August 30, 2008

Turning Up Your Temperature

As promised, here’s the second instalment from TEDDI TURNS ON. Check out Teddi’s reaction to the hot hunk.

EXCERPT:

Teddi stared out the rain-streaked windows at the busy tarmac. Her mind too absorbed with the Munich tour operator, who had done 180 degrees on their contract, to appreciate the parade of jets taxiing along the horizon or the sexy man who had found her airline tickets. Every phone call into her busy travel agency had been from an agitated customer ready to blame her for the radical changes to the European tour they had paid a hefty dollar to enjoy.

Maybe she’d better make one last phone call in the hope that damn Bavarian tour operator, who had been screwing with her head, had finally grown some balls and decided to do the right thing.

She flipped open her cell phone and after two rings heard Francine Daniels, the sovereign of all office managers, answer.

“It’s me, Francie, any word from Munich?” She held her breath, praying for good news.

“No, doll, no word from Fritz the Faker. I took the liberty of calling the bank. Sorry to add more woe to an already crappy day, but he’s cashed that big check you insisted on sending him. We’re in a world of hurt if he doesn’t follow through on his contract.”

“I’m not going to let this crook get away with it.” The cool front she presented to the world would not crumble.

“So get going, Theodora, your flight should be ready to board.”

“Please, I detest that name. It sounds so Old World?”

“Well, that’s where you’re going, kid. I envy you. Think of all those sexy foreign guys.”

Teddi shook her head. Men held no interest for her.

“Don’t you think it’s time you took off your ring?” asked Francine.

“No. I don’t.” She twisted the simple gold band around her finger, hurt by the insensitive suggestion.

“It’s time you stopped hiding out in this office and move on. Eligible men aren’t falling from the sky.”

“And I don’t care if they are. Give it up.” Even though Matthew was dead, in her heart she was still his wife.

“Go on your trip, relax, get a massage. Meet a man. Get laid,” said the irascible Francine. “It’s time, Teddi.”

Of course she missed the intimacy of marriage. The sex had been great and it sure beat the hell out of aspirin to get rid a headache. She was so tense and frustrated she’d do just about anything to get some relief. She closed her eyes, rotated her head, and heard enough cracks and pops to make her crave a good massage.

The darkened room and soft music helped her to relax. She stretched out on the table, shifting just enough to take the pressure off her nipples. Her arms hung limply over the table edge as she watched the masseur enter. With the soft snick of the lock, she realized they were alone. There she was, naked except for the warm towel draped across the swell of her butt. There he was, all male and tanned with a white tee shirt stretched across his rock-hard chest.

A trace of something spicy floated around her just as his warm hands slid up her spine. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped as he rubbed purposefully to relieve the tension in her shoulders. Everything felt so good. His slick hands gliding down her torso, the music, the warm oil, ooh especially those hands as they took control of her muscles and thoughts. His thumbs pressed deeper into her tight flesh as his fingers spread across her back. The warmth skittering over her skin was so intimate and welcome, reminding her of all that she missed. He pushed firmer, sliding up, down, and out. His fingers skimmed the side of her breast. She held her breath. A deep chuckle filled the room.

“You like?”

He shifted her legs apart as he caressed her thighs. His fingers delved higher until they lightly stroked…

I’ll be back in the morning with another excert. Until then…

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor
Sweet as Honey…Hotter than Hell

August 29, 2008

All Things Good

Aspen Mountain Press not only believes in their authors, but also promotes their work. The ad below will appear in the October issue of Affaire de Coeur, a terrific and honest review magazine that’s been in publication for 26 years.

GetCesigned.com created this gorgeous piece. Check out their website for more of their amazing work and terrific pricing. You can’t afford not to be Cesigned.

And now for a little blatant bragging!
These are reviews from some of the top sites for TEDDI TURNS ON.

4.5 BLUE RIBBONS from Romance Junkies

Sloane Taylor’s TEDDI TURNS ON will have readers wanting to travel to Germany and experience the charm of the country and the intensity of the men for themselves. I was charmed by Teddi’s obvious love for her deceased husband and her mixed feelings about moving on without him. David’s bold pursuit doesn’t give her much of a chance to second guess herself. It was very easy to become absorbed in the plot and the characters’ lives. Now I’m dying of curiosity about Teddi’s little sister, Lonni. We get snippets about her throughout the story and it looks like she’s going to be visiting Germany too. Fingers crossed that we will soon be seeing another of these wonderful heartfelt tales from Ms. Taylor.

