Chasing my tail

OH LAWDY! It’s August 1st already. What the hell happened to 2016?

The year has been a blur thus far. Receiving my rights back from Liquid Silver Books on the Dirty White Candy series, means they were all recovered and re-released this year through Syn Publishing.

That took some work.Web  Web  Web

In March, I released my very first Sci-Fi Alien Romance.KINDLE

I also attended my very first multi-author book signing at the North Iowa Book Bash! I rubbed elbows with awesome artists such as Sidda Lee Rain, Ella Dominguez, Jenna Jacob and more! I was even fortunate enough to win a table at next year’s event.

Now, as for the remainder of the year…I am working on a super secret project and while I do want to spill the beans, all I can say is that I signed a confidentiality agreement! When I can tell you, I’ll scream it from the mountain tops.

Also, I’m involved in a Winter Anthology through Lavish Publishing. For my contribution, I’ve added 3.5 into the Shifter Chronicles. For the Anthology, the version will be PG-13, but for those who like erotic romance, I’ll be publishing a full-length, sexed up version. I don’t believe cover reveals are all that big of a deal, so I’ll share it with you now. 😀 See, Miss Anita loves you!

Christmas Surprise

In this installment, we get a good look at the Special Forces division of FOSE and Jake’s obsession with Nala’s human friend, Susan. We may even get to find out who is behind the Separatist movement!

There is one more project I’m trying to finish this year, and that’s a Romantic Suspense/Crime Fiction novel. I’m not sure if I can squeeze it in, but if not, it’ll be early 2017 as I’ve already been working on it.

If you love sneak peeks and other surprises, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter!

Ulterior Designs – Cover Reveal

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Ladies and gentlemen, I did some beta reading for this little gem and let me tell you, it is HOT HOT HOT!!! Here are the details:

Warning: This book is designed for readers 18+ due to language and graphic sexual content.

A blueprint for desire.

With a shared passion for breathing life into an unconventional dream home, the attraction between a struggling new grad of interior design and an award-winning architect with eclectic sexual tastes is irresistible. But with a cloud of lies and loss hanging over him, the only arrangement Logan wants is one of indulgence and pleasure. However, fate seems to have another design plan in mind for them—a plan that ultimately leads them down a path of desire and discovery.

When the man obsessed with creating his unusual home sets his sights on the woman who keeps unknowingly navigating her way back to him, lust clouds his judgment and he makes an inappropriate proposition. After nearly blowing his chances with the talented and alluring beauty, he readjusts his plans, because it just so happens that his sexy ulterior motives go hand-in-hand with her expertise in interior design.

Though Chloe may be young and naïve in Logan’s eyes, she sees him for who and what he is: a man with severe commitment issues. But she’s optimistic—maybe too optimistic. And she isn’t easily deterred or scared away either, not even by the unusual nature of his design plans or his eclectic sexual tastes. In fact, she’s intrigued by them. Faced with a man who can give her not only the experience she needs to propel her career, but everything she’s ever fantasized about, she hopes that their physical and intellectual compatibility can prevail over his fears. And more importantly, that they can move forward to become not only design collaborators, but partners on a deeper level.

Preorder Links:

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#Free from Ella Dominguez

Grace Street

Grace Street FREE at Amazon for only a few days!http://amzn.com/B00JLW04KO

Trailer: https://www.goodreads.com/…/77816-chapter-8-series-book-tra…

Warning: This is neither a conventional romance nor a traditional love story. There are no hearts and flowers on the pages of this book. The heroine doesn’t always make wise choices and though I’ve tried to make her strong, she’s often times weak in the face of the fierce hero. The hero is not a knight in a shining armor. He’s broken and frequently cruel, and what every woman in the real world should avoid. What’s contained in this book isn’t real – it’s fiction; dark, depraved and decadent make-believe. Contains detailed sexual encounters, uncomfortable situations and erotic elements including voyeurism, oral and anal. Intended for readers 18+. If you’re down with that, then by all means… read on.

Obsession, possession, resilience, insanity…

Seeking solitude and reprieve from her past failed relationships, Elsa begins her life anew in Richmond, hoping to find the change that she so desperately needs. Things are looking up for her, a new job, new friends… a fresh start.

