Friday, January 31, 2014

Hot Story Friday - With The Lights On @AylaRuse


Ayla Ruse released With the Lights On, an erotic contemporary romance, on December 20, 2013 with Changeling Press.

She won’t have any place to hide once he gets his hands on her.

Tia’s an intelligent, beautiful woman who’d rather remain at the sidelines of life. This includes her sex life—or lack thereof. She used to dream of finding pleasure in a man’s arms, but she knows it’s only fantasy. She’s build different, or she’s broken. Either way, it means she can’t give into the temptation to be with the man she wants.

Damien’s been attracted to Tia for months, but with their differing schedules, it hasn’t been easy to get close. When the perfect opportunity presents itself he takes a leap, straight into her arms and straight toward…a lackluster coupling?

Presented with a challenge, Damien pulls out all the stops to ensure Tia has an unforgettable night, and it’ll be the first of many if he has his way. Now that Tia has nowhere to hide, will she give herself over to Damien’s care, or will she run away?
Warning: Explicit Sex  |  Heat Level: R+ Extremely Graphic Sex
Get to know Ayla Ruse.
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Some Love for Wulf, Tales of the Chosen @kayelleallen #RLFblog #scifichat


Wulf, Tales of the Chosen 
Cover Love at Romance Lives Forever is a short intro to a book and includes a cover, blurb, buy links, and social media contacts for the author. Today's featured book is Wulf, Tales of the Chosen, a gay scifi romance by Kayelle Allen.

When the fate of hearts rivals the fate of worlds, victory costs everything.
Superstar Wulf Gabriel must depend on the one man he swore he would never trust again. The most powerful and feared man in the empire - the Harbinger. Lust. Power. Forgiveness. A Chosen loves forever.
Wulf Gabriel longs for freedom. A superstar in the Tarthian Empire, he is bound by an unscrupulous agent to a restrictive contract. With his career threatened and his life at risk, Wulf must trust the one man he swore would never again control him -- Luc Saint-Cyr, the Harbinger.
For the Harbinger, saving Wulf is a simple matter of asserting his will. The enigmatic man's legendary power makes him the most feared person in the empire. To win the heart of Wulf, Luc will have to risk his own.

Buy This Book

Newly edited and re-released January 9, 2014

Author Social Media

Monday, January 27, 2014

Head Hopping -- the Problem with Multiple POVs



POV - is basically who is telling the story.

If there are multiple people POV (point of views) in a story, then the question becomes who story is this?

According to a blog at The Wild Rose Press. http://behindthegardengate.blogspot.com/ , this is the single most reason for manuscripts to be rejected.

Why?

Because new authors jump from head to head, not staying with one person long enough for the reader to understand that person's emotions and feelings before they jump to someone else.

It confuses the reader and pulls them out of the best stories. Most authors try to write a scene in one person's POV. Then when they start the next scene they may switch to another person's POV.

The only time I tend to break this rule is if I'm writing a love scene. I might go for a page in herione's POV and then switch to the hero's POV. This way I can reveal both of their emotions.

There are of course many ways to tell a story. 1st person POV only uses one person through the whole book.

3rd person POV usually uses more than one person. But how many is too many?

That question is up to the author of the piece.

The main question to ask is who has the most invested in this book, in this scene, that is the person who the reader should connect. In most romances, the heroine and hero are the two most important characters. Though some authors can get by with having multiply POV in a book. It is important for the reader to stay in each person's POV long enough for them to connect to the character. If it's for one one scene in the book, then the author might want to question why she/he has included it in the book.

Other questions to ask when choosing who is going to tell the story--

Who has the best chance of getting your message across?

Who has the most to lose?

Remember your readers need to be able to follow the story if they are to enjoy it the way the author envisioned.

Hope this helped,

Anita



Thursday, January 23, 2014

Hawk MacKinney - Book of Blood and Gold





Blood and Gold,
Book 3 in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series





