Guest Author Day with Elle Laudan/Contest Announcement

.

Welcome Author Elle Laudan today at Dawn's Reading Nook Blog. Today one lucky commenter will win a e-copy of She Rides from Elle. :) Leave your email address in with your comment in order to contact you if you win.

Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?

I grew up in a very strict household where television, music and books were strictly monitored. Around 10 yrs old I began writing short stories. It became my escape, where I could be anyone, go anywhere and do all those things I only dreamed of.

I went back to school in my twenties to earn my highschool diploma. (I was having way too much fun the 1^st time around)

My English teacher Jim, is the first person to tell me I had a gift for the written word. Looking back, I see that he is the one to plant the first seed. The rest…is history in the making J

What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?

One of the key elements to a great story would be creating characters the reader can identify with at some level. Also, to give cause for my readers to experience some kind of emotion, through laughter, anger, or tears.

Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?

For me, it all starts with the setting. Once I have a place in mind, my characters evolve. Their ethnic background usually determines their names and appearance. My characters take shape throughout the book. Rarely do I know everything about them before my story begins.

My favorite character?

Shane from my Iron Horse Rider Trilogy. It was fun, and challenging writing a book from a man’s POV.

The most challenging?

Missy from my first Elle Laudan title, She Rides. It is my first erotic tale, so to have a character so explicit sexually was challenging.

Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?

I hate the villain, Ben from In Your Eyes. He gets my blood boiling like no other, but it works for the story. So he was left alone and has since angered more than one reader lol Isn’t that what bad guys should do?

Can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release?

My 2^nd Elle Laudan title, Mystified is slated for release on June 11^th at Passion In Print. It is an erotic suspense, with a twist… time travel. In this story I feature the band, Colt Harley as my hero, Tokoda’s band. Also, $1 from each book sold will be donated to Mark’s Run for A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

What do you do to unwind and relax?  

I read. After all I was an avid reader long before I published my first book. Since my journey as an author began, my reading time is less and less. I now reward myself, at the end of each book, the down time to read one or two books.

Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?

Horror. I’ve always wanted to write a good psychological thriller. Once my nest is empty I will give it a try. I think, in order to write a great horror, one must set the tone and approach from a dark place. I’d rather do so with no witnesses.  *wink 

Tell us about your favorite restaurant. 

The Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls, Ontario. It slowly rotates while you’re seated next to a window at one of the Great Wonders of the World.

Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?

I write my best in a quiet house. I might play some of my favorites while editing, but as a rule, silence is what it takes.

Does your significant other read your stuff?

At the moment, my significant other is an 8 lb diva dog named, Chachi. She doesn’t read much.

Plotter or Pantser? Why?

I started out as a total Pantser. Now I am a bit of both. I will write a brief outline, only because I must finish within a certain length of time. More often than not, my story will conclude very differently than first intended.

What is your favorite meal?

All of them LOL

I’ve always loved a good roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes and corn. Those little dinner rolls with butter on the side. Yummy….now I’m hungry.

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?

As I said earlier I have just begun my journey on the erotic side of things. Yes, I find it very difficult. It’s hard to let your inhibitions go. Especially, after keeping such tight reign of them for so many years.

What do you have coming up next for you? Care to share any details with us?

At this moment I’ve been invited to write a short erotic story. I must adhere to specific guidelines in relation to the setting, and it must happen over a 24 hour period of time. I had a hell of a time getting it started, but just the past couple of days I’ve started writing in earnest.

I have yet to begin edits on an Adelle Laudan title, Heart of Steele, and a Middle Grade Mystery. Both titles are contracted with MuseItUp.

Who are some of your favorite authors, and if we were to visit your home, what books would we find on your bookshelf, end table, floor or e-reader?

On my bookshelf, in my bedroom, you will find an interesting mixture. Danielle Steel, Mauve Binchy,  Jean M Aule, John Saul, John Grisham, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks…

I have yet to make the transition to an e-reader. I’ve been watching them evolve quite a bit over a short period of time. I guess I’m waiting for all the kinks to be worked out.

If you could be any character of any book or movie, who would you be?

Cher, from the movie, Mask. I’d so love to be on the back of a younger Sammy Elliot’s motorcycle.

Where can readers find you on the web?

