Monday, September 17, 2012

Guest Blogger: Paige Tyler

Today I have Paige Tyler on my blog to talk to us about her new hot cowboy book, have the fans ready, this is a hot one :)


Thanks so much for letting me guest blog, Marie!
 
What's better than a hot cowboy? Two hot cowboys, of course! Which is exactly what you'll get in RIDE OF HER LIFE, the first book in my new BUCKLE BUNNIES SERIES!

A while back I mentioned that I hadn't written many westerns, but after the success of, and reader response to, my bestselling KARLEIGH'S COWBOYS and AND THE RANCH HAND MAKES THREE, not to mention how much fun they were to write, I couldn't wait to come up with some more! This time, though, I'm going to focus on hot, hunky rodeo riders and the women who can't get enough of them!

The rodeo is a nod to one of my aunts. She was crazy about the rodeo (only she pronounced it row-day-o, like in Rodeo Drive) and couldn't get enough of her cowboys! My books might be a little too risque for her, though. She was very old-fashioned and read the kind of romances where the man and woman held a hanky between their hands when they touched. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea!  All the skin-on-skin contact in my books would have scandalized her!

Okay, back to the series! It'll be filled with menages - both M/F/M and F/M/F - spanking, bondage and, of course, hot, sizzling sex! There'll even be some surprises tossed in along the way! Hope you'll check them out!

Happy Reading!







 
This ride lasts a lot longer than eight seconds!
Barrel rider Daisy Hollins has run into bronc riders Sawyer Jones and Beau Monroe quite a few times on the rodeo circuit. She’s flirted with both of them, but things have never gone any further than that. Before an event, they're all too focused on the competition, and afterward, they’re usually too sore and tired to do anything but fall into bed.

When she runs into the two hot cowboys in the hotel bar at the Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas, however, there’s a different vibe in the air. When the flirting starts this time, it doesn't stop, and Daisy goes upstairs with both of them for a completely different kind of rodeo ride.

Excerpt:

Daisy turned to ask Beau which way his room was and found him standing six inches from her.

“I can't wait any longer,” he growled, pushing her up against the wall beside the elevator and kissing her hard.

She kissed him back, even though she knew the elevator door could open at any moment, or that someone—another family even—could come down the hall. She couldn’t wait any longer, either.

Beau twined his fingers in her hair and pulled her mouth tighter against his own, his tongue bulling its way in. She met him halfway, giving as good as she got. One of her hands slid down his side to his grab his ass and yanked his crotch into perfect contact with hers. She wrapped one leg around his thigh and ground against him.

Dear God, she’d never been this hot in her life. She might just explode on the spot.

Beside her, Sawyer cleared his throat. She ignored him, moaning into Beau’s mouth.

Sawyer cleared his throat again, louder this time.

She dragged herself away from Beau to see Sawyer leaning against the wall beside them.

“Sorry for the interruption, Daisy,” he drawled. “It's not that I'm concerned you’re grinding against Beau out here in the hallway where anyone can see you — it's that you're doing it without me.”

Daisy laughed and reached out with her free hand to grab Sawyer's shirt front and pull him in for a kiss.

His style of kissing was completely different from Beau, but no less captivating. His mouth slowly moved over hers, his tongue teasing hers. She would have kissed him harder, but still trapped in Beau's arms like she was, she had no choice but to let Sawyer take the kiss where he wanted it to go. The effect was intoxicating.

She felt Beau's mouth on the side of her exposed neck, trailing kisses up and down from her earlobe to the top of her shirt collar.

Between the warmth of his lips and the light scrape of his scruff, she thought she was going to go crazy.

She whimpered, close to tearing off both men’s clothes right there where they stood.

Fortunately, the two women coming down the hall made enough noise for the three of them to drag themselves apart just in time. Sawyer still waited until the very last moment, and when he did, it was so abrupt she was left reeling. Daisy leaned back against the wall, trying to look as casual as possible.

The elderly woman smiled politely at Daisy and her two cowboys as she poked the elevator button, but other than that she took no notice of them. The younger girl with her, however, immediately sensed something was up. She looked at Daisy, then at Sawyer and Beau, then back to Daisy again. Her expression went from curious to knowing in the blink of an eye. A huge smile spread across her face.

“Ride 'em, cowgirl,” she said with a barely controlled laugh.

Heat suffused Daisy’s face. How the hell had the girl known? Were her lips plump from Beau and Sawyer's kisses? Had she drooled on her shirt? Did she have an I'll-begetting-it-from-two-hot-studs-within-the-next-fifteen-minutes expression on face?

The older woman turned to look questioningly at the girl. “What was that, hun?”

A smile played around the girl’s lips as she motioned to Daisy. “She’s with the rodeo, Aunt Margaret. I just told her to have a good ride.”

The woman looked at Daisy closely, her eyes searching behind her big glasses.

“They let women in the rodeo now? That's nice. Do you get to ride ponies?”

