Author Interview: DL Jackson

Tags

1 Night Stand Series, Decadent Publishing, DL Jackson, My Boogie Woogie Bugle Guy

Today we’d like to welcome DL Jackson to Silken Sheets.

How long have you been writing? About Seven years—with a goal to publish.

What genres do you write besides military romance? Paranormal, science fiction, Young adult, and even some suspense. All romance/erotic romance.

What inspired your main characters? I have this trumpet and bag pipe player that lives near my home in the country. Often at night you can hear him playing. I recently found out he plays for hero’s funerals around the state, and the Taps and bag pipes at night are his way of honoring them. He’s an old Army Chaplain. The second part of my inspiration came from a conversation I had with some of the writers with Decadent. We were talking about military occupations and common heroes and then it turned to the heroes you don’t hear a lot about, like the Color Guard and combat medics. I wanted to write a story about one of them, and my bag pipe player wouldn’t let me forget.

Do you write to music? If so what was the sound track to My Boogie Woogie Bugle Guy? Absolutely. For this story it was all about WWII big band music, like Benny Goodman’s Sing, Sing, Sing. I also listened to In the Mood by the Glenn Miller band, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by the Andrews Sisters, and Schubert’s Trumpet Serenade, which is about one of the sexiest trumpet songs you’ll hear. You can listen to it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd8O7xXcs0w

How would you like someone to play that on your doorstep?

What is the most you have written in one day? 25k. I kid you not. On a Saturday and I was on fire. I don’t think I could do that again if I wanted to.

What are you currently reading? Army Sniper Training Manuel, Last Request by Arlene Webb.

What is your best guilty pleasure? (By best I mean worst.)  Wine in my whirlpool tub. I go in, sometimes I don’t come out for a couple of hours. Give me my books, my music and my booze and I’d hole up for Armageddon in there.

You have to jump out of a plane w/ a holey parachute or edit your 100K MS by hand, what. do. you. do? No guts no glory.

Do you have a specific writing style? I’ve been told I do, but I haven’t a clue what that would be. LOL I just write the story the way I would want to be told.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? Writers. Barbara Elsborg, Arlene Webb and Laurie Green. They’ve been with me the last seven years on my journey to publication. We’ve bounced ideas off each other, bitched and celebrated. They have been my shoulder to cry on and the voice that tells me to knock it off, when I need a kick in the pants.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? Newer. Jessica Subject. It’s always interesting to watch a newly published author bloom. And from her first book to the most recent I see some great stuff and she’s only getting better.

What are your current projects? Hoo-kay, we’re opening up a big can of worms now. I’ll pick three and leave it at that. On Being Prince Charming, a 1NightStand story that follows Cinderella Wore Combat Boots and is about Gunny and his wife Lissa. A story I hope to submit to Ellora’s Cave, with no name yet, but it is considered erotica for men. And I’ve dusted off an older manuscript that needs another 25k and a little clean up and I’m shopping it to agents. It’s a science fiction romance called Legionarii.

Do you see writing as a career? I wouldn’t be doing it, if I didn’t. I would like it to be, therefore that is the way I see it. Even if I have to work the 40 hour job until I can make it a reality.

Bonus Round:

Coffee/Tea? Coffee, but I’ve cut back. People say I’m too jittery.

Cake/Cookies? Cookies

Coke/Pepsi? Coke

Heels/Flats? Heels

BDB/The Order? BDB—to be honest, I don’t know what either of these are. LOL

Vampires/Werewolves? Werewolves

Cats/Dogs? Cats

Fly/Drive? Drive

My Boogie Woogie Bugle Guy 

When Grace Daniels goes to the cemetery to visit the grave of her twin brother, she meets a soldier, there for the same reason, or at least that’s what she believes until he tells her about the blind date her brother arranged before he was killed in combat.

It’s the date of her dreams. Big band, brass and sass, Madame Eve from 1NightStand has set her up for an unforgettable night, a WWII swing dance party. Unfortunately she’s having trouble letting go of her past, and is afraid to take the chance given to her.

Sergeant Frank Winters is an Army trumpet player who travels with the Color Guard, a great dancer and six feet four inches of eye candy that could make her an addict. He’s also a soldier and soldiers can get killed. Grace doesn’t have the heart to lose someone again, but Frank knows a good thing when he sees it, and he’s determined to show her in one night, she’s got more to lose if she walks away.

Excerpt:

“For my next number, I’m gonna play something a little more laid back,” a slurry voice rang out over the headstones, echoing through what was supposed to be a closed grave yard. A trumpet began to play. “Dah, dah, dum. Dah, dah, squawk.”

Grace bolted up. “What the hell?” Believing she’d been alone, she’d bared her soul to her brother, and certainly wouldn’t have had the conversation she’d just had if she’d known. She turned around three-hundred and sixty degrees, until her gaze landed on a mausoleum backlit by the moon. There, a man stood on the roof with brass to his lips, butchering Taps. In his other hand, he held a bottle of what was probably in the glass on Geordie’s grave.

Grace swatted the debris from her pants and stomped toward the mausoleum, irritation prickling up the back of her neck. She stopped at the base of the stone structure and glared up. “What are you doing here at three in the morning? The cemetery is closed.”

