I have to admit, I had a bit of a meltdown when I realized it was finally coming out. And then went into deep denial. A part of me is excited, and the other part is just hiding her head in the sand in terror. Thankfully, I have author authors like Kate Douglas and Vonna Harper in the anthology with me, so it’s not me all by myself.
However, the series I start with the novella in Sexy Beast V continues in my first-ever all-by-myself book, Carnal Desires. Same world, new fun characters to play with. In fact, it’s four planets I’m dealing with this, but the characters are in each book. The planets each have their own specific brand of shape-shifters. There’s tigers, polar bears, dragons, and mermaids. Don’t worry, I made a webpage to help people keep it all straight. You don’t want to try and figure out how it all twists together in my brains, so I tried to make it simple. Click here to find out more.
AND I made a video the encompasses the whole world of Carnal Desires. The awesome Harmonic Threads put it together for me, and I think it turned out really well. I’ll let you decide for sure though.
The first time I heard of the concept of an author tagline was in a speech by Theresa Meyers of Blue Moon Communications. She was talking about author branding. Taglines were only a very small part of creating an author brand, but I started noticing taglines here and there after that.
So, how to find that quick, catchy synopsis that captures the unique flavor of my writing style.
Is Elizabeth Amber’s writing…
“Hot?” No, I couldn’t just say “hot.” Erotic romance is hot by definition, right?
“Wild? Sexy?” Yawn.
“Satyrrific?” Yes, I write a hot series about satyr brothers, but that sounds too contemporary and I write historical.
Here are three I admire:
Delilah Devlin has one of the best romance author taglines:
“Get in bed with Delilah. Everyone else has.”
And how about Ashlyn Chase’s: “Where there’s fire, there’s Ash.”
And I ran across this one recently. Bronwyn Storm’s “Where Romance Reigns” I like the play on storm/reign.
Since I haven’t come up with anything memorable, I’m holding out for the tagline of all taglines: NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling author! Hey, aren’t we all?
What are your favorite author taglines? Authors, what are some you rejected? What are you using now?
So I went out with a friend last night to a local brewery we just adore. People are laid back, friendly, and the food/beer is good. We go to chat and people watch. I love to people watch. It’s great inspiration for stories.
Well, during my people watching, I noticed this table of men in front of me. They were all probably 50’s/60’s. So this cute waitress walks by and one older man leans out to watch her pass by. Then I hear him say to his friends, “She has a cute ass.” Now that didn’t really bother me so much. He’s a guy. Men of all ages look. But then he just had to go and follow that up with, “She’s about my daughter’s age.” And I kind of wanted to throw up a little in my mouth. Please. Don’t talk about some chick’s ass and your daughter in the same breath.
This all led to a discussion between me and my friend. Like, are you ever too old to stop looking? Or as you age should you raise the age bracket of guys/gals that you are checking out? As I get older I’ve noticed that my age range of men I check out has aged with me. I can’t check out a little nineteen year old anymore. I sit there and think…you’re probably the same age as the kid I used to change diapers on when I babysat.
I always seem to have a limit. Though every once in awhile I make an exception. My friends have no issues, often. Like my friend Karen who proudly lusts after that Transformers actor Shia Leboeuf and loves to joke about being Shia’s baby mamma.
I just wonder if some day the lusting will fizzle out. Will I give it all up to play Scrabble and forget that I ever wrote really sexy stories? Forget I ever cared about multiple orgasms and toe curling kisses? Or will I be that elderly granny pinching a cute waiter’s butt at a restaurant?
I can’t tell you all how excited I am to be here. (No, really!) I’ve been writing romance and erotica for eleven years, which I think makes me an overnight success. Some of you internet erotica junkies may even recognize my name. My first book from Aphrodisia, Addicted, is coming out in a few days. It’s two vampire novellas featuring those cuddly, sexy fiends so many of us enjoy reading and writing about. One of them is even a former lawman from the Old West. (Vonna – I used to break horses. Let me know if I can help with your research.) I’m still dancing around the room because of a 4 and ½ star rating from Romantic Times!
So I thought I’d introduce myself. I’m an engineer by day, and an erotica writer by night, weekend, and federal holiday. I grew up in New Orleans, which means I have voodoo and heavy metals (from the drinking water) in my blood. I’m also fortunate enough to be asked to talk about writing to groups now and then. I realize most writers are introverts; I’m not. I had a great time at my first Romance Writers of America national conference last year getting to know all those shy writers. What a wonderful group of people! I hope to get back to RWA national next year and meet some of my fellow Aphrodisiacs.
One thing I’ve discovered after a few years in the business is the definition of a writer. A writer is someone who can’t not write. The thing I believe many of us have in common, besides the fact that we hear voices, is that we’re persistent. In my case, I think I may even be compulsive. Fortunately, I’m not a psychologist, so I don’t know enough to be worried.
I’m looking forward to working with the wonderful authors in this group. After Addicted, I’ll make an appearance in Sexy Beast VI, which I know will be a blast. My hero in that story isn’t a vampire – something new for me. I hope you’ll find him worth drooling over. (I did!) I had fun drawing on my time in Alaska and Siberia for that story. Unlike Susan Lyons, I can’t wait for summer to end! It’s hot here in the Southwest. We have way too much sunshine.
Please feel free to visit my webpage (www.LydiaParks.com), sign up for my newsletter, and drop me a line when the mood strikes you. I love to keep in touch with readers! In the South, we’re taught that if you can’t say something nice, you shouldn’t say anything at all, but my skin’s pretty thick, so I appreciate all kinds of feedback. Without feedback, writers can’t improve.
No reason to deny it, I’m a research junkie. In many ways its the best part of writing. Oh, I also dig the creative process, the beginnings of a plot and conversations from characters demanding their story. But research–an excuse to waste (ah, spend) days chasing down my interests. I initially became hooked on research when I was writing Native American historicals which explains all my NA nonfiction books (well marked).
Research, for me, is free-flowing. I grab one piece of information which leads to another piece which takes me on a right turn to other possibilities. Most of it I know I won’t use but how do I know what’s important if I don’t explore, right?
Current Example: I’ve been invited to write a novella for an Aphrodisia erotic anthology with a Cowboy themes. In other words, the story isn’t going to be much longer than 25k words, hardly room for world-building or impressing readers with my knowledge of obscure subjects, but I can pretend, right?
I knew I wanted my hero to participate in a program designed to train and tame wild mustangs (there is such a program, sponsored by by Mustang Heritage Foundation) But strange as it must seem, I’m not an expert in handling wild horses so off I went into the Internet yesterday. The focus these days, thank goodness, is no longer on breaking a mustang’s spirit. Instead, natural horsemenship gentling techniques are employed. I now know just enough to be dangerous (never fear, I’m not going to get in a corral with a mustang stallion, I ain’t no fool) I’ve printed out a stack of pages on the techniques, the Mustang Heritage Foundation, and the competition my hero will participate in. I’m tempted to keep exploring, to run to the library, interview the local horse trainer who gave me the idea, maybe trek down to Sacramento and watch the next competition. However, I’ve yet to write page one of the story (or give it a title) and its due sometime soon. (Note to self, check contract)
Another however, I believe my heroine is going to be a vet tech, which I know nothing about so…..
And its a shame to limit my newfound fascination with mustangs to a novella and soon I’ll be done with my current Aphrodisia book contracts and in need of writing a new proposal and since I have all this information….
HELP, I NEED AN INTERVENTION
Vonna
www.VonnaHarper.com
I think everyone has a list of favorite things. A few of mine would include dictionaries. I love them! I have over 30 different kinds of dictionaries from American Slang to the Seven Language Dictionary. I also couldn’t write without my Thesaurus.
So today, I was wondering what are your favorite things? From books, to perfumes, to that sinfully delicious confection you can’t live without please share!
Summertime, and the living is easy. Everyone’s at the beach, camping, sailing, drinking tall icy drinks by the pool (served by stunningly gorgeous pool boys).
Or, of course, some of us are slaving away meeting writing deadlines, as I’ve been doing. With a book due September 1 and a novella due October 15, it’s a busy time for me. All the same, there’s something about summer that seems to slow the pace of life. Maybe it’s the heat that melts your bones so that it seems impossible to do anything quickly.
I sure hope everyone is having a fabulous summer and, whatever you’re doing, I hope you’re consuming vast quantities of fabulous books (especially Aphrodisia titles!)
People often talk about “beach reads,” which implies that we read something different in summer (or when we’re on holiday) than we normally do. I was curious if this was true so last month, at my website opinion poll contest, I asked the question, “What’s your favorite summer reading?” The answers were interesting. The majority said they read the same things they normally do. A few go for something light and fun, and a few choose a heavier “read” that they wouldn’t otherwise have time for. Some people re-read old favorites and some try to clean up the huge “to be read” pile. My favorite response was the following one: “I love reading erotica in the summer since it makes a reader feel even warmer. I also like anthologies because after each short story I know it’s time to put on more sunscreen.” LOL.
For me, I tend to read pretty much the same things as usual, though my reading is always mood-related. Sometimes I feel like suspense, sometimes humor, sometimes sexy romance, sometimes women’s fiction. Mostly, I alternate them so I don’t overdose on one type of book. The book I just finished is a paranormal, “Dark Warrior Unleashed” by Alexis Morgan (she’s the author of the wonderful Paladin series, and this is the first in her new series starring the Tallions). Next up on my reading pile is a women’s fiction book by another of my favorite authors, Luanne Rice. It’s called “Last Kiss.” (Yes, now I have a song running through my head. You remember it, either the Ricky Nelson version and/or the Pearl Jam one. Just think, “Where oh where can my baby be?” And now the song’s stuck in your head, too, isn’t it? You can blame me.)
So, folks, what are you reading this summer? What’s your idea of a good “beach read”? Oh, and feel free to pop on over to my website at http://www.susanlyons.ca and enter my August contest. This time around, the question is, “What’s the best way to pamper YOU?” You could win some pampering goodies: an autographed copy of one of my books, a book of sexy coupons, love letter bath salts (a blend of rose, ylang and sandalwood), and a “someone special” heart pin.
I’m thrilled to announce that my vampire story Blood Red won th <!– @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>
I’m thrilled to announce that my vampire story Blood Red won the 2008 National Readers’ Choice Award (from Oklahoma Romance Writers of America) for Erotic Romance. This is my 2nd win for the award—Sin won last year.
I had lots of great contest news this year. Blood Red was a finalist in 5 contests and Blood Rose in two. You can check these out on my website, which has just been completely revamped by Crocodesigns (I really love it.)
I’m chained to the computer these days, working on Blood Deep, with is the 3rd book in the ‘Blood’ vampire series. I have the back cover copy and a release date—June 09. I just finished my first book with Dell (that will be out in Feb 09) and haven’t had much time to think lately. So I thought I’d give a small excerpt from Hot Silk (coming October 08).
For me, Hot Silk embodied a lot of what I love about erotic romance, because it let me take chances that I couldn’t normally take.
“What is it you want, Mr. Sharpe? A ransom for my life?”
Standing in the west-facing drawing room of his home, bathed in rich afternoon light, Grace asked the questions without sarcasm, without rancor, and Devlin was taken aback to realize she seriously thought that was his intent. He tightened his grip on the glass in his hand, not tasting the fine brandy as it slid down his throat.
Months of planning had gone into this, his goal simple and direct—to bring Grace into his life once more, to have her again, to—
Hades, at that point his goals became hazy, a sensation that he’d experienced a long time ago and had never liked. He always decided exactly what he wanted and got it.
He set down his glass with a clunk that rattled the table, then tore off the tricorn, mask, and wig. Damp with sweat, his hair was caught back with a leather tie. “I would never trade you for money, love.”
Sunlight caressed Grace’s generous curves and played along the slender line of her neck. “Then what do you want?”
Devlin’s throat tightened. He slung his leg over the arm of a wing chair and drank in her features—the exotic, expressive curves of her mouth, the pert nose, and the sparking green eyes that promised a fiery temper and bewitching sensuality. But she looked afraid of him and that twisted his heart.
