The Importance of being a Hybrid Author in Today’s Volatile Publishing Marketplace

I started my career as a traditionally published author with Red Sage, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. I’ll forever be grateful that those publishers had faith in my writing ability, but in today’s publishing world, I believe it’s smart for an author to protect their career by investigating indie publishing as well.

A few years ago, self-publishing was transitioning from “vanity” press into something a lot less negative, rebranding itself as “indie” publishing. I belong to several author loops, and I began to hear about writers who had success self-publishing… both traditional authors who’d gotten their publishing rights back from older stories, and other writers who had  “niche” stories that the big publishers had rejected because they didn’t think they would sell. I was happy with my traditional sales, but because I’m a pragmatist, I decided to try this new publishing avenue.

My most recent book is a contemporary romance called Fear Of Flying, and it’s my “write what you know” book. Yes, I’m afraid to fly. And yes, a psychic once told me I’d never die in a plane crash, just like a psychic tells my heroine at the beginning of this story. And yes, I was a book publicist for two years just like Jessie Jordan in the book. I travelled the country helping non-fiction authors promote their new releases: cookbooks, art books, travel books.

This thinly-veiled autobiography was easy and fun for me to write, and I thought it was a good book to experiment with indie publishing.

Frankly, when I hit the “publish” button for that book, my hope was simply that anyone Googling Erica Jong might also find my version of Fear Of Flying and be intrigued enough to buy a copy. But an unexpected thing happened. In September, Erica Jong released a book called Fear Of Dying. Immediately, my sales of Fear Of Flying took off, and they’re still pretty good month to month!

So this was not an objective indie experiment, per se. I was lucky, but if you’re considering self-publishing, there are a few things you should know:

-Series sell better than single titles. Romance readers are voracious, and when they find an author they like, they’ll buy everything you’ve written. If you can hook them with a series, you’ll have a guaranteed readership.  

- Readers DO NOT CARE if you’re traditionally published or self-published, they just care that you’ve written a good book. Or let me clarify… a good, grammatically-clean, and copy-edited book. Self-published authors should have your book edited by an outside person, because nothing looks more “amateur” than misspellings, bad grammar and incorrect punctuation. Even if you’re absolutely convinced you’re an English maven, you as an author are so familiar with your story that you’re likely to miss obvious errors. And if you’re unsure that your fiction story WORKS… with Goal, Motivation & Conflict and your basic 3-act or 6-stage plot structure… you should consider hiring a content editor as well. 

-Your cover and your blurb are (almost) the most important parts of your book. Just like traditional publishing, the cover is the first thing that will draw a reader’s attention. Number two is the blurb… if your book doesn’t sound interesting in one or two paragraphs, a reader isn’t going to buy it. Then, as long as your story is satisfying, you’ll have a devoted reader. So hire a cover artist. And hire a professional formatter. You want to have the most professional product you can produce. In today’s crowded marketplace, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to stand out.

I’m sure there are a million other tips indie authors could give, but those are my top three. And as for me, I plan to keep a foot in both publishing camps (traditional and indie) because I believe it’s smart not to put all my career eggs in one basket.

What do you think of indie publishing? Read any good/bad books?

Leigh

www.leighcourt.com

Love Is The Answer - Guest Roz Lee

Love is the Answer

Family – any group of related things or beings.

Okay, so this isn’t the most common definition of family, but I like it better than any of the others. Perhaps that’s because some of my relatives fit under the ‘things’ category more than the ‘beings’ category. Shhhh! Don’t tell them I said that! I’m sure some of them think the same thing about me, so we’re even.

For the most part, we don’t get to pick our family – they’re given to us by birth, or they marry into the family – usually without asking the rest of us if we’re in agreement. I’ve sometimes wondered if it wouldn’t be more reasonable to vote on letting new people into the family. Say, your cousin wants to marry. Everyone would get a chance to meet the prospective bride, and then cast his or her vote. It’s a practical system, don’t you agree? That way, we’d have some say as to whom we’re related to.

If this had been the case in my family, I can think of a few who never would have made the cut. No one but the person they married liked them, and even that didn’t last. They should have just asked us, we could have told them they were wasting their time. We could have saved them a lot of heartache, and alimony too. But of course, that’s not the way it works. Larry McMurtry said it very well in Leaving Cheyenne - “…a woman’s love is like the morning dew, it’s just as apt to fall on a horse turd as it is on a rose.”

That’s a pretty cynical look at love, especially coming from a hopeless romantic, like me. But I’ve seen the truth in the statement, and I’m sure you have too. There isn’t any accounting for taste. So, when I was writing Four of Hearts, I kept coming back to one thing that bothered me the most. Why would anyone want more than one spouse? Marriage is hard enough when it only involves two people, so what would possess happily married people to enter into a committed relationship with someone else?

The answer is love. We have little choice in where our heart leads us. Yes, we can guide it with logic and common sense, sometimes. But just as often, our heart opens and lets someone in, against our better judgment. No amount of rational thinking will dissuade us from following a course of action that is sure to bring challenges. It’s how we handle those challenges that make the difference. We can choose to hide from them, or we can face them head-on.

My characters in Four of Hearts find themselves in uncharted waters, loving beyond their traditional marriages. Finding the right path for them is difficult – the road littered with challenges they couldn’t begin to conceive at the beginning of the relationship. There are no easy answers, and a wrong choice could destroy everything if they aren’t careful. In the end, believing in their love is the key.

Here’s a bit more about Four of Hearts. I hope you’ll enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Blurb –

Marriage hasn’t tamed Candace Callahan’s sexual curiosity, something her husband Ryan is grateful for, but when she asks him to tie her up for her anniversary present, he knows he’s going to need the help of their friends, Richard Wolfe and his wife, Fallon.

Dr. Fallon Enright is the resident sex therapist aboard the Lothario - the cruise ship co-owned by her husband and Ryan Callahan. When Ryan asks to participate in one of their couple’s rope bondage classes, Richard isn’t sure it’s a good idea, but Fallon assures him all will be well.

What begins as innocent curiosity, blossoms into a polyamorous relationship none of them could have expected, but they are powerless to ignore. When the tabloids expose their new lifestyle, the foursome must choose between the love they feel for each other, or accepting society’s moral constraints.

Excerpt –


Candace was through trying to understand him. After their first sexual encounter with Richard and Fallon, Ryan had retreated into his shell, and it had taken her a week to coax him back out. This time was different. This time he wouldn’t leave her alone. On some level, she knew it was a good problem to have, an attentive husband, but on another level, she wanted some time alone.