My Website: http://adellelaudan.com

Adelle Laudan Blog: http://adellelaudan.blogspot.com

Elle Laudan Blog: Rated R: http://ellelaudan.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AdelleLaudan

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/AdelleLaudan

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AdelleLaudan

Mystified by Elle Laudan

Coming June 11^th to Passion In Print

Blurb:

Legends come to life on Spirit Island, tossing a pair of rekindled lovers back in time. Tokoda comes face to face with the barbaric Sioux tribe, while Tara suffers a case of mistaken identity in the village of her Ojibwa ancestors. Tokoda vows to find Nara and bring her home safely. That is, if there is even a way for them to get back home at all.

Excerpt:

Balanced upright in the canoe, Nara gave the shoreline a cursory glance before pulling her deerskin shift over her head.  She closed her eyes, celebrating the freedom this secluded spot on Spirit Island gave her.

In the beginning, the Creator made Spirit Island, in order to have a place to call home. He took the cleanest air, and the freshest water, along with, all the plants, medicine and food he’d ever need. Even today, many came to the sacred Island to speak to the Great Spirit.

The hopes and dreams of her ancestors carried in the breeze that prickled her bare skin. A sense of well-being filled her heart and there was no doubt, the Great Spirit still made Mnido-Maniss his home.

Nara dove into the cool water, reveling in the sensation against her body as she came up for air. She stretched out on her back, and stared up at the twinkling stars. What story did they tell as they danced to the rhythm of their own music?

The rattle of shaking branches caused her breath to hitch and she slipped under the blanket of water to hide her nakedness. Someone crouched in the bushes, the whites of his or hers eyes illuminated by the moonlight. Nara swam to the side of the canoe and struggled to slow her breathing as quietly as possible. Cautiously, she peeked over the canoe’s rim and searched the shoreline.

I saw someone, I know I did. Where did they go? Has someone been watching me all along?

The mere thought of a stranger seeing her naked repulsed her. Movement caught her attention and she froze.

Between her and the shore, the water swirled. Nara’s jaw dropped as a ghostly apparition rose up from the mist. Without knowing how, she knew it to be the Underwater Princess of stories told so many times around the campfire.

The beautiful native princess turned her head to face the bushes, her blue black hair settled in layers around her shoulders. With a flick of her wrist, a gust of wind came out of nowhere, whipping the prickly rose bushes into a frenzy.

Suddenly, a man’s pain-filled cry resounded across the river and a figure shot up from behind the bushes and tore off into the darkness of the forest. As quickly as the wind rose up, it calmed. The princess smiled satisfactorily in her direction before fading into the night, leaving behind fireflies of which flew upwards until one couldn’t tell them from the stars.

Nara reached in the canoe for her deerskin shift and pulled it down over her damp hair. Without a sound, she slipped back on board and gazed out on the calm, glass-like water. Since the day her father taught her to guide a canoe, this had been her special place. Never before did the Underwater Princess appear.

Many times it felt as if someone else shared this space with her, but she always thought it to be the Great Spirit. Perhaps it was, or perhaps more than one spirit shared this special place with her. Nara shivered and dipped her paddle in the water. The birch bark canoe her father built sliced through the water effortlessly.

Guest Author Day with Anna James/Contest

 CONTEST: Comment either here on on my book review for Guilty as Charged post to be entered to win one of Anna's books. Contest ends Friday at Midnight (EST).

I’m Anna James, author of contemporary romance stories and I invite you come with me and get lost in a world filled with passion, drama and romance.

I have three books currently available. Here is a little taste of my most recent release, Coming Home, to whet your appetite:

Blurb:

Two years ago, Christine Kincaid found her sister, Andrea, in the arms of her fiancé, James Buchanan. This after Andrea confessed to having an affair with James and being pregnant with his child. Distraught and wanting to escape the pain of James’s betrayal, Christine fled her home, just outside of Washington D.C., to London, England, her birthplace.

As startling details of her parents’ tragic romance come to light, Christine now suspects she was deceived by Andrea and is determined to return home and win James back. Only James seems to hate her now. She’d known that it wouldn’t be easy. She’d hurt him deeply by leaving. But she believed that somehow he’d forgive her and they would finally be together. Why did he have such a bad opinion of her? And what was she going to do to make him see that he was wrong?

