I’m one of a whole bunch of great indie authors who are posting a sexy moment from one of their books this morning.  You can find more of them here, at My Sexy Saturday.  The only rule is to post either 7 words, 7 sentences or 7 paragraphs, and this week’s theme is a moment when a character who has “lost” their sexy feelings gets them back.

Well, there’s a perfect moment in the Dream Series.  It comes near the end of book #4, DREAM FAMILY.  For most of the book, Sara is a wreck, recovering from the traumatic experience she suffered after she was arrested.  But she does come through it and out the other side, as you can see here in these seven paragraphs…

Before the front door even closes, my lips are on his, my arms around him, my hands reaching to touch every inch of his body.  I want to pull him down on the floor, right here, tear off his clothes and…

He’s happy to go along with that; his body is pressed against mine, his hands exploring me, and he’s already very – well, involved.  But I pull back.  I’m ready, too; my body is completely responsive, doing everything it’s supposed to and more, but there’s one thing missing.

“Not out here,” I say.  “And not this way.”  He looks at me, but his eyes aren’t quite focused; I think I overwhelmed him.  That’s not how I want this to go.  I take his hand, lightly, and gesture towards our bedroom.  After a moment, recognition settles across his face and I’m absolutely certain we’re thinking of the same thing: that night, that first night almost nine years ago.

I lead him into the bedroom and I go straight to the bedside table.  I pick up my rings and bring them to Brian.  He holds out his hand, and I drop them into his waiting palm.  “You do it.  Please.”  Slowly, gently, he does.  First, Grandma Roberta’s diamond slides onto my finger with no difficulty, no pain at all.  Then the simple yellow gold of the wedding band, just as easily.  The rest of me is going to be naked soon enough, but my ring finger is finally dressed the way it should be.

I take his face in my hands, pull him to me, and I kiss him.  His arms surround me, but everything is slower now, more controlled – and at the same time far more intense.  His hand goes to that spot on the back of my neck, and my legs go weak; I throw my arms around his neck to hold me up.  Then my hand wanders down to his spot, in the small of his back, and I caress it just so.  It only takes the tiniest bit of pressure and his knees buckle.

We stand there, holding each other up, until I finally break the kiss.  I take a step back from him and unbutton my blouse, letting it fall to the floor.  Then my jeans, and now I’m wearing only my underwear.  He’s still dressed, but that’s fine; I’ll take care of him soon enough.  First things first.

I kiss him again; his lips, his chin, then his neck, and he gasps.  I bury my head there, and his hands cradle me.  Everything else disappears.  My eyes are closed, but all my other senses are almost overwhelmed by Brian.  His scent fills my nose, the salty, sweet taste of his skin is on my lips, the gentle pressure of his touch surrounds me, the sound of his heart beating in rhythm with mine is the only thing I hear – he’s my entire world.

The book is available on Amazon and it’s also available as an Audible audiobook.

 

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I’ve got an indie author I’ve had here before, and she’s got a new book out.  Please say hello to Suz deMello…

I’m just going to turn the blog over to Suz for a few minutes…

Travel: It’s All About the Shopping—18^th Century Style (#MFRW_ORG #kindle)

Those of you who follow my blogs (Mom? bro?) are aware that I’ve written two prior blogs about this subject, one when I lived in southeast Asia (http://tinyurl.com/mjrpexn) and one when I spent a year in China teaching English to toddlers (http://tinyurl.com/nxdk5jz).

Weirdly, I’m not a particularly avid shopper. I don’t go malling and don’t view shopping as a pastime. Sometimes it’s okay when I’m in the mood, but usually…not. But when I find myself in a new, exotic city, I love to wander around the stores and see what’s being sold, compare foods, clothes, trinkets to goods I’d find in my hometown.

And thus it might have been for Isobel Kilburn, who at age eighteen traveled to Edinburgh to enjoy the 1766 social season before she was slated to enter an arranged marriage to Edgar, laird of the neighboring clan, the MacReivers.

