My Plan And why I've been Absent

I've been pretty late on posting this blog mostly because I've been wrestling with being sick in various crippling forms for a little over two weeks now. My holiday was a little less filled with joy than I would have liked. However, that didn't stop my post-Christmas wish from coming true. I was offered a short story contract by Ellora's Cave and I now have a kick ass editor and a fantastic publisher to call my own! I've been a lucky, lucky girl the end of this year. I'm really proud of what I've accomplished and that I've come so far with my work. So, on that good note, here's my to-do wish list for 2011:

• Submit 6 stories to Anthologies
• Get published 1 full length novel e-book
• Get one novella published
• Finish Blaze Rough Draft
• Become more confident in my work
• Write and/or finish two full length rough draft MS's

What do you think, think I can do it? I don't think this list will be as tough as last years. People kept throwing me anthology submission calls that I just couldn't turn down! Hopefully, this coming year will have more of the same! Happy New Year everyone, may it be filled with every happiness! Thanks so much for the support and kindness during 2010, can't wait for comments in 2011.

My Procrastination Station

Sorry, I know I've been absent from the blog for a bit now lovely readers. It wasn't intentional by any means, time just kind of got away from me. I'm working on a lot of projects right now including my sixth round of edits and rewrites of Not So Pure. I've been trying to contract with a full length book for who knows how long now. But it will be done, my work ethic will make it so. I've gotten great advice from a lot of brilliant people, including my Ellora's Cave editor, so hopefully I can whip this baby into shape and you'll see her on e-book shelves soon.

As far as EC goes, I've been spending most of my time writing new things for my editor. I just finished the content edits for Party Games. After I get my line edits, I'll let you know my official release date. How cool is that? I get an official release date for EC! Still kinda in shock about all that. Good shock, but shock-y shock. Now, I just have to get my editor something else "crosses fingers"

Along with these developments I've sent out six short erotica submissions for antho calls since Jan 1st. So the list of calls on my wall has kept me just as busy as everything else. Right now I still have six more I'd like to write before May 1st. Busy, busy. I've managed to tack up a billboard of all my submission dates, story ideas I'm working on now, and story ideas I'll be working on after the next WIP is put to bed. So far the system seems to work better for me. Keeps the inner organizational crazy person happy and it keeps me motivated.

Anyway, figured an update was in order. Thanks for hanging in with me. I should be back to regular posting soon.

Celebration Giveaway

I finally loaded Thumbtacks, my naughty lesbian corporate office story onto Smashwords for use in all e-book formats. To celebrate, until December 16th, readers can get my e-book FREE by typing in the coupon code VE99Q at checkout. What was once a .99 cent purchase is free for a limited time. Who doesn't like free stuff?

Me? I'm just happy I made it through Smashwords infamous meat grinder system with all my limbs!

Here's the blurb:

Tyler and Brie share a quirky fetish--office supplies. Unable to embrace their mutual needs and desires in a work environment, the women have been meeting in secret every week to troll the local office supply store for a little foreplay. But now it's no longer enough. What follows is a torrid session in office politics that could get them fired--and laid

The Way I Feel...

When browsing in a bookstore:

Euphoric and like a little kid all at once---full of wonder. For the first five to ten minutes in a bookstore I always spend my time just glancing around at all the pretty covers and stroking--yeah, I stroke--the new books. Sometimes I have to smell them too. Don't you judge me. Then I get a little giddy when I find authors I know. Then the reorganizing starts.

When forced to make an outline:

My brain starts getting really frazzled and shoots tons of ideas into my fingers and then my hand can't keep up but I'm so pessimistic about the outline in the first place that I want to destroy every word that my pen can get out. Then I stress that it should be better, faster, stronger. A slow boil of panic followed by lots of tea. But then I start writing and tell myself to shut up.

When waiting on submission:

This is the worst feeling ever. I go from pride because I actually had the nerve to sub something again even though I just got a million R's for the last submission to wondering why I subbed in the first place because it will only add to my pile of mighty R's. Sometimes a blinding, shining hope shows up and blows everything else away for a few hours. But don't worry, that doesn't last long.

When finding a new book by a new author:

If I've stumbled on a new series and I'm ripping through it like a werewolf through chains, well, I'm a happy little writer. I want to buy everything they've ever done that very second. Yay for the power of a back list. When I can't afford it or there isn't anything left for my brain to consume from their back list I kinda get the shakes and start working around the house like a chicken with it's head cut off. And then I repress the need to pull comparisons between me and this other, magical, god/goddess writer. Then I tell myself to shut up again. I do that a lot.

When the writing's going well:

On the somewhat rare days when this happens it's like I don't even have to think. My brain can be somewhere else while my fingers fly across the keyboard and my heart pounds until I'm afraid it'll break my ribcage. The two main reasons I'll stop are for TV and food. In that order. Nothing can go wrong on these days and somewhere towards the middle I start to get really, really tired. But I just drink more tea and ignore it.

When it isn't:

Oh, these days are not few and far between. These are the days when pressure builds inside my chest until I think I might explode from the inside. I can't help over analyzing every bump and hiccup along my journey. Much procrastination is had until, eventually, I get a solid page and I won't allow myself to stop once this goal is reached. Every word is agony but at the end of the day I can come up with some of my best work. Until about three hours later when I review it and decide it's all crap. But there's a little self satisfaction there somewhere.

Why I do it:

I don't know how to answer this question. But I love my job. Otherwise I would have picked a new one already.

Secretly, I'm a Workaholic

So, I have this cycle. It goes thus:

1. Pressure myself with looming deadlines, fear that I'll get nowhere next year, and latch onto the need to preserve no matter what including crippling fear
2. Panic and write like the wind
3. Wait a week where I bite my nails, tell myself not to look, start like five other projects, and wait to edit WIP
4. Edit WIP and immediately think nothing is good enough, it all needs to go in the trash NOW
5. Send to CP's and Beta's
6. Work like the wind the minute I get back all my edits from other people.
7. Try to fight said edits because WIP is now my child, I can't change my child!
8. Freak myself out into a frenzy until I'm forced to do every edit
9. Start panicking that I won't meet my deadlines---must go faster! Nothing is ever fast enough!
10. Submit. Let the pessimism that I won't ever get into anything wash over me for a few days.
11. Feel unwavering hope that maybe, just maybe, this will work! I will get accepted!
12. Start from 1 all over again, rinse, and repeat.

This is one of the many reasons why I'm a workaholic. I can't work without stress, panic, terror and intense anger every now and then otherwise known as every day. I must achieve everything normal people do in ten years in the span of one year, because I'm 24 and I could be dead tomorrow and I like success. This is my wackjob thought process. Anyone else have any shares about their writing process? Is it just me are all we all nuts and paranoid?

Revise and Resubmit: To Rejoice or Rip Out Your Hair

I'm pushing off a few submissions I wanted to do this month in order to do my first full novel rewrite for a revise and resubmit. I've gotten some of the best advice from my mentor on how to go about doing it and how to emotionally handle ripping apart what feels like my child---but when it comes down to it there's nothing left for it but to start writing it, right? And yet, nothing.

What am I afraid of? Probably a typical fear of many writers, re-writing a whole book from scratch. That it'll be worse than the first one---that I can't quite make it better, sexier, stronger than my first love of an MS that took me a year to write and polish at least five times.But this is when I have to put on my big girl panties and suck it up. I know it's only my perfectionist standards getting in the way combined with my need to please everyone right off the bat---including editors that had supremely nice, but semi-vague things to say in their email.

I'm such a fun mix of stubbornness, go-get-em attitude, and scared little girl throwing myself out into this big hurricane of a writing world and hoping the Wicked Witch of the West will start singing songs from Wicked instead of trying to kill me.