James Buchanan was devastated when his fiancée deserted him. He had thought they would be together forever. But he’d been wrong. Christine didn’t care about him. She didn’t care about anyone but herself. If she had, she’d never have left him to pursue her career. But what really bothered him was how he’d been so wrong about her. Christine had been sweet and loving to him, but the way she treated her sister was just awful. Andrea, who was alone and pregnant, had needed Christine’s love, understanding and support.  All Christine could do was condemn her for her mistakes and leave her to fend for herself.  How could he have ever loved someone who could treat her own sister that way? And what was he going to do now that she was back?

Excerpt:

Prologue

The night security man greeted her warmly as Christine entered the building. She felt a pang of regret for not even acknowledging the man as she rushed past him on her way toward the row of elevators located at the far end of the lobby. She stabbed the call button and waited anxiously for the elevator to arrive. I need to speak to James now. I need him to reassure me that things Andrea said today are not true. James loves you, she told herself fiercely. Andrea is lying. She has to be.

All right, so things aren’t that great between us right now, she acknowledged ruefully. They haven’t been for a while. Not since they’d had that horrible argument after his trip to California. There was so much tension between them when they were together and James was so distant, downright cold at times. We haven’t made love in weeks, her mind tormented further. It doesn’t mean he’s in love with Andrea, she denied furiously.

The elevator arrived and she stepped in. As it moved upward her mind drifted back to the conversation she’d had with Andrea, her sister, earlier that day. ‘He loves me now’, she’d said. ‘You had your chance but you were too focused on your career... James is a fabulous lover. He made passionate love to me when we were at that conference in California, he couldn’t help himself,’ she had delighted in saying. James is the father of my baby.

No! Her mind screamed again in denial. Until you hear it straight from James you can’t believe anything she says. You know she would do anything to split us up.

The elevator car stopped and the doors opened on the top floor. Christine took a deep breath and stepped out. James’s office was just down the hall to the left.

She could hear muffled sounds coming from his office as she approached and paused just before she reached the door. Who was in there with him at this time of night?  It was late; well after ten o’clock.

“It’s okay, Andrea. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be okay,” he said.

Christine stepped into the open doorway and froze in horror. Andrea was in James’s arms, sobbing. He was holding her—so close—she acknowledged painfully as tears welled in her eyes.

“I am not going to let you go through this alone. I’ll be there for you every step of the way. You can count on me, Andrea. I promise.”

“What about Christine?” Andrea cried.

“I will deal with Christine,” James said with chilling finality, and then lifted Andrea’s head from where it rested on his chest and gave her a gentle kiss. “I promise, Andrea. I will be there for you. I won’t let you down.”

Christine gasped. James looked up. Their eyes collided and Christine knew the truth. She turned and ran as if all the demons of hell were chasing her.

Coming Home is now available from Melange-Books. Stop by and pick up your copy today!

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/annajames/jamescominghome.html

Other Anna James books:

Guilty As Charged

Book 1 Bradford Sisters Trilogy

Blurb:

Passion ignites between Nicole Bradford and Max Paradis the second they lay eyes on each other. Nicole seems to be everything that Max is looking for in a woman. She’s sweet and loving and incredibly sexy. But looks can be deceiving. Hadn’t he learned that the hard way?

Nicole is crazy for Max. He is sensitive, caring, and his kisses are to die for. But when secrets from her past are revealed will she be found innocent, or is she guilty as charged?

Guilty As Charged is available from Sugar and Spice Press. Stop by and pick up your copy today!

http://www.sugarnspicepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10&products_id=123

 

 Isabella’s Dilemma

Blurb:

Isabella Sheridan has a big problem and his name is Jake McAllister! Jake is now Isabella’s business partner. To make matters worse he owns more of the Sheridan Advertising Agency than she does. He is difficult to work with, has a hostile attitude toward her and makes business decisions without consulting her. So why does she respond with so much passion when he kisses her?

Jake McAllister does not like Isabella Sheridan. As far as he’s concerned she’s shallow and without moral values, both in her personal and professional life. So why is he so attracted to her? You’d think he’d know better based on past experience. And why, after just one passionate kiss, is he ready to give her the benefit of the doubt and become involved.

