Stories from the Weekend

2014...I'd ask where 2013 went but we all have that question!

Stories for this year:

• My Curvy Girls trilogy. Three curvy friends from New York and their winding road to love (m/f)
• Regency Winter's Menage Tales. Het menages (m/f/m) set during the winter of 1814 and the Last Frost Fair on the Thames.
• The Forbidden Series. Contemporary menage (m/m/f) series set in Havenbrook, CA in the middle of a large farming community.
• Sordid Little series. A Regency's matchmaker's delight in setting up 'ruined' women with an ideal match.(m/f)
• Cursed Love. I wrote the first a while ago--cursed woman out to find the people who did this to her and the man who loves her regardless. Then I realized it needed a sequel so that's on the goal list this year!

So far I have the first in my Forbidden Series, Forbidden Road finished, the first in my Curvy Girl Trilogy finished, Countess Curvy finished and 1/4 of the first Regency Winter's Menage Tale, A Lady's Temptation finished.

I've discovered I'm definitely a goal oriented writer, but that so many things pop up that sometimes those goals fall by the wayside. Still, I think these are enough stories to keep me busy over the next few months!

Small town loving

In between baking, cooking, and cleaning, I started a new series. The first one, Forbidden Road, is started and I'm very pleased with the way it's coming out. Very character driven, witty banter (read: Sarcasm!) and characters I'm very much growing to love.

Small town romance meets sexy menage with a bit of drama tossed in. I wanted to know if I could do a Robyn Carr type of book but put a threesome twist to it and see what happened. 3 chapters in and I have very high hopes for Forbidden Road: A Havenbrook Menage.

And it's a contemporary! Big change for me. But the modern setting requires less research and is far more entertaining when it comes to the dialog. I really am loving that part of it!

So...how was everyone's holidays? As mad capped as mine was? I'm still recovering and feel like I need another week to do so. Exhaustion!

Hetero #menage

Of all the menages I've written so far, I've yet to tackle one of the most common types, the heterosexual menage. Where only those of the opposite sex engage in intimate relations. Therefore, I'm making it one of my resplutions:

I'll tackle the heterosexual menage. It may end up in my Victorian Menage series, or not. We'll see what happens. But I'm interested in writing this type of menage, and want to definitely try it.

I also plan to do a foursome. Not sure if that'll be a hetero or not, it barely in the planning stages now, but that is also on my list of stories to write in the new year.

What's your favorite menage? And would you rather see it as an historical? (Victorian, Regency, pirates, medieval) A Contemporary? Or a fairytale?

Suzanne Rock and Ecstasy Spa

Can Spas Be Sexy?

Considering the erotic series I’m promoting, I think everyone already knows my answer. J

Hi everyone, and thanks for having me here today. I’d like to talk a little bit about how I came up with the idea for my Ecstasy Spa series.

A few years ago, my husband and I took a vacation to Napa Valley out in California. It was a fantastic trip. We had some of the best wine and food that I’ve ever had in my life. While we were there, we stayed at a small hotel where you could order couples massages. My husband and I aren’t normally massage people, but we were a little adventurous one day, so we decided to try it.

The experience was fabulous. If you have never had a couples massage, I highly recommend it.

At the scheduled time, we both walked out to a secluded, small white tent in a vineyard out back. We were met by two masseuses who showed us to two cushioned tables inside the tent. The structure had three sides, so we both had a beautiful view of the vineyard as the staff worked out the knots in our back, neck and arms. It was so relaxing and romantic. Just the thing we needed after a day of wine tasting.

While on the table, I had an idea for a series about a spa that provided such services. It was then that the Ecstasy Spa was born. The idea sat in my subconscious for a couple of years while I worked on my contracted stories for Loose Id, Red Sage and Elloras Cave.

Then, when I got a break from my contractual obligations, I started perusing Amazon’s Erotic Romance listings. I saw a lot of stories centered on an innocent girl who went to this club and experienced kink for the first time. While these stories are great, I often wondered what it was like for the staff working at these places. What was it like putting yourself out there day after day, denying your own needs for the sake of pleasing others? I started to think about the staff not at a sex club, but an elite spa known for giving sexual services as part of the total mind and body package. What would these people be like? What were their hopes and dreams? Perhaps I could use my experience in Napa Valley as inspiration… It was then that the Ecstasy Spa was born.

