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Winter’s Sweet Kiss Blog Tour: The WSK Authors Kiss and Tell #Giveaway #Romance @roanepublishing
Hello again readers, and thanks, as always, for stopping in to the blog today.
As part of the ongoing Winter’s Sweet Kiss blog tour, I have managed to score a short interview with each of the participating authors. I asked each of them one question… a good one, of course.
Tell us about your first kiss.
Here’s what they had to say 🙂
Michelle Ziegler:
Hmm – will my husband be reading this? Let’s put it this way. It wasn’t good. It was awkward, he bit me, and I was left trying to figure out if I’d been kissed or mauled.
Shaya Roy:
Well, this is embarrassing 😉 My first kiss was like first kisses usually are. Quick, awkward and bewildering, because neither of us quite knew what we were doing. I still felt so wonderful after, and roamed around in a proud daze the whole day!
Lily Carlyle:
To be perfectly honest, I wish I had a better story to tell—more romance, genuine affection, true love. My first kiss was unfortunately tinged by revenge.
I’d had a crush on a boy for years. My best friend liked him and asked me to convey that information to him, which I gleefully did. He had no interest in her and my friendship with her ended for other reasons, but he and I became friends.
And we were friends for years. He must have realized I had a crush on him, but he never acted on it. Silly boy.
Through him, I got to know his best friend—a cocky, good-looking soccer player who had a way with the girls. I realized he was dumb as a box of rocks, but he was cute. One afternoon, after school, when no parents were around, he kissed me. It never really led to a relationship, though we had an off and on thing that went on for years.
As for Boy #1? He married his high school sweetheart and they divorced a few years later.
Terri Rochenski:
Does kissing my kindergarten boyfriend in the back of the bus count??
I was 15, playing Monopoly with my then-boyfriend and he just leaned across the board and stole my ‘first’ kiss – along with a handful of $100s from the bank. Jerk.
Annabelle Blume:
The details of my first kiss are boring. Instead, I will tell you about my almost-first kiss. In my early teen years, I was pretty lame; A scrawny thirteen year old who happened to hang out with kids that were reasonably well liked. We were an eclectic group of popular and not-so-popular eighth graders who forged some kind of strange connection in the horribly mixed up hormonal world of middle school.
The cutest guy in school, Joe, happened to be part of our group. Blond, tan, surfer guy with a brilliant smile and charm to boot. Not my type, but undeniably good looking. One day we were goofing off in the cafeteria, and as he lounged across a bench I leaned over him to ask a question. His response was not an answer me, but to look directly in my eyes and whisper, “I could have kissed you just then.” I giggled and pulled away, unsure of how the geeky, skinny girl is supposed to respond when a guy of his social standing says such a thing. Four years later, after being separated by different high schools and a variety of young love affairs, we reunited, and you can bet I didn’t make that mistake a second time *wink*!
Love it!
Let’s hope the some of the kissing in Winter’s Sweet Kiss turns out better *chuckles*
Speaking of which, here are the juicy details on their release from Roane Publishing.
Winter’s Sweet Kiss
by Annabelle Blume, Lily Carlyle, Shaya Roy, Michelle Ziegler, and Terri Rochenski
Genre: Romance (Sweet)
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Release Date: December 15, 2013
Keywords: Adult, Romance, Sweet, Contemporary, Historical, Anthology
Description: Fight the winter chill with these heartwarming romantic tales.
What better time than winter to find someone to cuddle up with? These sweet tales of winter romance are sure to warm your heart.
Stories:
AN UNEXPECTED WREATH By Annabelle Blume
Blurb: Stella’s got everything she needs in life: a great job, a beautiful house, and her independence. But on last minute trip to the local Christmas tree lot she finds something, or rather someone, she desperately wants – Grayson. An emergency trip to Target, an unexpected wreath, and a little Christmas magic make the season much brighter.
SANTA BEBE By Lily Carlyle
Blurb: Disillusioned by men and her belief that they see her only as an object, Bebe is determined to find a man with money. Her geeky, but unfailingly kind, next-door neighbor James tries to convince her of the possibility of real love, even as she reveals to him the troubled childhood that made her so cynical about relationships. When her mother dashes her hopes for a perfect Christmas, Bebe finds herself turning to James once again, and in the process, learning a lot about herself and the promise their relationship holds.
MELT By Shaya Roy
Blurb: Newlyweds in an arranged marriage, Naina and Dev go to the mountains of Shimla, India in search of snow. Unfortunately, they find fifteen inches more than they expected.
Being snowed in with her husband is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives Naina an excellent excuse to snuggle up to her deep, quiet man, but every time Dev spurns her, a little more of her heart drips away. Melting the ice around her husband’s heart before the snow outside does might take more pride than Naina’s ready to surrender.
ONE IN A MILLION SNOWFLAKES By Michelle Ziegler
Blurb: Angela is in love with someone she can never have–her best friend, Rebecca’s older brother.
Stranded in the bitter cold after a disastrous blind date with yet another company Christmas party looming, a standing offer from the boss’ nephew gets a little more appealing. Desperation. Not a good sign. Surely when Rebecca rescues her from the blinding snow, she can also convince Angela to just go to the party alone. She can always count on her best friend.
That is, as long as she never finds out about Angela’s secret crush.
BEGINNING OF FOREVER By Terri Rochenski
Blurb: When Wayne Edwards moves to town, Lillian Douglas experiences stirrings she thought were long dead. Guilt ridden over betraying her deceased husband and the feelings Wayne inspires, Lillian reluctantly lets him in. Secrets of the past – an old promise emerges, but will it threaten their forever?
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18844487-winter-s-sweet-kiss
BUY LINKS:
Print Copies
Createspace (Print – Best Option)
Amazon (Print)
eBook Copies
Amazon
Amazon (UK)
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Smashwords
All Romance eBooks
Group Giveaway: $10 Amazon Gift Card & paperback copy of Winter’s Sweet Kiss
New Release News: I’ll be Damned by Stella Berkley Plus an Interview with the Author! @evernightpub #erotica
I am over the moon to be able to be part of the Blog Tour to announce the release of Stella Berkley’s latest release, I’ll Be Damned. The cover is smokin’ and since I got to beta read some of the stories in this one, I know the stories are too. I’m a huge fan of Ms. Berkley’s writing.
Title: I’ll Be Damned
Author: Stella Berkley
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance (Dark)
Release Date:
Blurb: For one night, love is enough to bridge the distance between heaven and hell.
In Devil Be Mine, Lucifer’s soul whore, Delilah, is tempted by her favorite submissive, Micah, an angel as pure as she is naughty.
In Fire and Ice, heaven’s black sheep, Qenna, meets her match in Pyro, chaos incarnate and devilish charm in a designer suit.
In Raven, a reaper forces the Guardian, Mara, to accept what’s in her heart or say goodbye to her Raven forever.
In Hunting Pleasure, Lucifer’s Lieutenant, Selene, indulges in heaven’s highest ranking sentinels, Michael and Arael, who turn the hunter into the hunted.
