Blatant Self-Promotion

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S TO EVERYONE!

This morning while visiting my usual rounds of blogs while I had my coffee, I found an extremely generous offer at Cassandra Carr’s blog. (http://booksbycassandracarr.com/wordpress/?p=889#comment-1841)  She is offering writers the chance to promote their work on her blog. Wow! What a hugely generous gift.

Since I am always in search of new reading material, I thought I would borrow her idea and offer you the same chance here. Leave a comment in the comments section below. Tell us about your story, where to buy it, length, publisher, blurb, and tell us about your website too. In the spirit of giving, it would be nice if you returned the favour, but I don’t require it. (Don’t forget to thank Cassandra too.)

Don’t forget to stop by your favourite e-publisher and pick up The Gift.

Come of folks, lets share the wealth and find us some new authors to worship.

(I'm off now to check out some new books. I hope my visa can stand the strain. *grin*)

Hugs

Katie

(Okay, I've been to dozens of sites offering this generous gift. My to-be-read list is getting longer and longer. What a fabulous time I am going to have reading all these new-to-me authors. WOWSERS!)

Resolutions

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Mine was fabulous. I spent the day with my husband and daughters (and their husbands.) It was a fun filled day of games and good food, and a visit from my brother-in-law. Good times were had all around.

Today things start anew. I got up early and hit the treadmill. I’m backing off the sweets and junk now and getting back into healthy eating. Although I confess that I will never be a fan of vegetables. So I shall have to focus on fruits instead.

This is the time of year when people start making New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve basically stopped doing that. I never follow through on them anyway, and end up feeling bad about it later on. Oh, I know that there are many things in my life that need improvement, but over the past couple of years I have tried working on small changes as I notice things that need improvement or tweaked.

My current focus, which started last summer, is to get healthy. I am working out on a fairly regular basis. (Not as often as I should, but more often than I used to.) I am eating healthier. I am trying to reach my goal weight. But I am not dieting; I am just focusing on smaller portions, less junk and healthier foods. I try to hit the gym six days a week, but usually only make it four times. Still, that is a huge improvement over the way things have been for the past twenty years. With these small changes, I have managed to lose 35 pounds. I have another 35 or 40 to go, but I feel confident that they will slip away as well. I just need to keep on with the changes I have made, and slowly work those portions down from gargantuan to reasonable. I admit it; it is nice when someone notices that I am shrinking.

But back to the resolutions … no I am not going to make any actual resolutions. But here are the top ten things I know need work.

1.      I will swear less.

2.      I will eat healthier.
3.      I will hug my friends and family more often.
4.      I will try to control my temper.
5.      I will work out regularly.
6.      I will do some housework. (Note I said some….not a lot. LOL)
7.      I will indulge in some random acts of kindness.
8.      I will let my loved ones know I appreciate them.
9.      I will try to be a better person.
10.  I will write more.

Are you making any resolutions this year? Any big changes planned? Any small changes? I would love to hear about them.

Hugs

Katie

Friday 56

I’ve recently stumbled across a posting idea from a writer I love, Shiloh Walker. It is called Friday 56. You can find Shiloh here…. http://www.shilohwalker.com/website/

So here we go…..The book? 206 Bones by Kathy Reichs. Here is a teeny tiny exerpt from page 56 of Kathy's book. (Just to get you interested.)

“A man I work with.”

“A policeman?” One of my nieces was peering past us through the storm door. With her dark hair, green eyes, and ivory skin, Allie showed not a hint of her Baltic gene pool.

(Interesting how that small clip is descriptive but doesn’t really say much about the book. So far, I am enjoying this book immensely.)

 About the Friday 56

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
• Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
• Don’t dig for your favourite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Now that the Friday 56 is finished….. Let’s move on to something else

            Fabulous Friday to each and every one of you. Merry Christmas one and all. While I may be surfing the net tomorrow, I know that I won’t be posting anything here. After all Christmas is a time for family and friends so for the next three days I’ll be knee deep in good food, good friends and tasty alcohol.

