A Chance Encounter is OUT!!!

A Chance Encounter has finally been released. It seems like forever since I released a book.

With The Diamond Heartstone The #1 Bestseller at Fictionwise I can't help but be excited about the release of A Chance Encounter! I just hope that it does as well!

If you haven't had a chance to see this then here's a peak.

A Chance Encounter

Heather Crane makes a living helping couples become trios. After a chance encounter with one of the Grey brothers, she must put her knowledge of threesomes to personal use.Julian and Lucian Grey want Heather for what she is and what she can do. But it’s not until they learn who she is that they truly understand what a treasure they have found. And they will do anything to keep her safe and satisfied.

To read an excerpt or buy please CLICK HERE

Leila Brown

www.leilabrown.com

www.leilabrown.blogspot.com

~Addictive Erotic Romance You Can't Resist ~

#2 on Fictionwise Bestseller List!

Okay I am more than tickled. I never imagined that The Diamond Heartstone would get this high on Fictionwise. I know I liked the story but I never imagined that others would enjoy it as much.

So I have taken screen shots, a cup of wine, and sat back and enjoyed it. I am (at this point in time) selling better than many (5+) New York bestselling print authors.

Now it's back to work. I need to complete my contracted books for Changeling Press then I need to go ahead and finish the second heartstone book. I mean hopefully I can make it like up to the first....but I am biting my nails about the writing.

Okay. I need to weigh in on the wii fit then write some more

Summer Blog Tour with Kris Eton

Taking A Risk

I began my writing career trying my hand at women's fiction. Serious stuff with angst and messy lives and women with things to work through. Then, I moved on to paranormal suspense. My mainstream ideas seem to be focused in this area, so I've got a zillion ideas to keep me busy there.

But erotic romance? I kind of fell into it. Honestly.

I was working on my 4th or 5th book. I had no success either finding an agent or a publisher with any of these books. A critique group I belonged to posted a call for short erotic fiction from an epublisher I'd heard of. And I thought...I can do that! 10,000 words? Easy as pie.

That book turned into MOONLIGHTING, a fun little tale about a woman who gets mistaken for a shoplifter in the dressing room of a store after hours. I'd never written an erotic sex scene before. But I threw caution to the wind and just hunkered down.

What made that particular story so successful was that I gave myself permission to fail. I had no pressure to make something 'great.' Which, in turn, freed up my creative mind. I didn't worry about what my mom might think or if an agent would think I was a nut. I just wrote what I wanted and decided it didn't matter. It could be silly or stupid or even plain ridiculous.

Several months later, I had a contract in hand for that book. It went through some rough times....making it through a bankruptcy. But now it has a new home with The Wild Rose Press, and I couldn't be happier.

Writing that first story was a breakthrough for me. A freeing of my creative self. Learning that I needed to please myself first...because if I liked the book, so would someone else.

Sometimes it takes a shake up in your writing to find success. Wanting to succeed in a certain genre and finding nothing but closed doors can take a toll on a writer's fragile ego. Sometimes a writer has to take a risk, try something out of their comfort zone to find success.

Now I have four published erotic romances and more on the way. Never be afraid to stretch yourself as a writer. Those are the times you grow the most.

Kris Eton
http://www.kriseton.com
http://www.myspace.com/kriseton

Happyiest Day of the Year!

For me it is. This is the first day of my second release. It is the first one with Changeling Press and I hope it does really well. Want to take a look?

Soundwave's Surrender is Available NOW!

Blurb:

Soundwave is a Super who can bring down any man with her voice alone. Too bad she hasn’t been able to bring down General Pane. But now he’s on the run and she has a score to settle. And she’s going to make sure he pays up.
General Pane has a score of his own to settle. After all, it’s Soundwave’s fault he’s being hunted. He’s lost his job, his identity, and if he’s not careful his life could be next. With Soundwave firmly in his grasp, he’ll stop at nothing to make her pay. Even if he has to tie her up and gag her.

If you want to read about how the two first met ... CLICK HERE! The story is called Soundwave's Submission.

Wish me a Good Release Day!

Leila Brown

http://www.leilabrown.com/

http://www.leilabrown.blogspot.com/

~Addictive Erotic Romance You Can't Resist~

Summer Blog Tour with Loribelle Hunt

Necessary Tools of the Trade

Whether pantser or plotter or somewhere in between, I've met very few writers who aren't a little OCD about the things they need--or don't-- to write. (Okay,

some of us might be a little more OCD than others lol.) My list isn't too long.

Not cluttered...I write in one of two places. I spend a lot of time in this office

indoor office

As you can see, it's a disaster. My husband's desk (the brown one in the foreground) makes me cringe just to look at. How can you do anything in all that

clutter!? Unfortunately, this room is the catch all for everyone in the house when they can't decide where to put something else, which is why there's a

ladder and an air compressor in there. These things really do have their own homes, but for some reason, there they are.

