Poetry Monday and a Contest!!

Seven Sinners savoring sensations sensually strewn

Blood and bodies bared beneath the bacchanalian beaming moon

Dancing in debauchery, devoutly doing dirty deeds

Freedom, flesh and fantasy fast following the need to feed.

Werewolves wait with wicked will, wanton is their wish for war

Relentless race for refuge ravages Regina right before

The tough tenacious Trueblood tumbles, taking two to turn to one

Neverending night need no more, negate Regina in the Sun.

That was not as easy as I imagined. LOL

And now! A contest!

New Cover Art!

The Sequel to Lifting the Veil-which comes out in about 3 weeks (2 weeks and 5 days but who is counting)-got a cover today. That is one hot hunk of burning Viking right there. lol Thank you Cover Faeries!!

The Song that Started the Story/Poetry Monday

Alot of you know that Regina in the Sun, which will be released by Samhain Publishing on April 22nd, was born out of a distraction.

An RPG game played with fellow authors at the writer's forum Romance Divas-where I was bitten and consequently had to create a character storyline, pick an avatar and a song that best represented my character etc.-in an effort to prove I was still actually doing something constructive while I awaited word on my first ms submission.

The picture was what first drew me, by an artist I had found on a random search. http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/6495/vfwimagen3yy.jpg

As I stared into her eyes I began to hear a song. A song I knew vaguely by an artist most people wouldn't associate with Vampires (ie not NIN lol-though I do love them too), and lyrics that also didn't exactly fit the darkly sexy image usually attributed to creatures of the night.

The song wouldnt stop playing in my head, the image wouldn't leave my mind. I'd stopped playing the game and still she was there. Then one night not long after I had a dream.

Regina was running from something, injured and terrified. She reached a safe haven, a pub of all places, and she heard it...that song. When I woke up I knew I'd just dreamt the first chapter of her story. And though I struggled-having never imagined that I would write a story about vampires-I'm so glad that I got to meet her. To know her. Not to mention finding out about Zander and Lux Sariel ;)

So for Poetry Monday I offer up a haunting melody by Ben Harper called She's Only Happy in the Sun-with lyrics below.

She's Only Happy In The Sun
Written by: Harper/Butterworth

i know you may not want to see me
on your way down from the clouds
would you hear me if i told you
that my heart is
with you now

she's only happy in the sun
she'd only happy in the sun

did you find what you were after
the pain and the laughter
brought you to your knees
but if the sun sets you free
sets you free
you'll be free indeed

she's only happy in the sun
she's only happy in the sun

every time i hear you laughing
hear you laughing
it makes my cry
like the story of life
of life
is hello goodbye

she's only happy in the sun
she's only happy in the sun

Emily's Ellora's Debut!

All the Trees in Pearl By Emily Ryan-Davis

Signed and paid for by one brother.

Ethan Carver didn't order a wife, but he couldn't turn away from Margaret Redde's lush mouth and proper manners. Could he keep up his brother's deception and make her stay?

Set on fire by the other.

She wanted security and didn't care where it came from — one brother was as good as the other…until Ethan touched her. One night in his arms changed everything. His hot kisses sent her up in flames and taught her desires she didn't know she possessed.

BUY IT NOW

Jax Cassidy Day/St. Paddy's Poetry Monday

Happy Day of Green Beer and all things Irish!

May them that love us love us,

and them that don't love us,

may God turn their hearts;

and if He can't turn their hearts,

may He turn their ankles

that we may know them by their limping.

And now for some pimping.

The Lotus Blossom Chronicles OUT TODAY!
is an anthology with Simone HarlowPaperback: 250 pages Publisher: Parker Publishing, LLC; First edition (March 17, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 1600430341 ISBN-13: 978-1600430343

In Jax Cassidy's SIREN’S SEDUCTION ...Niko Chow craves solitude. Only fate won't leave him in peace. After losing his wife and unborn child in a car crash, he slips into the dark world of alcoholism. His desire to overcome his addiction leads him to a promise made to a dying friend and into the arms of a seductive chanteuse.

Donovan Matthews ignites a passion within him he has long denied. The more time he spends with her, the more Niko finds her spitfire determination and generous heart as sensuous and exotic as the Lotus Blossoms that bloom in his garden. Can she end his internal war and help heal his aching soul?

In Simone Harlow's CONCUBINE ...In the new world order, New Africa bounty hunter Nyssa Farris has only one goal…to get her daughter back from the woman who snatched her out of her arms as a baby. But to do that, she must break her one rule: never hunt a slave.

Once a pleasure slave to a king, Nyssa understands how the loss of freedom can scar a person’s soul, and for her daughter she will pay the price.Prince Asad Kuba is a man on the run. Escaped from the wicked queen, he will do anything to stay out of her clutches. He doesn’t expect a beautiful, determined woman to capture him, bed him, and take him back in chains.Two people on a collision course will change nations.

13 Good Things

1. Red Garnier got the call from Roberta Brown. Agent Extraordinaire!!

2. I'm still high off this month's Joyful Recommendation and TRS review for Who Wants to Date a Superhero?

3. Dayna Hart is very close to having her new baby (I may win the baby pool-I said girl on the 19th)

4. Jax Cassidy, cofounder of Romance Divas, received 4 stars from the Romantic Times for her anthology The Lotus Blossom Chronicles.

