Two books on the coming soom list...

 It doesn't rain around me...it pours.

But this kind of downpour is just fine by me.  Two of my back list books from another publisher have been revised, refreshed, and submitted to Ellora's Cave, and will be released within the next month.  I am happy to say that they are greatly improved, from sexy new covers to a few plot changes.

My Sexy Sensei was previously published elsewhere under the title "A Brief Moment of Pleasure".  

For those of you who have read it under that title, thank you.  If you enjoyed it, again, thanks.  If you have never read it under either title, it will be released on July 27, 2012!  You can find the excerpt here:

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10219-my-sexy-sensei.aspx

This little gem was formerly titled "First and Ten".  It, too, has received a classy new cover, and has been revised considerably.  It is a "Quickie(R)" and is priced to sell!  

If you have enjoyed it under its prior title, thanks for buying!  If you have not yet enjoyed it, you can find it (in early August) at:

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10228-come-my-love.aspx

I am still waiting for first edits on my other full-length novel, titled Never Tempt Fate.  I hope to see them within the next few days.  

I am currently running a pre-release giveaway contest on my Facebook fan page just for my fans there, plus an open-to-everyone giveaway over at my website.  So if you are interested, drop in, and check them out!

Hugs!

Fran Lee

http://www.franleeromance.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fran-Lee/132560860752

Appreciating Help

I was searching for inspiration for my next book. By 'searching' I mean wracking my brain for a premise, or a character, or a setting, or a conflict; anything which would stir up my creative juices.

My thoughts were scattered.

The kernel of an idea started to take shape, but I was unsure.

I reached out to my critique partner/friend extraordinaire. She asked great questions, offered much needed insight and patiently listened as I worked through some of the details. Her suggestions, support and encouragement have again inspired me! My wip is now well on it's way, and my plan is to sub it by August 1st.

Have a great weekend!

Tessie

www.tessiebradford.com

What Was I Thinking? Oh That's Right I Wasn't Thinking At All...

This is Edvard Munch's masterpiece The Scream and it sums up my summer so far.
I'm going nuts. I have three books going at once, all have strict deadlines and I'm supposed to be doing final-line edits on one of them right now instead of blogging.

Writing three books at once is like driving three cars across country. I'm constantly stopping to jump out of one and run back for the other two. Progress is being made but it ain't easy.

The good news is I've arrived at a desperate enough place that it seems like a good idea to let my inner rebellious teenager run the show while I work.

That's right I'm allowing my inner teen to make the day to day decisions about all the little things that don't really matter. If she wants to paint our toe nails blue-black and add blue glitter I let her do it.

If I don't feel like making dinner because I can't stop, she makes healthy snacks and calls it dinner without complaining. My inner teen is a crazed rock-n roller and insists we play guitar heavy music while we work and indulge in crushes on rock stars. She actually surprised by me by introducing me  to gritty industrial goth rock and we found out that worked too. I think she's become obsessed with Trent Reznor and she's determined to pull me in too. She has all the energy in the world and is still naive enough to believe it will all work out for the best. 


(Shush don't tell her...)


My actual teen years were no utopia. They were hard but I do remember how good it felt to approach new or challenging situations without expectations. Back then I was open minded, optimistic and genuinely curious. I was always ready to give 100% to what I did without any guarantees. That's the part of me I want back. The part that gets excited and says yes to adventure without talking herself out of it of a little harmless fun.  


Is there anything from your past that is asking to be part of your present again?


XXOO Kat

Busy

I've been a bad blogger. I've been busy writing and well, chasing this little one around now that she's learned to crawl and climb. So I apologize...but she's worth the craziness. :)

IS THAT A GUN IN YOUR POCKET? 99 cents until July 6

Need a good romance, great erotica and a hearty chuckle? 

Only until July 6, IS THAT A GUN IN YOUR POCKET? is 99 cents on AMAZON AND ARe!

That's right 99 cents!

Get yours today.

Need more inspiration?

Two Lips gave the book a Recommended Read and 5 Lips!

 Amazon Kindle

A Sheriff, A Hot Gal and his gun.

