Welcome to Mike Arsuaga today

Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself? What genre do you write in and why?

My name is Mike Arsuaga. I’ve written on and off for fifty years. Because of my scientific training (BS Physics) and career in submarines, it was, until recently, science fiction thrillers. After retirement in 2007 I resumed writing after a twenty year hiatus. On We Book a writer and reader support site, someone started a project for erotic short stories. Remembering the racy novels of my misspent Navy youth I cut loose and wrote one called “The Girl in the Library”. It was so well received I turned it into a novel “SUBSPECIES”. The Girl in the Library became chapters one and two of the book. Now I’m five books into the series, pausing only to co-write “My Life as a Dog” with Cynthia, my wife. So far I’ve written strictly erotic paranormal romances, but I’m looking hard at Steampunk and continuing The Subspecies series with more tame episodes.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

“SUBSPECIES” is the first installment of a series. That follows the evolution of lycans and vampires (The Subspecies) from being the most reviled expression of Creation toward a far higher and better use. Before the series concludes they form a community, found a corporation, have families with a unique set of challenges, explore space, colonize Mars, travel time, and lead humanity to the purpose of life.

Did your book require a lot of research?

In a backward sort of way, yes. I needed to learn the mythology of lycans and vampires to know what to screen out. From the beginning I tried to create a set of creatures that could plausibly exist, especially in the face of challenges imposed by today’s technologically advanced society. My Subspecies develop techniques allowing them to kill once a year, avoiding high profile victims like children or suburban housewives. They quietly prey on inhabitants of society’s fringe. They do not propagate through bites or scratching. Otherwise we’d be up to our ears in them. Mine are a rare mutation within the human genome. They grow up resembling mentally challenged children. At nineteen they emerge. They have world class strength and speed but aren’t superhuman. They live 250 to 300 years. They enjoy enhanced senses and recuperative powers, but can be killed like humans. Those who survive the hormonal trauma of emergence live quiet, mostly solitary lives, changing identities every decade or two to avoid questions why they don’t age.

If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be?

To be able to eat without adverse consequence.

If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?

HG Wells would be my choice. He had one of the most fertile imaginations in history. His ending to “The War of the Worlds” still hasn’t been topped. I remember, as a kid in 1954, watching with Gene Barry as, with humanity on the brink of collapse, the machines began to peel off and crash into building facades. Being done in by “the humblest things of God’s creation” caught me completely by surprise. Wells also coined the term “Atomic Bomb” in “The World Set Free”, written before WWI. I could learn so much from King Steampunk.

What so you see for the future of publishing and e-books?

As paper becomes more expensive, and electronic devices cheaper and better, there’s only one way it can end. A Kindle in every hand. A library in ever Kindle.

Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?

My characters are like children to me. I love them all. Creating them is the closest one can get to being God in this life. I have favorites. Cynthia Meadows from “SUBSPECIES” begins as a dull anorexic sassy teen. Four novels later, she’s an Audrey Hepburn like humanitarian, ageless and on everyone’s’ list of the most beautiful women who ever lived. In “My Life as a Dog” the leader of the New Orleans shifter pack is called the Sufi. His sad wisdom and deceptively keen mind compliments the main character, Drake.

Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her/him/it when she/he/it refuses to inspire you?

My muse and I have a good working relationship. When it gets uncooperative, I stop and do something else. With a six year old granddaughter in the house, “The Official Apple of My Eye” Larrna, that’s not hard.

Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?

Yes “Subspecies, Inc” releases in September. “Children of Subspecies” comes out in December. “The Tenth Legion” arrives in February 2012. The fifth and last, for now, is “Lagrange Point” under review by the publisher.

Have you ever experience weird cravings while you write? If so, what kind?

No, just coffee.

What is the most ridiculous thing that you have thought about doing to any of your characters but never did?

At one point I considered making Sam and Jim, the main characters from “SUBSPECIES” bi-sexual. I’m glad I took a more spiritual tack with them.

If you had to write yourself as a heroine/hero, what kind of heroine/hero would you be? What would you be named?

I did just that. As a college student I wrote “The First Servant”, based on the life of Octavius Caesar. It was Steampunky before the term was coined. I identified with the character Albert Venning as he reunited a balkanized America after a nuclear war.

If your muse were to talk behind your back, what secrets would he/she tell?

It’s not the muse I’d worry about. My wife of thirty-three years knows all the secrets and I pay well for her silence.

If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why?

“SUBSPECIES” because it lays out the principles of the world I created and sets the tone for all that follows.

If there was a soundtrack to your latest novel, what genre/songs would be included?
You’re talking to a tone deaf gear headed scientific geek here. I wouldn’t know where to start on that project.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do to just kick back and have fun?
Gardening and keeping after “The Official Apple of my Eye’ Larrna. Trust me, you don’t need much more than that.

If we peeked at your bookcase(s)/e-reader, what kind of books/authors would we find there?

A lot of Homer, Wells Orwell. Some thrillers. Books about base ball history and military campaigns.

Where can we find you on the web?

I’m at http://www.mikearsuaga.weebly.com.

