Pitch Day from Musetracks
As if the question ‘Wanna pitch to an agent or editor’ isn’t enough.
Hello! A huge thanks to all my wonderful hosts as I run all over cyberspace talking about Agent/Editor Shop at the Musetracks blog.
In this crazy world of easy access to information, it’s also easy to miss huge opportunities, or forget! Because I get so many comments that writers either forgot, or didn’t know Musetracks did pitch sessions, I asked a bunch of fellow writers, bloggers and readers to help me spread the word.
For those of you who don’t me, I’m Candi Wall, one of the authors who co-contribute to the Musetracks blog. Jennifer Bray-Weber, Marie-Claude Bourque, and Stacey Purcell are my super smart co-contributors and goodness knows where I’d be without them!
I’ve been hosting acquiring Agents at Musetracks for almost two years, and only recently, we decided to add editors as our guest. We’ve been lucky to have agents like Melissa Jeglinski, Jessica Alvarez, Mollie Glick, Becky Vinter, Kevan Lyon, Scott Eagan, Lois Winston, Jill Marsal, Michelle Grajkowski, Kimberley Cameron, Emmanuella Alspaugh (now Morgan), Laura Bradford, Jenny Bent, Sara Crowe, Weronika Janczuk and Stan Soper.
Our guest editors thus far have been Rhonda Penders w/ The Wild Rose Press, Jennifer Miller w/ Samhain Publishing, Debby Gilbert w/ Soul Mate Publishing, Beth Walker w/ Secret Cravings Publishing, and the editors at Books To Go Now have booked three dates in the future!
What we offer is a ‘Pitch Day’. I only take 30 pitches, and only the first thirty VIABLE pitches that come in on pitch day will be seen by the agent or editor. And I will warn you, I’m a stickler for following guidelines. If you don’t include exactly what is in the rules… I delete without prejudice. And I delete quite a few. (And yes, I receive plenty of hate mail.)
You can find us here:
Musetracks and there is a sidebar with Agent/Editor Shop dates and attending professionals
You can find the rules for pitching here:
Musetracks Agent/Editor Shop rules Please read them carefully!
I’ve also created a Yahoo group so writers can sign up to receive Agent/Editor Shop updates. I only send messages with agent/editor attendance updates, reminders of pitch dates, and any information about the contests we run on pitch day. Usually a giveaway or a chance to comment for the Top Pitch Slot. You can request to join here:
Editor/Agent Shop Newsletter Group
Easy as pie! We welcome every stage of writer and at Musetracks, we strive to help other writers, the way we were all helped when we first started out, and the way we are supported today.
Hope to see you all at a pitch day, and if not, feel free to pass the word along to others.
Happy reading and writing!
~Candi
A little about Candi:
Candi Wall is an author of contemporary romance, and YA.
Her début novel PRIMITIVE NIGHTS released from Samhain in Jan 2013, and STAY, the first in the Changing Tides series releases from Samhain on Aug 6th 2013.
She’s a mother of four (21,17,12,9), a rescuer of six (4 dogs & 2 cats), proud auntie of too many to count, a soon-to-be grandmother and great-auntie, a retired Cub Scout leader of 16 years, an avid animal lover/protector and ex-animal control officer. Oh yeah, and wife. J
You can find her here:
For the Love of His Life – Fiona McGier – Book Blast/Giveaway/Excerpt
Giveaway Info: Prize is 5 $5 Dunkin Donut Gift Cards from Fiona McGier (1 each to 5 winners). Contest is tour-wide and ends May 20. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter and tour schedule links are at the bottom of the posts. Good Luck!
For the Love of His Life
by Fiona McGier
Contemporary Erotic Romance
Categories: Interracial/Multicultural
Publisher: Eternal Press
Release Date: May 1, 2013
Heat Level: Steamy
Word Count: 81,600 words
Buy Link
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/For-Love-His-Life-ebook/dp/B00CMHMGXI/
Description
Can a sexy Hispanic action movie star find himself in the BWCA of upper Minnesota? Will the local woman he grows to love believe someone who “lies for a living”?
When the famous action movie star Raul Roderick needs to “clean-up” for a major role that even he doubts he can deliver, the director sends him up to a resort owned by his grandmother in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of upper Minnesota, to learn to commune with nature. His guide is Veronica, the director’s cousin, a tall, athletic woman who has the relaxed, sensible nature of someone who knows herself well.
Raul hasn’t been this far from his reliable drug-dealers for a very long time, and dealing with real-life is something he’s never been very good at. His initial clumsy attempt to seduce her makes her laugh…so he calls her fat. Is there any hope that their relationship will progress beyond its rocky start? And can Raul overcome his partying nature to discover what is really important in life?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations (including a f/f/m ménage scene/scenes in the first chapter) and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Excerpt #1–G rated–The set-up.
Jared Miller, the famous yet reclusive director, is on the phone asking for a favor from his Grandmother who owns a resort in northeastern Minnesota.
“What is it this time?”
Jared cleared his throat audibly.
“I’m afraid it’s bigger this time. I need you to let me send you a guest who will be there until I can get the crew up to start filming my next movie.”
“And how long with that be?” Veronica grinned at Gram-Marie while the older woman rolled her eyes and shrugged.
“I don’t know…it depends on a lot of things. Maybe a month? Six weeks tops. I’ve got to get a whole lot of folks packed and up there, so it’s gonna take some time.”
“And who is it you are expecting us to tolerate for an unspecified amount of time?”
“Ronnie! Would I send you someone you’d only tolerate?”
“Hell yeah! You’d send us Satan to baby-sit, if your next movie depended on it.”
“Funny you should say that, cuz. He’s only the biggest, baddest star in the business right now.”
“Who is it?”
“You’ve heard of Raul Roderick, right?”
Marie snorted.
“Who?”
Jared chuckled, “The Gamer King? Avenge Tastes Sweet? MOFO-Town?”
