Sexy Christmas, everyone?

So how was your Christmas Day? Lots of sexy lingerie? Toys? Erotic novels? No? Well, why not treat yourself to a post-Christmas treat?

Christmas is a great time for some fun with your lover but it's even better to keep the momentum going AFTER the holidays, isn't it? I have been looking through my favorite epublishers sites and there are some fantastic erotic romance titles available to buy. If you don't have the time to flick through all the amazing choices out there right now, try to at least get to my publishers sites and have a look-see. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

http://www.eternalpress.biz/searches.php?sub_genre=6

I have still have no news to report about my new submission under consideration right now but do have a brand new idea floating around in my head for a new novella - come January 5th when the kids are back at school and hubby back at work...there's going to be some red-hot writing going on, I can tell you!

Enjoy the holidays - see you in 2011!!

xx

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I am a bit late in posting this but I only recently found out from a fellow Wild Rose Press author that 'Explicitly English' reached the no 5 spot on the publisher's best seller's list on Fictionwise.com! I am thrilled and wanted to thank each and every one of you who has bought a copy and enjoyed it. Thank you!

So, my latest news is my second novella is sitting on my editor's desk as we speak and I hope to hear some good news from her in the New Year (maybe I shouldn't be announcing that in case she hates it, LOL!)

Here's the blurb & buy link for Explicitly English especially for those naughty followers yet to purchase a copy ; )

Laura Markham needs to forget - just for awhile. Be someone else for change - live as her parents will never have the chance to. And for Laura, that means leaving the City for the English countryside and doing just what the hell she feels like…wherever she feels like doing it…
British stockbroker, Stephen Cambridge knows by going home to his country retreat two days early, he's likely to surprise his contracted interior designer. And when he finds out she's the woman who performed the solo masterbation show for him on the inward bound journey, Stephen will do anything to further convince her to miss the outward bound train and stay with him forever…

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=790

Have a happy, sexy and erotic Christmas and New Year - I send you all my love and good wishes!!

xxx

Talking erotic romance with Emly Forrest....

Please welcome Lyrical Press author, Emly Forrest! Emly writes erotic romance and mainstream romance so its really fabulous to have such a versatile writer visit today. Looking forward to learning more about you and your writing, Emly - take it away!

1) What is your writing routine? I like to do it one word at a time. Seriously, that’s how I approach a project. If I think too much about the entire scope of writing a novel, I become intimidated. So, I simply think about small bits of writing each day. I don’t have a routine, per se, but I do make myself write at least five hundred words a day. I’m happier if I can write a thousand, but I try not to beat myself up if it doesn’t happen.

2) Which author/s inspire you to write? Gosh, there are so many: Barbara Kingsolver, James Lee Burke, Dennis Lehane, Jane Hamilton, Elizabeth Gilbert, Stephen King (and this is just the short list). You might think that last one is a mistake or at very least a guilty pleasure, but in my opinion, King is one of the finest novelists alive today. His ability to depict characters strikes me as nothing less than magical. If I could write an iota as well as any one of these people, I’d die happy.

3) Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? To write? Erotica on both counts. However, I don’t read a lot of romance fiction of any kind, even though I write it. Or maybe I should say because I write it. I’ve always had the notion that I’d have trouble finding a personal voice if I read a lot of it. I do enjoy it (who doesn’t?), but especially since I’ve been writing it, I shy away from reading it.

4) How do you deal with criticism/rejection? For about thirty seconds, I become a screaming meeny. Then I slap myself and remember that failure is a necessary part of success. I’ve been a copywriter and copyeditor for more years than I like to think about, so have been redlined by some of the best and worst in the business. I don’t think I take it personally anymore. Unless the criticism is just plain mean spirited or comes from someone who clearly didn’t read the work. Then I have issues.

5) What do you expect from an editor? Objectivity, experience and a touch of gentleness. I’m so blessed to have Piper Denna as my editor at Lyrical Press. She’s all of those things and more. I’ve read hundreds of acknowledgments in novels that speak to a phenomenal editor and how they made the author better than they are. That’s exactly how I feel.

6)
Tell me about your latest release. The Last Resort is a road-trip adventure of experiences and sexual redefinition for one thoroughly likable protagonist. Margaret Murphy Ryder (Murph to just about everyone) has gone through a painful divorce and decides that she’ll take the motorhome she got in the settlement and go on the road. It’s her “last resort.” The story describes her adventures and affairs (one with a much young man) along the way. She winds up in a Gulf Coast town in Louisiana, buys a run-down RV park (named The Last Resort), and bumps into an incredible opportunity for a do-over with a long-lost love. Part romance, part erotic fiction, part chick lit, the story has wide appeal.

7) Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt. Here’s a short excerpt: On the third day of my stay, Del asked me if she might come to my trailer later in the evening to discuss something with me. I agreed and suggested she bring Tony.

“No,” she said seriously, “this is something I’d like to keep between us. Just the two of us.”

“Okay, come whenever you like. I’ll have a bottle of wine open and ready.”

Del winked. “It’s a date.”

I know I must have winced, given what she had revealed about her bisexuality. Was this a date? Nah. I didn’t think so. Del knew I was strictly straight. Wasn’t I? I had to admit, she was a very attractive woman, disability or no disability, and if I had any inclination in that direction, she would be the kind of woman I’d consider sleeping with. But that was crazy, right?

