Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

Round-up of the Week

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News from around the world

China’s governing Communist Party has proposed removing a clause in the constitution which limits presidencies to two five-year terms. This is in an attempt to allow the current President Xi Jinping to remain as leader after he is due to step down.

News from London

A Letter containing a substance sent to St. James’s Palace is being treated as a ‘racist hate crime”. The substance was tested by the Met Police and was found not to be harmful. The letter is said to have been addressed to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

My News

I have finally finished decoration my living room at home, which has taken quite a while being a weekend only job. I now need to replace the carpet and furniture but really pleased with how it’s looking so far.

Writing News

This week I’ve focused on the last minute tighten up of Sins of the Father which is due to head to the editor on Thursday which will be a nail-biting experience. I even managed to get a newsletter out for the first time in about 5 months.

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

Round up of the week

Round up of the Week

World

Builders in the Canadian city of Quebec have unearthed a live cannonball fired by the British in 1759 when they besieged Quebec while fighting the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. The builders posed for photos with the 90kg shot unaware that it was still potentially explosive. Archaeologist Serge Rouleau, who examined the munition before the army noticed that it still contained a charge and said it was more of an incendiary bomb than a cannonball. A Senior munitions technician was quoted as saying, “The ball would break and the powder would ignite, setting fire to the building.

Seems as though the builders had a lucky escape.

London

A 31-year-old man has been stabbed to death by two attackers on a moped during an early-morning altercation in south-east London, police said.

The victim was fatally wounded during a clash in which shots were also fired in King William Walk in the centre of Greenwich

The assailants, both male, then fled the scene on the moped and emergency services arrived to find the man with stab injuries. Paramedics tried to revive the man but he was declared dead at the scene.

We seem to be seeing more crime from people on scooters/mopeds/bikes including an epidemic of bike theft with the perpetrators going out with machetes and other weapons. Every morning the first thing I do is check that my bike is where I parked it.

My world

This week my cousin’s 23-year-old daughter came from Wolverhampton to stay with me in London for a few days. Despite the big age gap, we get on incredibly well but then maybe that’s because I don’t act my age. Unfortunately, I had to work but Kat was able to go off and explore the city without me and we caught up in the evenings for pizza and prosecco.

Last week I mentioned that there was something potentially on the horizon for me which I couldn’t discuss this is still on the down low.

I’m ending the week with a family meal as we all catch up for my mum’s birthday.

My Word

I’ve been anxiously waiting while the editor slashes my book with her red pen but I should be out of my misery by the middle of next week as she returns the first edit. Or will I be in more misery lol.

I’ve been working on the spin off from ‘A Boy from the Streets’

I’ve also been thinking a bit more are a follow on from ‘As Dreams are Made on’ and after seeing a picture I wanted have had JC Clarke from The Graphics Shed design me a cover that has left me speechless. (I know right! Me speechless LOL)

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

Round up of the Week.png

Each week I will be doing a round up of the week which will be a piece of global news, London news, my own week and what I have been up to as an author. It may be news/information you already know or it may be something you haven’t heard – either way I hope you like these little posts. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and any news you would like to share in return.

World: Online retail giant Amazon is buying Whole Foods in a £10.7bn deal ($13.7bn). Whole Foods has more than 460 stores in the US, Canada and the UK employing 87,000 people.

It would seem that Amazon are taking over the retail industry in the way that supermarkets took over from the local shop.

London: This week has seen the tragic events unfold at the Grenfell Tower in West London. This twenty-four storey tower block burnt down leaving an empty shell, the latest numbers suggest 58 people dead or missing, leaving a community homeless and devastated.

Londoners and people from surroundings communities have come together in an amazing show of unity to provide practical supplies, giving of their time and money. People from across the globe have started raising funds to help those affected. People from all walks of life have come together in support to show what a great community we have when we work together. My heart goes out to everyone affected.

My World: A fairly normal week for me, work, writing and visits to the gym to try to shift the excess weight that has crept up on me and is clinging like an octopus and refusing to leave. Friday night I combined a social visit with my friend Shirley, we’ve been friends since about the age of ten years old, with a visit to her gym, a swim and jacuzzi. Felt very pampered and chilled afterwards, the perfect way to start the weekend. A relaxing day of sunbathing on Saturday combined with some writing, oh and I was also able to pick the first batch of my homegrown spinach. Today, Sunday, is Father’s Day and very shortly I will be meeting my parents and my sister at a local restaurant. So a nice family day to round off my week.

My Word: I haven’t written very much this week as I’ve been focusing my attention on editing. The first novel I wrote is finally approaching the stage where it will be given to my editor.

I started writing it approximately fifteen years ago and it has gone through numerous edits and lost about 80,000 words in an attempt to make it a tighter, readable book. I put it aside for a number of years as I worked on other books, including the three novelettes and one novel that I’ve published already. I also have a backlog of forty something WIPs (Work in Progresses) in various stages of completion. But I digress, and now you can see why I had to purge 80,000 odd words, LOL.
Anyway I have about 2700 more that I need to remove to get it to 80,000 words and then I will hand it over with trepidation to a new editor and hold my breath (not literally of course) until I receive the red-marked pages back.

I have also taken the plunge and set up an email sign up on my website so that I can email out a monthly newsletter. If you would like to hear from me occasionally then please add your details to the pop up and then check your junk mail as they often get sent there.

What can you expect from me by signing up? 

I’ll keep you informed of any new releases from me, some you might like/love and others you won’t as I can’t stick to writing in one genre, I write anything that is in my head and needs to be released. A sometimes scary prospect. 🙂

Giveaway: Once a month I am planning on doing an author slot from the Indie authors I love which will include one free kindle copy of one of their books going to one of my readers who will be picked at random. More details to follow.

Little snippets of information that I think you might find interesting – forgive me if I get that wrong sometimes – please let me know what you like and what you don’t like and what you’d like to see more of.

As this is new to me it will grow organically and hopefully you will look forward to finding my newsletters once a month in your inbox.

Maria x
Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

West Midlands Attending Author: Scarlett Flame

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1. Can we start with your name and where you’re from?
  I am the author Scarlett Flame and I am from Manchester, in the UK.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?         I love to read, especially Sci-Fi, paranormal romance, steampunk (of course!), thrillers. To be honest I love an eclectic selection of genre. Two of my favourites are Dean Koontz and Anne Rice.

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?
 I write in a variety of genre. I mainly write erotica though. With main themes being BDSM, bondage, Dom/sub. I also have a Steampunk book that has elements of ménage, werewolves, dragons, magicians and any number of magical creatures featuring. I have two WIP’s at the moment and one has a Dominant, that is also a vampire featured and the other is once again a D/s but with MMF erotic scenes in it. These two new books are due to be published in Spring 2017.

