Sunday Snoggin' with Somewhere I Belong

This week for the Snog I thought I'd get one out of the vault...Somewhere I Belong! Love this story and yes, I am working through a sequel...still. Grin. The characters are being themselves. What can I say? Enjoy!

He never knew what he was missing until he came home to find his place to belong—with her.

Sullavan Tanner walked away from Jarvis, Ohio, afraid to give his heart to the woman he loved. He lived the rock and roll lifestyle, but never quite made it to the big time. Fifteen years later, he’s back and ready to claim what’s his—if she’ll accept his help.

Marley Lockwood’s done asking for help. The family farm is more than she can handle, but if she can survive a cancer scare, the loss of her parents, the abandonment by her first love, and a messy divorce, she can handle anything.

Until Sully shows up.

Although she’s not interested in rekindling the love affair, she’s not above accepting Sully’s hands on the farm. What’s the worst that could happen? They get the farm out of the red and into the black? That’s her plan. They actually fall in love? The past says it won’t work, so she’s not hedging her bets.

Too bad Sully’s not giving up this time.

Available now from Liquid Silver Books!

And now for that kiss!

“Why’d you go all cave man on me?” She cocked her hip and thrust out her chin. “You already had my attention.”

He wound his fingers through her hair, drawing her close. God, she felt so right. Why didn’t he see the connection before? Or rather, why didn’t he make the connection before? “Marley, being in New York didn’t soothe my soul.”

“I see. It’s not making me change my mind about men, but I see.”

Think, Sul, think. “I’m more afraid of the things I can’t control. You make me so crazy. My thoughts jumble and asshole things come out of my mouth.”

“I’m not looking for love.” Marley shoved her hands into her back pockets. Her breasts arched towards him. “I’m running away at a full sprint.”

“That’s when love finds you, when you aren’t ready.” He traced the neckline of her T-shirt. Sully cupped her breast, flicking his thumb over the beaded tip.

She slapped her hand through the air and backed away. “Save the syrupy stuff for one of your power ballads. I’m sitting this one out.”

“I’ll put in all the schmaltz I can, if the song’s written for you.” He grabbed the waistband of her shorts and tugged her flush against his body. Her mewl turned him inside out.

She stared at his shirt a moment before gazing into his eyes. “Hey, I’m not perfect or beautiful, and I speak my mind, I’m not the kind of woman—”

Sully gave into temptation and dipped down to taste her, silencing further explanation. Marley whimpered, thumping her fists against his chest. After a moment of hesitation, she opened to him, twining their tongues. He wrapped his arms around her body, cradling her, learning her curves.

“You need time, but you make it hard for me to behave.” He broke the kiss and tangled his hands in her hair. “I want you.”

“Sully, this—us—can’t happen.” She panted and fisted his shirt. Her cheeks glowed a pinkish hue. “I won’t let it.”

He willed his breathing to slow to normal. She churned him up in too many delicious ways to count, and he wasn’t about to let her get away so quickly. “I’m not the same man I was when I left. Please don’t push me away like I pushed you.”

Monday Moans ~ Somewhere I Belong

Thought I'd feature my novella Somewhere I Belong this week for the moan. I love this story and hope you will too! It's from Liquid Silver Books. Why not snag a copy for yourself?

Here are the links:
Amazon
BN
Allromance Ebooks
Liquid Silver Books

He never knew what he was missing until he came home to find his place to belong—with her.

Sullavan Tanner walked away from Jarvis, Ohio, afraid to give his heart to the woman he loved. He lived the rock and roll lifestyle, but never quite made it to the big time. Fifteen years later, he’s back and ready to claim what’s his—if she’ll accept his help.

Marley Lockwood’s done asking for help. The family farm is more than she can handle, but if she can survive a cancer scare, the loss of her parents, the abandonment by her first love, and a messy divorce, she can handle anything.

Until Sully shows up.

Although she’s not interested in rekindling the love affair, she’s not above accepting Sully’s hands on the farm. What’s the worst that could happen? They get the farm out of the red and into the black? That’s her plan. They actually fall in love? The past says it won’t work, so she’s not hedging her bets.

Too bad Sully’s not giving up this time.

And now for that moan!!

A warm hand touched her other shoulder, jerking her from her thoughts. “Do you mind if I sit with you?” The gravelly voice rolled down her back. Heat enveloped her and not from the August night. The twinge of fear subsided, replaced by the strength of his presence.