Will Jake and Isabella resolve their differences and find love or will past perceptions be too much to overcome?

Isabella’s Dilemma is available from Sugar and Spice Press. Stop by and pick up your copy today.

http://www.sugarnspicepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=81

Coming Soon:

To Love and Trust Again                          Melange-Books         Available January 2012

Happy Reading,

Anna James

Visit me at: http://annajames1.wordpress.com/
Visit me at: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001402819536

Sneak Peek into Day 94 by D. M. Slate

Day 94
D. M. Slate
Science Fiction/Horror
Buy E-book HERE
Buy Print Book HERE

Want to find out more about D. M. Slate's work? Check out the website HERE

The aftermath of a meteor impact visits havoc and horror on a young family.

 In the wake of a large meteor collision, a ghastly epidemic is unleashed upon rural Colorado. Joslin, Grant and their two young children barricade themselves in their home in the quarantined city. Their fight for survival begins; battling airborne disease, lack of electricity and running water, starvation, brutal Colorado winter and worst of all, the morphs. The violent morphs, both victims and carriers of the disease, soon become more numerous and aggressive. Joslin and Grant risk all to protect their children.

PG Excerpt:

I sit awake in the solitude of my basement, next to the wavering light of our last candle.  The windows have been boarded tightly shut, blocking any trace of light.  The small fire is our only source of heat.  My children are asleep several feet away; it’s comforting knowing they’re safe, for now.  In the silence of the night it’s easy to reminisce about the life we lived, not-so-long ago.  Things changed so rapidly.  It feels like an eternity that we’ve been barricaded inside our house. 

I close my eyes to welcome sleep, but visions of the past three months play in my head like a marathon of madness.  I open my eyes and glance down at the journal in my lap.  To me it means the world; it’s our story of survival.  The notebook’s open, and I stare down at the blank page.  The only writing is the heading at the top – Day 94.  My heart aches as I wonder how many more entries I’ll be able to make. I frown as I flip back to page one and reminisce about the day of impact. 

August 2       Day 1

          I decided to keep a journal of this epic event because nothing ever happens in Greeley.  I’m sure my grandkids will need this information for a high school history report some day, so here goes.  It’s been half a day since the meteor plummeted to earth and crashed into a cornfield fifteen miles east of our house.  I was at work taking out the mail as the rock tore through the sky; it looked like a huge ball of fire with a long, billowing smoky tail.  The sky was illuminated with hues of red, orange and yellow.  I know it was moving fast, but it took forever to arch across the sky. 

The air temperature increased rapidly and almost took my breath away; it was like being in a sauna.  When it hit the ground there was a monstrous rumble.  I was awe-struck and unsure what to do at first, and there was a several second delay before massive tremors shook underfoot.  A wall of dust and dirt exploded into the air, and suddenly day became night.  Large gusts of wind blew the dirt towards town, and it was like watching an approaching wave.  Within a split-second the sky was completely black.  I ran inside and called the babysitter to let her know I was coming for the kids, and all businesses in the city closed immediately. 

Roads were congested with people and cars; none obeying the law.  I had the windshield wipers on full speed to clear dirt off my windshield.   People were panicked and acting irrationally, myself included.  Cell phones didn’t work and chaos overtook the town; it was like Armageddon!   

    

    

Welcome Dominique Eastwick today

Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself? What genre do you write in and why? Well, I am a wife and mother of two. And in my previous life before children I was a costume designer.  I write Contemporary Erotic Romance, but I am working on a LoTR fantasty romance at the moment.

 

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

Tony's Haven is the second book in the Sherman Family Series and after writing Hunting JC I knew that the readers didn't get to know the real Tony. He wasn't very likable but I knew the real Tony and I knew the readers would like him once they saw who he really was. I also wanted to write a book with a real size woman that most women could relate to.

Did your book require a lot of research? I love research and although I place my stories in places that I know, I still research to make sure.

If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be? Food. I love food

If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why? Hmmm good question, I think I would want to the maid for Jane Austin, she is my inspiration. To be able to see her as she worked on Pride and Prejudice...now that would have been something.

