Mary has kindly asked me to share some pointers, ideas, and “how to’s” of writing Historical Western Romance. I’m flattered, particularly since in the general scheme of things I am a newbie author. So, first some background on why and what I write.

Perhaps it’s my love of land, perhaps a genealogy which goes back almost 200 years in land and cattle including a goodly portion of that time by my ancestors in Europe—perhaps it is the cowboy hat, the special feel and touch of a woman you care for, or the smell of horse leather and sweat. Perhaps it is that I love America and the West. I am simply enamored with the categories of Romance, Historical Fiction and Western. Together they epitomize all universal energies. The power of the land, the all-encompassing flow of steamy passion, heartfelt romance, the intrigue of differing personalities, and the unique spirit of America, and her people.

Combine these primal basic forces of land and love (or lust), mix in detailed historical fact, the West, the American spirit, and the interplay of strong, conflicted male and female personalities with authentic flaws and steamy passions, and we have a Historical Western Romance!  It is not an oft written genre, and I am the only rancher/cowboy writing heated tales of the multi-cultural West.

The key, though—this newbie author believes—is to be able to write equally compelling versions of the same act from both the male and female POV! How do I insert myself in the skin of a woman and write from her vantage? A great female editor helps immensely, but most important is the accurate tap of direct and indirect empirical experience.  Fiction is but the shadow of real life.

I am penning the Threads West, An American Saga, eight-novel series, not only because I want to write and keep a promise a nine-year-old me to himself many years ago, but because the series is our story. It is the ongoing story of us. I hope the story not only entertains, and injects into readers torrid emotions of every type, but that it serves as a touchstone that we can reach back to in these troubled times, and perhaps use as a guide post moving forward in the future.

Every author has their system, their strengths, their weaknesses, things they are familiar with and things not so much.

Historical Western Romance is not a widely written genre and my approach – perhaps because I don’t know any better, or perhaps because I am (as far as I know) the only male with a cowboy hat writing in that, or the romance category in general – I can share only what works for me. Perhaps these thoughts will help others. I hope so.

The best way to approach this rather broad subject is perhaps to split into its elements. First, the setting, second, the characters, third, the arc of the story—including the simmer and sizzle—and last but certainly not least, the history and historical context.

I have an advantage when it comes to setting. Being a rancher and a cowboy affords me great familiarity with the varying landscapes of the West, many of which I’ve seen, walked or ridden over. I am at home in a wide expanse of multistate area. I think the setting of a Western is all-important. It places the reader in a time and environment which is distinctly Western. I do quite a bit of photography. I would equate a landscape photo of the West to the initial setting of a chapter. When a moment speaks to me…that peculiar angle of the sun, sky prisms following rain, shadows creeping with the ever-changing angle of light, I’m compelled to capture the second in every way possible. Call it a desperate attempt to catalog image. Many times, due simply to the wild and remote places where I spend many of my waking hours – the right time, right place, type of luck I’ve been fortunate to record the vivid, mesmerizing power of the many moods of the land. It is those scenes, and those never to be repeated moments like them that underpin the descriptive portion of my writing. When I write to mood, to setting – a snapshot of the earth – it’s all there in a picture, somewhere deep in my soul. The pen becomes merely the shutter, and the paper the film. So, for aspiring writers of Western Romance I would say, know your locations. Go there. Breathe it, smell it, see it, feel it, let the energy of the place speak to you, and then translate that energy into written word.

Characters, of course, are a key ingredient to any tale, any genre whether true, half true, or pure fiction. When one is writing historical fiction the characters must be true to their time. It’s almost as if the writer needs to step into a time portal and catapult their mind and their emotions back to the time and the setting. The characters must be authentic, and in my humble opinion, their inner and external conflicts, ambitions, passions and interactions have to engender every possible emotion and capture universal energies.

Though some incredibly disagree, the basic universal truth is that a woman is a woman and a man is a man.  They are two very different creatures.  In a novel, as in life, the personalities of both sexes project a certain individual aura and mystique.  Mystique Is projection through dress, looks, speech, activities, interplay with the opposite sex, and lifestyle.  Aura is something deeper. It is the power of presence, inner energy of the soul, the core pulse of primal current and the promise of base passion and torrid romance.  We all know people of either gender whose simple entry into a room changes the atmosphere.  One can almost palpably feel their life energy, enthusiasm, emotion, innate strength and sexual halo. I strive to ensure all of my characters, male and female, possess those qualities.  Some have a dark energy—others light.  But all are both strong yet vulnerable, each in his or her own unique, gender driven way.

Romance is popular because it is a universal energy. Who reading this has not had a love? Obviously there are many shades of romance, the dastardly and forced, the purely physical and somewhat cold, the heart hot, sparking passionate, though the temporary, and the true love—deeply sensual and long-lasting. Who of us has not experienced one or more of these? And, as we all know, real-life romantic involvement is complex. There are highs, lows, intrigues, diversions, happy endings, and not so cheerful conclusions. I believe various characters need to experience all these if the romantic spine of the book is to have texture and authenticity.

In a Western, particularly a Historical Western, the land shapes personalities, and the destinies of generations. It is the stage upon the characters act out their interactions, ambitions, greed, duplicity, loves, loyalties, and opportunities. It is, in many ways, the only enduring character of the book, series, or in my case, epic saga. The weave of Western relationships is always the land. The intertwined twists of ranch and romance are fascinating threads that bind and conflict the men and women of the West back then, and now. I try and make the foundation of my stories that reality. There is intrigue, adversity, vicious duplicity, and triumphs that few know of, but which are always at play beneath the idyllic mosaics of inviting canyons and sundrenched plains.

The special energy of the land, its solitude, space, and soul succor whispers to the soul. There is no one who has not stood on the beach, their feet in briny froth, looking at the sea, or on a hill overlooking a vista, or peered far down a river to where it bends out of sight, that has not felt the tug. It is this universal energy which should be wound through Western characters, romance, and history. This “essence of the Earth” brings readers back to their very roots as a human being, and those universal truths remain constant in any historical era, though unfortunately less realized today than at any other time in man’s history.

The story an author wants to tell is determined by an author’s goals. Perhaps the objective is simply to tell a great tale. Perhaps there is personal penchant towards a certain point in history the writer feels pivotal. Maybe the writer has messages which interweave subtly within the storyline. Or, it just might be they simply want to write a book and sell as many copies as possible. Each novelist can answer this basic question for themselves.

Each author also has his, or her, own distinctive style. I write in the very old style of “converging threads” because I like it, and it has always intrigued me. It is perhaps one of the more difficult styles to employ because in reality you have stories within stories, as disparate characters meet, and their life threads intertwine. Their rendezvous must be realistic, believable, and not contrived. It can be a daunting task.

Other authors write more linearly. There’s a single-story, more or less, with a singular set of characters. In the case of a series, many are basically the same characters in different time periods and situations. A single novel has, simply, a beginning, and an end. An epic saga might be the most difficult. Not only does the writer have a multitude of characters (especially in the converging threads style), but there are generational offshoots of those characters, and new personalities which enter the fray which with each successive installment of the tale. Because the saga covers many time periods, it must by necessity cover a broad array of historical fact.

Picking and choosing the history, the macro historical dialogue, and the miniscule, but all important nuggets of personalized history are all important. Blow it on the history, and you’ve undermined all your hard work on setting, time, character, interaction, and employment of the glue of universal energy.

I have several messages in my novels which I try and relate seamlessly within the context of simply a good read and enjoyable story. I want readers to consider the disintegration of the values of the old West and of our revolutionary forefathers—traits that appear to be slipping away, replaced by an entitlement mentality and the crutch of government, rather than the tried-and-true values of self-reliance, individualism, family and community which are undeniably the foundation of the Old West.

