It’s A Pisces Thing

Yes, I am a fish. And for some reason, lately all my fishy friends (aka other people born under the sign of Pisces) and I are under a lot of stress.  Not the tragic-induced kind, but the trying-to-do-it-all-and-please-everybody kind.

If you’re of the female persuasion, you know what I am talking about.  Take the usual woman-who-does-too-much and multiply it by five and you have a Pisces woman-who-does-too-much.

Bottom line, I’m stressed.  I have lists of my lists so I don’t forget all the shit I’ve promised to do.

It’s all my own damn fault.  The word is “NO.”  Two little letters — an “n” and an “o.”  But for some reason that word seems to get lost when  I need it.

So?  What do I have on my plate?  Most of it is writing related — after all I am mostly an author now.  We won’t get into the legal work I have promised to do for people, because you aren’t interested in that and it pertains to other people. 🙂

But here is what you should be seeing from Monette Michaels over the next few months (if she gets her shit together, that is):

1. Appearance and signings at Bouchercon, A New York State of Crime, in Albany, Sept. 18-21.  I will be on the “Temptation” panel on Thursday, September 19th, and will sign at the Booze & Broads II at Mystery Mike’s booth in the Dealer Room on Friday, September 20th with Tina Whittle, Heather Graham, and Melinda Leigh. And, yes, there will be wine and whiskey shots. When Mystery Mike promises booze and broads — both are present.

2.  Re-release of Death Benefits, a romantic mystery that has been out of print since December, 2005. Look for it in early October at Amazon and B&N, at a minimum.

3.  Weather the Storm, SSI, Book 3, should be to my publisher by the end of this week (that would be tomorrow!). Which means, if all goes well with the edit, it could be out in late October/early November.  I will make an announcement once I have a firm date.

4.  The Lovely LL&L ladies and I are working on a surprise for Halloween. An announcement on that will be made soon.  Of course, I am not done yet, since I am still working on Weather the Storm. I am one of those people who can not work on two books at once.

5.  I have multiple crit partners for whom I am working on their manuscripts. Plus, I beta-read for several people  and take an occasional submission to read for my publisher (I was the first acquisitions director and dip my toe when asked, sort of like a super-sub).

6.  I am working with a PR person to create a unified plan and look for my social media, my web site, my personal blog, and my brand overall. This really stresses me — but is needed and has been for a long time. You can’t just write books any longer and put them up and hope they sell. Since Twitter and I have issues (I write long — 147 characters is not enough!), this should be an interesting experience.

7.  I am teaching an on-line class each month through the rest of the year.

8.  And, finally, I need to start on the next Prime book.  And I hope to knock out a rough first draft by the end of the year. Um, I  am not holding my breath, and neither should my Prime fans — this is a loose goal, not one etched in stone. Especially in light of the fact that there is this guy and a gal with a stalker, plus the H/H are into BDSM — well, let’s just say this story is in my head and it won’t go away (I tried to beat it into submission by explaining my Prime fans are waiting — um, no go) and once their names come to me, I’m really doomed. And if it would only be a novella, I could start it and Prime 3 (which needs a title) at the same time — but I have a sneaking suspicion that it is a full-length novel — and well, I’m doomed.

9. And all my Rae Morgan books are getting new covers.  Here is the Destiny’s Magick cover by the fabulous Lynn Perkins.  Of course, this is no stress on me; Lynn does all the work, I just get to okay it. 🙂

So, those are part of the reasons I am stressed.

So?  Please share what’s stressing you.  If you, like me, are a woman who does too much (and God help you if you’re also a Pisces), maybe we can start a self-help group.

Always in our Hearts

Rosanna’s first love scene ever!

I was recently pouring over some old manuscripts, trying to see if anything looked salvageable. I’ll be the first to admit that when I started writing, I knew nuts. Some of my old stories clearly exemplify this.  Still, it’s important to remember where we came from and how we developed.

In reviewing some of these old docs, I came across my very first novel (still unpublished, and will likely remain that way until I do some major revision!) It is called The Rose Requiem, and is a story that is part romance, part historical, part journal, part ghost story, part murder mystery…well, it has a lot of parts. Too many. I hadn’t quite learned how to pare things down yet.

