September 29, 2007

Fanning the Flame

IT’S HERE!

FRANCINE ON FIRE

Genre: Contemporary erotic romance

Price: $4.99

from Aspen Mountain Press

BLURB:

Francine Daniels doesn’t trust men and there’s definitely no place in her life for a German hottie…even if she does burst into flames at his touch. Heicke Brewer made one disastrous trip down the aisle. He prefers the beauties lined up to experience his ‘satisfaction guaranteed’ reputation…until he meets an American pixie too hot not to handle.

EXCERPT:

Francine slipped out the side door of the dining room when Heicke turned his back. Less than confident, she walked alone across the silent, black golf course. Her imagination played tricks as the tree branches swayed in the cool breeze, casting spidery images of boogie men in front of her. She looked up at the sky, praying the clouds would clear and allow the moon to give off more light.

Dammit. Her shoe caught, yet again, in the wet grass. The damned expensive things were being ruined with every step she took. She wiggled her ankle, only to sink further into the mud. The only option left was to take off the shoe. Gathering her skirt so it wouldn’t get soaked, she bent over.

A twig snapped.

“Holy shitta.”

A hand clamped over her mouth. Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, and every bloodcurdling creature Stephen King ever wrote about had joined together to attack her. She’d never been so scared, even when she had lived in her old car and been dumb enough to park it overnight at a drug house.

She jerked around, flailing her arms. Crack. Teetering as the heel broke off her sandal, she smacked into a solid wall of muscle.

“Shush, Pixie. It is me, Heicke.” He wrapped his arms around her and she choked back a sob.

“Are you crazy?” Her heart pumped faster than a jet engine during take off. “You scared the living hell out of me.”

“It was not my intention.” He rubbed his hand rhythmically over her back, easing out her fear. She snuggled into him, grateful for his warmth. A spicy scent enveloped her as he pulled his coat around her shoulders. “You were very beautiful in the mirror and I became curious as to why you would leave without me.”

“I figured you’d get around to that eventually. After we were, ah, driving back from the shed, I forgot all about the charity donations.” Even to her the truth sounded stupid.

“And you thought it best to come out here alone?” She couldn’t see his face, but his suspicious tone said it all. “In the middle of the night?”

“What? You thought I came out here to lay some guy?”

Jerk.

He tapped a gentle finger on her lips. “No, perhaps I do not understand because of the idiosyncrasies of other languages. At least I hope that is my problem. Please explain about this laying of the golfers and why you did not wait for me.”

“Oh you have problems, all right.” She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip and her heart skipped a couple of beats. “And there’s no help needed, Pup. I’m perfectly capable of surviving on my own.”

“So I see, and may I add you are making a fine job of it.” Lucky for him, his tone seemed to hold humor. “I know you, Pixie, better than you realize. Logic tells me you are not out here to have sex with someone.”

“Thank you for noticing.”

***************

Now available at Aspen Mountain Press!

Happy Writing!
Sloane

September 28, 2007

Gazing into the Crystal Ball

ST: Hi Maya! Let’s show everyone the primo cover for BAD GIRL one more time.

ST: This isn’t something I’ve ever done before on this blog, but it’s necessary for me to comment here. I finished BAD GIRL last night and already miss the unique charisma between Sandy and Justice. It’s a HOT read with a perfect build-up and should come with a Satisfacton Guaranteed notation on the book cover. Maya Reynolds does not disappoint her readers.

ST: Please tell us about your blog and how you decide what to write.
MR: I blog every day at http://www.mayareynoldswriter.blogspot.com and have been doing so for over two years.

I post about a variety of things: writing, becoming a writer, books, movies and publishing news. If I’m having an especially good or bad day, I might talk about that, too.

I’ve been fortunate. Lots of nice people have joined me on my blog. I now belong to a whole community of readers and writers who share each others’ lives through blogging.

ST: What does the future hold for you?
MR: I hope more stories that turn into books. I love to write. I feel so blessed to have found something that I can enjoy doing until I take my last breath.

ST: If you had one wish that would be granted, what would it be?
MR: More hours in the day. There never seems to be enough time to do everything that I want to do. I love to garden, but my yard is looking a little scruffy right now. My beloved border collie died two years ago, and I’m finally ready to think about another dog, but it would be unfair to take one on right now when I’m so busy.