            Today, I think I’ll bake a couple of apple pies and maybe some Snickerdoodles, listen to some Christmas music and drink coffee with my friends. Of course, I will have to do some writing too, because as I have mentioned before, I have to write …. if I don’t my head would explode from all the ideas racing around in there. So I’ll be doing some serious plotting on the next couple of novels and working away on my short story for my friend with the foot fetish.

So, Season’s Greetings, Merry Christmas and a stupendous New Year to you. Take care of you!

Hugs

Katie

Christmas Reading

I thought I would write a post about spicy holiday reads today.

You have to check out The Smutketeers Blog and read all about Four For Christmas. I’ve read the excerpts and it is going to be one very hot read. I can hardly wait to read the rest of it. R.G. Alexander is one of my new favorite authors. Check her out; you might even win a copy of her new book.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my own first my own novelette…The Gift. It is a very hot story of love and carnal bliss.

Another good place to check out holiday stories is the e-topia blog and Goodreads. (You will find both R.G.'s story and mine here.)

For upcoming reads, I am working on a couple of short stories, which I will post here. I’m also slaving away on a couple of steamy romances … (when I’m not knee deep in flour and sugar making cookies.)

Hugs Katie

Favorite Things

Around this time of year, I haul out some of my old favorite movies and watch them. Usually while I set up the tree(s) I watch Christmas movies, and The Sound of Music, which always makes me think of my favorite things. *grin*

Some of the movies I love to watch at Christmas are (in no particular order)

The Sound of Music
Flash Dance
Dirty Dancing
Miracle on 34^th Street
A Christmas Carol (Original with Alistair Sims)
Scrooged (Love that Carol Kane)
Bed Knobs and Broomsticks
Godzilla
Adventures in Babysitting
Goonies

My favorite Christmas CDs are Boney M and The Irish Rovers. How can you resist Gramma Got Run Over by A Reindeer? My favorite holiday treats are eggnog, shortbread cookies and white chocolate candy cane bark. Oh, and let’s not forget sweet potato casserole with marshmallows melted on the top. Yummy.

But my favorite holiday treat of all time is (cover your eyes kids) sex under the Christmas tree. Mm dark room with the only light coming from the tree, my sexy man, a cold beverage and some smoking hot sex on a soft blanket on the floor. So hot, so romantic.

Hugs

Katie

Holiday Preparations

It is confession time again...

I love Christmas! I love everything about it. The decorating, the tree, the lights, the music, giving gifts, getting gifts. All of it. I even like....shopping. This is the one and only time of year that I enjoy the mall. Okay, maybe I like lingerie stores all year. Oh and the 'adult toy' store. : ) But that's a side note. I also enjoy the baking, the cooking but mostly I love how everyone makes that little bit of an extra effort to be kind to each other. I wish we could be kinder all year long. (Yeah, I know I am as guilty as the rest of the world that way.)

Wow...that star is
really crooked!

Now, my trees are up. Yes I have two trees this year. One in the front entry for my clients to enjoy. The other in the family room, half buried under gifts. The house is decorated and smells deliciously of baking. No I have not yet started my baking. Sigh! I'm cheating with scented wax and a couple of Scentsy burners. LOL. The baking starts on Monday. I've finished my  commissions in my real life, and have all next week to play in the kitchen. And I will enjoy every minute of it. Well except for that one pan of cookies that I will forget and burn to a crisp. (Seems I do that every year.)

Fuelling my enthusiasm for the holidays are all the blogs I read each morning. I am totally addicted to writer's blogs. (Oh Crap! Was that another confession?) A good number of them are, naturally, focused on the holidays. I am particularly partial to http://www.smutketeers.com/ . They are having a holiday giveaway right now. A Twelve Days of Christmas thing.  They have inspired me to write my own version of that famous song.... I'm not saying it is good, but it does relate to romance and erotic novels. I'm not gonna list it all out, but here is the gist.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my writers gave to me....

Twelve darling damsels

Eleven vampire vixens
Ten tangled triangles
Nine lads a licking
Eight merry positions
Seven sexy studlings
Six whips of leather
Five glorious orgasms
Four erotic writers
Three French kisses
Two tangled lovers and
A super hot love story.

Okay, I admit it, it is not that great. But it makes me smile and that's all that matters.
Now, I'm off to write something naughty.

