Monthly Archive for May, 2010

Still Motoring

Published on May 31, 2010 in Writing. 0 Comments

I think summer is a challenge for writers – well, for me at least. I have so many things that I love to do outside, it’s hard for me to stay in front of my computer typing away. I mean, who wants to sit in a basement when I could be outside in the warm sun…gardening…walking the dog…

And while I do have a laptop, I have the attention span of a crow and wouldn’t be able to concentrate if I was outside writing.

That said, I’ve been making steady progress on Letter of Marque, the sequel to No Quarter. I also have another BDSM novella in the works, and while I can’t give you any of the details yet, I am sooooo excited about that project. It will be big! Epic! Involves more than me!!

Letters is turning out to be an interesting story from my perspective. I have one character who I know very well – Mace for those of you who’ve read No Quarter. The other two men have been interesting to learn about. The little buggers have also changed on me! Alec is becoming much more analytical and yet passionate than I’d expected. Byron is still a smart ass, but he’s developing more protective qualities than I’d first intended. I like them! There will be some tweaking to do, but I think they have finally come into their own.

With luck, I’ll have the first draft finished in two weeks. If things go well, then I’ll have the final version off to my editor by the end of June! *does a snoopy dance*

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather where you are.

The Kobo – After the Honeymoon

Published on May 24, 2010 in Review and Technology. 4 Comments

I’ve had my Kobo e-book reader for three weeks now. As most of you know from my original post on the device, I was one of the crazy/lucky people who preordered it. This was a sight unseen thing for me. I learned about it from a co-working on a Monday, and punched in my credit card that night. My motivation for this was primary the price point. At $150, I figured I could handle a lot of imperfections.

Three weeks later, I thought it would be good for me to talk about my experience with the reader to date.

Pros

One of the best things about the device is the size and weight. This baby is light! It’s also the perfect size to stick in my purse and I won’t have to worry about being weighed down. The Kobo itself doesn’t come with a case. They now have them available for $29 at Chapters. The cases are Roots brand, leather on the outside and soft on the inside. Now I have no worries about the screen getting caught.

The Kobo has an SD expandable memory slot. Speaking as a pack-rat who also had ADD, this is one of the best features for me. I’m a multi-book reader. I have about four on the go at any one time, and will choose which one to read dependent on my mood. With the expandable memory, I don’t have to worry about running out of room.

I was a bit hesitant about the buttons on the device. I like touch, as buttons have a tendency to wear out and break. So far, the button navigation is smooth and simple. Based on use so far, I’m anticipating the “forward” button might wear down after time, but for now it’s good.

Navigation on the device is intuitive and very easy. I’ve never been stuck trying to go someplace on the device. If I can’t do something on a certain page, it will tell me the feature isn’t available here.

The battery for me has been amazing! I’ve just charged it for the first time since I got it and started reading. That’s three weeks of fairly steady use, twelve hours of which were on a plane. One thing to remember with any battery, make sure you drain it to completely empty before you charge it up. This will help extend the life, which is extremely important where it’s embedded and not something you can change on your own.

Over to the e-book store. The selection is great. I have been able to find every book I’ve wanted so far. From Supernatural to Mary Balogh, everything has been there. They seem to have signed up for the agency model based on the pricing structure. Some e-books are in the $12-$15 range, but they appear to physically only be available in hardcover. The rest of the prices seem to be between $4-$9. That is more in line with what I’m willing to pay.

Getting books onto the device is stupid easy. I haven’t had a glitch yet.

Cons

Hey, nothing’s perfect. There are a few things that do stand out for me with the Kobo.

First, there was a batch of devices sent out with dud batteries. If you were one of the unlucky people who had one of these, don’t give up. Kobo has been switching them out with new batteries. Make sure to get in touch with them.

More than a few times I’ve been reading a book, pressed the advance button, waited, and nothing has happened. I’ve had to press it again, and occasionally a third time to get the page to advance. I don’t think this is a hardware issue, but rather software. Honestly, I haven’t checked to forums yet to confirm this, but I will.

I don’t buy all my e-books in the same place (hello EC addict!), so I was a bit frustrated when my .epub format books purchased from other vendors wouldn’t increase the font size. I have no problems getting them on the Kobo, and they do work, but I’m slightly blind and need a bit bigger font (no old jokes please). There is a workaround to fix this, and it can be found here on this Ultimate Kobo Tips & Tricks Thread . Number 4 is what you need. I’m hoping they will have a software fix for this soon because while the fix isn’t hard, it’s a pain in the ass. And I’m lazy.There is also a tip there to help you remove the 100 free books. Yes, I do want to read them, but not right now.