Leaving aside the question of what strong-willed Isobel thought about being denied the choice of a mate, what would she have seen in the Edinburgh shops? How might she react?

Though Isobel was a high-born young lady from a wealthy clan, Kilburn Castle is located in the far northwest of the Highlands, far away from any town or city of substance. So imagine: before she arrived in Edinburgh, Isobel had never seen a shop. She would have seen goods for sale at fairs or other gatherings, but such events would have been few at Kilburn.

So the first wonder for Isobel would have been the city itself. And even now, in the 21^st century, Edinburgh is a wonder and a joy. I’ve been there a couple of times, and it’s a lovely city.

Let’s get back to the question: what would have been sold in the shops of 1766 Edinburgh?

At the time Edinburgh was the center of the Scottish Enlightenment. From the 1740s onward, the city came to be seen as a center of forward thinking especially in the areas of economics, history, science, philosophy and medicine—a new medical branch had been formed at the university there in 1726.  So bookstores and coffeehouses flourished. Having been educated by her governess, Alice Derwent Kilburn (the heroine of Desire in Tartan), Isobel would have been capable of participating in the intellectual discussions of the time. But ‘tis unlikely she was interested—her main pursuits at Kilburn were riding unbroken horses and getting into trouble.

Though the city was unmarred by excessive industrialization, a linen weaving works had been established in Canongate and drapers—what we’d call fabric stores—abounded.

And what was the nature of the city? Fairly wealthy. Several major banks were headquartered there. Music was popular and the Edinburgh Music Society established in 1728. Many improvements were made during the time Isobel visited. And improvements were needed—Edinburgh was thought to be one of the most crowded and unsanitary cities in Europe.  However, the overcrowding threw all social classes together—lords might live in the same tall row-house as a chimney sweep.

But the improvements changed that to a certain degree. The newer parts of the town were seen as more desirable than the older quarter, where the poor remained while the wealthier moved on.

I hope I’ve intrigued you enough! If not, here’s what the story is about:

 

 

Bridling his Vampire by Suz deMello:

Scotland, 1766.

Edgar, Laird MacReiver, has never regretted his decision to wed Isobel, daughter of Clan Kilburn’s laird, until she bites his tongue and drinks his blood. Still, he’s determined to bridle the wild child of the infamous vampire clan by any means necessary, including bondage and discipline.

But are some women impossible to tame?

And here’s Suz herself…

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s worked for Total-E-Bound, Liquid Silver Books and Ai Press, where she is currently Managing Editor. She also takes private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

–Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com

–For editing services, email her at suzswift@yahoo.com

–Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sueswift, and visit her group page at  https://www.facebook.com/redhotauthorscafe

–She tweets her reading picks @ReadThis4fun and @Suzdemello

–Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/

–Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads

–Her current blog is http://www.fearlessfastpacedfiction.com

 

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For those of you who don’t recognize the name, Joyce DiDonato is an opera singer (and a pretty major star).  She’s also a passionate advocate for the arts.  And last week, she gave the commencement address at Juilliard.  You can read it in full at her website or watch it on YouTube.  It’s an amazing speech, full of wisdom that’s equally applicable to every single one of us, whether we’re in the performing arts, or any other creative field or any other calling we might have:

Here’s one of her pieces of wisdom that really struck me:

This can be a particularly hard, and humbling lesson to face – and it’s one I’ve had to continue to learn at every stage of my own journey – but this is a freeing and empowering truth. You may not yet realize it, but you haven’t signed up for a life of glory and adulation (although that MAY well come, and I wish with every fiber of my being, that it WILL come in the right form for every single one of you – however, that is not your destination, for glory is always transitory and will surely disappear just as fleetingly and arbitrarily as it arrived.) The truth is, you have signed up for a life of service by going into the Arts. And the life-altering results of that service in other people’s lives will NEVER disappear as fame unquestionably will. You are here to serve the words, the director, the melody, the author, the chord progression, the choreographer ~ but above all and most importantly, with every breath, step, and stroke of the keyboard, you are here to serve humanity.