Thank God the elevator arrived before Daisy could answer. If she had, a comment about how women could even vote now may have popped out. The girl quickly hustled her aunt onto the elevator, then turned to give Daisy a wave. “Have fun riding your ponies!”

Daisy heard the aunt murmur something just as the elevator doors closed.

“Can you believe that?” was all Daisy could say.

Beau’s mouth quirked. “The part where Aunt Margaret thinks you ride ponies, or the part where her niece figured out you’re going to be riding the two of us?”

Daisy groaned. “Both. But enough about them. Where the hell is your room, Beau?”

The two men grabbed her hands and practically dragged her down the hall. Beau fumbled with the key card for a second before getting it straight. Daisy felt like snatching it out of his hand, but was concerned hers would shake so much it would take even longer to get inside the room.

The moment the door swung open, Sawyer had his hands on her ass herding her in.

As it closed behind them, he gave one of her belt loops a yank, spinning her around to face him. She melted in his arms as his mouth captured hers. Beau moved up behind her, pressing his jean-covered cock against her ass as he swept her hair off her neck and began to nibble.

Their hands roamed over her body freely, touching her anywhere and everywhere they wished as they used their lips and tongue to drive her crazy. She wasn't sure if she’d survive the incredible sensations racing through her body.

She dragged her mouth away from Sawyer’s. “Whoa there, boys. Let's slow down before I pass out. This isn't supposed to be one of your eight second rides, you know?”

Both men laughed, but backed off, giving her room to breathe. She felt a little chilled without the heat of their bodies pressed up against her. She had no doubt she'd be wedged back between them soon enough.

Daisy took the opportunity to look around the room, and was immediately struck by something total unfair.

“Hey, why is your room so much bigger than mine?” she asked.

The bed was a king-size monster, complete with four posts that ran as high as the ceiling, gauzy curtains and half a dozen ornate throw pillows.

She wandered over to peek into the bathroom, and gaped.

“Dang, you have a Jacuzzi tub, too?”

Daisy had seen swimming pools smaller than the big heart-shaped thing.

“They didn't have anything else left,” Beau's said from the bedroom, “so they gave me a honeymoon suite.”

“Huh.”

She wished they’d offered her one. It would have been nice to have that tub to soak in every night after riding.

She walked out and looked around the rest of the suite. It was obvious to anyone who walked in that Beau was a rodeo rider. The room was filled with the unmistakable scent of leather and horse. There was also a saddle sitting on the small couch, along with a pile of tack piled beside it. She walked over to look at the gear. It was pretty standard rodeo stuff—bridles, bits, halters and a surcingle rig that bareback riders used to stay on their horses. It was the saddle that threw her. It was damn nice. Well worn, but expensive looking.

“I thought you only rode bareback, Beau. What's the saddle for?”

He came up behind her, casually resting his hand on her ass as if reminding her of his fascination with that part of her body. Would he do what he’d described downstairs to her bottom soon?

“Rodeo riding doesn't pay all the bills. I do a little ranch work here and there when I can get it. I don't trust leaving my saddle down in the trailer.”

She ran her hand over the smooth leather. “I can understand why. It's beautiful.”

Beau chuckled in her ear. “Not that I don’t appreciate the compliment, but do you really want to talk about my saddle right now?”

Daisy turned to see both men standing side by side regarding her with evident heat in their eyes.

She smiled. “I do love a nice saddle, but you're right. How about you show me some of your other gear instead?”

Without waiting for an answer, she reached out and unbuttoned Beau's shirt. As the band of bronzed skin became exposed, she had to fight the urge to lean forward and kiss it. She had two men to think about now.

So she moved over to Sawyer and did the same thing to him. Once both shirts were unbuttoned, she stepped back and raised an eyebrow. “You two aren't going to make me do all the work, are you?”

The men shrugged off their shirts, then stood there looking buff and magnificent.

They were both of the same build—long and lean with wiry muscles—and Daisy couldn't help but stand there and admire them. Dang, they were something to behold.

Daisy stepped closer and placed a hand on each of their chests. The muscular planes of their pecs gave way to equally hard abs as she trailed her hands down. This close, she could define the slight differences between the two men. Sawyer was just a bit broader than Beau, and had a light trace of dark hair that ran down his happy trail from just above his belly button and disappearing into his jeans. Beau's abs were more defined, and she had a crazy urge to drop to her knees in front of him and trace her tongue along every nook and cranny. The idea of being on her knees in front of both of them was doing all kinds of wild things to her tummy.

She was about to do just that when Beau slipped a finger under her chin and tilted her head up.

“Do I need to remind you about the basic rule?”

“Rule?”

He grinned. “You show us yours if we show you ours?”

It took a moment for that to sink in—she was a bit distracted by all the manliness on display. But when it did, she laughed.

“No problem.” She reached for the buttons of her shirt. “Fair's fair.”

“And go slow.” Sawyer gave her a lazy smile. “I like a girl who takes her time.”

