by Sarah | Feb 4, 2013 | Guest Authors, Guest Post, Writing
I’m sitting here this morning looking out the window…and what do I see? Snow. Cold, wet, white, icy snow. Yes, it can be beautiful to gaze upon, especially when the sun is shining, making the snow glisten and glitter. But, it’s not often I have a chance to simply gaze upon the snow. Regardless of the weather, life goes on, which means appointments, jobs, grocery shopping, and other errands. It means bundling up with boots, mittens, hats, scarves, and heavy winter coats — and still freezing.
No doubt, by now, you’ve figured out that I don’t care for snow. Or winter. Oh, the holidays are nice, but I could just as easily celebrate Christmas in July, and I like to be thankful every day of the year, so setting aside a day in November really isn’t necessary. And our recently-celebrated Groundhog’s Day? It’s always been one of my favorites, but I could do without it if it meant getting rid of winter.
Someday, I should move to a warm, sunny clime. Of course, unless I could convince all of my friends and family to move along with me, I probably wouldn’t enjoy it.
As I’ve been staring at the snow — looking out the window, you see, is a lovely distraction from writing — I’m been thinking about weather and how it’s often used in novels to reflect a character’s mood.
Happily Ever After, my latest historical romance, opens on a lovely summer’s day. Anne Hopkins is on her way to her first meeting with Henrietta Mather, in hopes that she’ll be hired as the woman’s companion. After being fired from her previous position, Anne wants to put the past behind her. The beautiful weather appears to be a harbinger of good things to come:
Blue skies and golden sunlight promised a bright future.
Indeed, Mrs. Mather does offer Anne a job, but it’s not the job she expected. Rather than a widow’s companion, she’s to be the caretaker for Henrietta’s grand-daughter, a troubled nine-year-old still grieving over her mother’s death.
Although Anne is able to make a strong emotional connection with Rowena, she can’t prevent the terrifying nightmares the child experiences. When Rowena confides the secret that her father “isn’t a very nice man”, Anne’s suspicions are aroused. Could George Mather be the dragon haunting his daughter’s dreams?
Again, the weather plays a part in setting the mood:
Anne sat alone on the porch for a time staring off into the distance where a summer storm brewed on the horizon. Soon, thick, gray clouds rolled in, turning the skies dark and gloomy, a fitting counterpart to her turbulent emotions.
The wind picked up, bringing a sudden chill to the air. As a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, Anne hurried inside, her thoughts still unsettled. Thunder shook the house and moments later, the rain came.
She didn’t want to see George yet. She needed time to get her thoughts together and come to terms with the new knowledge she’d gained. Using Henrietta’s old ploy, she feigned a headache and went to her room.
* * * *
“Are you coming down for dinner, Anne?”
She opened her eyes, surprised that several hours had passed. Although she’d ignored the knocking at her door, she could not ignore the voice. His voice. So gentle, so warm, so inviting.
“No, I’m not feeling well.” She closed her eyes again.
“Do you want me to bring a tray upstairs?”
“That’s not necessary. I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“Is there anything I can get for you? Anything I can do?”
She clamped her hands over her ears.
Just go away. Stop acting so good and kind.
“No, George. I’m sure I’ll be all right by morning. I just need a little rest.”
She squeezed her eyes shut as the footsteps retreated from her door. She must not think of George’s enticing kisses. She must remember, instead, Rowena’s secrets and tearful pleas. Her words had been a cry for help.
The rain beat down incessantly throughout the long night. Anne lay awake listening to fierce gusts of wind and the drops pelting against the window pane. She listened, too, for the piercing cry from Rowena’s room…when the dragons came again.
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
$5.99
Available at:
Sweet Cravings Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks
Bookstrand
I hope you enjoyed the excerpt from the story. Happily Ever After (currently ranked in the top ten at Sweet Cravings Publishing) is available from the publisher and other online booksellers.
OR… Feeling lucky?
You can enter my giveaway for a chance to win a copy of “Happily Ever After”. All you need to do is comment on this post. Tell me what the weather is like where you are, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win. Please be sure to include an email address so I can contact you if you’re the winner.
