Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christmas Stories at The Pink Blog



Everyone who knows me knows how much I love The Nutcracker. This is when that lovely Christmas Ballet is everywhere! But surprisingly enough, this post is not about that. I just love Nutcracker so much I had to share the picture!

What I want to say -- it's that time of year for those of you who would like to share your short (up to 1000 words) romance Christmas stories at Lindsay's Romantics  So if you'd like to have your story posted there, get writing or dust off an old story and send it in an email. (Attach in .rtf, or in the body of the email) to Lindsay by December 21st to have it posted on December 24th. She'll post the first few paragraphs and then link it to your website, blog or Author's Den page. Just include that information with your story, and put Christmas Story in the subject. Then look for yours on Christmas Eve!

Hope to see your story up at the Pink Blog (Lindsay's Romantics!)

Have a great Holiday!

Kaye

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Pushing The Envelope



I've thought about it and that statement does leave some open ends.

So what the heck does it mean, anyway? Every time I read the guidelines for erotic fiction, I see the words, pushing the envelope and I have related that to explicit sex scenes. However, I feel it means much more than the ability to write edgy graphic sex.


Pushing the envelope is not entirely about what you can pull off or get away with sexually. I've read erotic stories that have good sex but the plot is nil or not there, the characters flat. I didn't like it. I love deep characterization, no matter what level of sex the story contains.  

I study a lot about developing characters and I read this somewhere--  pushing the envelope is also about taking your characters to another level of conflict, about challenging their self-awareness. It should be about forcing them into taking a stand or making a choice or defending their decisions. It’s about showing them a pleasure that changes their lives forever. Maybe that’s the real test of boundaries, the real show of edginess, keeping it all about your characters no matter what."

When you think about it, that's the way it should be for all good writing. So what are your thoughts and ideas on this subject? Does anyone have more to add?

Kaye

Saturday, December 5, 2009

A New Banner


Check out my new banner for Forbidden Love right up there! What do you think? I love it! No book cover yet but that banner is awesome! It is up on my Website too.


I've just received my first round of edits for FL. I'm pleased that I don't have to rework the whole manuscript! Lucky for me just the basic stuff, words here, clarifying there. 

And I've started book two in the Forbidden series. I'm calling it Forbidden Destiny. Book three, Forbidden Encounter is also on the horizon. More on this later...

Kaye

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Great Gifts from Margaret Moore!

Can you believe this?

Margaret Moore  is one of my all time favorite Historical Romance authors. She has so many bestsellers that it boggles the mind! Now she is giving away a bunch of autographed copies of her backlog Free for the asking and the shipping! Yes, that's what I said, Free...

Here's what Margaret has to say on her blog:

Last week, I asked my email newsletter subscribers if they'd like free, autographed copies of my books if they had to pay shipping and handling. You see, it costs a lot to mail things in Canada and we don't have that wonderful "media mail" like they do in the US. That's why I don't tend to offer free books or books as prizes. However, the answer was a resounding "Yes!"


So I'm opening up the offer to readers of my blog as well. You won't have the same selection as my newsletter readers, because they've already spoken for many of the books, but there are still several left of some of the more recent titles.

Here's how this giveaway will work:


I'm going to list the books here. When you've decided which one(s) you'd like, send me an email at maggiejmoore@yahoo.com with the titles, your postal code if you're Canadian, your state if you're American, and your country if you live in neither. Then I'll email you the cost of shipping and handling. You may ask for as many as you'd like. However, shipping and handling will go up depending on weight, destination and size of package.


If you're still willing once you've seen the cost, you send me a check or money order for the amount of shipping and handling to the address I'll provide. When I receive the payment, I'll send the autographed books. The price quoted will the cheapest rate, so it may take a couple of weeks. In other words, I can't guarantee that the books will arrive by Christmas.


It will be on a first-come, first-get-books basis, for as long as I have books to give away. Please be patient if it takes me awhile to get back to you - I've been doing nothing but this for two days already and had to make a supply run twice! My office looks like Santa's sweat...um, workshop.



