Top 10 Things Women Don't Want to find in Your Room

By A.J. Llewellyn

I blogged last week about the Top 10 Things a Man Doesn't Want to find in Your Room and got some great responses...and a host of emails from my female friends and readers requesting equal time.
All's fair in love and blogging so I've assembled the top 10 things women tell me they don't want to find in your room.

10. Dirty, used underwear. Now this is where men and women differ. Men like dirty undies. In fact many gay porn stars make a nice sideline in selling off used jock straps and underpants to their fans.
But I digress.
9. Do not invite them to your room to watch "Two Girls and a Cup" on Youtube. Trust me on this.
8. Your drooling, panting, stinky 200 pound Mastiff under the bead clothes refusing to move.
7. A loud answering machine with your allegedly ex-girlfriend's breathy outgoing message on it. How lazy and dumb can men be?
6. Velveteen paintings of ANYTHING, especially that popular one of fogs playing poker. I happen t o be partial to this pic so if you're getting rid of it, give me a holler!
BTW, I am going to lump here huge posters of chicks with cars, that ancient, ready for the garbage pic of a nude Nastassia Kinski with the python...
5. Huge stacks of printouts of IM sessions you're having with other women online.

4.Another woman's clothing in your closet.
3. Another woman's tampons in your bathroom.
2. Another woman's long hair in the sheets, in the shower drain or the bathroom sink.
1. Another woman waiting in bed for you. I am surprised how many guys double book and/or give out house keys. Three different woman mentioned this to me. One woman was particularly incensed because the chick in question looked like a ho' and to add insult to injury was wearing my friend's sexy lingerie.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

So how about it ladies? Any other no-no's you'd like to tell us about? And guys, let's not let you off the hook. What's the dumbest thing you ever did in the name of love?

Aoha oe,

A.J.

It Can Happen In Your Town

How many times have you turned on the news and shook your head as some horrific tragedy unfolded before your eyes? How many times did you think, "not here"?

It can happen in your town.

Yesterday morning, in the quiet little town of Carthage, North Carolina, where I'm sure most of the twenty five hundred residents were sitting in church and singing hymns, shots rang out. Only twenty miles from my home, the seat of the county where I live and a place I frequent often, the sleepy little town will never be the same.

A lone gunman burst into a rehabilitation center which mostly serves the elderly and Alzheimer patients and murdered eight people. Seven of those killed were between the ages of eighty and ninety-eight. One man, a nurse, age thirty nine, was killed as well. It is said that the nurse received over twenty-seven bullet wounds.

The shooter, a man whose name I don't recognize, was wounded in the chest by an officer responding to the 911 call. The officer was wounded as well. The shooter is said to be in stable condition and so is the officer, who is now being haled as a hero for downing the shooter.

If you knew Carthaginians, you'd know they aren't happy with being thrust into the national spotlight. CNN is there, so are the other major news organizations. A circus atmosphere is now in place of the usual laid back way of life.

In the center of town is a traffic circle. In the middle of that circle is the old three story courthouse. Huge oak trees surround the courthouse and keep it in the shade. The grass is always green and the building stands there as a reminder of the past. For across the street, only steps away, what us locals refer to as the new courthouse (built in the late seventies), is where justice will finally be served for the victims of this horrific tragedy.

The town is the hub of our official county government. It's other claim to fame is the yearly Buggy Festival in honor of the old buggy factory that made carriages way back when.

I just watched the press conference and could do nothing but just stare. The new county prosecutor, who used to be in private practice, someone I've used as an attorney in the past, will be in the world spotlight later on today. She has already charged the shooter with eight counts of murder. The Carthage Police Chief, a nodding acquaintance of mine, will no doubt catch most of the hell for all this somehow. He's a good man, Carthage will understand, but will the rest of the world?

How does an eighteen officer police department in a twenty-five hundred resident town handle something of such monumental proportions? I can't speak to their investigative skills, or how they are all holding up after this, but I know they will be gracious in the face of this tragedy and lean heavily on their faith. For if I were to describe the people of Carthage, that would be the perfect way.

Send them all your prayers.

Writing Software

How many out there have spent the big bucks buying writing software?

I bought two. I really like one.

I can't stand the same question, after same question , after same question, just in different caharacter prospectives. I know, we must build our characters.

I'd rather have a piece of paper and a pencil, to build my people. I can't stand being asked the same crap over and over again.

The one writing software I do like, is more of a grammer style, with soft leads to the other. Why do I like this one...Well, because I've said it before and I'll say it again.

My grammer SUCKS!! That's right folks. I LOVE writing, but I hate English, grammer, punctuation, and all the stuff that goes into it.

Don't let me fool you, I've learned a whole hell of a lot from my AWESOME editors!!!! (who I for- warned ahead of time, LOL.)

And I have a great friend who writes children's books that deal with SPD (sensory processing disorder), Dyslexia and learning disablilites, who runs her eagle eye over my work, and then goes and attacks her husband, LOL!! It's all good!!

My honey's also a great eagle eye to have scour my work. I especially love it when it's on those final editing phases, where I have to look over everything. I hand it to him for a fresh pair of eyes to see what I've missed.

Soooo anyway...Do you have any writing software? If you do, what's your favorite?

Deadlines and Time....

So for the past few weeks I've been hiding out in my writing cave....Why? Well I have three deadlines....Not one's I've set but ones that have been set for me.

I'm one of those people that writes a book and then pitches to sell it. I try not to sell books even before they are done...Why? I think it is because I have this weird luck where something always seems to come up and kill my creativity.

