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Jenna slid from the stool, and hurriedly gathered papers and her bag together. She had to get out of here. After twelve years, the mention of his name still possessed the power to screw up her mind, and affect her body.

Yeah, she knew a lot about Nick Dante.

After all, he was her ex-husband.

Hallee Bridgeman talks about "Edgy Christian Romances" (Guest Author)

Today my guest author is Inspirational Romance writer, Hallee Bridgeman. Hallee is member of my local writing group and the author of, Sapphire Ice, which is the debut novel of her new series. She is following that release with Emerald Fire this week. Let’s get to it now so you can get to know her.

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Donna: Hi Hallee! Tell my blog readers a little about yourself.

Hallee: Hi, Donna! I am married to Gregg. We have three children and live in the perfect small town in central Kentucky. I’m a full time writer, managing two blogs and writing novels. I love cooking, baking, entertaining, Doctor Who, and shopping – which really works out for me because my 15-year-old daughter could shop on a daily basis. I’m in the process of doing this 30-day blogging exercise so that people can get to know me a little better. One of the first things I had to do was list 15 “interesting” facts about myself – you can read them here: http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee/30-days-of-bloggity-bloggness-day-1/

Donna: To let the reader in on one of the inside jokes within our writing group, we talked about categorizing your books as “edgy Christian”. Tell the readers about Inspirational Romance as a genre and where your books fall.

Hallee: In Sapphire Ice, Robin, the female protagonist, propositions Tony, the male protagonist, for sex. It’s a key element to the story that I really didn’t want to take out. However, according to a large conventional publisher, that element made my book too “risqué” for the typical Christian romance reader.

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Pondering that, I got to looking at my novels. In this series, in the first scene of Book 2, Emerald Fire, Maxine, the female protagonist, wakes up naked, in a hotel room in Las Vegas, and remembers she married a man who had buried his wife just three weeks before. In Book 3, Topaz Heat, Derrick, the male protagonist, is arrested for murdering a boy whose 10-year-old corpse was found in the wall of an apartment building in Derrick’s old neighborhood. The boy had been a drug dealing buddy of Derrick’s in his pre-redemption life.

There’s a lot of edginess in my books, a lot of real life. Christians have pre-Christ lives. They have daily temptations. They feel love and they feel passion. They make mistakes and have to live with them. Too many Christian romance novels skirt around such feelings and pasts and human-ness. I embrace them. A reviewer of Sapphire Ice on Amazon said, “Love the passion between the characters - love, LOVE the fact that the author so accurately portrays that being a Christian doesn't mean the absence of passion.”

When you and I were talking about it one day, you used the word “edgy.” I immediately embraced it. Edgy! That’s what I write – edgy Christian romance. As I began working toward publishing the first book in the series, I discovered that "edgy Christian romance" is actually a genre – a huge independent publishing genre. So while it may not be “original” – it fits so perfectly that it has become my tagline.

 “Hallee Bridgeman, author of edgy Christian romances.”

Donna: What should readers know about reading your books?

Hallee: The Jewel Series is about three half sisters who were daughters of an addict who was murdered along with her rapist boyfriend when the oldest of the sisters was 15 and the youngest was 9. There are memories that surface, nightmares that haunt, and stories that slowly come into the light. While I don’t go into gross detail, I don’t pretty life up much either. But, the beautiful thing is that in Christ, we are all new creations. Our past means nothing. It’s the here and now and what we do with it tomorrow that counts. In different ways, each book reveals that truth.

In Sapphire Ice, Robin doesn’t know anything about God or what being a Christian means. She thinks that men just use women and discard them. Because she’s attracted to Tony, a Christian, and he shows a very active interest in her, she feels like maybe he can teach her about a kind of sexuality between a man and a woman that doesn’t involve violence and pain. It surprises her that what she gets instead is a man who wants to love her, to treat her with respect, and to take care of her and cherish her.

Donna: Was there a real life inspiration for the story line? If not, where did you get the idea for the story?

Hallee: I don’t know where I got the inspiration for the story. I had a vague idea about an older sister working two jobs for her younger sisters, but it was just shadows of an idea. When I sat down to write it, as soon as I started typing, my brain was flooded with the story. I wrote it as quickly as I could, and had the (very) rough draft done in about a week. This was a fantastic story and until I wrote the third book, Tony was my favorite character I’d ever written.

Donna: Want to tell us about the other books in the series? What’s the next book and when will it be released?

