Romance Author Hotspot

Please join me in welcoming our newest party animal/blogger Janelle Lee!

Someone is always asking me why I write… My usual response is “If I told you I would have to kill you.” Writers get strange questions but they get stranger looks. Or maybe it is just me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I actually have been known to leave the house without brushing my hair… But I really believe it is because when someone asks me what I do for a crust (living) I say I am a writer. The usual response comes with the look of disbelief followed by the  “Really?” My usual sarcastic retort is “There are a million things I could lie about and I picked that.”

The funniest look was from a couple of women in aisle five at the supermarket. My husband was down one end with the trolley while I was slowly making my way down towards him. I wasn’t actually shopping so to speak I was thinking about a particular scene in a particular chapter. Sometimes my thinking doesn’t stay inside my head. “What sort of gun would I need to shoot the most amount of people in the least amount of time?”

It wasn’t until I saw the looks on the women’s faces and my husband rolling his eyes when I realized that my question was said out loud. The women stared at me as if I was about to pull an automatic weapon from my pocket. I smiled at the women bid them a good day and hurried towards my husband who was waiting for me. “That was fun.”

“Why do you have to do that?” he asked.

I shrugged.

Years ago an editor told me if my story wasn’t going anywhere I needed to kill someone off. It works a treat. I tell my students the same thing and with children you never know what you are going to get. I was working with the Year 5 students when one of them came over to me and told me she didn’t know what to write next. I told her to kill someone off. Probably not the most appropriate thing to tell a ten year old but I figured there were worse things I could have told her.

She made her way back to her seat with a new found confidence. Twenty minutes later she returned to show me the finished product. My right eyebrow rose as I read how she killed off thirty people in a fiery train crash. She looked expectantly at me. I had to hand it to her she certainly understood the difference between showing and telling. “Fantastic,” I told her and watched as her smile lit up her whole face.

The next morning her mother came to school to see me. I was expecting maybe a phone call but a face-to-face conversation was going to make it really interesting.

I had a whole speech prepared that included how children should be free to express themselves and I am not here to censor them in any way. My speech was a waste of time as her mother wanted to thank me for encouraging her daughter and to tell me how much she was enjoying the class. I shelved the speech and to this day I haven’t had to use it. Like me many years before the student learnt that writing is the only way you can kill someone and get away with it.

Eavesdroppers are a constant source of amusement for me. When a bunch of writers get together for lunch you can be sure writing is the only subject on the conversation menu. After eating my entrée and waiting patiently for my dessert (I hardly ever eat a main due to it getting in the way of dessert) one of my fellow diners asked me what I was working on. I told her that I was contemplating killing off one of my characters – a child – but decided that I would kill the child’s puppy instead by slitting its throat.

The woman at the next table suddenly fired off a verbal spray at me and told me I should be reported to the police and how some people should be shot. I figured that I was one of those people. I laughed at the woman, which only infuriated her more. My dining companions wanted to explain to her what I was actually talking about but I told them not to bother. It was more fun my way.

Another thing people ask about being a writer is what is the worse thing. Many writers would say the aloneness but to me it is the “Oh, you are a writer. I wrote a book do you want to read it?” Which usually equates to can you read it and fix it. A friend of a friend asked me to ‘read’ their masterpiece… Alright it wasn’t described in that way but it came close. Grammar and punctuation were non-existent, the sex scenes were laughable and I still had to work out the genre. The best I could come up with was erotica/saga/horror although the horror could have been due to the grammar and punctuation problems along with the strange wording to describe the sex. I have no idea what an oopla loopa is and quite frankly I don’t think I want to know.

When I handed it back to my friend. He asked me what I thought. I replied with “How good of a friend is your friend?”

“That bad?” he asked.

“Worse.”

Happy writing.

  BLURB: Tim O’Flaherty’s boyhood dream was to become a pilot. His dream was shattered on September 11th 2001. Fleeing the country in an attempt to rid himself of the guilt and pain he soon realizes that there is no escaping the nightmare. He arrives in Australia where he finds a deep connection with Bondi Beach. The goal of becoming a lifeguard is what drives him and when he saves a woman from drowning he inadvertently saves himself.

If you like what you’ve read you can find more from Janelle:

Twitter:    http://www.Twitter.com/janellelee747

Facebook:    Janelle Lee Author

Website:    www.janellelee.com

Thanks for stopping by Janelle!  She’s also giving away a free (PDF-format) copy of “Saving Tim” to a random commenter.  Good luck!

