Please welcome Adriana Kraft to the blog, author of LGBT Erotic Romance.  Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…

A: Erotic Romance - usually with bisexual heroines, often with ménage, polyamory, f/f, f/f/m, m/m, in addition to m/f. Characters that make you care about them, lots of hot steamy sex, and happy endings!

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?

A: My husband and I write together under the pen name Adriana Kraft. We’d been writing (and revising and editing and going to workshops and pitching to publishing houses and agents) for about five years before we received our first contract.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?

A: Oh my! I’ve fallen in love with so many of our characters and their stories, it’s hard to choose! Colors of the Night (Extasy) is close to the top. The Love Goddess Aria - who we thought was our invention, but now I’m not so sure - rescues a contemporary couple from the brink of divorce by teaching them the ancient secrets of sacred sex. I’d love a coach like that in my life! I think the other one is Writing Skin (also at Extasy). Our bisexual heroine Luci is romanced by a married couple. I was amazed at the themes and tensions that emerged in that three way relationship, very complex and very tender.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?

A: Anything can spark a story. A few years ago our son was in the hospital unexpectedly for several weeks in a southwestern state so we took turns being there with him and were inspired to set a story there (he’s fine now btw). We’ve both had some Shamanic training, so sometimes the paranormal seeps into a story through those practices. Once on a road trip we saw a trucker drop a woman off at a rest area and watched her walk to a parked car and take off - believe me, we had several scenarios developing instantly, and have turned one of them into a finished manuscript.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?

A: The most important one: If this is what you truly want to do, never give up. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Devote yourself to it - learn the craft, hone your skill, send your work out for feedback, keep writing and revising and editing and submitting. Some of the world’s greatest authors went years before anything they wrote was accepted. The writing journey is not a lark for your amusement - it’s very hard work, but your dream is worth it.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you. Read the rest of this entry »

Please welcome Annabel Joseph to the blog. Annabel is the author of BDSM romance novels Comfort Object, Mercy, Owning Wednesday, Firebird, and Cait and the Devil.  Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.

A: You are very welcome. It’s my pleasure!

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…

A: I write BDSM contemporary romance, and most of them contain some aspect of the art world. I love the arts and I love creative people, so I find almost all my stories end up being about dancers, painters, photographers, actor and performers, etc. I also try to write characters that you might know or meet in everyday life, characters struggling with the same relationship ups-and-downs my readers might face.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?

A: Oh wow. I’ve been writing for quite a while, and even worked with some writers in collaborations and screenwriting projects before I took the leap into trying to write and publish a novel. But I was lucky I suppose - or maybe all the previous experience just paid off. The first book I submitted to a publisher, Comfort Object, was picked up.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?

A: This is kind of weird, but I would have to say my favorite is Cait and the Devil. I say it’s weird because it’s the only non-contemporary story I’ve ever written, and really a strange mixture- BDSM set in Middle Ages Scotland. I just decided I wanted to write about some of my favorite long-time fantasies — the helpless but plucky damsel-in-distress, and a strong, surly Scottish warrior in a kilt. I created this story of Cait and her “devil,” a reclusive much-feared Scottish baron that she is basically forced to marry sight unseen. He turns out to have dominant tastes, and Cait of course, is submissive to the core. I created a wonderful little story for them with humor, love, a great villain, a bit of a “domestic discipline” dynamic between them, a little mysticism, and a highly satisfying resolution. I love it because it’s so romantic and because the heroine’s innocent misconceptions are really hilarious in parts. But I also love it because it’s different from everything I’ve ever written or read.

Out of all my BDSM contemporaries, I would have to say Owning Wednesday is my favorite. People wrote to me and said, Annabel, I cried. I sobbed. I cry too when I read it. It’s not a sad ending, just really poignant. Firebird is a close second for the same reason. It’s just really emotional at the end.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?

A: I used to be better at writing on the fly. When I first started, before I showed my work to anybody, I could churn out page after page anywhere, anytime, with kids hanging off me, people interrupting me. It didn’t matter, I just wrote and wrote. But now that I write for an audience/editor, I’ve become so much more careful that I usually don’t do good writing unless I have some extended quiet time. Sometimes I wish for those un-self-conscious writing days back!

I will say that I do some of my best writing when I’m comfy and cozy in bed.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?