 Subspecies Book Blurb

Available at Muse It Hot

Samantha 'Sam' Johnson gave hundred and thirty year old Vampire, Dr. Jim White the best sex of his life, but she had one more surprise for him.  As a Werewolf she hunted him as he was hunting her.  Through their chance meeting, the two groups within The Subspecies – Werewolves [Lycans] and Vampires - discover each other.  Sam and Jim are the first known Vampire/Lycan pair bond.  As a mathematics professor and man of science, Dr. White rejects the ways and lore of old in favor of modern solutions that, if not acceptable to humans, allow The Subspecies to live invisibly among them, because discovery is their worst fear.  He and Sam use technology to reach out to others and form a support group, 'Critters of the Night'.  The Subspecies are a rare mutation within the human genome. No more than seven hundred have been alive at one time.  They cannot breed with humans or within their own group, but when the Lycan/Vampire pair gets in a family way, a universe of possibilities opens.  The main plot centers on the development of the relationship between Sam and Jim. They learn from past experience and each other, and evolve from two beautiful predators having hot sex to soul mates, still having hot sex.  The subplot explores the challenges that children and family pose and how the community deals with the knowledge that a subspecies’ life is now more than living in shadows, hunting, and fruitless mating.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT FOR “SUBSPECIES”

My employer, Cynthia Meadows, recently emerged lycan who exploded into the world of high fashion modeling with the force of an Atom bomb, wishes to announce the birth of “Subspecies”. The healthy novel of 73,049 words came into the world on May 6, 2011 at 12:01 AM. It is a sexy paranormal romance about the deep and enduring love between two special beings. Ms. Meadows, whose professional name is “The Fashion Model Known as Cynthia”, will sponsor a series of promotions to be held throughout the web in honor of her dear friends Samantha “Sam” Johnson, lycan mate of Doctor Jim White, himself a vampire and professor of mathematics. The promotions begin on http://linsownfirebrand.blogspot.com/2011/03/lj-holmes-presents-subspecies.html and http://www.tony-paul.com/ . Click “Blog” at top of home page and scroll down
   The purpose is to celebrate the book’s release and promote its virtues throughout the community. Due to Ms. Meadow's recent fortunate change in circumstances, the event has been relocated from Doctor White's apartment to the Grand Ballroom of the Charles Weston, the crown jewel of hotels in this university town.

The event is monumental for all subspecies. As the first lycan/vampire couple, Sam and Jim have much to teach our kind.

All subspecies as well as their human familiars are invited.

RSVP at http://museithotpublishing.com

***

Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Mike completed careers in the United States Navy Submarine Force and the Transportation Security Administration.  He lives in Orlando Florida with wife and Editor in Chief Cynthia, daughter Jennifer, six year old granddaughter Larrna and partner in crime Thumper, a Yorkshire terrier. 

Mike’s extensive travels in the Navy took him to throughout the US, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, providing accurate and vivid settings for his stories.

Guest Author Day With Lucy Felthouse

Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?

I've wanted to write since I was a small child. I was always surrounded by paper and pens and scribbling madly. But it wasn't until I got much older that I realized I was actually good at it. I was lucky to have encouraging English teachers throughout school. Eventually I ended up doing a Creative Writing degree, and it was there I penned my first erotic story and started writing for publication.

What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?

I think this varies dependent on the genre, but for me, key elements when I'm reading should be that the story pulls me in, and that it's well written.

Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?

I'm primarily a short story writer, so character development hasn't been a huge issue to date, as I'm usually capturing a snippet of their lives. But I've recently started writing  longer pieces and it's a learning curve as I have to make sure that the character stays consistent in their behavior and mannerisms, and so on.

My favourite character ? That's a good question. I would probably say that Meg, the main character in my upcoming release from Noble Romance, is my favourite. Without giving too much away, she's sassy, fun and leads an incredibly interesting life.

So far, I haven't really found any of my characters tough to write. Though at the moment I'm working on an outline and chapter plan for a novel and I think I'm going to struggle to nail the personality of the protagonist in this tale. I usually write sassy outspoken female leads, but this young lady is going to be quite different.

Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?

If I've ever disliked any of my characters, it's because I was meant to, and because I wanted the readers to dislike him/her too.

Can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release?

My most recent release is called A Bit of Rough, a short story published by Noble Romance. It tells the story of Alison, a young woman who meets Andrew when she's out with friends. He comes across as really arrogant, and a total bad boy. For this reason, Alison's astonished to find she's attracted to him. Against her better judgement, she goes home with him and ends up having a rather steamy time!

What do you do to unwind and relax?  

I'm quite an outdoorsy person, so I like to go out with my other half, walking in the Peak District and visiting country houses and things like that. I'm also an avid reader and watcher of a handful of TV programmes, including Supernatural, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries.

Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?

Oh yes, several. I've mainly written contemporary, f/f and paranormal to date. I'd really like to do some m/m and historical writing at some point, too!

Tell us about your favorite restaurant. 

There's this great place up in the Peak District that I love. It's just beneath a rocky range of hills that I love to walk in so when you come back down, exhausted and starving, there's nothing better than going to The Rock Inn for a nice steak or a roast dinner. Delicious.

Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?

Now if you'd asked me this question two or three weeks ago, my answer would have been very different. I always used to find listening to music a real distraction from writing.

But over the past few weeks I've found that certain songs actually help me to tune out all other distractions – basically the noisier the song, the better. However, none of the music has yet influenced my writing.

Does your significant other read your stuff?

No. He's incredibly supportive of what I do, but his preferred genres are crime fiction and thrillers.

Plotter or Pantser? Why?

I'm a bit of both, I guess. With short stories, I have a loose idea of what I want to write, and I go for it.

Since starting to think seriously about writing a novel, though, I've been outlining. I don't know yet whether I'll stray from that plan, only time will tell, I guess!

What is your favorite meal?

I have very simple tastes. I love a big plate of steak and chips, with a side order of cheesy garlic bread.

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?

No, it's pretty much all I do!

What do you have coming up next for you? Care to share any details with us?

My next release is another title from Noble Romance, called Bite with Height. It's about the character I mentioned earlier, Meg. She's a vampire living in Paris, and this tale is the first part of her story. There's definitely potential for expansion of this story though, so watch this space!

Bite with Height is due for release in early June.

Who are some of your favorite authors, and if we were to visit your home, what books would we find on your bookshelf, end table, floor or e-reader?

I have far too many favourite authors to list them all! As for visiting my home, you'd find an awful lot of erotic books, paranormal books and chick lit on my shelves, in my cupboards, under my bed and on my Kindle.

If you could be any character of any book or movie, who would you be?

Well that question opens up an awful lot of naughty possibilities! I'll go with a topical answer, and say that I'd like to be Natalie Portman's character in Thor as she gets up close and personal with my latest celebrity crush, Chris Hemsworth.

Where can readers find you on the web?

I have my own website at http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk. I'm also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lucyfelthouseauthor and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/cw1985. 

 A Bit of Rough

Lucy Felthouse

Noble Romance Publishing

Buy HERE

Blurb:

When Alison meets Andrew, she instantly pegs him as a moron. He's a total bad boy and does nothing but chain smoke and brag about his stream of past conquests. Yet, much to her confusion, Alison still finds herself attracted to him. She's not had sex in a while, so Alison figures there's no harm in going home with him to get herself a bit of rough.

Excerpt:

When I met Andrew through friends of friends, I instantly pegged him as a bit of a moron. We were in a pub, and he was telling anybody that would listen about the many mishaps in his love life. Turns out he was quite the ladies' man and had many close calls. The one he was regaling the room with when I arrived was an incident where he'd blown off a woman for the evening, only for her to turn up at his house and see him getting hot and heavy with someone else. Despite the fact he was mocking himself, it sounded like he was desperate for the people listening to know just how many women had been in his life, for however brief an interlude. He was one of those guys you love to hate. And yet, I still fancied him rotten. It was totally bizarre. He was not my type at all.

He was just a little taller than me, slim and lightly tattooed. His facial hair was somewhere between stubble and beard, his hair had no discernable style, and he smoked. I like my men tall, muscular, and clean-shaven. And I hate smoking. Therefore, it took me a while to put my finger on the reason—or reasons—for my odd attraction to the guy. When I finally worked it out, it was like a light bulb clicked on in my head.

He was—or at least he thought he was—a bad boy. What many would call "a bit of rough." He was the guy you never introduced to your friends and certainly not to your parents. You kept him completely under wraps—preferably between the sheets—and enjoyed.

I got the vibe from his oozing self-confidence and the way he recounted his colorful sex life, that he was probably good in bed. I resolved to find out. I didn't need to make a move; his arrogance assured him he was irresistible to all women, and he came on to me, knowing I wouldn't refuse.

I almost did, just to take him down a peg or two. But he was hot, and I was horny, so I didn't mind him picking me up. After all, I had no intention of becoming one of his amusing anecdotes. I wasn't going to stick around long enough for that. I was simply in it for my "bit of rough"—then I was a goner.

We decided to go back to his place. I wouldn't have been bothered either way, but it was clear he felt more comfortable in familiar surroundings. Plus, the more I thought about it, the more I realized going to his place was the more sensible option. I could scoot home whenever I wanted, and he'd never know where to find me. Not that I thought for a moment he was the type to stand below my bedroom window, declaring undying love, but I wasn't about to take that chance.

Guest Author Day with Lila Monroe

So let’s get this party started. Please tell us about yourself. What got you interested in being an author?

First I’d like to say thanks for having me here, Dawn. I appreciate the opportunity. I think I was destined to be an author from my conception. I remember loving the written word before I could read it, and I even asked Santa for a toy typewriter one year for Christmas. For years I wrote stories, for years they progressed into readable works and for years they ended up in the trash. Then I grew up, turned forty, looked around and discovered I had an empty nest and lots of time on my hands. That’s when I took the initiative and started pursuing writing seriously.

Tell us about your latest book, A Slower Lower Life, a Delaney Brothers Series book 2.