Our current featured author is indeed still Sondrea Bennet!  Don’t forget, a random commenter will recieve a free e-copy of Arctic Winds (first book in the series) from Sondrea!

Have you ever wanted something so much, felt that something was so perfect for you, that you couldn’t imagine not getting it? That no other possible future existed? Most of us have. Whether it’s that job you were sure was yours, or that weight loss goal driving us on the treadmill, we’ve all felt that certainty that something was meant to be. That tightness in the chest that assails us just at the thought that something might not come to pass.

In Worth Fighting For, Misty knows that she and Cody are meant for each other with the same blind certainty. And when Cody remains blind to the attraction between them, Misty is forced to take extreme action to get what she wants.

What would you do to get the man of your dreams?

Blurb

All’s fair in love and war. As leader of a fox skulk, Cody is used to feeling protective. But when his best friend, Misty, gets attacked, his panic has nothing to do with duty. Suddenly, he’s noticing Misty as a woman instead of the girl he grew up with. But pursuing those feelings would risk their friendship, something he’s unwilling to do.

Misty’s tried everything, without success, to convince Cody she’s not “one of the guys”. Yet now that he’s looking at her like she always dreamed, he pulls away every time she gets close.

Danger lurks in the background, waiting to pounce. Someone plots against the foxes, leaving them all in jeopardy…especially Misty. Will Cody overcome his fears in time to save the woman he loves?

If you’re interested in more from Sondrea you can find her:

Twitter:   http://www.twitter.com/sondraebennett

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sondrae-Bennett/177510252275496

Website:   www.sondraebennett.com

A random commentator below will recieve a free e-copy of Arctic Winds (first book in the series) from Sondrea!

Our party-guest of honor today is Cynthia Woolf, please join me in welcoming her!

How did you get started writing?

I wrote my first story when I was about ten.  It was a romance about me and a little boy I liked.  I also wrote some very depressing poetry.  I decided that poetry was not for me and stuck to romance.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I have a historical western romance and a sci-fi romance out now.  The sci-fi is the first in a series.  I write in these genre’s because they are the ones whose stories reached out to me.  The western was the first book I wrote and was inspired by my parents love story.  It’s set on the same ranch that they met on in 1941.  My book is set in 1885, so it’s not their love story.  My dad was a cowboy and trapper but to the best of my knowledge was never a bounty hunter.

The sci-fi series was done because of dreams I had when I was a teenager.  I knew I was a princess from Alpha Centauri.  There was no way I could belong to the crazy family I had.  Of course, I adore that crazy family now.

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite part is what I call the ‘puking’ phase.  Just getting it all down on paper for the first time.  You just let if flow out of you, not caring, for the moment, if it is good or bad.

What is your favorite dessert or food?

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing.  My mother made the best.  Since she passed away in 2008 I haven’t been able to find any that are as good.  And believe me I’ve looked.

What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?

The hardest for me to write is conflict.  I avoid conflict in my real like as though it was the plague.  So I tend to try and do that with my characters as well.  Thank goodness for my critique group who are like an enforcer and make me put in the conflict the story needs.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

My current book is called TAME A WILD WIND.  It is the second book in the western series and was released on March 9, 2012.

Now I’m working on the second sci-fi series called the Swords of Gregara.  The first book in the series is JENALA, the second is RIZA and the third is TALA.

Who does your covers?  They are fantastic. 

One of my dear friends, critique partner and fellow author, Jennifer Zane does my covers.  She is multi talented.  Her current release is Gnome on the Range.  It’s a hysterically funny book about what can happen when a woman buys a couple of garden gnomes at a garage sale for her sons.  Try the book you’ll love it.

All of my books are available on Amazon.

Tame A Wild Wind, http://amzn.to/ySbtTv

Tame A Wild Heart, http://amzn.to/vu62X7

Centauri Dawn, http://amzn.to/uDMkCY

Centauri Twilight, http://amzn.to/s30WPD

Centauri Midnight, http://amzn.to/wdADsZ

BLURB:

Former Texas Ranger Sam Colter isn’t looking for love.  Neither is pretty widow Cassie O’Malley.  But when a man stalking Sam for killing his brother kidnaps Cassie, Sam discovers it’s more than duty that sends him racing to her rescue.  Will Cassie realize the truth about her own feelings before it’s too late?