4. If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?
I think it would have to be the Vampire Lestat. Loved these books by Anne Rice and would love them to be my creation.

5.When did you first start writing?
I began writing in 2012, secretly.

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?
I do a combination of the two really but, I always write the first draft longhand. The words just seem to flow better. I write words I want to use in the margins and go back through and edit before typing the draft up. I do use a timeline and storyboards too. In order to make sure that the work has a proper timeline.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)
My favourite character in my own books is one I am currently writing and it is Ellie, she is the main female in my upcoming book “A Gothic Romance: Vampires of Whitby Book 1”

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?
Hmmm now then a LOT of the scenes in my book relate to people, events and situations I have been in myself. But I would be telling tales out of school if I told you which ones.

9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?      I am currently about ¾ of the way through two very different books. One has no title and the other is the book about the Whitby vampires.

10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?
Get your media presence in place early, and establish yourself. Do your homework too and double check your work and get a good editor.

11. What do you do when you’re not writing?
I have six children, all boys, and five grandkids. I am also a committee member at the local mining museum, which is where my own book signing events take place in Manchester. I am also involved in several local projects, so never a spare moment just now

12.What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?
Finding the time to both write, edit, format, and then advertise your books. I am currently looking for a PA to help me out on that score to be perfectly honest.

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?
That people refer to erotic writing as porn. It is quite different. The use of words for example. You can write erotica and still be a wordsmith. People also assume you are sat in stockings and suspenders when you write. Which makes me laugh as quite often it is pj’s, dressing gown and slipper and of course the ubiquitous glass of red wine.

14.What is your idea of happiness?
To be loved, and to love. To be able to curl up, and read in peace with a nice cup of tea, to being with family and friends for a meal and a good natter. Or, maybe curled up with the one you love. All of the above, really.

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.
My ideal setting is sat on the settee, quietly, with no disturbance. Phone off, cuppa tea and some gingernuts to munch on.

16. What makes you laugh/cry?
Watching my children and grandchildren perform in school plays and the like. Kindness also makes me cry. I have cried when I shouldn’t really. I was a children’s nurse and I remember crying assisting to lay out a young man who has died when a student nurse. I got told by the nurse I was working alongside, that if that doesn’t move you to cry, leave the profession. Empathy is a huge part of nursing

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.
Oh, put me on the spot then as I have 6 kids and love them all to the stars and back!  But, if it was purely sexual hmmm. A handsome Dom would have to among them. Or maybe three gorgeous Doms that all wanted to take care of me.

18.What is your most annoying habit?
I procrastinate – a LOT!

19.Please tell me about your books? For each one please send a pic (kindle cover would be perfect)
This is some blurb about A Valentine’s Bind: Manchester Dominants and submissives Book

Winner in the #erotica category of Top 50 self-published

books of 2016 and 5th overall

Nominee in the erotica category Summer Indie Books 2016

 

Go on treat yourself it is a BARGAIN

 

and #FREE to read on KU too

 

★*´¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)

(¸.• ** #FREE to read with #KindleUnlimited

99c US 99p UK

Available in paperback

 

When University student Nicky Johnson decides to make an impromptu visit to a #BDSM club with friends she get more than she bargained for.

The alcohol fuelled evening finds her asleep on her sofa the next day, suffering from memory loss.

But who brought her home?

#Dominant Dariel Pearson shows her that #spanking and submission can be empowering.

Will this be a life changing experience for Nicky?

This New Adult contemporary romance is a steamy, sexy tale of love, dominance and #submission.    This is The Prophecy Unfolds: Dragon Queen book 1    ★*´¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.• *#‎FREE‬ to read with Kindle Unlimited

#Steampunk #Werewolves #Dragons #Magicians

#ParanormalRomance #Erotica

#Shifter #Ménage

 

Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away – Anon.

 

For Alex, this was supposed to be a fresh start.

New job, new part of the country.

But she got much more than she bargained for.

As she travelled through the Snowdonian National park, with its remote villages and Wales’ highest mountains, she stops to eat a bite to eat.

There she is kidnapped by three strangers, and transported to the Dystopian, Steampunk world of Syros.

A world of dragons, magic and werewolves.

Where science fiction meets science fact.

This is only the beginning of an epic urban fantasy, and the fulfilment of a prophecy over 200 years old.

Will she survive on a planet where three factions battle for dominance?

 

Book One of the series Dragon Queen   Finally Bound for Passion: Erotic Love Stories. My debut book       

★*´¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)

(¸.• ** #FREE to read with #KindleUnlimited

Amazon Bestseller in #Paranormal Erotica

Available in paperback

#Ménage #ParanormalRomance #Erotica #BDSM

 

Newly updated and edited

 

When Vivienne sits inconsolable in the hospital chapel, the last encounter she expects is a fervent entanglement with an otherworldly being, as passions increase she learns for the first time in her life the true meaning of out of this world. In the second, Sarah meets a new lover after telling him all her intimate fantasies in an internet chat room. And, the final story concerns the journey a young woman takes, as a Dominant offers to show her the ropes, in exchange for her submission via BDSM. Individually these stories are hot, but together they are sizzling

 

 Remember to Turn up the AC!, June 4, 2016

By 

1DreamReader

Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

This review is from: Bound for Passion: Erotic Love Stories (Kindle Edition)

I have not read a lot of Erotica but enough to say that this Novella was enough to turn the heat up.
The first short story was a full-on excitement as a young women anticipates meeting her cyber lover in the flesh to live out her fantasy. Just the prelude to the meeting was a poetic foreplay of words. Let me tell you, I felt the heated anticipation with her every step of the way, as the author does not skimp on the juicy details. All three of the stories were well written and had good character descriptions. If you are looking to spice up your love life, then this book is a must for you!
Remember to turn up the AC!

Lightning round
Tea or Coffee?                Tea (I am intolerant of coffee)
Cash or credit?                Cash
Cats or Dogs?                   Dogs
Beach or Mountain?           Mountains
Summer or Winter             Winter
Sweet or Savoury                    Savoury
Early riser or late riser?            Early riser
Morning or Night?             Night
Christmas Tree – real or fake?       real
Sex – Lights on or off?      Lights on

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Please leave Facebook, Twitter, Website links so we can check you out further.

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

West Midlands Attending Author Interview: Catherine Green

 

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1. Can we start with your name and where you’re from?

My name is Catherine Green, aka SpookyMrsGreen: The Pagan Housewife, and I am from Cheshire, UK. Originally, I come from the Staffordshire Moorlands.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?