A Slower Lower Life highlights the oldest brother, Kurt, who has the weight of the world on his shoulders and can’t find the woman that will give him heartburn instead of a headache. He’s just lost the battle over Cait with his younger brother, Bryce, when Deidre Maloney shows up to be Cait’s witness at her nuptials. Deidre is his complete opposite but an instant physical attraction happens.

Was this destined to be a series when you first started writing the Delaney Brothers?

When I wrote A Slower Lower Love it was supposed to be a stand-alone novel. In fact, I had it contracted with one publisher and actually pulled it because I didn’t feel it was good enough after a re-read to go to press. After a re-write and some serious repair I re-submitted to Rebel Ink where I felt it was a better match. After the senior editor reading through it I got an email and the first line scared the crap out of me. “We need to discuss this book…” The first thing I thought was it still wasn’t good enough. Then she went on to explain that the few lines I had written about the youngest brother Logan made her fall in love with him as well as the other brothers and she felt Kurt needed a chance to tell his story. Thus a series was born.

How much of yourself, if any, do you put into your characters?

Not only do I enjoy creating a good story, I have found that writing is very therapeutic for me. I can see a tiny piece of me at least in every heroine I develop and sometimes in the heroes as well. They aren’t completely me, they just always seem to harness some little piece of me be it a quirk or a thought.

Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?

I’ve thought several times about writing historical. I love to read it, particularly historicals that involve enormous hunky highlanders. However, historicals take an immense amount of research and until I can put the kind of time needed into making sure the facts are correct that genre will stay on the back burner for me. I owe it to my readers to make sure I’ve done the best job I can do.

If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why?

Sigmund Freud—I have degrees in both psychology and sociology and love to figure out what makes people tick. I think Siggy would have some great insight for me.

Sam Elliott—Voice candy extraordinaire. The man could probably say two words to me in person and I’d melt into a puddle of goo.

Reba McEntire and posse—Every good party needs great music and it would be very interesting to see how many of her friends she dragged along and who they might be.

My husband—Let’s face it, what party without the owner of my mind and heart there to enjoy it with me.

Thomas Jefferson—Husband needs someone to philosophize with while I’m melting at Sam’s feet.

What are at least five things you have on your bucket list and have you done any of them?

See my work published—Check!

Tour Europe—Not yet but hoping to take thirty days to do so as soon as sweetie retires from the military.

Ride in a hot air balloon—Working on the courage, I have a fear of heights and flying but want to do this so badly I can taste it.

Learn to shag—Okay dirty minds…I know how to do that. I speak of the dance born in the Carolinas. J

Learn to play piano—When I’ll have time I’ve no clue, but I would at least like to go out knowing I played chopsticks successfully at least once.

Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?

Well, I used to be a one project at a time gal, then things ran amuck and fell off the track. Too many characters started talking at once and now I currently have four or five projects going at any one given time. At present I’m trying to complete a series and move on to something else.

When not writing, how do you relax?

I read a great deal, both e-reader and paperback. I also live a few minutes from the beaches so weather permitting I like to go hang out on the sand—of course, I take a notepad with me as you never know when a great idea might hit and watching Recon boys doing push-ups in the surf is always inspiring. I also love museum trips and hanging out in the local mall people-watching. Oh and movies…I absolutely love going to the theater and who can ever turn down a giant size bucket of hot butter popcorn.

What song would best describe your life?

With as many irons as I have in the fire, somedays I think it’s probably Crazy Train by Ozzy.

Is there one series/author you feel is a must read for readers to explore?

For those just beginning to explore BDSM or are avid readers, Cherise Sinclair’s Shadowlands series is a must read.

Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?

I have radio live streaming on my computer constantly. What I listen to is dictated by my characters. I listen to what they listen to and that helps me climb inside their head. While writing the Delaney brothers I listen to country, while writing BDSM I listen to heavier rock, some characters dictate I have on current pop or hip-hop. Fortunately for me, I have broad taste so I enjoy all the music my characters do. I do have one character, Abby in a series I’m working on for 2012 release, The Sergeants of Echo Company series, who has a definite theme song—Bring Me to Life by Evanescence.

What is coming up for you in 2011?

Here’s that crazy train I was talking about. The third book in the Delaney Brothers will come out this fall. I also have two more books contracted in my Identities series slated for summer and fall and I sometimes write with a great team of other talent and our current project is the Force Recon series. Book one debuted in February and books two and three will come out in summer and fall respectively. I’ve also been tossing around an invite to write a piece for a naught fairy tales anthology due out in October. I’ve also got several irons in the fire stoking projects for release in 2012 that I’m already working on. I have a full year ahead.

Are any of your characters just like you or have personality quirks/traits of you or someone you know?

There’s definitely a bit of me and a bit of people that are close to me in my characters. People tend to write what they know and that includes character traits and quirks. But I also do a lot of people watching so perfect strangers make their way into my books and never know it.

