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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

All Things Being Equal...

What a week! As a proud Iowan, I’d like to point out that now you can get T-Shirts that say “New York: Finally as gay as Iowa!” (Check out RayGun). Twitter was abuzz all week long (well, at least the peeps I follow) with updates on the voting in the New York Senate. I’ll confess I didn’t really expect victory this time around, even though I’d heard it could happen. I’m thrilled to be proven wrong.


Our son, who lives in New York, was headed for bed when he saw the news on FaceBook. He rushed to the nearest subway station and was on the street outside the Stonewall Inn within half an hour of the news, a celebration beyond words. And what a perfect prelude for the NY Pride parade a mere two days later, Sunday the 26th – in fact, a stunning way to celebrate the entire month of June as Pride Month.


Last night I heard one of our local speakers remind us that the battle isn’t over until the other side quits fighting. Here in Iowa, there is constant pressure on legislators to amend the state constitution as a means of reversing the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision affirming marriage equality. And even if the day comes when all fifty states recognize marriage equality, the vast number of federal rights that come with being married will still be unavailable to same sex couples unless there is recognition at that level.


Both halves of Adriana will keep working for that day. Meanwhile, we’ll keep on writing our LGBT characters and giving them the happy endings that anyone in love deserves.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Coming Out of a Writing Slump!

I think I've done it. I've made my way out of a long writing slump. And it all started with finding Vince a last name. And George, Gina, and Garrick finally have last names. LOL

It wasn't until I was rereading Meeting A Neighbor's Needs and A Neighbor's Ultimatum, that I realized I had completely ignored giving any of my characters a last name. Not that it was really all that important. The threesome and friends didn't need last names to burn up the sheets and explore all kinds of kinky fun.

But this time, I needed last names. For Vince's story -- if you read ANU (A Neighbor's Ultimatum) you may recall he was the friend who helped Gina decide what to do with her husbands -- I couldn't continue calling him just Vince. And the same went for the three Gs (George, Gina, and Garrick).

My heroine for Vince though, is a regular mixed bag of tricks. Triss Long loves sex -- but only on the pages of her novels. She's a spunky erotic romance writer who **gasp** has never had sex! But Vince is more than happy to change all that.

And so much more.

This book, novella really, even if it's only 32,290 words and 112 pages long is a big road marker for me.

It's the first book I have completed, start to finish, in a year. Actually in over a year. In the last nine months, since completing the final draft and most of the edits on Rite of First Claim, my writing well has been empty. Without water or inspiration.

I've had ideas, but nothing panned out. Now, I feel like a success again. I feel energized and ready to take on another project.

Maybe something.... paranormal?

All that matters is THE END has been typed and I'm ready to turn the page to something new. (At least until the edits arrive. LOL **insert smiley face here!!**)

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Help Support It Gets Better by EM Lynley

To celebrate Pride and to support a great cause, It Gets Better which helps support GLBT teens in order to prevent suicides, I'm going to donate my royalties from all copies of two of my titles sold during June! At the end of the month, I'd like to share a list of everyone who buys one of the titles and the amount I've donated.

1. The Sweetest Christmas -- short, sweet and hot enough to melt chocolate... and it's only 99cents. (Since I can access sales stats for this title, I can see exactly how many copies are sold during June. But I'd appreciate if you let me know you purchased so I can add your name to my list. Email me at em AT emlynley.com)

It's Christmas and Jake brings Erik home to meet his family, but he's got some surprises in store for his nervous boyfriend. Take one hot, naked blindfolded guy, add a deviously creative boyfriend and mix in a bowl of truffles and an empty house on Christmas Eve, and you'll get the sweetest Christmas you've ever seen (or tasted!). Will Jake's family figure out what he and Erik got up to when everyone else gets back from Midnight Mass?