What’s a girl to do when she has the hots for the local sheriff—and he’s playing it cool? Mae Montaine knows the man has a gun in his pocket and he’s always happy to see her.

So why won’t he come over and see her sometime…for a date? A hug? A kiss? More?

West Farraday yearns for the All-American knock-out who lives next door, but Mae’s got problems and secrets. He’d love to help her out…of her problems. And her clothes. Then into his bed.

When timing seems right, West makes his move. He’s happier than a colt in clover.

Mae’s skeptical they can make it as a couple. After all, town gossip says the good sheriff is hard on the ladies.

But when three bad coyotes invade Mae’s life, West tries to prove to her that a man who’s hard in the sack can be easy to love.

Saturday's Scribe is waaay off schedule again...

I guess I am thinking of Snowbird again...

Being a lazy woman again...spent several days trying to figure out my new direction, and have stayed up waaay too late every night.  Getting to sleep at 5:00 a.m. is not a good thing.  Of course, it's not a BAD thing, either, but I sorta like getting up earlier than 2:00 p.m. each day.  Sigh.

I find that I need about 9 to 10 hours of good sleep a night to feel decent.  While I was working a regular job, I seemed to thrive on 6 to 7 hours a night, but now that I am free to stay up as late as I like, I find that I am unable to turn off the computer (or the Sega Genesis CD-X)  before the wee hours of the morning.  

You see, I became addicted to a battle game called "Dark Wizard" on the CD-X game system.  It's an old game...very hard to find and rare now.  I pulled it out a couple of weeks ago, cleaned the dust off, and started playing again.  Love it, but it plays hell with my sleep schedule...worse than the computer. 

So I think I will drive back up to Snowbird tomorrow, since it is only 25 minutes from my home, and spend a day walking in the trees and shade.  It's a marvelous 75 degrees up the canyon, while it is a hot, dry 95 down here.  It will be a great refresher.

You have a wonderful day, kiddies.

Hugs!

Fran Lee

http://www.franleeromance.com

 

Happy Summer Solstice!

Happy Summer Solstice! It the longest day of the year and I'm so busy it feels extra long! I'll have a real blog next week. But this week I'll just say enjoy the extra minutes of sunshine and have a wonderful day!
XXOO Kat

That's what I like about sheriffs, cowboys and Ranges.

http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Drivin-Man-ebook/dp/B004FV53VG/ref=sr_1_21?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337811840&sr=1-21

These men are hard lovin' guys. Tough to lasso. Easy to love. But oh, so rewarding to tie down!
I know. I live in Texas and see them everywhere! The grocery store, be still my heart. The airport in their best duds, white Resistol in summers. (In fact, I know I am in the right gate waiting to fly home when I see all the men decked out in their white straws and pressed jeans. sigh.)
In Hard Drivin' Man, my Texan is a sweet guy who has loved one woman all his life.
But so did his brother.
And that was a darn shame.
To one person who tells me here in comments why they love cowboys, sheriffs or other such western dreamboats, I will giveaway a copy of HARD DRIVIN' MAN.
And for your entertainment, here are the reasons I love cowboys:

1. I love their humor. Quick. Pithy. Wicked. They are funnier than a one armed cheerleader at the championship game. Always. (Comes from trying to eek out a living pounding desert and rocks!)

2. I love their hats. Big. Black. White. Tall. Gambler. Stetson. Resistol. Does not matter. Every man looks good in a hat. Tanned. Hard. Pale eyed specimens of testosterone.  Most are just plain beeee-u-tiful!

3. I love their hips. Lean. Muscular. ‘Nuf said.

4. I love their Friday night pressed- for-the-dance-hall jeans. A man hasta look like he’s courtin’!

5. I love that they know how to dance! Hot damn! The men here know how to do the Two Step and line dance. Give me a man like that, puleese, for a few spins around the floor.

6. I love that they open car doors and other doors. They take their hat off to you and darn, if they don’t smile and say, “Howdy, ma’am.”

Howdy!

Get to know a few of my cowboys and sheriffs and ranchers, would you?

My newest is a ménage a quatre, ROPE ME IN from EC

Need a few more laughs, try Mae and West in IS THAT A GUN IN YOUR POCKET? 99 cents until July 6!

