Ok, I figure I need to do a segment every month on the top ten books-print and e-books-I am dying to read. I have such an extensive list that it is hard to round it to ten so please forgive me if I don't mention your book, authors. I would be here till doomsday and then some. *grins* Now onto book goodness.....
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10) Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep (Book 3 in Elemental Assassin Series)
Release date: April 26th, 2011
Available for pre-order at Amazon
Genre: Urban Fantasy
I just got Venom and need my Gin fix. I so can not wait to see what happens next to this retired assassin and her crazy cast of friends/family.
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9) Trust Me If You Dare by L. B. Gregg (Book 2 in Romano & Albright series)
Release date: December 2010 from Samhain Publishing
Genre: M/M Mystery
I loved, loved, loved Catch Me If You Can and can not wait for this one. I need my Romano & Albright fix desperately. Besides who doesn't like a hot, sexy M/M Mystery/suspense to keep you enthralled? I know I do.
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8) Hunger by Jackie Kessler (Book 1 in Eternal Riders YA Series)
Release date: October 2010
Available at Amazon
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
I got to admit, I have heard nothing but good things about this newest series from Ms. Kessler and just have to read it. Maybe Sanata will be good and bring it to me for Christmas? *Pleading Gaze*
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7) Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Chronicles of Nick/Dark Hunter Series YA)
Release date: February 2011. Available at Amazon for pre-release
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
I so need my Nick fix it isn't funny. Who knew Nick and the Dark Hunters were so amusing when he was a teenager? I am counting down the time till this comes out and I got my daughter hooked on Infinity, the first book so that she now asks when the second one is out. :)
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6) The Sworn by Gail Z. Martin (The Fallen Kings Cycle Book 1)
Continuation of the Chronicles of the Necromancer Series
Release date: January 2011. Available for Pre-release at Amazon
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
When I first picked up the first book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer, Summoner, I literally fell in love with this author's writing and her cast of characters. If you enjoy fantasy with a bit of adventure, mystery and romance, then I highly recommend this series. I am eager to grab this with my holiday gift cards in early January. *grins*
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5) Master of the Abyss by Cherise Sinclair (Master of the Mountain Book 2)
I read the first book, Master of the Mountain, and loved it. I was thrilled to see Master Jake get his story told and Cherise Sinclair is a talented writer. If you haven't tried out her books, I highly recommend you do. Sensual, entertaining and delightful. Need I say more?
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4) Men In Space Anthology (Three M/M Sci-fi Adventures)
Release date: November 2nd, 2010
Samhain Publishing
Genre: M/M Sci-Fi/Futuristic Romance
I loved these in ebook format and was thrilled to see them all together in one print volume. Manlove in space....who could ask for anything better?
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3) Pale Demon by Kim Harrison (The Hollows Series Book 9)
Release date: February 11th, 2010
Available for pre-order at Amazon
Genre: Urban Fantasy
The next Hollows book is almost here and I am anxious to see what mischief Rachel, Jenks, Ivy and all their friends get into next.
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2) Harvest Hunting by Yasmine Galenorn (Book 8 in Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon Series)
Release date: October 26th, 2010
Available for pre-order at Amazon
Genre: Urban Fantasy
I love this series. Ms. Galenorn has a great writing style that keeps the reader glued to their seats and eager for more when the last page is read.
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And Number One is........
Truthseeker by C. E. Murphy (Book 1 in Worldwalker Duology)
Available now and at Amazon
Genre: Fantasy
I love C. E. Murphy's writing and was thrilled to see a new book out from her. This is the first book in a new duology series. It looks just as good as her other books and I am hinting rather loudly to DH on this one for Christmas.
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Well this was just a taste of what I am looking forward to reading. Any you want to recommend?
The Power of Positive Reinforcement by T. M. Hunter
Anyone who follows my blog or has seen my various articles on the web would know that I’m a big proponent of setting goals as a means to get jump-started on your writing and to keep it flowing. There are those who see goal-setting as bringing far too much structure into what is considered a creative endeavor. I see it differently, and have a feeling there are many would-be writers out there who struggle with getting words out on the page just as I have in the past. They feel disappointed in themselves for being unable to accomplish what they want to get done, and these negative feelings feed upon themselves, which only propagates the issue farther. Six or twelve months later, you’re still looking to get your first draft finished or maybe even the first page of your novel.
In my own situation, thus was born the goal-setting life, and I have a feeling it will help any other struggling writer out there.