Thankyou to Cynthia for stopping by!  Cynthia is quite awesomely hosting a double giveaway that will end Friday night.  She is offering: 2 ebook copies of her book “Tame A Wild Wind” to a randomly selected commenter below!  If youlike what you’ve read you can find Cynthia:

       Twitter:    http://www.Twitter.com/CynthiaWoolf

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaWoolf

Website:    http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Please welcome special surprise guest Lynn Crain!  She was kind enough to step up for a party-pooper and we <3 her for it!!! 

Everyone knows I’m an erotic romance writer. I don’t hide the fact at all. If the story calls for some steamy hot sex, then the story gets that scene. The one thing I do get reminded of occasionally is the fact I used to be a blush queen growing up. This was brought home to me when I recently pulled up an article from another author who talked about her ‘blush-o-meter’ and it reminded me of how I used to be.

Growing up, it didn’t take much to get me going. I know I was the only high school senior to be photographed with the then President Gerald Ford who could compete with the sun. It has it good and bad points. Still, the story reminded me of my early days as an erotic romance writer and two specific times when blushing got me a lot of attention.

The first one was when I was asked to bring my very first completed book to a college gang party. These were the people I had learned to become an adult with and I had a lot of apprehension. These people had embarrassed me and held me when I cried or when I was sick. There were many good and bad memories with these folks.

I told the DH, Gordon, and he convinced me it was all good. But as we got closer to the party, the more trepidation I was feeling.

Once there, the manuscript was being handed around and then I started getting comments like, ‘great job’ and ‘I’ve never know anyone who completed a whole book before’ and then I saw one of my old college boyfriends reading it.

He walked up to me and stated, “You know if you’d done that to me, maybe we’d still be together.”

I could feel my face turning warm and I had to be very careful here. If I said the wrong thing, he’d think I still liked him or something. “Maybe I would have if you deserved that type of treatment.”

“Gordon must be a very lucky man.” He walked away as the DH walked up.

“What’s wrong with him?” DH asks.

“He got to the love scene.”

“Oh.”

“He said you were a lucky guy.”

“He did.” DH puffs up and says, “I think I’ll go talk to the guys.”

The college girl friends came up. “What’s up with the guys? And how about you…you’re blushing!”

“They’re all talking about the love scene.”

“No wonder you’re blushing!”
I looked at them and arched a brow. “Maybe I should remind all of your husbands, we all went to college together. After all I didn’t win a knockwurst contest.” Every other woman at the party had a face redder than mine. LOL! Revenge is soooo sweet!

The next big time that I can remember me really, really blushing was when I wrote my first BDSM story about six years ago now. It was also the last time that I can remember me having that particular affliction. I had to do a lot of what I considered covert research as I prepared to write this story of a woman’s darkest fantasies. Finally, I got the courage to just sit down and get it done. The whole day, I would write a sentence and get up to pace, wondering what I was doing since I knew nothing of that world. Still, I plugged away at it until I eventually got it right. It was the first thing I sold to eXtasy books. I was really surprised.

But half way into the process, my husband shocked me by showing up in my office. My face went from zero to RED in the span of less than 10 seconds.

“Something wrong?”

“No, why are you asking?”

He gives me his quirky smile and says, “There are only a few times I’ve ever seen you blush in twenty years.”

I sat still. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’s mainly when I caught you doing something you shouldn’t and when you’re thinking about sex.”

I gasped. “What makes you think I’m doing something I shouldn’t? I’m an adult.”

“With an antiquated idea about sex sometimes. If you’re going to really be an erotic romance writer, you have some changing to do.” He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m sure that practice will help!”

I roll my eyes and tell him nothing is going to happen until I finish this story.

That very day, my whole attitude changed. I wasn’t ashamed of my writing at all. It was just that I was brought up in the Bible belt and as anyone who has grown up there knows, the fear of God and sex can be pounded into you from the moment you walk. And lordy, the brimstone…LOL! There is absolutely nothing wrong with sex. It’s a natural thing and we have such a backward sexual outlook in America that it took some retraining on my part to not let it worry me at all. Now, I barely bat an eye. There’s a private me and a writer me.

I advertise my very sexy books all the time and I do write to every heat level as the story dictates. I am passionate about all my books as every author should be. If you’re embarrassed about it, you don’t need to be writing it at all. I write what I love and nothing compromises that position. Sometimes my characters want the full Monty and others, they want it very sweet.