Like I said, I think this is applicable to every one of us.  The real value in everything we do – the ONLY value, ultimately – is in how it impacts the people around us, our friends and family, but also all those unseen, unknown people who are touched in ways we might never even realize, by the things we do, the things we create and share.  It’s difficult to come to terms with that sometimes; I know I have a lot of trouble seeing it, when I’m refreshing my sales screen a hundred times a day to see if there’s been one additional download of one of the books, but it’s absolutely the truth.  All the material things pass – money, fame, stuff – but the ways that we touch the lives and the souls of the people around us will last forever.

Go read/watch the rest of it!

(there is a very slight connection here to my books; Sara’s eldest daughter, Grace, might be headed to Juilliard herself – but you’ll have to wait until Book 10 to find out for sure!)

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Good friend, great author and all-around cool person Shanna Hatfield has a new book out today…

Shanna Hatfield is a hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure. In addition to blogging, eating too much chocolate, and being smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller, she is a best-selling author of clean romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

Follow Shanna online:

ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter

Or, you can email her at shanna@shannahatfield.com

And here’s her BRAND NEW  book!

Condemned to a future of shame and regret, Marnie Jones battles herself to keep going one day at a time. Divested of hope, she’s all but given up when a handsome stranger arrives in town. Desperate for the marshal to ride on out of Pendleton, Marnie fears he’ll rekindle the embers of her broken dreams into a roaring flame before he leaves.

Married to his career, US Marshal Lars Thorsen avoids relationships of any kind. Spending his days transporting prisoners, guarding political figures, and chasing down fugitives, he doesn’t have room in his life for feelings or emotions. Especially not the tender, protective feelings stirred by the woman who wants him or the two orphans who need him

You can buy it on Amazon RIGHT NOW or you can visit Shanna’s website to learn more about it…

 

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During the online launch party for DREAM HOME last week, I posed a question: who should play the characters in the Dream Series, if it were ever made into a movie.  I’ve had some thoughts along those lines myself, but there were some good suggestions, and I was also inspired to a new addition to my personal “dream” cast.

For Sara, Ashley Rickards was mentioned for the college-age Sara of the first two books (she’s born in 1992, which makes her exactly the right age for it), and Alexis Bledel for the mid-30’s Sara of the later books (Alexis was born in 1981, so she’s 33 now – perfect for WAKING DREAM, DREAM REUNION and DREAM HOME).  I think Alexis almost looks young enough to maybe pull off the 21-year old Sara of DREAM STUDENT, but that’s a tough call.

Now, as everyone who’s read it knows, DREAM STUDENT is set in 1989-90.  If a movie of it had been made at that time, there’s really only one choice (why, yes, I did watch “Say Anything” the other day, thanks for asking): Ione Skye.  Her character in that movie is actually fairly close to Sara (although Diane Court could have used a father like Howard Barnes instead of the tax cheat she had in the movie!) .

Ashley Rickard

Alexis Bledel

Ione Skye (in “Say Anything”)

The revelation I had was about who should play Sara’s father, Howard Barnes.  I already know that, if it’s up to me, Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown, companion to both the 5th and 6th Doctors in “Doctor Who”)  would play her mother, Betty Barnes.

Howard ought to be played by another British actor (I’m sure he can do an American accent just fine!), Mark Williams.  You might know him from “Doctor Who” (he played Rory’s father last season), but you definitely know him as Arthur Weasley in the “Harry Potter” films:

 

 

And there’s no question – Sara’s mother in law, Helen Alderson, has to be played by Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore in “Gilmore Girls”)

 

So there you have it – the cast is coming along nicely, don’t you think?

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As in, if you want to interact with me, ask me about the books, or anything else along those lines.

There are a couple of new ways to do that.  One is to sign up for my newsletter.  I’m looking to make it semi-monthly (is that right?  I mean every other month.  Is that “bi-monthly”?  I always get confused!) or maybe even motnhly, although that might be a bit too much like spam for some people’s comfort (especially because there would be additional emails when new books are launching).