And if you want a female sheriff, try I CAUGHT THE SHERIFF.

Adios, Darlin’

Endless Love

The other day I was stuck in traffic while driving home from a particularly stinky day at work. I was exhausted and not just a little bit bitchy. For some reason, I glanced to my right. What I saw instantly lifted my spirits.

An elderly couple was walking, ever so slowly, on the sidewalk. They were holding hands, and the man, who was considerably taller, was smiling broadly and gazing down at the woman, who was talking. They stopped. He laughed and she laughed. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. She patted him on the hip. They then continued on their way.  How romantic is that!!??!!

Pampering Jessica is a story about a couple married +25 years and in their 50's. They are still in love, still enjoy an active and inventive sex life, and are eagerly looking forward to the future. I received more than a bit of criticism regarding the "unbelievability" of the premise.

Excuse me???? Romance doesn't have an expiration date!

Intimacy takes on new meaning with maturity. Being in love, sharing love, and making love evolve and change through the years of a person being on the planet and the changing dynamics of the relationships they're in.

I'd bet my last dollar that those two love birds I saw on the street were eighty years old or more. Their incredibly loving interaction will stay with me forever.

Have a great weekend!
Tessie
www.tessiebradford.com
    



 

June Zoom--It just gets faster and busier...

The past weeks have been super busy. Last week I finished edits on something new Amber Skyze and I have been working on for Loose Id Publishing. As soon we have our new book cover and promo together, I’ll post it here. I can’t wait to share it.

Meanwhile I’ll still working on the second book in the series and that book is really interesting too. I’m loving this collaborative project, learning a lot and always trying to write faster!

Amber and I started off with the idea that we were going to write a series of 30k paranormal stories. The books grew and grew… Each of the books is now a full-length novel and packed with action and surprises.

So far my new publisher Loose Id has been a dream to work with.

“Something Wicked This Way Comes Volume 2” has been receiving some great reviews.

Long and Short Reviews (Formerly Whipped Cream Reviews) gave “SWTWC V2” 4.5 Stars!

Read the full review here:

http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/2012/06/something-wicked-this-way-comes-vol-2.html

Chatty Girls Book Reviews had this to say:

http://chattygirlbookreviews.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/something-wicked-comes-this-way/

“- Asterion by Katalina Leon: I actually quite liked this one.  The story (especially in the beginning) was really quite interesting.  It was atmospheric and intriguing.  The characters were Good especially Darron who was all kinds of cute and endearing. There was a plot which I really liked.  I would have liked more of it and think it would make a great full length novel.  The ending felt rushed which was a real shame.”

(Sorry Chatty Girl… we were only allowed about two weeks time and 13k or 27 pages. Anthologies provide authors with an interesting challenge. We have to do our best to fill a small space with a big impression.)

Tori MacAllister said “Something Wicked is Wickedly Delicious!”

https://torimacallister.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/something-wicked-this-way-comes-2-anthology-is-wickedly-delicious/

“Asterion” by Katalina Leon

Having lost her father and her betrothed in battle, Larisa is betrayed by the weak village chief. He rows her to a remote island where a gorgeous palace, dedicated to the Minotaur, stands and where she will be a virgin sacrifice. But rather than die at the horns of a god, Larisa finds herself used to give corporeal form to an alien being, one whose chosen form is that of a handsome man bent on pleasuring her and helping humanity.

This was one of my favorite stories! I felt the reader didn’t need the couple pages of explanation about the Minotaur prior to the story, but other than that blip, it was pitch perfect. Larisa is brave and bold and the “god” who takes such on a luscious form delights in his body and Larisa’s with such abandon that you have to smile for the thousand-plus year old virgin. I was surprised to discover that Katalina Leon has written a ton of books (she has a few listed on her Goodreads page) and none of them seem to be myth based like this story. I’ll be trying one of her books to see if she can delight me again.

(Tori, I am rebuilding my website following a catastrophic data crash. I should be up and running by July. I have to build the website myself and slave over the artwork and graphic etc… I’m picky and I just need more hours in the day.)