Daisy was surprised they still wanted to take it slow, especially after all the verbal foreplay and downright scorching hot kisses. But if they wanted her to take it slow, she could do that.

She started at the bottom of her shirt, undoing one button slowly, then taking a good, long time working her fingers up to the next button, making sure they got a good look at the skin she was exposing.


Buy it at Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Ride-Life-Buckle-Bunnies-ebook/dp/B0098ABK34/ref=sr_1_44?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347375670&sr=1-44


Buy it at ARe!
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-rideofherlifethebucklebunniesseries-938320-144.html


Buy it at Barnes & Noble!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ride-of-her-life-paige-tyler/1112814894?ean=2940015464641&itm=21&USRI=%22Paige+Tyler%22&
 
 
 
To check out my other sexy romantic fiction, visit my website at http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/ You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and my blog there!
 
*hugs*
Paige
 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Changes Ahead

Now that I've had a week to digest the RWA National conference I realize the buzz word at conference was "change."

Most of us, including me, don't like changes in our lives.  We like our routines, our quirks and how we do things.  Change is almost always hard and probably always will be.

The writing industry is changing practically daily.  It has been going on for a while, but not quite at the pace I've seen in the last eight months.

Self-publishing (some call it indie-publishing) jumped into the market place in 2010, in 2011 it really began to take form with the sale of the Amazon's and Barnes & Nobles e-readers and tables.  Amazon opened their own self-publishing arm as did Barnes & Noble.  Smashwords took off along with others.

Some self-publishing authors are making lots of money, others are barely making back their expenses in getting the book out there for the public to read.  RWA has had to look at self-publishing and figure out if there is a place in the organization for them.

Editors and agents are having to change how they look at writers, while not all of them are going to make things better for the writer, they are beginning to realize that authors have choices.

So as authors we now have several routes: Traditional (NY print), E-Publishers (e-book only and some print) or Self-Publishing (do it yourself).

I know some people won't like the do it yourself tag I put on self-publishing, but it really is do it yourself.  You must find an editor, a copy editor, a cover artists as the writer, and you will pay out of pocket for these services before you ever put your book up to sell.  And those services can cost you thousands, depending.

I do know authors who have wonderful people they can rely on to edit and copy edit their work for them.  But many don't have a big circle of people they can trust like that.

Change is scary.  I don't advocate one method of publishing over another, I just ask people to think long and hard about their choices.

My choice will not be your choice. I found myself at RWA defending my choice of publishing.  Each person has a different motivation for writing, and it will eventually show up in the writing.

For now, things are going to be in flux.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Post RWA Coma

I have the post RWA coma happening.  Arrived home Sunday afternoon and am totally wiped out from the RWA conference.  I will start posting about the conference when I finish unpacking and get all my notes together.

I will stay it was a very different conference from all the other RWA conferences I've ever gone to.

Have a great week.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Off to RWA National Conference

The past few weeks have been crazy for me.  I'm sorry for not blogging.

I'm in the process of clean out/moving my mom from a house she's lived in for almost 60 years.  It's a move she wants to make, so it does make things easier but cleaning out all the stuff accumulated over the years is difficult.

This week the Romance Writers of American (RWA) National conference is being held in Anaheim, and I'm on my way to it.  I'm driving with another writing friend so we don't have to worry about how many books we bring back.  Okay, I have to worry because I don't want to pack them to be shipped to the new house.

It will be a fun filled week, lots of workshops, meeting friends, and all around writing fun.  The big literacy event is Wed. night at 5 p.m. it's being held at the Anaheim Convention Center which is better than in the hotel ball room.  I won't be signing because my books are only in e-book format and RWA will only allow print books, but I will be there supporting other writers for literacy.

So if you want to meet lots of author stop by the literacy event.

Have a great week.

Monday, July 2, 2012

MFRW Your One Stop Source for Marketing



MFRW Your One Stop Source for Marketing

Marketing For Romance Writers is just that, a one stop source of information on marketing. Think I’m kidding? No, not at all. No, matter what genre you write or specific market you are targeting, you will find inspiration and solutions that will help you accomplish your goals.

Since joining MFRW, I have met some wonderful people and learned so much about marketing my titles. Not all the information I am able to use at this time, but I now have the knowledge if I have a need in the future.

MFRW’s motto: Seek, teach, learn, share, succeed. This is MFRW’s mission. MFRW’s membership consists of authors, editors, agents, publishers, and cover designers, all lending their expertise, with classes or just answering questions.

MFRW’s Summer Camp, on July 14 - 15, is two days of classes taught by members on various marketing topics. If you are looking for answers to a question or just want to learn a few tips and tricks, come join us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/ It is free to join, and you will be amazed at the information you will learn. 

Heaven








Monday, June 25, 2012

Writing Schedule and Goals

I have to admit life has been interfering with my writing and everything else over the past few months.  I retired from the day job at the end of April and since then it's been hard to get into a new schedule.  It was amazing, when I had the day job I got far more done than being retired.

Now that a few things have calmed down in my life a bit, I'm determined to get back on schedule.  And I'd thought I'd review goal setting.

