Six Sentences from our WIP Wild West Hauntings
Another cold rush of vague feelings that she’d been here before swept over her.
* The Double D. She’d never stepped foot on the property, yet, if she had to bet her life on it, she’d have sworn she’d been on the southern Nevada ranch once upon a time. All she had ever seen of the Dougan’s place was from the few photos her sister, Marianne, had sent her, but the in-person familiarity was uncanny. Somehow she seemed to know the nuances of the land. The placement of where the buildings would be and their purpose.
For more on book 1 in the series Wild West Weekend & upcoming information on book 2 Wild West Hauntings visit Double D Ranch Tales blog & for other Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com
19 August 2012
14 August 2012
Tuesday Tea with Mariposa Cruz
Hi all! Grab a cup of tea – or whatever it is you like to drink – and join in the discussion. Mariposa Cruz is here today to talk about her new book Roar! that's come out with The Wild Rose Press. Welcome, Mariposa!
My background:
~ I’ve been scribbling stories in notebooks since childhood. In college I published my first short story and wrote articles for the school newspaper and I’ve been alternating between fact and fiction ever since.
~ In my freelance writing I’ve been fortunate to meet a variety of real-life characters including the lead for a Jimmy Buffet cover band and a baby rock diva. I love writing paranormal romance because it opens a whole realm of possibilities.
Inspiration for Roar!:
My dad warned me about bears prior to our family camping trip to Yosemite. No bears raided our camp, but they roamed through my dreams the entire trip and have resided in my imagination ever since. After I finished Howl, I knew my next shifter story would be about bears. As with many of my stories, the research for Roar! started in the Children’s section of the library. I’ve found that research aimed at kids tends to be more user-friendly (plus I see enough fine print reviewing contracts for my day job).
Blurb:
~ Focused on the bottom line, Linda Underwood answers to no one. Linda’s world is torn apart when a black bear shifter turns her weekend rendezvous into a desperate struggle for her life. As a recently-turned shifter, she is determined to beat her affliction by ignoring her beastly impulses.
~ After the accidental death of his wife, shifter Flynn Cromwell finds solace immersed in his work in a remote mountain cabin. When he discovers Linda’s ravaged body near the brink of death, he’s compelled to protect her. Can Flynn save Linda from her own stubborn nature and defend her from a vicious shifter with a taste for her blood?
Excerpt:
~ “What’s this?” Flynn snatched her right foot.
~ “Hey,” Linda protested. She tried to pull free, but he held firm. As his thumb traced the sole of her foot, a shiver of pleasure raced along her leg.
~ “You don’t seem the type to have ladybugs inked on your toes, what’s the story?”
~ “There is no story,” Linda hissed. Flynn held her foot higher.
~ “All tattoos have stories, spill it.”
~ “When I was little my mother called me Ladybug, don’t you dare tell anyone!” Linda said.
~ “I’ll take it to the grave.” Flynn raised his other hand then gently lowered her foot.
~ They ate in silence for a few minutes, which suited Linda since her previous meal ended abruptly. She was in no mood to discuss her personal life with a total stranger who paused and stretched, the sun glinted on his unruly dirty blond hair. Linda caught Flynn’s scent, dark and rich. For a moment, she longed to climb into those muscular arms, breathe him in while her mouth explored the sweet taste of his full lips.
~ Flynn’s gaze met hers. “You want me.”
~ “That’s ridiculous, I just met you.” Linda snapped her cheeks flushed. Maybe her mind snapped after the attack. No woman with an ounce of sanity would be attracted to someone so irritating.
~ “It’s animal magnetism, baby, don’t fight it.” Flynn murmured his deep voice an octave lower.
For more on Roar! visit The Wild Rose Press
For more about Mariposa Cruz visit her Blog
My background:
~ I’ve been scribbling stories in notebooks since childhood. In college I published my first short story and wrote articles for the school newspaper and I’ve been alternating between fact and fiction ever since.
~ In my freelance writing I’ve been fortunate to meet a variety of real-life characters including the lead for a Jimmy Buffet cover band and a baby rock diva. I love writing paranormal romance because it opens a whole realm of possibilities.