What do you see for the future of publishing and e-books? I think e-books are the future of publishing. I believe some books will still be printed but with everyone trying to go green it makes sense to buy e books.

Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why? Hunter will always have a place in my heart, because that was the first book I seriously thought about publishing.  Hunter is also dark and mysterious so I enjoyed pulling the layers back to get to know him. But my true loves are Duncan and Rowena, from a historical I wrote that I am not sure anyone else will ever read :) Its the first novel I ever wrote and is awful. Really it would take more work to fix it then to rewrite it I think, but they are my first real romance.

 

Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you? Thalia... she is my muse. Unfortunately her sense of timing isn't mine, she likes to crack the whip when I have too much going on and disappears when I haven't a thing to do.  But to get her to see my way I play music and just start to write even if she isn't there she tends to hate being left out and shows up eventually. She hates to be left out.

Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects? I always seem to have ten stories on the burner at one time. I have started book three in the Sherman series. okay I have also started book four too. I though the next book would be about Spencer but Trenton seems to be screaming louder for his story to be told. And I am also finishing up a Fantasy Lord of the Rings/ Dungeon and Dragon story, I hope to have it done before summer. We shall see.

Have you ever experience weird cravings while you write? If so, what kind? Not that I can think of but My husband always knows when I am writing a love scene....TMI?

 

What is the most ridiculous thing that you have thought about doing to any of your characters but never did? I always have chapters upon chapters of stories that never get written or I just cut out. But poor Tony did once get caught by his parents having sex, but I didn't include it in the book. I thought I would leave some of his pride in tact.

 If you had to write yourself as a heroine/hero, what kind of heroine/hero would you be? What would you be named? Ellia and she would be strong and stand up for her rights. I think honestly there is a little of me in most of my heroines. Though I don't see any of me in JC now that I think of it, but then I really wrote her with a friend in mind.

 

If your muse were to talk behind your back, what secrets would he/she tell? That I am a procrastinator and I like to play World of Warcraft when I should be writing.

 

If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why? I think if they don't mind starting with the second book in the series then Tony's Haven is where to start. My writing is so much better in that one. then the first. I grew into my writing between novels.

 

If there was a soundtrack to your latest novel, what genre/songs would be included?

Jimmy Buffett is always the sound track to a Sherman Novel.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do to just kick back and have fun? I love to take photographs, its my passion.

If we peeked at your bookcase(s)/e-reader, what kind of books/authors would we find there?  In my bookshelf you would find the dark hunter series by Sherrilynn Kenyon, as well as books by Julia Quinn and Stephanie Laurens.  My E reader you will find books by Destiny Blaine, Valerie Mann, Stephanie Beck, Becca Dale, Olivia Starke, Kate Richards the list goes on and on....

 

Where can we find you on the web?

 

www.DominiqueEastwick.com

On Facebook facebook.com/dominique.eastwick

On twitter @DominiEastwick

 Tony's Haven

Aspen Mountain Press

Contemporary Erotic Romance

Available HERE

Tony Sherman may be a modern day Adonis and a well-know ladies man, but hiding beneath his carefree, playboy persona is a man who knows how to be discrete. He keeps his desire to protect all those he loves from being seen by anyone, particularly his family. Fate intervenes when he uses his charm to beg a favor from a co-worker, a women who is unaffected by his charisma as she is by his looks.

Haven Pelletier is anything but the kind of woman usually found on Tony's arm or in his bed. She's mousy and rubenesque, and unmoved by his Adonis appearance. But when circumstances bring them together, she sees right through his tarnished armor—to the true man underneath.

As Haven learns more about Tony, she discovers secrets hidden deep in his past and a Man who might just steal her heart if she lets him. When life throws obstacles in their way, can Tony be the Knight in Shining Armor Haven needs both in and out of the bedroom?

Sneak Peek Excerpt:

Her breath caught as Tony pushed her forward toward the glass window. A full moon lit the snow white landscape giving it an angelic feel. The white mountain shimmered dreamlike as if waiting for the sun to crest over them to awaken the skiers and bring it once more the joyful life. But at the moment nothing moved. No wind, animal, or person disturbed the quiet slumber of the mountain.

"It’s beautiful."

"I know. I come here, to this spot every time I come up here. My favorite time is now, like tonight, under a full moon. When a thousand crystals are sparkling at us. It's almost magical, isn’t it?"