Of course, I’ve written other articles on setting goals, including tips on how to set them, but one thing to remember is that writing is primarily a mental activity. As such, it’s important that we should not only set our writing goals but we should give ourselves rewards when we complete them. Now this isn’t to say a person should set themselves up on a Caribbean cruise when they finish the first draft of their novel (although if anyone wants to buy me one for when I finish my third Aston novel, I won’t object). But as always, with anything there should be rules, and so your rewards for completing your goals should adhere to the following three guidelines:
1. Your reward should be something you don’t already receive on a regular basis
I’ve seen many people steer away from this precept when they reward themselves. In fact, while sitting down to write this article, a writer friend of mine told me to turn off Twitter until I finished. Although I did as he instructed, returning to Twitter won’t in fact be my reward, because ultimately (though I hope it will encourage me to finish) I’ll receive that ‘reward’ eventually whether I complete my task or not. The same goes for those who go out to dinner after they finish the first draft of a story or novel. Unless you never go out to dinner otherwise (which would be rare in this day and age), that isn’t really considered a true reward because you receive it other times when you aren’t accomplishing your goals.
Be inventive. What is something you never (or almost never) get to do? Set that up as your reward, and then bask in the glory of being able to do it when you’re finished.
2. Your reward should fit the goal that you completed
I mentioned before that a person shouldn’t set themselves up on a Caribbean cruise when they complete the first draft. Again, it seems fairly obvious, but the opposite can also be true. What if you finished the final draft of your latest novel and sent it off to your first batch of agents? That’s something that doesn’t happen all too often, so it deserves a larger reward than say, finishing your word count goal for the month. You wouldn’t want to go out to a fancy dinner alone (although maybe you never get to go out to dinner). The intensity of the reward is what’s important for tasks that are monumental, and usually rare, because it’s all about forming a habit. Finishing a short story, on the other hand, might just end up with a reward of a special ice cream treat (assuming you don’t go out for these all the time), since it’s something that can be accomplished fairly quickly and easily for most.
And of course, when you begin completing the same goal (a word count goal for the month, for example) over and over, it’s time to set your goal higher in order to receive the same reward. One might ask why they couldn’t just scale back the reward, but the mind will begin having no incentive to reach the goal any longer, and the habit will begin to fade.
And of course, maybe you can book your (and my) Caribbean cruise once you sell the movie rights to your novel.
3. Your reward should be something positive
Yet one more obvious statement (it’s beginning to form a trend), but one would be surprised how many people will use a negative consequence to spur them to complete a goal (such as removing yourself from personal contact with friends and family until you’re finished with a story). Although punishing oneself until a task is completed may actually get the task at hand accomplished, the mind seeks to have positive sensations when forming and maintaining habits (which is why it’s so hard for addicts to quit). If your task was accomplished through negativity, your mind won’t form a lasting habit. Although it may serve as a start, and momentum will carry you for a while, ultimately the old habits (not accomplishing your goals) will return. So, make sure you earnestly seek out a positive reward and your habits will both form and last.
So there you have it, three solid guidelines for setting up rewards to go along with your writing goals. I hope they prove as useful for you as they have for me. Have a great time, everyone, and enjoy those rewards along the way.
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T. M. Hunter has always had a fascination with interstellar travel, earning a B. S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Kansas. Twice a top ten finisher in the P&E Readers Poll for his short stories (2007, 2009), his book HEROES DIE YOUNG earned Champagne Books’ Best-Selling Book of 2008 award. FRIENDS IN DEED is his latest novel. For more information, including links to his published short stories and novels, please visit AstonWest.com. You can also find T. M. Hunter on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace as well.
Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?
I fell into writing quite accidentally. When I was nine, I wrote my first poem, one for my mother in honor of Mother’s Day. She read it and cried. It was called “Mama” and in its silly rhymes I told her how much she meant to me. My father read it next and pretending to be offended, he said, “I know it’s not Father’s Day yet, but would you write me an early poem called “Papa”?
My parents encouraged me right from the start that writing was my gift and the only way to thank God for it was to show I liked the gift by using it.
Two or three years later I started writing short stories. My father was a natural story teller. If he wanted us kids to learn something important, he’d couch it in a kind of make-it-up-as-he-went-along parable. Instead of “Don’t talk back,” he would say, “Once there was this boy, let’s call him Marco, who talked back to his mother so much one day she ran away from home.”
In those early days I also read quite a few comic books. They definitely taught young readers how to write a story!
Please tell us a bit about your latest/upcoming book(s). What inspired it? Is it part of a series?
Flashing My Shorts is the title of my newest book. It’s a collection of 164 short-short stories about life, love, humor, horror, crime, science fiction--name it! I wrote it because it’s the kind of book I myself enjoy reading. In this modern day of rush and run, I am certain others love this kind of book as well. They can read a story or two or three, put the book down, and come back to read some more new stories. Kind of like smorgasbord fare. Tables and tables of one-bite foods to sample. And judging from the many customer reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Flashing-My-Shorts-Salvatore-Buttaci/dp/0984259473 I would say lots of readers are particularly enjoying Flashing My Shorts.
I do intend to write more flash-fiction collections. In fact, I’ve half-written the next one called Flashes of Memory.
Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer?
I am one of the blessed who has had more than a few who influenced me as a writer. First and foremost, my parents. To them I add three English teachers who helped remind me that one needs to learn the craft of writing to be a writer. To do otherwise would be like a pilot taking off from the roof of a building without a plane! He might get lucky and fly, but chances are he won’t make a safe landing. In grade 6 it was Sister Rita Damien who encouraged her students to write and then read their stories in front of the class on rainy lunch hours. My friend George Newman drew pictures to match my stories and while I read them, he’d hold up picture by picture so the class could squint and nod.