The Threads West series begins in 1855. Is the tale of disparate threads of lives of brave men and strong women from many locations around the globe. They emerge from different social origins, ethnicities, religions, and creeds and weave together into the tapestry of emerging nation; a country on the cusp of greatness, because it offers opportunity and freedom.

The last book of the series will be set in the real-time of the contemporary West, and just as the historical novels will accurately portray what has transpired in our history, and the evolution of our lands, thought processes, morals and freedoms, so, too, will the final book portray in vivid reality – couched in romance and adventure – the current state of affairs in the West, and the United States. Threads West An American Saga is, in essence, a fictional anthology of true life history. If the series evokes folks’ emotions, inspires passions, ignites the sensual and the dreaded, and lights readers’ faces with smiles at the story arc, that is terrific! But, if by chance it reacquaints us with the basic principles that are the foundation of this fantastic experiment called the United States of America, then I truly will be well satisfied.

Historical research is a must. In some ways it ties in with getting your feet, your mind body and soul to the location to experience it before you write. Research is both fascinating and tedious, exhilarating and surprising, mandatory and time—consuming. It was a far bigger task than I anticipated. I have researchers now that work with me on many facets of those specific points of history I want to touch on in delivering the story, creating the interaction between the characters, and describing the universal energies which drive them. I pay special attention to historical facts and details which move the plot along, and act as catalyst to the convergence of life threads but at the same time help me convey my message.

In the first novel I did most of the research myself. I had important help from several researchers on the details of dress, circumstances, and great historical tidbits and gave them credit in the book. But I wanted to learn what was entailed. My eyes were definitely opened! I thought I was familiar with this magical moment in the evolution of America. I was mistaken.

1855 may well be one of the most pivotal years in the history of this country and the West. The great westward migration was in its infancy. The later turmoil between the northern and southern states, part of Book Two, Maps of Fate has begun to darken the rhetoric of both sides. The breach of 1830 Compact, and the 1854 Kansas/Nebraska Act stirred violence, and the winds of war. Native Americans had right rightfully lost trust in the promises of the white man and in the broken treaties of the years prior. 1855 is just several years prior to the discovery of gold in Colorado, the real precipitator of the tidal wave of westward migration that began in 1858. The singer sewing machine had just been invented, revolvers were only a few years old, and the repeating rifle was still just a few years out. It was this point in time that the world – and America – breathed in, held their collective breath, and readied to exhale with a rush toward the Great Plains and the Rockies.

My research sources are many and varied. They include on location investigation, print, web, nonfiction and memoir historical works of the specific time and place, interviews, and many times travel to specific geographic locations which my wandering feet have, for some reason, not yet visited. I’m extremely proud of the eight national awards the series has earned over the last year, including Bests in Romance and Western, and three more Finalists in Romance. However, the one award I am perhaps most proud of is a Best in Historical Fiction from the Independent Book Publishers Association. It was a surprising pat on the back for the hours upon countless hours invested in research. The small anecdotal twists in historical novels of any subgenre are important. They ground the bigger events of history. I have found that in the nuggets of details oftentimes lies the best of historical story.

I’m astounded by the success of the series and excited about the second book because I think, and hope, that I’ve met my goal of surpassing the high bar set by the first novel. The readers will determine that! Maps of Fate examines slavery, from the viewpoint of the slave—a race yearning to be fully American, totally free and self-determining. This is a theme which will carry over into Book Three, North to Wyoming, releasing in late 2012. So, too, will the story, through the Indians’ eyes, of the sad, dark blotch on American history which is the treatment of the First Nations.

The beginnings of the “taming” of the West, and the use, and abuse of its lands is yet another piece of this “tale of us” that germinates in Book Two. And, of course Maps of Fate follows the evolving life threads, passions, loves, disappointments, tragedies, romances, and in some cases sadly lethal experience of the characters which the readers of Book One seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed. A new generation takes root in Maps of Fate. Their life threads hurtle through American history towards their destinies and still subsequent generations of the series.

Advance Reader Copies of Maps of Fate will be released February 28. The book itself will launch in the first half of April in print at Barnes & Noble, Hastings, and many fine independent bookstores around the country, plus certain international locations. It will also be available on that date in Nook, Kindle and iTunes, and – with luck –audio.

We are having a great survey/contest with prizes beginning the day before Valentine’s Day. Everyone who has reserved a copy of the book on our sites will receive a free MP3 download of three chapters of Maps of Fate read by yours truly. I will make sure that my voice synthesizer is firmly in place!

Readers will also be able to reserve their copy of the very limited number of Advance Reader Copies, delivered digitally, and printable! Which will be for sale on our web sites beginning February 28 for a limited 10 day period. This very unique offering ( we don’t think any other publisher all or author has ever done) will couple with a two dollar gift certificate good toward buying the final print version, or digital version, of Maps of Fate on or after its release date in April on Barnes & Noble dot com, or in store. The ARC copies will only be available for an attenuated period in very limited amount.

I hope my musings albeit from a newbie author who freely admits he knows little and has much to learn, have been of some help or stirred some thought.

Thank you Mary for this great opportunity to blog here in February.

Blurb:

The adventure and romance of the West wrapped in a silver bolo of the American spirit. This is our story.
 
One saga spanning one hundred-seventy years of our history, brim full of adventure and sensuality and history. Eight sizzling reads. This American epic begins with Threads West, winner of seven national awards including Best Western, 2010, Best Romance 2011, and Best Historical Fiction, 2011. This #1 best-selling, first of eight historical western romances, is being compared to Lonesome Dove, Gone with the Wind and Centennial by reviewers, authors and readers alike.
 
Spanning 170 years and set in authentic locations on three continents and in the jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the life threads of four generations of characters—whose personalities are forged by the land, it’s evolution and the promise of America—live, love, struggle, die, fail and succeed. In the beginning, they have neither country nor culture in common.  But the threads of the textured and conflicted lives of these strong women and driven men become part of the fabric of the undulating and magnetic landscape of the West, woven into the rich tapestry of an emerging nation.

The universal energies of romance and torrid passions shape relationships and enmities, creating a real and engrossing pattern of intrigue, treachery and deep love.  Through the characters’ eyes and senses we experience history, interwoven with little-known highly nuanced true tales.  Then brace yourself as the final novel, Summits,set in the contemporary West, pulls us into the tempestuous, real-time lives of the fourth generation.
 
Threads West, An American Saga is the adventure and romance of the West wrapped in the silver bolo of the American spirit. It is our story. It is the ongoing tale of us.

Leave a comment and the lucky person will win Reid’s print book -1 Threads West.

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Reid Lance Rosenthal is fourth generation land and cattle.  He owns interests in eleven ranches in three western states and Canada.  His long-standing devotion to wild and remote places and to the people–both past and present–who leave their legend and footprint upon the American West is the inspiration and descriptive underpinning of all of his writing.

This passion fuels each novel in the widely acclaimed historical romance series, Threads West…An American Saga.  The first novel of the eight part saga has been compared to McMurty’s Lonesome Dove.  Each ensuing book unfolds the riveting tale of an emerging nation, an evolving west, and the land forged personalities of the driven men and women whose American spirit built a great nation.  The western landscape fuses personalities from uncommon origins, and weaves lives into generational tapestries of lust, duplicity, enmity, love and triumph.  Threads West is the tale of America and her spirit.  “It is your story,” Reid whispers. Then, raising his voice to match his passion, deep tones booming, he reminds us, “This is the ongoing story of us.”