You are NEVER a better writer

This is a hard concept for me to grasp. That no one is perfect. That I shouldn't try and be exactly like other people I admire. That no matter how far we exceed expectations there are always several tiers of aspirations that keep us moving further. There is no end to a writer's career unless they quit cold turkey. Ideally, a writer won't ever do that, but it has happened. There is no such thing as a "better writer" than someone else. Rather we're all on our own different paths, striving for different things, so to make comparisons between one career and another doesn't make much sense.

Publishing is a very up and down business. A writer on the best sellers list could be denied a book offer by that same publisher the next round of submissions putting them right back where they were before their hit book. The idea of a "better writer" doesn't exist because sooner or later, we're all on the same playing field. But it also works the same way for good things. Despite being a best seller, an author can still look up to another writer who has an ":ideal" career that they are aiming towards. And in turn that writer may look up to someone else. In this community we're all looking for each other for mutual boosts and acceptance as we trudge through the jungle of rejection. There's no "better" way to do something--you can only do your best.

Gotta Have It: A celebration, that is

Yay, the table of contents for Rachel Kramer Bussel's Anthology Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex has been released with some of my favorite authors jammed in between the covers with yours truly. A super big honor to be in this book with some of my major inspirations! Here's the way the book looks:

Introduction: Short, Sweet and Totally Sexy

Seven-Letter Word Heather Lin
No Blame, No Shame Jeremy Edwards
Wasn’t It Good? Andrea Dale
The Things a Woman Will Make a Man Do for Her Isabelle Gray
Special Collections Fiona Curtis
Wonderland Madeline Elayne
Red Light Angela Caperton
My Femme Evan Mora
Genesis Shanna Germain
Serious Moonlight Michael A. Gonzales
Too Wondrous to Measure Salome Wilde
Hors d’Oeuvre Stan Kent
Missed Connection Tigress Healy
Ties That Bind Daniel Burnell
Eat Me Marina Saint
Jarret Shane Allison
Lucky Number Fifty-One Jennifer Peters
Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler Tara Young
Spunk Sylvia Lowry
Time Cecilia Tan
Dining in the Dark Elizabeth Daniels
Downpour Elle
Need-Leash Mike Kimera
Crushed Satin Organza Carmel Lockyer
Not on the Mouth Cole Riley
Hot Buns on a Sunday Afternoon Erica Rivera
Feel the Burn Thomas S. Roche
Trixie Jen Cross
Police Dogging Elizabeth Coldwell
Tip Me Kiki deLovely
Marxist Theory Elizabeth Hyder
The Dirty Things She Says Sinclair Sexsmith
Laughter in Hades Teresa Noelle Roberts
The Quick Stop Shashauna P. Thomas
Pain Surfer Cate Ellink
After Ten Years Christen Clifford
Over His Shoulder Maximillian Lagos
Manners Rachel Kramer Bussel
Veronica’s Ass Matt Conklin
Punishment Befitting the Crime D. L. King
Lies Kristina Wright
A Forced Witness Vampirique Dezire
Concensus Denise Hoffner
Don’t Struggle Valerie Alexander
Plotter Monocle
Intercept Burton Lawrence
Not a Bang, but a Whimper Jacqueline Applebee
Suggestion Emerald
Hands Free Effie Merryl
Remembering the Wrinkles Penelope Friday
Leaves Elise Hepner
The Copilot Mike Bruno
Pierced Kirsty Logan
Last-Time Lesbian Geneva King
Anal-yzed Donna George Storey
Independence Day Kate Pearce
Going Bald Craig J. Sorensen
Continuing Education Anya Levin
Meet Me in the Kitchen Giselle Renarde
Over the Line Helia Brookes
Not Just a Myth Heidi Champa
Hunger Maria See
The Tipping Point Lolita Lopez
The Advantage of Working from Home Kay Jaybee
For Dessert Jordana Winters
Good Neighbors Mercy Loomis
Laugh Sommer Marsden
A Good Stiff One Kathleen Bradean
Vacation Pictures Robert Peregrine

Isn't that just the coolest thing ever? I worked hard for it and its the best present I could ask for this year. Look at me go!

Sharing my space with Stacy Kennedy!

Today I invited author Stacey Kennedy to share my space for a bit for a little fun and games! Thanks for joining me, your books look like yummy thrill rides I'll want to do over and over again! What a gorgeous cover! I don't think I'm used to using so many exclamation points...and now I'm rambling...back to Stacey!!!!

My novels are lighthearted fantasy, heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. My journey as a writer began as a way to keep my brain alive since being a stay at home mom can be a little let’s say―numbing. It was an escape from screaming kids, dirty diapers and plain old mom duty.  It started as a hobby, but as the stories progressed it became a passion. Now, I indulge at nap time, especially the juicy bits! Every mom needs a good thrill!

Blurb of An Everlasting Bite:

Love is born between strangers, yet built upon a bond soul deep―one Alpha’s vow to protect his mate from looming danger, all the while, mending her soul and stirring her wolfish desires.

A vicious werewolf attack in Plymouth, Minnesota leaves a young woman violated, bitten and now, transformed into werewolf. But Rynn Murphy doesn’t have to face this transformation alone—she has her mate by her side. And the charming Briggs―Beta to the Patriarch, Valor―is eager to ease her into this new life and mend her battered soul.

With only weeks to adjust to her new fur, Rynn, follows Briggs while he assists in locating the daughter of the Montana’s Alpha, who was abducted from her home.  But this journey is not without danger. And soon, they discover the ones who have taken this young wolf do not want her found and will stop at nothing to keep her hidden. Or so it may seem, as bodies begin to drop around them, the murderous attempts start to appear more as a hit than a smoke screen—leaving only one question, who is the intended target…

Buy Here

Website - www.staceykennedy.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=100000956942180
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3473046.Stacey_Kennedy
Twitter - http://twitter.com/Stacey_Kennedy
 
PRAISE FOR THE WILLOW
RT Book Reviews
“…Kennedy has created a world that readers will want to visit again and again!” Dawn Crowne
PRAISE FOR THE WICKED
Bitten by Paranormal Romance
“Do you love magic, dominant men, adventure, humor, evil villains and a talking cat? Well here is an excellent book for you to try.” Laurie
 
PRAISE OF A DEADLY WHISPER
Happily Ever After Reviews
The readers will find themselves snickering and crying with the characters. I highly recommend this book. Read it, go get it right away. ” Hunter

A Snippet of Thumbtacks

 I've always had a thing for office supplies and really wanted to do a story geared towards that particular fetish. This is what I came up with and Brie and Tyler were a lot of fun to write! Thanks for reading!

Thumbtacks

“So, which one do we want?” Brie drew the eraser tip of a pencil across her lush bottom lip, rolling it in between her fingers. Tyler tried not to tense or pull her coat collar back from her throat. A slow boil of heat made her wet and aroused just by the visual stimulation and eagerness had her stuffing her hands in her coat pockets like an ashamed school boy.
 

Tyler‘s gaze skittered across her co-worker’s features as if she were afraid if she looked too long she would give in to her lustful cravings. Brie wasn’t helping by drawing attention to her luscious mouth that would look perfect locked onto Tyler’s nipple. Their gazes connected. Brie’s eyes were suggestive all the time, but she acted like a woman who just didn’t understand she was a walking billboard for sex. Her eyes were a light green like the skin of a Granny Smith apple flecked with gold and the long, extra large kid’s pencil she shoved in her scarlet hair to keep it in a bun never failed to capture Tyler’s attention. Every day it was a new pencil. Today there were multicolored hearts with a rainbow eraser. What would it be like to do luscious acts with that long, firm piece of wood? Barely breathing, Tyler crossed her arms tight hoping to draw attention away from her hard, aching nipples.
 

“I think the laser printer with the large paper capacity and fold out tray would be handy to have around the office. Optional color is something most of the staff have never seen before and it’ll help with Power Point print outs and graphing.”
 

Thank god. When she found her voice it only came out slightly tremulous.
 