“No,” Marie said, while Veronica smiled at her, all the while filling the pie crusts with the flavors of the day.
“Well then, how about his romantic movies? Make Mine Latino? Or Three’s a Crowd, But I Like Crowds?”
Veronica giggled. “Jared, you should see Gram-Marie’s face! She looks like she just sucked a lemon!”
“What on earth are you people thinking of with these titles? Or these so-called plots? Why doesn’t anyone make the kinds of movies I like to watch anymore?”
“Because you’re too old for them to consider you a target market?”
Veronica whooped as she ducked away from the rolling pin tossed at her by her grandmother.
“Old, my ass! I just expect plots and they’re too damn busy putting big, fake titties and young men without shirts into everything!”
“So you have heard of Raul then?” Jared chuckled.
Veronica explained, “Gram-Marie, he’s the kind of actor who is very good at looking good in his movies, and he’s always shirtless at some point. But he’s kind of limited to playing the same kinds of men over and over again…not much range, and even less talent.”
Jared burst in excitedly.
“Ah, but that’s where you’re so wrong, Ronnie! I only agreed to let him read for the part as a favor to his agent. But he blew me away! He’s so right that he’s the only actor I seriously considered for starring in my big epic film about the Boundary Waters area! You know, the one I always promised Grampa I’d make about his great grandfather, Hank Maynard?”
“If he’s that good, why do you need to send him up here early?”
Marie nodded at Veronica’s question, asked as she was busy putting the pies into the oven.
Jared cleared his throat again.
“Well, you see, there’s the little problem of his drinking…and his drugs…and his whoring. He’s a real party-animal and right now the only reason he’s not in jail is that I went to court with him and basically told the judge I’d answer for his behavior until his probation is over.”
“Probation for what?”
Marie’s voice was steely. Everyone knew that her father had been a Canadian Mounty, and she was gung-ho on supporting law enforcement officials.
“He…uh…can’t be allowed to drive for six months. They took his license away after he ran into a parked squad car because he thought he hit the brake pedal, but it was the gas pedal. Then when they got him out of the car, he was so blasted he didn’t remember his real name. All he told them was that he was the famous actor Raul Roderick and that he’d get them supporting roles in his next picture if they would give him a ride to the meeting with me that he was already two hours late for.”
“Obviously the officers weren’t impressed, eh?” Marie sounded smug.
“No. They took him down to the station and booked him. I was the person he called for his one call…not his lawyer. So I got him released to my custody, but I’ve been having a hell of a time keeping him out from behind the wheel of a car, or out of bars and nightclubs. I’m afraid he’s going to kill himself before I can get the performance of a lifetime out of him, that I’m convinced he has in him. So I really need your help…”
There was silence while Marie and Veronica communicated with each other non-verbally.
“Well?” Jared sounded anxious.
Marie nodded at Veronica, who spoke.
“We can’t give you an answer now. We have to talk this over with the rest of the family. All of us have to agree to this, since we are all going to have to deal with this spoiled brat you want us to baby-sit for you.”
About the Author
Fiona has always had stories in her head. Characters intrude into her thoughts and insist on showing her scenes from their lives. She discovered that when she ignores them, they start to yell louder; if she writes their stories and they can live in readers’ heads as well, they usually leave her alone. Only to be replaced by a new group of story-tellers. Her head is usually a very crowded place, but she likes it that way. Visit Fiona at www.fionamcgier.com.
The Dom with the perfect Brats by Black.Shaw.Silverwood – Guest Post/R-Excerpt/Giveaway
The grand prize, a signed copy of The Dom with a Safeword, and swag- bookmark, magnet and necklace. Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter. No individual tour stop prizes. Rafflecopter and tour schedule links are at the bottom of the post. Good Luck!
Blurb
Godfrey Cross is a big, tattooed Dom with no tolerance for brats. But when he meets two mouthy vanilla girls, he begins to see their charm.
Gemma and Izzy seem more into each other than into him and he wonders if he’s wasting his time. Yet despite the clash between his strict version of BDSM and their rebellious natures, he finds himself growing to love them.
When his need for control tears their relationship apart, they must learn to compromise or they will lose each other. People may not be perfect, but could these two be perfect for him?
EXCERPT – EXPLICIT
When Gemma and Izzy express interest in his upcoming sale, Godfrey Cross invites them to his Goth clothes store after hours. The girls have been teasing him and only have a vague idea as to how far Cross will go…
Excerpt
The next time they came out, giggling and flushed, they wore matching black PVC dresses with black studded leather collars. Gemma’s expression was downright naughty, and Izzy looked smug. Cross immediately imagined bringing them into the club like that, on a tandem leash, but freshly spanked and biddable. He stifled a hiss as his arousal evaded his control.
“So are you two a matched set now?” He arched a brow.
Gemma bit her lip then prowled over to him, dragging Izzy in her wake. “I think he likes these, Izzy. What is it, knuckle-dragger? The twin thing? The collar thing? Are we making you think bad thoughts?”
“I warned you I’m no gentleman.” Cross adjusted himself through his jeans without any attempt at being subtle.
They both looked amused. Not easily shocked, for vanilla girls.
“So if we touched you, would you fall at our feet and worship us?” Gemma looked at Cross speculatively.
“Maybe I should tie your hands together to avoid that?” he growled. Girls didn’t talk to him like this. They ducked their heads and did what they were told. He had to fight down mild annoyance. This girl wasn’t his… yet. If she was, she’d be clutching her sore ass by now, with fat tears rolling down her cheeks. His heart beat faster. This time he didn’t hesitate to get into her personal space as he loomed over her. Izzy, who she still clutched, got the same view. Now both of them looked up at him with wide eyes. Even vanilla girls understood this body language. Godfrey Cross was not a man to fuck with.
After a short silence, Izzy lifted her hands, giving him a sassy grin that paled compared to Gemma’s prior challenge. “I double-dare you.”
