The F word

No, not that one. The one all writers have to deal with. Fear.

Today, I took my dog for a walk, the neurotic pooch, and someone was cutting down a tree. She stopped on the side of the road, shaking. I wound up just turning around so she wouldn't have to walk by the evil man and his saw.

Unfortunately, as people, we don't often have the option to just turn around. Not if we want to go forward.

Sometimes you just don't want to give into the fear. I'm working on a story that scares me to death for various reasons. Yes, I could turn around. Work on something "safer." But I don't want to. I want to polevault over this fear and land on my feet. We will see if that happens.

There's a lot of fear in writing. Submitting. Reviews. Critiques. We fear success. We fear failure. And yet, we keep on moving forward, despite our feelings.

So what's made you use the F-word lately? And how did you overcome it?

Mechele aka Lany of Melany Logen
www.mechelearmstrong.com
www.melanylogen.com

PS I know I'm late. My reminder didn't go off *sigh*.

Flash Fiction

Today's word:

Desperate

Satyr's Myst, available today!

Today my fifth release with Satyr's Myst is available. I'm jumping up and down in excitement, especially since I can't stop staring at the sexy cover. My latest contemporary, and I hope you enjoy it, concerns a strong-willed female and two men confused about love and each other. The passion is scorching, the love extreme, and the surroundings a paradise. Read the blurb below, and if you'd like to read more, click the excerpt link at the end.

Lilah Tanner thought she'd finagled time on a private island for her own purposes -- to take a break from her dull, complacent life. She's a hard worker, a physical therapist, with a successful career but an unhappy love life. Not sure if it's due to her plain features or take-charge personality, she nevertheless wants more out of life than she has. So she does her cousin a favor and agrees to keep some rich playboy out of trouble on a tropical island. How hard can that be?

The danger around Rick Hastings is far more than she bargained for.

There's a stalker her cousin failed to mention, the threat of real harm from a hidden, outside source. But more than that, Lilah's bombarded with the reality of Rick Hastings and Trevor Reaper, two men too sexual for her own good. Because it isn't long before Lilah is tempted, seduced, and in love. And it will take all her courage to face her own insecurities and help Trevor and Rick face theirs in order to keep the men who've won her heart.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, bondage (mild), domination/submission, homoerotic sex m/m, ménage (m/f/m with homoerotic content).

To read an excerpt, click here.

Have a great Tuesday! Marie

Samurai Captive

...many women went into the trade as indentured-sold by family, agents, kidnappers...

~Donald Richie from his foreword to The Nightless City-History of the Yoshiwara Yukwaku by J.E. deBecker, IGC Muse, Inc. 2000

In its time the Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarter was a fortified city-within-a-city in what is present day Tokyo. Though built and regulated by the shogunate it was the only place in Japanese society where all social classes could freely intermingle and enjoy what the district had to offer in adult entertainment.

While most of the women living and working there came to prostitution via force or coercion their lifestyle would become the inspiration for polite society's hot trends, much like today's celebrities and fashion icons. The woodblock artists of the time were like modern day paparazzi selling prints of the most popular prostitutes and actors of the day.

The first class houses employed the top tier Oiran who commanded high fees, wore the finest silks and paraded through the streets with grand entourages as seen in the film Sakuran, to the lower priced girls displayed in street level windows of their brothels as portrayed in one of my favorite films The Sea is Watching.

Hannah Connolly, the heroine of Samurai Captive, (my first solo work from Loose ID) finds herself not only an the unwilling resident of one such low end brothel but also the Yoshiwara's star attraction-the mysterious and exotic western woman who survived the fatal attack on British businessman C.L. Richardson and his traveling companions near Yokohama in the autumn of 1862.

Far from being a shrinking violet type Hannah has certainly become one of my favorite characters with her no-.nonsense way of looking that things. I'd probably have been scared spitless to find myself in her predicament, but Hannah's reaction to being gawked at from beyond the red slatted window was that if the men of Edo who came to peep wanted a "show" she'd give them one.

While the majority of Hannah's "audience" was too timid to do more than stare, samurai Sanada Katsuhiro was a man accustomed to taking what he wanted, when he wanted it.

What he wanted was the white woman with the spirit of a tigress.

And that didn't set too well with his lifelong friend and sometime lover Masato who wasn't about to let some foreigner-some woman, take his place in Katsu's life.

Please stop by my website to read an excerpt.

I'd love to hear what you think of Hannah's story.

~Barbara Sheridan

If you'd like to see some photos of the Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters check out this page

Hot Topic - Forced Fantasies

Today's Topic:

Forced Fantasies

Forced fantasy, ravishment fantasies, even the old boss/secretary genre trope so popular in earlier category romances - what's hot and what's not? Is it anti feminism? Is it a way for women to deal with 'sex-guilt'. Is it an out dated / dying theme in our current society? Do men have ravishment fantasies -- although I guess they would fall into the femdom category? Do you see ravishment/forced/kidnap fantasies as part of the BDSM genre in romance or something separate? Does it float your boat, or is it all just verging on too close to rape for you?

Author Interview : Mya

Author Name: Mya

Year started writing for LI: 2007

Titles:

Obedience Training
A Spring Tradition
Rushing Towards Perfection
An Unnatural Worth

Web Page: http://www.myaserotica.com

What genre do you write in, and why? : My preferred genre is Paranormal Romance. I have always enjoyed tales of monsters, not necessarily vampires, but of fantastic beasts like werewolves, gargoyles, dragons, golems etc. I was raised on Godzilla and the Kraken and Medusa. In my teens I saw Clive Barker’s ‘Nightbreed,’ which contains a hoard of various monsters. It has been my main inspiration and spurs me to imagine the social and romantic lives of creatures that outside of normalcy.