Thank you for the reviews ladies! It’s very much appreciated.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

XXOO Kat

Increasing My Output

Last week I learned I was under a tight deadline to submit a book I was working on. At the time I thought I had an extra month, but nope…I had until June 14^th not July 15^th.

After a decent writing day I was talking to the hubby saying I had to figure out a way to write more. I had to at least double my normal writing to make the deadline. It was as if the Gods were listening to me and sent the answer almost 30 mins later.

On the EC loop I seen a subject line that read Go from 2k to 10k a Day. Now my first thought was yeah right…must be a scam. Still I couldn’t resist. I made my way over to the blog and found myself intrigued. The author was on to something.

She said you need three things to boost your totals – Knowledge, Time and Enthusiasm. I walked away from her blog inspired. I don’t want to write 10k a day, but I’d love to write 3k. The next day I did and the following. I wish I could’ve the next but I took ill. The point of the story is I increased my totals from 1k to 3k by following her examples.

Here’s the link if you’d like to check it out.

http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-i-went-from-writing-2000-words-day.html

I'm Pondering

So yesterday I was browsing the internet, checking emails and blogs, shopping, playing a few games of spider solitaire, pretty much anything except working on my WIP! I ran across a number of posts/reviews regarding a certain current #1 bestselling erotic romance novel that apparently is on its way to becoming a movie (the story possibly selling for 5 million dollars or more).

I have not read this book. Will I, who knows?

What fascinates me is the incredible buzz this book has created, the highly conflicting reviews and the level of emotion that both critics and fans are displaying. Whether this story is the best romance novel ever written, or utter drivel doesn't really matter anymore - it is the hot topic of the moment. The other day, my favorite morning  radio talk program had one of the DJ's mother reading excerpts and she and the callers were making fun of the 'purple prose' and repetition of key descriptive terms. For the first time ever (to the best of my knowledge), the weekend TV news broadcasts in my area have had segments discussing romance novels.

My thoughts, questions and general musings are:

1.  Congratulations to you, E.L. James!!!!!!!

2.  How did this book become a media phenomenon - word of mouth, publisher promo, social media, the author walking it into local booksellers, blogging, or an act of God?

3.  Again, I haven't read the book, but so many comments are negative regarding the quality of writing; is it possible that this was a tongue-in-cheek poke at the erotic romance genre that was lost on the general public? If so, even more congrats to the author and publisher!

4.  How do the plethora of ultra-talented authors who are writing for smaller publishers or self-pubbing get their works noticed by the public?

5.  Is figuring out and defining the difference between 'erotic romance', 'erotica' and 'romance' really that Earth shattering?? In my extremely limited perusal, there are thousands of posts, articles, comments, etc. on the subject. People are freakishly fired up about this topic!

6.  I'm beyond proud to be part of the literary community who write fictional stories which celebrate sexuality, empowerment, freedom of expression, and acceptance of all kinds of beings and their lifestyles!!

Okay, I'll say it, yes, I've imagined "hitting the big time" as an author. Thoughts of being able to give up my day job while providing extra comfort and security for my family are a fun fantasy. Reality, however, is the most important, and having multiple books published, steady sales, and making dear friends through the process are a dream come true! 

Have a fantastic weekend!
Tessie
www.tessiebradford.com

Paris Brandon's "Petting Kitty" Makes Me Purrr!

Today’s special guest is a long time friend to Seven Sexy Scribes, Paris Brandon!

Paris is on a roll. Her latest Ellora’s Cave Quickie sounds daring, steamy and wonderful. But I’ll let that naughty gal speak for herself… By the way, doesn’t “Petting Kitty” have a gorgeous book cover.

Paris Brandon:

The Pleasure of Ménage…

How many of you enjoy reading an erotic ménage with two men? Just for the record, in case you can’t see my hand, I’m waving madly from my little corner of the universe.

The female fantasy of having the loving attention of two men who may or may not have sex with each other is a very popular theme in erotic romance and I can understand the delicious appeal. Who wouldn’t want to be the center of attention? Throw in some sexy male on male sex and I’m there. If you think I’m blushing, you couldn’t be more wrong.