For two weeks, Ryan had dogged her steps like he was attached to her by an invisible cord. She couldn’t shower without him in the shower with her, or standing guard in the bathroom. The one time he left the island to check on the resort construction project, he’d insisted she go along. He was beginning to remind her of gum on the bottom of her shoe.

“Ryan, go away.”

“I’m okay here. Don’t mind me.”

“How can I not mind you? You’re making me nervous.” She waved the knife she was using to cut up the fruit for their lunch. “Go to the beach. Come back in half an hour. Lunch will be ready then.”

“I like watching you.”

Candace slammed the knife down on the counter. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you get back. I promise.”

The man was beyond exasperating. He slumped in the kitchen chair and crossed his
ankles and his arms. “I don’t want to go to the beach. I want to stay here.”

Candace walked around the kitchen island, pulled out another chair and sat. “Ryan, tell me what’s going on. Richard is emailing every day wondering when you’re going to do the Employee Performance Reviews. You follow me around like you’re stuck to my shoe. I’m not complaining about you being an attentive husband, but really, Ryan, is it necessary to be with me every second? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I just feel uneasy about being away from you.”

She gentled her voice and leaned in close. “I’m not going anywhere.” His eyes were hard, distant. “There’s something else going on. I can see it in your eyes. What are you afraid of?”

“I’m not afraid of anything. It’s…I don’t know. I can’t shake this feeling that our lives are changing and…I…I don’t want it to change.”

“Is this about the time we spent with Richard and Fallon? Are you afraid that changed things between you and me?”

“No. If anything, I love you even more than I did before, but yeah, this started then. I can’t explain it.”

“That was a special time, for all of us. Our relationship with them is different now because of it, but not in a bad way. I love you, Ryan. I love you more than I ever thought possible, but a part of me loves Richard and Fallon too. I wish we could all find a way to be together, but…”

“Don’t go there. We aren’t going there. I made promises to you, and I’m going to keep them.”

“Is that what this is about? Are you afraid your feelings for Richard and Fallon are the same as breaking your promises to me?” His silence confirmed her analysis. “Don’t you see? The promises we made to each other are still valid. Nothing in those promises prohibited us from loving beyond just you and me. I know you won’t act on your feelings without my consent, and you know in your heart, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. That’s how strong our love is. I’ll do anything to keep you, even deny my love to expand to include Richard and Fallon.”

“I don’t want you to deny your feelings. I want you to have everything. I’m trying to wrap my head around this, but our lives are changing in a way I don’t understand. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”

Candace sank to her knees between his, and took his hands in her own. His hard eyes pleaded with her to understand. “You’ll never lose me. I would give up anything, but you. You are non-negotiable.” She flashed her wedding band at him. “I have a no-trade agreement. You’re stuck with me.”

He pulled her to his lap and held her tight. “Same goes. No-trade.”

Author Bio –

Roz Lee has been married to her best friend, and high school sweetheart, for over three decades. These days she splits her time between their home in rural New Jersey, and Southern California, where her husband works. Even though she’s lived on both coasts, her heart lies in between, in Texas. A Texan by birth, she can trace her family back to the Republic of Texas. With roots that deep, she says, “You can’t ever really leave.”

Roz and her husband have two grown daughters they couldn’t be more proud of, and are currently raising a eleven-year-old Labrador Retriever, Betty Boop, who isn’t aware of her canine heritage.

When Roz isn’t writing, she’s reading, or traipsing around the country on one adventure or another. No trip is too small, no tourist trap too cheesy, and no road unworthy of traveling.


Find Roz –

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Buy links –

Red Sage
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

Guest: Maree Anderson + Book Giveaway!

The One Where Maree Eats Humble Pie

By Maree Anderson

Thanks heaps for having me as your guest on Fierce Romance, Nicole. I had a ball last time I was here (and I’m thrilled that I was well-behaved enough for you to ask me back *g*)

I used to believe I was incapable of writing an outline and pre-plotting an entire book before I sat down to do the fun stuff – yanno, the writing-and-wondering-what’s-gonna-happen-next-bit. *VBG* I was a seat-of-the-pants writer. Period. But last year, because I’m, like, a total sucker for punishment, I decided that I was going to give this plotting business my best shot. After all, loads of other writers do it. And if I’m ever in the position of selling books to editors based on outlines, I needed to know how to do it, right?

Right.

So how did it go?

I shudder at the memory. Kidding! Kinda….

It took about three or four days before I was totally happy with the outline. (And perhaps I shouldn’t mention it was like pulling teeth with a pair of fricking pliers. And that I did A LOT of wandering round the house muttering to myself and finding excuses to procrastinate. Like doing housework. You know there’s something up when you’d rather vacuum the house than write an outline.) But it was worth it in the end, because then I got to reward myself with the fun stuff.*cue me rubbing my hands together with glee*

Then b*gger me (as we say in New Zealand - and not in a rude way) as soon I started writing, one of my main characters went neener neener neener! and decided to change professions. So there went a somewhat crucial aspect of my carefully planned goal, motivation and conflict between the hero and heroine. Nooooo!

“Oh, come on!” I whined to my muse (who by this stage was snickering in a most unladylike fashion). “Don't do this to me! What’s the point of plotting if my characters aren’t gonna stick to the darn plot?” No answer from Ms Muse. She was too busy having fun at my expense - evil beyotch.

Mutter mutter growl growl. Okay. Okay. It's not the end of the world. Just go with it, Maree.

I went with it.

And about five thousand words into the story I got smacked upside the head with another curve ball. My editor emailed me to ask if I had a novella ready to submit. Like, now. Because the publisher had a gap that needed filling. And it’d be a chance to submit a novella for the next Red Sage Secrets anthology. Which meant I’d finally achieve my dream of being in print.

Since the “Are you freaking kidding me?" response that sprang to my fingers didn’t seem appropriate (*g*), I told her I had something in the works. Only trouble was that it’d been planned as a novel-length non-erotic romance. But hey, since it was already fully plotted (there's that heinous word again) I could have a go at scaling it back to a novella and get it to her by, say, the end of the month?

Three weeks. Gulp. (I tried really hard not to think about that whole three weeks thing for fear I’d get writers block.)

“What the heck,” she said. “Go for it, and see how quickly you can get it to me.”

So I went for it.

And despite some plot tweaks – like, having to get the hero and heroine er, “together” really early on (*cough* erotic romance *cough*), and secondary characters who had far too much to say for themselves, I had a ball writing the story. And an incredibly short time later, I typed The End on the last page of a 30,000 word novella, Kat On A Hot Tin Roof. I’d written 25,000 words, and rewritten the first 5000, in three weeks.

Better still, my editor gave me the best feedback I could ever ask for when she emailed me with: "I absolutely loved it. Made a bad day go by fast! And to me, the ultimate recommendation for a story is that it gets the reader through a bad day."