One pet peeve I had was around a lack of case. Yes, it was only $150, but a cheap case to protect the screen would have been great. I bought the uber Roots one (I got the pretty turquoise one), so for me it’s really $180. Still, cheaper than the Sony, but I had to make two trips (again, lazy).

One thing I don’t like about the online Kobo store, is the inability to purchase more than one book at a time. This is more about how I’ve grown accustom to doing online shopping, than a glitch in the system. You browse, you see something you like, put in the shopping cart and keep browsing. With Kobo store you browse, see a book you want, put credit card information in, buy it, keep browsing. Now you can keep your credit card information stored online so future purchases are faster, but in today’s age of identity theft, I don’t like to do this. I’ve had my card information stolen from vendors in the past, yes I’m protected. Yes, it’s a huge pain in the ass. When I emailed customer service about this, they responded by saying this is how it is, but they are considering a shopping cart for the future. They better get on that fast before they lose customers.

Other Observations

The buttons are very sensitive. This is both good and bad. I find I’m occasionally selecting a book I didn’t intend. Not a big deal, but then it leaves the book on the home screen as a “currently reading”. I don’t know an easy way to clear this other than going to the last page in the book and advancing. That marks it as read and removes it. Problem with this, I won’t know if I’ve actually read it or not.

Verdict

Given the price, ease of navigation on the software and the selection of books, I think the Kobo is worth it. It’s no worse in it’s’ problems than my experience with the Sony 505, and a lot lighter. The e-ink is very clear, the selection of books is good, and the customer service has been very responsive. Over all, I’m still thrilled with my purchase.

And that’s it – the good and the bad.

Winners and Thank yous!

Published on May 22, 2010 in 10 For 10. 4 Comments

I’m sorry this was a bit later than I’d hoped. My Saturday started off busy and threatens to continue to be so. I want to thank all the authors and readers who stopped by over the past eleven days to help celebrate my tenth release.

The winner of a print copy of The Bond That Ties Us and an e-copy of Mistress Rules is CrystalGB! Congratulations Crystal! I’ll be emailing you shortly to get your details.

And while I have you all here, I’ll be posting some of my impressions of the Kobo e-reader, now that I’m past the honeymoon stage, on Monday.

Have yourself a fantastic weekend and keep reading!

*does a snoopy dance*

Ten For Ten Plus One – ME!!

Published on May 21, 2010 in 10 For 10 and Mistress Rules. 12 Comments

In a way, it feels a bit odd for me to be a part of this contest. I want to extend my sincerest thanks to everyone who has joined me over the past few days. It was an absolute pleasure to have you all here today.

Now…on with the show!

Mistress Rules is my tenth Ellora’s Cave release. This particular novella came as a result of a crazy writing weekend with Wylie Kinson, JK Coi, Amy Ruttan and Leah Braemel. Oh the fun we had…the wine we drank… *drifts off into fond memories*

Anyway! The goal of the weekend was to write. A lot. I had just finished up No Quarter, was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do for its sequel (which is called Letters of Marque and I’m almost done!), and needed to shake things up. I had the idea pop into my head about a Fem Domme named Stella.

Yeah, I know. Stella.

But she was so clear in my head, right down to her blue corset and thigh-high boots. Me being me, had to make it a sci-fi. I threw in some paddles, a few nipple clams and she was ready to go. All I needed was a hot guy. Liking Stella as I did, I thought she deserved more than one. Enter Ulric and Faris.

The writing weekend was a success! Mistress Rules was mostly completed by the end of the weekend. We had lots of giggles and I even won the best line of the retreat award – “She slapped his ass with a paddle.”

*grins*

I’m thrilled that Mistress Rules is now available from Ellora’s Cave.

Now it’s my turn for a prize! To celebrate my 10th release I thought it would be great to offer both my first and latest book. One lucky commenter will receive a print copy of The Bond That Ties Us and an e-copy of Mistress Rules. I’ll keep the contest open until I wake up tomorrow morning. So 8am ish…

Blurb

When Faris steps into his friend and mentor’s inner sanctum, he doesn’t expect to find Stella—a leather-clad Dominatrix. He can only watch as Ulric, the most powerful man in the sector, drops to his knees and throws himself at Stella’s mercy. Faris must decide whether to walk out the door, leaving his friend behind, or to put himself into the hands of a woman who demands nothing less than his absolute surrender.

Ulric knows Faris holds himself responsible for the devastating attack on the colony outpost. If Faris doesn’t learn how to forgive himself, the young man will be on the road to emotional disaster. His only hope is to convince Stella to bring Faris into their lives as another submissive. Ulric must now put his feelings for Stella on the line while holding tight to the man he desperately wants beneath him.