And finally, in No Mercy, God’s right hand, Gabriella, must convince Lucifer to abolish the law standing between her brethren and their lovers. To right a wrong she played a part in, Gabriella agrees to a private meeting with the object of her darkest fantasies—the devil himself.
Excerpt from Fire and Ice
Giant snowflakes drifted down around me, where I perched on the ledge of the war monument. The wings of the stone angel at my back, along with the growing darkness, would mask my own silver wings from any humans who might wander through Centennial Park.
Beneath me, Micah, one of my brothers on high, walked by cloaked in a black trench coat and a fedora.
“You’re not going to Lu’s titty bar, by any chance, are you?” I shouted down to him while suppressing a snicker. “Gabriella’s going to be pissed.”
Micah stopped and turned striking blue eyes up at me, cutting across the winter twilight like beacons. “I—how did—it’s none of your concern, Qenna.” He rolled his head until his neck cracked. “What are you doing down here? Gabriella told you to remain in the upper realm tonight since she’s with Him and Lucifer and can’t keep you out of trouble.”
No wonder she was so crabby earlier. She totally wanted to bone Lu—it was written all over her every time someone mentioned his name. I quirked up an eyebrow and shrugged. “If you won’t answer me, why the hell should I answer you?” I snorted and leaned forward, my long, white hair tumbling over the edge of the monument in spirals. “And you’re one to talk. She told you to stay put, too.”
His eyes darkened before tilting his head forward, obscured once again by the brim of his hat. He gave a disgruntled huff. “Just do us all a favor and keep out of trouble, though saying that to you is like telling a kitten to stay away from a dangling scrap of yarn.” Micah continued in the direction he’d been going. “Lucifer isn’t around to watch his kind tonight, so you’re on your own.”
“Say hi to Delilah for me.”
Micah’s shoulders hunched up, but he never turned back. “And give my regards to Pyro.”
*fans self* Hot, right? Between you me and the palm tree, Stella comes a close second to Lila Shaw for my favorite erotica author.
I know you want to know where you can pick up a copy. Here are your Buy Links: Amazon | All Romance Ebooks | Evernight Publishing
Now, for my interview with the fabulous Stella Berkley:
Bex: We’ll start out with a basic authory type question. Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Stella: Total, total, tooooootal pantser. Plotting and I don’t get along, no patience for it. Plotting takes patience and forethought and research. Nope, I step onto the path at chapter 1 and take off at a sprint, usually having no idea where I’m going until I type THE END. There’s no better thrill than finishing a book and re-reading it, and it’s all new to me, like reading something someone else wrote. It sounds weird, but I often zen out that much.
Bex: A girl after my own heart. I’m not sure I could write if I had to outline and plot. What authors inspire you?
Stella: My two big ones are from opposite genres, but they have the same talent. Characters. Stephen King and Karen Marie Moning create the most amazing people in their stories, so real I actually miss them when I close the book. I still think about KMM’s character Jericoh Barrons. If I ever create a character half as intriguing, I’ll be over the moon.
Bex: I admit I’ve not read any of Karen Marie Moning. Will have to Google her after this. 😛 Speaking of different genres, if you could only write in one genre for the rest of your career, what genre would you choose?
Stella: I love urban fantasy. Mostly because it’s so freeing. I can create whatever I want and come up with some wild explanation for it. No research. Yeah, that’s a bonus. If I want a dragon helipad in the middle of my city? Hell, I’ll make one!
Bex: Another place we seem to agree. I love the creativity the fantasy genre allows for. Let’s turn the conversation to characters. Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite?
Stella: Lucifer. Mmm, let me say it again, slower. Lucifer. Doesn’t it just roll off the tongue? He’s incredibly sexy and all alpha male, which I love, but there’s also a story to him, too. I like my men to have a colorful past to help me understand them.
Bex: Hehe — Nice! If allowed to keep only one book on your bookshelf, what would it be?
Stella: Erg…just one? Seriously?
Bex: Seriously.
Stella: Okay, fine. I guess it would be The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton where Anita and Jean Claude finally break the tension they’ve been torturing me with for five whole books. I might have read it a few times. 
Bex: Wow. Another author I haven’t read. *jots it down* Let’s focus a bit on you. Morning person or grumpy bear?
Stella: Hate mornings. Hate, loathe and despise them. When I have to get up and go to work. On Saturdays, mornings are awesome.
Bex: Add in Sunday and I’m with you. I savor my weekends. What is next for you?
Stella: Gah, too much. I’ve set myself a lofty writing goal in 2013. I intend to finish 5 novels, three of which are already started. Yes, that’s a lot, but I’ve already finished book 2 of a 7 book urban fantasy series called Ironhill Jinn, and it’s only February. I also have the final book of my UF trilogy coming out in June. Sad and excited at the same time.
Bex: You know I’ve said it before — you’re a writing machine! Thank goodness, because I’m a fangirl (never thought I’d type that in my life). Anyway…back to you. If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?
Stella: Um…neither? I’m a comfy kind of girl. When I’m not in dress pants for work, I’m usually in yoga pants and tees or a sweat shirt. Yeah, it’s not pretty, but it’s comfy.
Bex: I can get behind comfy. For sure. What is the weirdest lesson your parents ever taught you?
Stella: How to drive a combine? Or how to deliver a calf? There are too many to name, really. *snort*
Bex: Interesting parents. I like em’! 😛 Now, for probably the most important question of the interview. If you were only allowed to eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Stella: Hands down, cheese cake. With some sort of fruity drizzle on it. *drools* Do you have any?
Bex: Criminy. I wish. We’ll have to hit The Cheesecake Factory after this…now I want some too.
I want to thank Stella for taking the time to visit with us and share her steamy new release, I’ll Be Damned. Make sure you show her the love and go pick up a copy.
About the Author:
Stella Berkley grew up in small town Ontario as a farmer’s daughter, usually up to her ears in some kind of trouble. A career daydreamer, Stella has a vivid imagination and a love for fantasy, especially the dark and steamy kind. Two of her novellas have been published with Cobblestone Press, and two novels by her tamer self were published last year. When she isn’t writing, she hangs out with her husband and young daughter at their little house in the woods.
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
An Interview with Doris O’Connor, Author of Too Devious To Tame @evernightpub
As a special treat, today I’ve scored a visit from erotic romance author, Doris O’Connor. She was kind enough to let me pick her brain a bit as part of today’s new release news.
A big thank you to Doris for taking the time to answer my silly questions in the name of promoting her latest release, TOO DEVIOUS TO TAME.
Bex: When did you first start writing? What made you want to be a writer?
Doris: I’ve always spun stories in my head for as long as I can remember. I used to get into terrible trouble at school for day dreaming, and my gran used to box me around the head on a regular basis ‘to pay attention.’ Lol She meant well, I guess.
I started countless novels as a teenager, wrote some fanfic as you do, and that’s as far as it went until September 2010. A friend entered a writing competition and encouraged me to do it also. I didn’t get anywhere in that competition but I haven’t stopped writing since.