 

Want to learn about the great characters and their sex lives? You can find more information about my new series on my website here: http://suzannerock.com/?page_id=1208

For now, I’ll just tell you a little bit about Pressure Point, my newest release in this series…

Price: $3.99

For more information and buy links, go here: http://suzannerock.com/?page_id=1526

Blurb:

When Blake and Drew ask Elsie to have some fun with them at the Ecstasy Spa holiday party, she seizes the opportunity to forget about the pressures of her job and personal life. She has always had a crush on both men and knows that they are dating, so she expects nothing more than the one-night stand they offer her. Blake and Drew have other plans however. Together the men fulfill her every torrid dream, bringing her to heights she never thought possible. They want to make their fling more permanent, but doing so could cost them all their jobs. Should Elsie risk her livelihood for a chance to make her dreams come true?

About Suzanne:

A lifetime New Englander, Suzanne married her college sweetheart and has been with him for over twenty years. Every summer she drags her husband and two daughters to Maine on a quest for the perfect lobster dinner. Every fall she can be found down in Foxboro, Massachusetts cheering on her favorite football team. In between those trips, she’s a chauffeur, a maid, a chef, an event planner, a hairdresser, a wardrobe stylist, a tutor and a sometimes masseuse. To keep her sanity, she often drinks copious amounts of coffee and stares at the blank screen of her laptop, dreaming of great adventures. Sometimes she even writes them down for others to enjoy.

Vacations, Angels, and Carrie Ann Ryan!

Today I want to welcom Carrie Ann as she talked vacations (sort of) and angels. One yummy angel to be exact!

Flying with no Fear

My lovely host asked me to talk about my favorite vacation and I actually had to think about that! LOL I haven’t been on a true vacation in such a long time, but when I was younger and living in Portugal. Since my parents were in the military, there weren’t many times that we could take vacations. But since I was living on in the Azores (the little islands of the coast of Portugal) we got to take mini-vacations.

I think I walked every square inch of that volcanic island as a kid. I visited shops, saw bullfights in the streets, went caving in volcanic pits, kayaked in the Atlantic Ocean, rode bikes over hills and dirt roads. We learned culture, met wonderful people…and hated it.

I was a bratty 12 year old who wanted a mall. What can I say? Sure, I liked it while I was doing things. But mostly? I was bored without anything to do. So I made things up to do.

Like cliff diving.

I was the slightly overweight, short, blonde girl, who at 12 was a senior in high school. Can you just see the romantic comedy coming from my life story? Well, I was that kid who smiled, loved to talk, was geeky, and didn’t have a boyfriend.

But when the time came to cliff dive off the sides of the volcanic rock into the Atlantic Ocean? I was the only American to do it – the five or six Portuguese kids taught us how to do it safely. The boys and girls who had tormented me and called me CCC for Chubby-Cheeks-Carrie were too afraid of heights and water.

Well screw them.

I jumped over and over again. I dove with turtles and fish. Saw dolphins…even a few sharks (yikes!). But I swam like a fish and flew like an…angel?

Yeah, I think my angel from Dust of My Wings, Shade, would have been proud of me. My favorite vacation was not a vacation at all. But a two year part of my life where I grew up a little, found people I never thought I would, and flew.

A pretty cool vacation for me. Don’t you think?

I love that! Wow, it sounds amazing, Carrie! What...no pictures of the Azores?

Carrie Ann will be awarding Dust of my Wings "swag" packs to one commenter at every stop, a $25 Amazon GC and necklace (pictured to the left) to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so don't forget to follow her tour and comment!

Blurb:
Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?

Neat freak lab tech, Lily Banner lives her life as any ordinary human. She’s dedicated to her work and loves to hang out with her friends at Dante’s Circle, their local bar. When she discovers a strange blue dust at work she meets a handsome stranger holding secrets – and maybe her heart. But after a close call with a thunderstorm, she may not be as ordinary as she thinks.

Shade Griffin is a warrior angel sent to Earth to protect the supernaturals’ secrets. One problem, he can’t stop leaving dust in odd places around town. Now he has to find every ounce of his dust and keep the presence of the supernatural a secret. But after a close encounter with a sexy lab tech and a lightning quick connection, his millennia old loyalties may shift and he could lose more than just his wings in the chaos.