In high school it was Sister Marie Augusta whom we called “The Word” for two reasons: “My word!” was her favorite expression, and she loved the words of great literary classics which I pretended to hate so my stickball buddies wouldn’t think badly of me. And lastly there was Dr. David Rogers, my creative-writing professor, who taught me that a writer who does not revise is not a writer at all.
What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
A good story is like a well-baked cake: all the ingredients need to be present for it to taste good. I feel the same way about stories. If a writer has a fantastic plot but the characters are weak and indefinable, the plot falls on its face. If the writer does not include foreshadowing early on in the story, often the ending is not acceptable. Readers need to be given some tiny hint of the outcome or, like the ancient Greek playwrights, those writers will be accused of pulling a “deus ex machina,” a contrived resolution nobody saw coming. For a story to be worth reading, it must include the required ingrdients: plot, a character or more, a problem to be resolved, suspense, setting of time and place, point of view, theme, and resolution. A good story also contains a well-balanced mix of narration, dialogue, description, persuasion, and exposition. Of course, all of these requirements become more demanding the shorter the short story.
Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters?
Because I believe in the need for a strong story opener, a hook to pull in readers right from the getgo, I first come up with a beginning. One sentence. Then I construct a problem from that one opening sentence and I express it as a problem. For example, if the opening sentence I come up with is “The dawn rose without the usual ball of orange sun.” Now I place that sentence into a genre--science fiction-- and express the problem perhaps this way: “Will Gantry Ward break the code of the Sun Thief or will the new Earth perish too?”
It’s at this stage I turn to character building. Gantry Ward. In my head I imagine what this man of the 26th Century looks like. Considering evolution, I see him as close to eight feet tall, broad in the chest and shoulders. Like all Earthlings, he is bald. The language he speaks is a kind of stilted English in a commanding voice. What are his strong points? What is his main weakness? I imagine what he would wear, how he walks, what’s important to him, etc. Then I look to invent the antagonist whom I call “the sun thief.” What is his appearance? What are his strong points? What is his weakness? Is there a love interest here? If so, I invent the woman Gantry loves or the sun thief loves or both love. Okay, maybe it’s not a woman at all. After all, it’s the 26th Century. Maybe one or both are in love with some robotic contraption. I try to see the entire story develop in my mind before I continue past the first sentence. When the story is done, I read it through, read it to my wife for feedback, then it’s back to my computer to tighten the story. I get rid of all unnecessary words, uninteresting or excessive description, change dull unrealistic dialogue. I try to do as much a hatchet job as possible. When I feel it’s my best, I give it a file name, save it in my 2010.STORIES folder, and then look for a market to which I can submit it.
Who has been your favorite character to write?
I have the first draft of a novel I wrote called Carmelu the Sicilian, which I am in the process of editing towards a final draft. I love the guy! He starts off evil as hell and we watch him change through the book--a kind of St. Augustine of Hippo!--until he reaches saintly proportion. What he shows us by way of honor and true respect teaches us that we can all become better persons. We can all learn to see what life should really mean to us.
The most challenging?
The ScienKing, Donnelly Noonan, in my working novel Denver-under-Dome, is my most challenging character because he is so self-absorbed and maniacal, he is able to persuade survivors of post-bellum Denver (on an parallel world) that nothing exists, nothing matters, except science according to what he allows science to be. It’s hard to write about a character who possesses no redeeming qualities, one whose end we anxiously await and perhaps applaud.
Please tell us about the projects you are currently working on
Right now I am working to promote the sale of my new book Flashing My Shorts. I just know if folks ordered and read a copy, they would thank me. It’s worth the read. My publisher Phil Harris at All Things That Matter Press published it because he believed in it as much as I did. And he worked with me so that what’s between the book’s covers pleases both of us. Oh, if all publishers treated their authors like Phil Harris at ATTMP!
I am also editing my novel Carmelu the Sicilian. It is the story of a man who does what no other man has been able to do: end the media’s rampant bias against Italian Americans. And he does it without violence but rather within the law.
When the book is ready, I intend to promote it to those Italian American organizations who have already expressed a desire to publish it or finance its publication. As a member of the Italian American One Voice Coaltion, I have worked hard with people like Dr. Manny Alfano and Unico National President Andre DeMino to oppose TV horror shows like Jersey Shore and The Sopranos. My book will be one more voice in that struggle
To end the media’s ethnic bias against Italian Americans.
what can readers expect to see in the coming months?
If they do a search of “Salvatore Buttaci,” they’ll see many of my published poems and stories. I write daily and I promote my work as much as I can. I am the Editor of The Poem Factory at http://sambpoet.webs.com/ I post my “Poems of the Week” there and forward them to members of the site. I also invite poets to submit to our two annual issues, summer and winter.
