The Snow Job

Happy January!

I know it's cold outside in most parts of the earth, and I'm always ready for spring to come, but in the meantime, it certainly is nice weather to cuddle up with a book. And, of course, I have one I'd like to recommend. lol

Most brides on their wedding day are worried about their hair, their make-up, and setting up perfect family pictures, but Marina Fareeky's got bigger worries. In The Snow Job, Para Marshall Fareeky plans the ultimate sting operation to capture the head of the Nicholas vampyre clan, but she's in for an unsettling surprise. Just before she begins her walk down the aisle into the arms of one very tempting paranormal fugitive, she's informed by headquarters that a truce has been reached with the clan, and she's on her own. With no backup and trapped in the icy tundra at the top of the world, Marina has few choices. Escape means exposure, to both the elements and to the paranormal guests her fiance invited to the wedding, who will be none too pleased to discover that she's a Para Marshall. With no other options, she faces marriage to an otherworldly groom or certain death. Now the one who has been hunting her with the intent to make her his own forever awaits at the altar, and the wedding march has just begun...

The Snow Job has been one of my favorites because it was my first attempt at writing a vamp erotica story. Aleksi is gloriously proud and stubborn, and Marina has no patience for lawbreakers, so their chemistry was great fun to script. I hope if you get a chance to read it that you think so, too. Happy Reading!

A Woman Never Forgets Her First

While growing up I wrote lots of stories based on bears, bunnies, puppies and many woodland creatures. Though I proved prolific during my childhood, the stories I wrote during my teen years are the ones I remember well. Lots of angst. Unrequited love. Keeping up with fashion trends. Trading tales over burgers and fries or at the high school’s cafeteria table. First dates with fellows I once thought were the sexiest in the world. These elements and more filled my creative-writing tablets and all resulted in short works of romance fiction. I’d always embraced Cinderella stories and applauded when Hollywood heroines got their dream guys. I loved filling typewritten pages with heroes and heroines fulfilling their passionate fantasies.

In the case of this blog, the first to which I'm referring has to do with romance fiction. The first tale I ever tapped out was one where a couple met over a chocolate milkshake. The heroine accepted her order at the fast-food counter, turned and promptly collided with a good-looking guy. His soft drink sloshed over the floor. To make amends for her clumsy moment, she offered to share her shake with him.

Next week I’ll divulge the story’s ending, but I’d enjoy hearing your opinions as to what happened next. Did chocolate bring these two together, or did their chance at a teenage romance fade faster than the ice cubes on the restaurant’s floor tiles?

Wishing you many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Second Helping of a Cowboy Hunk

It’s summertime and my creative thoughts often wander to ranches and the sexy cowboys who work on them. Sweat glistening above their brows and on their hard bodies. Muscles bulging as they heave those hay bales or polish tack. Sunshine playing over the chiseled features of faces wearing a bit of sexy stubble. We definitely adore and admire these salt-of-the-Earth guys and their hardworking ways. But once we start mulling their dedication to ranch duty, we also realize they likely live and love and hard as they work. Can these guys who live for the thrill of the outdoors embrace commitment? Will they make time in their busy schedules for romantic moments?

In my contemporary erotica romance tale, ROUGHRIDER, Jack Dodson is tired of life on the rodeo circuit and ready to settle down to workdays co-managing a local ranch. What he doesn’t count on is the return of his curvy childhood friend, Kim Taylor. She’s into carefree while he’s thinking career. Though it’s summertime in Mesa Junction, Texas, the heat in the family kitchen is driven up many more degrees when this couple submits to some of their wildest fantasies. A woman never looks at breakfast the same way once she’s had a second helping of cowboy before her first cup of morning coffee.

A woman's rabid curiosity clashes with criminal minds and escalates the drama in a small Texas town where love and loyalties are harder won than any rodeo trophy.



Click here to read an excerpt and for more information

Click here for reviews and another white-hot excerpt

ROUGHRIDER – Are you ready for the ride of a lifetime?

Click here to watch the promo video for ROUGHRDIER

Click here to watch the storyline video for ROUGHRIDER

Feel the heat in erotic fiction,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