Anyway, the signup form is on the right side of the screen – right there where the boxes are to enter your name and email address (and, really, you only actually need to enter your email – you can leave the name boxes blank).  Just fill in your email address, hit “subscribe” and Bob’s your uncle (if anyone knows where that phrase comes from, I’m curious to know!)

I’ve also set up a discussion group on Goodreads for the Dream Series books.  Just click here, and you can join the group and discuss the books, ask me questions about them, and so forth.  It’ll be fun.  I promise!

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I’ve got another great indie author for you…meet F.E. Feeley:

F.E. Feeley Jr was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and lived there for twenty years before joining the military. He is a veteran of the US Armed Services; having done a tour in support of Operation Iraq Freedom in 2002-2003, he turned college student, pursuing a degree in political science. He now lives in Southeast Texas where he is engaged to the love of his life, John, and where they raise their 1½ year old German shepherd, Kaiser.

As a young man, reading took center stage in his life, especially those novels about ghosts, witches, goblins, and all the other things that went bump in the night. His favorite authors include such writers as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice, whose work allowed him to travel to far off places and meet fascinating and scary characters. As a gay man, he wishes to be able to write good fictional literature for those who love the genre and to write characters that readers can relate to. All in all, he is a cigarette smokin’, whiskey drinkin’, rock and roll lovin’, tattoo wearin’ dreamer of a man with a wonderful partner who puts up with his crap and lets him write his stories.

Follow him at his website, and on Goodreads.

His newest book is “Objects in the Rear-View Mirror”

Memoirs of the Human Wraiths

Their new home on Frederick Street in Clay Center, Kansas, was supposed to give writer Jonathan David and his husband, clinical psychologist Dr. Eddie Dorman, an opportunity to enjoy married life. Jonathan has just released his first major bestseller, and he hopes to finally escape his traumatic past and find the quiet existence he has always craved. Eddie has taken a job at the Kansas State University psychology department, and they intend to begin anew.

They have barely settled in when the nightmare begins. Noises, disembodied voices, and mysterious apparitions make Jonathan’s life hell. Part of the house has decided to bare its teeth, show its jagged edges, and bring back the worst of Jonathan’s past. At first, Eddie cannot perceive the spectral events and fears for his husband’s sanity. When he’s also affected by the haunting, he’s unsure of what to do but refuses to be beaten.

Together, they seek a way to fight the forces trying to tear them apart. The world is a frightening place, but confronting their fears plunges Jonathan and Eddie into absolute horror

You can find it on Amazon along with his other books

And, I’ve got an interview with him, too…

  

Who is your favorite author?

My favorite author would have to Be Stephen King. He writes in such a way, has such a handle on the human condition, that you can’t help but get swept away by him.

 How do you describe your writing style?

I am a pantser by trade. My adhd is severe enough that I would have a meltdown trying to write out a outline and stick to it.

Use no more than two sentences. Why should we read your book?

I think you should read my books because I think I’m a pretty good author. Even though I write horror, other themes appear underneath the surface and tell an even broader story.

 Have any of your characters been modeled after yourself?

All characters of fiction exist inside the mind of the writer. So it’s only fair to admit that all of them are me in some way or another.

If you could exchange lives with any of your characters for a day which character would you choose and why?

I think I would like to be Francine, the medium that makes appearances throughout the book and who’s story will be played out through the end of this series.

What books have most influenced your life?

Book List: The Stand, The shining, Lightning by Dean Koontz, Watchers by Dean as well, and The Dark Tower series to name a few.

If you could select one book that you could rewrite and add your own unique twist on, which book would that be and why?

A book I could change? That’s hard. Uh…Mrs.Brisby and The Rats of Nihm. Jonathan would have stuck around and been the kids step father.

Beatles or Monkees? Why? 

Beatles…their writing was brilliant. While I never liked the band, I’ve loved the covers over the years.

Who should play you in a film of your life?

Who should play me in a f film of my life…..I would like Giovanni Ribisi to portray me. I think he’d get it.

