Blast from the Past

Hi all,

Welcome to this week's Blast from the Past. Those are snippets from the interviews I've given in the past, because some of my interviewers' questions were just too good to answer only once. They can be serious or funny, insightful or just plain naughty, so - Enjoy!

Here it goes:


Q: How did you come up with the title? (Talking about Re-Submission)

A: My first book’s title Sub-Mission is a play on words, referring both to submission within a BDSM context and the “mission” one of the heroes embarks upon. Of course there’s also the submission of a manuscript and with Sub-Mission being the first book I ever submitted, I thought the title was a good fit. For the sequel, or rather the next book in the series, I wanted a similar title, so I guess Re-Submission was an obvious choice. Funnily enough, the book actually lived up to its title, because it’s the one that required by far the most changes.

Sage is Out: Visiting Lily Harlem

Hi all,

The fabulous Lily Harlem has invited me to her blog today! I seized the chance to talk about the Sub-Series and some of those pesky characters that keep me on my toes. Hop on over http://www.lilyharlem.blogspot.de/2013/02/please-welcome-sage-marlow-to-my-blog.html


Sage
xxx

Tuesday Teaser: Lynn Stark

Hi all,

I'm very happy to welcome another one of my friends as today's Tuesday Teaser. She's a lovely person who has a vivid imagination but doesn't like to talk about herself. She fell in love with a character she didn't want and bought a machine to satisfy her cravings. 

Ladies & Gentlemen, please welcome 

Lynn Stark!

Hi Lynn, thanks for being my guest today! Take a seat and make yourself comfortable. Let's keep it simple and start with

The business ones

Please give us a short introduction about yourself
Well, that’s probably the most difficult of all. Who likes to talk about themselves? I’m an erotic romance author with a vivid imagination and a need to explore what makes people crave the things they do. I do have a list of things I will not write a story about. On the flip side of that, I will create stories about what two or more adults do sexually with full understanding and agreement.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?
Though I began writing mainstream contemporary romances years ago for my own entertainment, as time went on they continually became more and more erotic in nature. I would always tell myself that I would make a G version if I ever decided to send one off to a publisher. Now I’ve given up all pretence at writing for mainstream. It’s erotic romance I love and erotic romance I write. I also write medieval and regency period erotic romances. Some people might call describe them as historical romances, but I don’t. While I give enough detail to make it true to the period, and I won’t change major players in history, I’m not writing a history book. I also enjoy writing fantasy and paranormal erotic romances, though I have yet to submit them. I hope to do so before too much longer.

Tell us about your latest release
Cowboys and Pearls is my first all-male romance. The first hero is Nick Walker, a man who has suffered a terrible loss and isn’t looking for love. The second is Breck Gordon, a man almost desperate to find someone to love and doesn’t believe he ever will. Then there are the twins, Teddy and Wesley Kimura, who suffer both heartbreak and a new love within a day.

Do you need a special setting to write in or do you have a ceremony to get you in the mood? What does it look like?
First I have to get the husband out of the house. He’s very needy. Other than that I’m terribly boring. I get my workspace organized, get pencils, sticky notes, and pads, and then I begin. Hopefully I don’t stare at the page too long before the story begins spinning again. Once it does, I’m usually good for the remainder of the day.

Describe your feelings when you learnt that your first book was accepted for publication
I cried for about five minutes, I was so happy and relieved. After sending the same manuscript in twice, messing up the submission both times (I didn’t make the same mistake twice) I included the missing information and sent it a third time. When I didn’t hear anything from the publisher after nearly a month I was about to withdraw it. This was on a Friday. After giving it some thought I decided to leave it until Monday. On Monday, however, I received the acceptance from Siren-Bookstrand. I don’t know if I would have cried so hard if I hadn’t messed up twice before. This was a process which took four months and created stress and a delay which could have been avoided by using a highlighting marker.