He looked down. Offering her wrists. Brat. Gemma snickered, obviously thinking she was safe.
Without pause, he pulled Gemma’s arms behind Izzy’s back. “Stay.” He grabbed Izzy’s wrists and put them behind her too, then zip-tied their same wrists together. They’d actually cooperated. He stepped back and admired his work. They were stuck with Gemma hugging Izzy, and Izzy unable to get away. Nice. He generally preferred leather cuffs or rope for real bondage, but the zip ties would do.
“Hey!” Both girls protested briefly, testing their bonds. The sound of PVC sliding along PVC was sexy. And the collars. Nothing was hotter than a woman wearing a collar – except maybe for a woman wearing his collar.
“Oh no! What’s to become of us, dear Izzy? Now we’re totally at his mercy.” So much sarcasm in such a little girl. They looked at him expectantly. Despite the brave words, Gemma seemed unsettled. “I bet he’s like every other straight guy I know and he’s hoping we’ll kiss.”
Izzy laughed breathlessly. Though Gemma watched him, she was staring in fascination at Gemma’s mouth.
“A couple of straight, good girls like you? I wouldn’t put money on it,” he mocked.
Gemma’s brows shot up. “Good girl? You wish.” Her face swung to Izzy, who looked at her with trepidation and even flinched the tiniest amount.
As Gemma leaned toward her, pulling her closer, Izzy tried to squirm away. “Don’t,” she squeaked. Gemma ignored her and pressed her lips to the girl’s in a chaste way, then withdrew.
Cross laughed. “You’re a virgin, Gemma? That’s all that kiss said to me.”
She glared at him, not noticing the way Izzy’s tits heaved or her helpless look of arousal.
Gemma snorted and turned back to her new friend. Challenge accepted. She pulled Izzy closer, with the girl whimpering but not trying hard to stop her. Slowly Gemma leaned in until their lips almost touched. Her tongue tip traced the seam of Izzy’s lips, teasing, testing, like she wanted to see what Izzy would do.
Fucking hot. He resisted grabbing her hair and instructing. If the building had fallen down, he might not have noticed. This was better than his daydreams.
Gemma bit the girl’s bottom lip – he could see the tug of skin as she pulled. When Izzy gasped she slipped her tongue into her mouth and started to kiss her in earnest. Izzy submitted, relaxing into her arms then kissing her back. When, at last, Gemma pulled away, Izzy mewled, trying to follow her and not let it end.
Now that, that, was fucking hot.
They were both pink and blotchy, breathing hard, looking at him.
Gemma exhaled shakily. “Happy now?”
He couldn’t stay out of this anymore – all of his Dom instincts were pacing the cage, trying to escape. Vanilla or not? Time to find out.
Drawing himself up, he towered over them and growled. “Again.”
“What?” Gemma whispered, brow furrowed.
He glowered down at her, almost touching them he was standing so close. He ran a finger under the collar she’d put on as a joke, slowly, letting her feel the pressure. “I didn’t tell you to stop, girl. Do it again.”
Izzy backpedaled, almost pulling Gemma off her feet. He stopped Izzy with a hand on the nape of her neck, and steadied Gemma with a hand under her elbow.
“Stop trying to get away, Izzy. I know you like this.” He waited a second to let the idea sink in. “Just let it happen. You can blame me later, if you need to.” He held her with thumb and forefinger wrapped around her neck, over the collar. He stroked gently with his thumb. Though trembling, she didn’t argue.
When he looked back to Gemma, she stared him in the eye. She didn’t want to like this, but somewhere in there, deep down, she did.
“Do it. Now.”
He could feel the heat coming off of her. She liked this, even if she wouldn’t say so. And neither of them had told him to fuck off or untie them.
After one, long, exasperated sigh, Gemma took up the kiss where she’d left off.
He placed a gentle hand on the back of her neck too. She tried to jerk away but groaned into Izzy’s mouth. Small noises of pleasure gave way to frustrated moans from Izzy. Somehow his hands had entangled in their hair, and soon he couldn’t help himself and started controlling their movements. The writhing of their bodies, their sounds and the way they’d wrapped themselves around each other – fuck. His cock pressed hard against his jeans, not used to being denied for so long. He was surprised his dick hadn’t detached and gone stomping through the store like Godzilla through Tokyo.
GUEST POST: Writing Mff and ff romances
How difficult is it to write f/f sex scenes and romance? Not difficult at all is my obvious answer. I’m a woman so it’s dead easy seeing these scenes playing out in my head. Now if I wrote m/m it would be another thing entirely – though I do write the male POV in most of my stories. But I do think you have to empathize with whatever type of erotic romance you choose to write. I’d be mad to write m/m –it doesn’t do anything for me and I know it would be as exciting as writing out a factory statistics report.
Sometimes I get a feeling that…and this is a separate thing from whether you like reading them or not…I get the feeling books with f/f and m/f/f are seen as more ‘out there’ than m/m. I’m not sure why unless it’s that women are still not willing to see their own sex as equal, and are not willing to see the possibility of a woman attracted to another woman as acceptable? Which, if so, strikes me as odd since m/m is so darn popular. If seeing men attracted to other men is accepted as a hot turn-on for some women, why not women attracted to women? Of course the workings of our minds are not exactly logical. Sex, hormones and emotions rarely are.
And like I always say, we’re all made differently. So I understand why some love reading m/m. I guess what perplexes me the most is why there is such an imbalance – thousands upon thousands of m/m and m/f/m books but a bare handful of m/f/f or f/f books? Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice in Wonderland said.
Anyway, to me, and to my co-writers, these books are no more difficult to write than an m/f BDSM story. If anything, the brats and their smartass talk makes it so much more fun and fun means sometimes the scenes almost type themselves.