ST: How did you and your publisher come together?
MR: I signed with Jacky Sach of BookEnds Literary Agency in late December, 2005. Jacky marketed BAD GIRL to the publishers she knew were interested in erotic romance. Tracy Bernstein of NAL Heat (a division of Penguin) purchased the book.

ST: What’s in the works for the future?
MR: Tracy wants my next book completed before March, 2008. I have two more erotic suspense stories rattling around in my brain right now. I also need to do Leah and Theodora’s stories, the sequels to BAD GIRL. Over the next few months, I’ll work on all of them at varying times.

ST: Thanks, Maya, for spending so much time with us. It’s been a great week and I’ve enjoyed learning more about you. The very best to you in the future and keep us posted on your future releases.
MR: Thank YOU, Sloane. It’s been a fun week. I hope you’ll come visit on my blog one day soon. I want to hear all about your new publishers.

ST: Ooh, the temptation to brag is powerful. LOL. We’ll get together on that, Maya. Thanks for the invitation.

I’ll be back in the morning with some wonderful news for you all! Unitl then…

Happy Writing!
Sloane

September 27, 2007

The Soft Side of Maya Reynolds

ST: Hi, Maya. Tell us about your writing space.
MR: I write in the smallest of my three bedrooms, which I use as a study. The room was originally a child’s bedroom and, when I moved in, had Winnie-the-Pooh curtains. I liked the bright primary colors, so I kept the cutains where they were.

I have a friend who is an interior designer. Those curtains drive her to distraction. LOL. She gave me a beautiful set of rose, white and green draperies so I’d take down my Winnies. The drapes are stored in the closet, and Winnie-the Pooh still rules!

When my nieces were very young, I started a Beanie Baby collection for them. They outgrew the fad, but I still have the collection. I hung narrow shelves around the top of the room about eighteen inches below the ceiling. The Beanie Babies sit on those shelves.

I wanted a very long, functional desk so I bought a seven-foot butcher block kitchen counter that sits atop two-drawer file cabinets. I have a desktop and laptop computer and two printers on it. I also have a card table set up next to my desk where my research and manuscript pages are spread out.

There are three seven-foot tall bookcases that occupy almost all the wall space. There’s a smaller bookcase that holds a television and VCR, a rolling stand with my word processor on it, a fax machine and a shredder.

ST: Sounds like a fantastic work space! Now that you have the ideal environment, what’s your favorite part of writing?
MR: That feeling of excitement I have when my characters start doing unexpected things.

Once my characters become real to me, they also begin dictating the action. If I try to make them do something that isn’t in character, they balk. While it’s frustrating, it also pleases me because it means they’re more than just cardboard figures.

ST: What do you absolutely hate about being an author?
MR: The feeling that there is never enough time in a day. Between working full-time, writing, blogging, marketing BAD GIRL and just trying to live, it seems I’m always two beats behind.

ST: In your opinion, what’s the most important thing for a new writer to learn?
MR: The difference between writing for pleasure and writing professionally. When you write for yourself, you can be indulgent. You can leave scenes in because you love them. You can meander all over the place without getting to the point. You can fill pages and pages with narrative or backstory.

When you write professionaly, you’re held to a higher stand. Publishing is a business, and you must learn to treat it as such. You need to learn proper grammar, spellling and punctuation.

In the same way that a professional athlete is just a cut above a talented amateur, a professional writer must learn to be a cut above and amateur hobbyist.

ST: Excellent advice for new writers and a good reminder for established authors.
MR: Thanks! Now I have to get back to work, if you don’t mind. I’ll see you again in the morning.

ST: Sounds good. Until then…

Happy Writing!
Sloane

September 26, 2007

Author, Author Tell Us More

ST: I know you’re really busy today, so let’s jump right in. Are there any quirks you have or do before or while you’re writing?
MR: I don’t know whether you’d call it a quirk or a habit, but I’m a compulsive editor. I always start a writing session by re-reading the last half dozen pages. It helps me get back into the story, and it allows me to clean up any errors. Every week or so, I re-read the entire manuscript from the start. The result is that I produce a very clean manuscript.

When I finish the story, I set it aside for a minimum of two weeks–preferably a month–to give myself some distance from it. After that time, I do one read-through for final edits and then I’m finished. I don’t spend more than a couple of days on that final read-through. By that time, I’m looking for continuity or logic errors. The grammatical stuff has been cleaned up long before that point.