I want to write a story with no pressure and I want to make it perfect. I have made plans to write books that are submission calls and have a deadline but that is a bit different since you are the one to make the decision to send something....You have not sold it before it is complete.

As well all know we can make plans but life has it's own plan and sometimes gets in the way.

I've talked to authors who love to sell their work even before the story has been put to paper and they don't feel no stress or pressure about it.

For the authors out there, do you like deadlines and or make them for yourself?

Have you ever sold work even before the story had been written?

OK so now I retreat back to my cave to continue my edits...I wish you a great weekend..

Savannah
www.savannahchase.com

OBSESSION

Definition of obsession: An obsession is an unwelcome, uncontrollable, and persistent idea, thought, image, or emotion that a person cannot help thinking even though it creates significant distress or anxiety.

Lately, I've had a lot going on in my real world and I have become obsessed with one aspect of my life. The problem is that the obsession doesn't change anything and I am accomplishing nothing.

Sitting here, I am thinking back over the last month or so and I realize I have been spinning my wheels so to speak. I've let something beyond my control take over my life. I haven't written much, chatted, updated sites, blogged or accomplished any of my usual tasks.

I've decided to do my best not to worry about what I can't control and concentrate on what I can do. Sounds easy...not!

Has anyone else become obsessed with something in their life, a story line or research?

The Wild West

I survived my trip out West. Actually, I loved it. Jackson Hole is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. The mountains are truly are majestic. Just outside the town we saw wild animals roaming free and rivers and streams that carved paths through a glistening blanket of snow.

But I quickly realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore - or make that theme-park dominated Florida. I didn't realize how Disney-fied, I'd become. Here, we don't give a second thought to safety when we pay to be entertained. Sure, the occasional theme park accident happens, but you never think for a second it's going to happen to you.

Our first excursion in Wyoming was on snowmobiles. Before we went out we had to purchase insurance (or give permission to bill our credit card for damages) and sign an "if I die or become maimed, I won't sue you" form. Still how dangerous could it really be, right?

WRONG!!! Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade the experience my family had for the world and thankfully none of us were harmed. But within the first five minutes of being out on the snowmobiles I realized we REALLY could get hurt. The first indication was the steep cliffs and the narrow, winding ice and snow covered trails that ran along the edge of them. The second was the quick realization that someone who has been on a snowmobile for a total of half an hour (namely me) doesn't exactly know how to control that slippery little devil.

So the terrain was as challenging as it was beautiful, but that wasn't my only concern. Wild animals are incredible to watch. We saw buffalo, bighorn sheep, moose, elk, and coyote out doing their thing. We even saw a fresh kill from a wolf and mountain lion tracks. I can guarantee you, I wasn't in any hurry to run across the wolves or the mountain lion. At one point our guide, who's lived in the mountains his entire life, thought we were going to do just that.

Something chased a herd of big horn sheep off a ridge, and he told us to keep our eyes peeled for one of their predators. Sheep don't normally expend the energy to run when their food supply is still covered by a foot or more of snow. But these sheep were running, toward us! They definitely weren't going to run toward people if something more threatening wasn't coming at them from the other direction. We continued on our way and a few minutes later the guide motions for us to stop. He stands up on his machine then turns around with panic in his eyes. He looks back up the trail ahead of us then whips around again, obviously uncertain what to do. I finally see what he's worried about.

Two dark dog-like forms are running toward us at full speed. The guide turns back again then jumps off his machine and starts rolling in the snow laughing. About that time two huge labradors from a nearby ranch come barrelling up. They tackled my son to the ground and almost licked him to death. Still concerned about what had spooked the bighorn sheep, our guide had mistaken the dogs for wolves.

Once again I realize, Walt Disney didn't create this wonderland we were in. The rest of the day long snowmobiling trip was relatively uneventful. We got stuck in deep snow a couple of times and I went on a wild ride straight out of the X-games when the guide climbed on the back of my machine and jumped a small cliff and turned a couple of donuts with me wedged between him and the handlebars.

We didn't get shot at until we started back to where we'd left the van and snowmobile trailer parked. YES, we were shot at. Or we were in the line of fire, anyway. We had come down from the mountain and were traveling along a trail that bordered a beautiful ranch with the most gorgeous horses I've ever seen. On a low ridge above the trail, a herd of elk were grazing. The rancher was firing shots at the elk to keep them from coming down and eating his horses' food. Unfortunately, he was firing directly over our heads!

We survived the cliffs, the wildlife and the gunfire, but it was all worth it. And if you ever get the chance to experience a taste of the wild West, sign those release forms and go for it! I know I will.

Wendi Darlin
www.wendidarlin.com
www.wendidarlin.blogspot.com

Chatting at Whipped Cream Today!

I'm chatting at Whipped Cream today! I'll be posting excertps and pic of some very hot hunks, and I'd love if you'd stop by!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whippedcream2/

*hugs*
Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!"