The contest will be open until 9:00 AM (that’s cold, mid-western Central Standard Time) on Wednesday, February 6. Winner will be selected through Random.org, and will be notified immediately afterward. Winner will have the choice of Kindle, Nook, or other e-book format.
*~*~*
About Christina:
Christina Cole fell in love with words at a very young age. She’ll always be grateful for her grandfather and his patience as he taught her the joys of reading. Throughout her childhood she loved telling tales. She begged and pleaded for her mother to type them, but soon — with her grandfather’s guidance — learned to type for herself on his old Underwood.
Things have changed now. Her grandfather is gone, and so is the old typewriter, but Christina’s love for story-telling has remained strong. She now does her typing on a computer in a cozy little writing room filled with books, treasures, and a much-cherished photograph of her grandfather.
She is married, lives in the midwest, loves history, hates winter, and is happily at work on her next historical romance.
by Sarah | Jan 31, 2013 | Book Release, Guest Authors, Guest Post, Writing
Today I’m happy to have another fellow Secret Cravings author, Victoria Black stop by with her brand new release, Heavenly Revenge! She’s included an excerpt…but be warned – it’s naughty 🙂
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for having me. You are the very first person to let me talk about my newest novella, Heavenly Revenge, which was released by Secret Cravings Publishers only yesterday. As you can see from the wonderful cover designed by Dawne Dominique, my book a fantasy. Nothing too weird. Just a couple of angels and an alternate reality. And a planet that isn’t Earth. But the hero and heroine, and the fireworks they create, are entirely human! Here’s a tiny little appetizer…
*~*
Revenge can be cold and cruel.
When Rose dies before her time, two sweet, old angels send her on a mission to save another world. The angels worry she will be no match for the land’s strong king. However Rose has learned a bitter lesson courtesy of her unfaithful and very ex boyfriend. She is strong too.
But when the lovely Rose meets Andrejs, the handsome king of this strange land, she has a sweet battle on her hands. He believes she is an enemy spy who has learned a secret that may affect the outcome of the war raging between his kingdom and the land to the north.
It is against Andrejs’ code to hurt a woman.
But, as both he and Rose discover, revenge needn’t be cold or cruel. Revenge can be hot and very pleasurable indeed.
*~*
Isn’t that a sexy premise? I LOVE revenge stories. You do know I write erotic romance, don’t you? Not porn, as I cry in the wilderness to my embarrassed, grown-up children. And in my stories, the emphasis is on both words – erotic and romance. They are certainly sexy, but first, last and always, they are romances. Here’s another little morsel, a small tapas plate, to keep you wanting more…
“That was the most beautiful noise I’ve ever heard.”
The king stood in the doorway. He didn’t seem to be furious like he’d been before, but there was something quietly dangerous about him as he walked into the room and stopped in front of her. He moved with the grace of a panther stalking its prey. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s called music, by the way, not noise.”
Staring down at her with no expression in his eyes, he reached down to the hem of his tunic and drew it over his head. Which left him naked. She looked into his hard, brown eyes, set deep in his handsome face. Then her gaze traveled down the length of his body—from his broad shoulders and muscular chest with its curly, wiry black hair, down to his flat belly, with an arrow of black hair pointing down to his thick, hardening member. She hurriedly lowered her eyes to his long, powerful legs, lightly covered with that same dark hair. He was tanned and beautiful.
As Rose glanced back up into his eyes, she caught his gleam of amusement. His tense jaw relaxed with his chuckle. “Do I meet with your approval, my pretty little enemy?” He lay down next to her and reached out for the sheet that wrapped around her, slowly drawing it away.
As he circled her nipple with his fingertip, he said softly, “You are my prisoner, Rose. It will be my pleasure to punish you for being such an efficient spy.” He bent his head to her breast and swirled the blade of his tongue around her aureole, before gently flicking her now very erect nipple with the tip. “You will be mine to fuck any time and in any way I choose. Do you understand?”
Sounds fun? Of course, if I met the sexy, alpha male Andrejs, I’d run a mile. But luckily, my feisty little heroine, Rose, is more than a match for him.
by Sarah | Oct 23, 2012 | Guest Authors, Guest Post, Writing
I have the great pleasure of hosting my good friend (and top-notch critique partner) Sabrina Garie for her blog tour for her novel, Fires of Justice. Take note – she’s giving away a copy of her book to one lucky commenter!!!