ST: Who or what encouraged you to write erotica?
MR: I picked up Robin Schone’s THE LADY’S TUTOR about six years ago. I’d been away from the romance genre for a while, concentrating on mysteries and thrillers. I was blown away by how far romance had come. And I can remember thinking, “I could really get into writing an erotic romance.” It was another two years before I decided to try.

ST: Just how hot are your books, Maya?
MR: Let a reviewer answer that question. Lindy of Two Lips Reviews said: “I absolutely loved Bad Girl. I devoured it. In this, her debut print novel, Maya Reynolds has created characters with an intense chemistry and a plot that’s rock solid. Ms. Reynolds scores extra points for her exceptionally hot use of sex toys, too. At one point I thought to myself, “If this gets any hotter, my panties are going to melt.”

You can read the whole review here: http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?

ST: Where do you get the ideas for your novels?
MR: Everywhere. From television, radio–especially NPR–Internet articles and just daily conversation. I keep 3×5 cards. Whenever I have a story idea, I scribble it down on a card and file it in a small box on my desk. When I need inspiration, I flip through those cards.

ST: That’s an excellent tip. How do you research your books?
MR: I do whatever is needed. Internet research, interviews, and actual physical “Can this be done?” research. It’s one of the fun parts of the job.

ST: Who is your support group?
MR: I get professional support primarily from my critique partners: five women around the country. I’ve only met two of them in person, but we talk online all the time. I also belong to a group of terrific erotic romance writers. There were 25 of us who took an online class with Jan Springer in February 2005. We had such a great time, we formed a closed Yahoo group we called The Brazen Hussies. Since that time, more than 20% of us have been published–including you, Sloane, and me

ST: Thanks, Maya, for sharing so much with us today.
MR: You’re welcome. I’ll see you in the morning.

ST: Until then…

Happy Writing!
Sloane

September 25, 2007

The Write Side of Life

ST: Let’s jump right in, Maya. What made you decide to be a writer?
MR: I don’t know that there was ever an actual decision. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t reading or writing. I honestly think it’s in the genes. My father was a technical writer, and my mother was a huge reader so our family ethos included very positive feelings toward both reading and writing. My mom didn’t drive, but every week, she would put my younger brother and me in a wagon and pull it down the hill of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey to take us to the library. We’d fill the wagon with books and lug it back up the hill toward home. It seemed completely natural to me to make the jump from reading to writing as soon as I could. One of my three brothers is now a well-known sports columnist with a major U.S. newspaper.

ST: How long have you been writing?
MR: Before I could physically write, I told stories. By the time I was ten, I was writing plays for my friends and brothers to perform.

ST: How many books have you written?
MR: BAD GIRL, the first to be published, was my fourth full-length novel.

ST: Which is your favorite and why?
MR: BAD GIRL, of course. LOL. In the very beginning, I got emotionally caught up in Sandy and Justice’s love story. It was quirky and unusual. They have very real, very honest feelings, and the heat level is off the chart.

ST: Do you find writing to be fulfilling? And in what way?
MR: I don’t know that I’d use the word “fulfilling.” Writing is necessary to me in the same way eating, sleeping and breathing are. Even when I’m not actually writing, I’m watching people, wondering what their stories are. Or I’ll hear a news report and think, “Wow, wouldn’t that make a great book?”

ST: What’s a normal day like for you?
MR: I get up at 5:00 AM and go straight to my study where my laptop is. I don’t even turn on a light; I like being surrounded by darkness with just the lighted screen in front of me. It helps me to focus.

I work until 6:45 when I have to get ready for work. I get to my office by 9:00, where I’m very busy so the time passes quickly. If I don’t meet someone for lunch, I read and answer emails.

I usually leave work around 6:00 or 6:30 (after the traffic dies down–I have NO patience for rush hour). I don’t push myself to write in the evenings although once or twice a week, I usually find myself in front of the laptop. I have a fixed goal of words per week. If I haven’t reached that goal by Friday afternoon, I write over the weekend. Even if I’ve reached my goal, I frequently find myself wanting to get back to the story at hand.

ST: You’re very dedicated, but with your busy life how do you find time to write?
MR: We make time for the things that are important to us. It’s a simple matter of triage–prioritizing things according to need. If writing isn’t in the top three or four on your list, you probably aren’t serious about being a writer. I’m VERY serious.