Contact Email: authorsitereid@aol.com

Website: www.threadswestanamericansagaseries.com

www.reidlrosenthal.com

www.threadswestamericansaga.com

www.mapsoffate.com

www.facebook.com/threadswest

True love. What an amazing phenomenon. It’s what all of us long for and so few of us find. I’m talking about Romantic love, the kind that flashes in the    beginning and burns steadily all through life.

Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection; and “the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.”     -Wikipedia

To me, true love is the love that stands the test of time. I’ve loved several men, but it’s only with my husband that love has lasted through the trials and unlooked for tragedies of life. And yes, desire is still smouldering underneath, ready to flame to life at any given moment!

As the author of half a dozen m/m erotic books, I’m often asked if true love plays a part in my stories. Absolutely! My men share the exhileration and thrill of falling in love. Suffer the heartache of seperation and breakup and the wonder and delight of reunion with that one person who makes them whole. The only difference would be, where in other romance stories the door would close on their lovemaking,  we get to climb into bed with my men and share the passion and joy of discovery.

With Shelton (Shelton in Love, Shelton’s Promise, Shelton’s Choice), it was love at first sight. New offices were being built onto the bank where he worked as a loan officer. The architect they’d hired had come to drop off the blueprints for the offices, and when Nevil walked through the doors, he stole Shelton’s breath and heart. Nevil. Handsome, sexy, witty. Do you know the song ‘Last of the Famous International Playboys’ by Morrissey? That’s my Nevil.

Shelton is shy and beautiful, unsure yet alluring in his own way. A definite temptation. But when I started writing their story, I wasn’t sure how to get them together. I couldn’t just start with them in bed, however much as I’d like to! Should I start with their first meeting, where Shelton falls helplessly for Nevil’s charm?

Too predictable, though even as I’m writing this, I picture their first encounter in my mind, Shelton meeting Nevil’s burning glance across the room, his bones melting as the gorgeous man seemed interested in him…

But no, I wanted their relationship to be special. So I started later. In Shelton in Love, Shelton’s already hopelessly in love with Nevil but his happily ever after is still achingly out of reach. The story is about Shelton’s struggle to win Nevil’s elusive heart and not break his own.

In Shelton’s Promise, Shelton’s been with his lover for six months and is more than ready to commit himself to their relationship for the rest of his life. But is Nevil ready? The man can’t seem to help himself when it comes to flirtations with other men. It takes a near tragedy to get Nevil to see how important Shelton is to him.

Their love comes to a header in Shelton’s Choice. Shelton has to move to another state to take the promotion he’s been working for. Can their love survive the separation and sense of betrayal such a move entails? This is the ultimate test of their love, and thankfully, it turns out to be true and everlasting.

Blurb of Book:

After a year of bliss with Nevil, Shelton is offered the promotion he’s been working toward at the bank. Unfortunately the new position is in another state, and Nevil doesn’t want to move. As tension mounts between them, Shelton is given another challenge in the form of a besotted coworker. Torn between the pressures at work and at home, Shelton has to choose his future. That is, until Nevil takes the decision out of his hands.

Excerpt of Book:

Shelton hurried after him as Nevil wove his way through the boisterous lunch crowd to the front entrance. His heart fluttered when Nevil opened the door of the car for him and kissed his cheek as he climbed into the Prius at the curb. Nevil rarely displayed his affection in public, a sure sign he felt as aroused as Shelton did. He remained silent as Nevil drove through the afternoon traffic, his body tingling in anticipation of their lovemaking.

“What about this blindfold?” he asked, becoming slightly breathless at the thought. Nevil could be so creative.

“That’s for later, my dear, when I have you alone and enthralled.”

Shelton snorted and enjoyed Nevil’s easy laughter. Grateful to be Nevil’s friend as well as his lover, Shelton’s spirits soared. His days were filled with laughter and comradeship. He thrust Ted’s stinging reminder from his mind. He’d keep that discussion for another day and take this precious time with Nevil.

He sat up in the bucket seat as Nevil skirted the city and took one of the smaller highways toward the mountains. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see. We put the last nail in Bill Stanton’s place this morning, two weeks ahead of schedule, and Barker gave us the weekend off, with a bonus.” Nevil patted his pocket.

“It’s only Thursday.”

Nevil waved it off. “I’m sure you’ll come down with a cold or something by morning. Live a little, Shelton! The bank won’t fall apart without you tomorrow. I want to celebrate.”

Shelton leaned back in his seat. Who was he to argue, especially when Nevil’s gaze raked over him with the promise of passion in his beautiful eyes? The highway ascended steadily up into the mountains, and Nevil turned off along a narrow road, then onto a private driveway. Shelton whistled appreciatively when they pulled up to a modern glass-and-redwood-sided bungalow snug against the lake.

“It’s beautiful,” he said in admiration, recalling the blueprints for the house on Nevil’s desk last winter.

“The Gordans haven’t moved in yet and lent it to me for the weekend.”

“But why?”

Nevil turned off the engine and moved closer to Shelton. “I told them it was my first-year anniversary with the man I love.”

Shelton reached out and cupped the back of Nevil’s head, pulling him closer for a kiss. So delicious. He never tired of the taste of this man in his arms. Nevil pressed against him, and the heat of his body ignited Shelton, the scent of Nevil’s skin filling him with the longing to run his tongue over every inch of Nevil’s body.

Nevil groaned low in his throat and slowly pulled away from him. “Let’s go inside,” he said unsteadily.

“Absolutely.”

Nevil squeezed his hand as they left the car and climbed onto the wide porch surrounding the house. Shelton’s heart pounded with excitement as Nevil fished the keys from a pocket and opened the door. He waved Shelton in and barely let the door close behind them before pulling Shelton tight against his body.

The dark head bent to him. “I love you,” Nevil told him and captured Shelton’s lips before Shelton could reply.

Leave a comment and the lucky person will win Dianne’s e-book in PDF format.

 Join us every day of Feb. We are giving away a book a day.

 At the end of the month, four lucky winners who have commented the most throughout the month will win a pile of books.

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Dianne Hartsock lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play.

She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write her tales. There’s something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside and a fire crackles on the hearth inside that kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which she says is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Contact Email:  diannewrites2@hotmail.com

Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/

FB: http://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock

Shelton in Love

Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/shelton-love

Amazon: http://amzn.to/m3VJDe

Shelton is falling hard for his best friend and roommate, finding Nevil’s dark good looks and moments of gentleness almost impossible to resist. But Nevil is more interested in affairs of the body than the heart. As Shelton’s desire for the man grows, he wonders if he can change Nevil’s mind. But does he even want to? Nevil might not stay, once he learns Shelton’s secret, and then his loneliness would be complete.

Shelton’s Promise

Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/sheltons-promise

Amazon: http://amzn.to/nGt0xx

Shelton has a gift he’s eager to give to Nevil. At a party, Nevil flirts with one man after another, keeping Shelton on his toes. Then Percy, an ex, shows up to complicate things. Despite his best efforts, Shelton can’t find the right moment to give Nevil his gift. Will Nevil ever let Shelton get close to him, or will Shelton have to keep the gift in his pocket all evening?

Hi! My name is Ella Jade and I’m thrilled to be here today.  Thanks for having me.

 When I tell friends, family or people who ask what I do for a living that  I’m an author of erotic fiction they often seem surprised. They’re always like, “Really? You write what?” The biggest question I’m asked about my chosen profession is…

Do I write from personal experience?

I’d love to say YES! My sex life is just as hot as the pages in my books. Lol I’m not saying I’m a prude or my husband is lacking anything. But I will say, I just don’t have that much time in my life for that much research.