It's probably no surprise that this is where I prefer to write when the weather is nice. Ahhh, a clear surface. That's divine, there.

summer office

Music...I like to make playlists but lately I've been on a XM radio kick. Fave channels this week--the 80s, Flight 26, Squizz, and Bone Yard.

Books...I use thesaurus.com quite a bit, but find my Flip Dictionary more helpful and it's usually within easy reach.

Phones...I used to try to hide the phones when I write, but have found it's just easier to answer. If I don't I get irritated messages from my friends asking

if I'm screening or just fell off the face of the Earth lol!

Snacks...What's a writer with their favorite snack? In the winter I tend towards French Vanilla Cappuccino but the rest of the year I have a serious Diet

Coke addiction. I usually have a bowl of peanut M&M's and another of Lifesavers sitting on my desk too. Unfortunately, the kids got out of school last week

and have raided my stash!

So this is it. My necessary tools of the trade. Anyone else got a list?

Summer Blog Tour with L. Shannon

Hello everyone. I'm Grant. You may bow if you want but I don't get of on all that scrapping and such. I was asked to explain the basic rules of the nine realms (L. Shannon's view of the world). Feel free to ask questions, but I may or may not answer. If you want a more guarenteed respons send it directly to L. Shannon at lshannon@hotmail.com.


1. good and evil are in the eye of the beholder (yep- same as beauty)
2. power is absolute, but it is not always misused.
3. existence is only limited by imagination (this might not be true)
4. in any battle, strength is the secret to triumph. (strength is found in more than muscles ~ never underestimate strength of will)
5. the beginning is the end and the end is the beginning.


Now if you've had enough of that zen shit, let me (Grant) tell you a little about the nine realms. If I miss anything ask me on my blog (actually it's L. Shannon's but if you ask me, I'll answer and I won't sugar or shit coat it.)


1! If it's bigger or stronger than you- don't piss it off. If you do, put on your runners and haul ass, cause it will kill you or worse.
2! If you care about something, DON'T set it free. (trust me-bad idea) I recommend kissing her ass until she wants to stay.
3! When the big guy says duck, don't hesitate. He doesn't screw around, and he might find it funny if you suffer for your stupidity.
4! Friends and family. Always protect what you love, even if the cost proves too high.
5! Don't listen to me. I have been around for six thousand years and still haven't gotten it right. Find someone who has, and listen to them.


What you need to know about the nine realms...

The world as you know it actually has nine realities instead of one. In some cases these are drastically different (like heaven and hell kind of different). The closest you could find reference to these realms is what you humans call Norse mythology. Although the records don't get it all right, they do hit the high points. There are nine primary races to which the Creator gave nine realms. Aesir, Dark Elves, Light Elves, Dwarves, Jotun, Humans, Tascryn (land of the dead), Valhalla, and Vanir.

Though most people seem to think this is the first age, I'm not so sure. I think that perhaps Ragnarok has come and gone a couple times, though it is only my opinion. The predictions all point to the end coming (again) and I personally hope it doesn't come too soon.


What you need to know about demons...

Not all are bad. In fact I can be very good (really very good). You might hear about my breathren the Tascryn demons and they happen to be mostly the good kind. The Tascryn are the protectors of souls and help to maintain the balance of life in all nine realms.

Being a Tascryn demon is mostly a thankless job. Very few people are happy to see us come to claim a soul, after all that means you either are about to die, or we are about to kill you. Our health plan is pretty good. Tascryn are extremely hard to kill and heal almost instantaniously. The vacation schedule sucks. Tascryn work 24/7 and are only allowed one vacation every thousand years. (yeah, I didn't think that was fair either)

There is more than one kind of demon. Tascryn Demons live and work mostly in Niflheim, but a whole different kind call Abaddon home. The Abaddon Demons tend to have fewer rules and a significantly different job description.


What you need to know about werewolves...

The kind of werewolf that I know the most about are called Valafrn werewolves. I have grown rather fond of them over the years. The Valafrn all descended from one fellow (who wasn't quite human) named Vali. You see, Vali went and got himself cursed into his furry form, but in his case it was much worse than others kinds of werewolf curses. Vali was a wolf for all but three nights a month. He took human form for the three nights (and 2 days) of the full moon. Yeah well it sucked for him and proved to be inherited, so all his children (and he was very productive) were cursed just like him. Vali did what any loving father would do; he went to the god who cursed him and begged. (Despite his usually furry form) he didn't beg very well, but Odin helped him anyhow. Together they found a way to let Vali's children use magic to control their physical form. As it turned out, the kiddies got more than they expected and ended up powerful shapeshifters.