I started out writing out the next few months on paper, because for me I have to balance writing and packing up a house to move to my new home two states away, plus there is critique group meetings, book club meetings, RWA meetings and the RWA National conference.

So what did I do:


  1. I looked at each day individually
  2. Wrote down what needed to be done that day
  3. Scheduled my time for example: get up at 7 a.m., write 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., pack up house 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3 p.m. set up for next day
  4. I also put in any doctor appointments, grocery shopping, laundry, anything that will take time away from what needs to be done
  5. I didn't overload my days
  6. Took every Sunday off
  7. Took a few other days off when I knew I'd need a break

It's going to take some time to get into this new schedule, but I'm determined to do it.  I have deadlines for books, plus a deadline to be moved out of my current home so it can be placed on the market and into my new home.

I'm taking small steps, making the goals small and measurable.  I have my critique group who will keep me accountable for my writing. I have to keep myself accountable for the packing.

I'm going to work hard on this new schedule, because if I don't write then I don't get paid.  Writing is now my full time job, so that means its time to buckle down and write.

Have a great week.  

Monday, June 18, 2012

It's Monday...Again

It seems like time is flying and I have nothing to show for it.

I've had a busy beginning of June, finally closed on my new home, rushed to empty my SUV of all the stuff I drove to the new house, then filled my sister's SUV with everything we bought and emptied it at the new house.

I'm so thankful for my sister, she's been helping me with the house since the beginning.  It all started last Sept. when I took my yearly family trip to see my sister.  Knowing I was going to retired from the day job this year, I knew I it would be easier to move now than down the road.  And since my Mom will be living with me I also knew I needed a ranch style house.  Her house has stairs now and it's killing us both.

We found a new complex of houses going in, toured the one I liked, made some modifications and there was the sale.  There were a series of delays, but finally last week I closed on the new home.  My sister sent me pictures at every stage of the building, and even now she's going out there putting in area rugs, waiting for furniture deliveries, etc.

I owe my sister big time for all her work.  She's enjoying herself, she couldn't wait until the house was mine so she could go in and clean (Yes, my sister is strange) but also so she could put things away we had stored in her garage, and decorate (what little I'll let her).

Now comes the big job, cleaning out my Mom's house, packing what we're taking with us and moving it.  This is a good move for me and my Mom.  I will have my own office to do my writing, and an actually library  as well.

I need to get back onto a schedule and that will come next week.  This week I still have a lot of little things to do.

Have a good week.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Guest Author: Olivia Ventura

Please welcome Olivia Ventura to my blog.

Happy to have you here Olivia to talk about your newest release.






Not always Happily Ever After

Did anyone else watch season one of Once Upon a Time and think, huh? Don't get me wrong. I actually enjoyed it, and will probably watch season two. But confusion set in pretty early. Spoilers to follow...

My dilemma? The purpose of the show seems to be for Emma to break the curse, allowing everyone to return to fairytale land. The question I ask is: why would they want to?

Think of it this way. In fairytale land:

Cinderella's husband disappears

Jiminy Cricket turns an innocent couple into puppets and becomes a cricket

The Huntsman becomes a slave to the Evil Queen's whims (although on Earth, he dies, so it's really a lose/lose for him)

Hansel and Gretel are separated from their father, destined to roam the woods forever

Red Riding Hood eats her boyfriend (and not in a good way)

Why would any of these characters want to go back?

Funnily enough, some of these not-so-happy endings are actually based on the original fairy-tales, which were meant to be cautionary stories for children, i.e. Hansel and Gretel was supposed to keep the kids from wandering in the woods alone.

In Catch a Shooting Star, my latest release, Jess tells children's stories. She makes up her own, and I can guarantee that none of them end badly. The shame of it is, you can't earn a good living that way...

Social misfit Jessamy James pays the bills with a cleaning job so she can do what she really loves: tell stories to children. She meets NFL superstar Nathan Powell when she cleans his house. He’s intrigued by her reclusive attitude, and she’s drawn to his open personality and lack of defensive walls. It doesn’t take long for attraction to set in, and for a relationship to blossom.

When Nathan is accused of dealing drugs, Jess is caught up in the media storm and finds her own vocation slipping through her fingers. They struggle together to clear his name and rescue both their careers.


Click here to read an excerpt or to buy Catch a Shooting Star. Or go to www.oliviaventura.net
Friend and Like me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter. I'll be receiving a shipment of swag soon, so giveaways are on the horizon!

Thanks for joining us today, Olivia.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Hooked Up at the Wedding

Today is a wedding celebration!!!!




We're celebrating our current release - Hooked Up at the Wedding

Join Emma Lai, Sandra Sookoo and myself over the next few days as we celebrate our newest release.

We will be having some fun, today see below to see how to win a free book.



The Final Dance by Emma Lai
Ashley Beaufort’s duties as maid of honor take her back to the ballroom after all the guests have left, but the bride’s shoes aren’t the only things waiting for her, and she gets the chance to live out a fantasy with a her favorite country-western singer.

