Impromptu Contest! A ‘Thank You’ to my followers/readers ~ a chance for a print book!

Hi all! I noticed I’ve hit 100 followers on my blog. Thank you all so much for your support!
    In celebration of this milestone, I’m holding a contest where one lucky reader’s name will be drawn and s/he can win a signed print copy of Wild West Weekend!
    Here are the particulars to enter this contest. Each thing you do from the list below counts as an entry! You must also supply me with your first name, last initial and email address either through a comment on the blog, email or Facebook message for any of your entries to count. Contest ends Friday, April 6 at 5:59 pm pacific. The lucky winner’s name will be drawn on Friday, April 6 after 6 pm pacific time & winner will be emailed to discuss details. (International respondents are welcome to enter!) ~
      --- Comment on any one 2012 post. (and/or)
      --- Follow this blog. [That is, if you haven’t already. ;) ] (and/or)
      --- Follow http://doubledranchtales.blogspot.com/. [That is, if you haven’t already. ;) ] (and/or)
      --- Follow me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CRMoss.author. [That is, if you haven’t already. ;) ] (and/or)
      --- Email me at C.R. Moss e-mail and tell me what you like about my blog(s). (If you email me and tell me that you read one of my books and say what you enjoyed about it, I’ll give you an extra entry.) (and/or)
      --- Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/CRMoss. [That is, if you haven’t already. ;) ]

Good Luck & Happy Reading!
C.R. Moss

Welcome special guest: author Kayelle Allen ( #FF @kayelleallen )

Today we have author Kayelle Allen visiting. Kayelle is a multi-published, award-winning Science Fiction Romance author. She's the mentor behind Marketing for Romance Writers and Romance Lives Forever, and she writes about unstoppable heroes, uncompromising love, and unforgettable passion. Her heroes and heroines include badass immortals, warriors who purr, and agents who find...well, the unfindable -- and who sometimes make them disappear again.

So, Kayelle, what inspired you to become a writer?
My mother loved writing, and always wanted to be published. She loved crossword puzzles, and I would do them with her. I probably annoyed her because I had to ask for help so often, but she always told me the words or showed me how to find the answers. The upshot was, I fell in love with words and language. In Junior High School, my literature teacher taught us how authors made us see an image -- what the secrets were. I was awestruck. And then later, when I read Mary Renault's book The Persian Boy, I knew I wanted to be able to create a world that breathed the way hers did. It took me most of my life to get up the gumption to try, but I did it.

When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
I was 18 when I wrote my first novel. It's in a box somewhere in the basement, but pieces of it survived and became part of the universe I created for my current books.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
I'm not sure I completed more than the first one. That was my problem. I would start, get well into the story, and lose interest. Or, I'd be most of the way through and not finish because I couldn't figure out how to end it. I don't do that anymore. I begin with the end in mind now. That's one of the habits of highly effective people -- and it works for me as a writer.

What genre(s) do you write in? What drew you to write in it/them? What’s your favorite genre of all to write in?
I write Science Fiction Romance, Fantasy, and non-fiction. I've loved SciFi since I was a little girl. Both my parents read it, loved it on TV, and so I sort of fell into it naturally. Although I must say that I didn't love everything they did -- I could never get into sitcoms as a kid and still don't like them -- they were influential in my SciFi reading habits. I prefer SciFi to everything else.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
Worst: Don't bother writing because you're over 40 and no one will read your work. Best: Don't let anyone steal your dream. (I give this advice out now myself.)

How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?

I've been fortunate to have few, but those I do have are in a book which I labeled "Evidence of Talent." Did you know that a rejection slip is proof that you're attempting to earn a living as a writer? You can submit it to the IRS as documentation when you're taking expenses for writing off your taxes. So, even if you're being rejected, and not earning money, you can still claim your expenses. Talk to your tax advisor, but this was one thing I learned from mine. Be proud. Only writers get rejection letters. They don't send them to just anyone, you know.

In regard to the book you’re promoting, which actor and actress do you envision playing the roles of your hero and heroine? If there’s a villain or other characters who are pertinent to the story, who would play those parts?
You know, I don't have anyone in mind for the roles of my two heroes, Luc and Izzorah. But there is a model who'd be wonderful as the villain, Pietas. I don't know his name, but if you'd like to see what he looks like, I created wallpaper with his face on it and you can download it from my website. http://kayelleallen.com/Wallpaper.html He's about halfway down the page. I created the images myself in Photoshop, using royalty free stock photos. I spent a lot of time searching for the right look for my two heroes, but so far, have only found torso shots (no heads). Wish I could!

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
Surrender Love is book one of a series, and contains characters from two other series. It can be read by itself. Enough backstory is sprinkled throughout the book to get the gist of anything missed. However, if you really want the entire story of how Luc came to be where he is, then the Tales of the Chosen trilogy is the place to start.

Wulf, Alitus, and Jawk each tell part of his story. Izzorah appears only in Surrender Love so far.

*** Now for some fun info… ***
Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
No snakes, but I do have birds. My husband and I live in north Georgia with two banshee-shrieking parakeets, a territorial dove, and a neurotic cockatiel. Despite our pets, we're quite sane. Well...most of the time.

Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
I grew up in Nevada, and walked to school in 100 degree temperatures. Heat didn't bother me. My husband grew up in Alaska, and walked to school in snow. (Our poor kids could never use weather as an excuse not to go to school.) Now, I live in north Georgia, and the weather is never the same from hour to hour. Honestly, if you don't like the weather here, just wait a few minutes. ;)

If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
I'd want to live on the planet Tarth, across the galaxy from here. Fat chance, but since I created it for my books, I know it well enough to feel as if I'd be at home. Besides, I also created Luc Saint-Cyr, who lives there in the largest, most grand building in Tarth City, and I know he'd take me in. ^_^ His home is the Nizamrak Building, which is Karmazin backward. I named it to honor author Barbara Karmazin, who was my mentor when I first began writing. She passed away from cancer, and every time I see or write the name, I think of her, and remember the good times and good advice she shared with me.