Of course I love reading, always have done! My early inspiration came from authors including Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. As I grew older I discovered Judy Blume, LJ Smith and Anne Rice. More recently my inspiration comes from Laurell K. Hamilton and her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series.

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?

I write paranormal romance and contemporary English Gothic. My stories are primarily romance and stories about what happens when you fall in love, but my characters usually turn out to be supernatural or magical in some way. It just happens! I do have some humans in the stories as well…

4. If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?

I wouldn’t like to take on another author’s character, but I do admire Anita Blake from the author Laurell K. Hamilton. She is a heroine, but she has many flaws, and these are explored and even worked on throughout the series, which I think is important. I don’t like my book characters to be perfect, it gets boring that way!

5. When did you first start writing?

I have been writing since the first time I learned to form words. As a child I would copy out pages of prose from my favourite story books simply because I loved the act of writing, and the way my writing flowed across the page. As I grew older I wrote diaries (journals), and eventually I began to dabble in short stories and poems. My novel writing only began about eight years ago.

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?

Oh no, I’m too impatient for that! I tried planning my first novel, Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), and I still occasionally refer to my character notes and location details if I get confused with my current manuscript. But I am what we refer to as a “pantser” – I write by the seat of my pants, typing away furiously and seeing what happens. Then I tidy up the writing later.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)

Hmm, that’s a tricky one because I love them all! Alright, I do secretly have a favourite: Marcus Scott. He appears in my very first novel, Love Hurts, and he was only supposed to be a minor support character. He is a vampire, friends with the Mason brothers, and he develops a fixation with my heroine, Jessica Stone (read the books to find out why!). Marcus Scott became very insistent while I was writing the first three Redcliffe novels, and eventually I gave in and wrote his story, which was published as The Darkness of Love. He became a vampire during the late 1800s, on the whim of his Lord and Master on an English country estate.

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a particular book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?

My books are really a collection of memories and experiences with added supernatural twists. The main theme throughout all my stories is the entity of being in love, and what it means to love another person. I have a very passionate relationship with my husband and we have been together since we were teenagers. A lot of our personal drama has appeared in my novels in some guise or other, along with themes I have observed from my peers.

9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?

Oh yes, lots of things! Let me see… Well primarily I am working on the final three books in the Redcliffe novels series. Jessica Stone has transitioned fully into the person she was supposed to be, and now she and her spirit animal are learning their place in the Redcliffe werewolf pack.

In other news, I am working on a series of novels set in and around the North West of England featuring vampire hunters and their adventures. One is about a vampire hunter who lives on a narrowboat and takes on a hit that unravels some very deep, very dark and very surprising secrets about herself and her occasional work partner. If angels and demons are your thing, you might like to read this one…

I have a first draft of a novel about a retired vampire hunter who is married with young children when she is persuaded to return to her old job for one last target – the female vampire that almost killed her ten years previously. She must hide her previous identity from her husband in order to protect her family, but of course it never works out that way, does it?

And then we have Hunting the Hunted. This is almost ready for publication, and might even lend itself to a sequel, I haven’t decided yet. This one follows the story of a vampire called Frederick James who haunts the old tunnels beneath Manchester city centre. He is targeted by a group of hunters, but they struggle to capture him when he meets a witch who entraps him in a love affair before revealing the true nature of his intentions. This novel has strong homosexual themes and is a bit more experimental for me as a writer. I like it!

10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?

Always be positive. When you feel the urge to write, just do it, and don’t worry about the consequences. If you decide to share your work with the world then fabulous, but be prepared for a long and arduous journey on your quest for fame and fortune. Ultimately, we write because we have to. It is in our nature.

11. What do you do when you’re not writing?

Mostly I wrangle children! I have two daughters, one aged 6 and one aged 3, so they keep me busy. We also have a big soft dog and two pet turtles. When I’m not desperately trying to tidy my messy house, I like to indulge in hobby crafts, mainly card making. My current obsession is craft stamps, but I also enjoy decoupage. I am also a Tarot reader, and am doing a Tarot reading every day for my #365DaysofTarot challenge. I plan to compile a non-fiction book with the results when it is finished.

12. What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?

Definitely marketing. It is such a complicated, huge and confusing task. Where do we start? Who do we advertise to? How do we advertise to them? I am still exploring this one, so I will get back to you with an answer eventually (I hope!)

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?

I don’t really have a bug bear because truthfully my friends and family don’t discuss my writing all that much. We are often too busy being consumed by the demands of the children and whatever domestic crisis is taking centre stage. I sort of get on with it quietly in the background.

14. What is your idea of happiness?

Happiness to me is an equal partnership between myself and my husband, where our parental duties are shared and I am free to work on my craft without hurrying or having to stop for mealtimes and bedtime routines etc. You’ve probably guessed that I am still struggling to achieve that balance!

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.

My personal library is a room at the back of my house. It is average size, square, with French doors opening out onto a picturesque garden where colourful flowers bloom in the borders, and my children play happily on the lawn. I have a Victorian antique desk to the left of the French doors, on which sits my laptop, notebooks, printer and coffee mug. Two of the walls are lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves, and in front of the Victorian fireplace sits a small, velvet sofa on which I can rest and read when I need a break. The polished floorboards are covered with a soft rug, and the colour scheme is a mixture of muted purples and greens.

How does that sound?

Lovely (me)

16. What makes you laugh/cry?

My children, my husband and my dog mostly.

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.

Ooh, I haven’t thought about that! I might say I will just take my husband for now, because at least then I would get some quality time with him.

18. What is your most annoying habit?

Impatience! I cannot wait for things to happen, I always try and hurry them along. It doesn’t always work, and I am trying to calm down a bit and let things happen naturally.

19. Please tell me about your books?

Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) is about a young woman who runs a bookshop in Cornwall with her best friend. She falls in love with a local police detective and later discovers that he is a vampire, and that his identical twin brother is a werewolf. She is dragged into their complicated and dangerous lives, to her detriment, where secrets are told and lives are lost…

Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) is book 2 in the developing Redcliffe series. In the quiet Cornish seaside town of Redcliffe, Jessica Stone recovers from an horrific werewolf attack and comes to terms with revelations that her lover, Jack Mason, is a vampire, his brother, Danny, the werewolf pack leader, and her best friend, Simon, is a werewolf.  Add to that her discovery that she is a witch, and life is suddenly a whole lot harder than it used to be. Jessica has to fight for her own life and Jack’s when faced with his jealous vampire master who wants her old lover back. But things are never easy, and a vampire master is not so easy to defeat…

Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) – Life has changed forever in Redcliffe, Cornwall. Jessica Stone used to be a normal, happy human. Now she is an angry, conflicted and confused witch. It all happened when she met Detective Jack Mason and his identical twin brother Danny. Jessica almost died twice, fell into a love triangle, and she became a murderer. Now she faces the ultimate challenge as she continues the fight to save the man she loves, while simultaneously struggling with her lust for his werewolf brother and their vampire friend. Can she survive, or will love finally end her life completely?