We don’t just get to write about Doms and floggers and nipple clamps, we get to see what happens when one of the girls shows the Dom the error of his ways in as tongue-in-cheek a way as possible. Since Godfrey Cross is a strict Dom at the start of the story, both funishment and real punishment are alive and well in The Dom with the Perfect Brats. Like Sabrina in The Dom with a Safeword, Izzy and Gemma are in a perpetual state of smartassery.
Sometimes though, when the love and the smartassery combine, Cross forgives and forgets…
When he turned around, Gemma had Izzy pressed back against one of the bed posts, corralling her between her arms. They were kissing.
“Hey, hey,” Cross objected as though he hadn’t just been avidly watching.
“You were slow. We got bored.” Gemma smiled against Izzy’s mouth.
Izzy eyed him slyly. “Yeah. You snooze, you lose.”
Gemma sighed. “I love her. Do I have to wait for your permission to kiss her?”
“Never.” He laughed. “Unless it bothers you that I pull over to watch when you two start making out in the back seat.”
“The worst part was I hadn’t noticed we’d stopped.”
“I think the ice cream melted.” Izzy grinned and clasped her hands at the small of Gemma’s back; tugging her even closer before doing a slow, soft kiss that made them both shut their eyes for a second.
Cross watched, thinking again that no porn could hope to measure up. Nothing was fake between his girls – pure love and lust were so much better than any acting could be. And how could a man be upset when he was ignored for a moment like this?
We began writing these books thinking they’d get written fast, and to some degree they do. The Dom with the Perfect Brats is 112,000 words, so it’s a long-ass book, but it only took us perhaps a month and a half to write. Even so, we tear out our hair a lot and do a ton of Facebook chatting. Without the internet, with the three of us being based in Australia, Canada and the US, this book series would be near impossible to get done. But this way, the high tech way, we can swap files in seconds via email. Writing the books can be easy even if in other ways they’re also hard to write. What I do know is that we’re making a lot of readers happy.
Nothing is better than having someone come up to you at a conference, as Leia did today, to say to you that she loves your Dom book and the f/f parts and that no one else does it. Not does it as well, but does it full stop. Certainly if you look at the combination of BDSM and Mff this subgenre is rare. But as long as the readers are out there wanting them, we’ll keep writing them.
Harlie here: I’m just now getting into f/f and I love it. I’m hetro, married and for me, f/f is fast becoming a favorite sub-genre. It’s pure, innocent in some ways and I can identify with the girlie bits and what gets the juices flowing. But hey…it’s just my opinion.
Buy links for The Dom with the Perfect Brats are HERE
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Tour Schedule
5/10/2013
5/11/2013
Reality Bites! Let’s Get Lost!!
5/12/2013
5/13/2013
5/14/2013
5/15/2013
5/16/2013
Greater Treasures by Karina Fabian – Excerpt/Giveaway/Interview
Give-Away:
E-book: Here’s your chance to win a free electronic copy of Greater Treasures. Leave a comment or question for Karina, Vern, or Sister Grace.
Grab bag: Vern gripes about the junk in his warehouse in Greater Treasures, but he and Grace have started going through boxes, and they’ve agreed to send something to one of my readers. Leave a comment or question for Karina, Vern, or Sister Grace.
Blurb: Being a private detective in the border town of the Faerie and Mundane worlds isn’t easy, even for a dragon like Vern. Still, finding the wayward brother of a teary damsel in distress shouldn’t have gotten so dangerous. When his partner, Sister Grace, gets poisoned by a dart meant for him, Vern offers to find an artifact in exchange for a cure. However, this is no ordinary trinket—with a little magic power, it could control all of mankind. Can Vern find the artifact, and will he sacrifice the fate of two worlds for the life of his best friend?
Keywords: dragons, mystery, dragoneye, noir fantasy, lance of longinus, maltese falcon, dragon detectives, neo-nazis, racial prejudice, faerie creatures, conspiracy theories in fantasy, Karina Fabian
Pages: 130
ISBN-13: 978-1484848296
ISBN-10: 1484848292
ASIN B00CEH934G
Excerpt:
Given the day I was having, it came as no surprise that when I got home, I found the dogs sprawled in a drugged sleep and the sounds of things being overturned from within the warehouse. I decided not to bother with subtlety, but I did resist the urge to burst in with flames going full-blast. I had questions first.
Naturally, I walked straight in to find an automatic weapon—yep, a bona fide black-market AK-47—and I thought only Faerie lived their clichés—and six other weapons of various types pointed at me. I didn’t stop, just closed the door with my tail while I strolled in slow and placid-like. My visitors had shaved heads, faces painted white with clown paint, and black t-shirts with swastikas in white circles.
“If you’re the housekeeping service, you’re fired.”
“You stay right there, or we gonna fire you!” said one guy from the sidelines as he held his nunchucks at the ready.
What’d he think he would do—whack me on the nose? I turned to the one holding the assault rifle. “Scraping the bottom of the barrel with that one, weren’t you?”
“He’s right. You just stay still while we search the place.”
“The place” was a ten-thousand square foot warehouse with offices on the upper floor. Boxes I still hadn’t opened line the walls and made a maze in the second warehouse room. I settled myself on the floor and rested my head on my crossed arms. “Go ahead. I get half of anything you find.”
They stared at me, unbelieving. I smiled back. Mr. Cooperation, that’s me. Finally, Big Gun snarled for the others to get to work. As he turned his back on me, Nunchucks muttered, “I got your half. Don’t think I don’t.” Guess he learned such witty repartee in Hitler Youth Summer Camp.
I watched and listened and waited. With eight teenage skinheads trashing my place, it was only a matter of time.
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” I suggested as Nunchucks made a grab for the doorknob to Grace’s workshop.
“You gonna stop me?” He turned the knob.
“Nope,” I said as I closed my ears and my eyes. Even so, I saw the otherworldly light and heard the harmonious roar of Divine Vengeance followed by Mundane screams.
“The Heavenly Host on the other hand…”
I waited until the screams died down to whimpers before opening my eyes and rising.