Hugs
Katie

Mmm Men

Let’s be up front right away here. I like men. I like the way they look, I like the way they smell, I even like their crazy Neanderthal behaviour. Many women don’t like attending sports functions, but I love it. I love watching MMA (Mixed Marital Arts), all those well-built sweaty men wrestling around. Well it just gets my hormones going.

I also love to watch lacrosse, both the pros and the masters. Again, hot-sweaty men having a good time, I’m not made of stone you know. I adore it when men act all tough and macho and tease each other ruthlessly to hide their true feelings of friendship and caring. I think it’s sweet, but I would never tell them that I am onto their deceptions.

Masters lacrosse is always interesting, the teasing the crude jokes and taunts, I find it all highly entertaining. Then there are the men. Mm mm, Delicious! For a while I didn’t go watch the games, but recently started again and re-discovered the fabulous world of scantily clad sweaty men. I also discovered that I have a thing for men’s calves. I like them sleek and toned with nice muscle definition. Not too bulgy though. I’m not even all that fussy about their length as long as they are in good shape. Just thinking about some of the ones I’ve seen over the years makes me tingle in all the right places.

Masters Lacrosse Legs. Yummy.

I know there’s no need to mention the half-naked men running around the rink. Physical trainers working on mostly naked men making them groan in agony or delight, does it get any better than that? Of course it does silly. Men flexing and stretching their barely covered bodies, some of which is real, but much of which is simply them showing off their stuff. Mmmm.  Let us not forget the buck-naked men wandering past open change room doors either. Love those backsides.

I’ve watched a lot of master’s games over the years and let me tell you there are a lot of really fine men out there. Some with fabulous bodies that just make you drool and think naughty thoughts. Cute ones and a couple of drop dead gorgeous ones too. Of course there are quite a few who are nothing special to look at, but once you get to know them you just want to cuddle up to them. To a man they are always sweet to me, talking to me keeping me company between games and generally being nice. I love it. Quite simply, it makes my day and fills my dreams with enticing and erotic images.

There really is something about being the only woman amongst a whole building full of men that makes a girl feel special. Again, I have to be honest ... I love being the centre of attention. What girl doesn't. LOL

Hugs

Katie

Publishers

I've just found out that in addition to Amazon and Barnes & Noble my book is also available at....

All Romance Books (Here you can buy it in many formats....Adobe Acrobat, Palm DOC/iSolo, HTML, Mobipocket (.prc), Mobipocket (.mobi), Epub)

It has also been sent to Kobo, Sony, and iBookstore, where books normally take several weeks to start appearing. (I'll post these links when it is available.)

 In other news, I've been busy working on my next erotica novel ...also known as Cliterature. LOL. As well, I'm deep into a more traditional romance. (Of course it will have some steamy scenes too.) For that I'll need another pen name if it ever gets to the publication stage. After all I wouldn't want my nice readers to learn about my naughty work. Of course, I've read that getting your second book published is harder than the first.  I guess the tendency is to rest on ones laurels and not put that much effort into the second one. So its up to you,  my fans (LOL), to keep  me motivated. Got a good idea for a story or a hot scene... e-mail it to me. (12curious@gmail.com)

Hugs
Katie

The Gift Has Arrived

Here it is folks...my first published novella. I am almost beside myself with excitement.
Buy it on Amazon
Buy it at Barnes & Noble

(Sorry about the typo on the cover, I'll get the corrected version today.)

Blurb:
     Sammy Jarvis is harboring a secret fantasy and desperately wants to make it a reality. Finally she finds the courage to ask her adoring husband for a special Christmas gift, one that will make her dreams come true. She wants Nick to help her find a woman to make love with.
     What is a man to do? Stymied, Nick turns to his old college lover Carl. While brainstorming the problem, Nick and Carl take a trip down memory lane to the time when they were lovers. With their rekindled desires satisfied for the moment, they devise a plan for Sammy to meet Carl’s girlfriend Gina.
    When Sammy and Gin meet, clothing begins to fly. Being with Gina is everything that Sammy had imagined, but now she wants more. She’s set her cap on Carl as well.
     Sammy’s heart is big enough to encompass them all, but is there room in her marriage to Nick to accommodate her new-found love for Gina and Carl, or will this tangled lover’s heap destroy them all?