However, it boasts the love scene that started me on my path to being an erotic romance writer. It was because of this scene that I got the sexy bug. And I thought it might be fun to share my very first sex scene with you! It’s pretty tame by my current standards, but still gives me a little thrill.

Now please bear in mind this is unedited and my first book ever. Don’t laugh too hard. 😉

I give you the love scene from The Rose Requiem!

*******************************

“Your love is no disgrace to me.”  Emboldened by her admission, I stepped forward and pulled her into my arms.  With one hand, I lightly caressed her face and wiped her wet hair out of her eyes.

She stiffened in my arms.  “But you could have any woman in the world.”

“I want you.”  I ran my fingers over her lips.  Then being unable to resist any longer, I kissed my Claudia.  The stiffness left her body and she melted into my arms.  Oh, the heaven that was that moment!  We kissed each other for the longest time in that darkened church, our only light being the moonbeams that issued through the stained-glasswindows.  And as I kissed the greatest love I’ve ever known, that trio of saints, Bartholomew, Michael and Cecilia, silently watched us.  I felt as if the holy trio was granting us their blessing on that sacred occasion.

After a time, I led Claudia to a darker, little chapel at the other end of the church.  There, away from my mother’s grave, I laid her down on my cloak.  I’ll never forget the look of her in that moment.  I’ll never forget the warmth of her breath, and the scent of her skin.  Her arms reached for me.  Her mouth opened to me again and again.  She gave me what she had never given another, and I did feel like a god.

We were there all night.  As we waited for the rain to stop, I caressed her and marvelled at the sweetness of her body.  When the rays of the early morning sun began to penetrate the stained-glass windows, I bundled Claudia in my large cloak, and gathered the two horses.  I helped her mount Shade, and I climbed up behind her.

When we arrived at the inn, Claudia still looked hesitant.  “Edward, I do not want you to regret your decision to marry me.”

“Not marrying you would be my greatest regret.”

**********************

Well, kids, whatdya think? Do I have a future in melodrama?

Maybe I should stick to my Greek gods and bear shifters…

WereWolf Fight League – Lynn Lorenz

So I’ve just submitted the final edits of the second book in my shifter series, Werewolf Fight League: Ashland.

This is the story of Ashland, and Irish werewolf who’s gets a second chance at a new owner, and a new life. His old owner, well, to say Ash hates him would be mild. And his new owner? Well, Dan Stoltz is a man of principle and honor and he longs to build a business training champions in the cages – by owning a string of sparring partners.

In this world, like in the first book Werewolf Fight League: Tor, the werewolves are slaves, bred for their fighting skills, their lineage carefully mapped out to insure champion fighters. Ashland is one of the sparring partners, Stoltz’s first purchase, his first slave.

The first time he’s become a master. And with it comes great responsibility. Not to be like some owners, but to give some small semblance of dignity to his slave. And part of that is to not have sex with the man he now owns.

Not even if he can’t stop thinking about the handsome Irish werewolf. Because, even if Ash said he wanted Stoltz, how could he believe him? Slaves are trained to please their masters, trained to give them whatever they wanted. They have no free will.