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/

Party Pooper

By A.J. Llewellyn

Remember what a rotten party-giver Mary Richards was on the late, great Mary Tyler Moore Show? When I first moved to the US in 1984 from my native Australia, I obsessively watched reruns of that show so much that I fear I have started...channeling Mary.
Yep, I have become the worst party-giver ever, though if I were to be totally honest it's not really my fault.
I hope.
First of all I was supposed to have a book signing for Phantom Lover 2 last month at A Different Light in West Hollywood last month. My books did not arrive in time and my publicist called the store to tell them. The store manager Billy Avarathar who is also an amazingly talented musician and one of the nicest things ever to happen to writers in Los Angeles, ever - said he could not reschedule us because the store was in its final month of business.
Billy, who is now my favorite cover model (check out his hotness here on the cover of Love's Blood: Waikiki Vampires Book 4 coming to eXtasy Books April 15) actually relented and gave me this coming Thursday the 26th instead.
He called over the weekend sounding a bit bewildered to inform us that the book signing won't be happening after all because the store will no longer be there.
The message Billy might one day be funny but right now is quite devastating. "Um...well, I don't think we're going to be here on Thursday," Billy said. "The books are all gone and um...well, we're selling the fixtures now. We're selling the microphones, the shelves..."
I was depressed, I admit. Some of my readers were planning to be there and were bringing cupcakes in honor of my well, cupcake obsession. Some fellow authors were planning to come but worst of all, I was looking forward to meeting Billy's husband Roger - with whom I exchange wonderful messages on MySpace.
Billy has suggested we have lunch and we will. He thinks it's ironic that he is going to be on the cover of a book just as his bookstore is closing.

I don't...I think Billy is off on new adventures now and I know, some major success as an artist.

In the meantime, my best friend Tony who was planning to fly into town on Thursday to be there at the signing said, "Mate, I'm bloody coming anyway. We'll still have fun. But you know what mate, you do give crap parties!"
I am trying not to listen to the evil little voices chanting, "Mary, Mary, you give the worst parties ever!" in my brain. last night, the UPS guy thoughtfully delivered my books just in time for the book signing that isn't.
He looked so pleased with himself for tracking down the packages which mysteriously wound up in Charleston, South Carolina - and refused to budge - I didn't have the heart to tell him the book signing has been canceled.

For my part, I look forward to meeting Roger, who reads my blogs but never posts a comment. Ooops...maybe it's because he has heard the rumors that I am such a crappy party giver?

Aloha oe,
A.J.

Currently listening:On and OnBy Jack Johnson
Release date: 2003-05-06

Sony & Google VS, Amazon

You've read right. Sony & Google are joining together to take on Amazon & its Kindle to be the ebook giant.

I saw a fast clip of it earlier this week, so being nosy, LOL, I just Haaad to go check it out.

Here's the article I read...

Google Inc. is making half a million books, unprotected by copyright, available for free on Sony Corp.'s electronic book-reading device, the companies were set to announce Thursday.

Published Thu, Mar 19, 2009 12:06 AM

It's the first time Google has made its vast trove of scanned public-domain books available to an e-book device, and vaults the Sony Reader past Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle as the device with the largest available library, at about 600,000 books.
The scanned books were all published before 1923, and include works like Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" as well as nonfiction classics like Herodotus' "The Histories."
The books are already available as free downloads in the Portable Document Format (PDF), which works well on computer screens but not on e-book readers. Google will provide the books to the Sony Reader in the EPUB (electronic publication) format, which lets the lines flow differently to fit a smaller screen.

Google spokeswoman Jennie Johnson said the company wants to make the books available as widely as possible.
"Really our vision is: any book, anywhere, any time and on any device," she said. "We want to partner with anybody who shares our vision of making them more accessible."

The publishing industry has more or less united on EPUB for e-book distribution, but Amazon uses its own format for the Kindle. However, unencrypted EPUB files can be converted to a format readable by the Kindle using PC software.
Unlike the Sony Reader, the $359 Kindle has a wireless connection directly to its e-book store, which boasts more than 245,000 titles. To get books onto the Reader, the user first downloads them from Sony's Web site using a computer, then connects the Reader to the computer.
There are two models of the Reader, priced at $300 and $350.

I'm thinking this is awesome, especially from a published ebook authors POV.

It goes to show that ebooks are growing!! Wheather people do it to "save a tree" or "it being less expensive". Our publishing industry is growing, and that to me is music to my ears!!

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!!

C~

New Addictions

I bet you're wondering what I'm addicted to?

The Internet? No
Music? Yes but that is another story...LOL

I'm not addicted to anything.......

The new addictions I'm talking about are the current it that is taking over the net. First it was My Space, then everyone found facebook and that grew to be huge....Now the latest craze is twitter.

I can't go anywhere online without people talking about twitter and how cool it is. When I first heard about it I tried not to pay much attention to it. I didn't want to get stuck on another web site.

As I saw more and more people talking about twitter I decided to go check it out. You can predict what happened. I joined the twitter train.

It is interesting to see how every few months there is a new Internet fad that people make into a huge thing.

I've tried to stay away from a lot of stuff that gets emailed to me when it comes to the new best thing in networking.. If you keep joining everything it will just take away all your time.

So what sites have you jumped to join? Are you on twitter? Any sites you are addicted to?

Savannah
www.savannahchase.com

Cowboy Country

I'm writing this on Saturday and scheduling it to post Thursday because I will be in Cowboy Country without internet access this week. This is the first time in years I'm going on vacation and leaving my laptop at home. As you're reading this, I just may be curled into the fetal position sucking my thumb. Can I really go a week without my computer???? I'm scared. Very, very scared. :)

Next Thursday, I'll post some pictures from our adventures. We're snowmobiling, skiing, tubing and dogsledding when we're not shopping and eating. :) And you know my Florida blood is full of icicles. Brrrrr....

Are you as addicted to your computer as I am? When's the last time you were away from it for any length of time? Are you in a cold sweat just thinking about the possibility? LOL!

I hope you're having a great week!

Wendi Darlin
www.wendidarlin.com
www.wendidarlin.blogspot.com

Got My Cover for Vampire 101!

Isn't it hot and sexy?! Rika Singh, the artist, does such gorgeous work!

