Release Day Special: MK Schiller

Hi all, 

Today's special guest is celebrating release day. She's part of the TEB family and well, she has a way with words... Ladies & Gentlemen, please welcome MK Schiller!

The business ones
Please give us a short introduction about yourself
My name is MK Schiller, I’m a wife and mother of two with a day job in the world of finance. By night, I love to sit by the warm glow of a computer monitor and think of sassy, sexy stories.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I have written only contemporary M/F romance so far, but I’d like to delve into other genres as well.

Tell us about your latest release
Thank you for asking! It’s a contemporary romance office romance with humorous elements. My goal is to make the reader laugh, sigh, lust, and maybe even cry just a tiny bit.

Marley Mason is dreading the arrival of the new business consultant. After all, this man will most likely outsource her job to China. The last thing she would expect is a case of mistaken identity, leading to false accusations of kidnapping when she attempts to pick up the wrong man at the airport, or worse…that she would have such a visceral reaction to the right man.

Rick Randy is super sexy, scandalously flirty, and perfect masturbation material, but a relationship is out of the question. Rick is contracted on a temporary basis to fix Marley’s ailing company, and then pull out, although as he expresses to Marley, pulling out is difficult for him, in more ways than one! Marley’s feelings range from utter confusion to intense contemplation as Rick charms his way into her life. All of those C-words Marley can control, but it’s the other C-word she fears—commitment.

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?
No – I just try myself from the P word – procrastination. It’s hard because I tend to walk into the living room and want to watch a snippet of a show, or read through my emails and Facebook sometimes. Writing can be emotional exhausting, especially the more dramatic areas, so taking breaks is essential but sometimes I take too many!

Describe your feelings when you learnt that your first book was accepted for publication
Joy, justification and pride. It was a total surprise and I have saved that email so I can look back upon it when I’m having a bad writing day.

Has the release of your first book changed anything in your personal life? If so, what?
It’s even harder to write now that I have other duties in getting reviews for my book and marketing, but it’s all exciting.

Where do you find inspiration?
I think of writing like weaving a tapestry. You might here a funny story or a snippet of a conversation that’s totally unrelated but it could apply to this character in a slightly different way. I think writing is mostly observing first and foremost. All of these random obsercations become the fodder for my story...little threads. I change the thread, make it thicker/thinner, and weave it in. Hopefully, I have enough of those threads to make a finished product someone will enjoy.

Who is your favourite character and why?
In literature, it’s probably Robert Langdon from Dan Brown’s books. I’m attracted to intelligence. I think it’s downright sexy. In my book, it’s probably Rick because he’s strong, emotionally and physically.

A favourite line from one of your books
“Marley, if you so much as hurt a hair on my future wife’s pussy, I’ll kill you.”
Suddenly, I didn’t think we were talking about a cat anymore.

Your favourite drink and food when writing
I’d love to say wine, but honestly it’s coffee. I need it.

The nosy ones
How much of the real “you” is in your stories?
There are stories and personality traits, but I’m definitely not as bold as my characters.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who was it?
There are so many, it’s hard to narrow down. It runs the gamut from Mr. Darcy to Sawyer from Lost.

What’s the silliest error in a book you’ve submitted?
I meant to say ‘caramel’ colour skin but instead I said ‘camel’ - not what I was going for!

Who is your least favourite of the characters you’ve written? Why?
I have a couple books with mean girl characters. It’s hard to write them because you want to make them real people and not over the top.

The steamiest scene from your books
Usually the first love scene in all of the them is the steamiest, which makes sense since the characters have been lusting after each other for a while.

Favourite comfort food?
Mac and cheese – the homemade kind.

A person you admire
I have to say my daughter because she has managed to be a vegetarian for 5 years and a vegan for one. I actually made one of my characters one because I think it’s crazy the amount of dedication that requires.

I also admire Bill Gates. I love anyone who comes from a humble background , becomes a huge success, and still gives back to the community.

If you could ask any person in the world one question of your choice, who would it be and what would you ask them?
Hmmm...I’d ask Jimmy Hoffa where he’s buried!

The fast ones

Favourite colour? Green

Favourite pet? A dog...preferably a mutt with a great deal of affection.

Coffee or tea? Coffee. I’m American so if I’m having tea it has to be iced, which I know is improper.

Quickie or candles? - hmm both. Sometimes when the need is so strong you don’t have a choice. Whatever fits the mood I say.

Hunky or chunky? Hunky

Suit & tie or jeans & boots? Both and either. I like a guy that’s nine to five, but a weekend cowboy too. What can I say? I’m a girl who wants it all.