*** About Kayelle’s book/series… ***

Surrender Love
Not rebound, payback, loneliness, or great sex, and far beyond love. This is surrender.
    In the beds of countless lovers, the immortal Luc Saint-Cyr has been mastered as well as master, commanded as well as commander. When his mortal lover leaves him, the distraught Luc withdraws and devotes himself to work. His entertainment company throws a ceremony for their most successful rock group, and Luc meets drummer Izzorah "Rah" Ceeow, one of the feline Kin race. Rah's dark hair and velvety, golden furskin captivate Luc. Pert cat's ears and a quick smile lighten his mood, and one look into Rah's emerald eyes, deep and tranquil as a forest pool, and troubles cease.
    He suspects the mid-twenties male is a virgin, and Luc, fascinated by Rah's quiet serenity and lack of guile, longs for a deeper, closer relationship. Savoring Rah's surrender will be as delicious as taking him. Luc will force nothing. Rah will give himself to Luc when he is ready to surrender his innocence, to capitulate every part of himself to Luc's command. Rah will open himself and let himself be taken. Luc's anticipation and desire are palpable; as real as his hunger for faithful, unconditional love. But to gain Rah, how much of himself is Luc willing to surrender?

Buy Surrender Love here:

Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/Surrender-Love.aspx
Kindle: http://is.gd/surrenderlove_amz
Nook: http://is.gd/surrenderlove_bn
Fictionwise: http://is.gd/surrenderlove_fw

Heat Level: R=graphic sex, plus extreme cuddling, tenderness, and the seduction of a virgin who knows exactly what -- and who -- he wants.
This book is the 2010 EPIC Award Winner in Science Fiction Erotic Romance, and was the Love Romances & More runner up for Best SciFi/Futuristic of 2009. It won their contest for Best Cover. Anne Cain was the artist. It also made the Romance Junkies Reviewers' Favorite List in 2009. I've been working on a sequel to it for three long freaking years, called Surrender Trust. I told my editor I was seriously thinking of calling it Surrender Hope, when I finally realized what the problem was with the book. I have since corrected it, am working on a rewrite, and hope to be able to say it's been turned in to the publisher by the time this blog goes live. Either way, it won't defeat me. I will finish it. I do not quit. It might take me awhile to get started, but I don't quit.

***Find Kayelle here***
Homeworld ~ http://kayelleallen.com
Facebook ~ http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author and/or http://facebook.com/kayelle.allen
Twitter ~ http://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Romance Lives Forever Yahoo Group ~ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancelivesforever
The Edge of Peril - the world of the immortals ~ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/edgeofperil/
Unstoppable Heroes ~ http://kayelleallen.blogspot.com
Romance Lives Forever – Blog ~ http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.com/

Thank you for joining us here today, Kayelle! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

CONTEST! Yay! Kayelle says...
I'll provide a copy of the book Jawk, Tales of the Chosen. This book was released prior to Surrender Love, and details the reason that Luc is a bachelor in the beginning of Surrender Love. To win a copy of the book, email me at kayelle@kayelleallen.com and put CR Moss blog in the subject. I'll send everyone who enters a book of puzzles created to go along with my books. I'll draw one name to win a download of Jawk three days after this post appears, and contact them by email. When you enter the contest, let me know if you prefer Jawk in pdf format, or mobi (for Kindle).

So excited! The print book has arrived! ( #WW @evernightpub @rmsotera )

Hi all! Here's some more great news!
I received a couple copies of the print version of Wild West Weekend today!

Here's a pic of the books coming out of the box.




 
Holding the book in my hand is such a treat!











A look at the back of the print version of Wild West Weekend.

The spines of the book.

If you'd like a print copy of Wild West Weekend, too, go to: https://www.createspace.com/3831763 to purchase.
My writing partner, RM Sotera, and I appreciate your support!
Happy Reading!
C.R. Moss

Tuesday Tea with Ann Narcisian Videan ~ Writing and Music: My Dreams Come True ( #SO )

Hi all! Grab a cup of tea – or whatever it is you like to drink – and join in the discussion. Today we have Ann Narcisian Videan visiting and giving us a look into her work, music, and stories. Like Brenda, who visited last week, she is also on the Arizona Dreamin' panel.

About Ann: Ann realized her life-long dream to become an author and singer/songwriter with the publishing of her Rhythms & Muse novel and music CD in 2011. Supporting the publications’ pursuit-of-happiness theme, she offers Catch Your Dream workshops to help women work toward accomplishing their own life goals. Her next fiction-writing project is a trilogy of fantasy/adventure novels for young adults.
   Ann is also an award-winning nonfiction writer and editor, handling communication for companies ranging from small businesses in the Phoenix suburbs to national Fortune 500 and international firms. She started her own home-based marketing firm vIDEAn Unlimited, LLC in 1996, with a PR job enticing “extras” to the football-scenes filming of the movie Jerry Maguire. Now, she writes and leads business tribes for independent professionals, word-of-mouth marketing enthusiasts, and other writers. vIDEAn Unlimited was selected by a national panel of Crown Jewel Award judges in 2005 as the top home-based business in America.
   A Colorado native, Ann now lives in Mesa, Arizona, with her delightful husband and nearly grown-up children.
   Welcome Ann!

