Happy Holiday!

Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful Happy New Year!

Kaye

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

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

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

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

Release Party for Caridad!

SINS OF THE FLESH

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!