A SCOUNDREL'S KISS
(Limited quantity)
ALL MY DESIRE
THE BRIDES OF CHRISTMAS
(An anthology with stories by Jo Beverley and Deborah Simmons, as well. Trade size. USA Today bestseller! Limited quantity)
 GWYNETH AND THE THIEF
(My one and only Young Adult historical romance. Limited quantity)
 HERS TO DESIRE
MY LORD'S DESIRE
THE NOTORIOUS KNIGHT
 KNAVE'S HONOR

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Wow! Talk about great cover art and fabulous reads! Not to mention Christmas gifts! Thank you Margaret Moore!
Kaye

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Release Party for Caridad!













Join Caridad Pineiro as she talks about her latest book at
Bitten By Books a very cool release party with a great contest and the best prizes going right now!

Monday, November 30, 2009

WELCOME SHELLEY MUNRO

My special guest today is the extraordinary Shelley Munro. She is the author of such an eclectic array of stories with more than 30 published books to her credit. Other writers like me should feel humbled in her presence. But she will have none of that. Shelley is so nice she doesn't judge a book only by it's cover, nor people either. Her latest book from Ellora's Cave is Soldier of Fortune. Shelley has some interesting things to share with us, so I'll let her tell you all about  Keeping in Touch with Home.

Thanks so much Kaye for having me visit today. I write both contemporary and paranormal romance for Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing.

These days communication is easy. No matter where we live in the world, modern methods of communication such as email, texting, telephone calls, and webcams bring us closer together. This means that despite being in the middle of a war zone, soldiers are able to have contact with their loved ones.

During the first and second World Wars, soldiers wrote letters to their wives, family and lovers. Depending on mail deliveries, months and months might pass before the mail reached its destination. Our modern-day communication is almost instant, but old-fashioned letters had their advantages too. People are more likely to keep letters. Recipients can reread the letters over and over. Historians have learned much from letters from the past. I wonder what will happen in future years because we are a throw away society. Mostly we delete our texts and emails or our computers have hissy fits and we lose them due to technology. I rarely receive a letter these days.

The following is a video that takes a humorous look at letter writing.



Click Here for the URL if you need it.

In Soldier of Fortune my heroine needs to maintain contact with home in New Zealand because her father suffers from Alzheimer’s. Phone calls don’t work well because her father doesn’t remember her, and she tends to lose her cell phones. Mac has decided to do without because she can’t afford to keep replacing them. Mostly Mac uses email to communicate with the nursing home where her father stays, and her father enjoys it when the nurses read Mac’s emails to him—even if he can’t quite recall the person sending them.

Here’s the blurb and a short excerpt:

Joanna “Mac” McGregor loves her father, and she’ll do anything to keep him safe after Alzheimer’s starts to steal his mind. That takes money, and Mac uses her only skills—those of soldiering—when she takes up a security contract in Iraq. She doesn’t have time for men, her last vacation fling in Fiji relegated as one perfect moment to hold close during the grim reality of war.

Soldier Louie Lithgow is tired of fighting, the constant danger, and has decided this is his last contract. He wants to retire, sink his savings into a place on the beach, and find the sexy Joanna, his holiday lover.

Mac’s arrival in Iraq causes consternation. They’ve both been economical with the truth, but the attraction sizzling between them flares hot and bright. They embark on a clandestine affair—professional and confident during their high-danger day, passionate with the release of emotional stress during their torrid nights. One thing is clear—they have different goals and the future is both murky and dangerous. If they survive their contracts.

Excerpt:

“One moment. I’ll get your father to come to the phone.”

Mac turned to lean against the wall and wondered if she should purchase a cell phone despite the extra cost. But the area was relatively private, everyone keeping clear when someone used the phone. She stared across the room, her gaze connecting with Louie’s. Immediately warmth suffused her body. Awareness. She smiled at him, only looking away when someone picked up the phone.