Have a great day folks and enjoy your read.

Blurb....What The Gift is all about.

Okay, I have received the official word....publication date is this Friday. Yes. Yahoo. Holy crap am I excited. So in keeping with that excitement, I've included the publicity blurb for my upcoming book, The Gift.

       Sammy Jarvis is harboring a secret fantasy and desperately wants to make it a reality. Finally she finds the courage to ask her adoring husband for a special Christmas gift, one that will make her dreams come true. She wants Nick to help her find a woman to make love with.
     What is a man to do? Stymied, Nick turns to his old college lover Carl. While brainstorming the problem, Nick and Carl take a trip down memory lane to the time when they were lovers. With their rekindled desires satisfied for the moment, they devise a plan for Sammy to meet Carl’s girlfriend Gina.

    When Sammy and Gin meet, clothing begins to fly. Being with Gina is everything that Sammy had imagined, but now she wants more. She’s set her cap on Carl as well.
     Sammy’s heart is big enough to encompass them all, but is there room in her marriage to Nick to accommodate her new-found love for Gina and Carl, or will this tangled lover’s heap destroy them all?

I will post a link to purchase the book as soon as I have it. And, we should have cover art very soon.

Hugs
Katie

We're Off to the Proof-Readers

Well, the first round of edits is complete. Yahoo! Yehaw! Party and happy dance!

I've been told that my novella is now off for proof reading. I assume that means more edits to follow. This whole process is entirely new to me and I am a little nervous about what comes next. Time will tell whether I worry in vain or not. LOL. I am eager to learn the steps of this exciting journey.

I've also been told that my cover art is underway. I can't wait to see what they design for me. I'll all  a-quiver with excitement. I can't wait to print myself a copy and hang it on the fridge.

This week I told my brother-in-law, and my (husband's) cousin that I was being published as a writer of erotica. They were both extremely happy for me. The cousin wants to read it. I laughed and told him he would never learn my pen name. I am curious about other writers of erotica. Do you tell people what you write and let them know your pen name? Is it just me that blushes beet-red and starts stammering when I think about people I know reading my work? What if my mother read it? Oh my God! I would just die. What if my daughters read it? Oh wait, they would high-five me and say "Go Mom." LOL. (That doesn't mean I'm going to send them a copy!!)

Funny isn't it ... I love sex. I love reading about sex. I love writing about sex, but I don't want anyone to know exactly what I write. My closest friends know that I write erotica, and that I am being published, and I'm sure they know that I enjoy sex, but I can't help but wonder if they would think that I have done everything I write about. Just let me say here and now....hell no! I have not done all of it. I have not done most of it! I just have a very vivid imagination .....

I read a fair amount of erotica as well, and I have (*blushing*) even watched some porn. Doing this gives me ideas, and virtual experiences I can use in my writing. As I posted about earlier, I even spend time on an adult chat site talking to people about their sex lives, fantasies and disappointments. This too adds to my knowledge base. I spend time in public places like malls and restaurants, watching the interactions between people too. I'm learning to pick up the subtle clues people give off when interacting and hope to be able to incorporate that into my work.

So be warned, while what I write is fantasy, not reality: anything you say can and will be used in a future novel. Just kidding! Mostly.

If I steal from your life, know that your name will be changed to protect the innocent and the pervs alike. LOL

First Round of Edits

Just last week, I heard from me editor with my first round of edits on my upcoming release.
Holy hamburgers Batman! I can't remember the last time I saw that much red ink.
Clearly I have a lot to re-learn about grammar and punctuation. Thank god for spell-check; I shudder to think what my submission would have looked like without it.

I'm going to have to set up two monitors for my computer. I need one for my editor's suggestions, and one for the original document. I can't get a clear enough view when I try to use them both on the same screen. I don't expect that dual screen work will prove all that difficult once I get the hang of it; but initially it may prove awkward. Only time will tell.

I laughed when she told me that if there were any suggested changes that I did not wish to make, to let her know and she would make them for me. Too funny. Guess that shows me who is boss. I will let her win this time. But I expect that in the future we may clash over changes. For now, I shall bow to her better judgement.