Flashes of a college encounter came to me then, a chance threesome with one of my best girlfriends and a guy she’d picked up at some bar. We were all at her apartment, more than a little drunk. The guy was supposed to be with Sue. She’d found him and invited him. But when she went to the bathroom for a minute, he grabbed me and started fondling my breasts. I wasn’t adverse to his intentions, but girlfriends come first, in my book, so I pushed him away.

“Come on, Morph,” he slurred, “you and me, huh?”

“It’s Murph, you idiot, and it ain’t gonna happen. Sue expects you to be with her. I’m not getting in the way of that.”

“What about the three of us? Are you into that?”

I thought a minute, though not too clearly for all the alcohol I’d consumed. A three-way with my friend and some guy? Oh, hell, why not? Sounded like a good plan at the time. “It’s okay with me, if it’s okay with Sue.” By that time, she’d come back into the room and had heard most of the exchange.

“It’s okay with Sue.” She smiled at me, then briefly at the boy.

8) Which is your favorite character in the book? Why? No question about it—I’m crazy about Murph Ryder, the protagonist. She’s pragmatic, persistent and adventurous. Just the kind of woman I’d like for a best friend.

9)

What is next for you? A novella to be published in March 2011 by Lyrical Press. It’s part of a special collection of works that Lyrical is putting out in time for St Patrick’s Day. My particular contribution, Irish Ice, features an older woman/younger man romance. The younger man in question may have ties to the Irish Republican Army and a string of murders occurring in Boston. Danger, intrigue, and a hot liaison inform the plot.

10) What are you working on right now? A couple of things actually. One is novel that takes place in the wilds of Montana. Its character list includes a hot park ranger who happens to be a werewolf, four school teachers, and a gone-south (as in crazy) ex-husband. I’m also playing around with a novella about a guy who owns a strip club. He’s a rounder (do people still use that word?) and can have any woman he wants. Until he meets the one who really matters.

11) Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring novelists? Write. Keep writing. Every day. Whether it’s going well or not. Just keep writing. One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was “Allow yourself to write a bad first draft.” I can’t recall who said it, but the idea stuck with me. Writing is a skill like any other. The more you do it, the better you become.

12) Where can readers find you? In the virtual world: www.emlyforrest.com, www.emlyforrest.blogspot.com, emlyforrest@gmail.com

In the real world: look for me on a Gulf of Mexico beach in east Texas in the winter and the backwoods of northern Michigan in the summer.

And thanks for taking the time to let me spout about, well...me!

Wow, your seasonal living sound pretty fantastic to me as well as a great interview, Emly! We write in the exact same way - I push for 500 words min per day but love it when I write 1,000 plus. It keeps the momentum going as well as releasing the pressure - works great for me! And as far as Stephen King?? I hold him on a pedestal - end of...

Comments, people?

Welcome fellow Eternal Press author, Cornelia Amiri!

I am so happy to welcome back, Eternal Press author, Cornelia Amiri. Cornelia has visited with me before and talked about Celtic Romance which is a sub-genre I love. Read her fantastic post and then comment to be in for a chance to win a free download.

Research - The Wolf and The Druidess

By Cornelia Amiri

As I write Celtic/Romances set in ancient times, I’m often asked about my research methods. I love history as much as I love writing, I admit it, I am a history geek, so I read about the ancient Celts through non-fiction books, reports of new archeology finds, and website articles as often as I can, for fun. That helps because in writing fiction you have to be detailed in your research, not only do you have to know about famous battles and main historical events, you need a strong understanding of daily activities and what the seasons were like. Since it is winter I wanted to share some of my research about life during that season for my latest book, a Paranormal/Erotica/Romance, The Wolf and The Druidess, just released 12/07/10.

As the days grew colder, as an ancient Celt, you’ll notice salmon returning to spawn in river pools, the last autumn fruit you’ll see will be white, waxy mistletoe berries, and you’ll watch the men of your tribe herd shaggy red cattle from outlying pastures to an enclosure inside your village.

Oat-porridge will be your main food during winter yet you’ll eat some delicious meat from hunting.

As an example, here’s a hunting excerpt from The Wolf and The Druidess:

Out of the corner of her eye, Seren noticed a movement and turned her head. She gasped and pointed to a large red stag with long, branching antlers, strutting out of the forest. He dipped his snout to the salt. After taking a lick, he jerked his neck and looked to one side then the other, scanning the area. He leaned down again and took a few licks, then stared straight ahead at Seren; he’d sensed, smelled, spotted her. The stag thrust his rear legs back and bolted towards the woods.

Seren jumped on her horse and goaded it to a gallop. The chase was on to try to head him off and steer him away from the forest, but to everyone’s horror the stag managed to shoot pass Cynfarch’s mount and dart into the woods. Seren and Gwydion charged into the leafy canopy of the dense forest.

“I wish we had brought the dogs.” Seren said to Gwydion as she rode at his side. “But we didn’t want to frighten the deer at the salt lick.”

“I will transform.” Gwydion vaulted off his horse.