Hallee: Emerald Fire is releasing on April 23rd. There are spoilers here, so be warned. This is the story of Maxine, the middle sister. Her male love interest was a cuckold husband whose wife died in an accident not long after telling him she was pregnant with another man’s child. He was very angry with God for his marriage, his wife, and her death that resulted in the death of the innocent life she carried. He and Maxine, who had always been friends, grew closer after his wife’s funeral. He invites her to Las Vegas to attend a college football bowl game, and they get married on a whim. Maxine realizes she loves him, but he feels very gallant and would rather spare her the embarrassment of their rushed elopement so soon after his wife’s demise. He promises her a quiet annulment, but Maxine determines that she will be his wife and moves into his home, making it clear to him that she is there when he is ready to have her.

Topaz Heat will release May 21st. This is the story of Sarah, the youngest sister, and Derrick, Tony’s protégé. Sarah has no memories of her broken young life leading up to the tragic murder of her mother – her first memory is waking up in the home of her adoptive parents. She doesn’t even know she has sisters until the morning of her 15th birthday. As an adult, she forms a relationship with them, but always feels a little left out. Derrick has been in love since the first day he met her, when he was fresh off the streets and being rescued from a life of crime and given a home by Tony. He sheds his old life, trading the ripped leather jacket for silk suits; trading dealing drugs for mentoring at risk youth; trading lock picking and slipping through windows for the rigors of mountain climbing and hotel management. He lives away from Boston for several years and returns to find his feelings for Sarah are as strong as they’ve ever been. Sarah becomes ill and Derrick nurses her back to health. She realizes she returns his feelings and is angry with herself for wasting the last ten years. They finally come together only to be ripped apart by a criminal indictment that brings Derrick’s past back to the present.

Donna: What’s next for you creatively? Are you working on something else?

Hallee: I used to write contemporary romances, and have seven novels completely written. Right now, I just plan to pull each one out and convert it to an “edgy Christian romance” before starting anything new. Some may have to be completely re-written, like I had to do with Emerald Fire. Some will just need a few added elements and some character tweaking like I did in Sapphire Ice. I believe that my next series that will be released is called The Renkoff Brothers Trilogy. It’s about triplet men from a Russian family living in Seattle, Washington. Each brother will have his own book. The titles as they stand now are Shelter with Brad, Love with Jon, and Life with Ken. They were fun men to write – I’m excited to see what happens to them when I add God to the mix.

Donna: How can readers contact you?

Hallee: I blog about writing at http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee. You can find me on Twitter at @halleeb, on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/105383805410764959843/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hallee-Bridgeman/192799110825012

I also blog about everything homemaking from how to make homemade bread made from flour I ground out of wheat to making homemade laundry detergent to organic gardening and a thousand different things in between. You can find me there at http://www.halleethehomemaker.com.

Amy Durham talks about writing YA books

Today I’m interviewing YA (Young Adult) author, Amy Durham. Amy is a member of my local writing group and Once Again is her debut novel. Publishing any book is incredible, but that first book is the most amazing feeling in the world and I’m very happy to be sharing it with Amy.

Let’s pause here while I do happy dance for Amy. I know she's been working on this a long time.

Okay—that was fun.

Donna: Hi Amy! Welcome to my blog. Tell my readers a little about yourself. 

Amy:  Hi Donna! Thanks so much for inviting me over today. I’m not a terribly exciting girl, but I am a busy one! I like in central Kentucky. My husband and I have three boys (ages 13, 8, & 5), and I’m a full-time middle school teacher. Of course I LOVE books – both for reading and writing – but I also love to cook and experiment with new recipes!

Donna: Why YA books?

Amy:  I LOVE reading YA books! I love that YA books have a “crossover appeal” that makes them readable by both teens and adults. I love that I can read a great YA book, then recommend it to my students at school or my own teenage son. I love that I can have a conversation with a student about a book we’ve both read. I love that YA books can give young readers a sense of hope and encouragement… “If the characters in that book can overcome all those obstacles, then I can surely make it through adolescence, too!”

And I love that we “grown ups” can read YA stories and re-visit the exuberance and excitement of our youth, remember the beauty of first love, and think back on the friends of our childhood. Since I love reading YA books, I figured it was the best “fit” for my writing.

Donna: What is the age range for your YA book? Who do you see reading it?