Writing and Music: My Dreams Come True
By Ann Narcisian Videan
author/singer/songwriter of Rhythms & Muse

I’ve loved words and music and the way they tell beautiful stories since I was a young girl growing up in Colorado and Idaho. I actually started writing my first novel when I was in elementary school. It was about college students. But, since I didn’t know anything about the world of college, I quit after one chapter. But, it didn’t stop me from writing: stories, poems, lyrics …
   As I grew up, I took up piano, guitar and singing. Rarely did I go anywhere in my junior high through college years without a guitar in hand. I did plenty of performing in school concerts, with the Idaho State and All Northwest choirs, even toured with the Arizona State University choir at Disneyland, and in Poland and Russia. Sometimes I actually put my words and music together and wrote some tunes, which I sang with friends, family, and around campfires as a member of ASU’s Outing Club. I even had a short stint as a duo singing around the Phoenix area for a couple of years. I always thought it would be amazing to record a CD of my own music, too, but never really did much about it.
   When I became a public relations professional, writing proved to be one of my favorite aspects of work. For a period of about 20 years I wrote, edited and designed thousands of employee and client articles and publications. Even won a couple of awards. Since 1996, I’ve worked as an independent marketing consultant specializing in building business tribes through word-of-mouth strategies. I now write for vIDEAn Unlimited clients primarily via e-newsletters, Web sites and blogging and other marketing and social media.
   During all this time, my goal was still to be an author. So, a couple of years after becoming an entrepreneur, I asked a writer/marketing friend of mine to help jump-start that effort by becoming my critique partner. I’d actually put the first words on paper for Rhythms & Muse in 1987, but nearly forgot about it as I married, started and raised my family and focused on marketing and serving clients. Finally, on a consistent meeting schedule with my critique partner, I made progress on my manuscript, learned about writing better fiction, which is FAR different than nonfiction, and explored the publishing process. (That publishing journey is encapsulated in a blog entry, “27 Steps from Book Idea to Published” at http://anvidean.com/2011/04/10/27-steps-from-book-idea-to-published/.)
   As my story took shape, I became inspired to develop a few of the songs my characters created and performed in the book. Using my music background and Apple’s savvy GarageBand software, I composed and recorded five original tunes.
   Publishing my Rhythms & Muse novel and music CD is truly a dream come true. My heroine, Alex, also finds her life’s fulfillment within the pages of the book.
   We both realized our goals by taking three powerful steps:
1. Using our intuition
2. Leveraging available resources
3. Taking step-by-step actions
   This, and my career as a word-of-mouth marketing consultant, has led me to facilitate workshops that help normal folk like you find and follow the steps toward achieving your life dream, too.
   A little story, a little music, and a lot of love – it’s what my novel and songs are all about. And, of course, inspiration as only fiction can deliver it.

Rhythms & Muse Novel

Witnessing a horrific car accident seen many times before in her dreams spurs award-winning singer Alexandra Lauren to reevaluate her glamorous Hollywood lifestyle. With her lofty musical goal now tarnished by reality, and her unfulfilled memories from her senior year in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, haunting her, Alex takes a bold step to change the rhythms of her life. Leveraging her newly acknowledged intuitions, she makes a plan to reconnect not only with her musical touchstone and high-school sweetheart Matthew Roberts, but with her desire to impact lives for the good through the innocence and beauty of music.
   Even though Matt holds Alex in his heart as his only muse, he resolves to ignore her existence. He cannot stay in control with her powerful presence in his life. Besides, how can he ever forgive her? In alliance with their charismatic friend Daniel, her betrayal demolished Matt’s joy in creating their hit single, not to mention their future together.
   Can anything in this world shift Matt’s resolve to distance himself from Alex? And, with Daniel still pursuing Alex even as his wife Kathy looks on, can Alex actually find fulfillment? Will music draw the estranged soul mates together again and guide them to realize their dreams?

Rhythms & Muse Music CD

Song lyrics written by “the characters” in my Rhythms & Muse novel inspired the creation of five original compositions incorporating a distinct mellow 1970s influence.
   The album delivers two rock ballads, two folk tunes and one easy-listening track. I created this approximately 25 minutes of music using GarageBand (GB) to combine software loops with my live vocals and (on three of the songs) my guitar and piano playing.

Find Rhythms & Muse

• AZ Dreamin’ conference, June 2, 2012: http://arizonadreamin.wordpress.com/
• Novel at CreateSpace eStore: https://www.createspace.com/3485275, Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/ –>Ann Narcisian Videan, including the Kindle version.
• Music CD and MP3 files at CreateSpace eStore https://www.createspace.com/1913103 and on http://www.amazon.com/ –>Ann Narcisian Videan, which also provides MP3 audio samples of each track.

Find Ann Narcisian Videan

Find out more about Ann at her http://videanunlimited.com/ Website. You may also explore blog posts about Rhythms & Muse, plus information about writing, music and dream-making villages at @WordsMusicTribe https://twitter.com/#!/WordsMusicTribe (Twitter) or at http://anvidean.com/ (blog).

Woo-hoo! It's in print! ( #MM @evernightpub @rmsotera )

My writing partner, RM Sotera, and I are happy to announce that our book Wild West Weekend is in print!
You can pick up your copy here: https://www.createspace.com/3831763
It's also available here: Amazon.com
Want to know more about the Double D Ranch Tales? Visit http://doubledranchtales.blogspot.com/
We appreciate your support!
Happy Reading!
C.R. Moss & RM Sotera

Blog Tour! March 23 - April 1 Come see me at the following locations...

...for interviews, reviews & giveaways!