Inspiration for Roar!:
My dad warned me about bears prior to our family camping trip to Yosemite. No bears raided our camp, but they roamed through my dreams the entire trip and have resided in my imagination ever since. After I finished Howl, I knew my next shifter story would be about bears. As with many of my stories, the research for Roar! started in the Children’s section of the library. I’ve found that research aimed at kids tends to be more user-friendly (plus I see enough fine print reviewing contracts for my day job).
~ Focused on the bottom line, Linda Underwood answers to no one. Linda’s world is torn apart when a black bear shifter turns her weekend rendezvous into a desperate struggle for her life. As a recently-turned shifter, she is determined to beat her affliction by ignoring her beastly impulses.
~ After the accidental death of his wife, shifter Flynn Cromwell finds solace immersed in his work in a remote mountain cabin. When he discovers Linda’s ravaged body near the brink of death, he’s compelled to protect her. Can Flynn save Linda from her own stubborn nature and defend her from a vicious shifter with a taste for her blood?
Excerpt:
~ “What’s this?” Flynn snatched her right foot.
~ “Hey,” Linda protested. She tried to pull free, but he held firm. As his thumb traced the sole of her foot, a shiver of pleasure raced along her leg.
~ “You don’t seem the type to have ladybugs inked on your toes, what’s the story?”
~ “There is no story,” Linda hissed. Flynn held her foot higher.
~ “All tattoos have stories, spill it.”
~ “When I was little my mother called me Ladybug, don’t you dare tell anyone!” Linda said.
~ “I’ll take it to the grave.” Flynn raised his other hand then gently lowered her foot.
~ They ate in silence for a few minutes, which suited Linda since her previous meal ended abruptly. She was in no mood to discuss her personal life with a total stranger who paused and stretched, the sun glinted on his unruly dirty blond hair. Linda caught Flynn’s scent, dark and rich. For a moment, she longed to climb into those muscular arms, breathe him in while her mouth explored the sweet taste of his full lips.
~ Flynn’s gaze met hers. “You want me.”
~ “That’s ridiculous, I just met you.” Linda snapped her cheeks flushed. Maybe her mind snapped after the attack. No woman with an ounce of sanity would be attracted to someone so irritating.
~ “It’s animal magnetism, baby, don’t fight it.” Flynn murmured his deep voice an octave lower.
For more on Roar! visit The Wild Rose Press
For more about Mariposa Cruz visit her Blog
12 August 2012
Six Sentence Sunday ~ Sneak Peek 1 at Wild West Hauntings ( #sixsunday @6_Sunday @rmsotera )
Six Sentences from our WIP Wild West Hauntings
* Shocked at the eerily familiar vista of the ranch before her, Rachel Star slammed on the brakes of her economy rental car. The vehicle skidded then fishtailed. Rocks shot out from under the tires, pinging the undercarriage and flying off into the scraggy brush growing alongside the stone covered drive. A grayish brown dust cloud enveloped the automobile as she came to stop in the middle of the road. Shaking from the fleeting but chilling sensation of déjà vu, she turned on the heat and waited for the view to clear.
* Fine, gritty earth particles created an ugly sandy coat on the green car.
For more on book 1 in the series (Wild West Weekend) & upcoming information on book 2 (Wild West Hauntings) visit Double D Ranch Tales blog & for other Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com
* Shocked at the eerily familiar vista of the ranch before her, Rachel Star slammed on the brakes of her economy rental car. The vehicle skidded then fishtailed. Rocks shot out from under the tires, pinging the undercarriage and flying off into the scraggy brush growing alongside the stone covered drive. A grayish brown dust cloud enveloped the automobile as she came to stop in the middle of the road. Shaking from the fleeting but chilling sensation of déjà vu, she turned on the heat and waited for the view to clear.
* Fine, gritty earth particles created an ugly sandy coat on the green car.
For more on book 1 in the series (Wild West Weekend) & upcoming information on book 2 (Wild West Hauntings) visit Double D Ranch Tales blog & for other Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com
10 August 2012
A Look At Vegas Moon by RM Sotera ( @rmsotera @sirenbookstrand #FF )
Today we have author RM Sotera visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
R.M. Sotera is a romance vixen stuck in the body of a prim and proper woman. A transplant to Las Vegas, by day she is a wife, mom, taxi driver, counselor, and psychologist to her wild and, at times, crazy friends. But when the family goes to bed and the house is dark, she seeks refuge in her office where her deepest desires take hold. And…ultimately a story is born.