Amy:  The narrator of my book is a sixteen year-old girl, so it naturally lends itself to girls around that age. However, I intentionally wrote a story that would be appealing and appropriate for younger readers (i.e. no sexual situations or excessively foul language). I also hope romance and mystery of the story will appeal to those young-at-heart YA readers (like me!).


Donna: Was there a real life inspiration for the story line?

Amy:  There wasn’t an actual person or event that inspired the book. The “core” of the Once Again came from my own memories of being sixteen. I started thinking about what I thought and dreamed about when I was that age, and I was such a hopeless romantic back then! I never really got over that either!

When I was a teenager, I loved the idea of love being eternal and somehow transcending time and place. I’d spend long hours thinking about my future-husband, and even though I didn’t know who he was, I knew he was out there waiting for me, dreaming about me. Sounds sappy, I know, but that’s where my mind was during my middle school and high school years!

So, I crafted a story that played off of that idea… that love transcends time and place. The paranormal element of the story is reincarnation, and I think it really allowed me to illustrate the idea of timeless love.

Donna: What YA authors do you like to read? 

Amy:  I’ll admit to loving all the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer! In addition to those, I also really REALLY love Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series. The heroine of that series is a female banshee (bean sidhe), and they are some of the most inventive books in the YA genre in my opinion. I’ve read part of Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, and I’m totally impressed! Jennifer Echols writes really good, true-to-life non-paranormal YA stories as well.

Donna: What’s next for you creatively? Are you working on something else?

Amy: Right now I'm working on the sequel to Once Again, which I hope to release later this year. It's titled Once and For All, and follows two different Sky Cove teenagers as they encounter their own reincarnation drama, as well as an ancient curse that has never been broken. (Hint - readers will meet the hero and heroine of Once and For All in Once Again!)  There may also be a "short story" in the "Sky Cove" series sometime this year. 

And, as if that's not keeping me busy enough, I'm writing the first book in my "Messenger" series, titled Dusk.  "Messengers" are a bit like angels, but not quite the same. You'll just have to wait and see!

Donna: How can my readers find out more about you and your work? BTW readers, Amy does some fun things on her blog. Check it out.

Amy:  Here's my list. Thanks for inviting me!

Email – amybdurham@gmail.com
Twitter - @Amy_Durham
FB – facebook.com/AuthorAmyDurham
Blog – amy-durham.blogspot.com

Teresa Reasor talks about Alpha Males (Guest Author)

I originally invited Teresa Reasor to guest blog with me and talk about her series of romances featuring heroes who were military men (and definitely alpha males). Then I discovered that she was releasing a new paranormal book just this week called Timeless which I have already purchased myself because I love books set around mystical sites. It's on my Kindle and waiting for me. And she reminded that even MORE books came before the military one that was my introduction to her writing.

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So Teresa is going to talk about all her writing and I'm going to show as many of her book covers as I can squeeze into this post. LOL

Donna: Hi Teresa!  Thanks for blogging with me. Why do you write about military heroes? What's the allure?

Teresa: What can be more appealing than a man who’s willing to lay his life on the line for the people he loves? Who isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes in? Who knows who he is? Those are all the reasons I love to write about military heroes.

Service personnel have a great deal of dedication to follow their chosen path. They have to be ready to stand between us and a bullet or a bomb. Imagine the courage it takes to know and accept that responsibility. And to live it day after day. How can that not be appealing?

Part of the allure for me is the cocky sureness I find in the military hero. I love alpha males. All the heroes in my favorite movies are alpha males. All the heroes in the books I write are alpha males. And traditionally the military man is an alpha male.

Alphas are usual confident take-charge kinds of guys who hide their human weaknesses behind a façade. I don’t mind allowing my hero to take charge of my heroine’s heart or mine (because I always fall a little in love with my heroes). But delving deep into their psyche and exposing their humanity is part of the allure, too. These guys bleed red just like everyone else. They have feelings, though it’s hard for them to lay them open for everyone to see. They’re used to putting themselves in harms way, but they’re not used to being vulnerable emotionally. Forcing them to acknowledge the power of their feelings and showing their process in dealing with the loss of emotional control is fascinating.

Donna: How do you get realism into your characters? Have you gotten feedback from readers who were in the military?

Teresa: I wrote my first military romance Breaking Free as a way to work through some of the memories I had of my father serving in the Marines. The war in Iraq brought back all the issues of separation and sacrifice we, as a family, went through while he was in Korea and Vietnam.