And now, I'm off to fix my story and try to figure out what it is that I keep doing wrong. Might as well try to learn from my mistakes to reduce editing time later on.

Attraction: What Causes it?

This morning I am thinking about attraction and wondering what really causes it. A couple of recent events are playing over and over in my mind and have got me thinking.

Some background information is needed here. First I am not a young woman. (Well I am in my head.) I am just days shy of turning 49. Second, I am not the model type. I have a few extra pounds to lose and while I am working on it, there is a ways to go. Third, I am not stunningly beautiful. (Well, except in my head.) But I am considered cute and some have even said good looking. Okay, so now that we have established those facts, on with the rant.

A few days ago, a friend and I went for lunch. We had a fabulous time and shared a lot of laughter as we usually do. (We bring happiness where ever we go. Sometimes by being there; more often after we are gone. LOL) Our waiter was a male. I would guess early thirties. He really seemed to be enjoying our antics. The same cannot be said of the group of straight-laced women a few tables over, but that’s another story. He laughed and joked and teased with us and made constant eye contact with me. Now, where I’m from, that indicates interest or at least a bit of flirting. Long story short, when we left, he gave me his phone number. Wow. Now this guy was cute. Damned cute, but in my mind waaay to young for me. Still it was flattering. This was the first event that started me wondering about attraction.

A few days later, I hit the mall, it was waxing day. Let’s not even discuss the waxing process. Holy Ouch! I arrived early and had half an hour or so to wait. I am not a shopper, so I grabbed a coffee and settled myself down on one of those nice comphy couches for some people watching. I had only been there a few minutes when this young fella asked if he could sit beside me. Although there were other empty chairs I agreed knowing that sometimes you just want to look a certain direction. So he sits down and introduces himself as Bill and immediately launches into a conversation. We chatted a while about nothing, all the while I am wondering if he is just the chatty sort or what. Before long I had to leave and when I stood up to go, he asked if he could buy me dinner later. Yikes! A twenty something wanting to buy me dinner? I declined as gracefully as I could and moved on.

 
So, is it the cougar thing? Are you a cougar if they stalk you? Damned if I know.

So time marches on … I am standing in line at Starbucks. (I am a Tim’s Girl, but was getting something for the spawn.) The gentleman comes in and stands behind me and as we wait, he strikes up a conversation with me. Okay so this seems more reasonable. He looks about 50-55 ish. Much more my age and in my comfort zone. It takes a while to move to the front of the line, as it always does in these places, and we chat about things in general. Before long he is offering to buy my coffee. I was tempted to skip the visit with my daughter and spend some time with him. He was average looking but had the sweetest smile and laughing eyes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not interested in cheating on my husband, but it is nice to be the center of a man’s attention. In the end, I declined once again and went to visit with the kid.

So now, in less than a week, I have had three men express interest in me and I am curious what sparked that interest. I have a few theories.

First, for the younger fellas, I’m going with the cougar theme. Makes sense to me. Second, for the fella who was my age, general friendliness on both our parts and perhaps some common interests.

Third, could it be sex appeal? Do I have it? I’ve been told yes. I have a friend (more than one actually. LOL) Sheila (not her real name) is one of those friends you only see every few months, but fall back into the friendship as if you were never apart. We haven’t seen each other for almost two years as we’ve both been crazy busy. Sure we talked on the phone, but no face to face meetings. Anyway, a few weeks ago she told me that something about me had changed. When I asked her what, she said I ooze sensuality and sexual confidence. I do??? Holy Hell Batman! Who knew? Certainly not me!

Okay, so all my life, I have lacked self-confidence. Deep inside I have known that I was a valuable person and that I was moderately attractive. Although I have to admit, that I never quite felt I measured up. It didn’t bother me; it is just how I felt.

Now my husband plays sports and I like to go watch him play. (Sharing your spouse’s interests is good for the marriage!) So over the last couple of years, I have attended as many games as possible and that makes me rather an oddity. Most of the wives never watch, and a few watch occasionally. Initially, the guys were wary and stayed away from me. Now, to a man they all greet me and spend a few minutes chatting me up. Damned good for the ego! One of them mentioned that it was “smoking hot” that I spent so much time watching my man. I laughed at the time, but it got me thinking. (I think a lot, but rarely ever reach a conclusion.)