If you liked hanging out with me, I invite you to read Tascryn Royals 1: Of Blood and Blessings which is my story through the eyes of L. Shannon (the voyeur, LOL) Or my mother, Sadrina's book, Tascryn Royals 2: Blood Reign. I have not and will not read about my mother and Pahele. Nope. Not gonna happen.

One last thing...I shouldn't but because I've always been a pain in his ass, I'll share a friend's page that I recently found ~ http://heartoftheserpent.blogspot.com/. Just do me a favor and don't tell him where you got the link. Ever since I was give to him as a slave way long ago, I've been able to piss him off in all the best ways. But I know one thing and that's if the end ever comes, I will be at his side one way or the other.

Grant.

Oh... PS Here's Shannon's site. http://lshannon.net If you're a voyeur too, drop by and check it out.

#10 Bestseller on Fictionwise

I just want to interrupt the blog tour for this special announcement.

The Diamond Heartstone has hit some major markers!

It is the #10 Bestselling book on Fictionwise today!

It is the #8 Bestselling Romance book on Fictionwise today!

And it is the #1 Bestseller for Cobblestone Press on Fictionwise today!!!

Okay...just thought I'd share ....

Summer Blog Tour with Ava Rose Johnson

The Writing Game

I started writing a little over a year ago. It all began with one story- a story that had been building in my mind for months, or maybe even years. It was a romance, a tale of soulmates and heartbreak and passion. The story kept growing in my head until eventually I had to let it out. I wrote 75, 000 words in one month (my fingers were exhausted!). Of course, it was so full of head-hopping and passive voice and cliched characters that it never reached the eyes of an editor. But that didn't matter to me. I'd finished my first novel. I was damned proud of myself!

After I put that one onto the back-burner, I dipped my toes in the writing pool again. I wrote a couple of novellas and short stories, and over time I saw my writing improve. It was tighter. The characters were well-drawn. The sex scenes were hot!

The next step was finding a critique partner. After a few tries, I found one that fit. We worked together on our respective WIPs, helping and advising and commenting until we had polished manuscripts ready to be looked at. I then spotted the Vampire Oracle call for submissions from Cobblestone Press and I absolutely had to be a part of it. I wrote a proposal for the Power card and, woohoo, I was accepted!

Since then, I've continued to write and submit. I've written thousands of words in one month, then suffered with writing block the next month. I've been accepted by both Cobblestone and Phaze but I've also had my share of rejections. All part of the writing process.

Looking back to a year ago when I was just starting out as a writer, I am so glad that I let the words come out. It's a big deal to put a pen to paper and allow yourself to be a writer. It's scary and intimidating to think of submitting a story to a publisher, or even showing a story to your own family and friends.

But it's worth it. Believe me!

Ava

Coming July 4th from Cobblestone Press- The Vampire Oracle: Power

A vampire's promise lasts forever...

Website ~ Blog ~ MySpace ~ Yahoo
Group

Summer Blog Tour with Yolanda Sfetsos

The other night, my daughter and I finished watching a documentary narrated by David Attenborough, called Tiger - Spy in the Jungle. It was a three-part series following a female tiger and her four cubs. I loved every minute of it. It's amazing how hard it is for them out in the wild, and fascinating to watch their everyday survival.

I've loved tigers for a long time now. They have always fascinated me, and they're so beautiful and intelligent. I could watch them for hours, and even got to see several cubs when the hubby and I went to Dreamworld in Queensland before my daughter was born.

Anyway, when I think of shifters, cats are usually the ones that grab my attention. I mean, I love werewolves, don't get me wrong, but cats are so fascinating, especially tigers.

So when I sat down to write a short story to submit to CPQ Magazine last year, it was only natural for me to cast a tiger. Or tigress, in this tale. As soon as I started writing, I got so caught up in it that by the time I was finished, I knew there could be a world of shifters here waiting for me. And it all started with Nora and Vin.

If you haven't read the story yet, HIDE: Wild at Heart is available for free download HERE. So, go ahead and grab it. And if you read it, let me know if you'd like to know more about these cats and the other animals in their world.

Here's a little secret: I do intend to write more tales with Nora, but I just need to find the time.