Four of the skinheads were unconscious. Three may as well have been; they were curled up in the fetal position, whimpering. Nunchucks was actually crying for his mommy. Big Guns had collapsed to the floor as well, the gun thrown away from him. He was sitting and rocking and making high-pitched keening through the roof of his mouth.
I’d tell Grace to tone down her wards some, except that the effect is directly proportional to the evilness of the intent. Suddenly, I was feeling a little shaky about my earlier entrance.
Knights out of the armor now. I went around, collecting weapons in the office trash can and poking through pockets. I found the usual stuff—driver’s licenses, credit cards, petty cash… One kid had a condom; wishful thinking on his part, I knew. Another had a report card. MLK High. Wonder if he was the one beating up Faerie kids? Honor roll grades, too. Of all the years I’ve battled evil, there were still some things I didn’t understand.
As I was returning Big Guns’ (aka Rick Matherston’s) wallet back into his jacket pocket, he blinked and focused on me.
“What was that?”
“Angels, kid.” Actually a kind of magical shadow of the real thing, but close enough.
“But I thought angels were—”
“There’s a reason why their first words are usually ‘Fear not!’ whenever they meet a human.”
His eyes returned to their unfocused stare. I almost felt sorry for him. Then I noticed the letters FARISLAR tattooed on his knuckles. Faerie slayer.
About Greater Treasures: Most people associate the DragonEye stories with high humor ranging from puns to slapstick, and in fact, the first stories and the novels have certainly been crazy fun. But the life of a cynical dragon PI isn’t all laughs, and Vern has had a few chilling stories to tell me. Some of these, I’ve sold to anthologies, but some are too long for that. Thus, I’ve decided to start publishing them on my own.
One thing I like to do for DragonEye stories is watch old noir films. Greater Treasures came to me while watching the Maltese Falcon. If you’ve never seen it, I recommend it. (Then, reread the story to see if you catch the in jokes.) I needed something with more “oomph” than a bird statue, and since Vern has some history with the Lance of Longinus, it made a good fit. I enjoyed looking up all the conspiracy theories about the use of the Lance by Hitler, which is where the neo-Nazi angle came in. To say more would be spoilers, so please, enjoy the story.
And if you do, be sure to check out Vern’s other tales at http://dragoneyepi.net.
Author interview
Welcome Karina! Please start off by telling us a little about yourself.
I am a writer of a large and growing imagination and a large but shrinking physique. (I’m enrolled in circuit torture, er circuit training, five times week. You can read about it each Wednesday at http://fabianspace.blogspot.com). I write mostly science fiction and fantasy, plus some horror. Some of my books are very funny, while others, like Greater Treasures, are more grim. I love that my characters are so versatile, but find that they tell more stories than I can write down, which is a frustrating experience.
Is Greater Treasures a single title, or part of a series?
It’s part of a series, to use the term loosely. I have two DragonEye novels and multiple DragonEye stories in various anthologies and magazines. Vern is my most prolific character, and he tells me tales in every length from flash to novel. Greater Treasures is a novelette or novella (depending on the definition you use). It’s one of his more serious cases, although he can’t help being snarky in a very fun way. Dragons have a terrible, wonderful superiority complex, and it shines through in his narration.
What were your inspirations for the story?
For this one, The Maltese Falcon (the movie). Vern is a noir-style private investigator, a Sam Spade of the fantasy world, so often I will turn to old noir films for inspiration. Of course, the stakes are much higher than finding a bird statue.
Please share your setting for Greater Treasures. Have you ever lived or visited there? If so, what did you like most?
Los Lagos, Colorado, is a small town in a valley in the Rocky Mountains, west and south of Canon City. It’s completely made up, but I lived in southern Colorado most of my life, so I do know the general area. The only connection between our world and the Faerie, the Interdimensional Gap, is located not far from town. Caused by a combination of magical mishap on the Faerie side and nuclear explosion on our side, it has been both blessing and curse as the township has become the center of an influx of magical creatures and interdimensional trade.
When did the writing bug first bite?
Fourth or fifth grade, and I’ve been scratching it off and on ever since.
Do you have any hobbies or special things you like to do in your spare time?
When I remember what spare time means, I’ll figure out a hobby to fill it. However, this year, I decided to get serious about getting fit. I was nearing 170 and running out of breath going up the stairs. How pitiful is that? There’s a gym on the way home from dropping the kids off at school—Biofit Bootcamp. The instructor is a great guy who sets difficult but reasonable tasks and knows how to inspire without overpushing. I go five times a week for an hour. The routines change daily, so every muscle gets punished—er, worked on—each week. I’ve only lost fifteen pounds because I don’t diet, but I’m toning up, which is what I really care about.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve heard or seen?
In Metaponto, Italy, the ruins of the Pythagorean temple are coated in snails. Thousands and thousands of snails. You cannot walk without stepping on snails. I always wanted to write a story about the inhabitants getting turned into snails.
Bio:
Winner of the 2010 INDIE for best Fantasy (Magic, Mensa and Mayhem), Karina Fabian has imagination that takes quirky twists that keep her–and her fans–amused. Nuns working in space, a down-and-out Faerie dragon working off a geas from St. George, zombie exterminators—there’s always a surprise in Fabian’s worlds. Mrs. Fabian teaches writing and book marketing seminars, but mostly is concerned with supporting her husband, Rob Fabian as he makes the exciting leap from military officer to civilian executive, getting her kids through high school and college, and surviving daily circuit torture…er, circuit training. Read about her adventures at http://fabianspace.com.