“Whoa, hot chick in the audience.” He swayed, threatening to fall off the roof. “Feel free to toss your panties up on the stage in appreciation.”

She clicked on her flashlight and cast the beam on him. “I suggest you get down from there before you fall, or I have to arrest you for public intoxication.”

He gave her a shit-eating grin. “You got handcuffs?”

“Oh, God,” she groaned under her breath. “Of course I’ve got handcuffs. I’m the police.”

He rocked and blinked his eyes. “You’re hot for a cop.”

“Thank you, I think. Now get down.”

“Okay.” He jumped, hit the edge of the roof, rolled off and dropped like a stone at her feet, doing it with all the grace of a bag of potatoes. Yet he’d managed to keep hold of the bottle and not spill a drop. He put the horn to his lips and blew, but nothing more than a raspberry came from the mouth piece. “For my next number, I’m going to play….” He looked up at her. “Any requests?”

“Yeah, tell me where you’re staying, so I can take you to your room.”

“Easy, girl. What kind of guy do you think I am?”

 

Guest Blogger: Jennifer James

Tags

Decadent Publishing, Jennifer James, Love Kinection

The Character Name Game

Do you ever read a book and wonder how the heck you’re supposed to pronounce a character’s name? Or become frustrated by names that sound so much alike you become confused while reading because you thought that you were reading about character X’s actions, but really it was character Y? Coming up with names for characters is tough stuff. I recently realized that I have a penchant for naming heroines things that start with the letter “A”. So that means I need to go through some of my rough drafts and rename those ladies. I’m confusing myself with just which leading lady is in each story. When you’re looking at lists of names for your characters, you have to consider several factors: genre, the age of a character, place of origin, even their familial background. In fantasy (whether it’s the urban or high sub-genre) and paranormal you have more leeway with naming conventions. You can use names that are strange or off-beat and readers are less likely to bat an eye at it. In contemporary stories, the limits are tighter – most people would wrinkle a brow at a twenty something guy living in Nebraska named “Legolas” or “Grendel”. As an author, you want your characters to stand out for our readers above characters from other books, and sometimes an unusual name is the way to get that recognition. Personally, I like names that are closer to normal or easy to remember. For me, if the hero’s name sounds more realistic – even in PNR/UF or Fantasy – I find it easier to imagine him as a real man, the immersion into the story is greater, and I’m more likely to be able to remember that character in particular. In LOVE KINECTION, my upcoming release from Decadent Publishing, the hero’s name is Tom and the heroine’s name is Abby. Maybe a little boring to some people, but for me it increases the realism of their story. Who doesn’t know a Tom or an Abby? Who doesn’t know a girl done wrong that deserves a happily ever after of her own? I enjoy names that are off the beaten track here and there, but for the most part I like names that make characters seem more like real people. I want to think of them as friends or neighbors I might run into on the street and have lunch with. Even if they happen to be a thousand year old vampire, a broken hearted werewolf, a cowboy in search of the right lady to lasso to his side, or the sexy tech geek from work who’s determined to show a scorned woman that nerd lovin’ is what’s missing in her life.

Love Kinection

Love, romance, hearts, flowers, cupid…. Rubbish.

Abby Fine still hasn’t gotten over the pain of a year-old betrayal and plans to spend this Valentine’s Day drowning her sorrows with a ménage of men named Ben, Jerry, and Riesling.

Her plans are diverted when she drops and breaks her new iPhone and gives in to a momentary hormone surge, agreeing to let office hottie and tech god Tom Walker squirm his way into her condo to fix it.

Tom shows up with his Xbox, spicy Chinese food, and a habit of stealing kisses every time she lets her guard down.

Can a weekend of laughter, video games, and movies change Abby’s opinion of stupid Cupid?

Excerpt:

His hands crossed the gap between our bodies and rested on my hips.  Backing away would be the smart thing to do. But hope filled my belly he’d kiss me again. The stupid part of my brain had taken control again, and I didn’t fight it. I wanted a real kiss. “So if you are in fact the geekier geek, what do I get as a forfeit?” he asked.

The shadow of stubble covered his chin and his upper lip, ran up to the short sideburns he wore. His ears begged to be nibbled on. What would that stubble feel like brushed against my skin? Dangerous thoughts, especially since my hands had somehow ended up on his waist and my fingers clenched his shirt. I looked at his arms, still surprised by the size of muscles when they flexed. If the biceps were any indicator of the body hidden under the cloth, it broke the mold of a stereotypical geek’s.

“Forfeit?”

“Yeah. You know, like a prize.”

“I think you already got a forfeit. You got to see me naked.” And all I’ve gotten is a few stolen kisses.

“That was an accident.” He grew hard against my belly. It pleased me to wonder what direction his thoughts had gone. I wondered if ice cream intoxication existed. “How about sex in my truck?”

“No. Car sex isn’t really comfortable. And who said anything about sex?”

“A man can hope. Besides, I know you’ve thought about it.”

“Have not.”

“Have, too.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

He shook his head. “I promised to behave. You kiss me.”

http://www.authorjenniferjames.com

Guest Blogger Berengaria Brown

Tags

Berengeria Brown, Regency romance, romance author, silken sheets & seduction

 

Writing Regency Romances by Berengaria Brown

 

I’ve written several Regency romances. I adore Georgette Heyer and love the Regency era so it was natural for me to try writing a few romances set then myself.