Where can readers find you on the web? (Please list all your links plus your publisher link(s) as well)

I can be found at my website http://lilamunro.weebly.com , or my joint effort website http://www.wickedmuses.blogspot.com or through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro  You can also contact me via email at lilasromance@gmail.com   For more information about Rebel Ink Press please visit their website at www.rebelinkpress.com

When two worlds collide,

Being the oldest of eight has never been easy for Kurt Delaney, but the pressures he’s put on himself far exceed any anyone else inflicts on him. Known as the family stick in the mud, Kurt’s pushing forty and with the heirship to the family farm hanging in the balance, he finds his hopes of a married life and children swirling down the drain. Honor and family are everything to him and a mate that doesn’t hold those things as dear as he does is unacceptable.

Deidre Maloney is a city born and bred girl. In the absence of her botanist parents, she was raised by a nanny and knows nothing of a family’s love or how being married works. Commitment isn’t a word in her vocabulary. Only concerned with finding a new job and a fling, she embarks on a trip from Chicago to Seaford, Delaware to see her best friend Cait marry her high school sweetheart. Being attracted to a Delaney brother wasn’t on her carefully planned itinerary.

the aftermath is all that matters…

With so many differences between him and Deidre, Kurt can’t believe he’s let himself fall for her. She’s looking for a prime rib guy and he knows he’s just skirt steak. When they’re in close proximity, however, something undeniably amazing happens. How does he convince her that family isn’t something to fear and love doesn’t hurt? How does Kurt show Deidre that a slower, lower life is what she’s been looking for all along?

Please enjoy an excerpt:

Kurt rounded the final corner to find the carousel area void of passengers. Not a single bag remained on the conveyor, not a single person waited to claim anything. Where the hell did she go? Okay, where would I go if I’d just landed and had already claimed my luggage? She’s a female, dumbass. The bathroom. Kurt turned on his heel and headed back toward the blue sign he’d seen hanging overhead indicating where the lavatories were. Standing just outside the ladies’ room, he waited a few minutes. If she was in there surely she’d have come back out by now. An elderly woman in a pair of green plaid golfing shorts and a white polo shirt with a pink ball cap on her gray head popped out of the swinging door nearly striking Kurt in the face he’d been standing so close.

“Oh, excuse me,” she said in a crackly voice. “You shouldn’t have been so close to the door.”

“Yes, ma’am, I realize that,” Kurt answered, touching the bill of his Soil Service cap with his fingertips. “Did you see a woman about this tall?” He held his hand to his chest. “With black hair and gray eyes in there? At least that’s what she looked like last time I saw her.”

“Well, she couldn’t have changed that much in, what? Ten minutes?” the old woman snapped and looked at Kurt like he’d sprouted a third eye.

“No, no. I’m picking her up. I haven’t seen her in a while…”

Before Kurt could finish his sentence, a woman that he was sure was Deidre came out of the restroom wearing a strapless white sundress that only fell to the middle of her thighs and was stretched so taut across her breasts her nipples strained against the fabric. And they were apparently uncomfortable with their hindrance. His eyes followed the lines of the fabric along the rest of her body and down her tan legs to find spike heel open toe white pumps on her feet. Ten tiny perfect toes with red tips peeked out. He scanned back up with his breath caught in his throat. Big, square framed black sunglasses hid her eyes so he couldn’t see the color, but that short black hair and big gold hoop earrings. That was Deidre.

“Deidre?” Kurt said, wiping his sweaty palms along his jeans. What was wrong with him? He’d seen her before. Of course that was last fall and she was covered up in a pair of chocolate corduroy pants and a burnt orange sweater, and a cream silk scarf had partially covered her head. It was funny to him that he actually remembered that. Now that he could actually see her. Wow. “Deidre is that you?”

The woman looked up and never so much as attempted a smile. It was then that he noticed she looked a bit pale and along with the carry on she held in her left hand she dragged three enormous suitcases stacked up behind her.

“My God, woman. You are just staying a few days right?” he asked, reaching around her and taking the telescopic handle she hung on to, relieving her of the melee of bags.

“Kurt? Long time no see.” Deidre tugged the purse handle on her shoulder a bit tighter and huffed. “You’re late.”

“Well, you should have thought of that possibility when you expected someone to get here before the chickens woke up. Do you know what traffic is like out there right now?” Kurt forgot the breathless feeling he’d experienced when he first looked at her.

“Of course I do. Did you forget I used to live here? I like to travel early and with some planning the traffic should never be a problem.” She fanned herself with one hand. “I’m ready to go.” With that she stomped off toward the double doors that would take them back to the parking garage in a quick march.

“I can understand why you haven’t seen her in a while,” the old woman said and laughed. “I wouldn’t want to either.”

This was going to be a treat, Kurt thought to himself. Not only was she a city girl, she thought her stuff didn’t stink. Did she think he was nothing more than her chauffer and concierge for the week? Well, she had another think coming. He watched her perfectly round butt swishing back and forth seductively and gave the heap of baggage a tug. How she managed to pull the mammoth mess as far as she had was beyond him. Before he made it ten feet past where he’d found her she disappeared out the doors. Taking his time, Kurt made his way through the terminal all the while muttering what he really thought about her behavior quietly and smiling at the other passers-by. He took a deep breath and went out the doors.

Purchase Link:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

Welcome Author D. C. Juris/Excerpt

So let’s get this party started. Please tell us about yourself. What got you interested in being an author? Hi there! Thanks for having me. I was born in Florida, but moved to Upstate NY in 2001. I'm a transgender man, and I live with my husband, four small dogs, and three cats.