But Victor has different plans for her. From the moment he heard her voice and set his eyes on Elsa, she became next on his to-do list; his Chapter 8. A well-known and respected criminal profiler, his mind is as dark as the people he hunts down. It takes one to know one, after all. Under the guise of making his subjects stronger, he intends to break Elsa down using everything in his arsenal, including pleasure, pain, humiliation, and things unspeakable. Everyone is fair game in his book and he discriminates against no one when he chooses his test subjects.

Lonely, still on the mend from a bad break-up and longing for sexual attention, Elsa consents to an odd proposition, unaware of Victor’s plans. However, she can’t be broken so easily and what he puts her through only fuels the fire burning within her, a flame that begins to blaze out of control as she becomes obsessed with everything about Victor and peeling back his cruel layers in search of the real man hiding beneath his heartless facade.

In Victor’s world, there is no such thing as happily ever after and Chapter 8 proves to be an infuriating challenger when she flips the tables on his selfish and twisted game, a game they both may end up losing their hearts and minds over.

Release Day!

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Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Syn Publishing
Date of Publication: April 2, 2015

Wendy Baker is a staple in the Belfast Lycan pack. She serves others, manages the house and events. So when Nala Baker, her sister-in-law and new Alpha of the pack, asks her to relocate to the new shifter university, she feels lost. How can she leave her pack behind?

Zoltar, the Centaur King, has eyes for Wendy, but years of animosity between Lycans and Centaurs could mean Wendy’s excommunication if they’re discovered.

As new Headmistress at McGovern University, Wendy struggles to find her place and considers Zoltar. He’s smart, sexy, and thoughtful. What will her brother think? But before they can enjoy their new relationship, a Pixie is murdered and the school falls under attack by a group that does not appreciate integration, the Separatists.

Can Wendy overcome her fears and find true love? Can she defend her school and her new pack from the murderous revenge of the Separatists or will she lose everything?

**Content Notes** Adult content suitable for mature audience only. M/F, violence (not for titillation), bondage

Add Resurrection to your Goodreads TBR list

Purchase Resurrection here...

Amazon US
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Excerpt

“I can’t help but notice you look lost in thought. Is everything okay?”
Wendy turned to him again. “I’ve been invited to be headmistress at the new university.”

His laugh was smooth. It flowed like melted chocolate, stirring her longing further than it should have.

“It means leaving my pack, Zoltar. That’s very difficult for a Lycan to do—especially one my age.” She looked down at her feet. “An old handmaid sure, but I’m very attached to this place…to my pack.”

Standing from the rock, he extended his muscular arm toward her, his fingers relaxed and open. “Walk with me.”

After considering him for a split second, she complied, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. She wanted to sit and ponder her future, not wander around with a Centaur who would surely try to seduce her. Still, she followed him down the path around the lake, hoping no one would see them together and start gossiping about her desperateness for a mate. The Lycan men were on edge when the Centaurs arrived and the Centaurs had sworn an oath to keep their hands to themselves.

Wandering around alone with a single Lycan female wasn’t exactly part of that oath. Wendy’s hopes of finding a mate could be completely devastated if the men thought she was sneaking off in the woods with a horny Centaur male…King or not.

“How much do you now about my race?” He looked at his feet as he walked, his brows pulled together.

Shrugging she turned her attention to the path ahead of them, not daring to gaze at his handsomeness—a potential distraction. “Same as everyone, I guess. You have the ability to seduce females of other species so you can produce more Centaurs…being that Centaurs are only male. You are powerful warriors, fierce in battle.”

He strolled in silence for a moment, nodding as she spoke. “You know, there is far more to us than that.”

“I’m sure there is, Sir.” It was a fine line to walk, keeping a Centaur in check while managing not to be offensive at the same time. Anxiety teetered at the pile of emotions overwhelming her.

“Zoltar, please,” he corrected tilting his head. “Or you can call me ‘Z’ as my friends do.”

“Z?” She giggled. “How new age.”

He smiled then looped his arm in hers as if they’d been friends for ages.

The warmth from his arm permeated through her, giving her an odd sense of elation. She swore she’d have to remind herself to breathe.
“We are the sons of Apollo.”

His words caused an unexpected chuckle to escape her lips once again. “It explains the good looks.” Silently, she chastised herself for that statement. How dare she flirt with him?

“I find it very pleasing you think so,” he said with a wink. “It is true, we are fierce warriors. Fierce, but not invincible. The last female Centaur was killed in the battle with the Lapiths. There has yet to be a female born to our kind. It was our ancestors’ pleas to Apollo allowing us the ability to breed with other species so we would not go extinct. However,” he cleared his throat, “our offspring are not a hundred percent Centaur. They can shift into the form of their mother as well.”