Mar 23: Mariposa Cruz ~ http://mariposacruz.blogspot.com/
Mar 24: Full Moon Bites ~ http://fullmoonbites.blogspot.com/
Mar 25: Love to Read Romance ~ http://www.lovetoreadromance.com/
Mar 25: Mariposa Cruz ~ http://mariposacruz.blogspot.com/
Mar 26: Delighted Reader Book Reviews ~ http://www.delightedreader.com/
Mar 26: Romance Lives Forever ~ http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.com/
Mar 30: Lucy Felthouse ~ http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/
Mar 31: Harlie's Books ~ http://harliebooks.blogspot.com/
Apr 2: Liz Crowe ~ http://www.brewingpassion.com/

Six Sentence Sunday for Mar. 25 ~ Sunset Desires ( #sixsunday @6_Sunday @DecadentPub )

Six Sentences from Sunset Desires

Heat filled her cheeks. With a hard gulp, she nodded, not able to take her focus off his beautiful body. Each toned muscle created a wonderful form, from his defined deltoids and biceps to a six pack abdomen she could wash a shirt on. She chuckled internally. Her descriptive thought pattern may have been cliché, but appropriate all the same. He strolled over to her, his tall form of rippling muscle closing and destroying the buffer between them.

For more, on Sunset Desires visit Decadent Publishing & for other Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com

Welcome special guest: author Siobhan Muir ( #FF @SiobhanMuir @evernightpub )

Today we have author Siobhan Muir visiting. Siobhan lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband, two daughters, and a vegetarian cat she swears is a shapeshifter, though he's never shifted when she can see him. Always interested in human interaction, Siobhan believes in happily ever after, redemption, and communication, as found in her paranormal romance stories. She also writes under the name Meg Palevich.

So, Siobhan, what inspired you to become a writer?
I don’t know what inspired me, the stories just kept pouring out of me, either orally or written. I couldn’t stop making up worlds and characters. I even wrote during grad school, though they had to wait till I was finished for me to give them my full attention.

When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
I wrote my first story when I was 11 and my teacher “published” it. I think I still have the bound copy somewhere. First real novel I wrote at 13.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
I completed 5 romance stories before I sold – many more fantasy novels (handwritten – eek!) before that. :)

What genre(s) do you write in? What drew you to write in it/them? What’s your favorite genre of all to write in?
I write in science fiction/fantasy as well as romance. I have always loved the odd and interesting creatures, magic, and divine powers affecting things. Swords, talking horses, and dragons were pretty cool, too. Writing paranormal romance was the next step from just writing about dragons. Now I could have a dragon as a hero or heroine (guess what’s coming?) ;) Paranormal romance is my favorite, but fantasy will always have a special place in my heart.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
Best: Get rid of “that”, “was”, and “which”, and your writing will improve tenfold. Worst: “You’ll never make any money doing that.” Ah, go blow it out your ear! ;)

How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?
My husband takes me out to dinner for sushi when I get a deal or an acceptance. With rejection letters, I give myself a couple of days to ignore it, then I try to read through the constructive editing comments and see which ones can benefit me as a writer.

In regard to the book you’re promoting, which actor and actress do you envision playing the roles of your hero and heroine? If there’s a villain or other characters who are pertinent to the story, who would play those parts?
I’d choose Rachel McAdams for Bridget. She has the right balance of intelligence and sarcasm, especially when she first encounters Fredrick. Fredrick is a little harder to cast. I guess I’d choose Mark Strong. He has the perfect combination of darkness and elegance to be Fredrick. There’s one other character that is truly pertinent. Her name is Szilvia and she’d be played by a blond Kristin Scott Thomas. Kristin has the right flavor of regal, icy disdain that personifies Szilvia.

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
It’s not part of a series, but you’ll see some of the characters come up in other stories of mine, like Fredrick’s chief of Security, Cynthia. She has her own story, and she has four brothers, who each get their own stories (well, the twins get one together) ;) Bridget’s best friend Kate Blackamber gets her own story with Cynthia’s youngest brother Jayson. All the stories are connected, but don’t have to be read in a particular order.

*** Now for some fun info… ***
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Coffee, hands down.

Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
I did, actually. Five Alligator lizards and one Ornate Tree lizard, all wild-caught from Arizona.

What’s your favorite day of the week?
Friday. I get a lot of work done and I still have the whole weekend ahead of me.

*** About Siobhan’s book… ***

Bridget doesn't believe in vampires or werewolves, but that doesn't stop one from kidnapping her.
BRIDGET SHANAHAN’S life seems bleak and boring until she gets mugged and abducted from her favorite coffee shop by the sexiest man she’s ever met. Unfortunately, he’s a lunatic who believes he’s some kind of vampire savior surrounded by a security force of werewolves and he’s determined to keep her.
FREDRICK MACGREGOR has been having visions of this woman in danger for the last six months, a woman he must protect because she’s the Avatar of the Goddess. However, when he brings her home, she doesn’t believe he's a vampire or that she is the Avatar, and she definitely doesn't want to stay. But the sense of danger persists and he'll do anything to keep her safe, even if it means risking the loss of the only woman who makes his endless life bearable again.
    I originally wrote Her Devoted Vampire for my husband. He told me once that romance was bunk, so I said, “Well, let me try to write one you like.” It wasn’t supposed to be published. I just wrote it to see if I could do it. Then I showed it to one of my critique partners and she told me she’d hang me by my ankles if I didn’t try to publish it. :D Not only that, but my husband is now very interested in all my romance stories, and occasionally helps me when I get stuck.

***Find Siobhan here***
WEBSITE
BLOG
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
You can also find me on Google Plus as Siobhan Muir

Thank you for joining us here today, Siobhan! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

Contest for Her Devoted Vampire (All formats available) The entrants need to answer this question: “If you were kidnapped by a sexy guy, what would you do to get away?” Commenter with the best answer and valid email or Twitter handle will win a copy of Her Devoted Vampire. The contest will end 6 pm PST March 27th. Winner will be notified by email or DM.