Buy at All Romance eBooks

Buy at Amazon

Read an excerpt

2. Emerald: Rewriting History 1

Tobin Wyler is about to open the most significant exhibit in his career as a curator, and everything is going perfectly until he spots his former boyfriend chatting with his most important contributor at the black-tie reception. It goes from bad to worse because not only did Pierce Worthington once break Tobin's heart, but he's suspected of being the elusive art thief known as Jaguar, and Tobin knows his target is the highlight of the exhibit: an enormous emerald known as the Green Sorrow.

Pierce is torn about seeing Tobin again. He is expected to obtain the emerald, but he knows it may damage Tobin's reputation. What Pierce doesn't expect is how quickly old feelings about Tobin rise to the surface. Hoping to ease Tobin's fears and spend time with him, Pierce offers to let Tobin keep a constant eye on him for the thirty six hours leading up to the exhibit. Thrown together again out of necessity laced with attraction, Tobin must figure out how to protect the emerald, his reputation, and his heart.


EMERALD is available from the usual places: publisher (Torquere), Amazon, ARe, Fictionwise, so I won't have accurate numbers for what is sold in June. Royalties are highest direct from Torquere so if possible, please purchase from them. If you buy this title, please email me to let me know where you got it, so I can calculate the amount of royalty to donate. (Email me at em AT emlynley.com)

Available from Torquere Press, Amazon, Fictionwise, or ARe.


Read an EXCERPT


EM Lynley writes gay erotic romance. Her latest novel is Thief of Hearts: Tempted in Thailand, and you can visit her online at http://www.emlynley.com or http://www.facebook.com/emlynley.



Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Spam Spam Spam, Everywhere You Look Spam

Just today, after recognizing a new source of ever increasing, usually nuisance, but often dangerous serial emails, I decided to write about spam. Or should I say Scam.

You know spam, where some persistent character tries to impose their will on you by daily—it is daily isn't it? It sure seems like it!—barrage of unwelcome emails. Or where some nefarious foreigner—it has to be a foreigner doesn't it? An American would never do that to a fellow American, would they?—tries their damnedest to get something from us.

Something?

Yeah, you know, some idiot, probably in Africa, usually from or representing Banco Faso in the Congo…I think, wants to give us a zillion dollars 'cause we're good guys and all we have to do is send them a couple thousand of our hard earned money to facilitate the transaction. What's that saying about a gold mine?

Anyway, there must be bigger idiots than them who buy their crap because like the energizer bunny the spam keeps on coming and coming or is it going and going. What's more, like a popular TV show there have been spin offs. You know where you are the winner of sweepstakes or contests you never entered, that may or may not exist. My favorite is where I was a winner of—get this—an IBM contest for ten zillion dollars. What's that saying about too good to be true?

Other consumer conscious companies that regularly have contests to share their largess run from petroleum giants like BPI (of the great Gulf of Mexico oil spill) to American Express and many generous companies in between. However, I'm still waiting to win a couple zillion from a Wall Street giant. I guess the contest spammers don't use scalawags that are bigger than them. Everybody knows Wall Streeters would rather pull down their pants and sit on a hot iron than cut into their sacred bonuses.

Then there's the dangerous spam purported to be from innocent senders like Yahoo, UPS, USPS, Discover card and so forth. The list is as endless as the scammers imagination, just like some authors I know. Hmm, I wonder—nahhh!

You're not gonna believe this. The other day I actually received an email from—get this—the IRS. (Isn't that against the law—impersonating a government agency) When I say I, I mean Dee Dawning, my pen name. Now I wish he could so I didn't have to, but I guarantee you Dee Dawning never filed a tax return, never gave an email address and never paid a cent to the Internal Revenue Service. The fact is Dee Dawning is a fictitious person—who wins contest, sweepstakes and helps little old widows spend their money.

Of course, though they sent me an email and knew my email address, like all spam letters, they never addressed me by name. That's because, while spammers and scammers may have your email address, they don't know you from Adam.

That's all for now folks. Maybe in another blog I'll go over the steps I use to cut down on spam etc. In the meantime…I have a new book that I just know you wanna hear all about.