“What? You’re telling me a child could shift to Lycan and to Centaur?” She stopped in her tracks. “How is this possible?”

Releasing her arm he turned to face her. The air around him shimmered and he shifted into a golden wolf briefly before shifting back into his human form. “Yes, it is true.”

She gulped. “Well, Z, if I needed a distraction, you certainly came through for me.”

He bowed. “Now,” he looped his arm in hers once again, “we are also very good at Astrology. We all have individual strengths, as I’m sure Lycans do. I, for one, have a touch of precognition. I’m also a bit of a healer.”

Shifting his eyes, he glanced at her while keeping his head forward. “Care to know why a Lycan of your age looks quite a bit older?”

She could not hide her embarrassment. The desire to jerk her arm loose and run far from him was overwhelming—or perhaps she could crawl under a rock. “Nothing I can change, so why bother?”

“And if one simple kiss from me would turn the clock back for you, would you grace my lips with yours?” He didn’t slow his pace as he waited for her to reply. When she tried to jerk her arm free, he held on a bit tighter.

“What? No.” She wanted to go back to the house, away from Z. She wanted some space so she could focus on the problem at hand…the university, her brother trying to get rid of her, being hopelessly single and aging.

“Your beautiful hair, restored to its former glory, the worry lines erased…the only cost being one simple kiss?” He laughed. “Does the thought of kissing me repulse you that much?”

“No.” She finally pulled her arm free. “I’m not some young pup you can trick into your bed.” She turned her back to him and started off toward the main house. His long legs prevented her stomping pace from putting any distance between them.

He latched onto her hand. “Please. I did not mean to offend you.”
She stopped, causing him to bump into her. The heat from his body sent her senses on fire. She could smell his arousal, meaning he could smell hers. She silently groaned. “Look, I don’t know what you’re playing at.” He was so sexy, standing there in a pair of jeans, hanging low on his hip. His blonde curls bounced when he moved.

“Fuck it.” She meant to give him a quick peck to shut him up, but something else happened. When she stood on her toes, large warm hands cupped her face. His searing lips brushed up against hers, making her limbs feel like putty. Her ears started to ring.

The kiss was slow and tender, but quite respectful. He didn’t shove his tongue in her mouth. He didn’t crush her mouth with his. This…was a first kiss, a tender moment and it melted her.

When he released her, she felt heaviness in her lids.

“That wasn’t too repulsive, I hope.”

Staring at him, she was at a loss for words, or a singular thought.
“I see,” he said with a smile, the thought of rendering her speechless apparently entertaining. “Race you back to the house.” Shifting into his wolf form, he tore off, leaving her behind. Wendy shook her head to clear her mind before shifting and taking off after him. His wolf was large, nearly as large as Grace’s. Wendy figured it had something to do with the royal blood. However, he didn’t spend much time in his wolf form and it was obvious as he was rather slow.

Wendy pushed hard to get next to him. He looked over at her and made a leap to get ahead of her. She dove under him, digging in her hind quarters then sprinted toward the yard, which was only a few feet ahead. When she finally skidded to a stop, the large Centaur-Wolf was skidding up behind her. The both shifted in unison.

“You’re a vivacious runner, Wendy.” He nodded. “Very impressive.”

“Wendy!” Colin stood glaring at Zoltar. She’d just been caught cavorting with a Centaur…by her brother.

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A little about Anita Cox...

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International best-selling author, Anita Cox has been writing general fiction for nearly a decade. In 2012 she strapped on a new name for a new genre and jumped head first into writing erotic romance.

Anita Cox’s erotic debut series Dirty White Candy was picked up by Liquid Silver Books in 2013. In 2014, she became a Director for the Erotic Author’s Guild. Her altruistic nature found its purpose, assisting other erotic authors with issues specific to the genre.

Genres/subject matter you can expect to see from Anita: Contemporary, Ménage, Erotic Romance, Paranormal Romance, Erotic Suspense and all things naughty.

Cyber-stalk Anita here...

Anita’s Den
Anita’s Goodreads Page
Anita’s Facebook Page
Anita’s page @ Syn Publishing
Anita’s Twitter Page

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To Serial or Not to Serial

Writing Serials

This topic has been discussed with me countless times in the last three months.  Today, I declared to my editor, “I refuse to publish serials.” There. I made a declaration.