Where can readers find out what's new and how can they contact you?
I wake up each morning between 8:30 and 9:00. I get to the computer about 10:00 a.m. and after checking e-mails and replying to them, I write for about three or four hours. Later on in the day I will do some more writing for about another two hours. Often, while watching TV, I’ll do a crossword puzzle, then write some more for about an hour.
How do you balance your personal and writing time?
I’ve been retired from teaching since July 2007, which allows me more time than in the old days when I wrote at 5 in the a.m. and again in the evening for a couple of hours.
I keep a notepad in my shirt pocket, so you might say I am always writing!
Everything needs limits, even writing, so I try not to overdo my time away from my wife.
It’s not fair to her to share little time together. I love writing but I love Sharon more.
Who or what has been your biggest support?
Sharon. I thank God He got us both to meet and commit to a lifetime together. Though she herself does not write, she is an avid--no, voracious--reader and a darn good critic. I never write anything without reading it to her. She has been my biggest support and my biggest inspiration. Did I mention I have written over one thousand poems to her during our thirteen years together?
Which author(s) is your favorite?
My favorite poets are Stephen Crane, Edwin Arlington Robinson, John Keats, Leonard Cohen, and Langston Hughes. Cohen is my favorite poet.
My favorite novelists: William Goldman, Ernest Hemingway, Leon Uris, Ray Bradbury, and Frederic Brown. William Goldman is my favorite novelist.
And who has most influenced you work?
The Canadian poet Leonard Cohen. When I sometimes feel empty of words, unable to write, I pick up one of his collections and by the time I’ve read ten or eleven, I am off to writing ten or eleven of my own!
Do you feel your writing is character driven or plot driven? How do you balance these two elements?
Character-driven. I like to get inside my characters, show readers what makes them tick or explode or just sit there in the bus depot waiting for their train to come in. It’s like being a people-maker, bringing characters to life who never lived before except in my head. Plot is important. Without it you have no story, but characters carry the plot and solve the story’s problem.
Hollywood came calling for one of your books and offered you the choice of picking which book they would make into a movie, what one would you choose and who do you see playing your characters?
I should be so lucky! Well, I would pick Carmelu the Sicilian. I don’t know which actors I would want to play Carmelu or any of the other characters, but I do know which actors I would not choose: those Italian American actors who performed in films that denigrated Italian Americans!
Here are two of the 164 elections from Flashing My Shorts.
Book can be ordered from the publisher at the publisher’s site:
to unleash my alter ego, a not-so-amicable American from Paducah, Kentucky. I poured the rest of my Malbec, tossing the wine down as if it were Kentucky scotch, and then stood slowly to my wobbly feet. “Garçon!” I called. My waiter lifted the corner of his thin lip the way folks do when they’re exasperated; I knew he preferred ‘Señor,’ but if I could summon the waiters in Paducah with ‘Garçon,’ sure as hell some faggy oil-haired Buenos Aires pretty boy could skip to the loo and respond to any name I damn well chose. “Si, Señor, more wine?”
I nodded, sat down again, gave him back my own sneering lip. When he asked if the clean plate of sardines and oysters needed replenishing, I let my mouth crumble into a drunk man’s frown, my heavy head falling chin to chest for a sleep-hungry moment. When I looked up, Garçon was swishing towards the bar, Maria and Carlos had vanished, and San Cristóbal was just a barrio of loud diners and foul-mouthed drinkers, so I threw down an undeserved tip of eight pesos and headed out the door pretending Maria was tugging my arm towards the Hotel San Cristobal. #
War Hero
“Crazy Joe” Devlin was a war hero, but to neighborhood kids like me, he was free entertainment. If wisdom was mine back then at thirteen years old, I would’ve praised Joe, thanked him for his military sacrifices at Normandy Beach. Certainly I would not have been party to the verbal abuse we heaped on shell-shocked Joe just for laughs.
One late July afternoon Johnny Reichling lit a firecracker and tossed it in the air. Two things simultaneously happened: (1) “Crazy Joe” dove into Mrs. Minogue’s hedges; and (2) my father was walking towards me on his way back from work at the bakery.
“Follow me,” Papa ordered. He yanked my arm. I followed.
“What’re you doing?” he asked, his dark-brown eyes squinting in anger. “That man got hurt bad in Europe, protecting our freedom over here. And you treat him that way? Make a fool of him and of me too?”
Papa grounded me for a week. He made me write an apology letter to give Devlin.
“Back up this letter by respecting Joe from now on,” Papa said. “Your friends. Let them be stupid, but you’re my son.”
When my one-week “house arrest” ended, I sought out Joe Devlin and handed him my letter. Basically, it said I was sorry, that I would never be cruel again.
Joe read the letter. I watched his eyes dart from line to line, his hands tremble. Then Joe said, “Sir, half my men died on the beach. The wounded need a medic quick. I’ll take that gunner out myself.”