Buttercreamed by Sandra Sookoo

When he’s propositioned by Paige, who’s also a fan of his work, how can he resist such a sweet challenge? Sex in a work room is more than icing on the cake.

Unexpected Gift by Marie Tuhart
Most men can't handle Sabrina Orin’s job as a doctor since the hours can be 24/7, but she still has needs. What better way to satisfy them than to hook up with a hot guest at a wedding?

Ryan Caine never expected to find a woman at the wedding he’d want to hook up with, and when Sabrina agrees to go to his room with him, he finds he doesn't want to let her go, but she's gone when he wakes in the morning. What’s a man to do?

Letting Memories Go by Emma Lai
After seeing John Cabot, her first love, over spring break, Liza Chambers realizes she needs to let some memories go before she can move forward. She seizes the opportunity at his sister’s wedding to put the past behind her. Will her actions rekindle their old flame, or only create more bittersweet memories?

Proper Women Don’t by Sandra Sookoo
Delia Latham’s back in Savannah for a friend’s wedding. Though she’s moved away from the life of tradition and snobbery, she’s always needed to tell her old beau—Chase—goodbye.

When Chase and his friend Jarod catch Delia unawares while she’s skinny dipping late at night, how can she refuse when he suggests a three-way hook-up? Proper women don’t do such things. Good thing she’s not one of them.

Unexpected Surprise by Marie Tuhart
Eric Montgomery has had the hots for his best friend’s fiancee’s maid of honor for months. When he finds her in his hotel room and his bed, he thinks the gods are granting him a gift.

Close proximity to the sexy best man has left Marina Landers desperate for release, and when Eric appears in her hotel bedroom, she seizes the opportunity to find out if the rumors about his domineering ways are true.

They have a wild night of kinky sex, both thinking when morning arrives, they'll go their separate ways, but things don't go quite as planned.       




Today, I will pick one lucky winner from comments, please put your email address with your comment.


To check out the book you can go to the following:


Sybarite Seductions click here
For Amazon click here
For Smashwords click here
For ARE click here


On Tuesday visit Emma Lai's blog by clicking here
On Wednesday visit Sandra Sookoo blog by clicking here


And on Thursday visit Sandra Sookoo blog for a wedding bash blowout by clicking here

Hope you enjoy our Hooked Up at the Wedding bash.


Friday, June 1, 2012

New Book Release

Today, I have a new book release with two other talented authors Emma Lai and Sandra Sookoo

Hooked Up At The Wedding





Unexpected Gift by Marie Tuhart
Most men can't handle Sabrina Orin’s job as a doctor since the hours can be 24/7, but she still has needs. What better way to satisfy them than to hook up with a hot guest at a wedding?

Ryan Caine never expected to find a woman at the wedding he’d want to hook up with, and when Sabrina agrees to go to his room with him, he finds he doesn't want to let her go, but she's gone when he wakes in the morning. What’s a man to do?

Unexpected Surprise by Marie Tuhart
Eric Montgomery has had the hots for his best friend’s fiancee’s maid of honor for months. When he finds her in his hotel room and his bed, he thinks the gods are granting him a gift.

Close proximity to the sexy best man has left Marina Landers desperate for release, and when Eric appears in her hotel bedroom, she seizes the opportunity to find out if the rumors about his domineering ways are true.

They have a wild night of kinky sex, both thinking when morning arrives, they'll go their separate ways, but things don't go quite as planned.      


You can purchase Hooked Up At The Wedding at http://sybariteseductions.com or any of your favorite e-bookstores.

Stop by on Monday 6/4 for some fun around the release of Hooked Up At The Wedding.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Monday, May 21, 2012

Everyone is talking about Fifty Shades of Grey

This book has hit the NYT best seller list and has been talked about in the media.

I waited until the books were available in print, pre-ordered them, and when I got them sat down to read them wanting to figure out what the fascination about these books were.

If you're going to read the books, don't read past here.  I don't want to spoil the books for anyone.


First off, these books are not what I would classify as Erotic Romance.

And the reason I see why these books took off is: Christian is every woman's fantasy.  He's a man who wants to take care of his woman, give her anything and everything she wants, he wants to cater to her every wish.

Once you get past the, shall I say, bad writing style, the books actually aren't bad.  As a reader, I read them looking for what was making them a hit in the media and with other readers.  As a writer, I cringed at the repeated word usage, the writing style and the lack of editing.

Christian is one tortured hero, and most romance readers love hero's like that.  Ana is a heroine who will stand up to him and throws him for a loop because she does.  He's arrogant, domineering, and romantic.

He's the classic 1980's romance hero we use to read about before romance writing went politically correct. The hero's were arrogant, domineering and wanted nothing more than to take care of the heroine over her objections.  The books were written from the female point of view only, very little male point of view if any.