The Spirit of Seventy...Two

As the holiday weekend winds down, I’ll share a memory from a Fourth-long-past with you all. This particular Independence Day from my childhood likely started with a breakfast of cereal, toast, fresh fruit and a glass of milk. Mungo Jerry possibly played on the radio, singing the classic, “In the Summertime”. The front doorbell rang, mom answered it and returned to the kitchen with two of my friends. Despite my protests, she assured me that finishing my breakfast wouldn’t hamper any of our fun. Before anyone could say frosted flakes, I kept my clean-bowl promise and headed out to our backyard with my friends. Our sneakers came to rest beneath the crabapple tree. We discussed how we’d spend our morning—the morning events we’d planned several days earlier. A quick trip by bicycle to one friend’s house a few doors down eventually found our handlebars decorated with pint-sized American flags conveniently attached to wooden sticks. After a short ride down the street, another friend’s father fitted our bicycle tire spokes with red-striped and blue-striped white straws. As our energy soared so did the temperature, so we returned to my house for some tropical punch (you know, the delicious brand featuring the little island guy). My father was in our garage and revealed a surprise for us. He had these cool metallic plastic streamers in red, blue and silver that he tied to our handlebars. While he finished his handiwork, I retrieved a souvenir from our recent visit to Philadelphia. We kids were now ready for our Spirit Ride. No sooner did our tires hit the street than we started our patriotic campaign on wheels. Flags waving and tires clicking, we recited over and over the opening lines from the Declaration of Independence. From time to time I reached into my woven bicycle basket and clanged the scaled down reproduction of the Liberty Bell. We made umpteen trips around the development, proclaiming our patriotism and having a lot of fun. When our ride ended some time later, we were treated to ice cream bars and Mom’s announcement that no rain was in the forecast. That meant no rain to ruin the town’s fireworks for later that evening. After a break to play with our Barbies and GI Joes, we got permission to make several more trips throughout the neighborhood and promised to return in time for the multi-family barbecue.

Many years have passed since that memorable Fourth, but I remember the moments well. The tang of lighter fluid and charcoal. Sizzling burgers and steaks. Our laughter and shouts. The hiss of the sparkler as it caught a flame. The burst of tropical fruit juice as it exploded on my thirsty tongue. The clang of the vacation-memento bell. Bet Paul Revere never had so many fond memories after his historical ride but we kids surely did.

Wishing you many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Coming Clean About a Sentimental Journey

In the summertime, whenever I think of journeys, I think of vacations and hitting the highway for a week of fun with family and/or friends. But I took another type of journey this past week—a sentimental journey. No, this journey didn’t involve revisiting memories of a past romance or pondering photos in a family album. Instead, a trip to our basement stirred my sentimentality.


After living in a home for over twelve years, a great deal of “stuff” accumulates. I’m not a woman who holds on to everything, but I’m also not one who tosses things quickly or at the first sign they don’t hold current value or use. Most of the storage boxes, seasonal decorations and other items weren’t causing any clutter, but there was one shelf where I’d put various paperwork that required sorting and tossing. One glance at the stack showed a manila envelope resting at almost the halfway point. I worked my way down through the papers—most of which were old drafts of manuscripts I’d written years ago—until I reached the envelope. As soon as I noticed the sender’s address, I opened the clasp and sat down on a lounge chair. Tucked inside was the second manuscript I’d written back in 2001 and submitted in 2002. I’d submitted this historical romance to a New York publisher and gotten partway up the acquisitions ladder before receiving a rejection. The reason—this publisher wasn’t buying manuscripts set during or immediately prior to the Civil War. The rejection letter is somewhere in my desk files. The reason I sat there smiling and clutching the book of my heart was the rejection letter contained some compliments on my writing as well as an invitation to submit more of my work. I stared at the stack of paperwork I’d already removed for shredding but vowed I’d never part with the historical-romance manuscript or the original mailing envelope. After I gathered the results of my cleaning spree and headed up the steps, I gave the shelf a parting glance. My historical romance novel remains there. Safe from all future cleaning sprees. Heaven knows, I’d no more part with that manuscript than I’d stop writing.

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Reunited

During the summer months, there are few things I look forward to as much as reunions. Whether those reunions are with friends or family, the happy moments surrounding these events result in some of my fondest memories. Last night I attended my high-school class reunion. Reconnecting with old friends is something I consider priceless and precious. My anticipation built each day closer to the reunion. I wondered if the common bonds, backgrounds and topics that once found me friends with others would still remain or have disappeared. But those concerns were for naught once the evening got into full swing. Though years had passed since we tossed those graduation caps into the air, time hadn’t touched the friendships we easily rekindled. And before the last goodbyes were said, we promised to remain in closer contact and forbid distance from interfering with our friendships.

As a reader and writer of romance fiction, I really enjoy stories where a man and woman who were friends when younger reunite and either rekindle a romance or take their friendship from platonic to passionate. How they don’t let distance become an issue. When they dare exploring their desires, despite the possibility that the first stirrings of a romance could crash and burn and jeopardize the friendship they hold near and dear. The conflict inherent in reunion stories keeps me turning pages and pulling for the hero and heroine to overcome those obstacles and become best friends and emotionally-committed lovers.

One of my reunion stories has been published by Ellora’s Cave—ROUGHRIDER.




Blurb:

Rabid curiosity clashes with criminal minds and escalates the drama in a small Texas town where love and loyalties are harder won than any rodeo trophy.