Excerpt

She ran her thumb across the inside of his wrist before releasing his hand to step back. Stella waited for him to turn and face her. Faris was a very attractive man. Brown eyes, high cheekbones, long arms—sleek where Ulric was bulky. She understood the attraction. Nodding toward the large chair in the corner, she ensured the smile was stripped from her face as she spoke.

“You may sit there. Remember, you are not to interfere even if you disagree with what you see. I will not say it again.”

He opened his mouth as if to protest, but snapped it shut and nodded his head. “Understood.”

Faris walked slowly to the chair, his eyes shifting to Ulric as he passed, but only for a moment. Stella didn’t wait to see him claim his seat, instead turning her attention to her charge.

“Ulric,” she said making sure her discontent was clear in her voice. “I am very unhappy with you.”

“I’m sorry, Mistress.”

“You have disobeyed me. Disappointed me.”

“Please, Mistress.”

Ignoring his plea, she strode to her chest of tools and opened the lid with a sharp tug.

There were so many options available to her, but it was important to select the correct one. Tonight wasn’t just about discipline or punishment. No, Ulric needed to be cared for, to learn his lessons once again. Whatever had happened out there, he wasn’t ready yet to hand over his control to her yet. It was her responsibility to do what was necessary to get Ulric to that place in his head where he could be free and find peace. What Faris’ role would be, she would determine as the evening progressed.

After a few moments of deliberation, Stella selected what she thought she’d need to start. If things took a different turn one way or the other, she could revisit her strategy.

The paddle was heavy in her hand—a comforting weight. Yes, this was a good beginning.

Turning, she was pleased when she saw Ulric had quietly stripped naked and resumed his position on his knees, hands locked behind his head and his gaze fixed on the floor. Stella slapped the paddle on her thigh, enjoying the echoing sound of the whack of wood on her leather skirt.

“You brought another into my home without my permission.” Slap. “You didn’t come to me dressed according to my wishes.” Slap. “You have forgotten everything I taught you over the past year.” Slap. “What should I do with you? Answer me!”

A shudder passed through Ulric. “Whatever you wish, Mistress.”

Ten For Ten Plus One – Tory Richards

Published on May 20, 2010 in 10 For 10. 7 Comments

As a reader, one of the things I love about Ellora’s Cave are the variety of new authors that I get to experience on a weekly basis. I think my husband would appreciate it if I didn’t experience quite so many at once. LOL! Tory Richards is a new author to EC and I’m pleased she is able to join me here today. One lucky commenter will win a copy of her book It’s All in the Jeans.

Hi everyone! It’s a pleasure being here today. I’m very new to Ellora’s Cave and so far I love my experience with them. I especially love my editor, who has been welcoming, and professional. She’s been great at passing on promotion information to the rest of us, keeping us informed of scheduled chats, and she seems to genuinely love what she’s doing at EC. I get the impression she’s available any time you need her. I’m looking forward to having a long working relationship with her. By the way, her name is Jillian!   I’m so excited to announce that my first Ellora’s Cave Quickie is due out in just four short days, on May 24th. If you like short, hot reads, and I’m guessing you do if you’re an EC follower, than please check out TALK DIRTY TO ME on the coming soon page at: http://www.jasminejade.com/s-50-coming-soon.aspx

Blurb -

Lilly has been in love with her brother’s best friend Blake for years. She lost her virginity to the oil driller on her eighteenth birthday, only to wake the next morning to find him gone. After he pulled that stunt twice more, she swore never to see or talk to him again. But now he’s back for her brother’s wedding, and he’s as sexy as she remembers.

Blake thinks Lilly’s even sexier than ever. Unable to resist one another, they don’t make it out of the airport parking lot before taking up where they left off. As the two rediscover their passion for each other, nothing and nowhere is off limits!

You can read an excerpt at: http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8369-50-talk-dirty-to-me.aspx

Please check out my other books at: www.toryrichards.com

Ten For Ten Plus One – Lissa Matthews

Published on May 19, 2010 in 10 For 10. 10 Comments

In the past year, I’ve made quite a few new friends over at EC. One of those is the very talented Lissa Matthews. I’m thrilled to have her joining me here today to talk about her journey to publication at EC. One lucky commenter will win a copy of Lissa’s book

Ellora’s Cave. I finally got in! My first acceptance with them came the last day of the Lori Foster Reader and Author Get Together in June 2009. The acceptance email went to my spam folder and I didn’t see it until I got home and looked in said spam folder the next day. I was overwhelmed. I could hardly contain my excitement and actually, I didn’t. I screamed. I kept reading the letter over and over and over again. I was floored. The book being offered a contract was The Demon is an Angel. I even printed the contract offer out and read it so many times the paper started to thin in some places.