I’m a stay-at-home mom most days, a full-time writer, V.P. of the PTO and I substitute teach a few times a month. I’m a busy girl, so when it comes time to write those steamy scenes I rely heavily on my imagination. Several of my books contain BDSM themes but I don’t participate in that lifestyle so I have no firsthand knowledge. I do as much research as I can but when it comes time for me to develop characters and set up the plot I just write what I define as sexy or appropriate for that particular scene. I want to stimulate the reader and have them get lost in my words. When I’m writing, I want to forget about reality for a few hours and indulge in fantasy.

Obviously, romance plays a huge part in all of my books. I like to create strapping, sexy and dominant heroes but they also have to be flawed. Character growth and redemption are always present in my novels. A good friend once told me, “Not everyone is all good, or all bad.” I use those words to develop strong characters that can grow, accept change and be emotionally invested in their partners. Once I develop my characters and establish their emotional connection the rest is easy and steamy and sexy and erotic…

At the end of the day, I guess I can say I write from personal experience. Maybe not in the way most think an erotic author should, but experience none the less. I observe life, people, emotions, relationships and love. And maybe on occasion I might say to my husband, “Wanna try chapter three tonight?”

My latest BDSM novel is called The Lonely Dominant.

Here’s a blurb…

Successful businessman Alec Carter realizes his life is less than fulfilled when he meets beautiful Princeton University senior Clara Whittaker at a local coffee shop. Alec experiments in the BDSM lifestyle but doesn’t consider himself hardcore until he crosses paths with the obviously submissive Clara. The more time Alec spends with young Clara, the more his dominant tendencies push to the surface. She could be what has been missing.

After her grandmother’s death, Clara ends up a guest in Alec’s home until she can finish school. She quickly learns she’s a natural submissive and decides she wants to explore this new side of herself with the man of house. Alec shows her a life she never knew existed as they enter into a world of role playing, fantasy, and desire. Alec may be the Master, but Clara holds the key to his heart. 

As the semester comes to an end, so does their arrangement. If Alec doesn’t admit his true feelings for Clara, she could walk out of his life forever. But, Alec isn’t sure which she craves more . . . his dominance . . . or his love.

Excerpt:

I broke the kiss and gently stroked her hair. “Thank you for letting me be the first to bring you that pleasure. You don’t know how it pleases me.”

I continued to stare at her for a few moments, occasionally placing a soft kiss on her lips.

“I want to please you,” she said. “I can’t explain it, but I have these urges to make you happy.”

“What do you mean?” I said, figuring we might as well put it all on the table.

“Ever since I met you, there’s just been something about you. It’s the way you act, and you always seem to have control over everything. It’s really sexy.”

I smirked, because she got me completely.

“When I hear you on the phone for work, you just say what needs to be done. You never ask, and you always get results. There are times when I think I want you to talk to me that way. Is there something wrong with me? I can’t even believe I’m telling you this.”

I laughed, because if there was something wrong with her, then I was certainly a head case.

“Clara,” I picked up her shirt from the floor and handed it to her, “there’s nothing wrong with you. I think there’s a very specific reason we’re drawn to one another.”

“Why?”

“Do you know what a Dominant is?” Why waste time?

I was never the type to beat around the bush. When I wanted something, I put it out there. This was no different. She may not have realized it, but she was attracted to me because she was submissive. Exactly how submissive? I wasn’t sure, but I hoped to find out.

She quickly put her blouse back on and buttoned it up. We’d have to work on her modesty, too. I planned to have her naked quite a bit.

“I think so,” she said. “It’s when a person takes on the dominant role in a sexual relationship.”

I smiled. “Yes, that’s part of it, but it’s also the Dom’s responsibility to teach and help his submissive reach pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship between two consenting adults.”

“Alec, are you dominant?”

“In almost every aspect of my life, especially in the bedroom.”

“Oh,” she said, as she adjusted her skirt.

“Does that bother you?” I’d give her the opportunity to run screaming from the house.

“Actually,” she said, and the blush took over her face again. “It kind of intrigues me.”

“Really?”

She nodded.

“Do you know anything about that type of relationship?” I pulled her closer to me. She was so soft and warm, and I couldn’t keep my hands off her. I’d touch her all day if I could.

“Not firsthand, obviously.” She traced my lips with her fingertip. I liked when she touched me unprovoked. “I had a human sexuality course last semester and we discussed dominant and submissive behaviors, and I realized I could be a submissive. Not extremely submissive. I mean, I don’t think I could be someone’s slave, or do it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, but I found it a turn-on.”

Is this really happening?

“The more I learned about the subject, the more I realized I wanted to be dominated,” she said. “But, it wasn’t something I thought I could explore. I wouldn’t even know how to go about it.”

Surreal was the only way to describe what was happening here. Anytime I’d engaged in this behavior, I’d had to seek out my subs as discreetly as possible. I would go through friends I knew in the community to find a woman who was into the same things I was. I’d always had difficulty finding someone who was only interested in light play. Most subs were looking for long-term, hard play, and as secure as I was, I just wasn’t into beating or humiliating anyone. I also liked having the power of being able to play when I wanted to.

“I’m not a hard-core Dom. I’ve dabbled, but I’ve never collared a sub, and I’ve never been in a relationship with one before. I enjoy the lifestyle, but I did it only with a willing partner, and only for brief periods of time. We both took what we needed from the experience, and then we mutually parted ways.”

She looked disappointed by my response. Maybe she thought I was more involved in the lifestyle?

“It’s a very satisfying experience when both participants are open and honest about their wants and desires. The pleasures I’ve gained through my past experiences were like none I’d ever experienced before.”

“I’d like to try it,” she said. “I want to submit to you.”

“You’re so young.” Her age didn’t bother me. Rather, I knew she was so inexperienced when it came to sex and relationships. I wasn’t certain she could make this kind of decision. “I’d need you to be absolutely sure.”

“You said it was consensual. I wouldn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to, and if I remember correctly, there are safe words we could use.”

“I think you know more than you’re letting on.” I arched a brow at her, but I was impressed by her openness. I was surprised she had the courage to press the matter.

“I may have researched the subject a couple of times.”

“You’re right about safe words. They are set up to protect not only your physical boundaries, but your emotional limits as well. I would push your limits, but only to show you how much pleasure you could gain. I couldn’t do this 24/7 either. We’d have to come up with some sort of agreement, since we live under the same roof.” Are we really entertaining this?

“Weekends?” She shrugged. “Maybe we could try it out?”

I smiled and gently kissed her lips. “Yes, I think weekends would work perfectly.”

You can get a full chapter one excerpt here…

https://www.nobleromance.com/Books?author=171

Thanks so much for joining me today!

Stop by my blog if you’d like to check out my upcoming releases…

http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBooks industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can’t be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she’s not chasing after her kids, she’s busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing and scrapbooking. She hope’s you’ll get lost in her words.

You can connect with her at http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com/

Leave a comment and the lucky person will win Ella’s e-book in PDF format.

 Join us every day of Feb. We are giving away a book a day.

 At the end of the month, four lucky winners who have commented the most throughout the month will win a pile of books.

So try not to miss a day.

 “I can listen no longer in silence.  I must speak to you by such means as are  within my reach.  You pierce my soul.  I am half agony, half hope.  Tell me not    that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.  I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.”  – From ‘Persuasion’ by Jane Austen.

What woman could fail to be moved by such words – especially when furtively written in a hastily scribbled letter by the only man she has ever loved, who is in the same room, but in no position to speak to her?  Societal rules in the late 18^th/early 19^th century meant that romance and romancing had to be conducted on a much more restrained level than in the present day, yet the romance was no less intense, the emotional rollercoaster rides of the heroes and heroines no less thrilling and the reader pleasure no less intense than in the present day.  The proof of this lies in the fact that Jane Austen’s novels are being appreciated more and more with each passing century – and my guess is that this is not down to a sudden interest in the history of the Regency era.