“Your father refuses to come to the phone,” the director said in clear exasperation.

“Tell him I have his new orders for him,” Mac said.

A harsh sigh echoed down the line. “Very well.”

“You have new orders, Sir?” Her father’s crisp voice came down the line. A lump lodged in her throat. He sounded so alert. Healthy even.

“Yes, soldier. I have new orders. I want you to listen closely.”

“With respect, I will not take orders from a secretary,” her father said.

Damn. She glanced across the room, saw Louie and came to a quick decision. She had to do something. “One moment. I will get the lieutenant for you.”

She put the phone down and stepped away.

“Are you finished?” one of the men asked.

“No, sorry. I need Louie for a sec. Can you get him for me please?”

“Sure.”

Mac waited, her heart pounding. She didn’t want this but her options were limited. It would take time to arrange for someone else to phone the orders through. More questions she didn’t want to answer. Louie would do this for her.

“Is something wrong?”

Without looking at him, she said, “My father is in a home. He has Alzheimer’s and thinks he’s still a soldier. I need a lieutenant to tell him you’re aware of the situation and that he should stay at the home to await further orders. Tell him it could be a few months before you are ready to take out the target.” She tensed, waiting for questions. They didn’t come.

Louie took the phone from her hand, squeezed her shoulder gently with his free hand and started to speak. “Lieutenant Lithgow here. Is this McGregor?” He paused, his blue eyes on Mac as he listened. “Good. Good job, soldier. We’re aware of the situation. They’re under surveillance while we gather evidence. I need you to patrol the grounds to make sure the enemy doesn’t infiltrate your residence. Keep the others safe. The mission will take several months, soldier,” Louie said crisply. “Patrol each day until I contact you with further orders. Clear, soldier?” Louie paused again. “Yes, that’s right soldier. I’ll be in contact.” He handed the phone back to Mac. His eyes darkened, and she fancied she saw a flicker of compassion, but it disappeared before she could be sure.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soldier of Fortune 

Shelley's Website

Shelley's Blog

Shelley asks: Do you still write letters? How often do you receive letters and do you tend to keep them? What is your favorite way to communicate with family and friends who don’t live near you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you again for visiting, Shelley!
Kaye

Saturday, November 28, 2009

FORBIDDEN LOVE




Illicit  Sultry  Passion...

Okay, so I really am ready for a light spead jump! I've sat on this for too long and I'm announcing it here and now!


I recently signed a contract with Red Rose Publishing for my science fiction/futuristic romance
FORBIDDEN LOVE

I don't have a cover yet or a release date.


But I thought it would be nice to share one of my blurbs for this story with you. I hope you enjoy it!


Galaxies apart so different yet so much alike…


While Dr. Maya Belle is researching wildlife habitats in the far desert region of her world, a sudden burst of sand engulfs her. She goes to investigate and cannot believe what stumbles out of a massive dune. She soon finds out she is in the company of a sexy alien from another galaxy…


T’Kon from the planet Asconage is on a peaceful survey mission studying a distant world known as Terrain. When his spacecraft malfunctions, he crashes into its desert. A female named Maya gives him aid, and a steamy lust grows between them. A sultry interspecies passion neither can resist.


To avoid detection by the warring factions governing her world, he must repair his damaged craft and leave. Can she convince him to take her with him, or will he set forth without her and forsake their forbidden love?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaye

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

STORMY WEATHER WITH NANCY O'BERRY


Today I have a very special guest with an incredibly different kind of story. Because this book contains such a poignant subject I will let her share it with you as well as the story behind the story and what prompted her to write Stormy Weather.

Please join me as I welcome my friend and fellow author, Nancy O'Berry and her amazing touching story, Stormy Weather. Red Rose Publishing will release this book on November 26, Thanksgiving Day, 2009.



Thank you, Kaye. I'm so happy to be here and to share my story, Stormy Weather with everyone.