5. Only 5 more weeks until the VERY FIRST BOOK I ever wrote-Lifting the Veil-is released by Ellora's Cave.

6. Only 6 more weeks until Regina in the Sun, my first book in the Children of the Goddess series, is released by Samhain Publishing.

7. Karen Erickson is not only feeling better, but she is in the top ten best seller list at MBAM for her Samhain release Fortune's Deception.

8. I am privileged and honored to know several women whose strength, talent and shining spirits continue to inspire me. CC, Chrissy, Cia to name but a few.

9. Gwen Hayes sold to Samhain!! She rocks, I'm so not surprised. And can I just add that I think she has the best tagline I have ever seen. "Saving the world, one romance at a time." I could have a whole post on why I love that. I might.

10. This news is a few weeks old-but still awesome. Rhonda Stapleton sold her YA trilogy Stupid Cupid, to Simon and Schuster! WOOHOO

11. Emily Ryan Davis is weeks away from her first Ellora's Cave release, All the Trees in Pearl. Go Emily!

12. I feel blessed to have such an amazing husband, such a fantastic group of friends. I am reminded everyday how lucky I am. For the reading, the support, the laughter...thank you.

13. This is blank. This is for your good thing.

My Interview With Kirsten Saell

I feel so fortunate to have Kirsten Saell with me today. Her debut book, Crossing Swords, comes out this Tuesday at Samhain! Let's take a look...


A straight duel to the death. A professional opponent who’s paying him to win. This was going to be the easiest money Gil had ever earned. Except he never counted on his opponent being a woman. And he never counted on falling for her.
After avenging the brutal murder of her lover, all Lianon wants is to die a clean death. Too bad the man she hired doesn’t do women, and he’s furious over her deception. Not only does he renege on their contract, he has the gall to lock her up in his apartment—naked, no less!—to punish her for her ruse.
If she could just get her mind out of the gutter, she’d cut him a new smile. But ever since he saw through her boy’s clothes, all she can think about is getting him naked, too.
But just when she’s found something to live for, the father of her lover’s murderer surfaces. He wants Lianon to die screaming—and he’s all too happy to take Gil down with her.

Sounds fantastic!

1. Tell us a little bit more about your upcoming release.
It’s the story of two crazy kids trying to make it in a cockamamie world… Okay, scratch that.

Gil and Lianon are Emissaries—that is, they’re independent contractors who provide occasionally *ahem* permanent solutions to people’s most sticky problems.


Lianon left the business a couple of years ago to settle down in the country with the woman of her dreams. Then one night, a bunch of drunk, bored noblemen destroyed her life, and now that she’s made them pay she’s on the run from the law and is looking to hire a professional to fulfill her death wish and cheat the hangman.


Gil is immersed in a life of single-minded hedonism, doing his best to forget his own personal tragedies and avoid any serious emotional entanglements, when a young man hires him for a fight to the death. When he discovers this young man is really a young woman, he’s furious.


Everyone knows Gil doesn’t do women—professionally speaking, that is—and he’s determined to punish Lianon for her ruse. Of course, on a non-professional level, he can’t help but be intrigued. A very unorthodox courtship ensues, complicated by baggage on both sides. In the end, they need to find a way to thwart the baddie from Lianon’s past, forgive their own failures, and give themselves permission to reach for happiness..

2. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing the day your book was accepted?
Well, I know it was when my stepsons were visiting, so I was probably up to my armpits in kids, dishes, laundry and yard-work. I have no other specific memory of it—just that feeling of rejection-dread turning into that feeling of peeing-your-pants-elated.


3. What is an average day in the life of Kirsten Saell?
Up, breakfast, kids, school, write, write, laundry, husband, lunch, kids, dishes, write, write, cooking, kids, laundry, KIDS, dog, husband, rat, dog, kids, KIDS, gah, get away from my clean pants with your ketchup mouth!, work, customers, food, food, food, tips, 4 percent? you gotta be kidding me f@#% you very much!, home, kids, food if I’m lucky, husband, KIDS bedtime, bedtime, BED, dang it, BED!!!, dog, rat, husband, wine, a little more wine, books, writing, mmmmmm…….zzz…

4. Who are some of your favorite erotic romance authors?
December Quinn was my intro into erotic romance (both as an author and a reader), and she remains a fave, whether erotic or just straight romance. Kate Pearce is another whose wonderful work really introduced me to the genre.


Bettie Sharp is awesome—anyone who loves a beautiful story should go download her free ebook, Ember, right now…and then buy Like a Thief in the Night from Samhain. I have a real soft spot for Gia Dawn’s Demons of Dunmore; there’s just something about those men!


And Michele de Lully, for making an m/f/f (which I love) work beautifully despite a first person point of view (which I usually detest). I can’t speak so much for print books—the nearest actual bookstore is a four-hour drive from my town. That’s why I love me some ebooks!