"Magical," she agreed.

"May I ask you something?"

"I guess so."

"Would it be okay if ... That is, may I...can I kiss you?"

Haven took a step back. "Why are you asking?"

"What do you mean, why am I asking?"

"Why ask? Would you have asked any other girl you were with?"

Tony looked at her stunned, here he was trying to be a gentlemen and she wanted to know why. "I don’t know, because maybe I didn’t want to get slapped or worse have you accuse me of sexual harassment when we got back to the office on Tuesday. Or perhaps I was just trying to treat you like a lady. How the hell do I know? I just thought..."

Whatever he thought to say was thrown to the wind. Her lips met his and he couldn’t have formed a complete sentence even if he tried. Snaking his arms around her waist, he pulled her into him, forcing her to rise up on tip toes. She was soft where a woman should be soft. She made him feel strong and masculine. His lips wanted to devour every full inch of her mouth. She tasted like the strawberries from her Daiquiri and smelled just as sweet.

His mouth demanded hers open, not that he was receiving any resistance. She opened for him and met his tongue eagerly welcoming and stroked him in. Her left hand moved over his shoulder, up his neck and now her long fingers intertwined into his locks. He didn’t know, didn’t care who was driving the kiss deeper. He just knew that he wanted it, needed it, like no other kiss in his life. He wanted this moment to last.

This moment of beauty, its purity and its fire.

Talking with Brynna Curry

Where do you hail from? 

BC: I was born in Russellville, Alabama, but my family moved around alot, always the new kid. We landed in Haleyville, Alabama, after my parents divorced, where I graduated high school. I married my high school sweetheart and we settled in rural  Bear Creek with our son L.J. and two daughters, Anna and Kayla.

It's quiet here and always very green in the summer with all the trees on the property. The thermostat tends to soar into the triple digits in July tempered by afternoon thunder showers, in fact it's pouring down rain right now. I love the sound of rain on a metal roof. It's very calming and good for naps, when you can get away with taking one. *smiles* 

How has your environment/ upbringing colored your writing?

BC: Until I turned thirteen, I lived in a very stressed and violent environment. My father was a band director and about every two years, he would either quit or get fired from his job. He was bi-polar and stayed in a constant state of being either suicidal to homicidal with no in-between. The only time he was any form of normal was when he was teaching music.

I used books to escape the reality of my psychotic father and began reading things way out of my age range so I'd have to work harder to "get" the story. I guess you can only block out so much, after awhile I turned to writing. I try to put as much imagery in my writing as possible. Some of those images may not be pleasant, but I think having to deal with difficulties makes the characters more human.

What do you do for fun?

BC: Little projects on my house, we are still remodeling. I try to spend the weekends getting as many things crossed off the ‘to do’ list as possible. Sometimes you really need to work with your hands and just give your mind a rest. I also like to read and play video games with the kids. Legend of Zelda and Dragon Ball Z are my games of choice.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

BC: Love scenes. I still can't write them without blushing (OK so I turn really red in the face and eye everyone in the room to make sure they aren't reading the screen.) I save them for last, when I really know my characters well. I prefer to write tense suspense or battle scenes, those come just a little too easy for me.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

BC:  If I can't read it while I'm eating, the scene has to go.lol Seriously though, I have a cardinal set of rules in place. I try to let my characters (those who must die) die in peace or at least quickly (unless they deserve worse.) As for erotic content, if it were a movie I draw the line at R rated. Anything beyond that is a big NO for me.

Which is your favorite of the books you have written?

BC:  Earth Enchanted, but my favorite character so far is Devin. I enjoy the way he's changed during the course of the series.

How do you deal with rejection letters or less than stellar reviews?

BC: Consoled myself with cookie dough ice cream (my favorite), got mad, dealt with it and went right back to work. As far as reviews, I figure if you ask for them, you’d better be able to deal with the results. Whining to the planet is not going to fix anything, only hard work and time. Not every story affects a reviewer the same way. One may love it, while the other will find everything they can wrong with it, until you doubt everything you’ve ever written. That's life and the nature of the game. Unfortunately, it's also the curse of a series, especially one that is really a continuing story instead of several loosely related books.  