Now it’s my DH’s turn to blush every time he drives my car. My license plate says ERWRTER and he’s been asked many times what it means. I’ll show you all a picture sometime. He tells them the truth…it means…Erotic Romance Writer. The moment he tells the women, they get a gleam in their eye and say ‘Ah’ while the men just shake their heads and walk away, knowing they wouldn’t be caught dead in my car.

Let me know if you’ve ever had any embarrassing moments in your early days, authors.

Blurb from “The Harvester” in the Girl’s Night Out Series:

Princess Sky Xera Nerezsh came to earth to avoid the normal succession path to the throne. Being the oldest daughter, she will be required to murder her mother in order to secure her path to power. Sky loves her mother and refuses this path, choosing instead to disappear in the vast reaches of space. When her past collides with her present, she has to think quick on her feet, claim two men and a whole planet just to avoid the inevitable: a meeting with her mother. Along the way, she discovers true love and a burning need to be there for them always. Now if the other Harvesters can just keep to themselves, they’ll have no problems. But who said true love was ever easy.

If you enjoy what you’ve read you can find more from Lynn here:

 Email:  lynncrain@cox.net

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/oddlynn3

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/oddlynn3

Website:  www.lynncrain.com

Buylink: 

http://www.amazon.com/Harvester-Girls-Night-Out-ebook/dp/B008AP7ESI/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339491578&sr=1-15&keywords=Lynn+Crain

In the meantime Happy Independence Day!!!

Our special guest-blog post to keep the RAH party rolling comes from a beautiful “blood-sucking” lass, Sussanah Sandlin!  Please join us in welcoming her “into the fold.”   ;D

“Vampires are dead,” everyone told me. (Well, no, they’re undead, but that’s another topic.) “They’re so yesterday. They’re so Twilight.”

I’ve never been one to listen much. Just ask my parents, teachers, bosses.…you get the idea.

So when I decided to branch out from my urban fantasy genre, where I have a series under another name, I turned to paranormal romance. I love to read it. I love a dark, tortured hero. I love the way paranormal characters allow us to shine a light on some very human issues like love and family and acceptance.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I love vampires.

I’ve actually wasted brain cells trying to figure out why I love vampires, and here’s the result of my brain-strain:

1) Torture Males. No, no. Not the BDSM kind of play-torture, or the Guantanamo kind. Women love tortured guys so we can then spend much drama and angst trying to save the big old lunkheads from themselves. And who can possibly be more tortured than some quasi-immortal being who’s probably lost more loves than we can imagine?

2) Strength…and Vulnerability. Think about it. You have these virtually immortal beings, usually with incredible strength and ability to heal. Speed. Scary mental powers. And yet, unless you let your vampires twinkle in the sunlight (pleeeeze don’t do this), there are several hours per day when they are completely vulnerable. We love caring for vulnerable beings like little babies and big dudes with fangs.

3) Need. We all know guys need us, whether they admit it or not. But think about a vampire guy. He literally can’t live without what we can give him. Okay, sure, it involves puncture wounds and a siphoning of body fluids, but in a well-done romance, the plasma donor also gets a pretty good rush from it, yes? We love to be needed.

4) Bad Boy Syndrome. Women love bad boys. I love bad boys in fiction (in real life, I usually want to kick them about the head and other body parts), and vampires are usually bad boys. The heroes in my new vampire trilogy are all bad boys in their own ways. Aidan is emotionally scarred but knows how to kick ass when he needs to, and can be a stubborn jerk. William covers his insecurity with bravado and sexual, uh, proclivity. Mirren…well, let’s just say in his human life he wore chain mail and wielded a battle axe, and he hasn’t changed that much. Whether they’re alphas or beta males, bad boy vampires are always masculine, confident (at least on the outside), and don’t play by the rules. What’s not to love?

5) Sex Gods. Let’s just say a vampire who has been around a century or three has had a LOT of time to practice his technique and has learned the art of delayed gratification. Ahem.

So…are you a vampire lover? Or are you fanged out? Leave a comment to win a copy of my new release, Redemption, the first in the Penton Legacy series, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

BLURB:

The world’s vampire population is on the brink of starvation since the vaccine to treat a global pandemic rendered human blood deadly to them. Their only hope for survival is a handful of rural areas that the vaccine never breached.