by Hawk MacKinney


~~~~~~~~~~~~~


BLURB:



Blood and Gold, the third book in The Craige Ingram Mystery Series, once again tests the instincts and skills of retired Navy SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram. Lust, greed, body parts and unrestrained wild sex parties are what await Craige Ingram when he leaves the comforts of his South Carolina home to visit his former SEAL buddy, Detective Spinner Krespinak. Set in the Colorado underbelly of a sordid sable and faux glitz ski mecca, Detective Spinner Krespinak suspects drugs have made their way to the snowy playground that is Aspen. An Olympic ski hopeful is brutally murdered, Spinner vanishes, and Craige Ingram is shot as events spin out of control with a Catch-22 no one anticipates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Excerpt :


The drive up the narrow mountain rutted road was a risky, hands-on-the-wheel icy slid-and-skid.  With a grim set to his jaws, Spinner didn’t say a word the whole way.  They parked among the jumble of squad cars.  Craige avoided the taped-off areas while Spinner huddled with Loopy.  Silently they paced-off and studied the layout of each room of the mansion…each room except the one where death waited to greet Spinner.  No one except Craige and Loopy knew how Spinner wasn't as detached as he appeared.  Spinner traced and retraced his steps.  Seeing beyond Spinner’s detached veneer of the professional, Craige could read the surly stir of emotions Spinner was struggling to control.    
       


Finally…there was nothing left except to face the grizzly business of felony homicide and the dead.  Spinner went back to where Loopy was busy.  As though wanting to avoid seeing what waited in that room, he said, “Any ideas about the time of death?”
     


Loopy said, “Only a rough approximation at this point.  I'd approximate somewhere between eight in the morning and two or three in the afternoon.  We haven’t moved the bodies yet, but from what indications of livor mortis I could see, I’m leaning toward it being earlier.  Central heat was off…fireplace ashes are still warm.  Once we determine algor mortis changes in the body temps, I’ll be able to narrow that some.  We've already picked up thirty to forty different sets of prints.  Could easily be twice that before we finish.  Most so smudged they're no good.  The rancher who lives at the valley turnoff said cars were going back and forth all night.  How it wasn't the first time they had all-night mountaintop blowouts up there.  We bagged used condoms from all over this place—bedrooms, baths, all over the house.  We’ll compare DNA with that of the victims.  See if we get any matches that narrow down any persons of interest.  Looks to be marijuana and freebase by the fireplace and in the breakfast room.  And what is likely Mexican black heroin on the carpet in the den.  Lord only knows what else we'll turn up.  I’ll be surprised if we don’t find Silk or S-K.  There's at least a case of empty aerosol cans, probably for heavy-duty huffing.  We'll see what the lab tells us…hopefully that’ll fill in more details.” 
        


Spinner said, “Before Frannie left for Denver last night, Ski came by and borrowed my wheels to get here.  Brought them back about noon.  Christy and the two men had to be alive at the time Ski left.  Depending on road conditions, it takes about an hour to get from here back into town.  The low last night was below zero, but there was no heavy weather—no wind.”  His eyes flashed hurt and anger, a silent reckoning stirring somewhere deep and hidden.  “Ski would party 'till the last minute.”  Spinner hesitated.  “Least, I’d like to think it was that.  I wouldn’t like thinking he'd use me as an alibi.”  The thought of the possibility was a heart-pain that sliced deep into his soul.  “Give me a few minutes before you zip them up.” 
         


Loopy nodded. “No hurry.  Take what time you need.”  
         


A very still Spinner turned a masque-face back to the bed…emotions churning his features.  A lump knotted his throat.  Looking down at Christy’s lifeless body, the bullet hole a vulgar insult to a death mask of frozen beauty…it seemed somehow otherworldly.  “…never could trust your flighty-canary way of life.”  The niche occupied by carefree fun-loving Christy seemed stark and empty.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~




AUTHOR Bio and Links:




With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction.




Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series… murder and mayhem with a touch of romance. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention.  Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series is due out this fall with another mystery-thriller work out in 2014. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012.




"Without question, Hawk is one of the most gifted and imaginative writers I have had the pleasure to represent. His reading fans have something special to look forward to in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Intrigue, murder, deception and conspiracy--these are the things that take Hawk's main character, Navy ex-SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram, from his South Carolina ancestral home of Moccasin Hollow to the dirty backrooms of the nation's capital and across Europe and the Middle East."




Barbara Casey, President


Barbara Casey Literary Agency




Links:











THE AUTHOR WILL BE GIVING AWAY:  Hawk will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour stops can be found here: 