The Darkness of Love – Lord Gregory Stockton is a powerful and respected businessman embracing the modern era of the Victorian industrial revolution. He has a grand and beautiful manor house complete with a repertoire of servants, and his young wife is charming, attractive, and the perfect lady to his gentleman. The only thing they lack is an heir to the family estate. Lord Gregory knows he can never produce a child, for he is a vampire, although his wife and servants know nothing of his secrets. There are other ways to provide heirs for his estate, however, and Lord Gregory has noticed the romantic attraction between his wife and the young stable hand Marcus Scott. He hatches a plan to bring the would-be lovers together, and then cruelly tear them apart as he continues to build his empire and secure his power base in the south of England. The humans are pawns in the vampire’s game of lust, love and control.

The Vampire of Blackpool – The vampire, the witch, and the hunter battle it out in a contemporary Gothic adventure in Northern England.

Meredith Hanson lives in Blackpool, the former Victorian holiday hotspot of Northern England. She masquerades as a reclusive author, feeding on the blood of unsuspecting tourists without remorse. Her life takes on new meaning when she meets a young witch in a local pub one evening. Despite Meredith’s cold demeanour, she finds herself oddly fascinated with Samantha Morris, and falls into an accidental relationship with the girl. It is at this time that a vampire hunter arrives in Blackpool. He is tough, he is determined, and his next target is an ancient vampire that has been spotted in the tourist town. He intends to bring her down and destroy her to save the lives of innocent humans.

Will he succeed? Or will the experienced vampire seductress be the cause of his undoing?

My Vampire Boyfriend: A Redcliffe Short Story Anthology – The pretty seaside town of Redcliffe in Cornwall is a popular location for holidaymakers during the summer season. It has good waves for surfing, good pubs for socialising, and a vibrant tourist industry. It is also home to a hidden werewolf pack, and several vampires and witches, who all live within human society, pretending to be just like the rest of us.

Bookshop owner Jessica Stone used to be one of those humans. Then she met Detective Jack Mason and his twin brother, Danny. They took her on a wild adventure that shows no sign of slowing down. Now she is deeply embedded with the vampires and werewolves, and learning the power of their lust, and a magnetic attraction that is just too hard to ignore. She is also learning about her own true heritage, and how to feed her desires and satisfy her powerful animal familiar that resides within.

This anthology contains adult themes, and scenes of a sexual nature.
20. Lightning round
Tea or Coffee? – Coffee
Cash or credit? – Cash
Cats or Dogs? – Dogs
Beach or Mountain? – Beach
Summer or Winter – Spring!
Sweet or Savoury – Sweet
Early riser or late riser? – Late riser
Morning or Night? – Night
Christmas Tree – real or fake? – Fake
Sex – Lights on or off? – Lights on!

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Please leave Facebook, Twitter, Website links so we can check you out further.

Author of British paranormal romance series The Redcliffe Novels, Catherine Green was raised on books from a young age, and has happy memories of Saturday mornings spent in her small local library, devouring the contents of the shelves. Catherine has always been fascinated by the supernatural world, and it feels natural for her to write about vampires, werewolves, witches and other mystical creatures in her contemporary stories.

If you sign up to Catherine’s newsletter, she will send you a free copy of her Redcliffe short story, It’s Complicated, to introduce you to her fictional supernatural seaside town in Cornwall, England.

 

More recently, Catherine released her contemporary English Gothic novel, The Vampire of Blackpool. These novels will show you the darker, sexier side of our favourite British seaside resorts!

 

You can find Catherine in the following places:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpookyMrsGreen

Author blog: http://www.catherinegreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter page: https://twitter.com/SpookyMrsGreen

The Pagan Housewife Blog: http://spookymrsgreen.com/

 

 

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

West Midlands Attending Author: Zak Jane Keir

 

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1. Can we start with your name and where you’re from?

My name is Zak Jane Keir, though I also write under Sallyanne Rogers. I’m from south London.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?

Yes, I am a total bookworm and always have been. I think the first writers who made me want to write were Ed McBain and Paul Breeze, though I also love Stephen King, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Jilly Cooper.

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?

In terms of published work, it’s nearly all erotica and erotic romance. I do dabble in horror and crime fiction occasionally, but I never seem to get those stories finished.

4. If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?

Ooh, that’s a tricky one. I mostly like (and almost believe in) other people’s characters the way they have been written. I suppose I’m not the only person who might have liked to make Anastasia Steele less of a vacant, soppy dipshit.

5. When did you first start writing?

When I was a kid. I was about 7 or 8 and I sat down one day and wrote a ‘book’ about murdered ballerinas who came back as ghosts. I was always thrilled when homework involved writing a story, as well.

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?

A bit of a mixture. Some books have started with a synopsis (usually when I planned from the start to submit them to a publisher whose policy was to request a chapter and synopsis), some others with a concept. Usually it’s an idea of who the main two or three characters are, and why they want to have sex with each other, and the reasons why they might have difficulty getting there.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)

I like Rosa in Black Heart: there’s a lot of me in her. Only she’s tougher and cooler than I am, and makes a better impression on people.

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a particular book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?

Quite a few, really. Lots of the BDSM stuff I write is based on things I have either done myself or watched other people do. Though the biggest one was a dream I had; an incredibly vivid dream about a woman being tied to a post and whipped, then fucked up the bum, and it also featured a dream version of a friend of mine. That turned into The Switch, which was my first published novel, in 1997. I won’t link to it as it’s out of print and also has not aged very well. The friend who featured in the dream got written into the book as a fairly thinly disguised version of himself, and he absolutely loved it. He told me once that it had helped him, er, win the affections of a woman he was chatting up when he explained that he had been featured in an erotic novel…

9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?

Yes. I have a few short stories planned out, at least approximately, and a novel I am working on intermittently but hope to finish later this year. Here’s a short extract, hopefully without any typos. I keep telling people it’s ‘the one about rope bondage and Brexit’ though that doesn’t quite sum it up.