Click here for more information about ROUGHRIDER

Much as Peaches and Herb once sang, these characters are reunited, and for them it feels so good.

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Western Romances -- The Cowboy Way

Whether reading Zane Grey or Linda Lael Miller, cowboys and the Western way of life make for some of the best stories. Rugged heroes have always been my favorites in romance fiction. Something about those salt-of-the-earth types and how they live as hard as they love. Go to the greatest lengths to ensure the safety of loved ones. Fight for justice. Ride like the wind. Oh, and they are often quite easy on the eyes. Whether cowboys and rodeo heroes are roping, riding or ranching, they keep us turning the pages to find out what they love doing once the dust is cleared, the saddles are hung up and the chaps are off.

Roughrider blurb --

Rabid curiosity clashes with criminal minds and escalates the drama in the small Texas town where love and loyalties are harder won than any rodeo trophy.

Kimberly Taylor is a successful Western outfitter who deserves a worthy man to take her mind and body off the demands of her business. Jack Dodson has had his moment in the rodeo spotlight and decides he’d rather seek a more stable occupation. Kimberly needs something and someone to shake up her mundane existence. Breathe some excitement into her life. She finds fulfillment, drama and more when she tackles Jack on her own sexual terms.

You might wonder how this story came about. One day I happened across an older Western movie about cattle drivers. I mused about a man and woman who’d never explored their attraction to each other. During their younger years, they shared a friendship but never dared admitting or acting on their basest desires together. Couldn’t wait for the first commercial to play before I started jotting notes about Kimberly and Jack. Roughrider is about Kimberly's sexual odyssey. By returning her to Mesa Junction, Texas, I put her directly in the path of her ultimate temptation. It's been ten years since her last visit to the Dodson family, and she decides it's time to slay some sexual demons. ROUGHRIDER is all about finding that special person with whom you can share some of your most intimate secrets and indulge some of your wildest sexual fantasies. Kim knows she'll always have a friend in Jack, but she wants more. And the only way she'll ever find out if he feels the same way is by revisiting a certain Texas town.

If you enjoy romantic stories pivoted by sex and suspense…

Click here for more information and a ROUGHRIDER excerpt

Click here to watch the book videos and to read another excerpt and reviews

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Paranormal and the Passionate Romance

One of my favorite ways of passing time as a child was writing stories and creating fictional characters, many of whom possessed otherworldly powers. As I got older, I focused more on reading women’s fiction, literary fiction and historical romances, but I never forgot the thrill of creating my own worlds and characters.

My first published paranormal erotica romance, HELLE IN HEELS, came to fictional life thanks to the family coffeemaker. One Saturday morning as I stood in the kitchen, the coffeemaker emitted these strange guttural noises. Almost as though a hellcat dwelled somewhere in the brew basket. When the sequence of sounds repeated themselves, I wished the demon back to where it belonged. No sooner did I vocalize this wish and the idea for a spitfire hero who is banished from Hell by her father, Sir Satan, sprang to mind. Once the travel mug filled with java, I grabbed it and my laptop and headed to the master bedroom for a plotting and writing session that lasted over five hours. That same weekend I finished the story’s first draft and tucked it away for proofing months later. Imagine, a writer’s creativity sparked by a coffeemaker’s satanic rumblings.

Helle Hawthorn is the heroine of HELLE IN HEELS, my first Exotika release at Ellora’s Cave. She is the daughter of the Devil and a mortal woman. She was gifted with her father’s good looks and charm, but she has her mother’s kind nature and conscience. Of course, this makes for the perfect conflict between her and her father. Women will relate to HELLE IN HEELS because this erotic tale explores the feminine tendencies of self-sacrifice and nurturing. Helle shows readers how women can dare slaying their sexual demons and finding fulfillment in more ways than one. But her bloodline doesn’t save her from being dealt the ultimate blow. She is banished from Hell and forced to leave behind her otherworldly powers and true love in order to save Earth from Satan’s destruction. She uses her intelligence and demonstrates unflagging determination when escaping a hellish situation that's getting hotter with each passing moment. Helle is quite adventurous and a sexual being, but she doesn't hesitate putting another's needs before her own when a situation warrants. Quite a candid woman, she tells one lover she's, "Your mother's worst nightmare and your daddy's wettest dream." Despite her sassiness and sex appeal, she never forgets the handsome Greek who brought her love and orgasms below ground. Menlikus, the story's hero, shows how far he will go and how much he will risk for the woman of his wildest and most romantic dreams. HELLE IN HEELS is a tale of personal loss for the gain of the masses. Taking chances to bring peace and betterment to your own life and the lives of others.