“Whatever you think is best.”
 

When Brie deferred to her like this her pulse roared in her ears. Her co-worker’s melodious voice was soft, like a Disney princess, and it awoke in her a feeling of longing that Tyler hadn’t known existed. It was a fight to hold back the thought of that voice lost in orgasm, crying out her name. So many fantasies sifted through her mind. Greed grasped onto her lust until nothing else made sense but burying her face in those perky, milky white breasts and opening up a sexual self that had been lost through all the late nights and early days at the office. Dominant, power hungry thoughts that had never entered her mind until she met this woman—and now she couldn’t seem to stop them. Caught in minute-by-minute fantasies, until her flesh burned with a blush that made her throat tight. Now Tyler’s fingers tensed into fists. Better to keep her hands from pulling back into all that gorgeous, scarlet hair until Brie whimpered in pleasure and the over-sized pencil of the day hit the floor. It wasn’t polite to maul someone in public.
 

Tyler walked up to the counter to ask a pimple faced teenager to bring out the offending technological equipment and load it into the company van. Part of her didn’t know if she could go through with the rest. A day like any other in a work week. Brie in the office supply store with her petite fingers working around a long alphabetical steno pad list of wants and needs. But this time it would be too much. Tyler avoided making eye contact with her companion and focused on the shelves. Her pulse jumped when she hit a jackpot. She was already caught up in the act of discovery, an intimate moment. Face-to-face with the rush of finding a purple three ring binder whose supple plastic cover made her shudder as she stroked it. While Brie’s curious gaze watched her blink rapidly and bite the inside of her cheek. Her co-worker’s gaze slide over her skin like molten lava that would never cool. Every time Tyler gave herself up she was lost.
 

Maybe this would be the day she slammed back little miss secretary’s shoulders into the shuddering metal racks of supplies. To rip open her blouse to expose the sexy plain white silk bra Tyler knew lay beneath the secretarial uniform and that would subtly showcase the outline of her small, rose nipples. (She’d seen her wear the bra once in the woman’s bathroom when Brie had spilled coffee all over her blouse.) To hold onto her composure before she snapped—which became increasingly harder to do and she didn’t know why she went on these shopping trips anymore.

Pick up a copy on Amazon Kindle US HERE and Amazon Kindle UK HERE.

Oh Yay

On Amazon UK, I'm 120 on the erotica list. But that's not nearly as cool as this:

I'm surrounded by such kick ass authors as Jaid Black, Kate Pearce, Emma Holly, and Lora Leigh! How freakin' cool is that? Even if it's based on buying and not quality of writing, holy crap!

Thumbtacks is now avaliable for Nook and Kindle

My new release is now avaliable for Kindle and Nook in e-book formats. Both Kindle and Nook systems can be downloaded to the computer for free so you can read my books without buying a Kindle or a Nook which means all you have to worry about is getting my super cheap book!

Thumbtacks is for sale on Amazon Kindle

My new release with Elise Hepner Writing is out for Amazon Kindle today! Thumbtacks is a sexy story about two lesbians who are sick of their straitlaced working environment and just want to have a little fun! It's an erotic short short that I hope you'll enjoy!

Blurb

Tyler and Brie share a quirky fetish--office supplies. Unable to embrace their mutual needs and desires in a work environment, the women have been meeting in secret every week to troll the local office supply store for a little foreplay. But now it's no longer enough. 

Driven by their boss's orders that they go pick out a new printer for the office, they are unable to fight their mutual desire for each other while surrounded by so much temptation. What follows is a torrid session in office politics that could get them fired--and laid.

Excerpt 

Tyler‘s gaze skittered across her co-worker’s features as if she were afraid if she looked too long she would give in to her lustful cravings. Brie wasn’t helping by drawing attention to her luscious mouth that would look perfect locked onto Tyler’s nipple. Their gazes connected. Brie’s eyes were suggestive all the time, but she acted like a woman who just didn’t understand she was a walking billboard for sex. Her eyes were a light green like the skin of a Granny Smith apple flecked with gold and the long, extra large kid’s pencil she shoved in her scarlet hair to keep it in a bun never failed to capture Tyler’s attention. Every day it was a new pencil. Today there were multicolored hearts with a rainbow eraser. What would it be like to do luscious acts with that long, firm piece of wood? Barely breathing, Tyler crossed her arms tight hoping to draw attention away from her hard, aching nipples.
 

“I think the laser printer with the large paper capacity and fold out tray would be handy to have around the office. Optional color is something most of the staff have never seen before and it’ll help with Power Point print outs and graphing.”
 

Thank god. When she found her voice it only came out slightly tremulous.
 

“Whatever you think is best.”
 

When Brie deferred to her like this her pulse roared in her ears. Her co-worker’s melodious voice was soft, like a Disney princess, and it awoke in her a feeling of longing that Tyler hadn’t known existed. It was a fight to hold back the thought of that voice lost in orgasm, crying out her name. So many fantasies sifted through her mind. Greed grasped onto her lust until nothing else made sense but burying her face in those perky, milky white breasts and opening up a sexual self that had been lost through all the late nights and early days at the office. Dominant, power hungry thoughts that had never entered her mind until she met this woman—and now she couldn’t seem to stop them. Caught in minute-by-minute fantasies, until her flesh burned with a blush that made her throat tight. Now Tyler’s fingers tensed into fists. Better to keep her hands from pulling back into all that gorgeous, scarlet hair until Brie whimpered in pleasure and the over-sized pencil of the day hit the floor. It wasn’t polite to maul someone in public.

Thumbtacks is avaliable HERE for purchase. I'll make note of other places it's avaliable as it happens.

Let's Play A Game

This game's called Elise is trying self publishing for the first time. I've got my lesbian erotica short story Thumbtacks coming out on Barnes and Nobles Pubit and avaliable on Kindle within the next day or two. I'll update with the exact day it goes up for sale. Once I work out the kinks of formatting I hope to get my work out to a few more sites as well. For now I've launched the beginning of Elise Hepner Writing and we'll see how it goes.

I know your all clamoring for more of my work, right? Well, a girl can hope can't she. Now, because of the magic of the internet, you guys get The Little Plaid Skirt Saga and Thumbtacks right at once. That's twice the Elise for less than half the wait time. Yay!

In the meantime, here's the blurb for Thumbtacks:

Tyler and Brie share a quirky fetish--office supplies. Unable to embrace their mutual needs and desires in a work environment, the women have been meeting in secret every week to troll the local office supply store for a little foreplay. But now it's no longer enough. 

Driven by their boss's orders that they go pick out a new printer for the office, they are unable to fight their mutual desire for each other while surrounded by so much temptation. What follows is a torrid session in office politics that could get them fired--and laid.

I'll have more fun stuff to share in the next couple of days, like a super nifty snippet and the cover art done by yours truly. It's certainly going to be an adventure, huh?

Little Plaid Skirt Saga Is Out Today!

 Today, you can find my new release, Little Plaid Skirt Saga HERE for purchase and Kindle copies will be up soon! Watch out for a giveaway in the near future. I shall keep you posted my lovely readers. For now, here's the blurb and a excerpt from my new release.

Blurb

Naomi gets her high from crowd surfing in her little plaid skirt. She’s got voyeuristic tendencies and with a mosh pit full of people there are infinite sexual possibilities. She’s only got to look to the person next to her for a slamming good time in the sack and out of it.

Alissa is a cougar with a sex addiction and a penchant for stealing her daughter’s clothes. When she comes across a freebie catalogue full of her favorite kind of dress up, she just can’t help herself. Out comes the credit cards and in she goes to the nearest single’s bar. It’s time to see what today’s catch of the day is.

In this anthology all it takes is a little scrap of fabric to rule the world. When playing dress-up who doesn’t want to take over the world?

Warnings: This title contain m/f/f sex, voyeurism, f/f sex, roleplaying, random sexual partners, female masturbation, road head, and bad parenting.