~ EXCERPT ~ from Her Devoted Vampire
    “Do you remember me, Bridget? I met you at Snickerdoodles.”
    Oh, she remembered, all right. She remembered the scent of his skin and the warmth of his body beside her. At least, she thought she did. He’d wrapped his trench coat around her, hadn’t he?
    She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear the cobwebs of mixed memories.
    “I returned your book and tried to hail a cab for you. Do you remember that?”
    No. Wait. Yes, she remembered the terrible kidnapping scene in the book and how she’d left it on the table in the coffee shop. Her memories played out in a reel until it ended with red eyes and searing pain.
    Bridget’s eyes flew open, and she stared at her companion with dawning unease. His expression filled with concern and compassion, his eyes a deep chocolate brown. No sign of red anywhere. They weren’t even bloodshot.
    “You’re Fredrick MacGregor.”
    “That’s right.” A smile flitted over his lips.
    “And you smell like spiced apples and vanilla.”
    His black eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, one tendril falling across an eye. It looked soft and smooth, and she wanted to push it behind his ear for him. His smug look banished any tender feelings that might have developed.
    “You were stabbed in the side, and I brought you to my home here in Gloucester to take care of you.”
    Stabbed? She’d been stabbed? Gasping, she wrenched the emerald bedclothes away from her body and scanned the skin of her belly. The bruised pain she felt directed her eyes to her left side, but there was nothing there, not even discoloration. If she’d been stabbed, where was the scar, the scab?
    Is he just teasing me? What kind of a jerk does that? Then the rest of his words sank in.
    “Gloucester?”
    “Yes. It was the safest place I could think to take you.”
    Bridget narrowed her eyes as she raised her gaze to meet his again, her hands still holding the bedclothes up.
    Safe for whom, you chocolate-eyed kidnapper?
    “Normally you take injured people, like those with stab wounds, to the hospital. Or at least call the paramedics.” What was she doing in Gloucester in a richly decorated bedroom? Was it his bedroom?
    There are worse places to be, a traitorous voice remarked.
    “There was no time, and I knew I could care for you as well or better than any hospital,” Fredrick replied to her unasked questions.
    Riiiiggghhhtt, that’s what all the sociopaths say to their victims.
    “I have to go.” She tried to sit up again. She’d make it home come hell or high water. Goosebumps zinged along her leg when it appeared out of the covers.
    “Whoa!” She jerked her legs back under the emerald sheets and stared incredulously at the man sitting next to her bed. “Where are my clothes?” And that sexy dress?
    “I haven’t had time to get any from your apartment.” His eyes never dropped from hers. “I’ll send someone presently.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “Presently? Who uses words like ‘presently’? And how do you know where I live?” She groaned, frowning. “You looked in my wallet from my coat.”
    “That seemed to be the most logical place to look for your name and home address.”
    “That’s just great. A perfect ending to a perfect day.” She sighed, slumping back in the bed. “Stabbed, kidnapped, and naked in a stranger’s bed. It just doesn’t get much worse.”
    “Except, perhaps, being kidnapped by a vampire with a house full of werewolves,” he suggested, a half-smile curling his kissable lips.
    She snorted. “Thank God there’s no such thing as vampires or werewolves.”
    He stilled as if the life within him bled away, leaving nothing but a quiet, waxen shell, and his face lost the humor in it. Unease crept through her as she stared hard at him, clutching the covers so tightly her knuckles turned white. The scent of spiced apples shifted to a dirt smell, like moist earth or the desert after the rain, and her stomach cramped with visceral fear.
    “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you for whatever you did. I think I remember being stabbed. It hurt like hell. How bad was the damage, and how long have I been here?”
    Life seeped back into him as he cocked his head to one side, his eyes narrowed in consideration. “You have only been here a few hours. We didn’t do anything but look at your wound. You healed all by yourself.”
    “Yeah, I know I’m healing. I just want to know what you did to close the wound and how many stitches I needed.”
    “I told you. We didn’t do anything. Your body healed on its own.”
    “What are you talking about? What do you mean, ‘healed’?” She lifted the bed sheets away from her body again to get a better look at her left side. The skin appeared a little pink at her waist, but nothing suggesting a stab wound. She looked back up at him, anger coiling. “What did you do to me?”
    Fredrick shook his head. “Nothing, Ms. Shanahan. I would like to know how you managed to heal so quickly, but it appears you didn’t know you could do that.”
    “Of course I didn’t know I could do that!” Bridget dropped the bed sheet to her waist. “No one can do that except in science fiction novels.”
    His gaze locked onto her chest, and a predatory expression flooded his features. An odd combination of exhilaration and lust zinged through her, which only pissed her off more. She growled and jerked the sheets back up.
    “Nice.”
    He coughed and had the grace to look chagrined. “Forgive me, but I’ve found it very difficult to turn down an opportunity to view such beauty.”

Purchase Her Devoted Vampire at these locations:
Evernight Publishing
All Romance Ebooks
Amazon
Bookstrand

Tuesday Tea with Brenda Whiteside ~ Romanticizing Days Gone By ( #SO )

Hi all! Grab a cup of tea – or whatever it is you like to drink – and join in the discussion. Today we have Brenda Whiteside giving us a look into her fascinaiton with the 30's and 40's.

   About Brenda: Convinced she was born to be an artist, Brenda never took her love of writing seriously. One day, sometime after college, marriage to a man doing a stint in the army and the birth of her son, she discovered she gained more satisfaction by filling a blank page with words than an empty canvas with color. She left her paints behind. After publishing several short stories, she turned to writing novels. Regardless of the length of her story, the characters drive her forward, taking her on their journey of discovery and love.
   Brenda and her husband are gypsies at heart but recently settled down on the northern prairies of Arizona, sharing their home with their dog, Rusty. When she’s not at her laptop writing, she enjoys hiking, motorcycle riding and the company of good friends.
   Welcome Brenda!