Reviewer: Chrissy Dionne

4 STARS from Just Erotic Romance Reviews

The love scenes were sizzling and sensual with the ability to send your pulse sky-rocketing as the romance melts your heart. Most of this superb fairy tale is spun around Teddi being ready for dipping her toes into romance once again. The plot is well-written with delicious complications and a super secondary cast including Teddi’s younger sister, Lonnie who adds a young energy to Teddi’s tale. The villain evokes a feeling of disgust and you can’t help hating him. A terrific beginning to the Magnificent Men of Munich miniseries, Teddi Turns On comes very highly recommended. It’ll take you on a tour of Munich without making you leave your home. Ms. Taylor is truly an author to watch out for.

Reviewer: Mahaira Fatima

4 HEARTS from The Romance Studio

Sloane Taylor has written a fascinating book about the growing love of two people who have previously had neither the time nor the inclination to search. There are sub characters that are wonderfully interactive to the couple; however, the basic story centers around the two who find something in each other which was never before present. Ms. Taylor certainly knows how to hold the reader’s attention while presenting her obvious alpha male and a not-to-be intimidated female counterpart. I found the entire story captivating and, of course, recommend it highly!

Reviewer: Brenda Talley

High Praise from An Alternative Read

This was a really great read as it explored the tension between two people who are not only strong-minded, but with totally opposite ideas of what constitutes a relationship. A humorous, witty look at a relationship with remarkably serious undertones, sensually explicit sex and simply falling in love. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Reviewer: WitchGiggles

I’ll be back with another TEDDI TURNS ON excerpt in the morning. Until then…

Happy Reading!
Sloane

August 28, 2008

Need a Little Turn On?

Then let me help you get your juices flowing. Here’s a little something from TEDDI TURNS ON to start you off.

BLURB:

No one’s going to take advantage of Teddi Howard again, including the Munich tour operator who screwed her over when he reneged on their contract. Her only option is to face the little weasel.

Nothing stands in the way of the prominent, German businessman David Stiefle, especially a woman. No way is he ever getting involved, even if she is the sensual Mrs. Howard.

EXCERPT:

David Stiefel’s eyes kept track of the copper-haired female while he rolled up the sleeves of his striped shirt. The woman was oblivious to the stir she created as she strolled through the crowded O’Hare Airport Business Class Lounge. He stroked an index finger over his lips and studied her sleek figure in form fitting slacks. The appealing rear view was too good to miss. The pleasure of not seeing a panty line forced him to shift in his chair to adjust for the sudden pull in his jeans.

She bent over, hung her jacket across the chair back, and glanced over her shoulder at him. Their gaze held as a smile tweaked the corner of his mouth. He crumpled the wrappings from his beef sandwich and knew he’d just been offered dessert. Now all he had to do was make his move.

As his good luck would have it, right there on the floor, just a few meters away was an airline ticket dropped by some unsuspecting person. Ha, unsuspecting, his Aunt Hilda. He knew that delicious looking woman had done it as a ploy to meet him.

He stood and paced off the few steps, never taking his eyes from her. He stooped, scooped up the packet, and walked the few extra feet before he glanced at the name printed in bold marker across the front. When he held it toward her she fumbled with her purse and carry-on as if she didn’t know she’d lost such an important set of documents. Very cool.

Standing in front of her, he leaned down just enough to catch her scent. Shalimar. His favorite.

“Bitte, Frau, are you missing something?” He liked the way her eyes widened as if she were surprised. She was good.

“Thank you.” She reached out a slender hand. Thank God there wasn’t any of that garish nail art so many women seemed to prefer.

Buy Link

Please check back over the next four days to read the next two installments. Until then…

Happy Reading!
Sloane

August 26, 2008

E-Publisher Speaks Out

Recently, Ally Robertson, owner of Eternal Press, was asked to share her thoughts with one of Canada’s largest print book retailers. With Ally’s permission below is her response.
*******************************
You raised some very good questions and after considering them, here is my professional opinion as one of the very few eBook publishers in Canada.