Word Count: 4,460

Excerpt:

Her hands shimmied over the blue and purple patterned plaid skirt before she grabbed at one of the chicks hips who was rocking out to a raging beat. Naomi's hips swayed in time with the woman's who didn't seem to mind the intrusion. They danced in a slow, graceful grind in the midst of screams of anger mixed with joy. The woman's long brown hair slithered across Naomi's face briefly touching on a hint of mint and watermelon. She breathed in the scent deeply before it was gone as she snaked her hands around to cup her dancing partner's pussy in her leather pants.

One hand slicked back and forth over the supple leather encasing her intimate bits while the other weaved in back of her hair, hips still swaying, to untie her backless brown top. Naomi could hear the woman giggle underneath the cat calls as she kissed and nibbled on the curving line of her neck. She had no need to know if it was okay. A crowd surrounding them acted as the ultimate barrier towards elicit acts not normally perused in public.

Acceptance And A Dream Come True

There is no greater relief I've ever felt in my life than the acceptance to Rachel Kramer Bussel's Anthology, Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex. My 600-something word short, Leaves, will be published in March along with a slew of other kick ass authors. Words can't describe the elation and pride that still course through me whenever I think about it. I can't imagine what it will be like to hold a copy in my hands. Or see me in a bookstore! I've been working towards this central goal of being published with Cleis Press for two years and now its all mine.

What to do next?

Yogurt Addiction

I have a serious yogurt addiction. Seriously. I will eat three a day minimum. It's good for some things....but not so good for my sugar intake. But the Yoplaits, how they call to me! So many flavors, so convenient, so filling. I could go on and on and on. I don't know why you need to know this, just a little peek into the life of me and my yogurt. I'm done now. Go back to your scheduled program.

The Forest for the Trees

Oh, the great power of suggestion. I've heard many good things about this book, The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers. So, I picked it up on my Nook and will be reading it while I use my elliptical this afternoon. I'm always up for a good writing book.

My grandmother used to get them for me for Christmas and they were the best presents. She was always very supportive of my dreams. Because of her, I own and have read: Writing Down the Bones, Bird By Bird, and countless other books that I bought myself like On Writing by Stephan King. I've become a sink hole of writing knowledge and I adore soaking up every minute of it, even if it isn't focused on the hot and steamy side of things.

So I'll give this new one a try and let you know what I think about it. Time to read and work out! Wa-hoo!

No, really, I exist

Due to writing a ton of books this summer that haven't found a home yet, my blog has been a little lackluster and, well, non-existent. But I'm back with a full line up of thoughts and naughty feelings! I hereby promise that I won't leave for that long again, I know how much you missed me. If you didn't, well, pretend that you did!

While I was gone a lot has happened. I've worked on four books and several shorts that are in various stages of proofing. My dear husband and I had our first anniversary, and like the geeks we are, we celebrated with a week in Williamsberg, VA. We got a wonderful historical house with the whole top floor to ourselves and gallivanted around the settlement and Busch Gardens. I ate a lot of delicious food and DH drank a lot of delicious beer.

It was a quick summer.

Two newish anthologies with my work are available from Excessica:

This anthology has my story Red Smoke based on the Little Red Riding Hood story with a very BDSM slant. This anthology really has something for everyone and I really enjoyed reading my copy. Here's the blurb:

We all grew up hearing fairy tales – but these are fairy tales like you’ve never heard them before! Some of these stories have an ending, setting or twist you might not remember, or are modern versions of an old tale, but all of them are guaranteed to awaken the big bad wolf in you faster than you can say Rumpelstiltskin! Don’t miss eXcessica’s sexy anthology retelling erotic versions of classic fairy tales! Stories included by: Gabriel Daemon, Elise Hepner, Giselle Renarde, Tessa Buxton, Karenna Colcroft, Phineas Magnus, Bekki Lynn, Dakota Trace and Ava James.

Warnings: This title contains graphic language and sex, including f/f, m/m, and some bdsm elements.

It's available HERE at Excessica in all e-book formats and HERE on Amazon in print.

I can't help but fall in love with this cover! This anthology has mystical creatures, misunderstood beasts, and steamy stories. My short, Shifting Desire, is in this one, about a group of matriarchal fae whose lead historian just can't seem to get her wings. Here's the blurb:

Whether it’s werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, angels, ghosts or aliens—these are stories with all of those strange and wonderfully sexy creatures that fascinate the human psyche! Come on a spicy, paranormal journey that ventures into titillating realms bound only the imaginations of your favorite eXcessica authors! A dozen stories included in this volume by Wynter O’Reilly, Selena Kitt, D.B. Story, Sommer Marsden, J.M. Snyder, Dakota Trace, Piers Anthony, Roxanne Rhoads, Elise Hepner, Darcy Sweet, Christabel Rouseau and Erin O’Riordan.

Warnings: This title contains graphic language, sex, some anal and m/m sex play, sex with vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, aliens, angels and other supernatural creatures.


Wonder is available in all formats HERE.

Stay tuned for more goodies, updates, and insight into me :) Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Tigerlily and a poem just for me!!!

If you’ve seen my other posts in other places, you’ll know by now that I’m on some sort of unholy blog tour or summat like that. But if not, I’m Charlotte Stein. I mentored Elise for three months, and she was a doll. And now she’s even more of a doll, cos she agreed to let me mess around all over her blog to promote my latest release.

So I’ve written a poem, in her honour:

Oh Elise.
How we both came to hate the words sentence variety!
I think it paralysed me as much
As it did you.
For about a hundred years.
But now we’re both free
I hope
Like Princesses in a fairystory
Who’ve been kissed by
Totally hot Princes.
One who looks like Evan Lysacek
And the other-
Well, you pick. Christian Bale?
But I digress
I’m writing this poem really,
Because you’re awesome
You never complain
And you work like a very hardworking thing
And you get better and better every day.
But most of all:
You’re always there for me.
Which is cool.

And now that is done, here is some information about my excellent release Tigerlily, out from Total-E-Bound on July 19th. Yay!

Blurb:

Oh what’s a girl to do, when she finds a sexy, naked man in her back garden?

When a naked guy turns up in Mae’s back garden, she can’t decide if he’s crazy or sent from heaven. He can’t remember his name, or where he’s from, but he seems to know one thing for certain- Mae is in need of some hot loving, and fast.

However, the more he persuades her to let go and give in, the more she finds herself believing that she’s met him before. But childhood games with a boy who she’s sure had wings on his back are giving way to her deepest sexual fantasies, and dreams of another world entirely are not far behind…

 Excerpt:

“There was a guy, running a blue streak through the trees. Mae Connelly could see him, even amidst the febrile greenery and the lowering light, arms pumping. Legs pumping. Cock swinging in the breeze.

Which was when she decided to stand up, and get a better look.

Purely out of simple curiosity, of course. Nothing unseemly about stepping off your porch to gawk at a man who appeared to be running through the field behind your house, buck ass nekkid.

And it didn’t sadden her—not even a little—when he ploughed into the long grass and everything below the waist got cut off. No—not even a little bit, uh-uh. After all, she was just a concerned citizen.

Concerned about someone who sure looked terrified. He looked more than terrified—she could see him, turning his head every five seconds as though expecting to see hellhounds behind him, chomping at his heels.
He kept almost stumbling, like fear wouldn’t let him keep his footing.

And as he veered closer to her house, she could definitely make out red, striping his upper arms. The fact that said upper arms were sinewy with muscle and very nice indeed took a shameful backseat.

She shouted before her brain confirmed that doing so was a good idea.

“Hey!”

It was definitely not a good idea. He fell almost immediately, at the sound of her voice. She saw him turn, and then it was all just tits over ass and nothing but the long grass, stirring, to suggest that he had ever been there.

