Honey Blood and the Collector is Released!

One of my favoirite books I've ever written has just been released! If you like a mythology, a lot of romance and a fantastical situation, think adult fairy tale, then you'll love this book too.

Find it on Amazon.

Be Mystified with Paramour by Margaret Etheridge

Amazon

Camellia Stafford has never been alone in her room. For twenty years, she’s been engaged in a fierce power struggle with her bedroom’s previous tenant, Frank DeLuca, the ghost trapped in the light fixture above her bed.

Caustic and cranky, Frank has one soft spot—Cam. Over the years, their feelings for one another have evolved from grudging friendship to an enduring love that burns white-hot until Frank puts his feelings for Cam on ice.

When she suffers the loss of her beloved father, Cam returns home to say good-bye, and confront her feelings for Frank. She finds an unexpected shoulder to lean on in neighbor, Bradley Mitchum. Cam falls hard and fast for the handsome ad man’s charming smile and passionate nature, but Brad’s easy-going exterior masks a steely backbone tempered by adversity.

Two men: one living, one dead, and both vying for her love. Now Cam must determine if her heart is strong enough to choose which dream could lead to a love that will last a lifetime.

I'd give in 5 Stars!!

Fall in Love-All Over Again

With Romantic Reads in Be Mine Valentine from Turquoise Morning Press--

Amazon

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Another Great Read from Turquoise Morning Press-Purrfect Voyage

Kitty Carter is used to getting into strange situations when she chases her cat, Arthur. But this latest escapade is just too much! When Arthur chases a mouse at the marina while she's doing research for her book, she follows him down the dock and onto a yacht. Not entirely her plan, since she falls down some stairs and hits her head, and wakes to find herself out to sea. And she and Arthur aren’t the only ones on board!

Buy Now!!  Amazon

Try out this read!! Secrets by Jan Scarbrough

A 2011 CAPA Nominee from The Romance Studio
With her daughter all grown up and married, single mom Kelly Baron can start her new life in North Carolina, responsible only for herself. But first she must help her mother by returning to the small Indiana town she fled years ago. Newly divorced lawyer, Rob Scott, seeks solace in his small-town roots. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship—until he runs into Kelly, and the secret she’s been keeping from him for twenty-one years.

Reviews
“Ms. Scarbrough has a way of involving sensuality without going in-depth so that younger readers cannot enjoy the book.” ~The Romance Studio


“I thoroughly enjoyed this story and felt that I was watching it unfold in front of me as if I was another character in the story.” ~NOR Reviews



“With a story that rings so true, the reader will feel like they had heard it at the local beauty parlor. The craft of this author keeps this story novel.” ~The Romance Reviews

This Magic Moment Releases



Zack Graham, CEO of Scrumbles Snack Cakes and Crandall Drake, CEO of Pretzelcious Pretzels  are workaholics. Mike Kramer and Gretta Fishman, who work for each CEO respectively, are not. What’s worse, Mike and Gretta are lovers who can’t spend time with each other due to their boss’ OCD work habits. But they have a plan: ask Maxwell Magic, the magnanimous, magical, mystery matchmaker, to solve their problem by getting their two bosses to stop working and start loving in a match that lasts forever.

Zack and Crandall are in for a crazy ride, because Maxwell knows all and he will design a plan that is infallible; but, in the process they will have long-hidden secrets exposed and will be forced to sacrifice more than they thought possible to gain what they never though could come true.

But it can, because it’s magic-This Magic Moment!

Now available exclusively at Amazon

Ræliksen

Here's a great read for the season from friend and fellow writer, Renee Voncent!

Mara, the daughter of an Irish clansman, was raised to believe the men of the North are heathens - murderous pagans without a moral bone in their bodies. Despite warnings of the Northmen's raids, and the growing threat of another incursion, Mara is continually drawn to her favorite place - the River Shannon.

Dægan Ræliksen, a wealthy chieftain from Norway's frozen fjords, secretly discovers Mara at the water's edge. He is charmed by her beauty and sensuous grace. As the days pass, his contentment with simply watching her grows thin. He can no longer deny his unabated desire for the young maiden. His search for a wife has ended.