BLURB

Picking up where Angel Love leaves off, Randy weaves his spell of dominance and protection over beautiful black haired, blue eyed Mysta Ree as he had over equally beautiful April and Angel. Reintroducing her to the alluring, exciting, glamorous life of a high priced call girl, she had all but given up, she is anxious to please Randy and herself. Therefore, she resumes the life she, April and two other friends left behind seven years earlier, when as college juniors, the four had spent a debauched two week spring vacation as escorts in Las Vegas.

Mysta Ree is the long awaited third book of the very naughty, popular Consequences series. Those who have read April Showers and Angel Love won't want to miss the very sexy followup.


Warning: There are extreme sexual situations in
this book.

Buy link

Mysta Ree $2.00 off

SEXY EXCERPT

"April agreed, but just as we were about to leave for Fancy Girls, her phone rang."

"Yes, Randy."

"Ah-huh. The three of us are at Houston's eating and catching up."

She lowered the phone from her ear and handed it to me. "He wants to talk to you."

I took her phone and placed it by my ear. "Yes, Randy."

"Hi babe. It's going to be a gorgeous night tonight. Meet me at the zoo at six-thirty. Have April drop you off. I'll be waiting for you beside my car in section C. It's a black G35 coupe. April knows it."

"What should I wear?"

"You wear the same size as April, right?"

"Ah-huh."

"Go with her to our apartment. She has a short gold skirt and halter. Borrow it from her. Wear your hair in a long pony tail too. And Mysta."

"What?"

"No panties."

Shivers coursed through me. "We're not going to have sex in public are we?"

He sighed. "It's part of your initiation."

I whined, "Randy, I can't do that."

"Six-thirty, I'll be waiting." His voice had an edge to it she hadn't heard since Vegas.

"I just can't." The phone was silent. "Randy?"

Angel and April looked at me with obvious concern.

"He hung up. What's his number?"

"Scroll down the stored numbers to Randy."

I did and pushed call. He answered, but all he said was, "If you don't come, it'll go hard on you," and then the line went dead again.

"What happened?" asked Angel, worry shading her eyes, "Did he answer?"

I nodded. "He said it'll go hard on me if I don't show."

"You don't even want to think about defying him. Where does he want you to meet him?"

I looked up at April. "He wants you to drop me off by his car at the zoo by six-thirty. He wants me to borrow some clothes from you."

Angel said, "We better get going then."

* * * *

An hour later April and I dropped Mysta, at Randy's black sports car. Dressed in his usual black, he tossed his cigarette when we pulled up and got out. Mysta looked sexy and splendid in April's low cut gold lamé skirt and halter with matching two inch wedge sandals. Her shapely but lean form and three foot long, black pony tail enhanced her overall appearance.

She looked like a princess out of an animated Walt Disney movie, but I knew beneath her demur countenance beat the heart of a wanton harlot, like me.

Nevertheless, when she unlatched the door and got out, she acted nervous as a cat locked in a dog kennel.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

GCLS in review

Last week I attended the annual GCLS (Golden Crown Literary Society) conference. It was just my second year attending but this year I knew what to expect and had the pleasure of helping to usher in a whole new crowd of virgins.

The con serves several purposes. First and foremost it is a convention dedicated to the advancement of lesbian literature. The authors and fans are there specifically because of their interest in well written, high quality lesbian centric stories. We don't have to fight for visibility like we would have to in a mainstream event. There is a sense of pride that attending the con gives me every year. A freedom I don't normally have, especially in the small backwoods bible belt town I live in.
The attendees welcome one another with open arms and sexual orientation takes a back seat. Sure there are plenty of lesbians that attend, afterall it is lesbian books that are the focus, but bi's and guys and anyone with an interest in lesbian stories is welcome to attend.

For the readers and fans it is a chance to interact face to face with the author's that occupy space on their e-readers or their bookshelves. For the authors there are classes and panels and readings, plus vendor tables where we can pimp our wares.