As his body twisted and lengthened in some areas and shortened in others, his face distorted with pain until he shifted into a large white wolf, staring at her with burning amber eyes. He raced off, on the trail of the stag as Seren and the other mounted warriors followed.

A wolf’s growl pierced the air as they rode on. Seren drew her horse to a halt as she sighted the white wolf, he had cornered the large, antlered deer.

Speaking of meat, especially beef, one of the main ways your tribe prepares for winter is with cattle raids. If your tribe doesn’t have enough cattle to get it through the long, cold days the warriors will grab some from a neighboring tribe.

Here's an excerpt of a cattle raid from The Wolf and The Druidess:

“No, he is in danger,” Seren snapped.

“It is our only chance. If we lose milk and beef, the entire tribe could starve during the winter.” Hywell shook his head.

“What harm could possibly befall me? The Silures cannot hurt me if I turn them to ice, first,” Gwydion said.

“My mother would not warn me unless the threat was real,” Seren said. “I myself sense danger, but it may not be from the Silures. You must be careful.”

“Seren, he is a god,” Hywell said.

“Yes, what could happen to me?” Gwydion said.

Rather than answer, she peered into Gwydion’s eyes. “Swear to me, you will take heed.”

“Yes, I will return to you unharmed.” Gwydion pulled his wand from the pouch tied to his side and brandished it high. “I am ready.” He swirled the ash stick, decorated with Celtic spirals, through the air in a sweeping motion.

“Foes of the Ordovices

Your raid is condemned.

I forbid your flight.

Winter’s embrace,

Shall halt your escape,

Frozen like ice.

For the tribe to find.”

A blue light with the power of a lightning bold shot from the wand. Gwydion knew everyone in the village could feel the surge, and he noticed Seren and Hywell had clung to each other during the mighty blast.

“It is done,” he said to them.

“Now you must shift into wolf form,” Seren said to Gwydion as she released her hold on Hywell.

After Gwydion eased off his horse, his body blurred from one form to the next as his limbs shortened and his flesh shifted into a pelt of white fur. The wolf stood before Seren once more.

Hywell gasped. “Gwydion, do not get too near the cattle, you will spook them.”

The wolf nodded, and as he darted off, Seren goaded her horse into a hard gallop. Hywell followed.

Of course one of the main things you want to know as an ancient Celt is how you can stay warm on long winter nights.

Here’s a heated excerpt from The Wolf and The Druidess:

She leaned up to him and peered at his arresting face, strong chin, compelling eyes, and firm, sensual lips. Her mouth covered his in an all-consuming kiss. His lips tasted like warm honey.

Gwydion raised his mouth from hers and as he peered at Seren, her pulse pounded.

“Does that kiss mean you love me too?” he asked in a low, smooth voice.

“In truth it does.”

As he waved his hand in front of her, Seren’s clothing vanished.

She felt cool as she stood nude before him. “That trick of yours isn’t fair, but it does hasten things along. And that is good because I can’t wait. I need you now.”

“But I want to go slow, to explore every inch of you,” Gwydion said in a deep, masculine tone.

As he scanned her body, she felt the heat of his gaze. As she felt his warm fingers against the small of her back, he pressed his lips against hers. The wet kiss sent a delicious sensation spiraling through her. Easing his mouth off hers, he ran a trail of feathery kisses down her tingling neck.

As far as getting through winter in modern times, take a copy of The Wolf and The Druidess to bed with you along with a cup of hot chocolate on a chilly December night. That should warm you up.

For more on The Wolf and The Druidess

Here is a blurb and links for additional information

Blurb:

A god leaves the Otherworld and even risks his life...for love.

In days of old, deep in the dark woods, Druidess Seven discovers a wolf shape
shifting into the bare, muscular body of God Gwydion. Her wicked thoughts turn
from the Samhain feast to feasting on Gwydion's yummy goodies. Can their new
found love survive the ultimate long-distance relationship of a god in the
otherworld and a woman on earth? Is the love Seren and Gwydion share strong
enough to overcome the social barrier between an immortal god and a mortal
woman? Will the warning of danger from beyond the grave destroy the sensual
magic brewing between the wolf and the druidess?

Please visit http://CelticRomanceQueen.com & http://eternalpress.biz/people.php?author=245

Contest: I’m giving away one copy of a PDF eBook of The Wolf & The Druidess. Please post comments below to enter the contest.

Loved this post, Cornelia - so interesting! I really enjoyed understanding how you weave your knowledge into your writing making us 'feel' the time and really experience it. Brilliant! Wow, and you're giving away a copy of the book - time to start commenting, people!

Over to you...

Thrilled to welcome Silhouette/Wild Rose Press author, Samantha Gentry!

It is such a pleasure to have you visit with me over the next few days, Samantha. You are the first Silhouette author I have had as a guest so this is such a thrill! I am sure you will have lots of comments and questions so shall we get on with the interview?

Welcome!

Q1: When and why did you decide you wanted to be a published author?

A1: I lived in Los Angeles and worked in television production. I was very serious about my hobby of photography, to the point where I had my own darkroom (this was in the days of film rather than digital). In trying to market my photographs I found I had a better chance of selling them if they were attached to magazine articles. So, I started writing non-fiction magazine articles solely as a means of marketing my photographs. I had friends and co-workers telling me I should write scripts since I worked in television and had access to producers and directors. I took a screen writing class at UCLA and discovered I did not want to write scripts, but I did want to try writing a novel. So I seriously turned my hand to fiction writing.