And there aren’t enough words to tell anyone how I felt about my editor, Suz. We had an instant connection that is still there, now as friends, since she has since left Ellora’s Cave to pursue other goals. She was amazing to me, for me. She helped me see my writing as something special, as something that others would want to read and she was so encouraging and eager always to see more and more books from me.

When she accepted Simple Need, well…that was my ‘and the rest is history’ book. The response not only of Suz but of readers and reviewers was more than I could have possibly imagined. People talk about that book, about the hero Vinter, and are anxiously awaiting the release of Carnal Ecstasy which follows Vinter’s friend and business partner in the bar, Dallon. There is a third book being written as I write this which is about the third business partner, Jasper ‘Jaz’.

I have loved writing for Ellora’s Cave. I can write raw, open, very sexual characters that need or want to explore and I have a new editor who is so remarkable a woman, an editor, a support, a cheerleader and I can’t say enough about her.  I have been twice blessed with editors and that alone has made my experience there wonderful.

I have only been in this business for two and a half years and when I started, it was told to me more than once by more than one author that one of my goals should be to be accepted into Ellora’s Cave. It was for a variety of reasons they said this and I can honestly say that those reasons have all panned out for me. I know it’s not always a fairy tale for everyone, but for me, it’s been an awesome experience and one I hope to keep exploring and writing for.

My next book release with EC will be June 1 and it’s a Quickie titled The Swing.

Blurb:

Two years after his brother’s death in Afghanistan, Jethro’s handmade porch swing business is doing well, his hip injury has healed and he’s still in love with Caitlyn. He knows he should resist her, but can’t, and pulls her into his darkly sensual world of sex and spankings.

Caitlyn has grieved, created a life for herself and has finally come to terms with her need for Jethro, her dead husband’s brother. With no small measure of hesitation, she takes another fateful step toward him, daring him to turn her and their chance at happiness away.

You can find me on my website at lissamatthews.com, my Wicked, Whimsical, and Random blog at lissamatthews.blogspot.com. You can find my Ellora’s Cave books, Simple Need and The Demon is an Angel on Amazon for Kindle as well as on the Ellora’s Cave website.

Thank you so very much Christine for having me today!

Lissa

Ten For Ten Plus One – Nina Pierce

Published on May 18, 2010 in 10 For 10. 25 Comments

The lovely Nina Pierce has joined me today to help celebrate my upcoming release. I want to say a special thank you to her for participating, even after she hurt her elbow. HUGS!!

Thanks so much Christine for letting me join in this fabulous celebration. Congratulations on your tenth book with Ellora’s Cave, that’s quite an accomplishment.

When I first sat down to seriously pen a novel five years ago I knew my muse was clamoring for me to write romance and it seemed we always tripped over a dead body or two along the way. But when she decided (after too many umbrella drinks and days of flirting with the cabana boys) to throw open the bedroom doors and let readers experience the physical love in the romance … well, she totally hit her stride and my erotic romance stories were born!

My first story with EC came out a year ago. It is such a pleasure to write for them. I have an amazing editor who totally understands my visions and brings out the best in my stories. (Though my poor editor has totally given up on comma placement … I’m a lost cause in that arena, distributing them randomly like pepper from a shaker.) I’m having fun combining erotic romance with both suspense and a touch of the paranormal.

My newest release with Ellora’s Cave, Bonded Souls is a prequel in my Shifting Bonds series where the cougar and wolf shifters of Montana are fighting for control of the lands on Coppertip Mountain. I love these shifters. There’s power and beauty and something oh so sexy about a hero who can turn himself over to his animal instincts.

Here’s the blurb …

After discovering her boyfriend is married, veterinarian Jayda Kynslan decides to give up on men. She has every intention of planting her feet firmly on the path of celibacy—right after one more night of shameless sex with a stranger. A vacation in Montana would certainly ease the pain of betrayal and offer her anonymity.

Police chief and wolf shifter council leader, Cole Takoda, needs a break from investigating the murders of shifters plaguing his town. When a beautiful stranger seduces him at the local tavern it’s more than a tryst…it’s uncontrollable desire. And Cole can’t stand it. To top it off, their quickie becomes a revelation of shifter secrets and unfulfilled prophecies.

The discovery of a dead man in the forest behind Jayda’s rented cabin thrusts her into a foreign world of animal shifters and murder and the man she thought was only a casual diversion seems to be the only one willing to hear her side of the story. Jayda’s just not sure if Cole’s going to take her to jail—or his bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Cole and Jayda’s story continues in Bonded by Need also available from Ellora’s Cave. I’m hoping to have the next story in the series out late summer 2010.