Newbies to the con are considered virgins and they have a whole individualized set of events and panels tailored just for them. During downtime we talk shop and browse the vendor room and just enjoy each other's company in an atmosphere I am only priveledged to enjoy once a year. No matter what sub genre we write it is so refreshing to attend an event where writing about women that love other women is not only okay but the norm.

After hours, when everything shuts down, several of us night owls got together for fun at the bar and some downtime in the pool and hot tub. (I will never live down losing my panties by the pool but we did find out how many lesbians it takes to run off the homophobes in the jacuzzi. It took us seven. LOL)

The event culminates on Saturday night with the Goldie awards and then a dance. (On Friday an author auction was held. People bidding on the authors that volunteered to get up on the block, with the proceeds going to GCLS. The highest bidder wins the first dance of the evening on Saturday after the awards with their author.) Now back to the awards. Earlier in the year nominations are sent in. Then the list is sorted down into finalists for each category. Saturday night we find out who the winners are and who had the best lesbian books of the year. Sad goodbyes are exchanged later that night or at the brunch on Sunday and then everyone makes their way home and tries to make the estrogen high last twelve months until the next con.

The event just gets better and better. The hotel this year left a LOT to be desired and cost an arm and a leg but this was our last year in Disney so now we can move on to less pricey accomodations in hopes of better and better turnout. GCLS 2012 will be in Minnesota.

My point is this. If you are a fan, reader, writer, publisher, reviewer, etc... of lesbian literature and you are looking for an event tailored to your genre of choice. look no further. GCLS is it. Membership is cheap and the benefits are many. Our new board is really working hard to turn things around and bring GCLS into the spotlight. Lesbian books are not the path to getting rich. The authors write lesbian stories because we love them. It's that simple and we need an event like GCLS to bring the community together. We need to get the word out.

For more info about GCLS and their mission statement and to get in on the fun visit:
http://goldencrown.org/

Hope to see you all next year in Minnesota.
Beth
www.bethwylde.com

Women Gone Wylde now available!

Friday, June 17, 2011

I had a thought recently regarding some of my work. To date, my biggest selling story is Gift of Her Submission and even after I wrote a few more romantic bondage and submission stories, even after two years, the book still sells more than my combined royalties from the previous releases I’ve had through Sizzler Editions. for a book that features some masturbation bondage, wet pussy and a lot of dominance while intertwined heavily with the traditional romance novel plot.
While I like the cover of this book, it’s not my favorite to come out of Sizzler Editions. It does say everything I was trying to convey in the three stories about love and breaking free of the past while embracing a new way of being from a strong dominant.

But the newest BDSM romance that came out two weeks ago, Forced Pleasure just might be the story that captures that magic formula once again.
First off, the cover is to me pretty great. It fits, the women in both stories are bound by old behaviors and beliefs but more so is Francine, the beautiful yet older woman who is trying to control Micah and her Nicholas. But Nicholas sees a need in her and Micah that needs to be acknowledged.
The story came about while talking to my producer about a funny predicament in her life during the latter part of Fall of 2010. Essentially it’s a tribute book to her because I do love her and hopefully even though her story involves an unplanned four way, it hopefully should be an expression of that love.
Just like Gift of Her Submission. Tell me, for those who have read both, what do you think?

Buy Gift of Her Submission
Buy Forced Pleasure

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Falling in love ... with a secondary character

Of all the elements that make up a story, one I tend to notice a lot is the secondary characters. Setting is important, as are conflict, plot, and main characters, but the secondary characters often elevate a story from good to great -- at least for me. They can add color to the background of the story, provide support or additional strife for the main character, or give some much needed comic relief. They can be family members, antagonists, friends, or random strangers. In some stories and series, I become so familiar with them that the secondary characters starts to feel almost like family to me.