Thank you for joining me today. My name is Brenda Whiteside and I write romance and women’s fiction. I’ll draw a winner for a copy of an ebook of Honey On White Bread. Don’t forget to leave your email address in your comment.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers tapped across the stage, her glittery dress flowing around her ankles, and he bent her backwards in a graceful maneuver that rewarded him with a kiss. I sighed at the black and white images.
   Saturday morning, I carried my cup of hot cocoa and my white bread toast dripping with butter to the blanket spread in front of the television to watch an old movie starring Shirley Temple.
   The actor with the funny nose made cracks and the pretty redhead batted her eyelashes. I laughed at an old black and white Bob Hope and Lucille Ball movie on television while curled up with my little sister in a corner of the sofa.
   I watched a lot of old movies on television when I was a kid. They were reruns to my mom but delightful first runs for me. Between the old movies and my mom’s tales of growing up in the 1940’s, I fell totally in love with that decade. So romantic, so colorful.

What fantasies did you have as a child that you carried forward into adulthood? Hopefully, you haven’t grown up while you’ve been growing older.
   As a child, I was prone to fantasy – not necessarily the stuff of magic but the stuff of romance. I can blame much of my imagination on black and white movies of the 1930’s and1940’s. During the hot afternoons in Phoenix, Mom would draw the living room drapes and turn on The Channel Five Movie Matinee which ran the old black and white movies from her teenage years. On Saturday mornings we’d watch The Shirley Temple Hour. My mother loved to sing. She could sing all the songs from the movies and taught them to her two daughters.
   Movies were set on sound stages mostly and they didn’t worry about too much realism. My heart pattered over Gene Kelly dancing in the rain, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing around a perfect garden under perfectly spaced stars and Dorothy dancing through the Land of Oz.
   As a result of my starry-eyed fascination with that era, the book of my heart is a novel set in 1945. Writing Honey On White Bread let me submerge myself into those magical, romantic movies and in a time that seems simpler by today’s standards. My heroine, Claire Flanagan, is caught up in that fantasy called Hollywood. She loves those old black and white movies as much as I did. Of course, for her they’re not old. Her hero, Benjamin Russell, in her eyes, is as dashing as any movie star idol. But it wasn’t all bliss and glitz.
     When seventeen-year-old Claire Flanagan is wrenched from her father and deposited at the Good Shepherd’s Home for Wayward Girls, all dreams for Hollywood stardom are lost. But when twenty-year-old Benjamin Russell helps secure her release, she starts to believe in a happy future with him…until she discovers his ex-girlfriend is pregnant.
     In this post WWII coming of age novel, Claire discovers the silver screen can’t compare with the fight she takes on for the leading role in her own life.
   If you romanticize days gone by like I do, I’d like to give you an ebook of Honey On White Bread. Leave me a comment and your email address and I’ll draw for the winner.

EXCERPT:
   “I’ve never snuck into a theater before. Sneaking into a dark theater with Arnold …” Paulie laughed. “Are you sure this isn’t supposed to be a date?” Paulie appeared at once timid and suspicious.
   “I’m sure. He’s getting me … us in to see a movie for free. Dick Hames! He’s so dreamy.”
   “Arnold’s dreamy.”
   “You know, Paulie, Arnold is a dear friend …”
   “Oh, pooh, Claire.” Paulie batted at my skirt.
   “Okay, okay, a special friend. We haven’t made any promises to each other or anything. He’s cute, he’s fun … but …”
   “But what?”
   “Oh, I don’t know.” A hint of guilt over the difference between how I felt about Arnold compared to how he felt about me passed like the breeze drifting over the porch boards. His were childish whims of infatuation, pushy, uninvited. “It’s kind of hard to explain…” I toyed with the folds of my skirt. If most of the girls at North High were stuck on Arnold, a great catch I didn’t appreciate, then I wished my best friend could change places with me. If only…
   “Hey, ladies.” The blur of a male figure in jeans had ascended the porch steps, not pausing to pass pleasantries.
   He opened the screen door and stepped into the house. Benjamin. My second encounter brought on an unexplained reaction; my heart pattered even though I’d barely caught a glimpse.
   “Oh, hey, Ben,” Paulie said. “You look tired, big brother.”
   Her words stopped him. “Little bit.” He paused behind the screen door.
   “This is Claire.”
   He tipped his head to me. “Nice to meet you, Claire.” He continued on into the house.
   “Same here,” I muttered as the screen door shut.
   “Now, where were we?” Paulie put a finger to her mouth.
   I looped an arm through my friend’s. “We were going to see if your momma could use some help. Come on.” I pulled her from the seat. “Let’s help then freshen up before dinner.” We let the screen door slam behind us and turned into the kitchen in time to see Benjamin lift his mother from the floor and spin around twice.
   “You stop that, Benjamin Willis. Man or no, I can take a hand to your hide, if I need to.” Her hands flailed gently at his chest.
   He laughed as he set her down, steadying her before letting go. Taut muscles on the back of his arms flexed with the effort; his deep laugh filled the kitchen. I couldn’t help being drawn into this entirely pleasant scene, comical and radiating warmth, inviting me to take part in their joy. His mother snatched a dishtowel from the counter and swiped at his legs.
   “Hold off now. I give, I give.” He withdrew what appeared to be a check from his back pocket.
   Mrs. Russell accepted the paper without comment and stuffed it into the frayed pocket of her red checked apron. He kissed her on the forehead, took the bottle of beer she offered him, and leaving the kitchen, nodded in my direction.
   I sniffed the sweat of hard work and the yeasty smell of beer as he passed by. My head reeled for a moment with the warmth of the kitchen and the people within, combined with the essence of what I labeled man.