Monday, January 20, 2014

A Woman Who Wanted to Fly - Ruth Law


In 1912, Ruth attempted to enroll in the Wright School, but was turned down by Orville Wright, who believed women unfit to fly. He did sell her a plane, however - a Wright Model B, for $7,500 --$2,500 down, the balance in installments.

Pilot Phil Page thereupon taught her to fly, at Marblehead on the old Saugus racetrack. In addition to learning how to fly, she took lessons in engineering from a German mechanic, so that if something went wrong with her plane, she might repair it herself.

She soloed on August 1, 1912.

Ruth was awarded her pilot's license, #188, on November 20, 1912. This was four months after Katherine Stinson earned her pilot's license. Ruth was therefore the sixth American woman to earn a license.
Immediately after earning her license, Ruth began appearing at air shows.


Check out her story on http://womenaviators.org/wiki/index.php?title=Ruth_Law

Girls we can do anything we set our minds to.

Friday, January 17, 2014

What an Awesome Giveaway




TALL, DARK AND ALPHA GIVEAWAY
Over 100 ebooks, 40 paperbacks, gift cards & swag
33 Individual Winners
12 Amazing Prizes

Prize 1

10 ebook copies of the Tall, Dark, & Alpha Box Set (upon release)

 10 WINNERS

 
Prize 2

Toni Aleo USA Today & New York times Bestselling Author

 Paperback set of the Assassin Series (1 - 4.5)

 1 WINNER


Prize 3

Kate Douglas USA Today & New York Times Bestselling Author

5 Autographed print books- Crystalfire, Dream Unchained, Wolf Tales 8, Dark Wolf, Dark Moon & Swag

 1 WINNER


Prize 4

A C Arthur

Signed paperback copies of the Shadow Shifter Series
(Passion’s Prey, Temptation Rising, Seduction’s Shift) and swag

 1 WINNER


Prize 5

Lisa G. Riley

5 print copies of Bound to Ecstasy; 1 Signed paperback; and two e-book copies of Give Yourself to Me

 8 WINNERS


Prize 6

Mandy Roth

4 ebook copies of Loup Garou, The Guardians, Immortal Ops boxset & Sweet Seductions boxset

 4 WINNERS


Prize 7

Selena Illyria

1 print copy of Demon Heat (two author antho with Milly Taiden), 3 eBooks (Mate Not Wanted, Dragons at Midnight and Thawing Ava) & $25 GC to Amazon

 1 WINNER


Prize 8

Tara Nina

Gift Pack with signed paperback copy of Curse of the Gargoyle

 1 WINNER


Prize 9

Keith Thomas Walker

3 eBook copies of The Realest Ever

 3 WINNERS


Prize 10

Victoria Danann

Signed paperback of My Familiar Stranger or Knights of Black Swan, Ebook Box Set (1 - 6) US ONLY

 1 WINNER


Prize 11

Donna McDonald

Ebook copy of the Forced To Serve Box Set & audiobook copy of The Demon of Synar

 1 WINNER


Prize 12

Various Authors


$45 worth of gift cards, 15 paperbacks, 55 ebooks & swag

 1 WINNER GETS EVERYTHING


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Anita www.anitaphilmar.com

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Discover New Books To Read #BookHooks


MFRW Authors Blog

The MFRW Group has come up with a way for readers to discover new books.



Excerpt - 

“Nick?”
The soft spoken voice shocked him almost as much as seeing her beautiful face. What was a woman like her doing in a place like this?
“Yes?” He shifted his focused to read her expression and tried to read her reason for coming here. What woman would willingly sign up to be a man’s love slave unless she had a motive?
Unable to find the answers at the moment with Salzar possibility listening, Nick stifled his inquisitive nature and struggled to stay in the moment.
“My name is Rane.” She stepped forward and laid her hand on the counter. “Can I still have a drink?” 
“Sure.” He couldn’t draw his eyes away from her face.
She licked her lips.
The simple act hypnotized him. Need raced down his body and pooled in his groin.
“It’s okay for you to kiss me,” Rane whispered. 



Blurb –

A spy that prefers to work alone, Nick Royster’s assignment is turned upside down when his superiors sends him a personal companion. Not appreciating the need to watch someone else’s back, he attends a dinner of Salsar’s inner group. Only to learn, he has to sacrifice Rane to get the information he needs to end the war.
Rane knows the important of winning. Her family slaughtered by Salsar, this is her homeland and she plans to do whatever it takes to win her peoples’ freedom.
With everything on the line, can these two have any future together or does love and war equal heartache? 

Buy link


Monday, January 13, 2014

Keep Me Turning Those Pages - Turning Points

What keeps us turning those pages?

Sex?
Intrigue?
Mayhem?

All of those things and more. Some reader fall in love with the characters, others love the detail settings, while others want a fast-pace story that keeps them on their toes.

Different books for different folks, but they all need to be hooked.

This is done by so many things but one is the turning points in a book.

There are usually four points in the book where things change.

1. This is where the character is forced into action - can be a change in the relationship with their lover or  they discover something new about what they've been searching for.

2. (Midpoint) the middle of the book, can be a defeat, or where there is a change in plans that cause the character to move in a new direction.


3. (Black Moment) 3/4 of the way through, where all appears lost, the character wants to give up but they can't or life will just be unbearable.

4. Realization - this works in close connection to the black point and leads to the what the character has to achieve to be able to live with himself. Win the girl, solve the crime, find the killer.