However, Mara and Dægan come face-to-face in a time when Ireland is in turmoil - when every Irishman is being called up to fight against the Nordic foreigners. In these times of upheaval, how can Dægan make peace with Mara's father and acquire the woman he treasures? Furthermore, can Mara move past her fears and find the noble man within the savage?

Buy Link

Walk Right In Has Been Released!

Now available at Amazon and All Romance Ebooks!

 At Amazon

Happy Fathers's Day

To father's everywhere.

New Cover!

The Book of the Beginning series comes out in early 2012. I think I've already shown you my Honey Blood and the Collector cover, debuting from Turquoise Morning Press in February, 2012, but here it is again:

Now, drum roll, here is the cover for Book 2, Sign of the Green Comet:

What do you guys think?

How about Something Demented?

My short story, A Terrible Thing to Waste came out in one of L&L Dreamspell's anthologies, Dreamspell Demented, Volume 1. Here are the cover and a trailer. The buy links are also included.

All Romance EBooks

Kindle

In the Mood for Something a Little Naughty?

Try my wicked little witch in this short story. All sorts of things can become bewitched.

Frozen Assets makes appearances

There have been quite a few Frozen Assets spottings during the past week, so I hope some of my readers will take the time to check out just where it's been. It's now on the headlines at www.theromancereviews.com and also on the front page of www.manicreaders.com. Last week, it made a debut with the book trailer at Kindle Author and again as an author being interviewed on Sunday at Kindle Author.

Frozen Assets Featured on Kindle Author

Go check it out at http://kindle-author.blogspot.com
Frozen Assets is also on sale this month for $.99!

New Book Trailer for Frozen Assets

New Indie Published Books Go Live!

Finally, both Millicent and Frozen Assets have gone live! For now they're up at Smashwords. Frozen Assets is up on Amazon and Millicent will probably be there tomorrow. Here are the links as they stand now--please note I have included a coupon code for Millicent on Smashwords. Use it if you buy it there (all formats but Kindle/mobi/prc, and get the book for $1.00).


Smashwords
Coupon Code at Checkout (for it discounted to $1.00): RW33Q
Amazon Kindle




Amazon Kindle
Smashwords

Find out more about the new series at www.TheCashChroniclesSeries.com

Interview with Stormy Knight

Stormy Knight is an author of erotic romance and erotica. Her newest work, Red Hot Lightning, a Dirty Bits short story, is available from Sapphire Nights Books. This is my first erotica author on the blog. She is a longtime friend who also writes as herself in another genre.

How did you come up with the title of your book?
Having sex during a thunderstorm has always excited me. I also heard a Mystic Moods song one time that had the thunder in the background while moans can be heard from two lovers in the throes of passion. Of course, it didn’t hurt something similar happened to me a long time ago, so, I can say there’s a kernel of truth in this story.

What is Red Hot Lightning about?
It’s about a woman who has had bad luck in relationships and now has gone a long time without sex. Spurred on by the relentless heat and spiraling tension, she decides to do something about it. She remembers a man has recently given her an invitation to visit, and she doesn’t think he wants her over for tea.

What made you decide to write erotica?
Can I say it was because I hadn’t done it? (grins) I’ve written all types of romance but not this one. I heard Sapphire Nights Books, www.sapphirenightsbooks.com, had an open call for submissions and thought, why not? I’m a male/female erotica kind of girl and don’t think I’ll never get too kinky with my writing, but I believe readers will find it extremely hot.

What are your current projects?
I just finished a novella, All for Lust, the first in what I hope will be a series of three(or maybe more, because I really want to bring back the man who is the love interest in book one). Here’s hoping my editor likes it.

I’ve also submitted another Dirty Bits short story.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Making sure there’s enough sex and it’s varied. I have had a very eventful “dating” life in my past, so I’m no angel. But, I’m still learning about all sorts of things I never tried. Who knew?