 

Tanis, under the shower, water beating down on her face, her shoulders and her breasts, turned her thoughts determinedly back towards Hush. His profile identified him as male, but his avatar was as unrevealing as hers: he’d gone for a photograph of bundled ropes. It wasn’t just rope they discussed when they messaged each other privately, but rope was very frequently the topic of conversation. Tanis thought about rope and her hands made shapes in the air, under the streams of water. She traced lines around each wrist with the fingertips of the opposite hand.  A double column tie on your wrists, and you’d have to follow me wherever I led you… She turned the shower off, stepped out, grabbed a towel from the hook and flung it round herself, picked up the another and gave her hair a quick, vigorous rubbing. Glancing in the mirror as she combed her damp hair into shape, she noticed that her nipples had hardened. The flat wasn’t cold – Tanis had, over the past week or so, been allowing herself to put the heating on in the evenings as winter approached. She’d been accustomed to pay-as-you-go meters in previous flat shares and was still inclined to be cautious about how much energy she used, even though Shaz and Michael contributed to the electricity bill because of the amount they not only used to run some of the machinery but which they could also claim back as a business expense. Tonight, though, with a damp, chilly mist in the air and plummeting November temperatures, she’d given the radiators a good half hour session, so it was comfortably warm; warm enough to sleep naked, but her nipples were definitely erect. She finished drying herself and ran her palms over the taut, tingling buds. She felt a similar tingle from her clit, and grinned to herself. Maybe it was time to do something about that.

She took the time to clean her teeth and dab a bit of moisturizer onto her cheeks and forehead, quite enjoying this bout of procrastination. She thought of rope again; the way it could bite in or slide over the skin like a caress. She thought of Hush and the phrase he sometimes used: ‘the infliction of pleasure.’ It was definitely time for bed.

10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?

Read a lot, write a lot. Most of your first efforts will be crap, and that’s OK, because most of everyone’s first efforts are crap. Keep going. If you want to self-publish, pay for an edit if you can possibly afford it.

11. What do you do when you’re not writing?

Outside of paid work and family/household stuff, I am a Morris dancer, I like going to fetish clubs and rope groups, and I also run a book stall at events like Brighton Twisted Market.

12. What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?

Probably the marketing. I am fairly clueless and terrified of pissing everyone off by spamming them to death. Though the thing that drives me the most insane is trying to get Amazon reviews. People who ask for ARCs and then don’t bother to read them or write reviews, grrr!

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?

The people who think authors are all loaded – and the ones who think that women who write erotica are nice cosy housewives who ‘just have a vivid imagination’. Yes, some of them are, but there’s a whole range of attitudes and experiences.

14. What is your idea of happiness?

Financial security ie not worrying about the bills, everyone I care about being healthy and content, and new experiences to look forward to.

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.

I’d like to have a corner table, near the open fire, in a proper country pub with a lovely view out of the window – either a light sprinkling of snow on the fields, or blue skies and blossoming trees. Except I’d probably end up getting distracted by the beer, and the other customers, and not get much done. Where I actually write is in the room I call my office at home, which is a complete tip full of cold cups of tea and discarded newspapers.

16. What makes you laugh/cry?

I have a vulgar and childish sense of humour, so I generally laugh at fart jokes and bad language. Things that make me cry tend to be loss eg bereavement, worry and frustration.

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.

I wouldn’t care as long as one of them had a top-of-the-range mobile phone which still worked and could summon rescue.

18. What is your most annoying habit?

Probably my keyboard-warrior tendencies. I love a good ruck on the Internet, even if it’s about relatively unimportant things.

19. Please tell me about your books? For each one please send a pic (kindle cover would be perfect)

I have one novel out, Black Heart, which is a femdom pansexual romance. Otherwise I mostly have short stories included in anthologies: there are probably too many to list but here are a few of them.

Who Thrilled Cock Robin? – erotica inspired by folk songs

Inked – sex and tattoos

Silver Desire – women over 50 having sexy adventures

Goodbye Moderation: Lust – a brilliantly dark and twisted collection, but not for those who prefer erotic romance with happy endings

Sticky Fingers and Warm Leatherette – an anthology that is all my own work; mainly BDSM-themed.

  1. Lightning round
    Tea or Coffee? – Tea, with no milk.
    Cash or credit? – With my awful credit rating, it has to be cash
    Cats or Dogs? – Neither, thanks. I’m allergic to both.
    Beach or Mountain? – I like both equally
    Summer or Winter – Either, as long as the weather is seasonally appropriate.
    Sweet or Savoury – Savoury
    Early riser or late riser? I prefer to get up late but have to get up early for the school run.
    Morning or Night? – I’m a night person.
    Christmas Tree – real or fake? – Fake. Needles are a pain in the arse.
    Sex – Lights on or off? – On, but not too brightly. I want to see what – and who –  I’m doing.

    Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
    Please leave Facebook, Twitter, Website links so we can check you out further.

Facebook: Zak Jane Keir (or Sallyanne Rogers)

Twitter @decadentmadamez or @dswsallyanne

Website: www.dirtysexywords.com

Amazon author page https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zak-Jane-Keir/e/B00J8YMLKG/

 

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

West Midlands Attending Author: Laura Morgan

 

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1.Can we start with your name and where you’re from?

I’m Laura Morgan, originally from Essex but I now live in the West Midlands.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?

Oh absolutely. I love reading anything dark and powerful. I found there was a real gap in that market a few years ago and that was what inspired me to write my first dark novel. They say if you can’t read the book you’re trying to find, then you have to write it, and that’s exactly what I did!

I do have a few big influences though. JR Ward is one of my all time favourites, as is Pepper Winters and Colleen Hoover.

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?

I’m one who crosses over. I have a dark paranormal series, a contemporary romance duology and a crime novel coming out soon. I also write dystopian science fiction under another pen name too. I just write what comes to me, regardless of genre.

4. If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?

I’d have to say Rhage from the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I’ve always had a thing for the bad guy with a heart and he was the one character who stayed with me long after reading about him. I’d love to take him and make him my own. To pop him in my worlds and see what happens!

5. When did you first start writing?

I’ve always made up stories since being a child, but I only started properly writing them down around four years ago. I hadn’t even realised that coming up with stories in my head wasn’t what everyone did. I figured it was the norm to conjure up characters and storylines, but got the shock of my life when I realised that wasn’t quite the case. That realisation gave the push I needed to finally put pen to paper.

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?

Both really. I plan some, usually at night while I tell myself a story to fall asleep. Then the next day, I type up what I came up with and then some more.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)

My favourite character has to be Cate, the Dark Queen in my Black Rose series. She’s dealt some pretty bad cards in the first book and is pushed in directions she doesn’t want to be, but then she finds her strength and turns it all around. She becomes a force to be reckoned with and I absolutely love her for every moment of it.

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a particular book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?

Not really. There are a few real moments I have added along the way. Secret scenes only those who know me really well will spot, but most of all I will see a real-life scenario and ask ‘what if?’ That’s what makes it into the story rather than a real event as such.