“Turn him around!” someone shouted.
The men walked, jerking the werewolf, and he moved around in a slow circle, muscles flexing, letting everyone have a look at his exposed body.
Stoltz couldn’t help but drop his gaze to the dark red thatch of hair surrounding a long flaccid cock. Even at rest, it was impressive. Full balls. As a non-breeder, he’d been clipped. Functioning, just couldn’t breed. On the backside, a firm, round ass, and strong thighs leading down to well-developed calves.
Stoltz’s dick jumped, and he coughed, then shifted in his seat, dropping his booklet onto his lap to cover his arousal.
“I’m not sure.” Definitely not. He didn’t need a werewolf who turned him on. He was not, and would never be, one of those owners who fucked their slaves. Rape was more like it. He’d never force himself on someone with no power.
And he had plenty of fuck buddies, if he wanted one.
Murphy slapped him on the back. “He’s prime. And you’ll never get a chance at one so cheap. With him, you can get your training business started. Earn some money, then buy a few more, and have an entire string of sparring partners.” The man grinned at Stoltz.
“Yeah, I know, but…” Stoltz did not want to say but what. Hell, no. Murphy knew him, knew he preferred men, but Murphy had been the one to teach him about the special trust that built between master and slave and how easily masters could destroy it by forcing their slaves, male or female, to have sex against their will.
A slave has absolutely no control over anything, Murphy had lectured him. The least we can do is let them fuck who they want. If you want a whore, go rent one, but don’t ever use your slave.
“No.” Stoltz shook his head. “I want the Chinese. I can make money right away.”
“If he’s got a good pedigree. If not, you’ll be hawking cum from here to the end of time.” Murphy looked over the form again, pointing at the Chinese’s genealogy. “He’s not bad, but this one is better, I tell you. He’s out of Liam, and he was a champion in his day.”
“Liam, huh?” Stoltz twisted his lips. One of the best Irish lines. Big, brave, and with a lot of heart. Many of Liam’s offspring had gone on to championships in the arena.
“Fifteen hundred!” a bidder shouted out.
Murphy stared at Stoltz. “Don’t waste time.”
The werewolf came full circle, looking up and out, refusing to lower his head. Impressive as hell, and Stoltz knew it. Murphy was right. He’d never get a werewolf so cheap, with such a good bloodline, or with so much potential.
“Fifteen five!” Stoltz shouted, holding up his bidding number.
The werewolf searched for Stoltz’s voice, found him, and locked gazes. Another shiver shot down Stoltz’s back, but he didn’t show it. Another of Murphy’s rules of ownership—never let a slave know how you feel about him or her. Undermines the master’s power.

I’m hoping Ashland will come out this winter, and when it does I’ll let everyone know. But if you’re interested in shifters, or slaves, or this world I’ve created, you can read the first in the series, Tor, and get a taste for life in WWFL.

Werewolf Fight League: Tor – http://www.loose-id.com/werewolf-fight-league-1-tor.html
or at Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Tor-WereWolf-Fight-League-ebook/

To see more of my books, including other shifter stories, go to
http://www.lynnlorenz.com

Guest Blogger Livia Ellis!

It has been my pleasure to read several of Livia Ellis’ Memoirs of a Gigolo books. From the first read, Livia astonished me with her talent and wit, and I’m thrilled to have her here as a guest to introduce her latest read, Bare in Bermuda.

Does this look sexy or does this look sexy? Now please read on as Livia answers a few questions about her latest work.

1) What is Bare in Bermuda all about?

Henna is a woman in her thirties that is professionally successful and appears to have it all. What she’s missing is someone to make a life with. When her younger sister announces her spontaneous wedding with a man she’s only known for a few weeks, Henna finds herself on a plane to Bermuda and in the arms of a handsome stranger.

2) What was the hardest part to write in the book?
Bare in Bermuda was an easy story to write. It just came to me as I was writing. The hardest thing was having to take a break at the end of the day and leaving it until the next morning.

3) Would you do anything differently if you could tackle the story again?
I would have included the first chapter of the next book at the end. The story continues directly after it leaves off in the next book. A lot of my readers have written in reviews that it seems like the ending is abrupt. I would have liked to have included a bit of a teaser about what is to come next.

4) How personal is your writing?

Very. I know and love each of my characters. They are my lovers, friends, and family.
5) Which comes first? The character’s story or the idea for the novel?
With Bare in Bermuda it all came together at once. I had Henna and Eduardo pop into my head in the same instant. Two people who are very different but looking for the same things and finding what was lacking in themselves in the other.
6) How did you come up with the title?
My editor Diana came up with the title. For some reason I just couldn’t find a title. I love the quirkiness of it. It reminds me of romance novels published back in the 80’s.
7) What do you love most about your characters?

They’re adults. They have lives, pasts, obligations, families… all of the things adults have.
They aren’t post-pubescents trying to figure out who they are. They’re fully matured adults trying to make sense of it all. As one reader put in a review, she likes that Henna doesn’t have it all figured out. Just because she’s hit thirty doesn’t mean her life has miraculously come together. She might have a job and a few wrinkles, but she
still has things she wants to do.
8) Are there certain themes you like to address in your writing?
Loneliness and companionship.
9) Did you always want to be an author? If not, what else would you have done?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Always. But I was raised by people that had very firm opinions about always having something to fall back on. I may not have seem the point behind this at the time, but I get it now. So I have a bill paying job while I’m
working towards supporting myself through my writing.
10) What is on the horizon for you? Any interesting news or books we should know about?
The follow up to Bare in Bermuda is coming soon. There will actually be about five books in the series by the time I’m done. Each one will focus on a different character. The next one up will be Sexy in San Francisco which tells of Henna’s friend Meadow’s affair with her extra hot secretary Tony. After that will come Passion in Portugal featuring fan favorite Simon. Originally Passion in Portugal was up first, but due to reader response I want to get a follow up out as soon as possible. Sexy in San Francisco is first draft done and ready to go to my editor.