Walk in the park or chat over cocktails? How about a walk in the park, chatting with a Cosmo in my hand? Like I said, I want it all.

Thank you for the interview, MK! I loved getting to know you better. Let's take a look at your
book now, shall we?

The Other C-Word

Can she overcome her consuming desire for him? Can he make her comfortable with the other C-word…commitment? 
 

Buy link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2254

About the author: 
A wife and mother of two loveable, but angst-ridden teenagers, MK Schiller enjoys movies, gardening, and travelling. Although she loves to write, she is a reader first and enjoys nothing more than curling up with a good book and some tasty Italian (the food, of course!).

Author website: http://www.mkschillerauthor.com/

Release Day: Stockholm Syndrome

I knew you were waiting... I certainly was, and I'm thrilled to announce that Stockholm Syndrome has officially released today. You can now get it from the publisher TEB as well as from Amazon, ARe and the other usual suspects.

Stockholm Syndrome 

We don’t get to choose who we fall in love with—and sometimes we fall too far…

Daniel Eames is a bodyguard. Usually assigned to protecting politicians, he has fallen out of his boss’s good books after getting too close to his last charge’s son but when rising Hollywood star and Academy Award nominee Bryan McTiernan receives peculiar letters and requires the best possible protection, Dan is put on the job.

While he agrees that the letters are more than harmless fan mail, he finds it impossible to narrow down his suspicions and Bryan isn’t helping by alternately seducing and irritating the hell out of him. Against his better judgement, Dan falls for Bryan’s manipulations, but the more he gets to glimpse behind the façade of the young actor, the more he realises that something in Bryan’s past has a strong hold over him. While both Dan and Bryan are aware of this, neither sees the full extent of his fixation.

With the help of Gabe, a fellow bodyguard and friend, Dan pursues different theories and even hires a private investigator to learn about Bryan’s well-hidden past. What he discovers has the potential to destroy more than just a promising career and in the end, Bryan has to make a choice—allow for his past fixation to take him hostage again or run away and into Dan’s open arms?

Buy links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Total-E-Bound
ARe

Book Quickie: Kaylee's First Crush by Erin M Leaf

Kaylee's First Crush

 

 

 

The last person Kaylee expects to run into when her flight is cancelled is Mr. Hugo Valtree, her favorite high school teacher. It’s been five years since she graduated and she’s never forgotten the sexy man who’d been her first crush. Now she’s all grown up, but he’s still out of her league: he’s inherited his father’s company, making him a billionaire. She’s still shy, still a virgin—what can she possibly have to offer him?

Surprisingly, Hugo offers her something instead, something she desperately needs: a place to stay for the night. It’s storming outside and just her luck, all the hotels in the city are booked. Of course, there’s only one bed in his hotel room…

 

 

 

 

Buy Links:

http://erinmleaf.com/books/standalone-novels/kaylees-first-crush/

Author Details:

Erin M. Leaf is a romance novel devotee, the steamier the better. She also writes erotic romance as Marie E. Blossom.

Website: http://erinmleaf.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/erinmleaf

Twitter: @erinmleaf

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4355929.Erin_M_Leaf

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/erin-m-leaf/

Sage is Out: Ring of Fire

O-oh, you might thing when you read this post's title. but don't worry, I'm not in trouble (yet). I did however answer the question the wonderful Laurie Roma asked in her symposium this month, so come on over and find out what gets me hot when reading - and not in a good way. Here's the link:
http://laurieroma.blogspot.de/2013/08/symposium-ring-of-fire.html

Snippet: Fantasy for Sale

I was looking for book quotes when I came across this lovely little scene from Fantasy for Sale just now. It sees Nate and Cam on their first official date and it shows the chemistry between them really well, so enjoy! 

