Any reviewers interested in an early copy of HURT ME SO GOOD, please drop me a note or comment here and I’ll get you a pdf (my apologies, that’s the only format I have). Amazon, B&N, GoodReads reviews and ratings count as “reviews” and are greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!!
On the Shelf
Ever since The Rose of Shanhasson and Dear Sir, I’m Yours have been released in print, I always check the shelf at any bookstore, just to see if I could find my books. Since they’re both from small presses, I hadn’t had any luck all these months.
Oh, I could have called and ordered a copy — but that wasn’t the same. I wanted to just find one on the shelf like any other author’s book.
Tonight we were killing time before picking up Middle Monster from a birthday party, and That Man dropped me off at our Barnes & Noble. I didn’t have a particular book in mind — I just wanted to look and soak in the atmosphere. On a whim, I checked the Bs in Romance, and there, beside Monica Burns, I found one precious copy of Dear Sir on the shelf.
I pulled out my iPhone and started taking pictures of it. I’m sure people thought I was insane. Then I went and found the Info Desk to ask if I could sign it. She said absolutely, so I went back and got it, signed it, and she put an autographed sticker on it.
I don’t think my feet touched the ground on the way out.
I might have cried. Just a little.
Obsessions…And a Sneak Peek
My new favorite shows are Hoarders, Animal Hoarding, and Obsessed on A&E. I find it so interesting — watching them is almost a compulsion for me. I really want to write an OCD character some day, so I’m soaking in all these ideas.
Speaking of compulsions and ideas, I caught the middle of Curse of the Golden Flower a couple of weeks ago, and I ended up staying up way past my bedtime to watch it. I loved it so much that I taped the next showing, and I’ve watched it at least four times. It’s one of those movies that gives me chills when I watch it, like Phantom of the Opera and Gone with the Wind. I absolutely adore Yun-Fat Chow as the Emperor. It’s a rather twisted movie, but I still can’t. stop. watching.
And yes, as always with the really good, powerful movies, I’ve been inspired with a new idea. Today I finished up a short story that I plan to submit later this month. In the meantime, here’s a little snippet of Curse of the Golden Eyes, an erotic BDSM twist on Tang Dynasty China.
Warning: sexual content, BDSM, language
He struck me again and the flexible tip managed to wrap around my back and cut into the underside of my breast. My breath hissed out. That mark might have broken the skin.
“You disappoint me, Jin.”
Tears filled my eyes and I arched my back to offer more of my body for his blows. “Please correct this consort, Your Majesty!”
“I desire your screams.” He whispered but the violent intent darkened his voice like a naked steel blade. “I desire you to plead for me to stop. But I shall not stop, not even when you beg and weep. I’m going to beat you bloody, until your throat is raw from screaming. And then, lovely one, I’m going to f*ck you until you must be carried back to your rooms.”
His next blow crashed against my buttocks and I let the howl of pain escape my mouth. I did not care how many servants and eunuchs crowded outside his chambers, listening and giggling with speculation. I did not care that rumors would spread like wildfire through the palace. I did not even care that I would be ostracized even more than the unwanted wife of the Crown Prince, for no one would dare insult me to my face for fear I would tell the Emperor every secret intrigue and malicious slight while beneath his lash.
Red-hot pokers jabbed into my skin without mercy, and again, I did not care. I welcomed the pain. A beating always hurt, but every blow gave me another surge of lust, and yes, power. My power. I now shared this secret with the Son of Heaven. I had given him something none of his other women had ever offered. He might rule this land with an iron fist, but with each blow, he gave me the power to bring him to his knees.
Alrightie, back to Vicki and Phantom! I’ve knocked off about 7K of my 30K goal this month. Not as much as I’d like to have by now, but I’ll take it.
Review: Dear Sir, I’m Yours
Tanya at Among the Muses has some wonderful things to say about Dear Sir, I’m Yours:
Conn, imo, is the perfect Dom. He knows what he wants – control and complete and utter happiness and trust from his sub — Rae Lynn. He’s always loved and wanted her back, so after she ran, he, too, went on a personal journey of learning how to master his control. He’s attentive, caring, protective, and wants more than anything for Rae to submit to his control and give him her trust, all while quoting, Shelley, Lord Byron, Blake, and Shakespeare. *swoons* Seriously, a sexy hot, dominate Professor who can quote classic poetry while licking your inner thigh? Just sayin’.
Ha, that totally put a smile on my face! You can read the whole review here. thank you so much,Tanya!
Retake Homemade: Kalua Pig
I can’t remember where I first found this recipe (or I’d give credit), but it has become a family favorite. Last weekend I bought a huge pack of pork butt on sale at Sam’s Club, came straight home, and popped half into the crockpot on low. It cooked all afternoon, night, and we came home after church on Sunday to incredibly moist pork for BBQ sandwiches with tons of leftovers. Even better, I have another pork butt in the freezer for later!