The Devil isn't above defeat. Helle and her Greek lover, Menlikus, never surrender their goals despite the fact they’re faced with a dismal situation. They might be otherworldly characters, but they are able to differentiate between love and lust and recognize which means more to them overall. Circumstances drive them apart, but one is often thinking about the other. Helle was such fun to create because I gifted her with a level of intelligence that enables her to outsmart her despot daddy. On reaching Earth, she faces the ultimate sexual obstacles and learns more than one valuable lesson in the process. When I characterized Helle, I wanted to make her multi-faced and enable her to rise above the stereotype that those who dwell in Hades are inherently evil. I also created a world where the Devil isn’t such an all-seeing, all-knowing entity. That he has his limitations and intellectual superiors. I also didn’t want Helle suffering immediate defeat at the hands of the Devil. HELLE IN HEELS keeps the hellfires burning with explicit sexual content. The paranormal is blended with an edgy, sassy tone in this Ellora's Cave Exotika tale. If you think you really know what happens in Hell, Helle Hawthorn might change your mind.

Click here for more information and an excerpt from HELLE IN HEELS

Click here to read more excerpts and reviews

Click here to watch the book video for HELLE IN HEELS


Feel the heat in erotic fiction,

Shawna Moore
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – Coming soon from Ellora’s Cave
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

Many Happy Returns

Home is where my heart is, but I also adore traveling. Finding new places that stir fond memories, no matter how many years pass. In essence, destinations that fill my best dreams and bring many happy returns.


Today marks my twelfth wedding anniversary, and one of the best getaways hubby and I ever experienced was when we visited Charleston, SC, two years ago to celebrate a decade of love and togetherness. No matter that rain showers dampened the windshield as we drove. The weather couldn’t dampen our mood or plans. From the moment we checked into our lovely bed and breakfast in the heart of the historically-rich city, we focused on fun and romance. No visit to Charleston is complete without a carriage ride. As soon as Marcus, our carriage horse, started along the tour route, the sun burst through the cloud cover and provided us the first rays of a glorious day. Peninsular majesty. Regal oaks dripping Spanish moss. Breathtaking homes fashioned in the Georgian, Classical Revival, and Greek Revival (my favorite) styles of yesteryear. After soaking up lots of sights and historical details, we returned to the Old City Market and browsed the handicrafts and sweetgrass baskets. While there we chatted with some of the friendly locals and other tourists and sampled Low Country goodies offered by a few vendors. Though Southern cuisine is my favorite, the evening hours saw us sharing some special moments over a candlelit Italian dinner and toasting our union with a fine cabernet. A leisurely stroll near our bed and breakfast found us under the stars, and we capped off our day of sightseeing with a guided tour featuring more of the history and haunted past of Charleston. More tours of splendid gardens and enchanting plantation properties filled our remaining days in Charleston. Even more moments of romantic bliss resulted. I could go on, but you get the perfect picture. As a matter of fact, I believe more wonderful memories resulted than times Marcus clopped his well-shod hooves.

Wishing you all many happy returns,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

What's on the Cowboy's Mind?

For most of the years I’ve been reading romance fiction, rugged heroes have always been my favorites. Those men who fight hard, live with purpose, and love with every bit of energy in their hard-to-resist bodies. Whether on the rodeo circuit or ranching, these guys face challenges head on and refuse defeat. Dirt and sweat help define them and their working ways.

Recently I found this handsome cowboy’s picture and pondered what might be on his mind. Here’s what I’m thinking he’s thinking. Tires churn the packed earth leading to the farmhouse. He turns and is nearly blinded as sunlight blares off the lipstick-red hood of the convertible. But it doesn’t prevent him from noticing the woman sitting behind the wheel, her black hair teased by the wind. She smiles and he shifts the saddle on his shoulder. He swipes a free hand over his sweat-slick chest. Her amber-lens sunglasses come off. They make eye contact and he swaggers closer. The sexy stranger licks her lips. No better time to cool off in Cassady’s Pond. Won’t take long to saddle up and head her down there. Business can wait. He runs his thumb under the waistband of his jeans. The fire inside of him can’t.

What about you, readers? What do you think is on this hunk’s mind?

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – Coming soon to Ellora’s Cave
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

Fate and Fiction Reading

Life is full of surprises. Some are good, some not. But I must confess the surprises I most remember are the ones coming from the heart or the ones giving me pleasure long after the initial excitement ebbs. When I think of books I enjoy reading, the latter type of surprise comes to mind. You might wonder where I’m going with this, probably thinking I’ll touch upon certain books I enjoy reading time after time. Not the case with today’s blog.