How much time do you spend writing every week? : Two hours a day during the work week and about ten during the weekend, for a grand (paltry) total of 20 hours a week…

What was the first story you ever wrote about? (not nec. first published story) :
I made a book in elementary school about a dragon. I made a cover for it and drew the illustrations and everything.

How do you judge the effectiveness of the sensual scenes in your stories? : If I read it and feel warm, then it’s good.

Ever been told, Um...sweetie, that's not how it works? : Many times, but its mainly due to me rushing to get a scene done, because I really do know how it works…

What one word best describes your toy collection? : Meager, my video collection however....

Where did your most unusual plot idea come from? : A can of Sheba cat food. It looks so good (especially the shredded tuna and mussels) that I got an idea for a story about what werecats would eat. They would probably love that stuff, I figured because it sure looked gourmet and my cat loves it.

What inspires you to write? : I have a vivid imagination, but a poor memory so I like to record the wild stories that swirl about in my head.

What music inspires your writing? : Film scores, namely majestic symphonies revolving around warriors. My favorites to write by are the Braveheart soundtrack, all three of the soundtracks from the Lord of the Rings, the Gladiator soundtrack and more recently the soundtrack from ‘300.’

Plotter or a Panster? : I am definitely not a plotter. I am wholly dependent upon the muse for one, and if she isn’t around, I get very little writing done.

Does your cat insist on sitting on your keyboard like mine does? : It’s interesting that this is a cat question because as a writer it does make sense to get the pet that would allow a writer to spend more time writing. However, I do have a cat and yeah, she would like nothing more than to sit on the keyboard. I’m convinced too that while I’m at work, she chews on my modem cord. Maybe a dog wouldn’t be so bad, but…alas I adore the evoyl furball.

Most challenging place you've ever written a spicy scene? : At the family vacation house, with family, in the living room, on a laptop….we were all watching the Bourne Supremacy….it was odd.

When you get stuck, how do you find your way back to the writing? : I am a recovering gamer, and now that I know how to save and quit, I am able to take a break until the muse returns. If that doesn’t work, I’ll watch a horror movie.


Any outrageous liaisons in your past? Tons. But none that I would admit to while sober, in a church or in any other public places.

Where's the most unusual place you ever managed to have sex? : On the roof of a night club.

What was the most romantic meal you've eaten? : I don’t know a romantic meal but I know that the most orgasmic experience I’ve ever had is with Indian food. I like to eat with my fingers and the spices are so potent, the meat so succulent and the yogurt lassis are dreamy on top of it all.

What kind of books do you read for fun? : Although I don’t write it, I am crazy about pulp science fiction books and horror. I just read Stephen King’s ‘The Mist’ and Michael (I’m obsessed with ape-human hybrids) Crichton’s “Next.” I’m planning on reading the Alien vs. Predator novel series soon.

Is your real life anything like your stories? What about your fantasies? : It used to be when I was in the goth-techno-industrial scene, but since I haven’t been clubbing in a while it’s a little dull. As I was raised on a farm, I guess some of that can be reflected in some of my rural, working-class writing.

If you were to make a bumper sticker for your car that had to relate to erotic romance, what would it say? : SEX: If it ain’t paranormal, then it’s normal…

Soulmates? Do you believe? : I believe in alliances, the combination of strengths and the provision of a united front that may or may not involve intimacy… so, not really

Sex with anyone famous? : ROTFLMAO, I’ve never even met anyone famous.

Cake or Pie? Coke or Pepsi? Tea or Coffee? : The three C’s: Cake, Coke and Coffee

YEEEEEEOUCH! – Writing Hurt Comfort

Hi, I’m Josh Lanyon, and I write M/M fiction -- usually within the framework of a mystery or romantic-suspense. I’ve been with Loose Id for about a year, although I’ve been writing gay or M/M fiction for nearly a decade. I thought for my first post I’d share a brief excerpt from the project I’m currently editing. It’s a book about writing M/M fiction called Man, Oh Man: Writing M/M Fiction for Kinks and Ca$h due out at the end of this month.

This is from a chapter on writing one of the strongest elements of M/M fiction: Hurt/comfort. Hurt/comfort or HC is not unique to M/M fiction. It’s similar to the classic heterosexual romance dynamic where the powerful hero becomes weak and injured, requiring the nurturing attention of the spunky heroine, thereby resulting in a temporary shift of the power dynamic, and allowing the heroine insight into some aspect of the hero’s character previously unknown to her.

When that set-up is moved to original M/M fiction, there are key differences from heterosexual romance. Often as not, it isn’t the alpha male brought to his knees by illness, injury or trauma; it’s the beta male. So no particular shift in power dynamics takes place unless it’s seeing the tough alpha male having to assume the caretaker role. And perhaps that is part of the attraction. An alpha having to comfort and cuddle his vulnerable male companion is, in theory, an alpha showing a side not often seen.

The male psyche being what it is, the situation must be pretty damn unusual and the level of damage inflicted has to be extreme for one male to passively accept being coddled by another — or for the other male to feel comfortable taking on the role of nurturer. In short, we’re seeing characters behaving out-of-character but in believable circumstances.

For this to be effective, the writer has to make sure that both characters have been portrayed as strong, independent, and healthy (emotionally, mentally, and physically) previous to the illness, injury or trauma. It’s the contrast between their usual tough and resilient selves and their new — temporary — roles as hurting and comforting that appeal to most readers.

“Jesus, Sean.” He pulled me close, holding me against him like he wanted to smother the words spilling out. “Stop it. Sweetheart. Stop. You’re making yourself sick.”

He kept murmuring words I couldn’t comprehend, but I understood that he was petting me, quieting me, and after a while I stopped ranting, stopped trembling, finally managing to slow those panicked shallow breaths that were making me lightheaded.