Being a Vampire Isn't What It Used to Be!

Savanna Royce is a weekend Goth-girl who has always been fascinated with vampires. She doesn’t really believe in them, of course, but that changes when she is bitten by a rogue vamp and left for dead.

Fortunately, two-hundred-and-seventy-eight-year-old vampire Kaige Travers is there to rescue her. Unwilling to let her die, he turns Savanna into a vampire to save her life, not knowing if she’ll thank him or hate him for it.

While Kaige is teaching Savanna what she needs to know about being a vampire, neither of them can deny the chemistry that’s there. Somewhere between getting her registered at the local vampire admin office and teaching her how to order blood on the internet, they fall for each other, fast and hard.

Just as things are heating up between the sheets – and everywhere else – they encounter one minor problem. The rogue vampire who attacked her is back and this time, he wants to finish the job he started.

Vampire 101 comes out with Whiskey Creek Press Torrid in April!

*hugs*

Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!"

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com

The BIRD

By A.J. Llewellyn

My boyfriend Herve and I are both music freaks. I mostly love music considered "world music"
by the marketing guys and thanks to Herve, I've discovered a wonderful new world of French artists who inspire me as much as my Hawaiian artists in the long hours I put into writing each day. I have my muses...and just a few days ago, a wonderful new one arrived.
A bird.
I had no idea exactly where he was and assumed he was somebody's pet. I thought he must have been in a cage on somebody's balcony and I have enjoyed his birdsong...until I started seeing the signs yesterday. A woman had lost her parrot, who apparently was her constant companion and allowed to fly free in her home. Somebody let the bird out by accident.
Since I noticed the signs as I walked my dog, I wondered if this was the bird I started hearing a couple of days ago.
I kinda had a rough day yesterday and was determined today would be a good one. I wrote my honey a few mash notes and pondered this morning's blog which was originally going to be about something else entirely when I realized that little bird's singing was especially joyful...and extra loud today.
I thought, wow, it's almost like he's in my house. I need to digress and mention I have a fourteen foot ficus tree in my living room as well as a ton of other plants. I've found birds in here before and rescued most of them. Two alas met ugly fates at the paws of my cat, Banjo.
My desk is in the loft above this tree and something made me look across the loft - and holy moly - a bird was sitting in the tree!
Gaping at him, I was astonished how pretty he was and wish I'd snapped a pic, but Banjo was doing ninja-swan dives across the room trying to reach him.
I grabbed Banjo and shut him up in the bedroom. I grabbed my dog, ran down the street, let her do her thing and raced around until I found one of the flyers for the missing bird. Yep, it was him.
My dog, furious at getting such a short walk gave me a mutinous look and the bird, huddled in my tree looked petrified. He sure wasn't singing anymore.
Half the tree was demolished and Banjo, who has apparently mastered the art of opening doors was preparing for a fresh attack with a running takeoff.
I locked him up again and called the woman whose bird had vanished.
She acted like I was the town rapist at first, repeating everything I was saying.
"Let me get this straight," she said. "You have a tree in your living room?"
Exasperated now I repeated yes, but the bird didn't look too happy.
"How does he look?" the woman asked me.
How did he look? Like a bird!
From the bedroom, I could hear Banjo hurling himself against the door.
"My cat's killed two birds since I got him," I finally said. "Please, I am just trying to help."
I guess the woman finally believed me. She arrived with a burly-looking guy she confessed she hired along the way from Home Depot in case I really did turn out to be a kook.
She walked up the stairs, saw all my plants (I have about 200) and sobbed when she saw her bird huddled on a tree branch. He hesitated before fluttering down to her shoulder and she took him in her hands- he crawled under her shirt and stayed there.
"Did my cat hurt him?" I asked anxiously.
"Oh no. I think he's hungry and very dehydrated. He flew into the right house though." She looked around. "This must happen to you a lot. Your plants are amazing."
They used to be. I found some of my favorite exotics trashed on the balcony. Boy. No wonder the bird looked spooked. Banjo was really letting him know who was boss.
As I write this, everybody is happy except my cat who just ignores me. Come to think of it, it's sort of business as usual with Banjo.

Happy St. Patrick's Day,

A.J.

Knights and Manly Men

Today I am stepping aside for our guest blogger, the fabulous Jeri Westerson, as she introduces us to her knight errant, Crispin Guest, in her debut novel, Veil of Lies, published by St. Martin's Minotaur. So sit back and get to know this very engaging woman and talented author as she gives us her take on "Knights and Manly Men".

Men. Gosh I love them. Gay, straight, bi. This appreciation would have been more...well...appreciated when I was young and nubile. But it’s true what they say about middle aged women. My husband, poor fellow, is the beneficiary. What I couldn’t do with a twenty-year-old now!

Ah well. That’s what writing is for, isn’t it? To fulfill some of those fantasies. I don’t write romance but I do get to write about a sexy protagonist--the strong silent type--by the name of Crispin Guest, in my debut medieval mystery VEIL OF LIES. Not exactly the ideal man—he’s stubborn as hell, after all—and he does like to wallow a bit in the bed he made for himself, but he does have some other worthy qualities. Let me explain. He’s an ex-knight turned detective in 14th century London. “Ex” because he committed treason against King Richard II. He almost found himself at the end of a rope but his former mentor the duke of Lancaster spoke on his behalf and begged for his life. His life was granted, but all else was taken away: knighthood, wealth, status. Banished to the dingy streets of London, he reinvented himself as the Tracker, a hard-boiled private eye, using his wits, his fists, and his sardonic sense of black humor to make his way.