While on vacation in Salem, my husband and I happened upon a bookstore. Once inside, I marveled at the bookseller’s inventory. Every fiction genre imaginable filled those racks and shelves, and the stock included some wonderful research tomes. If a reader couldn’t find what he or she wanted, this would have surprised me. But the biggest surprise awaited me a short time later as I browsed a shelf toward the back of the bookstore. I flipped through two novels, both by Fannie Flagg. Her humorous “voice” immediately resonated with me as a reader, and I found myself reading the first two chapters of both books. My husband and I were scheduled for a tour, so I put the books back on the shelf, fully intending on coming back at some point before we left the historic town and headed for home the next day. Long story short, I never made it back to the bookstore, but I remembered those books and bought them online the next chance that presented. Not too many months later, I noticed a new book by Fannie Flagg on the Bestseller shelf at my favorite brick and mortar. Without hesitation, or reading the back cover blurb as is usually my habit, I picked up the hardcover and proceeded to the cashier. That evening I read three quarters of CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO HEAVEN and found it hard turning off the reading light when the hour grew late. My decision to browse two books from among the thousands offered by the Salem bookstore resulted in my finding an author whose books now rank among my favorites. As with A REDBIRD CHRISTMAS and DAISY FAY AND THE MIRACLE MAN, CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO HEAVEN delivered another pleasant reading surprise. Can’t wait to read Fannie’s next work and those that follow.

What about you? Have you ever found yourself steered toward a particular rack, table or shelf in a bookstore? Once there, have you come across a novel that proved a pleasant surprise and eventually earned the author a spot on your auto-buy list?

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – Coming soon from Ellora’s Cave
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

What Brings You Happiness?--Or Happiness Can be a Great Book Cover

Okay, I’ll admit lots of things make me happy. Good health. A loving family. Wonderful friends. A vacation getaway to a favorite place or new one. News that I’ve sold another book. The list goes on. But something not already listed brought me immense happiness and a reason for celebration this past week. What’s at the root of her happiness this time, you might ask? I’ll gladly provide the answer. My cover art file for my upcoming Ellora’s Cave novel, TORMENTED, arrived in my inbox. No matter that my morning had been filled with mundane errands and household tasks. Simply seeing that email brought the same level of excitement as I’d experienced when a child on Christmas morning. But when I finished clicking and opening, there wasn’t any wrapping paper or ribbon to tidy up this time. Instead, a work of cover art that perfectly meshes with my story.





Blurb:

A winsome Boston socialite—Eve Morneau—falls victim to a venomous beetle’s bite. Her healing and sexual awakening are placed in the hands of a New Orleans physician, Charles Galletiére, whose unconventional means of curing her malady lend themselves to unbridled passion and abandonment of her former ways of life. Immortality comes at a cost to the innocent woman, and her Christian soul might be left hanging in the balance.


For several years, Eve’s and Charles’s romantic story remained only in my mind. There were some scenes that needed more fleshing out. Some secrets and details the couple needed to divulge before I could tell their tale. When I submitted TORMENTED to my editor at Ellora’s Cave, I hoped this story of my heart would find a home. I haven’t written a historical romance in several years, but TORMENTED reminded me of how much…here comes that word again…happiness filled my heart at the story’s writing process and acceptance. Historical romances were my first reading love as a teenager, and that passion for bygone eras has translated to my passion for writing my own historicals.

As a very visual woman, I’m drawn to stories wearing appealing covers. If an author isn’t on my auto-buy list, a cover that artfully and interestingly conveys the subject matter contained within an e-file, paperback or hardcover novel, finds me more inclined to read the story blurb/back-cover blurb and the first chapter. Of course, it’s all about the story and characters when it comes to reading, but a great cover finds me considering a book I might have otherwise missed. To date, my favorite book cover is ROUGHRIDER. I’ll admit I’m quite fond of the sexy rodeo hero pictured on the front of my latest release from Ellora’s Cave.





Pretty yummy, my cover rendering of Jack Dodson. And speaking of yummy, between now and the end of May, I’m hosting a reader giveaway of a $25 Godiva gift card. One winner will be drawn from among those who have responded to the following question and who are also subscribers of my e-newsletter.


You may subscribe to my newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to –

Grant-moore-subscribe@yahoogroups.com


Question for Gift Card Giveaway:

What is your favorite book cover?

Contact Shawna here with your answer to the book cover question

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,


Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – Coming soon to Ellora’s Cave
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