Bex: What inspired you to write your novel, Too Devious To Tame? Is there an interesting story behind it?
Doris: Well, Too devious To Tame is book three in a series, and I actually started this story back in 2010. I had written book one during Nano that year and I’d fallen in love with the Giovanni, so book two quickly followed, and then this one, and then I stalled.
You see, this story is much darker than the other two in parts, and back then I was newly pregnant and hormonal and couldn’t cope with writing it.
I still found parts of it tough all this time later, but I never shirk away from a challenge and I knew I needed to write Giorgio and Jemima’s story, and I needed to do it justice. So, during Nano last year, I pulled up my big girl panties and let my characters guide me to tell the story they wanted me to tell.
As a result, this book has jumped a heat level!
Bex: Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Doris: I’m a complete and utter panster. I never know what will happen when I sit down to write. In this story I had many moments of, “Oh Wow, I so didn’t see that coming.” It all makes sense and somehow comes together, but the whole process is a bit of a mystery to me. I’ve learnt to simply listen to my characters and write what they tell me, even it doesn’t make sense at the time. They know their story after all, so who I am to argue 😉
Bex: Do you have any writing rituals or special processes you complete before sitting down to write?
Doris: LOL, I’m a mum of nine, so I haven’t got the luxury of that. I write whenever I get a chance to, mostly late at night when everyone is asleep. Though I’ve been known to write whilst cooking dinner, when the characters are screaming at me. Writing sex scenes whilst sorting out arguments between the kids can be interesting I tell you!
Bex: What authors inspire you?
Doris: I have many automatic buy authors, and every book that I read inspires me in some way. But, if I had to name just one then it would have to be my very good friend and honorary grandma of my youngest. Raven McAllan is a prolific writer. She also ‘redits’ all my work and spurs me on when I feel like procrastinating, as do the other members in my critique group. I’m very lucky to have such a fantastic support network.
Bex: Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why?
Doris: I would have to say Stella Giovanni. She lightens the mood like only she can, and I so have to give her her own story. She has been a favourite of mine all through the three books, and I think a book just for her would be such a hoot to write. The woman is just impossible, lol.
Bex: Are any of your characters modeled after real people? If so, which ones?
Doris: I did that once. It was very cathartic to have my heroine say everything to this person that I would like to have said to that particularly annoying person in real life. And no, I am not telling you who, to protect the innocent.
Bex: If allowed to keep only one book on your bookshelf, what would it be?
Doris: Only one? Meeep! Could you imagine? It would have to be Gone With The Wind. I just adore that story!
Bex: Morning person or grumpy bear?
Doris: Oh, the grumpiest of grumpy bears ever. You don’t want to come near me until I’ve had several coffees, you really don’t.
Bex: Coke or Pepsi?
Doris: Coke every time.
Bex: If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?
Doris: Hahah, me and frills and lace?!? I’m a tee and jeans girl, always have been, always will be.
Bex: If you were only allowed to eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Doris: Chocolate mousse
Bex: What scares you the most?
Doris: Losing my children. I don’t know how any parent could cope with that.
Bex: If you were taken and places on a deserted island, and were allowed one other human being to spend your life with you on that island, who would you choose?
Doris: Hmm, I should say my husband here, shouldn’t I? But if we’re talking fantasy, then it would have to be Alexander Skarsgard. *sighs to self*
Bex: Zombies or Vampires? Why?
Doris: Vampires, because they are so damn sexy.
Bex: Now that we’ve gotten to know Doris a bit better, let’s have a look at her latest release, TOO DEVIOUS TO TAME.
Blurb: When Giorgio Giovanni tracks the troublesome Jemima down in a hospital bed in Italy, he has one thing on his mind—revenge. However, the fragile woman he encounters is not the devious female he remembers. When it becomes clear that she is in danger, he risks everything to keep her safe.
Left for dead, Jemima wakes up in hospital, terrified, and with no idea of her identity. The angry man, who comes to claim her, is the only link to a shared past she can’t remember. A past that threatens to destroy them, and all she has ever held dear.
With danger all around them, and their sexual chemistry off the scale, can they find their way back to each other, or is the past too devious to tame?
** NOTE: The information contained below is for mature audiences only. If you are offended by erotic literature or are under 18, please do not read further. **
Excerpt:
Tears clouded her vision at the concern in his voice, and he swore and moved to untie her.
“No, I’m fine, really. Leave it. Show me how it should be, please. Help me to forget.”
He stared at her for the longest time, one large hand, hot and heavy on her belly, his gaze so intense it took her breath away. When he finally smiled, it lit up his harsh features. She didn’t catch the murmured Italian words he mumbled under his breath, but the kiss that followed had her curl her toes into the bed with the effort to not release herself from her bonds and bury her hands in his hair to make him hurry up and fuck her.
He was breathing as heavily as she by the time he released her, and she bit back a moan when he simply ripped the rest of her dress off her. Her bra and knickers followed the fate of her dress, until she lay in front of him naked, wet, and wanting. He ran his knuckles slowly up and down her tummy in ever widening circles, and then reached across to the ice bucket with a slow grin.
“Shut your eyes for me, cara.” His voice had dropped an octave, and her stomach dropped right with it, seeing him hold a couple of ice cubes in his fingers. She shook her head and bucked off the bed, when he flicked his hand over her breasts. Ice cold drops of water fell on her skin and trickled between the valley of her breasts. He licked the drops away, his warm tongue taking away the coldness left by the water.
“Shut your eyes, trust me. This will be so much better for you when you can’t see what I’m doing.” He kissed a path down her quivering tummy, and she blinked back tears at the tender way he caressed her abdomen. He paused to drop a long kiss just above her pubic bone, and his hot breath teased her wet folds. Her clit tingled, and she shut her eyes, as he renewed his request for her to do so. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but the bed dipped as he adjusted his weight again. His hot mouth closed over one of her nipples at the same time as the other was subjected to an ice cube being circled around it.
She gasped at the intense sensation, and Giorgio swapped sides. The difference between his warm mouth and tongue and the ice cube sent her body into spasms of need. She writhed under him, and he laughed. Again and again he repeated the process all along her body. A path of ice, followed by the warmth of his tongue as he licked the icy trails away, leaving fiery awareness in its wake. By the time he finally reached her pussy, she was hovering on the brink of orgasm. She whimpered her need when he pushed an ice cube high into her channel and then proceeded to lick around her clit, careful to never touch her when she needed him most. The melting ice cube mixed in with her own juices and trickled slowly out her hole. Her pussy clenched, and she didn’t recognize the needy voice pleading with him to please do something.
He blew against her slit and shouldered her legs wider.
“Così bello, e tutto mio.” He followed the words with a kiss, and she screamed when he pulled her clit into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it, at the same time as he pushed another ice cube into her empty channel. Her walls closed around the slippery object, and spasmed wildly as the first quivers of her orgasm hit. Giorgio groaned into her core and stepped up his sweet torture on her clit. When he pushed two fingers into her core, and massaged her sweet spot, the intensity of her orgasm hit her with the full force of freight train.