ST: Thanks for taking the time with us today. We’ll be back tomorrow with more from Maya Reynolds. Until then…

Happy Writing!
Sloane

September 24, 2007

Maya Reynolds Tell All

ST: Good Morning! This week we have the mother of all bad girls with us, Maya Reynolds. Welcome, Maya, and thank you for visiting with us this week.
MR: Thanks, Sloane. I’m so glad you invited me. I love your site and your books. It’s a good day whenever you have a new release.

ST: I agree! Tell us about yourself.
MR: Well, I was born in New York City and grew up in Florida. I have a Masters in Social Work and spent years working on the Dallas County mobile crisis team (a terrific job for a writer looking for story lines). I live in a small town in Texas and work at a university in Dallas. I love to garden and work through my stories while pulling weeds or fertilizing my roses.

ST: Your debut novel, BAD GIRL, has just been released. Let’s show everyone your gorgeous cover.

ST: It was an exciting, hot read. I loved the book. Please tell our readers about it.
MR: BAD GIRL is about a woman named Sandy Davis. Sandy didn’t start out intending to spy on her neighbors in the high-rise across the street. It began innocently. But then, she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Night after night, she hid in the shadows of her balcony and peeped through each different window, watching people going about their lives, never realizing they were being observed.

It was just a game. No one had to know. Then one night came a phone call…

“You’ve been a bad girl.”

He calls himself Justice. He has a pastime too. Watching Sandy watch others. He has the pictures to prove it. Now it’s his turn to play–by making Sandy pay the price in exchange for holding on to her naughty little secret.

As the sensual dance between two strangers begins, so does Sandy’s fear that she’s moving closer to the edge of extreme desire–and inescapable danger.

ST: How did you come up with the story line?
MR: I was taking a writing class online and wanted to find an unusual story where the heat level would scorch the pages. I happened to see Rear Window on television, and it started me wondering what would happen if it was a woman spying on her neighbors–and what would happen if she got caught.

ST: And where and can we buy BAD GIRL?
MR: It’s on sale now. You can find it at bookstores like Barnes & Noble, or Borders, and at the online booksellers like Amazon.com or Powells.com.

ST: You have an agent. Was it difficult to connect with one you really wanted to represent you?
MR: I’ve heard it said that it’s harder to find an agent than it is to find a publisher. I don’t know about that.

I began writing BAD GIRL in February, 2005. I entered the first chapter in the “Just Erotic Romance Reviews” contest that summer. Raelene Gorlinsky of Ellora’s Cave picked it as second place winner and asked me to submit the full manuscript. The only problem was that I hadn’t finished the novel at that point. It took me several months to finish the story. In the meantime, I continued to query agents.

Having won that second place prize certainly helped me attract the attention of the agents I wrote. I had multiple requests to see the manuscript. Then, one of my critique partners met Jacky Sach of BookEnds at a conference and mentioned BAD GIRL to her. Jacky asked to see the manuscript. I called her, and we clicked almost immediately so the decision to go with her agency was an easy one.

ST: Your experience is a rarity. I’m happy for you, Maya. Hopefully we’ll see you tomorrow?
MR: I wouldn’t miss it.

ST: Until then…

Happy Writing!
Sloane

September 22, 2007

OOH LA LA!

Bon Jour, Mon Amies,

I am so excited to share my new cover for FRENCH Delights coming soon from Eternal Press. Hope you like it!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Sloane

September 21, 2007

Gazing into the Crystal Ball

ST: We’re here with Marie Treanor ofr our last day of terrorizing her. lol. Marie, what does the future hold for you?
MT: Well, with Changeling Press, I have a short story, Swan Song coming out some time this year – about a cursed but well-endowed ballet dancer. And a short Christmas story called Christmas of the Damned.
And in the spring of next year, I’ll have a novella out with Samhain – Killing Joe…
In time, I hope to find new homes for the books currently tied up in Triskelion’s bankruptcy. In the longer term, who knows? I’m just enjoying the moment and feeling good.

ST: If you had one wish that would be granted, what would it be?
MT: That my kids have happy and healthy lives. Is that two? lol.

ST: How did you and all your publishers come together?
MT: With Triskelion, I remember I liked the variety of stuff they published, and so I sent them my first stories. Then, one of my editors left Trisk to go to Samhain and later invited me to submit there, which eventually I did.
It was Kyla Logan, my loop partner, who suggested I try Changeling Press, and when the right story came to me, I did.