Q2: What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given as a writer?

A2: Don't let rejections get you down and don't take them personally. Everyone gets rejections and they are not about you as a writer. They are about the specific manuscript you submitted to that specific publisher on a given specific day.

Q3: What is the best thing you have learned from an editor/agent?

A3: If an editor requests a specific change—telling you how to change something, not just that it needs to be changed—and you believe the change the way the editor has asked you to change it doesn't work for your story, you shouldn't be afraid to offer an alternative way of making the change that won't compromise the intent of your story. Many times the editor's suggestion on how to make a change isn't important. What is important to the editor is fixing whatever dynamic in your story it is that bothers her.

Q4: And the worst?

A4: Saying there is only one way of doing something.

Q5: Share your blurb or short excerpt from your latest release with us.

A5: DESIGNED ENCOUNTER, a novella by Samantha Gentry, is scheduled for release tomorrow (Friday, December 10, 2010) at The Wilder Roses (www.thewilderroses.com) the Scarlet Rose line of erotic romance from The Wild Rose Press.

BLURB: A temporary building project has kept architect Trent Reynolds and interior designer Maddie Sloan from acting on a sizzling mutual attraction. As the assignment comes to a successful conclusion, business makes room for hot, scintillating pleasure. But while Maddie has designs on a long term commitment, Trent has blueprints for a no-strings-attached deal. Can a weekend encounter at a romantic seaside inn persuade Trent to Maddie's way of thinking?

Excerpts from DESIGNED ENCOUNTER are available on my website at www.samanthagentry.com

Q6: Who would you cast to play your hero and heroine in a movie?

A6: I've thought about this and I just don't know. Everyone I think of is either too old or too young to fit the parts. Hero is 38-39 and heroine is 34. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has some.

Q7: Did you plan this book? Or write it as it came?

A7: Ah…that goes back to the question of plotter or pantser. I used to create it as I wrote. I'd have a basic story line in mind, a couple of major plot points, but nothing beyond that. However, when Harlequin/Silhouette started contracting me based on a proposal (synopsis and three chapters) rather than a completed manuscript, I had to learn to plot it all out so I could do a complete synopsis without having written the book. So now, even with a novella, I know the beginning and the middle and the ending along with all the major plot points before I start writing.

Q8: What surprised you the most when you became a published author?

A8: That it was as difficult and time consuming to sell my second book as it was to sell the first one.

Q9: Do you have a dedicated writing space? What does it look like?

A9: Yes, the front bedroom in my house is my office. It's a corner room so it has two windows, one looking out on the front yard and the street and one of the side with a view of the neighbor's driveway. Right now the room looks like a cluttered mess. Hmmm…actually mess isn't necessarily correct as in a bunch of junk and I don't know what half of it is. But cluttered definitely fits. Bottom line—the room is too small for all the stuff I have in it.

Q10: What's next for you?

A10: I'm working on some new manuscripts, both erotic contemporary and romantic suspense.

I'm also pleased to announce that Harlequin is reissuing some of my Silhouette Desire backlist written under my other pseudonym of Shawna Delacorte in ebooks, available at the Harlequin website (http://ebooks.eharlequin.com), also Barnes and Noble for their Nook Books (www.bn.com) and at Amazon for Kindle.

IN FORBIDDEN TERRITORY is currently available. HAVING THE BEST MAN'S BABY will be available in December 2010. AT THE TYCOON'S COMMAND will be available in January 2011. All twenty-one of my Harlequin Intrigue and Silhouette Desire backlist covers and blurbs are shown on my website (www.samanthagentry.com) on the Shawna Delacorte page.

In addition to that, I'm anxious to get back into my photography, only now it's all digital rather than the film I've used for years. My "point and shoot" digital camera is easy, but my new digital SLR Nikons are a new learning experience. They're much more complex than my old film SLR Nikons. And, of course, my darkroom is now another new learning curve with the digital darkroom being new photo and graphics computer software.

Readers can find out about me and my books at my website:
www.samanthagentry.com

I also have a blog where I do a new post every Sunday morning:
http://samanthagentry.blogspot.com

You can also find me on Facebook.
Profile: www.facebook.com/SamanthaGentry.author "friend" me
Fan Page: www.facebook.com/SamanthaGentry.Author1 "like" me

I want to thank Rachel for having me here today and allowing me to ramble on about various topics, including my upcoming release of DESIGNED ENCOUNTER and my reissues from Harlequin/Silhouette.

What a fantastic interview, Samantha! I am so glad you stopped by and let us know more about you. I think your background in writing will inspire and encourage other aspiring writers so much. I particularly like your advice about discussing issues with your editors - I have a few writer friends who dislike their editors advice but don't speak up about it. Editors are human, not monsters, LOL!

Over to you guys, there must be lots you want to ask Silhouette/Wild Rose author - Samantha Gentry...

Welcome fellow Wild Rose Press writer, Macie Carter!

Just like me, Macie also has her first Scarlet Rose out with The Wild Rose Press this year and plans on writing more...