“That’s it, tesoro, fly for me.” He caught her scream of release in his mouth, and she could taste herself in the passionate kiss he gave her, dimly aware of him withdrawing his fingers and replacing them with his cock. Thick, hard, and so very long he filled her completely as he pushed into her swollen core, until he was seated to the hilt. She wrapped her legs around him and dug her feet into his calves to give him better access and to take him as deep as she could. He started thrusting, every move driving him deeper into her, and tumbling her right over the edge again, as her inner muscles contracted around his thick member. Faster and faster he pumped, his harsh breathing in her ear the most erotic sound ever, his hands and lips seemingly everywhere, arousing every little bit of skin he touched until her whole body was a mass of sensation. Again her body climbed toward that peak of sheer joy, and this time Giorgio was with her every step of the ecstatic journey they took together. Her eyes flew open, and she drowned in the rolling depths of emotion she saw reflected in his, as they came together in their explosive release.
When her body finally stopped shaking, she could taste the salt of tears in her mouth. Giorgio kissed them off her face, and he released her from her bonds, and pulled her into his embrace. She had to smile at his grumbled, “If this is pretending, then I hate to see what will happen when we do this for real.”
Now, if you’re anything like me, you’re steamed up, and ready to pick up a copy of Too Devious to Tame.
Here’s where you can get it:
To learn more about Doris O’Connor or her other titles, please visit her at the below links:
New Release News: Lovers and the Fiend and an Interview with C.R. Moss
Welcome back to the blog. Usually I start these combination posts with the info on the author and their new release at the end, this time, I am switching things up a bit. I’m going to show you the story before we meet the author.
I know when I was doing my blog tours and promo work for Call of the Sea, I wanted the focus to be on the story and not me. So that’s where my thinking is on that.
Let’s take a look at CR Moss’ new release, LOVERS AND THE FIEND — an Evernight Naughty Fairy Tale.
Title: Lovers and the Fiend
Author: C.R. Moss
Genre: Erotic Romance, Naughty Fairy Tale
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Blurb: Ex-cop turned private investigator, Jack Vorst, learns his elf girlfriend Kristina has been missing for a few days after being invited to an underground vampire club. He, too, is summoned to visit club Hexenringe and is taken captive. Jack finds Kristina bound and gagged in a human sized bird cage. They’re both thrust into a kinky world at the hands of Kol, the club owner.
Kol, a vampiric beast, shifts into human form to be with Jack and Kristina and needs them to remember their pasts and to love him so he can return to what he used to be.
Can Kol make the pair fall in love with him despite his current situation and the fact he’s keeping them captive or will they leave, making it too late for him to change all their fates?
Warning: ménage a trios, M/M, bondage, anal sex, sex toys, public exhibition.
Excerpt: (MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY)
The handsome guy grabbed his pants, hurried off the stage and down the side steps.
Well, it’s either find my girl or appease any inquisitiveness toward being with a member of the same sex. Like maybe with Mr. Sexy who’s coming toward me.
Jack stopped several inches short of running into the dancer, who happened to be the same height as his six-foot frame. The man smiled. His dazzling gray eyes twinkled. The dancer reminded Jack of someone, but he couldn’t place who. The guy dropped his pants, grabbed the back of Jack’s head and planted his lips on his. The kiss was harsh, demanding, but the man didn’t seem to care, so neither did Jack. His free hand traveled down and cupped the bulge hiding in Jack’s jeans. Tingles raced through his body, and Jack wondered what the feel of the dancer’s hand on his naked cock would be like.
For the merest of moments, the man swept his tongue into Jack’s mouth. He tasted of a nutty, roasted flavor with a sweet tinge. Caramel? Perhaps. Jack made a note to find the beer the dancer drank beforehand and read the ingredients.
Loving the play of his tongue against his, Jack was about to reciprocate in the intensity of the kiss, but the dancer broke it off.
“I’m glad you approved,” the man’s tenor voice purred in a hint above a whisper.
Jack wasn’t sure if he meant how Jack didn’t mind the stranger planting one on him, touching him or the thought he had about what he’d been drinking, or all of it, so he just nodded.
“Come.” The man presented his long fingered hand with a charming smile.
Surprised how it didn’t faze him to accept it, he grinned, and where they touched, Jack’s skin sizzled. His knees seemed to weaken, and the only thought running through his lust-addled brain was that he’d follow the dancer anywhere, do anything the man wanted him to do.
The dancer winked, making him feel like his mind was an open book to him, and guided him to a door between the bar and stage. After stepping through the doorway, the man shut the door, encasing them in darkness. His hand tugged Jack’s. In silence, the dancer led him through the dark. How? He didn’t know. But in a weird way, Jack trusted him not to lead him astray.
Several feet in, the man stopped. “I am pleased you made the right decision to come here tonight.” His hot breath fanned Jack’s cheek.
Jack wished he could see the man and how close he actually was to him. If he moved his head, would he be able to kiss the guy in the thong? He cleared his throat. “Well, first off I came to find my woman. Secondly, your invitation seemed to be one I couldn’t ignore, and…” Jack paused. And what? Now that he was here, he found himself aroused and craving the man’s attention. Could he admit that aloud?
“And?” The man licked the edge of his ear.
Desire within Jack spiked, and heat fanned out from his ear and encompassed his neck. He gulped. “And now I think I want you.”
Buy Links:
Evernight Publishing
Amazon
All Romance eBooks
Bookstrand
My Interview with C.R. Moss:
Bex: When did you first start writing? What made you want to be a writer?
C.R.: For a very brief period of time, I had ideas of becoming a teacher or an astronaut. Both occurred before the age of ten. But for the most part, I knew I wanted to write at a young age, as early as I learned to read. I was always cooking up stories to entertain myself in the rural area I lived in. Had to since there were no other kids around to play with. My defining moment came when I received an A in English in grade school. I was just shy of being a teenager when I had my ‘calling.’ Ever since then, most of my choices in life have revolved around my goal of becoming a full-time fiction writer and being published.
Upon my ‘calling.’ I had written a story for a magazine. It’d been rejected, but that was my start. After that, I began studying the craft of writing. It started with working on the school newspaper in middle school to creative writing classes and Teens Art Festivals in high school. I received a BA in Communications, Information and Library Studies from Rutgers College with a strong concentration in English Lit/Writing and Interpersonal Communications/PR. Studying under the mentorship of Terri Valentine (author of ‘Sands of Time,’ a Zebra Historical Romance), I honed my novel writing skills. In the mid to late 2000s, I finally put my foot down, got over my nerves and took the plunge into submitting stories to publishers. I’ve been published since 2008, and as for the craft, I’m still learning things by taking the occasional online class, attending industry conferences, and devouring all the writing how-to books I can get my hands on.