Can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release? I've got a 7-story anthology called "Simply Smut" due out in a few days from Breathless Press. The stories consist of 4 m/m stories, 2 transgender stories, and one female masturbation story.

For any readers who may not have read any of your books, can you just give us a little sneak peak into your world (i.e. the type of genre you write, type of stories you like to write....etc)? I write all across the spectrum in regards to pairings - I write m/f, m/m, f/f, and transgender. As far as a preference, I'm more comfortable with m/m or transgender, but I enjoy the challenge of m/f. Although my stories are anywhere from sweet (no sex) to heavy, bloody BDSM, all of my books can be categorized as romance, and they all have happy endings. As far as settings, I typically write contemporary or fantasy.

How much of yourself, if any, do you put into your characters? Some and none. I do draw on my own experiences for my transgender characters. But all of my characters have their own backgrounds and personalities. We have very little in common overall.

Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future? I haven't done a historical. I'd love to, but frankly the amount of research just terrifies me.

If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why? Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe, Gerard Butler (he has to arrive naked, just because he's so much fun to look at), Tim Curry, and Ron Jeremy. Yep. :-)

What are at least five things you have on your bucket list and have you done any of them? I don't have a bucket list. If I want to do something passionately enough, I'll make it happen.

Is there one series/author you feel is a must read for readers to explore (can be e book authors or print NY house authors)? It all depends on the genre.

Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it? I don't feel like any of my stories have a soundtrack, however I do have a specific playlist that I listen to when I'm in the mood for music when I write. It's a varied list that ranges from Pearl Jam, to Nirvana, to The Black Eyed Peas, to Ludacris, to the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos.

What is coming up for you in 2011? 2011 is turning out to be a busy year for me! I've had four releases so far, and have at least three more, including another story featuring Calliph and Mateo, my werewolf/werecat pair.

Are any of your characters just like you or have personality quirks/traits of you or someone you know? My character Derek is probably the closest thing to me on paper.

Where can readers find you on the web?

www.dcjuris.com

www.facebook.com/dcjuris

www.twitter.com/dcjuris

http://dcjuris.livejournal.com

and I'm published at:

www.torquerepress.com

www.fannypress.com

www.breathlesspress.com

www.nobleromance.com

www.mlrpress.com

www.ravenousromance.com

 Sneak Peek into Simply Smut  Anthology

Available at Breathless Press

Excerpt from "Rub-a-Dub-Dub"

Amber closed her eyes and leaned back in the tub, resting her head on the curved edge. She thought back to earlier in the day, to the website of erotic stories she'd run across at work. She'd been doing a search for a favorite romance author, and had wound up finding one by the same name, with a different spelling. But the stories she discovered weren't romantic at all, but steamy, hot tales of pure, unadulterated sex. Sex for the sake of sex, and, while she had initially turned up her nose, she hadn't been able to suppress a little bit of curiosity. 

She'd gone back to the website and was soon opening tab after tab in her browser, pouring over tale after tale of all kinds of sexual acts—anal sex, oral sex, BDSM, even homosexual sex—and then there were the things she'd never even heard of. The story about cock docking had nearly done her in. Such imagery in the authors' words! She had pictured every story in her mind, and by the time the end of the day rolled around, she had worked herself into such a sexual frenzy she'd barely been able to keep her cool when she'd stepped out of her office.

She'd hurried home, fed the goldfish, grabbed up her favorite sex toys, and gone immediately for the bathroom. Now here she sat, hot water up to her shoulders, still just as turned on as she had been when she'd left work.

Excerpt from "Torn"

Torn's not like any other place you've ever been. That planet has a soul—remember that. She'll demand your respect, and you'd do best to give it.

And in true human fashion, William had dismissed the words of his superior officer. Ten years of living in the barely-describable-as-civilized wilderness of Torn without incident had only served to cement his belief—no, his conceit—that nothing could stop him. There existed nothing that William, indeed any human, couldn't conquer, couldn't bend to their will. Couldn't convert.

Except Torn. She'd proven that, at last, and taken back the land from terraforming, digging, and drilling. Torn had handed down her revenge. The storm—the natives called it The Great Anger—had come on quickly. No preceding black skies, no foretelling howling winds. No time to react. No warning. Nothing.

Crudely built, the wooden shanties they had lived in had splintered and crumbled under the powerful gusting gales. The Great Anger had ripped mighty trees from their roots as if they had not been rooted at all, careened them through the air like they'd weighed no more than twigs. They'd become weapons in Torn's plan, a way of bringing about even more damage as they were slammed through walls and rooftops. Quakes had split the roads open, torrential rains had flooded the cities. In its wake, the Great Anger had left nothing but devastation.

Welcome Author Jennifer Estep (Giveaway today)

Since blogger has been freaking annoying and the post I had up yesterday for this author seemed to have disappeared, I am reposting it so those can enter Jennifer's contest and meet the author behind the wonderful stories of the Elemental Series. So without further adieu....Welcome Jennifer Estep.