Excerpt:
“Hi.” Shade smiled and tilted his head.

“Hi,” she breathed.

“You look beautiful, Lily.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and she shivered.

“You do too.” She blushed again. Soon she’d be Crayola red. “I mean you look handsome.”

He traced her jaw with a calloused finger. “Thank you. Are you ready to go?”

She swallowed hard. “Uh huh.”

Okay, she really had to remember the English language. This was getting embarrassing.

“Okay then.” He trailed his hand down her arm and wrapped his palm around hers. His warm skin felt like heaven against hers.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. How was she supposed to get through a whole date if she couldn’t even formulate thoughts to get out of the door?

With a nod, she gripped his hand tighter and closed the door behind her. He led her to his bike and she smiled.

“I love it, Shade.”

He gave a huge grin. “Thanks. This is my baby. No matter where I am, I try and take her with me.” He rubbed the leather seat and an irrational urge to knock the bike down went through her.

She would not be jealous of a motorcycle. Would not.

Where to buy Dust of my Wings:

All Romance
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

About Carrie Ann:

Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate - even if its just in her books. Happy endings are always near - even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.

Her first book, An Alpha's Path, is the first in her Redwood Pack series. She's also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.

Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:

Website
Blog
Heartthrob Haven
Facebook Author Page
Facebook Friend

Goodreads

Twitter

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Dana Littlejohn, Recipes, and a new release!

Today I'd like to welcome Dana Littlejohn and her new release, To Have and To Hold. Dana will be awarding five prizes, one randomly chosen commenter at each tour stop will win a prize. All are promo items displaying a different Dana Littlejohn design: 2- t-shirts (size XL), 1 coffee mug, 1 ink pen (black ink) and 1 baseball style hat.

Want a chance to win? Want more than one chance? Comment! And follow her tour.

Hello Everyone!
First I want to thank Kristabel for having me. Kristabel asked me to share some recipes that I love. As I built my character, Andrea Cooper, I decided I wanted her to like cooking. Since she and her husband are empty-nesters I thought it might be fun for her to cook with known aphrodisiac foods to keep her husband interested. I hit the internet and cookbooks to do my homework. I learned that some foods have a direct impact on your sex life. They arouse because they are psychologically suggestive or actually increase blood flow to the genitals, affect your hormones and brain chemistry.

I found a few recipes that were chock full of these foods. They are now a part of my usual repertoire and I would like to share them with you. :)

Dana, the very fact that you did all this research for a book is fabulous! I love that. And thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your finds. And we all know how I love my cooking!

Garlic is full of allicin, an ingredient that will increase blood flow.
Basil not only makes the meals smell and taste better, but it also very stimulating.
Maybe this explains why Italians are known for being so romantic!

Italian sausage pasta
1 pound Italian sausage links
1/2 pound pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can canned tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf

Directions

• Removed casing from sausage links and cut into 1/2 inch slices. In a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes; remove and set aside.


• In a large skillet, heat ground beef, olive oil, garlic and onion over medium heat until meat is nicely browned; drain.


• Pour in tomatoes and tomato sauce; mix in salt, ground black pepper, basil, oregano, bay leaf and cooked sausage. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.


• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.


• Mix cooked sauce with hot pasta and remove bay leaf from sauce before serving.

Oysters are high zinc content which helps produce sperm and increases libido. Most people are aware of their reputation for increasing sexual desire thus sealing their fate as being a powerful aphrodisiac. Add a glass of champagne for a romantic meal appetizer!

Oysters Rockefeller
· 2 slices bacon
· 24 unopened, fresh, live medium oysters
· 1 1/2 cups cooked spinach
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 dash hot pepper sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups kosher salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.


• Drain, crumble and set aside.


• Clean oysters and place in a large stockpot.


• Pour in enough water to cover oysters; bring the water and oysters to a boil.


• Remove from heat and drain and cool oysters.


• When cooled break the top shell off of each oyster.


• Using a food processor, chop the bacon, spinach, bread crumbs, green onions, and parsley.


• Add the salt, hot sauce, olive oil and anise-flavored liqueur and process until finely chopped but not pureed, about 10 seconds.