Never say never…right?

Series v. Serial?

To make this easy, for those not well versed in literary lingo, I’ll drop this down to television viewing. I’ll even use my favorite show, The Blacklist.

Each week we get approximately 40 minute snippets of Elizabeth Keen and Raymond Reddington’s story. Each episode has a plot, an arc, and conflict resolution. However, there is a larger plot and arc, as well as a major conflict that we wait, not so patiently, to get the answer.

This is equivalent to a series. Now, let’s focus on a serial.

Imagine, you sit down to watch John Wick. You think you’re going to discover John Wick, what drives him, his conflict, and his resolution. You have your giant bowl of popcorn, your big guzzler 42 ounce fountain soda and a box of candy. You press play and for ten minutes, you discover John and what happened to his wife. Some Russians pull up at a gas station and admire his car. He speaks Russian to them.

That’s it. Movie’s over. You have to wait X weeks/months for the next ten minutes of the movie. Meanwhile your popcorn has grown mold and your soda looks like a lab experiment. Mice have chewed a hole in the corner of your theater box candy.

It could take a year, two, three or even the possibility of NEVER to discover what happens to John. Does he get his revenge? What happens with the Russians? How does John know to speak Russian? And I say NEVER because I’ve been around for a decade and a LOT of writers fizzle out when they discover how hard this business can be.

So why do I say never?

I’m not just an author. I buy books…a LOT of books. I love to read. I bought installments 1-3 of a serial and never saw installment 4 released. I’m still pissed off. Can you imagine getting emotionally invested in a story someone didn’t BOTHER to finish…and you SPENT YOUR MONEY on this bullshit?

Next…here’s my moral issue with it as an author. I know…I know… it’s not easy to make money with so many people flooding the market. I know, we’re trying to earn a living here but serials don’t make financial sense for me as a writer or an author and here’s why:

Most of my novels are around 50-60k words. If I broke that up into, say…15k word chunks, how do I price it?

Let’s do some self-publishing math. Most of my books are around $3.99. Self-publishing would pay me around $2.79 for said novel.

Those $0.99 books? Well, the author only receives 30% royalty on those books. We’ll round up to 30 cents.

So if I break my novel up into four pieces, and charged a buck each, I now make $1.20 for the whole book, but my costs have now quadrupled. No matter what, I have to pay for cover art, editing, ISBN assignment, and formatting. Now I have to pay for that four times.

If I just publish the whole novel for $3.99, I have those expenses once and I make $2.79 per book.  (And the reader receives an entire book, not “an episode.”)

But some authors are charging 1.99-3.99 for those partials. This means you could end up paying $15.96 instead of buying the whole book once for 4-5 bucks. The reader is getting screwed and so is the author. Either way you slice it.

I can’t do that. I just can’t. I’m not going to take the hit and I sure as HELL don’t want to do that to my readers.

That’s not all!

This isn’t the only problem. Part of the reason we authors go through SO MANY rounds of edits, is that during content edits, plot holes are found. They need to be fixed.

And…I’m sorry to say that most of the serial writers are new authors. They’re not writing these and editing them in advance, many of them (I know, because I read author blogs) publish the serials while they’re still writing.

So the holes can’t be plugged. The reader is getting screwed because if the author took their time and wrote the whole novel at once, this could be fixed.

I just can’t take part in this. Plotting out a seven book series has been a big enough challenge. I can’t won’t switch to writing serials.

I’m not taking a swipe at authors who are publishing serials. Some are making it work for them. Some have a very devout following. GOOD FOR THEM. Truly, I mean that. Grab that success and ride that train as long as you can.

But I can’t.

#Interview with @HoustonHavens

It’s no secret that Houston Havens and I are friends. We support each other online and comment on each other’s blogs, guest spots, and so on. A little history, Houston and I started off in the same (publishing) house. She was looking for reviews and a guest spot. I accepted and by the time I finished Sinful Surrender, I had to know this woman. Book 1 Syn Website Cover

She’s not only a phenomenal writer; she’s been a great friend and colleague. It’s rare that an author will reciprocate with marketing and such. Her sweet and naughty personality attracted me like a magnet. Now, she’ll never get rid of me. So yeah, what you’re about to read is a biased interview. I hope you enjoy!