What fascinates me about the way Jane Austen dealt with romance was how powerfully she portrayed the agonies and the ecstasies of her heroes and heroines long before they had even indulged in their first kiss.  I believe she did this by reaching deep into their core feelings and values and forcing them to confront their weaknesses in order to know themselves. 

When I first decided to write romance, I knew this was what I wanted to try to achieve.  I wasn’t interested in writing erotica where emotions are (quite literally) laid bare.  I wanted to explore the challenges and inner turmoil that new relationships bring.  I’m afraid this does mean putting my characters through the emotional mangle somewhat – but I think it is only by going through a painful learning process that people can grow and develop, making their ultimate rewards so much better.

Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth did not have to rip each other’s clothes off and leap into bed to discover their compatibility in love any more than did the delightful Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy – but the reader is left in no doubt that these are perfect matches and conjugal bliss will follow. 

Readers have their own imaginations and each will interpret events in the most perfect way imaginable without a writer needing to act as a voyeuristic intermediary and spell out every little detail for them.  Readers shouldn’t be passive observers in the story-telling process – they should be active participants, using their own wonderful imaginations to fill in all the details and enrich their reading experience.  I believe writers have a responsibility to encourage this, not take it away.  There is a visual medium that does that perfectly well – it’s called film.

I didn’t choose to write sweet or mild romance because I radically disapprove of erotica.  I chose it because I wanted to see if I could capture intense emotion without explicitly describing what everyone knows happens between couples at a time that most people would generally prefer a little privacy.  Just as I wouldn’t spy on two people making love in real life, I prefer not to do so in my stories.I feel very clear in my mind about what I want to write – basically, it is exactly what I would want to read myself! 

If you choose to write sweet romance, it’s important to check out different publishers’ classifications of this before you submit your work – or better still, before you begin writing.  Categorisation does vary between total abstinence outside of marriage to ‘closed door sex’ which generally means that the reader can be told what is happening but not be privy to intricate details. 

Knowing exactly where publishers stand, and respecting their guidelines, can save a great deal of time and disappointment when it comes to pitching your romance.  Apart from the different sub-genres of romantic fiction, there are also the ‘heat levels’ to consider. 

Most publishers are very explicit about what their readers want and a little homework on their websites can save a great deal of wasted time on both sides.  There really is no point in thinking that a publisher will ‘bend the rules’ because your story is special.  Of course your story is special, and you owe it to yourself to make sure the right people agree with you.  When it comes to pitching your romance story, it’s vital to get this right and approach only the publishing houses whose criteria you know you have met, in order to avoid the distress of rejection.

Everyone loves a good romance (no matter how much they may protest otherwise!) If you know you have a good romance story to share, then the onus is on you to make sure it reaches the widest possible readership.  And by pitching it accurately, you stand a much better chance of success.Remember also that with sweet romance, your aim is to make readers fall in love over and over again.  If your writing comes from the heart, your readers will quickly identify with it.  After all, romance is a matter of the heart.

Love sweet romance?  Then you will love ‘The Apple Tree’ by Lynette Sofras – The lucky commenter will win an e-book PDF copy of this book. If you come back every day of Feb and comment on the new author blogging, your name will go into the hat for four large packs of books. Support the authors and win.

Now available from:

http://www.inspiredromancenovels.com/theappletree

Amazon.com: (US) http://goo.gl/aY1WE

(UK) http://goo.gl/cLhLa

And in other e-book formats at all major retailers. 

Blurb of book:

Escaping from your past is never easy, as young hospital doctor Juliet discovers when she tries to start afresh, leaving both her marriage and her career behind.  Love blossoms rapidly when she meets the mysterious and forthright Nicholas, who seems to herald the new beginning she craves.  The past quickly dissolves into insignificance as their all-consuming romance propels them forward but Juliet has to learn the price of happiness in the cruellest way possible.  Will she be able face the painful roots of her past in order for her future to grow strong and healthy?

Excerpt of Book:

She gazed at a street lamp in front of her, watching the moths jostling for position as they flapped round and round.  She thought Nicholas was like that light, attracting all the moth-like creatures, the Annabels, the Clarissas, the Livvies and probably many more, all irresistibly drawn to his lovely flame.  He could have married any one of them and made the same mistake as her.  Had he always been entirely truthful with them all?  Had he never come close to feeling that intensity of emotion he seemed to have shared with her, close enough at least to have wrong-footed somewhere en route?  Could he really know himself so well and be so perfect?  Robert certainly thought so.  He made him sound like a saint.  Saint Nicholas—no, sorry, got one of those already—and he was a do-gooder too!

Some ten or fifteen minutes must have passed and Julie wondered if Livvie and Nicholas had finished ‘catching up’ and whether Nicholas had been left with sufficient strength to have maneuvered her car from the drive without further damage to either it or the van.  Damage her insurance company would now have to sort out for her.

“There you are!” he exclaimed from a point close behind her.  “I’ve seen to your car for you.”

“And Livvie too, I trust?”

He actually managed the merest flicker of a smile, if it wasn’t just a tic in his cheek, that is.  Livvie’s ‘catching up’ must have been very therapeutic, Julie thought.

“She’s an old friend,” he explained dismissively, to no-one in particular.

But not very old, Julie thought.  Then she caught her breath as Nicholas came to sit on the bench beside her.  At last he was coming to his senses!

“Can I ask you one question, Julie?  Was it because you thought I was a simple gardener that you felt you had free license to trample on my feelings?”

She groaned.  “Oh Nicholas, you know that isn’t true.”

“Then it seems I know very little,” he replied dryly.  “I suggest you go home now before you freeze to death.”

She jumped up from the bench, her feet, in their light, strappy sandals smarting with the cold as she planted them solidly in front of him and gazed down at him.  “My marriage was over long before I met you.  It was a mistake that should never have happened.  I was ashamed of it.  It was like my career in a way.  Passing your exams doesn’t automatically make you a good doctor in exactly the same way that signing a book in a registry office doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll have a good marriage, or even a proper one!  Simon and I were never really husband and wife, we were just good friends.”

“Simon?”  He nodded and repeated the name in a voice heavy with sarcasm.  “Simple Simon?  Simply making mistakes?”

Julie knew he was referring to her observation that sometimes people simply made mistakes in their choice of marriage partners, so the insult was double-edged.  “You have no right to insult him.” she reproached quietly.

“No, of course not.  He’s your husband.”

“No, Nicholas.  Not anymore, but he is my friend.”

“Really?  That’s what I thought I was.  It seems you treat all your friends the same way.  Badly!  In my book, friends don’t cheat and lie.  You should have told me instead of deliberately letting me believe you were someone…something else”

“How could I, knowing your views?  I grew too attached to you.”

“All the more reason for telling the truth, don’t you think?”

“But I couldn’t bear to risk losing what we had.”

“We could never have anything built on a foundation of lies.  If I asked your husband, would he tell me you were never really his wife?  Would he betray you the way you betrayed him?  Do you hate all men, Julie?  Or is it that you simply don’t know the difference between right and wrong, or the truth and lying?”

She was as wounded by his tone as much as his words but still pressed on, her voice little more than a shaky whisper.  “I don’t hate you, Nicholas.  I love you.” 

“I’ll leave your keys on the bench.”  His voice sounded icy.

She backed away a pace and stared down at her feet in misery.  Was there nothing she could say to move this man with whom she had shared so much love?  Had she really damaged their relationship so irrevocably?  How could he have changed so much, her tender lover?  Had she done that to him?