She also said my story was howlingly funny, deliciously tender and super-hot - not that I’m blowing my own trumpet or anything. Aw, what the heck. Toot! Toot! *grins and buffs fingernails on the front of her pjs* (Mind you, I suspect the howlingly funny part might be a nod to my heroine’s Grandma Louise, who lives in a retirement home and refuses to age gracefully. She’s a terrible flirt and she constantly gives the staff conniptions with some of her antics. Moon-hopper races, anyone?)

So, there you go. This pantser is eating a big slice of humble pie, because I truly believe that without plotting and outlining Kat On A Hot Tin Roof before I started, I would not have been able write it so quickly, and I’d have lost my opportunity to have a novella published in a print anthology - my first ever story to go to print. SQUEEEEEE! Mmm. Maybe this plotting business has some merit, after all ;-)

BTW, that slice of humble pie I'm eating? It's apple. With a large scoop of hokey-pokey ice-cream. My favorite!

And if you’d like to read an excerpt from KAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, please click here.
 (Warning, readers must be 18 years or over. *cough* erotic romance *cough*)

Time for a giveaway!

Unfortunately I can’t give away a copy of Secrets Volume 30 as I’d planned, but…. Instead, I’d like to offer one commenter (chosen at random) who answers my easy peasy question, their choice of any eBook from my backlist:

Even Demons Get The Blues (Demons, Book 1)
Let Sleeping Demons Lie (Demons, Book 2)
From The Ashes
Scent Of A Man

So if you’d like to enter the giveaway, please leave a comment telling me the answer to this question:

What is Jace’s private nick-name for Kat when he first sees her?

Hint 1: the initials are M-K
Hint 2: the first word is “Miss”
Hint 3: Shhh. Don’t tell anyone, but the answer is in the excerpt ;-)
Hint 4: You can always wait for someone else to leave a comment with the answer, and copy their answer... but then you'll miss out on all the fun of reading the excerpt!

Note:
~To enter the giveaway, you must be 18 years or over *cough* erotic romance again! *cough*
~Please indicate your choice of prize with your comment.

Cheers,

Maree Anderson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Maree:

Maree always knew she had a reeeeally warped imagination. The trouble was finding a socially acceptable outlet... which is why she became an author.

The other great thing about being an author is having a valid reason to read loads of books -- all in the name of research, of course. When she's not 'researching', Maree's writing romance of the paranormal persuasion. She's a Kiwi, a New Zealander, and she's addicted to chocolate -- the darker the better. Not to mention coffee and excellent NZ wine. She's not quite so addicted to her local gym but she's working on it ;-)

Maree’s Website
Facebook author page
Twitter

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SECRETS VOLUME 30: DESIRES UNLEASHED

COX CLUB ~ Alice Gaines
At the urging of her best friend, Andi Crawford visits an exclusive club in order to find some sexual satisfaction after her divorce. The last person she expects to find at a place like Club Cox is her overbearing ex-husband, Blake. But, he’s there and as tempting as ever. Can she maintain her independence, or will she surrender to the intense physical pleasure only he can give her?

KAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ~ Maree Anderson
Workaholic architect, Jace Burton, inadvertently flashes Kat Meyer, who later turns up at a crucial meeting…and seduces him in the bathroom. She’s one of the designers vying to impress him. And boy, is he impressed to discover her prowling his house—naked. Kat has no clue what’s causing her nocturnal wanderings. And when Jace discovers she’s the victim of a zodiac curse, will he fight to keep her, or run for the hills?

KELLEN’S CONQUEST ~ Anne Kane
As an Alph-Elite warrior, Kellen is used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is the sexy data thief, Mia. Problem is she won’t admit she wants him or that someone is trying to kill her. It takes all of Kellen’s mutant strength and Mia’s streetwise smarts to keep her alive long enough to unravel a vicious plot for revenge.

SCOUNDREL IN A KILT ~ Nicole North
Brodie, Chieftain of Clan McCain, is a dark, sensual Scottish scoundrel, who likes nothing more than being a selkie shape-shifter, even if he has been cursed by a witch of the dark arts. Stunning, modern day supermodel, Erin Schultz, blazes into his 1621 world like a falling star. Though he’s certain she will shatter life as he knows it by breaking his curse, he can’t resist her tantalizing seduction.

Secrets Volume 30: Desires Unleashed available now from Red Sage Publishing, and coming soon to good bookstores 

Falling In Love

This week's theme at Fierce Romance is love and romance. After all, this is the week leading up to Valentine's Day. And all of us here love to talk about love and romance, it's probably our favorite topic. At least it's mine, and therein lies the problem. How to pick just one topic, something specific enough to not overwhelm one little blog post.

Then I remembered a statistic I read about romance readers. I wish I could remember where I read it, I'd give credit where it's due, but the fact was that one of the most important parts of a romance, to the reader, is the moment when the hero or heroine realize they've fallen in love. It struck a chord when I read that, because I totally agree. As readers we want to experience that emotional moment of actually falling in love. It's wonderful, right? It's uplifting, isn't it?

Well, I was actually suprised when I scanned some of my stories to post examples. In most of these moments, the character is not exactly happy about falling in love.


This is from my first novel with Samhain, The Ride of Her Life:

Oh, no. She clamped her hand over her mouth before the cry could escape. How had this happened?

Not the lovemaking. She knew perfectly well how that had happened. And it had been wonderful. Everything she’d dreamed of and more. But this situation hadn’t ended up the way she’d planned. She’d been naïve enough to believe if she had one or two memorable nights of sex with Dean, she could go back to Buffalo a happy woman.

But now, the memories weren’t enough. A few nights weren’t enough.

She wanted more. She wanted Dean. She wanted happily ever after.

Sarah angrily brushed away the tears that slipped from her eyes. What was wrong with her? She knew better. She knew what she couldn’t have. But it obviously didn’t matter.

She had fallen in love with Dean.

Stupid. How could she be so stupid? Falling in love with him was the last thing she wanted to do. She thought she knew what she had been getting into. She thought she had her emotions under control.

Now she looked down at the man sleeping beside her and knew she would go back to Buffalo with a broken heart.


And from one of my Red Sage Secrets novellas from Vol 24, Bad to the Bone:

Insatiable. That was a word Annie never thought would apply to her. She couldn’t get enough of sex with Luke. Would it always be this way? Well, of course, it wouldn’t because he wouldn’t always be with her. Someday, in the very near future, she would have to do without Luke, without sex with Luke. What would she do then?

Just like driving another car just wouldn’t be the same, neither would being with any of the other bad boys out there.