All the possible reasons that someone could be running, naked and terrified, went through her head: escape from a forced nudist colony. Being hunted by a Terminator from the future. Sex game that went horribly, horribly wrong. Or right, depending on your kink.

But none of them seemed either a) plausible or b) sane. As far as she knew, forced nudist colonies didn’t even exist. And likely Terminators and time travel machines didn’t, either. Especially not ones that sent you through time with your ass hanging out.”

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=845

You’re the best, Elise!

What To Do With Self Doubt

1. Burn it

2. Freeze it in a piece of ice and send it to Alaska and hopes that a creature eats it.

3. Drink it away!

4.Blast it out with angry music and a moshpit

5. Don't give into it---no matter how tempting.

Giddy Dancing has Commenced!

My new short-short, Keeper, has reached #52 on Amazon.com's Bestseller List under Lesbian Erotica! Color me excited! Thanks everyone for picking up a copy and for reading it! I'm gonna go dance around my new house and try not to trample over my cat! Combine that with Keeper's amazing review from Seriously Reviewed and this week has just been stellar for me! Here I am:

Recommended Read: Edge of Heaven By Rhiannon Leith

“Edge of Heaven” by Rhiannon Leith

Read An Excerpt Online
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Red Hots!

ISBN: 978-1-60928-059-8
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Cover art by Natalie Winters

Her only hope is to reach for heaven—and hang on to hell.

Lily’s psychic “gift” for hearing the dead and helping them pass over into the afterlife has left her friendless and broken, teetering on the edge of sanity. Not much of a challenge for Sammael, a demon who’s been sent to seduce her soul for hell.

But something stands between Sam and his prize. Micah, the guardian angel whose constant support keeps Lily sane. Yet Sam senses that Micah’s feelings for his charge are less than angelic.

Excellent. It’ll be his pleasure to tempt them both into pure sin.

As Lily succumbs to unearthly pleasure, she finds herself caught between the demon who sets her on fire and the angel who lifts her to unimagined heights of ecstasy. It’s a choice she can’t bring herself to make.

Then a serial killer with preternatural abilities makes Lily his next target. Danger mounts as he repeatedly outfoxes even heaven and hell. To protect her, an angel must fall, a demon must be redeemed—and Lily must travel to hell and back for the men she loves.

Warning: Contains steamy sex, bondage, voyeurism, and a ménage a trois between a tormented angel, a devilishly sexy demon and a woman who can’t choose between them. And why should she?

Read An Excerpt Online Buy it here

I'm not a first draft person

As much as it pains me to admit it, I'm not one of those people that can write perfect first drafts---or even close to it. My drafts often come out with tons of passion and heart but lacking in everything but the language department such as plot, character motivation, and sentence variety. Yet, I always get the sex on point right away. I wonder what that says about me? Generally, in a wip I'm concentrating on fixing at least six things at once. I'm no good just going through lists and correcting one thing throughout an MS. I work in large chunks making massive changes to the document without really turning back because if I do I'll never want to touch it. It's not the most organized way to be, that's for sure. But I've got to assume it works for me because my drafts always get stronger, though sometimes I create a new crop of problems with my immediate changes.

I know authors that can bang out almost perfect drafts in one go---does it bother me? I'd be lying if I said no. But why does it bother me? Probably because I'd like to devote the time I do to editing on other things like writing new material and getting submissions out faster. I'm also fairly new to this game so writing full books isn't a wham, bam, thank you ma'am kind of process for me yet. But with practice I'd like to think my drafts will get cleaner. Like anything worth doing, I'm learning as I go and hopefully writing perfect first drafts will eventually become second nature. Either way I still get to do what I love so I should be thankful.

What are some of the pitfalls your experience with first drafts? Do you write them perfectly or wish you could?

Ignition, A Free Read: Hot and Steamy Days and Nights

Hi! Welcome to my version of Hot and Steamy Days and Nights Blog Tour. You should have just come from Mary Quast's Blog if you are following the tour correctly. I've got a treat today, an extra super secret snippet from a free read work in progress called "Ignition". Not only does it touch on enjoying new fantasies and experiences for the first time---but my character's get it on right in the summer heat. So here we go:

“I have a right to know where we’re going if I’m naked, Josh!”
 
Protests fell on deaf ears, despite the amplified silence tingling across her sensitive, exposed skin.  February rain and musky turned earth smell shifted into her bobbed brown hair. All the windows in the small sedan were open. Letting a symphony of senses work her over like inexperienced licks of a flogger because he had hastily tied an old work tie over her eyes. Something about making the moment “special”. There wasn’t enough fight in her to argue when he smiled---a whisper of danger that coaxed a shudder down her back before there was darkness. Perhaps it would have been better to shift so the engine vibrations from the frayed, torn bucket seat didn’t press against her swollen labia. Just a few inches from her clit when a suggestive move would get her there. Pressed up against the cheap, slick fabric and all her wetness forcing the vibrations deeper as she humped the seat.
 
“We’re almost there.”
 
Sometimes, lying in bed at night, she forced him to talk---liking the way his bass growl filters and clears out her mind of the day’s troubles. With the slight edge of anticipation she’s heard while tied against the bedposts many times. Rough hands cupping her jaw. He’ll whisper everything into her ears to make her come. Now, his voice is a warm wash of color on her cheeks. Sure he’s guessed her less than dignified plans for here and now self-gratification, blindly she seeks the crisp wind, pulling against rope binding her ankles and wrists. At least that part’s not new. Strangely, his assurance made the swelling need in her nipples peak to fine points. Driven by the click of a turn signal and the rhythmic beat of his fingers on the steering wheel---drumming to nothing.
 
Touching now would be cheating. Like a big red mark on her permanent record---or her ass when he was in a spanking mood. Wordlessly wondering if it’s one of those times and nibbling on her lower lip. Easy to tell that the car was slowing down while traffic patterns only picked up speed. A highway? God, if they—the harsh hum of her pulse suddenly overtook her head. He wound his thick fingers through the binding to clasp her hand. Trust was the name of the game. A few small squeezes back to let him know she cared because there wasn’t enough air left in her lungs to speak quite yet. Gravel was spitting under the car and clinking against the bumper. When he moved to withdraw his warm hand, she wouldn’t let him go that easily. If this what she thought it was---naked and bound in the front seat, she now had no doubt---then letting go would push her  adrenaline until the car seat was soaked in excited juices.
 
Before she could speak, his finger was pressed to her lips in a vow of silence. Okay, that was easy enough. But she bit back a moan when his calloused finger pad slipped across her bottom lip, the barest of sensations. Rather than giving into his taunt, she sucked his thumb into her mouth and nibbled on it like it was the ripest of fruits. Blindfolds had never held her back from being in charge before. On her tongue rode the sweet tang of his sweat as she eased it around the base of his digit. There wasn’t a question that she sought him out, body arched expectantly towards his other hand cupping her breast in a tight vise.
 
“Wait, you have to wait,” He ordered, gruff with need, removing his hands from her body even as she felt his reluctance to leave it.

That's all the share for today but stay tuned for more snippets and the final product in the near future. Trust me, there's lots of naughtiness to come! Make sure to comment on every single blog on the tour if you would like to win a prize and thanks for stopping by! Please proceed to Sara Brookes Blog, your next step on our Hot and Steamy Days and Nights Tour!

My first review for Keeper by Seriously Reviewed

Hi readers, great and spectacular news to share today. I got my first review for my lesbian short short Keeper and they loved it! If you would like to read the review in full you can HERE.

Otherwise, here's my favorite tidbit!

"This sexy super shorty was hot enough to curl my toes and make me wish I worked in a zoo :)"

Thanks romancereader and Seriously Reviewed for the kick ass praise. I'm very happy this short short is getting attention because it's one of my favorites and was written in a really happy time in my life---my honeymoon. Yes, I took my laptop and wrote on my honeymoon. I'm kind of bad at being idle. Or not writing for long periods of time.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Keeper you can do so HERE.