Yolanda Sfetsos
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

Summer Blog Tour With Jamieson Wolf

Reading Romance - Writing Romance




The other day one of my co-workers asked me what I was reading. This is an every day occurrence. In fact, I’m asked several times a day what I’m reading. There aren’t a lot of people in my office who read; there’s only one other girl who has her nose stuck in a book on her lunch and breaks like me.
It seems people who read are an oddity in my office.
That’s okay, though. I don’t mind being an oddity. In fact, I revel in it. I have always been what I would call eccentric, always outside the norm. But it seems I’m even more outside the norm because I read romance. And I write it.
I love love love romance. I read tons of it. You write what you love to read, right? As a romance writer, I’m almost duty bound to read romances; I’m pretty sure it’s in my contract somewhere.
But people always get wierded out by the fact that I read romances for two reasons. I’m a guy and I’m gay. People assume that, since I’m a guy, I shouldn’t read romance and, since I’m gay, I wouldn’t want to read straight romances.
They’re wrong on both counts.
I love romances not just for the sex scenes, but for the story, for the characters. I don’t know what it is about romance but the characters always seem to be more alive, more real than in regular fiction. Plus you get passion, excitement, harrowing plotlines, danger and disaster at every turn, conflict galore AND a happy ending. What can be better than that?
If any kind of writing was popcorn or candy for the mind, romance would be it.
In the end, I love reading romances and I love writing them even more. For whatever reason, my characters always come alive more if they’re in one of my little romantic novellas.
I’m particularly proud of Valentine (available now from Cobblestone Press) and Finding Beauty (coming soon from Cobblestone Press). To me, they are some of my best pieces of writing that I’ve done.
Thankfully, there are always new stories to write and to read. I will forever be a romance writer and a romance junkie.
G
For more info on Valentine, check out the blog!
http://www.valentineanovel.blogspot.com/

And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to pick up your copy of Valentine by clicking here:
http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/valentinejw.htm

Summer Blog Tour wth MG Braden

Vampire Oracle - Harmony

I never thought I'd be writing a paranormal romance. I write straight contemporary. I also didn't write fully disclosed love scenes. So, when the call came out for proposals for the Vampire Oracle line, why did I jump at it?

I have no idea. I originally read through the descriptions for each card and thought they sounded great. For someone else. Not my thing.

But then the Harmony card showed up (they were released for proposals five at a time, just like they are being published the same way).

I was drawn to the face on the card:


Then, the description captured me:

Key Words:
sustenance, without conflict

Meaning:
This is a time of happiness and constancy. But like all good things, they have been worked for and could slip through the fingers if taken for granted.


My storyline for Harmony immediately popped in my head and I rushed to open a document and start laying it out. Once I finished that, I carefully checked all the rules for the proposal and then submitted it.

It all happened very quickly, but I was in the middle of the pack for submissions and we were to wait until mid-August, or maybe it was the end, but either way, it was a long wait. However, we got lucky and Deanna and Sable made their decisions much faster. When I saw the email pop up in my inbox earlier than the expected date, I assumed it was a decline and was afraid to look.

It was a contract!! (Obviously, since I'm writing this, but still, very exciting for me.)

From then to now has been a busy time: writing, editing, blurbing and getting ready for release date. The first five Vampire Oracle novella's released yesterday (June 6/08). Vampire Oracle: Harmony will release August 1/08. And, if I do say so myself, those love scenes turned out pretty hot. I hope you will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed stepping outside of my comfort zone and writing it.

Here is my blurb:

'Recently engaged, Kara Staten and Marc Brodeur are in love, and life is good. Kara has a brand new business, and they have both worked hard to get to where they are. When things start to turn bad, they struggle for the harmony they once had.

The balance starts to unravel, secrets become harder to keep. Kara's skincare salon's "Take A Bite Out of Love (TBOL)" campaign results in several almost fatal love bites, and Marc doesn't know if he's the cause. He's a vampire trying to live a normal life.

As the vampire in him struggles to take control, Marc is only sure that he can't be the man Kara needs. She doesn't know he's a vampire--can't know. As their lives spin into separate paths, they will find that the thing that could tear them apart is the one thing that will ultimately keep them together.'

Summer Blog Tour with Selena Blake

A Cajun's Captive

Selena Blake

Blurb:

Sebastian Deveraux is the Alpha of his pack and like all the Deveraux men, he’s sexy as pure sin. He’s waited for decades for just the right woman. For his mate. And ten years ago he’d been sure he’d found her in Amanda St. James. But she’d run from him.


Now she’s back. He’ll do anything to keep her. Even if it means chaining her to his bed.


Book 1 - Stormy Weather series


Cobblestone Press


Available June 13, 2008


EXCERPT

The blonde peering into his bedroom window never heard him approach.


“Can I help you?” he asked mildly when he was within pouncing
distance. Shrieking, she whirled to face him, backing up at the same
time. Her hands came up to balance herself, but it was too late. He
made no move to rescue her even though he could have. Her momentum
toppled her over the railing and into the soggy grass below. She
landed flat on her back.


From the edge of the porch, he stared down at her not feeling the
least bit sorry for startling her. What did a man have to do to get
privacy?