Find Karina at:
Website: http://fabianspace.com, http://dragoneyepi.net
Blog: http://fabianspace.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karina.fabian
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/KarinaFabian
Google +: https://plus.google.com/103660024891826015212
EXTRAS FOR YOUR BLOG:
Outside Links: I’ve been told that if you link to outside articles, you increase your SEO. Here’re some:
Lance of Longinus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Lance
Maltese Falcon: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033870/
Live and Let Fly: http://dragoneyepi.blogspot.com/p/live-and-let-fly.html
Magic, Mensa and Mayhem: http://dragoneyepi.blogspot.com/p/magic-mensa-and-mayhem.html
Book tour link with all the stops: http://dragoneyepi.blogspot.com/2013/04/greater-treasures-book-tour.html
Crimson Frost and Midnight Frost Books Pitch Contest
Harlie’s note: Please don’t pitch on my website. Go to their website to pitch. 
Thanks and Good luck!
Crimson Frost and Midnight Frost Pitch Tour
Enter our Crimson Frost and Midnight Frost Books’ Grand Opening Pitch Contest and be a winner!
Crimson Frost Books is looking for stories which will make steam come out of your ears. Yes, we like it hot!
This is an opportunity to shine with a steaminess galore. For the next four weeks, in celebration of our grand opening, starting April 22, 2013 to May 22, 2013 we are offering this open Pitch Contest.
The author’s whose pitches we select will be contacted between June 5 to June 7nd of 2013.
As well, all those who take part in the pitch session will be placed in a drawing for a prize.
Crimson Frost Books will be giving away three prize bags. The winners will receive sexy hot red finger nail polish for you or your friend or friends to enjoy. Also, you will receive three e books from published authors. And a small surprise gift to make you smile or maybe blush! J Got your interest with that one, huh?
Words of wisdom: Be creative and don’t be afraid to give it your all. Everyone will be considered seriously. Make us steam up our computer screens while reading your pitch. Pitch it to us good, baby! We will look and consider any word count.
Here is what is expected:
1. Each pitch must be for a completed manuscript.
2. If we like it we’ll request the full manuscript.
3. It must be an original piece that’s hot, but we want more than just sex…the romance has to be the focal point of the story.
4. We want to see your hook…so post the first paragraph of your story in the comment section along with your email address and or website url.
5. We respect everyone’s privacy and your information will be used only to contact you.
Enjoy writing and good luck,
Crimson Frost Books publishing staff
Midnight Frost Books is looking for some scary stuff! Or thrill us good! Midnight Frost is talking about stories that make us want to chew our nails and jump when the phone rings! We will be releasing the chosen works for the Halloween sales in 2013.
Wow, 13 what a year to scare your readers.
This is an opportunity to gleam bright with imagination. For the next four weeks, in celebration of our grand opening, starting April 22, 2013 to May 22, 2013 we are offering this open Pitch Contest.
The author’s whose pitches we select will be contacted between June 5 to June 7ndof 2013.
As well, all those who take part in the pitch session will be placed in a drawing for a prize.
Midnight Frost Books will be giving away three prize bags. The winners will receive dark and sinister finger nail polish for you or your friends to enjoy. Also, you will receive three e books from published authors. And a small surprise gift to make you smile.
Words of wisdom: Be creative and don’t be afraid to give it your all. Everyone will be considered seriously. Make us really love it. We will look and consider any word count.
Here is what is expected:
1. Each pitch must be for a completed manuscript.
2. If we like it we’ll request the full manuscript.
3. It must be an original piece that’s frightening, thrilling, chilling, or terrifying, you get the picture. It needs to be any or all of those things, but have a good story too.
4. We want to see your hook…so post the first paragraph of your story in the comment section along with your email address and or website url.
5. We respect everyone’s privacy and your information will be used only to contact you.
Enjoy writing and good luck,
Midnight Frost Books publishing staff
Dangerous Submission by Lori Toland – Book Blitz/Giveaway/Excerpt
Excerpt 2 – PG
Oblivious to my desire, he turned back to his suitcase and dragged out his tuxedo. “This party we’re going to tonight, it’s a black-tie ball, right?”
“Yes, it is.” I turned my back to him, trying my hardest to ignore how much my cock loved him nearly naked with just a scrap of cotton covering his bits.
“Do you think there will be dancing?”
God, I hoped not, because I was an awful dancer. Robbie would run away screaming from me if he saw me try to waltz. I mumbled something under my breath, hoping that would satisfy him.
He was persistent with his line of questioning, though. He let out a sigh. “What I’m trying to ask is…do you know how to dance?”
“Not really.”
“Maybe I should give you a quick lesson.”
Unable to hold back my horror, I groaned. “We don’t have to do that. It’s not a requirement to dance at this party, I’m sure.”
“No, it probably isn’t, but we aren’t supposed to be wallflowers either. We should try our hardest to fit in.”
“I’m six foot five, and you’re a redheaded royal. Do you really think we’re going to blend in?”
Bio: CEO by day, erotic romance writer by night, Lori Toland lives in Orlando where the summers are hot but the romance between her characters is even hotter. Writing since the tender age of 13, Lori somehow finds time to play video games and watch movies while taking care of her beloved cats and a husband who will forever be her hero.
Website: http://www.loritoland.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/loritoland
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tolandlori
Tour Schedule
5/1/13
The Risque Redhead Reads
Smardy Pants Book Blog
5/2/13
Italian Brat’s Obsessions
Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews
5/3/13
Momma’s Books
Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe
5/6/13
Harlie Williams, Writer
Cryselle’s Bookshelf
5/7/13
Kinky Book Reviews
A Little Fiction of Every Flavour
5/8/13
What’s On the Bookshelf
Michelle Graham, Erotic Romance
5/9/13
Guilty Pleasures
Scorching Book Reviews
5/10/13
Seductive Musings
Ramblings From This Chick
5/13/13
Erzabet’s Enchantments
Regina May Ross’s Blog
5/14/13
Sunset Reader Reviews
Mrs Condit & Friends Read Books
5/15/13
Passionate About Books
Shh Moms Reading
Buck Naked (Naked Cowboys, Book #2) by Desiree Holt – Book Blitz/Excerpt/Giveaway
Sometimes out of the frying pan and into the fire is the best way to burn.