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Make sure you really know how to write and practice your craft a lot before you try to submit anything. Don’t think you can throw a lot of sex at the public without a story to hold it together. Did I mention your characters have to be well-developed?

Can you share a blurb with us (G-rated, please)?
Skye Miller is so tense, not even a full set of tennis can unwind her tight muscles—her tension heightened by a raging summer storm that grips the town. But a hot and sweaty set of tennis is not the physical exercise she craves, nor will the pounding rain erase her pain. Thank the sex gods above she remembers a possible remedy just up the street. And he’s already posed the invitation.



Available at:

Smashwords
AllRomance Ebooks
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook

Follow me at http://twitter.com/steamystormy
At my website: www.stormyknight.net
And my blog: http://steamystormyknight.Blogspot.com

Broken Hearts Blogfest

Sorry folks, late today. Here is my post from It's Magic. It's now available in print and online at lost retailers. After you read and/or comment go on to the next blog in the hop by clicking the button in the right sidebar.:

There are many ways in which dogs are superior to their male owners. In previous chapters, I have touched on some of these traits.

Now we will discuss the most important way in which dogs excel: they cannot tell a lie.

A dog hates to admit the truth, especially when it might get him in trouble, but who doesn’t? The real difference between man and his dog is the dog can’t tell a lie.

His body language tells the truth. His tail tucks between his legs. His ears flatten to the sides of his head. His jaw droops. He refuses to look you in the eye, not wanting to see disapproval or disappointment there.

The dog is smart.

Men on the other hand, can be dishonest. They can and do look you in the eye and lie without a trace of remorse. They have become virtuosos of the falsehood.

Here are several of the ways they disguise their deceit:

1. Act like he doesn’t know anything about what happened. This is very effective when they’ve ruined something you own. Say, heaven forbid, you let them near the laundry and they shrink your angora sweater. A man’s response? “How was I supposed to know? It was in the bag next to the washer.” The fact the bag is marked ‘Dry-cleaning’ is not considered relevant.

2. Change the subject when you ask a question. To be fair, this isn’t lying, just not telling the truth. This is what I call “a dishonest omission.”

3. Take the offensive. When you aggressively pursue the truth, the man will turn on you, finding that one kink in your armor and attack. The hoped for result is making you feel guilty.

4. Some men swear they’re telling the truth, while you know they’re lying. These men could be caught naked in bed with a woman and would declare the bedmate was suffering from hypothermia, and he was doing his best to keep her alive. Should you point out that it’s ninety degrees outside, they will attack claiming you’re selfish and don’t care if the woman dies. These men should be avoided at all costs. You’ll never be sure when what they said is reality or well-crafted dishonesty.


After saving her manuscript, Kasey closed the document on her computer. No question about it, she could kick herself for allowing herself to have dreams of what could be fill her mind, and then have them smashed, dashed, and crushed, to bring an acidic bite back to her writing.

Thank God, the book was back on track. Rising from her chair, she ambled from her office and down the front hall. Now, if only she regained control of her life.
Without thinking, she headed for the one place that never disappointed her--the kitchen. With soup spoon in hand, she opened the freezer. Retrieving the half-gallon of Rocky Road ice cream, she prayed she’d left enough from last night’s binge to satisfy tonight’s depression.

Complementary or Opplementary

Please welcome guest blogger, Kat Duncan, who graciously has joined us today to share a writing tip from her upcoming class at Savvy Authors.

A story needs people (characters). The story people need something to do (premise). Which comes first the premise or the people?

Well, my grandfather used to say, "If we had some tea, we could have tea and toast. If we had the toast."

I like to go opposite to the crowd. Most writers start with the premise. Let's try starting with people. We need at least one main character (protagonist). Two is good, since this is probably a romance novel. By the way three is not a crowd in romance. Three is either the antagonist (villain) or a ménage.

The story people have to interact. So you have to decide: are these people complementary or opplementary? Do they complement each other the way Jack Sprat and his wife did? (y'know the you eat fat and I eat lean folks). Complementary characters get along, share common goals and generally help each other.