* * * *

We started our tour around the gallery. Cam remained close to me—so close in fact that it was bordering on an inappropriate public display of intimacy, but I liked it. His gaze found mine every time I turned to him and he brushed my arm from time to time.
“Aren’t you worried that people around us might consider this a bit too much?” I asked him when he tangled his fingers with mine. Frowning, he looked down at our hands, then he brought them up to eye level. “What, this?”
“Yes.”
He grinned. “Well, I’m not sure, but to be honest, I think that people who consider that art, won’t freak out at the sight of two guys holding hands.” He’d jerked his head in the direction of an eight foot tall statue that occupied the entire corner of the room.
“Eh? Why’s that?” I asked.
“Haven’t you seen it before?”
“Nn-nn. Last time I was here, they had a glass elephant in that place.”
“Well then, let’s take a look.” He didn’t let go of my hand. I understood what he meant the second I saw the front of the statue. It was mostly human in shape, but the proportions were ridiculous.
“What is this?” I asked, still not trusting my eyes.
“Whatever it is—it’s male,” Cam deadpanned. We stared at each other for a second, then we burst out laughing.
“He looks like he’s in danger of overbalancing, don’t you think?” I gasped, trying to catch my breath.
“That’s what I thought the first time I saw it. Like it?”
“Like?” I looked some more. “Not sure. I wouldn’t even know where to put it, to be honest.”
Cam’s smile became mischievous. “Wouldn’t you? Want me to give you some clues later at home?”
The sparkle in his eyes made my cock twitch in response. “I just meant, um, because it’s big.” Great. I stammered like a teenager—and couldn’t come up with a proper sentence.
Cam leaned in. “I know. And I meant because you’re big.” His husky murmur made me shiver and the gentle squeeze of his fingers turned my legs to rubber. Petrified, I looked at him. I half expected him to kiss me right there, and I probably would have let it happen, but he tugged at my hand, lifting the spell he’d cast over me a little.
I couldn’t remember the last time I had been the centre of so much male attention and I began to understand why Cyn enjoyed his company so much. Cam was the perfect date and he was a tease indeed. By the end of the evening, he’d turned me into a sexually charged mess. I needed release. Fast. I almost shouted with relief when he suggested we go back to my flat for the fuck I was going to get.
I grabbed him the minute we were through the door.

* * * * 

Tuesday Teaser: Gabrielle Holly

Hi all,

I'm delighted to welcome the lovely Gabrielle Holly on my blog today. She's labouring under the same weather conditions as I am and shares the (almost) obligatory addiction to coffee.

The business ones

Please give us a short introduction about yourself
Thanks for having me on the blog, Sage! I write erotic romance with a little humour, a lot of heat, and always a happy ending.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I write M/F and M/F/M romances in the contemporary, historical and paranormal subgenres.

Tell us about your latest release
“Stage Fright” is book 3 in my paranormal erotic romance series Ghost Encounters. The books follow psychic medium Toni Bianchi and a quirky troupe of television ghost hunters – The Paranormal Research Team. Toni’s uses her unique sexual energy to communicate with the undead and help restless spirits find peace. The ghost in Stage Fright is Kip Monroe - a 1950s ‘greaser’ who was wrongly accused of a crime. After an otherworldly sexual encounter, Toni agrees to help clear Kip’s name.

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?
I prefer to write outdoors, but in the Midwest that’s not always possible - it’s blazing hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. When I can’t write outdoors, I hunker down in my office overlooking the backyard. My dogs are always lounging nearby.

Describe your feelings when you learnt that your first book was accepted for publication. Overwhelming gratitude.

Where do you find inspiration?
I have a very rich fantasy life. My school report cards almost always had a notation about my daydreaming “problem.” *grins*

A favourite line from one of your books
“There are no rules on this side, sweetheart.” ~ ghost Kip Monroe explaining his sexual prowess.

Your favourite drink and food when writing
Coffee always and M&Ms sometimes.

The nosy ones

How much of the real “you” is in your stories?
All of my characters have qualities that I love – and dislike – in myself and the people in my life.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who was it?
Bjorn – the Viking warrior in my historicals “Delivering Kadlin” and “Rescuing Kadlin” - is one of my favourites. He’s big, strong, uber-masculine, and can deliver a hot spanking.

What’s the silliest error in a book you’ve submitted?
“His blazing eyes dropped to her breasts.” I’m grateful it was caught in edits. That would have been painful for both hero and heroine!

Who is your least favourite of the characters you’ve written? Why?
Suzanne, the antagonist in Mr. Fix It is a character I love to hate. She’s an egomaniac, a narcissist and all-around bitch. She’s the ringleader of a band of high-maintenance, over-indulged suburban housewives known as “The Botox Brigade”.

The steamiest scene from your books
Probably the ménage a trois scene in A Triple Scoop of I Scream. It’s a M/F/M scene that takes place in an ice cream parlour – complete with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and bondage with liquorice laces.

Favourite comfort food?
Ice cream. Hm, I wonder if that was the subconscious inspiration for the scene mentioned in the previous question.

A person you admire
My late grandmother because of her joie de vivre. For her, life was an adventure. I modelled the character Claudette - Thomas’ quirky grandmother – in Stage Fright after her.

The fast ones

Favourite colour? Green

Favourite pet? I love dogs. I have two of my own and regularly volunteer at the local animal shelter. I socialize (play with) the shelter dogs and work with them in obedience class.

Dog or cat? Woof!

Coffee or tea? Coffee – strong with a bit of cream.