The popularity of eBooks is on the rise and will continue to grow, just as it did with the CD and the DVD. There are many reasons why this trend will continue to grow and eventually replace what we call the norm today.

Environmental
They are environmentally sound. It is my personal belief that print books will become collectables in the future in the same way vinyl records have. The call to be more eco-friendly these days is finally beginning to make some positive changes in the way we do things. More and more people are seeking out eBooks on that merit alone. The actual benefits to the environment can be monumental, and it’s not just the trees and cleaner air. A lot goes into manufacturing the paper. Pulp-mills consume massive amounts of energy and create waste. Toxins and chemicals are used to bleach and treat the paper and some toxins are left behind during processing that also damage the environment. The machines consume oil, electricity and some processes are still using coal. What about the dyes, inks and glues used (chemicals)? The books have to be shipped, using more resources and polluting the environment via the transport used, not to mention the customer who drives to the store to purchase the books. Many books pile up in peoples houses and after being passed around from one person to another, the majority of these books end up in our landfills. Sure they are biodegradable, but regardless of that, the inks and glues still leave toxins to leach into the soil.

Economic
There are still a few hurdles to contend with, but in the end it’s the consumer who finds them economical and this is drawing new readers to the eBook industry. The costs are lower to produce the product, and therefore the consumer is able to benefit by paying less. There is a very damaging idea floating around that eBooks have low quality when it comes to the skill of the Authors. That may be true for those who are self-publishing without going through the rigorous editing process with a professional publisher, but this is not so with a reputable eBook publisher. If this myth about sub-standard quality were really true, eBooks would have never gone further than a short fad. All of the eBook publishers I have met and networked with that have a standing in the industry, all have full a staff.

Example: My publishing company, Eternal Press, has in its employ an acquisitions editor, a senior editor, eight editors, four copyeditors, three cover artists and a handful of other people who take care of administrative tasks and marketing. A lot of work goes in to each book. It’s reviewed by acquisitions and is given a yes, no or a request for rewrites. Then it’s sent to the senior editor who schedules it and assigns it to an editor who is suitable considering genre and heat levels. The book will then be sent back and forth between the editor and the author, sometimes up to three or four times, until it is ready to go to the copyeditor. The copyeditor reviews it and the edited manuscript receives one last review between editor and author. When that has been completed, the senior editor reviews the work and the book enters the formatting stage. Each book is formatted to be easy to read and attractive to the eye. The cover art is made months in advance for the authors to use for promotions before its release date and contains amazing artistic talent and effort.

This is a process used by larger print publishers, and just as much effort, skill and professionalism goes into each eBook. The main difference is the fact that an eBook publisher gets to skip a few steps such as manufacturing a hard copy, and distribution with hopes that what was printed will be sold and not returned. I send my eBooks direct to the consumer in an economical and environmentally sound form.
I know there are some companies out there that will publish eBooks without the vigorous editing and processing. My opinion is that these are the kinds of companies that hinder the industry. With a bit of research into each company you deal with, this lack of quality can be avoided.

How to Boost the eBook Industry
At the moment eBooks can be read on your PC or Laptop computer, PDA, cell phone, Blackberry, palm pilot, i-touch, and other small hand held devises. There are also eBook readers for those who want something larger that makes the reading easier.

One of the biggest obstacles that the eBook revolution faces is the cost and quality of these eBook readers. From what I hear from consumers, staff, various blogs and websites who talk about such matters, the customer wants a product that they can hold in their hands much like someone would a book with a screen size that is comfortable to read. That means clear defined fonts, backlighting that can be adjusted for comfort, and size adjustment for those with bad eyesight who need to zoom in. It must be light, durable and rechargeable. But the most important thing: cost. The prices of these devices are still far too expensive to make using them an economical choice for the consumer. They range in prices from $150.00 to $500.00 and up. The quality of such devices are not worth the expense when it’s believed that the product could break when dropped rendering it useless and a waste of their hard earned money. The longevity of the technology itself is often a hindrance. Why spend $300 on something that is uncomfortable to use because it is lacking all of the basic features listed before? It’s still much cheaper to buy the paper copies of books than invest in an e-reader that is not functional to a degree that makes it worth the investment. When the technology is developed to make the e-readers both functional, affordable and durable, then the e-book industry will have no limits to its potential. There is no reason why an eBook reading device needs to be above the cost of an upper end calculator. The technology just plain isn’t that complicated.