Easter Greetings and Memories

Spring and sunshine. A perfect combination for days spent outside, especially on this Easter Sunday. Many fond memories have resulted from my Easters of years past. Pastel dresses trimmed in lace, some featuring crinolines in their skirts. When I was eight I was so proud of my sparkling white patent leather Easter purse and matching shoes. My white gloves sported delicate rosettes fashioned from seed pearls on the cuffs. And how I laugh now at recalling the way my leotards never failed at working themselves into a position that prevented me from straightening them in public. After worship services my parents and I would head back home and find a couple lovely Easter baskets displayed on our dining room buffet. Green or pink grass sprang up from the bottom and cradled the colorful foil-wrapped chocolates and yellow marshmallow peeps. Always a delectable chocolate bunny standing in the center. Near the baskets rested a bowl of multi-colored dyed eggs wearing wax designs or the imprints from seasonal decals. After I changed into traveling clothes, Mom and Dad would host the first of my many egg hunts that day. No matter where they chose to hide those eggs, I found them pretty quickly. Of course, that only prompted me to ask if we could hide the eggs “just once more” before going to my grandmother’s home for Easter dinner. But my favorite parts of Easter Sunday were always the loving gestures, hugs and kisses from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Family togetherness meant the world to me on those Easter Sundays and remains my most cherished memory. Over the past week I’ve received holiday emails and messages from my dear friends that have brought smiles and turned themselves into more fond memories.

There are a couple dark-chocolate truffles in the cupboard. I might become tempted to sample one before this Easter Sunday is done. Funny thing about those chocolate goodies during my childhood. I never ate hardly any chocolate until much later in life. Sure I snacked on those chocolate bunny ears and worked my way to their feet, but most of the remaining candy was shared with friends or put in the family fridge where it lasted many months until finally disappearing.

Today I wish you all the sunshine and happiness of the season and hope your day results in many fond memories. Share your fondest Easter memories with us before the Easter bunny hops out of sight.

Smiles across the miles,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

Words Truer to Character Were Never Spoken

Writing is one of my great passions. Creating those fantasy worlds and fictional characters brings a great deal of pleasure. Time passes quickly as words become sentences and sentences become paragraphs. I enjoy reading and writing both character- and plot-driven romance fiction novels. Sometimes the plot must take charge and propel the action, narrative and dialogue toward a satisfying ending. At other times, characters grab hold of the wheel and steer the story in a direction that will guarantee them and their romance a happily ever after. Regardless of which method is used, authors strive to engage and endear their readers. If a reader loses interest early on, doesn’t notice the characters growing and overcoming obstacles, the page-turning pact is broken.

I’ll admit likeable and memorable characters are the prime reason I’ll put an author on my auto-buy list. And while characters are involved in a fair amount of action throughout those tales, it’s also what they say that remains with me long after I close the pdf file or paper/hardback cover. My favorite lines of dialogue were spoken by the fictional man I consider the perfect hero prototype—Atticus Finch. My next favorite line is from a completely different prototype—Forrest Gump. Many will recall him sitting on the park bench and uttering the famous words comparing life to a box of chocolates. Dialogue was perfectly tailored to both of these characters. Fit them as well as their own fictional skin. No other words would have worked as well, in my opinion.

Share your favorite line(s) of dialogue with us, readers. Let us know what makes them memorable.

Feel the heat in erotic fiction,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

Favorite Book

While I love writing my own stories, reading has long been one of my favorite pastimes. And I often read outside the genres in which I write. Earlier this week an errand took me past our local library. My to-be-read stack is pretty high, so I didn’t go inside. Instead, I stood outside the beautiful historic brick building for a few minutes. Images from the past flitted before my face. Countless times my dear mom and I had entered the building through a doorway that is no longer used. This daydreaming spell spurred other thoughts. Thoughts of the first book I’d read that really made a difference and sparked my passion for reading. Many childhood tales came to mind. My all-time childhood favorite? THE POKY LITTLE PUPPY by Janette Sebring Lowrey. Such a delightful tale. Barring those favorites of my youth, it took me only a short time to come up with the book that made all the difference—the same book that started me writing creatively on a regular basis. In the seventh grade, I was blessed with an English teacher whose own fondness of the written word made her class one of my most interesting learning experiences. One of the books she chose for required reading was WHERE THE LILIES BLOOM. This novel by Bill and Vera Cleaver is a rich, thought-provoking study of character and setting. Truly an emotionally-stirring masterpiece and pleasurable reading experience. The day we received our reading assignment, I read the book in less than an hour after helping mom with the dinner dishes. Listening to my favorite rock tunes and playing the guitar could wait. I couldn’t put my classroom reading assignment down. Thanks to the skill of the authors, I became compelled to find out more about the Appalachian children and how they overcame the internal and external conflict heaped upon them.

What was the first novel to pique your reading interest? A novel whose plot, setting and characters remain vivid memories?

Wishing you all a terrific week,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – Erotic historical romance coming to Ellora’s Cave
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Instinct

As a woman who’s always been more into planning than spur-of-the-moment, I recently put my resolution to remain flexible into play. Several months earlier, hubby and I purchased tickets to a comedy event. Almost daily, we chatted about the upcoming concert. Since the venue is several hours away, we agreed on arriving early and enjoying the sights of the city. No planning in advance, except for purchasing the tickets.