I was influenced by the early works of Stephen King, like The Shining, Pet Sematary, Carrie and Christine. Those books turned me on to writing and started me on writing horror, and then in the early 90’s I read Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor which started me on romances and romance writing.
Bex: What inspired you to write your novel, Lovers and the Fiend? Is there an interesting story behind it?
C.R.: Lovers and the Fiend is a story in Evernight Publishing’s Naughty Fairy Tale line. The characters, Jack and Kristina, appeared in my short story – Chasing Miss Kringle – that’s in an Evernight Publishing anthology – Stockings and Suspenders. This is the first of a handful of stories I have planned for the NFT line that revolve around the world started in CMK and Lovers. You don’t have to read the anthology story to read Lovers, but it’d be nice if you did. 😉
The idea for the world these characters exist in came when I got the idea for Chasing Miss Kringle for Stockings and Suspenders. At first the anthology story was just going to revolve around a guy meeting a woman at a 5k race, but then my muse ran with the paranormal idea and created a dual investigation service. Then, I had an urge to write for the NFT line and figured CMK would be a good place to start with a world and setting for that story. It all takes place in my home town of Las Vegas.
Bex: Love Vegas, always an adventure to be found there. Speaking of adventures, are you a pantser or a plotter?
C.R.: A combination of the two. I do an information dump and outline as much of the story that’s in my head first thing. Then I work off the outline, fleshing out all the ideas and stuff. If I over plan, then sometimes I feel like the story’s already been written, and I end up not wanting to work on it for quite some time.
Bex: Definitely sounds familiar. Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why?
C.R.: Jack is my favorite character in the book. He’s handsome, intelligent, stubborn, honest, yet slow-to-change. A cynic after my own heart who has a good partner trying to convert him. Plus, he’s athletic and in shape and oh so yummy.
Bex: Yummy works for me! Are you a morning person or grumpy bear?
C.R.: I am nowhere near being a morning person. Never have been. Guess that makes me a grumpy bear. Lol!
Bex: So far we are pretty compatible. Not that I’m trying to pick you up or anything… Tell us one thing it would surprise us to know about you?
C.R.: I used to crew for a balloon pilot.
Bex: Nice! I’ve been in a hot air balloon before, but it was tethered and safe (ish). What is next for you?
C.R.: As C.R. Moss, I’m currently working on two stories with my writing partner for our Double D Ranch Tales series and on a couple of stories under my Casey Moss pen name. I also don’t have dates for them yet, but I do have two contracted stories through Decadent Publishing for their 1NightStand series. One is called Sunset Temptations and the other is Sunset Heat.
Bex: Sounds like you’re a busy lady. Tell us something about your book we won’t find in the back cover blurb?
C.R.: There’s a fourth character who’s pining after one of the three main characters.
Bex: Ooo…intrigue. Got me curious now, for sure. Lets switch things up a bit. If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?
C.R.: Denim & Tees
Bex: A girl after my own heart. If you were only allowed to eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
C.R.: The homemade peanut butter and chocolate balls I make.
Bex: Yum — next time you stop in, you’ll have to bring me some of those. If you were taken and places on a deserted island, and were allowed one other human being to spend your life with you on that island, who would you choose?
C.R.: My hubby. 🙂
Bex: Excellent answer, there 😛
Find C.R. Moss here ~
Email: contact@crmoss.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRMoss
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRMoss.author
Website: http://www.crmoss.net
Blog: http://crmoss.blogspot.com/
Double D Ranch Tales: http://doubledranchtales.blogspot.com/
Evernight Publishing – C.R. Moss: http://tinyurl.com/CRMoss-EvernightPublishing
Decadent Publishing – C.R. Moss: http://tinyurl.com/CRMoss-DecadentPublishing
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/C.R.-Moss/e/B002DBE49W
All Romance Ebooks: http://tinyurl.com/CRMoss-ARe
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/cr-moss
Link for Casey Moss ~ http://caseymossbooks.com/
Make Believe Blog Tour: An Interview with Contributing Author, Lynda R. Young
Welcome back for another posting for the MAKE BELIEVE (J. Taylor Publishing) Blog Tour. Today, we have Lynda R. Young with us for a little interview. Her story, < is part of the anthology. You can see my review of Lynda’s story, as well as the rest of the stories included in the anthology HERE.
First off, a big thank you to Lynda for taking the time to stop in and visit with us today.
Now, on to the hard hitting interview questions… (not really)
Rebecca: Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Lynda: When I first started writing I fell in love with the romance of pantsing. I discovered the story and the characters as I wrote them. The romance faded when I realized how much I’d have to delete and edit and rewrite to get the stories even close to publishable. I’m now a plotter through and through.
Rebecca: Do you have any writing rituals or special processes you complete before sitting down to write?
Lynda: I didn’t think I had any rituals, but now that I’m thinking about it, I tend to get a glass of water first, pat the cat, read my emails, then I’m set. I’ll go through the same ritual a number of times during the day.
Rebecca: If you could only write in one genre for the rest of your career, what genre would you choose? Why?
Lynda: If I said the speculative genre, would that be cheating? Hehehe, I’m such a rebel. The reason I’d pick speculative is that it has so many sub-genres I’d never get bored! I love fantasy and science fiction equally as much, along with the majority of their sub-genres. There is such scope for stories there.
Rebecca: I hear you there. I have a hard time pinning myself into a specific genre as well. Are any of your characters modeled after real people? If so, which ones?
Lynda: My characters are never modeled after real people. Real people might inspire my work, but my characters tend to be a mish-mash created from real life, other stories, news reports, anywhere and everywhere.
Rebecca: I’m one of those writers who needs music to really get myself set to write. What music is on your playlist while writing your stories?
Lynda: The Dark Knight Soundtrack has been one of my favorites for a while now. It’s wonderfully emotive and keeps my fingers dancing across the keyboard. If I’m after something less robust, then I’ll listen to something from Enya or I’ll listen to Bali, an album by Jalan Jalan. It’s all instrumental so there aren’t any words to distract me from my writing.
Rebecca: Morning person or grumpy bear?
Lynda: I’m definitely not a morning person. Maybe that’s why I write best in the mornings. Leave me alone to my writing in the mornings, and the day is a good one—for everyone 😉
Rebecca: Sounds a bit familiar *grins* What is the one thing about the book publishing process that has surprised you the most?
Lynda: The amount of work required to get it right. I think being an author is one of the hardest jobs in the world. We might not get filthy, we might not get physically exhausted, but writing requires a level of mental endurance and persistence that’s close to herculean. It’s not a job that can be done in a half-hearted way.
Rebecca: So very true!! I’m curious. What group were you a part of in High School? Jocks? Nerds? Metal heads?
Lynda: I was a nerd. I loved my books and I loved my video games before they became cool to play.
Rebecca: As a reformed gaming addict, I completely understand. Do you have any unique skills or talents? If so, what?
Lynda: I can be both really observant, yet completely oblivious. My friends tease me by saying they could drive a truck through the house and I wouldn’t notice. I call that a talent.
Rebecca: Coke or Pepsi?