So as time progressed and I talked to the boys, my self-confidence grew and I began to feel better about myself. Don’t get me wrong, I never felt bad, but I started feeling better.  I think this is part of what gave me the sexual self-confidence. I visited with a male-friend recently and he mentioned the change as well and told me that to a man, self-confidence and sensuality trump a hot body every time. It’s all about the mind being into it, not how a person looks. This was one of those you had to be there moments, because in no way did it seem like he was insulting my body, and strangely it wasn’t like he was hitting on me. Ours is not that type of friendship. Just friends, no benefits!

 So there you have it, a long rambling post with no real point, except to say that sexual self-confidence turns guys on. Oh, and I have it! LOL!

Research: A Visit to an Adult Chat Room

While I haven't been blogging here for very long, some of you may have realized that I have a naughty streak. That would explain why I write erotica. LOL.

Lately I've been a bit stuck for inspiration. I am not worried about it, it is simply how it goes when you are a writer. Ideas come and go, some of them are even good. Some of them are great. Some are a little suspect. Other times, the ideas don't come at all. I believe this is all part of the writing process.

When I have ideas, good or bad, I write them down in my idea file. That way when I am stuck for inspiration, I have a place to go search for something to jump-start the creative process. On occasion I read those ideas and wonder what the hell I was thinking, other times they provide the inspiration I was seeking.

Now, for my current project, I was looking for some inspiration, and found myself on an adult chat site. Holy hand-grenades Batman! There are some real strange people out there! I have spent literally hours on this site talking with folks of all types. Some are fascinating, some not so much. Generally, on this specific site, men outnumber the women about six to one. On occasion the ratio is higher. Friday night, it was sixteen to one and I was the one which made me very popular. I won't deny it is good for the ego.

So here I am, poor little innocent Katie, on an adult chat site, chatting with sixteen guys, all of us discussing sex. Mm mm mmm. It was a riot. It was educational. I laughed a lot and I learned a lot. You can chat 'publicly' here or share private messages with the different members. In private chats I have learned about everything from turn ons, to being a service provider to fetish play.

I tell all the guys and dolls who are chatting that I am married, don't mess around and am just there for fun. They accept that and respect my boundaries. They seem to accept just about everything.

In public chat, the conversation occasionally gets out of hand. When it does a moderator steps in and reprimands people and things go back to 'normal.' While all the talk of sex and sports is fascinating, what I really find intriguing is the gallantry of the men there. Don't get me wrong here, I expect things to be rude, crude and waaaaaay over the top. It is an adult/sex chat site and I am not easily offended. If I was, I surely wouldn't be there. When things have gotten particularly rude, I have had the moderator pm (private message) me and tell me that if the guys are bothering me or are too out of hand to let him know and he will step in.Several men have sent me pms offering to defend my honor. Guys have spoke out in the public chat suggesting that things be scaled back while the ladies are present. And I thought that chivalry was dead. Apparently not! (And why would I want things scaled back on my behalf, that would take the fun out of it.) I do thank those gallant gentlemen for sticking up for me.

Now, you have to realize that all my writing is fiction. It does not come from events in my life or from people I know. But I can see where the stories I hear in chat could be an inspiration. Everyone there has a 'handle', so it is all anonymous, so privacy is protected, even as their stories jump start my creativity. So if any of my chat friends should stumble upon this blog or my stories, know that I am grateful for your inspiration and that your identity is safe with me. Oh wait, I don't actually know who you are, so you are more than safe.

All in all, it is great fun and listening to the stories provides me with a lot of inspiration and occasionally an eduction.

Hugs
Katie.

AND SO IT GOES ...

Wow. Time flies when you are having fun! I've been sadly negligent about posting here.
There are days when I wished I had twelve hands and about eight brains. I have so many irons in the fire that I can't seem to keep up with everything. I wish I knew who's fault that was.

Those of you who know me are aware that I run a business out of my home and that this writing this is a new/revised passion. I've been a writer for years and only just signed my first contract. I'm fiddling with the paperwork for that, all the while trying to keep my attention on my business. Which also requires a whack of paperwork. And God forbid ... accounting. Please someone come and do the accounting. I'm begging here ...