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I still can’t watch the opening battle scene in Saving Private Ryan, a movie about WWII, even today. Knowing my father was there; experiencing the same kinds of things depicted in the movie is just too much for me.

Being part of a military family, living the life on post and off, gives me an understanding of what the men go through and the wives and children they leave behind. I’ve watched the men train. I’ve seen them coated in mud and sand, running with forty-pound packs on their back in full battle gear, experiencing physical hardship and building mental toughness. I’ve seen how hard it is for them to get on a plane and fly away from their families.

There are many issues in my books that go heart deep for me. And it’s easy to impart realism to an issue you’ve experienced firsthand. And as for the realism of my battle scenes, I research and research and research in an attempt to get it right. Being able to imagine your loved one in that situation makes it both harder and easier to write.

I’ve received some wonderful reviews and feedback from readers, military wives, and women in the military who have appreciated my efforts. I take every suggestion they make to heart.

Donna: What's next for you creatively?

Teresa: This week I released a paranormal romantic suspense titled Timeless. It's available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

And I’m thick into the second book of my SEAL Team Heartbreakers series titled Breaking Through which I hope to release in May 2012.  I have four other books planned for the SEAL Team Heartbreakers. Breaking Away, Breaking Out, Breaking Hearts, And Breaking Chains are the working titles.

I’m also working on a trilogy of paranormal novellas I plan to publish together in one volume. The working title is Forces Unleashed. They’re a blend of horror and paranormal. I hope to bounce back and forth between the genres and build a readership in both.

And as you know I write historical romance as well.

My two books Highland Moonlight and Captive Hearts were my first published works and historical romance will always be in my blood. So I haven’t ruled out writing another historical either.

Writing Timeless, which bounces between present day Scotland and the medieval period, has inspired quite a few story ideas.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Donna! I’ve really enjoyed it.

Kallypso Masters talks about alternative romances (Guest Author)

Today's author interview is with Kallypso Masters. Kally and I met in a local writer's group. I asked her for an interview as a writer/representative of an alternative-lifestyle sub-genre because her debut novel this year just happened to be one.

A word of caution here to readers of this post, Kally's work is definitely meant for the 18 and over age crowd and her blog site requires that you attest to your age in order to gain access. 

In my blog post The Naked Truth or why I write romances, I mentioned that the romance genre has expanded over the many years I've been a reader to include stories that focus on "alternative lifestyle" relationships. While I don't write these stories myself, many authors of traditional romance novels also write in some of these edgier sub-genres. In Kally's case, she chose to debut her full-time authoring career writing a series about friends in the BDSM alternative-lifestyle. For those who don't recognize the acronym, "BDSM" stands for bondage-discipline-domination-submission-sadism-masochism and possibly other things. While these words can have negative connotation to some readers, if you check sales of these books, it is obvious that they are sought by many readers. I think I have mentioned before, but will iterate again--some readers of my books also read Kally's books and many others. Minimally, every romance author should be aware of all the books that sell alongside their own.

Though she is going to talk about her romances, Kally says Master at Arms is not "classically" a romance. She instead describes her first book as an introduction to her series. Interestingly, Masters at Arms (with it's great cover) has been on Amazon's best-seller "war" genre fiction list almost since it debuted in August. It provides prequels to romances for three Marines (including a Navy Corpsman), two of whom actually have their "first-meet" scenes with their future heroines in this book. There are no HEAs in Masters at Arms which is why it's not strictly a romance. Kally says the first four books in the series are not stand-alone stories, so she recommends readers wanting to read the series start with the first one.

For a free copy through Dec. 31, go to Smashwords and use coupon code LN28Q at checkout.

Donna:   So, let's get started. Hi Kally. Welcome to my blog. Will you describe yourself (in 1 or 2 sentences) for my readers?

Kally:  Hi, Donna! Thanks for having me! I'm 53, live in Kentucky, and have been writing romances on and off (mostly off) since high school more than 35 years ago, but only ventured into getting one published this year. I've been married for 28 years and have two grown children.

Donna:  Will you describe your writing for the benefit of readers who don't know you?

Kally:  Cherise Sinclair is my favorite author (and a good friend and mentor) I used to love the "bodice-rippers" back in the 1970s and 1980s--Kathleen Woodiwiss, Rosemary Rogers, and Johanna Lindsey among my favorites—who also wrote about dominant men and submissive women (and sometimes the women were chained to the beds—long before there was a BDSM subgenre).

