Happy Halloween!

TWICE AS SPICEY! A CELEBRATORY CONTEST

Portia Da Costa and Saskia Walker are celebrating a joint release day over at Harlequin Spice Briefs!

On November 1st, CHANCE OF A LIFETME by Portia and HOT ON HER TAIL by Saskia are available for download. Two hot, kinky, and sexy reads!




To celebrate, we are running a contest for our readers. Check out the excerpts and answer the following questions.

a) in CHANCE OF A LIFETIME what colour eyes does the Marquis have?
b) in HOT ON HER TAIL what object does Colin take off Lara?

You will find the excerpts here:

http://www.portiadacosta.com/chance.html
http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk/hotonhertail.html

Send your answers to:
saskiawalker@gmail.com with TWICE AS SPICEY CONTEST in the subject line.

One lucky prizewinner will win a TWICE AS SPICEY prize – a print novel from us both: GEMINI HEAT (Black Lace 15th anniversary edition) from Portia and DOUBLE DARE from Saskia.



The contest will stay open until Saturday 8th November.

Publication news just in

Excting! I've just had confirmation that a new short story of mine, "The Woman in His Room," will appear in this hot collection of erotica from Violet Blue. It's always a thrill to work with Violet, and I'm delighted she liked this story.

GIRLS ON TOP will be published by Cleis Press in March. The contract has put a big smile on my face and urges me on with the WiP! Happy happy. :)

"Women on the verge of sexual awakening is the theme of this generous collection of explicit erotica for women. From wild sexual adventures, to pushing ones limits, to taking chances and having them pay off, the women in these stories release their inhibitions, succumbing to sexual pleasure in all its forms. Featuring work from Saskia Walker, Angela Caperton, Tamara Rogers, Nan Andrews, Noel Burch and many more, Girls on Top breaks all the rules."

HALLOWEEN TREAT FROM JUNO BOOKS!

As a special Halloween treat, Juno Books has a FREE ebook (PDF format) for you! Five frightening classic tales–all written by women–that should send a shiver or two down your spine. FIVE CLASSIC GHOST STORIES: A HALLOWEEN TREAT FROM JUNO BOOKS includes:

“Let Loose” by Mary Cholmondeley (1890)
“The Striding-Place” by Gertrude Atherton (1896)
“The Lost Ghost” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1903)
“Kerfol” by Edith Wharton (1916)
“Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston (1925)
Enjoy!

Download now: http://www.juno-books.com/Juno_ghost_stories.pdf

Progress report, plus some new reads coming soon!

Well now, I seem to be 2/3rds of the way through my current work in progress, RAMPANT. This feels good, but it's also rather bewildering because there is so much of the story yet to be written! I have 2 huge action sequences to do, the denouement, and I’ve got several scenes half written. (I don’t write in a linear fashion, in case that isn't obvious. ;) My plan to fast draft by the end of October has fallen by the wayside, somewhat. I have to face up to the fact that I am a plodder. :) When I write I produce somewhere between 1 and 3,000 words a day, and some days I can’t write due to other commitments. I should, however, have a complete draft by 10th November, which gives me 3 weeks to revise, edit, and proof. In other words, not as fast as I had hoped, but still on target with plenty of time for everything that has to be done.

The book is my world at the moment. I’m at that point in the novel where I really am eating, sleeping, and dreaming it. I wake up in the middle of the night with bits of dialogue and ideas popping into my head. I love to be engaged in a big project and have that kind of intense experience, but I also feel as if I lose touch with stuff like e-mail, what my pals are up to, and I know I am long overdue with newsletters and suchlike. I just hope I haven’t forgotten something that is crucial! This will be the biggest book I have ever written at around 100,000 words. That’s really exciting for me, and it feels different, that size of book, it really does.

In other news, my third little LOVING ON THE EDGE ebook from Harlequin Spice is due out soon. The story follows the oldest of my O’Neil Brothers, Colin. I absolutely loved Col, but then again I loved all three of them. ;-). The cover and blurb are now available. Whoever writes the blurb for the Spice Briefs has my undying admiration. Cover copy is so hard, and I’ve been most impressed with my Spice Brief blurbs. Whoever is writing them is a god/goddess and I would happily employ them to produce every blurb I may ever need. :) I have to say, this is not my favourite cover, but it does make me smile. What can I say, I do like to see a man happy...

It wasn't the knee-high black leather boots or the skintight leather hotpants that grabbed his attention, but the padlocked slave collar she was wearing around her neck. As she stepped out of the stolen vehicle he'd been chasing, Officer Colin O'Neil was thunderstruck by the alluring redhead in the provocative attire.