For me, the writing comes in spurts. I'll write non-stop for days or weeks, then nothing. I'm wondering if I write myself out and need to pace myself better. Perhaps if I divided my times between business and writing I would manage better. But, that's  not me. I'm kind of an all or nothing girl. Both feet in, whole hog and all that rot. Obsessive compulsive? Maybe! Its hard not to let one interest or passion get in the way of the others.

I'm working on about four new stories right now. Ideas are coming fast and furious ... so my regular clients are on hold. Its a good thing I have deadlines for my real work. It forces me to get after things and get them finished. Without deadlines, nothing around here would ever get finished. Not even this post ....

Hold The Phone!

Okay, I've got to be honest here. I thought that writing a story was hard enough. But holy kamoly! The paperwork that follows is insane.

Here is a partial list of all the things I have to do before this thing is published. Write a biography for the back of the book. Come up with a dedication. Write a short and a long blurb for publicity purposes. Choose an experpt that tells about the story without giving it all away. Preferably one that is hot but not too spicey. Find a list of books by other publishers that have a similar feel. Generate a list of characters with descriptions and traits (which I had while working then deleted, so I have to redo this.) Sigh!

Then there is the tax paperwork. I live in Canada, the publisher is in the States. So much government paperwork ensues. There are even lawyers, yes lawyers involved in the paperwork. I am so NOT looking forward to that. I'll just open up my wallet and watch all that hard earned money dissipate. But in the end, it will save me some money, so I should be grateful.

It is hard to write a biography for oneself. You want to talk about your likes and dislikes and your history, but you also need to maintain your anonymity. Holy crap, if some of the people I work with found out what I do, land-sakes-alive, look out because the crap would hit the fan.  YIKES! I would be ostracized.

Of course my kids think its great, so does my mother, my sisters, and my husband. I have told some of my friends who are thrilled for me (if not a little leery.) But there are also friends who will never learn the truth of my alter ego.

So hold the phone, stop calling me. It's way to easy to distract me I plug away at all this paperwork and wish I was writing a new story instead.

I'm Gonna be a Superstar!

WOW

I am excited beyond belief.

I am officially going to be published.

I’ve dabbled in writing since shortly after high school. I’ve tried my hand at poetry, science fiction, romance, adventure stories and just about everything else. At long last I have found my niche. Erotica. How would have thought it? Surely not me. Well, okay … I would have, but only because I have an in depth knowledge of the twisted workings of my mind.

For the most part, my writing has focused on romance. On a number of occasions, I received the feedback that my writing had a unique voice and that I had some skill with writing sex scenes, but my worked lacked a decent storyline.

What was a girl to do after all those rejections? Why set out to improve her work and develop better story lines of course. I kept on trying, writing and re-writing. Ideas kept jumping into my head and demanding to be released as stories. So I continued to write. Finally, after much thought and consideration, I decided to channel my inner naughty and go straight for the zest. Anyone who knows me is well aware that my mind spends a lot of time in the gutter. (Grin.)

There is something inside me that drives me to write. It is impossible for me NOT to write. I think my head would explode if I kept all those ideas trapped inside. I even dream story lines. I have thought about keeping a notebook beside my bed so I can start writing the ideas down. But then again, maybe not because some of those dreams seem like fabulous stories while I am dreaming, but are a little suspect on closer examination under daylight.

Early this week I signed a contract with etopia for the publication of my novel-ette (I don’t like the word novella; it is too stuffy.) Late last month I submitted my story to their Ho-Ho-Holiday Heat, call for submissions. Frankly, I expected another PFO letter. (I’ve gotten used to them. They no longer crush my ego and desire to write.) I was ecstatic to be invited to sign a contract for publication.

The day I received my notification I was home alone. Hubby was away for work, my closest friends were on holidays or unavailable, even my kids were out of contact. So, I called my mother. She is very excited at my success even after I told her that she would never-ever-ever read my erotica. Can you just imagine? I would die!

So my story, with the working title ‘The Gift’ is scheduled for release in time for Christmas reading. (It does take place during the holiday season.)

Am I expecting fame and super-stardom? Of course I am. Okay kidding. I’ll just be happy to sell a copy and get some reader feedback.