Thanks for hosting me Sarah. I am so glad to be here. You exemplify bravery and humor and practicality in the face of the unknowable and unexpected. In tribute to that, I thought I’d talk about the power of stories and books—how they make us stronger and more adaptable. I know many people use books to escape from life and I admit to doing that myself. But I also rely on them to help me be better at life and my goal as a writer is to fuse that into my work.
By touching our hearts and minds, stories give us a fun and risk-free ways to learn to handle the unexpected—those things that we can neither practice nor prepare for. Horror stories, roller coasters and zombies retain their popularity partially for that reason. Engaging with stories through film, books, however you like to do it, can help us learn to sit and act with fear in our bellies and panic-induced adrenalin weaving through our veins.
Paranormal and science fiction also take us into places where we cannot go, which is why I love to read and write them. What should we do if a werewolf knocks on the door or an alien lands in our backyard? As silly as these questions may sound at first, they strike a chord on some level of our psyche. At their base, they bring to light how we deal with the unknown, the untested, the other that we have yet to meet.
In my new release, Fires of Justice, I try and pull a few punches in this direction. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Calista, our heroine, is a witch, so she’s used to some pretty strange things happening in any 24 hour period. Even so, the story starts with the simultaneous arrival of an ominous dream and a shifter setting up camp in her backyard and she, naturally, is weirded out by the whole thing. Turns out, the shifter is one of the characters in the dream. So what would you do if you crashed into a person who you’d only seen in a dream? Isn’t this just like asking if you believe in love at first sight in a slightly off-beat way? In college, I crushed on a guy because every time I looked at him, he felt familiar, like I’d known him somehow. Whenever I saw him, the lyrics from the Eagles’ Peaceful, Easy Feeling would float around in my head “I get this feeling I may know you as a lover and a friend.” It was strange and exciting and I had no idea how to handle it. That experience influenced the creation of this scene.
When Cullen first meets Calista, he’s predisposed to hate her because of some of the damage he carries around from his past. Surprise, she’s nothing like he expected. Sometimes that werewolf or that alien is just the boy (or girl) next door you can’t see for the fangs or your own scars. The power of stories is that they help us see past the fangs and the scars—to look underneath the facades that often get in the way. Even if we have to hex it off to do it.
Thanks for visiting. I’m giving away a free e-copy of Fires of Justice to one commenter. How do stories help you deal with the unknown in your life?
*~*~*
To Purchase:
Ellora’s Cave
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Always read the fine print when swearing an eternal oath to gods and guardians…
Beholden by the sacred vows of her coven, fire witch Calista Reid agrees to temporarily mate with shifter Cullen McMahan to fulfill a mission assigned by the guardians. When tall, dark and damaged arrives on her doorstep, generating enough heat to scorch a fire witch, Calista finds herself drawn to his battle-hardened body and broken soul. His pain speaks to her own deep-rooted isolation and the intensity of his hunger slakes her passion like no other.
Cullen, scarred by a past that left him an indentured soldier to the guardians, resents yet another hump-on-command assignment…until he encounters the compassionate, fearless, incendiary redhead who detonates his body and reawakens the emotions sacrifice and loss had suppressed. But Cullen harbors a terrible secret—one that reaches back into Calista’s troubled childhood and threatens the foundation of their growing bond.
Link to Excerpt: http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419941542.htm
*~*~*
Sabrina Garie is on a journey to create the most kick-ass heroine romance fiction has ever known and the hero who can take her. A believer that big, audacious goals spice up life, she relies on coffee, red wine and laughter to make those goals (and her characters) come alive. When not at the computer, she wrangles vegetables and extra helpings of homework into her star-spangled, fashion-loving progeny, kowtows to a fat cat and reads, a lot. Since it is more fun to travel in packs, come along for the ride. I’d love to chat.
You can find me at:
Website/Blog: www.sabrinagarie.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SabrinaGarie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SabrinaGarieAuthor
I also blog at Darker Temptations (Paranormal and Science Fiction Romance Blog): http://darkertemptations.wordpress.com/
by Sarah | Jun 20, 2012 | Guest Authors, Guest Post, Writing
*Today Sasha Summers, author of [amazon_link id=”B007WSV5JI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Medusa: A Love Story[/amazon_link] is visiting. Check out my review of her book here.