Check out all my books at http://www.ninapierce.com

I’m offering a little prize pack as part of Christine’s celebration. Tell me how you feel about the paranormal genre. Are you drawn to it? What specifically do you enjoy? Are you tired of specific characters? I will choose one person at random from the commenters who post here between now and noon EDT on May 21 to win this pack.

Ten For Ten Plus One – Emma Petersen

Published on May 17, 2010 in 10 For 10. 9 Comments

There are people who you will meet and you’ll just click. I honestly don’t remember when I met Emma, but I’m so happy I did. From our occasional YouTube link swap sessions, to wonderful chats, I’ve really grown to appreciate having her around. One lucky commenter will win a copy of Make Me Remember!

I’m so honored to be part of Christine’s Ten celebration. As usual I got this blog post to her like five minutes ago. For a chick with no 9 to 5 you’d think I’d have way more time or be better organized.

I haven’t reached my Ten with Ellora’s Cave yet but I look forward to the time that I do. I can still remember when I was writing my first sub targeted toward EC. I was so nervous and to be honest, scared. Scared of rejection. Isn’t that a writer’s life? Anywho, my first book was Master of the Game and I just celebrated my third, with my fourth coming up soon.

My third is Make Me Remember. The story I call my reincarnation story. All of my stories are personal but this one a little more so. This one started with a dream nearly a decade ago, ten must be a lucky number today, and was just re-released last week. Here’s a never before seen excerpt just for this occasion.

Thanks Christine for asking me to be a part of your Ten celebration.

Emma Petersen

www.emmapetersen.com

www.emmapetersen.com/blog

Blurb:

Hannah Bryant has always been different.

Since she was a child, she’s had vivid dreams of dreams of death and loss. It’s years later and Hannah is now a successful doctor. In a flash everything she has worked so hard is in danger when the dreams return with a vengeance.

Only the dreams haunting Hannah’s sleep now are nothing like the ones that plagued her as a child. There is no blood, no death and no loss. Just a man who solicits a reaction from Hannah’s body that’s strangely familiar and startlingly brand new at the same time.

Excerpt:

“Gabe! You startled me.”

His lips quirked and I could tell he was fighting not to smile. “Sorry about that.” But from the way he drew out the words, I knew he was anything but. “Have any interesting dreams lately, Sunshine?”

“Hannah. My name is Hannah, Gabe. Not…” I ignored his question and let my sentence drift off, unable to say the word.

Gabe hit the switch on the wall, and the garage door whirred shut, plunging the two of us in darkness.

I swallowed hard and my breathing quickened.

It wasn’t so dark that I couldn’t see, and the light coming from my open car door helped. I watched him walk toward me in the dim garage as if it weren’t his first time being there.

“You gonna shut the car door…Hannah?” The way he drew out my name made it sound decadent as a thick, rich dessert he couldn’t wait to gobble up.

Ignoring the question, I clutched my purse tighter. “What are you doing here, Gabe?”

“What do you think I’m doing here, Hannah?”

Oh, God. My pussy clenched and I could feel myself become wetter. Pressing my thighs harder together, I answered his question with a question. “Could you please stop saying my name like that?”

He chuckled and took a step closer to me. “Like what?”

The need that had been so relentlessly riding my body all week doubled and my pulse throbbed in my every erogenous zone. My breath shuddered out of me and I whispered, “As if you’re hungry and I’m on the menu.” I wanted to take back the words as soon as I said them and the gleam in his eyes only made it more so.

Prying my purse from my nearly numb hands, he tossed it onto the driver’s seat.

“You can’t stand out here all night, Hannah.”

Yes, I could.

And I would, rather than go in the house, when he was sure to follow, where there was a couch and, worse, a bed.

“Uh…I’m thinking of going to get something to eat.” It was a lie, but he didn’t need to know that.

“Yeah, I am, too.”

I gasped and didn’t know if it were the arousal clouding my mind or the heat in his voice that made me think it was me he talked of eating.

A moan came unbidden from my throat as flashes of his mouth and tongue on me replayed in my mind. I didn’t protest when he took my hand and walked me around the open car door. Bumping it with his hip, he slammed it shut and pulled me to him.

“You have any idea what I should eat, Hannah?”

Jumping away from him, I backed toward the door that led to my entryway. “Gabe, I have to-”

I wasn’t able to finish my sentence, because he grabbed me and drew me back to him.

“Where are you going? You’re moving so fast it’s almost as if you’re running from something. Are you, Hannah?”

“No, of course not,” I whispered as I took another step back, only to hit the wall behind me.”

You look guilty. Are you? Did you do something you didn’t have any business doing?” He pulled me back to him again until my back was against his chest and he rasped softly against my ear, “Am I going to have to frisk you?” He placed his hand against my back and bent me over until I was splayed over the hood of my car. Putting my hands beneath me, I pushed up, only to have him take both my wrists in his hands and pull my arms outward until they almost stretched the length of the car. “Maybe even handcuff you?”