5. Could you tell us about your second novel, the sequel to Crossing Swords?
Actually, my second novel is a spin-off of Crossing featuring two secondary characters. It can best be described as “The whore with a heart of gold and the twelve-hundred-year-old virgin”. Kind of a departure from the “spunky, hymen-packing ingénue enchants jaded, oversexed rake” novels we’re all familiar with. The sequel to Crossing will be finished as soon as it grows itself to maturity (I really have no say in the matter, trust me).


6. Are you a serious plotter?
Well, there’s this guy who’s been bugging me at work, so I thought I’d write an open letter to my local paper accusing him of downloading Barry Manilow songs and gay por---what? Ohhhhhhh, that kind of plotter.

Um, yeah. Not at all, really. My stories kind of grow organically. They’re like the weird, ropey, slimy xeno-bio-architecture of the queen’s egg chamber in the Alien movies. The scenes just come to me. I write them and hope I don’t end up having to carpet-bomb a butt-load of words if things don’t work out.


Of course, that makes it really hard to force things when you can’t figure out a way to make everyone die who needs to die, everyone survive who needs to survive, and let the hero be a hero while not making the heroine look like a dumb-ass. But what can I say? Sometimes it all just falls into place.

7. What comes first for you, the storyline or the characters?
Usually the characters. I actually wrote a first draft of the opening scene (minus the public sex part, *ahem, AHEM*) for Crossing when I was seventeen, but didn’t know where to take the story. I just had these two odd, cool people meeting in a tavern, and no idea what happened next. Then, almost twenty years later as I got interested in erotic romance, suddenly it hit me where these two unusual people needed to go. I dug the handwritten copy out of my file-box, rewrote all my hideous, youthful, mauve-tinted prose, and got those two lost souls together.

8. What has been the most difficult aspect of being a writer?
Well, my nickname at Romance Divas is “Dust Bunny Diva”. Let’s just say, being a writer and getting other stuff done are often incompatible concepts.


Right now, there are dishes in the sink (and on the counter, and on the table, and pretty much strewn across the length and breadth of my house), a bathroom in desperate need of a HAZMAT team, and about nine days worth of clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away. And the dust bunnies. My god, the dust bunnies. Prioritizing is hard, because as much as you want the writing to take precedence, there are always going to be other things that need attention.

On the other hand, writers tend to be very good at compartmentalizing. See, I’m sticking all that housework in my mental closet and shutting the door on it. Shhhh. It doesn’t even exist anymore…


9. What has been the best and/or most surprising aspect of your writing journey?
The fact that there are people out there (however few and deluded) who want to read my words. That amazes me every day.

10. Is there any advice you have to aspiring authors who want to be published?
Do your research. Not just story-wise, but business-wise. Whenever I log onto one of my yahoo groups, I glance at the “yahoo questions”, and more often than not, there’s some variation on “How much do I have to pay to have my book published?” And that’s just sad, considering the plethora of information out there for newbs.


Google will lead you to hundreds of good resources (like Writer Beware, Miss Snark, or December Quinn’s How to Choose a Publisher series) that will give you a feel for the business, whether it’s epublishing or New York. I’m the cautious type. Before I even sent out a query, I spent months researching sales info, guidelines, author recs, etc, and also observing on industry and reader venues how the representatives of various companies conducted themselves online.

I was really fortunate. Samhain is a class act all the way. They were my first pick and they wanted me, yay! If I hadn’t done that initial recon into the business, I might not realize just how lucky I am to be with them. So my advice would be do your research and don’t be in a hurry. And remember: money is supposed to flow toward the author!

I thoroughly enjoyed this interview--it was a real pleasure Kirsten! I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to your release! Thank you so much.

If anyone else has any questions for Kirsten, feel free to post them. And dont forget to head over to Samhain and check out Crossing Swords! For a little extra nudge-perhaps I should allow you to view the amazing Trailer. :)

Must Read!

Winning the lottery changes her life forever…in more ways than one.
One minute Brittney Jones is living paycheck to paycheck, and the next she and three friends win a record-breaking lottery jackpot. Sure, she’s spent some money on herself—after her rough childhood, she figures she deserves a few indulgences, big and small.

To financial advisor Charlie Manning, his client Brittney is a shallow beauty out to spend all of her money. He thinks she should rein it in. She thinks he should loosen up, and resolves to help him do just that—in a very naughty way.

The passion between them burns hot and fast, and Charlie comes to realize Brittney’s heart is as big as her newly fattened bank account. She’s not only smart, but beautiful and sexy. And he can’t resist her.
Still, Charlie is aware that Brittney’s keeping secrets from him. If only she would trust him enough to tell the truth!

Buy It Here

AND THE WINNER IS...

Jennifer Leeland!!!! Your name was randomly picked and you are the proud new owner of: A pair of amethysts, a bullet, 2 sexy promo t-shirts and lavender bath salts.

The response was so good we all agree that next time we will have even better prizes and more than one winner. Stay tuned-we will be doing this again soon!!

Thus ends the Purple Explosion. Thank you so much for being a part of this contest! We hope you enjoyed and continue to enjoy our books.

Jennifer you need to email me with your info so you can start collecting your booty. Yeah, I said it.