The Elemental Magic series follows a set of characters with each book shifting focus on a different couple while continuing an arcing storyline to a final conclusion. So, someone who hasn't read the previous books will certainly be confused if they pick up Wait for the Wind (book 3) since most of Ryan's back story and motivations happen in Earth Enchanted (book 1). Sort of like reading the last Harry Potter book first without seeing a movie or reading the prequels. Lost. Still I’m pleased with the reviews the series has received so far, mostly fours and fives with ‘Gotta Reads’ for each book.

Here's the blurb for book one and an excerpt.

Earth Enchanted 

by Brynna Curry

Blurb: When telepath meets ex-cop, will it be death or diamonds.

Writer Liv Corrigan has the worst luck with men -- her telepathy tends to make them run for the hills. When she meets widower and ex-cop Jack Roarke, she decides to keep her talent hidden. Things are looking up until their third date crashes and burns as the man who murdered Jack’s wife turns out to be after him too.

Injured, Jack retreats with Liv to his house under armed guard. But with Liv’s mysteries rapidly coming unraveled, a diamond-thief killer to stop and passion in the air, the safe house is anything but safe for their hearts!

Excerpt:

 Ryan Corrigan checked the time on his watch with its Indiglo light, one forty-five. He stood there on the docks waiting for his contact with millions of dollars in historical diamonds strapped to his back. He was surprised to find he couldn’t see any of the agents or locals who were hiding out behind him. Just their presence made him nervous enough to consider calling it off. He paced back and forth, alternating oaths and prayers with each step. His ears pricked up at the sound of an engine coming through the darkness across the water. Time was up.

He watched the figure of a man secure the boat and approach him. Something was off about him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He heard the man holler. There was just no other word for it,

“You got the rocks or don’t ya?” He had a drawl to his voice, but Ryan couldn’t place it. This was a different contact, but why?

“Yes. I have them.” Ryan heedlessly tossed the duffle to him, as if he didn’t know or care what was in the bag.

The man left it where it lay and drawled back. “Nice doing business with ya.” He bent down to get the bag and when he came back up, the gun was in is hand. “Just one more thing.” He pointed it at Ryan’s head.

* * * *

Liv walked the floor with worry, after waking up alone, the bed cold, her heart racing. Jack hadn’t said goodbye. She couldn’t call him, couldn’t do anything but wait and pray for him to come back safe. When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she had gone down to the kitchen, made tea, and taken it back to Jack’s room to wait.

She was just sitting it on the nightstand when two loud pops sounded outside. Was it a car backfiring or gunshots? She would have to find out if she were to have any peace, but she knew what it was and thought of the two guards assigned to her just outside the front door. She slipped on her tennis shoes, just in case she had to run, and fleetingly wondered where exactly was she going to run to in her silk robe and gown. As an afterthought, she grabbed the lamp on her nightstand and held it like a club over her shoulder, left her door open as she crept into the hall.

Someone grabbed a fistful of her hair and began to drag her down the stairs.

“It’s going to be a pleasure, Ms. Corrigan, a real pleasure taking you apart piece by piece.” A man? Why was that more terrifying?

Liv smelled blood on the knife underneath her nose, and was hit with a wave of nausea so strong it buckled her knees. She thought of the picture Nelson had shown her of two towheaded little girls. Was he dead?

“Come along now, I’m anxious to get started.”

The thin silk she wore barely covered the necessities. Her capturer slid the knife down her neck under the pencil thin strap. She jerked when the blade nicked her shoulder. Something hard hit her behind the ear and darkness swallowed her questions.

* * * *

Someone dove into Ryan, knocking them both to the ground. He gave thanks to God for whoever had saved his skin just now. The breath he drew into his lungs was painfully sharp from having the wind knocked out of him. He heard shouts from the agents behind him, saw the man scrambling to the boat and driving away.

An explosion shook the ground, and completely engulfed the boat. He felt the sweltering heat roll over him in a wave and was shoved, again, to the ground. Who was going to get the unpleasant task of telling the Smithsonian that their precious diamond necklace was blown to kingdom come, especially since they didn’t know it was missing yet?

He glanced over at Jack, who was still lying on the ground where he’d shoved him trying to get his breath back. Easing up, Jack winced from the pain, his leg covered in blood.