You can buy Make Me Remember Here!

Ten For Ten Plus One – JK Coi

Published on May 16, 2010 in 10 For 10. 14 Comments

I’m very lucky to have not one, but two AWESOME critique partners. JK is the other fool…err…I mean friend, who looks over my stuff to make sure I’m not boring you all to death. Not one is she an awesome writer, but another person who watches Supernatural with me! One lucky commenter will receive a copy of The Morning After.

Hi everyone!! I’m very excited to be taking part in this super-cool celebration for Christine’s 10th Ellora’s Cave release (Woot!! YAY!!)

Because this is her 10th EC book, it might be fitting to tell you all 10 things you may not know about me. (And may never have wanted to know about me—but now that’s just too bad!! Hahahaha!!)  I thought of telling you 10 things about Christine…but she might not speak to me again, and I need her (She’s my most awesome critique partner J )

  1. So for starters, you may not know that I didn’t always want to be a writer. In fact, although I did love to read from pretty much day one—you can see me gumming Gone With the Wind in my cradle, can’t you?—I went through many different phases on the road to self-discovery, including the ballerina stage (no coordination), rock star stage (tone deaf), and the archaeologist stage (fear of…dirt). Then there was the legal-eagle stage and that one was where I stopped for a while.
  2. I’ve studied environmental law, family law, the most hated of all laws (real estate), commercial litigation, insurance litigation, intellectual property law, and estates—and yes, I’ve also worked in each of these fields of law at one time or another.
  3. Speaking of work…yes, I have a day job. Yes, sometimes it drives me nuts. But in the long run I actually enjoy it (although I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to work only 3 or 4 days a week). Why would I want to get up at a brutal time of morning and put on uncomfortable clothes to drive through traffic to a stuffy old office every day? The truth is that I’m a very introverted personality and being forced into the public for my job is pretty much the only reason why I would leave the house at all. If I didn’t have that, I might just become…weird (shut up, Christine). (Christine: *clamps her hand over her mouth*)
  4. Having told you about that particular idiosyncrasy of mine, I guess I can also admit that I hate spiders. Hate. It so happened that when I was about 6 or 7, my brother, sister and I were sentenced to the torture of an after-school babysitter (that woman’s two kids were horrible to me!!) The many and varied exotic pets belonging to our babysitter were actually pretty cool. I had no problem with the king cobra that lived in her glass coffee table, or the piranhas swimming in an aquarium beside the television. But the tarantula that got out of its tank on the bookshelf and jumped onto my shoulder totally scarred me for life.  (At least it was de-venomed)
  5. Whew. Are we only on number five?
  6. On our honeymoon, my darling husband (who shall hereinafter be referred to as “the Hubster”) and I went away for two weeks in Greece—our only vacation in 15 years. Despite having an amazing time touring beautiful places, eating fabulous food, and enjoying the most amazing weather, I was homesick about half-way through the trip because…wait for it… I missed my cat.
  7. The best gift I ever received was for my birthday about two years after I started dating the future Hubster. It was a plant stand. You see, I had seen one in a store about three weeks earlier and wanted to buy it until I saw the $300 price. Little did I know future Hubster went home that day and asked his father (a professional welder) to show him how to use the welding machine he kept in the garage, and then he designed and started to build me one of these plant stands. BUT, future Hubster only had weekends to work on it because he left to go back to university during the week. It turns out, his father thought he would do future Hubster a favour by finishing the project off for him, but when Hubster came home, he was so disappointed because he wanted to make it for me himself, that he gave the plant stand to his mother and started a new one for me (which still stands in my home to this day)
  8. All right, you’re going to get one story about Christine. (Can you tell it’s getting harder to pretend that I’m interesting?)  You may not know that we actually live only five minutes from each other and our respective day jobs are located less than five minutes from each other—on the same street.  It’s great when either of us needs a lunchtime plotting session, or when the bosses are being extra…bossy. J
  9. I’m a Leo. That says a mouthful right there, and it happens to be my excuse for an interfering, controlling and attention-seeking personality. :D
  10. And of course, last but not least…I have a release with Ellora’s Cave as well!!

The Morning After (http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8066-622-the-morning-after.aspx)

Waking up naked in bed with a man’s arms holding you close wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing…except when that man is your husband.

Leslie has tried so hard to put Leo’s betrayal behind her—the ink was almost dry on the divorce papers. But when circumstances throw her in bed with her estranged husband one last explosive time, Leslie learns how quickly anger can turn to passion and hurt can turn to need, even while she knows there’s no way she can ever trust him again.