 

Anita Cox: Houston, I’ve been pretty vocal about my obsession with your Psychic Ménage series. You hooked me with Sinful Surrender. I gobbled up Phantom Desire like a starving wild beast and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Exposed Ecstasy. I would apologize for pushing you so hard for Book 4 in your series, except I’m not sorry that I love this series.

BOOK 2 KINDLEBut I noticed not just a fantastic plot in each book, but an overall plot. Can you give my readers an idea of the overall theme and plot to this series?

Houston Havens: OMG Anita … with an introduction like that… I’m a little nervous now! Everyone will be expecting some fabulous woman with entertaining answers! *gulp* ….ok, here we go, but I have to address that awesome intro’ first! You’re right, it’s no secret you and I fit together as friends and authors like peanut butter and chocolate! The blend is YUMMY! And NEWS FLASH…I don’t want to ever ‘get rid’ of you! I adore you!

The overall theme of the series is based on technology that is in existence today. HAARP, Orgone, and Torsion Fields are all real…and there are rumors of not just the United States but other countries that have built underground cities for the elite to go to when predictions of our end; manmade or otherwise, come upon us. I took that knowledge and created the Psychic Ménage series.

I’m a TRUTH SEEKER at heart and I guess I should have been a book 3hardcore news reporter, but as we all know…news only come in the form of entertainment these days…with the real news being swept under the carpet.

So, I felt the only way to inform the public on what was really going on in our world was to blend reality into a form of fantasy. I did that by filling a gap I discovered in the erotic/erotica genre.

I found a lot of erotica was missing a basic PLOT. So, I mixed my love for romance and storytelling with my need to make people aware of the world around us with sex…sex sells and it sells well when it’s accompanied with a well told plot. I wanted to capture male readers as well as female…and I think I have by giving them a story with their sex. This is a series a wife can read to her husband and create a few hot night of her own! *wink*

HOWEVER, you know I can’t just be normal…in my storytelling…I love to braid my stories, so there are layers and layers to intrigue my readers. I have a series plot of the war between the Airbornes and the Dirt Dwellers that will find its conclusion in book seven, while each book has its own character relationships and sizzling sex plotlines. Each book finds its HEA at the end of the ‘book’s’ story.

Anita Cox: So let’s get into the nuts and bolts. How long did it take for your series plot to come together? Tell us how it came together.

Houston Havens: Believe it or not, I’d written a straight romance that dealt with this topic. So, a lot of it was already in my mind when I sat down to write this erotic-romance series. Each of the books in this series was written in 30 days…then I spent another six weeks or so polishing each book, fine-tuning the plots and characters. But, my books run about 100,000 words.

Anita Cox: Do you have any habits or rituals when you write? Me, I like to have a good strong cup of coffee.

Houston Havens: Of heavens…coffee’s a necessity isn’t’ it? Can’t imagine sitting down without that. My main habit is I have to get up and get dressed, just like those who go into an office everyday…yes, I dress for work. I’m not an author who works in a nightgown or sweats.

Anita Cox: Today’s market can make it a challenge for authors to stand out in a sea of other authors. How do you manage?

Houston Havens: OMG as best as I can…it’s all a guessing game, but in the end I feel like it all falls back on how well you as an author can show and tell your stories…all the best advertising in the world won’t help if you can’t show and tell an entertaining tale. So, newbies don’t rush your book to market until you hear your voice or you could be dumping your career as a bestselling author into the trash before you get started.

Anita Cox: You do such a fantastic job getting your reader emotionally invested in the characters, which is probably the seed to my obsession. Are there any tips you can give other writers as far as pulling in their reader?

Houston Havens: Deep POV… meaning you have to go into the head of your Point of View character and show and tell the readers what’s going on inside of him/her…aim for that exposure about every two sentences and in fact you’ll probably get an emotion out once or twice in a paragraph.

Anita Cox: Whose story are we going to see in Book 4 and have you picked a title? I’ll refrain from begging for a blurb as I know you’re still working on the book and that would be completely greedy of me.

Houston Havens: LOL – I can’t give you a blurb yet, but the title of book four is INTIMATE BETRAYAL. The story characters are Kindise, Jaden, and Sori…who the readers have met in the first three books.

Anita Cox: Okay, now the really good stuff. You’re going to be stranded on a desert island for a week with a hotty of your choice. Who do you take? (No, not your husband. We know he must be awesome to snag a model and author.)