While reading a romance, I also enjoy trying to figure out which secondary character may get his or her own story next. A good stand-alone story can turn into a great series if there are enough compelling characters with stories to be told.

My love for secondary characters shows up in my own work. Often, a character I don't think is important decides he ought to be the center of attention, and starts clamoring for his own story. In my Fantasies series, a throwaway character in the second story informed me afterward that he was, in fact, the main character of his own story. The blink-and-you'll-miss-him scene Teddy Christopher had in Fantasies: Independence Day should have been the end of it for him, but he took on a life of his own. He went from a simple plot device to a full-fledged character then, and I had to write a story for him. The result was Fantasies: Thanksgiving.

My upcoming release is another example of a secondary character deciding he was too important to play second fiddle to someone else. (Notice I didn't say I decided...he ran the show!) In Quinn's Hart, a pushy little character named Clay attempted to catch the title character in a rather over-the-top fashion. Clay was meant to be comic relief and additional conflict rolled into one small package, but after I finished the book he stayed with me. I kept asking myself, why would he behave that way? He's a chatty sort, so it wasn't long before I knew his whole backstory. Then, of course, I had to write a book for him.

Anybody else out there love secondary characters? Can you recommend any books or series with really great ones?

Cassandra Gold
Gay romance with a heart of gold
www.cassandragold.com

Clay's Challenge will be released July 3 by Amber Allure.

Blurb:

Tired of being judged by his appearance, Clay Pennington decides the time has come for drastic action. Partying and one-night stands have gotten old, but how’s a boy supposed to find someone when nobody looks beyond his surface to the man inside? A wilderness retreat seems like just the ticket for proving he’s more than everyone else believes—until he actually gets there.

Everything is a lot more difficult than he expected, including the man he’s partnered with for the week. Sexy, surly Trent Raines is a puzzle Clay would love to solve, but the man pushes him away at every turn. Totally out of his element and stuck with a survival partner who barely tolerates him, it’s not long Clay starts to wonder if he’s made a huge mistake.

If Clay can get through the week, he just might find himself…and a lot more.

Monday, June 13, 2011

The Pleasures Of The Flesh


Pleasure is the beginning and the end of living happily.
- Epicurus

Pleasure is the only thing to live for. Nothing ages like happiness.
- Oscar Wilde”

We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.

- Charles Bukowski

Do you enjoy pleasure or do you deny yourself?

Pleasure gets such a bad rap. The stoics in America want to deny all of us our Seven Deadly Sins. I certainly don't confuse pleasure with happiness, but I don't deny myself pleasure for moral or religious reasons. To do so, in my opinion, is both stupid and totally unnecessary.

My characters Charlotte and Lina in Neighbors are two fine hedonists, and they don't apologize for it. They first appeared in my short story Neighbors, published in Torquere's Vamps anthology. I incorporated them into my short freebie story Filthy Leuker. They will also appear in my upcoming sequel to my best-selling novella Feral Heat.