Naked Cowboys, Book 2
Amy Stark has it all together—except for chronic bad taste in men. She’s firmly in hands-off-all-men mode when a flat tire forces her to accept the help of exactly the type of man she’s sworn off. Arrogant, cocky and condescending.
When she runs into him again later that day and then finds out her brother has invited him for dinner, the fire between them has a sizzle of a different kind.
At eighteen, Buck Montgomery left home to make his mark on the bull-riding circuit. He may have had wild success in rodeo but his personal life is in the dust, and while he’s ready to start a new life he’s wary to expose his heart. Buck knows he should tell Amy the truth, but every time he opens his mouth, hers is right there with kisses like molten lava.
When his past resurfaces at the worst possible time, Buck can only wonder if Amy will love the man he has become…or if the man he was will chase her away.
Product Warnings: Contains barnyard language and clap-your-hands-over-your-mama’s-eyes sex between a cowboy with a checkered past and a ranch girl with all the right moves
Amy ran her finger around the rim of her mug. “I understand you met our new neighbor. Buck Montgomery.” She made her voice as casual as possible.
Matt looked at her with curiosity. “Yeah, I did. How did you know?”
“I met him at the auction.” She didn’t see the need to tell him the flat-tire story, or the fact that just the short time she’d spent with him, only minutes, had given rise to erotic fantasies in her dreams that made her squirm when she remembered them. “He, uh, seems very nice.”
Her brother leaned forward on his elbows. “He is nice. He bought the Hayes Ranch and plans to increase the stock and bring it back up to the level it once was.”
“He must have a lot of money,” Reenie commented. “As we all know, ranching’s not cheap.”
Matt shifted his gaze from his wife to his sister and back again, his face nearly expressionless. “I believe he had a nest egg he cashed in. He’ll be running pretty close to the bone for a while, but I have a feeling he’ll make a success out of that place.”
“What do you know about him?” Amy asked. “Where did he come from?”
Matt laughed. “Amy, if you’re so interested, why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“Yes,” Reenie chimed in. “In fact, let’s invite him over for dinner.”
Amy drained the last of her coffee. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea? I mean, he seemed nice enough, but what do you really know about him?”
Matt snorted. “Damn, Amy, how much do I need to know to be a good neighbor? I’ve spent a little time with him twice, and I’m pretty sure he’s not an ax murderer on the loose.”
“That’s not what I meant, I just—”
“He’s a neighbor,” Matt stressed. “Since when did you become so antisocial?”
Since I had an unwanted physical reaction to the man. And dreams that I can’t seem to control.
“Fine.” She pushed back her chair. “Fine, fine, fine. Call him and invite him over. You can do your famous barbecue steaks.” She rinsed out her mug and put it in the dishwasher. “I have some errands to do in town. I promised Hank I’d ride fences with him this afternoon.”
Hank was the oldest of their hands, the one who’d been here the longest. He’d been the one to put Amy on her first horse and to show her “which end of the cattle eats and which end craps,” as he’d so colorfully put it.
“You know you don’t have to do that,” Matt pointed out. “You’ve got records to bring up to date and the monthly weight-gain reports to get out. And Hank just wants an audience for those tales he’s told a thousand times.”
When their parents had decided to move New Mexico, she and Matt had split up the responsibilities of the ranch. She took care of all the paperwork, which he hated, and he served as the actual foreman, supervising the hands and overseeing the daily care and feeding of the cattle as well as maintaining the fences and outbuildings. But when she was younger she had often ridden fences with Hank, listening to his. She figured by now she was the only one left who’d put up with them.
“I’m good,” she told him. “And sometimes it just clears my head to ride along with Hank.” She picked her keys up from the counter. “See y’all later.”
All the way into town, she couldn’t seem to get Buck Montgomery out of her head. She’d hardly spent much time with him, and half of that she’d been royally pissed. But the image of the man just lingered in her brain, not to mention what thoughts of him did to her body.
Wait. She was an intelligent thirty-year-old woman not given to stray erotic fantasies. Especially about men she hardly knew. It was bad enough when she fantasized about men she did know and they all turned out to be assholes. But lordy. There was just something about Buck Montgomery that set her pulse to pounding, her blood to racing and every hormone in her body to waving a flag.
She reached the center of town almost before she realized it, and considered herself lucky to find a parking place on Main Street. The entire time she did her shopping, Buck Montgomery occupied her thoughts. She was so distracted by the time she stopped at the office-supply store, she picked out some items she’d purchased the week before. The salesman jokingly asked her if she wasn’t a little young for her memory to be fading. Finally, she decided to stop and get something to eat. Maybe a full stomach would make her brain behave better. But as she went to open the door of Bit and Bite, a hand reached out ahead of her.
“Allow me.”
There it was, that deep, rich voice that haunted her dreams and sent shivers skating along her spine. And made the pulse deep inside her body throb hard and fast.
Buck.
Buy Links:
Amazon:
Samhain:
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/buck-naked-p-7366.html
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/buck-naked-desiree-holt/1114503300?ean=9781619215788
Connect with Desiree:
Link to Contact page: http://www.desireeholt.com/contact/
FB https://www.Facebook.com/desiree01holt?ref=ts&fref=ts
FB Author: https://www.facebook.com/desireeholtauthor?fref=ts
GIVEAWAY: Desiree is giving away an Ebook of choice from her backlist for each blog stop plus she has two grand prizes. (1) 6 ebooks (winner’s choice) from backlist and a Phoenix Agency Mug and (2) Buck Naked mouse pad and a Wild West messenger bag. Grand prizes will be drawn via rafflecopter (code below) and individual blog prizes will be drawn from commenters. Please leave your email for the individual prizes and good luck!
The Romance Troupe’s Beltane Blitz, May 1-3, 2013 Day Three
Blog hop, e-party, and Giveaway!
Win Books Win Gift Cards
Win Swag
Play Fun Games
+…visit each blog for random prizes!