“Sully.”

Sully shuffled his feet and crinkled his brows. His cocoa-colored eyes glittered in the firelight. He’d shaved the midday scruff from his cheeks but left a sprinkling of hair on his chin and upper lip. Instead of wearing the standard bandana, his hair stood in messy spikes, giving him a tousled, straight-out-of-bed look. His cologne wrapped around her like a woodsy blanket. Her mouth watered. How could one man look so darned sexy without effort?

“Chores are done, you’re free, I’m free. I wanted a dance for old times’ sake.” The silver ring on the middle finger of Sully’s right hand caught the light as he gestured to her. “Will you dance with me, Marley? I don’t have cooties, man germs, or any other gross diseases.”

Man germs...good grief. She needed an answer to put him back in his place.

“Dancing isn’t my thing.” Why did Sully make her so nervous? Because Sully made her inner thighs heat and her heart thunder. Every time she heard him sing she swooned. Hell, when they worked side by side on the wagons, she resisted the urge to smother him with kisses. She pressed her lips together. The idea of his sexy naked body melding with hers had haunted her dreams since she hit puberty. Of all the men she knew, Sully remained elusive and out of reach. And yet, he’d come back when she needed him the most...like a white knight. God, she had to get the childish, fanciful thoughts from her head and regain her footing in the real world.

Sighing, he eased down next to her. “I don’t buy that for a moment, but I’m not gonna push.” He bumped her shoulder with his, sending a frisson of lust snaking through her body. “I missed our late-night conversations.” A chuckle erupted from his throat. “You know, I never found someone to understand me like you do.”

She balled her fists to keep from touching him and stared at the crisp yellow flames. Sully smelled like sin and pine. “Conversationalist is my middle name.”

Sully cupped her chin, redirecting her gaze. “And all this time I thought it was Elaine.”

Despite wanting to stay, Marley stood. “I never could fool you.”

“Dance?”

She shook her head. “I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

“You left after we had sex. Like right after. Was it that bad or was it just a notch for your belt?”

His smile faded. “Marley, that’s not fair.”

“Thanks for your answer.” She brushed imaginary debris from her lap. “You and I work together. There will be no dancing, no kissing, and no love. Got me?”

“Who said kissing?” He stood and grabbed her hand. Sully tugged her away from the fire and the rumble of conversation to the privacy of the back porch. “There’s a lot of stuff you don’t know about, and I don’t know how to tell you, but I absolutely want to kiss you.”

Monday Moans ~ Somewhere I Belong

Time for the Monday Moans!! I love this time of the week. I get to share a saucy moan with you and maybe introduce you to a new to you book. This week the moan comes from Somewhere I Belong. I'm debating writing John's story from this book. If you've read it, let me know. I'd love input. But you're here to read the moan, too. So without further ado...

Somewhere I Belong
Liquid Silver Books
Contemporary, M/F
novella
available here and here!

Sullavan Tanner walked away from Jarvis, Ohio, afraid to give his heart to the woman he loved. He lived the rock and roll lifestyle, but never quite made it to the big time. Fifteen years later, he’s back and ready to claim what’s his—if she’ll accept his help.

Marley Lockwood’s done asking for help. The family farm is more than she can handle, but if she can survive a cancer scare, the loss of her parents, the abandonment by her first love, and a messy divorce, she can handle anything.

Until Sully shows up.

Although she’s not interested in rekindling the love affair, she’s not above accepting Sully’s hands on the farm. What’s the worst that could happen? They get the farm out of the red and into the black? That’s her plan. They actually fall in love? The past says it won’t work, so she’s not hedging her bets.

Too bad Sully’s not giving up this time.

And now for that Moan!

Sully marched across the lawn to the smaller pond on the north end of the property. Frogs croaked, and Canadian geese honked overhead. Cattails swayed. The tall grass rustled. The scent of wildflowers, dish soap, and Marley swirled around him. The combination was more intoxicating than the stiffest drink, yet left him sober enough to know what he was doing.

Once he set her on her soggy sneaker-clad feet, he stared at the picture she made. Wild chestnut curls danced in the breeze, crimson stained her cheeks, and fire lit her blue eyes. The T-shirt plastered itself to her body, and the outline of a navel ring caught his attention. So she’d kept her wild side. Good for her. He never saw a woman look sexier in such a natural, yet rebellious fashion.