CONTEST INFORMATION-to be entered to win a copy of Jennifer's latest release, Tagled Threads, please leave a comment or question for Jennifer here on the blog along with your email address so we can contact you if you have won. Contest ends Sunday May 15th at Noon est. This only open for Canada and US residents only. Sorry international fans.

So let’s get this party started. Please tell us about yourself. What got you interested in being an author?

A: Hi, Dawn! Thanks for having me on the blog. I appreciate that. ;-)

My name is Jennifer Estep, and I write the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket and the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington.

I’ve always loved reading ever since I was a kid. One day, I had the thought that I think a lot of authors do after reading a book that maybe isn’t so good – Why, I could write something better than that. So one summer during college, I wrote a really bad epic fantasy book. But I’d been bitten by the writing bug, so I wrote another book and then another one … and I’ve been writing ever since.

Can you tell me a bit about your upcoming release, Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin Book 4)? What inspired it and what can readers’ expect to happen to Gin next?

A: Sure. I write the Ele­men­tal Assas­sin urban fan­tasy series for Pocket Books. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assas­sin code­named the Spi­der who can con­trol the ele­ments of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing peo­ple and right­ing wrongs, Gin runs a bar­be­cue restau­rant called the Pork Pit in the fic­tional South­ern metrop­o­lis of Ash­land. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vam­pires, and ele­men­tals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

Books in the series are Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, and Venom. Tangled Threads, the fourth book, was released on April 26.

In Tangled Threads, Gin finds out that her nemesis, Mab Monroe, has hired an assassin named Elektra LaFleur to come to Ashland to track down and kill the Spider, aka Gin. Along the way, Gin also searches for a kidnapped girl and struggles with whether or not to tell her younger sister Bria that she’s really the Spider.

Basically, though, I thought it would be fun to write an assassin vs. assassin book, so that’s what I did.

How do you keep track of the world building for each series?

A: Mostly, it’s all in my head, but if I need a refresher course, I just go back and re-read my books. I’ve thought about creating a world/character bible for both of my series, but I think I’d spend as much time writing that as I would a new book! So I just go back and review the books if I need to check on something.

How much of yourself, if any, do you put into your characters?

A: I think there’s a little bit of me in my main heroines, Gin and Gwen (from my Mythos Academy series). We like some of the same things (reading, cooking, etc.), but Gin and Gwen are definitely far stronger and braver than I could ever be.  

Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?

A: There are a lot of genres I’d like to explore. I’d love to write a contemporary romance, a western, a heist book, a spy thriller … I have so many ideas. Now, I just need to find time to work on them. LOL.

If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why?

A: Hmm. That’s a toughie. There are so many people that I’d like to meet and whose work that I admire. But I’ll go with Ian Fleming, Clint Eastwood, Daniel Craig, Jimmy Buffett, and J.K. Rowling. Writers, actors, a musician. I think it would make for an interesting party.

You have two adult series (Elemental Assassin & Bigtime) and have a young adult series (Mythos Acedamy) coming later this year. Do you prefer writing series books over stand alone titles or did it just happen that way?

A: I like writing (and reading) series books – creating a world and magic system and then letting my characters play and explore in that world over the course of several books. I also like writing series books because of how your characters can grow and change. I love seeing my characters come into their own and finally beat the bad guys that have been threatening them for so long.

What are at least five things you have on your bucket list and have you done any of them?

A: I would say five things on my bucket list are: getting a book published; hitting all the best-sellers lists; visiting Alaska/Hawaii; traveling to Europe; and doing something crazy, like sky-diving.

So far, I’ve only done one of them – getting published – but I’m really grateful that’s the one that I’ve accomplished. Maybe someday, I’ll get around to the others. Here’s hoping, anyway. ;-)

Is there one series/author you feel is a must read for readers to explore (can be e book authors or print NY house authors)?

A: There are so many great books out there that I couldn’t pick just one or just one series. Some of my favorite authors are Robin McKinley, Donald Westlake, David Eddings, Robert Parker, Lisa Kleypas … I think one of the joys of reading is discovering an author whose books you absolutely love. So I would just encourage folks to read as much and in as many genres as possible.

Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?

A: I do not listen to music when I write. I like dead freaking silence, as I call it, when I write – it just helps me concentrate better. LOL.

But I love listening to music when I’m not writing. My tastes are pretty eccentric, though. I like everyone from Jimmy Buffett to The Killers to The Pretenders, and I love oldies.

What is coming up for you in 2011?

A: Tangled Threads, the fourth book in my Elemental Assassin series, was published on April 26, while Spider’s Revenge, the fifth book, will be released in Octo­ber.

I also have a young adult urban fantasy series called the Mythos Academy series coming out this year. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psy­chom­e­try, or the abil­ity to know an object’s his­tory just by touch­ing it. After a seri­ous freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Acad­emy, a school for the descen­dants of ancient war­riors like Spar­tans, Valkyries, Ama­zons, and more.

The first book, Touch of Frost, will be out in August, while the sec­ond book, Kiss of Frost, will hit shelves in Decem­ber. First Frost, a prequel e-short story to the series, will be out in July. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more.