Thanks for having me on the blog today! I thought I’d share one of my ‘tricks of the trade’ – something that is ‘required’ for me to write – successfully anyway. Honestly, I have a very hard time writing without mood and tone set firmly in place, sucking me in to my pages. Yes, I need a coffee and my laptop. But I also need music.
Medusa is a unique kind of story. So I needed unique songs – music that stirred all sorts of… sensations and feelings. I knew how I wanted to ‘feel’ when I was writing it. So I collected a list of… emotional and moody tunes. But that fit – check out Medusa’s tagline:
It’s said that love can change a person. Medusa wasn’t always a monster.
Yes, the book is a love story, but not in the traditional sense. Why? Well, we all know what happened to Medusa, right? If you don’t – I’m not going to spill the beans. I’ll encourage you to read my book instead 😉
I’m going to give you a song. You listen to it and then come back. I’ll tell you which scene I wrote to each song. Ready?
Song 1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3hsYkGQMeM&list=PLECD8D3D604769D10&index=5&feature=plpp_video
This song (from a movie I adore) helped nail the sense of desperation Medusa and Ariston were feeling as they parted. He’s heading off to war against a terrible adversary. Neither will admit how terrified they feel.
Song 2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN1MeSbYOiE&list=PLECD8D3D604769D10&index=3&feature=plpp_video
This one was when Ariston goes to Hades realm to beg for mercy, and again when Medusa is waiting to sabotage the Persians on the beach.
Song 3.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RST0Fzx5SPc&list=PLECD8D3D604769D10&index=27&feature=plpp_video
This is Ariston going to war.
Song 4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c1x55t51uc&list=PLECD8D3D604769D10&index=18&feature=plpp_video
And this is Medusa after Ariston has found her.
Song 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTKy0drMatc&list=PLECD8D3D604769D10&index=16&feature=plpp_video
And when they’re reunited at the end.
I think you can hear the tone I was going for. As I put this playlist together, listening to them again, puts me right into that scene. Medusa’s story is still intense and vivid in my mind.
Thanks so much for letting me share the music of Medusa, A Love Story’s with you.
*~*~*~*
Author Bio:
Sasha Summers is part gypsy. Her passions have always been storytelling, history, and travel. It’s no surprise that her books visit times past, set in places rich with legends and myth. Her first play, ‘Greek Gods and Goddesses’ (original title, right?), was written for her Girl Scout troupe.
She’s been writing ever since. She loves getting lost in the worlds and characters she creates; even if she frequently forgets to run the dishwasher or wash socks when she’s doing so.
Luckily, her four brilliant children and hero-inspiring hubby are super understanding and supportive.
Sasha is an active member of RWA and several Texas Chapters. A self-proclaimed movie-addict, she is full of all sorts of useless movie tidbits and trivia.
Facebook Author Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sasha-Summers/213036208773108
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5759214.Sasha_Summers
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sashasummers/
Twitter: @sashawrites
Webpage: http://www.sashasummers.com
by Sarah | Jun 13, 2012 | Guest Authors, Guest Post, Writing
Today I’m happy to welcome Lilly Caine, author of The Naked Truth to Redefining Perfect.
Once a Writer…Always a Writer!
Thank you for having me here Sarah! I thought I would share today how I became an author and why I write erotic romance.
I’ve been writing for years, having joined RWA (Romance Writers of America) about ten years ago. I wanted to write, I enjoyed it, but it was a hobby for me then, something to work on while I wasn’t at a day job and needed something to entertain myself that didn’t haveSesame Streetor any version of Elmo. It was fun, and I met a fantastic group of women at the local branch – The Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada. I wrote light paranormal romance with sexy little twists. Fun. I nearly finished my first book when my life fell apart.
My husband of nearly twelve years left me, we separated when my first daughter was only five and my second daughter hadn’t yet reached one. I can’t tell you how hard it was to try to explain things to my little girl. I honestly don’t know that she ever understood. I’m not sure I did either.