Moving

Hey all, it's been awhile since I've had anything to say on here mainly because I've been in the large process of moving from an apartment to a house. Our cat isn't taking the new move well so I've been supervising and babying the hell out of her because I worry too much. This doesn't leave too much time for blogging. Not to mention that I won't have internet, except for my Blackberry, until Tuesday when Comcast come by.

But the new house is wonderful with a lovely yard, deck, and tons of sunshine! I'm setting up my new office where I'll be busy doing the second round of edits for my fairytale anthology Between the Covers over the next few weeks. This is a really large project for me, one I've been slaving over with the early ideas for it about two years ago. It's only the fourth or so book I've written so, as any writer, I'd like it to go perfectly.

As per usual, I have several projects going at once. I'm hoping to finish at least two before the new year. But I'm really pressing for this anthology with all my eggs in one basket so to speak. It also helps that I was able to find 10k of material that was randomly lost during a botched computer save. My muse and I thought those fun pages were gone forever and we were not happy about, morose would be the better word. I had a time writing for days. During my extra digging a few days ago, I was able to relocate the file that had deleted itself and resurrect it using a different program format and then deleting the random wing dings that came with the format. Ta-da! Old pages are back up and running and so am I.

Now, if only I could get the kitten happy.

Fallen Angel Reviews: My Interview

Today I've got an insightful and fun interview up on Fallen Angel Reviews highlighting my home life, wip's and new books coming up in November. Check it out HERE.

Excerpt from my Fairytale Anthology WIP from Not So Pure

This is a snippet from my version of Snow White where the heroine is shaved bald by her drug dealing mother making her run away into the arms of seven very capable men. Soon, she begins to learn she's just as capable. Oh, and there's lots of hot sex. Hope you enjoy!

“I don’t think you grasp the situation, sir.” White leaned suggestively on his clerk’s desk. “I’m going to see the mayor whether you let me or not. It’s not up to you right now.”
  
She allowed her eyes to flick back to the wall of muscle behind her back. His mouth twitched at the corner. When he turned to busy himself with paperwork she almost giggled at his fear. The men wouldn’t have an issue playing back-up for this sniveling aid. Beating him into submission would be a piece of cake—or whatever was easier to smash than cake, perhaps ice cream. Now, if only he would back down.
 
“I’ve already told you miss, whatever prior arrangement you had with the mayor is not on the books.” He pinched his nose and glared behind her before re-arranging the papers on his desk. “You cannot see the mayor today, it’s not feasible.”
    “Well, it’s a good thing for you that I’m about to change my circumstances.”
  
With a confidant hip cock, she strode past his desk and didn’t look back. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that the aid would touch her now—she hadn’t brought along these two men for fun and games. Well, maybe a little. Both her hands pushed back the heavy wooden door and slipped into the interior office of the mayor. When she met his muted silver eyes, there wasn’t any surprise. She could work with that. The mayor leaned back in his pressed designer suit, shifting his expensive Italian shoes onto the top of his desk and putting his hands behind his head. So, they were on casual terms. Quickly dampening the nerves that gripped her stomach, White took another step forward.
 
“Miss White, it’s good to see you. I’ve only just gotten done discussing a matter with your step-mother, how is she?”
    “Well, I suppose she’s doing well, Mr. Mayor. I haven’t had much contact with her in the past few days.”
 
She fought to keep her steady hands clasped together in front of her rather than curled into fists at her side. This man had been played like all the rest into thinking she was the enemy and he was as much at fault for her imposed death sentence as her step-mother. Now she had to discuss her right to live with the very man who would condemn her to death. What a bastard. They had never even met—not once. How could he decided with the right amount of drugs as payment to kill someone without ever meeting them? Perhaps that made it easier.
  
“I suppose you’re here for something, are you not?”
    “Cut the bullshit, mayor,” before she could stop herself her hands were slammed on his desk and she was in his face, hot with anger. “We both know you helped put a price over my head for no reason. So were going to discuss revoking it today.”
    Weapons. Just in case---there needed to be makeshift weapons. White shifted her vision across the pristine office and all its oak paneling and hoity-totty gold. Not much to meet her needs around here. Maybe she could use a chair, although lifting it might be a problem.
    “Problem solved,” she muttered low moving around his desk with quick, confident movement.
    “What are you doing?” The mayor drawled, sounding bored.
  
But then she was straddling his lap in a reclining office chair that must have cost more than a college education—and he looked quite animated. Why wouldn’t he want to grab a piece? Technically, she should be dead right now and he could do it himself after he had his way. Which is why, as her kisses rained down on his neck loosening his tie, her other hand felt under the desk for the gun she knew was taped there. Way too many action movies. Bingo. A pretty hefty piece, it felt like a handgun when she hefted it into her hand and brought it against the mayor’s temple. He couldn’t miss the safety tripping off with her thumb.
 
“I’m in charge now, Mr. Mayor which means you’re going to listen to me—“
    “You don’t know how to use that,” he growled. “And my guards will be here in droves once my secretary rings the warning bell.”
    “You mean--” She turned her head to see Samuel and Colton walk into the room dragging a limp body behind them. “That secretary?”
    All was going according to plan. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Samuel barricade the door with some furniture and she pressed the gun harder into the mayor’s temple.
    “What do you want?”
    Time to see if the mayor knew any martial arts training.
    “I want the price over my head gone, the poster’s ripped down, and an Oreo cookie.” She smiled obnoxiously.
    “You know, they say never turn a gun on somebody if you’re not willing to use it.”

God, he was grinning at the idea of his own death, the sicko! White felt her muscles clench with tension, the smile wiped from her face as coldness clenched in the pit of her stomach. Could she really kill someone? Wouldn’t the consequences of murdering someone so influential put her right back in the predicament she was in now? Nor would the act give her any piece of mind—if anything it would haunt her nightmares. Damn. Their eyes locked and for a brief second she could see the mayor knew it. He knew everything. And she had several seconds to make a life changing choice.

Gulping past the sour fear at the back of her throat, adrenaline peaked making her flesh hum.

“White, duck!”

Without looking to see who had given the order, she crouched down in the mayor’s lap. Just as he brought his hand up to knock the gun out of her hand. A shift in sound. Loud popping that resonated in her ears until they rang and the stink of metal and burning. Someone screamed. White ducked her head up, putting the gun back in place at the mayor’s temple. It hadn’t been her men. Blood, warm and sticky, showed through the mayor’s fancy shirt at his left shoulder. They hadn’t hurt him a good deal. He would heal in a few weeks. A whoosh of air escaped her mouth before she even knew she had been holding it and her hands started shaking. Now, let him call their bluff. White hot heat behind her eyes made tears prick and she bit her lip to keep them from falling. Negotiations were almost done. No showing fear yet.

“Do you believe me now?” she shouted, hearing warped from the gun shot.
“I believe him,” the mayor said through clenched teeth, moving his good arm out to point to Colton. “He’s the one that shot me, not you, stupid bitch.”
“Disrespect her like that and I’ll do it again.”
Samuel’s voice was flinty with truth. Now was the not the time to analyze her feelings on that right now.
“Sign whatever paper you need to that makes this all go away.” She squared her shoulders, voice hoarse when she drew her eyes away from the bleeding wound.
“It’s not that simple.”
Mr. Mayor had gone pale.
“Throw me the blanket.” White grasped it from the air and balled it, pressing it against his wound. “What will make it easier?”
“I would have to do another press conference and have hundreds of fliers redistributed. Then there’s the matter of the drugs, I won’t have The Huntsman sent after me for going bad on a bargain.”
 “What if we take care of that for you?” White countered.