 

But it’s a lot of work, checking all the facts, and making sure characters don’t act like twenty-first century people. Women had basically no rights back then, so life was very different. But none-the-less women managed to make their dreams come true. They just used different methods from how we might do things today.

 

A well-born woman couldn’t just leave home, get a job in an industry that interested her, rent an apartment, and live alone. None of those steps was possible. She had to be chaperoned 24/7, preferably by an older male family member, although a younger brother or an older married female would do for social events. She couldn’t rent property, or open a bank account, or work in most areas. Governessing or being a companion was about the limit of the options open to her. This means plots need to be built around the conventions of the day.

 

Every time I finish writing a Regency story I say, “It’s too much work. Never again.” And yet…

 

The “Virgins No More” series came about when the story of the Arnott family just kept getting longer and longer, as more family members wanted their own HEA.

 

 

Book 1: “The Vicar’s Virgin” Blurb:

 

The Reverend Mr. Ridley needs a wife so he focuses his attentions on Georgina Arnott, a sensible, intelligent, yet attractive woman.

 

On their wedding night he’s relieved to discover she enjoys the pleasures of the bed, and, after a slow start, their evenings are full of passion and joy for both of them.

 

Unfortunately, when she takes an interest in his parish, it seems to involve filling his house with noisy people tramping muddy boots through the hallways, and filling his kitchen with dirty children.

 

He loves his wife. But can this marriage work?

 

Buy link: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-vicars-virgin-by-berengaria-brown/

 

 

Book 2: “Almost a Virgin” Blurb:

 

Theodora has loved John Smith ever since she was a little girl. But he’s very wealthy and she is only a vicar’s daughter and sister.

 

John had been waiting for Theodora to grow up. When he kisses Theodora in the garden at the ball, lust roars through him and he takes her there in the garden, fully dressed, only a few yards away from a hundred people. She’s warm and more than willing in his arms, and it’s not until the deed is done that he realizes he’s just dishonored his best friend’s sister.

 

Theodora doesn’t regret what she’s done. She enjoyed it and wants more of him. Even though he’s only marrying her because he dishonored her, she doesn’t care. She’ll make him so happy in bed and in his home he’ll stay with her even though he may never love her.

 

Buy link: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/almost-a-virgin-by-berengaria-brown/

 

 

Book 3: “A Promising Virgin” Blurb:

 

Zethan, Earl of Mitcham, decides that the stunningly beautiful Miss Sapphira Arnott will make him the perfect wife. It’s only when she declines his oh-so-flattering offer, that he realizes how rude and arrogant he’d been, and how much he loves her. The only solution is to woo her properly.

 

Meanwhile Simeon Arnott is in love with Miss Anne Smith. But she’s incredibly rich and he’s a mere Baronet. Fortunately her brother and she herself accept his proposal and they have an extremely successful wedding night. Their ball, however, was almost less than successful thanks to the “help” of the three youngest Arnotts and their plans to go one better than a recent much-talked-about society event.

 

Will Sapphira trust Zethan? And what other disasters will the children get involved in?

 

 

 

Berengaria Brown Bio:

 

Berengaria is a multi-published author of erotic romance: contemporary, paranormal (ghosts, vampires, fairies and werewolves) and Regency-set historical. She loves to read all different kinds of romance so that is what she writes: one man/one woman; two women; two men; two men/one woman; three men, two women/one man…. Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily-ever-after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.

 

 

 

STORY EXCERPT

 

“Miss Georgina?”

 

The deep baritone voice rumbled, bringing her back to the present with a start. “Mr. Ridley.” She placed her hand on his arm as he led her to the supper room. No one had ever said her name quite that way before. Chills of excitement ran up and down her spine, before she pulled herself together to smile at him as he held her chair.

 

After he brought her a plate of food, he said, “I wondered if you had been named for your father, but Mama told me your parents were James and Elizabeth, not George or even Georgiana. May I offer you my sincere condolences? You must miss them very much.”

 

Georgina was surprised. In the three seasons she’d been out, no dinner partner had even started a conversation like this. In fact, most of the young men talked about themselves, their own activities, and possibly their importance or wealth or connections. Since he was a man of the cloth, she’d even been prepared for him to speak of the stories in the Bible, or of God. But not her name. And to offer his sympathy as well. That was certainly a different approach. His attention was on her, not their surroundings, and he appeared to be genuinely interested and awaiting her reply.

 

“Thank you. It was a great shock, but it was three years ago. I’d come out and just had my first season. Simeon came down from Oxford and none of us came to Town the following Season. Simeon concentrated on taking over the property. Fortunately Papa had trained him in land management. Simeon became the head of our family, Amos went to Oxford, normal life resumed. Now it’s time to prepare Sapphira for her season. Since we have not entertained as much as my parents used to, we thought it better to let her try her wings in the Little Season. Her beauty is sure to attract both unsuitable men as well as those who are worthy of her. This gives her the opportunity to…” She hesitated.

 

“Get to know the Ton?” he suggested.

 

“Yes,” she smiled. “It’s good for Amos to get a little Town bronze too before he makes his formal bow at Court when the Season begins.”