Upon further investigation, it soon became clear that despite appearances, Lara Miller was not some crazy car thief dressed like a bondage slave from a porn movie. She was, in fact, the victim in some underhanded maneuvering by her vindictive ex. Now it was up to Colin to help her out of this mess. But the electric attraction that blazed between them soon culminated in a night of explosive passion that would change Colin's life forever.

Here is the tantalizing conclusion to Saskia Walker's sizzling erotic series, Loving on the Edge, about the hard-working, hard-loving O'Neil brothers.

Go HERE if you'd like to read an excerpt from Colin's story.

Coincidentally, my pal Portia has her first Spice Brief released on the same day as my third. What fun! And this is the first of 5 Spice Briefs from Portia – yes, 5! - she is on fire at the moment! Check out Portia’s cover and copy as well, steaming hot stuff! Portia and I will be running a joint contest for our joint release date. More details on that one coming soon.

The videotape shocked and thrilled her...and really turned her on. She'd found it in a small, out-of-the-way sitting room of Blaystock Manor, where she was working. Now everyone was away and she finally had an opportunity to watch at her leisure. There on the screen was the Marquis, her much fantasized-about boss, administering a very sexy spanking to some girl. The intense erotic sizzle she felt compelled her to begin touching herself. And as she lost herself in pleasure, she suddenly realized he'd entered the room and had been watching her. But embarrassment turned to excitement when he urged her to continue, then began to touch her intimately. It was only the smallest hint of what she'd witnessed on the tape, but she knew she had to have more...much more!

Both books will soon be available from Fictionwise, Books on Board, All Romance Ebooks, and direct from Eharlequin.

Reader contest - win a gift voucher from Total-E-Bound

The BRITS IN TIME anthology is coming soon! To celebrate, Total-E-Bound has a contest on the go. Here are all the details:



Lisabet Sarai - www.lisabetsarai.com
Saskia Walker - www.saskiawalker.co.uk
Brynn Paulin - www.brynnpaulin.blogspot.com/
Cindy Spencer Pape - www.cindyspencerpape.com
Bronwyn Green - www.bronwyngreenblog.blogspot.com
Aurora Rose Lynn - www.auroraroselynn.net

Contest for writers

Get your work in front of an NAL editor!

Manic Readers is pleased to partner with NAL Publishing editor, Becky Vinter, for a romance novel writing contest that will begin January 3, 2009. Readers will determine which 10 entries make it to Becky's desk and she will name one as "editor's choice."

Hop on over to the Manic Readers website for the theme and more details.

Work in progress

Yesterday I worked on something completely different than the current WiP, a short story that needed to be finished. It just sort of happened. I think I needed a bit of a break from the big one, and working on something else gave my brain a refreshing jolt! I’m so deeply entrenched with the current WiP that it really helped to pull back and work on something lighter, something that just needed another couple of thousand words for completion. It’s back to the big one today, after this short has been proofed and subbed.

Had a wonderful day with Portia on Friday! We chatted for hours and it went by in a flash. Coincidentally we’ve both got the same deadline on our WiPs this time around, and it was good to chat about where we are at with our stories. It was very productive, lots of fun, and relaxing too. Back to the desk now!

Have a great day!

My saviour cometh! :)

Portia Da Costa is coming to visit me tomorrow! Yay!!! I’m currently stuck in the house because I’m under doc’s orders to rest, and my leg is in a cast. Darned bone disease flared up after a busy summer.
:( My social life has dwindled to nowt as a matter of necessity. Sigh. I’ve been trying to be good -- and the fact I'm deeply involved in a big writing project helps immensely -- but I am so glad my pal Portia is making the trek here to break up this incarceration for me. I’ve been in danger of getting cabin fever! :) Normally we would meet half way. She’s an absolute saviour and I appreciate her kindness very much.

It’s going to be fun! Mark treated us to pink fizz, so that’s chilling in the fridge, and we have lots of special treats to eat. It’s going to be a much-appreciated writer’s meet here at the homestead! Can you tell I'm excited? LOL

Reader Appreciation event - interview and book giveaway

I'm taking part in a Reader Appreciation event run by the lovely and talented author, Calista Fox. Calista has inteviewed me about RECKLESS, and there's a giveaway. Go HERE to find out more.