The tiny town of Penton, Alabama, is one such enclave, where the immortal Aidan Murphy has established a community of vampires and their willingly bonded humans. Together, they live in peace—until Aidan’s estranged brother descends upon the town and begins attacking its humans. Whether the rampage is a result of his centuries-old feud with Aidan or the civil war threatening to erupt in the vampire world matters not. All that matters is the blood.

Desperate to save his adopted family, Aidan breaks one of his cardinal rules, kidnapping an unvaccinated human doctor—and unexpectedly falling in love for the first time in nearly four hundred years.

Sensual and thrilling, Redemption is the first installment of what is sure to be a darkly addictive new series from paranormal romance novelist Susannah Sandlin. Book two, Absolution, will be released on September 18, followed by Omega on December 18.

Susannah is awesome enough to be offering a giveaway!  A random commenter will be selected, and will recieve: Print or digital copy of Redemption (winner’s choice) and $10 Amazon GC. International!

If you like what you see find more from/about Sussanah:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susannahsandlin

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susannahsandlin

Website: http://www.susannahsandlin.com

Today we’ve got a special guest-blog about keeping that ole spark alive from Deena Remiel!  Please welcome her!

At first glance, you might think Immortals have it made. They get to live forever free of disease, free of long-lasting pain, and free to roam over the earth, experiencing all there is to this great world of ours. Yeah, that sounds really great…BUT…

When you are an immortal who is married, “till death do us part” takes on an ominous tone. Since there is no death, Immortals are married FOREVER.  So how do they keep their love alive? How do they keep boredom at bay? Since neither my husband nor I are immortal, I spoke with a married couple who are- Emma and Michael D’Angelo, from my novel, Trinity.  They gave me some great advice on how to keep the spark continually igniting. I’ve compiled my notes and I present to you now their Immortal Couple’s Advice to Long-Lasting Passion.

Suggestion Number 1: Call or text each other on the cell phone, unexpectedly, just to say hello, I love you, and maybe something a bit naughtier. Constantly change the time of the call so your partner cannot predict when it will happen. It enhances the element of surprise and the warm, happy feelings of your partner. You can also leave love notes in their pants pocket or wallet, on the toilet seat, or even in the mist on the mirror in the bathroom.

Suggestion Number 2: Take dance lessons together. There’s nothing sexier than being held closely during a Latin dance. Your bodies are so close or touching in all the right spots. You won’t want to stop. In fact, you’ll want to dance all the way to your bedroom!

Suggestion Number 3: Make sure you have a Date Night at least twice a month. Immortals can be parents as well, and it’s hard to find time to be alone together for an extended period of time. If you’ve got an extended family, or network of friends, use them to watch the kids. Then take turns. It saves money on babysitting. If you can, have the kids sleep over somewhere. Then you get the whole house to yourselves to do… well, whatever turns you on!

Suggestion Number 4: Don’t just eat your food, play with it! There is nothing that kindles the slow burn of passion like food. Chocolate syrup and whipped cream are two staples in the D’Angelo household. It’s not just for ice cream anymore! They suggest buying paint brushes so that on special Date Nights, you can do art projects on each other’s bodies. Then you can “clean up” afterwards. Find out what your Immortal partner’s favorite foods are and feast together. Feed each other. Taste each other’s food… and each other!

As you can see, there are many ways to keep the fires burning bright, even throughout eternity.

Now another immortal couple has a couple of tips to add to the list. Raphael and Serena, from my second novel, RELIC, were gracious enough to offer up these juicy morsels to spice up your relationship:

Suggestion 5: Shower together. Nuff said. This goes well with suggestion 4.

Suggestion 6: Get caught in a summer storm and stay out in it together, letting the storm charge your passion for each other.

Here’s a spicy sample of how Raphael and Serena make it hot…

     “Here it is!” Raphael called out. “One Spicy Italian foot-long sub, chips, cookie, and a soda, courtesy of Emma…and Subway, of course.” He looked like a waiter as he brought in their lunches. She smiled in spite of herself. He’d placed a towel over his arm and carried the snack tray high above his shoulders.

“Tips are not necessary but appreciated.” He continued in his waiter role, placing the tray on the coffee table before her and the towel on her lap.

    Okay, now we’ve got the playful, adorable Raphael. His moods change so much, I’m dizzy.

“I’ve got a tip for you. Life is uncertain…eat dessert first.” While he sat down next to her, she quickly snatched up the chocolate chip cookie and took a big bite, moaning in ecstasy. “Oh Raphael, you’ve got to have some.” With the cookie still warm, chocolate oozed everywhere, and Serena felt the sinful sweetness threaten to drip down her chin.