“Why’d you go all cave man on me?” She cocked her hip and thrust out her chin. “You already had my attention.”

He wound his fingers through her hair, drawing her close. God, she felt so right. Why didn’t he see the connection before? Or rather, why didn’t he make the connection before? “Marley, being in New York didn’t soothe my soul.”

“I see. It’s not making me change my mind about men, but I see.”

Think, Sul, think. “I’m more afraid of the things I can’t control. You make me so crazy. My thoughts jumble and asshole things come out of my mouth.”

“I’m not looking for love.” Marley shoved her hands into her back pockets. Her breasts arched towards him. “I’m running away at a full sprint.”

“That’s when love finds you, when you aren’t ready.” He traced the neckline of her T-shirt. Sully cupped her breast, flicking his thumb over the beaded tip.

She slapped her hand through the air and backed away. “Save the syrupy stuff for one of your power ballads. I’m sitting this one out.”

“I’ll put in all the schmaltz I can, if the song’s written for you.” He grabbed the waistband of her shorts and tugged her flush against his body. Her mewl turned him inside out.

She stared at his shirt a moment before gazing into his eyes. “Hey, I’m not perfect or beautiful, and I speak my mind, I’m not the kind of woman—”

Sully gave into temptation and dipped down to taste her, silencing further explanation. Marley whimpered, thumping her fists against his chest. After a moment of hesitation, she opened to him, twining their tongues. He wrapped his arms around her body, cradling her, learning her curves.

“You need time, but you make it hard for me to behave.” He broke the kiss and tangled his hands in her hair. “I want you.”

Monday Moans ~ Somewhere I Belong

Here's a good moan from one of my favorite books. I love me some farmers. Somewhere I Belong is my farmer book. I want a Sully of my own.

Somewhere I Belong

Contemp, novella, m/f
Liquid Silver Books
Available here!

Sullavan Tanner walked away from Jarvis, Ohio, afraid to give his heart to the woman he loved. He lived the rock and roll lifestyle, but never quite made it to the big time. Fifteen years later, he’s back and ready to claim what’s his—if she’ll accept his help.

Marley Lockwood’s done asking for help. The family farm is more than she can handle, but if she can survive a cancer scare, the loss of her parents, the abandonment by her first love, and a messy divorce, she can handle anything.

Until Sully shows up.

Although she’s not interested in rekindling the love affair, she’s not above accepting Sully’s hands on the farm. What’s the worst that could happen? They get the farm out of the red and into the black? That’s her plan. They actually fall in love? The past says it won’t work, so she’s not hedging her bets.

Too bad Sully’s not giving up this time.

And here's the moan!

“Sully?” Marley climbed out of bed and strode to the double window. Sheets of rain damped her sleep shirt as she slid the frame open. “Sully, get out of the rain. You’ll catch pneumonia.”

He slithered through the gap. “Marley.” He wrapped rain-soaked arms around her. His body shook. Fear? Regret? Longing? She wasn’t sure.

Her heart thundered in her chest. He’d come to her. In more ways than she wanted to admit, his gesture warmed her blood. He chipped away at her need for him, making her feelings stronger. “Sully, we aren’t kids. You don’t have to shimmy up the lattice and climb through my bedroom window to talk to me. You have keys to the house.”

“I need you.” He cupped her jaw in both hands.

“I’m in my pajamas.” Marley licked her lips and closed her eyes. How could she sound so foolish? “I mean…”

“Sweetheart, I’m trying to be romantic.” He edged her to the bed. Her calves hit the oak frame and mattress. “I need a woman who responds to my touch. A woman who needs me.”

“Sully, don’t do something we’ll regret.” Desire and longing bubbled in her heart.

“You wound me, but I like it.” Sully rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip and wrapped an arm around her body. He kneaded her ass with callused fingers. “I’m tired of the soul-deep hurting and running from my problems.”

Marley moaned and clamped her mouth shut. If she allowed herself to feel, would her dream vanish? A chuckle rumbled in his throat. Her insides turned to mush. Sully wasn’t a dream. He was very much real and in the flesh.

“Kiss me and make me whole, Marley.”

Pain stabbed her in the heart, deflating her euphoria. He wasn’t free for her taking.

“But–”

“No one else exists except you and me, love.”

Sully mashed his lips against hers, making her whimper. He tasted like sweet tea and spicy man. Against her better judgment, Marley broke the kiss and ripped the rumpled sleep shirt over her head. If she was going to have a lapse in judgment, then why not make the king of all mistakes?