Lynda: Neither, but it used to be coke. Put two teaspoons of sugar in coke and it tastes exactly like Pepsi. Shudder…
Rebecca: Nobody drinks soda nowadays. I’m starting to wonder how Coke and Pepsi stay in business. Let’s move to clothing…If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?
Lynda: You’d find both, but I’m mainly a denim and tee girl. I love to keep it simple.
A lady after my own heart, there. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping in and chatting with us Lynda.
Here is the Back of the Book description of Lynda’s story, BIRTHRIGHT
BLURB: Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible.
She’s tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though she’s never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack spouts outrageous theories about her.
Both spur Christa to bolt, to start fresh yet again, but there’s something about Jack that intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her to leave, and they won’t stop until she’s dead.
Author Bio:
Lynda lives in Sydney, Australia, with her sweetheart of a husband who is her rock, and a cat who believes world domination starts in the home. Lynda has an adventurous spirit and has traveled the world. As a chaser of dreams, she found success as a digital artist and an animator, and now as a writer of speculative short stories. She is currently writing novels for young adults. In her spare time she also dabbles in photography and all things creative.
Stalking Links:
Blog: http://lyndaryoung.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LyndaRYoungAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LyndaRYoung
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5832201.Lynda_R_Young
Make Believe Blog Tour: An Interview with Contributing Author, J. Keller Ford
Thanks for stopping in. As always 🙂
Today we continue with the Make Believe Tour posts with an interview with another of the fantastic contributing authors, J. Keller Ford. Her story, The Amulet of Ormisez is the second story in the anthology.
For my full review of all the stories CLICK HERE.
Now, on with the good part — getting to know J. Keller Ford. Thanks so much for agreeing to stop by. Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Rebecca: Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why?
J. Keller Ford: Oh, it would have to be Elton Fletcher, without a doubt. I love his strength, his fortitude, his kindness and generosity. He loves deeply and prefers to work problems out without using violence; however, he can kick some serious butt if he has to.
Rebecca: I’m a big fan of butt kicking characters. Are any of your characters modeled after real people? If so, which ones?
J. Keller Ford: No one in the Amulet of Ormisez is modeled after real people, however, there are a few in my current novel, In the Shadow of the Dragon King, that are. For instance, my main character, David, is a blend of both of my sons with some extras added. Sir Trogsdill is a cross between my dad and someone else I knew long ago. Of course there are personality elements of myself and my husband scattered throughout, but I can’t say one character is based on either of us.
Rebecca: I’m always curious about how authors find inspiration and ideas. What music was on your playlist while writing your novel?
J. Keller Ford: For Amulet, I didn’t really have a playlist. For Dragon King…the music ranged from Aerosmith’s “Dream On” to Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”, to William Coulter’s Sí Bheag Sí Mhór, to Loreena McKennitt’s “Mystic Dream”, to Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”.
Rebecca: Some good tunage there. 🙂 Morning person or grumpy bear?
J. Keller Ford: Definitely a morning person. I like my night-night time to sleep.
Rebecca: I had heard there were some of you morning folk out there. Good to know there are some of you willing to get up at the crack of dawn. I know I’m not. Tell us something about your book we won’t find in the back cover blurb?
J. Keller Ford: There are Selkies and magic involved.
Rebecca: oOo — I love me some selkies, as you probably already know. Now to an important question…Coke or Pepsi?
J. Keller Ford: Coke, hands down. Goes better with Capt. Morgan Spiced Rum. 🙂
Rebecca: I agree completely! If you were only allowed to eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
J. Keller Ford: Cheesecake. Lots and lots of cheesecake. No preference to flavor, though champagne and macadamia nut cheesecake is to die for.
Rebecca: A favorite of mine as well. Excellent choice. What scares you the most?
J. Keller Ford: Palmetto bugs. They are nasty, over-sized cockroaches that fly. I scream like a little girl and run the other way when I see one. I hate the crunch sound they make when you smack or step on them and cringe when the icky thick yellow goo comes out. *Shudder*. Ewww.
Now that you all know a bit about the author, it’s time to give you a bit of info about the story, eh?
The Blurb: There is only one way to save Elton Fletcher’s brother from an insanity-ridden death.
After years away from home, fighting for his people, Elton returns to discover his only sibling, Cayden, possessed by greed and malice, and responsible for malicious, unthinkable deeds. Cayden, though, isn’t the only one afflicted by the Amulet of Ormisez, and Elton finds himself in yet another battle, where the price of failure could be his own life.
Author Bio: J. Keller Ford is a quirky mother of four, grand-mother and scribbler of young adult fantasy tales. She has an insatiable appetite for magic, dragons, knights and faeries, and weaves at least one into every story she conceives. Her muse is a cranky old meadow gnome that follows her everywhere she goes and talks incessantly, feeding her ideas for stories 24/7.
Make Believe Blog Tour: A Interview with Contributing Author, J.A. Belfield
Continuing with my Blog Tour posts for the MAKE BELIEVE Blog Tour, today I have managed to snag an interview with author, J.A. Belfield. Her story, Escort to Insanity is the featured tale in the anthology.
To see my full review of the anthology, go HERE.
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, Ms. Belfield. I’ll try not to ply you with too many questions (yeah, right).
Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why?
Ack. I dunno. I mean, I love Benjamin and Cole. Love how they gel and that they kind of get thrust together through circumstance beyond their control. But, if I were to look at the characters on a long term potential basis, I’d have to say I also love Cole’s best friend and housemate Kellie, for the light relief I know she’ll bring to intense aftermaths, and Rufus King, for the trouble I suspect he’d be capable of causing for the duo. 😉
Are any of your characters modeled after real people? If so, which ones?
Never. I sometimes study relationship dynamics and translate those to the page, but I never totally base a character on someone I know. It wouldn’t be fair. Though I did get pretty close in Blue Moon, my novel that just released, when a friend’s daughter asked me for a part in the book, so I made a character look like her and stole her name—but I’d never do that for a big part character who’s personality needs portraying to the max.
Morning person or grumpy bear?
Grumpy bear. Just ask my kids if you don’t believe me. And never expect conversation pre-caffeine.
Actually, the worst times are when Mr B decides we’re going to wake up at stupid o’clock to go on holiday so we’ll miss the traffic, and he wakes up all bubbly and excited and hyper and so damn annoying to someone who can only just about manage grunts and scowls and a whole lotta lip curling.
What is the one thing about the book publishing process that has surprised you the most?
I think the biggest surprise (and most likely not just to me) is discovering just how hard it is to gain a ‘reach’, to get that ball rolling so that folk are taking enough notice of your work to start spreading the word, and those folk start spreading the word, and so on and so on. It’s a domino run you need to make bigger, but getting hold of the dominos you need is the tricky bit. Once that starts happening, though, it’s pretty awesome. So persevere. No matter how big this obstacle seems.
What is next for you?