This is a total woman's fantasy, a man who wants nothing more than to take care of her.  And this is not a bad thing.  I'm not saying it is.  It's okay to want to have a man who will treat you as the center of the universe.

I can hear the chorus of "no we don't" echoing right now.  Notice I didn't say, a man to take care of you, but treat you as the center of the universe.

As women we're caretakers, we take care of everyone else, but ourselves.  Sometimes, and I do mean sometimes wouldn't you just like to give that responsibility over to someone else and have a day for yourself.  A day where you're the center of the universe, where your every whim is catered to.

I know I would.  But then again, that's why I write what I write.  I write alpha males, who are domineering at times, arrogant at times, but always looking after the woman in their life, no matter what.

It may not be politically correct, but my hero's want the heroine to understand that she is cherished and he will protect her until he dies.

The sex in Fifty Shades, get repetitive, is not a true representation of the BDSM world.  And I found the ending very disappointing.  The author treated the BDSM aspects of Christian's behavior as something that could be cured, BDSM is a lifestyle, not a disease.  While it is hinted there is still a hint of spanking in the books, the hero just suddenly gave it all up, deciding he didn't need it, all because of the love of the heroine. It just didn't ring true for me.

What I did like was at the end of the third book the author included some scenes from Christian's point of view, which would have been nice to have been incorporated into the books.  It showed his fascination with Ana and would have given the readers great insight to his personality.

All in all, the Fifty Shades books gets a C minus from this reader.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Publishing – Your Choice


Today I'm going to talk about publishing, be it Traditional, Small Press or Self-Publishing.  And I'm going to apologize ahead of time in case I start to rant.  This has been a hot button for me lately.

I'm going to state this up front, there is no right or wrong in publishing no matter which options you pursue. 

It is your choice.  I'm going to repeat that your choice.

Over the last few months I've seen more and more blog posts that if you go Traditional you don't know what you're doing, same for Self-Publishing, not very much about Small Press.

Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they're doing with their publishing careers, but no one is stupid, an idiot, doesn't know what they're doing, etc. because they've chosen one area of publishing over another.

Self-Publishing is up and coming, only because Amazon has made it so with their KDP program.  Some authors are making lots of money, getting recognition from Tradition publishers, even Amazon's own publishing arm.  And there are authors who are not. There are horror stories and outstanding success stories. And authors have to be prepared to front money up front for content editing, copy editing, cover art and even possibly having someone create all the files for all the e-readers out there.

Small Press not a lot is being said for these publishers, these are e-publishers who have established business.  Most of their authors put out e-books only with some POD (print on demand).  Again, there are authors making lots of money, getting recognition from publishers and authors who are not.  There are horror stories and outstanding success stories. The author usually does not pay the small press publisher a dime, the author makes their money on royalties, although some small presses do give an advance.

Traditional publishing, this is the tried and true method of publishing. Traditional publishing has the distribution that Self-Publishing and some of the Small Press do not.  In many cases, world-wide distribution. Again, some authors make lots of money, others do not.  There are horror stories and outstanding success stories. Here authors make their money on the advance, and once the advance is earned out then royalties.

I am currently with a Small Press publisher, and I'm still pursuing Traditional publishing.  I've had dozen of people tell me, "don't go Traditional, and give up your Small Press just do KDP." 

Sorry but that's not for me at this time.  There is nothing wrong with KDP, Amazon's business model works for them.  It doesn't work for me.  I have a pretty good idea of what I want out of my writing career, at this point in time, and Self-Publishing isn't it.

Self-Publishing maybe for other people, and that's fine.  But it is my choice on what I do.  I'm really tired of people saying, "Do this, do that, you're stupid if you don't, etc."

I am a small business, I've research Self-Publishing, Traditional and Small Press.  I know where my stories fit and who my audience is. I'm well aware of contract pitfalls, what to look out for and the knowledge of how the publishers pay. And I was always taught that money flows to the author not from the author, with Self-Publishing I would have to pay cost up front (content editing, copy editing, cover artists) before I even put my work out and them hope I can make back that money.

This is my responsibility as a small business, to keep my small business going, I have to weigh the pros and cons of the choices I make.  Again my choices.  I've seen so many people in the last few weeks not taking responsibility for their choices in publishing and bemoaning the facts when things don't go their way.

Who you publish with is your choice, no one else's.  What you decided to do is not wrong or right, it's your choice.

Publishing is fluid, it is changing daily.  I don't have problems with anyone's publishing choices, for they are your choice, just don't tell me I'm wrong because I've chosen to follow my own path.

Monday, May 7, 2012

A New Step in the Process

Well, I've found a new step in my writing process.

Retirement from the day job.

Yes, this last week, I was finally able to say goodbye to the day job outside the house.  This does mean a very big change in my life, which is both scary and exciting at the same time.

I am now a full-time writer.  I can write when I want and not have to worry about getting up for work the next day, or that my lunch hour is over or I have a conference call to attend.

Over the next few weeks, I have to figure out a schedule that will work for me and the family, because I still do have family obligations to take care of.