We moved over to the sofa. He left me for a moment or two. I scrubbed my face, wiping away tears I didn’t remember crying. I rested my head in my hands and tried to think. Nothing made sense.
Dan sat down beside me. Set a glass of water on the table. He held a small brown vial that I recognized from my bathroom cabinet. I watched him shake two tablets into his palm.

“I don’t want those.”

“I know. But you need them.”

I gave him a hostile look. Anything I said now would be put down to my irrational state of mind. I held out my hand. He dropped the pills in my palm, I popped them in my mouth, took the glass of water he handed over. I washed the pills down, handed him back the glass, stretched out on the sofa and closed my eyes.

Dan brushed my hair from my forehead. I kept my eyes closed, rejecting that light, tender touch.

“Just relax.”

Yeah. Right.

“Everything will be okay, I promise you.”

I swallowed. Didn’t answer. Kept my eyes closed. He kept stroking my hair. I didn’t want him to. I didn’t want to be comforted by him. I didn’t like the fact that his touch seemed to find a way through my defenses, that he seemed to be able to converse with me through his fingertips and my nerve endings.

The Dark Horse by Josh Lanyon (Loose Id, 2007)

Hurt/comfort offers the opportunity to show the character rising above adversity. Character growth. It’s a good thing.

And on the opposite side of the padded cell, we have the brusque, authoritative, sexy-as- hell partner ready to do whatever it takes to get his lover back on his feet: putting his own needs a distant second, showing a tenderness and attentiveness he didn’t even know he was capable of. Whatever it takes. Nothing is too good for the man he just discovered he loves.

And, yes, that’s another of the most useful aspects of hurt/comfort: it often serves as catalyst to one character’s recognition of his true feelings for the other. There’s nothing like a near-brush with death — yours or a loved one’s — to put everything into focus.

Even if the characters were previously attracted or in love, they will bond still more deeply through hurt/comfort.

Try to devise a sequence that leaves the characters no option but to care and take it. Give the characters quality time alone together to show one in pain, and one concerned and caring. That’s basically what it’s all about.

On contracts and research

I just signed my ninth contract with Loose Id, this one for a book titled Amethyst Eyes. It's a departure from my Tygers series, and from the world of BDSM all together. This one is paranormal, and deals with sexy, good witches who are assigned to protect magical stones and destroy evil.

I came up with this idea last year at Romantic Times, when I was waiting between the different seminars. I wrote it down, revisited it later, put it away, and then revisited it again. In the process of revisiting I had to do some research. Lucky for my my best friend is a research librarian. She didn't bat an eye when I said, "I need some books on witchcraft and demons."

Her answer? "You want historical information, fictional books or book son practical use of witchcraft and everyday demons?"

Me: "Yeah. That's right, all of it."

Her: "I'm on it."

Of course when I took the books to the circulation desk to check them out, the teen-age clerk gave me the once over, and then clamped her mouth shut. Part of me wanted to ask if she was afraid of me, or wanted to give me advice.

The thrill of research is one of the reasons I love writing so much. Learning new things and then putting those tidbits of information into my characters' lives is fascinating, and so much fun. Of course, one thing I've learned during the course of researching this new book. You have to be careful when you are reading about demons.

It's not exactly reading that makes you relax and ready to go to sleep. It's middle of the day, blinds up and sun out reading that will still send chills up your spine. I hope I conveyed that feeling into my new book, which was a great deal of fun to write. I'm working on a second on in the series, but in the meantime, I'm also going to revisit the world of Tygers, which continued on Tuesday with the release of Sweet Awakening. Or have I already mentioned that?

Happy reading!
Mel

Flash Fiction

Today's word:

Generous

Building on an idea

Sometimes little ideas build into big things. That's how the book Sweet Vibrations turned into a series called Tygers, which continues today with the release of Tygers 4: Sweet Awakening.

The Tygers world is set in Albuquerque, N.M., one of my favorite cities. Specifically, it centers around Tygers, a BDSM club. Sweet Awakening introduces a new aspect of the series, a private detective organization run by Diego Fuentes and his two partners, Walker Bryant and Orlando Gutierrez.

Sweet Awakening is a BDSM, m/f/m menage featuring Harper Sampson, and the search for her sister, Helena Tisdale. Harper seeks help from Walker, and his friend and fellow Dominant, Oscar Ruiz. Together, the three of them travel to Paragon's, a BDSM resort in the Caribbean where they search for Helena, and Harper finds out things about herself, too.

I'm gratified that one story idea has now turned into four, and that readers have enjoyed the world that I created. Each story seems to expand, and to bring in new characters that only provide my muse with more ideas.

If you enjoy the world of BDSM, and haven't tried the Tygers series, each book is a stand-alone, but in order they are Sweet Vibrations, Sweet Perfection, Sweet Silence, and now Sweet Awakening. We'll just have to see where my "sweet" muse takes me after this.

Happy reading!
Mel

Hot Topic -Blow Jobs, Big Dicks and Aching Jaws

Blow Jobs, Big Dicks and Aching Jaws

I think today's hot topic might say it all really.

Although it does lead into the inevitable discussion of the 8"+ penis that seems to frequent women's*ahem*literature. (Seriously, have you ever laid on on a 12"cock? I did a study here and here. Okay, this was a plastic fantastic version, but you get the idea).

Opinions?

Space and Dragons Oh My

I write Science Fiction for the sheer joy of being able to explore new ideas. I love combining the genres of Science Fiction Fantasy and Romance into unique and exciting story ideas. I want it all. I want action adventure and the ability to boldly go where no one has gone before, including the bedroom.

My first novel with Loose Id, ON THE EDGE OF TIME,

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=102 features bloodthirsty wyrmdragons that inhabit the twists and turns of wyrmhole space. Shapeshifting symbiotes partner with human warriors to fight the wyrmdragons. In return, the symbiotes are able to bond with the humans and leave wrymhole space as living snake tattoos on their host partners’ bodies.