In order to create a boom in the eBook industry, someone needs to manufacture an eBook reader that is between $50.00 and $75.00, that will read and store up to 2Gs of information, can plug into a computer or USB port and have a few options allowing change in the text size, lighting and bookmarks. It should be made with a durable shock resistant interior and exterior that will not harm the product if dropped. If someone were to offer such a product, I could guarantee a major boost in the industry; the growth would be phenomenal and eBook sales would expand exponentially.

Retail
At the moment eBooks are available almost exclusively online, with the exception of those authors who have put their eBooks on CDs to sell and sign for readers/fans at book signings. Publishers and authors are beginning to offer downloads at their individual booths at writer’s conventions and book festivals etc.

Online publishers offer their products directly from their websites. They also use other online retailers who specialise in selling eBooks and software. Fictionwise, Books on Board, All Romance eBooks, eReader.com and Content Reserve all market, sell and distribute the eBooks to consumers in many different e-Formats. Fictionwise alone increased my sales at Eternal Press by 5 times. Amazon climbed on the bandwagon and sells over 1,000,000 different eBooks in many e-Formats and have their own reader (Kindle) which, if offered at a better price, would make more consumers permanent eBook readers.

At the moment as long as you have a PayPal account or a credit card, you can purchase eBooks from your cell phone and any other wireless device used to read them. But for those who have no wireless technology, they’ll need to go to a website and download the eBooks they want to their computers, or in some cases directly onto their e-reader device.

Most large book stores have computers available to the consumer to help them search for the titles they want by author, genre etc. Even then, there is no guarantee it will be available, and often items have to be ordered. This inconveniences the consumer, many of which are likely to give up and buy something else that’s more readily available. So why is it that there is no kiosk at the checkout where a consumer can purchase the book they want and plug in their device to download the eBooks they purchased? For those who only use cash (not credit) this route gives them the ability to buy eBooks which otherwise is completely unavailable to them. Why can’t there be eBook kiosks in airport terminals, bus depots and hotel lobbies where a consumer can purchase and download directly? What about hospitals? Instead of renting out TVs and passing around old used books with limited selections, how about renting e-readers and offering millions of selections so a patient can chose anything they want to read, literally bringing the library to them?

How many publishers are kicking their behinds because they turned down J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books because they believed kids don’t read books, that they would rather be playing video games? Why is Canada’s largest book retailer ignoring this growing industry that will one day be the norm? Are you willing to go bankrupt as the industry grows around because you refuse to adapt to change? Also I would like to add something my senior editor said to me. She is a Canadian living in Australia and as my senior editor I asked her to copyedit this letter for me. Lauren said in a comment… Quote “You may also want to add something about availability and cost of books in smaller foreign countries. I’ve mentioned to you before how expensive books are here, and how often times, the books I want are simply not available here. They have to be ordered from Amazon at my personal expense instead of the book store. I’d love to have a functioning, affordable e-reader and download a book from on-line instead of waiting six weeks to have it shipped using surface mail from the US…at a very high cost to me!

I have my eBooks on all of the eBook retailers mentioned above and I’m slowly making them available to more and more web retailers. I am a very proud Canadian and I want to offer Canadians a way to buy Canadian products in Canada. There are not many eBook publishers in Canada and I am very happy to know that I can take advantage of the Canadian market, which at the moment is largely unaware of the growing movement. I hope that Eternal Press will one day be known as one of the Canadian publishers who took an active, positive role in the growing trend and stuck it out to help make a successful shift in how all Canadians read books in the future.

In conclusion, eBooks are here to stay; eBooks are growing steadily in popularity and eBooks will one day oversell print books, changing the industry forever. I’m proud to be a part of that.

