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?