And now he wanted to fulfill a fantasy she’d forgotten she even mentioned. But he remembered, the shit. He was supposed to be a bad boy. He wasn’t supposed to make her fall for him.

It wasn’t fair. She wasn’t supposed to fall in love with the first bad boy she found.


And even when I found an example when the character wasn't sorry he'd fallen in love, there's still a conflict to overcome, which is the second lesson I think we need to take away from this. This is from my Ellora's Cave novel, Chains of Desire:

He’d been so stupid to underestimate his little slave. Didn’t he already know how strong and brave she was? She could take on anyone. Even his archenemy. She didn’t need him to protect her.

And he knew in that moment that he loved Hanna. What he felt for her was so much more than the mere devotion of a Master and his slave. How could he have ever doubted it? He loved her and now he might never get the chance to tell her.

The moment when the hero or heroine realizes they've fallen in love usually isn't the happily ever after moment we crave. It's a moment we all want to read, but that doesn't mean all the problems have been solved. In fact, it often means some of those problems are just beginning. And I've found there are usually two of those moments in every book because it is seldom that both characters realize they love the other at the same time.

What about you? Would you feel let down if you couldn't experience the falling-in-love moment? I know I would.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Backlist Eye Candy

It's another Eye Candy week at Fierce Romance! Sitting at my desk, looking at the awesome wall of covers my hubby made for me, I thought I should share some of the eye candy I get to look at every day. :)

I've been lucky to get a lot of hot male chests on my covers. Like this cover from my very first release from Ellora's Cave, Nothing to Fear.



And how about this sexy pirate from my eRed Sage release, Quinn's Curse?



And how about the abs on this sexy photographer hero on the cover of another release from eRed Sage, Dark Angel?



Red Sage has given me some excellent eye candy. Here's the big, bad Wolfe from The Better to Eat You With.



And I know this post is titled Backlist Eye Candy, but I couldn't resist including the cover from my upcoming release from Samhain, Flaunt It. You can't get much better than the back view of my bartender hero.



Actually, I'm missing three covers on my wall. I'm going to have to give my hubby a nudge to print, frame and hang my last three covers. It's not only inspiring, it's an awesome dose of daily eye candy.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

A Ghost and a Haunted House

This is Halloween Week. A spooky week of ghosts and witches and goblins. Costumes and trick or treating and haunted houses. I thought I'd take a peek at my backlist and feature a couple stories that fit right in with this week's theme.

Ghosts - Quinn's Curse from eRed Sage:



Cursed to wander Logan Point, lusty pirate Nathaniel Quinn must resist the call of the sea. But nobody said anything about resisting a beautiful woman like Miranda Kent, the newest owner of the lighthouse. So what if their love is doomed? Doom is familiar territory for a ghost like Nathaniel....
Where do bad boys go when they die? If the bad boy is a pirate captain, he goes to shore.
Cursed to haunt dry land for three hundred years, forbidden to touch the ocean he loves, Nathaniel Quinn’s spirit lingers near the Logan Point Lighthouse until his sentence is served. All he wants is an end to the three hundred year curse so he can haunt the seas instead of the shores.
That’s all he wants, that is, until the day Miranda Kent buys the lighthouse with the intent to turn it into a bed and breakfast. She hopes the presence of a ghost will bring in the tourists, but Quinn has finally found a benefit to his time on land.
She can hear him. See him. Touch him. He may only have a short time remaining at the lighthouse, but at least now he can enjoy it like a sailor on shore leave.
But pleasure turns to impending pain as these doomed lovers discover they’re touching more than each other’s bodies. They’re touching each other’s hearts. The long-awaited end of Quinn’s shore curse might just mean a different kind of curse…
Because an eternity sailing the seas might also be an eternity separated from the woman he loves.

Haunted House - Nothing to Fear from Ellora's Cave



Mason's dark good looks and domineering personality give Kelly all sorts of forbidden fantasies that frighten her. When she agrees to help out at the community Halloween haunted house, she never expects to be tied to a bed, playing damsel in distress to Mason's masked, whip-wielding villain.

Kelly can't run away from Mason this time. He knows she's fighting her sexual needs and he hopes that a few hours of playing out her fantasies with him will prove to her that bondage — and Mason — are nothing to fear.

If you're in the mood for a little Halloween romance, both Quinn's Curse and Nothing to Fear are still available for download.

So do you have any other recommendations for Halloween related romance?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

To Tell the Truth

No one likes a liar. Yet, keeping secrets or not telling the "whole" truth is a well known way of creating or sustaining conflict in a story. Often the reader is aware that one character isn't being truthful to the other and they know that the trainwreck is coming when the truth is revealed.

If it's not done right, this device might seemed contrived, if it's well-motivated, I think it can work really well. After all, are we all totally truthful to each other in real life? It's often easier to avoid conflict by avoiding the whole truth, perhaps telling one of those "little white lies" or maybe just leaving out the uncomfortable part of the story.

I admit to using this device in several of my stories.



In my Red Sage novella, Dark Angel, Julie doesn't tell Rafe the "whole" truth about why she sought him out to find out what happened the night her sister died. But then, Rafe, avoids telling her the truth of the events of that night for most of the story.



In my Ellora's Cave novel, Chains of Desire, Hannah lies about who she is - as a decoy for her princess, she must. But Jarrod lets her think he's something he's not as well.



In my Samhain contemporary romance, The Ride of Her Life, Sarah is not entirely truthful with Dean when she talks him into giving her a ride across the country on his Harley. But then again, Dean isn't entirely truthful with Sarah either, about what he's doing with his life now. Both of them avoid telling the truth, but when it comes out, they might as well have outright lied.

Sarah took another swallow, then cleared her throat. She looked up at him with those big eyes, took a deep breath and blurted, “Take me with you.”

Dean wasn’t sure what he expected, but it certainly wasn’t that. “What?”

“You’re leaving for Los Angeles in the morning, right?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“From Jennifer Krusick’s son. I want to go with you.”

“Sarah, I don’t understand. If you want to go to California, you can drive there yourself. You don’t want to ride on my bike.”

“Yes, I do. Anyway, my car died this morning.”

“Take a plane. It’s a lot quicker too.”

“I don’t want quicker. I want interesting. I want exciting.”

Heaven help him. Sarah Austin wanted excitement. “By the time we get to L.A. on my bike, your whole vacation will be gone.”

“I have a lot of vacation time saved up.”

“This is crazy.”

She laughed, but it wasn’t a light, happy sound. “I know. Please take me to L.A.”

He frowned. There was desperation in her face, in her voice, and he didn’t understand it. “Why do you want to go to California?”