Sincerely,
Ally Robertson

August 25, 2008

Today is a GREAT Day

Below is the wonderful review from Alternative Read for my latest release TEDDI TURNS ON. To say I’m ecstatic is putting it mildly!

Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press
ISBN: 978-1-60168-115-7
Length: 162 Pages
Format: e-book
Reviewer: WitchGiggles

Trying to keep her business afloat, Teddi Howard is not going to let anyone walk on her any more. So, it’s off to Munich and taking on the tour guide who’s trying to do exactly that. But life holds some surprises for Teddi, not least of which is a man who doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word NO.

As a man who’s worked incredibly hard to get where he is, David Stiefle is used to things turning out the way he wants them to. At least he was until he ran into a feisty redhead who doesn’t seem to think he knows what’s best for her.

This was a really great read as it explored the tension between two people who are not only strong-minded, but with totally opposite ideas of what constitutes a relationship. A humorous, witty look at a relationship with remarkably serious undertones, sensually explicit sex and simply falling in love. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Reviewed by WitchGiggles

THANK YOU, WitchGiggles!

I’ll be back Wednesday to start off a few TEDDI TURNS ON excerpts to tease you. Until then…

Happy Writing!
Sloane

August 15, 2008

Novel Sisterhood Presents

Mary’s Sunday Evening Discussion

August 17, 2008 at 9:00 pm–10:00 pm EDT

On Novel Sisterhood—
Please join: Novel Sisterhood Discussion group

August Topic:
Discussion on Writing a good synopsis:
You have your manuscript done and need to catch an editor/agent’s eye. How are earth do you condense a 100,000 word manuscript into 3 to 5 pages?

Special Guest:
Sloane Taylor, multi-published author of Contemporary Erotica—all set in Europe. Sloane has three books and a fourth coming in the fall from Eternal Press along with two books and a third coming in the fall from Aspen Mountain Press. She will lend her expertise of how she writes a synopsis that sells!

Please visit her web site: www.sloanetaylor.com

Check out our website Novel Sisterhood
Novel Sisterhood

Hope to see you all there!

Happy Writing,
Sloane

August 8, 2008

FANTASTIC!

Hi Everyone, sorry I’ve been so quiet. The time was well spent working on two new books and reading a hot new novel that has just released. RISE OF THE WOLF is definitely a book you won’t want to set down. Kat Duarte has created intriguing characters and a tingling story that will keep you glued to the end. I can only hope there’s a follow up book by this brilliant new author.

Be sure to pick up your copy today.

Here’s the terrific cover;

Rise of the Wolf by Kat Duarte
ETERNAL PRESS
Isbn: 978-1-897559-29-1
Heat rating: 3 flames
Erotic/Supernatural

Summary:
City girl Hilary Samuels has no idea Murphy’s Law will kick into high gear the first night of the Hunters’ Moon. One country road, a flat tire and a skid into a cornfield later, and Hilary finds herself face-to-fang with a seductive vampire. Add to that one super-sized wolf who challenges her attacker and you’ve got one weird night out.

Anyone else would retreat to the more conventional hazards of urban life, but Hilary moved to McKenna with an agenda. If she can successfully run the small town’s Café Lotti, her promotion to
managing one of the hippest cafes in Chicago is in the bag.

But how to build a customer base when stalked by the undead? Not to mention the hunky head of the company turning out to have some steamy supernatural secrets of his own! Will Hilary join forces with her new and powerful ally, or will their entanglement rip her world apart?

Excerpt:
But why should you wait? Your skin in the moonlight looks as soft and radiant as a pearl. Do you not yearn to be caressed?

She would have sworn his lips didn’t move. His voice was so gentle, warm, sensuous and intimate, as though he were inside her thoughts, her soul.

Then somehow, without moving, he had covered the space between them and stood next to her, pressed against her, leaning over her. His soft hair tickled her cheek. His breath whispered across her lips as he parted them with a flick of his hot tongue. The kiss was light, soft, then firmer and deeper, the deft movement filling her with the promise of such delights to come that her knees actually began to give way. He caught her, one of his arms bracing her at the deepest curve of her back, the other wrapped so that he cradled her neck in the palm of his hand.

See you all next week. Until then…

Happy Writing!
Sloane Taylor