9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?

I’m about to release a new story called Rough Love. This one is a modern day tale of both the good and bad in our world. A world where love can conquer all, but at the same time the monsters can also win a few of the battles along the way. It’s a contemporary crime with elements of romance, but fundamentally it’s a mystery and a dark one at that!

10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?

Don’t get too swallowed up in sweating the small stuff. Just sit down and write. Blurt out an initial draft and don’t give up. It’s better to have a rough draft you can work on a million times than nothing at all.

11.What do you do when you’re not writing?

I love to sing and am part of the Military Wives Choir, through which I’ve had some great opportunities to sing with famous artists and even go on the radio with the amazing Chris Evans. I’ve written poems and songs for them as well and hope to have even more input as time goes on. It’s something I hadn’t thought I’d love so much when I started out doing but now couldn’t live without!

12. What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?

The marketing. I’m too nice and don’t like to bombard people or shove my cards under anyone’s nose I find. I’m awkward like that, but I guess it comes with the territory or being a loner who sits in front of a computer for hours on end talking to imaginary people lol!

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?

Because I write romance, the amount of people who tell me random stories about their lovelife is unreal! But then they almost always follow up their story with a, ‘but don’t put that in your book!’ Really?! I think you fail to comprehend the complexity of the writers’ imagination if you think I’m going to put you in my next book 😉

14. What is your idea of happiness?

Being able to write and do what I love for the foreseeable future. I truly love what I do and would adore being able to write full time. My family are incredibly supportive and it’d also be amazing not to have to sacrifice my family time so much.

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.

I love to sit down in my nice and warm writing cave with my coffee brewed to perfection and perhaps a biscuit or two for dunking. Next, it’s on with the writing playlist and I choose whichever one ties in with my current piece of writing. With (ideally) no distractions, I then close my eyes, focus on the story, and begin to type. The words are then not simply black and white symbols on a page, but the narration of the movie playing out in my head. They flow perfectly and only stop when I say so…

16. What makes you laugh/cry?

I’m a sucker for love. I cry at the sweetest of stories and the heart-warming ones. Laughing wise, I’m like a twelve year old. A good fart joke or someone falling over will get me giggling every single time!

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.

I’ve got a serious fan-girl situation going on with a singer/writer called Corey Taylor so he’d be first on my list for shooting the breeze, singing together and having some fun (he also comes across as a hilarious guy.) After that, I’d have to go with some eye candy—the one and only Tom Hardy. He’s a great actor and has been the inspiration behind many of my leading men so he’d have to come along to keep on inspiring me 😉 Then, I’m thinking some more eye candy and my other inspiration, Henry Cavill. He seems so nice and gentlemanly, but also like he’d fun and perhaps let me ogle him while he’s swimming and hunting 😉

18. What is your most annoying habit?

I don’t think I have one really? My hubby might tell you differently though, but I do know I can be quite annoying with grinding my teeth at night. I sometimes wake myself up with the noise it’s that bad, oops!

19. Please tell me about your books? For each one please send a pic (kindle cover would be perfect)

I have quite an extensive collection now! The Black Rose series is my dark paranormal collection. They have angels and demons galore, and of course all the dark deeds you might expect given the setting. I cover controversial and taboo subjects, as well as the age-old concept of balance between the worlds of light and dark. I drag the reader kicking and screaming through both the good and bad in this and other worlds.

My contemporary romances Forever Lost and Forever Loved are set in the real world, but one just as dark in its own way. You have hookers and gangsters, but also the story of a young woman who’s overcoming her own history via their world. Plus, you have a hot alpha lead you cannot help but fall in love with haha!

With my science fiction, I wrote from another perspective. One of a futuristic society where the human race is no longer in charge of the earth. Following an alien invasion, the series begins with the story of a young woman who has been brought up under their reign, but she has a bright future ahead of her, if only she can overcome the obstacles in her path first.

  1. Lightning round
    Tea or Coffee? Both! Earl grey tea for me though, if you please
    Cash or credit? Cash
    Cats or Dogs? Dogs – I have a furry friend who sits by my feet as I type
    Beach or Mountain? Beach, but always in the shade otherwise I melt haha
    Summer or Winter? Winter
    Sweet or Savoury? Savoury – I’m a crisp monster
    Early riser or late riser? Late riser for sure!
    Morning or Night? Night
    Christmas Tree – real or fake? Fake
    Sex – Lights on or off? On!

    Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
    Please leave Facebook, Twitter, Website links so we can check you out further.

http://www.facebook.com/lauramorganauthor

https://www.facebook.com/LCMorgansauthor

www.lauramorgan.co

www.lcmorgan.co.uk

http://www.twitter.com/lauram241

http://www.goodreads.com/laura_morgan

https://www.goodreads.com/LC_Morgan

http://lauramorgan1.blogspot.com

https://instagram.com/lauramorganauthor/

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

West Midlands Book Signing Attending Author Interview: Lucy Felthouse

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1.Can we start with your name and where you’re from?

I’m Lucy Felthouse and I’m from Derbyshire.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?

Oh yes, reading has always been my first love. I used to whizz through all the books in the school library, and ones I’d been given by my older cousins. I particularly loved Enid Blyton. I don’t remember if any author or book in particular inspired me to write, but even as a child I was forever making up stories and scribbling them down in notebooks. I wish I could see those notebooks now!

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?

I write erotica and erotic romance, but find that these themselves encompass a lot of different genres—I write contemporary, paranormal, thrillers, etc…

4.If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?

Harry Potter, because then I would be filthy rich. Not to mention having written a completely awesome world populated with amazing characters.

5. When did you first start writing?

I genuinely can’t remember. Like I said, when I was a child I used to scribble in notebooks, making up stories and things. So probably ever since I could physically write!

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?

It depends. I’d never say I plan every inch of my books, but with some I do have a chapter by chapter plan, or a more general outline to ensure consistency and that I don’t lose my way, especially if the book is longer or more complex. But for short stories and some novellas I just tend to have an idea in mind and run with it and see what happens.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)

I think Alice from my first full-length novel, Stately Pleasures, is my favourite. Purely because it was my first full-length novel and therefore is my baby. And come on—she gets two smoking hot guys—what’s not to like?

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a particular book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?

Afraid not—my life really isn’t that interesting!

9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?

I’m currently working on my first erotic spy thriller! It’s been a genre I’ve wanted to explore for a while, so I’m glad I finally got around to it. The thing is, it’s kind of spinning out into a series…

Here’s a little snippet:

Mallory Scott spotted the people she was looking for as soon as she walked into the hotel bar. Hell, she hadn’t even needed to search, they were being so loud and obnoxious that they were practically screaming for attention.