But this has been one of my dreams for years and it wasn't until this last week I realized how hard I worked in making this dream come true.

I'm also on KMN Books blogging today, feel free to stop by and leave a comment, if you want, by clicking here.

Have a great week.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Guest Blogger: Babette James

Today my guest is Babette James.  Talking about her new release: Clear As Day




Welcome Babette.

Tell us a little about yourself:



Thanks, Marie, for letting me visit here today.

I write contemporary and fantasy romance, and I’ve always loved writing and making up stories, beginning back when I used to act out epic fantasy tales with my dolls. (My Barbies had swords and knew how to use them.) I even have a degree in Literature, but it wasn’t until 2004 that I wrote my first full rough draft of romance novel and began gathering up my nerve to pursue publication. I fell in love with writing romance and have focused on that ever since. Clear As Day is my debut novel and began its life as a short story I wrote back in college. It’s been a story of my heart in many ways, so seeing this story bloom and come to life as a full-length published novel truly has been a dream come true. Receiving the 4 1/2 star scorcher review from Romantic Times and being able to hold my book in my hands have been truly thrilling moments.  I’m also a teacher, and I enjoy encouraging young readers and writers as they discover their growing abilities. My class cheers when it’s time for their spelling test! When not writing, teaching or reading, I dabble with bread baking and painting, and try to keep up on weeding the garden beds. I live in New Jersey with my wonderfully patient husband and our three extremely spoiled cats.



What do like the most and the least about writing?

I love writing the first draft, I enjoy the surprises of storytelling. The first draft is all happiness, seeing that word count grow, finding favorite passages, fun lines.  I enjoy seeing a story grow out of a little idea, plots twist and turn, expand and shift, how one story can spawn into a series, and how the characters grow and reveal their lives and find their happily ever after. I love seeing characters emerge and reveal their stories. Creating characters is like making new friends and rediscovering old friends—always full of surprises. I’m a pantser, so it also can be frustrating as they send the story off on in a dozen unexpected directions. The most angst is definitely in the editing stages. All that lovely word count, those brilliant passages ( lol ), and fun lines now must be corrected, gutted, rearranged, whittled down, tightened up, fluffed, and polished. It seems endless and it’s easy to lose sight of progress when focused at the word and sentence level.

Give us a peek into your latest published work:

 Clear As Day, is a spicy contemporary romance about two friends with benefits facing the fears and uncertainties of their changing relationship and is set against the background of the summer heat and cool waters of Lake Mohave. I hope you enjoy Nate and Kay’s journey as much as I have.

What’s a girl to do when her summer lover wants forever?

Haunted by dark memories of her parents’ volatile marriage, artist Kay Browning keeps her heart locked behind a free-spirit facade and contents herself with the comfortable affair she has every summer with easygoing photographer Nate Quinn.

The only trouble with her plan? This summer Nate’s come to Lake Mohave to claim the lover he can’t let go. He’s done with the endless traveling and settling for temporary homes and temporary loves. Kay’s always been more than just a vacation fling, and now he must convince this woman, who sees love as a course to certain heartbreak, to take that leap of faith and learn how safe love with the right man can be.

What’s next on the writing horizon for you?

I’m currently working hard to finish and submit the next story, currently called Love Burns, featuring two of Nate and Kay’s friends. This story takes off right from where Clear As Day ends. I love this couple’s chemistry, and I’ve enjoyed seeing their story come to life as they work through their personal trials and find their own happily ever after together. I also have a fantasy series that’s simmering on the back burner while I focus on these contemporary stories. Thank  goodness for coffee!

Is there anything you want to tell readers?

Never give up on your dreams. Clear As Day started life years ago as that “story under the bed you love but can’t do anything with.” There were many times I felt like giving up, but I kept on writing new stories. Then, the day came I finally knew what to do with Clear As Day and how to really write Nate and Kay’s story. Because I didn’t give up, now I can share this story I love.

Excerpt of Clear As Day:

If anything could beat waking to the sight of Kay’s beautiful face and breasts, at that moment Nate didn’t care.

She blushed and brushed a curl back from his forehead. “Hi there, sleepyhead.”

“Sorry I crashed on you.” He swept his gaze over her, enjoying how she flushed even deeper and her nipples tightened. Kay was a delicious mix of bashful and bold. “I’ve been seriously jet-lagged and road-lagged for days. Any phone calls or messages while I was out?” Guessing by the shifted shadows, he’d been out cold for a couple of hours. Not the most romantic move, but he felt rested.

His lame joke nudged a smile out of her. “Not a one.”

“One of the sincere advantages of no phone service.”

“You’re a nut, you know?” She leaned over and hesitantly kissed him. “I know I said it before, but I’m glad you’re here.” Kay was always soft-spoken, but the vulnerable note in her voice this time seized his heart hard.