She took a step closer to him. He could smell a light, flowery scent, probably from her hair. The shiny strands looked so soft he almost reached out to touch them before he caught himself and pulled his hand back. He stepped away before he could try it again.

“It doesn’t matter why I want to go,” she said, determination rising in her voice. “I’ll pay for everything. All the gas. The food. The lodging. Everything.”

“Sarah?” He stepped closer again, even though he knew he shouldn’t. He must have been allergic to that scent she wore because he felt a little dizzy, a little off-center around her. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Some emotion he couldn’t identify flashed in her eyes. “If you won’t take me, I’ll hitchhike.”

“Be serious.”

“I’m perfectly serious.”

“Sarah, be sensible about this.”

She started to shake and her face turned as red as it had this morning, but Dean could tell the difference between embarrassment and anger. This time he’d ticked her off royally.

But damn if she didn’t look fine. This was not the meek and mild little Sarah he remembered sitting on her front porch with her nose in a book. This Sarah was vibrant and alive. Her eyes sparkled. Her skin glowed.

He wanted to know more about her. What had she been doing all these years? What was going on with her now?

He wanted to give in to the crazy urge to pull her into his arms and discover what her body felt like beneath the baggy clothes. He wanted to kiss her and find out what her passion tasted like.

As he entertained his lustful thoughts, he saw Sarah pull herself together. Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, she relaxed her clenched fists. She stared at him through narrowed eyes and set the root beer bottle on the coffee table.

“Thanks, anyway.”

I've noticed in each of these examples, both of my characters have not been entirely truthful with the other and I think this is important, especially in the reader's mind. If only one of the characters was lying, there may be lots of negative reactions. But if neither one of them is being truthful, it tends to balance things out.

So do you like stories where the characters keep the truth from each other?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Recapping the Romances

My last release was November 1, 2009. That was five months ago. Besides the print release of Binding Ties this summer, I have no other releases scheduled. After a couple years of multiple releases, it feels so strange to not be working around and planning for release days.

Of course, I have submissions I'm waiting to hear on or ready to be sent out and I'm working on my first single title length manuscript. I thought today I'd just do a little recap of my recent releases. So enjoy the covers and read a few nice things reviewers have had to say.




The Better to Eat You With was my most recent release from Red Sage Presents. A twisted take on little Red Riding Hood, I've been very pleased with its reception.
It received a great review from Dark Divas Review:
"...you can’t help but fall in love with Wolfe, the same way grandma does. Two thumbs up to Ms. Moore for providing us with a smart, sexy, scorching hot, erotic fairy tale that’s nothing like what your grandmother use to read at bedtime. Or…maybe it is. I would definitely recommend The Better to Eat You With to my friends.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by AJ!"




Bound by Design was released by Samhain Publishing in September. This novella will be part of the print anthology Binding Ties which, as I mentioned above, will be released this summer. It got 5 Lips from Victoria at Two Lips Review:

"Have a tall, cool drink handy because once you start Natasha Moore’s Bound By Design, you will surely need it! Ms. Moore sure packs a lot of heat into this novella... Bound By Design is a sexy novella that will have you squirming in your seat as you furiously flip its pages while two wounded souls find BDSM bliss in each others’ arms."



Two Lips Review also gave a great review for Chains of Desire, a novel from Ellora's Cave that is available both as a download and in print.
"After finishing Ms. Moore’s Chains of Desire, you’ll want to book your own trip to a faraway galaxy in search of your own lustful Doms and their magical cream which takes all the hurts away!"



I also had another print release from Ellora's Cave in 2009. The anthology Sapphire Sizzle includes my story, Lia's Warrior. Lia's Warrior received a great review from Alternative-Read.com:
"I like the structuring in this one, the ideas and questions that a strong, simple, smart man brought forth to those "in power", with the courage to fight for who and what he believed in. And let's not forget that sweet, but steel encased in velvet woman who finally decided what was truly important- seeking truth before blindly believing (oh, yeah... and love of course)."

I hope I'll have news of more upcoming releases soon. Until then, check out any of these hot, emotional stories. Or stop by my website to see all my available releases.

Have a great week!

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Great Reviews for The Better to Eat You With

I was thrilled to get two awesome reviews for my latest Red Sage release, The Better to Eat You With. As part of a Fairy Tales Go Naughty week, I was interviewed for the Savvy Reader's Blog and had the first of my great reviews over at Book Junkie.

You can check out the interview here .

And you can read the review here, which said in part:
"This is my first read from Natasha and I don't think I could have started with a more romantic read. Truly romantic and beautiful telling to two lovers re-united after a lifetime has passed them by."

Then I stumbled upon this Recommended Read review from Dark Diva Reviews. You can read it here. It says in part:
"The Better to Eat You With is sexy, provocative, erotic, and will have you panting at the end of every page. I love how Elise is feisty, sensual and unafraid to embrace her sexual desires and needs. Ms. Moore definitely knows how to write a short story that packs a punch and will have you begging for more."

I love this little story and am so thrilled that others agree.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

February - The Month of Love

As lovers of romance, we don't need an excuse to celebrate love. But the rest of the world likes to use February, as the month of Valentine's Day, to talk about love and romance. Here at Fierce Romance, we like to talk about those subjects all the time!



Red Sage is kicking off a brand new, up-to-date website to help you to more easily access their erotic and emotional stories of love and romance. There were admittedly some problems with the old site and I just want to point out that anyone who wanted to buy a copy of my November release, The Better to Eat You With, (or any other Red Sage title) but had a problem accessing the link, I'm happy to let you know that the glitches are fixed. You can now get your very own copy of my twisted take on the Little Red Riding Hood tale. Be sure to check out the new website.



And don't forget to stop over to the Red Sage Revealed blog. All month Red Sage authors are blogging about their hottest heroes and heroines and giving away free books as well!

Nothing is more romantic than a kiss. It's so intimate, lips brushing, breaths mingling, bodies only a heartbeat away, or maybe pressed up against each other. I love romantic movies and movie kisses get me everytime.

I'm up for some good romantic movies to watch this February, um and the other 11 months of the year. I'm ready to add to my Netflix queue. What movies would you recommend??

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Giving Thanks

Time goes by so fast and life is so busy, that we often forget to thank the important people in our lives. At the risk of missing somebody (and I'm sure I will) this is my Thanksgiving week thank you post. In case I've forgotten to say it...

Thank you to my husband, who's been my biggest supporter for years before I made a sale and continues to celebrate my good news and give me hugs for the bad news, and puts up with my being holed up in my office for hours on end.

Thanks to my kids for being my loudest cheerleaders and giving me the inspiration to lead by example and show them they can achieve what they put their minds to.