That simple suggestion seemed to send Raphael over the edge. Leaning in, he held her face in his hands and kissed her before she could say or do anything. He licked her chocolate-laden lips and teased her mouth open with his tongue.

Shocked at first, she quickly succumbed to her own burgeoning feelings and answered him back with equal enthusiasm. All thoughts of returning to the hospital left as she wrapped her arms around his waist to keep him firmly against her.

He murmured words she didn’t understand as he laid a trail over the corner of her mouth, along her cheek to the sensitive part behind her ear, and she shuddered. The lover Serena had seen lurking behind watchful eyes surfaced.

This was the man who’d gotten under her skin.

BLURB: Raphael, a Brethren Savior, an angel with a forgotten past, has lost his power to heal and is on a self-imposed guilt trip to get it back. If he can’t, his tour of eternal duty as Brethren Savior will be revoked. On his journey, he winds up enmeshed in a web of attempted murder and resurrection, all thanks to a woman he’s only seen in a photograph and by chance on an Arizona desert hiking trail.

Serena Sikes is a wanted woman. Desired by “undesirables” for a gift her brother gave her—a stolen relic with suspected healing powers. Hunted down in the Arizona desert and left for dead, she is found by none other than the angel who cannot heal.

Raphael and Serena are inexorably bound together, for locked deep within the relic’s heart had lived the soul of his long lost wife. Now, it resides inside Serena. Evil lurks around every corner as Raphael tries to keep both Serena and his dead wife’s soul alive and lustful temptation at bay.

Three souls bound together by an ancient relic, bound by a timeless gift, and bound by a love that is eternal.

Thank you so much for helping us keep the humpday party going Deena!  If you like what you see please find more from Deena:

Email: deenaremiel@yahoo.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/deenaremiel

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deena.remiel

Website: www.deenaremiel.com

Today Robin Covington joins in the party with a guest-blog and a giveaway!

Sizzling Romance. Burning Up the Sheets . . . One Page At a Time

 Hey there! 

You know, when people learn that I write hot, steamy romance novels I often get mixed reactions.  Most are intrigued, some are unsure about how to react to that news, and many more ask questions.  Everything from, “Where do you get your ideas?” (everywhere) to “Are you going to quit the evil day job?” (I wish).  But, the most common question I get is whether the books I write are about me.

Really?

I am a forty-three year old mother of two (9 & 7 years old), a wife, attorney, girl scout volunteer, school volunteer and PTA member. Oh, and I don’t write women’s fiction.

So, the answer is no.

And that begs the question: How do I get my ideas and how do you keep it real?

One word:  Research.

Now, my research for ideas and ways to get under the skin of my characters is fun. Of course it is! Why would I do this if it wasn’t fun?  For my current novel, I got to pick the brain of my local undercover vice cop to see what my hero, Jackson, would have to do in order to be good at his job.  I read Perez Hilton to get an idea of what it must be like for the children of famous and ambitious people to live in a fishbowl – just like my heroine, Michaela. I watched episodes of “Gossip Girl.”  For other books, I’ve talked to sex phone operators (not by the minute), convicted felons, and the former assistant director for big Hollywood movies. Rough job, huh?

And, then there is my standing research into all that is young, hip and sexy. (Remember – I’m a forty three year old PTA Mom and while I am still mind-bogglingly sexy, I am not as young or as hip as I used to be.)  For that, I have a subscription to Cosmopolitan magazine which I use to stay on top of the current dating and relationship scene (Seriously more complicated than when I was out there).  And, I use Apps to stay on the cutting edge of today’s twenty-something.  One of my favorites?  Urban Dictionary.  It gives me a word-a-day, allows me to create a favorites list for future reference, and makes me laugh out loud. A recent favorite:

“Splenda Daddy:  A man who strives to be a Sugar Daddy but just doesn’t have the funds to pull it off.”

Love. That. Stay tuned, it will show up in a book sometime.

So, while the stories I write are not about me, I can dig into some fun research and learn enough to make the people and the settings believable.  But, the most important part of touching a reader with my story is the emotional truth of my characters and I have that in spades.  I have been in love. I have been heartbroken. I have been jealous and afraid.  I have given someone up because I was not the one for him and I loved him too much to stay. I have stood in the white dress and known that I was looking at “The One.”  Life has been one big research project when it comes to love. 