These are just a few elements of a good book. As writers, we constantly strive to get better if you can define this points in your book before you start writing, it will make for an easier first draft and a more developed book in the end.

Hope this helps,

Anita

Friday, January 10, 2014

The Mother of Computers

Grace Hopper may not have the beauty, but she is a woman who revolutionized the computer world.

Born in New York, NY on December 9, 1906,
Grace Brewster Murray graduated from Vassar and Yale. She worked as an educator at Vassar until 1943.

After resigning her post with Vassar, she joined the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service). Assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance Computation Project at Harvard University, she was the third person to be assigned to the research group.

With the need to understand computer language, she jumped right in and started learning how to program the computer. She also wrote a manual to outline the fundamental operating principles of computing machines.

With no children and her marriaged over, Grace devoted herself to work and held down several jobs in the military, private industry and academy.

She held the title of Admiral Hopper and was one of the first software engineers in the computing world.

A credit to women everywhere, she was most proud of her service to her country. She died in January 7, 1992 and is buried in Arlington.


Women like her are an inspiration to us all.


Information gained from.
http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/hopper.html

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Anita's Tips for Couples


Admit it, being in a relationship is hard, but if you follow a few simple tips you can find happiness.




Share a common dream – when two people join together to reach a unified goal. It connects them in ways that inspires trust.  This can be as simple as planning a vacation or deciding on a new car, or as big as having a family.

Choose each other as your first family – once two people get married they both need to remember that the other person should now become their main concern. This is not to say you avoid his or her family but that you need time alone together.

Learn how to fight right – It can be easy to take your stress out on your spouse. Try to recognize those times when you are not at your best, then warn your partner you need time to regroup before discussing certain subjects.
 
Find a balance between time for two and time for you – Just because you are now with someone doesn’t mean you can’t have time for yourself. Each of you came into the relationship with interest that attracted the other. You still need that creative outlet to fuel your soul. Give yourself the time for yourself so you can be the person your spouse fell in love with.

Build a best friendship – if the two of you can become best friends then you’ll be closer to achieve the relationship you both want and can face down the major challenge in your life together.

Anita Philmar



Monday, January 6, 2014

Seducing the Reader - Writing Erotica

Writing erotic is not just about writing about sex. It is a study of writing a seductive scene which sets the reader on fire.

Just like in real life sex is not always sexy and what some people think is funny isn't.

So what can you do to make a scene light up with sexual tension and tease the reader into creating a visual scene of love.


First - use the reader's senses to light up the scene.

The vanilla candles sat on the side of the tub. The sensual scent flowed heavily through the misty air. Sarah rubbed her hands over her naked stomach and splashed warm over her full breasts.

Uses as many as you can to draw a detail picture in a readers mind. By engaging the senses, the reader can not only draw the picture in their head but can smell the candles, hear the music, and experience the scene in their mind.

Next create and emotional response through visions of the character or sensual dialogue.

Sarah stared at the man standing beside the tub. A quiver of desire ran through as she watched his gaze run down her exposed body. He wanted her she knew that but could he handle the other dark aspects of her life. Her desire to dominate her lovers and make them beg.

Like a mystery give readers clue as to what the story involves. Hint at what each character wants, the problems they have to overcome, where they differ and what can bring them together.

Every well written story creates a bond between the reader and the hero or heroine.

Use these skills and create a story that your readers will love.

Best of Luck,

Anita

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New Year with Action


The Action of a Story gets the blood flowing.

It can enhance the plot of the story.

This along with the character is why people read. They want to be carried away to another world. Live another life. Conflict is why the reader becomes emotional invested in a story.

Some would argue it's the characters that drives the emotion or setting which colors the story world.

Learning how each element plays off the other is what every author strives to achieve. We might not like Scarlet in Gone with the Wind, but we can sympathize with the pain of losing one's home and her world coming apart at the seam and what better setting than the civil war.

Hope you are beginning to see the interplay between each element. How one has to play off the other to create a beautiful read.

Here's to having a wonderful 2014,


Anita
www.anitaphilmar.com