 

“I agree. It’s different for a man, but there are always those who take advantage of greenhorns so attending his sisters now will help him gain the necessary confidence.”

 

They smiled at each other for a moment and Georgina couldn’t help but notice what a wonderful smile the Vicar had. He smiled with his entire face not just his lips. His eyes lit up with little lines forming beside them, his whole face coming alive with enjoyment.

 

“I was named for Saint Barnabas. And you?”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I never answered that part of your question. I was born on the twelfth of August, King George’s birthday, and was named for him. And Sapphira is not named for the family eye color, but because it is the Greek word for beautiful. As soon as they saw her golden hair my parents knew she’d inherited Grandmama’s coloring and would be beautiful. Deborah has it too.”

 

“Deborah is your younger sister?”

 

“Yes, she’s nine and full of mischief like the twins. Sapphira has a sweet and gentle nature.”

 

“Ah the twins. Whatever did they do to have the cook chasing them with the carving knife?”

 

Laughing, Georgina told him, “Joel and Micah had balanced my great-grandmother’s solid silver salver over the pantry door with a pail of water on top of it. When Millie, the maid, opened the door to put the second-best china away, she was drenched with the cold water and dropped the china.”

 

He grinned. “They sound like mischievous young boys indeed. As a child I would never have upset the cook, who used to spoil me with freshly baked honey cakes and slices of candied peel.”

 

“I don’t believe they realized it would upset her. They’d planned the victim to be the butler, Soames, but he was opening the door to you at the time. Grandmama took it very well. All she said was, ‘I never did like the pattern on that china.’ Fortunately the boys will be going to Eton in January. I just hope we don’t lose too many of our staff between now and then!” she replied.

 

They chatted happily about all sorts of things. Georgina looked up and was quite astonished to find the tables emptying out as people returned to the ballroom.

 

“Oh my! I must return to Grandmama.” She’d been enjoying her time so much with him. Inside she felt all warm and happy when he smiled at her with his wonderful big grin.

 

 

 

Berengaria Brown

 

http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/

 

Is it Monday yet?

Tags

BDSM, BDSM romance, erotic romance, Lillian Grant, liquid silver books, male review, reigning men, romantic comedy, silken sheets and seduction

Some days being a writer has the same level of anticipation as a kid waiting for Christmas.

You send you manuscript to the publisher and you wait. Hopefully you get an acceptance and then you wait. You sign the contract and you wait. You get content edits and you send them back and wait. You complete line edits and you wait. The artist sends you a draft of your cover and you squeal and then wait. And then … finally … woohoo it’s release day. Champagne corks pop, people cheer, the internet crashes as hordes of people rush to download your book. Okay, okay I got carried away. No champagne, no one cheering and the internet is fine. Just me sitting at my desk at my day job with a silly grin on my face.

So, finally, the waiting is almost over for me. Male Review, Reigning Men Volume Two is due out on 28 May from Liquid Silver Books.

Blurb

A nymphomaniac octogenarian great aunt, a frigid mother, and a BDSM male strip club, what could possibly go wrong?

Sam Stephens and Meg Riley are in love, and finally on the cusp of sex anytime, anywhere, anyhow. That is until Meg’s Great Aunt Maud, the octogenarian nymphomaniac, gets tossed out of the old folk’s home and moves in with them, closely followed by her polar opposite, Meg’s scarily frigid mother.

Meg’s best friend Laura convinces Aunt Maud to invest in Male Review, a BDSM-themed male strip joint.  For Meg, it’s just one more step along the path to disaster, made even worse when former prostitute Michael is hired as the bar manager.  After all, Laura’s last venture ended with Meg being arrested as a pimp. And Michael’s to blame for the crazies invading Meg’s home, and even worse, he still has the hots for her.

If she wants to get her life back, all Meg needs to do is find a new home for Maud, resolve the dispute between her warring parents, keep Michael at arm’s length, and rescue her relationship with Sam before it disintegrates completely. Male Review appears to be just one more problem to deal with, but perhaps it could provide an unexpected solution.

www.lilliangrant.com

Guest Blogger – Simone Sinna

Tags

embedded, erotic romance, erotic romance author, exclusive, Expose, silken sheets and seduction, simone sinna, siren bookstrand, Stephanie Beauman series

 

The Stephanie Beauman Series by Simone Sinna

This didn’t start off as a series. It started off as a dare and a bit of fun- over ten years ago when the first half of “Embedded” was written. I’d be sitting around with friends drinking too much red wine and they’d offer thoughts for great sex scenes (usually totally unbelievable and un-publishable!). So it sat there half written until I had a sabbatical followed by long service leave- a year away from the usual 40 hour a week (min) grind.

It was then I decided, riding on the train from New York to Yale (two hours each way), to dig out the computer and finish it off. Heavens knows what anyone reading over my shoulder thought, or worse, made of the mumblings and squirms (and occasional looks of lust) that escape when I am fully engrossed in the story and character! Stephanie the heroine has a little of me in her (well how I’d like to look and things I wouldn’t mind doing given a chance…) but she started off British so I changed her to being a New Yorker. This proved not as simple as I thought. Australians use American and British “isms” interchangeably – what I hadn’t realized was just how more British we are. “Embedded” still has a few in it (and Britain instead of Boston at one stage argh!) but by the third, “Exclusive” (accepted, due out July as ebook, print in December) “apartment” and “elevator” just flow from the pen. And no “bloody hells” in sight unless Jeffrey the Brit is saying them!