Being a writer - the lowdown on advances, contracts, and more

If you are an aspiring author - or you are just interested in how these things work - check out this video blog from Megan Hart and Lauren Dane. Megan and Lauren talk about earnings, advances, contracts, and a whole stack of related stuff about the business. These ladies really have their finger on the pulse! Megan and Lauren are huge names in erotic romance and very canny ladies they are too. They’ve got some interesting stuff to stay, and I found myself nodding away in agreement as I watched it. It’s about 25 minutes long, so get yourself a coffee and get the low down.

One of the things Megan and Lauren reflect on is how many uncertainties there are in this industry. As writers we have to be prepared to learn, to develop what we do, and to continue to work, even when there is no security and we are working towards a…(don’t hold your breath) “maybe.” :o) On a day-to-day basis that demands a determined, levelheaded approach. To be a successful writer is hard work, and it always, always, always comes back to the writing.

When I meet people I’ve never met before and they ask me what I do, the first thing I say is “I am self-employed.” If you say you’re an author (or a writer, take your pick,) people immediately have huge expectations about what you earn (because of course J K Rowling writes books and she’s rich :o) and they also tend to assume you have a leisurely lifestyle (because of course we all know that these little books write themselves ;o) When they go on to ask me what nature of work, I’ve already given a hint at the crux of the matter – I have to work hard and I have no security because it’s just me who does this work.

The bottom line is we are exactly the same as Joe the self-employed builder down the road. If he's lucky and reasonably talented, Joe will get a contract to build a house for somebody, and if he does he might even get a handful of cash upfront. Wahay! But Joe still has to build that house, and it has to look good, so he had better like laying brick after brick - and he’d better like doing it even when it’s a rainy, cold, dark morning and he's alone and he doubts his ability to lay even one more single brick in a straight line without the house crashing down and he’d much rather be at home in bed with a cup of cocoa.

:)

Oh and the next house has to be different, bigger, and better, don’t forget that!

:)


Well, anyway, check out the video. These ladies know what they’re talking about!

WiP --> half way point progress report

A few days ago I passed the 200 page mark in the current work in progress, Rampant. The completed novel will be around 400-440 pages, so it’s going well and I'm happy.

It’s been a while since I’ve been immersed in a really big project like this, and I’m revelling in it! I love writing, and the most magical moment for me is when the obligation to work on anything else to do with the job fades away and I can honestly say that the WiP and the contract deadline are the most important thing on my timetable. I’m cherishing that feeling, I always do.

When people ask me what I love about the writing process, one of the things I talk about is the organic nature of a really big story. Even if a novel is plotted out in detail there are things that crop up as gifts along the way. This story has three distinct strands that are weaving together for me. I thought it would have two dominant threads. I have the good guys and the bad guys, but I also have a third story weaving in that is larger than I thought it would be to begin with. The plot revolves around a ghost, and she has her own history. She’s a clever, vengeful, and mischievous spirit, and she’s got an agenda of her own. She's the catalyst character for all the other characters, as it were. I estimate that 10% of the novel is given over to visions that she opens up for the heroine, and writing those scenes is something I have enjoyed immensely.

Anyway, I must get back to it, or I don’t get my reward -- a glass or two of wine and Evil Dead 3, (that’s the medieval one, and it’s a complete and utter hoot! :)

PS: I'm a wee bit behind on email so if I owe you a reply, I'll get to it v. soon.

Because it's National Poetry Day

And because I love autumn...

To Autumn


O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stain'd
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof; there thou may'st rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.

'The narrow bud opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,
Till clust'ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather'd clouds strew flowers round her head.

'The spirits of the air live in the smells
Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.'
Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat,
Then rose, girded himself, and o'er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load.

William Blake

I remind myself to look up, and not miss it...

Romance Junkies Halloween contest has now launched!

The Romance Junkies Halloween event is now up and running, with lots of contests, prizes and fun, from a whole bunch of authors. You'll find a contest to enter from me in the Magic Shop and a Trick or Treat in the lobby :} Click on the graphic below to visit.The contest runs through to the middle of November, so there's lots of time to visit all the haunts.

A bit of fun, ebooks at Harlequin

This promo splash brought about a smile this morning!




I'm not about much at the mo, for various reasons, but I'm also not far off the half way point on my novel (a couple more days) and will post about progress and whatnot then.

Mmmm, new cover!

Here's the cover for BRITS IN TIME, a Total-E-Bound anthology coming in November!



I love him. It. I meant I love *it,* the cover, honest. :) Here's the blurb for my story:

BRAZEN BEHAVIOUR

Miss Eleanor Argyle has modern aspirations for a Victorian lady. The daughter of an intrepid traveller, she's confident and rebellious. After her father's death, she refuses to be chaperoned by anyone — least of all a man she'd much rather bed. She's wanted Mr Gregory Munroe for years, but she is determined not to sacrifice her independence to get him.