Love the cover of Teasing the Muse, very sexy! Right, shall we get on with the interview? Over to you...

1)

Who is your favourite author and why?

It depends on the genre. I read extensively in various genres, so I have lots of favorites. Women’s Fiction/Romance: Diane Chamberlain, Jodi Picolt, Debbie Macomber, Maggie Shayne, Eloisa James. Mystery: Linda Fairstein, Lisa Scottoline, Stephen King. Thriller: Jonathan Maberry, Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston. Young Adult: Shannon Delaney, Suzanne Collins. There are too many others to name.

2) When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I was twelve years old and wrote a short story that was rejected by Family Circle. Back then, fifty years ago, there were lots of magazines that had short stories. I wrote on a portable typewriter in the basement of our home. I wrote all through school and nursing school. I always considered myself a writer and when I got my first sale (an essay in Cats magazine), I knew I was a “real” writer. I still love writing short stories and search for markets for them.

3) Describe your writing space?

I write at a small desk at the back of my living room sofa so I can see out into my little yard. I usually have two cats on the top of the sofa watching me. So far they haven’t critiqued any of my work.

4) What are you reading now?

A very different book: John Farris’ “Son of the Endless Night” – a novel from 1980s recommended by Stephen King. I find I can learn a lot from all genres. I love to be scared and this book scares me.

5) How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

I’ve written four complete novels. My favorite is my time-travel to Camelot because I “prove” that Guinevere was innocent of adultery. I’ve been to Glastonbury several times and love the countryside – so I love the book that takes place there.

6) What comes first, plot or characters?

Plot (story) seems to come first with me and then the characters appear.

7) Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

I’m always writing something – I work on several projects at once – so I can never have writer’s block.

8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I read, read, read. I’ve challenged myself to read/listen to 100 books in 12 months. I spend time with my favorite gentleman, Morgan, who is also a writer.

9) Tell us about your latest book?

Writing as Macie Carter, I had a Scarlet Rosette, Teasing the Muse, published by The Wild Rose Press. It was my first, and so far, only erotic romance and I wrote it on a whim. However, I just completed The Last Prophecy, a retelling of the werewolf legend. I’ve submitted it to an editor who requested it.

10) What’s next for you?

Retirement from my day job is coming soon and then I’ll be writing “full time”. I’m now working on a book with an older heroine and hero. It may be difficult to sell but it is the book of my heart. Love knows no age – Morgan and I prove that.

Your new book sounds very romantic to me, Macie - is it erotic or mainstream? I LOVE older heroes and heroines...seeing as we get sexier, wiser and more daring as we get older, don't we?

Glad you love Glastonbury and the UK in general! I love England too, LOL!

Over to you readers....

A huge welcome to prolific writer, Desiree Holt!!

I have to say, Desiree, I am humbled to have you here....I had a little sneak peek at your website yesterday and I cannot believe how much you have written! My God, girl, it's amazing!

I have so much I want to ask you - how long have you been writing? What is your secret to time management? Favorite publishers? Editors?

Huge, huge kudos to you!

Anyway, you're talking cowboys? Yum, yum! Over to you...

The cowboy is such a romantic soul

Every culture needs legends and heroes; the Cowboy is one of America's best. We see honor, leadership, integrity, hard work, strength and freedom in the cowboy. We envy the simplicity of his long day's labor and the wide-open spaces he roams. Little boys want to grow up to be him, and many little girls want to grow up and marry him. He contains the last vestiges of wildness allowed in the new millennium, and as much as our country changes, he remains the same. America needs the Cowboy both to remind us of how far we have come and to bring us back to the simplicity of the values he represents.

From Zane Grey to Linda Lael Miller, authors have painted the cowboy as sexy, romantic, virile, the ultimate alpha male. He ropes horses, fights bad guys, wears jeans that hug him like a second skin and sweeps women off their feet. He dances the Texas Two-Step and the waltz with equal ease, sips aged bourbon or ice cold beer with equal aplomb and can shoot a target dead center from a thousand feet. I mean, what’s not to love?

I live in one of the greatest places of the world, the Texas Hill Country, where I am surrounded by ranches. On a frosty morning I can see the quintessential cowboy mounted on his horse, buttoned into his sheepskin-lined jacket, his Stetson pulled low over his forehead to shield his eyes from the rising son, thighs clenched against the flanks of his mount as he urges him forward after a recalcitrant calf or a wandering cow. He is the idol of dreams, the star of fantasies, as he rides with a smooth gait across the acres of pasture rolling off toward the horizon.

And then, of course, at the end of the day, with the dust of the land showered from his body, he makes mad, passionate, exquisite love to the woman of his heart. Or in some case, the many women of his heart!

And this is why I make the cowboy the central figure in so many of my stories.

*****

From Back in the Saddle:

Picture yourself in the local honky tonk, a dark atmosphere redolent with the scent of beer and good whiskey, the jukebox playing in the corner and the man of yourt dreams in jeans, boots and western shirt and a look that makes every boen in your body melt:

“I…haven’t danced in a while,” she said lamely as she tried to relax in his grip.

God. Could I sound any more idiotic?

He chuckled, a low rumbling sound. “I think it’s like riding a horse. You never really forget. I think you could probably say that about everything.”