Somewhere I Belong

Like it? I sure do!!! The cover for Somewhere I Belong is so cool. Here's the blurb:

Sullavan Tanner walked away from Jarvis, Ohio, afraid to give his heart to the woman in his heart. He lived the rock and roll lifestyle, but never quite made it to the big time. Fifteen years later, he’s back and ready to claim what’s his—if she’ll accept his help.

Marley Lockwood’s done asking for help. The family farm is more than she can handle, but if she can survive a cancer scare, the loss of her parents, the abandonment by her first love, and a messy divorce, she can handle anything.

Until Sully shows up.

Although she’s not interested in rekindling the love affair, she’s not above accepting Sully’s hands on the farm. What’s the worst that could happen? They get the farm out of the red and into the black? That’s her plan. They actually fall in love? The past says it won’t work, so she’s not hedging her bets.

Too bad Sully’s not giving up this time.

Coming soon from Liquid Silver Books!!!

Thank You Thursday! A New Contract!!!

Ok, so I've kinda been sitting on this for a little bit, but I wanted to make sure I had contact in hand before announcing. Call me superstitious.

Coming soon (not sure how soon) from Liquid Silver Books ~ Somewhere I Belong!



Yup, that's the farmer. The one I'd kinda put off for a while. Well, I gave him fresh eyes, had a few more people look him over and ta da!

I'm so excited to count Liquid Silver as one of my publishers. They are all fantastic.

Friday Flirts ~ News and Dates to Remember!!!

Whew! Been a long week, and I haven't even had the time to pay attention to that huge fantastic romance across the pond. I've got a bit o'news! I got the edits for Please Remember Me and I'm happy to say they are back and in the editors hands. Yay!!! I'm also darned proud to say the edits for What Might Have Been are also back in the hands of the editor. Double Yay!

And since I'm spreading the news...I got a release date for Ever Fallen in Love!! August 15th!! Can you tell I'm excited? Sure am!

I've still got at least one sub out there floating around. Can't wait to hear about it...I'd love positive news, but yanno, the chips will fall where they will.

My goal for this week is to get the Farmer really going. I keep saying I will and I keep falling down on the job. I don't really have an excuse. Just busy. So that's the plan. Get the farmer in shape so I can (hopefully) resub him. I'm sure he'd tired of being in the box waiting for his turn.

Some important dates:

* I'm doing a book signing at the Sandusky Borders on May 1st from 1-3 with my dear friend Deb Alferio.

* May 23rd is the release day for Please Remember Me from Total-E-Bound!

* May 25th I'm chatting on Coffee Time's Erotic Loop in conjunction with the release. Come join me!! I'm giving away a GC to BN or Amazon!

* May 25th I'm also going to be at Brandyz's blog, talking about, you guessed it, Please Remember Me!!!

That's the news of the nation. Mark your calendar and prepare to join me. It's going to be a great time!

Sorry...Had Chores to Get Done....

Sorry. I know I shouldn't start a post with sorry, but I had to feed cattle and fuel the tractors. If I don't get out there early and get the chores done, then they won't get done. The kitties will go hungry and the cattle will grouse, so...

My name is Marley. I own twenty head of cattle and about a hundred acres of mostly hay fields. My brother owns the farm next door. He's got forty head of cattle, but he uses his two hundred fifty acres for pasture and soy beans. We work together and it seems to be working. He can keep farm hands a little easier than I can. For some reason, the guys around town get this idea that I can't run the farm. They think they need to defer to my ex-husband. I'm sorry. I'm thirty-two. I've got a degree. I'm not stupid.

Men.

Things can only get worse if my best friend's brother shows up. Ok, I don't say this often, but he's hot. He is. Sweet. Muscles. Tattoos...just enough piercings to look dangerous. Plays the guitar. Sings well enough to command an audience. Yeah, he's sexy.

But he's also dangerous. He was my first and the only man to break my heart. If he comes back, he'll want someone to get him out of a jam. I love him, but I can't be around him. Murphy's law would send him right to my doorstep.

I hope (not).

I've gotta go. Looks like Dolly's ready to have her kittens. C-ya!

Friday Flirts

Ah, it's that time of the week again. Friday Flirts. YAY!

Yeah, I'm actually pretty excited about it. I have a ton of work in progress, but I decided there were a couple things that needed said. Yessir.