Author Links
Livia Ellis Facebook Author page
https://www.facebook.com/authorliviaellis

Livia Ellis Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Livia-Ellis/e/B0093XV43M/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1378588633&sr=1-2-ent
Livia Ellis
http://www.liviaellis.com/

 

Other Links

Smashwords 

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/liviaellis
Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/livia-ellis

Guest blogger Zoe York!

A short time ago, I met another Canadian romance author in one of my Goodreads groups. I was immediately caught by Zoe York’s book What Once Was Perfect and determined to read it, especially after chatting with Zoe and seeing what a fun person she is.

Well, it has become one of my fave books of the year. I don’t say that lightly. I loved it, and was so happy to hear it is actually part of a series. I asked Zoe to join us here and am so pleased she answered a few questions for me. So sit back, read on, and enjoy Zoe’s interview!

1) What inspired you to create your Wardham series? Is it based on a real place?

I grew up in small towns, and Wardham is a combination of a number of those places I’ve lived and visited. Goderich, Orangeville, Chesley, Port Stanley, Southampton, Port Elgin, Picton … I could list beautiful Ontario towns for paragraphs! The simple beauty, friendly people and potential for a number of interconnected stories made a small town series an easy choice.

 

2) Do you create characters totally from imagination or do you seek inspiration in real people?

 

Each character I’ve written so far has a bit of something familiar to me in them, but the rest of their personality is pure imagination. Laney is a doctor because I work at a medical school. Kyle renovated his house because we’re renovating our house. I know a lot of teachers. Carrie and Ian (from Between Then and Now, my free novella) are a little bit like me and my husband, but only in the ways that they’re like a lot of married couples.

 

3) Laney and Kyle’s relationship in What Once Was Perfect is full of angst and fear of loving. How hard was it to write?

 

Harder than I expected. Their story started as a novella, and I thought it would be easy to get them to reconnect. And it was, physically. They fall into bed in a fast and furious way. But then it just didn’t feel done, and it took me months to expand the book to include a full emotional journey. Getting two successful people in their 30s to admit that their paths in life weren’t making them happy was a challenge.

 

4) Do you enjoy writing sex scenes or are you one of the writers who cringe while penning them?

Love them. The first few were challenging, and I looped around them and kept going, leaving a “MORE HERE” note for myself. But now? I’m working on my third Wardham manuscript, and I can’t wait to get to the next sex scene. Bring it on, let’s get dirty. It’s such an important part of a romantic relationship.

 

5) How far do you plan to expand the series?

I have outlines up to book 6. I’m going to write the Wardham series in trilogies (maybe with an extra short or novella tossed in each round). This year, it’s Laney, Karen and Evie, with the bonus novella. Once I finish Evie’s story, though, I’m going to take a break from Wardham and write some other stuff. Then return in 2014-15 (see how I think in academic years?), but after book 6? I don’t know. That might be the end of it. We’ll see!

 

6) Who inspires you as a writer? Who do you read?

Who don’t I read? I think I’m at 78 books in my Goodreads challenge this year. But my biggest fangirl squeals are for new releases by Victoria Dahl and Pamela Clare. Victoria inspires me to look critically at my own work and not be afraid to write feminist heroines. Pamela writes my all time favourite series, The I-Team books, and I’d love to tackle a deeper, darker project like that. I’m in awe of how she does it. My first loves, the ones that got me hooked on contemporary romance, were Jill Shalvis and Rachel Gibson, and I still devour their books.

 

Quick answer questions:

 

– Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig? Both, preferably at the same time. If I must choose just one, Daniel Craig.