It’s great fun making your characters suffer.

Not that he doesn’t get a bit of relief now and again. There is always a woman in some kind of trouble and he knows of a good old-fashioned way to comfort. And then his personal honor sustains him in his darker moments.

But Crispin just can’t get ahead in life. Something is always in his way. Maybe it’s someone trying to kill him, or maybe it’s the sadistic sheriff beating him up, or maybe it’s that tavern bill or the rent he owes and he just gets drunker and drunker trying always to forget...

He is a man of his time, however, and he does manage with the tools of his knightly code, though they sometimes restrict him more than he’d like.

I think it is partly this knightly code, this deep sense of honor that makes this an inherently romantic time period. Is it the clothes? Is it the code of chivalry and courtly love? Knights in armor (oh I am a sucker for a guy in armor!)? Is it the candlelight? Maybe it’s all of those things. It’s men not ashamed to be manly, even if that means bashing each other with swords and lances to fulfill some point of honor.

I suppose the equivalent today is football but to me it just doesn’t compare.

We’ve all come a long way, baby, but it’s fun to peek back over our shoulders at what once was, romanticize it just a tad, and throw in a clever mystery to boot. Are you man enough to solve it? Crispin is.

Check out the first chapter on my website www.JeriWesterson.com, and if you are interested in getting into Crispin’s mind, he has his own blog at www.CrispinGuest.com.

VEIL OF LIES; A Medieval Noir, St. Martin's--in Bookstores!
SERPENT IN THE THORNS, Fall 2009
www.JeriWesterson.com
Available on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Veil-Lies-Medieval-Noir/dp/B001KYEPN8/ref=ed_oe_k
Or Buy Here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0312379773?tag=jeriwesterson-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0312379773&adid=0ARJV4J70Y2H3QR0XEP5&

Jeri Westerson's Bio:

Noir and hard-boiled fiction seem to be in Jeri Westerson’s blood. She was born and bred on the mean streets of Los Angeles, inhaling smog and enduring earthquakes. Newspaper reporter, would-be actress, graphic artist; these are the things she spent her time on before becoming a novelist. She took all that gritty edginess and plunked it into the Middle Ages, creating the newest hard-boiled detective, Crispin Guest; disgraced knight turned PI, solving crimes on the mean streets of 14th century London in her debut Medieval Noir, VEIL OF LIES. Booklist says, “...this authentically detailed medieval mystery has an intriguingly dark edge.” Library Journal gave it a starred review: “...Westerson's mystery debut is a brilliant tale of survival in a hostile environment, where anything can lead to death...Highly recommended.” Historical Novel Society Review made it an Editor’s Choice title: “...To say Veil of Lies is a remarkable novel doesn’t do the book justice. Just when the plot seems set on a fixed course, the author deftly arranges another neat surprise and keeps the pages turning...” Look for the next Crispin Guest mystery, SERPENT IN THE THORNS, this fall. Visit Jeri’s website www.JeriWesterson.com for more news, short stories, or her blog www.Getting-Medieval.com.

Good News...

Good Morning!!!!

Okay, yes, C's entirely happy and feeling good today!! WOOT!! The little bit of time off that I've taken so far this month has worked wonders for my stress! Although I hate being away from the online crowed, it's been for the best.

I've FINISHED the sequel to A Slave's Way Out!! My Best Selling Torrid Title of the Year for 2007. I've named it A Lady's Challenge, but that could change. It stars Trea & Daniel.

I can't wait to do a quick run through and send it off!!

I'll be registering today for the RT Conference in Orlando. (does anyone know if you have to be dressed up to attend the balls? ie fairy, vampire ect?) I'd love for anyone who has gone to give me some info, on what to bring, what it's like ect. Authorcasalo@aol.com

My Book Destined To Mate is releasing on APRIL 24th!! Right in the middle of the RT convention!!

So yes, I'm stoked, I'm excited, I feel alive again!! No more funk for me!! Stress can put a damper on your life, and it took the love of writing right out of mine.

This last week, I've been calm(er) and haven't allowed anyone or anything to upset me.

Especially the day job. Yes, I'm still owed over $4,000. But I'll deal with that when I have another lined up.

I spoke to the lady I had an interview with, and I'm still in the running. Cross your fingers folks and send good vibes and energies my way.

Thanks to everyone for hanging in there with me during my time off.

I WILL be back by April 1st!!!

One of those days...plus some news

So today is one of those days..You know when you have so many things going on you have no idea where to start first...

Yup I'm having one of those days....

First off a few announcements....Today I am hosting an author corner on my yahoo loop. My special guest is author Megan Rose....Drop by and check her out....She's a great author.

Also I have some news....I made another sale....I sold my story Taking Chances to Ravenous Romance..It will be featured in their upcoming DILF Anthology....

Today I've made myself a list of things to do. As of now the list keeps growing....

How is your weekend going? Anything fun planned?

The one good thing is I managed to finish my taxes..That took forever since I noticed I forgot to add some stuff in....At least I have learned my lesson and will keep track differently this year...I'm new to the author tax stuff....

I hope you guys are having a great day....

I am determined to get this list of stuff done.....You know me ...I'm a workaholic

Savannah
http://www.savannahchase.com/

Historical??? Maybe!

I am finishing up a sci-fi manuscript and taking a look at my next project. As usual I have several partial manuscripts in the works but none of them are really calling to me. I’m considering starting something new and different.

I usually write paranormal or sci-fi erotic romance though I’ve written a couple contemporary erotic romances. I’m considering a western/cowboy erotic romance, possibly a historical. I’ve never written historical so it would be a learning experience but I think I might enjoy it. Now whether I’m good at it might be another story entirely.