So Stephanie came first, followed quickly by the location. We lived for a year in an amazing house on Sydney harbor that is described in “Embedded” (well I made the house better, location the same). When my sister read it and recognised the house she started to get very worried about what else in the book might have been lifted from real life! Around the time I first started it, I had been to a conference in Buenos Aires and fell in love with the tango (the dance Stephanie describes happened…) and Igazu Falls so from that came Gabriel the hero.

Enter book two, Exposé which hadn’t been planned, but I just couldn’t let Stephanie go – I was having way too much fun being her! So I figured she had to have broken up from Gabriel and find a new hero. Trouble was as I got to about the third chapter (and I do complete outlines of all chapters before starting) and I couldn’t stop thinking about Gabriel so had to rewrite and bring him back at least in her mind, so the story shifted.

Exposé is set along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (how’s that for a mouthful!), a famous pilgrim’s walk across France and Spain to where St James’s head is reported to be buried. My husband and I had just completed it (all 2038km from central France) and were so excited about the experience, this it just had to be included and becomes the background for the book. Because it was so fresh in my mind, it was easy to have rich detail of the locations at my finger tips – the torture museum at Santillana del Mar for instance (but no, I didn’t get tied up in the dungeon, Stephanie is more adept at getting herself out of situations than I). Stephanie however is not the part of me that likes walking- so I put her on a film set, centred around a film of the walk – much more her style! Enter hero number two – after the walk we met up with an ex-boyfriend of mine who’s a Brit, I remembered being cuddled by Jeffrey Archer (another Brit) and somehow there was hero number two (who is actually not like either of them, apart from being British and called Jeffrey!).

For “Exclusive” then I had to find a setting that put Gabriel and Jeffrey on equal footing for the finale – which man does Stephanie end up with? The Grand Prix circuit proved to be ideal. I used to race mini cooper S’s in my past (was Lady’s Champion one year) and from this time always had a bit of an interest in Grand Prix’s. I had also been to quite a few. That this year the Grand Prix tarted in Australia in my hometown and was going to be in Texas for the first time, and my publishers are in Texas, seemed to be a sign. So I got to, through Stephanie, live vicariously in exotic locations and with exotic men. For research I was whisked off to the high rollers area at the casino at one stage to talk to the Australian Poker Champion Tony Hachem who helped with the Monte Carlo poker scene, and my Grand Prix contact entertained me for hours with amazing GP behind the scenes stories, some of which turn up in “Exclusive”.

I still have the edits for “Exclusive” ahead of me, but Stephanie is now living happily ever after so I have to cut the umbilical cord and move on. It’s been great fun though and I may have to dive back into them occasionally. Besides, I’m still more than half in love with the hero …

www.simonesinna.com

Follow @simonesinna

“Embedded” and “Exposé” can be found at www.bookstrand.com/simone-sinna and Amazon has “Embedded” and will have “Exposé” soon. “Exclusive is out later in the year at same sites.

Male Nude, Back View, 1952 (Horst P. Horst)

Tags

Horst P Horst, lust, Male Nude Back, sexuality, Sexy Pictures, Sorcha Mowbray

Male Nude, Back View, 1952

 

Guest Blogger – Lynnette Bernard

Tags

erotic romance, erotic romance author, lynette bernard, menage, paranormal romance, shifters, silken sheets and seduction, siren bookstrand

Today we are happy to have Lynnette Bernard as our guest. We asked her some probing questions, all the things you wanted to know.

Please make her welcome. Take it away Lynette.

How long have you been writing?

I wrote my first novel when I was fourteen years old. It was a love story that was set in the late 1800s in Wyoming – strictly PG since I didn’t know a whole lot about sex at the time! Since I’m *mumble* years old, that was a looooong time ago.

What genres do you write?

I write love stories in many genres – paranormal, science fiction, contemporary, whatever genre the story seems to take hold of.

What inspired your main characters?

Well, Laurie’s Loves is basically my story. I was that person who came out the other side of domestic abuse with a bruised ego and little to no confidence. It took me about ten years to reclaim the person I was before I met my ex, but I am happy to say I’m now the person I once was. Not everyone who survives abuse has to come out of it bitter and angry. I didn’t. Laurie is me, the insecure me, who questions her worth even though she knows she’s a good person with a lot of love in her to share. Nikki is me, the outgoing smart-mouth, who protects everyone, makes jokes and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Just as Laurie is, I am a mother of two, a girl and a boy, and Laurie’s children’s personalities are dead-on for my own children’s personalities. Mia is the protector who has an uncanny ability to evaluate situations and offer logical advice. Dean is the calming influence with a wicked sense of humor. Both Laurie’s kids and my kids are a supportive team, love us to death, defend us, and want us to be happy. Laurie’s personality is very much like mine. She is a nurturer who wants to please and help others – so do I. Just like Laurie, I hadn’t had a vacation if fifteen years because I was alone raising my children under very difficult circumstances. There is one big difference between us though. Laurie found two incredibly hot, caring, kind, and loving men on her vacation. I did not. Damn it! J

Do you write to music? If so what was the sound track for this book?