• Arrange the oysters in their half shells on a pan with kosher salt.


• Spoon some of the spinach mixture on each oyster.


• Bake 10 minutes until cooked through, then change the oven's setting to broil and broil until browned on top.


• Serve hot.
  

I couldn’t let you go without a recipe for something chocolate. As a self proclaimed chocoholic, I am fully aware of its benefits. Pure chocolate, the king of natural aphrodisiacs, contains a host of compounds including anandamide, the psyochoactive feel-good chemical, and PEA (phenylethylamine), the "love chemical," which releases dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain and peaks during orgasm. PEA is said to help induce feelings of excitement, attraction and euphoria.

Chocolate Covered Cherries
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet dark chocolate, chopped
24 Bing cherries with stems

Directions

• Pour the sugar into a shallow dish.


• Drop two drops of vanilla at a time into the dish in 24 separate places to form lumps of vanilla sugar.


• Set aside to allow the lumps to harden.


• Pit the cherries carefully from the bottom. I use a small curved dental tool. Make sure the stem stays intact.


• When the lumps of sugar have hardened, insert them into the cherries where the pits were; set aside.


• Melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth.


• Hold cherries by the stem and dip into the chocolate leaving the very top uncovered. Set on waxed paper to dry.


• Refrigerate overnight to allow the sugar lumps to dissolve.

BLURB:

Christian and Andrea Cooper had made many plans on what they would do when their children were finally out of the house. Now that they were gone their plans had hit a snag. Christian had the chance to start his own company and promised to put their plans in motion as soon as it was off the ground.

Andrea agreed to those terms, but she had no idea how lonely and neglected she would feel while she waited. On a trip to the city in search of something to do she ran into Raymond Reyes, her first love. Reminiscing with Ray brought back a flood of emotions that she found difficult to ignore. Did she make the right decision by marrying Christian after all? Could Ray convince her that this was their second chance and they were meant to be together?
Excerpt:

“Ray, Regina said she could tell that you were attracted to me.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry Andrea, but I am attracted to you. Of course I’m not rying to be all obvious, but how can I deny the attraction? You are beautiful, intelligent and a truly nice person, you always have been.

“Ray—“

He grabbed her arm and stopped walking. “What would you have me do, Andrea? Do you want me to treat you badly just to hide how I really feel?”

“No, Ray, I don’t want you to do that.”

“Good, because I wasn’t going to. Look, I can’t help the way I feel about you. The moment I held you in my arms again it was like the years just melted away for me. Leaving you was the biggest mistake I ever made and I have been kicking myself for it for the last twenty years.” He dropped her arm and his shoulders slumped. I know you have a different life now and it doesn’t include me like it used to. I will respect the fact that you are married, I just want to be a part of your life…even as just a friend.”

Her heart tightened at the pained look in his eyes, those beautiful brown pools that still shined with the love he has for her.

“Of course, Ray. There will always be a place for you in my heart.”

She pulled him into a hug and together they continued to her car.

Where to buy:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Red Rose Publishing

About Dana:

Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, but has called Indianapolis, IN her home for over ten years. She works a nine to five at a nearby doctor's office while she pursues her dream of writing. Her writing to-do list grows daily. Stop by Dana's website to see what she's doing next . It's a ride you will not soon forget!

Website: http://www.danalittlejohn.net/
Blog: http://www.authordanlittlejohn.blogspot.com/ , http://www.trysomethingnewwithme.blogspot.com/
Facebook @ liljohndana
Twitter @ authordanalittlejoh

Goals 24 and house cleaning

I took a few days off to make a long weekend and feel so accomplished I need to shout it out.

• Almost finished my new m/m Hellfire Club Erotique story and titled it! The Devil's Pawn: A Hellfire Club Erotique.
• Also did the blurb for it!
• Will be sending it off to my editor within the next 2 weeks, then the book converter as soon as I get the edits back, so hopefully it'll be out by the end of July!
• Made an Olympic cake out of cupcakes (see not too bad picture of it to the right!) for a Father's Day Extravaganza.
• Cleaned. And cleaned and cleaned! I cleaned so much, my house now looks like I'm ready to show it to potential buyers (I'm not which is a shame, because it looks beautiful!)