 

– rock or pop? Rock

 

– strawberries and chocolate or oysters on the half shell? Strawberries and chocolate

 

– top or bottom? Bottom

 

– back massage or foot rub? foot rub that goes up the calf and finishes behind the knee

 

****

Author bio:

Zoe York lives in London, Ontario with her young family. She has an English degree and works at a university, so it was probably a foregone conclusion that she’d write a romance novel one day. She’s currently working on her second full-length novel in The Wardham Series.
Zoe has just released a novella to introduce The Wardham Series, which is free at most booksellers. Between Then and Now is currently available at:

KoboBooks | Smashwords | Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble

The first full-length novel in the series, What Once Was Perfect, is also available:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Follow Zoe around the internet:

ZoeYork.com | @zoeyorkwrites | Zoe’s Facebook Page | Goodreads | Pinterest

Proud to be an American

It started off like any other morning. I was asleep, having worked late the night before at the hospital. It was a little before nine a.m. when my mom came in to wake me up, claiming a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. Needless to say, I didn’t believe her. I got out of bed, sans glasses, and stood in front of our widescreen television, squinting at the screen. I got the surprise of my life as I stood with my nose pressed to television just as the second plane struck.

I was literally speechless. I remember gasping, running to get my glasses, and then camping out on the couch for the next couple of hours. I recall getting goose-bumps as figures leapt from the windows, desperately trying to survive despite the horrible fall. I remember covering my mouth in horror as first one, and then the second tower fell, the disbelief as the Pentagon was attacked, the sadness as another plane fell from the sky, this time striking no building.

As an American, I was frightened for what next. As a human being, I cried for the needless loss of life. It was years, over ten in fact, before I would even scroll the list of victims and their ages. The thought that children were onboard haunted me. The families that suffered because of a small group and their crazed beliefs pain me still.

But like we always do, we rallied. The sense of American pride grew stronger. For one day, we were united. It’s that sense of unity I adore about our country. When attacked, we show a brave front.

Now I’m not going to get political. Needless to say I’m the last person you want to quiz on current events. But as the anniversary of 9/11 approaches and our country is faced with a decision to make war, I appeal to the masses. Let us be Americans, first and foremost. No matter what comes, our country is worth fighting for. Despite who you voted for, despite your affiliations, we belong to one of the greatest nations in the world. Be proud of where we’ve been. Be proud of where we’re going.

And above all, be an American.

Cover Reveal – Shadow of Sin

OMG. Wait. Let me say that again. O. M. G.

I don’t think anyone is happier than I am that Shadow of Sin is “complete” – meaning it’s with beta readers before heading to my wonderful editor. As most of you know, this particular book has been a labor of love for me. Over the last year and a half, Caleb and I struggled to find common ground – damn, that man is stubborn with a capital S.T.U.B.B.O.R.N. – but I’m thrilled with the end result. I hope you are too.

Now for the good stuff! The cover – created by none other than the wildly talented Pickyme. I’ll admit to experiencing a moment of heart fluttering when she agreed to do this cover for me, as I’ve been a fan of her work for quite some time. She was a pleasure to work with and nailed my vision for this series right out of the gate.

Are you ready for me to shut up and get on with the reveal now? Okay, okay. Simmer down. 🙂 Here it is!

You want more news? Releasing November 6, 2013 (ebook and print).

Are you excited? I’m excited. Mark your calendars! 🙂

Until next time…

~Parker

Excerpt reveal and ARC giveaway for The Dark Collector

Hello Everyone!

I’m excited to reveal the excerpt from my upcoming November release “The Dark Collector” here at LL&L! So excited, I’ll be giving away an ARC to one lucky commenter on this post. (I’ll do a drawing at the end of this week) If you want to participate in the drawing, just comment on this post! Enjoy the excerpt! 🙂

xoxo,

Vanessa

Excerpt:

I was angry the day Jeffrey painted my facial expression. My petulance is clear in every brush stroke. We’d fought that morning, and I hadn’t forgiven him yet. I did eventually and the make-up sex was as explosive as ever—but he left the painting as it was, no matter how many times I begged him to paint over it.

He never would.

Standing in the auction house, looking at the program and seeing that hated expression of boredom mixed with anger on my own face, I miss him so desperately it’s all I can do not to run to the nearest men’s room and vomit up my breakfast.