Gregory Munroe is both aroused and infuriated by his charge. She's stubborn, and he can sense that she's about to try to outrun him. He thwarts her, trapping her aboard a northbound train. Eleanor is secretly thrilled, and when she subsequently decides to invite him to a brazen night of passion, he barely stops to think about her motives. Can Eleanor have him, whilst also giving him the slip?

A fiery mix of passion and rebellion inspires a chase that runs the length of Britain — but neither Eleanor nor Gregory expects to find the knowledge that waits at its end.

I keep meaning to post about my progress on the WiP (work in progress) but I'm so engrossed in it the days are merging. That is a good sign, however! I'll do a catch up post and a newsletter very soon.

25% off at Fictionwise this week!

Books published by Independent Publishers are currently 25% off at Fictionwise. This offer covers 6 of my publications, so if you haven't tried them, it's a good time! :) The offer runs through to October 5th. Go HERE to find my discounted books.

Publication day: out now, STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT a Spice Brief

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT, the second of my trio of linked Spice Briefs, is now available!

For Patrice Reynaud, danger is the ultimate aphrodisiac. So when she rescues stranded investigative reporter Benjamin O'Neil, she insists upon helping him get his story. Patrice has always had the hots for Ben when she's watched him on TV, but seeing him in action...in the flesh...turns the temperature on her ardor way, way up.

For Ben, danger is his business, and he's always been up for anything to get a good story. But his deliciously sexy rescuer gives a whole new definition to "up for anything"...and Patrice just may turn out to be Ben's ultimate adventure.

Thrill to Book 2 in Saskia Walker's sizzling erotic series, Loving on the Edge, about the hard-working, hard-loving O'Neil brothers.

Excerpt:

Ben couldn’t believe it. Gesturing frantically, he shooed her away. The voices by the barn were growing audible. The men were on their way back.

Patrice lowered her camera and went outside the gate, but then she stood by, as if waiting for him. Jesus, he was going to have to go out that way, through the main fuckin’ gates and under the light, just to make sure that she took off and didn’t get spotted.

He took a deep breath and darted toward her. There was no point in pussyfooting around with her flaunting herself. Grabbing her around the waist, he urged her on. “What the hell are you doing? I told you to stay where you were.”

“I got some great footage.”

“If anything happened to you,” he growled, risking a glance back. Luckily, no one had followed. He stumbled into the trees, grappling for the camera at his belt to use for vision.

“It’s okay, I waited until they had gone inside. I was being very careful, honestly.”

Careful? She didn’t know the meaning of the word. Once they got well into the cover of the trees, he paused, grabbing her by the shoulders and peering at her. “You’re a liability.”

“You won’t say that when you see the footage I got.”

He was about to tell her off, when she wrapped her hands around his neck and nestled up against him, resting her soft lips against the underside of his jaw.

“I’m sorry, Ben. I couldn’t help it; I wanted to see you in action. You look so good when you’re in action.”

Jesus. There was a bunch of smugglers not sixty feet away, and he was having a hard-on. Pulling her up against him, he shook his head at her. “Don’t tell me, you’re horny?”

“Mm, uhu.” She dropped her head back and looked up at him. Her expression in the moonlight was dreamy, her eyes sparkling. She moved her hands down to his hips and dug her fingernails into his buttocks. The scent of her perfume was mixed with the earthy female smell of her arousal, and it hit him hard.

He wanted her. Now.

Her eyes flashed. “Even more than last time, wow.” Her voice came out on a soft, warm breath that teased his overwrought skin. “What a rush.”

Definitely a liability.

“Come on,” he said. The inevitable affect of her physical state had got a hold of him, and it was fast eating away at his ability to think rationally. They had to get out of here, and fast. Either that or he’d have to have her, right now, right there on the forest floor. He’d been advised never to work with children or animals. Now he had to add crazy French women to the list.

Stumbling on the path, he flicked on his camera to watch where they were treading, dragging her along by the hand and refusing to turn round until he got safely back to the car. Only then would he risk taking this conversation any further. Only then would he risk facing the fact that he’d probably never be able to undertake another investigation without getting a hard-on, because of this night...


Available online from the following outlets:
Eharlequin
Amazon Kindle book
Fictionwise
All Romance ebooks


I'll be running a special LOVING ON THE EDGE contest soon, call back for details!