Her wheat colored hair covered her face and the rain slowly soaked her
clothes. She seemed too startled to move. Finally, she eased up on her
elbows. Her breasts heaved and fell as if she might start crying. The
last thing he wanted was a crying woman. Or a lawsuit.


“You all right?”


With a perfectly polished hand, she flicked her hair out of her face
and glared up at him. The blue eyes that locked with his couldn’t have
surprised him more if there’d been eight of them.


Amanda St. James. Alive and in his yard.


Couldn’t be. He narrowed his gaze and took in her features. Same cute
pixie nose. Same rosy, heart-shaped mouth he’d longed to kiss. Same
delicious curves that his hands itched to caress.


Suddenly he was transported a decade ago when they’d all been hanging
out on a hot summer day. It had been August. Suffocatingly humid. Then
Amanda had grabbed the hose and proceeded to drench him and his
brothers to the bone. Her kissable mouth had laughed and smiled as
they’d chased her. When they’d finally caught her, turning the hose on
her, the water had plastered her clothes to her sweet young body.
It had taken all his willpower not to carry her off that very
afternoon. To kiss her all over—from that adorable nose, to those
delicious berry pink lips, to her hot pink toenails.


The clap of thunder brought him back to the present. His eyes didn’t
fool him. He sniffed the air and her scent filled his lungs. She
smelled so sweet, so familiar, and so wonderful that he almost closed
his eyes to savor it. Instead, he took in her pitiful form. She looked
like a drowned cat. He watched as the rain molded her shirt to her
breasts. Either from cold or, heaven help him, desire, her nipples
beaded beneath the fabric and stood out like pebbles.


He clenched his fists. Long dormant need surged upward startling him
with its intensity. Its rawness. He hadn’t seen or heard from her in
nine long years but he’d never stopped wanting her. It was the reason
he dated a long stream of women, never settling down. He’d never felt
this kind of urgency with anyone else. Although he’d tried to wipe
away her memory, none of them could compare to Manda. His Manda.
But her presence now reminded him of how she’d fled all those years
ago. She’d gone off to Yankee country for school. Then she’d gone on
to work for one of the biggest broadcast companies in the country.
Never looked back. Never called. Simply fled. Ran from him.


His inner beast had been too proud to let him chase. Had been sure
she’d come back in a week or two. Weeks had turned into years and now
almost a decade. Now the beast growled deep inside, for the years he’d
lost, for making him want her so, making him wait. It lay coiled,
anxious and ready to spring to life and take what it wanted.


He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to keep the dangerous
animal inside on a tight leash.


“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Amanda St. James.” He couldn’t keep the
disdain from his voice. He hoped to hell she couldn’t hear the hurt,
the yearning… “Did the Yanks kick you out? Get too cold for ya up
north?”


“What a mean thing to say.” For a moment, she looked genuinely
wounded. But he told himself that was part of her game. The network
probably sent her.


“Then what are ya doin’ here?” Probably snooping for a story, he
thought. Figured she’d use her looks, her connections, to get it. Like
hell, she was going to get her story.


Her tongue slipped between her glossy pink lips to lick a raindrop.
That simple movement reminded him of all the times she’d licked her
lips, stuck out her tongue at him—reminded him of everything he really
wanted in life.


And just how much he wanted to kiss her.


Once again, he took in her sad wet form and saw everything he’d wanted
for hundreds of years. Everything he’d been denied and had denied himself.
Sebastian knew he couldn’t be angry; she was worth the wait. He
couldn’t let her get away again. This was a sign from the Gods. She
was meant to be his. He’d known it all those years ago when he’d
watched her blossom in front of his eyes. While he’d waited for her to
grow up. Waited for her to come to him.


He still knew it. Nothing had changed, he reasoned. Except that he
wanted her more now than he had nine years ago.


And she was well over eighteen now. He would finally make her his.
With the effortless grace his kind was known for, he leapt over the
railing and landed at her feet. Oblivious to the rain, he glared down
at her.


“Get up,” he ordered. She started to crab crawl backwards but she
couldn’t get away fast enough. In a lightning fast move, he hoisted
her over his shoulder. She barely weighed more than a sack or two of
sugar.


“What are you doing?” she cried.


“Taking what’s mine.”


He knew the instant she comprehended his words. She squirmed and
wiggled like a bunny in a trap, but it didn’t matter. He had her where
he wanted her.


For now.