ST: What’s in the works for the future?
MT: Well, I’m working on a sort of gothic/fantasy/historical/paranormal story just now – not sure yet how that mix will work out! And then there’s a ghost story I’d like to finish some time. And I have an idea for a naughty comedy, which may or may not come off.

ST: I sure hope it does. Sounds like an interesting read. Thanks, Marie, for spending so much time with us. It’s been a great week and I’ve enjoyed learning more about you. The very best to you in the future and keep us posted on your future releases.
MT: Thanks, Sloane, I’ve really enjoyed being here! And of course I’d love to keep in touch. Thanks for letting me ramble!

ST: Until next week…

Happy Writing!
Sloane

September 20, 2007

The Soft Side of Marie Treanor

ST: We’re back with the Paranormal Princess, Marie Treanor. Marie, please describe your writing space.
MT: Officially: a corner of my bedroom, containing an old bureau with a fold-down top for the computer, books on the floor held up by Indian-made book-ends. It’s by the window with a view of the sea.
In reality: My very often my cluttered living room or wherever the kids, especially my tyrannical small daughter, want me to be.

ST: LOL. I understand about children. Tell us what’s your favorite part of writing?
MT: When the characters start telling the story, even making me re-think it to suit them. Annoying but exhilarating!

ST: What do you absolutely hate about being an author?
MT: I don’t think I absolutely hate any of it! I’d like more money, of course, and I’d prefer someone else to do the promoting for me. But on the whole, I have to say I’m really enjoying it!

ST: In your opinion what’s the most important thing for a new writer to learn?
MT: Never to give up.

ST: Your website is lovely. I recommend everyone cruise over to www.marietreanor.com and check it out. How did you decide on the content and design?
MT: By knowing my limitations I asked Tina at the Romance Studio to design me something sensual and atmospheric, with a hint of the paranormal and the historical. I confess I love it!

ST: She did a great job. I hear your sweeties calling, Marie, so I guess that’s all for today. Until tomorrow…

Happy Writing!
Sloane

September 19, 2007

Author, Author, Tell Us More

ST: Good morning! We’re back with Marie Treanor. Before we start our interrogation - er, I mean - interview, let’s look at three other fantastic covers Marie has with Changeling Press.

ST: Marie, are there any quirks you have or do before or while you’re writing?
MT: Not really. I like coffee on tap. LOL

ST: Who or what encouraged you to write erotica?
MT: Long story! I found writing long historicals too time-consuming when my daughter was born, but I did want to keep writing. Deborrah MacGillivray encouraged me to try my hand at a short romance. I wasn’t keen at first – to me romances were the old Mills and Boons my granny used to read! – but when I discovered ebook romances I realized I was way behind the times! I was both amazed and impressed by the array of imagination and talent and sheer variety out there. I tried a couple of my own and sent them to Triskelion. Gail Northman at Trisk encouraged me to write one of them a little hotter, and it seemed to work for me.

ST: Just how hot are your books, Marie?
MT: Scorching hot! Tsss! LOL. Only kidding. I’m not really very good with labels, but I think my books are probably on the border line between very sensual and erotic. My characters enjoy pretty sexy and graphic relationships, but so far at least they’ve always been single-partner heterosexual relationships. Not because I disapprove of anything else, just because these are the characters and stories that have come to me. I think I’ve found my comfort zone for now, though I don’t rule out pushing the boundaries!

ST: Where do you get the ideas for your novels?
MT: Mostly from the characters who pop into my mind. Sometimes inspired by real people or faces glimpsed on trains or in the street. Sometimes from something I overhear, or read in a book. Once from a television advert!

ST: How do you research your books?
MT: Depends on the book. I do lots on the internet now, but I still like books! Also, just talking to people helps. My husband for example supplied the necessary chess moves in Queen’s Gambit (sadly not available right now). Thinking about it, he also told me about tethers and stopped me making a pratt of myself over rocket fuel in the City of the Damned stories 

ST: Who is your support group?
MT: In real life? My husband, my old friends and, in a different way, my kids.

ST: You’re fortunate to have a good support system.
MT: I know and appreciate them all.

ST: Until tomorrow…

Happy Writing!
Sloane