His lean fingers massaged the knot at the nape of her neck, his arm holding her against him as they shifted their bodies minimally in place. The stroking of those fingers sent shivers down her spine, but they also coaxed her to relax and move in rhythm with him. She actually found herself leaning her head against his shoulder.

“That’s it,” he whispered. “I learned music can make you forget just about any damn thing.”

She wanted desperately to ask him what he was working so hard to forget, but he’d made it very clear that was off limits. Maybe she’d give her friend Jacie a call and see what the dirt was. She hadn’t called any of her friends since she’d been back, but now curiosity was breaching her self-imposed exile.

The song ended and again another one clicked into place. Chance made no move to lead her from the dance floor. Instead, he simply kept moving in place, the two of them swaying to the music.

*****

From Down and Dirty

Now picture a large, sprawling Texas ranch with a typical ranch house, stone and adobe with wood floors and the owner, sin on the hoof, surrounding you with his male scent of musk and cattle and earth:

The voice was rich as sin and warm as melted chocolate. Krista’s head snapped up, and she nearly melted into a puddle at what she saw. Six foot five of the most mouth-watering male she’d ever seen. Thick, curly black hair crowned a face that the word ‘rugged’ was made for. Lashes equally as dark shaded eyes of smoky silver. A thin cotton plaid shirt and soft jeans barely concealed the hard musculature of his body. Crisp dark hair peeked out where the shirt was open at the neck, and the rolled-up sleeves revealed arms with well defined muscles that didn’t come from any gym. A chocolate Stetson crowned his head and hand-tooled boots covered his feet.

Krista wildly looked around for paper towels or a cloth or something to wipe herself with. Remembering the bandana, she pulled it out and began blotting herself.

“Here. Let me.”

He was so close to her now that she felt as if he surrounded her. The heat of him, the male scent, clogged her senses. A smart woman would probably move or push him away. Actually run from the room. Except her feet seemed glued to the floor. Here he was, right in front of her, the type man who starred in all her darkest fantasies. He took the bandana from her unresisting hand then gently wiped the places she’d splashed water on herself.

*****

So you can see why the cowboy is the man of my dreams, the star of my fantasies and the hero of my books. There’s just something about a man on a horse that does it for me. I hope you’ll check out my cowboys and take them home with you. You can find me here:

www.desireeholt.com

www.desireeholttellsall.com

www.facebook.com/desireeholt

www.twitter.com/storyscribe

Desiree Holt has lived a life of excitement that brings the color to her writing. She was a summer fishing guide, a summer field hand where she was one of only three women working, a member of a beginning ski team that skied in competition (and no, no broken bones!). She spent several years in the music business representing every kind of artist from country singer to heavy metal rock bands. For several years she also ran her own public relations agency handling any client that interested her. She is twice a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award, a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as a CAPA Award, winner of two Holt Medallion Awards of Merit, and is published by four different houses. Romance Junkies said of her work: “Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.”

You can find her at www.desireeholt.com and www.desireeholttellsall.com

Woo-hoo, love a cowboy! Let's get chatting about these sexy, sexy men of the US - believe me as a UK girl, these men are my ultimate!

Welcome Eternal Press author, Gianna Bruno!!

So pleased to have you here today, Gianna. I just do not seem to host enough of my fellow Eternal Press authors (and it's not for want to trying!) so it's great that you are happy to share news of your latest release as well as your existing Hot Chocolate Kiss.

Over to you!


Thanks so much for having me today. I’ve been busy getting ready for release day, and it’s almost here. The Journey comes out with Eternal Press on December 7, and I can’t wait!

It’s an erotic (and I mean five flames) paranormal novella with historic elements and I just love the way it all came together. Topped off by a gorgeous cover designed by Amanda Kelsey, I couldn’t be more pleased.

Can you tell us a little about your current titles and where can they be purchased?

The Journey is my second title with Eternal Press. Last January, they published my novellette Hot Chocolate Kiss.

Here are the blurbs for each, and I think readers can see for themselves.

The Journey is slow, sumptuous, much more a traditional fantasy with lots of spells, action,
and adventure. And ménage.

As the North prepares to battle the South, a witch, a sailor and escaped slaves discover the journey is not about a destination, but rather overcoming the obstacles along the way.

They don't hang witches in Salem anymore, but Milena's punishment is being shunned. When her lover Thomas' ship is lost at sea, she fears he perished with the rest of the crew leaving her alone in a town bracing for a war over slavery, but still rife with an older form of prejudice.
Milena travels into the Forest and Sea Otherworlds to search for him, paying the fairies for her passage with bodily pleasures. Circe, the evil mermaid holding Thomas hostage, demands even more. She faces off against Circe in her underwater lair, endures the wrath of a colony of escaped slaves, and learns the terrible truth of what led to the shipwreck that left Thomas as its only survivor.
On the long journey, Milena learns to use her powers in ways she never imagined and discovers surprising truths about her own past. Left questioning everything she has ever believed, she must make the choice whether to return home with Thomas or stay in the Otherworlds forever.

Hot Chocolate Kiss is a fast-paced, sexy read that guys love for the sports—on and off the slopes. It’s a great stocking stuffer or Valentine’s Day gift.