About the Author
Selena Blake writes paranormal and contemporary romance for Cobblestone Press. Her series Stormy Weather will be available in 2008. Drop by her website to find out more about the handsome Deveraux men of Louisiana and for a free short story. http://www.selena-blake.com/

Summer Blog Tour with Dee Carney

My First Sale

A DJ on the radio asked listeners to think about the careers they had once dreamed of having when they were children. I thought long and hard about it and ran through my list...I'd wanted to be a medical doctor (ugh. too much school), a vet (allergic to a million things), a child psychiatrist (wtf?), a chef (still holding on to this one), an artist (not enough money per my dad) and a writer. That last one took me by surprise because I'd completely forgotten that once upon a time, I'd wanted to be a writer when I grew up. So how, if I'd forgotten I'd wanted to be a writer, did I end up here? Well, lemme tell you...

Scroll back about fifteen years. Sitting in a sociology course, I had an instructor who loved to hear himself talk. I mean LOVED. While sitting there bemoaning the mandatory attendance requirement, I thought up a story about a servant and a land owner (think pre-Civil War) who embark into a marriage agreement so that he can keep his inheritance. For the next year, whenever I had a course that bored me to tears, I whipped out my story idea and wrote an actual story to go along with it. When school ended, so did my writing. I had to go work in the real world...with only 1 1/2 chapters left to go. To this day, I still have 1 1/2 chapters left of the story. One day I'll finish it. But I digress....

Scroll back about eight months ago. While perusing a publisher site for kicks and giggles, someone mentioned joining NaNo. Being the internet detective that I am, I went to the site. After reading some more, I figured, what the heck...and signed up. Since it was only October, I also figured I'd better practice since my writing was a little rusty. So I thought up a story about a man who dies. But then comes back - in a new time & place. After I finished the first two chapters, I gave them to my secretary to read. She became engrossed in the story and refused to talk to me until I'd handed her the next chapter. And the next. And the next. All of a sudden, I was writing The End.

I was very proud when I handed her that final chapter. If I say so myself, it was a pretty good story. She thought so too. She called me out of a meeting to gush over the story. And my head got too big to fit through doorways. And when she told me to submit it to a publisher, my head was so big it barely fit into the car for the ride home.

Once again, what the heck? flashed through my mind. And I submitted it to this e-publisher with a good reputation and fair terms. The fact that their authors had positive things to say about them didn't hurt either. And on Christmas Day while sitting at work I opened up my email to find a letter from Deanna Lee letting me know that she enjoyed my story too.



SOLDIER released from Cobblestone Press in April of 2008. Since then I've been contracted for an additional two stories with Cobblestone. I'm only looking forward from here. Who knew that a little kid a zillion years ago could have predicted the direction her life would head? I'm glad she did.

Hugs,
Dee

Summer Blog Tour with Terri Molina

Do you Believe in Magic.....

How much do you believe in the supernatural? Do you check your horoscope on a regular basis? Have you every had your cards thrown? Or had your palm read?

I've never really considered myself to be the believer, my friend Rhonda would actually get a laugh out of knowing I kinda, sorta, do believe in the mystic/supernatural stuff since I'm such a cynic with real life. Haha

Anyway, being Mexican, growing up and listing to the "stories", it was hard not to believe in certain things. Of course as I got older I let everyone else's cynicism convince me my family was just old world superstitious. But, I gotta tell you, even though I'm %$& years old, there's still a part of that childlike innocense that believes...or at least wants to believe.

When I was researching my second novel Dark Obsession (a paranormal romantic suspense) I focused my search on Curanderismo, spirituality, and pretty much anything having to do with witchcraft, mysticism, etc. The information I came across was all very intriguing. I even had a chance to speak with a man in west Texas who has done years of research on Curanderismo and his insight made for great conflict in my story (and future stories). My research also took me on a road trip with my aunt and cousin, to the Rio Grande Valley. I wanted to get visuals (since it had been several years since I lived there) they went to visit family.

While we were there, my aunt's sister-in-law told me about a (healing) incident she witnessed with a (colicky) baby, a raw egg and a glass of salt water. But, you'll have to read the book to know what happened....when it gets published.

Now, I won't fully admit to being a believer, but I can admit there's something there to consider. And, really, don't we all wish we could have just a little bit of magic ala Samantha Stevens? (and if you say Who? I'll hurt you!) Plus, with the way my luck goes (writing wise) I could use all the mystical insight I can get. I've even tried the occasional Tarot card reading...the free one from I-Village...because....well, just couldn't help myself.....but I don't ever quite understand the meaning.

A while back I did a test to see what Tarot card I am and, although it's not meant to be a reading, it definitely gave me a bit of hope.

Here's what it said:

You are the World
Completion, Good Reward.
The World is the final card of the Major Arcana, and as such represents saturnian energies, time, and completion.
The World card pictures a dancer in a Yoni (sometimes made of laurel leaves). The Yoni symbolizes the great Mother, the cervix through which everything is born, and also the doorway to the next life after death. It is indicative of a complete circle. Everything is finally coming together, successfully and at last. You will get that Ph.D. you've been working for years to complete, graduate at long last, marry after a long engagement, or finish that huge project. This card is not for little ends, but for big ones, important ones, ones that come with well earned cheers and acknowledgements. Your hard work, knowledge, wisdom, patience, etc, will absolutely pay-off; you've done everything right.
Hey, I can live with that.