I think a healthy sex life where partners agree that anything pleasurable is just the ticket for a hot romantic encounter and makes for an exciting erotic read. So when Tyler “Tall” Garrett’s birthday wish is a three-some so he can watch his girlfriend, Kitty have sex with another woman, I admit that I did giggle for a couple of minutes and then I tried to figure out why the dynamics of a pleasurable three-some would be any different if I added a female rather than a male.

In case you haven’t already guessed, they really aren’t. But what about the jealousy thing? Aren’t all women jealous of one another, afraid of losing their men to another woman? Afraid their butts are too big or their breasts are too small? And then there is the girl/girl sex. Hmmm.

The truth is; I don’t write characters that choose to live in fear. I write characters that are comfortable with their sexuality whatever designation society slaps on them. I do this because in the long run people are more than their sexual identities and if I write loving, caring people who enjoy giving and receiving pleasure, I’ve done my job as an erotic romance author. I have delivered a hot story that includes people that I hope you wouldn’t mind going to dinner with.

That’s my two cents on the subject and just for grins, if you leave me a comment and your email address, you’ll be entered in a drawing for one of my backlist titles that includes Bend Over, Cowboy, my April release that introduced Tall and Kitty!

I’ll leave you with a blurb and excerpt from Petting Kitty, my Ellora’s Cave Quickie that will be released June 8^th!

Kitty Jones can’t believe how excited she is to fulfill her boyfriend Tyler “Tall” Garrett’s birthday wish of watching two women have sex. Nothing is off-limits for this fun-loving ménage as they tease and seduce each other into one explosive orgasm after another.

Copyright © PARIS BRANDON, 2012 All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc. Tall stood on the back porch. Water still beaded his bronze chest as if he’d just hopped out of the shower and his hair stood up in dark, wet spikes. He hadn’t even taken the time to zip his faded jeans. Or put on underwear. She could see a dark line of pubic hair peeking from the opening. He padded barefoot across the dry grass and grinned when he caught her checking out his package. “Well, Happy Birthday to you,” she crooned. He slipped her bag out of her hand and dropped it. It made a soft thud when it hit the ground and in the next instant Tall had enveloped her in a fierce hug. His lips slid across hers and she could feel the smile that was always present at their first greeting no matter how long they’d been apart. His welcome kiss turned hot and demanding and his big hands settled on her ass and made one possessive sweep before cupping her butt. “Oh, baby,” he whispered and bunched the crinkly turquoise cotton in his grip. He slid her skirt up an inch at a time and went back to kissing her. A rough, calloused finger delicately scraped over her bare hip and he broke the kiss and grinned. “Let’s see what you brought me.” Sunshine and a soft breeze warmed her bare flesh as he peeked over her shoulder and whistled softly. “Have I ever told you what a beautiful ass you have?” “Several times,” she chuckled. “Well, why don’t you step inside and let me tell you again. Properly.”  He let go of her and bent to retrieve her bag. She slipped her arm into his but it didn’t seem to be enough contact for him. And after so many weeks apart, it wasn’t enough for her either. He leaned over and kissed her again and they fumbled their way into the house after she juggled the door open with her free hand. The house was cool and every sense was engaged as she picked up the fresh green of the salad he’d been making, the bite of citrus from a bowl of lemons on the counter next to it. Food was the last thing on her mind as he led her to the little Navajo-print chaise lounge in front of the stacked stone fireplace they only used when the evenings were chilly. A sliver of sunshine fell across them as Tall lowered her onto the chaise. Kitty scooted to the edge and placed her booted heels on either side of Tall’s knees as he knelt in front of her and spanned her waist with his hands. “Merry is going to be late. I think we should start without her,” he rasped and strafed his tongue across the wispy, barely there yellow fabric that covered her breasts.

Buy Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10133-petting-kitty.aspx    

Don’t forget to leave your email address with your comment!

Happy Reading!

Thanks,

Paris

http://parisbrandon.com

Bend Over, Cowboy-5 Stars, Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

Petting Kitty-Available from EC on June 8!

Cross My Heart-NOR Top Pick

Head Over Heels-5 Hearts, The Romance Studio

Assassin’s Kiss-4 Stars Romantic Times Book Review

Thank you for being our guest today Paris, best wishes!

XXOO Kat