HosutonHavensHouston Havens: LOL! Okay…so someone other than me hubby….I’d take Drakker from book one Sinful Surrender, or Nikias from book two Phantom Desire, or Faerydae from Expose Ecstasy…or Jaden from Intimate Betrayal.

Movie Star wise, Orlando Bloom, Brad Pitt, or Sean Connery!

Anita Cox: For one day, you can have whatever you want, regardless of dietary needs, allergies, fat to the thighs…like risk free anything for a day. What does Houston indulge in?

Houston Havens: I don’t indulge, but if I did, it would be Swiss & Brie cheese on crackers with mimosa!

Anita Cox: I’m interested to know what your favorite book was PRIOR to you becoming an author. Or, in the alternative, who was your favorite author?

Houston Havens: I LOVED Red October by Tom Clancy – Romance wise – I loved Johanna Lindsey

Anita Cox: Is that still your favorite? Why or why not?

Houston Havens: Yes…I love both those authors because they are awesome storytellers.

Anita Cox: Okay girl, I’ll let you get back to writing. Thank you for answering my insane questions. Please let my readers know where they can find you below:

Houston Havens: You can find me on my blog, Facebook, Twitter and the new Tsu.

Here are all of my links

Website: http://houstonhavensauthor.wix.com/houstonhavens

Blog: http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoustonHavens

Tsu:  https://www.tsu.co/HoustonHavens

Newsletter signup:http://wordpress.us3.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=62596b320d3ea4fb2a2f476c9&id=7c4395ff3f

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HoustonHavens

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104340584560714468515/posts

Tumblr: http://houstonhavens.tumblr.com

Booklikes: http://authorhoustonhavens.booklikes.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/24819699-houston-havens

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/houstonhavens/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOpU6OsngnhTac_JvTLItQ

Release Day! Saving Grace

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I have worked myself to the bone since October writing, editing, plotting…ok, not in that order.

I had already plotted the series when I was invited to join Paranormally Yours, so it was easy to toss a prequel in to give Grace’s backstory.

I finished writing Book 1 before the anthology was released and wrapped up Book 2, while the first was in edits. Oh, edits. I nearly cried. Just when you think you understand your craft, a good editor will dish out a slice of humble pie. I’m thankful she was so hard on me. She wanted nothing more than to put out a great book. Though I honestly don’t remember working so hard on a novel.

I digress! I’m super happy to announce that today is release day for Book 1, Saving Grace,  in my new series, Lycan Chronicles, an Erotic Paranormal Romance.

The Prequel, Pursuing Grace is currently only found in the anthology Paranormally Yours (until March.) There’s a sneak peek of Book 2, Resurrection, at the end of Book 1!!! So, without further ado…

AReDescription:

Already struggling with her royal status, Lycan Princess Grace McGovern faces the challenge of accepting a mate. The very sexy Roman LaRossa, is already infatuated with Grace. He’s also her pack’s Beta. As Grace’s was raised in the human world, she is determined to bring Lycan women’s rights up to speed, bringing them equality and protection for the violence they face from the Scottsboro pack’s supernatural puppy mill. Can Grace succeed in her goals or will the Scottsboro pack win by kidnapping her and using her to breed her royal blood into their pack until there’s nothing left of her?

Jagger Merrell, Alpha of the Scottsboro pack, takes great pride in his need to bring an end to the Lycan Clan and will do anything and everything he can to bring it and their too independently minded Princess, Grace McGovern to her knees. Will he finally rule the Kingdom of Lycan and tame this odd Alpha Princess once and for all?

Roman, the Belfast Pack’s Beta, has always loved Grace but will his chauvinist and controlling ways cause her to refuse him as her King?

Can Grace find love with Roman? Can Roman save her from Jagger? Who will win this battle of wills to rule the Kingdom of the Lycan?

Buy Links: Amazon  ARe    Google Play

 

 

Not as Glamorous…

When I read books by my favorite authors, I can almost see them writing, glass of wine…single malt scotch maybe. I envision them toiling away, pounding out their masterpiece.

Before I continue, I feel compelled to lay out two facts. The first being that I love and cherish my family. They are everything to me. It’s because of them that I push so hard, that I leave a legacy behind that takes care of them long after I’m gone.