Has the release of your first book changed anything in your personal life? If so, what?
Other than focusing more time on writing, I don’t believe it has changed much yet. Though my husband has always supported my writing, being published did validate it. The people I know are rather shocked by my being an author of erotic romances. I never shared the information with anyone but my closest friends.

Where do you find inspiration?
I’m very visual. I can look at a photograph of a room or some other setting and I immediately fill it with a story and characters. The meaning behind a song can trigger a story in my head, too. Not necessarily the lyrics, but what’s being said to me.

Who is your favourite character and why?
My favourite character is one who wasn’t supposed to be there. It’s Gracie from With Cherry on Top (Loving in Silver 2) She is so absolutely sweet, rather innocent, but determined to have a wicked side.

A favourite line from one of your books
What would you do for this chocolate delight? This line is from Butterfly Madness (Loving in Silver 3)(MMF). It’s a scene with Marley Jacobson and the sheriff, Grayson Evans. It’s not so much the question, but the sizzling moments between the heroine and hero which follow.

Your favourite drink and food when writing
I begin with tea and advance to a carbonated fountain cola. I got so tired of interrupting myself to go to the store to get it; I bought the machine to have at home. I absently crunch on pretzel sticks or trail mix while writing.



Lol. That last bit is like me with all my coffee machines. So, let's move on to

The nosy ones
How much of the real “you” is in your stories?
I never realized how much of myself I did put into my stories until I was on the third in the series. Now I’m very aware of it and tend to shy away from some issues, though I force myself to go on. I’m finding it very freeing.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who was it?
I’ve had a few, actually. Though I love all of my characters, both male and female, my biggest crush is on Colt Redford, a man always included in my stories, but yet to have his own. If I could write the man I would have, and have him come to life just for me, it would be Colt.

What’s the silliest error in a book you’ve submitted?
I had changed the name of a character in one story and about halfway through I started using the original. It was a real DUH moment. I blushed so hard when I saw it in edits that it’s a wonder I didn’t catch fire.

Who is your least favourite of the characters you’ve written? Why?
I actually don’t believe I have a least favourite so far. Not among the main ones. I couldn’t work with them if I didn’t like them. I’m actually developing a character now for my next m/m that I won’t like very much in the beginning, but will work with his redeeming qualities to help me get over that.

The steamiest scene from your books
Though I have many, the first one that comes to mind is the moment in Peaches ‘n’ Cream when Logan has had enough of Ryan and Damien’s ineptness in the bedroom while they are making love to Peaches. Up until this point he had resisted becoming involved with her. Cowboys and Pearls also has a scene which will make you wish you were sitting on a block of ice, but I don’t want to give anything away. All my books have such scenes.

Favourite comfort food?
German chocolate cake.

A person you admire
Any and all people brave enough to be who they are and love who they are meant to love. (Nice answer!)

If you could ask any person in the world one question of your choice, who would it be and what would you ask them?
It wouldn’t be a single person. But if I could get an honest, soul-revealing answer, I would ask haters why they really hate.


Lovely, Lynn. Just a few more and I'll let you off the hook. Here are

The fast ones

Favourite colour?
Red.. though I’m told psychologists prefer green or blue as the answer.

Favourite pet?
My current favourite is my cat Scooter Pie or Scootie for short. She’s about eleven years old now and my best buddy.

Dog or cat?
I have six dogs of various breeds, two of which are rescues, one cat, two rescued ferrets, four birds, and eleven very comical chickens. (Cool! My dream, although I'd never find the time for all those pets)

Coffee or tea?
Tea

Quickie or candles?
Uh, both?

Hunky or chunky?
Sexy comes in all kinds of packages.

Suit & tie or jeans & boots?
That depends on the man…and if it’s what I prefer to wear? It’s jeans and boots.

Walk in the park or chat over cocktails?
Walk in the park every time.