She wanted a glimpse of the old Nicholas to reassure herself that he had existed and she hadn’t dreamed him up.  This cold, hard stranger bore no resemblance to him. 

When she raised her head, Nicholas was no longer there.  She had told him she loved him and he had simply walked away.  How much more humiliation could she take?

Lynette Sofras:  Up until two years ago I was a harassed English teacher, running my own department in a busy Surrey comprehensive and my life could not have been more stressful.  A short illness made me re-think my lifestyle and I took the plunge to give up teaching and focus on my life-long ambition – to call myself an author!  Of course I felt I’d always been a writer; ever since I was first able to write I was penning little stories and losing myself in fictional worlds, but this was for real. 

I wrote all day and every day, and even made money from it!  I began as a freelance writer and editor to subsidise my creative writing and from there, my first contemporary romance, ‘The Apple Tree’ was born.

Contact Email:  ManicScribbler@gmail.com

Blog:  http:/manicscribbler.blogspot.com

Other Links: http://www.inspiredromancenovels.com/theappletree

Welcome everyone to the V-Day Month of Romance.

Today I’m listing all the authors who are scheduled so far, to blog this month. Please stop by everyday and see what they are blogging about. You know it has to be a sub-genre of Romance.

Romance has been part of my life every since I read my first Harlequin Romance novel. My mother always read romance novels and I swiped one from her collection to read. I’ve never looked back, just kept on reading.

When I asked my mother why she read romance novels, she told me…They take me places I will never travel and I will see lives I will never lead. She read up to the day she passed away. She left me her collection.

What she said, rings true to so many people.  I’ve heard about those with hardly any money, but a book was put into the shopping cart. Books keep our dreams alive when we are at our lowest sometimes.

I always read books and wrote stories of my own. It was no surprise to my mother, I would become a writer.

Here are some of our bloggers for this month. Please support them and maybe you will win one or more of the great prizes given away this month. At lease a book a day will be to the lucky commenter. Be sure to put your full name and email address.

I hope all of you have fun and win a lot of prizes. We are having a give a way at the end of this blog month. There will be four lucky winners of a pile of books. The more you stop by and comment, your name gets thrown into the hat for one of the four large book prizes.

Feb 2012 blog list

1 Mary Keith

2 Lynette Sofras   

3 Ella Jade  

4 Dianne Hartsock  

5 No Blogger

6 Reid Lance Rosenthal

7 Doris O’Connor

8 Greta van der Rol

9 Lynda Frazier

10 Natalie-Nicole Bates

11 Sylvia McDaniel

12 Kari Thomas

13 Raine Delight

14 Jason Baca – Cover Model

15 Jenny Twist  

16 Louisa Bacio

17 Vijaya Schartz

18 Jackie Tresler

19 Laura Tolomei  

20 Ranae Rose 

21 Barbara White Daille 

22 Donna Hatch

23 Toni Noel

24 Need a blogger

25 Tara Fox Hall 

26 Need a blogger

27 Lynn Crain 

28 Tara Lain

29 Shay MacLean  

Prize Pool Donations are the above and these.

Sandra Cox  

Ruth J. Hartman 

You can find books from Keith Publications at: www.wickedinkpress.com www.dinkwell.com and www.dreamsnfantasies.com

Leave a comment  and win your chose of a book from one of KP’s authors. Make sure you leave your full name and email address. Book titles are below for todays drawing. Hope to see you here everyday.

Mary Keith is the owner/publisher of Keith Publications, LLC

February’s Book Cover Contest

Jimmy Thomas

Theme – Write the story that best fits this cover.

Have you ever read a book and the cover didn’t portray what was written in the book?

Here’s your chance to change the outcome.

Write a 3,000 – 10,000 – word story of what you see in the cover.

The Rules:  

1. Word count 3,000-10,000
2. Deadline: Midnight, March 15, 2012
3. Entry fee: $10 (5% of the prize money will go to the Arizona Literacy Foundation)
4. Send money through PayPal to mary@KeithPublications.com Please put the title of your manuscript in the PayPal comments.
5. All entries are to be emailed to: mary@keithpublications.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  
6. All emailed attachments should be in .doc, .docx or .rtf format.
7. All emailed entries subject line must have: March ECover Contest 
8. Author entries must identify author by name and pen name, mailing address, title, word count in the email, and the email address you used to pay for the contest in PayPal
9. Entries must have a short synopsis of the book entered in the contest. See how to submit a synopsis on the left side bar of Keith Publications’ site. Copy and paste the synopsis form into a word doc and fill it out. Attach this form along with your full manuscript.
10. The categories are: Romance/sub-genres: western, paranormal/fantasy/time travel, hot/erotic/sexy/alterative/GLBT, romantic suspense or romantic mystery.
11. Winner of each genre or sub-genre will become a semi-finalist. All semi-finalists will go into the final round.
12. The top winner will receive a cash prize and contract with Keith Publications. Their book cover will state “Contest Winner.” The cash prize is 35% of the number of entry fees submitted.
13. The remaining three finalists will receive a publishing contract with Keith Publications, with their book cover stating, “Contest Finalist.”
14. All other entries will be looked at for possible submissions to Keith Publications, unless the writer wants to withdraw manuscript after the closing of the contest. Author must state they want to withdraw manuscript at the close of contest.
15. Keith Publications author entries will be judged separately and the four winners will receive a publishing contract with KP.
16. No entries will be returned or acknowledged. If you have not heard from Keith Publications by August 15, 2012, it is safe to send your manuscript to another publisher.

Link to KP site where this and other contests are located.  http://tinyurl.com/76ytke7

If you have other manuscripts that you would like to submit, please read the guidelines for submissions at Keith Publications side bar.

January’s Book Cover Contest 

Jason Baca

Theme – Write the story that best fits this cover.

Have you ever read a book and the cover didn’t portray

what was written in the book?

Here’s your chance to change the outcome.

Write a 3,000 – 10,000 – word story

of what you see in the cover.

The Rules:  

1. Word count 3,000-10,000
2. Deadline: Midnight, February 15, 2012
3. Entry fee: $10 (5% of the prize money will go to the Arizona Literacy Foundation)
4. Send money through PayPal to mary@KeithPublications.com Please put the title of your manuscript in the PayPal comments.
5. All entries are to be emailed to: mary@keithpublications.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  
6. All emailed attachments should be in .doc, .docx or .rtf format.
7. All emailed entries subject line must have: March ECover Contest 
8. Author entries must identify author by name and pen name, mailing address, title, word count in the email, and the email address you used to pay for the contest in PayPal
9. Entries must have a short synopsis of the book entered in the contest. See how to submit a synopsis on the left side bar of Keith Publications’ site. Copy and paste the synopsis form into a word doc and fill it out. Attach this form along with your full manuscript.
10. The categories are: Romance/sub-genres: paranormal/fantasy/time travel, sci-fi/futuristic, hot/erotic/sexy, romantic suspense or romantic mystery.
11. Winner of each genre or sub-genre will become a semi-finalist. All semi-finalists will go into the final round.
12. The top winner will receive a cash prize and contract with Keith Publications. Their book cover will state “Contest Winner.” The cash prize is 35% of the number of entry fees submitted.
13. The remaining three finalists will receive a publishing contract with Keith Publications, with their book cover stating, “Contest Finalist.”
14. All other entries will be looked at for possible submissions to Keith Publications, unless the writer wants to withdraw manuscript after the closing of the contest. Author must state they want to withdraw manuscript at the close of contest.
15. Keith Publications author entries will be judged separately and the four winners will receive a publishing contract with KP.
16. No entries will be returned or acknowledged. If you have not heard from Keith Publications by July 15, 2012, it is safe to send your manuscript to another publisher.