Sometimes I listen to music, country is my preference, but I tend to end up tapping my toes and singing along, or having fantasies about the men singing. That doesn’t help with my writing other than giving me ideas for future love scenes! So, I tend to write in quiet.

Where do you write?

I either write in my living room, on the couch, with a small table in front of me to perch my netbook, or in my bedroom, sitting on my bed, with the same small table in front of me. My ideal place to write is at the beach. The ocean sounds soothe me and bring me to a place where nothing exists except whatever world I’m creating.

What is the most you have written in one day?

There are days where I can’t pull myself away from the stresses of life to be able to write a single word no matter how long I stare at the computer screen. But, sometimes the words just fly and I can’t seem to type fast enough. The ideas rush from me and I have to make notes so I don’t forget what I want to add to my stories. I think the most I’ve written is five chapters, which is about 20,000 words or so, but that’s not the norm. On the weekends or during the summer, I tend to get a lot written each day, but during a work week, I try to write a chapter a night – which is between 5,000 and 6,000 words, depending on the content. Love scenes take longer.

What are you currently reading?

Nothing at the moment, I’m concentrating on writing, but I recently finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Can’t wait to read the other two books in the series, but writing is the priority right now.

What is your best guilty pleasure? (By best I mean worst.)

Taking a mental health day from work, ordering a sausage pizza and turning off my phone to write.  It’s great to tell the world to go to hell once in a while. J

What book do you wish you’d written?

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. By far, the best book for young adults.

You have to jump out of a plane w/ a holey parachute or edit your 100K MS by hand, what. do. you. do?

I’d take the edit. If I took the holey parachute I wouldn’t be around to write anymore and you might as well kill me now if I couldn’t write.

Bonus Round:

Coffee/Tea?

Tea with honey, no milk, please.

Chocolate/Sex?

Sex. I’m one of the few people in the world who doesn’t really like chocolate. J

Morning/Evening?

Evening – definitely.

Movie/Book?

Tough one. Can I choose both?
Dog/Cat?

Dog. Cats scare me. Now don’t get all mad at me, cat lovers. When I was five years old I went to pet a cat and I got scratched – hence the fear. Don’t know what it is about me though. Whenever I visit friends with cats, they end up rubbing all over me and curling up on my lap! I’d much rather have a man do that.

Laurie’s Loves (MFM)
Beckett’s Wolf Pack, Triad Mates

Alpha Jace Beckett is not willing to commit himself to a mate—even if his hold on humanity is quickly slipping away without the grounding presence of the final member of his triad.

Jackson Scott is beta and triad partner to Jace.Jacksonknows they both need that one woman to complete their triad, love them, and give them a future filled with tenderness, caring, and cubs.

Laurie Young is their fated triad mate—a human who knows nothing of their world. They need her to accept their wolves and their mating. Her children would be theirs, and they would do everything to protect her from her abusive ex. They just have to convince her to stay with them and accept that they were fated to share a life together. She has to know that they loved and wanted her even before they realized she was carrying their baby.

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/lauries-loves

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lauries-Becketts-Publishing-Menage-ebook/dp/B007V2DHQ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335108199&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lauries-loves-lynnette-bernard/1110191080?ean=9781619263673

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Lauries-Loves/book-d4JeQw7tXU2vT6T7aK6y6g/page1.html?s=CbBgJsEcXEyoKys9u1_ndg&r=1

Author Interview: Morgan Fox

Tags

Author Interviews, Cowboys, erotic romance authors, menage, Morgan Fox, romance authors, Siren Publishing

Today we’d like to welcome Morgan Fox to Silken Sheets.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy our little chat.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing poetry, short stories and novels since I was a teenager.  My first published work came when I was fifteen.

What book do you wish you’d written?

I wish I had written the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole and the Doomsday Brethren series by Shayla Black.  Both of these series were well written and amazingly creative.  These are books I could read over and over again.

What inspired you to write your first book?

When I sat down to write my first erotica romance Seduced by the Moon, I looked to my love of paranormal romance for inspiration.  After a brainstorming lunch with Shayla Black the story practically wrote itself.  Thanks to the passion I have for writing and the love I have for all things paranormal, I’m now four books in on the Moonlight Shifters series and have at least two more in production.

How did you come up with the title?

On April 4th my newest release Discovering Temptation was released.  The title was easy to come up with since it was my first western romance and I was new to writing in that genre.  I came up with the title Discovering Temptation as that’s exactly what I was doing.  I discovered not only the imaginary town of Temptation, Texas, but some amazing characters along the way and loved every moment of it.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

As far as the emotional element of my stories, I generally write from my own personal experiences as well as those of my family and friends.  To me, there is no better way to tap into the characters in my books than through the connections I’ve made in my own life.  But having a vivid imagination is truly the best way to round out the characters and their experiences in the story.

What books have influenced your writing most?

There are so many amazing authors/books that have influenced my writing:  All things written by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole, Brenda Joyce and Shayla Black.  My work has been closely compared to that of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s and I take that as a serious compliment.   Let’s face it, the woman is amazingly talented.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I’ve been very fortunate to have several authors as mentors:  Sandy Blair, Shayla Black, and Sophie Oak.  All are wonderfully talented women who I love and admire very much.