Did you know that by the end of this year it's estimated that over 1.3 million women and men will receive this from their doctor, "I'm sorry, the test results show that its cancer."

Nothing strikes more terror than those words. My mother heard them alone when I was away in college. I don't know if she was ashamed to tell me or if she didn't want to admit it, but she went through the surgery and the recovery with the help of her older sister who had been through it 15 years before.

Thirty years ago, there weren't offers of reconstruction. My mom and her sister wore weighted bras to keep their shoulders from rounding. I know my aunt went through radiation, cobalt, chemo therapy. My mother never mentioned having any of that. Then seven nearly eight years ago, her breast cancer returned, but not in her other breast. The cancer this time had changed its cell pattern and tumors began in her mouth. This time, she heard those words with me at her side.

For more than a year we battled them, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, but she and her younger sister are two of the biggest hero's I've ever met. My mother at 82, did not survive the complications with this last cancer, but she never lost her dignity. Now, her last remaining sister is waging her own valiant battle. That strong will to survive is a testament to how they were raised and dignity my grandmother instilled.

My latest book, Stormy Weather is dedicated to them and other members of my inner circle that have battled and won against an insidious disease that doesn't care if you are rich, poor, black or white. I am honored that the local chapter of Susan G. Komen has picked up this ebook and soon to be print book with the proceeds going to fight breast cancer.

Breast cancer is not just something that happens in October, it's something these brave people fight daily. It's something, I am sure to face myself. So , ladies, gentlemen do those monthly breast exams. Prevention is our best resource until this disease can be removed from our vocabulary.

Here's a blurb and excerpt from Stormy Weather.

As a woman, Lauren Phelps has suffered the worst life can throw at her. The loss of her breast, the rejection of her husband, a divorce can she pick up the shattered threads of her life and continue?

Cole McGuire met Lauren Phelps through a mutual friend, his mother. When Lauren took a medical leave of absence, he wondered if he would ever see her again. When she returned to Teague and Marshalls, he made sure she was transferred to his office. Now divorced, he wondered if he stood a chance to woo her.

Can Lauren learn to love again after the storm?

Read the excerpt...

Little by little the gauze fell away to reveal a breast complete with areola and nipple. Her immediate reaction was to run her hands to the fullness and touch the flesh that appeared pink and rosy. Her breath rushed from her lungs as she traced the swell. It had no feeling. Her hands touched the skin, but she didn’t feel the uniqueness of her left bosom in comparison to her right.

“It should look the same,” a voice from the door whispered.

She didn’t know if it was modesty or fear someone would see her like this, but Lauren pulled the paper gown up over her shoulder, the burn of heat trapping in her cheeks.

“I-I couldn’t wait,” she mumbled, trying to scrambling to retrieve the bandages that a few moments before covered the rebuilding of her left side.

A hand touched her shoulder. Instead of restricting her movement, it offered sympathy as only another woman could. “It’s ok, Lauren. You are not the first woman to feel the need to know.”

Only when tissues were shoved into her empty hands did she realize she was crying.

“Please, look if you want. I want to check the progress of our surgery.”

Lauren dabbed her eyes. The mascara she had so carefully applied now coated the tissue.

“Hold out your arms, please,” the physician said.

Raising her arms, Lauren listened to the rustle of paper as the doctor slid the drape around to the side so that she could see her handiwork. In the mirror across from the examining table, she watched with detached emotion while Dr. Barbara Felton lifted Lauren’s right breast to measure the weight against the reconstructed one on the left. Goose pimples rose on her right side. The doctor’s hands were cold.

“You should be well pleased. The surgery seems to be quite a success.”

“Yes, I am,” she replied in a soft voice with a twinge of hesitance. “Pleased, that is.”

“I hear a but.” The good doctor stepped back.

Lauren readjusted the paper covering her body, lending her some measure of modesty in spite of all she’d lost due to her illness. Her uncertainty was brief, yet it seemed to acknowledge the doctors astute insight into what she was feeling.

“But?” Dr. Felton asked again, this time allowing her eyebrow to arch toward the spiked bangs of her stylish short bob.

“But,” Lauren began with a sigh, “it’s hard to feel. I mean, it seems like it’s just a pound of flesh there.”

“Yes, that’s true.” The doctor pulled up a chair. “But to anyone else they would never know just how tough this year has been on you.” Reaching out, she touched her patient’s hand. “Lauren, you had cancer. You’ve been through a mastectomy and three rounds of chemotherapy. You are a survivor.”

As the doctor spoke, Lauren looked at the reflection before her and felt she didn’t know the woman she saw there. Gone was the dark blonde hair that had graced her head and swung to the middle of her back. Her crown and glory, long since fallen out when she’d spent hours hugging the commode in the hospital after the bags of drugs were empty. Instead, a fine mound of baby tuff glistened across her scalp. She ran her hand across the new locks.

“It will come back,” the doctor’s hushed voice comforted her, “as lovely as before.”


Please note, this book contains frank discussions on breast cancer and reconstruction. The money raised from this book goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Tidewater chapter. I have signed over my royalties to raise money for the cure of cancer. Won't you join me is stopping this disease. ~Nancy O'Berry, author~

~~~~~~~~~

You can purchase your copy of Stormy Weather from
Red Rose Publishing on November 26.
Be sure to visit Nancy O'Berry at her Website and check out  Romancing The Blog as well.

Thank you, Nancy for being here and for sharing your story with us. What a wonderful and generous thing you are doing. Good Luck!

I hope you enjoy the entertainment of the wonderful Billie Holliday and her version of Stormy Weather as you read this blog post! 

Kaye

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Speaking of the Harlequin Controversy


Today, 
Caridad Pineiro has some great information explaining the different aspects of publishing and on the latest HQN debates. Check out her blog and the links she offers.

And moving on, here is an excerpt from a blog post at  BVS-U Blog


Harlequin Horizons — Less Than Full Disclosure

Posted By lrs979 on November 23, 2009 from BVS Blog



It has been a busy week in the romance publishing industry. The kind of week that reminds all of us in the industry that change is happening within our industry and will continue to happen no matter how much some of us might wish that things remain the same as they have always been.


There has been a lot written about Harlequin Horizons and RWA and why the Harlequin Horizons business model (and the advertisement of it) is troubling to romance authors and the the organization that represents the interests of romance writers Romance Writers Of America. I agree with most of what has been written.


While Harlequin has every right to open a vanity publishing company or a self publishing company what they haven’t done is provide full disclosure as to the nature of what they are offering authors. They are in essence, using the trust that they have in the industry to dupe unsuspecting authors into a publishing deal that in all likelihood will not earn the author back the initial investment in printing, let alone the other services that Harlequin Horizons will sell to authors for an additional price. This is particularly true since Harlequin Horizons authors will not enjoy any of Harlequin’s distribution.


For more details on the Harlequin Horizons situation you can find some straight forward explanations of this venture and its impacts on authors who write for Harlequin and those who might be tempted to buy into Harlequin Horizon’s vanity publishing deal (advertised as a self publishing deal) at Jackie Kessler’s website. There are three posts there that sum up the arguments very well. Check Out Harlequin Horizons Vs. RWA for a piece by piece explanation of the issues. The Day After Harlequin Blinks will give you even more detail of why Harlequin Horizons is perhaps not the best choice for aspiring authors. And Answering Your Questions for still more answers to questions about Harlequin Horizons.


Be informed. Know what you are signing. With any publisher. There are some cringe worth clauses out there, and there are some deals that just aren’t set up to profit anyone but the publisher/printer. Be careful.

  To read the entire blog post and access the links from BVS go to:  BVS-U Blog (November 23rd post)
 
I hope this helps you understand what is happening at HQN. 
 
Kaye