He shoved my letter into his shirt pocket and saluted me. He stood at attention, waiting. Hardly breathing or blinking. Finally I saluted back. The war hero nodded.
Okay…so I stretched this a little. Actually, yesterday was National Tell a Story Day…but work with me on this!
As a child, I enjoyed books of adventure, and then as I grew, biographies caught my attention. In High School, I was fascinated by Shakespeare (no kidding!). I loved his “thee” and “thou” words, along with lines I sometimes couldn’t figure out. But, he intrigued me enough so that in college, I took 5 or 6 Shakespeare courses as electives.
Then, I discovered romance books and was hooked. I got started reading Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer books, and couldn’t find enough to keep me busy. From there I went on to read contemporaries and paranormals. Life is good as long as I have a romance book to read!
Tell me a story with a good plot to hold my interest, and a blossoming romance exploding with passion. I want to “see” your story in my head, and “feel” the heroine’s emotions. I want to relate to her, no matter what her age is…or mine. Romance has no age boundaries.
Tell me a story of a hero and heroine who know each other already, or have just met. Unrequited love and the desire to have someone love you set the stage for many romance books. The chase is all part of the rocky road to love.
Tell me a story of an adversarial hero and heroine thrust upon each other because of some situation. That thin line between love and hate can be crossed, enough so that fighting ceases and lovemaking begins. Fighting a powerful attraction dissipates as passion takes control.
Tell me a story that has a “black moment”…that awful turn of events that split the hero and heroine, and their relationship appears to be doomed. Let me want to scream at them to settle their misunderstanding, mend broken hearts, and enjoy each other’s embrace once again.
Tell me a story of their first encounter/or having already met. Add what’s wedged between them to cause heartache, resolve their differences, and give me that “happily-ever-after” I want to read.
I pattern my books after these desires. I know what I want in a romance book, and use these elements in my books. In my two erotic romance books, I take the passion and lust to greater heights, adding graphic details of the hero and heroine’s journey to love.
Whatever your preference in reading…sweet, sensual, erotic, etc., romance books…choose books that tellYOU a story and transport you into the hero and heroine’s love affair!
“When I Have A Godzillian Level Urge For Candy I Eat…”
…the following, and these are in order of preference. They be:
1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups - Man, talk about heroin converted into candy form, I’ve craved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for years! Their texture is great, their chocolate is both kinda chunky and kinda creamy, and their peanut butter - if I could, I’d sneak into a Reese’s production facility, get buck naked, and then jump into a vat full of their peanut butter. I might end up getting covered up in it or even drown, but I’d be gobblin’ it down like a Linda Lovelace inspired turkey before my final chapter was written - Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups rock!
3. Sweet Tarts - I love sour candies too, and accordingly I’ve loved Sweet Tarts since day one. You can buy them in small or huge sizes, but one thing about Sweet Tarts really frustrates me. A few years ago I actually had some Sweet Tart Jelly Beans. They were the best jelly beans I’ve ever had in my life, y’all would not believe how good their flavor is! Unfortunately, I’ve discovered they’re pretty hard to find, so if anyone out there ever wants to suck up to me in a major way, then just get me some Sweet Tart Jelly Beans. The only thing that would make me happier than Sweet Tart Jelly Beans would be an Elvis concert, and we all know that can’t happen again. Sweet Tart Jelly Beans, however, can!
4. Sour Jelly Bellies - In line with my just professed love of sour candies is another fav, Sour Jelly Bellies! They are usually just a bit expensive, but believe me they’re worth every extra cent you’ll pay for ‘em. Whatever you do, don’t ever buy the store brand equivalents of these, because you’ll be even more disappointed than you’d be if you purchased store brand Captain Crunch. Sour Jelly Bellies taste good, and there are maybe six or seven flavors offered, so a hand full of them is a bit more focused than just regular Jelly Bellies. With regular Jelly Bellies there are just too many flavors, and some of them are grotesque. Cream soda? Chili mango? Dr. Pepper? Pomegranate? God, it makes my stomach spasm to even think about them, and even worse is the fact that you never quite know when you’re going to be biting into one of these pellets from hell. Stick to the sours and your glower will turn from dour to super powered!
5. Peppermint Life Savers - I love their taste, their consistency, and the fact that after you eat five or six of ‘em your mouth will be so cool that you’ll feel like you could use it for refrigeration purposes. They price ‘em reasonably and now they offer even bigger sizes, which is just all too cool (pun intended) with me. Eating a Peppermint Life Saver is kinda like having a Bachman-Turner Overdrive concert take place on your palate, and just how cool would that be if it were possible? Hmmmmm? (Don’t y’all like it when I get into abstract analogies that don’t make sense at all)?
So there y’all have it, my personal candy favs of all-time. But hey, this isn’t all about what my favorite commercial candy products are, I wanna know what y’all like, tell me about your own personal favs and why. That should start a really interesting conversational thread going here today. And, if anyone out there has any leads on where to get some Sweet Tart Jelly Beans, then please let me know if you’d like to have a new best friend for life! Now, with everything having been said, let’s talk candy, candy, and more candy below…..