It took a year for his estate to catalog and ready his works for sale. I’m in many of them. I own several of his paintings, ones he gifted to me because they were too intimate for him to bear for a stranger to own them. But this one still belongs to his estate.

A single-car accident, an exhausted man asleep at the wheel, this is all it took for the life we shared to become his estate.

This painting was his last, which makes it “important” and also valuable to the art world. I’ve liquidated my savings and sold my car—it was a gift from him, but I want the painting more.

It’s not that I don’t want anyone to see me naked. Anyone familiar with his work has seen me stripped bare in every sense of the word. They’ve seen his teeth marks in my shoulder. They’ve seen me blindfolded. They’ve seen me bound. They’ve seen me erect and they’ve seen me sated. They’ve seen me however he saw fit to photograph or paint me.

Being a muse to a man like Jeffrey was exhilarating and exhausting, but it was the best five years of my life. No matter how important this painting is to the art world, it’s more important to me.

I’ve never been to an auction before. It’s quieter than I expected, but every bit as tense. I watch as the auctioneer introduces each lot. I close my eyes and shudder as a collection of negatives is put to bid, remembering how intense Jeffrey was with a camera in his hand. His old Minolta with its stinky leather neck strap and its glittering lenses was always nearby. He scoffed at digital, called it mundane. Jeffrey was never mundane, but he loved to photograph things that were. Those negatives would show our life together, not just the parts he painted. My parts. There were breakfasts in bed and weekends on the lake and a fist in my ass all together in that lot of negatives.

A man to the far left of the room lifts his paddle, catching my eye. Everything about the man is dark and powerful. Dark hair, dark eyes, a dark suit. He glares intently at the auctioneer as the price goes up. He raises his paddle each time, steadfast, until no one else bids.

As if he senses my gaze, he looks across the room and meets it.

I see a flicker of recognition in his eyes. So he’s a fan of Jeffrey’s work. He inclines his head in a brief nod, and I look away, a flush heating my cheeks.

I’m not ashamed of the work Jeffrey did, except in a good way. The intimacy of his art was part of the thrill, and being put on display, especially sexually, was…stimulating. I’m blushing because this man, this stranger, will see things I’d never intended anyone else to see. He’ll see me cuddling a kitten someone abandoned on our street—a kitten we would have kept had Jeffrey not been allergic. He’ll see me shaving. He’ll see me reading pulp science fiction novels in the bathtub.

The lot for the painting is announced. The auctioneer describes it as an untitled, possibly unfinished work of Jeffrey’s longtime model, Oliver Conklin. Model—is that what I’d done? For me it was foreplay. And the painting was finished, had been for weeks, but only Jeffrey and I knew that. He’d teased me with potential titles, describing sex acts the twink in the painting might have been about to perform.

“He’s on his knees to suck my cock. He’s such a slut, that boy. Perhaps I should call it ‘Slut.’”

I’d sucked his cock until he came on my face without warning. My eyes were bloodshot for three days.

“He’s on his knees because that’s how he waits for his master. I think I’ll call it ‘Slave.’”

He’d tied my hands to my ankles that night and fingered me dry until I begged for his dick. He’d pressed my face to the floor and fucked me senseless.

The game lasted until the morning he died.

“He’s on his knees because that’s how his master feeds him, like a dog. I’ll call it ‘Puppy.’”

And then he’d collared me and fed me breakfast from his hands.

I raise my paddle.

The dark collector raises his. I wish I could say it’s a dramatic back and forth between the two of us, but there are four men bidding on Slut-Slave-Puppy.

The reserve is met, and there are still three of us bidding.

We approach my bid ceiling, and my lungs are tight. I can’t breathe, can’t think. I have to have this painting.

The dark collector raises his paddle.

I raise mine for what has to be the last time. My two-year-old BMW and all my savings were only worth so much.

The dark collector raises his paddle.

****

I find him in the hallway after the auction.

“You have to sell it to me.” The words are out of my mouth before I realize I’m speaking.

“Excuse me?” The dark collector looks me up and down, as if he has no idea who I am or why I would want the painting. “Why would I?”

“It’s mine.” I snarl.

“I bought it.” He shrugs. “I outbid you. That makes it mine.”

“I’ll come up with the difference.” I don’t know how, but I will. I have to. Maybe I can sell one of the other paintings. Ouch.