What are your current projects?

Currently I’m working on three different projects:
Stone Temptation, Book 3 in the Texas Stallions Series
Bewitched by the Moon, Book 5 in the Moonlight Shifters Series
Capturing Shadow, Book 2 in the Cowboys and Werewolves Series

Do you see writing as a career?

I’ve been very blessed to be able to be a fulltime writer.  Thanks to a supportive husband, my dream of being a published author came true.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

My next book that is releasing on June 6^th is called Breathless Temptation and is the 2^nd book in the Texas Stallions series:

Clay looked through the peephole of his front door before opening it. With a groan, he placed his forehead against the hardwood and rolled his head from side to side. His fists were balled up against the white wood. Now that Hunter Boyd stood at his threshold, he didn’t think he could handle a morning that started out this way. Stiffening his spine, he grabbed hold of the doorknob, yanked it open, and glared at his unwelcome guest.

He preferred to start his day making love to the woman who had delighted his senses and awakened his heart. In years, he hadn’t felt so many intriguing emotions. Grinding his teeth, he prayed this wouldn’t take long so he could resume a more pleasant morning, one that didn’t consist of staring blankly at the face of the man who was perhaps his only competition for Delilah’s affections.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

When I consider who my favorite author is Kresley Cole is the one who comes to mind.  From the moment I read A Hunger Like No Other, I was hooked.  Her imagination is addictive.  The paranormal world she created in the IAD series is amazing.  But her talent is not isolated to just paranormal.  I found that once I read her IAD series I had to read the MacCarrick Brothers Trilogy and her seafaring stories, as well.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

The advice I offer other writers is to keep writing.  Writing is a craft and only gets better when practiced.  Write a little something every day.

Bonus Round:

Coffee/Tea?    Both.  I prefer to drink double fisted…Coffee in the left hand and tea in the right.

Cake/Cookies?            Cake, but only if it has buttercream icing.

Coke/Pepsi?    Neither.  I don’t drink soda.

Heels/Flats?     Heels

BDB/The Order?

Vampires/Werewolves?          Seriously?  I have to choose only one?  Impossible.

Cats/Dogs?      Dogs

Fly/Drive?       Fly

Discovering Temptation
by Morgan Fox

After a traumatic car accident, Delilah Devero learns that her brakes had been tampered with, leaving her hospitalized and stranded in Temptation, Texas. Sheriff Clay Garrett and cattle rancher Hunter Boyd become her salvation, protecting her from a deranged stalker.

Forced to put their possessive desires aside, the cowboys cannot ignore the fiery connection that burns hot for Delilah. Exploring the passions that lie deep within her heart, Clay and Hunter begin to unravel a plan to keep her from running away from the dangers of her past. Both men agree that settling down at Turtledove Ranch could prove to be her sanctuary, but their plans quickly disintegrate when the evil she fears most threatens to destroy everything she’s come to love.

Together, Clay and Hunter must figure out a way to keep the woman they long for safe. What they encounter may leave them breathless.

Excerpt:

“Well, I see you found the spring,” he said, not bothering to hide his lust-filled need. His gaze dipped low on her chest. “You know you’re not supposed to be alone, Abby. However, you’re in luck as I plan to hang out with you for as long as you’re here.” A wide smile tugged at his sexy lips. “Naked or not.”

Her heart fluttered as he stood. “I wouldn’t mind it if you stayed,” she whispered and hadn’t intended for her words to be heard aloud. She gasped as he looked back at her, and his eyes darkened with longing. She recognized it because she felt it, too. They’d played the flirting game since they’d met, and it was becoming increasingly harder to fight. Her heart raced, and her breathing became shallower. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

He held her gaze for a long moment. “So, what does that mean, exactly?” He folded his well-defined arms over his chest.

A nervous flutter sank to the pit of her stomach. What she wouldn’t give to have the courage to tell him to strip off his clothes and jump into the water and ravage her body until they both came in a blaze of glory. The image that fired in her mind had her pussy throbbing with desire.

Staring down at the dark, cool water surrounding her, she said, “Nothing.” Lie. Lie. Lie. Damn, she was a coward, and she hated that intimacy with a man that wasn’t a dark, manipulating brute was near impossible for her to accept.

Thanks, Mom. Your nurturing support did wonders for my self-esteem.

“Nothing,” he said, repeating her words as he began unbuttoning his shirt. “Then you won’t mind if I jump in and cool off. I’d go to another spring, but it’s clear on the other side of the property and I’m afraid I could melt before I got there.”

Her eyes sprung open wide. Oh God, he was actually taking off his clothes, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away. “Tyler, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.” Her eyes immediately locked in on her discarded clothing, and so did his. She knew that her expression screamed, “I’m naked!” but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh,” he said with a sly grin, and unbuckled his pants, sliding the jeans down long, muscular legs. “Don’t be shy, Abby. I guess to even things out, I should be naked, too. I don’t want you to feel awkward.” Down went his boxers.

I Have A Pretty and News!