Charlotte and Lina, however, turned the meal into a bacchanal. Both of them gorged on hors d'oevres. Steamed mussels soaked in their juices. Raw oysters glistened, slick and swollen. The mollusks looked like bowls full of aroused women flashing their tiny pussies at Annie, whispering promises from their puckered lips.
The women asked Annie if she wanted to order some shrimp or some calamari or a slice of pie. Apparently the lemon meringue pie was, to use Charlotte's description, "lethal." She declined. However, that didn't stop them from plying her with a clam here, a mussel there, and several slices of lobster, including one claw.
Charlotte picked up a sliver of lobster, and slid it slowly into Annie's mouth. She inserted her index and middle fingers with the meat, careful not to stab Annie with her long nails. Was this how Charlotte would treat her pussy? Soft and gentle, probing every inch of tender flesh. Fingers moving slowly. In and out. Annie wrapped her tongue around Charlotte's finger and sucked the butter from her skin. Salt tickled her tongue and coated the walls of her mouth. Lina brushed a finger against Annie's cheek, catching a drop of butter before it dribbled down her chin. She lapped the prize from her finger like a kitten nuzzling its mother's milk.
She was quite surprised at her dissolving priggishness. She was also a touch alarmed at how quickly her thighs melted around these two. Her guard was definitely down, and she couldn't decide if that was good or bad. Charlotte and Lina were incredibly difficult to resist. Their mood, which was always up, was infectious. They smelled of sea breezes and that musky sweat that comes only from women. She found herself both aroused and relaxed in their delightful presence.
Both women, especially Charlotte, had taken to punctuating their conversation by touching Annie's hand or brushing their cool fingers against her arms. Lina stroked Annie's hair whenever she had the chance, which over the course of the dinner become increasingly frequent. She preferred to stand a few inches too close to Annie's face. When Lina spoke or breathed, Annie smelled the sweetness of vanilla. Lina liked imported Mexican vanilla in her coffee. The good stuff. Musky, moist, and brown, like her skin. Annie wondered what her mouth tasted like after that first cup in the morning. Probably sweet and warm. What a way to wake up from a good night's sleep.
In the end, Annie relented and ordered a slice of the lemon meringue pie. The sharp smell of citrus shocked her nose. As the cool filling slid over her tongue, she tasted the chilled smoothness of meringue, the tang of lemon, the heavy perfume of beach rose, the crispness of sea grass. Her mouth puckered, and her nostrils flared. She felt her nasal cavities swell in anticipation of the next forkful. Charlotte was right --it was lethal. That had to be the best lemon meringue pie she had ever tasted.
All of her senses had locked in overdrive. Food tasted rich and hearty when she spent her time with lively people, which she had noticed was far too seldom in the past few years. Could be that it was time to do something to change that. She wondered if she could handle it.
Illusion is the first of all pleasures.
~ Oscar Wilde

Pleasure is Nature's test, her sign of approval. When man is happy, he is in harmony with himself and his environment.
~ Oscar Wilde

Gotta love Oscar! I agree that most pleasure, like wealth, is illusion. It's a state of mind. I feel very wealthy and pleasant although I'm not rolling in money. My favorite vices are lust, gluttony, and  sloth. Heh heh. My husband is a gourmet cook and we're always on the lookout for interesting gastromonic delights. Once we have our major bills paid off, I'm buying us Benedictine, a black French winter truffle, and a molcajete for him to use in the kitchen. And none of this need cost much. You just have to know where to look. Like I said, wealth is an illusion. You make yourself feel rich and happy. Everyone has heard of miserable millionaires. Granted, having enough money to pay the bills and not be evicted is a good thing. While I believe wealth is an illusion, poverty is very real. And painful. I don't like pain.

But I do like pleasure.

In America sex is an obsession. In other parts of the world, it is a fact.

~Marlene Dietrich

My characters love pleasure, especially sexual pleasure. The feel of oil massaged into your skin. The warmth of a lover lying atop you. The vibrations from a sex toy in your most sensitive places. Why deny yourself? Those who read erotic romance novels won't deny themselves the carnal pleasures. Even eating can be an erotic act. You read my excerpt from Neighbors. Charlotte and Lina make love to their food.

What are your vices? The sweetness of a succulent peach with juice dripping down your chin? Spice of a decadent liqueur? Sensual dance moves? An erotic massage? Tell me in comments.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Beginnings and Endings

...She sat on the edge of discovery, breathlessly anticipating the future yet hesitant to leave the familiar past...

Who is this girl, and how many of us have felt those butterflies of hope as we wing toward a new beginning in a new place?

It's me!

In a fury of packing, living among boxes and house paint, I can't wait to embrace the new adventures before me. We are relocating the entire family to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. Yes, the same wild, primeval, rainy area in which Stephenie Meyer based her popular Twilight series of books.