5-8 lb pork butt or shoulder, whatever will fit into your crock pot
2 T liquid smoke (or more to taste)
1 T coarse sea salt (the original recipe called for Hawaiian sea salt, which I haven’t been able to find)
Cook on low for up to 24 hours. The meat will fall off the bone (if there’s one in your roast). Use forks to shred and reserve some of the juice from the crockpot to keep the meat moist.
This meat can be eaten with BBQ sauce on rolls. Or add salsa and eat on tortillas. Or throw into any stew, shepherd’s pie, etc. Enjoy!
Friday Snippet: Lie to You (Part 3)
The conclusion of the free read Lie to You, Victor’s prequel. (Part 1, Part 2). Pdf and epub will be available on the Free Reads page shortly.
“I’ve watched several of VCONN’s shows,” she said in a husky purr that tightened things low in his gut. “But I have to admit that my favorite is Erotic Tales from the Crypt.”
He couldn’t have been more surprised if she’d pulled out a gun and shot him dead. “That was our premiere. It hasn’t been on the air in years. How did you…”
That show had made Dallas history, earning more via Pay-Per-View than the biggest boxing match of the year. It had shocked the mostly conservative community, yet they’d gobbled it up and begged for more shows about the Dungeon Master’s exclusive torture chamber.
His hand convulsed on his thigh and a small grunt of pain escaped his mouth. If that show had been her favorite…
She had to be leading him on. Maybe she’d been to Silken and picked up some of the nastier gossip about him. Maybe Kimberly had been spreading malicious lies about him.
But they wouldn’t be lies, now, would they?
“When I saw that VCONN was hiring, I called the information desk and asked if I could watch several archived shows. I ended up watching them all.”
“All?” He winced at the roughness in his voice. The stomach-twisting throb of his bad knee had begun feeding the darker, erotic pain that he’d given himself. Pain compounded with pain turning into desire. If he wasn’t careful, he wouldn’t be able to stand up at the end of this interview without embarrassing himself. “That’s several years’ worth.”
“All of them.” She tipped her head to the side, deliberately showing him the curve of her neck. Making herself vulnerable. Her hands were quiescent in her lap, but she shifted slightly in her chair and he swore her skirt snuck up her thigh an inch. No, two. “I’m very thorough.”
He suddenly wished he kept his crop in his desk drawer instead of hidden in the depths of his closet or beneath the seat of his car. If he brought it out and smacked it on his desk, would she leap from her chair and flee the building? Or would she hike up that skirt just a bit more as she bent over his desk?
The image was all too easy to build in his mind after last night’s fantasy. However, he still had enough blood flowing to his brain to continue that little farce…all the way to her screams of terror. The look of revulsion on her face. The police sirens and the slamming of prison bars when she pressed charges.
His intercom beeped again and he barely suppressed the sigh of relief. He’d been saved from committing a monumental error.
“Mr. Connagher? You have a meeting in five minutes?”
It took all his control to reach out with a hand that didn’t tremble in order to respond. “Thank you, Lisa.” He took a deep breath and concentrated on putting his corporate face back on. Not the desperate Master in need of a flirtatious submissive who just might not be afraid of a little dungeon play. “And thank you, Ms. Holmes. I hope you have a very successful career here at VCONN.”
Disappointment made her bite her luscious lip, sending another surge of lust through his body that he refused to show.
A little dungeon play in a controlled environment was one thing. When you were a woman dating a much larger, stronger man in a position of authority who also had a lust for pain and one vicious crop, it was entirely different. This wasn’t a show. No one was going to call time-out and let her walk away, because once the sadist had her in his grasp, he wouldn’t unchain her until he’d drained every last scream of pain.
Standing, she held her hand out to him again. “I look forward to working with you, sir.”
He deliberately shifted his weight to his bad knee as he stood. His face stiffened with pain, and he saw the flicker in her eyes that registered his withdrawal with resignation. Hopefully she would take the hint and stay far, far away from him. He gave her a brief, entirely professional handshake. “Unfortunately, I rarely deal with the day-to-day duties of handling employees any longer. Ms. Kannes will see to any questions you may have.”
“Maybe we’ll run into each other on set,” she said with a hopeful gleam in her dark eyes.
Coldly, he forced himself to snuff out that flame before it could scorch them both beyond recognition. “I doubt it, Ms. Holmes. Good day.”
He watched her walk toward the door, letting his hungry gaze travel down her spine to her nicely rounded buttocks and hips. Perfect for his crop. She gave him one last glance over her shoulder, her mouth soft, her eyes shimmering, whether with hurt or regret he couldn’t say. It didn’t matter.
Would I lie to you, Ms. Holmes? So dangerous, this attraction, making every muscle in his body tense with the urge to chase her down and drag her screaming to his bed. Absolutely.
Victor’s story HURT ME SO GOOD will be released Oct. 5th from Samhain Publishing.
September Goals
Determined to break out of my sleepy laziness this month, I’m going to publically set some goals. I have too much to do this fall to let the lazy days continue much longer!
September has always been a sort of “redo” month for me. The end of summer, back to school, cooler days (I hope!). For years, it’s also been a time to recommit or reset my annual goals. I tend to have fairly large output between now and December, and this month will be the warmup and slow build toward NaNoWriMo craziness.