Fast forward to the week of the performance. Nothing that happened in our working week dampened our moods. We were ready for Friday night. Anticipation buoyed us and boosted our energy levels. Two days before to the concert, my closet doors remained closed in the event I became tempted to pull a couple outfits from the racks and ask his opinion on a favorite.

As happens with all good moods, they eventually reach an end point. Conflict delights at barging in on a woman before she’s out of her pajamas. The morning prior to our getaway, I brewed the coffee and turned on the television. The Weather Channel delivered the awful news. A winter storm would sweep into our area overnight. A call of icing doesn’t bother me when I’m watching NHL games. But the notion of driving on slick roadways doesn’t thrill me in the slightest.

Despite the dismal weather prediction, my hubby remained confident all would be fine and we’d no need for alarm. My writing day beckoned and I gladly heeded the call. I played among the plotting sheets on our living room floor and steered my thoughts away from the approaching storm. After about an hour I took a break and enjoyed a mug of green tea while curled up on the couch. The remote control lay nearby on the coffee table, but I resisted picking it up and rechecking the weather. Hubby’s reassurances played in my mind. Before half of the tea was gone, pleasant warmth tracked from my neck to my toes. Warmth I couldn’t attribute to the tea. Something stirred deep inside me. Many link this sensation to their gut, but I don’t. My instinct is settled somewhere else, and I’m not concerned as to its pinpoint location. The fact instinct has served me well in cases where I’m apprehensive sustains my faith in the well-hidden predictor. Instead of sipping, I gulped the rest of my tea and returned to the story plotting. All would be fine. My instinct and hubby were right.

The following morning I awoke earlier than usual, headed for the family den and peeked out the curtain. A glazed front walkway and driveway greeted me. But no chills chased through my body. I tuned into the local forecast and also accessed the online report for our destination city. The temperature was trending upward, and the pink-contrasted portion of the scan was tracking northward on the radar. A direction opposite the one we’d travel.

After a hearty breakfast we hit the highway. From the minute we reached the interstate, our conversation remained upbeat. We reached our destination in good time. Even the brief drizzle of rain didn’t change our mood. Sightseeing. Shopping. Strolling the city streets. Dining at a new restaurant we’ve added to our list of all-time favorites. A spectacular comedic performance ending our day. Though we didn’t arrive home until after three the following morning, we were still laughing and repeating some of the funnier lines from the show.

How many of you have relied on instinct? How accurate has your instinct proven?

Feel the heat in erotic fiction,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – TBD Ellora’s Cave
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The Siren Call of Sensory Details

Whether taking a long walk in the woods on a brisk October day, or skimming my toes in the damp sand during a vacation in July, I’m a woman who embraces every sensory detail. How the tepid water laps at my ankles. The cry of a gull as he careens toward his mate. A tang that tickles my nostrils as the ocean tide slaps the shoreline. A rich burst of flavor from freshly-ground Arabica beans as I sip coffee on the balcony and another sunrise smudges the horizon. Those and so many other gifts from Nature are provided for my sensory pleasure.

While I enjoy being outdoors when weather permits, another of my favorite places to visit is the local bookstore. So many delightful literary offerings there. New authors whose work I’m longing to read. Favorite authors whose talent at turning words and phrases always amazes me and finds their books on my shelves. Of course, the cafes where I sample certain confections and coffee beverages from time to time.

But you might ask what I find so mesmerizing and magical about a bookstore. Every visit is an adventure. From the moment I step over the threshold, I’m surrounded by displays from which I take a visual cue during my shopping. The entire wonderful experience begins with an eye-catching cover. Appealing cover art will find me picking up a book and reading the back cover blurb. If my interest is piqued, I speed read through the first chapter. I applaud authors, publishers and cover artists for their ability to bring the story and/or central characters to cover life. Because of evocative covers, I’ve purchased many new authors’ books I might have otherwise missed. Kudos to all involved in the cover art conceptualization. I’ve been blessed to work with many fine cover artists including Sahara Kelly (my first cover, SAINTS AND SINNERS), Scott Carpenter (TAMING THE TEMPTRESS), Syneca (HELLE IN HEELS and ROUGHRIDER), Ginger Heaston, and Sable Grey. You can check out some of these covers at My Website.

Readers, have you been drawn to a particular shelf because an appealing cover is facing out and urging you to take a peek at the pages? What are some of your favorite covers? I’ll confess my favorite cover is pictured above.

Very visual vixen,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – TBD Ellora’s Cave
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Let's Hear it for Erotic Historical Romances

Before I reach the subject of today’s blog, I want to give thanks for my beloved mother, an avid reader of romance fiction. Without her encouragement and love, I would never have become published. To me and many others, she was a shining example of a perfect heroine. Tomorrow marks the seventh anniversary of her passing. While I miss those wonderful times we spent together over the years, I know she’s with me every day, spurring me along my career journey.