A: I get my inspiration from so many diverse places, I had to think about this for a while. But I think the strangest, weirdest, most awkward source came about when I was writing Owning Wednesday. I was struggling to flesh out the character of the heroine’s first, more detached dominant. I happened to be working on a screenwriting project at the same time, collaborating with a much older man who was a college professor. I started to think about how hot the professor/co-ed fantasy could be — and believe me, this had nothing to do with this other writer, because I wasn’t physically attracted to him at all. But I decided to make “Vincent,” my character, into a college writing professor and I gave him many of this other guy’s characteristics, including the way he talked. It was pure laziness, and now I regret it because when I read Owning Wednesday, he is there in that book in a highly sexualized version, when he was more like a fatherly mentor type to me. Ick. Even worse, we had a terrible falling out a few months afterward, and now I really despise him. So be careful who you base your characters on, because they’re there forever in the pages of your book. And I certainly hope that writing partner never learns my pen name! He would recognize himself in that character in an instant, and I would never live down the embarrassment. Really, I would just die.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be? Read the rest of this entry »

Please welcome Ava Rose Johnson to the blog, author of Coming Home, Beauty and the Beasts and Lucy’s Neighbors.  Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and offering a copy of Coming Home to one lucky winner today!
Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…

A: First of all, thank you so much for having me here today! I write erotic romance in a number of sub-genres including contemporary westerns, paranormal and sci-fi. I love mixing it up, it keeps things interesting!

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?

A: Well I’ve been writing since I was a kid, little bits and pieces. I started focusing on writing with the intention of getting published about two years before I received the first contract. It was a wonderful feeling!

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?

A: That’s like asking me to choose between my children!!! I honestly don’t have a favorite, they all have a special meaning to me.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?

A: I need silence. Peace and quiet really gets my juices flowing. I can just lose myself in the story.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?

A: I have a golden rug in my bedroom that inspired

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?

A: Keep going, don’t give up and find a critique partner who you can trust with your work!

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?

A:  Ah, the evil day job. It’s a necessity in my life, mainly because the vast majority of my writing gets done at night! If I didn’t have a day job, I’d probably sleep all day and turn into a recluse. Evil as it is, the day job prevents that from happening. J

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?

A: Oooh, only 3? Okay, Jake Gyllenhaal would be top of the list. Also in there would be the very delicious George Clooney. And a little bit of Robert Pattinson to satisfy the cougar in me!

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?

A: Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough hits the spot every time.

Q: If you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?

A: Well, I’m actually working on a couple of sequels at the moment. The next in the ‘Beauty and the Beasts’ series from Loose Id needs to get finished.  It will tell Rowena’s story and I’m loving it so far! I’m also working on Ethan’s story. He was a character in my book ‘Breaking’ Ground from Ellora’s Cave.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)

A: My latest release was actually my very first release with Samhain! Coming Home is about two young men who are brought together by a shared grief. It takes place on a sprawling ranch in west Texas. And one of today’s commenters will win a copy! Hope you all enjoy the excerpt and thanks for having me here!

Excerpt:

He strode out of the kitchen and through the foyer and groaned. On the other side of the screen door stood Cade, a six pack of Bud at his side. Damn.

Summoning all the patience he could muster, he took another step forward and pulled open the door. Cade looked up from where he’d been studying the porch floor and visibly jumped. Brett raised an eyebrow and waited.

“Thought I’d stop by,” Cade finally said, pulling himself together. “Guess we have a few things to talk about.”

“Guess so.” Leaving the door open, Brett headed back into the kitchen and leaned against the kitchen counter-top. He folded his arms across his chest, watching Cade as he followed him in. At least he’d taken the damn suit off. Dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, the kid almost looked like he belonged on a ranch. Even the dark blonde curls that had been perfectly slicked back at the funeral were hanging loose, almost reaching his collar.

Cade held up the beers and then placed them on the table. Without waiting to be asked, he sat on one of the chairs and slung his arm over the back of another. “Busy day?”

“We’re always busy.” Brett glanced at the remains of his sandwich that were sitting in the middle of the table and felt another stab of annoyance. With this guy sitting in his kitchen, he’d lost his appetite.

“Saw Jimmy on my way up here. Looked pretty tired.”

Brett narrowed his eyes. Arrogant son of a bitch. What was he trying to say? That he worked the old man too hard? “Jimmy’s tough as nails,” he bit out. “If he thought I was working him too hard, he’d say so.”

Cade frowned. “Did I say you were working him too hard?”

“Forget it.” He pushed away from the counter and stood in front of Cade. Why did he always have to get so defensive around this guy? As kids they’d always gotten along okay, though they’d moved in different circles. A two-year age gap was a big deal in high school and he hadn’t wanted Cade following him around every second of the day. He still didn’t want that. “Could you get to the point already? I need to take a shower.”