I have a few ideas I’m mulling about and will let you know more when I’ve made a decision.

So tell me what genre you enjoy reading and writing? What is the most challenging genre to write?

Laura/LA Day
Website

Romantic Settings

I've had some interesting conversations with some of my author friends lately about where readers want us to take them in our stories. Ranches are a given. Lots of romance readers love cowboys, and believe me I'm fine with that. lol!

And of course, paranormal readers love the alternative worlds we create or the twists we play with our modern world.

But some of my friends say that what people find romantic in real life doesn't necessarily reflect the places they like to read about. For me, I enjoy exotic locales. I like islands, European countries, quaint historic towns. I pretty much like it all, but I'm admittedly not a picky reader. I just love to be carried away in a story. I've said it a million times, if an author hooks me with the characters, I will follow them anywhere.

My friend, Carmie L'Rae, whose stories I love, says readers don't buy island stories. At least not the way they buy ranch or Western settings. And she should know, she writes both, albeit under different names. In her latest release, she put a cowboy on an island. LOL! It hasn't sold as many out of the gates as her western set novels, but she says she can't stop writing stories set in the islands because her heart is there. She's an island girl and the readers who pick up her books can easily see that.

I don't blame her. If cowboys and rural settings didn't sell, I'd still write them anyway. I'd have to. That's who I am.

So what about you? Do you tend to buy books set in places you like to be taken when you're reading. Is it something you think about when you're buying books, or maybe something you do out of habit that you hadn't even realized until now?

Wendi Darlin
www.wendidarlin.com
www.wendidarlin.blogspot.com

How I Got into Writing!

I'm often asked in interviews how I became a writer. I always loved to write, even as a kid. It wasn't until I got to high school, though, that I really entertained the idea of writing as a profession. That's largely thanks to my creative writing teacher. She said that I was really good at it and encouraged me to pursue it.

While I originally started out as an English major in college, I actually changed majors and got a degree in elementary education instead. But after trying that for a while, I realized teaching wasn't for me and that I really wanted to follow my dream of becoming a writer.

At the time, I had never heard of eBooks. Then I was browing around the Internet when I came across a website that sold romance stories online. I read some of the excerpts and thought to myself, I can do that. So, I took a story I had already been playing with and really focused on the romance angle. The next thing you know, I had a contemporary romance on my hands. I submitted it and the publisher loved it. She wanted to publish it and that officially started my career as a writer! I was so excited that I did the Snoopy Dance!

Of course, I couldn't do any of it if not for my hubby. He's not only very patient and supportive, but he's also the best research assistant a girl could ask for!

*hugs*
Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!"

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com

Mr. Dutton

By A.J. Llewellyn

Yesterday I had the privilege of running into Davis Dutton, the man who owned one of my favorite bookstores in the whole world - Dutton's Books on the corner of Laurel Canyon and Magnolia in North Hollywood.
Alas, it is no more and my aching heart still pines it.
For twelve years my dog and I walked to his store twice, three times a week and always left with treasures. Mine were literary, hers were literally. Mr. Dutton always gave Venus a cookie from his organic dog treat stash.
I was at the market when I saw Mr. Dutton and I greeted him. He is very sick now, his body bent over and this was part of the reason he closed his hallowed doors. The other part was the Internet. He, like all the other independent book sellers could not compete, despite his longstanding motto: Save a tree, buy a used book.
Mr. Dutton always got a kick out of my calling him Mr. Dutton and he immediately looked down saying, "Half of you is missing. Where's your beautiful dog?"
I told him she was at home waiting for her walk and he shook his head.
"I don't think I have ever seen you without that dog."
No, probably not. I tried to tell him what a big influence he and his store have been on my life and career as a writer.
I know he's heard it all before. After all, some of the biggest literary names of our times had book signings there. A group of local poets even published a book, Dutton's Books and other Poems as an ode to their favorite hangout.
I knew all the nooks and crannies, the special sections where new found treasures awaited me. There was a whole room, tiny but packed to the rafters with exotic travels. I spent hours there, my dog moaning at my feet as I pored through old books, new books and books I just had to have.
Once, I found a stack of books on ancient Hawaii and Polynesia put in the wrong section - Armchair Travel. I didn't point out the error. I opened the first book and saw the name Fred Zinnemann scrawled on the fly page. I could not believe it.
His name was on all the books, each volume filled with his pencil notes in the margin.
Mr. Dutton told me what they were at the same second it hit me:
This was the research he did for his 1953 classic movie, From Here to Eternity.
The books were expensive, but Mr. Zinnemann had just died and somebody offloaded his personal collection.
You can bet I bought 'em all, except one, Tahiti Aux Temps Anciens (Ancient Tahiti). It had a fascinatingly tattooed lady on the cover, its author, Teuira Henry. I simply did not have $400 for a book. Days went by and I kept going back to the store and studying the book. I coveted it, but I had never spent that kind of money on a book even though I have many wonderful antiquities in my collection.
And then one day it was gone. I walked home and wept like a nine year old girl. I could not get enough of Mr. Zinnemann's translations of the text, his smart observations.
His research fascinated me, not just because his movie was astonishing and beautiful, but because Mr. Dutton told me that the writer-director spent two years in the South Pacific doing research. He is my kind of writer.
Some of his books led to others for me...and formed the basis of my entire "Phantom Lover" series.
One day I was back at Dutton's and spotted Tahiti Aux Temps Anciens on the hold shelf. I demanded to know who'd placed a hold on it and nobody behind the counter would tell me. A few days later I spotted my best mate Tony in the store. I've never seen Tony pick up a book unless I've placed it in his hands and said, "Read this." I certainly never see him walk into a store unless I am dragging him into it.
I followed him in, but he looked dismayed. Turned out he knew I wanted the book and put it on lay away for me as a gift. He was there making a payment.
It took him nearly a year, but what a friend...it was Christmas, birthdays and ten thousand holidays all wrapped up in one huge volume.
To this day I always thank him, not just for being the best bloke I know, but because thanks due in part to him, Phantom Lover was born and for me, from here to my own eternity, the books I have touched and read, that once belonged to an extraordinary film maker have changed my life.
Nothing will ever beat the feeling of browsing a bookstore.
I wish Mr. Dutton abundant health and peace and I hope that one day soon, bookstores will no longer be relics but the hot new industry again.
Aloha oe,