Monday, November 23, 2009

WELCOME CARI QUINN!


Today my special guest is Cari Quinn. She's here with her debut from The Wild Rose Press, Full Disclosure. Ever wonder about those older women and younger men? You need to read this book!

Join Cari as she tells us how she broke through her comfort zone and wrote a Wilder Rose. You know, those erotic flavors that we all love so much.


So welcome Cari Quinn!

Thanks for having me here today, Kaye!

Blasting Through My Comfort Zone

Recently my first erotic novella was released from The Wild Rose Press Wilder Roses, Full Disclosure. While writing a story that jumped over the line from steamy to extremely explicit pulled me out of my comfort zone, that wasn't the first time I'd tried something I wasn't sure I could pull off.

Right around the same time I started writing Full Disclosure, I stared writing an Urban Fantasy (my all time favorite genre.) If I thought writing naughty sex was a stretch, well, world-building was even more challenging! I'm a linear thinker, probably because I'm an even left and right brain split. Letting my creativity run wild doesn't come naturally, because I'm also a healthy skeptic. It took some work - and I'm still working on it, actually - to understand that as much as you create a slice of the world in a contemporary story, you create the entire world in a UF. And if there are fantastical elements that couldn't possibly be true or if the world's known constructs are holding you back, you can make up your own!

Whoa, heady stuff.

Letting go of a my mind's chokehold on "what's rational" hasn't been easy, but I'm determined to learn how to create a layered backdrop that will help me build a better story. Sure, writing funny and hot comes easier to me, but sometimes if something feels a bit too much like sliding a foot into a comfy slipper, you know it's time for you to grow.

So while I'm continuing to enjoy writing my sexy, snarky contemporaries, I'm also plotting what will take me to the next level in my storytelling. I'm not there yet, but I have many more comfort zones to blast through, so I'll keep drilling away. ;)

And here's an excerpt:

My first book, Full Disclosure, is out now at The Wild Rose Press, Wilder Roses

Alex's hair brushed his collar, messily kempt in its own wayward style. Holly doubted he’d seen a barber in quite a while. She also doubted he was the type of man who’d wince if she yanked his hair too hard during sex.


That sealed it for her, and placed the cherry red lipstick kiss on the envelope. After her sexually anemic ex-husband, she deserved a young stud. And hell, she’d make sure the young stud got a lil’ something out of the deal, too.


After the waitress took Alex’s card, she rose. Her poker face had always held her in good stead. She’d simply act as if she were a sexy older woman who expected her every sexual demand to be met. He’d never guess the back of her neck had already dampened, despite the air conditioning. “Your place or mine?”


Alex stood beside her, drawing her gaze up to his sculpted jaw and the sexy cleft in his chin. He was taller than her five-ten by a good four inches. There weren’t a lot of guys who made her feel small—okay, smaller—but he did.


Of course, she’d noticed his height--and the way he filled out a pair of trousers--in the office. She’d pretended not to notice, just as she pretended now to be unmoved by the heat of his fingers on her wrist. But that single contact tightened her nipples to painful nubs.


Come to Mama.


“Let’s go to your place. I want to see where you live.” His gaze skipped over her face and continued down over her discreetly displayed cleavage in a way that was more proprietary than proper. “Where you sleep.”


When his fingers brushed her thrumming pulse, she gave him a flirty smile. “Where I won’t be sleeping tonight.”



My Bio:


Cari Quinn wrote her first story - a bible parable - in 2nd grade, much to the delight of the nuns at her Catholic school. Once she saw the warm reception that first tale garnered, she was hooked. She attempted her first romance in junior high, long before she'd ever read one. Writing what she knew always took a backseat to what she wanted to know, and that still holds true today. Cari's genres of choice include contemporary, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, urban fantasy and paranormal. Recently she discovered erotic romance. Oh, how far she's come…


Visit 
Cari's Blog to stay up to date on what's happening!
~~~~~~

Thanks for being here Cari and for sharing you insights as well as that to die for excerpt!

Kaye