What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
The book I’d like to talk about today is my newest release through Siren Publishing, Vegas Moon. It is the second book in my Stiletto Sanction series.
How'd you/your muse come up with this story?
This is an interesting story. As I was writing Cassadaga Moon (the first book in the Stiletto Sanction series), two of the minor characters, Cindi Vera Cruz and Tristan Dane, planted the seed in my head that they, too, needed a story of their own. They ended up doing things in the first book that had me going, ‘wow’ and ‘oh no.’ Of course as if their subtle hints weren’t enough, they’d managed to get my muse, Styxx, in on the action. So every night during the writing of Cassadaga Moon, Styxx would talk to me about Vegas Moon. And thus the second book was born. Oh, and a third book, New Orleans Moon, is in the works.
Describe the hero in five words.
Charming; Young; Overly Sexual; Driven; Patient
Describe the heroine in five words.
Fiesty; Bossy; Protective; Determined; Overly Sexual Times Two
Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
I don’t have a favorite. I really like Tristan and Cindi equally. They compliment each other.
What's your favorite part of the story line?
I love the
main story line that has Tristan determined to make Cindi admit she loves him. Cindi is severely hung up on his age and refuses to see past it (and it started in the first book, Cassadaga Moon,) but Tristan does not give up and keeps pressuring her until she finally admits how she feels about him. I don’t want to give away the story, but it is a major event that takes place that finally has Cindi admitting her feelings for the young man. And of course, the story is full of down and dirty sex. Their unique appetites and sexual escapades will keep the reader turning the pages. :)
A look into the story Vegas Moon ~ A Siren Erotic Romance
~ Blurb ~
* Psychic vampire Cindi Vera Cruz has no intention of falling in love with sanguine vampire Tristan Dane. She makes that fact perfectly clear to Tristan every chance she gets. He’s twenty-one years old, ten years her junior, and as she sees it, definitely not in her cards as a forever type of man, only a lover. But when Tristan decides he’s tired of her games and demands she admit her feelings for him, all hell breaks loose.
* Situations heat up when Tristan walks into the yearly Stiletto Sanction coven party only to find Cindi feeding on his energy without his consent. His shock turns into anger. And then anger turns into a game of battle of the wills. Tristan calls her bluff by raising the stakes in the blood play room. She has always been a willing participant in bleeding for him in the name of pleasure, but will she bleed to feed his need for pranic energy?
Note: Hero involved in acts of vampirism. [Siren Allure: Erotic May-December Romance, with F/F and M/F/F elements, voyeurism, exhibitionism, consensual BDSM, whipping, food play, blood play, sex toys, HEA]
~ Excerpt ~
* They’d reached the Dessert Erotica house at noon. Cindi pulled the Mustang borrowed from Victoria into the small parking space and shut off the car. Tristan didn’t waste any time in jumping out of the car. When she emerged, he was standing a few feet from the front door of the establishment eyes fixated on the huge fiberglass sundae. In the center of the perfectly shaped and flavor-colored ice-cream scoops was a naked female mannequin.
* “Check out the tits on her.” His eyes were glued on the big-busted doll.
* Just like a man, eyes to tits and bypass everything between.
* “I think they’re fake.” She chuckled.
* He gave her an incredulous stare and headed for the front door.
* “What is this place?” The way Tristan asked the question, he sounded like a kid in a candy store.
* His excitement got the best of her, so she divulged just a tiny bit of information, enough to wet his appetite.
* “Well, lover, this is a place where women and men enjoy a little dessert with sex. A little sploshing.”
* “Sploshing? Mmm…sounds enticing.” He kissed her cheek. Then licked the tip of her nose. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to try this out.” Tristan pulled her hand into his and pulled her toward the front double doors.
* Cindi stopped them halfway to the front doors. “Hey, do you know what sploshing is?”
* “Nope. But sex and dessert sounds like a winner. I’m ready to find out. Let’s go.”
Find RM & buy her books at the following locations...