"ChristmaSin'", my new Christmas novel, is now available for sale! Click this link below to order!
Ah, love and romance. They meet. Fall in love. He proposes. Spring is coming and thoughts of single women now turn from “we’re just a couple” relationships to “I want it all”…that “Happily-Ever-After” ending of marriage.
Visions of a man getting down on one knee, lovingly looking up into the eyes of the woman he loves and asking her to marry him, fill the heads of little girls from childhood when we first play “Let’s Pretend” with a neighborhood boy. We want that fantasy wedding, white gown and veil, new life, our own family.
But first, you may have to kiss a lot of toads along the way. No one warns you that finding “Mr. Right” may take forever. And, the older you get, the younger a man wants his date/wife to be. Plus, the more set in your ways you become, just as a man does.
Where do you find that man who’ll propose? Night spots? Concerts? The Internet? Blind dates?
Some are lucky. They find the right man and seem to know it immediately. I remember meeting my husband and thinking “this is the kind of man I could take home to meet my mother”. A month after we met, we argued. Then, we “made up”. We each said we loved the other. Then my husband said, “I guess we better go get a ring.” That was it. My proposal. Simple and to the point. No knee bending. We married six months later and are still married after almost 40 years.
Some aren’t so lucky. Their dates lead nowhere and they wallow through the muddy waters of the dating pool longer than desired. Are they being picky? Are the guys they date confirmed bachelors? Do women have a list of characteristics they want in a man that makes it impossible for anyone to live up to? Do they keep dating the same type of “marriage phobic” men?
Do men actually go through the act of formally proposing? When one of my daughters got engaged, her husband proposed in front of the entire family…and got down on one knee. Very romantic. Sweet. Charming. They divorced two years later.
Proposals come in all types of encounters, acts, and conversations…and some are “surprise” proposals (like at a football game, live and on TV). The knee bit is nice, but may not be what happens to everyone. Declaring love for each other and the realization that you want to spend the rest of your life with that loved one inspires a marriage proposal.
I think about my books, and I’ve never had my hero drop to a knee and propose. Declare his love and propose, yes. But I’ve never used the formal ritual. Does it take away something from the hero’s appeal? I don’t think so…not in my books or “real” life! In “Anything You Can Do”, my hero proposes in a special romantic way…you’ll have to read the book to find out how!
Has someone proposed to you? Have you proposed to someone? In these times, it’s not taboo for a woman to propose…just maybe out of the ordinary. What’s your story?
CONTEST: All who comment will be entered to win one free download of two short stories from Kayelle. One is Human Perfect, about spies in the android industry, and the other is Whiskey and Wine, the inspiration for Surrender Love.
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Tell us about the Tarthian Empire. What inspired you to create this place and all the inhabitants there? How many books do you see for it?
The idea for the Tarthian Empire was to create a vast group of worlds with a rich history, and then write books within that setting. I could see no logical reason to create a new world with different life forms and rules every time I wanted to write a story. This was the logical way to go, in my mind. I have various empires and federations all over the galaxy for future works.
If I had to write books only set in the Tarthian Empire for the rest of my life, I would never run out of stories. The empire was founded in their year 4273 Tradestandard when Empress Destine Pietan united thirteen worlds. She also set up a standard of measurement for everything from dates to coins to property, and required all planets in the empire to use it. Known as Tradestandard, it is still in use. Everything is based on what is used on the planet Tarth. The empire has grown to twenty-two worlds by the time the first Tarthian Empire book takes place, in 4659. Until 4645, non-humans had not been discovered. The feline Kin were first, and three of their leaders bartered for a treaty with the empire in return for helping them find another race. The satyr-like Tyrans were next. They had advanced space travel, and often hunted the Kin for sport. They were conquered by Empress Rheyn Destoiya, having been pointed out by the Kin. Shortly after, the planet Ezraki was discovered. Peopled by the Chiasmii, who were all dual-gendered, it was the final non-human world known by the beginning of the first book. I plan to add one more group of non-humans in the not too distant future.
What is the reading order of the Tarthian Empire series? If I was a first time reader of your work, what do you recommend starting with?
First time readers could literally start anywhere and work their way around the overlapping books. However, if you’re a purist who likes to start with book one and work your way forward, then At the Mercy of Her Pleasure is first.
Here is the chronological order of the books based on the empire’s Tradestandard dates, by year.
4659 - Wulf
4662 - At the Mercy of Her Pleasure
4664 - Alitus
4664 - Jawk
4664 - Surrender Love
4664 - Surrender Trust
4664 - Surrender Will
4665 - When I Breathe
Reading order for the Antonello Brothers series (Loose Id)
At the Mercy of Her Pleasure - 3/23/10
For Women Only - 6/1/10
When I Breathe - coming 2011
Reading order for the Tales of the Chosen trilogy: (Liquid Silver Books)
Wulf - available now
Alitus - available now
Jawk - available now
Reading order for the Surrender trilogy: (Loose Id)
Surrender Love - available now
Surrender Trust - coming 2010
Surrender Will - coming 2011
You have an upcoming release in March called At The Mercy Of Her Pleasure from LooseId. Please tell us a little about it and if this is part of the Tarthian Series.