Thanks so much, Lynn! I had a great time interviewing you and you may let go of the armrests now ;)

After the deaths of his wife Jessica and his partner Don, Nick wasn’t looking for love. All he wants is his heart to heal. He has to go on, not only for himself, but for his teenage daughter. Then he meets Teddy and Wesley Kimura and things begin to change in ways he hadn’t been expecting. Still, he rejects their obvious love. Though there had never been anything beyond the mildest flirtation with the handsome rancher, it was apparent Nick didn’t want Teddy and Wesley. Bruised but not broken, the twins turned to Breck Gordon for comfort and discovered a man who could love them both without reservation. Breck found two men, not one, for him to love. It was perfect, with the exception of one thing. Nick Walker was never far from their thoughts and never left their hearts. It was knowledge Breck didn’t know if he could accept.





Buy link: www.bookstrand.com/cowboys-and-pearls


For all of Lynn's books, please go to: www.bookstrand.com/lynn-stark
(Please note: All books in the Loving in Silver series are currently on sale! Look out for the offer on the product page!)







Author bio:

I live in Ohio with my husband and a houseful of animals. When I’m not working the real job, or cleaning house, I’m writing. My life isn’t nearly as exciting as I’d like it to be, though someday I hope to re-write it with a few adventures. I would like to visit Scotland for a month or so, if the people there can put up with me. If not, then maybe ten days.

Author website: http://lynnstarkromances.weebly.com, on Facebook at Lynn Stark Romances and my author’s page on Facebook is Lynn Stark Erotic Romances.

Sage is Out: Cocktails at Dawn Roberto's

Hi all,

I'm spending this beautiful Sunday over at Dawn's Reading Nook, getting spoiled with Cocktails while chatting about being an author and the Romeo & Julian series in particular. Come check it out and grab a drink while you're at it. http://dawnsreadingnook.blogspot.com/2013/02/welcome-sage-marlow.html


Happy Sunday!

Sage
xxx

Pre-order: A Life as a Ghost (R&J 3)

Hi all, 

Yee-haw! A Life as a Ghost, the third book in the Romeo & Julian series, is now available to pre-order (10% discount!) from Siren-BookStrand. To what your appetite, here's the story excerpt. It's a scene early on in the story that speaks for itself.

A Life as a Ghost (Romeo & Julian 3)

MM erotic romance, contemporary, action / suspense. Novella

Heat level: scorching

Published by: Siren-BookStrand

Blurb

After leading a life as a ghost for years, will former thief Romeo’s love for FBI agent Julian be enough to make him settle?

The tragic losses of his home and a dear one take FBI agent Julian Harris one step closer to a shared life with his consultant and lover, former art thief Romeo aka Paris Moore. They have just moved in together and are trying to re-establish a certain normalcy when Romeo once again shuffles the cards. He surprises Julian by finally revealing some information about his true identity along with some unexpected news regarding his position in Julian's division.

During the nerve-wrecking hunt for the person that has been pulling the strings all along, Julian once again comes to realise that when dealing with Romeo, the only certainty is that all is not as it seems. But one question is more important than ever—after leading a life as a ghost for years, will Romeo’s love for Julian be strong enough to make him settle at last?

Story excerpt from A Life as a Ghost

(Copyright: Sage Marlowe, 2013)

The phone was ringing with astonishing persistence, and it must have been ringing for quite some time, Julian realized drowsily, but he had simply assimilated the familiar melody into his dream. It was still dark, but now that he was beginning to wake up, he recognized the sound as it reverberated in the silence of the apartment around him.

“Don’t you want to answer it?” He reached out to touch the warm body next to him—except there was none. Neither warm nor otherwise. The other side of the bed was empty and cold.

Not again. The thought shot through Julian’s sleep-befuddled brain and left an acid trail in its wake. Julian rubbed his temples and groaned. He hated waking up with a headache. Especially when it came with a furry tongue and dried-out throat.

He threw back the cool, silken sheets and the heavy quilt and sat up. Answering the phone was not an option, even though the poor thing was still begging for his attention with its shrill cries that bore a faint resemblance to some well-known, classic tune. This was Romeo’s home, even though they were sharing it officially now.