Extreme weather, three witches, two skiers fighting their own demons…and each other. Who wins?

Keela Branford’s passion for extreme winter sports, fueled by anger at a cheating soon to be ex-husband, drives her to brave sub-zero wind chills and break a lot of rules--including the one to never ski alone. There are just some battles that have to be fought despite the risks.
Keela doesn't think much of Rick Marston, a ski lift attendant who is brazen enough to question Keela's judgment. And she thinks even less of his invitation for a drink when she comes down from the summit. She's sworn off controlling jocks like her ex, and is determined to exorcise the demon of self-doubt inside her. Will Keela win the battle against The Witches waiting for her on the ski slopes? And will the heat between Keela and the man who gets in the middle rout them for good?

I’d like to invite everyone to my release day chat at http://eternalpress.biz. My time slot is , but if that isn’t convenient, they can join in the loop chat on the Eternal Press Readers’s Group or Fever Loop (for erotic fiction). I’ll be popping in and out all day and there will be plenty of opportunities to win goodies from me and the other release day authors.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EternalPressReaders/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EternalPressFEVER/?yguid=411744824


The 25% discount codes for all Eternal Press titles purchased through their website applies to The Journey and Hot Chocolate Kiss. If readers would like a personalized gift note, or prefer signed, print copies they can contact me through my website http://giannabruno.com. I’m running a special holiday package deal on print books, including a box of chocolates. Pricing will vary according to shipping costs.

The 25% discount code for downloads of all Eternal Press titles is given out every release day, so be sure to visit the EP chatroom http://www.eternalpress.biz or my blog on December 7.

My titles are also available in all electronic formats from Fictionwise, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a contemporary erotic collection entitled At Home with Peter and Sandra. It’s a humorous look at a couple in the suburbs trying to re-invent their relationship. Snarky, five flames, and I’m having a blast writing it.

I’m also planning a Sexy Seasons series, featuring Rick and Keela from Hot Chocolate Kiss. Winter is covered, but I’ve got spring, fall and summer adventures planned for them including an enchanted forest hike, a trip to Salem for Samhain, and supernatural surfing in the summer.

Do you have a specific writing style?

Yes and no. I’ve long thought of myself as a magical realist and most of my stories are just this side of reality. Hot Chocolate Kiss and At Home with Peter and Sandra have a chick-lit feel with clipped, snarky prose. The Journey, which has more elements of high fantasy, conforms to the conventions of that genre with lush language and symbolism. It’s very different than anything I’ve ever written before.


Where can readers find you on the web?

Folks can keep in touch with me in lots of ways, depending upon their preference for level of contact:

They can take their pick, depending upon preference for level of contact.

I have a blog on Blogger, http://giannabruno.blogspot.com

And I’m on Twitter and Facebook if folks want periodic news and updates. I can put readers on an email list, or they can join my group. I’m really serious about not spamming or jamming people’s inboxes. Just the facts, ma’am.

My Facebook Fan Page is at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gianna-Bruno/153839997984159#!/pages/Gianna-Bruno/153839997984159?v=wall

Readers can follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/Gianna_Bruno

My website has all my contact information, forums, links to reviews, purchase information for all electronic formats and print copies of my books.

http://giannabruno.com

Here’s a little preview of The Journey:

Villagers swarmed around the dappled gray stallion to obstruct her passage. They buzzed like flies on dung. Since the day Milena stumbled dazed and disoriented out of the Swampscott forest, and Hecabe's lair, they'd branded her a sorceress. Thomas found her huddled near the docks, knowing little of the world and nothing of her origins, surviving only by an innate ability to forage and perform simple magic. He transformed her from an illiterate, illegitimate enigma with his love and attention, teaching her numbers, letters and the ways of the civilized.
If not for the laws on the books, and the protection Thomas provided, Milena would have been hanged. Being shunned was the extent of her punishment. And for that she owed him her loyalty and fidelity. Perhaps the winds of war blowing since Lincoln's election and the Southerners' secession now occupied the Northerners' attention, but Milena knew prejudice to be a blinder as effective as those used on skittish work horses.
"Go back into the woods where you belong, witch." A woman reached up and tugged Milena's ebony plaits. "Immodesty in dress and action. No cap covering your hair, devil worship at the full moon."
Greystone reared. The crowd fled the horse's shrill whinny and pawing hooves.
The woman spat on the ground. "Good riddance, demoness. Ride your ghost mount back whence you came."
Milena clutched the horse's middle with her legs, regained her balance and continued on to the docks. The gray, sticky aura of the sea's wrath shrouded everything in Milena's sight. Whitecaps frothed on the bay. Plumes of sea spray surged through the planks with each swell the agitated waters. A steady wind dispersed black clouds over the town.
Hateful eyes glared from a safe distance. She tethered Greystone and walked into the shipping company office. Her footsteps echoed in the room. The workers fell silent.
She approached the purser's desk. He surveyed her from the neckline of her sackcloth dress down to the battered boots on her feet. "What business have you here, witch?"
"To inquire after Thomas Harper." Milena ignored her heart pounding and stared directly into his eyes. He would not intimidate her.
"And of what interest is he to you?" A smirk spread over his face.
The vision of Thomas headed into the forest on the day he left flashed through her mind. Milena's voice quavered despite her effort. "He's my husband."
Unmoved, the brute spoke with the venom of a poisonous snake. "His ship was last seen leaving Cay West on two months ago. The ship went down, but no one knows where." His crooked smile indicated perverse delight in delivering the news.
Despair surged through Milena's body like lightning. Her heart trembled with grief, the empty pit in her soul ached. Why had the spirits not spoken the truth? She would not show any vulnerability, she would not react, she would not give them the pleasure of seeing her cry.