What Leslie considers goodbye, Leo insists is only the beginning. But the damage between them runs too deep, and sometimes, the only thing more devastating than the night before, is the morning after…

J.K. Coi
www.jkcoi.blogspot.com

Thanks again to Christine for letting me share with you today. Now it’s your turn! Tell me one interesting thing about yourself for a chance to receive a free copy of The Morning After. I hope you’ll all check it out and that you enjoy it, but whatever you do, don’t miss Christine’s release, Mistress Rules.

Ten For Ten Plus One – Rhian Cahill

Published on May 15, 2010 in 10 For 10. 10 Comments

I had the absolute pleasure to meet Rhain at the 2009 Romantic Times convention last year. We had a great time chatting about books, writing and generally chatting. I was absolutely thrilled when I found out she had sold to Ellora’s Cave. I’m just as excited to have her here with me today. One lucky winner will have the choice of Coyote Home or one of Rhain’s backlist (which all rock!).

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Wow! Am I really here? *pinches self*

Thanks so much for allowing me to take part Christine and I can’t believe it’s been more than a year since we met in person. RT 2009 was my first real look at what the romance publishing industry is all about. It was a very enlightening experience that’s for sure. I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful authors, reader, editors, pirates, oh wait that’s another story. *grin*

Anyway, at the time I met Christine I hadn’t found the gumption to send anything to Ellora’s Cave yet. I’d thought about and after the great time I had in Orlando with quite a few EC authors I knew it wouldn’t be long before I went knocking on EC’s door. That first knock was truly scary but I had some great friends encouraging me and well I just knew if I wanted to make my goals as a writer I had to do it.

So I pulled up my big-girl panties and sent off Coyote Home. OMG! Somebody pass the bucket! Can you say nauseous? Within days of sending that first submission my life was thrown into absolute chaos. Hubby informed me that his work was moving us back to Sydney, Australia. We’d been living in Singapore since 2007 and would be returning home in 2010. Not an easy job when you’re the mother in a family of 7 with 3 cats. So when I received the email from the editor offering me a contract I actually didn’t believe it.

*Hangs head* I honestly didn’t think I’d read it right and had to email my close friend Nicole Austin to see if she could make head or tail of it. LOL I laugh now when I think of how mad that time in my life was. For months I’ve been chasing my own ass and still I’m not sure I’ve caught it. Sure, we’re in our house and the kids are settled back into school and work but could someone tell me what year it is?

Then last month came the light-bulb moment for me. I awoke to an excited email from my CP, Mari Carr, it took me a few minutes to decipher as there was a lot of squeeing going on. It seems I’d made the coming soon pages, well Coyote Home had anyway. So off I went to check it out. HOLY SHIT! (can I say that here?) I’m an author at Ellora’s Cave! *thud* No matter how numb I am from moving countries and unpacking boxes IT’S REAL! I didn’t dream it! There has been some serious bumps along the way but finally Coyote Home is available from EC.

Woot!

AND the lovely Grace Bradley offered me a contract for Coyote Wild just the other day too! Double woot! First round edits are done and I can’t wait to see the two stories side by side on my author page. OMG! I have an author page!
Okay, so obviously the numbness I’ve been living in for months now is wearing off. *grin* I’m so excited to be with EC I can hardly breath. Of course I’ve always got Hubby to bring me back to earth, he wants to know when he can quit work and be a kept man. LMAO In his dreams.

Even with all that’s gone on since I contracted my first story with EC I’m thrilled to finally be an author of one of the books I’d normally buy. Yep, for years I’ve haunted the EC site on release days as a reader. And now I’ve done it as an author waiting for my book to go live. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

Coyote Home – Rhian Cahill

Coming home was never going to be easy for Rowan Wilder, but after six years she didn’t think it would be this hard. First she can’t control her inner coyote, then she has to deal with her mate and the madman out to get them both. Determined to take her rightful place in the pack, Rowan must face each hurdle and succeed. To fail could mean losing her life.

Quinn MacClellan is more than ready for the return of his mate and he’ll do anything to keep her safe and by his side. He couldn’t protect her years ago but things are different now and he won’t let anything or anyone separate them again. Together they’ll confront all obstacles and ensure the future they both deserve.

Excerpt:-

Rowan came awake slowly. Surrounded in warmth, she wanted to stay asleep but something nagged at her mind, made her think she needed to get up now. Stretching, she arched her back and rolled over onto a warm body.

“Ah…” She leapt from the bed, got tangled in the covers and went down on her ass, hard. As pain radiated from her squashed rear end her senses kicked in and a familiar scent filled her nostrils. She groaned with embarrassment. Flopping back on the floor, she hoped Quinn had slept through her drama queen moment. With the chuckle coming from above she knew she was out of luck.