I have more writing friends than I can mention and many of them have contributed to my career and my life, a few in no particular order, Juliet, Lacey, Rhonda, Mary Ann, Chell, and Tasha. I'm thankful for my local RWA chapter, Western NY Romance Writers - every one of these women has been an inspiration and I'm grateful for their support. The same with the Passionate Ink chapter, a wonderful group of women who share a love of romances that sizzle. And thank you to all the Romance Divas, a forum for romance writers that is the supportive and giving place a writer's group should be.

I'm so thankful for my editors, Laurie, Theresa, and Bree. You each have made my stories the best they can be with your comments and suggestions, your support and encouragement. I'm lucky to have each one of you. I'm grateful to write for three publishers, Samhain, Red Sage and Ellora's Cave. I hope all three will continue to keep me busy writing new stories for years to come.

And thank you to all the Fierce Romance authors. You are a wonderful group of writers and I enjoy every thoughtful, fun, and eye-catching post that runs on this blog.


I want to thank all the wonderful writers out there who wisk me away from the stresses of life and let me experience life and love along with your characters. Life would be dreary without you.

And last, but in no way least, I want to thank all the readers out there. The ones who shoot me a note letting me know you've loved my stories, and the ones who don't say a thing but continue to buy and enjoy my stories. I wouldn't be here without you.


Happy Thanksgiving!
Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Clash of the Covers!!

Embrace the Shadows, a blog by authors Suzanne Rock, Barbara J. Hancock and Dawn McClure, holds a weekly Cover Clash, pitting three covers against each other to be voted on by readers. I was notified that the cover for my new release, The Better to Eat You With, is up for best cover this week!



I'm thrilled that my cover was chosen! It is an awesome cover, and my editor at Red Sage worked hard to make sure we had the best cover for the story. Red Sage's art department came up with a perfect big, bad Wolfe cover.

But, OMG! I'm up against Lauren Dane and Christine Feehan!!!!

So if you get a chance, would you go over to Embrace the Shadows and check out the three gorgeous covers chosen for the Cover Clash, and vote for The Better to Eat You With.

As a little incentive, I'll give you another excerpt:

He skimmed a finger along her ribcage and traced a circle around her breast. “We were good together, weren’t we?”

The shivers just one finger sent through her body reminded her of just how great they had been together. “Think we can still be that good?”

He raised his eyebrows and grinned the cocky smile that had hooked her the first time she’d seen it. “Are you kidding? We can be even better.”

A shiver of anticipation sent goose bumps dancing along her skin. She slid her hand into his and led him through her cozy living room and the never-used dining room, to the small bedroom in the back corner of the cottage.

Elise had indulged in her love of white lace after her husband died, covering the bed and window with yards of it. There’d never been a man in here in all that time. She thought Wolfe would look out of place here with his dark hair and faded blue jeans, but he seemed to fit right in, and in that moment she wondered if she was making a mistake.

She turned away from him and closed the door against the doubts and worries. It was too late now for second thoughts. Wolfe reached around her and turned the lock, a completely unnecessary gesture except for the symbolism. He was clearly telling her that there was no escape. Then he crossed the room to the window and closed the blinds. He’d turned her bedroom into a shadowed den. Somehow she’d lost control of the situation.

Had she ever had control?

He came up behind her and lifted her heavy hair off her neck. “Your hair is still the color of fire.” He ran his lips along the curve of her throat and she wanted to cry from the memories he brought rushing back. “Mmm,” he murmured, his breath whispering across her skin. “I always loved the way you smelled, like sunshine and lavender.”

Elise turned around and slid into his embrace. She breathed him in and tried not to listen to the charming words that rained from his mouth.

“That feels good,” she couldn’t stop from saying. “You always made me feel good.”

“I’m glad.” He ran his hands up her bare back, tracing a line of shivers along her skin. “That’s all I ever wanted to do.”

Really? Then why did you leave me with a broken heart?

Stop over at Embrace the Shadows and vote for your favorite cover!

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Under the Kilt Contest

Hi everyone, To celebrate the Nov. 1 release of my new erotic romance novella from Red Sage, Kilted Lover, I'm having an Under the Kilt contest for the next two weeks. I'll chose one winner to receive a copy of my ebook. And one winner to receive a pair of handmade Celtic earrings (silver and peridot) inspired by the amulet in the story. Here's how to enter: In a comment below, tell me what's worn under a kilt. I'll choose two winners at random. :) Further details below.

As you may already know, there are a lot of fun answers to "what's worn under a kilt?" Like: On a good day, lipstick. Or like in the song, The Scotsman, a blue ribbon. Of course, the heroine of Kilted Lover, Leslie, discovers up close and personal what the hero, Scott, wears under his kilt.

Kilted Lover: When kilted caber-tosser Scott MacPherson tosses Leslie Livingston over his shoulder to rescue her from two armed thieves trying to steal her priceless amulet, they are thrust into a deadly but sexy adventure. Though Leslie already has a lukewarm, uninterested boyfriend, her attraction to Scott is white-hot and undeniable. She wants to lick this tall, muscular alpha male all over and explore the depths of eroticism with him. But will he want anything more than one night once the danger is behind them?

Recently, I had an interview posted at Night Owl Romance, including an excerpt from Kilted Lover and one from Beast in a Kilt.

To remind you: Here's how to enter: In a comment below, tell me what's worn under a kilt. I'll choose two winners at random. You have until Nov. 3 to enter. Please either include your email address in your comment or check back on Nov. 3 to see if you won. (Winners will need to respond or contact me within 7 days of the announcement.)
Thanks!
Nicole North

My Interview with NBC Nightly News

By Leigh Court

I was recently interviewed by NBC Nightly News as part of a story on the national recession, and in particular, about how pop culture (TV, movies, music, books) both reflects the state of the economy as well as offers a temporary escape from it (of which romance novels are the perfect example).

But what led up to that interview may be the real story!

My phone rang at noon on Friday, July 24. It was Chris Jansing from NBC Nightly News, who told me about one particular angle of the story -- how romance sales are hotter than ever, despite the dire economy. And she wanted to interview me as a representative of the romance industry!

After I’d picked my jaw up off the floor and agreed to the interview, I realized this was going to be a serious piece, featuring both the president of programming for HBO as well as someone from the Annenberg school at USC. So I wanted to look and sound as professional as possible, in order to ensure that the romance industry was taken as seriously as those two men.

Out of the closet came the yellow suit that I knew would look good on camera. Chris had mentioned on the phone that she basically wanted to ask me just one question -- why, in a recession, are romance novels hotter than ever? So as I was getting dressed, I carefully practiced my answer in the bathroom mirror.