Boris Vallejo’s Erotic SF painting http://vallejo.ural.net/1981/show.php?017
Tattoo inspired me to create ON THE EDGE OF TIME. For my book, the living symbiote tattoos are small serpents when they came into normal space. Only in wyrmhole space or Virtual Reality can they manifest in their reptilian humanoid shapes.

When the symbiotes reproduce, they deposit their egg in the male host partner’s body. Needless to say, when Cord, the hero in ON THE EDGE OF TIME learns he’s pregnant, he reacts with horror and dismay. Here’s a short excerpt showing that moment in Virtual Reality.

This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t real. A molten sun blazed down upon Cord. Onyx stood eye-to-eye to him. His black-scaled skin glittered with prismatic highlights of red and gold. He repeated his astonishing statements. “You’re the pregnant one. My daughter is inside you.”

“No!”

“Yes.”

“No!” Cord pushed Onyx away and staggered five steps before sinking to the sand on his knees. He couldn’t be pregnant. It was impossible. He was a man, not a woman. How the hell could this be happening to him? His mind went totally blank. He felt like throwing up.

Onyx knelt and placed his hands on Cord’s shoulders. His voice was fierce and raspy. The tips of his claws pressed against Cord’s skin. “We need to find Helga and Silk. Our women must be inside the wyrmhole with us. They will protect us from the wyrmdragons when our daughter is born. Then we must protect them while she bonds with her mothers.”

Cord knew Onyx wasn’t lying. He felt the truth in his serpent brother’s touch. “How did this happen? How the hell did I get pregnant?”

Onyx stared at him with a very puzzled expression on his face. Finally he spoke as if he were speaking to a child. “It happened in the usual way when we made love to our women during the time we were together. My seed fertilized Silk’s egg the first night. The next night when you and Helga slept, I went into Helga’s body and stayed with Silk while she laid the fertilized egg.”

An expression of sheer wonder softened Onyx’s scaled features. Tears glittered at the corners of his eyes. “Our daughter’s egg is very beautiful. Delicate red and blue stripes vein her translucent shell. I assured Silk that you were a proper host, strong and healthy and in the prime of your life. She was worried. She wanted to make sure everything was all right so when I picked up our daughter’s egg in my mouth and went to you, Silk came with me. She helped me plant the egg in the best location for continued nourishment and growth inside you.”

Images from an ancient horror vid flashed in front of Cord’s eyes. Images of a scaled monster ripping apart and exploding out from a man’s belly. Images of blood and guts spraying in every direction while the man howled with pain, his body bowed and the tendons in his throat ruptured from his screams.

He turned to Onyx and grabbed his arms. “What the hell is going to happen to me? Am I going to lay this egg? Will my stomach explode?”

Onyx tightened his grip on Cord’s arms. Serious concern stilled Onyx’s face. “If you do not return to the wyrmhole at the proper time, then yes, your stomach will explode. You will die and so will our daughter.”

Cord pushed Onyx away and drew his sword. “And what happens in the wyrmhole when my stomach explodes? Will I die while your daughter lives?”

Onyx shook his head. “No. It’s not what you think. I won’t let it happen that way. In the wyrmhole, I will be able to help you. Your stomach won’t rupture. You won’t die and neither will our daughter.”

Cord sagged back onto his heels. “How? How will you help me?”


Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share the background of my Erotic SF novel ON THE EDGE OF TIME. http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=102


Barbara Karmazin selkiewife@verizon.net
www.sff.net/people/selkiewife
www.myspace.com/barbarakarmazin
groups.yahoo.com/group/TheSensuousAlien/

Author Interview : Jet Mykles

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Blue Pill or the Red Pill?

OK, might be a strange subject for an erotic romance author to ask, but, hey, I tend to write fantasy so it fits.

Here's the scenario. You're taken to a place and told that the world as you know it, isn't. The weird stuff that you've seen happen on occasion? The lights in the sky, the animals that seem to know what you're talking about, the prickling on the back of your neck like someone's watching you, your crazy uncle Joe who just spouts the craziest shit? It's all real! And the people who've brought you here can give you the secrets and let you know what's really up. Your choice, man: take the blue pill to find out or take the red pill, forget this ever happened, and go your merry, ignorant way.

Yes, yes, yes. Matrix fans out there will recognize the scene. But it's been used in other stories as well using differnt props. Many urban fantasy stories use some kind of similar device to bring the hero(ine) and the reader into the strange new world at the same time. Alice in Wonderland is just one of many.

So, fine. Which would you pick? Do you want to live in a world where the crazy shit is real and there's a conspiracy of mind control going on? Do you really want to live a paranoid life as one of those who see the awful stuff and need to keep on the run to be "safe"? Or would you be like the guy with the steak in The Matrix who's seen what's real and would like to go back to ignorance, thank you very much?

Me? I don't know. Truthfully. I like my fantasy and having it in reality might just tarnish it. Of course, I think it would depend on the reality. If you're going to show me a world of shapeshifters and vampires... well... do I get a sexy savior who's going to watch over me and use my body sexually as "payment"? Ok, I might go for that one. Are you going to show me a sterile world of gray-skinned aliens who don't understand the concept of a sense of humor and all reproduction is done through pods? Uh, maybe not. That sounds way too clinical for me. I prefer my alternate realities to be more... let's say "earthy". And there had better be sex damn it! And it had better feel good, at least most of the time!

So says the erotic romance author (ha, I brought it back to topic **g**)

All right, so how about it? Which pill would you take?

Flash Fiction

Today's word:

Roped

New Tuesday: Have Mercy

Congratulations to my fellow authors having releases this week. I see a couple books (okay...all of them) that are going on my buy list. Did you know Loose Id also has a wish list feature? It's great. See a book you want, put it on the wish list to buy at your leisure. I love it!