Cade seemed to stiffen in his chair and his blue eyes dropped to Brett’s sweat-covered torso. Brett didn’t know why but he felt a sudden urge to cover himself up.

“Take a shower,” Cade said, his eyes returning to Brett’s. “I can wait.”

He scowled. What could he say to that? Besides, despite the fact that he wanted this kid out of here, they had a lot to figure out first. And he didn’t want to be shirtless and sweating while they did it.

“Fine,” he said, grabbing the remnants of his sandwich and throwing it in the garbage. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

Leaving Cade lounging in his chair, he headed upstairs, unbuckling his belt as he went. He removed his socks and pants in the bathroom and then stepped into the shower. For five minutes, he let the hot water blast the tension from his muscles, but as soon as he turned it off the tension hit back full force.

This was going to be a long night.

Cade didn’t know what he’d expected when he’d rung the Miller doorbell ten minutes ago, but he definitely hadn’t expected to be greeted with the sight of Brett’s naked chest. As he’d stared openly at the expanse of sweat-slick muscle, he’d barely been able to string a sentence together and he could only thank the Lord Brett had been too pissed off to notice the thickening bulge in his pants.

Always the sucker for punishment, Cade glanced at the wooden counter-top where Brett had leaned against minutes before with his arms crossed over his solid chest. The position had made his well-formed biceps bulge and the angle he’d rested his hips against the counter had pushed his pelvis forward, accentuating the lines of muscle that disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans.

Cade shook his head. The way his mind worked, no wonder he was still hard even though Brett had been out of sight for more than five minutes.

Clamping his left hand over his balls, he reached for the long-neck he’d opened with his right. He brought it to his lips and drank long and deep, letting the cold beer wash down his throat and soothe the burning within him. If he could just pull himself together before Brett came down…

Too late. Brett’s footsteps on the staircase echoed in the foyer. Cade gripped his bottle, focusing on the label as Brett stalked into the kitchen. The clean, soapy scents of shampoo and shower gel swirled around him. Nothing fancy, simple and masculine. A perfect match to Brett’s personality. Cade’s grip on the beer bottle tightened as he held it up and forced a smile.

“Couldn’t help myself.”

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To learn more about Ava Rose Johnson, please visit her website: www.avarosejohnson.com

Please welcome Keira Andrews to the blog, author of Voyageurs. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: I write m/m romance.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but had never really considered being published a possibility. However, after being laid off from a hated job (a blessing in disguise to be sure!) I took some time and decided to write a novel. That was Love Match, which was published by Loose Id. It was my first submission and I was thrilled when it was accepted.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: Hmm. That’s a tough one! I love all my stories for different reasons. If I had to go with just one, I think it would be Daybreak. Writing it was a challenge that I really enjoyed.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: Yes, I generally need to be alone. Ideas will come to me anytime and I’ll jot them down in a notebook I always carry in my purse. But to sit down and write, I need peace and quiet.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I do have a day job, but it’s thankfully not evil. I’m a writer for a charity, and it’s very rewarding work.

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: Hmm. Probably “cock” because there’s just something satisfying about it. Saying it, I mean! Although it’s certainly satisfying in other ways, too.

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Travel! Without a doubt. I have a huge list of places to visit.

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: Doing the dishes. I hate it because it’s the eternal chore. At least you only have to vacuum once a week! Dishes are every day.

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Probably what we Canadians call “Kraft Dinner,” otherwise known as macaroni and cheese.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My latest book is called Voyageurs and is a historical tale about two men from different worlds who have to work together as they canoe a thousand miles through the harsh Canadian wilderness. This was my first historical and it was great fun to do the research. It definitely won’t be my last.

Here’s an excerpt:

There would be no fire that night, so they quickly ate a cold dinner. Jack couldn’t wait to reach Grand Portage and have proper meals again. When he returned from relieving himself in the woods, he saw that Christian had pulled the canoe farther up the riverbank. One end of the overturned canoe was perched on a low rock. Christian unrolled a large, oilskin tarp over it. He glanced over at Jack. “This will keep the rain off.”
Jack’s heart skipped a beat. “We’re sleeping under there? Both of us?”
Christian’s expression hardened. “I’m not sleeping out in the rain.”
“Oh, no! I wasn’t suggesting you should.” Jack felt so flustered and dim-witted. “It just looks… small.” He was always saying the wrong thing. The thought of sleeping next to Christian in such close quarters set his pulse racing. They’d slept under the stars until this point, with plenty of ground between them.
Christian grunted a response and disappeared into the forest. The rain had slackened a bit, but Jack was still eager to take cover. He crawled under the tarp and the canoe. Although the ground was sodden, it was a relief to be out of the elements.
A few minutes later, he heard Christian’s approach. Jack couldn’t see much under the shelter, and he tried to squeeze himself over to one side. Christian shimmied in beside him, and although Jack had been practicing a deep breathing technique he’d picked up in India, his body still reacted. Christian was mere inches away and it was as if Jack could feel the heat of Christian’s body.
Jack took a ragged breath. Christian’s voice was loud in their little shelter. “Are you ill?”
After clearing his throat, Jack replied, his voice shaky. “No, no. I’m fine. Thank you.”
Christian rolled over, his broad back so close to Jack. If Jack shifted only a tiny bit, his shoulder would press into Christian. He wondered if Christian would move away. Soon Christian snored lightly, and Jack reminded himself that he needed to rest. He was exhausted, and yet sleep refused to come. He listened to the rain on the tarp and Christian’s deep, steady breathing. He could reach out so easily…

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To learn more about Keira Andrews, please visit www.keiraandrews.com.

Please welcome Barbara Elsborg to the blog, author of eight erotic novels for Ellora’s Cave, one romantic comedy for Cerridwen Press and four paranormal erotics for Loose-Id. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: Almost anything! Erotic and straight romance including contemporary, paranormal, sci fi and also suspense. The erotic romances are MF, MFM and MM. I don’t have a favorite. I like to write something different every time I start a new story.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Do I have to admit to this one??? Years and years. Too long but in fairness, once I started to write erotic romance it was a matter of months. I was lucky that the first erotic novel I wrote was accepted by Ellora’s Cave and if it hadn’t been for you, Mandi, I wouldn’t have even tried my hand at it! Critiquing an excellent story of yours inspired me to try and write one of my own.

( *blushing* Barbara is exaggerating. )

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: Strangers. http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-7827-506-strangers.aspx
I simply fell in love with the hero, Charlie, who is so flawed and yet so loveable. He’s a guy who’s turned being a bad boy into an art form. It takes the equally loveable Kate to make him see the man he can be. The two characters start off by trying to commit suicide and that’s about as unusual a start to a romance as I can imagine. I treat it with humor which is tricky but I think it works. I’m most proud of this story. I also LOVE the cover and it’s currently in a competition for the best contemporary romance cover of 2009. www.covercafe.com/contest/2009/coverintro.shtml If you agree it’s the best – please vote for it!

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: Not really, though I do always sit in the same room which is full of books and a piano that sometimes distracts me. But I don’t write so well when it’s hot. I prefer to read then.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: I went on a skiing holiday to Austria and took a trip under the ice of a glacier. It sounded great in theory but it was a confined space, very slippery in ski boots and I had to go up and down ladders. The guide only spoke German and I freaked out. I wrote a Quickie for Ellora’s Cave – called Snow Play – based on my experience. Should be out soon.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Don’t give up reading! It will make you a better writer. I hear so many people say –”I never read”. I really don’t understand that. Even if you don’t want to read in the genre you write in – you should read something else. Judging other’s stories will help you make yours better.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I write full time but my evil day job used to be one where I sold cyanide. So very evil!

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: Oops I think I just gave that one away with the cyanide but how about this – I once danced on a dead dog by accident. It was under a pile of sand. Only when I saw the little paw flapping by my feet did I twig what I was doing.

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: Fuck. I only write it – never say it but my characters can’t help themselves.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: Nope.

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A: You know, I’m really boring. I am SO picky about who I find good-looking. No one currently ticks all the boxes. Except maybe the guy on the cover of ‘Strangers’. I’d jump on any or all of my male characters, particularly two at a time.

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Everyone I love would share it. I don’t want the money myself. Martyr is my middle name. My only indulgence is books.

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: Does shopping count?? I hate that. I send my husband but I have to put up with the fact that he brings back stuff we don’t need and because he likes a bargain, we end up with three or four of things we don’t need.

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Marmite on toast.

Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A: Nope. I like so many. I couldn’t choose. But I like feel-good movies not ones that end sadly. I’ve never watched Titanic!