Stupid, in Mallory’s opinion. If you’re going to run an international diamond scam, then surely you’d want to keep a low profile? But no, apparently these guys didn’t give a shit. Not only were they screaming for attention, and getting it, she noticed, as other patrons of the bar shot them the occasional glare, they were also projecting the fact that they were filthy rich. They were supping on the most expensive champagne money could buy and asking if they could have some oysters and caviar brought in. The overwhelming arrogance made her blood boil, but she consoled herself with the fact that by the time she was done with them, they’d be taken down by more than a peg or two—they’d be at rock bottom.

Heading for a table in a position where she could watch them, but remain partially hidden behind a pillar, she shook her head. She could hardly believe they’d kept their multi-million-pound enterprise going for so long. If they ran their operation as sloppily as their current behavior indicated they might, it was a miracle indeed.

Not that it mattered. They could be running the tightest ship ever known to man, and she would still find a way to take them down. It was what she did. For years now, she’d been successfully infiltrating illegal operations of varying kinds, then gradually dismantling them from the inside. Before the criminals realized what was happening, it was too late, their wrists were practically in the handcuffs, their asses on their way to jail.

10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?

Read lots in your chosen genre, learn to edit your own work, and if you’re signing contracts with publishers, read them thoroughly. It’s exciting when someone wants to buy your work, but not everyone is trustworthy.

11. What do you do when you’re not writing?

Read, of course! Play with my dog, spend time with my other half, go out walking in the countryside, visit stately homes and historical sites, go to the cinema, go travelling. I love exploring new places.

12. What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?

None of it, really. I’m an editor and a marketer/publicist as well as a writer, so it’s all my day job! I have to do the paid work first, though, having bills to pay and food to buy, so I do often wish I had more time to write.

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?

This isn’t anyone in particular, but I’ve found it a lot—people think that all writers earn a fortune. If only that were true! We have to work damn hard and for very little reward, and then some people complain about paying a couple of quid for an eBook when they spend more than that on a cup of coffee.

14. What is your idea of happiness?

That’s a very deep question, and I’m currently feeling pretty crappy with a cold and therefore woolly-headed, so I’m not even going to attempt it right now. LOL.

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.

See above question! But any setting that is quiet with no distractions is good for me!

16. What makes you laugh/cry?

My other half and my dog make me laugh. They’re both nuts.

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.

Bear Grylls—he’s both practical and kinda hot.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Hemsworth. I think I’ve got a reasonable variety of men there, so I won’t get bored…

18. What is your most annoying habit?

Just one? I’m sure I’ve got loads! Probably you should be asking my other half this… or maybe not 😉

19. Please tell me about your books? For each one please send a pic (kindle cover would be perfect)

I have tons of books, so I’ll stick with full-length books here, I think!

The Billionaire and the Wild Man

Flynn Gifford is enjoying a simple existence in a rural Derbyshire village when Caroline Rogers crashes into his life, barefoot and panicked.

Their lives could hardly be more different—she owns a successful luxury hotel chain, and he’s a penniless nomad who’s off the grid—yet neither can deny the attraction that burns between them. As Caroline reluctantly starts to open up to him, Flynn finds himself divulging some secrets of his own, secrets he thought he’d take to his grave.

But can a billionaire and a wild man ever make a relationship work, or will their secrets keep them apart?

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/the-billionaire-and-the-wild-man/

The Persecution of the Wolves

Werewolf brothers Matthew and Isaac have lived in the peaceful village of Eyam, Derbyshire all their lives. The villagers know what happens every full moon, and have their reasons for keeping quiet. But this secrecy comes at a cost—the brothers can’t risk romantic entanglements.

Then, at the full moon, a sheep is slaughtered on Eyam Moor, by what could only be a large animal. Even the brothers’ staunchest supporters begin to have their doubts about who—or what—could have done it.

As the brothers fight to clear their names, things are complicated by unexpected opportunities to indulge their lust. Isaac is intrigued by a handsome newcomer to the village, and a vivacious visitor is happy to offer Matthew her all.

Can the men prove their innocence, or is their centuries-old secret about to be revealed to the outside world, bringing their carefully-crafted existence crashing down around their ears?

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/the-persecution-of-the-wolves/

Grand Slam

California had seduced me with promises of a new life working at Los Carlos Tennis Academy. What I didn’t expect was the dark, brooding number one seed, Travis Connolly, resisting my help. He wasn’t interested in my psychology skills. Instead his attention was drawn to the edgy, sharper corners of my desires, proving that they existed, setting me challenges and driving me crazy to the point of combustion.

I’m the best tennis player in the world—officially—so why would I need a damn woman full of psychobabble to get me on form? Despite my irritation, however, I can’t resist pushing Marie Sherratt’s buttons even though doing that shows her the darkest shades of my lust, the parts of me I buried deep. So I set her a challenge, one she rises to, one that has me rising too, and before long my game relies on her calling the shots, hitting the target and bending to my will. One thing was certain, being not just master of the court, but also of Marie is seriously good for my soul.

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/grand-slam/

Eyes Wide Open

An ordinary girl catapulted into an extraordinary world meets two even more extraordinary men—but what will she do when she discovers their sexy secret?

Fiona Gillespie moved to London shortly after graduating to take advantage of the opportunities the capital could offer. However, months later, she’s still living in a horrid flat and working in a grimy East End pub. The problem is, she doesn’t really know what she wants to do, career-wise. So when she happens upon an advertisement for a job at a plush Mayfair hotel, she jumps at the chance. A great deal of determination and a spot of luck land Fiona her dream role.

But working at the Totally Five Star London is just the beginning. She adores the role and flourishes, impressing her bosses and making her increasingly determined to climb the career ladder.

While her career is flying, though, her love life is non-existent. She hasn’t even thought about men, never mind met or dated one for months, so when she bumps into two gorgeous businessmen in the hotel, she’s surprised to find her head has been well and truly turned. Even more surprisingly, they flirt with her—both of them! She’s drawn to James and Logan, despite feeling that they’re way out of her league.

When a misunderstanding leads Fiona to James and Logan’s sumptuous top-floor suite, she has no idea what she’s about to uncover. Scenes of people-trafficking, drug-pushing and wild sex parties all appear in her active imagination. Yet what she actually sees is something she’d never even considered before, something that piques her interest.

After discovering their sexy secret, what will she do with this new-found knowledge?

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of anal play, spanking, sex toys and bondage.

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/eyes-wide-open-totally-five-star-london/

Stately Pleasures

Is it possible to have it all?