Anyway, I have a new release this week as well -- a short but scorching hot story called HAVE MERCY.



Here's a little bit about it:

Past relationship disasters have made Mercedes Suazo damned scared to date. This time she's playing for keeps. She's playing for Ike Campbell, and he's going to know upfront she plays hard.

Have mercy? Ike intends to do just that...over and over again.

And Mercy will have him right back. Because this lady gives as good as she gets.

Excerpt at: www.caitlynwillows.com/excerptHaveMercy.htm
Purchase link at: http://www.loose-id.com/detail.aspx?ID=655

Have Mercy was born after a call for submissions from Loose Id last fall. They were looking for stories which contained certain elements for their holiday Festival of Lights releases. In less time than it took to read the email, Have Mercy came to life. And though it wasn't accepted for the Festival of Lights, Loose Id liked the concept so much, they asked for it to be a Valentine's Day story. It was a fun, fast-paced story to write. And, yes, all the elements requested are in there: bdsm, menage, multicultural, m/m. In fact, the menage is m/f/m/m.

The challenge with the story was showing the love and emotion between the couple while introducing those other elements. Mercy and Ike have been absorbed with work since the day they met. Now that the crunch period is over, each decides it's time to make a move. Once they take that step, nothing stands in their way. Not even a crowded dance floor. They are a great match for each other intellectually and physically. And did I say "scorching hot"? :)

Caitlyn Willows

New Tuesday: Par 3

Congratulations to the three other authors releasing new work this week!

My new release today is from the Husbands and Wives Series - Husbands and Wives & Lovers: Par 3. Instead of a blurb, here's the link for the book page for you to read all about it.

The Husbands and Wives series was an idea I'd been tossing around for a while before pitching it to Loose Id. I'd convinced my Critique partners Amanda Young and Michelle Cary to jump on board so we could have a trio of stories. Between the three of us we write mainly in the contemporary setting, but Amanda tends to write m/m, Michelle is a little more on the sweet and suspenseful side, and me - well you know me, the lady who likes men who like women who like men who like men. Confused? lol! Anyway, Treva thought the concept had merit - after all there aren't many erotic romance stories that start after the HEA, and you've had a few years to figure out everything's not all roses and chocolates. So we wrote!

Those of you that have read any of my back list know that Tea for Three was set back in my home country of New Zealand. I did the same for this story, too. Why? Well, I'm not quite sure there is one exact reason, but a melange.

One is that since I wanted to tackle the situation of a firmly established couple treading on thin ground in their relationship, there was going to be a lot of emotion, not background. What better way to feel at ease with the surroundings when I would need to than by using a setting I'd grown up in. Especially since one of the other reasons I'd set the story in NZ was that I was using a golfing theme/metaphor throughout. Being able to call on the times as a young teen when I'd gone out golfing with my Dad (aka I got to piss and moan my way around the course because I was only allowed to wheel the bag - oh and get attacked by Magpies #$%^&**!!) made it much easier to channel just how those golf games would go.

Do I golf? Not so much, although I don't think I'd be that bad at it -- I think the Magpie incident scarred me for life, and damn it they have gators and snakes on the courses here in Florida people! No way, Jose!

Then of course there is plain selfish reason - I don't have to alter my vocabulary in large ways, and get to use all sorts of Kiwi'isms just to confuse you all. Seriously, you'd be surprised how much English differs, from well... English!

You can find out more about my back list here, buy Par 3 here, and read an excerpt here.

Hot Topic - Condom, or not to condom?

Condom, or not condom? That is the question.

It's romance, the stuff of fantasies - or nightmares, depending on how you look at it - should the hero (or the heroine, I'm all for taking responsibility for your own sexual safety) strap on the plastic every time the heroine gets that lusty look in her eye?

Should Romance authors feel the wait of responsibility for making sure our readers engage in safe sex?

Does that wrapper ripping, and that snap and smell of latex interrupt the flow of what was a hades hot sex scene? Or does it lend an air of normalcy -- after all, that fumbling for the packet that slipped under the pillow and down behind the bed only to be thought a playtoy by the cat so your left with dick hanging out, flopping all over the place as you flounder under the bed while you yell and scream for the damn animal to give it back! is pretty normal...no? Damn.

And yeah, I know, I know - big kahuna of a run on sentence back there, but deal with it (unless you're my editor and I swear profusely that I'm working on not doing that ever again!). So, tell us what you think: Plastic - the non fetish kind - good or bad when it comes to romance novels?

Author Interview: Mechele Armstrong

Author Name: Mechele Armstrong aka Melany Logen (I’m ½ of Melany Logen, I cowrite)

Year started writing for LI: 2005

Titles: Blood Lines series: Blood Kiss, Conduit, Crimson’s Rose, Currents, Night’s Journey

Settler’s Mine Series: The Rivals, The Lovers

Curses series: The Six Curses of Christmas, The Sixth Curse of Spring (upcoming), The Sixth Cursed Halloween (upcoming)

Other titles: The Collector 1: Magical Chances, Solstice Spell, Dinah’s Dark Desire (both print and ebook), Dinah’s Christmas Desire, Veterans: Nothing to Lose

As Melany Logen: Ingram’s Charm, Bold Bride (upcoming)

Web Page: http://www.mechelearmstrong.com & http://www.melanylogen.com

What genre do you write in, and why? : Paranormal, futuristic and erotic romance. I love things that go bump in the night and I love romance so it’s a given that paranormal romance is one of my favorite genres to write in. I write futuristics because I love creating my own worlds and playing in them. And I never shut the bedroom door in anything I write, so erotic romance creeps into almost anything I pen.

How much time do you spend writing every week? : I aim for several hours though sometimes I don’t get there. I was doing Seventy Days of Sweat challenge where I was writing at least 1000 words every day. I loved it and need to get back to it.