Quickie or candles? Candles.

Hunky or chunky? I love big, strong men.

Suit & tie or jeans & boots? Jeans & Boots

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

Thank you for the interview, Gabrielle. Liquorice lace bondage, eh? I better not mention what I used to do with those ~Sage

 Stage Fright

A reluctant psychic medium, a sexy television ghost hunter and a resentful movie-house ghost create a dangerous love triangle.

Get your copy from
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Total-e-Bound
All Romance eBooks



About the author:
Gabrielle Holly lives in the Midwestern United States with her husband, their collie and golden retriever. She’s worked as a newspaper humour columnist, a stand-up comic, a radio show host, a magazine writer & editor, and freelance journalist. Gabby has a short attention span and enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, hunting for antiques and attending live theatre.


Connect with Gabrielle:
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabrielle_holly
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GabrielleHollyAuthor
Website: http://www.gabrielleholly.com/
Blog: http://gabrielleholly.blogspot.com/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/gabrielleholly

#Giveaway: Stockholm Syndrome Swag

Hi all,

Remember the giveaway I'm doing for Stockholm Syndrome? Today's your last chance to enter before the book goes to the distributors tomorrow. That means it's also the last chance to pick it up while it's on discount. 

And I have news for you - the swag I ordered especially for Stockholm has just arrived, so the lucky winner will get either the SS T-Shirt or the mug on top of the original prize (as listed below).

Here's the original post: 

I just ordered some swag - yes, the incident where I entered my website as www.sage-marlowe.come - and realised that I have quite a few pretty things lying around by now. T-shirts, mugs, baseball hats, key rings, mouse mats, pens... They're all wasted if hidden in big brown, ugly boxes, so I think it's high time some of those pretty things found a new home. 

Of course I'm not going to just give them away - nope, you'll have to do something to win Sage's goodie package which includes the following: 

• Winner's choice of one swag item
• Some sweet treats from Germany
• Winner's pick of signed cover pics

Here's the deal: 

Every buyer of my latest book Stockholm Syndrome can enter this giveaway - but only if you have bought it directly from the publisher Total-E-Bound before it becomes available from the distributors (i.e. Amazon, ARe, Barnes & Noble, iTunes...) on August 16th. The added bonus for you is that you also save 10% if you get it now. 

E-mail a copy of your purchase confirmation to marlowe.sage (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk. Please put "Stockholm Syndrome giveaway" in the subject line so I don't think you're spam - that's it, you're in. 

Entries will be accepted until midnight (British Summer Time) on August 15th, 2013. The giveaway is open internationally (void where prohibited). Ts and Cs apply, please click the "Contest rules"-tab at the top of this site to view the details. 

Any questions, please leave a comment on this post or email me. Here's the link to pick up your copy of Stockholm Syndrome from Total-E-Bound if you haven't done so already  

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2244

And here's a pic of the goodies on offer:

Good luck!

***If you'd like to keep up with me, my books and chances to win prizes like this simply subscribe to my blog, follow me on Twitter or join my circle of Facebook friends***

Title Reveal: Nightmare 5

Alas, it's done...
I just finished writing book 5 in the Nightmares series and I'm thrilled that my newest baby has a name at last - ready?
 

Beyond Your Wildest Nightmares.  

So far the word count is just under 31K but there will be one more round of tweaks when book 6 is finished, so I'll probably end up adding a bit here and there (and of course my lovely editor may have something to say, too...).

Yours Truly is off to make dinner now then hopefully back with a nice surprise for you soon :)

Special Guest: Draven St James

 Hi all, 

Today's special guest is Draven St James. She has some great answers to my nosy questions and of course she also has a fabulous new book to present, Grey's Hidden Fire. 

Hi Draven, welcome to my blog and thanks for being my guest. Here's some coffee to get us started on

 

The business ones

Please give us a short introduction about yourself
I've always preferred to be on the periphery at any event. I enjoy people watching and using the little quirks I see to create my characters. Writing has always been my passion. Ever since I read my first book all I wanted to do was to be able to put to the page all of my stories.
I've travelled a great deal but have always called the Northwest my home. I have two degrees from the University of Oregon, one in psychology and one in English. Both have helped me greatly in building and polishing my writing. My life's ambition is to be able to spend my days creating new worlds for readers to have fun and get lost in.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?
My current book, Grey's Hidden Fire, is LGBT, M/M, contemporary. However, there is a m/m shifter series on the horizon.