 

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As part of the book launch, I was featured at several websites, and there was some fun material I wrote for them…

A character interview with Sara, at Alisha Robinson’s blog

Another character interview, with Sara and Brian, at Shanna Hatfield’s blog

A feature with an excerpt from the book at Sheri Fredricks’ Friday Flames

A post about how the Dream Series came to be written, at Melissa Snark’s Snarkology

A post about the villains of the Dream Series at M.L. Guida”s blog

And a guest post about avoiding the “Moonlighting curse” (how to keep the story going after Happily Ever After) at Neely Powell’s Storylines blog

Check them all out!

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“Dream Home” is officially for sale!  You can find it at Amazon!

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I featured Teshelle and her novel “The System” last week, but I’ve got more from her today – here’s an interview with a great indie author:

Who is your favorite author?

Can I pick two? Suzanne Collins and Toni Morrison. Suzanne wrote my favorite series, ‘The Hunger Games,’ in all its thunder dome glory. And Toni is the one who started this whole mess. It was after reading ‘Beloved,’ that I fell in love with the art of writing. She’s so eloquent, so profoundly mysterious that I couldn’t help wanting to be her.
How do you describe your writing style?

Action-packed and well-paced, with surprising bouts of profundity throughout. I like kick-butt books and I can’t lie…whatever I spend my time on has got to keep up with my brain to hold my interest. So I tend to write to match!
Use no more than two sentences. Why should we read your book?

Because it could change your life.
Have any of your characters been modeled after yourself? 

I think each of my characters have bits of me sprinkled in. Nessa, from ‘the System,’ is probably the closest. I took her hatred for driving right from my own life experience–although my driving test went exponentially better than hers did. Her sassy, quirky inner dialogue might be a little like mine as well.

And Ava, from ‘Core,’ would probably be my alter ego. The fierce, jaded, don’t-give-a-crap attitude is so cool to me, but I’m pretty much the opposite in real life.

 

 

If you could exchange lives with any of your characters for a day which character would you choose and why?

Ava Ava Ava!! Why? It’s very simple. Ava has Cale. And if I could have a dragon as handsome and caring and honest and perfect as Cale, I’d just curl up next to him and die. She’s probably the luckiest girl in the galaxy, but she doesn’t always realize it. Plus she’s tough, and she can hold her own in the ring and out. If I were to be a character in any book, I couldn’t handle being one of those sissy girl types who trips all the time and can’t take care of themselves. Ava is so far from that it’s scary.
If you could select one book that you could rewrite and add your own unique twist on, which book would that be and why? 

Oh boy! I do this all the time in my head. Right now, I’d rewrite Divergent, because that would be fun and I love that series! Here’s what I’d change:

I’d slowly turn Tris into a bad guy, beginning with the ‘Al’ incident where her encounter with her former friend leads to him killing himself. Perfect opportunity to plant some dark seeds in her. And then by the end of the first book, I’d have her exiled to join the Factionless, where she’ll wallow in her anger and vengeance until she decides to exercise her wrath and destroy the entire dystopia!
Beatles or Monkees? Why?

Okay, every time I say this, I get glared at. Some people even leave the room…

I don’t like the Beatles.

I mean, they’re fine. They made good music. I just don’t understand what’s so magical about them. I’m a musician and a singer, but I grew up in the Virgin Islands and we never listened to them, ever. So I just missed the Beatles boat. It wasn’t until college that I had a taste, and by then, it was too late. And the Monkees? No idea who that even is! But ask me about some Bob Marley and I’ve got you covered!

 

Who should play you in a film of your life?

This might be the hardest interview question I’ve ever been asked. Who would be me? How about Anna Shafer who played Romilda Vane from the Harry Potter series? Of course, I would hope she wouldn’t have to be unkind or snotty anything like that when she played me, but she’d do great being weird and cool and introverted. Yes, I pick Anna!!

 

Thank you so much for letting me chat with you. I had fun answering these questions!!

Find out more about Teshelle at her website, and look for her books at Amazon…

 

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