Website
Blog
Double D Ranch Tales
Facebook
Twitter
Siren Publishing ~ Vegas Moon
Bookstrand ~ 1
Bookstrand ~ 2
Amazon
ARe ~ 1
ARe ~ 2
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank CR Moss for hosting me on her blog today, and mention to the readers that our co-authored book, Wild West Hauntings, is in the works. We are working hard on it as we speak. I’d also like to encourage comments on the blog because you could be the lucky winner of the Stiletto Sanction books. Yes, both of them.
Leave a comment with your name and email. You will then be in the drawing. Winner will be picked by CR Moss on Tuesday, August 14 after 6 PM pacific time. Books will be sent (PDF) via email to one lucky winner from RM Sotera.
All the best.
Keep Reading.
RM Sotera :)
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
R.M. Sotera is a romance vixen stuck in the body of a prim and proper woman. A transplant to Las Vegas, by day she is a wife, mom, taxi driver, counselor, and psychologist to her wild and, at times, crazy friends. But when the family goes to bed and the house is dark, she seeks refuge in her office where her deepest desires take hold. And…ultimately a story is born.
What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
The book I’d like to talk about today is my newest release through Siren Publishing, Vegas Moon. It is the second book in my Stiletto Sanction series.
This is an interesting story. As I was writing Cassadaga Moon (the first book in the Stiletto Sanction series), two of the minor characters, Cindi Vera Cruz and Tristan Dane, planted the seed in my head that they, too, needed a story of their own. They ended up doing things in the first book that had me going, ‘wow’ and ‘oh no.’ Of course as if their subtle hints weren’t enough, they’d managed to get my muse, Styxx, in on the action. So every night during the writing of Cassadaga Moon, Styxx would talk to me about Vegas Moon. And thus the second book was born. Oh, and a third book, New Orleans Moon, is in the works.
Describe the hero in five words.
Charming; Young; Overly Sexual; Driven; Patient
Describe the heroine in five words.
Fiesty; Bossy; Protective; Determined; Overly Sexual Times Two
Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
I don’t have a favorite. I really like Tristan and Cindi equally. They compliment each other.
What's your favorite part of the story line?
I love the
A look into the story Vegas Moon ~ A Siren Erotic Romance
~ Blurb ~
* Psychic vampire Cindi Vera Cruz has no intention of falling in love with sanguine vampire Tristan Dane. She makes that fact perfectly clear to Tristan every chance she gets. He’s twenty-one years old, ten years her junior, and as she sees it, definitely not in her cards as a forever type of man, only a lover. But when Tristan decides he’s tired of her games and demands she admit her feelings for him, all hell breaks loose.
* Situations heat up when Tristan walks into the yearly Stiletto Sanction coven party only to find Cindi feeding on his energy without his consent. His shock turns into anger. And then anger turns into a game of battle of the wills. Tristan calls her bluff by raising the stakes in the blood play room. She has always been a willing participant in bleeding for him in the name of pleasure, but will she bleed to feed his need for pranic energy?
Note: Hero involved in acts of vampirism. [Siren Allure: Erotic May-December Romance, with F/F and M/F/F elements, voyeurism, exhibitionism, consensual BDSM, whipping, food play, blood play, sex toys, HEA]
~ Excerpt ~
* They’d reached the Dessert Erotica house at noon. Cindi pulled the Mustang borrowed from Victoria into the small parking space and shut off the car. Tristan didn’t waste any time in jumping out of the car. When she emerged, he was standing a few feet from the front door of the establishment eyes fixated on the huge fiberglass sundae. In the center of the perfectly shaped and flavor-colored ice-cream scoops was a naked female mannequin.
* “Check out the tits on her.” His eyes were glued on the big-busted doll.
* Just like a man, eyes to tits and bypass everything between.
* “I think they’re fake.” She chuckled.
* He gave her an incredulous stare and headed for the front door.
* “What is this place?” The way Tristan asked the question, he sounded like a kid in a candy store.
* His excitement got the best of her, so she divulged just a tiny bit of information, enough to wet his appetite.
* “Well, lover, this is a place where women and men enjoy a little dessert with sex. A little sploshing.”