Tell us about your latest release

Grey's Hidden Fire is about losing the boundaries and constraints that keep people from loving who they want to love. It's about the passion and heat that can be uncovered in the most interesting of places when one looks beyond gender. Mostly it is about discovery. The excitement and thrill that comes from seeing someone and feeling a soul deep connection that ignites desire which leads to fantastic sex and love, of course. J

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?
I'm more of a nocturnal writer. Beyond that, it doesn't really matter what location I'm working at. The only ceremony involved is having either coffee or tea and sitting with my laptop to wait for the words to come out and play.

Describe your feelings when you learnt that your first book was accepted for publication.
Shock, elation, disbelief then back to shock and onto complete joy. I wanted to get started on the editing that very second!

Has the release of your first book changed anything in your personal life? If so, what?
It hasn't really changed anything beyond limiting the time I have for reading. I am falling behind in all the books I would normally have devoured. It is worth it though!

Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in my friends and family. They are a consistent source of information and just plain entertainment. A sure fire cure for writer's block. I also listen to a lot of music. Depending on the scene I'm writing I have different stations set up on Pandora.

Who is your favourite character and why?

Out of my own books? I'd have to say Grey. He is very masculine but there is a vulnerability, which comes out when he has to assess his attraction to Mica. It doesn't hurt he's every wicked fantasy rolled up into one delicious package and that he is someone who'd kick ass if one of his friends were threatened.

A favourite line from one of your books
Umm…every line? I can't say I have a favourite because after so many edits and reviews I am kind of attached to all of them. 

Your favourite drink and food when writing?
Coffee…coffee…and oh yeah, coffee.

The nosy ones

How much of the real “you” is in your stories?
I would say a big part of the real "me" is in my stories. At least they are a reflection of my life experiences. All of the interactions I've had in my life have been put to use in every book that I write. It is my goal to sew together the pieces of my reality and create a new world from those scattered moments.

What’s the silliest error in a book you’ve submitted?
I don't know about silly, but my love of the word "that" has been destroyed.

The steamiest scene from your books
While all the scenes are pretty steamy. The one that I had the most fun writing was the one where Mica describes his fantasy to Grey. It was full of passion and discovery. Grey's curiosity about Mica's desire for him and Mica's retelling of his sexual, sensual private musings. The intensely steamy nature lies in the knowledge that someone doesn't just desire you when they are physically with you, but desires you in all their most intimate of moments.

Favourite comfort food?
My comfort food is definitely gumbo. I have some strong southern roots and there is nothing like a good chicken and sausage gumbo to make things right in the world.

A person you admire
I admire my two sisters and their lovely wives. They are phenomenal women who live fully in the now. They are strong, beautiful, intelligent and amazingly creative individuals. Without their support and humorous commentary this journey to publication wouldn't have been the same.

If you could ask any person in the world one question of your choice, who would it be and what would you ask them?
I think I'd want to talk to Shakespeare and ask him how many of the plays, we consider his works, were actually written by him.

 

The fast ones

Favourite colour? My favourite color is royal blue.

Favourite pet? Sugar glider.

Dog or cat? Dog, Husky to be precise.

Coffee or tea? Coffee with vanilla creamer, but six pump soy chai latte if possible.

Quickie or candles? Depends on the moment.

Hunky or chunky? Hunky.

Suit & tie or jeans & boots? Jeans and boots, or perhaps a firefighter uniform.

Walk in the park or chat over cocktails? Walk in the park to include a picnic with cocktails.




Thank you so much for the interview, Draven, and now let's take a look at your new books - did I hear firefighters???

Grey's Hidden Fire

Grey's entire life is wrapped around his job as a firefighter. It is all he has ever wanted. That is until his new co-worker Mica Cruz saunters through the door with his smoldering dark looks and dimpled grin. Suddenly he finds himself wanting to get to know what Mica looks like out of his gear and between the sheets.

Mica has one rule…keep his work life and his personal life separate. It was easy enough to follow until he meets Grey and finds that his rule can't stand up to the fire that Grey ignites. There's one big thing standing in the way of all of his lust filled musings. Grey is straight.

In a profession where being gay is often kept quiet Grey must come to terms with his growing attraction to Mica. How much is he willing to sacrifice? Can they come together before someone's hatred threatens to destroy them both?

Buy links:
Loose ID: http://www.loose-id.com/featured/whatshot/grey-s-hidden-fire.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Greys-Hidden-Fire-ebook/dp/B00DUHRNDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374129342&sr=8-1&keywords=Grey%27s+Hidden+Fire
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-grey039shiddenfire-1228820-149.html

Author bio:
Draven St. James is a born and raised Oregonian. She has travelled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill her books. Her ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where she finds her peace.

Author website: www.dravenstjames.wordpress.com