May 1 – 3, 2013
Its really so simple to win. I’m giving away $10 GC to the ebook retailer of your choice. Just leave your name and email. No email, no prize. My question is posted on The Romance Troupe Blog. If you have read The Couple, the answer should be fairly easy. Hint, hint!
Good luck!
As most people know, I’m a lover of all things Star Wars. I was ten years old when the first ever Star Wars movie came out. My dad took me and my younger brother to do see it. My dad loved Star Trek so he thought why not take the kids? Unfortunately, he created a beast with me. I devoured every movie and then some.
I have since past my obsession with all things Star Wars to my 7 yr old son. Shoot, I was 8 1/2 months pregnant when the 3rd (New) Star Wars movie came out and my dad, husband and I went to go see it. Oh…my dad and I have seen every Star Wars movie together, in the theater, since 1977. Its kind of our thing. My mother just laughs at us.
So my question for the hop is up today. Should be an easy one for any Star Wars fan.
Harlie
Release Day Blitz for debut author Scarlet Chastain – Bella Key
Bella Key by Scarlet Chastain
Release Date: May 3rd
from Evernight Publishing
Blurb:
Maddie Jacobs must be crazy. At least that’s what her mother thinks. Professionally, she’s confident and secure; personally, she’s a hot mess. Not even a marriage proposal from a man who adores her can quell her search for something more.
In need of an escape, Maddie flees to Key West’s most southern island, Bella Key, to rest and recharge at Casa Bonita. She almost gives up on weekend retreat when the Bed & Breakfast is closed for repairs until Sunny Rojas, the inn owner, extends an offer of friendship, sweet tea and a room. Still reeling from a breakup with her longtime partner, Sunny is thankful for the diversion from her own broken heart.
The arrival of a fierce storm forces the women’s emotional journey to a head and leads them into each other’s arms. But can Maddie throw her hangups to the wind and go with her heart? The magic of Bella Key teaches her that passion cannot be placed neatly into boxes labeled right and wrong, because love knows no boundaries.
Excerpt:
Sunny walked toward the slim form sitting on a bench facing the water. The reds and oranges of the sunset played off Maddie’s golden hair. Sunny’s fingers itched to smooth a wisp of hair blowing in the early evening breeze. An overwhelming feeling of desire to wrap her arms around the woman, guide her head to her shoulder and stroke her hair while she whispered ‘everything will work out’ ran through her head.
“It’s stunning, isn’t it?” She nodded at the horizon when Maddie looked up. “I never get tired of watching Key West sunsets. Each one is different. I come down here a lot to think, or when I have a decision to make. There’s something about the sunset that puts things into perspective.” Sunny stared at the glowing orange sun disappearing into the wide expanse of sea. “Here, I brought you some more of the sweet tea you liked earlier.”
Maddie took the glass from her, and the brush of her fingertips along the back of Sunny’s hand sent her nerve endings on overdrive. Sunny leaned on the back of the bench, supporting her weight with arms. “I spent much time down here dealing with the same situation. My guy’s name was Emilio.”
Maddie’s head cocked to the side. “Emilio? I thought you were—”
“A lesbian?” Sunny snorted. “I don’t really think of it as liking one sex versus another. I’m attracted to the person, you know, what’s inside. But, yes, since Emilio I’ve only been with women. Leaving him was hard. We met in college and he wanted to get married after graduation. Asked my parents and everything.” Sunny chuckled, remembering the disappointment reflected in her mother’s eyes when she told her they’d broken up.
Maddie turned and put her feet on the seat of the bench, drawing her knees to her chest. “What happened?”
“I’ll tell you what didn’t happen, chica. The world didn’t end. Emilio found someone else and is happily married with a couple of kids. My mother not only got over the fact that l broke up with Emilio, but she accepts the fact that my goals in life aren’t the same as hers. You see, those who really care about you just want to see you happy. What you need to figure out is what makes you happy.”
Bella Key is available at Evernight Publishing and most online book retailers.
Author Bio:
Scarlet Chastain is the semi-secret pseudonym of a multi-published, best selling author of sensual erotic romance. Scarlet’s focus is female-centric sizzling stories written about women, for women.
She lives in the suburban shadows of New York City but her heart belongs to the beaches of Key West. Scarlet can usually be found in her favorite chair of her newly acquired writing cave.
Stalk Scarlet here:
Website: http://scarletchastain.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scarlet-Chastain/524838890901873
Twitter: @scarletchastain
Email: scarletchastain@gmail.com
Her Warriors Three Wishes by Carrie Ann Ryan – Promo
Blurb:
Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?
Ambrose Griffin is older than most, if not all, civilizations. As each year passes, he submerses himself into his training, only relaxing around his protégée and friend, Shade. After losing his wife and children in the last Angelic Wars, he guards his heart and has no desire to share it with another.
Bookkeeper and romance novel enthusiast, Jamie Bennett dreams of being swept off her feet by a white knight. However, her life is no romance book. Since meeting Ambrose—a sexy, delicious angel—she’s been twisted inside out and doesn’t know why. Things are happening that she can’t control and now her life is in danger.
Balin Drake is stuck in hell, literally. His life of refusing to take souls, even though it’s part of his demon nature, has caught up with him. He’s dying and now must search for his true half, but even a mating may not save him. When he meets the two people who could fill that part, he’ll need to fight for something he hasn’t felt in over a century—hope.
Warning: Contains a rigid angel who needs a certain sexy woman to help him unwind, a book keeper who finds herself the creamy center of the best cookie ever, and a demon who has a certain taste for pressing them both against walls.
A little about Carrie Ann: 
Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate – even if it’s just in her books. Happy endings are always near – even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.
Carrie Ann’s Redwood Pack series is an bestselling series that has made the shifter world even more real to her and has allowed the Dante’s Circle and Holiday, Montana series to be born. She’s also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.
Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:
