Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

I just finished up attending the Celebrate Romance Conference in Portland OR. It was a blast. I met so many wonderful readers and writers. I enjoyed the panels about what readers love and hate about books and simply mingling with them for long talks over lunch or breakfast or drinks at the bar.

It was a fantastic experience… both for networking and because I experienced something other worldly.

When I had arrived at the Benson Hotel… it was amazing. The old craftsmanship in the lobby spoke of an age gone by. I checked in and took the old style elevator up to the 12th floor and my room 1224. As I stepped out of the elevator and turned the corner towards my room, the hairs on my neck stood on end. I quickened my pace and the entire way to my room there was a pressure at my back, as if something was behind me… pushing me… something unhappy… something bad. I glanced over my shoulder almost afraid to look… but nothing was there.

My hand shook as I put the key in the door. Opened it and stepped in as quickly as possible and the eerie feeling dissipated. The rooms have windows that you can open up with a nice little windowsill that is about 10 inches thick. I opened the window and let in some fresh air. Then unpacked. When I went out into the hall I again had that strange feeling returned that something was at the other end of the hall way. No where else in the hotel did I have this feeling. Just on the 12th floor floor.

I met some wonderful people both old and new at the conference. Meljean Brook and I both have the same agent and finally got to spend some time together chatting about the industry and writing and such. I also had some much needed time with my dear friend Delilah Marvelle. She is such a sweet person and I always feel when we are together like we have known each other for a lifetime.

The new authors I got know over the weekend were Lisa Hendrix… Viking totems cursed to live forever as the animal they are. Yumm! And Elizabeth Boyle. I have no idea why I had not picked up these two authors before. Writing Regency set and loving regency romance you would have thought I would have read Elizabeth at least once! And the Vikings mesh with my Ursus (Animal Lust) so I bought both of their books.

I also sat next to Elizabeth at the Borders signing in Beaverton and when I stood up to talk about myself she very gently said… speak up… speak to the last row. I tend to speak quietly when I am nervous and this helped me! I will always think of this now when I am getting ready to speak in front of people. I thank her so much for that. Kisses to Elizabeth!

While talking to Elizabeth about the conference and the hotel. We both had a discovery… We both were staying on the 12th floor in rooms that were right next to each other.

I asked her if she had any weird feelings in the hallway on that floor?

She told me yes that she too had the same feeling and that she almost called down to see if she could change rooms. She said when she checked in and went to open the window in her room she heard someone say JUMP! She then told it to go away and it seemed to have listened to her.

So odd. so weird… so very paranormal!

Elizabeth asked at the front desk about the floor and if any one had died on it. They told her yes that Mitch Mitchell, The drummer from Jimmy Hendrix first band had died on this floor in November of this past year. That it didn’t happen in either one of our rooms though. She then said but had anyone died that was unhappy? had any jumped from or been pushed from the window on this floor? the desk clerk said “How do you know all this? and I wouldn’t tell you if someone had anyway.”

Well. I took that as a yes… someone had at some point over the years jumped or was pushed from a window on this floor.

So… I stayed on a haunted floor at the Benson Hotel. I have never done anything quite like that before. And I have to say I had a very hard time sleeping at night! I did so with the bathroom light on which I never do and I could not fall asleep until I was exhausted. So I am a bit tired.

I am wondering how many of you have had paranormal experiences like the one that Elizabeth and I did? if you have what did you do about it?

Hugs and Kisses,
Lacy.

PS. the hotel bar is the only place where I have ever been that serves you extra on the side of what ever drink you order… I thought this very cool!

While reading a research book for character development in my next writing project, I came across a section talking about “know thy self”… ie what are your values and needs. In this section, they asked you to list your values and needs in order.

Some of the examples they gave for possible values and needs are:

Excellence
Beauty
Intimacy
Understanding
Respect
Entrepreneurship
Healing
Stimulation
Status
Justice
Creativity/Creation
Animal Companions
Originality
Fun
Generosity
Knowledge
Learning
Solitude
Trust
Adventure
Uniqueness
Connection/Connecting
Expression
Flow
Intelligence
Helping
Recognition
Community
Integrity
Choice

Of course there are many more than just that list, but you get the idea…

Once you know what your values and needs are you can better stay with them when making decisions. There are no bad values or needs. Bad or wrong only come into play in how you deal with getting your values and needs met.

The book says that most times when people are sad or depressed, feeling trapped, or troubled etc. that if they think of their values and needs they usually realize they have compromised on them and are not living who they are anymore. This exercise helps them get back to who they are at a core and helps them shake the depression and achieve happiness through living their values.

I found this interesting. Having gone through rough patches in my life, I looked back on those spots and I was amazed that it was true. I had slid away from my own values and needs each of those times.

I am always delighted when I read a book for one of my characters and I learn something about myself.

Just this past week I was laid off from my day job. I am looking at this as an opportunity to fine tune my life one more time, so looking at my values and needs going forward is important. I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. I am looking forward to finding my new path while learning more about myself.

Hope this finds you well.
Hugs and Kisses,
Lacy.

A good friend asked me recently “What are FIVE books that have most influenced you in your life.” I paused and thought for a moment and he continued. “You know books that once you were finished something about your way of thought or something you wished for yourself changed.” The first two books were really quite easy for me to come up with.

1.) Carries Story by Molly Weatherfield. (This was the very first BDSM book I read and it sparked fantasies in me that I have since not been able to escape from.)

2.) Finding Meaning In The Second Half Of Life by James Hollis. (This book I read after a particularly hard event in my life. It is a dense book that makes you think about who you are and why you do what you do. I am so much more aware of myself than before I read this book.)

After that the list became a choosing match for me… so many books influence me in small or subtle ways. But I needed to pick three more… so I chose.

3.) The Hell Fire Clubs by Geoffrey Ash (After reading this book I wrote the story Night Of The Taking which was the story I sold on. Grin.)

4.)Clan Of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel (A long ago BF and I read this book aloud to each other before bed time. I had stopped reading years before this moment and reading this book aloud together re-sparked my thirst for the written word. I have not stopped reading since.)

5.) The Pearl by Anonymous (I purchased this book on a whim and have been in love with Victorian erotica ever since.)

So how about you? What are the FIVE books that have most influenced your life?

Hugs to you all,
Lacy.

Hi all I am giving away signed copy’s of both my books to the first that can answer the questions on my blog.

Lacy Underthings

Hope you all are having a great day!

Hugs and Kisses,
Lacy.

Yesterday was my son’s birthday party. We always hold his party in the summer because he was born on December 27th. Not a good time of year to have a party. The party yesterday was wonderful. My X’s neighbors all came over and my dear friend Shelli Stevens. They all brought their kids and we had blast…. My son, who is not quite 5 yet, could not wait to open his gifts so as soon as the last guest arrived he tore into them. He got a scooter, a croquet set, Disney’s Cars school supplies, a really cool noisy balloon launcher (the balloons ended up all over the place including on my neighbors roof!), A cowboy hat and boots, dinosaurs, a marble playing game, clothes, and a Loony Tunes DVD set.

The interesting part of the day was the cake. I ordered my son an ice cream cake. The cakes base color, made to look like grass, was green. Not thinking much about it. I set the cake out to thaw a bit as he opened his gifts and when my X brought the cake to the table he smiled and what do you know… green teeth and lips.

He had gotten some on his finger and licked it before coming to the table and the green food coloring was dark… so everyone ended up with green teeth and the kids of course being kids got it ALL over. On their shirts, on there hands… the dog even licked some off the patio and he too had a green tongue for awhile it was quite funny.

I arrived home last night with the task to finish writing a synopsis for my next book. I HATE writing a synopsis. I am not a plotter, and I never stick to them when I am actually writing the book, so I always feel like they are a waste of time.

But I found myself thinking of the green teeth and the party I just came from and how something so simple made people laugh and the laughter of the day made me want to add a bit of humor to this next book. Humor is something that I never do. I can’t write funny dialog, but I think… I maybe able to write funny situations. I ended up adding some silly scenes that happen to keep my hero and heroine apart. Maybe I will have to add a scene where my heroine sees greens in my hero’s teeth and is disgusted by it or laughs and offends him.

I don’t know…

Authors, how often do you use real events to inspire a scene in your stories? And readers do you like to know when a scene in a story was inspired by a real life event that the author experienced?

Hugs and Kisses!

Lacy.

I know it is not available until August 28th but I thought I would post a small excerpt from my story in the SEXY BEAST III anthology.

I was so delighted to be considered for this anthology… to be included in a book with two of your favorite authors is an honor and I am thrilled!

Kiss Of The Dragon… By Lacy Danes.

Meet Nora and Chester… Nora can read energies and is human, Chester is sexy weredragon.

Turning in to the lab Nora jolted to a standstill as her breath locked in her lungs. A tall man hunched in front of the computer on the far wall. She paused in the doorway and tried to get her lungs to expand. His copper hair curled against the collar of his tailored, black, leather biker jacket, catching the dim glow of the computer room in the curls.

His snug, fitted attire showed off his body to perfection. Her eyes widened as she probed past his facade and tingled as his entire body glowed with a bluish-gold energy. The intensity of the aura pulled at her. She had never experienced anything like his vibrance before. Who was she trying to fool? His energy? Right… My gosh, what an awesome ass.

She ran her tongue along her lips then snagged her lower one between her teeth, the flesh between her thighs tingled. Gosh, she was horny. She’d searched for a dish as yummy as this guy her entire trip in Hawaii.

Must be the new guy and he no doubt possessed a sixth power. That would be one explanation for the glow.

St. John said he was a wiz, and the project would get past the detector’s hurdle because of him. Bet a breakthrough hit him in his sleep and to get ingenious discovery off his mind, he came into work. She smiled. Just her luck… no one around but her and an incredibly sexy man.

She cleared her throat in the computer hum of the room, and he turned in slow motion. Her heart seized in her chest and her throat closed, controlling her breath.

Blue eyes so intense, so deep and clear, met hers and wetness slid from her pussy and pooled in her panties. Oh. She wanted to shift her stance at the sudden dampness but didn’t dare.

His eyes held hers, a smile of pure sex on his face. He was beautiful. His skin, pale and clear, with a sprinkle of small freckles across his nose. Somewhere within her a familiarity tickled, and this moment played in her mind like deja vu. The corner of his mouth quirked, and his gaze dropped ever so slowly to her lips.
Her mouth parted, and she felt the drag of his lips and his tongue across hers as if she’d kissed him for years. The memory imprinted deep in her soul. Her limbs trembled, and she shivered, gooseflesh priming her skin.

A man had never aroused lust in her so intensely before. Her skin tingled just standing there admiring him. Oh. She needed to kiss him, to feel what her subconscious remembered. Desire, a memory, and belonging, pulled not only her sensual self but also her power.

She couldn’t resist.

This was destiny. Not that she was perceptive to what destiny was. Her life played out anyway but what she wished. God, just look at how her Dad treated her, when he actually took the time to acknowledge her existence. She shuddered remembering the sting of his words, ‘You’re crazy’, as his hard hand slapped her face and she cried. She bit her lip and devoured the blue eyed man with her stare. Time to do something she lusted for. She stepped forward and the man leaned his hip on the counter’s edge, and watched her with a gaze that said he owned her.

Don’t make a fool of yourself. She clutched her Pluto mug and set the cup down by her computer, then continued past the never ending counter to him. God, he wouldn’t stop staring at her.

She halted three feet from him and raised her eyebrows. “Who are you?” the words so soft they lacked all fortitude and held a sense of awe. Could she be any more desperate to touch him?

“Chester, Chester Shields.” He held out his hand in an invitation to shake it.
Her eyes widened. Could she touch him? What an odd contradiction. Not one second before she pined for that in every way. But now… She thought it better not to be here at work. One touch from him and without a doubt she wouldn’t be able to stop. She would end up straddling him and humping him like a dog. My God. A lump formed in her throat. She wanted that. Her gaze took in the lab. No one was here. So would it matter?

“Nice to meet you, Chet.”

His smile broadened and he slowly lowered his hand, placed his fingers on his thigh, and squeezed his… Oh my! Was that what she thought it was? A hard dick the width and length of a paper towel core lay against his thigh under his hand as he squeezed the roundness.

“No, not Chet. Chester.” His voice low and husky then laughed at her.

Her gaze snapped to his face.

His eyes flamed with blue smoke. “Only those bound to me call me Chet.” He winked.

What? What was he talking about?

“Oh.” Did he say bound? Her brows drew together, and her nipples pebbled hard. She wouldn’t mind being tied up by him as he did wicked things to her, if that was what he meant. She wanted to relive the memories in her soul. To relive his kiss.
He shifted and crossed his legs at his ankles as if waiting for her to say more. She stared at his black Cole Hanns, then let her gaze go higher, up his long, lean legs, until she reached the zipper to his pants. His hand still covered the ridge on his thigh and his thumb traced the tip of his erection.

The image of his long, naked legs tangled with her short plump ones flashed before her and she gasped. His hips rubbing her bottom, the hot skin of his dick pressing into the pucker of her ass. A wave of heat and cold washed through her body and she grew fevered and clammy all at once. She struggled to breath and squeezed her butt cheeks together. Yum. Anal sex was one of her favorites. She shivered. What an image.

Warmth infused her cheeks, and she slowly raised her eyes to meet his again. One of his brows inched up in question and his smile grew bigger, mocking her. Were her thoughts that obvious? His lips twitched and his chest vibrated as if holding in a chuckle.

“Yes, dear. They are.” He reached out and wrapped his searing fingers around her wrist, then pulled her hand to his cock.

Grin. Hope you enjoyed.
Lacy.

Hi All!
Lacy Danes here. A little bit about me…

I signed with A back in October of 2005. My first book WHAT SHE CRAVES released in March of this year. Took along time from sale to release! I have a novella, KISS OF THE DRAGON, in the SEXY BEAST III anthology that releases in September 2007 as well as another single title called ANIMAL LUST that will release in March of 2008.

I write historical, historical paranormal, and contemporary paranormal, erotic romance. Phew… that was a mouth full.

What I love about writing this genre is the attention to the 5 senses. Smell, Sound, Sight, Taste, and Touch.

Watching two lovers make love…seeing their arms and legs shake and quiver as pleasure is sought and captured, feeling that same trembling against your own limbs as you provide that pleasure and seize you own. The smell of your lover, of sex and cunny overwhelming your senses, and the sounds…moaning, whimpering, groans, the sharp intake of breath as sensations overload, skin rubbing and wet wet wet…

It is all amazing, rich, sensual, sexy… Mmmmmm.

That is why I write what I write… I love all those sexy details that flood the pages of erotic romance. Since I started writing this genre, I am much more aware of all those details in life. In ways I feel writing erotic romance has made me appreciate and savor more sensations than I had before I began my journey. Though I was always a bit of a sensation lover! Grin.

Why do you like to read Erotic Romance? Why do you enjoy writing it?

Hugs and Kisses,
Lacy.

PS.I am also Blogging over at The Spiced Tea Party today… come on by and say hi!