Q: If you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: I’m working on a paranormal ménage for Ellora’s Cave, involving a vampire, a were-vamp mix and a something else. It spoils the plot to say what the something else is as it’s a mystery for most of the book. The story is called – tentatively – The Small Print – and it’s about a vampire who buys a house and doesn’t read the fine details on the contract and ends up with the ‘something’ living in his attic. It’s a light hearted story – as all mine are. I try to make them as funny as I can.
The other story that’s in edits is with Loose- ID and it’s a paranormal ménage too. The last in my Trueblood saga. It’s called ‘Fight to Remember’ and is about a woman who loses her memory every time she falls asleep, a vampire who’s been trapped underground for years and a were-cougar who’s indentured to a demon and forced to fight to kill in a fight club.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My latest story came out with Cerridwen Press on the 29th April. It’s called Digging Deeper and is the funniest thing I’ve written. It’s not erotic so it’s not typical of my stories in that respect. The two main characters have huge problems getting together whereas mine usually are together fairly quickly! But as with all the others, it’s funny.

The Blurb!
Archaeologist Beck isn’t expecting much to come out of this summer’s dig. While his colleague spends the summer in Italy, Beck draws the short straw supervising a group of archaeology students excavating on the grounds of Hartington Hall in Yorkshire. Little does Beck realize when he saves a redhead from the attentions of an amorous ram, that this accident-prone female will throw his ordered life into chaos.

The last thing Flick needs in her life is a digger, because some secrets are meant to stay buried. Very deep. But Beck is irresistible. She’d love to get him into bed, though after the incident at the swimming pool, the collapsing wall, the snake bite and the unexploded bomb—a hospital bed looks more likely. As their relationship lurches from one disaster to another, Beck has to delve deep to get to the bottom of this irrepressible redhead.

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8303-digging-deeper.aspx

An Excerpt from Digging Deeper

Cursing under her breath, Flick dropped to her knees in front of a rose bush and leaned forward to check for greenfly. She’d be shocked if she found any. The damn things wouldn’t dare land in this garden, but she’d had her orders. Perfect roses only. Flick gently turned a bud in her fingers and something cold and wet nuzzled up the back of her skirt. She shrieked and thrust out her hands as she lurched forward. Flick managed to save her face from kissing the soil but not the rose head she’d been inspecting. Flick looked back at her assailant and gave a nervous laugh.
“Where did you come from?”
“Baaaa.”
“Ah, Baaamuda? Or maybe Baaarhain? Baaanstaple?” She was on a roll now. “Baaali? Baaatth?”
The sheep stared at her as though she were a complete idiot, then turned to the nearest bush and wrapped its lips around one of Celia Hartington’s special white roses.
Flick sprang to her feet. “Nooooo. Naughty sheep. Shoo, shoo.”
She flapped her arms to try to encourage it to gambol toward the field at the bottom of the garden, but her gesturing had the opposite effect and the animal took a few steps in her direction. Flick took several steps back.
“Go away,” she pleaded.
Dark demon eyes looked at her in defiance, the mouth went “baaaaa” and another white rose disappeared. Flick winced and then glared at the culprit.
“Want to be shorn like a poodle? Shorn by a beginner? Or maybe by an old geezer with Parkinson’s? Using dull shears?”
Another white rose vanished.
“No! Eat the bloody red ones, can’t you?”
She stamped her foot, an ineffectual gesture considering she wore delicate strappy sandals and stood on grass. Furthermore, the sheep seemed to take it as a challenge. It banged its hoof on the grass and charged. Flick fled.
* * * * *
Alexander Beckett had moved the Yorkshire University Archaeology Department’s minivan to the rear of Hartington Hall at Celia’s request. She’d made her disappointment at the state of the vehicle quite clear. She wanted everyone to know an important dig was about to take place on her property and a rusty minivan looking as though it had barely survived a ram-raid by a tank was not the image she’d been hoping for.
Earlier that morning in the university car park, the van had stood next to its twin; same age, make and color, same logo on the side, but there the resemblance ended. One vehicle deserved to be on the road, while the van Beck had drawn on a coin toss looked as though it needed to be buried in a junkyard. His colleague, Rich Foster, had smirked and commandeered the smarter vehicle, complete with the best of the archaeology department’s field equipment and five flexible, female undergraduates. In Beck’s view, Rich was now over-compensated for having to drive all the way to Italy.
As Beck strolled to the front of Hartington Hall he saw Celia standing with her hands on her generous hips, watching a drama unfold on her lawn. A tall, spiky-haired figure in a bright pink skirt appeared to be dancing with a sheep. The sheep took several steps forward and the redhead stepped back. A move to the side was copied too. Beck looked more closely and realized the sheep had something in its mouth. Was that a white rose? The tango, Beck thought and laughed. The redhead advanced and the sheep backed up. There was a bit of foot stamping from each of them. He grinned. The redhead’s legs were very long and the skirt was very short.
“For goodness sakes. What does she think she’s doing?” Celia crossed her arms. “Felicity, stop playing with the sheep.”