It is certainly an area that inspires the imagination, I can vouch for that. Wandering through the rain forest near Forks, WA, I could picture all sorts of creatures hiding just beyond sight, waiting for the humans to pass so they could continue their lives unhindered. Dwarves, elves, pixies, you name it--this would certainly be the place for them!

And the rugged, windy coast there is so beautiful in the stark fierceness of Mother Nature at her finest.

Yet along with the excitement for the future, I hesitate to let go of the familiar past. We have lived in Northern California for the past 10 years, and I grew up here as a small child. I love the history of the Gold Rush area, the rolling hills and mountains, and friends I have grown to love.

In many books, the hero or heroine both fear and anticipate the "New Beginning" before them, whether it is a physical, mental or emotional beginning. But somehow, throughout all the trials and hurdles they have to pass over, under or through, it all works out right in the end.

I'm hoping my new beginning ends up happy, too! What about you? Do you enjoy a new beginning, or stay happily in the past?

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Biting My Nails & Swinging My Hair

Weird title right?
Well when this posts I will officially be on my way to my first writing conference ever. That's right I am attending the Golden Crown Literary Society conference in Orlando this week! I'm biting my nails because I'm a bit nervous. Since this is my first one I don't quite know what to expect. Luckily Beth Wylde will be there to hold my hand and guide me through the happenings. I am volunteering with registration so I'll meet and greet a lot there I'm sure.

My latest lesbian work, which is also my first lesbian anthology full of my work, was released at Renaissnace Ebooks last month. I have a few short lesbian erotic stories there as well. Check them out.

This is only the second time I've been able to network with other authors in person. The first was a Georgia RWA meeting that I absolutely loved but it is so far away from where I live so I haven't been back.

The swinging my hair comes in because I plan to relax a bit while I'm there and maybe even visit the pool. I don't take a lot of ME time and it is unusual for me to go somewhere without a packed van/truck and tons of family. k

Wish me well and please leave me a few tips. I'm sure I'll need them. If you're around Orlando next week- drop by and say 'hey'!


Kissa Starling
www.kissastarling.com

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Restoring My Faith



By A.J. Llewellyn


I hired a friend to restore a fallen-down closet two weeks ago and the results have been a close disaster. I am nowhere near getting this thing finished and I am in despair it will ever get done. My friends and loved ones keep asking, "Is it done?" and I am trying my best not to have a meltdown.

The problem is I've never spent so much money before and I know how many books I had to sell to save the money to do this project. Not that I had a choice, since the closet fell apart. The top shelf came down, the clothes pole fell...I just wanted those things fixed, then the closet doors came of their rungs. Mind you, they are forty years old (as old as me!) so they were bound to start falling apart (like me!).


I got a couple of estimates and I try not to think how much better those contractors might have been..especially the guy who came up with the idea of creating extra shelf space. I gave the work instead to a dear friend who needed the work.


Yep, my contractor is a close friend...or, at least I thought so. Now I feel taken advantage of. I feel like Murphy Brown with Eldin, the house painter who wouldn't go away. Except I suspect Eldin smelled a little better.



I think this has been a good lesson in something...not sure what. I know it's interfered with my productivity and probably ruined a 20-year friendship. Yeah, yeah, friends and money don't mix they say, but I happen to have great working relationships with friends who are my co-writers, etc.


They don't however, hang out in my bedroom taking ten years to add a few shelves and a pole to a closet. Nor do they spend mysterious amounts of time doing God-knows-what in the bathroom.


Actually, my dad reminded me on the phone last night of an old Australian movie called, The Plumber. Ivar Kants, a wonderful, underused Aussie actor plays a malevolent plumber who arrives to work on a woman's bathroom, then ruins her home. And her life.


"Be nice," my father warned.


I will...but my faith in this experience has started to be restored. I'm coming up with my own ideas for revenge. On paper that is. I can kill the guy and not get arrested for it. I can kill him...in a closet!!


How about you? Any of you had experiences bad enough you get revenge via fiction?