What was the first story you ever wrote about? (not nec. first published story) : I’ve always written stories. I entered several in the Young Author’s Contest when I was in school. My first novel that I ever wrote was Blood Kiss. A very different Blood Kiss than Loose Id published. It was more thriller and had every newbie writer mistake known to man. LOL I could have written another novel in the time I took polishing it up but I was in love with Nick and Sarah and had to get their story straightened out. I’m so glad I did.

How do you judge the effectiveness of the sensual scenes in your stories? : When I read back through them and get lost instead of tweaking them.

What one word best describes your toy collection? : *demure look* naked Barbies? Oh, that toy collection… Bondage *blinks*.

Favourite candy while writing? : Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, though I don’t indulge too much. I also like to drink coffee.

Where did your most unusual plot idea come from? : Hmmm. I think that would Deidre stuck in a tree in the Six Curses of Christmas. And it came from thinking about writing a Christmas story. My parents always went into the woods and got a cedar tree for our Christmas tree. I started thinking “What if the tree wasn’t alone?” Suppose a woman’s been cursed into it, and she’s pissed? The Six Curses of Christmas was born.

What inspires you to write? : My characters. They start whispering to me their stories, usually after I’ve had an idea and I have no choice but to listen. Anything can give me that big idea from news stories to songs to seeing something in the world. That’s what propels the characters.

What music inspires your writing? : I cannot write with music on but sometimes I get inspired from music. I have a story that I’ve written and need to polish that was driven by Aerosmith. Every time I hear them, I think of this story.

Plotter or a Panster? : A combination with emphasis on the pants side of things. I generally know where I’m going, I just don’t know all the curves the story will take to get there.

Does your cat insist on sitting on your keyboard like mine does? : LOL she lays her head on it. She loves my laptop fan so lies up against it (like now).

What is your most embarrassing moment as an erotic romance author? : I don’t really have any yet. I’m sure those are to come. LOL of course I’ve had several people say, “You look too innocent to write erotic romance.” And my mother in law purchased a couple of my books. I’m proud of what I write but knowing she’s read them is a little disconcerting.

Most challenging place you've ever written a spicy scene? : The middle of a dance floor. I wrote a vibrator scene into Veterans: Nothing to Lose where Richard has remotes to Bryan and Niki’s vibrators and they are at this swank party. It was a challenge and so much fun.

When you get stuck, how do you find your way back to the writing? : A hot bubble bath away from the story. For some reason, that rejuvenates my writing psyche.

What kind of books do you read for fun? : I’m an avid reader, though not as much as I’d like to any more. I love romances of most types, erotic romances of most types, thrillers, romantic suspense, and horror. I wish I had more time to read and more money to buy books!

If you were to make a bumper sticker for your car that had to relate to erotic romance, what would it say? : Some like it hot, like me.

Soulmates? Do you believe? : I do. I think my hubby is my soulmate. He suits me and once I found him, there was no one else.

Sex with anyone famous? : Do fantasies count? Figured not. Nope.

Cake or Pie? Coke or Pepsi? Tea or Coffee? : Cake. Love crumbs. Dr. Pepper not Coke or Pepsi. The diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper is awesome. And coffee.

Go With The Flow

Oh my goodness! February 8th rolled around in a blink! So today is my day to chat... and I've the perfect topic. I want to talk about excitement and disappointment, flow and dam. Great flow is a wonderful characteristic in a book... and choppy pacing can ruin what could have been a good read. Unfortunately, last night I experienced the latter.

It was late, I was taking a break from writing, and wanted to relax. So I purchased a book from a favorite e-publisher. This book had a decent cover, a wonderful plotline, per the blurb, and the potential for me to discover a new (to me) author with a backlist--always a thrill.

I was excited, but after page twenty, the frown on my face felt permanently etched there. The characters seemed interesting, but I couldn't follow what the heck was going on. A mugging? A killing? A witness is interviewed, and then suddenly he's living with a policeman??? I tried to engage by reading another one hundred pages (on my ereader) and simply couldn't read any more. Every time I thought I understood what was going on, the author shifted the world out from under me. And for the life of me, I didn't understand the paranormal twist on the story, though I might have understood it better had I read the whole thing.

So my thrill at a potentially decent read turned into disappointment, and hey, a bit of annoyance, because I shelled out some bucks for that book. Still, as a writer, it made me wonder if my work is ever annoying to readers. (Man, I hope not!) I don't write with a critique partner, someone objective enough about my work to show me the flaws in it. Instead, I set my work aside for a time and look at it weeks later, distancing myself. In that way, I can catch plot holes and confusion that would baffle the reader. And I've been fortunate that the editors I work with refuse to allow me to get away with anything.

In the case of the book I read, I think some consistency problems could have been easily fixed. And some transitional sentences bringing the paragraphs together would have made the flow much easier. (The hero going from jail to a bedroom without any explanation confused the *@@!& out of me.)

So do I blame the author, the editor, the publisher? No. Because each book is a risk, and a possible keeper in the reading. And just because I had a hard time reading it didn't mean someone else overlooked what I labeled flaws and enjoyed it. To each her/his own, I suppose.

The author had a good voice, so I might buy another of her books, but it will be a shorter, less expensive read. :) I don't hold a grudge, and I certainly won't stop looking for newer authors. I have a bad book habit I need to feed, after all.

Happy Friday!!

Marie
www.marieharte.com
Satyr's Myst, coming to Loose Id Feb 26th

Let's talk about sex toys...or not

Since this is my first post at Loose Ends, I wanted to talk about something scintillating, exciting, maybe even a touch controversial, so the topic I came up with was sex toys...

...but then I decided I'd die of embarrassment.

Yes, I write erotic romance, yet rarely do I talk about sex in my everyday life--and I mean outside of the bedroom. One of the raciest dinner conversations I've ever listened to--note: I didn't do much of the talking--was at a conference where I was seated with a table of erotic romance writers. That was fun.