I’m still working on the happily ever after . . . .

This is an exciting time for me. My debut novel, A NIGHT OF SOUHERN COMFORT, from the Indulgence line at Entangled Publishing releases on June 15^th and my dream to see my work in hands of readers is finally coming true. (GIVEAWAY=>)For one commenter, I will give you a digital copy of the book when it comes out!

Thanks for stopping by Robin!  See more from her on:

Website: www.robincovingtonromance.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinCovingtonRomanceAuthor?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter (@RobinCovington): http://www.Twitter.com/RobinCovington

Whenever I discuss my latest book, Sloane Wolf, people often ask me, Why Wolves? And I have to say, why not? Wolves are fantastic creatures that mate for life and are truly faithful to their mates (from what I’ve read), and we humans could learn a lot from them.

As it pertains to my book, however, it was rather serendipitous that I ended up writing about wolves. I didn’t intentionally set out to do so, but a series of events conspired to make it happen. The first event came in the form of a book that was ultimately made into a movie that got me to thinking – and anybody who knows me can tell you that when I get to thinking, things begin to happen…in a writing sense that is! I can turn the smallest nugget of an idea into a story, if motivated enough to do so, and that is how this story started out, as just a nugget. So there I was, inspired by this other book/movie enough that certain scenes kept kicking up in my head (ahem, fight scene), but content just to imagine it in my head.

Until event number two happened. That would be a contest that an electronic publishing company was running with the theme of – you guessed it – wolves. And so I thought, why not? I had some interesting scenes kicking around in my head, the contest was for a novella length story, so I had enough to accomplish that. And with the help of event number three – discovering an article about gray wolves returning to Massachusetts after a100-plus year absence – a true story began to formulate with legends of wolves and why they “reappeared” in the state after such a long absence. Wow, I thought, this was really going to be something, if I could get it all together in time.

Trouble was, once I started writing, I just kept on writing and I over-shot the word count. One thing I forgot when I set out to enter this contest: I have never been able to write short. I keep trying, but I usually have so much to say, it doesn’t conform well to short stories or novellas. Not wanting to cut anything to fit the guidelines, I simply finished the book for me. And by the time I was finished with it, I knew that I had to try to get it published anyway, I felt that strong about it. And after several fits and starts, I finally found the right publisher for it in Muse it Up Publishing.

So there you have it. The serendipitous events that led to the birth of Sloane Wolf.

Links:

http://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com/

http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/margay1122

http://twitter.com/Margay

http://www.facebook.com/MargayLeahJustice

Where to buy:

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Sloane-Wolves-Destiny-Falls-ebook/dp/B006M4AGN4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325789895&sr=1-1

Muse It Up Publishing – http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=242&category_id=107&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Shiloh nearly leapt off the sill as his hand touched her knee. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed to remain seated and appear undaunted by the gesture. “I am…much better now…thank you,” she said, becoming more unnerved by the presence of his hand by the minute. Oh, this was not good, not good at all. The longer it remained there, the stronger her impulse to bolt became. Oh, no…

 What was it about this man that rattled her so and with so little effort on his part? Sharing the same air with him was enough to send her pulses to the moon—and her mind somewhere else, something new for her. Being this attracted to a man was beyond her realm of experience. She didn’t know what to do with it—or about it. Should she do anything? Should she pretend indifference? And why wasn’t he so deeply affected? It wasn’t fair.

Still confused, she gave him a weak smile, intent on backing up her previous claim with the gesture. She feared it failed miserably. When Micah returned her smile and lifted his hand from her knee, she felt precisely one second of relief before he shook her world again by caressing her face in parting. She stumbled

back against the frame of the window, her lips parting on a startled breath as a lightning bolt shot through her at his touch. Something flickered in his eyes at her reaction—pain, perhaps—and he retracted his hand, balling it into a fist as he turned away from her, preparing to depart.

In an instant, she realized her mistake. Along with it came the knowledge she couldn’t let him go away angry or upset. After everything he and his family had done for her, she owed him that much. She grabbed him by the shirtfront to stop him, and a shock of awareness shot from her hand directly into his heart, just beneath it. She could see it in the gaze he leveled on her then, could hear it in his breath trapped within his lungs, feel it in the missed beat of his heart. But then, all sense abandoned her, and her heart skipped a beat as he held her hand firmly to his chest with one of his own and lifted the other to her head, anchoring it against the window frame. Slowly, his eyes never straying from hers, he leaned across the space separating them. His lips brushed hers, like a whisper, before he withdrew, tilted his head to the side, and advanced again. This time the kiss was fuller, penetrating her every defense, both physical and emotional, but still not long enough for her. He retreated once again after a fraction of time and hovered before her, scarcely an inch away. Watching her. Waiting.