Aloha oe,


A.J.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Pen Names

Both available @ www.extasybooks.com


Are pen names important in helping to sell a book?

How many authors reading this blog use a different pen name based on the genre they write? Some might want a pseudonym for their sweet romances and a different name for the erotic romance with the sexy scenes. Do readers remember a catchy name and look for it the second time they check out books at a certain site?

What type of pen name does an author choose? Is it simple or complicated? In my opinion, an author should select a pseudonym that is catchy and hopefully when you see it you won’t soon forget it.

I use my pen name for everything that I write whether it’s sweet or an erotic romance. I feel anyone not wanting to read the erotic work I produce can skip over it and head for the sweet romance category that I write.

I don’t believe I could switch back and forth between pen names. To me, it’s too hard to establish recognition with just one name and keep a following looking for the books with your pen name on the cover.

These are questions for authors. How did you choose your pen name? Does it have to be exotic or plain and simple?

And this question is for readers. Do you select a book solely on the cover and title, or does the pen name play a part in your selection?

http://www.mary-suzanne.blogspot.com
http://www.webspawner.com/users/Romancewriter/index.html

Be sure and check out my latest release of Strange Visitors due out on June 15th from www.Devinedestinies.com. The short is a sci-fi/romance.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

How Hot Do You Really Like It? by EM Lynley




As a reader of erotic romance, it's often difficult for me to know just what mix of romance and erotica I'm going to get when I buy a book. As a writer, I struggle with knowing whether I have the right mix of story and smut to get published. Not all my stories need lots of explicit sex scenes, and some of my stories are nothing but sex. I once even had a story rejected because it didn't have enough sex in it!

So, out of curiosity and a former economist's love of statistics, I did a poll on my LiveJournal blog to see what mix of romance and erotica readers want, and what mix writers are actually writing.

Here's the poll: http://emlynley.livejournal.com/94820.html. It's still open so feel free to vote. You can use a Facebook or twitter login if you don't have an LJ account.

What the numbers said
I'm not too concerned with the actual numbers, and more with the trend and comparison between what readers like and what writers are doing.

Readers came out with an average of 4.81 (1=sweet romance/no sex, 10=pure erotica/no relationship).

Writers write an average of 5.50.

So what does that mean?

Writers are writing hotter than what readers are looking for, and they are writing hotter than they themselves like to read! Some respondents were both readers and writers, and almost every writer indicated they like less sex in what they read than in what they write. I was one of the few who like to read more sex than I write. Part of that is because I don't put a huge amount of sex in my work anymore. But I admit I like reading it, only if it fits into the story properly. I love hot sex scenes, but I don't want to read 100 pages of the strung together. There is a nuance to the numbers here.

I didn't attempt to adjust for story length. I find shorter work has a higher ratio of sex to story than longer work, and I believe readers also want this. We read shorts for a quick thrill, and we read novels for more layers of plot and character. At least I do. Your mileage may vary!

Is this useful?

It makes me wonder if perhaps publishers are actually expecting and publishing more sex in books than readers really want to read. I know certain pubs are more well known for hotter work, but is that what readers want, or are they just buying it because they can't find the mix they really prefer?

My Own Conclusions

As I grow as writer, I find myself focusing more on story and character and while it's still an erotic romance, I don't find the need to throw the guys into the sack as often. I like writing adventure/suspense and I've also written a few sequels lately, so it's given me a chance to explore established relationships more, and when you follow a couple around for a few books, it just seems a bit rude to keep spying on them in the bedroom!

What do you think?

Do think there is too much sex in erotic romance? Do you find yourself skimming sex scenes and wanting to know what happens between the couple when they are not in bed? Do you look for more subgenre work like adventure, mystery, paranormal so you can get more plot and story between the sex scenes?

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EM Lynley writes gay erotic romance. Her latest is Thief of Hearts: Tempted in Thailand, described as "gay Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone." Visit her online at http://www.emlynley.com or email her at em @emlynley.com