So...what about you? Are you a believer or non believer? And, where do you draw the line? (horoscopes, palm reading, runes?)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Terri Molina is a native Texan, born and raised in Southeast Texas. She is an active member of the Romance Writers of America including the Northwest Houston Chapter and Desert Rose Chapter in Phoenix, Arizona. She writes multicultural romantic suspense, blending in the flavor of the Southwest with her Mexican heritage. After years of living a nomadic life with her Coast Guard husband, she now resides in Southeast Arizona with her husband, four children and a dog. When she's not writing she enjoys reading, singing karaoke with the kids and spending time with family and friends.
To learn more visit her at www.terrimolina.com

Summer Blog Tour with Cassandra Moore

What is Dominance?

Every now and again, when I mention that I write BDSM, I get funny looks. Inevitably, the next thing I hear is, "Why would anyone get into that? Who wants to be bossed around? Especially in bed?"

Which is true. We associate getting bossed around with crabby older sisters, supervisors at work, and other unpleasant folks. Not really sexy ideas there.

Fortunately, BDSM isn't about getting bossed around. Instead, it's about letting go of control, giving it to someone else so that you are, in a sense, free. There are no decisions to make, because someone's making them for you. There's no guilt, because you aren't calling the shots. No self-consciousness, because again, someone else is making the call.

Imagine, if you will, a small tragedy. Someone got hurt, and is in the hospital. They're going to be okay, but you've had an emotional wringer of a day. You just want to stumble home, but there's so much to deal with.

Then some saint of a family member comes along. He tells you to go home. He'll handle the paperwork, and sit with the person that got hurt. You want to protest, of course, that you should do it all, because you'll feel guilty otherwise. But the look in his eyes stops you. Go home, he says. Go rest. I will take care of it. I'll carry the burden. You put it down for a while.

It's an extreme example, but it's right at the heart of Dominance and submission. In the above situation, the guilt has a chance to go away, as does the stress. Someone else is handling it. For just a little while, even just the couple hours it takes you to go and get some food and a hot shower, you don't have to worry.

Dominance and submission are about trust. You trust the other person not to ask, or do, anything that you wouldn't want to. You trust that they'll take care of you, make you feel good, and give you the chance to just let go. They aren't bossing you around. You're allowing them control for a short time, and you trust that they'll give it back.

It's called "power exchange". It can be sweet, intense, or very emotional, depending on what's agreed upon. And it's found in a lot of unexpected places, from BDSM books to urban fantasy. Werewolves have a certain element of Dominance to them, as do vampires.

Power exchange is what Meghan's Submission is about. A woman wants to let go, and trusts a man to give her what she needs. And a man wants to give her that freedom and take care of her. It's sweet, loving, and changes both their lives for the better.

Summer Blog Tour: Sophie Athens 'The Writer'

People who don't write often wonder how writers function. "The Writer" becomes a sort of mysterious persona, someone gifted with the right words at the right time. A scatterbrained, intellectual individual squirreled away in a quiet cabin in the woods or a seaside house, fueled only on coffee and smokes, clacking away at the computer to write the one and only draft of the next American novel.

Well. hahaha...I hate to burst the bubble, but this isn't necessarily true:

Scatterbrained--most likely (well, at least I am, haha).

Intellectual--many of us are, but not everyone (oooooh!).

Quiet cabin/seaside house--God, I wish. At this point, I'd kill for a full weekend of nothing but writing time, but real life constantly gets in the way.

Fueled on coffee and smokes--I don't like either...I prefer tea and chocolate.

One draft--I laugh heartily. I usually write a rough draft, then go back and add in all that important layering, then do two drafts of revisions before handing in a manuscript. And that's just MY side of things--once the editor gets a hold of it, there's no holds barred. haha

Just like individuals, all writers are different, with different processes, personalities, and quirks. I'm sure there are some people who are just like "The Writer" persona--as for me, I'll stick to my tea and ten minutes of quiet writing time before the kids start hounding me. haha

What about you--any misperceptions you encounter about your job that you'd like to correct? Share with us!

You can find more details about me at http://www.sophieathens.com/ and more about my novella The Vampire Oracle: Hunger at http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/line/vampireoracle.html .

Summer Blog Tour with Moira Rogers

Moonshine

By Moira Rogers
http://www.moirarogers.com/
Coming on June 27th from Cobblestone Press



Claire is tired of pretending to be polite, docile...human. She wants to unleash the animal inside her, and she wants to do it with a man who can really handle her. Then she meets Lars, a dangerous, sexy alpha, in a smoky bar. They share some moonshine, a potent shifter aphrodisiac, and have blisteringly hot sex.