Yes, At the Mercy is part of the series. In fact, it was the first book I wrote, and was released six years ago with a different publisher. The sequel, For Women Only cried out for another story to feature the brother-heroes. Because I wanted to do that without splitting the books across different publishers, I pitched the idea of re-releasing Mercy and Women and following them up with a third book. Here are the tag and blurb.
At the Mercy of Her Pleasure
She steals one kiss and her pheromones addict him. How can he return to his master now that she has him at the mercy of her pleasure?
Senth holds a lofty position in the elite Thieves' Guild. Drugged since puberty to suppress his feral half-feline side, nothing suppresses his daredevil, risk-loving human half. His master offers him a deal. Work with a Better, an enhanced woman with addictive, pleasure-laced pheromones, and he'll buy and free Senth's cruelly enslaved older brother. The job? Grab-and-go. The condition? Remain a virgin. The drug he takes ensures it, no matter how tempting the woman or her pheromones. The problem? Nothing goes right. The job outlasts the drug's effect. All Senth wants is one touch, one kiss, one oh-so-tempting lick of her perfect, lush skin. The downside? With his brother's freedom at stake, how can he risk putting himself at the mercy of her pleasure?
Your work is very popular with readers. Did you ever expect this when you first started out writing? Are you ever nervous when you have a new release out to how they may react?
Thank you, Dawn! I started out believing that people would like the characters if I could reveal them the way I saw them myself. It’s been wonderful to see how well-loved they are. What amazes me is that Pietas is gaining a following. He is the uber villain, but I admit, he does have his soft side. I write three-dimensional characters, so I suppose I shouldn’t be a surprise that there are levels to him that make readers want to know more.
Nervous? Yes and no. I know I’ve written my best, and I have faith in the editors, proofers, and the cover art. When the book is released, it will be as perfect as the publisher and I can make it. I was more nervous at first. Now, I have people waiting for the release date and a lot of excitement surrounds the actual event.
On March 23rd, when At the Mercy releases, I’ll be throwing a party on my yahoo group, Romance Lives Forever. I’ve invited dozens of authors to join me in a two-day free-for-all of excerpts and posting. All genres and heat ratings will be represented, so it really will be a fun bash. How can I be nervous surrounded by friends?
The party is 3/23-24, because on March 24th, The Last Vhalgenn releases as an audiobook from the publisher AudioLark. http://audiolark.com Imagine 48 hours of posting and excerpts… it will be wild. Authors wanting more info should join Romance Lives Forever. I’ll be posting about it there. http://tinyurl.com/rlf4ever
If you could meet any character from your books, who would it be and what would you do together?
It would be Luc and what we would do is none of your business. LOL Actually, I’d try to talk him into taking me back to the Tarthian Empire with him. I’d be happy as his pet, for goodness sake. Anything for Luc. ^_^
Surrender Love has to be my favorite Tarthian book ever though I love the others as well. There is just something about Luc that calls to me and makes me yearn to cuddle with him. What/who inspires this character and do you plan to have more stories that center on Luc and Izzy?
Thank you, Dawn. Absolutely, you will see more of Luc and Rah. The next two books in the Surrender trilogy focus on them, and they will be guest characters in other books that take place in the empire.
Luc was originally a background character in At the Mercy of Her Pleasure. My critique group asked when I was going to do his story, and my first reaction was that he didn’t have one, beyond the basic sketch I do with all characters. After the fourth email from readers asking me the same thing, I realized I had to do some work on his backstory! Once I let him out of the mold I’d fashioned for him, Luc took center stage. He’s been in every book set in the Tarthian Empire.
The actor who is the physical model for Luc is Dennis Haysbert 24, The Unit, Waiting to Exhale). I have an Allstate poster right above and behind my monitor. With all apologies to Allstate, I cut off everything but Dennis (who is their spokesperson) and the background. When I glance up, it’s like Luc is looking at me with a Mona Lisa-esque smile. His eyes seem to stare right at me. I consider him my muse. An autographed photo of Luke Goss (odd coincidence on names, huh?) as Prince Nuada from Hellboy II: The Golden Army is just to the left. Nuada resembles Pietas, another character who is Luc’s nemesis.
Congratulations on your recent award nominations from EPIC and other places. What was it like to see your work nominated? What did you do to celebrate the nominations/wins?
Thank you so much! I wasn’t able to attend EPICon this year *sniff* so I didn’t get to accept the award in person. When I found out that I’d won, after I picked myself up off the floor, I immediately kissed my husband, emailed my editor and publisher, my beta readers, and my family.