At 4pm, I arrived at the NBC Los Angeles bureau in Burbank. What a beehive of activity that place is! If you saw Chris’ story on TV, you may have noticed that my interview took place right in the newsroom, with people walking behind me, talking out loud, and even moving things around. As if I wasn’t nervous enough!

But when the cameras started rolling, the most amazing thing happened. All the background noise seemed to disappear, and all I could hear was Chris asking the question I’d spent so long in front of my mirror answering. So I told her how women read romance novels because they want a break from their stressful lives, to escape – even if only for a few minutes -- into a story that’s guaranteed to have a happy ending. That women want to know, when they close that book, their mood will be uplifted. And romance novels do exactly that.

Phew, I thought. I did good.

But then… Chris kept talking. Kept asking me questions. I felt the blood rush out of my face as I tried to concentrate on what she was saying, while my brain was thinking -- what? Wasn’t my answer good enough?

But Chris, you see, is an experienced reporter. By continuing to ask me questions I hadn’t prepared for, she forced me to relax enough to loosen up and just talk to her. Girl to girl. And ironically, that’s when I shared something I’ve always believed. “You know,” I told her, “if you’re stressed or depressed, the bottom line is – romance novels are a lot cheaper than therapy.”

And of course, that’s the quote she used. Clever woman, that Chris Jansing!

I’m only on camera for about 8-seconds, but Chris showed a picture of Secrets Volume 27: Untamed Pleasures leading into my soundbite, so I was absolutely thrilled with the way this story turned out! Here’s the link if you missed it when it aired on NBC Nightly News on Sunday, July 26: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#32157747

I can honestly say it was one of the highlights of my life, even if I was a nervous wreck during most of it. Absolute. Nervous. Wreck.

Leigh Court and The Bet

We're thrilled to have Leigh Court as our guest today. Her story appears in Secrets Volume 27 Untamed Pleasures. Thanks for being here, Leigh. Please tell us about The Bet. And do you have a review you could share with us?

Sarah Silversmith at Romance Readers Connection gave my story a rave: "THE BET is a sensuous story that had me captivated the whole time I was reading it... my favorite of the anthology."

Awesome review! What do you find most difficult about writing erotic historical romance?

Well, if I'm honest, the hardest thing for me about erotic romance is that it tends to be more graphic than mainstream romance. Don't get me wrong -- sex is undeniably a big part of romance whether it's EroRom or mainstream, but I guess that's why I write historical. It lets me be "comfortably vague" about certain body parts!

Your story mentions an erotic work of literature. Can you tell us about how you researched it and worked it into your story?

My story THE BET in Secrets Volume 27 relies heavily on the Kama Sutra. My hero Damian makes a bet with a friend that he can seduce a virgin (my heroine Claire) using only his words. But Damian knows there's a good chance the virginal Claire won't even understand what he's talking about, so he gives her a copy of the Kama Sutra as a sort of visual introduction. For me, the most interesting part about researching the Kama Sutra was the history of Richard Francis Burton, the man who brought this ancient work to the attention of the modern world. 'Ruffian Dick,' as he was nicknamed, has a fascinating story of his own that Damian shares with Claire in THE BET.

It's a wonderful story! What element of story creation is your favorite?

I think the part of story creation that's most fun for me is asking the What If question. I like to throw my characters into an impossible situation and watch how they deal with it (while falling in love along the way, of course)! In THE BET, Damian is forced to agree to an outrageous wager, despite his better judgment .

I love Damian! When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I became an author because of one particularly bad week at work. I was a TV news reporter who had to cover the death of a very good friend of mine, and then later that same week cover the particularly gruesome death of a New York State Trooper. I picked up my first romance novel that week, hoping to cheer myself up. When I got to the end, I thought, "Hey, I write for a living, maybe I could write one of these!"

I can imagine. I almost never watch the news. What is your writing process or method?

LOL, I'm a pantser who -- when I get stuck during a story -- really, really wishes I was a plotter!

Please describe your journey to publication.

Ironically, I wrote three single-title stories before finding a copy of Red Sage Publishing's SECRETS anthology in my local bookstore. I picked it up and saw these were novellas. (I also loved the fact there were contemporary, paranormal and historical stories -- something for everyone!) As a news reporter, I was used to telling an entire story in one-minute-thirty-seconds for the nightly news, so I know how to "write tight." I went home and banged out a Victorian romance called THE DISCIPLINARIAN, and Red Sage bought it two days after receiving it! (You can find THE DISCIPLINARIAN in Secrets Volume 15.)

I loved The Disciplinarian! Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

Every author says this, but it's true: just keep writing. You get better with each story, your craft improves, and you'll sell when you're meant to sell. Perseverance is key, and luck plays a part, but the most important thing is to just keep writing!

Great advice! What’s next for you?

I just sold a contemporary novella to Samhain, which is scheduled to be out at the end of September!

Congratulations! And thanks for being our guest here. It's been fun!

Liane Gentry Skye Serves Up Two Hot Stories

I'm thrilled that we have Liane Gentry Skye as a guest here today so we can learn more about her and her two sizzling, emotional stories released this month. One is in Secrets Volume 27 Untamed Pleasures (which also contains my story.)

Liane Gentry Skye was considered the girl most likely to become a nun in high school. Upon graduation, she wasted no time rewriting her miserable destiny. Two marriages, one real life alpha hero and four beautiful babies later, she decided it wise to exchange her rhinestone thong for soccer mom sweats.

Thank you for joining us today, Liane! Please tell us about Heart Storm from Secrets Volume 27.

Sirenia is the last fertile mermaid of her brood. With her final breeding moon upon her, she races a hurricane to find and mate with the only merman who can save their kind--the prophesied Lost Son of Triton. When she rescues an injured Navy SEAL, another storm breaks. A passion storm. But when the time comes to ask Byron for her freedom, her heart threatens to stand in the way of the last, best hope for her kind.

I loved this story! You have another release this month. Please tell us about Wicked Temptation.

Wicked Temptation is the first book in Red Sage Publishing's multi author series, Three Kinds of Wicked.

Here's the series blurb: Trey is a time strider, sworn to guard the fates of mortal couples destined to help humanity earn immortality. When a covetous goddess doses Trey with an aphrodisiac, he acts on his secret yearning for a mate to call his own. But the only thing worse than falling in love with a destined mortal is making love with one. When Trey loses his heart to Sage, a mortal woman destined to love another, the fate of all humanity hangs in the balance.

In penance, Trey must stride through a fractured timeline, doing whatever it takes to reunite the couples his actions have torn apart. Only then can he earn a final chance to help Sage save humanity from the evil that covets their very souls. But even if he is successful, can Sage forgive him the carnal journey it took for him to help save her world?