* “Sploshing? Mmm…sounds enticing.” He kissed her cheek. Then licked the tip of her nose. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to try this out.” Tristan pulled her hand into his and pulled her toward the front double doors.
* Cindi stopped them halfway to the front doors. “Hey, do you know what sploshing is?”
* “Nope. But sex and dessert sounds like a winner. I’m ready to find out. Let’s go.”
Find RM & buy her books at the following locations...
Website
Blog
Double D Ranch Tales
Siren Publishing ~ Vegas Moon
Bookstrand ~ 1
Bookstrand ~ 2
Amazon
ARe ~ 1
ARe ~ 2
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank CR Moss for hosting me on her blog today, and mention to the readers that our co-authored book, Wild West Hauntings, is in the works. We are working hard on it as we speak. I’d also like to encourage comments on the blog because you could be the lucky winner of the Stiletto Sanction books. Yes, both of them.
Leave a comment with your name and email. You will then be in the drawing. Winner will be picked by CR Moss on Tuesday, August 14 after 6 PM pacific time. Books will be sent (PDF) via email to one lucky winner from RM Sotera.
All the best.
Keep Reading.
RM Sotera :)
07 August 2012
A Look At Lori Corsentino ( @LoriCorsentino @5PrincePub )
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
Lori’s love of reading has transcended to include penning her own tales of romance. She is experimenting with writing in several different genres, including paranormal – a definite favorite. “There is just so much you can do when you step outside the known world,” she explains, “and creating a paranormal story allows you to take yourself and your readers anywhere your imagination wants to go!” Destiny's Awakening is Lori's first foray into the "Tales of the Fey" paranormal romance trilogy.
What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
Destiny’s Awakening is the first of the Tales of the Fey trilogy. It’s a bit of a twist on the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. The difference is a human female, Evie, is the one that discovers a Fey Prince, Alex, who’s been enchanted. It’s up to her to kiss him awake. The second book in the trilogy will feature Alex’s twin sister, Annora and the third will star Analiese, the youngest sibling. I’m planning to have them all be taking place around the same time so the stories overlap. They can be read in any order, but for a good introduction to the world and the situation at hand, read Destiny’s Awakening first.
How'd you/your muse come up with this story?
Last summer a couple author friends and I decided to write paranormal romance novellas for an anthology. We planned a theme that would run through all three stories – love can save worlds. I thought about what to write and an unfinished story I’d started about 4 years ago popped into my head. It’s a classic damsel in distress tale featuring a princess, her hero, a very evil wizard. That tale demanded more than the 30,000 words I was allotted, so I decided to write a prequel that would introduce readers to the dire situation at hand and the characters involved. That tale was published last year under the title of “Evelyn.” I got the chance to expand the original novella this year and tell more of the tale. Destiny’s Awakening is the result.
Describe the hero in five words.
Commanding, possessive, sensitive, protective, haughty.
Describe the heroine in five words.
Sassy, independent, creative, fierce, impetuous.
Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
Ah, that’s like asking a mother which child is her favorite! I love all the characters in Destiny’s Awakening, even the evil Claudius. If I have to choose, I think Evie would be my favorite. She’s just larger than life. I’d sure love to be her if I grow up! She takes life by the hand and runs with it. She’s tries so hard to be careful because she’s quite impetuous, which endears her to me. She can definitely kick some butt, but at the same time she’s sensitive and loving. She’s pretty amazing.
What's your favorite line in the story?
Ah, now that’s a hard one to answer! Evie is so sassy and she’s got some great one liners. A good one is when she’s refusing to believe she’s been chosen to do a specific task.
* “I’m an American. We don’t do these ‘One’ things like you guys do.”
Another great one is when she’s first talking with the Prince about how she got to where he is.
* “I just world-hopped. Have you ever world-hopped?” She put the question to him. “I didn’t even know you could do that without some sort of alien abduction.”
Destiny’s Awakening
~ Blurb ~
* Men of the present weren’t able to hold archaeologist Evelyn Wright’s interest for long. Her passion lay with discovering the lives, loves, and legacies of men in the past.
* Five hundred-year-old Prince Alexander slumbers alone in an enchanted sleep. Imprisoned by ancient Fey magic to stave off a civil war, he awaits the woman who is destined to awaken him.