Their one night of intoxicated passion leaves her wanting more, but Lars isn't interested in a woman who can only let loose while under the influence. Claire must then decide whether she's ready--and willing--to truly embrace her wild side.

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Excerpt from Moonshine

Claire knew she stuck out like a sore thumb from the moment she walked into the bar, and realized it had nothing to do with the fact that she looked like shit. Dos Culebras was not a bar women usually entered alone unless they were professionals. The few non-hookers in residence belonged to men frightening enough to convince the rest of the clients to leave them alone.

She was not a professional. Worse than that, she was a shapeshifter who challenged every man in the bar just by walking into it. Hell, she wanted to be a challenge. She needed to meet another shapeshifter tonight. Someone like her, who understood her strength. Who could handle her strength. Someone who wouldn't be afraid.

She heard her ex-boyfriend's voice as she took her beer to a small table in the corner. It's not you, Claire. You need someone...like you. Oh, he'd been full of false sympathy when he'd broken up with her. He'd pretended it wasn't because she'd proven herself to be stronger than he was—yet again.

Humans are fragile. A morbid thought, but so true. Humans were fragile, and she had to stop wanting to be with one. Over twenty years had passed since magic had first crashed into science and bled into everyday life. The terror had finally subsided, and lots of men now found it hip to have a supernatural girlfriend. At least until she embarrasses them in front of the boys by being stronger than they are.

Human men. Their egos were as fragile as their bodies.

She was halfway through her beer before she realized she had attracted a stranger’s attention. He sat across the bar from her, in a corner booth, with his back against the wall and one booted foot propped on the cracked vinyl in front of him. A cigarette dangled from his mouth, and a long-neck hung loosely from his fingers. Tattoos encircled his arms, tribal designs that stood out against his skin and disappeared beneath the sleeves of his T-shirt. He looked dangerous. Perfect.

Even at that distance, his eyes bored into hers. The intensity of his unwavering gaze made her uncomfortable. She had no problem recognizing another shapeshifter. Not a wolf, which she might have expected, but a coyote. Like me.

She met his gaze unflinchingly, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist the challenge of her presence.

You'll do, whoever you are.

After a moment he rose, one fluid motion bringing him out of the booth. He stalked towards her, his movements at once graceful and dangerous, and she couldn't take her eyes away from him. He stopped at the corner of the bar and slid onto a seat. For a minute, Claire thought he wouldn't speak. Then his icy blue eyes softened, and he said in a low voice, "You look like shit."

"Thank you. I feel like shit," she replied quietly. "That's why I have a beer."

He paused for a moment, then set down his bottle. "I know who you are, you know."

It figured. Coyotes weren't rare, but there were only ten female coyotes in town compared to the fifty or so males. She turned her eyes back to the man and ran them over him in an assessing manner that bordered on insulting. "Really? Haven't seen you in any of my classes. You don't look like the college type."

He just grinned, and the simple action transformed his face from broodingly dangerous to dangerously handsome. "Touchy bitch."

"Yeah, maybe." She finished the rest of her bottle and set it on the table. "My boyfriend just dumped my ass because I'm tougher than he is. I'm feeling a little touchy."

He stared at her for a second. "Beer ain't taking the edge off of that, doll. You do shots?"

She slanted him a look, wondering if he was the type of man who could find her something better than alcohol. Maybe the tricky little magical drug making the rounds now. Custom designed for shapeshifters, it provided the adrenaline rush of a shift, along with a healthy dose of desire. Right now, she wanted something to remind herself just how far she was from actually being human.

Of course, she wasn't exactly sure how to ask him if he happened to have a bottle of moonshine in his pocket. So instead, she settled for a vague reply. "If I wanted to do the stuff I usually do, I wouldn't be here."

He nodded. "Hey, Wanda. Give us a couple of shots of Johnnie Walker, yeah?"

Claire waited until the woman set a shot glass in front of her. Then she picked it up and tossed it back, coughing a little as the liquid burned its way down her throat.

When she managed to blink away the reflexive tears that sprang to her eyes, she found him watching her. "It's a long way from milk and cookies."

“Yeah.” He threw back his own shot without blinking. "I'm Lars."

"Lars." Claire dropped the shot glass back on to the bar. "Hi. I'm Claire."

Hey want a free read?

Then hop on over to www.changelingpress.com and check out the newsletter. I have a free read in there called Soundwave's Submission. It details the first time she met General Pane and explains a bit of the animosity between the two.

So if you want a free look go check it out!


www.leilabrown.com