Are any of your characters just like you or have personality quirks/traits of you or someone you know?

A: Well, I try not to base characters on people I know. That being said, I love to cook and read just like Gin does in the Elemental Assassin books. Also, my grandma hates wearing socks, just like Jo-Jo Deveraux does in the Elemental Assassin books.

Where can readers find you on the web?

A: Folks can find me at the following sites:

Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com

Facebook fan page: http://artist.to/jenniferestepfanpage/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jennifer_Estep

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/580315.Jennifer_Estep

Sneak Peek into Tangled Threads
Book 4 in Elemental Series
Urban Fantasy

I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .

Chapter One Excerpt:


“Are you going to kill this guy? Or are we just going to sit here all night?”

“Patience, Finn,” I mur­mured. “We’ve only been in the car an hour.”

“Longest hour of my life,” he muttered.

I arched an eye­brow and looked over at Finnegan Lane, my part­ner in crime for the night. Most nights, actu­ally. Just after ten o’clock a few days before Christ­mas, and we sat in the dark­ened front of Finn’s black Cadil­lac Escalade. An hour ago, Finn had parked the car in a secluded, out-of-the-way alley that over­looked the docks that fronted the Aneirin River. We’d been sit­ting here, and Finn had been grous­ing, ever since.

Finn shifted in his seat, and my gray eyes flicked over him. The wool fab­ric of his thick coat out­lined his broad shoul­ders, although a black watchman’s cap cov­ered his walnut-colored hair. His eyes were a bright green even in the semi-darkness, and the shad­ows did lit­tle to hide the square hand­some­ness of his face.

Most women would have been glad to have been in such close quar­ters with Finnegan Lane. With his easy smile and nat­ural charm, Finn would have already had the major­ity of them in the back­seat, pants off, legs up, steam cov­er­ing the win­dows as the car rocked back and forth.

Good thing I wasn’t most women.

“Come on, Gin,” Finn whined again. “Go stick a cou­ple of your knives in that guy and leave your rune for Mab to find so we can get out of here.”

I stared out the car win­dow. Across the street, bathed in the golden glow of a street­light, the guy in ques­tion con­tin­ued to unload wooden crates from the small tug­boat that he’d pulled up to the dock forty-five min­utes ago. Even from this dis­tance, I could hear the warped, weath­ered boards creak under his weight as the river rushed on by beneath them.
The man was a dwarf—short, squat, stocky, sturdy—and dressed in black clothes prac­ti­cally iden­ti­cal to the ones that Finn and I were wear­ing. Jeans, boots, sweater, jacket. The sort of anony­mous clothes you wore to go skulk­ing about late at night, espe­cially in this rough South­town neigh­bor­hood, and most espe­cially when you didn’t want any­one else to see what you were up to.

Or were plan­ning on killing some­one, like I was tonight. Most nights, actually.
I rubbed my thumb over the hilt of the sil­ver­stone knife that I held in my lap. The metal glinted dully in the dark­ness of the car, and the weight of the weapon felt cold and com­fort­ing the way that it always did to me. The knife rested lightly on the spi­der rune scar embed­ded in my palm.

It would be easy enough to give in to Finn’s whin­ing. To slip out of the car, cross the street, creep up behind the dwarf, cut his throat, and shove his body off the dock and into the cold river below. I prob­a­bly wouldn’t even get that much blood on my clothes, if I got the angles just right.

Because that’s what assas­sins did. That’s what I did. Me. Gin Blanco. The assas­sin known as the Spi­der, one of the best around.

But I didn’t get out of the car and get on with things like Finn wanted me to. Instead, I sighed. “He hardly seems worth the trou­ble. He’s a flunkie, just like all the oth­ers that I’ve killed these past two weeks. Mab will hire some­one else to take his place before they even dredge his body out of the river.”

“Hey, you were the one who decided to declare war on Mab Mon­roe,” Finn pointed out. “Cor­rect me if I’m wrong, but I believe that you were rather eager to kill your way up to the top of the food chain until you got to her. You said it would be fun.”

“That was six hits ago. Now, I’d just like to kill Mab and give every­one in Ash­land an early Christ­mas present, myself included.” My turn to grouse.

But Finn was right. Two weeks ago, a series of events had led me to offi­cially declare war on Mab, and now, I was deal­ing with the fallout—and the tedious bore­dom of it all.

Mab Mon­roe was the Fire ele­men­tal who ran the south­ern metrop­o­lis of Ash­land like it was her own per­sonal king­dom. To most folks, Mab was a paragon of virtue, a Fire ele­men­tal who used her magic, busi­ness con­nec­tions, and money to fund worth­while char­ity projects through­out the city. But those of us who strolled through the shady side of life knew Mab for what she really was—the head of a mob­like empire that included every­thing from gam­bling and drugs to pros­ti­tu­tion and kid­nap­pings. Mur­der, extor­tion, tor­ture, black­mail, beat­ings. Mab ordered all that and more, prac­ti­cally on a daily basis. But the Fire ele­men­tal was so wealthy, so pow­er­ful, so strong in her magic that no one dared to stand up to her.

Until me.