He glanced toward the window, a plane of reflective gold, and softly said, “I’ve seen you, sweetheart, over the last two years. At balls.” By revealing it, had he gone too far? He had taken a hell of a risk for a wanted man…but he’d been drawn to see her. He’d known men addicted to opium, addicted to drink. Damnation, but his desire for Grace was a merciless master, and he suspected he was addicted to her.
Unease brought lines to bracket her lips. “I did not know you went into society. But why would you? Why would you want to see me?”
“To see how you were coping in the world I’d ruined you for.”
“A woman ruins herself,” she threw back and he winced at the cynicism, the bitterness in her voice. She’d aged much more than two years.
He had stood on the fringes of society, in the shadows, and he’d watched her. She’d danced, but her eyes had been far away. She’d flirted, but would quickly retreat if the gentleman began to look too earnest. She’d fled from those who were apparently hoping for seduction, but also from those who looked obviously in love.
Even with her sisters, the fiery auburn-haired Lady Trent and the gentle, beautiful Lady Swansborough, Grace had seemed reserved—she was hiding secrets, and he could sense the weight of them affected every word she spoke.
“I never saw you,” she said. “But then, I never looked for you.”
The admission hurt. Of course, he’d hidden damn well, and she had no reason to think he would go out in society. So why should he be hoping that she had pined for him?
Devlin grinned, as he always did when he landed in trouble. “I was never formally invited. And I never went anywhere through the front door, love.”
Grace moved to the window and laid her white-gloved knuckles against the pane. She stood with the sun behind her, the brilliance of it dazzling his eyes. Her profile was cast in shadow, unreadable. “You still have not told me what you want.”
Yikes! Has life gotten out of control. Here it is August and I don’t feel like summer has even begun yet. I, too, have been negligent in posting, both here and on my own blog. But I don’t think I’m alone. Everyone I know seems to be just as busy and calendar-driven as I am.
What happened to those lazy days?
Every day I struggle to fit more and more into less and less time. My feet hit the floor and I tell myself, I just have to get through this week, next week things will slow down. Well, I’ve quit believing myself. Life is just not going to change in the near future, but I’ve come to the conclusion that that’s okay. I’m still writing, I’m happy, I have a book coming out next month and my current project is shaping up quite nicely.
And where could I find better company than my fellow authors and readers?
Yes, this may be the new normal, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
Like Sasha White, I, too, have been an absentee author from the Aphrodisia blog (and my own web site, and my MySpace page, and my Shelfari page, etc, etc.). And though I, too, am a book binger, that’s not my excuse.
My excuse is over-committing. I tend to say “yes” to every idea that comes my way or pops into my head that triggers a flicker of excitement – no, not that kind of excitement. The Sex Lounge Finding Derek Contest, my “Chatting with Chase” talk show, and the “Chase the Dream Contest” for writers are only a sampling of the ideas that started off as small flickers and morphed into big projects.
So, the last few months, I’ve taken some time to slow down and think before saying “yes.” And, that meant saying “no” to some things. Hence, I’ve been offline, my web site is months out-of-date, my “Chatting with Chase” show has been put on hold, my MySpace friend requests are accumulating, etc. While I feel extremely guilty for being such a “slacker,” it’s forced me to admit that I can’t do everything. And forced me to think about what I really want to do and whether or not there is enough time to do it. The non-guilty part of me has enjoyed this time of reflection.
Now, as I type my way toward my 10/15 book deadline, struggle through the politics at the day job, and slowly come back online, I find that my To Do List is, once again, overflowing. And, perhaps I have, once again, over-committed. But, I have given serious thought before saying “yes” and have figured these activities into a schedule. And I’m very excited about the results – and upcoming events, which I’ll begin sharing in a few weeks.
But, in the midst of all this self-reflection, I found this YouTube video, “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen” that is one of my all-time favorites. Because, no matter what is going on in my life at any given time, it is always appropriate, and always brings a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye.
Have you seen this video before? And, if so, does it resonate with you in any way?
The