Alice Brown has just landed her dream job as property manager at Davenport Manor, a British stately home. It’s only a nine-month contract to cover maternity leave, but it’s the boost up the career ladder she needs.

On her first day, Alice finds her boss, Jeremy Davenport, in a compromising position. Jeremy and his best friend Ethan Hayes, Head of Security at Davenport Manor, turn the situation around and give her an ultimatum. Faced with the possibility of losing her job, Alice agrees to their indecent proposal.

When the dust settles and Alice has time to think, she realises perhaps it isn’t such a bad thing after all. But what happens when Alice thinks she’s falling for both men?

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/stately-pleasures

 

20. Lightning round


Tea or Coffee? tea
Cash or credit? cash
Cats or Dogs? dogs
Beach or Mountain? mountain
Summer or Winter? summer
Sweet or Savoury? sweet
Early riser or late riser? neither
Morning or Night? Afternoon!
Christmas Tree – real or fake? fake
Sex – Lights on or off? Depends who it’s with!

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Please leave Facebook, Twitter, Website links so we can check you out further.

http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/lucyfelthousewriter

http://www.twitter.com/cw1985

http://www.pinterest.com/cw1985

http://www.goodreads.com/cw1985

http://eepurl.com/gMQb9 (newsletter signup)

 

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

West Midlands Attending Author Interview: Audrina Lane

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  1. Can we start with your name and where you’re from?

My name is Audrina Lane and I’m from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?

Absolutely, I’ve been a voracious reader since as early age, devouring classics like Little Women and Gone with the Wind. I guess my main inspiration is Stephen King, because he writes such brilliant characters. I also enjoy Jilly Cooper and Anita Shreve.

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?

I write contemporary love stories but with an erotic twist. However I have plans for branching into the paranormal genre in the future and have been enjoying writing short stories with a horror/supernatural edge to them. Still love though!!

4. If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?

It would have to be Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind, because she is such a complex and feisty female throughout the novel. In many ways I want to shout at her and give her a good shake and in other ways I completely admire her ambition.

5. When did you first start writing?

I started writing short stories for my sisters when I was a teenager. I then wrote my first full length novel in 1992, aged 19. However it languished in a loft until 2013 when I re-worked the idea into my first book.

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?

I’m afraid I just let the words flow although I generally have a rough outline of the story in my head. However this often changes as my characters evolve and shape the story.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)

It has to be Stephanie from my Heart Trilogy series and my first character. She is kind of based on me and many of my hopes and fears so she’s kind of like my twin sister.

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a particular book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?

The first book in The Heart Trilogy is very much based on my first love affair and trying to make sense of why something so perfect, ended! My favourite scene in the book is Stephanie’s first kiss with James and this was taken from the memory of my first kiss, strangely enough in the same location, with a lifeguard called James!!

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9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?

I’m currently working on the 2nd part of my two part series called Bloodstained Heart. Part 2 – Revenge. This is the story of Felicity, the evil bitch who causes havoc and destruction in the Heart Trilogy series. 

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I’m also working on collaboration with another author called Rita Ames called 24 Hours to Love. It’s a love story written by the two main characters. I write as Jackson, the alpha male racing car driver and Rita is writing as Lola the pit board model that he falls in love with during the Le Mans 24 Hour motor race. (See teaser attached)

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10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?

Just do it, don’t worry about it or put it off. I wish I’d started writing years ago as I feel I have so many stories to tell and not enough time to tell them in!!

11. What do you do when you’re not writing?

I work full-time for Herefordshire Library Service, delivering the service to schools, nursing homes and the elderly within Herefordshire. It can be frustrating being surrounded by books when all I really want to be doing is writing. My writing happens in every other available space and time during evenings, weekends, and lunch hours! I also enjoy walking my dogs, listening to music and dancing.

12. What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?

I think it’s the editing and trying to be more concise and precise with my writing. Luckily I have a great editor and a friend who is really good at spotting spelling and grammar mistakes for me.

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?

My other half when I’m sat on the sofa with my iPad open and he asks “Are you busy?” Apparently this does not look busy to him so always have to make sure that all the relevant chores are complete before I do sit down.

14. What is your idea of happiness?

Having the time to write more!!

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.

I can feel the soft, warm breeze drifting up from the ocean that is directly in front of me. My sun lounger is positioned to shade me as I sip on my cold gin and tonic and let my characters frolic in their story.

16. What makes you laugh/cry?

My dogs playing together or fighting over a chew or toy makes me laugh. As for crying I’ve done a fair bit recently and generally because certain songs come on the radio and remind me of the past.

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.

Mmh, good question! I would take George Michael for his singing and song writing. I’m sure we would be able to shoot the breeze and have a great friendship. Scott Eastwood, because he is so hot and can swim so we’d have some fun together in the waves! Finally my best friend Miriam, because a girl always needs a gossip!

18. What is your most annoying habit?

Biting the skin around my fingers, it’s a nervous habit that I do when I’m stressed or upset.

19. Please tell me about your books? For each one please send a pic (kindle cover would be perfect)

The Heart Trilogy

Where did your Heart go? – The first book in the series. It’s a story about Stephanie and her daughter Charlotte set in my home town of Ross-on-Wye. When Charlotte’s first relationship comes to an end her Mum gives her the diary from 1988 which is the story of her own first love affair. A great look at first love in the 80’s juxtaposed against first love today, and the possibility of second chances.

Unbreak my Heart – The Second book in the series. It sees Stephanie reunited with her first love James, whilst Charlotte is happy in her relationship with Mitchell. But the evil ex-wife Felicity is on the scene and causing chaos and dancing ambitions may pull Charlotte and Mitchell apart.

Closer to the Heart – The final book in the series finds both couples struggling with their relationships with family deaths and Felicity’s destructive nature. But will it all end happily – I’m afraid I can’t say as it would spoil things!

All the trilogy books are filled with references to fantastic music from the 80’s through to now.

Bloodstained Heart. Part 1 – Passion

The first in a two part series (I’m currently writing the 2nd) this is a dark, erotic romance that tells the life of Felicity (from the Heart Trilogy). The first part starts as she approaches 18 years old in 1978 and then continues and gives a different perspective on the events from all of the Heart Trilogy series. It also gives a more in depth look at some of the other characters from the series.


20. Lightning round

Tea or Coffee? Coffee
Cash or credit? Cash
Cats or Dogs? Dogs
Beach or Mountain? Beach
Summer or Winter Summer
Sweet or Savoury Savoury
Early riser or late riser? Early
Morning or Night? Morning
Christmas Tree – real or fake? Fake
Sex – Lights on or off? Dimmed

 

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