My goal this month is simple: 30K words. On anything. Combined projects. It doesn’t matter. I just need to get the output higher. I’m slowly getting back into the school routine so I’m hoping to get my writing time set in the Dark & Early hours again.
Projects I’ll be working on this month:
- Vicki
- Shadowed freebie
- new novella, working title Phantom
If I can finally finish Vicki, I’ll be singing Hallelujah!
Review: The Bloodgate Guardian
Harry of A Dude reads PNR fame for The Book Smugglers says:
I love that Jaid is vulnerable. I love the fact that she is smart-ass, not kick-ass. She doesn’t do the whole super ninja vixen. No leather pants and favorite blades for this chick. She’s nerdy and the Un-Indiana Jones of the faculty. Brilliant characterization, right there. Pure gold. It makes Jaid stand out from all the other leading females in the genre. I also can honestly say that Jaid’s the strong woman urban fantasy and paranormal romance has been boasting with. She’s not sure she will win and she is mortified to venture, but she does. She falls down and picks herself up, because the situation demands it. That’s what I call bravery and perseverance.
Of course there were a few parts he didn’t like. Names. (Oh, you know the drama we already went through over the names, right?) Shapeshifter. Yes, the Maya did believe that the most powerful shamans could actually transform into the sacred jaguar. He also thought it ended too happily. Considering the version I had originally written [Everybody dies. The end.], I can only smile.
You can read the entire review here. Thank you, Harry!
Retake Homemade: Blueberry Compote
This is not going to be an exact recipe — I didn’t measure anything. But it was so good, I had to blog about it.
What’s funny: I don’t even like blueberries. Not really. I can eat them in moderation but just to sit and eat them alone, no. However, I’d made some multi-grain pancakes this morning and I didn’t want to ruin all that healthy goodness with regular syrup, and we were out of applesauce.
[Aside: warmed cinnamon applesauce, no sugar added, is fantastic over whole-grain pancakes!]
I remembered the blueberries in the freezer, but I didn’t want to eat them whole on my pancakes. I was afraid I wouldn’t like them, and I certainly didn’t want to ruin my lovely pancakes! So I decided to try and make some syrup or compote – I’m not sure what it technically was, but it was sooo good, I’ll definitely do it again.
About 1 1/2 c. of frozen blueberries
About 1/4 c. of sugar. I just sprinkled a little to cover in a small saucepan.
1-2 T of water to moisten the sugar.
Cook on med-low as the rest of the breakfast is cooking. The blueberries melt and begin making their own juice.
Mine were too runny, so I mixed up a little corn starch in cold water and poured in. Instant blueberry “sauce” that tasted like pie.
So good! I used it as topping on my pancakes, but it’d make an incredible crepe (if I knew how to make them) with a little cream cheese. Oh yum. I think I need to learn how to make crepes!
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Blogging Mojo
(If you’re looking for the Friday Snippet, it’s one post down — I posted it last night.)
Sorry I’ve been a bit absent this month. I haven’t had much to talk about, so instead of writing a boring plain-Jane blog post, I’ve simply tried to write.
Yes, tried. This has been a hard month. I’ve made modest progress on Vicki but I’ve also been scattered by plot bunnies. I’ve had something happen TWICE this month that I’ve always longed for — editors have asked me specifically for stories. Of course that’s wonderful! But I don’t have anything finished that’s not already contracted. Many of my ideas percolating on the back burner are connected and so by association, will already have a home assuming they meet with approval.
I really needed two entirely new ideas.
So I pulled out my Little Black Book – a Moleskin journal I bought at B&N – that’s sort of my catch-all idea book. When I see a movie, hear a song, overhear a line of conversation, etc. that sparks an idea or feeling, I jot it in that book. Some are more fleshed out than others, and eventually I’ll move the project to its own notebook or folder. I’ve been reviewing those ideas, going over my partial files, and listening with that inner sense that tells me YES, this is what I need to work on.
It has to be special. It has to have heart, that IT feeling that makes me excited to get up at 5 AM and work on it.
Last night, several ideas finally gelled and I was able to get beyond basic premise to almost plot. I simply need to figure out who my antagonist is and how the ending will pan out. Some really freaky coincidences have happened in brainstorming that gave me chills. Things I did not plan, but once I got into the research, made eerie perfect sense.
Needless to say, my schedule is in a bit of flux. Because of the distractions, I haven’t finished Vicki and the month is almost over. I’m juggling things up and down in priority, filing a few things for later, etc. I still plan to attack the shortest novella on Sept 1st so the next few days I’ll really be hammering out last minute plot details and getting whatever I can on Vicki. I don’t know if I can manage drafting two projects at the same time — we’ll see. Both are contemporary, Texan (Dallas vs. Houston), BDSM, and even menage! Eeee! Yet they’re entirely different in setup and characterization. Pretty cool stuff, actually, and I’ll be excited to talk more about them.
Once my editors sign off on them. 🙂