Find Brenda at these locations:
Website
Facebook
On the 9th and 24th of every month at: Roses of Prose Blog
Blogs about prairie life on her personal blog: Blog

Buy Brenda's books at these locations:
Publisher, Melange Books, print or ebook
Amazon
ARe

On a break from Six Sentence Sunday ~ wk 2

Hi all!

    I'm still on my two week break from Sunday Six since I'm still traveling.
    If you're craving some Moss please visit my Website or check out my posts and info here on the blog.

Want some Sunset Desires? Visit Decadent Publishing & for Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com

On a break from Six Sentence Sunday ~ wk 1

Hi all!

    I bet you're wondering where my six sentences are, considering I've been pretty consistent with posting them over the past several months. Well, I'm taking a two week break from them since I'm traveling to and from a convention in Texas.
    If you're craving some Moss please visit my Website or check out my posts and info here on the blog.

Want some Sunset Desires? Visit Decadent Publishing & for Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com

Welcome special guest: author Symphony ( #SO @officefantasies )

Today we have author Symphony visiting.

Symphony is a closet freak whom lives his fantasies through his many alter ego's in this case the character of Marcus. Shy to the eye with a sexual appetite for two or even three. Symphony is passionate in all that he does, priding himself on serving his woman with the ultimate experience of endless orgasmic pleasure. A sexual crusader if you will, on a journey to give the experience of a lifetime to the few unknowing women whom fall to his baby face and shy demeanor.
    Symphony carries himself as a, passive and shy gentlemen. Giving women a false sense of security in the bedroom, of you know the conversation ladies "Don’t hurt-em girl".
    Currently residing in Atlanta, GA, Symphony writes his own experiences coupled with fantasies of his just nasty mind. In the first installment of Office Fantasies "Cover Blown" Symphony’s stories will take you on a journey of sexual chemistry at its very best.
“ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH YOUR OFFICE FANTASY”

*** About Symphony’s book/series… ***
Office Fantasies, a hot and steamy collection of erotic stories between two attractive coworkers, Marcus & Sydney. Marcus “the cute new guy” whom recently moved to Miami seems to be the shy, quiet, mystery guy. Little does Sydney know, she has an insatiable, passionate, sexual terrorist in her presence.
    In the first episode of Office Fantasies "Cover Blown", the obvious attraction between Marcus and Sydney has become the talk of the office. Every day the two of them flirt and tease each other, until the sexual tension finally explodes into the Perfect Chemistry. Parking decks, office bathrooms and building elevators. This fantasy turned reality contains all the elements that make for a once in a lifetime sexual adventure for two.
    Sydney & Marcus’s encounters will leave you breathless, wanting to know increasingly juicy details of their explosive sexual relationship in and outside of the office. Are you sleeping with your office fantasy?

Book Trailer (careful where you open this link and the others. ;) )

***Find Symphony here***
For a peek into the book and series visit Symphony's Website
Twitter
Goodreads

Thank you for joining us here today, Symphony! It was a pleasure hearing about your work.

An Amazon gift certificate of $25 will be awarded to one random commenter on the tour. Go to: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/01/vbtoffice-fantasies-cover-blown.html to find tour locations. The more you comment, the better chances you have of winning!

Tuesday Tea with Erin Pryor ~ Keys to Bending Time ( #SO @ErinPryorAuthor @DecadentPub )

Hi all! Grab a cup of tea – or whatever it is you like to drink – and join in the discussion. Today we have Erin Pryor giving us a look into time travel, gates and fate. Welcome Erin!

“Time travel...will never be impossible forever.” ― Toba Beta, Betelgeuse Incident
    From the very first moment I picked up a Lynn Kurland novel, time travel intrigued me. To this day, I don’t know what made me pick up one of her novels, but I’ve been hooked on her writing since that day ten years ago. I would walk around thinking to myself “if I was trapped back in time, I would…” then I would fill in the blank. I came up with many scenarios in my mind and just as many responses. I loved the thought of possibility. If time travel could actually happen, what would that person who had the key to bending time do with it? Would they stop a war from happening, remove a past regret, or change the path in life they’ve chosen? Or maybe they wouldn’t want to change a thing, not desiring to disrupt the balance of life.
    When considering the realm of time travel as a writer, there are many circumstances and situations you must figure out before you determine how you are going to execute a believable time travel piece. The biggest question is how. How on earth are you going to get your characters from one time to another, and what are the ramifications of the time jump? And even though the prospect of the act is unrealistic, the fact is you need to make it believable.
    My favorite author, Lynn Kurland, has chosen a means to get her people to and from. There is a map of Scotland and England, where there are “gates” that get you to a certain era in time. Careful not to step on the one that’ll lead you to the wrong place and time!
I got my inspiration from Lynn, though I didn’t really use her formula. In Pillars in Time the “gate” is a bench. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But it is my “key” to the past, and to the future.
    Writing with the goal of time travel in mind, I really needed to figure out how my “gate” worked. I determined that “fate” determines the traveler of time and nobody can force the gate to bend to their will. That only “fate” knows when a person is supposed to be where at what time.
    I also decided that both “realities” run parallel to one another. So, a month in medieval Scotland is the same as a month in the current time period. The reason I did this is to avoid mass confusion as to the time jump and what “could” happen and when.
    If you are writing a time travel piece, you need to solidify what your plan of attack is. How is time going to bend to your will as a writer? And, most importantly, how are you going to make it believable to your reader?