Great excerpt! Please drop by for the live chat with Gianna if you can, they are a lot of fun...

Comments? Questions? Gianna is waiting to hear from you.

x

Welcome to the fabulous Sarina Wilde!

Before we start the interview, Sarina, I have to say how much I LOVE your cover! I think the black and white with color titles look so classy and sexy. Which is exactly why I asked for that on mine, LOL! Who was your cover artist? I'd love to know.

On with interview!




1) Did you set any goals for 2010?

As a newbie author, my main goal was to get published. I’ve done that with Dream Lover in both a genre and format I’ve never attempted before. Although I spent years as a professional journalist, writing short fiction truly never crossed my mind.

2) What is the best part of the writing process for you?

I absolutely love fleshing out characters and stories. (Oops, dare I say fleshing when I’m writing erotic romance?) I am definitely not a writer who has every “T” crossed and every “i” dotted. I create amid chaos and usually add detail as I go along. All right, I sense the collective cringe of all those organized plotters out there, but when I attempt to create detailed outlines and character sketches rather than simply letting the story flow, it kills the idea.

3) The worst part?

Edits. Again, I suppose this goes back to that television journalist mentality that wants to get everything done now, get it over with, and then move on to the next project. By the time I finish doing edits and revisions, I’m so familiar with the story I never want to see it again. Sigh… But give me a few weeks, I’m sure I’ll get over it.

4) What is the book you wish you’d written?

I wish I had written Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. I would have given Scarlett her Ashley, so her spoiled Southern Belle mentality could have discovered firsthand what feet of clay her idealized southern gentleman really had. I also would have handed Rhett over to Melanie, the woman who truly appreciated who he was underneath the bad boy surface. At least that way, two people in that story might have had a HEA ending.

5) Favourite author/s & book/s?

I am an absolute J.R. Ward junkie and have already read her Black Dagger Brotherhood series several times. Her hunky vamps get into some really kinky love scenes, but I have to say, I’d want any one of those heroes to have my back in a dark alley. Another author I really enjoy reading is Nora Roberts. I’d say I’ve reread some of her books, but she’s so prolific, I’m still working my way through them all for the first time.

6) Tell us about your latest release?

Okay, first let me disclaim this by saying Dream Lover is absolutely a work of fiction, but I find that some of the best ideas usually come from one of those “what if…” moments. Dream Lover is the story of Allie Franklin who is flying to a job interview in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Allie has to run through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to catch a connecting flight, ends up with the man of her dreams seated next to her on the plane, and eventually shares a cab and a few other things with him. Flying to different places while I was a journalist, I had to make that mad dash through O’Hare on several occasions, and I did actually end up sharing a cab once with a really cute doctor (sigh), but definitely not in the way Allie shares her cab ride! Tom and Allie will really heat up a cold winter night!

7) Tease us with a blurb/short except
“You do like an audience, don’t you?”
Allie released a shaky breath. “It does add something to it.”
His fingers finished their journey, making her quiver in anticipation. “I love feeling how wet you are, but I can’t do nearly what I want right here. Why don’t we go to my room? You’ll love the view of the river, and I’ll enjoy the view much more when you’re standing naked right in front of those big windows.”
Was it possible to come just from listening to someone talk?
Tom must have seen something in her face because he tossed a twenty
on the table and growled, “Let’s go. I have some wine in the room if
you still want something.”

8) What is your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?

They both have a mentality for seizing the moment, which I admire in people. I think truly successful individuals must live their lives with that in mind. In addition, I really like how romantic the hero is. He is truly the one who believes in love at first sight, and is willing to go after what he wants.

9) What’s next?

More writing. Definitely. I have several works in progress. Another short story which I hope to complete soon, and a novel length erotic romance I’m still working to finish.

10) Tell me where you write?

We have a small office right in our master bedroom suite, so it’s easy to write whenever the muse hits. I usually have one or two cats and one or more of the Jack Russell Terrorists snoozing on and under my feet while I work. I listen to music a lot while I write. I find it helps me focus and tune out some of the other distractions.

11) Where would you like your career to be in 5 years?

I would absolutely love to be in a position where I could support myself solely from writing. Now that the publishing door has opened and I have my foot firmly wedged inside, I’ll keep writing and submitting. Storytelling has always been one of my favorite activities, and I have loads of ideas.

12) Where can we find you?

Dream Lover is available through The Wild Rose Press as an e-book. I love to hear from readers, so you can also email me at sarinawilde@yahoo.com

Great interview, Sarina! Our reading tastes are so similiar, it's eerie - TOTALLY understand where you are coming from with Nora's backlist, LOL! I am still making my way through too - great, great storyteller. Currently reading Homeport and totally in love with Ryan Boldari, mmm....

Over to you, people! Comments?