* Thrown together by an unseen force the career-minded modern woman and the aristocratic Fey Prince share a magical kiss that sparks more than mere romance.
* Together they will create a key to open their hearts to a true love that will thwart the plans of an evil Wizard and save their worlds.
~ Excerpt ~
* Evelyn Wright could hear her momma’s voice now, reminding her to think before she acted. “Evie,” she’d always say, “now don’t you be runnin’ so far ahead that you lose track of yourself.” She’d become familiar with those words through most of her early childhood. They weren’t necessarily a nag. Instead, they were more of a constant reminder to look both ways before she leaped.
* She’d been an excitable, active child full of curiosity and a fierce desire to learn. Momma had told her once she’d often sat up after putting her to bed and cried. She’d been convinced her little Evie would never live to see five years old. The scrapes, bumps and bruises she’d accumulated during her early childhood life were legendary. When she reached her fifth birthday, then celebrated her sixth the next year, Momma said she’d breathed a sigh of relief. It was obvious her little girl was made of some pretty stern stuff.
* She just might make it.
* Today she was living proof of her heartiness. Happy and healthy, 26-year-old Evie had a bustling career as an archaeologist. The pay wasn’t spectacular. The hours were horrific. The industry was dominated by stuffy college professors and an over-abundance of male colleagues. None of that mattered.
* She was living her dream.
* She got to travel to exotic places. Egypt. Rome. Greece. She got to explore and discover new and wondrous things. Tombs. Chapels. Castles. Through her work, she pieced together clues from the past and learned about everyday lives long gone by. She was passionate about her work, well thought of, and successful.
* And she was still impetuous.
* Oh, her little character flaw reared its head from time to time. Most often it was when a something truly out of the ordinary crossed her path. The sheer excitement of it all encouraged her to toss away rules and grown-up things. Her weakness whispered how amazing it would be to become a child again, with all its wonderment and the constant itch for more. It was at these times she invariably heard her momma’s voice suggesting caution. When she didn’t pay attention, she usually found herself in trouble.
* Like now.
* Today she’d jumped heedlessly off the wagon and strayed too far off her given path. She’d given in to temptation – and landed herself in a fix she had no idea how to get out of.
* All because of a sword.
Find Lori & Buy Her Book Here...
Website
Also check out her Blog Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a Manic Manuscript Musings Monday, Wicked Writer Wednesday, or Favorite Friday entry.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
All Romance Ebooks
Thanks so much for having me on your blog, C! I just wanted to share with the readers that I'll be giving away a print copy of Destiny's Awakening and some other goodies to one lucky commenter!
05 August 2012
Six Sentence Sunday ~ Sunset Seduction for August 5 ( #sixsunday @6_Sunday @decadentpub )
Six Sentences from Sunset Seduction
* Warm lotion trailed along her spine. As he smoothed the cream on her skin, her mind churned over her feelings. Try as she might to fight them, old emotions and passion swarmed her. Being alone together in the hotel room reminded her of the times when they had what they called their naked nights together. Evenings where they pretended they were the only two people in the world.
* God, she had loved him then, could fall back in love with him now.
For more, on Sunset Seduction visit Decadent Publishing & for other Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com
* Warm lotion trailed along her spine. As he smoothed the cream on her skin, her mind churned over her feelings. Try as she might to fight them, old emotions and passion swarmed her. Being alone together in the hotel room reminded her of the times when they had what they called their naked nights together. Evenings where they pretended they were the only two people in the world.
* God, she had loved him then, could fall back in love with him now.
For more, on Sunset Seduction visit Decadent Publishing & for other Six Sentence participants visit www.sixsunday.com
03 August 2012
Welcome special guest: author Kastil Eavenshade ( @PamBitner @evernightpub #FF )
So, Kastil, when did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
My first story started out in middle school. Like many of my earlier works, it never got finished. I’m sure it made it into the great abyss known as the trash can. Just as well. It was awful tripe.
How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
That’s a toughie. Stories are never complete in my book. I honestly had a lot of unfinished novels, most still unfinished. I dabbled in short stories to wet my feet in the publishing world and most were challenges on a private message board. I had, maybe, five semi-polished works before I sold my first short story Fate Whispers. That one is on my blog now.