Her heart beating a frantic tempo now, Shiloh abandoned all of her reservations and her good sense to swoop in for a more vigorous kiss. So vigorous, in fact, she knocked him off his perch through the open window. Only quick reflexes honed to perfection at the Institute prevented her from tumbling after him.

Bracing herself against the sill, she leaned out the window as far as she was able and watched his descent from the slanted roof to the ground below. She lost sight of him the moment he slid beyond the reach of the light from her window. But then she heard him land with a thud —and a howl—on the ground in front of the back porch when he failed to catch himself on the roof edge. She clasped a hand over her mouth to silence her reaction and waited. When he didn’t rouse right away, panic shot through her and she leaned out another few inches.

“Micah? Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he answered after a few moments, appearing beyond the overhang of the roof as if to prove it to her. “Nothing hurt but what’s left of my pride.”

Relief coursed through her at his statement, and she allowed herself the laugh she’d literally held back before. Her mirth was cut short, however, by his next words.

“Hey, Shiloh! We’ve got to stop falling for each other like this.”

His laughter followed her as she ducked back into the room. She could still hear it even after she closed the window, though not as well. Oh, Lord. She rested against the cool pane of glass and touched her still-tingling lips with shaky fingers. Was she? Falling for him? Was that what this crazy-mad feeling inside of her was?

The question plagued her long into the night.

Links:

http://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com/

http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/Margay

http://www.facebook.com/MargayLeahJustice

Buy Links:

MuseItUpPublishing: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=242&category_id=107&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Sloane-Wolves-Destiny-Falls-ebook/dp/B006M4AGN4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326586732&sr=1-1

Smahwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/116104

And don’t forget to leave a comment down below for your chance to win an ecopy of “Sloane Wolf”!

Stephanie Beck has a special guest-blog for us today!

I had the thrill of doing a book signing in my hometown last fall. As part of the event, a local newspaper reporter called and asked for an interview. Being in the small town paper is a big hairy deal in our family. The article will be cut out and saved for years and years—no matter how small the contribution to the paper (I won a bike from the local grocery store when I was 6 and Mom still has the clipping).

 During the interview we discussed my website and inspiration and business profile—all really thoughtful questions I enjoyed. Toward the end he asked me about my readers and I had to laugh because he asked so cautiously.

 Who did he think reads romance novels? Dirty people in back alleys? Did he envision women with ereaders ducking for cover and reading in the corner with the lights off?

 I told him who I was in my everyday life: a mother, wife, baker, knitter, Sunday school teacher, dog walker, kid chaser, friend, daughter, sister, bad ass Mario Bros player.

 That’s who my readers are. Sure, they don’t all like the same things I do and don’t believe as I do. However, for the most part my readers are women (with some awesome and very author-appreciated guys tossed in there as well) who want a harmless, inexpensive escape from real life. The reporter laughed when I mentioned his mother had probably even read one or two, and he agreed.

 Who reads romance and erotica? Cool chicks (and fellers). Oh sure you’ve got your standard creepers and a-holes, but what genre doesn’t? I’d bet the horror genre has some real weirdo readers in their midst.

 If we’re going to lump readers together, let’s make sure romance gets the correct label.

 Awesome. And glittery. And freaking fantastic.

 Yep, that covers it.

All the best,

Stephanie Beck

I’m giving away an ebook of Just One More, so make sure to leave an email address along with your comments

Looking for more from Stephanie?  Click below! 

BLURB:

Two is enough, but three could be everything.

Kit and Adam Jacobs know what their marriage needs—Gavan Karik. He’s the one man they both want and the only one who can make their relationship complete.

Making Gav part of the family comes with a price. Family, infidelity and self-worth issues plague Gav, but Adam and Kit are willing to tackle those issues if Gav is willing to commit.

For every problem they conquer, another one pops up. Not only are the three adults working to meld a broken family into one, they’re also struggling with a blackmailer threatening to out the two men’s sexuality and issues with the kids being mistreated at school. With each battle all three have to decide if the vision each sees for the future can match and if the reward is worth the fight.