Julian swung his legs out of bed, pushed to his feet, and waited for the world to catch up with his motion. Then he shuffled to the bathroom which was in a strategically idiotic location at the other end of the big apartment. He barely turned his head to check the living area in passing, knowing that it was pointless. Romeo wasn’t in. He had once again taken off in the middle of the night, at some point after Julian had drifted off to sleep in his arms. Or maybe holding Romeo in his own arms. Falling asleep with his lover close to him was one of the merits of living together, Julian thought. Waking up with him would have been nice, too, but the chances were poor.

Of all the times they had gone to bed together, there hadn’t been a single occasion Julian hadn’t woken in an empty bed. Apparently the fact that he was living at Romeo’s place now wasn’t going to change that. He still wasn’t sure why Romeo had invited him to move in after Julian’s house had been blown up. Was it really because he wanted him near? Or had he just been under orders from Julian’s boss, Chief Baxter, to take him to a safe place and keep him there? Romeo’s own home would have been the obvious choice, the stylish penthouse apartment at the top floor of an expensive townhouse. So much had happened in the past thirty hours, and with his head pounding from a hangover like it was, he had no intention of putting the shattered fragments of his memories back together.

He shuffled to the kitchen area, remembering the box containing Band-Aids and various over-the-counter medication that could be found in any average household. Hopefully it also contained some decent pain killers.

A noise made him freeze and then perk up. A faint rustle. It was almost too low to hear, and he wouldn’t have noticed it if he had still been asleep, but since he was leaning on the kitchen counter at three in the morning, he did hear it.

Something, or someone, moved in the sleeping area. It was a blind spot due to the angle the far wall created. Julian wished he hadn’t been so damn responsible as to lock up his firearm in the small safe in Romeo’s bookshelf. He remembered Romeo’s and his boss’s warning not to go anywhere by himself. But I didn’t go anywhere by myself. He left me here by myself. There was a difference, wasn’t there? A difference the person who intended to kill him wouldn’t waste another thought on.

Julian quietly slid a drawer open and sneaked a hand inside. Yes. It was the one with the sharp kitchen knives. He gingerly ran a fingertip up the cold steel length of one, careful to stay on the blunt side of the blade, until he found the handle and was convinced that he could pull it out without making too much noise. The knife followed his tug easily. Julian weighed it in his hand. It wasn’t long, but it would have to do. At least it was really sharp. It was the one he had used in the evening to chop vegetables. He tightened his grip around the handle. He was damned if he let a bloody burglar—or the person who had assumedly already tried to kill him once—unsettle him that much. He checked the knife instinctively, reassured by its slender yet solid shape.

It was a good knife. Somehow it reminded him of Romeo. He, too, had the deceptively slender and graceful build of a ballet dancer but possessed an astonishing strength. His well-trained muscles were like flexible steel when used, and Julian had felt them in use. He suppressed a shudder at the memory of that moment outside the interrogation room when he had realized that Romeo was a lot more dangerous than he had ever assumed him to be. 

A Life as a Ghost (Romeo & Julian 3) releases from Siren-Bookstrand on March 2nd, 2013

Pre-order it now at a 10% discount and have it delivered as soon as it releases! 

Here's the buy link: www.bookstrand.com/a-life-as-a-ghost

Sage is Out: On the Bench with Donna Gallagher

Hi all,

Donna Gallagher has put me on the bench and asked a few questions. If you want to know what vegemite has to do with Stuart Reardon, come on over: http://donnagallagherromance.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/sage-marlowe-is-on-the-bench/

See you soon!

Sage
xxx

Blast from the Past

Hi all,

Welcome to this week's Blast from the Past. Those are snippets from the interviews I've given in the past, because some of my interviewers' questions were just too good to answer only once. They can be serious or funny, insightful or just plain naughty, so - Enjoy!

Here it goes:

Q: What is your favorite thing about writing?

A: Getting really absorbed in a scene. And I mean, really - to the point where I forget all about where I am and live in the story, when I can feel my characters and see the world through their eyes. It doesn’t always work that way, but when it does, it’s magic.