For a few years, writing took a backseat. Way, way in the back. It hurt to write about love. It hurt to write about anything. Therapy took up my time and my emotional strength. And when I did write, it was dark. Vampire dark, full of broken promises and pain. And maybe a little getting even. I might have killed off someone a few times while writing that book. There was sex, lots of it, and lots about whether sex was a matter of control, if love really existed. But somehow a hero slipped in there too. A lover, and my first love after my husband. My first finished book. And it sold.
I tried to teach myself something as I wrote. My next novella was a shapechanger story. It was just as deeply centered around a couple with erotic tastes, but it was filled with hope. I felt stupid telling myself this fairy tale, but it must have worked. It sold.
And then I wrote another. And it wasn’t as dark. Let’s say it was shadowy. And it wasn’t as sappy. But it was sexy. I couldn’t help but put in a happy ending. What was really surprising was that it was set in outer space. And it made me feel better. I decided it needed to be a series. There were more stories I wanted to tell about this particular time and place. And so I created the Confederacy Treaty Series. Alien Revealed, The Naked Truth and coming June 25th, 2012, Undercover Alliance.
Writing became an escape for me. It still is. Lately, I’ve become more and more interested in this world I created, and how it reflects my life as I write the stories. When I feel emotional, my characters cry. When I am lonely, they find ways to be together. In The Naked Truth, my desire to understand my past led me to write about a man who could see into a person’s memories and weigh their innocence or guilt. What would it be like to love this kind of man, when your entire fate depended on what he might find?
I think every book that becomes a favorite of both the author and the readers evolves into that favorite because it asks a question that means something to both the writer and the reader. My book asked the questions I wanted to know about myself.
Lilly
~*~*~*~
To read more about Lilly check out her website at www.lillycain.com. Or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LillyCain or www.facebook.ca/Lilly_Cain
The Confederacy Treaty Series – Erotic sci-fi romance from Carina Press www.carinapress.com [amazon_link id=”B003NX7C0M” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Alien Revealed[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B004XVSVEE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Naked Truth[/amazon_link] and coming June 25th, [amazon_link id=”B007M8S3PM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Undercover Alliance[/amazon_link]
*~*~*~*
The Naked Truth
The Confederacy Treaty Book Two
Carina Press
Book Blurb
Captain Susan Branscombe was the victim of brutal torture at the hands of terrorists. Though rescued, she’s now facing an equally brutal accusation: treason.
The only way she can prove her innocence is to allow Asler Kiis, a Confederacy Examiner, to delve into the depths of her mind. Asler is Inarri, the alien race that made contact with Earth just months before. His duty is to find the truth, but when he explores Susan’s mind he can’t resist drawing her into a more intimate experience.
Susan takes comfort in Asler’s heated sensuality. Their erotic sensory exploration chases away the darkness and her body aches for more. But as their desire reaches new limits Susan finds it difficult to suppress the memories she is desperate to forget.
Is the passion they share enough to let Susan push aside her fear and trust Asler, not only with her mind and body but with her ever-opening heart?
by Sarah | Jun 6, 2012 | Books, Guest Authors, Guest Post, Reviews, Wednesday Writers, Writing
[flickr id=”6030468849″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]A few weeks ago I had the great joy of having Rachel visit (side note: I think she’ll be back in July for her new book launch!). I love having other authors visit and reveal their awesomeness.
I also love to read. A lot. When I get in ‘the zone’ I read many books super fast. Other times I struggle to find the time to complete books. I’m in one of those times now – so to counteract I sort of signed up for something that will force me to get a few books in a month.
You may have noticed by now that lovely large button in my sidebar for “Bewitching Blog Tours”. So excited to say that I’ll be working with them, having authors stop by, or just reviewing their books. I have a few in my TBR pile already.
So I can finally do what I’d hoped to do for a couple of months now. I’m officially designating the middle of the week as “Wednesday Writers”. Whatever gets posted on Wednesday will have to do with an author or a published book. I know many of them will be linked to the BBT – but some will just be friends I’ve made along the way that I’ve asked to visit. I’m not restricting these posts to just Wednesday (sometimes there’s just too much awesomeness to keep on one day) – but I will be using every Wednesday for it. Already June is filled, and I can’t wait to see what July brings.
So keep your eyes peeled. I’ll be having some great guests – and some great book recommendations coming up!