I fell in love with erotic BDSM romances after reading Cherise Sinclair's Club Shadowlands two years ago. Before that, my opinion was that BDSM was about violence, rape, and humiliation. I was a women's studies minor in college—so that didn't sit well with me. But with Sinclair's books, I saw the healthy, loving side of the lifestyle—strong women and equally strong alpha men who provided for their women's needs to be dominated sexually, but in a safe, sane, consensual, and very erotic way.

I write extremely emotional stories about broken people who find rescue, redemption, healing, and love while exploring their sexual interests in some aspect of the BDSM "spectrum" lifestyle. (My characters will be all over the BDSM spectrum, from bondage/discipline with domination/submission in the bedroom or club scene only to safe, sane, and consensual sado-masochism.) People often ask me how I know so much about activity in the BDSM lifestyle and I tell them I'm not a Marine either, but the military folks who have read Masters often compliment me on getting that correct. It's research, plain and simple. I correspond with many people in the lifestyle and they share their stories, feelings, and emotions with me.

Donna: What do you think is the difference between "erotica" and "erotic romances"? You and I have had this discussion, but I thought it would be interesting and informative for my blog readers.

Kally: It's really quite simple (in my mind)—so why can't publishers and readers figure it out? I'm being sarcastic. It's like the word "obscene". Ask 100 people to define it and you'll get 100 different answers.

To me, "erotica" focuses more on the sexual relationship and "erotic romances" focus more on the romantic relationship, but with sexually explicit love scenes that use earthy language, rather than euphemisms to describe the act and body parts involved. There also are some edgier types of sex scenes—not just "vanilla," as those in the lifestyle describe non-BDSM relationships/sex.

I tried writing erotica (hey, sex sells and I needed to make a living, too), but discovered that I am much more interested in exploring the psychological and emotional connections in the relationships than focusing mainly on sex. Some of my characters can go for many chapters without being involved in a sex scene while I take them through a more realistic journey toward their "Happily Ever After" ending, or at least a "Happy For Now" with a commitment to each other.

But I love to read in all genres, as long as the books are long-ish (short stories frustrate me—give me at least 50,000 words). They also need to be well-written, have compelling characters I can sympathize with, and tell a good story. Like people who read "sweet" stories who can't read erotic romances, I'm just the opposite. Close the door before a sex scene and I may close the book, or at the very least scream in frustration.

Donna:  How many more books are you planning in your series? I noticed your third book in the series is releasing soon.

Kally:  Yes, Nobody's Hero will be releasing in about a month. At this point, my series is limitless, like Gabaldon's Outlander (and just as much of a saga, with two main characters—Adam and Karla—who will continue to be prominent throughout the series). I love having cliffhangers in an epilogue at the end of each novel that sets up the next novel in the series. I also like to bring couples from earlier romances back into later books to show how they are progressing toward or maintaining their HEA endings. Let's face is, HEAs take work in real life, as in my books.

Some of my novels take place over a short span of time, too, (like six days) so an HEA ending isn't as believable to me in just one book. But I do make sure the main couple in each romance will be at least "Happy for Now" at the end of their romance. To date, I have seven books planned through the beginning of 2013 (about three per year). But I am sure there are many other secondary characters who will want me to tell their stories, as well. (I just haven't met them or their significant others yet.)

My books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, BookStrand, and All Romance eBooks.

Donna:  Last question--how can readers contact you? I will also remind my readers that your blog requires an age 18 or over verification to gain access.

Kally:  Thanks for having me here, Donna, and for encouraging the discussion of the various romance genres and the labels used for each. The saying "don't judge a book by its cover" is as true now as ever. There are some pretty racy covers out there with some heart-wrenching, beautiful romances. So, if your blog readers have an adventurous streak, they should give some alternative romances a try!

My blog, Ahh, Kallypso…the stories you tell, is where I publish excerpts of current and upcoming novels, share guest blogs, and have other content on at least a weekly basis. I'm also available by e-mail at kallypsomasters@gmail.com and love to hear from readers. I always respond, so if you don't hear back, rattle my cage again because it might have gotten lost in ether.

Those preferring snail mail can write to me at Kallypso Masters, PO Box 206122, Louisville, KY 40250.

But the best way to reach me is via Facebook (http://facebook.com/kallypsomasters) where I hang out many times a day (I'm an extrovert—and they feed me the energy to keep writing), and on Twitter (@kallypsomasters), which I check every few days.