With the I love you he wanted to say straining at his throat, Nate tugged Kay down into his arms and drifted his fingers over her spine. He had to do something about the tension gripping her. She’d stayed with him while he slept. That was a change, a very good one, but he still needed to soothe and distract her before she slipped away and disappeared into her thinking, planning, and painting. He let his hand circle in an easy, undemanding caress.

Why not say it? Doubts? No, no doubts at all. He felt it, he meant it, he’d even typed it into e-mails, but why keep swallowing his I love you now?

“So, you missed me?”

Her elusive grin flashed. “Well, it’s nice having someone else clean the fish for a change.” Soft giggles escaped her, and her tension released under his hand.

“Ah hah! An ulterior motive all along. Here I just thought you wanted my body.” He chuckled and tickled her side, and dove in for the sneak assault of kisses on her sensitive ears.

Want me for more.

Stifling her giggles, she caught his hand to her side. “Hmm…it is such a lovely body. I’m very fond of it.” She made a playful show of ogling him head to toe, her glowing smile making his formerly sated body wake right up and his heart crack with joy. He stroked his thumb over the lush handful of her breast, teasing the pert nipple, smiling at her catch of breath. “I may have mentioned I had some fantasies…” He tugged her over to straddle him and stroked his hands over the soft curves of her bottom.

“Anything in particular?” She leaned forward with her hair spilling over her shoulders, her breasts playing hide and seek behind the silky locks, and she teased her body over his rapidly hardening shaft.
Her eyes filled with laughter, and the sweet curve to her mouth was pure feminine mystery.
He sucked in his breath and arched under her. “Anything you want, babe.” 


You can find Babette:

Website: http://babettejames.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BabetteJames

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BabetteJamesAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/babettejames

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/E1ur-avq5YI

The Wild Rose Press– Paperback & eBook http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=952

Amazon.com – Paperback & Kindle http://amzn.com/B007RN9STW

Barnes & Noble – Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1109990576?ean=2940014230902

Come fall in love at the river.



Thanks for being my guest today.









Monday, April 23, 2012

Romance Readers


Sorry, I missed posting last week.

I found some statistics about Romance Readers and thought I'd share. The full report of the statistics can be read by clicking here.
  •         Women make up 91% of the romance book buyers, men make up 9%

 That's not really surprising to me, more women than men read romance.  But it is nice to know that men are buying the books.
  •      The U.S. romance book buyer is most likely to be aged between 30 and 54 years

I wonder what age is prevalent in other countries.  But the key words I saw was "most likely". 

  •          Mean age for print romance book buyer: 49
  •          Mean age for e-book romance buyer: 42

Not that big of difference, which I must say surprised me.  Usually the younger generation is more comfortable with technology and uses it more often.  This tells me that e-readers on the market are getting easier to use, which is great.

  •          Top overall decision factors in buying a romance:

o   The story
o   The author
o   It's part of a series
o   Back cover copy

These were all very interesting to me both as a author and as a reader.  It shows that story really does matter.  Readers want a really good story and while an author's name or being part of a series still sells the book, story is the most important.

  •          1/3 or romance book buyers (31%) surveyed currently read e-books, while 69% do not
  •          Of those e-book readers, 9 out of 10 are actually using an e-reading device to read romance e-books in particular.

 What this didn't tell me is how many readers actually read both print and e-books.  I'm really interested in that statistic.  Because I hear from readers, they actually like both.

  •          E-books vs Print in Romance subgenres

o   Romantic suspense e-book 54% print 58%
o   Contemporary e-book 48% print 50%
o   Historical e-book 44%  print 44%
o   Erotic romance e-book 32% print 15%
o   Paranormal e-book 30% print 21%
o   Young adult e-book 19% print 15%
o   Christian e-book 13% print 19%

In most cases, the e-book is very close to the print percentage, there are some exceptions.  Mainly with erotic romance and paranormal, the break down give a good showing of what is selling and what isn't.

·         E-book pricing, this assumed there is a print mass market available for $9 and a digital copy of the same book; and a second assumption is where only the e-book is available.  This is how readers determined how much they would pay:

$9 paperback is available
Only e-book available
E-book too expensive
$10.90
$11.73
E-book high priced but still reasonable

$8.33

$8.57
E-book fairest price
$5.90
$6.13
E-book floor price (would question quality)

$2.55

$2.66

This was very interesting to me and it helps me understand the readers issues with the e-book being priced higher than a print book.  The one question that no one asked is how the readers feel about a $9 mass market paperback.  Most today don't go much over $7.99 so would a reader really buy a $9 book?

     ·         Activities that do or do not interest the romance buyer, here are the top, already done answers:
o   Visited author website 41%
o   Saw a promotional book trailer or bought the full book 18%
o   Read an author blog 16%
o   Followed an author on Facebook 13%
o   Gone to a live author event 12%

The rest of the answers were all below this, they include entering an online contest, watching a YouTube video, following the author on Twitter and some others.

This was interesting to me because it does show that readers go to authors websites.  While social media still play a roll (blogs, facebook, twitter) it's not a big as some have believed it is.

Next week I'll start talking about the self-publishing craze.