First: Tangled Up came back for first edits. Not too bad which made my day. Turned back and waiting for second round.

Farmer. Oh, how I had high hopes for you, dear story. But there also comes a time when one has to step back and say, yanno, this just isn't working. (Doesn't hurt if one has this blugeoned over one's head more than once by a very tenderhearted, but honest CP). So on the shelf you go.

I decided since he went on the shelf, one of my shelved stories was coming back out. Last year, I penned a tale of high school reunion. Seeing as my 15 yr is coming up soon, I thought it was a great story. Is it? No clue. I put it in the hands of a couple CPs. We'll see. (Fingers crossed it doesn't suck.)

Jade/Marlon have been submitted. And that's all I'm gonna say about them.

That's all for now. I have to get working on a couple other WIP's. The characters get cranky when they think they've been ignored. (Which, in their minds, is often.)

Friday Flirts

I know, I'm a little later than normal in posting this post. I have a great excuse. I tend to write my posts the night before. Why? Cuz that's when I have the moment to do it. This time? I had a mini date night with DH. We watched IronMan 2, which was great and yes, I have a soft spot for Robert Downey Jr. The story was good. Not as great as 1 but, hey, you can't make everything fantastic.

So Friday Flirts... Megan's been asking me for help and I've been helping her.

But I've also got another fantastic CP whose been invaluable in helping me with Jade and Marlon's story. Did I mention this one? Ah, I might not. Jade and Marlon's story is the follow up to Right. I wrote it over a year ago, but I just hadn't had any drive to get it fiddled with. Why? Because I had other things to do, and it needed about 10k worth of additions to make it print length. Right is in print and IMHO, the following ones should be, too. She's helping me see the things that needed added, the parts that are strong and the parts that are, well, they need help. Which is what a CP is for. Fingers crossed, I plan to have it subbed by December 31st.

I'm planning on doing NaNo this year, too. Yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment. I've got about three other stories going or in my head. Oh, and I plan on working on Farmer here real soon, too. I've got lots on my plate and sorting it out that's gonna kick my butt.

Oh well. If I wasn't busy, I'd be hunting things to do.

Later!

Monday Moans

Seems like a long time since I've been able to do this. I'm not complaining. Heck no. I love hosting blog tours. It's a blast to read the new to me authors. But I have a couple of characters dying (no pun intended) to come out and play. Why not? So take it away, girls.

About time. Yanno, Wendi can talk your ear off (but this is a blog, so would it be, blind your eyes off? I'm not sure. Oh well. ) Hi, I'm Clover and I'm not in a band. Sounds goofy, eh? It is. I love to sing. Love it. But, I'm not real keen on being on stage. I guess if I could be there with others, I'd be okay. Well, not okay, because I have this strange feeling that if I *did* get on stage, the one person I'm scared to death to sing with would show up and cling like plastic wrap. He's the lead singer for Outlaw. Heck, I think he *is* Outlaw, but that's not important. Torin is the one person I try to avoid. You might want to know why. Simple, he's charismatic, hot as hell, has a voice that could melt butter, and (I'm being blunt) he's a serial commitment-phobe. Would I lie? Sure, if you've seen him on stage, its *very* hard to look away. But peel back the layer of fame, and I'm not so sure he's still appealing. (Okay, he probably is, but I'm determined not to fall for him. I'm not. I know you don't believe me.) But I've talked enough about myself. Marley?

Thanks, Clover. You make it sound so hard to love a man on stage. Who am I kidding? It is. My name is Marley and there is a certain man whose held my heart for a long time. Sully Tanner. Its hard to talk about him because I don't see him much. He's off in NYC and doesn't come home much. Not that I really want him to come home. It's easier when he's not around. Then I don't realize I miss him as much as I shouldn't. I didn't want to fall for him, but it's really hard when the man has lived next door as long as you remember, and then after one night of...well...I won't go there, but after one night I'll never forget, he just left to find his fame and rock-n-roll fortune in New York. I could've followed him, I suppose. But that's not me. What do I do right now? I'm a proud Ohio farm girl. The smell of cow poo doesn't bother me and I've been known to work my fair share of hay wagons during the summer. But as I've come to bluntly learn, ragtag, working girl doesn't mix with the glamorous life of a rock-n-roller.Now that I've made myself a bit maudlin, I'll go. Clover and I have some stores to hit and stores to star in.