Where can we find out more about your books?

BC:  At my website http://www.brynnacurry.com  

I'm also on Facebook as Brynna Curry. You can find me on Twitter, Stumble, LinkedIn and pretty much everywhere as Brynna Curry. I'm the only one *smiles*

As Brynna Curry http://www.lyricalpress.com/brynna_curry

And as Brianna Roarke

 http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=216&products_id=257

Thanks for letting me chat with you today, Dawn.  

Brynna Curry

Sneak Peek into Victoria Blisse's Artistic Sights, Heavenly Delights

Artistic Sights, Hevenly Delights
Victoria Blisse
Total E-Bound Publishing
buy link:

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1148

Blurb:

  

He paid her to paint his portrait but he really wanted to steal her heart.

Hermione is an independent, single mother who has caught the eye of Philip Haughtington, society high-flyer and well known heart breaker.

He wants to seduce her and she is determined to resist but how long will she be able to hold out against his looks, charm and firm, commanding hand?

 Excerpt:

“Here we are.” Philip said as suddenly the mess of twigs gave way and an obvious clearing came to light.

“Wow.” Hermione took in the vast array of different greens and was awed by the majesty of nature. Across one side was a small pond, grey and green mingled reflected in the water and at the other end a host of bright bluebells shone out between the blades of vibrant grass.

“You didn’t lie, did you?” She smiled at him and he grinned back.

“This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.” He sighed and stared into the vast yet stark blue sky.

“It’s very well hidden away isn’t it?”

“When I found it quite by accident as a kid I just knew I should keep it quiet and as I grew up I kept the secret because if Mum and Dad knew they’d want to tame it into the formal garden and I don’t think that’s right. This place is wild and should be kept as such.”

She completely agreed with him, such a beautiful place deserved to be preserved and as she looked him in the eye she noticed a flash of acknowledgement within them. He must have read her approval in her face.

“Yes, this place would be ruined if someone tried to run a path through it or tried to prune back the bushes.” Maybe Philip wasn’t quite the stuck-up snob she’d thought he was. And maybe she shouldn’t be so hard on him.

“So I was thinking I could sit over here.” He strode over to a large fallen tree, its roots dangling uselessly in the air like a wooden waterfall.

“Fantastic.”  The artist in Hermione took over as she directed him to sit on top of the large trunk. “Just sit on an angle a bit, no, no to the left a bit. That’s it, a bit further back.”

She tutted and walked forward towards him. She grabbed his long frame by his muscular shoulder and pushed him back, angling him to her requirements.

She’d forgotten how much her v-necked top exposed her cleavage if she wasn’t careful, and she hadn’t been careful. Looking at Philip’s face, she saw that he was blatantly ogling her chest.

She waited, staring at his eyes, hands on her hips.

He looked up.  Caught him, she thought triumphantly.

“S…Sorry.”  A blush spread across his high cheekbones but there was a sparkle in his green eyes. “I just couldn’t help myself. It looked so very inviting down there.”

Damn him. Hermione flushed and covered her bared chest with one hand before stepping back to set up her stool and to get to work.

“Don’t move an inch.” She shouted over her shoulder as she rooted through her bags and boxes for pencils and paints,when she glanced over her shoulder to check on him his gaze was fixed firmly on her arse. She’d worn the long, thick skirt as protection from this sort of thing, she’d heard rumours of his cad-like ways, but it obviously wasn’t working as even from this distance she could see the tented material in the front of his crotch. She knew she should be angry and affronted but something inside her actually felt flattered.

“You have a gorgeous arse,” he said after her attention was once again focused on her paints and brushes, “plump and juicy.”

“I beg your pardon?” Hermione snapped, “I’m not here to fulfill some seedy sexual fantasy of yours, so behave, right?” She might have been somewhat aroused by his appreciative gaze but she did not want him to know that. She had to keep this professional.Painting his portrait could be key to furthering her career. She did not want to spoil that.

“Yes, erm, Sorry,” he replied, squirming against the bark of the log, “I was just thinking aloud. I’ll shut up now.”    

 

Victoria's links:

http://www.victoriablisse.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/victoriablisse

http://www.twitter.com/victoriablisse