Tags

BDSM, Decadent Publishing, erotic romance, erotic romance authors, Love Redeemed, Ninja Mel Designs, One Night With A Cowboy, Sorcha Mowbray, Taking Her Chance, The Market Series

I have had a very good week! I love good weeks. LOL! First, my news. I sold  Love Redeemed, Book 2 of The Market Series to Decadent Publishing. *throws confetti* I am super excited about this and can’t wait for you all to get to read this story. Book 2 is the story of Serena Freemont, a prostitute, and Brennan Whitling, a textiles importer. No Lords or Ladies need apply. Of course, I’ll share the blurb and more details as they become available.

On to the pretties…which really is part of even more news! Yay! *throws more confetti* So, I am striking out on my own and taking a stab at self-publishing. Of course, this simply means I am hiring editors and cover artists directly instead of going to a publisher. But, that’s okay. I am excited about these little side projects, and they are little. My first self-pub will be approx 8,000 words long. It is a hot little cowboy story called Taking Her Chance. This will be the first in the One Night With A Cowboy series. The idea is that each story will center around a single night spent with a cowboy. The first story takes place as a result of a dating service. Here is the blurb:

Elizabeth Torrence spent the last nine years establishing her career and then building her advertising business from the ground up. The problem is to do that she had to walk away from the one man who could have been the one.

Chance Rogers, a star bull rider on the pro circuit had met the girl he wanted to marry back when he was scampering to rodeos between classes at the University of Texas. After only one date she refused to see him again. One failed marriage later, he is finally ready to try again. So he turns to a dating service to help him get back in to the swing of things.

When Chance walks into the room at the Golden Mustang Dude Ranch, Beth is determined that history will not repeat itself. Not hers and not her mother’s. But will she take her Chance or lose him again?

And of course…the pretty!

The cover was designed by Ninja Mel Designs, and I love it. Simple but sexy. I hope to have this story out in early June, so keep an eye out! Tell me, how do you like cowboys? I’ve developed a bit of a fascination with them myself. I totally blame Lorelei James.

Guest blogger: Keri Ford

Tags

erotic romance authors, Guest blog, new release, Reading, romance, romance author, romance authors

Today I’d like to welcome Keri Ford to Silken Sheets. Keri’s books are a fun mix of humor and down-home sexiness. The first book of her new series new “The Roughnecks” series, Rough Ride, Is now available from Turquoise Morning press.

(She was blessed with some seriously smokin’ hawt covers for this series. Go check them out. You can thank me later.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sexting.

Or, dirty texting, if you’re not familiar with the term sexting. If you haven’t seen some of my reviews, then let me go ahead and give you the scoop: there’s a sexting scene in Rough Ride.

If you need to google more about sexting, go ahead. I’ll wait. Or look! A picture where I completely harassed my critique partner at random for the sake of this blog post to give an example. You should be aware of the auto-correct by the way when sexting. Or actually, not just when sexting, but with any texting. “Trawl”. Wth?

If you look at the text closely, you’ll see another issue. It was an hour from when I sent Jeanette a text to when she responded. I was soloing for a long time. thank god I’m not a dude, just saying.

In fact, you probably would have done better to just google sexting to begin with. Not that it matters too much because everything you read while googling? Probably not true for what actually happens with the sexting in Rough Ride. Now, I’m not going to post that scene here because that would be like getting all the good funny parts before reading the book. omg, I hate that when I go to the movies and realize I’ve already seen the good parts advertised on my tv for weeks now. How do I know I know the sexting scene is a good one? Because people told me it’s funny, they loved it, and I’m totally gullible.

Like, Hey Keri, LOVED your posts about your vomiting dog. Truly you should post more on that, especially the ones with the pictures.
Me: OH! Awesome, I’ve had so many positive responses like yours on that! Will do! And I’ll get close up photos next time! Can’t believe some actually want to see that!

Anyway, sexting. I’ll admit it, I’ve occasionally sexted my husband. Probably not for reasons you’re thinking. Backstory: my husband works with my parents.

I think you know where this is going. Because it makes me chuckle to be sitting in my car in private to send some random text to my husband when I know he’s sitting across from my mom. He’s usually not as amused and often doesn’t respond. But hey—can’t fault me for not trying to keep the romance alive!

Have you ever sexted anyone? Come on. No time for shyness! And if you’ve never done it, I challenge you to send a sext to that special loved one in your life. It’s easy—just double-check your number to make sure it’s going to the right person! Leave me a comment and you’ll be entered for a chance at Renee Vincent’s Silent Partner. Find more on Renee at her website , twitter , or facebook. Thanks for donating to my tour, Renee!

***
Keri Ford writes Sexy Country Contemporary Romances. See her website for more information about her books and The Roughnecks Blog Tour with all the giveaway, sneak peeks and blog stops.

Blurb
You do for family, no matter what. Lane Iverson knows that better than anyone. Harboring a secret about his mother’s death, Lane is counting the days until he finishes helping his brothers with some work and can head back to his hiding hole hours away. As long as he doesn’t have to face his three brothers every day, the guilt is easier to carry.

There is only one thing that can risk his plan. All of five foot tall with these deep eyes and a voice that shudders through him. The completely addicting, Gretchen Jones. She’s been watching him the entire time he’s been in town. With courage from her friends behind her, she confronts what she wants. To her surprise, that’s the easy part. Keeping her heart protected when she knows he’ll be leaving? Not so easy, but her only choice.

Read Chapter One
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