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’ll write any genre. My first published short was paranormal horror. Since then, I’ve done science fiction, fantasy, western, romance, erotica, historical—I’ll tackle almost anything. I actually started in erotic romance because of an anthology call and wanted to try it out. Love it! My favorite, however, is fantasy because there’s so much I can do with it. I even created my own world to write it in.
What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
You’ll never get anywhere without an agent has to be the worst. That may be true if you want to get into the big six publishers but I’m the type of gal that likes to build a reputation on small foundation pieces than to start out with a 100k novel to pawn like I’m Oliver Twist. The best advice is to hone your craft. Take everything into consideration when someone critiques your work and never get a swelled head. Stay humble.
How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?
Rejection letters don’t bother me anymore. I know they’re part of the process of writing and to get all up in arms about a rejection isn’t worth it. I can shop it elsewhere or, if the rejection was personal, take into account what they said. The acceptances are easy. I let my mother know followed by the whole world via social media.
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 never really thought about it so I did a google search. Sans the emo eyeliner, I’d say Jared Leto could be Talbot. Maybe Jamie Bamber for Maxime?
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.
Talbot’s Ploy is a standalone project. It blossomed from an anthology call. Once I figured the story was too grand to tell below 10k words, I expanded it with gusto. While I hadn’t planned a series, I’ve thought of a few more ideas to toy with the main character Talbot. While it’s not set in stone or even started, I fell in love with the rogue. He’s got too much to tell to box into one book.
*** Now for some fun info… ***
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Only one? *sigh* I’ll go with Talenti Double dark chocolate gelato. It’s a contributing factor to the tightness of my jeans.
Are you a cat, dog or both kind of person?
Growing up, we had dogs. They were loveable companions. When I got married, however, the care a dog needs just wasn’t possible living in an apartment. I had to have a pet, it’s in my DNA. So I worked at a nursery at the time and a stray cat came along and had kittens. I took one. Rose stayed with me for 17 years before he went to his final resting place. Best.Pet.Ever.
Are you a morning person or night owl?
I love to stay up late. Sometimes, however, it’s not very productive when you have to work the next day.
*** About Kastil’s book/series… ***
Blurb: Talbot Sauvageot has kept his wicked lifestyle underground for several years, going from one lover to the next. Decedent rake to females by day, passionate lover for his latest male companion at night. When he is forced to flee Paris or face the guillotine, Talbot realizes none of the men he has bedded over the past years burns at his soul like his dear friend Maxime LaRue.
~ Forced into seclusion in the forest of Bois de Lunor, he receives an invitation from Maxime for their yearly gathering at his estate in Varanguebec. One that Talbot has avoided the past few years. Refusing to submit to a life without love, Talbot schemes to discover if his childhood friend shares the same taste in pleasure as he.
~ Will Maxime submit to Talbot’s ploy or cast his friend in the shadow of death?
Interesting info: I decided that the setting for Talbot’s Ploy would be 18th Century France. I researched the clothing, some interesting French phrases, and what it was like for a gay male (and female) during this time in history. Even back then, they were persecuted and often put to death if caught in the ‘act’. I wanted that internal conflict for Talbot. Death for following the path his heart choose and to drag his friends with him? I tried to make a powerful statement without, I hope, sounding too preachy. Terminology was also important. I didn’t want to throw in a term that wasn’t in existence. For example, the term ‘homosexuality’ didn’t exist. Same with hanging versus the guillotine. It was interesting to find out that after the French Revolution, hanging was considered ‘barbaric’. Thought this tale became too big for the anthology, I’m glad I took my time and expanded it. I feel it gave a richer story than 10k words could ever do.
Blog-o-rama Tour of Decadence™ (Buy it here...)
Talbot's Ploy at Evernight Publishing
Talbot's Ploy at Amazon
Talbot's Ploy at All Romance Ebooks
Talbot's Ploy at Bookstrand
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Thank you for joining us here today, Kastil! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work. Would you like to have a contest?
Thanks for having me! I’d like to give away a PDF copy of Talbot’s Ploy. To win, they can visit my Facebook page, ‘like it’, and comment on the wall post with the link to this guest blog. A winner will be chosen a week’s time and notified via FB private message.
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