Quinn’s head popped over the side of the mattress. “Morning, Rowan. You’re one of those leap-out-of-bed types I see.” His smothered laughter made her want to strangle him. He knew full well she hated mornings.

“You’ve just scared ten years off my life and you think it’s funny?” Rowan tugged the sheet away from her legs and with as much dignity as she could manage, got to her feet and straightened her clothes. She wished she’d stayed on the floor when she looked at Quinn. Lying across the bed on his stomach with nothing but a strip of cloth covering his ass, he was every woman’s wet dream come to life. Her slumbering coyote sat up, and Rowan breathed deep, only to suck in another lungful of Quinn’s scent.

She fought to hold her beast back and remembered how hard it was when she’d learned to shift as a teenager. Using every trick she’d ever been taught, Rowan soothed the animal and held tight. Quinn needed to get dressed. In reality, it probably wouldn’t make that much difference but every little bit helped.

“Get dressed,” she growled between clenched teeth.

He scrambled out of bed, snatched his clothes from the floor and pulled them on without a protest. With all those muscles covered she would at least be able to look at him and pretend she was in control. Rowan eased back, unclenched her jaw and relaxed her arms and legs. Each small win over her coyote built her confidence, gained trust between her human and animal sides. But she needed to reward her coyote for behaving.

“I need to shift now. I’m in control, well as much as I can be at the moment, but I need to let her go.”

“Okay, change. I’ll be right here.”

His unconditional support went a long way to soothing both her and her beast. Taking a deep breath, Rowan made her first intentional shift in six years.

The snap and pop of bones moving filled the room, the last of the changes not as loud or as painful as the first ones. It still took her longer than it should for a coyote her age but the time had shortened since yesterday. Then again, they’d changed together. The first three times had been the beast inside breaking free. Rowan felt more comfortable, more connected to her wild side than she had before and with one leap, her coyote bounded onto the bed.

Standing on four legs, she surveyed the room around her, absorbed the differences between now and when she was last here. Other than the bigger bed, the furniture was the same, even the quilt was the one handmade by her grandmother. Her gaze landed on Quinn. He’d changed, broadened across the chest a little. The lines beside his mouth and eyes could be from stress or laughter but they didn’t detract from his appeal. They showed character and life. A life she hadn’t been there to share.

The need for him to hold her surged through her, to feel the heart beating beneath his chest and his strong arms wrapped tightly around her. Shifting back came easier, the speed with which she took human form sucked the breath from her lungs and she fell forward only to be caught before she toppled off the bed. A wall of muscle lay against her cheek, the drumbeat on the other side soothed Rowan’s need for closeness. The warm bands of muscle circling her back were like steel but she didn’t feel restrained. Quinn’s embrace was exactly what she needed.

They went from holding each other to devouring in seconds. Rowan had no idea who made the first move but when their lips connected it was like being struck by lightning. Every nerve sprang to attention and her blood rushed through her body, filling sensitive tissue to the point of bursting. Quinn’s tongue lashed out, darted into her mouth to collide with hers. Rowan took all he offered and asked for more.

Teeth bumped and scraped along lips and tongues, and breath became secondary to taking in the man holding her. Lack of oxygen forced them apart but didn’t stop the urge to take or the consuming need roaring to life inside her. They tumbled to the bed, legs entwined as hands pushed and pulled at clothing. From one breath to the next, Rowan’s only goal was to get Quinn naked. To feel his skin against hers—to taste every inch of him.

Bare flesh met fingertips and she sighed with relief but craved more. Her hands molded every slope, every muscle, as they explored the changes in Quinn’s body. So much was the same yet different. Hungry for more, Rowan followed her hands with her mouth. She skimmed his chest, stopped at one pebbled nipple to draw it in between her lips. She sucked hard and Quinn’s hips thrust against her, his erection cradled by the softness of her stomach. Her hand traveled down his hard abs to delve inside his pants.

She wrapped her fingers around Quinn’s cock, the hard length hot within her grasp. She stroked down to the root and cupped his balls before squeezing lightly. Mutual groans broke free as his sac pulled tight. Regaining her grip, she pulled her hand up to the tip, sweeping her thumb over the bead of moisture leaking from the slit. He pumped his hips and Rowan worked her hand up and down his rigid flesh, squeezing tighter with every thrust.

Desperation clawed at her. The passion neither of them had ever been able to deny exploded. She needed to taste him. To feel him inside her. Tugging at his remaining clothes, Rowan freed his cock and fought to move down his body. Quinn’s hands circled her arms stopping her descent.

“No. Christ. You do that and I’m a goner,” he panted.