The second, is that I know my frustrations are shared by others. That other authors struggle to find time to write, visit social media to stay relevant and current with the fan base, to give back to their author community in the way of shares, blog posts etc. Moving along…

My brain does not function properly in the morning. It just doesn’t. Writing productivity doesn’t happen until long after the sun is down. Sometimes, I can manage to write during the day when the spouse is at work, the son is at school etc. But even then, my cellphone chiming in with a text message, an email alert on my laptop, the dogs needing to go in and out a bajillion times…there are just so many interruptions it’s very hard to concentrate.

Let’s get visual here. Here I am, head down, fingers on the keys, coffee at hand. Commence scene. Writing is in blue, interruptions in red.

Grace McGovern lay wrapped in a sheet, staring at the ceiling as she reveled in the warmth coming from Roman, who slumbered next to her. It had only been 

cat

ooooooo….ewwwww..whineeee (Dogs need out.) Get up, open the door, let them into the fenced in back yard. Wait for them to come back in so it’s not another distraction. 

It had only been a matter of weeks since two strangers walked into her life the night she graduated college. They’d dropped a bomb shell on her. She was a Lycan—a wolf shifter. Kimmie’s got a nice butt. Gotta squeeze that butt. Ohhhhhh, Kimmie’s got a nice butt. (Husband singing loudly despite knowing I’m trying to concentrate.)

explosion

I manage not to throw knives, put noise reducing headphones on (with no music, mind you) and try to ignore what is making me barking fucking mad already.

Go back, read the few sentences I managed to write, and continue.

More than that, she was a Lycan princess…the last of her kind. Learning who and what she is was quite a shock, but even a harder pill to swallow WOW. WOW!wow

Spouse sees something interesting on Facebook. Sometimes even asks me to come look at it, because…I don’t have FB apparently and a funny meme or car accident is worth the distraction from my work.

Go back. Reread what little I’ve written. Try again.

but even a harder pill to swallow was her being a royal. She felt she handled it well. It had been a lot to take in, to accept. She was less startled by the wolf’s voice in her head, and visions of it lying there, or pacing around.

MOOOOOOOOM! I can’t find any socks. I’m hungry. What should I eat? Can Jimmy come over? (Son asks a bunch at once so…at least there’s that.)

head bangSo I began staying up later and later (3… 4 a.m. sometimes) and working in silence. It was working well. I could get up to 10k words written (I type really fast and my stories are plotted before I write.)

Then hubby gets laid off, stays up later, continues to interrupt.  He forgets what I’m trying so hard to do. It’s not that he doesn’t love me, he does. To his defense, I’m ALWAYS on the computer. I work upwards of 16 hour days. I might be able to work less if I could work more efficiently, but still…

sleepy kitty

And I’m exhausted most days. But I continue on. Writing, cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, shoveling, gathering firewood, repairing the transmission in my daughter’s car (yes, the actual repair, not sitting in the office of a mechanic.) Because my family needs me. And I need to write. So I sacrifice.

But I need to hear my characters. I need to see…no, feel the scene.

realityBecause if I can’t feel it, I can’t expect my reader to feel anything other than boredom. Boredom doesn’t sell books, nor does it win you fans.

Through constant interruptions I push on. The books get written. The emails get returned. The skype messages get answered. And a little bit of money comes in at the end of each month.

However, the end result is less than pleasant, which is why you don’t see a whole bunch of Anita selfies.

exhaustion

 

Fueled by Lust: Maxim by Celest Prater

SBB_TourBanner_FueledByLustMaxim copy

This post is part of a book blast for the launch of Celeste Prater’s newest book Fueled by Lust:Maxim. Celeste will be awarding one randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

MediaKt_BookCover_FueledByLustMaximA Siren Classic Erotic Sci-Fi Romance – Book 6

A simple turn of your head can change your life forever. That’s what Maxim Telarius will soon realize when he spots a female cracking up passengers at an airport counter. What he didn’t expect was to find his potential mate when the counter comedian inevitably trips over a suitcase and practically lands in his lap. One innocent touch and he’s fighting through a powerful mating surge and begging her not to leave.

One blink and she could be lost to him forever.

Skylar Grey is fleeing for her life with a mysterious object stuffed in her purse and no idea where’s she heading. When she spots a gorgeous hunk she just dreamed about, what’s a girl to do? Watching the guy twist on the floor in agony wasn’t what she envisioned. Should she run, or stay to help someone that seems extremely important to her survival?

Book 6 in the Fueled By Lust Series doesn’t disappoint on the erotic, set your hair on fire expectations of the Inside male.