Link to KP site where this and other contests are located. http://tinyurl.com/7rdpplu

If you have other manuscripts that you would like to submit, please read the guidelines for submissions at Keith Publications side bar.

Register today for

 Desert Dreams Writers’ Conference

April 27-29, 2012

Scottsdale, AZ

 

Always looking for quality manuscripts and editors

 

Keith Publications, LLC www.keithpublications.com

Wicked Ink Press www.wickedinkpress.com

 

D’ Ink Well www.dinkwell.com

 

 Dreams N Fantasies www.dreamsnfantasies.com

I Love Reviews www.ilovereviews.com   

Like Us on Facebook Keith Publications LLC

Keith Publications would like to welcome Stephanie Campbell today.

Stephanie Campbell had her first book, Until We Meet Again, published at the age of seventeen. Now, at twenty, she is still whacking away at her computer and has come out with two new releases, Poachers and Where All Rivers Meet. When she isn’t reading or writing, she likes to dance, take karate lessons, and run. After all, you never know when you’re about to be sucked into another world.

Stephanie has three books out about the same time. I’m happy she dropped by to promote Dragon Night, Where All Rivers Meet and Poachers

Published at the age of seventeen, not to many can claim being published at this age. So how old were you when you started writing?

I’ve had a love affair with writing since I was eight years old. It was pig week in my school, and my librarian posted all of the books about pigs on this massive display. I wrote a book and then colored the pictures. She displayed my book, even though it was probably terrible. I don’t remember what I wrote about, but I know that I’ll never forget that wonderful librarian. It goes to show you that the smallest of actions toward a child can change the course of a life.

What inspires you to write?

Everything. I think that’s why I do it. I think that writers are a group of sensitive—and in my case, overly sensitive—people. I get overwhelmed by things easily, because I feel like I’m digesting information all at once. Writing is my outlet, and that outlet turned into my career.

What do you like about writing?

I love disappearing in another world. I’ve always imagined that I’d be swept away someplace. I’m still waiting for my letter to Hogwarts. *Laughs.* Honestly, it’s the only thing that makes me truly happy, and it’s the only thing that I’ve ever been able to truly count on. (Some people may think that’s sad, but it’s how I feel.)

 What genres do you prefer to write in?

Fantasy, because that’s where my heart is. I’m a fairy deep inside. *Smiles.* I’m also a hopeless romantic, which is funny because I’m so busy writing about people that have love lives that I don’t take the time to actually get one myself.

What genres are your published books?

Poachers and Dragon Night are YA fantasy. (My favorites!) Where All Rivers Meet is my poetry compilation. I’m also publishing more. I have a busy release schedule. P.S. I Killed My Mother is a YA drama, Crossing Over is multicultural, and Tasting Silver is a romance. These will all be released in the next six months. I can’t forget about Case Closed, my first mystery baby, that is being published by Mary, my host today.

What in particular inspired your latest book.

That’s a funny question, because I’m currently working on one of my old manuscripts. It was the third one that I wrote. (Which is a long time ago. It was while I was still in high school.) Anyway, I need to change some major things, so I’m overhauling it. I don’t even remember what inspired it because it was that long ago.

What are your future writing projects.

After I finish my overhaul, which should take three weeks according to my calculations according to eight hours a day editing, I will begin cleaning a book I wrote six months ago. It’s about a boy that gets kidnapped by an evil version of himself from an alternate reality. It is so fun! There are also quantum zombies.

What are you working on now? Give us a hint J

I am working on a little something besides my overhaul. It’s called Racing Death. It’s about a man that can see death—not death as a thing, but death as a person. His girlfriend, Bridget, is next on Death’s list, and he has to find a way to save her.

How many of your books are published?

Funny story behind that! I actually wrote a ton and had no success. Query letter after query letter got me nowhere. Then one day my book, Poachers, got picked up by a publisher. Next thing I know, I’ve received contracts for eight different books. When I got my first bestselling title, I almost passed out because I was so happy. Now, I am living the dream. I have three currently out now with more on the way.

Here’s an excerpt of Dragon Night. The excerpt is very intriguing. One lucky commenter will win a copy of Dragon Night …don’t forget to add your email address and name to your comment.

“Get out of the way,” Ford’s mother, Liddy, screamed as she passed over him with a steaming pile of hotcakes balanced on her thin, spindly arms. “Move it, boy.”

This was a scene that Ford Forks, the son of the owners of Wicker Pancake Mill, was far too used to. Regardless of the fact that he was a high school student, he still had to rise at four thirty every morning to help his mother open the restaurant. He was all too used to this scenario, though, and his grumblings were minimal.

“Sorry,” Ford said underneath his breath, shrugging his shoulders as he dodged yet another incoming tray of food.

He picked up a steaming plate of hotcakes that his father had whipped up behind the wall that separated the breakfast bar from the kitchen, wondering whether or not his family realized that he was their son and not just a server. As he walked forward, he smiled at one of the regular customers sitting at the metal bar, who waved and gave him the only source of friendliness that he would know that morning.

As he walked over to the customer that had ordered the food in his hands, he quietly listened to the usual accusatory remarks that cranky morning diners usually had. Ford did his atypical soothing routine, which happened to include an overabundance of apologies and sympathetic head nods. He was so good at it by now that he hardly noticed the crick in his neck.

“Boy,” his mother called from behind the bar, “get your butt off to school right now. You’re going to be late.”

“Yes, Liddy,” he called back.

It was an unusual thing to call a mother by her first name—or last, for that matter—but that was the first lesson that he had learned in his family. His father, Wicker, had an obscene dislike for parental words, and whenever he heard Ford say “Mom” or “Dad,” he would get a seizure in his face so powerful that Ford wondered whether he was having a stroke.

Stephanie has been gracious enough to post an excerpt of Poachers as well.

CHAPTER 1      

“There is something wrong with him,” his mother said softly from beyond his door.”  

“No, there isn’t,” replied his father. “He’s just being a little kid. All of them are like that.”       

“They aren’t,” his mother argued.       

A strange silence pierced the room where eight-year-old Ronnie Cane was supposed to be sleeping, but the real truth of the matter was that he wasn’t—not even close, in fact. Today he had another accident again. It wasn’t the go-potty-in-your-pants kind of problem, nor was it a fight. Instead Ronnie had been found sobbing in the bathroom two hours earlier, trying to escape the dark, scary thing that had been on his wall. 

Ever since he was born, he had been consumed by problems of a similar kind. When he was a newborn, his parents said that he would scream for hours and hours inside of his crib regardless of what they did to comfort him. As the years went on, he was plagued with night terrors and the usual childish fear of the dark. What made him different from other kids, though, was that the monster in his closet wasn’t some imaginary phantom that he had dreamed about. He could see the shadow creatures around him and describe them in detail so intricate that it often drove his mother to tears.     

From outside his room, he heard a light creak of the hallway and saw that his bedroom door was slowly being opened. Hastily he shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep to soothe his constantly worrying father, Leon. His mother, Marian, was prone to being easily upset, a young parent that had dropped out of high school to give birth to him. Though he didn’t know what it meant, people often informed Leon that he had robbed the cradle. At least, that was what Ronnie’s grandmother always said.      

As the sound of footsteps carried off down the hall, he immediately sat up and focused on the ceiling of his room. A dark shadow was already beginning to form at the base of his light, which then worked its way down a nearby wall. For a moment he heard the hiss that came with someone’s breathing, then he shivered as the room grew devastatingly cold. Above him, a man of blackness was suspended in midair that he could clearly see. It was a shadow of someone that was invisible.