He nodded and White could feel both men at her back come in closer. How they were going to take care of her mother’s favorite pet was another problem, but the bluff had seemed good at the time. Almost there, she licked her lips, running an idle hand over her stubbly scalp. Balancing was beginning to become tricky when there was a wad of fabric in between them. Every muscle in her leg pulsed and tensed. Too long in the same position, her body ached to move and she wasn’t about to do that unless she was sure she got what she had bargained for. Which meant they might be sticking around a little longer than planned.

“You can’t make me call a press conference or get revised posters out on the streets. So, now it’s your turn to listen to me. You take care of the huntsman in such a way that I can ignore it with the press and I’ll do this for you.”
“Alright, done.”
“Fine,” his breath hitched in pain before he let it out. “Hand me the phone.”

While he hurriedly discussed the details of the press conference to some guy on the other line of the phone, White took the time to stretch her legs away from his lap. Pins and needles erupted across the front and back of her calves. But her aim never wavered. After arguing for a few moments longer, telling someone to do it regardless of protocol, he slammed down the phone.

“The printers are starting on the new fliers tonight and the press conference will happen later this afternoon. All the big news stations will be in attendance as well as a few in the back country. You should have full coverage.”
“Good, now where do you keep your first aid kit?”
“Excuse me?”
“I need to treat that before it becomes infected.” She lowered her weapon hearing Colton’s grunt of disapproval. “We don’t want you to act like anything happened in the press conference.”
“I assume you’ll be there the whole time, correct?”
“Of course, monitoring your every move.”
“Drawer to the left, red plastic box.” He nodded towards a cabinet behind his head.
“You know, we wouldn’t have had to do that if you have cooperated.”
“Yeah, yeah,” the mayor rolled his eyes. “That’s not going to make it hurt any less. In fact, it would be easier if you just handed me that wooden box to your left.”

Why hadn’t she noticed it before? It was the most ornate accessory in the room, smooth mahogany wood with curls of gold and filigree all over it. Certainly tacky and when she held it she definitely wanted it out of her hands—fast. It was one of those boxes that held secrets. There were enough of those in her life right now.

Passing over the box, she also located the first aid kit under a few pieces of official paperwork in the drawer he indicated. Vaguely, she wondered if she remembered bullet first aid. Hopping into the role of knowledgeable leader had been easy, but the most she had ever actually treated was large gashes on her bare feet that she had to suture. A shudder ripped through her and she tried to mask it bending at the waist to put the first aid box on his desk. Every now and then she could still feel the dull aches on the soles of her feet. Constant reminder of who she was and who she would always be: unwanted. Flinching, she squared her shoulders and sat on the mayor’s expensive desk. If he could put his boots on it, it must not be too expensive.

His look of acknowledgment was priceless. Eyebrows raised and mouth slightly open, he gave her body an incredulous once over as if saying “oh, no she didn’t!”  If he snapped three times in the air in an arc she would have laughed her ass off, damn the current situation. Instead, she watched the mayor open his magic box with one hand and take out a long wooden spoon that was quite small at the end---and snort cocaine with it. Probably her mother’s supply.

“That’s all you needed, huh?” She barely kept the disgust from her tone. “You’re about to go to a press conference high and shot?”
“I’m a human and I have vices.” He spoke as if she were a petulant child that needed a lecture. “Like those two men are just your backup, right?”

Following his hand motion, she looked to Colton and Samuel leaning against the wall acting the part of casual bodyguards. Okay, so even she wouldn’t believe they were good friends. Caught in the act she decided to take the high road and enjoy the view. Both men seemed to straighten at her gaze, Colton giving her a grin that said plainly that he would be her eye candy whenever she damn well pleased. Had she really been so lucky to be sandwiched between these two? Memories of their naked, sweaty flesh made her cross her arms over her body searching for a mite of professionalism. Once her pulse slowed she was able to look up from the floorboards without flushing. Which was no small task.

There really wasn’t a way to refute the truth. So, she simply stayed quiet on the matter letting the mayor think whatever he damn well pleased. Now they were all good friends sharing secrets---or so it seemed. Certainly the mayor was aware that his cocaine usage could be become top story on the evening news if this press conference didn’t go well---yet something told White that he just didn’t give a damn right now. The feeling was mutual. Despite her car nap, fatigue was seeping into her muscles as she moved to help the mayor with his shirt buttons.

“Let me do it.”

Colton shocked them both with the impatience in his tone. Unable to think of a reason for him not too and not exactly excited to touch a gunshot wound, White moved back easily. Some look of stern masculine emotion passed between the two males as they locked eyes. Then Colton was undoing the rest of the mayor’s button’s. Deciding she didn’t want to watch, White knelt by the mayor’s aid wondering exactly when he would be waking up and causing a scene. One of them could probably stay back in the office with him during the press conference, but she really didn’t want to risk it.

New Release: Keeper

My new release Keeper is available for purchase on the magic that is the internet! This was a fun story to write because it has two of my favorite things: elephants and zoo's! Though neither are used in an erotic way--no worries my readers. So without further ado, here is the blurb for Keeper and a tasty excerpt!

Blurb:

It's not easy working as a small time office clerk for the Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii. Candie occasionally substitutes for her co-worker as a zoo keeper when he's too busy with his whiskey bottle. But this time she finds herself in a bit of a bind as a new recruit comes in for an interview and some field training.

Candie is captivated by Sadie who is unabashedly sexual. The way she flirts her way through the interview makes Candie think she's been paid off by her friends for a practical joke. It's not easy making it through tourist season at the night clubs when you're a celibate lesbian looking for tail with chemistry and brains. Candie's had a dry spell a mile long and it's about to rain all over her parade. Sadie won't settle for anything less than Candie on her tongue.

Warnings: This title contains f/f sex, anal play, and voyeurism.

EXCERPT:

Candie's worn out voice rhapsodized onwards as the petite blonde in front of her continued to fiddle with anxiety. Anyone who was nervous about getting a new job fiddled, it was par for the course. But this little darling was engrossed with exploring every crevice in her outfit. Candie's generic speech stopped just so she could watch her explore. Her small hands smoothed over her barely there hips, skimming along her hipbone, then back up her stomach between her breasts, fiddling with a necklace. 

Sadie was either the most self aware person Candie had ever met or she was completely oblivious.

The way she touched herself it made Candie wonder if she'd been paid by some of her lesbian friends. A harmless straight girl sent to give the undersexed lesbian a hard time. It wasn't Candie's fault that her idea of a good time didn't involve an air head tourist from one of the local clubs. She preferred something chemical rather than forced by alcohol. Earth shattering over a zero on the Richter scale.

Yep, Sadie must have made some nice cash.

Though, that wouldn't explain all the little squeaks coming out of the trainee's mouth during their introductory interview. Sadie had played coy, flirting and blushing her way through screening. Every word was attached with a stumble, a trace of flesh, or a small companionable smile. The questions really hadn't been that hard. Candie had made sure she only threw her the easy ones for people who watched Animal Planet but had never worked in a zoo. Not everyone was so lucky to have a degree in zoology. Sadie's past work history included stripping and 7Eleven. But sometimes the zoo needed keepers-- and fast. Especially with tourist season lingering with longer hours and more screaming babies. As long as they didn't have a drug history they were on board.

This is why Candie was still talking to this gorgeous little misfit. Sadie was either the world's best actress or Candie really did make her that nervous. Even though the pressure part of the interview was long over she was still twirling long strands of her thick honey hair between her fingers. Candie watched as she put the pieces in her mouth and sucked on them. It had always seemed like a disgusting habit to Candie. Except when Sadie did it her lips pressed into the sultriest pout. The vamp lip gloss she wore shimmered in the light making her lips plump, irresistible. When she tripped her hand reached out to grab Candie's waist with a squeal. She left it there for several seconds longer than it said to in the employee conduct handbook. Candie breathed heavily as Sadie squeezed her heated flesh under several layers of clothing. She could still feel the sizzling tingle of pressure.

Apparently, Sadie had just been warming up.