Bye, girls. I'll get to you soon enough. Thanks for reading.

Flirty Friday

Today's the day of the week where I decided to share a little of the in-progress stuff I have going on.

I turned in the submission for Arran's story, Tanged Up. This (I think), is the final story in the group. I could be convinced to do one more, but it all depends on response. If I'm asked to write a story for one of the secondary characters, I'll give her her story.

So what's on the horizon?

In My Immortal, my PI has a sister who is screaming for her own story. It just so happens that she decided to finally TELL me her story. When I get five minutes to sit down and write it, I think it'll be a good story.

Do you remember my story You'll Think of Me? It's one of my Air Force stories. It was picked up by Total-E-Bound and should come out this November. There is a wise-cracking secondary character named Rhett. I've had plenty of people ask me for his story because they loved him and wanted to know what he's up to. Well, fear not. Rhett is as talkative as Gypsy, but he's not quite so joyous right now about how things are playing out. I think he'll be happy in the long run, but he can't have everything he wants--right now.

I am going back to my farmer and getting him in shape. Funny how every time I think he's ready to go to a publisher, it's not quite right. It will be. (I hope.)

And one of these moments I am going to get back to my reunion story. Tanner and Macy really want me to give them their say. Ah, but that means bugging the CP, too. :)

I also have an idea for a menage story for this spring. Music and threesomes. We'll see. I can't tell you everything.

So there's the flirts. You know things are in the works and coming together.

Arran's Story Is In!

You may be wondering what I'm talking about. Worry no more. :P I turned in the finished MS for Arran's story, Tangled Up. This is my second foray into menage, but the first into M/M. For those of you grossed out, then stop reading. I wrote the characters the way they told me to.

This is the story that follows Must Be Doing Something Right and Learning How to Bend. Funny, Nate from Must shows up in Tangled Up, but Seth and Abby really don't other than a mention.

I have to admit, the hardest part of writing this story was making sure Arran and his partner, Sav, didn't sound campy unless they were trying to. I've found, when reading M/M stories, that lots of times the authors will make the gay men sound... campy. Yes, I know, some are more effeminate than others... just saying. Arran and Sav are comfortable with who they are and still--their words, not mine--manly men. :::Shrugs:::

But since Tangled Up is done and in the editor's hands, I'm going to tackle the edits and rewrites on my farmer, as well as finish the ghost hunter story and give Megan a hand on her vampire stories.

Yeah, I'm a busy girl. :) But I love it.

So I Was Talking to a Friend...

My farmer was rejected finally by the editor. Somehow in the back of my mind, I saw it coming. Don't get me wrong... I didn't send something I thought was subpar. I thought the story was right on track. But, apparently the editor, tho agreeing that the story was great, wasn't what was wanted. Am I bitter? Heck no. I learned a while back that what isn't one person's cup of tea is another's. So I sent him back out again hoping that this time he'll strike gold.

But as I said in the title, I was talking to Megan yesterday (well, I would've today but she's sorta busy now cause her third cabana boy found his way home and they have to make up for lost time...), anyway, she suggested that even though farmer is sexy and hunky, he's a recovering addict and though he's brooding, he's not rock star brooding. She seemed to think and I agree that he wasn't flashy enough and that's why he wasn't appealing to the editor.

What do you think? Does the hero have to be flashy for you to like him? I mean, in farmer's case, he's a farmer. I don't know about you, but I don't know too many flashy farmers and beings that I come from a long line of farmers, I'd say I know what I'm talking about. Why can't Joe Ordinary be a hero just like Jumping Jack Flash?

Megan says it's a matter of fantasy--women want their fantasy man. A farmer isn't exactly the idea sexy man (so sayeth the woman who has three freakin vampire cabana boys...). I agree to a small degree. Yes, it's nice to read about the hunky doctor, or the studly actor, but I also want to read about a real person. There is a trend in romance to write larger heroines. BBW. So why can't the hero be average? Cause really, there are a lot of average guys out there who are pretty heroic without having to be the flashy type. I mean, where would you get your food if it wasn't for a farmer?

Just sayin'.


What do you think?

New Contract for Must Be Doing Something Right!

Just wanted to tell you all since I finally got said contract in my hot little hands, Total-E-Bound contracted the follow-up to Learning How to Bend, entitled, Must Be Doing Something Right. This is the story of Courteney and Nate (who shows up in LHTB). I got a tentative release date of late June.