A.J.

Your Book of Life

Looks like Laura and CA both have had to take breaks. Well, looks like I'll be
taking one myself. I have some health issues that need to be taken care of and
won't be around for at least a month. I'll be loading up a couple of blogs and
schedule them to post before I sign off of the internet, but just wanted to give
everyone a heads up on it before I did.

Taking a break can be a good thing for a writer. We live in the heads of other
people and I think, at least for myself, that we need to be grounded from time to
time. Let's face it, life isn't the way it is in our books. We get thrown a curve
ball from time to time and not everything can be fixed the way it can in a book.

We don't always find love and happily ever after, nor do we have hot, sweaty sex.
Most of us aren't lucky enough to even get a smile from the bag boy at the grocery store. Personally,I'm putting off some really bad vibes where men are concerned. lol I think there is an invisible tattoo across my forehead that says STAY THE HELL AWAY!

Now if I were to write a book about myself, I'd find me a great big ole alpha who
didn't take no for an answer. A man who understood without me ever having to say a
word. Strong, independently natured, good lookin' as sin, and a fantastic lay. HA!
So not happening in real life.

I'd also give myself some exotic locale to work out all the sexual conflict with my alpha--not that there would be much in my book. lol I think I'd come nice and easy
for the right dude. But I'm thinking that somewhere in the Caribbean would be a
nice setting. A house overlooking the beach and I would have lots of money because
I'm a best selling author and maybe I'm writing my memoir, which of course is a
too sexy tale of all my conquests. lol

Along comes Alpha--let's call him Mack. I like that name. Strong, not to fussy or
pretty boy. Silver tongued devil with shining silver hair. Yeah, I'll always love
silver hair. Can't help it. Oh, and I want a hairy chest. Yeah, I do. Don't you
get tired of all those buff boys with hairless chests? I sure as hell do.

Anyway, after minimal sexual conflict, Mack and I sail away on a gorgeous sail boat
into the sunset where we have the greatest sex in the world and all of you are
so freaking jealous and we drink champagne and eat our weight in oysters and
strawberries. Oh, I forgot, we have millions of dollar stored in the hull of the
boat and every other phrase that comes out of his mouth is "I love you" followed by
"I need to have sex with you now".

Yep, just set the tone for my day dreaming today. So tell me, if you were to write
your own book of life, what would it be like? In the meantime, I've got a character
named Jack in His Sweet Obsession available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid that
will melt your heart. He's after this gal named Addy and won't take no for an answer, until....

Now now, I won't post any spoilers. Stop by and pick up a copy. It's on sale--ten
percent off. Here's the link:
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=378&zenid=e069196c7986943c9ec44998fabe354b

Taking a break...

LA stated below that she had an unwanted break with her writing career.



Unfortunatly I'm taking one. I'm not sure if you read my blog last Sunday, but alot has been happening.

So I'll probably be taking most of March off from most things internet. ( I will be here though. Every Sunday!!)



When I can't find time to promote & chat, nevermind write, well there's an issue.



Hopefully it will be taken care of by the end of March, and I can get back into the groove.

Especially when I have a release scheduled for APRIL!!



Love you all,

C~

Bookaholic in a Warehouse...

What do you get when you put a bookaholic in a warehouse full of books? A HUGE problem...



So there was another warehouse sale near my house. Every few months they open their doors to the public and sell books off at cheap prices as low as a dollar. So since I was looking for some new stuff I decided to go and check it out. I was there nice and early. As soon as the door opened I was in and looking for anything that I might want to read.

They had a whole table with new books including the Twilight books and a ton of other great stuff...

I came for one book and walked out with like 20 new books....They had a ton of romance novels, cookbooks and everything else. I got myself 4 new vampire books and a few books to give away for future contests.

Being a bookaholic I wanted to get so much more but I smacked myself on the hand to put down a ton. I saw people walking out with over one hundred dollars worth of books....They had 4-5 boxes filled with stuff.

It was good to see that there are a ton of people out there who love to read and even during this hard time they are still making an effort to go out and buy books...

Next sale is in a few months and you can bet I will most likely be there again...

For now my library has exploded once more and I'm set when it comes to things to read...

I won;t be able to start my new finds till maybe tomorrow since I've got a deadline that I must meet....

So now I'm off to work and I wish you all a great weekend..

Savannah
http://www.savannahchase.com/

News from LA Day

Lately it seems I’ve been on an unwanted break from my writing career but I am pleased to announce I just signed a new contract. Made for Me, an erotic sci-fi story will release from Ellora’s Cave. Release date yet to be determined. The sequel, Made to Order is almost finished.