Well, I’m mostly known for writing the Holloway Pack series, and my short story for the Make Believe anthology was more of a side project for a change of scenery. However, although I still have a few Holloway Pack titles to write, I will admit I’m intrigued enough about Benjamin and Cole from Escort to Insanity that the early drip feed of ideas has started trickling through for a trilogy for the two of them. And it’s no secret, I’m also itching to try my hand at some YA. 🙂
Do you have any unique skills or talents? If so, what?
I can still do cartwheels at age 40. Does that count?
What is the oddest question you’ve been asked with respect to your story?
I haven’t had anything wonky for Escort to Insanity, but I have been asked a few times by peeps I know who’ve read Darkness & Light if I’ve based all of the intimate scenes on personal experience. They ask Mr B, too. His answer: Yep. My answer:
Tell us something about your story in Make Believe we won’t find in the back cover blurb?
Um … it has way more paranormal elements than the blurb leads you to believe. But, hey, this is one of my stories we’re talking about. 😉
Here is the skinny on Ms. Belfield’s story, ESCORT TO INSANITY
Blurb: From a charity auction, to a stroll in the park, to the craziest night of her life. Nicole Harrington can’t help but wonder how a simple event went so drastically wrong.
Of course, the male escort she booked is wholly to blame. Not only charming but shrewdly intelligent, Benjamin Gold drags Nicole into a platoon of unimaginable problems—ones from which she’ll have to find the courage just to survive.
Author Bio: One day, a character and scene popped into J. A. Belfield’s head, and she started controlling the little people inside her imagination, as though she were the puppet master and they her toys. Questions arose: What would happen if …? How would they react if …? Who would they meet if …? Before she knew it, a singular scene had become an entire movie. The characters she controlled began to hold conversations. Their actions reflected the personalities she bestowed upon them. Within no time, they had a life, a lover, a foe, family … they had Become.
One day, she wrote down her thoughts. She’s yet to stop.
J. A. Belfield lives in Solihull, England, with her husband, two children, three cats and a dog. She writes paranormal romance, with a second love for urban fantasy.
Stalking Links:
J.A. Belfield Blog | Bookaroo-Ju Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Make Believe Blog Tour: An Interview with Contributing Author, Kelly Said
Continuing with my Make Believe Blog Tour posts, today I’ve managed to finagle a visit from Kelly Said, one of the contributing authors featured in the anthology. You can find my full review of the anthology HERE.
I met Kelly on the Writer’s Digest forums a couple years ago now, and she is one heck of a writer, not to mention a cool person to have as a writing buddy.
Thanks for coming by, Kelly. I’ll try not to hit you with too many hard hitting questions 😛 I’ll even start with a rather easy one to answer.
Rebecca: What inspired you to write your short story for the MAKE BELIEVE anthology?
Kelly: I was heavily influenced by the photo prompt the publisher provided, there seemed to be a contradiction as to the wintry scene and the girl in the red cape – with bare arms. It seemed like she wasn’t expecting the cold weather and that’s where my story took off: what if some crazy blizzard wiped out summer completely?
Rebecca: Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Kelly: I’m both. I start off all exuberant and write a scene as it comes to mind, and then from there, I cease writing and begin plotting, working to isolate the critical points in the story to make sure I don’t write astray.
Rebecca: Do you have any writing rituals or special processes you complete before sitting down to write?
Kelly: I like to make sure I have all the essentials before I sit down for a writing session: caffeine, computer, dictionary, notepad, multicolored pens. Once I’m nestled in, I’m a go for writing, hehe!
Rebecca: Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why?
Kelly: My main character, Sterling August was my favorite to write, not just because I’d lapse into a drooly dreamstate while imagining him, his dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and close cropped beard, hehe! He’s intriguing, he’s struggling to fend off a possible curse and solve the mystery of his father’s illness, but he ends up discovering so much more about himself and the world around him that by the end of the story, I was ready to keep on writing beyond the word count restrictions.
Rebecca: Morning person or grumpy bear?
Kelly: I’m a forced morning person, getting up at some ridiculous hour like 3:30 am to make time to write, hehe!
Rebecca: If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?
Kelly: You’d find denim and tees, doc martens, and scarves galore. I keep the frills and lace in a special drawer… 😉
Rebecca: Coke or Pepsi?
Kelly: Coke, diet, straight, no straw. 😉
Rebecca: If you were taken and places on a deserted island, and were allowed one other human being to spend your life with you on that island, who would you choose?
Kelly: My Hubs, because he’s awesome.
That may just be the most pukingly sweet answer to that question I have gotten so far. Congrats 😛
Now that we’ve met Kelly — let’s take a look at her story from the Make Believe anthology, Petrified.
BLURB: A mysterious storm has replaced summer with winter, devastating crops and smothering Castle lands in snow. Prince Sterling August stands alone as a leader, lost in personal grief as well as a desire to help his people but with an inability to do either.
The answers he needs await him, but without Lochlyn, a woman who’s just as isolated as Sterling, he’ll never see what stands before him, cloaked in illusion.
Author Bio: Kelly loves life in the foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. When she’s not reading, being doted on by Mr. S, or pressed for attention by the wet nose of her beefy bull terrier, she can be found huddled over her little laptop writing whatever catches her fancy — mostly stories for Young Adults.
Make Believe Blog Tour: An Interview with Contributing Author, Terri Rochenski #fantasy #anthology
Welcome back to the Blog. Always nice to see you 🙂
This week and part of next I will be helping to promote the release of J.Taylor Publishing’s MAKE BELIEVE Anthology. As part of the tour events, I will have interviews from as many of the authors as I could grab, and I will be posting a complete review of the anthology (by each individual story) in my post tomorrow, so be sure to check back again then.
To kick things off, I nabbed an interview with Terri Rochenski, the author of SACRIFICIAL OATH, the first of the stories featured in the anthology.
** Oh! And two lucky commentors will win a Make Believe bookmark signed by Terri 🙂 So be sure to leave a comment below! **
I met Terri a few years ago in the Writer’s Digest forums, and I knew back then she would be an author to watch. I’m quite excited she agreed to stop in today to promote her most recent publication. Besides, I love picking an author’s brain about their work and their writing process.
Rebecca: Thanks for coming in and sitting with us today, Terri. I’ll start off with a nice, easy, author related question…What music was on your playlist while writing your novel?
Terri: Nothing. I’m a silence kinda gal seeing as how I rarely get it as a stay-at-home mom!
Rebecca: Morning person or grumpy bear?
Terri: Morning person. Most of the time I open my eyes rearin’ & ready to go. I DO need caffeine though.
Rebecca: What group were you a part of in High School? Jocks? Nerds? Metal heads?
Terri: I was a choir nerd. Other than that I was pretty much a loner – too poor to be popular, too straight-laced to be much else.
Rebecca: Do you have any unique skills or talents? If so, what?
Terri: I sing, or rather I used to. A LOT. Even gave lessons for a short time. Once I moved, married, & had children I pretty much gave up that hobby.
Rebecca: Coke or Pepsi?
Terri: COKE!!!
Rebecca: If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?