Reader note: Series best read in sequence.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Just as he’d imagined, the ample rounded globes were perfect—firm, smooth, and ready for his hands to explore. She continued to turn and faced him again. One eyebrow lifted.

Her voice was low, yet strong.

“I hope you like big butts, because that’s what I have. No excuses, it is what it is.”

He lowered his voice.

Nilum autem perfectio, mellis. Nothing but perfection, sweetness. You made my knees wobble.”

She blinked a few times, and he saw her ribcage quickly expand and deflate. He sat on the edge of the bed and motioned her over.

“Come here.”

She approached and stood still as a statue in front of him. He reached out, gently captured her narrow waist, and slid his palms downward. He loved how curvy her hips were.

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to her belly. The punch of her pear-scented desire hit him hard. He fought the need to flip her on the bed and totally consume her, but he was far from ending the exploration. Maxim looked up to her expectant eyes, gently twisted her around until she faced the mirror across from the bed, and pulled her down to his lap.

“Lean back, baby. I want to feel your skin on mine.” He heard her sigh mix with his as their flesh joined. She was warm, soft, and pliable. He bit his lip when his cock lay trapped between their bodies. He undulated his hips once and shivered at the feel of it sliding along the seam of her ass. He reached forward, caught the inside of her thighs, and lifted them to drape on the outside of his. Gently, he spread his knees and widened her legs. He palmed both of her breasts and whispered close to her neck.

“Look at yourself, Skylar. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life.”

About the Author:

Celeste was born and raised in a small town between Dallas/Fort MediaKit_AuthorPhoto_FueledByLustMaximWorth and Austin. Wanting to see

more than her small Texas town, she joined the Marines, which satisfied her craving to see more of the U.S. and her drive to see if she could be one of the few and the proud.

A firm believer in educating the mind, Celeste has achieved several advanced degrees, the latest being a master’s of science.

Her true love is writing erotic romance, especially about alien hunks that know how to treat their females.

Drusus, Severus, Cato, Lucien, Caelius, Maxim and many more have swirled in her dreams until she had to bring them to life and allow them to find love within the pages of the Fueled by Lust book series.

Book 1 DRUSUS was nominated as Top 5 Finalist and placed 3rd in the 2014 RWA Passionate Ink’s 9th Annual Passionate Plume Book Contest in Erotic SciFi/Fantasy Category. Book 2 SEVERUS achieved BEST BOOK review rating and won April 2014 BOOK OF THE MONTH Reader Poll at LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS. Book 3 CATO won the May/June 2014 and LUCIEN the September 2014 BOOK OF THE MONTH Reader Poll at LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS. All currently released books in the series have made it into the Top 5 Bestseller Lists at Bookstrand.com within days of release as well as making it into the Top 10 Hottest New Releases in Erotic Science Fiction on Amazon.

Book Series Links

Bookstrand | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | Google + | Tumblr

a Rafflecopter

giveaway

#HopswithHeart Winter Warm-up #BlogHop

 

 

Winners Announced!!!!

Cheryl Drake Johnson you are the winner of the eBook ($10 or less) and Jean Torgeson White you are the winner of the CD.

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I’m not a cold weather girl. I prefer the sun and sand so generally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of winter. But I adore this time of year. People have recovered from the black eyes they received while Black Friday Christmas shopping.

Speaking of gifts, there are TWO rafflecopter contests in this post. One, from the hop itself and the other from yours truly

. a Rafflecopter giveaway I’m giving away an autographed CD from these guys: Revolution Machine Cover

and an eBook of your choice, up to $10 from any site. That’s right – YOUR CHOICE OF EBOOK! It doesn’t have to be mine, it can be anything as long as it is $10 or less.

Back to my post…as a mom, my favorite thing about this time of year is the excitement building in my kids. We make cookies, decorate the tree, sing along with Bing Crosby like we were at a live concert and enjoy our family.

I also love that my husband is predictable. Among the wonderful things he’ll give me will be a bag of whole bean, Starbucks French Roast and a pair of fuzzy slippers.

This time of year is about giving…giving to your friends and family and giving them your time. Gatherings of family and friends…merriment, this is what makes me adore this time of year.

In the spirit of giving, this hop has it’s own rafflecopter contest – A $75 Gift Card!!! https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3ad276f824/ You can enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

But that’s not all – the fun thing about a blog hop is that numerous blogs participate, increasing your chances of winning prizes! You can visit the hop at www.hopswithheart.blogspot.com

Merry Christmas!