“Jeffrey Kuyper was a very important artist. This is an investment which will grow significantly. I don’t want to sell it.”

“Please.” I fist my hands in his shirt. “I have other pieces. I could trade you.”

“But this one is his last.” He untangles my hands from his clothing. “It’s not for sale.”

“Please.” Hot tears spill down my cheeks, surprising me because I haven’t cried like this since the funeral. “I’ll do anything. He would have…”

“Oh God, you’re not crying are you?” He looks uneasy. “Come on, come with me.” He leads me to the men’s room. After taking a towel from the attendant and tipping the man, he wets the towel and hands it to me. As I wipe my face, he stares.

I stare back.

A standoff then. He’s handsome, I notice. Absurd that I would notice that, but there it is. His skin is bronzed, and stubble darkens his chin. There’s a hard set to his mouth, a powerful jaw. If it weren’t aimed at me, I’d like his aggressive glare.

“How long did you model for him?”

“Five years.”

“Did he know you were in love with him?”

“Yes.” He loved me too. I wasn’t his model, I was his boy. He was my everything.

The dark collector sighs heavily. His glare turns speculative. “You can buy the painting back from me on one condition.”

Hope reaches up its grimy hand to grasp whatever he offers. “Anything.”

“You spend the weekend in my home. You do anything I ask. You do everything I ask. For one weekend—you’ll be to me what you were to him.”

Impossible.

He could bind me, bite me, fuck me, but he’d never, ever own me the way Jeffrey had.

“I’ll do it,” I whisper.

 

Ahhh…the Relief

So, what happens when a manuscript is finally finished? How does that make me feel? Sad? Lonely? Relieved? Overwhelmed? Invigorated?

The answer–all of the above.

I finished a very long WIP (work in progress) yesterday afternoon. It’s the second book in a BDSM series that will release with Samhain Publishing next year. The Emergence series. These three books are each almost 90k. That’s a lot of words. I admit, I was dragging in the middle. Somewhere around the halfway point I wanted to throw the work out the window in frustration. However, I persevered. And I’m so pleased with the results.

There is still much work to be done. It will take me the better part of a week to read through and make sure I covered my bases. I have errors and question marks all over the place because I’m so forgetful. Plus, those darn characters change sometimes and I have to go backward and rework them a bit.

I feel kinda sad when a book ends, just like I feel when I finish reading a book. The euphoria crashes and I get down.

I also feel lonely. Yeah, lonely. Is that weird? I was eating, sleeping, dreaming, and going through all my daily tasks with those characters for weeks. Now they are gone. They froze in time. Thank God I will get to revisit this particular group again soon for book three!

I get overwhelmed too. The writing was actually the easy part! Now, the real work begins. I know well how much I will need to concentrate to read through this dozens of times and make sure I didn’t contradict myself!

And I’m invigorated! Do you have any idea how much work I got done around the house since yesterday afternoon!? After writing the last 8k by about three o’clock, I jumped up and cleaned the kitchen, did the laundry, hung with the family. So many things. I was pumped. Seems like I would be tired and down, but I was excited and ready to go!

Well, that covers my manuscript highs and lows for today. Guess I better get on to the task of editing. Ugh…

Becca

Labor Day Lounging

The Labor Day holiday signals me that the year will be over in a blink. Honestly, doesn’t it seem like the ninety or so days between today and Thanksgiving happens in three seconds? Then Christmas is upon us, and, look, another year’s vanished!

Do you remember when it took forever for you be a year older? Sigh. I’m convinced they had it right with Mork and Mindy (now I’m dating myself to the max), and that you should be born old and wise and reverse age, with all the prudence gained from a lifetime. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, so I’m trying to slow 2013 down by doing something I rarely do – taking the entire day off.

We’re empty nesters this holiday and have decided to lounge around the pool, sipping margaritas, and barbecuing ribs. I imagine most people will be doing something similar, but with a group of friends and family. We’re keeping it simple and stupid and avoiding any have to do’s like the plague.

Here’s a recipe for my favorite Guava Ribs from Food & Wine. These are a bit of work, but absolutely worth it!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chinese-style-ribs-with-guava-barbecue-sauce

Have a labor-free holiday!

Cheers,

Jianne