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To learn more about Barbara Elsborg, please visit www.barbaraelsborg.com
www.barbaraelsborg.blogspot.com or www.elsborg-fans.blogspot.com

Please welcome Ann to the blog, author of Deliver me From Hell. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: I have a Sci-fi novel that came out in March of this year, it is called The Compound. Then I started writing erotica.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Just about a year.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: So far I have written 3 and a half stories, My next to come out is called “Sex by the Letter, it is my Favorite. I am really getting into it…if you know what I mean. Wink.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: No, I like the quiet of my office. I turn the phone off and shut the blinds.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story? Read the rest of this entry »

Please welcome MJ Fredrick to the blog, author of Breaking Daylight from Samhain Publishing. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: First off, I’d like to thank you, Amanda, for having me today. I write romantic suspense for Samhain, and straight contemporary romance for Wild Rose Press.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: A very very very very long time. From the time I finished my first manuscript until I got my first contract, 12 years. Seven years from the time I really got serious, though.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: That’s like asking if I have a favorite child! I spent the most time with Hot Shot, so it has a special place in my heart. And I love Gabe. But I think Adrian from Beneath the Surface is my sexiest hero. Breaking Daylight kicked my butt when I was writing it, but I think it’s my best. And I have a straight contemporary manuscript that I call The Book That I Love, that hasn’t found a home yet.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: I have this lovely big chair in my sunroom that is an awesome writing spot, though I also enjoy writing in my back yard in my Adirondack chair if the weather cooperates. I make soundtracks for some of my manuscripts, but some lend themselves to that more than others.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story? Read the rest of this entry »

Please welcome Debbie Fritter a/w/a Debi Wilder to the blog, author of romantic entertainment. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: Thank you Amanda for having me here today. I write in a variety of romance genres, although my husband refers to my writing as romantic entertainment, which range from the paranormal to contemporary to adult/erotic to historical.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: I began writing in high school, but didn’t receive my first contract until 2005 from Whiskey Creek Press.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: Destiny’s Love Song has to be the one that pulls at my strings a bit because it was my first written story, but A Legacy Through Time is a tribute to my ancestors on my mother’s side of the family where my characters bare some of their names.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: LOL, no…in fact I never know when my muse will make an appearance.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story? Read the rest of this entry »

Please welcome D.B. Story to the blog, author of fantastic fembot fables and other fun fantasies. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today.

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…
A: Adult Romantic Erotic Science Fiction and Fantasy, specializing in Fembots, but not limited to them.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Well I actually started writing non-seriously in college, but it has been a decade of this current spurt of writing before finally getting the chance to sell my stories for money.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: I’d have to say that “Far Future Fembot: Bill’s Story”, recently published by eXcessica Publishing.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: No, and that’s the real problem. I can get creative bursts in a whole lot of places where it is Really Unhandy to be trying to write them down while they’re fresh in my mind. I’ve scribbled notes in cars (at stoplights). Typed surreptitious notes into my usb memory stick while at work, and always travel with a pen and notebook.

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: A strip club I used to visit in my single days. So far I’ve gotten four stories out of it and I doubt I’m done completely mining it out yet. There are some useful life lessons—like everything in here costs money—that you can learn in a gentleman’s club.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: You have to write; you have to finish what you write. No one else will ever be able to write your own stories, which is what I have to tell people who keep sending me their ideas for me to write for them. I have too many ideas of my own to finish out first to be writing everyone else’s ideas. And also to put everything you have into every story you write. Don’t say that if I have 3 good ideas, I’ve got to ration them by only using one pf them each in three different stories. You will not run out of good ideas. Let me say that again: YOU WILL NOT RUN OUT OF GOOD IDEAS, so use everything you have that will fit in every story you write in order to make room for the new ones.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I spent 8 months unemployed in 2009, but am working again now—which really has cut into my writing time. However, if I was trying to live exclusively off of my writing at the moment I’d be starving, so that’s okay.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: I am a surprisingly normal married person in a heterosexual relationship.

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: Frak (from Battlestar Galactica).