Erin's book Pillars in Time is available at Decadent Publishing! Click ---> Blurb/Excerpt/Purchase <--- for info!

Author bio:
Erin Pryor is a very hard-working wife and mother to two. When she isn’t busy pounding away at the keyboard, she spends time going on dates with her husband and hanging out with the kids. Her favorite hobbies are reading, quilting, and figure skating. Erin’s books are inspired by her passion for Medieval Scotland. She’s always wondered ‘what if’, motivating her to explore the boundaries of time travel.

***Find Erin here***
Blog - http://erinpryor.blogspot.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/ErinPryorAuthor
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com

Six Sentence Sunday ~ Sunset Desires Mar. 4 ( #sixsunday @6_Sunday @DecadentPub )

Six Sentences from Sunset Desires

    “So that’s what all those odd questions have been about over the past few months,” Seana stated, a trace of a British accent she affected for her acting gig and didn’t want to lose while on vacation slipping through. She sipped from her glass of merlot. “My roommates and I were wondering.”
    “Now you know. I could answer most of the questions on my own, but there were those few I needed help with.”
    Seana smiled.

For more, on Sunset Desires visit Decadent Publishing & for other Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com

Welcome special guest: author Shyla Colt ( #FF @ShylaColt @evernightpub )

Today we have author Shyla Colt visiting. Shyla Colt is a Sound and Lighting Engineer turned Stay-At-Home Mom with two main passions, music and the written word. Her stories are a blend of the paranormal laced with humor, passion, and a “je ne se qua” that she’d like to call all her own.
   Married to her marine, she currently resides in sunny California where she allows her characters to tell her their stories while feeding her music addiction and raising her wild child. She credits John Hughes, Marvel comics, punk music and the first paranormal romance novel she picked up at thirteen for creating the unique muse that drives her.

So, Shyla, what inspired you to become a writer?
Honestly there was no defining moment. Making up stories was something I always did, and once I realized I could share my thoughts via pen and paper it was a whole other world.

When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
I actually wrote a novel when I was fifteen. It was a paranormal romance about a half witch/half vampire named Camilla. The memories just come back like it was yesterday. *Shakes head* The end result was untitled, but about 100 pages or so, and I was very proud. I still have the final draft, but I never really did much with it. It’s more of a tangible starting point, that makes me smile.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
Start, hundreds, finish and polish…. Maybe two?

What genre(s) do you write in? What drew you to write in it/them? What’s your favorite genre of all to write in?
I usually write in paranormal romance realm. The supernatural is something I’ve always found fascinating, and many hours of my life have been spent on research and reading related to the subject. I wouldn’t say I have a favorite genre per say because I usually start with the character, and everything else is built from there.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
The worst was that I needed to make manuscript perfect before I submitted it. (Trust me folks, when you’re a writer there is no such thing as perfect. I drove myself crazy trying to accomplish that goal.) The best was to just do me, and not worry about the rest. Because each of us has a unique thing we bring to the plate.

How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?
When I get an acceptance letter, I usually celebrate with my close friends who also happen to be some of my betas via tele convos, and the husband might take me out for a nice dinner. I’m still a fledgling author (not even a year into being published) so each time still feels like the first for me. As for the rejection I pick myself up, take any advice they’ve given to heart, and prepare to either “Fix” the issues with the manuscript or write a better piece my next go round.

In regard to the book you’re promoting, which actor and actress do you envision playing the roles of your hero and heroine? If there’s a villain or other characters who are pertinent to the story, who would play those parts?
I always pictured Boden being played by Gavin Rosedale via Constantine from the moment he was created. My heroine, Anna, would be played by actress/singer, Majandra Delfino. (I love her. She has such an expressive face that really helped me get to the heart of Anna.) The twist to this story is Boden started out as the villain ;).

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
Wicked Temptations is the second story in my Fallen series, but it can stand alone. This story came about because when I wrote my first book Don’t Fear the Reaper, this characters who were meant to be secondary, stood up and said, “Hey, I have a story to tell.”

*** Now for some fun info… ***
What’s your favorite color?
This is so cliché, but pink.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Right now it’s vanilla soft serve with hot fudge, and marshmallow goo. (Yes, it’s that specific, but I’m about 6 months pregnant, so you’ll have to humor me.)

Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
Funny story about that, snakes give me the creeps, but my husband loves them. I wouldn’t agree to marry him until he promised to never bring one into the house.

*** About Shyla’s book/series… ***
Wicked Temptations is really a story about redemption. Boden is a man who once sacrificed his soul to provide those he loved with a better life. But centuries later he’s forgotten what life away from Lucifer was like. It’s up to the blonde reaper Anna to decide if he’s redeemable, and help him remember there is still goodness left in the world. The passion they discover between them is all consuming, and changes everything.

~ Blurb ~
Boden has been Lucifer’s right hand man for the past two centuries. So the last thing he expects when he’s kidnapped during a battle with angels is a shot at redemption. Assigned to a reaper named Anna he’s whisked off to a secluded training center. The blonde pixie makes his libido spiral out of control, and if he’s not careful she may awaken the humanity he thought lost.
Anna is unable to resist the dark temptation that is Boden, and she succumbs to a passion that threatens to consume her. Now what was once a mission has become a battle for the soul of the man she loves. Can she save him, or will she be forced to watch him walk back into hell?
~ Purchasing info ~
Evernight Publishing
Amazon

***Find Shyla here***
You can learn more about me and my writing at www.shylacoltsstraightshot.wordpress.com
& keep up with me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShylaColt

Thank you for joining us here today, Shyla! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

Shyla is happy to give away give a PDF copy of Wicked Temptations. All you have to do to enter is comment and a week after the interview is posted Shyla will pick a winner and notify them. Please remember to leave your email with your comment.