LRC’s Best of 2009 Awards honored me with a Runner Up in the SciFi/Futuristic category and a Winner in the Best Cover department. The cover was also in the Top Ten on P&E’s Reader’s Poll for 2009. Anne Cain did an amazing job. She made Luc look tres hot!
How did I celebrate? With food, lol! I changed my eating lifestyle about three and a half years ago, and although I allow myself dark chocolate frequently (it’s good for you), I wanted a little extra. We had chocolate mousse in dark chocolate cups with fresh fruit. It was *almost* too beautiful to eat, but I managed. ^_^
Where can readers go to find more information on your books on the web?
The best place is my own website. I have reviews and excerpts there. http://kayelleallen.com/Books.htmlYou can also tour the empire and find links to book-mentioned sites on Imperinet, a website within a website. http://kayelleallen.com
What can we see coming in 2010 from you?
Lots of things! At the Mercy of Her Pleasure releases on 3/23, and The Last Vhalgenn on 3/24. For Women Only is out 6/1, and Surrender Trust likely in August. I hope to finish Surrender Will in time for an end of year release.
You are world ruler and able to enact three laws, what would they be?
I have no clue. Can I phone a friend on this one? ^_^
If you came back as a spirit, what would you want to say to the world?
Believe.
What was the most recent movie you saw that blew you away and recommend to others to see?
Avatar! Real3D isn’t about things popping out at you. It’s about the movie pulling you inside itself. You are *there* as things happen, able to focus your eyes on every detail as if you were right inside the room or on the world.
At the Mercy of Her Pleasure She steals one kiss and her pheromones addict him. How can he return to his master now that she has him at the mercy of her pleasure?
Senth holds a lofty position in the elite Thieves' Guild. Drugged since puberty to suppress his feral half-feline side, nothing suppresses his daredevil, risk-loving human half. His master offers him a deal. Work with a Better, an enhanced woman with addictive, pleasure-laced pheromones, and he'll buy and free Senth's cruelly enslaved older brother. The job? Grab-and-go. The condition? Remain a virgin. The drug he takes ensures it, no matter how tempting the woman or her pheromones. The problem? Nothing goes right. The job outlasts the drug's effect. All Senth wants is one touch, one kiss, one oh-so-tempting lick of her perfect, lush skin. The downside? With his brother's freedom at stake, how can he risk putting himself at the mercy of her pleasure?
Genre: Erotic Science Fiction Romance, Action Adventure Heat Level: R=graphic sex Warnings: Explicit sex, kidnapping, violence, references to abuse
EXCERPT
Setting up the scene: NarrAy Jorlan has hired professional thief Senth Antonello to steal back an heirloom confiscated by the despotic empress. In itself, the item has only sentimental value, but in it, NarrAy's parents hid a code to finishing the secret technology they were developing before they were murdered. After meeting Senth in person, NarrAy returns to her ship. But she can't get the thief's image out of her mind…
All People's Liberation Army Ship Jalane
Officers' Quarters
NarrAy brought Senth's image to mind, picturing him as he'd looked at the Ghost, minus the overbearing Saint-Cyr and the audience of her aides.
"Mmm, hell-O, Senth." Standing naked before him, she slid one hand up the front of his shirt. "Can I interest you in a sugar-cookie snack?"
He leaned forward, bending down to kiss her, his dark, curly hair a cloak around them. The hesitant brush of his lips against hers made her press up against him, capturing his kiss.
She pulled back enough to speak. "Hold me. Please, Senth, hold me. No one ever touches me. I'm so alone."
Senth drew her fully into his arms and embraced her, fitting the entire length of his body against hers. "I'll touch you anywhere you want, NarrAy. Everywhere you want." He slid his fingers through her hair, his smile revealing fangs. "Let me kiss you again."
NarrAy gripped his jacket with both hands and drew him down.
The wet heat of his mouth against hers brought a crest of pheromones.
Senth slid one hand down her body, cupped one of her breasts, and then bent to suckle her. His rough, catlike tongue against her sensitive skin triggered a line of heat straight to her core. Moisture seeped onto her thighs.
Senth inhaled. "Mmm. You smell so good." He slid his hand down the front of her body and pressed his palm against her outer lips. He slipped one finger between them. "You're wet." He lifted his hand to inhale her fragrance, then licked his finger. "Sweet." He went to his knees before her, his pale blue gaze lifting to hers. "May I taste you?"
She shook her head no, but her mouth said "yes." She leaned back against the wall of her cabin and widened her legs.
He paused, looking up at her as if for permission.
NarrAy touched his face. "Please."
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The Last Vhalgenn
For centuries, the Vhalgenn have loved the kings or queens they were born to serve. Bedmates, soulmates, companions and friends, the Vhalgenn know no other master, they obey no other lord. Until the final plea of a dying queen commands betrayal by the Last Vhalgenn.
If she takes the newborn prince to the queen's homeland for a ritual blessing in the Old Ways, who--or what--will she bring back?
The Last Vhalgenn is in the 2008 Fantasy EPPIE finalist anthology A Time To...