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: Frak no! See my answer above about being a surprisingly normal person…

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A: All of the most fascinating sexual partners I would like to meet are characters in my stories. I’ve already met them there, but would happily spend more time with them here in the real world. If you really have to have three real people: Helen of Troy (to see what made her legendary; she is already referenced in one of my stories), Margaretha Geertruida Zelle AKA Mata Hari (who must have really been something to be as successful as a spy as she was), and Alma Mahler Gropius Werfel (check out the Tom Lehrer song “Alma” to learn what makes this woman so intriguing).

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Wine, women, and song. Sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. Fast cars, faster women. Oh wait, let’s get back to reality here. How about Plan B: Gold for security, travel for education, privacy from the too many people who would feel that my lottery money should be their lottery money, and a really good financial advisor so that unlike too many other lottery winners, I would never outlive my good fortune. Too many lottery winners would have been much better off never winning in the first place.

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: Scrubbing the shower. I really put it off until it absolutely has to be done.

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Chocolate. Dark chocolate. Is there anything else?

Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is a movie I can enjoy watching at any time. “Bridge of Birds” and “The Story of the Stone”, both by Barry Hughart, are two books I can pick up at any time, turn to any page at random, and just start reading because they really are that good.

Q: If you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: I am writing very little new at the moment as I work to prepare existing stories for publication. That has consumed the entire last year, including those 8 months of no full time job otherwise, and looks to take me at least another year at least to fully complete. Such is the life of a perfectionist. Every story I’m publishing at this time is fully rewritten and re-proofed by multiple editors. Most covers I’ve designed myself simply because I know what I want to do with them. That makes the idea of latest work so far out into the future that it’s hard to say just what it will be, although I am just finishing my first new fembot story in over a year right now tentatively called “Runaway Kara”. It has felt good to actually write something new again that just wouldn’t wait for the rest of my business side stuff to get done. But don’t tell my editor about this because I’m struggling to meet my deadlines as it is right now.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)

A: “Far Future Fembot: Bill’s Story” just released in December in print and e-book form. I am very proud of this story, which I classify as adult science fiction spiritual romance. It’s a story that crosses lifetimes. What I like most are reviewers who refuse to give it a stroke rating because they say I write story, not stroke. If it doesn’t leave you in tears by the end, it means that I have failed somewhere. (Hint: The ending left me in tears to write it.)

Excerpt:

Chapter 2—A Long Time Earlier
There was no way to fully describe just how sad the little sex-bot looked standing there in the dusty window of the second-hand store. Propped up against a box in the corner, it was clear she wasn’t even running in low-power suspend mode that would have allowed her to maintain her balance while her higher functions were shut down. Her face was frozen in a forlorn expression that clearly said her final thought had been of being turned off for the last time, never to be activated again. Her hands were held out in front of her, as if interrupted in the process of coming together in the universal symbol of prayer—or maybe just pleading. Her tattered skirt showed that little money or effort had been spent in maintaining her appearance, which probably extended to the rest of her systems as well. Her eyelids had automatically closed to protect her delicate vision sensors—although why bother protecting them now was probably her last secret.
Bill walked past the store each morning on his way to catch the bus to work. It was often dark when he passed the other way returning home once more. This wasn’t one of the regular used robot emporiums, where ‘bots were refurbished and presented as the next best thing to new for those who couldn’t yet afford new for themselves. It was more a general junk store. A place where probably at least one example of everything that has ever been sold second-hand had passed through during its existence on this spot. How the little sex toy came to be there was just one of mysteries of life that might never be answered.
Bill couldn’t afford a robot. Even a well used one on her last legs. His tiny apartment, and the fact he rode three different busses to and from work each day, bespoke too well of his own meager circumstances. Times were tough right now. He’d arrived in the city alone, with the promise of a job that evaporated at the moment of his advent. Without money to move on he took what he could find while trying to make ends meet. Although beyond even his dreams, the robot girl tugged at his heart every time he saw her. Her circumstances were certainly as poor as his own.
Over time he came to see her as a kindred spirit. Though her frozen expression never changed, he wondered how her face might light up when she was happy? What color her eyes would be when she opened them? What her voice would sound like when she had something nice to say? What her smile would be like when she was activated once more to realize that someone wanted her again?
Bill wondered about her name, until one morning he heard someone looking in the window comment that she looked like an old Anna model. That seemed a nice name that fit her well.
After that, when no one was nearby as he passed, Bill found himself in the habit of saying, “Good morning, Anna.” Or, “How’s it going today, Anna?” Or, “You look especially good today, Anna,” though she always looked exactly the same.
Anna, of course, never smiled, replied, or otherwise took notice of his courtesies, but Bill realized it made him feel better, so some good did come out of it all. In the meantime he worked all the harder, believing that a vaguely hinted at promotion would come along any time now.
* * * *
One evening Anna was gone—her space empty as Bill passed by—and the store dark. Although he rushed to the window and wiped off the grime to look into the darkened store, he couldn’t see her anywhere. He recklessly pounded first on the glass, and then the door, but the store was closed and nobody responded.
The next morning Bill was there the moment of its opening.
“Where is she? What have you done with her?” His urgent questions peppered Samuel, the bemused shop owner.
“Slow down, young man. Just whom are you speaking of?”
“Anna!” the young man said urgently.
“Who’s Anna?” came the calming reply.
“The girl! The girl in the window! She’s gone!”
“Ah,” the old man replied. “The robot girl.”
“Yes! What happened to her?”
“I moved her over there,” he said, nodding towards the back of the store. “I needed the box she was leaning against for another customer.”
“Oh,” Bill replied, now seeing her standing propped up in the back corner of the shop. The energy that had propelled him since last night now drained completely out of him. His head dropped and his shoulders sank back to their usual stance. After taking another look to ensure she was—if not okay—at least unchanged, Bill silently turned to leave again.
“Just a moment,” the shop owner called after him, recognizing something in Bill’s behavior. “Why does she matter to you so much?”
“It’s nothing really,” Bill mumbled, not turning around to face him. “I just wanted her to go to a good home. Everyone deserves a good home.”
Bill had stopped walking towards the shop door. That gave the owner a moment longer to contemplate the young man.
“That’s not likely,” the owner finally said. “And it’s a shame too.”
“Why?” Bill exclaimed, turning back to face the elder man.
“She’s an older model. Just about obsolete now. I’ll probably end up selling her to someone who needs a spare part or two for another ‘bot.”
Bill’s face said it all.
“You don’t have any money, do you.” It was not a question.
“No,” Bill mumbled in reply, turning to leave again.
The owner almost let him complete the turn before saying offhandedly, as if merely discussing today’s weather, “I’m getting a bit old myself these days. There are times I could use some extra help around here.”
Bill froze, then turned back around slowly to see the older man smiling gently at him.
“We’ll have to see how it works out,” Samuel continued. “But you look like you’re willing to work hard.”
They struck a deal on the spot where Bill would come in and work, starting with cleanup tasks, an hour each weekday, and all day Saturday when heavy things were most likely to need moving.
Bill kept his other job and just subtracted these extra work hours out of his life. It wasn’t like he had much to do otherwise. He already got most of his joy from walks in the park and visiting the museums and art galleries on the day of the month when they offered free admission. He still had his Sundays for those activities.
Bill kept the store spotless, and carefully dusted off Anna each day. Although she remained in the store she was now clearly marked “Not For Sale”. Bill still greeted her each day when he thought no one was watching, while she remained unmoving.
Only a few weeks later Samuel handed him Anna’s remote control

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To learn more about D.B. Story, please visit http://excessica.com/store/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=26

Please welcome Jourdan Lane to the blog, author of the Soul Mates series. Thank you for agreeing to answer my nosy questions and share them with everyone visiting today. 

 

Q: To begin, please share which genre(s) you write in…

A:  I write mostly gay erotic fiction, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy, but I also write contemporary.

 

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?

A:  About 5 years, but my first contract for publication wasn’t for what I’d been writing during that time. I’d been writing m/f paranormal romance and sold a short, contemporary gay erotica story instead.

 

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?

A:  My favorite is one that hasn’t been published yet. It’s a contemporary story about a DEA agent that goes undercover. It’s not only a story about getting the bad guy and getting the job done, but also about self-discovery and letting go of the demons of the past. It’s a story that’s very close to my heart, so I want it to be just right. Which means… I will probably re-write and tweak until I hate it. Then, it might be okay for someone else to read.

 

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?

A:  I used to be able to write through the chaos of my house, but as my kids have gotten older, the chaos changed. Everyone wants to listen/watch/play something different – and as loud as possible. Now, I need peace and quiet to work. No music, no TV, no instant messaging programs open and going, no random “did you know” conversations with my kids or husband, etc. I have a feeling my house might be under the Laws of Blood and Fire over the summer. If you’re not bleeding or on fire, I don’t want to hear about it, LOL!

 

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story? Read the rest of this entry »