Terri: Mommy-like sweat pants & tees. I need a major makeover!
Rebecca: If you were only allowed to eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Terri: Only one?? Yeah right. Bryer’s Cherry Vanilla ice cream, pumpkin pie, blueberry custard pie…
Rebecca: What scares you the most?
Terri: If anything happened to my children I think I’d flip. Watching parents of abducted kids pleading for their release – their lives – chokes me up every time.
I am completely with you there… of course I also get choked up by sad cartoons, so I’m not the best one to measure normalcy with. I have to think most parents would feel that way as well.
Now that we have learned a bit about Terri, let’s take a look at her story, SACRIFICIAL OATH — the opening story in the anthology.
BLURB: An impetuous act unwittingly makes Alesuela the fulfillment of the Sovereign’s Blood Oath to their Goddess. In five days, she’ll be forced to make the greatest choice of her life: become the virginal sacrifice already promised, or force the man she loves most to die in her place.
With an impossible choice in front of her, she searches for ways to undo the oath, and in her quest, finds not everything in her life is as she expects.
Author Bio: Terri started writing stories in the 8th grade, when a little gnome whispered in her brain. Gundi’s Great Adventure never hit the best seller list, but it started a long love affair with the fantasy genre.
Today she enjoys an escape to Middle Earth during the rare ‘me’ moments her two young daughters allow. When not potty training or kissing boo-boos, she can be found on her back patio in the boondocks of New Hampshire, book or pencil in hand.
Staking Links:
Make Believe Blog Tour: An Interview with Contributing Author, Jennifer M. Eaton
Through the end of December I will be featuring interviews with the contributing authors of the Make Believe anthology published by J. Taylor Publishing as well as a full review of the anthology on December 11th.
Our first guest as part of the Blog Tour is Jennifer M. Eaton and her story, Last Winter Red. Since I am posting a full review of the anthology next week, I will refrain from offering any tidbits about the story at this point, but I will say that Ms. Eaton’s tale was one of my favorites in the book. For more, you will just have to stop in on the 11th and see the full review.
For now, you will have to content yourself with getting to know the author a bit better through my little interview with her.
First off, thanks so much for coming by the blog and letting me pick your brain a bit. It’s great having you here.
Rebecca: Let’s start with the writing process. Do you have any writing rituals or special processes you complete before sitting down to write?
Jennifer: Nope. I just sit down and write the dern thing. Well, that might not be completely true. I usually read the last three or four pages that I wrote the day before, just to get myself back into the story, and then I just let it rock! It seems to work pretty well for me.
Rebecca: If you could only write in one genre for the rest of your career, what genre would you choose? Why?
Jennifer: Fantasy. No, Let’s call it “Speculative Fiction” That is my baby. I love speculative fiction. I write new worlds for the sheer joy of it. I love creating new things. To me, the everyday is mundane. I can get “the everyday” by going to work. Writing is escapism for me, and where better to escape than a world of your own making?
Rebecca: What music was on your playlist while writing your novel?
Jennifer: I usually listen to soundtrack music. It helps get me into a vibe of writing something good enough for the big screen! Ha! Actually, my favorite thing to listen to is the soundtrack from the first Transformers movie. There’s some really exciting stuff in there that paces me well for my typing… and no words, which helps me from being distracted.
Rebecca: Morning person or grumpy bear?
Jennifer: Oh! I am definitely a grumpy bear in the morning. Which is a pain, because Hubby is a morning person. In my view, if God wanted me up at 6 AM, he would have made it light out year round… Ya know what I’m saying? I’m a night owl. I will work late into the evening – sometimes past 2 AM and sleep late when I can.
Rebecca: What is next for you?
Jennifer: Oh! I’m having such a great time right now! As you know, this is part of the blog tour for the Make Believe Anthology, which features my story Last Winter Red. Today is also the release day for another anthology I am in called “For the Love of Christmas” which contains my story Connect the Dots. The Sequel to Connect the Dots, “A Test of Faith” will be Available in early January 2013 from Still Moments Publishing. I also have a poetic short in the “Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey” Anthology. I’ve been a busy bee! Next year, I’m hoping to publish two works in progress. “Une Variante” which is a paranormal novella, and part one of a series. I’m also finishing up a Young Adult Sci-Fi Urban Fantasy called Fire in the Woods.
Rebecca: Coke or Pepsi?
Jennifer: Ummm I really don’t drink the stuff. I’m a Gatorade girl myself. My daily drinks are decaf tea in the morning, Gatorade for lunch, Milk for dinner, more Gatorade while I’m writing, and water before I go to bed. I will, though, drink some Ginger Ale or caffeine free Pepsi if I’m sick to my stomach. Otherwise I just steer away from the bubbly stuff.
Rebecca: If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?
Jennifer: Actually a little bit of both. Well, you won’t find my tee shirts in my closet – they are in a drawer. I’m a bit of a rough and tough girl. I’m jeans and tees as a rule, but I love really heavy crochet-like lace. You’ll find a plethora of styles in my wardrobe, from the downright lame, to outrageous. I dress to my mood… or to match what I’m doing that day. –Lace does not go well when you’re grooming your dog. 🙂
Rebecca: If you were only allowed to eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Jennifer: Chocolate, or Chocolate covered chocolate. Does that constitute as a dessert? Or maybe a chocolate volcano cake with mint chocolate chip ice cream and hot fudge slathered all over it. **SIGH** I’m hungry now. Any more questions?
Rebecca: Zombies or Vampires? Why? Those are my only two choices? Can I pick neither? I really don’t get the whole zombie thing. Maybe I should actually read a zombie book, but I really have no desire. I kind of get the vampire thing… it’s sort of classic, you know? But in the end, I think a good dragon would be able to take them both out. That’s what we need! A book about a zombie and vampire eating dragon! Oh! How about me riding the dragon, and taking out a vampire/zombie army. Yay! I get to ride a dragon! Wahoo!
Now that you know a bit about the author, let’s take a peek at her story, Last Winter Red.
BLURB: Emily is a Red, a woman whose sole purpose in life is to produce offspring. When her husband dies and leaves her childless, she risks her life and forsakes the safety of Terra—a disease-free city born after the nuclear holocaust. Beyond its boundaries, she knows, survives a man with whom she can be properly paired.
The Outside, though, holds secrets the government struggles to keep, and what Emily discovers on her quest for a mate will change her life forever.
Author Bio: Jennifer Eaton lives on the East Coast USA with her husband, three boys, and a pepped up poodle. She hosts an interactive website www.jennifermeaton.com aimed at making all writers the best they can be.
Her Dystopian novelette “Last Winter Red” is available as part of the “Make Believe” Anthology from J.Taylor Publishing. Her Christmas Romance “Connect the Dots” is available as part of Still Moments publishing’s “For the Love of Christmas” Anthology. Both are available in ebook format from Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com and Smashwords
Stalking Links:
Twitter: @jennifermeaton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5832197.Jennifer_M_Eaton
Bex Book Nook 