So how is it that I can write about sex (and maybe even do interesting...shh, we won't go there!), but blush cherry red when I talk about it? Like when I went to see my friend's band play. My male friend has read my stuff. In fact, he gets to read alot of it before it's published. And he made some comment in front of another friend--I nearly died on the spot. Good, thing I'd started drinking already. No, I'm not going to tell you what the comment was. I don't talk about it, remember?

I guess I come from a don't ask-don't tell family, and I was adept at not getting caught (unlike my sis). I have noticed lately, though, that when I'm around "straight" romance writers, I'll invariably say something that gets me a strange look. Something will just pop out of my mouth that I was pretty sure was normal, but just isn't talked of in polite circles. Apparently hanging out with my usual crowd of EroRom authors, surrounded by lingerie and penis straws while sitting on an overstuffed stiletto, has changed me somehow. How can that be?

Like I find myself discussing whether the in-laws would notice the chips were in a penis-shaped tray if I bought it for a family party, and whether a 6-foot whip is entirely too long for BDSM in the bedroom. Seriously, wouldn't you just spend the whole evening thinking about Indiana Jones? Maybe that's a good thing!

Speaking of BDSM, BLAME IT ON THE MOON (my latest with Loose Id) got the BDSM rating in the description. Whoa! Did my mom read that? I know she bought the book, so I'm hoping her PDA batteries die before she gets to those parts. I really don't want that topic discussed, ie. blurted out, during my son's next birthday party.

Now it's your turn. Talk to me. How do you feel about talking about sex? What's your comfort level? Like, I'd rather hand my son an age-appropriate library book than actually talk about it, but I think I did okay...with the book's help. And, if you're less shy than I am, feel free to discuss sex toys, too. Tell me your faves. I'll nod and enjoy the conversation...as long as I don't have to talk. LOL

Last of all, I have a contest posted on my News Page with some cool prizes related to BLAME IT ON THE MOON. Check it out at http://www.sharalanel.com/.

Shara

Flash Fiction

Today's word:

Illogical

Use it the word any way you see fit, as long as your flash fiction can somehow relate back to the word.

Hot Topic - Menage

Ménage. It seems to be the flavour of the moment. Men, women, aliens, vamps and weres are all doing it. Special acts of magic, a way to rule the universe, finding that final piece of the puzzle that is your heart, or just cause it's downright kinky, ménage is all the rage.

But just the concept itself has many facets - ménage-a-trois (or quatre as the case sometimes is) , polyamory, polygamy (and from that polyandry/polygny), or just the plain old threesome. None of these names mean the same thing, although the lines can be a little blurred between them sometimes - after all, no single relationship will ever be the same as another.

What makes ménage, in any of it's forms, so popular? Is it that love can come in many forms and we are capable of that big love not just only once in our life? Is it the need of belonging or fulfilment - maybe not dissimilar to the women who say they are 'unfulfilled/longing' for that one last child - that the person can only find through loving more than one husband or wife? Or is it just all about the sex?

Then of course you get into the whole issue of who's doing who, and how...

Chat with us Sunday at Love Romances Cafe

Come join us on Loose Id's monthly chat at the Love Romances Cafe Yahoo group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveRomancesCafe/

You never know who will show up.

Sunday, February 3rd. All day

Under the Surface--What Makes a Romance?

A reader tends to pick up a how-to book for specific instruction, a literary work for enlightenment, a comedy to change the mood, or an adventure book for escape. Picking up a romance means reaching for satisfaction.

To satisfy a reader, the story must fulfill certain deep-rooted expectations. The first uses of the word romance referred to verse written in the vernacular Latin as it was spoken in parts of France, and quickly transferred to the content of that verse--which leaned heavily on tales of questing, adventure, and love. To this day, a solidly constructed romance is a tale of a quest, of the adventures encountered in that quest, and of the love found along the way.

Whether the quest is to find the perfect pair of shoes, to get through this semester without having to sell blood, to find a grandchild lost in a war zone, or to avert the obliteration of the Earth, a story isn't a romance without a quest. A quest entails adventures; if not, you might as well have a story about reaching across the table to pick up the salt. Adventures are the ministories of conquering, sidestepping, or merely surviving the obstacles between the hero/heroine and the story goal--the object of the quest.

The presence or absence of eroticism in no way affects the question of whether a story is a romance. If the story is a romance, the eroticism, or the degree of it, determines only the type of romance. If the story is not a romance, no degree of eroticism will make it one. An erotic story other than a romance is typically an adventure story, although it might be a comedy. Erotic romance depends heavily on eroticism, whether of the jade stalk variety or the hairy grinding variety, for character development, but to make the story a romance rather than a masturbation aid, the hero and heroine must undergo adventures along the way to accomplishing a quest, and the story must end with a satisfying sense that they have found love.

In a novel-length story, the quest tends to change midway or about 2/3 of the way through, because the hero and heroine have outgrown the initial challenge, or accomplished the initial goal, and now face something greater. The perfect pair of shoes ruins the outfit; finishing the semester becomes more difficult after eviction and a charge of cheating; the grandchild, once found, must be extracted from the war zone; the initial attack on the Earth turned out to be a feint to hide the real threat. The sense of a quest remains, regardless. The hero and heroine struggle on toward the new or clarified goal.

Love is the personal reward for overcoming all the hardships, for winning one's way through adventures to reach the goal. While the shoes scuff, the degree is won or lost, the child grows up, and the Earth continues in its orbit, love remains. If a story promises and then delivers on all that, the story is a romance.


That's my take. What's yours?

Amber
Visit http://www.shapeshiftersinlust.com/ tonight!