Each morning before I sit down at the writing desk, I read my emails. This past Thursday it’s likely anyone walking past our house heard my celebration. At the time I was alone in the house, still in pajamas and not yet sipping my first cup of brisk morning coffee. But I didn’t need to be dressed to the nines in order to perform the Happy Dance and burst into song when I read the news from my editor at Ellora’s Cave. She’d written to let me know she wanted to contract my erotic historical romance novel. Talk about great aerobic exercise! I must remember that metabolism-boosting impromptu dance routine—and play K.C. and the Sunshine Band on the stereo as opposed to hearing their tunes only in my mind. Even though several days have passed since the news, I’m still smiling and in the best of moods.

The first three romances I wrote were historicals. Historical romances were my first reading love and will always have a special place in my reading and writing heart. The fact I can transport readers and myself to a time we can’t experience firsthand is one of the main reasons I delight in telling historical tales. In junior high school I truly enjoyed reading steamier historical romances. Kathleen Woodiwiss is the author who whetted my reading appetite for historicals. THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER remains a treasure in my literary collection.

Writing can become a very solitary pursuit, but being able to surround myself with the bawdy characters I’ve created from bygone eras passes the plotting, researching and writing time in a most pleasurable way. The historicals I’ve published are set in Jazz-Age Manhattan (SAINTS AND SINNERS) and Tombstone, Arizona, during the silver boom (TAMING THE TEMPTRESS).

Readers, fess up. What do you most enjoy about erotic historical romances? The lusty ways these characters loved and lived in days past? The richness and authenticity of dialogue? The ability to live vicariously with the hero and heroine during a bygone era? Period details of place, clothing, architecture, etc?

Feel the heat in erotic historical romances,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
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Are You a Creature of Habit?

While grocery shopping the other day, I must have set a record keeping those cart wheels rolling. A winter storm was forecast for our area. Decent parking spaces were at a premium. The aisles were filled with folks stocking up on necessities. I’d started plotting a new book and wanted to return to that creative world as soon as possible. Good fortune remained with me for a while, and I steered clear of the heavy shopping traffic. Once I reached the Dairy section, Lady Luck sprinted somewhere and left me wondering which yogurt to purchase since my favorite brand and flavor were gone. Okay, I’ll admit mainly being a creature of habit and sticking with the tried and true when it comes to brands I buy and foods I’ll eat. That day I had no choice but to select an alternative and hope for the best. With a week’s supply of my favorite breakfast food in the cart I continued to the checkout. Was I confident my selection would yield a positive result and please my palate? My sureness hovered somewhere around fifty percent since the day was otherwise going pretty well. The following morning as the coffee brewed I opened the yogurt container, dunked the spoon inside and scooped out a rounded serving. Didn’t take long for me to decide I’ll include some of that brand and flavor of yogurt on my shopping list from time to time. Change can be good. Downright delicious. Trying something new can be a positive and rewarding experience.

The same goes for the books I read. I return to my favorite authors time and again. After all, they deliver a solid story and I love their writing style. But some of those favorites have ended up on my bookshelves because I took a chance and purchased something by a new author. Often times the keeper was an author’s first published novel. If I hadn’t broadened my selection process, I might have missed a lot of great books.

What about you, readers? Are you a creature of reading habit or is variety the spice of your life? Do you find yourself reaching for books written by new authors and/or authors whose work you’ve never read?

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
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Anticipation

For some reason, Carly Simon is serenading inside my skull. But there’s no zesty condiment being squeezed or tipped on end for this blog’s topic. Instead, an emotional reaction is the core of my subject matter.

There’s something unique and unrelenting about love, when it’s new and when you know it’s true. A couple meets and realizes their attraction. Then anticipation kicks in. As someone who believes love can solve so many problems, I enjoy reading romance novels and living the story vicariously through the central characters. The first romance I recall reading was ROMEO AND JULIET. What a tormented and sensational tale played out on the pages involving that amorous pair. Even though only ten years old at the time, I pondered what passion and love would hold for me when the time was ripe. After all, Shakespeare’s memorable characters gave their lives for love. Faced with a stellar conflict, they made the ultimate sacrifice. The Bard tapped the dramatic depths and stirred strong emotional reactions in his readers. Of all the romantic stories I’ve read over the years, I’ve never experienced more anticipation over the outcome than I did while reading R&J. From time to time I re-read this classic and marvel at the scope of the story and how it remains a timeless literary treasure. What kept me turning those pages was the hope to which I clung as their struggles and the sexual tension mounted.

What about you, readers? Do you delight in the rush of adrenaline and the surge of emotions as you embark on a romantic journey with those characters in romance novels? Do you find yourself eagerly anticipating the point where the couple has overcome their conflicts and earned their happily ever after?

Feel the heat in erotic fiction,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
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