I'm psyched.

I also sent in my farmer (now 40k) for resubmission and vampire (42k) is currently with and editor under first consideration.

Wish me luck.

Toodles.

So I Have This Story...

You may nor may not remember me talking about my farmer story. I subbed him and then got a reality check that knocked me on my behind.

BUT

I realized that the story I thought was SO GREAT... was really hiding within a huge story that was more junk and fluff than anything.

So what did I do?

Well, I cut the thing down. You see, I had a wonderful CP tell me, hey, this is written like a short story, but it's a full... what if you cut it down a bit? At first, I blanched. Cut my masterpiece down? Blasphemy! I had three other CPs look at the story and tell me it was ready to sub... um, not quite.

I thought about it a bit... yeah, it really did need cut down. Soooooo I went through with the proverbial red pen. I have no idea how much I chopped off, but I know it lost 6 chapters at least. We'll see. Among other things I did to make it better, was I had my Dh who hates to read (Romance is like asking him to eat his foot) to read it. And yes, he's found things in the slash-and-burn version that needed help, but he's also good at being blunt and honest. Funny, he's never worried about hacking my ego to bits BUT it helps. Really.

So I plan to send it to my trusted CP and then once it goes through her inspection, then I"ll resub it. At least the editor said, yeah it needs help, but send it back, I'll be happy to check it out again.

So back to my bat cave.

Toodles.

Random Thoughts

Well, I actually came to the end of one of my WIPs. Yep, I finished one I had on the back burner for a bit. It's an erotica piece and goes after my erotica piece contracted with Total E Bound. Will they like it? I hope, but it still needs some edits and to see the CP, but hey, it's written and, to me, that's half the battle.

At the same time, I have a contemporary WIP that's with the CP. We're half way through it and I think it's got a good chance of being contracted somewhere, but I'm not tooting my own horn. I just really like the story and have a soft spot for farmers.

So, now it's back to the vampire story. He's been neglected for a while and well, he's not complaining about where he's at... but I'm sure he'd like to get his HEA.

And there's a pesky Ancient Greece story floating around in my head that would love to be told. Ah, but I need time to do that. Someday.

So that's all for now.

Toodles.

Cooperation - That's the Name of the Game

Okay, I wanted to have some great long post today telling of how I managed to get my MS done. Yeah, right. Didn't happen.

Why is it, when you want the characters to cooperate, that's when they decide to do the OPPOSITE? Why?

I want to just say it's because they are men and men don't cooperate when you want them to, but that's too easy. I could say it's because they are human and who cooperates 100% of the time? Sorry, not I. (Shocker to find that out, huh?).

Well, I'm not sure why and I'm giving up worrying about it for now. I had two wise people tell me not to force the story, to let it write itself... okay, okay... I'm doing that. Maybe I've been hitting it way too hard lately... maybe not hard enough... I don't know.

I'm going back to my bat cave to stew about next week's Law and Order and to try to write something...

In the Mood...

I may have mentioned him before now, but I'm working hard on my farmer story, entitled A Matter of Trust. Now, I have a key scene and a wrap up scene yet to write.

Am I worried?

No.

I'm I a bit stuck?

You bet. I love to write a love scene. It's a beautiful way to express the devotion and passion between two people BUT I believe you must be in the right mind frame or, shall we say, in the mood. Really.

Think about it. When you feel arduous, its a mood. Anger sometimes brings it out, other times its the vision of a particularly yummy person of the opposite (or not so opposite) sex. But it's still a mood.

The same goes for writing about it. You can't write about sex if you aren't in the right mood. If not, it becomes a shuck and f**k and, really, is that sexy? Maybe, but not all the time. I like it to be beautiful and passionate, but that's me. Don't think I'm all sweetness and flowers. Roses do have thorns. Tee Hee.

So what do you do to get in the mood to write a love scene? I listen to a couple of favorite tunes and try to imagine in my head exactly what's going on between the two (or three or four) people. Dierks Bentley's "I Want to Make You Close Your Eyes" is a good one. So is "Putting My Misery on Display". I also use "Relentless" by Jason Aldean, "Come a Little Closer" also by Dierks, "The One" another by Gary, "Please Forgive Me" by Bryan Adams, and "See If I Care" yet another Gary Allan tune.

Now I ask again (Since I shared one of my iPod playlists), what's your song to get in the mood?