‘Ronnie,’ said a voice so chilling that it hurt his heart. ‘Ronnie.’

Ronnie burrowed himself deep within his pillows, listening to what sounded like a chorus made only of his name. More than anything else, he wanted it to go away. As he delved deeper into his bed sheets, he felt a hand touch his back, which then ran its way down his side tauntingly. He did his best to ignore it, but he felt vulnerable and sick all at the same time.        

As the hand continued its fear making, he felt urine dribble down his legs as he wet the bed. ‘It followed me,’ he thought. ‘It’s that scary monster that I saw in the store. It followed me.’ With a squeaky scream, he jumped up from the bed. The figure was still on the ceiling as if he was accompanied by an invisible person. His heart leapt out of his chest as an upheaval of stomach acid waged a war on his throat.          

This wasn’t like some videogame or television program that he could merely turnoff. The way his heart felt was real, and it was enough to entice him to vomit all over his sheets. Instead he compromised by leaping out of the bed. As he did so, he felt air lift up the sweaty hair on the back of his neck, which caused him to whimper slightly.

He caught sight of his own terrified reflection in the mirror hanging on his wall, which brought him to a pause because he suddenly remembered that he was not supposed to leave his room unaccompanied. As an alternative for running away, he breathed and studied his reflection, doing his best to calm down.

For an eight-year-old he was overly skinny, and he had dark hair with a reddish sheen that was almost always messed up. His eyes were a very deep brown that had hardly any alternate color in them at all, which made them stand out from his pale face. There were freckles along his button nose that his mother called love spots—the more someone had, the more they were loved.   

He shivered as he peered at himself, growing steadily more frightened by the second as he felt the figure approach him again. His focus changed from his own reflection to that of the shadow man’s. ‘It’s breathing on me,’ he thought wildly. ‘The monster is breathing on me.’     

For a moment he contemplated running out of the house screaming, but he recalled his mother’s words from mere minutes before: “There is something wrong with him.” Even as he sprung open the door and headed out of his room, the inner controversy between his fear and his mother’s opinion of him continued. As he proceeded down the stairs, he didn’t even bother to check whether or not the monster was following him.       

He paused briefly to jump at the doorknob—as it was too tall for his short body—unlocking it and running into the rain that had been pouring outside the house for hours now. His whole body burned, since he had no shoes, jacket, or umbrella. It was mid-October, the temperature dropping dangerously low for an unshielded person.   

Their family home was separated from the town by a thick expanse of well placed woods. It was a small abode, painted a cheerful yellow with white shutters, that looked as safe as a warm hug. Ronnie was the only one that truly knew the evil within, and as he fled from the house and into the safety of the forest, fear jumped up his spine once more. The trees, with their welcoming branches, had tricked him—it wasn’t safe out here either.        

As his fragile, shoeless feet pounded against the ground until they bled, he continued through the forest. It was only as he stumbled to a stop a half an hour later that he realized that he was desperately and completely lost. The trees gave him little protection from the whipping wind that rushed through their leaves, and he shivered as he stood by a large oak’s trunk, trying to protect himself from the pounding weather. Every once in a while the sky would light up a vivid white from the powerful lightning, and Ronnie would squeak before hiding his head in his hands.        

As he exhaled white mist, he checked his surroundings before concealing his face again. The monster may or may not have come after him. He had no idea how much time had passed, but he began to feel numbness sink into his thin, superhero adorned pajamas as he stood there all alone. Suddenly he felt a thick and heavy hand grasp his shoulder, making him let out a scream of terror that cut through the air. Thunder crashed through the night as if in response to Ronnie’s wail.          

“Ronnie!” a familiar voice cried. “Ronnie, are you okay!?”           

His father stood in front of him, arms outstretched and opened wide. It was obvious that Leon had been searching in the rain for quite some time, because he too was soaked to the bone in his plaid pajama set. Ronnie let out a sob of despair, falling into his father’s widespread arms, smelling the rain on Leon’s body as he was kissed and hugged desperately amongst the trees.           

“Dad, a monster was there,” Ronnie sobbed. “It was there. It wanted me.”           

“Okay,” Leon soothed, stroking Ronnie’s unusual hair. “Let’s just get you back inside, alright?”

Judging by the look on Leon’s face, Ronnie knew that he had just proved his mother’s point. Ronnie gulped, shivering even more as he was led by the hand to their yellow cottage. At that moment, he wondered whether there would ever come a time when he would truly feel safe.

Where can we find you on the Internet?

Email:  authorgirl1485@live.com

Website/blog:  http://stephaniecampbellreleases.weebly.com/

  http://stephaniecampbellsblog.blogspot.com/

Other Links: http://writersos.blogspot.com/

 http://www.amazon.com/Poachers-Stephanie-Campbell/dp/1937004481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321039084&sr=8-1

Check out the links below for Stephanie’s other books.

Where All Rivers Meet http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Where+All+Rivers+Meet

Until We Meet Again http://www.amazon.com/Until-Meet-Again-Stephanie-Campbell/dp/1432735519/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321039151&sr=1-6

Keith Publications would like to welcome Elaine Markowicz today.

Elaine, tell us a little about yourself.

I started writing when I was eleven when my parents gave me my first typewriter. Being a writer is what I always strived to be. I’ve published numerous books in various genres: romance, horror and sci-fi.

My latest novel is a romance titled: Daughter of Desire with its sequel coming out later in 2012.

I attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia for video production and film. I presently live in Philadelphia with my husband and sons.

Elaine when did you start writing?

I started writing when I was eleven. I always knew even before that I wanted to be a writer.

What inspires you to write?

Life. The people and things around me. Some of my dreams also inspire me.

What do you like about writing?

The whole process of  putting my ideas and emotions into action.

What genres do you prefer to write in?

Horror is my favorite genre but I also write romance and children.

What in particular inspired your latest book?

Nothing in particular. It just came to me and I started writing it.

What are your future writing projects?

I have a children’s series based on the real life friendships of myself and three great ladies I once knew. I decided to memorialize our friendship in these stories.

What are you working on now? Give us a hint 

 Beside the children’s series I’m presently working on a horror novel of the sexual hunger of a vampire.

How did you come up with the title Daughter of Desire?

She’s the illegitimate daughter of Louis XV and the most desirable woman in the French court: thus, Daughter of Desire.

Here’s an excerpt of Daughter of Desire. The excerpt is very intriguing. One lucky commenter will win a copy of Daughter of Desire…don’t forget to add your email address and name to your comment.

“Desiree shed the clothes Marie had lent and eased into the tub. The steamy water relaxed her sore, aching body. She plunged her head back under the water. The thought of allowing the water to fill her lungs would be so easy. Her troubled spirit would finally be free. She could join her son and mother in Heaven and this life be damned, but it wasn’t in her nature to quit when things got tough. If anything she learned at the convent was ‘adversity makes the spirit stronger.’

She emerged above water, snatching the castile soap, rubbing it into her hair, digging her nails vigorously into her scalp until the soap burned the opened scratches. She briskly lathered the lufa and scoured her body hard, hoping to wash off the first few layers of the disgusting stench: the foul odors of vomit, stale whiskey, urine, and fecal matter.

She scrubbed harder and harder. Her skin was aflame. She stopped suddenly, wrapped her arms around her raised knees, and sobbed. “Mama, how could you leave me to face the cruelties of this life? I need you, Mama.”

Previously Published: War of the Witches, Rebellious, The Clearing, Agony of the Full Moon, Lure of Blood, Proud Warriorsvampiresanctuary.net

Contact Elaine at: bloodmoonbride@gmail.com