BUY HERE

Interview Goodness Over at RWBB

I'm being interviewed over at Romance Writer's Behaving Badly and some highlights are naughty and I share secrets! Check out my saucy, playful interview HERE. I had a lot of fun answering the questions!

Summer Reading Trail

Follow the trails and discover great new writers this summer. The free reads include short stories, serial installments, deleted scenes and book excerpts from published and unpublished authors. The Summer Reading Trail will run from the May 1 through the end of July. New links will be updated on the first of every month, so you can enjoy a summer of reading.  You are encouraged to explore authors’ websites and blogs, to take a moment to leave them a comment and to bookmark sites and visit often.
The trail opens May 1, 2010. Bookmark this page and come back to enjoy reads on the these trails.

YA Trail PG Children and Young Adult	Promise Trail PG Inspirational and Christian	Sweet Trail PG – 13 Adult Romance
Fiction Trail PG-13 Non romantic fiction	Poetry Trail All rating	Sexy Trail R Adult Romance
Adult Trail R to NC-17 Adult Fiction	Erotic Trail NC-17 Erotica and Erotic Romance	Rainbow Trail All Ratings LGBS Romance

A. J. O’Donovan UK Trailhead
http://ajodonovan.co.uk/?p=450

Voirey Linger US Trailhead
http://www.voireylinger.com/index.php?p=1_12_Trail-Head

Blurb:

It's not easy working as a small time office clerk for the Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii. Candie occasionally substitutes for her co-worker as a zoo keeper when he's too busy with his whiskey bottle. But this time she finds herself in a bit of a bind as a new recruit comes in for an interview and some field training.

Candie is captivated by Sadie who is unabashedly sexual. The way she flirts her way through the interview makes Candie think she's been paid off by her friends for a practical joke. It's not easy making it through tourist season at the night clubs when you're a celibate lesbian looking for tail with chemistry and brains. Candie's had a dry spell a mile long and it's about to rain all over her parade. Sadie won't settle for anything less than Candie on her tongue.
Warnings: This title contains f/f sex, anal play, and voyeurism.

EXCERPT:

Candie's worn out voice rhapsodized onwards as the petite blonde in front of her continued to fiddle with anxiety. Anyone who was nervous about getting a new job fiddled, it was par for the course. But this little darling was engrossed with exploring every crevice in her outfit. Candie's generic speech stopped just so she could watch her explore. Her small hands smoothed over her barely there hips, skimming along her hipbone, then back up her stomach between her breasts, fiddling with a necklace. 

Sadie was either the most self aware person Candie had ever met or she was completely oblivious.
The way she touched herself it made Candie wonder if she'd been paid by some of her lesbian friends. A harmless straight girl sent to give the undersexed lesbian a hard time. It wasn't Candie's fault that her idea of a good time didn't involve an air head tourist from one of the local clubs. She preferred something chemical rather than forced by alcohol. Earth shattering over a zero on the Richter scale.

Yep, Sadie must have made some nice cash.

Though, that wouldn't explain all the little squeaks coming out of the trainee's mouth during their introductory interview. Sadie had played coy, flirting and blushing her way through screening. Every word was attached with a stumble, a trace of flesh, or a small companionable smile. The questions really hadn't been that hard. Candie had made sure she only threw her the easy ones for people who watched Animal Planet but had never worked in a zoo. Not everyone was so lucky to have a degree in zoology. Sadie's past work history included stripping and 7Eleven. But sometimes the zoo needed keepers-- and fast. Especially with tourist season lingering with longer hours and more screaming babies. As long as they didn't have a drug history they were on board.

This is why Candie was still talking to this gorgeous little misfit. Sadie was either the world's best actress or Candie really did make her that nervous. Even though the pressure part of the interview was long over she was still twirling long strands of her thick honey hair between her fingers. Candie watched as she put the pieces in her mouth and sucked on them. It had always seemed like a disgusting habit to Candie. Except when Sadie did it her lips pressed into the sultriest pout. The vamp lip gloss she wore shimmered in the light making her lips plump, irresistible. When she tripped her hand reached out to grab Candie's waist with a squeal. She left it there for several seconds longer than it said to in the employee conduct handbook. Candie breathed heavily as Sadie squeezed her heated flesh under several layers of clothing. She could still feel the sizzling tingle of pressure.

Apparently, Sadie had just been warming up.

 With a high of a hundred and two in temperature Candie watched as the newbie wrestled with the stifling black coveralls worn by all the employees. Sweat beaded off the tip of Sadie's nose to spot the black cotton sagging across her chest. She didn't have much of a chest to stretch the fabric but Candie would never discriminate. They were a nice change from her own ample chest.
    
Sadie was pulling frantically on the frayed collar of her uniform. Tiny slips of skin from her revealing tank-top kept entering Candie's line of vision underneath the coverall. She tried to look away but the seamless tan that ran down the line of her body was like a magnet. Sadie's green eyes blinked innocently as she continued tugging and exposing herself. One time she pulled half her tank top back with the uniform revealing for a split second a peek at her puffy, rose colored nipple. It made Candie's throat tight, her own nipples hardening in response.
    
Candie stomped her boots into the red dust which thrust into the air around them making her cough into her green gloves. It was hardly in her job description to be checking out a possible new recruit for the elephant house. She normally worked in the main office filing papers where they had working AC. She only filled in for Marvin at the elephant house when he called out sick from his drinking binges. Which seemed to be more and more as of late.
   
 As a yearlong celibate lesbian due to rampant heartbreak, Candie shouldn't have been having such a visceral reaction to a woman. She had sworn off women as a matter of principle. Shaving off the access in her life until all that was left was a sheen of pure meaning. At least, that's what the self-help books all told her after she'd gone through a bottle of red wine to submit to them. It was pure uncontrolled lust bending her will. It was all about will power.
 
Sadie was such a little temptress. Candie couldn't help but notice the rivulets of sweat making their way down under the fabric of Sadie's uniform.
    
Maybe it was easing its way down between her petite breasts into tiny pools at her belly button.  Candie had managed to get a glimpse of what she'd be working with at the office before the woman's lithe hips wiggled up into the full body cover-up. Perhaps the mid-summer morning had wet Sadie's panties, taunt against her cleft. Candie had already seen the straining, orange lace flowered thong against her full ass. Through the white see-through short-short's Sadie had showed up wearing that morning. Not exactly dress code with work attire.

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Seriously Reviewed Picks Up A Copy Of Repossession

Repossession received 17 out of 20 from Seriously Reviewed! It was given a nine for presentation: "Lifetime Keeper to be read and reread". As well as an eight for story: "Excellent, solid storytelling. A book you can’t put down."

Here's an excerpt from their review: "Reading Repossession was like delving into those dark desires, feeling the fear and realizing that fantasy isn’t reality. Mina wants to play, but fantasy isn’t always a game...."


Read more of the review HERE.

Thanks for the review Seriously Reviewed!

Jeanne St. James "Double Dare" in Print

Blurb

What could be better than waking up next to a hot guy? Waking up sandwiched between two of them.

Quinn Preston, a financial analyst, is not happy when her friends dare her to pick up a handsome stranger at a wedding reception. What better reason to give up men when her previous long-term relationship had not only been lackluster in the bedroom but he had cheated?

Logan Reed, a successful business owner, can't believe that he's attracted to the woman in the ugly, Pepto-Bismol pink bridesmaid dress. And to boot, she's more than tipsy. After turning down her invitation for a one-night stand, he finds her in the parking lot too impaired to drive. He rescues her and takes her home. His home.

The next morning Quinn's conservative life turns on its ear when Logan introduces her to pleasures she never even considered before. And to make things more complicated, Logan already has a lover.

Tyson White, ex-pro football player, is completely in love with Logan. He has mixed emotions when Logan brings home Quinn. But the dares keep coming...

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, BDSM theme & content, male/male sexual practices, menage (m/m/f).

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