• Organized my office area. Technically I suppose I could lump it in with cleaning but the office area is a special place for unfilled papers, potential shredding or filing of papers depending on how long they've sat around, pieces of writing ideas, and other misc. junk.

I do love working in a clean space. (It's the cleaning I do in spurts!) What does your office or other working space look like?

Josephine Myles's Handle with Care

Handle with Care by Josephine Myles

Blurb:
The best things in life aren’t free…they’re freely given.

Ben Lethbridge doesn’t have many vices left. After raising his little sister to adulthood, he wasted no time making up for the youth he lost to responsible parenting. Two years of partying it up—and ignoring his diabetes—has left him tethered to a home dialysis regimen.

He can do his job from his flat, fortunately, but most of his favourite things are forbidden. Except for DVD porn…and fantasizing over Ollie, the gorgeous, purple-haired skateboarder who delivers it.

Their banter is the highlight of Ben’s lonely day, but his illness-ravaged body is the cruel reality that prevents him from believing they’ll do anything more than flirt. Not to mention the age gap. Still, Ben figures there’s no harm in sprucing himself up a bit.

Then one day, a package accidentally splits open, revealing Ben’s dirty little secret…and an unexpected connection that leaves him wondering if he’s been reading Ollie wrong all this time. There’s only one way to find out: risk showing Ollie every last scar. And hope “far from perfect” is good enough for a chance at love.

Warning: Contains superhero porn comics and a cute, accident-prone delivery guy with colour-changing hair. Readers may experience coffee cravings, an unexpected liking for bad mullets, and the urge to wrap Ollie up and take him home.

Buy links:
Kindle US Kindle UK Samhain

Excerpt:
“Hey there,” Ollie said when I opened the door, that million-watt grin lighting up his face again.

“Like the hair. Got another one of these for you.”

“Thanks.” I tried to kick-start my mouth into saying something interesting, but it refused to cooperate and decided it wanted to dry out instead. I suppose it was slightly less embarrassing than drooling over him. In an effort not to stare, I forced my gaze away and fixed it on the front garden next door. There was only a low, brick wall separating my spartan, gravel driveway with Mrs. Felpersham’s garden, but it was like another world over there. She’d crammed it full of blowsy pink flowers, a wooden wishing well and more garden gnomes than you could shake a stick at. Those gnomes always gave me the heebie-jeebies, but at least there were plenty to keep my eyes occupied at times like this.

“Oh, sweet! I’ve got that exact same T-shirt! ’Course, mine’s a bit smaller.” Ollie started bouncing up and down on his heels, and I wanted to lick him all over, he looked so appealing. At that thought, despite being full of dialysate, I felt my cock starting to stir. It’s a good thing I was in the XXX-Large version of the Wolverine shirt. Still, I leant forward a little just to make sure nothing showed.

My mind got stuck on the idea of how much I wanted to see him in that T-shirt and then out of it. I started to worry that I was going to blurt it out by accident, so I kept my mouth firmly shut. I must have looked like a right stuck-up twat. Didn’t seem to bother Ollie, though.

“I should bring some of those comics round for you to read. It would be good to have someone to chat about them with. Most of my other friends think I’m nuts, you know?”

What? Other friends? Did that mean he considered me a friend? We’d only known each other for a few weeks. I realised I needed to speak, and fast, if I wasn’t to make a terrible impression and get struck off that friends list.

“Yeah, uh, great. I mean, I’d like that, if you don’t mind lending your stuff to a stranger.” Great. Now I’d called myself a stranger when he was trying to be friendly.

“Nah, it’s cool. I know where you live, after all.” He gave me another huge grin that made his cheeks dimple. It really wasn’t fair. No one should be allowed to be that cute.

About the Author:
English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Josephine MylesJo’s website: http://josephinemyles.com/
Email: josephine_myles@yahoo.co.uk
Blog: http://josephinemyles.com/blog/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/josephine.myles
Twitter: @JosephineMyles

Weekly Goal #2

Las week's recap: I did write every day. WOOT! And I have the finished product of The Escape to prove it. Well, finished as in done, not finished as in edited...still. Done!

Week #2:
1. Continue work on Covet: A Regency Ménage Tale, which I started over the weekend.
2. Watch cute baby animal videos. What? I think they're adorable! Like this one of Siku a baby polar bear from a few weeks ago.