The Hunters for Hire bible will soon be available at Ellora’s Cave as a free read. If you read my book Savage or any of the other Hunters for Hire stories or if you have an interest in sci-fi you should check it out. This is a huge book we’ve put together with all worlds, species, environments and so forth that we created. It’s pretty cool and will give you some insight into the stories.

I announced my giveaway winners. They are listed on my blog.

Enjoy your weekend,

Laura
Website

Reality Brain Drains

So are you completely over the whole reality show thing? Or are there still a couple you haven't completely let go of yet?

I admit I'm still watching American Idol. It does get harder every week, though. And when I remember to, I watch Toughest Cowboy. Of course that's research. LOL I'm kind of a wimp to be watching that show. There are lots of painful moments. Those men get hurt! Bad! I don't know how or why they do it, week after week. Of course, the grand prize is a ranch in Wyoming. I'm guessing that ranks up pretty high up there in cowboy dreams. To own your own ranch would be pretty amazing. I'm not sure it's worth that many broken bones and near death experiences though.

My son has become addicted to a cartoon spoof of Survivor on Cartoon Network. Have you seen this? It's called Total Drama Island. It really is funny. And a friend of mine is an actor out in L.A. He's filming a pilot right now that is a spoof reality show. I'll let you know more about that when/if any of the episodes air. It does look funny.

So, come on, 'fess up! Are you still watching reality TV?


Wendi Darlin
www.wendidarlin.com
www.wendidarlin.blogspot.com

Big Squee! New Contract!

I'm so excited! I just signed a contract with Liquid Silver Books for my sexy new sci-fi erotic romance Valuable Cargo! Check out my website for a sneak peek! Click on "Coming Soon."

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com

*hugs*
Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheeks blush!"

Out of the Closet

By A.J. Llewellyn

So, my mate Tony - he of the dithering raging hormones - came into town over the weekend and he's finally picked a team.
He's now playing for the boys. Not that I'm surprised. But I am, I must say very, very pleased. I not only adore his boyfriend Antonio, but I am happy that Tony walks around smiling...and still confesses -loudly - about wood.
Except that having busted out of his dark closet, Tony's experiencing a bit of romantic and social confusion.
On Friday night, Tony and I MC'd a Buddhist event in the valley for our district women's chapter. He found himself naturally being his usual flirtatious self and the women found themselves twittering around him, trying hard to win his attention.
"Mate," he fretted at one point, "Something's wrong with me. That woman over there gives me a bit of you know...wood."
"Which woman?"
He pointed out a blonde bombshell who would give just about any guy some wood. "Tony," I said, "She's gorgeous. I'm not into chicks but she'd make me think twice."
"So it doesn't mean I'm straight after all?"
"No, it does not." I had to educate Tony, quickly, that being attracted to people means you are alive. Being gay doesn't mean you suddenly lose all your senses, especially your appreciation of a fine pair of hooters.
"Am I allowed to flirt?" he asked me.
"Well, yeah. I guess."
"Can I hit on her?"
"No, Tony. That's what's called leading her on."
"Man, this being gay shit is hard! How do you do it?"
I don't think he appreciated my efforts to help steer him through his first major social event as a boy-lovin' boy, and he took his revenge by going off script and clowning around during the entire event.
Everybody thought he was hilarious. I was told I was eloquent.
Geez...
So you see, discovering great sex -finally- at the age of 37 doesn't change you...except I must say Antonio's got Tony wearing some threads that match and actually fit him. And I can't remember the last time I saw him hitching up his pants.
I am not sure what to do with him though because his natural magnetism oozes from him like bloody aftershave...our geriatric pianist kept turning around to bat her eyelids at him when she was supposed to be playing a haunting melody, losing her rhythm -twice - and the woman must be about 90.
"Does she give you wood?" I asked him, forgetting there was a microphone right in front of us.
He gave me a funny look. "No, A.J." He shrugged. "Well, maybe. You know...a little."
I was so stunned I too, lost my place and looked like an idiot as Tony stole the show. I am not sure which Tony I like better, gay, straight, or dithering. But I do admire the fact that his new life has him laughing more often...even if it still dictates for him a pretty consistent state of...wood.

Aloha oe,

A.J.

Have you followed your New Years Resolutions?

Okay,

Like most people out there, I made a New Years Resolution. Just one...I didn't want to go overboard.

I want to have at least three more books published or in the process of being published this year 2009.

How far have I gotten since January...NO WHERE!

Looking now at the first day of March, I'm a bit discouraged to see that I've only worked minimally on what I want to acheive this year, which has caused me to take a look at "WHY".

I've found that the stress of the Full time 'day job' has gotten worse, there by exhausting me mentally and physically. I haven't even wanted to sit and try to write on any of my WIP's.

What's even worse, is that I'm a member of Midnight Seductions Authors, and I didn't attend ONE chat in February, to support my fellow authors or myself. That really pisses me off! I feel as though I've not only let them down, but myself.

So you ask, what the hell are you doing about it girl?

Well, I've applied for another job, doing the same thing at a different employer.

I love my day job. I'm an onsite property manager of a multi-family 40 unit complex. I've lived here for five years, and have been day jobbing it for 1 1/2 years. My tenants are awesome, and I wouldn't leave...except it's nice to be paid. Let's just say I'm owed not a few hundred, but more than several thousand. Ever since the old owner sold to these new guys...it's been hell trying to get paid!!

If that doesn't stress one out, what would right?

Everyone cross your fingers please, and send good vibes my way. I sure do need them!

So that's why I haven't followed my New Years resolution...what about you?

Have you followed them, or not? Has it been easy or not?