My individual story, Wicked Temptation takes place in 1969 during the Summer of Love, and chronicles Trey's affair with Sage and her tormented lover, Russ as they journey toward Woodstock.

That's a unique and interesting setting and time period! What did you find most challenging about writing each of these two stories?

Since Heart Storm was my first attempt at romance, plotting was a challenge, as was staying in control of the shifting POV in the story. Sometimes, my villain wanted to run away with the story. I never knew how much I liked writing bad guys until I met my evil merman, Ba'at Rath.

Even though I'm still happy with the story, since so much time passed between the time Heart Storm went to contract and the time I saw the final proofs, that changes in my writing were jarring to me. But I still love the story. How could I not? It's the first work of fiction I ever sold!

I began Wicked Temptation just before entering a very painful period in my life. I had to struggle with a lot of dark moments as I wrote the book, and when I finally slogged my way to the end, the last half of the story in no way resembled the lighter voice in the first half. So I had to go back and revise. The end result was an edgy, brooding story that I don't know I'd have been capable of before.

That's fascinating. What inspires you?

Anything and everything. Seriously, I get inspired by the strangest things. The turn of leaves before a storm. The delicate lace of a dragonfly's wing. A memory. A poem. A perfect bunch of grapes. A little old lady give the man she's loved all her life that shy, knowing smile. The sound of my children breathing during the wee hours, proof all is well in their world.

I can totally understand that. What was the most important thing you learned (the thing that made all the difference) just before you made your first sale in erotic romance?

True erotic heat isn't in the mechanics or the choreography. It's in the emotional connection between your hero and heroine Once the emotion is there, the mechanics follow.

Absolutely. Would you like to ask readers a question?

The economy has changed not only my buying habits, but my reading habits. How have your reading habits changed since the country's bottom line took a nosedive? Reading lighter fare? Re-reading old favorites? I really want to know!

Thanks for being here with us today, Liane! I've enjoyed it! Everyone please visit Liane's website at: http://www.lianegentryskye.com/

To learn more about Heart Storm click here.

To learn more about Wicked Temptation click here.

Hannah Murray gets tied up in The Boy Next Door

Today I'm happy to be talking with my anthology mate, Hannah Murray, about her story in Secrets Volume 27 Untamed Pleasures!

Hannah Murray is a self proclaimed hopeful romantic, who loves banana flavored Laffy Taffy and hates horror movies. She lives with a very large, very grumpy dog who pretty much runs the show. When not catering to his needs, she can usually be found reading, watching old British sitcoms and reruns of The Golden Girls, or doing anything else that allows her to put off the housework for one more day.

Thanks for being our guest today at Fierce Romance, Hannah! Please tell us about The Boy Next Door.

I’m so thrilled to be here to talk about The Boy Next Door, which is my contribution to Secrets 27 Untamed Pleasures. It’s the story of Isa, a woman who likes bondage in the bedroom but can’t seem to find a guy to deliver the goods. While she’s drowning the disappointment of her last romantic misstep in a few glasses of wine, she accidentally reveals to her next door neighbor Jacob just what her difficulty with men is. Needless to say she’s pretty embarrassed about that until she realizes the guy she’s looking for has been right next door the whole time.

This is a sizzling, sexy story and I loved it!! (I was so lucky to get a sneak peek.) What or who was your inspiration for this story?

I have a wonderful friend who makes the best bondage rope there is – if you’re interested in tying your lover up, he’s the guy you want to go to. He also luuuuvs to play around with his own product, and his enthusiasm for bondage and the rope he makes was a huge inspiration. When I met Monk (http://www.twistedmonk.com/ ) what struck me was how much fun he had playing with rope. It made me think how much I’d like to read a fun, lighthearted story that still had the intense sensuality that bondage brings. Then I thought, “Hell, I’ll just write it!”

Exactly! Why not? How did you research the bondage elements of this story?

Oh, I’m a “method writer” – I really must experience, whenever possible, everything my characters go through! ;-) And in addition to the “hands on” research, I used a really wonderful book, Bondage for Sex by Chanta Rose, to write some of the details. It’s basically a manual for couples interested in using bondage in the bedroom, with very clear instructions and beautiful photography. It was a godsend when it came to describing exactly how Isa was being tied up, I was able to get the details in without getting bogged down in the technicalities. I highly recommend it, and I can personally vouch that everything depicted in the book really works, and is a lot of fun. ;-)

The right research is vital! ;-) What is your writing process or method?

I tend to be a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of girl most of the time, at least when I’m first starting a new project. I’ll get an idea about a character or a situation and I like to just sit down and start on it. After I’ve got a good handle on the basic elements of character and story, I start making notes to keep myself on track. And I’ve discovered that outlining really isn’t the dirty word I always thought it was; it really does help keep the story moving and focused. But I’m never tied down to my outline; I’m always willing to change direction if a better idea comes along. After a first draft is done, I usually leave it alone for a few weeks, then come back with fresh eyes to work on any problems with plot or continuity.

Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

My advice for new authors is really simple: write what you like to write, it’s what you’re going to be best at. Be willing to accept constructive criticism but don’t change your focus on someone else’s whim. And above all, work at it. There are going to be days when inspiration is nowhere to be found – sit down and write anyway, those are the days that will make you an author.

Fantastic advice! What’s next for you?

I’ve got a finished manuscript that I’m shopping around, a contemporary comedy with a tightly wound heroine, a laid back (former boy band singer) hero, and a big manner-less dog. Add in the heroine’s best friend, the best friend’s very angry ex-fiancé who is causing problems for everyone, and you’ve got yourself a good time! I had a lot of fun writing it, though of course I’m still tweaking it here and there as I wait to hear back from the editors I’ve sent it to.

The other thing taking up my creative mojo these days is what I think of as a contemporary/paranormal hybrid. Y’all know how witches are always really ethical, following the rules about not using magic for personal gain and treating their magical gifts with respect? Well, if I had magic powers, I’m sure that I wouldn’t be that good. I mean, who could? So I wondered what would happen if you had a witch who didn’t concern herself too much with what she was and wasn’t allowed to do. Would she get away with it, or would there be consequences? Would she learn a lesson about thinking about the big picture, or stay just as irreverent as always? I’m having a lot of fun finding the answers to those questions.

Sounds interesting and unique! Would you like to point readers to your contest, review and excerpt?

There’s a review up at Romance Junkies and you can find an excerpt at my website. There’s also a contest up for July, your chance to win some of the bondage rope Isa and Jacob enjoyed so much!

That's a sexy adventure waiting to happen! :) Thanks for being here! It's been fun!

Thanks for having me today!