Covet: A Regency Ménage Tale
The truest torment is wanting something you know you can never have. Charlotte Tremaine knew this feeling all too well. She covets the freedom to do as she pleases, but has never let herself dream of being with the man she loves. The problem is, she loves two men.

For the last three years, Charlotte has survived her stifling home life by living through correspondence with two childhood friends now off at war. Once they return, will she be able to summon the courage to tell them of her feelings? Or will she let the convenience of mourning an aunt she despised keep her hidden and isolated?

Fear lurks in the shadows and threatens to keep her cloistered. When William Stanton and Grayson, Lord Warrington return from war, she teeters on the brink of having what she’s always wanted. Torn between William and Grayson, Charlotte must first learn to trust herself before she can trust her heart and body to them.

Finished!

It's with great relief that I sent off my latest Regency Ménage Tale this past weekend! I'm taking this week to rest the brain (and the typing fingers!) before starting my new series, Hellfire Club. Right now it's up to my publisher over the title: Risque, Games of Pleasure, Rakes' Games.

What do you think?

Here's the final blurb:

The young widow Mrs. Alexandria Prescott enjoys her untainted reputation. In private, however, her sexual appetites know no bounds. An encounter with Kane Huntington changes that. Alix finds she can't help herself or her desire to test his notorious reputation and invites him to prove his mettle in her bedroom.

They enjoy their pleasurable games until jealousy's green eyes come between them in the form of Brent, the young Earl of Rowan. Unwilling to let themselves be bested in this game of passions, Alix and Kane use Brent as a pawn in their maneuvers against each other.

However, Brent has other ideas about his future and what—and who—it'll involve. He skillfully turns the tables on them and, despite the games they play, creates an image of the perfect ménage. But things never go as planned and when their secret is threatened will the three of them run? Or will they be clever and strong enough, to hide their love in plain sight?

New series idea!

Ok, it's still an historical menage, but it's set in Paris 1878 over the course of seven months. Toying with one book per month, and already have an idea for the first.

Of course, I need to finish Flowers in the Tower and start Sinful, but I love the idea!

First chapters

Why are they always the hardest? i've spent all weekend on the first 4 chapters of my new story, Flowers in the Tower, and I'm still not happy with Chapter One. I know what the problem is-I don't know my characters well enough in the first chapter to really do them justice. Starting about mid way through the opening arc, I geta seeper feel for them.

Still, I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time refining that opeing chapter.

Is it just me?

Story ideas

In explaining to a friend where I get my story ideas, I realized I didn't know. So far I have 1 full-length out and several short stories in anthologies. The anthologies are simple: the call goes out foe the setting/type, and the rest just comes into my demented little head and out onto paper.

The full, I'm not so sure. I know I wanted to write an historical, love the Regency period, and somehow that combined into a story. I have another historical planned but not quite plotted, (m/m/f) and am working on this contemporary now.

Do people actually know where their story ideas come from? I mean it's not like a pool, it's my brain, thus far not eaten by zombies. It does, however, live in the gutter. And rather enjoys it there.

Succumbed

Yes I have. I'm bowing to the temptation of more writing! I do enjoy it, don't consider it work, and love creating new characters. One day I'd love to write full time! But until then...

I'm going to write a 20Kmenage (m/m/f) story due by the middle of January. I have it plotted and the opening scene written. It's so exciting to start a new story!

But what's the difference between m/m/f and m/f/m and f/m/m? Is there one?

What on earth is Steampunk?

Steampunk.


It's one of the calls for submissions from Ravenous Romance, but I'd never heard of it. I had to look it up, and then I had to look at the pictures. I know exactly what this is, just didn't know it had a name. And typing something like that into Google never really works.

And how cool is it that there's this whole culture surrounding it! And romances and neat histories and music, and good Lord, I'm in love!!

Psyched, this is too cool for words!


I don't think 5,000 words is going to be enough for this world. I can spend that just inventing stuff! But I'm determined, and determined not to get caught up in backstory.


Jump right into the story, isn't that how it goes? More fun? Yes, yes, I think so, too, but man. This world is going to be so so cool. I can't wait to start, but first thing's first. Research!