Sharon Maria Bidwell

Author Name: Sharon Maria Bidwell

Year started writing for LI: 2006

Titles:

Uly’s Comet (The Swithin Chronicles 1)

The Comet’s Tail (The Swithin Chronicles 2) with book three coming soon

Snow Angel and the novella sequel, Angel Heart

Space, Man

I have other work elsewhere, and the third Swithin book coming soon.

Find all Sharon's Loose Id titles HERE

Web Page: http://www.sharonbidwell.co.uk

What genre do you write in, and why? : I don’t have a preferred genre. When people ask me what I do, I say I write as I read, meaning anything and everything. I write in other genres as well as romance. Most of my romances to date have been m/m. As to why I write m/m that stemmed from an idea that nagged me to write it. It’s great fun to write and creates great conflict. I do intend to write other pairings.

How much time do you spend writing every week? : Is it cheating to say as much as possible?

What was the first story you ever wrote about? (not nec. first published story) : I honestly struggle to remember though I do recall writing a rather bad romance in my teens. I was probably writing poetry before that. My first accepted piece was a short story called ‘Silver Apples of the Moon’ and you can read it on my website.

How do you judge the effectiveness of the sensual scenes in your stories? : I don’t consciously think about it. I never thought I was capable of writing like this. I tend to clear my mind and I know if it’s going truly well when it just flows from my mind to my fingertips

Do you ever try out the sexual positions you write to make sure of accuracy? : LOL. No, although I don’t think I’ve used any truly peculiar positions in my books… yet.

What one word best describes your toy collection? : Non-existent. I’ve too many books, of course… and movies, movie collectables, and pictures on the walls, and dragons…

What inspires you to write? : A love of books. Even when I’ve been at the lowest point in my life, they’ve been like friends to me. There’s a quote and I can’t remember who said it, which is bugging me, as I loved it. It goes along the lines of why live one life when you can live thousands. That goes for reading as well as writing.

Plotter or a Panster? : Both. Mostly panster but it really does depend on the project.

Does your cat insist on sitting on your keyboard like mine does? : I don’t have a cat. I had a dog who was a large and loving part of my life for eleven years. She was often huffy when I was writing but I even miss her moods. She also got me away from the desk, which was a good thing in many ways.

What is your most embarrassing moment as an erotic romance author? : I can’t say I’ve had one. I’m not easily embarrassed. Sex is a fact of life, get over it. I guess the most awkward moment was telling everyone about my first book. Erotic romance was one thing but this was m/m romance as well. Mostly though, I’ve had nothing but positive reactions. We haven’t let the mother-in-law read it. My father read my first book before he died and loved it, and didn’t care about the content. One friend reacted just how I thought he would by stuttering out his disbelief. LOL.

When you get stuck, how do you find your way back to the writing? : It varies. I leave it for the day, maybe work on something else. Usually just standing up and walking away from the computer, cooking dinner, doing some housework, my mind will be ticking over. Sometimes I’ll jump ahead to where I want the story to go (if I know) and then connect the scenes. I tend to like silence while writing, but I played music, the distraction stopped me from thinking so hard, and that got me through the block. I’ve never done that before or since but it was interesting.

What kind of books do you read for fun? : Anything and everything.

Is your real life anything like your stories? What about your fantasies? : No, and I guess I put my fantasies down in writing, although I wouldn’t say they’re ‘fantasies’, just where my imagination takes me. I’m too busy to daydream for any other reason and when my head hits the pillow I’m gone.

Soulmates? Do you believe? : Yes. Because if my husband isn’t my soulmate then he’s the closest thing to it.

Sex with anyone famous? : No, but there’s a few names I could put down as tempting, but I’m married so I’ll stick to sighing over the sight of them.

Cake or Pie? Coke or Pepsi? Tea or Coffee? : Cake. Pepsi (though I’d rather drink water). Definitely Coffee!!!!!!!!!!

Hot Topic - ER, Erotica, Porn - can you see a difference?

Let's start with a bang:

Erotic Romance, Erotica and Porn -- can you see a difference?

Some say all are the same, others say there are base, intrinsic differences that make all three separate entities. Is erotic romance nothing more than porn gussied up and ready for the prom? Or, is it all about the happily ever after - regardless of language use? Does it make a difference if it's evidence of his manly desire, a throbbing love lance, or just a plain old cock, as long as you get the HEA?

Feel free, reader and author alike, to weigh in and tell us what you think about our hot topic for today!

Willkommen, Irashaimasu, Haere mai, & Bienvenidos

Welcome to the new, unofficial Loose Id Author blog. Why unofficial? Well, mainly because this isn’t a blog run by Loose Id, but by the actual authors themselves - although we plan to pick TPTB brains now and then to find out interesting tidbits to tease you with.

Make sure to book mark us - or hit that little orange button in the url bar to add us to your feedreader - because we’re going to be doing our best to keep your little hearts beating with sexy flash fiction, juicy hot topics, and a host of authors with lots of things to say!

The What and When:

Check in each Monday for that weeks Hot Topic. The Mods will post up something juicy for you and our authors to discuss. We want to hear your opinions, so don’t be shy about commenting, and don’t be afraid to disagree - after all there’s always two sides to any topic!

Tuesday, will of course be all about the new releases - the four authors will let you in on background tidbits, maybe some little secrets about the characters, and you never know, maybe a link or two to some never before seen excerpts.

Wednesday is all about being Flashed! One word, and 250 more words to do something with it. Use it, describe it, fantasize about it, smash it, or grab it tight - what ever the authors decide to do with it, but only in 250 words and it’s got to be sexy!

Saturday, you’ll be able to find out more about your favorite authors - the good, the bad, and the down right kooky hilarious!

As for everything else in between? Keep an eye out, because authors will be in and out left and right with new and interesting things for you to read - from frivolous to business, you’re sure to find it all.

(PS. If I used one of the Welcomes in the wrong context, please feel free to blame my Google-foo for failing me!)