Or are the characters opplementary? Opplementary people don't get along. They don't see eye to eye. Like Jack and the Giant (y'know the beanstalk guys). This applies to antagonists too. Just because a character is the villain, doesn't mean he can't get along with the protagonist. The scariest villains are characters the protagonist trusts - or thinks he trusts.

Once you decide whether the characters are complementary or opplementary, then you need a premise for them to tangle with. The premise puts the characters in a stressful situation. Stress is good. No stressful situation. No story. The stress can be mild or strong. You don't need to invent wild, mystical places (though it's great if you can) or have lots of shootouts, murders and disasters (though that's fine, too). Statistical analysis of the top ten stressors in life are:

1. Spouse’s death
2. Divorce
3. Marriage separation
4. Jail term
5. Death of a close relative
6. Injury or illness
7. Marriage
8. Fired from job
9. Marriage reconciliation
10. Retirement

So you can start there if you have no other ideas. Any character exposed to these stressors will react by changing behavior. Notice that these stressors are all external happenings. Mental stress goes with the premise, but it rarely works as the premise itself.

Your next job is to decide what is making the character behave that way (the way he's reacting to the stress). Is this the usual way the character behaves, or is it different? Think about who they are and what might make them react this way. For example how would your character react to being fired from a job? Would he be angry, relieved, fearful?

Next, have a look at what the character was expecting to happen versus what did happen. Again, complementary and opplementary can help you out here. If what they were expecting was opplementary, then it was unexpected and they don't like it. If what they were expecting was complementary, then it was unexpected and they do like it.

Notice the unexpected part. We don't want predictable things happening to characters.
Now you've got the proper ingredients for a story:

Complementary or opplementary people reacting to some kind of unexpected stressful situation.

Here are the four parts you need:
1. Complementary or opplementary characters
2. Reacting to
3. an unexpected
4. Stressful Situation

Thanks for stopping by. Share your comments here today and check out my year-long novel writing course that begins in May at Savvy Authors. You can also find me on the web at http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kat Duncan obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and German from Regis College in Weston, MA. She is a Fulbright Scholar who spent a year in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. She recently obtained her Master's Degree in Special Education from Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She is a full-time tutor to students from elementary through college and beyond in reading, writing and math. An active member of the New England Chapter of RWA, and RWA-PRO, she has written a series of popular newsletter articles on grammar and style. She has presented a grammar and writing workshops for beginning writers both locally and online. With seven completed manuscripts and numerous short stories she uses a spreadsheet to keep track of her multiple submissions to agents and editors. Her debut book, a romantic suspense novella, titled Fifty-eight Faces, is due out January 12, 2011 from The Wild Rose Press.

Is Time Travel Sci-fi?

Not too long ago, the owner of one of my listservs asked this question: is time travel classified as science fiction? There were mixed answers, but many proclaiming to be science fiction purists said "no." This, to me, makes no sense. I mean, even Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is considered a sci-fi fantasy. So why would so many proclaim it as not of the genre? This is my conclusion: time travel in fiction is more than sci-fi. It is cross-genre and anything that can't be easily classified as one thing is shunned as fitting at all.

I have a new book, make that old book totally re-edited and now a debut book at Black Opal Books. Craigs' Legacy was co-written with Linda Campbell under our pen name, Terry Campbell. It is the story of a modern day financial whiz who is pushed back through time by the ghost of a Confederate Colonel to save his life against three Union deserters. Is it possible? Not that we know of. Was techologically advanced equipment not yet known to man used? No,he pushed her back into an old wardrobe. But, did her body actually pass through a wormhole or cosmic string? Who knows? We may find out one day it can be done.

However, the story itself, though demonstrating how changes in our past can influence the present and the future, is a romance, is an historically-accurate account of times as they existed in 1864 Virginia, is a fantasy in that a woman can find her true love and hold on to it through time.

I am pleased it can be offered as a book that crosses four distinct genres.

Buy links:

Amazon

All Romance Ebooks